Top 10 Photos from 2015

10. 

Start of the Ripon Medical Center Triathlon (that's me diving in)

9.

From left to right: Me, my brother Ben, and father Rich at the New Glarus Brewery

8. 

7. 

"Olaf Comes to Life"

6.

"Sexy"

5.

"Framed"

4.

River in Cayuga (Filtered)

3.

Devil's Lake State Park

2.

Maya's Selfie with a Snow Tiger

1.

My Loves

Others Receiving Votes:

RMC Sprint Triathlon - Race Report

Back in the early spring of this year, I received a personal email from the Race Director of the Ripon Medical Center (RMC) Triathlon. He informed me that as last year's winner of the sprint event, I would be offered free entry into this years event. I was thrilled and honored by his offer. I immediately accepted and inserted this race into my race schedule. At first it was unclear whether or not I would be able to even participate in this event due to starting a new job with the City of Kaukauna. In June, I was slotted into a permanent rotation and I was scheduled to work the night before the race until 3am. I was fortunate to agree to a shift trade with a co-worker to allow me to race in this event. The race itself was well run last year, I had no complaints, and was very impressed with the awards offered, especially because it is a relatively small race. This year, I went into the race with high expectations....to win it again.

Training for This Race

As with many of my races this year, I have been relying on the base I have built up over the past 6-7 years of endurance training, opposed to following a strict and thorough training plan. I was a little concerned whether or not I would even be able to finish the race at all. During a weekend camping trip at Devil's Lake State Park, I went out for a run and a tweeked my right calf. After taking the remainder of the weekend off from any form of exercise with hopes of it healing itself, I tried running. I was able to finish two runs, but it was still present. I opted to take the next week and a half completely off from running. I focused on my cycling and swimming. I was leery to whether my calf would heal or not in the limited time I was giving it, but I was willing to try it.

Prerace

I had to work Friday into Saturday morning before the race and was going on limited sleep. On top of that, it was just me and the three girls, as Sarah was in Chicago all day and night for a bachelorette party. It was a low key day for me personally, as my dad wanted to take my two oldest to a local splash pad for the afternoon. I got to bed early and had my alarms set for 4:30am. My hope was to get on the road before 5. I was close to my goal and ended up on the road at 5:05am. The drive took about an hour and was my chance to visualize my race and listen to some good music. I got to the race right around 6, which left me more than enough time to set up my transition area. The RMC Triathlon does not have designated transition areas, which allows you to choose any area you wish. Since I got there early enough, I was able to get a spot on the end of the row. This is a prime location as you do not have to worry about getting caught up in the crowded aisles.  This also means there is less distance you need to run to get your gear. After getting my transition area all set up, I got into the water and did a good, thorough warm up in the lake.

Nutrition Plan

This is now my second straight year of focusing on short course triathlon racing. With the two years of focused attention, I feel very comfortable racing at high intensities with limited to no nutritional assistance, before or during the race. On my ride to Ripon, I drank a cup of fresh brewed coffee. After my transition area was set up and I was ready to race, I took two Hammer Nutrition Anti-Fatigue Caps about 60 minutes before the start of the race.

Gear/Equipment

Blue Seventy Reaction Wetsuit

TYR Special Ops 2.0 Goggles

Look 576 Triathlon Bike

Louie Garneau Tri HRS Shoes

Giro Aero Helmet

Oakley Half Jacket XLJ Sunglasses

Zoot Kiawe Shoes

Hammer Nutrition Tri Skinsuit

Hammer  Nutrition Visor

500m Swim (7:34)

The race started about 10-15 minutes after the Olympic distance race started. The first wave of the sprint triathlon consisted of males under 40 years old. The swim start was a mass beach start in about 1' of water. The water depth dropped off in a hurry. Within about 10 feet of the shoreline the water was at least 4' deep. My start was basically one large dive into the water and then right into my stroke. I initially had to fight a for positioning with one or two other guys. I was getting a little frustrated with one guy who was on my left and was struggling to swim a straight line. So no matter how often I would attempt to reposition my self along a new line, we would run into each other. I held up for a split second to let him get ahead of me and then passed him on his right as it seemed he was always pulling to his left. Once I did this, it was pretty much smooth water ahead of me. I ended up being the third one out of the water.

T1 (0:41)

Why yes, it does appear I have a mullet.

The transition area was very close to the beach, which allowed for a quick T1. I had no issues with taking my wet suit off and since I was the third one out of the water, I have virtually the entire transition area all to myself. After getting changed over and ready for the bike, I was out of the transition area. I made one mistake during my T1 and it was actually a mistake from my preparations that came to light during my T1. I forgot to preset my crank arms to my desired angles. Normally I have my right pedal in the forward position so I can swing my right leg over the cross bar and clip right into the right pedal. My crank arms were all backwards, so, after swinging my right leg over the cross bar, I had to take a few seconds to readjust my crank arms, then clip in. In all reality, it probably only added a second or two, but it sure did feel like forever I was sitting there trying to just get clipped in.

15 Mile Bike (40:48)

Once on the bike course, I saw two others ahead of me. They weren't too far ahead of me, maybe a quarter mile and a half mile respectively. I immediately began to hammer with the idea of passing them as soon as possible. After the first mile or so, there was a deceptively challenging climb. My heart rate soared and my legs began to burn. I immediately began to question my tactics of trying to pass the two dudes ahead of me. I made the decision to just settle into an aggressive, but maintainable pace and just pass the others as the opportunity arises. I told myself that even if I don't catch them, I know I am a strong runner and would more than likely pass them on the run course.

I ended up passing them both around the 3-4 mile mark of the bike course. At this point I was leading the race. I then began to rethink my strategy for the remainder of the bike course as I had over 10 miles to go. I figured I had two options, I could throw the hammer down and build as much cushion as possible and hope I don't fade on the run. My other option is to realize that I had no positions to gain by hammering hard and just ride fast enough to not get passed, then to rely on my run legs to hold off others on the run course. I opted for my first choice; to ride as hard and build the largest lead possible and hope I can hang on during the run with what ever may come my way.

I was riding strong and felt good throughout the race. All of a sudden around mile 13-14, a guy I didn't recall passing flew by me on his bike. I down shifted and my cadence dropped, with hopes of at least keeping up with him. Even though I was redlining at this time, I couldn't even keep him in sights. I ended up coming in with the second fasted bike split of the day, but it didn't even compare to the other guys split of 37:12!

T2 (0:21)

Coming into T2, I was very confident I would be able to run down the guy that was currently in the lead. I had the second fastest T2 in the race. I feel very confident in my ability to transition from the bike to the run. Coming out of T2, I needed something to drink. I have been opting to forgo any fuel/hydration during the bike portion of the race. The weather on race day was hot with limited wind. I became very thirsty on the bike and had to get something to drink. I took a few seconds to stop and get some liquids in my system, I figured that no matter how long it took to stop and get some liquids in me, I would have been worse off not stopping.

3.1 Mile Run (20:32)

Remembering from last year, the run course was extremely challenging. At least the first half mile or more is straight up hill. After climbing, you come back down, just go back up hill for the next quarter mile or so until the turn around point, just to do it all over again. Once I started my run leg, I tried to the distance between me and the leader manageable and I was going to try and make my move on the first downhill. As I was climbing the first hill, I was passed by one of the guys I initially passed on the bike leg. He looked fresh and fast. He just looked more comfortable than I was feeling, as I was breathing hard and my legs felt heavy. It was at this point that I felt like winning was not going to be an option. I tried to keep a positive mindset in case the two of them faded after the turn around due to the hills. After climbing the first hill I eased into a more relaxed pace to gather myself and hopefully have a strong kick during the second half when the other two would hopefully slow down. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I just couldn't catch them. I was the third one to cross the finish line and could tell just by the way I felt, that I gave it my all. I was gassed.

Post Race

After the race, I congratulated the other two finishers that finished ahead of me. It turns out that the guy that passed me in the late stages of the bike was in the second wave, meaning I had about a 2 minute head start on him. That completely explains why he was able to just blow by me that late in the bike leg. Even though he was the second one to cross the finish line, he ended up winning the race overall, again due to the 2 minute discrepancy in waves.

I ended up finishing in 1:09:57, 3rd overall, and 1st in my age group. Even though I came in 3rd and didn't win the race, I was extremely happy with my race time. I improved my swim time, my T1, my average bike speed, and my T2. My run leg was barely slower than last year.

What's on Tap

To keep on track with my goal of completing at least one race each month, I have a 6 day turnaround to my next race. I am racing the Green Bay Packers 5k on Saturday, August 1st at 6:30pm. After getting home from the race we got all packed up and headed out of town for a short family vacation to Wisconsin Dells. It was a nice relaxing vacation and I was able to get out for a couple shorter runs just to stay fresh for the upcoming race.

On the Friday before the race, I found out that I was awarded a spot on Team USA for the upcoming ITU Age Group Sprint World Championships. I was full with mixed emotions upon receiving this email. First I was thrilled for the opportunity as it was the culmination of all my hard work throughout last year leading up to the Age Group Sprint National Championships. On the other hand, I was looking at a minimum of $1,000 of unplanned money to spend on a single night stay in Chicago and race fees. Upon making it public knowledge that I was offered this opportunity by would likely turn it down, I received many offers to assist in paying for the trip. I also received encouragement to ask for donations or do some fundraising. First, I just can't ask or accept money from friends and family for this opportunity when I can "technically" afford it. It would just be such a big hit to our family finances, that I am having a difficult time justifying it. It is also a very short notice, with the race taking place in about 6 weeks. Had I earned the spot outright, immediately following last years National Championships, I probably would have been able to saved the finances and better planned for the $1,000 commitment. Currently I am asking around for corporate sponsorships from local businesses to assist with the financial responsibility of representing Team USA in the ITU World Championships. As of writing this, I have not received any sponsorship money and doubt I will, meaning I will have to regrettably turn down the opportunity to race for Team USA this September.

As always, thanks for reading and keep on keepin' on!

Elkhart Lake Sprint Triathlon - Race Report

I last raced the Elkhart Lake Triathlon in 2013 in preparations for Ironman Wisconsin.  It quickly became on of my favorite triathlons and it was easy to figure out way.  The race venue is damn near perfect.  The race is very well run and organized.  It has a large number of volunteers who know what they are doing.  Finally, it draws a good number of participants from top end to novices, so no matter your experience level there will be some sort of competition, if you are looking for it.  This year has been an interesting year to say the least.  It started out with me making a half-assed goal of doing at least one race each month of the year.  At first, it sounded very doable and easy.  Then came March and April, when I began applying for a new job, which I ended up accepting and starting in May.  This threw a total wrench into my plan.  Honestly, it's most likely my type-A personality which is to blame for my stubbornness and inability to give up on a goal - even when the circumstances say the better idea is just to bag it until my schedule is more apt to allow a race every month.  But, none-the-less, here we are, 6 months into my goal, and I registered for the Elkhart Lake Sprint Triathlon for my 7th race of the year.  The race date was a scheduled off day for me, but I ended up getting scheduled to work a music festival in our city from 5:00pm-3:30am the evening after the race.  In and of itself, that isn't terrible.  Honestly, it was the month or so leading up to the race, which made the decision to race on this Saturday a questionable one.  I was on Field Training for the past month working nearly every day with minimal time off.  When I did have time off, it was spent cramming in other family events that we had scheduled before I accepted the new position.  So, to say I have devoted ample time for my family would be an understatement.  But, like I said, because of my inability to let go of a goal, I registered for the race and sacrificed some much needed family time.

Training for This Race

To say I had been training for this race would be a flat out lie.  To be honest, I don't think I have actually "trained" for any race since the Whistle Stop Marathon last fall.  I have been just winging it.  Basically, I would plan out my training about 2-4 days out based on time available and how I feel and what I actually feel like doing.  It has been difficult to actual sit down and plan out even a month with the unknown of a new job.  On top of the new schedule and the uncertainty of the new position, my off time has been crammed full of family adventures, which have included trips to La Crosse, Point Beach, and a Brewer game.  I have been keeping my weekly running mileage up in the 25-35 mile range since the Neenah Duathlon back in the beginning of May.  My cycling mileage has increased quite a bit since the weather has finally warmed up to a comfortable level to get out early in the mornings without freezing my ass off.  As for my swimming, I think I could count on one hand how many times I have been in the pool since April.  I have been in the pool 3 times total since May 1st and only 9 times since April first.  So in a nutshell, I have been staying active, but to say I have been actually training, like I said, would be one big fat lie.

Prerace

One of my single gripes about some races, is the requirement of picking up race packets and bibs the day/night before.  I understand why it's done, but I still find it to be an inconvenience to sacrifice more time just to go and pick up a bib.  But, it was something I had to do, so on Friday evening Delaney and myself made the short trek to The Osthoff Resort for the race expo and packet pick up.  The expo itself is small and simple.  Packet pickup is well organized and goes quick.  We were in and out in under 10 minutes.  That night I made one of my favorite prerace meals of butternut squash with brussels sprouts fried up with some diced up chicken breasts.  I was in bed and sleeping shortly before 10pm.

I had set me alarm for 4:30am with hopes of getting on the road around 5:00 as the drive to Elkhart Lake was around 50 minutes.  Prior to leaving I tested my heart rate variability or HRV which is a great test for stress on your adrenal system.  The higher the HRV the more recovered you theoretically are.  My HRV this morning was over 100.  Typically, the range for HRV is 1-100.  On average an HRV for a typical day would be 75-85.  After testing and getting ready, I wound up leaving shortly after 5:15 and got into Elkhart Lake around 6:10.  I honestly don't remember if we had assigned bike rack locations in 2013 or not, but this year we had assigned sections for transition.  I like this concept a lot.  Basically they would assign a few bike racks for bib numbers.  So I found the rack section for 750-800 and found a nice spot to set up shop next to the edge of the rack.  It doesn't take me long to set up my transition area, as I subscribe to the idea of less is more.  It probably took me a total of 5 minutes to fully set up and organize my transition area, then I just wanted to get my wetsuit on as it was kind of chilly and damp.

The temperature that morning was around 50-55 degrees with a light misty-fog that was just lingering around.  It was breezy which didn't help matters either.  All I wanted to do was get my wetsuit on to help stay warm.  After getting my wetsuit on I walked down to the beach to get into the water to get acclimated to the water temperatures and start a swimming warm up.  It was roughly 6:30 and I still had about 45 minutes until the start of the race.  The reported water temperature was 67 degrees, over 10 degrees warmer than the air.  I walked in and started to swim.  The water was cool, but comfortable.  I honestly was a little afraid to get out as the air temperatures were so chilly.  So I just stayed in the water and kept moving for about a half hour.

The water conditions in Elkhart Lake are damn near perfect.  The lake is spring fed and is always around 55-70 degrees.  The water is crystal clear and you can see the bottom even in 5-7' deep water.  I saw several small fish swimming near the bottom of the lake while I was warming up.  The swim start is slightly different from most triathlons I participate in.  The race starts with a time trial start, meaning each individual participant starts by themselves in small 3-5 second increments.  

Nutrition Plan

With my finishing time goal being around an hour, my nutrition plan was to not take in any calories until after the race was done.  On the drive down to Elkhart Lake, I drank my usual tall travel mug of dark coffee.  About an hour out from race time I took 2 caps of Hammer Anti-Fatigue Caps and 2 caps of Hammer Endurolytes.  During the race, I had no water on the bike and had no intentions of slowing for water on the run.  I also ate no breakfast or took in any calories before the start of the race as I knew I would have ample fuel on board from last nights dinner and had no need to "top off" my fuel stores.

Gear/Equipment

Blue Seventy Reaction Wetsuit

TYR Special Ops 2.0 Goggles

Look 576 Triathlon Bike

Louie Garneau Tri HRS Shoes

Giro Aero Helmet

Oakley Half Jacket XLJ Sunglasses

Zoot Kiawe Shoes

Hammer Nutrition Tri Skinsuit

Hammer  Nutrition Visor

400m Swim (5:40)

My strategy for the swim was to start out harder than goal pace and after the first 100-150m settle into a challenging pace for the final 300m or so.  As you can see I totally forgot to start my Garmin at the start of the race.  I guess I just got caught up in the atmosphere of the time trial start and the only thing on my mind was gaining ground and coming out of the water ahead of as many people possible.  As I came out of the water, I won't lie, I was kind of dizzy, I'm really not sure why.  The best I can explain is it was like I had my "sea legs" after coming off the lake.

T1 (1:48)

We had quite the long run to get into the transition area after swimming.  Based on my Garmin data it was about a quarter mile.  Taking that into consideration, I would expect a longer T1, but honestly, not as long as I ended up with.  After getting to my transition area, I was still struggling to get off my wetsuit.  At first I was struggling to get it off over my Garmin, then it was my right foot.  Finally I wasted time trying to get it off my left foot.  I felt as though I got more and more frustrated as I continued to struggle just to take off my wetsuit.  As soon as it was off, I was golden.  I finished getting ready for the bike and was out.

12.4 Mile Bike (34:13)

As soon as I got clipped in, I began to hammer down.  My mindset on the bike was to leave it all on the bike course.  I knew I am a strong running and would be able to put together a solid run even if I ride hard all 12 miles.  One thing I forgot to take into consideration, was how hilly the course was.  None of the hills were overly challenging, but the entire course was rolling hills.  There really was never a flat section.  One benefit from having a time trial start, was the consistent flow of people.  There was never really a pack of athletes.  I thrived on this.  There was constantly  some one ahead of me to focus on.  As soon as I passed one person, there was someone else ahead to be passed.  It kept me focused on a single task opposed to focusing on the wind or the hills.  One thing that I still am surprised with is the fact that my bike split was the fastest time of the entire race.  Cycling was never my strength, but somehow, on this day, my bike leg was clearly the reason I won the race.

T2 (1:04)

I don't know what it is about the bike to run transition, but I have become very efficient at this transition.  I had the second fastest transition time of the race.  When I first got into the transition area, the very first thing I noticed was the lack of bikes in transition...and that's a good thing.  It was at this exact moment I stated thinking about putting together a strong finish for a high placing.  Personally, I take pride in my transitions and practice them.  In my eyes, it's free time.  You do not need to be a freak of nature or metabolically efficient to be good at transitions.  You just need to be calm and efficient.  Keep things simple and know what you need and what you don't need.

3.1 Mile Run (19:24)

Coming off the bike, all I wanted to do was get into a comfortable groove and just maintain it.  I started out coming out of transition at a high turnover rate.  I took note of another guy in front of me about a half mile ahead or so.  I started to focus in on him and made it a goal to pass him as soon as possible.  After the first half mile or so, I started to settle into a more manageable pace for the remainder of the 5k.  After passing the first guy I saw another athlete further ahead and at this point I was already over a mile into the race and wasn't sure if I'd be able to catch up to him before the end.  But I knew I was going to try.  The run course was one of the hardest 5k courses I have ever run, even including open 5k's.  The first mile or so is at a very slight incline, then you make a left hand turn and you are stuck running almost straight up hill for the next mile or so.  This hill made it extremely difficult to catch up to the guy ahead of me.  I remained focused on my form and breathing.  I especially concentrated on my foot striking and made sure to maintain a high leg turnover rate, all while listening to my breathing, making sure to take deep breaths from my stomach.  The last mile of the race was the fastest, as it was mostly downhill.  I put the hammer down at around the 1k mark and tried my hardest to pass the guy that was ahead of me since the first mile.  I ended up coming pretty damn close, but never officially passed him.  I ended up finishing with a final time of 1:02:11 and I knew I had run a great race.

Post Race

After the race it started to mist ever slightly and I started to get cold.  I grabbed a couple bagel quarters and a bottled water after the race to refuel with and began wondering around aimlessly to kill time.  Knowing that I had to work that night at 5pm, I wanted to get home as soon as possible, but knowing I had at least placed in my age group, I wanted to stick around for the awards ceremony.  It was roughly 8:30 at this point and according to the race's web site the awards ceremony wasn't scheduled to begin until 10:00.  So, I had some time to kill.  I decided I would at least clean up my gear and load up the car, so I would be able to hit the road as soon as the awards ceremony had concluded.  As I was waiting to take my bike out of transition, another racer approached me, he was the first guy I had passed out on the run course.  He came over to congratulate me on the race and we began chatting.  He was an older dude who focused a lot of his efforts on his bike.  He was telling me how he just finished racing an 8 stage race in California.  It sounded really neat, maybe a bucket list item for further down the road???  After grabbing my free sandwich from the concession stand and loading up my car, I hung around the awards tent until the official results were posted.  As soon as they were posted, I weaseled my way up to the board to check the results.  I won the whole damn race.  It took a few seconds for it to actually sink in.  But I checked again, and I had won, I took first place overall.  I finished with an official time of 1:02:11 and the second place male finished in 1:02:27, just 16 seconds behind me.  I was thrilled, but it sucked, as I had no one to share the joy with.  I immediately called Sarah to tell her the news.  I wanted to put my time into perspective, so I quickly checked the race results from 2013, the last time I did this race.  In that race, I finished 6th overall with a time of 1:05:29.  I improved my time by over 3 minutes.  I took over a full minute off my bike split and ran about the same run split, my swim time improved as did my transitions.  A short while later the awards ceremony began and the overall winners were announced first.  I received a very nice etched glass/crystal trophy and had my photo taken on the top podium.  It was a great feeling.  To me, this was my best race to date.  I know the Ripon Medical Center Triathlon overall win had a larger margin of victory, but this race had a competitive field and has always drawn some fast racers.  After receiving my award, I felt terribly guilty leaving immediately to so I could get home and get to work.  I felt like a guy who was selfish and didn't give a crap about the other racers.  I wish I could have stuck around for the rest of the awards presentations, but I just couldn't.

What's on Tap

It's hard to describe the feeling you are left with after winning a race outright.  You feel unstoppable, motivated, and inspired.  Part of you feels like you deserve a day off with celebrating, while the other side of you says, "hell no, get your ass back out there and pound some pavement!"  You immediately start dreaming of future races and what the future holds.  It's contagious, this sport.  I guess that's why I love the sport of endurance racing.  It's a constant battle and the only thing holding you back is yourself.  Sure, their are other people out on the course racing, but no matter what your skill level is those other people motivate you.  They inspire you.  You see people who are better than you.  You see people who are first timers who are racing with a smile on their face because they are accomplishing something they never thought possible.  It's a great sport.  For me, other people on the course are a threat, they are my competition, even if they don't view themselves in that light, that is what I make them out to be.  Other people see others out on the course as company.  It's a party, like one large group training ride/run.  But in the end, regardless of your finish time, you are only racing against yourself.  You can never control who else will be racing the event or how many people are racing.  You control the one thing you can control...yourself.  You do the best you can do on that day in the given conditions and you can only look inward and ask yourself, "did I do my best?"  If you can answer, "hell yea!" Then and only then can you say that you had a successful race.

As always, thanks for reading!
Be fast, be strong, and carry on!

USA Triathlon Sprint National Championships - Race Report

 

Why this Race

Discovery World, host site for the USAT National Championships

I had my sights on this race since before the Ironman last year.  The USA Triathlon National Championships for both Sprint and Olympic Distances are located in a different city throughout the country each year.  This year and last year the race was held in Downtown Milwaukee on the Lakefront.  The previous two years it was located in Burlington, VT.  The two year prior to being Vermont, the race was held in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.  I chose not to race in the National Championships last year due to it being too close to Ironman Wisconsin and opted to focus on long distance training that weekend as opposed to racing in a sprint triathlon.  So, knowing that I would be shifting my focus to short course triathlon in 2014, I committed to the 2014 Sprint National Championships before I was even able to register for it.  As the name implies, this race not only brings in the best triathletes from the immediate area, it brings the best triathletes of the country to race to be called a National Champion.  In addition for the chance to be crowned the best in the country, racing at the National Championships also allows the opportunity to qualify for the World Championships in the following year as part of Team USA.  In order to qualify for Team USA, you need to place in the top 18 in your age group with spots "rolling down" to 25 due to the "age up" rule.  I won't dive in to the specifics of the age up rule, but you can read more about it HERE (towards the bottom).  The Sprint World Championships, much like the National Championships, move from city to city each and every year.  The only difference is the locations vary from country to country across the globe.  Last year the race took place in London and in Aukland, New Zealand the year before.  In 2014 the race will be in Edmonton, Canada.  In 2015 the World Championships will take place in Chicago, IL, only 3 hours south of my hometown!  This will be the first time in 10 years that the Triathlon World Championships will take place in the USA.  

When looking at the 2013 race results, the last athlete to qualify for Team USA in the 30-34 age group finished in 1:09:36.  I crunched some numbers based on some of my own race results from my 2013 season and thought, if everything goes right, I should be able to race a sub 1:09 sprint race.  And just like that my ultimate goal for 2014 was born....Train my ass off in 2014 with a focus on sprint distance triathlons and qualify for Team USA for the opportunity to race at the World Championships in Chicago in 2015.  

Training for this Race

As much as I would love to hire a coach, I simply can not afford one.  I have created every single one of my annual plans and training plans ever since I started racing.  I have done countless hours of reading and researching trying to find the best ways to train for each individual event.  So when I decided to shift my focus from long distance races to sprint distances, I was honestly stumped and rather overwhelmed with the endless possibilities of formats for training and individual workouts.  Training for the Ironman, without getting too specific, was somewhat easy, just continuously build volume and then add more volume to what you had built up previously.  Sprint triathlons, on the other hand, are obviously, shorter so volume isn't the important factor, speed is.  Therefore, volume is not nearly as important as doing specific workouts in each individual discipline to build race specific speed.  I'll be honest, I felt extremely overwhelmed with the endless possibilities of workouts in each of swimming, biking, and running, let alone building a weekly schedule to balance out each daily workout.  I decided to turn to a premade generic training plan for triathlon.  This was the first time I had done anything like this, as I take pride in being self coached.  I found an ambitious Olympic Distance training plan to utilize for the Sprint National Championships.  My thought was that I wanted a relatively higher amount of weekly volume while focusing on speed in my daily workouts.  I hoped that if I would be in top condition for a Olympic Distance race, I should be able to excel in a sprint distance.

I quickly fell in love with the structure of the training plan.  I still had the occasional two-a-day workouts with an AM swim or bike with a PM run.  The longest workout was a weekend brick consisting of a 40 mile bike and a 6 mile run, which took roughly 2:45.  Most of my midweek workouts were no longer than and  60 to 90 minutes.  It worked really well into my family life and gave plenty of time to enjoy time with my kids.

Prerace

The entire week leading up the race was spent on vacation in Rhinelander, WI.  I followed my training plan to a "T" that week.  I found a local YMCA in Rhinelander which had a lap swimming pool that I utilized for my swim workouts.  The only downfall that I see from spending a week of vacation the week BEFORE my biggest triathlon of the year was my lack of discipline in my diet.  It was hard enough giving up beer the entire week, so I wasn't about to be a crabby-pants because I was eating salads all week while everyone else had burgers for dinner with s'mores around the fire.  I still tried my best not to over-indulge too much.  We left for Rhinelander around noon on Saturday, August 2nd and then on Saturday, August 9th, we packed up and drove straight down to Milwaukee.  The ride took a total of about 4 hours and we arrived in Milwaukee around 1:00pm.  The Olympic Distance race was held on Saturday morning and then at 2:00pm registration for the Sprint race opened with bike check-in starting around 2:30pm.  Instead of dragging Sarah and the kids around the race and forcing them to stand in lines, Sarah chose to spend a few hours at the Milwaukee County Zoo.  I dropped the girls off at the Zoo and then headed to Discovery World, the race site of the 2014 National Championships.  Registration didn't take too long, honestly the longest wait was the line to find out your race number, which probably could have been avoided all together if USAT just emailed those numbers out to the athletes the week leading up to the race.  After finding your race number it was back to another line to get your timing chip, race packet, and SWAG.  This year, all athletes received a race jacket along with a SweatVac Hat.  Both of these were surprisingly nice.  The females got a red jacket while the males got a blue and I'll be honest, I like the red jackets better.  After going through registration and packet pick-up, I headed over to the transition area for bike check-in.

The men's Super Sprint triathlon was just starting so they shut down the transition area until the Super Sprint race was completed.  This race was a professional level race with about 20-30 pros competing.  It consisted of a 325m swim, 4k bike, 1.5k run twice through.  While I waited for transition to open to rack my bike, I watched the Super Sprint race.  It was really exciting and FAST!  After the race was completed, I racked my bike, then walked through the race expo, and went back to the Zoo to pick up Sarah and the girls.  That night we stayed at a La Quinta Inn in Oak Creek, which is just Southwest of the Milwaukee Airport, about a 15 minute drive south of the race.  For dinner we found a Panara Bread and I had a flat bread sandwich with a side salad.  My parents shared a hotel room with us, as they came down to watch the race.  After dinner, we came back to the hotel room, prepared for the morning, watched the Packer's preseason game, and were all in bed around 8:30pm with a 4:15am wake up call.

That night, I slept like absolute CRAP.  I was so anxious, probably the most anxious I had been for a race.  This was the first ever race were I had very specific goals and literally a once in a lifetime opportunity.  This was the first time the USAT National Championships were in Milwaukee, and with the coincidence that the World Championships were in Chicago the following year makes the opportunity of not only qualifying for Team USA, but truly being able to race at the World Championships the following year, made this a true "win or go home" race.  I had put an immense amount of pressure on myself to succeed.  This pressure created an intense anxiousness in myself which kept me awake all night with random thoughts running through my mind all night.

After waking up (well before our 4:15am wake up call), I was feeling wide awake with excitement.  We packed up all of our stuff and got the girls ready and were out and on the rode right around 5:00am.  After getting to the race, I set up my transition area with the utmost care knowing that USAT Officials were patrolling the entire transition area just looking to hand out penalties for illegally set up transition areas.  After getting set up, I found a nice open space to sit and relax before jumping in the the water for a quick swim warm up.  Around 6:45 I met up with my family for a final good bye and good luck.  Around 7:00 I was in the water to get used to the water temperatures which were about 73*, if I recall correctly.  I spent about 15 minutes in the water swimming and just getting my nerves settled for the race before the National Anthem.  I was in the very first wave of the day and was scheduled to start at 7:30am sharp.

Nutrition Plan

My nutrition plan for this race was to NOT have a nutrition plan.  I opted to take two Peanut Butter Hammer Gels just before jumping in the water to have something in my stomach since the last time I ate was dinner the night before at Panara.  Prior to jumping in the water, I took 2 Race Caps Supreme, 2 Mito Caps, and 2 Anti-Fatigue Caps about 45 minutes prior to the start of my race.  I had no water bottles prepared for the bike and no gels or water bottles prepared for the run.  The only other supplement I had ready was a Energy Surge to suck on during the bike leg.

Gear/Equipment

Blue Seventy Reaction wetsuit from www.TheTriShop.com
Custom TYR Special Ops 2.0
Look 556
Giro Aero Helmet
Rydon Rudy Project Sunglasses
Louis Garneau Carbon Tri HRS Shoes
Zoot Kiawe 2.0 Shoes

750m Swim (12:11)

The swim started with an open water start, only my second ever true open water swim start, with the first being the Ironman.  The swim course was rather simple, swim straight out, go under a bridge, then make a U-turn to the right and swim to shore.  When planning out my race strategy back one year ago, I knew I would have to swim a sub 13 minute 750 in order to put up a sub 1:09 finish time.  My goal going into the race was to go balls-to-the-wall throughout the entire race and just hope not to blow up during the final mile of the run.  I found myself getting into a groove early on in the swim and latching on to a set of feet to draft off of.  At about the half way point I noticed I was inside of the main group of swimmers.  I was sighting the course well and really don't know why everyone else was 20 yards to my left.  I just continued to swim towards the other swim buoys as a lone fish, swimming all alone.  After getting to the turn buoys I knew there was only 200-300 meters to go and really started to pick up my swim cadence.  Once at the swim out ramp (which was extremely steep) I ran the nearly quarter mile to transition and got ready to hammer down on the bike.

12.4 Mile Bike (31:33)

After arriving into transition, I took of my wetsuit, which I will admit, I am slow at and really need to improve.  I threw on my helmet and bike shoes and in a last second decision, opted to put on my race bib now as opposed to T2 hoping to save some time at the end of the race.  My T2 time was 2:38, WAY TO FREAKIN SLOW!  I know I need to strip my wetsuit faster and I need to practice having my bike shoes clipped in to my bike right away as opposed to putting them on in transition and wasting precious seconds trying to get clipped in at the bike mount line.

Once I was on the bike, I just put the hammer down.  The course was a fast course and surprisingly scenic.  The course was a large loop course all on a single road.  It went strait North for about 4 miles before turning around to head South for about 8 before the second turnaround to head North again for another 4 miles back to transition.  The Southern end of the course was on a bridge that at the apex overlooked Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee Skyline.  It was really cool, even though it was a straight uphill climb.  The good or bad (depending on how you look at it) thing about a out and back style course, is you get to see exactly how far ahead or behind you are in the race.  Since I was in the very first wave of the day, I knew exactly were I stood in the field as I approached the first turn around point around mile 4.  I counted a good number of guys and honestly lost count around 20ish.  It was at that point were I knew I had my work cut out for me and would really have to put up a strong run.  I held my own pretty well on the bike and probably had a net position change of zero after being passed by roughly the same number of guys I had passed.

3.1 Mile Run (19:46)

Once I got into transition I threw on my shoes and was in and out pretty damn quick.  My T2 time was 00:58 which was the 99th fastest T2. This was probably the bright spot of my race.  Once out on the run course, knowing I needed a fast 5k, I tried to get into a groove as soon as possible.  I felt tired, like I really hammered down on the bike for 12.4 miles, but stayed focused on my goal.  I was passed by a couple guys but passed way more people then I was passed by.  After passing mile 2, I decided to crank it up a notch and truly leave it all out on the course.  I passed the last few guys that were in eye shot of me and soon I saw the finish line.  During the last tenth of a mile I was passed by one of the guys I passed at mile 2, I did my best to try and pass him, knowing that he may be the difference between Team USA and falling one spot short.  I never did catch him, but finished in 1:07:08, nearly two minutes faster then my goal time of a sub 1:09.  I even finished about a minute faster than my very ambitious goal of 1:08.  When looking at my mile splits I ran a 6:08 mile during the 3rd mile and a 4:52/mile pace during the final 1/10th of mile.  I was surprised to see these splits and it just affirms that I put it on the line and risked blowing up in this race.

Post Race

After the race I stuck around, not only because I had to wait for the last cyclist to exit T2 (roughly 11:00), but to find out how I placed and if I stood a chance to make Team USA.  As I sat and reflected on my race, I knew I did my best personally, I know I laid it on the line and doubted there was any area I could have been quicker (besides T1).  While I waited a while I saw the people at the NormaTech booth in the race expo to demo one of there recovery units.  It was AWESOME, it was like a cross between compression tights and a massage.  Now, if they didn't cost $1,600 I would have probably bought a pair on the spot.  While I was recovering with a pair of NormaTech sleeves, my dad got a print out of my race times.  I was unofficially 31st place in my age group.  Knowing this result I knew I most likely missed qualifying for Team USA by 6 spots.  I was bummed, I began thinking of where I fell short and what I could have done better.  I began questioning my race effort, could I have swam just a bit faster, or given more effort on the bike?  But then I looked at my race splits.  After the official race results were posted and all penalties were assessed, I finished 28th in my age group (of 114) and 188th overall (of 1,734).

Going into the race, I made ambitious goals for myself, knowing that in order to reach my goals, I would have to train hard and have a great race.  My goal splits were a sub 13 minute swim, sub 33 minute bike, and a sub 20 minute run.  Knowing my goal splits and comparing them to my race results, I nailed each of them independently and even reached my overall race goal of sub 1:08.  Sure, it sucks ass that I didn't qualify for Team USA, but this was literally the deepest field USAT has ever seen for the National Championships and some of the fastest Team USA qualification times.  It makes sense, though.  Think about it, the World Championships were going to be held within 90 miles of the National Championship.  Not only was the World Championship close to the National Championships, but it was going to be the first time in 10 years the World Championships were going to be held in the USA.  Considering all of this, it explains why so many people came out with the same goal as me, to qualify for Team USA and to be able to say they are one of the top triathletes in the country.

What's on Tap

There is still hope for me to claim a spot on Team USA for 2015, however.  There is what is known as the roll down, in races with qualifying standards.  Basically, if someone were to turn down their spot on Team USA, it would roll down to the next finisher.  So, all I would need is for 3 people to turn down there spot on Team USA and I would be offered a spot on the team and an opportunity to race for Team USA in Chicago in 2015.  Part of me thinks this would be a "cheap" way of getting on the team, while the other part of me thinks that any opportunity to be on the team is an accomplishment.  Either way, I will know that I didn't truly qualify for the team based on the qualification standards, but came damn close....and I am honestly happy with that.  I gave it my all - and I am not disappointing in anyway with my race, just that I didn't claim a qualifying spot on Team USA. 

Moving forward for the year, with my triathlon season officially in the rear-view, I am now focusing again on the marathon.  I will never give up on my goal of running a sub 3 hour marathon.  I am following a strict training plan over the next two months leading up to the Whistle Stop Marathon in Ashland, WI on October 11th.  The plan has strict paces for each individual run with a projected marathon time of 2:55.  The course is a point to point race on a crushed limestone trail along Lake Superior in the upper Northwest corner of Wisconsin.  The course is primarily downhill and claims to be fast.  The hope is to train even harder for the marathon then in the past and focus solely on my run fitness over the next two months.  I have even started to grow my marathon beard for the extra ergogenic effects of facial hair!