If there is a difficult time of the year to watch your diet, it’s now. You might still be munching on Halloween candy, the big Thanksgiving meal is still hanging out in you lower GI and the holiday parties that abound in December begin this weekend. Couple that with a slowdown in training and we might just find ourselves five or ten pounds heavier. So, here’s a little damage control. It’s still over 13 weeks till Firebird Triathlon in Chandler and 15 weeks till Lake Havasu Tri March 20th. Spend the next four weeks making informed choices with your diet and putting in some base training. You’ll burn those fat stores for energy and those five to ten pounds won’t seem like such a problem at the start of your 12 week cycle of training for a spring triathlon.
Additionally, put the holidays in perspective. It’s 4-6 weeks out of 52 in a year or about 10% of the year. It’s what you do the other 90% that significantly affects your health and performance. Since we all know the holidays can be a battle ground for the diet conscious, have a plan to stay on a healthy course, e.g., eat salads, fruits and vegetables before digging into the chips, cheeses and heavy casserole dishes. Think ahead and make healthy choices. Do not skip meals in anticipation of a party or large meal. You will be more apt to overeat- this is a bad habit to get into. Continue with at least 3 meals per day plus healthy snacks. Drink plenty of water between meals. This keeps you hydrated, aids in digestion and elimination of waste products. Also, thirst can also be confused with hunger and cause you to drink too much of a high calorie liquid. Eggnog, for example, has about the same number of calories as a piece of pie. Spend your calories carefully. If you are really looking forward to having something that only comes around once per year have it, but avoid something else that may be high in calories and is more common, something you can get anytime. Step away from the food table to visit. It is very easy to keep eating when socializing and thoughtlessly take in too many calories. Find a place away from the food to visit and play games. Get active. Gathering with family, friends and co-workers doesn’t have to be all about food. Try taking a walk or drive around the neighborhood to look at Christmas lights; play Twister; wrestle with the kids; organize a comedy club night instead of a large dinner party. Maintain base training from now until the end of the year- don’t wait until January 1st. Incorporate a new food into holiday meals. Try a new recipe this season. Try a new fresh vegetable or fruit salad; add in brussel sprouts, squash, mashed cauliflower instead of potatoes, cut some of the sugar and marshmallows out of the sweet potatoes, make a low fat cheesecake and substitute Splenda in place of sugar. Remember the standards as well: Be Satisfied with small amounts of food. Avoid concentrated sweets and sugar. Appreciate food quality, not quantity. Take your time eating. Chew your food well (approximately 20 times for each bite) before swallowing. Stop eating at the first sign of fullness. Remember to avoid “mindless eating” and make informed decisions. Now is the time to take control of your diet so that you can go into the new-year one step ahead.
Brandon Nichols, RD, CSSD
(Registered Dietitian, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics) specializednutrition@gmail.com
520-249-1599 for a consultation.
Triathlon and Endurance Sports Coaching; Multisport camps, training, and racing in Arizona.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Ironman!
GEC had a big day this year at Ironman Arizona. Big breakthroughs!
Tucsonans Cheryl Palen, Michael McClure, Sylvain Lebreton, and Joe McNally all became IRONMEN after training on GEC plans and guidance.
Then GEC full-time athletes finished and all raced to new Personal Records at Ironman!
- Scott LaRoche finished Ironman #2 with a breakthrough finish. Scott just returned from Afghanistan (US Air Force Fighter Pilot) where his only cycling was on the rollers, his swimming was on stretch cords, and his running consisted of a single, monotonous road. We spoke before the race about how this was not necessarily going to be his year to PR. He decided to prove me wrong and went 10:40 for a 20-minute PR. I was floored. Impressive.
- Owen Paulus came off a nagging running injury and a severe bout with the piggy fly to run sub-4:00 for the first time and come in at 10:29. Wow.
- Polita Paulus als had some running setbacks late season and was worried going into the race that things weren't going well. She held tough and we built a taper plan to get in some late running, and she performed great on race day! 11:07
- Joe McNally PR'd by one hour! His plan was to break 13:00, so he and Bill put together a plan. Joe was successful and went 12:52! Well done.
Brad Hendron stole the show, however. Brad and I have worked together for a number of years, and have lately really worked hard to get under 10 at IM and get him to Kona. When we started, Brad was a 13:30 IM and a 5:30 Half IM racer. Cycling was his weakness and was making his run suffer, so we put together a long-term plan to change that. He was always mentally tough--a great thing.
He had a great season last year with some breakthrough results at Olympic and Half IM distances, including an age group win at the Trisports.com HalfMax National Championships and an impressive 4:19 at Soma Half IM. But the IM was still eluding us.
We doubled our efforts, get him on PowerTap to really nail his cycling, and away we went. With a tough, high-volume plan and a small run injury to deal with, Brad held tough through some dark training sessions--both physically before the sun came up and mentally tough.
But he did it.
It's bitter-sweet, however. Although a breakthrough race both mentally and physcially, a 1:30 PR, a 9:33 finish with a PR in all three disciplines, and near flawless race execution, that time did not gain him a Kona slot. I couldn't believe it. Still can't. You can't plan on who else will show up and who will have a great day, too, but in any case, Brad had a great race and is already looking forward to taking time off in 2010. Next year, Brad.
Congratulations to all Ironmen out there. Well done.
Tucsonans Cheryl Palen, Michael McClure, Sylvain Lebreton, and Joe McNally all became IRONMEN after training on GEC plans and guidance.
Then GEC full-time athletes finished and all raced to new Personal Records at Ironman!
- Scott LaRoche finished Ironman #2 with a breakthrough finish. Scott just returned from Afghanistan (US Air Force Fighter Pilot) where his only cycling was on the rollers, his swimming was on stretch cords, and his running consisted of a single, monotonous road. We spoke before the race about how this was not necessarily going to be his year to PR. He decided to prove me wrong and went 10:40 for a 20-minute PR. I was floored. Impressive.
- Owen Paulus came off a nagging running injury and a severe bout with the piggy fly to run sub-4:00 for the first time and come in at 10:29. Wow.
- Polita Paulus als had some running setbacks late season and was worried going into the race that things weren't going well. She held tough and we built a taper plan to get in some late running, and she performed great on race day! 11:07
- Joe McNally PR'd by one hour! His plan was to break 13:00, so he and Bill put together a plan. Joe was successful and went 12:52! Well done.
Brad Hendron stole the show, however. Brad and I have worked together for a number of years, and have lately really worked hard to get under 10 at IM and get him to Kona. When we started, Brad was a 13:30 IM and a 5:30 Half IM racer. Cycling was his weakness and was making his run suffer, so we put together a long-term plan to change that. He was always mentally tough--a great thing.
He had a great season last year with some breakthrough results at Olympic and Half IM distances, including an age group win at the Trisports.com HalfMax National Championships and an impressive 4:19 at Soma Half IM. But the IM was still eluding us.
We doubled our efforts, get him on PowerTap to really nail his cycling, and away we went. With a tough, high-volume plan and a small run injury to deal with, Brad held tough through some dark training sessions--both physically before the sun came up and mentally tough.
But he did it.
It's bitter-sweet, however. Although a breakthrough race both mentally and physcially, a 1:30 PR, a 9:33 finish with a PR in all three disciplines, and near flawless race execution, that time did not gain him a Kona slot. I couldn't believe it. Still can't. You can't plan on who else will show up and who will have a great day, too, but in any case, Brad had a great race and is already looking forward to taking time off in 2010. Next year, Brad.
Congratulations to all Ironmen out there. Well done.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Late Season Racing!
Updates from the late season:
Clearwater 70.3 World Champs--
Kathy Rakel killed it at Cleawater. Although she was 11th in her age group, she was 20th overall amateur! Tough age group! And her time of 4:25 placed her in teh top half of the pro field! Kathy will be moving up to the pro field for the 2010 season.
Scott Perrine had a stellar day as well. Scott was training for Ironman Arizona the following week, so went into Clearwater as a "training race." He killed it for a 20 minute PR with a time of 4:26, feeling relaxed the entire time!
Well done in Clearwater, guys!
Soma Half Ironman--
Kathy killed it here, too. SHe took 4th amateur overall, 2nd in her age group. 4:44.
Rebecca Tschider ran to a huge PR of 5:03 for 2nd in her age group as well! This was a great race for Bec and a huge breakthrough! Congrats!
Austin 70.3--
Jim Williamson completed his first Half Iron race! Not a bad time at all, but more a breakthrough in the distance than anything. Huge kudos to Jim!
Blue Water--
Leo Carrillo continued a great season with a 2nd overall at Blue Water!
On another note, 3 good friends took spills in races and weekend of Soma and Austin. Be careful out there. For John, AJ, and Kel: heal up quickly and get back out there!
Brian
Clearwater 70.3 World Champs--
Kathy Rakel killed it at Cleawater. Although she was 11th in her age group, she was 20th overall amateur! Tough age group! And her time of 4:25 placed her in teh top half of the pro field! Kathy will be moving up to the pro field for the 2010 season.
Scott Perrine had a stellar day as well. Scott was training for Ironman Arizona the following week, so went into Clearwater as a "training race." He killed it for a 20 minute PR with a time of 4:26, feeling relaxed the entire time!
Well done in Clearwater, guys!
Soma Half Ironman--
Kathy killed it here, too. SHe took 4th amateur overall, 2nd in her age group. 4:44.
Rebecca Tschider ran to a huge PR of 5:03 for 2nd in her age group as well! This was a great race for Bec and a huge breakthrough! Congrats!
Austin 70.3--
Jim Williamson completed his first Half Iron race! Not a bad time at all, but more a breakthrough in the distance than anything. Huge kudos to Jim!
Blue Water--
Leo Carrillo continued a great season with a 2nd overall at Blue Water!
On another note, 3 good friends took spills in races and weekend of Soma and Austin. Be careful out there. For John, AJ, and Kel: heal up quickly and get back out there!
Brian
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Virginia
I’m in Virginia for a USAF conference. The conference was not why the day was cool, mind you. After the conference I rushed to the hotel, changed out of my uniform and thanked God for my phone-embedded GPS mapping. I just drove. I’ve never been to VA—all over the Pacific rim, but never to VA. Being somewhat a history buff this is a good place to just drive.
So I rambled upon some pretty cool history. Yorktown is most famous as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington in 1781. The Yorktown battlefield is a spacious expanse complete with the redoubts and encampment areas from 230 years ago. You can almost see the battles, hear the conversations between Washington and his men, and smell the gunpowder.
Later, during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War (1861–1865), Yorktown was captured from the Confederacy and then used as the base for the Union Army of the Potomac under General George B. McClellan. And as the capitol of the Confederacy, more Civil War battles were fought in VA than any other state. I’ll check those out tomorrow. Just up the road are Jamestown and Williamsburg, among the first permanent settlements on the new continent.
And now, some of the newest and most capable military equipment in the world: Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana are home to the Atlantic fleet of Naval aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarines and half the US Naval Aircraft; Marine Corps Base Quantico is everything “schoolhouse” to the Marine Corps; Langley AFB is home to the 1st Air Force and the F-22 Raptor, and of course, the “5-sided Puzzle Palace” is here (fighter pilots can’t say the word “Pentagon”). There’s a lot here. In fact, this area is the largest concentration of military bases of any metro area in the world.
So I rambled upon some pretty cool history. Yorktown is most famous as the site of the surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington in 1781. The Yorktown battlefield is a spacious expanse complete with the redoubts and encampment areas from 230 years ago. You can almost see the battles, hear the conversations between Washington and his men, and smell the gunpowder.
Later, during the 1862 Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War (1861–1865), Yorktown was captured from the Confederacy and then used as the base for the Union Army of the Potomac under General George B. McClellan. And as the capitol of the Confederacy, more Civil War battles were fought in VA than any other state. I’ll check those out tomorrow. Just up the road are Jamestown and Williamsburg, among the first permanent settlements on the new continent.
And now, some of the newest and most capable military equipment in the world: Naval Station Norfolk and Naval Air Station Oceana are home to the Atlantic fleet of Naval aircraft carriers, destroyers and submarines and half the US Naval Aircraft; Marine Corps Base Quantico is everything “schoolhouse” to the Marine Corps; Langley AFB is home to the 1st Air Force and the F-22 Raptor, and of course, the “5-sided Puzzle Palace” is here (fighter pilots can’t say the word “Pentagon”). There’s a lot here. In fact, this area is the largest concentration of military bases of any metro area in the world.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Interbike
If you can imagine a chocoholic spending a week in Hershey, PA, that was my experience at Interbike. (Actually, Hershey could be a good trip for me, too. Watch for a blog on that someday.) Not only is Interbike a great opportunity to network, speak with potential sponsors, and catch up with current sponsors, it’s a great place to drool and gawk. And I did my share of all of it.
I flew up on Tuesday with the Trisports.com crew and went straight to the Outdoor Demo. This is where Hershey lines up everything they make and you get to taste it. (Man, I really need to get to PA.) I brought my MTB shoes and helmet and got in a good workout on some of the latest bikes yet to hit the market, including 29er hardtails, 5” travel trail bikes, and most everything in between. I got to join up and ride with good friend and fellow coach Trevor Glavin. I could finally beat Trevor up the climb on our last circuit. Ok, he was on a 9” travel, 40+ pound DH bike, but I didn’t hold that against him. Bootleg Canyon is a great place to ride.
Wednesday was the start of the actual Interbike show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. This is where vendors showed off all the new 2010 stuff and the changes in their lines. Lots of new stuff out there: Zipp’s new Super-9 disk yields aerodynamic and stiffness increases over their standard and sub-9 disks. Check out the CycleOps Joule computer that works with PowerTap. Hammer Nutrition is coming out with a new gel flavor—Montana Huckleberry. Wow! Get your hands on some. Litespeed has carbon now! SRAM’s new XX mountain groupset leaves everything else out there in the dust, quite literally. And TYR now has a wetsuit to add to its unbelievable Sayonara speedsuit.
Genuine Innovations, GEC’s camp sag sponsor for CO2, was there celebrating 20yrs in the industry. Marty, the head cheese there, is not only a super-fast cyclist and triathlete, but is genuinely one of the nicest guys in the world. That they make the best inflation products in the world is a bonus.
Jill flew in on Thursday and we finished the week in vacation mode. I needed the vacation after that week, and we had a great time.
Brian
I flew up on Tuesday with the Trisports.com crew and went straight to the Outdoor Demo. This is where Hershey lines up everything they make and you get to taste it. (Man, I really need to get to PA.) I brought my MTB shoes and helmet and got in a good workout on some of the latest bikes yet to hit the market, including 29er hardtails, 5” travel trail bikes, and most everything in between. I got to join up and ride with good friend and fellow coach Trevor Glavin. I could finally beat Trevor up the climb on our last circuit. Ok, he was on a 9” travel, 40+ pound DH bike, but I didn’t hold that against him. Bootleg Canyon is a great place to ride.
Wednesday was the start of the actual Interbike show at the Sands Convention Center in Las Vegas. This is where vendors showed off all the new 2010 stuff and the changes in their lines. Lots of new stuff out there: Zipp’s new Super-9 disk yields aerodynamic and stiffness increases over their standard and sub-9 disks. Check out the CycleOps Joule computer that works with PowerTap. Hammer Nutrition is coming out with a new gel flavor—Montana Huckleberry. Wow! Get your hands on some. Litespeed has carbon now! SRAM’s new XX mountain groupset leaves everything else out there in the dust, quite literally. And TYR now has a wetsuit to add to its unbelievable Sayonara speedsuit.
Genuine Innovations, GEC’s camp sag sponsor for CO2, was there celebrating 20yrs in the industry. Marty, the head cheese there, is not only a super-fast cyclist and triathlete, but is genuinely one of the nicest guys in the world. That they make the best inflation products in the world is a bonus.
Jill flew in on Thursday and we finished the week in vacation mode. I needed the vacation after that week, and we had a great time.
Brian
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
USAT Level One Coaching Clinic
By Bill Daniell: Associate Coach, Grasky Endurance Coaching
One of the challenges we face in the coaching world is staying in touch with the latest and greatest in the endurance sports coaching world. Science is constantly reminding us that we are still learning a lot about the human body and how to train it effectively. This is especially true in the sport of Triathlon due to the fact that the sport is so young. Fortunately there are a lot of great educational opportunities for endurance coaches and at Grasky Endurance we are constantly looking at ways to improve our knowledge in an effort to help our athletes. Recently, Coach Brian Nath and I attended the USAT Level One coaching certification clinic in Santa Monica and both walked away with a lot of tools that we know will be beneficial to all the current and future athletes working with Grasky Endurance.
The USAT Level One clinic is a three day seminar that involves approximately 12 different sessions which covers topics such as nutritional strategies, strength training for endurance athletes, mental training, and program development for endurance athletes. We were truly blessed at the Santa Monica clinic because we had several presenters who are considered the leaders in endurance coaching and are current members of the USAT National Team coaching staff and members of the United States Olympic Team coaching staff. As a coach with a very strong swimming background I was even impressed by the amount I was able to take away from the presenter on instructing swim techniques. It was just another reminder about how much we can continue to learn, regardless of how much we may already know. Brian and I were both very impressed by Bobby McGee who gave great talks on mental training for endurance athletes as well as a phenomenal session on proper running techniques. We cannot wait to bring this information back and share it with our athletes. In between all the training sessions Brian and I were able to squeeze in a nice ocean swim (the water was nice and toasty but I think the kelp got the best of Brian!!). We were also able to sneak in a couple of runs and got to experience Venice beach from an up close and personal perspective. Let’s just say that there are some things you can only see in LA!!!
Overall this past weekend was a tremendous learning and networking experience for Brian and I. I am already looking forward to our next educational seminar and even more so I am looking forward to working with our coached athletes and our GEC camps for 2010 where we can take this new found information and share it. As I mentioned before, these seminars make me realize how much great information there is that can be found, and I really think that one of the great benefits of working with the coaching staff at Grasky Endurance is the fact that we all are open minded and looking for new ways to learn from our coaching peers. This not only helps us become better coaches but also makes our athletes better which ultimately is our goal at Grasky Endurance Coaching.
One of the challenges we face in the coaching world is staying in touch with the latest and greatest in the endurance sports coaching world. Science is constantly reminding us that we are still learning a lot about the human body and how to train it effectively. This is especially true in the sport of Triathlon due to the fact that the sport is so young. Fortunately there are a lot of great educational opportunities for endurance coaches and at Grasky Endurance we are constantly looking at ways to improve our knowledge in an effort to help our athletes. Recently, Coach Brian Nath and I attended the USAT Level One coaching certification clinic in Santa Monica and both walked away with a lot of tools that we know will be beneficial to all the current and future athletes working with Grasky Endurance.
The USAT Level One clinic is a three day seminar that involves approximately 12 different sessions which covers topics such as nutritional strategies, strength training for endurance athletes, mental training, and program development for endurance athletes. We were truly blessed at the Santa Monica clinic because we had several presenters who are considered the leaders in endurance coaching and are current members of the USAT National Team coaching staff and members of the United States Olympic Team coaching staff. As a coach with a very strong swimming background I was even impressed by the amount I was able to take away from the presenter on instructing swim techniques. It was just another reminder about how much we can continue to learn, regardless of how much we may already know. Brian and I were both very impressed by Bobby McGee who gave great talks on mental training for endurance athletes as well as a phenomenal session on proper running techniques. We cannot wait to bring this information back and share it with our athletes. In between all the training sessions Brian and I were able to squeeze in a nice ocean swim (the water was nice and toasty but I think the kelp got the best of Brian!!). We were also able to sneak in a couple of runs and got to experience Venice beach from an up close and personal perspective. Let’s just say that there are some things you can only see in LA!!!
Overall this past weekend was a tremendous learning and networking experience for Brian and I. I am already looking forward to our next educational seminar and even more so I am looking forward to working with our coached athletes and our GEC camps for 2010 where we can take this new found information and share it. As I mentioned before, these seminars make me realize how much great information there is that can be found, and I really think that one of the great benefits of working with the coaching staff at Grasky Endurance is the fact that we all are open minded and looking for new ways to learn from our coaching peers. This not only helps us become better coaches but also makes our athletes better which ultimately is our goal at Grasky Endurance Coaching.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Flagstaff Training Weekend
Grasky Endurance Coaching just got back from a training weekend in Flagstaff AZ. Those who went had a great weekend of training, altitude, and good food; those who did not go missed out.
Friday was when most of us showed up. Jill and I were late for traffic and other stuff, so everyone was already sitting at Oregano’s when we showed up. It was good to see everyone again—all were either GEC athletes or good friends (or both).
We joined the Pay and Take ride on Saturday. The group was large and fit, and filled with a fair mix of both triathletes and cyclists—most of whom welcomed the other. Every group has its guy who jumps to the front complaining about the “twitchy triathletes”…why is it that that guy is always the worst at holding a line and is the most apt to cause a crash? GEC athletes held on and did well, but with flat tires, dropped bottles, and seeing old friends we got split up, then rejoined, then made it to the turn-around in one short train of green and black. Sweet. There’s not much better than being at 7000’ and 80 degrees on beautiful roads overlooking the mountains. It’s even better when it’s 105 at home! That afternoon the group was sprinkled on by rain on a 6 mile run (while Jill and I had our first experience o a Wii) and got in a nice open water swim in Lake Mary. Big juicy steaks at a great cowboy steak house in the middle of nowhere topped the day.
Brian, Taco Bell is not recovery nutrition
We drove out to Wupatki National Monument on Sunday to ride big climbs with no traffic. There was fresh road construction, but it was still good riding. This ride is tough—descend until you can breath, then climb back into the nosebleed area again. We wanted to do a short brick run, so turned around at 45 minutes and a 3000 feet descent. The climb back was fun. And tough. Brad pushed the pace and did well, and we finished in 2:15 after a total 3.5k’ of climbing. Then a short run and we headed back to camp for grilled burgers and pasta salad by world class outdoor chef yours truly. Ok, world class is a bit of a stretch. Well, so it chef. Or even cook. It was all good until Kathy issued an open challenge on the ping pong table and Brian Nath though he could school me in Foosball. Who says triathletes aren’t well-rounded!?!
If it weren’t for a 90 minute dead stop on I-10 on the way back to town it would have been a glorious weekend! Next time I’m flying!
Brian
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Time 2 Tri Program
Some of you may or may not know that Grasky Endurance Coaching is a sponsor of the Tucson Triathlon Club here in Tucson, Arizona. The TTC has started a new program called the Time2Tri program, which is directed at folks that have had a desire to do a triathlon but needed a little direction. The club started signing up athletes in March at TriFest and received a lot of interest in the program. TTC accepted 20 individuals into the program with many more hoping to get in next year. The program will consist of kickoff meeting, run clinic, bike clinic, swim clinic, a 12-week training program, and group workouts. The ultimate goal is to compete in the Tinfoilman Triathlon at the University of Arizona.
On July 5th the program kicked off at the Firecracker Triathlon here in Tucson. Participants in the program attended the race as spectators so they could see first hand what they are getting into. The participants checked out the transition, swim, bike, and run as GEC coaches Brian Grasky and myself along with mentors from TTC answered questions for the participants. Watching the event got the participants pretty excited to be training and ultimately racing in their first triathlon!
The next day we met as a group at TriSports.com retail store for the official kickoff meeting. The kickoff meeting was used to introduce the participants to all the essential gear for training and ultimately competing in a triathlon. It was a great start to the program.
The past few weeks we have had a running, biking, and swimming clinics. The run clinic was held at Fleet Feet where Jeanne Snell spoke to the group. She discussed everything from selecting the proper running shoe to injury prevention and everything in between.
The bike clinic was held at TriSports.com retail store. Since most of the participants are new to cycling we had a lot to cover! We talked about basic bike needs, group riding etiquette, rules of the road, basic bike maintenance, and how to change a flat. I am pretty good at changing flats but when you put me in front of a crowd it got a little more difficult! By the time I was done most of them were ready to buy a can of pit stop…lol.
Day one of a two-day swim clinic was held last Sunday with Geoff Glaser of Dolphins of the Desert. For most of the participants this was the first time any of them received formal swim instruction so there was a lot of excitement throughout the clinic and are all looking forward to day two this Sunday.
Over the course of the program I will be blogging about the experience so check back for updates on how participants are doing!
Brian Nath
Grasky Endurance Coach
On July 5th the program kicked off at the Firecracker Triathlon here in Tucson. Participants in the program attended the race as spectators so they could see first hand what they are getting into. The participants checked out the transition, swim, bike, and run as GEC coaches Brian Grasky and myself along with mentors from TTC answered questions for the participants. Watching the event got the participants pretty excited to be training and ultimately racing in their first triathlon!
The next day we met as a group at TriSports.com retail store for the official kickoff meeting. The kickoff meeting was used to introduce the participants to all the essential gear for training and ultimately competing in a triathlon. It was a great start to the program.
The past few weeks we have had a running, biking, and swimming clinics. The run clinic was held at Fleet Feet where Jeanne Snell spoke to the group. She discussed everything from selecting the proper running shoe to injury prevention and everything in between.
The bike clinic was held at TriSports.com retail store. Since most of the participants are new to cycling we had a lot to cover! We talked about basic bike needs, group riding etiquette, rules of the road, basic bike maintenance, and how to change a flat. I am pretty good at changing flats but when you put me in front of a crowd it got a little more difficult! By the time I was done most of them were ready to buy a can of pit stop…lol.
Day one of a two-day swim clinic was held last Sunday with Geoff Glaser of Dolphins of the Desert. For most of the participants this was the first time any of them received formal swim instruction so there was a lot of excitement throughout the clinic and are all looking forward to day two this Sunday.
Over the course of the program I will be blogging about the experience so check back for updates on how participants are doing!
Brian Nath
Grasky Endurance Coach
Monday, July 20, 2009
GEC Breakthrough!
Funny that GEC really grew after my crash 2 years ago, but this weekend (after Jill's crash) GEC had a significant breakthrough in our coaching with both the men's and women's overall wins in a race...
From GEC Coach Brian Nath:
Grasky Endurance was well represented this weekend at the 25th running of the Mountain Man Triathlon in Flagstaff, AZ. The race takes place at 7000 feet at Lake Mary just outside of Flagstaff. In the Olympic distance Leo Carrillo and Kathy Rakel both won 1st overall male and female. This was Leo’s second win in two weeks and he is on track to have a terrific race in Tuscaloosa at USAT Age Group Nationals in a few weeks. Kathy continues to add to her trophy case and will also be racing the the win at Age Group Nationals. Beth Andresen took home second place in her age group in the Olympic--Beth has now placed in her last two races. Jarreu Jones who is a recent addition to GEC competed in his first Olympic distance race and will be competing in his first 1/2 Ironman at SOMA in October. Brian Nath PR’d his Olympic distance time by six minutes, Caryn Nath was 2nd in her AG.
Brian G's note: Leo's SMOKIN time of 58:low was the fastest I've seen on that course in a long time aside from top pros, and Kathy crushed it in a last minute decision to race after a move and new job. I'm impressed!
Congratulations to everyone!
From GEC Coach Brian Nath:
Grasky Endurance was well represented this weekend at the 25th running of the Mountain Man Triathlon in Flagstaff, AZ. The race takes place at 7000 feet at Lake Mary just outside of Flagstaff. In the Olympic distance Leo Carrillo and Kathy Rakel both won 1st overall male and female. This was Leo’s second win in two weeks and he is on track to have a terrific race in Tuscaloosa at USAT Age Group Nationals in a few weeks. Kathy continues to add to her trophy case and will also be racing the the win at Age Group Nationals. Beth Andresen took home second place in her age group in the Olympic--Beth has now placed in her last two races. Jarreu Jones who is a recent addition to GEC competed in his first Olympic distance race and will be competing in his first 1/2 Ironman at SOMA in October. Brian Nath PR’d his Olympic distance time by six minutes, Caryn Nath was 2nd in her AG.
Brian G's note: Leo's SMOKIN time of 58:low was the fastest I've seen on that course in a long time aside from top pros, and Kathy crushed it in a last minute decision to race after a move and new job. I'm impressed!
Congratulations to everyone!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Exploring San Diego by bike…sort of
We spent the first few days in San Diego playing (working) on Coronado and riding down the strand. Then on Sunday we moved up north to Miramar, from where we were able to ride to and up on the coast highway, through La Jolla and the Torrey Pines area. Beautiful areas and great riding!
On Tuesday after my flight, Jill and I were riding along the coast highway in Carlsbad. I’d ridden from the base while Jill had met me up the road. We were having a great ride and enjoying the perfect afternoon weather (while back home in Tucson it was 110 degrees!). All of a sudden I heard a yelp and looked over to see Jill flying sideways through the air while her bike was diving into the pavement. Not good.
**As you recall, two years ago I was in SoCal when I attempted to separate my foot form my leg. Apparently, SoCal is not the place for the Graskys to take their bikes.
It turns out that Jill’s front wheel had gotten caught in a rut between the pavement and the gutter, and as she pulled it out it over-corrected and turned hard right. The bike dove and she fell and twisted. The problem was the electrical junction box and water valve that were in line with her direction of travel. She hit them both, stopping her cold. A 911 call, 2 lifeguards, an army of paramedics, and an ambulance ride later we find she’d broken 2 ribs, lacerated her spleen and punctured her lung. Owwie.
Meanwhile I have the added worry about the several mortgage payments worth of bikes I’d just left with a lifeguard to throw in the back of his pickup, and not knowing how I was going to get them or my truck. Hmm. Back to the task at hand.
When they found the spleen damage, they decide Jill needed better care, so she got a ride in a helicopter to Scripps Trauma Center. Now I’m jealous. Sort of.
Turns out they didn’t need to operate, thankfully, but she won 3 nights in the hospital and a lot of attention with more blood draws, x-rays and CT scans than I could count. I was able to miss the rest of the week of work and stay with her there. On Friday she was able to go home, and we left San Diego on Saturday.
She’s doing better now, but is quite a bit beat up and sore. This one will take a while to heal, and she’ll be sore for weeks. The worst part will be trying to keep her off her bike until the docs allow it.
Thanks to all of you who prayed and continue to pray for her healing, comfort, and quick recovery.
Oh, and I got the bikes. Not a scratch! Wish I could say that for Jill.
Brian
On Tuesday after my flight, Jill and I were riding along the coast highway in Carlsbad. I’d ridden from the base while Jill had met me up the road. We were having a great ride and enjoying the perfect afternoon weather (while back home in Tucson it was 110 degrees!). All of a sudden I heard a yelp and looked over to see Jill flying sideways through the air while her bike was diving into the pavement. Not good.
**As you recall, two years ago I was in SoCal when I attempted to separate my foot form my leg. Apparently, SoCal is not the place for the Graskys to take their bikes.
It turns out that Jill’s front wheel had gotten caught in a rut between the pavement and the gutter, and as she pulled it out it over-corrected and turned hard right. The bike dove and she fell and twisted. The problem was the electrical junction box and water valve that were in line with her direction of travel. She hit them both, stopping her cold. A 911 call, 2 lifeguards, an army of paramedics, and an ambulance ride later we find she’d broken 2 ribs, lacerated her spleen and punctured her lung. Owwie.
Meanwhile I have the added worry about the several mortgage payments worth of bikes I’d just left with a lifeguard to throw in the back of his pickup, and not knowing how I was going to get them or my truck. Hmm. Back to the task at hand.
When they found the spleen damage, they decide Jill needed better care, so she got a ride in a helicopter to Scripps Trauma Center. Now I’m jealous. Sort of.
Turns out they didn’t need to operate, thankfully, but she won 3 nights in the hospital and a lot of attention with more blood draws, x-rays and CT scans than I could count. I was able to miss the rest of the week of work and stay with her there. On Friday she was able to go home, and we left San Diego on Saturday.
She’s doing better now, but is quite a bit beat up and sore. This one will take a while to heal, and she’ll be sore for weeks. The worst part will be trying to keep her off her bike until the docs allow it.
Thanks to all of you who prayed and continue to pray for her healing, comfort, and quick recovery.
Oh, and I got the bikes. Not a scratch! Wish I could say that for Jill.
Brian
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Getting into Fights at work
Tuesday started out well. I am in San Diego with the squadron flying against Marine Corps F-18s and was scheduled to fly 1 vs. 1 against one of the Hornets. We met in the airspace and had fuel for 2 engagements. It’s good to fight something other than the standard student-flown F-16, and a combat qualified pilot flying an F-18 is a worthy adversary.
We started the fights nose-to-nose at 500mph each. This type of fighting is a great opportunity to know and practice tactics—to capitalize on your strengths and exploit the adversary’s weaknesses. The Hornet’s strength is slow speed fighting as it can move its nose around quite at will. My strength is to stay fast and use a different style of fighting. He who drives the fight toward his strength will win.
The fight went all over…9 Gs level, then into the vertical, then back to level, …. It was exciting to see the F-18 ‘across the circle,’ or canopy to canopy, him doing everything to take shots on me, me doing everything to take shots at him. Simulated missile shots were taken, but the engagement was only ended and a “kill” was called on a simulated gun hit. Trying to hit a jinking and jiving bandit at ¼ mile away is not the easiest thing to do.
But I won. Did you ever doubt? :)
I learned after the fight that the pilot I was fighting is prepping to head over to the Middle East. I know that no matter what is thrown at him, he’s capable and will handle it with success. Good luck Marine, and may God be with you.
Brian
We started the fights nose-to-nose at 500mph each. This type of fighting is a great opportunity to know and practice tactics—to capitalize on your strengths and exploit the adversary’s weaknesses. The Hornet’s strength is slow speed fighting as it can move its nose around quite at will. My strength is to stay fast and use a different style of fighting. He who drives the fight toward his strength will win.
The fight went all over…9 Gs level, then into the vertical, then back to level, …. It was exciting to see the F-18 ‘across the circle,’ or canopy to canopy, him doing everything to take shots on me, me doing everything to take shots at him. Simulated missile shots were taken, but the engagement was only ended and a “kill” was called on a simulated gun hit. Trying to hit a jinking and jiving bandit at ¼ mile away is not the easiest thing to do.
But I won. Did you ever doubt? :)
I learned after the fight that the pilot I was fighting is prepping to head over to the Middle East. I know that no matter what is thrown at him, he’s capable and will handle it with success. Good luck Marine, and may God be with you.
Brian
Monday, July 6, 2009
GEC Elite Team
So far, the inaugural year of the Grasky Endurance Coaching Elite Team is shaping up well. With GEC, Zoot, Trisports.com, Cycleops, Genuine Innovations, and Rudy Project as sponsors, the Elite Team is set up well and flying fast in GEC colors.
The ultimate question, of course, is how are we doing?
Kathy Rakel is our short-course queen. She started out by winning a local trail race series, then won the TX Best of the US Championship and will be representing her second state in the BoUS National Championship this fall. After that she was top 5 in St Anthony’s in FL and qualified for her pro card a few weeks later at . Just last week, Kathy won her age group and qualified for Clearwater and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship at Buffalo Springs Lake Tri.
Brian Barrett is burning up the XTERRA circuit with an overall win at Deuces Wild and an age group 2nd at the West Cup in Las Vegas. He is sitting in 2nd in the 30-34 age group in XTERRA points, just one race out of first. In a rare road triathlon appearance, Brian finished 2nd overall. Not bad for a fat tire guy.
Brad Hendron has been solid. He was 6th overall at Tempe International as a ‘B’ race, then he finished 2nd overall at Deuces Wild Half Ironman. That qualified him for the HalkMax Championships. But that’s not good enough. He went on to finish 5th in his age group and qualify for Ironman 70.3 Worlds at Buffalo Springs Lake Tri. (He missed a Kona slot by only 5 minutes! Grr!)
I’m cycling now, and won the AZ State Road Race champs. It’s a different type of sport, that’s for sure!
These athletes each represent a different aspect of triathlon and sport and life in general. But what do these athletes have in common? Lots. An intense drive and desire for success (podium slots); a desire to inspire others to greatness; and fervor for life in their quests.
Thanks to all the sponsors and their wonderful help. Look for these and all the GEC athletes flying in Green and Black at the local races near you. They’ll be easy to spot…they’ll be on the ones on the podium.
Brian
The ultimate question, of course, is how are we doing?
Kathy Rakel is our short-course queen. She started out by winning a local trail race series, then won the TX Best of the US Championship and will be representing her second state in the BoUS National Championship this fall. After that she was top 5 in St Anthony’s in FL and qualified for her pro card a few weeks later at . Just last week, Kathy won her age group and qualified for Clearwater and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship at Buffalo Springs Lake Tri.
Brian Barrett is burning up the XTERRA circuit with an overall win at Deuces Wild and an age group 2nd at the West Cup in Las Vegas. He is sitting in 2nd in the 30-34 age group in XTERRA points, just one race out of first. In a rare road triathlon appearance, Brian finished 2nd overall. Not bad for a fat tire guy.
Brad Hendron has been solid. He was 6th overall at Tempe International as a ‘B’ race, then he finished 2nd overall at Deuces Wild Half Ironman. That qualified him for the HalkMax Championships. But that’s not good enough. He went on to finish 5th in his age group and qualify for Ironman 70.3 Worlds at Buffalo Springs Lake Tri. (He missed a Kona slot by only 5 minutes! Grr!)
I’m cycling now, and won the AZ State Road Race champs. It’s a different type of sport, that’s for sure!
These athletes each represent a different aspect of triathlon and sport and life in general. But what do these athletes have in common? Lots. An intense drive and desire for success (podium slots); a desire to inspire others to greatness; and fervor for life in their quests.
Thanks to all the sponsors and their wonderful help. Look for these and all the GEC athletes flying in Green and Black at the local races near you. They’ll be easy to spot…they’ll be on the ones on the podium.
Brian
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Arizona State Road Race Championship Race Report
Now, I’m not a cyclist. Or, at least I wasn’t. My ankle’s been giving me fits ever since my injury and I’ve gone through every doc in the Tucson book with little love, so I’ve finally accepted that I need to lay off it for a while.
OK, so I’m a cyclist now. Let’s race.
Last weekend was the AZ State Road Race Championship in the garden spot of Globe, AZ. I fly over Globe weekly, and I know for a fact there’s not much down there. I mean not much at all. Good terrain for cycling, though. I decided at the last minute to race, and all (both) of the hotels in town were booked, so we drove up the morning of the race. It meant a 3am wakeup, but traffic was light!
The course was perfect! My ideal course involves some flat sections with rolling hills, and a 1500 foot climb either up to or just prior to the finish. This is going to be fun (and will hurt). There were a lot of Trisports.com teammates in the race. Triathletes in the road race…it was good to see. I’m feeling good on my 15lb Cannondale SuperSix and with this climb, I’m loving my Q-Rings. Bring it!
We start. We ride easy out for a while, then one of my Trisports.com teammates starts a tempo effort off the front to the bottom of the first climb. A little early, but we go. We drop the majority of the pack on the first climbs, but most of them catch back up on the descents. Some of the sprinters put in small attacks on the rollers, but no one gets away. This said, we arrive at the bottom of the last major climb in one big pack. Now it gets fun!
We pick up the pace a little and start pulling a few off the back of the pack. By about a mile up the pack is down to 12 and holding steady. I’m riding 3rd, then 2nd. As the leader pulls off, I attack. When I sit back down, we’re 8 or so. So off I go again. And then there were 6. So I go again. 5. Then 4 on the next attack. At what I assess as a mile from the summit, I put in a big attack, hoping to break the group (and trying to not break myself). It works. I pull ahead and ride as hard as I can for the last mile. Nope, it was 3 miles from the summit. Oops. “Owwie. Stay ahead. This hurts. Please let the summit be around the next corner.”
One guy caught me at the top, and it was a good thing so we could work together to stay ahead on the final descent and flat section. We even caught up to the Cat 4 guys who started 3 minutes in front. At the 1km mark, I find myself on Ryan’s wheel. And there I sit. Ryan goes into a sprint at about 600m, I stay with him, then give it everything I have left at 400m to go. It works.
I pull off after the line, stop the bike, and lay down ready to pass out, vomit, go into convulsions, and celebrate all at the same time. I congratulate Ryan and the rest of the guys, go grab some water, and begin to wonder how it is that a triathlete can win a road race. I still haven’t figured it out.
Thanks to Cannondale for the great SuperSix, Zipp for the 404s, Rotor Cranks for the Q-Rings, and Hammer Nutrition for keeping my energy up in training.
Brian
OK, so I’m a cyclist now. Let’s race.
Last weekend was the AZ State Road Race Championship in the garden spot of Globe, AZ. I fly over Globe weekly, and I know for a fact there’s not much down there. I mean not much at all. Good terrain for cycling, though. I decided at the last minute to race, and all (both) of the hotels in town were booked, so we drove up the morning of the race. It meant a 3am wakeup, but traffic was light!
The course was perfect! My ideal course involves some flat sections with rolling hills, and a 1500 foot climb either up to or just prior to the finish. This is going to be fun (and will hurt). There were a lot of Trisports.com teammates in the race. Triathletes in the road race…it was good to see. I’m feeling good on my 15lb Cannondale SuperSix and with this climb, I’m loving my Q-Rings. Bring it!
We start. We ride easy out for a while, then one of my Trisports.com teammates starts a tempo effort off the front to the bottom of the first climb. A little early, but we go. We drop the majority of the pack on the first climbs, but most of them catch back up on the descents. Some of the sprinters put in small attacks on the rollers, but no one gets away. This said, we arrive at the bottom of the last major climb in one big pack. Now it gets fun!
We pick up the pace a little and start pulling a few off the back of the pack. By about a mile up the pack is down to 12 and holding steady. I’m riding 3rd, then 2nd. As the leader pulls off, I attack. When I sit back down, we’re 8 or so. So off I go again. And then there were 6. So I go again. 5. Then 4 on the next attack. At what I assess as a mile from the summit, I put in a big attack, hoping to break the group (and trying to not break myself). It works. I pull ahead and ride as hard as I can for the last mile. Nope, it was 3 miles from the summit. Oops. “Owwie. Stay ahead. This hurts. Please let the summit be around the next corner.”
One guy caught me at the top, and it was a good thing so we could work together to stay ahead on the final descent and flat section. We even caught up to the Cat 4 guys who started 3 minutes in front. At the 1km mark, I find myself on Ryan’s wheel. And there I sit. Ryan goes into a sprint at about 600m, I stay with him, then give it everything I have left at 400m to go. It works.
I pull off after the line, stop the bike, and lay down ready to pass out, vomit, go into convulsions, and celebrate all at the same time. I congratulate Ryan and the rest of the guys, go grab some water, and begin to wonder how it is that a triathlete can win a road race. I still haven’t figured it out.
Thanks to Cannondale for the great SuperSix, Zipp for the 404s, Rotor Cranks for the Q-Rings, and Hammer Nutrition for keeping my energy up in training.
Brian
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The people you meet
I'm sitting on the tailgate in Silver City NM. It's a nice day, Jill's riding, and I came back early from a tweaked knee. Up drives a beat up older car. A guy gets out with 2 blue heelers and proceeds up the trail for a hike. Nice guy. Says "hello, nice day out." I agree and wish him a good hike. He's limping quite a bit, not walking too comfortably. The dogs stay right at his heels.
A little bit later, the guy comes back down and sparks up small talk again. Jill says something about seeing him up on the trail, and i hear him say something about having a purple heart medal. I look up and walk over, interested in hearing his story.
This guy who is now hiking daily with a limp and rough gate has quite a history. He was a combat medic in Viet Nam. He was hit 19 times and was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action 5 times. He is credited for saving 119 lives in 11 months and 17 days. His job was not just to administer morphine and patch up a bulet hole. This HERO would walk Into the Mouth of the Cat when a brother soldier was wounded. He would run toward enemy fire, taking some himself, in order to save a life. I was humbled hearing his story.
It's days like this that I cherish life as an American and humbly thank all those who served to give me the opportunity to live where and how I do. My dad was one of those men, and I'll never be able to thank him enough.
And I hope those 119 families whose loved ones are here because of this man understand what price he paid to bring those guys back.
Brian
A little bit later, the guy comes back down and sparks up small talk again. Jill says something about seeing him up on the trail, and i hear him say something about having a purple heart medal. I look up and walk over, interested in hearing his story.
This guy who is now hiking daily with a limp and rough gate has quite a history. He was a combat medic in Viet Nam. He was hit 19 times and was awarded the Purple Heart for being wounded in action 5 times. He is credited for saving 119 lives in 11 months and 17 days. His job was not just to administer morphine and patch up a bulet hole. This HERO would walk Into the Mouth of the Cat when a brother soldier was wounded. He would run toward enemy fire, taking some himself, in order to save a life. I was humbled hearing his story.
It's days like this that I cherish life as an American and humbly thank all those who served to give me the opportunity to live where and how I do. My dad was one of those men, and I'll never be able to thank him enough.
And I hope those 119 families whose loved ones are here because of this man understand what price he paid to bring those guys back.
Brian
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
USAT All Americans
Congrats to all the GEC USAT All-Americans for 2008:
USA Triathlon awards points for all sanctioned races. The top 5% in their division are chosen as All_American. This year is GEC's best year for All-American athletes.
Brian Barrett #3 in Off Road,
Kathy Rakel #7,
and Brad Hendron, Mike Neighbors, Leo Carrillo.
Honorable Mentions: Dan Perkins.
Congrats all!
USA Triathlon awards points for all sanctioned races. The top 5% in their division are chosen as All_American. This year is GEC's best year for All-American athletes.
Brian Barrett #3 in Off Road,
Kathy Rakel #7,
and Brad Hendron, Mike Neighbors, Leo Carrillo.
Honorable Mentions: Dan Perkins.
Congrats all!
Saturday, May 23, 2009
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp Wrapup
It's a wrap, friends. The 2nd Annual Grasky Endurance Coaching High Altitude Ironman Training Camp is in the books. We had a great group of 5 for this camp who got along and meshed well. They were very close to the same speed, but each progressed a bit differently during the camp. Luc was strong from the start, Shawn was a bit reserved but came on strong as the week went on, Polita showed everyone up on day 6, and Owen and Angie were steady from the gate. I think all of them will go home and (after a rest period) will realize the training this week will make their seasons shine.
Thanks to all the help from Coach Bill and from worker bee Jill. This camp would not have been possible without each of you. Bill took on the swimming and running sessions, and helped in the core strength and flexibility sessions, evening talks, and cycling. Jill cooked, cleaned, drove sag, ran errands, and took care of us while we played....er, I mean trained.
Thanks for the athletes. Awesome job to all of you!
Thanks to the sponsors:
- Hammer Nutrition
- Genuine Innovations CO2 and inflation
- Trisports.com
- Michelin Tires and Tubes
- Dr Hoys Pain Relief Gel
By the numbers:
Total Volume: 25 hrs
Swim: 4:00, 10,000 yds
Bike: 15:30, 300 miles (for those showing up a day early)
Run: 5:30, 40 miles
Rain: 1.5 inches
Flat tires: 1 (yes, only ONE!!)
Water Bottles: 25
Cans of Hammer Nutrition Product: 4
Hammer Gels: 24
Hammer Bars: 14
Some pics from the camp:
See you all next year!!! (Or in September...)
Friday, May 22, 2009
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 5 guest blogger Angie
Editor's note: Angie has been "steady Betty" all week long--solid on the rides, runs and swims, on time for everything, and always ready for whatever we handed out. She wins MVP today for being ready to go on all today's workouts. Congrats, Angie!
Day 5 by Angie...
Another cold and rainy day in Arizona. What’s up with that? I heard the rain all night drumming on the roof of our cabin. It did help make me sleep well, however, there was this prospect of swimming in the lake in the morning. Cold and wet, hmm, I only know that from the California 70.3. Certainly not from AZ.
So, sure enough, when we got started it was still raining. We drove to the lake, got into the wetsuits (which was actually nice as they were keeping as warm – at least for the moment) and then off into the lake. The water was definitely colder than Monday but still quite manageable.
I figured this wasn’t my day to drown in a lake so I opted out of the ~1.2 mile swim and instead worked on swimming straight for 30min. Felt pretty good. Once the others were done with their longer swim Owen and Bill decided to swim without wetsuits for a moment. Crazy Guys!
After that ”cool” swim session we made our way to Starbucks. Glorious warm coffee. So good!
The coffee was topped however by Bills’ excellent breakfast burritos that he decided to make for us once we were back at the cabin. Big thanks to Bill. Those were delicious.
Now, the last half day of camp will be tomorrow so after having all those culinary highlights we had to start packing. Wasn’t too hard for me as I did not have to take my bike apart. It fits very well into the Mini Cooper by just taking the front wheel off. So, I was done with that pretty quickly and hang out reading in my room waiting for our 2:00PM run to start. It had kinda stopped raining sometime between the swim and the burritos but sure enough it started just in time for the run again.
Bill, Luc and myself ran anyway to the Flagstaff Athletic Center . On the way there we encountered two vicious beasts. Well, actually, two Boxers not on a leash and the owner pretty far away. Fortunately, the dogs decided not to attack us after all but it was a bit sketchy there for a moment. The rest of the run was much more uneventful. Just a nice run, no issues.
We met the other guys at the gym to do our, get this, second swim workout of the day. This time in a pool. Let me just say, I enjoyed the run much more than the swim. Nice swim, no doubt, but, boy, I was hurting.
After the little swim session we got a short education in core and stability moves. Ok, so the last part of my body that wasn’t hurting yet, the abs, started burning as well. Nice job, coaches! No, seriously, very useful stuff. I’ll definitely change my core program now. First I have to get one of those funky balls, though.
Finally, we ended the day at Beaver Street Brewery for a delicious dinner. Well, not quite true. The rest of the gang is still at the Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream. Hmm, think I’ll have that tomorrow after our final run.
That’s all folks. Gotta go hit the sack!
Angie
Day 5 by Angie...
Another cold and rainy day in Arizona. What’s up with that? I heard the rain all night drumming on the roof of our cabin. It did help make me sleep well, however, there was this prospect of swimming in the lake in the morning. Cold and wet, hmm, I only know that from the California 70.3. Certainly not from AZ.
So, sure enough, when we got started it was still raining. We drove to the lake, got into the wetsuits (which was actually nice as they were keeping as warm – at least for the moment) and then off into the lake. The water was definitely colder than Monday but still quite manageable.
I figured this wasn’t my day to drown in a lake so I opted out of the ~1.2 mile swim and instead worked on swimming straight for 30min. Felt pretty good. Once the others were done with their longer swim Owen and Bill decided to swim without wetsuits for a moment. Crazy Guys!
After that ”cool” swim session we made our way to Starbucks. Glorious warm coffee. So good!
The coffee was topped however by Bills’ excellent breakfast burritos that he decided to make for us once we were back at the cabin. Big thanks to Bill. Those were delicious.
Now, the last half day of camp will be tomorrow so after having all those culinary highlights we had to start packing. Wasn’t too hard for me as I did not have to take my bike apart. It fits very well into the Mini Cooper by just taking the front wheel off. So, I was done with that pretty quickly and hang out reading in my room waiting for our 2:00PM run to start. It had kinda stopped raining sometime between the swim and the burritos but sure enough it started just in time for the run again.
Bill, Luc and myself ran anyway to the Flagstaff Athletic Center . On the way there we encountered two vicious beasts. Well, actually, two Boxers not on a leash and the owner pretty far away. Fortunately, the dogs decided not to attack us after all but it was a bit sketchy there for a moment. The rest of the run was much more uneventful. Just a nice run, no issues.
We met the other guys at the gym to do our, get this, second swim workout of the day. This time in a pool. Let me just say, I enjoyed the run much more than the swim. Nice swim, no doubt, but, boy, I was hurting.
After the little swim session we got a short education in core and stability moves. Ok, so the last part of my body that wasn’t hurting yet, the abs, started burning as well. Nice job, coaches! No, seriously, very useful stuff. I’ll definitely change my core program now. First I have to get one of those funky balls, though.
Finally, we ended the day at Beaver Street Brewery for a delicious dinner. Well, not quite true. The rest of the gang is still at the Cold Stone Creamery for ice cream. Hmm, think I’ll have that tomorrow after our final run.
That’s all folks. Gotta go hit the sack!
Angie
Thursday, May 21, 2009
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 5
Guest Blogger: Shawn
After yesterday’s epic downpour, the campers were hoping for some better weather today. Since the lightning cut our big ride short yesterday, the call was to move a little extra bike volume today, rather than having it be a lighter day per the schedule. Unfortunately, the cool and cloudy weather was here to stay. The original plan was to swim early and ride from the swim venue, but the GEC staff made a game-time decision to ride early instead, in an attempt to beat the rain.
We loaded our bikes and run gear onto the truck and rolled out at 7. It was raining a bit and the temperature was about 50 degrees. That’s right, straight up Seattle weather, people. As we drove out of town, the temp continued to drop and the roads got wetter. Campers: skeptical.
Shortly we pulled into the visitor center at the Sunset Crater National Monument and got rolling. Within a mile of the parking lot, the roads were dry and the sky had lightened. The route was an out-and-back, approximately 30 miles each way. The ride started with some steep rollers by a moonscape of 1,000 year old lava flows (they didn’t look a day over 20, btw), then over 20 miles of steady decent down to the valley floor. A drop of well over 3,000 feet over that distance, but on almost perfectly smooth new blacktop and basically zero traffic.
Luc, Owen, and I knew not to pass this up and started rotating, doing well over 35mph for mile after mile down the shallow grade. Soon we discovered that Brian and Bill were attempting to catch us, which just wouldn’t do, so we picked it up a bit and kept our momentum. But each of us was thinking about what the return trip was going to be like after all that descending.
As always, Jill was out covering the route and picking just the right resupply points. We stopped to get more water and Brian and Bill linked up with us about 6 miles from the turn around. Polita rolled in shortly after as well, and Angie had turned back just a little before.
After 5 days of complaining about the altitude getting me down, I was starting to feel better today. One of the things Brian and Bill have been helping me work through is my ongoing saga of difficulty getting calories down on the bike. Bill had the good idea of lowering my sights a bit to 200 cals an hour to see how that went. Brian thought I should try to get more clean water down as well – versus just NUUN water from prior days. This was one of my big focuses today. So some adjustment to the altitude plus a better experience getting fuel in me really made a big difference in how I felt. The ride back up that grade was a lot of fun as we pacelined at 20-25mph into the wind, up a long hill. Awesome stuff, and the ride back went fast, with just one refuel stop.
Brian and I went off the front a bit in the last few miles, where the climbs got steeper. That guy can turn power out of the saddle for what seems like forever. Ouch. Not to be outdone, Luc managed to catch us just before the finish of the ride. What a machine that guy is.
We all made it back to the parking lot about the same time, and it was time to run. Jill had picked out a trail run for us that “started out uphill”. The plan was for an hour run. 25 minutes into it, we had gained 1000 feet on a road that had to be a 15-20% grade in some places, and run-walk was the only way to hold it together. Any energy we had left in us was left on that trail! So we headed back down and got the balance on the run out on the road. Mmmm, pavement.
A great workout and really great logistics on the part of the GEC staff on turning what could have been a rough day into an absolutely great training day in all aspects. Between training out to the Grand Canyon and today’s outstanding workout, we’ve had some great highlights.
This afternoon we went for a swim at the local pool. The pool ended up being an odd length 20ish yard pool, but we did a quick workout and then got a chance to have our swim videoed and analyzed by a truly top notch swimmer, which is a rare opportunity.
It was a great day in Flagstaff!
Shawn
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 4...guest blogger Polita
I was the lucky winner of the 'best in the face of adversity' title today, so I'm today's guest blogger. Hello web-o-sphere!
Tuesday night in the Grand Canyon ended roughly for me; I had an upset stomach that kept me from getting any food down at dinner, and my sleep was interrupted by chills and fever in turn. Wednesday didn't start much better; I was still nauseated but I got a few calories down at breakfast. The plan was to ride from the Grand Canyon back to Flagstaff, possibly with an extra climb up Mt. Humphries for the most hardy of us.
We stopped at the general store on the way out, and Shawn bought more Gatorade than he could carry, but Sherpa Owen helped out. We rolled out of the Grand Canyon together after a quick group shot at the rim. I wasn't sure how I was going to do without much food, but I wanted to try, so I hung at the back of the pack. Our first bike leg was nearly exactly 30 miles to the gas station, and I mentally committed to at least getting there before waving the white flag. It was mostly downhill with some short climbs, so how bad could it be? Twenty miles in, I had lost sight of everyone else in the group and was struggling to make the pedals go around, when Brian returned to help me get in. The company was nice, but I could hear his freewheel spinning when he coasted and figured it probably wasn't that much fun for him. Ten impossibly long miles later, I called it a day at the gas station and loaded my bike onto the Suburban. The whole group was there, and everyone else headed out for the long flat stretch before the climb over the mountains back to Flagstaff.
Jill and I leapfrogged the riders in the truck, with quick stops to get some action shots as they went by. The weather was turning colder, but the grey clouds with smears stretching down to the mountains in front of us were more foreboding. About 20 miles past the gas station, Angie called it a day and climbed in the truck. Owen, Luc, and Shawn were making great progress in their paceline. Brian and Bill looked like twins in their matching kits and were moving quickly, but not quite fast enough to catch the other three guys.
The rain started coming down, drizzling at first, then picking up. A few cracks of thunder and some distant lightning later, and we went to pick up Shawn, Owen, and Luc. As Shawn said "it doesn't seem that bad", thunder boomed above and convinced the Seattleites to climb in the truck. Luc wasn't as easily convinced, and he rode off into the greyness. Five of us in the Suburban headed back for Brian and Bill, who were thoroughly soaked by then. Bill and Brian didn't put up a fight and soon we were seven. We all worried about leaving Luc, the one camper riding a metal bike frame, to ride through the lightning storm.
As we drove on, rain turned to torrents. After driving what seemed like miles without seeing Luc, we had just about decided we must have missed him when we finally spotted him ahead. We parked the truck at the turnoff for Mt. Humphries, ostensibly to help Luc, but really to make sure he didn't make the turn to head up the mountain. Wow, Luc is tough. Brian gave him directions through Flagstaff, and we marvelled at the standing water in all the city streets and the rain that turned into sleet, then hail. Sure enough, Luc pulled into camp not long after we did, and made a beeline for the hot shower. We all have more respect for Luc tonight.
After showers, lunch, and naps (for some of us) and easy runs (for others of us), Jill made yummy soup for dinner. We talked about recovery after dinner and plans for tomorrow. I'm hoping for a solid stomach tomorrow to get through our swim, bike, and run, while everyone else is keeping their fingers crossed for better weather.
Polita
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 4
Today started out as a nice day--beautiful weather at the Grand Canyon made for a nice morning.
We took off toward Flagstaff, but the weather got worse as we got closer. Bill and I found ourselves playing catch up again (Ugh) but we worked well together. From the Grand Canyon, we drop 1000 feet, then climb 2000, before descending back to 7000. Lots of climbing makes for a tough day. Luc does a better job talking about the weather, so read his blog. Basically (except for Luc) this became our recovery day.
Overall, how are things going? Very well. We're having fun with a good group. Tomorrow will be a good day--we'll see how the weather holds, but we have some good stuff planned in all three sports.
Oh, the plugs...
- 6 people on PowerTaps in the rain...no problems.
- Zoot rain shell...awesome.
- GEC cycling gear...top notch.
- Cannondale System Six...fearless.
- Zipp 606...no problems with 200 miles in 3 days.
- Michelin Krylions...no flats.
- Dr Hoys pain relief gel...no sore muscles.
- Rudy Project Noyz and Actyum...solid.
Thanks!
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 4...guest blogger Luc
Day 4: Guest Blogger Luc
Today started out as a nice day. We had a walk along the South Rim at sunrise – sunshine was unfortunately only for half of the day.
Shawn, Owen, and I headed out at a good pace from the Grand Canyon Village back towards Flagstaff. As we got closer to Flagstaff, the weather conditions gradually worsened. Up ahead, we could see a few lightning flashes over the mountains. Fortunately, it was only light rain and some wet roads, things were not so bad.
Eventually, Jill came with the van and suggested we call it a day. I really wanted to finish the ride, was in a good mood to finish and had fresh legs, so I decided to continue on alone for the remaining 30 miles of the ride. As I got closer to Flagstaff, the rain was getting much heavier, and the temperature was dropping, but it wasn’t too bad - I’ve ridden in worse before. In Germany and Switzerland, my wife and I did 10 days of rain riding in a row, so a little while in the rain didn’t bother me.
Things went fine until I got into Floodstaff, I mean Flagstaff, where riding through town was just about impossible. The heavy rains were creating rivers in the roads, and I was forced to ride on the sidewalks, and getting drenched by passing cars.
But finally I made it back to the cabins – wet and cold but having completed the full ride. We even managed a short run after the ride.
Today started out as a nice day. We had a walk along the South Rim at sunrise – sunshine was unfortunately only for half of the day.
Shawn, Owen, and I headed out at a good pace from the Grand Canyon Village back towards Flagstaff. As we got closer to Flagstaff, the weather conditions gradually worsened. Up ahead, we could see a few lightning flashes over the mountains. Fortunately, it was only light rain and some wet roads, things were not so bad.
Eventually, Jill came with the van and suggested we call it a day. I really wanted to finish the ride, was in a good mood to finish and had fresh legs, so I decided to continue on alone for the remaining 30 miles of the ride. As I got closer to Flagstaff, the rain was getting much heavier, and the temperature was dropping, but it wasn’t too bad - I’ve ridden in worse before. In Germany and Switzerland, my wife and I did 10 days of rain riding in a row, so a little while in the rain didn’t bother me.
Things went fine until I got into Floodstaff, I mean Flagstaff, where riding through town was just about impossible. The heavy rains were creating rivers in the roads, and I was forced to ride on the sidewalks, and getting drenched by passing cars.
But finally I made it back to the cabins – wet and cold but having completed the full ride. We even managed a short run after the ride.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 3
Any day is a good day in my book when a swim in canceled or replaced with a bike ride. Today the weather forecast called for some afternoon showers and thunderstorms, so we elected to skip the swim and ride earlier. We left near 7am and headed north. The scenery in Flagstaff is amazing--pine and aspen forests, snow on the mountain, open meadows filled with wildlife. We got to ride through all of that and some high desert on the way to the Grand Canyon.
On the way, though, we had to endure 85 miles of pain. We started from the cabin and rode together through town, then we split up a bit. Shawn, Owen, and Luc were off the front, Polita was in the middle, and Angie steady at the end of the train. Bill and I rotated through, then decided to catch the leaders again. We put the hammer down for over 20 miles, and could not catch the train on the front. They were flying. We did what we could and got closer, but could not catch up. It was fun to try, though! Luc, the bike powerhouse, won today's MVP award for riding everyone off his wheel at one point or another.
The group rode steady all day. When we reached the Grand Canyon, we were all relatively close together. As we entered the park, Owen and Polita turned our attention to 4 elk grazing just off the road, then we saw deer grazing near our hotel that evening. We went straight to the rim of the canyon, gazed, awed, and shot photos, then went to the hotel.
After a short break to clean up and get some food in, we walked back to the rim. We couldn't check into the hotel right away, so we had some time to kill. Once we did check in, it was run time. I got some down time since my ankle is still tweaky, but the group ran an hour or so along the Grand Canyon rim. After that ride, I was impressed.
Then, dinner and bed time. Strong day for everyone today. The group meshes well and gets along great. It's great when they do. Shawn is strong here and I expect great things. Angie is steady and will get stronger as the week progresses. Owen and Polita are really showing improvement since we started working together and will have great seasons in front of them. Luc is a joy to have at camp, and although an accomplished cyclist, he's relatively new to triathlon.
Tomorrow, we ride back to Flagstaff, stopping along the way to climb up to the ski area (110 miles, over 5000' climbing), then a short brick run. This will be the mental toughness day.
(I've got some great photos. Check back when i have a good connection and i'll have them posted)
On the way, though, we had to endure 85 miles of pain. We started from the cabin and rode together through town, then we split up a bit. Shawn, Owen, and Luc were off the front, Polita was in the middle, and Angie steady at the end of the train. Bill and I rotated through, then decided to catch the leaders again. We put the hammer down for over 20 miles, and could not catch the train on the front. They were flying. We did what we could and got closer, but could not catch up. It was fun to try, though! Luc, the bike powerhouse, won today's MVP award for riding everyone off his wheel at one point or another.
The group rode steady all day. When we reached the Grand Canyon, we were all relatively close together. As we entered the park, Owen and Polita turned our attention to 4 elk grazing just off the road, then we saw deer grazing near our hotel that evening. We went straight to the rim of the canyon, gazed, awed, and shot photos, then went to the hotel.
After a short break to clean up and get some food in, we walked back to the rim. We couldn't check into the hotel right away, so we had some time to kill. Once we did check in, it was run time. I got some down time since my ankle is still tweaky, but the group ran an hour or so along the Grand Canyon rim. After that ride, I was impressed.
Then, dinner and bed time. Strong day for everyone today. The group meshes well and gets along great. It's great when they do. Shawn is strong here and I expect great things. Angie is steady and will get stronger as the week progresses. Owen and Polita are really showing improvement since we started working together and will have great seasons in front of them. Luc is a joy to have at camp, and although an accomplished cyclist, he's relatively new to triathlon.
Tomorrow, we ride back to Flagstaff, stopping along the way to climb up to the ski area (110 miles, over 5000' climbing), then a short brick run. This will be the mental toughness day.
(I've got some great photos. Check back when i have a good connection and i'll have them posted)
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 2 by Owen
Grasky Camp – Day 2
Guest Blogger: Owen
I found out tonight that Brian has a policy of rotating who blogs from camp, and tonight I’m the lucky winner due to my perseverance through some bike “issues”. I brought my Guru on the plane with me on Saturday and all seemed well on assembly. About 30 mins into our bonus Sun AM bike ride to Sedona (camp officially started Sunday PM, but Shawn, Polita, Luc, and I were eager to make the most of our time here), we stopped at an overlook and I took a look at why my front derailleur was rubbing in some gears. Sadly, I realized the front hanger was half broken. We had the bright idea of trying to adjust the clamp over the fracture, but the hanger ended up snapping off completely. Called Brian to see if he had an extra bike just laying around – and luckily he did. At this point, P and I headed back to the cabins to setup Brian’s Kueen K for me to finish the days ride. It’s a nice bike and I got it fitting me pretty fast. Only problem is it had serious shifting problems. Was good for the day, but not great for the big days ahead. As luck would have it, Bill was coming up that day and brought 2 bikes. He was kind enough to lend me his race bike, so 3rd bike in two days! I’m still tweaking, but I think I’ve got it just about dialed in for the big ride to the grand canyon tomorrow. Anyhow, enough about that – what about day 2!?
Breakfast was at 7:30 today, then we were on the road by about 9. We loaded up Bill’s suburban to avoid some road construction and started our ride from Lake Mary. We did the bike from a half iron race in Flagstaff - 2 loops around Mormon Lake and back to Lake Mary. Nice quiet roads, great weather, and good views. We’re all riding power and you can see the impact of the altitude on the power you can sustain, but it seems like the reduced air resistance makes up for it, because we were averaging 20 mph. The group rode well together, tho I could tell Luc was itching to put the hammer down on some of the short climbs :-). Brian was rockin a road bike with Zipps and he really loved those downhills. Back to Lake Mary and we took a few minutes to fuel up and relax before putting on the wetsuits and hitting the water. The water was pretty nice, probably in the low 60s. Did some swimming back and forth along the shore and got out as we heard some thunder (and a few people spotted lightning). Piled in the car and headed back for some down time. Great first full day of camp.
Back for the evening, we had a great home cooked dinner thanks to Jill. Lot’s of time to relax and then we talked swimming with Bill (did I mention that guy can swim!). Tomorrow we get an early start and head to the Grand Canyon. Looking forward to the ride, and I think everyone is excited to run along the rim.
Owen
Guest Blogger: Owen
I found out tonight that Brian has a policy of rotating who blogs from camp, and tonight I’m the lucky winner due to my perseverance through some bike “issues”. I brought my Guru on the plane with me on Saturday and all seemed well on assembly. About 30 mins into our bonus Sun AM bike ride to Sedona (camp officially started Sunday PM, but Shawn, Polita, Luc, and I were eager to make the most of our time here), we stopped at an overlook and I took a look at why my front derailleur was rubbing in some gears. Sadly, I realized the front hanger was half broken. We had the bright idea of trying to adjust the clamp over the fracture, but the hanger ended up snapping off completely. Called Brian to see if he had an extra bike just laying around – and luckily he did. At this point, P and I headed back to the cabins to setup Brian’s Kueen K for me to finish the days ride. It’s a nice bike and I got it fitting me pretty fast. Only problem is it had serious shifting problems. Was good for the day, but not great for the big days ahead. As luck would have it, Bill was coming up that day and brought 2 bikes. He was kind enough to lend me his race bike, so 3rd bike in two days! I’m still tweaking, but I think I’ve got it just about dialed in for the big ride to the grand canyon tomorrow. Anyhow, enough about that – what about day 2!?
Breakfast was at 7:30 today, then we were on the road by about 9. We loaded up Bill’s suburban to avoid some road construction and started our ride from Lake Mary. We did the bike from a half iron race in Flagstaff - 2 loops around Mormon Lake and back to Lake Mary. Nice quiet roads, great weather, and good views. We’re all riding power and you can see the impact of the altitude on the power you can sustain, but it seems like the reduced air resistance makes up for it, because we were averaging 20 mph. The group rode well together, tho I could tell Luc was itching to put the hammer down on some of the short climbs :-). Brian was rockin a road bike with Zipps and he really loved those downhills. Back to Lake Mary and we took a few minutes to fuel up and relax before putting on the wetsuits and hitting the water. The water was pretty nice, probably in the low 60s. Did some swimming back and forth along the shore and got out as we heard some thunder (and a few people spotted lightning). Piled in the car and headed back for some down time. Great first full day of camp.
Back for the evening, we had a great home cooked dinner thanks to Jill. Lot’s of time to relax and then we talked swimming with Bill (did I mention that guy can swim!). Tomorrow we get an early start and head to the Grand Canyon. Looking forward to the ride, and I think everyone is excited to run along the rim.
Owen
Monday, May 18, 2009
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 2
Day two in the books.
Breakfast was followed by a 50 mile ride around Mormon Lake--rolling hills, scenic pine trees, 80 degree temps, and good company. There were two stop signs on the route, and I think 3 cars passed us all day. No kidding. Perfect. Owen was on a new bike as his broke on the trip up--he had a great attitude about it and just tweaked Bill's TT bike and rode it all day. No complaints to be on a new bike for the week. I'm just glad we had a bike for him. And on it, we had a hard time pulling him back.
One thing I noticed, was that everyone was on PowerTaps today. Nice!
We followed that with a nice swim in Lake Mary. The water as about 62 or so, so very nice with a wetsuit. My Zoot Zenith is perfect--a great wetsuit and kinda cool looking, if I do say so myself. We did sighting drills and straight swimming drills, but mostly just enjoyed the cool water after the ride. Then the people down the beach with the jet skis tried ruining the day by stealing my Zoot sandals. Those are the best sandals I've worn, so I wasn't about to let that go. I got them back. Some people. Grrr.
We had some down time as the thunderstorm rolled over, then Jill made a great pasta with Butternut squash and shrimp for dinner. After that, Bill spoke on the ebbs and flows of swim training for triathletes. Bill's a life-long swimmer and is the first out of the water wherever he goes, so he's definitely one to listen to.
Those here seem to be enjoying the weather, scenery, routes, and training. You guys not here...you're missing out.
Tomorrow: Ride 90mi to the Grand Canyon and run at sunset along the rim. Where else can you do this and call it "training?"
Brian
Breakfast was followed by a 50 mile ride around Mormon Lake--rolling hills, scenic pine trees, 80 degree temps, and good company. There were two stop signs on the route, and I think 3 cars passed us all day. No kidding. Perfect. Owen was on a new bike as his broke on the trip up--he had a great attitude about it and just tweaked Bill's TT bike and rode it all day. No complaints to be on a new bike for the week. I'm just glad we had a bike for him. And on it, we had a hard time pulling him back.
One thing I noticed, was that everyone was on PowerTaps today. Nice!
We followed that with a nice swim in Lake Mary. The water as about 62 or so, so very nice with a wetsuit. My Zoot Zenith is perfect--a great wetsuit and kinda cool looking, if I do say so myself. We did sighting drills and straight swimming drills, but mostly just enjoyed the cool water after the ride. Then the people down the beach with the jet skis tried ruining the day by stealing my Zoot sandals. Those are the best sandals I've worn, so I wasn't about to let that go. I got them back. Some people. Grrr.
We had some down time as the thunderstorm rolled over, then Jill made a great pasta with Butternut squash and shrimp for dinner. After that, Bill spoke on the ebbs and flows of swim training for triathletes. Bill's a life-long swimmer and is the first out of the water wherever he goes, so he's definitely one to listen to.
Those here seem to be enjoying the weather, scenery, routes, and training. You guys not here...you're missing out.
Tomorrow: Ride 90mi to the Grand Canyon and run at sunset along the rim. Where else can you do this and call it "training?"
Brian
GEC's High Endurance Ironman Training Camp--Day 1
Year 2 for the GEC High Altitude Ironman Training Camp in Flagstaff, AZ. It's only at 7000 feet--no big deal, right!?!?
We've got a great group:
- Owen and Polita are a couple from Seattle. Their 'A' race is Ironman Canada in Aug. They've been GEC athletes for 1.5 years, and are doing well. Their sense of humor is a great asset to camp.
- Shawn is a friend of theirs from Seattle and is racing IM Canada as well. Shawn's coached by a great friend, Jonser, and is a solid athlete.
- Angie is a repeat athlete for the High Altitude Camp. She had a solid week and season last year, and is looking for the same this year. She's being coached by GEC's Bill Daniell and is aiming for IM Cozumel. Talk about a destination race!
- Luc is our Canadian. He's the oldest athlete but that's not fooling anyone. Strong on the bike, Luc is ready for the long days.
- Add to this our coaches: Bill is a solid triathlete and a world-class swimmer; Jill is the camp cook and hostess; and yours truly tries to hang on and act like i know what I'm doing. I surround myself by good people so they make me look good.
The week will include about 30 hours of training, lots of recovery, and a tens of thousands of calories. We've got great support by Hammer Nutrition, Trisports.com, Genuine Innovations inflation, Zoot multisport wear, Michelin tires and tubes, Dr Hoys pain relief gel, CycleOps and PowerTap, and Zipp wheels.
Tonight was simply a meet and greet and dinner. Holy Cow Shawn can eat. Based on his caloric intake, he's going to be on fire on tomorrow's ride.
We've got a great group:
- Owen and Polita are a couple from Seattle. Their 'A' race is Ironman Canada in Aug. They've been GEC athletes for 1.5 years, and are doing well. Their sense of humor is a great asset to camp.
- Shawn is a friend of theirs from Seattle and is racing IM Canada as well. Shawn's coached by a great friend, Jonser, and is a solid athlete.
- Angie is a repeat athlete for the High Altitude Camp. She had a solid week and season last year, and is looking for the same this year. She's being coached by GEC's Bill Daniell and is aiming for IM Cozumel. Talk about a destination race!
- Luc is our Canadian. He's the oldest athlete but that's not fooling anyone. Strong on the bike, Luc is ready for the long days.
- Add to this our coaches: Bill is a solid triathlete and a world-class swimmer; Jill is the camp cook and hostess; and yours truly tries to hang on and act like i know what I'm doing. I surround myself by good people so they make me look good.
The week will include about 30 hours of training, lots of recovery, and a tens of thousands of calories. We've got great support by Hammer Nutrition, Trisports.com, Genuine Innovations inflation, Zoot multisport wear, Michelin tires and tubes, Dr Hoys pain relief gel, CycleOps and PowerTap, and Zipp wheels.
Tonight was simply a meet and greet and dinner. Holy Cow Shawn can eat. Based on his caloric intake, he's going to be on fire on tomorrow's ride.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
The Tour of the Tucson Mountains
One of the local Tucson races is the TTM. Like most tours, the TTM is either a race, a tour, or a fitness challenge depending on your approach to it. My approach? Race. Surprise, surprise.
Equipment: Cannondale System Six, Zipp 808 rear wheel with PowerTap SL+, Zipp 404 front, Zipp Tangente tires. The goal was to make “Platinum.” This allows for a front line starting spot on all subsequent tours and, really, bragging rights. Sub-3hrs for the 72 miles to make Platinum.
Not apparent by its name, the course is mainly flat with a few shallow climbs. It circles the Tucson Mountains on the west side of Tucson from Marana, winding up and over Ajo Way made famous by the Tuesday Shootout ride, out to Ryan Airfield, then north up and through Saguaro National Monument before finishing in Marana again. If you choose to look at something other than the guy you’re drafting, you won’t find a route with more towering and flowering Saguaro Cactus in the world. If you are drafting, don’t look around, please.
I started in the middle after being too much a wimp to stand the cold of getting there any earlier. At the gun, the group moseyed off as I bobbed and weaved more than Rocky to get through the packs of rides and onto the lead pack. In this tour, like any other, if you’re not on the lead pack, you’re out of the race.
For the next 70 miles I sat in the lead pack, moving around here and there to avoid the occasional crash and get around those looking like they’re about to pop off the back. I made it into a good position before the Ajo climb and the turn onto Sandario, the two major breaks to split the field. Looking at my PowerTap files, I was averaging a very sustainable 180-ish watts, with sprints up above 1500+ watts when needed at the corners and accel points. (Yes, that’s approaching 2 horsepower)
Nearing the end, the speed was slowly dialing up. I decided since I’m not a sprinter, I needed a little help, so move out and up toward the front. One more right turn, then 1.5 miles before a left to the finish line. I’m sitting 3rd wheel in the pack with only 2 off the front. All’s good. Just then, a line of others come up the right side, moving me over to the left—slam!—right into a huge pothole. Good thing the Zipp wheels and tires are strong. Rounding the corner, things start to feel squishy, and soon I’m riding on the rim. The pothole had caused a puncture. 1.5 miles; my time is ok for Platinum; I sit up and decide to ride it in on the flat. Being the first real ride on the Zipp’s I’m nervous, but they did fine. No problem. Thanks for making a strong wheel, guys! The Zipp tire is even fine.
I finished 68th out of the 600 or so. Time: 2:47. Platinum. Sweet. I replaced the tube to ride to my car, and found out my spare was flat. Riding it in was a good choice!
Congrats also to GEC athletes Leo (in the main pack, Platinum) and John (3:47, finished) and TriCats Neil (3:05, Gold), Lee, and David.
Equipment: Cannondale System Six, Zipp 808 rear wheel with PowerTap SL+, Zipp 404 front, Zipp Tangente tires. The goal was to make “Platinum.” This allows for a front line starting spot on all subsequent tours and, really, bragging rights. Sub-3hrs for the 72 miles to make Platinum.
Not apparent by its name, the course is mainly flat with a few shallow climbs. It circles the Tucson Mountains on the west side of Tucson from Marana, winding up and over Ajo Way made famous by the Tuesday Shootout ride, out to Ryan Airfield, then north up and through Saguaro National Monument before finishing in Marana again. If you choose to look at something other than the guy you’re drafting, you won’t find a route with more towering and flowering Saguaro Cactus in the world. If you are drafting, don’t look around, please.
I started in the middle after being too much a wimp to stand the cold of getting there any earlier. At the gun, the group moseyed off as I bobbed and weaved more than Rocky to get through the packs of rides and onto the lead pack. In this tour, like any other, if you’re not on the lead pack, you’re out of the race.
For the next 70 miles I sat in the lead pack, moving around here and there to avoid the occasional crash and get around those looking like they’re about to pop off the back. I made it into a good position before the Ajo climb and the turn onto Sandario, the two major breaks to split the field. Looking at my PowerTap files, I was averaging a very sustainable 180-ish watts, with sprints up above 1500+ watts when needed at the corners and accel points. (Yes, that’s approaching 2 horsepower)
Nearing the end, the speed was slowly dialing up. I decided since I’m not a sprinter, I needed a little help, so move out and up toward the front. One more right turn, then 1.5 miles before a left to the finish line. I’m sitting 3rd wheel in the pack with only 2 off the front. All’s good. Just then, a line of others come up the right side, moving me over to the left—slam!—right into a huge pothole. Good thing the Zipp wheels and tires are strong. Rounding the corner, things start to feel squishy, and soon I’m riding on the rim. The pothole had caused a puncture. 1.5 miles; my time is ok for Platinum; I sit up and decide to ride it in on the flat. Being the first real ride on the Zipp’s I’m nervous, but they did fine. No problem. Thanks for making a strong wheel, guys! The Zipp tire is even fine.
I finished 68th out of the 600 or so. Time: 2:47. Platinum. Sweet. I replaced the tube to ride to my car, and found out my spare was flat. Riding it in was a good choice!
Congrats also to GEC athletes Leo (in the main pack, Platinum) and John (3:47, finished) and TriCats Neil (3:05, Gold), Lee, and David.
Monday, April 27, 2009
UA TriCats Nationals Success
Two weekends ago Jill and I flew out to Lubbock for the USAT Collegiate National Championships and the 2012 Olympic Talent ID race. The trip out was fun—we took a Cessna out there. Quicker than a car and no hassles with TSA. Well worth it. We drove our car to the airplane, loaded up (including bikes) and flew away. No screening, no strip search, no bike fees. Nice.
The prep and race went well. The TriCats were ready. Race morning was cold and the day got windy, but the training the TriCats had been doing covered the wind and hills. This is a tough course, the same course as the Buffalo Springs Lake tri in July.
The water was rough, so the stronger swimmers had a better day. Thanks to the TriCats swim coaches for excellent work all year to make sure we went in as strong as can be. We had driven the course and talked about strategy, so the athletes knew what to do. As the day turned out, all 14 who participated had good races. We had 2 guys and 2 girls in the top 40. Andy and Alex were the top TriCats guys finishing in 36th and 38th overall, while our top women were Nicole and Maddie (30th and 37th). In team points, the TriCats were 12th overall (9th for the guys and 17th for the ladies). This is the best finish in recent TriCats history, and considered a great victory with our young team. Congrats, TriCats!
In the 2012 ID race, GEC athlete Kathy Rakel had a great race. She was out of the water in the middle of the group, but caught up to the lead bike pack at the beginning of the third lap. She came off the bike in the lead, creating quite a buzz with USAT and the spectators. She ran extremely well, finishing 2nd among the tough competitors. This was a draft-legal, ITU-style sprint race to see who’s got the talent to become Olympic hopefuls. Kathy does! Many congrats to her!
After, Jill and I had the freedom to fly over and spend a day in Abilene, then on home. The headwind was tough for the return trip, but it still beat driving. And holy cow Texas is flat from 6500 feet!
The prep and race went well. The TriCats were ready. Race morning was cold and the day got windy, but the training the TriCats had been doing covered the wind and hills. This is a tough course, the same course as the Buffalo Springs Lake tri in July.
The water was rough, so the stronger swimmers had a better day. Thanks to the TriCats swim coaches for excellent work all year to make sure we went in as strong as can be. We had driven the course and talked about strategy, so the athletes knew what to do. As the day turned out, all 14 who participated had good races. We had 2 guys and 2 girls in the top 40. Andy and Alex were the top TriCats guys finishing in 36th and 38th overall, while our top women were Nicole and Maddie (30th and 37th). In team points, the TriCats were 12th overall (9th for the guys and 17th for the ladies). This is the best finish in recent TriCats history, and considered a great victory with our young team. Congrats, TriCats!
In the 2012 ID race, GEC athlete Kathy Rakel had a great race. She was out of the water in the middle of the group, but caught up to the lead bike pack at the beginning of the third lap. She came off the bike in the lead, creating quite a buzz with USAT and the spectators. She ran extremely well, finishing 2nd among the tough competitors. This was a draft-legal, ITU-style sprint race to see who’s got the talent to become Olympic hopefuls. Kathy does! Many congrats to her!
After, Jill and I had the freedom to fly over and spend a day in Abilene, then on home. The headwind was tough for the return trip, but it still beat driving. And holy cow Texas is flat from 6500 feet!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Road Racing
Last week, the doc shot my ankle up with cortisone. (Does this mean I’m juicing?) Then he said, “go forth and see if it worked.” Here’s test #1…
On my ride in to work on Saturday, I remembered about a criterium race going on that afternoon. I commute on my cyclocross bike—not the best for a crit. Thank God for cell phones: “hey Jill, can you meet me at UA with my race bike? No reason…why do you ask?” I ride from work to UA, meet her, quick change onto the road bike and line up.
My previous training, due to the leg and ankle issues, was this: a good off-season/transition period from May 4, 2007 until March 09, then 250 miles the week o
f my training camp, then 4 weeks of “recovery.” Not exactly text-book. I hadn’t done a crit since college, but it’s just like, well, riding a…never mind. There was screaming, torturous pain, bleeding through the eyes, and wishes for this thing to be over. That was the warm up…then the race started. Normally I’m pretty good about knowing where I am in a race, but it took everyone after the race telling me before I realized I finished in the lead pack. Not bad for my 5th ride in a month, and the 3rd in 2 days.
I always talk about taking the small victories away from any event, so here we go. 1) the rubber side stayed down; 2) I was able to stay in the lead pack; 3) I learned you don’t go off the front when the pack slows up. Take that time to rest. Those of you who’ve done crits are either shaking your head or laughing at that. I’ll sum up the crit this way: Crits are the Devil.
Sunday was the road race. It’s only 36 miles with one little climb, so says the course map. On lap 1 I realize that climb is something Sir Edmund Hilary had trouble on. People were walking their bikes. No kidding. Really. I didn’t bring my climbing legs, mainly because I don’t have any anymore. Lap 1 I’m with the main pack. I’m in the “red zone” but no problem. Lap 2 I’m struggling a bit on the climb but catch back up on the descent. Red zone still. Lap 3 is like lap 2 but I’m a bit further back. I move from red zone to purple. I didn’t know there was a purple zone. Lap 4 I never see the pack again. Where’s the chase pack when you need them? No I’m into the plaid zone (no Oxygen…remember Chuck Yeager’s F-104 flight in The Right Stuff???) Lap 5 I begin to curse the climb and my legs, what’s left of them. I go numb on the climb. Lap 6 I scream “Dear Lord take me now!” in agony all the way up. Ambulances follow me to make sure I make it. I see Elvis.
Victories: 1) The chase pack never catches me and I finish around 8th or 9th. This would put me in the top 10 for overall GC between Saturday and Sunday. 2) Thanks to Q-Rings for giving me the “power” to get up the hills. With my fitness level, I should have joined those climbing on foot. 3) Hammer Nutrition got me through with no issues again. 4) ZOOT compression gear was my friend this afternoon, and the only way I’ll be able to recover quickly.
The ankle? So far, so good. When’s the next race???
On my ride in to work on Saturday, I remembered about a criterium race going on that afternoon. I commute on my cyclocross bike—not the best for a crit. Thank God for cell phones: “hey Jill, can you meet me at UA with my race bike? No reason…why do you ask?” I ride from work to UA, meet her, quick change onto the road bike and line up.
My previous training, due to the leg and ankle issues, was this: a good off-season/transition period from May 4, 2007 until March 09, then 250 miles the week o
f my training camp, then 4 weeks of “recovery.” Not exactly text-book. I hadn’t done a crit since college, but it’s just like, well, riding a…never mind. There was screaming, torturous pain, bleeding through the eyes, and wishes for this thing to be over. That was the warm up…then the race started. Normally I’m pretty good about knowing where I am in a race, but it took everyone after the race telling me before I realized I finished in the lead pack. Not bad for my 5th ride in a month, and the 3rd in 2 days.I always talk about taking the small victories away from any event, so here we go. 1) the rubber side stayed down; 2) I was able to stay in the lead pack; 3) I learned you don’t go off the front when the pack slows up. Take that time to rest. Those of you who’ve done crits are either shaking your head or laughing at that. I’ll sum up the crit this way: Crits are the Devil.
Sunday was the road race. It’s only 36 miles with one little climb, so says the course map. On lap 1 I realize that climb is something Sir Edmund Hilary had trouble on. People were walking their bikes. No kidding. Really. I didn’t bring my climbing legs, mainly because I don’t have any anymore. Lap 1 I’m with the main pack. I’m in the “red zone” but no problem. Lap 2 I’m struggling a bit on the climb but catch back up on the descent. Red zone still. Lap 3 is like lap 2 but I’m a bit further back. I move from red zone to purple. I didn’t know there was a purple zone. Lap 4 I never see the pack again. Where’s the chase pack when you need them? No I’m into the plaid zone (no Oxygen…remember Chuck Yeager’s F-104 flight in The Right Stuff???) Lap 5 I begin to curse the climb and my legs, what’s left of them. I go numb on the climb. Lap 6 I scream “Dear Lord take me now!” in agony all the way up. Ambulances follow me to make sure I make it. I see Elvis.
Victories: 1) The chase pack never catches me and I finish around 8th or 9th. This would put me in the top 10 for overall GC between Saturday and Sunday. 2) Thanks to Q-Rings for giving me the “power” to get up the hills. With my fitness level, I should have joined those climbing on foot. 3) Hammer Nutrition got me through with no issues again. 4) ZOOT compression gear was my friend this afternoon, and the only way I’ll be able to recover quickly.
The ankle? So far, so good. When’s the next race???
TRIFEST and Dave Scott
TRIFEST was a big hit this year (March 6-8). It started with a ride up Mt Lemmon in Friday, although after a 7-day training camp, I could only muster the strength to hit mile 5. That did cap off 250 miles that week though. It was a good ride--must have been 150 people.
Saturday and Sunday held the conference and expo with clinics. The conference had an 'A' list of speakers, from aerodynamics specialists Steve Hed and folks from Zipp, to professional and Olympic athletes, to the sports best coaches. The clinics on the expo floor held the shorter talks by notables such as, well, me.
Grasky Endurance Coaching manned a booth in the expo. It was a good time to talk with athletes, get out info on our upcoming training camps, and give away goodies. The other expo booths housed the who's who in the triathlon world--manufacturers sharing the new '09 stuff, retailers showing off their stuff, and coaches, races and causes.
Friday night also held the keynote address. Before that, the TRIFEST sponsors were recognized. Grasky Endurance Coaching was recognized as a sponsor of this years' TRIFEST. So far, we've sponsored both years of TRIFEST, and looking forward to the next years and the growth in the sport TRIFEST will bring. Later, I got the chance to briefly speak with Dave Scott, the keynote speaker (and triathlon legend, 6-time Ironman World Champion, and overall nice guy). Dave spoke with my collegiate triathlon team a while ago, when we were both focused on racing--it was good to chat at him again now as we're both on the coaching side.
Rubber side down,
Brian
Saturday and Sunday held the conference and expo with clinics. The conference had an 'A' list of speakers, from aerodynamics specialists Steve Hed and folks from Zipp, to professional and Olympic athletes, to the sports best coaches. The clinics on the expo floor held the shorter talks by notables such as, well, me.
Grasky Endurance Coaching manned a booth in the expo. It was a good time to talk with athletes, get out info on our upcoming training camps, and give away goodies. The other expo booths housed the who's who in the triathlon world--manufacturers sharing the new '09 stuff, retailers showing off their stuff, and coaches, races and causes.
Friday night also held the keynote address. Before that, the TRIFEST sponsors were recognized. Grasky Endurance Coaching was recognized as a sponsor of this years' TRIFEST. So far, we've sponsored both years of TRIFEST, and looking forward to the next years and the growth in the sport TRIFEST will bring. Later, I got the chance to briefly speak with Dave Scott, the keynote speaker (and triathlon legend, 6-time Ironman World Champion, and overall nice guy). Dave spoke with my collegiate triathlon team a while ago, when we were both focused on racing--it was good to chat at him again now as we're both on the coaching side.
Rubber side down,Brian
Friday, March 13, 2009
Whirlwind!
Another whirlwind these last few months for Grasky Endurance, which included the ICTN Camp in January, the UA Tricats Camp in February, and the Tucson Base Training Camp and Trifest in March. Whew! Time for a break!
For the past few years, Brian and I have volunteered to help orga
nize the International Christian Triathlon Network’s Annual Camp, which was held in Tucson this year. It’s a 3 day camp which brings in triathlete pastors along with several Christian pros, and regular ol’ triathletes looking for Christian fellowship. About half of the day is spent in small group settings learning about anything from bike maintenance to mental focus. There’s also some sort of worship service each day. Then, we train…(ok, not me since I’m STILL injured). Instead, this year I was the photographer. It’s a lot of fun and is great fellowship, and will be held again next year in Tucson. Check back in a few months for more information on our site (or ICTN’s site) about this great camp.
February brought the UA Tricats Camp up in Fountain Hills, AZ. I’d be dishonest if I said that I had anything to do with the organizing of this camp. This was all Brian and it went superb. He’s working with a pretty good group of athletes this year from the UA. The camp was situated around the Trisports.com Desert Classic Duathlon at McDowell Mountain Park. It was the first year I wasn’t able to go ride the trails all day. Instead, I went hiking to help strengthen my vastus medialus in my right leg. McDowell Mountain Park is seriously one of the most beautiful desert parks, especially in the spring. It’s so green everywhere. If you haven’t spent any time there, I highly recommend it. It’s amazing, and has a sweet mountain bike track.
The Tucson Training Camp just finished up with great success. We had 13 campers this year and their ability levels all meshed together well. We had two coaches at the camp, Brian (now a USAT Level II coach), and a coach from Connecticut, and then Bill, who is a Grasky Endurance coach and swim expert, came out for a couple of days. A HUGE thanks to Bill for his expertise! My job was to organize everything prior to the camp as well as take care of airport t
ransport. Again, the annoying knee problem I’m dealing with prevented me from helping out with the rides this year…other than driving sag, which I usually do a great deal of anyway—luckily I really enjoy it! This year I had a helper along with me…our webmaster Brian…yes, another Brian. He was a huge help (and hilarious to hang out with) and took pictures along the way for our new website. A HUGE thanks to Brian as well. Thanks also to all of the campers who gave us feedback about the camp. It is our sincerest desire to provide a great camp, and Brian, Bill, and myself already have several ideas to make it much better for next year. More to come on that…
Lastly Tri-fest. Wow, Oley really worked hard at Trifest and did a fantastic job. Thanks to Oley and all of his work. Our Grasky Endurance booth went pretty well, but I think next year will be better. Each year we’re learning how to improve things and the booth is one of those.
Now that we have a break, Brian and I actually have Brian/Jill time scheduled for this weekend…possibly a hike in Sabino Canyon, or maybe the Titan Missile Museum. It’s nice to relax every once in a while. After 12 years of marriage sometimes we forget about “couple” time, but we’re really enjoying it this week. Again, a sincere thank you to everyone who supports Grasky Endurance. Be watching for some major changes to come about in the upcoming year with the business.
For the past few years, Brian and I have volunteered to help orga
nize the International Christian Triathlon Network’s Annual Camp, which was held in Tucson this year. It’s a 3 day camp which brings in triathlete pastors along with several Christian pros, and regular ol’ triathletes looking for Christian fellowship. About half of the day is spent in small group settings learning about anything from bike maintenance to mental focus. There’s also some sort of worship service each day. Then, we train…(ok, not me since I’m STILL injured). Instead, this year I was the photographer. It’s a lot of fun and is great fellowship, and will be held again next year in Tucson. Check back in a few months for more information on our site (or ICTN’s site) about this great camp.February brought the UA Tricats Camp up in Fountain Hills, AZ. I’d be dishonest if I said that I had anything to do with the organizing of this camp. This was all Brian and it went superb. He’s working with a pretty good group of athletes this year from the UA. The camp was situated around the Trisports.com Desert Classic Duathlon at McDowell Mountain Park. It was the first year I wasn’t able to go ride the trails all day. Instead, I went hiking to help strengthen my vastus medialus in my right leg. McDowell Mountain Park is seriously one of the most beautiful desert parks, especially in the spring. It’s so green everywhere. If you haven’t spent any time there, I highly recommend it. It’s amazing, and has a sweet mountain bike track.
The Tucson Training Camp just finished up with great success. We had 13 campers this year and their ability levels all meshed together well. We had two coaches at the camp, Brian (now a USAT Level II coach), and a coach from Connecticut, and then Bill, who is a Grasky Endurance coach and swim expert, came out for a couple of days. A HUGE thanks to Bill for his expertise! My job was to organize everything prior to the camp as well as take care of airport t
ransport. Again, the annoying knee problem I’m dealing with prevented me from helping out with the rides this year…other than driving sag, which I usually do a great deal of anyway—luckily I really enjoy it! This year I had a helper along with me…our webmaster Brian…yes, another Brian. He was a huge help (and hilarious to hang out with) and took pictures along the way for our new website. A HUGE thanks to Brian as well. Thanks also to all of the campers who gave us feedback about the camp. It is our sincerest desire to provide a great camp, and Brian, Bill, and myself already have several ideas to make it much better for next year. More to come on that…Lastly Tri-fest. Wow, Oley really worked hard at Trifest and did a fantastic job. Thanks to Oley and all of his work. Our Grasky Endurance booth went pretty well, but I think next year will be better. Each year we’re learning how to improve things and the booth is one of those.
Now that we have a break, Brian and I actually have Brian/Jill time scheduled for this weekend…possibly a hike in Sabino Canyon, or maybe the Titan Missile Museum. It’s nice to relax every once in a while. After 12 years of marriage sometimes we forget about “couple” time, but we’re really enjoying it this week. Again, a sincere thank you to everyone who supports Grasky Endurance. Be watching for some major changes to come about in the upcoming year with the business.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Trifest 2009
Well it has come and gone and needless to say Trifest 2009 was a great adventure for Grasky Endurance. It was a bit tiring for all of us (especially Brian and Jill) since we were coming off of a full week camp with Eric Hodska. However, somehow Jill managed to keep everything together and make sure that GEC was set up for a strong presence at Trifest. Unfortunately the Expo kept us plenty busy so we did not get much of a chance to participate in the conference but word was that several of the topics were outstanding.
The Expo was actually held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this year and due to tremendous growth it was moved to the Tucson Convention Center. We were fortunate to be set up near our friends from the Tucson Tri Club as well as close to our favorite partner TriSports.com. However, Brian made sure to make his rounds throughout the entire Expo in an effort to network with all of our triathlon friends. We were also set up just across the way from Oasis pools who brought in an Endless pool for anyone to use. We took advantage of this offer by hosting a 2 hour swim analysis for free, on both Saturday and Sunday, for anyone who wanted to sign up at our booth. Oasis loved it because it brought some nice crowds over to their display and we had a great time working with several athletes. We are hoping to set up a Endless pool challenge next year along with Oasis pools so stay tuned for that adventure!!!
One of the highlights of my weekend was finally getting a chance to swim in a Zoot Zenith 2.0 wetsuit. I have been sponsored by blueseventy for the past 2 years and the switch to Zoot was making me a little nervous due to my success with blueseventy. Well, my initial thought is I can't wait for the first tri of the season. The Zenith felt outstanding. It has tremendous flexibility through the shoulders but still provides the buoyancy that you expect from a full wetsuit. My swim was brief but if first impressions are worth anything then I think I am going to be super pleased with the switch to Zoot.
With these fast wetsuits and lightning fast Zoot racing shoes, we have no excuses but to be fast this year (now everyone will know it is because we were too lazy to train-or maybe we can just use the excuse that we were too busy training our athletes to have time to train ourselves!!).
For those of you who got a chance to drop by our booth, thanks for coming by and supporting GEC. For those of you who could not make it this year, put Trifest 2010 on your calendar because this is really an amazing event. We hope to see you soon and remember- Shift Up!!!
The Expo was actually held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this year and due to tremendous growth it was moved to the Tucson Convention Center. We were fortunate to be set up near our friends from the Tucson Tri Club as well as close to our favorite partner TriSports.com. However, Brian made sure to make his rounds throughout the entire Expo in an effort to network with all of our triathlon friends. We were also set up just across the way from Oasis pools who brought in an Endless pool for anyone to use. We took advantage of this offer by hosting a 2 hour swim analysis for free, on both Saturday and Sunday, for anyone who wanted to sign up at our booth. Oasis loved it because it brought some nice crowds over to their display and we had a great time working with several athletes. We are hoping to set up a Endless pool challenge next year along with Oasis pools so stay tuned for that adventure!!!
One of the highlights of my weekend was finally getting a chance to swim in a Zoot Zenith 2.0 wetsuit. I have been sponsored by blueseventy for the past 2 years and the switch to Zoot was making me a little nervous due to my success with blueseventy. Well, my initial thought is I can't wait for the first tri of the season. The Zenith felt outstanding. It has tremendous flexibility through the shoulders but still provides the buoyancy that you expect from a full wetsuit. My swim was brief but if first impressions are worth anything then I think I am going to be super pleased with the switch to Zoot.
With these fast wetsuits and lightning fast Zoot racing shoes, we have no excuses but to be fast this year (now everyone will know it is because we were too lazy to train-or maybe we can just use the excuse that we were too busy training our athletes to have time to train ourselves!!).
For those of you who got a chance to drop by our booth, thanks for coming by and supporting GEC. For those of you who could not make it this year, put Trifest 2010 on your calendar because this is really an amazing event. We hope to see you soon and remember- Shift Up!!!
Friday, March 6, 2009
AZ Camp Wrap Up
The tally:
6 full days.
16-18 hours of riding (based on the optional ride or run Friday am) including over 12,000 feet of climbing. My PowerTap showed about 250 miles.
6.5-7.5 hours running including over 3000 feet of climbing.
5 hours swimming. No climbing.
30 water bottles,
8 cans of HEED,
1 can of Sustained Energy,
a bit of Perpetuem,
3 cans of Recoverite,
5 boxes of Hammer Gel,
1/4 gallon of Dr Hoys natural pain relief gel,
a few Michelin tubes,
a few more Genuine Innovations CO2 canisters,
300 miles on the sag truck.
13 athletes, 3 coaches, 2 sag drivers. 18 people with experiences that will last for a long time.
I'm going to get a massage and take a nap.
Brian
6 full days.
16-18 hours of riding (based on the optional ride or run Friday am) including over 12,000 feet of climbing. My PowerTap showed about 250 miles.
6.5-7.5 hours running including over 3000 feet of climbing.
5 hours swimming. No climbing.
30 water bottles,
8 cans of HEED,
1 can of Sustained Energy,
a bit of Perpetuem,
3 cans of Recoverite,
5 boxes of Hammer Gel,
1/4 gallon of Dr Hoys natural pain relief gel,
a few Michelin tubes,
a few more Genuine Innovations CO2 canisters,
300 miles on the sag truck.
13 athletes, 3 coaches, 2 sag drivers. 18 people with experiences that will last for a long time.
I'm going to get a massage and take a nap.
Brian
AZ Camp Day 5
This is one for the books. I don't know about the athletes, but I'm fried.
Today was a great day: the weather cooled off a bit more and we even had some arm warmer sightings; the athletes showed they are getting stronger every day; and the attitudes are remaining infectious.
We woke today to cloud cover and more normal temps for this time of year. The rest of the week in the 90s was tough. We rode out to the west side of town to climb over Gates Pass and hit McCain Loop and Saguaro National Park West. This route was ripe with rolling hills, but also with Saguaro Cactus and desert flora. It’s a tough ride, but a great one. Grasky Elite Brian Barrett joined us for the ride, and GEC’s Brian Nath and Bill Daniell helped lead the groups. This allowed all riders to have locals along, eliminating any possibility of getting lost.
Over 80 miles of steep rollers and the steep Gates Pass the group stayed strong. We cruised out to the climb, then up the east side of Gates. Leo wanted nothing more than to beat Kerri up the climb, so we devised a plan where I hold Kerri back and Leo took off. It started to work, but when I got the brunt of Kerri’s temper (wow!) I let her go. Sorry Leo, but I thought for a minute I’d get a right hook. Brian got up the climb first. We crushed it through McCain Loop, Saguaro Park, and McCain again, stopping only to take in the views of the Saguaro forest and fill bottles. Up the back side of Gates the ascent is only 2 miles, but gets to over 20 percent. I don’t know how, but Eric big-ringed it, so I now owe him Jamba Juice. We cruised back home, took a break, and began the always sad chore of packing up after a great week. We did pause the packing job to take a sunset run in Saguaro Park East. Always a good time.
Leo and Kerri were stronger than normal today, and were two of the three MVPs (they didn’t write their required blogs, so if you’re reading, I’m waiting!). It was a pure joy riding with them…mainly because I had some trouble and they helped me! Jim was the final MVP. His attitude all week was phenomenal. He just enjoyed being here and it showed.
Brian
Today was a great day: the weather cooled off a bit more and we even had some arm warmer sightings; the athletes showed they are getting stronger every day; and the attitudes are remaining infectious.
We woke today to cloud cover and more normal temps for this time of year. The rest of the week in the 90s was tough. We rode out to the west side of town to climb over Gates Pass and hit McCain Loop and Saguaro National Park West. This route was ripe with rolling hills, but also with Saguaro Cactus and desert flora. It’s a tough ride, but a great one. Grasky Elite Brian Barrett joined us for the ride, and GEC’s Brian Nath and Bill Daniell helped lead the groups. This allowed all riders to have locals along, eliminating any possibility of getting lost.
Over 80 miles of steep rollers and the steep Gates Pass the group stayed strong. We cruised out to the climb, then up the east side of Gates. Leo wanted nothing more than to beat Kerri up the climb, so we devised a plan where I hold Kerri back and Leo took off. It started to work, but when I got the brunt of Kerri’s temper (wow!) I let her go. Sorry Leo, but I thought for a minute I’d get a right hook. Brian got up the climb first. We crushed it through McCain Loop, Saguaro Park, and McCain again, stopping only to take in the views of the Saguaro forest and fill bottles. Up the back side of Gates the ascent is only 2 miles, but gets to over 20 percent. I don’t know how, but Eric big-ringed it, so I now owe him Jamba Juice. We cruised back home, took a break, and began the always sad chore of packing up after a great week. We did pause the packing job to take a sunset run in Saguaro Park East. Always a good time.
Leo and Kerri were stronger than normal today, and were two of the three MVPs (they didn’t write their required blogs, so if you’re reading, I’m waiting!). It was a pure joy riding with them…mainly because I had some trouble and they helped me! Jim was the final MVP. His attitude all week was phenomenal. He just enjoyed being here and it showed.
Brian
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