Winter Training

Brrr…  It’s cold outside.  You don’t want to get up before work and train outside.  The trainer is only so appealing, even with the $400 in DVDs and toys you have lying around.  Hit snooze and go back to bed? 

NO!  You can’t.  Your competition is training, and sleeping in a few times can become a habit and get you out of your fitness routine.  Here are some tips to get out the door and train when it’s cold, wet, or freezing.

Do Something

If you’re on a training plan, you’ve got your instruction.  If you’re not, I suggest getting one.  A coach can help here, or you can write one on your own.  The benefit of someone else writing it is that you are accountable to that person.  It’s the next best thing to having a training partner knocking on your door.  That voice in the back of your head saying “if you don’t get out of bed and train I will know it” is a powerful voice and can bring good results.

Make it Count

You don’t have to go for a 3-hour session to make it count, and many times shorter is better.  A short duration, high intensity trainer or treadmill session can go a long way toward fitness and can give you a great workout in 40 minutes.  Or a short run in the morning and a short run at lunch can give the benefit of a single longer run.

Be Consistent

Do something every day.  It can be stretching, yoga, or a great 3-sport brick, but set aside time, leave all else behind for a short period of time, and do something for your fitness goals.  Consistency is the key to endurance training—gains are made over time, not a single day at once, but each single day adds up to produce results.

Make it Fun

We’re in this sport because it’s fun, right?  Don’t lose sight of that.  You get to train, not have to train.  As a good friend of mine says, “train with joy or not at all.”

Join a Group

Group indoor sessions are great for all of the above.  It’s scheduled, so you are encouraged to get out of bed and get there.  They are typically intense and may have the bonus of being just what your fitness needs at this time in the season.  Weekly or daily classes bring the athlete consistency.  And the group setting, especially early in the morning when all of you want to sleep in, can be a fun, energetic start to your day.  At the Tucson Endurance Performance Center, we build the cycling sessions to be appropriate for the typical racing season, intense and challenging, and fun.  You can’t go wrong there. 

Now get out and train! 

Veterans Day

Veterans Day 2011.

 My Dad joined the Army out of college in the time of VietNam. He didn't have to go, he chose to because it was the right thing to do. He served well. Because it's the right thing to do. Infantry, then Airborne, then Ranger, then Special Forces (Green Beret). He served in Central America in the Panama Canal, swimming with SCUBA gear under the ships as they sunk in and out of the mud, looking for explosives.

I wasn't yet around when Dad was in the Army. But it was and is apparent in how he does things. He does what is right, even when it's not the 'cool' thing to do.

 He taught me that things worth doing are worth doing well. He taught me to do the right thing. He taught me that a strong back and a strong mind are equally important. And he taught me that life keeps score--success and failure are up to you and when life seems stacked against you, you just push harder. Whether you think you can or think you cannot, you're right.

It was also fun to play with his Army toys.

This Veterans Day, thank you to all veterans.

Eating my words on -some- MTB 29ers, and my Litespeed Cohutta review

I’ve been a mountain bike cross country racer for more years than I want to admit. When I started, we were all on rigid forks and steel frames. It was big news when the Scott suspension fork came out. But the fact it was basically a spring left a bit to be desired in the realm of front squishy. Then I got a lugged aluminum/steel bike with a Marzocchi fork. And then RockShox hit the scene and my world changed.

The reason I bring this up is that I grew up learning how to handle a bike—toss it around, lift it over obstacles and avoid the rough stuff. Really man-handle it...with finesse, of course. Now with full boing, tubelss wheels, and long travel you can get away with more mistakes and with a lot less finesse and skill, and the bike can take it without knocking you back or losing your energy too much.
But you still lose energy when you ride through and over obstacles rather than handle the bike around of over them. And this is the mindset with which I write this.

I’ve been a fan of 26” wheeled mountain bikes for a long time. I raced as a pro and elite amateur cross country and XTERRA racer for years on 26” wheels and 4 inches of max-speed-rebound squishy. Yes, 29ers hit the market, and although their ability to roll over the bumpies was promising, the inherent physics of larger wheels, a longer wheelbase, a longer rear end, and a shallower head tube means the bikes are slower to handle. What I saw with very few exceptions were companies taking a 26” frame and making it bigger and slapping on 29” wheels. Fail. I want a bike I can toss around. One I can feel like I can manipulate. A Ferrari, not a Chevy truck. And not just a Ferrari, but a 599 GTB Sport. Ferrarri Red. Black leather. …But I digress.

When the 29er craze hit, I went in with an open mind, but admittedly with a little heartburn from the 650c wheel tri bike craze and a bit of apprehension in what I’d find. So I rode a bunch. A lot. Demos, friends’ bikes, Interbike Outdoor demo. They all felt like trucks. Yes, I could go over the little pebbles and baseballs a bit easier, but acceleration was slower, braking required more forethought, and maneuvering required more time and anticipation (read: truck). I’ll keep my 26”, thanks.

At Interbike Outdoor demo this year (Sept 2011) I again tried a few new 29er bikes. Five more brands. Bleh.

Then I went over to the fellas at Litespeed and checked out their Cohutta. I’d seen a photo but hadn’t seen one. I like Litespeed. I did my first three Ironman races on a Tachyon tri bike, had a Ghisallo, and now ride a C1R. I told them this, but followed it with “I’m going to tell you right now, I’m not a 29er fan but I want to give yours a try.” The rep started to say something, but stopped and told me to go ride and report back.

Result: Ferrari meets Star Wars Land Speeder.

Not only did this bike handle like a dream, but if I closed my eyes I thought I was on my 26. It cornered well. It descended great, and I had to hit the brakes at the top of the short steep climbs to keep from running into my friends. The 29 inch wheels indeed make you feel as if you're floating over the ground, not riding on it. I’m going to need more space in the bike room—and a marriage counselor—after riding the Cohutta.

I’ve always been a fan of Jim Felt, so I went over to ride the Felt Nine carbon hardtail. I was also impressed there. As with the Cohutta, it had a steep front end and a short chainstay and it handled equally well. It was lighter weight than the Cohutta. I did notice, however, the minor bumps and chatter from the fire roads and fast cruising quite a bit more.

I went back to the Cohutta again. This time I got a flat and was running late. I fixed it quick and hammered it home on the fire roads. That was when I decided the Cohutta was a better overall bike even with the weight penalty given the smooth titanium small-bump-eating frame.

Mine’s on order. Don’t tell my wife.

Vineman 70.3 Race Report by Elite Team racer Sylvain

We arrived at the swim venue around 6am with my wave scheduled to leave at 8:30am, the one before last. Waves are arranged in such a fashion that the earlier your wave starts, the longer distance you will have to get through T1 and T2, which are located in 2 different places. The idea here being that earlier waves have the advantage of cooler temperature (a considerable advantage on the run!), therefore they get the disadvantage of longer transitions. Although this might seem unfair as early waves get to do their run under cooler temperature compared to later waves, every athlete within each age group gets to start at the same time and since transition is arranged by age group everyone within the same age group is treated equally.

Swim (1.2 mile):
After watching the pros finishing their swim and leaving T1 on their bike, I finished setting up my transition before heading for an easy 7-8min jog and with another 1-1.5hr to spare. With water temperature in the low 70s, I chose a sleeveless wetsuit, which was warm enough. I got in the water 8min before, warmed up and off we went. Swimming in the Russian River is as close as it gets as swimming in a pool! You can see the bottom most of the time and can stand up most of the time too; just no line and no flip turns! I was able to draft for the first half of the swim, mostly because I had swimmers all around me and was not able to pass. I think I started to annoy the swimmer in front of me after touching his feet repetitively as he finally kicked me in the face and knocked off my goggles. Good thing I was able to stand up, put my goggle back (I always wear my goggles underneath my swim cap so that I don’t loose them), and was back on track but this time keeping my distance. Half way through, my hands could touch the ground every time I pulled. Next to me a guy decided to stand up and run in the water and I must say he was going as fast if not faster than me; therefore, I also stood up and started to run but quickly realized it was a bad idea. I could feel I was using more energy this way than just swimming, so I dived back in the water and kept swimming. Also I didn’t want to take the chance to step onto a sharp stone or worse. Upon reaching the half way point, a lot of people stood up to run around the buoy. Swimming back downstream was a blast, it felt great. Coming out of the water, I removed my wetsuit in the carpeted area before entering the transition area as each alley of the transition was pretty narrow and covered with stones.

Bike (56 miles):
Vineman has a clean transition. You are required to pack all items in the provided swim bag before leaving transition. After stuffing my wetsuit, goggles and towel in my bag (which then volunteers collect to bring to the finish line), I grabbed my bike and ran to the mount line, which is located at the bottom of a short but steep enough hill. I had seen many people from early waves either running to the top of the hill before mounting their bike or mounting at the bottom. Some were able to gain enough momentum to climb it while others failed and crashed. I had decided to wait to see how crowded it would get by the time I get to the mount line. As I approached the mount line with only 3 or 4 other cyclists, I jumped on the bike, pushed on my left feet a couple of times enough to get me going. The first 5 miles were pretty smooth. The most technical part of the bike course came at 5.3mile with a sharp 90degree right turn followed right after by a very short and steep downhill. Later on that day, we had learned that someone had gone too fast in the turn, went over their handlebar and crashed face first on the pavement. Apparently, this turn takes down a few riders every year, this year was no exception. The following 35 miles was a mix of rollers, hills and turns through many of the Napa Valley vineyards. Starting in the last wave has the advantage that you are passing a lot of people on the bike, which is mentally very motivating! Chalk hill came at mile 43. This was the most challenging part of the ride. About a mile long, this hill is steep enough and long enough to challenge every rider. After that, it’s a nice ride to Windsor where T2 was set up. With a time of 2:27, I knew I was well on time to go sub-5 but was worried I had pushed too hard on the bike to have a good run.

Run (13.1 miles)
Coming on to T2, I quickly racked my bike, pulled out my shoes from a plastic bag I had prepared the day before (T2 was set the day before, meaning shoes are left outside overnight). I put on my shoes, grabbed my visor and electrolytes and started the run. The first hundred yards were a bit shaky as we exited the high school but quickly found my rhythm. I was feeling good, but with my pace 30s faster than what I had planed, I forced myself to slow down to a comfortable 7:15 pace (comfortable pace early on the run often translates to a near impossible pace later on the course!) trying to focus on form and cadence. The run had some nice and long rollers with a few challenging hills. By this time, the sun had come out and temperature was slowly rising, so I took a couple of Endurolyte pill. I alternated at every aid station (located every mile or so) between water and Gatorade, while pouring cold water on my head. The first 5 miles felt amazing. I passed a lot of people; spirit and confidence were pretty high! At mile 5, I started to experience stomach cramps…as usual! I slowed down and worked hard on my breathing for half a mile until it was under control. At mile 6, we entered one of the winery and did a couple of loop around the vineyard, the only time we ran on dirt road. I took a gel now that my stomach was feeling better. At the half way point, I got passed by a runner and decided to pick up the pace to try to stay close. A few minutes later, she was gone! I was now running 7:20, and this was no longer comfortable. Legs were starting to feel heavy. I still felt OK but I could see my pace slowly starting to drop. Around mile 7-8, I got passed by a runner in my age group. I was determined not to let him go and stayed right behind for a mile or so, but he stopped at the next aid station. I grabbed more water and kept going. On the downhill, I let my legs go with long strides, while going easy with short strides on the uphill. At mile 10, I could feel I was now running on a pretty much empty tank. I started to grab cola, Gatorade and had my last gel within the next 1.5 miles. I started to experience blurred vision but the realization that I could finish this thing sub 4:40 kept me going. At this point, I was unable to pay attention to what was going on around me, that’s how I missed the last turn! Finally a volunteer screamed at me and I turned around, wondering how I could have missed such an obvious turn. The last mile lasted forever it seemed. Approaching the finish line, I could hear the crowd welcoming finishers. Entering the high school, I was begging for the finish line to be around the next corner. As I finally saw it, I got passed by the same guy I had chased earlied. I couldn’t believe he waited for the last stretch to pass me, but I would have done the same, he did great. Upon crossing the finish line, I was welcomed by a wonderful 60-year old lady who offered to carry me to an aid station to get some water, that was really sweet. Overall, this was my best race and finished with a 4:39:35, a 24 min PR good enough for a 11th AG and 59th OA place.

Vineman puts on a great race in the beautiful Napa Valley, either you’re looking for your first ½ Ironman or your next challenge, this race will please everyone. Worth making it a vacation away from the Tucson heat! GEC and Tucson were well represented at the race, with Trisports being one of the sponsors. It’s always nice to travel so far away from home to find so many familiar faces! No need to say that the help and guidance from coach Brian Grasky was key to a successful race! Now time for a vacation…

You're an athlete

You have more bike bottles than drinking glasses. You are never seen without one.

When you buy a car, it's ability to carry bikes is first on your requirements list.

You have trouble paying $30 for a nice shirt, but you'll drop $250 for a cycling kit in no time.

Your only pair of hand made Italian leather shoes has cycling cleats. And you have 2 pair.

Although saving the environment and gas money is nice, the real reason you commute to work on the bike is because it increases your weekly training volume.

You spend more on bike tires than car tires.

Your car looks and smells like a gym locker. Your bike is spotless.

You log it when you climb a set of stairs.

You have a pantry dedicated to endurance fuel. It's categorized by solid, semi-solid, powder, and drinks. By brand.

You have trouble staying awake past 9pm and your non-athlete friends are wondering if you're still alive. But you'll stay up til midnight to watch the Tour de France. For the 3rd time that day.

Your family does not know that vacations don't have to be planned around a race.

Your bike box is standard travel equipment.

Your coworkers are used to seeing the goggle marks on your eyes after lunch.

Your desk drawer at work is packed with recovery fuel.





And you're ok with it all. Press on.

Steelhead Race Report by Elite Team Member Caryn Nath

Caryn
Steelhead Triathlon 7/9/11

Sometimes how we picture an outcome isn't how it really turns out. That is what happened to me this last weekend at the Steelhead Sprint Triathlon.

The morning of the race I wasn't exactly feeling on my game, as I had been sick the whole week leading up to the race. Despite this feeling, I continued with my usual pre-race rituals. 15 minutes before the start of the first swim wave, I got in the pool to warm up. Lucky me, I got to swim in the last lane, which had the pool slides hanging over one side of the pool. I found out that since I don't flip turn I pulled the lucky card to swim in this lane (Now I MUST learn to flip turn!). During the warm up, I was able to figure out how best to turn around on the side of the pool with the slides, which was good. The first wave started right at 6am, and I cranked out my usual 12 minute ish 800 yard swim.


T1 was pretty fast and I was excited that I saw a bunch of people from wave 1 still in transition. The bike part of this race is deceiving. There is an initial downhill, then some slight rollers, then a false flat for about 4 miles going out. I have done this course before so I knew what I needed to do. At the turnaround, I was paced exactly where I needed to be. Coming back I was flying until I hit the rollers the last couple of miles. At that point, things immediately starting going south. My stomach started to hurt and expand pretty rapidly. I tried to just crank out the last mile of the bike as quick as possible, so I could get on the run. As I got to transition and got off my bike, things worsened. I felt like I was going to be sick at any moment. In the 5 years I have been doing triathlon, I have never felt this bad.

T2 was slower than T1 as I tried to get my mind off my stomach problems. As I started to run, I knew this might be the first DNF for me, but I had to at least try to run before I called it quits. As I shuffled (literally) my way through 1.5 miles, things just kept getting worse and worse. A few feet after rounding the turnaround, I threw up. At first I thought...gross (the girly girl in me), then I thought well maybe I'll feel better now. Well, no. I literally shuffled my way back the final mile to the finish line, feeling horrible the whole way back and wanting to quit. Finally, I finished.

My overall time was one of the worst ever, but I did learn a few things....(1) every race can't be a great race, (2) sometimes our expectations of ourselves are unrealistic, and (3) I can finish a race even if I throw up. Good news is there are always other races, so I am looking forward and not back. :-)

Colorado musings

I feel like I'm back home.

I'm in Colorado Springs attending an internship at the US Olympic Complex and USA Triathlon. The short stint is a fire hose from the country's top coaches, physiologists, psychologists, and biomechanists. I'm about 1/2 way through and am very impressed so far (and my brain is full).

So far I've gotten lots of hands-on run biomechanic and sports psychology instruction from Olympic coach Bobby McGee, swim coaching guidance from USAT Resident coach Mike Doane, nutrition and eating disorder info from USOC dieticians, and physiology by several of USOC's staff physiologists. To say this program is making me (and thus the entire GEC team) smarter is an understatement.

It's also cool to live on the USOC for the week. Oh, the food is great and the facilities are outstanding!

As for coming home, Jill and I met in this town on a bike ride. And where we went mountain biking together for our first date. I went to school here at the USAF Academy and rode all over these roads. This is where my triathlon and MTB racing careers stated. It's where I learned to fly. And it's where Jill and I were married. It'll always have a special place in my heart for those reasons.

Deuces Wild Race Report

by GEC Elite Sylvain:

Located in the southern Navajo county at an elevation of nearly 6500 feet, Show Low is the perfect escape from Tucson in the summer with temperature in the 70s-80s. The race takes place at the fool hollow lake recreation area, which is one of the most beautiful race venues I’ve had the chance to compete in. TriSports puts on a great racing week end with an Olympic, half ironman and X-Terra race, not to mention an insane raffle. Clearly, if you live in Arizona, this one is a must-do. This course is perfect for supporters to cheer you on all along.

This was my third time racing Show Low at the Olympic distance. I’ve done my first Olympic tri in 2008 there and remembered how much the high elevation made this race extra challenging. Going too hard too soon on this course can quickly turn into a painful experience. Last year, due to the combination of heat and elevation, many people including myself suffered badly on the run. This year, my goal was to go under 2hr20min.

SWIM (1500m):
Swim was a 1 triangular loop. Water temperature is usually high 50s to low 60s, so wetsuits are encouraged! There are only 2 waves, men first then women 4 min later, so it makes for a rather crowded start. It took me 30-40s to break from the mass and find a “quiet” spot in the crowd. After that, I tried to swim conservatively for the first 2/3 of the swim. Once again, I had to rely on swimmers around me to navigate the course as I couldn’t see the buoys in the far distance. After the last turn, heading back towards the boat ramp, we had some waves making it harder to breathe in. Out of the water, I ran towards the “strippers”, lie down to let them do what they do best: 2 seconds later, I was free of my wetsuit and was running to get my bike.

BIKE (40K):
The bike leg is a one loop with the first half being mostly downhill. However, as soon as we turned onto Highway77, we had strong head winds with some long hills coming up. This is what most people complained about after the race: strong head winds on long hills! The pace quickly dropped to a mere 9-10mph. Once back in Show Low, the ride back to the lake and the transition area was easier.

RUN(10K):
The run is a 1 loop that takes you first on a trail, going around the lake, then through the campground. After that comes a long dirt road and finally back on the road for the last mile. As I was unable to keep up a fast pace last year, I decided to start easy this year with quick short strides. The critical part of the run comes half way when you are running uphill on that long dirt road, at the end of which the turn around point is. At this point, you get a clear idea where you are within the race: who’s in front and who’s behind. Feeling pretty good about my run, I started to pick up the pace. The last mile has a nice little hill that will make you want to slow down but the finish line being less than half a mile away, I tried my best to keep up the pace. I crossed the finish line in 2:19:40, 8th OA and 2nd in my age group. A tough but beautiful race, and having so many friends and people from Tucson doing that race makes it one of my favorite Olympic race.

Duathlon Nationals in Tucson

by GEC athlete Sylvain...

Not only was the Duathlon National Championship held in Oro Valley, but the transition area was only 5 min walking distance from my house. It would have been a shame to miss such a convenient opportunity. Knowing every corner of a course is an advantage, not to mention that no swimming would be involved! So I signed up for my first duathlon.

I must say that it was awesome to see so many triathletes training on Rancho Vistoso loop the week leading to the race. You could see all kind of people with all kind of bikes, even brave athletes training with full disc wheels when we had strong wind gusts. The wind got so bad on Friday that the mandatory bike check-in had to be cancelled! Yep, Tucson in April can get pretty windy.



Race morning:
I woke up 2.5 hrs before race start. Usual race breakfast consists of a bagel with double Nutella layer (actually, this is my everyday breakfast!) and some juice, followed by a cereal bar 1.5-1h before the start. The 2 min ride to the transition area was a delight, and I must say it was nice not having to fight for the best transition spot as racks were numbered. After setting up transition and chatting with fellow athletes, I went for a ~10 min jog, throwing in a couple of 60s race pace intervals. With 25min to spare before the race started, I doubled check my transition, took a gel, went for another 3-4min jog and headed to the start line.

First run (5K):
Wow…was pretty much how I felt just 60s in the run! The front group took off leaving us in the dust despite what I thought was a reasonable 6:00 min/mile pace on the first portion of the run, which was slightly uphill. After the first U-turn, we headed down on Innovation Park Dr. which has a nice downhill for 1.5 mile. At this point, it became tempting to speed up a bit to lessen the gap with the front group but a look at my heart rate convinced me not to. Although my coach advised me to run in zone 4, I was already in zone 5 with yet the most challenging part of the run to come. So I maintained my pace, slowing down a bit on the climb to reach transition, finishing my first run with a 6:21 pace.

Bike(35K):
T1 was pretty smooth. As I was running out of the transition area with my bike, ready to mount it, I almost passed someone who yelled at me “don’t pass!”. I guess you are not supposed to pass fellow athletes while still in the transition area? I still need to double check that one. Once on the bike, we started with a nice warm up climb going up the first portion of Rancho Vistoso Bld. Following my coach advice, I pushed hard from the start, especially on the hill while using the first part of the downhill to recover. The course consisted of rolling hills, so you were either going uphill or downhill, not many flat sections. Going down fast enough on Bee Canyon allowed you to gain enough momentum to climb the upcoming hill. The U-turn was at the top of the hill on Moore Rd, which was great as you don’t have to brake like crazy to get into your U-turn. After the first loop, I was still feeling good and kept the same power to finish the two loops in about 52min. I had never rode that loop that fast, so although being pretty excited about my time, I was now worried about how this would impact my second run.



Second run (5K):
One of the advantages of a duathlon, I found, is that starting your second run you already got your first taste of the course, so you get a pretty good idea what sections are going to be the most demanding. The first part being slightly uphill but then followed by a 1.5 mile downhill, I decided to start hard on that first part and then using the downhill to “recover”. However, I got passed before the first U-turn. As one athlete passed me, I was struck by how heavy his breathing was and came to wonder if this guy was really faster than me and was he able to endure more pain than me and push himself harder? If that’s the case, I thought he might not be able to sustain that pace all the way through and so I tried to stay on his heels, but he and another guy took off on the downhill section. I guess I should learn how to run downhill?! As we approached the U-turn, I realized there was no way I was going to catch them and my focus then turned to a fast TriCats runner who was getting closer. With the final uphill climb approaching, I started to slowly slip in that infamous state of mind when your brain starts telling you “why are you doing this? Just walk it now, who cares?” At this point, it became all mental and “happy and positive thoughts” are what keep you running. Focusing on crossing the finish line usually works for me, no need to say I did not sprint those last 100 yards! I was done. My second run was 20s slower than my first run, which to me was a satisfying race strategy and result.

As you finish the race, you are welcomed with a wet towel to help you cool down, drinks and food then followed. One nice touch is the possibility to walk to the results booth as soon as you cross the finish line to get a printout of your time and rankings (overall and age group), I’d like to see that at every race! The pros started an hour after we did, so it was nice to be done and be able to watch them compete and finish. This was my first race running with the new GEC outfit and I loved it! It looked and felt great. Thanks GEC and all the sponsors to make this race a successful one. Overall, it was a great race with really good conditions and I will definitely do it again in 2012!

Scott Tri Carbon Cycling Shoes Review by GEC Elite Kim B

My first thought is that these shoes feel like slippers. My foot seems to fit perfectly and there is no part of the shoe that is uncomfortable.

On further inspection, there are areas in the midsole of the shoe labeled adjustable volume arch and adjustable metatarsal button. I did not take the insoles out and see the underside of these areas until after several rides. They consist of plastic inserts on the underside of the insole which can be removed. The most comfortable set up for me is the default setup with the inserts included. I have flat feet and the raised arches provide good support for me. The adjustable options seem like a good idea to accommodate different feet.
Another feature I was first sceptical of is the small velcro strap at the front of the shoe. My previous triathlon shoe only had one large velcro strap across the middle of the shoe, so I was concerned that I would have to adjust the small strap each time I took off and put the shoe on especially in transitions during a race. However, the small strap is an asset as I can adjust the fit on the front of my shoe but I can take the shoes on and off without touching the small strap. Therefore the shoes are very fast in transition. The carbon fiber base of the shoe provides good transfer of power and the stiffness is not uncomfortable.
The shoe also breathes well and has a thinner mesh on the inside to prevent gravel or other particles from getting into the shoe. My only suggested improvement would be to offer the shoe in a color as the white gets dirty very easily and can make the shoe look older faster. Often when I am riding I forget that I am even riding a bike, which to me says that the bike and shoes fit perfectly.
This is a great pair of shoes that I think will hug my feet for many miles to come! Get yours at Trisports.com and use code GEC-S for 10% off.

Do Not Trust Your Mind by Caryn Nath

Most of 2010, I was on the "injury reserve list " due to a hamstring injury. What I discovered during that time is that injuries are not that fun and they test your mental fortitude, just like training can. Starting this season, I decided to take things slower to build my fitness back up and do more mid-late season races. During my injury, the one sport I that didn't bother me was swimming. Go figure. As a result, I decided that perhaps this was the time to get some lessons and become as efficient as I could in the water.

In January 2011, I started my first swim lesson. To my surprise, I was not as bad as I thought I was. I was told that I would have to work on a few things, like kicking too much (unlike most triathletes, I love to kick and hate to use my arms) and letting my left arm be lazy, but there was hope. I will not lie, it is hard to correct bad habits. The first couple of months every time I did my swim workouts, I was mentally exhausted. I was focusing so hard on having correct form, I barely could complete the workouts.

When I discussed this with my swim coach, he told me I was analyzing my form too much. My response was, "I feel like I am crossing the center line, that I am not finishing my stroke, that I am not rotating enough, etc." He had me swim a couple of laps and imparted these words of wisdom, "you cannot trust your mind." My initial thought was, "WHAT???!!" Then, I thought about it, and he was right. Sometimes when I make something a focus, like learning to swim efficiently, I add pressure on myself to see results quickly instead of trusting in the process and letting things come together naturally.

Once I really accepted that what I think I am doing during my swim workouts may not be what I am actually doing, it took the pressure off. Today, I noticed that I am more efficient than when I started in January. So, maybe there are other areas of my training where I need to think about not trusting my mind.

Custom Training Camp

One area GEC is getting into is setting up camps for athletes at whatever their level. I was approached by an athlete who was new to the sport and wanted a private camp for himself and his training partners.

Can do.

Tim, Tamara, and Kathi showed up on Weds night here in Tucson and between then and Sunday our goal was to team them all we know about getting into the sport of triathlon in a healthy, efficient, effective way.

We did a lot of training in the 4 days. We also sis a lot of talking about all aspects of swimming, cycling, running, transitions, nutrition, strength and core training, injury prevention, and about anything else we could think of. We fit them each on their bikes using the RETUL 3D system. We did blood lactate testing on each bike and run, and spend time each day swimming--including video analysis at the Trisports.com Endless Pool and open water training at Patagonia Lake.

Whew. I'm tired thinking about it and they went through it!

The feedback I received was that they learned a lot, got a lot out of the time with the GEC coaching staff, and will go home motivated and physically and mentally ready for a great season in 2011! And we had a great time getting to know 3 more triathletes and friends.

I've got a great job!

Brian G

2011 Litespeed C1R Review

I received and built up my new C1R a couple of weeks ago. I wanted to rush and get it build before my camp the next week, so I stripped my previous Litespeed Ghisallo—I’m now building that for Jill as it’s a little small for me and a nice upgrade for her.

First impressions: WOW. Very sleek. The combination of sloping and aero tubes, flowing lines, natural black carbon, and bold white graphics is striking. It was light weight—not the lightest out there, but well below the weight of most aero bikes out there.

I built the C1R with SRAM RED, a Rotor 3D crankset, Q-Rings and chain, a Quarq Cinqo power meter, a PRO Stealth integrated stem/bar, Easton EA90 SLX wheels, and white brake hoods and ESI grips to match the frame graphics. I also included my Genuine Innovations Second Wind pump/CO2 inflator and my Zipp carbon cages.

The Litespeed C1R is made of T60 Nanotech carbon fiber. This is the best stuff on the market right now and only used on 5-6 bikes. Read more here.

First ride: Smooth, solid, and fast. Now, I’ve been on nice bikes. I’ve ridden the bikes that won Kona, Giro d’Italia, and the Tour de France. This C1R meets or beats any of them. The ride is smooth and comfortable—even with the stiffer carbon. I expected a harsher ride but I was pleasantly surprised. When I stood to accelerate the bike shot out of the cannon. The stiff and short chainstays keeps the rear triangle tight and responsive. The seatmast is a bit more of a pain to cut and size, but I like the feel being a little lighter and more compliant.

Descent down Mt Lemmon: WOW. Predictable, maneuverable but not twitchy, and very solid at high speeds. I was coaching, so I was doing a lot of riding a bit slower than normal and looking to the side and rearward at athletes—no problems and a very stable platform of a bike. But once in a while I’d stand, accel to max speed and get into a tuck. Also stable, confidence-inspiring, and solid. I went around many of the sweeping turns faster than I have before.

Bottom line: For a $3400 frame, this bike rivals those $1000 more, and in my opinion is better. It is well worth that price. It is a great overall bike—comfy on long rides, stiff in a sprint or acceleration, stable and predictable handling, and good looking. If it’s a bit out of your budget, try out the C1, the C2, or the C3. Trisports University did a great technical writeup here. Use code GEC-S for a price break at Trisports.com

For locals, ask me how to get a BIG discount on these bikes!

Keep the rubber side down.

Brian

Tucson Training Camp MVP Blog

Everyday of camp has its share of great moments when someone really lays it out there, and plenty of “stupid” moments which are excellent material for dinner time harassment. Well, today was my day (I think Hods just wanted his bike cleaned-another of the MVP honors/responsibilities).

The entire group was outstanding and to me felt stronger than any of the previous camps which I’d attended with EH and/or Brian G. So to stand out or do something worthy of note with this group was something I pretty much didn’t plan on. To be honest I’m still not sure I did anything worthy of MVP status, especially being surrounded by so many other amazing athletes.

Pretty much the culmination of the camp is the Mount Lemon climb. I’d made the climb last year, so I had a good idea of the challenge. The idea of camp is to “build into” the week, with the first day or two being not full out or it’ll be a really long week!

The whole group is broken into a couple smaller groups which leave at different times so that we all get to the top at approximately the same time. As more of a distance guy than a speed guy, I see the Mt Lemon climb as a mental exercise more so than physical. It’s more like an Ironman event where you really need to be able to stay “present” and not think about all the climbing left to do. It’s over 26 miles of climbing with an average grade around 4.5%(I think), so you really don’t get any breaks to recover. I know for me there were a couple points where it can feel overwhelming, and the first one came at mile 4. You’re like, “holy ‘sh--’ I’m only at mile 4, my legs are already burning, and I’ve still got 22+ to go!” You’re watching some of the stronger riders start to pull away, so you want to go harder and try to stay with them, but again its like an IM race in that you need to do your own thing and stay within yourself; it’s a long way up. My biggest lesson learned from the 2010 season was that, for several reasons, I let my training and racing reach a point where I wasn’t having “fun”. HUGE mistake and one I swore I wouldn’t let happen again. The Mt Lemon climb was my first chance to test my new resolution, and at mile 4 I reminded myself of this. Yes I was uncomfortable, yes I was working hard, yes I was being dropped by better riders, and yes I was having fun. Reminding myself that this is what I love to do: pushing myself, testing my limits, being outside, absolutely amazing scenery, amazing people, yes I was having fun!

So I don’t think I did anything worthy of MVP at this camp, especially being surrounded by so many athletes of such amazing talent. However, the Mt. Lemon climb was a great day for me in that I was able to test something inside myself and persevere. Although I don’t think Eric or Brian were aware of this little internal challenge, maybe that’s what makes them such great coaches-- they’re just able to see these things, as they’ve probably been there themselves.

I’m totally blessed to have had this opportunity to train with fantastic coaches and such an outstanding group of people. Good luck to all in your upcoming season, and thank you so much to Eric and Brian for an awesome camp. I’m a better person and athlete now.

Brad

Mt Lemmon MVP

Hello Tri Friends - here's your "Mayor's" belated blog for Tuesday March 1 - our Gates Pass ride.
I am writing my blog while in flight back to NY. Just to remind you - I was one of Tuesday's MVP's for doing such a great job of nuzzling up to some fresh asphalt. All I know is that I swerved to avoid hitting one of our friends - and that was all she wrote. Funny thing is - the shoulder, elbow, hand wounds hurt much more now (in flight) than they did right after crashing and for the rest of the week. Must be because the pain from being pushed hard by Eric and Brian overrode the dings from the crash pain. Luck was on our side March 1 - we avoided a disaster but most of all I was lucky - I got to finish the ride and most of all I was lucky because I had the great care, consideration and support from you guys.
I learned a heck of a lot this past week, here is your Mayor's top 10 list....
10) My girlfriend Lisa sends amazing care packages!
9) Trail running is much more fun than road running.
8) Sue, Kerri, Tracy, Trista - can kick your ass - at any moment in time.
7) Frosty has calves as large as my thighs and more hair on his chin than I have on my head.
6) Leo has a really "bitchin" RV - but what the heck goes on inside?
5) Steve and Doug (Madoff) are my idols - and the 3 of us AARP members will be back to whip you young, svelte whipper-snappers next year.
5(a) Jim/Tracey and Brian Grasky/Jill- well they just define love and great relationships.
5(b) Kevin's SI joint limp is a sandbag - he can run like a gazelle.
4) The tip top of Mt Lemmon (meaning 2 miles past "your" definition of "top" -- up over the rarely traveled snow/ice covered path) has some really cool observatories and the maintenance guys (and probably you guys too) think I am a nut.
3) Eric has really cool music on his iTouch, can nimbly pick his way through the breathtaking canyons of Tucson but can't do the same on the streets :) ... and he knows my (our) limits better than me (us).
2) Molson - had to have made his money doing stand up comedy - not on Wall St.
1) I met about 20 new friends this week that I enjoyed immensely and that I would welcome the opportunity to train with again. Safe home, fast races and happiness to you all.
From Your Mayor (almost Mr. Roadkill :)

Day 5 MVP Travis

It's all mental......

Thursday came to a close with a quick recap of Fridays plans and a nomination of the days MVP's. Much to my surprise, Eric was interested in testing my writing skills and I landed one of the days awards. After a climbing up Mount Lemmon, I think everyone deserved the MVP award.

Since Lemmon was mainly a solitary ride for me I will share a few of the high and the low points of my morning. The first revelation came when I rolled out of bed in the morning. The previous days strength session included some leg extensions while balanced on a ball. I should have known from the sneaky smile on Brian G's face as he gave me some pointers that this was going to hurt. It did, My hamstrings were barking at me. My first though was how can I climb like this. It's only 26 miles I kept telling myself. The weather was absolutely perfect and we spun out of town nice and easily. At the start of the climb I looked down and did some quick math, 26miles of climbing plus the 8miles of spinning to get out there. 34 miles would be the magic number to get to the top.

Eric and I chatted a bit up the first bit of the climb enjoying the views. As Sean rolled up almost effortlessly he reminded us to go easy for the first 13miles. I glanced down at my power meter and decided the numbers I was seeing didn't agree with this mantra so I eased up a bit. Kevin and Jim rolled up and we rode together for a bit and then they were off. No victories for me today but it was all about the views. By this point we were looking back down into the city and it was amazing how quickly we had climbed above the city.

Thankfully Eric had given some great pointers on bike fit the previous day and I raised up my seat. Almost a CM. My knee was feeling a lot better. Thanks for that. This was about the time things started getting tough. There's no reason we all shouldn't be able to make it to the top, but the mind can do funny things. As the road snaked around and the others stretched off in front I thought, "this is going to suck if my legs don't hold up, I can't not make it to the top" It was time for some mental trickery..... Step 1, was enjoy the day and look around at the views, no more looking down at the speedo. This isn't a ride where you really want to know your speed or how far you've come. Step 2, set a goal. I told myself, if I kept a good attitude all the way up it was my ticket to to a bike upgrade.

The road wound on and we came into a stretch of trees. The temps, smells, and air changed. It was great. Soon I had gone through my first bottle of Hammer's Mango Fizz. I like that stuff. Luckily Brian G was there for a on the fly water bottle refill and promptly delivered a topped off bottle out the passenger window while driving up the mountain. Impressive.

As my legs tired I took in the panoramic views and reminded my self of my goal to keep a good attitude. Finally we were near the top and Sue offered a bit of encouragement just as the climbing was coming to an end. A group of us rolled into the cookie cabin to realize there were no other bikes there. That only meant one thing. The people out front had gone the last bit up to the ski area. I contemplated for a minute as I stood in front of the cookie cabin, but then that pesky goal popped back into my head. I hadn't made it all the way. Back through town I went, about 1/2 way I did a u-turn and said screw that. But as the thought of no new toys for the bike came to mind I suddenly became motivated and I was off. If it wouldn't have been for the small personal goal, I would have never seen the top.

Special thanks to Scott and the random pickup drive who heard me mention I lost my areobottle on the trip down from the ski area. Their teamwork saved me the search for a new one. Mt. Lemmon tops my list of all time amazing road rides. Great fun, and great people. Camps been a blast, but I think I've had my fill of carne seca at El Charro!

Day 4 MVP Scott T

Mt. Lemon (AKA The big hill)

With our legs sufficiently tenderized from four days of 4-hour hill rides, mountain trail runs, and long swim workouts (oh, and let's not forget strength training with plyometrics), we launched our assault on Mt. Lemon. The Mt. Lemon ride is 26 miles of up, climbing over 7000 ft. in elevation, on a beautiful winding road that takes you from the parched desert of Tucson, through narrow rocky canyons, up into lush evergreen forest and snow. The winter time road ends at the ski area, however, Mike (AKA The Mayor) ducked under the gate at the ski area and road the additional 1.5 miles to the radio towers. We hear he has photos to prove it, but nobody was paying much attention, because we were all too busy eating the cow patty sized cookies at the Cookie Cabin, just down the road from the ski area.

I now know that the main motivation for riding Mt. Lemon is not for the workout of climbing for 2:15 hrs, but for the 0:45 of descending. What a rush it is to get into a tuck and roll down the road at 40+ mph and not have to hit your brakes. The road is so smooth and the curves are gentle enough that you can just let it rip. Where else can you do this in early March?! It has been the best day of the camp for me.

Scott Tucker

Camp Day 2 co-MVP Tracy

Toto Too!

Oh great I’m already doomed on camp day 2 by waking up at 3:00 am hungry from not getting enough calories on camp day 1. After a quick slice of raisin bread (or as our family fondly calls it “THE BREAD”) with peanut butter, I was back to sleep for a couple of hours. I was relieved to talk with Kerri later in the day to find out she has a similar nightly routine—perhaps we’ll form a support group.

It was upon descending the steps to meet for our 7:00am run that I discovered that my quadriceps were no longer functioning as they had on camp day 1. In fact there was significant discomfort. Are you kidding me? We hadn’t even been on the bikes yet! Again my only relief was the fact that my husband Jim was groaning only steps behind me.

Mercifully Coach Brian recommended that Jim and I work with him on running form, and drills, on the flat areas of the trail. Since we usually work with Brian remotely from Ohio it was great to have some personal one-on-one time with him. He is an amazingly knowledgeable, giving, and caring coach. The rest of the group was off for their second “trail” run. News from the front varied from fun, exciting, hard, craggily and steep to downright difficult. Sorry to have missed that.

After a quick breakfast it was on the bikes with what Coach Eric described as an “easy spin day”. He noted that the next two days on the bike would be “challenging” so today we would ease into the week. The plan was unfolding well, Sue and I were chatting and laughing as we rode along, until we were greeted by unexpected 30+mph head winds. Fanciful images of a relaxing ride hit the fan. Thankfully Sue and Shawn organized a group of us into a nice pace line with each of us taking 20-30 second pulls up front. Poor Shawn, the tallest of our group, ended up behind me, the smallest of our group. What an incredible pack of strong riders. Unfortunately at a stop the group dispersed. I was left on my own for what seemed an eternity until I saw my devoted husband riding back to help pull me along. Thankfully the return was one sweet ride which had us all smiling again and a bit more positive about the week ahead. Note to self: eat more during the long rides so you know your name when you get back to the hotel and never, at any cost, lose the group.



The afternoon concluded with an informative lecture by Scott Tucker of Scott Shoes. He gave an excellent presentation regarding running biomechanics and running shoes. Scott had previously provided campers with a complimentary pair of Scott shoes. Thanks for all Scott.

As I prepare for bed I’ve placed “The Bread” on the nightstand for a quick transition, I say a little prayer that my quads will be back to normal tomorrow, and the winds will be calm. But mostly I give thanks to be part of such a great group of people.

GEC-EH 2011 Winter Triathlon Camp – Day 2

Day 2 MVP Dan:

I am honored to share MVP honors today with legendary World Champion triathlete and blogger Tracy DiSabato-Aust. I am no match to her blogging talents, but I will attempt to do my best to rise to her standard of excellence. She did, though, let me quote her for the record: “Today was a hard day.”

If Day 1 of Triathlon Camp was the Ode to the Snowy Cactus, Day 2 was the Tale of the Wicked Wind of the East.

After a exhaustive (and exhausting) first day, the campers all made the 7am morning call with a bit more spirit, and a bit more bodily soreness, than the previous day. Temperatures were still chilly (34F), but a clear sky made for perfect running weather. Today’s run found us at a new place, the Douglas Springs trailhead at Saguaro National Park East. There’s apparently an extensive trail network here and Brian and Eric, as usual, picked the only hilly one.

After a brief jog down the trail to warm up plus a stretching session (which both brought back sensations and memories from yesterday), as well as a surprise (Smile! It’s Jill!), the journey up the hill began in earnest. You just can’t find good, scenic, and challenging trails like this anywhere else, and after a fair bit we were high above the valley floor looking down at the little specks of our vans back at the parking lot.

Another local triathlete sensation, Leo Carrillo, joined the camp this morning. Leo is a superstar talent all around, especially in the pool. Between him, Tall Swimmer Sean, and myself, we are destined to eventually stop perpetuating the myth that good swimmers can’t run. By the end of the week, I am certain that we will succeed, but today was a shining day for the mountain goats of the camp. After a brief rest & regathering, 28 minutes into a planned 35-minute run outbound from the trailhead, Eric and the mountain goats led on up the tallest hill yet for the final “seven minutes”. I got to the turnaround point at what seemed like 15 minutes later.

One thing that I’ll say about Eric…he’s never been anything but truthful and honest in the many years that I have known him. But occasionally his concept of when the hard training session is supposed to end (e.g. he might lose track of time or the number of intervals in the swim set or tell you to expect “rolling hills”) can differ with that of the campers, and that helps keep triathlon camp fresh…as well as a mental challenge!

By now, everyone was running on tired legs, but the downhill return (3.5 miles with 1000 of elevation descent) brought some life back. The fast downhills runs that have ended both of the first two runs of camp helped bring everyone back to the vans with a smile.

After breakfast, it was time to put on sunscreen (for once) and bring out the bicycles for the first ride of the camp. As Brian G noted, we are a pretty compatible group and all of us are comfortable riding in groups. Nonetheless, the first ride with a new group scares me a bit because there’s a little fear of the unknown. (Like when I was the first casualty of the 2009 camp when I locked my wheel spokes into another camper’s pedal.) The planned ride wasn’t much to worry about, an “easy spin” out and back to Colossal Cave. So, as long as we all could avoid colliding into objects and ourselves, there was nothing to worry about, right???

Rolling to the east edge of town, we had one random mechanical casualty but otherwise made it to the open roads unscathed and smartly as a good single-file group of 17. The first open road starts out with a good steady incline, and when I finally took a peek forward from my slot in position #16, some leaders had already broken away by a good distance, with Brian N (and his GoPro camera) pacing the trailers and getting some cool video. It wasn’t an aggressive “breakaway”, and I felt compelled to bridge up to them. I latched on to the leaders after the crest and our flight-of-six (Eric, Leo, myself and three others) built up some momentum on the ensuing downhill.

Then we really hit some wind. One moment it seemed calm. The next, we were in a stiff headwind and shortly after that it was 20 mph gusts. No dust or tumbleweeds flying around, but this was certainly something that can’t be simulated by indoor trainer rides. There’s no such thing as an easy spin uphill into a 20 mph wind, and the only thing that we all could do was to hammer our way through it. It wasn’t that long ago that my power meter was in single and double-digits, and now we’re cranking at least three bills to stay upright and move forward. Colossal Cave couldn’t come soon enough!

After rounding to the back entrance of Colossal Cave, with one more blast of headwind and one more steep climb, we enjoyed a well-earned break at the top, about 1200 feet in elevation above our starting point in Tucson. We enjoyed the great view and took pictures, briefly, before we got blown off the ridge.

The ride back was pleasant (speeds over 40 mph in spots) with the tailwind, and we returned with more smiles and well-toasted legs.

The late afternoon brought out our first taste of starpower…a great presentation / discussion by (fellow camper) Scott Tucker of Scott USA. Scott (person) represents Scott’s (company) line of running shoes and he presented on what running shoes are supposed to do.

We wrapped up Day 2 with the dinner at the best place in Tucson (at least until tomorrow night), and then retired for the evening. After two days of camp, we’ve done so much hard work that we chose to forego the usually obligatory post-dinner gelato…but it’s all worth it to be ready to bounce back and hit Day 3 strong.

Day 3 is planned to bring a morning swim followed by a difficult ride across Gates Pass and the McCain Loop. It should be a challenge again for everyone, and a chance for a few more MVPs to shine. (Don’t worry, us budding swimmer-runners will have our day later…the inevitable won’t be postponed for long!)

Tucson Camp 2011 – Day One

Tucson Camp 2011 – Day One co-MVP report by Molson.

Well I am back in Tucson for the 5th consecutive year! The winter training camp is something that I look forward to each season and this year is no exception. So with my frequent camper card in hand I returned to Sabino Canyon this morning to kick off this year’s camp with a run through the spectacular trails of this national park. The chilly temps and the light snow from the prior evening did not dampen the spirits of the campers here. It is day one and this is the first official workout so everybody was excited to get going and start the adventure. The group had a great run on the challenging terrain and all the first timers were in awe of the workout. A strength training session and 2 hour swim workout followed. The swim took place at the University of Arizona pool . This was the first time we have swam here and I hope we get a chance to go back this week.

During the run this morning someone asked me why do I keep coming back to this camp. I said that they will be able to answer that question themselves next Saturday when camp ends. The Tucson Tri camp is not your typical run of the mill camp. The workouts are challenging and “off the beaten path”. The coaching is top notch. The energy level is always high amongst all the participants who are here primarily because they have a passion for the sport. Probably the greatest thing about the Tucson Camp is the fact that you surround yourself with people who all share the same interest. As the week progresses all the campers realize that they are being asked to challenge themselves in a way that they never would if they were home on their own turf. When you train as group you are more willing to try new things and push yourself to their outer limits. It is easier to take chances at camp as you have all the other athletes who are going through the same thing – and without fail every year the group bonds and supports each other to achieve success. At the end of the week you are guaranteed to have done workouts that you would never have done on your own – which will leave you with confidence, energy, fitness and just an overall better state of mind. So who would not want to come back every year.

I am looking forward to another challenging week.

Molson

Training Camp co-MVP blog Day 1

Day 1 co-MVP Sue:

A fantastic, yet snowy, start of camp!

Today's Sabino Canyon run was breath taking - not just due to the challenging and increasing elevation of the trail but also thanks to the beautiful snow covered cactus, Arizona shrubs and all of the other desert plants lining the trail. Just stunning! A reminder for me what a gift running truly is.


Our run was soon followed with one hour of circuit training. Who knew you could push your body to the point of shaking with a common park bench and some TRX straps? A great intro (and workout!) for the time crunched/traveling athlete.

You would have thought the day would be done. Alas, my friends, no. The fine coaches of the Grasky camp shuttled us to University of Arizona for a 'few' laps. Under their watchful eyes we performed numerous drills - working on catch, high elbow and finish in small doses so that when we hit the main set - some 2000 yards later - we maintained focus and 'drilled' new neuropathways for future, improved swimming.

I am not too sure at how successful I was at performing the drills throughout the day but I can say that I learned plenty of new ones and some areas to focus on to help better balance my body and improve my racing. Oh, I can also say with certainty that I'm going to sleep quite well tonight!

Until our morning run...
Sue

Training Camp MVP blog Day 1

Day 1 co-MVP Doug from Kansas:

At dinner tonight the coaches surprised me by announcing that I was one of the MVP's for day one of the tri camp. While it is clearly a sympathy vote (I am ok with that!) and they needed someone to write this blog, I am honored to share the days award with Jeff and Sue.

Welcome to sunny Arizona! We were greeted this morning on our first day of tri-camp with snow covered cars and a balmy 37 degree temperature. We were summoned to the lobby to convene for a 7am start. We were told we were going to start off camp with an easy run and so we proceeded to a place called Sabino Canyon. We unloaded and Eric, one of our coaches informed us about the virtues of trail running. He explained that trail running is more productive and leads to a quicker recovery due to more up and down terrain and softer impact. What I discovered is that this all assumes the impact is not your face on a rock and the recovery does not occur in the emergency room.

Trails are different in Arizona than they are in Kansas. I was expecting dirt or hard sand trails that you could run at a nice pace. Yes, some elevation but generally even and smooth. What we were greeted with was a narrow, rock laden path that climbed over 1,000 feet into the mountains before descending down via an even worse stretch of terrain. The views were breathtaking but not as much as the elevation and the fear for your life as you worked your way up and down this challenging "trail" which coach Eric (he may have a new name soon) termed as "slightly technical". Yeah, and that Mt Everest is pretty tall.


All told the run/walk/climb/fall took me an hour and 34 minutes. The last two miles were on pavement and when I reached the hard surface I stopped and kissed the ground, thankful that I had reached familiar territory.


After the run it was back to the hotel and an 11am strength training session in the courtyard. We worked through some TRX exercises and lots of core work and stretching. It was a good workout and I have no doubt I will feel the effects in the morning. I know this because I feel them now!


At 1:30 it was off to the university of Arizona swimming pool. As we left the hotel parking lot it began to snow again. Did I mention that this is an outdoor pool? The good news is that we got a little payback on our coaches here because while they were freezing their rear ends off beside the pool we got to basque in the 85+ degree water. Unfortunately they got the last laugh because they made us basque for 2 hours. I haven't swam that much in my life but at least the water was warm!


In all seriousness it was an amazing first day. I am very impressed by the knowledge and skill level of the coaches and I am in awe of the the other campers. So much talent, so much experience and so willing to help. A terrific bunch


Well it's bedtime for Bonzo. Coach Eric says to be in the lobby at 7am to meet for another "trail run". It's supposed to be 29 degrees. Call me crazy but I can't wait!

GEC Winter Training Camp day 1

Today kicks off the 2011 edition of GEC's "Escape The Cold" winter training camp. We plan a week of solid high volume base training, testing, knowledge, and info, directed by GEC's coaching staff and east coast coach Eric Hodska.

This is year 5 for Eric and me putting on the camp here and every year gets better. This year we have a great supporting cast of sponsors:
- Hammer Nutrition is covering all of our fueling and recovery needs. If Hammer doesn't offer it, you don't need it. Diabetic friendly as well!
- Scott Shoes is supplying running shoes to all the athletes. Scott's e-Ride technology makes their T2 Comp one of the lightest full-cushion shoes on the market.
- Genuine Innovations is supplying powered inflation (CO2 and inflators) to all the athletes. Theirs are the best products you don't want to use. I've never been stranded since carrying GI's gear.
- Fuel Belt is supplying hydration belts to get all our athletes through their long runs in Sabino Canyon.
- Beljum Budder will get us through the tough days!
- Dr Hoy's will get us through the day after!!
- Trisports.com is providing soft goods for all athletes, and a special discount for us at the camp. The coolest thing is they are hosting a social in their store for us! [Use code GEC-S for 10% off your next Trisports order!]

The camp athletes:
- Returning are the walking (like he's) wounded Molson, Brad the nice guy from Ohio, Frosty this time with hair, the understated Steve who drove from Canada, the male supermodel Leo, and Kerri the rabbit.
- Joining us this year are GEC standouts Tracy and Jim from Ohio, long course phenom and Team Timex athlete/coach Trista from Colorado, and Sue who ran with us for a day last year.
That rounds out our phenomenal women's field. Guys, we're going to get crushed!
- New this year are Scott from Maryland, Scott^2 the foot and shoe expert from Idaho, TALL Sean, Mike B, Kansas Doug, Craig from Utah, and Kevin we'll meet tomorrow.
All in all a great group. Very compatible and just a group of very nice and unassuming athletes. I'm excited to be here at the camp this year...this is going to be the best group yet--ready to go, ready to learn, ready to push themselves.

Stay tuned...based on tonight's dinner conversation topics, we're getting to konw each other a little too quickly!

Each night we'll post the day's activities and who stood out. We'll have daily MVPs blog about their experiences and the highlights of the camp. Don't miss this week!

Brian

Kicking off the race season …… the right way!

Desert Classic Duathlon – The Offroad Version – Bryce Phinney

Feb 20th would mark the start of my race season, with the newly minted Offroad version of the Desert Classic Duathlon. The race was held at McDowell Mt. Park in Fountain Hills, AZ, an oasis of saguaro studded trails set in the AZ desert against the McDowell Mountains. The running portions of the race were trail runs and were shared with the on-road participants, while the bike portion was around the long-course competitive loop … except backwards.

I went up to Fountain Hills for the pre-ride/run of the course the weekend prior to the race. The weather was good, with cool temps. and a little breeze to start. The first run was good, followed by two loops of the bike course. I had planned on running the second run course, but by the end of the second bike loop the wind had decided to join us and the dust was immense. I decided to save the second run for race weekend.

On race weekend I decided to head out to the course the day before the race for a quick ride/run just to get the legs moving. Bad weather had started to move in so I opted to ride the second run course first, just to make sure I knew what it looked like. By the time I finished the short 3.5 mile ride I was wet and cold from the rain. I bailed on the runs and headed to town for packet pick-up and some warm coffee.

Race morning came early but I was wide awake when my alarm went off. This is my first year training under the direction of a coach and I was anxious to get the first race of the season under my belt and see where my fitness stood (previously I was “self-coached”). The weather on race morning looked ominous, with cloudy skies and very wet roads. It had rained throughout the night, and I was hoping the trails wouldn’t be too muddy. I arrived at the race venue to find it was extremely wet, but the race organizers from the Phoenix Triathlon Club were doing everything possible to create a good race experience. Most of the roadies were carrying their bikes...Read More

Desert Classic Duathlon – The Road Version – Kim Beisner

Rounding the corner I see the finish line and my watch says 1:58, can I make it under two hours? Somehow I summon the strength and beat my time from the previous year by less than a minute. I was hoping for more but soon learn that most people have similar experiences or even slower times compared to the previous years due to the change in running courses. Honestly I was most relieved by not getting a flat on the bike. As I unloaded my bike in the morning the back tire was flat...Read More