Question: Race wheels or Power Meter?

There is a comparative question that has been posed in the cycling and triathlon world more often than "Ford or Chevy?", "Advil or Tylenol?", and "American Idol of The Voice?".

"If one had an extra $1500 in their pocket, would you suggest race wheels or a power meter set-up?"

It got people talking about what is the best use of money and the cheapest speed you can buy.  It was argued that wheels might get you 10 min over a 112 mile bike vs a cheap aero helmet that might get you 5 minutes.  Not sure if these stats are even true. 

This was asked of me this week.  Here's my reply:

If you're looking for short term gains:  get the wheels.  They won't save 10 min in 112, but 3-5 min is conceivable   The faster you are the better improvement you get.  Aero benefits are based on the square of your speed, so the benefits at 20mph are 4x greater than at 10mph.*    

If you want long term gains:  get a power meter...assuming you have the knowledge (or coach) to use it properly.  Without proper use, a power meter is a fancy toy.  If used correctly, I've seen gains of cycling AND running better off the bike, to the tune of hours in an Ironman.**  

I asked this same question of my coach 10 years ago.  He gave me the same answer.  I bought wheels (immaturely, immediate gains won over).  A year later I'd wished I'd gone with the power meter.  I use a power meter now, and suggest power for all my athletes who can afford it.  I all but mandate one for anyone with serious goals mentioning the words "championship," "pro," or "Kona."

*A good aero helmet is actually more aero-advantageous than wheels, but have fewer vents so the drawback of less ventilation and heating (depending on the helmet) may not outweigh the speed difference.  Get a Rudy Project Wingspan--among the fastest and best vented aero helmet on the market and the #1 helmet in Kona (where I hear it gets a bit warm).  www.e-rudy.com  'Like' GEC on Facebook and message me for a code to get 40% off!!!

**Tucson Endurance Performance Center is an authorized retailer for all major power meters--Quarq/SRAM, PowerTap, SRM, Rotor Power.  Combine with GEC's expert coaching using power and you have a world champion caliber combination!  'Like' Tucson Endurance Performance Center on Facebook for free coaching with the purchase of a power meter!!!

Enjoy the ride!

Brian

Don't Get Stranded!

Many times I see athletes stranded where there is really no reason to be.  Yes, we all have cell phones and a ride is a phone call away, but we should be more prepared and be self sufficient as cyclists.  What if your ride isn't available?  And, if in a group ride, don't rely on others if you get a flat.

What every cyclist (or triathlete) should have in a seat bag/jersey pocket/bento box:

Tube(s):  I carry 2.  Make sure the stem is long enough for your rims.  Two lightweight tubes can be squeezed into most any seat kit.

Tire levers:  Have 2, and know how to use them.

Patches:  Get some glueless patches and toss them in there.  They can be used as a patch on your last tube, or to patch up a small rip in a tire.

Tire boots:  Cut your tire?  No worries.  Put a boot between the tube and tire and you'll likely forget it's in there and go another 1000 miles.  You can either cut up an old tire and use it--a 3" strip with the tire bead cut off works best, or you can buy boots.  An energy bar wrapper works well, too.

Air:  CO2 is the choice when with a group--don't make others wait while you pump, but a small pump is good in case you run out of CO2 or if you want to save a few bucks.  I use a Genuine Innovations SecondWind--pump and CO2 inflator in one!  Carry 1 more CO2 than you have tubes.

ID:  Copies of an ID card and your medical insurance card in case it's a really bad day.  A Road ID is a better choice.  Every rider should have one of these or something similar.

$20.  You never now.  I have a Nathan VitaBand--ID, medical info, and cash all in one!

Cell Phone:  Last resort.  Or first resort on a crummy day when it's time to go home and take a nap. Put this in a Ziploc if you sweat or rain is a possibility.

Put all this in a seat bag, or a Ziploc in your back pocket, and you're ready to ride!

GEC Athlete Toni P's biggest Overall Win! Chinook Half Ironman, Calgary

Coach notes (Coach Brian Grasky):  I've been working with Toni for approx 4 months.  She had been a strong athlete but hadn't pulled together a long course race yet.  She attended the spring Escape the Heat Camp in March and we started working together after that.  She's a model athlete--trains hard, no excuses.  And this is the payoff!  She also had a 1/2 marathon PR last month!  Congratulations Toni!

  

This was a great race for me.  I won first overall!  My time was  5:36:49.  In 2010 I was a 5:51:13.  That’s not a bad improvement!

The swim is a two-loop 2km swim in a local man-made lake, followed by a 96 km out and back to Kananaskis Provincial Park, which is pretty much the entrance to the Rocky Mountains.  The run is a two-loop course through Fish Creek Provincial Park, which is relatively flat with the exception of the large descent/ascent out of the Fish Creek Valley.  Even though it’s a hilly, pretty tough course, it is beautiful!

My pre-race routine went smoothly.  I woke up at 4:30 am not being able to get back to sleep.  I finally got up at 5:00 am.  I went outside and walked down to the road and back.  It was a fresh morning and cloudy… supposed to be sunny and 71 degrees on race day.  It probably hit 71, but not until 2pm or so.  I made my breakfast of champions – quinoa, protein powder, almond butter, a little bit of coconut milk and berries.  After rolling and getting my gear together, we headed to the race course – only a 12 minute drive from home.  Sweet!  I set up my transition area and went for my 10 minute warm up run at 7:20.  I did some dynamic stretching and was feeling nicely warm by the time I finished.  I got my wetsuit on and had one last check of my transition area, then my 17 year old daughter, Clair and I headed down to the water. 

Swim - The water temperature was apparently 60 degrees, but I think that was only on the surface.  Anyway, it really helped to get in and get used to the water.  I had a neoprene cap on under my race cap.  Clair and I started on the far right side of the beach and it was perfect.  The gun went off and I never saw Clair again (she ended up being the 3^rd person out of the water behind 1 pro guy and an aquabike guy.  Fast!). We had to get out and run around the buoy before our 2^nd lap.  I just jogged around it.  On the second lap I started to get a cramp on the right side, kind of high.  I guess I needed to breathe deeper (belly breathing as coach says).  I came out of the water and had a hard time getting my Velcro undone because my hands were numb.  There were wetsuit strippers who helped me.  Right when I was dropping down for them to strip it off, another guy was dropping down too and I kneed him in the head really hard.  I felt so bad!  I saw him on the run and he told me he had just gotten stitches out of his head 2 days before the race!  Oops! 

Bike - I ran to transition and had a good smooth transition. I did remember to grab my Hammer coin pouch with my Endurolytes in it.  Phew!  I needed them for sure.  Love the pouch tucked into my shorts idea.  It worked great!  It was 59 degrees F at the start of the bike and dipped to 49 in the middle and was 70 at the end.  I really felt good on the bike. I averaged 19.26 mi/hr.  My total time was 3:04.19 for 59.17 miles.  I had 3 scoops (400 cal) of Perpetuem in my bottle cage, water in my aero bottle, and 3 Power Gels (330 cal) over the course of the bike. As I got close to the end, I took a mental note of how I was feeling and thought about T2 and my pacing for the run.  I was feeling good for the most part, but my legs felt like they were going to cramp right as I got close to T2.  Same place as last time!  I decided then that I would take endurolytes as soon as I started my run.

Run - I came into T2 and Brad said I was first woman!  I was pretty stoked about that.  I stayed focused and had a really smooth transition.  I still had my Endurolytes tucked in my shorts, so all I needed to do was change my shoes and grab my hat.  My feet were totally numb! I ran out of T2 and the pacer bike pulled out to lead me.  Totally excited!!! I really tried to keep my pace at an 8 min/mile, but I was 7-7:30 min/mile and it felt easy. I kept telling myself to run my race, race my pace.  The first lap was pretty easy.  I was enjoying it and had no problem staying focused. The long hill out of Fish Creek was a killer.  I walked a bit of it and then ran the rest.  At the start of the 2^nd lap, I was still feeling good, but worried about cramping. I came down the hill back into Fish Creek and that aid station had Endurolytes!  So I grabbed 3 and some Heed.  I had to count my steps for a while because I was feeling some fatigue and struggling a bit mentally at about mile 7. After a gel from the next aid station, I felt better and thought I would be good to the end.  I maybe should have taken one more gel because the hill and the final mile were pretty brutal.  I just kept moving my feet and visualized me crossing the finish line in first place.  That is what kept me going and trying to finish strong – a first place finish!  Crazy!!!  My dad was at the corner, which was at the start of my last stretch.  He cheered and said he was proud of me.  That put a smile on my face and gave me a little extra burst of energy.  I crossed the finish line and felt like collapsing.  I did it!!! 5:36.49.  15 minutes faster than last time.  Sweet victory!

Meet Fat Betty!

Intro

2012 brought a new member to the GEC family…Fat Betty.  In the words of Moto Moto on Madagascar, “She’s sexy, she’s huge.”  Betty was born an Air Force Outdoor Recreation van and graduated into service with GEC in Feb 2012.  She likes short drives to the U of Arizona Pool, svelte bikes on the roof, and waiting patiently outside of Jamba Juice. 

Fat Betty can be seen hauling camp athletes to the pool or run locations, filling (and I mean filling) a parking lot space at races and events, on the roads in Tucson and the rest of Arizona here and there or parked at the Tucson Endurance Performance Center.  

Specs

•          2001 Dodge 3500 1 ton Maxi-Van
•          360ci (5.9L) V8, 245HP, 4-sp automatic
•          Michelin tires (what else?)
•          Color:  dark metallic grey
•          Sponsored by:  GEC, Trisports.com, Michelin, Rocky Mounts, Genuine Innovations
•          Bike racks:  10 on the roof, 4 on the rear hitch

Operating Limits

	Routine	Emergency
Drivers	GEC Coaches	Anyone over 12 with a pulse
Passenger Capacity	Driver + 14 triathletes	Depends on how wet and cold it is up on Lemmon
Bicycle Capacity	10 (roof) and 4 (rear hitch)	How important is your bike if you’re piling in?
Gear Capacity	15 sets of swim, bike, and run gear	Med supplies for anything from a stubbed toe to a 7.62mm.
Speed	85mph	How steep is the hill?
Gas Mileage	16-18mpg	Let’s not talk about this

Check out ww.graskyendurance.com to see races near you Fat Betty will be attending!

Grasky named 2012 ITU Cross (Off-Road) World Champs Team USA Elite Coach

Grasky named 2012 ITU Cross (Off-Road) World Champs Team USA Elite Coach

In May, I was selected by USA Triathlon to be the Team USA Elite Team Coach for the 2012 ITU Cross World Championship.  Cross triathlon is the ITU’s word for Off-Road Tri, or Xterra.  In fact, this race took place in conjunction with the Xterra Southeast Regional Championship in Pelham, Alabama. 

I was selected by USAT for this position from a recommendation by some of the elite athletes and with my experience coaching and racing off road at that level.  My role was to manage the athletes and their interaction with the ITU, to ensure they have the information and equipment they need to race on the course, to lead workouts on the course race week and talk to how I would race it, and to help pre-race with whatever they need, and to help them know their position and competition on race-day.  We held a team dinner and several training events to get ready for the competition. 

The Elite women pre-race

On the team was an Xterra World Champion, an Xterra USA Champion, members of the Luna Pro Team and more top Xterra pros than I could count.  The experience was amazing.  To be surrounded by this group of athletes in a role of authority was humbling.  The group of athetes was amazing throughout the entire week and raced their hearts out! 

Results:  the Junior Elite women went 1-2 and the Junior Elite guys went 3-4-5.  The top American male pro was Craig Evans in 2^nd behind Conrad Stoltz of South Africa.  Josiah Middaugh was 4^th.  And the proudest for me personally…the top American woman was GEC athlete Suzie Snyder!

This experience was a highlight of my coaching career and something I hope to be a part of again!

Suzie and Shonny taking the USA's top spots in 4 and 5.  

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