Race Report: Pleasant Prairie International Dist. Triathlon

Race Report: Pleasant Prairie International Dist. Triathlon
Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin

by: Sarun T.

Final time was 2:09:59. 12th place overall. 5th person in my Age group, but 2 of the top 3 overall were in my AG so the 3rd AG award rolled down to me.

Swim:

Time: 23:41

Rank: 27/607

Swim started and bunch of guys just took off. I thought I'd be able to swim them down eventually but that was not the case. I tried not to feel too disheartened but it was a bit of shock to see a group of guys just disappear like that- especially considering how much time I've been spending in the water.

I stuck to my game plan of going relatively easy on the swim - no redlining and no attempts to close up gaps. This is the first race in awhile where I didn't find feet. Coming out of the water I felt pretty good, but I had no idea what my time was going to me. When I saw the results I definitely was very pleased. I've never broken 25 min before, and to go 23:41 without redlining is a huge improvement. I'm going to keep my swim volume at 15000 yds a week and hopefully by November I'll be down in the 22:xx.

Bike:

Time: 1:03:11

Rank: 19/607

Pace: 23.55mph

Watts: 243 NP

A pretty flat course and a ton of turns. I started passing a bunch of people who started in the wave before me right at the start of the bike. Then about 15-20 min in, I'm pretty much riding alone. I get worried about missing one of the many turns. The course isn't marked very well, though there are cops at every turn. Unfortunately they just stood there and didn't really point out what the right turn was. Fortunately, I didn't make a wrong turn.

I didn't burn a single match on the bike. I kept my pace in check at all times and at some points, tried to relax. This may have ended up lowering my wattage a bit but it set me up for a good run.

I put less effort on this race's bike leg than any of the other races I've done so far this year but in retrospect it's probably the right pace for an olympic distance. Again, the idea was to start the run with good legs, so that goal was accomplished.

Run:

Time: 40:33

Rank: 22/607

Pace: 6:32 min/mile

After a disastrous run in my last race, this was exactly what I was hoping for. I knew I could come close to breaking 40 min and this race confirmed it. My legs felt good for most of the 10k but it did start to feel heavy towards the end. No cramping issues at all. I'm now convinced that all my prior cramping issues had to do with going out too hard on the swim. It has taken me 4 long years but I've finally figured out how to pace an olympic distance triathlon.

Running down the finishing chute I saw the time say 2:22:52. I knew that I had started 13 minutes after the gun went off so I realized that I had a shot of breaking 2:10. I dug deep, started my kick (hurt sooo good) and managed to cross the mat at exactly 2:09:59 :)

Conclusion:

This is probably my best executed olympic distance triathlon yet. As I mentioned earlier, I'm now convinced that for me, redlining the swim results in cramps. Now that I have that figured out, I should no longer have cramping as an excuse for any future races.

Tomorrow starts my first week of interval and threshold work. If I can already do a 40:33 10k off the bike with just base and hill training, I don't think it would be too wishful to aim for a 38:30 by the time the Thai National Olympic Dist. Championships rolls around in November.

Boston Marathon Race Report

After qualifying, registering, and deferring for the 2010 race, it was my time for 2011.  I qualified in the 2009 New York City Marathon on my second try with a 3:33 (needed a 3:40 or under).  Boston is every marathoner's goal race and I was happy and privileged to be able to do it so soon.  Incidentally, it was also my first marathon outside of New York City, which I have now finished 3x.  Here's my recount of the weekend:

Friday night:  Greyhound bus from NYC to Boston.  My parents live outside of Boston so that made this trip logistically (and financially) pretty easy.

Saturday:  After a good night's sleep, we headed downtown to the Number Pick-up and Expo.  On the way there I walked through the finish area and across the line.  The whole Back Bay was already getting ready to shut down for the race.  People were everywhere, taking pictures.  It was a fun atmosphere.  Got my number (13262), bought the requisite finisher's jacket (before the race, I know, but I didn't wear it!), and took a tour of the Expo.  My parents always get a kick out of these.  My dad is a novice/aspiring runner, at 61!, and my mom is just an awe of all of it.  We made a lunch out of sampling sports nutrition products- my parents loved the PowerBar Energy Bites and went back for seconds!- saw Ryan Hall, lots of shoes, etc.  The expo was mobbed and I think I was the only one who left without spending more than $100 on merchandise.  Adidas must have cleaned up!  The good thing about having the race on a Monday is that I felt more comfortable spending time at the Expo as I knew I still had a full day to relax and rest up.

Sunday- Rest day.  Stayed at home, ate well, rested.  I planned on doing an easy 3 miles to get things loose after the bus ride and Expo day, but such as my luck I got about 3/4 of a mile away before I got drenched in a downpour.  I ran back, quickly!, and just did some stretches and strides in the garage.  The rain stopped a few minutes later and I went back out for another mile. 

Monday- Race Day!  Woke up at 6am, in the car by 6:30.  The drive to Hopkinton was about an hour away and we pulled into the State Park around 7:30.  From there my parents dropped me off and I took the school bus down to the race start.

I thought Boston was a monster race with lots of logistical issues to deal with.  Don't forget the only other marathon I'd done with NYC which is a huge mess getting to the start line.  As it turns out, getting there at 8am was about 2 hours too early.  I didn't need or want to go to the Athlete's Village, it was a 1.5 mile round trip walk and I had brought my own food and beverage.  Unfortunately, I wasn't meeting up with any friends either.  My wave (2) was set to go off at 10:20 and we didn't even get into the corrals until 10:10, after the first wave went off.  So, at the start line I sat for 2 hours.  Having this be painless is a huge positive for the race, but I wish I had known and could have slept in longer! Met a man from San Antonio doing his first Boston as well, but his 10th marathon.  The idle chitchat calmed the nerves. 

I got into the 5th corral and off we went at 10:20.  I wasn't that nervous for the start, which is a refreshing change, and I just went with the flow.  The first few miles are extremely crowded, it's a narrow 2 lane country road.  And being in the second to last corral of the wave, I had about 7,000 people directly in front of me.  The good thing is the first 3 miles are mostly downhill, so I was able to go easy yet still maintain a decent pace.  First few splits were all about 8:00.  

My goal for the race was to finish with a smile on my face.  2 of my last 3 marathons had not ended well and I did not want that to be the case for Boston.  As such, I threw out my initial plans of a sub-3:30 PR and just would to go by feel.  It's a special race and I wanted to enjoy it.  However, the first few splits of 8:00 put the 3:30 back in my mind.  The weather was perfect, mid-50s, sunny, and a significant tailwind.  I didn't want to push my luck, but was thinking if I can keep this up, I'd be good.

In order to avoid a blowup, I decided to run based on HR.  The first few miles, being downhill, were super low and eventually I settled around the low 160s.  This is very much a maintainable rate for me and I worked hard to keep it there.  Of course, over the next 10 miles or so this was creeping up to 168, 170, 172 but there I stopped it and actively controlled my pace to stay within this zone.  I knew pushing upper 170s before I even hit the hills, and with 2 hours to go, would be very problematic.

However, as I maintained this HR my pace dropped a bit.  8:10, 8:15, 8:07. 8:20.  Perfectly decent paces, but I was definitely falling off the 3:30 goal pace.  I couldn't hit 8:00 miles and keep my HR as low as I wanted to.  Therefore, my heartrate won and I continued to run based on that, and let the pace be what it was.  I think this was the right move, but it was a bit painful to see my stretch goal slip away.  However, the last 5 miles are all downhill so I said I'd kill them if my HR plan worked and I still had gas left in the tank.

I like to break up marathons into 10 mile, 10 mile, and 6.2 mile sections.  I don't like to consider myself halfway done until mile 15 or so.  At 10 or even 13.1 miles it's just too early, almost everyone feels fine and is going strong.  Problems at this point would be VERY bad, so it's important not to get cocky.  The first 10 miles were just cruising, mostly downhills with some flats and short rises.  The course was crowded.  The crowds were intermittent, at every major intersection but not on the 1/2 mile stretches between them.  I did write my name on my jersey so I got far more call-outs than I was used to, which was nice.

After running past the Wellesley girls, which I'll admit was a bit disappointing as there weren't nearly as many as I'd expected (they were just in one section one one side of the road), I hit the 13.1 mile mark in 1:46:xx.  That was great, even though the 2nd half had all the hills I wasn't too far off 3:30, especially if I could nail the last 5 miles.  My hopes renewed, I picked up the pace a bit back under 8:10.  The crowds were getting better as we were in bigger and closer-in towns.

The next 4 miles were important as they were the last flattish ones before the Newton Hills.  Torn between banking time and saving my legs, I toed that line carefully.  I kept my HR low, 172ish, and was able to maintain a solid 8:10-8:15 pace.  I didn't feel any problems and thought I was finally getting there.  I was mentally preparing for the hills, taking in my Gu Roctane and Endurolytes salt tablets strategically so I would be well nourished and hydrated for the hills.  I also made my only pit stop for a brief respite (which unfortunately added almost a minute to my time).

The Newton Hills are 4 hills within miles 16-21, including the (in)famous Heartbreak Hill at mile 21.  The first 3 were totally fine, I was ready and cautiously attacked them.  The biggest mistake I made is that I thought Heartbreak was at mile 19 so when I saw a riser there I was up and over and then thought I was done.  Feeling pretty good, I picked up the pace (it dropped to around 8:30 on those few miles) and really let it go a bit on the downhill.  Turns out I was wrong, Heartbreak was yet to come and I was running as if the rest of the race were flat and downhill.  So despite making up a slight bit of time, it wasn't a great move.  Heartbreak came and I was actually able to go up in pretty well, getting a lot of cheers as I passed a number of people,  but then I really felt it on the steep downhill on the other side.  Ouch!  Quads were now on fire.

So at mile 21 it feels like the race is over, the hills are behind us, but there's still 5+ miles to go.  Even though it's an "easy" 5 miles, I finally understood all the warnings about the downhills.  My quads were absolutely shot and I was pretty fearful of cramping and having to walk, like last NYC marathon.  Yikes.  Ironically, my cardio felt great, my HR was still low, my nutrition/stomach were perfect, and I was mentally stable (not always the case if I get dehydrated or tired).  If it weren't for the quads, I really feel I could have run the last 5 miles well.  Even though breaking 3:30 was out of the question, too many miles around 8:20-8:30 made it impossible to make up, I was still looking at a decent time and had a chance of PRing. 

However, my legs just weren't having it.  It wasn't really a blow up, I didn't go above 8:45 min pace, but I was losing time with every mile.  And every mile felt REALLY long.  Are we there yet?  As usual, I wished this was a 22 mile race.  But it wasn't.  The crowds finally got really good along Commonwealth Ave (props to BC) and we were almost there.  I tried to pick it up just to finish well, but couldn't budge my mile splits.  Oh well.  I finished in 3:37:14, and felt decent crossing the line.  That was my goal, and it was almost exactly halfway between the 3:30 I hoped for and the 3:45 I'd tolerate in order to have a fun and good race.

Post-race I (slowly) got my goody bags, medal, cape, etc and met my parents. We had a mile walk back to the car, which I was able to make and probably was good to walk it off.  Other than the quads I felt fine with no other aches or pains, which was good.

The Good- Easy start, well-organized, good aid stations
The Bad- I was underwhelmed by the over-promised crowds.  NYC wins this competition hands down.  More music and more people!  If Boston is this highly touted, I'm nervous that every other race must be desolate.  Spoiled by NYC I guess.
The Ugly- My quads.  Ugh.  Need to run more miles!

SHOES!!! Natural v. Minimal v. Barefoot v. Traditional.

As the flames of the barefoot/minimalist running "revolution" continue to blaze, giving rise to a plethora of new shoe options, runners are left scratching their heads in confusion. Team Sports Bistro's Ryan Heisler, a connoisseur in the shoe industry, discusses the merits and flaws of the popular shoe fits on the market.

Unless you've been living under a rock for the past 18 months, you've probably heard quite a bit about running barefoot, and the advantages it has for the body. How we were born to run barefoot, and how shoes are the enemy of your feet.

There's just one small problem with this theory: it's wrong.

The running barefoot crowd doesn't seem to realize that we were not made for such wondrous objects like pavement or concrete, nor does it account for such sharp objects that tend to litter a large city's landscape. Catastrophic foot injuries are on the rise, including stress fractures of the metatarsals, ruptured plantar fascii, and Achilles tendonitis, to name a few.

But this is not to say that the technique of running barefoot is a bad thing. Incorporating light barefoot work into your running repertoire helps to develop a shorter, more efficient stride, and can help teach you to be lighter upon your feet. The thing is to incorporate this technique into your everyday running shoe. So how do you go about manufacturing such a technique into your training shoes?

The simple answer is, to steal Nike's thunder: just do it. Remember that your shoes are dumb objects. They can't tell your body how to move through the gait cycle, and they can't dictate how you will land in your footwear. So the idea that you should be going out and buying different shoes right out of the gate (as advocated in this book) is absurd at best, and downright dangerous at worst.

How can it be dangerous? Well, let's think about this as if you have been happily heel-striking your way through miserable miles. You've been transmitting the majority of the shock through initial impact through the heel, which brings that up through to the upper part of the leg, causing more strain on the knee and quadriceps. As you start to move towards midfoot, the Achilles' begins to lengthen slightly, and the strain begins to be placed on the calf. You then utilize this muscular grouping through the rest of the gait cycle. So simply, you've got two different groupings taking care of the three phases of the gait cycle: heel/knees/quads for the initial impact, then calf/Achilles/foot for the transition and propulsive phases.

When you midfoot strike, though, you're changing the emphasis to more of the latter, and a lot less of the former. Much like the first few weeks when you hit the gym, you'll be sore as all hell. The problem that seems to be coming up, though, is too much emphasis on the Achilles/calf. This usually happens because people are landing too far forward on the foot, avoiding the heel entirely. We're designed to use both systems; why else would we have them?

As such, there are four main categories of footwear on the market. It doesn't help that a lot of the companies that are making shoes don't seem to be able to come to a consensus as to what to call it all. So, I'll do them a favor, and do it for them.

Natural: Natural running shoes are not necessarily minimalistic running shoes. Instead, natural running shoes attempt to put your foot into a similar position as if it were barefoot. However, as covered above, most of us do not have the bone density to be running on pavement every day barefoot. As this is the case, these shoes tend to have cushioning along the same lines as a traditional training shoe. Look for less heel-toe drop in the shoe (under 6 mm, give or take), but plenty of substantial cushioning to protect the foot against the elements. Who it's for: runners who have converted to a midfoot strike with no issues; former track runners who have maintained a forward technique; neutral runners looking for a true "flat" for racing. Examples: Saucony ProGrid Kinvara, Newton Gravity, New Balance Road Minimus (available 3/1/11).

Minimal: Minimal running shoes are merely stripping away at the cushioning underneath the foot. They are trying to providing much more feedback as to the surface you are on. Some would advocate that this teaches you to be lighter on the foot. Your results may vary, but my experience is that these are for people that don't like much shoe underneath them AND have a pretty good bone density. A lot of minimal shoes will still have a pretty high heel-toe drop, though, and will let you land on your heel if you decide to. This is where most "racing flats" these days fall. Who it's for: runners seeking as much road feel as possible; runners seeking a short-distance racer; a runner looking for a speedwork shoe. Examples: New Balance MT101, Brooks T6 Racer, Nike LunaRacer, Nike Free Run.

Barefoot: Zip. Zilch. Nada. Nothing going on under the foot outside of maybe 3-4mm of foam. There's really only two things that fit into this category, no matter what shoe companies will try and tell you. Most people will never be able to use these as their primary footwear solution; however, again, results can and will vary depending on body weight, surfaces used, impact force generated while running, etc. Who it's for: someone looking to begin incorporating barefoot technique into their repertoire, but want something to actually protect the foot in the process from sharp objects; trail runners.Examples: Vibram Five Fingers (KSO/Sprint/Flow for off-road; Bikilafor on road), Merrell Barefoot Collection

Traditional: Big old wedge shape here. Not that it's a bad thing, but will tolerate higher load-stresses on the heel. You can still wind up getting relatively lightweight here as well, but not quite to the same degrees as the categories listed above. Remember, though, that weight only matters when your foot is working efficiently. If in this category, it'll be imperative to get fitted for the correct amount of pronation control (such as this fine-fitting institution). Oversupporting the foot can be just as poor as undersupporting it. Who it's for: heel-strikers; midfoot/forefoot strikers who are running into Achilles and calf issues; those who don't want to change how they run period. Examples (ranging from least pronation control to most): Brooks Launch, Mizuno Wave Rider 14, Saucony ProGrid Guide 4, Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11

So, armed with this information, where do you go now? Start with the light barefoot work and see where it takes you. Listen to what your body is telling you; it will give you the keys as to which of these four categories you will best fit into.

And remember, have fun out there!

*******************************************
Ryan Heisler has worked in the running industry for 5 years, and currently works for Maine Running Company in Portland, ME. He has helped thousands of people via footwear and running technique. Ryan is also planning on earning his USAT Level I Coaching certification. He is training for two half-iron distance triathlons this summer. His musings on training, footwear, and other rantings can be found on his blog, Crashing the Boards (http://crashingtheboards.blogspot.com) and Twitter (@rrheisler).

Introducing Team Sports Bistro 2011...

Sports Bistro is proud to officially present our sponsored athletes for the 2011 season. These committed athletes have amassed an impressive list of strong finishes across an array of endurance sports endeavors. Through their excellence, they've demonstrated they understand how important it is to
"Fuel Smarter, Play Harder".

Good luck on an amazing 2011 endurance sports season!

Paul Aldeguer - Overland Park, KS
Chris Anderson - Chicago, IL
David Callahan - Nashville, TN
Donald Chapman - Lawrenceville, GA
Matty Cusack - Spokane, WA
Tina Eakin - Huntsville, AL
Carl Elgin - Ann Arbor, MI
Britta English - Indianapolis, IN
Ryan Heisler - Portland, ME
Megan Marion - Tacoma, WA
Ryan Ottem - Winsor, CA
Stephen Pedone - South Elgin, IL
Ben Pulley - Winston Salem, NC
Richard Straub - Northville, MI
Drew Streip - Chattanooga, TN
Sarun Teeravechyan - Chicago, IL
Laurie Timko - South River, NJ
Rob Timko - South River, NJ

For more info on Team Sports Bistro, visit Sports Bistro's "coaching" page:
http://www.sportsbistro.com/coaching/

Early Season Sports Nutrition

By Mike

I can't believe we're already into the second half of February -- the year has been flying by. As I ramp up my training volume for the 2011 season I wanted to share some thoughts about early season sports nutrition for those of you in the same boat as me.

• Diet Keep calorie consumption in line with your energy expenditure. Most of you will likely need to increase your intake but don't over do it. Stick with whole foods and regular meals and reintroduce sports nutrition gradually. Stay away from sugary foods or simple sugars as they may "train" your body to be a "carb burner" vs "fat burner."
  
• Hydration Make sure you hydrate - cold winter weather can dehydrate you just as fast as hot / humid weather. You'll be surprised how much water you'll lose just from heavy breathing in the cold. Your body's natural thirst mechanisms may not function as well in cold weather which could further compound the hydration problem)
  
• Sports Nutrition - Hydration / Electrolytes Start with electrolytes first (this goes with the above point on hydration) Hammer Endurolytes, SaltStick, and Succeed! S Caps are good options. Take these before and during your workouts lasting longer than 1 hr. If you want a sports drink try something like nuun for the early season workouts.
  
• Sports Nutrition - Recovery / Post Workout Introduce recovery drinks (e.g. Fluid Recovery, Recoverite, Hammer Whey, Gu Recovery Brew) into your post workout routine, especially after your tough and challenging workouts.
  
• Sports Nutrition - During Workout Try to delay using high carb fuel sources like Gu Gel, Clif Shot Bloks, Hammer HEED, PowerBar Gel until you get to the point where your workouts become longer and more intense. This will train your body to rely on fat stores for energy. Challenge yourself to do longer and longer workouts without the carbs. Your performance will suffer but the early season is not about performance -- it's about efficiency! Eventually you will need to use the gels, energy chews, and sports drinks during your workouts but dedicate at least a month of solid training with little to no use.
  

Keep in mind the rules change slightly as you get deeper into your training plan and especially as you start preparing for races. Take a look at the article on Nutrition Periodization for Triathletes for some more tips for the full year.

New nuun flavors forthcoming!

I'm actually super excited about this: Nuun  is finally releasing new flavors!  I like the lemon+lime and all, but I'm excited to mix it up.  Here's the new lineup, coming in April (as eloquently described by nuun):

• Lemon Tea:  The satisfying palate of tea, mixed with the just right amount of lemon and sweet. A refreshing alternative to high calorie drinks, it’s chock full of balanced electrolytes and nice little zing of caffeine
• Fruit Punch: a fruit medley with a Nuun twist. Subtle berry and fruit notes hydrate with that clean Nuun finish)
• Tropical:  an orchestra of mango, pineapple and coconut flavors flirt with the palate while hydrating the body
• Grape:  the Nuun interpretation of grape – subtle and smooth. Crisp like white grapes and packed with electrolytes
• Strawberry Lemonade:  ideal for hydrating under that hot sun, strawberry lemonade finds the perfect balance between a sweet strawberry and ice-cold lemonade - minus the sugary mess

I think the Strawberry Lemonade sounds the best and can't wait to try it.




For the uninitiated, nuun is an electrolyte tablet you can throw into a water or sports drink bottle.  With no carbs, it's light and refreshing and good for when you need some extra hydration without the sugar or calories of regular sports drink.  It's what I take on my offseason trainer rides and when I am trying to stay hydrated throughout the day.

First Runs of the Year

By Mike

Last week (Saturday) I had my first run of 2011. I've been doing trainer rides just fine but it's been very tough to get out and run due to the weather conditions. I ran for about 4-5 miles last Saturday and it felt quite awkward. Everything starting hurting and aching. Getting back into training or a specific type of training (running in my case) after a long break is always tough.

The last 9 days or so have been good though. They've consisted of 4 runs (4.5, 2, 2, 6.5 mi), 2 gym workouts (mostly legs and core), two trainer rides (1hr each), and a day of snowboarding. Today's 6.5 mile run felt quite good. It was slow but it I didn't feel any randoms aches. Yesterday's snowboarding session felt pretty good too - my legs felt quite strong considering it was my first day out - perhaps a credit to some of my other cross training activities.

It was also interesting to see many people taking Gu Gel on the slopes. I think there may have been someone giving them out because the people taking them seemed confused on how to eat them. Whereas a sports nutrition veteran would likely have finished a packet in 5 seconds, this one particular person was taking a good 3-4 minutes and I don't even think he managed to eat the whole thing. Still it's interesting to see the idea of winter sports nutrition start to take off; I think it's long over due.

So despite a slow start in January, February is starting off well. It's also time I make some final plans for the season. I'm still planning on an early season (April-May) marathon but that may change. My big race of the 2011 season is likely to be a Half-Iron race again but I am not sure which one I'll do or where. Right now I'm thinking about breaking 3:10 on a marathon, ~1:26 on a half-marathon, some new PRs on 5-10K races, and going well under a 5:00 on a Half-Iron. I'll likely have firmer plans in the next 30 days.