100/100 Challenge begins tomorrow!

Every year, the crazies on the Slowtwitch forum hold a challenge which serves several purposes; help people build a base, keep triathletes motivated through the off-season, and provide a medium in which we can keep our trash-talking skills sharp.

The Challenge: run 100 times in 100 days. Simple as that. Definition of a run is 30 minutes at a pace in which both feet are off the ground in each stride. Ergo, no walking, aqua-jogging, or "elliptical", whatever that means... Running in it's simplest, purest form.

I have decided to partake in this challenge, because as I stated in a previous post, running is my weak link, and when I came across this, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to really build a strong base. Since the minimum is only 30 minutes, I can build it in with my swim and bike days as well, without overworking myself in a single day.

The nice part is that there is room for rest built in. If you need to take a rest day, or miss a day for whatever reason, you can make it up by running twice in one day, as long as the runs are 30 minutes and spaced at least one hour apart (as I understand it).

I am also taking this opportunity, since the spirit is really about exploration, to test out some new products and put them through a real test and some real mileage.

First off, the hot new Nike Lunarlite Trainer. Got to do some more research on what exactly this foam is, but it was developed by Nike in conjunction with NASA, is supposed to be crazy cushiony, while being super-lightweight. Well, they are crazy light, and in a few mild test runs leading up to the challenge, they have proved to be really comfortable for 3-4 miles a crack. And that's just the TRAINER, they say the Lunaracer is even LIGHTER! If this challenge goes well, the Lunaracer may be my shoe of choice for the 2009 season.

Next up, the 2XU calf compression sleeve. The claim is that the added support basically increases the efficiency of transporting blood back to the heart and giving the muscles support during fatigue. According to my sources, these really aren't neccesary unless you are running/walking/standing for more than an hour or two. They can really cut down on ankle swell during long flights as well. Not only will I be wearing these on the longer runs, but also during the day at the hardware store, where I am on my feet all day long, and see if they help with fatigue at all.

For montitoring hear rate during workouts to make sure I am getting the most out of my run, I didn't really want something with alot of bells and whistles, just something to tell me where I was at in my zones, and had a memory. Found the Sigma PC9 at my local tri shop on sale, and I think it will do the job, we shall see.

I used to use a whey protein drink for post-workout recovery, but since have been looking for something a bit more affordable and a little lighter-sitting in my stomach. A good friend recommended PowerAde Recovery, which has an optimal blend to promote quicker recovery.

Water. This one is kind of a joke... :)

I will make it a point to write an update every week or so and let you know how the runs are going! Since all of Madison is basically a sheet of ice right now, I will probably be doing a lot of the runs on the dreadmill, but oh well, running is running, right?

The challenge begins in 2 hours, should I do a run at 12:01 to ring it in properly? Hmmm....

Winter training begins...

Reality is setting in, here in south central Wisconsin, where the snow is falling, melting, and freezing, creating unsafe road conditions, both directly and indirectly (ask Harry and Colin about that one...), which is forcing me inside on the trainer, or as I like to call it, my carbon fiber couch.

This is a total re-adjustment in training, especially the mental side of it. A minute seems like an eternity, and the comfort of your bed is sooo close. It brings new meaning to the phrase, HTFU. I am really learning to buckle down and shut down my brain and get it going.

Many of you have been asking me what I ended up doing for my training plan, as I never really followed up from a previous post. Well, there still really isn't a coherent plan, per se, really just kind of a mash-up, kinda like when you go to the soda fountain machine and " a little bit a coke, a little bit a sprite, a little bit a orange...", that kinda thing.

I decided to really focus on my weakness, which is running. Swimming I do fairly well, and biking is probably my strongest of the three. So, what I am doing is a marathon training plan that is bumped down 20% in mileage and time, to be sure that I get in a lot of time in that discipline, while still leaving adequate space for alot of swimming and alot of biking, and allowing at least one full day off for recovery. This means that there will be alot of early mornings and late nights, but that's alright, better than sitting on the couch.

This plan takes me to the end of February, where I will take one whole week off from any kind of physical activity and rest, and then begin my 20 week Half Ironman plan which will take me up to my "A" race for the 2009 season, the Door County Half Iron. In the approach to that race, there will be 2 sprints and an olympic tri to get my competitive juices flowing.

Should be an interesting off-season!

-J

Beginning of winter!

Well, I was doing a little cleaning on my day off today, and happened to look out the window, and yikes! It was a mini-blizzard! First time this year that any flurries have stuck to the ground, and this is building up pretty quickly!

Sigh...welcome to winter....

New bike at home!

The big day was last week! I went into Crono and met with Craig for the final tweak and fit, and then took that baby out for a spin!

During the final fitting session, Craig took a look at every to ensure that everything was as close to perfect as could be, and we just tweaked the left foot cleat position a bit, and angled back the bullhorn bars every so slightly to give a more comfortable position when out of aero.

This session really confirmed my opinions on getting fitted in a studio setting as opposed to buying a bike online. You can't get this kind of service from a website, and this is coming from a self-professed eBay junkie. Craig also wanted to make sure that if I noticed anything in the future, to come in a we could tweak some more. They don't get you on a bike and send you out the door. These guys stick with you every step of the way.

Okay, on to the ride.

Temp was perfect, mid-60s, little to no wind, beautiful central Wisconsin sunny.

WOW! This bike is a ROCKET!!! Of course, that reaction was to be expected, but this being my first carbon bike, I was giggling like a little girl for the entire 40 mile plus ride. Even on the brutal uphills, and the few minutes that I had to deal with a headwind.

It took a bit of time to get used to riding in aero again, having been strictly on a road bike for a while. While the handling isn't as nimble as a roadie, it did suprisingly well on some sharp corners, especially the ones at the bottom of hills. Once I got used to staying in aero for longer than 2 minutes, I really got the hang of this sucker and was able to let it fly. Super-responsive and smooth, this made my normal hard-ride loop seem quite effortless. So effortless, in fact, that I spent a lot of time wondering how in the world I ever got by without this baby...

My older brother is an F-16 fighter pilot, and I now know the rush he feels... :)


Unfortunately, the outside riding days are becoming more and more limited, and I am getting the odds n ends together for my off-season training program, including an interesting one for the bike trainer...

Check back soon for more updates, as the weather gets worse, I have more time to spend on the computer sharing my thoughts...

Whoa.

Just caught this video on another tri blog. A few years old, but man....

This dude knows how to finish strong. Be sure to watch all the way through the finish, it will "blyow ya mind..."

Yeeeoowww!!!

Today was a big day! I had my fit session at Cronometro for my new (bah-bling) Cervelo P2! Carbon frame, of course.... :)

If you get a bike that you are planning on putting some serious miles on, it is IMPERATIVE to get a biodynamic fitting. Yes, it costs upwards of $200, but it isn't some "what's your inseam? Ok, we'll put the seatpost here..." kinda thing. You spend 2 hours in a studio setting, first working on the major things, and then narrowing down and fine-tuning every little detail until you get to the point where it feels like you are riding on air.

Got in at 11:15 this morning and Mike W. ready ready to go, had the bike set up on the trainer. He expressed some initial concerns about the stock P2 cockpit not fitting me properly (I'm kind of a wide guy...), so he already had a back-up bar on the table in case we needed to swap it out. This guy had done his homework and was ready to go. Awesome.


I came in as an open book, needing some new tri-specific shoes, and open to changing pedal choice as well (I ride Speedplays now), and wanted to start there. Mike got me set up with the Sidi T-2 Carbons, which are INSANELY light weight. I wasn't sure if they were shoes or...not shoes.... As far as pedals, Mike said to not mess with a good thing, so we stuck with the Speedplays, going with the Stainless X-2s.


Mike got the cleats on the shoes and the pedals on the bike and we got to work. His initial set-up (educated guess on where to start) ended up being pretty close, so we spent the majority of the time doing alot of fine-tune work, first starting at the cleats, then working up to the seat angle and height, then out to the aerobars, working on spacers, stem angle, and bar length.

We ended up needed to swap out to wider bullhorns, and once we did that, man, it made a world of difference, I got that floating on air feeling as soon as Mike put those bars on.

This fitting session really opened my eyes to an entire component of cycling that I had been missing out on. These guys know their stuff and will work with you until it fits right. What does fit right mean? It means that joint soreness and aches and pains will not be your limiting factor in distance and speed. A biodynamic fitting focuses on joint and bone alignment and positioning, so you are resting on your bones and not your tendons, which is often the cause of of stiffness and annoying aches and pains, which can sometimes lead to more serious injury.

If you are in the midwest, and withing 3-4 hours of Madison, get the fit done at Crono, you really can't beat these guys.


Another plus, especially for tri, is that you are in a more optimal position to ride faster.

All in all, the fit session took about 2 hours, then Mike will turn the bike over to the mechanics (Nick and Andrew), and they will hook up the cables, etc, and get everything to Mike's specs, and then I go in for a final fitting next week and bring the bike home!

Hopefully the weather will hold and I will be able to get it out for a few spins before the junk starts falling!

I'll post some more pics of me actually on the bike during the final fit and maiden voyage. Time to start thinking of a name... Any ideas?




Scott's recommended set-up for really, really, really aero seat...

Time for a new training plan!

Well, my in-season training plan is finito, finished, fini, carpe d-...wait...

The off-season in any sport is always a challenge. In-season is always easy. Playing football in college, in-season practices were easy because you knew who you were playing and the game was coming up very soon, within days in fact. Off-season was a different story. After the last game of the season, we had a week off, and then it was 6am puke drills... Very tough to keep at it, because you had 10 months before your next game, and because, well, I despise puking...

Some people (you know who you are!) give me crap about this, puff out their chests and say "off-season?! What's this 'off-season' you speak of?!" Well, hey, you don't live in Wisconsin, so SHUT YOUR DANG YAPPER!! Off-season doesn't mean I'm going to sit on the couch, drink beer and watch TV (all the time...). It simply means that due to a simply law of physics, the lakes are FROZEN therefore making it impossible to SWIM, which is the initial and crucial phase of a TRI-athlon... It also means that there are no scheduled races and therefore your training won't include a taper.


Anywhoo, where was I? Oh yes, selecting a plan for this winter. Some people like to change things up a bit, revert back to a balanced plan, working each discipline twice a week, sometimes with no specific duration, just playing it by feel. I can see that working if you've had a chock-full season and need the active rest and recovery. Or, they may take advantage of the extra time and work on a weak spot in their form, fine-tuning their swim stroke or running gait. Ian Poulter once said, (don't know if this is his original quote) "Find your weaknesses, and then work tirelessly to get rid of them."

I've been working on my race schedule for next year, and it's going to be an eclectic mix of sorts. I've got a couple of road races planned, including the "Crazylegs Classic 8K" here in Madison, and the Green Bay Marathon, which finishes in historic Lambeau Field. Tri-wise, I'll be a doing a mix of sprint and Oly distances in the early season as a warm-up for my A-race, which is the Door County Half Ironman. I'll probably do a smattering of races to wrap up the year, but those will be registered for on the fly, and of course, I'll be volunteering for IMWI, to be sure to register for IMWI '10, and I hear that they are changing up the format, requiring you to pay up front, which is a good thing, because then I won't mess up the deadline like I did this year.

Looking at a few different plans and websites. Some good resources are:

www.beginnnertriathlete.com
www.trifuel.com
www.slowtwitch.com


This one also looks REALLY interesting: www.ironguides.net

I am really intrigued by Ironguides because they are a sponsor of Team TBB, which is Chrissie Wellington's team, and she is making waves in IM world, well, she has been for the last year, but it was amazing watching her dominating performance at the IM World Champs this year.

I may choose a basic 2x balanced 70.3 plan for the off-season to keep me moving and improve on some things, including getting plugged in with a master's swim program, getting the bike out and fitted, etc. And then purchase an Ironguides training and nutrition plan to start of the season and get me in gear for Door County. We'll see how it all plays out, as I'll be needing to go pretty heavy on the run training as well to prepare for Green Bay.

Stay tuned! I will be posting my plan as I decide it and tell you how crappy I feel after each workout! :)

Serious Bling Factor!

On Friday night, Cronometro (my LBS) had the privilege of being the first bike shop in the world to have the new Cervelo P4 on display for public viewing!

This truly was a unique event, as Cervelo doesn't build bikes that they don't believe truly raise the bar (in this case a 20% improvement in aerodynamics! 20%!) So, it's been quite a few years since the release of the P3, so this was a big occasion.

There quite a few people on hand to witness this historic event, because not only was the P4 being unveiled, but there was quite a large amount of other bling to check out, including the Campy Super-Record component group (more on that later).

The air is thick with Antcipation!

No peeking!

Scott of Crono and Cervelop Rep start the unveiling!

Serious Blingage.

Another view of the Blingage.

Cervelo Rep explains the magnitude of Blingage that we are seeing.


All in all, what a sweet night. The boys at Crono sure know how to throw a shin-dig, with catered food, beer and all the fixins! Cool atmosphere, great socializing, and of course, the bling-bling made for a event to remember! I will give more props to the boys at Crono in my next post as we talk about the bling that I'm getting for myself!

Huuuuuuuge IM registration flub!! :(

I just found out that I made a major mistake in the registration date for IMWI '09! For some odd reason, I kept thinking that I had until the 29th to finalize my reserved spot and pay the fee, etc, etc. Not quite the case.

Turns out the deadline was the 22nd. Esta no bueno...

What to do? I guess I don't really have a choice, do I? I keep training. No questions asked. Maybe this will be a blessing in disguise. I have already perused the Half-Ironman schedule for next season, and have picked out a few options, and will work on narrowing them down in the next few months.

So, I will keep the title of the blog the same, as ultimately, we will reach Ironman one way or another, but we'll have a few more stops along the way.

Keep your eyes peeled for an update coming soon on some new bling!

Till then,


-J

Devil's Challenge race report.

Wow, wow, wow, that's all I really can say about the day.

The weather ended up being somewhat on our side. I believe the temp at start was about 60 degrees. Chilly at first, but I got used to it pretty quickly. There were a total of 747 participants, and I was bib #783. How does that work, eh?

I left the house bright and early this morning, well not so much on the bright side, I guess. On the road by 5:30 am. Wonderful. Someone please remind me why I am doing this again? "No seriously, I am actually asking you, what do I do here? Any suggestion will do..." Friends, anyone?

I arrived at the North Shore about 10 minutes after registration opened up, which gave me an ideal parking spot and a base locale to go back and forth from. Got my bib, timing chip, my SWEET dri-fit t-shirt, and got marked with my number. After all that hubbub, I got my bike to set-up my transition area, and was pleasantly surprised to find that I got the perfect spot to rack my bike, right on the end of the rail, practically in the lane, so I didn't have to waste any time moving between people and bikes. Good deal, I was stoked about that.

After I got all that set up, I just kind of milled around for a bit, walked the transition running lanes so I would know what to expect when coming out of the water, chatted with some other folks, and got my wetsuit on. At that point my folks arrived and I said hi and kind of explained to them what was about to happen. Also caught up with Dave, who was also in my wave and chatted a bit about the upcoming race.

At about 8am, they called the competitor's meeting, after which I had already taken out my hearing aids, so I had no idea what was said, but Dave assured me that none of it mattered.... yeah right, I think he was just trying to get a leg up on me. :)


It soon became race time.

The swim start was great! There were 78, I think, in my wave, which was a comfortable number, enough for a semi-violent start, but no black eyes or broken noses (that I know of). I positioned myself fairly conservatively, but ended up have to work my way around the pack. Once we hit the first buoy, I found myself toward the front of the pack and pulling away. Sweet. This is the moment everyone dreams of. I had to remind myself to calm down and breathe and keep my rhythm. It worked. I finished the swim in a touch over 8min, which isn't bad considering I had to work through the pack for about 100 yds or so.

Coming out of the water and into T1 I felt great, which was a surprise, but I still didn't want to rush it, I wanted to be sure to get everything right and not forget anything for the bike. Like my hearing aids. Gonna need those, buddy. I also grabbed my arm warmers which ended up being a good call, too, because it got chilly quickly.

This is when it went south. Before I could even mount the bike, the chain dropped off, forcing me to spend another minute fiddling with that to get it back on. Off we go, right? Wrong.

At some point between my test ride this morning, and the race, my front derailleur got bent. I found this out 50 yards up the first hill, when I couldn't shift into granny gear. Which was bad, because I needed that granny gear.

This moment, I think, was the defining moment of the race for me. Here I am, coming into the bike in pretty good position, as far as I could tell, I was still in the top 10 (behind the elite), and I am forced to deal with the fact that I will have to grind up these monster hills without my granny gear, and then not be able to use my big gear to take advantage of the downhills.

I knew I came here for the right reasons when it took me less than 2 seconds to make this decision. I recognized that I have no control over the fact that I can shift my front gears, but I DO have control over the fact that I can still have a great time. And I did. Every hill sucked, but I loved it. I was a true grind fest, and it tested my mettle, and I loved it, pure and simple. Never once did I say "I don't want to be here". Not once.

It was all worth it when we topped out the last hill and re-entered the park, and as you got closer to the parking area, you could hear the rising crescendo of the crowd waiting for you to come flying in. Awesome stuff and it totally gave me goosebumps. I soaked in every second of it. Every second.

T2 was blistering fast for me. So much so that I came out ahead of several people that passed me on the bike a few mintues earlier. I was expecting my legs to feel like bricks. That feeling never came. I guess the adrenaline from this atmosphere really helped me crank through it. I felt like I had a great run. Dave caught up with me, and we stuck together for the rest of the run, and were joined up with another guy, Jay, who said he was tired of chasing us to told us to bring him in. Awesome!

Coming down the chute to the finish was one of the most memorable experiences of my life. It was a great experience that I worked hard for, and it felt great to finally accomplish this. And I was feeling good enough that I could soak it in and enjoy it.

What an awesome day.

-J

Devil's Lake warmup

I headed up to DL this afternoon to check out the swim course and get a bit of a warm-up.

BRRRR!!!

Not really being used to open water swimming, this was definitely a bit on the chilly side for me. Good thing I had my wetsuit. This thing rocks! One of the few wetsuits that fits a tall, lanky guy like me. I'm used to having some extra space in the suit, which in turn creates drag, but not this sucker. I felt like Phelps flying down from one buoy to the next. Sweet stuff.

It was foggy and wet, and probably a fairly accurate preview for what tomorrow will be like. I'd like the roads to be a tad dryer for the bike leg, mainly for safety, but I saw the volunteer crews out there sweeping gravel off the tricky spots. Thanks! The brings my mind to ease, at least a little bit.

By all regards, there have been many positive things said about how the Wisconsin Triathlon Series is run, and tomorrow should be no exception, cruddy weather or not.

Be sure to check back in a day or two for the full race report!

-J

Devil's Challenge tommorrow!

The Devil's Challenge Tri in Baraboo, Wisconsin is tomorrow! This will probably be the final tri for me this season, although the Jay-Hawk Latebird tri is looking pretty appealing...

Taking place at Devil's Lake State Park, which is actually just south on Hwy 12 of Baraboo, athletes will get a chance to take in some breathtaking views of this gorgeous gem in south central Wisconsin, while completing a 440 yd swim, 15 mile bike, and a 3 mile run.

Here's a link to event info: http://www.witriseries.com/id13.html


The bike course is notorious for it's killer hills, although we are still not quite what this year's course will entail. Construction on one of the main roads started a few days early, leaving the race director scrambling to work with the town of Merrimac and the local sheriff's department and get a route set down. This will prove to be a very interesting course, as they are basically saying that they don't know yet what the course will be, but that there will be volunteers and signs at every turn. At least we won't get lost! :)

I'll be heading up there this afternoon to practice some open water swimming and try out my new wetsuit, the BlueSeventy Reaction! It's a sleeveless, which I actually prefer since you still get the flotation and warmth, but less restriction of movement than a full-body suit. I'll try to snap some pics of the crummy weather and some of the set-ups that are likely going on at the moment.

I will definitely be posting a race report on here tomorrow evening, as well as reporting in at www.beginnertriathlete.com. Hopefully the weather will cooperate and Meggen will be able to snap some good pictures of the action.

See you then!

-J

Welcome!

Hey everyone! Welcome to the blog that will be chronicling my next 366 days! That's right, on September 13, 2009, I will be embarking on an adventure that I will remember for the rest of my life; Ironman Wisconsin 2009!

That's right, I AM absolutely out of my mind. This is an event that kicks off at 7am, beginning with a 2.4 mile swim, followed by one of the toughest 112 mile bike courses on the Ironman circuit, and capped off with a grueling 26.2 mile run. Most consider themselves lucky to finish by 10pm that day.

Why?

That's what this blog is really all about. The coolest thing, I think, about this event, is that it is rarely about the event itself, but more about the journey to this event. Training for Ironman is no joke. It requires more out of you than you ever thought was possible. This is going to be more of a journal, where you will get a firsthand look at what's going on inside my head as I go through 4am 13 mile runs, 3 to 4 mile swims, and some bike rides that will send my crying home for momma.

A little background on myself, for those who don't know me. I am 26 and living in Madison, WI. I love it here. I have seen much of this country with my 2 dogs, Tenzing and Zephaniah. We put down roots here in 2005 and haven't felt the urge to move since. That's a good thing, I guess!

I am coming fresh off of selling a business that I started, which built whitewater kayak paddles, mainly out of wood. I got out of it because I suffered from a full blown anxiety attack, and decided that I am way too young to be dealing with that kind of pressure. I actually started tri training back in the spring as a way to deal with the stress, and it seemed like a healthier option than smoking... Now tri training is teaching me things about myself that I never would have found otherwise.

Now I am a happy, relatively stress free guy, working at the Ace Hardware Center on Willliamson St near the Capitol Square in Madison. I have been working there part-time for two years, and am now on full-time there. I absolutely love this job. People ask me what I do there, to which I respond "there's not really much I DON'T do...". I have really gained a sense of pride lately, being a part of the greatest hardware store in the store!

I have also really come to love this area of town. The Willy St neighborhood is definitely one of a kind. I have the great fortune to meet some really cool people, that all have a unique life story to tell, and are always interested to hear mine. I truly enjoy every day that I spend on WIlly St. So much so that I often ride my down there on my days off and hang!

Anyhoo, that's a bit about me. You will get more glimpses of my personal life, and my family in the upcoming entries. Thanks for checking the blog out and looking forward to seeing you out there!