Buffalo Creek & Fathers Day 5k
A couple weekends ago I raced my first official Xterra event, and for tough man points followed it up the next day with the Fort Collins Fathers Day 5K.
The Xterra was fun- super tough bike course. Was feeling really flat from Boise still, and suffered on the bike and run accordingly. Finished up 4th Place, not bad for my first dirty triathlon! Was just out of the $$, ohh well. It was a nice turbulent night of camping- with Chip barking and stepping on me all night in the tent before getting up to race. Swim actually went ok... the higher the altitude the better I seem to swim relative to other athletes. The race site was out in the boonies, Wellington lake out of Bailey Colorado. 10 miles out on a washboard dirt road. singletrack on the bike was SICK! the course was awesome except for having to get around a bunch of the "short course" athletes that shared a section of the trail. Yelling at people to move out of the way on a narrow dirt trail was pretty tiresome.
All in all a nice little weekend camp-out with Erin and the dog. We got back Saturday night, and got up Sunday to race the Fathers day 5k...
There was a $150 prim for the first person to the mile mark. A 14:30 5K guy tried to kick me down the last 40 yards.... pulled out the college 1500M speed and buried it to take the mile victory....that hurt. I continued to SUFFER another 2 miles to finish up in 2nd overall @ 16:11, and pick up a couple more bucks. Awesome, Awesome 5k. root beer floats for all finishers, well organized, flat and fast. FYI, i don't recommend running your first mile in 4:37 if your going to average 5:13 pace :)
Took some down time following the 5K- 9 days off the legs, I start building back up this week for all the biggie races this fall- Duathlon short course Worlds in September, Xterra Worlds in October, and 70.3 Worlds in November.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Boise 70.3 Race Report
June 13, 2009
Boise 70.3- This is my first trip to Idaho, and I have to say I’m surprised by the lack of trees. I don’t know where I got the idea that Idaho was more wooded, but Boise reminds me of a less rocky, greener Nevada. I was fortunate enough to arrange schedules so Erin could join me for this trip. It is great to have my number one groupie out on the race course yelling at me to pick it up. It must have worked because I had the fastest half marathon split of the day, a 1:13:23.
The race had a couple of unique features that were new to me: first being a 2pm start and second being an overall net downhill. The other point to point races I have done have been net uphill on the bike. The swim took place at Lucky Peaks reservoir about 15 or so miles out of town, 300ft higher than T1. The weather had been very unsettled all weekend, and I was really hoping that the swim might be cancelled, as pool time has been minimal the last month. We had to take shuttles up to the start, which got us there with wayyy before we need to. Clouds were packing in and were looking ominous but the rain held off for the pro start. The swim kicked off without any hitches, but I felt a bit tossed around in the 10 inch afternoon wind chop. Never really able to get my rhythm, I got through the course, coming out in 31:18, including one minute of run up the boat dock to the timing mats/transition.
The bike went extreemly well. I have seen some signs of good fitness in training, but I have to admit being a little surprised with the 2:09 bike split. About half of the bike course was pouring rain and windy. Riding the Zipp sub-9 and 1080 front was a little unnerving at times but definitely contributed to a great bike split. The course was rolling, with a couple of minor hills. Kudos to the volunteers and staff working the aid stations and corners, as the turns were very clearly marked, coned off, and supervised. I moved up from about 26th place to 10th on the bike before beginning a soggy 13.1 mile jog.
I knew from the clock in transition that a PR was in reach if I could nail the run. I pretended that I was just running a 10k since the course consisted of two 10k loops. Mile markers seemed to be spot on, and despite sopping wet shoes, I kept the pace pretty honest at about 5:30 miles. One at a time, I picked off athletes, which kept me motivated despite a struggle to hold pace the last 5k. The last mile I knew I was top-8, and was going to break the 4 hour mark (something that’s eluded me a long time). I crossed the line in 3:57 in 5th place with the fastest bike+run combination of the day, among a stellar field including Ironman World Champions Craig Alexander and Chris Lieto.
This race definitely gave me some motivation to get in the water and find out why I am so hydronamically challenged. I had a PR swim at Wildflower (28 minutes) last month, so things aren’t too far off. Hopefully, if training continues to progress as it has, I will be a serious podium contender in this summer’s 70.3 races including the 70.3 World Champs.
Next weekend kicks off my first Xterra (Buffalo Creek) of the season. Time to bust out the fat tires. I’m excited to get in the dirt, as I’ve been on the road a lot in the last couple months. I just got my SRM last week, and I’m STOKED to get it on my Blue Triad. Thanks to the folks who keep sending me good vibes, especially Erin, who is sitting here typing this and who is EXCEPTIONALLY fantastic. Thanks also to Lindsay and Luke for making the trek to Boise to cheer me on in the rain and chauffeur me around in their fancy new Subaru. I will be making some adjustments to the race schedule for this fall, reflecting relocation to the Boulder area next month so Erin can be closer to her job. The 70.3 races in Belgium and Germany will probably be swapped for Calgary (Aug 2) and Lake Stevens, WA (Aug 16). Stay tuned at the blogger for more awesome news. Time to get on a jet plane!!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Boise 70.3
Awesome race. Pouring rain through the bike and run. Swim was a little choppy and got worse as it went on. Finished 5th overall....very stoked! Fastest run time of the race (1:13 low) and bike split was solid. I'll post a full race report when I get back to the Fort.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Apple and Auburn Duathlon Race reports
Sunday concluded two consecutive weeks of Duathlons- the Apple Duathlon in Sartnell, Minnesota (a Short Course World Champs qualifier), and the Long Course Duathlon National Championships in Auburn, California.
I am proud to say that as of Sunday May 31st I am the Duathlon Long Course National Champion.
Under great weather I raced a 3k run, 56mi bike, and 13.1mi run. Auburn’s duathlon shared the bike and half marathon course of the half triathlon, which involved 5500 ft of elevation gain on the bike, and over 2500 ft on the run. The bike was as scenic as it was hilly, passing by numerous lakes and rivers. Most of the course took you through pine forests of the Sierra Nevada foothills. The first run (3K) started on Folsom Reservoir, and involved a mix of pavement and narrow single-track. The second run of 13.1mi started from Railhead Park in Auburn (T2/Finish), nearly 1000 ft higher than T1. It was mostly 2 loops of the 10K Olympic course, and was equally scenic.
Joe Thorne, a sub 14-minute 5K athlete from Austin, took the 3K out hard, and we immediately distanced ourselves from the main pack. We entered T1 together, and headed out on the bike neck in neck. At mile 5 of the bike, Joe accidentally led us off course for a couple miles, where we turned around and found ourselves between 20 and 25th place once back on course. The athletes in front of us were from both the Duathlon and long course Triathlon, so it was hard to get an idea of placement between the two separate races as we moved up through the field. I lead most of the climb, but did not put any significant distance on Joe until we started the downhill sections- thanks to the superior aerodynamics of my Blue Competition Triad TT bike and Zipp sub9 disc and 1080 front wheels. I came into the second transition with about a 4-minute lead.
I hit the second run as hard as I could with the first few single-track miles around 5:30 pace, but the hilly terrain later in the run took its toll. I finished up the half marathon in 1:19:20. My Avia bolt racing flats performed well, and offered just enough support for the demanding technical single-track. I took 4 Powergels and 5 Succeed salt tablets during the race, and felt fantastic.
I am very excited to be the Long Course Duathlon National Champion, and I look forward to channeling my early season fitness into more long distance triathlons and duathlons this year, the next being Boise 70.3 June 13th.
Worth note, the weekend before I placed second in the Apple Duathlon in Sartnell Minnesota, against a stellar field of international caliber athletes. I was within 50 seconds of the winner, Dave Thompson- my splits were 15:27, 48:44 and 16:30 for the 5K-33K-5K event. It was a great tune up for the Auburn Duathlon, and was a great sign of early season speed. At this event I qualified as one of 3 professional athletes to represent the US in the ITU Short course Duathlon World Championships September 25th.
Jason Digman of Dig It Triathlon graciously hosted my stay, and also works with analyzing and tracking my cycling power and performance.
Justin
I am proud to say that as of Sunday May 31st I am the Duathlon Long Course National Champion.
Under great weather I raced a 3k run, 56mi bike, and 13.1mi run. Auburn’s duathlon shared the bike and half marathon course of the half triathlon, which involved 5500 ft of elevation gain on the bike, and over 2500 ft on the run. The bike was as scenic as it was hilly, passing by numerous lakes and rivers. Most of the course took you through pine forests of the Sierra Nevada foothills. The first run (3K) started on Folsom Reservoir, and involved a mix of pavement and narrow single-track. The second run of 13.1mi started from Railhead Park in Auburn (T2/Finish), nearly 1000 ft higher than T1. It was mostly 2 loops of the 10K Olympic course, and was equally scenic.
Joe Thorne, a sub 14-minute 5K athlete from Austin, took the 3K out hard, and we immediately distanced ourselves from the main pack. We entered T1 together, and headed out on the bike neck in neck. At mile 5 of the bike, Joe accidentally led us off course for a couple miles, where we turned around and found ourselves between 20 and 25th place once back on course. The athletes in front of us were from both the Duathlon and long course Triathlon, so it was hard to get an idea of placement between the two separate races as we moved up through the field. I lead most of the climb, but did not put any significant distance on Joe until we started the downhill sections- thanks to the superior aerodynamics of my Blue Competition Triad TT bike and Zipp sub9 disc and 1080 front wheels. I came into the second transition with about a 4-minute lead.
I hit the second run as hard as I could with the first few single-track miles around 5:30 pace, but the hilly terrain later in the run took its toll. I finished up the half marathon in 1:19:20. My Avia bolt racing flats performed well, and offered just enough support for the demanding technical single-track. I took 4 Powergels and 5 Succeed salt tablets during the race, and felt fantastic.
I am very excited to be the Long Course Duathlon National Champion, and I look forward to channeling my early season fitness into more long distance triathlons and duathlons this year, the next being Boise 70.3 June 13th.
Worth note, the weekend before I placed second in the Apple Duathlon in Sartnell Minnesota, against a stellar field of international caliber athletes. I was within 50 seconds of the winner, Dave Thompson- my splits were 15:27, 48:44 and 16:30 for the 5K-33K-5K event. It was a great tune up for the Auburn Duathlon, and was a great sign of early season speed. At this event I qualified as one of 3 professional athletes to represent the US in the ITU Short course Duathlon World Championships September 25th.
Jason Digman of Dig It Triathlon graciously hosted my stay, and also works with analyzing and tracking my cycling power and performance.
Justin
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Barking Dog Duathlon Saturady 5/9
Hi all,
Yesterday was the Barking Dog Duathlon at Cherry Creek State Park in south Denver.
Results:
Overall: 3rd, 1:15:20
5K Run: 15:21
30K Bike :41:41-- 26mph
5K Run: 17:01
The first 5k was definitely short, I heard someone had it measured at 2.95 miles. Still a good first run split.
Pretty happy with the overall result, especially since I have not done ANY speed work- and I paid for it. With a mile left in the bike leg my hamstring Completely cramped. I hung my leg off the side of the bike for a minute til it subsided, and then soft-pedaled into transition. I dont know how much time that cost, but I lost all of the gap (maybe 35 sec?) I had put on 3rd place. He passed me right out of transition and proceeded to pull away as my hamstrings put the smack down on my ability to get a move on. I will do a few more brick (run- bike-run-bike) workouts over the next couple weeks, as well as some track work, and I should be good to go for the Apple Du in Minnesota and Auburn Du (Nationals) in Cali. Erin and Chip made the trip down with me, thanks guys!!
Super stoked on the Blue Competition race bike and Zipp wheels, definitely no excuses with equipment! The wireless SRM should be here soon, will be nice to get some power values to work with.
Done with my down week, time to ramp it back up for the next few! woot!
Yesterday was the Barking Dog Duathlon at Cherry Creek State Park in south Denver.
Results:
Overall: 3rd, 1:15:20
5K Run: 15:21
30K Bike :41:41-- 26mph
5K Run: 17:01
The first 5k was definitely short, I heard someone had it measured at 2.95 miles. Still a good first run split.
Pretty happy with the overall result, especially since I have not done ANY speed work- and I paid for it. With a mile left in the bike leg my hamstring Completely cramped. I hung my leg off the side of the bike for a minute til it subsided, and then soft-pedaled into transition. I dont know how much time that cost, but I lost all of the gap (maybe 35 sec?) I had put on 3rd place. He passed me right out of transition and proceeded to pull away as my hamstrings put the smack down on my ability to get a move on. I will do a few more brick (run- bike-run-bike) workouts over the next couple weeks, as well as some track work, and I should be good to go for the Apple Du in Minnesota and Auburn Du (Nationals) in Cali. Erin and Chip made the trip down with me, thanks guys!!
Super stoked on the Blue Competition race bike and Zipp wheels, definitely no excuses with equipment! The wireless SRM should be here soon, will be nice to get some power values to work with.
Done with my down week, time to ramp it back up for the next few! woot!
Wildflower Race Report
Here is my race report from the Wildflower triathlon last weekend. Very cool 1/2 IM!
Friends and family,
Here is a quick run down of my race at the Wildflower triathlon in California May 2, 2009.
Last weekend I raced in the Wildflower long course (1/2 Ironman) triathlon near San Luis Obispo, CA. This season I am fortunate to be a member of the USAT Trade Team, and the Wildflower was a great first race of the season to gauge where my fitness is and to take some of the new equipment for a test run.
Friday afternoon and Friday evening before the race it rained at the camping site and threatened to rain the morning of the race. Compared to what I’m used to, it was a pretty warm morning (a little humid), the clouds were thinning, and it looked like it was going to be a pretty nice day. After a quick warm up, 77 professional athletes lined up to start the race. The swim went off without a hitch, and although many of the very fast swimmers were immediately off the front, I settled in at a comfortable pace. I came out of the swim at 28:51 which was a 90 second personal best for the 1.2 mile swim. Very Stoked.
The bike course was very hilly, and the first mile was one of the most difficult, as it climbed straight up out of the lake basin. My Blue Competition Cycles time trial bike is brand new, and I had only gotten a few rides in on it before race day. I felt comfortable with my position and settled in for one of the most difficult ½ Ironman bike courses in the country. The first 5 miles were a bit sluggish as I warmed up, but the majority of the 56 miles felt really smooth and fast. All said and done, I was 9 minutes off the fastest bike split of the day and was extremely happy with my new bike and Zipp wheels. I passed about 22 athletes and felt strong the whole way.
I started the run with a bit of a sore back and hips, which I attribute to not enough time on the new race bike and a night of camping/sleeping on the ground. My legs felt decent, but I had difficulty opening up into a fast stride. The run course mimicked the bike in difficulty with virtually no flat sections—just continually rolling hills. I took salt tablets from Succeed and Powergels at miles 4 and 10, and I had absolutely no nutritional problems during the race. The Avia Bolt racing flats were very comfortable and stable over the dirt sections. My run split was slower than I had anticipated and what I believe my fitness is capable of, but I was extremely happy with a personal best in the swim and a competitive bike split. It is still early in the season, and it will only get easier to run fast off the bike
My hat goes off to the Wildflower crew for putting on a well-organized and fun race. It was exciting to race head to head with many of the best triathletes in the world, including my dad who finished his first ½ Ironman at Wildflower. A mild sunburn and some mild soreness later, I am very pleased with the experience and am already planning a return trip next year.
Here is a quick run down of my race at the Wildflower triathlon in California May 2, 2009.
Last weekend I raced in the Wildflower long course (1/2 Ironman) triathlon near San Luis Obispo, CA. This season I am fortunate to be a member of the USAT Trade Team, and the Wildflower was a great first race of the season to gauge where my fitness is and to take some of the new equipment for a test run.
Friday afternoon and Friday evening before the race it rained at the camping site and threatened to rain the morning of the race. Compared to what I’m used to, it was a pretty warm morning (a little humid), the clouds were thinning, and it looked like it was going to be a pretty nice day. After a quick warm up, 77 professional athletes lined up to start the race. The swim went off without a hitch, and although many of the very fast swimmers were immediately off the front, I settled in at a comfortable pace. I came out of the swim at 28:51 which was a 90 second personal best for the 1.2 mile swim. Very Stoked.
The bike course was very hilly, and the first mile was one of the most difficult, as it climbed straight up out of the lake basin. My Blue Competition Cycles time trial bike is brand new, and I had only gotten a few rides in on it before race day. I felt comfortable with my position and settled in for one of the most difficult ½ Ironman bike courses in the country. The first 5 miles were a bit sluggish as I warmed up, but the majority of the 56 miles felt really smooth and fast. All said and done, I was 9 minutes off the fastest bike split of the day and was extremely happy with my new bike and Zipp wheels. I passed about 22 athletes and felt strong the whole way.
I started the run with a bit of a sore back and hips, which I attribute to not enough time on the new race bike and a night of camping/sleeping on the ground. My legs felt decent, but I had difficulty opening up into a fast stride. The run course mimicked the bike in difficulty with virtually no flat sections—just continually rolling hills. I took salt tablets from Succeed and Powergels at miles 4 and 10, and I had absolutely no nutritional problems during the race. The Avia Bolt racing flats were very comfortable and stable over the dirt sections. My run split was slower than I had anticipated and what I believe my fitness is capable of, but I was extremely happy with a personal best in the swim and a competitive bike split. It is still early in the season, and it will only get easier to run fast off the bike
My hat goes off to the Wildflower crew for putting on a well-organized and fun race. It was exciting to race head to head with many of the best triathletes in the world, including my dad who finished his first ½ Ironman at Wildflower. A mild sunburn and some mild soreness later, I am very pleased with the experience and am already planning a return trip next year.
I now gear up for the Apple Duathlon May 23rd, Duathlon Long Course National Championships May 31st, and Boise 70.3 Triathlon June 13th. Wish me luck!
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Saturday, April 18th
Rain, rain, rain. This time last year I was in Hainan China, biding my time before my 3rd Ironman, and first non-Kona IM. Kinda funny, I sit here with 2+ feet of new snow 3 miles west, 36 degrees and raining, and in China last year it was 107 degrees during the race. I still have the 2nd degree burn scars.
Wildflower should prove a much more appropriate event, plenty of hills, wetsuit swim, with a sweet singletrack run. Pray for cool weather. Little tired this am in the pool... 4 hours on the trainer this evening should conclude my saturday. Chris Carmichael is speaking here in town this afternoon, mostly as a wellness seminar, but I think I will pop in and see what kind of Lance references he makes :)
Wildflower should prove a much more appropriate event, plenty of hills, wetsuit swim, with a sweet singletrack run. Pray for cool weather. Little tired this am in the pool... 4 hours on the trainer this evening should conclude my saturday. Chris Carmichael is speaking here in town this afternoon, mostly as a wellness seminar, but I think I will pop in and see what kind of Lance references he makes :)
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thursday April 16, 2009
rain and snow. first day off the legs in a few weeks... not by choice. Wildflower triathlon in 2.5 weeks. Fitness is getting there. Swimming 5-6 days/wk and it is really paying off. dropped about 5sec/100 at a given effort, have a long way to go still. should be under 30 minutes at WF, goal is to get down around 25 or 26 minutes. My run is getting stronger. 6xmile last week @ 5:15 w/ 1 minute rest, up here at altitude.
Excited to see the fam and friends in Cali, will be a great kick-off to the 2009 season!
Excited to see the fam and friends in Cali, will be a great kick-off to the 2009 season!
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