Success!

6/23/2006

While playing with my dog tonight, I twisted my left knee and felt a twinge. Great! My knees have been solid throughout my training, and two days before the event, one of them gets unstable. Oh well, ice and rest for the next 36 hours...

6/24/2006

Went to pick up my race packet today. My number is 1066, which is my birth month and year. Could this be a harbinger of good luck?

The packet included a number for the bike, one for my jersey, and not much else. One thing about this particular triathlon - there no information overload. I think the organizers assume participants have done this before, or are doing it with a buddy who has.

Knee is still a little sore. Packing some ibuprofen, just in case.

6/25/2006

Woke up bright and early at 4:30. I had packed everything the night before, so was ready to eat a bowl of cereal and a banana, drink a glass of juice, and head out into the darkness. My lovely and patient wife bundled herself into the car with her eyes half-closed to be my support crew/cheering section.

We arrived at the beach at about 6:00. The schedule was for the first wave to go off at 7:15 (I was in wave 10). I found the transition area and racked my bike and set up my towel. The day was cloudy and cool so far. There was a briefing for the racers where we were given last minute instructions and rules. With fifteen minutes until the first wave, I changed into my trunks and wetsuit. Des and I walked down to the beach, where the swim waves were staging behind volunteers holding numbered signs. We mingled on the beach and watched the lifeguards and organizers tow buoys into position to mark the swim course. There were several different size and color buoys, so it became a game of guess which ones are for us (the olympic and sprint courses were different).

The way the waves were scheduled, wave 9 was Sprint men 0-35, then mine was Sprint men 35-44. Next was Sprint men 45-up, and two waves of Sprint women. I told Des it looked like I'd be getting passed by fast women and old guys all day. >;-]

We all cheered as the gun went off and the first wave hit the water about 7:30. Each wave started about 5-7 minutes after the preceding one. We were the second sprint wave, so once the last olympic wave went out, the safety personnel re-aligned themselves, and wave 9 hit the water. The sun was just starting to come out and beat on our black neoprene-covered backs, so we began to warm up. The cold water wouldn't be nearly as bad now.

Wave 10 got the one-minute warning; goggles on, ready to go. The gun went off, and I started my chronometer and jogged to the water. I knew I wasn't going to be one of the fastest swimmers, so I stayed toward the back to avoid having the fast guys swimming over me. My goggles were fogging up a bit, so I pulled them out and dunked them in the water to clear them – much better! I swam a variety of strokes, but without much 'form'. It was mostly about moving forward, keeping my breathing under control, and using my legs as little as possible (I would need them for the next two events). I rounded the last buoy and stroked for the shore. My wave was mingling with a couple of the olympic waves that were technically coming around the outside of us. Traffic got a little heavy close to shore, but there was no major contact. I watched one guy in my wave swim off to the right repeatedly. Apparently he missed the lines on the bottom of the pool. >;-]

I bodysurfed a wave to the shore, and jogged up the beach. I was winded, but not exhausted. My unofficial split by my watch was about 12:00. I reached the transition area, peeled off the wetsuit, rinsed off my feet, put my socks, helmet and bike shoes on, and grabbed my bike. I lost a little time here as I put on my cycling jacket, then decided it was warm enough and took it off again. Doh! I took a quick slug of accelerade from a bottle, and brought a bottle of H2O on the bike. I could tell this was a slow transition, but the next one would be faster.



I ran the bike to the mount area, got on, and pedaled off. I anticipated the bike would be my strongest event. I started at a brisk pace, and passed a few riders on the way out of the park. On the nearby neighborhood streets, we were riding in a small 'lane' marked by cones, so passing wasn't easy. Once we got to the main artery (Harbor Blvd), things opened up considerably. I was spending as much time as possible in the aero position, and was maintaining a pace of 21-24mph on the southbound leg. I passed several riders, and for the most part was only passed by guys on full-aero TT rigs with disk rear wheels and such.

I made the U-turn and headed back on the northbound leg. Oh joy, a headwind! It wasn't too strong, and could be mitigated by staying aero, so I spent most of my time tucked in. I was concerned about using too much of my legs and having nothing left for the run, so I worked on pedaling more on the upstroke as I got closer to the transition. I pulled in to the dismount area and could hear Des yelling 'go Jimi' or words to that effect. >:-]

When I got off the bike and tried to run to my rack in my bike shoes, I felt like I had borrowed someone else's legs! Wow, call me Linguine Legs! I stumbled to my towel, racked my bike, swapped the bike shoes for the running shoes, and was off on the run.

I ate a gel as I was starting the run, washing it down with water. I felt pretty good, and was starting at a decent pace (for me). The sun was out, so that made things look a little better. The run course followed a bike path up to Surfer's Point in Ventura, where I've spent many, many days floating on a plank of fiberglas and foam. This time, I couldn't stop to survey the swells and determine if it was a Good Surf Day. As it turned out, I got my answer at about the 1.5 mile point of the run, when I spotted my good friend Ward standing by his car, getting ready to peel off his wetsuit. He gave me a shout of encouragement, which helped boost me along. At one point, I had to slow to a fast walk to catch my breath, and another runner unknown to me shouted 'Don't stop! Keep on going!' as she passed in the other direction. This was a recurring theme on the day. The encouragement from the volunteers and the other competitors was amazing, and one of the best things about this event.

As I passed the last water station on the return leg, I felt like I needed one more drink, but all they were holding out at that moment was gatorade. Oh well, I would be OK for the last .25 mile.

As the finish line came into view in the distance, I kept telling myself 'Don't walk, it's just a little farther. Keep turning them over. Keep turning them over.' The volunteers, family, friends and other competitors surrounding the finish were clapping and cheering for everyone as they came home. I was running faster now, trying to finish strong, and carried along by the wave of support leading up to the finishing gate. As I stepped on the timing pad to stop my race clock, I was all at once elated, drained, and proud. I had set a goal to finish the race and make a decent showing, and other than my pitiful running, I had done it. Des tells me they announced my name at the finish, but I didn't hear it.

I found Des in the crowd, and she gave me a big hug and told me how proud she was and how great I did. She also heard them announce my time of 1:27-something, which was pretty close to the time I had on my watch: 1:28:11.

I grabbed some water and found a place to sit down. The emotional effect of completing this little race was surprising. After a few minutes, I stood back up to walk around and stretch a bit. We watched and cheered for some of the incoming racers, then wandered over to the food/drink/exhibitors area.



We partook in some of the amenities, then headed for home. The sun had gone back into hiding, and the day was cooling off a bit, so we went chasing the sun and found it back in Simi Valley.

All in all, this was a phenomenal experience, and I'll definitely do this race next year. I may try to work in another one this year, also. I'm not sure my knees could take the abuse of a regular triathlon schedule, but one or two a year sounds doable.

I’m already thinking about several areas where I can improve my time, particularly in transitions.

Official result:
SexP Name Home Bib Div
159 Jim Chestnut Simi Valley, CA 1066 M40-44
Time Div/P Plc Swim T1 Bike T2 Run
1:27:39 M40-44/33 225 13:05 3:52 37:15 1:36 31:55

Deciphering the above:
SexP – My place among all the male racers
Div/P – My place in my age group
Plc – My place among all racers
T1, T2 – Transitions between events

For the rest of the pics: http://seamus.exposuremanager.com/g/boltri

A little riding...

6/22/2006

Co-worker Joel and I set off for a 6:30am ride around Westlake. Took it easy this time, able to hold a conversation while we rode. I did put my head down and spin up to 25mph for about .5 mile, just to keep comfortable with the aero bars. We did 2.5 laps (turned up Lakeview on the third lap) for a total of 13.1 miles. Even taking it easy, we averaged 16.0 mph, so I should be able to make some time on the 12.7 mile, flat bike course Sunday.

I'll probably take it easy tomorrow, then go for a walk Saturday. Should be fresh and rested.

Sunday is just three days away...

Taper week continues...

6/20/2006

I decided to run today during lunch. The gym at my office has TVs which were tuned to the England/Sweden world cup game. Nice! I decided to do 1.5 - 2.1 miles (see how I felt after 1.5 and continue or cooldown). I warmed up for about four minutes, then set the pace to 6.0mph. I ran to 1.5, walked for two minutes, then ran to 2.1 miles. Cooled off for a couple of minutes, then stretched.

I'll be glad when tapering is over. I don't feel like I'm getting enough of a workout, although I did get to see a really nice goal scored by an England striker..

Take me down to the sea.

6/17/2006

I felt I should really get in an ocean swim to get a feel for what to expect. I have surfed, bodysurfed, snorkeled and spent time at the beach for years. I also recently added scuba to the list, so I'm no stranger to the ocean environment. Well, my first foray into the waves as a swimmer was an eye-opener.

I brought my surfing spring suit (thin neoprene with short legs and arms) with me, as the water is still a bit chilly in the Ventura area. As I pulled up at the beach, the weather was about mid-70s and sunny, and there were several beach-goers enjoying the day. Waves of 2-4 feet were breaking on the sand. I noticed several other folks that looked like they were practicing for an upcoming triathlon, including a large group of all ages, shapes and sizes preparing to swim. I warmed up a bit, put on my goggles, hit Start on my chronometer, and ran into the water.

HOLY &%*# that's COLD! Wow! I was not ready for the frigid water. I punched through the surf zone, and tried to settle into a nice swim rhythm along the shore, but my breathing was much too fast and hard, due to the cold shock and the exertion of plowing through the waves. I rolled over onto my back to backstroke for a while and try to catch my breath. I finally got my breathing under control, and looking at landmarks on the shore, could tell I was not making much progress. I had tried to estimate a 400-meter triangle to swim, and was only about 100m into it at this point.

I tried once again to get a nice easy freestyle stroke going, but it was hard to breathe efficiently in the rough water. I ended up doing a combination of freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, and head-out-of-water crawl. I finished my estimated 400m in just under ten minutes.

I was planning to jog out of the surf to simulate running up the beach to T1 (Transition to the bike), but was too tired, so I walked. I got back to my starting point and walked around for a few minutes to rest.

Once I caught my breath, I decided I needed to give it another go. I re-set my watch, hit Start, and ran into the water. This time the temp wasn't as much of a shock, as I had just come out of the water. I made another attempt at a smooth freestyle stroke, which just didn't last very long. I found the most efficient stroke seemed to be head-up freestyle, so I could continue to breathe regularly. I know this will not make me fast, but at least I won't be dying for air when I finish. I completed the second attempt in a little over eight minutes. I look forward to seeing how long the real course is, compared to my estimation.

Lessons learned:

1. A spring suit may be insufficient for the water temp, particularly at 7:15am (it was closer to 10:00 when I hit the water today). I plan to bring my full suit with my Saturday when I pick up my race packet, and see how it is for swimming. I know it's going to be a bear to take off during transition, but if it allows me to start the swim more comfortably, that may be worth it.

2. Get wet before the swim. I've read it suggested in other first-timers' accounts, but it was definitely brought home today. You want to take a dip before your race starts to get past the initial shock of the cold water. Also, it will put the initial layer of water inside your suit that warms up and acts as insulation.

3. It's going to be difficult conserving energy during the swim. I'm going to have to go easy at the beginning of the bike if I want to have anything left in the tank for the run.

4. I thought the run would be the hardest part of this triathlon. Now I'm not so sure the swim won't be worse.

So to recap: My run will be slow, my swim will be slow, I hope I have a good ride! >;-]

Let the taper begin.

6/15/2006

I have read several beginner training plans, most of them designed for at least 16 weeks of training for a first triathlon. All of these plans recommend at least four weeks of 'tapering' training, meaning decreasing length and intensity of workouts so that the body is fresh and rested for the event. Since I started my training roughly 12 weeks out, I had to compress things a bit. Also, I felt I needed to build a much stronger running base, so I kept up my training levels until this week.

Today, I went out for an early-morning ride. I ended up doing 12.6 miles at an average of 15.9 mph (there was some extended climbing involved). I'm going to try to get in a bit of a run this weekend, as well as an ocean swim. Next week, I'll most likely do one short run, one bike, and a swim (not the same day). I also need to find some time to practice transitions. That is one place where any triathlete can pick up free time, regardless of fitness.

Eight days to go!

Keep on runnin...

6/11/2006

Decided today would be a run day. I rolled out of bed at 8:00, sucked down some juice and a clif bar, and suited up in my trunks, shoes, and dri-fit shirt. It was a typical June Gloom day, about 62 degrees. I was cold at first, but the warmup walk over to the school track got my blood flowing. I was wearing my heart rate monitor so I could get an idea of the workload during my run. At the track, I did a quick stretch, then started the lap timer on my HRM, and was off. My target was 3.25 miles (13 laps). I really wanted to see if I could manage the distance without walking at all. The first lap took 2:44, which was a bit outside my target 10-minute mile pace of 2:30. The next few were under 2:30. I was feeling good until about lap 9, when both knees started giiving me twinges. I concentrated on putting my feet down 'softly', and the discomfort went away. I monitored my HR from about lap 8 on, and was generally in the range of 164 - 170. When I noticed myself getting up toward 168 or higher, I would back off the effort slightly to get down to 165. By managing my effort level, I estimated I could complete the distance without a rest.

I finished 13 laps and stopped the timer. My time was 33:27 for 3.25 miles without walking! Average lap of 2:33! I am stoked! It ain't fast, but it's fast 'for me'.

Two more weeks until the big day!

Three weeks out...

6/2/2006

Went to the gym to do a swim/run brick. Once again, I swam two four-hundreds, with a short break in-between. The first one was at a reasonable pace, and I finished in 7:40. The second, I was concentrating on slow, easy strokes, gliding, and keeping my head and chest down. I was expecting a longer time on the second 400, but to my surprise, I stopped my chronometer at 7:30. I guess there is something to gliding and proper form after all.

Did a quick change and hopped on a treadmill next to Des. I started with a couple of minutes of 3.5 warmup, then cranked it up to 6.0 mph. I was feeling good, and ran 2+ miles before I had to throttle back to a fast walk for a couple of minutes. I moved it back up to 6.0, then 6.2, then 6.5. I felt a little sloppy at 6.5, so took it back down to 6.2. I was struggling a bit near the end, but still managed to finish the 3.1 miles in 35:18. Still not the pace I was hoping for, but the fact that I can now run 3.1miles without any major calf or knee pain makes my heart sing. >;-]

BTW, Des ran more than five miles after doing a one-hour Pilates class. I better hope she doesn't decide to take up triathlons.

6/4/2006

Des and I decided to do a spin class this morning. She's done several at this gym, this would be my first. We got there with our water bottles, towels, and bike shoes. As we were standing in line, a guy behind us asked if we had already checked in and gotten our hands stamped. This was news to both of us. Des had never gotten a hand stamp before, and this was my first time. When we went to check in, we found out the class was already full. On to Plan B!

We hopped on the regular exercise bikes and I set a fast cadence. My Plan B was to ride a good fast pace for thirteen miles, and see what my time would be. I went pretty hard, and ended up doing 13 miles in 32:53. A pretty good pace for me.

Plan B, Part B: Swim. I changed into my trunks and headed for the pool. My plan was just to do a nice comfortable pace and concentrate on form. I did two 400s, both in my usual 7:40 range. I am going to have to get to the beach soon for an open-water swim.

6/6/2006

Decided to run a bit today. Went to the office fitness center at lunch, warmed up on the exercise bike for five minutes, then jumped on the treadmill. Started at 3.5 for a minute or so, then took it up to 6.0. My goal was to do 1.5 miles at a steady pace, then I realized that was less than half my race distance. I set a new target of 1.6 miles. Kept it at 6.0 all the way through, and finished 1.6 miles in 16:52. Pretty close to my 10:00 mile pace. Felt no fatigue or soreness afterward.

6/8/2006

Today was a good day for a ride. I met co-worker Joel at 6:30am. We headed out for several laps around Westlake lake. I was trying to use my aero position and big ring as much as possible, but it's clear I won't be able to do the entire distance that way. Fortunately, I was able to keep a pretty good pace whether on the hoods, the aerobars, or in the drops. We spent as much time chatting as hauling, so the ~17mph average speed wasn't too bad. Ended up doing 21.5 miles in about 1:14. Felt good afterward, and I probably should have turned it into a ride/run brick. I'll get a run in the next few days, and I don't want to risk overtraining this close to the big day.

That said, I did hit the fitness center at lunch for some stretching and weight training...

Born to run ?

5/31/2006

After a Memorial Day weekend that consisted of one trip to the gym and one 19-mile ride, it was time to get back to some real training. I did finally find a position with my stubby Profile bar extensions that I think will work. I'm happy that I won't have to think about dropping another $50-70 on a longer set (unless I decide to really get serious about triathlons in the future).

I decided to do a run at the track of a local middle school. It was a really warm day (about 85 degrees at 6pm), so I grabbed a bottle of water and my running hat, and walked over to the track. I wore my trusty TYR jammer trunks (which I plan to use for the entire event), and a dri-fit tshirt.

The .5 mile walk was a good warmup, so I stretched a little, then started my run. I felt like I was running at a good pace, but wasn't sure I'd be able to maintain it for the entire three-mile distance. I hit the Lap button on my watch as I came around the first time, and it read 2:02. That works out to a little more than eight minutes/mile. My target is a ten-minute/mile average, so this one was a bit quicker.

After the first mile, I was forced to walk for half a lap. While running, I was concentrating on keeping my cadence up and 'floating' as much as possible to minimize the impact on my knees. I walked once more for 1/8 of a mile, and my pace did slow toward the end, but I still managed to do three miles in 32:25. Not quite the pace I'm hoping for, but I didn't feel particularly strong, so I think I will do better with proper rest and a bit more training.

One bright spot - I have clearly improved the mechanics of my running. I had virtually no soreness in my knees or calves after this run, so that is really encouraging. I would love to keep upping my mileage and speed, but don't have much time left.

24 more days to put it all together.