Buffalo

Ah, Buffalo... This was a weekend of firsts for me. The first time Zane got to come to a race, the first time both my parents came to a Pan-Am Cup, my first Elite Nationals... Also, it was several negative firsts for me. The first time I have ever missed a flight, the first time I ever got a time penalty, and my first bad race, through and through, to the point where I have a hard time finding positives.

Transition... it looks innocent enough, right?

Rather than dwell on it, I will try to keep this as short as possible. To begin, my parents had decided to come with me, and also Zane got to come up for the race as well as for a USAT coaching conference over the weekend. Traveling with my parents is great, I love them very much, and I always enjoy spending time with them. However, I hadn't realized how structured my travel to races has become since I usually travel alone. Since they were along and I hadn't prepared them or myself, it added another stressor.

We missed our connecting flight in DC due to some Oldzilla who took a solid 15 minutes to deplane and the ridiculous inefficiency of the Dulles Airport. Like seriously, who designed that hell hole?!

This set off a bad sleep and nutrition schedule, as well as a bad attitude going into the weekend. We were able to get into Buffalo a couple days out from the race in spite of this, but I was sleep deprived and cranky.

One of the few things I did right... spaghetti and meatballs at the little hole-in-the-wall Italian place

Now, going into the race, there were glaring details that I had overlooked, and I would like to share them with you now so you may learn from my stupidity. I did not have a race plan written up, and given my personality type this is like a quarterback snapping the ball without having called a play. Also, I hadn't looked at course maps, nor done a good job of previewing the race course, especially the transition area. That turned out to be a big mistake. I did not communicate well with my parents, and on race day morning I did not have a nutrition plan which is crucial when the gun doesn't go off until 2:30 pm.

...Don't worry, my race-day nutrition wasn't this bad... finding a good coffee shop while traveling is a skill in itself, but that's a whole other blog post!

The common theme in all of this was a lack of focus. I think having my parents there caused me to revert to being a kid going to a swim meet again. I am no longer a kid nor a swimmer, I am a grown-ass man and apparently a professional triathlete! I need to act like one! Going into the world cup this weekend, I have a totally different approach, but that's a whole other blog post...

Wearing red on Game Day like a good Husker fan... even when I have to race! Tragically, I raced worse than they played... which isn't always the case!

As I set up transition I knew I wasn't focused. I kept second-guessing myself, and re-setting things. As I warmed up I felt solid, but all the physical preparation in the world cannot overcome a lack of mental preparation. As I toed the line (it was a dive start, which is good for a former swimmer!) I had no note of who was where or even a plan of how to approach the swim. As such, when I found myself leading the middle group, I went hard left to pack up with another group I saw rather than waiting until the buoy to merge. Had I paid attention, I would've seen the stronger guys to my right, and known that the current would push them in a bit as we came to the buoy.

I did slowly move up during the swim, and I was in decent position (about 17th) coming out of the water. I ran hard to T1, but without a plan or my head on my shoulders I grabbed my bike and got going. Only when I had the thought, "how can I put my helmet on while I'm riding?" did I realize I'd made a mistake. In an ITU race, your helmet must be on and buckled before you can take your bike off the rack. Penalty box, here I come!

On the ride I was way under-geared. This causes your heart rate to climb, although it feels easier on your legs. Generally speaking, by shifting up you will push a faster speed and lower your heart rate, but you will burn your legs a bit more. Had I known this, I probably would have shifted up, but at the time I was in self-preservation mode. Not even Zane telling me (yes, telling; he speaks very calmly during a race, less Bo Pelini, more Buddha) to shift up could convince me. As a result, I got dropped time and time again, and I consider myself to be a decent cyclist... not someone who gets dropped in a continental cup. Since Buffalo, we have worked a lot on this and I will not make the same mistake ever again.

Being in a bad position, getting dropped, having a time penalty, and doing all this in front of my parents and coach had me in a BAD mood going into the run. I should've pushed it anyway, I am capable of going much faster than I did, but I had checked out mentally and basically did a tempo run off the bike.

This sums up the race in a word... "grundle."

Well, this race was a learning experience to be sure. I am done beating myself up about it. It is important to have a short memory sometimes, like Eli Manning! The dude can have 3 terrible quarters of football, and then blow it up in the 4th and win the game!

I now know I have to have a specific plan going into a race, and how it is important for me to follow it. In the long run, I think it was a good thing to have a bad race like this, it is easier to learn from failure than from success. I can promise you I won't make these sorts of age-grouper mistakes again, and I have a totally different approach going into the world cup this weekend in Cancun.

Once again, wish me luck and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!

Kelowna

So, I figured I should finally post this before I have ANOTHER race (this weekend!) to procrastinate writing a report for! The Kelowna Pan-Am cup race I did in August was one of the most beautiful venues I have ever seen. It was my first time in Canada, and I wasn’t disappointed.

I was told Kelowna and the Okanagan Valley where it is located are a lot like Napa Valley in the states. They certainly had the mild climate, farms and vineyards, and beautiful scenery! Flying in I was surprised to see a patchwork of fields, but felt immediately comforted. Pastoral people are good people, and being from Nebraska I felt right at home.

 Real Canadian Bacon... evidently Pizza Hut has been lying to us all along

I did a home-stay with one of the nicest people I have ever met. She showed me around town, introduced me to some great people at a couple parties we went to, and I never felt unwelcome in her home. I understand she is quite the runner too!

Only in Canada would they have a pre-race meeting in a hockey arena. I have grown to like these meetings. It is like a reunion party with the other racers. Obviously we are all leering a bit, sizing each other up before the race, but as I get to know these guys I can’t help but like them and become friends. At the end of the day, we are all chasing the same thing… and besides, if they’re triathletes they can’t be all bad!

The view from my host's balcony

Race day morning I slept in, (this is why I LOVE Continental cups… 3PM start time? Yes, please!) I enjoyed my breakfast on the patio (which overlooks an orchard, which overlooks a golf course, which overlooks the lake and the rest of the valley) and had an easy jog through the orchards. I went down to the race site at around noon to warm up, set up transition, and get ready.

Toeing the line in an ITU race is all fanfare and nerves. It is probably my least favorite part of the whole race, but it’s also cool to have your name announced as you run out to your position (I generally make a point to mean-mug the crowd, Dwayne Wade-style, or at least Tebow). I always hate standing there, waiting, but this time I was focused and ready.

As the gun went off (or is it a horn? Or a whistle? It could be a fart for all I know, I just know to go) I took off hard. This time I knew my step count going in. For some reason, this little strategy from Zane helped a ton. I had 5 steps to the right depth, and dove in. I missed the majority of the bar fight that is an ITU start (aw, shucks!) and found myself in the front pack. I felt good the whole first lap, and exited/re-entered quickly, again using my step count. This is where I messed up; I saw the 4-5 guys ahead of me sort of bowing out wide, so I tried to take a shorter line to the first buoy. What I didn’t realize is how much harder it is to swim solo in choppy water. I lost probably 5 positions before I figured out what was going on and hopped into the pack again.

Beautiful lake! And eerily clear water... I don't like seeing the large fish I am swimming over... 

At the exit, we were really strung out in a straight line. I came out of the water probably around 8^th place. Sprinting to transition 1 is always one of the hardest parts of the race. Your blood pressure spikes from changing posture so drastically, which in turn spikes your heart rate and makes you feel exhausted, and there is Zane in the back of my mind yelling “MAKE THE PACK!!” 

Coming out of T1 with my bike I could see the breakaway, maybe 25 meters ahead, and another group of 2 about 10 meters up. I caught the second group, just as one of them (who went on to win the race) sprinted up and caught the pack. So there we were, Ryan Bice and I, with a decision. Obviously we wanted to hammer it and catch those guys, which we tried, but they were well organized, and after the first climb we realized we weren’t gaining any ground. We sat up and let a few more catch us.

The ride was pretty uneventful after that. I honestly thought we would reel in the breakaway like in Dallas, but they were too strong and too organized. The one thing I did notice was how sharp my handling was, I could gap about anyone on a corner.

The top of the one climb. Glad I got to appreciate this before the race, because I certainly wasn't appreciating much other than the descent to come during the race. Dad, you were right this time, "just one more hill," but there were 6 laps... so there was just one more hill 6 times. 

Going into the run I knew I was a bit dehydrated. It was a hot day (yeah, in Canada… who knew?) and I only had one bottle on the bike (mistake) so I tried to get as much water down as I could at the aid stations. I passed a couple guys on the first lap, and packed up with Ryan Bice… again! We traded surges back and forth for the rest of the race. I hope I helped pace him as much as he did me.

Aside from racing Ryan, I was able to keep up a good internal dialogue that got me through this run… but that’s a whole other blog post.  

I eventually was able to gap Ryan in the last lap, and wound up finishing 14^th overall with a pretty salty run split for a swimmer. It is interesting to see how far I have come. In Dallas in June I got 16^th and was pumped, but here in Kelowna I was disappointed with 14^th.

Well, going into Buffalo (Sept. 15^th!) I had dialed a few things in, but to no avail.  That post will immediately follow this one, and thus you will have both reports before I have even boarded a plane to go to Cancun and race my first world cup! I will do my best to write that report within the week this time… but lets be honest you’re not exactly holding your breath over there are you? Until then, wish me luck and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!