I Ain't From Dallas, but I D-Town Boogie!

On June 2nd I raced in the ITU Pan-Am Cup race in Dallas. We had been focusing on this one for a while, so I had a combination of apprehension and confidence going in. In the end, I did pretty well, and I can tell all my training and experience is starting to pay off.


I went down to Dallas the week in advance to get a bit more acclimated, check out the race site, and have a relatively stress-free week going into the race. I did home stay with a very nice family. I once again really lucked out here- I rarely feel that much "at home" when I am not at home.

Mark and Mary, thank you so much for all your accommodation and support! You have a great family and a beautiful home, thank you for letting me into it for the week. To the kids, I will definitely come back and hang out, talk about Harry Potter and soccer with you until bed time any time!

The family's dog, Lexi. She and I became friends when I gave her a treat, and then we became BEST friends when I found out she can actually eat more peanut butter than me!

The week going into the race was awesome. It was rainy a couple times, but I got some good training in anyway. I got to meet a couple of Zane's other athletes (both of whom seem to share my inappropriate sense of humor... poor Zane!) and I was able to get very familiar with the race course.

Finally, I got set up with some race wheels! Profile Design Altairs from Kompetitive Edge. They accelerate like a Ferrari, have top end speed to spare, and corner like surgical instruments.

I set up my Cervélo P2 (which is a time trial bike) with a road-style cockpit and pushed the seat back, so now I had an aero road frame with race wheels! Sara, you've never looked better, and I was definitely glad to have the speed boost on the bike leg.

The Frankenbike, in all her glory! I have to attribute my solid race, at least in part, to a huge upgrade from my old Roubaix...

The race start was set for 2:45 PM... the hottest part of the day. We watched the women's race first, where half of the field DNF'ed. That's right, the heat got to 50% of the ladies! If that doesn't psych you out, I don't know what will...

As we walked over to jump into the lake (It was an in-water start) the pavement was baking my feet and I had to alternate standing on one foot lizard-style. The breeze only offered a bit of respite from the 98 degree temperatures, and as I jumped into the still, brackish water I hung on to that initial chill for as long as I could, knowing I would wish I had it again in about an hour...

As we swam up to the start line, I thought of a commercial I had seen recently. I looked at my competitors, and smelled blood in the water. "Everything we've worked for...." Check this commercial out if you haven't already:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4zJEk06O4g

The initial sprint (and the whole swim) felt razor sharp. Some punk was on my left creeping up, but I pushed him over to where there was a buoy in the water blocking a pole, and he had to slow down and go behind me... The phrase "pinching off" came into my mind, and my 13 year old self giggled with Mike Sup as his dad explained to us that the phrase referred to another driver in NASCAR, and not a turd...

I was 7th coming out of the water, and hit my transition hard. My experience in ITU racing paid off here, I ran so fast that I was mildly surprised when I got to my bike!

Here is my transition, I've never made up so much ground in these stretched as I did in Dallas!

Now, I was so pumped to have FINALLY made the front pack in an ITU race that I was all sorts of chatty with my competitors on the bike. Unfortunately, there seems to be some sort of unspoken (obviously!) rule that you just don't talk to each other during the race... everyone looked at me weird when I tried to crack a joke, and mostly just mean-mugged and shoulder-shrugged each other until someone would yell something like "CLOSE THE GAP!" or "¡Jale, Cabrón!" or something in French... sorry, Canadians, Je ne comprend pas francais! 

All in all, the bike felt very tame to me. It seemed like no one really wanted to push it, especially after watching 20 of the women bonk... However, it was so slow that some of the runners who aren't strong swimmers were able to catch us! ...scrawny little punks...

I wasn't in the best position coming off the bike, but again I made up ground in transition. I knew within a hundred meters of the start of the run that it would be tough. I used every aid station, and did everything I could to keep my 162 pound body (which is like, morbidly obese for a triathlete) cooled off. There were several moments when I felt flaky, and at several points I had to choose between racing some guy and going for broke, or playing it safe and surviving the race. 

The run did seem long, and all of the times were about 4.5 minutes off what the guys can usually run. Given that I went a 40, it was probably more like a 35 or 36, which isn't far off what I should've gone. 

 I passed a few guys, got passed by a few guys, and wound up finishing 16th. Not top ten, no prize purse, but I was close. This was the first time I have ever been "in" a race, and had conditions been a bit better I think I could've been top 10. Who knows, I am sure lots of dudes are saying that right now, and who is to say any of us are wrong? 

The point is, I learned what it will take to be "in" any ITU continental cup race, and I can use that going into my future races. 

My post-race indulgence, a coffee (to stave off the bonk) and a donut (cuz I'm fat!)

Whew, that got a little long-winded... sorry... but thanks to those of you still reading! I took a lot from this race. I now have confidence going into any of my upcoming races, and I will soon be a force to be reckoned with. I have a while before my next continental cup, and until then I will be focusing on dropping a few more lbs and upping my run. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Kansas City 5150

A couple weeks ago on May 20th I raced the Kansas City 5150. Although I had decided to focus mostly on ITU racing, I wanted to test out the non-drafting waters in the pro field. I went into this race on a short taper, and without any real expectations since I was mostly focusing on the Dallas ITU race on June 2nd.

The positives I took from this race (decent swim, good transitions, solid run, had fun!) outnumber the negatives, but the negative (slow bike leg) was heavy enough to place me 16th... *ahem* out of 16 in the pro field *cough*....

At least I beat all the age groupers, and all the pro women! (Phew!) So I can say I got 16th overall in what actually turned out to be a very fast and deep race.

I actually had a pretty good crew come down for this race! Anna and some of her friends were going to Kansas City anyway to celebrate one of their birthdays, so I had a few hot twenty-somethings to cheer for me. Also my parents, being as awesome as they are, made the drive to watch their baby boy.

Dad struttin' on the bike course before the start. That's right ladies, this is where I get my rugged good looks. No, he does not drive that motorcycle. But yes, he does have a mustache. Teach me how to Dougie!

This bag from Kompetitive Edge is awesome... it literally held everything I needed except my bike! 

The swim was not wetsuit legal for the pros, which was good for me being a swimmer. (Wetsuits only level out the playing field, they help bad swimmers a lot more than they help good ones!) I was something like 6th coming out of the water, and passed the two guys with me in T1 with an aggressive- borderline panicky -approach to transition that I took from the ITU.

The bike is where I lost the race. Now, I have not trained this year as a time trialer, and these guys probably spend a lot more hours (and a lot more dollars!) than I do on my bike. As a result, I averaged significantly slower than all of the other pros on the bike. Getting passed 12 times on the bike hurts. 

If I was going to focus on non-drafting racing, I would switch to more of a cycling focus in training, buy some sick race wheels, and a better TT specific bike. Until then, I'll do what I can with what I've got. 

Full disclosure here- I probably should've kept a couple guys in sight and then tried to run them down... Oh well, ya win some, ya LEARN some!

The run was pretty good again! I ran a 35:45 off the bike, which is almost a minute faster than I have ever gone. The amazing thing was, once I saw I wasn't really catching anyone after the first lap, I let up a bit so as not to dig too much of a hole going into Dallas, but I still split it evenly and was able to have a PR run... I used to be a swimmer, when did I become such a triathlete?

After the race, Anna admiring my guns and telling me how sexy I looked while racing, and me talking about how sick my race kit is and asking when we can get some BBQ.

Ok so only like 50% of that is true...

My two best sponsors, biggest fans, and some pretty cool roommates as it turns out! I know they will always be there for me after every race, good or bad. Mom will be looking at the positive, and Dad will be reserved, only asking questions that someone who's been there would know. I hope this was a fun trip for you guys as well since it was right after Mother's Day and right before Dad's birthday!

After the race we went to Jack Stack for some Kansas City BBQ at the recommendation of my friend Matt. Oh man, I haven't had a meal that good in a while! First of all, the service was great. Then, the food was amazing! The ribs and brisket were smoked perfectly, the sides were made from scratch, the carrot cake was unreal, and the burnt ends... oh lord, the burnt ends! Seared, smoked, and seared again, they were the juiciest, most flavorful bites of meat I have ever eaten. If you get nothing else at Jack Stack, get the burnt ends... ok and some carrot cake too! Unbelievable. 

Well, I hope this satisfies your craving for knowledge about my life... wait, you weren't craving any? Ohhh you're just craving barbecue, did I mention Jack Stack is good? Stop drooling, go getchaself some, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT! 

Mazatlan

Last weekend took me to Mazatlan, Mexico to race in the ITU Pan Am Cup. The race as a whole went ok. Zane and I focus on the process of a race rather than the outcome, and in this case the process didn't go as planned, and as such my outcome suffered. Here is the rundown! Lovely photography by Libbie Holmes

Beautiful beach! Mazatlan was nice, but the assault rifle-wielding police officers and drug dogs walking across our baggage at the airport reminded us we were in the 3rd world. This didn't seem like a place North Americans come for vacation, but rather a vacation spot for Mexicans. I was glad I speak Spanish!

I got settled in and felt fine in the pre-race workouts, although some confusion and lack of preparation things on my part caused more stress than I liked... more on that later.

On my way to the venue race day morning! I felt solid on warmup, but I lacked a plan. This caused me to cut my warmup shorter than I should have, again, the process didn't go well, so the outcome suffered. I am still learning. I learned how tough ITU racing is in Florida, but Mazatlan taught me how the tiniest details can have the biggest impact.

The swim was even more aggressive than Clermont, probably because it was longer. I have the bruises still to prove that it was no cake walk. I would say "you should see the other guy," but I don't even know what body part hit me, let alone what country it was from.

A less-than satisfactory entry was made up for by a good swim, and I found myself in the lead group. The two other Americans took off, but I couldn't see them make the move or I would've been able to go with them. In retrospect, I definitely should've been more aggressive.

I am ashamed to admit this, but again, my T1 lost the race. I was probably 10th coming out of the water, but I didn't have tape with me. A detail that will never again be overlooked. What does tape have to do with anything? Well, tape usually holds my gels to my bike, but since I had none I had to stop to put the gels in my suit. Maybe 6 seconds extra. 

That 6 seconds might as well have been 6 years as I was sprinting out of the saddle-on top of my shoes-as I came out of transition to catch the front pack. Just as I got to the limits of my legs, HR at max, eyeballs about to fall out, the group accelerated and I was still 5 meters behind- too far to catch on. I felt like the guy in the movies who just missed the last train home and chased it down the track in desperation before falling over in exhaustion. 

I sat up and let a couple dudes catch me so we could work together. I had no idea though that the Mexican team is notorious for not pulling. I would do my share of about 30-40 seconds at the front and then pull back and let someone else take over, but the two guys I was with initially were Mexican, and they had no intentions pulling when a capable gringo like myself was with them. Frustrating. Finally, our group gained size from catching a few and being caught by a few, so I wasn't alone, cursing at some Mexicans in Spanish (¡Jale! ¡Pinche Joto!) and was able to finally get a bit of rest.  

A Canadian, Alexander Hinton (who had a hell of a run!) and myself broke away on the last lap for a bit, only to be out sprinted by a bunch of the Mexican team going into transition. Evidently they are known for riding hard for 2k of the race; the first k and the last!

It didn't matter though, because I cooked most of them in T2 and I ran the rest of them down. I gotta say, I got HUGE satisfaction out of this! Look at that photo, I almost don't run like a swimmer anymore! I had a solid run, nothing to write home about, but it showed progress. Just like my race overall, really. I came in 22nd.

The coolest part of the race was how much I felt like a celebrity afterwards. Kids were coming up to me, asking to have their picture taken with me. It was like nothing I have ever experienced. I gave my shades to some kid who wanted my autograph. It made his day, and for some reason I felt like they didn't belong to me anymore. Shortly thereafter, I got a combo deal at a beach shack for a smoked marlin fish taco and a pair of M Frame knock offs for 100 pesos... Nice!

Yes, we did do a little of this too. It was, after all, Mexico! In short, I need to be better planned going into every race. If details don't go overlooked, the process will go smoothly, and the results will follow.

Once again, I have a lot to work on before Kansas City, although the non drafting style will feel a little more like home to me. Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Moving Home

Let's just go ahead and get it out on the table. It'll be quick, like ripping off a band-aid. I'm moving back in with my parents to train full time.

Yeah yeah, call me a quitter, or a mama's boy (partially true), or a slacker. Fact is, I gave up a seat in dental school to pursue triathlon, so I want to DO that as best as I can. I am moving home to cut costs, so that I can train full time, work part time, and then have money left over instead of spending it all on living, traveling, and business expenses... (yeah, like new bikes!) So you can call me whatever you want, but I will be watching the Star-Trek marathon from my parents basement between workouts!

Actually, I hate Star-Trek... and I will be keeping pretty busy.

You can probably tell from my last few posts that my training has been going awesome, but everything else in my life is falling to the wayside. This is not how I want to live my life, and when push comes to shove this means I am going to have to cut some things out. I am nowhere near ready to cut out triathlon, so I am moving home to cut a lot of the other stuff out that comes with living on your own as well as living in the city... and lets be honest, I am a country boy!

Yeah, my top-5 least favorite things include parking garages, stop-and-go traffic, and Affliction T-shirts. All of which are abundant in downtown Denver.

...Also topping the list are giant squid and any music by Pink or The Cranberries, but I can still avoid those in Nebraska.

And, most importantly, I won't have to be quiet when I cheer for the Huskers! And, CU football fans would be like, number 6 on that list of least favorite things... Yes Shook, Rachel, and Hogan, this includes you, but only on game days!

This is not a permanent solution. I love Colorado, and I know I will be back here within a couple years... Just not downtown Denver. This state is the perfect place for triathlon training, I just can't afford it right now. After a year at home, we will re-evaluate based on my training, race results, and savings, and go from there.

Now, expenses are obviously cut down by like, 90% by moving home, but I will basically have to act as my parents' groundskeeper and cleaning guy, which I am OK with. I have also got some sweet opportunities for part-time work that will fit in with my training. Bottom line is, I am not exactly going to be like Will Ferrell in Step Brothers, except that you do have to call me Night Hawk or I will put my balls on your drum set.

This decision may seem rushed, but I actually considered it pretty seriously right after college. This year in Denver has been awesome and I wouldn't trade it or any of the people I've met during it for anything. I am so grateful to have been given so many opportunities out here, and I hope to receive half that many when I come back. But, right now, I just can't make it work.

I will be moving the first week in May, but there are already lots of times in my schedule that I will be returning to the mountains. I am excited to move home and to be able to train full time and see where this takes my performance. I will miss Colorado, but its not like I am moving to Mars. I will totally come back and sleep on your couch for a weekend and train at altitude!

Wish me luck, because as soon as I move home, my training gets amped up! Thanks for your support, and FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!

Training update

Whatever happened to the days when I could just go for a run, ride, or swim? When I didn't have to worry about paces, heart rate, or nutrition?

Well, I'll tell ya. Those days should've gone away when I decided to give up a seat at dental school to pursue triathlon. They should've gone away again when I qualified for this sweet card that says "elite" instead of "Men 20-24." But, ultimately these days did not go away until I hired a coach. I've said it before and I'll say it again, having a coach has made all the difference.

Its the organization, the periodization of the training year, and the consistency that have taken me to that next level. Zane is a detail guy, and this has caused me to pay attention to those details as well and see how they fit into the big picture.

For instance, before every workout I think about what kind of mood I am in, what is on my mind, what my nutrition has been like that day, how I slept the night before, and what kind of soreness or fatigue I have from prior workouts. All of these things play a big role in how the workout will go, and if I make a note of them all, we can see how they trend.

This may sound like a lot to consider, but hey, its my job! And besides, it has paid off for me a ton. I now realize how consistent I have to be with nutrition, sleep, and attitude in order to have my training at the level I need.

Writing off purchases like wetsuits as "business expenses" is one of the perks of an elite license. Can't WAIT to try this thing out!

Had to trade in donuts for apples as snacks lately... ahh, sacrifices...

3.5 hour ride on my birthday... I'd be hard pressed to call this a "sacrifice" though... I finally got away from the concrete jungle! And the mustache made me faster.

Lovely evening ride up Lookout Mountain... I am just now realizing these pictures don't really have anything to do with the rest of the post... my bad...

What level, you ask, is the level I now need and can attain? Well, lets just say I have been hitting running and cycling paces that would've been unheard of as recently as 2 months ago, and I have been swimming times I haven't hit since I was in college. The intensity in my training has picked up a ton, basically since right after Clermont, and I can already tell I the athlete named Sam Holmes who will race in Mazatlan is not the same athlete who raced in Clermont.

Well I hope your training is going as well as mine is as the season starts to pick up! Until next time, FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!

Me-Time

You know when you go to a restaurant, and they give you 4 slices of toast, and only one pad of butter? Well, sometimes I feel like the tiny pad of butter, and all the roles I have to play in life are the giant slices of toast!

We could all use a hand sometimes, and I am so lucky to have such great friends and family who are so supportive and understanding of me and my commitments. But even with this incredible foundation of support, I can't have Libbie go to work for me, or have my mom finish this threshold workout for me.

Its true, as a professional triathlete who works, commutes, coaches, blogs (sometimes...) and tries to be a sociable human being, I can feel pulled in a lot of different directions at once. I think sometimes I would forget how to sit down if I didn't have to do so in order to ride my bike.

The only way to handle these many different roles is to manipulate them. Sometimes, I can't be the best boyfriend in order to be the best triathlete I can, so I have to cut the phone call short in order to get the sleep I need to recover (sorry, Anna). Sometimes, I can't be the best employee I can in order to be the best triathlete, so I finish the workout and come in a couple minutes late (sorry, guys).

I am sure this is the case with anyone who is pressed for time, and we all have to find our own ways of managing, but the most important thing to remember to take care of is YOURSELF!

My favorite "me-time" moments often include getting out of the city. Whether this be a trail run near Horsetooth Reservoir (which is amazing, if you haven't done it, you're missing out) or a long ride in the mountains this is an easy way to recharge the batteries away from traffic, parking garages, and the St. Patrick's day crowd on Blake Street.

A nice, long ride, all by my lonesome, at Chatfield reservoir. The phone was on airplane mode, so if you tried to reach me.... well... sorry!

Sometimes I just feel like cookin! Eggplant parmesan, late-night. Nobody to talk to but me.

Here is a hand when I needed one. Beat from a long day and a late night of training, I came home to find teriyaki tofu waiting for me. Thanks Libs and Sev!

Sometimes it just takes turrning my phone off and ditching an hour of sleep to read and eat a late dinner by myself. However it is that you get your "me-time," make sure that you get it! After all, the most important role we all play in life is that of ourselves. FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!! ... but only if it fits into your schedule...

Clermont

Hello everyone! Here is my recap of the race I competed in a couple weeks ago in Clermont, Florida.

Going into Clermont we knew I wasn't quite "race ready," but sort of like how the Huskers always schedule teams like Deer-Turd State Dental College the first week of the season, we knew I needed a tune-up. I have been training really solid (hence the hiatus from blogging... sorry!) and I wanted to use Clermont as a learning experience to get my feet wet in the ITU draft-legal style of pro racing.

The moments leading up to the race are a bit hazy as always. I can tell you that we walked out in a line to the start line that was about waist-deep in the lake, and other than that all I remember is the mass panic after the horn sounded (or was it a gun? I don't know,  a loud noise of sorts...)

Now, non-drafting racing is like trench warfare, and there are hints of civil war, gentlemanly manners. You know your trenches have been dug for the bike in the past months, because "Them rebs a'comin" and there is almost an attitude of "go ahead, lets see what you can do."

Draft-legal racing however is like a bar fight. I got punched, dunked, kicked, and jumped on. I had people pulling on my ankles, and grabbing at my arms. Having 60 guys who are faster, as fast, or maybe slightly slower than me in the water was.... well, frankly, weird for me. At the swim exit, we had to run through knee-deep water for about 50 meters, and I lost the front group here. The portion we had actually swum I was in the lead group, but I lost them here, a matter of 10 seconds.

My co-worker and friend Brandon was giving me shit just the other day about being a couple minutes late. He said something like 2 minutes isn't a big deal here, but in a race 2 seconds can be a big deal. This thought was burning in my head as I hopped on the bike and pedaled like a madman, essentially time-trialing trying to catch the lead pack.

Really, this was the race for me. I eventually realized my effort was futile (a well-managed pack will NEVER be caught by a single rider) and I let up to let a smaller group catch me that I could work with. I and a couple other guys did most of the work in this pack, but I was here to race so I was not about to let some pinche cabrón from Mexico take my position at the front. 

I cooked most of "my" pack in transition, and was reeling some stragglers in on the run (I split about an 18 flat off the bike, which is solid for a fish!) but I just ran out of real-estate. I knew with about 400 meters left that I had been too conservative.

I wound up placing about in the middle. Remember this day, this will be the last time ever that I am relatively happy with 34th place, simply because I learned so much.... like don't be 2 minutes late for work.... or 2 seconds late on the swim exit.

All racing aside, Anna and I had a great vacay down in Florida. Since Clermont, on the classy scale from 1 to Myrtle beach, is about an 11, we spent most of our time in Sarasota where I met up with Caitlin who I swam with in college. Ahhhh, I love hot, humid weather about as much as I love the mountains....

Transition area... Yes, we had no ITU boxes, so it didn't matter where I put my stuff!

Lake Louisa the night before the race... watch out for gators?? Are you kidding me?? Where I'm from, we're more worried about getting ice off the ponds!

Nosh session with Anna from a place called Munchies 420... Yes, it is run by a bunch of stoners... what gave it away? The name, or the mac n' cheese, chicken strips, mozzarella sticks, and onion rings on my burger? Not that this looks all that good, but it wasn't as good as it looks!

Sick rental vehicle! It acted as a safe haven for Anna and I from our dingy hotel room, and my pre-race nerves. I miss that jeep! No keys, push to start! #WizKhalifa

Finally, my nice dinner for the trip. At Tommy Bahama's in Sarasota (St. Armand's circle is awesome, I would go back to that area for sure!) where I had crab-stuffed-shrimp with mashed potatoes and a nutty, curry-like sauce. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, the crab stuffing was everything I liked about a crab cake, the mashed potatoes reminded me of Thanksgiving at Nana's house, and the sauce tied it all together. 9 out of 10!

Well, this sums up my recent adventures in Florida. Now we know what we need to work on before Mazatlán (April 21st) and I am already up to my eyeballs in training! Wish me luck, I'll do a better job of keeping you posted, and most of all FOLLOW THE PACE RABBIT!!!