2013 Topeka Tinman Short Course Race Report

The 33rd annual Topeka Tinman took place on Saturday June 15, 2013 at Lake Shawnee, Kansas. This was my first triathlon of 2013, and one that will hold a special place for me, as it's the only race in my hometown of Topeka, Kansas. I had done the race back in 2011, which was only the second triathlon I had ever completed. This year's course was exactly the same, and I was excited to see how my times would compare after 2 years of training.

Cervelo race ready!

Number 2. No pressure or anything...

Pre-Race

Rach and I made the drive back to Topeka Friday night and stayed at my parents' house to avoid the necessary 4:00am alarm on race morning. We got to sleep in till 5:00am instead. Despite being home, I didn't sleep well. I probably only got a few hours of sleep, but that's becoming pretty standard the night before races. For breakfast, I drank some Gatorade and tried to eat some oatmeal, the same thing I eat about 95% of the time for breakfast, and just couldn't. I was too excited!

Sister looking almost as cool as me. Almost...

We soon left and headed to Lake Shawnee. We arrived around 6:15, and found my assigned rack.  It was the furthest rack away from the entrance off the bike, but the closest for the run exit.  I was the second person at the rack, so I basically had my pick of where to stick my bike.  I set up my transition area in about 30 seconds and wondered around for 30 minutes, wondering why I always get there crazy early.  I then left for a 5 mile bike warmup to make sure the Cervelo was ready to work. I headed down to the swim start once I got back and squeezed into my wetsuit for the swim!

Can you spot me?

Making fart noises...

"I need to lose some weight"

Swim

My swim wave was the first to go.  We lined up on the beach, but had to go off at a diagonal into the water (tough to explain).  I positioned myself up in front (or so I thought), and sprinted into the water once the horn went off.  

I immediately started pushing hard, but noticed that most of my fellow AGers continued to run parallel to the water along the beach.  Poop.

Not surprisingly, I was immediately dropped off the lead group of 3, and struggled to find feet.  The swim was incredibly short (400 meters), and I wanted to stay with the lead group throughout. Well, that didn't happen.  Despite pushing hard, I never got close to catching them. With about 100m to go, I just settled into a nice pace and hung onto some feet to draft a bit and save my energy for the remainder of the race.

Time: 6:27

Distance: 400 meters

Pace: 1:28/100y

AG: 3/19

Overall: 12/325

T1

There's is a fairly long run up a slight hill back to the transition area. I had the longest run possible back to my rack, which I was cool with because it allowed me to have a bit of extra time to get the wetsuit off.  Once I got to my rack, I got my wetsuit off my legs, helmet and sunglasses on, and I was off.  This was my first race keeping my shoes clipped in my bike to start, and I had no issues! Thankfully...

Flying mount!

Time: 1:35

AG: 2/19

Overall: 16/325

Bike

I can't tell you how excited I was for this bike segment! There was a bit of a headwind out, but really it was pretty light.  After slipping my feet into my shoes, I immediately started chasing people down.  Being the first age group to go is sorta odd, as there is literally no one out on the course.  Luckily, I had a slow swim so I could follow people :)

The ride was really uneventful.  The course itself is very flat, but on chip sealed roads which made the short ride a bit longer.  I ended up passing 3 riders immediately out of transition, and 2 more out on the course.  I caught up to the 2nd place rider right as we were heading back into T2, but never saw the 1st rider out on the course.  I was really happy with how the ride went, and felt like I was working hard the  entire time (and had the heart rate data to prove it).  

Heading into T2

Time: 36:00

Distance: 13 miles

Pace: 21.7 mph

AG: 1/19

Overall: 10/325

T2

T2 went really well.  I slipped out of my shoes prior to riding into transition, and did a rolling dismount which carried into the run to my bike. The only issue was having to rerack my bike, as I didn't want my new Carbon baby falling to the ground...  Rack bike, helmet off, shoes on, peace...

Time: 0:38

AG: 3/19

Overall: 7/325

Run

On to the humid, humid, humid run.  

I was pretty spent after the bike, but I knew I was in at least 2nd place in my AG.  I began on the course and tried to keep a higher cadence.  After a half mile, I still wasn't hitting the pace I knew I was usually capable of doing and really started feeling hot.  My legs just couldn't turn over fast enough. It was so insanely humid and I was really starting to overheat.

Hurting...

At the turn, I got to see the 2 guys in front of me, who were both in the 15-19 AG, which meant I was in the lead! Unfortunately for me, I also got to see who was chasing me.  There was a group of 3 guys about 30 seconds behind me that were in my AG and hauling ass. I started to freak out a bit, and thought of all those professional triathletes (Chris Lieto in Kona...) that get chased down on the run. I just tried to focus on my leg turnover and not how effn hot I was.

Really hurting...

I really gave it my best on the way back in. I was really disappointed with my pace, but my effort was incredible.  My abs were cramping, which made taking a full breath impossible.  As I turned to head down the finishing chute, I tried to kick it up a bit to give it everything I had. There was one guy right on my feet, about 15 second behind me and closing. I was about to turn down the finish chute with nothing left in the tank, and was told I needed to make a small loop back around transition to the other side of the chute!  I about stopped and walked, and was certain I would be passed for 2nd place, but it never happened!

The Correct Finish Chute

I held on, barely, and crossed the line in first by 12 seconds. 

Time: 23:20

Distance: 5 kilometers

Pace: 7:32/mile

AG: 3/19

Overall: 29/325

Total Time: 1:07:58

AG: 1/19

Overall:10/325

Overall, I was really happy with my first Age Group win! I was not, however, very content with my run.  It sucked, and I'm sure the humidity and heat had something to do with it (along with the insanely hard bike), but it was still far below what I know I'm capable of doing.  Regardless, I'm really motivated to get back to training and seeing if I can get some more run speed to go along with the swim and bike!

Made the news. Because I got beat by a 16 yo girl. Not joking...

For the 2011 vs 2013 comparison:  my total time on the same course (although the 2011 swim was probably 100 meters short) was 1:13:33. I'm happy with a 5:30 improvement, despite having the poopie run this go around. The bike has come along way since 2011 (averaged 17.8 mph).

Awards! Yeah!

I have to thank Rach for sherpa-ing for me (yet again), and my family for watching me race! It was a great race, Ultramax always puts on top-notch events.  I know I'll be back in the future!

If you ain't first, you're last!

Thanks for reading!

mark

Catching Up

Hello everyone. Good news, I'm alive and well. I'm back to dust off the cobwebs on this old blog. A new name should help. I'm no longer "young enough...."

Sorry for the absence, but it was much needed after a rough end to my 2012 season.

But let's recap, and I'll fill you in on an already busy 2013!

2012

• 2012 was the year for injuries for me, in particular my left IT band / hip.  It made for a rough year (didn't start 4 races), but I've learned a lot from the experience.  I am now more in tune with my overall volume and fitness, especially with running. No more 30-40 mile weeks without building up to it!
• I ended my race season at the Midwest Meltdown, where I took 2nd in my Age Group (again...), but had my first 20mph bike split! I was really happy, but I am still wanting an AG win. 
• I took 2 months completely off from training, starting in late October and lasting till January of 2013.  
• Work/school has been fantastic. I'm so blessed to have innovative people around me at work to continue to inspire and motivate me.  I took one of the most challenging classes I have ever taken, a sort of advanced exercise physiology class, and now am really considering pursuing more of an exercise-based approach to my research with concussions. More on that in a later post...
• Rach and I took some big steps together at the end of the year. We added another 4-legged member to our little family. We adopted Gus around Christmas, and have had a blast getting to know him! He's a great dog, and a pretty good brother to Mr. Mad Max.

Where my dogs at?

Oh, Hi Gus!

The biggest event of the year, and probably my life, has been asking Rach to marry me, and for some reason she said yes...

Boom. Winner.

Me being completely normal during our engagement photos in Allen Fieldhouse

So 2013 has been full of wedding planning, along with training, work, school, etc. I always thought it wouldn't take long to plan a wedding. 6 weeks tops. Man, was I wrong...

2013

• This year, my number one focus has been consistency.  No more epic training sessions that totally wipe me out for the next 3 days.  Just easy progression, month to month. I've followed some of Joe Friel's methods for periodization, and have been reaping the rewards WITHOUT injury.  I've been taking it a bit easier with my run volume and intensity, but still am seeing improvement.
• This year I wanted to focus more on short course races, in the hopes of building more speed and working more on building endurance in the coming seasons (the ITU approach...).

Completely spent at Shawnee Mission Park

• I did a few 5ks in the early spring, and did okay.  Nothing crazy, but just solid improvements.  Still looking to get under 20:00.
• My first "A" (or focus) race of the year was the Kansas 5150, held at Clinton Lake.  I was hoping to qualify for the 5150 US Championships in Des Moines, but unfortunately the race was altered because of storms. The swim was cancelled, the roads appeared wet, and I didn't think the '86 Cannondale could handle the sweeping downhills on wet roads.  I ended up turning in my timing chip before the race started, and headed to my sister's graduation at KU. Naturally, the weather immediately cleared up and a great race was had by all (except me...).
• Happily, I now have a new love in my life (sorry Rach), my new BIKE!!!  After the wasted 5150 race, I went and got a Retul fit with Jeff at Elite Cycling, and was told a Cervelo P2 would be the perfect bike for me. 

It's science...

• So, Rach got it for me as my wedding gift. Even more validation that I am the luckiest person in the world to be with her... And the bike is scary fast :) 

Checking out my position in my living room...

• Rach also got herself a Specialized Dolce, and has gotten bit by the Triathlon bug! She is registered for 3 races this summer. Everyone in the F25-29 AG better watch out!

Getting frozen yogurt, I mean training.

That's about it! At least the major stuff... I just finished my first triathlon of the year, the Topeka Tinman, and will write up a race report on that soon!  Next race will be the Shawnee Mission Triathlon, where I will be going for a 2nd Place Dynasty in the short course! Already two-for-two!

And I want to trial some nice endings to my blog posts. Please let me know which ones are the best...

Only you can prevent forest fires...

mark

Midwest Meltdown Race Preview

Tomorrow's the last triathlon of the year for me, the Midwest Meltdown Triathlon, which will be taking place in Paola, KS, about 30 minutes south of Kansas City.

There is a sprint distance and long course race, which I'm opting in for the shorter of the 2 choices. Distances include a 750m swim, 10.5mi bike, and a 5k run. The swim is a bit longer the my last sprint races at 750 meters, but word on the street is that it might be wetsuit legal! SWEET! It will be the second race I will use my full sleeve 2XU wetsuit I got for Christmas!

I needed some practice getting it on.  It was a bit snugger than it was in May.....
AKA Diet time...

As of now, the weather is looking a bit suspect.  Of course, Kansas has had approximately 3 days with substantial rain since May (made up fact), and one of the days is looking like it will be my final triathlon of the season.  Oh well, we need some rain (although I'm pretty sure the crops are screwed at this point).

Humidity at 97%? Sure!

With this being my last race, I'm looking at just having a good time and enjoying it.  After Sunday, I will be in full-on run mode, with my training focusing on my 2 final half marathons of 2012.

I've been living in my Sugoi compression sleeves the last month...

My training has been mediocre at best for swim/bike since my last race, but my emphasis has turned to run training the last month.  I've increased my weekly volume to 25 miles, and that's only going to increase.  I'm hoping to see AT LEAST a similar time from my 5k run at the Matt Mason Memorial Triathlon this month.

Regardless, I'm going to try and get my 20mph average for the bike this race.  I hear that this is a flat course, and with a little help from the weather, I think I can finally crack the 20mph threshold.  It would give be a nice boost heading into my "offseason"!

Finally, I have a training buddy of mine racing in his first full distance Ironman tomorrow at Louisville, and I will be thankful I don't have a 140.6 miles to cover!  Best of luck, Jon!!!

Be back for a race report!
Thanks for reading!!!

Matt Mason Memorial "Cowboy UP!" Triathlon Race Report

On Sunday August 5th, 2012, I had the distinct pleasure of racing in the inaugural Matt Mason Memorial "Cowboy Up!" Triathlon.  The race was a sprint distance which included a 500m swim, 10 mile bike, and a 5k run.  There was just under 300 participants at the race, many doing their first triathlon. The weather was absolutely perfect for a race in early August.  Temps were in the mid 60s at the start of the race, which was quite the change from the triple digit temps we've had the last 6 weeks!

Smithville Lake on a perfect day!

Pre-Race:
The race took place about an hour from my apartment, so I had an early wake up and drive to the race.  Rach and I got there around 6:15am to get everything unloaded and set up.  For some reason, I felt out of sorts this morning, and had a tough time sequencing what I normally do. For example, I almost forgot to pick up my timing chip, which is usually the first thing I do.  I felt like I was wondering around more than I normally do before a race, and ended up not having enough time for a pre-race bike ride to make sure everything was functioning.

Transition

All of my crap...

After briefly talking to some race officials about the swim course and the path to transition, I headed down to the water to get in line for the time trial start.  I positioned myself 2nd from the front of the 8:00 minute group, about 10-12 overall.

Scoping out the course

There was quite a bit going on before the race.  If you checked out my Race Preview (or read the title of the post), you know that this race was in memory of Matt Mason, a Navy SEAL who passed away about a year ago.  Before the start of the race, there were prayers, stories about Matt, a gun solute, and a helicopter fly-over.  It really brought a whole other feel to the race, and helped eliminate any pre-race anxiety.  I really felt honored to be there, and was going to try and go hard!

The first swimmers took off at 7:00am, and I was in the water about a minute later!


Swim:
My goal for the swim was finishing in 8:15-8:45.  At the start, I sprinted into the water as far as I could before I started swimming.  Because of the low water level, my guess is I sprinted about 50 feet into the water. My best start yet!  I quickly found my groove, and started passing the 2 in front of me.  Once I got to the first turn buoy, I got a glimpse of where the 7:00 minute group was, and realized I could catch and draft off of some.  I picked up my pace, and soon got on the heels of the last 3 members in the group.

Highsteppin' almost to the first buoy

I felt really well during the swim, never out of control or pushing too hard.  I think in my last race of the year, I'm going to test myself by really pushing in the swim, but this race went well.  Soon enough, I was swimming to the water exit, and was up and running towards transition.

Swim Exit

The timing mat must have been at the entrance to T1, which added AT LEAST a minute to my swim time (Honestly, probably more).  I was happy with my time and effort!

Time: 9:01
Distance: 547 yards
Pace: 1:39/100y
AG: 2/13
Overall: 17/257

T1:
If my T1 time included the run to transition, this would have been lengthy... My rack was the second closest to the swim entrance, so I had a short run once I got there.  I struggled with my tri-top for about 30 seconds, but quickly got my shoes on, helmet on, and took off.  I will definitely be purchasing a trisuit that I can where during swims for next year.... I'm sick of struggling with a top while I'm soaking wet.

Hey my shirt's on!

Wow...awkward

Time: 0:58
AG: 4/13

Bike:
Believe it or not, I actually held back pretty well the first 3 miles! I made the conscious decision to do this for real based solely on the rough road conditions heading out of the park, so I knew I had a good reason to pace myself.  After mile 3, the road began to smooth and I began to hammer!

Just getting started....

The 10 mile ride really seemed to fly by.  It was the quickest one I can remember, and I really just focused on keeping a good tempo throughout.  I did get passed a bit initially, but I was able to reel in a few later in the ride.  One thing I was disappointed with was the blatant drafting by a few members of the Wolf Pack racing group from KC.  Tisk risk....

I never really looked at my pace for the ride, and I wish I would have.  I began coasting into transition and spinning out my legs a bit earlier than normal, and I wish I didn't because I would have had my first 20 mph average for a race!!! So close!!!!  Overall, I was VERY happy with this ride, especially following my crappy ride on the course the week before.

Coasting in to transition

Time: 30:18
Distance: 10 miles
Pace: 19.8mph
AG: 3/13
Overall: 55/257 (damn...)

T2:
The usual. Fast, smooth, and efficient. Rack bike, bike shoes off, running shoes on, helmet off, grab belt, PEACE OUT!

Let's do this...

Time: 0:30
AG: 1/13

Run:
The run was on a paved trail the ran along the lake, which meant that it was mostly flat. Thank God...  I quickly found a good pace with a solid leg turnover, and nailed my first my split of 7:15, my goal.  Descending from there was much more difficult...  Mile 2 seemed to really drag on, and my legs began to feel heavy.  I quickly began wondering if I pushed too hard on the bike, but decided I would just do what I could.  At the start of the 3rd mile, we began going down a slight decline, which helped me get in a better frame of mind.  I began pushing a bit harder, started counting my steps to get my mind off the pain in my legs, and started passing people.

Eventually, I rounded the final corner to head to the finishing chute, and had something weird happen.  There were a bunch of kids holding tiny American flags on sticks, holding the stick-end out on the course.  My oxygen-deprived brain thought the kids were going to poke me, so I drifted to the other side of the trail.  The kids started yelling at me to take one!  Duh!!!

Avoiding the "hoodlums"...

"They were FLAGS!"

I grabbed my flag, and turned up the finishing chute, waving the flag like crazy!

"Why are finishing chutes soooo long....?!"

If this isn't awesome, I don't know what is...

Time: 22:13 (new in-race PR)
Distance: 5k
Pace: 7:10/mi
AG: 2/13
OA: 20/257

Total Time: 1:02:57
AG: 2/13
Overall: 26/257

Overall:
This was the most dedicated race I've ever done.  I felt like the entire community turned out to either volunteer or race.  It was absolutely amazing, and a great way to honor their fallen friend.  I thought the race itself was top-notch, the volunteers were fantastic, and the venue was awesome (other than the park roads, which you can't do much about).  I was happy to place second in my age group, but really that took a back seat to the purpose of the race: To honor Mr. Mason.  It turns out his parents handed out the awards to each winner, something that I'm sure was difficult for them. But I hope that they were able to see what an amazing event the race was.

If you are looking for an event next year that all proceeds go to a good cause AND you get a great race, please consider this one! I definitely will be again!

Thanks for reading!

Matt Mason Memorial "Cowboy UP!" Triathlon Preview

Tomorrow I will be racing in my second to last triathlon of the year, the Matt Mason Memorial "Cowboy UP!" Triathlon at Smithville Lake, MO.  This is the first year for the triathlon, and is in memory of Matt Mason, a Navy SEAL who was killed while on a mission with his SEAL team.  All of the proceeds from the triathlon will go directly to numerous charities, including the Wounded Warrior Project.  The race itself is a sprint distance, which combines a 500 meter swim, a 10 mile bike, and a 5k run.

The main draw for me to this race included the charity benefits, as well as the Time Trial swim start.  This will be my first race that incorporates a TT start, with swimmers going every 3 seconds.  Hey, I hope to avoid some swim beatdowns!

Goals:
These are going to be short and sweet!
Swim- 8:15-8:45.  I would be shocked if I'm anywhere under 8:15, as I probably won't be drafting much this race, and my swim training has been lacking the last month.

Bike-  I rode 2 loops of the bike course last weekend, and had a tough time getting my legs going. Immediately, I knew it was going to be tough, and only averaged 18mph for the ride, which was disappointing.  The course is a bit more technical then most races I've done, with a few more turn-arounds and "sneaky" elevation, but I think I can handle a 19.5 mph average for the 10 miles, bringing me in at just under 31 minutes.  Depending on how my legs are feeling, I wouldn't be surprised if I don't meet this, but I would like to be close and still have a good run. I am also going to try and go out easy for the first 2.5 miles, and then open it up. I tell myself this before every race and it never happens, but hey, let's see what I do....

Run-  I'm going to try to push hard on the run.  My plan is to start at a 7:15/mi pace, and descend from there.  I am hoping for a 7:05-7:10/mi average for the 5k, which would be a triathlon 5k PR for me.  My run is coming along pretty well, and I'm hoping to see some big improvements this race!

Transitions- I have no idea what the layout of the race is, but I would like my total transition time to be under 3 minutes. I think this is definitely doable.

Total Time:  Under 1:05:00.  This could be a definite challenge to attain, especially if I drag ass on the bike like I did last weekend.  The swim should be consistent, the bike is the big unknown, but I am really looking forward to my run.  I am excited to see what I can do after having some consistent run training the last few weeks!

The weather looks like it will be cooperating tomorrow morning, with temps in the upper 60s around race time (SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!!!!) Should be awesome!

Can't wait to race, check back tomorrow-ish for a report!

Thanks for reading!!!