Very excited about this camp!

TrainingBible Coaching Costa Rica Triathlon Camp 2011
Guanacaste, Costa Rica
February 13-20, 2011


Prepare for the 2011 season in beautiful Costa Rica for a week-long triathlon training camp with TrainingBible coaches and athletes. The week-long camp will be 3 days of intense training followed by 2 skills and learning-focused days, and 2 races at the REV 3 Event (Olympic distance on Saturday, Half on Sunday).


The camp is Monday-Sunday, but the overnight stays are Sunday-Sunday. This camp is nearly ALL-INCLUSIVE, (transportation, resort stay, 2 meals per day, training and race entries). I promise you won't find a better camp or experience, much less for the price. You can even bring a non-participating spouse or significant other, at no charge! (See details below)


This camp already includes top Kona age-group finishers, pro-triathletes, and top TrainingBible coaches from around the world. (Discounts for TrainingBible athletes and camp alumni.)


Camp Features:

• 8-night stay at Coco Bay Estates (an $1800-$2400 value)
• Option for private room or shared room available
• 2 Meals provided per day, (catered breakfast and lunch buffet)
• All sessions coached and led by a TrainingBible Coach
• Entry into REV 3 Olympic and Half distance triathlons (a $450 value)
• Low traffic, paved roads for riding
• Coach on-deck for pool sessions
• Incredibly beautiful open-water swimming in Coco Bay
• Underwater swim video technique assessment for each athlete, ($115 value)
• Run technique video assessment for each athlete, ($100 value)
• Transition competition
• Classroom sessions for individual learning
• Complimentary airport shuttle to/from Coco Bay Estates from Liberia Airport only
• View the Camp Itinerary
Camp Resort – Coco Bay Estates
Register for the camp here

See the camp schedule here

***If a spouse or significant other would like to attend, but not participate in the camp, they are welcome to stay free if the athlete purchases a private room. Food is included for spouses/significant others as well. (Limit one per private room camp entry).


***If friends, couples, etc, want to split a room, they are welcome to both purchase the shared room, and state their desired room share partner in registration.


Hope you can join us! Register soon!

Kona 2010 RR

Race reports are something I do not do too often at least not on a public form. I do think it is important to reflect and think about pros and cons, but usually have a hard time thinking that anyone wants to know what TV shows I was watching the night before. HA HA.

This year Hawaii went very well for me, I have received several requests of “what happened?” So here it goes, without the local broadcasting included.

The day before the race at Hawaii is always the same. You are assigned a time to check in your bike. The volunteers are amazing and you receive a personal escort to the transition area with detailed instructions with how to do the entire process. As you get to transition you are walked through a coral, much like race horses where reporters write down everything about you and your bike and equipment. It is a bit surreal and the first time you realize the stage on which we are all about to perform. It is a very cool experience.

Beyond that, I do everything the same for every race I do the day before and morning of the race. This was no different. Pasta or something similar, protein, light veggies if any, simple, consistent, usually effective.

The Race.

Morning of the race I woke up, had my breakfast and caught a ride from Yuri and Lindsay down to the start line. The numbering process was nothing less then professional and efficient and I was through it quickly. Got my bike situated, realized that I had left my Garmin on in my bag the entire night before and was just hoping it had enough juice to get me through the ride. Nothing I could do about that now I thought.

I went and hung out with some friends Heather and Keith, then Danny. Keith and Joe (two of the best friends a guy could have) volunteered to help in transition and were there to take my items in the am, the pump I had, etc. Talk about eliminating a lot of pre race stress knowing those guys have you back! Heather had a toe injury I helped her navigate. She and I found an awesome fix and it was a nice distraction to have anyway.

I found Danny at the swim start. We discussed heading down to the water when the pros started at 6:30 and to tread out to the deep water start soon after to get our spot. I had warned him this was in my opinion the worst part of the race. This swim start is SO BRUTAL with contact. The area is tight, the athletes are all fit, and everyone thinks they are going to win in the first 10 min so they are willing to fight hard for position. It is the most contact I suffer in a swim every year, and that is BEFORE the start!

This year was no different. As Dan and I fought to keep our front line positions and tried to stay back from the paddle boarders trying to hold us back it was so intense. Then BOOM, we were off! I was POUNDED. I was eventually relegated to an inside lane which honestly was a relief. I was trying so hard to not swim close enough to someone’s elbow to catch one in the face. When I got to clear water it was so nice to just have that that I was reluctant to fight back into the pack. I could tell I had missed the first group selection about 600 into the swim. I saw a gap of clear water between my group and the front group, told myself to relax; it is a long day and just follow the fastest feet I could. Honestly I thought I was in sub 55 shape. To see the 58 swim was disappointing (I didn’t know it at the time) but could tell on the bike right away it was just average. I told myself Ironman for me is not about the swim, it never has been to just relax and let the day come. I also reminded myself my Ironman training partner Scott Iott went over an hour here the year before and still broke 9:30, a time I could only dream of.

Transitions

In Ironman I transition slowly. In years past this has been a tactical decision to calm myself down, get ready for the next segment, then go. This year I went much faster, it was one of my pre race goals. However I was still about 2-3 min total time slower then the guys in my AG I raced against. I need to get faster here still. Not much else to say about this transition.

The Bike

My plan for myself and my athletes was to use the power meter, but to also use speed. I have tried it in training several times with my athletes as well as myself. It had worked perfectly. I told everyone who asked I felt I could ride 4:50- 5:10 pretty comfortably depending on conditions.

Keeping an eye on my power I also used 15 min increments to check to see if I was averaging 22.5 mph or more. If I was, and could do so letting my power drop, I decided I would. I had speeds in mind that I felt if I could do with very little effort, I would take the speed with the rest instead of trying to maintain a certain power and also a faster speed.

Going out the first 40 miles guys were passing me pretty good. I was passed by like 10-20 guys in total. I was going well over 27mph pushing like 140 watts and those guys felt the easy effort and decided to ride to their fitness instead of goal time. It is an interesting debate which I can get into later, another post perhaps. My philosophy on this day though was if this island was going to give me any gifts, I was going to take them. So if I could easily go 27 mph hour, I took it.

At mile 40 you make a turn up to Hawi which is like an 18 mile climb. I remember thinking “I’m almost half way into this and feel so fresh still, I am going to make a move here and see if I can crack a few guys.” It worked. It was windy, hot there, and hardest part of the course. I had a smile from ear to ear! I was LOVING it. I felt so good and strong and didn’t think about racing, more just how well I had ridden that summer at races and camps, and just had fun with the 18 miles like I would in training. I passed heaps of guys going up that hill that were starting to realize they had gone too fast.

When I got to special needs I stood down to get my stuff. This year it was too windy to risk the ride and mess with bag option. It took me a min, but I got situated then was off again. There is a 10 min or so descent which is more like a false flat (little steeper) but you get some tailwind and it is so motivating to see athletes coming up the hill at you. I was JAMING going downhill, but again, didn’t push. 33mph without pedaling!? Sure, I’ll take that! It took me 18 miles to catch a couple guys who skipped special needs because I was not pushing too hard here.

When we got to the bottom I saw Tim who I have never been by at Ironman and we exchanged good lucks and talked about the wind heading back. I told him I was holding back till now, and was absolutely ready for this. At that point someone pointed at us and informed us we were 24th, and 25th amateur overall. OK that was SO COOL! I was at the WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS holding back in the top 25 70 miles into the race. This was the only time I started to focus on things outside of my control. I wanted to be top 20, so dialed it up a bit. When I was into the top 20, I wanted top 15. When I got to 15, I wanted top 10! I had to have a conversation with myself to let that go, it was never the pre race plan, and it didn’t matter. No sooner did I have that conversation, my garmin computer mount broke off!

So here I am, 40 miles to go, holding my compute in my hand. SHIT. I didn’t feel I “needed” it except to keep me in check, but I wanted the file from the race. If I held it, I could do bottle exchanges, If I tucked it into my shorts I may not get the file… OK this garmin and I were not getting a long this day. I remembered I had a zip lock in my pocket! I put the garmin in the bag, then poked a hole in it and stuck my aero bar extension through it flipping the garmin up and over my crossbar. Problem – SOLVED (at 24-26 mph!) Rolling again.

When I was in the last mile of the bike I remember thinking to myself that I could ride like this another couple hours. I felt pretty good. Maybe too good, should have gone faster?? I just knew I wanted to run the marathon.

Off the bike 16th OVERALL AMATUER! 4th in age group.


Transition 2

OK, sorry Jim, I had to take a leak so I did. And yes it cost me a few spots.

What also cost me some time was wrestling on the plastic glove I promised I would wear. Whatever, need to get a bit quicker here. Will do so.

Run

I started the run with my garmin on, but no settings turned on. Traditionally I would see mile splits, etc. I don’t want that this time. I wanted to run on feel, occasionally checking in on myself and pace. First mile was sub 6 min, maybe too fast, but SOO easy. I told myself to not judge it and just keep the pace very easy, and not to panic when the paces became realistic. I would check in with 5 mile splits on the watch. My first 10 miles were so consistent. I felt great.

I saw my friends and then eventually athletes I coach on the course starting as I was coming back from the first 9 mile out and back. I definitely used them as motivation and inspiration. I wanted to have good form and send the message all was good each time I saw them. A few I high five’d so hard I thought I broke my hand. I couldn’t help it, I was feeling awesome.

Mile 10 is Palani. This is a long steep uphill I have always walked. I wanted to run it this year and I did. This was the first time I felt really hot and out of breath. Over half way up is an aide station I decided to walk, drink, and recover a second, then run again.

Doing the 5 mile splits was awesome because it helps circumvent the obvious mile stones such as half way, etc. When I went through mile 13 for example it occurred to me I was half way and might want to check my time. 1:32! Holy shit, I have had 70.3 at that pace.

To be honest I started to get a little teary. Over 10 years I have chased this feeling at Ironman, today was shaping up to be my day! Holy crap! I immediately checked myself and thought I have a LONG way to go. Focus on form. Lindsay was out cheering for me which was cool. I told her I felt good and was going well. While talking to her I was running through the women’s pro field which is still surreal.

Mile 16 you turn into the Energy lab which is a 4 mile out and back. My plan was to capitalize on the downhill momentum to drive pace down. I had been looking at my watch pace a lot more in the last few miles willing the next 5 mile interval to be over. I could tell I was starting to fade a bit. When I turned on the downhill and my pace remained at about 7:20 I knew I was starting to see chips in the armor. I told myself I was running into wind, but I still knew the pace should be faster for the effort. Damn…

Ok I go to the energy lab mile 17 and 18 were dark miles for me. I saw guys closing on me I had never beaten before in my life and my legs were getting pretty tired. Running up and out was hard. There is no other way to put this. The love affair with the day was about over and I started to do the “What if I run walk” talk with myself. So I stopped and walked for the first time. I had no idea what my total time on the day was. I just knew my marathon split was going well and that if I struggled through the last 9 miles I still had a shot to break 10 hours, something I had not done yet.

I walked 1 min, told myself to stop feeling sorry for myself, got to the top where there was an aide station. Walked through that saw Lindsay and told her it’s make or break time. You don’t bring your family and wife to battle and I had to go to war with the last 6 -7 miles of this course. I told her to please go wait for me at the finish line. She understood and was off.

For the first time in all my long distance life I recovered! Lotus and Trev were out cheering me on from time to time, but O rand 4-5 of those mile at a sub 7:25 pace. With 2 miles left I asked Trev if I had a shot to break 9:45. He laughed and said if I run 8’s I was going 9:18! OMG!!! That was all the motivation I needed for the last 2 miles. I wanted 9:15.

I go to the finish line and couldn’t believe it. I don’t know how else to say it. So many times I thought about how emotional I would be if I could ever go 9:30. I was getting teary running down Alii, the crowd was awesome. I slapped hands with every little kid that wanted to and just soaked it in.

8th 35-39 AG (12 min off the win)

32nd overall Amateur

85th overall!!!!!!

Recap

What changed? Nutrition was a big one in the race and daily living. Training, well kind of, I always train hard. Mental – ABSOLUTELY! This combined with nutrition which needed to be there for me to change my mental game I think were the two largest. Jim and I talked the a couple days before and after. He said for the first time he felt I was “ready”. I no longer seemed to fear failure. Once you make that leap, you can accomplish awesome things. I didn’t. I knew I could blow up. I also knew that I had done everything I could to be ready for this race and needed to just go do it. I didn’t care what my doubters thought. I had confidence in my ability no matter what the outcome was that day. Of course I am happier that I went 9:16, but honestly would have been proud of myself if I went 12 hours. I did everything I could have done this year. I will have bad races for sure in the future, and I hope to have great ones again, but either way I’m going to just do the best I can.

9:16:34 Hawaii 2010

I am so happy with my result in Kona. I am still a bit shocked that I finished up with a 4:08 Steelhead 70.3, then backed it up with a 9:16 in Kona. I do not think I am going to race Clearwater as i am having a hard time finding an upside.

Several people have asked for a Kona RR I will put one together in the next couple days.

everyone who finished the race well done!

I had 4 other athletes I coach there. 2 were first timers, and both finished VERY strong.

Jim Dicker PR'd at Kona by over 30 min

Julie Woods Shelly Set a PR at Louisville of 11:28, then came to Kona and went 10:58! 2 PR's in a row! WOW!

Here is a message I sent to my atheltes before Kona.

As another season comes to an end I have some athletes still gearing up for their final “A” Races, while most have already started to consolidate their victories and defeats from the year. Once again this season proved to be a huge success for my athletes but also myself.

As to not let any one of my athletes feel singled out, I would like to relate this to myself as some recent readings have really struck a cord with me.

I am traveling to Kona this week now to try to have the best race there I ever have done. I know for a fact just looking at the numbers I am more fit then I have ever been. Running faster, holding more sustained watts, heck for the first time in my life I feel I am at an ideal race weight, down 7 -8 pounds from last year’s Hawaii Ironman.

Additionally I am for the first time confident about my race prep and my ability to do well. There is no doubt in my head I currently posses all the tools to do what I want to do on race day.

I was relegated to a trainer session on the bike the other day and decided to use an old Ironman video to help motivate me. What stood out to me were the pros that had bad days. Here were athletes no doubt as prepared as I am now, if not more, combined with more physical ability, and they blew up. My first instinct was how much that would suck. Here were athletes that on other years before and after had been in the top finishers, and this particular year, were not as lucky. Point is, they are clearly not worse athletes, worse ability, and more then likely just as mentally tough.

As life would have it, I decided to start re reading a book Magical Running by Bobby McGee. The chapter I was on referenced goals and targets. The author defined them differently.

Goals were less specific, and or not as based in outcome.

For example, you might want to figure out a way to be more confident while running hills.

Targets were objectives you would like to hit if you are able to achieve your goals.

Using the above example, you might have a hilly 10K or triathlon you are targeting a specific time for. If you are able to be a more confident hill runner, you will eventually be able to hit higher targets on hilly courses.

“Goals are who we want to be, Targets are things we want to do”

This is important and I have witnessed this exact thing in one of my own athletes this year. I have an athlete that set MASSIVE PR’s in all his racing and absolutely became a much better cyclist this year. So much so that they felt the pressure to deliver on everyone’s new expectations of what the community thought they were capable of at Ironman. When that target started to become un realistic for the race that day, the mental approach to the race fell apart and it resulted in a DNF and massive disappointment.

What this athlete needed to concentrate on was that the goals for the season were in fact met. They wanted to become a better cyclist, and they were! Races, group rides, solo training rides, etc all were better. This athlete accomplished things on the bike this year they never have before. While the target of the time at IM was still important, it didn’t erase the fact that this was a different, better athlete. No matter what the time was for the day, it was MUCH better then they would have produced as their former selves.

Back to myself.

What is important to take from this are goals are more process oriented. It goes on to ask how many times you have set a goal then faced the anticlimactic feeling when you do eventually achieve it. If your goals are to become a better more confident person / racer, and your target along the way is met, the goal is not over. You simply have to set new targets.

Hawaii this year will be one of my best races I hope. But whatever the result it doesn’t mean I didn’t do everything I could have to be ready. I am a better athlete today then I was in 2009 and I need to be proud of that, no matter what the outcome.

If I swallow sea water and become sick, suffer a flat tire or 2, or cramp on the run, I would be disappointed. However it is simply a missed opportunity at a singular target. My goal has been achieved. This year I set out to be more fit physically, metabolically, centered on a more specific goal, have better nutritional practices, etc. The focus, or target, of those goals right now is to do the best I can at Hawaii given the new achievements.

Good luck to everyone racing soon! If you are in your off season, I am jealous!

Details..

The saying “The devil is in the details” struck true for me this week.

I misplaced my foot pod this spring and have been dragging my feet (no pun intended) to replace it. It is 100 bucks, and it has to show up eventually right? Besides, I worked so hard on improving my cadence this winter, I should be OK. Yea, well, not really. I had a sub par run on Sunday. Nothing terrible, but definitely felt heavy footed.

I borrowed Jim Vance’s foot pod yesterday am to just observe where I was. It was shocking. I slipped back to 84-86 rpm. I forced myself on a flat course to not make a change to see the mile split. After that mile I allowed myself to go to work on shortening my stride, leaning forward, relaxing the hips, etc. The result was 89 rpm and about 30 seconds per mile faster. Point taken, I am buying a new foot pod!

Stay on top of the details in your training.

Tri Dynamic Launches Series of Triathlon Camps with Joe Friel

Tri Dynamic, a new triathlon training company in the United Kingdom has been launched. Tri Dynamic will be offering a series of training camps and coaching seminars with coaching legend and bestselling author Joe Friel. The Triathlon Camps will take place all over Europe and in the United States. They will also be working with other top coaches including TrainingBible Elite Coaches Jim Vance and USA Triathlon Developmental Coach of the Year, Adam Zucco.

Tri Dynamic aims to offer 'more than just a training camp'. They would like their customers to have a fun experience while learning from the very best coaches out there including Joe Friel, Jim Vance and Adam Zucco. "We'd like you to come away from our camps a smarter athlete knowing that you can improve on many levels, not just through more training." To do so they have also selected some of the best training venues, facilities and hotels so not to compromise on comfort and luxury just because you're on a training camp.

The first training event offering will be in Europe with the Jim Vance Swim Seminars which will take place at Hampton outdoor pool in London on September 11-12, 2010. This clinic is designed for triathletes and coaches as an opportunity to learn and understand the principles of triathlon swimming and apply this directly to athletes. Participants will have their swim technique analyzed on video for immediate feedback.

The second event on the calendar will be in the USA, Joe Friel Laying the Foundations Testing Camp in Scottsdale, Arizona. The training camp dates will be October 22-29, 2010. This camp will be strictly limited to 20 participants and is designed specifically for triathletes to get the most out of their Winter Training. Joe will be assisted by Adam Zucco on this camp.

"This is not your standard swim-bike-run camp. It focuses on exactly what I do with the athletes I coach at the start of their winter training." states Joe Friel "Each athlete is tested for VO2max and other important physiological metrics. Each also has a physical assessment by a physical therapist who looks for potential injuries and areas where strength, range of motion or other interventions could improve performance. I also have a bike fit done for them by a professional fitter. By the time the camp is done I always feel as if we are a great deal closer to achieving the athlete's goals. I think you'll feel that way, also."


Other triathlon training camp offerings by Tri Dynamic in 2011 include:
• Joe Friel Tenerife Winter Triathlon Camp, January 22-29, 2011. On the beautiful Canary island of Tenerife, the camp is aimed at triathletes of all abilities who are interested in a week in the sun under expert eye of Joe Friel.
• Joe Friel Women Only Barcelona Triathlon Camp, April 8-15, 2011. The camp will take place in the beautiful Spanish seaside town of Calella north of Barcelona and is aimed specifically at female triathletes of all abilities.
• Joe Friel Switzerland Middle & Long Distance Preparation Triathlon Camp, June 10-17, 2011. The camp is aimed at triathletes who are planning to take on a summer half iron or iron distance event and will be based in Rapperswil which is just south of Zurich.

Other training camps which will be announced in the near future, so keep an eye on the website for updates and additional information at: www.tridynamic.co.uk

About Tri Dynamic
Tri Dynamic is delighted to be able to offer a series of camps and seminars with a coach of the calibre of Joe Friel. Many triathletes will have a well thumbed copy of The Triathlete's Training Bible or Going Long on their bookshelves. We are really excited to be working together to put on some special camps for our customers. Joe will be assisted on the camps by fellow TrainingBible Elite Coaches Jim Vance and Adam Zucco, who are both world class coaches in their own right.

Tri Dynamic are also proud to have teamed up with some of the best brands in the sport as our Official Partners including PowerBar, blueseventy, Blue Competition Cycles and Skinfit. Working closely with them we will be able to add real value to the camps offering our customers exclusive product testing, trials and advice.

For more information on Joe Friel visit www.trainingbible.com. Follow Joe Friel's blog here www.joefrielsblog.com, Jim Vance's blog here coachvance.blogspot.com and Adam Zucco's blog here: adamzucco.blogspot.com

Last race before Kona.

The summer is flying by. I get so excited to race and see athletes race, but hate that I wish the summer away.

Let’s see. 2 weeks ago was Racine 70.3. I love doing this race because usually a huge group goes up there and the local cheers are always awesome to hear. It adds another level of pressure however to have a good day.

The race was bought by Ironman and therefore was a lot more organized and ensured an accurate course. These are good things. Bad thing however is we are all relegated to the waves they set out in front of us. In years past it was nice to be able to race in the amateur elite wave. This year I was in the LAST wave. It was pretty dangerous, hotter and was hard to race the guys in the 25-29 AG who are very fast regardless, but add to that they got a 90 min head start, ughh…

I felt really good, first race on my new Speed Concept. It was AWESOME! I went 2:11 and felt like it was no problem at all. My run was good I thought but was disappointed to be 1:32. Looking at the results looks like it was a slow run day for all. Lindsay said that the temps were in upper 90’s so I am sure that had an effect. In addition to that my right foot was killing me half way through the run. I have to find better or different shoes for the Ironman. Total time was 4:17, good for 15th overall. I was pretty happy with that, but wanted to find another 70.3 to run better.

What was the best part of the race was my clients mark and Sue both had Massive PR’s. Both were over 15 min faster, both got a Clearwater spot.

I decided to do Steelhead because of proximity and was going to go anyway to watch several athletes racing the event. I finally had a race where everything clicked this season. The swim was actually not too spectacular, but I am not worried about correcting that. The bike went awesome, I love this new bike. 2:09 was within 90 seconds of all the pros on the bike for 6th fastest overall bike. More importantly the run was clicking. I had to stop to go to the bathroom once, but felt like I was running aggressively the entire run. I hit a new PR on an accurate course. 4:08:05.

Again, I had 2 athletes do their first ever 70.3 races. Jim and Mike both went 4:47 and 5:39 respectively and felt awesome. Joe Lotus a good friend of mine set a goal of 4:40, and went 4:38. It was really awesome to see. What an awesome day.

I usually do not post this stuff as self gloating is done too much I think, but this was pretty cool. Someone's race report for the Pacific Crest Triathlons had some awesome stuff to say. Thanks Pacific Crest, for an awesome race experience. We are making plans to go back next year!

Race Report: 2010 Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon
(6-29-10) Submitted by Dave Campbell - After completing the Pacific Crest Long Course Triathlon eight times in the last 12 years, I was ready for a change so this year I raced the Olympic-distance for the first time. What a fun event! I may never go back to the hot, drawn-out suffering of the long course! To experience the beautiful views of the Cascades, the tall pine trees, the clean, dry, warm, mountain air and finishing your race by lunch time with enough energy left over to go swimming with the kids in the afternoon was wonderful! Nearly 600 athletes made their way up to Wickiup Reservoir for one of the final events of the magnificent Pacific Crest Endurance Sports Weekend.

The lake temperature was 63 degrees, but was paired with warm sunshine pouring down from above. The 1500-meter clockwise swim exited onto the boat ramp at the reservoir where athletes then saddled up for a 28-mile rolling bike ride with a moderate three-mile long climb at the midpoint. The steeper slopes of the climb were punctuated by several false flats, breaking it up, and allowing recovery before a long, fast drag down into Sunriver. The 10-kilometer run looped counter clockwise around the resort village on the bike paths.

The fastest swimmer was 30-year-old Lauren Thies of Portland, over a minute and a half faster than her nearest female competitor (Beth Steen of Phoenix, AZ) and over 20 seconds quicker than the fastest male. The honor of “first out of the water”, however, (due to the wave starts) was 30-year-old Chris Boudreaux of Portland, OR in 20:37. Boudreaux, owner of Athletes Lounge in Portland, was one of about twenty athletes starting in the elite wave, while age group wave racer Brady Childs (age 28) posted the fasted men’s swim split in 20:18.

Curiously, as I racked my bike Sunday morning, I had the thought that given the compulsive, driven nature of triathletes, it was only a matter of time until someone raced the long course triathlon on Saturday and then the Olympic on Sunday. And sure enough, it happened this year! Saturday’s third place finisher Adam Zucco, 35, from Elburn, IL, exited the water just behind Boudreaux in 20:43. Amazing. The day after PCT Saturday, I have usually feel like I had been hit by a truck, and have been known to get up and have breakfast and then go back to bed. And yet here was Zucco, after four and a half hours of high elevation, hot, intense racing, not only toeing the line AGAIN but up with the leaders. WOW.

Zucco, laid down the law on the bike with a blistering pace of 25.12 miles per hour for a fastest bike split of 1:06:52. Boudreaux, however, was giving him quite a fight. After leaving T1 with a 15 second lead courtesy of his swim and a faster transition, Boudreaux was only 17 seconds slower on the bike. These two competitors were nearly a minute and a half faster than the next cyclist, 28-year-old Josh Johnston of Portland with two-time defending champion David Gettle of Weiser, ID another minute and half back. Again, Boudreaux’s slightly quicker transition put him BACK into the lead exiting T2… by ONE SCANT SECOND. On the run, the fresh legs of the Oregonian were up against the man from the Midwest who raced 70.3 miles the day before.

Meanwhile, in the women’s race, the experienced legs ruled the day. 50-year-old Lisa Magness of Bend was tenth fastest on the day with a 1:12:42 bike, and over a minute clear of 46-year-old Ann Davidson of Portland; a past winner here (15th best overall). 30-year-old Sarah Barkley of Richland, WA was third best in 1:14:01 (17th overall) to rise up the standings after a 31:11 swim. Exiting T2, Magness was in the lead with Davidson only a minute behind and both women well clear of strong swimmer Angie Smith, 37, from Salem, third overall leaving T2.

Defying the rising heat, fatigue, and logic, the amazing Zucco tore through the run in 37:17, fourth best on the day to break the tape in 2:06:56 for a near two minute victory, the 35-39 age group title and a stunning feat of endurance excellence over the weekend. Boudreaux ran a solid 39:05 (seventh best) to claim second and the 30-34 win. The fastest runner of the day was 20-year-old Grant Eldridge of Happy Valley, OR with an amazing 36:19 on the winding, twisting, and quite warm running course, which was covered with friendly and encouraging spectators and vacationers. This run put Eldridge in 10th overall and gave him the 20-24 title. Bend’s John Craft, 37, came up to third overall in 2:15:58 with his impressive 38:57 run. Nearly a minute back in fourth was Robert Pritchett of Ellensburg, WA, 3rd best runner on the day with a smoking 37:07. 28-year-old Gettle was fifth overall in 2:16:52 and winner of the 25-29 age division, a little over a minute clear of strong cyclist Johnston with Nicholas Brown of Corvallis, OR less than 30 seconds back for 7th overall and third in a competitive age group. I was eighth overall in 2:18:44, just 31 seconds clear of a very hard-charging Andy Libert (Blue Lake Masters winner) of Eugene, and thrilled to take the Masters and 40-44 title. This being Central Oregon, the race would not be complete without 80 years young Lew Hollander of Bend, a past World Masters Champion, beating over 100 athletes much younger than he in 3:34:34!

Team Cooper of Bend, OR topped all relay teams in 2:39:25. 36-year-old Laura Cooper swam a 33:06, then hustled down to Sunriver to log a 45:06 run. 37-year-old Christopher Cooper, meanwhile biked the 28 miles in 1:19:54.

Perhaps the greatest thing about the Pacific Crest events is that you are in Sunriver, OR for the all of the weekend’s racing. Great swimming, weather, and outdoor recreational opportunities abound as you recover and enjoy family and friends and trade war stories over barbeques. And there is always the next race! For me, it will be the Haag Lake Olympic Distance Race July 10th, a Northwest classic, and the TRI NorthWest Regional Championship. It is hard and hilly and I hope to see you there!

Complete results for this year's races can be found at www.racecenter.com - click on RESULTS. Video highlights can be found here: www.ktvz.com.

Olympic Triathlon
Overall Men
1. Adam Zucco, 35, 2:06:56, Elburn, IL
2. Chris Boudreaux, 30, 2:08:43, Portland, OR
3. John Craft, 37, 2:15:58, Bend, OR

Overall Women
1. Ann Davidson, 46, 2:24:39, Portland, OR
2. Beth Steen, 29, 2:29:15, Phoenix, AZ
3. Lisa Magness, 50, 2:30:18, Bend, OR

Olympic Duathlon
Overall Men
1. Chris Harig, 37, 1:46:53, Issaquah, WA
2. Dave Florence, 43, 1:49:07, Canby, OR
3. Sean Campbell, 43, 1:49:39, Klamath Falls, OR

Overall Women
1. Angela Allen, 42, 2:10:28, Sherwood, OR
2. Heather Leach, 52, 2:12:39, Seattle, WA
3. Kathryn Davis, 44, 2:16:04, Stanfield, OR

I can’t believe the summer is almost halfway finished. I am sitting in Bend, OR. Today before my double race weekend (Half Ironman Saturday, Olympic Sunday). After these races which were meant to be more fun then competitive, I have Racine then…Kona. Wow.

This year I think I have already learned more then I have in the past couple seasons. I had mediocre races at best in California as well as Kansas. Memphis went all to hell mainly due to the heat, but also fatigue I think. For the first time since I can remember we really decided to rest aggressively mid season. I took a week where I basically took completely off. It was a leap of faith, but something drastic was in order. My workouts had been flat, I was dreading them and my numbers were dropping off significantly.

I think in retrospect it was the absolute right thing to do though. I usually fear this amount of rest for the same reasons any athlete does; will I get out of shape, will I gain a lot of weight, the usual. Well I decided to get really aggressive with my diet as well and for the first time in a long time I have been eating with a purpose in mind. During my rest week I lost almost 4 pounds. At first the energy was gone from the body, but it was Ok as I wasn’t really working out that much. Last week we did mainly aerobic work but made sure to have a couple light days interjected as well still. I really think I am back on the upswing now.

Besides rest and diet, I decided to get my structure figured out too. I spent some cash and invested in going to a rolfer. I was a bit nervous as deep tissue massage is not an experience I enjoy and I have always heard this is worse. When I went to the guy, I explained this to him and he assured me we would work within my tolerance. It was the first time that I went right out of an appointment feeling much different in a better way. I have become a total believer. If you have a chance to try this out, I would highly recommend it. Like anything however, make sure your practitioner is a good one so do some research.

Good luck to Russell who will be racing CDA. Russell, you have worked really hard and deserve a great result.

Power Bar SCORE!

Deb Hodgett is doing a good job getting me to try some of the new power bar stuff. I have to say, they are pretty tasty! Thank you Debbie.

New stuff

Did the Fox Trot 5K today in Elgin. It was good fun, and a good race. I was able to pull off a win, but got some luck as there was a 10 mile race as well and I think the big guns were doing the longer race today for the most part.

I have done that race for over a decade off an on, now my kids were getting into it by doing the 2 mile fun run/walk. I thought back to all the times I went to local 5/10K races with my father when I was little. I remember never doing well, but always having to wait around for awards so my younger sister could collect her trophy, let me stress this again –every time.


I also saw a lot of old friends before and after the race and it made me really reflect on all the racing I have done over the years. Lindsay and I have been making an effort to try to do some different things, even if it is changing from the 10 mile race you always do, to the 5k. Seems like we often (myself included) get stuck in a rut, and we need to be forced out of it to make a change at times.

Last weekend we did Memphis which like above is something we always have done. This time we were going to do something different but so many friends were doing the race this year, we decided to have one last crack at it. It turned out to be good as the race is retiring the venue I have been going to off an on since the very beginning of my racing experience. One year my dad and I were standing on the shores waiting for our turn. I wasn’t sure if my bike even FIT ME as I hadn’t ever used it! Times have changed. So while it was a brutal day, and one I had to do a lot of walking, it was nice to say goodbye and be forced out of that rut.

Next weekend Lindsay and I are going to Kansas 70.3, a new race for us. I spent the last 6 days trying to get rested up as we thought I was a bit over done going into Memphis. Kansas I have a feeling will offer some new challenges and I am looking forward to doing my best.

If you are there, I’ll see you out there, and good luck!

I have used a 13 week program called "Goal Mile" with some of my athletes with a lot of success for a couple years now. It is a 13 week program which involves a track workout each week a long with a second run (in most weeks) to help you achieve faster run speeds then you ever thought possible. It is a fresh new approach to track workouts and it has also been my experience it helps to elevate ALL your running speeds. Even if you are a long course athlete this plan will still help you. Most of my athletes use this plan regardless. What happens when you start going long all the time is speed starts to diminish. This will help boost your speed and economy.

Here is a link to the plan. It is 30 bucks. It is supplemental. So you can use it within all the other things you do. It is only 1 -2 workouts a week for 13 weeks. So if you are coached, you might be able to use this as well, or self coached, you can still do your normal schedule, just add this in.

www.trainingpeaks.com/adamzucco

Cool news!!

By JAY SCHWAB jschwab@kcchronicle.com
Elburn resident takes triathlon coaching award
Avoiding burn-out for young athletes is tricky enough in traditional sports such as soccer, basketball or baseball.

Now consider the risk in a sport as mentally and physically demanding as triathlon.
Adam Zucco, of Elburn, has a strategy for tapping the potential of young triathletes without sapping the joy from the sport. That approach went a long way toward Zucco being named USA Triathlon Developmental Coach of the Year on Tuesday.

“It’s a huge honor because there are so many great coaches out there and so many people out there trying to do great things,” Zucco said. “I just got lucky enough to get the tap on the shoulder this year.”

Zucco, 34, is head coach of the Tri-Cities based Multisport Madness Triathlon program, an outfit that in the past decade has produced numerous top finishers in national and international competitions. He also is a partner with TrainingBible Coaching, an organization that mentors “results-driven endurance athletes.”

Patience and vision have factored heavily into his coaching success, Zucco said.

“I think a lot of coaches feel under the pump to get instantaneous responses,” Zucco said. “With a lot of these kids, I’ve taken three- and four-year plans. The biggest thing you can do for an athlete to make them better is to improve their economy, and to improve their economy, they have to be able to move efficiently.”

Zucco’s willingness to think long-term might be a product of his own story. He wasn’t much of an athlete as a youngster, recalling the need to shed almost 40 pounds in three weeks leading up to Marines boot camp. He has dropped 70 pounds from his heaviest point, and contends “there is a place for everyone” in the triathlon, which combines bicycling, swimming and running.

Zucco has plenty of help from other coaches at Multisport Madness, but his sophisticated training methods have been instrumental, especially in guiding the program’s teenage athletes.

“Adam is really the one who has brought the expertise to the program as far as coaching,” said Michael Kanute, whose son, Ben, is one of the program’s top triathletes. “There have been some years he’s been more hands-on and some years he’s been less hands-on but all along he’s been the one who has written the plan and balanced the training.”

Zucco has the versatility to train a wide spectrum of ages and abilities. For TrainingBible, he mentors athletes from as far away as Hong Kong and Moscow through online software, but he is just as comfortable overseeing beginners.

“With younger kids, literally some of the speedwork I have them do is play a fun game of soccer or combat frisbee because they’re going to work harder than if I had them doing intervals on the track if they’re chasing their friends around,” Zucco said.

Proud as Zucco is of Multisport Madness’ elite competitors – Geneva’s Kevin McDowell placed fourth at the ITU Junior World Championship in Australia last fall, and Lukas Verzbicas won a competition in North Carolina in September – he also delights in the sport’s overall surge in local popularity.

Zucco said the Tri-Cities is “almost becoming the Boulder of the midwest,” noting large packs of triathletes and their family members who regularly go on evening bicycle rides together.

“It’s really cool,” Zucco said. “It’s becoming a whole new lifestyle for a lot of people in our area.”
Copyright © 2010 The Chronicle. All rights reserved.

Just keep going

It was good to get away and get some training in some warm weather. I am posting pictures of a couple of the camps we did. One was with Multisport Madness in Palm Springs, the other was a personal camp in San Diego. What was even cooler was Lindsay and I were able to go to Tucson just by ourselves. It was a good boost of fitness but the reality of coming back to winter storms is HARD REALITY that I still live in the Midwest.

I had an athlete ask me the other day how to improve over the winter and would a camp help. Of course, camps are great for boosting fitness and especially if done properly can really set you up for a great increase even when you return if you back it up properly with the right type of training. What my answer to him was also was consistency. Seems that every athlete I coach is looking for the “magic bullet”. There is no one single thing if you just do that it will make you a better athlete. Of course there are specific things you can do to improve, i.e. economy, strength, form, new stimuli, etc. In fact I just received a bike fit at the Bike Shop in Glen Ellyn with Rich Ducar and John Cobb. I will try to post about that in a separate blog, but we made some pretty extreme changes he swears will pay off. However, the that being said, any athlete will have the most significant changes with consistent approach to training. It isn’t the most sexy answer but you just have to go to work and stay at work over and over. At least this is what I have found.

As coaches we know this and can really help our athletes stay on track. We often get the athletes that want to do the New Year’s Epic swim, or the major ride in the summer, or 100 days of swimming, etc. Again, those can be fun and help, but if those are the only thing you are changing, you are going to be right back to where you were last season, just maybe injured from the massive change in stress for the short term.

The good news is the flip side of the coin. Just because you can’t make it to a single camp of an epic day, doesn’t mean you are necessarily at a disadvantage. I have some Ironman athletes right now with busy work and family schedules. We haven’t been able to do many rides if any over 5 hours. Most of them are 4 or less. Our approach has been to consistently introduce the right amount of stress on a consistent basis to keep fitness moving forward. We feel we have been quite successful to this point.