On to 2014...

It seems Blogger has made it less user friendly to post a new post so actually accessing Blogger took a little research--Google has infiltrated the process and made it a PITA giving me grief whenever trying to log in to post.

On to 2014...I've ended the year of 2013 on a decent note with a 4th at ITU World Duathlon Championships as the top American Master in the Olympic Distance race in Ottawa, Canada. I've actually been lucky enough to place 16th overall out of all age groups, just missing a bronze medal by one place. Any other age group but ONE other--I'd have podium placed with a World Championship medal...wow, on the first try. Good stuff for a 44.5 year old.

Due to some rather ridiculous/illogical schedule changes in my work hours at my "day job" I've found myself short training time in the afternoon, so 2014 will greatly limit my training. Having to adjust to an early schedule isn't my cup of tea and will prove to be a personal challenge.
That said, I've been swimming & biking mostly, working on that which doesn't take much time, resorting to more quality training than ever--which is all I've ever really trained like.

2014 starts off with racing at the US National Cross Country Championships in Boulder, CO. My first ever...and first race of its kind since racing Division II XC back in college days. Luckily I was recruited by the Boulder Running Company/adidas Master's team. This should be exciting, painful and exhilarating all at the same time. As my first race of the year, I think back to XC days...how the "studs" would race in our nation's championship race...how far above it was from high school & college racing. The guys who race in the Olympics in Track & Field will be here...the big names of tomorrow and years past. I'll be in the 8k Master's race, so not quite toeing the line with the 12k current day pros...but there will be the "old farts" pros from yester-year on the same line.

Swimming has been a lot of fun & I've been posting some pretty good times for me. Finding my stroke flaws & paying attention so so many details that make such a huge difference. Since this is an Ironman year for me again, the focus will be on that big race at Ironman Boulder in August. New age group, local race--only 3 miles from home...can't beat the price for an Ironman! I'm super stoked & just hope the body holds up and is ready for race day. All races until then are merely training days. While I'd like to race at Du Nationals in July, it seems that is the same day as Boulder Peak...so I'm already signed up for the Boulder Peak & tri series...looks like it's all eyes on August!

There will be some equipment changes...minor ones like a new saddle & possibly a Garmin. Aside from that, the plan for a new Zipp 808 rear doesn't seem likely. I do not see a huge $ per watt improvement in the wings...and think it'd be better just banking that away for retirement at this point. Or getting the house painted...logical stuff that we triathletes usually pass over for equipment. 

This past winter I've decided to pass on the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series & may hop in the last one last minute but I'm not sure as I've not been riding the bike. The motivation to bike hasn't been there & swimming/running has been a little more convenient and fun for me lately. I'm like that...a "mood training athlete" who when I have time, train in whatever it is I have time for. Oh memories of the days of few other commitments!  Looking forward to an exciting 2014!

The OCEANIC tide of 2013

Quite honestly, I'm writing this without looking as to the last post I did. Somewhere between then & now has been a roller coaster of life in 2013. Many things such as having my car totaled in my driveway & being tossed into my wife's car in the spring--by a lady who passed out at the wheel for starters, shook things up. We were in the house & heard a large BOOM! Next thing we know, neighbors were saying a lady just drove into our parked cars. Alas, the joys of having to have a car payment now.

We survived the Boulder 500 year flood but still had significant damage as our basement had to be torn pretty much down to the studs. Luckily, my niece & boyfriend had moved in the week before after landing jobs here in Colorado. Just in time to help move the basement "upstairs" if you will...it is still a work in progress & we at least came away with our home & lives despite the damage. Many in Boulder were not so lucky. One neighbor had 4 feet of water in the basement & were on vacation, only to return to sewage and half of their belongings having to be thrown out in a dumpster as wide as their house.

My son's school was out for two weeks due to damages, I've been playing daddy daycare for him & one of his friends periodically, while trying to do as many clean up & repairs on the house over the past three weeks while working full time. I don't know what not working means any longer. Sleep, work, go to work, sleep (very little sleep at that). Not sure what training is any longer either. I'd like to get back to it, but hopefully I can do that once my son goes back to school. There is so much to do and so little time. It just never seems to end. Need a different line of work so I can work from home and get some of these "must do" lists off the agenda.

That aside, the big TV just quit working...should I say, turns ON/OFF/ON/OFF...over and over again. Wifey discovered this was a common issue & there is a class action lawsuit we are entitled to for Samsung to fix the problem. Should be taken care of in a few days.

Racing scene...did so-so this season with short course & trying new things. Went to Duathlon World Championships (ITU), Team USA--finished as top Master, as well as 3rd American overall (out of 372 athletes from USA), 16th overall out of ALL countries in the Olympic Distance race. It is nice to know I was up there with the elite of the sport and ahead of nearly all US competitors. Had I been in any age group but two others, I would have medaled at World's. However, this was on the heels of Boulder 70.3 Half Ironman--FIVE days prior. The plan was to race Boulder 70.3 "just fast enough" to nab a slot to Vegas 70.3 Worlds. I did that on a "half ass effort" basically. I was hot not tired at the end of Boulder's race. I did not want to jeopardize ITU World Championships too much so had to pull back on the pony.

ITU World Championships was a blast, with my room mate (and 50-54 gold medalist), Andy Ames from Boulder. A quiet guy, Andy and I bummed around Ottawa, Canada in a low-key type fashion. I had a pretty good race and was happy about it, aside from the fact I sort of blew on the bike somewhat. After the first 20K, my legs were smoked and couldn't bike any harder. Certainly the 70+ miles of racing less than a week before took a lot more out of me than I expected. Either way, it was a great experience and without having peaked for it, combined with the racing so soon before, it was a marginal success I'd say. No regrets, I wouldn't have done anything different I think.

After ITU's, I basically spent the weeks before Vegas, off the bike, with only 2-3 bike rides (it was about 3 weeks between races), then a few runs. I'd say around 3 hrs of training a week (if I was lucky). Realizing I really did not want to race Vegas I instead, used it as a road trip for the family to have fun. I did not care about the race & it was a C-race for me. Didn't train for it, follow my typical routine, not to mention was lucky they let me register. Took the kid out of school, wife out of work for a few days, drove, but arrived Friday night about 7:30 PM. Registration closed at 4 PM. What? All the races I've done that were 70.3 you could register the day before. So when they told me it was over, I was pissed as to the time and expense we made to get there. There was a girl "April" from WTC...she read me my rights basically, rude as hell. She was mean, bitchy--should not be working for Ironman. Turns out 30 others had other commitments they just couldn't get away from with extenuating circumstances as well. So we chased around all over Vegas, meeting here & there, rushing up until dinner time the night before the race, spending all day stressed out. Needless to say, we barely ate, rested or hydrated all day due to this cluster. The entire process was a mess. The T1 or swim area was a muddy mess, clearly the most disgusting and poorly organized race start area I ever saw. Bathroom were few, it was a downpour all throughout the morning and bike. The wife and kid ended up going back to the hotel while I raced. They made it there for the finish just in time. 

Racing in the colder rain was dangerous with all those hills, but it was super-fun being out there in the rain. I thoroughly enjoyed it. The run was one of those days you wish you hadn't eaten garlic. One of my rules of "don't do" things. One mile into it, I had just caught another local gal who started some waves ahead of me (Sonja Wieck), as I started to get stomach cramps. It was the garlic. At mile 1 aid station, I dove into the porta-john. I was nearly 3 minutes in that porta-toilet. Better to take the time and fix what is ailing you than to continue in pain. It was a long, long time, knowing I was losing a lot of time. It didn't matter, it was a C-race right? A C-race with a near 3-week no training layoff after ITU Worlds, running around the day before without rest, food or de-stressing myself in the heat. It was just a really bad time & I didn't want to be there racing. It was about as self-destructive of an effort you could make for a race--totally out of character for me with shoddy results to prove it. Even the first five miles of the bike I rode sitting up braking to avoid crashing, until we got off the highway and heading towards the "out and back" section of the bike. It may have been more than five miles, but since I hadn't even seen the swim, bike or run course until I raced it, I wouldn't know. I did EVERYTHING I tell the athletes NOT to do before a race. Living example of just how wrong you can screw up a race without preparation. I almost have to laugh at how poorly executed the entire lead-up was.

Since Vegas, I've been pretty much in flood damage control, hoping that maybe, just maybe, 2014 will be a better year. Certainly training will be much more of a challenge in 2014 with the Boulder Tri Series on tap, with a changed worked schedule which will flip my training life upside down after 14 years (shame on them!) Sometimes though, what you need to do in order to get to the next level, is get a good kick in the ass to get moving and stop the coasting. Take charge of your life, your situations, reach for those goals/aspirations--and quit the routine in order to find a better routine. You may have to take a step back before you take two steps forward, but in the end, you'll be better off for it. Things are what they are & in the end, you CAN control where your ship sails. That is, with a bit of help from fate. I know that sounds ironic a bit, but fate starts you out down a path, it is up to you whether to stay on that path to get to your destination. You can stall out in life, or go far. In the end, HOW FAR DO YOU WANT TO TAKE IT?

PS: The picture here is a giant spider attacking the Canada Parliament building when I was at ITU Duathlon World Championships...Godzilla was nowhere to be found to save the day...

Summer Update!

Here we are mid July & plans for 2014 have already changed. Rather than Ironman Sweden 2014, with the advent of Ironman Boulder new to the family of Ironman for 2014, I will choose that instead as it will be a lot cheaper to ride my bike to the start than hop on a plan half way across the world. Although, it won't be as fun or exciting!  Anyhow, new age group in 2014 so time to mix things up with some different athletes.

So far it has been in interesting 2013 with everyone I coach just "KILLING IT" be they on a bike or triathlon, or running. I'm carrying quite a few athletes (pretty much maxed out), so keeping it all in balance has been a challenge. In light of this, I've managed to qualify for TEAM USA Duathlon World Championships in Ottawa, Canada in August. Not a duathlete...it seems I've proven I can race another sport quite well aside from triathlon and pure running. One thing I've found out is that my transitions (save for a once-in-a-while "lemon" race), my non-Ironman distances--are pretty much among the fastest if not the fastest. Who would have thought that by thinking & planning ahead just a little bit while changing gear would actually give a HUGE advantage (not just talking a few steps here). I'll continue to focus on fast transitions as I seek to move up in the results as I get older. Someone contrary to what should happen as I age. The goal here is to stave off the aging process as long as possible so I don't feel like an AARP person before it is really time!

Boulder Peak Triathlon is in the morning & after a couple weeks of walleye fishing in Ontario & being off my bike & out of the pool...this should be the last non-trained for race of the season. Time to buck-up & get out the door with some consistency as it certainly hasn't been that way the past few months. That is what happens in a non-Ironman year for me anyhow...lots of slacking. Despite that, things seem to be going fairly well, although all races have been quite short. The real test will be if I survive Ironman Boulder 70.3 while attempting something totally crazy by racing ITU World Duathlon Championships only 6 days later.
It may come down to backing off on the effort for the 70.3 & use it as a training day then race Worlds with less fatigue issues. HOWEVER...if I am in the mix for the 70.3 I may just finally accept my slot to Las Vegas World's in September. Decisions decisions...it'll be a spur of the moment decision for sure on race day in a few weeks. Don't ask because I don't know myself yet!

Tonight is the Big "Oprah" Night

I've largely kept quiet on the entire L.A. issue but with things blowing up in the media on the much anticipated Oprah interview with @lancearmstrong slated for tonight, it is time to ponder his direction and future in sport.

First, let me keep Lance the guy who has done so much for cancer completely separate from Lance the athlete. Argue if you will, he would clearly not have been able to do all he has done in such as short amount of time without the success in the sport of cycling. That is besides the point. Lance the athlete seems to have merely one-upped his competition in doing similar things his competition has done throughout history of the sport, he just took it to a more professional level.

Believing in the myth or storybook hero of the world's best Tour rider ever, after personal tragedy struck, inspired so many in sport--outside of the cancer patients. I, for example, cannot express how many times I visualized Lance speeding along the road in my training, trying to imitate the tempo, the smooth pedaling and motionless upper body style while trying to achieve a solid ride. Although admittedly, I am not that great of a cyclist so it is somewhat embarrassing to know it never really helped a result for a race. Regardless, Mr. Armstrong was the inspiration to get back into shape for the 2012 Ironman Hawaii, in hopes that after he announced that his goal was to race or win Hawaii. Although he would race as a professional and myself as an amateur, it would have been "cool" to be on the same course at the same time to catch a glimpse of him, despite likely finishing about an hour-plus behind him. Now we know the real story, he would NOT have finished that far ahead of me "legally" as all those years of drug abuse, have resulted in a massive advantage in building up the body to such a high level it would be hard to compete with legitimately.

It was only few months before Hawaii, I had already qualified at Ironman CDA, in Idaho, USA. Lance was within one week of getting his qualification at Ironman France before all hell broke loose. The beginning of his downfall for years of lying, abuse, manipulation. "The Boss" finally was going to get what he deserved according to many of public opinion. He has certainly lost a lot, but for some reason, some say he thinks he will be able to fully get back to where he wants to be, in the winner's circle. As his biological clock ticks down, even with a potential reduced sentence from his life-time ban from all WADA sanctioned sports, would anyone really want to race him? Personally, he still seems mystifying as he certainly commands much attention anywhere he goes. Publicly, he is done, he burned that bridge. I would not want him representing my products, nor would I any longer want to be in a race against him. Time to pay the price, "The Boss" is not a boss any longer, but one of among many magicians, one who will go down in history as a fraud by the way things look for him right now. The lawsuits line up, media continues to print he is attempting to worm his way out of things through big dollar settlements. Intelligently, the government and others don't seem to be falling for it. Lance no longer holds the cards so his plan continues to fall apart.

Today, he lost his Olympic medal. What is next?

There are others in sport doing the same thing every day. This fall, an age grouper from the south named Kevin Moats was found to have been taking steroids. He was at the top of the world winning Ironman Hawaii in his age group. It is rare that USADA (US Anti-Doping Agency) tests ANY amateur, in competition or out of competition. From experience, I could likely name a good half dozen amateurs right here in Colorado that should be regularly tested out of competition for both HGH, EPO and testosterone. When you come out of the woodwork, to the degree some of these athletes have with such improvements it is ground shaking to the age group results, it sets off a red flag. Mark Fretta, an Olympic Training Center triathlete was recently found positive for EPO. Mark, while a nice guy (I met him personally a few years ago), wasn't even what I would call "first tier" level triathlete. He struggled for results. If Lance was beaten by some guys in triathlon, if Mark was beaten by a lot of guys, if Kevin Moats only had a few peers who could beat him, it makes me wonder, WHAT are those guys who beat these cheats possibly on?

How far up the ranks would we all be if all the cheats taking things on the WADA banned list were removed, move up? Sometimes, I wonder, but I still hope that it will catch up with them in the end and our final results will be where they should be. One thing for sure, should I get to Hawaii in the next couple years, although I'm taking 2013 off of long course racing, my results will be at least ONE place closer to the front. Thanks Lance, for helping me improve by one spot without doing any work at all!

Here we are 2013!

Tomorrow is December 1st so I'll sneak in a quick blog here. Boulder right now is set for a high of 61-63 F today. The large storms looming to the west we may in fact be under a white blanket this time next week--one can only hope, the moisture is needed. With the shortest daylight hours of the year only three weeks away, it is time to give thanks for all the blessings we've had in 2012.

1) Yeah, the world didn't end, it likely won't in December either...I predict that is a myth.
2) For our families & friends who support us throughout our crazy sporting year, making those sacrifices so we can play in our own way.
3) Our health...without it, we wouldn't be able to enjoy those we love, or those things we love to do.

On the sporting side of things, once again, everyone I have worked with this season has done something special. From a first time Ironman Robert (who qualified for Kona on his first try), Ethan--a cyclist who will be "cat-ing" up in 2013 & never finished worse than 5th overall...winning his last race, Max--who set a half marathon PR, Jennifer...who ended the season with a 38 minute PR & 6th in her AG at Ironman Arizona. Those are a few highlights so if I've missed anything else please check my "Latest Updates" at www.geminimultisport.com for additional accomplishments throughout the season. It's been a super ride. I'd also like to thank all of our sponsors on the home page of the Gemini website just listed. Especially to Blue Seventy's Mike Orton--who always seems to come through for us when we need a rush or last minute order, you guys are the best!

It didn't take long to pick up things after a rest from Kona, gradually ramping up time and purposefully setting up many races from now until spring, just to force the fitness consistency. God knows I hate getting my butt kicked in a race but it happens so often the least I can do it put up a decent fight by keeping the fat off when most are putting it on. The course will change for 2013 in that as previous blogs mentioned I'll be doing strictly short course (meant anything shorter than a full Ironman distance). There will be non-WTC races, USAT races & of course WTC races like the ones here in Boulder. It'll be fun & won't require the long training hours of full distance racing. At my age, I've decided to do the "every-other-year Ironman" thing. Recovering some speed is needed between those years, as well as the family time is so valuable, that doing fulls each year just don't appeal to me at this time.

On the coaching side, I've actually already had to turn down several athletes for a 2013 roster already...a couple from Europe (due to keeping a few spots open for later returning athletes I've coached before.) Not sure how they heard about me, but it is always surprising when someone comes along who I never knew before or even without reference. You don't have to have an army of athletes or army of coaches or be spread all over the internet with advertising in every online mag out there, to be a successful coach. What you do need though, is to care about the athlete & their goals in a friendly, approachable relationship. To you athletes out there, there are always "spots" available throughout the year as some end their season early or some decide last minute to step back from the sport for one reason or another. Inquire about availability by dropping me an email at kk@geminimultisport.com   See you at the races! Happy Holidays..
KK

Off Season?

Nope, not really off season, in fact, I'm already healed from 98% of my wounds from Kona & have actually run twice already--though quite sore from it! The best thing to do now is knock out some "to-do-list" items and be consistent with at least a little exercise so the flab doesn't start to jostle around too much. It is quite early to start any training per sa of seriousness, especially since there isn't a real solid goal for 2013 other than to do some local races and have fun. Along the way there will be tweaks & changes to the schedule, but surely it is looking like a lot more family time is in order for 2013, which is great for all of us!

It has been a pleasure working with the athletes this year and seeing them come along so far performing to many successes. First, I'd like to say thanks to all the athletes this year that I've had the opportunity to guide to their most excellent seasons. Thanks for believing in my program and even more, yourself.  Thanks to my family for their support when I have had to keep away from certain family functions to either train or work with the athletes, they understand I also have a job to do also.

As we close the chapter on 2012, I welcome back past athletes and new ones. The smart ones are those who are starting early working towards their goals. I look forward to seeing more P.R.'s for you next year.
To cap off this blog entry...I'll have more time to post this fall/winter hopefully--in case anyone is up for expanded versions of the crazy details of "my world" and this sort of lifestyle. Hopefully it will all be as educational as it is entertaining!  'Til next time...

2012 Ironman Hawaii Race Report

This season has been a series of ups & downs, starting out the season well in some short running races and a decent Boulder Sprint Triathlon. Ironman CDA went quite well for me by being able to qualify for my 10th start in the Hawaii Ironman. The Boulder Peak was only less than two weeks from finishing the Ironman in Idaho so despite being totally flat and sub-standard swim/bike AND run, I managed a podium finish in 3rd place. The big issue throughout the 5430 half (now called the Boulder 70.3) was I had a foot injury from CDA--which kept me from running throughout a large portion of the summer from Ironman CDA to Boulder 70.3 except for aqua jogging. Luckily, there was enough time to recover by Ironman Hawaii to get in a few longer runs.


Bad luck started with couple months prior to Kona, but this may have been a blessing in disguise. The lack of training either helped or hurt me. I’m not sure as there has always been a large volume training build, with a month and a half left before Hawaii. This time training looked like this:

The below are dates with hours/minutes of total training time taken directly from my Training Peaks account log.

Aug 6-12: 6:27 (still injured)

Aug 13-19: 2:10 (still injured)

Aug 20-26: 1:41 (still injured)

Aug 20-Sept 2: 8:47

Sept 3-9: 11:54

Sept 10-16: 13:09

Sept 17-23: 7:11 (sick)

Sept 24-30: 7:19 (sick)

Oct 1-7: 6:34

Oct 8-12: 3:10

Ideally this low of volume is not an ideal build up for Ironman. I also may have ramped up a little too soon but there was an illness “floating around” which many people have gotten or have now.

The race (October 13, 2012):

I placed myself far left as I could, swimming the entire 2.4 miles casually as I would a warm up training pace. It was uneventful & quite tame as there was not a lot of punching/kicking this time around. The entire plan for today was to a) spend 2/3 the race screwing around going slow, then nail the run b) make hydration & pacing the priority. The entire swim was purposefully spent going slow. Yet, my time/placing was actually pretty good without even trying. It’s hard to criticize a decent swim placing with little effort.

The bike: Lots of drafting here, but Jimmy Riccitello and his draft marshals did an exceptional job catching the cheaters this year. I raced clear of penalty & rode as I would a long training ride. Hydration, calorie ingestion were all priorities. Special needs didn’t have my bag ready in Hawi so I pulled over for about a minute until they were able to find it & get it to me. Winds were the second worse I’ve experienced on the Big Island. Those hammering the bike were pretty much going to pay the price on the run. Therefore, I rode extra slow & conservative while trying to keep the body core temp down.

T2: This was only my SECOND of two bathroom stops for the race. Vast improvement! Usually it is 4+ times that I stop during an Ironman to relieve the body. However, I took my time in T1 & T2 to sit down and calmly put on my gear, grab extra drinks and make sure I was comfortable before heading into the next leg of the race. Usually I am tops on transitions but took a more relaxed approach this time.

The run: The plan was to hammer the run knowing I could pull off a 3:10. Five miles into the run on the left foot, a large blister formed to the left of the ball of the foot & between the second toe. Damage control had me altering the landing which then caused a right foot little toe blister. That in turn, altered my landing again, which caused a left foot little toe blister. The blister on the bottom of the left foot popped and feet were so swollen, that the friction caused skin to peel away to raw meat. The plan for a 3:10 run fell apart although I had plenty of energy to run that fast—the pain in the feet were nearly unbearable. The shoes (Adidas Adios 2’s) were great in training, but I hadn’t accounted for the amount of swelling in the feet (plus they are not “seamless shoes”) so yes there were issues. I walked all the aid stations after that, finishing in 3:23 for a 10:00:26…only 26 seconds from breaking 10 hours. My record here is not great with the heat being my #1 enemy. Never before had I finished the bike without being at least partially “blown up” so when the finish line came along, I had the energy to go another 10 miles, but the feet were done. Raw meat, it wasn’t pretty. Still dehydrated I was a little dizzy afterwards & just wanted to sit down to rest the feet. Either way, I was disgusted with the fact there was so much energy left at the end of this race, but not being able to complete the task due to the blistering. Oh well, it’ll be a return in 2014 when I age up hopefully. Take a year off in 2013 for short course & local races, complete a few home projects…then whatever comes after that.

My hats off to my Kona roommate Robert Brink who in his fourth triathlon (first Hawaii & 2nd ever Ironman), kept me at bay until just after the Energy Lab heading back to town. You kept it steady all day and it has been a pleasure to coach you this year and making your dream a reality. At 27 years, you have a long and strong future ahead of you in the sport.

In hindsight 2012 had ups and downs, Kona was while a disappointment in many ways, was a success in other ways. I’m always my biggest critic (I think!) Whatever I do is usually not good enough for me, although this time around keeping the heat at bay/under control as well as not blowing up on the course with such minimal training, makes me think of the larger picture in how much improvement can be made over the next couple years despite aging and supposedly should be slowing. Just because the general consensus is that we “should be” slowing doesn’t mean I have to. Hard work, planning and smarter racing can go a long way to exceeding what is nothing more than an unproven age barrier.