Which Race to Do - Part 4 (The Run)

This is part 4 of a yet-to-be-determined number of parts detailing race selection for my 2015 "ultra" distance triathlon debut.  In case you missed it, here are the intro, part 1, part 2, and part 3.

In golf they say you drive for show and putt for dough.  The same works in triathlon... you bike for show and run for dough.  Dough, for me, is to finish the race relatively strong, with my chin up, and not in a death march at midnight.

I'm not a fast runner, but I'm a solid middle-of-the-pack runner (go figure).  I like to think that my ability to suffer on the run is decent, and as long as I've done my training I can generally keep my feet moving forward.  I live near a National Park and do a fair amount of trail running... it's hilly but not mountainous.  On road courses I tend to favor flatter courses but also prefer scenic courses - these two normally conflict.  

So, on to the breakdown...

Which Race to Do - Part 3 (The Bike)

This is part 3 of a yet-to-be-determined number of parts detailing race selection for my 2015 "ultra" distance triathlon debut.  In case you missed it, here are the intro, part 1, and part 2.

In part 2 I talked about the differences among the swim courses, so here in part 3 let's talk about the bike.  "Full" or "ultra" distance bike courses are the longest of the three events by distance - 112 miles, and should take the most time of the three events as well.  It's fairly common for folks to overcook the bike segment and end up walking, crawling, shuffling, or otherwise working their way back to the finish line during what's supposed to be the run.  


The bike for me is a difficult event.  I want to be the strongest at it. It's my favorite event to do.  But I often find myself a better runner than cyclist.  I won't dive into all the potential reasons, but suffice to say when I'm looking at bike courses nothing scares me, and that's probably not a good thing.  

With that, lets dive in, shall we?

When Life Gets in the Way

What happens to your training when life gets in the way?  In my case, it wasn't life, but rather an escape from life - a week-long vacation - that got in the way.  Spending a week on the beach with your family is a great time, but it's not a good way to get your workouts in unless you're really disciplined.  I went from commuting to work by bike (20 hilly miles each way) and lunchtime runs to lunchtime cookies and late-night Doritos.

In years past I have brought my bike, but I left it at home this year.  I did bring my running shoes and goggles, expecting to get in a daily open-ocean swim and a decent run.  I did none of that.

Training totals for last week:

• 4 miles walking on the beach carrying a 30 pound kid on my back
• 1 hour of tennis
• 1 hour of bodyboarding

Too much food and way too much junk food + no real workouts = 7 pounds gained in 7 days.  Sweet. 

Can you blame me?



The View from our Deck