8 hours of Triathlon

Yesterday, Jenni and I competed in one the best events I have ever done: 8-hours of Triathlon. Some brave souls raced in the 24-hour event (either solo or team), far beyond what I could handle without being out for a month there afterwards!

For us, the race consisted of alternating the swim, bike, run portions equally. I started our team with the first swim (.24-mile), Jenni biked (11.2-miles), and I ran (2.6-miles). After the first 'triathlon' we continued to alternate with one another (Jenni swam, I biked, she ran).

In the course of 8 hours we managed to finished 8 full triathlons! We had about 10-minutes left before the cut-off. Both Jenni and I busted a move on the last legs of the 8th round to see if we could get in another swim. Unfortunately, the buoy's were floating away and the director decided to cut-off the last 30-minutes for anyone wishing to include another swim leg in the 8-hour event.

Chuckie and Jeff were there to cheer us on. These two and another athlete were going to actually partake in the 24-hour event but because of some mis-understandings, and Jeff racing KONA, they opted to not do it. After yesterday though, Chuckie is not only pondering with the idea, but already training for it!

As for the race, it was awesome! It was so much fun! Each team had their own 'pit'. The parking lot looked more like a shanty town as the day wore on. Chuckie had a tarp hooked up to hist truck and the Keil's. It worked wonders in the heat of the day.

Every time Jenni or I took our turns, Chuckie was there to cheer us on and kept us ready for the next leg. The best part was handing off the baton (timing chip) to Jenni and seeing her smile and ready to do her part. It made the sport more of a team approach.

I haven't competed as a team for a while and I forgot how much fun it is. Each leg I raced, I did it for Jenni and to beat my own personal time. Both Jenni and I were smart and kept are times consistent. It was exciting to see the power on the bike not dropping and sometimes the times for my running getting faster.

I am definitely in for doing the race again - either SOLO or DUAL again. It rocked and was a great training day!

A coffee alternative??

Ever since I participated in my first triathlon training camp in 2005, I have been a huge fan of COFFEE. Everyone else seemed to be drinking the stuff by the gallon and I was the only athlete at the camp that wouldn’t even sip the stuff. If they are doing it, why shouldn’t I? Since that first cup, I have been hooked ever since!

It started with Tim Horton’s (a Canadian store that is now in the USA – that sells the great killer combination of coffee and donuts). I then ventured in trying an Americano at a local Ma & Pop shop…and then, it was full force into having Starbuck’s one to two times a day when I was working full-time and training. I looked at my bank statement monthly: Starbucks, Starbucks, and more Starbucks…and the occasional Safeway (because Starbuck’s was located in the store!). It was out of control.

When I met Chuckie V, back in May of 2007 (gosh, has it really been almost one and a half years?) we talked about coffee and its effects on dehydration, decreased mineral absorption, fatigue over time and it being a big money drain! I heard this many times before but blew it off because at the time, I needed coffee.

Chuckie and others suggested decaf. Decaf? What the heck is that? Why would anyone drink decaf…it still costs money! I tried it but often found myself justifying my need for caffeine and coffee to get me through my day. I gave tea a try and had been a tea drinker before – but once addicted to coffee, it is hard to just say NO! My willpower was lacking, to say the least.

When I quit my job as a physiotherapist in Canada and decided to focus solely on triathlon, a new light inside hit me – I need to make some sacrifices. I weaned myself off caffeine. How? I’m not sure…but slowly I just stopped buying the stuff. Being in Solvang, CA for an extended period of time helped though – Solvang has no franchises, (i.e., Starbuck’s) anywhere in town! The place does have a small health food store, however, and it was there I discovered the ideal coffee alternative.

But first, a bit more about coffee to help those that are reading to really see what type of bang they are getting for their buck!

As an athlete it is important to listen to what your body is telling you. If you are pumping yourself up with stimulants (caffeine) daily, you are not aware of the level of your fatigue. Caffeine suppresses fatigue. When speaking to Peter Reid (3-time WORLD IRONMAN CHAMPION) at the Solvang Triathlon Camp, he stated that a big part of being an athlete and training is to listen to your body signals.

When your body is sending its signals of fatigue (overall tiredness, decreased performance, crankiness, etc) you need to realize that rest is your best option – instead of fighting it off with a cup of Mojo. This becomes especially important three weeks out of your biggest race (i.e. Ironman). It struck me then, hmmm, he must know what he is talking about.

Wikipedia has a great article on Caffeine: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caffeine Other negative effects of the use of daily caffeine are explained in detail. Some of these include: decreased mineral absorption, the ‘crash’ and ‘burn’ from the addiction of caffeine, and the effects it has on sleep, memory, learning…you name it.

So with all this information why is there still some athletes out there that drink caffeine on a regular basis? They require that stimulant to ward off their fatigue. I understand this, and still use some caffeine (via NUUN or some tea) during harder workouts. I don’t depend on caffeine on a daily basis. The amount of caffeine I drink on these harder, longer days is minimal compared to what I thought needed: 1-2 cups of coffee.

So why do I drink Coffee only on race day? It basically comes down to only three reasons:
1. It is an Ergogenic (increases your capacity of mental and physical labor). It has been studied that it is best to drink a caffeinated beverage 45min to 1hour before your event. A typical dose (which varies person to person) is usually weaned out of the system in 3-4hours).
2. Caffeine relaxes the anal sphincter valve (clears out your system before your race)
3. It tastes VERY good and psychologically helps me get ready for the race ahead. If I know I am drinking coffee, I know the next couple hours ahead, I am going to need my A-game.

Personally I drink around 2 cups of good coffee on race day morning with some solid food.
.
So now what? Stop drinking coffee? What do you drink? This brings me to the real reason of this blog post: Teeccino.

As stated earlier, I found Teeccino in a local health food market in Solvang,CA (you can find it in any grocery store now). I thought it would taste better than the normal brown-colored tea water I have been drinking for the last couple of months (don’t get me wrong – I love tea now – especially ginger). I bought myself a french press and gave the 'caffeine-free organic alternative to coffee' a try. I have to say, I fell in love with it at first taste.

Teeccino is made out of organic carob, barley, chicory, dates, almonds, and other organic ingredients depending on each flavor. My favorite is Chocolate Mint. I suggest if you are a coffee drinker, try brewing ¾ coffee with ¼ Teeccino. Gradually increase Teeccino until you are caffeine free. (this is especially important to prevent the effects of caffeine withdrawals mentioned from the link above.) They even have a cool slogan: “all the satisfaction…no caffeine reaction.” Flavors include: java, mocha, chai vanilla nut, hazelnut and more. I know this sounds like a bit of an advertisement – well it is! I don’t mind advertising products that work for me.

With all this said, don’t get me wrong. I do LOVE coffee. I love the flavour, the smell, and the way it feels as you drink it. Saving it for race day is a treat. When I do drink this motor-oil, I am ready to race.

Coffee is on the top of the list for a treat these days however, I do have to say, the alternative I have found is one of the best. And above all else, I have a few more bucks to buy what will help me for those hard workouts – FOOD.

A non-race Recap for TImberman 70.3

I wanted to start this blog with a great synonym for Crap. Checking online I found some of my favorites: poppycock, piffle, bunkum! I was hoping to find some more exciting ones but these will have to do.

Today was the Timberman 70.3 and the field was stacked with some of the top pro men and women in the sport of triathlon. Chrissie Wellington, the current Ironman World Champ, was racked three down from me! I was excited, ready to have my best race yet!

I woke up this morning feeling 100%. Chuckie made the executive decision not to decrease or taper my training this week since he said we don't want to start this vicious cycle of racing, recovering and losing the long-term fitness gains associated with such ups and downs. In the end, it was the best thing for me! I was literally feeling more than on par, but rather superb, awesome, off the charts, excellent....

I warmed up with an easy walk-jog. I asked three officials to confirm that the race was wetsuit legal. I didn't believe the first one, nor the second. The days leading up to the race the water temperature was above 73-degrees. The gods were in my favor because this morning the water temperature read a lofty 71-degrees! Yes to wetsuits! I was stoked!

I headed into the water with 30-minutes to spare until the gun. I was very nervous but focused on high elbows, elongating my stroke and swimming to the next buoy in the straightest line possible. This calmed my nerves during the warm-up. All the pros were hanging out near the swim start. I met up with Amanda Stevens (whom I met at Boulder Peak - 3rd place finisher). I said hi to Michael Lovato and met Cynthia Wilson, a fellow Canadian that I raced in the previous couple of years when I raced short-course. I was nervous but trying to stay calm. Simon Lessing was making jokes that no one should be following him...or passing him. :) Everyone was all smiles. (I love triathlon becuase of these types of moments! Everyone is out to have a good time, experience the joy of racing and attempting to kick each others' butts!)

For the swim, I positioned myself slightly to the right and behind the first row. It was a waist-deep start. When the siren went off, I quickly found myself on someone's feet! I kept telling myself - follow the bubbles, follow the bubbles. After we turned the first corner, and I was still on someone's feet, I smiled to myself. I was so excited while swimming that I think I hit the feet in front of me a few too many times! The swimmer ahead didn't seem to mind though. After the 3rd turn I found myself wanting to lead some because I had an abundance of energy. I quickly got on another swimmer's feet and headed to shore. Lo and behold, I was around 6:20 behind the first female and only 2-minutes down on Wellington. I ran into transition with four others, which was somewhat unusual for me.

I felt like a million bucks running with my bike! No, actually, I felt like a million bucks plus one! I didn't have the cramps or any feeling of tiredness that I usually feel after my previous solo swims. I jumped on the bike after a bit of a hindrance getting my feet in my shoes, and headed toward the first hill.

Right away I knew something was wrong. I could feel the road more than usual with the race wheels Jeff Keil loaned me. I kept looking at my back tire while pedaling up the hill. I managed to get myself to the top, quickly stopped and tried to see what was the problem. A flat tire. Ugh!!! I was not even a half-mile from transition.

I quickly took the wheel off the bike and attempted to pull off the glued tubular. Five minutes went by, then ten. In retrospect, I think it would have been faster if I headed straight back down the hill and into transition for Mavic Support. I kept telling myself though that support is coming...support is coming. Unfortunately, the support only followed the first three men!

A bystander riding his bike stopped and offered some help. I was hoping his manpower would do the job. He attempted pulling, prodding, anything he could do to try and get the tire off. NO such luck. Maybe he wasn't much of a man after all!

At this point, I knew the race was over for me. 18-minutes had slid away from the time I stopped. I was angry, sad and frustrated, and ready to cry. I rolled down the hill slowly so as to not wreck Jeff's wheel. I too felt totally deflated. All that travel...

Typing this now, I'm in a much better frame of mind. After talking with my new friends I've met here in New Hampshire (thanks to a great home stay!), along with Chuckie and my parents, I realized that crap happens. A flat is a flat. But I'm still angry - mostly at myself. I should have checked the wheels twice this morning. I've been using the race wheels for the last few days in training because I don't have a travel wheel case, which would allow me to bring more wheels, namely my training clinchers. The back tire was a bit low this morning as compared to yesterday. I didn't think anything of it and pumped both tires up to 130 PSI. In the end, I'm pretty sure it was a slow leak from yesterday. I thought that when you train with race tires you don't want to have them at such a high pressure. Hmmm, I guess I had this wrong. Chuckie told me this too. "With tubulars you want to have the pressure high so as to help prevent flats." Do I not listen at all??

Ugh.

So I'm really angry at myself for not listening. I'm angry that I got the flat in the first place, I'm angry that the the race support (all 3 vehicles!) were following the first three men off the bike, I'm angry at how much glue was on the tire (no offense Jeff!!!), and I'm very angry that I didn't have the strength to take it off! Oh, no! My rant is just starting up again!

The most frustrating thing with all of this is that I traveled to this race in hopes of qualifying for 70.3 Worlds. I spent a lot of money to get here and to get the bike on the plane, and had prepared myself for a great race! I'm sure I would have had a great race because of how I felt after T1. And, after looking at the results, I think I would have done well. Not that I can predict what could have happened but I know that I could have been someone to reckon with because of the placings of my previous competitors in the past few races...and all our tests show that I'm fitter than I was then.

Double ugh.

More feelings! I'm sad, angry, and a bit overwhelmed. I cannot imagine what it would be like to not finish an Ironman! The worst thing is the amount of money I've lost with the travel expenses and having to buy a new tire. If I'd have finished the race without a flat, no matter how good or bad I might have done, it would have been worth it. My reason to quit was basically because of the time loss I had accrued. I felt it wasn't worth putting my body through a race where in the end I knew I could have placed better without the flat. Instead, I decided it was better to save my energy for the next race, whenever that is. At least now, I have more anger to fuel my fire.

Triple ugh.

So that brings me to my options for the remainder of the season. There are only 4 more events to qualify for Worlds: Singapore, Monaco, Muskoka, and Cancun. Singapore and Monaco are obviously out the question due to location/travel expense. I am racing at Muskoka. Cancun is a viable option but I will have to look at how much it would cost to attend. Losing both money and experience at this race has me a bit worried and sad that another 70.3 may not be on the horizon this year.

Either way, if I don't qualify for Worlds I will next year. This race, if you can call it that, has provided me with some valuable experience, new friends and knowledge:

• I now know that I need to get a race-wheel case so that I'm able to travel with a set of race and training wheels (I may just have to bite the bullet and buy one of these 300-dollar contraptions)
  
• I will now always ensure to check my wheels and bike twice in transition. I'll be sure to train with the correct tire-pressure when using race wheels.
  
• I'm someone who thrives on continued training with little tapering between races
  
• New Hampshire is an amazing state! I've met some of the friendliest people (without the weirdness that so many Coloradoans seem to be stricken with!) and I'm hoping to come back next year. My home stay, Bill Endicott and his girlfriend Marilyn, are not just great hosts. They're great people! I had the best time and am really grateful for the accommodations and opportunity to have met them! I was able to help out Bill's daughter, Briana, do her first sprint triathlon and offer what little knowledge I have to his friends that came over for dinner one night! Thanks for all the support Bill, Marilyn, Briana, Joe, Chuck and Jon! I hope to see you guys again soon!
  
• Timberman 70.3 is a very organized event, more so than any other I've done this year, except maybe Wildflower. The bike course is awesome! (I did get a chance to ride it two days prior to the race!) I'll definitely be ready for next year!
  
• Crap happens. It's how you deal with it that matters most.
  
• Never fly into Laguardia airport! It is known for its long delays and rainstorms. I saw this firsthand while waiting in a plane on the tarmac for 2.5 hours!
  
• You live and learn from your mistakes but it's much easier to avoid making any!
  
• I WILL be someone to reckon with in the next race! :)

Race Report: 5430 Long Course

I went into this race feeling OK, but only OK. The whole week was basically a series of ups and downs. There was one day when I literally slept the entire day away. I think the fatigue was slowly creeping up from my last few weeks of training, traveling and racing.

I started my race morning with coffee – the stuff truly accelerates all your body functions, especially when you only drink it once in a while! I was in and out of the bathroom three times before I even had a bite to eat!

At the race site, I was racked right next to some consumate professionals - Joanna Zeiger, Heather Gollnick, Fiona Docherty, all three of whom looked more nervous than me! Chuckie is teaching me to step beyond my own race and my own anxiety and look at it all as more of a bystander, or as an outsider. Thanks to some of his tricks, I was as calm as I've ever been before a race. Well, for a while anyway! I know in the back of my mind that life is a game - and all this triathlon stuff is definitely a game. I love the game though and I want to do my best at it. I also want the opportunity to challenge myself beyond what I'm able to do on my own. I have to say though, it's amazing how crazy some people get before a race! Each time I race, I'm learning how much you can control yourself with just your mindset. Mind you, where all these calm thoughts were when I started swimming is beyond me!

The pro men and women started off as one at 6:30am. The sun was just cresting the horizon and it made for a spectacular show. We even had doves fly around us when the race announcer commenced the event. During warm-up I was shivering almost uncontrollably, not because of the water temperature (which was warm enough to require that the pros go without wetsuits) but because nerves got the better of me. Chuckie told me to get back in the water to continue loosening up, and to "stop wasting valuable energy on nerves...they do nothing for you!"

At the countdown I was still quite nervous – not so much for the race but because in the back of my mind I began to think, I know I'm going to get dropped. This is the one aspect I have to continue to work on. I'm a better swimmer in the pool than I am in a race. I can site easily enough but I just don't have the confidence or the ability to mentally and physically stay on someone's feet. I get panicky. I try to stay calm but I feel almost claustrophobic, like I need to get out of this mess. I also don't think I start out fast enough and give up the fight to stay in the pack. So I settle in my own groove and just focus on getting to the next buoy.

I think in the end I just have to learn to start out faster than my comfort zone and stay with the bubbles as long as I can. I'm not sure what it is...I remain positive and tell myself to get on someone's feet, but then it doesn't happen. I feel I'm swimming hard but in the end, I'm moving SLOW. I need to get better at swimming and I know that I have a long way to go in this area. I just think that overall it is more than just swim fitness; it's confidence, power, strength, form and mental ability!

So, I started the swim with the pack and ended the swim in the next wave! I was literally nine minutes behind Joanna Zeiger exiting the water. But I made it to land!

Jeff Keil was nice enough to let me borrow a pair of his race wheels. They were AWESOME! That and my new Rudy aero-helmet had me on my fastest bike set-up yet. Because of it, I made up a lot of time and by the time I reached T2 I was in 2nd place. Everything seemed to be rolling along well. My stomach felt a bit crampy but not so much that it worried me. Off the bike, however, is when my stomach decided to take matters in its own hands.

I ran about 500 metres when my stomach really began cramping. I couldn't breathe deeply and I felt like I was only breathing from my throat. This is a bit difficult to do while running! I was taking very shallow breathes because it felt like my stomach was pushing its way up on top of my lungs and squishing them. It felt like I was hit in the chest and the wind was knocked out of me; or more accurately, when you eat and drink over your limit and find yourself not able to move or function. I kept telling myself – don't quit!, but the thought was one of the only things on my mind. I was quickly passed by Kat Baker and Emily Finanger. I tried to remain positive and surprisingly it came quite easily, as I was positive I was going to quit!

I was forced to jog the first two and a half miles until my stomach finally had time to figure out its duty in digesting and emptying itself. There was still a part of me that felt like quitting - it was too painful. But as I continued I realized that nothing was actually painful, just uncomfortable. Slowly, I found my running form and started gaining back the time I had lost. On the 2nd lap I passed the two girls that left me for dead at the start. Fiona Docherty, however, was a speed demon and passed us all in the first lap. She was flying! Once in third place, with about a minute on Kat and Emily, I focused on keeping the pace even and steady.

It was another solid race and something I really needed to endure mentally. I forced myself to keep pushing through the discomfort (not pain!) on the run and lo and behold, it went away. Knowing this will make me that much stronger, I believe. I kept reminding myself how much hard work I have done so far this race, this summer, this year – which helped me push through the discomfort and focus on doing whatever I could no matter the circumstances. I am, however, going to do a bit more testing, practicing and researching on what type and how much fuel to have while on the bike. Seven gels are obviously a bit too much!

For the next race (in just three days!):

1. Do my damdest to stay with the bubbles in the swim. As is Chuckie's mantra: "Follow the bubbles or you're in trouble…"

2. One the bike: less sugar and more water! I'm going to try to use gel flasks so I can get two bottles of fluid on the bike.

3. SWIM harder….SWIM faster….SWIM stronger....SWIM better!

Jeff is letting me borrow his race wheels again for Timberman 70.3. I arrive in New Hampshire this afternoon. I'm excited about the race and to meet Chrissie Wellington – even if it's just through having the chance to rank my bike next to hers! I don't expect I'll see her much after that.

Results can be found at http://www.5430sports.com/

5430 Long Course Results Article from INSIDE TRIATHLON by Timothy Carlson.

BOULDER, Colorado – Australian Simon Thompson did it in nerve-wracking, come-from-behind style, while hometown 2006 race champion Joanna Zeiger dominated the women’s field in wire-to-wire fashion Sunday at the 5430 Long Course Triathlon in Boulder, Colorado.

On the heels of a blazing, race-record 1:11:59 run, Thompson made up a 6:33 deficit after the bike and passed race leader Tim O’Donnell with just half a mile to go to take $5,000 first prize by just 33 seconds. “I just scraped home by the skin of my teeth,” said Thompson, 30, after his 3:50:43 finish which was not helped by a mediocre swim and an average bike. “Normally just one good leg out of three is not enough to win an international triathlon against top professionals. But I’m really happy and feel I’m returning to the form I had in 2004 before I was hit by so many injuries.”

Simon Thompson’s finishing time was the second-fastest 5430 Long Course performance ever, just 65 seconds slower than Minnesotan David Thompson’s race record of 3:49:38 set last year.
Both marks were achieved in starkly different fashion - David Thompson’s race-record 2:02:56 bike was 5:30 faster than Simon Thompson’s, while the Australian’s run was 6:54 faster than the 2007 champ. Simon Thompson’s amazing run was 4:12 faster than David Thompson’s 2007 race-best half marathon, and 3:18 faster than Craig Alexander’s race-best 2006 run.

Zeiger, 38, came into this race with extremely sore ribs hurt in a bike training crash in nearby Hygiene, Colorado, 10 days prior. “I knew my run would be trouble because my breathing was pretty painful,” said the multiple Ironman winner and 2000 Olympic fourth-place finisher. “So I decided to go hard on the swim and the bike to give me a cushion on the run.”

Zeiger’s strategy worked to perfection, as her 26:44 swim put her six minutes ahead of former Zofingen duathlon winner Fiona Docherty of New Zealand. Then Zeiger’s smooth 2:20:45 bike put another 5:11 on Docherty and gave Zeiger an 11:12 cushion starting the run. While fleet-footed Docherty ran a red-hot 1:22:19 and Zeiger nursed her aching ribs to a conservative 1:29:11 split, that surge still left the New Zealander four minutes, 31 seconds back of Zeiger.

“I feel really good to go under 4:20 at altitude,” said Zeiger. “And I was a minute faster than I finished winning Vineman 70.3 a few weeks ago.”

Zeiger’s 4:18:07 finish Sunday was one minute, 27 seconds faster than her 2007 second-place finishing time, but 59 seconds slower than Samantha McGlone’s 5430 Long Course race-winning, race-record time last year.

THE MEN O’Donnell, 27, a varsity swimmer during his U.S. Naval Academy career, outdueled fellow U.S. Olympic Trials contender Brian Fleischmann to the shore but lost the run to the timing mat 25:54 to 26:00. Aussies Paul Matthews and Stephen Hackett emerged from the glassy Boulder Reservoir third and fourth, 25 seconds back, Kiwi Bryan Rhodes fifth another 20 seconds back, with American Joe McDaniel and Aussies Thompson and Chris McDonald all about three minutes back of the leaders.

Thompson, who arrived on the professional scene white-hot, taking and upset Australian Olympic Trials win in 2004, is coming off a discouraging string of injuries that started with a hamstring operation in 2005 and ended with a stress fracture in his back this January. While the stress fracture basically ruined his chances of a repeat Olympic adventure, he seems to have arrived back on his old form with wins at Byron Bay, Australia, a Continental Cup ITU race in Seoul, South Korea, and an encouraging 12th at the Vancouver ITU world championship in June.
After a shocker of a swim, Thompson was further discouraged when fellow Aussie Joe Gambles passed him 10 miles into the first loop of the bike and relegated him to sixth. “It was disheartening, but the second lap, I started to gain a rhythm and I think I held my own,” said Thompson.

At the front, O’Donnell knew his run made him vulnerable, so he repeated the desperate strategy he used at the final U.S. Olympic Trials at the Hy-Vee Triathlon in which he made a kamikaze break to lead the bike into T2 – then faded. “I played the cards I had and I did pretty good the first 50 miles of the bike but then tried to hold back a little bit,” said O’Donnell. “It’s really tough to go that hard on your own, because you really pay a price when you ride that hard.” That lesson was reinforced when O’Donnell blazed to the front on the bike but was passed with a mile to go on the run at Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs Lake earlier this summer.
When he hit T2, O’Donnell had a 2:37 margin on Matthews and 2:39 on Hackett, 3:57 on Fleischmann, 5:40 on Gambles - and a seemingly impossible 6:35 margin on Thompson.

Thompson felt strong out of the gate and caught Gambles about 1.5 miles into the run. “You just ran a five-minute mile,” Gambles told him. “If you run that pace the whole way, you’ll catch (O’Donnell).”

“I was just feeling good, but I worried that I might overdo it so I told myself to hold back a bit,” said Thompson. ”You expect your legs to give out with 5k to go. But I focused on sticking to my rhythm and keeping it smooth. I thought if I could be as efficient as possible, that ominous wall would be pushed back a little closer to the finish line.”

Thompson caught Hackett just after the first 6.5-mile loop, then passed Fleischmann a few miles later. “When I got past Matthews, there was 5km to go and I asked him where O’Donnell was,” said Thompson. “He told me two minutes. I thought this was insurmountable, but Fleischmann was pressing and I had to keep pushing. Further along the course, people kept telling me ‘You can get him! Just go!’”

In fact, 2005 and 2006 5430 champion Craig Alexander was out on his mountain bike spectating on the dam a mile and a half from the finish. “He told me first place was within reach and to get after it,” recalled Thompson.

Fighting a side stitch, Thompson went into high gear. “I could see how much he was hurting and my opportunity to steal the lead came with 500 meters to go,” he said. “I did have sympathy for Tim, but animal instinct kicked in and I sprinted by him.”

“[Thompson] gave me a little pat on the butt and told me I’d raced really well,” said O’Donnell.

“But there was nothing I could do. My quads were starting to give out and I actually thought I was going to fall over when Simon passed me. The TT position on the bike had really worked my quads.”

O’Donnell said this second place hurt more than Lubbock. “Losing in the last half mile makes it a little harder to take than Lubbock,” said O’Donnell. “But I know I gave it everything I had.”

THE WOMEN Zeiger’s wire-to-wire domination left no doubt, but her closest pursuers were happy with their races.

“I’ve just come back from two years fighting periformis syndrome,” said Docherty. “That's where the sciatic nerve sticks to the periformis muscle. I got it two years ago preparing for Ironman New Zealand and it took two years to get right. This year I went back to Taupo and got sixth at Ironman New Zealand, I qualified for Hawaii - and it didn’t hurt.” With a third at Lake Stevens 70.3, and fourth places at the Columbia Triathlon and Eagleman 70.3, Docherty is approaching the form that gave her an internationally renowned victory at the famed Zofingen long course duathlon.

On this day, Docherty swam a disastrously slow 32:45, biked a solid 2:25:55 and blazed to a race-best 1:22:19 run to take second place in an excellent time of 4:22:38 and take home $3,000.

Angela Naeth, who broke through to her first big upset win at the Olympic-distance Boulder Peak a few weeks prior, had even worse swim (35:21), recovered with a race-best 2:18:02 bike and cruised home with a fourth-best 1:32:04 run to take third professional and fourth overall behind 35-39 age grouper Brooke Davison of Boulder.

“My run started awful," said Naeth. “The first two miles I had the worst cramp and couldn’t get my heart rate up and got passed by (fellow pros) Katherine Baker and Emily Finanger. Finally, it got better and I was able to pick it up.”

Men's Results1. Simon Thompson (AUS) 3:50:43 -- $5,0002. Tim O’Donnell (Colorado Springs, CO) 3:51:16 - $3,0003. Brian Fleischmann (Colorado Springs CO) 3:52:02 - $1,5004. Paul Matthews (AUS) 3:53:48 - $1,0005. Joe Gambles (AUS) 3:56:12 - $5006. Stephen Hackett (AUS) 3:58:457. Joe McDaniel (Colorado Springs, CO) 3:59:468. Chris McDonald (AUS) 4:00:339. Jordan Jones (Denver, CO) 4:02:0710. Joshua Merrick (Lakewood, CO) 4:05:06

Women's Results: 1. Joanna Zeiger (Boulder, CO) 4:18:07 - $5,000 2. Fiona Docherty (NZL) 4:22:38 - $3,000 3. Brooke Davison (Boulder, CO) 4:24:14 * F 35-39 4. Angela Naeth (CAN) 4:27:03 - $1,500 5. Katherine Baker (Reno, NV) 4:28:46 - $1,000 6. Heather Gollnick (Bradenton, FL) 4:32:38 - $500 7. Emily Finanger (Boulder, CO) 4:36:43 8. Tracy Thelen (Colorado Springs, CO) 4:38:20 * F 25-29 9. Uli Bromme (Boulder, CO) 4:41:27 * F25-29 10. Karen Melliar-Smith (Denver, CO) 4:41:46

5430 field loaded for Triathlon Long Course - from the DAILY Camera

Five-time Ironman winner favored in women's race

By Ryan Thorburn
Sunday, August 10, 2008

Beijing isn't the only city in the world hosting big-name triathletes this weekend.
Sunday's 5430 Long Course Triathlon at Boulder Reservoir will feature the best professional field in the race's eight-year history, according to event organizer Barry Siff.

That's an impressive development for the half-ironman event considering this is an Olympic year. The deep and talented field includes:

Heather Gollnick. The five-time Ironman winner would have to be considered the favorite in the women's race.

Joanna Zieger. The former Olympian and Boulder native won the 5430 Boulder Peak Triathlon and was the runner-up in the Long Course event last season.

Angela Naeth. The 26-year-old Canadian won last months 5420 Boulder Peak Triathlon in her first race since recovering from a broken toe in her right foot.

Chris McDonald. The 2007 Ironman Louisville champion should be in contention on the men's side.

David Thompson. The Long Course defending champion returns after breaking the course record in 2007 with a time of 3:49:38 in 2007.

Chris Legh. The Lyons resident finished second to Thompson last year with a time of 3:51:48 and could cross the finish line first this time.

Simon Thompson. The Australian finished 10th in the 2004 Athens Olympics and should be a factor on Sunday during the race that includes a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run.

"It's a loaded field," Siff said. "Absolutely I would say it is the best professional field we've had in eight years, particularly on the men's side."

Even though many of the planet's great triathletes are in Beijing -- including U.S. Olympian Matt Reed, who defended his 5430 Boulder Peak Triathlon title last month -- the Long Course Triathlon didn't seem to have any problems drawing star-studded talent.

"Boulder is just such a mecca for triathlons," Siff said. "Pro athletes love to compete and train here. And I think our race has gained the reputation of being first-class."

The 5430 Long Course Triathlon will start at 6:30 a.m. today with the professionals competing for $23,000 in prize money, including $5,000 for first place. Approximately 1,200 age group competitors will also test themselves in the sold-out event.

"The people who win each of the age groups here can win anywhere in the United States," Siff said.

Race Week

What do you do during race week for training?

My thoughts are that you really just keep the body ticking with a few harder efforts. Chuckie and I have been working on a solid race week prep, and although the best laid plans can be great on paper, seldom do they unfold the way you want them to. This is the key to remember!

In the races I've done thus far, Chuckie has focused on keeping things moving and providing a few 'rest' days. These typically include an easy 20-minute run, 20-minute "flop" and 1-2 hour easy spin. The other days are focused on quality rest (hydrating, eating right and getting enough sleep, and at descent hours). We've had good success doing a few harder workouts 5-6 days prior to a race.

This week, the goal is to focus on being fully recuperated from my last two races. It's been 8- days since the Sylvan Lake half-Ironman, and yesterday was a doozy for tiredness. Last week was an overall mediocre week with bouts of fatigue. My 'field tests' on the bike and the run were slow. Today, however, I'm feeling great. The plan is to have a solid effort on the bike. For the rest of the week we are planning to continue with all three disciplines. Chuckie is planning both a hard swim and possibly a harder run in the next day or so.

In the past, 2-days prior to the race, I've typically included a 1-2 hours easy spin, 20-30 minute easy run, and a continuous 20-30 minute swim, working on a mix of strokes to give my "freestyle muscles" a break. The day before the race I try to get in a 1-hour easy spin with 1-2 race-pace efforts for 2-3 minutes each, a 20-minute easy jog, and a 20-minute swim with 1-2 race-pace efforts lasting 1-3 minutes. After that, it's simply about making sure I'm well hydrated, eating my biggest meal mid-afternoon and staying off my feet.

This upcoming weekend is the 5430 Long Course Triathlon. I'm excited to be racing just down the road again! The following week, I'm heading to New Hampshire for the 70.3 Timberman event. I'm hoping to qualify for 70.3 Worlds. It will be an interesting time because I have never done two half's only a week apart. Yikes! R&R will be everything!

A Rest Day

Today was a weird day. I had all the intentions in the world to hit it hard on the bike. Yesterday was an easy day so I thought today might be a stellar one. That is how it's suppose to work right? This morning, already a bit late in getting ready for an early Masters practice (at 8am - not really early), I woke up and felt like a ton of bricks had hit me. I knew this was going to be a rough day if I were to train hard, or even attempt to train hard. I find it amazing that your body can feel like hotcakes one day and crap the next, for no apparent reason. I'm even more amazed it can feel like crap one day and then again the next four or five! "Welcome to the life of a pro triathlete," says Chuckie.

He and I started our tardy morning with a long, easy swim at Scott Carpenter Pool. Afterward, I went home, ate, and went directly back to bed for a solid 2-hour nap. Chuckie decided I'd end the day on a good note - by doing nothing! I have to say, it was nice! I had wanted to ride hard, run hard, and really get in a solid day of training, but my body is elsewhere. It made me realize that the most important thing you can do as an athlete is listen to your body.

Rest is critical and although it's hard for me to avoid feeling guilty or sabotaging myself because I'm not training, I know that my whole day is training...not just the swimming, cycling or running. And today, of all days, is just as important as a hard workout day, if not more so. When I want to reach for the caffiene because I can hardly keep my eyes open I know something is up. (I generally don't use caffiene except when I'm training hard - i.e., NUUN with a little caffeine or a cup of coffee before a race.)

Today was a mental training day. Before working with Chuckie so closely, I'd have a tough time of it listening to my body and taking days off. If the day had a hard workout scheduled, I'd do it, no matter how I felt or how I performed during it...or I'd feel really, really crappy about not doing it. I haven't been this tired for a few weeks and I think the last two races are slowly working their way into my system. The confidence from them is there, but so is the fatigue. I am confident though that today was the best thing I could have done.

So how do you really know if you are tired or just bagging out? Well, with plenty of practice and a coach who knows you, it makes it a bit easier! This is what's great about working with Chuckie; he reads his athletes like a book. Today, even before he saw me flopping in the pool like a drowning cat, he says, "You're taking the day off." Sometimes I think he knows me better than I do - which is kind of scary. There are days I swear he can read my mind - when I am negative about a workout, sad, etc. Maybe I just let my emotions show too much.

The Week in Review:
- Almost 25-hours of training
- One day of climbing
- One crappy "field test" run (slower than when I first got here!)
- An awesome day with Jenni Keil on and off the bike!
- A solid 1500TT in the water
- One inspirational Pearl Street Mile (I watched Jeff and Jenni rip it up!)
- A four hour easy ride with Chuckie – I love these rides because we talk about everything…not just training…we keep things balanced!
- Dinner at the Keil's...my best meal all week!
- I met Kerrie Wlad – A truly awesome gal (and a fellow Canadian!) who unfortunately got hit by a car last week. I hope you mend quickly Kerrie!