tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87742676115559144332024-03-04T22:49:14.746-08:00CITIUS, ALTIUS, FORTIUSSwifter, Higher, StrongerBruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.comBlogger384125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-34001807936824199482016-12-26T05:47:00.000-08:002016-12-26T05:47:12.216-08:00Back to IM racing and lessons learned<div class="MsoNormal">
I trained like crazy in 2011 to try to get back to Kona only
to have my worst race in Arizona. I decided to move away from Ironman racing. A
good friend signed up for IM AZ 2016. I was going to be race support, but
decided it might be fun to try and see if could still get through an Ironman. Unfortunately
he was injured and unable to train or race. A small part of me wanted to see if
I could get back to Kona.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The 2016 season was off to a great start. My power numbers
were 10% higher than the previous summer. I had decent results in several local
races. I signed up to race Santa Cruz 70.3. Everything was pointing to a solid
race. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The week before I was scheduled to leave for Santa Cruz, I noticed a pimple
on my kneecap. I didn’t think anything of it, so I popped it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It progressively worsened over the next few
days. My knee started to swell. After a few trips to the doctor’s office, my
knee was not getting better. The night before my flight to California, I had a
fever and still not getting better. I went to the ER and was admitted to the
hospital for a few days. I didn’t train for almost 2 weeks because of a swollen
knee and super antibiotics. I slowly started working out again. I lost about
20% of my power, so I changed my goal to use the race to gain fitness for the
Boston Marathon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I noticed another crack near the welds on my bike. This got
me thinking about a new bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have
always been opposed to getting one of the mainstream bikes because they are
everywhere. I found a great deal but wasn’t sure until about 4 weeks from the
race. I assumed that would be plenty of time, but what I didn’t factor in was
the time to get the bike, parts, etc. I did not get the bike in hand until 11
days out from the race. I ended up with a swollen knee, so no riding or running
for a couple more days and to make matters worse, a stomach bug swept through
the house. I was ready to ride the bike on Saturday, but could barely reach the
pedals. My seat was an inch too high. I had to wait a day before
I could cut the seat post. I finally rode the bike 1 week out. It felt pretty
good, but I noticed my neck and elbows were not used to the new position.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RACE WEEK</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Wednesday-Arrived PHX and get to the house at 8PM.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Thursday-Spent most of the morning putting the bike back together. Ran an easy 4 miles trying out BASE salts. Drive to Tempe to ride a loop and realize I forgot bike shoes half way into drive. I turned a 45 minute drive into 90 minute drive. I biked a loop of IM AZ. I felt pretty good. There was a tailwind out to turn around and a headwind back, which is the exact opposite that I have experienced on race day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Friday-I forgot my cassette tool to put on my disc cover. I took the bike to <a href="http://regroupbicycles.com/" target="_blank">Regroup Bicycles</a>. The mechanic was awesome and squared me away quickly. Grabbed lunch at my favorite restaurant in Tempe <a href="http://www.rasushi.com/" target="_blank">RA Sushi</a> and then picked up race packet.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Saturday-Swam</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
SWIM<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt pretty good on the swim. This was my first experience
with a staggered start. I think there was a lot less contact then I have
experience in the past. The turn buoy came faster than I expected. The dark goggles I used made it difficult to sight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
T-1<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I skipped the wetsuit stripper and equaled my previous best
time. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
BIKE<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt great on the first loop. My quads were on fire during
the second loop. I couldn’t figure out why. I knew if I wanted to finish I had
to back off on the throttle and just get back to transition. I also started
drinking every 5 minutes. I stopped at special needs to grab new bottles and
used the port a potty. The winds picked up on the third loop, but I felt like my
legs were back. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to empty my
last bottle around mile 85 thinking I would have enough. I ran out 4 miles from
transition. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
RUN<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I felt great through the first several miles. I was using
BASE salts for the first time. I think they are easy to use as long as you know
how much you need. I was taking in salt every ½ to ¾ mile. After 14 miles, I
began cramping in my groin area. I only stopped three times to refuel bottles
and walked through 3 aid stations. This was one of my best marathons off the
bike with minimal walking. I spit up twice, not sure why. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
OVERALL<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was my second fastest time in Arizona. I am surprised I
was able to put together a solid race after all things considered.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
LESSONS LEARNED FROM 2016 SEASON<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Popping pimples on the knee is not a good idea<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Switching bike/fit with minimal time for adjustment is not
wise<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Dark goggles make it difficult to see when the sun doesn’t
pop out<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Drink more often on the bike<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Do not throw away a half bottle of nutrition assuming you <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Taking in more salt when cramping may not be the right
answer<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
-Keep moving forward and the end comes sooner</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
UP NEXT<o:p></o:p></div>
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Some down time and then focusing on Boston Marathon<o:p></o:p></div>
Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-83869105447282576092016-07-02T06:11:00.001-07:002016-07-02T06:11:17.613-07:002 Marathons in 2 weeksAfter finishing the Sacramento Marathon Relay in December, I convinced several friends to run the BMO half or full marathon in Vancouver on May 1.<br />
<br />
I also signed up to do the local Resolution Run Series in Steilacoom. You choose either kilometers or miles and distance increases every 4 weeks, so you start with 5k or 5mi then 10/15/20). I knew it would be a great way to get in some longer races while building up for the Marathon.<br />
<br />
After the 5 miler on New Year's Day, I realized I had my work cut out for me. My training consisted of hill repeats or a track workout, a tempo run, a long run, and 3 short easy runs. Three weeks later I went into the 10 miler with a cough that would not go away. I ran several minutes slower than my PR. The race felt hard from beginning to end.<br />
<br />
Four weeks later I ran the 15 miler. The roads were full of cars because of a high speed chase shutting down the highway and everyone rerouting. This was my first longer race that I was able to negative split. My 10 mile split was a couple minutes faster than the 10 miler race. I finally started to see my body was absorbing the training.<br />
<br />
The last race of the series took place in late March. My training was going well, so the plan was to negative split the race. I was competing for the series title as well. I knew I had to win the race to tie for the series. The gun sounded and we rounded the track and for some reason I was leading the race. I laughed and waited for a few guys to pass me before we headed out onto the street. I watched the guys slowly put a few seconds on me. I stayed patient and slowly reeled a couple of the guys back. There were 2 guys in front of me at the halfway mark. I decided to make my move and passed the guy leading the series in my age group. I didn't want him to come with me, so I picked up the pace by 20 seconds per mile. I pulled away with no problem, but felt the effort in the last few miles as I struggled to get to the finish. I didn't negative split, but set a PR my several minutes. I also realized that I was capable of running a 2:53-2:58 marathon.<br />
<br />
I recovered from the effort after 10 days. I also hit peak weekly mileage during this last block of training before the marathon. My training indicated that I was on pace to have a great marathon. The weather forecast was low 80s. I didn't think this would be a problem until I realized the race would start at 8:30AM.<br />
<br />
The Vancouver Marathon route changed since I ran it in 2009. I did not feel great in the first few miles, but knew to stay patient. As the race progressed, I started feeling worse. I felt the effort was high for a slow pace, so I slowed to a walk. I hoped that if I did this a couple of times, I could get back into the race. Unfortunately, I jogged/walk the last 10 miles. This reminded me of my heat exhaustion experience in Las Vegas.<br />
<br />
I was surprised that I wasn't sore after the race. I knew I had the fitness to run faster, so I signed up for Capital City Marathon. I also decided not to have a week of all easy training. I went back to what worked for me at the 15 & 20 milers. I did a few 800s and a tempo workout the week of the race.<br />
<br />
I felt so much better at the start of Capital City and started a little fast. After a couple miles there were 11 runners in front of me. I passed the first guy at 4 miles. I could see the runners up ahead slowly pull away. I focused on my race and stayed patient. At mile 18 it was great to see Steve and Duke. After 20 miles, the race started to get harder. I wanted to run faster, but legs would start cramping. I plodded along the last few miles. I passed on of the faster guys who was laying down on the ground being stretched out. At mile 25, I saw the lead female. I closed the gap to mere seconds, but it was not enough. I thought I finished 10th, but one of the guys leading the race for 18 miles pulled out. I ended up 9th and set a PR by a little over 3.5 minutes. Still a few minutes short of what I know I can run.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVRIGsE_htoJETpd7fxSc3PpL2XiqiCdKh4WDt1UI9WlFzBOM0lLzLkZCwhKmg0cStrGgjfkBNv5o1EFLCJrMkSbnL2036GYEqcstduRdpCtV1T8EHxYqOtKdQT_ry2F34MkoM40wPNM/s1600/marathon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVRIGsE_htoJETpd7fxSc3PpL2XiqiCdKh4WDt1UI9WlFzBOM0lLzLkZCwhKmg0cStrGgjfkBNv5o1EFLCJrMkSbnL2036GYEqcstduRdpCtV1T8EHxYqOtKdQT_ry2F34MkoM40wPNM/s320/marathon.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of Capital City Marathon</td></tr>
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Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-74039826209227004372016-05-20T06:43:00.001-07:002016-05-20T06:43:32.767-07:002015 Racing recapMy priorities shifted this year with the arrival of a healthy baby girl. I found it hard to justify working out instead of spending time with my 2 little ones.<br />
<br />
I started the summer with Black Hills Triathlon. My swim felt okay, the bike felt hard, and the run felt harder. The race made me realize that I probably needed to train more than a couple hours a week.<br />
<br />
After a couple more weeks of training, I raced Lakewood Summerfest. I knew that it would be tough to try and defend my title from last year. Especially with Nick at the race. He had an awesome race at Ironman Coeur D'Alene in 100+ degree temperatures. Nick cruised to the win. I felt a little stronger during the race. My power numbers were a little better at this race, but still a ways off from last year.<br />
<br />
My fitness peaked at the Bonney Lake Sprint. I put together a solid race to cruise in for the win.<br />
<br />
I finished out the year as part of a marathon relay. I ended up running the entire marathon. I ran the first half solo, then linked up with Karen for the second half and finished off the last section with Guy. We managed to hold off Megan by only a couple minutes.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-27836144244087255462014-09-09T19:26:00.002-07:002014-09-09T19:26:10.987-07:00Bonney Lake Sprint 2014 (0.35mile, 12.3mile, 5k)I raced Bonney Lake the previous two years so knew I had to come back. BUDU racing does a good job with their races. Plus I had to try and defend my title. I knew their was rain in the forecast. As I warmed up on the bike, I saw the clouds in the distance. I crossed my fingers they would stay away for another hour. No such luck. Once I started my run warm-up the rain drops fell. The only good thing was I raced earlier in the season under similar conditions.<br />
<br />
I dried up and sat under a tree trying to stay dry before donning the wetsuit. I walked over to the swim area and saw Richard right before entering the water. It was nice to catch up since we hadn't seen each other in awhile. I warmed-up and waiting to start. There was a delay because of the Olympic race taking place. Richard and I chatted up a little more then it was GO!!!<br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<u>Swim</u><br />
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<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<i>Course</i>: Out and back, water temp 70+ degrees.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT,</b> Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I felt good at the start. I saw 1 guy get out in front. I tried to close the gap with no luck. I ended up coming out of the water 10 seconds behind the fastest swimmer. I quickly ripped through transition and ended up leaving in first.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Start faster and stay on the feet.<br />
<i>Result</i>: (7:39 for approximately 0.35 mile)<br />
<u><br /></u></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<u>Bike</u></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop with a couple of small hills.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>LYNSKEY TI BIKE, ROTOR 3D CRANK WITH AERO Q-RINGS, </b>Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, Zipp Firecrest 808s with Continental Attack/4000s tires, XLAB 400 torpedo.<br />
<i>Nutrition</i>: Gu Brew (50 calories)<br />
<i>Race action</i>: It was pouring rain. The rain was just as bad if not worse than Five Mile Lake. I almost laid the bike down twice, too much speed for the turns. I ended up in the opposite shoulder on a right turn, thank goodness there wasn't a car. My aero bottle between the arms somehow loosened up and kept moving forward. It was annoying but manageable. A guy, who ended up winning the Olympic, passed me within a few miles of transition. I tried to keep him in sight, but his pace was too fast. I dismounted my bike and started running into transition. I overshot the lane, so had to pick up my bike and run back through the gate. Ugh!<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Make sure gear is in tact.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<i>Result</i>: (31:12 23.7mph)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<br />
<u>Run</u><br />
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop on road/sidewalk with a few hills within the first 2 miles.</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<i>Gear</i>: <b>NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES</b> with Xtenex Laces.<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I saw 2 guys ahead of me as I left transition. I took a time check. They were 20 and 30 seconds ahead of me. I tried to close the gap. The guy closest to me seemed to be running the same pace. The guy in front of him ran out of sight. I am not sure why, but my insoles shift inside my shoes during rainy conditions. I finished the race with half of my insole sticking out of my shoe. The only reason I didn't stop was because I did not know my placing in the race. I neared the last turn closing in on the finish line to realize I was in first. The race director had to run out and place the last cone for me to round before crossing the line.<br />
<i>Result</i>: (19:19, 6:14 per mile)</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">
<i>Finish</i>: 59:28 (1st overall).<br />
<i>Upcoming</i>: Maintaining fitness for the rest of the year</div>
Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-40429246431912252752014-07-15T16:52:00.002-07:002014-07-16T06:08:06.027-07:00Lakewood Summerfest Triathlon (0.5mile,14+++miles,5k)<div>
It was hard to pass up on this race as it was only a 15 minute drive to the race start.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning we arrived into transition to discover no bike racks or swim buoys. I wasn't sure if we were going to lay our bikes on the ground. At 6:30AM, one of the race officials explained the truck towing the racks and buoys wouldn't start. They found another truck and arrived around 6:45AM. After setting up our bikes we drove over to T-2 to set up out run gear and park the vehicle.<br />
<u><br /></u><u>Swim</u></div>
<div>
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 70+ degrees.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT,</b> Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles<br />
<i>Race action</i>: GO! As always, a few guys sprint all out at the start. I pass them after 200 meters and see at least 1 person ahead of me. I tried to keep him in sight. We came out on the boat ramp.<br />
<i>Next time</i>:<br />
<i>Result</i>: (11:19 for approximately 0.5 mile)<br />
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<u>Bike</u></div>
<div>
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop fairly flat with a couple of small hills.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>LYNSKEY TI BIKE, ROTOR 3D CRANK WITH AERO Q-RINGS, </b>Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, Zipp Firecrest 808s with Continental Attack/4000s tires, XLAB 400 torpedo.<br />
<i>Nutrition</i>: Gu Brew (150 calories)<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I did not feel great from the start of the bike. I was sweating a lot and the effort felt higher than the last race (power was 12% lower for this race for the same effort). In the first mile a squirrel in on the line. I move left to give him room. He moves right then crosses right in from of me. Once I got onto North Gate Road I could see the lead cyclist escorted by a Lakewood motorcycle cop. I put my focus into closing the gap. During the race briefing we were told not to turn unless you see a sign and that there would be a person at the 2 main intersections on JBLM.<br />
The latter part of the statement was incorrect. I assumed the cop knew the route. I closed the gap to the lead cyclist to less than 100meters. The cop led us to a dead end and then proceeded to go in the wrong direction. I knew where I was, so I rerouted to get back on the course. I was now on part of the JBLM tri-course. The other turn was 100 meters before going under I-5. I didn't see anyone at the intersection, but took the turn anyway and hoped the gate was open.<br />
My instinct paid off. The turn put us on Dupont-Steilacoom Road. I couldn't see anyone in the distance, so just kept pushing forward to T-2. I ended up riding an extra 1.3 miles.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Stick with my instincts.</div>
<div>
<i>Result</i>: (39:30 23.3mph)</div>
<div>
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<u>Run</u><br />
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop on 99% trail.</div>
<div>
<i>Gear</i>: <b>NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES & VISOR</b> with Xtenex Laces.<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I entered transition and saw no bikes racked. I quickly racked my bike, switched gear, and headed out. In the first 200 meters it was flat, then went up. As I was going up I could hear the crowd getting loud to signal the next racer. This meant I had a cushion of a few minutes. I was cramping a little. After cresting the hill, it was downhill then flat with lots of turns. With less than 1/2 mile left I saw another racer. I kept the pace up as I neared the finish line. I stopped to give LA a kiss and then crossed the line.<br />
<i>Result</i>: (19:49, 6:30 per mile)</div>
<div>
<i>Finish</i>: 1:11.58 (1st overall).<br />
<i>Upcoming</i>: ?</div>
Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-78732895127938647232014-07-11T06:33:00.000-07:002014-07-26T16:09:55.041-07:00Five Mile Lake Sprint Triathlon (0.25 mile, 14 mile, 3 mile)<div>
I was still debating on going to Nationals. There were 2 local races taking place the last weekend of June, so I thought it would be a nice test to see if I could handle racing Saturday and Sunday. I went out to ride the Black Hills course early Thursday morning prior to the race. I tried to sign-up for the race and it was sold out. Bummer for me. I quickly went to the BUDU Racing website and signed up for Five Mile Lake. I did not want to be shut out of both races.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning I checked in and got all my gear set-up. The weather was not very good as it was raining on and off. I rode a loop to make sure I knew the course. This race used to be known as Federal Way Escape. They extended the bike course a little over a mile.<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Swim</u></div>
<div>
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 70 degrees.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT,</b> Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles<br />
<i>Race action</i>: GO! It was chaos. I felt like I was in a washing machine. I couldn't believe how many guys going all out. Someone pulled my strap off the velcro. Luckily they didn't hold on or my wetsuit would've filled with water. After the first buoy, I started moving through the crowd. I turned for shore and there was guy to my right. I came out just ahead of him for 3rd.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Sprint the first 100 meters???<br />
<i>Result</i>: (5:35 for approximately 475 yards)<br />
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<u>Bike</u></div>
<div>
<i>Course</i>: 2 loops with a few turns and one small hill.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>LYNSKEY TI BIKE, ROTOR 3D CRANK WITH AERO Q-RINGS, </b>Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, Zipp Firecrest 808s with Continental Attack/4000s tires, XLAB 400 torpedo.<br />
<i>Nutrition</i>: Gu Brew<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I jumped on my bike right behind MD. A couple hundred meters up the road I saw the lead racer. I tried to keep him in sight, but could not manage the pace. I took a turn and felt my back wheel skid. I decided to back off the gas on all corners and turns. I really did not want to have quality time with the pavement. I felt good throughout the entire bike ride.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Little less air in tires because of wet roads.</div>
<div>
<i>Result</i>: (32:28 24.4mph)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzia6upuin2XPq8cVShn01jW0BHm3KrgMI-ZbRPpmWhyYUN8BFzHMxPfcz3GYSURn8CsZDigkVcn2g7jZmgNiK35RliSaU_5rLHkkX5q1UNepQkbcbZnBxuhxrGdPnHtCCfrSfzSBdLs/s1600/SMC-2-110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFzia6upuin2XPq8cVShn01jW0BHm3KrgMI-ZbRPpmWhyYUN8BFzHMxPfcz3GYSURn8CsZDigkVcn2g7jZmgNiK35RliSaU_5rLHkkX5q1UNepQkbcbZnBxuhxrGdPnHtCCfrSfzSBdLs/s1600/SMC-2-110.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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<u>Run</u><br />
<i>Course</i>: 1 loops on 99% road with the last 200 meters on trail.</div>
<div>
<i>Gear</i>: <b>NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES</b> with Xtenex Laces.<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I came out of transition right behind DM. I kept the gap close as I ran right off his left shoulder. In the first 1/4 mile, he stopped suddenly. I quickly side stepped and looked back to see if he was ok. DM kept running, so I focused on getting to the finish line. Around the 1 mile mark, I was passed quickly by the guy who ended up in second overall and the fastest run. A little after the 2 mile mark, I was passed by another racer. I was now sitting in fourth. I took the turn into the park. I heard some yelling behind me. It was a spectator encouraging the 5th place guy to pass me. I kicked into overdrive and held him off.<br />
<i>Result</i>: (18:04, 6:01 per mile)</div>
<div>
<i>Finish</i>: 59:28 (1st in age group and 4th overall).<br />
<i>Upcoming</i>: Lakewood Summerfest Tri</div>
Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-7299732948535696052014-06-21T14:47:00.003-07:002014-06-21T14:47:43.376-07:00Boulder 70.3LG and I talked about doing this race last November. The race opened in December and was sure to sell out. I talked it over with my better half and we decided to make it a short family vacation.<br />
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I stopped riding the bike in early September and got back on in late March, so a little over 6 months with no cycling :-/ During that period, I maintained some fitness with 2-3 swims and 3-4 runs a week. I threw in a few run races (Turkey trot with stroller and 2 dogs, Santa 5k with stroller, Arizona Rock n Roll half, St Paddy 10k with stroller, and YMCA 10k with stroller).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
It is tough to train for early summer races in the Northwest. You choose to go outside and get soaked or sit on the trainer. We were fortunate with several sunny days in April and May. My power numbers slowly started to come back in mid May. Everything was coming together until late May when I got a horrible cough and a stomach bug that lasted 2 weeks. I didn't swim for a week. I also cut back on the bike and running with short and easy workouts. I started to finally feel better the week before the race. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
During my final week, I did a few key workouts and it showed I might be able to still put together a decent race. Thursday morning while getting in one last bike ride my right aerobar extension seemed very loose. I thought no big deal. I got home that night to find 1 of 2 screws connecting the aerobar extension to the base broke in half. Another screw broke as I was trying to loosen up the aerobars. I was in complete panic mode. I call DC to help me out. He contacted <b><a href="http://www.joyridebicycles.com/" target="_blank">JOYRIDE</a></b> and they looked at it Friday morning. It was good news bad news. They were able to get the screws out, but the extension was so corroded that a screw would not work. Thankfully my wife uses the same aerobar set-up and Joyride had enough time to swap out pieces.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We flew out Friday evening. Flight was scheduled to depart at 7:25pm. Southwest delayed the flight 3 more times. We departed Sea-Tac at a little after 9. At Denver airport, the baggage claim carousel was malfunctioning, so we lost another 30 minutes. We walked into the hotel room a little after 2am. LA slept thru entire flight, carousel hold up, and drive to the hotel. He woke up as we were getting ready to unpack in the room.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Saturday morning we headed over to LG's house. I put my bike back together only to discover my seat clamps are cracked. There was nothing I could do, but cross my fingers. LG and I headed out to the race site to check-in and turn in our bikes.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday morning we were up at 4am and out the door within 30 minutes. We picked up 2 more racers and headed to Boulder. We pulled into Boulder a little after 5:30. This gave us plenty of time to set-up a canopy for the families to hang out during/after the race and then our race area. I ended up forgetting my watch. I sprayed on sunscreen before putting on my sleeveless <b>XTERRA VENDETTA</b>.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<u>Swim</u></div>
<div>
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 67 degrees.<br />
<i>Plus</i>: It was great to have a designated area to swim that did not interfere with the race, so I warmed-up 10-15 minutes.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT, </b>& Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I was in the 5th wave. They sent us off and I notice a few guys getting out quickly. I felt good during the swim and had mostly clear water through the first turn with a little traffic for the remainder. I exit just behind the guy who started in front of me.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Push the first 200-400 meters to stay with the faster guys.<br />
<i>Result</i>: (28:52, 1:29 per 100m)<br />
<u><br /></u></div>
<div>
<u>Bike</u></div>
<div>
<i>Course</i>: 1 loop on decent roads. The first few miles are a gradual incline then its fast for the next 20-30 miles. The second half of the ride is slightly rolling.<br />
<i>Gear</i>: <b>LYNSKEY TI BIKE, OAKLEYS, </b>Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, and XLAB 400 torpedo.<br />
<i>Nutrition</i>: <b>INFINIT CUSTOM in 3 BOTTLES</b><br />
<i>Race action</i>: I felt good throughout the entire bike ride. I made sure to drink frequently. Near the 50 mile mark, several guys in front of me turned right, so I followed. We ended up adding 0.6-0.7 miles to the ride. Luckily we got back on track with only a few miles left.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: Get the bike checked out sooner. Know the course!!!</div>
<div>
<i>Result</i>: (2:25.41 23.06mph)</div>
<div>
<br />
<u>Run</u><br />
<i>Course</i>: 2 loops on 90%trails with a shorter hill and a longer hill within the first 2 miles then mostly flat.</div>
<div>
<i>Gear</i>: <b>NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES & VISOR</b> and bottle of GU Brew Blueberry Pomegranate.<br />
<i>Race action</i>: I had to control the effort at the beginning because quads were cramping and breathing was labored. Normally, I take a drink every mile but changed it up to approximately every half to try eliminate the cramping. I felt stronger after the 5k, so started grabbing coke at the aid stations. I saw my 2 favorite people just before going out on the second loop. I caught up to a 30 year old, who passed me around mile 5, and encouraged him to keep running as we only had a 5k left. He ran with me for a little over a mile and then faded as I was trying to get er done. As I neared the finish, I saw my 2 favorite people again, so I stopped and gave them each a kiss before crossing the finish line.<br />
<i>Next time</i>: More time to acclimatize to altitude.<br />
<i>Result</i>: (1:36.38, 7:22 per mile)</div>
<div>
<i>Finish</i>: 4:34.00 (9th in age group and 63rd out of 1544).<br />
<i>Overall</i>: It was the first race in a few years that I really enjoyed.<br />
<i>Upcoming</i>: Take the week to recover and decide if I want to try and do Nationals. Should I do the Olympic race Saturday and Sprint race Sunday?</div>
</div>
Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-32896850669179898252014-01-20T06:09:00.001-08:002014-01-20T06:09:45.563-08:00Rock n Roll Arizona Half MarathonA group of us decided to go to Arizona for some fun in the sun. Who can argue with 75 and sunny?<br />
<br />
Originally when we planned the trip I was not going to run. A buddy told me to sign up for Boulder 70.3 in June. Once I committed to that race, I had to sign up to run the half marathon.<br />
<br />
I wasn't sure how my Achilles would feel about training for a race. It was still healing from last spring. My plan started 10 weeks ago. I wanted to run 5-7 times a week. The Achilles told me that was not going to work. I found that 4 runs a week was the magic number. I also swam 3 times a week 2000-3500 yard workouts.<br />
<br />
The plan each week was 2 easy/short runs, 1 tempo or hill workout and one longer workout. Every once in awhile I threw in one extra run and kept it very easy. Some of the training was done with Lucas in the stroller as long as he was willing. He slept or looked at the scenery around. I had to cut 2 of the workouts short because Lucas had enough.<br />
<br />
Race morning we headed out the door at 6:15AM. Traffic got crazy 1 mile from the site. We ended up parking in front of a Thai restaurant that opened at noon. It was only a 1/2 mile to the start, so we walked the rest of the way. I got in a short 10 minute jog and lined up in the first corral.<br />
<br />
It took me almost 30 seconds to cross the start line once the race began. I passed a lot of people in the first mile. My plan was cruise the first 5k and progressively build my speed. I felt strong thru 7 miles. I started to have a rough patch miles 8-10. I had a hot spot on each foot. I knew they were turning into blisters miles 11 to finish. If I walked it would take me longer, so I powered thru to the finish. I finished 11th in my age group, 112th overall out of 13,000+ with a 1:26.08.<br />
<br />
Once we got back to the house I checked out my feet. Just as I suspected, a blister on each foot a little bigger than a quarter. JOY!!!<br />
<br />
The best part of the day was watching the Seahawks pull out the win. It was a good day!Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-66800713657830538462013-10-01T08:53:00.000-07:002013-10-02T16:06:35.176-07:00Bonney Lake Sprint Triathlon...I decided two days before the race to enter. I knew my cycling was strong. I figured I could swim a 500. My running on the other hand was somewhat minimal. All the crazy running I did back in the spring caught up to me. I kept the running short and only 2-3 times a week. I didn't know what to expect out of myself since I had not raced all year and done no fast running all year.<br />
<br />
Race morning I ran into a few familiar faces. I got everything set up and went out for an easy ride to warm-up. I bought a new sleeveless <strong>XTERRA VENDETTA.</strong> This would be the first time in a sleeveless and in it. I felt great warming-up. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-swim with Lucas</td></tr>
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I felt good at the beginning of the swim, there was a guy swimming to my right. I put a little distance on him at the turn-around. I love the sleeveless <strong>XTERRA VENDETTA.</strong> I can't believe it took me so long to purchase one. I saw a guy exiting the water just ahead of me. I ended up 4th out of the water. <br />
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<br />
I quickly transitioned from swim to bike. I put on my helmet, grabbed the <strong>LYNSKEY</strong>, and passed one guy out of transition. I was quickly passed in the first 1/4 mile by the guy who was right behind me on the swim. I knew there were at least 2 guys in front of me. I kept them in sight. After a couple miles, we caught up to the lead swimmer. He was a high-schooler on a road bike. It looked like he did a lot of draft legal races. As we passed him, he would just sit on the wheel. After a few more miles we dropped him. We were cruising along and the passed by a blur. Of course this made us all pick up the pace. I was in fourth while entering transition.<br />
<br />
I quickly switched to run mode. I put on my <strong>NEWTONS</strong> and left in second, right behind the guy who had the fastest bike split. I knew it was going to be a dog fight to the finish line. As we left the parking lot and got onto the road. He went straight. I looked down and saw an arrow for left turn. I assumed I was making the right choice. I heard the 2 guys behind trying to figure out which way to go. I had no clue if I made the right decision until I saw the next arrow. I ended up running into the guy who missed the turn with less than a mile to go. He knew he made a wrong turn, so ran it in behind me then disqualified himself.<br />
<br />
I ended up defending my title from last year. I was a few minutes faster. The swim was a little shorter, the bike was the same, and the run was a little longer. I ended up breaking the course record as well. BUDU Racing put on another great race. The best part was having Lucas there to watch his first triathlon.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-64643307110184712552013-08-31T16:22:00.001-07:002013-08-31T16:22:40.293-07:00Week of ironman whistlerI have been riding 3-4 times a week for the last several weeks. Most of the rides are cruise rides. Once a week I ride with Nick or Eric for 40-65 miles. After warm-up, we pull for 5 minutes then recover for 5 minutes. Rinse and repeat until home.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Last Tuesday, Nick and I decided to ride out to Ranier and back. After 20 minutes of warm-up, we took turns pulling. As we started on the range roads we quickly spun out because of a nice tail wind. This section of road is 6.5 miles long. If you have a tail wind at the beginning you will get a head wind at the end. I knew there were going to be some challenging sections due to the wind. It was the hardest ride I have ever done, almost 2.5 hours of hard riding.<br />
<br />
Drove up to whistler to cheer on a couple of friends racing. The drive up was very scenic. I rode the course on Friday. It is a tough course. The garmin had 7000+ feet elevation gained. Many of the pros had it over 6000. The first 58 miles consists of rolling with a few steep pitches spread out. The next 32 miles are pancake flat with a little wind. The last 22 miles involves some of the hardest climbing of the course. My average speed for the ride dropped from 20.6 through the first 89 miles to 19.1 during the section back to whistler. If the winds and heat are present, the bike will be so much more difficult.<br />
<br />
Saturday I ran to the swim start, jumped in for one loop, and ran back. It was a little choppy in the water because it rained that morning on and off, so conditions were not favorable.<br />
<br />
The conditions on race day were almost perfect, little to no wind and mild temps.<br />
<br /></div>
Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-51792788027614881912013-07-16T08:10:00.001-07:002013-07-16T08:10:48.031-07:00bike cobwebsAfter all the running I did earlier in the year, I decided to drop the miles back down. Actually I didn't decide, my body did. I started to have a few minor aches and pains. I still feeling pretty good in the pool. I am maintaining fitness by running around 30 miles and swimming 11000 yards every week.<br />
<br />
The weather has been so nice lately that I decided to dust the cobwebs off the bike and finally take the bike outside last week. First I had to make sure everything was in working order. I had a buddy, who recently finished bike mechanic training, check it out. Everything looked good except the rear wheel. I found a decent set of wheels to use for training. I finally have a dedicated trainer wheel. No more switching the tire back and forth. I tried to turn on the <strong>QUARQ</strong> power meter, but no power meter present. I started to unscrew the battery cap and it broke. I grabbed the cap off my wife's bike and still nothing. I tried her batter too and still nothing. I bought new batteries to make sure there wasn't a bigger a problem. I guess the batteries were dead. I contacted <strong>QUARQ</strong> and explained what happened. They sent out a new cap the next day. Awesome customer service!!! . Once I set the new battery with cap, the bike was ready to roll.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday, I took the <strong>Lynskey</strong> for 2 hours. I wanted one of the athletes I am coaching to ride a hillier route. We rode from Dupont thru Steilacoom, University Place, and turned around at the top of 6th Avenue in Tacoma. The last time I sat on the bike was back in March, but that was indoors. The last time I took it outside was October. It felt great to be back on the bike.<br />
<br />
Two days ago I went out with a few friends for a longer ride. We rode from Dupont Forza thru JBLM, Yelm, Ranier then back home. I felt pretty good for most of it except the last few miles. I am definitely lacking some bike fitness. I finished just shy of 57 miles. I spent more time on the bike Sunday then combined for all of 2013. It's time to start riding the bike more.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-42654328789507217372013-05-02T05:22:00.000-07:002013-05-02T05:22:01.589-07:00All I do is run, run, run, and swim...After Leadman race in Bend, Oregon and 7 years of triathlon, I decided to take a break from racing. The last couple years were very tough for me mentally and physically. For the rest of 2012, I worked out minimally and ate maximally. I gained 10+ lbs over the winter. <br />
<br />
Once the new year started, I kind of got back into a routine. I slowly increased my running and swimming. The desire to get on the bike was non-existent. My bike is gathering more dust each day with only 2 hours of total saddle time for the year. <br />
<br />
April was my biggest month of running ever. I ran 227.5 miles with a peak week of 59. I think the most I ever ran in a month previously was around 180 miles. I also flopped 49000+ yards in the pool.<br />
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<br />
"I just felt like running." - Forrest GumpBruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-64085514247693550762012-09-24T17:11:00.000-07:002012-09-24T17:11:05.973-07:00Leadman 125 - RedemptionAfter the World 70.3 Championships, I knew I did not race anywhere near my ability. Bottom line was I did not drink enough fluids, which caused me to flirt with heat exhaustion. I was back to training after 2 days and noticed quickly that I rebounded from the Vegas heat. I needed redemption, so I signed up for Leadman 125/250. Lifetime Fitness offered two races and the numbers represented the total kilometers travelled. I thought about the 250k for a few minutes. I knew I could get through a 5k swim and a 22k run, but did not have the training under my legs for 138 miles of cycling. Especially since you biked up Bachelor twice. I opted for the 125. It was advertised as 2.5k (1.55 miles) swim, 106k (65.87 miles) bike, and 16.5k (10.25 miles) run.<br />
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There wasn't any fitness to gain in the 10 days leading up to the race. The key was to nail race pace efforts and not add any fatigue while keeping the workouts short. All of my swim workouts were great. I even swam 5200 yards in the Lake on Sunday and felt awesome. I knew I was going to have a great race until Tuesday morning. I ended up tweaking my back at work trying to move a security cover around. I hoped it was nothing. I tried to run that afternoon, but only managed 6 steps because of the extreme pain. I called my A.R.T. and she squeezed me in before they closed. I tried to swim on Wednesday and it was pathetic. I had to use the ladder just to get into the pool. I had to warm-up with open turns because I wasn't sure my back would cooperate with flip turns. Every time I pushed off the wall, pain radiated in my lower back. I could swim as long as I pushed off the wall gently. I swam the rest of the workout with a pull buoy. That afternoon I rode my bike. Surprisingly, I felt good on the bike and my back did not hurt. The only time it hurt was when I got off the bike and stood straight up. There was still hope that I might be able to race. Thursday morning I attempted a short easy run with the dogs. No pain. Everything was coming into place. Was this a sign that I needed to rest more before races? Before driving down to Bend, Oregon, I stopped in for one more visit with my A.R.T to make sure I was squared away then headed south. It was a nice drive down Highway 26 to 97.<br />
<br />
On Friday, I linked up with Lindsey and her friend Matt, who was from Seattle. We rode over to the Web Cyclery to get her bike shifting fixed. It really sucks when you can't get into your big chain ring. Then finished up with a few minutes up toward Mt Bachelor before heading to packet pick-up. Along with our race necessities, we were given a bag, long sleeve technical shirt, cycling jersey and visor. I looked down at my watch and realized it was lunch time. I was standing in line to get a sandwich from Jimmy John's. Lindsey said she was going over for sushi. I love sushi, so quickly got out of line and headed over. The sushi was so good that I went back for dinner. After lunch I went back to the hotel to set-up all of my gear, so I could drop it off at both transition sites. I ended up taking the longer drive to the swim start at Cultus Lake. It is a must if you are ever in Bend. This ended up being the route for the bike back to Bend. I racked my bike and decided to swim without a wetsuit. The water was clear and the temperature seemed to be in the lower 60s. After 9 minutes of battling chop, I turned around and rode the current back. I dried off and heading back to town. It took me 30+ minutes to get warm from the swim. I even had the heat set at 80 in my car. Maybe the water was colder? I spent the rest of the evening relaxing in the hotel. My support crew rolled in a little after 11pm. Thanks to the Schmitzs' for bringing my better half!<br />
<br />
I woke up at 2am with stomach pains. This was a first. I fell back to sleep. I woke up an hour later in a hot sweat. I really started to question if I would be able to race. The alarm sounded at 5:05. My stomach still bothered me. I asked my wife to drive me to the race. I was not sure if I could even race. As we drove to the race, I glanced at the temperature gauge several times. It read 40, 28, 34 along the drive. Really?!? The stomach issue persisted. Would I even be able to race?<br />
<br />
<strong>PRE-RACE</strong><br />
I pumped up the tires, placed my water bottles, and made sure everything would be ready to go. I was planning to ride with socks, so I left my shoes on the ground instead of clipping them to my bike with my socks stuffed inside. They decided to delay the start of the 250 racers because one of the buses got lost. They started them at 7:20. I went back to the car to warm-up and put on my <strong>XTERRA VENDETTA</strong> wetsuit. My wave was scheduled to start at 8:09. I had plenty of time to relax. Right?<br />
<br />
<strong>SWIM - (28:23 my watch time, 29:06 actual time for 1.2 miles)</strong><br />
I swim out to the start and look up to see guys lined up. I assume it is 30 and under males because the time is 8:03. I hear the air horn and continue to swim closer to the start. Once I got close enough to the race boat, I yelled out, "Which age group?" A man yelled back, "Men 35&over." "CRAP!!! REALLY?!?" I sprint to catch-up to my wave. I actually felt good during the swim. After the turn around buoy I start to pick up the pace. One of the guys in my wave almost ran into me because he was on the wrong side of the buoys. I continue to swim along the buoys. I know I am only a couple hundred meters away from the swim exit. A kayaker comes up to me and points toward shore. I assumed we had to swim around the first buoy before heading to shore. Sure enough. I look to my left and see several swimmers nearing the swim exit. UGH!!! I break hard left and sprint the last few meters. I quickly exit and run past the wetsuit strippers to my <strong>LYNSKEY.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>T-1 - (2:11)</strong><br />
I quickly take wetsuit off, put on my <strong>OAKLEYS/</strong>helmet, and slip my feet in to my cycling shoes. I chose not to use the socks. Good thing I put toe covers on my shoes before the race. I threw my wetsuit, goggles, swim cap, socks, gloves into the bag. Would I regret not putting my gloves on?<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>BIKE - (2:59. 22mph for 66.3 miles 3100+ft elevation gained and top speed of 49.7mph)</strong><br />
In the first 10 seconds, my hands started to hurt. I almost headed back to transition to grab the gloves. It didn't help that the first 10-15 miles were shaded with trees and very little sun. Luckily, my hands started to work again as the temperature warmed up. I passed a few 125 racers who started in earlier waves. It was very scenic and challenging ride. It started with flat to slightly rolling in the first 35 miles, then sustained longer climbing for the next 15, and finished with a long descent back to Bend. <br />
<ul>
<li>During the ride, I saw several squirrels and chipmunks. A total of 10 with 3 as road kill.</li>
<li>I stayed on top of my hydration and calories. I drank every few minutes and consumed 5 bottles with 1300 calories. </li>
<li>The only frustrating part of the ride was shifting from the small chain ring to the big. Several mechanics have looked at the bike, but can never find a problem. It only seems to happen as I am cresting a climb. Anyone have an idea? </li>
<li>Only 3 guys passed me during the ride. Joel Maley (5th OA) passed me around 10 miles. I kept him in sight for the next 15 miles, but he eventually pulled away. Mark Loreen (8th OA) during the long climb between mile 40-50. I passed him back at the top of the climb. The last guy was part of a relay and he passed me in the last few miles in town.</li>
<li>I averaged 30.8mph for 19.2 miles on the long descent.</li>
</ul>
Near the top of the final climb, I saw Linsey Corbin cheering racers on. After cresting the last climb, I flew back to town. As I neared transition, I slipped my feet out of the shoes and prepared to dismount.<br />
<br />
<strong>T-2 - (51.56 seconds)</strong><br />
I jumped off my bike and ran into transition. My rack was second on the right. I quickly racked the bike, slipped my feet into my <strong>NEWTONS</strong>, grabbed my visor/water bottle, and headed out.<br />
<br />
<strong>RUN - (1:16.00 7:52 per mile for 9.75 miles)</strong><br />
From the beginning of the run, my quads felt tight. I figured this would pass after a few minutes. Not a chance. The run started out flat in the first mile. Two racers passed me, a relay runner and Daniel Soper (6th OA). The next few miles had either short steep hills or longer not so steep hills. My legs were not happy, so I walked most off the steep hills and split the longer hills up into jog/walk/jog. I popped a salt tab to try and fix the legs. It made it worse as my legs cramped up. I drank extra fluid and the cramps faded. My legs finally loosened up in the last few miles as it was mostly downhill and flat. My legs cramped a little more in the last mile. I sucked it up and crossed the finish line.<br />
<br />
I finished in 4:47.32 and 1st Age Group/7th Overall.<br />
<br />
Thanks Karen for encouraging me to start the race!<br />
<br />
I would definitely do this race again or even try the double distance.<br />
<br />
My 2012 triathlon season is officially done. Thanks to all of my sponsors!!!Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-29862226083331108052012-09-12T07:18:00.002-07:002012-09-12T07:39:01.190-07:00World 70.3 Championships<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
After training and racing triathlons for over 7 years, this was the hardest race by far. I took the last couple days to process and try to figure out what went wrong. It was a challenging course (Swim in 83 degree water, bike 56 miles and run 13.1 miles on rolling terrain in 100 degrees with little to no shade). I made sure to consume extra fluids and electrolytes the 2 days leading into the race.</div>
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
I had a solid swim that put me in a good position. I felt good thru the almost half mile transition and the first 23 miles of the bike to the turn around. I snugged my watch before the swim and noticed it getting looser as the bike ride progressed. Then things seemed to go from bad to worse. My neck started to hurt, left tricep cramped on and off, and my power numbers dropped considerably. This all occurred during the easier part of the ride as we had a tailwind back to town. I felt very hot and got off my bike for a few minutes to try and cool down. I actually thought about going back to the hotel as I came up on the turn. I was not in a good place. I struggled to produce power. I finally got into transition to pass off my bike. My legs would not run, so I walked through transition. I heard an athlete yelling at the volunteers to find his bag. I yelled, "Look down at your feet!" The guy finally looks down and sees his bag. I walked into the tent and sat for several minutes. I decided to get on the course. I saw Karen and she gave me a few words of encouragement. I tried to run. My legs and heart wouldn't comply. I walked almost all of the race. I made it to the finish line almost 7 hours after the gun sounded. It was my slowest half-ironman ever. I guess I looked awful. Lindsey and Karen told me to head over to the medical tent. My blood pressure was a little low, eyes were sunken, I could hear my voice echo in my head when talking, and no urge to use a bathroom. I consumed 100+ ounces on the bike, another 100+ ounces on the run, and another 100+ ounces after the race. It took me 15 hours to pee.<br />
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A big thank you to all of the volunteers who stood out in the heat!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pJh04U5JPzc3R0IM5h3QXRzF-_oemFOw09xNl0v8Bqw_MF8mpntcct6QzJExiLxuyvqfTmk7AIFS_Er7znfqTTlkbDj7R4fsNBamTHRznsB2NW8fyqBY1bJZK0B6S7CKJ8fOdl8aNQA/s1600/view+from+room.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pJh04U5JPzc3R0IM5h3QXRzF-_oemFOw09xNl0v8Bqw_MF8mpntcct6QzJExiLxuyvqfTmk7AIFS_Er7znfqTTlkbDj7R4fsNBamTHRznsB2NW8fyqBY1bJZK0B6S7CKJ8fOdl8aNQA/s320/view+from+room.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from room at the Westin</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Night before the swim</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5ohC791FbR98OAl06rimAZ-kixvG7kMvja8ImHGW2NFa3Dc8RTjwaJm1w5HrgE6znbWRTohhp9KDksTAWVAiH0iNk6KctarBNKeak8TUCmyp9X45ilVFPxyJFMjJd5Dm0EZAXJYysX0/s1600/run+out+of+t1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq5ohC791FbR98OAl06rimAZ-kixvG7kMvja8ImHGW2NFa3Dc8RTjwaJm1w5HrgE6znbWRTohhp9KDksTAWVAiH0iNk6KctarBNKeak8TUCmyp9X45ilVFPxyJFMjJd5Dm0EZAXJYysX0/s320/run+out+of+t1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Run out of T1</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4BlvGx21ApbqyzSKjxCWa5xgEex5UjuhqcyURAtP8NpqwzCEkKxij7mj2MjDe8HP1x1D0uULM0zWEtQZWkFHXQQL1ZTkj3T2v83CJk15-o9GYkx2L9GEC99SHgRI8BKuz_JopmZwOjI/s1600/pre+swim+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx4BlvGx21ApbqyzSKjxCWa5xgEex5UjuhqcyURAtP8NpqwzCEkKxij7mj2MjDe8HP1x1D0uULM0zWEtQZWkFHXQQL1ZTkj3T2v83CJk15-o9GYkx2L9GEC99SHgRI8BKuz_JopmZwOjI/s320/pre+swim+2.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Relaxing in my XTERRA SPEEDSUIT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl83M2iO90Cp32CVvd7nznbYzafafpdFRm5X4GlmN5TXNX05ofOG82bOjUSj_gO7haq6_ObBaQzj2b9c7le3LlLSF0t3ihOKqZm_PWG-dOtNZAMB7J8QW9wPpAbWWRigpU-OOni6avBs/s1600/pre+swim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEl83M2iO90Cp32CVvd7nznbYzafafpdFRm5X4GlmN5TXNX05ofOG82bOjUSj_gO7haq6_ObBaQzj2b9c7le3LlLSF0t3ihOKqZm_PWG-dOtNZAMB7J8QW9wPpAbWWRigpU-OOni6avBs/s320/pre+swim.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Pre-swim in my OOMPH RACESUIT</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNl0qOw4a_xt1y_835ioX2mmPmQNIRG2ey8rS9i6MCY-Ve7IrH-mtIjjwDFg8_cufN_OKwaJZMwc3f0epJKKxYOsvcYzv-6y2TjuDPcfHUPJI8EGbxcyerZg2UHhf-Xp3eNj6ufaX1n88/s1600/post+race.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" hea="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNl0qOw4a_xt1y_835ioX2mmPmQNIRG2ey8rS9i6MCY-Ve7IrH-mtIjjwDFg8_cufN_OKwaJZMwc3f0epJKKxYOsvcYzv-6y2TjuDPcfHUPJI8EGbxcyerZg2UHhf-Xp3eNj6ufaX1n88/s320/post+race.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post race, 15lbs lighter, half dazed and confused.</td></tr>
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<strong>"PAIN IS TEMPORARY, QUITTING IS FOREVER!"</strong></div>
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Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-8313843208404527092012-09-04T08:53:00.000-07:002012-09-04T08:53:04.719-07:00Bonney Lake Sprint TriAt the beginning of the week, I decided to race in Bonney Lake. I didn't know it was going to be a tough week of workouts. It all started with Tuesday. I swam my fastest 1000 (13:45). It was a hard effort. I probably would have gone a little faster if there wasn't more in the workout after. That afternoon, I jumped on my trainer for some heat adaptation. It was 90 minutes of pure suffering with no fan or air conditioning. I wore a sweatshirt, tights, and a beanie. I knew it was going to rough because I was already sweating walking around my place in shorts only. Twenty minutes in I was already having trouble maintaining power. After 30 minutes, my heart was trying to jump out of my chest. I threw off the beanie. My only goal now was to make it another hour. I have done workouts like this before, they were much shorter. I almost passed out when I finished. I had to hold onto my bike, so I didn't fall over. This workout trashed me. On Thursday, I still felt some affects. I got through a swim and finished a tough run. I ran a few long hill repeats on a 4% grade. I was worthless on Friday. I didn't know what to expect at the race.<br />
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Saturday morning, I left the house at 6AM. It should have taken a little over 30 minutes to get there. Instead it took almost an hour. I drove several miles past the turn and had to backtrack. Not a great way to start the morning. I finally arrived at transition a little before 7AM. I picked up my packet, set up my race area, and then headed out for a 30 minute ride on the course. I didn't bring gloves and my hands were not happy about it. As I rolled back into transition, the Olympic race had started. I check everything in my transition area then head back to the car to don my <strong>XTERRA VENDETTA.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong>SWIM - 7:41 (5th fastest)</strong><br />
I started in the middle drawing a straight line to the turn around buoy. BOOM. I take off. There are a couple guys just ahead of me. I get into their draft and end up following them the entire swim. I quickly exit the water and start stripping the wetsuit down. I think the swim was 550-600 meters. At least that's what my <strong>GARMIN 910XT </strong>had.<br />
<br />
<strong>T-1</strong> <strong>0:42</strong><br />
I quickly took the rest of the wetsuit off, put on my helmet, and headed out with my <strong>LYNSKEY</strong>. I passed two of the faster swimmers and left in 3rd.<br />
<br />
<strong>BIKE - 32:43 (3rd fastest)</strong><br />
The course had some rough roads with a few short hills. It took me a few miles to pass the guy in second (Eric). Then another few miles to catch up to the lead guy (Bryan). I was in the lead until I turned onto a dead-end street. I don't know why there was a race sign pointing to turn on the street. Luckily the other 2 guys did the same, but since they were behind me they turned around sooner and put me back in third. I quickly passed Eric. I noticed we were close to transition, so I started to get my feet out of my shoes and stayed behind Bryan.<br />
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<strong>T-2 0:32</strong><br />
I jumped off the bike, ran to my area, and racked the bike. I slid my numb feet into my <strong>NEWTONS.</strong> Eric left just before me and Bryan was right behind me. <br />
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<strong>RUN - 18:27 (2nd fastest)</strong><br />
It was going to come down to the run. This was a tough run course. It was rolling with a couple of steeper hills. I made my move on Eric in the first mile on a hill. I guess those hill repeats on Thursday paid off. I knew Eric was close behind because I could hear his footsteps the rest of the race. I tried to put more separation between us, so I pushed the pace on the hills. It ended up working as I got to the finish line with about 15 seconds to spare.<br />
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<strong>OVERALL - 1:00.07 (1st overall)</strong><br />
It looks like if I didn't make the wrong turn I would have been under an hour.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-68043357877527464252012-08-20T15:52:00.000-07:002012-08-20T15:52:17.830-07:002006 Couer D'Alene revistedI headed out to Spokane last week to spend some time with my youngest brother. I can't say little because he is 4 inches taller than me.<br />
<br />
I decided to use this time to get in some good training in warmer weather. I finished with 19 hours of training in 5 days.<br />
<br />
Saturday I met up with Jon and Phil and we rode around Mt. Spokane, climbing 3800 feet. The highlight was seeing a pickup deep in a ditch. There was only a few inches above ground. I switched out gear and headed out for a short run. The heat was hard on me. I knew I had to get used to it if I was going to race well at Vegas.<br />
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The same crew linked up on Sunday and we headed toward Coeur D'Alene. We decided to ride the old ironman course from 2006. This was the first ironman I completed. I still remember that day well. It was a rough day, as the temperature soared into the mid 90s. This time with a few ironmans under my belt, we rode the course in reverse. It was just as challenging if not more. We turned around at higgins point and started the regular course. Another 3800+ feet of climbing for the day then a quick short run. I felt much better today. My body was adapting to the heat quickly. After a few hours of relaxing and refueling, I went to Witter Pool. It was a 50 meter pool. I planned on putting in some good work, but my legs didn't want any part of it. I faked my way through the swim to finish with 3800 meters. We grabbed a bite to eat and went to the movies to watch "Ted". It was hilarious.<br />
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Monday morning I rode easy with my brother for a little over an hour and a half. Right before lunch I swam an easy 2500 meters. I finished the day off with an easy short run.<br />
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The plan on Tuesday was to cruise for 90 minutes then throw in a few 5 minute hill intervals. I miscalculated the distance and ended up riding almost 3 hours. The highlight of the ride was the bison I saw in the field. The rest of the day was similar to Monday.<br />
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Wednesday morning started with hill repeats on a course similar to Vegas. It was tough. I felt like I was taking baby steps near the end as the pitch steepened. My brother took the day off, so I went out for a super easy bike ride. My legs were toast. After refueling and a short nap, I squeezed in my last swim in the long course pool. We ate then went to watch "The Campaign". It was funny in parts.<br />
<br />
I packed up Thursday morning and hit the road by 7AM. The drive was uneventful except for the dead cougar I saw on the shoulder. The hill work I did the previous 2 days caught up to me. My glutes were really sore. It was nice to be back home and still have warm weather, 90+.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-18498158358041245992012-07-31T14:54:00.001-07:002012-07-31T14:54:14.637-07:00Calgary 70.3Originally this race was not on the schedule. A few friends wanted a shot at qualifying for Vegas 70.3. I didn't get a full bike at Boise 28.5 and this race fit better within the season. We left DuPont early Friday morning. We stopped several times throughout the drive and pulled into Calgary 14 hours later. This was the furthest north I have ever been.<br />
<br />
Our home away from was the Hyatt Regency. The best part of using the race hotel was we didn't have to go anywhere to pick up our race packets. This was not an ideal location to stay because T-2 was 5 miles away and T-1 was another 40 miles further. There was also an issue of parking and not being able to watch the Olympics opening ceremonies because cable was not working. <br />
<br />
Saturday morning we ate breakfast then hopped into the pool for a short swim. I guesstimated the pool at 15 meters. I quickly whipped through 50 lengths without getting too dizzy. I went down to grab my race packet. They added a $20 fee to register with the ATA (USAT 1 day registration equivalent). My frustration was that it should have been an option online when registering for the race. Particularly since they were taking cash only and the nearest ATM was not working. Finally after getting cash and receiving the packet, I got everything ready to take out to the transition areas.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Saturday was a day of many frustrations. Especially if you aren't willing to pay for roaming and data charges. The navigation system in the car was somewhat unreliable, sometimes it found our destination and other times wanted us to drive several hundred miles away. We eventually found our way to T-2 to drop off our bike to run bags. We rode our bikes along the run course for about 20 minutes to spin out our legs. After cleaning our bikes we drove to the race start and dropped the bikes off. Once we got back to the hotel, we ordered pizza and got everything ready to leave early Sunday morning.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Somehow we managed to be in the car and ready to leave at 5am race morning. This is the first race when arriving early to the race site did not guarantee a close parking spot. The volunteer said he was alternating cars parking close and far. Really? We walked down and set up our transition area. On the way back we stood in line for the port-a-potty and chatted with Magali Tisserye, who ended up as the top female. I put on my <strong>XTERRA VENDETTA</strong> and warmed up for a few minutes.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><strong>Swim - 29:59</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">It seemed like everyone decided to sprint to the first buoy. I had so many people around me. It thinned after after the first right turn. I felt good throughout the swim until my goggles were pushed into my eyes. UGH!!! I came out of the water second in my age group.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><strong>T-1 - 2:06</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I used the wetsuit strippers, grabbed my bag, and ran up the hill to my <strong>LYNSKEY</strong>.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><strong>Bike - 2:30.14 (23.1mph for 58 miles)</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The course was very scenic. At one point I saw a hawk land on a post on the far side of the road and eyeball me. A few seconds later on the near side I saw another hawk. Pretty cool stuff.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><strong>T-2 - 1:26</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I quickly dismounted and then tried to lift my bike over the curb. I almost dropped the bike. I racked the bike and put on my <strong>NEWTONS</strong>. I stopped just before leaving transition to fill up my water bottle.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><strong>Run - 2:03.41</strong></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I felt good for the first couple kilometers. It seemed like my effort was very high and my stomach did not feel right. I tried to walk off the pain. Nick passed me right after I started walking and ended up having a great race himself. Every time I attempted to run, I would experience pain in my lower left side within 60 seconds. I knew it wasn't going to be my day. I walked/jogged the rest of the race.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Finished 13th in my age group.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I honestly thought I drank plenty during the race until I realized that I did not pee for 7 hours. I consumed 60 ounces on the bike, 20 ounces on the run with coke at several aid stations, and 30 ounces of water/gatorade after the race. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I must do a better job of hydrating or Vegas will be the same result.</span>Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-53887204637609772212012-06-11T16:03:00.001-07:002012-06-11T16:03:39.072-07:00Boise 28.5 not 70.3<br />
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I thought I was prepared to race in almost any weather. I was so grateful that my buddy flew over for the weekend. He drove us to the top of the Lucky Peak Reservoir and we walked for about 10 minutes. It was in the low 40s and raining. I was actually wearing my helmet to keep my head dry. We arrived into transition around 1100AM. I walked over to my bike and starting setting everything up. My hands were getting cold. My friends were not faring as well. As we were walking down to the car, they announced the bike was going to be cut to 15 miles because of the winds/rain. We sat in car with the heat on full blast for 30 minutes. I think everyone was ready to throw in the towel. I am fairly certain I would not have started if we didn't have a car. There was no shelter near the transition area and it rained the entire time.</div>
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While warming up, I put on my <b>XTERRA VENDETTA</b> and my swim cap. As we were walking uphill back to transition, several athletes were taking their bikes and pulling out of the race. I decided that as long as I could maintain body heat, I would swim and then go from there. The pros were already half way done. I took off my shoes with 5 minutes before my wave started. It wasn't a lot of fun standing on wet concrete with cold temperatures.</div>
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<u>SWIM - 29:32</u> without run up into transition (<b>GARMIN 910XT</b> had it at 1.27 miles)</div>
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It was a one loop course, clockwise. I lined up slightly to the left of center. The water was COLD, 57 degrees. We were off. I felt like I had a good line and in no time I caught up to swimmers from the previous wave. It was hard to tell where I was at my age group. After the last turn buoy, I spotted another orange cap. We basically swam side my side until the last 100 meters. He picked up the pace. I ended up 2nd out of the water in my wave. I peeled off the <b>XTERRA</b> off on the way to the bike. I saw wetsuit strippers and used their help to get the wetsuit off. As I stood up, my left hamstring kind of cramped up.</div>
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<u>T1 - 2:28</u></div>
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I put on my helmet, stuffed all of my swim gear into the bag, grabbed the <b>LYNSKEY</b>, and headed out of transition. I saw Jared and Guy and gave them a quick nod.</div>
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<u>BIKE</u> - 35:24 (<b>GARMIN</b> had it as 14.07miles)</div>
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It was a 1-2 mile descent. I was very conservative. I saw a guy in my age group fly by me on the way down. I passed him back, once I started pedaling and never saw him again. We had to take a bike path for a few hundred feet. Just as I enter the path I pass a guy. He yells, "Hey no passing!" I did not respond. I was thinking really. You started how many minutes before me. On the path we had a hard right turn. There were several athletes from the other waves in front of me. One of them clicks out and stops at the turn, so all the rest of us come to a near stop. I luckily stay upright and finally maneuver my way around the turn. Once off the path, it was time to start riding. It was hard to gauge how hard I should ride knowing that a half marathon was still to come. I decided to ride as if it were still 56 miles. I made sure to drink several times because of the cramping earlier.</div>
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<u>T2 - 1:41</u></div>
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I racked my bike and ripped open my run bag. I grabbed the NEWTONS and had no problem putting the right shoe on. I could not get my left foot in the shoe. I finally looked down and saw my pinkie toe on top of the shoe with all the other toes in the shoe. My feet were that numb. I finally got my foot in. I grabbed my visor and water bottle and headed out.</div>
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<u>RUN - 1:26.02 (6:34 per mile)</u></div>
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I felt good at the beginning of the run. A few of the pros were coming through onto their second lap. I settled into a nice pace. A few guys went by me. I had no idea which age group they were in because of the compression gear. After 3 miles I started picking up the effort. I caught up to a guy wearing a Mark Allen Online (MAO) jersey. I ran behind him for a couple of miles. He picked up the pace on a decline and put 10 feet on me. I stayed in a groove and slowly brought him back. A couple miles later he put on another surge. This time he pulled a few hundred feet away. It was perfect timing on his part because I was starting to hurt. My left foot had a hot spot. It felt like a blister forming. My slowest miles of the race were 8-10. Oddly enough, I started to real MAO back in again. I passed him at the aid station as he went to get nutrition. He tucked in right behind me. I just finished all of the nutrition I was carrying in the bottle. I started thinking about strategy now. I tried to increase the pace slightly. The foot steps were still behind me. I grabbed a cup of Powerbar Perform at miles 11 & 12. He was still there. I decide that I do not want to sprint at the end, so I pick up the pace. The foot steps slowly start to fade and I have broken away. I tell myself I only have a few more minutes. It ended up being my fastest mile of the race, 6:14 and 15 seconds faster than the previous mile. I was running up last few hundred meters toward the finish line and I see Guy cheering me on. I hear foot steps and think MAO is back. Can it be? It ended up being someone else who was charging hard. I tried to match his pace, but it was too much. I crossed the finish line exhausted. I had no idea where I finished or even how fast I ran. I scroll through my watch and see my half marathon. I was shocked. It was my fastest ever half marathon. I hadn't even run that fast in a stand alone run race.</div>
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<u>FINISH - 2:35.34 5th Age Group/53rd Overall</u></div>
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I qualified for the World 70.3 Championships in Vegas.</div>Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-62869554664215032942012-06-05T16:23:00.002-07:002012-06-05T16:23:58.699-07:00Neck pain and sprint triMy neck started bothering me late Sunday night. I woke up feeling okay. I went to the lake for my first wetsuit swim of the year. My body was tired from the hardest/longest bike of the year. I realized I swim like a snake when I bilateral breath. I swam much straighter breathing every stroke. The neck pain increased over the next couple days. It was so bad on Wednesday that I had to visit JPT pharmacy. I felt better on Thursday. I signed up to race a sprint in issaquah a few weeks earlier. Orinially I had no intentions of racing. I changed my mind Friday night.
On the drive up to issaquah I wasn't sure if it was going to rain. It did, but after almost most racers finished. I was glad my little brother picked up the race packets the day before because it made race morning a breeze. I set up all my stuff and waited for the race to begin. It was a short swim (<b>Garmin 910XT</b> had it ad 434meters). A few guys jumped out front at the start. I passed a couple of them after the first buoy. I couldn't tell how many people were in front of me. As I stand up to start running onto shore, I see a blue seventy wetsuit. I yelled, "No, you gotta be kidding me." It was Karen. She stood up at the same time I did. I stripped off my <b>XTERRA VENDETTA</b>, put on my helmet, and grabbed the <b>LYNSKEY</b>.
Transition was not set up well. I had to run across other rows of bikes. As I tried to exit, two people were blocking me. The race just started sending the duathletes to begin their race. It was chaos. I finally get out and jump on the bike only to have my shoes flip upside down. I come to a complete stop. Luckily I didn't fall over. I get myself situated and start pedaling. There were lots of turns in the first couple miles. The course was an out and back with a few small rollers. I spun out on the downhills. I was riding with 2 other guys until they picked up the pace on the last hill on the way out. I watched them slowly pull away on the return trip. I quickly rack the bike and put on my <b>NEWTON'S</b>. I head out and hear footsteps behind me. Two guys pass me quickly and I had no response. The course was mostly on grass with uneven terrain and some damp spots. I ended up finishing 6th overall. They had bratwurst post race. They were delicious.
I didn't feel great during the race or horrible either. The funny thing was I had no soreness post race. Maybe I didn't go hard enough. Maybe my neck was a factor. Maybe the killer weekend of training the previous week caught up to me. I am not sure. I have felt great the last 2 days. It will be a great race this weekend.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-10891686780543484132012-05-26T11:33:00.002-07:002012-05-26T11:33:46.210-07:00No workouts todayNormally I workout everyday one to two times a day. Every once in awhile I will have day off during the week. Today is a rare day being a Saturday where I have no workouts scheduled. I feel like I am missing something. It doesn't help that is is sunny with blue skies.<div>
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Training is been going much better this year. Last year I felt like I would have 1 good workout and several bad workouts. This year it is the opposite. My body needs a low-key workout or two after every 3-4 solid workouts. It doesn't matter how hard you train if you don't allow your body to recover.</div>
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My swimming endurance is improving. I am maintaining 5x400s at the same speed with short rest. My power numbers on the bike are up 10-15% from last year. I am running well at almost 40 miles a week. I have a couple of races coming up in the next two weeks. It should be an interesting season.</div>Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-3817962377425531722012-05-02T12:39:00.001-07:002012-05-02T12:39:01.494-07:00Flat on trainerI didn't think it was possible, but I flatted on the trainer yesterday. It was one of those days where things were amiss. I switched the road tire with the trainer tire. I must not have checked it closely. I was in the middle of the workout, when POP. I saw a bulge in the tire where the tube was trying to come out. I thought I could get away with fixing the tube placement and just reinflating. No such luck. I put the bike back on the trainer and it went flat again. I took the wheel off and replace the tube. I then proceeded to finish the workout. It takes the cycle ops a few minutes to warm-up, so I had to push bigger gears for a few intervals.
Otherwise training has been going well. I have had several good workouts in all 3 sports for a few weeks. I think they finally caught up with me late last week. My legs started to get heavier and heavier. A few lighter days of training seems to have me back on track. I swam a crazy fast set on Monday. 10x50 on 40. I touched and my 500 was 6:37 short course meters. I attempted to do it twice and only made 6 as my middle toes were going completely numb.
Next big race will be Boise 70.3 in June.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-6382932785824742372012-04-03T08:04:00.000-07:002012-04-03T08:04:59.843-07:00Lavaman 2012We arrived into Kona Saturday afternoon. Originally the flight was supposed to arrive at 11:40AM. The airline changed the flight to depart 3 hours later. This made the afternoon very busy. First we stopped at <a href="http://www.bikeworkskona.com/">Bike Works</a> (I highly recommend them for service or if you need to pick up some gear.) and assembled the bikes. After 30 minutes of sweating, we headed north to the Hilton Waikola to pick up our race packets. We made it there before they closed with 1 minute to spare. Back to Kona to pick up our bikes. I realized that I did not pack my nutrition, so I picked up 3 packets of Gu Brew Blueberry Pomegranate (Ben swore this was the best stuff ever, so now was the perfect opportunity to try it.).<br />
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Race morning, we were up before 4AM and pulled into the race site by 5. This gave us a parking spot close to transition, less than 100 yards away. We set up our areas and then went back to the minivan to chill. As we were sitting there, they announced the race will be wetsuit legal. I never even thought that was an option. Oh well. Then they announced the swim warm-up would close 25 minutes before the start. I put on my <b>XTERRA SPEEDSUIT</b> and headed over for a short 10 minute dip. While I was swimming, I saw a turtle under water looking up at me. I saw him in the same spot both ways. It was pretty cool. Maybe good luck!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX7WcHDV480QhYfMDvuHI5FL-eeBASiMOigSJo70lQiUvj1OzaDB_cNpx_6PiigL4mIjIGrEK7_KljM0Gbj1rpK6Vkn9gLa3a9Bf-CdXE0y45-_NUOW0hQ3EE0mHwqvrZrTsv9fZrbKE/s1600/am+lavaman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX7WcHDV480QhYfMDvuHI5FL-eeBASiMOigSJo70lQiUvj1OzaDB_cNpx_6PiigL4mIjIGrEK7_KljM0Gbj1rpK6Vkn9gLa3a9Bf-CdXE0y45-_NUOW0hQ3EE0mHwqvrZrTsv9fZrbKE/s320/am+lavaman.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pre-race with XTERRA Speedsuit</td></tr>
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<b>SWIM - 22:10</b><br />
I am always amazed at how many people start at an all out sprint. I end up passing most of them in 200 meters.I saw another turtle. It was tempting to stop, but I had to finish the race first. I decided to try and breathe less for this race because that is how I swim my laps in the pool. It seemed to work as I came out of the water feeling good.<br />
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<b>Transition 1 - 1:32</b><br />
I ran up to transition jumped through the kiddie pools that were set-up to clean the feet and headed to my <b>LYNSKEY.</b> I overshot it by one row. I quickly turned around and ran to my area. As I was taking my speedsuit off I noticed a button popped off my race belt. I ran over and grabbed it so I wouldn't lose it. I put on my <b>OAKLEY's</b> & new <b>RUDY PROJECT WINGSPAN. </b><br />
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<b>BIKE - 1:02.38 (23.8mph)</b><br />
Since I forgot my nutrition, it was going to be an experiment to see how my body was going to hold up. It took me several miles to get into a groove. The miles seemed to go slowly. I saw Chris McCormack (Also known as Macca. He is a World Champion and one of the greatest triathletes ever.) going the other way. He threw me a hang loose and it sent me a burst of energy. I rode stronger and started passing several people the rest of the way. Thanks Macca!!!<br />
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<b>Transition 2 - 0:46</b><br />
I jumped of my bike and quickly ran back thru transition. I put on my <b>NEWTONS, </b>grabbed my visor and water bottle full of Gu Brew.<br />
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<b>RUN - 41:08 6:38 per/mile</b><br />
We start the run on lava rocks, very unstable. I hear footsteps behind me. I focused on my breathing and slowly start to pull away. It was hot out there. I see a few guys up the road and I slowly start to pass them as the run progresses. After 3 miles there are only 4 people within sight. I pass 2 within a half mile. I catch the other 2 at mile 4, right before the run turns to more lava rock and sand. It was narrow, so I patiently sit behind both guys as we are zig zagging our way through the last 2 miles. I pass one of the guys at the aid station (benefit of running with your own bottle). He tucks in behind me as I am right behind the other guy. After 5.5 miles I decide to pick up the pace to see if I can pass the last guy and break them both. No guts no glory. I pass the last guy and hear both of them right behind me. I continue to push as we are getting closer to the finish. The last 100 meters is in thick sand, ugh. I created enough of a gap and get to the line 4 and 7 seconds before the other 2 guys.<br />
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This is one of the most challenging run courses I have done for and Olympic Triathlon. I tried something different for nutrition and it seemed to work. I didn't have any cramping and didn't need any salt tabs. I finished up 5th in my age group and 16th overall out of almost 1200 racers. I was even lucky enough to have Macca stand with me for a picture. It was a good day.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0nNABWlCgD4mW7-KTREJ7f79szAT5nwOLPzmggD3wf8reziTxc6vvr9Yh7xYFZkxqARgVfZJWhrSHgOGlaB7605AFVyFKo6Y9r_TuoNXPwakp9nOjeTI7s_WvWYrO815XzhWFZP66A0/s1600/macca.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-0nNABWlCgD4mW7-KTREJ7f79szAT5nwOLPzmggD3wf8reziTxc6vvr9Yh7xYFZkxqARgVfZJWhrSHgOGlaB7605AFVyFKo6Y9r_TuoNXPwakp9nOjeTI7s_WvWYrO815XzhWFZP66A0/s320/macca.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Macca and me</td></tr>
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<br />Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-1686658131021843272012-03-12T14:44:00.000-07:002012-03-12T14:44:23.797-07:00Tuscon Training CampLast week I spent time in Tuscon, Arizona. The weather started out warmer in the first few days 70-90 degree highs. It changed quickly to a high in the low 60s and lots of wind. I managed to get in 23.5 hours of training (23,300 yards of swimming, 12 hours of cycling, and 37.4 miles of running).<br />
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I biked a little too hard Sunday and ran really hard Monday morning. It took me a few days to recover from those efforts. On Friday, I had a strong 5100 yard swim Friday morning. After 2 hours of downtime, we climbed Mt. Lemmon (25 miles 5200+ feet of vertical climbing). It took me a little over 2.5 hours. The hardest part of the climb was trying to figure out what clothing to wear. One minute super cold in a head wind and the next minute warm with a tailwind. After 17 miles, the temperature dropped below 40. At that point, I put on a vest, arm and leg warmers. It was my longest climb on the bike ever beating my previous by 16 miles.<br />
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I met several talented athletes, who were fun to be around. I saw a jackalope (bigger than my dogs, but no horns), an eagle eating a rabbit on a cactus, and a hawk fly into the living room window. It was a good experience. Thanks Mark.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-34320680765890048362012-02-29T15:55:00.000-08:002012-02-29T15:55:09.443-08:00CrazinessOn Monday I decided to try the crossfit challenge from last week, 7 minutes of burpees (squat down, jump back to plank, push up w/chest and hips touching the ground, jump to hands, jump 6 inches off the ground). My did 82, so my goal was 83. I did 80. I started too conservatively. I did 35 in the first half and 45 in the second.<br />
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I got on the trainer Tuesday and had the best workout ever on the trainer. My average watts with warm-up, intervals, and cool down was 20 watts higher and more than double the duration then the race. The workout didn't require too much effort. Craziness!?!Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8774267611555914433.post-67081344431282153552012-02-28T18:27:00.000-08:002012-02-28T18:27:26.225-08:00Busy, busyTime has flown by. I can't beleive it's been 3 weeks since my last post. Nothing too exciting going on in the last few weeks. <br />
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I raced my first indoor triathlon yesterday at the downtown Tacoma YMCA. The race was a 15 minute swim, 30 minute trainer ride, and a 2.22 mile run. I felt pretty good on the swim until about 800 meters. My legs started to turn into bricks. It was a 20 meter pool and they only counted down and back, so I finished with 1080 meters. I rested on the wall until the bullhorn sounded. Bike time started immediately. Actual bike time was less than 30 minutes because transition was included. I don't know what kind of trainers they were using, but I do know they were not accurate. It told me I averaged 19.9mph for the entire ride. I generated less power on Ironman races and went faster. Once time was called, I quickly transitioned to my running shoes and headed out the door. The run was flat for the first 400 meters, turned left and went up a solid 6%+ grade, left for 400m onto a slight downhill, left sharp downhill for 50 meters, left for 400m slightly up, right sharp downhill for 50m, then back to the start to loop around and repeat. I heard foot steps behind me in the first 100 meters. They slowly faded away once I took the first uphill. I settled into a good pace and continued to pull away from my chasers.<br />
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I ended up 5th with the fastest run split.Bruce Antonowiczhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07371796750858127106noreply@blogger.com0