“I really focus on just taking care of my body and mind. As soon as I start to struggle in a race, I immediately stop focusing on what everyone else is doing. I just keep eating well and keep hydrating. I try to keep my mind focused on the fact that my race isn’t going to improve at all if I can’t take care of my own body.”  -Geoff Roes, 2010 Western States Champ, and undefeated after seven 100mi races.

My second attempt at the 100 mile distance went a whole lot better than ‘09. The difference 12 months makes! After a great build this year, including the Annadel Half-Marathon, Sequoia 50k, Lake Sonoma 50miler, Miwok 100k, and some good 100mile-specific weeks in early June, I was also given the great gift of knowledge that came pouring out of the epic battle that was this year’s Western States 100, which went down at the end of June. Pouring over Geoff Roes and Anton Krupicka’s blogs in early July, I mined some valuable nuggets of wisdom, which I applied to my race this year in Lake Tahoe. Thanks fellas, it was a great ride!

In order to be competitive and possibly win this year, I knew I’d have to break 20hours. With a field of heavy hitters in the line-up this year, I knew I’d have my work cut out for me. So, I simply committed to concentrating on my own race, those things over which I had control, in hopes that I would see my peak potential.

The Tahoe Rim Trail (TRT) 100 was my A-race for 2010. No stone was left unturned. I was as prepared as I could be. I’d arrived a week before the event to get my body acquainted with the elevation and was crazy fresh, physically and mentally. On the epic scale, TRT scores a 10, especially this year with the addition of the Diamond Peak climb from Incline Village up to the Rim trail. This adds about 4000′ to a course that already boasts 20,000′ of cumulative gain. Each time I’ve had the great pleasure of running this event I’ve been struck that, a.) how little flat running there is, and b.) that my knees don’t eventually explode from all the ups-n-downs!

I’ve told the athletes I coach time and time again that when you take care of the simple things (nutrition, hydration, pacing, etc.) then the results will take care of themselves. I was grateful that a lot these folks who have become friends over the months and years, were dishing up some of my own medicine, in the form of emails and texts, in the days leading up to TRT. This was much appreciated as it helped center me for the battle to come. “Give none of your precious energy to your competitors. Control what you can out there.”

A picture’s worth a 1000 words, right? Well, running into the half here, I was so happy to not be in the shape I was last year due to excessive dehydration. Over the first 50 miles, I’d conserved well. At 20 minute intervals, I’d take a gel and chase it with 4 gulps of water. That was my nutrition/hydration plan and it worked like a charm (thanks again Geoff Roes!). Unlike last year, where my weight continued to drop at each weigh-in, this year I hit 152 lbs from start to finish, with no more than a pound deviation. No falls and no wrong turns this year was so relievingly wonderful, since I fell twice last year and am known for getting off course on occasion.

The first 50 to 75 miles of a 100 “race” is all about pacing, and keeping up with your food and fluids. My perceived exertion over the first 30 miles was easy, for the most part. That was tough to maintain since, in addition to being really tapered, I’ve been conditioned as a marathoner and triathlete, so running 10:30 miles over the first 30mi required a fair amount of restraint. There were a lot of solid runners at TRT this year too, including Brett Rivers, who I was hoping would “help” push me to a sub-20 hour finish time. Brett has cultivated a reputation for his pacing and subsequent smoking-fast push to finish lines. We both raced Lake Sonoma and Miwok earlier this year and finished close to one another at each event. Brett beat me here at TRT last year, largely because of his exceptional pacing ability. So, this year, I knew I’d have to pace smart in order to be in the running at the end of the day.

Letting guys (and gals) go at the start, including Brett, wasn’t easy. All I thought I needed was to average 12 minute miles over 100 miles to win. Seems pretty easy, right? It’s that 24,000ft of climbing at elevation that gets in the way.  The first time up the ski slope at Diamond Peak comes at about mile 30. When I arrived at the lodge, I spied Brett starting his ascent. By the end of the 2000′ climb, I caught up with him and inquired what was going on up on the front. Brett reported that Crawford was pretty far up and Olsen and another guy weren’t that far ahead of us. The pace and perceived exertion at this point was pretty conservative. Brett told me he wanted to keep it easy through 50, get his pacer, and turn it on from there. I pushed ahead, hit the top, found the Rim Trail, and ran south, mindful that I probably hadn’t seen the last of Brett. I wanted to open a good gap between us, yet I also wanted to continue conserving. When I caught Jon Olsen and he inquired who else was close behind, I told him I’d just passed Brett awhile back. He remarked, “Yeah, we’ll see him again.”

A big goal for me this year at TRT, besides breaking 20 hours, was to be able to run through both the half and the 70mile mark feeling happy and strong. Yeah well, in order to be happy and strong at the 50 and 70-mile mark, you gotta pace yourself. So, I felt like I had struck a balance and was running conservatively to the 50 mile and opening a gap on Brett. So, as I was getting ready to depart the 50mile aid-station and spied Brett coming in, a feeling of dread immediately preceded a shot of adrenalin. Time. To. Go!

From 50, I concentrated on what I could control, namely my nutrition and hydration. I ran the approximate 6.5 miles up to the next aid station at Hobart. No Brett. Another 5 up to Tunnel Creek. No Brett. I descended in the 6.5 mile Red House loop, where, after 3 or 4 miles, I caught my first glimpse of Brett and his pacer, Joel Lanz, another exceptional ultra-runner. Slowly and methodically, they caught and passed me.

You’re never happy to see competitors coming up from behind but, what the h*ll, this is a 100mi run in God’s country and it was pretty good to see those guys out there, killing it with me, and basically just having a blast, albeit, moving along a little better than me.

This section of the course chewed me up and spit me out last year, so Brett and Joel didn’t get any fight from me. Joel looked back once to see where I was and that was that. “Maybe see you later fellas,” I thought to myself. I was concentrating on getting my skinny rear-end back up to the ridge line, to the Tunnel Creek aid station, to that point that almost ended my race last year.

And just like that, I was there. Weight: 152 lbs (vs. my 143 lbs I’d suffered the year before at this same point). No stopping this time. With my deliberate shuffle jog, I left Tunnel Creek along the glorious Tahoe Rim Trail, moving north, traversing the 3.5 miles to the Bullwheel aid station, where my pacer was waiting patiently for my arrival. Eat and drink. Eat and drink. Joel and Brett were only four minutes ahead.

Twisting along the mountainside, you eventually spy the Diamond Peak mountainside and know that Bullwheel, which is at the top of that climb, is close. Michael Cook, my pacer again for this second attempt at the 100 mile distance and second attempt at this bear of an event known as TRT, was all smiles as I arrived at the Bullwheel aid station. I was excited to have my pacer and move over some fun terrain, which we had just run together the previous Sunday. This new section of the TRT is really dynamic: an 8-mile loop from Bullwheel, about 4 miles north toward Mt. Rose then hit a flume trail that runs diagonally along the mountainside, back down to the next aid station at Diamond Peak ski resort’s lodge.

The first time down this trail, earlier in the day, I’d run really conservatively, so I could spare my quads. This time was a bit different. This is a fast section and I love to run downhill fast. So, I opened my stride and bounded down the flume, in control, yet moving over ground at approaching 5-minute mile pace. Michael and I hit the pavement at Diamond Peak lodge with smiles. I was asking myself if that might have been a bit too fast but quickly dismissed it, since the next thing I saw, was Brett and Joel starting their ascent up Diamond Peak, which was total deja vu, since that was that exact sight I witnessed the first time I’d been here at mile 30, earlier in the day. Naturally, I expected to have the same result by the top of the climb:  pass Brett.

It wasn’t long after this moment that we witnessed Brett’s assault on Diamond Peak. Brett and Joel were running the early switchbacks and were completely out of sight by the time Michael and I arrived at the base of the steepest section. Still, there was about 20miles of racing left, and both Brett and I were inspired to move as quickly and efficiently to Spooner Lake as possible.

I think at this point, my Garmin’s battery had just crapped out, but I saw that my average pace for the race was still around 11:30/mile, which would put me into the finish a little over 19 hours! Compared to my 22:45 last year, that seemed wicked fast. We put our lights on and set to the task at hand: run to Tunnel Creek, run to Hobart, run to Snow Valley Peak, descend the 5+ miles to Spooner Summit, and to the finish!

I probably made some bad fuel choices in this last third of the race. My stomach was protesting pretty much the whole way down to the finish though I only had to make one “pit-stop” and had some strong sections, where I was able to move along quite well. I was, however, losing time to Brett. I just couldn’t sustain a strong pace without my stomach throwing a tantrum.

In order to break 20 (my ultimate goal), I had to hit at those 12min/miles or less. At some point in my delirium I asked Michael what time it was. He replied that it was 11:40 PM. I then asked him if he thought we could make it to the finish in an hour and twenty minutes. He thought we could but I could sense his unspoken words, “if you keep running.” Yeah, that was becoming an increasingly arduous task. Still, in spite of the pain and discomfort of having ran 90 miles, there you are, running at midnight with one of your best friends, lighting up some pristine trails in Lake Tahoe. I was smiling on the inside, or trying to. I was, for sure, savoring the experience. Just run you fool!

I was happy to hit Snow Valley Peak since that milestone represents the beginning of the end; the start of a long switchback-riddled descent down to Spooner Summit at mile 98.5ish. The race isn’t over ’til it’s over and my nearest competitor was Brett, with the next runner, behind Michael and I, being some 2 hours back. So, we kept pressing forward. By Snow Valley, I was running fairly well again and being a good downhill runner, I was able to move quickly, though painstakingly, down and down and down the plush trails to Spooner.

Michael and I put together a series of pushes that, in my mind, were strong but just not fast enough to break 20 hours. At 36 years of age, this stuff has become much more about the experience and the process of racing than any heavy focus on performance goals such as places and times. I like to win and set PRs but I love to execute a perfect process-oriented race plan. Things had gone extremely well today. It was only my second attempt at the distance. I was just grateful to be alive and well, moving at a good clip toward the finish line.

One of the great things about the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 comes after you reach the Spooner Summit aid station and run the last mile and a half of the race, pretty much on flat single-track, under the cover of night, headlamp lighting the way. With about 3/4 of a mile to go you spy the lights of the finish across Spooner Lake. And when you hear the cheers from the finish line, a strong sense of pride, joy, and relief wells up in your heart. The final stretch is a victory dance that somehow seems effortless as you glide wistfully into the arms of the finish and loved ones who have waited and worried about your well-being (and location) all the live-long day.

As I sat there, marveling at the simple fact that I was done running, I heard a woman speak. I heard her say “19:57.” It sounded odd. Why were those numbers meaningful to me? Wait, I ran a lot slower than that. Was there another runner here in the dark she was talking to? I looked up at her. She said, “Congratulations. 19:57. That’s great.” Still trying to comprehend how she could be so cruel and try to convince me I’d done something I knew I had failed to do, I sat incredulous for a second or two before putting the words together in the form of a question, “Did I break 20?” Naturally, my pacer, Michael certainly knew what time it was and that we had indeed pulled it off. So that was some surprising news to absorb as I sat there at 1am, basking in my efforts of the day and year.

And then, that wonderful human machine, sensing the time for running was over, began to shut down on me. My body had decided to initiate its recovery process. And then I slipped out of that blissful, immortal state of full engagement with the 2010 Tahoe Rim Trail run and into a very human, very mortal, purging process of recovering from the ordeal. There were several stops on our long drive back to Michael’s cabin in Truckee, and for various reasons. The TRT slogan is A glimpse of heaven and a taste of hell. As I fell apart, post-race, I was only grateful that most of my day spent running was a heavenly experience full of all the stuff that makes life worth living. The moments of hell were but a small price to pay for the experience of a lifetime.

I woke on the floor at 10:30 in the morning, disoriented and confused. My shoes were off but I still had my running stuff on. This is what it must feel like to be 80 years old, I thought. I crawled into the bedroom and pealed my clothes off. I crawled to the bathroom and took a shower, which washed the evidence of battle, down the drain. I crawled into bed and let out a deep sigh, my vivid recollection of rhythmic running on the Tahoe Rim Trail lulling me to sleep. That sweet singletrack…

Tahoe Rim Trail 100 Complete Results [Click >>> HERE]

17 hours (about 90miles) of GARMIN Data [Click >>>, >>> HERE]

My next big event is… my wedding on October 17th! My next A-Race will be the 2011 Ironman Triathlon in Coeur d’Alene next June, where I’ll attempt to earn a slot back to Kona in October. I do have to see the doc and see if I can’t get an MRI of my right hip. It’s only been giving me problems since 2008! Funny thing is, ultra-running makes it feels better; it’s when I rest that it gives me trouble! When I get a clean bill of health, I hope to sign up for an late ultra this fall. My plan is to integrate ultra-running into my triathlon schedule, which basically means I’ll hit some ultras in the spring and fall next year. I won’t do a 100miler in 2011 though. It is, however, my great hope that I can get into Western States 2012, or someday!!! I want to close with this oft-repeated (by me) but powerfully accurate quote from that great thinker, Ralph Waldo Emerson,

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier, not that the nature of the task has changed, but our ability to do has increased.”

>>> Point Positive! <<<

Bob's Race Reports, Tahoe Rim Trail 100

This is not Bob’s Lake Tahoe report, but since so many people are checking the site for it I thought I would hack in and give you something to watch.  This video was one of his mantras as he headed out into the darkness.  He’ll post something soon, after he recovers from the 100 mile run and the Burger King incident.

The Mental Game

Ironman is a happening. The nerves all inevitably lead to the water at 7am on raceday with 2,500 tapered triathletes, ready to go the distance. Sometimes it all comes together, sometimes it doesn’t. But as someone wiser than I once wrote, “Without a certain continuity of effort, without a certain duration or repetition of purpose, the soul is never deeply moved.” And that’s what it’s ultimately about, really:  You set a goal. You do the training. And you do your best to execute according to plan. On the other side, regardless of what happens to you between the start and finish, you realize that your place will never be with those cold and timid souls that know neither victory nor defeat.” We race because we move forward, in more ways than one. Plus, we get to drink frothy, cold ones after.

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TWO DAYS OUT

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ONE DAY OUT

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THE TRIATHLON EXPO (AKA: IRONMAN TRIATHLON’S MONEY MAKING MACHINE)

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RACE DAY

Greg Goebel, Matt Gallo, and Rod Matteri on the bike around mile 95.

Greg on the bike – YouTube

Matt on the bike – YouTube

Rod on the Bike – YouTube

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Greg Yaeger finishing the run – YouTube

POST RACE

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CONGRATULATIONS TO ROD, GREG G, MATT, SHAUN, JOHN, TIM, GREG Y, BILL AND ALL THE FINISHERS AT THIS YEAR’S IRONMAN COEUR D’ALENE TRIATHLON. I HAD A BLAST OUT THERE YELLING AT YOU ALL D*MN DAY!  : )

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COMPLETE RACE RESULTS HERE

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>>> Point Positive! <<<

Athletes, Ironman Coeur d'Alene

5 days to the 2010 Ironman Coeur d’Alene…

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I’ll be watching these fellas get the job done on Sunday in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, albeit from the sidelines! From there, I’ll gain the novel perspective of what an Ironman even looks like through the eyes of a spectator. As an athlete, I’ve pushed myself over this course, and to the ragged edge, on two occasions (2004, 2007). As a coach, this will be a great vantage point from which to gather more invaluable coaching experience. No doubt, the Point Positive crew is ready to throw down in stoic fashion. Sunday will be an awe-inspired day all around!

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Skyline Drive Century, Virginia (10,000′+ vertical gain)

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TRAINING

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NUTRITION

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Fellow tri-coach, Dave Latourette, of Train to Endure, gave a great clinic on training & racing nutrition Monday evening at Echelon Cycle & Multisport. Here’s some of the highlights from Dave’s talk -

Goals for the triathlete -

> Consumption of calories on the bike without gastric distress

> Pacing – continually build your effort over the day [what you save early will be there for you later]

> Align your nutrition with race pacing!

Strategies for the triathlete -

> Conduct race simulation workout to help dial in nutrition/hydration needs.

> Recognize that pace increases fluid needs while decreasing rate of fluid absorption [Find a balance!].

> Break bike leg into thirds. Example: 6hr Ironman bike:  2/2/2 [Perceived exertion could be 4/5/6 respectively]

>  A concentrated bottle of calorically dense [800+ cal. for IM] endurance sport-drink such as Sustained Energy or Carbo-Pro can last you the entire bike ride, while setting you up for success on the run [chase with big gulps of water!].

> Hydration schedule: fluids in every 20min.

> Breakfast 3hrs prior to swim-start [top off your glycogen stores]

> Use an electrolyte replacement products wisely [Endurolytes, for example, 1-3/hr based on temperature].

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Recovery

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Coach Bob’s Training Log for 6/15 – 6/20:

Trail Running – 16hrs (15,000′ climbing)

Road Cycling – 12hrs (11′000 climbing)

Power Yoga – 1.25 hrs

Ice Baths – 3

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Parting Shot -

Learning to Ride

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Just a few days later, not-yet-3 Dylan was pedaling his first two-wheeler.

(Click HERE if unable to view. I’ll take you out to YouTube.)

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>>> Point Positive! <<<

Ironman Coeur d'Alene, Nutrition, Training

What do you enjoy more, training or racing? Listening to an Endurance Planet podcast with 6-time Hawaii Ironman champ, Dave Scott, a few months back I listened to Dave talk about his frustrations about coming back to form after a collision with a motorist some time ago. “The Man” spoke about his “all or nothing” personality type, for better or for worse. Granted, Dave loves to go big, but he’s also known for his methodical preparation for key events. I mean, c’mon, the guy came back to Kona at 40 and placed second, overall! He knows, better than just about everybody, how to get the most out of his body. Naturally, we should get smarter as we get older. We can still go big in training, but we need to do it with great care and attention to detail. Any knucklehead can go out and bury himself (as I’ve done time and time again) but the big epiphany hopefully happens at some point when the knucklehead realizes, “Hey, going big is fun but what if I was smarter with the timing and executi0n of my gargantuan efforts???” And so it goes, another layer of that athlete’s potential is thus pealed back. Or, at least that’s the idea.

And, in order to have a good idea, you have to have a lot of ideas. To illustrate, I got an idea to conduct a 9-hour run last Monday. But, instead of running all over God’s green earth for 540 minutes, I brought an idea forward that I stole from another athlete: break that 9 hours up into 3 equal pieces. So, I ended up getting in my 9 hours but I wasn’t near as “buried” as I would have been had I conducted the whole crazy thing at once. In fact, it was probably the most high quality day of running I’ve ever done. What was tough though was all the stuff I did to take care of myself throughout the day. This is the “pealing back” part for me. It will look different depending on the goals you have set for yourself.

In my example, it’s not the training I’m highlighting, it’s the recovery. Context is important here; I’m training to run 100 miles on July 17th so running all day is the task I have before me. Early morning, hot afternoon, and at night. I’ll see it all. Specificity of training must be the integral component of your training plan too. After a long weekend having some great fun with friends, I took Monday to go big. I conducted three 3-hour long runs with three hours of rest in between each. I ate and drank well before each run but consumed no food or water during my runs as I am attempting to improve my metabolic efficiency. I brought a cooler along with plenty of fresh fruits and water so it was available immediately following each run.

After a quick stop by Safeway for a 20lb bag-o-ice I arrived home and took a 20 minute ice-bath. I showered and put on compression tights, was sure to eat well with foods rich in protein, ice-wrapped my knees, and elevated my legs. I changed up the venue throughout the day, hitting Annadel State Park in the morning and evening while running some tougher hills at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in the warm afternoon. And yes, going back out for that third run (in the dark) was pretty tough mentally. With all that recovery between efforts though, you can imagine the difference I experienced in that 9th hour since it was broken up, allowing me to bounce back faster and resume a week of continued high volume training.

So, the next time you’re planning a big weekend of training, I challenge you to put equal time and thought into your recovery protocol. In the days leading up to the big training day, ensure that you anticipate your recovery needs in advance, and you’ll find that it becomes a part of who you are as an athlete. If you think that this sounds like a lot of extra work, well then consider the benefits of being able to recapture your energy as a result of enhanced recovery strategies. Anyway, being an athlete and a coach these last few years has been illuminating. Working to be better at one is making me better at the other. Cheers!

Coach Bob’s Training Log for 6/7 – 6/13:

Trail Running – 15hrs (11,000′ climbing)

Road Cycling – 12hrs (9,500′ climbing)

Power Yoga -  2.5hrs

Ice Baths – 4

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What other exciting things have been happening lately? Well, as I’m again winding up for the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 on July 17, a lot of folks, including Rod Matteri, Greg Goebel, and Matt Gallo, are winding down their epic training days as they continue tapering for the 2010 Ironman in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho on June 27th. Amanda & I are flying up to watch the show and cheer on Team BORG as they embark on their 140.6 mile journey.

And here’s some random pics I’ve thrown in for your viewing pleasure…

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NUTRITION

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SPORTS NUTRITION

From the Hammer Nutrition Website: (for your information)

Comparing Sustained Energy and Perpetuem

• Sustained Energy is neutrally (a.k.a. “plain”) flavored. Perpetuem is available in three options: an orange–vanilla “Dreamsicle” flavor, a caffeinated caffe latte flavor (12.5 mg of caffeine per scoop), and in an unflavored/plain version.
• Perpetuem contains lyso–lecithin fat, whereas Sustained Energy does not.
• Perpetuem contains tribasic sodium phosphate, which is a tremendous lactic acid buffer. Sustained Energy does not contain this nutrient.
• Both fuels contain l–carnosine (an antioxidant that also buffers lactic acid), l–carnitine (to promote fatty acid utilization), and chromium polynicotinate (to stabilize blood sugar levels).

Bottom line: With Sustained Energy and Perpetuem, you have two great long distance fuel choices. When exercise goes beyond about two hours, you can use either product as your primary or sole fuel, in any combination with each other or any other Hammer Nutrition fuel.

That said, we have noted that Sustained Energy may be the ideal fuel choice when endurance exercise intensity is at a higher level (approximately 70–85% MHR), whereas Perpetuem may be a more attractive choice the longer the longer the athlete goes and when exercise intensity is at a more aerobic pace (under 70% MHR). Additionally, over the years we have noted that Sustained Energy may be the ideal choice for very lean athletes (the “high metabolizer/hyper–metabolic” types), while Perpetuem—with its added healthy fat component—may be the ideal choice for athletes with a naturally higher body fat percentage. The rationale for this suggestion is that athletes with a higher body fat percentage have a greater volume of calories available from body fat stores, which the lyso–lecithin component of Perpetuem may effectively assist in accessing for use as energy.

Again though, because the applications for Sustained Energy and Perpetuem are identical, either fuel can be used as the primary–to–sole fuel during prolonged bouts of exercise. Test each product in your long–duration workouts, under a variety of conditions, to find which product works best for you!

Parting Shot:  Fun times on Chalk Hill

Training

Just a quick post to summarize a busy weekend. The inaugural Windsor Green Half-Marathon enjoyed some sweet weather (after Saturday’s ominous clouds floated off) and 1000 runners participating in its 13.1, 6.2, and 3.1 mile events. Being a teacher in this community, it was so good to see this event come to Windsor, at long last. I’ve been wondering for years why in the world the Full Vineman Triathlon (at a minimum) doesn’t finish on the Green instead of Windsor High School? Maybe with the success of the WG 13.1, we’ll get a step closer.

Training and racing mirror life, and like the bitter sweet symphony itself, racing can throw its share of curve-balls at us. To keep growing and moving forward, we gotta keep swinging at whatever the pitcher on mound lobs our way. While some Point Positive athletes got through their events on Sunday without a hiccup, others weren’t so lucky this time around. There was a snapped crank-arm on the bike at mile 30 at the World’s Toughest Triathlon in Auburn on Sunday. There was no love on the run during the Auburn Sprint Tri for another athlete, who conceded two places in only the last half mile of the race to finish 4th in his age-group. And there was no run at all for one last athlete who made the hard call to not run the Windsor Green Half and allow some more recovery time for a recently menaced calf in order that he come into the Vineman 70.3 ready to rock-n-roll.

Thus, I’m reminded that we usually have some issues to deal with as we’re out there chasing each other around in training and racing, whether it be an inflamed achilles tendon, tight IT-band, or even a mild hangover for that matter. If you want to continue improving, there’s going to be those inevitable growing pains along the way. Seeing an athlete miss a race is tough, even when it happens to be a so-called “training race.” What really counts though is showing up at the big one (the A-Priority event) 150% ready for action. And that’s how we roll…

Windsor & Auburn Results

According to Charlie Duerr’s article in TIME this week…     (And oh yeah, drank some over the weekend, but not for a hangover. Did watch the movie, The Hangover, too. That was good time.)

Bit of bar trivia: 10 years ago, when the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was granted a patent (the first ever given to a U.N. agency) for bottling coconut water in a way that preserved its nutrients, an FAO official noted that the drink contains the same five electrolytes found in human blood.

Interesting right? As usual, Amanda was spot on about this. Guess I’ll have to have the coconut water in the fridge for after long workouts, and in the less frequent event of the mild to moderate hangover as well.

>>>  Point Positive!  <<<

Windsor Green Half-Marathon, World's Toughest

Another school year is coming to a close. Whew! I still don’t know how teachers who aren’t endurance athletes manage. I’m actually enjoying my final days with my kiddos and having “some” fun this week getting back into my old routines of riding and running to-n-fro school each day. With the exception of a rainy ride yesterday, it’s been a welcomed return to car-less commuting.

Also, I had the pleasure of doing my first clinic at Echelon Cycle & Multi-Sport last week on Tapering for Triathlons. Here’s a Top-10 Taper Tips from my presentation:

1. You must have a periodized plan in place with an effective taper built in. Work backwards from race-day.

2. You need a substantial amount of volume from which to effectively taper down (seriously!)

3. Expect to experience some amount of lethargy as you decrease you training volume. It’s normal and a sign you’re doing it right.

4. Maintain intensity during your taper (intensity is defined as race-pace or slightly faster).

5. It’s better to come into your race 10% under-trained than 1% over-trained.

6. For longer races, there’s nothing you can do 10 days out from an event to improve your fitness.

7. During your taper, re-commit to the fundamentals of training, namely, proper rest, adequate hydration, and good foods.

8. Write your race plan during the week of your event. Write it in the past tense (looking back on your perfectly executed race!)

9. Shift your mindset from training mode to rest/recovery mode. You are absorbing and growing stronger each day!

10. Maintain a positive outlook as the race draws near. Optimism builds strength!

Next up, I’d like to welcome two new Point Positive athletes. First up, is Eric Gardner, who will be taking a trip to the Big Island in October. He’ll also be getting in shape for the big dance by hitting Vineman 70.3 in July. Eric is the first athlete I’ve worked with going to “The Show.” I have to say I wouldn’t mind going back someday. That’s my favorite triathlon, hands down. Once you do it, it keeps calling you back. So, be careful Eric!

Secondly, a recent phone call to an old friend has led to a new partnership. Chuck Potter, now of Germantown, Maryland and formerly of Cambridge, MD (home to the EagleMan & ChesapeakeMan Triathlons) is now embarking on a new journey to Arizona in November. He’s relocating to AZ only long enough to set a new Ironman PR. It’s a thrill to be working with Chuck since, for years, he graciously opened his house to poor student-athletes like myself, who were always in need of great homestays. I have some wonderful memories of my races at EagleMan; my 70.3 and my half-marathon PR still reside there!

When I first met Chuck, he was winning the local YMCA fun-run 5k’s. Then after a few years of “encouragement,” he signed up for the EagleMan 70.3 and hasn’t looked back. In 2006, he “encouraged” me (mercilessly) until I pulled the trigger and signed up for Ironman Coeur d’Alene, where he completed his first Ironman Tri. Since then, Chuck married a fellow rock-star triathlete, Michelle, and the duo does swim-bike-run trios all over the place. Chuck & Michelle will be getting some solid training in this summer, building up to IMAZ by hitting the Pyrenees in July and catching some of the Tour while they’re at it. Welcome to Chuck and Eric. I’m looking forward to our 2010 journey!

Running by the news stand on the way home today, I caught a glimpse and had a chuckle at the front-page headline from Lance Armstrong, “Does it always rain here?” Lance tweeted this upon his arrival to Santa Rosa yesterday. Armstrong has brought the rain with him each time he’s come to SR for the Tour of California. It’s especially odd that it rained on May 17 in Sonoma County, and unfortunate since the race was moved partly to have better weather for the riders. No worries though, the rest of the race should be pretty sweet for Lance, Levi, and the boys racing the ToC this week. That’s one helluva ride!

Great YouTube vid taken by Michael Cook. Check out Michael’s sweet blog @ seetherace.wordpress.com

I was on the fringe of the excitement over the weekend having been up in Auburn doing engagement photos and pie tasting with my lovely fiancee, Amanda. I did squeeze in a sweet long run on the Pioneer Express Trail while Amanda was getting her hair done. I have to admit, the photo session was quite the adventure and I definitely need the calories in the pie I shoveled down.

Point Positive athletes, Marc Kelley and Nick Sandahl, are gearing up for the triathlons in Auburn this weekend while a lot of folks here at home will take in some events at the inaugural Windsor Green Half-Marathon, 10k & 5k. 1000 athletes are expected, including many of Mr. Shebest’s students. Over $5000 was raised for our Windsor Health & Wellness Department. Thanks to race director Brad Illing and Loren Barker (my former principal at Windsor Middle School) for their tremendous and tireless efforts.

Events With Sole

Brad Illing, who is also doing IM Coeur d’Alene this year may not be racing this weekend but I know three guys that are using the half-marathon as part of their Ironman build. Rod Matteri, Greg Goebel, and Matt Gallo will be out taking in the first-ever event. Jeff Ottoboni is toeing the line at the 13.1 as well to continue steeling his legs for the incipient Vineman 70.3. Finally, Amanda and I will be out taking part in the 10k and enjoying all the race-day festivities. Windsor is ripe for an event such as this. The race is sold out but come on down anyway. It’s gonna be a fun time out there!

In closing, I’d like to pay a special thanks to Kim Derum of New Vintage Print, Inc for working so closely with me to create some sweet new business cards in time for my clinic at Echelon. I was amazed at Kim’s professionalism, creativity, and efficiency. It sure is nice having a card to hand to folks when they ask for one!

>>>  Point Positive!  <<<

Athletes, Tapering, Training

Introducing, “The Borg.” These men represent a group of highly trained cybernetic organisms, similar to those depicted on the sci-fi TV show, Star Trek. On the show, the Borg’s role was that of invasion threat to the United Federation of Planets. In triathlon racing, The Borg pose a similar threat to their competition. They’re motto: Resistance is futile. Like all Borg brethren, they manifest themselves as cybernetically enhanced humanoid drones of multiple species organized as an interconnected multi-sport collective, the decisions of which are made by a “hive mind” linked to subspace domain known only as “JB.” The Borg inhabit a vast region of roadways, hiking trails, swimming holes, and tasting rooms in the wine regions of Sonoma County. The Borg possess hundreds of aero-dynamic vessels and have conquered thousands of endurance events around the globe. They operate solely toward the fulfilling of one purpose: to “add the biological and technological distinctiveness of other species to their own pursuit of swimming, biking, and running perfection. This, they achieve through forced assimilation, a process, not unlike bullying, which transforms individuals and technology into Borg, enhancing, and simultaneously controlling, individuals by implanting or appending synthetic and ultralight Shimano (usually Dura-Ace) components to their existing time-trial platforms. Resistance is futile!

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Congratulations to Jeff Ottoboni on the completion of his first cycling century last weekend at Wine Country. Huge improvements in learning over 2009! The 2010 Vineman 70.3 is on its way!

My own Windsor Middle School saw its 5th edition of the Spartan Stampede, a 3k running/fundraising event which 1000 grade 6-8 students run over the course of the school day. Stampede offers participants a genuine race experience, complete with tons of sponsors, cool prizes, and a rockin’ DJ to keep the beat goin’ strong throughout the day. Our PTA makes it all possible. Check out the 1st period edition >>> (there was 6 more after this one!!). Coach B (aka- Mr. Shebest) ran his fair share!

>>>   Point Positive!   <<<

Spartan Stampede, Wildflower Triathlon, Wine Country Century

He closed his eyes for a moment, and nodded in confirmation of his own suspicions. [...] ‘Most people,’ he told her, ‘arrive at tortured conclusions via blind and painful routes. [...] Those who haven’t, know only reason. And since revelation is a thing apart, and cannot be accounted for reasonably, they will never believe you. This is the great division of the world, and always has been. When reason and revelation run together, why, then you have something, a great age.’  -from Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin

The 2010 Miwok 100k read like a novel, filled with, as any endurance run will be, literal and figurative ups and downs. Miwok may have seen its strongest field ever assembled, representative of the growing popularity of the sport and established races with venues like Miwok in Marin County, CA. The excitement in the air was as inspiring as the Marin Headlands themselves on this first day of May. At 5:40am, we set off from the beach and into the hills to do battle, with each other but mostly with ourselves, in our most valiant efforts to meld both reason and revelation.

My writing here serves to both entertain and educate the athletes I coach by providing a glimpse into my racing practice, which, like most athletes, is a work in progress. My suspicion with regard to racing endurance events is that in participating in them, we begin to satisfy a certain innate desire to definitively learn more about ourselves, namely our strengths and limiters in our chosen sport, then take that knowledge, integrate it, and apply it to our own practice. As the saying goes, “In the long run, we hit only what we aim at.” I feel that what we are targeting is the perfect race, where it all comes together, which as rare as it is precious. The masterpiece takes time, patience, and quite a bit of strategy, experience, and luck.

Now, enough philosophical ramblings! Back to Miwok:  My race certainly yielded some “tortured conclusions via blind and painful routes,” to be certain. All in all, it was glorious, except for the death-march to the finish!

Thankfully, I had some solid races in my legs coming in to Miwok, including the Sequoia 50k and Lake Sonoma 50mi. These efforts served me well, particularly over the final miles. I recovered well from Lake Sonoma and my spring break from school landed at a good time to get some training in prior to starting a 2-week taper into Miwok. Nutrition and hydration continue to improve. Instead of starting off with two hand-helds of water with another on my waist, I started with just one hand-held since the temps were cool. I paced well early and was hoping to stick with Nathan Yanko all the way up to the turn-around. Nathan has logistics down, and from my vantage point, was executing a fantastic race. I soon had to slow a bit, to conserve, and watch him go on ahead to continue chasing leaders Tony Krupicka and Hal Koerner. It’s a long day. You must be smart with pacing. What you save early will be there for you later. My form was solid on the way out: “stacked” body position,” kinetic chain engaged, relaxed and smooth. I reminded myself repeatedly, “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.”

Worried about missing turns I was very aware of the pink ribbon tied here and there on the way up to the turnaround. At one point, after not having seen any ribbon for a few minutes I stopped and turned about and ran back a few paces before my nemesis appeared. I didn’t know Erik Skaden was even racing here today! Erik and I ran together at my first 100miler last year at Tahoe Rim Trail 100, which he would go on to win, again. Erik informed me that I was going the right way so we set off to the north and ran together all the way to the mile 36 turn-around at the Randall trail-head. This was my second race running watch-less and I find that it suits me. Time condenses. I’m in the flow. Thirty-six miles, dare I say, never seemed so short.

I picked up my waist-pack with another bottle and my iPod from Amanda, who was working the Randall aid-station as a medical volunteer. Erik moves through aid-stations more quickly than I do and was already heading back up the hill as I was fumbling with my toys. He encouraged me to get a move on but I was pretty content hanging out with my fiancee, if only for a few more seconds; the fresh memory of the grimacing leaders coming back up the climb from the Randall turnaround was fresh in my mind. I got going again, slowly up. Erik was out of sight. The race was starting to wear me down.

On the way back up I got my tunes going and found I was relieved to be alone, running at my pace, and not having to contend with another athlete’s energy. I cruised and tried to recapture my rhythm. Back up on top of the ridge line and heading back south, I arrived back at the Bolinas Ridge aid station, only to be greeted by a bunch of enthusiastic volunteers, including the legendary Western States 100 record-holder, Scott Jurek, as well as one of my Santa Rosa training partners, Jeff Topo. Scott talked me into taking a gel, which I chased with two cups of Coke. I shook Jeff’s hand and joked that this would, indeed, be my last ultra. I hobbled on down the trail toward the Pan Toll aid station at mile 50. Somewhere along the way, the caffeine kicked in. The fire roads led me out of the shaded tree canopy back into the sunshine and on to the undulating hills, with views of the Pacific to the west.

Two weeks ago, I had the pleasure of training on these trails with fellow competitors, Nathan Yanko, Brett Rivers, Devon Crosby-Helms, and Joel Lanz, and felt obliged to honor Brett, who, while running, feels compelled to let out the random and occasional Banshee cry. My revelation was now. I suddenly felt I was on the warpath, closing fast on the runners ahead. I soon reeled in Skaden, who immediately wanted information on who was behind us. I knew a couple of guys were a mile or two back. He said, “then who was screaming?” Uh…

We motored on through Pan Toll and again I struggled to match Erik’s precision through aid stations. While I was busy slamming Coca-Cola, Erik was again making his ascent up the next climb out of Pan Toll and back on trail, south-bound, and in a hurry.

We ran for another half-hour or so, and my process was beginning to wane. I gobbled down the remaining M&Ms and pretzels that Amanda wisely stashed in my pack. I drank liberally. Hungry for more than food, I moved ahead of Erik and pushed, hoping to open up a gap. On we went, quads thrashed down yet another merciless descent. Once it flattened out, my marathon/triathlon road-running form returned, and I was able to rely on it to maintain speed. But I was cracking under the pace. Had I had it to do over again, I would have fallen back and simply rode the Skaden-train in to the finish. That, in 20/20 hindsight, would have been the smart move.

Erik did move out in front again and after another couple of miles, in the heat and destructive effort I ducked into some bushes to answer nature’s call, hoping the relief would do something for my deteriorating state. I bounced back on trail, ate and drank and mustered some will to give chase yet again.

After crossing over Route 1, I soon reached an intersection and ran on, down trail and straight into an approaching runner who said that we were off-trail. Fortunately, not that far off. As we ran back, two other runners were coming down the same trail and despite our insistence that they were off course, they kept on going. We soon reached the intersection again, and ran off for the first pink ribbon we saw, uphill and unsure if we were going in the right direction. I have nightmares about this reality in which I now found myself. We climbed to soon find the women’s leader and multiple-time winner of Miwok, Kami Semick, coming down toward us. Kami confidently informed us that this was the way home. Down we went back to the now infamous intersection. This time, I chose correctly and estimated I’d been off-course for about 15-20min. Great.

I find with distances of various distances that my body and mind somehow unconsciously pre-programs itself to ration out just the amount of fortitude to get to the finish relatively strong. This pre-programming doesn’t account for “extra running.” Then you have to contend with the mental demons that come out in full force as you obsessively, and unconsciously, re-examine your situation. The race has changed. You’re no longer where you were. You don’t know how many folks passed you up or how many runners are coming up fast behind you. You’re running scared, tense, and sloppy. Your flow vanishes. And then, after the adrenaline wears off, you slow. You’re a predator no more. You have become the prey. And so it goes.

Excuses being reasons to fail, you wallow in them. I should have made time to study the course in more depth; I should have put out the effort to stick with Erik, who’s raced here some four times prior and knows the course well; I should have a pacer with me whose fresh mind would keep me on course. Now, the shift to survival as I finally arrived at mile 58.4, the Tennessee Valley aid station, 3.8 miles to go. Man, oh man, just get me to the finish line.

I quickly fell out of the top-10, runners were eating me up. Brett Rivers, came cruising by me with his pacer like I was standing still. No answer. He looked invincible. And, in my state, all I could muster was a smile as I watched him float up the final climb. Watching for pink ribbon like a hawk in-flight scans the ground for mice, I scampered down the god-forsaken descent to the parking lot at Rodeo Beach. Home.

Beaten but grateful, I shook hands with those who came before me, knowing I’d live to fight another day. Miwok will live on in my mind and body and steel me against the demands of the next task at hand, the battleground on the Tahoe Rim Trail in July where I’ll again go head-to-head with Erik and Brett, who both took it to me there in 2009. I’ve got my work cut out for me. But, no doubt, it will be another thrilling racing adventure, one that will get me even closer to that perfect race…

Congratulations to Nathan, Devon, Erik, Joel, Kami, Brett, Joe P., and all the racers and volunteers at this year’s Miwok 100k. Truly an epic experience out there. Thanks folks.

Check out UltraLive.net for more race-day results, details, pics, and video.

Complete Race results HERE.

>>>   Point Positive!   <<<

Bob's Race Reports, Miwok 100k

I’ve been working on becoming a USA Triathlon certified coach for a while now. Remember back in January when I was so amped up about stuff like “metabolic efficiency?” Well, I’m still as psyched as ever about having had the sweet opportunity to attend one of USAT’s coaching clinics. It was a fantastic and illuminating experience that continues to feed my appetites for both coaching and racing. Interestingly enough, the clinic also provided some solid models in teaching, that is, some top-notch Olympic coaches presented in Colorado Springs and I found them to be engaging and super-knowledgeable speakers (great models off of which to sponge both knowledge and teaching/coaching strategies).

So, since my time in Colorado, I’ve been busy integrating the gleaned knowledge into my practice as coach, athlete, and teacher. I took my time with the formalized exam that USAT provided to me, which encouraged much quality time with their coaching manual in order to answer a long series of multiple choice and short answer questions as well as develop several mock training plans for a variety of triathletes. These hoops, though time consuming, helped me sift through a mountain of notes, which, as it turns out, was necessary to mine some tasty nuggets of coaching wisdom, which I’ll employ both as a coach and (you guessed it) as a athlete! I have to run this stuff through my own experiential filter first, right? What kind of coach do you think I am? The learning kind! I’m still committed to that notion, “when you’re green you’re growing, when you’re ripe you’re rotten.” Ain’t it the truth?

Teaching vs. Learning. Let’s be real, a coach isn’t much good if s/he can’t teach well. It’s more than essential that the athlete is able to truly internalize methods and strategies that the coach is attempting to communicate. There’s more than a little art involved here folks. Even USAT agrees that one of the top objectives as an effective triathlon coach is that of teacher. Granted, teachers get a lot of slack and little respect these days but still, if you think back, one or two special teachers, professors, and/or coaches probably had a hand in where you are today. I know that’s the case with me. My experience over five years at the University of Connecticut, training, racing, and learning certainly shaped what I am today, whatever that is. One thing’s for sure though, I love the balance that being a student and an athlete provides. It was clear to me back in about 2000 that I could do far worse in life if I ended up indefinitely remaining a student as well as an athlete. In fact, I vowed I would forever remain, in some capacity, committed to a role as both student and athlete. You know, that sound mind/sound body thing? It’s powerful stuff. Life sure does get busy though, right? Well, what do we do when we have too much stuff on our plate? That’s right, have another drink. Wait, no, … Integrate!

I wear a few different hats these days, as a fiancee, a Grade 6 Math & Science teacher, a USAT coach, and a ultra-runner. Like triathlon itself, these roles are separate but interdependently integrated in powerful ways. Being effective at one of these makes me better at the others, or so I like to dupe myself into believing. Sometimes, naturally, I just don’t know.

Now that I’m a USAT certified coach, I’ll have some nifty resources at my disposal, namely, other coaches, online webinars on myriad tri topics, as well as forums and clinics, all of which I’ll use to attain my 15 biannual continuing education credit needed to keep my certification in good standing. So, it seems I’m going to be held accountable for my learning. USAT, my hat’s off to you. I wish more teachers were held accountable for their teaching, or better yet, their students’ learning. Whoa, I better keep my mouth shut. Next thing I know, USAT is checking my athletes’ results to see if my coaching’s been effective and using race results to determine whether or not to renew my certification. I’d like to think I’m up to the challenge because, fortunately for me, the athletes that I’ve had the privilege of working with always seem to come packaged with great ambition. In addition to remaining “green and growing,” it’s my athletes’ hunger for knowledge that keeps my coaching/teaching fire burning so brightly.

Let me know if you or someone you know is interested in coaching. We can meet up and have a chat. I have room for a few more athletes here in 2010. I’ll look forward to hearing from you. Point Positive.   .+!

USA Triathlon