Race Cancelled :(

So, I was pretty worried about the Santa Barbara triathlon all week. I was busy studying the forecast to try and figure out my race wheel set for Sunday - disc rear or not. It quickly was becoming apparent that weather was going to be a major factor for the race. As the week progressed, so did the TERRIBLE weather forecast. Everytime I checked, it got worse. I am not kidding. On Saturday morning, I had to decide whether or not to drive the 6+ hours to Santa Barbara to race. With a severe weather advisory including 40mph gusting winds, 100% chance of showers, and heavy rain, I decided this was NOT safe, and the beginning to my 2011 triathlon season would be postponed. I then recieved an email this morning from the race director stating the race had been cancelled due to weather :( There was only 1 other time I can remember having a race cancelled - Canadian National Championships in 2004 - Kelowna. There was a freak thunder/rain storm that only lasted the morning of the race, then cleared up immediately after. But, the race was cancelled. I am happy that my intuition was smack on for this one. I want to be healthy and injury free for my upcoming series of "A" races - Wildflower, Hawaii, Great White North. On a good note, I did a 750m time trial in the pool this week as a lead into the race, and was able to crank out a 9min 55 sec personal best. My training appears to be going really well :) So, I have decided to purchase a ticket for the monthly dance circuit party here in San Francisco called FRESH. This party is alway's alot of fun, and I look at it as getting a great 3-4 hour cardio workout with great music and an electric atmosphere. Next up is the San Luis Obispo Sprint triathlon Mar 27. Looking at the forecast, it is calling for rain :( We shall see what happens, and hopefully we will not have another cancellation!! Keep happy and healthy, Stephen

Santa Barbara Tri Preview and What Do U Listen 2??

Hey :) Thanks for checking in! So, my first Triathlon of 2011 is upon me! YEA! The Kendra Payne Memorial Sprint Triathlon will be held on Sunday March 20, 2011 near Santa Barbara, California. This will mark my 3rd appearance at this race. I was able to finish 11th Overall in 2008, 7th Overall and First Men 30-34 in 2009, and was unable to race last year due to injury. So, this season I will be back with a vengance and am looking to see where my triathlon skills are at thus far. This year the race will be a sprint race consisting of a 0.5mile ocean swim, 16mile bike, and 3.1mile run. I know the course pretty well, and my training has been pretty consistent, minus a 2 day bout of food poisoning last week :( Going for a quick ocean swim tomorrow, and am getting my final race wheel set up (Zipp 808 Front, and Zipp Disc Rear) done tomorrow as well. My goals for the race are simple. First and foremost to have fun. I am really lucky to be healthy and able to have such great equipment! I am feeling confident, and ready to dig deep to pay the piper this Sunday for a sub 20min run! I am not sure who or who is not racing this weekend, so hard to have goals in terms of placing. I would really like to have a solid swim/bike/run, and will focus on smooth efficient transitions. Also, I will not give into the pain at the end of the run. I will keep everyone posted on how it all plays out Sunday..... To continue with my previous blog post - What Do U Listen 2 - I am posting a second music video which gets me motivated. The track is Eric Prydz - Call On Me. This is one of those tracks where I was in love with it the first time I heard it, and obsessively tried to find it after. The video is a bit risque, but I like that kinda stuff :) Hope you enjoy the beats, and see everyone at the races!! Stephen

The torture of the 10km!

The Embarcadero 10km was my second race of the season, and was another step forward in my build into the 2011 Triathlon season! I cannot believe that my first few triathlon's will be happening within a few weeks. YAY! I am really excited to be back racing, and in good form this year!!! Back to the 10km. Arrived in plenty of time, registered, had a descent little warmup, and the legs were feeling good and responsive.

Race Start - Aquatic Park

The gun went off, and my plan was to run the first 5km in around 20min, and go for broke on the way home.

Sky view of the Embarcadero

I was running really well, and passed the 2 mile mark. Then, the rough patches started to happen. I was having some issues staying focused mentally on the task at hand, and my mind was wondering all over the place. I was making an effort to stay in the moment, but each time, I would find myself thinking of things other than my run form and running fast. However, still got to the turnaround point at my goal time, and was ready to rip thru the last 5km.

5km Turnaround Point

Mile 3-4 was ok, but the pack of guys ahead of me were really pulling away now, and I could no longer see them. Mind wonders some more. Then mile 4-5 the wheels came off the wagon :( I passed my lactate and mental threshold, and had to pull back on my pace a bit to recover and knew that I lost some time there.

Mile 5 - Trolley and Palm Trees

At mile 5, I again committed to giving it all till the end, and this time, I did not win the sprint across the line, and had 1 guy pass me right at the end.

There were some issues with the course and the timing. Apparently the course as a bit short, with the turnaround point being marked at 3 miles, instead of 3.2 miles. And somehow, the timing of the race was modified to account for this??

My "adjusted" result time for 10km was 40min 22sec. I was initially disappointed with this, but then I thought about it. It is only Febuary, this is a "C" race for me, and was only 9 seconds off my all time personal best 10km time of 40min 13sec. Also, who really knows what my actual time would have been for an accurate 10km? This one was all about going thru the race motions, putting out a race effort, and getting ready for the triathlons in the next few weeks!

http://dserunners.com/results/2011/embarcadero10k.html

I am content with the results and the effort for early season, and know what I need to do to get to where I want to be. I still cannot believe how incredibly difficult running races are! For me, the mental challenge of just a running race is so much more diffucult than doing a triathlon. I must admit, the running races are more torture than enjoyment for me, but that is all part of the challenge :)

Happy training and thanks for checking in.

Next up - Santa Barbara Sprint Triathlon Mar 20....

Stephen

Watch My Video!!

Hey :) This is my TRX Sponsorship video clip. If everyone could view this video, and pass it along to as many others as possible, that would be great! If my video gets the most hits, I can get some sponsorship money....enjoy!! Keep you posted on the 10km race tomorrow! Stephen

Taper and a 10Km!

So, I am coming off two really large weeks of training leading into the Embarcadero 10km running race this weekend. I was able to log 16 hours, and 12 hour training blocks over the last 2 weeks, and am VERY happy to be in a large taper leading into the race. I was feeling VERY fatigued at the beginning of the week, and have decided to take a few extra days off to help out with some much needed recovery. For me, running is the most difficult of the three disciplines that I train for, so I am hoping to start feeling a bit more fresh before Sunday morning rolls around :) The Embarcadero is a 10km running race, out and back, and pancake flat. Conditions call for a brisk morning. All these factors play to my strenghts :)

Embarcadero 10km Map

My goal for the race is simple. I would like to go under 40 minutes. My race strategy is to get to the 5km mark in around 20min, and then 10 go for broke in a negative split for the last 5km.

It is going to be so hard!!!

I will keep you posted. Happy training :)

Stephen

Time Trial Success!

So, Febuary is well underway, and time is just flying by. I am REALLY excited about the upcoming race season, and many of my races are quickly approaching!!! This past week was just exceptional in terms of my training. On a side note, I FINALLY got my S-Works Specialized Time Trial bike back after almost a year! I crashed the bike at my first race of 2010 due to poor race planning on part of the race director (mounds of baking flour poured onto the course, including corners, as directional arrows???), and have been waiting on parts ever since. My weapon is back in my possession - BIG SMILE!!!! Swim Coach Lisa had a testing week planned out, which included a 750m time trial. At present, I am doing all of my swim training at the olympic sized pool at the University of San Francisco, which is a really great facility, and I usually get a lane all to myself :)

USF Koret Center Pool

The time trial went excellent! My plan was to focus on my technique, get an effecient rythm going, and to keep strong the entire time. It worked out better than anticipated, and I cranked out a 10min 9 sec effort, which is a huge improvement for me!! Thanks Lisa, and hopefully this continues into the rest of the year. This week also saw a return to the absolute most painful workout for me - mile repeats on the track. I am doing the majority of my run training at Kezar Stadium, which is an awesome venue at the edge of Golden Gate Park, and it often reminds me of a greek stadium. It is free to use the track, and often times, the university cross country team is training there which is great motivation for a triathlete such as myself trying to improve my run.

Kezar Track Entrance

Kezar Track

The cross country team was out in full force during my workout, and were ripping out 200-400meter repeats, while I was working away at my 7x1mile workout. I had an awesome workout, and was able to average 6:15 miles, which is again a really big improvement for myself!! So, things seem to be really coming along for me thus far in 2011.

Another highlight from this week was the TRX training class and whom was teaching it. Tyler Stewart, pro triathlete and Ironman Champion!!! This call was absolutely killer, in the best way possible. As a fellow top level triathlete, she had a complete emphasis on sport specific exercises and I was able to learn alot in the 75minute class. The class is actually scheduled for 60min, but she like to give us extra time :) She is a really awesome person, and I plan on attending the remainder of her 5 part series of classes.

Tyler Stewart - TRX Training Center

The key now is going to be balancing my fitness and training, and remaining energized and injury free!!

Happy training to all, and see you at the races.

Next up - Embarcadero 10km Feb 27.....

Stephen

What do YOU listen 2??

So, this will be the first in a series of posts I have chosen to title "What do YOU listen 2?", which will be a regular post dedicated to music which really gets me motivated while training, and while out dancing :) The first in the series is a track titled Barbra Streisand. I had first heard this track at Burningman 2010, and also heard it again shortly after at my best friend Lisa's wedding (and actually had the DJ spin it twice as we all loved it so much!!). I again, recently heard it at my spin class with Eric Sheppard, who plays rockin' music all the time. Check it out:

What I enjoy most about this track is how funky, positive, and beat driven it is! Also, the video reminds me of a time much happier and care free.

Happy training!

Steve