As the season continues, I’m trying to change my mind set a bit, focus more on enjoying myself in training and racing and less pressure to perform well. I've realized the pursuit is not worth it if you’re not enjoying the journey, not to save every workout will be fun; the results will come from training. My two weeks training with Terenzo Bozzone is over as he’s off to Portland for a few weeks, fresh off 3 wins including the Eagleman 70.3 last weekend. I’m excited to see how he does this year in Ironman Germany in July and the at the World Champs in Kona in October. Over those few weeks, I learned a lot about Ironman training, which is quite different from the shorter stuff. I know it’s not the exact type of training I need for olympid distance racing, but base work never hurts and it was an awesome opportunity and I got a good friend out of it. Within 3 days, I did my longest bike and my longest run ever. They were not the hardest workouts that I've done, but most volume single workouts.
One day consisted of a 100 mile ride, a nap, then a 11 mile run, and I only joined him on the end of his run. Two days later was a 17.5 mile morning run (21+ miles for him, of 5 min 1200m hill repeats in Hope Ranch) I wasn’t feeling too great but hung on for most of it. We cooled the legs in the ocean after, got soaked, went out for an omelet breakfast after. I got to lie down for 10 minutes on the couch before heading to the pool for a 4000m swim. Again, got to lie down for another 10 minutes after that before my phone rang and it was time for a 3 hour bike to Ventura and back. It was a big training day for me to say the least, with my longest run ever plus a swim and bike after. By the end I wanted to crawl in a hole.. it was pretty mentally tiring. I was supposed to get up and ride 5+ hours the next morning with him, over the mountains, but wasn’t feeling great and stayed in bed. I probably should have just sucked it up.
I decided to race the LA Triathlon @ Bonelli Park since I hadn’t really raced in a while. At midnight the night before while I was pumping up my tires, my tubular race wheel valve stem ripped off and my race wheel was done for. Luckily I found an older road bike in the garage of a house I was staying at, stole the front wheel from it, and raced with that thing on the front. It made me realize how much I love my Zipp 808s! They’re fast and light! It was hard to stay mentally focused the whole race, maybe due to the big training week, I don’t know why. I won by a few minutes but it was nothing too impressive. I didn’t hammer as hard on the swim start, which helped keep my arms feeling decent, and swam a 20:11. I cramped again the last 3 miles of the run though, so stopped a few times to rub it out and stop hobbling, and just tried to relax to the finish so my muscles wouldn’t spasm again since I had a decent lead. I should have used the electrolyte salt in my H20 bottles like last race. I really need to figure out this cramping thing. It’s frustrating.
The Friday before I did a short fundraiser bike race at Sandpiper Golf Course. A short time trial on the cart path!! It definitely requires more handling skills than a tri that’s for sure. Good thing I decided to bring my road bike and not my TT bike. I clipped a pedal on a sharp turn, flew off the path, went over a curb, and somehow managed not to go over the bars. I dumped sideways, but was able to clip back in and get back on track. It was pretty fun, a new experience for me racing a curvy narrow course like that. I won a raffle for a pair of $400 Mavic cycling shoes, the highlight of my day! I also raced the local Echelon Goleta time trial the Monday after, so 3 races in 4 days. I got 2nd to Gary again, but times we a little slower for both of us…don’t know if that’s b/c no front race wheel for me or the fatigue. Like always, a good time at the local TT.
Last Saturday I headed to Lake Tahoe with some friends for the Lake Tahoe Relay race: 72 miles, 7 men, up to 7,000 ft altitude. I got in a ride and a 5 mile easy run the day before. It was a fun race, my first chance to see what type of run shape I’m in coming from sea level the day before. I ran 5:45 pace for about 10 miles, which is decent for me at that altitude. My lungs were feelin it at the end though. One hilly mile must have been 7:30 since I was crawling, but I flew down the back side of the hill to the handoff zone. We got 2nd to Chico State like last year..those guys are good. It was great to be with the guys again and get away for a weekend. Our team consisted of Andrew Dixon & Kyle Louv (ex- Westmont/UCSB runners), Brian Ball (ex-Biola runner training in Mammoth this summer), 3 of us ex-Westmont guys (Aaron Megazzi & Robby Cherry) and a random Chico St. kid we found since one of our runners bailed the day before. Going to the mountains makes me feel alive again..fresh air.
Welcome to the blog of pro triathlete & multisport coach Ryan Borger
