Miami 5150 race report

The first race of the year, the Miami 5150, has come and gone. I've let a day go by, had some time to analyze it, and use it as motivation to train harder. Overall I finished 23^rd in easily the most stacked non-drafting pro race I’ve done. I would be lying to say I was pleased with the overall result, considering I’ve increased my training by about 10 hours per week compared to this time last year. I am pleased with my improved run and know I need to work even harder in the water. My 10k run split was over a minute and a half faster than it ever has been in a triathlon. Knowing the run course was possibly up to 30 seconds short, I still am much faster. Coming into the race, I’ve known my run fitness has improved after putting in 25 hours a week of training including running 45-55 miles per week the past few months, compared to about half of that last season while dealing with a slight calf injury in March. Another positive thing from the day was with nutrition. I did not have muscle cramps in the race! This is one of the first races I didn’t ever have to do the shuffle or try self massage on the spot, so my nutritional work is paying off. I learned some extremely valuable lessons in the water mostly, which I’ll take into the next race.

The Miami 5150 race was the first race in the new 5150 series, a series of non-drafting Olympic distance races all over the world owned by World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), better known as the owner of Ironman and Ironman 70.3. Athletes race for prize money and also for points toward qualifying for the 5150 championship race later in the season at the HyVee triathlon in Des Moines, Iowa. HyVee offers over a million dollars in prize money and takes 30 or so athletes of each gender from the top of the 5150 points list later in the summer. If you finish last at HyVee, you still walk with $3000. So, you can see why the qualifier races bring the big names. A few top names were Bevan Docherty of New Zealand (2x Olympic silver medalist), Chris Lieto (2nd at Ironman world championships), Matt Chrabot (US Nat'l champ), Cam Dye (winner of 2010 St. Anthony's tri), Olympian Matt Reed, Ben Collins, Brian Fleischman, Kyle Leto, Francesc Godoy of Spain, and a bunch of other top names including a few Russians and Brazilians. The pro field made up 10% of the entire race.

I arrived to the Ft Lauderdale home of my generous host stay Darlene at about 3am on Saturday after some travel delays, which is part of race trips, just like weather is part of race day. I was on a free flight down and avoided the airline bike fee, so I can't complain. At 10pm on Saturday night I discovered the gears on my bike weren't shifting properly, as the cables had somehow gotten altered after my test ride earlier in the day. Thanks to good friend and fellow pro Branden Rakita who was staying with me, we eventually got things working again. A late night pre-race stressor isn't much fun, but we got it taken care of. After 3 hours of sleep, which is about normal for my prior to race day unfortunately, I was up and ready to go.

On race morning I heard the rumors that the 2011 WTC banned swim speedsuits were being allowed in this race even though it was a WTC race, and regrettably I left my neoprene suit at home and replaced it with a WTC legal new suit, which is made of a mostly polyester. I was very surprised to see they were being allowed, but that’s why you need to bring them both to the races. Since the swim is my weakness I need all the speed I can get, or buy : ). Lesson learned for next time.

My biggest lesson and most costly mistake of the day came from the swim start. It was a unique in water start in the harbor of Biscayne Bay of downtown Miami, about 100 feet from the seawall. As usual, a giant yellow buoy marked the starting point. About a minute before the start, a few athletes started swimming far left of the buoy towards out towards a bridge. Soon, groups of the field were following them, ending up about 100 - 150 feet to the left of the start buoy where myself and about 4 other athletes stayed. I was looking around wondering why everyone was swimming away from and well in front of, the start buoy. I thought for sure the race starter was going to call everyone back, or wait until the athletes lined up together behind the start buoy and back in the proper starting position and in line with the first turn buoy, which was about 300 yards out straight ahead of me.

A race marshal on a kayak was yelling at everyone, telling athletes to get back behind the buoy, and come back to it. Unfortunately, the few of us at the buoy were the only ones who were listening, or who could hear the guy; meanwhile the starter was out on a boat about 100 ft in the bay with his megaphone. We waited for the group of about 25 to come back to us, which was a huge mistake. When the started announced 15 seconds til the start, I realized I was in a really bad spot, as the athletes had made there way well in front of the buoy and weren’t going anywhere but further ahead of it.

The horn sounded, I fought hard towards the first buoy about 300m into the race, and found myself third to last to it.

All that to say, these guys have been racing for years and they know what they're doing. There was a current, so they were positioning themselves to the side to adjust to it. I found myself having to swim further back around the buoy. There's no way to identify athletes in the water, so no one is at risk of a penalty, and since most the whole group is doing it, you might as well follow. If the group is starting in front of the start line, get there with them! The big lesson learned.

The swim fitness felt there, however I lost a lot of ground from the pack in the water. It was a rude awakening after 25-30,000 yards a week in the pool the past few months, feeling ready to go. The level of swimmers these guys are is absolutely incredible, and open water swimming is very different from the pool. This is the area I need to put in specific focused work over the next several months.

Onto the bike, I pushed hard averaging over 25 mph on the course, struggled a bit being comfortable riding in the strong winds in the aerobars, but was able to pass 2 athletes on the course. Waiting for more to come into sight, once again you realize the top triathletes in the world and nation do not have a noticeable weakness. They're strong - very strong, in all three sports.

I ran a lower 32 min 10k which equates to 5:14 pace per mile. I think the run course may have been about 30 seconds short, so that puts me a bit under 33:00. I was not passed on the run, passed several athletes and held off a few solid runners including friend Henry Hagenbuch from California, who consistently runs 30-31 minutes off the bike. It was he first time I've beaten him in a triathlon, in about my 5th attempt.

I have to take my improved run as the encouragement of the day, and the lessons learned into the next race. At this level in the sport, you need to put in the work for many months. I am set for a great season in 2011, will make some changes in my swim training with the help of my coach Melissa Mantak, and keep on keeping on.

It was a great day for Melissa as her other pro Athletes Matt Chrabot and Jillian Peterson both took home huge overall wins, and Brian Fleischman rounded out the top 10. Congrats to them all! Melissa and I will likely adjust my training a bit to focus on the weaknesses, but this sport is all about long term consistency. As she reminded me after the race, "do you think Matt and Jill were on the podium 5 years ago? No. You have to put in the time!" It is a true statement. I’m seeing improvements over last year, and know I will continue to see more.

Post race I was able to enjoy exploring Miami a bit, and enjoying dinner and Improv comedy show with coach Melissa, her husband Rob and fellow athletes Math Chrabot, Jillian Peterson, Cam Dye, Brian Fleischman, and Branden Rakita.

I’m blessed to have the chance to keep pursuing the sport, to work with one of the best coaches in it, and to have the support of family and sponsors. Thanks to Multisport Ministries for their support and Kompetitive Edge and TYR for supplying me with the best swim gear out there. I can’t wait to race in my TYR carbon race suit next race, as well get the chance to compete in a wetsuit legal race where I can take advantage of the TYR Hurricane Cat 5 suit! The thing is amazing, and I NEED it top be competitive with these guys in the water.

It's time to enjoy some exciting weeks ahead.... The most exciting weeks of my life, as I'll be married to an incredible woman in less than two weeks. Amy has been very supportive of my triathlon pursuits, which I am extremely grateful for. Thanks for all your support as well!

The Evolving Bike

In rummaging through some pictures for my wedding slide show I'm making, I came across some fun classic bike photos. I found a few shots from back in the day; it's cool to see the evolution of bikes.

The plastic Big Wheel was a toddlers first pick. Perfect for off-roading, sidewalk storming, or hauling others on the back without needing to install aftermarket foot pegs.
When feeling ready, I decided to move up to the steel framed 3-wheeler. The basket on the front was a big selling point, but what sold me was the ability to hook up a trailer to the back and haul around my big sister. Plus, it's a great way to get in some extra low cadence muscle tension work.


My big brother was pretty cool with his big boy bike, so I ditched the wagon hauler for a more maneuverable plastic version 3-wheeler that allowed me to keep up with him.
Fast forward a number of years to 2008. Oxnard Sprint Triathlon. I think this was my 2nd triathlon. After my former college athletic trainer and friend Diana Palmer gifted me some aerobars, I strapped them on my 62cm Trek Madone 5.2 road bike. I didn't yet know what race wheels were or aero helmets, nor that the bike was a bit too large for me. It did the job well though.

After learning there were such things as race specific wheels, I borrowed a set of Cane Creek tubulars from a food Santa Barbara friend and co-coach Rowena Spence. They were amazing! Rowena played a big part in introducing me to the sport, as she was already a veteran. After winning the Oxnard Sprint and meeting Richard Smith of Fluid Recovery at In-N-Out Burger post-race, he gave me a few free samples and offered me discounted product, my first sponsorship of any type. I gladly displayed the Fluid sticker on the madone.

For 2009 I upgraded to a time trial/triathlon specific bike. Thanks to Erik Burkholz of Multisport Ministries, we purchased this Kuota K-Factor SL from a friend Cameron, who owned TriBuys.com at the time. The bike was fun, fast, but definitely took a bit of getting used to with true aerobars, as well as being quite a bit smaller ride than I was used to. I remember almost falling over on my first ride down the street, thinking "there's no way I can balance this thing in the aerobars."

For 2010 I picked up an aero helmet and upgraded once again to this Blue Triad SL. I also rolled a Zipp disc and front Zipp 404. This bike was awesome, fast, and pretty. My only complaint was the integrated seat post, which made it very hard to travel with as it couldn't be broken down.


Needing to free up some cash and while on a mad bike sponsor hunt, I sold the Blue, and secured this awesome Specialized Transition Pro frameset, and built it up with carbon everything and added a Quarq power meter. I will be racing with Zipp 808's and a rear Zipp disc for 2011.


The pain cave. Below is the room that I spent many hours in during 2009. My bedroom in my Santa Barbara apartment also served as my training room. It was here where I first really learned what triathlon was, as I found a video of the 2008 Olympic triathlon online, and streamed the race almost every day for a few months while riding inside during lunch break and at night after work.

Kompetitive Edge & TYR!

I'm very excited to have recently added two sponsors for the 2011 season, huge sponsors that will help me swim faster for one, which is crucial as swimming is my weakest link in this sport. I will be representing Kompetitive Edge this season. KE is a local Denver triathlon shop, with all the tri goodies you'll need (TYR wetsuits, swim skins/speedsuits, K-Swiss running shoes, goggles, nutrition, compression gear, socks, sunglasses, books, massage rollers, swim paddles, training suits, fins, kick boards, lap timers, awesome TYR travel bags and transition bags... the list goes on). KE is a great company that only stocks the best quality goods. They also are backed by some amazing people. For all my friends and blog visitors, enter discount code "ryanborger2011" and take 15% off all in store purchases and/or for online orders (for you out-of- staters) (not valid on sale/clearance items). Check out Kompetitive Edge! www.kompetitiveedge.com

I'll also be swimming this year in the fastest legal triathlon wetsuit ever made, the TYR Hurricane 5, and the new WTC legal speed suit, the TYR Torque Pro. I can't wait for my first swim in the Hurricane, I've heard incredible things about the flexibility in the shoulders and overall suit quality. Worn by the best swimmers in the sport, like Andy Potts.

TYR Hurricane Cat 5 wetsuit

Bike makeover project

I've been doing some bike flipping and parting out of bikes this past year, trying to make a few bucks here and there. It does take some bike and part knowledge, and for sure some time, but if you do it right you can make a little money and maybe even have the option to piece together a project bike or get an old junker back up and running with the extra parts you accumulate.

I ran across an old Trek 5200, the US Postal Service edition that Lance won a Tour or two on back in the the day. I bought it cheap, parted it out, sold the wheelset and shifters for what I purchased the complete bike for, so I decided a little project with it might be fun. The bike originally was a bit rusty, and the paint was flaking and in very bad shape. My vision of the Trek 5200 Multisport Ministries edition then came to mind... so I went at it. The frame is made of carbon fiber, so I didn't really know how to go about it. After a bit of research and some help from members of the Slowtwitch.com forums (thanks Erik Stevens), I learned a few steps to start with. If you have an old frame lying around, and a bit of time to give it a makeover, here's a quick summary to get you on your way.

Supplies needed: Jasco Paint & Epoxy Remover (or similar), 240 grit sand paper, 400-600 grit waterproof sandpaper, masking tape, a razor blade, Chemical proof rubber gloves, a wire brush, primer, color of choice top quality spray paint (House of Kolor is good stuff), and a glossy clear coat spray paint. You'll also need your standard set of allen wrenches and bike tools if you need to disassemble an existing complete bike.

The Process:

You need to get the frame free of all parts. Remove everything possible from the frame (handlebars, stem, crankset (bottom bracket tool needed), derailleurs, wheelset, etc, and take the fork out of the frame. Take off the front derailleur mount as well, which is screwed to the frame. You'll need an allen wrench for this. Fill any holes (i.e. water bottle screw holes, rear derailleur hangar hole, front derailleur mount frame holes, steerer tube, etc. with rolled up paper towel, filler paper, masking tape, etc. to avoid getting paint in any screw hole threads.

Once you have just the bike naked with just the frame, apply a varnish/paint remover to the frame. THIS STUFF IS HARSH! Make sure your product is safe on carbon fiber. I recommend Jasco Paint & Epoxy remover, which can be purchased at most hardware stores. Again... did I say this stuff is harsh..powerful..yes..be careful! You will need chemical resistant gloves, as it WILL burn your skin badly without (it will even burn through cheaper rubber gloves...as I've learned using it to remove glue from tubular rims in the past). Be careful not to get it on your skin. If any gets on the skin, rub it off quickly. To avoid this, wear long sleeves and pants. The remover comes out in globs, so try to spread out along the frame. However, the thicker it is applied, the better it works. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. The paint eventually should become bubbly and flaky. Using a wire brush or plastic scraper, start scraping away. This process is the most time consuming step of the project. You will need to repeat this step several times on the entire frame to get all the old paint off. I ended up using a razor blade to carefully scrape away any excess paint at the end so all that was visible was the gray carbon fiber. Be careful not to cut into the carbon frame at all and damage the structure. Once the bike is paint-free, lightly sand it with 600 grit wet sandpaper.

Mask any areas of the bike (i.e. the metal rings the fork slides into, the cable housing guides) with masking tape to avoid getting any paint on that area. Spray 1 or 2 light layers of primer as your first coat on the frame. After it fully dries, it's time to spray your first base paint layer. Be careful not to spray closer than 8 inches to the frame, to avoid thick paint buildup and any drips. Let each layer fully dry (overnight is recommended). You can lightly sand using 600 grit sandpaper each coat in order that the next coat adheres well with a strong bond. Paint must be completely dry prior to sanding. (If you don't do this step between coats, as I learned, you risk causing "crackling". When this happens, paint becomes ripply and cracks. Then, you'll need to start over sanding the damaged area which has cracked...no bueno.)
This light sanding step is especially crucial between your clear coats. After 2 coats of base color, let dry completely before applying the first clear coat. Again, to avoid drips, spray lighter coats as opposed to thick, heavier coats.
If you do have any drips, come back over them with 220 grit wet sandpaper after the paint has dried completely, and follow that with a light sand job using 400-600 grit sandpaper. If you sand into the color base coat, you'll need to repaint it, so be careful to sand just slightly into the clear coat. The clear coat is what will protect the frame, so 3-4 coats is recommended, whereas the base coat is simply for color, so 1-2 coats should suffice. Remember, the more coats you apply, the heavier the frame will be (I know...this is very important ; ) ). When lightly sanding between clear coats, the frame will look scratched up, white, and cloudy. This is normal, and should go away with the next coat of clear applied.

If you want to add any graphics, stickers, etc. that you want to be permanently bonded onto the frame, you can do so after applying the base color coats, and lying the clear coat over them. The thinner and flush (the frame) the decals, the better they will look when it's all said and done. You can find custom website decals on ebay for about $7 for a set of 2, as well as old bike decals in many colors. Paint/art supply stores also sell pinstripes and specialty pin striping tape.

If it's your first time repainting a frame, as it was mine, remember that doing the project is how you learn best. Try it once on an old frame you can afford to make a few mistakes on (and can afford to void the warrant on ; ) ), because it likely won't turn out perfectly your first time. Be patient, and work a bit on it here and there so you don't get frustrated and want to rush the project. You've put in the time already, so why not finish it right.

Once your frameset is looking good, go ahead and build the bike back up, and ride around town a bit taller than you did before. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: These are the steps I took as a first-timer. Research repainting bikes online first to be certain you haven't missed any crucial steps. I am no expert, and simply am sharing the steps I took in my project. That said, I don't take any responsibility in how your project turns out... unless it turns out amazing of course.
-Ryan

New Discoveries & Exercise Induced Asthma

I've been a runner for many years now. I've tried hard, trained hard, put in the miles, but have always felt a step behind others for some reason, especially in college against the other guys. Some of it is physiological, but some may not be. Running has never come easy for me, and I've always known that. I became a good middle distance runner, loving the 800m and 4x400m relay in college, but the longer stuff was especially difficult. I put in the work, and had to for that very reason. However, I never really looked into it much nor paid attention to any details to get to the next level, like nutrition, stretching, and paying very close attention to the body, such as how hard I was breathing and when breathing gets worse.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the past few weeks where I started to take a deeper look into these things, with the help of my coach Melissa Mantak. We first started to look at my run technique. I've been working on a few things, like increasing my cadence and slightly shortening my stride to avoid over-striding, but my form overall is pretty decent. Feedback in any athlete-coach relationship is crucial. If athletes don't give much feedback, they are limiting the ability for their coach to be of as much help. In my feedback to my coach in my training logs, I'd simply document how I felt after each workout. Many days, my legs are fine while running, but my breathing is always the thing slowing me down. This is especially true in cold weather. Now, I can still run 6:40s forever, which isn't fast. Sometimes I breath moderately hard, other times not. But when I drop down to the low 6 minute range, my breathing starts to really ramp up. In the swims, I'd comment on hard breathing certain days, like when the air quality in the pool was worse than others. I never really thought much of it, and just assumed this was part of the training cycle. Sometimes you feel great, other times you feel like crap.

Melissa is a coach who listens to her athletes. My past coaches, such as in college, would often tell me what I am feeling is all mental, and that I just needed to find the love for the sport again and race, and put other distractions aside. The breathing is mental, the achy legs is mental, the need for Breath Right Nasal Strips is mental, cramping is mental, etc. Running is mental, period. There is a huge mental aspect to the sport, but we train our bodies for a reason. It is our legs and lungs that get us to the finish line ultimately.

Over the past few years I found some things that helped me as a runner. And no, not EPO, though I'm sure that would have helped a ton. First, I noticed I hate wearing heart rate monitors. The tight chest strap seemed to restrict my breathing. I frequently asked others about this, and never really found anyone who shared similar experiences. Secondly, Breath Right nasal strips help me, and open up my airway. While working for a surgery center billing company in California, I asked a few Drs about an operation that could open up my nasal passage and airway. I knew I had trouble breathing, and thought for sure this was the main cause. It still may be part of it, I'm not sure yet. I was told it's a nasty surgery to have, and a rough recovery, so didn't look into this surgery any further. Plus, my athletic career was over, I thought, so it didn't make sense to get it, even if I could likely get a free surgery.

In the pool, I have a very hard time with breath sets, for example when I do sets with breathing every 3-5-or 7 strokes instead of every other stroke. With my Riptide team, we would occasionally do these sets, and they were some of the hardest sets I've ever done, even though the swimming wasn't really fast. I'd get to the wall gasping compared to my teammates. I knew then that my lung function was relatively poor, though was comparing it to finely tuned athletes, so still didn't think much of it.

Melissa encouraged me to get some lung function tests done, so thanks to my nurse practitioner sister I was able to get in her clinic for a few tests, including a peak flow test. My lung function numbers were about 20% lower than they should have been. Especially for someone who trains 2-3 workouts per day, I should have above average results, not below.

Long story short, after being diagnosed with exercise induced asthma I decided to try a sample inhaler before a run (after confirming this was legal and approved by USADA... which for 2011 it is without submitting a therapeutic use exemption (TUE), whereas in 2010 a TUE was needed.) I did a peak flow test before taking the inhaler, used it, then re-tested my peak flow about 20 minutes later. The numbers went up by 100 points after using the infaler! I went out for my run, and it felt great, like my lungs were literally 20% deeper. Breathing felt cold deep in the lungs too, which was an odd sensation. It was a hilly trail run at Matthews-Winters park where we used to run in high school, and I was ecstatic thinking of the breakthrough this could be. That's when I really knew I had exercise induced asthma. The past week and a half, I've done a bit more research on it, found out that many relatives on my mother's side, including my grandpa, have it as well, though I'm not yet sure if EIA is hereditary or not.

Looking back, it was pretty clear that I've had this for a number of years. I don't know why I never thought about it or looked into it. I simply thought that was how breathing is supposed to feel. Now, I know I could continue like I always have, without taking any medications. I've done it for years, it's just been limiting my performance.

There have been many cases looking back that show my struggles with asthma. Some days it's not too bad, others it is worse:

-I have a much harder time breathing on runs when very cold out
-I am bothered by wearing tight restricting tri tops, the reason why I always raced with only shorts on. Same with heart rate monitors. It affects my lung function since it's already restricted.
-Breathe Right nasal strips help. Don't know if this is related or not.
-One day last year the chlorine levels at the pool got all out of whack, and I had to get out and go outside, I could barely breathe. My teammates had a harder time breathing than normal, but I was by far the most affected by it. It actually messed up my lungs for 3 days and I wasn't able to swim.
-Track workouts this summer, when the pollen was high, 4 weeks in a row while doing 400s, I hit the 300 mark and my breathing literally was through the roof. I explained this to my roommate Todd who I've been running with for years. I assumed I was a bit overtrained. I now realize the first 200-250m are mostly anaerobic anyways, and once the aerobic system kicks in, I need full function of the lungs. I'm not sure if it was allergy-related or not, combined with the asthma, but something definitely keeping me from successful workouts. My legs were fresh, but my breathing was through the roof.
- There were 2 college cross country races, including 1 in Fresno my senior year, when I had a breathing attack after. It took 10-15 minutes to slow my breathing. I remember the medical crew surrounding me and checking my heart rate. They poured ice over me, which felt great. Again, I never looked into this any further.
-Last year I did a ton of house remodel work with my brother. The days I did sanding and drywall work, I was affected a lot. I remember running on the Highline Canal after sanding in the morning. I had to walk for a mile, since my lungs and breathing were out of control. I knew it was from the sanding, but never thought about EIA.
All this means, is that I need to be extra aware of things like chemicals, fumes, running in the cold, allergies, etc.

I've been training with this for years, so it's not like I have been completely affected by it by any means. I'm the first to admit that. However, when you are trying to get to the highest level of an aerobic sport, that extra 15-20% lung function is a must-have. I am very excited for this discovery, and view this as a positive thing, nothing negative. I'm still learning about exercise induced asthma, and will have to learn how I react best to proper medication. I am very eager to compete this year with a bit of deeper lungs. I will miss the funny looks though, running by people sounding like a horse during races :)

I'll now run by people like this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxR8gzgSxoU&feature=related

Happy training and to a successful 2011,
Ryan

MsM, Powerbar!, and the TT rig.

I'm excited to announce a few 2011 season sponsors, the first being Multisport Ministries. The founding men of MsM have backed me since day one of this journey, believed in me, and have helped make this pursuit possible. They have helped me become the athlete I have become, but more importantly have walked alongside me on the journey of life, challenging me to be the best man I can - living for a greater purpose than myself alone.

I am also very grateful to be connected with Powerbar for the 2011 season, maker of the best nutrition and energy foods on the market. Many people just think they make energy bars, but they've come out with a ton of new stuff over the years: Endurance sports drink, Recovery drink, Powerbar gels, Powerbar gel blast chews, trail mix type bars, Energy Bites, Ironman Perform sports drink and Protein powder most recently, which is packed with protein and tastes like a milkshake compared to to the Cytomax brand powder I used prior.


I am seeking additional financial & product/service sponsors for the 2011 season.

I have also begun working with coach Melissa Mantak, who recently earned the highly prestigious USA Triathlon Coach of the Year Award for 2010. After my first month with Melissa, I will tell you that she is more than deserving of such an award.

After selling my Blue Triad SL, parting out a few bikes, scrapping some other parts, getting out the metal saw, and getting my Specialized Transition Pro frameset thanks to the folks at Bike Source, my new TT rig is built up. Can wait to throw the race wheels on it and let her fly.

Specs:

• 2011 Specialized Transition Pro, size XL
• SRAM Red 11-23 cassette & derailleurs
• Quarq Cinco Saturn power meter w/SRAM carbon cranks, 53-39 rings
  
• Speedplay zero stainless steel pedals
• Shimano Pro Missile aerobars with custom cut (& warranty-voided) Zipp chicane s-bend extensions & swapped Profile Design armrests
• SRAM 900 TT carbon shifters
• Profile Design ABS carbon brake levers
• ISM Adamo Breakaway saddle
  
• Garmin Edge 500
  
• I'll be riding on a set of 2010 Zipp 808 tubulars, to go with my Zipp Sub-9 disc wheel

• 

The new Specialized TT2 aero helmet, the fastest TT helmet you can find.

Swim Labs

Last week could be called a maintenance week, figuring out what is not ideal in my form/technique, and what needs to be fixed. This can be a frustrating time, but it's necessary to improve. One can choose to take it as discouragement, or use it to motivate. This included a bike fit at Retul in Boulder, where I learned I was riding the TT almost like a road bike, and need to be much further forward on the saddle. This new position will definitely get some taking used to. It also included an hour and a half session with my coach Melissa at Swim Labs. My swim has been my weakness this past year, and I'm often playing a bit of catch-up on race day on the bike and run. Swim Labs has 2 locations here in Denver, each with several Endless Pools when you can swim against various speeds of current and film your swim technique from many angles: above, front, side, etc. It's a must do for any serious triathlete or swimmer with less-than-perfect form in order to know where to start keeping tabs on your technique. The difficult thing is putting what you know needs change in your stroke and implementing it in swim drills and training, especially after swimming a certain way for 2 years. It will take some serious work. My main issue lies with keeping my elbows higher and bent throughout my stroke after entering the water. I have the tendency of letting my elbow drop too quickly, which creates a bit of extra drag. I also need to pull all the way through my stroke to the waist, and maintain a bit steadier kick. Lots of work to do.

Swimming is a sport where technique is critical to success, more so than biking or running in my opinion. If you form is far from perfect, work on it early, ASAP. The best way to know what is wrong is to get filmed, and have expert critique. If you're in the Denver area, I'd highly recommend going to Swim Labs for a session with one of their expert coaches. You can record a CD with video footage, and also compare it to other top swimmers side by side for critique. Swim Labs gives you the disc to take home and study for as long as you need to. Thanks to Giff and Mike for letting us work there. I've got my work cut out for me, but have no option other than using this as motivation to improve. Right when you are getting to the next level in the sport, you realize there is always much higher to go, and so many little things needing to be done to get there. The further along you are, the more important the tiny details become, and there are many of them in triathlon, since it's really 3 separate sports you can analyze. If possible, I'll try to see if I can upload some of the footage here on the blog in the next few days. Go check out Swim Labs!

Looking Forward to 2011

My 2010 season is in the books, and the training build toward 2011 has begun. I'll summarize my 2010 experience as follows:

• I learned more than I ever thought possible in my first season as a pro
• I earned my pro license in May, which was the main season goal
  
• I learned valuable lessons about choosing race formats that play to my strengths, and races that make sense financially
• I came out of 2010 more motivated than ever
• I earned my first prize money as a professional (not much, but it's a start)
  

My 2011 season will look a bit different than my 2010 season. 2010 had some highs and some lows, as far as training and racing. However, I learned more the past 12 months about the sport than I thought possible. I am learning what it takes to be a top US triathlete, establishing a plan to get there, and learning how race selection is very important. For 2011, I only plan to race events where I have a shot at prize money, those that offer free home-stays for pros, and those that are relatively inexpensive to travel to.
The past few months I've had to make some tough decisions about 2011, decisions that make sense practically and financially. I will not be a member of the Riptide Multisports Elite Team for 2011. The Riptide team has become like family to me, and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the team for 2010, and for coach Sean Wendt and teammate Josh Merrick for helping me with a training program. I love the team, and enjoyed being part of something greater than just myself. Racing alongside and representing others as well as yourself takes meaning to the next level. I look forward to keeping relationships strong with the team, and hopefully will still be able to meet up for a workout here and there with the group. After struggling with the decision for a few months, I had to detach the emotional & relational side of the decision from the practical. I chose not to be a member for 2011 for a few main reasons: I could not commit to the swim practices anymore, as I would drive an average of 80 minutes per day round trip to join the team swims in Arvada. Due to the gas money spent, the need for 2-3 workouts a day, and opportunities for side jobs in Denver & Littleton, the inefficiency simply didn't make sense nor work out with my daily schedule and need to make money. I need the valuable time for training and working. Secondly, I have had groups & individuals offer to sponsor races. This sport is very expensive and difficult to make money in as a new pro, and sponsorship opportunities allow athletes to continue to race. It is important to be able to solicit and accept valuable sponsorships. To make it as a pro triathlete, part of it is being business-minded and finding sponsors to help make it possible. In the past 2 months, I have written over 60 letters and emails, and made numerous phone calls, in attempt to secure sponsorships of all kinds: financial (for race entry fees & travel), bike company, shoe company, gear companies, etc. I also sold my Toyota Tacoma, which was necessary to fund the season. The cubicle world will always be there, but I won't always be able to compete as a pro athlete. I am currently seeking sponsors for the 2011 season, and will gladly display company logos on my race uniform, website, and fulfill any other request one may have.

In 2011, I am looking to grow my coaching services and add athletes. I have taken on a few individual athletes recently, and have started using TrainingPeaks.com training software for my athletes. I will also be one of several coaches for a local women's triathlon club called CWW. I have learned a ton about the coaching side of the sport, and look forward to helping athletes succeed. In January of 2011, I will become a USAT level 1 certified coach as well.

This past year my life was filled with a lot of distractions. I moved from California to Colorado, and to 3 different houses here in Denver. I was busy working home remodel jobs and other work, adjusting to life here in Denver, and struggled with a true plan of action with triathlon. I lacked a bit of direction. I have decided to dedicate one year to nearly full-time training. The phrase 'Go Big or Go Home' is a good one, and that's what I am doing. This pursuit is multi-dimensional, and will be focused on all aspects of the sport: coaching, training, racing, nutrition, sleep, recovery, strength training, etc.

I will be working with coach Melissa Mantak for the 2011 season, who is the best triathlon coach in the sport, in my opinion. I am very excited to work with her. Melissa is a renown coach, a USAT level 3 triathlon coach, and a USA Cycling level 1 coach, and is local. She just earned the 2011 USA Triathlon Coach of the Year award, which for those who don't know, is a huge accomplishment. Melissa is also the head coach for a women's club team and head coach for Tri For The Cure. She coaches top pros Matt Charbot, currently ranked #1 in the US on the ITU ponts list and 12th in the world, I believe, and Jillian Petersen, who I believe is ranked 4th in the US for women. I got connected to Melissa and will be coaching alongside her with the CWW women's club team, and hopefully helping out with a few races and other local events. The partnership made perfect sense and was a great fit. After talking with her, I knew our goals aligned, and I knew she was the one who could help me progress, simply because she wants to see me succeed nearly as much as I do. She is local, a coach I am a firm believer in, and has helped me find opportunities for part-time coaching work. In my week with Melissa, I've had a one on one swim technique analysis session, which was the first time in my life I'd had a true swim instruction/technique session from a coach. I am starting a strength program this week with her as well. I will be swimming 6 days a week, and running and cycling 5-6 days as well, a necessary increase from my marginal 3-4 run sessions and 3 bike sessions per week this past year. I've told Melissa, I have one shot here. Let's give it a chance. I am a person who responds best to structure and accountability, and she is exactly the person I need for this. I have 2 years of experience now, and my body has adapted well and is ready to handle the volume. When I say that I can promise big things for 2011, I do not mean to boast, but say it in all seriousness, because I'm confident the results will come. The plan will consist of at least 2 and usually 3 workouts per day, a strength program, proper nutrition, and learning to get my body ready to race. I am 100% confident in the plan.

I have decided not to race ITU draft-legal triathlons in 2011, other than possibly US Elite Nationals and maybe one other US race. Most ITU races cost 2 to 3 times the price to travel to, and unless you're a front pack swimmer, it is nearly impossible to earn prize money. My swim is not to the ITU front-pack level yet, so it doesn't make sense. My cycling has advanced a lot this year, and I'm suited best for non-drafting races where I can use my bike strength to my advantage. Why do so many athletes race ITU? 1 word: Olympics. It's the one and only route to the Olympics. It's a long shot for many, but it's still a shot. The other reason is that USA Triathlon funds about 24 athletes for ITU racing, since it is really an Olympic development program. In 2011, my focus will be non-drafting Olympic distance race. WTC, who owns Ironman, recently announced the 5150 race series, which I'm very excited about. Visit www.5150.com for more info. This will help athletes like me have more opportunities to succeed in non-draft short course racing. I also plan on debuting in 1 or 2 Ironman 70.3 races this next season, and test my body in long course racing. I can't tell you how excited about this next season I am. I am focused, motivated, and having fun. Thanks for the support.
Ryan

USAT National Championships

My teammate Dan Mackenzie and I traveled to Tuscaloosa, AL this weekend for the USAT Pro/Elite National Championship, along with 42 other pro men. This race was also an ITU Pan Am cup race, so was draft-legal on road bikes as opposed to time trial non-drafting format, and included some guys from Australia, Canada, Ireland, and Barbados. I’d never raced in a such a strong field before, as there were over 15 guys who race at the World Cup level, including a group of Olympians and all the US National team guys, whose ITU races & travel expenses are covered by USAT. Some also live at the Olympic training centers for free. I was looking around the room at the pro meeting 2 days prior to the race, and it was a bit overwhelming. It’s important to be confident, but at the same time you know where you stand as a swimmer, starting swim training at age 25 instead of having years in the sport. I knew who almost everyone in the room was, from watching them on TV or reading about them online. It was stacked to say the least. A few big names were winner Brenden Sexton of Austraila, Olympians Jarrod Shoemaker, Matt Reed, and Greg Bennett, US National Champ Matt Charbot. It basically included all the top US ITU athletes, minus Olympian Hunter Kemper who was injured. Many of these guys have been racing triathlon for 10-15 years.

Going into the race I thought it would be all about the swim for me, like all ITU races are... but by the end of the day I realized for the first time, it wasn’t really about the swim do to the circumstances. It turned out, if I would have swam 20 seconds faster, or slower for that matter, it really wouldn’t have mattered. I knew a huge main pack would form, and then the rest of us. We all knew the heat and humidity would affect the day, as it was in the mid 90s by our 2:15pm start time, and river water temps were about 85. As expected, a huge swim pack of about 20 of the 44 guys stayed together and grouped up on the bike. A chase pack formed a bit back, and then a string of a bunch of guys all coming out the water somewhat alone. That included me. Looking around, there was no group within reach in front of me to attempt to go solo on the bike and bridge up to, but also no one right behind me to work with. So, I caught up to one guy, rode with him for a lap before he was dropped, and then waited until Sean (recently 8^th in the World Duathlon Championships) and Darin Shearer bridged up to me. The 3 of us worked together for the rest of the 8 lap bike portion, wishing we had a group of 20 to pull us along as opposed to only 3. But, this is part of draft-legal racing with the swim being our weakness, and the tough part about racing ITU for us, since coming out of the water 30 or 45 seconds back of a large pack. We kept moving up on athletes who got dropped from the packs ahead. Some joined us, and some were dropped and eventually lapped out of the race (ITU rule). I felt strong on the bike, and went through both large water bottles early, as it was very hot. I started cramping late into the bike, and took 3 salt tablets immediately, which I think helped. The cramps stayed until about 10 min into the run, and then disappeared. I debated trying to break away after I had gapped my group on the top of the hill, but realized riding 2 laps solo would be very tough if I tried, and I’d likely get pulled back in by the group

The run turned into another sufferfest, just like Chicago. With temps around 95 and sun beating down, people were dropping, including myself and Jefferson, who is a 29 min 10k runner who ran for Nike/Oregon Track Club. It was a struggle to keep shuffling, and ice cup after ice cup being poured down the jersey, I made it to the line in 28^th place. It was ugly, and embarrassing, but I knew it was the right thing, to keep on gutting it out. By the end of the day, 16 out of the 44 athletes didn’t finish, they either were lapped out on the bike, or succumbed to the heat.

Hot, dizzy, and discouraged, I took a while just sit down in the athlete’s lounge and do nothing. Just sit. It was cool to be a part of the race, but anytime you run 11 min. slower than usual, no matter the reason, discouragement is there. Running well in heat is always possible, but much more difficult when you’ve been red-lining it in the swim and on the bike for 80 minutes leading into it.

The week before the race, I almost decided not to go after my teammate Jordan switched to race the non-drafting format Westchester Tri in New York, which had prize money too but a legitimate shot at it, with most of the top US guys at Nationals and for us being better at non-drafting events.

My 2010 season is likely over, unless I race in November. All in all, it was not a great season as far as my results went. However, I earned my pro license in May, learned a ton about racing, and have thoroughly enjoyed getting a chance to pursue my goals. I’ve learned the importance of needing to stay consistent in training, to choose races carefully that play to your strengths and make sense financially. ITU racing is fun, especially with the big names there and TV helicopters overhead like yesterday, but it’s also expensive, difficult to make money, but doesn’t make much sense if swimming is your weakest discipline. I will still keep working the hardest at improving my swim, and may race 1 or 2 draft-legal races next year, but the focus will be on non-drafting and Ironman 70.3’s, which I think will suit me well. At the beginning of the year my goal was to turn pro, and that was it, nothing further. I thought I’d likely stop if I achieved that goal. I’m taking what I learned this year and making necessary changes, which will be big this next year (more to come on that soon). As long as I can cover my costs, have support, am racing for the right reasons, and taking care of my responsibilities, I’d love to keep going. Just like last year, I’ll say it again. One more year. Thanks for your support.

P.S. I am getting my USAT coaching certification in January, and am seeking additional athletes of all levels to coach. Spread the word!

Brad Rides

My roommate Brad is cycling across the country, beginning next week, to raise money for a great cause. Check out his blog!

http://bradrides.blogspot.com/

Malibu Triathlon race report: A Costly Puncture

The last 3 races have all been disappointing, but for different reasons -not because I'm out of shape, struggling with confidence, or some other issue...just things you can't control too much (like staff infections, heat exhaustion (although now I realize it was partially my fault in Chicago..nutrition was bad, calorie intake way too little for the afternoon race on no lunch), and now a flat tire.) You live, learn, and try to avoid bad luck.

I flew into Santa Barbara for a day and a half (AKA paradise, I could write another separate entry on why SB is the perfect place for any pro triathlete to train...minus the cost of living) and headed to Malibu with great friends from Multisport Ministries and Riptide teammates Jordan Jones and Josh Merrick.

The swim: The ocean swim wasn't too bad. Waves were smaller than most years, so it was relatively calm. My arms were heavy from the start, but that was fine, as I never blew up and the heaviness never got any worse throughout the race. It was a chilly 58 degrees, but I didn't notice it at all when the gun went off. For once, my goggles didn't fog which was great. I've finally learned the secrets to no-fogging!! Finally! It has to do with simply buying new goggles..frequently, and not racing in the same pair you use at the pool since the anti-fog stuff wears off after a few uses. A little spit can help sometimes, but never rub it around with your fingers, which removes the original anti-fog stuff. I also found some good Barracuda anti-fog drops (which also never worked before in old goggles), but adding these to newer goggles helps too...so basically, get new goggles and only plan on using them for a few races. Then replace them. For the pool, use separate goggles and wash them out with shampoo (baby shampoo and use fog drops right after that). That's the only thing that's worked.

I came out of the swim as the 6th pro I believe, right with my teammate Jordan and about 1:30 back of Olympian Matt Reed, which was a fine position for us both. Josh was about 4 min. back, but as always his bike and run moves him up in a hurry. On the bike, I road side by side with Jordan out of transition, didn't see a huge speed bump, tried to hop it but slammed my disc wheel right on it as I didn't bunny hop far enough! Jordan laughed with me about it post-race, it was loud, and sounded like my bike could have cracked. I felt great on the bike, and both Jordan and I were biking great and moving up in the field, passing all the super-swimmer women like Hayley Piersol & Olympian Julie Ertel within the first mile or two. We caught my friend Chris Berg a bit before the turnaround and were both feeling great. I was having probably my best race to date, sitting in 5th behind an Olympian, the 8th place Ironman Kona finisher Mathias Hecht from Switzerland, Fraser Cartnell of the UK and of team Trek/KSwiss. He was also the Ironman UK Champion and is a multiple time Ironman 70.3 Champ. Jordan was in 4th.

Boom! On my way back along the coast, on the beautiful PCH, AKA the Pacific Coast Hwy for all you non-SoCal lingo speakers, I heard a loud pop, looked down, and saw air spraying out of my disc wheel. My day was done, my tubular was flat, and I found myself sitting on the side of the road with my hands on my head and my thumb up eventually trying to find a ride back. I killed some time by hurling some rocks into the ocean and found that a great way to take out anger, along with screaming very loudly. Athlete after athlete rode by me...I was crushed, and sat on the side of the road for about 25 minutes until the Triathlon Lab van rescued me. From emotional high to devastation, I had thrown my bike down screaming (a few, or perhaps a few too many, words I shouldn't repeat on this blog...words that rarely come from my mouth). I was crushed emotionally, as this would likely have been my best pay day as a pro so far, as top 5 get paid.

I made it back just in time to catch the finish and to see Jordan finish an incredible 2nd place (with a blazing sub 32 min run) to Olympian Matty Reed, and collect his $2500 check. Reed came home with $5000. Josh rounded out the podium with a 5th place finish and also a paycheck after a crazy fast run as well, where he passed a few to grab the final spot. Congrats to my Riptide men for huge results!! I was so pumped to see them do so well.

Things like this happen, and there's not much you can do about it. Just move onto the next race. It's part of racing, and you just have to accept it.

Here's a podium shot I took... wishing I was up there too. Just serves as more motivation, that's all. I'm getting hungry to be up there :)

Thanks to the Multisport Ministries men who helped sponsor the trip, Bethany Nickless for letting me borrow her car for the weekend, and my boys in Santa Barbara who let me stay at their place.



Here's a few pictures of some great things from the weekend.Los Banos Pool: 50m. In the Santa Barbara harbor lot. Awesome. I used to swim there daily at lunch with a group of guys. I miss the pool, and miss those guys. I got a short pre-race Friday workout in with them, it was great to be back.

SB City College Track: Up there with the new Westmont track, the most scenic track in the world, across from the harbor. I miss doing my 400s there.

Westmont College Track: the new track I wish we had when I ran there.

Malibu Beach Inn: View from our Malibu hotel. Thanks so much to Steve Silverstein and Erik Burkholz for sponsoring the stay and race! I was looking for a floor to crash on, and ended up with a pullout couch and a view like this!

Chicago Tri Race Report

After two recent races that didn't go as well as I had hoped, it's been a bit hard to focus and stay on track this week. The thing about triathlon is, you can't judge an athlete by a single race. Some days things just happen, and the only thing you can do is stay positive and keep after it. Some tell me I am hard on myself, and I do hold myself to high expectations, but I think that's necessary to continue to climb to the top. After coming home from Canada, I had two days in Denver, then packed up the time trial bike and flew to Chicago to race the largest race in the world, with over 10,000 athletes, and visit my cousin Brandyn. The pro race was absolutely stacked, with a few former Olympians, world cup ITU athletes, 6 members of US National teams, the winner of St. Anthony's, and some Ironman 70.3 winners. My goal coming into the race was top 15, after seeing the list. By the end of the bike leg I was in 14th or 15th, and finished 18th on the day, but it turned from a race into an episode of Survivor.
The swim in Lake Michigan was nice. I wore a swimskin for the first time, since it wasn't wetsuit legal, which helped a ton. I learned my lesson at Boulder Peak, being 1 of only 3 pro's not wearing one, and as a weaker swimming compared to these guys, I need the help! They aid you about 30 seconds in a 1500m swim (as tested in the pool a few months ago). I swam well the first 1000m, and was in a great position for me. The last 500m I fought through it, but drifted a bit mentally, as well as literally too far left against the seawall, which made me lose contact and the ability to draft of off my teammate Jordan, and into choppier water as waves were bouncing off the wall. The run out of the lake to transition was almost a half mile I bet, on cement, by far the longest run-out I've done. I passed 4 or 5 people on the bike leg, and entered the run in 15th and feeling strong.
It was about 95 degrees out by 1:30pm when we entered the run, and extremely humid. That's when people started dropping like flies, myself included. My first few steps off the bike didn't feel good already, and unfortunately that never changed. Long story short, if you could get through without heat exhaustion, you'd have a great race. There were about 5 or 7 of us that it hit hard. Cameron Dye went from 1st onto the run, to finish 12th I believe. Olympian Matt Reed ended up 7th. Stephen Hackett ran a 44 minute 10k (or shuffled/walked), and Ethan Brown dropped out in front of me on the run, as I saw him sitting under a tree along the course. People were suffering out there. I was struggling at mile 2 already, just from pushing it hard for the previous hour in the water and on the bike. Running in that heat & humidity isn't usually a problem for me, but I don't test myself much after an all-out swim and bike. I was forced to walk some at about mile 3, my body was shutting down early. I wasn't cramping which was great, so my nutrition has been working, but my head was pounding, and I felt like I was in a furnace, and I was very very weak. At each aid station, I forced myself to drink 4 Gatorades the last 2 miles, or I knew I wouldn't make it across the line. I poured cups of water on my head every mile, but after 10 seconds later my body was screaming for more. I nearly dropped out many times, and debated what was the right thing to do. I ran/walked a 44 minute 10k, 9-10 minutes slower than usual : finish slowly and trash the body, or drop out and come back stronger in training this week. I flew to Chicago, which is a long ways, so knew I needed to finish the race. I stumbled across the line, onto the ground, was hauled to the medical tent on a stretcher chair where they took my vitals. My heart rate and blood pressure was very high, so they made me take an IV in my right arm. I told them I don't need it, since I'm not a huge fan of needles, but they ignored me and said, "yes, you do!" 10 minutes later I was told I should probably go to the hospital, and was asked if I wanted to. I refused of course, knowing I don't have the health insurance for that, and once I got an IV in me I'd be fine. The hospital was not necessary and would be going way too far. I had heat exhaustion, and knew it. Lying there with ice on top of me and the IV in my arm, I didn't really know what to think. I wasn't really mad, but just simply sad. I was having a strong race, and if I could have run my usual 34-35 min 10k run split, that would have put me in 9th or 10th, and 1oth place took home $600. 10th in a race this competitive would have been a great result. Usually I'd be very frustrated, this time I simply was very bummed, probably because I don't really know what I could have done differently to avoid this. I felt hydrated coming into the race. Sometimes there are answers and things you can learn from, other times you simply don't know why it happened and how to prevent it for next time.
I have two more races left for 2010 for sure: Malibu and Pro Nationals in Alabama, and will finish the season strong and with confidence. I have a plan for next season already, a different plan from this year, which I know if I stick to it, I'll reap the rewards. It will take more discipline, training, and planning than ever, but now know what it takes to compete at the top.

Kelowna ITU / Canadian Nationals Race Report & Thoughts on Future Racing

I travelled to Kelowna, British Columbia last weekend for an ITU Pan American Cup race, which also happened to be the Canadian National Championships. This type of race always draws great competition, and some big names like Simon Whitfield, Olympic gold and silver medalist, and Kyle Jones. I finished 39^th out of 66 competitors, which was a very disappointing finish for me. Race day was cold and rainy, but the swim remained a non-wetsuit swim. Most of the other competitors brought their wetsuits to the start to warm up in. I, however, didn’t. I decided I should still get in a quick warmup, then stood shivering for about 15 minutes before the gun went off. The swim in beautiful Lake Okanogan was a 2 lap swim, 750m each lap. I started hard, as is necessary in ITU racing, but slowly saw the group string out. I had one of my poorest swims in recent history, unfortunately, which put me back in the pack. On the 6 loop bike course, I was able to group up with about 5 guys, and we slowly caught people to form a chase pack of about 15. The loop had a killer steep hill up the hillside, which sent everyone’s heart rates through the roof. The view up there was awesome, overlooking the city and Lake Okanogan. This type of draft-legal racing is so different from non-drafting, with the surging and pack riding as opposed to the steady burn in non-drafting, which suits me better as a better time trialist. On the last bike lap it started pouring on us again, which made it fun, but a bit more dangerous. Going around the penultimate turn of the course, I rode over a steel manhole, which sent my rear wheel sliding. I thought for sure I was going down and my day was done, but somehow I steered out of it, stayed upright, and fought my way back up to the pack. I picked off a few more athletes on the run, and ran steady the whole way through.

Heading into the race I was confident, yet had some unfortunate events leading up to the race. About 10 days prior, I noticed a sore lump on the back of my right knee. I didn’t think much of it, but by about 6 days later, I knew I needed to see a doctor, as it had grown, swelled, and was making it hard to bend my leg without a ton of pain.I'd woke up for about 5 days unable to walk until it loosened up a bit, so I knew it was getting into my muscular system. I could see the redness spidering it’s way and spreading.. I was forced to take some time off that week from workouts, and especially swimming with the open wound once I had it opened. Any time I’d sit or lie down, it would stiffen up and be painful to walk. Before the trip, I knew I needed to get the growth cut open, and hope it would heal enough by race day. My coach Sean, at a team crit loop bike ride, told me I need to open it up ASAP. He told me to soak it, but some baking soda on it to draw it to the surface, and find the biggest needle I could and go at it. Rather having someone else do it, I looked around the house for a razor blade, called my sister, and asked her if she had any iodine, and planned on heading to her house. Although health insurance wouldn’t cover these needs, since I have the cheapest, most catastrophic plan around with terrible benefits, she convinced me to go to her clinic and let a doc do it, since she was off work that day and couldn’t do it herself at the clinic, and he’d cut me a deal. He fit me in between his patients, took care of it fast. With scissors, scalpels, and lots of squeezing, he sent me sweating and gritting my team while he went at it. It didn’t feel good, but helped me a lot. I had a cyst on my leg, which was confirmed to be a staff infection after testing. I had to keep a gauze packed in the hole for a day, which made if fun walking around the airport and sitting next to people on the plane, wondering why there was a white gauze coming out of my leg. The antibiotics are working well, and all the muscle aches and spreading has stopped. Mmmm appetizing. Hopefully I can blame my poor swim on my lack of swimming that week prior.

I had a fun trip with my girlfriend Amy, and teammate Dan and his wife. We drove to Penticton beach where Ironman Canada is, went to a winery, and relaxed. Those were the highlights. I tried my best to stay positive after the race, but was overwhelmed with frustration from the poor race performance and thus justifying the trip, unexpected rental car fees and feeling very deceived, airline bike fees, etc. I had a lot of time to think about the trip, and ITU racing in general. Right now, ITU racing may not make sense for me. My heart is in it, and everyone wants to race Olympic-style racing. The Olympics are everyone’s dream, but right now I simply cannot swim at the level needed to finish at the top in draft-legal racing, despite my improved swim. Swimming 25,000m a week is a lot, but not enough for me. If I commit to ITU racing, I will be swimming 40-50,000m a week this winter. I also cannot fully take advantage of my bike fitness without a time trial format, as ITU races are draft-legal. It’s also very expensive to race ITU races, since most are in Canada and Central and South America. It’s hard to win prize money as well, since they pay top 10 usually and without coming out with the lead swim pack, it’s almost impossible. Next season, I’ll likely focus on domestic Olympic non-draft racing, and possible a few Ironman 70.3 races. Racing the biggest races in the world like Chicago, still allow me to race the best in the world and continue chasing my goal of being competitive with those at the top, yet make it more doable as pros can usually get free home-stays at these races, where no rental car or hotel is needed. That being said… I am currently seeking sponsors for 2011. I have a ‘sponsorship guide’ I’ve created with all the info; contact if you, your company, or anyone you know may be interested. Spread the word! With two days back at home, I’m now off to Chicago for the biggest race in the world. Pro’s go off at noon. I hear it’s a cool environment, with 11,000 people cheering along the streets. Should be fun. Thanks for all your support!

-RB