Ironman Boulder Tri Series Volunteer Party

This morning I went out for my very first morning run of the year. Lets face it, its hard to get up early, its cold and you dont always have time to make your lunch and take a shower. Mainly its been the cold keeping me away, oh and the darkness, but im off the wagon now (or is that on the wagon? People miss use the term so often im even confused now). To set it straight, you are on the wagon if you arnt drinking, or arnt running and you are off the wagon when you are on a bender of running, got it?

I tried to do one of my staple runs I call the Airport loop since it goes right past the airport runway and is on "Airport Rd" ha the only non science in my training is my naming conventions for run routes. Anyway, half way through the loop a bridge was out and I had to deviate, I back tracked for a mile and then ducked onto a dirt path detour. One of the greatest things about living and training in Boulder is that there is never a shortage of paths and routes to run and bike on and to be honest, after a year of training I still have not exhusted my run options within 6 miles from me. Its a difficult route in that it starts out flat then has a slight uphill and then a slight downhill, then a major downhill with a major uphill, followed by a slight uphill for 2.5 miles, a slight downhill (rest) for 400m, slight uphill for 1 mile and a down hill final mile stretch. I was talking about this route with Pro Triathlete Joanna Zeiger in a conversation about evenly paced runs and I had the arguement that this route and many others in Boulder make it impossible to run even pace. Instead I like to run this as percieved effort slow on the up, and faster on the down.

At mile 4 my enemy revisited, blistering. I've actually switched running shoes because I noticed my newest shoes have collapsed at the ball of the toe (im talking with the manufacturer about it and ill keep you posted). I wear running socks, my feet are dry and they are a heavy training shoe, why does this keep happening?... recommendations?? I think for my Half Mary this weekend im going to wear thick smartwool socks, tape my feet, use body glide and baby powder... all that should cover my basis right?

5.5 mile Pace=7:24



After work I attended the Boulder Triathlon Series Volunteer party put on by WTC hosted at the Energy lab of D3. I thought it was great for WTC to put on a party for all the people who volunteered last year for one of their local events, I was in the food tent for the Boulder 70.3, and will be there again this year! Props to Jessica the volunteer coordinator at WTC for setting this long awaited event. They went all out with free food, beer provided locally and tons of raffle prizes (see picture above). My ticket landed me a winning entry into the Boulder Running Series (formerly the Pearl St. Series) which includes a 2k, 3k, and 1mi race in Boulder on or near the Pearl St. Mall. Could be a great opportunity for me to break 5:25 again for the first time in 3 years (see postings about the Wagner Mile annual trial).

Turning Over A New Leaf

You've heard of former NCAA swimmers and runners turning Triathletes, well I've got a new one for you...Pole Vaulter turned endurance athlete. It seems such an unlikely story but let me clue you into why I thought it was a great idea, and how its even possible in the first place.

First lets take a look at what each sport entails both physically and mentally. Field events generally incorporate speed, strength and jumping ability or reaction time. Pole Vault is all of that with the use of an implement to further your success. You need the foot speed of a short distance sprinter, the jumping ability of a long jumper or high jumper, and the power of a shot putter. The idea is to run as fast as you can with a 15+' pole about 100 ft and plant that into a 2x2 hole in the ground while at the same time jumping as high and tall as you can. Basically its like running into a wall full steam with your arms out and trying to keep them straight. After you leave the ground a lot of physics take over, your kinetic energy bends and loads up into the pole as potential energy as you swing upside down, then uncoils and tosses you higher and higher as you throw yourself over the bar and to your back to a safe landing.

Im used to hard Olympic lifting, repetitious short springs, fighting a pole to bend and throw me in the right direction, analyzing data and videos, dealing with fear and inner conflict. I was there to use my tools, my knowledge and fight the goal, fight the world. Release pent up energy both mental and physical.

flip the switch and you have endurance racing which is an equally hard mental challenge but instead of dealing with it in short portions, you have to wallow in the decisions being made. Strength, flexibility, technique and external tool utilization are similarly involve in being a triathlete, as well as its included numbers game.

So what transcends the boundaries? Shoulder strength for one. In pole vault they are your pivot point and must therefore be highly developed and flexible to take the stresses placed on them. They are not utilized in the swim for propulsion, on the bike to take some weight off my legs and on the run for that final arm pumping kick.

Another great advantage I have is my running form. It had to be dam near perfect on the runway since I needed to have the exact same run within 6" each and every time. My running is efficient and powerful, with the addition of some endurance since no practice was less then 40 or so jumps and a meet was an average of 9 jumps full throttle.

Training wise, I have mental capacity and body awareness to make better decisions and can handle the lifestyle of having to practice at least once a day. I also know my Olympic lifts and have the tecnique that of any major lifting competitor, so im able to extract every ounce of power outword.

My endurence season has now come to a close and im spending more time on lifting and cross training then I am actual running, biking or swimming. Today I visited a Crossfit gym Flatirons Crossfit for the first time ever. They are a big name in the Western section having sent 2 (male and a female) to the Crossfit games. I have previously dabbled in Crossfit WOD and interval training but they take it too the next level of intensity when they start racing these workouts instead of just trying to get through them. Anyway the owner and I had a chat and he seems to beleieve that you can do 80% Crossfit training and still achieve your triathlon goals. Seems like a Cinderella story to me. Can you imagine not having to bike 300 miles plus a week or having to run countless hours to get your 60+ miles in each week? In the coming months im going look into this. I have been moderately successful at making the switch so far having not cut out on putting in my practice time, but trying to figure out how short intense training can translate to endurence.

Until then, make sure you are conducting proper technique in running, swimming, aero positioning, Olympic lifting and save yourself the wasted energy. Dont handicap yourself from the start, or worse...injure yourself.


Lift:

Snatch: 4x5 90,90, 115, 115
Split snatch: 3x3 115,115,115

Not bad considering it was my first time with snatch in 6.5 years