Columbia Tri

Nothing about this race went as planned.  I was fighting a lot of fatigue going into the race and then I crashed on the day before for the second race in a row.  This time I hurt both wrists and landed hard on my chest.  I ended up 9th.  Not at all the result I was looking for.  I did have a good weekend with my mom.  I did not get to see her on Mother's Day, so it was nice spending the weekend with her.  I feel bad that I was in such a bad mood after the crash and poor performance.

The only thing worse than losing, is training harder and going slower.

Kaleb

Cold and Rainy

This year was my third time racing Rev3 Knoxville in its four years.  I did the race as an amateur the first year they had it and returned back to the race last year.  I love doing Rev3 races because they always put on the best events, and Knoxville is a fun course that is within driving distance from my house.  I was excited for the race this year!

I am going to start with the day before the race this time.  Most of the time this is a boring day with not much to talk about, but this race was different.  It was raining with temps in the mid 50s.  The forecast was calling for this weather the whole weekend.  I was not excited about this because usually I struggle in cold conditions.  My muscles just don't fire properly when it is cold.  I kept my head up and went about my business as usual.  I had a good run in the morning and got ready for an afternoon session of riding and swimming based around an open swim from 12-2.  The pro meeting was at 2:30 so I had to ride before the swim.  With 1 min left in my ride I went to cross a treacherous set of railroad tracks, angled at about 30 degrees across the road and soaking wet from the rain, for the 4th and last time.  I was not successful on this attempt!  As I went to angle across the tracks a car came up beside me limiting my space to only a small shoulder.  I went down hard on my left hip. I got up as fast as I could and tried to assess the damage.  I looked my bike over, no damage! I did a body scan, my hip and left pinkie were sore.  I got back to the car and pulled down my bibs to check out my hip, busted open.  My day was done...I was not going in a dirty river with a new open wound.  As the day progressed, my hip tightened up and my pinkie swelled up.  I am no doctor, but the limited mobility and swelling in my pinkie led me to believe it was broken. Good thing I don't need that finger!

Race morning was a struggle. I did not want to warm up too much on the bike or swim because of the conditions and my hip did not want to get going.  I am so glad transition was out of the rain in a parking garage.  It was the saving grace for the day that consisted of temps in the low 50s and constant rain.  The water temp of the river was also well below 60.  I did a 10 min ride to get the legs going, and that was enough of the rain on the bike.  I set up transition and went out for a run.  I did an extended run warmup because the rain was not bothering me on the run and it took a lot longer to get my hip loose enough to feel semi normal. I did swim cords to warm up and jumped in the water 1 min before the race started.

Finally!  A good swim!!  I lost about a minute and half to Cam and less than a minute to the majority of the group.  Ultimately I need to swim better, but I will take it for now.  I wore arm warmers under my wetsuit and threw on my thermal vest to get through the ride.  Overall the conditions were not as bad as I was expecting but it was definitely an epic race.  By about 15 miles I was shivering and I having a hard time pushing the pedals, but I was in good position so I had to keep going with all I had.  I lost a few precious seconds over the last 3 miles due to the technical nature of the course and a frozen brain.  In T2 I had a hard time getting on my running shoes and almost asked someone in the crowd to unbuckle my helmet for me.  I have never had a problem unbuckling my helmet, but at this race my fingers on my right hand were too numb to apply enough pressure.  Finally I got up enough strength in my left hand to get out of my helmet. Once out on the run, the front half of my feet were numb and made it feel like I was running on stumps.  It took about 2 miles for my legs to warm up and get going.  There were deep puddles forming everywhere so as the run went along I had to decide how deep a puddle was and determine whether to run though it or around it.  A couple time I chose poorly and wound up in water up to my ankle.  I ended up finishing 3rd.  I have never been happier with 3rd place.  The conditions made it more about survival than racing.  I hope I never have to race in similar conditions, but if I do I will be ready!

A big thank you goes out to my grandpa.  He traveled with me to and from the race, and along the way did about 90% of the driving.  He was also a great spectator even though if I were him I would have been in the car with the heat on during the race!  Thank you to my coach, Greg Mueller, and all my sponsors, N.B. Properties, Bralin Laser, Profile Design, Rudy Project, Champion System, BH Bikes, Stages Power, CompuTrainer, Normatec, Cobb Cycling, Hofferth Chiropractic, Proform, and Express Press. Without them I would not be able to train and race with the best.  I also would not have made it through this race without their gear to keep me warm.  

Never complain and never explain. ~Benjamin Disraeli

Kaleb

Frustration In The Water

My first two races were draft legal races in Florida.  I like to start my season with the ITU race in Clermont.  It is a sprint race and it is a fast/fun way to kick the season off.  This year they had another ITU race the following week in Sarasota.  I stayed in Florida for the week between for some warm weather training.  The Sarasota race took place at a new park they are developing just outside Sarasota.  The plan is for the park to be a world class facility for rowing and triathlons.  Their ultimate goal is to host world class races in both sports. Both races unfolded in similar fashions.  I had mediocre swims that forced me to ride hard to keep the race as close as possible.  In both cases I made it into the second pack off the bike.  I then ran through a few people from the front pack, but both races yielded sub par results. It was nice having my mom there as well as Greg, the Huffmans, and the Deckards.  It always makes racing easier having a large cheering section.

The first weekend in April was my first non-draft race of the year, Nautica South Beach.  This race was the first leg of the Lifetime triathlon series.  This is the third year I have done this race.  I enjoy the race, but Miami Beach does not get any cleaner as the years pass.  Once again I had a rough swim. This time was a little different than the first two races though.  The swim took place in the ocean, as it usually does, but this year the sea was angry.  It was the first time in a long time that I did not know what I was doing in a race.  The harder I tried to swim the slower I went.  Once the group pulled away from me I settled in to a hard tempo pace that kept me moving forward at what I thought was the fastest rate possible.  I did not have a terrible swim as far as time comparison goes, I lost 2:36 to the first person out of the water.  Considering the circumstances, that was not too bad.  But I was 20 out of 22 out of the water and 1:07 behind 19.  That made the race harder that I wanted it to be. After chasing hard on the bike and run, I made it into 7th place as I crossed the finish line. It was a great start to the season as far as the bike and run go.  I had the 3rd fastest bike/run combo, behind Ben Collins, who laid down a 51:54 bike split (2:36 faster than the second fastest bike split) and Richard Murray, who is an outstanding athlete from South Africa.  I had the fastest run split of the day, which gives a little bright side to the race.  It was great having Melissa with me.  She did a great job at giving me updates as well as words of encouragement.  We had a good weekend together and it was nice being in the sun and warm weather.


I have been working out well in the water, but it is not translating into strong swims in races.  I understand there is a difference between open water and pool swimming, but it is frustrating to lose huge chunks of time in the water.  I have accepted the fact that my current location is not the best place to swim open water, so hopefully it will warm up soon and I can get outside.
 It is a long season, and I look forward to racing again!

Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without a humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers you cannot be successful or happy.  ~Norman Vincent Peale

Kaleb

Information is Key

Over the past few months I have been attempting to change my swim stroke while building a solid base in all three sports for the upcoming season.  During these months I have struggled with adapting my new stroke in the water and unusual fatigue.  Neither one has derailed my training but they have made the last few months a little interesting.  Greg and I have had a few days where we struggle to communicate how I am feeling and what type of workouts I should be doing. We keep moving forward but sometimes at a very slow rate.  Hopefully with our new information better days or on the way.

Greg and I had an amazing opportunity to spend a few days at the Olympic Training Center.  I had some testing done and we gathered information in other areas of my training and life to maximize my athletic potential.  I met with the strength and conditioning coach at the OTC, had my blood test results analyzed, had my swim stroke analyzed by Dr. G, had a movement screening, met with a nutritionalist, and met with an offsite allergist.

We knew going in that my swim stroke needed work, but we were curious to find out to what extent.  The power profile and video that Dr. G is able to capture is amazing. The biggest corrections I need to make are:
1. Keep my head "down."  In-line with my body.
2. Develop a better catch.  I slow myself down a little instead of accelerating during that phase.
3. Kick more.  This will help me go faster by providing more forward propulsion as well as keep my feet from falling down and causing additional drag.

Aside from the visit with the offsite allergist, the rest of the information was mostly positive.  Overall my strength, blood profile, and functional movement is good.  As with everything in life, there are always items that could use improving.  I discovered my glutes were a little weak, but that can be fixed with additional strengthening.  Living in South Bend does have its negatives; with the lack of sunshine my Vitamin D levels were still within range but a little low for an athlete.  This can be adjusted by taking a simple Vitamin D supplement, which I suggest to anyone living in an area with few sunny days.  The nutritionalist gave me a few pointers to help keep my energy up during and after a long or hard workout.  I have to think about eating for today, as well as fueling for tomorrow.

The best news of the trip came when we went to the offsite allergist.  I have been to the doctor recently and even met with two doctors, counting the allergist, while in Colorado Springs.  No one saw any major problems until I received a CT scan of my sinuses.  It showed a polyp as well as a major sinus infection. Why is this good news you ask?  Because knowing this is a huge relief.  Greg and I now know what was causing my unusual fatigue. My body was fighting a massive sinus infection while trying to train at a high level.  After a 3 week course of antibiotics, I am feeling better and my training is improving.  I know have a better understanding as to why Greg is always hounding me about information and trying to gather as much as possible.

As I head off to Clermont this weekend for my first race of the season, I look forward to racing again and hopefully it can be a great start to the season.

"Always desire to learn something useful." ~ Sophocles

Kaleb

Half Distance Duathlon?

The Rev3 series finale was a half distance triathlon in Venice, FL. The winds were very strong and caused dangerous rip currents in the gulf, so the swim was canceled and replaced with a 1.5 mile run. I was a little disappointed, because I do triathlons to compete in all 3 sports, but swimming is my weakest, so I knew it would not hurt me to replace the swim with another run. It has been a long season and I was excited for a solid taper going in to this race.  I was feeling good the last couple weeks, but I am still a little weary of the half distance...this was only going to be my second race.

It was very windy, as I stated before, so there was no way I was going to lead! I was glad when there were 2 guys that wanted to be in the front on the way back.  I sat behind them and let them fight the head wind.  I was 4th into T1 and 3rd out...perfect position for me at that point in the race.  Once out on the bike I started watching my watts.  I knew where I had to be to have a good run, and the line I did not want to cross.  I have never been that close to the front at the beginning of the bike, usually I am 1-3 min down coming out of the water.  It was a strange feeling, and I liked being there, but it was a long race so I had to chill and relax early, so I let the pack go.  It was a crazy tailwind going out so I knew the wind was going to punch me in the face all the way home.  I rode a steady pace for the first half of the race and then really tried to ramp it up with 11 miles to go, I wanted to be as close to the front as I could.  I got as far back as 13th place and then started to pass people as they began to fade.  I knew by the end of the bike that I rode a little too hard, but I did what I thought I had to. My quads were jello coming off the bike, and I figured the run would get interesting.  I got in to T2 in 7th and did what I could to move at the beginning of the run. I probably went out a little too hard but I thought if I could pass guys early, then I would be able to stay away.  Well I passed guys early, then the wheels fell off the train.  I moved up into 3rd place at the halfway mark.  I did all I could to keep moving, but I stopped sweating at 3 miles, so I tried my best to hang on.  When Viktor went around me I tried to stay with him, but my body did not respond...I was in survival mode.  Then I heard Ben coming up behind me, I tried to dig deep, but there was nothing I could do.  I was dead on the road, I had to hope for the finish line to get here before someone else passed me.  I was able to hold on for 5th place.  That ended up being just good enough to sneak into 4th place in the series.  So even though my legs still hurt 3 days later, and am hobbling around, it was all worth it.  It was my last race of the season and now I have two weeks to relax and recover before I start building for next year.

It was a hard race, but it fit well as the end to this season. I went through a few rough patches, but just kept going forward with the guidance from Greg.  I would not be where I am without him!  I would also not be able to compete week in and week out without the help of my sponsors: N.B Properties, Bralin Laser, Champion System, Profile Design, Rudy Project, BH Bicycles, Cobb Cycling, Scott Shoes, CompuTrainer, Hofferth Chiropractic, Pro-Form Bike shop, and Express Press.

Melissa as well as her aunt and uncle, Katie and Ryan, came down to Florida with me.  It was great to have them there cheering as well as someone to hang out with post race/end of season!!  It was a fun weekend and am glad I did the race. The Rev3 crew puts on the best races and series in the US.  I am glad to have something that great in the sport of triathlon.

"When you reach the end of your rope, tie a knot in it and hang on." ~Thomas Jefferson

Kaleb

REV3 Series Title!!! and 2nd at REV3 FL!

http://rev3tri.com/series/

Before and Now.

Yesterday, I had the biggest race of my career. REV3 Florida was the season finale and the decisive race for the Pro REV3 Series Title. Before the race, people kept asking me how I was dealing with the pressure. There was the title and 30+K on the line- and the title race was all coming down to whether Lauren Goss or I had a better race on that single day.  Lauren has been having a really great year and I knew the day was going to be tough. However, I am not sure I felt that much pressure.  I have everything I really need in life right now.  Greg and I set the goal of winning the REV3 Series way back in January and it was something that I really wanted- but I knew I would be ok, more than ok, if it didn’t happen either. I have been overwhelmed this year with the support and love I have received from people in Charlottesville, people connected with the Ulman Cancer Fund and REV3 and other folks around the country. It has been humbling and deeply satisfying to connect with people over triathlon and to be given so much from these people all the time.   I have been given so much this year.   My sponsors have really stepped up to support me this year, and I am so thankful for that.  Thank you Profile Design and Rudy Project, thank you- I am so lucky to have these superior products (ie: Altair Wheels, Wingspan helmet, Wahoo wetsuit, best sunglasses EVER, profile drink systems, ect..) and so thankful to be associated with two companies so deeply dedicated to the sport of triathlon. Also deepest thanks to Quintana Roo for my super speedy CD 0.1, Hammer, Champion System and Computrainer.  I have an amazing local team in the Ragged Mountain Racing Team.  They are a rock in my life and have supported me in everything I have done this year. Dana Thiele and Mark Lorenzoni have created a great community of serious athletes that has been so important in so many lives, including mine.   I am so grateful to REV3 and their sponsors for making the sport of professional triathlon possible. I am so proud to be associated with REV3 this year.  REV3 treats the professional like real professionals; they are absolutely great to us, and to all of their athletes. They do things the right way for the right reasons and I am continuingly impressed by their commitment and conviction to do the right thing by all of their athletes.  Lastly and, most importantly, I am so thankful to Greg Mueller (and Lisa, his better half =) ). His passion and drive to be the best triathlon coach in the world and to make his athletes the best in the world is contagious.  He really has a gift- and it is mostly his passion for what he does and the love and dedication he gives to his athletes.  I trust him for advice in so many areas of my life and I know he is committed to helping me achieve my dreams, both in sport and in life. He is a different kind of elite triathlon coach, he makes you love the sport more- never any less.  Thank you, Greg, for getting me here!!

I didn’t feel pressure this weekend because I really have so much already, never did I think I would have so much in life.  I have lost a lot in thirty years of life so far with losing people I love and some other really tough challenges- but I seem to be getting it all back in different ways now. How could I have felt that much pressure on Sunday? I have what I need; more than I could ever want- to even think of it is crushing.   I have had nothing to lose this year and, for that, I have been given even more.

Sunday, The Race.

                                                               Photo by Eric Wynn/REV3

Due to Hurricane Sandy and a Riptide warning, the swim was cancelled. We started the race with a 1.5 mile run. Like most of the group, I went out conservatively and just tried to tuck in from the wind and relax. I knew the day was going to be long enough.  Coming into T1, Lauren had about a 10 second lead on the field but I had a quick transition and was with her pretty quickly on the bike. Alicia Kaye and Becky Lavelle rode by us hard and eventually Malaika Homo made her way by us as well.   I rode with Lauren until about mile 30, when we made a sharp left hand turn directly into the headwind (did I mention the winds were 25-28mph).  I had an instinct that this would be a good time to try to put a move on and I committed to riding hard for the next 10-15 miles. I put my head down, hammered on the pedals and tried not to look at my watt meter.  At mile 45 there was an out and back so I could see that my move had worked and I had  put something of a gap back to Lauren. At mile 50, I started to suffer really really badly. I have never suffered so badly on the bike and it took every ounce of my will to make it to mile 56, the pain was really really bad. Coming into T2 I was very concerned about having to run a half marathon. My legs were so shot that I had a hard time standing out of the saddle on the last rise over a drawbridge on the bike. I couldn’t imagine being able to run at that point, nevermind race. I grabbed my run gear and tried not to think about it. I started the run very conservatively (not that I had a choice) and started running at 620-630 pace, instead of the usual 555-605 that I have been starting out at.  I tried to keep my miles in the 620 range for as long as I could and I just hoped that it would be enough to hold Lauren off.  Then, interestingly, I found myself in second place all of a sudden. It seems as though maybe I wasn’t the only one suffering the consequences of such a hard bike in the wind.  I came within about 30 seconds of first place with 3 miles to go but I was suffering so bad at that point. I didn’t want to make any moves that might cause me to walk or cramp and risk the series title win. Becky (in first) pulled away from me pretty hard after she saw me at the last turnaround and put some time into me in the last 3 miles. I finished second, sealing the series title, and was thrilled. I was very happy for Becky, she is such a great athlete and a true professional through and through.  I was, and still am, overwhelmed by winning the series and still not sure it has sunk in yet. 

Something I did well on Sunday was being able to focus on the race in front of me the whole time. Anytime a thought about the series or what winning would mean or the amount of money came into my head, I tried to block it immediately and just focus on exactly what I needed to do at that moment in the race.  This is something that Greg takes about a lot- being in the moment. The idea is to not think about what you still have left to do or in the next 7 miles or winning or anything like that.  Just think about the moment in front of you and what you are doing in that moment. If you can do that at all points in the race, you will have done all you could. I think the same probably applies to life- what can I do in this moment, right now, that will move me in the right direction? Do that and just that, without worry for the rest of it.

After the race, I talked in the car with a friend who came down from Charlottesville to watch me (again, I am the luckiest.)  We talked about the fear of failure and I think that is a big piece of why I have been able to win 4 races and the series this year. This goes back to the beginning of this story but I think I am becoming less afraid to fail- which is an easy thing to say but is actually very difficult to move toward in my core (I imagine I am not alone here.)  Having so much unconditional love and support right now from people around me and having my health and a future I look forward to makes it hard for me to feel like I have anything to loose; I have it all already.  Certainly I can lose these things, but it is not going to be from failing to win a triathlon series title.  Somehow that frees me. For that, I am thankful.

Thank you everyone again, time to party!

                                                                Photo by REV3 Photography

Toyota US Open Triathlon (Dallas)

The final stop of the Lifetime triathlon series is the Toyota US Open Triathlon in Rockwall, TX (just east of Dallas).  I won the elite amateur race here two years ago.  I enjoy the race as a whole, but I still have mixed feelings about the Lifetime series.  I decided to do this race for my sponsors...BH and Champion System are large supporters of the Lifetime series.

I knew going into the race that it was going to be a chilly weekend.  I was prepared for it but at the same time I was not.  I do not have the amount of body fat necessary to perform well in cold temperatures.  As much as I want to mentally, my muscles lose too much of the elasticity to perform at the level I would like to.  I remember one time when the heater was broken at the pool where I workout.  As much as I tried, after 30 min I could no longer swim hard in the cold water.  I knew it was something I was just going to have to deal with.

The air temperature at the start of the race was 48 degrees, by far the coldest triathlon I have ever been a part of. The water was the warmest part of the race, but still not cold enough for a wetsuit.  It would have been nice to come out of the water a little overheated before getting on the bike.  I knew I would have to overdress to survive the bike and in turn the race.  After a very lackluster swim I took my sweet time in T1.  I wanted to put on a long sleeve and knee warmers so my body would make it through the bike.  The stretchy material of the long sleeve led to the slowest T1 of my life and one of the slowest of the day.  Oh well!  I had a pretty good bike ride, but the leaders were riding at tremendous speeds.  Cam and Ben rode 3 min faster than the rest of the field.  I had a good T2, all things considered.  I took off my knee warmers and long sleeve, because I knew I would get warmer on the run, and still had a middle of the pack transition.  The hardest part of the day to swallow was missing the fastest run split.  Chris Foster out ran me by 15 sec.  I'm not mad about Chris outrunning me, he is a solid runner and triathlete, and I was training through the race to get ready for Rev3 Florida.  It hurt because the pay day at Lifetime races is terrible if you are not in the top 4.  So instead of coming out comfortably ahead on the trip, I lost money on it.

I did this race for my sponsors and I am glad I went, it just wasn't a great investment for me.  It was nice to chat with Brien from BH and Ronnie from Champion System.  I look forward to long partnerships with both companies, they both make top of the line products.  A big thanks goes out to Melissa for coming with me.  She was a trooper and hung in there during the race.  She was freezing but still able to give me split updates, words of encouragement, and a warm smile while I was racing.

Set your goals high, and don't stop till you get there. ~Bo Jackson

Kaleb