tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29635480280181981082024-03-13T12:48:23.379-04:00Tom Maliszewski IIITom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-22721515470578092732013-09-05T22:05:00.001-04:002013-09-07T21:31:25.506-04:00Ironman Canada Race Report: 10th Place Male ProSo this took a little longer to publish than I had hoped, but better late than never, right? For some reason whenever a race involves plane tickets and passports, everything seems to take just a little longer to get back in order when I get home. So here we go….<br />
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A little over a week ago, I raced at the 31st Edition of Ironman Canada, which for the first time was held at Whistler, B.C. I can’t get too far into my race report without saying what an amazing event this was. From the race organization, course location, volunteers and local support, this event was absolutely spectacular in every aspect. It needs to be on the “must-do” list of Ironman races within North America. Now with that out of the way, back to my race.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Swim Course at Alta Lake</td></tr>
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Since my last race at Rev3 Williamsburg, I took a mid-season recovery week and came back with a strong motivation and desire to train at my best over the final 8 weeks to Ironman Canada. I had been to the area a few times in the winter (where the skiing is EPIC!), but never in the summer. Training was going well until the end of July, when I developed a sore right quad, which caused me to miss a few days of running and easy cycling. I adjusted to this minor set-back and made the decision to pull out of Ironman Steelhead 70.3 and spend the weekend training instead of hard racing and recovering. Besides that one hiccup, the lead up to IM Canada was rather uneventful. Prior to race week, my bike was picked up by Tri Bike Transport and was safely on it’s way. All that was left was to get myself to Whistler and focus on my own preparation.<br />
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Fast-forward to race day, and race morning was the standard routine on timing: up at 3:15 AM (I don’t think I’ll ever get used to getting up so early!), out the door at 4:15 and arrive at T2 / shuttle bus pick-up at 4:30. After dropping off my T2 bag with my running gear, I was on the shuttle by 4:45 and right on schedule to arrive at the Swim Start / T1 a little after 5:00. Once I arrived at T1, I continued my pre-race routine in loading up my T1 bag and prepping my bike. About 6:00 AM everything was ready, and it was time to drink my bottle of First Endurance Ultragen. After that, it was time to lube up, put on my SLS3 Tri Top, wetsuit and head to the swim timing mat.<br />
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At 6:30 we were called to the Swim start and as I slowly made my way out 250m to the swim buoy line, I couldn’t help but look around and take in the amazing scenery. The mountains at sunrise were absolutely stunning. There were hardly any clouds in the sky and the everything looked peaceful and calm….in complete contrast once the race begins. The water temperature was perfect for wetsuit legal (about 66F). The swim course is a 2-loop rectangle with an in-water start and we stay in the water for the start of the second loop. The first straight is about 750m, then 250m between turns 1 and 2, then about 800m back to turn 3, and finally about 100m back to turn 4 (the start line). After the second loop, there was about a 250m swim back to shore.<br />
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<b>Swim:</b><br />
There were 17 starters in the Men’s Pro Field, so there was plenty of room for us to spread out and I lined up about 15’ off the buoy line. Once the horn sounded, my plan was simple: find a pair of feet and hang on. I settled into a nice rhythm and found a pair of feet I could draft off of. I was able to stay in the draft around Turn 1 and just before Turn 2, about 900m into the race, a gap developed and they started to slightly pull away. After Turn 2, I was passed by 3 others, and swam the back stretch back to Turn 3 alone. As I started Lap 2, I was still leading the pack behind me, and as we neared Turn 1 for the second time, I was passed. I was able to stay in the draft for a couple hundred meters as we rounded Turn 1, then lost them as I was blinded by the sun rising over the mountains. For this loop we were swimming directly into the sun and I could not see anything at all. After a few minutes blindly swimming and hoping I was not veering too far off course, I was at Turn 2 and back on track on the final long straight, where I was able to find a draft for a few moments and I rounded Turn 3 and headed to shore. Since I was not wearing a watch I had no idea on my time at this point and I was pleasantly surprised to see 1:01:19 as I ran up the beach. This was a personal best by over 5-minutes and I was right on target with my expectation, and I was in 14th Place.<br />
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<b>T1:</b><br />
As I ran up the beach I was already thinking about my routine in the change tent, so I forgot about the wetsuit strippers. I almost ran by them before I hit the ground, and I probably lost a couple of seconds by not being ready. Besides that, I was quickly out of the change tent, on off to my bike. Given the air temperature of low 50s, I decided to wear arm warmers to start the bike, but this time I did not spend the time putting them on in Transition. I got them over my wrist, the finished pulling them up while riding. This was a huge time saver over last time I wore them in a race! Out of T1 in 2:47, and still in 14th Place<br />
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<b>Bike:</b><br />
The easiest way to describe the bike course in Whistler is Spectacular! Big mountains, big climbs, fast descents, grades over 10%, flat aero sections, head winds….the bike course has it all, and with the glacier covered peaks in the background, the setting is just magnificent! This is definitely one of the most scenic and beautiful areas I have even seen (not that I was paying attention during the race, but it was nice in the days before and after!). The course is a one-loop format with 6,600’ of climbing (according to my Garmin 500) and logically breaks down into several key sections. In general the course is constantly rolling with the exception of 3 distinct sections: Callaghan Mountain (7.8 miles sustained climbing with 4 sections at 10%), the flats on Pemberton Meadows Road (approx. Miles 60 – 90) and the climb from Pemberton back to Whistler (20 miles of rolling roads with 2,100’ of climbing). With the constant transition from climbing to descending, I was glad to have Ultegra Ui2 on my BMC TM01. The ability to shift from the base bar was a huge advantage and no doubt saved me more than a few seconds with 112 miles of nearly constant shifting.<br />
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My plan for the race was to properly pace the climbs so that I had the legs left for a strong run. To address this, I came up with a power range for the flats, short climbs and long sustained climbs / headwinds. I used a similar strategy at IM Coeur d’Alene which seems to compliment my style of racing. Once I had my power numbers I was confident that as long as I stuck to my plan, my run would be there. However, this is always the hardest part. In the early miles you often feel good and rested from a nice taper, plus with other people deciding to be the “hero” hammering up every hill, the temptation is always there to chase. However, lose your composure on this course and the day could easily turn into a long ride followed by a REALLY LONG run. So in summary: I planned my race, now I needed to race my plan. It’s just a matter of execution.<br />
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Back to my race…shortly after I left T1, Matt Sheeks passed me on an early climb and continued to pull away as we went through the first few miles of rollers. Once we got to the Callaghan Mountain climb, I settled into my target power and maintained a steady pace to the top. This was the hardest section to hold back, since I was passed by Jim Lubinski about half-way up and the leading age groupers started to catch and pass me near the top. After convincing my self to stick to my plan, I stayed where I was and got ready for the downhill. The downhill returns directly back down the mountain we just climbed. This section was a blast with steep sections, fast curves and awesome views of the Black Tusk across the valley. Part of the reason the descent was so much fun was due to my BMC TM01. The bike is not only aero, but handles very stable for a tri bike. The frame dampens the road vibrations, and the stability while carving around the turns was more like a road bike than a typical “twitchy” tri-bike. In this section I topped out at 42.9 mph.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Callaghan Mountain with the Black Tusk in the Background</td></tr>
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After the Callaghan it was more of the same as we rode back through Whistler and then began the descent to Pemberton. The descent to Pemberton was the fastest section of the course with a top speed of 47.9 mph. After Pemberton we arrived on the flat, out and back section on Pemberton Meadows Road. This was the time to get aero and settle into a steady pace. After a couple of miles my legs were feeling normal again and I kept the power steady at 230-240w….and I started to pick off those that passed me earlier, including Jim Lubinski and Brendan Naef. The other highlight along this section is I am pretty sure I saw a wolf (or quite possibly the biggest dog I have ever seen) along the side of the road. Whatever it was, it helped me stay focused and keep my power numbers up! After returning though Pemberton it was time for the final climb back to Whistler. While it was a difficult section, not much exciting happened here: I stuck to my power target on the climbs and recovered on the downhills. In the end, I averaged 223w with a VI of 1.04 and IF of 0.73. Finally I arrived back in Whistler Village and I was off the bike in 5:16:43 (21.2 mph) and still in 14th Place.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Whistler by Green Lake...I guess I had an Itch!</td></tr>
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<b>Bike Nutrition:</b><br />
As with all race plans, they seem good in practice, but often need to be adjusted on race day. I start with 2 bottles of First Endurance EFS Drink on standard cages so I could refill on-course with Perform, and the Specialized Virtue Aero Bottle with 2 First Endurance Liquid Shot Flasks (10 oz of gel) mixed with 10 oz of water so it is easier to drink and dose. I also carried 2 Salt Stick Dispensers: 1 with 6 Salt Stick tabs and 1 with 6 First Endurance Pre-Race Capsules. My plan was the same as my past 5 Ironman races, 1 bottle of sports drink and 2 oz of my 50/50 Liquid Shot mixture per hour. I then supplement with plain water based on thirst and add salt tabs as needed. <br />
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Everything was going to plan until mile 35 when I began to feel like I was drinking too much and I knew I had to modify my nutrition plan or I would likely have GI issues on the run. I figures this was due to the cooler temperatures than I was used to (it was low 60s at this point). So I cut back a bit on the sports drinks and more of my Liquid Shot Mixture to keep the correct number of calories with less fluid volume. In the end, I don’t know how many bottles of sport drink I had since I often had to swap a bottle that was only half gone, but I drank 1.5 bottles (40 oz ) of First Endurance EFS and about 4 bottles (80 oz) of Perform, and I ended up drinking nearly my entire bottle of Liquid Shot. This gave me a total of about 1,800 calories during the bike and averaged out to 340 cal/hr. My energy level felt stable throughout the ride so I chose to avoid taking any caffeine during the bike segment and save it for the run.<br />
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<b>T2:</b><br />
In general T2 went well, with the exception of putting on my SLS3 Compression socks. I practice doing this off the bike and typically I don’t lose more than a 30 seconds compared to standard running socks, but today was different. I was having trouble getting them over my heels, and I probably lost over 2-minutes in doing this. I thought about skipping them, but given the amount of hills on the run course, I knew the benefit would outweigh the time penalty with the added comfort in the late miles of the marathon would end up being faster. After finally getting my socks on I slipped on my Zoot Ovwa’s and headed off on the run.<br />
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<b>Run:</b><br />
The run course is a 2 -Loop course, with the first 3 miles rolling hills with a net elevation gain, mostly on a gravel path through the woods, then it flattens out around Green Lake on an asphalt path next to the road for about 3 miles to the turnaround point. After the turnaround, the course back tracks along the lake for about 3 miles, where it splits and heads back towards Whistler Village with a net elevation gain.<br />
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As I headed out on the run, I felt surprisingly good. My bike-pacing plan worked perfectly and my legs were feeling good on the first 3 mile uphill section of dirt trails. As good as I was feeling, I was passed (again) by Jim Lubinski and he quickly pulled away. Once the course leveled, I knew I had to start pushing right away if I wanted to catch anyone ahead of me. As I neared Green Lake, I settled into a steady pace of 6:45 min/mile for miles 3-8. During this section I was able to see the time gaps to those in front of me. First I saw Matt Russell (in 2nd) about 40 minutes ahead, then Matt Lieto in 3rd. I lost track of who was next, but the next 5-6 guys were all spaced a few minutes apart. This left about 4 competitors with about 5-15 minutes ahead of me. Not real close, but considering how good I felt and with nearly 20 miles to go, a top-10 finish was still a real possibility. First I passed Jonathon Caron at about mile 7, and kept focus on maintaining my pace, which I did all the way back to Whistler, and I hit the 13 mile mark and just over the 1:30 mark. Going into the race, I felt if I could run close to a 3:00 marathon, I would be able to make up positions on the run, and I seemed on track at that point.<br />
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As I started the second loop, I decided to dial my pace back slightly to about 20s/mile compaed to the first lap as I entered the gravel / hilly section. I wsa still feeling good, but general fatigue was starting to set in and I didn’t want blow up by charging up 3 miles of undulating hills. Just before we left the woods around mile 17, I passed Bryan Rhodes for another position. At this point, my legs were starting to tighten up and I could tell my stride was getting shorter. I was holding a steady 7:50 pace, not exactly fast but I knew I had to be careful with any effort faster than this. As I started along the lake I was keeping close eye on who was heading back to finish. I noticed 8 and 9th place running close together and looking strong, and with a lead of about 15 minutes with less than 6 miles to go, I knew they would be hard to catch. Then finally about 40 seconds before the turnaround, I saw 10th place, Dan Litwora. As with the rest of my day, I kept a steady pace and made the pass at about mile 21. I noticed on the return along Green Lake, somewhere I passed Jim Lubinski, so I moved up another position, and was pretty confident my count was correct and I was up to 10th. By now I had little to gain in terms of position, so I simply maintained my pace to the finish. As I split off to head towards the finish I turned around and saw Dan Litwora not more than a couple of hundred yards behind me. Not real close, but close enough for me to pick up the pace for about ½ mile. After the final few turns I ended up the finish straight, and without anyone in sight, I slowed to enjoy the support of the crowds and take in the moment. Finally I crossed the line with a run split of 3:11:25 and a total time of 9:36:27 as 10th Male Professional.<br />
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It’s hard to put into words how I feel about my day, but overall I am really happy with my performance and progress over the past year. Not only was this my second Top-10 Pro Ironman Finish in as many races, I also set personal bests for my Ironman swim by over 5 minutes, more than 10w higher than my previous IM “best” and I had my fastest first half of the marathon split and second fastest IM run (only 2 minutes off my 3:09 at IM Lou 2012). Quite simply I executed the best race of my ability and I know I left it all out on the course. This is all anyone can ask for and it is very satisfying. Even though my plan required adjustments along the way, I walk away knowing I executed the perfect race for me. You never know who will show up on race day and how they will race, but since I gave my full effort on the course, then I can’t have any regrets. Again, I also learned a lot about my own personal fitness and once again I have a clear direction on where to focus during the upcoming off-season.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After the Finish with Nolan!</td></tr>
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As always, this could not be possible without the support of a strong team behind me. First off I need to thank my wife Erica, son Nolan and daughter Sofiella. Erica’s patience and support during the entire process was essential to even make it to the starting line. Her own hard work and dedication is inspiring and gives me the drive to be my best.<br />
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I also need to thank my partners for their continued support through 2013. <br />
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Thanks to Paul Rogers, Ron Schmid, David, Chris, Taylor and Melissa from <b>Fraser Bicycle </b>(<a href="http://www.fraserbicycle.com/">www.fraserbicycle.com</a>) for their continued help and support in getting my bike race ready and once again, helping me resolve a last minute adjustment to my race bike. <br />
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Ron Tew from <b>BMC Bicycles</b> (<a href="http://www.bmc-racing.com/">www.bmc-racing.com</a>) for your continued support and the opportunity to train and race on a BMC TM01 for another season. The bike is a work of art and an absolute joy to ride! <br />
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Robert Kunz from <b>First Endurance</b> (<a href="http://www.firstendurance.com/">www.firstendurance.com</a>) for making the best in nutrition products, and I regularly use them all to train and race at my best! <br />
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Sebastian and Sylvie Linke from <b>SLS3</b> (<a href="http://www.slstri.com/">www.slstri.com</a>). I’m still loving the tri top, shorts and compression socks!<br />
<br />
<b>NormaTec</b> (<a href="http://www.normatecrecovery.com/">www.normatecrecovery.com</a>): Thanks for setting me up with the ultimate recovery tool. With being time limited in my training and needing to make every session count, adding this to my recovery arsenal has been essential to consistently train at my best. Thanks Cat! <br />
<br />
Also thanks to <b>Spy Optics</b> (<a href="http://www.spyoptic.com/">www.spyoptic.com</a>) and <b>X-1 Audio</b> (<a href="http://www.x-1.com/">www.x-1.com</a>). <br />
<br />
Lastly, thanks to Jake and Tom from <b>Zoot Sports </b>(<a href="http://www.zootsports.com/">www.zootsports.com</a>). I’m absolutely loving my Zoot Ovwa and Kiawe’s this year. Great shoes!<br />
<br />
For the rest of 2013, I am still undecided if I have any more races on the schedule. For now I need to focus on my recovery, but I’ll be looking to see what will fit. Thanks for reading my report and happy training!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh862KyZGbwMZDbsyMq4ZHklh1u7UwCM6aIkPin-IZ6qORZeteVs87K-lzNtT2NtwgAw4ZbLXfU4jDCTKsrvSHtmqRv6ZFPQyVMbMdw22STaJ7TthkrADzzncaVTP_Hex8Rbf-6m9RFt6w/s1600/DSC_0476.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh862KyZGbwMZDbsyMq4ZHklh1u7UwCM6aIkPin-IZ6qORZeteVs87K-lzNtT2NtwgAw4ZbLXfU4jDCTKsrvSHtmqRv6ZFPQyVMbMdw22STaJ7TthkrADzzncaVTP_Hex8Rbf-6m9RFt6w/s400/DSC_0476.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another Race Day Highlight: I developed a fan club!</td></tr>
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-1471413227475148842013-06-28T12:50:00.003-04:002013-06-28T12:50:58.865-04:00Rev3 Williamsburg Race ReportAs I approach the mid-point of my 2013 racing season, I headed to Williamsburg for the inaugural Rev3 Williamsburg Half. This race capped off a period of 4 races (1 half-marathon, 1 Olympic and 2 Half-Iron Distance) in a period of 10-weeks. For me, this was a busy period of racing. Typically I do 4-5 races over the season, let alone two and a half months. It was really fun to race so much, but at the same time, I am ready physically and mentally for a mid-season break. It’s time to re-focus my training and get ready for longer races later this summer. Enough of that, back to Williamsburg….<br />
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First off, I’ve never been to this part of Virginia, so I really didn’t know what to expect. The area is really nice and scenic, much like northern Michigan that I am more familiar with. The race is set-up with a split transition with the swim in the James River and T1 in nearby Jamestown Beach Park. T2 and the race finish is about 7 miles away right in Williamsburg on the campus of the College of William & Mary<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTfF69QtkvnZCWq_wpEE0YbYCoYK37ZZx_10G0SxpFyA6GyLkWwivAcqA_sts1u2XjuCPv-gRBDUbJdl74hVqj0IVCUxN5YDxMAuEq9toG5UllfGxr7XHZz4Ej3Du87-AMz8LkiNygMQ/s1256/DSCN1665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="187" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVTfF69QtkvnZCWq_wpEE0YbYCoYK37ZZx_10G0SxpFyA6GyLkWwivAcqA_sts1u2XjuCPv-gRBDUbJdl74hVqj0IVCUxN5YDxMAuEq9toG5UllfGxr7XHZz4Ej3Du87-AMz8LkiNygMQ/s320/DSCN1665.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Bike Course</td></tr>
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With a race start time of 6:30, the extra time needed to drop off my bags at T2 and take the shuttle to the start, my day started earlier than normal. Alarm went off at 3:05 AM (which is really freakin’ early for me!) and I was on my way to T2 by 4:30. Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating as it was raining pretty steadily. Not really the way you want to spend an hour plus waiting for the race to start, but at least it was warm. T2 was set-up and I was easily on a shuttle to T1 by 5:00. (A bit of advice for those doing a split transition race: ARRIVE EARLY! Get there early and the lines are minimal and the crowds at down. Wait even 10 or 15 minutes and a 10-minute stop can take 45 minutes.) Anyway, as it got closer to start time, the rain was starting to break up and it seemed that even though the roads would be wet, it at least would not be raining during the race itself.<br />
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<b>Swim:</b><br />
With the swim being in a tidal river, and the steady rain through the previous 2 nights, the conditions made for a tough swim. The swim course is triangular shaped with 500-600 yards out, 800-1000 yards upstream, then 500-600 yards back to shore. So not only did the added rain increase the currents in the river, the race start was also seemed to be low tide time as well. This meant that the currents were slightly stronger and the water was shallower. The water temperature was 77.5 F, so the swim was not wetsuit legal (for Pros), which was fine because I could not imagine wearing a wetsuit in that water without instantly overheating. It was warm enough in only a swim skin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jVTzZSpmS6wIpcjRdEEvAPfVcemtYzrt2I-W74H8o7V6mrNtj9YmPoYftiUpKDSu8w-gnncofU-u6IHTHydsiP1u9UXwTJojaHfqcHjmUT4MdkJnY-583xOtVb82BCDWbEr2hCfRjUs/s1296/DSCN1670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_jVTzZSpmS6wIpcjRdEEvAPfVcemtYzrt2I-W74H8o7V6mrNtj9YmPoYftiUpKDSu8w-gnncofU-u6IHTHydsiP1u9UXwTJojaHfqcHjmUT4MdkJnY-583xOtVb82BCDWbEr2hCfRjUs/s320/DSCN1670.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Swim Exit, day before the race</td></tr>
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We lined up on the beach for the start and the horn went off. As we ran into the water, the water just did not any deeper. After what seemed like a minute or 2 of running in the water it was still mid-thigh deep: too shallow to swim, so more dolphin dives. Finally after about 200 yards, we were swimming. Given the long run, everyone was already a bit spread out and there was not a tight swim pack by me. I found a pair of feet to draft off of and stayed there until about 50 yards before the first turn. At this point, I was about 15’ behind the person in front of me, and as I turned to head to the buoy, I suddenly realized I didn’t seem to make any progress. I was swimming at my normal pace, but I just wasn’t going anywhere. Right then, I knew it was going to be a long swim. By this point I lost the group in front of me and I focused on the next red turn buoy. I finally rounded the second turn and instantly felt faster heading back to shore. I glanced at the clock as I exited the water and when I saw nearly 39 minutes, I was a bit shocked I at the time. I know I am a bit off the lead swimmers, but after swimming 30:30 at Florida 70.3 (also a non-wetsuit legal swim), I expect low- to mid-30s at the most. Regardless, during the race is no time to dwell on the times, they are what they are, and it was time to stay focused on the task at hand and get going on the bike. Swim split: 39:07 and 22nd place<br />
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<b>T1:</b><br />
After a ¼ mile cross country run over a mowed path through the field, I arrived at T1 with nearly all the Pro bikes gone, so I grabbed my BMC TM01 and was in and out in 2:50.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Eael-Bs4XOStLJN4qgRzbi9kOClt2Br3THhMvMquGYim3ITKtWzXdUPy4SdnbYWWITIPTHCasGe2-6cD-TN1PMaRN_fl5BTGMW8aZQJqSrFOnrb18shuQN9iWprFPpH_HYKhd_4SEdc/s1296/DSCN1673.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9Eael-Bs4XOStLJN4qgRzbi9kOClt2Br3THhMvMquGYim3ITKtWzXdUPy4SdnbYWWITIPTHCasGe2-6cD-TN1PMaRN_fl5BTGMW8aZQJqSrFOnrb18shuQN9iWprFPpH_HYKhd_4SEdc/s320/DSCN1673.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The run from swim to T1</td></tr>
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<b>Bike:</b><br />
The bike course is basically a Popsicle shape with a couple of out and back sections. There were no significant climbs on the course, just generally flat to rolling. Rev3 reported a total elevation gain 801’, but I had 2,550’ on my Garmin 500. Not sure which one is accurate; probably somewhere in the middle. The roads were generally good, with the exception of some rough chip seal at miles 10-15 and 37-42 and the single lane section that was pretty poor from about mile 45-48. Besides that Rev3 did a good job keeping dedicated lanes on the course away from vehicular traffic, with the exception of miles 48-51, where the traffic was pretty heavy. <br />
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As usual for the Half-Distance, my goal was to stick to my power plan of about 83-85% FTP and see who I could catch-up during the ride. First it was past the Pro women that passed me on the swim, then a rather lonely, solo effort to catch the next placed male ahead of me. On the out and back section around mile 22, I could see the large main pack had about a 8 minute lead on me, and the were several others trailing after that. Finally just after the turnaround at the second out and back section, I made a pass and moved up a position. Shortly after this, the half-distance course merged with Olympic distance course and we entered the bad road section at mile 45. I made my way passed the Olympic age-groupers and tried to maintain my power until the finish. By this point, my power was drifting downward to around 78 - 80% FTP. In the end I averaged 80% FTP, with a bike split of 2:19:55 (24.0 mph) and moved up to 21st place.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVVi5F9CLthgUBrOt9DuFnPrWbti7efEJhgQl83BcuBy9HyFifn8KT49rFf-LFGcbdF-tOcYoLjzwL7mwF55sPEym_vndneDM69zi1cEN8KeR_nKtmCejh4seiNn-H-KyVERnOwD-dvA/s1363/Rev3+Williamsburg+Bike2+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFVVi5F9CLthgUBrOt9DuFnPrWbti7efEJhgQl83BcuBy9HyFifn8KT49rFf-LFGcbdF-tOcYoLjzwL7mwF55sPEym_vndneDM69zi1cEN8KeR_nKtmCejh4seiNn-H-KyVERnOwD-dvA/s400/Rev3+Williamsburg+Bike2+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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My on-bike nutrition was my standard plan for this distance. It works, so no need to change it. I had 2 bottles of First Endurance EFS, and ½ flask of First Endurance Liquid Shot with ½ scoop of First Endurance Pre-Race. This plus some extra on-course sports drink, I consumed about 300 cal and 24 oz. of fluids per hour.<br />
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<b>T2:</b><br />
Not much to say here; efficiently in and out in 0:59 seconds.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJWJwFJ0wq8V6GHcLu81cG2OHbH_sCtRTrtcpxw6L_4eajP0313Q2-0MPZ9sUtNJD-JeegnDWIy9RlN4jka_7hzfxhe73g5suRpoHcG8kgIVn9eFgTIuuuyHkDUTQ8F5dxertuSSDe0U/s979/IMG_2828.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimJWJwFJ0wq8V6GHcLu81cG2OHbH_sCtRTrtcpxw6L_4eajP0313Q2-0MPZ9sUtNJD-JeegnDWIy9RlN4jka_7hzfxhe73g5suRpoHcG8kgIVn9eFgTIuuuyHkDUTQ8F5dxertuSSDe0U/s320/IMG_2828.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My spot in T2</td></tr>
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<b>Run:</b><br />
The run was a 2 loop run course through the Campus of William and Mary College. The course was a mixture of sidewalk and roads, and a few short hills on each loop and 1 longer climb about ½ mile before the far turnaround on each loop. Given my legs fading on towards the end of the bike, I didn’t know how they would react on the run. To my surprise, they felt really good and I was able to quickly settle into my target pace of 6:30 min/mile. The run was fairly uneventful as I was feeling decent and the miles were ticking by at a steady 6:25 – 6:35 pace. After the final turnaround, with about 3 miles to go, I could tell I was closing the gap to those in front of me, but I also knew would run out of course before I could make many passes. Since you never know what might happen in a race this length, I continued to hold my pace and not give up. At about mile 12.5, I was able to move up 1 more position to 20th and cruised in to the finish chute. My run split was 1:26:00, which gave me an overall time of 4:28:53 and 20th Male Pro.<br />
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My run nutrition is always less structured than the bike. It is more based on how I am feeling at that moment and what my body needs in terms of fluids and calories. In the end I had about 1 serving of First Endurance Liquid Shot with ¼ scoop of Pre-Race, as well as a variety of sports drink, water, salt tabs and coke at the aid stations throughout the race. I really have no idea how much I actually consumed; all I know is that I felt good throughout.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks Rev3 for the Finisher's Photo!</td></tr>
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Overall I am happy with my day. My swim time left much to be desired, but my bike and run were consistent. Actually looking back to Ironman Florida 70.3 about 5-weeks ago, my bike and run splits were nearly identical to Williamsburg. The positive sign is that my fitness is consistent and my pacing is good. However, it’s also time to step back, re-group and make a few adjustments in my training as I move forward towards Ironman Canada in August. Between the races and recovery, I have not had much time to really build fitness during this time, and a break from racing will provide the chance to make a step forward.<br />
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Overall Rev3 Williamsburg was a great event. There were a few minor issues they need to work out for next year, but seeing how Knoxville has improved every year (and I’ve been to every one) I have no doubt this event will be better next year. If you are looking for an early summer half on the East Coast, I wouldn’t hesitate to return.<br />
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-63919423539515684272013-05-24T09:29:00.000-04:002013-05-24T09:29:01.432-04:00Ironman Florida 70.3 Race Report - 19th MPro<br />
After one of the coldest and wettest races I have ever raced in at Rev3 Knoxville, it was a short 2 weeks later I was on the starting line at Ironman Florida 70.3 in Haines City, Florida in the exact opposite conditions where the water was warm, and it was sunny, hot and humid. With the long winter and cold spring (actually downright cold at times with flurries on Mother’s Day the weekend between the races), the key factor in race day success would be the ability to perform well in the heat. Typically, I perform well in the heat, but that is after a summer to acclimate to the warmer temperatures, and I wasn’t sure if I could adapt in such a short time. With the forecast pretty much set with the race day high approaching 90F, I spent race week using all my tricks to adapt and come to the race ready to perform.<br />
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The fun part about Haines City, Florida is that it is about 25 minutes away from Disney, and with a young family, this is a great race to bring the kids along. On Thursday my son and I flew down, with my wife and daughter joining us on Friday. Saturday was spent picking up my BMC TM01 from Tri Bike Transport and making the final adjustments for race day. On to race day….<br />
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The Pro start was an early one at 6:30 AM. This meant my alarm was going off at 3:30; which was nice to beat the heat, but dang, that is EARLY! After going through my standard pre-race prep, I went for a short run to loosen up the legs before I headed into the water. I was feeling pretty good on the run, but I was already drenched…..it was already mid-70s and the humidity had to be close to 100%. At 6:15, I got in the lake to warm-up for the swim. I’ll admit, I was never real keen on swimming in a Florida lake. Between the murky water, mucky bottom and ‘gators, I was “highly” motivated to stay with the swim pack. Of course when I entered the lake I was putting on my goggles, and as I took my second step into the 82-degree water, I sunk to mid-shin in muck. Not a big deal in the big picture, but still not a fan…<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New SLS3 FX Race Top for 2013!<br /></td></tr>
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At 6:30 it was time to go. I lined up inline with the buoys, with the shortest path to Turn 1. We were lined up along the length of the start line, but for some reason there seemed to be a small group towards the middle. When the horn sounded, I kept a straight path, and I found a pair of feet to follow. For once, I wasn’t immediately dropped by the pack, and hung on for about 400m until nearly until the first turn. After that it was swimming as usual for me, rather lonely and focus on form and getting to the finish as efficient as possible. After completing the “M” shaped course, I was finally out of the water in 25th place with a time of 31:32. Not my greatest swim ever, but not bad for a non-wetsuit legal swim for me.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMcFmL1yKmMapsrrvPSpCcli4VCHUfmpvSsm7cLPcIllcMv4bax0goLVVEuZ3lxLx7KLJdCHIBqmiZs9Bg3P8QHCeB9dg38rotup72bDp72gt_5zs_jBAu6KHQwLe6R62DblSguOg28o/s1600/IMG_2717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMcFmL1yKmMapsrrvPSpCcli4VCHUfmpvSsm7cLPcIllcMv4bax0goLVVEuZ3lxLx7KLJdCHIBqmiZs9Bg3P8QHCeB9dg38rotup72bDp72gt_5zs_jBAu6KHQwLe6R62DblSguOg28o/s400/IMG_2717.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The standard pre-race bike pic in race set-up</td></tr>
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<br />
After a short run up the beach and through T1, I was off on my bike. In driving the course before the race, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the bike course. With the exception of the first and last 3 miles, the roads were smooth and in great condition. The profile is flat to gently rolling for the first 25 miles, then a section of about 20 miles of hills, nothing major but a few steady climbs and rollers and finally the last 10 miles is back to gently rolling hills. Add in the heat, lack of shade and steady winds, this course deserves some respect. After the swim, I figured I was about 3 minutes back from the pack in front of me, so I decided to push a couple of extra watts in the first few miles to try to catch-up. Within the first 3 miles, I passed the Pro Women that beat me out of the water. About Mile 10, I could see the next Male Pro about 30 seconds ahead of me. Unfortunately, for the next 37 miles I could not close the gap. I could see him on the longer/flat stretches of roads, but the time gap stayed at 20-30 seconds during this time. During this time, I started to notice some slight cramping in my hamstrings. I’ve never had this before, and it could be a result of changing saddles 2 weeks before the race. I thought I had it set-up the same as my previous saddle, but this is definitely something I need to look at as soon as I get my bike back. Finally around mile 48, I was able to make the pass. The rest of the ride was uneventful as I made my way back to transition. I was off the bike in 22nd Place with a bike split of 2:18:57 (24.2 mph avg).<br />
<br />
During the bike I stuck with my trusted HIM nutrition plan. Loaded on my bike, I drank 2 bottles of First Endurance EFS and a half flask of First Endurance Liquid Shot with a ½ scoop of Pre-Race powder. I also took 2 Salt Stick tabs for the added electrolytes. From the course, I drank 1 bottle of Powerbar Perform.<br />
<br />
T2 was like T1, in and out pretty quick and off to the run.<br />
<br />
As I started the run, I was feeling pretty good. It was sunny and warm, by now probably 83-84 F and after a short flat section, it was time to climb some hills. Similar to the bike, this is an honest run course. The course is 3 loops, with 2 big climbs in the first 1.8 miles, then flat to slight downhill for the rest of the 4.4-mile loop. By the 1-mile mark, I lost the position back to Victor Laroque. I stayed about 50 feet behind him until Mile 4, where I re-passed him and created a gap. At the end of the first lap, I was feeling pretty good. My pace was about 10 sec/mile slower than my plan, but my RPE was right on, and I was able to maintain my pace up the hills for the second time on Lap 2 so my pacing seemed correct for the conditions. Even though my pace was off, I was able to move up 2 more positions on this lap. As I started Lap 3, I dropped my salt tabs at the first aid station. With about 4 miles to go, I decided it was worth the risk to finish the race without them and not stop to pick them up. As I charged up the hills for the third time, it was getting warm now. No matter how much water and ice I dumped on me, it was gone by the next aid station. The priority now was to stay cool and not slow down. About Mile 11, I made another pass and was still feeling consistent. Finally I made my way back to the start area where I turned up the finish chute. About 100’ before the finish I saw my wife on kids on the fence, and I slowed to give my son a high five before I crossed the finish line. After that, I made my way to the finish line and stopped the clock with a 1:26:47 run split (6:37 min/mile) and a total time 4:21:42, which was good enough for 19th Male Pro out of 26 starters.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfkye8zy0IOgrFZP7IaLvy__Rg73Omy26nkhaLAdm1cq5N0mjdgQYSQ4Q0gC3hTqsQm_BalfHPMLMsLtm16RWTNeO63S7PZpEGuRZZt_6IvVZAeOMgdDd_dWRtdPd5x_oW8LUhNIvU9U/s1600/IMG_2722.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghfkye8zy0IOgrFZP7IaLvy__Rg73Omy26nkhaLAdm1cq5N0mjdgQYSQ4Q0gC3hTqsQm_BalfHPMLMsLtm16RWTNeO63S7PZpEGuRZZt_6IvVZAeOMgdDd_dWRtdPd5x_oW8LUhNIvU9U/s320/IMG_2722.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the finish</td></tr>
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<br />
Overall I am really happy with my race. Comparing to where I finished last year, I moved up a few places. For an early-season Half-Ironman, I have a few key things to improve on for my next race, but I am off to a good start. It was also interesting as I picked up my bike after the race to return to Tri Bike Transport, I noticed my front tire was flat. I don’t think it was flat at the end of my ride, but I don’t know for sure. Either way I’m glad I was able to ride to the finish.<br />
<br />
A race like this would not be possible without the help of so many. Thanks to my wife and kids for joining me in Florida, getting up before sunrise to sit in the hot sun while I got to race.<br />
<br />
Special thanks to Paul Rogers, Ron Schmid, Chris, David and rest of the crew at <a href="http://www.fraserbicycle.com/">Fraser Bicycle</a> for getting my bike race ready. Ron Tew from <a href="http://www.bmc-racing.com/">BMC Bicycles</a> for setting me up with the BMC TM01 for the second year. Sebastian and Sylvie Linke from <a href="http://www.slstri.com/">SLS3</a> for the great race clothing and post-race recovery socks and sleeves. <a href="http://www.firstendurance.com/">First Endurance</a> for the best in nutrition products. Bonnie Karas from <a href="http://www.bktrainingsystems.com/">BK Training Systems</a>. As well as <a href="http://www.normatecsports.com/">NormaTec MVP</a>, <a href="http://www.spyoptic.com/">Spy Optics</a> and <a href="http://www.x-1audio.com/">X-1 Audio</a>.<br />
<br />
Now a few weeks to get ready for my next race at Rev3 Williamsburg on June 23.<br />
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-57824586545936248372013-05-23T10:36:00.005-04:002013-05-23T10:53:14.915-04:00Rev3 Knoxville Race Report - 28th PlaceFor the past 3 years I’ve kicked off my tri season at Rev3 Knoxville, and this year was no different. If you’ve never attended a Rev3 race or Knoxville in particular, I highly recommend it. Rev3 puts on a great event and the Knoxville area is pretty awesome. The swim is in the river in the center of the city, the bike course immediately heads out of Knoxville into the surrounding hills that is technical yet fair and the run course is mostly a Greenway path along the river with a “nice” climb in the final ½ mile to the finish. Add together a great course with the family atmosphere the Rev3 provides and this makes an overall great event.<br />
<br />
Similar to last year, I did not come alone and my 4-year old son and dad decided to join me on this trip. We headed out of Detroit on Friday and after more than a 9-hour drive, we arrived. Looking at the forecast on Saturday, I looked like the only dry part of the weekend would be Saturday morning. After that, it was going to get wet. The good news is that my Saturday ride/run was dry and went well. The bad news is that it started to rain right after I finished my run and continued until after we left on Sunday. And when I say rain, I don’t mean a light rain to wet the pavement. This was an all-day, steady, soaker type of rain with a 100% chance of rain during the race itself. As a result, it was time to re-evaluate my goals for the race and my race strategy. Simply put my original goals coming in were the following:<br />
<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hammer the Swim<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hammer the Bike<br />
3.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hammer the Run<br />
<br />
My experience with Olympic distance racing is that it is pretty much an all out effort from start to finish and there is no time where you take it easy. Also, since I raced the same course last year, I was really looking to see how my fitness compared. Also, with Ironman Florida 70.3 2-weeks later, I wanted to use this to gain insight into my pacing strategy. So with the rain, I knew there would be minimal information I could compare to last year, so my race goals were now:<br />
<br />
1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Hammer the swim<br />
2.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Survive the bike – keep the rubber side down<br />
<br />
Simply put, I kept an eye on the bigger picture of my season and decided to avoid any additional unnecessary risks on race day, and approach the bike with caution. Last year I hit a pothole 6 days before Ironman Louisville causing me to flip over the bars resulting in scraps on my back, hip, a cracked helmet, and a stiff neck that took several weeks to go away. With a long season ahead of me I did not want to jeopardize my season at my first race of the year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BMC TM01 Ready to Roll!</td></tr>
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Race day morning was exactly as forecasted: wet and cold. The temperature was in the mid-50s and the rain was steadily falling. My hotel was about ½ mile from Transition, and I was nearly soaked by the time I got there. For those that don’t know, the Transition area is the first floor of a parking garage, and on a day like today, being covered and out of the wind and rain was perfect. After going through my typical pre-race prep and warm-up, it was time to head to the swim start. As we entered the 60F water, it was cool, but not cold. After a couple of minutes we lined up at the start line waiting for the horn to sound off. We were all fairly spread out along the start line, and I ended up being in the middle. Finally it was time to start moving and get warm. After it horn sounded, I tried to quickly find a pair of feet to draft off during the upstream portion of the swim. That lasted about a couple of hundred meters until I fell off the back, and had to swim the rest of the race solo. Once I made the turn at about 500m and headed back downstream, the current helped make up some to the time we lost fighting it upstream. I exited the water in 20:30, a personal best for me (although it was no doubt aided by the downstream current, but less drafting than last year, so maybe it cancelled out….) and headed off the on the ¼ mile run to Transition. T1 was uneventful, as I was able to quickly get in and out on my bike.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T95zzBXc-R-ZLuz3FNFhFofnhKmd0kF7Ey4A8HGc7s9hL_N7guV0cySGhHk__OlK_aFX5uqE4qqpHt6ouQ4m8u2B5SrsLa5KDQsyCj-y9-EdQ9bmMmzMkalzm25YuapOQy60d7gh_V0/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T95zzBXc-R-ZLuz3FNFhFofnhKmd0kF7Ey4A8HGc7s9hL_N7guV0cySGhHk__OlK_aFX5uqE4qqpHt6ouQ4m8u2B5SrsLa5KDQsyCj-y9-EdQ9bmMmzMkalzm25YuapOQy60d7gh_V0/s320/photo+3.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev3 Made it easy to find my Transition Spot</td></tr>
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Those first few miles on the bike were interesting to say the least. At first, my shoe straps were stuck together on each shoe, so I had a hard time getting both feet in. Once that was done, it was now time to focus on staying upright. First rule: avoid slippery surfaces such as lane lines and manhole covers. When wet, those surfaces are like ice. As my glasses intermittently fogged, and I tried to avoid any other unknown hazards hiding under the puddles and the water streaming over the roads. Throughout the bike, I felt good. I was able to hold more power up all the climbs compared to last year, but this time I took it easy on the downhills. With that said, I still hit almost 40 mph on a couple of parts of the course (as compared to 43 mph last year). Even with holding back, I was able to make a couple of passes to get up to 27th position at the start of the run. Unfortunately, my power meter didn’t record for the first couple of miles, so while the rest of my ride looked good, I don’t have a good summary for power over the entire course. Total bike time was 1:04:22<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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T2 was similar to T1. Pretty uneventful and efficient in getting onto the run course. As I ran down the ramp onto the run course, I could instantly tell my legs were not moving like I planned. I wasn’t cold, and they didn’t hurt, they were just stiff, heavy and it felt like my stride was a little shorter than normal. As I maintained my pace, I just could not find any more speed in my legs. They just seemed stuck at about 6:05-6:10 min/mile pace. So as I ran through puddle after puddle, some of them ankle deep, I just focused on maintaining my form and hold steady through the finish. Finally, I made the turn for the final ½ mile run uphill to the finish. As I crossed the finish line I was happy to be done, as this was an EPIC day. My run split was 38:04, for a total race time of 2:07:30 and I finished 28th Male Pro.<br />
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Even though my time was not my best and not everything went as planned, the conditions were the worst I have ever raced in, and I am satisfied with my performance. There were a few things I would have done differently, but there were some promising signs and I definitely learned a lot about racing in the cold and rain. <br />
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My race report would not be complete without thanking those that helped me get to the starting line. Most importantly thanks to my wife and kids for the their continued support and patience. <br />
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In addition, special thanks to Fraser Bicycle (www.fraserbicycle.com), BMC Bicycles (<a href="http://www.bmc-racing.com/">www.bmc-racing.com</a>), SLS3 (<a href="http://www.slstri.com/">www.slstri.com</a>), Spy Optics (<a href="http://www.spyoptics.com/">www.spyoptics.com</a>), NormaTec (<a href="http://www.normatec.com/">www.normatec.com</a>), First Endurance (<a href="http://www.firstendurance.com/">www.firstendurance.com</a>), BK Training Systems (<a href="http://www.bktrainingsystems.com/">www.bktrainingsystems.com</a>) and X-1 Audio (<a href="http://www.x-1audio.com/">www.x-1audio.com</a>) for your support as I kick off my 2013 race season! <br />
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Also, check out the Rev 3 Race Recap Video: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'times new roman', 'new york', times, serif; font-size: 16px;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/65537254" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://vimeo.com/65537254</a></span><br />
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I know I am a little late in getting this report out, so check back shortly for my Ironman Florida 70.3 Race Report!<br />
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-50600468315679326042013-04-24T10:29:00.000-04:002013-04-24T10:30:33.269-04:00Race Report: Martian Festival of Races Half-Marathon - 8th OverallFinally, my first race of the season is in the books! After a long stretch of training, it felt good to get back on course and get a real indicator of where my run fitness is. This race was interesting primarily because I haven’t ran in a stand-alone running race since 2009. I know my running had changed significantly since that last race, and I was exciting to see how I compared to “real” runners!<br />
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Race Week:<br />
My approach to this race was as a “motivated” training run. There was no taper, so no real specific preparation from a training standpoint. Looking at the big picture, I have Rev3 Knoxville on May 5 and Ironman Florida 70.3 5-weeks later, which are a bigger priority in the context of my triathlon season. So race week it was training as usual, I just kept the hard bike and run efforts Monday through Wednesday, and took Friday easy to get ready for race day on Saturday. While my race week training was uneventful, the weather we had was not. It started raining on Tuesday and continued more or less through later Thursday for a total 2+ inches of rain. Since the course is an out-and-back configuration on Hines Drive (a popular local training park) that lies on a flood plain, it wasn’t long before the course was under water. I have to give credit to the race organizers since they had a certifiable backup course, so besides a course change, the race went on without a hitch.<br />
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Race Day:<br />
The race day weather was less than ideal. The temperature was in high-30s, 15-20 mph winds and a mix of light rain/snow. Great temperature for running, but the wind and precipitation was not enjoyable. The great part about weather is everyone has to deal with the same conditions. Personally, I adapt well to harsh weather and I think it levels the playing field among abilities.<br />
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At 8:55 it was time to go, I lined up towards the right side second row from the front. I chose the second row because the course starts with the first block uphill, then we turn right, directly into the headwinds, and wanted to let someone else lead the charge into the wind. The horn sounded and we were off! As we rounded the corner and headed into the wind, I stayed tucked behind the leaders in front of me. Already the lead pack of about 6-8 started to pull away, with a single line of us following behind. After about the first mile, the lead pack had broken away, then there was a smaller pack about of 2 about 50’ ahead slowly pulling away and I was staying sheltered from the wind in the 3rd group. I had the feeling my group was slowing and not wanting to bridge too large of gap into the wind, I decided it was time move up to the group in front. As I started to close, the 2 pulled ahead slightly as we went down a slight downhill. After my initial surge I was stuck between the 2 groups, and decided to get back to my target pace, knowing that we would be turning out of the wind shortly and I would catch them eventually. <br />
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The rest of the race went well. I was consistent on my pace, with hills or winds affecting my pace accordingly, slightly faster on downhills/tailwind or slightly slower on uphills/headwinds. As I made my way through the course, I picked off a runner every 1-2 miles until about mile 11, where I held my position until the finish. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_73T80vqYYoXsz0tFEKFNdzHxN-H53hMa38o52N3TJ7C5WcB8q9J2ELOTKhFtXRyaYMS_1XLPiTSKMJSWr0F5j4QJyQpjEL5VKKloYK1EtgOYfTZY4kwKYnxP56_ZqChUCDTv4Kxqvc/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx_73T80vqYYoXsz0tFEKFNdzHxN-H53hMa38o52N3TJ7C5WcB8q9J2ELOTKhFtXRyaYMS_1XLPiTSKMJSWr0F5j4QJyQpjEL5VKKloYK1EtgOYfTZY4kwKYnxP56_ZqChUCDTv4Kxqvc/s320/photo+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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In the end I crossed the line in 1:20:16 (6:07 min/mile), which was 8th overall. Based on my recent training runs, my goal was sub-1:22, and a stretch goal of sub-1:20. I just missed breaking 1:20, but overall I am really happy with my results. For those that are interested, here are my mile splits (min/mile) and HR (avg. bpm):<br />
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Mile 1: 5:57 (166)<br />
Mile 2: 6:04 (168)<br />
Mile 3: 5:53 (170)<br />
Mile 4: 6:12 (169)<br />
Mile 5: 6:00 (169)<br />
Mile 6: 6:01 (171)<br />
Mile 7: 6:17 (171)<br />
Mile 8: 6:10 (168)<br />
Mile 9: 6:07 (167)<br />
Mile 10: 6:06 (168)<br />
Mile 11: 6:09 (169)<br />
Mile 12: 6:12 (167)<br />
Mile 13: 6:03 (173)<br />
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With the first race out of the way, now it’s time to get ready for my first triathlon at Rev3 Knoxville on May 5.<br />
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-54268680409947140512013-04-10T13:37:00.000-04:002013-04-10T13:49:40.288-04:00Training Advice: Just Push Harder!<br />
On March 23, I participated in the Final Race of the Fraser Bicycle Indoor TT Series. The TT was held on the same course as last year: a 10 km rolling course with a few short climbs. Compared to the 54-minute effort from Race #4 the previous week, this one seemed to fly by. However, with the shorter duration comes increased intensity….i.e. it hurts more, just not as long. With my first place finish in Race #4, I already clinched the series victory, however as with any race, there were bragging rights at stake. Given my strength at the longer events, the short 15-minute race was not necessarily my strength compared to the other riders. Both short TTs in the series I finished second and third, so I knew I had to really push if I wanted the stage win. After a thorough 25-minute warm-up, it was go time. Once the race started it was typical of my riding style: consistent power output and a low VI. After negative splitting my power, I finished with a good kick at the end with 30 seconds over 500w, and achieved my goal of sub-15 minutes for the course. Last year, my time was 15:17 on 345w, and this year I finished in 14:54 with 348w (as measured by my Quarq). This was good enough for first in my heat, but there were a couple of other fast guys to follow, including Chris Lutz (ITU Pan-Am Pro) and Dan Stubilski (1st Overall Amateur at 2012 70.3 World Championships in Las Vegas). Unfortunately, those guys blew apart my time, both under 14:30, and pushing me down to third for the day. Great effort by those guys, they absolutely crushed it!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LCi3d_f7atMIO0-ozWpg25BgG876GATU34kKorUj9JMw8oKgeijcdaNrZ4qmqP8WhcYTdHjjsoaux3p76Ancup7zzZ3ezNu-NCv0euvy99mRZmYTBGPNQMdEI3tNi1oIEJdY6RaFyEc/s1600/Indoor+TT+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5LCi3d_f7atMIO0-ozWpg25BgG876GATU34kKorUj9JMw8oKgeijcdaNrZ4qmqP8WhcYTdHjjsoaux3p76Ancup7zzZ3ezNu-NCv0euvy99mRZmYTBGPNQMdEI3tNi1oIEJdY6RaFyEc/s320/Indoor+TT+Pic.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riders in the Lab laying down the Power!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Later in the day I learned a great lesson from my 4-year old son, Nolan. He asked how I did in the race that morning. The conversation went something like this:<br />
<br />
Nolan: Dad, how did you do in your race this morning? Did you win?<br />
<br />
Me: No, I finished third.<br />
<br />
Nolan: Oh. Well that’s okay. Next time, just push the pedals harder and then you can win.<br />
<br />
Me: Yes….you are right. Thanks for the feedback…I just have to push the pedals harder….<br />
<br />
As simple as it sounds, he is right and that is great advice. At the end of the day, we are swimming, biking and running. With all the fancy gadgets and training feedback tools, it can be easy to lose perspective on training and over-complicate things. Sometimes it’s good to get back to basics and forget about all the technology, equipment and tools, and just do it. Push harder and you will be faster. When you are faster, you can place better. Simple and effective advice. Easy enough, right?<br />
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-20556257938742927642013-03-27T08:41:00.002-04:002013-04-10T13:37:47.690-04:00Training Update: Swim Lessons and Power Tests:Dang I’ve been slipping. It’s already been about a month since my last blog entry, so sorry about the delay. It’s been a busy few weeks, not only with training, but trying to finalize the logistics of my first races as well as all the other “normal” stuff that needs to happen. Typical of the winter so far, my 2 kids have been swapping illnesses over the past 4-6 weeks. Once one is better, a few days later the other comes down with something. Basically sick, get healthy, repeat. Last week everything seemed to peak, when BOTH came down with double ear infections and the flu. Luckily the flu ran it’s course and they are getting just about back to normal. Now I’m keeping my fingers crossed that neither my wife nor myself come down with the flu. Oh well, so it goes with 2 kids in daycare and winter that won’t quit.<br />
<br />
Back to my training…<br />
<a name='more'></a>As the season creeps up, I have been focusing on quality and consistency over the past 8 weeks, and I’ve seen promising results. Even though it is technically Spring, winter is still firmly holding on to Michigan. As a result, my outdoor training has still been somewhat limited besides running (i.e. 1 outside bike ride so far!). As good as it’s been to get outside, Spring and warmer temps cannot come soon enough…the snow and ice just doesn’t seem to end!<br />
<br />
Besides my typical training plan, I had 2 other interesting events as well. The first was a swim lesson and the other was the Fraser Bicycle Indoor TT Race #4 on March 15.<br />
<br />
Still Learning to Swim!<br />
Ah yes….still spending extra time in the pool and trying to learn the fastest and most efficient way to get from the Start line to T1. The extra time in the pool has been great not only for my swim fitness, but I have a new understanding and awareness of my swim form. The extra time has simply given me a better feel for the water and sense of my catch, pull and body rotation. I still have many things to improve to get where I would like to be, but I’m seeing progress and that is what counts.<br />
<br />
Given where I was in my training plan, this was also the perfect time to have another swim lesson. Over the past 2 seasons, Coach Bonne Karas (<a href="http://www.bktrainingsystems.com/">www.bktrainingsystems.com</a>), has evaluated my swim technique and helped me to knock minutes off my Ironman swim split. This was my first lesson in over 6 months, and her feedback was eye opening (again!) The funny part about swimming is that you THINK you are doing it all right and in reality you are not even close. Having another set of eyes to break down your technique is essential to improve swim form. Similar to the past, here are the highlights:<br />
<ol>
<li>Widen arm entry: I still have a tendency to enter the water in line with my head, which leads to a slight cross-over and snaking in the water.</li>
<li>Improve Catch: I enter the water thumb first and continue that hand position through the pull phase. The result is a hand that slips through the water due to an ineffective and weak catch.</li>
<li>Head position: I still keep my head high, causing hips to drop. </li>
<li>Turnover: Typical of many triathletes, I still have a relatively low turnover rate. </li>
</ol>
Unfortunately, these comments are nothing that I haven’t heard before, but now I know the key areas where I need to focus first.<br />
<br />
Power Testing:<br />
Once again, it was race time for the Fraser Bicycle Indoor TT Series. Race #4 was held on March 14 and 15, and this time it was a longer course of 21.87 miles over a popular local training route called Hines Drive. The course was a series of many short, steep rollers that often put me right between the gears I wanted. I was often pushing 20 watts over or under than target, but that’s part of racing and it was good variability to practice before the outdoor riding season begins. The ride was very similar to the others: painful, yet rewarding. Most FTP testing protocols are variations of either a 20 or 40 minute estimations, instead of an hour of all out riding. Rarely do I ever do an all-out 60-minute test, which is the most accurate way to estimate your FTP, and this is the perfect way to have that extra motivation for 60 HARD minutes on the trainer.<br />
<br />
So what happened? My final time was about 54 minutes and given how I felt, it was a great validation of my FTP power and pacing, with the added bonus of winning of the stage.<br />
<br />
That’s it for now, happy training!<br />
<br />
<i>For more information on swim or coaching services by Bonnie Karas please see <a href="http://www.bktrainingsystems.com/">www.bktrainingsystems.com</a></i><br />
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-20504115172548910302013-02-25T21:57:00.002-05:002013-02-26T11:18:21.932-05:002013 Race Schedule<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">After looking at all the great events out there, I've put together the following race schedule for 2013:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Martian Half-Marathon - 4/14</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rev3 Knoxville Olympic - 5/5</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ironman Florida 70.3 - 5/19</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rev3 Quassy Half - 6/2 (Tentative, but unlikely)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rev3 Williamsburg Half - 6/23</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ironman Lake Placid - 7/28</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ironman Muskoka 70.3 - 9/8 </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Rev3 Branson Half - 9/22</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ironman Florida - 11/2 (Tentative, but likely)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It was pretty tough to narrow down to this list of events. Even looking within about an 8 hour drive, there is the potential to race a major event nearly every weekend between May and September. Just so many great events out there now! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">You will also note that I will be racing 3 Rev3 events (and possibly more) and will participate in the Rev3 Pro Series. I have been to Rev3 Knoxville the past 3 years, and I am very impressed in both the quality of their events and what they are doing to progress the sport. If you've never been to a Rev3 Event (<a href="http://www.rev3tri.com/">www.rev3tri.com</a>), I highly recommend you check one out; you will not be disappointed.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">As with all plans, the list is subject to change, and I am excited to kick-off the 2013 triathlon season in less than 10 weeks!</span></div>
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Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-56818919565794746002013-02-20T13:09:00.003-05:002013-03-16T08:36:57.755-04:00Fraser Bicycle Indoor TT Series: Race 3 and a Swim Test<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It’s hard to believe that we are already in the middle of winter, with the 2013 race season just around the corner. To help track my progress this winter, I signed up for the inaugural Fraser Bicycle Indoor TT Race Series. The race series is a total of 5 events, with the top 4 placings counting towards the final series ranking. While there is no substitute for riding outside, group riding at the Computrainer Lab at Fraser Bicycle with the added motivation of a competitive event, the race series has been great for tracking how my cycling fitness is trending during the long winter months when we are stuck indoors. It really adds that extra motivation to push and really see where your power is at.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Each race is allocated 1.5 hours, to allow for warm-up and cool down time, but the actual race itself has been from 24 minutes to just under an hour. And since this is pretty much an all-out effort, is gives a good approximation of your maximum power at the given durations. A great power test.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Race 3 was a “middle-distance” event compared to the first 2. This course was a 12.5 mile long segment from the Coors Classic Morgul-Bismark course (featured in movie American Flyers), with plenty of rolling hills and a few steep climbs. In addition to testing your maximum power, the rolling courses also provide great feedback to learn proper pacing and execution. Get excited and go out too hard, and you will pay for it by the end. This type of feedback is especially valuable for beginning riders so that they can see how others pace the uphills and <i>maintain</i> close to the same power on downhills. This creates a low variability index (VI), which is specifically helpful in long course triathlon racing where saving your legs for the run is key.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
So how did it go for me? As with the other races, it hurt. If it didn’t hurt, I wasn’t trying hard enough. My final time was 33:47 at 328 watts and an average HR of 178 bpm.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
The other highlight of my training last week was my swim test. One test set I periodically use is 10x100 with 1:00 min rest. Short enough to push hard, but long enough to see how training is progressing. My test was in the evening after an indoor brick session near HIM bike and run pace earlier in the day. So not completely fresh, but somewhat recovered from the earlier session. Anyway, my new average was 1:21.9/100m in an SCM pool, which is more than 2 sec/100 faster than my last test in December, and about 4 sec/100 faster than in November. Progress! I still have a long way to go, but happy to see the trend going in the right direction with the season just over 2 months away.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<i>If you’re interested in checking out the Fraser Bicycle Indoor Race Series, Race 4 is on March 14-15 and the Final 10 km TT is on March 23. Go to <a href="http://www.fraserbicycle.com/">www.fraserbicycle.com</a> for details.</i></span><br />
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<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-84425179700321150782013-02-05T12:46:00.001-05:002013-02-20T13:13:53.958-05:00Training Update: Charity Ride and Battling the Bugs!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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It’s been about 2 weeks since my last training update, and
all was going well until mid-last week, when I got bit by the head cold bug
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By mid-January, everyone in
our house seemed to be recovered from the annoying runny noses and stuffy heads
that we’ve been playing tag with since early December.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We were finally bug-free. </span>I was in a good training groove,
hitting all of my key sessions and seeing progress, and then “tag”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m it (again)! </div>
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On January 26, I rode a 4-hour segment, from 8:30 PM to
12:30 AM in the Fraser Bicycle (<a href="http://www.fraserbicycle.com/">www.fraserbicycle.com</a>)
24-hour Charity Lab-a-thon, to benefit local charities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I would be surrounded with others
pushing their trainer limits, I figured I would use this as a test to see where my long
ride fitness is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since is for
charity, it’s just an easy ride, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Line up 16
triathletes, mountain bikers and various other riders on Computrainers and the
unwritten rules take over:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>it’s
always a competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGUYKimwlzqni538Mcis4OHsj0-1FPEMTW5cYy4s3yxXHAkI6RvzL8Opl29e_RpTZY2FEFU1lqALkLziKXYPLH6w6q4mUTvl51ugFZOHDIUuhHHbhpWbGA34cw0i6y6F0ztGdSjrnSPs/s1600/FB+Lab.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGUYKimwlzqni538Mcis4OHsj0-1FPEMTW5cYy4s3yxXHAkI6RvzL8Opl29e_RpTZY2FEFU1lqALkLziKXYPLH6w6q4mUTvl51ugFZOHDIUuhHHbhpWbGA34cw0i6y6F0ztGdSjrnSPs/s320/FB+Lab.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fraser Bicycle Computrainer Lab at about 2:00 AM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a>So I used this
“non-competitive” environment to see where I was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since I haven’t ridden further than 3 hours since last fall,
I started conservative, and held just over 250w for the first 2 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the second half, I was feeling good,
so I notched it up a little and averaged over 260w for the next 90 minutes, and
“cooled down” with 255w for the last 30 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end, I averaged 254w (256 normalized), which was a
0.80 IF and an awesome TSS of 255.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>All this was based on my new FTP that I established on January 16, so I
think this is a good double check my FTP was tested correctly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best part was my legs were still
feeling pretty good at the end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
wasn’t my legs that wanted to stop, but my seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I need to build up my “saddle” endurance a little
more. In summary, I passed my "test" and I'm happy with how the ride went, especially for one in January.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pyRA68BlWHWFIc-BUuoy2T9lVJisawBeFbM4hWe01blQFBDO1HCeAbE6B4z_jjpJakybCR_JeR4yINljwBJkoCmSq3-i2smk-Cu-UP0bLOhJzlZNWKd5aM8bRA2ZvssY2Jg8j3t_yz0/s1600/Computer+Picture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1pyRA68BlWHWFIc-BUuoy2T9lVJisawBeFbM4hWe01blQFBDO1HCeAbE6B4z_jjpJakybCR_JeR4yINljwBJkoCmSq3-i2smk-Cu-UP0bLOhJzlZNWKd5aM8bRA2ZvssY2Jg8j3t_yz0/s320/Computer+Picture.jpg" width="235" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The results of my Lab-A-Thon ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My swimming and running have focused on consistency and
frequency.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been in the pool
and on the treadmill about 4-5 times per week as well, with an average volume
of about 14km in the pool and 25-30 miles running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I can’t get excited
about running in the cold and snow this winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the past, unless the temperature was in the single
digits, I would be outside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s not so much the
cold, but I’m not a fan of the unplowed sidewalks and trails.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re not bad in fresh snow, but
after a few days, the snow turns icy and choppy, and I really don’t feel like turning my
ankle or falling on ice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least
that’s my rationale, but I’m sure I just need to toughen up a little more….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So all was going good, until last week, when stuffy noses
began to appear in our house again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First my daughter, then my son, then last Tuesday, it got me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It came on quick, and a little more
intense than a few weeks ago, first a runny nose, then my head was completely stuffed up. It left me with no choice, but to make the hard decision and skip a couple of
days of training to rest and recover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I used all my tricks to get knock this head cold out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I took Biestmilch (<a href="http://www.biestmilch.com/">www.biestmilch.com</a>), used a Neti Pot, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (tastes horrible, but seems to work), lots of Kleenex and
extra rest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only positive is
by Friday, I was feeling good enough for a light swim and bike, and over
the weekend eased back to normal training. Now I’m feeling good again (knocks on
wood) and ready to get back on track!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy Training!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-11598250632979813002013-01-30T12:20:00.001-05:002013-02-20T13:14:08.534-05:00Review: X-1 Audio Interval: Waterproof Headphones for Swimming <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In fall of 2011, I knew I needed to spend more time in
the pool in the off-season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, I didn’t grow up in the water and the thought of spending hours
staring at the black line did not leave me too excited to swim as much as I
needed to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I like to listen to
music while running, so that would probably help for swimming too, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the time I heard of waterproof cases
and headphones for swimming, but I was skeptical.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would they really work?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do they stay in place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How do they sound?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a
reviewing the various options available, I went with
the X-1 Audio Interval.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5zVZH5xEmnERf7AVKHqimeod56k189sRURFY_8YfudBr29IwFIJkQjxhA4fxz6rl1IzGqbPNncTv5cNFw80DmVIsFoM1QxA-L_iPD0ftN6pCYnl3hqrEoY7bZnvK4OLdJOBqq2pJccI/s1600/DSCN1431.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr5zVZH5xEmnERf7AVKHqimeod56k189sRURFY_8YfudBr29IwFIJkQjxhA4fxz6rl1IzGqbPNncTv5cNFw80DmVIsFoM1QxA-L_iPD0ftN6pCYnl3hqrEoY7bZnvK4OLdJOBqq2pJccI/s400/DSCN1431.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The X-1 Interval is a waterproof plastic case that stores
your iPod Shuffle, and has integrated waterproof earphones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The earphones are special, in that they
fit snugly inside your ear canal, and the kit comes with various sizes of ear
pads so that you can customize the fit to keep them in place and the water
sealed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The unit itself is
pretty simple to set up:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>place
your iPod inside, plug in the headphone jack, close the cover, and attached to
your goggle straps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fine-tune the
earphone size and within a few minutes you are ready to swim with music.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZggQdIWld-kj2eYvKXlGFxShnh1muy_UYh11IRo7q-gkSIW0iE07rVxb2ZY5H29WZuYwAsXfG125ZGUrZC8658EEtGkLU_It0F_ypwQtuZzhVF1nEPupUS3LwCkCwUIgBUsoB64h7XSE/s1600/DSCN1432.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZggQdIWld-kj2eYvKXlGFxShnh1muy_UYh11IRo7q-gkSIW0iE07rVxb2ZY5H29WZuYwAsXfG125ZGUrZC8658EEtGkLU_It0F_ypwQtuZzhVF1nEPupUS3LwCkCwUIgBUsoB64h7XSE/s400/DSCN1432.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b>Swimming with Music, Really?</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The first time I was about to jump into the pool, I’ll admit
I was a little nervous…..am I really about to jump in a pool with my iPod?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The thought of destroying my iPod made
my think twice, but I dunked my head anyway and guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It still worked.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It really is waterproof!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next step was to start swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I hit the play button, my music began and I started
swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lap after lap my music
played until I was done. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It worked
flawlessly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the addition of
music to my swim workouts was a nice mental break from the monotonous laps back
and forth, especially during longer swim sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So how does the music sound?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sound quality is good. The music sounds a little different
compared to land earphones, but the sound is really good and clear; it is not
muffled or distorted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And if you
want to crank it up, they can get loud….really loud!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>How it Performs:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I already touched on this, but I really like being able to listen
to music while swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me,
this was an added incentive to get in the pool, which I desperately need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve used this unit for well over a
year, and it has always performed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is still waterproof, the sound quality has remained good and my iPod
has remained dry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was also
curious if there were any long-term effects of chlorine, but so far, everything
is as good as new.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As good as it is, there are a couple of things that need to be
considered while using it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most
importantly, the correct earphone size must be used.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If water is not sealed out and water enters the ear canal,
two things will happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First the
sound will become distorted and then eventually the sound will fade out when
the ear canal is full with water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Secondly, the water will eventually loosen the contact of the earphone
with the ear and eventually pull it out of your ear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the earphone get wet, all it takes is to blow out the
water and they are good to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The other key point is where you place the unit on your head.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I have it on the back of my head
(pointing towards the ceiling while swimming) and I push off the wall, the unit
will slide down towards my neck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This didn’t affect my goggles or swim in any way, it was just a bit
annoying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The fix for this is keep
the goggle strap tight and place the unit slightly towards the base on your
head so it is protected from the rush of water during push-offs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, during short and fast
sets, sometimes I now take it off just to avoid the potential for it to move
around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In conclusion, I like this product, and would recommend it
to anyone looking to help pass time in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As with any product, there are a few details you need to
consider to ensure it performs, but overall it is simple and effective.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For more information on the X-1 Interval check out <a href="http://www.x-1.com/">www.x-1.com</a> or go to <a href="http://www.x-1.com/store/swimming.html">www.x-1.com/store/swimming.html</a>. </div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-1604520487643415742013-01-21T07:25:00.003-05:002013-02-04T12:11:29.780-05:00Getting moving in 2013<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now that we are a couple of weeks into 2013, I’m getting
back into a normal training routine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The holidays are always a busy time, and at least for me, there is no way
to hit every session that is planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There is just too much to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once that period was over, I’ve been able to get back
to consistent training over the past few weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am still a few months away from my first race, so no
need to be a winter training champ, but through consistent training, my bike
and running legs are steadily coming back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: consistency is
key for long-term improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s not one or 2 magic sessions that lead to sustainable improvement,
but simply putting in the work everyday, and over time and the improvements
will come.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That is more or less my
approach to the winter training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s about building the foundation so that once the weather breaks and
races get close, my body is ready to handle the longer or more intense
sessions.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So what about my swimming?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I posted last fall, my swim focus started in
November.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, compared to what I
was doing before, it was a swim focus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now it is just part of my normal training plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I still have a long way to go to where
I want to be in the water, but I am seeing glimpses of improvement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I got that going for me….which is
nice! (Caddyshack fans anyone?)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I usually don’t post my training volumes much, because I
really don’t think it means anything.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Volume alone is only one factor, intensity is the other and equally as important.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But if you’re interested, here is
what I’ve done in the first 3 weeks of January:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Swim: 11:40 (36,400 yards)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Bike: 15:40 (310 miles estimated from trainer time)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Run: 9:40 (77 miles)<br />
Other: 2:00 (core, strength, yoga, etc.)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That’s it for now, Happy Training!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-84112151710141056662013-01-03T12:17:00.000-05:002013-02-20T13:13:32.090-05:002012 Season Review<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s hard to summarize an entire year of triathlon in a
few words, but I’ll try:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>2012 was
simply amazing!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back there
were many highlights to 2012, some were expected, and some were a complete
surprise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on race results,
my 2012 season saw my triathlon performance rise to another level.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here are the highlights:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Amateur Results:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Rev3 Knoxville Olympic: 1<sup>st</sup> in AG, 3<sup>rd</sup>
Overall – 2:03 (USAT Elite Qualifying Race)</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Professional Results:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li>Ironman Muncie 70.3: 24<sup>th</sup> Place – 2:17 (race
shortened)</li>
<li>Ironman Louisville: 5<sup>th</sup> Place – 9:28 (Personal
Best Ironman Time)</li>
<li>Ironman Pocono 70.3: 15<sup>th</sup> Place – 4:24</li>
</ul>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since I’ve already posted detailed race reports for each of
my races, I’m not going to go through all the details again, but here is a
little more insight into my 2012 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However, before I start with 2012, I need to first go a little further
back to late 2011…..</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My 2011 season was a break through season for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I realized my goal of getting to Kona,
and nearly set a personal best Ironman time while there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After qualifying for “the big show”, I was
at crossroads as to the direction of my amateur triathlon career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I met my goals for Ironman, so I wasn’t
sure what I wanted to do next.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>After some thought and discussion with my wife, I decided to do one more
Ironman in 2012, with the goal of the overall age-group podium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really wasn’t interested in going to
Kona again so soon, not that I didn’t want to go, but the expense of such a trip
was not in our budget in the near future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>So, what race did I want to do?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This was easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted to
go back to Lake Placid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was
my first Ironman, and given my finishing time of 14:03, I felt like I wanted to
see what I could do on that course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I registered and was all set with a plan……until early-January 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is when my wife and I found out
baby #2 was on the way…..with a due date of July 29.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great news, right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of course!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But What a
minute…..that is Lake Placid Race week; time to change plans!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this time, all the summer North
American Ironman races were full except for Louisville, so that became my new
goal by default.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So with my focus on Louisville, my season plan started to
come together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Rev3 Knoxville in
May, Muncie in July and Ironman Louisville in August.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing spectacular, just a balanced preparation between
racing and getting ready for our new little one at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then I had an idea….Rev3 Knoxville has
a pro race, with a large enough purse so that it is a USAT Elite Qualifying
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hmmm…..time to look into
past results.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Estimating my
Olympic times from the previous 2 half-IM distances in Knoxville, I knew a
podium would be close but definitely possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, once I found out I could get a refund for my unused
Lake Placid entry if I earned Pro status, it was a no brainer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This became a key goal for 2012.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With a new found motivation for a fast spring Olympic I went
to Knoxville in May ready to race, but not sure what to expect.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, I haven’t raced an Olympic
race in nearly 2 years, and never an Olympic race larger than a small local
race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As you already know,
the trip was a success, as I finished 3<sup>rd</sup> overall and qualified for
my USAT Elite License!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Completely
unexpected just a few months earlier, I was excited about the possibilities for
the rest of my season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, since
the baby due date was coming quick, my race schedule didn’t change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was just too much to get ready for me to
be able to disappear on the weekends for races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S_wUeXg9WTPyekCvZaEdL663UNUZ5AB6FRCg-MEkhCzw8IDZedw_MyoZ_YVESp6mJ0MpWV2javmvKvskiKvECl0fGSxpjUk1OauSDBjTRw3kGwaOwl_NmSdrrjXBXIDx-_tRqIt0IIw/s1600/DSC_0243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3S_wUeXg9WTPyekCvZaEdL663UNUZ5AB6FRCg-MEkhCzw8IDZedw_MyoZ_YVESp6mJ0MpWV2javmvKvskiKvECl0fGSxpjUk1OauSDBjTRw3kGwaOwl_NmSdrrjXBXIDx-_tRqIt0IIw/s320/DSC_0243.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev3 Knoxville Podium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In late-May, I retired my Specialized Nose-Cone Shiv for the
new BMC TM01.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Shiv is a great
bike and took me to Kona, but the TM01 is just awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The most noticeable improvements over
the Shiv are the ride quality, handling and braking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The BMC TM01 just seemed to soak up the road chatter and dampen
the cracks and rough roads we have around here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The handling was also less twitchy than the Shiv, so that it
handled more stable like a road bike and I found myself just settling in and
riding, without having to concentrate so much on the handling.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, the braking power was much
improved over the integrated brakes of the Shiv.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So now I had a Pro Card and a brand-new great bike….Time to race!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2fSd7a7kHoNsT9xoRZVGW3NbDR0mT2RMdWssWyZFuuAOjq2h3WfrfWsc1YiXHdPEyHnbdyk02qiDY_aC3E6e_0D9AHTjb0Lxg5vWoAcxFCVK6dOoQK06suxz8DCyWgZ10dvVZuHcwI8/s1600/DSC_0679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2fSd7a7kHoNsT9xoRZVGW3NbDR0mT2RMdWssWyZFuuAOjq2h3WfrfWsc1YiXHdPEyHnbdyk02qiDY_aC3E6e_0D9AHTjb0Lxg5vWoAcxFCVK6dOoQK06suxz8DCyWgZ10dvVZuHcwI8/s640/DSC_0679.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BMC TM01 Ready for action in Louisville!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, in early July, Ironman Muncie 70.3 was here: my
first Professional race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once the
race was shortened due to the heat (race day forecast was over 100F), I knew
this was going to play out a little different than what I expected a few days
earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, it went well
and was a great learning experience for Louisville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After Muncie, I was pretty much on-call for whenever our new
addition was going to arrive.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
knew that once our baby got here I would be taking an unplanned recovery week,
so I made sure I hit every training session as it was planned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then on July 22, after I completed a
big training weekend including 160 miles on the bike, my wife knew it was
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then just before midnight on,
our new daughter Sofiella was born:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIwcHR8L-gYt-SyIVKtRs_83s0qJMGo3PSrJJ14mvwogaRjrQqTBhHvOgCpaq3BR95V8K4tZAWGrpuzxZremME_3XvouBge-0K_lERRc1QgJybVzKbhV9PH6sXYJlGwS4RF_U7lmGiSc/s1600/_MG_1559ret2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPIwcHR8L-gYt-SyIVKtRs_83s0qJMGo3PSrJJ14mvwogaRjrQqTBhHvOgCpaq3BR95V8K4tZAWGrpuzxZremME_3XvouBge-0K_lERRc1QgJybVzKbhV9PH6sXYJlGwS4RF_U7lmGiSc/s320/_MG_1559ret2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new "expanded" family</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
After taking nearly a week off, it was just over 4 weeks to
Ironman Louisville and I knew I had some work to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Getting training in around the various naps was an
interesting twist, but we were able to make it work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back, I probably wouldn’t do it this way
again, but we got through it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides
the bike crash 7 days before the race, finishing 5<sup>th</sup> Place with
the 3<sup>rd</sup> fastest Professional run split at Ironman Louisville
exceeded all my expectations for the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJ8yFZP3tFByRqsxwE6Jzv1lsXdb8y2BkqciCHL6LerXNeotGLlsxkS_asW_v9UQiK-AeCLClApaQxA503swdyj8oI2oEoY-BiIJ5pYFnc-sf9QVJ47X8q_0DVjHxS_NIBWRFCfYIBwM/s320/0225_10808+copy.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="214" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IM Louisville Finish Chute</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqNc8wT2r7whiPABxFM-D_DuFLI6isYLqqakBojHpbiQeXNK16Ok3u1_zB58DLkdK_slq5kafn-pqcTHmmtVYocNxf7XAF6dNKxW_GPcDSWBLNWMe5w71xaNb7x0Z1HhIFngl0pQ8R6M/s1600/DSC_0738+copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqNc8wT2r7whiPABxFM-D_DuFLI6isYLqqakBojHpbiQeXNK16Ok3u1_zB58DLkdK_slq5kafn-pqcTHmmtVYocNxf7XAF6dNKxW_GPcDSWBLNWMe5w71xaNb7x0Z1HhIFngl0pQ8R6M/s320/DSC_0738+copy.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">IM Louisville: The Prize!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
It was also pretty cool to have the bike escort for the
final 6 miles and to make the on-line Lava Magazine Race Photo Gallery:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Ks8QT9N87AtBs_bEHOfR3kilbSZEHFKQdr0H0v6FGrxpaCySXUz_a90eQ_ea2URp23RP7lwSPqRTRKx-docn8oPsGkY-um3nSS6CRUxqveZnvR_LO523fabhwEoeViTt14BD4-hn-I/s1600/20120826-IMG_2181+copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf-Ks8QT9N87AtBs_bEHOfR3kilbSZEHFKQdr0H0v6FGrxpaCySXUz_a90eQ_ea2URp23RP7lwSPqRTRKx-docn8oPsGkY-um3nSS6CRUxqveZnvR_LO523fabhwEoeViTt14BD4-hn-I/s400/20120826-IMG_2181+copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://lavamagazine.com/features/gallery-ironman-louisville/#axzz26Lj2fAQ1">http://lavamagazine.com/features/gallery-ironman-louisville/#axzz26Lj2fAQ1</a></span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My season then wound down with the last race in
late-September, Ironman Pocono 70.3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I really didn’t know what to expect heading into this event, given it
was 5 weeks post-Ironman, but I was happy with the results and again more Pro
experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now heading into 2013,
I was able to race the all 3 main race distances, an Olympic, Half- and Full
Ironman and I have an idea on where I stack up a each one and how I need to
prepare.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Looking back, it was a great year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I set a personal best Ironman time and earned my USA
Triathlon Elite License.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
addition, I learned a lot about my level of fitness and where I need to focus to
improve in 2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There’s no way I could have had the season I did without the
help and support of so many people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First off, I need to thank my family: Erica, Nolan and Sofiella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The support and sacrifice from my wife
has been amazing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s no way I
could have done this without her.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>She is an amazing person and my motivation for all I do.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpmMPtX8SyPhVe0ZV5G4zCwoSEtKtKOPExyKrU74GjEzkH3BMY_GdDOVJ_rJTDkZ1lFzJuOj0VQTMNgyls6QbBlgiO07FtKsSnw3CYcorSiLIlrsKHH444TKrks7ET4euBaRDrawDGc4/s1600/DSC_0160_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpmMPtX8SyPhVe0ZV5G4zCwoSEtKtKOPExyKrU74GjEzkH3BMY_GdDOVJ_rJTDkZ1lFzJuOj0VQTMNgyls6QbBlgiO07FtKsSnw3CYcorSiLIlrsKHH444TKrks7ET4euBaRDrawDGc4/s320/DSC_0160_2.JPG" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Brother with Little Sister</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I also need to thank my partners for their support:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The entire staff at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fraser
Bicycle</b> (<a href="http://www.fraserbicycle.com/">www.fraserbicycle.com</a>),
but especially<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> Paul Rogers</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ron Schmid</b> for being there not only to
help ensure my bike was mechanically perfect, but also to take care of all my
last minute issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Chris Goddard</b> for spending all those
hours swapping parts so I get my fit <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">just</i>
right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Head Coach <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bonnie Karas</b>, for helping to come up
with a creative training plan to get me where I needed to be, with all the
personal constraints I had this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Ron Tew</b> at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">BMC Bicycles</b> (<a href="http://www.bmc-racing.com/">www.bmc-racing.com</a>) for setting me up with
the rocket ship called the BMC TM01. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sebastian</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Sylvie Linke</b> at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">SLS3</b> (<a href="http://www.slstri.com/">www.slstri.com</a>) for
making some of the most comfortable tri-shorts I’ve used and compression gear
that was essential to my day-to-day recovery.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Robert Kunz </b>at <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First Endurance</b> (<a href="http://www.firstdurance.com/">www.firstdurance.com</a>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the 3<sup>rd</sup> season I’ve
used First Endurance Products, including EFS, Liquid Shot, Optygen HP, Ultrage,
Multi-V and Pre-Race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I can
say is the stuff works.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
awesome.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">K-Swiss</b> (<a href="http://www.kswiss.com/">www.kswiss.com</a>) for making great shoes that
got me through all the miles of training and to the starting line injury free.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lastly, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">X-1 Audio </b>(<a href="http://www.x-1.com/">www.x-1.com</a>), formally H20 Audio, that helped
make all those hours staring at the bottom of the pool as enjoyable as possible
by adding music to my long swim sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>No doubt I will be getting a lot more use out of this next year!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So on that note, it’s time to wrap up 2012, and move on with
2013.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>See you out there!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2RAzsU9pb5v-nyoedC26T_fkhOOwFsxbuzkRGHXKJBT1x8DcA3L8vMFXyXryx1Clr8cmutVs-cQr2znIDJj0Eijdp1tTmO-Z-II3NXij4wwosVzq7CfOyPOYoAETjz8pG8NxqOylzks/s1600/IMG_1783.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq2RAzsU9pb5v-nyoedC26T_fkhOOwFsxbuzkRGHXKJBT1x8DcA3L8vMFXyXryx1Clr8cmutVs-cQr2znIDJj0Eijdp1tTmO-Z-II3NXij4wwosVzq7CfOyPOYoAETjz8pG8NxqOylzks/s320/IMG_1783.jpg" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nolan: "Way to go, Thumbs Up!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-8304410334364427902012-12-24T12:24:00.002-05:002012-12-24T12:24:27.316-05:00Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!As the holiday season is now in full swing, I want to say to everyone have a Merry Christmas and a happy, fun and SAFE Holiday Season! This is always a great time I enjoy spending time with family and friends that I don't get to see too much of during the rest of the year. So enough about that, off to the festivities!<br />
<br />
Check back soon for my 2012 season review!Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-83514746346357523712012-12-10T13:19:00.002-05:002012-12-10T22:47:07.801-05:00Team Fraser MultisportLast weekend at the annual meeting, I was elected to the Board of Directors beginning in 2013. While everyone's roles and responsibilities are still to be determined, I am excited to be part of the Club Leadership for the next 2 years. With so many enthusiastic club members in triathlon, road, mountain biking, cyclocross, track, youth and juniors and touring, there is no doubt this will be an exciting and rewarding experience with so many different disciplines involved.<br />
<br />
If anyone in the southeastern Michigan area has any questions about Club Fraser, please send me a message!Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-30219456935115799172012-12-05T08:01:00.001-05:002013-02-04T12:12:03.510-05:00Swim: Concentration and Patience!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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In continuing with the theme of swim related posts, here is
yet another…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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Over the past month, I’ve upped my swim volume and frequency
considerably over my last season “norm” from roughly 3 swims per week for
10-12km to 4-5 swims per week giving 14-16km.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With this increase in swim volume, and more importantly
frequency, I’m starting to see the benefits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, it’s nothing remarkable, just incremental
improvements in my swim pace, mostly for 25m, 50m and 100m times, but a couple
of seconds here and there adds up to minutes on race day.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First off, the added frequency has really helped to improve
my feel for the water and provide a better awareness of my form (or lack
thereof!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am convinced my
form awareness is one of the critical pieces I need to make a step forward in
my swim times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no doubt I
still have a long way to go to improve my form to where it should be, but at
least I can start to tell what I am doing wrong when fatigue sets in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically as I get into longer sets,
say 300m and up, my pace starts to fall off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first this was frustrating, as the improvements in
saw in my 100m pace were not translating to longer sets.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then last week came the “AHA!”
moment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I get tired the same flaws
were happening: my hips started drop, my stroke shortened, my right arm started
to track to the side, and less body rotation causing me to pick my head up to
breathe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All issues I’ve had with
my form in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, so I am
more aware of what is happening, but the question is why and what do I do about
it?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically two things
were happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, in longer
sets when I started to get tired, my concentration drifted away from my
form.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I stopped concentrating
on my form, I reverted to my old bad habits causing an immediate drop in
pace.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it’s not just about
pounding out huge volumes of mindless meters in the pool; you actually have to
think!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, as I started to
slow, I was working harder instead of smarter causing me to increase stroke
rate, but at the cost of shortening my stroke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, pace started to drop off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So where do I go from here?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s where the patience part comes in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the pool, improvement comes in small
steps, a second here and couple of seconds there, and in the end it all adds up
to a significant amount of time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
big improvements will take time, but as long as progress is being made that’s
what counts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Moving forward, I
still have to work on my form to improve top end speed and efficiency in the
water, but also improve my endurance so that I can maintain my form throughout
my race distances.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Easy
right?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So overall, I’m happy with
the progress I’ve made so far, but I still have a long way to go!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-78666771230515915602012-11-14T07:48:00.003-05:002013-02-04T12:12:35.130-05:00Swim: Bring It On!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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As I’ve said many times through my race reports over the
past season, my swim needs some serious attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an Age-Grouper, it was always my weakness, but it never
really held me back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A decent
swim, followed by a strong bike and run, was often enough to get on the
Age-Group or Overall Amateur Podium.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While you can fake your way as an AG’er to a good finish, there is no
way this works in the Pro Field where everyone is strong all-around and a weak swim is quickly exposed in a few
ways.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most importantly when you
miss swimming with the main pack you are working harder than necessary in the
water without the draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
means time lost in the water and extra energy spent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next, you also miss biking with the main pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not only does this eliminate the minor,
but still noticeable benefit of the legal paceline, you also lose the
psychological benefit of riding next to your competition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, working harder and going
slower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This scenario always left
me off the back pack starting the run, and I was left trying to run my way up a
couple of places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the past, my swim volume was sufficient, but never
great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Typically, I was in the pool
3 times per week, sometimes more, sometimes less with an average volume of 9km
– 12 km.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, not much by
swimmer standards or even triathlete standards; just sufficient for what I
needed at the time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I definitely
hit a performance plateau with this volume and frequency over the past year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Equally as important, I have no
swimming background prior to triathlon, so I need to work harder now to bring
my swim skills up to where they need to be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Extra
time in the pool and a swim focus this off-season.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So back to my training….Over the past couple of weeks, I
started to get back to consistent training, with an even balance of swim, bike
and run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last week was a different
story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was my first swim
focus week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of fitting in
an extra bike or run if time allowed, I hit the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely a change in approach for me
where the pool was always the last place I would’ve gone if I had some extra
time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result: I hit 15km for
the week, which is my highest weekly volume I’ve ever done, and I made it to
the pool 5 times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, still not
huge volume, but it’s a good start for my first focus week back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throw in a couple of decent
rides and runs, and overall, I think my 2013 training is off to a good start!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-2289925464933592362012-11-01T13:14:00.000-04:002012-11-14T08:34:26.231-05:00It Begins!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">After a few weeks of
recovery, its time to get moving again!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I’ve really enjoyed the break from the regimented training schedule, but
after a few weeks off, I am really getting the itch to start training
again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m ready to go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s funny how the body reacts to a
rest period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First I felt tired
all the time as my body recovered.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Then I felt better physically, but not really ready mentally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now it’s been just over 4 weeks, and I
can’t wait to start training again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I feel that once I get the motivation and drive back, then I am
ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I pay a lot of attention to
my motivation level throughout the year and feel that it is one of the most
important ways our body uses to communicate what is going on in there…and now
that I got it back, I know I’m ready.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">One thing I’ve learned over
the years is that consistency is key when it comes to training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all need some recovery, but
consistent training year round, over a period of years is key for success.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So it’s a delicate balance of time off
vs. training so as soon as the drive comes back, time get back into a
consistent training schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Miss
too much time, and you lose fitness unnecessarily, and not enough time off and
you risk off-season burnout and over-training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, with that in mind…Here we go again!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial;">I’m still looking at what
races I want to do next year, but at this point it really doesn’t matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I won’t be racing again until
Spring 2013, and I know what I need to do between now and then…Until next time,
happy training!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-84965502597255762792012-10-10T13:21:00.002-04:002012-10-10T13:21:25.012-04:00Post-Season Training Update!
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<br />
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Well, since my off-season started after my last race in
Pocono, there is not much to write about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I ran….once….and I biked….once.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These first couple of weeks, I think it’s important to simply rest and
recover, both physically and mentally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It’s simple: I just listen to my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I want to swim, bike or run, I will, but if things get in
the way or I really don’t feel like it, I give myself a “free pass” this time
of year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right or wrong, it’s just
what I do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To me there is no doubt
about the importance of consistency in training, and long-term, consistent
training is necessary to yield improvements and training gains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, as part of staying consistent
(and healthy) over the long term, I also feel we all need a break to let our
bodies recover.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is this break
important?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me at least, after
many months of commitment, sacrifice and focused workouts, taking some time off
gets that fire going again and sets me up to approach that next training block
with the proper intensity and motivation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Basically I take a small step back, in the short-term, in order to see
bigger gains in the long term.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
since my next race is over 6 months away, I’d say that falls into the long-term
category of training at this point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Although it is about time to get back in the pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s it for now.</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-61183410430395249682012-10-04T14:49:00.002-04:002012-11-09T23:42:59.856-05:00Ironman Pocono 70.3 Race Report<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Ironman Pocono 70.3 was a pretty late addition to my race
calendar in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a strong
finish at IM Louisville, I wasn’t ready to call it a season and really wanted
to do one more race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
considering some downtime for recovery, there were not many options, and a road
trip to the Poconos seemed like a good idea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve already posted on my IM recovery and fitness was going
into this race, so I’m not going to go into detail again, but here is the
overview.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, my swim and
bike were very close to pre-IM levels, but my run was still a little off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Given the how my runs were going, I
know I was not hitting the same top-end pace I was easily doing before Louisville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m sure my body still needed more
recovery to run faster, but after 6 weeks with no speedwork, I felt I needed to
run my intervals fast to get my speed back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was definitely a double-edged sword and a fine-line to
balance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, I held out
hope my run would come around, but there was a good chance I would not be
setting a personal best.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But it
didn’t really matter to me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Racing
is fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Also, since this was my first season
racing in the Pro Field, I wanted more experience so it is crystal clear where
I stand and how I need to prepare for next year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So off I went to the Poconos!</div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
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First, this report will be a little different from my
previous reports.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will touch on
how my day went, but I will focus more on the race itself since this race is only
in it’s second year and I think there is a lot people need to know if they are
considering this in the future.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With that said here we go….</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Stroudsburg, Pa:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was my first time in Stroudsburg, Pa.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I lived in New Jersey, my wife and
I drove through the area many times, but never stopped here. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I arrived, the hills and trees did
not surprise me; I expected a really scenic area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, the roads, in general, are pretty poor (to put it
politely).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The main roads are
nice, but forget about the others.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And since my standards are based on Michigan roads, that really doesn’t
say much about their road quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is definitely something to consider on the bike course.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Race Logistics:</b></div>
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The logistics of this race are unlike anything I have seen
before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swim start and T1 are
about 15 miles out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Race Registration was about 10 miles out of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T2 was in town at the High School.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The finish line was about 1 mile down Main Street in the
center of Stroudsburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Race day
parking was only at the Junior High School, about 3.5 miles from T2 on the edge
of town.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On top of that you needed
to drop off bike at T1 and running gear at T2 on Saturday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In dropping off my gear, I
underestimated how long it would take to drive and park at each location, be
sure to allow plenty of time for this, it ended up taking a couple of
hours!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On race day, there were
shuttles provided between all the points, and except for a 10-minute delay at
the start, they worked well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have to give credit to the race organization for coordinating all of this,
because they worked magic keeping everything on time and where it was supposed
to be.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Pre-Race:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given the extra time we needed to allow to drive to the Jr.
High and park, plus the shuttle time to the start, I had to wake-up about 1
hour earlier than normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My alarm
went off at 3:10, which is crazy early for a race, but I couldn’t find any
other way to sleep later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Driving
to the Jr. High and the shuttle took about 1 hour in total. Also only athletes
are allowed on the shuttles, so keep this in mind if you do this race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This means that if you have spectators,
they cannot see the start and will likely only see you at T2 and the finish
line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not really spectator
friendly.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>Swim:</b></div>
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The swim was in a small lake, typical of any small inland
lake.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, this particular
location was interesting for 2 reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, T1 and the swim were at an abandoned lakeside resort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The buildings were gone, and all that
was left was the cracked asphalt, overgrown grass areas, some dead trees and
crumbling concrete walls.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Couple
that with the overcast weather on Saturday and Sunday, and it just had a weird
vibe to it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of like a
post-apocalyptic wasteland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
other factor is that it’s on the top of the mountain, so the first 4 miles of
the bike are downhill and would be fast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Really Fast.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uxn1itFfqtGT4c21IeAw9P6xNAMNC_2RSaTgd_1oPQYkfQZ3HCctSYYqj4DQfYKI5JdV_zcVIRxoSGnvDSleRZCqjHublZN0xdTYk-5Nt2c3mMOSi8H2YclD_2C08CncIXm4Doer2dA/s1600/DSCN1360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1uxn1itFfqtGT4c21IeAw9P6xNAMNC_2RSaTgd_1oPQYkfQZ3HCctSYYqj4DQfYKI5JdV_zcVIRxoSGnvDSleRZCqjHublZN0xdTYk-5Nt2c3mMOSi8H2YclD_2C08CncIXm4Doer2dA/s320/DSCN1360.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Back to my race….The water temperature was about 64 F, which
was perfect wetsuit swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
cold, but cool enough where we had little risk of overheating.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After racing in Muncie and Louisville,
where the water was high 80s, this was a nice change.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal for the swim was to hang with the pack as long as I
could, and finish in under 28 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The swim was pretty typical, but I was able to hang with the pack for
about first 500-600m (although it was the back of the women’s field, as the
men’s field pulled away), and finished in 27:49 (1:26/100m).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a good swim for me, but this
put me in 19<sup>th</sup> place out of 19 starters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As expected, I had my work cut out for me on the bike and
run!</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngqDKPV9ACy18PKOBqul6Yl1HPoEMS_pRKcIV2XxOSU2cIDi3qCOGoTNDPmVvIIeMPkFAbSgJFZxf9k0RyE_OtWXEnnlMuN4mvIuA4paXNsuCSOTS8JA8gyFWKuo0HvnA5O3QoTlpY-8/s1600/DSCN1358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjngqDKPV9ACy18PKOBqul6Yl1HPoEMS_pRKcIV2XxOSU2cIDi3qCOGoTNDPmVvIIeMPkFAbSgJFZxf9k0RyE_OtWXEnnlMuN4mvIuA4paXNsuCSOTS8JA8gyFWKuo0HvnA5O3QoTlpY-8/s320/DSCN1358.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>T1:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Given the air temperature of 48F, I thought long and hard on
how to stay warm for the first hour, while keeping my T1 time at a
minimum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For my legs, I started
the race with SLS3 calf sleeves since they would keep my legs warm on the bike
and then I would have them on for the hilly run, and since I had them under my
wetsuit, not time lost in T1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
my upper body, I ended up going with a plastic bag stuffed down my tri top,
which worked absolutely awesome to keep me warm on the downhill, and I added
arm warmers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To no surprise,
trying to put on arm warmers over wet arms was a next to impossible to do
quickly, but after a wrestling them up my arms, I threw on my helmet and
glasses and was out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally I was
on the bike and my T1 time was 3:08.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not bad considering the extra clothing I added. </div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Bike:</b></div>
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Once you leave the Transition area and turn onto the main
road, you immediately start downhill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The course drops about 900’ in the first 4 miles, which is an average
grade of 4.2%, but towards the bottom there were 2 sections of 9% descent.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add in the constant curves, I knew this
would be a fun part of the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily this was one of the few sections of perfect roads: smooth and
closed to traffic, so we really didn’t have anything to worry about, and my BMC TM01 just carved down the curves, fast and stable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I was able to j</span>ust let it rip!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Towards the bottom, I topped out at
over 49 mph, which was the fastest I have ever been on a bike!</div>
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<br /></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
After that the course turns onto Route 209 for 9-mile out
and back section.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, the roads
were good here and the course was primarily flat with a few rollers and short
climbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point I started to
catch those in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About
1.5 miles before the turnaround I was able to see Jesse Thomas in the lead
heading back the other way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based
on this, I knew I was about 9 minutes behind, and although I was catching up to
those just in front of me, I was pretty far behind the main pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since we don’t pass each other again
for the rest of the course, I knew I needed to stay focused, ride to my power
plan and then see where I was out on the run course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The remainder of the ride was typical of my other Pro races
this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I steadily made
progress through the back of the field, passing first the Pro Women and then a
couple of Men every few miles until the end.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziU3O1jFlGo_N8rND-uzoJIkBtLg3lMIgvpxoW00HiLmt6QI2sIV9TrpFf81vkHP0tJ9mY8SD1nzPUhUADBQkbNu2ZuOWmB20lVLJyZjQ81jZcInsBXoSW3F3NGRW7CfeU5aXhO3NrLc/s1600/DSCN1350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjziU3O1jFlGo_N8rND-uzoJIkBtLg3lMIgvpxoW00HiLmt6QI2sIV9TrpFf81vkHP0tJ9mY8SD1nzPUhUADBQkbNu2ZuOWmB20lVLJyZjQ81jZcInsBXoSW3F3NGRW7CfeU5aXhO3NrLc/s320/DSCN1350.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
Around mile 25, the course turns off 209, and this is where we say goodbye to
the smooth roads.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of the
course was in pretty rough shape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Had the road condition been better the course would have been really
fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it was, it is a fun
course, but with all the cracks, potholes and a few unmarked hazards, the added
risk took away some of the enjoyment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While it is always a good idea to drive the course prior to the race,
here it is absolutely essential.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Too many short, steep climbs, descents, fast turns and poor road
conditions made prior knowledge not just helpful for a fast time, but critical for
your own safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The areas that
really stick out in my mind are on the Community Drive, River Road, Broad
Street, Cherry Valley Road….pretty much the entire course after Route 209.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a section on Cherry Valley
Road where the road collapsed and slid a bit down the side of the hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Race patched this short section
(about 100’) in with gravel ramps during the race, something they pointed out
in the pre-race briefing, but still surprising when you see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The worst part was around mile 48-50, where after a gradual
downhill, the road crosses another road with a significant crown.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Without any warning, and probably going
over 30 mph, I saw the hump but it was too late.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I held on to my extensions and tried to absorb the impact.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure I caught air as I flew over
the top and after regaining control of my bike on the other side I was able to
ride away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily for me, there
was no one else around, but if I had been around a bunch of other riders, then
I’m sure I would have taken someone out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I would hope next time this is marked with a sign or orange paint.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By the end of the bike, I was still holding my power steady
and feeling good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My time was 2:24
(23.3 mph) based on 250w average (260w normalized).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My power was a few watts lower than I expected, but if I
ignore the first 4 miles where my power was less than 200w, my power was right
on my plan with an IF of 0.85.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By
the end of the ride, I was in 15<sup>th</sup> place.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I stuck with my standard HIM nutrition plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started with 2 bottles of First
Endurance EFS with 2 scoops each, and I grabbed 1 bottle of Perform at an aid
station.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave me about 25 oz
of fluid and just over 300 calories per hour.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also carried the First Endurance Hand Grenade (1/2 flask
of FE Liquid Shot with ½ water and ½ scoop of FE Pre-Race), and drank the first
half 30 minutes in, and the rest about 1:45 into the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I felt energized throughout and my
power never dropped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Like Brian
Shea from Personal Best Nutrition says: With nutrition if it works, don’t fix
it!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>T2: </b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In and out pretty quick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nothing remarkable here, threw on my socks, grabbed my visor
and glasses and headed out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time:
1:19</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Run:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I left T2, I immediately noticed both shins starting to
ache and tighten up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest of
my legs were feeling a little heavy, but typical of past races and I knew they
would be fine shortly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However my
shins were really getting my attention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Based on my recent training paces, I was targeting a time of sub-1:25,
and my plan for today was to start out 6:45, the build my pace over the first
few miles and settled into 6:20s for the rest of the run. The run is and out
and back style of course with small rollers both directions and a net elevation
gain of about 500’ on the way out and then descend on the return to the
finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall, the run course
was nice, but with most of it on the shoulder of the road, nothing was particularly
great about it either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyway,
back to the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After about the
first ½ mile, I knew I needed to modify this strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My shins were really hurting, and
slowing down was only way to get some relief.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This has never happened to me before, but I am pretty confident
of the cause:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>my shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I went with my short course shoes which
were the K-Swiss K-Ruuz racing flats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Given my residual aches from Louisville, I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">should</i> have used my long distance shoes, the Kwicky Blades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point though, it didn’t
matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was stuck with my shoes
for the race and needed to find a way to get to the finish.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
My new strategy was to back off the pace and hold right at
7:00 min/mile for the first 3-4 miles with the hope my shins would loosen up
and feel better.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, at
mile 1.5 I was passed, and lost one of the positions I gained on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally at mile 4, it was like a switch
was flipped.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instantly my shins
felt better and I picked up my pace to 6:40 – 6:45.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan was to keep it there until the turnaround at about
mile 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just before the turnaround
I was passed again and lost another position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I had a decision to make: Two places were just a couple
of hundred yards in front of me, and I knew if I had any chance to gain those
back, I needed to move….Now!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time
was running out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was feeling
better and with 6 miles to go, I picked up the pace again and was holding
around 6:20s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At first I wasn’t
making any progress, but finally around mile 9, I was starting to close the gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, I made my first pass of Martin
Lamontagne Lacasse at mile 10.5 and then continued to push and passed the Ryan
Kelly at mile 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point, I
was now feeling good and my pace felt great.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Too bad it took me until the second half to feel good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I maintained this pace to the finish
where I crossed the line just behind Tenile Hoogland, the Women’s Winner.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, my run split was 1:28:07 (6:43 min/mile), which
was a slower than I wanted, but overall I am happy with my race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My total time was 4:24:23 and I
finished 14<sup>th</sup> Place Male Pro (coincidentally, my race number was 14!)
and 15<sup>th</sup> Place in the Pro Field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though my recovery was a big question mark heading into
this race, I don’t think it would have changed where I finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe my time would have been a little
different, but looking at the gap to the group in front of me, I’m pretty sure
the result would have been the same.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With this in mind, I consider my race a success, since I had a great
time, and gained more Pro experience as I begin develop my 2013 schedule….and now there
is no doubt where I need to focus my off-season!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As far as the race in general, would I do it again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes and no.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The course was fun, and if the roads were fixed on the bike,
it would be one of the best bike courses around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, with the condition of roads and the complex
logistics, it would not be high on my list to return to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As smooth as the organization made the
logistics of the race, it still was an added complexity that we had to deal
with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Add in the fact that there
is limited access to spectators outside of town, I would not want to take my
family with me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why wake them up
at 3:00 AM, only to have them wait until almost 10:00 AM to see me the first
and only time before the finish?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That wouldn’t really go over too well, so I would only consider dong
this race as a participant, but a family destination type race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So bottom line, this is not a race
where I would make a point to do again, but I would consider it a viable option
is necessary.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lastly, I could not have done this alone and without the full
support of my family: Erica, Nolan and Sofiella.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, I need to thank <a href="http://www.fraserbicycle.com/">Fraser Bicycle</a>, <a href="http://www.bmc-racing.com/">BMC Bicycles</a>,
<a href="http://www.firstendurance.com/">First Endurance</a>, <a href="http://www.sls3.com/">SLS3</a>, <a href="http://www.kswiss.com/">K-Swiss</a> and<a href="http://www.h20audio.com/"> H20 Audio</a> for your continued support through
my 2012 season and helping me achieve my goals and success over the past year!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-42583459189274986922012-10-03T10:21:00.002-04:002012-11-09T23:43:46.458-05:00The Ironman Recovery Roller Coaster!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
The weeks immediately after an Ironman are always a series
of ups and down….kind of like a roller coaster.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I haven’t done many Ironman Distance races, IM
Louisville was my 5th, but it has been enough for me to notice some trends in
my recovery and mental state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Based on that, here is a summary of my past weeks between Ironman
Louisville and Pocono 70.3….</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Post-IM Week 1:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
For me, the key is purely recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I always took a few days off and
started some light training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First
with swimming and biking, then some running once the soreness had been gone for
at least a full day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Usually this
seemed to work, and I would end up with about 5-7 hours of easy training by the
end of the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Compared to
pre-IM training this is nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However in a post-IM physical state, I would feel good for 2-3 days,
then get sick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt is was
from doing too much too soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
time was a little different.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Due
to work commitments, I was forced to take a full 4 days off of training, then
eased back with easy sessions over the weekend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While it seemed like I was taking off too much time and
wanted to get right back it, in reality, I was just listening to my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking back this was the right
decision, because when I started training again, I was mentally ready to start
the process.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Post-IM Weeks 2 & 3:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now is where regular training starts again, and the roller
coaster ride begins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this
point, the general soreness, general fatigue and tiredness is gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mentally, I am ready to go, but deep
down my body is still recovering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This is really noticeable when trying harder efforts or longer
intervals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I start out feeling
great, but slowly and surely my power falls off, my pace creeps up and by then
end, I am left with a very unsatisfying workout and frustrated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t hit my plan, but I didn’t feel
tired….my body just wouldn’t perform.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I know the answer, but sometimes it’s hard to comprehend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I take an easy day, and try again
later in the week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bingo!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More rest was the answer, and my power
and pace starts to get closer to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This time my recovery seemed to progress about 1 week ahead of my past
IMs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of week 3 I was
about 90% of pre-IM fitness, based on my bike power and swim and run
paces.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of what makes this so frustrating
is that you know it going in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
know it will take this long to recover….but mentally when you are feeling good,
you expect your body to perform, and when it doesn’t, well….it’s just
frustrating to put it politely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Highs and lows, just like a roller coaster!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
At the end of Week 3, the volume is also starting to creep
back up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a great 3.5 hour race
rehearsal brick on Saturday and followed that up with participating as the
cyclist in an Olympic tri-relay fundraiser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race rehearsal went perfect for the ride and run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My power in the relay was lower than I
wanted, but again was about 90% of my pre-IM for that type of effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not bad for me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As far as running, this takes the
longest to get back to normal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
have had great runs of over an hour, but when I get close to 90 minutes…. I can
tell I am only 3 weeks into recovery.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>How you might ask?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Things
start to get sore that didn’t prior to the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me this is IT bands and hip flexors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Time for more recovery, and back to the
foam roller!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Post-IM Week 4:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By this point everything is getting closer to pre-IM
levels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Endurance and intensity
are back up and are my RPE is starting to feel “normal” again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know I am still a little off of where
I was pre-IM, but I’m close.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
far into my recovery, I know I can push my training sessions without feeling I
am on the edge of injury, but I still pay close attention to my body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If I’m feeling tired, I’ll take it a
little easier, but if I feel good, I know I can push it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><b>Post-IM Week 5 / Pocono 70.3 Race Week:</b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the days leading up to Ironman Pocono 70.3,
I won’t know for sure if I am completely recovered until I race, I am feeling good
going in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Over the past 5 weeks, I
tried to be patient and listen to my body, but when the gun goes off on
Sunday, only then will I truly know how my body is doing!</div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-81563559706943786892012-09-26T11:06:00.001-04:002012-09-26T11:08:27.378-04:00Amy Gluck Needs Your Help!Local SE Michigan Triathlete, Amy Gluck, was involved in a serious accident while training on September 15. One of her partners, Soas Racing, has started the following program to help her on her road to recovery:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R34Y6eW4gHPC8vYtFWe8QmOm_X5h9P_TforaD-BNgoZHaRov9InmxD21jyT4MTErnU-8OZTXvk-DHsmd6WmJ9leliZBxHPpSmB1gvF9JAzflZHDcX1WljkFnk7UT48PxdTpRUMy_Tq8/s1600/feature_teamAll.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2R34Y6eW4gHPC8vYtFWe8QmOm_X5h9P_TforaD-BNgoZHaRov9InmxD21jyT4MTErnU-8OZTXvk-DHsmd6WmJ9leliZBxHPpSmB1gvF9JAzflZHDcX1WljkFnk7UT48PxdTpRUMy_Tq8/s320/feature_teamAll.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Here is the website for the sweatbands:<br />
<br />
http://shop.soasracing.com/apparel/we-love-amy-sweatband/<br />
<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 12px;"></span>As reported on the Soas Website:<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;">Amy Gluck was in a horrible bike accident Sept. 15th. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;"><br />Buy this sweatband to help Amy on her Road to Recovery! 100% of proceeds go to Amy to help with on-going medical costs. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;">SOAS will be sporting custom Amy sweatbands in Kona on raceday. Join us in showing support for this amazing lady and phenomenal athlete by wearing one too (whether you are training / racing / or cheering)! </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;">SOAS will be donating the cost of the sweatbands so all contributions will go directly to Amy to help her on her road to recovery. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;"></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: grey;">For information on other donation amounts please email us at<a href="mailto:info@soasracing.com" style="color: #0e4369; text-decoration: none;">info@soasracing.com</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #33cccc;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/a-local-tri-athlete-is-in-the-race-for-her-life-after-a-horrific-accident-has-left-her-in-a-coma" style="color: #0e4369; text-decoration: none;"><br /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<span style="color: #33cccc;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/a-local-tri-athlete-is-in-the-race-for-her-life-after-a-horrific-accident-has-left-her-in-a-coma" style="color: #0e4369; text-decoration: none;">http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/detroit/a-local-tri-athlete-is-in-the-race-for-her-life-after-a-horrific-accident-has-left-her-in-a-coma</a></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 7px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 7px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-34401777578813929002012-09-13T07:49:00.000-04:002012-09-13T07:50:58.761-04:00Ironman Louisville CoverageFor the first time, I made the picture gallery in the media coverage. The following picture was #3 in the Lava Magazine race photo gallery:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HnXvvTDBr66GXyGbQwY4eM_othU0D7C95F7fOWWYuWPNprK8nxuy7bu7AGTlikbmCDB6JZ8MGcvHFasTDs8TNZmxa0bBCD7rSddP9R_vAtrwL958jeMiGWo3flbahdLeIpx6-cf-WV0/s1600/20120826-IMG_2181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0HnXvvTDBr66GXyGbQwY4eM_othU0D7C95F7fOWWYuWPNprK8nxuy7bu7AGTlikbmCDB6JZ8MGcvHFasTDs8TNZmxa0bBCD7rSddP9R_vAtrwL958jeMiGWo3flbahdLeIpx6-cf-WV0/s400/20120826-IMG_2181.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of Lava Magazine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Here is the link:<br />
http://lavamagazine.com/features/gallery-ironman-louisville/#axzz26Lj2fAQ1<br />
<br />
Thanks Lava!Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-83873067078020306752012-08-31T11:41:00.004-04:002012-11-09T23:44:27.161-05:00Ironman Louisville: First Professional Ironman: 5th Place<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Since my first Professional race at the shortened Muncie
70.3, my training had been focused on getting ready for Ironman
Louisville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since Muncie was basically
an Olympic distance, it didn’t provide the race day simulation that I had
expected, but it was very helpful in seeing where I stand against the other
professionals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mainly, my swim
needed some serious help and focus before Louisville.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that in mind, Coach Bonnie Karas from Fraser Bicycle
and I developed a plan to do what we could in the 7 weeks between the races
while still developing as needed on both the bike and run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To sum it up:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>more swimming!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Everything was going according to plan and my times/paces
were peaking in all 3 disciplines, until my last weekend training…..This is when
10 minutes into my ride, I needed to avoid a deep pothole in the road, and I instead
hit a baseball size chunk of asphalt, that I didn’t see until after I hit it! This
shot me into the bushes on the side of the road, bending my front wheel in
half, which then launched me over the bars, back into the road landing on my
back and cracking my helmet in 4 places.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Not exactly that way you want to end your final training weekend!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily, a scraped back, road rash on
my hip and really stiff neck were the result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No doubt I was really lucky that my injuries were so
minor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a side note, I will
forever wear a helmet when I ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Without a helmet, who knows what would have been the result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Equipment-wise, besides a broken helmet
and destroyed front wheel, my bike was fine with only a few minor scratches
where it hit the pavement.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">This unexpected little twist changed my whole outlook
on race week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Instead of resting, packing
and preparing, my focus turned to injury repair and damage control.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was doing everything I could think of
to heal my wounds and loosen up my neck: ice, heat, massage, ointments, and
ibuprofen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everyday I was getting
incrementally better and while neck didn't seem too limiting in my range of
motion it was definitely a nuisance. After a few short training sessions,
at least I knew that I could still swim, bike and run at my expected paces, but
he big question mark is how would it feel after 6, 7 or 8 hours into my
day....and would it hold up to 112 miles on the bike?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was no way to know until race day, so I just focused
on what I could control in the final days and knew I would just deal with it on
race day as required.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">I arrived in Louisville on Thursday, and basically
went through the usual list of activities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Get my equipment ready, get mentally ready, and develop a
plan to deal with the forecasted 92 F heat and recon the courses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty uneventful, so on to race day!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">With the Pro start at 6:50, my day began 3 hours
earlier at 3:50.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No matter how
many times I get up this early for race day, it really doesn’t get any
easier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yes I was excited for the
race, but man, that it early!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Maybe I need to streamline my morning rituals so I can get a little
extra sleep next time…..<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again
usual pre-race activities, breakfast which included a bowl of Bare Naked
Chocolate granola with almond milk, a Lara Bar and some coffee, all consumed
about 2.5 hours before the start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At about 5:10, I left my hotel for the 10-minute walk to the Transition
area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, pretty uneventful as
I stashed my bike and run flasks in the transition bags, and then got my bike
ready.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By 6:00 I was walk down to
the start area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At 6:20, I took my
Biest-Booster for an extra kick at the start and about 1 serving of First
Endurance Liquid Shot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As expected
the water was warm so this was not a wetsuit legal swim, and I decided to wear
the SLS3 Fobic tri suit over my typical race kit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When it came time to head to the start at 6:30, the sky was
still pretty dark, since the sun had just broken the horizon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a result, instead of my usual tinted
race goggles, I went with lighter lenses and I am glad I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would not have seen a thing had I
used my normal goggles, so keep that in mind if you ever decide to do this
race: bring light goggles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
Louisville, the Pro swim start is definitely a benefit over the age-group
start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides starting early, we
are able to get in the water about 5 minutes early for a short warm-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For me this is huge, since I really
don’t start well without getting in the water first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now race time!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Swim:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">At 6:49 they made the announcement to get lined up
for our in-water start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all
lined up, pretty much shoulder-to-shoulder all on the start line, and I chose
to stay off to the side closer to where we entered the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, the horn sounded and we were
off!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The swim start was
great!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was not really any
congestion and I was able to get into a good rhythm rather quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I focused on my technique and stayed
with the large pack for about 3-4 minutes until it started to stretch out a
little, and finally a small gap formed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>For the next 5-6 minutes I just stayed on the feet in front of me in a
smaller pack, which ended up being Tim Beardall, trying to get whatever benefit
I could from the draft.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At about
the 10-11 minutes mark, I decided to look up and sight…..which was not a good
decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I did this I lost
the feet in front of me and he slowly pulled away until it was about 10 meters
in front, where we stayed for the next 30 minutes or so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After rounding the turnaround buoy, we
headed back down stream towards the river, and once we passed the start area, I
began to close the gap, and shortly there after made the pass. After this it
was a lonely swim to the finish, and my neck was starting to affect my reach on
my left arm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t now if this
was actually slowing me down, but it was definitely starting to bother me and I
couldn’t wait to start the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
I crossed under the last bridge I glanced at my watch and was surprised to see
that I was already at about 54 minutes….damn!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was about 5 minutes slower than I expected!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless, I continued on until I
finally exited the water at 1:06:30 and I was in 11<sup>th</sup> place.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">As I tried to quickly and efficiently move through
T1, I lost some more time due to 2 issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First since it was going to be warm, I decided to use arm
coolers, which were helpful on the ride, however, getting those on over wet
arms was not easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Secondly, as I
pulled my bike form the rack, my X-Lab rear water bottle holder slid off the
seat rail mounts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since this has
both a bottle and my CO2’s, I needed to stop and put it on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In all I probably lost about 45 seconds
to these 2 events, but that’s racing…it happens!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>T1 time was 3:47.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Bike:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">For those of you that might want to move up into
the Pro race, my advice is this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>LEARN TO SWIM!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 3
miles into the ride, Tim Beardall passed me back and took off, and from that
point until about 1 hour in, I did not see 1 other rider and only a few
cars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Biking from the back is
lonely and presents it’s own challenges, primarily maintaining the mental focus
to maintain the correct power output.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It wasn’t until the out and back section around mile 20 did I finally
see the leaders going the other direction, and just before the turnaround I
finally started passing some of the Pro Women.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My pacing plan was to ride a little harder than average for
the first 1-1.5 hours to try and close the gap a little, but after about an
hour, my RPE was feeling a little higher than normal for the power and my HR
was not settling down to where I like it for hot, long rides.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At this point I decided to drop my
power back about 10 watts and just see how I was feeling over the next hour or
2.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where I ended up
keeping my power for the remainder of the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first loop of the bike was pretty uneventful, every
20-30 minutes I would see a rider up ahead and make a pass, so I knew I was
slowly clawing my way back into the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The second loop of the bike however, was nuts!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I expected it to be crowded, but this was unlike any race I
hade ever been in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The people were
not only 2, 3 or 4 wide, but with cars also trying to pass, sometimes just
driving up the center line, it made for some sketchy passes and moments.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy to finally split off to the
finish around mile 90.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From here I
was alone again until about 3 miles from the finish where I spotted about 4
riders in the distance up ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As we neared T2, I was able to pass 3 of them: 2 Pro Women (sorry I
didn’t catch the names or numbers!) and Mike Hermanson. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Dismounting into T2 about 20 seconds
ahead of me was another male, which ended up being the lead age grouper, Chris
Hauth who was absolutely smoking the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I completed the bike in 5:06:17 and moved up to 8<sup>th</sup>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">My nutrition plan for the bike was similar to what
I have used in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started
with 3 bottles of First Endurance EFS with 2 scoops each.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I drank one of these per hour, and then
grabbed Perform at the aid stations for the remainder of the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I lost track of how many Perform
bottles I drank, but since I needed the extra fluids, I think it was 4 bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition I supplemented with plain
water to thirst and probably drank about 2 more bottles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With the plain water and Perform, I
also took 5 salt stick tabs to keep my electrolytes up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lastly, I drank 3/4 of a flask of First
Endurance Liquid Shot (Kona Mocha) split at 1 serving per hour and took a First
Endurance Pre-Race cap at 2:30 into the ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up dropped it at an aid station before I took my
last serving so I ended up also taking 2 Gu Roctane gels and skipped the other
FE Pre-Race capes since the Roctane already was 2x caffeine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In total, this averages to about 300
cal/hr.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Again, the plan is to move efficiently and
quickly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put on my SLS3
Compression socks, K-Swiss Kwicky Blades, grabbed my sunglasses, visor and Liquid
Shot flask and I was off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made
the pass for 7<sup>th</sup> in T2 and began the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Total time was 3:15.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">My plan for the run was a little more aggressive
than in my past Ironman races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Typically I would hold back until the second half and then just run to
feel for the remainder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was a
great plan as I typically negative split my marathons and feel good, but I
think I was leaving too much time out on the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My plan for Louisville was to start at about 7:15 min/mile
for the first 2 miles, until I found my running legs then pick it up for 7:00
as long as I could hold it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
the race into T2 was so close, my plan went out the window and I immediately
started at 6:58 for my first mile, then settled right into 7:00 – 7:05 min
miles from there on out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
about 2 miles, I was feeling good and getting in to a good rhythm, and just
kept the pace on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I didn’t know if
I was catching anyone at this pint, but I knew that at this pace in the 92F
heat, I wouldn’t be losing much time either.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just like the bike, I slowly began to catch the other Pros
in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First it was Terra
Castro around mile 3 (I think), and then Jackie Arendt around mile 5.5.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately at mile 6, my stomach was
starting to revolt a little and I felt the need to make a quick stop at the
next aid station around mile 7.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Luckily I only lost about 1 minute with my stop, and in the minute Chris
Hauth again passed me back, but since he was running a similar pace I was able
to pace off him and maintain 7:05 – 7:15 mile 8 through 15.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Around mile 11, I started to feel a
slight side cramp.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My only thought
to address this was more salt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So
I doubled up on the salt tabs and took about 5 between mile 11 and 13 and the
cramp started to go away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From
that point on, I made sure to take 1 salt stick tab per aid station, and I had
no further cramping issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally
at mile 15, focused on the maintaining my pace around 7:10 min/mile to try and
close the gap to 5<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>As I was heading out, I saw the bike escorts heading back to the finish
with Patrick Evoe in First, Chris McDonald in Second, and Thomas Gerlach in
third.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then there was a gap and I
knew I was about ½ mile from the turnaround.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started to think a pass was possible, and then I saw Jason
Shortis in Fourth, with about a 9-minute lead over me with 6 miles to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This gave me a boost since I knew 5<sup>th</sup>
had to be just in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As
I neared the turnaround I finally saw the 5<sup>th</sup> Place bike
escort…..and he was only 30 seconds in front of me!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jackpot!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew
that since I had caught him, I could make this pass stick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So at the fist aid station after the
turnaround I passed Tim Beardall for 5<sup>th</sup>!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the chaos of the aid station the biker didn’t even see me
pass until about ½ mile up the road, but that was fine and I wasn’t
waiting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I continued at 7:10 –
7:15 min/mile until finally at mile 24 there was no one in sight behind me so I
started to back off a little to be sure I finished.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I closed the run at about a 7:30 pace and tried to take it
all in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my first Pro Ironman, I
never expected to be on the podium, let alone top 5 with a biker! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I enjoyed those final minutes coming
down the finished chute at Fourth Street Live, cheering with the fans and
giving high-fives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was awesome!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My day was finally over and I had the 3<sup>rd</sup>
fastest Professional run split of the day at 3:09:01, which was only behind Patrick Evoe and
Chris McDonald (first and second overall respectively)!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My total time was 9:28:50, which put me
in 5<sup>th</sup> Place Professional!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">My nutrition plan for the run is way simpler than
the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started off carrying
the First Endurance Hand Grenade (Liquid Shot flask that is 1/2 LS gel, 1/2
water with 1/2 scoop of Pre-Race) that I took at mile 4 and 10.5 (about 28
minutes in and 1:15). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Besides that
it was Perform and water at each aid station, then Coke starting about mile 11
until the end and a tone of Salt Stick tabs, probably about 20 in total.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Later on in the evening I returned to the finish
line area and the place was electric.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It was a really festive and cool atmosphere.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I saw Bree Wee, Patrick Evoe and Chris McDonald handing out
medals to the finishers, and I thought that would be fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know typically it is the winners that
get to do this, but I felt it was something that all Professionals should do
and I figured that being on the podium was good enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I asked Head Volunteer in the area
and she said go ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If anyone
gets a chance to do this I highly recommend it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When you hang that medal around their neck, the look on
their faces and their reactions are priceless. .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know in my first Ironman when I finished in 14:03, I would
have been blown away if I received my medal from a “Pro”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a very fulfilling way to end my
day.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">It’s hard to sum up my day, but it was just an
awesome and amazing experience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Going into the race I didn’t really know what to expect in terms of
placing, but I knew I would be satisfied as long as I executed my race
properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While I was a little
disappointed in my swim and bike split times, my run speaks for itself that I
paced the first 2 segments properly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This also really shows me where I need to focus from here:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>swim and bike!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Ironman is by no means a solo effort and I need to
thank those that helped me get to the starting and finish line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First off my wife Erica who is the most
patient and supportive person for helping me do this and achieve my goals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sacrifice she makes on a daily
basis so I can train, I can’t put into words.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My 4-year old son Nolan and 1 month old daughter Sofiella I
carried with me all day, and gave me the strength to maintain my focus especially
when this did not go as planned in the beginning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Paul Rogers and Ron Schmid at Fraser Bicycle that set me up
and made sure my BMC TM 01 is ready come race day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coach Bonnie Karas, also from Fraser Bicycle that has helped
me transform from a 10:18 Ironman in 2010, to 9:43 at IMCDA and 9:45 in Kona
last year, to finally getting my Pro card and a 9:28 in 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ron Tew from BMC bicycles for setting
me up with the rocket ship called the TM01, that saves me those precious watts
so I can run that much faster. Sebastian and Sylvie from SLS3 for some kick-ass
compression gear, speedsuit, race shorts and socks. First Endurance for the best
products in sports nutrition that are critical in performing optimally both in training
and racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The K-Swiss K-Fast
program for my running shoes, and finally H20 Audio for keeping me sane in
those long pool sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">What’s next?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>At this point, I am not sure for 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would like to find another race that fits in my schedule,
but I know this:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll be back next
year, stay tuned!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2963548028018198108.post-87740562000671616452012-08-29T15:30:00.002-04:002012-08-29T23:10:05.313-04:00Ironman Louisville Pro Debut: 5th Place Professional!It's been a while since my last post, but since Muncie, my focus has been on getting ready for Ironman Louisville: My first Ironman as a Professional. I will be writing a detailed race report in the coming days, but I can't wait until I finish the complete race report: I finished in 5th place with a personal best time of 9:28:50! <br />
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It was a great day for me that began with losing time on the swim, clawing back time on the bike and then unleashing a great run with the 3rd fastest run split of the day (3:09) only behind Patrick Evoe and Chris McDonald, who finished first and second overall respectively.<br />
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Check back in a couple of days for a detailed summary race day execution and nutrition plan.Tom Maliszewski IIIhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18237777057885350445noreply@blogger.com1