Choosing an Ironman Race – Which One?
“Swim 2.4 miles! Bike 112 miles! Run 26.2 miles! Brag for the rest of your life!” — Commander John Collins, USN (1978) A client asked me recently about choosing which Ironman distance race (2.4-mile swim / 112-mile bike / 26.2-mile run) to compete in: “Just thought I’d reach out and get your input for choosing your first Ironman and how to go about registering. I’ve decided I’m going to do a Half Ironman this summer/fall, complete a marathon in late fall, and then try to tackle an Ironman next year. I’ve heard of the great difficulty in registering...
Read MoreBike Mounts During Triathlon: Good, Bad and Ugly
I had the opportunity this past weekend to watch the Dextro Energy DC Triathlon on Sunday, June 21st. While waiting for my girlfriend, Krista Schultz, I thought it might be fun and informative to video some of the athletes mounting their bikes as they left transition. Watch and see: My takeaways: There are two methods for handling bike shoes: (1) mount shoes on bike or (2) put on shoes in transition area. The majority of the athletes who tried #1 were not very smooth when they mounted then swerved as they messed with trying to get their feet into their shoes and I saw a few dropped...
Read MoreBaselining Bike Fitness: Church Creek TT + Eagleman Bike Relay
I raced in the Church Creek 40k Time Trial (TT) on Saturday then did the 56-mile bike leg of Eagleman for the She Does Tri relay team on Sunday. I wanted to baseline my bike fitness so that I can answer this single question: “Is my fitness ‘good enough’ for me to be ready to compete in Vineman Full (Ironman distance) on August 1?” My results from the weekend: Church Creek TT: 0:59:27 (25.2 mph) for 9th out of 21 in Masters Men 35+ Category Eagleman Bike: 2:22:26 (23.7 mph) for 2nd out of 10 in Mixed (M/F) Relay Category The short answer is “Yes.” My...
Read MoreSo How Does One Gain Entry into Ironman Hawaii?
For those who are unfamiliar with how to gain entry into the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, here’s a brief summary of how it works: An athlete either has to: Be a celebrity, Win a slot in the Ironman Lottery or Earn a qualifying slot at another Ironman race. The Ironman Lottery Program offers the chance to win one of 150 slots for citizens of the United States or 50 slots to international competitors for a $35 fee. You can improve your chances by paying an additional $50 to join the the Ironman Passport Club. I imagine that Ironman makes a significant amount of money off...
Read MoreDealing with “Stuff” on Race Day
I recently wrote an article that appeared on USA Triathlon’s website about the stuff” that always seems to occur during training and racing whether it’s a flat tire, choppy swim conditions, a dropped water bottle or oppressive heat on the run. 6x Ironman Hawaii champion Dave Scott’s advice for race day: “Be in the moment.” I received an email from Russ Preble (Age Group 75-79) who read the article and shared two of his experiences with “stuff” on race day and how he dealt with it: Am taking you at your word and writing about two instances of...
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