On Saturday, I participated in my last sprint triathlon of the season, the Crescent Moon Sprint Triathlon. The race involved a 750 meter swim in Cherry Creek reservoir, a 20k ride (about 12.3 miles), and a 5k run (3.1 miles). This was my best triathlon yet. I feel I'm in the best shape of the season, with my half-marathon just 2 weeks ago, and a number of good training sessions since then. I also participated in the Harvest Moon Long Course Aquabike event last weekend. For the Aquabike event, I swam 1.2 miles and rode 56 miles, my longest event so far (excluding century rides, which really aren't races).
I was wavering on whether to even do the Crescent Moon, as I felt I had done enough for the season. But I had a conversation with a friend of mine who has very nice biking equipment. He offered to let me try out his Zipp 404 road racing wheels. I have been flirting with the idea of replacing my stock, semi-aerodynamic Reynolds Alta Comp wheels with something faster. The Zipp 404s cost around $1500 for the pair, and are designed to be very aerodynamic. My friend estimated that on a flat course, I could pick up 1 to 1.5 miles per hour of speed. As it turns out, I had rode the course earlier in the summer during the "Tri the Creek" sprint triathlon, in what I believe was my fastest bike ride yet, at 22.7 MPH over the 13 mile course. Now, I was thinking if I picked up that much speed, I'd be over 24 MPH, and certainly one of the fastest riders in my age group. I'm a sucker for an experiment, especially when it involves cool new equipment. So I took my buddy up on his offer to borrow the Zipp 404s.
One neat toy I decided to add to my bike setup before the race was a GPS cycle computer. I went with the Garmin Edge 305 ($225 on Amazon.com). This unit gives you accurate speed and distance measurments, and most importantly for the coolness factor, plots the precise course on a Google-like map, providing actual speed, altitude, and distance at every point.
I felt like the results of this experiment would be fairly representative for me, if I decided to buy Zipp 404s. Of course, to be accurate for a typical rider, an such an experiment should include many participants of varying abilities on varying courses. Better yet, using a controlled environment like a wind tunnel would be ideal. I don't know why cycle equipment manufacturers, or possibly some of the cycle equipment magazines or trade publications don't do this. I can only believe that the actual results are less impressive than the what's implied by the slick marketing campaigns.
So, the results of my experiment:
The Zipp 404s, on this course, with me as a rider, are 0.6 MPH faster than the stock Reynolds Alta Comp wheels. The Reynolds netted 22.7 MPH, and the Zipps came in at a very respectable 23.3 MPH, the 4th fastest in my age group. To see actual results for each race, click the link the below, locate the Men's 45-49 age group, then look for my name, Kirstan Vandersluis:
2009 Tri the Creek
2009 Crescent Moon Triathlon Results
So, the question for me is, does it make sense to spend $1500 for a wheelset to improve my speed by 0.6 MPH? That translates to significant time, especially for longer distances. For now, I'm on the fence and will have to think about this. I have thought of several alternatives, as well. The most likely candidate is to purchase a Renn Disk for the rear wheel (about $600), then get something fairly aero for the front as well, possibly the Zipp 404. That setup should be even faster, since a disk in the rear should outperform a Zipp 404 in the rear. I'm not sure by how much. I guess that leaves room for another experiment!
Monday, September 21, 2009
Friday, September 11, 2009
Half-Marathon Day!
I made it! I had a really good run (for a non-runner!), and I managed to break 2 hours with a really hard effort. My finish time was 1:58:55. I followed my plan of chasing the 2 hour pacer on the way out. If you're not familiar, a pacer is a runner who tries to hit a specific time at a constant pace. It turns out the 2 hour pacer was just a bit faster than pace, but I managed to stay up with her until the half-way mark. I was right at 59:00 at the half-way mark, a minute faster than the 2 hour pace. That was the slight uphill portion, so the second half was slightly down-hill. The pace was pretty hard for me, as I expected. My heart rate was averaging about 162 BPM on the way out. On the way back, I just wanted to watch my time, and see if I could hang on to break the 2 hour mark. I started getting pretty tired about the 9 mile mark, but I kept a close watch on my pace, and I only fell off slightly. The downhill helped quite a bit, and I was on very familiar territory, as the last 4 miles was on the trail near Colorado College, my normal training path. It also helped that nearby runners were keeping a consistent pace, so I just had to gut it out and keep up.
Brenda finished her marathon, just slightly off of her desired pace of 4:30. The heat got to her around the 18 mile mark, and she puked while taking some energy gel. She was staying up with the 4:30 pacer, but had to back off after the puking incident. She finished up at 4:42.
My soreness the day after the run was pretty severe. It occurs to me that a decent athlete can push himself pretty hard, even if not properly prepared. This is exactly my case. Three weeks of relatively light training is nowhere near enough preparation for this length of run.
The bottom line is, I am extremely happy with my run. I kept thinking that the worst thing would be to come in just over 2 hours. Then, I'd be tempted to run again to break that barrier. As it stands, I am now qualified for the Pikes Peak Ascent next summer. That is a huge relief, and now I am very much looking forward to that event, to experience the exhilaration again of reaching the Peak.
Next up for me is a long course Aquabike competition as part of the Harvest Moon triathlon. This will likely be my last event of the year, as fall is moving in and water temperatures are falling fast. I'll be swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 miles, the distances of a half Ironman triathlon. The best news for me is, no run is required!
Brenda finished her marathon, just slightly off of her desired pace of 4:30. The heat got to her around the 18 mile mark, and she puked while taking some energy gel. She was staying up with the 4:30 pacer, but had to back off after the puking incident. She finished up at 4:42.
My soreness the day after the run was pretty severe. It occurs to me that a decent athlete can push himself pretty hard, even if not properly prepared. This is exactly my case. Three weeks of relatively light training is nowhere near enough preparation for this length of run.
The bottom line is, I am extremely happy with my run. I kept thinking that the worst thing would be to come in just over 2 hours. Then, I'd be tempted to run again to break that barrier. As it stands, I am now qualified for the Pikes Peak Ascent next summer. That is a huge relief, and now I am very much looking forward to that event, to experience the exhilaration again of reaching the Peak.
Next up for me is a long course Aquabike competition as part of the Harvest Moon triathlon. This will likely be my last event of the year, as fall is moving in and water temperatures are falling fast. I'll be swimming 1.2 miles and biking 56 miles, the distances of a half Ironman triathlon. The best news for me is, no run is required!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Week 3, Run 2
Thursday, Sep 3, 2009
My knees have been feeling pretty good the last couple of days. I recovered better from my 8 mile run on Monday than on any other run during this 3 week training period. In the back of my mind, I am vaguely hopeful I can break 2 hours for the half marathon on Monday. For that to happen, I'll need to average 9:09 per mile, about 50 seconds faster than what I averaged on my 8 mile run earlier in the week. I feel like I could increase the effort somewhat, but the real savings would be to skip the 1 minute run, which costs me 30 seconds.
Today, I ran 4 miles in the heat of the day, on the Sante Fe Trail near Colorado College. My goal was to comfortably beat the 9:09 pace. I skipped the 1 minute walk during each mile for this run. I wore my heart monitor, to see how much higher my heart rate would be with the faster pace. I ended up running 4 miles in 35:40, which is almost 15 seconds faster per mile that the pace required. However, my heart rate did escalate to aabout 162 beats per minute during the second half of the run. I felt this pace was difficult, but not necessarily all-out. That heart rate, however, is what I would expect to match during a hard ride in competition. I doubt that I can keep that up for a full 2 hour run. I will have a bit of an advantage on race of having cooler temperatures, and will be better hydrated (I had no water today on the run). I do believe I can achieve the 9:09 pace for the first half of the race, the uphill portion. So my tentative plan is to hit the half-way mark at 1 hour. I'll see how I feel on the downhill portion, and at least give myself a chance. At the same time, the faster first half pace will build a very nice buffer. If I hit the proverbial wall (is there a "wall" in a half-marathon, or is that just for the full marathon?), I will have ample buffer built up to slow down, add walk-rest intervals, and still comfortably beat the 2:30 mark.
I have gradually shifted my running style towards Chi Running, moving slightly away from the Pose running method. The two styles are actually very similar. In both cases, the stride is short, and you focus on an early "lift-off" at the end of the stride to prevent the impulse to deliberately push off. I am still focusing on landing on the ball of my foot rather than the heel. I believe the Chi style, along with mid-foot landing, is the best of both worlds for me, and is the reason my knees have felt better that last week. This is the style I will use during the race.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
I went on a 14 mile ride today, my last workout before the race on Monday. I averaged 22.0 MPH over a very flat course in Denver. I was up there for my daughter's soccer game, and rode during her warmup. Boy, its nice to get a flat ride in once in a while! I believe its helpful for me to prepare for competition as well, as most events are fairly flat, unlike the terrain I train on here in Colorado Springs.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Tomorrow (Monday) is the race. Brenda and I picked up our packets today. She's excited for her second marathon tomorrow, after following the Higdon Marathon Training program. I feel I'm ready for my first half-marathon, or at least as ready as can be expected with just a 3 week training plan. I will have rested my knees for three days, and in that 3 day period, will have had just the single moderate workout consisting of a 14 mile bike ride. I believe my legs overall will feel rested and ready to go.
We will be waking up at 4:30, and leaving the house at 5:00. I'll drop her off at the marathon start, 26 miles north of the finish line. The finish line is my starting line, as the half-marathon course starts there, runs 6.6 miles north, then turns around and comes back down.
My knees have been feeling pretty good the last couple of days. I recovered better from my 8 mile run on Monday than on any other run during this 3 week training period. In the back of my mind, I am vaguely hopeful I can break 2 hours for the half marathon on Monday. For that to happen, I'll need to average 9:09 per mile, about 50 seconds faster than what I averaged on my 8 mile run earlier in the week. I feel like I could increase the effort somewhat, but the real savings would be to skip the 1 minute run, which costs me 30 seconds.
Today, I ran 4 miles in the heat of the day, on the Sante Fe Trail near Colorado College. My goal was to comfortably beat the 9:09 pace. I skipped the 1 minute walk during each mile for this run. I wore my heart monitor, to see how much higher my heart rate would be with the faster pace. I ended up running 4 miles in 35:40, which is almost 15 seconds faster per mile that the pace required. However, my heart rate did escalate to aabout 162 beats per minute during the second half of the run. I felt this pace was difficult, but not necessarily all-out. That heart rate, however, is what I would expect to match during a hard ride in competition. I doubt that I can keep that up for a full 2 hour run. I will have a bit of an advantage on race of having cooler temperatures, and will be better hydrated (I had no water today on the run). I do believe I can achieve the 9:09 pace for the first half of the race, the uphill portion. So my tentative plan is to hit the half-way mark at 1 hour. I'll see how I feel on the downhill portion, and at least give myself a chance. At the same time, the faster first half pace will build a very nice buffer. If I hit the proverbial wall (is there a "wall" in a half-marathon, or is that just for the full marathon?), I will have ample buffer built up to slow down, add walk-rest intervals, and still comfortably beat the 2:30 mark.
I have gradually shifted my running style towards Chi Running, moving slightly away from the Pose running method. The two styles are actually very similar. In both cases, the stride is short, and you focus on an early "lift-off" at the end of the stride to prevent the impulse to deliberately push off. I am still focusing on landing on the ball of my foot rather than the heel. I believe the Chi style, along with mid-foot landing, is the best of both worlds for me, and is the reason my knees have felt better that last week. This is the style I will use during the race.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
I went on a 14 mile ride today, my last workout before the race on Monday. I averaged 22.0 MPH over a very flat course in Denver. I was up there for my daughter's soccer game, and rode during her warmup. Boy, its nice to get a flat ride in once in a while! I believe its helpful for me to prepare for competition as well, as most events are fairly flat, unlike the terrain I train on here in Colorado Springs.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Tomorrow (Monday) is the race. Brenda and I picked up our packets today. She's excited for her second marathon tomorrow, after following the Higdon Marathon Training program. I feel I'm ready for my first half-marathon, or at least as ready as can be expected with just a 3 week training plan. I will have rested my knees for three days, and in that 3 day period, will have had just the single moderate workout consisting of a 14 mile bike ride. I believe my legs overall will feel rested and ready to go.
We will be waking up at 4:30, and leaving the house at 5:00. I'll drop her off at the marathon start, 26 miles north of the finish line. The finish line is my starting line, as the half-marathon course starts there, runs 6.6 miles north, then turns around and comes back down.
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