HTFU Christmas Ride

Domestique Diaries- How Much Longer until Next Season Starts?

So Brent has this week off completely from training and i’m not sure who is going more stir crazy me or him. We were in a pretty solid routine of training, working and working out prior to this off season. I did just about everything around the house mostly because I enjoy it, and largely because I’m a control freak. So I would have everything done around the house while Brent trained every night till 7:30pm and all weekend. Well this week the roles have changed and we are both having a hard time adjusting to it.

For starters, by Wednesday I should easily have a full load of laundry with training gear and another with “work” clothes. This week I don’t even have one full load. Next dinners, Brent is making most of them, but making a mess of the kitchen at the same time, i’m trying to shut my mouth and enjoy the assistance. While i’m at the gym, Brent is picking up the house, making my lunch unloading the dishwasher, so when I get home I’m lost! Literally on a normal week I don’t even have time to shower after the gym until right before bed because I’m too busy doing all the things that need to be done, I can’t leave things undone! Now, we both have time to relax and sit there and we are stunned! We also don’t really watch TV mostly because we have never had time and also because neither of us can attend to a whole show.

Another problem is that Brent and I are both people who can’t sit around and do nothing. Sometimes we even argue over who is going to do the chore, cause we both want to. Most of the time we just do it together. Last night we both literally changed a light bulb!

We also went to Best Buy to buy some new Wii games. We bought family game night and Brent’s favourite Wheel of Fourtune. Well these are really helping and along with other fun things like lounging in the hot tub, doing Yoga and core, and going for long walks we are really starting to enjoy this! Also, the Christmas tree will be up and organized in no time!

I just hope I don’t get too used to this since it will only happen for a week and then it’s back to the 8:30pm post gym shower.

You know you are married to a triathlete when:
-Off Season leaves you feeling lost with no bottles to wash/fill, laundry to do and chores to do!
-You just realized that the foam roller, muscle spray, Yoga mat and computrainer have a home that is NOT in the middle of your living room floor!
-You knew it all along but finally could prove that the 12 pairs of K-Swiss running shoes on the shoe rack were not all simultaneously being used for training purposes and the unused ones got new homes too!


Happy Off Season,
Carley

World Championships- Can I get a do-over?

Based on my training and racing over the past month leading into Clearwater I thought I was in pretty decent shape for a top 10 performance as long as I executed the race correctly. 

I had a few little mistakes and some shifting chain problems caused me to stop on the bike, but I broke one of my common rules of racing “it’s not over till its over” 

After a bad start on the swim I was forced to swim through some slower swimmers exiting the water just behind the large train. I rode hard the first 5 miles eventually riding and pacing with  Jeff Symonds (CAN), Leon Griffin (AUS), Chris Legh (AUS), Maxim Krait (UKR) and Kevin Collington (USA). 

Going around a turnaround at approximately mile 25 I made a couple of shifting mistakes and was left pedaling backwards trying to get my chain back on my bike. Eventually it caught around my crank and I came to a complete stop and was forced to get off fix it. At this point my shifters didn’t want to cooperate and I was forced to try and set the chain in a good gear to get going. By the time I got back on my bike the group was long gone and out of site.

I rode the second half of the race extremely slow and angry but getting off the bike I decided to run it out and finish to add a few points to my 2011 qualifying procedure. Watching the race unfold was difficult to watch as some of the guys I was riding with were easily in the top 10. 

It did give me a huge amount of motivation to come back next year and execute what I came to do this year. Well the season is done I finished with a 5^th, two 6^th, two 8^th places, an 11^th and 30^th place finishes this season. It is now time for some rest and recovery.  

I would like to thank COLONELS BIKES, K-SWISS, HTFU, POWERBAR, LOUIS GARNEAU, KIWAMI, XTERRA and my coach Cliff English. I would also like to thank my training partners that helped me get ready for this race, there were a lot of early hard mornings these past few months! Also a special thanks to Carley she was the biggest help in making sure I was ready to go in Florida! Even though I got a text message after the race stating she almost threw my computrainer out the window while she watched online. 

The season had its ups and downs but overall it was solid for the most part. 

Until next season, I am left with wishing I had a do over. This is my motivation for the off season and what an off season it will be.

Until next season,

Thanks for reading,

Brent

Longhorn Austin 70.3

Last weekend I raced one of my favorite races, Austin Longhorn 70.3. The race is close to home, therefore neither Carley or I had to take a day off work which is beneficial. We left after work on Friday and were followed there by another triathlete and friend Eric. We stopped for dinner along the way and still arrived in Austin by 7:30 pm. We checked into our hotel which is one of the closest hotels to the race site and somehow we scored the Longhorn suite. Our entire room was decorated in Longhorn paraphernalia from toilet seat covers, posters on the wall to a leather orange and white desk chair and orange and white sheets. I felt like I was sleeping in a dorm room again! Check out the sweet pictures below.

Saturday morning we woke up early and met a few friends at the race course for race prep. Of course Carley wants to go outlet shopping in Round Rock so she heads off leaving me to catch a ride back to the Longhorn Suite with Eric. Race prep went great,  my bike was racked and my shoes were in T2. I was all set. Eric of course forgets his shoes so on our way back to his hotel as we are stopped at a light on the highway (no idea why there are so many highways with lights in Austin) chatting away we get rear ended. Riding in the ambulance with the women who hit us I learned that she “shut her eyes for a few seconds and got lost in her thoughts.” She didn’t even attempt to brake, we hit the car in front of us who was actually another Canadian in Austin racing the following day.  After seeing a few doctors and getting some tests done the doctor informed me that it was my decision whether or not I was going to race the following day stating that I may be so stiff that I will not be able to get out of bed, but I also may be good to go. I focused on the positive and never second doubted whether or not I was going to race, I simply thought to myself I’ve raced and trained many times through pain, and although it may not be pretty but I will be racing tomorrow. 

Needless to say after sleeping in my Longhorn dorm room I awoke at 3am Sunday morning to a extremely stiff neck, and back. I took six of Carley’s Ibuprofen’s and put on my race suit. It was probably because of the effects of the Ibuprofen’s but usually I’m edgy and nervous on race morning however this morning I was numb and calm. I lost my timing chip and didn’t even panic just continued with my warm up run and figured it would sort itself out somehow. Luckily Carley was still edgy and retraced all my steps and found it. 

Swim

The swim felt super easy thanks to my new Xterra Vendetta wetsuit. I was easily in the main group with one athlete off the front (Marko Albert). In the group we had Richie Cunningham (AUS), Paul Amey (GBR), Bryan Rhodes  (NZL), Jeff Symonds (CAN), Allesandro Degasperi (ITA). After a quick transition I found myself riding in the same group that was formed early on in the swim. 

Bike

Out on the bike things still were very easy and calm. We had a draft marshal on the bike who was giving out many penalties. Rhodes and Clode received penalties and then everyone really seemed to slow down and not do anything. We were riding easy and I was worried that we were going to get caught by other athlete’s and that we were going to give Marko Albert too much time as he was still off the front.  At 50 miles into the ride we were caught by Lewis Elliot (USA) and James Cunnama (RSA) and our pack was very large going into T2. 

Run

I quickly got into a good rhythm on the run with Paul Amey and Jeff Symonds and we chased Richie, Allesandro and Cunnama. The first lap I ran strong being in 5^th and then 6^th place running behind Jeff Symonds. I ran the second lap in 6^th place and held my position into the finish. I experienced a lot of neck and back pain on the run, as i’m pretty sure the Ibuprofen’s were wearing off, but overall I am happy with the way the day played out considering the amount of stress I went through on Saturday. I would have really like to be in the top 5 but with how I felt I  was just super happy to finish in one piece. 

A big thanks to Xterra, HTFU, K-SWISS, Powerbar, Colonels Bikes and my Coach Cliff English for your support, knowledge and help. Also always a thanks to my wife, Carley, for her support and help on race morning when I was just too calm. Congrats to all of the people that finished the race in Austin.  After staying in that hotel suite all weekend I must confess that I am now an Longhorn fan! Go Longhorns!!

Professional Men’s Results

1 James Cunnama 3:53:57
2 Marko Albert 3:55:06
3 Richie Cunningham 3:57:04
4 Alessandro Degasperi 3:57:29
5 Jeff Symonds 3:57:57
6 Brent Poulsen 4:00:02
7 Brad Seng 4:04:45
8 Trevor Wurtele 4:04:54
9 Lewis Elliot 4:05:48
10 Ian Mikelson 4:06:41

Next up will be World Triathlon 70.3 Championships in Clearwater, Florida. 

Augusta 70.3

This was my first experience doing two 70.3 on consecutive Sundays, also known as a double, and what an experience it was.   First of all I should mention, although i’m sure I mentioned it in my last race report, Branson was an extremely difficult hilly race with a very hot run. Therefore, I knew that recovering from these effects was going to be longer than expected and I only had a week until my next race. I also had a 6.5 hour drive home immediately after the race in Branson which again is not optimal. At one pit stop I thought Carley was going to have to carry me to the restroom as my legs were seized in the driving position. After being 5^th last weekend my goal was to be top 5 again as well as gain some fitness and really push myself for the remainder of the season. 

Travel to the race went very smooth thanks to Jeff Manly who picked me up in Atlanta as he was traveling from Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thanks Jeff for making this travel so relaxing and enjoyable. Race prep went I was able to relax and read most of “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” novel that I stole from Carley just before I left.

As we prepared for the swim it was starting to rain and I knew the roads would be slick and I would have to be careful.  Then standing on the start line it occurred to me that I had far too much air in my tires for the slick, wet conditions. The swim was fairly fast, there was a current in the water and it seemed a bit short, exiting in 19 minutes. I ran through T1 and ended up running out with Yoder and Cunningham and we immediately started to chase a handful of guys that were slightly ahead.

At mile 15, after unsuccessfully trying to catch the lead group, I made the mistake of riding steady waiting for some riders coming up behind to set the pace as I thought eventually this new formed group would catch the long group forming one long pack. Then the rain played havoc on on chances I had of a decent ride. I nearly crashed twice, ending up in a ditch in the mud and having to unclip and get off my bike. In hindsight I should have 1: let some air out of my tires, they were way too slick and 2: committed early on and bridged up to the lead group rather than allowing the second pack to catch me. 

Riding scared because of the rain cost me some major time for the rest of the bike portion. I lost a few minutes to the main contenders of the race, but after almost going down in the rain I was scared to hit the pavement. I took every corner slow and lost a lot of time on any sort of fast sections with water starting to accumulate on the road. 

After T2 I wanted to make the best of the day so I started to get after things with an aggressive first loop on the run. I ended up catching (Evoe, Graves, Park, Cotter, Yoder) and I almost caught 10^th and 9^th place but I needed another mile for the run. My legs were starting to hurt badly and I ended up finishing in 11^th in 3:57. It leaves me wondering how I would have ran if I had rode with the main group into T2. 

It was not the position I would have liked, and I definitely made some mistakes that cost me a lot of time. One of these days I will put an ideal swim/bike together which will allow me to run with the leaders. I am more motivated then ever after watching this opportunity slip away. 

Congrats to all of the athletes that finished in Augusta. Thanks to Andrew Montes and Jeff Manley for helping me out with racing again so soon after Branson. Also big thanks to K-SWISS, Colonels Bikes, Powerbar, HTFU, and my coach Cliff English. 

Next up is Austin 70.3 in a few weeks time. 

ESi Ironman 70.3 Augusta
Augusta, GA / September 26, 2010
1.2 mile swim / 56 mile bike / 13.1 mile run

Top 10 men

1. Maksym Kriat (UKR) 3:46:54
2. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:47:12
3. Victor Zyemtsev (UKR) 3:47:36
4. Chris Legh (AUS) 3:48:23
5. David Kahn (USA) 3:50:59
6. Nick Waninger (USA) 3:51:38
7. Tony White (USA) 3:53:51
8. Marko Albert (EST) 3:55:26
9. Kent Horner (RSA) 3:56:12
10. Guy Crawford (NZL) 3:57:27 

 11.Brent Poulsen(CAN) 3:57:34

Domestique Diaries- 9-9-10!!!

Newlyweds!

Happy Ever After!

Ok I confess it's been far too long for a domestique diaries post, but I do have a good excuse.  On 9-9-10 this domestique became a legal domestique. We had a small ceremony in Aruba with family and close friends. Although it was in the middle of Brent's season we planned it between some key races, he was able to do all of his training, that's right he trained everyday while in Aruba! I don't even think he ate our wedding cake, but don't worry I ate his share. Everything was fabulous, and we had a wonderful wedding ceremony. It was absolutely perfect!

The attendees- Family and close Friends- We love you!

The Newlyweds!

Obviously our photo shoot included running!

Our Beautiful ceremony on the beach in Aruba!

We came back from Aruba, and didn't even have time to unpack or catch up on laundry and we were off again to Branson where my new husband came 5th.  After Branson Brent was home another short 5 days and was off to Augusta!

We are finally home, at least until next week and are enjoying the newlywed phase.  Our newlywed phase is a little different than most people as it consists primarily of gluten free cooking, 8pm bedtimes and stretching and core work! However, we are having a great time!

Happy living,

Carley POULSEN

Branson 70.3 Report

Branson 70.3 Race Report
This past Sunday I raced the K-SWISS Branson 70.3 Ironman Triathlon in Branson, MO.

I was a little unsure of how things would go as I was in Aruba getting married the previous week before the race. I knew it would be extremely competitive as well as a hard bike ride being in the Ozark Mountains.

Swim

Being a beach start I am always at a disadvantage over some taller athlete’s as they can get an extra step or two before diving into the water. Quickly I got on James Cotter’s feet and eventually had to move around Mike Lovato and continue my push to chase the leaders. I thought Mike was swimming on Cotters feet and things were good until I looked up and realized he had let a bit of a gap go. I continued to push and eventually pulled up a big pack in the shore for the last 900m stretch. I had a super fast transition and blasted up the road to chase the leaders.

Carley's awesome camera caught the dive in!!

Bike

After a quick transition I caught T.J and James and continued to ride strong before Ben Hoffman and Cotter would pass me for the second time soon after that. I rode super strong the first loop making up some time on Brian Fleishman with Steven Hackett who were bit further up the road. I rode in 5th place most of the ride on an extremely hilly bike course in the Ozark mountain’s.

I faded a bit but still kept a really strong tempo going to hold off Tollakson and Lovado and keep Cotter and Fleishman some what in sight. At mile 50 Tollakson went ripping by me and I rode with him and eventually came in just behind him into transition 2.

Just getting on the bike!

Run

Running out of T2 I knew I had rode strong but my legs were shot. I passed T.J at the 1mile marker and kept moving forward putting time into James. On lap 2 of the run Lovato passed me and I was now in survival mode trying to finish the race. The temperature was well over 90 degrees and there was no shade. If it wasn’t for my beautiful wife taking photos and yelling at me to catch the athlete running ahead I would have faded further back.

I wish my run legs were with me on Sunday but my swim/bike was a definite step in the right direction for racing the rest of the season. I ended up finishing 5th so that was great after being on vacation the week before. I have to say the top 6 male's at Branson were some of the nicest athlete's i have had a chance to race with.

Thanks to Kiwami and HTFU for this awesome race suit!

Ironman 70.3 Branson

Branson, Missouri – September 19, 2010

1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run

Men

1. Ben Hoffman (USA) 4:02:53

2. Tom Lowe (GBR) 4:05:38

3. Michael Lovato (USA) 4:11:04

4. James Cotter (USA) 4:14:36

5. Brent Poulsen (USA) 4:15:14



I would like to thank K-SWISS, Colonels Bikes, PowerBar, HTFU, Kiwami and my coach Cliff English @ cliffenglishcoaching.com for there continued support. Next up is Augusta 70.3 this Sunday. Thanks for reading,



Brent

Timberman 70.3 Race Report

Below is the race report of could have's and should have's .

The goal of this race was to get some confidence back after I had some mechanical problems at Calgary 70.3 at the beginning of August.

I was lucky enough to crash with Larry Bradley from Ontario, as well as the great Fletcher Meadow’s triathlon club who had rented some cottages on Lake Winnipesauke. The trip was pretty uneventful until realizing I had lost a piece for my headset. The town of Gilford was pretty small so I had to hope after the race meeting on Saturday I would be able to get it fixed. I managed to get it fixed late Saturday afternoon as best as it could be. I think it is time for a new bike soon but more on that later, sometimes we need to do the best we can with what we have.

Starting the race my only goal was to take each leg at a time and to really put it out there. Lining up on the left side with Potts, O’Donnell, TJ and my self with the rest of the field on the right side I figured I would get a good clean start. I had a great start but I knew Tim was trying to swim with Andy and I was going to have a hard time swimming on Tim’s feet. About half way to the first turn I made a move to get over to the right side. I wasn’t completely dropped by T.J and Tim but I didn’t want to be left on my own with a huge train on the other side of us. I managed to gap over and exit the water very easily on the back of that chasing pack behind Andy, Tim, and T.J. Exiting the water the next plan was to have a fast transition ahead of the group and blast up the road so I would be ready for a big group to ride with. 

Everything was good except when I reached down my Oakley’s were gone and had fallen off my bike where I had them attached to so I didn’t have to put them on in transition. I  don’t think I was meant to have Jawbones. The first 30miles was pretty uneventful I was riding in a large group that had Gambles, Rix, White, Allen, Tissink and I knew everyone was working hard to catch Tim who I think was only 30seconds up the road. On the first major descend on the course I started to feel my headset being really loose as I was breaking ever so slightly with a huge left hand turn I didn’t want to risk crashing so I backed off and rode 200m or so behind the large group. I chased like this for another 15 miles or so and then I dropped off as I could no longer maintain the pace. I haven’t been really happy with my position this year and I actually believe I am loosing a lot of hard earned wattage to wind resistance but back to the whole I need to use what I have part of life.

At mile 50 I was caught by T.J who I knew was a great athlete having a rough ride but he was some extra motivation to get me into T2. I still knew if I had a ripper of a run I would be able to run into that large group. Well I had stomach problems for the first time this year, and I was forced to run super fast between stops to go to the rest room. Not ideal and I was a bit disappointed but my fitness is where it needs to be and I am getting closer to the front of the race. I spent the next 2 hours after the race stuck in a port-a-potty, not sure really where the GI issues came from. I finished off the race 8th with another top 10 finish so at least there is a bit of consistency even on a bad day. I would like to congratulate all who raced at Timberman. It was extremely motivating to watch everyone on the run having a great time and really pushing they’re limits. I would like to thank K-SWISS, Colonels Bikes, Powerbar and HTFU and a special thanks to my Coach Cliff English. Also thanks to Carley for the loads of laundry you are currently in the process of doing, along with everything else.
The next couple of weeks will be crazy with my WEDDING DAY, and Branson 70.3.

Thanks for reading, 


Brent

Mechanical

Calgary has come and gone.  Going into the race i had a great block of training even with a big crash i was ready to rock. The swim was very cold and rough and i exited back about 1minute from a couple of the main contenders that i wanted to run with. I couldn't see a thing the whole swim as my goggles had fogged up. I just tried to stay positive and look for feet and flailing arms. For the first 40k on the bike things were good i was riding with Jamie, Jeff, Tich and myself; but then i couldn't change gears for the life of me and i ended up riding in my small chain ring behind Grant Burwash for another 30k before puncturing. I moved slowly through the field backwards and I quickly realized I couldn't do anything. After that I went straight to the treadmill to burn off some frustration.   Obviously this result is not what I was looking for coming to Calgary but life moves on. Thanks to Doctor Ryan and Barb for hosting Carley and I for the weekend, even though I am disappointed in the outcome it was still great to see them.

Next up is Timberman 70.3 and Wedding planning so time should fly by. I want to wish a good buddy of mine a speedy recovery. Andrew Montes crashed hard at the OTC and is now needing face surgery. Get better buddy!

Calgary 70.3

Off to Calgary on Friday for the Vittera Calgary 70.3. It has been a great 3 weeks of training and i am looking forward to a few easier days this week. Crashes happen but i am recovered and excited for Sunday. Check out coverage at www.ironmanlive.com.  I am even more excited for some cooler temperatures.

Domestique Diaries- Recovery, Never Again!

During big training blocks I rarely see  Brent unless he is laying on the carpet asking for water, a recovery drink or I’m trying to force him into the shower.  Recently he has been inviting me to join him on some of his light recovery training. In my head I think wow he must think i’m getting fast so of course I decide to tag along during some of his “active recovery workouts” and here is what unfolded on two such occasions.

Recovery Ride: One day last weekend after one of Brent’s long runs he asked me to join him on his recovery ride. I thought to myself, well i’m getting good on the bike I can definitely handle a recovery ride. So after watching a stage of the Tour we suited up in matching K-Swiss cycling gear and off we went.  

To get to the trail from our house we have to go through  4 quick stop lights followed by a steep down hill to a sharp corner and across a bridge onto the trail. It sounds technical because it is. So we leave from the underground, Brent in the lead,  the first two lights he waves me through i’m 10 ft behind, and make it through the lights easily. Next light he waves me through however i’m already 20ft behind and there is a car coming, I try to blast through the intersection, the car has to slam on it’s brakes but I survive. I look up and Brent is doing the “don’t go hand symbol”. I yell up ahead “yah thanks for that”.

Next the descend past Radio Shack headquarters (where we always look for Lance twittering and cheer him on), Brent flies down while I ride my brakes, he heckles and tells me it takes me to longer to go down the hill than up it. He’s already across the bridge while i’m still trying to get down the hill. He slows up by about 1 Watt,  just enough time to look back and make sure i’m on the trail and off he’s gone.  

For the next 3 minutes i’m trying to hold his wheel and somehow manage to be within talking distance, which doesn’t last long. Next two corners i’m off the back too far to even yell at him. I see Brent look back twice and then he’s long gone.  Now i’m in time trial mode on the trail trying to catch him. It feels like i’m playing Mario Cart on N64 where you see your opponent on the top right hand corner of the screen. However, the gap keeps getting bigger and soon he’s out of sight. I ride for at least another 40 minutes by myself with no Brent in site getting more bitter and shattered as the minutes roll by.  

Finally my phone rings and I stop and check it, it’s Brent, I knew it. He says “You should just turn around now so we can ride together a bit on the way home”.  So I do as I'm told and turn around and start hammering the way home.  Well I get all the way back up the Radio Shack hill and through two lights before Brent appears. So much for that recovery ride.  Later that day Brent uploads his data and says I think I pushed negative Watts on our ride. If only had that PowerTap. And so much for a recovery ride, I’m spent the rest of the afternoon.

Recovery Run:Once again in our matching K-Swiss Keahou’s we set off for a recovery run. We take a different route to the trail, which is all downhill (which while running I can handle) and I manage to stick with Brent to the trail!

Now we’ve ran about 15 minutes together (i’m impressed) the conversation is going well for Brent but I can no longer speak cause i’m too winded. Brent keeps asking if it’s too fast I try to cover it up by saying no and nothing else. Another 10 minutes roll by and I’m starting to fall behind and about to pop just as we get to a looped trail.  Brilliantly I tell Brent to take the looped trail while I stay on the straightaway and we will meet up shortly. I slow down to catch my breath while still trying to keep a decent pace. Of course Brent beats me to the main trail though I was on it all the time. He looks back gives the wave and keeps going ahead of me. Silently, I turn around and head home. I”m home when he gets home and he says “you were shattered weren’t you?” So much for a recovery run!

You know you’re living with a triathlete when:

-There is no point of joining them on a recovery ride as it will leave you feeling like you are a character in Mario Cart while time trialing the whole time and shattered by the end of it.

-If they are going for a run, no matter what the pace, ride your bike beside them never go run for run.

Interview with Larry!

http://larryofteamrunningfree.blogspot.com/

Thanks to Larry Bradley for the interview last week. He is a great duathlete and a super nice guy from Ontario. Just starting a big 3 weeks of training as well as we will be doing alot of work on my position. As you can see from this photo above i have some issues with my aero position. I will do a separate post on this in a week or so but i have some free speed coming that i am excited about:)

Buffalosprings 70.3

Yesterday I raced Buffalosprings 70.3 in Lubbock, Texas. A world class field and hot conditions, therefore i knew it was not going to be an easy day.
Off the start I found myself getting beaten up before we got to the first buoy. I was easily swimming where I needed to be but I had one guy on my left and one on my right that thought it would be necessary to hit me in the face each stroke. By the time I made it to the first turn I was spit out the back and swimming with a slower pack that I shouldn't have been in. I felt like i was doing "fist drill" for half of the duration trying to get these guys off me. Today I feel like a UFC fighter with annoying cut knuckles that burn and re-open every time I bend my fingers.

I decided to remain calm and focus on getting myself back into striking distance by the time we got to the run. Coming off the bike I immediately started getting after it as I knew I was in 10th place. By the time 7 miles came on the hilly hot course I was in 6th place and starting to feel the early run effort. Half way through the energy lab I wanted to make an attempt at catching 5th before the finish. Unfortunately a couple of hard miles and I was starting to cramp. With two miles to go I was passed by 6th(Tim Reed, Aus);and 7th(Mario de Elias, Arg),place and i had moved back into 8th place. I had the second fastest run on the day in 1:20:20 and had another consistent top 10 finish. I want to congratulate all of the finishers yesterday (especially Bo on his first 70.3, amazing!) on fighting through that challenging course.

Congrats to Mags for taking the woman's title and Chris Lieto for winning the men's.
Thanks to K-SWISS, Powerbar and Colonels bikes for all of your support. And of course to Carley for putting up with through all the long car rides. Next up I will be putting in a big block of training to get ready for Calgary 70.3!
Tomorrow is Carley's Birthday (we've had a countdown calendar posted on the fridge for the past 30 days) so I better get ready.

Thanks for reading,
Brent

Domestique Diaries- Triathlete’s Race Season and Update!

It’s been a while since the last edition of Domestique diaries, and for that I apologize, we have been crazy busy with race season now in full force! Race season while living a triathlete is very hectic, and consists of loads of laundry and nutrition, long road trips, nervous attitudes and early bedtimes!! Below are some highlights of the past 1.5 months in the life of a domestique!

PACKING FOR A ROADY--- Packing for Brent starts the week before the race. He starts to empty out all of this training drawers while sorting through the stuff he needs. Then he piles all the stuff he needs for the race on the floor in the corner of the living room and throws everything else back into any drawer or even the laundry (although it’s all clean). The night before we leave he starts to line things up on the counter. One day I came home and even his racing flats were on the counter, nasty!!

Road trips with a triathlete- TO THE RACE- The trip down is filled with nervous air, and the conversation is usually difficult to maintain mainly because Lil’ Wayne is blaring the entire way. We also make more than frequent restroom stops (like every hour or less) because Brent is attempting to stay hydrated and likes to get out of the car to stretch frequently. Brent does all the driving stating that I will have to more than likely drive home. We eat routine snacks the entire way from the cooler, and we play road trip games in an attempt to keep his mind off the race.

--HOME FROM THE RACE-- The way home is the opposite. One way to describe this is to “Hammer it out”. I have to beg Brent to stop for the restroom, he drives the entire way, and I usually am starving to death. The conversation is always about the race or training and it never stops even when I try to sleep, we analyze and over analyze everything for the last month of training and the race in extreme detail. We just drove home 8 hours from Kansas I think I got to stop twice, even my legs were cramped, and Brent spent most of the drive in the TT position. I offer to drive all the time, but he just can’t sit in the passenger seat for more than 5 minutes, even if he just raced for 4 hours while I sat around!

TRAINING-- Training is intense during this time and recovery is key. I run many, many ice baths, hook Brent up to electrical stimulation most nights, and don’t mind too much when he lays on the carpet with his legs elevated while I finish the chores.

I also bought a new road bike. Getting used the clips was quite an ordeal. The first ride Brent takes me on is an easy spin for him, and I fall twice. Little did I know, Brent was taking me on a 2 hours 45 minutes ride, in which I think I saw Brent twice the whole ride. I’m getting better and wiser on the bike now. I only go with Brent when he’s running. I’m now the motor pacing, lead bike, water carrier and have even mastered riding a road bike on a dirt path while taking pictures. I also like to go on frequent tanning rides.

CHALLENGES--- When you live with a triathlete the word challenge takes on a whole new meaning. Just say the word and it’s on! In May I mentioned a Dine In Challenge with friends, co-workers and training partners. We were not allowed to eat anything from a restaurant the entire month. Give a challenge to a triathlete that has the potential to improve performance and let me tell you he will not cheat. I had to cheat once while my mom was in town, Brent came and sat with us until our meal came and then he left to go home and eat dinner on his own! That’s determination! Now we have monthly challenges in our household because Brent was immediately hooked. Also, shout out to Cam for nailing the Dine In Challenge!!

I got to pick June’s Challenge and it’s the Core Challenge. We have to do core everyday no matter what. We (Brent) drove 8 hours home from Kansas and got home just in time to complete our core exercises before midnight.

MISC-- Over the month Brent won a fish at swim race, we named him Lance. We went out and bought a tank and a friend (Floyd). Lance ate Floyd. We went away for the weekend and left a food block for Lance. When we got home his tank was filthy. I cleaned it and Lance died. No more fish for us!

Summer is here and it is hot!

Next up is Buffalo Springs 70.3 in none other than Lubbock TX. At least we don’t have to drive North two states!

Happy Training,

Carley

small update

Sunday I raced the KSWISS Kansas 70.3 in Lawrence, KS and came 6th. The race went well considering a bug I encountered earlier on in the week. I seemed to get my appetite back by Saturday but still felt a bit weak during the swim/bike portions of the race.

The swim was good I lost contact of Yoder and Lieto around the last buoy when we were turning back into shore. I knew Potts and Hackett would be off the front; i exited the water in 5th place going out on the bike 20seconds or so behind Chris. Next race i will make sure i don't lose touch. Out on the bike is where i really felt drained but i tried to keep focused and eventually i was passed by a few stronger cyclists. Going into the run i was back in 8th place but i was able to catch 2 athlete's and was ready to catch another (5th)but just ran out of time. I was happy with my run split on the day because to be honest I really had some rough patches on the last lap. I really enjoyed the hilly hot Kansas course but the drive home was insane. After the race Carley and I drove 7.5 hours back to Texas and that was the hardest part of the day.
Congrats to all of the athlete's that raced on Sunday! Next up is Buffalosprings 70.3 June 27th:)

June

It's amazing how fast a month goes. Off to Kansas tonight for the KSWISS Kansas 70.3 triathlon. May went really well, a few up's and downs and i am now just getting over some sort of food poisoning that occured on the lovely holiday weekend. I have started working with a new coach and things have been going great, more on that later. In June i will be racing Kansas and Buffalo springs 70.3 so stay tuned for fun stories and extreme adventures. The posts will be picking up steadily with news and race reports. Thanks for checking in! Brent

The Good, The bad and The Ugly

Two weeks ago I would have gone as far as saying I was in the best shape to date and ready to roll. However, this past week i have been fighting with allergies and some lower back tightness that was making me question if i should race or not. The problem with allergies is you wake up feeling like death and often i would be awake half the night for the week leading into the race. I was so excited to start my season that Carley and I went to Galveston for Texas 70.3 and US Pro Championships and i was going to give it the ol' college try even if i had to carry tissue and nasal spray with me.

Starting off in the swim i felt good, i blasted myself off course(oops!) and took some others with me and then exited the water about 30-45seconds down where i needed to be, my back was starting to hurt but i figured it would be okay once i got on the bike. Looking back i lined up on the wrong side and should have positioned myself with the guys i knew would be out in the lead, plus i should have been paying more attention to the winds and the current.

It just gets uglier from here. I ripped off my speed suit taking my # belt with it, okay jog back into transition and get the number as everyone passes out onto the bike. I hop on my bike and land on one shoe as it flies off, okay more time being lost. I felt completely loopy, the sort of feeling you get when you have had to many antihistamines, ibprofuin and nasal spray and not enough coffee.

As i smashed myself up the road, i noticed that there was something wrong, i rode the first half the bike being passed left and right just to notice at the turn around that my wheel was rubbing ever so slightly making it very difficult. The last half of the bike i was clearly out of the race and i rode in with some back tightness, very stuffed up from my allergies and i headed home. The funny part is after a 5hour car ride i felt pretty good, oh well life goes on. My back is better today, however i will be having everything looked at just to double check. Rather than dwell on the situation i have decided to keep moving forward knowing that my fitness was there but my health was not.

I would like to thank everyone for there kind messages over the weekend. I will make sure the next time i start a race i am ready to go. Also a special thanks to Ron for loaning me his wheels. I learned a big lesson- Don't use a 1080 front wheel in hurricane winds! Thank you Colonels, KSWISS Canada, Powerbar, 7 Systems, SLS3, and all my other supporters. Congrats to everyone for finishing the race and battling the winds. Also a special mention to Lance who placed in his age group, William, Jarrod, Cody, Anthony, Brian, Alison. It was great to meet lots of new people! And last but not least thank you to Carley for having to spend 5 hours with me a in a car after a DNF:(.

Domestique Diaries- A Triathlete’s Christmas

What’s a triathlete’s equivalent to a kid on Christmas morning?..... Receiving PowerBar Sponsorship nutrition and clothing in the mail!! Or as Brent and I like to call it "Fuel Day", No joke, the anticipated week of it’s arrival I heard about it so many times that I was having PowerBar dreams!

Brent was named to the PowerBar Elite team this season and the minute he heard the news he was on the website placing his orders. Every night we studied the PowerBar website over dinner and Brent talked about it endlessly. He even knows all of the staff at the PowerBar headquarters because he has called them so many times! I can honestly say that I have now memorized the nutritional composition of every PowerBar product. I even find myself talking about it at work to co-workers!

The day the first load of product arrived at our doorstep was more exciting to Brent than Christmas morning. All plans that we had scheduled for that night automatically got pushed to the back burner, new focus was to study, and organize all his PowerBar product.

Below are some pictures of Brent and the PowerBar product

He studied the product for so long he even got tired, however continued to study the product in supine.

That night we even went Target to buy storage containers for all his product. He wanted everything organized and to have it’s own home. He looked at the expiration dates of all the products and organized two cupboards based on product use and expiration date; he used the containers for extra product and to be refilled upon use from the cupboards.

It’s been two weeks since Brent has been using the PowerBar product and we still talk about as much as we did while waiting for the product to arrive. Nutrition is a key factor in a triathlete’s success and Brent is elated to be using PowerBar products. Brent restocks the cupboards every second day from the storage bins. He wants the cupboards to be full at all times.

You know you’re living with a triathlete when:

-Your calendar contains a "Fuel Day"

-You store most of the contents of your cupboards on top of your fridge because your cupboards are filled with training/PowerBar products

-The only cupboards that are organized immaculately (all the way down to expiration date) in your house are the “training cupboards”

Merry Fuel Day,

Carley

Update and New Sponsors!

First off I apologize for the lack of posts lately. Time fly's by when your training alot and working alot. I am excited about two new sponsors i have for this year. The first one is 7Systems which Jasper Blake introduced me to back in Victoria. This stuff is amazing. Click on the the right logo on the side of blog to go to their site. I have been able to train myself into the ground on these vitamins and minerals and my immune system and body has stayed strong. I am also happy to announce i will be part of the Powerbar Elite Team for 2010-2011 season. I would like to thank Frank and everyone at Powerbar as i am very grateful to be part of this program.

Training has been rolling along lately with Lonestar 70.3 coming up in a few weeks. It will be my first race of the season so i am excited to shake off the rust and get back in the competitive mode. Training has been going great but it's so early in the year to really tell so i would rather wait till race day to evaluate where i am at for this time of year. It should be a big start in Galvaston as they have also made it US Pro 70.3 Championships. I hope everyone had a safe Easter weekend and good luck to everyone racing over the next few weeks.

Domestique Diaries- Soap......... it does a triathlete’s body well!

Showering is a difficult task if you are triathlete. Maybe, it’s because triathletes spend countless hours wet whether it’s in an ice bath, a contrast bath, the pool or just drenched with sweat their bodies are just...wet. When it comes to showering, it’s in their control whether or not they are going to have to get wet and after living with one I find it’s usually a no go. In it’s defense triathlon isn’t really a stinky sport, like hockey where you have to put on raunchy equipment every time, and triathletes do spend a lot of time in pools which contains disinfectant properties, so maybe this is another reason to opt out of a shower. Anyways, here’s how I tactfully have gotten Brent to shower everyday for the last week!

First let me explain to you, that Brent never stinks however recently I have been noticing that the chlorine is not washed out of his hair because it stands straight up on it’s own, and it has tangles in it.

Early on, I tried to ask Brent to shower and here are his list of excuses:

-I had a shower on deck after swimming

-I sat in the hot tub after swimming

-I just iced my legs I don’t want them to get warm

-I have another workout later, what’s the point

-My hair is easily styled with this residue in it

-I just swam this morning!

Then I started to demand a shower (or no sleeping in the clean sheets), which seemed to work until we both tried to outsmart one another. I would hear the shower running but when his hair didn’t change it’s appearance I grew skeptical, so I set up a soap trap. I would place the soap in distinctive positions either leaning against a bottle, or up against the wall at a precise angle, to prove if Brent had touched it or not. Brent failed this soap trap 4 days in a row. I asked him and here are the excuses i got:

-I’m using the shampoo as soap too!

-I ran out of hot water

-It makes me smell like a girl

- I just swam this morning!!

I even fought with him about scrubbing certain body parts here is what he said:

-the suds from the shampoo on the bottom of the tub clean my feet

-deodarant is soap for my armpits

-I wash my face before bed

-And the infamous, never old, I just swam this morning (It cleans my whole body)!

Turns out Brent was stretching in the shower, and he never even had intention to wash.

I started to really grow frustrated with these excuses and lack of soap use. So I set out to Target to find some sort of remedy. The simple solution to this problem hit me in the pharmacy section.....swagger.

Swagger, the name sold me immediately as I was positive it would have the same effect on Brent. And did it ever!!! The first time he used it I heard him singing Little Wayne in the shower! He loved the man pouff, he even read the directions to understand what both sides were used for, and the fact that it’s called Active Clean was even better!

This is now what I hear from Brent about “lil’ Wayne showers”:

-I even scrubbed my feet with the coarse side and it felt good

-I like the pouffy part, it’s lathers well

-I wonder if Lil’Wayne uses Swagger?

-It smells good all day long

So it’s been a week now, and he is addictive to the man pouff and Swagger, i’ve even heard him tell some friends.

You know you’re living with triathlete when:

-you have heard the excuse “I just swam this morning” at least a dozen times and for many different reasons

-you know what a deck shower is

Happy Sudzing,

Carley

The Shack 10k

Another good week ended with the Shack 10k. The weather was supposed to be nice but turned ugly and Texas "cold" just in time. Congrats to all who raced the different distances! Carley threw down a 10k while representing with Canadian Colors.

For me on tired legs, cold weather and being February I am happy. William's GPS measured the course long (Bonus!), and on my watch at the finish I had 33:20, i will take it. I ran with William and Andrew, Andrew eventually dropped me a little over half way to take the win while William got caught by Carley (long story). The last 1.5 miles were very challenging heading up 7Th into down town for the finish. The pace averaged out to 5:23 pace for the 10k (ish). Next up is more training and.. more training and some serious Super Mario Brothers on the Wii with Carley. That game is addictive!

Let's A GO!!!

Rest of Camp and Hatley 8k

The rest of camp was rough but it went well. Thursday was an uber day starting with a 5k pool swim with a main set of 10x400; followed by a hard run interval workout with 3x2.1k and 5x2min hill repeats best average. I am excited my tempo running is getting faster holding around 5:15per mile. After those two sessions we had a bit of a break before a 90minute trainer session with a fast run off the bike. Friday being pretty tired we hit the pool for another good swim session and then we headed out with Brent McMahon for a 4hour bike workout. Saturday involved a run session at Elk Lake and a Recovery swim. By this point in the week i was pretty tired but i knew we had one last hard 8k race left. The race went well, it was super hilly and off road at Hatley Castle. I was thinking of the race as another chance for tempo work since walking was a bit of a challenge and stairs were extremely difficult to walk up. The race was well known in the area for being super hard and hilly. I ran in a small group with Erik Findlay, Nick Walker, Shawn Nelson with 2 other Nice Kenyan runners off the front. At about 5k i decided i wanted to push the pace and try and catch the second place runner as we were closing the distance down. Needless to say my fatigue legs caught up with me with about a mile from the finish and i ended up coming 5th not being able to sprint when Erik and Nick made there moves. I was super excited to race this well as the leader was roughly a minute up the road and i knew i could have been up there if i didn't have the lingering fatigue. Mags through down a great race winning it and Dan Smith had a great run as well. After the race it was one last ride along the water before packing up. I want to thank Doug and Cathy Noel for hosting me in Victoria while i was in town!
So the biggest week of the year was logged, I am looking forward to another good week and a 10k run race on the weekend. Now its time for some Carley time, and some how i need to make up for missing Valentines Day!

A few photos of hydration/sodium testing

Here are a few test shots from the hydration/sodium test. These shots were calm as they were taken during warm up. It was rather a tough day for me, and i learned that high concentrate Gatorade and power gels weren't a good mix for me. My body really needs water to help wash the gels down. Day 1 started with a hard interval run session of 6x1mile(which was awesome for February!), a hard 5k swim set, and another aerobic run. Day2 was pretty solid with lactate bike testing and a longish muddy run. Day3 was a good long 2hour run with lots of hills in MT. DOUG, followed by a ice session and another 5k swim set. DAY4 i cracked a bit with a 5k swim set, not enough food, followed by a long sodium test. DAY5(today)- was an easy bike/run session this morning, followed by a recovery swim. Tomorrow its back to some hard work for the rest of the camp. When i receive more photos and test result's i will do individual posts on the different testing protocol and the results and data i can now use in training. I can't believe the energy in B.C right now with the Olympics going on, GO CANADA GO!

Domestique Diaries - Athlete Suck Attack

Here’s how two consecutive evenings unfolded last week in our household. Typically, athletes are strong minded, controlled and very focused; however when an unplanned mishap interferes with their training schedule they have what I have named an athlete suck attack. It reminds me of the same genre of suck attack children often pull when they do not get their way, only the athlete version occurs when they realize that they may not get the training done. This is what happened last week, and as usual it made me laugh really hard and gave me a great post idea.

Recently, Brent has been riding the trainer and one day last week he finally decided to put his training tire on after getting multiple flats while riding the trainer. So one night after dinner i’m watching TV and Brent is in the other room at first silent however as time goes on he begins to curse and bang things around loudly. So I go check it out and he’s definitely frustrated, he has two broken tire levers and a screw driver beside him. So, I do the obvious and ask if I can help him put the trainer tire on he says no right away, so I leave and go back to watch my show. Minutes later out comes Brent with the tire and wheel asking for my help. I smile and agree as long as we can continue to watch my show. After 30 additional minutes of working with our four hands, the two more broken tire levers, and two screwdrivers we finally get the trainer tire on.

Immediately Brent puts a new tube in. Well the valve on the tube isn’t long enough so for the next 30 minutes, as I try to hold the pump on the valve and Brent pumps we try to pump up the tube but do not succeed. Brent comments that he has a tube with a long valve in the truck that only has a slow leak in it so off he goes to get it. When Brent arrives from the truck we put a little air in the tube and inspect it for holes and it seems to be holding the air well, so we both agree the problem is solved. Brent quickly puts the tube in, replaces the wheel on the bike and sets the trainer back up in front of the TV. All is good, for now at least.

The next day Brent is set to start his trainer ride at 5pm and i’m at the gym already. On my short walk home from the gym, I see this mad man with a touque and shorts hauling butt towards me. As I get closer I see it’s Brent. I approach him he doesn’t say a word, the suck attack is already in full force. Finally after pulling teeth I get out of him that he had two flats in the first 5 minutes of his ride, and right now all he needs to do is get the workout done so he’s settling for a spin bike at the gym. Obviously bitter, I walk with him to the gym, he’s stressing over not making it to the bike store on time for his next ride tomorrow morning and taking a suck attack that now he has to use a spin bike and is no longer able to measure power and cadence with the same accuracy for his workout. He’s difficult to speak to during this athlete suck attack. I think to myself I can’t deal with this athlete suck attack all night, so I tell Brent I will go to the bike store and get the trainer tire on for him. Immediately that brings the athlete suck attack level down by at least 50% and to me that means that remainder of the night will be bearable.

So off to the bike store I run with the tire. I tell all the guys at the bike store about the athlete suck attack. They heckle us for using a screwdriver on the wheel, which they notice right away.

Anyways, after Brent finishes his ride on the spin bike and comes home to a trainer tire on the wheel he’s already over his athlete suck attack.

All is good for Brent’s trainer ride that day. The next day I come home and find this in our coat closet. It’s the trainer tire! After all that work, he’s already taken it off cause he’s getting ready to ride outside!

You know you’re living with a triathlete when:

-you play bike mechanic in the evenings while watching TV

-due to equipment malfunction and the possibility of a not as accurate workout you’ve witnessed an athlete suck attack

Happy Trainer Rides,

Carley

January Update

It’s amazing how time flies when you’re logging the training and getting the work done for the upcoming season. I seem to be getting over the initial shock of the start of hard training as well as the pain and sore muscles associated with this time of season.

Every day I must remind myself that it’s early and most importantly that I must be patient with the process. I think Dan is sick of hearing from me about power wattage or average paces over long runs or heart rate comparisons to my fitness at the end of last season. Here are some good things I have heard from him over the last few weeks:

“Don’t beat yourself up on rides that aren’t perfect. You still get stronger from them, plus you will be tired from prior workouts – that’s the theme nowadays. You remember that from last year this time. Then form and fitness improve and it all comes together.”

“Just remember it’s January and your legs will come around. Ice and recovery will help. And remember, bad days keep you focused on the good ones!”

I seem to be back in a good rhythm and am starting to feel the fitness come back which I am very happy about. I have just finished up a few bigger workouts and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it. Some of my favorite workouts over January have been:

-3x 8 min’ hill repeats (I have done this session a few times; it doesn’t get easier )

-Lots of time trials in the pool. Last week for example one of the good days I did a 1650 for time at the end of a workout. Two days later I swam a 1 hour TT, in super hot water, it was fun but hard.

-One of my favorite over gear sessions so far in January was 2 x 20 minutes @ 50-55 rpm’s.

Things are rolling, I have a new training partner and this past weekend we ran almost 14 miles @ 6:00 min per mile average. Since he is super fast it was easy for him, it was evident when he was maintaining most of the conversation at this pace and I sort of just said "yah" the whole time. I’m stoked as I will have my work cut out for me and I am positive this Texas ATM star runner will help me get my running to a new level.

So enough about January, it’s now February and the workouts are starting to get longer. I will be off to Victoria next week for a mini training camp. But first I have to get through an epic Super bowl training weekend here. I want to thank Priya and Tino from K-Swiss Canada, I just received a pair of my favorite K-Swiss Misoul Tech shoes! They are awesome especially when I put my fast insoles in and I can really float down the trail.

February will bring lots of fun adventures in preparing for the season so more stories and photos will arrive soon. The first race of the year will be LoneStar 70.3 in April and I’m already very excited to start racing.

Here are some awesome race weight meals that Carley has made me to help me get down to fighting weight. Carley has been awesome in keeping me well fueled with dinners prepared as I come home from my afternoon workout.

Do you notice the lack of variety, we like to buy in bulk from Central Market and Carley likes to stick with what works. We also don't have a lot of time to be too creative with meals, but the good thing is meals are made fresh every night with organic vegetables and meat. And Carley ensures there are planned overs for my lunch the next day. If there was an award for timed veggies cleaning and chopping, Carley would win.

Thanks for reading,

Brent