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