Race Strategy for the Chinook Half IM

So I've taken a bit of a hiatus from blogging, and for that I apologize!  But we're back in the midst of race season now and I thought I'd impart some strategy tips for some of the races that I've done.  Kind of a race review, but before the race, so that a few of you know what you're stepping into.

I'll do this one for Chinook, and I'll do one in a month for Ironman Canada.  So here it goes....

The Swim

The swim

The swim at the Chinook Half is a two lap swim of Lake Midnapore.  The water temp this time of year is about 16C degrees which is cold, but not Ironman Calgary 70.3 or Subaru Banff Triathlon cold.  Its a smaller body of water so it does warm up pretty quickly.

Its a small field of about 200 for the half, so seeding isn't quite as important as a larger race. The trick here is just to sight the buoys and pace yourself well.  At the end of the first lap you have to get out of the water, run across the beach, and get back in for your second lap.  The luxury of a two lap swim is that you know when you're onto the back of the swim and when you can push a little bit harder.

General Tip; Towards the end of the swim, kick a bit more so that you can get blood flowing back into your legs before you get out of the water.  Also, don't stand up until you can touch the bottom of the lake with your hand.

The Bike


The Chinook Half bike course, and olympic bike course for that matter, is pretty hilly, and probably the most technical bike course of any race of that distance in Alberta.  The prevailing winds always come out of the west, and since you're riding towards the west (the mountains), the ride out to Kananaskis is going to be a lot slower than the ride back home.

Last year it took me about 1:39 to get to the turnaround, and about 1:13 to get back, and that was keeping power pretty even.

Chinook Bike Course Elevation Profile

The advice that I would give to most triathletes on this bike course is to go super easy on the hills. There are far too many climbs to push and if you aren't careful you could hit the run having burned too many matches to put down a solid run split.  In a 39/26 gear ratio (biggest gear in the back, smallest ring in the front, usually the smallest gear a TT/Tri bike has), even a decent cyclist would be dancing out of the saddle at about 70-80rpm to try and keep from going past their lactate threshold.

On these hills, if you need to get out of the saddle, focus on rocking the bike from side to side and letting gravity do the work and try to keep your effort to a minimum.  If you find yourself getting short of breath on the climbs on near the turnoff to Bragg Creek, back off, you can make the time up later.

The nice thing about an out and back like this is that you do most of the work on the way out.  On the way back in, gravity and then wind should allow you to take a break, recovery, and get some calories back in before the run.

General tip:  I say this to runners and cyclists when they're in an endurance race, unless you're fighting for a podium position, you have to pace your race on effort, not speed.  So when you hit a hill, focus on keeping your effort constant, and just ignore your speed.  If you're on a 90km bike ride in Zone 2, unless you're an exceptionally strong cyclist, or a seasoned triathlete, do the hills in Zone 2.  You should be able to talk to someone without too much labour even as you climb the hill.

The Run

My homeboy Keith on the run

Ride for show and run for dough.  This is where you put it all on the line.  The Chinook run course is a two lap run course that's actually pretty flat with one major hill each lap when you come out of the Fish Creek Valley.  Its a pretty scenic run course so you should be able to take your mind off things once in a while.  And with such a small field, the runners really get stretched out at this point, so be mentally prepared to be in some pretty quiet sections in the run course.  This may not sound like a big deal, but just know that you'll be on your own in some spots, and find a way to use that to your advantage.

The temperature for the race is never really crazy hot like Ironman Calgary 70.3 can get in late July, but you'll still want to listen to your body very closely.  With lower temperatures you may find yourself not needing as much water if you usually take in lots of fluids be sure not to over hydrate.  On the flip side, if you're used to working in heat, the cooler temperatures may throw you off and you may not pick up on your thirst.  So get dialled in with what your whole body is signalling (too much fluid in your stomach? Back off the water.  Getting a little thirsty, drink water. Starting to feel spaced out and a little light, back off the pace for 10 minutes and get some calories and fluid in you asap).

General tip: Your legs will feel wonky after the bike.  That's a fact of triathlon, pay careful attention to your pace for the first couple kilometers and don't push too hard.  Your stomach can't handle fluids as well when you're running vs biking, and after 90km on the bike your legs will want to turnover at a higher rate than you probably run at.  Stick to your target pace and make sure your legs aren't writing cheques your ass can't cash.


Lastly...


Chinook is a phenomenal race put on by Mike Bock who does so much for Calgary's local athletes.  Mike is a top notch guy so if you see him be sure to thank him for putting on such a phenomenal race is one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Also be sure to thank each and every one of the volunteers on the course.  Without them these races wouldn't be possible.  A little thank you goes a very long way.  They know you're tired and that you're pushing your hardest, which is why those two words really do mean so much.

Have a great race out there everyone and I'll see you at the start line!

Race Your Own Race

One of the most common things you'll hear coaches tell their athletes when it comes to endurance sports is that its absolutely crucial to race your own race once the horn goes.  But to put that advice into practice can be far more challenging than you would think.

Being able to race your own race is a combination of being able to control a number of internal and external factors that can try and alter how the day will play out for you.  Controlling these factors is what will allow you to make sure you no unwanted surprises come your way on race day.  For every athlete, the prep and routines in the days leading up to the race is what will give you and edge when its time to start performing.

Before the Race

Whether you're racing the local charity 5k run and walk, or on your way to Ironman, its important to have a routine going into the race that you can stick to.  Things like what you eat, when you go to sleep, when you head down to pick up your race package, all can help build familiarity and remove some of the race day jitters that you might get.  Also, that way when something does go awry, you're better prepared to take it in stride, and it doesn't feel like your race week is unravelling before your eyes.

If you're getting set for a goal race that you've based your season on, be sure to have everything done and taken care of at least two days before the race.  The day before I did Ironman last year was as uneventful as they come.  I dropped my bike off early in the morning, got in the water for a super easy, super short swim, and then got off my feet and chilled with friends at the hotel for the rest of the day.  It was honestly the best thing I could have done, knowing that everything had been checked and re-checked in the days before took a load off the mind and relieved a lot of stress.

After the horn blows

The funny thing about running races is that people so often seem keen to start out fast, and then get progressively slower through the race.  In my last couple races I've found myself victim to this myself and that's why I wanted to write about it.

I like to have Gold, Silver, and Bronze goals.  Bronze is the time I'll be happy with and can go home satisfied about.  Silver is my target time or PB that I've been pushing for and should be comfortably hard to reach.  Gold should be the target time that if you hit, it'll be like winning Olympic Gold, like breaking the two hour half marathon barrier, or hitting the 1 hour 40km TT time.

When the time comes to race, target your silver goal and then wait until you've got a good read on the race, or around the half way mark, to re-evaluate the race strategy.  At that time you can decide to push and go for the gold, dig deep and stay the course for silver, or stick it out and hang on for bronze.

With all the adrenaline and nerves of race day sometimes it can be challenging to not get caught up and go out too hard.  One little trick I've learned is to look up my target time in last year's race results, then seed yourself accordingly in the start field.  So if you're looking to run a 1:30 half mary, you should probably be in the front twenty or thirty runners.  If you're looking to run 2 hours, seed yourself somewhere in the front half of the field, and so on.  Recognize that there will be a lot of people who will start out too quick around you and even people running by you at the start, and don't be tempted to hold that suicide pace.  It won't be long  before you see them again, and by midway through the race you'll be alongside people looking to hit roughly the same time as you, which you can use to give yourself a little extra push.

A Good Race

Yesterday I ran the Police Half Marathon and managed to set a PB for the race course at around 1:36.  Its a pretty hilly route so it wasn't an overall PB, but I'm still really happy with the overall result.  I'm gradually moving up in my age cat and the run was good for 12/99 in the 29 and under group.

I did start out a little too strong though and the last 5km I found myself giving up some time to my overall pace.  It was a bit of a lesson in following my own advice.  Looking back I would have backed off a bit at the beginning and saved some energy for the last couple km's.  Though I don't really think this would have changed my overall time, it would probably have felt a bit nicer to finish on a slightly higher note.

Anyways, it was a beautiful day for a race and I'm very proud of all the friends I saw out there, many of whom also set PB's yesterday!

Cheers!

Quick Update

Oh man, I've been brutal about blogging the past couple weeks.  And by brutal I mean I've been 100% missing in action.

Anyways, training has been going quite well.  And in all honesty, part of the reason I haven't been keeping up with my blogs is because I've been swimming, biking, and running.  The weather in Calgary has been great and I've been racking up the mileage on my new S5.  I feel that the winter riding and work I did on the trainer has really paid off and now that I'm out riding on the highway again I feel pretty "on form".

I honestly feel pretty lucky to live in an area that has as many good roads to ride as I do, so I thought this blog post I'd put up a few pictures of where I ride.  Its not very green right now since spring is just coming around, but it'll get there.

This is a Garmin file for a ride around where those shots were taken.  They were actually taken on two different days though.

I actually had a flat tire at this point, with the wrong tube/valve

This at the top of a large climb called the Road to Nepal

This is another day a few weeks earlier at the beginning of the Road to Nepal

Same area, later in the ride.

Anyways, short blog post, but hope you enjoyed the shots!

Mental Preparation for the First Race of the Season

The great Steve Prefontaine

With spring just around the corner, and the first race of the season just days away for some (myself included), its important to mentally prepare yourself for what lies ahead on the race course.  For many runners and athletes the first race of the season is typically a huge test to see where you're after months of off-seasion and pre-season training.  It will also act as an important benchmark to see where you're at for the races in the months ahead.

Devising your Race Strategy

For any race longer than a 5k its important to have a strategy that goes beyond "just run".  Going into the St. Patrick's Day 10k this weekend I've be thinking about how I want to warm up before the race, and in this case I plan to do about 1-2km of light running as close as possible to the race start time.  Then when the horn goes, I've thought carefully about what my target pace for the first few minutes will be, and at what point I'll hit the gas.

Its important to think about your target paces and race strategy in advance.  Think about what pace and time you know you can do, and then think about what pace and time you can push yourself to do.  Don't be afraid to set a realistic but aggressive target time/pace.  Remember, this is probably just a race to check in and see where you're at, so if you push yourself you'll either blow up and learn a valuable lesson about pacing, or you might just surprise yourself and blow away a personal best.

Get Ready to Dig Deep

Racing well is all about pushing your physical and mental limits, and the reality of this is that racing is tough, and its demanding.  You have to mentally prepare yourself to go to your limit, and then take a step beyond that limit and trust that your training has paid off.

When you're walking to work, or going for a short easy run in the days leading up to the race, put on some music and picture yourself at the mentally toughest part of the race.  Picture your feet hurting, your lungs burning, and your legs gassed, and then visualise how sweet it when that hurt goes away as your cross the finish line to your first sub 60 minute, or 50 minute, or 40 minute 10k.

Words to Race By

There is no shortage of catchy phrases to inspire or motivate you when you're in the thick of a race.  One fun little trick is to think of the one phrase, word, or name that rouses your spirit the most, and write it on the inside of your arm so that when the going gets tough, you know why you're doing this. 

Here are some of my favourites;

• "Most people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run a race to see who has the most guts." - Steve Prefontaine
• "Only think of two things - the gun and the tape.  When you hear the one, just run like hell until you break the other" - Sam Mussabini
• "Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place". - Lance Armstrong
• "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure". - Marianne Williamson
• "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice a gift". - Steve Prefontaine
• Ad astra per aspera. - Latin phrase meaning, "to the stars, through hardship".
• "Don't be afraid to give up the good to go for the great". - Steve Prefontaine

You Owe this to Yourself

If I can leave you with one thought before you hit the start line of your next race, its a thought that my friend Janelle Morrison left me with before I raced my first Ironman and yelled to me in the middle of the marathon of that race.  Its that we owe it to ourselves to give everything we've got to that race.  We owe it to the person who got up at 5am to run in the middle of January, to the person who passed on going for beers with friends to do a training run, to the person who thought they could never run 10k in less than an hour but was naive enough to try it anyways, and to the person who was motivated enough to train to get you to that start line.  We owe it to ourselves to give our very best and leave every ounce of energy out on the race course.

So as cheesy as this sounds, at your next race get out there, and be great.

Swimming Pool Pet Peeves

This is my house! Not really, but its the pool I go to. 

Anyone who spends any decent amount of time at the swimming pool is bound to find some little pet peeves and grievances with their fellow swimmers and gym goers.  I generally wouldn't be one to air a list of complaints, but after some deliberation I thought maybe I should mention some of these pet peeves on my blog in the interests of making pools everywhere a better place. So here it goes.

• Wringing your wet swimsuit out in the middle of the change room- Some guy did this last week and that is what inspired this post.  I couldn't believe my eyes when he took his swimming trunks and rung all the water out of them on the side of the changeroom opposite the showers, in basically the dryest part of the room furthest from a drain.  What on earth was he thinking?  Does he think he's doing everyone a favor by making sure everyone's socks get wet as they get changed?
• Wearing basketball shorts and underwear in to the hot tub- This is pretty gross.  I just don't get how some people think its okay to go straight from the weight room or gym floor to the hot tub and assume that other people are okay with sitting an a warm tub of water with their bacteria infested underwear and shorts. Ugh.  Gym shorts and underarmor boxers are not the same as board shorts or swimwear.
• Completely ignoring the lanes- There are leisure center pools, and there are lane pools.  I don't mind if people just want to wade around in the pool and not swim lap after lap like us mindless drones, but if you're going to just laze around and socialize at least do it in the lane usually closest to the wall where people are a little more casual about the swim.
• Not returning flutter board/pull buoys at the end of the lane- This is more for the staff who are waiting around to save your life if you start to drown.  Lifeguards are not housekeepers there to pick up after you because you can't be bothered to return equipment from the bin where you got it.  You know who you are, would it hurt you to pick up after yourself?
• Canoodling-  I'm not sure which is worse, the wearing of sweaty undergarments post workout in the hot tub, or affectionate partners looking like they're getting ready to do the no pants dance in the pool.  Gross. Just Gross. Get a room kids.
• Talking on your phone in the changeroom- Its just sort of creepy.  I don't really care if someone quickly picks up to say they'll call back in a minute, because we all lead busy lives, I get it.  But prolonged phone conversations in the changeroom is very poor etiquette.  Plus, with the widespread availability of camera phones, you have to remember, you're standing there with a camera pointed at a bunch of naked people of all ages which is a serious invasion of privacy and its grounds for having your membership revoked at a lot of facilities.

Anyways, those are my two cents for the week.  What about you?  Is there anything that drives you up the wall at the pool?