Cadence is defined as ‘the beat, rate or measure of any rhythmic movement.’  In running, cadence is the number of times that your feet strike the ground per unit of time, typically per minute.  To measure cadence, simply glance at your stopwatch while running and, over the course of a minute, count the number of times your feet strike the ground.

To simplify the task of ‘counting your steps,’ many runners think of their running cadence in terms of ‘revolutions per minute,’ or RPMs, (similar to cycling) and count the number of times one of their feet strikes the ground per minute.  Thus, a running cadence of 80 RPMs would mean that your feet touch the ground 160 times every minute.

As beginner triathletes, it is common for running cadence to fall anywhere between 75 and 85 RPMs.  Most runners, with practice, can grow accustomed to a regular cadence of 90 RPM, a rate at which, experts agree, significant running improvement can be realized.  Make 90 RPMs your goal, keeping in mind that your effort to increase cadence is not simply an effort to ‘run faster,’ though this will be an immediate byproduct.

By making a conscious effort to increase your running cadence you can also affect the following changes:

Improve Your Running Form

The biggest improvement that increased running cadence will deliver is a significant improvement in your running form.  By taking quicker steps, your feet have less time for propulsion.  As a result, you will naturally find that rather than landing on your heel (heel strike) between steps, your feet will automatically begin to touch the ground immediately below your center of gravity, landing on the ball of the foot (mid-foot strike.)

Improve running efficiency

Higher cadence, and the resulting improvement in your running form, will significantly improve your running efficiency.  At a higher running cadence, your legs will be operating well within their natural range of motion.  Getting off of your heels and onto your mid-foot between steps is the equivalent of ‘releasing the brakes.’  Once you’ve become accustomed to higher cadence, you will run faster while expending less energy.

Reduce running injuries

With improved efficiency comes a substantial reduction in the risk of running related injuries.  Mid-foot running relieves the ‘jolting’ that a heel-strike inflicts on your ankles, knees and hips.  Reducing this impact on your joints and connective tissues will allow you to run farther and longer with less of the discomfort we all tend to associate with running, especially when we’re just starting out or getting back into the sport after a long lay-off.

Improved cadence will change the way you experience running, both during your training sessions and during your triathlon events.  The ability to monitor and change cadence is the equivalent of having gears on your bicycle.  With this new-found control, you will chip away at hills with a light step that leaves your legs fresh, with plenty of gas left in the tank for the balance of your run.  Long straightaways will melt beneath you as you meditate on the quick rhythm with which your feet strike the asphalt.  You will marvel at the running distances you will achieve, with fatigue, but without the nagging joint and acute muscle pains that have plagued you in the past.

And for those of us who, up until this point, have considered ourselves ‘running challenged,’ increased running cadence and the resulting improvements to our running form will finally allow us to call ourselves ‘runners.’

For age-group triathletes, especially those of us facing longer swim distances, this ‘need for speed,’ though still important, is partially eclipsed by an equal need for greater mechanical and fluid efficiency.  Energy saved during the swim leg translates into energy earned toward the bike and the run.

We must swim faster.  But we must also swim smarter.

Fortunately, aero and hydrodynamics are very similar and equally simple to understand.  Those of us who’ve been fans of the sport for a while know the value of the aero-bar in cycling.  This single accessory, patented in 1987 and designed to create a more aerodynamic cycling position by allowing the rider to lay low and forward over the handlebars, has revolutionized triathlon by reducing aerodynamic drag, allowing higher speeds and significantly faster finishing times during the bike leg of each triathlon.  Similarly, in swimming, by increasing your mind-body awareness and by studying and improving your swimming technique, it is possible to significantly impact the ratio between propulsion and hydrodynamic drag, recognizing significant increases in speed while expending less effort in the water.

Due to water’s density, the amount of raw power required to increase your swim speed becomes exponential pretty quickly.  To swim twice your speed, you have to expend four times the power, and so on.  But keep in mind that the same principal applies in reverse with respect to hydrodynamic drag.  Want to go four times faster while outputting the same amount of effort?  Then figure out a way to reduce your drag by half.

You will be amazed, with diligent practice and by studying your own swim mechanics, at what you can achieve in spite of the water’s determination to slow you down.

‘Perception,’ the connection between your mind and your body while swimming, is a critical ‘key’ to a faster triathlon swim.  To this affect, we all face several challenges.  Competitors are deprived of the ability to monitor heart rate, a key indicator of perceived exertion, while swimming.  In addition, the rushing water, the typical ‘surge’ of adrenaline and the swarm of flailing bodies on race day make it seem impossible to accurately perceive your level of physical effort during your event.

As a result, a majority of us meet the starting gun at full throttle, starting and completing the swim leg at a heart rate (and effort level) well above our intended pace.

Very few triathletes have mastered the ability to gauge how hard they are swimming during a race, in part because of the usual frenzy at the swim start, but also due to the fact that even during practice, they haven’t taken the time to mentally evaluate their training and racing pace in the context of their target triathlon distance.

The table to the right shows finishing times for the swim leg of half-ironman and ironman distance events and the pace (per each 100 yards swum) required in order to achieve them.  As you approach faster finishing times it becomes more critical that you be aware of how fast and how hard you are swimming (by feel) so that you can accurately access your capacity for sustained power output over your target race distance.

The quickest way to improve this critical mind-body awareness is through diligent practice and focused study during your weekly swim training.

The ‘Descending 100s’ workout is designed to help you improve your technique and to make you more mentally aware of your body position, your swim mechanics and your pacing in the water.  Done properly, it is as much a mental workout as it is a physical one.

To get the most benefit from this workout will need a means by which to time your individual 100 yard intervals while you swim.  A poolside clock will work, but my preference is for a waterproof wristwatch featuring a stopwatch that records individual ‘splits.’

Warmup – Swim easily but with focus and awareness.  Easy doesn’t mean ‘loose.’  Hold your form and remain controlled.  Use this time to think about your technique and areas that you have been focusing on improving.

Drills – Time to pick it up a little.  Think ‘power’ but not ‘speed.’  If you’ve been focusing on a specific technique improvement, now is the time to practice it.  If not, focus on long, potentially powerful strokes.  This is not a time to swim hard.  Rather it is a time to ‘think about swimming hard.’

Descending 100s – Here’s where the meditation and mind-body experience begins.  Swim your first 100 yards at a very relaxed pace.  Focus on good swimming form.  Time this interval and make a mental note of your percieved level of exertion as well as your finish time.  Rest 30 seconds and repeat, swimming (and timing) each interval with the intention of completing each 100 with a faster pace than the one before.  Be acutely aware of how each interval ‘feels.’

Do NOT compromise form for speed.  Gradually increasing your pace will allow you to remain ‘aware’ as your body begins to work harder with each interval.

During your 7th 100 yard interval, swim at your fastest possible pace (while holding proper form.)  By timing each of these intervals and by noting your percieved level of exertion, you will create a wide, mental ’spectrum’ of effort that you can apply to the chart above.  This will help you predict a realistic finishing time for your next event.

Rest 2 whole minutes after the 7th 100 and then swim 3 additional 100 yard intervals at your target race pace, based on your desired finish time from the chart above.

It is probable, after examining your split times and comparing them to the pace chart, that you will find it takes less effort (with a higher level of mind-body awareness) to accomplish your time goal.  Additionally, you may begin to sense that you could have finished the swim leg at your last triathlon with a lot more gas left in the tank than you had on race day.

Cooldown – Relax, but hold your form.  Proper swim technique is critical under fatigue.  The only way to guarantee that you’ll be able to hold it together when you’re super-tired is to ‘get super-tired and then swim.’  Don’t let your workout end until your workout has ended.  Make every stroke count, right up until the very last one.

On race day, several additional factors will conspire to cloud your judgement during the swim leg.

Your wetsuit, for instance, will deprive you of the sensation of the water rushing past your body, making it much harder to percieve your speed.  Be mindful though that what your wetsuit deprives in sensation it returns several times over in bouyancy and hydrodynamics.  Wetsuits make you FAST!

Complicating things further will be the challenge of navigating a sea of thrashing bodies during the swim start of your race. Position yourself carefully, before the starting gun fires, based on your skill level and comfort in the water.

And finally, your own internal excitement (and resulting surge of adrenaline) will make it virtually impossible to control your urge to ‘bolt’ at the sound of the starting gun.  Make a specific plan before your race and execute it as carefully as possible.

With practice, strict discipline and complete mental focus,  you will be amazed with your performance during the swim leg of your next triathlon and with how your improved efficiency translates into energy ‘earned’ toward the bike and run.

Swim safe and remember… only ‘perfect’ practice makes perfect.

]]> http://www.everydayironman.com/archives/757/feed 0 http://www.everydayironman.com/archives/701 http://www.everydayironman.com/archives/701#comments Sun, 07 Nov 2010 14:35:38 +0000 admin http://www.everydayironman.com/?p=701 Buckeye Outdoors (www.buckeyeoutdoors.com) is a FREE multisport training website created by Ben Deutschle, an Ohio based web developer and outdoor enthusiast who, at the request of a small group of co-workers back in November of 2005, began cobbling the site together so that they could all map and share their personal training routes.

Instantly, Ben found that not only were his coworkers USING the site as intended. He was now fielding a slew of “wouldn’t it be cool if” requests for site improvements. In response to these requests, he continued adding new features to his site over the months to follow.

Before long, Ben was surprised when he began noticing that people from outside of his office were creating user accounts and had begun entering their OWN routes into his website. Though the site had been publicly available online, Ben had not advertised it and had not anticipated it’s use outside of his immediate circle of friends and coworkers.

Eventually, the same type of “wouldn’t it be cool if” emails began flooding in from all over the country.  Ben continued his effort to improve and enhance the site, incorporating the ideas of his new and growing user base.

And so the site was developed, over the next 4 years, based primarily on direct user feedback and driven by Ben’s passion for the sport and his commitment to providing the best possible tool for designing and tracking multisport training plans.  Today, the Buckeye Outdoors training website has over 16,000 registered subscribers living (and training) all over the world!

April of 2010 marked Buckeye Ourdoors’ first major upgrade, which involved transitioning the entire site to a unique programming foundation which allows more design flexibility and closer customization to the needs of its users.  The site is a highly functional and rapidly evolving work in progress, based on the following core functions.

Training Plan Design – You can design and modify your own training plan, dragging and dropping standard or custom workouts by the day or by the week. Make your training plan publicly available to other users or choose another user’s public plan and adopt it as your own.

Workout Log – Add and record your workouts either manually or by syncing with your (compatible) Garmin device. Record your favorite training routes. Track equipment mileage. Set specific training goals and track your progress toward their achievement.

Social Networking – Connect with your friends, view their training calendars and follow their progress, lending support through comments in the site’s ‘Event Stream.’ Create virtual teams and clubs. Extend or accept a public ‘challenge’ and measure yourself against your training community.

Nutrition – Track your diet using the site’s comprehensive food database, by adding your own custom foods and by grouping individual foods into ‘meals.’

Reports – Chart your progress visually using the site’s comprehensive collection of graphs and reports.

Customization – Choose from one of 25 preset color themes to suit your individual personality.

According to Ben, Buckeye Outdoors will continue to be a work in progress. On the average, 4 new features are added every month, a majority of which are driven by direct user feedback and suggestions.

On occasion, an upgrade or enhancement may be so specific that only the user who requested it knows that it exists at first.  Then, as other users discover and share it, the feature is adopted into the Buckeye community. For this reason, not only has the site become a reliable and incredibly useful tool for multisport training. Each use of the program offers an element of adventure and discovery as the site evolves, in real time, with our sport.

New features on the horizon will include the ability to record and associate videos (and video ‘comments’) with individual workouts and an array of social networking tools, including easy integration with Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Buckeye Outdoors is well worth a test drive, even if you are already using (and probably paying for) another comparable training site.  For the full effect, grab a bunch of your friends, log on together and train as a team.  You will find that the social networking aspect of the site is invaluable, especially on those days when you just can’t seem to get out the door for your daily run.  Knowing that your ‘teammates’ are watching can be a big motivator.  Make sure you drop Ben a line (via the site’s ‘Contact’ page) and let him know what you think of the site.  Share your ideas regarding new features and improvements and you may be surprised by how quickly the ‘good ones’ are implemented.

One very small caveat regarding the Buckeye Outdoors website.  According to Ben, Internet Explorer has a hard time processing JavaScript, the programming language upon which the site relies pretty heavily.  If you are using Internet Explorer, you will find that the site runs a LOT faster if you also install Google’s ‘Chrome Frames‘ plugin.  Or, to avoid the Internet Explorer ‘speed issue’ altogether, simply download an alternative browser, like Mozilla Firefox, and call the website up from there for lightning fast performance.

Happy Training!

Today, multisport races come in all shapes and sizes, catering to virtually every demographic.  Competitors from all walks of life have come to enjoy the sport, which challenges each athlete to their personal limit in an atmosphere of friendly, supportive competition.

Novice triathletes can take the sport for a ‘test-spin’ at one of many ultra-sprint events held around the world every year.  The tagline for Emeryville, California’s ‘Shortest Triathlon Ever,’ featuring a 100 yard swim, a 2.5 mile bike and a 2.1 mile run, is ‘This race is so short, ANYONE can do it!’

Though distances do vary between multisport events, most are formed around one of the four core distances listed below.

Sprint Distance - The fastest growing format in the United States today is the ‘sprint’ triathlon.  With a race distance totaling just under 17 miles (28K) and with finishing times between 1 and 2 hours, sprint events appeal to every aspiring triathlete.  If you’re a beginner, or can only spare 5 to 10 hours per week to train, then the sprint distance may be for you.  These events provide all of the excitement the sport has to offer without the time commitment necessary to build the endurance required for longer distance events.

Olympic Distance – With a total race distance of just under 32 miles (52K) and with finishing times between 2 and 4 hours, the ‘olympic’ distance has become the international standard used for triathlon during the Olympic Games.  Novice to intermediate triathletes who’ve completed one or more sprint distance events and are ready for a bigger challenge will usually graduate to the  olympic distance.  Athletes who aspire to race in longer events will frequently compete in olympic triathlons as a stepping stone to the ‘long-course’ distance, of which the olympic is approximately half the total length.  Provided you have trained consistently for several months and have established a moderate fitness base, you should plan for between 8 and 15 hours of training per week to compete in an olympic distance event.

Long Course (Half Iron) Distance - A weekly training commitment of 10 to 20 hours is only the beginning, as triathletes consider competition at the 70.3 mile (112.5K) ’long-course’ triathlon distance.  This is where training volume begins to significantly affect one’s life-balance and where sacrifices often have to be made with regard to career, to family and to other personal interests.  A solid training base must be established prior to taking on the increased training volume necessary to compete in long-course events.   A full year of consistent training and racing at shorter distances is a good prerequisite for triathletes who want to get serious about long-course triathlon.  On race day, competitors strive for finishing times between 4 and 8 hours, often pushing themselves beyond previously realized limits and discovering new personal thresholds for performance (and tolerance of pain.)  Long-course triathlons are roughly twice the length of an olympic event and half the length of an ultra, making them a popular transition between the two, as athletes train to compete in even longer distance events.

Ultra (Ironman) Distance – The ‘ultra’ consists of a total of 140.6 miles (226.3K) and is considered by most triathletes to be the ‘summit’ of the sport.  Finishing times for these events vary dramatically, ranging between 8 and 17 hours, with official cut-off times (beyond which athletes are disqualified mid-race) for each stage.  Only the most committed and experienced athletes should consider competing in an ultra-distance triathlon.  Training for this distance requires between 15 and 30 hours per week and should only be undertaken following years of base-building and participation in several shorter, long-course distance events.   Over the last three decades, the “Ironman Triathlon,’ World Triathlon Corporation’s branded ultra-distance event, has become the symbol of endurance in America and around the world.  Athletes compete in one of 23 Ironman events held annually in hopes of finishing at the top of their age groups, thus qualifying for one of the coveted ‘Kona slots’ which allow entry into the World Championship held each October on Hawaii’s big island.

It is hard for most people to imagine multisport distances beyond 140.6 miles.  And yet there are athletes, perpetually fueled by their desire to reach their personal best, who set out to find (or in some cases to create) even greater challenges.

On May 10, 2010, in an effort to raise funds and awareness for their ‘Never Stop Foundation,’ Jason Lester and Richard Roll, both elite triathletes, set out to conquer 5 ultra distance events on 5 Hawaiian islands in 5 days.  In the end, they completed all 5 events on May 11, 2010.

Only 7 athletes have ever achieved a solo finish at the ‘Enduroman Arch to Arc,’ a 289 mile (465K) triathlon from London England’s Marble Arch to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris France.  After running 87 miles (140K) from London to Dover, athletes swim the English Channel (22 miles, 35.5K) and then bicycle 181 miles (291K) from Calais to Paris!  Eddie Ette, elite ultra athlete and Enduroman’s current director, holds the record for this event, a staggering 81 hours and 5 minutes.

Today, a triathlon longer than 289 miles seems inconceivable.  But keep in mind that, a mere 30 years ago, it would have been hard for any of us to imagine the 2.4 mile swim, the 112 mile bike and the 26.2 mile run required to complete an official Ironman event.  It is this imagination, combined with our belief in (and a desire to push ourselves toward) our own human potential, that has given birth to the thousands of triathlons and other multisport events that are being held around the world today.

With the exception of its tiny parking lot, Nolte State Park, located 5 miles north of Enumclaw, appears to have been planned with triathlon in mind.  Race headquarters is situated in a central open space surrounded by tall trees and flanked on one side by a large children’s playfield (serving as the race transition area) and the steep shores of Deep Lake (the event’s swim venue) on the other.  With the sun rising through the trees on race day, Nolte State Park provides an ideal backdrop to what would be, for many, an unprecedented physical challenge.

Parking is extremely limited onsite, so an early start to the day is recommended.  Early birds will be rewarded with one of the coveted parking spaces in the park’s lot.  After that, competitors will have to unload their bikes and gear at the curb, then drive 1.5 miles north to Cumberland, where a large parking area and shuttle bus are provided.

Black Diamond Race Weekend, directed by AA Sports, spans two days and is composed of triathlon and duathlon events ranging from ‘sprint’ to ‘long course (half-iron)’ distances.  A large event of this complexity could only be held successfully by the most competent of race directors.  AA Sports falls into this category.  From online registration (the fee for the long course tri was a reasonable $115) to the finish line, this event is well staffed by cheerful, supportive and informative volunteers.  The course is well marked and supervised throughout.  The transition area is spacious and laid out in a manner that assures that no competitor has an advantage over any other.  The long sleeve cotton T-shirts and finisher’s medal are well designed and of good quality.

The Black Diamond swim course consists of two laps (each 0.6 miles) around a course marked by large bouys floating on Deep Lake.  Due to the large turnout this year, race organizers announce that the mens division would be divided (by age) into two starting waves.  As a strong swimmer, my original strategy had been to get out in front of the mass start within the first 100 yards.  At this announcement though, I was forced to reevaluate, with the knowledge that half of the mens field would now be swimming a mere 5 minutes ahead of our wave.

Because of the wide beach start and the way that the course narrows as outbound swimmers site their way past a small peninsula opposite the bouy line, this course is among the most ‘physical’ I have encountered, with plenty of collisions and contact between swimmers, especially at the front of the wave.  Two laps of a small, triangular course assure lots of turns and make efficient bouy siting critical to staying on track.  With so many swimmers and kayaks churning on such a small body of water, the lake’s surface grows rough by the time you round the corner  for your second lap and is ‘rolling’ by the time swimmers exit the water.  I was challenged today, but swam hard, crossed the timing mat in roughly 30 minutes and made my way up the steep shore to the transition area.

The rough water of Deep Lake left me a little dizzy entering transition one.  I struggled some removing my wetsuit and then again slipping my cycling jersey over my wet shoulders and torso.  I prefer the style, feel and function that a cycling jersey provides on the bike but regularly wonder whether the luxury is worth the time and frustration a clothes change costs in transition.  At any rate, I made my way to the bike mount line where, head still spinning from the rough swim, I attempted to launch ‘cyclocross style,’ throwing my right leg over the seat while leaping with my left.  This was poor judgement on my part.  My uncentered weight on the handlebars caused the bike’s front wheel to careen out from under me.  As my left knee met the asphalt, I recalled laughing earlier with a friend about how funny this part of the race was to watch, with all the wet, dizzy, out-of-breath triathletes awkwardly mounting their bikes.  As my right jaw met my handlebars I recalled giggling about how the bike-mount area is always scattered with stray water bottles, power bars and gu-packs.  Then, lying on my back, looking up into the tree canopy, I felt relief that the thick warm liquid now covering the side of my head was just Perpetuem, my carb-drink, which was now spraying from my aero-bottle, through the vents in my helmet and into my hair.  As the crowd of volunteers and spectators, who’d originally gathered here to watch the spectacle (that I’d now become a key part of) closed in to assist, I popped up, gathered my things, reattached my cleats to their respective pedals and raced onto the waiting bike course.

The driveway leaving Nolte State Park is narrow, with a thin layer of moss at the shoulders.  This early in the day, the road surface remains damp, making for potentially slick conditions.  Still a little dizzy, my attempt to remove one of my gloves from my handlebars, where I’d attached them both earlier, was nearly met with another unplanned dismount.  Amped with adrenaline, I resolved to delay all further gear adjustments until I was on the road and settled completely into the bike leg of the ride.

The Black Diamond bike course consists of two loops on back roads between Enumclaw and Ravensdale, Washington.  Though the roads are open to traffic during the event, the venue’s remote location, teamed with police and volunteer supervision at all major intersections, result in an enjoyable and safe race.

Leaving Nolte State Park and heading north, I climbed gradually on Veazie-Cumberland Road for about 5 miles to the “T” at Retreat-Kanasket.  At this point, after about 15 minutes of riding, I had my equilibrium back and had managed to get my gloves on without further incident.  I veared right at Retreat-Kanasket, encountering the long series of rolling hills that would climb until mile 8.6.  Recalling my race strategy, which was simply to ‘save energy for the run,’ I fought on the hills to keep my heart rate low.  Gauging from my memories of the Lake Stevens Half Ironman earlier this year, I teetered between my desire to beat the clock and my knowledge that spending too much energy on the bike would force me to walk during the run.  Fortunately, for the next 6 miles, the highway fell away gradually, allowing rest, reduced HR and top speeds approaching 35 miles per hour!  Following an out-and-back turnaround at 292nd Ave SE, competitors began the return trip, climbing very gradually to the “T” at Veazie Cumberland and then sailing the 5 miles to (and past) the park entrance at mile 24.7.  I had drained what was left in my first water bottle (after my crash at T1) and was now well into the second, feeling energized and still looking forward to the run.

Cyclists continued south toward Enumclaw, threading their way through the scenic countryside, adding  6.5 miles of mildly undulating terrain to the ride before returning to (and once again passing) the park entrance to begin lap 2. Even though my legs were beginning to fatigue, I found pacing to be a LOT easier during the second lap due to familiarity with the roads, the steepness of upcoming hills and the distance between corners.  During the final 5 miles into T2 I focused on keeping my HR down and my cadence up, committed to hitting the run on the freshest legs possible.

As I rode into the park, dismounted my bike and ran toward the transition area, I felt a tight, painful sensation in my lower abs, reminiscent of an abdominal strain I had experienced earlier this season.  I straightened up, attempting to stretch my ab muscles as I ran.  By the time I’d racked my bike and changed my shoes I was feeling much better (and WAY better than I had at Lake Stevens just a few weeks prior.)

Transitioning from the bike to the run, at any distance, is always a challenge,  At a level of fatigue uncommon during training and at a running pace of less than a third of the competitive speed on the bike, each racer tries to gauge the amount of total energy stored in their legs and to meter their output, releasing just enough over the course of the run to assure the proper balance between speed and endurance.  My primary goal today was to finish the run without walking, assuring my fastest possible finish time without running out of gas.  The cost of failure would be a long, painful, demoralizing walk to the finish.

This year’s run course had been revised by the race organizers at the last minute and didn’t match the map which had appeared on the race website prior to the event.  I was unnerved at first, as I left the transition area and was directed southward along the highway.  I adapted though, reminding myself that I had come here prepared to run 13.1 miles, regardless of route or terrain.  I would depend on the mile markers to pace myself and vary my stride and cadence as necessary to manage any unexpected hills.  The run course followed the highway toward Enumclaw, with several out-and-back stretches down scenic, residential side roads along the way.  Runners are rewarded with views of Mount Rainier (that they had probably missed while speeding through this area hours earlier during the bike leg.)

I was excited to be feeling good at this stage of the race and thrilled by the realization that I’d managed a higher speed and significantly lower heart rate through the entire bike leg than I had in Lake Stevens.  Through the first and second miles, I struggled to reduce my speed as I was running sub 9-minute miles, a pace that I would not be able to sustain for the entire distance.  I was on track for a huge personal record if I played my cards right.  But slowing my pace would mean allowing other runners to pass, requiring the type of discipline I had struggled with in the past.  To resolve this inner struggle, I broke the run (mentally) into two halves, running the first at a manageable pace which would assure sufficient fuel stores to complete the event without walking.  If I still had gas in my tank after that, I would release the balance during the second half, where I knew that I would have the conviction, knowing that each step drew me physically closer to the finish line.

By mile 6 my confidence was growing.  Though my heart rate was climbing into the 150′s on the uphill segments, it was dropping quickly back into the 130′s on the downhills.  Approaching the halfway point, I now knew the I would finish the run without walking, though my brain, foggy with fatigue, was challenged calculating what this would mean with regard to my finishing time.

I was growing tired.  Really tired.  And though I was moving forward at a brisk pace, my body was suffering and it was getting harder to focus on proper form and relaxed breathing.  It occurred to me around mile 8 that I would have to endure prolonged fatigue and extreme discomfort if I was going to achieve my goals.

I had fueled and hydrated properly though.  I knew this because my heart rate was climbing into the 160′s now on the uphills and I was dripping sweat.  My strategy for food and hydration today, highly concentrated Perpetuem onboard and water from the stations along the course,was a departure from Lake Stevens and was working perfectly.  This was going to hurt, but partly because I still had the strength and endurance to MAKE it hurt.  I began taking comfort in each painful step.

At mile 9 I realized that I was within shooting distance of a 05:30:00 finish.  But this achievement would require sub 10-minute miles for the remaining 4.1, a distance, at this point, that seemed like an eternity.  The risk of running at that pace would be too great.  I remained cautious, preserving what I was confident would be a finishing time below 05:45:00, a personal record and a huge improvement over my Lake Stevens finishing time.

In hindsight, I am amazed by my sensibility at that moment.  Within the next mile, what had been a heroic but manageable level of fatigue had transformed into a depth of exhaustion that I had never felt before.  At Lake Stevens, the 90 plus degree heat, conspiring with my inability to consume food, left me without adequate fuel to perform anything more than a slow walk for the final 6 miles of the run.  Today I had the fuel and water I needed but my leg muscles had been worked to the core and were screaming for me to quit.

Up to this point, I had successfully focused on good running form and smooth, relaxed breathing.  By the 11th mile though I had dropped into survival mode, refusing to walk and reminding myself that if I did… at all… that I would be disappointed, finishing today’s race feeling like I could have done better.   The voices arguing in my head repeated that I had run this race much more intelligently than the last.  I was right at the edge of my potential… exactly where I needed to be.  In spite of excruciating pain and debilitating exhaustion, walking was simply not on the table for negotiation.

At mile 12, the course left the highway, reentering the park for a short off-road lap around Deep Lake before returning to race headquarters and the cheering crowd waiting along the finish chute located there.  The roots, rocks and unstable surface of the running trail, twisting and turning through the forest at the lake’s shore, wreaked havoc on my hot and tired feet.  But as I rounded the far end of the lake and began my return trip, I was drawn to the announcer’s voice, growing louder through the trees with each step.  I glanced down at my watched and suddenly realized that, if I could pick up my pace just a little bit, I would break the 05:40:00 barrier.  Fueled by the sound of another runner gaining on the trail behind me, I accelerated during the last quarter mile, sprinting from the forest and crossing the finish line in 5 hours, 38 minutes and 43 seconds!

Today’s race, aside from my altercation with the asphalt during T1, was a resounding success and a perfect way to end the 2010 triathlon season.  I am proud of and satisfied by my results, and thrilled by how much I’ve learned about the sport (and about myself.)  This event, combined with my experience racing the Lake Stevens Half Ironman this year, is already providing greater focus as I begin preparation for the CouerDAlene Ironman in June 2011.

Frequently, runners challenged by discomfort while running will experiment with the endless variety of shoes available on the market today.  Though finding a running shoe with a fit that matches your running stride is extremely important, athletes should explore ‘proper running form’ in more depth as well.

I’m of the school that it’s a lot less about the shoe than it is about proper form. For me, at least, that’s been true. In years, even decades past, I was convinced that I had genetically weak knees. What I really had, it turns out, was a lack of discipline and a tendency to do too much, too fast, in an effort to get results NOW rather than over time.

After 2 years of consistent training, during which time I have worked to study and improve my running form, I am amazed at what my body is able to withstand in terms of distance and sustained speed, compared to where I started.  I run in a pair of $70 Nike Structure Triax 12′s, inexpensive by all but the most budget concious runner.

‘Jeff Galloway’s Book on Running’ has been a great resource for me and I still use it weekly to keep myself fine tuned. Another useful resource, and the book that I am studying currently, is ‘Chi-Running’ by Danny Dreyer.  In a nutshell, it is a book about proper running form and getting into the right ‘mindset’ for efficient long distance running.  It features similar principals to Galloway’s book, but describes them  in more detail, and from a ‘zen’ perspective.

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

Sunday, September 12, 2010 – Glacier WA

3:00AM – An email update was broadcast to all registrants.  The weather forecast the night before had not been promising.  The update announced that, due to inclement weather, the course would have to be altered.  The finish line would be moved to a lower elevation to assure the safety of the riders.  A couple of scenarios were described, neither of which was as intriguing as the anticipated climb up the final 2.5 miles to the peak at Artist’s Point, but each of which illustrated the serious nature of the hostile conditions we were about to face.

7:00AM – Race officials (and law enforcement) announced that the finish line would be moved to the Heather Meadows Visitor Center (2.5 miles short of Artist’s Point) and that the highway above would be closed.  Competitors were advised to show up with the ‘appropriate gear and clothing for an enjoyable ride in EXTREME conditions.’

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

7:30AM – Wave one, consisting of 45 ‘Summit’ riders left the starting area, most pursuing the ascent for the first time.  Starting waves for the Mount Baker Hillclimb are released onto the mountain in reverse order based on anticipated speed, with the slowest riders leaving Glacier first and the fastest riders leaving last.  This puts every rider in the thick of one of the most competitive and challenging road races in the northwest and assures that the entire field will converge at the finishing area at roughly the same time, culminating in a large post race celebration at the summit.

7:45AM – We pulled into Glacier under a cold, drizzling cloudy sky.  This would be my third attempt at the mountain but my first in these conditions.  The typically energized pre-race atmosphere had been replaced by soggy, quiet contemplation as racers huddled in their cars or under the eaves of buildings to stay dry and warm until their race began.  A small band (of two musicians) hired for the event matched the thick, dark morning with an organic synth-groove that expressed the tone of the day perfectly.  Cold riders were filled with anticipation, anxious to get their internal ‘furnaces’ blasting and eager to start the race!  At check-in we decided to change our category from ‘Competitive’ to ‘Recreational-Fast’ which would allow us to start one hour earlier than planned, at 8:30AM.  We would sacrifice the speed of a faster field of riders but would save ourselves the extra hour of waiting around in the cold  for our race to start.

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

8:00AM – Wave two, the ‘Recreational’ riders, 102 in all, blazed out of town in a long stream of fluorescent yellows, greens and blues.  Riders from this group would finish the climb between 01:39:34 and 03:31:07.

8:20AM – Eager to start the race and fueled by the excitement of watching the earlier starting waves leaving the line, the remaining riders geared up and queued quickly for the start of our wave.

8:30AM – Following a brief pre-race meeting and at the sound of the starting horn, the ‘Recreational-Fast’ wave was off in a single peleton of 143 riders!  The Ride542 course is divided, by most who attempt it, into 2 segments, the first consisting of ‘the approach,’  14 miles of rolling hills (2 of which are rated climbs) escalating along the Nooksack River for a total vertical gain of 1000 feet.  The second segment of the course is ‘the big climb,’ a 10.5 mile, Category 2 behemoth climbing an additional 3200 feet at 5.7 percent to the finish line at Artist’s point.  Individual strategies for top performance abound.  Depending on who you ask, the key to a personal record on this course ranges from ‘strategic pacing and drafting during the approach,’ to ‘minimizing weight and executing proper spinning technique on the climb.’  Arriving at the starting line 10 pounds lighter than I was last season and more fit from over a year of consistent (triathlon) training and racing, my personal strategy was a balanced combination of both, with flexibility built in for changing race conditions.

Image courtesy of Norka Recreation

8:37AM – The immediate rise in elevation out of Glacier had already spread the peleton into a long, loose group of riders, each guaging their output (and that of their competition) in light of the inevitable suffering (for all) to come.  Here, at mile 2, laid the first of 3 rated climbs for the day.  The next mile, rated ‘Category 4′ at 5.7%, would fracture the peleton into several groups, the first of which would consist of approximately 20 riders.  The second group, slightly larger in number, is where I would spend the next 5 miles, cautiously monitoring my heart rate and perceived exertion and weighing the risk of keeping up with the benefit I was gaining from the pace and draft of the group.

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

8:55AM – At mile 6.5 our chase group encountered and was quickly dismantled by the second rated climb of the approach, a ‘Category 3′ hill climbing 3.2 kilometers at a 6.6% grade.  Some took advantage of the changing terrain to put a lead on their competition.  Others backed off, knowing that this was just a taste of the ‘real’ climb ahead.  The chase group thinned to a long line of riders and then quickly splintered, leaving each rider to face the balance of the course alone.

9:00 AM – The ‘Competetive Tandem’ wave, consisting ot 2 teams of 2 riders each, left the starting line.

9:14 AM – Four continuous miles of nearly level grade lie at the foot of the ‘big climb.’  I was 2 miles into this plateau and able to settle into a swift and constant pace, managing heart rate and sensing the condition of my legs and how prepared they were (or were not) for the work ahead.

9:21 AM – At mile 14, I sailed across the bridge spanning the Nooksack and planted myself firmly at the base of the ‘big climb,’ 16 km of Category 2 madness rising at a relentless 5.7% to the peak at Artists Point, 4200 feet above the starting line back in Glacier.  I felt confident, after nearly an hour of hard riding, that I was here in better condition than I had been last year but I had left a lot of what I brought out there on ‘the approach.’  Would I have enough to make it to the top in good form?  Only time, sweat and a fair amount of suffering would tell.

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

9:30AM – 104 of the area’s top competitive and recreational cyclists were unleashed from the base of the mountain with a vengeance.  The field included Morgan Schmitt and Adrian Hegyvary, both racing for the ‘UnitedHealthcare pb Maxxis’ team.  Adrian would go on to win the overall competition with an earth-shattering average speed of over 18 miles per hour!

9:40 AM – I was 3 miles into the truncated 8 mile ascent and settling into a manageable pace.  I could feel strength and stamina that had been absent in previous years but was still concerned about crossing into an anaerobic state (which I have determined through regular testing this season to be at a heart rate in the mid to high 150′s.)  Over the course of the next mile, I adjusted my gearing, cadence and heart rate and was thrilled to find that I was able to maintain balance without dropping to my lowest available gear.

9:58 AM – With 5 kilometers left, markers had been placed noting the remaining distance to the finish.  I struggled to do the conversion (from kilometers to miles) as I ticked off the first two markers.  With 3 kilometers to go, I picked up my speed some.  Our wave had crossed over into the tail end of the recreational field and I felt motivated by catching and passing the other riders as I climbed.

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

10:04AM – Passing the 2 kilometer mark, I began unloading stored energy into my leg muscles.  At 1 kilometer I opened it wide, stood on my pedals and poured out everything I had left.

10:10AM – A makeshift finish line, consisting of 2 parallel rows of  road-cones, about 15 soggy (but reasonably enthusiastic) spectators and a single video camera recording the race’s official results, had been hastily relocated from Artist Point to its current position adjacent to the Heather Meadows Visitors Center.  I wasn’t even aware that I’d crossed it until, following the cones, riders were led through the center’s parking lot, where an incredible array of snacks and fuel for the return trip had been carefully arranged.  Riders were scrambling to rack their bikes, grab some food, hop indoors to warm up and to change into dry clothes (if they had brought them… I hadn’t…) and to hit the road before their cores cooled to the point where they couldn’t be easily reheated.  We followed suit, grabbed our bikes, and headed back down as quickly as possible.

10:40 AM – The ride back to Glacier went much better than expected.  With high speeds and very little pedaling, it took several miles to warm back up but we survived, coasting down the long switchbacks and reaching the base of the ‘big climb’ in about 20 minutes.  The first few pedal strokes at the base were tough. My legs felt thick and cold for the first mile or so but eventually loosened up and I was able to push through the series of rolling hills leading us back into town.

Image courtesy of Tim Chandonnet Photography

11:40 AM – We rolled into Glacier precisely 60 minutes after leaving the visitor center and had time for a quick lunch and a couple of cold beers at ‘Graham’s,’ one of the handful of restaurants in town.

12:30 PM – A short 4 hours after starting our race, we were racked, loaded and headed back home.  During previous years, better weather conditions had made it easy to waste away the whole afternoon trading stories and talking about past and future races.  Today we had been up the mountain and back so quickly that it barely felt like we had raced at all.

Conclusions - Based on this years results, my average speed for today’s 8 mile climb and the remaining distance between the abridged finish line at Heather Meadow and the summit  at Artist’s Point, I’ve calculated that  I’d likely have finished the full-length course in just under 2 hours. I am thankful to race organizers this year on two fronts.  The first is that they held another stellar event in spite of very challenging and volatile weather conditions, making rider safety their first priority.  The second is that, by shortening this year’s course, they left me with another year’s worth of eager anticipation, looking forward to that long, steep 2.5 mile climb to the summit.  I’ll be back in 2011, lighter and faster from another year’s worth of training and ready, hopefully, to break the 01:45:00 barrier.

Cloudy skies and cold temperatures greeted athletes this morning as they prepared for the 8th Annual Kirkland Traithlon at Carillon Point.  This event made it’s debut in 2002, when over 1300 athletes registered, making it one of the largest ‘first-year’ sprint events in our nation’s history.

This year’s event, along with the weather, did NOT disappoint.  Cloudy september skies quickly gave way to sun.  By mid morning, novice and veteran triathletes alike enjoyed the thrill of perfect northwest racing conditions.

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In my effort to save precious time during the second transition of an off-road triathlon this season, I decided to run without socks.  In hindsight, this was a HUGE mistake, as I found out early in what would be a very long 10k trail run. 

Several sections of the trail included deep, unavoidable mud puddles where wet, silty sand had filled both of my running shoes, and was now grinding away mercilessly at the tender skin lining the insteps of each of my feet.

Within the first mile of the run I began to feel ‘hot spots’ forming on the inner soles of my feet.  Had I been able to stop at this point and either put on dry socks or cover the the hot areas with 2nd skin or moleskin,  my feet would have been uninjured.  Skin lubricants, often effective in clean, dry conditions, would have been useless here.  The wet, abrasive sand would have quicky broken the lubricant down and dissolved it.  All moot points though, as my socks and all of my skin care products were nearly a mile behind me now, back at the transition area.

By the end of mile 2 my discomfort was steadily increasing as small blisters began to form on the soles of my feet.  Friction blisters occur when your skin rubs against another material.  The inner and outer layers of your skin become separated, allowing fluid from your body to accumulate between them, forming a ‘bubble’ under your skin’s surface.

By the end of mile three I was certain of the mounting damage, but kept trying to convince myself that it wasn’t as bad as it felt, or that I was much closer to the finish line than I actually was.  In hindsight, I should have stopped at the first sign of discomfort.   But the realization that I was on pace to shatter last year’s finishing time fueled me forward.

Had I stopped halfway through the run, it is likely that the the large bubbles now forming on the undersides of my feet would still be completely intact and that, if left alone, would have healed within just a few days without further care.  By catching your blisters early and by ceasing the activity that is causing them to form, the outer layer of skin can remain intact, allowing the accumulated fluid to protect the tender underlying skin as it regenerates.  Eventually, the protective outer layer wears away naturally. 

In some cases, the accumulating fluid will cause pressure against the tender inner layers of skin.  It is sometimes helpful to remove the fluid from within your blister.   This can be done very easily (and painlessly) using the following steps.  First, clean your hands using an antibacterial soap.  Then sterilize a needle (by wiping it with alchohol. ) Pierce the side of your blister with the needle and then massage your blister, starting from the opposing side, so that the fluid will be drained from the bubble.  Wipe away any extra fluid using a sterile cloth, apply a thin layer of antibacterial ointment and apply a bandage to keep the area clean.

By mile four the pain had increased to the point where I was concerned that it would begin to affect my running form (and lead to other, more serious injury.)  I focused intently on preserving good, efficient leg turnover and tried the distract myself from the inferno that was now cooking the underside of my feet.

Had I stopped here, at mile 4, with full knowledge that I was causing some degree of injury to both of my feet, there is a good chance that my new blisters would have remained ‘serviceable.’  The protective outer layer of skin had likely ruptured, but was still probably attached at the edges and, with a little care, could still serve to protect the inner layers beneath.

Provided the outer layer of skin is still in good condition and attached (at least partially) to your foot, clean the injured area and then carefully attempt to lay the outer skin back over the raw area of inner skin below.  Never intentionally remove this roof of skin, as it serves to protect the wound from germs and bacteria.  Over the next few hours the outer skin will usually rebond to the inner layers and continue to protect them from further irritation and possible infection.  Apply a thin coat of antibiotic ointment (or antiseptic cream) and cover your blister with a bandage (taking care not to let the adhesive part of the strip contact the loose outer skin layer.)

By the end of my race, there would remain NO outer skin layer to protect the tender flesh lining the insoles of both of my feet.  Prolonged friction had torn the outer skin layer from my feet entirely, leaving it crumpled along the edges what were now deep (and painfully unprotected) 2-inch long blisters.

Through mile 5, where the usual dirt single track road had been freshly covered with several inches of loosely packed gravel, I pressed on.   A controlled, solid footing was virtually impossible here, assuring the maximum amount of side to side abrasion on what little was now left of the undersides of my feet.

Finally, for the last mile, I hit solid asphalt, gritted my teeth, and toughed out the balance of the race, rounding the last corner through a screaming crowd of spectators and sprinting over the finish line.   I had finished with a personal record, beating last year’s time by 50 minutes and 1 second! 

Medics at the finish line tended to my damaged feet by irrigating the wounds with an antiseptic and by covering them with carefully fashioned bandages which covered the tender inner skin while preventing any further abrasion.  Walking was painful, but I was in good enough shape to make my way to the podium for the awards ceremony and to get my belongings packed and back to my truck after the race. Immediately upon returning home, I removed the bandages and used a small pair of scissors to carefully trim away the small scraps of skin that were crumpled along the edges of each wound.  I then applied a thin layer of antibiotic ointment to prevent germs and bacteria from causing infection, and installed large bandages which competely covered each blister.   

Walking was painful for the first 3 to 4 days.  But by repeating my ointment and bandaging regiment each morning, I was able to avoid infection and speed my recovery.  Within a week the pain had faded dramatically and I was able to resume my regular workout schedule.  Within two weeks, I was standing comfortably at the starting line of my next event.

There is a range of accomodations from which to choose.  Guests can stay in a small detached cottage, or Cliffhouse, or choose from two levels of Cavern Rooms, with their cave-like entrance, vaulted ceilings and breathtaking views of the Columbia River.

Though there are many activities available at and surrounding the Cave B Inn,  plan some time during your stay to relax.  You will find upon arrival that this is the perfect place to do so.  One look at the Eastern Washington sky meeting the earth at its horizon, then cascading down the jagged cliffs of the Columbia Gorge to the river below and you’ll be ready to lift your feet, dawn your sunglasses and kick back for a relaxing afternoon.  Peaceful evenings can be enjoyed on the lawn just outside your room, watching as the sun sets over the hills opposite the Inn.

Wherever you are at Cave B, you are constantly reminded that you are staying within a living, breathing winery.  The stroll from your room to Tendrils (the estate restaurant) for instance, will lead you right through the heart of a vinyard, where you can admire grapes that will one day be used to create some of the State of Washington’s finest wine.

 A pool was added at Cave B in 2007 and is nestled neatly into the the hillside below the main lodge and Cliffhouses.  It is a private escape and, with its stone pool deck and timber trellis, feels at peace with the surrounding landscape.  The north end of the deck rises slightly above grade as the land falls away below and offers a panoramic view that rivals any on the grounds.

You will find a trail next to the the Cavern Rooms that will take you down to the edge of Columbia River, meandering over and around the hills which lie between the Inn and the water.  It is a peaceful, exclusive hike that is limited to guests of the Inn.  Though you may encounter one or two other hikers on the trail, for the most part it will be you, alone, in the surrounding landscape.

Room rates at Cave B vary dramatically with the change of seasons.  Reservations can be made (and pricing checked) online at www.caveb.com.  Several themed packages are offered year round, which include room, spa treatments, wine tasting and events and activities.  Plan ahead during the summer as the Inn fills quickly, especially on weekends where concerts are being held at the amphitheater next door.

Sagecliff and the Cave B Inn and Winery form an oasis in an otherwise rugged, historically uninhabitable landscape.  The estate was born of an ‘idea’ over 20 years ago when its founder envisioned  developing venues contoured within, but respectful of, the natural beauty surrounding them.  Today, SageCliffe and the Cave B Inn and Estate Winery continue to develop into what has already become one of Washington State’s most remarkable destinations.