When I first began coming to vacation in Kona in 1997 I loved running into a guy by the name of Peaman. He had this race he put on every six weeks and i loved arriving from New Zealand to compete in his races. Once I moved to Kona I raced them ever chance I could and started winning them every once and a while. I always hated it when Matty Cunningham, D. Lawerence, Mike McCarey, or Gary Cooke came to race because I could beat them in the swim, but would crumble in run and end up defeated. This race definitely shaped me into the triathlete I am today as I was humbled every six weeks and learned I had to be able to run fast in this sport. I think I won my first championship back in 2000 or 2001 and have not been able to race this race since because of work and then because of me leaving the island. 2007 had me on the island for the race and I was going to try and win again.
Little history lesson here also. Everyone has to be very familiar with the name Bree Wee now. She was the first amateur at Ironman Hawaii this year and placed 13 overall. Yes, I know, AWESOME. I ran into Bree in 2003 at the Lavaman triathlon after I crossed the finish line. This girl ran up to me and had her picture taken with me and I will not lie, she was a looker for sure :) as most of you will notice from her pic in the latest tri mag for Lifesport coaching. I moved to Texas in 2004 and would catch up with her every now and then for training. She has to be one of the most talented and dedicated triathletes I know. She jumped aboard with Life sport and has blossomed into on hell of World class triathlete.
The race. I arrived at the pier and was pretty nervous. I always get nervous no matter how big or small the race is. The gun went off and I charged up with the top four swimmers and died five minutes into the swim. At that point I decided to keep my head down and just swim. HAHA next time I looked up I was so far of course and to my horror looked back to see the pack was following me :) I must have been 100 yards off the buoy to the left. Who who was it that was right there on my feet? The speedy Bree Wee. i knew I was going to hurt because she can move on the pavement. She got me on the swim and was off on the run like a rocket. My transition was not my quickest but I eventually got out. Bree is quick and it took a lot of effort to catch up to her. I will tell you why I beat her today and I still laugh about it now. She was so busy responding to everyone passing us the opposite way. She was not just waving, she was talking to everyone and addressing them all by name!
Bree you are awesome and I can't wait to see what you accomplish next year. Look forward to catching up with you and Jim on Friday.
Sunday, December 30, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
My end of year #1
2007 was just a crazy year with lots of ups and downs and I hope I will reap all the benefits of 2007 in 2008. I sometimes laugh when I say I have a pro card!
The Races
Cactus Challenge 3rd
Honu Half IM 10th
LA Triathlon 22nd
Texas Tri 1st
Texas Man 1st
Long horn tri 6th
70.3 Worlds 30th
I was very fired up about racing this year, especially after placing 7th at World Champs. I know the field was not stacked as it was this year, but it was still a solid and respectable race. The season started off with the Cactus Challenge in April were I had another poor race. First year at Cactus I was sent the wrong way on the bike and found myself way off the pace coming into the run and just blew up. Last year I went the wrong way on the bike again and was only seconds away from the win! This year I was flat on the bike. Every year I enter this I have flawed.
Honu Half Ironman was in June and I showed up feeling somewhat confident. I had a poor swim and tried to play catch up all day. I did a crash course running program in my final build for this race and ended flat on the run. Placed 10th overall and was not very pleased.
LA triathlon....I am not even going to go there.
Texas man and tri and Longhorn. I finally started to do well. These are great races that I think are so much fun. All of these courses are very Texas and I think i saw more rattlesnakes on the road in these three races then I have seen my entire time I have resided in Texas. Two wins and some much needed confidence ignited my ego. Longhorn was a race I really wanted to do well in. I finally went to the pool and told myself I had to put in the hard yards. I use to be such a strong swimmer and have really fallen off the past few years. Came out of the swim at Longhorn with a massive lead and just waited for the pack to catch me on the bike. The bike was not at 100% so I cruised with the pack know i had a strong to unleash once my feet hit the ground. The plan was going brilliant as the leader only had 2 minutes on us! I came out of T2 with a mission and by mile three the lead was 30 seconds! Beauty, race is the bag I was thinking. Yes, far too cocky and I got whacked with the humble stick in the form of severe cramping like I have never had before. Placed sixth and ended up visiting medical for a while to cool down and get hydrated. I was confident in my form leading up to worlds.
WORLDS! I had received a beautiful package of 700 dollars and some other goodies for placing top ten last year. No stress in the last month leading up to this race. As always if you caught onto my feeling flat theme, work called. This time it was a completely different scenario in why I had to log lots of hours. I started to develop the superman bug and it also killed me at worlds. With very little time to train daily, I just went and hammered every day and was logging some nice numbers on the SRM....too nice and too frequently. I began freaking out about not performing as well as in 2006, I freaked out because I was getting in lots of speed but no distance, I was not happy that I was was very fatigued seven days out from the race. I stopped training five days out from the race and just prayed I would come right. Come race day I had a solid swim out with the main pack and that is about the only positive thing I have to say about the race. My legs were lifeless and I was absolutely furious when I got spit off the back.
The Races
Cactus Challenge 3rd
Honu Half IM 10th
LA Triathlon 22nd
Texas Tri 1st
Texas Man 1st
Long horn tri 6th
70.3 Worlds 30th
I was very fired up about racing this year, especially after placing 7th at World Champs. I know the field was not stacked as it was this year, but it was still a solid and respectable race. The season started off with the Cactus Challenge in April were I had another poor race. First year at Cactus I was sent the wrong way on the bike and found myself way off the pace coming into the run and just blew up. Last year I went the wrong way on the bike again and was only seconds away from the win! This year I was flat on the bike. Every year I enter this I have flawed.
Honu Half Ironman was in June and I showed up feeling somewhat confident. I had a poor swim and tried to play catch up all day. I did a crash course running program in my final build for this race and ended flat on the run. Placed 10th overall and was not very pleased.
LA triathlon....I am not even going to go there.
Texas man and tri and Longhorn. I finally started to do well. These are great races that I think are so much fun. All of these courses are very Texas and I think i saw more rattlesnakes on the road in these three races then I have seen my entire time I have resided in Texas. Two wins and some much needed confidence ignited my ego. Longhorn was a race I really wanted to do well in. I finally went to the pool and told myself I had to put in the hard yards. I use to be such a strong swimmer and have really fallen off the past few years. Came out of the swim at Longhorn with a massive lead and just waited for the pack to catch me on the bike. The bike was not at 100% so I cruised with the pack know i had a strong to unleash once my feet hit the ground. The plan was going brilliant as the leader only had 2 minutes on us! I came out of T2 with a mission and by mile three the lead was 30 seconds! Beauty, race is the bag I was thinking. Yes, far too cocky and I got whacked with the humble stick in the form of severe cramping like I have never had before. Placed sixth and ended up visiting medical for a while to cool down and get hydrated. I was confident in my form leading up to worlds.
WORLDS! I had received a beautiful package of 700 dollars and some other goodies for placing top ten last year. No stress in the last month leading up to this race. As always if you caught onto my feeling flat theme, work called. This time it was a completely different scenario in why I had to log lots of hours. I started to develop the superman bug and it also killed me at worlds. With very little time to train daily, I just went and hammered every day and was logging some nice numbers on the SRM....too nice and too frequently. I began freaking out about not performing as well as in 2006, I freaked out because I was getting in lots of speed but no distance, I was not happy that I was was very fatigued seven days out from the race. I stopped training five days out from the race and just prayed I would come right. Come race day I had a solid swim out with the main pack and that is about the only positive thing I have to say about the race. My legs were lifeless and I was absolutely furious when I got spit off the back.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
it is gone!
Yesterday I had to turn in my blackberry (a.k.a crackberry)! While i was working, i always wanted to get rid of it. I hated that everyone could get hold of me by phone, txt, e-mail, or instant messenger. You had no excuse what so ever if you did not get back to anybody within five minutes! Now I miss it, I feel like I am not in the know, even though I do not need to be in the know. I am having withdrawls already and want another all in one device, but it is only a want not a need.
Training is coming along well thanks to CATZ. The marathon training has not been coming along too well because of the departure from work and moving all my gear out of my place. Every Tues. and Thur. I go to CATZ for a intense hour long work that focuses on injury prevention, strength conditioning, and speed-fitness. I have been constant with running 4 miles, three times a week pretty slow. I went out yesterday to my surprise and hammered out a 41 minute 7.1 mile loop! Thank you Bill for pushing me hard during each session.
Head off to dallas on Saturday to stay with Lindsay's parents till Christmas morning. I'm looking forward to this as they have a huge Christmas bash. We then leave to Hawaii on christmas morning. I have never flown on Christmas and hope the flights will be empty so i can get some shut eye before having Christams dinner with my folks.
Training is coming along well thanks to CATZ. The marathon training has not been coming along too well because of the departure from work and moving all my gear out of my place. Every Tues. and Thur. I go to CATZ for a intense hour long work that focuses on injury prevention, strength conditioning, and speed-fitness. I have been constant with running 4 miles, three times a week pretty slow. I went out yesterday to my surprise and hammered out a 41 minute 7.1 mile loop! Thank you Bill for pushing me hard during each session.
Head off to dallas on Saturday to stay with Lindsay's parents till Christmas morning. I'm looking forward to this as they have a huge Christmas bash. We then leave to Hawaii on christmas morning. I have never flown on Christmas and hope the flights will be empty so i can get some shut eye before having Christams dinner with my folks.
Monday, December 10, 2007
New Path
Handed in the letter of resignation the other day and it was tough. Been working for a family here in Austin for the past four years and it was very hard to let go emotionally. I have a lot of love for the kids I worked with. I'm out on my own now and have to get cracking pretty quickly to find a job since I will be coming home in 08 with a wife!!
Been working out at the CATZ facility the past three weeks. If you're in Austin and want a solid hour long workout you have to check these guys out. Awesome group of trainers who push you hard. I don't think I have been as sore as I have been in a while.
Been working out at the CATZ facility the past three weeks. If you're in Austin and want a solid hour long workout you have to check these guys out. Awesome group of trainers who push you hard. I don't think I have been as sore as I have been in a while.
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Roughly 5 weeks
My big day (wedding) is just around the corner now. I remember when I proposed thinking, man, Jan 4 is so far away! Now time is approaching at light speed.
Off season for me has always been a problem for me. I'm like Jan Ullrich, as in, I get nice and fat. Come in-season...actually now I think about it, I go from fat to soft! The problem isn't as bad anymore as I have been in the low 140s this year. Getting back to my point, the off season and the wedding approaching can spell some trouble. I don't want my wedding night to come and I'm a big fatty. I don't want my wife's eyes to be scared from the get go. :) So I will be keeping my blog as my accountability partner. I will also post my favorite snack of the weeks.
As of now I weigh in at 147.
Favorite snack: Laughing Cow Cheese
This tasty light pasteurized cheese snack is incredible! I roll it up in a wrap and spread marmite all over. It is heavenly. For thoes of you who can't tolerate marmite, PB does the trick also.
Indulgence has a lighter side...ummmmmm
Calories: 35
Fat: 2.0g
Carb: 1.0g
Protein: 2.5g
Off season for me has always been a problem for me. I'm like Jan Ullrich, as in, I get nice and fat. Come in-season...actually now I think about it, I go from fat to soft! The problem isn't as bad anymore as I have been in the low 140s this year. Getting back to my point, the off season and the wedding approaching can spell some trouble. I don't want my wedding night to come and I'm a big fatty. I don't want my wife's eyes to be scared from the get go. :) So I will be keeping my blog as my accountability partner. I will also post my favorite snack of the weeks.
As of now I weigh in at 147.
Favorite snack: Laughing Cow Cheese
This tasty light pasteurized cheese snack is incredible! I roll it up in a wrap and spread marmite all over. It is heavenly. For thoes of you who can't tolerate marmite, PB does the trick also.
Indulgence has a lighter side...ummmmmm
Calories: 35
Fat: 2.0g
Carb: 1.0g
Protein: 2.5g
Monday, November 26, 2007
Tag! You're it!!
I was tagged today my MarkyV. You have to give a list of five things people do not know about you.
1. I really like opera...especially Nessun Dorma when done by the three tenors.
2. I'm addicted to slowtwitch but never post.
3. I'm a tv star! Did a show with Gabby Resse on FitTV.
4. I use to be a big baller. Represented my region in NZL for basketball.
5. Can't get enough of facial scrub. Scrubbing particles feel great. Check out Jack Black products. The Face Buff is awesome.
Now I'm coming after others.
Bree Wee. First amateur female finisher and 13 OA in Kona. Smashed 20-24 record.
Tim Marr. Good training partner of mine. Navigate to his blog.
1. I really like opera...especially Nessun Dorma when done by the three tenors.
2. I'm addicted to slowtwitch but never post.
3. I'm a tv star! Did a show with Gabby Resse on FitTV.
4. I use to be a big baller. Represented my region in NZL for basketball.
5. Can't get enough of facial scrub. Scrubbing particles feel great. Check out Jack Black products. The Face Buff is awesome.
Now I'm coming after others.
Bree Wee. First amateur female finisher and 13 OA in Kona. Smashed 20-24 record.
Tim Marr. Good training partner of mine. Navigate to his blog.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
Down Time
Not a huge fan of the off season especially when the last race of the season did not go to plan. All I want to do is go and train so hard so I have a awesome base for next year. Even though my body is not too stressed it is my mind that needs a rest. This year has been one of the hardest years mentally then any other.
To keep myself entertained I have been rock climbing, mountain biking, consuming way too much coffee. Nothing beats drinking a hot cup of coffee outside while feeling the cold air at 6am. I have more free time to get my suit altered, find out about fixing my wedding band and will try find some clothes for my groomsmen today! I am getting married soon to beautiful blonde. Will have to post some lifestyle pics on my page soon.
In the plan as of right now is to run the Austin Marathon in February. I can talk the talk and say I would like to go around 2:45 but until I see what it is like training at that pace I have no idea. The goal is to be sub 2:50. I just would love to beat the time Lance Armstrong posted in New York!
To keep myself entertained I have been rock climbing, mountain biking, consuming way too much coffee. Nothing beats drinking a hot cup of coffee outside while feeling the cold air at 6am. I have more free time to get my suit altered, find out about fixing my wedding band and will try find some clothes for my groomsmen today! I am getting married soon to beautiful blonde. Will have to post some lifestyle pics on my page soon.
In the plan as of right now is to run the Austin Marathon in February. I can talk the talk and say I would like to go around 2:45 but until I see what it is like training at that pace I have no idea. The goal is to be sub 2:50. I just would love to beat the time Lance Armstrong posted in New York!
Friday, November 16, 2007
Saturday, November 10, 2007
That's all she wrote.
It is done and I will have some business to settle here next year. Last year I nailed the run and had a lousy bike. This year I had a great swim, lousy bike, and a solid run. If this trend continues then next year I will put together a solid package.
The swim was like no other swim I have been in. It was just vicious, really vicious. After I found some clear water I started getting into a solid rhythm and next thing I know me and another fellow were leading the swim...until I looked to right to see half the field had swam inside the bouys. I think I was in top 10 at turn around and was feeling great. Coming home with the sun coming always causes navigational problems and I fell victim to it today. I found my self very wide and had to work my way back into the pack. Ended up finding them but losing the top tier guys I so desperately wanted to swim swim. Great start to the day exiting in 23 minutes...three minutes faster then last year.
Once out on the bike I though I was doing ok as the pack was not gaining time on me. Then Mr. Chris Lieto graced the pack with his presence and I just didn't have the legs. In previous posts I mentioned how much my cycling was coming along thanks to the SRM. It was coming along, but I never was able to mix the high watts over a long duration. I was fast just never got to go long :) That will be a major target for me next year. Basically I said hi and bye to all my fellow triathletes on the bike. Mile 50 I was just hanging on.
Now I always love getting onto the run because it has become a strength of mine the past year. Today it was not. I struggled to mile three and then my legs said, ok, we are ready now. Three to eight was awesome! Managed to pick off 5-6 guys and ran with my good buddy, Michael Simpson for a good while and though I was good to the finish. Mile eight came and the legs decided that they were done for the day. Crossed the line in 4:01:50 I think. Not what I was looking for but hey, You only really learn perfection, or close to when you excecute a sub par race. Also, I have a good lookin' blond that i get to spend the rest of the evening with!
Congrats every one who completed the race today and big shout out to the Top 10 male and females. Thanks for everyone who were able to read my postings.
2007 Triathlon Lessons
1) If you wanna be fast, really fast, don't go get stressful day job.
2) Triathlons are a great way to meet great people
3) Cervelo...you make a beautiful bike.
4) Speed work in key. Get in three wickedly hard sessions a week.
5) SRMs are the bomb
6) 70 hr work weeks are not fun. Getting the money from 70 hr weeks is awesome!
JC
The swim was like no other swim I have been in. It was just vicious, really vicious. After I found some clear water I started getting into a solid rhythm and next thing I know me and another fellow were leading the swim...until I looked to right to see half the field had swam inside the bouys. I think I was in top 10 at turn around and was feeling great. Coming home with the sun coming always causes navigational problems and I fell victim to it today. I found my self very wide and had to work my way back into the pack. Ended up finding them but losing the top tier guys I so desperately wanted to swim swim. Great start to the day exiting in 23 minutes...three minutes faster then last year.
Once out on the bike I though I was doing ok as the pack was not gaining time on me. Then Mr. Chris Lieto graced the pack with his presence and I just didn't have the legs. In previous posts I mentioned how much my cycling was coming along thanks to the SRM. It was coming along, but I never was able to mix the high watts over a long duration. I was fast just never got to go long :) That will be a major target for me next year. Basically I said hi and bye to all my fellow triathletes on the bike. Mile 50 I was just hanging on.
Now I always love getting onto the run because it has become a strength of mine the past year. Today it was not. I struggled to mile three and then my legs said, ok, we are ready now. Three to eight was awesome! Managed to pick off 5-6 guys and ran with my good buddy, Michael Simpson for a good while and though I was good to the finish. Mile eight came and the legs decided that they were done for the day. Crossed the line in 4:01:50 I think. Not what I was looking for but hey, You only really learn perfection, or close to when you excecute a sub par race. Also, I have a good lookin' blond that i get to spend the rest of the evening with!
Congrats every one who completed the race today and big shout out to the Top 10 male and females. Thanks for everyone who were able to read my postings.
2007 Triathlon Lessons
1) If you wanna be fast, really fast, don't go get stressful day job.
2) Triathlons are a great way to meet great people
3) Cervelo...you make a beautiful bike.
4) Speed work in key. Get in three wickedly hard sessions a week.
5) SRMs are the bomb
6) 70 hr work weeks are not fun. Getting the money from 70 hr weeks is awesome!
JC
Race Morning
Morning! Had a good nights rest after a nice rub down from Lindsay. It is going to be a very fast race today with a massive pro field. The run down to the beach is going to be crazy.
I hope to have a good race today but it will be tough. Will write again once the race is done.
-$$
I hope to have a good race today but it will be tough. Will write again once the race is done.
-$$
Friday, November 9, 2007
One Day Left
Carbo loading party was last night on the beach and conditions were very cold. Last year was much warmer and comfortable being able to wear Hawaii attire. I just hope the conditions warm up some on race morning. Having said that, I just returned home from a morning swim off Pier 60 with the outside air temperature comfortable.
Now back to to the carbo loading dinner. I ran into Paul and Lance, the superstar coaches from Lifesport. I meet them back in 2004 when they came to Kona for a camp with a bunch of athletes from the academy they use to coach at. It was nice to catch up with them and see how far their new company has come along. They coached Kona superstar, Bree Wee to her record breaking perfromance in Kona this year.
Had a nice swim today and the new wetsuit is incredible! I know a secret that too many don't know about and that is Xterra wetsuits. Most flexibility out of any suit I have ever used..hands down. Big shout out to Glynn at Xterra for helping me out. Ran into Chris Lieto before jumping into the water and had a nice chat. I tell ya, Chris is a hell of a good guy and very humble. He was sporting some sweet 3/4 compression socks. I have talked to a few people here about the socks including Chris and the Lifesport coach Paul. They have all recommended them for traveling and recovery, but they were not so sure about race day until some more scientific evidends comes out. I have a couple pairs and think they do a great job as well for travel and recovery.
About to go for a little beach run and then stay horizontal until the pro meeting a 14:00.
-$$
Had a nice swim today and the new wetsuit is incredible! I know a secret that too many don't know about and that is Xterra wetsuits. Most flexibility out of any suit I have ever used..hands down. Big shout out to Glynn at Xterra for helping me out. Ran into Chris Lieto before jumping into the water and had a nice chat. I tell ya, Chris is a hell of a good guy and very humble. He was sporting some sweet 3/4 compression socks. I have talked to a few people here about the socks including Chris and the Lifesport coach Paul. They have all recommended them for traveling and recovery, but they were not so sure about race day until some more scientific evidends comes out. I have a couple pairs and think they do a great job as well for travel and recovery.
About to go for a little beach run and then stay horizontal until the pro meeting a 14:00.
-$$
Thursday, November 8, 2007
2 Days to Go
Hello my few dedicated readers!!
Lindsay and I arrived in Clearwater last night after a comfortable flight over from Austin. Bike arrived safetly with out the gorillas doing much harm to the case. I did however find that my derailer had shifted and the chain is rubbing so I will take care of that down at the expo shortly. Will be meeting up with my partner in crime, Tim Marr down at the expo. It has been a while since I have caught with him. It's pretty funny when I think of Tim and I this time last year. We were both single, not thinking of anything crazy...like marriage, and riding aluminium bikes. Fast forward to today and Tim is married to a beautiful Brazilian riding a carbon fiber bike. I'm one step behind, engaged to a beautiful Texan and riding a carbon fiber bike. Life is very fun and exciting at the moment.
To you all who know the Cotter's, we are not great at getting things done in a timely manner. So, I didn't book the hotel in time and the one we were after was booked up. Lindsay got to work and found a little motel around six miles away from race site. When we arrived late last night it wasn't to appealing to the eye but this morning we woke to a pleasent surprise! We are steps away from the beach. Lindsay and I completed an easy 30 minute run on the beach (Lindsay would like to chime in that she ran longer then me) after throwing some food down the hatch. There is a full kitchen in our place so we have the luxury of putting together our own food.
Off to expo to see who can fix my bike and see who is looking fit.
-$$
Lindsay and I arrived in Clearwater last night after a comfortable flight over from Austin. Bike arrived safetly with out the gorillas doing much harm to the case. I did however find that my derailer had shifted and the chain is rubbing so I will take care of that down at the expo shortly. Will be meeting up with my partner in crime, Tim Marr down at the expo. It has been a while since I have caught with him. It's pretty funny when I think of Tim and I this time last year. We were both single, not thinking of anything crazy...like marriage, and riding aluminium bikes. Fast forward to today and Tim is married to a beautiful Brazilian riding a carbon fiber bike. I'm one step behind, engaged to a beautiful Texan and riding a carbon fiber bike. Life is very fun and exciting at the moment.
To you all who know the Cotter's, we are not great at getting things done in a timely manner. So, I didn't book the hotel in time and the one we were after was booked up. Lindsay got to work and found a little motel around six miles away from race site. When we arrived late last night it wasn't to appealing to the eye but this morning we woke to a pleasent surprise! We are steps away from the beach. Lindsay and I completed an easy 30 minute run on the beach (Lindsay would like to chime in that she ran longer then me) after throwing some food down the hatch. There is a full kitchen in our place so we have the luxury of putting together our own food.
Off to expo to see who can fix my bike and see who is looking fit.
-$$
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
Time Already!!!
Tomorrow Lindsay and I head off to Clearwater for the day I have prepared as best as I can for. It has been a long, hard, and rough journey to this point and I hope all my efforts result in a race I can be happy with.
I worry as I have been very hermit like in my training doing everything solo which I have not done in a while....or ever. My swimming yardage just tops over 3,000m per day when most are doing 5k. I do try to swim race pace of faster every set..but will my arms have the stregth in them to swim the race with the front pack? The biking has been coming along and I did my last hard ride on Saturday down south. Rode at L5 for 45 minutes and broke my PB on the loop without giving my bike full throttle. Almost was suckered into doing a hard VO2 max set today and bailed last minute. I have been a fan of doing high intensity work close to race day, but since my training has not been following the norm I should probably back off. Ran sub 6s on the 10 mile loop on Sunday but my pacing is pretty off because of lack of speed work. It wasn't pretty since I realized at mile 7 I misjudged my pace and had a to pull a wanna be Ryan Hall.
Thanks to the maybe 5 people.....? who have been reading my posts in the build up to the race.
-$$
I worry as I have been very hermit like in my training doing everything solo which I have not done in a while....or ever. My swimming yardage just tops over 3,000m per day when most are doing 5k. I do try to swim race pace of faster every set..but will my arms have the stregth in them to swim the race with the front pack? The biking has been coming along and I did my last hard ride on Saturday down south. Rode at L5 for 45 minutes and broke my PB on the loop without giving my bike full throttle. Almost was suckered into doing a hard VO2 max set today and bailed last minute. I have been a fan of doing high intensity work close to race day, but since my training has not been following the norm I should probably back off. Ran sub 6s on the 10 mile loop on Sunday but my pacing is pretty off because of lack of speed work. It wasn't pretty since I realized at mile 7 I misjudged my pace and had a to pull a wanna be Ryan Hall.
Thanks to the maybe 5 people.....? who have been reading my posts in the build up to the race.
-$$
Friday, November 2, 2007
Crank that....but I aint no SUPERMAN!
If I were a full time coach, I could honestly say the following. Do as I say, not as I do. I have come down the superman syndrome the past week because of my anxiety with race day so close. I pretty much hung out in L4 and L5 on bike for the past four days and it has taken its toll on my body. Yesterday was interval day on the run and I could only manage one 15 minutes interval at 5:30 pace! Little pissed off as I really needed the other 4 intervals, but i have the bike speed and milage under my legs. I'm going to be walking a very thin line going into Clearwater but I have to do what I have to do to get some high end form into my legs. When you work a 70 hour week the week before World Champs you don't think straight. Can't wait to see my fiancee either for longer then 30 minutes.
Train hard and train right!!
Train hard and train right!!
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Nice ride and run.
I can't say enough times how much I love my SRM. I have been stressing my LT and VO2 max systems a lot the past two weeks and the results are staring to show. Did the ATC Saturday morning ride yesterday and rode strong. Brandon Marsh set a tough pace heading up Southwest Parkway and I was lurking at the back pushing some numbers to tire me some. Once Marsh pulled off to go do some intervals I moved up to the front and rode strong. Coming home the group wasn't too keen to push hard so I took off and rode LT home with another strong guy training for cyclo-cross. Ended up averaging 300+ watts coming home. Much easier to stay in the L4 zone these days.
Just finished up a higher end of moderate 10 mile run on town lake and was pleased. I haven't been able to run the past week because of some knee pain. I had the same pain about 3 years ago and decided to ignore it. Ended up taking me out for 7 months and had to aqua jog! Ain't nothing wrong with the aqua jogging scene, but seven months worth was bloody awful. Lets say I learned my lesson and will not risk running on pain again.
Went and ran the course in 61 minutes and now know I am very capable of dropping it below 60 minutes sometime this week.
Can't wait to head out to Clearwater. Turns out the Marsh's are going to be on our flight! Second time this year.
Pain=Performance
Just finished up a higher end of moderate 10 mile run on town lake and was pleased. I haven't been able to run the past week because of some knee pain. I had the same pain about 3 years ago and decided to ignore it. Ended up taking me out for 7 months and had to aqua jog! Ain't nothing wrong with the aqua jogging scene, but seven months worth was bloody awful. Lets say I learned my lesson and will not risk running on pain again.
Went and ran the course in 61 minutes and now know I am very capable of dropping it below 60 minutes sometime this week.
Can't wait to head out to Clearwater. Turns out the Marsh's are going to be on our flight! Second time this year.
Pain=Performance
Saturday, October 20, 2007
A Win is a Win
Did the Longhorn half two weeks ago and became a little under the weather after the race. Lots of congestion in the head and a nose like a faucet wasn't what I had planned in final weeks leading to Clearwater. Two weeks and very little training and I still have a leaky nose and bad headaches!
Texas Triathlon was today and the ride out to race site wasn't a good one. My head was hurting and my nose was running. The last thing I wanted to do at this point is ruin any chances of racing well at Clearwater, so I was thinking very hard about doing a U-turn and heading home. Since the drive was 90 minutes the fiancee and I decided to stay and see what would happen. Amongst the doubt, I was still very excited to race because Justin Daerr was also showing up. It would be nice to measure up fitness with him during the race. Unfortunately, a buddy of his was sick and he couldn't make it up.
The swim was a good one. I came out of the water 1-2 minutes ahead of second place and was in and out of T1 fast. The bike at Texas Tri is a challenging one with lots of hills and rough Texas roads. It zapps the energy out of you pretty quick. I managed to arrive into T2 in the lead and a little sore. The last five miles took its toll on my legs. Once on the run my plan was to run the first lap hard and then go hard again if my lead was in jeapordy. I put a couple more minutes on the chasers and cruised home for the win. I tell ya, winning is a very addictive feelling and I was happy to cross the line first. With Clearwater knocking on the door it was yet another confidence booster.
Tonight is the first of many wedding showers for the fiancee and I, so I had better freshen up.
-Cotter
Texas Triathlon was today and the ride out to race site wasn't a good one. My head was hurting and my nose was running. The last thing I wanted to do at this point is ruin any chances of racing well at Clearwater, so I was thinking very hard about doing a U-turn and heading home. Since the drive was 90 minutes the fiancee and I decided to stay and see what would happen. Amongst the doubt, I was still very excited to race because Justin Daerr was also showing up. It would be nice to measure up fitness with him during the race. Unfortunately, a buddy of his was sick and he couldn't make it up.
The swim was a good one. I came out of the water 1-2 minutes ahead of second place and was in and out of T1 fast. The bike at Texas Tri is a challenging one with lots of hills and rough Texas roads. It zapps the energy out of you pretty quick. I managed to arrive into T2 in the lead and a little sore. The last five miles took its toll on my legs. Once on the run my plan was to run the first lap hard and then go hard again if my lead was in jeapordy. I put a couple more minutes on the chasers and cruised home for the win. I tell ya, winning is a very addictive feelling and I was happy to cross the line first. With Clearwater knocking on the door it was yet another confidence booster.
Tonight is the first of many wedding showers for the fiancee and I, so I had better freshen up.
-Cotter
Sunday, October 14, 2007
Stress+Kids+No Sleep=SICKNESS/Fiancee=Better Health
Why is it that when things start going well you get a big slap in the face? Long Horn Tri went well until the run (note to self....more salt) and I was ready to hit it hard after a two day break. Work said, we need you, kids were sick, two nights till 11pm and my body decided to shut down shop in order to figure out how to get fixed fast. The plan kicked into action this morning and I finally felt ready for a wicked crazy 3 week training block. My fiancee has been feeding me and keeping me sane this entire time but I'm freaking out. As of right now I feel I will have failed if I don't place better or race faster then last year! I need to get over that.
Really need to work the bike hard and tap into some high LT/VO2 max sets to be able to play with the boys. Racing this weekend to make sure the swim and run are on. Just hoping I don't run into very much staleness these next five days.
How crazy was Kona on Saturday! Big shout out to McCormack for brining it home.
Off to bed.
Cotter
Really need to work the bike hard and tap into some high LT/VO2 max sets to be able to play with the boys. Racing this weekend to make sure the swim and run are on. Just hoping I don't run into very much staleness these next five days.
How crazy was Kona on Saturday! Big shout out to McCormack for brining it home.
Off to bed.
Cotter
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Zoot Shoes. Get them when available.
I was very lucky to run into someone special at Zoot a while back and scored a pair of their new bright yellow racing flats as seen in my previous post. Forget Newton because the new Zoot shoes will blow you away with all they have put into the shoe. The shoe is light and for a racing flat has the perfect amount of cushion to the shoe. I love me a shoe with good cushioning especially when it is under 9oz. The material is similar to the old school Nike Hurricane, as it feels like you're sliding your foot into a new shoe every time. If you suffer from heel blister this is your shoe. I was so sick of staining my shoe's red and having them smell of rotting flesh! I used this shoe for one before using it in the Half Ironman and it was beautiful. No blisters at all. The drainage port works wonderful. The material doesn't absorb all the water that trickles down from what you cooled yourself down with.
Bottom line.......THE ZOOT SHOE IS INCREDIBLE...and no I am not sponsored by them.
Bottom line.......THE ZOOT SHOE IS INCREDIBLE...and no I am not sponsored by them.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Back to back wins foiled
Yesterday was the inaugural Long Horn half ironman held at Walter.E. Long Park. I was feeling very good leading into this race with my swimming and running ability. Was not confident at all with the bike as I have have not been riding her as much as I would like. This race was going to be a real test to see how my swimming was coming along as I have been a middle of the packer the past two years. The plan was to swim strong, hang on during the bike, and see how the run went. If victory was is sight, I was going to take it.
The swim went very well. Pace was moderate to the first buoy and then I just set a rhythm I was comfortable with and went. I shut it down after 17 minutes and cruised into the finish. Turned around and had about a 90 second lead over the field!
Jumped on my bike and rode at what my endurance wattage would have been waiting for company. After 30 minutes by myself, the big man in red, Todd, came flying by me. I decided to gamble and follow him for as long as I could. Now everyone knows Todd is bloody strong, so when I stayed with him to mile 40 I thought I was a complete stud. I found out later on he has not been riding much at all and he still dropped me! About mile 40 I stared feeling some cramping going on in my vastus medialis from going harder then I should have but didn't think to much of it.
Came into T2 two minutes behind the leader, uber biker, Richard Fryer. Closed the gap by mile three and all the sudden my vastus medialis said, HELLO!!! Not too sound extremely cocky, but I really thought I had the race in the bag. Around mile 5 my plan was to step up the pace as I was feeling great. From then on I was unable to push the throttle much higher then 50% without the cramping coming back. At least I know my swimming is coming along for Clearwater. Congrats to all who finished and to all the guys in the elite wave.
Just want to give a big shout out to RD Keith. You put on one hell of a show for a first time race. Spot on. Also want to thank Jack Murray, from Jack and Adams for getting me into the race.
One more thing. Good luck to everyone in Kona next week! And to the Marsh's, good luck at Dallas.
The swim went very well. Pace was moderate to the first buoy and then I just set a rhythm I was comfortable with and went. I shut it down after 17 minutes and cruised into the finish. Turned around and had about a 90 second lead over the field!
Jumped on my bike and rode at what my endurance wattage would have been waiting for company. After 30 minutes by myself, the big man in red, Todd, came flying by me. I decided to gamble and follow him for as long as I could. Now everyone knows Todd is bloody strong, so when I stayed with him to mile 40 I thought I was a complete stud. I found out later on he has not been riding much at all and he still dropped me! About mile 40 I stared feeling some cramping going on in my vastus medialis from going harder then I should have but didn't think to much of it.
Came into T2 two minutes behind the leader, uber biker, Richard Fryer. Closed the gap by mile three and all the sudden my vastus medialis said, HELLO!!! Not too sound extremely cocky, but I really thought I had the race in the bag. Around mile 5 my plan was to step up the pace as I was feeling great. From then on I was unable to push the throttle much higher then 50% without the cramping coming back. At least I know my swimming is coming along for Clearwater. Congrats to all who finished and to all the guys in the elite wave.
Just want to give a big shout out to RD Keith. You put on one hell of a show for a first time race. Spot on. Also want to thank Jack Murray, from Jack and Adams for getting me into the race.
One more thing. Good luck to everyone in Kona next week! And to the Marsh's, good luck at Dallas.
Thursday, October 4, 2007
CLEARWATER focus begins with half this weekend
Bought the tickets to Clearwater for the fiancee and I the other night. Very excited about returning to improve on my 7th overall. It is pretty amazing what a break through race does for your confidence and ego. I'm probably a little eager at the moment since I have a better idea on how to finally use my SRM which is dead.
Swimming has been coming along nicely. Hit up the pool with super swimmer Mark Van Akkeren at Lifetime Fitness. Did a main race pace set of 5x200m on a 1:35 send off. Not to bad for my self at this time. Did a faster set of 4x100m on 1:15 and hit them all. Hopefully this will be good for the swim this weekend.
Running has been steadily improving. I have started a cycle of running 10 miles for two days and then tempo work the third. My 10 mile cruisy time is down to 62 minutes! Should be ready to push the throttle forward some and break the hour next week. I ran 1:17 last year at Clearwater and would like to go 1:15 this year. Big goal but I am prepared to lay down the yard yards.
The bike is really bad. The SRM is broken and I have only been in the computrainer. I figure the next five weeks on the bike will have to be spot on. Like Chopper Read says, I will have to Harden Up!
Hope every one is training hard.
-cotter
Swimming has been coming along nicely. Hit up the pool with super swimmer Mark Van Akkeren at Lifetime Fitness. Did a main race pace set of 5x200m on a 1:35 send off. Not to bad for my self at this time. Did a faster set of 4x100m on 1:15 and hit them all. Hopefully this will be good for the swim this weekend.
Running has been steadily improving. I have started a cycle of running 10 miles for two days and then tempo work the third. My 10 mile cruisy time is down to 62 minutes! Should be ready to push the throttle forward some and break the hour next week. I ran 1:17 last year at Clearwater and would like to go 1:15 this year. Big goal but I am prepared to lay down the yard yards.
The bike is really bad. The SRM is broken and I have only been in the computrainer. I figure the next five weeks on the bike will have to be spot on. Like Chopper Read says, I will have to Harden Up!
Hope every one is training hard.
-cotter
Friday, September 28, 2007
My Swimming
Well, it is now time to face the music and start posting weekly training recaps. I need to be held accountable, and by posting I can receive all the verbal punishment i need if I slack off...that is if anybody even reads my blog!
I use to be a solid swimmer banging out a 48 for the 100 free and a 1:46 for the 200 (yards). Consistency and a strong desire go very far in swimming. Soon as you begin to slack you lose all feel of the water and it takes a bloody long time to get the feel and power back i use to posses. I have been swimming much more the past month and it is beginning to show in practice. For the first time in a while I stayed with Brandon Marsh a.k.a Tex, BM, B or most recently call "the schnoz". Well not the entire time, just longer then normal and it felt good. Brandon Marsh by the way is a hell of a good guy and fricking fast athlete.
I have started focusing my swimming sessions by category. VO2 max, LT, Tempo, and endurance. This has been paying off big time as I am holding my desired race pace much more easily now after only a week of very focused work. As off right now my typical set is:
Endurance
400 steady
300 x3(100 IM)
200 IM
100 Underwater 4x25e
Tempo/race pace
10x100m on 1:20 holding 1:15 (this will increase to 15x100 next week, then hopefully the VO2 max sets will allow me to drop the send off and lower the reps.)
VO2 Max
6x 50 on 35 seconds
Of course I do swim longer but the above is my specific sets. I need more volume because it is the last half of the swim in races that I just fall off the pace. I hope this work will get me tuned up for Clearwater. I have been doing lots of my swims alone which is very hard especially when the pain sets in and you have nobody to chase.
Time for bed.
I use to be a solid swimmer banging out a 48 for the 100 free and a 1:46 for the 200 (yards). Consistency and a strong desire go very far in swimming. Soon as you begin to slack you lose all feel of the water and it takes a bloody long time to get the feel and power back i use to posses. I have been swimming much more the past month and it is beginning to show in practice. For the first time in a while I stayed with Brandon Marsh a.k.a Tex, BM, B or most recently call "the schnoz". Well not the entire time, just longer then normal and it felt good. Brandon Marsh by the way is a hell of a good guy and fricking fast athlete.
I have started focusing my swimming sessions by category. VO2 max, LT, Tempo, and endurance. This has been paying off big time as I am holding my desired race pace much more easily now after only a week of very focused work. As off right now my typical set is:
Endurance
400 steady
300 x3(100 IM)
200 IM
100 Underwater 4x25e
Tempo/race pace
10x100m on 1:20 holding 1:15 (this will increase to 15x100 next week, then hopefully the VO2 max sets will allow me to drop the send off and lower the reps.)
VO2 Max
6x 50 on 35 seconds
Of course I do swim longer but the above is my specific sets. I need more volume because it is the last half of the swim in races that I just fall off the pace. I hope this work will get me tuned up for Clearwater. I have been doing lots of my swims alone which is very hard especially when the pain sets in and you have nobody to chase.
Time for bed.
Friday, September 21, 2007
New Race Weight
I managed to lose six pounds in 5 hrs on Tuesday night. Hollywood diet, nope, case of a nasty virus, YES. It kicked my butt severly and then just disappeared.
I drove over to Lindsay's place for a nice dinner Tuesaday afternoon and all of the sudden my virus said gidday. I had my head over the toilet every 30-40 minutes brining up crazy amounts of fluid.
Probably a nice extended rest period before intense focused training for World Champs in November.
Peace out.
I drove over to Lindsay's place for a nice dinner Tuesaday afternoon and all of the sudden my virus said gidday. I had my head over the toilet every 30-40 minutes brining up crazy amounts of fluid.
Probably a nice extended rest period before intense focused training for World Champs in November.
Peace out.
Sunday, September 16, 2007
Dallas Double
Just arrived back in Austin after a very successful weekend in Dallas. The Fiancee (Lindsay) and I arrived Saturday afternoon for our engagement party at her parent's place. Now, when it comes to crowds I can get a little nervous, especially when the crowds are there to meet your beautiful fiancee and myself. There must have been a good 70 people at party peak! I did have a great time meeting all the friends and family of the Taylor family. I sure picked the right woman with the right family. Thank you Dallas and Veta for a great party. Anyone else who might be reading my blog from the party, it was a pleasure meeting you.
Sunday morning Lindsay and I woke up at 4:45 to head to the Texas Man Olympic distance triathlon. Neither one of us were very happy driving the 60 miles to race site. I was able to register the morning of the race so everything was very rushed. Want to give a shout to Justin Finck at Accelerade for getting me into the race free of charge! Also, if you have not tried Accelerade or Endurox now is the time. Bloody good stuff.
The swim start was a mess! Not enough buoys to guide you around the course even though we all managed to find out way back the finish. There we no lead kayaks for the swim making spotting crucial. I just kept thinking to myself, what if I had a heart attack out here? Nobody would have known! I jumped out of the water in the lead and very excited. Last week has a serious blow to my ego and confidence and I was here to erase the mental block. The bike was difficult for me as I just couldn't seem to push the big gears. The head cold I had was taking effect and I was not too happy. Every 5 minutes I was looking over my shoulder looking for pack ready destroy me. Arrived into the second transition with nobody in site which was a good thing because the run killed me. The course was out and back so as soon as I saw the second place leader running out while I was running back I knew I had the victory in the bag and throttled down big time :) No point killing yourself when you're not feeling great and the lead is big enough, right? Crossed the line and took the win and b-lined straight to the fiancee for some lovin'...(just a big kiss and hug).
It was from here on that became very interesting. My soon to be Father in-law, Dallas, came out to watch the race also. We were all tired from the day before and needed to leave because of the engagements we had planned for later in the day. I went in the transition to get my bike and received a huge slap on the wrist for wanting to take my bike out. I guess some RDs (race directors) don't like letting people get their bike until everyone is finished. Dallas and I decided to get sneaky from here on out. When the T2 director turned his head, I threw my bike over the railing for Dallas to casually walk away with and nobody knowing our plan. I stripped my number so it would look like it was Dallas's bike and he was heading back to car after following racers around the course. As I walk back towards the car I see Dallas surrounded by race staff :) I guess they didn't believe he rode around the course on a P3C with a disc wheel....hahahaha. After all out efforts we had to return the bike and wait to leave. 20 minutes later everyone else wanted to leave and couldn't. Eventually the crowds became too big and they had to let everyone go. We did make peace with everyone after our incident :)
Texas man is a tough and challenging course. Though there needs a bit more fine tuning. So this concludes the Dallas double. Thanks for reading.
Trip recap
1) My fiancee is beautiful in an orange dress. ummmm.
2) The Taylor's know a lot of people
3) Victory is very nice and it is in defeat you learn to perfect your execution
Sunday morning Lindsay and I woke up at 4:45 to head to the Texas Man Olympic distance triathlon. Neither one of us were very happy driving the 60 miles to race site. I was able to register the morning of the race so everything was very rushed. Want to give a shout to Justin Finck at Accelerade for getting me into the race free of charge! Also, if you have not tried Accelerade or Endurox now is the time. Bloody good stuff.
The swim start was a mess! Not enough buoys to guide you around the course even though we all managed to find out way back the finish. There we no lead kayaks for the swim making spotting crucial. I just kept thinking to myself, what if I had a heart attack out here? Nobody would have known! I jumped out of the water in the lead and very excited. Last week has a serious blow to my ego and confidence and I was here to erase the mental block. The bike was difficult for me as I just couldn't seem to push the big gears. The head cold I had was taking effect and I was not too happy. Every 5 minutes I was looking over my shoulder looking for pack ready destroy me. Arrived into the second transition with nobody in site which was a good thing because the run killed me. The course was out and back so as soon as I saw the second place leader running out while I was running back I knew I had the victory in the bag and throttled down big time :) No point killing yourself when you're not feeling great and the lead is big enough, right? Crossed the line and took the win and b-lined straight to the fiancee for some lovin'...(just a big kiss and hug).
It was from here on that became very interesting. My soon to be Father in-law, Dallas, came out to watch the race also. We were all tired from the day before and needed to leave because of the engagements we had planned for later in the day. I went in the transition to get my bike and received a huge slap on the wrist for wanting to take my bike out. I guess some RDs (race directors) don't like letting people get their bike until everyone is finished. Dallas and I decided to get sneaky from here on out. When the T2 director turned his head, I threw my bike over the railing for Dallas to casually walk away with and nobody knowing our plan. I stripped my number so it would look like it was Dallas's bike and he was heading back to car after following racers around the course. As I walk back towards the car I see Dallas surrounded by race staff :) I guess they didn't believe he rode around the course on a P3C with a disc wheel....hahahaha. After all out efforts we had to return the bike and wait to leave. 20 minutes later everyone else wanted to leave and couldn't. Eventually the crowds became too big and they had to let everyone go. We did make peace with everyone after our incident :)
Texas man is a tough and challenging course. Though there needs a bit more fine tuning. So this concludes the Dallas double. Thanks for reading.
Trip recap
1) My fiancee is beautiful in an orange dress. ummmm.
2) The Taylor's know a lot of people
3) Victory is very nice and it is in defeat you learn to perfect your execution
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
LA Triathlon Disaster
Well, last weekend couldn't have gone any worse on such an important weekend! I had put in some solid training in the lead up to LA triathlon and was ready to go. I had two weeks of training on the Big Island of Hawaii and boy was my running and swimming coming along. I was setting run PBs up my street every Thursday on speed days. For the first time since Clearwater I was feeling good.
The problems starting coming when work forgot that I was heading over to LA and the phone calls and text messages were stressful which resulted in lots of strain before race day when i should have been relaxed. Now, the thoughts of what was going to happen when I arrived home was constantly on my mind.
Come race morning I woke up feeling very tired and it took a few shakes from the fiancee to get me up and out off bed. The cold waters of Venice beach sure woke me up as I fought for position. I thought I was going well with a nice draft until I looked up and saw the pack had gradually pulled away and I couldn't make up the groud. Come out of the water in good company with Simpson, and Griffen. Things went down hill from there as my seat post dropped a good three inches and boy did I feel like a amateur. Here is were stress does not tie in well with race day preparations! I failed (yes I take blame, no excuses here) to tighten my bolts on my new P3C. A slip of the seat post doesn't do wonders for power output. Coming into T2 my race was done and it was a cruise to the finish line.
Lots of things to do differently in my last couple of races left this season that I'm glad happened at LA so they will not be made at Clearwater this year. I hope to improve on my 7th overall from last year.
Lessons learnt:
1) Turn off the blackberry
2) Complete full over inspection of bike
3) Make sure work has not forgotten time off request
The problems starting coming when work forgot that I was heading over to LA and the phone calls and text messages were stressful which resulted in lots of strain before race day when i should have been relaxed. Now, the thoughts of what was going to happen when I arrived home was constantly on my mind.
Come race morning I woke up feeling very tired and it took a few shakes from the fiancee to get me up and out off bed. The cold waters of Venice beach sure woke me up as I fought for position. I thought I was going well with a nice draft until I looked up and saw the pack had gradually pulled away and I couldn't make up the groud. Come out of the water in good company with Simpson, and Griffen. Things went down hill from there as my seat post dropped a good three inches and boy did I feel like a amateur. Here is were stress does not tie in well with race day preparations! I failed (yes I take blame, no excuses here) to tighten my bolts on my new P3C. A slip of the seat post doesn't do wonders for power output. Coming into T2 my race was done and it was a cruise to the finish line.
Lots of things to do differently in my last couple of races left this season that I'm glad happened at LA so they will not be made at Clearwater this year. I hope to improve on my 7th overall from last year.
Lessons learnt:
1) Turn off the blackberry
2) Complete full over inspection of bike
3) Make sure work has not forgotten time off request
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