The Goal is the Journey.

Evotri: Origins

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 22:54:00 +0000

This post is my contribution to an "Origins" series on my Evotri team website.

One of my early 90's triathlon efforts with my brother.

My earliest triathlon memories are fuzzy. I recall awaking in a secret Canadian laboratory where my skeleton had just been replaced by Zipp carbon fiber and adamantium. My blood was transfused with Espresso flavored Gu. I had super powers such as the ability to relieve myself at race pace without breaking stride….

Actually, when I signed up for my first sprint triathlon in 1992 I knew exactly zero other people who had ever done one. The sport was much smaller back then and I was in the summer between Jr. High and High School.


Metamora Summer Swim Team circa 1990? In later years I would coach this team of 100+ swimmers.

I had been on a summer swim team since age 9 and had started running track in 5^th grade. In track, I was quickly pegged as a distance runner, but since we were a very small school I volunteered to do a little bit of everything including sprints and throwing shot put. I still contend that they should handicap gradeshool shotput by weight since I only weighed like 3 times more than the shot put.

My shot put career was short-lived.

Due largely to the abilities of my teammates, I actually ran the 4X100m relay in the grade school state track meet. I started Cross Country in 7^th grade and was immediately one of the better runners (albeit on another small team). For a time I held the 7^th and 8^th grade cross country 2 mile records, but those are long gone. I ran in the state xc meet in 8^th grade finishing with a high 11 minute 2 mile I think.


St. Mary's Grade School Cross Country. Old. School.

Back in the pre-internet days people always learned about races at the local running store. In my case this was the awesome and still thriving Running Central in Peoria, IL. They had a huge row of paper entry forms that I always picked up when I went in. In the summer of ’92 I picked up entry forms for two “sprint” triathlons: Tri-Tremont and Canton Bi-Tri Classic.

Tri-Tremont was first and there was no kids division so I did the same distances as everyone else 400m pool swim, 13 mile bike, 5k run. I don’t recall if I won my age group, but I definitely placed. Moreover I was hooked on this concept of doing 3 really fun sports as part of one race. Later that summer I raced the Canton Bi-Tri Classic and this race did offer a shorter distance kids race. I had lots of success over the years at Canton. I think I won the kids race every –or almost every- year that I did it. As far as I know my record for the kids distance still stands. This past year was the 20^th anniversary for Canton. One of the triathlon accomplishments I am quite proud of was winning this event (2010 and 2011) that helped get me started. This coming summer will be the 20^th anniversary of my first race at Tremont. The event went away for a few years, but has been brought back. One of my goals for 2012 will be to go back to this race that got me started and try to win it 20 years later.

For the first half of my triathlon career, I literally never trained for the bike leg. I biked some as a means of transportation, but never really for fitness. I mostly relied on my swim/run fitness to carry me through all my early triathlons. I ran and swam competitively in High School (Metamora High School) and in college (Augustana College). During this time I never raced more than 1 or 2 triathlons a summer and never longer than sprint distance. It wasn't until I finished undergrad that I stepped up to longer races and began focusing on triathlons, but that is more recent history and fodder for a later post.

Making the Team: 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:12:00 +0000

Now entering its sixth year, the members of Team Evotri continue to challenge themselves and others to live a healthy and active lifestyle through endurance sports. They have been given an extraordinary opportunity to train and race with the same equipment and coaching as the pros. They continue to dedicate themselves to maximizing their potential, to sharing what they learn from their experiences, and to making a positive contribution to the endurance sport community.

Team Evotri is again ready to welcome a new member to the family. For 2012, Team Evotri and its sponsors have pulled together a one-of-a-kind package to provide an age group athlete the opportunity to train and race like a PRO, while giving back to the triathlon and endurance community. The current team members will be looking for an individual who embraces the spirit of triathlon: a positive attitude, enthusiasm for the sport, desire to improve, and dedication to give back to the endurance community. Years of triathlon experience and good race results are not deciding factors in choosing a winner, but passion is.

The next team member will benefit by receiving an excellent package courtesy of the team's sponsors:

QuintanaRoo will provide a top-of-the-line CD0.1 frameset with innovative shift technology that will undoubtedly take your bike splits to a new level.

Zipp Speed Weaponry knows just how to outfit a frame like the CD0.1 with a 404 front and 808 rear wheel set.

SRAM will add to the bike with its latest cockpit and drivetrain components.

CycleOps finishes the bike off with its cutting edge SL+ wireless PowerTap hub and Joule 2.0 computer.

HUB Endurance puts it all together providing a full year of expert triathlon coaching to deliver the newest Evotri athlete to the top of their potential in 2012.

Here's how you can be the next Team Evotri member:

Create a video that's no longer than three (3) minutes. The video should answer the following three questions:

Why Evotri?
Why You?
Can you Evotri?

Guidelines:

Videos must be posted to Team Evotri's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/evotri.
Videos must be posted by December 31, 2011, at 11:59 PM CST.
Videos not within the time constraints will not be considered.

Process:

The current team members will select finalists from the video submissions.
The finalists will be notified by January 15, 2012 and will be invited to be interviewed via teleconference by current team members.
The winner will be announced on February 1, 2012.

Important Notes:

By posting a video to Evotri's Facebook page, candidates grant contest affiliates permission to use said video for promotional purposes affiliated with Team Evotri and the 2012 contest.
The winner of the team slot forfeits all awards if he/she is unable to continue as a team member for any reason for a period within two years of joining the team.
The winner of the team slot agrees to contribute to the Team Evotri web site for as long as he/she is a member of Team Evotri.
The winner agrees to race in an Evotri team uniform for all multisport events. Winner to purchase choice of uniform apparel upon final selection.
The winner of the team slot must participate in the yearly Team Evotri event. The 2012 event is a training camp in Chattanooga, TN from April 12-15, 2012. You must be present for the entire time.
No reimbursement will be made by Team Evotri or its sponsors for the creation, submission or any other expenses associated with the video entry.
No reimbursement will be made by Team Evotri or its sponsors for any travel, lodging, race entry fees, or other associated expenses in attending Team Evotri activities.

Announcing Evotri - Hub Endurance Sponsorship!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 16:07:00 +0000

Madison, WI
11/17/11

Team Evotri is excited to announce a new sponsorship collaboration with Hub Endurance, Chattanooga, TN. Hub Endurance is Chattanooga's premier multisport shop and also offers a full range of custom multisport coaching options. "The Hub" is the only bike shop in Tennessee to offer professional bike fits utilizing the state of the art Guru Dynamic Fit Unit. Hub Endurance also carries Evotri's favorite line of tri bikes: Quintana Roo! Hub Endurance will provide a year of custom coaching and a professional bike fit to all new Evotri members. In addition, Hub will offer discounted coaching services and products to the full Evotri team.

Team Evotri's tagline has always been "Synergistic Multisport" and that concept is something we take seriously. Synergistic Multisport means that we are always looking for new and innovative ways to interact with our sponsors and supporters. We don't just expect to be given great equipment, but also to dialogue with sponsors about how that equipment actually performs from month to month and year to year. In the past we have had sponsor representatives train and race alongside the team. Evotri's yearly WIBA training weekend is a free event to anyone who wants to show up. So when Andy Sweet (brother of Evotri member Chris Sweet) started a coaching company and multisport shop this new synergy was a no-brainer.

Below is a Q&A with Hub Endurance owners Jamie Ingalls and Andy Sweet.

Tell us a little bit about your athletic backgrounds.

Jamie Ingalls - Former division 1 ski racer, and semi-pro cyclist. Been racing bicycles since 1988 (age 13).

Andy Sweet - 5-time IM finisher, UMCA RAAM qualifier, competitive swimmer since age 6.

Hub Endurance originally started out as a physical location for your coaching business where you could do bike fits and indoor group rides. Pretty quickly you guys realized that people wanted a lot more. Tell us about that transition from a coaching home base to multisport shop. How has it benefited the coaching side of your business?

The biggest benefit is that it allows us to better care for and equip our athletes for optimal performances. Upon the growth of our coaching business, we quickly realized that most of our athletes were riding improper equipment and were getting frustrated with the process of trying to find/buy the right products. We started bridging that gap with information and recommendations... then eventually clients started asking us to 'just get me what I need!" In addition, Chattanooga never had a retail location dedicated to the multisport athlete (no swim shops, few bike shops with tri bikes, etc); so we decided that with our bike and retail knowledge, we could attempt to fill that gap.

10 years ago there were literally only a handful of serious triathlon coaches in the country, now USAT certifies big classes of new coaches every few months. How does Hub stand out? What are your coaching philosophies?

Our coaching philosophies are rather simple and effective:

We focus on forming and maintaining very open lines of communication with all of our clients. We encourage our clients to call/email/visit with us as often as they can, because the more direct interaction we have with them, the better we are able to assess their fitness, their health, their motivation, etc.
We believe coaching is much more than providing workout schedules. We feel that we have a responsibility to our athletes to help them progress in all aspects of their fitness, which includes important (and often ignored) aspects, such as form, technique, mental preparation, and stress management, in addition to strength and endurance.
We believe in helping our athletes balance their schedules to optimize fitness gains in a realistic amount of time. We realize that most people have full-time jobs, families, and other commitments outside of athletics, so we constantly strive to help our clients maximize the time that they have available, rather than asking them to sacrifice other aspects of their life.

Your "Advanced" and "Professional" levels of custom coaching offer quite a few perks you don't usually see from other coaching companies. What are some of those "extras" that you've built into your coaching packages?

We offer features like regular power/HR reviews, which generally other coaching groups charge extra for, because we feel these are essentials for athlete progression. We love going through files with clients, because the more that they understand their performances (strengths/weaknesses), the better athlete they will become. As a full service bike shop, we are also able to offer some other perks, such as discounted bike service/camps/clinics.

Hub made a substantial investment in a Guru Dynamic Fit Cycle (DFU). Tell us about what the DFU does and why you chose it over other fit cycles / systems that are out there.

The GURU Dynamic Fit Unit is far and away the greatest fit tool designed to date. We researched all the different offerings in the fit world, and were simply blown away by the DFU's capabilities. It allows us to adjust rider position in real-time (no gettting off and on the bike, swapping components, etc), while providing detailed feedback on the riders performance. It allows us to measure aspects such as power output, efficiency, spinscan, right/left leg balance, and even torque angle. After a DFU fit, we are able to provide customers with their optimal position, bike geometry, and component choices.

What is one thing that absolutely drives you nuts about triathletes?

We find that triathletes are very involved in researching their sport, however, they are not always the best at finding factual, supported information. They love internet forums!

Outside of the family relationship, what made you want to sponsor the Evotri team? Was it the across-the-board good looks that would enable any Evotri team member to be a Hub Endurance poster child and drive gobs of business to the shop?

Looks are everything! But, in all actuality, we are really looking forward to working with the Evotri team to help us announce HUB Endurance to the nationwide public. We have been extremely successful in growing our business locally and regionally, but feel that our coaching structure and talent will be able to help athletes all of the country. Through Team Evotri's large online presence and nationwide following, our partnership will highlight our remote coaching abilities.

Evotri plans to visit Chattanooga next spring for a team training camp. What local ride/run routes will you be sending them on? Will anyone cry?

They will all have the opportunity to train in the mountains and valleys around Chattanooga... the number of classic ride and run routes are endless. But, the infamous 3-State 3-Mountain ride will likely be featured... some will cry.

A Bicycle Built for Two (Huffy Daisy Daisy Restoration Project)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:14:00 +0000

Daisy Bell
By: Harry Dacre (1892)

There is a flower within my heart,
Daisy, Daisy,
Planted one day by a glancing dart,
Planted by Daisy Bell.
Whether she loves me or loves me not
Sometimes it's hard to tell,
And yet I am longing to share the lot
Of beautiful Daisy Bell.

Chorus:

Daisy, Daisy, give me your answer, do,
I'm half crazy all for the love of you.
It won't be a stylish marriage -
I can't afford a carriage,
But you'd look sweet on the seat
Of a bicycle built for two.

We will go tandem as man and wife,
Daisy, Daisy,
Ped'ling away down the road of life,
I and my Daisy Bell.
When the road's dark, we can both despise
P'licemen and lamps as well.
There are bright lights in the dazzling eyes
Of beautiful Daisy Bell.

(Chorus)

I will stand by you in wheel or woe
Daisy, Daisy,
You'll be the bell which I'll ring you know
Sweet little Daisy Bell
You'll take the lead on each trip we take
Then if I don't do well
I will permit you to use the brake
beautiful Daisy Bell

(Chorus)

History was one of my undergraduate majors (literature was the other) and continues to be one of my abiding passions. Naturally, anytime that I can bring my passion for history together with my passion for cycling I'm like a little kid on Christmas morning. This tandem restoration project has been quite a few years in the making, but before I get to that there is another bit of historical trivia that relates to the inspiration behind the original Daisy Bell song. As the story goes, when Dacre (an English popular composer) first came to the United States, he brought with him a bicycle, for which he was charged duty. His friend joked, 'It's lucky you didn't bring a bicycle built for two, otherwise you'd have to pay double duty.' Dacre was so taken with the phrase 'bicycle built for two' that he decided to use it in a song.

I haven't been able to pin down a date on the bike itself. It is definitely late 50's or early 60's. The first time I saw a picture of one of these I fell in love with it. To me, it is just so iconic of that era. The cars and bikes from that time period both had gorgeous curves with barely a hard angle anywhere. So obviously the bike is good old American steel and quite heavy. I had saved searches set up on Ebay for years before I finally found this one within a couple hours of home. Actually I bought two bikes, neither of which was actually in working order. Both had been stored outside for some period of time, been repainted with probably a can of spray paint and were just generally abused all-around.

Since I knew I didn't have time to jump right into the stripping and painting (I had just started a new job and was in the process of buying a new house and selling the old one) I took parts from both bikes to make a franken tandem that sort of worked. It was lots of fun to cruise around on, but the handling is complete crap and the gearing was too high.

This is one of the only pics I took of the "original" frame.

Fast forward a couple of years and a friend had found me an original chainguard in excellent condition to repaint. I thought this was as good an excuse to buy a sandblaster as any, so I picked up one of those and started the hard labor of removing multiple layers of paint and rust. There were so many problems that I just took everything back down to the bare metal.

Originally I was going to dredge up my rusty and dated automotive painting skills, but decided if I was going to put this much time and effort into the project that I wanted a professional paint job with modern paints. Enter Mike's Collision Center. Mike Mavec is a local triathlete and owner of Mike's Collision. He had just begun dabbling in bike painting and I approached him with the tandem project. We made a deal to swap a paint job for some coaching-related services.

The pinstripes I am adding in these pics were not original, but one of my personal enhancements!

Don Fogler of Fogler Signs did a great job helping me re-create the original decals that all went under the clearcoat.

After painting, decals and clearcoating it was time for rebuilding. I was only able to salvage a few of the original parts. The chainrings and seatposts are original but that's about it! I was amazed at how cheap heavy steel parts are! The new wheelset cost $45 and the fenders were like $20. Refreshing since a single tire for my triathlon bike runs about $75! Getting everything to work took some tinkering. The fenders and tires are both wider than the originals, but I love the look! I still need to do some tinkering with the idler pulley that maintains chain tension.

The new bike's maiden voyage was a trip of a couple miles around Lexington. We live right off old Route 66 and Cara and I did a portion of the ride on the old road that is now a bike path. It seemed so iconic to be riding a classic 1950's American steel frame on the classic highway from the same era! Really looking forward to having this bike to cruise around Lexington on!

Maiden Voyage! No parts fell off!

So the bike basically handles like crap. It has a flimsy front fork that has to provide direction for a 50+ pound bike plus two riders. Little spooky, but the thing isn't meant to go fast! The only brake is a coaster brake which is pretty effective actually. I haven't had a bike with a coaster brake in probably 20 years, but it was amazing how natural that braking motion is if you grew up riding old school bmx!

Those of you with short cycling memories probably only associate Huffy bikes with their current line of garbage department store bikes. In the 1980's Huffy invested heavily in supporting professional U.S. cycling and developing cutting-edge race bikes. The 7-Eleven cycling team rode Huffys for a few years that were actually re-branded Serottas (Huffy made their own copies for the average racer). In the 1984 and 1988 Olympics athletes aboard Huffys took home gold and silver medals. Huffy even got into developing time trial bikes and eventually triathlon bikes. Mark Allen's 1991 win the Ironman World Championships in Kona was aboard a Huffy Triton (pictured below).

Early Huffy Time Trial Bike

Greg Lemond Raced on a Huffy for a time.

Even "The Donald" likes Huffys! Backstory here.

Mark Allen won Kona in 1991 aboard one of these!

So what's the next project, you might ask? Well I've got something at least equally as cool as the Daisy Daisy in the works: an Evel Knievel 10 speed! As far as I have been able to determine this is one of the first production bikes to be equipped with a disc brake! Check out the video of the man selling these bikes! Mine is currently in considerably worse shape. When I have this thing done and find a stars and stripes jumpsuit to match, I am going to be so badass!

As easy as 1,2,3?

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 03:36:00 +0000

8/5/11
Canton Triathlon
1st Overall

8/20/11
Xterra Illinois Wilds
2nd Overall

9/3/11
Great Illini Half Ironman
3rd Overall

Well this has certainly been a roller coaster season! My attempt to race well at a big Xterra event in April didn't really go as planned. I enjoyed the challenge but the results were lacking. I knew that our new baby girl in early June was going to entail a significant break from training. The rest of the summer was one long struggle to get back into competitive form. My strategy was to race a lot and hit just about every workout pretty hard since I was on a low-volume training program. I didn't feel like I came into short course racing form until August. By sheer coincidence early August was also when my Evotri team all got new Quintana Roo bikes. The bike has been really good to me so far! I literally put it together on a Friday and then raced to an overall win the next morning! I think I've won 3 out of 4 of our local Tuesday Night Time Trials on the new bike.

Suffering on the new QR during a time trial.

I'm going to give condensed race reports for my last 3 races.

8/5/11
Canton Triathlon
1st Overall

This is a local-ish sprint race and one of my all-time favorites because I have been racing there for so long. This year was the race's 20th anniversary and I actually participated in the kids race there 19 years ago! This is a real roots race for me and being the 20th anniversary, I was gunning for a win. It was also Cara's first triathlon back since having Lorien in June.

Chris Camp, a good friend from my grade school and high school swimming days has shown up as part of a relay the last two years. We were both sprinters, but he ended up a big Division 1 school where he did quite well. The week before Canton he pulled out a 47 sec 100 yard freestyle, so he's still got some speed! In the swim, I jumped on his feet right away and hung on for dear life. Fortunately for me, he doesn't have much open water experience and I held his feet for about 75% of the race. I blitzed through transition and jumped on my new Quintana Roo CD0.1. About 3 or 4 miles into the bike leg I had taken over the lead including the relay teams. I usually feel terrible on the bike during sprint tris, but my legs finally felt good for this race. Temps were good, winds were low. I averaged 23.5mph for a somewhat rolling course and still had a lot left in the tank. I hadn't been happy with my runs all season and wanted to turn in a fast 3 mile split. I took off with that intention, but it is really hard to push deep into the pain cave when you aren't chasing anyone. I ended up running a 17:36 for the somewhat hilly run. My time was about 2 or 3 seconds slower than when I won the year before, so that at least showed my race form was finally coming around. Cara managed a win in her age group and good friend and fellow Tri-Shark Aimee Dziekan took the overall win for the women.

8/20/11
Xterra Illinois Wilds
2nd Overall

If you are one of the few that actually read everything I put up on my blog, you will recall that originally 2011 was going to be my big Xterra year, hopefully culminating with the World Championships in Maui. A variety of factors -chiefly financial- derailed this plan this year. I love racing Xterra, but the midwest races mostly require long drives and overnight trips which is hard with an infant and 3 year old! Anyway, this is the second year for Xterra Illinois Wilds which is held near Peoria, IL (about 1.5 hours away from home). This swim was 800 yards. I knew that Chris Scott who won last year would be near the front as well as my friend and local masters swimmer, John Pratt. This was a 1-wave start, so I really got out hard so that I wouldn't get caught up. I was near the lead for a bit, then caught John's feet for a few hundred yards until he dropped me. I think I came out of the swim in around 4th? I had done two mountain bike races this season, but really didn't get out to train much on my mountain bike. This bike course is actually quite technical and doesn't give you much opportunity to just open up and use your general cycling fitness. I was pushing pretty hard and taking some risks until I got into second place. Then I washed out on a loose corner and later went down really hard when I caught a handlebar on a tree. Some spectators saw my wipeout and just stood there with open jaws, so it must have looked pretty spectacular. Those two crashes caused me to slow up a bit and take less risks.

I'm riding a hardtail 29er this year, coming off a full-suspension 26er. The carbon hardtail is fun, but I think I will eventually want to get back to a full-suspension bike for Xterra. As for the 29er vs. 26er debate, I don't think it is nearly as big a difference as people (and manufacturers!) make it out to be. The 29er is definitely better over obstacles and for high-speed descents. The 26er is better in tight terrain. I can't tell that the 29er has better tire contact, which is a common claim.

As for the rest of the race, Chris Scott had first place locked up after the ride. I lost much less time to him this year than last which I was happy about since they added a couple miles to the bike course. For the rest of this race I ran hard, but really just hard enough to defend second place. Chris Scott cruised to the win about 6 minutes in front of me. I'll take that since I don't think he has lost an Xterra race in the midwest the past few seasons!

Only other thing worth noting about the race is that Ryan Sutter of "The Bacherlotte" fame showed up at the race with a full camera crew. As I understand it he was chasing Xterra points for either nationals or worlds and was in Illinois for the Chicago Triathlon. As I recall, he raced Kona by actually qualifying rather than taking a celebrity slot. He is a Colarado native, so I had no idea what his off-road skill might be like. He ended up 5th about 6 minutes back from me, so a pretty solid showing- particularly since I believe he did the Leadville 100, one or two weeks earlier! Minus the camera crew, he pretty much just blended right in with all of us. Nice guy from what I could tell.

Post-race at the Xterra. Note the birdhouse award and recovery drink!

9/3/11
Great Illini Half Ironman
3rd Overall

Like lots of things this season, choosing the Great Illini Half Ironman was a compromise. I wanted to finish the season with at least one half Ironman to see where my long course fitness was at. I also had my eyes on Branson 70.3 and Rev3 Cedar Point, but eventually defaulted to Great Illini because #1 it had the cheapest entry fee, #2 it was the closest and #3 I thought I had an outside chance at winning prize money. I've actually won this small half twice before, but it didn't have prize money back then. I didn't have time to do much volume this year, so I wasn't sure how I would hold up for a half. On the right day Great Illini can be quite quick and I thought I could turn in a time somewhere in the 4:20s.

We did not have the right day. We had a downright sucky day. The race was the beginning of September, but summer temps decided to hang around for another week.

I traveled down to the race with good Tri-Shark friends Laura Wheatley and Aimee Dziekan. My go-to pre-race restaurant when I am racing in Matoon has been the Amishland Red Barn Buffet and this trip certainly didn't disappoint! It's also Jonah's favorite because they have 4 colors of jello. A Dos Equis Amber at a little Mexican place by the hotel topped off my pre-race nutrition preparation.

Pre-Race Buffet Goodness!

Who shows up at this event is a big toss-up. The prize money has pulled in a few pros and top age groupers in the past. This year the only one I knew for sure that was coming down was good friend Andrew Starykowicz. There went first place (but I think having Andrew race actually helped me. More on this later). Water was really warm and well above the wetsuit cut-off. I don't like swimming in a wetsuit if it is above 75, but I also don't like racing in bathwater even without a wetsuit. I ended up in second behind Starykowicz for most of the first lap of two. Second lap my lack of swim training showed itself and I lost a little time to a group of about 3 athletes. I hit transition in 31 minutes and change which isn't great for me, but not bad for a non-wetsuit swim.

The temps at the start of the bike weren't too bad yet. My long bike training consisted of 3, 3 hour rides where I pretty much figured out what sort of power I could currently maintain for 56 miles. I was targeting 225-230 ave and ended up just a little under 225. Out on the bike I actually felt really good and started picking places back up. I think it took me about 15 miles to move back into 2nd. The course is mostly flat, but has a bunch of turns including 5, 180 degree turnarounds. The course had to be re-routed over some pretty rough roads that beat all of us up as well. One the second lap some of the olympic distance riders began to mix in with us. One guy went around me so fast I just assumed he was racing the olympic. For the record, when racing for prize money, it is really not a good idea to ASSume! It wasn't until an out-and back around 45 miles that I realized I was now in 3rd and down by quite a bit. I put some extra effort into the pedals, but was pretty fatigued at that point. My ride was 2:26 or about 23 mph. Not my best, but ok for this season.

By the end of the ride it was pretty hot and humid. Having done the race a few times before I knew it was completely open with no shade. It was scarily similar to the terrible conditions the day I won the Effinham Half Ironman a couple years ago. Starting the run I knew getting close to my PR was out of the question. Instead I just wanted to keep myself in the prize money and maybe move up to second overall. I started out at a pretty conservative pace that I knew I could maintain in the heat. I felt ok given the conditions and put some effort into the middle miles to see if I could close the gap on second, but he was running really well, so I went back to my strategy of defending third and not blowing up. The aid stations each mile couldn't come soon enough. The temps were in the 90s with clear skies and heat index around triple digits. I utilized one of heat management strategies of dumping iced down my jersey and pants....and then eating that ice between aid stations! It is a beautiful, I just recycle all my electrolytes! Run was one of my worst ever times (1:40) which contributed largely to my 4:40 finish time. For comparison I've ran under 1:25 and finished under 4:25 on this course in better conditions. In any case, that time was still good for 3rd overall and my biggest triathlon pay day to date. I'm pretty certain that having Starky show up actually kept me in the money because it kept away some other racers who knew they wouldn't win overall, so didn't show up. Thanks man! Seems like the hot race didn't phase Andrew much since he went on to win the Rev3 full the following weekend! 8:28 for his first full seems like a good debut!

I think all of that leaves me conflicted over the season. I knew it would be really tough having a new baby in June, but it was REALLY tough! For a long time (see Lifetime Fitness race report!) it didn't seem like I was going to be able to get back into shape. I don't think I ever did get into very good long course shape, but I've got to be happy with these results from my last 3 races. Even if they were smaller regional races all of them had some good competition.

I had lots of friends and teammates racing IM Wisconsin and Rev3 Full and it really made me want to step back up to that distance. I just don't see it happening soon though. When I go back to Ironman racing I want to do it right. Sabbatical in a couple of years (assuming I get tenured) might be my next legitimate opportunity. Until then I am looking forward to getting better at cyclocross this fall and then racing Triple-T with my Evotri team next spring! That sorta counts like an Ironman, right?!

Strategies for Training and Racing in the Heat

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 13:49:00 +0000

Chris Sweet
USAT Certified Triathlon Coach

(This is an outline of a longer presentation I gave to the Tri-Shark Triathlon Club. If something is unclear from these notes shoot me an e-mail or comment and I can elaborate.)

About 75% of your energy expenditure during exercise results in heat!

Before

Proper heat management starts with your last workout
High SPF/ Waterproof sunscreen. Can do 1^st application night before
Keep the hydration up all day long. At night you should be up to pee at least once.
Urine should be light yellow, but multivitamins can make it darker
When possible train in off-peak hours: early morning and evening
During high heat consider the bike trainer or treadmill as more effective alternative to racing outside

Swim

Don’t forget to hydrate during swim workouts
Racing- can cut holes in the top of your swim cap
Hot, but wetsuit legal swims. Put ice inside your wetsuit.

Bike

White or light-colored clothing.
White helmet
Consider wearing a camelback pack with iced fluids to keep up with hydration
Desoto arm coolers (white arm sleeves designed to keep you cooler)
Racing: put extra water into your helmet vents and over your torso for extra cooling
Monitor your peeing. Should be about every 1.5 hours.

Run

White hat (not visor). Can douse with water/put ice under
Racing: put ice from aid stations in your singlet and down your shorts (femoral artery)
Racing: latex gloves filled with ice
Racing: Reapply sunscreen if needed

Hot weather nutrition

Take in electrolytes, but research shows they don’t help with cramping.
Use water, but with gels/electrolyte drinks. Too much water can cause hyponatermia
If your drink has electrolytes additional salt tablets are usually not needed

Recovery

Begin rehydrating immediately. Key components are carbohydrate plus a little protein and a little electrolytes
Foods for hydration: watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, smoothies, slimfast shakes
For serious dehydration first recourse is an I.V. Pedialyte is an effective home treatment for moderate dehydration

Know your sweat rate.

This involves working out in a given temperature for a fixed amount of time and determining the rate at which you lose fluids. Powerbar.com has a simple calculator to assist you with this: http://www.powerbar.com/calculators/sweat.aspx

Heat acclimation training

The concept here is to regularly submit your body to training in the heat prior to an expected hot race. Research shows this can be an effective strategy. Training in heat increases blood plasma volume over time and promotes other positive physiological adaptations to exercising in the heat. It is not a “quick fix.” Training in the heat the week before a race won’t help. Adaptation occur over a 3-4 week time period. Sessions need not be longer than 100 minutes. Acclimation must be maintained otherwise the positive effects begin to diminish.

What is sun poisoning?

Not real poisoning. Just a severe sunburn.
Symptoms include: blisters, fever/chills, headache, nausea
Treatment: cool bath/shower, ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain, aloe gel, increased fluid intake for a few days following.

What is heat stroke?

Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when your body temperature reaches 104 F (40 C) or higher. Heatstroke can be brought on by high environmental temperatures, by strenuous physical activity or by other conditions that raise your body temperature.
Symptoms: 104+ body temperature (measured rectally when heat stroke is expected), bright red skin, abnormally high heart rate, light-headed, nauseous, extreme fatigue, headache, cramping, dark urine
Treatment: Immersion in an ice water tub or coverage with ice water-soaked towels or evaporative cooling with cool mist and fans.

Additional Resources:

Tobjorn Sinballe on racing in the heat: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/05/training/inside-triathlon-archives-heat-training_29149

Collection of Runners World articles on training and racing in the heat: http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-267-269-0,00.html

Exertional Heat Illness during Training and Competition. Position stand from American College of Sports Medicine. Authoritative, but technical: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2007&issue=03000&article=00020&type=fulltext

Announcing Evotri - Quintana Roo Sponsorship!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Mon, 22 Aug 2011 19:31:00 +0000

Evotri Age Group Triathlon Team Partners with Quintana Roo

Chattanooga, Tenn. – August 17, 2011 – For the 2012 season, Quintana Roo is excited to partner with Team Evotri to provide each of the team members with the bike that Triathlete Magazine has called "the most innovative in the past decade from any brand," the CD0.1. The QR Shift Series is the only line of aerodynamic bikes designed specifically to minimize the substantial drag created by the drivetrain. QR's exclusive 18 millimeter offset downtube SHIFT Technology diverts concentrated airflow away from the drive side to produce a true, measureable bike-course advantage for every athlete at every level.

“We are very much looking forward to the partnership with Team EVOTRI for the upcoming season,” said Peter Hurley, QR CEO. “Having active social networking athletes on the CD0.1 for 2012 and beyond is an exciting direction Quintana Roo is heading.”

Team Evotri was conceived in 2007 based around the idea of finding out what happens when age group triathletes of all ability levels are provided with top coaching, technology and precision equipment. The team currently has eight members who share their journey via blogs, podcasts and social networking.

Evotri’s team model has been proven successful since 3 of the 8 age group athletes have qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii for the first time after joining the team. Other team members have also seen substantial improvements resulting from the team sponsorship package. The Evotri team also focuses on giving back to the triathlon community through organizing one of the fastest growing training camps for the Ironman distance. Held every summer, the Wisconsin Ironman Brick Adventure (WIBA) is a completely free weekend full of solid training, good sportsmanship and a wealth of knowledge.

Evotri Team Manager, Stu Joannes ("Simply Stu") states, "When I walked my rickety old bike into my first triathlon years ago, I remember seeing an incredible bike with a cool name - Quintana Roo. I told myself that one day I would ride one. Well, that day has finally come, and I couldn't be happier. The new CD0.1 is just an incredible ride that is packed with technology. I have come a long way since that first triathlon, and so has bike technology. My passion for the sport is only matched by the passion that Quintana Roo puts into bikes!"

Quintana Roo: http://www.quintanarootri.com/
Team Evotri: http://www.evotri.com/

Enroute to a Tuesday Night Time Trial Victory on board my new QR CD.01!

Racing Into Shape!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 21:45:00 +0000

When I was doing my library science graduate degree at the University of Illinois, we had a really solid group of avid triathletes that came together and formed the Fighting Illini Tri Club. Far and away the most successful in our group was a German native by the name of Patrick Bless. Patrick was a German triathlete formed in the classic mold of Jurgen Zach, Thomas Hellriegel and Norman Stadler: an uber-biker paired with a solid swim and run. Since our college days he has gone pro, but even back then, we were always listening closely and picking his brain for training and racing tips that would magically make us win lots of races. I distinctly recall this gem about rest and recovery: "I took a few months off before Collegiate Nationals and then just trained really hard for a couple of weeks before the race" (he happened to win that year). Patrick on nutrition during a training ride: "Hey guys I stopped at Panera and got a bag of bagels for the ride, want one?" (they were stashed down the front of his jersey in very Euro fashion). The last bit of knowledge wasn't something I remember Patrick saying explicitly, but it was more of an observation in retrospect. Whenever he really started ramping up for a big event (he did Kona 4 or 5 times as an amateur) he raced.....a lot. From a coaching standpoint this strategy is what I would call high-risk, high-reward. If you can hold up without getting injured, racing your way into shape can be a very effective strategy. Specificity is a training term that is tossed around a lot and the reason racing is such effective training is because it is absolutely specific to race day.

A sufficiently goofy picture of Patrick that I swiped from the internet!

All of that long exposition was just a way to provide some context for my early season racing. This year I am considering the two months post-baby (June 3rd) my early season. If things work out right I might actually be able to get into decent shape over the summer and peak for a fall race. I know just about every trick in the book to get the most out of very little training time. I really haven't had the luxury of doing an easy ride or easy run for the last two years or so. In general I try to go hard or long every workout. Since I don't really have time for long rides, that pretty much means I go hard whenever I am on the bike or in the pool. This is mentally challenging, but quite effective. If I race on the weekend, time trial on Tuesday and run hard intervals on Thursday and then need to take some days completely off during the week it is not a huge deal. So basically that's my plan: do race-like efforts as frequently as possible. I may target a half-ironman in the fall, in which case I will need to do some longer rides eventually.

So far my "early" races have included:

6/18 Lexington (hometown!) 5K: 17:54 (5:46 pace)
7/4 Park to Park 5 mile 29:52 (5:58 pace)
7/9 Lifetime Fitness Olympic: 2:13 (bike was 1 mile long)
7/16 Evergreen Olympic: 2:06

The Evergreen Tri had near perfect conditions this year, but I think it also shows that the racing my way into shape thing is starting to work. I've also been doing our local time trial almost every Tuesday night. The Tuesday night before Evergreen we also had great conditions and I rode about 25.5 mph ave for a rolling 20K course. Evergreen later in the week was one of my best olympic bike splits since I came in right at an hour.

In two weeks I will race a local sprint that I won last year. Hopefully I will be able to defend and turn in a similar time to last year's race. Unfortunately the Xterra World Championships are financially out of the picture for this year. Instead, I'm looking at the ITU Long Course World Championship in Vegas (haven't qualified yet) or possibly Branson 70.3 followed by more of a fall cyclocross focus. One way or other, I'll be out there racing!

Lastly, me and the rest of the Evotri team will soon be tearing it up on some top-of-the-line bikes from a new sponsor.....stay tuned!

A few pic from Lifetime Fitness:

Lorien Dawn Sweet

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 26 Jul 2011 20:56:00 +0000

Lorien Dawn Sweet

June, 3 2011

7 lbs, 13oz.

And here blogland is the root cause of my recent lack of blogginess! Much of my winter and spring was spent completely rennovating a room to move Jonah into and then finishing Lorien's. Post-new baby has been marked by our lame attempts to figure out how to manage two kids and a dog.

Lorien was full-term unlike Jonah and that has been a different experience. First off, I did not have to rush home from the hospital to finish the electrical wiring in Lorien's room like I did when Jonah was born. Second, we were in and out of the hospital quicker and Lorien was quickly around the middle height and weight percentiles for her age (it took Jonah most of a year to catch-up).

Anyway if you want to keep up on the Sweet kids side of things, Cara will surely do a better job over at her blog: http://carainolvidable.blogspot.com/

Here are some of my favorite Lorien pictures so far:

You Feeling Lucky, Punk? (Xterra Las Vegas West Championship Race Report)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 17:40:00 +0000

I find it very amusing that the biggest gamble of my racing career just happened to be in Las Vegas. This race was a little like roulette with my body put up as collateral. High risk for potential high reward.

As I explained in an earlier post, I really want 2011 to be my big Xterra (off-road triathlons) year. This goal is complicated by the fact that we are expecting our second baby (girl this time to give us a complete collection) in early June. It just so happens that the majority of Xterra Championship races -races that could qualify me for the World Championships- fall way too close to Cara's due date for me to be just jettisoning off to a race many states away. This situation presented a very interesting dilemma: either A) don't do a Championship race, or B) do a very early Championship race such as Las Vegas (April 10). For those either not familiar with triathlon training or not familiar with weather patterns in the midwest, racing well this early in the year is definitely a gamble. In general you want to build up to an "A" race by doing a series of preparation events. In this case, I was unable to do any triathlons leading up to the Championship and only one mountain bike race. Lots of late snow meant that I logged a grand total of 4 mountain bike rides prior to easily the most difficult mountain bike course I have ever done. My training was very low volume, but I kept hoping the shorter overall duration of the race would work in my favor....a sort of triathlon poker face if you will!

So here's how things played out.

Jonah and I went out to Vegas to stay with his grandparents (my inlaws). Cara had to stay home because she had grad school and was probably too close to baby time to be allowed on a plane! I had shipped my bike out via Fedex to try and save on airline costs. Apparently my bike box doesn't work so well with a mtb as I bent the heck out of my derailleur hanger. I'm not sure, but it may have had something to do with standing one the bike case in order to smash it down and make everything fit. Fortunately for me, great friend and former Bloomington Native Chris Tuma works for McGhies Bike Outpost near Red Rocks. Tuma manages a small one-man shop that mostly provides mountain bike rentals. It is an awesome little place right on the trailhead and bike rentals start at only $40 per day. Anyway I hung out at the shop for a couple hours and Tuma got my derailleur hanger re-aligned without breaking it!

Race Day

The morning of the race I went outside and scraped ice off my windshield. After months of midwest winter this was an automatic action. It was really only later as I was driving with the heater blasting did I realize that I was driving to a race where I was going to swim. Outside. Crap. Never in almost 20 years of racing triathlons can I recall a race morning with freezing temperatures.

Swim (1500m)

The race took place around the Lake Las Vegas resort, about 20 minutes east of the strip. I was dreading the swim because the water was going to be so cold. I read reports from previous year's races talking about how they weren't sure that wetsuits would be allowed (because the water was too warm) so I only shipped out my sleeveless wetsuit (which I greatly prefer unless the water is below 65). Well, the water was well below 65. In fact, the water was below 60. More like upper 50s. The body's natural reaction in that cold of water is to hyperventilate. Add a fast race start to the mix and it is a recipe for disaster. Oddly enough just the week before I was talking with a group of new triathletes about strategies for overcoming racing in cold water. I'll reiterate the strategies I told them here to incorporate a bit of triathlon education into this race report.

#1 Get a wetsuit. Full sleeves are better in really cold water <65.

#2 Get in a full warmup. It is going to suck, but you have to get used to the water and get your body ready to swim.
#3 Focus on the exhale and don't breathe every stroke at the start. Cold water forces you to inhale- you need to counter that.
#4 Start out considerably slower than usual
#5 use lots of antifog in your goggles

#6 Ear plugs can help prevent dizziness caused by cold water hitting the inner ear

One of the big successes of this race is that I actually did all of these things and it probably saved my swim from being a total disaster. This was the coldest water I had ever been in and I knew if I wasn't careful I would hyperventilate at the start. I started much slower than usual and kept my breathing mostly under control. It was still a spooky experience. I was less concerned about my pace than with just keeping my breathing under control. Too bad it was so cold, because it was a gorgeous swim. At times there were excellent views of the mountains and we swam through this gorgeous arched Italianate-style bridge.

Usually I bake in my wetsuit even in cold water. This was not the case. I was cold the entire swim no matter how hard I went. Many swimmers -maybe even most swimmers- had at least mild hypothermia coming out of the swim. My swim time was 30:40 which is usually what I swim 1.2 miles in. Shonny Vanlandinham- last year's World Champion swam 29:46 and had this to say about the swim: "That’s the coldest water I’ve ever been in. I was hypothermic, came out of the water in a total daze and just couldn’t get it together.” These times aren't accurate because the race wasn't chip timed and so I think this includes all of the first transition. My T1 was terribly slow because my hands and feet were frozen and not cooperating- I had no dexterity whatsoever.

Bike (30K)

My first mountain bike race was way back in 1996. I've not raced alot over the years, but I have always dabbled in mountain biking and more recently in cyclocross. I've also dabbled in off-road tris and even did another Xterra Regional Championship in Milwaukee back in 2005. Going into this event I would have said that my off-road skills were passable amongst competitive mountain bikers and cross racers and pretty good compared against off-road triathletes. Following this event I may need to re-evaluate my skills compared to other off-road triathletes. I think Xterra has really gained in popularity and competitiveness in the last 5 years. Heading out on the bike I was freezing and miserable. I love racing and particularly love racing in awesome venues, but there is really nothing fun about shivering from mild hypothermia. On the bike it is a Catch-22 because the faster you go, the colder you get. The bike course had about 1 mile of uphill pavement before dumping you out in the desert. The terrain is unreal. Absolutely wide-open desert with lots of steep climbs. Past participants have described it as "racing on the moon."

I've mountain-biked in Vegas a few times before and realized it is a whole other world from midwest mountain biking. First of all, there are real mountains. Second, there is lots of very loose sand and rock which means you have to be comfortable with your tires breaking traction and sliding through every fast corner. When you break traction on a fast corner in the midwest that essentially means you are going to meet terra firma up close and personal. All of the climbs on this course were very loose (more so than other areas of Vegas). What this meant in practice is that you had to stay seated for the steepest sections. If you stood up to use your body weight as leverage you invariably spun out. It was a two-loop course and there were parts of two mountains that I had to push up every lap. A few people were able to ride them, but they weren't going any faster than me push/walking.

This long video has some great helmet cam shots from the bike if you skip to the middle!

I think I stopped shivering after about 45 minutes and started enjoying the race more. I was definitely getting passed more than I was passing which didn't bode well for my overall placing. I was overly cautious on some of the descents because I really didn't want a bad crash to take me out of the race. I lost some more time there, but on the plus side I made it through without any epic wipeouts. For about two miles of each loop the course flattened out and ran some single track right along the lake. I really felt at home there and tried to rail the corners like I was racing cyclocross. I definitely got passed less on the flats. In the end, it was definitely the hardest mountain bike course I have ever raced on. Time: 1:41:10

Run (10K)

This "hill" was kinda hard.

...but, not as bad as this one. In this pic eventual winner Josiah Middaugh overtakes Conrad Stoltz.

My run fitness was ok going into this race. I was only able to run 2 times most weeks, but I did get in some speed work with the Wesleyan track team and I got a few 1.5 hour long runs in. I knew I had a lot of guys to reel in after the swim and the bike. I tried to take off hard, but my quads were really destroyed from all the long seated climbs and all-around pounding on the bike. I pushed the best pace I could with hopes that things would come around. The run followed the same pattern as the bike- about 1.5 miles uphill with a mix of trail and pavement until we were dumped into the desert again. The run also had a couple insanely steep, loose hills. There were at least 2, maybe 3 that I had to walk up. When I say walk, it wasn't any sort of break. It was a near max heart rate effort. In order to make up time on the downhills, you had to absolutely fly down steep, loose terrain. This was really sacrificing the body. Lots of times I went from probably 8 or 9 minute mile pace to 5 minute pace on the downhills- ouch.

Again the scenery was absolutely stunning, particularly if you could ignore the black spots from oxygen deprivation at the top of climbs to look around. Most of the second half of the course was downhill and my legs did sort of come around. I imagine I was probably around 5:30-5:40 pace for the last two miles. I think I was only passed by one runner and I did pull back quite a few spots, just not as many from my age group as I had hoped. Run time was 48:35. Most of the top professionals came in around the 40 minute mark for perspective. Again, I think this included our bike-to-run transition time as well.

Race Analysis

This was by far the hardest short-course race I have ever done. It was way harder than the Milwaukee Championship and that was no cake walk. I finished in 3:00:25. That netted me 10th in my age group and 40-something overall among the amateur racers. Gamble failed. House wins. The overall placing was not all that bad, but I don't think I have finished that low in my age group except for World and National championship races. For most of my Ironman races (which have at least 10X more participants) I have been in the top 10 of my age group. This may sound whiney, but I am not actually discouraged at all. It has been a long, long, time since I got it handed to me this bad in a race. I lost the most ground on the bike and fortunately that is where I have the most room to improve. One season focused on off-road tris plus some mountain biking should erase a big portion of that deficit. Also, this was a great reminder that this sport is supposed to be hard. I can click off a 4:30 half ironman on low training volume and place pretty well (see Rev 3 last fall). I like the challenge of off-road racing and look forward to improving this season. Also on the positive side is that when I raced the Milwaukee Xterra many years ago I was 12 minutes slower on an easier course. Lastly, it was very ambitious to go up against the best racers in the west, coming off peak training time. In the Southwest fall and winter are the best training times since the heat is lower. Many of the racers would have been in peak condition compared to my measley 4 outdoor rides!

As I stated earlier, one of my big season goals was to qualify for the Xterra World Championships in Maui. Only the top 3 in my age group automatically qualify. From what the series director told me, I can still apply for a roll-down slot and have a good chance of getting in. I'm really evaluating whether Worlds will even be feasible for us this year. Airfares are all going up and we would be doing a long flight with a 4 month old. Xterra Nationals in Utah may end up being the only really viable option this fall- I'll keep you posted!

Decent overview video from this year's race

Good video from a couple years ago showing lots of bike crashes!

Tour de Groundhog

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 15:21:00 +0000

Tour de Groundhog is a cyclocross oddity. It is held in February which is well past the traditional cross season in the US (but it does synch more closely with the end of cross season in Europe!).

The race always features terrible weather and course conditions. This year a spring thaw melted away most of the snow, but left behind lots of mud. I tend to race well at this event because there is a nasty, muddy run-up each lap (10 laps of about 1.3 miles each). There is also a fast, somewhat technical downhill each lap that I have gotten better at over the years.

This year I finished 3rd overall in the open (all categories) race. The guys above me on the podium are some pretty serious cross racers, so I was quite happy with this race as my season opener.

Nasty, muddy run-up....it keeps going from here!

The Springfield State Journal Register has a few more pics of the race: http://www.sj-r.com/photo_galleries/x1568450970/24th-Annual-Bill-Jensen-Memorial-Tour-de-Groundhog?page=0

"And not to yield" (2011 Xterra Campaign!)

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 20:45:00 +0000

How dull it is to pause, to make an end. To rust unburnished, not to shine in use!
As though to breathe were life! . . .

Though much is taken, much abides; and though
We are not now that strength which in old days
Moved earth and heaven, that which we are, we are---
One equal temper of heroic hearts,
Made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

Ulysses, 1833
Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Portions of this great Tennyson poem have been lodged in my brain during workouts the last few weeks. In the full poem (linked above) Tennyson is imagining a Ulysses many years after Homer finishes with him in the Odyssey. As Homer leaves things, Ulysses returns home to his kingdom in Ithaca after a world tour that includes fighting lots of epic battles and slaying monsters. He finds his palace overun with would-be suitors for his wife's hand in marriage and he dispatches with them in fine style. We are left to assume that he goes on to live happily ever after. In the 19th Century, Tennyson's poem envisions an older, restless Ulyssess. You can almost imagine Ulysses as the poster child for A.D.D. After kicking butt in the Trojan war and hob-nobbing with the gods, sitting around the palace eating gyros and drinking wine can get real boring real fast!

One characteristic of great literature is univeral appeal. Certain themes (love, death, heroism, betrayal, good vs. evil, etc.) can be understood by anyone at anytime. So it is that hardly a year goes by without a major Hollywood re-make of a Shakespeare play. Therefore, I feel it is perfectly appropriate to use a 19th century poem about a 700 B.C. epic to help understand my own athletic endeavors in the 21st century!

The restlessness is the main thing that draws me to this poem. Last season was the first in a very long time that I did not have a big goal race on the horizon. I raced ok, but mostly I just went through the motions. My family and my job are very legitimate priorities that I continue to juggle along with training. This winter, I took a hard look at returning to Ironman racing but it just wasn't in the cards with my current commitments and a new addition to the family on the way in June.

Me and Xterra/MTB buddy Sean Hyser after a particularly muddy race!

Enter Xterra! Xterra off-road triathlons are something I have dabbled in over the years and have really enjoyed every time I've done one. I've often said that if I lived near actual mountains I would probably only mountain bike and race off-road tris. Two years ago before Jonah broke his leg, I was all set to make a run at the Xterra Series, but had to put that on hold. The Xterra Series has really been growing the past few years, but there is still only 1 race in Illinois and about a half-dozen in the midwest. Having raced the Ironman and Half Ironman World Championships, I am really drawn to taking a stab at the Xterra World Champs in Maui. Planning a racing season around a new baby in June is quite tricky, but that is another reason that I am looking to Xterra in 2011. I have put together a rather ambitious, but logical plan for the year. Essentially, my plan has me doing some crash course training to get into peak fitness by the Xterra West Championship race in Las Vegas on April 10. Cara's parents live out in Vegas, so travel should be cheap with free lodging! Assuming this plan of action works and I mangage to qualify for the World Championships, that gives me the flexibility to take some time away from training before and after our new arrival. The Worlds aren't until the end of October, so I can start re-building mid-summer to peak in late fall! Like I said, ambitious....

Outside of the bold 3 month time frame, the other major hurdle is that there are essentially no midwest mountain bike races prior to the Championship race in April. I'm going to rely heavily here on my fall cyclocross racing for maintaining some handling skills and try to supplement this with a little mountain biking while our local trails are still frozen (they are unridable during the spring thaw). Toss in a couple trail races and (in theory) I will be ready to rock it in April! Below is my ideal 2011 race schedule that is heavy on Xterra and MTB racing. You know what they say about the best laid plans of mice and men, though...

2011 Race Schedule
2/20 Tour De Groundhog Cyclocross (Petersburg, IL)
3/6 Central Illinois Masters Swim Meet (Bloomington, IL)
3/13 Park Hills MTB Race (Near St. Louis, MO)
3/19 Rock Cut 20k Trail Race (Rockford, IL)
4/10 Xterra West Championship (Henderson, NV)
5/22 Black Partridge MTB Race (Metamora, IL)
6/4 Tri-Shark Triathlon (Hudson, IL) Baby Dependent!
7/10 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon (MN) Evotri Team Race!
7/23 Dino Xterra (IN)
7/31 Xterra Sugar Bottom (IA)
8/20 Xterra Illinois Wilds (Hanna City, IL)
9/4 5150 Hyvee US Championships (Des Moines, IA)
9/11 Comlara MTB Race (Hudson, IL)
10/23 Xterra World Championship (Maui, HI)
1/4/12 Cyclocross Nationals (Madison, WI)
2/12 Masters Cyclocross World Championship (Louisville, KY)

My 2011 goals are clear-cut:

#1 Qualify for Xterra World Championships in April
#2 Race Xterra World Championship and place in top 5 in age group (this would put me near top 50 overall including the pro field)
#3 Finish 1st in Age Group for Xterra Midwest Regional Series

I Heart Cyclocross!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 07 Dec 2010 22:22:00 +0000

Over Thanksgiving weekend I was in Iowa for the most important celebration of the holiday season- Jingle Cross Rock! Unlike lesser holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving, Jingle Cross Rock is a 3 day epic party that also happens to involve grueling racing on different variations of an incredibly difficult cyclocross course! This year during day 2, Ryan Trebon finally got a gap on the field in the UCI Pro race. On the last lap, near the top of the steep, muddy run-up to Mt. Krumpit that invariably redlines all racers, he encountered a marshmallow peep "hand-up" wedged in the sportsbra of a very devoted cross fan. I guarantee you at that point in the race Trebon was in some serious oxygen debt and mainly focused on finishing up the lap without any mishaps. Still, in tremendous act of sportsmanship rarely witnessed in this day and age, he grabbed that peep and bit its head off!

This one symbolic act distills everything that I have come to love about cyclocross racing. I'm actually not being sarcastic here. When I thought about it some more, this whole attitude of laying it on the line during a race, but never taking yourself too seriously really resonates with me. I have seen one cyclist punch another after the finish of a road bike race where he perceived the other guy to have made a bad move that caused him to crash. I've seen top age group triathletes content to sit in big draft packs for most of an Ironman race. I've known runners that went to psychologists because their heads got so messed up on race day. Cyclocross has become my antidote to all this silliness. Sport should be challenging and there is great value in exploring our physical limits, but it should also be fun.

Driving back home from Jingle Cross Rock I declared that it was my favorite race, of any type, anywhere. Even among excentric cross races Jingle Cross stands out. You really have to go to experience it, but I'm going to try and capture some of the awesomeness that is Jingle Cross here.

The Course

Triathletes have been known to traverse the country seeking the next PR course. Flat, straight courses are valued for their potential to shave off a few seconds or minutes. At the opposite extreme, no two cyclocross courses are alike and none are straight! A race may be held in a flat, grassy, park, but the construction of the corners and barriers always adds a degree of difficulty. Jingle Cross Rock is held on some county fairgrounds near Iowa City, which may conjure up images of flat cornfields. Actually, there is only one hill at Jingle Cross, but Mt. Krumpit is a beast and the course designers use it for all it worth.

Mt. Krumpit from below. This is a descent.

Another unique element of Jingle Cross is that they route the bike course through some of the barns on the course. One of these, dubbed the Grinch's Lair, goes through some loose, deep sand in one of the barns.

Me bombing through the sand in the Grinch's Lair (it's deeper than it looks!)

To keep things festive, there is Christmas music and lights. Another part of the course forces riders to weave in and out of animal stalls in another one of the barns. Pure. Genius.

New to the race this year was a "flyover". These structures are becoming more common in cross races. They consist of a set of stairs on one side and then a steep ramp down the other side. Here's a pic of the ramp side of the flyover at Jingle Cross. Later the course loops back under the same structure.

A last unique feature of the course is the Whoville whirl. This is laid on a flat grassy section and is basically a spiral that you ride into and then it spirals outwards (it only makes sense when you see it in action). Being held over Thanksgiving weekend, you generally get snow some days (this year was a rare dry year) and ice for at least the morning races.

The Races!

As I said earlier, Jingle Cross is now 3 days of consecutive racing, but each course is different. I'll try to give you a little play-by-play for each day.

Friday Night

No that's not a typo. The Friday night races are held under the lights. The organizers bring in some serious candlepower to light up most of the course.

My Cat 4 (beginner) race was very big (50+) and pretty tame by Jingle Cross standards. The barns, flyover, and whirl were in, but hills and barriers were excluded. I registered late, which meant I started way back, which can make or break a cross race if you happen to be in, or behind, a pile-up. I finally sucked it up an bought a USA Cycling license because I was tired of doing the short, less difficult, beginner races. The license is $60 per year for mountain bike and cyclocross, but another $30 if I want a road license as well. This is a rip-off for someone like me whose primary sport is triathlon, but dabbles road, mountain and cross. In any case, my goal for the weekend was to score enough points to upgrade to Cat 3.

Jonah and Cara cheered me on from inside the Grinch's lair for most of the race.

Jonah cheering his dad through the Grinch's Lair Friday night.

I stayed out of trouble Friday night, but courses with little running and no hills don't favor me much. I ended up 8th and knew I had to step it up the next two days. We watched a few more races after mine and Jonah nearly got squashed by a rider that flipped entirely upside down and over the fence on the very technical Mt. Krumpit descent. Driving back to the hotel from the race I looked at the course crawling with racers, under the lights on a freezing November night in Iowa. What must the average person driving by this scene possibly thing of the whole circus? This makes me smile everytime I think about it.

Saturday

Saturday morning we woke up to clear skies, but temps in the teens. That meant that any mud generated during the Friday races was now a slick, solid mess. My Bloomington Cycle teammate Sean Hyser and his dad were also there for all 3 days of racing. On Saturday morning they agreed to watch Jonah so that Cara and I could both race (our races were back-to-back). We really appreciated them taking Jonah for a couple hours! This was Cara's first official cross race (she's done some of our local recycle-cross races in the past). She made up a T-Shirt that said "Baby's First Cyclocross Race" that I don't think many people noticed. Pretty cool anyway! (If this is confusing you read the post below!) Cara avoided all crashes (rarely happens to me) and had a good time.

On Saturday, I was excited for a more challenging course. The more barriers, hills, running and technical sections there are, the better I finish. I just don't have the pure bike fitness to compete with the cyclists on courses that basically amount to flat grass criteriums. The Saturday Cat 4 course had barriers, a big hill run-up, a fast, somewhat technical descent, icy corners and a few other features that suited me. I again started way back since staging is based on registration. As a side note, my single biggest complaint with Jingle Cross is that on Saurday and Sunday they don't call-up the top ten finishers from the previous race, which I think would be a better staging method. With a risky fast start I picked up about 10 places to probably around 20th place. I rode really clean without any major mishaps. I definitely picked up time and places on each hill run-up even though I felt like I was dying and dragging ass while doing it! In the first lap, I was able to ride a tricky, icy, off-camber section and all of a sudden found myself leading the race! I'd have to say it was pretty cool having the announcers calling the race as you rode past the grandstands. There were some very strong riders that got caught up in a crash behind me and eventually I was overtaken by two of them. No excuses from me whatsoever. They were physically stronger and at least equal in handling skills. I finished 3rd out of 55 which probably represents my best cross race ever. 3rd also meant a trip to the podium and lots of points towards an upgrade. I believe the winner of this race was from Colorado, which just shows the scope and caliber of racers at this event.

There were lots more races on Saturday along with a spectator party that keeps gaining momentum until the UCI Pro races. So officially, outside alcohol was banned from the races (they were selling cans of beer at reasonable prices). About halfway through the day Saturday I see a bunch of guys pushing something up Mount Krumpit. Looking closer I realized it was a keg on a dolly. Not only that, but it was poorly "disguised" by being wrapped in a blanket with sticks, cornstalks and a pumpkin on top for camoflague. My people. My beautiful, beautiful people.

Another B-N Cycle Teammate, Ken Hoepker, drove over to Iowa just to support and take in the Jingle Cross atmosphere (along with drinking some beers while heckling racers). I should say a little bit more about cyclocross culture for the unitiated. Heckling is a time-honored tradition and is expected from hard-core cross spectators. Also, perhaps because of the Belgian roots of the sport, I have been to exactly zero cross races that don't involve lots of drinking on behalf of the spectators and sometimes the riders. "Hand-ups" are another element unique to cross. I don't know the origins of this particular tradition, but it comes part and parcel with cross racing. Hand-ups often come in two formats: beer or money. The fun comes in trying to see which racers will actually grab and chug part of a beer mid-race. Money is another common hand-up. Cash hand-ups are generally reserved for the pro 1-2 races since it is well-known that most lesser-category riders will interrupt their race for a buck! Sometimes the money is scattered about on a climb or sand pit, but Jingle Cross specatators (whom I love dearly) really up the ante. This year the girls from the Hollywood Cycle along with some others found all sorts of appealing places to place cash as well as the aforementioned marshmallow peeps. Often it takes way more than a single to get a UCI rider to take notice. Funny how singles placed in strategic parts of the female anatomy completely changed this dynamic. I give huge, huge props to the rider that was able to collect a single from a sportsbra without using his hands (use your imagination). Some of the hijinx were captured on film and conveniently uploaded to YouTube. This starts to give you a sense of the awesomeness of cross fans!

Sunday

Sunday morning was cold and clear again, although it would warm up quite a bit before the day was over. I had survived two days without any significant damage to my person and was excited about day #3. The Sunday morning course had quite a bit of frost on all the corners making things a little sketchy. My poor starting position really caught up with me on Sunday. A big pile up in the first two minutes of racing meant I got stuck way behind as the leaders rode away. There was also a short, but really steep hill that I practiced riding during warm-up. Unfortunately, riders in front of me tried it and failed leading to a pile up that I got mixed up in. I actually had my foot stuck inside someone else's wheel for awhile which didn't help things. My first lap was discouraging and I was way down on the leaders. As the race started to thin out I picked off riders one by one. I think two laps in there was a relatively long, somewhat straight section where if your legs weren't toasted you could really move. I put everything I had into a big effort and moved up about five places. This turned out to be one of the decisive moves for me in the race as none of those riders passed me back. Again, I was having a hard time telling where I was place-wise because of the first lap debacle. I was able to ride some of the more technical sections that others were pushing so that moved me up some more. I came across the line in 3rd again, with 2nd not far in front, but 4th not far behind!

The best feature of Sunday's racing was the bikini/speedo single speed category. Yes there is a speedo/bikini race in freezing temperatures on an Iowa fairgrounds in November. Silly of you to think otherwise. Half the singlespeed race is quite serious and competitive while the back half is, well, not. There was at least one guy and one girl who have my utmost respect and admiration that raced all-out in clothing that offered almost nothing in the way of protection against crashes. The bikini/speedo racers had multiple beer pitstops and two of them got on a tandem at some point in the course (I know, just when you thought it couldn't get any better, it does!). Fortunately for all of you who weren't there the race was well-documented in picture and video.

All Good Things Must Come to an End!

So after 3 days of racing, I had accumulated enought points for an upgrade to Cat 3- which was one of my big goals for the fall. This means I can get out of the crazy, packed Cat 4 fields in the Chicago Cross series to the ever-so-slightly less packed and crazy Cat 3 races. It also means that if I can make it back to Jingle Cross next year, I get to do the more difficult Mt. Krumpit climbs and descents. Game On!

Sean Hyser raced Cat 3 all weekend on his mountain bike, which was probably less of a disadvantage on this course than on most other cross courses. He racked up 8th, 11th, and 10th place finishes in a pretty competitive field.

My sponsors were well-represented at Jingle Cross. Both my Evotri team and Bloomington Cycle Teams are sponsored by Specialized which works out really well for me. Specialized had a big tent and bikes at the race. Todd Wells (Specialized) finished 2nd on both Sat and Sun. Zipp wheels were everywhere on the pro (and many of the amateru) bikes. I think it says something about the durability of Zipp carbon wheels that these wheels that hold up to off-road abuse are the same found on road and tri bikes.

Next winter and the year following, cyclocross nationals comes to Madison, WI and I definitely plan on racing (what's not to like about cyclocross in Madison in January??). Not only that, but the Master's World Cyclocross Championships will follow nationals in Louisville next winter and the winter following. For 2013 the UCI elite world championship will be held in conjunction with the World Masters Champs. That will be a very cool event to go and watch! Man I love this sport!

I'll leave you with one last high-def video from the Jingle Cross races. It might be better to watch this on YouTube rather than on my blog which seems to cut things off unless I really shrink everything down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC29FGyG5lU

Sibling Rivalry

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 00:52:00 +0000

Those of you who know my brother and sister-in-law or follow their blog know that I will be getting my first niece in a few short weeks! I'm so happy for them to become parents! Raising Jonah has been a huge challenge and life adjustment, but the rewards far outweigh any negatives.

For the most part while we were growing up, Andy and I avoided much of the traditional sibling rivalry. Swimming was about the only activity that we did in common and age group racing meant we rarely competed directly. Just to be clear, I had way more and an all around better selection of He-Man action figures than Andy. Not like it was a competition or anything, but I also always caught bigger fish too. No one kept track but I could jump my motorcycle 2 foot 6 and 3/4 inches farther than my brother. Give or take 1/8 of an inch.

I provide you, gentle reader, with all of this background information just to provide the necessary context to my next announcement:

Cara and I are expecting a new baby in early June!

We waited until Thanksgiving to tell family. Cara beat me to the social networking punch and let the Facebook world know soon after, so I am playing catch-up. Cara has also been archiving blog posts and just innundated everyone's feed readers. You can catch up on her side of the story on her blog.

Jonah seems to be taking everything in stride so far. When we told him for the first time, he just said, "Oh, Thanks." We have a big brother book that he likes and when friends asked him what he wanted for Christmas over the weekend, he said "presents for my baby sister." He is dead-set on the baby being a sister, but we won't know for a couple weeks yet.

So again, I'm sure no one is keeping track of these things, but let's review. Chris = 1 kid + 1 forthcoming. Andy = 1 kid forthcoming. I score this kind of like horseshoes. Jonah is a ringer and new baby counts as in the pit and close enough to the stake to score. Bottom line? Andy is sooo getting smoked in the baby game. (If they've been secretly hiding twins to gain a strategic advantage I'm gonna be pissed.)

O'Doyle Rules!

Announcing the Book Bike Project!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 17:01:00 +0000

From time to time on this blog I will allude to my day job as a librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University. My career choice intersects with my triathlon endeavors more than often than you would imagine. In particular, I attribute some of my success as a long course triathlete to my abilities to research all the minutiae of racing, training, nutrition, recovery, etc. Being able to evaluate and manage large amounts of information has made me a better triathlete and an even better coach. It was only recently that I came across a way to even further integrate many of my life-long passions: literacy, sustainability, fitness and education. Enter the Book Bike!

The Book Bike idea came from a great guy up in Chicago named Gabe Levinson. Gabe has a website about his book bike project here: http://www.bookbike.org/about/ . The beauty of the idea is in its simplicity. A bicycle is one of the most low-tech forms of transportation out there. Riding reduces carbon emissions and promotes physical fitness. Now take a three-wheeled bike and mount a book case on the front! In the vein of the K.I.S.S. principle (Keep it Simple Stupid) the concept is to ride the book bike to public places and just give away books- no strings attached!

Gabe's Book Bike Project originally crossed my radar when I saw this YouYube Video:

I forwarded the video to some of my library colleagues and Karen Schmidt, our library director, jumped on the concept and started making plans to bring a book bike to Bloomington. Karen is on the Bloomington City Council and part of the West Bloomington Revitalization Project (WBRP). The Book Bike supports several parts of the WBRP strategic plan, including education, engagement with youth, and greening initiatives.

The bike itself is a US-made front load Worksman Tricycle. Unlike a kids tricycle, it has two wheels up front that allow the bike to support a heavy load. These bikes are used in large factories for internal deliveries and by a variety of street vendors. We worked with our local bike shop, Vitesse Cycle, to coordinate ordering and assembling the bike. The book case was designed and donated by Mark Fagerland of Unique Design in Normal, IL. It sits on the front platform and then when you get to your location, it unfolds and locks to display the books.

Steering the bike is surprisingly easy with the two wheels up front. Currently the bike is set up as a single speed, but we are looking at re-working the gear ratio to better manage hills! The bike itself probably weighs 75-100 lbs. The book case is another 75 lbs. When you add rider weight to that equation, you are talking about quite a bit of weight! I had the distinction of being the guinea pig rider for the first 10-block maiden voyage of the book bike! The one small hill was somewhat challenging even for an experienced cyclist! Once we get the bike geared down, it should be surprisingly easy to ride around town.

Our Book Bike debut was at a a Fall Family Fun Festival near some community garden plots in West Bloomington. The bike itself drew more interest from the adults, while some of the kids in attendance grabbed some free books before rain forced the bike inside.

Opened up, the bookcase looks something like this (photo is of Gabe's bike)

The Book Bike story has been covered by:

Bloomington Pantagraph

Daily Vidette (Illinois State University Paper)

We are looking for donations of new and gently used books, as well as financial donations to support the Book Bike. Donations for the book bike should be marked as such and sent to: Illinois Prairie Community 202 N Prospect Rd, Bloomington, IL 61704-7914. Book donations can be dropped off at the WBRP office.

2010 Racing Re-Cap

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:11:00 +0000

2010 has been a strange racing year for me. For the first time ever, I didn't have a big goal race on the line. I raced 5 Ironmans before qualifying for Kona at IM Wisconsin in '07. Each year I was focused on incremental improvement and peaking for the big race. '08 was Kona (training juggled with new infant son). '09 was 70.3 World Championships. Heading into 2010, I was toying with the idea of a non-WTC Ironman in the fall, but just couldn't find the necessary training hours.

Early on in the year, I did come up with a personal goal of regaining some of the short course speed that I had lost in the course of 6 years of IM training. I began the early season with a Master's swim meet where I turned in some of my fastest sprints since college: 24.19 for the 50 and 54s for the 100. Both a few seconds off college times, but fastest I've moved in the pool for awhile. I have the good fortune to be able to run with the Illinois Wesleyan Track and XC teams whenever I can work it into my schedule. These guys really helped me with my track intervals. I had a goal for the year to get back under 17 minutes for the 5K. Follwing a spring of somewhat regular track intervals I won a small 5K here in town in 16:50 something. I verified this performance a few weeks later with a 16:50 track 5K (that 16:50 placed me close to dead last of about 90 competitors). I had two more road races that I was fairly happy with. I went over to Peoria, IL for the world-class Steamboat Classic 4 mile race. Went out crazy-hard and suffered my way through the race at about 5:30 pace. Did a 5 mile race a few weeks later at about 5:40 pace. Improved run speed: check!

On the tri side of things, I wanted to race well at the sprint and olympic didistance which I am not as strong at compared to long course. I opened the early season with a 2nd place overall at a small sprint in Sullivan IL. I took second to my former Augustana Cross Country Teammate Jeff Paul who was just beginning his first season as a pro triathlete. Jeff's blog is here!

Next up, was the Desoto Triple-T in Ohio. Despite crashing out and breaking my collarbone at this race a few years ago, this is still my favorite triathlon bar none. The venue is tough, but gorgeous. This year I had the great opportunity to race on a team with my brother. For those not familiar with Triple-T it is 4 races in 3 days: Friday night super sprint, two olympics on Sat and a 1/2 IM Sun morning. For the team event, both team members do all the events- but you can draft your teammate on the bike. Racing with my brother was an awesome experience (in spite of getting seperated during one of the races and losing a bunch of time). We got to spend a super-fun weekend in a cabin with good friends Mike Donahue and Laura Vedeen. I also got to catch up with teammate JP, who tore up the Triple-T in his debut race there!

Next up was our local Tri-Shark Sprint Tri. I was trying to focus a bit on this race since I had never peaked for it before. ON paper I was able to win the elite wave of the race. What really happened was two pros who raced unofficially finished ahead of me and friend Robert Trimble snuck up from the age group waves to beat everyone.

My next tri was our local Evergreen Olympic-plus race. This has become a pretty competitve event with around 500 participants and a decent pro field. The elite wave was stacked and I knew it would take a strong race to stay in the top ten. I had an ok day and finished 15th in 2:12 (long bike leg).

I was mostly off of training for two weeks in July for a family vacation to Maine and week for work in Vermont. Following this break I went to race a sprint race in Canton IL. This is one of the races where I got started in the kids event almost 20 years ago. This was my surprise race of the year. All three events were just clicking. I came out of the water in the top 5 and then moved into the lead before the halfway on the bike. I came itto T2 with at least a 1 or 2 minute lead. I ran about a 17 minute 3 mile to hold onto the overall win. So far the small highlight of 2010.

Last weekend I ventured back into Xterra racing with the new Xterra Points Series race in Peoria, IL. I've raced a few Xterras and mountain bike races over the years. Unfortunately I had precisely zero mountain bike rides this season. Not ideal for Xterra racing, but I was still looking forward to the event! I was second out of the water and then had the frustrating experience of a bunch of people passing me on the bike leg (handling skills just not up to snuff!). I mostly kept the rubber-side down and then picked up some places on the run for 4th overall. I was just a few seconds shy of my good friend Sean Hyser who has been tearing up the Xterra circuit the last few years.

Next up is the Rev3 half-ironman with my Evotri team. I'm not really in any kind of half shape, but I will be able to pull something together.

I've really enjoyed dabbling in cyclocross the last few years, but the season was always cut short by big fall tris (Kona and Clearwater). Hopefully I will get a few more cross races in this fall!

Review: Specialized Transition Pro

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:38:00 +0000

For the 2010 season, Team Evotri announced a new partnership with Specialized Bicycles. Specialized has long been a major player in the road and mountain bike markets, but it wasn’t until the 2008 introduction of the carbon Transition that they made serious inroads into the booming triathlon market. I am planning a two-part review here. This initial review will just focus on the Specialized frame and I will follow that up with a review of the wheels and components. Given that Specialized is a team sponsor the savvy reader probably expects nothing short of a glowing review which concludes with “buying this frame will cut a half hour off your Ironman bike split!” I built up my own frame as well as my teammate Stu’s, so I have a good working knowledge of how these frames are built and how well everything works together. As I have done in the past I won’t hold back any punches in these reviews. I will tell you what I like and what I don’t like. More than that, I will tell Specialized and the other sponsors what works and what doesn’t in the hopes that this feedback will result in even better products down the line.

Stu's new Transition Pro

There are actually 7 variations of the Transition currently available from Specialized. The bottom of the heap is an aluminum frame with low-end components. The top-of-the-line S-Works carbon frame and all the gee-whiz components is about 5 times the price of the entry model. Most of the EvoTri team is on the Transition Pro frame, which is a small step down from the S-Works. The first thing that confuses me about this line-up is that Specialized doesn’t really differentiate between the S-Works and the Transition Pro. The S-Works uses a higher quality carbon that is supposedly lighter and stiffer. From a consumer standpoint, if you want customers to buy your top-of-the-line frame I would try to quantify these differences. Is an S-Works frame 100 grams lighter? 10% stiffer? Why should I ante up $1300 more for the S-Works frame? You do get a really nice looking Specialized integrated BB30 crankset with the S-Works, which is a good chunk of the cost difference. As I see it, the real value in the Specialized lineup is the variations of the carbon Transition frame: the Comp, Expert and Pro. If you are a beginner, the $1450 Aluminum Transition A1 Elite is also going to be hard to beat.

Let’s dissect the Transition Pro frameset a bit. The frame is built with FACT 7 carbon (a small step down from the FACT 9 used by the S-Works). I didn’t weigh it, but I found another review claiming a weight of 1690 grams, which is tolerable –but certainly not industry leading- for an aero tri frame. The frame has all the standards that you would expect from a triathlon frame in this price point: aero tubing, horizontal dropouts, aero seatpost.

So how does the Transition differentiate itself from the competition? In quite a few ways as it turns out. First off, the aerodynamic tube shapes don’t conform to the industry-standard NACA profiles which were designed for aircraft, not bikes. Specialized designed more blunt tube shapes that they claim are better suited to the lower speeds of cycling. Another striking visual element is the sharp inward bend of the chain stays and seat stays near the rear wheel. This is another aerodynamic tweak that I have heard some people have had clearance problems with. It hasn’t been a problem with the wheelsets that I have tried so far.

The second more noticeable feature is the integrated brakes which are included with the frame. Both brakes are a custom center-pull design. This is primarily done for aerodynamic reasons up front- the cable sits directly in front of the head tube, rather than hanging out to the side. For the rear brake this design serves both functional and aerodynamic purposes. The centerpull design allows the somewhat unique rear brake mounting beneath the bottom bracket. This keeps the brake out of the wind and improves aerodynamics. As someone who grew up riding mountain bikes before V-brakes existed and way before disc brakes, the cantilever system is quite familiar. For the average rider the system may be unnecessarily complicated. There are two very tiny pinch bolts that hold the cable in place. These seem to do a fine job, but I would like to see them built to a heavier spec.

There is a general trend among bike manufacturers towards proprietary parts that I am not a huge fan of. For those of us who travel often to important races a common scenario is that the airline somehow manages to damage your well-packed frame, or something winds up missing. If it is a proprietary part that gets damaged or goes missing, like a brake or seatpost clamp, the local bike shop might not have any repair parts in stock. Proprietary parts also limit component choice. Your current brake options for the Transition are the stock brakes and that is it. To be clear, there is nothing wrong with the performance of the brakes. Set-up correctly they feel almost as solid as a Dura Ace or SRAM Red brakeset. One of my biggest pet peeves about the frame is adjusting the rear brake. Specialized realized that access to the brake was going to be difficult, so they include a nut on the drive-side brake pad so that it can be adjusted with a wrench instead of an allen wrench. What cannot be easily accessed though, is the spring tension screw used to center the brake pads. With most cranks, you need to remove the entire crank to get to the tiny screw. I may be able to make a really short allen wrench, but this is one adjustment that you want to get right the first time.

Next up is cable routing. I’ve built or rebuilt 4 tri bikes in the last few weeks and manufacturers could certainly stand to think a little more about cable routing. On the Transition the rear brake cable and two derailleur cables all enter the frame directly behind the stem. Internal cabling is standard these days, but how it is achieved differs greatly. At first, I thought the system on the Specialized would be a real pain to set up and then would bind when used. In reality the three cables entering behind the stem is not only aero, but it does not bind at all when you turn the bars- a pleasant surprise! Getting cable housing lengths correct was a real PIA, though. Rather than using cable stops, the housing runs all the way through the frame. This actually adds a somewhat significant amount of weight and complicates the building process a little. Specialized included a 4th hole for running a cable to an SRM Power Meter. Since everything is going wireless, this is somewhat obsolete. I filled the hole with silicone since I end up racing in the rain way more often than I would like.

The seatpost features a two-position head, allowing for a variety of positions. I am a firm believer that tri bikes should be ridden steep for most competitive riders, so I use the forward position. The seatpost is held in place by another proprietary wedge-style clamp. Every manufacturer has a different take on the aero seatpost clamp. Specialized’s design seems to hold things in place without stressing the frame. One thing to note about the Transition Pro is that it is an aggressive frame that is meant to be raced. Given the amount of drop from the saddle to the handlebars a really relaxed, upright position is not possible. A comfortable long-course position with a reasonable amount of drop is not a problem.

Overall Impressions
I set this bike up to almost exactly the same fit specs as my previous frame. This attention to detail allowed me to feel at home right away on the new frame. You feel like you are sitting up higher on this bike because of the sloping top tube that is found on all frames utilizing compact geometry. If the frame is stiff enough for Fabian Cancellara (he won a Tour of California TT on this frame) it is surely stiff enough for me. Handling is predictable and not twitchy (for a tri bike anyway). The bike really shines when you step on the pedals- I feel like there is no wasted energy, everything I put into the pedals translates into forward momentum. For such a stiff frame, the ride quality is also better than I expected. The carbon does a nice job of damping road vibrations. Since finishing the bike build, I won the elite wave of a local tri and have gone 4 for 4 on overall wins at our local Tuesday Night Time Trial series. So it is fair to say that aside from the few design tweaks and peeves mentioned above, I am digging this new ride and looking forward to throwing down some fast bike splits the rest of the season!

Stay tuned for a detailed review of all the fancy bits and pieces on my Transition Pro.

Up the mountain at Triple-T!

Down the mountain at Triple-T!

Making the Team, 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:53:00 +0000

"Making the Team"

March 15, 2010

Madison, WI

Now in its third year of giving back to the endurance community, Team Evotri once again wants you to be part of the journey.

This spring, the team will be adding another teammate from the endurance sport community. Along with joining the family, the new recruit will be awarded a prize package from the Team Evotri sponsors: SRAM, Robbie VenturaÕs Vision Quest Coaching, CycleOps Power, Zipp Speed Weaponry, 2XU, Headsweats, and new sponsor for the 2010 season, Specialized Bicycles!

Over the next few months the team and sponsors will be looking for an individual who embraces the spirit of triathlon: someone positive, enthusiastic, and dedicated to giving back to the community. Triathlon experience is not a deciding factor in choosing a winner, but passion is. Do you have what it takes to make the team?

Winners can rest assured their performance will undoubtedly be taken to the next level with the following prize package:

Trusted by world champions like Chris McCormack and Melanie McQuaid, the veteran racing professionals at Specialized will provide the winner with an unbelievable race package. Be prepared to light up the course with none other than the fiercely designed and wickedly fast Transition Pro Time Trial bike, technical helmet, and racing shoes.

Ever innovative CycleOps Power will provide the winner with a cutting edge Joule wireless Powertap SL+.

The endurance experts at Vision Quest Coaching will take the winner to the next level with a dynamic professional coaching package.

SRAM will outfit the Transition Pros with world-class Force drivetrains, engineered for top performance.

The velocity doctors at Zipp Speed Weaponry will provide 606 wheelsets, cranks and bars for the excellence in endurance sport trifecta.

The winner of the 2010 Team Evotri slot will receive a brand new wetsuit and race gear from 2XU, the industry experts in state-of-the-art style.

To top off this incredible package, the 2010 team slot winner will also receive a collection of custom racing hats and visors from the industry leader in endurance accessories: Headsweats.

Team Evotri and their sponsors invite you to submit a video conveying why you are the best pick for the team in 2010.

Making the Team: 2010: Contest Guidelines:

Endurance sport enthusiasts, do you have what it takes to make the team? Tell us how and why in a video submission no longer than five minutes, and be sure to recruit your friends to help you out! Videos will be evaluated by Team Evotri and their sponsors for creativity, quality, and how well they address the following questions:

1. How will you benefit the team if you're chosen? What are your personal attributes?

2. How have you, and how do you plan to give back to the endurance sport community? Nothing is too insignificant, list it all.

3. What are your future plans regarding triathlon and endurance sport?

*Upload all videos to You Tube and send the link to MakingTheTeam@evotri.com by April 15, 2010.

*Contestants should provide contact information along with his/her link submission. Team Evotri and their sponsors will announce the winner in May, 2010.

*Videos not within the time constraints will not be considered.

*By sending a video link to MakingTheTeam@evotri.com, candidates grant contest affiliates permission to use said video for promotional purposes affiliated with Team Evotri and the Making the Team: 2010 contest.

*The winner of the team slot forfeits all awards if he/she is unable to continue as a team member for any reason.

*The winner of the team slot agrees to contribute to the Team Evotri web site for as long as he/she is a member of Team Evotri.

*The winner of the team slot agrees to attend the WIBA training weekend in Madison, Wisconsin in July, 2010 and race the Rev3 Cedar Point Half-Ironman in September, 2010.

Transition Pros provided by Specialized, an industry leader committed to excellence in both performance and design. Visit http://www.specialized.com/ for their full line of men's and women's road and mountain bikes.

CycleOps Powertaps and trainers are provided by the Madison, Wisconsin-based Saris Cycling Group; makers of industry leading power meters, racks and indoor trainers, as well as home to the top minds in performance science. Visit http://www.cycleops.com/ for an up close and personal education.

Professional coaching provided by Vision Quest: a dynamic, hands on, fully involved coaching program designed to provide direct interaction between the athletes and the coach for triathletes and cyclists. Please find more information on the diverse and flexible programs at http://www.visionquestcoaching.com/.

Wheels of Team EvoTri provided by Zipp Speed Weaponry, flawless craftsmanship makes these wheels, aerobars and cranks the industry leaders in speed and aerodynamic efficiency. For more information, and for a complete product catalog, visit http://www.zipp.com/.

Drivetrain components provided by SRAM, manufacturers of world-class bicycle parts including the new Double Tap & Exact Actuation technologies designed for faster Tri, Road & CX machines. See & learn more at http:/www.willyoumaketheleap.com.

Cutting-edge and sleek, 2XU will assure teammates maximize their potential with the industry's most revolutionary wetsuits and race gear. Visit http://www.2xu.com/ for the latest innovations.

Headsweats custom racing gear surpasses all others in absorption and comfort when its needed most. All seasons, all conditions, Headsweats goes the distance. Check out http:/www.headsweats.com to see the entire 2010 line.

Second Swim Meet Since College!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:39:00 +0000

Over the weekend, I competed in my second swim meet since college (2001)! I stuck with short races since even after 6 years of Ironman training I still can't swim distance races worth a crap. In high school and college I was a pure sprinter even though I was a distance runner. The meet went much better than I anticipated. I was really concerned that all the long, slow distance Ironman training would destroy my ability to sprint. Here's how it played out (times are for yards of course!).

50 free 24.19

100 free 54.17 (better than I thought)

50 fly 27.48 (worse than I thought)

100 IM 1:04:76

So roughly 1 sec per lap slower than my fastest times. One of the things I was surprised about was that I hadn't been off the blocks in years. Last week I practiced maybe 10 starts and they were very good from the first one- I guess it shows how some movement patterns can be hardwired into the brain. I started competitive swimming when I was about 10. I imagine I did a few thousands starts over the years. I guess to some degree it is like riding a bike.

I had an odd relationship with swimming over the years. I enjoyed doing it, but only swam for a few months at a time, because I always did cross country in the fall and track in the spring. As a collegiate swimmer my best 50 times were in the low 22s. I usually hit these times after only 4-5 months of practice. I was definitely better collegiate swimmer than runner (not even close). I always wondered how much time I could shave off by training year round and lifting more. Olympic trials cuts used to be somewhere around a high 19s for the 50. Back then with a solid year of training I would have been in the mid-to-low 21s. I don't know if I ever could have gone faster than that (I don't have a national-caliber sprinters build). Still interesting to think about...

My mom, Cara and Jonah dropped by for the 100 free. It was Jonah's first-ever swim meet and I managed to win my heat of that event! I imagine most of my remaining swimming career will be as a spectator!

Triathlon Mythbusters Presentation at Spin City Open House!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 17:45:00 +0000

I will be doing a fun new Triathlon Mythbusters presentation for the Spin City Open House March 5&6th!

Does lack of electrolytes cause cramping? Will your tires blow up on a hot day?

Lots of other bike company reps will be there with products and presentations, plus free food! More info here: http://429-spin.com/articles/product-open-house-march-5th-6th-pg261.htm

Announcing new nutrition sponsor!

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:54:00 +0000

For the 2010 season and beyond, I have committed to racing with 1st Endurance. 1st Endurance is one of the biggest names in nutrition products designed specifically for endurance athletes. After testing some of their products on my own the last two years, I approached them about a sponsorship deal.

There are a number of things that I really like about this company. The first and foremost is that they are more research driven than anything else that I have seen. All of their products are informed by current research from reputable journals. As an information professional (fancy words for librarian) high quality research is very important to me. Second, I feel absolutely confident that these are the cleanest nutritional products on the planet. They are tested and approved. Some pretty good riders from the Columbia HTC cycling team use this stuff, so you know it has to be safe and effective.

My favorite products so far are the Ultragen Recovery drink and the endurance-specific Multivitamin. The research behind their Optygen product is quite interesting and compelling. I have used Optygen for a few months before big races, but never long term.

I encourage you to dig around in the research on their site. It really is impressive. I will put in some regular updates about my use of their products.

Slides From: Introduction to Training and Racing with Power Presentation

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 17:40:00 +0000

The Power Point slides from the Intro to Training and Racing with Power presentation that Stan Watkins and I gave last night are linked below. You'll miss out on all the riveting commentary and anecdotes, but the presentation should be somewhat intelligible on its' own. Thanks to everyone that showed up on a snowy Monday night. I counted 30+ people! Awesome!

Introduction To Training And Racing With Power

View more presentations from Chris Sweet.

Introduction to Training and Racing with Power for Cyclists and Triathletes

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:52:00 +0000

Chris Sweet and Stan Watkins

When & Where:

Monday Feb. 15, 6-7:30pm in the Bloomington Public Library Meeting Room (lower level). Directions here: http://www.bloomingtonlibrary.org/use/get_to_the_library/

What:

This free presentation will offer a very basic introduction to training and racing with power feedback for cyclists and triathletes. Our target audience is anyone curious about the benefits of training with power. We will cover basic questions like: What is power-based training? How can I benefit? What options are available? How much is this gonna cost me? What can a Computrainer do for me? Various brands of power meters and a Computrainer will be on display.

Presenters:

Chris Sweet is a local triathlete with nearly 20 years of experience. He has raced all over the country and has competed in multiple World Championship events. He is also a certified coach with USA Triathlon. Chris runs a small coaching company called Revolution MultiSport: http://www.revolution-multisport.com/ and maintains a triathlon-related blog at: http://www.goalisthejourney.com/

Stan Watkins is a competitive masters cyclist. He is a level 3 USCF certified coach and part of the staff of Vision Quest Coaching http://www.visionquestcoaching.com/ You can read his Vision Quest coach's profile here: http://www.visionquestcoaching.com/coaches.php?contentId=840

How much truth can you handle?

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 20:46:00 +0000

I rarely put anything up on the blog that I didn't create. Alas, my genius is overshadowed by the master who created this all too accurate look at the "online triathlete". By that I mean that curious sub-species who spends more time on triathlon forums and websites than they do on the bikes. Hillarious stuff:

New Home and my "Attic High Performance Center"

noreply@blogger.com (Sweet) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 02:57:00 +0000

I believe I have made at least off-hand mention that one component of my crazy fall was buying a new home and selling off the old one. We had been looking to move to a smaller town that would reduce Cara's drive for quite some time. This move would also be much better for Jonah in the long term. We finally found a bargain on a big old house that met our criteria and had the highest bid. In an strange turn of events, this house actually burnt down before we closed on it! We weren't out anything, just had to go back to looking.

As it turns out, we like the house we did eventually find much better. What we found is yet another "handyman special" but this one is huge with a big yard and small garage (all significant improvements over our last place). As far as selling went, we were in the right price range at the right time (a few months before the home-buyer credit ran out). We were able to sell our last house in about two weeks...thanks in large part to a great deal of sweat equity that went into that house.

New house in Lexington, IL. Built about 1905.

The new house has lots of great features and just as many problems. The good: new roof, new attic windows, tons of space (4 bedrooms) massive attic, full basement, lots of unpainted original woodwork (including pocket doors that were boarded up and the sellers didn't know about).

Ughh, before.

Much improved, after.

The bad: every room has some degree of damage: cracking plaster, ceiling problems, layers of peeling wallpaper, etc., it only had a clawfoot tub and no shower when we moved in, both bathrooms need gutted, kitchen is gawdy, all the windows are original and need replaced, no central AC and massive, old furnace.

So just this fall we personally installed a new high efficiency furnace/AC system (thanks largely to my dad's assistance), we added insulation to all the walls, we converted the clawfoot tub into a shower, we added a gas fireplace (two actually) and have completed rennovations of two rooms (except hardwood refinishing). So I've been a busy boy....

Before we moved in. Notice the orange carpet over the old hardwood floors.

After with new gas fireplace.

My favorite project though, has been the conversion of the attic into a new training area. One of the features that really sold us on this house was a huge, walk-up attic. It had only been used for storage in the past and had a single knob and tube light bulb. I re-wired the whole thing, ran a gas line up an unused chimney for a fireplace, lugged a 350lb treadmill up 3 flights of stairs (again with help) and finally had space for a proper computrainer/projector set-up.

Before.

We hosted an IM World Champs viewing party and had the inaugural ride in the attic beforehand. I think we had 5 or 6 riding, but I actually have space for up to 10 people or so!

I'm really not a fan of indoor training, but sometimes it is either train inside or take the day off. I've been taking too many days off.....time to nip that in the bud.