How to Survive the CSG Triathlon

This year's Cornhusker State Games (CSG) Triathlon had a new "Championship Heat" category. It's purpose was to put the aggressive competitors into the first heat to duke it out together for the overall victory. The men and women champions would then be invited to represent Nebraska in the "Best of The US" national sprint distance amateur triathlon later in the fall. Perhaps because it was the first year of the championship heat, some of the faster competitors may have missed the new category designation and signed up for their own age group. As a result, the overall winner came from the male 20-25 age group. My friend Lucas Marshall was third overall but wasn't in the championship heat. Another age grouper was also in the top five. So that's how I ended up third in the Championship Heat but sixth overall.

It was a fun race and well organized. It's great for spectators to see racers six times from the same place. And Team Nebraska Triathlon puts on a nice cookout following the awards ceremony.

As for the competition, there are three types of triathletes at the CSG: 1) The Type-A, 2) the Weekend Warriors and 3) the Fitness / Recreationalists. With over 400 entrants in the CSG race, it is wise to formulate a survival strategy. So without much ado, here are a few freebies:

Swim
Nebraska Type-A racers swim 100m intervals at a 1:30 pace and practice multiple times per week. If you can swim like this, you belong at the front of the line in Nebraska triathlons. The weekend warriors - those who swam in high school and currently practice less than once per week will hang with the Type-As for the first 200m before lactic acid overtakes them and the pace falls off. The Fitness and Recreational group is often better prepared than the weekend warrior but lacks the swimming background. They will be more likely to pace themselves for a steady-state effort and even catch many of the weekend warriors. But the fitness group should look out for the warriors who've fallen back -- while the warriors' tired arms may no longer flail with gusto, there's still plenty of kick to take one in the face.

Bike
Because each successive loop on the four mile course adds another 100+ cyclists onto the course, it can turn into a war of attrition. By the time the final cyclist is on the road, it's like downtown Bangkok during rush hour. Negotiating the flood of squirrely cyclists while maintaining pace on a boxy and hilly course becomes a real challenge. Ideally, slower racers will stay to the inside and allow the fasties to pass on their left. Also, it'd be nice to think that all cyclists would hold their line, but c'mon we're talking about triathletes here. The fact that we can turn the bike 90 degrees without falling over is a miracle in itself. My advice: stay alert and hope to avoid the pile up when someone suddenly decides to make the full lane sweep in front of you.

Run
By the time you enter the run course, it's likely that you're in a lot of pain. This is especially the case in a sprint triathlon. Complementing your sky rocketing heart rate is the discomfort of switching muscle groups from cycling to running while dealing with the rising heat of the day. It's not a graceful moment that can get ugly. For example, one racer (pictured) attempted to box me out while passing on the run. It wasn't subtle. As I approached, he crowded me to the outside of the path and nearly forced me into the grass. To perhaps his and my surprise, I fought back. I raised a forearm and Heismanned my way to a clear path. It was a steel-cut moment if there was ever one. Was it necessary? Probably not. But neither was crowding me. You mess with the bull...

In truth, this is supposed to be a low key event. Yes, competition is fun and all. And there is some bragging rights to medaling in your age group or finishing among the top 10 overall. But really, this is the CSG. It's a family event. Play nice, smile, thank the volunteers, etc.

For Next Year's Competitors

• Don't swim over top of slower swimmers; go around them.

• Don't make violent sweeping turns in front of other cyclists.

• Mount and Dismount your bike at the marked transition area.

• Wear your bib number on the run. Don't stuff it in your Speedo to only make it magically reappear from beneath your sweaty lycra loin cloth at the end of the run. I mean, that's just simply gross.

For Race Officials and Volunteers

• Thank you. It was a well-coordinated Race.

• Championship heat was a welcomed addition. Consider inviting top 20 next year by email

• Consider capping it a 400 entrants or change venue

• Penalize rule breakers

• Cook out was great. Thanks!

Cornhusker State Games TT

This past Saturday morning I participated in the Cornhusker State Games time trial. With lots of sun, 72 F and 94% humidity at the start, my hands were sweat-waterlogged by race end. I completed the 22 mile rolling hills course in one hour and five seconds (21.97 mph).

I have mixed feelings about the performance. Comparing to this past June's Ironman Kansas 70.3, where I completed a 56 mile TT in 22.05 mph average, Saturday's efforts fell short. Kansas was also a similar rolling course and had warmer (80 F) temps, but less humidity (80%). It was also slightly more windy in Kansas. It's true that I had a long taper before the Kansas race, so that could have been a factor. It's just hard to say whether it was an "off" day or if fitness is lagging. These are the questions that linger after such a performance.

Regardless, it was a good experience just competing. Doing an all-out sixty minute time trial, regardless of results, is excellent training. So I got that going for me, which is nice. It was also fun sharing a ride and sponging up race-day tips from Bryan (thanks!) and seeing Munson and other racers out there. Congratulations also go out to Bryan for sewing up Nebraska's Cat-4 Rider of the Year award at this race. Enjoy the free race entries next year; you've earned it.

Finally, now that I'm an officially (one-day) licensed Cat-5 racer, you can count on seeing me more involved in cycling races in the future.

Not In Kansas Anymore

90 minutes into a five hour race and I was already having doubts. Pain and fatigue had set in and my focus was waining.

An hour earlier, I completed the 1.2 mile swim where I was punched and kicked many times by fellow triathletes. It was not unlike a hockey game in there. Once, I was kicked so hard in in the face that a knee jerk reaction resulted in a severe right hamstring cramp. Stopping to stretch in a middle of a deep lake among thousands of swimmers and a 1/2 mile yet to go posed quite a challenge. I managed.

But it just wasn't working on the bike. Lactic Acid coursing through the veins and that hammy threatening to act up, I had a moment of doubt. Would I even finish the race? My mind started to drift.

I thought of all of the training I had completed over the months. The long rides with my cycling friends Munson and Bryan, the weight lifting, the early morning Masters swimming practices and the long runs I had completed with this day in mind. There are always the what-ifs and wishes for more training, but I knew I was pretty well prepared.

I thought of Katherine and brother Murphini who were somewhere out on the course cheering me on. That helped carry the burden.

A cyclist or two passed me. No big deal. A hill was approaching where I'd reel them back in.

I thought of brother Brendan who had surprised me by rolling up to Murphini's house late Friday night from Colorado to compete with me. He was racing with elbow-to-wrist and full calf raspberries from a training ride crash only days before; the crimson scabs caused many to wince at the pre-race number markups. Dude's as tough as he is and nuts. Along with him was another triathlete and friend, Ryan, who was also racing. And joining us on Saturday was Brendan's girlfriend and professional triathlete, Karen. I was in excellent racing company and I sponged up as much racing advice and encouragement from them as I could soak up. Indeed, I was as ready to take a chance, go fast, pass on turns and feed the bears...as anyone could be.

Reaching the peak of the hill, the road turned into a strong headwind and a series of rollers with another menacing climb five miles down the road. Morale sank even lower.

In truth, the bike course favored my smaller size. While I spun seated in the hills, most of the others stood and labored. I'd make huge gains on the climbs only to having some of that erode on the downward slope and flats.

Knowledge of my cycling advantage did little to help my spirit. Even without the heart rate monitor, I knew that I was near my red line and I had a lot of distance to cover. Heat was also becoming a factor as I continued to struggle with motivation.

Then I remembered my cycling friend Munson telling me how he endured the physical pain of time trials: distraction. He copes with the pain by mentally picturing happy thoughts, like lollipops and bushy-tail bunnies. I tried, but Charms Blow-Pops and Br'er Rabbit just floated on by. Something else lurked in the shadows of my subconscious. I concentrated a little harder as a human figure began to form. It was holding a drawn bow and arrow. What figure would emerge from this archetype? Was it Apollo hunting, or the brave warrior Geronimo?

To my horror, the image that resolved was a pot-bellied Athena bow hunting carp in a camouflage bikini during a recent time trail training session at Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs.

Ahhh!

I was cured. I was now grateful for the remaining 41 miles of torturing hills and the half marathon that would distract me from that cross-breed between Vince Neil and what I imagine to be Ted Nugent's soul mate. I tucked into a tight aero position and began counting the cyclist I passed. It was a good bike ride from then onward.

Transition from the bike to run is never fun. A mile into it, the hamstring finally seized up. Fortunately, another triathlete who might as well have been Jesus in Asics gave me a package of salt tabs with the instructions to take two with water every four miles. Hallelujah! It cured the hammy, but for the next five miles I still fought GI issues and bloating while struggling to find my running form. After taking a port-a-potty pit stop at mile six, I felt well enough to race and completed the half marathon in one hour and forty-one minutes to the cheers of Katherine, Murphini, Karen and Brendan (who finished the race some sixteen minutes ahead of me). Nearly five hours had passed since diving into Lake Clinton; Iwas quite emotional as Katherine hugged me just beyond the finish line.

Official Results:
53rd overall, 22nd Citizens, 7th Age Group
Swim: 0:33:04.9 -- 01:34.0/100m pace
Bike: 2:32:22.9 -- 22.1 mph pace
Run: 1:41:57.0 -- 07:47.0 min/miles
Total Elapsed Time: 4:50:30.3

I am happy with the results, especially considering it was my first at that distance as well as the challenging nature of the course.

Finally, a super-huge shout out goes out to the Murphini family for hosting us over the weekend. We appreciate you loaning us Guz, for feeding us, chauffeuring and just making sure that three racers under your roof could prepare for the main event. Thank you - you guys were terrific!

Well what's next? Unpacking, laundry, yard work, the list goes on. Sigh. Indeed, I'm not in Kansas anymore!

Lincoln Half

Recently, I postulated that being fit allows one to accept an open invitation to become an active participant of the great outdoors. I admit that I was mushy about nature.

But don't get me wrong. While I attempt to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible, I haven't gone O/C on it. Yet. I respect nature, but I'm not about to retread my Nikes with old bicycle inner tubes and homemade adhesives concocted of honey, kerosene and egg whites.

And while it's nice to preserve and conserve, nature somehow manages to carry on, oblivious to the idiocy of what we inflict upon it. For example, time and time again soldiers journal that they hear birds singing among the most horrific battlefield scenes. I just don't get that worried about the future of life on this planet. It may not resemble what we have now, but it will endure.

So I don't obsess about it. In fact, I drive a car daily. Sometimes, it's for training or to enter a race. If I was gonzo - environmentalist, training and racing would be off my list.

But it's not. I enjoy being fit to enter races, too.

This past weekend I ran the Lincoln Half Marathon. The weather was perfect: 40 degrees, little wind and brilliant sunshine at the start. Such a difference in conditions from last year.

With the Kansas long course triathlon five weeks out, I approached this race as an opportunity for high end training. No taper. This included normal weekly workouts and a moderately hard 90 minute ride into a stiff north wind to Ft. Calhoun late Saturday afternoon. At the gun, my legs were not exactly fresh. But I remained patient and settled into a comfortably aggressive pace right above for the first half.

At the second half, I gradually picked up the tempo. The legs were no longer feeling heavy and cardio was strong. While others around me wilted at the 10th mile hill, my pace remained steady. I continued to apply more power throughout the race. The clock shows that my fastest miles were the final two at 5:58, 5:55. Overall, my final six miles (36:53) were a slightly faster than the initial six (37:09). In the end, I barely missed reaching a goal to run it in under 1:20 (1:20:37 chip), but that's OK. I'm very satisfied with how I ran the race.

It's also notable that my average heart rate throughout was 167 BPM. The peak of 182 that likely came as I approached the finish. 167 BPM is right above my lactic acid threshold, which I believe is a good sign for a half marathon. I may have been able to push it a little more, but that's fine for a B race.

What this shows me is that training has been effective. In many of my interval workouts and time trials, I've focused on starting at around 80-85% effort and gradually building power throughout the effort. I believe that this has ingrained into my muscles a race-day strategy that is becoming routine. Race experience also helped as I didn't get swept up into the rush at the start but patiently allowed the race to unfold as I envisioned it.

Aside from last year's full marathon, I've never run the 1/2 for a competitive split. Sunday's effort was a de facto PR that will still pose a challenge to eclipse in the future.

Finally, on a sidebar, Ol' Yeller made an appearance afterwards as I rode support for a colleague in the marathon. See! Look at the sippy cup I'm holding for my friend, Derek. What's funny was that while I was on the bike, a runner confused me for the special guest of the day, ultra-marathoner Dean Karnazes. I'm not kidding. This guy, who could've been hallucinating from funk-induced glycogen debt, starts yelling at me, "Dean! Dean Karnazes!" Um, no. Must have been the dazzling effect Ol'Yeller has on folks that caused it.

In the end, a good day of memories, racing and extended training.

31st Annual Lincoln National Guard Half-Marathon

*** For Immediate release ***
Lincoln, NE. We are pleased to announce the following special guest for the 31st Annual Lincoln National Guard Half-Marathon.

FEATURED GUEST: BRADY MURPHY
Come to the Embassy Suites Runners' Expo to:
* Hear Brady's comments about Dean Karnazes comments during Dean's morning and afternoon speaking sessions.
* Witness Dean Karnazes meeting Brady as Dean mingles with runners throughout the day.

In 2006 Dean Karnazes completed an amazing endeavor of running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days. The Lincoln Marathon course was his Nebraska stop on the 7th leg of this pursuit. Now he will return to participate in this year's weekend marathon festivities. He's also the dude that completed a nonstop 350-mile run.

But this is not about Dean.

Brady's career accomplishments have included:
* Winning the Sigma Phi Epsilon Run With a Heart 10K
* Winning the citizen's division Omaha Mile in 2007
* Finishing third (of three) in the bike race to the top of Dana College Hill
* Running a marathon
* Calculating how many tacos it would take to complete 350-mile run.

Running 350 miles burns about 45,000 calories, or roughly 265 of Taco Bell's best, which is about the same number of tacos I paid Munson to overhaul Old Yeller.

2007 Rodeo Run Omaha Mile

The inaugural Rodeo Run was a quick. In fact, Ryan Kleimenhagen from Madison WI was the best of the elites, running a sub four minute mile. That was sick. It was also the first time that feat has been done in a Nebraska road race. Congratulations, Ryan!

As a prelude to the River City Round Up Parade, the Rodeo Run Omaha Mile has the potential to be a great race. It has solid race organization, cash prizes for top finishers and a downhill course that will surely draw runners seeking a fast mile.

Speaking of which, this ol' boy still has some kick. Thanks for the genes, Mom & Dad!

Oh I forgot to mention that I won the citizens race.

Kudos to Team Nebraska Brooks for hosting this event. Official Results.

2007 Omaha Corporate Cup 10K

This year's Corporate Cup 10k was the watermark event for many local competitive runners. It was for me at least.


Take a look at that fella in the front row!

On a redesigned and even flatter 10K course with near ideal racing conditions, I set a new personal 10K record.

I had little idea that I would run like this. I thought I'd do well, but a PR?

You see, this year I cut my running training mileage in half to cross train for triathlons. But while swimming has helped cardio strength and riding has maintained endurance & leg strength, I was clueless about pace since I haven't run a pure foot race since my last marathon.

What's more is that it actually felt good. In fact, I've done training runs that hurt a lot more. Relaxed for the first three miles, I didn't start laboring until the 6th mile. There might have even been smiles on my face from time to time.

Black Squirrel Triathlon

Despite missing a turn on the bike that caused a mile detour, I still had a pretty good race.

People laugh when I tell them that the swim was in Lake Manawa. They think it's like the East River when that served as NYC's sewer. Come to think about it, it is kinda funny that we swim in that Council Bubba cesspool. It actually justifies the wet suit & goggles. Thankfully, my mouth was clenched-shut too.

Anyway, I felt like death after the swim. Not because of the water quality, but because I wailed and flailed. Here's a post-swim picture that scares me.


Swim: I remember feeling as bad as I look. In truth, I felt worse. Note: secondary protective skin, goggles and cap.


Swim to Bike Transition: Here, I have recovered a bit. Gee. I wonder if the American Red Cross can find my vein to draw blood. I'd better have that looked at.


Next, I'm getting ready to transition off the bike to the run. I normally ride with my feet in my shoes...it generally works better that way. But here the photographer captured a time-saving technique of spinning on top of the shoes during the last quarter mile. Earlier, my calves were cramping on the first five miles before I settled in to a 21.8 mph avg. time trial.

Unfortunately for you viewers, there isn't a photo of me running. It's too bad because I really felt like barfing at the run transition and couldn't get the breathing managed for the first two miles. This would have made for a fine photo opportunity. Still, after the first two splits at 6:50, 7:34, I ran negatives splits from there (6:34, 6:09, 6:09, 6:08).

With this race, I have completed my transition from just a runner to a triathlete.

2007 Cornhusker State Games Triathlon Recap

Location:
Holmes Lake, Lincoln, NE
Conditions: heavy rain at the 7:30am start; overcast at the finish. 69F with 10mph winds. The last and only time I was here was at the 2007 Lincoln Marathon; it's the turnaround point for the second half of the race. Coincidentally, it was also raining on that race day.

1K Swim (13:17) Swim Rank:5
I wore a full wetsuit, and aside from my arms being fatigued due to its weight at the 750m mark, I can't really complain. Even the water tasted pretty good; could it have been the extra seasoning in the toxic green algae?

Transition #1: Swim to Bike
Struggled getting the wetsuit unzipped during the short run to the transition area. Finally, I got it unzipped by the time I reached the bike. Lost a little time running slowly and managing the near panic-attack of not getting the thing off on time. Whew! Didn't want to ride the bike with that thing on.

20K Bike (36:21) Bike Rank:25
The first loop was about getting the legs warmed up. On the second loop, I got passed by two people, but I was holding a steady pace. Katherine told me later that I was smiling way too much and that I didn't have a look of strain on my face like the other cyclists going by. In retrospect, I suppose that I could have pushed harder, but I wasn't sure how much I'd need for the run.

Transition #2:
This time, the transition was really bad. First, I locked up the brakes and nearly wiped out as I approached the dismounting area. Then, I racked the bike in the wrong spot and, after re-racking it in the correct location, I almost ran out of the transition area the wrong way. I got yelled at by the transition manager and heard a woman say, "Poor guy just did an extra lap in the parking lot." Needless to say, I was a running fool!

5K Run (18:50) Run Rank:5
The run was pretty steady~6:10 mile pace. When I was starting to feel miserable, I remember thinking, "why do I do this racing when it makes me feel so awful?" The things we do to ourselves for amusement. But, I forgot this feeling until now.

Here were the official splits:
Total time: 1:10:43 Overall Rank: 5
1K Swim: 13:17 (1:16/100 avg), Overall Rank 5
Transition #1 1:06
20K Bike 36:21 (20.5mph avg), Overall Rank 25
Transition #2 1:12 (ran the wrong way)
5K Run 18:50 (6:04 mi avg), Overall Rank 5

In summary, it was a great experience. I am definitely hooked on TRIs and now consider myself a "triathlete" instead of a "runner".

Congrats also to Dan, Jorge, Ryan, Andreas, Scott, Kelley, Russell and thanks to the many volunteers manning the race course.