kona

October 16, 2014

KONA Hangover

I watched the Ironman World Championships for 6 hours on Saturday and have been on the road doing video work (I’m available for hire) for the last three days, so I haven’t had much time or desire to think about triathlon. BUT, I have been shooting video at a health club, and one of the employees qualified for KONA next year, so I’m starting to feel the fire burn again.

Last night, after we finished shooting, I had my first taste of water jogging, and it was pretty damn cool. I put on this vest and ran about 8 laps. Let me tell you, even though I felt and looked like a complete doorknob, it is a legit workout.

Aqua-jogging was the big buzzword at Kona because the winner, Sebastian Kienle, spent the last month or so before the race training his run in the pool. In fairness to me, I’ve been intrigued by this exercise for months now and started doing it in my above ground pool in hopes of being the “Kienle of Louisville,” but it didn’t quite work out as well.

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In other notes, Coach Robbie had some highs and lows with his Kona predictions. It looked like calling Daniela Ryf the winner was a rock-solid pick until Mirinda Carfrae shot out of a cannon again around mile 22.

He picked Kienle second, which was a pretty good call considering his injury and poor performance at Worlds a couple months prior.

I made a huge mistake by not lobbying harder on Ben Hoffman. I’ve been a big fan since he won Wisconsin the day before I signed up to do my first Ironman and promise to follow in his footsteps with a second place finish next year at the ADPi Sprint Triathlon in Murfreesboro.

October 7, 2014

Bold KONA Predictions – The Women

By The Crushing Iron Coach

For die hard triathletes this is the equivalent of Super Bowl week. All the hoopla and excitement culminates Saturday in Kailua Kona, Hawaii with the Ironman World Championships.

Triathletes all over the world will post up in front of their laptops to watch the world’s best compete.

Predicting the podium at Kona, and even the top 10 (OUT OF ORDER!) for that matter is a lot like filling out your bracket for the Final Four. Your chances are about zero.

Personally, I am more intrigued and excited to follow the women’s race this year than any other year in the past. If you have not taken the time to familiarize yourself with the contenders here is a little cheat sheet for Saturday and some bold predictions on finishing order.

Feel free to weigh in on your podium predictions with the #CrushingKona!

PREDICTION: THE TOP 10 WOMEN AT KONA

1. Daniela Ryf, 27 Switzerland @danielaryf

The 2014 70.3 World Champion. Daniela Ryf is still not a household name after taking the win at 70.3 Worlds last month but she will likely change all of that on Saturday. Ryf comes into Kona unbeaten this year and with the guidance and coaching of Bret Sutton she will be prepared both mentally and physically. With her ITU background she will be racing at the front as soon as the gun goes off. Winning on the Big Island on your first attempt is almost sacrilegious, until Chrissie Wellington did it. We all know how that turned out. Leanda Cave pulled off the 70.3/Kona double in 2012 and I think Ryf has all of the tools to pull off her own. Calm. Cool. Collected. I see Ryf taking her first of many Kona crowns on Saturday and a legend begins.

2. Jodie Swallow, 33, Great Britain @jodieswallow

Is this the year for Swallow? Coming off a 2nd place finish at 70.3 Worlds last month Jodie Swallow comes into Kona in excellent form. Im still not sure why she does not get more attention and maybe that has to due with her injury plagued 2013. Who knows? What I do know is the that you can bet she will be at the pointy end of the field All. Day. Long. I predict she will be leading the main pack on the bike for the majority of the day and will do the lion’s share of the work to put a large gap on the “runners” of the field. She is one of my favorite athletes to follow and I think she finally nails it in Kona coming in 2nd.

3. Leanda Cave, 36, Great Britain @leandacave

*Disclaimer– This pick is probably heart over head.

After an injury plagued 2013, Leanda Cave seems to be rounding into form at just the right time. She is coming off a solid win (validating her Kona spot) at Ironman Sweden and a very sharp looking win at Cozumel 70.3 in Kona-like conditions. She has proven she knows what it takes to crack the “Kona code” and I think she comes into this race with a chip on her shoulder. The video of her finishing Kona last year a disappointing 12th, stood out most to me. It was a long year for her and you could tell she hated not being at the top. I think she races with revenge on her mind and snags a podium spot at 3rd.

4. Mirinda Carfrae, 33, Australia @Mirindacarfrae

The defending champ with quite possibly the most beautiful run stride on the planet is the heavy favorite to repeat this year and although it wouldn’t shock me one bit if she ran her way through the field again this year, I have my doubts putting her a top the podium. She most likely will not make the first pack out of the water and thus miss the “freight train” out to Hawi. If the forecast holds it will be very hot and windy and possibly lonely for Rinny as she pushes to give up as little time as possible. She can probably afford to give up 10-14 minutes on the leaders but I dont think she cuts it this year. Rinny finishes just off the podium in 4th.

5. Heather Wurtele, 35, Canada @TeamWurtele

Full disclaimer, I have zero objectivity on this one. No one in the women’s field seems to conduct herself better on and off the course than this towering Canadian. She is talented and always races smart. In Kona, patience and intelligence can trump fitness and talent on the world’s biggest stage. Wurtele showed last month at 70.3 Worlds she can race with this best and sent a message with her excellent run split. Im not convinced this is her year to crack the top 3 BUT she will be prepared, race smart and I hope she rounds out the top 5. There is nothing to not like about this pro so do yourself a favor and pull for her on Saturday. I know I will.

6. Rachel Joyce, 36, Great Britain @RJoyce09

7. Meredith Kessler, 36, USA @mbkessler

8. Corinne Abraham, 37, Great Britain @CorinneAbraham

9. Caroline Steffen, 36, Switzerland @Caroline_Xena

10. Liz Blatchford, 34, Great Britain @Liz_Blatchford

Kona Start List

February 18, 2014

The Toughest Triathlons

I thought it only fitting that I follow up my Color Run post with a list of the hardest triathlons in the world. It’s not my compilation, but I have included my version of the toughest triathlons I’ve ever completed at the bottom of this list.

Top 7 Toughest Triathlons – According to Wegner (Maker of the Genuine Swiss Army Knife)

1. Savage Man – Deep Creek Lake, Maryland
2. Ironman Norseman – Norway
3. Altriman – France (I think)
4. Ironman World Championship – Hawaii
5. Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme – Norway
6. Ironman 70.3 Silverman – Mojave Desert
7. Escape from Alcatraz – San Francisco, CA

As I look through this list one really jumps out at me and it’s Ironman Norsman, namely because of this photo:Everything about that shot has me riveted! The font on the ship, the four meter plunge, the hazy mountains in the background, the darkness, the feel of cold. The website describes the water as cold, clean, and lightly salted. And the kicker is, they only let 200 people in this bad boy. I can dream.

There’s something ridiculously compelling about these kinds of races, which is kind of ironic because I rarely even want to test my will on a bike trainer half the time. I would really like to hear what your toughest race was.

My Top 7 Toughest Triathlons (which are also the only ones I’ve done)

1. Ironman Wisconsin – Choppy swim, relentless hills, body hurt every step of the run
2. Goosepond 1/2 Triathlon – Anxiety riddled swim, cooked bike, tough run
3. Nashvegas Olympic – Almost drowned, twice, extreme panic
4. Rev 3 Olympic – Knoxville – Brutal cold, constant rain, challenging bike
5. Ironman Muncie 70.3 – Technical swim, bumpy bike, burning feet
6. ADPi Sprint – Murfreesboro – Cold, rainy, lots of sorority girls
7. Music City Sprint – My first tri, perfect weather, home turf

February 7, 2014

A Swimming Breakthrough and Jodie Swallow #IMLOU

Yeah, so I was looking around at some YouTube videos on how to get faster and stumbled onto this one featuring the badassness of pro triathlete Jodie Swallow. Now, my disclaimer here is that Jodie could probably talk me into swimming with sponges on my feet, but this video was pretty simple and made perfect sense. Just move your arms faster.

I went to the pool, armed with my Swallow security blanket and took off like a bat out of hell for the promise land. And it worked . . . for about two laps.

I was totally gassed.

I realize you actually have to be in shape to swim like this, but is three laps asking too much? Apparently.

Five minutes into my session I was swallowing pride at the end of my lane and halfheartedly listening to the same damn stories from the same damn guy who keeps forgetting who I am.

“I shouldn’t say this,” he says, “But I’m secretly racing you in the next lane.”

“How’s that goin’ for ya?,” I say again.

“Well, I’m coming off surgery, so I need motivation.”

“I hear that, bro.”

Then, as the conversation hits that awkward lull and there’s nothing left, he always, every time, looks at me like a little kid and says, “Wanna race?”

And always, every time, I say, “Yes.”

I exploded from the wall in Jodie Swallow mode and promptly roasted my soar-shouldered-friend for 50 meters before collapsing onto the ledge. I’m simply out of shape.

But, the more I swam fast, the more I started to notice I was getting a nice extension and roll without hesitating in front. A fluid churn with a solid cadence. Much like you want from your bike and run.

I wasn’t thinking “fast” as much as I was thinking consistent. Trust the roll and don’t pause or extend your glide. Just circle the arms and keep your body from turning over too far. It was one of those moments when something clicked.

It felt much more like I was swimming instead of trying to stay afloat. A consistent, powerful, and controlled rotation that didn’t wear me out. Of course I was pretty beat up when I discovered this, so I’m not sure it’s really true. We’ll find out tomorrow.

Until then, if you’re reading, Jodie, feel free to tell me I’m wrong before I do something stupid in Louisville.

October 11, 2013

5 Winning Insights for Kona from My Neighbor James

If you follow the blog, you know that my neighbor James has been a huge inspiration in my triathlon “success” over the last year, especially leading up to IM Wisconsin. He always knows how to cut through the BS and get to the real point. Last night, we were hanging out front and I asked him if he had any advice he could pass along to the athletes doing the Ironman World Championship in Kona. He didn’t miss a beat.

Guest Blog – by my Neighbor James

Look, Mike, I ain’t never been to Fiji or whatever, but competition is always spelled the same.. I been through it, bro… basketball, street fights, spellin bees, winnin ova my lil lady… Ya feel me? I got 5 things I always tell people like yaself and you can pass em to ya friends on the internet or Twitter or whatever the hell you do when u ain’t mowin’ ya yard.

First thing you gotta know is who you is…. If you Michael Jordan, everybody gonna be watchin. If you John Paxson, they gonna fall asleep on u. If you Jordan, you gotta do what you do, and shit gonna come all natural. but if you Paxson, you gotta be patient… that shot gonna come… just make sure ya ass ready.

Two. Like dude said in Hoosiers… a Basketball court is a basketball court. Rims the same height and you playin on wood. Unless u grew up in my hood… and I ain’t lyin, Mike, we played on grass… but no matta… you all got the same damn court so quit talkin bout the track.

Three. Man, I been on the beach before and u got young women all up in ya face wit them bikinis tryin to get you off ya game. All I got to say to that is, the beach still gonna be there after u run that damn race.

Four. Mike, I don’t care who you is, you gotta understand the game. Man, Yogi Berra said 90% of the game is half mental and dude himself is mental, but he right as hell. Hear me? Cause when you up against dudes you know as good as you, talent ain’t got nothin’ to do with it. Everybody get tired, and feel that pain, but if you don’t stop at the drug store, u gonna get home faster.

And Five. If I was gonna look you in the eye and tell you, or James Jr. what it take to win, it would be this… You know how sometimes you get to the place you goin and forget how you got there, or why you there in the first place? Don’t do that shit. Remember, man. You came all this way and just gonna show up on some sand and forget bout that time you was in the rain thinkin bout the sand? Man, think about the rain cuz that’s how you got ya ass on the sand.

So drop that in the bank and leave it in there till you ready to retire ya ass on a beach for a different reason.

July 11, 2013

Making Ironman Predictions

I know it’s not accurate (technically it’s 60 days) but my “countdown clock” for Ironman Wisconsin just flipped to “1 month” and there is something about the number one that is very small and lonely.

Muncie 70.3 is this weekend, then IMWI will have 100 percent of my focus for nearly two months. I’ll likely do the Music City Olympic Triathlon, but hopefully that will feel like a “nice little workout” by then.

Back in January, I remember saying, “It will be here before you know it,” but I don’t think I really believed that. Something about seeing that number 1 on my blog tonight woke me out of a Tour de France time-trial-slumber. Wisconsin is closing in quickly.

I’m still not ready to make any predictions. I jostle between lofty goals and just finishing. Both are very delectable in their own ways.

I just started reading Chris McCormack’s book, “I’m Here To Win,” and in the first Chapter he recounts the cocky attitude he brought to his first Kona race when he uttered the words that became the title of his book. He was a competitor, and truly thought he would win. But other athletes and those close to the Ironman World Championship black-balled the pesky rookie because he didn’t respect the race.

He had a decent swim, led off the bike, then burned to dust on the run. Here was one of the best short triathlon racers in the world, recent Ironman Australia winner, and he couldn’t finish Kona. These are the lessons I try to remember every day. If Ironman does anything, it makes you vulnerable.

So, with 60 days before the event that has dominated a large chunk of my brain for nearly a year, the only option I have is to stay focused, trust the process, and keep working.