The Roller Coaster Continues..

I spent the week after Placid taking it easy but started some informal training the third week of August in Colorado and then got back on plan in earnest the last week in August. As part of that, on Saturday I did 70 miles in Marshall, Virginia to be followed up by a 40 mile ride and tubing in Harper's Ferry on Sunday in preparation for the Savageman 70.0 triathlon.

Contributing factors: This was the first time riding this course*. I decided to take the inaugural spin on the tires and wheel that came with my Cervelo*. Strava does influence behavior*.

Everything started well enough but I began feeling frisky and decided to try and grab some Strava segments, if possible. The route took us downhill around some curves. Just as I thought to myself that I was going really fast around the road and wondering if I was going to impress my riding mates, the road went from wet to dry while I was going about 31 miles per hour.

As accident victims often recount, things happened in slow motion and I remember my wheels losing traction on the road. I can't remember for sure if I tried to brake or if it was already too late but I knew I was going down and I just wondered to myself how bad it would be. I didn't think it would be a deadly accident but I quickly made peace with whatever the outcome was.

As it turned out, my right hip hit first and took a large portion of the impact. My momentum was carrying me forward still and rotated my body clockwise. I remember seeing my vision panning down quickly to a direct impact with the pavement. I may have been out for a second or two (still need to confirm) but fortunately I was wearing a helmet (which I cracked). Unfortunately, there was some slack in my chin strap and the friction of the pavement pulled the helmet up resulting in may face in the area above and below my eye scraping against the ground.

The next thing I knew I picked myself up off the ground while a quickly growing pool of blood collected. I did not feel any pain so I patted myself down to take inventory and see if anything was seriously hurt. I didn't find anything but chunks of skin were taken out from numerous parts of my body. I walked over to the side of the road to sit down as a friend pulled my bike off the road and tried to warn the rest of the folks in our group. I put the dorsal side of my gloves against the gash around my eye not really knowing the full extent of my injury. I did notice the reaction it elicited and that scared me more than anything.

My friends found some help up the road and a kind samaritan, Paul Williams stayed with me and Andrea and drove us up to a more visible intersection. A headache came on about this time but I was never in excruciating pain. He drove us to Jefferson County Hospital in W.Va where I got treatment.

I was seen pretty quickly and they reviewed me to assess the extent of my injuries. Tetanus shot. Knees scraped (left pretty badly), right hip road rash, right shoulder road rash, elbows scraped, chunks out of my hands, and then a stellate laceration of my right eyebrow and cheek. Head and facial CT scans were both negative. They cleaned out all the cuts and sutured me up. They also strongly encouraged me to see a plastic surgeon the following day (had it not been a holiday) to see about some suture revision. As it turns out and despite trying to work the network, nobody would see me until that Friday, 5 days after the crash. Here are the pics... As you can see, there were a couple places where there was no skin to stitch.

 Before stitches:

After Stitches:

The Day After:

After 6 Days:

After 2 Weeks:

So, although it is looking better, it will definitely need to be re-worked by a plastic surgeon. My first visit was entirely uneventful so I suspect it may be a while before I can get anything done do it.

Next time, I just need to slow down.

IMLP 2013 Post-Race Report

Well, that was a hoot!

I implemented just about everything on my race plan as shown in my previous post and everything went great!

Morning of...
Woke up 'round 4:00 and got moving. No matter how many times we do this it still seems so early but then the energy ramps up and time accelerates. We headed down to transition to make any last-minute changes to out bags and drop off the special needs bags. Despite what seemed like ample time, the minutes ticked by and people were lining up. I didn't get to wish Andrea goodbye as we got separated but I headed to the water for a brief warmup. Most people were already lined up and I thankfully remembered to stretch my calves as they frequently cramp up during long swims.

The pros took off and then we did after a slow shuffle to the start. I sped out for the first 400 meters and constantly swam across people. I felt great in the water and despite trying to keep an eye on the buoy line, it was just crazy congested. I got a few heels to the nose but was able to dish out my fair share as well. The second lap opened up a bit and I still felt great. I felt I could have pushed a little harder but didn't want to over-exert so early in the race. Even so, very happy when I exited the water at 1:02:16.

T1
The wetsuit strippers made the start of transition so easy. After that, a decent jog to T1. I ran most of the way and was in no way winded. Rather uneventful transition; bike was ready for me and off I went - 5:31.

Bike
The road was wet from a slight rain that came by and despite encouragement to slow down, I took the turns at a good clip while making sure I allowed myself a safe angle. I started a bit harder than my plan but rightfully argued to myself that there was plenty of time to settle in and I like to go fast.

Thankfully, this was a far cry from the farmland roads of Virginia and the Kinetic Half so the bike tire spray was not full of cow shit and other agricultural detritus. Per the plan, I tried to change body position as much as practicable despite some long flat stretches that demanded prolonged time in aero. Drink every 15 minutes, nutrition every 45.

My favorite part of the bike course was the last few miles, going up the three bears and then coming into town. With the roads blocked off and sponsor barricades up, I felt like a professional and couldn't help flying through the corners close to as fast as possible and jumping out of the saddle occasionally.

The second lap was pretty uneventful except that I lost my nutrition flask and had to replace those calories with gels from the bike aid stations. I did a flying dismount (couldn't resist) and ran into transition - 5:27:28

T2
Pretty quick change. Liberally lubed up my nether regions and toes before donning some fresh socks and shoes. I spent a little time messing with my watch band but no big deal there; a quick change in 2:45.

Run
It's pretty easy for me to start too fast on the run if I'm not paying attention so I very deliberately watched my heart rate and wanted to ease into the run. At the beginning, my heart rate was very slow while going at a decent clip (sub-9s) but based on the training runs, my heart rate jumps up about 10bpm after the first two miles. I was running with and talking to another athlete but had to break up the party to make sure I hit my walk break. A few miles in I made an executive decision to be a bit more conservative on my running as it relates to my heart rate zones and I'm glad I did. As part of my plan, I walked through every aid station and took in fluids at each as well. Gels every 45 minutes or so.

I was thoroughly enjoying myself through the first 13 miles (really, the first 157 miles). But that's when I hit a slight low spot. Fortunately, I was passing my special needs bag and grabbed the 5-hour energy. I quaffed it quickly and also grabbed a coca-cola at the ensuing aid station and immediately felt like I was running on air. It was an amazing feeling and took me all the way to around mile 20. I knew the run would start to get crappy at some point and figured it would be around there. At this point I knew I would finish regardless but had to stay focused and keep moving forward. Here, though, is where I also had to really listen to my body. I started to experience I slight dizziness and my stomach felt awful: bloated an full of a vile mix of water, perform, gels, and coca-cola (which i was now taking every-other aid station but was providing diminishing returns). My time walking the aid stations increased but I justified it since I was experiencing what I assumed was some dehydration/heat/over-exertion-related symptoms.

As I got back into town, there was no way I was going to run up the last hill despite the pleas of the crowd. Once past that, though, I found my legs again and ran my fastest run split of the marathon on my way back into the Olympic oval. As I entered the ring, I saw another triathlete behind me but decided there was no chance he would pass me. I kicked into a solid sprint with my arms in the air and feeding off the now-cheering crowd.

I crossed the finish line with some of the most pure joy that I've ever experienced. Throughout the race, I deliberately avoided looking at my elapsed time but finally I got to see what the last year of work had provided me. A 4:06:34 marathon good for a total time of 10:45:06; 186th overall. I told myself I'd be happy beating 12 hours; I estimated (somewhat conservatively) my finish time at 11:48, but had no idea I would beat that by more than an hour.

Lessons Learned:
Train the plan. Execute the plan. I feel the execution of my training plan and race plan were the most significant factors in my performance.

Get to transition and the start even earlier than you think is necessary.

Figure out what caused the stomach issues late in the marathon and resolve it.

Don't try anything new in the days prior to the race. The run on Thursday (an almost tip-toed 30-minute run) made my calves very sore leading up to the race. I wasn't conscious of them during but the ART and compression socks may have helped something that should never have been an issue.

Run more; smartly. My injury (ies) prevented the amount of running I wish I could have done. However, the limited running may have also helped me by reducing the stress on my body. I need to balance running volume with quality work and rest.

Strength training works wonders. Weekly leg and core workouts prevented any patella-femoral pain in my right knee and limited shin splints to only occasional pain. Helps in all aspects of triathlon.

Train hard so the game is easy. I remember hearing that once during my brief stint in peewee football but I believe it certainly applies. Aside from the run, I exceeded the distance of each discipline multiple times prior to the event, including some epic rides. By exceeding the distance (and elevation) of the actual course, I had every confidence I would succeed.

Last Minute Pre-Race Blog Post

Clearly, I haven't been writing much. But here I am, the day before Ironman Lake Placid and wanting to document some things for the record.

Since January I have:

Traveled for work almost 100% (every week). A real PIA for Ironman training.

February - Vacationed in South America staying a couple nights in Buenos Aires and Santiago to bookend a 7-day mountain biking trip cross the Andes (Awesome)

April - Broke my little toe on my left foot

May - Achieved third place in the 2013 Kinetic Aquavelo race

July - Stayed with friends in Colorado for ~5 weeks of altitude and bike training

I'm looking forward to seeing my parents and enjoying the event with them and Andrea and the rest of the DC Tri posse.

Coming into this week, I feel good. No major injury issues, multiple century rides and multi-hour runs. And swims eclipsing the distance of the actual race.

Unfortunately, being cooped up in the car on Thursday got me stir crazy and I went for a run. For whatever reason, I ran pretty aggressively on my forefoot and now my calves and ankles are sore. Hopefully it won't be an issue.

It looks like rain is inevitable for tomorrow. The only day within the whole week where rain is expected. OH well, at least it'll keep things cooler. I hate rain but clearly, I can only react to it. Just need to be careful in the corners on the bike.

Here's my race plan for tomorrow:

Segment	Plan	Goal Time
Swim	1 Gel 10 minutes before start	1:10
	Garmin in Swim cap, goggle straps under cap
	Position self 5 minutes ahead of goal time (1:00-1:10 time slot)
	First 400 fast
	Settle into slightly below threshold effort after
	Finish last 400 at threshold
T1	Strip wetsuit	0:04
	Don helmet and glasses
	Shoes
	Jog bike past mount line
Bike	Zone 2 entire way	6:00
	Mix up body position
	Out of saddle for short periods on climb
	Depending on heat >= 1 bottle liquid/hr
	~250 calories per hour
	Nutrition every 45 minutes
	Solids OK for first two hours (bonk breakers, etc)
	Start with perpetuem mix in aero bottle
	Once aero bottle exhausted, re-fill with water and consume concentrated flask
	Remove Garmin prior to entering transition (kit pocket)
T2	Lube up (legs, arms, feet)	0:04
	Change socks/shoes
	Race Bib
	Visor
Run	SLOW AND STEADY	4:30
	Focus on BPM
	Run:Walk = 9:30 : :30 (extend run interval if feeling good after 13 miles)
	Consume nutrition (Gels) every 45 minutes.
	Salt Sticks (2) every hour
	Fluids every 15 minutes
	Mile 0- 4, HR < 155
	Mile 4-20, HR < 160
	Mile 20-24, HR < 165
	Last 2 miles, HR < 175
Total		11:48

I feel the swim can go well. I'd like to try and draft off of someone but I have never been able to do that for a prolonged period of time so I'm not pinning my hopes on the ability to do so. I think I can go faster than 6:00 on the bike but I need to focus on level of effort/BPM and not time. It will, as it does for everyone, come down to the run. I feel I am in good position and hopefully by following my race plan up to this point, I should be in a good position to have the energy and stamina to have a good run.

I feel like a runner again

I spent two weeks at my parent's house outside Cleveland during the holidays. Since I have just begun Ironman training in earnest, while still rehabbing from surgery, I made sure to incorporate some running into my workouts along with a couple visits to the beautiful Geauga County YMCA in Chardon, OH.

All I can say is that for the first time in a year, I finally feel like a runner again. And it feels good.

I'm still doing walk intervals.
My BPM is still way higher than I want.
My cadence is still slower than desired.

But I'm getting there...

Return to Jaleo

The last time I ate at Jose Andres' iconic tapas restaurant was a few years ago. A number of meals and a renovation later, I dropped in last Saturday night with a friend to check things out (may also have had something to do with Zaytinya having a 1.5 hour wait time).
We put out name on the list and sauntered up to the bar to grab a drink. After evaluating our proclivity for prolonged consumption of libations, we ordered a full carafe of red sangria. It was a standard sangria, nothing special really.

We took the opportunity to check out the new interior, a combination of soccer and legs themes. The bar is adorned with a extra-wide panorama of people jumping? and various outfits. The ceiling is adorned with a selection of red-orange-yellow hexagons that seemingly tie in the foosball dining tables in the eating area. The men's and women's are separated by only a frosted glass wall section with the space above and below open into the adjacent rooms. It was a little disconcerting at first to see women's feet as I looked to my left while at the urinal but I got over it quickly.

After checking on our table, the hostess acknowledged that they had a number of tables where the patrons had already paid and were just hanging out. Hungry and impatient, we decided to grab the next two stools that opened up at the bar.

Rolling with our joint indecision and not having any diet limitations to deal with, we left it up to Jason the Bartender to select a few things for us to consume. Thankfully, we were not disappointed.

We were started with a quasi amuse bouche cono salmon. It was a fried cone filled with a salmon tartare and topped with trout roe. I normally dislike roe but it disappeared into the rest of the bite and proved a delicious start.

Next was the croquetas de pollo, a type of hush-puppy fritter. They were good but nothing special in my mind. Perhaps if the exterior were more crunchy to offset the supersoft insides.

Thankfully, these were soon followed by the pulp a la gallega maestro alfonso. When they are arrived and I realized it was octopus, I had very low expectations and anticipated chewing on the pieces for the better part of the next hour. The octopus tasted great and was easily masticated and consumed in only a few bites. This and the next plate were easily my favorites for the night.

Finally, they dropped off lomo de buey con valdeon, a grilled hanger steak. Adorned with crumbled blue cheese and encircled with another sauce of it, Jaleo presented this extremely well. The stone mustard accept and perfectly grilled steak made every bite a treasure.

I look forward to my next visit and trying out some other new items!

Needed Diversion: Crock Pot Indian Lamb and Spinach Curry

I love crock pot meals (despite never being quite as set-it-and-forget-it as advertised) and felt compelled to pull out my machine and try something new. Recent personal developments provided an opportunity to use some cooking as a needed diversion. I've made most other types of ethnic meals to some level of success but never attempted Indian until today. Curry fever is expanding in my life.

Servings: Serves 6–8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 3 yellow onions , chopped
• 4 cloves garlic , peeled and minced
• 1 (2-inch) piece of ginger , peeled and grated
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground turmeric
• 2 cups beef broth , preferably high quality
• 3 pounds boneless leg of lamb , cut into 1-inch cubes
• Salt
• 6 cups baby spinach
• 2 cups plain full-fat yogurt

Directions

Note: For an easy mint pilaf to serve with the curry, steam 2 cups basmati rice; just before serving, add about 3 tablespoons minced fresh mint. Fluff mint and rice together with a pair of forks.

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, warm oil. Add onions and garlic, and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. 

Stir in ginger, cumin, cayenne, and turmeric and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

 Pour in broth, raise heat to high, and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. When broth comes to a boil, remove pan from heat.

Put lamb in a slow cooker, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon salt.

Add contents of frying pan. Cover and cook on high-heat setting for 4 hours or low-heat setting for 8 hours.

Add baby spinach to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until spinach is wilted, about 5 minutes.

Just before serving, stir in 1 1/3 cups yogurt.

  Season to taste with salt (like, a lot). Spoon into shallow bowls and serve, passing remaining yogurt to add as a garnish.

Et Voila.

To the curry I also made some rice in the rice cooker with a little bit of butter, olive oil, and fresh-chopped mint. They complimented each other well. The meal was pretty good but lacking something to make it really great. We'll see how the leftover taste and see if I can put my finger on it.

Per Oprah (http://www.oprah.com/food/For-the-Crock-Pot-Indian-Lamb-and-Spinach-Curry)

Restaurant Review: Le Grenier

Upon seeing news of a new French restaurant on H St. NE, I was eager to check it out. Le Grenier, at 502 was a good experience but they may need some tweeks. 

First off, the space is a little shabby-chic and reminded me of Granville Moore's but with more 'artistic' use of picture frames and mirrors. The front door opens into the main dining room and looking straight up, you see all the way the the ceiling rafters. Kind of a cool effect but it's gonna be a bitch to heat this place. 

Our party of four was promptly seated and one of the 'booths' along the wall. It wasn't exactly a booth in that the bench that made the wall-side part of the table was made from an old headboard, another nice touch. However, instead of cushions, pillows are piled up between the table and the headboard which made for a more involved seating than desired. 

We shared a bottle of wine and after a short view of the menu placed an order for escargot. When i think French I think escargot and foie gras so I had to get one of the two. The escargot arrived already shelled and  was seasoned to an overpowering degree.The garlic and pesto flavor stayed on our palate until well into the main course; I would have preferred it be a bit more subtle.

For the main, I ordered the veal roast with barley and got to taste the duck breast with risotto. The veal was tender and juicy and very flavorful. The al dente barley provided a good contrast to the meat and they complimented each other well and certainly fit the season. The duck was succulent but the risotto was a bit rich. The rest of the table ordered the hangar steak and a not-quite bouillabaise that they both enjoyed. 

In addition, the service was excellent. They need to finish building out their website as it states very little and the menu there does not match what was available in the restaurant. I'm certainly willing to give it another go.