Elephant Man Gear!

Check out the gear I will be using this year at the Elephant Man Olympic distance triathlon!

                                                    Frame:Trek TTX   Wheelset: Hed Jet Disc, Hed Jet 6

                                                         Drivetrain: Sram Red/Bontrager

                                                                   Specialized TT2

 http://trisports.com/index.html,%20http://www.rudyproject.com/                                                      Glasses: Rudy Project Sports Mask

The Next Chapter

The final race of my 2010 season is quickly approaching. The Elephant Man Triathlon is an intermediate (Olympic) distance race. The distance for an intermediate triathlon is double the distance of a sprint and half of an Ironman 70.3.

Sprint- 750m swim, 20k bike, 5k run

Olympic- 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run

70.3- 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run

The Elephant Man will start the next chapter of my triathlon career. This is my second season competing in triathlons and I have waited for this moment since my first race. When I began competing in this sport I was immediately drawn to the longer distances and it doesn’t hurt that I’m built for the longer races. In these races endurance is key, rather than short all out power. At the start of my first season I made a typical beginner mistake. Since I wanted to race the longer races I jumped straight into 10, 12, 13+ mile runs more than once a week. For a beginner with no run background at all, I was asking for an injury. After a few months and several minor injuries I began to get the idea, I would have to start from the bottom and build my way up.  Sprint triathlons didn’t appeal to me at first and I actually considered giving up the sport and going back to road cycling. After taking a few weeks off I realized this process was necessary for what I wanted to accomplish. Since this experience, I have learned patience is key in this sport. You can’t rush things or try to jump ahead without the risk of injury or burnout. Either one of these can be a drastic setback or could even lead to the decision to give up the sport.

 In only a few years I have realized several beginners make the same mistake I did as a rookie. Someone entering a race unprepared and under trained is a story I hear in transition almost every race. These decisions can be drastic.

Through my own experience my advice to beginner triathletes is know your limits, careful of overtraining, and PATIENCE. The only way you can prevent this is knowing your own body. This is achieved with time (again, patience). The longer you train the more you will become familiar with yourself. Through this you will learn how much you can push yourself and when to let off. All of this is achieved with time and patience. With these two aspects you will be able to achieve your goals and compete injury free!    

Safe and smart training,

Rance

This is a photo from my first triathlon. June 28th, 2008. I remeber it all to well... Wrong turn, went 30 minutes out of the way and finished 35th overall. Hardcore roadie tan lines!

Race Recap: Comanche Warrior

The Comanche Warrior Triathlon took place on Saturday, Sep. 11^th in Big Spring, Texas. This event is a sprint with a 500 meter swim, 18.5 mile bike, and 5k run. This was my third year participating in this event and I have to say the city of Big Spring stepped it up again this season. The number of volunteers for this event was surreal. The organization, on course support, and route always leave me impressed.

Now for the race highlights!

I lead the race wire to wire. A few days before, I decided to put it all on the line during the bike. I wanted to totally drain my legs, knowing if I had a few minutes over the rest of the field I could hold out through the run. The race was in Texas which means, longer bike leg. Add in a rolling course through the whole 18.5, unexpected fog, and a little wind and you have a tough day. The turnaround was the perfect chance to see how much time I had over the field. I had a nice gap on the lead chase group, so I stuck with my original plan: put my head down and hammer. I wasn’t expecting a PR on the run, knowing it would be a bit slow after the day’s bike. When I hit the run it was obvious the bike course took its toll on everyone. The run is just as tough as the bike. On and off trails with insane grades just eat your legs. I stayed focused and pushed my body through the course. I consider this the hardest bike/run course for a sprint that I have competed in. I posted a link of the results below. Comanche was a great tune-up for my final race of the season.  If anyone is looking for an extremely challenging course with a great atmosphere and outstanding volunteers this is your race. Thanks again to the city of Big Spring and all of the outstanding volunteers!

Safe Training,

Rance

Results: http://www.comanchewarriortriathlon.com/index.htm

Blog Numero Uno

When I initially set up this blog hundreds of ideas were running through my mind of what I should write about. I was quickly influenced by an episode of The Office playing on the television in the background. In the episode, Dwight was teaching Ryan the ropes on his first sells call. Dwight mentioned an acronym that Michael taught him on his first sells call; it was K-I-S-S (keep it simple stupid). Once I heard this it was all too clear of what I should write about, my fellow competitors. I’ve only been competing in triathlons for two seasons now, but I have had the pleasure of meeting some of the greatest people. I soon realized that the friendships I make through this great sport will last for the rest of my life. Even the people I may only see a few times a year, I consider some of my closest and dearest friends. The bond between fellow triathletes is something that is unexplainable. The sacrifices, early mornings, and the extensive traveling are all something we go through to stand at the start line. We are able to sit in a group and talk about bricks, wattage, and the occasional saddle sore while people passing by think we’re talking in code. Earlier this season I realized how special these relationships are.


What started as the competition congratulating me at the finish line has resulted in a great training partner and close friend. In my last race I walked away from a conversation with one of my biggest rivals feeling I could take on the world. All the advice he gave me and the confidence that I could win any race I set my mind to is a great example of the type of people that are involved in this sport. So, in your next race talk to as many people as you can. You never know, you may end up with a new friend, training partner, or even a new rival!

Thanks and safe training,

Rance