Race Reports

Afterthoughts on the Mt. Taylor Quad

The Mt. Taylor Quadrathlon marked the end of my 2006-2007 racing season. As I’m prepping for the 2007-2008 season, my noggin’ has been working to identify weaknesses that appeared last year and what I need to do to turn those liabilities into strengths.

I would love to say that I have been blessed with a modicum of swimming talent, I haven’t. I was fortunate to have a good informal teacher years ago who taught me the basics of how to be efficient in the water. I’m refining those teachings on my own and will not seek outside counsel until my Bike Fu and Run Fu catch up with my Swim Fu.

I realize I have no natural athletic abilities and will be on a seek and destroy mission this year to identify those weak links (bike and run) in my multisport chain and make them stronger. Part of that training will be to be training smarter and not just going out for a 2-hour ride. Each training session will have an objective.

Hence, I will be converting to a roadie this year and re-learning what it’s like to suffer on the bike. I know it will make me stronger and I’m looking forward to what I’ll learn by riding with my colleagues on Team Pro Cyclery.

Also, as part of the next season’s effort, I ran my first lactate threshold test on the treadmill yesterday to establish my baseline and to redefine my HR training zones. Oooh boy, I am definitely off the charts compared to the predicted HR zones from the Karvonen Formula. Using the figures from yesterday’s test, I saw that I was operating at or above redline for more than three hours during the Mt. Taylor Quad. Throw in rookie race planning and dehydration at high altitude, it’s no wonder I detonated.

Another item I have been reflecting on is just how much races mimic life. It’s the little things that add up big things. Everything friggin’ counts. The simple act of being a bit snappier in two transitions would have given me enough time to make the cutoff to the bike. I learned this lesson the hard way in my first two triathlons last year. Apparently, I still need to learn it. Little things count when you add them up.

A little later this week, I’ll give an update on the Fighting the Fat series.

Keep dancing your edge.

hak