Zach's Blog

So far so good June 27, 2010

I had an Oly today to keep me fresh going into another chance at 70.3 Championships at Ironman Providence 70.3. I wanted to perform well because….I have a large ego and need it to justify my existence.

Well, that was honest, and I feel good about being honest.

Ok, I also wanted to perform well because there were a lot of people I wanted to shine in front of. On my list of things to do in triathlon this season, there were 4 things left to do. I crossed off 2 of them at this race. 2 people I desperately wanted to beat, I took them on the bike and opened up the gap on the run. The 2 goals scored today are a racing “friend” that I have been beaten by at every race. He’s a great guy and is always super friendly. I just really wanted to beat him once. The other guy is only known as “Mr. Vineyard Vines”. Finally got him today also, just a personal goal I needed to take care of, and I have no idea why.

Only 2 things left, beat my training partner in a race by 7 seconds and qualify for 70.3 World Championships. So far I’m on track for both this year. My new coach has made major improvements with me.

Now, strange things are happening for races. First, the day before and the morning of, I feel like crap. I don’t feel fast and I don’t feel prepared. It’s not until the end of the race when I see my results that I realize I did pretty well. It’s funny to think you are far behind and then be told that you are seconds or minutes behind the leader. The next change is people starting to look at me as possible competition. Also, the whole thing where I should turn around and welcome in the the next athletes coming across the finish line.

So, I have 2 weeks of training before my next big event. Time to heal, recover, and go again.

Revenge Run June 22, 2010

So 2 weeks ago I won my first overall sprint tri at SLeepy Hollow and beat a few fast guys. I did it while rockin’ the speedo only look.

Last week I bonked on a simple run and then again on a bike ride. Things weren’t looking good for me.
I emailed the coach and was educated on “fatigue”. Not the tired feeling you have after a race, but the lack of energy about a week or 2 after a BIG race. Such was the case for me last week, which was about 1.5 weeks after the Rev3 half iron where I came in top 10 for my AG.

This was not part of my plan as I have an Olympic distance race that I REALLY want to shine in as it’s a local event with a lot of people I would like to do well against. Not looking to win, but place.

So Saturday was a group ride with Target Training and then a 30 minute run. I was a little scared going into this day as I really didn’t want that bonk feeling. I did the 3 hour ride with e “A” group which had a lot of hills to it and then took off running for my 30 minute tempo run. I ran it faster than I should have, but I was happy to be back on track with energy levels.

Sunday had me running 1.5 hours at 7:30 pace with 9 sprints at 6 minute pace dashed in. It was fine, a little tiring and my left heel got torn up a bit from running sockless, but otherwise it was fine (humidity was brutal, but I managed well). I took a 2 minute cold shower and then jumped on the bike for a 1.5 hour ride to view the race course with a bunch of other local racers. The day was done by 10am and I was back on target with my training.

Here I am, Tuesday, with a swim done already this morning (nearly drowned with the amount of damn sprints I had) and a 40 minute run to do at lunch time with all the heat and humidity. I need to see if I can run the same course I just bonked on last week, a little revenge!!

Just enough Glide to slip onto the podium June 14, 2010

This weekend was the 2nd annual Sleepy Hollow Sprint triathlon. My buddy Eugene was working the setup for the course and adviced me to race this tri to get quick USAT points as no-one would show up to challenge me. Apparently others got the same word and the competition showed up.

For the past year I have wanted to race a triathlon in the retro style of Speedo only, like they use to race back in the 80′s. Now everyone is fully covered in skin suits and compression socks, so I thought it would be funny to be just about naked. I just had to find the right race to perform this feat. Sleepy Hollow Sprint seemed like the right distance, USAT rules, not WTC rules (which state you have to wear a shirt), and supposedly no one would be there.

So when I get to the transition, I realize there are some of the local “fast guys”. I’m already rocking the Speedos, so I can’t turn back now.

Side note – I had purposely wearing cycle shorts and cycle shirts to give me the proper amount of tan lines to contrast against my glowing paleness that was well seen in a Speedo.

The swim goes off well, it seems long, but I don’t mind. Within seconds I was leading the pack for my wave. A few minutes in and I pass the wave in front of me. A few more minutes and I’m between numerous waves with people flailing all around me and I have to weave in and out of nervouse swimmers doing various swim strokes, some strokes which can’t even be categorized with any type of recognition.

Out of the water and sprint to the bike, here we go!! I feel naked with just a race number covering my Speedo ass. I get going on the bike and realize just how naked I feel. Apparently, the rest of Sleepy Hollow wasn’t quite ready to see my paleness streaking down the road. Or maybe they were staring at my bike. Even with “shrinkage”, I don’t think this is what Washington Irving was writing about when he came up with the Headless Horseman, but I’m sure the residents were reminded of the childhood story when they saw me.

Sprinting off the bike into transition again, I grab my shoes and go out for the run. I look at my watch and realize I’m running a 6 pace, which is good for me off a bike. The next thing I notice is that tri shorts hold your thighs from slapping together, but Speedos don’t. With every stride I take, my thighs are rubbing and making a smaking sound. I had been warned ahead of time and used Glide, a Crisco greasy concotion, between the thighs. However, the Glide seems to have dried up. At the first water station I grab a cup and throw it at my crotch to cool things down. It worked, the Glide was re-activated and the smacking sound is gone and my thighs are not on fire anymore.

I now get my mind off the pain and realize I’m scaring little kids, young girls, the locals, the policemen, and the Sleepy Hollow High School Football team. Everyone is either looking away from me or laughing, well not the Football team, they look ready to kick my Speedo butt.

I get to the turn around which is the halfway point and realize 2 things, 1) I haven’t gotten passed and I know I was the first out of the water for my Wave, 2) my competition started 6 minutes ahead of me and I’m about a half mile behind him. But I look at my watch and don’t think my time is right and there is no way to win this race. I kick it up a notch and sprint into the finish line where all my competition is waiting to see who is coming in and from which Wave. They ask me what Wave I was in and when I reply the 6th Wave, they groan and state that I just won. Of course I don’t believe them and wander around for a bit talking ot other volunteers and racers. The race announcer lets everyone know that the results are being posted. Like moths to a flame, everyone is pulled into the gravition of the race results. The guy posting them let’s everyone know that the winning time is 1:04:XX and the winner is some guy named Zach Pratt. So naturally, from the back of the gathering I shout out “That guy cheated, I saw him”. The group turns around and gives me a disgusted look until one of them asks me if I’m Zach Pratt. I sheepishly confirm this and slink away.

I stick around for the awards ceremony and take off to go home.

First time on the podium feels nice.

Rev3, I’m sore but happy June 7, 2010

This weekend was the big Rev3 race. It started Thursday with a gathering at Target Training and Jordan Rapp talking about nutrition. Interesting, but I kind of knew that already. Finally met coach face to face. Normal.

Friday with Euge and I went up to get our race packets and rack his bike for the Olympic. We had just put a wireless SRM on his bike and gave it the once over to make sure it was good for racing and then went home.

Saturday was the Oly race for Euge and I picked him up along with his wife Sandra. My 8 year old daughter came with me to volunteer at the aide stations and root for Eugene. We got there just in time for him to throw on the wetsuit and go to race start. Barely.

My daughter was AWESOME as a volunteer and handed out water to swimmers going into transition and on the way out of transition from the bike to the run.

After about an hour of Euge being out on the bike, I got a bit nervous as he is a great biker and should have done the course in less than an hour (he was looking to win the Oly overall). An hour and a half went by and I knew it was either mechanical or physical. I was hoping for mechanical. My daughter and I went looking for him. We found him a mile and a half later and he yelled out that he flatted and lost his CO2 adapter. He ended up running his bike in from mile 18 to 23 barefoot until a SAG car pulled up alongside to help him out.

I expected him to sit down after that and not run, but he ran anyways. Upon crossing the finish line he collapsed in a mess and I dragged him to the med tent. Super dehydrated. His wife joined him and I decided to take the time to take my daughter on some rides at the amusement park there at Quassy. Euge was in the hands of an able doctor and getting IV drips. My daughter and I played at the water park and got some food. 2 hours later, Euge is still in the med tent and about to be released. He and his wife allow me to go train for an hour and take my daughter on some more rides.

How awesome a friend is that????? Euge and Sandra take my 8 year old daughter on more rides and play arcade games with her while I go swim, bike, and run. Awesome.

The next day is the 70.3 Rev3. I get there early and execute my coaches game plan. Everything goes according to plan. Yeah the hills were tough, but it was expected. Swim was good, came out at sub 30, T1 was pretty fast for me. The bike was okay, I never feel “right” on the bike in a tri. I yelled at a few drafters who yelled something back and I don’t think they were agreeing with me. I blew a tire around mile 55 of 56 and rode it into transition. I would have had a better T2 but I realized I had my number on upside down and decided to fix it which took an extra 5 seconds, which could have hurt me in the long run.

The run…..Man that hurt. I knew that I had to keep a sub 8 pace to finish with a sub 5 hour half iron distance. I kept the pace close to the plan and never walked. I was happy about that.

Because this race was only 1 hour from home, I knew A LOT of people in the race. 2 guys I wanted to beat, and about 5 guys I HAD to beat. Mission accomplished across the board, with one of the guys by only 8 seconds.

Euge helped me cooldown afterwards with ice and water, such a big help. Went a got some food and looked for Jordan, but couldn’t find him. Probably just as well as the coach-athlete relationship is working very well right now with email communications only.

Drove home and treated myself to a McDonalds Strawberry Shake and fries. I convinced myself the fat and salt would ward off any cramps in the muscles. I think it worked!!!!!

Rev 3 Review June 7, 2010

Today is the day after riding the Quassy Rev3 course. Not 1 flat on the whole course. Quads are fired up. THe run will not be any easier.

My legs are a bit sore. Outer Quads are ok now, but the inside of my quads that attach at the knee are sore.

I’m pretty sure that if I execute this race correctly, I can have a good time at Rhode Island 70.3 next month.

The goal is to pull off a sub 5, but I think that will be pretty difficult. We’ll see.

I plan to go to Lake George, NY this weekend for some family time and hills training.

Rev3 in a few days and I’m cloudy June 1, 2010

Allergies have come into play with my training now. To ward off the evil pollen and dust, I used Benadryl last night at 9pm. As of 12 noon today, I’m still feeling the effects. I tried to swim this morning, but my eyes were rolling into the back of my head. I was too afraid of smacking my head on the wall, so I dragged myself out of the pool much like a tad pole before it becomes a frog. The guys at the YMCA must have thought I was a perv as I was in the shower for what seemed like a LONG time just staring straight ahead. It must have creeped out a few people.

I still have to run tonight, but I think I should pull out of this fog before I have to train again.

With just a few days before the race, I haven’t gotten giddy yet. No nerves, no anxiety, no jitters. Damn, I miss that feeling. I hope I get it by Saturday or at least Sunday morning.

So this officially starts the summer madness of triathlons that I have been working pretty hard on for the past 8 months, I hope it pays off.

Looking forward to talking a bit of strategy with the new coach. We’ll see what he thinks I should do for pacing and guess at the overall and split times.