Its been awhile since my last post. For anyone who does read this, its likely we share a similar lifestyle. So you know how the end of the season is. Free time is abundant, everything is sore, and motivation is not there. I wouldn't have it any other way! Tri season wrapped up nicely with a couple of wins, after which I took a much needed (but short) break before getting ready for my last running race of 2013, Tyranena 13.1. All I wanted was a PR, and that's exactly what happened.
A couple of weeks before Tyranena, I decided to jump into the UW Running Club 15k. I did this race last year, so this was a good opportunity to see where my fitness was compared to 1 year ago. Although my running fitness felt like it wasn't there, I was happy to run 12 seconds faster. That's not much, but I'm almost certain the course was longer than 2012. Some construction in Warner park caused the end to be slightly different....and it just felt longer. Anyway, this run gave me confidence I would hit my goal of a PR in the coming weeks.
Tyranena went as well as I could have hoped. My weekly run mileage was really lacking...maybe 20 miles per week, which isn't much. I hit a PR of about 2 minutes at 1:22:30 on a fairly hilly course. One of these years I'd like to see what I can do with proper run volume.
One last thing. This past Sunday I helped out the Fleet Feet pacing team at the Madison fall half. Troy and I co-paced the 1:40 group, which was so much more fun than expected! Sign me up again! Now that that's out of the way, I'm looking forward to some much needed R&R before I starting building up again for IMWI next year.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Devil Challenge Recap
Sunday was the last tri of the 2013 season and it ended with a bang! I came through with back to back wins in the WI Tri series!
My plan going into this race was to lay it out on the bike. The more I race, one thing becomes very apparent...if you can't ride towards the front you'll most likely not be in the hunt for a podium, regardless of how small/big the field is. This is more or less true across all distances. So yeah, after talking with Will, the ride was going to be a calculated hammerfest.
Race morning we were greeted with miserable weather. I don't know what it is about this race, but every time I race Devil's Lake, it seems to be cold and rainy. My apologies go out to all racers, volunteers and spectators ; )
I made sure to get a solid warm up prior to race start, this was especially important with the cold conditions. Everything went off without a hitch and I headed to the beach. When the horn blew I dolphin dove as far out as I possibly could because of the shallow water. This is much faster than swimming (at least at my swimming level) but really tore my feet up. The rocky bottom combined with the run to T1 left the bottoms of my feet battered and bruised. But when the adrenaline is flowing, that doesn't matter! With one of the faster swim times and the fastest T1 I was out on the bike with the lead. As exciting as that was it was short lived. While trying to get my left shoe strapped, it came completely loose, so I had to spend some time going slow trying to fix that. However, once I was done with that dumb mistake it was game time. From that point on my head was down. I quickly took over the lead and didn't look back.
The bike course was slightly different this year due to construction, but it wasn't much easier. The last 3.5 miles before the turnaround involve a lot of climbing. When I hit the half way point I knew my best chance at making up time was on the descent. The roads were wet, but I'm fairly confident with my descending abilities in the rain. This was no time to let off the gas. I think I came into T2 with nearly 2 minutes on 2nd place!
Getting my legs loose was my biggest priority at this point, so when my calves were cramped up at the run start I was slightly worried. Luckily, I had an awesome cheering section at the end of the parking lot and my legs loosened shortly after. I was running solid until the turn around, at which point I was able to see how big of a lead I had. 2nd-4th place were a decent ways back so I was able to cruise it in the rest of the way. Rounding the final corner was a ton of fun! This was my 4th time racing Devil's Challenge, so to take the win was a really nice surprise. Its amazing how far consistency and dedication can take you. Big shout out to everyone who raced, the conditions were far from ideal. Also a big thanks to everyone who stuck it out and cheered. It was great seeing some close friends at the finish, and my girlfriend Ali! She made post race much more bearable, even though I was freezing and my clothes were completely soaked. A BIG thank you : ) It was also great to see Scott, Bobby, Jay and Jordan rock the relay teams division!
My plan going into this race was to lay it out on the bike. The more I race, one thing becomes very apparent...if you can't ride towards the front you'll most likely not be in the hunt for a podium, regardless of how small/big the field is. This is more or less true across all distances. So yeah, after talking with Will, the ride was going to be a calculated hammerfest.
Race morning we were greeted with miserable weather. I don't know what it is about this race, but every time I race Devil's Lake, it seems to be cold and rainy. My apologies go out to all racers, volunteers and spectators ; )
I made sure to get a solid warm up prior to race start, this was especially important with the cold conditions. Everything went off without a hitch and I headed to the beach. When the horn blew I dolphin dove as far out as I possibly could because of the shallow water. This is much faster than swimming (at least at my swimming level) but really tore my feet up. The rocky bottom combined with the run to T1 left the bottoms of my feet battered and bruised. But when the adrenaline is flowing, that doesn't matter! With one of the faster swim times and the fastest T1 I was out on the bike with the lead. As exciting as that was it was short lived. While trying to get my left shoe strapped, it came completely loose, so I had to spend some time going slow trying to fix that. However, once I was done with that dumb mistake it was game time. From that point on my head was down. I quickly took over the lead and didn't look back.
The bike course was slightly different this year due to construction, but it wasn't much easier. The last 3.5 miles before the turnaround involve a lot of climbing. When I hit the half way point I knew my best chance at making up time was on the descent. The roads were wet, but I'm fairly confident with my descending abilities in the rain. This was no time to let off the gas. I think I came into T2 with nearly 2 minutes on 2nd place!
Getting my legs loose was my biggest priority at this point, so when my calves were cramped up at the run start I was slightly worried. Luckily, I had an awesome cheering section at the end of the parking lot and my legs loosened shortly after. I was running solid until the turn around, at which point I was able to see how big of a lead I had. 2nd-4th place were a decent ways back so I was able to cruise it in the rest of the way. Rounding the final corner was a ton of fun! This was my 4th time racing Devil's Challenge, so to take the win was a really nice surprise. Its amazing how far consistency and dedication can take you. Big shout out to everyone who raced, the conditions were far from ideal. Also a big thanks to everyone who stuck it out and cheered. It was great seeing some close friends at the finish, and my girlfriend Ali! She made post race much more bearable, even though I was freezing and my clothes were completely soaked. A BIG thank you : ) It was also great to see Scott, Bobby, Jay and Jordan rock the relay teams division!
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Sugar River RR - First Win!
Its been a busy last couple of weeks, so naturally keeping up with this blog goes out the window. Its been pretty uneventful from a training aspect. Since Rev 3 Dells half IM, I've been focusing on getting my right leg healthy. I'm still not exactly sure what was wrong. After getting some ART and massage done, and talking to some people, it sounds like some general tightness that's just taking a long time to work out. I'm still able to bike/run hard without pain, so I'm not concerned about an overuse injury. The last week has been great, feeling like I'm back in the swing of things! That's a great feeling : )
This brings me to a more exciting topic, I got my first WIN at the local Sugar River sprint tri! This was one goal I had going into the 2013 season. I had been sort of close in the past and knew I had the legs coming into the later part of this year. Being injured had me slightly concerned, but come race day I pretty much threw everything I had into the bike, which proved to be a wise move.
As I was packing to go race morning, I decided this would be my first non wetsuit race. To not have that temptation, I didn't even bring my Helix. After getting a solid warm up in I headed to the swim start, where pretty much everyone else had a wetsuit on...go figure! Since my goal was to win, I swam as hard as I could and came out around 5th or 6th (I think). The one plus of not having a wetsuit on is a quick T1, so I came out on the bike in 2nd. Nick Langer had a very solid swim so he was the guy to chase. When we got out of Belleville my legs were really feeling like crap, my only focus was to maintain my distance back from the leader until my legs came around. About 3 miles in we hit the first climb, which was also when the gap started to come back, so I put in an all out attack up the hill. I was thinking at this point "either he's going to have to work to come with or I'm dropping him now". I thought I was going to puke on that climb but the move worked! What followed was a big descent which provided me some time to recover, and more importantly get my HR down.
The rest of the ride I felt alright. It was a blast having a lead vehicle to follow for the first time! SO thankful I had the RDE van to look at, because my visor was fogged up to the point I could hardly see (thankfully I didn't crash!). Lesson learned...
I ended up having the fastest bike of the day, but was unsure of my lead to 2nd. This run hurt. A lot. There were a lot of turns so I didn't see anyone until the out and back. Guys in 2nd and 3rd looked strong...all I could do was keep a high turnover and hold on. Luckily, my pace was faster than I had thought and I came across the finish about 1 min before the next guy. Rob the announcer made for a good laugh, calling me the "shirtless wonder" as I finished. Its a funny thing, feeling like I'm about to spew, being elated to have a solid race and laughing all at the same time. As always, shout outs to my coach Will Smith, Wattie Ink Team Eilte, Powerbar, K Swiss (for some awesome shoes!), and all of the other great Wattie team sponsors. 2013 would not have been the same without the support!
This weekend is the last tri of the year for me (I think...) at Devil's Lake, which tends to bring a larger field and good talent. Here's to some good weather on Sunday!
This brings me to a more exciting topic, I got my first WIN at the local Sugar River sprint tri! This was one goal I had going into the 2013 season. I had been sort of close in the past and knew I had the legs coming into the later part of this year. Being injured had me slightly concerned, but come race day I pretty much threw everything I had into the bike, which proved to be a wise move.
As I was packing to go race morning, I decided this would be my first non wetsuit race. To not have that temptation, I didn't even bring my Helix. After getting a solid warm up in I headed to the swim start, where pretty much everyone else had a wetsuit on...go figure! Since my goal was to win, I swam as hard as I could and came out around 5th or 6th (I think). The one plus of not having a wetsuit on is a quick T1, so I came out on the bike in 2nd. Nick Langer had a very solid swim so he was the guy to chase. When we got out of Belleville my legs were really feeling like crap, my only focus was to maintain my distance back from the leader until my legs came around. About 3 miles in we hit the first climb, which was also when the gap started to come back, so I put in an all out attack up the hill. I was thinking at this point "either he's going to have to work to come with or I'm dropping him now". I thought I was going to puke on that climb but the move worked! What followed was a big descent which provided me some time to recover, and more importantly get my HR down.
The rest of the ride I felt alright. It was a blast having a lead vehicle to follow for the first time! SO thankful I had the RDE van to look at, because my visor was fogged up to the point I could hardly see (thankfully I didn't crash!). Lesson learned...
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| Coming off the bike |
This weekend is the last tri of the year for me (I think...) at Devil's Lake, which tends to bring a larger field and good talent. Here's to some good weather on Sunday!
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| Finish! |
Friday, August 23, 2013
Post Race Laziness and Getting My Mojo Back
Ever since Rev3 Dells 70.3 I have been in a bit of a funk. Granted it was only 2 weeks ago, it was my last big race of the 2013 season. Training for something is a big part of any triathletes life, so having that lack of motivation can bring on an onslaught of different feelings and emotions. Where am I going with this? I'm not quite sure to be honest.
No, I'm not depressed. No, I'm not actually being lazy. I just have a lack of structure right now, which feels awesome. After Rev I tweaked my right leg a bit and its been very slow to come around. Luckily, I've still been able to swim/bike/run...only, I've been taking it very easy. There are still a couple of sprint tris left to do, but only if I'm in a position to race hard and not further injure myself. So I'll most likely be playing those races by ear. If not, I'm also signed up to race a half mary in November!
For the time being, my only focus is active recovery and utilizing my extra free time. Its been great to catch up with friends I have spent far too little time with, having been so busy with triathlon the last 2 seasons. I feel I'm at a point in this sport where I can continue to perform at the level I'd like to while still being able to focus on other areas of my life. Once you figure this crazy sport out it truly is amazing. Its all about proper time management and prioritizing what needs to get done.
I'll eventually get a RR out for Dells 70.3, but the short version is miserable weather and a solid result. I had my best run yet for the 70.3 distance on a hilly course! Other than that, I'm really looking forward to IMWI weekend as its fast approaching. Lots of friends racing, its going to be an awesome day!
No, I'm not depressed. No, I'm not actually being lazy. I just have a lack of structure right now, which feels awesome. After Rev I tweaked my right leg a bit and its been very slow to come around. Luckily, I've still been able to swim/bike/run...only, I've been taking it very easy. There are still a couple of sprint tris left to do, but only if I'm in a position to race hard and not further injure myself. So I'll most likely be playing those races by ear. If not, I'm also signed up to race a half mary in November!
For the time being, my only focus is active recovery and utilizing my extra free time. Its been great to catch up with friends I have spent far too little time with, having been so busy with triathlon the last 2 seasons. I feel I'm at a point in this sport where I can continue to perform at the level I'd like to while still being able to focus on other areas of my life. Once you figure this crazy sport out it truly is amazing. Its all about proper time management and prioritizing what needs to get done.
I'll eventually get a RR out for Dells 70.3, but the short version is miserable weather and a solid result. I had my best run yet for the 70.3 distance on a hilly course! Other than that, I'm really looking forward to IMWI weekend as its fast approaching. Lots of friends racing, its going to be an awesome day!
Thursday, August 1, 2013
Racine 70.3 RR
I had an entire draft written up for this race and absolutely hated it. Everything sounded so robotic...maybe I just had some weird mental block because I'm focusing on Rev Dells? I don't know. Instead of writing up another standard race report I am going to try something slightly new by getting some more pics in here with quick tidbits of race day fun. I might end up leaving out some stuff but that's ok!
This was my 2nd time doing Racine 70.3. Last time was in 2011 and was my first half distance and can be summarized with 2 words: HOT and CRAMPS. That is all.
I was no fan of the rough road conditions last time around, so I was not looking forward to the bike this year. My goal for this race was sweet, sweet redemption. I can say with confidence I achieved that goal : )
Since the race was Sunday, I arrived in Racine on Saturday morning. Paul Eicher and his family were gracious enough to let me throw a tent on their camp site. We had a blast!
On Saturday, Paul and I headed to the race site to get registered and do bike check in...we also got a nice swim in. After getting my bike checked, I headed back to camp while Paul attended his pro meeting (he's sort of a big deal :P).
Race Highlights
Since I had such a late start I was very relaxed race morning. After taking care of everything in transition and double checking my set up, I wandered towards the big hill overlooking the finish where I met Wattie Ink teammates Scott, Travis, Andrew Kohl, and Patrick. I had also seen Cate and Jen earlier. Since all the guys (including friend Mike T.) had roughly the same swim start we made our way down the beach together to get in a swim warm up.
The swim was rough! The wind was coming right into shore which made for less than ideal conditions. During the swim I focused on keeping a high turnover, not taking in water and just going from buoy to buoy. Very happy with how this turned out! I came out of the water feeling great. Time was 33:xx and I think 19th in the AG. That's a big improvement for my weakest of the 3 disciplines.
Biking in Racine (as I mentioned before) is not very fun. The roads are beat up and very congested for the later waves. My best option was to just bike hard and keep passing people. I was definitely out of my comfort zone, but felt really good throughout. The back half of the bike had a lot of headwind, so I was really happy to see my pace didn't slow down as much as others. Total time riding was 2:25:xx.
Heading onto the run was a slightly different story. I just felt kind of bleh...stomach was in a knot and I could tell I would be dealing with leg cramps at some point. Within the first few miles my stomach settled and I found my stride. However, after I hit the first turnaround, I had some sort of leg cramp going on for the remainder of the race. If it wasn't both quads feeling like they were being stabbed, one of my hamstrings was completely seized up. Luckily, I am no stranger to this. Experience has taught me cramps eventually go away so I kept downing liquids, taking salt tabs and just kept running. I had no idea on my pace, my only focus was moving my legs and keeping a high cadence. Total run time of 1:32:xx.
It was so much fun seeing teammates and friends out there and having people cheering on the course. That is what keeps me going when I'm really hurting and ultimately keeps me in the sport. Whenever my mind goes south I remind myself how fortunate I am to be able to take part in triathlon and any sport for that matter. So a big thanks to everyone who was out there cheering and racing, whether I knew you or not. As always, thanks to my coach Will (I love seeing the constant improvement), all of the awesome Wattie Ink team sponsors, and BIG shout out to Nick G and Andrew Kohl's crew. You got some great action shots out there!
This was my 2nd time doing Racine 70.3. Last time was in 2011 and was my first half distance and can be summarized with 2 words: HOT and CRAMPS. That is all.
I was no fan of the rough road conditions last time around, so I was not looking forward to the bike this year. My goal for this race was sweet, sweet redemption. I can say with confidence I achieved that goal : )
Since the race was Sunday, I arrived in Racine on Saturday morning. Paul Eicher and his family were gracious enough to let me throw a tent on their camp site. We had a blast!
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| Stuck inside Sunday post race. Pouring rain for hours is no match for having fun! |
Race Highlights
Since I had such a late start I was very relaxed race morning. After taking care of everything in transition and double checking my set up, I wandered towards the big hill overlooking the finish where I met Wattie Ink teammates Scott, Travis, Andrew Kohl, and Patrick. I had also seen Cate and Jen earlier. Since all the guys (including friend Mike T.) had roughly the same swim start we made our way down the beach together to get in a swim warm up.
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| Travis, Scott and I before warming up |
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| Long walk down the beach |
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| Very happy to be done running on the beach! |
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| Bike start...biggest hill on the entire course |
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| Done biking and eager to get off of those roads! |
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| Finishing up lap 1 |
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| Finishing! Still feeling pretty good at this point. |
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| How do we rock the dub again?? |
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| There it is! haha... |
Thursday, July 11, 2013
Summer Gazpacho
Cold gazpacho has been a staple of mine during the warmer months. Its simple, refreshing, and great for your health! While there are many different ways to make it, I prefer a very simple version. Adding in red onion is very common, but I don't like having raw onion breath all day.
You'll need the following:
- 4 to 5 small tomatoes or 2 large
- 1 bell pepper (any color will do)
- 1 cucumber peeled and seeded
- Garlic
- Salt/pepper
- Good olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar (2 T)
Chop everything up and throw in a blender or food processor and pulse until it gets to your desired consistency. Simple! I'd say 1 batch of this will store well for up to a week, but I can't say for sure because this only lasts me a few days at most. Enjoy : )
You'll need the following:
- 4 to 5 small tomatoes or 2 large
- 1 bell pepper (any color will do)
- 1 cucumber peeled and seeded
- Garlic
- Salt/pepper
- Good olive oil
- Apple cider vinegar (2 T)
Chop everything up and throw in a blender or food processor and pulse until it gets to your desired consistency. Simple! I'd say 1 batch of this will store well for up to a week, but I can't say for sure because this only lasts me a few days at most. Enjoy : )
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| Ready for emulsifying |
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| Finished product! |
Monday, July 8, 2013
Pardeeville Sprint Recap
While this is still fresh I wanted to write down a quick recap...and since I tend to get long winded I'm going to try to keep this short, but no promises : )
I kicked off the 4th of July weekend by working on my day off. Yes, I know. Seems strange. But helping time races usually falls on my days off. After getting back from the New Berlin 4th of July Dash, I got out for a nice 50-something mile ride. Normally, I'd prepare for races by watching my diet a little more closely, and staying away from alcohol. This week was different. Since it was the 4th, I celebrated with a healthy amount of good ole American JD whiskey. All I will say is I did not feel so hot on Fri (the day before the race). I spent most of the day eating fatty foods and setting up for the race in Pardeeville. Pre-race dinner consisted of a fried fish sandwich, fries, moz sticks, and jalapeno poppers. It was an all fried meal, because why not? This is far outside my norm, but we were in a small town with limited options. To quote America's Angriest Trainer Vinnie T..."you have to put some life into living". All in all this plan worked, surprisingly. SPOILER: I took 2nd overall! My best result yet. Here's how it went down.
Unlike Lake Mills, I was able to successfully work/race this one. Once 6:45 rolled around I was done working (race started at 8) so I could get a proper warm up in. I was able to do all 3 S/B/R which was a nice change. It was also nice to meet up with a lot of friends before the race!
My plan was to go out hard on the swim. I was tired of having results that didn't show the work I've put in the pool during the off season. Finally I had a solid swim. There were a handful of people ahead of me that I quickly passed with the fastest T1 of the day. That's free speed folks. Keep. Transitions. Simple.
To my surprise, I came out of T1 with multiple Pardeeville (and this years) winner Dale Humphrey. He is an absolute beast, so it was fun passing him out of the first turn of the bike and having the lead vehicle to follow for about 15 seconds. Short lived but a new experience for me. I knew he was going to put time into me on the bike so my only goal was to go hard and keep him in sight for as long as possible. I almost cracked 25 mph on the bike, so mission accomplished here.
I had another quick transition posting the 2nd fastest T2. The run was pretty cool here. It started with about a half mile loop around the park followed by an out and back. I got a couple splits of about 1:18 behind Dale, something I knew I couldn't make up unless he cracked. So at this point I was only running hard enough to keep the gap on 3rd, who was about 30 seconds back. He was sneaking up on me without my knowledge, so a big thanks to Ryan G. for letting me know near the run turn around. Once I saw how close he was I ran just a tad harder to hold the gap. This run hurt due to the heat steadily rising throughout the race. My asthma kicked in a little during the back half of the run, which is never pleasant, but is something I have learned to deal with.
All in all a good day! I had absolutely horrible preparation for this race. I was doing this for fun, but still wanted a good showing, so I am very happy with the result. Nothing I would have done differently.
Afterwards, I had to start working again so I hopped on the finisher ticket computers to get people their printed splits. This was really fun because I got to see how a lot of friends did and I always love the surprised reactions when someone finds out they placed in their respective AG. Shout out to Braaksma for a 4th OA/AG win, Jen for placing AND her first elite start, Joe B for an AG win, and the Yeomans as well (and anyone else I got to see, too many as usual)! They did the annual Potosi ride the previous day and still had rock star races. I would not want to race the day after 106 miles of relentless heat, wind and hills. Also, BIG shout out to RDE! The ability to work with them and race their events is a pleasure. Some of the best run events I have ever been involved with and I feel lucky to be with their team.
Time breakdown:
S - 5:09
T1 - 1:17
B - 36:22
T2 - 1:08
R - 18:51
Total - 1:02:45
Lots of compliments about the Wattie kit, always helps to motivate to go harder. And thanks to Powerbar for the nutritional support. I love their products and had it dialed in for my needs. IM Racine is my first big race of the year and will be here in 2 short weeks! Time for some taper and to dial in the race intensity!
I kicked off the 4th of July weekend by working on my day off. Yes, I know. Seems strange. But helping time races usually falls on my days off. After getting back from the New Berlin 4th of July Dash, I got out for a nice 50-something mile ride. Normally, I'd prepare for races by watching my diet a little more closely, and staying away from alcohol. This week was different. Since it was the 4th, I celebrated with a healthy amount of good ole American JD whiskey. All I will say is I did not feel so hot on Fri (the day before the race). I spent most of the day eating fatty foods and setting up for the race in Pardeeville. Pre-race dinner consisted of a fried fish sandwich, fries, moz sticks, and jalapeno poppers. It was an all fried meal, because why not? This is far outside my norm, but we were in a small town with limited options. To quote America's Angriest Trainer Vinnie T..."you have to put some life into living". All in all this plan worked, surprisingly. SPOILER: I took 2nd overall! My best result yet. Here's how it went down.
Unlike Lake Mills, I was able to successfully work/race this one. Once 6:45 rolled around I was done working (race started at 8) so I could get a proper warm up in. I was able to do all 3 S/B/R which was a nice change. It was also nice to meet up with a lot of friends before the race!
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| Photo op with Jen and Candice before the start |
To my surprise, I came out of T1 with multiple Pardeeville (and this years) winner Dale Humphrey. He is an absolute beast, so it was fun passing him out of the first turn of the bike and having the lead vehicle to follow for about 15 seconds. Short lived but a new experience for me. I knew he was going to put time into me on the bike so my only goal was to go hard and keep him in sight for as long as possible. I almost cracked 25 mph on the bike, so mission accomplished here.
I had another quick transition posting the 2nd fastest T2. The run was pretty cool here. It started with about a half mile loop around the park followed by an out and back. I got a couple splits of about 1:18 behind Dale, something I knew I couldn't make up unless he cracked. So at this point I was only running hard enough to keep the gap on 3rd, who was about 30 seconds back. He was sneaking up on me without my knowledge, so a big thanks to Ryan G. for letting me know near the run turn around. Once I saw how close he was I ran just a tad harder to hold the gap. This run hurt due to the heat steadily rising throughout the race. My asthma kicked in a little during the back half of the run, which is never pleasant, but is something I have learned to deal with.
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| Finishing |
Afterwards, I had to start working again so I hopped on the finisher ticket computers to get people their printed splits. This was really fun because I got to see how a lot of friends did and I always love the surprised reactions when someone finds out they placed in their respective AG. Shout out to Braaksma for a 4th OA/AG win, Jen for placing AND her first elite start, Joe B for an AG win, and the Yeomans as well (and anyone else I got to see, too many as usual)! They did the annual Potosi ride the previous day and still had rock star races. I would not want to race the day after 106 miles of relentless heat, wind and hills. Also, BIG shout out to RDE! The ability to work with them and race their events is a pleasure. Some of the best run events I have ever been involved with and I feel lucky to be with their team.
Time breakdown:
S - 5:09
T1 - 1:17
B - 36:22
T2 - 1:08
R - 18:51
Total - 1:02:45
Lots of compliments about the Wattie kit, always helps to motivate to go harder. And thanks to Powerbar for the nutritional support. I love their products and had it dialed in for my needs. IM Racine is my first big race of the year and will be here in 2 short weeks! Time for some taper and to dial in the race intensity!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Pleasant Prairie Int'l RR
2nd tri of the season is in the books. Last Sunday I took part in the Pleasant Prairie Olympic distance event, which was one race I have been eying for up for a couple of years now. Really glad I was finally able to take part!
I drove to PP on Friday after work because I was helping out with the kids' race Saturday morning. These are always fun events to be a part of. When I woke up Sat, I was greeted with heavy rain and lots of lightning, not a good sign this race was going to happen. We started setting the course anyways in hopes of the storm passing. We kept a close eye on the radar which showed what looked to be a hurricane sitting over the entire state! Strangely enough, the race site was right under the edge of the storm, which was not moving anywhere...we could even see it in the clouds. However, by the time the kids race was meant to start, the lightning was long gone and the rain had cleared so everything went on without a hitch. Once the first swimmers were off I headed down the run course to the run turn around for the short and long course. It was fun seeing all of the kids out there giving it their best, regardless of how experienced they were. The rest of the day was spent getting registered for the race/picking up packet, getting food for dinner and breakfast, and relaxing. Our hotel was very close to the race sight which made everything a breeze.
Race Morning
Wake up call was 3:30 am. The race start was an early one with the elite going off at 6:40. I wanted to make sure I had food in me early. Had my typical breakfast of carb, nut butter, honey, banana and coffee. Transition opened at 4:30 and I heard it gets busy quick so I made sure to be there asap. Took care of body marking right away, which was a good call because the line got quite long. After I racked my bike, I got everything else squared away and was off for a warm up jog by 5:30. Took an easy jog around the lake and got in some pick ups. When I got back I was also finally able to meet some other Wattie teammates Ed and Cate! We chatted quick and planned to meet up again afterwards. Since transition closed at 6:15 I made sure to get out early in order to get a good swim warm up in, however, this did not go as planned. What I didn't realize was the water was also closed to athletes at 6:15, so no swim warm up : /
Swim
My last race I struggled to get a clean start. This time around I decided to line up in the back/left side of the group. I knew there were some fast swimmers here, so I just wanted to get out clean and find some feet. This part of the swim went perfectly for me! Finally. My Helix wetsuit was feeling awesome and I was holding a good pace for the first few minutes. Things started to fall apart rather quickly though. I'm generally not one for excuses, but the chip strap I had was this plastic/Velcro crap that was digging into my ankle...felt like a razor blade was cutting me every kick! My game was completely thrown off and I lost focus. Having to stop every 100 meters or so to pull that damn thing up my leg was not ideal. My sighting was off and I was all over the course. I knew the swim was going to be slow. It even ended up being long (1+ miles) by about 200-300 meters, which didn't help, but exited the water feeling fresh and had a good T1, thankfully.
Swim - 27:16
T1 - 0:53
Bike
There is time to be made up. That is all my brain was thinking at this point. After I brought my heart rate down and got my feet secured it was hammer time. This was my first time running a disc and I could not be happier with the way it handled in the wind and on the flat sections. Overall I felt good on the bike but a little flat at times. Even with my computer not working (worked pre race, go figure), taking a slight wrong turn and losing about a minute, I managed a solid 9th fastest bike split, which allowed me to gain a few spots. Riding by feel alone was a good experience.
Bike - 1:00:14
T2 - 0:47
Run
I really wanted to crack the top 10 so there was work to be done. I wasn't sure where I stood but knew it was close, so instead of trying to go out hard and not blow up my plan was to start picking off people in front of me one at a time. This plan worked well. I ran myself into 9th OA with the 8th fastest run split! Running around the lake was nice. All of the turn-a rounds made for a fun course but the lack of shade made for a really hot run. That chip strap was still digging into my ankle, which I wasn't happy about, but this sport is all about pain tolerance...didn't let it get into my head too much.
Run - 38:54
OA - 2:08:02
All in all I am really happy with this result. I placed pretty well in a stacked field, while at the same time knowing I left some time out there. Quick shout out to ISM Saddles, Powerbar, Fuelbelt, Speedfil, K Swiss and Wattie Ink! Great products and support are allowing me to continually improve. Thanks! So, this got a lot longer than anticipated, and no pictures! Sorry about that and hopefully this isn't too boring. Time to hunker down and get ready for some 70.3's.
I drove to PP on Friday after work because I was helping out with the kids' race Saturday morning. These are always fun events to be a part of. When I woke up Sat, I was greeted with heavy rain and lots of lightning, not a good sign this race was going to happen. We started setting the course anyways in hopes of the storm passing. We kept a close eye on the radar which showed what looked to be a hurricane sitting over the entire state! Strangely enough, the race site was right under the edge of the storm, which was not moving anywhere...we could even see it in the clouds. However, by the time the kids race was meant to start, the lightning was long gone and the rain had cleared so everything went on without a hitch. Once the first swimmers were off I headed down the run course to the run turn around for the short and long course. It was fun seeing all of the kids out there giving it their best, regardless of how experienced they were. The rest of the day was spent getting registered for the race/picking up packet, getting food for dinner and breakfast, and relaxing. Our hotel was very close to the race sight which made everything a breeze.
Race Morning
Wake up call was 3:30 am. The race start was an early one with the elite going off at 6:40. I wanted to make sure I had food in me early. Had my typical breakfast of carb, nut butter, honey, banana and coffee. Transition opened at 4:30 and I heard it gets busy quick so I made sure to be there asap. Took care of body marking right away, which was a good call because the line got quite long. After I racked my bike, I got everything else squared away and was off for a warm up jog by 5:30. Took an easy jog around the lake and got in some pick ups. When I got back I was also finally able to meet some other Wattie teammates Ed and Cate! We chatted quick and planned to meet up again afterwards. Since transition closed at 6:15 I made sure to get out early in order to get a good swim warm up in, however, this did not go as planned. What I didn't realize was the water was also closed to athletes at 6:15, so no swim warm up : /
Swim
My last race I struggled to get a clean start. This time around I decided to line up in the back/left side of the group. I knew there were some fast swimmers here, so I just wanted to get out clean and find some feet. This part of the swim went perfectly for me! Finally. My Helix wetsuit was feeling awesome and I was holding a good pace for the first few minutes. Things started to fall apart rather quickly though. I'm generally not one for excuses, but the chip strap I had was this plastic/Velcro crap that was digging into my ankle...felt like a razor blade was cutting me every kick! My game was completely thrown off and I lost focus. Having to stop every 100 meters or so to pull that damn thing up my leg was not ideal. My sighting was off and I was all over the course. I knew the swim was going to be slow. It even ended up being long (1+ miles) by about 200-300 meters, which didn't help, but exited the water feeling fresh and had a good T1, thankfully.
Swim - 27:16
T1 - 0:53
Bike
There is time to be made up. That is all my brain was thinking at this point. After I brought my heart rate down and got my feet secured it was hammer time. This was my first time running a disc and I could not be happier with the way it handled in the wind and on the flat sections. Overall I felt good on the bike but a little flat at times. Even with my computer not working (worked pre race, go figure), taking a slight wrong turn and losing about a minute, I managed a solid 9th fastest bike split, which allowed me to gain a few spots. Riding by feel alone was a good experience.
Bike - 1:00:14
T2 - 0:47
Run
I really wanted to crack the top 10 so there was work to be done. I wasn't sure where I stood but knew it was close, so instead of trying to go out hard and not blow up my plan was to start picking off people in front of me one at a time. This plan worked well. I ran myself into 9th OA with the 8th fastest run split! Running around the lake was nice. All of the turn-a rounds made for a fun course but the lack of shade made for a really hot run. That chip strap was still digging into my ankle, which I wasn't happy about, but this sport is all about pain tolerance...didn't let it get into my head too much.
Run - 38:54
OA - 2:08:02
All in all I am really happy with this result. I placed pretty well in a stacked field, while at the same time knowing I left some time out there. Quick shout out to ISM Saddles, Powerbar, Fuelbelt, Speedfil, K Swiss and Wattie Ink! Great products and support are allowing me to continually improve. Thanks! So, this got a lot longer than anticipated, and no pictures! Sorry about that and hopefully this isn't too boring. Time to hunker down and get ready for some 70.3's.
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Lake Mills RR and Some Product Review
First tri of the season has FINALLY happened! It has been a long winter/spring and the itch to get out and race was greater than ever before. And it seems the crappy weather is not quite done with WI yet. Last Sunday morning we were met with strong sustained winds and cold temps. Race morning felt more appropriate for a St. Patty's day dash than the first summer sprint triathlon.
Race Morning
Early roll call...oof. As you know most of my weekends are spent helping time/do set up for the many local races Race Day Events is involved with. We had to be on site early to complete course set up so I was up at 3:15. Having had an early wake up the previous day for another race and not getting to bed until past 11, I was a bit concerned about not having rested enough. To preface that, Saturday night before the race I had a slight panic attack. My tri shorts were no where to be found! I knew I had packed them, I specifically remembered putting them right next to my Wattie tri top. After a frantic phone to my roommate Sean, he said he would drive another pair of shorts my way. Talk about a good friend...thankfully, I found the shorts and he didn't have to make the drive. They were stuck to a blanket I used to protect my bike for the drive to Lake Mills.
Once on site, I helped my coworker Sam set the run course. Not that I don't mind the work/race/work that goes along with working and racing the same event, but this was a learning experience for me. Very stressful to say the least. Even though I was the first bike racked, I was one of the last people out of transition. I need to be more effective with my time for future events I'm working/racing. I got to the swim start with barely enough time to get wet before the gun.
Swim & T1 (5:58 & 1:08)
This was a rough swim. I don't think it was so much the chop alone, it was the combination that goes along with the thrashing in the elite wave. Everyone was gunning for the front, which made for another moment of panic. I took a swift kick to the face which completely knocked my goggles off (a first for me). That combined with having to swim tarzan style into some really choppy waves made for an unpleasant experience. I had gulped probably close to a pint of nasty lake water at this point. Yuck. I have worked a lot on my swim and its coming along, but I felt like a novice all over again. Once I got past the first buoy I was able to get into a good rhythm and settle down. Although this felt like an eternity I managed to swim 12 seconds faster than last yr...an improvement. I'll take that. T1 went flawlessly. I sprinted past a few guys on the way to my bike and my Blueseventy Helix popped off with ease. I think I had the 3rd fastest T1! This wetsuit is incredibly comfy and super easy to remove. So glad they are supporting the W this year!
Bike & T2 (40:23 & 0:42)
Right off the bat I was feeling strong. I closed the gap to about 5 riders in front of me by mile 1. Normally, I would use my adrenaline to ride past them, which is a mistake. This always ends in me not being to sustain a strong effort throughout. Instead, I hung back once I caught the group and decided to make a move past the group after I was able to get warmed up. Once again, I got caught by Mike Wolfgram about half way through the ride. However, this time I told myself I was going to keep him in my sights. The wind was howling the entire ride and I started to really hurt after about 25 minutes, but I was able to keep him within eyesight. I ended up riding the same exact time as last year but in much harder conditions. Another improvement! I must say, the Adamo Racing II saddle has made for more comfortable training and racing. Definitely makes a noticeable difference. I clocked the 7th fastest ride of the day. I'm still training/racing without power but have decided I really need to start. If you or anyone you know is selling a used hub please let me know!
T2 was somewhat quick. My feet were so numb I had a hard time getting my Kswiss K-Ruuz on because I kept losing balance. Once I was able to focus, they slipped right on and I was off! Man these shoes are light, comfortable, and FAST! I really wanted a good run today, one I could be proud of...so I was bustin it.
Run (17:45)
Finally! I say that because I knew I had this in my legs. Last year I kept finding myself getting complacent with my run effort. I would end up having a decent run, but always ended feeling like I hadn't pushed enough. Today I completely surpassed the 18's and cracked it by 15 seconds (6th fastest run)! And the funny thing was I felt fairly comfortable doing it. My legs never really hurt and my breathing was controlled, so I know I can push more here. This might be a stretch but I'm publicly stating my goal is to break 17 min in a 5k by the end of the year, hopefully off the bike. Got to aim high...
Anyway, running up towards the front was a new experience for me and was really fun. Heading towards mile 1 I caught up with Mike W. and made a quick pass. I knew he was running strong as well because I could hear him for the rest of the run. Fellow Wattie Ink teammate Pat Brady caught me shortly after and eventually moved up to 2nd with a monster bike/run. Also, friend and winner Mark Hering came into view shortly after that. He had a crazy fast bike/run and also threw down a great swim. Look out for him! Unofficially, I ran my way into 4th but ended up 5th because the swim/T1 times were scrapped due to the swim conditions. After 4 waves everyone was sent out TT style onto the bike. A little unfair but what else were we to do? It is what it is. Fellow friend/athlete Bill Martin also had a great race but got even more screwed because he's a great swimmer. Still 3rd overall in my book. Congrats Bill and to everyone else who raced (too many to name). Many solid races on the day with lots of PR's.
UPDATE: bah! I always mean to include this at the end and then space. HUGE thanks to coach Will. Ever since I have started with him I have seen nothing but steady improvement. He seems to know just what I need to keep improving while keeping it fun. Thanks Will! Looking forward to what's still to come : )
Just a couple more shout outs to Wattie Ink Elite Team sponsors:
Powerbar - great training/racing nutrition products! Had a double caffeinated latte gel beforehand with one of the new energy blends. Never had a drop in energy from start/finish.
Speedfil A2 - have not raced with this yet but looking forward to it. Awesome product. I can rehydrate climbing, descending, whenever I'm on the aero bars.
Fuelbelt Revenge - love this for my long runs. Fits just enough water/fuel for 2+ hours of running. And I forget its there, which is the most important thing for me.
Check out the side of my blog for the other great team sponsors! Next up is Pleasant Prairie oly. Finally going to meet some other Wattie's!
Race Morning
Early roll call...oof. As you know most of my weekends are spent helping time/do set up for the many local races Race Day Events is involved with. We had to be on site early to complete course set up so I was up at 3:15. Having had an early wake up the previous day for another race and not getting to bed until past 11, I was a bit concerned about not having rested enough. To preface that, Saturday night before the race I had a slight panic attack. My tri shorts were no where to be found! I knew I had packed them, I specifically remembered putting them right next to my Wattie tri top. After a frantic phone to my roommate Sean, he said he would drive another pair of shorts my way. Talk about a good friend...thankfully, I found the shorts and he didn't have to make the drive. They were stuck to a blanket I used to protect my bike for the drive to Lake Mills.
Once on site, I helped my coworker Sam set the run course. Not that I don't mind the work/race/work that goes along with working and racing the same event, but this was a learning experience for me. Very stressful to say the least. Even though I was the first bike racked, I was one of the last people out of transition. I need to be more effective with my time for future events I'm working/racing. I got to the swim start with barely enough time to get wet before the gun.
Swim & T1 (5:58 & 1:08)
This was a rough swim. I don't think it was so much the chop alone, it was the combination that goes along with the thrashing in the elite wave. Everyone was gunning for the front, which made for another moment of panic. I took a swift kick to the face which completely knocked my goggles off (a first for me). That combined with having to swim tarzan style into some really choppy waves made for an unpleasant experience. I had gulped probably close to a pint of nasty lake water at this point. Yuck. I have worked a lot on my swim and its coming along, but I felt like a novice all over again. Once I got past the first buoy I was able to get into a good rhythm and settle down. Although this felt like an eternity I managed to swim 12 seconds faster than last yr...an improvement. I'll take that. T1 went flawlessly. I sprinted past a few guys on the way to my bike and my Blueseventy Helix popped off with ease. I think I had the 3rd fastest T1! This wetsuit is incredibly comfy and super easy to remove. So glad they are supporting the W this year!
 | ||
| Running to T1 |
Right off the bat I was feeling strong. I closed the gap to about 5 riders in front of me by mile 1. Normally, I would use my adrenaline to ride past them, which is a mistake. This always ends in me not being to sustain a strong effort throughout. Instead, I hung back once I caught the group and decided to make a move past the group after I was able to get warmed up. Once again, I got caught by Mike Wolfgram about half way through the ride. However, this time I told myself I was going to keep him in my sights. The wind was howling the entire ride and I started to really hurt after about 25 minutes, but I was able to keep him within eyesight. I ended up riding the same exact time as last year but in much harder conditions. Another improvement! I must say, the Adamo Racing II saddle has made for more comfortable training and racing. Definitely makes a noticeable difference. I clocked the 7th fastest ride of the day. I'm still training/racing without power but have decided I really need to start. If you or anyone you know is selling a used hub please let me know!
T2 was somewhat quick. My feet were so numb I had a hard time getting my Kswiss K-Ruuz on because I kept losing balance. Once I was able to focus, they slipped right on and I was off! Man these shoes are light, comfortable, and FAST! I really wanted a good run today, one I could be proud of...so I was bustin it.
Run (17:45)
Finally! I say that because I knew I had this in my legs. Last year I kept finding myself getting complacent with my run effort. I would end up having a decent run, but always ended feeling like I hadn't pushed enough. Today I completely surpassed the 18's and cracked it by 15 seconds (6th fastest run)! And the funny thing was I felt fairly comfortable doing it. My legs never really hurt and my breathing was controlled, so I know I can push more here. This might be a stretch but I'm publicly stating my goal is to break 17 min in a 5k by the end of the year, hopefully off the bike. Got to aim high...
Anyway, running up towards the front was a new experience for me and was really fun. Heading towards mile 1 I caught up with Mike W. and made a quick pass. I knew he was running strong as well because I could hear him for the rest of the run. Fellow Wattie Ink teammate Pat Brady caught me shortly after and eventually moved up to 2nd with a monster bike/run. Also, friend and winner Mark Hering came into view shortly after that. He had a crazy fast bike/run and also threw down a great swim. Look out for him! Unofficially, I ran my way into 4th but ended up 5th because the swim/T1 times were scrapped due to the swim conditions. After 4 waves everyone was sent out TT style onto the bike. A little unfair but what else were we to do? It is what it is. Fellow friend/athlete Bill Martin also had a great race but got even more screwed because he's a great swimmer. Still 3rd overall in my book. Congrats Bill and to everyone else who raced (too many to name). Many solid races on the day with lots of PR's.
.jpg) |
| Finish, feeling strong |
Just a couple more shout outs to Wattie Ink Elite Team sponsors:
Powerbar - great training/racing nutrition products! Had a double caffeinated latte gel beforehand with one of the new energy blends. Never had a drop in energy from start/finish.
Speedfil A2 - have not raced with this yet but looking forward to it. Awesome product. I can rehydrate climbing, descending, whenever I'm on the aero bars.
Fuelbelt Revenge - love this for my long runs. Fits just enough water/fuel for 2+ hours of running. And I forget its there, which is the most important thing for me.
Check out the side of my blog for the other great team sponsors! Next up is Pleasant Prairie oly. Finally going to meet some other Wattie's!
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
WI Sprint Championship!
T-minus 4 days will be Lake Mills sprint tri, which will be my first race of the season! The running joke is that it is the "Wisconsin world sprint championship". Most local athletes are geared up and primed to race 'the Mill'. I always look forward to this day because everyone is so excited to get back out and do what we love. Racing and triathlon.
In all seriousness, this race is almost always stacked with really fast people. Last year I had my best sprint race by a long shot and (I think) barely cracked the top 15. It must be all the beer, brats and cheese over the winter months. All that energy needs to go somewhere...
As for my expectations, I am hoping to just beat my time from last year. I'm very happy with all 3 disciplines at the moment and should be able to beat last years time by a considerable amount, on paper anyway. You never know over a sprint distance. Any mistakes will take me completely out of the pointy end. Let's hope for some good weather! Also, I just got the pre-race butterflies typing this up. That's a good thing : )
If you are looking for a last minute race this weekend sign up here! Awesome event!
In all seriousness, this race is almost always stacked with really fast people. Last year I had my best sprint race by a long shot and (I think) barely cracked the top 15. It must be all the beer, brats and cheese over the winter months. All that energy needs to go somewhere...
As for my expectations, I am hoping to just beat my time from last year. I'm very happy with all 3 disciplines at the moment and should be able to beat last years time by a considerable amount, on paper anyway. You never know over a sprint distance. Any mistakes will take me completely out of the pointy end. Let's hope for some good weather! Also, I just got the pre-race butterflies typing this up. That's a good thing : )
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Crazylegs RR
Just a quick update on my latest race - Crazylegs Classic 8k.
This is an awesome early season race that EVERYONE does. I'm not sure how many runners there are, but its enough to warrant waves reaching ZZ. Its well north of 10,000 runners. The run course starts at the capitol building, winds through the UW-Madison campus and ends inside of Camp Randall Stadium, which is where the Badgers football team plays. The venue is 2nd to none!
I was sort of targeting this race as my first speed test of the season. Last yr I had a solid run and saw some progression compared to 2011. This year I was expecting more of the same.
Pre-race I met up with 2 friends who live near the finish to chat for a bit, get warmed up and figure out post race plans. I was really excited to see how they did because it was a first running race for both of them! They caught a ride to the start and did a very casual walk/jog for the 2 mile route to the start.
When I got to the start I met some more friends who were all in the same wave as me. We did a bit more warm up and just hung out until the start. The start of this race is great. The UW band is playing and the energy is electric. Maybe this is why the first mile is always so fast? The first mile was somewhere around 5:40. Miles 2-3 are always a tad slower because of some hills so this was my plan. When it came time to dig my legs just didn't have another gear. Which is fine. I was coming off of some solid training so this was not a surprise. I managed to better my time by about 1:20, but was still about 0:30-1:00 short of what I was hoping to do. Official time was 29:33. So, it was my first time cracking the 30' barrier for an 8k, and put me at 59th overall (22nd AG). Not bad for a running race that is absolutely stacked with really quick runners. Side note: the Powerbar natural fruit blends are delish. Perfect for a pre race energy boost. I will absolutely be using these all season long.
I was really happy with my K-Swiss Ruuz. Those shoes are light and comfy. KS also make some great running shorts. I also opted to wear a Wattie trucker hat on backwards. Its not the typical race visor, which I love. Look for more of this at upcoming races. This is after all about having fun, right? Notice in the pic how everyone else is not having fun ; ) But seriously, I need to get better at really making myself hurt. Its cool that I can keep PR'ing and all, but I know I'm not running to my full potential...yet. Only a few more weeks until the real racing begins!!! Lots of hard work to put in between now and then. Peace!
This is an awesome early season race that EVERYONE does. I'm not sure how many runners there are, but its enough to warrant waves reaching ZZ. Its well north of 10,000 runners. The run course starts at the capitol building, winds through the UW-Madison campus and ends inside of Camp Randall Stadium, which is where the Badgers football team plays. The venue is 2nd to none!
I was sort of targeting this race as my first speed test of the season. Last yr I had a solid run and saw some progression compared to 2011. This year I was expecting more of the same.
Pre-race I met up with 2 friends who live near the finish to chat for a bit, get warmed up and figure out post race plans. I was really excited to see how they did because it was a first running race for both of them! They caught a ride to the start and did a very casual walk/jog for the 2 mile route to the start.
When I got to the start I met some more friends who were all in the same wave as me. We did a bit more warm up and just hung out until the start. The start of this race is great. The UW band is playing and the energy is electric. Maybe this is why the first mile is always so fast? The first mile was somewhere around 5:40. Miles 2-3 are always a tad slower because of some hills so this was my plan. When it came time to dig my legs just didn't have another gear. Which is fine. I was coming off of some solid training so this was not a surprise. I managed to better my time by about 1:20, but was still about 0:30-1:00 short of what I was hoping to do. Official time was 29:33. So, it was my first time cracking the 30' barrier for an 8k, and put me at 59th overall (22nd AG). Not bad for a running race that is absolutely stacked with really quick runners. Side note: the Powerbar natural fruit blends are delish. Perfect for a pre race energy boost. I will absolutely be using these all season long.
 |
| Mile 3.8ish. **Almost** got a good W off. Poor timing :P |
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
South Shore Half Marathon RR
My first official race of the year! Here's the recap of the day:
Friend Scott M. and I headed to Milwaukee from the East side of town around 6:30. Race start wasn't until 9, so we had plenty of time to get there, check in, get warmed up...and take care of the usual business. I had my standard pre-race breakfast of an english muffin with PB and honey, some tea, and some sports drink. I later had a banana on the ride to the race site. Also tried something I recently read about, some chia seeds soaked overnight in water with some honey. This supposedly helps keep you hydrated. Didn't seem to hurt so I'll keep tinkering with it : )
Once there, we made sure all of our gear was ready to go. I also met up with my brother and his girlfriend. Both of them were running their first race. 13.1 is an aggressive start to running events, but they both finished! Apparently my brother Tony passed out briefly around mile 11...if you read this, eat something next time! Ha, but seriously, sounded like low blood sugar.
On to my plan for the race. My coach Will wanted me to go out conservative for the first 3 miles and build into a solid pace. Scott was planning to stick with me for as long as possible, so we agreed to start around 6:50-7:00 pace. The first 3 miles were pretty much right where I wanted to be: 6:55, 6:48; 6:40. I was feeling really good at this point so I started to build. My overall goal pace was about 6:30, so I knew I needed to start hitting 6:20 on a consistent basis. Working towards the turnaround, I was feeling really comfortable and hitting good splits, anywhere in the 6:30 to 6:00 range.
My favorite part of this race was it being the first time I was able to work with a group for an extended period of time. For the first 40 minutes or so I was slowly gaining on a group of about 7 guys, led by Justin D., the Midwest Newton rep. Around mile 7 I caught them and decided to stick with them for as long as possible. Coming back towards the finish was super windy, so this made the final miles a bit easier. After about 20 min with them I could feel the pace slowing so I decided to push. Working on my own at this point was tough. The wind was picking up and I was starting to feel tired. Luckily, I timed my gels perfectly (20 and 50 mins in) so I was still mentally energized. At mile 11, 2 guys caught me, so naturally I stuck with them. With a little more than a mile to go I picked up my pace even more and caught one other guy, who had me worried, because he briefly stuck with me. I did not want to sprint finish at this point but was prepared to. He must not have felt as good as I did because I put about 1 min on him during the last half mile.
This is probably the best I have ever felt finishing a running event, so my official time of 1:24:26 had me stoked! I know I can go faster at this distance with some more speed work. My watch read 1:24:13, so apparently they didn't do a chip start as stated. Oh well. It doesn't change the fact that I had a great race (for me). This was about a 10 min PR! WHAT?! It has been 2yrs since I've run an open 13.1, but I could not be happier with this result. It was good enough for 5th in my age and 14th OA. Scott also had a great time with a huge 4 min PR! Congrats to him!
Lastly, I was really hoping to be rocking some Wattie gear for this race, but it should be here for Crazy Legs. Still, I was able to rep some Powerbar and K-Swiss gear. Here's to the 2013 season!
Friend Scott M. and I headed to Milwaukee from the East side of town around 6:30. Race start wasn't until 9, so we had plenty of time to get there, check in, get warmed up...and take care of the usual business. I had my standard pre-race breakfast of an english muffin with PB and honey, some tea, and some sports drink. I later had a banana on the ride to the race site. Also tried something I recently read about, some chia seeds soaked overnight in water with some honey. This supposedly helps keep you hydrated. Didn't seem to hurt so I'll keep tinkering with it : )
Once there, we made sure all of our gear was ready to go. I also met up with my brother and his girlfriend. Both of them were running their first race. 13.1 is an aggressive start to running events, but they both finished! Apparently my brother Tony passed out briefly around mile 11...if you read this, eat something next time! Ha, but seriously, sounded like low blood sugar.
On to my plan for the race. My coach Will wanted me to go out conservative for the first 3 miles and build into a solid pace. Scott was planning to stick with me for as long as possible, so we agreed to start around 6:50-7:00 pace. The first 3 miles were pretty much right where I wanted to be: 6:55, 6:48; 6:40. I was feeling really good at this point so I started to build. My overall goal pace was about 6:30, so I knew I needed to start hitting 6:20 on a consistent basis. Working towards the turnaround, I was feeling really comfortable and hitting good splits, anywhere in the 6:30 to 6:00 range.
My favorite part of this race was it being the first time I was able to work with a group for an extended period of time. For the first 40 minutes or so I was slowly gaining on a group of about 7 guys, led by Justin D., the Midwest Newton rep. Around mile 7 I caught them and decided to stick with them for as long as possible. Coming back towards the finish was super windy, so this made the final miles a bit easier. After about 20 min with them I could feel the pace slowing so I decided to push. Working on my own at this point was tough. The wind was picking up and I was starting to feel tired. Luckily, I timed my gels perfectly (20 and 50 mins in) so I was still mentally energized. At mile 11, 2 guys caught me, so naturally I stuck with them. With a little more than a mile to go I picked up my pace even more and caught one other guy, who had me worried, because he briefly stuck with me. I did not want to sprint finish at this point but was prepared to. He must not have felt as good as I did because I put about 1 min on him during the last half mile.
This is probably the best I have ever felt finishing a running event, so my official time of 1:24:26 had me stoked! I know I can go faster at this distance with some more speed work. My watch read 1:24:13, so apparently they didn't do a chip start as stated. Oh well. It doesn't change the fact that I had a great race (for me). This was about a 10 min PR! WHAT?! It has been 2yrs since I've run an open 13.1, but I could not be happier with this result. It was good enough for 5th in my age and 14th OA. Scott also had a great time with a huge 4 min PR! Congrats to him!
Lastly, I was really hoping to be rocking some Wattie gear for this race, but it should be here for Crazy Legs. Still, I was able to rep some Powerbar and K-Swiss gear. Here's to the 2013 season!
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Mango Coconut Milk Icecream
I just realized I have been doing a completely horrid job of putting anything food related in this blog! My apologies (I'll do better). For now, I give you this:
Necessities
Steep the mangoes...mangoes, that's a funny looking word. Oh look, a bird! Excuse my ADD. So, steep the mangoes, lemon/lime (without rind), and a pinch of cinnamon. You could also use cinnamon sticks instead. Once all the flavors are getting along, use an immersion blender (or regular, just make sure its cooled if using a normal one) to smooth it out. Pop it in the freezer (or ice cream machine if you're lucky) and stir occasionally until its to the desired consistency. Finish it with the tiniest amount of cayenne pepper and honey if you wish. SO GOOD! This is also incredible as a warm soup. My good friend Kory and I have made this twice now. The first time none of it survived and never even got cold enough to be considered ice cream. Its that good.
Necessities
- 1 can full fat coconut milk (don't skimp on the fat...its good for you)
- 2 mangoes, chopped up
- Cinnamon
- Half a lime
- Half a lemon
- Cayenne pepper
- High quality honey (optional)
Steep the mangoes...mangoes, that's a funny looking word. Oh look, a bird! Excuse my ADD. So, steep the mangoes, lemon/lime (without rind), and a pinch of cinnamon. You could also use cinnamon sticks instead. Once all the flavors are getting along, use an immersion blender (or regular, just make sure its cooled if using a normal one) to smooth it out. Pop it in the freezer (or ice cream machine if you're lucky) and stir occasionally until its to the desired consistency. Finish it with the tiniest amount of cayenne pepper and honey if you wish. SO GOOD! This is also incredible as a warm soup. My good friend Kory and I have made this twice now. The first time none of it survived and never even got cold enough to be considered ice cream. Its that good.
Winter Training in the Midwest and Looking Ahead
Today marks the first day of Spring! ...at least on the calendar. Wisconsin, and much of the Midwest/Northeast is continuing to get mid-winter like conditions. Last year at this time, we were seeing temps in the 70's and even 80's, and are now well below normal temps. But if memory serves me correctly, April and May had some pretty awful weather. Maybe this year will be different?
Recently, I had gotten close to the point of a mental breakdown (not really). Extended periods of time spent running on treadmills and riding on trainers is not my cup of tea (I prefer green). However, this extended cold weather has allowed me to focus my energy on some positives:
My first "real" race of the season is coming up in about 2.5 weeks. Its a small 13.1 in Milwaukee called the South Shore half-marathon. I haven't been putting in a ton of mileage to really perform to my potential for this distance. My hope is that my overall fitness (and lots of hill running) will translate to some decent speed. I'm in my 3rd week of picking back up with my coach Will Smith. I have 100% percent faith that he will get me to the start in a good place physically and mentally. This will also (hopefully) be my first race rocking some awesome Wattie Ink Team Elite gear and K-Swiss kicks. Now I just need to pray to the weather Gods that I'm not running on ice!
Recently, I had gotten close to the point of a mental breakdown (not really). Extended periods of time spent running on treadmills and riding on trainers is not my cup of tea (I prefer green). However, this extended cold weather has allowed me to focus my energy on some positives:
- I'm really starting to nail harder efforts on the trainer. Really excited to see how this translates to my outdoor fitness.
- As much as I dislike running on treadmills, the controlled environment is making it much easier to focus on specific zone work prescribed by my coach.
- I love hot tubs even more now.
- Last year at this time I was dealing with some nagging foot/lower leg injuries. Since I'm forced inside because of the cold (mainly right after training sessions), I've been spending A LOT more time foam rolling and getting quality stretching in. This is key to remaining injury free.
My first "real" race of the season is coming up in about 2.5 weeks. Its a small 13.1 in Milwaukee called the South Shore half-marathon. I haven't been putting in a ton of mileage to really perform to my potential for this distance. My hope is that my overall fitness (and lots of hill running) will translate to some decent speed. I'm in my 3rd week of picking back up with my coach Will Smith. I have 100% percent faith that he will get me to the start in a good place physically and mentally. This will also (hopefully) be my first race rocking some awesome Wattie Ink Team Elite gear and K-Swiss kicks. Now I just need to pray to the weather Gods that I'm not running on ice!
 |
| Think warm thoughts : ) |
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Spring Is Just Around the Corner...
Or so we thought...
Madison is in the midst of yet another snow storm. I was really hoping to get outside on my bike this coming weekend, but that looks to be postponed as of right now. However, things are looking up. Temps are supposed to get into the 40's soon enough, which means clear roads cannot be too far off. My training is really starting to come together and I'm just itching to get outside! I can only take being stuck on the trainer so much...I think the tipping point is close! Haha, not really, I just need to embrace what time I have left indoors because I know it will be so worth it once I get some fresh air and sunlight out on the roads. Talk about natures own drug...
Hope everyone in the colder climates is hanging in there, soon enough my friends. As far as upcoming races go, I'm looking at possibly doing a 5 or 10k on St. Patty's day if the weather is nice, if not, the next one will be a 13.1 on April 7th. I don't want to sound like a fair weather fan, but I already did one icy 5k this winter. No bueno. Racing is just not that fun when you have things to worry about other than yourself.
Hope everyone in the colder climates is hanging in there, soon enough my friends. As far as upcoming races go, I'm looking at possibly doing a 5 or 10k on St. Patty's day if the weather is nice, if not, the next one will be a 13.1 on April 7th. I don't want to sound like a fair weather fan, but I already did one icy 5k this winter. No bueno. Racing is just not that fun when you have things to worry about other than yourself.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Valentines 5k and WCRC CT TT
This past weekend was a blast! Another Winter Cycling Relay Challenge with SBR Coaching is in the books. A quick recap of this event: 24 hours of computrainer riding with 7 teams going head to head. There are 2 courses; flat and hilly; where riders go all out for 55 minutes. Teams are ranked according to total accumulated mileage after the 24 hours.
I always look forward to this weekend. Its a great time with good company, food, beverages and some very strong riders. I was on a newcomer team, Pat's Gym. We took a respectable 4th place amongst some stiff competition. RDE, who has won the lat several of these events came in 3rd, The Competition was 2nd, and StravaJava took back their title. Congrats to them!
Having worked on my cycling legs this winter, I had some high hopes for putting out some respectable power numbers for my 3 pm hilly course. Sadly, things did not go according to plan. I have been training at Speed Cycling with a threshold of 280 watts for workouts and feeling really good, and I suspect that my actual threshold is in the 290-295 range, on a good day. The one time I power tested this winter I averaged 289 with a flat tire...(make sure your tires are good before doing something like this!) So far I have been struggling to find those legs when it matters. I came out at a meager 262 for my hour...that's a number I am not happy with. Granted, I did run a 5k that morning at a relatively solid effort, but I felt like I held back enough to keep my TT effort together (more on that in a bit). For the first 30 minutes I felt relatively good. Unfortunately, when it came time to start pushing, my legs did not want to cooperate. Cramping in my calves started after about 25 minutes and did not stop. I suppose I can't be entirely disappointed with my effort, since I did hold it together enough to not be completely embarrassed. Oh well, there's always next time...
On to the somewhat better news, the Valentines 5k. I had high hopes at cracking the 18:00 min mark, but the weather and pavement conditions did not help here. That morning I was greeted with cold, high winds, freezing rain and a very slick course. The roads were covered in slush, most of the turns had to be taken very cautiously and we had one 0.5 mile stretch that was completely covered in ice and snow. Even with those conditions I finished around 18:23. I'm happy with that. I had a lot left in the tank. Really looking to another crack at it when we get some decent weather in WI and dry pavement! Come on spring! Enough of this awful winter....
Moral learned from this weekend? I need to be less hard on myself sometimes. Its only February, I did not prepare for either of these events as a priority, and serious training does not start until March. I'm still in maintenance mode and have a long season of racing to look forward to. One thing is for sure...I'm seeing improvements in the right areas and expect to make some big gains this season. Keep on keepin' on.
I always look forward to this weekend. Its a great time with good company, food, beverages and some very strong riders. I was on a newcomer team, Pat's Gym. We took a respectable 4th place amongst some stiff competition. RDE, who has won the lat several of these events came in 3rd, The Competition was 2nd, and StravaJava took back their title. Congrats to them!
Having worked on my cycling legs this winter, I had some high hopes for putting out some respectable power numbers for my 3 pm hilly course. Sadly, things did not go according to plan. I have been training at Speed Cycling with a threshold of 280 watts for workouts and feeling really good, and I suspect that my actual threshold is in the 290-295 range, on a good day. The one time I power tested this winter I averaged 289 with a flat tire...(make sure your tires are good before doing something like this!) So far I have been struggling to find those legs when it matters. I came out at a meager 262 for my hour...that's a number I am not happy with. Granted, I did run a 5k that morning at a relatively solid effort, but I felt like I held back enough to keep my TT effort together (more on that in a bit). For the first 30 minutes I felt relatively good. Unfortunately, when it came time to start pushing, my legs did not want to cooperate. Cramping in my calves started after about 25 minutes and did not stop. I suppose I can't be entirely disappointed with my effort, since I did hold it together enough to not be completely embarrassed. Oh well, there's always next time...
On to the somewhat better news, the Valentines 5k. I had high hopes at cracking the 18:00 min mark, but the weather and pavement conditions did not help here. That morning I was greeted with cold, high winds, freezing rain and a very slick course. The roads were covered in slush, most of the turns had to be taken very cautiously and we had one 0.5 mile stretch that was completely covered in ice and snow. Even with those conditions I finished around 18:23. I'm happy with that. I had a lot left in the tank. Really looking to another crack at it when we get some decent weather in WI and dry pavement! Come on spring! Enough of this awful winter....
Moral learned from this weekend? I need to be less hard on myself sometimes. Its only February, I did not prepare for either of these events as a priority, and serious training does not start until March. I'm still in maintenance mode and have a long season of racing to look forward to. One thing is for sure...I'm seeing improvements in the right areas and expect to make some big gains this season. Keep on keepin' on.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
100 x 100 Swim and Chipotle - A Perfect Match
What did you do last Sunday? I bet it wasn't swimming a 10k set in the pool. Well, that's exactly what I did. Call me crazy, but it was actually a lot of fun! I'd highly recommend doing this with a fun group of friends, plenty of snacks, cookies and bacon (yes, we had BACON). Unless of course you are a swimmer, then this shouldn't be such a big deal...
We met at the Middleton high school pool at 11 am to start this epic swim. The swim was broken up as follows, more or less:
10x100 swim w/u
5x100 drill/swim
5x100 band
10x100 kick w/ fins
10x 100 pull
- 5x pads only
- 5x 100 pads + buoy
10x 100 "pyramid of stroke"
- 100 free
- 75 free/25 stroke
- 50 free/ 50 stroke
- 75 free/ 25 stroke
- 100 stroke
- 100 stroke
- 75 stroke/ 25 free
- 50 stroke/ 50 free
- 25 stroke/ 25 free
- 100 free
*** snack break ***
5x100 IM
5x100 pull buoy
5x100 free
10x100 kick w/ fins
5x100 drill
5x100 drills
5x100 pull buoy only
6x100 free descend (1:45)
4x100 c/d
NOTE: I don't have fins so the kick sets were brutal and I don't how to butterfly (yet), so I substituted in 1 arm drills instead. Also, everything was done at a casual pace.
Surprisingly, I didn't really start to feel tired until about 7k in. At that point my triceps and shoulders were very tired. The first 50 of each 100 felt relatively good, but by the time we were coming back in on the 2nd lap I felt completely spent. At one point I did feel like dropping out because my lungs hurt so bad. From time to time I get exercise induced asthma. I'm not sure if I was experiencing that or dry drowning? During the 2nd kick set I took in a large amount of water and after that I had some difficulty getting in full breaths. Instead of calling it on the spot I settled down a bit and focused on getting in full, relaxed breaths. In hindsight, I should have just stopped, but I'm stubborn and was committed to finishing the workout. Good thing I'm not a young child eh? I only say that because dry drowning seems to be an issue with the young ones...
Anyway, I was able to come around and finish strong. The group in my lane was coming in around 1:26-1:27 for the final 100's. Some of the group decided they wanted to finish off with 100 sprints off the blocks. Crazy. Finishing off the day with Chipotle burritos was just what the doctor ordered.
 |
| Bacon motivation! |
We met at the Middleton high school pool at 11 am to start this epic swim. The swim was broken up as follows, more or less:
10x100 swim w/u
5x100 drill/swim
5x100 band
10x100 kick w/ fins
10x 100 pull
- 5x pads only
- 5x 100 pads + buoy
10x 100 "pyramid of stroke"
- 100 free
- 75 free/25 stroke
- 50 free/ 50 stroke
- 75 free/ 25 stroke
- 100 stroke
- 100 stroke
- 75 stroke/ 25 free
- 50 stroke/ 50 free
- 25 stroke/ 25 free
- 100 free
*** snack break ***
5x100 IM
5x100 pull buoy
5x100 free
10x100 kick w/ fins
5x100 drill
5x100 drills
5x100 pull buoy only
6x100 free descend (1:45)
4x100 c/d
NOTE: I don't have fins so the kick sets were brutal and I don't how to butterfly (yet), so I substituted in 1 arm drills instead. Also, everything was done at a casual pace.
 |
| Mid swim break. Morale is still high : ) |
Anyway, I was able to come around and finish strong. The group in my lane was coming in around 1:26-1:27 for the final 100's. Some of the group decided they wanted to finish off with 100 sprints off the blocks. Crazy. Finishing off the day with Chipotle burritos was just what the doctor ordered.
 |
| The group post swim. Spent, yet happy. |
 |
| Burritos! |
Monday, February 4, 2013
Indoor Triathlons - Surprisingly Fun!
Last Friday (Feb. 1st), I took part in my first indoor triathlon. These are put on by a local company, Race Day Events, LLC. I will say, for being a 40 min. Friday night workout, it was tons of fun. Who would think swimming indoors, riding on those awful indoor spin bikes, and running on the dreadmill could be so much fun. Not this guy...
I had been wanting to do one of these for awhile. Since I work part time for RDE, I thought now would be as good a time as any, plus it would be a good indicator of where my fitness is currently at.
My plan for the swim was to just cruise...wait, before I get into that I should probably outline how these events are structured. Its basically a timed leg for each discipline (swim, bike and of course run). The person who goes the furthest distance in each leg, sets the curve and gets 100 points. Your score is based on the highest distance with points rewarded accordingly. The legs are broken down as follows: 10 min swim, 20 min spin, 10 min run. You get about 10 min in between each leg to change etc...
I digress...so the swim. I started off at a steady cruise pace and built into a good rhythm. I managed to get in 14 laps (700 yards) for the 10 minutes. This came out to ~1:25/100, which I was happy with. I came out of the pool feeling great. The spin portion is another story. If you've ever ridden one of those spin class bikes you know what I'm talking about. The seats are huge and squishy, the adjust-ability is 'meh' at best, and everyone is stuck with the same resistance. This means it becomes a spin fest. Since I was hoping to set the curve for this one I knew I had to spin really fast for the 20 min, but didn't know how fast. I hit 130-135 rpm's and held it there. This sucked. It was incredibly uncomfortable, mainly because the set up was so different from my actual bikes. I also noticed that if I hit 140 the computer would shut off, so I had to keep backing off. On a positive note, my legs felt fine from a muscular stand point and I did have the highest spin distance : )
Total distance on bike was 12.7 km, whatever that means. Not sure how to compare that to an actual outdoor ride.
Knowing that the run was only 10 min, I planned on running it relatively hard, but not doing anything too crazy. Once I was warmed up, I set the incline to 1% and started out at 9.5 mph (~6:20 pace). Each minute I bumped the speed up a tad until I was around a 5:52. This still felt pretty comfortable so by the end I was holding about a 5:07 pace for the last 2 minutes. I ended up running 1.67 miles in the 10 min, which was also the highest run of the night. If there was one thing I would do differently here I would just start around a pace of 5:40 and hold it for the 10 min.
All in all it was a solid workout. I may start doing something similar to this to get a good benchmark on a semi regular basis. The beautiful thing is this is something anyone can do, on their schedule, at whatever effort level they feel like. Try it out sometime!
I had been wanting to do one of these for awhile. Since I work part time for RDE, I thought now would be as good a time as any, plus it would be a good indicator of where my fitness is currently at.
My plan for the swim was to just cruise...wait, before I get into that I should probably outline how these events are structured. Its basically a timed leg for each discipline (swim, bike and of course run). The person who goes the furthest distance in each leg, sets the curve and gets 100 points. Your score is based on the highest distance with points rewarded accordingly. The legs are broken down as follows: 10 min swim, 20 min spin, 10 min run. You get about 10 min in between each leg to change etc...
I digress...so the swim. I started off at a steady cruise pace and built into a good rhythm. I managed to get in 14 laps (700 yards) for the 10 minutes. This came out to ~1:25/100, which I was happy with. I came out of the pool feeling great. The spin portion is another story. If you've ever ridden one of those spin class bikes you know what I'm talking about. The seats are huge and squishy, the adjust-ability is 'meh' at best, and everyone is stuck with the same resistance. This means it becomes a spin fest. Since I was hoping to set the curve for this one I knew I had to spin really fast for the 20 min, but didn't know how fast. I hit 130-135 rpm's and held it there. This sucked. It was incredibly uncomfortable, mainly because the set up was so different from my actual bikes. I also noticed that if I hit 140 the computer would shut off, so I had to keep backing off. On a positive note, my legs felt fine from a muscular stand point and I did have the highest spin distance : )
Total distance on bike was 12.7 km, whatever that means. Not sure how to compare that to an actual outdoor ride.
Knowing that the run was only 10 min, I planned on running it relatively hard, but not doing anything too crazy. Once I was warmed up, I set the incline to 1% and started out at 9.5 mph (~6:20 pace). Each minute I bumped the speed up a tad until I was around a 5:52. This still felt pretty comfortable so by the end I was holding about a 5:07 pace for the last 2 minutes. I ended up running 1.67 miles in the 10 min, which was also the highest run of the night. If there was one thing I would do differently here I would just start around a pace of 5:40 and hold it for the 10 min.
All in all it was a solid workout. I may start doing something similar to this to get a good benchmark on a semi regular basis. The beautiful thing is this is something anyone can do, on their schedule, at whatever effort level they feel like. Try it out sometime!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Simple Veggie Curry
Last night I made one of my absolute favorite dishes...vegetable curry. The beautiful thing about this is how simple it is, plus you get tons of leftovers!
Things you'll need:
Start by cooking down some garlic with the red onion (thinly sliced) in some oil (I prefer coconut oil). After a minute or so throw in enough curry paste to coat the onions. Note: the more spice you use here will give you a richer curry flavor, so that's your judgement.
Once that has cooked for several minutes the remaining ingredients can be thrown in the pan. I tend to keep the pieces of produce rather large, but it doesn't really matter. Just keep them consistent so everything cooks at the same rate. After you have combined everything and smooth out the coconut milk, top the curry off with water so everything is covered. Make sure to add one bouillon cube per cup of water added so the flavor doesn't thin out.
Meanwhile, cook whatever you want to top the curry with. I recommend brown basmati rice or quinoa. Once the curry sauce has reduced to a thicker consistency and the potatoes are tender it is ready. Top with chopped basil or cilantro. Some lemon zest adds a nice touch as well.
Things you'll need:
- 1 can coconut milk
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 1 large yellow squash
- 12 oz. cooked chick peas
- 1 large red onion
- Garlic
- Red curry paste or your favorite curry spice blend
- Thai basil or cilantro
- Brown basmati rice
- Bouillon cubes
Start by cooking down some garlic with the red onion (thinly sliced) in some oil (I prefer coconut oil). After a minute or so throw in enough curry paste to coat the onions. Note: the more spice you use here will give you a richer curry flavor, so that's your judgement.
Once that has cooked for several minutes the remaining ingredients can be thrown in the pan. I tend to keep the pieces of produce rather large, but it doesn't really matter. Just keep them consistent so everything cooks at the same rate. After you have combined everything and smooth out the coconut milk, top the curry off with water so everything is covered. Make sure to add one bouillon cube per cup of water added so the flavor doesn't thin out.
Meanwhile, cook whatever you want to top the curry with. I recommend brown basmati rice or quinoa. Once the curry sauce has reduced to a thicker consistency and the potatoes are tender it is ready. Top with chopped basil or cilantro. Some lemon zest adds a nice touch as well.
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