What to Look for in 2012

As the big ball drops on 2011, cyclists start licking their chops.  Looking forward to a year of miles and miles of spinning our legs, we often pine for any information regarding what could be in store for 2012.  The apocalypse aside, 2012 should be a great year.  These are the things we think will define the year of the dragon—the water dragon to be specific.   

Ultegra Di2 

In 2009, Shimano changed the game with the first successful electric group to come to market.  Now they are poised to put Campy and Sram even further in their rear view mirror with the introduction of the first affordable electronic group set.  Coming in at $2400 for the complete group, Dura Ace Di2’s little brother packs all the shifting performance, but without the wallet busting punch.  Several manufacturers already have bikes outfitted with Ultegra Di2 in their 2012 line—some of which are already on the floor at Cadence.  It’s hard to imagine how regular cable actuated systems will continue to find their way onto peoples rides if this trend continues….  

Fat Tires

Before you get too offended, I am not talking about the little off-season pooch you have been working on over the holidays.  These fat tires are much more fun and will be all the rage in 2012.  Mountain bikes are a great way to break up the monotony of any road heavy race season and even introduce a new type of intensity to your training.  Cadence has launched a new level of commitment to the dirtier side of cycling with the introduction of one of mountain biking’s most legendary brands, Yeti.  Look for expanded fat tire offerings from Cannondale—with the release of the new Scalpel 29’er—and Orbea, with the affordable Alma Aluminum at Cadence in the very near future.  Baggy shorts not required.

The Olympics

It’s likely that the summer Olympics will play a huge part in shaping the 2012 racing season.  Coming just a week after the Tour, riders who fancy the sprint friendly parcours will be forced to make some tricky fitness decisions to be fresh for the quadrennial event.  The midseason conundrum will be undoubtedly dramatic for favorites looking to win on their home soil.  Look for the Italian team to resort to unconventional uses of their frame pumps, only to lose in dramatic tortoise and hare fashion…errrr, maybe not.  

Sram Red 

I am thoroughly convinced you already know about the new Sram Red group and that you have probably spent countless hours trying to decipher what mysteries lay in the ominous shadows of the “leaked” 37 second teaser video.  Here is the thing: I’m actually convinced that the new group will be a bit of a letdown.  How could it not be?  Sram is certainly good at creating hype, but I think it could be problematic that the main innovation in their group is: (drum-roll)…. a redesigned hood shape, front derailleur, and slight weight savings on what is already the lightest group on the market! (crickets)….Sarcasm aside, the reason I included this group in our list is that it is roughly a half pound lighter than Sram’s current flagship group.  Grams seem to have a mystical power over cyclists.  I heard a physics professor once describe this phenomenon as Newton’s Law of Weight Weenies.  It says that for each gram subtracted from any cycling component or accessory, a cyclist’s desire for said component will increase three fold.  

The repairable spokes of Madfiber wheels

Madfiber wheels

Carbon fiber has been around for quite some time now—so has wheel builder and visionary Ric Hjertberg.  Why it took so long for the two of them to get together is a whole other question.  The good news for you is that they have gotten together and the result is quite impressive.  Madfiber wheels have just started to catch on and will continue to do so in 2012.  A sub 1100 gram wheel set (that’s right set, as in two wheels, not just one) for roughly half the price of their competitors is hard to imagine, but Madfiber has found a way to do it.  They have an impressive four year warranty and four year crash replacement policy that is unrivaled in the world of full carbon wheels.  Unlike other full carbon offerings, Madfiber wheels can be repaired without trashing the whole wheel, and have no rider weight limit.  They could be a great alternative to trying to lose that holiday fat tire.  

Cannondale's new Slice was ridden by some of Liquigas's top riders at some late season races. 

2012: The Year of the Tribike

If 2011 was the year of the road bike—with Cannondale’s release of the EVO and other rather incredible technical innovations in road specific technology—then 2012 will be the year of the Tribike.  Several manufacturers are set to release new flagship aero spaceships in 2012—including Cannondale and Orbea.  Look for these slippery bikes to start popping up at your local races with a vengeance.  Aero TT bikes have become rather stale in the last few years, with no real break out releases in recent memory.  Manufacturers are due and the market is ripe for someone to really smash it out of the park in 2012.  

Roadies Go Hydraulic

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.  Hold on a second!” you say, “I was all about my regular old cable system, and then you go and blow my mind with electric Di2.  Now you are telling me that there is yet another shifting innovation set to wreak havoc on our precious year of the water dragon!  When will you stop?!?”  

“Sit tight,” I say, “just relax.  Find your inner mountain biker and just ‘go with the flow.’” 

This might be the tech innovation that I find most exciting of all.  There have been rumors flying around that the hydraulic wizards at Magura and Acros have been collaborating on a fully hydraulic road group.  Here is why I am excited about this: If you really look closely at the facts, a hydraulic group set has more potential than an electric one.  It offers the same precision at a potentially lower cost and weight! What more could you ask for?  Hydraulic technology has been a staple of the mountain biking industry for a long time, so there just needs to be a little re-engineering done to apply the same ideas to road offerings.  Granted, this will probably take longer than the time 2012 has to offer, but I am still looking forward to learning about these new technologies.  

Questions? Comments? Things you would like to see on this blog in the future? Leave a message below or contact me at sdevereaux@cadencecycling.com

Ceramics

Your Grandmother's Cookware Will Make You Faster.

Bicycle mechanics are skeptics. It is a fact of life. Our job forces us to question designs put forth by manufacturers in order to make reasonable recommendations to our customers. New technology is something we approach with intense scrutiny, often taking more time than some would say is reasonable to give our stamp of approval. We are conditioned to do so. Bicycle and component manufacturers are constantly reinventing the wheel—literally. New designs, regardless of whether they are practical—or even beneficial in any way, are a great way to recapture a market. Fads are more common in bicycle culture than popular music, which, being a musician, is something I surely thought was entirely impossible. Failed designs abound from the annals of cycling history like nor’easters in Philadelphia—at least lately. Take Mavic’s now prophetic, but ill conceived electronic shifting system ZAP, or Campagnolo’s convoluted Delta brake design—or even Shimano’s BioPace. All designs that had engineering merit—especially considering the recent success of Di2 and Rotor Q-rings—but failed to catch on.

After all this, you can’t blame me for being slightly hesitant when ceramic bearing technology started to crop up in bicycles. If I am being absolutely honest, I thought that ceramic bearings were a total hoax until recently. Before we get into that, though, I think a crash course in bearing basics is in high order.

There is a plethora of articles that discuss all angles of bearing technology as it pertains to cycling all over the internet. So I will do my best to stick to the basics. These two articles from Zipp do a great job of explaining some of the merits of “good bearing design” so I will save my breath by not delving into radial contact vs. angular contact. Bearings are classified in two different ways: Grade, and ABEC rating. ABEC or Annular Bearing Engineering Committee ratings are used to classify the roundness of a ball bearing. A high ABEC rating means that the bearing has a lower eccentricity than a lower ABEC rating. These ratings are ideal for applications that require a smooth rolling bearing at extremely high RPMs. I’m talking like 30,000 RPMs. So unless you do your fast cadence drills at 30,000 RPMs, any rating of ABEC 5 or higher (9 is the highest) will do just fine. Cyclists often put too much emphasis on an ABEC rating. The real rating that effects cyclists is a bearing’s grade. Grade measures three things: surface integrity, size, and sphericity. What you need to know: the lower grade is better. A grade 2 or 3 bearing is ideal. A bearing’s manufacturing tolerances, however, are not the only cause of drag. Bearing seals and lubrication viscosity are major players in causing bearing drag.

So why does all this matter? How does ceramic technology come into play? Relax, I am about to tell you.

Si3N4 (Silicone Nitride) Ceramic bearings are not only lighter than standard steel bearings, but they are also stronger. Zipp claims a 30% weight savings and a 40% gain in overall strength. I haven’t seen the studies to confirm this, but Zipp is a technology driven company. They have loads of engineers doing complicated math problems with lots of numbers and decimals that I trust know more than I do about these kinds of things. I think it is safe to say though, that ceramic is a stronger lighter bearing material than steel. The savings in weight is negligible at best, but the gains in strength have major ramifications when it comes to rolling resistance. A stronger ball means that you can use a thinner (more viscous) lubrication and seals that cause less drag. This directly translates into a faster rolling bearing. Though the reduction in drag is mostly caused by low drag seals and high viscosity lubrication, these are only options because the ceramic ball is less susceptible to wear. If you were to use the same seals and lube with a steel ball, the life of the bearing would be drastically reduced—maybe even destroyed in a single ride.

Both steel and ceramic bearings can be manufactured to the same grade and rating, but that does not mean that they will perform the same over time. Besides the performance gains I already mentioned, a ceramic bearing will hold its grade longer. As a steel bearing wears, it will come out of round and small chips and imperfections will form on the surface on the bearing—both causing rolling resistance. Ceramic bearings are much harder than steel, meaning they will hold their form and resist chips and cracks for much longer than steel.

Like steel bearings, however, ceramic bearings are not all created equal. Actually, grade 25 bearings or higher don’t even have the right to vote in most states. When making a choice of bearings make sure you pay specific attention to grade, type of seal, and both viscosity and fill rate of the grease.

I know you are all asking, (silently in your head, I hope—because otherwise you would be talking to a computer…and everyone would be whispering about you) “All this technical jargon is well and good, but what good does all this do me out on the road? How much difference does it actually make?” I asked myself similar questions—it being a part of my inquisitive nature. Where’s the beef, so to speak? Well, the beef is in the pudding…or something like that. All the technical information and scientific studies in the world wouldn’t mean a thing unless it makes us enjoy riding our bikes more, right? That is why we love cycling—for the riding.

Here in the shop we recently had an opportunity to install ceramic hub bearings and derailleur pulleys on Thomas Brown’s Cyfac. Thomas is one of our favorite customers, so when he asked us to hook his bike up with some ceramic upgrades in addition to a full overhaul, we were really excited to dive into the project.

Believe it or not, derailleur pulleys are one of the leading causes of drag among drivetrains. A faster rolling set of derailleur pulleys will improve shifting, as well as greatly reduce drivetrain resistance. We replaced Tom’s old Campy pulleys (which are better than most standard pulleys to begin with), with Enduro Zero pulleys.


Shiney Enduro Zero Pulleys-The derailleur before the overhaul

---Disassembled----------Cleaned and ready to go!-


With the installation of the pulleys the drivetrain spun with very little resistance. With a spin of the pedal, the crank would rotate at least 3 full rotations. (spin your crank arms on your bike….they probably don’t go around 3 times). Before the conversion, Tom’s cranks spun about 361.7 degrees around. I measured it.

We also replaced old campy steel bearings and retainers with shiny black Si3N4 ceramic bearings with a synthetic retainer.



-Campy Ceramic Bearings---The hub before the conversion--

Notice that Campy recommends using only a light oil to lubricate the bearings.

-New bearings and oil-----------The finished product.----------

This allows for a drastic reduction in rolling resistance. I was thoroughly impressed when I took this bike out for a test ride. The Cyfac Nerv is a great riding bike to begin with, but I was totally struck at how smooth the bike rode after the conversion. It spun up smoothly and was very responsive. I immediately looked into ordering ceramics for my Caad9, but then I remembered that I’m completely broke. Oh well.

So what can we take from all of this?

Ceramic technology really does make a difference out on the road, but are a more expensive than standard steel bearings. So you have to ask yourself how much you are willing to spend for the top level of performance. We all have to decide between bike upgrades or say…donuts. For me the choice is obvious: donuts.

Thanks for reading. See you at the shop.

Scott

PS. I would love to hear any comments or suggestions for topics for the mechanical posts on this blog. This blog is yours just as much as it is mine—except for the fact that I write the posts. But I really do want to know what topics you are interested in discussing. Don’t hesitate to email me at sdevereaux@cadencecycling.com. Or leave your comments and suggestions in the “comments” section. Rocket science, right?

Additional Links and Pictures:

Ceramic Tech Information
Zipp Si3N4 Technology
F1 Ceramics explains grade and ABEC ratings
Mavic ZAP
Campagnolo Delta Brakes
Shimano Biopace

The Final Week

Mission accomplished...

Tour Director Christian Prudhomme wanted to create an exciting TOUR right from the start. Through his creativity and vision we have been able to sit back and enjoy daily excitement. The Tour de France is always a special event, but the "new" TDF is an exciting and unpredictable race. What no one was expecting was the multitude of crashes that have taken almost half the overall contenders out of the picture. Still, we can't put the burden of responsibility on the organization for this bad luck. It's the peloton, and when almost every rider there is dreaming of pinning on a number and making a name for himself, the risks are high.

The race has just left the Pyrenees and people are already talking about who is going to win. To be honest, we now know who the best climbers are and this particular talent will once again shape the final GC result. We’ve still got 6 riders in contention, but what people are REALLY talking about is Thomas Voeckler and team Europcar! Voeckler’s faithful lieutenant, Pierre Roland, is a stud and has been successful in past Tour's. But let's take a step back for a second and remember what took place late last fall with the almost total demise of Bbox Bouygues Telecom – which is now Voeckler’s Europcar team.

It’s late fall and BBox is on the verge of folding. Thomas Voeckler has multiple secure and high paying offers to leave but what does he do? He stands by his long time mentor and team director, Jean-René Bernaudeau and does not jump off the sinking ship. True, Voeckler raised the stress level pretty high for everyone by waiting till the bitter end to make his team decision, and he continually pushed back a meeting that was scheduled with Cofidis on the final day of the decision. But just before the deadline strikes which would have sent BBox – and all its riders – into the annals of history, Voelkler commits and the team signs a new contract with Europcar. The team is saved and the rest is history.

Talk about leadership! Wouldn't you ride yourself into the ground for a team leader like that?!! Europcar has created something special and all the money in the world can't buy this type of connection. Is good karma enough to hold on to the yellow jersey? In my heart, I sure hope so. Voeckler has the heart of a lion and who doesn't want an underdog to pull off the miracle. The numbers don't add up, but F#@% the numbers! He has the yellow jersey and he is not about to just give it away. He is riding above his capability and that is what champions do. Living in the moment, crushing it on the bike, and laughing and smiling when he’s done each day. He has nothing to lose.

Anyone could learn from Voeckler. Do you think he is looking at a power meter? I know he doesn't have one, but learn from this! A power meter has very little use in the middle of a stage race when you do whatever is necessary at any given moment. When you look at your powermeter after the fact, more often than not you’ll surprise yourself by blowing away your previous expectations. Live in the moment, execute your plan and see what the competition throws at you. I’ll admit, his ultimate chances are still small – but didn't a 40 year old win the Tour of California this year!?

OK back to the racing analysis…the TDF has not even entered the Alps and we now know who the best climbers are at the moment: Schleck x 2; Basso; Evans; Contador; and...Voeckler. The attrition doesn't lie. Some riders are better placed but these are the guys that are watching each other and making the moves at the critical times. Of course, Pierre Rolland is up there but since he is a domestique I have not included him in the mix. Even the greatest Tour rider of all time, Lance Armstrong called Rolland and Voelker out two days ago on Twitter…"He has 2:06 on Evans. Final TT is 42km. He's French. It's the Tour de France. He won't lose 2:06 in the final time trial assuming he keeps them close on Alpe d'Huez. His teammate Pierre Rolland has been a rock star and has to continue to be. Lastly, the dude knows how to suffer. Will be fun to watch."

There are two, possibly three, stages left in order for the blue chippers to take the yellow away from TV: Stage 17 into Italy on Pinerolo; and then the final big two - Stage 18 summit finish at Serre-Chevaller, and Stage 19 classic on the summit of Alpe-d'Huez. So far it's been cat and mouse with Evans, Basso, Contador and the Schlecks each nullifying each other’s attacks. This has played into the hands of TV as well as Evans. If this continues and Voelkler’s legs continue to surprise him, he will podium in Paris! Contador has a lot to make up and we'll see if Evans can continue his fine form.

At this moment in time, I give the edge to Evans since he really "only" (and do I use this term VERY loosely) needs to hang on and watch the others attack each other. Evans improved leg speed has allowed him to follow the accelerations of the Schleck's and Contador on the climbs, and that has been the main reason he is poised to make history next week. There is a week of exciting racing left and I'll be glued to the TV to see how the race unfolds. Enjoy it!

Coach Walton

It's that time of the year again.Viva le Tour!!! Time again to kick things off this coming Saturday with the 2011 Tour de France! In keeping with Cadence tradition, I will once again offer up my 2011 analysis in hopes of providing you all with a coach's inside perspective, while illustrating some of the tools I use to come to conclusions. These are the same tools I use to coach and interpret all of your own performances and training, so if you notice some parallels, know that it's not a coincidence!

To get things started, this year I've created an initial rider ranking system to open up some discussions! In short, I weighed past results, athlete strengths, team support, and team goals. I've followed closely this year the results of the traditional build up races towards the Tour de France - the Giro, Dauphine, Suisse, and National Championships - and I've reminded myself of last year's Tour results. In the end, results don't lie, and they are the primary indicator of upcoming performance. Without real results, all we've got is a bunch of speculation.

Check out my PREDICTION SPREADSHEET. Each rider is rated on each category on a scale of one to five with 5 being the strongest score.

1. Climbing: Pretty straight forward. Natural ability. 125 pound power to weight freaks. The guys are ranked against each of the top riders.

2. Time Trialing: Again, pretty straight forward but I have weighed more heavily time trial performance during stage races. Again, ranking is against each of the contenders.

3. Peak, Progress and Goal: Who set out to peak for the Tour back in the beginning of the year and who is progressing or "peaking" according to plan? You may lose a half point if you were flying back in May - an indication of poor seasonal planning.

4. Team: Ranking of the strength of each rider's complete team. Climbers, team time trialists, roulleurs (able to sit on front of group and set tempo for 100km's), directors with strategic experience, etc.

5. Recovery: This ranking is a little more subjective than the rest. (Pun intended) I judged riders by their "bad days" in the Grand Tours, their results through the final days of stage races, results on back to back to back mountain stages, results the day after time trials, etc. I also look at rider technique and skill - how do they generate their power, how does their technique change in different performances? Ultimately, this category influences the race leaders more than anything else!

6. Past Life: Pretty simple, show me a resume! Who has done it in the past in the big ones!

7. X-Factor : See individual comments in my PREDICTION SPREADSHEET

It will be a nontraditional road race start this year and Tour Director Christian Prudhomme has made the first week eventful. The riders start by going over the Passage du Gois, an epic roadway that disappears under high tide! Stage Two is a 23km team time trial, followed by more stages through the heavy, punchy roads of Brittany. The Tour will not be won in the first week but it could be lost! Stay out of trouble and conserve as best you can is the goal for overall contenders through the first week. Look for Columbia to win the TTT over Garmin, and Cavendish to be in yellow early followed closely by the always-classy Gilbert. And for anyone who thinks that Contador will easily cruise to victory, keep in mind that the last time anyone pulled off the "double" (win the Giro and Tour in the same calendar year) was in 1998 by the late, great Marco Pantani. The deck is stacked against him.

Enjoy the race and my forthcoming commentary, and feel free to chime in with your own take, too!

What I've Learned

I’m definitely one of those people who believe that things happen for a reason.   Just two weeks ago, I sat down with Brian and Holden to discuss my performance in the Ixtapa (Mexico) Continental Cup on May 28^th.  In Ixtapa, I finished in a disappointing 23^rd place and missed an opportunity to pick up some points which would have helped me climb the ITU rankings list.  Brian, Holden and I acknowledged the race had been a failure, but that the experience would not be lost if I could learn something from what went wrong.   Two weeks later, I’m coming off a 2^nd place overall finish in the Cartagena Continental Cup and a nomination to the USAT’s Project 2016 National Team!  Here’s the story…

I walked out of our meeting that day feeling incredibly motivated.  Even though the race itself was a failure, I could still benefit from the experience if I corrected the variables that doomed my race.  I sputtered to the finish with the race’s 26^th “fastest” run split after coming off the bike with the leaders.  Knowing that my finishing time was not indicative of my ability, I resolved to do a better job of being prepared to run fast off the bike. 

The following Thursday, I was back to the airport for a series of flights that would take me to the northern coast of Columbia for the Cartagena Continental Cup.  On paper, the race looked similar to the one in Ixtapa—a choppy, tough ocean swim followed by a hot and humid bike/run.  I arrived late Thursday night and spent Friday and Saturday enjoying the city and doing some course reconnaissance with fellow American triathletes Sean Jefferson, Nic Tautiva, Lauren Goss, and Kaitlin Shiver.

Race morning was hot, and with temperatures only getting hotter leading up to our 12:00 race, I stayed out of the sun and took in as many fluids as my body would allow.  As usual, the start to the swim was very physical.  After getting through the mêlée, I was satisfied with my position and settled into the main pack.  By the finish of the two lap ocean swim, I had navigated myself to the front of the main pack and prepared for a quick transition onto the bike.

I settled into the main bike pack and immediately began taking in fluids.  By the time we were on the course, the temperature had reached 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) and the heat index, according to the race organizers, was 44 degrees (111)!  Given the conditions, no one in the pack really wanted to work too hard, and we biked just hard enough so the chase groups wouldn’t be able to catch us.

 

Going into to T2, I knew that the race would be decided on the hot, flat run course—just like the race in Ixtapa was two weeks before.  This time, though, I was prepared.  My plan was to start conservatively and to try to negative split the run, but emotions got the best of me and I went out with the guns firing.  By the end of the second lap, I was shoulder to shoulder with Chile’s Felipe Van de Wyngard.  We matched each other stride for stride over the next 6K, and by the final turnaround had built up some mutual respect for the suffering we were putting each other through.  Serbia’s Ognjen Stojanovic had broken away with USA’s Ben Collins towards the end of the bike, and after passing Collins earlier in the run, both Felipe and I had our sights on the Serbian up the road.  The heat, though, proved too great an adversary for us both.  Stojanovic crossed the line first, and thirty seconds later I edged Felipe for second place in a sprint to the finish.  I was thrilled to have registered my best international finish to date and the race’s fastest run split!

The finish gave me enough points to qualify for the Edmonton World Cup on July 10^th, and it was another big step towards my ultimate goal of competing on triathlon’s biggest stage.  Also, because it was my second top-3 finish in an ITU Continental Cup race this year, it qualified me for USAT’s Project 2016 National Team.  I’m obviously very excited about the progress I’m making—but more importantly I’m having a blast and learning more and more about myself along the way.  My quick rebound between a disappointing performance in Ixtapa and a strong race two weeks later in Cartagena is a reminder of the close link that exists between success and failure.  And, of course it helps to have some great coaches who aren’t shy about pointing it out to you whenever the failures or successes come along!

List of lessons learned…

Ixtapa, didn’t bring enough performance drink mix.  Cartagena, brought 2 canisters.

2 water bottles to Ixtapa, 3 to Cartagena and left one in T2.

Hydrate several days before the race…work hard to hydrate!

Eat at a restaurant you have tried before for the pre race meal. 

Don’t sleep in too long, stay on a schedule.

Winning is in the details.

"Don’t stress, peak performance comes from joy, not stress." – H. Comeau

Training with Allergies

It's hard to believe that allergies could play a factor with your training at the moment with earth playing the best April Fool day joke showering Philadelphia with snow in the morning! But warm weather and spring is right around the corner and with that comes buds, pollen, allergies and wheezing and sneezing! Below are a few tips to help alleviate some of the problems.

The map above shows pollen counts for the spring. That's right, Philly is bright red!

1. Avoid peak pollen times. If you can stay inside between 10am and 4pm when pollen counts are highest and exercise during off peak hours or train indoors.

2. Take a shower. Pollen can accumulate in your hair and skin. If you take a shower before bed, you may find your sinuses are clearer and you sleep better.

3. Irrigate. Nasal irrigation is a part of daily routine's in India and Southeast Asia. Simply using nasal spray is a great deterrent.

4. Limit your dairy intake. Many doctors believe that dairy products increase mucus production which can agitate allergy symptoms.

5. Anti-inflammation diet. When you are suffering from allergies your nose is already inflamed. Avoid eating foods that will cause more inflammation such as sugar.

Transitioning

2011 marks my first season as a multisport athlete. You may have heard me joke over the past few months as I trained for my first event: When can I say I'm a Duathlete or Triathlete? Is it only when I attempt and finish my first race, or is multisport a state-of-mind?

I like to think the latter.

If you follow our blog you know I attempted a marathon during my first year at Cadence as a bet with the Tri coaches. I needed some motivation over the fall and this fit the bill. I have continued this tradition every November, feeling more confident each fall when I strap on my running shoes again and give the bike a break. Each year, I find myself wanting the racing season to be over sooner so I can start running. Clearly, my state-of-mind was changing, even before I could admit it to myself. I have been a bike racer for so long it seemed foreign to want to attempt anything else. But the more I ran, the more I was reminded of why I loved this sport in high school.

So there's the back story; let's get to the race. Making this transition I knew I would have to choose my first few races very carefully. I knew longer races would suit my cycling legs better and a duathlon was an obvious choice while I worked on my swim. This is where a coach comes in handy. Sitting down with Holden and Jack, we discussed my strengths and weaknesses and came up with a good annual training plan and some key races, the first being a long duathlon in Alabama. It happened to be the National Championships, but that was really just an after thought. This was going to be a trial race to see how my legs dealt with the stress of run, bike, run; a combination I have never attempted. So the race was picked, the training was written and now I had to execute.

The first step is telling people about the event. (This is really only so I have to do it.) Verbalizing your goals makes them more real for some reason. I'd rather attempt and fail then tell someone I didn't try after I already told them I would.

Next was coming up with a race strategy. The race was a 10k run, followed by a 60k bike and another 10k run at the end. Holden and Jack helped me with the run and transitioning while Brian and Colin helped me with my bike. Even for coaches, we realize the importance of the coaching team. None of us can do this alone. We decided my bike would be the strongest leg and that I'd need to sacrifice some time on the first run to make sure I was fresh enough to ride fast. I'd even wear a foot pod to monitor my pacing on that first run. It's tough to LET people run away from you when you are competitive. But I knew I'd see them again soon.

The lead runners started fast. There were about 100 men ages 39 and under together at the line and many left me right away. I stuck to my plan and ran within myself, not digging too deep at any point. Even still I ended up running about 90 seconds faster than planned but I was feeling fresh and ready to get on the bike; but not before my first ever transition. I didn't think I did that bad of a job but at 1:17 seconds I was a solid 40-45 seconds slower than any of the other top competitors. This is not as easy as it looks from the sidelines. It takes some skill to move quickly through a transition.

On the bike I felt right at home. Working with Jack and Colin, we maximized my position on my Cervelo P2 to get me as aero as possible without sacrificing my strong cycling muscles. This means I had to be further back behind the bottom bracket than most other riders but I knew I needed to rely on my strengths. So maybe I wasn't the most aero rider but this was an acceptable sacrifice. Three laps of an out and back course gave me lots of opportunities to pass lots of riders. With so many racers on the course though, and the Pros and 40+ groups starting 10 and 5 minutes ahead, respectively, it was hard to know my real competition. I was amazed at how quickly 60k was over. Breaking it down into 10k sections and trying to match my power for each of these legs kept me focused. The only problem was at the end I knew I had another transition to deal with.

Transition 2 wasn't as bad a the first. I was under a minute this time, but not by much. I was pretty shocked when I arrived and only one bike was hanging there. (Actually there were more bikes but each race had its own section for transition so I knew any bikes around me would be from other 39&Under competitors. Could I really be in second? I headed out on the run course, trying to pace myself, talking to myself in my head over and over like a mantra. "Second would be incredible for your first race, just don't get run down by the guys behind." Not a very proud moment for sure. I joked with my brother, Aaron, who also competed, that I was afraid to have someone close to me at the end of the race because I wasn't sure if I'd be tough enough to do what was necessary to beat them. Racing within yourself is one thing but competing head to head at the end is something else. That has nothing to do with fitness or training and more to do with who is willing to risk more and I was beginning to let the fear in, not thinking I had the guts to take any risks near the end. These are the thoughts running through my head at this moment. Not, "go catch first place," but rather, "run for your life, you are literally getting chased. Don't get caught."

Thankfully, I didn't have to worry about it. Our plan had worked. I gave up some time on the first run, made it up on the bike and was still strong enough to run a faster second 10k than the first. I caught first place at mile three and kept on going. After he was out of sight I was able to coast in for the last 2 miles for my first ever duathlon victory. I had won my age group and had the best time of any racer 39 and under. Only 3 40+ racers and 3 pros went faster. I had a great day where everything went perfect (except for maybe my slow-as-molasses transitions).

It wasn't until standing on the podium, receiving my award that I began to add up all the people I needed to thank for helping me. It truly takes a team to achieve success, no matter what you are attempting. There is a lot of sacrificing that needs to take place to do what we do and it wouldn't be possible without the support of family, friends, co-workers and coaches. Even the whole community at Cadence was integral to my success. Getting advise and friendly words from so many people before and after the race makes me truly realize how special this little shop in Manayunk really is. So thanks to all of you.

Next up... swimming. I am not looking forward to this. Look for another post close to the Philly Tri. Only then can I truly say I'm a Triathlete!


Here is my race bike the night before. I chose the P2 over the P3 for the added headtube height. I'm not very flexible and it let me ride a bit more upright than the P3 would allow.

The Zipp 808 Carbon Clinchers were a huge benefit, saving me between 3-4 minutes on the 60k course. The Vittoria open tubular tires road superb and the natural skinwalls have a retro look to them on a very non-retro looking bike.

I fought it nearly until the end, but the ISM Adamo saddle was a huge key. I couldn't have stayed in my position for that long without it.

I also used a Quarq, crank based power meter, with a Joule 2.0 to track my average wattage and make sure I was staying consistent lap after lap. Add to that my Look Keo Blade pedals and I had no excuse not to succeed.