ZenTri Podcast 243 - IronBaby 2013

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This episode is the crown jewel of the ZenTri podcast.  I record before, during, and after the IronBaby; ZenTri's annual self-supported Iron-distance triathlon.  

We started out with a 2.4 mile swim in "Lake Ironbaby".  It's a 25 meter community pool with no lane ropes, no lane lines, and even no markings on the walls.  It's like swimming in a white abyss; more challenging than you'd think!  155 lengths gets you 2.4 miles.  Six swimmers in that thing created a nice amount of open-water chop, making it quite a trip.  A good swim for sure.  

A quick check of the water with the Suunto Ambit2 before we started showed it to be chilling at around 68 to 69 degrees.  That called for wetsuits.  I thought it would be tough to do turns in one, but it wasn't at all.

A quick review of the racers and distances: Phil and I did the full swim, bike, and run. Matt, April, and Stacy did the half-distance.  Gary had IM Florida coming up soon, so he did the full swim, bike, and then ran a short while after he finished the bike to see how his legs felt.  

Alright, back to the race!  We all finished swimming around the same time and headed back to my house just two miles away to start the bike.

It's tradition to mark your lap count on the driveway with kids sidewalk chalk. It keeps you from forgetting which of the four bike laps or nine (yes, NINE) run laps you are on.

Athletes are required to self-support, so the easiest thing to do is put whatever you think you'll need in your own cooler for quick access.  Here's mine.

You can see small bottles of BeetIt beet juice in there.  They are kick-ass shots of liquid VO2 Max.  Love it!

I rocked a 12:35 finishing time, then gathered myself together enough to snap this blurry picture of Phil crossing the finish line.  Go, Phil!

I definitely wanted to go faster, but my stomach wasn't having it that day.  Gary, on the other hand, was setting a blistering pace on the bike and run.  If he went all the way, he would have smoked us!

Speaking of stomachs, I want to give a shout out to Freebirds Burritos.  They are the coolest burrito shop you could imagine and they brought lots of food for us and our families.  Here's a shot of the inside of their store on Rock Prairie Road for an idea of how crazy these folks are.

Amrita also sent a ton of their bars for us to use and hand out.  I should have eaten more of these on the bike instead of that gel stuff that made me queasy!  I'll remember that next time.  They taste incredible.

We had all this great stuff set up under a giant Specialized tent loaned to us by our local bike shop, Aggieland Cycles.  And then under that tent, we had a keg of ale sponsored by New Republic Brewery!  Talk about awesome!  Maybe I'll post more pics of that once we throw the HOA off our trail.  :)

Emily had a banner made up that hung from the tent.  We looked totally pro! Nobody is going to confuse us with Ironman, but I think Emily just found the edge of my comfort level.  I don't need any letters delivered by certified mail, if you know what I mean.  

While I was putting this post together, I stumbled across the picture of Kai and I podcasting together in 2005.  This wasn't too long after IronBaby #1.  

I really love that picture.  There is so much history going on in one shot!  

That wraps up the blog post, but there is TONS more in the podcast.  Make sure you check it out.  And a huge thank you goes out to everybody involved.  The IronBaby is a living symbol of what people can do when sufficiently motivated.  Keep. It. Up.

Ask Angela - When to Start Worrying About an Injury

We are honored to have pro triathlete Angela Duncan-Naeth host a Q and A series here on ZenTri. If you want her to answer your own question next time, send it to her on Twitter or leave it in the comments below. Here we go!

Question from @Drvanderad: "What's your process for differentiating b/t just a niggle & the beginning of an injury?"

Angela: Differentiating between 'just a niggle' and the beginning of an injury is a good question. Niggles can turn into something big. Even I still have troubles figuring this out! It's the days leading up to the niggle that you have to be in-tune with.

If something is sore, your body is telling you something. However, asking yourself if it's ok to train with the 'niggle' is a different question.

Most triathlete 'niggles' come from biking and running.

If I'm running and a pain or twinge starts I don't usually stop. I usually slow down, and assess. If walking eases it, I walk for a few minutes and then slowly progress again. If this doesn't change the feeling, I walk and call it a day. If it's something that seems to be bothering me, I typically take the next 2-3 days off running. This usually takes care of it.

I haven't had any issues on the swim/bike but the same type of assessment should be taken. Slow down, assess, try a different approach (ie. higher cadence, change of stroke/gear used in swimming).

If the pain lingers throughout the day or into the night, then an injury might be ensuing. Head caution. Less is best. Take the days off from the sport that is causing the issue.

Phil Maffetone, an advisor I work with gives a good definition of the two: 

A niggle can be defined as a twinge, ache, a noticeable feeling not quite right—as opposed to a definite pain or disability. Sometimes athletes who are sensitive to their bodies feel something ‘just not right.’ These are important symptoms to pay attention to (without becoming obsessed), and can be very meaningful when considered along with other aspect of the lifestyle (training, diet, stress, etc.). In most cases, those little niggles will disappear.

When these little symptoms appear, it’s usually because some subtle imbalance exists. It could be muscular, which is most common, or some minor microtrauma not noticed at the time it occurred. It might take the body a day or two, or even a week to correct the problem. Then the symptom disappears. If it persists, it could mean the body needs more time to fix itself. Or, it could mean the body is unable to self-correct and potentially it could lead to a more major injury.

You can find out more about Angela on her website and also ask her more questions on Twitter.

9th Annual Ironbaby is Sunday!

The Ironbaby is a self-supported iron-distance triathlon I've been doing every year since 2004. (Link to page here) While I do the full distance, others are invited to come do as much or little of it as they want. The two other full-distance finishers are @Triboomer (2011) and @Mchristian (2012), and we might add another to this list in 2013 - @KingOfPain.

I started doing this because my son was born prematurely and I was sent home to basically do nothing... for two months! I decided to show how hard I would work to save his life if given the chance, so I went out and did the hardest thing I knew - A solo Ironman. I had never done one before and it was definitely the toughest thing I've ever done in my life.

The next year, it struck me that this would be a great event to do annually. So I did it again and gave it a name - The Ironbaby.

The following year, I started promoting March of Dimes as the charity since they help with kid's hospitals. And then friends also started joining in! As the swim, bike, or run happens, other people can jump in and do however much as they want. It is now a giant endurance sports party!

A few years ago, we added Suunto, Freebirds and Aggieland Cycles as sponsors. And then New Republic Brewery joined in last year. This year, we now include Brazos Running Company.

So come by and join in on the fun! Who can pass up free beer and burritos while watching others suffer? If you donate to the March of Dimes, send me an email with how much you gave so I can keep track. Maps and more about the course can be found here on the Ironbaby's permanent page.

So you can get an inside look at how a self-supported Ironman comes together, I've included a live viewer into the planning document below. Keep your eyes on it and you will see items expand or get checked off over the next few days.

ZenTri Podcast 542 - Angela Naeth, Kona Review, and Identity.

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The amazing Angela Naeth joins us to talk about what it was like to race the epic Ironman Lake Tahoe.  She finished 3rd in the swim, 5th overall!  

I also do a full review of Ironman Hawaii, covering all the big players, the dynamics of the race, and how you can put to use what happened on race day.

Below is a video of Luke's post-race interview.  Most interesting is him talking about how he held back on the bike more than ever before...

Video streaming by Ustream

I also found the interview with the overall winner Fredrick Van Lierde particularly intersesting.  His goal wasn't to be first off the bike, but to be "the strongest runner of the strong bikers."  Very important words to remember.

Video streaming by Ustream

There is lots more analysis and tips in the podcast, so listen in to feed your brain.

Before you leave, don't forget to hop over to The Ironbaby page to check out the big event on Oct. 20th.  Donate to the March of Dimes at the link at the bottom of that page to get your name in the drawing for a Suunto Ambit 2 S!

ZenTri Podcast 541 - Jodie Swallow and Priorities

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I interview one of the top pro triathletes just before her Kona debut, Jodie Swallow.  She is one of the most competitive and driven professionals I have ever met, and it shows in our conversation.  

Also, I talk about the Zen view on Priorities.  What are they, how do they work, and how can you use them?

Links mentioned in the show - 

• Video of Jodie swimming freestyle.
• French guy swims butterfly across entire English Channel.

Intro music for Jodie's interview is "Hot Like Sauce" by Pretty Lights.

As always, stay safe out there until the next episode!