Category: cycling

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Endurance Nutrition: The Ideal Carbohydrate Concentration

As triathletes, we push our bodies to the limit, requiring optimal nutrition to fuel our performance during endurance races. Among the crucial aspects of race preparation, carbohydrate intake stands as a fundamental pillar. The ideal carbohydrate concentration plays a vital role in sustaining energy levels and enhancing performance. In this blog post, we delve into the science behind carbohydrate consumption and explore the optimal concentration for endurance racing.

Understanding Carbohydrates and Endurance Racing: Carbohydrates are the primary source of energy for endurance athletes. During prolonged exercise, the body relies on stored glycogen in the muscles and liver to maintain performance. However, glycogen stores are limited and need to be continually replenished through carbohydrate intake. Consuming carbohydrates before, during, and after a race is essential for sustaining energy levels, delaying fatigue, and improving endurance.

The Importance of Carbohydrate Concentration: Carbohydrate concentration refers to the amount of carbohydrates consumed per unit of fluid or food. It directly affects the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed and utilized by the body during endurance racing. The optimal carbohydrate concentration ensures efficient absorption and minimizes gastrointestinal distress, both of which are crucial for peak performance. The easiest way to calculate carbohydrate concentration is to divide the amount of carbs in grams by the amount of fluid in mL, then multiply by 100. Example: 50g of carbs / 1000mL of fluid = 0.05 x 100 = 5%

Finding the Sweet Spot: The ideal carbohydrate concentration for endurance racing is generally recommended to be within the range of 6-8% for beverages and 2-8% for gels, bars, or solid foods. This range has been extensively studied and proven to maximize carbohydrate absorption and minimize the risk of gastrointestinal issues.

Factors Influencing Carbohydrate Concentration:

  1. Race Duration: The duration of your race plays a significant role in determining the optimal carbohydrate concentration. Shorter races lasting less than 90 minutes may require a lower concentration, while longer races call for higher concentrations to sustain energy levels throughout.
  2. Individual Tolerance: Every athlete’s body is unique, and individual tolerance to carbohydrates may vary. Some athletes may experience gastrointestinal distress at higher concentrations, while others may be able to handle higher levels without any issues. Experimentation during training is key to finding your optimal carbohydrate concentration.
  3. Environmental Conditions: Environmental factors such as heat and humidity can impact carbohydrate absorption. In hot and humid conditions, it is generally recommended to lower the carbohydrate concentration to facilitate better fluid absorption and prevent dehydration.

Experimentation and Practice: Discovering the ideal carbohydrate concentration for your body requires experimentation and practice during training sessions. It is essential to test different concentrations, fluids, and foods to identify what works best for you. Remember to consider your individual tolerance, race duration, and environmental conditions when fine-tuning your carbohydrate intake strategy.

Personally, I find that mixing my nutrition bottles to be 10% CHO concentration, and supplementing with electrolyte water based on conditions and duration of the event, works for me in most scenarios. I use 750ml bottles and add 75g of CHO to get that mix dialed. I also supplement with gels to bring up my CHO intake per hour, again using on course water to dilute the concentration. I try to take in 100g of CHO per hour on the bike, and closer to 60g of CHO on the run. Again, this is all highly personal and can change depending on what products you use, the conditions, and other factors such as hydration and sweat rate. It’s always best to test these things in training!

Carbohydrate Periodization: In addition to concentration, carbohydrate periodization is a technique that can enhance endurance performance. By strategically manipulating carbohydrate intake during training, you can improve your body’s ability to utilize and store glycogen, thereby maximizing performance on race day. Working with a qualified sports nutritionist or coach can help you develop a personalized carbohydrate periodization plan.

Exogenous Ketones: Another factor to consider, products like Ketone IQ from HVMN can be beneficial to endurance performance. That’s a topic for a future post, but in the meantime you can find more information here: HVMN The Science

Conclusion: Optimizing carbohydrate intake is a key component of successful endurance racing. By understanding and implementing the ideal carbohydrate concentration, triathletes can sustain energy levels, delay fatigue, and ultimately perform at their best. Remember that finding the perfect concentration requires experimentation, practice, and consideration of individual factors. With the right approach to carbohydrate intake, you’ll be one step closer to reaching your triathlon goals and unlocking your full potential as an endurance athlete. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out!

PB

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Open Water Swimming – A Skill Worth Practicing

“Why don’t I swim as fast in the open water as I do in the pool?” This is a question I hear all the time. You’d think that by adding a wetsuit, which is not only more buoyant but also faster than skin in the water, would make you even faster than your pool pace. And you’d be correct, it should. But open water is different than a calm lane at your local YMCA. It moves. Whether it’s a current, wind, the change in tide,… there are many factors to consider. Here are a few.

Turns/Walls

If you live in the US, you most likely swim in a 25 yard pool. And although most triathletes aren’t amazing at flip turns and underwaters, we still benefit from the turns. Not only do you receive a little break for your arms, but you also get to push yourself back up to speed off the wall, In fact, the push off the wall is likely the fastest portion of your swim across the pool. We certainly do not benefit from this in the open water. Something I often tell my athletes is that we are only as fast in open water as the slowest point in our swim across the 25 yard pool. Don’t believe me? Try getting into a 50 meter long course pool and see how you feel after 100m.

Glide vs Turnover 

In the pool, having a nice and long gliding swim stroke can be beneficial. You can lower your stroke rate, glide out front, and really focus on being long and efficient in the water because the only thing slowing you down is the water in front of you. You can see the lane line at the bottom to assure you are swimming straight, and there isn’t a current pushing you one way or the other. In open water, aside from a rare extremely calm day, this is not the case. The water moves and you can’t rely on a long glide that produces dead spots in your stroke. I find that for most athletes the key to a faster OWS is to increase their turnover. The best way to do this is the eliminate the time spent out front, reaching and pausing. Instead, I encourage them to get into their catch as early as possible. As far as I’m concerned, the more pulls the better when in open water. The worse the conditions, the more-so this rule applies.

Race Specificity 

Whether it’s a beach start, Aussie exit, mass start, or multiple looped course, spending some time doing practice that is SPECIFIC to your event will benefit you greatly. Also it is more than likely that your competitors did not take the time to do this, giving you a big advantage and level of comfort during one of the more anxiety filled parts of the race.

Ironman 70.3 Oceanside

Body Position 

If the swim is wetsuit legal, a huge benefit will be a natural improvement to your body position. However, this does not mean you can just throw on the wetsuit and magically see huge gains or an easier movement through the water. Your balance is going to be completely different than when you are swimming in a pool without a wetsuit. So you’re going to need to adjust how you hold your body in order to make sure you are using that benefit to swim faster, rather than to simply not kick or rotate. Practice in the open water with a wetsuit is key to dialing in this body position.

Sighting 

That’s right, there is no lane line at the bottom of the lake, river, or ocean you are swimming in. One of the main reasons people tend to swim slower is due to zig zagging their way from buoy to buoy. Sighting is a key factor in not only swimming straight to cover the minimum distance necessary, but it’s also a crucial part of what could be slowing you down if not done properly. Sighting the buoy should be incorporated into your swim stroke in a way that has minimal effect on your body position. However, lifting your head is always going to drop your hips. So how you return to a balanced body position after the sight is key to maintaining speed. I like to have athletes set a rhythm with their sighting, maybe every 6-8 strokes depending on the conditions. This is also something you can practice in the pool, which I highly suggest.

Practice

As they say, practice makes perfect. You can’t expect to show up on race day and do something that you haven’t done in training. Even the best of pool swimmers need to spend time in open water to learn the skills necessary to translate their talents to the race. Swimming in open water is not an easy thing to just jump into. It can be scary for beginners and dangerous when solo. I highly suggest getting someone who can provide support via a kayak, SUP, or boat. Even better, join a local group that gets out for open water swim training regularly. Our athletes at Team PBC swim together nearly every week at one of Madison’s local lakes, with a coach on deck for tips, drills, training direction, and safety. If you’re interested in joining or learning more, contact us!

-Coach PB

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2020. The PBC Recap.

Well, we all know that 2020 was a tough year. For some, it was very difficult with sick family members, lost businesses and jobs, social isolation, and more. Covid-19 was not something many of us ever planned for in our lifetime. Right as Covid-19 hit the US I was about to travel to Mexico for a 70.3. Without much knowledge about the virus or how the rest of the year would play out, I made a tough decision to stay home and not travel.

Personally, after that I went through so many different emotions as the new reality started to become difficult to deny or avoid. I found myself hoping it would just go away. In fact, I can honestly say that much of the end of March and all of April I was pretty paralyzed in my response to the changing world. I didn’t adapt as quickly as I wish I would have. I woke up every single day and surfed the various news outlets, hoping for a miracle cure, or a drastic drop in positive cases. I was resisting the idea that this new reality could actually happen.

When May rolled around and everything continued down the path of canceled events, no social gatherings, virtual school, and virtual work, I started to realize that if I didn’t make some changes to my training, my coaching, and my attitude, I would spend the rest of the pandemic unhappy and possibly losing everything I spent years to build. I also felt a huge sense of responsibility to my athletes. I needed to be supportive, realistic, and find ways to keep them focused on the controllable aspects of their life and fitness. I won’t go into all of the details of how I worked through that with my athletes, but I will say that it was highly individual. Some struggled, others stayed very motivated. In some ways, the ones I thought would handle it best had the hardest time. When you have 20hr/wk elite athletes struggling to get out of bed for a workout, it’s not always easy for them to admit their momentary weakness. As a coach it was a balance between leniency, understanding, and accountability. We all truly discovered what was at the core of our motivation in sport this year. If that was racing, you probably had some mental hurdles to overcome. In the end, most of PBC was able to cling to the lifestyle of being an endurance athlete and could see the bigger picture far down the road. 2020 was one of those roads where you feel like the destination is never getting closer…. but if you’re enjoying the drive, it doesn’t seem to matter as much. Turn up the music and set the cruise control.

At some point, with the help of Kitty, I decided to create something for my athletes that could not be taken away or canceled. That’s where the idea of the PBC Triple Crown was born. We created a 3 race Sprint Tri Series for Team PBC athletes, based on variations of my favorite Race Day Events Wisconsin Triathlon Series courses. These were small events, 10-15 athletes, and had well executed COVID-19 safety protocols.

FAKE MILLZ (originally the Wisconsin World Championships in Lake Mills, WI) 

CORONA TRITERIUM (originally the Verona Triterium)

DEVILS CAKE (originally Devils Lake Tri)

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The series was a success in that it was fun, we got to test ourselves, and nobody got sick. It was great to get a bit of that “race feeling” back and also create little rivalries amongst ourselves to get the competitive itch. The distances across these events were pretty similar, so it was also good to measure some improvement in a low pressure situation. Most of all, it was just nice to be amongst the team and see everyone smiling and enjoying triathlon in its purest form. All athletes got a T-shirt and hat at the final event to commemorate the series.

When it was all said and done, we still faced many more months of shut downs, social distancing, and canceled events. We saw a few races go off in Florida, but overall there was nothing reliable to train for and still no confidence that we were nearing a return to “normal” anytime soon. We remain resilient and focused on the big picture of what our journey holds in this sport. Everything that we do today will help us tomorrow. That doesn’t change, even if there is no date on the calendar to test ourselves in a race format.

I’m grateful to my athletes for staying so driven and adaptable during these tough times. As an athlete myself, I know it isn’t always easy to get up and work every day when you don’t really know exactly what you’re working towards. As a coach, I’m very fortunate to have a high retention and head into 2021 with close to a full roster.

The lesson here is that you always have to be open to change. The ability to adapt is ever important. Whether it’s in life, training, business, or racing. We have to be able to make changes as the things we can not control change. Speaking of change… stay tuned for some exciting new announcements from PBC in 2021.

-Coach PB

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Steelhead 70.3

7th Overall. 3:55. PR at 70.3 distance.

As I sit here, with sore legs, devouring all food within 10 steps of the couch, I am thinking about my next moves. What can I do better in the next training block? How can I take that elusive next step (the one that keeps moving further away as I prog
ress)? How can I execute better at the next race? Wait, what is the next race? Wait. Woah. Slow down. Soak it in. I just went 3:55 in a 70.3. I just finished 8min behind a legend in the sport… the same legend I was 15min behind at the same race last year. When I started this sport this was unimaginable to me. Hell, in 2010 if you told this 5:55 70.3 finisher that he would go 3:55 and finish 7th I may have asked if the swim was canceled and the course was shortened. And if not, how could I not be top 3 with a 3:55?!?! The sport has definitely gotten faster. And so have I. And I am right now, in this moment, appreciating that and this entire journey. I truly love it. The training, the lifestyle, the whole entire process. Failures, injuries, triumphs, and all. What a ride! And I still feel like it’s only really heating up. I hope everyone has the awareness to occasionally pause and really be satisfied with their accomplishments before moving onto the next ones, or beating yourselves up about the things you can do better. 

Race Recap:

Swim-29:57.  Lake Michigan was calm, unlike last year! And it was wetsuit legal, unlike last year! Despite this, I had my slowest swim of the year. I just had one of those days in the water where I could not go hard. Nothing felt right. In Chattanooga, when I came out with the 2nd group, I was able to put in hard efforts to close any gaps and then settle in whenever on feet. This time all I had was 1 gear. It was solo, other than the guy on my feet, the entire way. When I got out and saw 29 high I was disappointed, but not devastated… entering T1 I was very happy to find out the leaders were only (haha) 3.5min up, which meant the swim was slow for all due to the current. Usually a near 30min swim would mean a 7min deficit to the leader. Praise be.

Bike- 2:06:12. Even though I felt so weak during the swim, I got onto the bike and immediately had one of those moments where you want to loudly yell “ohhhhhhhh babyyyyy, I got dem Golden Legs.” But I just whispered it instead. I felt great. I rode steady at what ended up being 4.3w/kg for the first ~20 miles and it truly felt so good. Controlled and sustainable, although I would never find out if it was. By mile 25 I had moved from 19th to 7th and was now with a group of 5. Being with a group was a first for me. Once there, I went to the front immediately and continued at my watts only to be passed back by Blake Becker who rode hard at the front for the next section. It was him and I back and forth for a bit to the turn around, but honestly more Blake at the front to that point because I decided the smart thing to do would be to stay the legal distance and get a little break from the hard effort to bridge the nearly 2min gap in the first 20 miles. Once we saw the 2nd group at the turn and we knew where we stood things got a bit more organized. Jesse Vondracek, Blake, and I did our best to keep the pace going to minimize the gap to the next group. When at the front I would ride 4.5w/kg only to look back and see everyone still there. Riding away was not going to happen on this course, with no real wind. So working together seemed like our best bet. Meanwhile, 2-3 others just sat on the back, which is fine because it may have been all they could do that day. I also knew that within that group Jesse would be the biggest threat on the run, as he has been running about as fast as me in the previous few races we’d been in together. At the same time, this group was out of the money and 4min back from the 2nd-6th place group. That was going to be a tall order on the run, so we needed to hold the pace and try to claw back a bit. Sparing all the minor details, we rode well on the way back in, legally spaced, with a moto official in the group the entire time.

 

Run- 1:15:46 I lost half of my bike nutrition (because I dropped it at an aid station like an airhead). So in t2 I slammed a gel and a bunch of water. Out of t2 I was shoulder to shoulder with Jesse, which TBH I was not super pumped about right away. The last thing I wanted to do was get into a 13 mile battle with someone. I sort of wanted to just get away and suffer alone… weird I know. I also knew that 6th was about 3:30 up and that I would need a fast run to have a shot. So I went out pretty hard, and after 1 mile was by myself. Things were rolling fairly well for awhile. No leg numbness or hip issues, which I’ve been dealing with all year, and the gap was coming down. At mile 6 I was 2min back from 4th. By mile 9 it was around 90sec to 5th and 6th. With about 5k to go I was in the hurt box… bad. I sort of wanted Kitty to tell me that they were out of reach, because then I could just focus on getting to the finish. But instead she told me I was 1:07 down to 5th and 6th and I let out a pretty loud “F$@K!” because I knew it was doable and I knew it was going to REALLY REALLY (really) hurt. So off I went, deep into the land of self inflicted physical pain and mental self bargaining. Now with 2 miles to go I could see them for the first time. I dug deep. Thinking “up onto the toes. Leg speed. Go to the arms. Grind it out.” Mile 12 now and the gap is closing more and more. “Ok, stay on it. They have mentally settled and they don’t know you’re coming.” Obviously they are running slower so maybe they will get sloppy. And then the dreadful heavy dead leg feeling set in. The one you have when you are dreaming of running and no matter how hard you try you can’t go fast. The harder you try, the slower you go. Then I knew, it was over. Close, but no cigar. 7th place. 34 seconds out of 6th. 37 seconds out of 5th. 

As always, I couldn’t do this sport without my support team. Kitty was helpful in so many ways this weekend, and everyday as I balance training, work, family and life. She said all the right things when I was out there racing (which is really hard to do) and provided me with the best race mantra I have ever used. Mark and Tina Buttner traveled down to watch and support me as well, which was above and beyond and it was great to see them out there and know they were pulling for me. Thank you guys! Of course, all of my friends, family, Team PBC (same) back home on the tracker. I think of you all often out there! Thanks for caring about my passion. Finally, a special thanks to my training partners who endure the day to day glamorous lifestyle of a pro triathlete with me, even if it is only for a session or 2 per week. You guys inspire me and make me believe.

Cheers,

PB

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2017 IMWI – Team PBC Results

What a year! 2017 IMWI did not disappoint, with great weather, amazing crowd support, and some excellent races by Team PBC. We truly became a family over the course of the season, grinding out sessions, training camps, and using each other for motivation ad support when times get tough. After months of preparation, everyone was ready to have THEIR best race.

Melanie Ott, running herself into 2nd 30-34. Kona bound!

Of the 7 of us that toed the line, 3 were first time finishers, 3 set Ironman PR’s, and 1 is going to Kona in 2018!!

Julie K with an impressive 1st Ironman finish.

The results speak for themselves. They are the product of smart work and hard work. Commitment day in and day out to get the best out of yourself. And an ability to execute under pressure. I’m so proud of these athletes!

Kona 2018

Our Team has a great group forming for IMWI 2018. But first we have a few more big races on the calendar for 2017, including IMKY, AZ 70.3, IMAZ, Madison Marathon, and more!

A few Team PBC athletes during an ice cream social ride, post IMWI.

As a coach, days like IMWI are the reason I do what I do. Seeing so many athletes accomplish their goals and learn more about themselves, it’s very rewarding to be a part of that.

 

Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI

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Winter Training Camp: RV in LA

Last January I was introduced to the great cycling in the Santa Monica Mountains by friend and athlete, Revere Greist. The riding there is absolutely incredible, with coastal views, great canyon climbing, and some excellent weather, especially when compared to January in Wisconsin. Revere and I had a great time riding, and he enjoyed being able to show me around a place he lived and rode for 3+ years. It was later in 2015 that we decided to head back again to break up the winter routine and enjoy the LA sun once again. This time I would be going for 2 weeks, the first 9 days solo, and meeting Revere and the rest of the Great Dane Velo Club P12 team for the final 5 days. Here is a little recap with photos of the trip:

My arrival at LAX was wet. The previous day LA had experienced some long overdue rain, only maybe a little too much this time. Some flooding closed certain parts of the highway and threatened my riding in the early part of the trip. Fortunately for me, the rain slowed after the first day and the weather was manageable. With my carry on and my bike bag I called an Uber and made my way to my AirBnb, which was the cheapest AirBnb you will ever find in Brentwood, CA… a 1979 RV parked one block from where OJ Simpson “didn’t” kill Nicole Brown Simpson. Very classy.

Yeah, this thing was awesome mainly because of how bad it was. The slant made it impossible to stand in with cycling shoes. Peeing in the bathroom required aiming far right and letting gravity do the work. Sleeping was always a decision of whether to elevate  my legs or my head, as well as trying my best to convince myself that a plywood mattress is good for my back. It became clear that this RV was strictly for sleeping. The rest of the trip would be spent either training or working in a cafe.

After settling into the RV, building my bike, and learning my surroundings, I was in full training mode. Because cooking in the RV was nearly impossible I was going to need to find a way to eat, and eat a lot, on a budget. That isn’t easy in LA. I was able to find an IHOP a mile away that became my morning hang out for the next 8 days. For $6.99 I was able to get 2 eggs, 2 bacon, hash browns, and all you can eat pancakes. Such a deal. Especially compared to the closer cafe that was $15 for 2 pancakes and $6 for a latte. Every morning I woke up, rolled out of the RV, made my way to IHOP, sat in the same booth, and ate as many pancakes as I could to fuel the day. By day 3 they knew my name. Potential sponsor?

After my IHOP breaky it was back to the RV to jump on the bike. I ended up doing a lot of riding, especially for this time of year. It was hard not to ride that much when you know back home its 50 degrees colder and the trainer is calling your name. I was fairly smart about how much intensity I would do each day in order to not overtrain and get sick or injured. It can be easy to over do it and end up sick halfway through the trip. Also, I wasn’t just riding. I did a fair amount of trail running no San Vicente Blvd and swam every evening. The PALI pool in Pacific Palisades was my end of the day routine because I needed to keep up the swim volume AND the RV shower was not an enjoyable experience… so I finished with a swim every day. Oh and now I know why some people shave in the pool locker room… Maybe they live in an RV too.

My home each night. Awesome to be swimming outdoors in January.

The coast after a nice mid January ride. So great to soak up some sun.

The Trek Emonda SLR did the job on some big days of climbing. 8ooo feet of elevation on this sunny day.

Post ride coastal bike shot on a cloudy day. Always taking some time to look around and take it all in.

Without getting into the gritty day to day details, that’s about it for the first 9 days. I woke up, ate pancakes, rode my bike, ate more, ran on San Vicente Blvd, ate Whole Foods hot bar, swam at PALI, ate Chipotle, and fell asleep around 8-9pm on a plywood bed in an old RV. It was awesome. Training was going very well and I was able to maintain a pretty high volume, especially on the bike. Then, the GDVC guys arrived. Ready to go!

One of the best parts about being out here again was that I could compare fitness from this January to last January. It was very motivating to see PR’s across the board on every climb I had done in 2015. Including an 8min PR up Full Latigo Canyon Climb, going 38:11 on day 10 of the trip, and my 3rd time up Latigo that week. That was one of the highlights for me. On a coaching note, PBC athlete Revere Greist came out flying on day 1 with a great climb up Latigo in 36:45. That’s 20th on the Strava leaderboard… out of like 6000… without a pull or a group… behind the likes of Levi Leipheimer and many other pros. Sorry, but this was a proud coach moment for me. Any local Strava users know how strong Revere is. He practically owns this area in terms of KOMs and he is still getting better at age 42. Revere has been an athlete I’ve worked with for just over a year and it’s been great to see the gains and the way his cycling continues to evolve. He’s a great example of what hard work, dedication to the plan, and strong coach-athlete communication will do for your fitness and reaching goals.

Unfortunately on day 2 of the camp Revere had a low speed slip on a slippery descent during a large group ride and left some skin on the road. After lightly tweaking his hip flexor and some road rash he still was able to stay with us and ride strong the rest of the camp. John K in the background proving that when the sun’s out, the tongue’s out.

The rest of the lads, John, Julian, and Dave all rode really well. We all took turns throwing punches up climbs as one by one we all dropped off, in different orders each time, really going at each other to ride hard to each summit. “Young Julian” really gave Revere and I a taste of punishment on the Fernwood to Saddle Peak climb, forcing us to ride upwards of 360w for 15mins or so (on day 4 tired legs!). Thank God we called a truce before the false flats!

Here’s a shot up the backside of Stundt as we rode through a foggy mist up in the clouds, about 10mins after Young Julian had me keeled over my handlebars gasping for air.

By day 5 (my day 14), we had enough of the punishment and road pretty easy-moderate up the PCH to Big Rock. Revere survived the crash, John was fighting a cold, Dave was heading home, Young Julian handled the verbal punishment that comes with being the baby of the group, and I was pretty toast. 75 fairly flat miles doing some pace line work was exactly what I needed. We ran into Caitlyn Jenner at Starbucks in Trancas (what an athletic specimen), that’s my 1 celebrity sighting. After the coffee break we had a serious conversation about a 25 mile Uber ride home. Instead we just relaxed for an hour or so and soft pedaled back. Good decision.

Trek Emonda SLR DA9000 Di2 Bontrager Aeolus 5 D3 TLR. Seriously, if you want an awesome ride, check out Trek Bicycle Store of Madison now.

Our group met up with another couple Madison area cyclist, Narayan Mahon and Rod Duncan, who were out there for their 2nd January trip to LA. Revere cooked a nice dinner, we had some laughs, and talked about our riding. Good times!

And that about does it. I caught a flight back to MSN after 14 days, 720 bike miles, 55,000 feet of elevation, 67 miles of running, 36,000yd swimming, 20+ pancakes, some good friends, great memories, and an awesome start to 2016. 

Thanks for reading. Happy training!

Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI

 

 

 

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Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Suffering

The streets of Madison have been sprinkled with happy cyclists logging unexpected and welcomed winter miles. We have had a number unseasonably warm days so far this season and our science friends are calling 2015 the warmest year on record.

That all ends today, as we are being hit with our largest snow storm of the season to date. Fortunately, we are able to move training operations indoors. I coach a number of athletes who work at Trek Bicycle HQ in Waterloo, WI. It’s about a 30 minute drive through the country and the only traffic jam you’ll encounter en route is the occasional tractor. I’ve been lucky enough to coach cycling classes for Trek twice per week this winter again. Not only do they know about bikes, but they know how to ride them. Even indoors. I must apologize to the Train Dirty class, which follows my cycling class, as they are routinely left to work out in a hot, stinky room full of puddles of sweat (we clean up, I promise).

My non-Trek coached athletes have had the pleasure of enjoying 2-hour indoor cycling sessions at Paceline Indoor Cycling in Madison on Sunday mornings at 9:00am. One of these athletes recently posted his ride to Strava and titled it “Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Suffering”. Sounds about right. They are a tough group.

We’ve been putting the miles in at the pool and taking some off-season time to really focus on technique and drills. Swimming in groups has been beneficial and we’ve pushed each other to finish sets when it just sounded better to go home and eat more Christmas cookies. I recently invested in an underwater GoPro camera, which I’ve used to film athletes and evaluate stroke technique. It’s been well worth the investment.

Lastly, PBC water bottles are in! Get your hydration situation in order for the 2016 season. Email patrickbradycoaching@gmail.com to purchase. They are $5 each.

Happy New Year to all. 2016 promises to be the best season yet.

 

Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI

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Inspired

Spots for the 2016 Team PBC Ironman Wisconsin roster are filling up. Every day I continued to be more and more inspired by people’s stories, commitment, energy, and drive. 2016 is going to be a great year for Team PBC and I’m already looking forward to team camps and training sessions. Furthermore, I’ve had a number of athletes commit to doing Ironman Wisconsin in 2017! I feel so fortunate to be a part of this journey for so many inspiring and motivated athletes.

A handful of spots are still open for the 2016 Ironman Wisconsin roster. I’m offering a special from now through the end of September. Any athlete who signs a 12 month contract will receive a discounted monthly coaching price, a free 1 piece PBC tri suit, a free PBC t-shirt of your choice, and a free PBC hat.

See you all soon,

Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI

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Ironman Wisconsin: Spectate the Right Way on Race Day

Ironman Wisconsin is truly a unique event. It’s known for a beautiful sunrise mass start, an incredibly hilly bike course, and thousands of enthusiastic fans. It’s always been one of my favorite venues. I won’t be racing this year as they’ve eliminated the men’s pro race (women’s will be back for 2016) but I will be out there spectating and cheering on Team PBC. I have confidence that my athletes will nail it on race day (missing a few from this pic)!

I was recently fortunate enough to be interviewed by Discover Wisconsin and was given the opportunity to blog about spectating Ironman Wisconsin on their The Bobber. Enjoy!

IRONMAN WISCONSIN: Spectate the Right Way on Race Day

Triathlon is a rapidly growing sport in the state of Wisconsin. Google will tell you that there are nearly 30 triathlon races in Wisconsin in the month of August alone. Every year new races pop and established ones fill quicker than you can change a flat bike tire.

Ironman Wisconsin is perhaps the most well-known triathlon in the state and also the longest with a 2.4 mile open water swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run. That’s a total of 140.6 miles as triathlete’s bumper stickers across the state will proudly remind you. I’ve toed the line several times on hot September mornings (it’s the 13th this year) to measure up against the competition at Ironman Wisconsin. This year I won’t be as they have eliminated the professional race in this venue. The silver lining of course is I get to enjoy the race as a spectator. I’ve raced or attended this race every year for over a decade so sharpen your pencils and get ready to take some tips from a pro.

Here are my top 5 ways to win the day as a spectator at Ironman Wisconsin.

On your way into town stop by Waterloo, Wisconsin and visit the Trek Bicycle Company. Weekly tours are led by enthusiastic employees Wednesdays at 10:00am. Guests can drool over championship bikes in the lobby and atrium and feast their eyes on those of the future in the race shop and the custom paint booth. Many triathletes will race Ironman Wisconsin on bikes hand built in the Trek Factory in Waterloo, WI.

Photo cred: Trek Bicycle

Write these times down:

  • Colectivo Coffee on Pinckney St. opens at 6:30am on Sundays.
  • Sunrise on race day is 6:35am.
  • The race begins at 7:00am.

Here’s your plan: Get yourself a fresh brew from Colectivo Coffee, a trendy little café located in an historic building in downtown Madison and loved by local cyclists. Then follow the pedestrian traffic to the rooftop of the Monona Terrace where you can watch the sunrise dance across Lake Monona in front of a crowd of excited racers and spectators. The nearly 3,000 Ironman Wisconsin athletes start en masse as the gun goes off and it’s a beautiful sight to see.

  • OLD SAUK PASS AND TIMBER LANE, SOMEWHERE IN THE COUNTRY BETWEEN CROSS PLAINS AND MADISON

So 112 mile is a long way to bike. If you look at a map you’ll see athletes leave the Monona Terrace and weave their way out of the city towards the fair town of Verona, do a loop, then do it again before heading back to transition. I’m often asked about where the best place to watch the bike portion of the race is and my answer is always Old Sauk Pass and Timber Lane. This stretch of road is the longest hill on the course and athletes get to do it twice. Watching from this location is nice for spectators because you’ll see your athlete two times and they will be going a bit slower than average so they’ll likely see (and hear) you. Having fans in this location is great for athletes because you’re likely in the pain cave and a familiar face might be all you need to get through it.

  • STATE STREET, MADISON WI

One of the best places to watch the run is on State Street. Athletes do a half marathon loop twice and go up and down State Street both times so if you stand still, you’ll see your athlete run past 4 times. The street is closed off to vehicle traffic and lined with spectators sipping frosty beverages and snacking on unique Wisconsin treats such as cheese curds and popcorn. The race finishes between the State Capitol and the Monona Terrace so from the top of State Street it’s a short walk to the finish line.

On the other end of State Street you’ll find the Memorial Union. This gem of a hangout is another local favorite. On any given summer evening you’ll be hard pressed to find a seat but the scavenger hunt that ensues to find one is worth the pay off. On race day athletes will run right past the Memorial Union as they exit State Street and trudge up the only real hill on the run course. After you’ve cheered your athlete on grab a pitcher of tap beer and enjoy people watching and a glorious view of Lake Mendota. If you stick around past sunset you’ll likely hear some live music. Make sure you don’t leave without a scoop of the Orange Custard Chocolate Chip Ice Cream. Sounds weird. Tastes amazing.

Ironman Wisconsin is an amazingly well-run race and is known in the triathlon community as one of the best when it comes to rowdy and supportive fans. As your friends and neighbors get ready to toe the line Sunday, September 13 make sure you’re putting in the recon work to make this your best day of spectating. See you out there!

Everything you need to know about the race can be found here.

Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI

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Team PBC: Season Update

It’s somehow nearly mid-July and if we take a moment to breath between backyard barbeques, bag toss, and s’mores, we realize that the triathlon season here in Wisconsin is a third over. Team PBC has had a busy little streak of success in 2015. It’s safe to say all athletes on the team have training days that test the will, which make the training days that don’t as sweet as apple pie. We’ve all had break-through moments mentally and physically. We’ve learned new things about the sport and ourselves along the way. Some of us have big goals looming in the latter half of the season such as Ironman Wisconsin or earning a professional license in the sport. Here are some mid-season highlights from Team PBC:

We have had a number of age group wins, podium finishes, and a handful of overall wins. Notably, Team PBC pro triathlete Molly Woodford took the overall wins at Lake Mills Sprint Triathlon and the Elkhart Lake Elite Olympic Triathlon. Keep your eyes peeled for her at Racine 70.3 in 2 weeks. Andrew Keily also took his first OA win in the Olympic Distance Wisconsin Triterium Triathlon. Earlier this season he finished Austin 70.3 with a time of 4:10:27, which was good for 5th OA age grouper. At that race he missed his pro card by just 19 seconds, but that just makes the journey even more worth it. Look for him at Age Group Nationals in Milwaukee this August.

Also racing at AGN will be Jen Anderson, who qualified for the race by dominating at Door County last season. Jen’s season is just getting started after a much needed early season break. We can’t wait to see how she measures up against the competition nationally.

Andrew Porn has had a competitive season so far, taking a few top 10 finishes and overall age group wins. He will also be competing at Age Group Nationals this August. The improvements keep coming as we approach his A race of the year.

Our troop of Ironman Wisconsin athletes includes Luke Gulbrand, Annie Hughes, Dan Perkins, Austin Kazda, Walter Langkau, and Jason Milesko. They have been putting in the miles and staying focused as race day approaches. They’re slaying minutes off previous PR’s in all 3 disciplines. We are nearly 2 months out and I cannot wait to see these athletes shine on race day. Come out and watch September 13th! Annie and Dan will be racing the Door County 70.3, and Jason will be racing the Racine 70.3.

   

Dana Kalina and Melanie Ott were new to Team PBC this season and we have loved having them as a part of group training sessions and out there competing at races. Both have had some amazing results including some AG podiums and top 10 OA’s. Dana has really started to turn heads with his cycling strength and now turns his focus to Door County 70.3 in just 2 weeks. Melanie is continuing to make gains across the board, and is 3 weeks away from Tri’ing for Children’s Triathlon.

Brandon Nguyen is just getting started with his race season, as he gears up for Pigman 70.3 and continues to progress toward Ironman Louisville. He will also be in Pewaukee for the sprint this weekend.

Dan Bradtke is in his first season of triathlon, he’s coming off of an Achilles rupture, and has still had some impressive results. Look for him next at Tri-ing for Children’s Triathlon later this month.

Our remote athletes are giving the Boulder community a run for their money. They’ve podiumed at a number of races and have more trophies looming in their future. Luke Gulbrand continues his impressive streak of great races as he prepares for his debut at Ironman in Wisconsin. Brandon Holm has become a very strong swim-biker, and as his run progresses will become very competitive at the front of the race.

We have a few athletes who have taken the 2015 season to focus on one sport specifically. Tyler Renk has seen his fastest ever 10k and quarter marathon times ever this year and our cyclists Dan van der Weide and Revere Greist have both had overwhelming success. Dan completed the Liege-Bastongne-Liege Sportive and is now rebuilding fitness after an injury from a crash. Look for him this weekend at Blue Mounds Classic Road Race and the Wisconsin State Championship Road Race. Revere’s highlights of the season so far were podium finishes in both the Time Trial and the Road Race at the Tour of Galena. He will be taking on the Blue Mounds Classic Road Race and is continuing to build his fitness for Cat 1 Masters Nationals in September.

Lastly, we have some promising new recruits coming on board for the end of the 2015 season and for 2016. We can’t wait to add their names to our roster and see them at team practices and races.

Best of luck to all of you out there as you Velcro up your cycling shoes and tighten your easy laces on race day… see you soon.

Coach PB
Cycling and Triathlon Coach, Madison, WI