Journey 70.3: The Inaugural Tri Bike Ride

Cathy goes from wobbly to ROARING!

Someone in my Women for Tri online community recently posted:  Mother Nature must never have trained for a triathlon.  So many of us have been stuck training indoors this winter and early spring.  Finally, with a forecast for near 70 degree temperatures on Saturday, and after 2 months of being restricted to riding my Tri Bike on the trainer, I declared this is the day I’m going to do my inaugural ride on my birthday present.  Here’s how it went:

I feel like a kid just learning to ride a bike again.  I am excited and nervous at the same time.  As I’m getting ready, I hear the WPLJ radio DJ Jayde honor her mom the first award for Women Who Roar – she just turned 60 and is getting ready for her first triathlon in Miami after being inspired by the “Iron Nun”, Sister Madonna Buder, who holds the record for being the oldest person (of men and women!) to finish an Ironman at age 82.   I think back to my previous post how Katy Perry’s song roar provided the inspiration during my first Olympic distance race:  http://swimbikerunsurvive.blogspot.com/2014/10/westchester-olympic-triathlon-eye-of.html .  I am inspired to get out there and ROAR!

I make my husband, Mike, put the bikes on the car and drive a mile to a dead end flat street where I can practice first.  The landscapers have blown debris all over the road so after a brief ride, I say the hell with it and just go on the intended route, a recently paved, wide road with rolling hills where I intend to do 2-3 loops. 

First Loop:  I’m wobbly getting down and up in the aero bars.  I’m not sure I can balance right shifting unless I’m in the aero bars.  My husband, out on his tri bike for the first time this season, admits the first ride out for the season always reminds him it’s different than a road bike.  I’m cautious going down the hills, wanting to stay up right and on the brakes.  But phew, I did it without crashing.

Second loop:  I’m getting the hang of this!  I’m still a little cautious on these downhills but I have the feel getting up and down in aero and shifting in either position.  I stay in aero more.  And is it in my mind but this road, which I’ve ridden many times on my road bike, seems easier.  Is it the bike?  Is it all of the winter interval TriDot training?  Probably both.

Third loop:  I see Mike, and he’s surprised I want to do a 3^rd loop.  I stay aero the whole time!!

I finish.  I feel like a kid again who has just learned to ride a bike for the first time, just like my Tri friend Stephanie’s 8 year old daughter Jos was doing at the same time.  Stephanie who promised her a new bike for her birthday if she learned to ride her current bike, says, “guess like all us, new gear inspires!”

Jos goes from wobbly to ROARING!

Jos gets a new birthday present!

Whether we are 8, 50, 60 or 82 we can keep learning new skills and finding our personal best.  And we can keep ROARING!

Journey 70.3: Here’s what happened with TriDot’s Preseason Project

TriDot predicts my potential race times

 As I stated in my Journey 70.3 launch post, smarter training is a key goal and necessity as I attempt a longer distance.  Once I signed up for the Atlantic City Half Ironman last fall, I needed a plan but was a little unsure where to start.  Most race plans start 16 weeks out but I knew I should start building a base and training differently with more intervals instead of mindless training.  As marketing has gotten very targeted, it’s not surprising that the TriDot preseason training program showed up in my facebook feed around the time I was trying to decide what to do.

TriDot uses big data and analytics to dynamically build a tailored training plan for each athlete. 

Their Preseason Project (PSP), which kicks off 4-5 months before the race season starts, is a “season-long triathlon training study designed to measure and improve training efficiency. It measures the incremental performance gains achieved through TriDot's triathlon training optimization.  Actual training and race data are used to determine triathlon race ability improvement between athletes who used TriDot and those who didn't (the "Baseline"),” according to their website.

To qualify for the 2 months of free training as part of the PSP, you have to have done at least one previous triathlon and be training for an Olympic, Half Iron or Iron distance race.  Since I qualified, I figured I didn’t have anything to lose as there was no obligation to continue.

The start of the program can be a little overwhelming as you get yourself set up in the system, and figure out the language of their training plans.   One friend of mine opted not to proceed after looking into it.  TriDot does make their advisors and coaches readily available to answer questions and their facebook page has many athletes asking questions and getting answers that apply to all.

It helped on the swimming that I had some prior coaching so the drills and routines made sense to me.  The running drills were new to me but over time they repeat so once I knew them, I didn’t waste as much time watching the videos.  I’m still debating whether or not I like the strength training routines – sometimes I replace the workouts with my Iron Strength exercises that I know by heart and feel work my kinetic chain better, but I was needing some variety beyond that.

Many people who participate in the program are well equipped with high end watches and bike power meters.  A training advisor told me it wasn’t mandatory for me to have all of this – it is advised to have a heart rate monitor so you can train within the prescribed HR zones.  With my focus having been on my tri bike purchase, I still haven’t gotten around to getting a new watch or heart rate monitor and have been going on perceived exertion based on having gotten a feel for my heart rate zones when on treadmills and exercise bikes with heart rate monitors.  I will turn my attention to this purchase next – and intend to still keep it basic.  Since I’ve been making improvement gains, I think I’m doing ok without the fancy gadgets.

I recently concluded my participation in the PSP, and here’s what happened:

1)    I went from 4 hours of training/week to 6-8:  I became motivated and excited to increase my training.  With a plan in place each week, I got better at planning out my week and fitting in more training.  Each workout provides a variety of intervals in different zones making the time go faster.  I receive the workouts via email and the user friendly app.

2)    I went from overwhelmed to confident:  As much as starting something new was a little overwhelming at the start, I was even more overwhelmed without having a plan.  Since TriDot tells you exactly what you need to do, you just follow the plan and don’t waste time figuring it out.

3)    I got fitter:  Usually this time of the year I gain a few pounds.  This year I maintained my weight and turned some of that excess fat to muscle.

4)    My slightly arthritic knees actually feel better!  I was concerned what added training would do to my knees.  The program allows you to select 3 levels of volume depending on your time and competitive desires.  I selected the lowest volume option due to time and being a middle age athlete not wanting to overdo it.  The volume seems perfect – it’s getting me to move more frequently at levels that are actually making me feel the best I have since first experiencing knee issues.

5)    I got faster!  The objective of the PSP is to build your functional threshold, which TriDot says will have lasting benefits and is harder to build than your endurance, which is easier to build but diminishes more quickly after reducing training.  Once I enter the race preparation phase, I expect workouts will get longer and focus more on endurance but for now, each workout focuses on intervals of short distance with rest periods in between.  I believe they are following the same philosophy in the IronFit book – most gains are achieved by training in a combination of Zone 2 and Zone 4/5.  Many athletes train in Zone 3 but that doesn’t build your functional threshold – your ability to go faster for a longer period of time.

My TriDot scores improved in each discipline!

Just how much faster did I get during the 2 month Preseason Project?

·      400 Yard Swim:  9:23 to 8:32

·      200 Yard Swim:  4:32 to 4:06

·      5K Run:  29:30 to 26:43

·      Bike:  96 to 112 Watts  (my bike assessments have been under different circumstances so a little hard to tell but this difference is the one I have that is apples to apples)

So now I’m a paying TriDot customer!

Journey 70.3: The Triathlon Bike Milestone

My bike fitting with enduranceWERX

I got the bike!  After debating for the last few years if I should buy a triathlon bike, I finally took the plunge.  I was recently reading an article how a triathlon bike purchase is one of the big milestones in a triathlete’s life – CHECK!

Many of the race courses I ride are hilly and technical so that is one of the reasons why I haven’t opted for a triathlon bike to date.  But my first half in Atlantic City is a flat course and since I need to pick up speed on the bike, it seemed like the right time.  And with the big birthday looming, the perfect “new gear milking scheme”! 

Shopping for a triathlon bike was a different experience than a road bike.  To begin with, it’s best to start with the bike fit, rather than end with it.  Starting with the fit will make your shopping process much easier as you will quickly narrow down which bikes will best work for you, and it will lead you to the best possible aero position, efficient pedaling, comfort, and injury prevention.  I think it’s best to find a bike fitter who is completely neutral to brands, which means they are probably an independent operator.  Most bike shops throw in the fit with a bike purchase at a certain level, which has some appeal, but you will then feel an explicit or implicit obligation to buy from that shop that may or may not carry the right brand for you.  You can expect to pay $350 - $400 for a bike fitting in the metro NY area, which should include the initial fitting, consultation on bike purchase, and subsequent tune ups.  It may or may not include bike assembly for an online bike purchase.

In the NY area, there are a few independent bike fitters:  1) ACME Bicycle Company owned by Jonathan Blyer, who was recommended to my husband Mike from a fellow triathlete, and where he went for his fitting and would recommend Jonathan.  Since I didn’t want to go all the way to Brooklyn, I researched fitters closer to us in CT.  2) Signature Cycles in Greenwich, CT would have been the closest option for me.  I had remembered seeing them at an expo a few years ago.  However, when I spoke with a person on the phone and described my long leg, short torso body composition, he immediately recommended a Specialized which I thought was odd since it seemed like we should be talking fit before any brand.  I saw later that Signature, which used to be brand neutral, now has a partnership with Specialized so I felt they could be too biased.  3) enduranceWERX, owned by Chad Butts, has been in Harlem for some time, but he had conveniently recently opened a shop in Montrose, NY, about 30 miles from me.  After seeing good reviews online, I opted for Chad.

Chad, like some other fitters, uses the Retul fitting system.  He told me to come in dressed in my bike workout attire.  I soon saw why – you can get a mini workout just with your fitting!  Chad holds a MS in Exercise Physiology so he is very attuned to your body movement and physiology.  He first assesses your flexibility to understand what kind of bike position is going to be comfortable but also the most efficient.  He quickly pointed out how my right foot is naturally turned a bit, something I never noticed but now realize that is probably why that foot “feels different”, and I’ve come to realize the natural crossing of my legs with right foot over left has probably caused it.

The Retul system involves hooking different parts of your body to wires that track your movement, and there are 16 measures that the system captures your optimal position.  At the conclusion, Chad provided a detail report and explained I should search for bikes with a stack and reach range.  He also explained that some bikes are more adjustable than others, and given my body proportions, adjustability was going to be important.

Armed with my data, I began researching triathlon bikes to see which brands would be the best fit.  Unlike road bikes, it’s not like you can just walk into any shop and find bike inventory you can easily test ride for fit.  Still, while Mike successfully bought his tri bike online without a test ride, I highly recommend test riding to insure you have a good feel for the bike and fit.  When one shop told me over the phone, “well most people know what they want and just come in and order it”, I did not visit that shop.

Based on fit and budget, I narrowed my list of brands down to Cannondale Slice, Cervelo P3, Quintano Roo, and Specialized Shiv.  Finding stores with inventory in December proved to be a challenge, although not impossible – I just had to go to 3 different stores to be able to see and test ride 3 of the 4 brands.  But the snow, cold weather, and busy roads near some shops did present some test ride challenges.  I never did find a Specialized Shiv but since it’s pricing was higher than the others for the same components, I eliminated it.  I also eliminated the Slice – while the fact that they had a women’s version (which was basically just a different seat and handlebars) was appealing, the Cervelo and QR had more modern frames.

I thought based on brand alone, I would go for a Cervelo, but as I test rode both a Cervelo and QR, the QR felt more stable.  The Cervelo’s handle bars seemed a bit “jerky”, a topic that was discussed on a forum, although most people said you just had to get used to it.  QR’s website claimed different technology that added to the bike’s stability, but was it all in my head?  And since I had ridden a PR5 with Di2 technology side by side a Cervelo P2, was I comparing apples to oranges?  The QR PR3 was the bike that would be in my budget but was the different chainstay on the QR PR5 really adding to better stability?  I inquired with QR, and the answer I got back is that chainstay technology on a PR5 or PR6 makes a difference with larger sized bikes, but it wouldn’t make much of a difference on a smaller frame I would buy.

So I concluded the QR P3 would be the bike for me, and since Jason at Bonzai Bicycle in VA had been so helpful helping me compare the Cervelo and QR during our vacation travels, I was all set to order from him.  The day I was going to email him to put the order in, a one season used QR PR6 showed up on the Facebook site Tri and Sell It.  It was the same price as the new PR3 but with a lot of upgraded components and a carbon frame 2 models up.  And the seller was in CT!  I tried to temper my enthusiasm – the bike was a size 50 and the new one I was going to order was a size 52 so I didn’t think it would be the right size.  As I dug into the fit charts, however, there was some overlap in the sizing.  Chad thought it would still work and suggested I take pictures with me on the bike so he could further evaluate.

The seller, Linda, was located in upstate CT but was headed down to NYC that weekend so she graciously offered to meet me in Stamford on a Friday night.  But where could I possibly test ride it given the snowy, frigid weather?  Mike’s office parking garage provided the solution.  Linda is also my height but our body proportions are different but still when I got on it, it felt pretty good, and actually a better fit than the 52.  We took pictures and sent them to Chad, who confirmed with me the next day that it was a good fit.  Linda was heading back up to CT that night so we met again and I was the happy owner of a QR, PR6, a much better bike than I had expected! 

A couple of weeks later, I went back to Chad for my fitting.  He adjusted the seat height, position and made the handlebars more parallel but the bike was pretty much ready to go.  He did advise me to get a new clamp for the seat, which had been replaced from the original, but the clamp was the original and not the right fit for the new seat which could cause wear on the carbon seat post.  The guidance and advice of Chad has been very valuable!

The bike took Linda to her first Ironman finish in Louisville last October so we are both excited to see it take me on my first half Ironman journey.