Azalea Triathlon: 3%...that's all

This morning was the opening event of the 2011 IOSTS Series, the Azalea Festival Triathlon. I was not expecting much performance wise due to the myriad health issues that marred my 2010/early 2011 training. Unfortunately, the race matched these expectations. After an unspectacular swim, I proceeded to post an average T1 and follow up with a mediocre (though extremely painful, 'genitalia against the vertical surface') bike ride, a pedestrian T2, and an especially unimpressive run for 45:29 and 3rd overall. Taking into account the truncated bike course, I am about 1:10 slower than last year, a 3% discrepancy. Though in reality a significant gap, 3% doesn't look like much on paper and I am confident that with further consistent training under the guidance of the genius Dave Williams I will not only reattain but exceed my fitness from last year.
As for specifics, the swim felt smooth and based on the testimony of a credible witness and local swim guru, my technique looked good. T1 was hampered by my futile attempts to pull on soccer socks which I had fashioned into arm warmers, a pursuit which I abandoned as I reached my bike. Over the following twenty two minutes I proceeded to flog myself and flood my screaming muscles with lactic acid, fueled only by two pieces of toast, a gel, and God (the latter obviously making the difference). Coming into T2 I pulled on my extremely flashy Nike Mayflies and lumbered onto the run course. Lumbering is the best word that comes to mind when I attempt to quantify my run effort; I had developed an all too familiar stitch under my ribcage stretching across my stomach on the bike and running exacerbated it to the extreme. As a result my pace really suffered. My legs had more to give but once again i found myself limited by 'stitching'. TMS-IOS stud Brad Perry posted an extremely impressive 44:08 for 2nd overall behind the equally (okay, slightly more) impressive 43:34 put up by that infamous lion of the golden locks, Matt Wisthoff. Matt, can't you find some ITU race to do instead of showing us up in the nondrafting stuff? Please? But I digress. Another notable performance was that of a new TMS-IOS addition, Mark Carey, whose 46:00 was good for 5th overall. On the ladies' side, speedy Amie Krasnozon of TMS-IOS (who should really adopt the title 'Krassy,' because it is pretty classy. If you are reading, A.K., please consider this when you get your new uniform) ran a blazing 19:26 to earn 2nd overall female, 1st open female, in 51:11, with teammate Tara Flint (whose 19:41 was also quite an impressive run split) claiming 2nd open and 3rd overall in 52:29. Setup Events also deserves applause for another astoundingly well put together event. They never cease to amaze me with the quality of their productions. Finally, a shout-out to my good ol' Pops, who volunteered in transition and did it well. He will be getting after it himself at next weeks' Quintiles Marathon.
Though I am not yet at my best, I am encouraged and motivated by the upward trend of the past weeks' training. I am so thankful for the privilege of participating in this great sport and community. Every time I race I thank God for creating the marvel of nature and the human body, and for allowing me to experience and test these marvels when race.

Video: Chapel Hill Triathlon 2009

Thanks to "Mu-ma" and Father for filming everything I do and taking pictures.

My (ugly) swim form

My swimming is super slow these days. But I'm working on implementing the form changes that Dave WIlliams suggested, so I am confident that things will get better. Thanks to my good ol' Pops, I can now publicly humiliate myself with this video of me swimming- or rather, drowning with restraint.

(Random)- Just what I do in history class

Just what I do during history class...nothing to do with triathlon whatsoever, haha

Anemia sucks

Fatigue- a seven letter word which poses the ultimate paradox of the endurance athlete. Though we embrace its sting as confirmation that we are effectively pushing our limits, excessive amounts impede both progress and peace of mind. Indeed, such levels of exhaustion are all to common thread among today's endurophites, and the culprit is often more than simple overtraining. Though rest is undeniably beneficial, it does not offer a complete solution for much of this demographic. The true problem lies deep within our capillaries, where the magical process of oxygen transportation is being inhibited by insufficient iron.
Unfortunately I can attest to the effects of anemia. I started the season feeling strong and testing my limits, but by mid spring my performance had begun to fall off. After a couple of months of stubborn persistence, I finally accepted that I was overtrained and cut back my workload. However, this was not enough. The summer yielded more subpar results. When fall rolled around and ushered in a new cross country season, I thought that my problems were over. This was not the case. I finally visited my pediatrician and discovered that I had depleted my body's iron stores.
The ease with which we can fall into the clutches of anemia is frightening. The diet of an average health conscious American falls short of meeting their body's daily iron requirements. Even if they consumed the suggested amount of iron, it is likely that only 10% of it would be available for effective use. Finally, consider that the endurance athlete depletes ferratin stores at an extraordinary rate when subjecting his body to the rigors of daily training, and we have the perfect storm.
Now that you have been effectively frightened by its imminent danger, how are you to determine if you have anemia? The only conclusive proof comes from a blood test, but there are several classic symptoms. Lethargy, irritability, decline in performance, dizziness, and a pale complexion all point to iron depletion. Many of these indicators are also red flags for overtraining, but overtraining itself can often lead to anemia. However, it is prudent for any athlete training at a high level to get checked whether they are experiencing these symptoms or not. The amount of iron required for optimal function deviates by individual, but generally endurance athletes should strive for the higher end of the recommended range. So don't be surprised if your test only shows a slightly low iron level- just a few points can make an enormous difference. Because of the discrepancy between individuals, it is best to establish a baseline during the offseason when you are feeling fresh and the training load is reduced. Ask your doctor to check your hemoglobin and ferratin levels, and then get them retested approximately every four months during the training cycle.
Whether as treatment or a preventative measure, all endurance athletes should optimize their diets to combat iron depletion. Iron sources can be classified as either heme or non-heme, with heme being the most readily absorbable. As a general rule, any animal products are heme, while fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains are non-heme. This puts vegetarians at a distinct disadvantage, although it is still possible for them to meet iron requirements. When taken with iron, vitamin C promotes absorption. So an omnivorous athlete could eat a steak with a side salad including tomatoes, while a vegetarian would opt for fortified cereal with orange juice. Supplementation is also a wise precaution. Take iron tablets once a day with vitamin C. Finally, exercise patience; it takes six to eight weeks for significant change in iron levels to occur.

Jr. Elite Nationals- Bad race? Maybe. Learning experience? Definitely.

I was very fortunate this weekend to get to travel all the way to San Diego, CA for the Jr. Elite Triathlon National Championships. This would be my first draft legal race. I am so thankful to God, my family, my coach Dave Williams, my TMS-IOS teammates, Traingle Multisport, Inside Out Sports, Paul Sullivan of Winskins and so many others for this opportunity.
The eighty best triathletes between the ages of 16 and 19 lined up Saturday morning along a pontoon for the start. The pontoon was sinking from our weight! The swim was like a UFC match. I was shocked at how much I got beaten up and I barely had a chance to sprint. Before I knew it I was off the back in like 60th place still being beaten to a pulp. After the initial 200 meters I started moving through the field and passing people to get out in 18th. I was almost a minute back of the leaders. I really attacked the bike and bridged to a group of two. We killed it for a couple of laps going like 30 mph. At the end of the 3rd lap we caught a group of about 8 or 10 guys. The bike was scary- really technical course on bumpy roads strewn with sand, dirt, and puddles from the light rain. I had to murder myself because I couldn't corner as fast as the other guys, so I kept falling off the back after every turn and had to sprint to catch back up. Eventually I started attacking before the turns, getting dropped because I cornered so slow, and catching back on. I kept getting yelled at by other guys- one guy said 'Don't be a hero'. Apparently I was spending too much time pulling. I worked hard to keep the pace high and chased down a couple of late attacks which split the group. Coming into T2 I collided with another athlete and went down. Then I missed my transition space and had to double back. The first half mile of the run I was really slow because of a serious stomach cramp. I was having trouble breathing but it went away eventually. I never gave up and reeled in a few guys to finish in 12th place. I made a lot of mistakes which just means I have a lot to to learn and thus a lot to improve on. I'm not going to get discouraged or give up on my ITU triathlon goals because of a poor performance in my first draft legal race.

Here's the top things that I learned (or knew but experienced for the first time myself):

1. The swim is really violent.
2. Being able to sprint fast the first couple hundred yards is critical.
3. The bike can be very hard because of all of the sprinting and people yelling at you.
4. Technical skills are critical- you have to corner really fast,
5. If you don't you end up sprinting too much to catch back up.
6. Work as little as possible on the bike. 'Don't be a hero.'
7. Come into T2 in front of the group or you will run into other people and fall.
8. Run like its an open 5k race- forget about the swim and bike.
9. Be super aggressive all the way through.
10. Attacking and surging is important on the run to break people.
11. Never give up.
12. Accelerate after turnarounds.
13. Transitions make or break the race.

Now its time for a fun vacation with the family before gearing up for XC season- I have a lot of running to do because I've only been doing about 20 mpw...
Until next time,
Train smart and race hard!
Mason Boyles

YMCA Camp Thunderbird Triathlon at Lake Wylie

Yesterday my family packed up and embarked on a brutal drive, which included at least one major detour due to faulty directions, to Charlotte's outskirts for the Lake Wylie Triathlon. It seemed like it would be a relief to get to our hotel, but much to the dismay of everyone involved our room was akin to a furnace when we walked in. Clearly the hotel was struggling financially and they had either turned off or failed to repair their A.C. system. That made for a restless night...
I awoke after a "refreshing" four hour sleep on Saturday morning excited to race. This would be my first race in the awesome ITU racing suit that Mr. Cardoso at Inside Out Sports helped my parents purchase for me. Paul Sullivan at Winskins did his work well and when the suit arrived, the graphics looked even better than I had imagined they would.
I was taking a different mindset going into this race- typically I put an immense amount of pressure on myself to win, no matter how fast my opponents are. However, today I purposely tried to let go of external goals and just focus on racing my best. Even though Lake Wylie was a C-priority race for me, it was still tough to get over my desire to win. I knew that there were a lot of other fast guys racing today- my teammate Brad Perry, Kevin Lisska, Donny Forsyth, Joe Niccolini, Duncan Chapman, and many others, so it was critical that I change my outlook so that I wouldn't be disappointed if I got my butt kicked.
But I digress; back to the race. After an abbreviated warmup which was predicated by 90 degree temperatures (at 7 a.m.!) I got into the lake, which felt like a hot tub. Unfortunately, the open wave had to soak in the tub for twenty minutes longer than we were expecting due to the late arrival of local law enforcement who were officiating the event. When the gun went off I had barely gone 100 yards before my lip was sliced open by someone's stray foot. I tasted the blood ('a la' Bruce Lee) and got some extra motivation to move up. I found some feet and was swimming very relaxed until we rounded the first turn buoy and I saw the two leaders ahead. Deciding I could bridge the gap, I surged and caught on to Brad Perry's feet. I simply followed the train until I didn't turn sharply enough at the final buoy and lost the draft. However, I utilized some strategic dolphin diving to exit the swim in third, only six seconds behind Mr. Lisska and three back of Mr. Perry. I got through T1 quickly and got on to the bike course with the lead. Two miles in, I was still holding first place when I took a turn too fast- and fell. I was riding my road bike instead of my tri bike, so I felt comfortable cornering a little faster than usual. What I didn't take into account was the effect that using a borrowed disk wheel from my dad would have, and the wheel slid out from under me. I landed on my right side HARD... so hard, in fact, that I bounced off the ground and flipped over to my left side. As I would later discover, this earned me two holes in my beautiful new uniform, one on each hip. For a short time I was lying by my bike in shock. When I'd realized what happened I was up and screaming "OWWW!" repeatedly, channeling frustration more than pain as I jumped back on the bike, only to discover that my chain had come off. By this time Brad Perry had passed me for the lead. I hopped back off and put the chain on, Andy Shleck style. Unfortunately Brad Perry had shrunk to a small dot way down the road by now, but I wasn't ready to give up. I decided that I wasn't going to let myself have any excuses and that I was still very much in the race. However, I struggled to regain a rhythm until Duncan Chapman passed me a little over half way through. This caught my attention, and though I sat up and went really slow on all of the downhills and corners, I worked hard to try and reel him in on the flat sections and climbs. When I reached T2 I was about twenty seconds behind him and my mom called out that I had lost fifty to Brad Perry. After another efficient transition I had gained ten seconds on Duncan Chapman and I moved past him early in the run. The run course was not only about a quarter of a mile long, but relentlessly hilly and hot. It was nothing short of brutal out there and I really felt like I was jogging as I struggled against fatigue, a side stitch, and flawed form. Unfortunately, my run form is still very much a work in progress. I did some serious heel striking on those downhills and my torso was writhing back and forth like a Floridian retiree doing the boogie. I'm glad that there aren't any form judges in triathlon, because I was looking pretty ugly! I really wasn't very confident about catching Brad Perry, but after the two mile mark I could see that I was closing on him. When I passed him I was determined to make it final, so I decided to really redline for a bit and hopefully discourage him from trying to stay with me. I was able to get a gap and cruise home for the win. Brad Perry got second, Donny Forsyth was third, and Kevin Lisska was fourth.
In the women's race, my IOSTS teammate Stacey Richardson took first, Melissa Bell was third and Alysia Lovgren was fourth. Another impressive performance came from my brother Jackson. On a whim he decided to sign up for the race last week, despite having been on a twelve week hiatus from any cycling or running. He had a strong comeback race for first in his division and is looking forward to getting back to training again.
All in all, I gained a lot from the race today, my last this year in the excellent IOSTS series. I successfully overcame the (forty seconds or more) setback of a crash and I learned that perhaps I'm better off putting less pressure on myself; it certainly allows me to race more relaxed. This knowledge is a valuable tool to have going into Junior Nationals only three weeks from now! Its time to put my head down and hammer those last key sessions before the big day.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention my incredible raceday hairstyle...

Until next time,
Train smart and race hard!
Mason Boyles