Geek Tech - Tribikes & Aerodynamics

Warning: This is gonna be techy and geeky as hell. You see, I'm really a geek at heart. Aside from doing math calculations during the run, I also enjoy playing Jeopardy, Trivial Pursuit and the like. I'm a Wiki whore, and often immerse myself not only in the history of things, but also in its science and art. Triathlon is no different.

I'm not at all an expert at these things. I am merely an enthusiast who loves the technical and scientific aspect of the sport - especially the bike. Let's start with Triathlon Bikes.

Aerobars does not a tri bike make. In the true sense, a triathlon bike is specifically designed to be ridden both comfortably and efficiently in the aero position (elbows on aerobar pads). Geometry is the main difference between a Road and Tri bike. The geometry of a Tri bike makes it easier to ride in the aero position. The main differences are the steeper seat tube angle (76-78 vs 73-74) and the shorter top tube, allowing the rider to be more 'forward'. Also, Tri bikes have shorter headtubes, allowing the rider to 'get lower' up front - for that more aerodynamic profile. Lastly, Tri-bikes tend to have a longer Front-Center (bottom bracket to front wheel axle), for better handling in the aero position.

Taken from Bikesport Michigan

Let's move to Aerodynamics. I'll avoid most of the technical mumbo-jumbo and try to site some real (triathlon) world dilemmas. On a flat road, drag makes up around 90% of the total rider's resistance. 80% of this drag is the rider, 20% being the bike. This means that practically speaking, aerodynamically superior bike equipment does not play as big a part as an aerodynamic position does. Simply put - an aerodynamic position will provide the most time savings. Of course, this assumes that the rider can comfortably stay in that position, generate a decent amount of power and safely steer the ship. The most aerodynamic position is useless if the rider is unable to either generate power in that position, or stay in that position. In these cases, some riders are better off riding a standard road bike, on the hoods.

Weight savings is another very popular topic when it comes to bikes. 'Lighter is better' seems to be the prevailing train of thought. Yes, in a world where I had a bottomless supply of cash, I would most probably build a barely UCI legal bike, with the most aerodynamic parts known to man, and the deepest wheels suitable to the bike course. But of course, that's not the case.

In a test Cervelo did, they pitted 2 bikes (22lb and 17lb) on the same 40km course with the same rider. They found out that the 17lb bike was ONLY 36 seconds faster over 40km. Pathetic, right?

That's the bike - what happened to the rider? Let's assume an 18lb bike, and a 160lb rider. Total weight = 178lb. This means that the bike is only 10% of the total equation. A 1lb saving on the bike, will only mean a .5% saving in overall weight. How much time will that 1lb saving get you over 40km? Around 4 seconds. Lose a pound yourself, and you've saved 4 seconds, and a couple of thousand bucks.

In a humorous, but very technically accurate article, Evan McFarlane explains how his relatively slimmer 'aerodynamic' ankles in fact, have twice the amount of time savings as a top of the line Cervelo P3 Tri Bike. Funny, but true.

So what really am I getting at? I guess what Lance Armstrong says is really right - 'It's not about the bike'. I say that every time I get passed by a 60 year old on a hybrid bike going up Antipolo, and every time I ogle at the uber bikes I cannot afford. Good thing I haven't gotten passed by that Selecta Tri Bike.

IM Proud

Let me start from something from my sister's blog:

---000------000------000------000------000---

He wasn't what I initially hoped for but I soon learned a little brother wasn't half bad. He was cute as a button and I loved teasing him until he cried, or bossing him around until he squealed. Then one day. Boom! He grew up. And I couldn't push him around anymore. No one could.

with LilBro and BigBro

Yesterday, I was up at six. The boys and I bought playing cards the day before. I promised to teach them Go Fish and Crazy Eight first thing in the morning. By 6:30 I had shuffled and dealt the cards. And then the mechanics. Tato argued that if he turned the card upside down the spade could be a heart. When did he turn into such a wise ass? I guess I didn't take into account little hands couldn't possibly hold the cards together. Or that four year olds look at everyone else's cards except their own. We did breakfast, moved on to puzzles then did a little TV when I needed to catch up on some work. Lunch followed then we were off to do what felt like a million and one errands. With the sun still up we managed more puzzles, more card games, then dinner. With MacDaddy away for the week , a slumber party for three in my room seemed like a good idea. We all piled in and called it a day thirteen or so hours later.

Somewhere under the scorching heat in Langkawi, Malaysia on this very day and in the time we managed to do all of that, the LilBro had one hell of a day. And I'm sure his began way before ours did. He must have played the scene over and over in his head. Oh and the hours he put in! Unbelievable. I kept tabs through his little cyber corner over here. That little boy we used to bribe to take his shirt off while dancing to Village People was hell bent on being an Ironman. I thought he was crazy when he told me he wanted to do this. But I also know something about people and dreams. And know you'd be crazier not to chase after a dream. And so like that package from Shopbop you can't wait to get your hands on, I tracked him down on the website like a mad woman.

keeping track

Swim? Check. Sigh of relief. Bike? Done. Can exhale now. Run? All done. I could finally sleep easy. Thirteen hours and fifty five minutes later he was officially an Ironman. Amazing. And really. He is.

For my brother, who makes me want to push harder.

---000------000------000------000---

My comment in her blog reads:

'Thanks Sann. Its the thought of you guys which really kept me going. There's an Australian Pro (Amanda Balding) who, like you is a breast cancer survivor. I met her before the race, and during the race, every time we crossed paths, we egged each other on. I thought of you and what you went thru every single time. You are the original IRONWOMAN Sann :) Luvya Guys!'

What most people don't know was that I had orginally planned to do an Ironman to raise some funds for my sister's iCanServe foundation. Not that they need any, or that I would raise much, but I wanted to race for something bigger than myself.

As for the race, well it was tough. The gun shot off at 7:45 am, with U2 playing, almost unexpectedly. The swim was out and back 3.8km along the coast. It was tough as we faced a current heading out, but took advantage of it coming back. I came out of the water pretty relaxed and ready for the bike leg. This is where I slowly began to realize why they call this race THE TOUGHEST SHOW ON EARTH. The sun was starting to come up, and the hills just kept on coming. There were 2 hills in each loop wherein I was on my last gear, standing up, grinding at 30 cadence, barely moving. Most of the age groupers preferred to walk their bikes up the hill. Those hills would be on my mind the entire bike portion.

At around KM120 into the bike, I was starting to gas out. My body was rejecting calories, and so I decided to pace down and eat less, hoping my stomach would settle. I persevered thru the heat and headwinds, and came off the bike in pretty decent shape (or so I thought).

Hot Hot Hot!!!

The run portion consisted of a 5 lap 8km loop, plus 2km to and fro the transition/finish line. Coming out of the crazy-hot transition tent, I began shuffling the first kilometer. About 2km in, there was a short and steep bridge, which I decided to walk. On the downhill portion, I had resumed my jog. However, I kept thinking how good that walk felt. The blisters I had on my feet were not helping matters -- I named them Titleist and Precept since they were the size of golf balls.

I stopped in every aid station, and showered myself with sponges and water. I could still take no calories, so I relied on water and some electrolytes. I made the first loop in just over an hour. The walk-jog then started turning into more of a walk as my energy dropped to a low. Soon after that's all it was. With more than 21km left in the race, I had given up. The race had won. It was then that I had resigned myself to just finishing the race.

This journey started with a silly 5k. I call it silly because back then, that's all it really was. As the story goes, I egged Hannah into joining a 5k race, and to make the decision easier for her I told her I would run with her. And so we ran (or jogged) the Mizuno Infinity 5k, and finished in a decent 32:30. Two weeks later, I found a reason to quit smoking - triathlon. I borrowed a bike, learned how to swim, and joined the AAV Sprint Tri. This journey started with a silly 5k, and ended with an even sillier 9k.

Hannah began walking with me, in what would be the final 9km of my Ironman journey. While walking, she read text messages from friends and family. It was then when I started to realize how important this was not only to me, but to my friends and family. I had swallowed my pride, slowed down to a walk, but I held my head up high. I ran the final km, thru the chute, straight into Hannah's arms. I had failed, yet I had triumphed.

Finally Over!

In my eyes I had failed utterly, but in others' eyes, I had done something quite extraordinary. I guess what I could take from this experience, I quoted in my last blog entry -- '...at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.'

I guess there really is no shame in walking...for as long as it is towards the finish line.

For my family and friends, who have taught me how to triumph in defeat.

'And if you say to me tomorrow
Oh, what fun it all would be
then what's to stop us, pretty baby
but what is and what should never be'
From Led Zeppelin's 'What Is And What Should Never Be'

Don't Stop

The past 2 weeks have been more than just 'taper' weeks. Last week, I visited my mom's hometown. I walked (and ran) the beautiful streets of Barcelona. During the first morning, fighting jetlag, I ran at 5:30 am in 1 degree cold, in the rain. It was awesome in a very, very different way. I also did alot of walking in leather shoes -- bad, bad idea!

The Sagrada Familia - Gaudi's masterpiece which has yet to be completed

During my flight, I finally finished the book Unthinkable by Scott Rigsby. It was truly inspiring, and the perfect read before my Ironman. In that book, I encountered a quote from Theodore Roosevelt which almost brought me to tears. It reads:

'It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.'

The journey has been an awesome experience. Although I was not able to train as long as I wanted, I still swam, biked and ran farther than I ever have. Yes, I swam 3.8km. However, I have not biked 180km and not run anywhere close to a marathon. I put in 5 good weeks of training, pouring in 8-10 hours a week. Not much by most standards, but quite alot for me.


This is the part where we're all anxious, wanting to do more when the program says rest, eat, sleep, rest, eat, sleep. Anxious, scared shitless, antsy, excited, proud...so many emotions and thoughts running through my head. I guess it will all quiet down once I toe the starting line. T minus 4 days and counting.

'Til then...

'Why not think about times to come,
And not about the things that you've done,
If your life was bad to you,
Just think what tomorrow will do.

Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,
Don't stop, it'll soon be here,
It'll be, better than before,
Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.'
- From Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop'

My Other Passion

My other passion has brought me halfway around the world to Barcelona, to attend the GSMA Mobile World Congress. This is not a shameless plug, I am really passionate about my work, and the industry in which it thrives. It's also the perfect way to forget the fact I'll be attempting an Ironman in less than 2 weeks.

Rewind. My passion for the Internet started way back in the late 80's/early 90's, when the world wide web did not even exist. Access to the Internet then was via direct dial-up (IDD), with a whopping 9.6kbps US Robotics Modem. The 'Internet' then consisted of Gopher Sites, and Usenets. Content was very limited but the idea of a web of networks intrigued me. Search engines back then were called Archie, Jughead and Veronica. Suprisingly, Jughead and Veronica actually stood for something - Jonzy's Universal Gopher Hierarchy Excavation And Display & Very Easy Rodent-Oriented Net-wide Index to Computer Archives, although they were chosen first for obvious reasons, then forced to be acronyms later on.

A few years later came the real Internet - the World Wide Web. By then, the US Robotics modem was a speedy 14.4kbps, and local ISPs were born. The Google then was Webcrawler or AltaVista. THE web browser was Netscape Navigator, years before Microsoft 'eased' them out in a very controversial way.



I was in highschool and began studying Internet programming as a hobby. I built my first website and got hooked. After college, I went straight into programming. Ever since, my work (and now social) life has revolved around the Internet.

Fast foward to 2010. The buzzwords here at the MWC are SmartPhones, 4G, Mobile Internet, Mobile Payment and Telco 2.0. I encountered some interesting products and solutions over the first 2 days.

What caught my eye (pun intended) was a quite amusing but very interesting product by NTT Docomo - Eye Controlled Earphones. Yes, you heard me right. Apparently, slight eye movements cause electrical differences which are detected by tiny electrodes which reside on the earphones. Volume control consisted of rotating your gaze as if it were a volume knob. Looking left then right meant a play/pause, and looking to the right twice meant next track. Wild eh? What's next?

Demo-ing the earphones

This afternoon, I caught the demo of the Windows 7 Mobile Phone. Finally, it looks like Microsoft got it right. The OS is based on the Zune platform, so it's more a Multimedia device than a Microcomputer...thank God. Who the hell wants to see that little start button on the bottom left corner in a phone? It was very Iphone-esque but added some cool features, like Wifi synching. They had a cool setup too, a giant touch screen which served as a phone emulator.

Sweet looking interface!

Other cool stuff were...

Team Highroad's Scott Plasma @ HTC booth


Team Highroad's Jersey @ HTC booth

Chicks at the CBOSS booth

Whoops! Back to work.

T minus 9 days and counting...

'Every year is getting shorter never seem to find the time.
Plans that either come to naught or half a page of scribbled lines
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way
The time is gone, the song is over,
Thought I'd something more to say. '
- from Pink Floyd's 'Time'

IMpossible? IM possible.

They did it. Why can't we?

Team Hoyt


Scott Rigsby - Double Amputee


Sarah Reinertsen - Single Amputee


Charlie Plaskon - He's blind.


Norton Davey - Completed Ironman at the tender age of 82.

Jason Lester - One arm didn't stop him. And he didn't stop at Ironman. He conquered Ultraman (2x Ironman Distance)

IMPOSSIBLE? IM possible.

'Now my body is starting to quiver
And the palms of my hands getting wet
I've got no reason to doubt you baby,
It's all a terrible mess

I'll run in the rain till I'm breathless
When I'm breathless I'll run till I drop, hey
The thoughts of a fool's kind of careless
I'm just a fool waiting on the wrong block, oh yeah
Light of the love that I found...'

- from Led Zeppelin's 'Fool in the Rain'

*Images taken from Google Images

The Journey Begins

It's been quite a while since I've last blogged. I have been busy in different ways over the past month. After the Powerade Olympic Duathlon last December, I was meaning to begin training once again. As most of you already know, I will be doing Ironman Malaysia next month. However, several bouts with dehydration, freak fevers and a really bad case of food poisoning stopped me from training most of December. I literally got rid of all the shit of 2009, as I celebrated New Year's tucked in my hotel bed, stuffed with everything from Ciprobay to Imodium to Probiotics, to even Po Chai (a Chinese remedy for diarrhea which looks like goat shit). I was desperate. 8 days later I recovered, and it took a while for me to get my strength back. Finally, last week, my Ironman Journey began.

I can't help but look back at 2009, my first real year of doing triathlons.

It began with my first Olympic Distance Triathlon back in April, during the Terry Larazabal Bike Festival. There were not many of us, but the bike route was very tough, and the run was hella hot! In that race I learned how pacing is key.

Sweating buckets, hoping to see the finish line soon at TLBF

About a month later, came SUBIT, my 2nd Olympic Distance Triathlon. Again it was hot as hell, and over 300 of us were crammed into the swim start, making it a true washing machine. It was a tough day, but for the first time, I was able to hit my targets. In that race I was able to pace correctly and find my rhythm...something which til this day I still struggle with. Equally important was the 'launch' of sorts of Team Super - my triathlon family.

3/4 of Team Super at the Lighthouse Marina Resort in Subic

Back in August was last year's biggest local race, Ironman 70.3 Philippines. We all had a blast, including my stomach which went south 3km into the run. In that race, I learned how important the 4th discipline in triathlon is - Nutrition.

With Macca, Ironman World Champion

Redemption was the name of the game for quite a handful of us, and that's what we sought after at WhiteRock in November. The run course was tough, and so was the heat, but all of us crossed the finish line with a smile on our face.

Surprisingly I still had some energy left to pull of my signature headstand at the finish

There were a handful of footraces along the way, like the Happy Run, Mizuno 15k, and my first (and still only) Half Marathon at Condura which were welcome breaks in training. There were also a few Powerade Duathlons, which were not only well attended, but were challenging in their own right.

2009 was great. Multi-sport, not only triathlon, is growing by leaps & bounds...its exciting. 2010 is here, and I can't wait.

And so my journey begins (or has begun last week). In 6 weeks I try to conquer the Ironman - a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2 marathon run. So help me God.

With the help of my one-woman support group Hannah, my training buddies Drew, Mer and Hec, and my senseis Levy, Harvie and Makoy, hopefully my journey will be somewhat enjoyable.

'Til then...

'You call me a fool
You say it's a crazy scheme
This one's for real
I already bought the dream
So useless to ask me why
Throw a kiss and say goodbye
I'll make it this time
I'm ready to cross that fine line'
-Deacon Blues by Steely Dan

Race Report - Powerade Olympic Duathlon

Remind me to NEVER AGAIN join a Duathlon if it is to be held near Baywalk/Luneta Park. Right now, the only thing I can think of were my close calls with a ton of ignorant passers-by. I'm sure I'm not the only one feeling this way as during the bike leg of the race, I was hearing Putang Inas left and right. There were two really close calls during my 2nd loop of the bike which almost forced me to quit, thinking that it may not be worth a crash since I'm about to begin training for a more important race.

Anyhoo, after the race I chatted with Tad Manas, one of the race organizers after and he shared the same sentiment, and promised never again to hold the race there. It was just downright dangerous. Thank God nobody got hurt.

Now to the actual race report:

The race was an Olympic-distance Duathlon, which consisted of a 10k run, followed by a 40km bike and a 5k run. I seriously didn't have any speed in my legs since I've been focusing more on building endurance rather than speed. My plan was simple - 'Piolo pace' for the first 10k, a decent bike, and whatever I had left for the last 5k.

As soon as the gun went off, a lot of eager beavers floored it. I tried to keep my cool and settle into a pace. At around 2km in, I finally settled with a group of 4. They eventually dropped out and I found myself running with Josh from Sunkist for the next few kilometers. The run was flat, and consisted of 2 loops (which I later verified to be 9.7km instead of 10km). I held a pretty good pace throughout the first run, and tried to save some energy for the remainder of the race. At a little more than 42mins, I was in transition.

A quick transition, probably because I had some 'pressure' - a film crew was filming my transition...thank God I didn't screw up...since I have a knack of doing that.

I was sporting my tri-bike for the first time, and so this would be a 'test' of sorts, since I am in the process of dialling in my settings. The bike was were all the action was. From tricycles, to families crossing the road, to ignorant bystanders, and oh...to a 'taong grasa' who decided to drunkenly walk across the road and plant himself in the middle of the street. Good Lord...this was THE WILDEST bike ride I have ever been in...and all of this happened in just over an hour.

I was so glad to be entering transition, knowing that I was safe. Usually, I dread T2..since it means the run is coming up...but in this case, I couldn't be happier.

Off to the 2nd run I was. Early into the 2nd run, I caught elite runner John Lozada who appeared to be cramping up. I maintained a steady pace throughout, and as I turned off into the finishing chute, Meyo Rodriguez (who dropped me with 2km left at WhiteRock) ran up beside me. He was gracious enough not to sprint me, as we crossed the finish line together in 2:18 and change.

Whew! That was tiring, in a different way. Dodgeball meets duathlon...that's what it was.

On a side note, I'd like to make a plea to the race organizers - Let the age groupers race AS age groupers, and let the Pros race AS pros. They are in a different league...there is no doubt about that.

Happy Holidays!

Unthinkable

Unthinkable is a new book by Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to finish in the Ironman World Championships in Kona in 2007.

Unthinkable can also be used to describe what has transpired over the past few weeks...

About a year ago, I featured Scott in my little article called Who You Callin' Tough. A few weeks ago, I got an email from Scott saying that he had read my blog, and would like to send me his book. I was in shock. At first, I thought it was a prank. Anyhow, he asked for my address, and I gave it to him.

Last night, to my surprise, I received the book!

The book and the package

Handwritten by Scott Rigsby himself

A personal note. It reads:
'Javy, Thank you so much for your support. All the very best on your 'Unthinkable' journey. -Scott Rigsby'

Back Cover

Truly Unthinkable. Thank you Scott Rigsby!

Race Report - White Rock Half Ironman

I really didn't know how to start this report...perhaps a good starting point would be right after Camsur. Two bad things happened at Camsur - pacing and nutrition. I vowed I would try my best to stop these from happening again so when I resumed training post Camsur, I focused on my running. I did not want to walk again. Also, with the help of Harvie (Hammer Nutrition Philippines), I was able to improve my nutritional plan. Upon analyzing my Camsur race, I realized that I took in too much fluids, and possibly overhydrated. Lesson learned.

In all honesty, all my focus was on running better. I've read so many articles about race day performance, and all say one thing - THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A GOOD BIKE, AND A BAD RUN. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but I did. I began admitting to myself that perhaps I paced too hard on the bike in Camsur, which may have caused me to tap out early in the run. So in White Rock, the plan was simple - A relaxed swim, a controlled bike, which would hopefully leave enough energy for a decent run.

Race Day came quick, and getting inked, all setup even quicker. Since there was very little of us, it was less hectic and more relaxed. For the swim, I decided to sit behind Harvie since he was a left side breather. The counter-clockwise swim posed a problem for most of us right side breathers.

The gun went off, and so did we. Right off the bat, I got stuck behind a group of Sabak boys. Got hammered and kicked a few times, and finally found some space. Rounding the bouy and heading back for the first of 3 loops was tough, since the sun was staring straight into our faces. I could not make out where to go, and tried my best to swim as straight as I could. Exiting the water for the first time, I spotted Harvie right ahead of me, and as we re-entered the water, I tried my best to keep at his feet. I did...for the next 2 loops..and we finally exited in just over 25mins...WHAT???? (We later found out that the bouys were stolen overnight and the course had to be redone and ended up shorter by 300-400m.)

Rolling out of T1

T1 went smooth and slow...I hopped on my bike, and I was off. Apart from passing Hiro, and Jomak and Kap Rayzon passing me...the first 60km was awfully lonely. I was riding solo with nobody in sight for almost 2 hours. At around 60km, Jumbo rolled up beside me, and I decided I would try keeping with him for the next 30km. We rode legally for the next 30km, and despite traffic in the last town, rolled into T2 in pretty good shape.

T2 was even slower, as I took time to put on socks, compression socks and my running shoes of course. Jumbo and I exited transition at the same time, and began running together. Our first few KMs went pretty quick, and without any drama. I was actually relaxed, and had a rhythm going...the complete opposite of Camsur. Then the hills came. On the first set of hills, I was able to keep up with Jumbo. However, on the second ascent, I began slipping back. Entering SBMA was a relief, knowing that we would have at least 7km of flats. The group of Makoy, Joyette and Matt were a pleasant sight as well. I made the run turnaround in just under an hour, and figured I was doing alright. I dared not push the pace knowing that I would have to encounter the same hills headed back.

Rolling into T2 with Jumbo of Tri-Clark

As I was exiting SBMA, Roy of Team Timex rolled past me. I tried to keep up but I was running out of steam. On the first set of hills, Amanda ran straight thru me. Again, I could not keep up. Little by little I was slowing down. I just kept telling myself 'It's only 5km left'. Heck, that was the longest 5km of my life. When the hills were done, there was about 3.5km left, and I was a dead man shuffling. In the last 2km, Meyo and Larry ran past me, and I could not stride with them. My pace was 8:12/km. Yes, that's close to a walk :P

Managing to Smile on the Run inside SBMA
Photo Courtesy of Ria

I entered White Rock and tried to surge (and look good for the crowd and my wife) but my legs were locking, so I shuffled along. I never felt so good to cross the finish line. I made it (again)...and this time it was better.

Finishing with a Smile...alot of us did.

Hannah had a gig in the evening so right after the race we had to drive back to Manila. We missed the party but I heard it was fun. Congrats to George for finishing first, and Jomak and Kap for their strong finishes. Congrats also to Roy & Jumbo for podium-ing in our age group - I hope one day I can stand alongside you guys. And congrats to all the others who posted great times - Levy (podium finish), Ting (Champion), JP, Erick, Hector, Harvie, and all the other White Rock Warriors.

Headstand at the finish
Photo courtesy of JC Pineda

Thanks to Hannah for forever covering the race. Congrats to the Extribe group for once again, a great race.

Weight and Motivation

It's that time of the year again...time for the dreaded Annual Physical Exam (APE). Last year, my APE was horrible. I was classified as Stage 1 Obese. I was well over 185lbs, ate very bad, drank quite alot of alcohol and smoked like a chimney. It was then when I realized I had to make a lifestyle change.

I started with boxing...and then started running because of Hannah. Part of that story is here. A month later, I literally and figuratively dove headfirst into my first triathlon. Since then I have been hooked. What started with a plan to lose weight and become healthy,has turned into somewhat an obsession.

My APE results came in last week, and it was not good. From being Obese Stage 1 a year ago, I was now classified as Overweight. I had high levels of LDL (bad cholesterol) which, as the doctor said, may lead to heart problems. He also said I should watch my diet and put in some exercise. This was not what I was expecting at all. After all the hard work and mileage I put in over the past year, I thought I'd be at least at the 'Normal/Average' range. Looking at the brighter side - I no longer smoke, drink...and I am no longer obese.

Oftentimes I find myself watching 'The Biggest Loser'. I guess you could consider it my guilty pleasure(aside from Dr. Love). I draw inspiration from the show, as I can relate with the hardwork that the contestants are putting in. My own 'Biggest Loser' Before/After is chronicled here. Just last weekend, during the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, the 2005 Biggest Loser winner, Matt Hoover, completed his first Ironman. Although he missed the 17 hour cutoff by just 3 minutes, He completed the distance. This is indeed an incredible feat for someone who lost half his body weight.


Another inspiring story at this year's Ironman World Championships is Rudy Garcia-Tolson, a double amputee (above the leg) and paralympic champion. After a great swim, he struggled to finish the 180km bike leg, and missed the bike cutoff. Unlike other above the leg amputees, Rudy chose to ride a normal bike instead of a hand cycle, which meant he had only his gleutal muscles to move himself forward. His quest to be the first above the leg double amputee to complete the Ironman ended prematurely, but he will be back.


I guess it is that time of the year...time to HTFU and work my ass off and try to be a BAMF like everyone else. I will be back, and at next year's APE, I hope to finally make the cutoff.

Race Report - Powerade Duathlon (3rd Leg)

This race report is going to be totally different, simply because it's not mine. As soon as the 3rd leg of the Powerade Duathlon was announced, I egged Hannah to make her debut in multi sport. She said she would consider, assuming she could do well enough in some key workouts which would indicate her being ready to tackle the 7.5km run followed by a 32km bike and a 3.5km run.

Fast forward 4 weeks later and Hannah was not only just finishing the event, but finishing strong. She strutted her stuff, 'chicked' some men and even managed to grab a podium spot, finishing 3rd in her age group.

I figured an interview of sorts would provide some insight into first timer's experience.

PositveSplit: How long have you been running?

Hannah: I've been running for 2 years. I started with a few minutes at a time, and eventually graduated to 5ks early last year. After a few 5ks, then came some 10ks and 15ks. Since then I have done 3 Half Marathons and a 25km race.

PS: How did you prepare for this race?

Hannah: Main workouts mostly consisted of brick (actually double brick) workouts, and runs off the bike. Since I was somewhat comfortable with the run portion, I focused on the run off the bike, since that was a totally new experience.

PS: Did you enjoy those bricks and double bricks?

Hannah: Most of them were tough, but the feeling and sense of accomplishment afterwards made it all worthwhile.

PS: What was you strategy for the race?

Hannah: The first run (7.5km), I planned to run in a steady pace, which is slightly slower than my 10k race pace. On the bike, I was nervous about riding with alot of other riders. I just planned on maintaining a steady pace. Once I was off the bike, it was a matter of just completing the last run with whatever I had left.

PS: What was the most difficult part?

Hannah: The last run. The sun was up, and it was already very hot. My legs were already fatigued from the first run and bike segment. Thankfully, I only had 3.5km left to run. I took advantage of all the aid stations and managed to grind it out.


PS: What was the best part?

Hannah: Suprisingly, I really enjoyed the bike segment. The last 50 meters to the finish line was also great. I also enjoyed very much the constant cheering coming from the circle of triathlon friends we have made in such a short span of time. (You know who you are.)

PS: Would you do it again?

Hannah: Definitely. Hopefully next time I could improve on my bike time and run times. Also, I hope I can learn how to confidently drink water whilst on the bike.



PS: Going back to running, what is your favorite running distance?

Hannah: None really. Each distance poses its own difficulties. Shorter ones demand a higher effort while longer ones push one's endurance. However, most of my runs range from 10-12km.

PS: What's next on the list?

Hannah: I hope to do my first marathon in the upcoming Condura Marathon in February 2010. I would have never imagined myself doing one. Hopefully this will be the first of many to come.

*Photos c/o PositiveSplit. (Finally!! Haha!)

Race Report - Ironman 70.3 Philippines

Finally Aug 23 had arrived, and everyone was pumped. I'm not gonna talk much about the other stuff like registration and other pre-race activities. The only thing I will say is that it was nearly perfect - Kudos to the production team for really putting on a show!

Fast Forward to Race Day

Surprisingly I got to sleep pretty well. I only woke up 2-3 times during the night, and lulled myself to sleep by playing the race in my head. By around 3:45AM, I was already up. After getting dressed and fixing my gear, I proceeded to have breakfast. I boarded the bus headed to CWC, and the next thing I knew was I was already getting inked.

We had already checked in our bikes and T1 and T2 bags, so there was nothing much left to do than pump my tires, put fresh bottles and do last minute bike checks. Shortly after, I proceeded to the lake and did a short swim warmup, and some light stretching afterwards. The energy in the start area was amazing, and so was the anxiety. After the Pros were introduced, 7am was looming and the race was ready start.

Swim - 1.8km

I positioned myself on the outside left, thinking that if I swam relatively straight, I would be taking the shortest route to the turnaround, which was around 600m away. When the gun went off, so did everyone. For the next 400m, it would be about finding space. Constantly getting tugged at the feet needs getting used to, and you must really have the patience not to let it affect your rhythm. Nearing the swim turnaround, I finally got some space and was working some kind of rhythm. Visibility was near zero (I couldn't see past my spearing hand), and so taking someone's feet was more difficult. Heading back, I found myself veering off course, most oftenly to the left. This was the same problem I had in Subic. I adjusted my rudder and voila...I started swimming straight (Joke!). The swim back was mostly uneventful, as I just concentrated on swimming as straight as I could and maintaining a good rhythm.

The Washing Machine Live at CamSur

As I got out of the first lake, I glanced at my watch and it read 23mins...right on target. A short jog over to the small lake, and I found myself trailing my training buddy Drew. This 2nd lake posed a problem, since it was a counter-clockwise swim, and I was a single side (right) breather. However, 50m into the swim, I had a eureka moment. The 2nd lake was a wakeboard lake, hence there were cables which pulled wakeboarders through the course. For some strange reason, the idea of following the cables (sighting it on my right) seemed like a good idea. I followed my instincts and proceeded to guide myself around the lake following the cables. It worked perfectly!

I exited the 2nd lake at around 35mins...a pretty good swim.

T1

I picked up my bag, entered the tent, sat on the chair and emptied out the contents. I had been playing this transition in my head for several times... Put nutrition in back pocket, put on headband, put on helmet, put on watch, put on shoes, put on shades....done! In the middle of all of that, a foreigner beside me was struggling to put on his tri top (he swam bare torso) and asked me for help - Note to self: It's hard to put on tight clothing when you're wet. I was off...

Bike - 90km

The bike leg was amazing. Kids lined the streets holding flags and screamed 'Go, Go Ironman'. It felt like the Tour de France! The support on the streets definitely pumped me up. Aside from the occasional cheers, I got the usual 'Hey Joe' despite wearing the Philippine Flag on my chest. Maybe now's the time to finally have that 'Tangina mo, Hindi Joe ang pangalan ko!' jersey made :P

Still happy entering T2

The course was an out and back, roughly 90km total. They said it was flat, and most of us believed them. As I approached the turnaround point, my watch read 1:17...I thought to myself...this could not be possible...I was flying! Then it dawned on me...we must have been going downhill or had a tailwind. Sure enough, a few mins later, I found myself grinding out...barely making 27kph. The way back was tough, but again, the crowds on the streets (some said there were 90,000 people) kept us participants going. Before I knew it, I was on the main road, with less than 10km left to T2. I was feeling great. I made it to T2 and I was actually around 5 mins ahead of my target.

T2

T2 was much less complicated. After racking my bike, I walked to the change tent with my T2 bag, which had already been positioned at my rack. I changed from cycling to running shoes, took off my helmet and replaced it with a visor, and put on socks. As I was about to exit, Drew came in. I decided to wait for him so that we could run together.

Run - 21km

Drew and I began running at a pretty good pace. However, around 10mins in, I had to stop to pee, and told him to go ahead. There was not a cloud in the sky, and reports said it was pushing well over 40 degrees. It was close to noon then, so I made sure I stopped at every aid station, pouring as much water over my head, and getting some water and Gatorade into my system. About 3km in, my stomach felt really bad, and it seemed to be rejecting something. I stopped and proceeded to the side of the road, where I ended up puking. Everything came out, including my breakfast. A member of Sunkist Tri-Hard, which I later found out was Sec. Noy Andaya, briefly stopped to make sure I was alright, and handed me a bottle of water. This gesture of sportsmanship is what this sport is all about - thank you Sec. Andaya.

Drew and I starting the 21km hot run

I knew I needed to recover somehow, so I started walking for a few KMs. Once I felt a little better, I managed to alternate between jogging and walking. My race had gone south, and I couldn't stop thinking about it. As I was ending my first loop, my wife screamed 'Dig Deep!'. I then realized that this was what I have been training for. I needed to just suck it up and make do with what I had left. I shuffled the remaining 11kms, quads dead and calves locked-up. I walked every hill, and took my time in every aid station. I wanted to make sure I made it home.

With a few mins to spare to break 5:50, I finally crossed the finish line. The last 20m, running through the chute, and hearing your name is simply amazing. The sense of accomplishment makes all the pain worthwhile. At the finish, I was greeted by my wife Hannah and my teammate Drew. It never felt so good to be done.

Ironman 70.3 Finisher

I'll end here and save the learnings for another blog. It was a great experience and I have to thank Hannah (for not only the excellent race pics, but for all the support) and my teammates, especially Drew (for pushing me in every single workout).

My facebook status says it all...




See you all again next year. It was a pleasure. Congrats to all who started :)

With 2007 Kona Champ Chris 'Macca' McCormack


With the uber photographer and race journalist

T minus 6 days to Ironman 70.3 Philippines

Today's training day consisted of just 7km, with plenty of hills and under the hot noontime sun. I figured a good way to prepare myself for next sunday's big race was to not swim, bike or run.

The beautiful view from Hole #1 from Wack Wack East Course

I have to admit. My game started rough. I dubbed my first shot, something which I have not done in years. I went on and managed to scrape a bogey on the first hole. I was able to gain some rhythm after that. My drives were decent, my irons were blazing hot, but my putter was ice cold. I made two birdies and managed to shoot a decent 79. Not bad at all for my first round in over 3 months.

For those who do not know me too well, I'm really a golfer trying to swim, bike and run. I come from a family of golf addicts. The kind of addict that head to the golf course during a typhoon, hoping the skies would clear out. The kind of addict that wakes up at 3 or 4am, to catch the Masters, British or U.S. Open.

One of the many ditches and water hazards in Wack Wack' East Course

Golf and triathlon are almost complete opposites. Golf is almost purely mental, and triathlon all physical. However different they are, they share some striking similarities. Golf has taught me so many things through the years, here are some which I'll be taking to next sunday's race.

• Relax and focus
• Concentrate on the task at hand
• Find your rhythm
• Make the most out of the situation you're in
• Play it smart
• Avoid taking unnecessary risks
• Enjoy

The Pagoda at the 18th hole

It took over 4 hours to complete the 7km, 18 hole course...lousy by any running standards, but a great way to spend a sunday afternoon. The work is done, and there's nothing left to do than relax and recuperate. Good luck to all those who will be competing in Camsur.