2009 Got Energy Triathlon

Got Energy Triathlon
La Crosse, WI
June 14, 2009
Olympic Distance (1500m;40k;10k)
Matthew Amman 1st OA
1:59:27
S-20:33 B-57:58 (24.9 mph) R-39:11 (6:18 pace)

A car nearly killed me in this race. In the last half mile before entering T2, a car took a right turn across the closed bike lane right in front of me. I had only a few seconds to react by braking and swerving. It was not enough and I hit the bumper.

PreRace
Earlier this year when visiting our friends Travis Evenson and Paula Skoy in Onalaska, we saw that the YMCA puts on a local triathlon in June. Adrienne and I figured we would sign up as another excuse to visit friends.

We travelled there after work Friday with the dogs. Zero like usual hogged the back seat with Nika having to stand. They eventually worked things out so that both could lie down.

Saturday was fun. We went and watched Travis play in a softball tournament in Sparta and enjoy the chicken dinner the local Lions club was grilling. Yum. Afterwards, I put together the bikes and Adrienne and I went for a 30 minute ride to warmup the legs. I was hoping to get a swim in as well at the YMCA but did not have enough time. We had an excellent dinner at an Italian restaurant in LaCrosse.

Race
This is not a very big race. The sprint category had some 180 participants while the olympic distance had just under 70. The venue, Lake Neshonoc and Swarthout Park, was beautiful with perfect conditions.

Swim
The swim start was uneventful. I started up front and a little too far to the left. The first 200 yards was fast with some guy pretty intent on swim up and over me. He kept swimming up on to me until his hands were on my waist. Wierd. After a while I was out in front and pulled away. However, by starting on the far left I had trouble swimming straight and kept veering off to the left. I eventually made it to the turnaround buoy and started back to the swim finish. I exited the water in 19:XX with a 30 yard lead. Transition went smoothly.

Bike
I rode out of Swarthout park quickly and onto Hwy 16 where an assigned motorcyclist was my guide through the bike course. Upon reaching the first turn as we started riding through town (West Salem), the motorcyclist had some troubles and went around the first turn too slow. I nearly ran into him and had to swerve. It was not a good sign.

The bike course was mildy hilly but the road conditions were nearly perfect and there was no wind. It made for fast bike riding. I pushed fairly hard but was a little worried about tired legs. My training partner Scott had done a race the day before (Elkhart Lake Triathlon) and when we chatted on the phone after he finished the race, he told me that his legs were still trashed from our hard ride at Merton Tuesday and the hard run we did on Thursday. Nevertheless I seemed to hold up okay.

I led the entire bike course. The turnaround was a bit gravelly and I did slip a bit. On the way back I could see that I had a comfortable lead. Second place (Brent Sinn) was a few minutes behind.

As we got back to town, there were a few turns to manuevre through. For the last 3/4 of a mile, the eastbound road starting at Leonard Street was closed off to traffic with construction barrels. Soon after entering this area--the dedicated bike lane--the lead motorcyclist decided to vear off into the traffic lane. I thought nothing of it because he had problems when we originally went through this section. My other thought was that maybe he thought I could make it back to the park/transition area on my own--it was nearly in sight. So I forged onward in the bike lane.

Well, apparantly what was going on was that a car wanted to take a right turn across the bike lane, something I did not see, to enter a side street into a subdivision. To avoid a mishap, I either needed to come to a complete stop or vear left into the traffic lane behind the motorcyclist. Anyway, the car turned right in front of me giving me a just 10-15 yards to stop and/or swerve. I tried to swerve but knew I was in trouble. I was moving way too fast (+25mph). The driver of the car must of saw me at the last second because he tried to stop but was still moving when I crashed into the right side of his bumper. The collision was between his bumper and my crank/left pedal (nothing touched the wheels or frame). I went flying landing on my left hip and shoulder. The pavement was smooth so I slide maybe 7-8-9 yards. Immediately, I got up to assess the damage. Having witnessed Scott crash at Triple T a few weeks earlier, I was familiar with the routine: check body, check bike, make decision if to continue. Based on the rather small tear on my bike shorts I knew it was not as bad as Scott's fall. Some fingers on my left hand were badly scrapped plus some minor road rash on my left shoulder and chest. The bike seemed okay, the wheels still true, no visible cracks on the frame.

I climbed back on and biked back into transition. Checking over my shoulder, I saw that the motorist had pulled over to the side of the road and race volunteers were scrambling over to talk to him. Meanwhile, I was falling apart mentally. I was extremely mad and felt violated. Here I was pouring my heart into having a fast race and some car takes me out! When I entered Swarthout park with the spectators cheering me on, hidden behind my sunglasses were tears of anger and fear. I managed to rack my bike, put on my running shoes, and start running.

Run
Full of adrenaline, I managed to run strong the first mile. I was trying to put what just happened behind me and hold it together to win. As wanted, I kept my running stride short and pushed the envelope short of side-stich territory for the first 15 minutes. At the first turnaround I had what looked like another triathlete running me down. He was running sub 6 miles, me right around 6:25. Worried I kept pushing it and after 5K never saw him again (He must of the been the winner of the sprint triathlon.). At the start of the second loop, Adrienne was starting out on her first loop. She was running fast (nearly as fast as I). Upon passing her, I told her what happened. She thought I must of been fine with the pace I was holding.

On the second loop I let myself find my natural running stride. My pace seemed even and I even managed to push hard for the last mile. I never ran on the edge for risk of hurting myself even more. I crossed the finish line in 1:59:27.

Conclusion
Who was at fault? I believe we all were: the motorcyclist, the car, and me. While it's easy to point a few fingers, I'm just happy to be alive. The medical staff at the race did a wonderful job and wish to thank them as well as the race staff. They did their best to ensure a safe race and sometimes things just happen.

I'll be sore for the next few days and have to grow some new skin. I was hoping to race High Cliff Half-Ironman this coming weekend, but will have to spectate instead. That's okay. Adrienne is fun to watch.

La Crosse Tribune:
Got Energy Triathlon: Wife and husband sweep intermediate distance racesBy KIRK BEY | kbey@lacrossetribune.com.

WEST SALEM — Adrienne Amman smiled. The “debriefing,” as she called it, likely would take place on their three-plus hour drive home Sunday to Wauwatosa, Wis.

Amman could take great satisfaction in a job well-done. The Got Energy YMCA/Touchstone Energy Triathlon, a race she and her husband, Matt, had first heard about when they visited the area last winter, had been an enjoyable experience. Adrienne won the women’s intermediate distance race, which consisted of a nine-tenths mile swim, 24-mile bike ride and 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run, in 2 hours, 18 minutes, 53.6 seconds. She beat runner-up Maggie Fournier of Onalaska by more than seven minutes.
Adrienne Amman begins the swim portion of the Got Energy Triathlon Sunday as she runs into Lake Neshonoc in West Salem. PETER THOMSON photo

For Adrienne, it had been a day worth talking about. And the perfect person with whom to discuss it would be sitting in the car seat next to her.

Matt had had a pretty incredible day himself, winning the men’s intermediate distance race in a course-record time of 1:59:27. He had done so while doing the final leg of the race, the 10-k run,with an aching left hip. It was the result of a collision with a motorist as he approached Swarthout Park on his bicycle.

Matt simply was looking forward to icing his leg and getting some rest. But Adrienne was happy knowing her husband of seven years would offer his opinion of the day’s events if she asked.

“He’s my guide and my coach,” Adrienne said of Matt, who, like her, graduated from Middleton High School and the University of Wisconsin. “He tells me what I need to do with my training and I say, ‘OK.’ ”

It’s no wonder.

Matt, 32, has completed one Ironman triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, 26.2-mile run), the Wisconsin Ironman, last year in Madison, and plans to compete in one later this summer in Louisville, Ky. He’s a chiropractor with a hectic schedule — he has his own practice in Milwaukee — but he has a strict, 20-hour-a-week workout regimin.

Adrienne, 30, is a speech therapist at the Milwaukee Veterans Administration Medical Center who also has a busy schedule that includes between 16 and 17 hours of training a week. Even though Matt and Adrienne don’t get to train together often, days like Sunday when they both perform well are a great way to spend a weekend.

“This (competing in triathlons) is just fun for us. We keep it light and just try to enjoy it,” Matt said. “This is our hobby.”

It’s the type of hobby that Adrienne is glad she shares with her husband. She knows he’s a good resource in helping her improve.

“You can learn something from every race,” Adrienne said. “There’s always something you can improve upon.”

Things to Remember:
- Breakfast 500 calories (2 Clif Bars); 1 can Red Bull
- Drink only 2/3 can of Red Bull (5-6 oz) in future
- Tire pressure F-115 R-118 (Fine)
- Water bottle 1/3 full with water
- Flushed mouth twice on bike, never drank
- No food or water for OLY
- Wore socks for run (Good idea)

2009 American Triple T

AMERICAN TRIPLE T
Friday, Saturday, Sunday
May 22-24, 2009
Portsmouth, Ohio
Shawnee State Park
Team Name: Rock 'N Rock Lifestyle
(Matthew Amman and Scott Bowe)

Overall Result: DNF

Scott Bowe and I teamed up again for the 2009 American Triple T race. After personally struggling in 2008, I was looking forward to testing my stamina. I have found that this race favors those with a long-distance racing curriculum vitae, short-course racers rarely perform well.

Our trip to the race venue included Adrienne's teammate Michelle Lanouette and Wisconsin short-course superstar Chris Wichert racing in the solo category. It would be his first attempt racing long-course and prove to be a learning experience. To breakup the 9+hr trip we stayed Thursday night at Adrienne's aunt and uncle's place in West Lafayatte, IN. We eventually rolled into Shawnee State Park at 3:30 Friday afternoon.

RACE #1 SUPERSPRINT 5th Overall
250 meter swim 4:46 (6 OA); 5 mile bike 10:47 (5 OA); 1 mile run 6:03 (38 OA)

Unlike last year, the lake water was warm and the pavement dry. I swam without a wetsuit again, biked evenly, and ran strong without a side-stitch. By placing in the top five, I earned us a 30 second time bonus.

RACE #2 OLYMPIC 12th Overall
1500 meter swim 20:16; 24.5 mile bike 1:09; 6.55 mile run 43:25 (6:38 pace)

The first race is just too short to really separate yourself from the competition so this becomes the ego race. Everybody around me smoked themselves trying to hurt each other.

I swam strong and noticed that I continue to develop a right side-stitch when breathing right--my dominant side. The problem seems to go away when I breathe to the left. Odd, for my entire swimming career I never had to breathe to the opposite side, but for some reason long-distance swimming is different. At least I found a solution. The other thing was that I swam by myself instead of trying to stay on Scott's feet the entire time. Obviously that set me up to bike and run better than in the past. The bike and run were uneventful. I enjoyed three powergels, 3 salt tablets (Saltstick), and water on the bike; 2 salt tablets and water on the run. I was happy with my performance and getting excited about hurting others in the final two races.

RACE #3 OLYMPIC 25th Overall
24.5 mile bike 1:09:57; 1500 meter swim 22:20; 6.55 mile run 50:44 (7:45 pace)

We started this race with the team bike time-trial. After what happened last year, Scott led out the first ten minutes using his SRM powermeter. We managed to hold strong. Switching over to the swim and putting on a wetsuit was difficult. In the process I put a few fingernail nicks in my wetsuit. Scott and I swam past a lot of people as expected.

The run turned out to be difficult for Scott. A right quad cramp and later a right chest stitch forced him/us to really slow down, but in stotan fashion he toughed it out keeping us in the top three (team category).

RACE #4 HIM DNF
1.2 mile swim 27:55; 56 mile bike DNF; 13.1 mile run DNS

If you haven't guess it by now, things got bad. After a solid swim, Scott and I biked comfortably on the heels of the top team (USPROTri). Scott was feeling a little wiped out so I did as much of the bike work as possible. At mile 21 before we got back to Hwy 125, something bad happened. Scott and I had just crested a hill and he took the lead down a snaky descent. On the way down his front tire hit a pothole causing him to lose control and fall. Because we were travelling at 34 mph he slide a good 20 yards on the pavement before rolling into the woods. Being a few yards behind him I narrowly escaped riding over him. It was horrific to watch and immediately knew our day was over. By the time I set my bike down, Scott was on his feet and about to grab his bike. I told him to stay put and assess the damage. We both thought he was going to live, but the road rash on both legs, arms, and left butt cheek was bleeding profusely and swelling fast. As for the bike, I picked it up and checked it over. It was rideable, but the front wheel was out of true, the right aerobar busted up, and the left brake handle twisted around. After fixing the twisted chain, I had Scott get back on the bike. We rode slowly back to the transition area just a few miles away.

SUMMARY
A DNF is tough on the psyche. For now Scott is going to learn how fast he can grow skin. I, on the hand, am going to go hammer the TriWisconsin Lannon ride tonight to makeup for missing out on the second loop of the Triple T HIM bike course. Fellow riders...look out!

On the flipside, my wife Adrienne and her teammate Michelle took second place in the women's team division. I swear that woman works half as hard as I do yet earns the same amount of hardware.

As for Chris Wichert, he survived (barely) and seems interested in returning next year. Arguably he should be in contention for the overall win. The swim remains his weak link yet in the tradition triathlon format of swim-bike-run you can have a weak swim, but Triple T is far from traditional. I continue to believe that the bike-swim-run format, found at the third race at Triple T, is a better triathlon format. At least that's what us swimmers think.

Thanks to HFP Racing for putting on another great race.



Things to Remember:
1. Training consistently pays off.
2. New Tubular tire pressure: front 115 psi, back 118 psi. Worked fine.
3. Razor blade is best for removing a flat tubular.
4. After installing spare tubular, pinch the rim between your legs and grab the tire to pull in an upward direction to reseat it. Start opposite of the valve. Repeat around the tire 4-5 times. This prevents a wobble.
5. Breathe more to the left when swimming.
6. 2 Powerbars and 1 can Red Bull for breakfast; Race venue food (Cans of coke, P&J sandwiches, Manwich sandwiches, chips, pasta, etc.) worked good for lunch and dinner; Race fuel was simply Powergels, water, and salt tablets (Saltstick type). Worked fine.

2009 J-Hawk Early Bird Sprint Triathlon

J-Hawk Early Bird Sprint Triathlon
Race Report April 26, 2009
500yd Swim; 13.7 mile Bike; 5K Run

Matthew Amman
1:01:22 1st Overall
S-6:01 B-33:36(25.0 mph) R-21:47(6:45)

Back in 2007 I tried to win this race. The last triathlon race in 2006 was Camp Whitcomb Mason and I had shocked the field by coming in second overall to local pro Michael Boehmer. With the memory fresh, I put forth my best effort and did remarkably well with a tough field consisting of Nick Langer, Terry Harth, among others. I walked away with a solid second and a nasty side stitch. Then in 2008, the men's field was stacked with pros Terry Harth, Greg Thompson, Michael Boehmer plus elite racer Scott Bowe and Nick Langer. That time, I ended up third behind Boehmer and Harth.

This was my time to win. My training has not been much different than last year, but I've felt a lot stronger in all three disciplines. For the week going into the race, I put in my long run on Tuesday (1:52) plus my long bike ride of 105 miles so I felt a little tired. Previously, I had eased up on training to ensure a good race. This year I'm training through my C level races, something new to me.

Race morning it was raining and cold; however, the sky cleared up for the 11:35 wave letting us race comfortably. The temperature was in the upper 50's.

The swim was unremarkable. Scott Bowe took top honors getting out of the pool first, I came out second. Transition went well and I was glad to have the toe-covers on the shoes. On the bike course, I caught Scott around mile 1, taking the lead, and never looked back. I felt strong and tried my best to hold an even effort. My race wheels (PX 82-101 combo) worked fine although I could tell the cross winds pushed me at times. First the most part, the wind was light, the roads wet, and the corners well-swept. I was happy to put up a new course bike split record, previously held by Michael Boehmer 34:35(24.3mph). Transition 2 was quick and I started out running fast. The cross country run course was a muddy mess. Everybody was slipping and trying to avoid the large puddles. I was simply happy to run as fast as I could and not fall down. I finished strong and took the win.

My history at the race:

2009 1:01:22 S-6:01 B-33:36 R-21:47 1st
2008 1:02:49 S-6:06 B-35:02 R-21:40 3rd
2007 1:05:37 S-6:19 B-35:58 R-23:21 2nd

Overall, I was happy to see that everybody enjoyed the race. My training partner Scott Bowe did significantly better than last year mainly because he avoided riding the first section of the bike too hard. I believe last year he averaged 375 watts for the first five minutes, ouch! Adrienne, always a little timid on the bike corners and hates rain, was faster as well. She and Robbie Greco duked it out until the very end. We all survived a wet, muddy, and chilly weekend with plenty of stories to share.


Pre-Race Meal: 2 energy bars (Powerbar, ClifBar) 3 hrs before start time; RedBull (6oz) 2 hrs before start time
Race Setup: Team GearGrinder outfit, Aquaman Goggles, Swim Cap, Toe-Covers, Aero-Helmet, PX bike, PX 82-101 Race wheels (123 psi), Nike Skylon Running Shoes
Things to Remember: Training consistently works, Race smart with even efforts on swim and bike

2009 South Milwaukee Tinman

RACE REPORT
South Milwaukee Tinman Indoor Triathlon
South Milwaukee, WI
3-14-2009

Matthew J. Amman

Official Distance 10.00
Swim .667 (47 laps)
Bike 6.71 miles
Run 2.63 (5:42 pace)

15 minute swim; 15 minute bike; 15 minute run

1st Overall

PreRace:
This was my second year doing this low-key race at the South Milwaukee Fitness Center. Again, it fell on the same day as the Blarney Run in Wauwatosa, but I was happy to forgo the gut busting 5K. Adrienne did the race as well, taking first for the women's division.

Race Morning:
No breakfast this time. We split a Red Bull two hours before hand.

Swim:
The swimming pool had lane lines in it this time and we had the pleasure of racing with Robbie Greco from Gear Grinder. Adrienne and I ahead of time decided to keep our swim pace at 1:20/100yd or slightly faster. The strategy worked well until I had some goggle issues. To compensate, I swam ahead to have some time to stop and fix them. In the end, I ended up one length ahead of Adrienne. Robbie, fresh off some club swimming, swam really hard ending up one length ahead of me.

Bike:
Ah, the stationary exercise bike. It’s nothing fancy and feels awkward when riding. I was happy to hold even power for the most part. The classic side stitch reared its ugly head but never got out of control like last year. The power level floated between 18 and 19 with only a few times easing back to 17.

Run:
Treadmill running is always easier than the real thing. I started out at 5:48 pace for the first five minutes and dialed it down from there. The last 90 seconds was at 5:00 flat and it felt hard. The stitch was present but did not hinder performance much.

Post Race and Final Thoughts:
Running five to six times a week for the last six weeks proved beneficial. My overall biking volume is down from last year, but the focus on zone 4 bike intervals is working. This race capped off the preparatory period for the beginning of the 2009 training season. Next week starts Base 1.

(Adrienne swim .653, bike 5.69, ran 2.29; 8.63; 1st overall female)

Things to Remember:
• Consistent base training pays dividends, the short hard stuff does a better job getting my abdomen in shape. Otherwise my body rebels by developing a side stitch.
• Red Bull might be enough for sprint triathlons.



Matthew J. Amman 3-18-2008

(picture from Spirit of Racine 2008)

2009

For the last few months I have been hiding in a foxhole. After Ironman, I was physically and emotionally tired so I refrained from structured training until January. It was a good move. The excitement and energy returned and I am happy to be back swimming, biking, and running. A few things are different for 2009.

1. I accepted an invitation to race for Team Gear-Grinder (wwww.gear-grinder.com). I did so for a couple of reasons. The first was to restimulate the novelty of training. IM training can be boring and doing it with others can help me get out there. Riding with TriWisconsin club and the Gear-Grinder team will help keep me accountable to hitting my volume and intensity goals (20+ hrs/wk May-Aug; 2 Hard rides/wk). Second, they offer a nice clothing line with a variety of shirts that I can wear for work. For the last few years, I wore my collectin of IM Wisconsin polo shirts. It's time to update my work shirts. Once I get them logo'ized with Gear-Grinder, my office logo, and PX I'll start sporting them.

2. I changed my Planet X bike frame size from Large to Medium. Over the last year, I felt slightly uncomfortable on long training rides. It seemed that the top-tube length was a wee bit long, something like 2 cm too long. Add in what I saw in race pictures with my body position stretched out, I sold my PX frameset and bought a new, smaller PX frameset. It was the right move. Now I feel much better. To digress with a side story, I did a 1 hr indoor Time Trial race at the end of January. It was a disappointing race. My power was 251 watts for the hour despite a hr ave of 171. But a friend pointed out that my seat position looked wrong. Turns out, I inadvertently installed my seat slack (~74 degrees) instead of steep (~78 degrees) when building up the new bike. Hence, during the TT race the seat felt too high and I was forced to ride the seat's nose at the same time slipping off of it. A week later when I looked at it at my friend's suggestion, I saw my mistake and corrected it. Ah, much better.

3. My training has evolved again for 2009. Much of my training last year was focused on achieving base. I abstained from mountain bike racing and the fast TriWisconsin Lannon rides to promote "going long." I feel it was a good strategy for a first IM. This year I am building up volume slower from January to Spring, and then adding in lots of speed work with the Merton Ride on Tuesdays and the Drop the Doc ride on Saturdays. Hammering it with the roadies should be fun and prove valuable to increasing my bike speed. As for swimming and running, I'm content. My genetics and background keep me at the sub 55 min IM swim and the sub 3:30 IM marathon. I'll keep the status quo for this year.

4. Adrienne is doing her first Ironman this year. I am excited and nervous about her journey as any spouse might be. Inherently, she is a better athlete than I, and suspect she will do better than me. I distinctly remember the days when she used to show me up when running and swimming together in college. Today and now, she relies upon me as her confidant and coach, to get her to the finish line. I hope things go well. They have so far.

The racing schedule is simple this year. Ironman Louisville in August is the A race. Secondary races include American Triple T (with teammate Scott Bowe again) and High Cliff Triathlon half ironman. Tertiary races might include J-Hawk Early Bird, LaCrosse YMCA Sprint Tri, Steven's Point YMCA Sprint Tri, and late season Devil's Challenge Sprint Tri.

See You at the Races.

2008 Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

RACE REPORT
Ironman Wisconsin
9/7/2008

MATTHEW AMMAN
BIB AGE STATE/COUNTRY PROFESSION
547 31 WAUWATOSA WI USA CHIROPRACTOR

SWIM BIKE RUN OVERALL RANK DIV.POS.
53:18 5:32:58 3:30:06 10:04:07 68 18

LEG DISTANCE PACE RANK DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM 2.4 mi. (53:18) 1:24/100m 19 2

TOTAL BIKE 112 mi. (5:32:58) 20.18 mph 94 25

FIRST RUN SEGMENT 13.1 mi. (1:40:58) 7:42/mile
RUN FINISH 13.1 mi. (1:49:08) 8:19/mile
TOTAL RUN 26.2 mi. (3:30:06) 8:01/mile 68 18

TRANSITION TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE 5:37
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN 2:08

Pre Race Thoughts:
What is possible at your first IM? What do you want to accomplish?

The first question provided me with excitement but the second question kept me grounded. I wanted my first IM race to be a positive experience, to avoid mechanical issues and nutritional problems, or end up physically hurting myself. To that end, I was willing to sacrifice a “Rockstar” first time IM time.

As a result, my race strategy was conservative. My overall “A” goal time was broad on purpose. I wanted to race anywhere between 9:45-10:45. Experience has a lot to do with racing well; I knew that I would make some rookie mistakes on my first try. Therefore, I wanted to keep things light and not put too much pressure on myself. Qualifying for Kona is not a dream of mine rather I seek to reach my potential at any given race. I compete to compete against myself and my enjoyment of racing is from having others helping to push me. Without them, many times I would give up.

Swim:
I started the swim in the second row behind my training partner Scott Bowe near the starting buoy. The swim out was quick for the first 300 meters and I quickly learned that slowing down would only get you hurt because you have hundreds of people behind you willing to crawl over you. No troubles, I just forged ahead.

Both loops were pretty much the same. I drafted the entire time with the lead pack. I did take a look at my watch at the half-way point and saw 26:xx. Before the final turn, the lead pack started drifting wide so I decided to solo it to the final left turn. It was good move and I cruised nicely into the swim finish for a good time with minimal effort. [HR 165]

T1:
I ran slowly up the helix and my plan/trick to watch out for friends and try to acknowledge them worked. I never hit 170 bpm. [HR 164]

Bike:
I started the bike right behind Craig Lanza, a fellow local triathlete. I rode the first few miles easy and let the heart settle to about 140 bpm. From there things went as expected: I got passed, I got passed some more, and I just continued to get passed. I was not worried about it until Mike Meteyer went flying by me before we hit Verona within the first 15 miles. I expected him to catch me on the second loop after mile 70 somewhere. Well, so be it. I was there to do my own race.

As the race progress, my heart rate was stuck at 145 bpm at the top end of my zone 2. It was a gray place for me. Usually what happens is that after I warm-up, my heart rate settles down and I feel strong at 135-140 bpm range. It never happened. Part of it might be from feeling chilly during the bike. Bike riding in a wet jersey at 8 in the morning would make most people cold, I felt chilly and never broke a sweat until a couple hours in.

I ended up riding the whole ride at 145 bpm and managed to keep it comfortable on the hills, never spiking over 156.

The gels plus water plan worked great. I took a few salt tablets for insurance purposes. The only hiccup was during the second loop, CP to Verona stretch, where I had some stomach trouble. To alleviate the problem, I skipped the next two gel intakes and sipped very little water. Upon reaching Verona, I felt better and was able to catch up on nutrition by the finish. [HR 145]

@40 miles 1:56:45 20.55mph
@83 miles 4:01:34 20.4 mph
83-112 miles 1:29:01 19.54 mph

T2:
It went easy. [HR 141]

Run:
I left the Monona Terrace Convention Center with plenty of traffic which led to a rookie mistake that I dearly wanted to avoid. For the first two miles, I was running with five other guys, with a few in my age group. Running felt sluggish, but I knew that after 15 minutes I would feel fresh. I kept looking at my watch to make sure I ran that first mile just a hare under 8 minutes, but when I never saw the first mile marker I started getting nervous. The small group that formed around me was not slowing down either. About 20 yards short of the 2-mile marker, my watch read 13:40 (6:50 pace). Not good, so I hit the brakes and trickled across for a time of 14:19. From there I tried my best to run steady in the 7:30 range and my legs finally came around at 18 minutes, two minutes later than I thought. Because I was very concerned about how the first two miles went, I decided to grab a coke at mile 3 and continued to do so at every other aid station. It was fun running through the aid stations and drinking water/coke. It gave me the feeling that I was out there actually doing an IM.

While running those first few miles I was trying to assess the situation. I figured I was in about 150th place starting the run. Mike Meteyer was running really fast way ahead of me, Scott Bowe was next and by the look on their faces and the feeling in my body I knew I was not going to catch them. Furthermore, I knew that I would have to keep the ship together to get a Kona slot. In years past, anything under 10 hours was a guarantee. Last year with perfect conditions, it was the fastest ever qualifying time at 10:04:08. So I forged ahead focused on never stopping and holding an even effort.

In the end, my pace slowed as expected although my effort did not. When I saw that my heart rate was in the mid 130s on loop 2, I conceded mentally and physically to just finishing. I crossed in 10:04:07 happy to finish this epic event.

Post Race:
The truth of my race was handed to me 15 yards after the finish line in the form of a small sticker. It listed my swim, bike, run splits, total time, overall place and finally, age group place. What did not surprise me because I was out there racing, but surely a surprise to my friends and family, was that I took 18th in my age group M30-34. Before the race I knew that I was playing it banker safe much like Ryan Hall and his Olympic Marathon this summer. His game plan was to race safely with consideration for the race field and weather conditions. In the end, he never had a chance. I ended up in the same situation. By playing it safe I met my personal goal of completing the race, but the bonus of receiving a Kona slot would slip through my fingers. I am not bummed in the least. I can find another thirty minutes.

Final Thoughts:
I have never done anything that gave me an enormous sense of personal accomplishment regardless of the outcome. My parents might say otherwise, but I never felt that way when doing well in school or participating in athletics. I suspect that the main reason is that even if I faced insurmountable odds, the process was always fun. Ironman is not fun. After four hours of racing coupled with being passed a lot on the bike, I wanted to quit. I said to myself, “This is not fun. I am not having fun.” I felt that way until I crossed the finish line at 5:04 in the evening. In life I have experienced brief moments of darkness, but with the support of friends and family, my spirits were always lifted. In Ironman I felt hours of grayness and for the first time in my athletic life I had to dig to the bottom of the well to find the fortitude to carry on and finish. The sense of accomplishment I felt a few days after the race made me understand the "meaning" of athletics:

"The most important thing is not to win but to take part!" (the informal Olympic motto)

-- De Coubertin

Equipment:
• Aquaman Kaiman swim goggles; Aquaman Full wetsuit
• PX bike with 50-50 PX wheelset (123 psi); cut water bottle filled with 11 Powergels (sodium added type and caffeine 1x) on seat-tube; short water bottle on downtube; spare tubular with 2 C02 canister taped plus razor blade behind seat; Sunglasses
• Oomph Lava Compression shorts, 2008 TriWi top, Red TriWi visor
• Adidas Supernova 6 (2007 model); Drymax socks (Large)
• Breathe-Right Nasal Strip

Nutrition:
• Breakfast: 3 Chocolate Powerbars 3 ¼ hrs before race; 1 Red Bull 8 oz 2 ½ hrs before race
• Bike: 17 PowerGels, Water, Salt Tablets (worked great); Gels every 15; 30; 45 minutes; 2 salt tablets every hr; Water after each gel.
• Run: Alternating water & Gatorade // water & coke; one gel first half marathon and another gel second half marathon; took a few salt tablets for insurance; everything worked great

Tips for Next Time:
• Don’t worry about the swim.
• If it’s chilly, bike harder the first hour to break a sweat. Base keep the same, Build change to German style rides (alternating 5 hr hard rides; 3.5 hr hard rides for 6 weeks)
• Remember to not drink anything for the first three miles; however, stop at first two aid stations and dump water over the head to prevent running too fast.

Special Thanks to:
• Adrienne
• Scott Bowe, Michelle Lanoutte
• Planet X & TriWisconsin Triathlon Team
• My family & friends

Matthew Amman 9-12-2008

2008 Camp Stotan

--Scott Bowe on his way to 1st @ SP YMCA Triathlon--

TRAINING CAMP REPORT
CAMP STOTAN
Stevens Point, WI and Cross Plains, WI
7/10-7/13 2008

Matthew J. Amman & Scott Bowe

Originally, Scott Bowe had this idea to put on our own little triathlon training camp in the same style as Gordo’s Epic Camp. Our invite to our friends stated our intentions nicely:

"Mark your calendars, tell your boss, get brave and break the news to your significant other - you're invited to a week of pure triathlon bliss. In the spirit of Gordo's Epic Camp, Matt Amman and Scott Bowe are organizing the first annual Stotan Training Camp.

The camp will take place July 9th, 2008 and end July 13th, 2008 - 5 days of dedicated triathlon training. This week is timed almost perfectly for your largest volume week of training leading up to Ironman Wisconsin. The goal of this week is to simply train and recovery as much as possible away from the distractions of the world."

Well, our idea of swimming 25K, biking 500 miles, and running 60K intimidated everybody and ultimately us too. When the big week finally arrived, we agreed to scale it back. Furthermore, at the last minute, we relocated the camp to the Stevens Point (SP) area because of pristine road conditions and Scott’s nostalgia for SP. Nick Hanson, Scott’s friend and fellow Point swimmer, provided us with accommodations.

Day 1 Wednesday
After heading to SP after work, we managed a short 30-minute run at 7:15 pace. That is it.

Day 2 Thursday
Swam in the morning at the UW-SP pool:
1000 warmup
5 x [75, 125, 150, 200] 300 kick b/w #3 and #4. 15-20 sec rest.

We biked 4 hrs with 1 hr at HIM pace. We both managed to crank with even power at 25 mph; soft-pedaled back home. We ran 30 minutes at 7:30 pace off the bike.

Day 3 Friday
Bike 3.5 hrs with Nick joining us (He is also training for his first IM.) followed by 30 minute run at 7:30 pace.

That night we rendezvoused with Al Boelk, the UW-SP swim coach, at Central Waters brewpub in Amherst, WI. We had a great time. In the midst of conversation, we found out that there was a triathlon in SP the following morning. We were stunned and immediately jumped at the idea of trashing ourselves at the race. Calling it the night, we headed to Starbucks to capture WiFi and look at the race’s website.

Day 4 Saturday - Stevens Point YMCA Lactic Edge Triathlon (500 yd; 18 mile; 5K)
We woke up early to head over to the race and slap down the cash to play. We were going to have fun at this one: no aero helmet, no race wheels, no race running shoes, no race-belt, and no race-top. Heck, we even forgo ‘ed the heart rate monitors.

The swim was in the Wisconsin River. I got the opportunity to wear my new wetsuit. She was tight and a struggle to put on, but performed beautifully. Scott and I screamed out the water 1, 2 a good 25 seconds ahead of the field. Scott had the pleasure of inhaling Harley exhaust and led the bike leg start to finish. It was a tough ride for me. I dropped back a minute from Scott. The run was manageable. I think that both of us where suffering a lot more from general training fatigue than pain the race was attempting to inflicting upon us. At the halfway point, Scott looked strong and I was managing a side-stitch. Meanwhile, two UW-SP runners turned triathletes managed to run me down. Kudos to Scott for hanging on for dear life to win.

1 Scott Bowe 5:39.7 20:11/M 46:34.8 2:29/M 19:16.0 6:13/M 1:11:30.6
2 Christopher Pfaffenroth 6:36.1 23:34/M 48:51.8 2:37/M 16:22.6 5:17/M 1:11:50.7
3 Cory Baumann 8:45.1 31:15/M 46:56.2 2:31/M 16:47.7 5:25/M 1:12:29.1
4 Matt Amman 5:44.3 20:29/M 47:34.4 2:33/M 19:54.5 6:25/M 1:13:13.2

Newspaper Article:
STEVENS POINT JOURNAL July 13, 2008 -- Over 200 athletes braved the windy conditions to compete in the 19th annual Stevens Point Lactic Edge Triathlon at Bukolt Park on Saturday. Participants came from as far as Seattle to go through the grueling combination of a 500 yard swim, 3.1 mile run and 18 mile bike ride, but both the men's and women's winners had ties to Stevens Point. Scott Bowe, a UWSP graduate, finished in one hour, 11 minutes and 30 seconds, while Kimberly Kuphal, a current resident of Stevens Point, completed the race in 1:24:34, to win their respective divisions. Bowe, 28, a Milwaukee resident, has done over 20 triathlons and four Ironman competitions, but never had a first-place finish until Saturday. "A triathlon is more mental than physical," Bowe said. "It's a struggle to keep your body going and keep the intensity up the whole race." Bowe's previous best finish since he started competing in 2003 was 29th in the 2007 Arizona Ironman, which he completed in nine hours and 46 minutes. Kuphal, 38, included swims at the Stevens Point YMCA and biking the Green Circle Trail as parts of her training. Over the last seven years Kuphal has finished around 30 triathlons and she is proudest of her third place finish in the Racine Half Ironman, which she completed in under five hours. "I was battling the wind and waves today," Kuphal said. "The hardest part is finding time to do the training with two children." Kuphal's husband David was the volunteer race director for the Lactic Edge Triathlon. He said that all proceeds from the event will go to the Stevens Point YMCA. Christopher Pfaffenroth, 27, was the second place male finisher with a final time of 1:11:50. Cory Baumann, 22, was third with a time of 1:12:29. The second place female finisher was Kristen Schram, 19, with a time of 1:30:30. Beth Mortenson, 46, placed third with a final time of 1:31:03. Twelve-year-old Thomas Edwards was the youngest competitor this year. The oldest participant was 73-year old John Milbauer who finished in 2:51:16.

After the race, we collected our hardware (imprinted pint glasses) and rode our bikes back to Nick’s house. After hanging out for a while, we packed up the car and drove to Cross Plains to stay with my folks to ride the IM course the next morning. Nick drove down a few hours later to join us.

Day 5 Sunday
We started out at 7 am in Cross Plains. It was a beautiful, sunny morning. Once in Verona on the first loop, we headed to Madison along the stick (the nickname for the section of the IM bike course Madison-Verona). This way we could get the entire 112 miles in. Short of the actually race start, we turned around at Rimrock road to avoid heavy traffic. On the way back to Verona, I started having left leg pain and thought about calling it quits, but at the last minute decided to stick it out. By riding out of the saddle, the muscle-firing pattern was different and disengaged the strained biceps femoris. However, by standing on the pedals, the effort is harder and I ended up surging ahead of Scott and Nick.

The second issue with the ride was the wind. Gusts up to 40 mph tried to break me down, but I refused and slugged my way through for another loop and managed to complete the whole thing. When I got back to the house, Scott and Nick were already there: changed, showered, and ready for brunch. Apparently, they felt tired and only did one loop (plus the stick). Huh! Only the suffering/hurt guy toughs it out.

After brunch with the folks, we headed home to resume our normal lives.

Injury Report:
As of Tuesday, I am officially hurt. The medial strand of my left biceps femoris and left gluteus medius is strained. Prior to the camp, I knew I might be flirting with trouble so I had a massage. It helped a bit. On the car ride to SP, both hamstrings were tight and caused noticeable discomfort. The hard effort on Thursday managed to push me into “hurt something” territory. In refusing to give up during the 1 hr HIM interval, the weak hamstring started to recruit the gluts to pump out the necessary power. Meanwhile, the moderate bilateral hamstring pain progressed to severe pain in the left hamstring and left glut. Somehow, the right hamstring survived. This week is a recovery week. Coupled with another massage today, I expect to be 100% in two weeks.

Final Thoughts:
Camp Stotan was a blast. I could tell Scott was in his element. He really likes the SP area—-many memories for him. I must admit the roads in central Wisconsin are much nicer than any other part of the state that I have ridden. Although we did not post insane S/B/R numbers, I believe what we accomplished was epic for us. Doing a sprint triathlon in the midst of IM training really made the whole thing an adventure.

Matthew Amman
7-15-2007