Blog Posts From Active Toby's Adventure Blog Tagged With silverman

2008 Review 2009 Preview

Active Toby — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 17:08:25 GMT

Overview: Reaching my 2008 goal of completing both a 100-mile ultra marathon and an iron-distance triathlon has left me searching for an answer to the question everyone (including myself) keeps asking: “What’s next?”

2008 Review: Before sharing my intentions for 2009, let’s take a look back at the 2008 season. The year started with the Avalon 50 Mile Benefit Run in January where I learned important lessons about footwear and hyponatremia. During my recovery it was announced that the SD100 was bumped up from October to June, so I designed a periodized training plan to peak in both the spring and fall with a rest in the summer.

Just as I kicked off training in February, I was hit by car while riding my bike. As I recovered from the accident, I became more focused on my goal and after getting cleared to resume activity, I raced the Ironman 70.3 California in March. Then I went on to log serious mileage to prepare for the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run in June. Successfully completing the SD100 remains my proudest moment as an endurance athlete.

After a short break in the summer, I started in with triathlon training and used the Accenture Chicago Triathlon in August as a tune-up race, put in serious work on the bike and then finished off the season with the Silverman 140.6 in November.

2009 Preview: My intention is to continue to explore my potential and redefine my limits in 2009 as an individual and endurance athlete. I am registering for the 2009 Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series which features races of 50K, 50M, 100K and 100M in various state park and national forest systems in Southern California. There are typically 20 races throughout the year and the Gran Prix points are awarded for one’s top 6 performances. In addition to racing 6 of these events, there are a few other events that have caught my eye but you’ll have to stay tuned to learn more about these

Recap: It’s hard to believe I have been keeping the Active Toby's Adventure Blog for well over a year now. Looking back on previous entries is a helpful reminder of what progress looks like. I have learned so many valuable lessons from these experiences, met incredible people, visited amazing places and took in absolutely beautiful scenery. I cannot thank you enough for believing in me and joining me as I pursue my dreams.

Yours in adventure,

Toby Guillette

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Read my 2007 Review - 2008 Preview

Silverman Chronicles: Race Report

Active Toby — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:57:39 GMT

Overview: The ‘toughest’ 140.6-mile triathlon in North America: 2.4-mile swim in Lake Mead, 112-mile bike ride through Nevada desert with over 9,500 feet of climbing followed by a 26.2-mile run through Henderson with 2,500 feet of elevation gain. The extreme weather conditions made this brutal course even more difficult.

Silverman: All 50 states and 12 countries were represented at this years race. The pre-race events, event management, support from volunteers and energy from participants was world-class.

Swim: The swim was great because the water was close to 70 degrees which is 10 degrees warmer than the ocean in San Diego where I train. It was a nice change to swim in fresh water, but when the 35 mph wind gusts started up on our final approach to land, the conditions closely resembled a choppy ocean swim. The swell plus the rain made sighting a challenge too so I was relieved when I finally got to shore in 1:25.

T1: I transitioned to the bike in less than 5 minutes. I wore a pair of cycling shorts over my tri shorts for extra cushioning thanks to Airey’s suggestion. This made all the difference on my long bike ride. Note that my swim gear bag didn’t show up at the finish line so I’m still missing my wetsuit.

Bike: It was raining and wind was gusting when I got on the bike. My legs were cold but responded to fast spinning in an easy gear. I maintained this technique for all of the climbs and took full advantage the free speed on each descent that carried me into the next climb.

56: It rained for the first few hours of the ride while winds were steady from 20 to 30mph all day. The scenery during the ride was a treat and was even nicer when the rain let up. I did my best to take in the bulk of my calories during the ride, rotating between liquid calories in the bottle and gels as my primary source and had a clif bar at mile 95. It was great to see Paul and Carrie at mile 30ish but it was a long day out there and I didn’t see many people in front or behind me until the lead pack hit the turn around and were headed back the way we came.

112: My neck and shoulders were tight from the 7.5 hours of riding and my sit area was sore from the bike seat so I was excited to start my run and be done riding.

T2: Paul and Carrie were at the transition where I handed off my bike and left the tent to begin the run. I also saw Eric who was already done with the half-distance race that started 2.5 hours after the full-distance race. That was a good sign for him to be done that early as he ended up 2nd in his age group!

Run: The run for me remains my strength and the cycling training has helped my legs get even stronger and better balanced for running. I felt great to start the run at my goal pace but I could have been more conservative and remained stronger longer.

13.1: I maintained an 8:37 pace for the first half of the two-loop run course for a 1:53 half-marathon split. I crossed paths with Austin who was on the final quarter mile of his run and about to finish his race. It was great to see him but I knew I still had a couple hours left.

26.2: The final loop had me digging deeper for energy because the sun had gone down, I slowed my pace so a sub-4 hour marathon was out of reach and a sub-13 hour finish was gone too. The bright yellow shirts of race volunteers stationed at each mile of the run were a welcoming sight. I was very impressed with the amount of support the city contributed to the event.

140.6: I crossed the finish line in 13:10:49 as the 36th overall finisher. It was an exciting finish under the lights with the final run through a corral with flags from the 12 countries represented at the race. I met Paul, Carrie and Austin at the finish line, snapped some pics and then headed for the massage tent. During this time the lactic acids flooded my bloodstream and I got pretty nauseas. It only took 30 minutes on the massage table for this to pass thanks to the volunteer masseuse. Next we had to claim all of our gear bags and this is when I discovered my swim bag was missing. I was too tired to deal with it at the time so we decided to head back to the hotel/casino and sort things out with the race staff after the event.

(Not feeling so good in this shot)

Recap: This race was the final step in reaching my 2008 season goal of training for and completing both a 100-mile ultra marathon and a 140.6-mile triathlon. It is still hard for me to fathom how far I’ve come in such a sort time and what possibilities this will bring for the future. For now it’s back to the drawing board to dream up another year of goals and finish this year off in the company of my friends and family who have been there for me every mile of the way. Thank you for joining me on this adventure!

Silverman Chronicles: Race Week

Active Toby — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:53:44 GMT

Overview: The presentation was a success, training is done and now it’s time to race!

Training: Training finished up on a positive note with some great memories and I'm feeling strong and eager to race on Sunday.

Silverman: Austin and I leave for Henderson Nevada just after midnight on Thursday to arrive early the next morning, check in to the hotel and get some rest before the athlete registration/race packet pick up at noon. After the expo, we’re going to head over to see the Hoover Dam before the pasta dinner that night where Dave Scott and Chris McCormick will speak. Saturday morning, there’s a pancake breakfast to start the day and then we need to check in bikes and race gear bags before the mandatory pre-race athlete meeting. As you can see there’s lots going on but I’m going to try and be as mellow a possible and stay focused on the main event.

AORE: The Recreation 2.0 presentation went well and we were able to cover the basics of web 2.0 and social media. It was fun to collaborate on this project with Kristy because she really knows her stuff.

Recap: I want to thank you all for your support along the way. You have supported me and my dreams and I am grateful and honored to have such incredible people like you by my side. Thank you.

Silverman Chronicles: The Taper

Active Toby — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 04:19:36 GMT

Overview: Tapering my training for Silverman, reviewing logistics for the drive/trip to Nevada and balancing in a sweet professional development opportunity. Plus a sneak peak of the 2009 season!

Training: From the start, the approach was simple; strengthen lack of cycling experience by cycling way more. And by doing ‘bricks’ aka bike/run sessions. I’ve never been more ready for a race like this so it’s time to go the distance: 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.

Silverman: The race packet .pdf has the maps, schedules and locations of the events during the entire race weekend. Reviewing this helps me stay on top of things so we can do stuff like check out the Hoover Dam and attend the athlete pasta dinner.

AORE: I’m co-presenting with colleague Kristy Graves to the Associate of Recreation and Education at their annual conference here in San Diego on Friday. This is a great opportunity for me to help teach a group of folks with common interests a whole new way to use the internet while gaining valuable career development experience. This is the next step for me and I’m both excited and a little nervous. I’ll let you know how it goes.

2009 sneak peak: My brother is already registered and is training for the Sedona Marathon on February 7, 2009. We’ll be joining forces to run our first race together and my first official 26.2-mile event! Good thing it’s 40% on dirt and has the elevation of an ultra:

Recap: Stoked to be in taper mode and ready to race. Happy Halloween

Silverman Training Update

Active Toby — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 00:40:33 GMT

Overview: Silverman training continues to progress along with my cycling abilities.

Training: I’ve been hitting the hills, spending more time in the saddle and noticed a difference already. So has my cycling buddy/coach who has been teaching me how to climb. Airey and I did a killer ride that started in Borrego Springs and climbed for the first 12 miles while we battled the heat, wind and Bighorn Sheep:

Silverman: My good friend Austin has committed to the Silveman Half so I’ll have some company on the trip out to Henderson, NV which I’m really excited about. I think a couple of our friends might even come out to camp and watch the race which happens to fall on Veterans Day Weekend. It’s going to be a long weekend to remember, that’s for sure. I've really enjoyed training so far because of the social aspect--way more variety and convenience in people to train with for triathlon versus ultra running. This video sums up how I feel:

Gear: My Suunto t3 watch died back in June after the SD100 and after a two-month wait, I got a brand new watch sent back to me. The folks at Suunto upgraded me to the new t3c model with the comfort heart rate strap. I also lucked out over at Road Runner Sport during their annual sale and walked away with two new pairs of my running shoes for the price of one. Always a fan of quality gear at discount prices--who’s not?

Recap: Feeling better about where I’m at in training for my first 140.6-mile triathlon on November, 9. Now I just need to remain focused through October as the peak in my training nears.

September images:

Silverman Chronicles

Active Toby — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 02:46:01 GMT

Overview: AC100 pacing experience and thoughts for the 09 season, training update and focus.

AC100: I paced Eric from 11 p.m. on Saturday until 6:49 a.m. Sunday for his final 25 miles of the Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run. He finished 22nd overall with a time of 25 hours, 49 minutes. The climbs were long (3000 and 2000 feet respectively), and the terrain technical, but Eric ran strong through the night despite the fatigue from his previous 75 miles. It was a pleasure to help him achieve his goal and his fitness level is truly impressive.

The AC100 is step up in difficulty and stands out as my prospective “A” race for 2009. There are still some others on my list, like Headlands Hundred, Javelina Jundred and SD100, plus the events in the Southern California Ultra Runners Grand Prix Series.

Silverman: The focus has returned to preparing for The Nevada Silverman Triathlon on November, 9 in Henderson. Just for the record, Ironman legend Dave Scott has branded the half-course (70.3) as “the toughest course in North America.” Double that for the full course (140.6) and you’ve got what I’ll be focusing on for the next month until the peak in my training. So now the fun begins with a weekend full of multisport training. Recap for you next week and in the meantime, let’s review the Silverman full course details:

2.4 mile swim in Lake Mead (i.e. Hoover Dam)

112-mile bike through the winter desert with more than 9,000 of elevation gain.

26.2-miles of road running with more than 2,000 feet of elevation gain through downtown Henderson finishing at night overlooking the glow of Las Vegas.

Steady, As She Goes

Active Toby — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:57:27 GMT

Overview: Silverman training update, gearing up for 25-mile nighttime pacing assignment at Angeles Crest 100 this weekend and dropping a race from my schedule.

Training: Two months out from Silverman and still not feeling “settled” into training. Probably because it’s my first 140.6-mile triathlon, so I don’t have much to compare things to. I do feel good about strengthening my bike where I have the most opportunity to develop.

The savage bike course at Silverman still looms in the distance--just look at this elevation profile to see what I mean:

Angeles Crest 100 Mile Endurance Run (AC100): This race is tentatively on my schedule for 2009 and my ultra running buddy, Eric Lee, is running it this year. I’ve volunteered to pace him from mile 75 to 100 (see map/elevation profile) so I get to help a friend in need and also preview the course for what could possibly be my “A” race next season.

The first 75 miles at AC100:

We’ll be running through the night as he doesn’t plan to meet me until almost 10 p.m. on Saturday night. His finish is projected for dawn on Sunday. This should make for an interesting weekend so check back in for some stories and photos next week. If you’d like to follow along, Click Here for live race tracking.

The final 25 miles at AC100:

Noble Canyon 50K: I’ve recently made the decision to drop this awesome local race from my schedule to help me better focus on preparing for Silverman. I am definitely missing the ultra-distance running scene after this break so I’m designing an aggressive 2009 ultra running schedule--more on this later.

Recap: I need to be patient, do the work and trust my plan. I know things will pick up significantly next week after I’ve fulfilled my duties this weekend pacing at the AC100.

SD100 & Silverman

Active Toby — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:43:38 GMT

While Marie and I were traveling to Catalina earlier this month for the Avalon 50, we were discussing my race calendar for the year that I’ve since settled on and shared with you Tuesday. I use the expression “settled on” because I felt as though something was missing from my schedule. More specifically, I wanted to attempt an Ironman-distance triathlon in 2008.

Yesterday, my wish was granted. I received the news that the SD100 has been moved up four months from October to June. Not only will I be faced with the challenge of preparing for a 100-mile run with 4-months less time, but I’ll now add an Ironman-distance event to 2008, the Silverman full-distance triathlon. I’m not sure what to say except thank you. Is that sick? In no way is this meant to discredit the difficulty of the SD100 but it seemed like the year was very spread out and I feared burnout with my peak race so late in the season.

Adjustments to my racing calendar will be minor. The major change leading up to the SD100 will be an increase in training volume with attention to the long runs. Since the race will be in Cuyamaca State Park, and not on the Pacific Crest Trail, I’ll be sure to get out there as often as possible between now and June 7.

When I shared the news with Marie, she responded by asking, “What do we need to do to make it happen?” (Isn’t she amazing?) She even suggested we replace the Mountain of Gold race on March 16 for a training run in Cuyamaca SP. Plus she had already recruited her coworker/training buddy, Rebekah, to be a part of my crew team for the race. Marie and Rebekah crewed for Joe Decker and his girlfriend Nicole in the 2007 SD100 so they already have experience crewing in Cuyamaca SP. I’m honored to have them in my corner and that much more confident things are going to workout.

Are you guys in my corner too!?