Houston Area Triathlons (and Duathlons) -2014

When I first decided to get into triathlons, I found it hard to find a complete listing of Houston area triathlons. Some sites will give you all of Texas, but Texas is big. Nothing was as good as the Houston Running Calendar site is for runs. So below are races within a 40-50mi radius of downtown Houston.

As you can see there is something almost every weekend outside of the winter. Of course, if I forget something, feel free to comment.

• February 9th - Du the Polar Bear - Bear Creek Park in West Houston - Duathlon (2mi R / 15mi B / 2mi R) - Outloud Productions
• March 17th -  C Different Triathlon- Sugar Land - Sprint (500m S / 12.6 mi B / 5k R) & SuperSprint (150m S / 6.3mi B / 1.5mi R) - This race debuted in 2012, but haven't seen info for 2014.
• March 29th, 2014 - No Label Triathlon - (300m PS / 14mi B / 3mi R) - Finish at the No Label Brewery - I Tri Events
• April 6th, 2014 - Galveston Ironman 70.3  - Half Ironman - Be prepared for the wind - WTC
• April 19, 2014 - Tri-Color Super Sprint - (200m PS /8mi B / 2mi R) - Fulshear TX - new for 2014
• April 27th, 2014 - Kemah Triathlon - Olympic and Sprint (600m S/ 12.8miB / 5k R) - OnUrMark Productions
• May 3rd, 2014 - CB&I -  The Woodlands - (500m S / 15mi B / 5k R) - Woodlands Township
• May 4th, 2014 - Springs Back - Olympic & Sprint (400m S, 15mi B, 5k R) - Fushear TX - - I Tri Events
• May 17th, 2014 - Ironman Texas - The Woodlands - WTC
• June 1st, 2014 - Tejas - Sugar Land - (600yd S, 12mi B/ 3mi R) - Outloud Productions
• June 22nd, 2014 - Memorial Hermann Sugar Land - (300m PS / 10mi B / 3mi R) - One of the long standing tris in the Houston region - Andy Stewart
• July, 2015 - Houston - Originally scheduled for 2014 as a new event, with both Sprint and Olympic distances, this has been postponed. OnUrMark Productions
• July 13th, 2014 - Shadow Creek Ranch - Pearland - (500m S / 16mi B/ 3.2mi R) - Troika Promotions
• July 13, 2014 - Texas Tri Star - Montgomery (300m PS / 10mi B / 3mi R)
• July 26th - Jeff & Brede's Intergalactic - Katy - (300m PS / 12miB / 5k R) - Houston Racing
• August 3rd, 2014 - Bridgeland - Sprint (600m S / 12.8mi B/ 5k R) - OnUrMark
• August 23rd, 2014 - Clear Lake - International (1.5km S / 46k B/ 10k R) and Sprint (0.5km S / 23k B / 3.4k R) - Outloud Productions
• September 1st, 2014 - Towne Lake - Cypress - Olympic and Sprint (400m S/ 12.8mi B/ 3.1mi R) - OnUrMark Productions
• September 14th, 2014 - Onalaska Half - Half Ironman, Onalaska, TX - I Tri Events
• September 21st - Hannah's Tri (formerly Houston Oaks Tru Tri) - Cypress - (300m S / 12mi B / 5k) - This race was new for 2013 - Tru Tri Sports
• September 22nd - Galveston 5150 - Olympic and Sprint (400m S/ 12.5mi B/ 3.1mi R) - Same course location as the Ironman 70.3 in April - WTC
• September 29th - Katy Firethorne - (500m S, 13.7mi B, 3mi R)
• October 5th, 2014 - Du the Bear - same as the Du the Polar Bear in Feb
• October 12th, 2014 - Oktoberfest - Olympic & Sprint (400m S, 15mi B, 5k R) - Fushear TX - I Tri Events
• October 20th - Try Andy's Tri - Sugar Land - (300m S / 10mi B / 3mi R) - same bike and run course as the Sugar Land tri in June, but has an open water swim instead of a pool. Andy Stewart
• November 3rd - Oilman - Lake Conroe - Half-Ironman - Be prepared for hills - Outloud Productions

Updates

• October 27th, C Different Tri has been cancelled due to low water levels and won't be planned in future years
• October 6th, Dark Horse Duathlon was new for 2013, but doesn't look like it will repeat.

Notes

• Race information is structured as follows: Date - race - general location (if not obvious by race name), distance, comments and production company.
• Unless otherwise noted, I've listed the 2013 date, though most races happen on the same weekend year to year
• Pools swims are denoted by PS.
• WTC = World Triathlon Council

Renewed Motivation!

There was quite a bit of downtime in October, November, and December, especially when it came to swimming. I only went 6 times in those three months.

I'm training again for CB&I, and I have a new goal; for swimming, under 10 minutes. I was 10:53 last year, so this new goal has given me motivation to get to the pool.  I definitely hit a plateau last summer. As I was training for an Olympic, my swims were often longer slower endurance sets, which did little to improve short-end speed.

I've been focusing on improving my form and improving my stroke rate (which is tied to lung capacity.) Coincidently, I just started reading info about USRPT (Ultra Short Race Pace Training), curtesy of Tim Floyd. I think these faster shorter sets have been paying off (although I wasn't exactly following USRPT protocol).   Back in early December, my time for 550yd was 11:00. I've watched it drop over the last several weeks: 10:44, 10:17, 10:10, and today, 9:47!

I'm not ready to call it go to go. 9:47 in the pool doesn't account for swimming the wrong direction, sighting, and the time it takes to get out and cross the sensor. I've seen the best improvement in my back 400. Instead of dropping to a 2:00/100yd pace, I have been keeping it at about 1:50. If I could maintain my first 100yd pace of 1:35, I could be looking at 8:43. Applied to the times last year, that would put me at 7th/80 for the swim (I was 28/80 last year.) That's motivation right there.

Maybe my goal should be under 9 minutes?  I'm not going to podium, but it is motivating to be more competitive in one discipline.

2013 Annual Totals

I haven't updated this in awhile, but frankly I haven't done much.  I took some time off from running or biking in November to heal my Achilles, but it still isn't 100%. I tried to do other activity in the meantime, like weight lifting, but I enjoy the cardio more. With kinesio tape, I can run at least 3 miles without any pain, and I'm not sure if I have the free time to do the long distance stuff, so I'm not too worried about it.

2013 Totals
Swim: 43 hours, 109,000 yards
Bike: 106 hours, 1504 miles
Run: 72 hours, 360 miles
Other: 4 hours


Thomas Gerlach, a pro whose blog I follow posted his totals. I'm about 25% of the training time and about 15% of the distance (I'm slower!). Given that I have a day job and two kids, I'm pretty happy with that.

Achilles Tendonitis

As mentioned before, I starting suffering from achilles tendonitis starting in late July. I first thought it was my lower calf (soleus muscle) before doing some internet research where it was clear that most runners don't actually get a soleus injury and it tends to actually be tendonitis.

I decided to visit a sports chiropractor, Chase Banks, because I needed guidance on how much to rest, how best to recover or how much I could exercise. I found the visits to be much more informative and helpful than originally anticipated.  After doing a bunch of tests, he linked the real root cause to poor flexibility in my popliteus muscle in the leg, which is behind the knee and is used for unlocking the knees. He also thought it could actually be an injury to plantaris muscle, due to the higher location of the injury, but the treatments are essentially the same.

Overall, I think there were several causes:

• Too much volume - I amped up my training in July. I went from running 6-7 miles/week and biking 30 miles/week to running 15 miles/week and biking 55 miles/week
• Going to fast - I run with a group and our pace put me in zone 3, where my coach had dictated zone 2 workouts. I found it hard to say "hey guys, let's slow down." Of course, I didn't want o go on my own, because it is the group that gets me out of bed a 4:50.
• My shoes - I really loved my Newton Gravity, but after doing his tests, he said I was borderline too inflexible for a 3mm drop shoe.

This Runners Guide to Achilles Tendonitis is a good comprehensive article on dealing with achilles tendonitis. Chase has also recommend the eccentric heal drops, in order to increase flexibility of the tendon as it recovers. He also recommended this Return to Running Program.

I am now on two weeks complete rest, so we will see how that helps. I hate being sidelined, but if I am going to take some time off, this off-season period is probably the best time.

Tour De Donut

The Tour De Donut is a timed charity bike race that supports the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The twist of the race is that for every donut you eat, you get 5 minutes deducted off it. It is billed at 28 miles, but the distance was actually 31 miles.

There are two donut stops, one at the 12 mile mark and another at the 20 mile mark. There, you eat as many donuts as you can stomach and volunteers will mark your race bib with the number of donuts you eat. The volunteers at the first stop were a lot of fun, trying to con you into eating more.  The median amount of donuts eaten was 4, with the average of 5.1. The highest was 30, but the winner had 27. I managed 9 total, which put me in the 82nd percentile of donut eating.

The ride itself was rather well supported, but there is no lanes blocked off. Usually, there were cops at major intersections. At the I-10 / 359 intersection, there wasn't a cop, so I had to sit at a light for a minute or two. The only other interplaces that didn't have cops were right turns.

The course map is below, you started at Katy Mills Mall (near the Sun & Ski store) and headed south towards Fulshear. There was an easterly wind of 11 mph, so the ride east on 90 was challenging. I felt a little shortchange on the wind since the section where I got tailwind was shorter and the ride up from Fulshear was more of a crosswind.

I found myself riding alone for most of the ride. On 359 headed west toward Fulshear, a group caught up with me and I was able to then keep up with them, but it was only for a few miles as I hit the first donut stop and they were doing the 55 mile ride. On 90, I really tried to find a group to share wind duties with, but I couldn't. I would come across a few solo people, but they were riding too slow. One group of three riders decked out in Sun & Ski gear passed me. I desperately tried to hang onto the back of them, but I got dropped.

All-in-all, I had a good time. My post-donut time landed me 12th out of 168, which is far better than I finish in the cycling portions of tris.



Tour De Donut - Donut Race Route



Start of the Race



Volunteers giving out donuts



Cyclists at the 2nd donut stop



Me at the finish

Galveston 5150 (err.. 5000) Race Report

This was my first Olympic distance triathlon. I had been battling achilles tendonitis since late July, so I've hardly ran since then trying to rest and recover. My bike training also took a hit for a couple weeks. I knew I could finish the race, so I didn't want to drop down into the Sprint.

I stayed overnight at Moody Gardens and brought the wife and kids to cheer me on!  The nice thing about staying at the hotel is you can wake up later, unfortunately I still woke up early and then had trouble sleeping.

Swim (or lack thereof)

Due to storms the previous two days, the wind was high (20 mph) and they cancelled the swim due to the chop. I understand why they did it, but there went my strongest part (relatively speaking) and the part I was able to continue training on with the achilles injury.

Bike

The bike was a time trial start. Everyone waited by their bike at the rack and the race official came by and started everyone, 10 seconds apart. We left from Moody Gardens and headed south on 83rd street to the seawall blvd via Stewart. The first mile or so was somewhat technical with sharp turns and uneven pavement. Then you hit a straight shot onto Seawall Blvd (well paved), ride down to Jamaica Beach and do a U-turn.

Wind had sustained winds of 20mph from the NE, meaning the first half of the bike I felt like Lance Armstrong on steroids (or just Lance Armstrong) cruising along at 22 mph. Then we turned around, where it was even tough to maintain 14 mph.

On the way out, I found that I had to ease up to keep the HR under 175 (my LT), but on the way back it was tough to get it up above 170. I would pedal harder, but feel the lactic acid built up in the legs before getting out of breath. I did hold back a little, trying to keep my legs fresher for the run.

Overall, I averaged 17.43 mph on the bike, which put me in 63rd out of 69 people in my AG.

Run

The run was two winding laps through Moody Gardens, which is actually good for spectators. My wife and kids could stay in one spot and see me 6 times.

The first couple miles felt good and time was decent 8:44/mile and 8:54 mile (assuming the mile markers on the race were posted correctly). However, my legs and feet started getting very sore which continued to get worse. My achilles felt fine - it was my legs and feet that were hurting. I wasn't out of breath, but I just couldn't move my legs faster. My heart rate averaged at 177, while my LT is 184.

The lack of running over the last 8 weeks has shown. This was actually only my fourth time running over 6 miles. I had done some 40/2 bricks, but not anything longer.

The best part about the run was that my wife and kids were out there cheering me on.

Overall, I ran at 9:43/mile, which put me in 54th of out 69 in my AG, so I passed a few people.

Overall

I am pretty happy with the race given my injury. Sure, I was 61st out of 69 in my AG and 430/605 overall, but I knew I wasn't going be fast given my lack of training. I finished and I feel my times are respectible, so I am happy. Additionally, an Olympic distance attracts the better racers. If I had done the Lonestar Sprint, even at the same paces, I would have been in the 50th percentile of my AG. I haven't been so tired after a race before and my legs are SORE today. I think I'll need a week off anything.


Race Management

Good, but not great race from an organizational perspective. When I first rolled up to Moody Gardens, there were no signs as where to go. The course was well marked and there was a lot of volunteers, but the communication regarding the weather was poor. They said they would send out emails and post stuff to the website, but nothing ever happened. T

he Expo and the after-party was very weak - I expected a little more for something associated with WTC. Race club tents were not allowed, leaving the after party looking barren. The location at Moody Gardens makes for a nice destination race. It is nice to walk downstairs from your hotel room to the start.

Galveston and Beyond

Galveston 5150 in 3 days! I've been checking the weather report and getting mentally prepared. One thing that this race will inform me of, is whether I want to try for the half-Ironman. The Galveston 70.3 is on the same course as the 5150... you just bike further down the island and run two more laps around Moody Gardens.

My training plan for Olympic distance was pretty intense and I struggled to keep up with the volume.  I know I wouldn't be able to go on a 80 mile ride every weekend AND a long run every week, plus do everything in between.  It's not that I'm lazy, but I want to try to balance work, family, and working out. I can be active healthy by running 5k & 10ks and going on 25mi rides. I don't need to put in 80 mi rides to be healthy. Still the allure of the half Ironman is there, because I feel I could finish it without too much more effort. What's the least I could get away with? We're talking just being under 7 hours. Maybe three, rides 65 miles or more?

While I'm not interested in doing the MS150 this year, I think some of the training rides would be fun. There are a lot to choose from:

 2013-2014 rides: The List
Description of 2012-2013 rides Fall rides, Jan-Feb rides, Mar-Apr rides

Potential Things of Interest

November 3, 2013: Tour de Doughnut (Katy)
November 10, 2013: Bike for Little Heroes (Waller)
February 9, 2014: Bike for Little Heroes (two rides but I like the charity's cause)
February 23, 2014: Sun & Ski Sports Spring Breakaway
March 1, 2014: Woodlands Half Marathon
March 16, 2014: Tour de Houston
March 23, 2014: Bluebonnett Express