Triathlon at Retirement

This year started well with me winning two national championships in winter triathlon. My form was good; despite getting older, I was improving my times, especially in running where I was getting very competitive. I was feeling good and was injury free. Then I caught covid in early July, followed by a nasty bacterial infection that took me almost three weeks to throw off. Training was down to a minimum during this time, it was mostly rest and try to recover. And recover I did, after about 6 weeks I was finally ok and I ran a competitive 10k in Stockholm, Sweden (Midnattsloppet). Despite the lack of consistent training, I was faster than the year before and nailed a 5th place in this hard field of runners. A week later I ran a duathlon and came 5th overall (including all ages and men) on two very speedy runs. I was planning for a half marathon in December. It was not to be. In early September my right knee gave in without warning, for no apparent reason at all. I have been to doctors, h...

Occasionally, when the weather is bad, my bike is out of order, or I am travelling, I will use an indoor stationary bike. I don't particularly like it, it is boring and hard work. But I realize it is very efficient training as long as you can keep yourself motivated... Recently, I used an indoor bike trainer with the Zwift app. The setup was a racing bike with its back wheel on a Tacx trainer, it was an older model. Then I downloaded the Zwift app on my phone. It allows for a free ride every month, so I was able to test the app risk free. I liked it, it may be a game changer. The trainer gave a very realistic feel of the hill climbs, and the competition with other riders on the screen was fun. I have now done it several times and it is a very hard and efficient workout. I actually enjoy it. I am now looking into buying a permanent setup for my home and pay for a Zwift subscription. I regret not doing this years ago, I suspect it would have made my biking more competitive. I intend ...

Encouraged by a good run time in my last race, I thought I should try to qualify for the 2025 World Championship in Duathlon (run - bike - run). It's going to be in Spain and will fit into my travel schedule. For that I need to do races to improve my ranking, which I thought would not be a problem. I signed up for Katy (Texas) Triathlon/Duathlon September 1 and planned for some more during the fall. I had a great race. There are never many people in duathlon, so everyone started at the same time, all ages and men and women together. To my surprise, I felt that the initial run pace was slow. I had planned to start modestly, but not THAT slow. After the first run of 2.5 km, I was at 4th place of total with a 7.39/mile pace. (It was a flat course). Bike went fine too; 6th place of all with 20.9 miles/hour pace. At the second run, I was a little tired but still managed an 8.45/mile pace on 5km and a 3rd best time. Overall, I won the women's race and was number 5 in total. Only four...

Capital of Texas Triathlon took place in Austin (of course) May 27. I did the sprint distance, thinking it would be a nice warmup to the Multisport nationals the following week. It was my first triathlon since October last year (except winter triathlon in February) and I was looking forward to it. This is a big race with lots of participants. Texas has been very hot recently and Austin was no exception, maybe even worse because of the city effect. At the morning of the race, I was overheating just setting up transition. How would this play out? My tactic was to respect the heat, not to push hard and to stop at all drink stations.  The swim was of course not wet suit legal, and I think that works for me. I felt the swim went well, I kept up, or overtook, most swimmers in my wave (women over 50). The river was a little low and I got entangled in seaweed several times.  At T1, I gave myself time to take a mug of sports drink. Bike leg also felt good, I pushed hard without exhaust...

I often say I would not do triathlon and other endurance sports, if it was not fun. Some people mistake that for not being really serious about my results. That I would stop for photo ops and let friend groups decide my training and other activities.  No, that is not what I mean. I am extremely focused on my performance, and I do (almost) everything I can to be my best. I do want to win, and I push myself very hard almost every day of the year. I research training methods, I eat well, I plan my life around the training and competitions. But I keep in mind that my sporting activity is a hobby and not a job. I have no income from the sport. I have no one expecting results from me, so in the bigger picture, it does not really matter where I place or what my time is. I choose to do sport because I enjoy it. I also make sure I don't injure or damage myself. I would never take performance enhancing drugs. What I mean is that I want to do the training and that it is meaningful, or you can...

Triathlon is an expensive sport, and it is getting worse. Apart from all the equipment, competition entry fees have increased a lot. Who is going to World Championships? The best athletes, one hope, but the reality is that lot of accomplished athletes are prized out. Travel, bike transport, hotels, entry fees, national kit fees, it mounts up. If it is overseas, it can get really bad, easily 5k US dollars for a single person.  Entry fees for regular races have also increased in the last few years. It is now at a level where I really think twice if I want to take part. Often it is cheaper to sign up early, but you never know if you will be healthy and available on the day and usually, there are no refunds. I have given up on two half Ironman races after signing up early and then, one year, I had shingles and the next year, I had Covid just before the race. In the first case I lost all the money (over 400 US dollars) and in the second case I lost about 300 dollars after I had signed u...

Without previous experience in winter triathlon, I signed up for US National Championship in duathlon (run + ski) and triathlon (run + bike + ski). With all my participation in regular triathlon and cross-country skiing, how hard can it be? Answer: very hard. Maybe it was the altitude (>9000 feet), maybe all the fresh snow, but it was exhausting. I was worried about the altitude, and I also needed to get back into skiing, so I arrived in Breckenridge a week before the competitions.  I got an extra workout right away the first morning when I had to clear my car of snow and shovel my way out to the road. I did not want to push my limits the first day and skiing felt fine, but really, that slow? Mile splits of 12-14 minutes! I checked the Strava segments, and I was quite high on them, for my age group number 1 or 2. I realized high altitude has a big impact. After a few days, I rented a fat bike and tried the biking. It had snowed in the night and even though the track had been pre...

You like the idea of being super fit and participate in amazing races. But when it comes down to it, you don't do the training. You call yourself lazy, or you are just too busy.  I am usually very motivated to train, planning workouts, races and tactics in my head. But it happens that I just don't feel for it. If it is a temporary problem, I start the training but allow myself to shorten it. Half the time, I will do an easier workout, half the time I am fine with the prescribed workout once I start. But it is important to allow yourself a little brake. If you struggle a lot with motivation, stop and analyze. Do you really want to be a serious athlete and pay the prize?  There are a lot of things I like to be able to do, mastering a musical instrument for example. I mean really mastering it, picking up tunes by ear, play a big repertoire effortless and relaxed in public. But I do not want to do the training that will take me there. I have started many times, and I don't like...

This morning it was 10f (-12C) outside when I took the dog for a morning walk. I live in Texas. I grew up in Sweden and I have spent a lot of time being cold and miserable, so much that I learned to take great care to dress for the weather. The dog and I were alone out there, and we were comfortable. In fact, I got too hot. The saying: there is no bad weather, only bad clothes , is largely true. All the time I see people make mistakes with their cold weather clothing. A warm jacket is nice, but the critical spots are ankles, wrists, neck and head. The fashionable short socks are crazy in cold weather, and I cringe when I see runners without covering their achilles tendons.  And please, put on a hat. I like the neck scarves that you can pull up over your face and head if necessary. When it gets hot, you just pull them down.  The predicted cold spell has made me adjust the training for the coming week. Bicycling outside is not going to happen, so I did some extra biking last wee...

I have been fortunate. For over 5 years, I have had no significant illness or injury forcing me off training. But since about August this year, I have had a string of setbacks. First a wonky knee, then Covid, then a broken bone in my foot, then a cold and now my only road bike broke. It can be mended; it is just another obstacle. Like the foot, it can be run on cautiously, the cold and Covid are gone, I am fine. Until now, I have seen a steady progression of my performance, despite getting older. But I have regressed quite a bit. Last year, I steadily ran below a 9-minute mile, the question was if I would go below 8.30 or not on a 5k. Now a 9-minute mile on my regular training runs are hard to do.  It was inevitable, I am getting older and the recent training breaks have had a negative effect on my performance. I am not sure if I ever can get back to the form I had in 2023. It was more fun when I was getting better, but it had to come to en end, aging always wins. But I am also in ...

It really is. Essentials are a racing bike and all the additions like helmet and bike shoes which will be 2000 dollars to stratospheric. Then we have regular access to a pool, basically a gym membership and on top of that several pairs of high-quality running shoes, tri suits, swim goggles etc.  Entry fees to races vary a lot but a regular minor race is often 100 to 200 dollars. Ironman races can be everything from 400 dollars (and that "cheap" is unusual) to about 1000 dollars depending on location and time of registration.  Now you need to get to the race, if it's local and you can drive, you need a car that can transport your bike, and often you need a night or two at a hotel in order to not arrive sleep deprived and exhausted.  If your ambition is national and international races, everything escalates, add on bike transportation (packing bag and fees), air flights, hotels and special race kits. For winter triathlon you may need to pay for transport of skis (another p...

That is what the podiatrist told me when he saw the recent X-ray of my left foot. It has a small chip broken off the fourth metatarsal bone.  It happened on the Kerrville triathlon September 25; I felt a sharp pain already on the swim. Maybe I hurt myself warming up, maybe someone stepped on my foot. I have had a previous injury at the same place, something called Morton's neuroma, so I thought it was the same thing. I have actually had pain right there on and off for about two years. "Forget Morton's," said the Dr., "this is a broken bone." In hindsight, I wonder if I have had a crack for a while. Bottom line: I don't know how it happened. When I told the podiatrist, I had completed a quarter distance triathlon with the broken foot he laughed and said I must have high tolerance for pain. There is no clear treatment, If I continue to have pain, removal of the bone chip may be the solution. For now, it is wait and see and NO RUNNING. After 5 and a half ye...

In a previous post, I touched upon doping and performance enhancing drugs. Recently, I have seen some blatant cheating on important races. I am talking about people cutting run and bike courses short, getting pushed up hills, drafting on non-draft races and receiving outside support. There is probably more, this is what I personally have observed. Why do people want to cheat? Some of them are accomplished athletes. For most age group athletes, there is no monetary award or even fame. If I ask a person on the street who is world champion in mens 50-54 draft legal sprint 2023, I guarantee that no one knows. I don't know who it is as I am writing this.  Even when I win a race (fairly and squarely) I am acutely aware that there are people better than me, that did not participate in this particular race for one reason or another. If you cheat, you know even less what your level is.  It's pathetic to cheat and you take away a position (a win?) and satisfaction from someone that ea...

It is called performance enhancing drugs. Sounds better than doping. Sadly, at least I feel sad about it, I have come to understand that even amateur racers use performance enhancing drugs. I am starting to realize it is not uncommon even at intermediate performance levels. Many, maybe most, don't see anything wrong with it.  And there is a grey zone, I don't think anyone would object to over-the-counter vitamins for example. Or a cup of coffee, which boasts aerobic performance. Asthma sufferers are prescribed inhalers which can be crucial to their breathing and participation in sports. Inhalers can also boast performance. When is it a form of cheating and when is it fair? Probably impossible to say, but there have been a lot of runners that have been diagnosed with asthma and are allowed to use inhalers. Low testosterone is another grey area. Hard training can significantly lower testosterone levels. Is it then fair to get prescribed additional testosterone? After all, to cure...

But not if it's about Covid.  A few days after flying back to Texas, I got a "cold" that got very nasty and of course it was covid. For a few days, I was very sick. Extremely tired, I slept most of the time for two days, headache, body ache, sore throat and a thick cough.  This is my first real illness in the 5 1/2 half years since I started training seriously for triathlon. I have also been almost injury free this time, I have not had to decline a single race that I have signed up for, and I have completed all my races in style! It had to end.  I also have a knee injury, I first noticed it after the Cykelvasa . First, I thought it was due to one of the falls, but I soon realized it was an overuse injury. I have not been to a doctor, but the symptoms fit something called "bicycle knee." My last race in Sweden was a 10k road running race in central Stockholm at midnight; Midnattsloppet one week after the Cykelvasa . It is huge, this year about 20 000 competitors...

This is a mountain bike race largely on the Vasa trail. This year I settled for 45km, which is half distance. Last time I did this distance was in 2019, my time then was 2h 26 min. In early August, I did several training runs on the trail and my splits were not anywhere near those needed for my previous competition time. Weather in Sweden has been the opposite of USA and most of Europe, with the rainiest July and August for at least 30 years. I have never seen the local lakes and rivers so high. Of course, that made the bike track really muddy at some parts. The organizers have made a good job of improving the track, so overall it was not too bad but there were difficult patches. Competition day was lucky with the weather, a rare day with little rain! This time, I knew my approximate finishing time and I was placed in start group 2. I got off well and raced past many bikers without extra effort. In the well-known climb "Lundbäcksbackarna" I felt I was doing well. But somethin...

Mixed sprint relay is a competition form I really enjoy. There are two men and two women on every team. All team members do a super sprint triathlon each; 300m swim, T1, 5km bike ride, T2 and finish with 1.5 km run. First relay leg is always done by a male, leg 2 a female, leg 3 a male and a female finish. Start is communal, so first to finish line by 4th team member win. Age groups are done at 10-year intervals, so I compete with my team in the 60–69-year age group.  It is short, it is speedy, positions change all the time, it is exciting. This was my fourth relay competition and every time I have had mostly new team members which makes for new friends. I was on Team III USA 60-69; I think we had 6 or 7 teams in this age group. I had leg 2 and there was a lot of anxiety before we could enter the exchange area. Information of where to go was substandard, huge audience crowds and closed roads made it very difficult to navigate. I, and many other stressed athletes finally found our w...

It is a big undertaking to go to a world championship overseas, and I am not only talking about the training and sport performance. That is the part I can, and do, control. It is everything else; flights, bike transports, getting the right information, food choices in unfamiliar settings etc. This is the third time I am in a triathlon world championship, and it is following a familiar pattern of chaos and panic.   I got caught in a massive flight delay and had to wait in an airport for over 24 hours. After standing in a line for over 4 and a half hours in the middle of the night, I got another flight the next day, and I went to a hotel to rest. Most hotels were booked so I took what I could get. The hotel had no food. Lack of sleep, lack of food and on my feet for too long is not a good prelude to a big race. It is what it is. I flew early and recovered in time. I got my luggage and bicycle undamaged and on time, many did not. This has happened on every world championship. To make ...

 The last few days, I have migrated over to Sweden again. The travel was difficult, I got caught up in the recent flight cancellation chaos, caused by bad weather in New York area, air traffic control shortage and I don’t know what. I got stuck in Houston for over 24 hours and stood in a line trying to get new flights for over 4.5 hours. This was at night. Overall, the travel was not good for my fitness level. Eventually I did reach Sweden, bone tired of course. On the positive side, I did not get sick. I tried to catch up on training right away, but sensibly. I do not want to get sick or injured, and after a major exhaustion event like this, the risk is high. First day, I tested my Swedish road bike, a Trek Madone I bought in 2010, a very good bike. A short 12-mile ride at a slow pace proved that I, and the bike, was still working. Then I put on my wetsuit and swam for about 15 minutes in the local lake. Saturday July 1, 3 days after arriving, I raced in Challenge Vansbro Sp...

In 2019, Eliud Kipchoge became the first human to run a marathon under 2 hours. On his feet were a pair high tech shoes featuring a carbon fiber plate and air-filled pods. Since then, numerous long-distance records have been shattered by runners wearing these types of shoes. Strava data suggests that a change to carbon plated shoes improves running time over 5%! I have been wondering, is it just a fashion, or are these shoes really faster? Seems hard to believe that shoes could make a noticeable difference today. Can they help me to be faster or is it just for elites? Finally, these shoes are being made by various brands in larger quantities and are available in low enough price for the general public. As I like to try all new shoes in person, I went to town to buy a pair, any brand. That did not go well, all shops were sold out.  I decided to gamble and order on-line. I read a lot of confusing reviews and learned that shoes higher than 40mm mid sole just have been banned for compe...