Riptide Multisports

Westchester Triathlon – My First Pro Win

Jordan Jones — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 16:39:22 +0000

My fall racing season was coming up and I had suddenly lost some motivation to put in the big training hours. Coming off a huge race like Hy-Vee is actually a downer. Suddenly the bait is gone and you have to mentally move on to new things which is tough to do in a short period. Coinciding with this, the energy at work has popped lately and my mind has been engrossed by Powder7. We added two new people on the same day in early September and our sales are up 30% over last year as we head into our busiest season of the year. Amy isn’t even a coffee drinker but you’d think she’s been downing a quad pump Orange Mocha Frappuccino every morning with her buzz. I’ve felt fully immersed during the day by how we can improve our business. How can we better serve our customers? What brands can we add? Then it’s hard to tear myself away at the end of the day to hit the training session.

This experience frightens some. Am I losing the magical ‘it?’. Firstly, I know that I have more ‘it’ than ever. Secondly,
I don’t fear losing ‘it’ a few years down the road when the time comes. I try to focus on not living by inertia and instead maintain an open mind to new things that can excite and motivate me in the future.

After a couple of easier training weeks I hit it hard the weekend before Westchester Triathlon and I was back in the game. I hit a great tempo run at Highline on Sunday and it was fantastic to feel myself almost running free again. My achilles continues to heal that last little bit. Best of all, while standing on a bridge watching me swim at Hy-Vee, Amy noticed how slow my turnover was. Focusing on faster turnover brought immediate improvement and I hit 1:04 for 100m repeats on Saturday, my best yet.
Somehow I had sped up while being in a down training phase. I realized that taking a step back and putting triathlon into a definite second place focus behind work could be a good thing for the fall. I’ll back off the training a touch, race every other week for two months, enjoy it, bring the stress level down, and just focus on getting out and racing aggressively. For me the racing is definitely the fun part so I’ll be enjoying the fall season. I’m motivated for the majority of my training, especially the fast sessions but those ‘just getting in the time’ ones bore me. I’ll back off on those and see how my body responds.

I notice that the champions out there defy classic Type A vs Type B categorization. They are type A in that they are intensely focused in getting to a goal. They are Type B in that they are not high strung and can be relaxed about certain aspects of the process. Look at a start corral before a race and you’ll see that the premier guys are taking it in while other guys are stressing and in their own world.

Is backing off slightly a good long term plan? No. Success at triathlon, like other things in life, requires intense focus and dedication. It can be good though to adjust your outlook from time to time. I’ll see if a small step off the accelerator can get me to the race finish in better time.
It worked this past weekend as I won the Jarden Westchester Triathlon, my first pro victory. I had my best swim of the year, getting out of the water with the pack and within 1:30 of super swimmer John Kenney. I worked the rolling New England hills of the bike course hard and caught John at mile 18. I managed the fastest bike on the day and went on to also get the fastest run split. This is a great event that I continue to come back to. I had a terrible bike crash in ‘09 and got second in ‘10. A neat part is that the same lifeguards at Oakland Beach who bandaged me up in ‘09 were there to welcome by back to the race this year and were very happy to see me win. Next up is Rev3 South Carolina Half Iron in two weeks!

Jones Wins in Westchester

Riptide Multisports — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 01:19:21 +0000

The third time is the charm. 2011 is the third consecutive year that Jordan Jones traveled to Westchester, New York to participate in one of the largest triathlons in the Northeast. In 2009, in his first Olympic distance race after breaking his leg in June, Jordan crashed on the winding and slick bike course. Covered in road rash, he was unable to finish the race. In 2010, he finished 2nd. Today, he won.

Jones best described the race in one word, “Smooth.” He exited the swim behind super swimmer John Kenny, but in the midst of the chase pack. Since Hy-Vee Jordan has worked on increasing his stroke turnover, which today allowed him to stay within fighting distance of Kenny early on in the bike. He patiently stalked Kenny until eventually taking over the lead 20 miles into the bike.

Once out on the run, he put it in cruise control, maintaining a solid effort but without a charge coming from behind didn’t have to shift into high gear.

Check back tomorrow for a first-person recap from Jordan. He races next on October 9th at Rev 3 South Carolina.

Story from lohud.com

4th at Muskoka 70.3

Marisa Asplund — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 21:03:04 +0000

With a career best, 4th place at an Ironman 70.3, this past weekend I also found myself grateful for learning another valuable lesson as an athlete (and as a human being) the importance of staying flexible! First and foremost I am very pleased with my solid result at the Muskoka 70.3, north of Toronto, Canada. Some argue that this particular course is one of the hardest on the circuit with the never ending and steep hills on both the bike and the run course. Hard courses are to my liking.

My lesson on flexibility began nearly a month ago when I was spending enormously long hours training, preparing for my first FULL Iron distance race, the Rev 3 Cedar Point. All was going well, I was feeling very fit, enjoying the summer training, but as I moved from the shorter more intense type of workouts, which as bike-racer-at-heart I prefer, to the longer more endurance based workouts, i.e: six hour bike rides with a ninety minute run afterwards, I began to question my ‘love’ for this type of an event. I also started to question, why now that I have begun to master the half-distance, am I jumping ship to the full distance? My race in July in Portland seemed to be such an A race for me….why not continue on that same trajectory? Yes…when you have six hours on a bike, thoughts like these creep in. I never questioned my ability to complete a full distance, rather I defaulted to one of my first mantras or should I say ultimatums that I gave myself “if ever I stop enjoying this, it’s time to do something else”. Honoring that, I gave my coach Cliff a call to discuss.

He agreed with my thinking that sticking and continuing to master the half distance is a way better plan. So within two days, I’d re-routed my plane ticket, contacted Ironman and was signed up for Muskoka. Bam, just like that. My entire mood lifted and I once again felt that excitement in my step!!

Although a 4th place is something to be very pleased with, I have to be honest that I didn’t feel that the star’s aligned for me. Traffic from Toronto the day before, gave me a less than desirable pre-race day on Saturday compounding it with a completely sleepless night before the race. Bluntly put: I was exhausted before the race began on Sunday. But like all good athletes, we have an ability to shut off discomfort and trudge on. That’s exactly what I did and things worked out well!

The most important part is that I was successful in securing some good points for 70.3 Worlds in 2012, which is one of my main goals for the next racing season. This year, 2011, wanting to see how this new point system would shake out, I turned my attention more to the Rev 3 series, which has been an amazing alternative. This race-report comes on the heels of just booking travel for the Anderson, South Carolina, Rev 3 in one month. I look to continue perfecting my racing!

Jordan Jones 5150 Hy-Vee Championship 16th Place

Jordan Jones — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 16:52:26 +0000

The 5150 Hy-Vee Championship race was my goal this season and the effort to qualify was worth the effort. A purse of $1,000,000, 60 of the best non-drafting athletes in the world, and a huge crowd made this the best race I’ve ever competed in. As soon as Amy and I landed in Des Moines, we were impressed with the professionalism of the race. There were signs in the airport for the athletes, shuttles to take us to downtown Des Moines, and when we got there the race was practically already set up two days before race-time.

It rained on Saturday then Sunday was beautiful weather and almost cool. All the rain Saturday was in the river by Sunday making for a very strong current. If I swam easy then I’d simply be getting pushed backward by the water.

After getting called out individually to the pontoon, the race was underway. I’ve had progressively better swims this season but that streak didn’t carry through here. I exited the water in 29th place and 3 minutes down from the lead. The upside was that 10 guys lay within a minute up the road.

The bike course was finely planned and consisted of four laps with a nice mixture of city riding, hills, and straight power sections. I hit it hard on the bike and rode to 23rd place by the time I started running. I wasn’t sure how my legs would feel once they hit the pavement after my effort on the bike but they got rolling well. I fought hard on the run, passing guys to move to 16th place. After dealing with an achilles injury all spring and summer, it felt fantastic to finally have a stride and open up the legs. I loved the lap format of the run, 1.5 miles per lap with one big hill and a deep crowd most of the way. Plus I had Amy, Tate, and Paula cheering me on every loop keeping my spirits high.
With the huge backing of Hy-Vee and other race sponsors, 16th place was worth $7,000 which I’m very appreciative of. Greg Bennett was the men’s champion on the day which was nice to see. Amy and I were impressed with his friendliness and positive outlook on racing when we saw him and his wife Laura throughout the weekend.

It would help the sport dramatically if other companies could see the benefit of backing a race of this caliber. Imagine a series of races at this level. This was a bit of an experiment for high stakes non-drafting Olympic distance race and from my perspective it was a success. The athletes were an intriguing mix of Ironman World Champions, Olympians, ITU athletes, and 70.3 stars. The city of Des Moines is a perfect size for this race because it’s large enough to host a race this size yet small enough that the race is THE event in town. The race drew a large crowd locally and the live online coverage seemed to draw high ratings (at least every who I’ve talked to watched it). This is the model that the IAAF T&F World Championships is based upon.

Now it’s time for a short down period before getting back into my fall race season which will consist of five races. Next up is the Jarden Westchester Triathlon on September 25th in Rye, NY.

Jones Interviewed by Slowtwitch as he Prepares for 5150 Hy-Vee Triathlon

Riptide Multisports — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 16:26:03 +0000

Jordan Jones Boulder Peak 2011

Jordan Jones will race in the prestigious 5150 Hy-Vee US Championship Triathlon this Sunday, September 4th. The race is limited to 30 men and 30 women who will compete for over $1 million in prize money. The full entry list can be found here.

Slowtwitch interviewed Jordan as he prepared for the race and here is an excerpt:

Jordan Jones is a man of many interests. He is a pro triathlete, successful business owner, former Denver police officer and ran a 14:25 5k at Boston University. Jordan is on the start list for Hy-Vee and will be competing for the huge paycheck next month.

Slowtwitch: Thanks for the time Jordan. So were you relieved to make it into Hy-Vee?

Jordan Jones: Relieved is an apt description. I was ranked well going into my last qualifying race at Boulder Peak but I had a terrible race and immediately afterwards I thought I had blown my shot at qualifying. Thankfully, I still earned enough points at Boulder Peak to get my Hy-Vee spot.

ST: You raced at Miami, Washington DC and Boulder. Why did you decide to race those events?
Click here to read the full interview on Slowtwitch

70.3 Boulder Race Report

Jordan Jones — Mon, 08 Aug 2011 21:16:51 +0000

With 8 weeks between my last race, Boulder Peak, and Hy-Vee, 70.3 Boulder was a nice opportunity to break up the tough training and get in a race without having to travel. I haven’t seriously competed in a half distance race since 2007 and was excited to test myself over the distance. My achilles tendon has been healing nicely since Boulder Peak so I’ve been back into my normal running routine and building back the run fitness.
Race day. The swim was noticeably slower than an Olympic distance but it was also “75.9″ degree water making it wetsuit legal by .2 degrees. I think this led most of us to hold back on the swim and avoid overheating.
I felt great throughout the swim and that continued onto the bike. Amy was spotting for me on the course so I knew I was in 8th place and 2 minutes off the lead starting the bike. I rode steady the first loop but was surprised that: this guy behind me wasn’t dropping, I hadn’t caught anyone, and no one was even in sight. I was riding slightly higher watts than expected while at a lower effort level than expected so what was going on?
At the turnaround at 20 miles (out of 56 miles if your not familiar) I was happy to see that Gambles and Cartmell were leading at 2 minutes up and 6 guys were grouped together at 1 minute up. I kept up my watts and caught that group heading up 36. It turns out the fellow riding with me was Raynard Tissink, 5th place at Kona last year so not bad company to be in. Once the course flattened again after a long slight downhill I moved to get back into the pace but got a little crampy on the inside quads of my legs. I hung back the next 5 miles to let it work out then went back to work the last 5 miles. I finished the bike in 2:04 (4th best split) with 3 other guys so we were holding down places 3, 4, 5,and 6. Aside from feeling normal crampy twinges, I felt great the whole ride and was surprised how comfortable I was riding for that long.
I was pumped up going into the run. I had been feeling excellent all day and felt ready to run. I dialed in the pace on the 1st of 2 laps, holding down 6:00 pace. I got into 3rd place and definitely thought I could hold it with a chance at getting 2nd.
Then, the wheels came off. I suddenly had to walk the hills, feeling sleepy and wiped. I walked the aid stations, filling up my bottle and taking down as much as I could. I’d drink it down, feel slightly better for a half mile then it would hit again like clockwork. I had to endure this for 4 miles as I gave up my position. 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th. Finally after taking in a load of Gatorade, Coke, water, and a gel (tasty meal huh?) at the 11 mile aid station some life came back into me and I was able to run steady for the last 2 miles or so to the finish. Oddly, once I sat in the reservoir for a few minutes after the race and drank some fluids I felt better than I normally do after racing.

It’s a bummer to give up all the spots and finish in 7th but I think that once I dial in the nutrition better and race in cooler temps then it will be easier for me to race this distance. It was close to 100 degrees and a high temp record so tough conditions to race in. I’m aiming to race two more half’s this year at Rev3 South Carolina and 70.3 Longhorn. On the positive side, my swim-bike was strong and both have been feeling great in training. My run is coming back quicker than I expect so I’m excited for the Hy-Vee start line in 4 weeks.

Where to catch Riptide this weekend

Riptide Multisports — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:29:57 +0000

This is a big weekend for triathlon in Denver! Whatever race you’re at, be sure to say ‘hi’ to any Riptide athletes you see.

Saturday – Lookout Mountain Triathlon – Cyrus will be at the race expo showing off his new company, Reflex, which produces high-end fashion clothing geared toward endurance athletes. Amy will be volunteering at race registration.

Sunday - Denver Triathlon – Cyrus will be racing the inaugural Denver Triathlon.

Also, a quick congrats to Riptide’s Ofer Barniv for taking 12th in last night’s West End 3k!

Rev 3 Portland Recap and a Surprise in Bend

Marisa Asplund — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 17:22:16 +0000

I’ve just returned home from what I consider to be a very successful two weeks. My adventure began, as I had intuitively expected with a great performance at the Rev 3 Portland half Iron-distance race with a very solid 7th place finish. The Professional field at this race was quite stacked with some excellent competition, which I’m finding to be the ‘norm’ at these new Rev 3 races. A 7th place finish was enough to put me into the generous cash prize purse, but most delightful was the bike split that has for 2011 eluded me. I managed to have the second fastest bicycle time in the entire field and for me, being the former ‘Roadie’., this was the highlight of the race. After a few disappointing cycling performances earlier this season, I took some time to really dial in my training and my position on the bike. Prior to the race I spent count-less training rides, back in my hometown of Durango, getting my cycling legs back under me, while battling the strong local riders in our many group rides. Mission accomplished.

The Rev 3 race was followed by a much-needed short break from structured training. I took the opportunity while in Oregon, to spend a week walking the beach near Portland, eating delicious “Portland” food, mountain biking amidst the ferns and just rejuvenating both the body and the mind.

The perfect ending came to the vacation, while in Bend visiting friends; they suggested that I participate in the local Olympic distance triathlon that coming weekend. Initially, I laughed it off still feeling my fatigued legs a bit. As many of my fellow athletes will profess, racing is just too much fun, so I signed up.

Bend is a special place to me, as I would make the yearly journey there to complete in one of the bigger multi-day cycling races in the US, the Cascade Cycling Classic. In fact, 2011 is the first year in many that I wouldn’t be showing up at the start line, as I have now turned to my sole focus to triathlon. So, the idea of swapping my nostalgic memories in Bend for some new ones seemed like a good plan. On Saturday I became the new female record holder for the Deschutes Dash, marking my stamp once again in Bend.

Now as I am back home, unpacking, I look at the upcoming weeks and days of hard long training. Eight weeks and counting until my first full Iron-distance race back east in Ohio. Stay tuned…

Boulder Peak Sub Hour Power Data

Jordan Jones — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:54:01 +0000

Jordan Jones Boulder Peak Bike Course Data

Since I managed to break 1 hour for the Boulder Peak bike course which is a goal for others out there, I’m posting my power data from the race.
I didn’t feel too great during the race but was happy to manage to go under an hour which has been a goal of mine. I did it on my Trek Speed Concept 9.9 so I had a very aero setup going.
Interesting numbers:
Average Power: 293 watts
Peak 10 Minute Power: 345 watts
Peak 1 Minute Power: 380 watts
Max Elevation: 6394 ft
Max Speed: 48.1 MPH
Click on the image to see it in detail. For clarity, the power is not zeroed out.
This is my first year training with power. Our team had weekly CompuTrainer rides at Tri Yoga Endurance in Golden, CO over the winter. I’ve also been doing my hard workouts and races with a power meter.

Boulder Peak – Lost The Battle – Next Up The War

Jordan Jones — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 00:31:17 +0000

Coming off of my best racing of the season at 5150 Washington DC I was pumped up and feeling ready for Boulder Peak. I started race the Peak when I was an amateur and have raced it around 5 times now. The climb up Old Stage and the fans lining the run course always have me excited to race.

The swim felt good and I got out of the water with some solid guys like Chris Foster and Tim Reed. The first sign of trouble was when I oddly cramped a bit while getting into my shoes on the bike. Once I got riding I felt decent but every time I raised the power to where I felt I should be, I could only briefly hold it.
I did break 1:00 for the bike course (59:58 how’s that for pacing?) which has long been a goal of mine but I didn’t feel quite right doing it. The bike put me in 8th place.

Once I hit the run it was just plain ugly. I felt absolutely wretched and was quickly in survival mode. Going into the race I was ranked 20th in the 5150 Hy-Vee rankings. I needed to maintain my top 20 position to qualify for Hy-Vee but with Boulder Peak along with a European race over the weekend plenty of guys would be earning points and moving up. See here for my previous points on the Hy-Vee qualifying system. With this in mind I had to tough it out on the run and grasp for whatever points I could get. I felt dizzy and a bit out of it on the run. Finally I got to the finish in 13th place.

That left me very unhappy as I thought that I had blown my chance at Hy-Vee. I wouldn’t mind it so much if I had raced decently but I felt like I was off and sure enough I came down with a virus after the race.
Fortunately, when the rankings were updated I was ranked 19th so I’ll be racing at Hy-Vee. Perhaps the good thing about my horrific Boulder Peak run is that since I ran 6 minute pace it didn’t put a strain on my achilles and it’s FINALLY getting better. In terms of frustration, this injury is the champion. It would slowly get better then as soon as I’d run remotely fast it would blow up and I’d be back to square one. Now that it’s finally truly healing I’m excited to start running again and start improving my position off the bike.
5150 Hy-Vee is September 4th so I have plenty of time to get back into run form and possible race 70.3 Boulder along the way.

Before Boulder Peak