Training
Table September 2004
T.J. Tollakson’s Triathlon Newsletter
Check out
www.insidetriathlon.com For the latest news and press releases about my racing
Crash
9/9/04 :
The evening of
September 9, 2004 I was on a solo training ride attempting to complete an easy
40-miler. I was 35 miles into the ride when an overtaking RV traveling
approximately 60 mph struck me from behind. The RV struck me on my left hip and
tossed me from bike onto the pavement. I hit my helmet on the asphalt and split
it in two. My bike was in very poor condition with my front fork being
shattered into three pieces, the wheels badly damaged, handlebars and aerobars
completely dysfunctional, and some dents on the frame of the bike. Luckily
local bike mechanic and training partner, Billy Gilbert, was able to repair and
replace the major damaged components and bring a new hybrid Cannondale Ironman
5000 up to race form. While I was concerned about the altered riding position I
was confident in my ability to endure a 40K bike segment during a race. I was
very lucky to leave this accident with only some road rash, deep muscle
bruising, and some misalignment of my body. I was on a quick road to rehab
following the accident since it meant I would have to cancel plans to race in
Kirksville, MO on 9/12/04, but would still make an effort to race at the
National Age Group Championships in Shreveport, LA, on 9/18/04. Only 9 days from
accident to racing was quite a big challenge but my whole season was focused on
racing in Louisiana. I entered some very intensive rehabilitation with
Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Loewen, and Chiropractor, Dr. Lackey. The goal: do
whatever is necessary to get me to race in 9 days. My progress was phenomenal
and with the help of DuoDerm wound dressing, I was able to make nearly a full
recovery. My swimming was strong and nearly unaffected while my biking and
running were tough on my back and knees causing some serious pain and
inflammation. I left the rehab on
Thursday before the race and completely took the accident out of my mind in
preparation for the race on Saturday.
Race Report: Age Group
National Championships, Shreveport, LA
September 18,
2004, the date was on my calendar from the beginning of the year as my final
“A” race of the season. This was the culmination of a year of hard work and
training, and now my race plans were drastically altered because of the
accident only 9 days before the event. My therapy was going well before I left
and I knew the muscle damage in my left deltoid (shoulder) was only minimally
important to my freestyle swim stroke but my back and knees were in a poor
state with a lot of pain and inflammation worsened by intense activity. My new
race plan had to be; win the race on the bike. I have shown the ability to ride
with the top triathlete pros in the world, so if I was going to win, it would
be because of a big lead off the bike. My back and knees were so sore and I was
able to do very little running in the 9 days since the accident so my run was
questionable at best.
The swim was in
the 84-degree and very slow moving Red River. The river was dirty with around a
10-inch visibility, and since the temperature was over 78 there would be no
wetsuits (good for strong swimmers). I started on the outside in deep water and
was quickly out in a good position near the front. The thrashing at the start
was a lot better than I expected but still present. The most notable difference
in a big race is the longer portion at the start that you must swim hard and
anaerobic in order to stay out in front before the weaker swimmers slowly fade.
I was calm and smooth in the water, taking long strokes and trying to conserve
energy by being efficient. I swam in a pack near the front leaders and exited
21:49 and 10th place in the wave and 26th best from all
the males. I was out of transition pretty quick and on my bike in a hurry. I
quickly made up the lost ground on the swim leaders and moved into first place
with nothing but the pace vehicle in front of me. I was disappointed to see
several large packs of drafters out on the course but it happens. About half
way through the bike leg, my back began cramping and tightening up on me. This
was a sign of the pain I would experience on the run. My bike split was 55:04
and I was 2:07 faster than the second place bike. I finished the bike with a
big lead over second place and went out on the run alone. My first mile was
slow, I mean really slow, nearly one minute off usual race pace. I had a
horrible side stitch and had trouble holding form. Miles 2 and 3 were in the
shade so I was able to recover a bit and run two miles with better pace but
mile 4 and 5 were back in the sun and with no Gatorade or sugar based sports
drink my legs were cramping. My paced slowed considerably but I knew I had to
push through as best I could. I was not only racing my wave but the over 30 Men
that started after us. The overall win was going to be tough so I had to pick
up the pace. Mile 6 was a little shaded and provided the relief that all the
pain would soon cease as soon as I crossed the finish line. My run split was
39:17, only the 70th fastest of the day, but it was still good
enough for the win. Cruised through the finish line with my slowest run since
May but crossed the line breaking the tape with a huge smile on my face. Even
though it wasn’t my best race, I knew I left everything I had on the course and
executed a race plan that put me in first. Fifteen minutes later I found out I
was still the overall winner and then the celebration started. I won the
overall amateur national title by 82 seconds over Jason McMillan of Cedar Park,
TX. At the awards ceremony I received a new Polar S625x Heart Rate monitor for
winning the overall and a Rudy Project bike helmet for having the fastest bike
split of the day. It was truly a memorable experience and having my mom,
sister, and nephew at the race to support me was really special.
Age Group
M20-24
|
1 |
Trenton |
Tollakson |
24 |
Hutchinson |
KS |
8 |
21:49 |
0:42 |
1 |
55:04:00 |
0:46 |
19 |
39:17:00 |
1 |
1:57:36 |
|
2 |
Michael |
Boehmer |
24 |
Madison |
WI |
11 |
23:28 |
0:38 |
2 |
58:02:00 |
0:40 |
1 |
36:17:00 |
1 |
1:59:02 |
|
3 |
Andrew |
Starykowicz |
22 |
Long
Grove |
IL |
4 |
21:26 |
0:44 |
1 |
57:07:00 |
0:44 |
18 |
39:14:00 |
2 |
1:59:12 |
|
4 |
Bucky |
Schafer |
22 |
Englewood |
CO |
10 |
23:03 |
0:44 |
7 |
1:00:15 |
0:49 |
5 |
37:11:00 |
3 |
2:01:59 |
|
5 |
Eric |
Ott |
23 |
Naperville |
IL |
13 |
23:30 |
0:48 |
9 |
1:00:39 |
0:47 |
2 |
36:32:00 |
4 |
2:02:15 |
Overall
|
1 |
Trenton |
Tollakson |
24 |
Hutchinson |
KS |
1 |
1:57:36 |
|
2 |
Jason |
Mcmillian |
31 |
Cedar
Park |
TX |
2 |
1:58:58 |
|
3 |
Michael |
Boehmer |
24 |
Madison |
WI |
3 |
1:59:02 |
|
4 |
Boris |
Fernandez |
31 |
Key
Biscayne |
FL |
4 |
1:59:08 |
|
5 |
Andrew |
Starykowicz |
22 |
Long
Grove |
IL |
5 |
1:59:12 |
|
6 |
Brian |
Bich |
38 |
Duluth |
MN |
6 |
1:59:20 |
|
7 |
Mark |
Wachendorf |
38 |
Mchenry |
IL |
7 |
1:59:27 |
|
8 |
Michael |
Smith |
43 |
Brownsburg |
IN |
8 |
1:59:27 |
|
9 |
Bill |
Reeves |
37 |
Durham |
NH |
9 |
1:59:30 |
|
10 |
Bruce |
Gennari |
38 |
Brentwood |
TN |
10 |
1:59:38 |
GOALS? 2005
I have been
talking with my coach, Jeff Castro, about goals and plans for 2005 and still
have not yet decided on what to do. The two options are currently: 1) stay
amateur and vie for an overall world amateur title in 2005 2) turn pro and race
some ITU and the American non-drafting classics. There are benefits to both
sides so if you have any suggestions or recommendations please let me know. I
am interested in everyone’s opinion. As for right now, I am going to take a
couple of weeks off and try to put on some more bodyfat and let my body rest up
and heal. In the meantime, don’t forget
to visit my website at www.tollakson.com
.
Race Data
For those
interested in my PowerTap data, I had the best bike ride of the year.
|
Time |
52.374 |
|
Average |
323.5402806 |
|
NP |
327.94 |
|
Best 5m |
348.5857741 |
|
Best 10m |
340.1907757 |
|
Best 20m |
334.5681342 |
