Blog – Page 50 – Ben Collins

Do What now?

This week my coach, Dr. Michael McMahon gave me the rare opportunity to do whatever I wanted. I figured the season was over, and that meant I could do some new activities, maybe row with my mom and sister, rock climb, hike, or maybe something crazy, like just chilling. My creative thoughts were overwhelmed by travel, school, and poor planning, however, so instead I spent the week biking and running, but not in a training sort of way. More in a bike for fun and run to punish myself type of way. I talked to Dr Mike on Friday night, and he again suggested I find a 5k to run, and added that he would also like me to do a test set in the water and on the track, "just as a benchmark for next season".

"Well crap!" I thought. After the swim was canceled in California, I decided it was time for my annual dechlorination phase, in which I let my pores clear out and spend a couple weeks away from the pool. It was Friday night, and I hadn’t been in the water since Wednesday of the week before. "That only matters in your head." Mike said, which I tried to believe, but either my head is strong, or Mike was only saying that to make me feel better because my times were awful. In my 200 for time I positive split by seven seconds! (That means my second hundred was seven seconds slower than my first). For those who don’t know, that’s bad. You want to try negative split, or at least even split your time trials.

Regardless of my times, the trip to the gym was worthwhile because Aaron Scheidies joined me, and afterwards he taught me some core exercises. I swear my core used to be strong, but the stuff Aaron is having me do is really hard. Here’s a picture of the situation: I’m sweating over a pilates ball next to Aaron — who seems to think his hangover is more painful that the exercises we’re doing, but he’s still able to crunch, sip from his bottle of water, and give me orders of how to correct my technique. I’m not sure how he knew when my hips were dropping without being able to see me.

I’m going to finish with a non-sequitur. I went to Sushi the other night with my parents. It was crowded, so we sat at the bar. When our Sashimi showed up ate my first few pieces like I normally do – sans-soy sauce or wasabi. As I scarfed down chopsticks full of raw salmon, tuna, prawn, scallop and sea bass, I got a wonderful lecture from the woman next to me at the bar about how good the sushi is if you dip it in soy sauce and wasabi. If you saw a guy throwing down pieces of raw fish would you assume it was his first time eating sushi? I thought it was a little funny… made me want to go into Starbucks and give unsolicited lectures on creme and sugar.

Tomorrow? School and a track workout. Thursday I’m running the Turkey Trot in Tacoma. Kurt’s doing it with me, anyone else want to join me? I have three more seats in the car!

Running with Dad and Red Lace

The past three days I’ve been running with my Dad (he rides his bike). He’s hurting because he hasn’t been out with me in months. Today we ran my 10k loop which turns out to be 12.2km. It has a nice hill from 3k to 5k,where I see how far I can get ahead of my Dad, then how long I can stay ahead once we start going downhill. It’s fun, but today it was even more fun because I was playing with my new Garmin Forerunner 50. It’s a super small, no frills HRM that also gets speed and cadence data from a foot pod (while running) or a magnet sensor (while biking). It was the first time I’ve had accurate running cadence while training, and I found out that my turnover isn’t as high as I thought.

When my dad finally caught me on the downhill we were both exhausted from the chase, and we backed off for a minute. Our break was just in time to find a red lace bra that somebody had left hanging on the barrier. I’m not sure how underwear is lost on the side of the road, but apparently it happens regularly in California. Who would have thought?

We finished the run and Dad made me lift his bike onto the hanger for him. I will never tell him he climbs hills slowly. I would have trouble going uphill on a lead bike too. That thing is a tank (though it is nice to have his saddle bags to throw layers in as I get hot, and to carry water bottles).

I’m off to Sushi with my mom. I’m still looking for more corny jokes, so please leave a comment.

My Mentor

A year ago I was living in Hawaii. I had just returned from World Champs in Switzerland, and was on the disabled list. My sources of income were teaching bike safety to 4th graders and cooking at an Indian restaurant. Life was pretty good.

Hawaii was where I became interested in triathlon, or at least the training part. The first friend I met in Honolulu was a kid named Kurt Chambers. I walked into Island Triathlon & Bike (IT&B), which at the time was the only triathlon specific store on the island. Kurt was at the check out counter, and when I asked if there were any groups to train with he told me to join him with the Volcano Triathlon Team (VTT), which was loosely affiliated with University of Hawaii. I showed up the next week, and was shown some local riding routes, some hills, some running paths, and I met the people that became my closest friends in Hawaii. As for Kurt, he taught me a lot about triathlon. He did my first track workout with me, and introduced me to the "art" of living on practically nothing while still having a lot of fun (others have referred to this as "mooching" or simply being "cheap", but I would call them "frivolous").

The more I got to know Kurt, the more I realized how unique he is, and I wanted to find a way to show the world what they were missing out on. So when I returned from Switzerland, finding myself with more free time than I knew what to do with, I decided to team up with my friend Rory (former president of VTT) to make a documentary about Kurt. The result is only a small glimpse into the anomaly that is Kurt Chambers, but it did succeed in taking a snapshot of Honolulu’s triathlon community, and the people that make Hawaii a great place to visit, and a better place to live.

Here’s the video. It’s 12 minutes long, so I won’t blame you for coming back to it later. Look

closely, and you’ll see my coach, Dr. Mike, Chet "the Jet" Blanton (former record holder for most Ironman’s completed in one year – 27), and even a topless guy that looks remarkably like myself.

We made a bit of a mockery of the endeavor, but I really do appreciate Kurt for what he’s done for me. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t be where I am now. And that means a lot. Thanks Kurt.

If anyone living near me needs a mentor, I’d be happy to pass on the favor.

Slumber Party

I am exhausted. I thought I would get back from my last race and be ready to party like a rock star, but alas, my bed is the only venue I’m interested in.

Today I was supposed to meet some people from Advocare at a product show they put on in Seattle, but I fell asleep four hours before it happened and didn’t wake up in time. Oops.

Next week is Thanksgiving, and I’m debating whether to race a 5k Turkey Trot. My fitness is superb right now, but at the same time I’m yearning for some down time. Last time I ran a 5k I PRed after staying up the entire night at a U2 concert drinking an eggnog milkshake from Jack ‘N the Box at 3am. If that’s my PR, then I should be able to extend my season a week and a half to prove I’m better than that. I just need a mental push. Does anyone have a corny joke to get me back in the game?

My good luck present for 2006 Worlds.

SFO –> SEA

I am back home. I’m not sure why I picked such a late flight out of Oakland, but now it’s midnight and I’m exhausted. The past two days were a jumble of quick hello’s and goodbye’s and I was squeezed paper thin trying to see as many people as possible in my final hours of an already short trip to San Francisco.

Sunday I rode with Loren and Ian (as in Ian’s House of Pain) up to the highlands above the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a cloudless day right after the showers that plagued Saturday’s race, so San Francisco was crystal clear below us. I would have stood for hours staring, but Ian was quick to point out that we were "burning daylight" as he clipped in bombed down the 17% grade descent from the lookout. I think Ian’s daring speed on such a technical narrow road must have been an effort to make up for his acrobatic stunt earlier in the ride, in which he pulled a wheelie at a stop light (unintentionally) and landed on his side (the best part was the car that thought to honk at him while he was laying in the middle of the road). Got to love the Sunday drivers.

Women take off on run #1 (Jillian in front)

Monday I took a ferry into San Francisco and met up with Jillian Petersen for a super easy spin around the Alcatraz course. No falls! We did get lost, which is my fault because I decided not to load the course into my Garmin Edge 305 before heading out. We ended up about three miles off the course and a cop laughed at us when we asked him where Martin Luther King Jr Blvd was. I’m hoping Jillian is going to start blogging soon (which I’ll keep you updated on) because it should be fun to hear about her preparation for her first World cup race in Eliot, Israel on December 1st.

That night I said goodbye to Christine (a.k.a. gimpy, or the accident queen), who went back to Wesley to find her nanny job in serious jeopardy (she lost it), which gave her only a day to find a new place to live. Wow. Back to reality, eh?

This morning I gave Loren a swim lesson, told him to ditch his Zoomers for good, and showed him how to make monster ovals with his arms. He’s gone from being about as fast as plankton, to being more flounder-like. I wish I could give him lessons more often because it’s nice to teach somebody that not only wants to learn, but also listens.

After the pool I had breakfast and packed while I watched Tim Allen play Santa Claus, then filled the car and headed into San Francisco for a Burrito and a meeting with the great Richard Decker, who is kind enough to let a small group of people use his dock as a starting point for morning swims in the Lagoon. Shortly after leaving Richards office with a new book (Reversing Heart Disease by Dr. Dean Ornish) I met up with my old Columbia Teammate Reid Evans for a quick chat before heading back to Loren’s office to grab my luggage and hit up the train to Oakland.

I think I did a good job of cramming my time, but now it’s back to the old grind. I’m giving myself a week before I start obsessing about becoming a world class runner.

Crash, Burn, I almost got Chicked.

Honestly, Karma’s a b****. And for some reason it’s been catching up to me really quick lately. I made fun of Brian Davis for a giant pimple on his face, and that night I woke up with a volcano ready to erupt. Then I spent a week responding to wishes of "good luck" with "I don’t need luck", and bragging that while my friends were going to be spending a three-day weekend in rain city I was going to be basking in warm and sunny California. First, the TRIathlon was turned to a DUathlon (bad luck #1, but like my previous post said, probably one of the most insignificant effects of the ecological devastation that has taken place in the bay.). I tried to renege on my claims, and spent last night begging for my good luck wishes to be reinstated. Somebody was not thinking positive thoughts for me, however, because this morning the clouds looked thicker and darker than normal mornings in the bay, and actually had a familiarity that brings memories of family, friends and North Face Jackets.

I arrived at the course sitting shotgun with Loren, who was wearing a one-of-a-kind I [heart] Ben Collins T-shirt (autographed). Then I saw Christine, and found out that it was a two-of-a-kind shirt (her’s is not autographed) and her mom had an I hear BC shirt. I was embarrassed, but it lifted my mood (3 days without water is not good for my attitude).

Christine and Brandon came out to cheer me on

Run #1. Went well, I was about 22 minutes for the 4 mile run, which isn’t too bad, and I was in about the third group on the bike.

this is not what good running looks like. Bike: I rode hard with Kevin Collington, and Brandon Rakita, but on the fourth lap it started raining, then there was a bad crash right in front of me (I hopped over a guys head), then at the end of the fourth lap I heard a sound similar to balloon that comes untied. (flat is bad luck#2). I had put a spare set of wheels in the pit, so I switched and got back into the race. Unfortunately the group I had pulled along for 60% of the bike was long gone, and the guys behind them were too far ahead to catch by myself. I finished off the bike alone, and set off on the run. A ton of guys dropped out, so the field was thin, and there was nobody near me to try to race. My legs felt good for about 5km, then I told myself, "balls to the wall", and nothing happened. I was trying harder, but running backwards. I finished, but it was not fun. I need to run more, and maybe not do duathlons.

Oh, Hunter didn’t lap me this time. That’s good.

"Run Ben Run!!"

Funniest moment of the day: I was watching the DVD from Scott Tinley’s with Sada and Loren. Sada sees me going through transition and says, "Ben, your curly hair looks RIDICULOUS!" Thanks Sada (She’s 4). This was the first time she’s ever spoken the word ridiculous.

My Future’s so Dry, I Gotta Wear Socks

Treasure Island Triathlon is now a Duathlon. I have to say, the ecological damage the oil spill is doing means a lot more to me than the fact that I now have to run 6.5km really fast in order to get into a good group on the bike. All the poor birds!

A little knowledge for you: The oil kills the birds because their feathers are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water, and that helps them stay above the water. When there’s oil on the surface, they don’t float too well.

I could whine all night about how stupid a boat pilot has to be to crash into a bridge, but it was foggy, and the tanker was huge and people make mistakes. If we want fewer oil spill, we should use less oil.

Invest in technology (I say as tech stocks drive the DOW into a pit of despair), and maybe we can get alternative fuels to get us around. Alternative fuels that don’t have to be hauled around where they will inevitably cause tragedy because of human error.

For now, I’m going to sleep. Tomorrow at noon I get to run 6.5km, bike 40km and then run another 10kim. It will surely be much harder than a normal triathlon, mainly because I have done nothing to train for such an event. No expectations, just two hours of max effort to see what happens.

One last thing for all the people who told me “good luck”: I always say I don’t need luck, but maybe this is an exception.

End of the Rainbow

I’m back in San Francisco for a week. I flew into Oakland last night because Southwest is super cheap (even the bike fee is less than most other airlines). Loren picked me up, gave me dinner, then said goodnight because (like most athletes with real jobs) he had to run at 5am this morning. I on the other hand, slept in until 9:30, made oatmeal, and have done nothing but study for my Organic Chemistry midterm in the morning.

Saturday is the Treasure Island Triathlon. It will be my second draft-legal race since I got my elite license in October. I’m a bit nervous because it means I can’t fake the run. The draft-legal bike leg means my swim puts me into the front pack on the bike, then I have to outrun the rest of the guys I ride with. On the plus side, I’ve been running much faster than ever before.

Marr and Collins at 2007 Lavaman
(Much faster than when Tim Marr ran me into the med tent at Lavaman)

This is the last race of the season, and I am stoked for an off-season. Here’s a quick rundown of the last year of races:

13 triathlons: 3 sprints, 11 olympic-distance, 11 domestic, 11 amateur, 1 as a “seeing-eye-dog”.
4 running road races: 2 10km and 2 5km.
2 bike races: 1 road race, 1 time trial
2 swim meets: 1 real one, 1 not-so-real.
# of girls that beat me: 1 -> Andy Taylor was 15 at the time, and she beat me by almost a second in the 800m free.
First race: February
Last Race: November.

It has been a great season, and Treasure Island is the gold at the end of the rainbow. Hopefully I’ll have something else to add to the list after this weekend.

My Mitochondria

slow boat
This is the Historical Fremont Bridge in Seattle.

My mom didn’t take up rowing until she was 50, but even with a late start she’s still at the top of masters rowing. She races against former Olympians at FISA World Championships, and makes mothers all over the world go home with tears in their eyes. Our hallway is lined with the medals she has collected recently, including a gold from Head of the Charles.
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