12.28.2007

Riding, Riding, and some more riding

My bike training camp is over on Sunday. I can't wait. I am getting really tired of not feeling my legs, or when I do, they ache. Same with my butt.

I will be close to 1,500km in the time I have been in Florida, and although it is nice and flat, it is also windy at times. Since I am doing all the riding alone, and some of the roads go straight for hours, literally, it can be rough on the body.

I got a profile from the elevation, but I figured I'd save the time from putting it here. To give you an idea, it was very similar to this:

_________________________________________________________

It is going up to 80F here today. In the dead of winter. I had forgotten what "winter" here was like. Nice, I must say.


12.26.2007

Winter Training Camp

I spent over 20 hours on my bicycle last week. Needless to say, my body is not happy about how acquainted I've gotten with my saddle. 

Riding in Florida has been really nice. Although every mile has been done alone, it sure beats the cold weather back home in Alabama. This week's training has been a little tougher to get done. I am tired, I am sore, it's Christmas, it always seems like there is always a good excuse to stay indoors. Yesterday it was Christmas. After opening some gifts in the morning,  left and spend 4 hours riding in the flatlands of Alachua, Levy and Marion Counties. It seemed I was the only one out there: very little cars or cyclists out. I got home just before it got dark.

The goal for this week is to repeat what I did the past 7 days, plus 10%. It sure is going to be a tough goal, but so far I am on track. 

Gotta go to the pool now.

Ciao,

Felipe

12.10.2007

Update

Training is going well. I have managed a solid first week back, and although I am tired, I am not destroyed. It is a good sign.

There is a loop I do that goes into a town called Pea Ridge. It's a tough climb up there, and I did it twice, for the first time, today.This is what it looks like:


I will be using this route often in my training throughout 2008. Ever since I moved to Florida in 2001, my once good climbing abilities went down the drain. Now living in Alabama, there are some hilly routes I can use that have barely any traffic at all. It's a lot more fun, too, to go up and down then to remain on the same 30 ft. window of altitude for a 4 hour ride.

Enjoy your training,

Felipe

12.04.2007

2008 for me started today. It was the first "official" day of training for the upcoming season. It was a short day, only 2 1/2 hours, but after a month of doing basically nothing, it took a toll on my body. I am sure I will adapt quickly, though, no worries.

I am to do 2 weeks of solid work here in Alabama before heading to Gainesville for a self imposed Bike Training Camp. I want to try to get 1,000k in my legs in a week, on top of running and swimming. It also gives me the opportunity to spend Christmas and New Year's with Leland's family - they are always a fun bunch.

Soon I will have out the roster of 2008 sponsors. I am working with some tremendous people and companies this year and am very excited to make it public, so stay tuned.

And for those of you who have started thinking about your New Year's resolution, i leave you with this:

The Resolution shall not be televised: http://www.ironguides.net/news/31/65.html

Ciao,

Felipe

11.21.2007

IM Lou on TV

Ironman Louisville was shown last sunday and will be again today at 4 EST on VS. Make sure to check it out, as I hear I am on for a little while. I haven't seen it yet, but am hoping to catch today's showing.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving here in the States, so I'm doing a lot of preparation for family coming into town. Leland and I have been going crazy trying to get things ready. I will write more later.

Ciao,

Felipe

11.01.2007

Pre IMFL update


I am just over 40 hours away from the end of my season. It feels like it was years ago when I toed the line for the first race of this season back in early March. It's been a long season!


Lots happened in my life this year:


- I graduated from the University of Florida

- I got into and passed on going to Law Scholl ( postponed until Fall '08)

- I moved from my adopted hometown of Gainesville, Fl to the outskirts of Birmingham, Al

- Bought a home with my significant other

- Rehired, and partnered with Marc becker at ironGuides.net to consult my fitness and training

- Signed on with 2 major sponsors whose products I truly use and love

- Was able to finish my first Ironman after a failed first attempt


... and on Saturday, i get the chance to make peace with myself on the very same IM race that I took on as my debut in the distance back in '05.


There were times this year when I had to put triathlon on the side for a little while, so my fitness suffered. Now that all of the above has been put behind me, I am ready to tackle 2008. After a quick break post IMFl, I will begin preparing for the upcoming season. I will head back to Gainesville during December for some solid winter training and to celebrate Christmas with Leland's family.


I will write more after the race this weekend.
Felipe

10.01.2007

Long overdue update

I must start this update by apologizing for the full month of no updates. My goal has always been to update every 2 weeks at least, but sometimes life gets in the way.

Without further delay, here are some of the updates from the month of September:

I have inked a 1 year sponsorship deal with Maine Natural Health. This company has been a sponsor of mine since early in the year, and they are taking the opportunity to grab the title sponsorship spot I offer. If you are into endurance sports, you should definitely check out their products at MaineNaturalHealth.com. use coupon code BASTOS at checkout for 10% OFF, which should at least cover shipping charges. I have been using their CaveMan Whey protein daily ( sometimes twice daily) and have seen tremendous results in my recovery times.

Sharing the responsibilities of title sponsorship will be Aquavee
( www.aquaveeonline.com). They make a phenomenal swimming tool that allows anyone to turn any pool into an Olympic sized pool ( or open water!)

If like me you travel extensively, this should be mandatory gear. I can't count how many hotels have " Olympic sized pools" and when you see it, they actually meant a 12 yd. amoeba shaped pool. Well, AquaVee allows you to get your workout in without any problems.

I will also be working with Cahaba Cycles for the remainder of 2007, and hopefully 2008 as well. I should host a Nutrition clinic over at the Homewood store early winter as well. You can see their website at www.cahabacycles.com.

Look for both brands to do very well in the world of endurance sports.

On the racing side of things, I spent most of the month of September doing short course training, which I would not recommend to anyone after an Ironman! I had every intention on racing the Tinley's Adventures triathlon in California, but things don't often go as planned and I chose to race close to home instead, and then immediately commence training for Ironman Florida.

On the last Saturday of September I won the Weiss Lake Triathlon, setting a course record overall, as well as the bike and run course. It was a very nice race that has a lot of potential for growth. The bike course is one of the best ones I have ever done - I will likely return in '08.

That should be enough updates for a couple of weeks. I will write more then.

Ciao,

Felipe Bastos

8.29.2007

Ironman Louisville Race Report

Pre-race:

The race report from this event begins almost two years ago when I crumbled and withdrew from Ironman Florida, while in 20th place, at mile 16.5 of the marathon. It was my first attempt at the IM distance coming from a short course background, and like so many, I was unable to control my fire inside. I was able to hold back, but around 60mi. on the bike, I started getting too eager and the going got too fast for an Ironman distance race.

It took me almost 22 months to do another Ironman, and the inaugural Louisville, KY race was my pick. Entering the event with less than 4 weeks of specific training was maybe not the best plan, but my fiancée and I recently purchased a home, moved to a different state, both graduated from the University of Florida, applying to law school, getting accepted into law school, deciding to wait a year to go to law school, and my mother spent 17 days visiting from Brazil immediately after we moved. All of those things played an important factor in my preparation. Fortunately, I knew about all of them in advance. No surprises.


Luckily, my coach (Marc Becker, www.IronGuides.net) is not afraid of a challenge and his help was crucial to getting me not only to the starting line healthy, but to the finish line in one piece. We both knew I would have to be very conservative throughout the race to make it to the line in one piece. More importantly, I would have to control myself the entire time.


The weather in Alabama in the weeks leading to the event were in the triple digits for over three weeks, and I used it to my advantage, training in the heat and getting my body acclimatized and prepared to run in temperatures that most people set their Jacuzzis to.


Race morning:

I was both nervous and excited that the day had finally come. After a quick breakfast, I was off to the race start, and quickly the gun went off. Marc wanted me to swim very, very easy, and that I did. Many times during the swim I thought about increasing the pedestrian pace it felt I was moving at, but I held back. I exited the water fresh, in 7th place amongst the pros, who started a few minutes ahead of the 2100 amateurs.


Starting the bike with Petr Vabrousek, Alex Taubert, amongst other very fast guys was a tough blow to my ego. As per Marc’s plan, I was to keep my speed average at 33 kph (20.5 mph). This would yield a bike split some 35 minutes slower than what I posted at Ironman Florida, but I didn’t argue with his knowledge and expertise (too much). I let them go early on, as well as those who passed me throughout the bike. I just focused on my nutrition and staying smooth on the bike. I ended up missing the special needs as the amateurs were on their first lap while we were doing the second lap, and some 350 kcal I had in there were sure missed. I ended up having a bad patch from miles 90-110 due to that missed bag, and in hindsight, I should have stopped to get it. I was on top of my hydration as I peed 3 times by the end of the bike, but should have ingested a few more calories.


At the 4 hour mark, my power meter stopped reading anything. No HR, no wattage, no speed, no nothing. Just plain ol’ perceived effort. My coach is very big on knowing one’s body well, in relying in what lies within, so it really did not phase me much, if at all. To be honest, I had quit looking at it for a little while, and may have noticed it went black several minutes after it actually happened. I was quite comfortable pacing myself without any outside support.

When I handed my bike in and got my T2 bag, I realized I had forgotten my socks to run in. I chose to ride sock less (I am used to it), but running the marathon, in an Ironman, with no socks, ouch!


I began the run, and immediately realized I had to find some Vaseline for my feet and crotch. I also forgot Vaseline/chamois cream, as well as sunscreen. What can I say, I am forgetful. Maybe I would benefit from one of those pre race checklists J


In any case, I put some Vaseline on my feet by mile 3, in the first aid station I found any sort of lube at. It improved my condition some, but I could tell I would be hurting later on. Since IM is all about the here and now, I forgot about it and kept on going.


At mile 3.5, after a quick break to throw up, I started clocking in some 7:30-45 miles, which lasted through mile 18. I had now passed the collapse point of IMFL, and knew I would cross the line no matter what happened. I had seen the Kentucky Derby inspired horse shoe finisher’s medal, and I had to have one. So I powered through, even as the pace slowed to a shuffle at mile 21.


Physically I felt OK, pretty good actually, but my quads were super tight and I could knock on my It Band it was so hard. I chose to walk a bit to relieve the pressure. It helped, as within a couple of miles I was feeling much better, and in a blink of an eye, I saw the finish line. Both my crotch and feet were thankful when my eyes relayed the message that it would be over soon.


There were thousands of people in that last mile, and I reckon I ran a 5:30 pace for the few minutes. The energy of the finish was so invigorating, I even held off a few people who were trying to lift their pace to catch me before the line.


When I heard the words: “Felipe Bastos, you are an Ironman” I must admit a few tears rolled down my eyes. In 12 years in this sport, and some 26 career wins, nothing has compared to this feeling of completing 140.6 miles in a day. “It hurts so much”, I told my fiancée at the finish line, but quietly thought to myself “This was awesome – gotta do another one”.


10:15:37 as the finish time, and the splits:


Swim: 52:39

Bike: 05:29:15

Run: 03:45:16


20th Professional

8.04.2007

Win ( and course record) in Mississippi


I got back early this afternoon from what I think may be the best small triathlon in America. Bryan Cooper from the Tupelo Multisport team and his gang put on an amazing event. The swim, bike and run are incredibly well marked. i am famous for getting lost on race courses, and this one was my dream come true. No way to get lost. At one point, there was a fire truck closing the road ahead so that the athletes would see the right turn where they were supposed to go.

The post race food was amazing. No cheap Sam's Club stuff. Real soft drinks and pizza from a great local restaurant. Very well manned, plenty of cheerful volunteers, and a 8:30 start so you don't have to get up too early. All of those things are big pluses for me.

Now on to the race report. I was 2nd out of the water to a former collegiate swimmer, 39 sec down. With a speedy transition, I was within 15 sec before I had done 100 revolutions on my bike. We went back and forth, passing one another, until i decided to put the hammer down and came into T2 with a 40 sec lead, just a few seconds shy of the bike course record.

The run was 3.6 miles and I was hurting, and not moving very fast. All of the miles I have been putting in certainly made me tired, especially at the end. But I ended up with the win and a new course record in 1:28 and change.
After the race, both FOX and WCBI news wanted interviews, so I guess all of the TV time lately has been improving my interviewing skills. i was also interviewed by the local newspaper

Next weekend, I will be at the Mountain Lakes Triathlon, if all goes to plan this week.

Ciao,

Felipe
coached by Marc Becker at IronGuides.net

7.30.2007

Catch me on TV

The Publix FFW Triathlon will be televised on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS) on the following dates:

Tuesday 7/31 @ 4 p.m.

Monday 8/6 @ 5 p.m.

Sunday 8/12 @ 11:30 p.m.

Tune in for some great racing - and no making fun of my interview skills! :-)


Ciao,

Felipe
coached by Marc Becker at IronGuides.net

7.19.2007

Headed to Wisconsin

Tomorrow morning Leland and I, alongside with our dog Joey, will be making the 12 hr. drive to Wisconsin where USD$25,000 will be on the line at the Spirit of Racine Half IronMan.

The race is put on by the HFP Racing guys, one of the best in the business. I have been meaning to do this event for years now, and am glad to finally have a chance to toe the line at this great mid season event.

I recently made some changes to the front end of my Velovie Veloce which raised my position a bit. I was as low as possible ( no spacers, short head tube, adjustable stem all the way down), which was perfect for the flat, straight roads of Florida, but here in the rolling to hilly Central Alabama setting, that low position meant a lot of power lost.

I am still discovering the running trails around our new home, and am quite happy with them. though not long, there are tons of dirt paths around to choose from, something I really enjoy when doing my run training.

Also, I have secured a new sponsor for the remainder of the 2007 season. will post details when the contract is inked, but I can say now I am very excited to be working with a company that will undoubtedly make me faster as an athlete and healthier as a person.

I will write more after this weekend's race.

Ciao,

Felipe
coached by Marc Becker at IronGuides.ne


7.12.2007

Settling in Alabama

I am finally getting settled in our new home near Birmingham, AL. Luckily, the home we bought is near some good riding roads, but training on the roads here is much riskier than what I was accustomed to in Florida. the climbs sure are nice, but there are no bike lanes, and some drivers in the suburbs sure seem to always be in a hurry.

In just over a week I will be heading over to Wisconsin for the Spirit of Racine triathlon. I have been meaning to do this event for over 3 years now, and this season it finally fit into my calendar, so I am excited about the chance to do it and use it as a gauge of my fitness coming into IM Louisville.

I have been doing a lot of chores around the house, so I have had barely enough energy to update, hence the lack of news from my end lately. This should change as things settle down.

Ciao,

Felipe
coached by Marc Becker at IronGuides.net

6.04.2007

Rock&Roll Half Ironman


I just got back from the Long Course Championships. It was an incredibly tough race, and I am proud I ended up 4th at the end. I came into this event with less fitness than usual so I really had to rely on my strategy for the race, and it paid off.

Surprisingly, I also got called to the award area for my swim split. Bass Pro Shops was giving an award for the best swim split and I got it. I have a nifty trophy to show for it now :-)

This race qualified me for the American Long Course Championships in Missouri in September, which I will race if I do not qualify for the Ironman World Championships.

Also, I am very proud to say I will be working with Marc Becker from IronGuides (www.IronGuides.net) once again. He is one of the, if not the most, knowledgeable coaches in the world, and when I worked with him in the past, I accomplished great things and learned a ton. I am very excited to be working with him again.

If you find yourself looking for more in the endurance department, I highly suggest you get ahold of this guy. You can't go wrong.





5.29.2007

Crystal River Memorial Weekend Triathlon


I raced the event as a hit out on my form for the early summer. I must say, although I was 2nd, that I am far from happy with my current fitness. I spent far too much time working on my research paper for graduation and it led me to lose a lot of fitness. I certainly have a lot of catching up to do, but it's not really big news.

The race itself was ok, and I must admit my lack of fitness also led to some tactical mistakes. I have a lot of notes from the event and have already started working on my calendar of races for the next few months. My A race is certainly Ironman Louisville, and event I think about daily these days. There are 5 spots for the pro race to qualify for Hawaii, and i am hoping to be in shape to grab one of them.

This weekend I am off to the Rock&Roll half ironman , which doubles as the Southeast Long Course Championships. Then the week after that, the Public / Coca-Cola Series in the Bahamas.

I will write after these 2 events.

Ciao,
Felipe

5.15.2007

Gulf Coast Half Ironman

I can't express enough how upset I am about the race at Gulf Coast. Although my preparation this year has been far from ideal, I was having a good day. I was the 2nd guy out of the water, and early in the bike found myself only half a minute down from the leader, Jamie Cleveland.

The entire pro field was very close together in the bike, and I decided to play it safe on the bike, and not get caught in the excitement or work at the fron all by myself. Sadly, cars were able to enter the opened to traffic course, and I saw myself stuck behind one of them. Because of that I was unable to see the competitors ahead of me, and with the stagger rule, I was penalized for being immediately behind a fello competitor ahead of me, even though there was a car in between us.

I took a 2 minute stand down penalty, and upon reentering the race, I could not find my rhythm again. I chose to pull out, and save my game day fitness for the Rock&Roll Half Ironman in 3 weeks.

Hopefully things will go according to plan at that race.

Ciao,

Felipe

4.17.2007

Updates


Living in the USA it is easy to forget the social freedoms we have. One of them happens to be the constitutional right to bear arms. Unfortunately, sometimes these freedoms come back to bite us in the ass.


I would like to express my condolescences to the families affected by the incidents that took place at Virginia Tech's campus this past Monday April 16th.
Today, we are all Hokies.

4.01.2007

TriGator Sprint Triathlon Win

Today I celebrated the 26th overall win of my career, and my 2nd in this local, yet tough local race. I have finished 2nd in most occasions, and fortunately today I was able to cross the line first.

I had a very bad swim, an average bike ride, but my run saved the day. I felt fast and was able to open the gas on the first half of the run, which helped me reach the finish first.

The race is super short: 250m in the pool, less than 6k around campus, and a 3k run to fnish, and it takes anywhere between 24-25 minutes to finish.

Next weekend I will toe the line at the Inaugural North orida Olympic trathlon at Cherry Lake, almost on the border with Georgia. Should be a nice venue, from what I hear, and I am excited. The course is almost an out and back, which really suits my strengths.



I will post details once the race is over.


I also had a small PowerBar photo shoot yesterday out on Hwy. 346. Here are some of the best shots.








3.11.2007

Rough way to begin the new season


The Florida great Escape was a rough day at the office for me to say the least.


I got lost the day before while trying to do some recoinassance out on the run course, and ended up on a 7 mile jog through orange groves ( and a few people's private property - I am sorry to whoever you are!).


I never felt quite right from the start, and my body never really went to 5th gear ( or 4th gear, for that matter.) I was not tired, but couldn't bring my body to race mode. I tried a few times, and got shut down a few times. But I decided to continue and have a nice training day on some fancy equipment. On the run, had to stop and run bak to a bathroom in the park's entrance. I will now cross off Starbucks Vanilla Frappucinos fro my race morning menu.


Next weekend I will toe the line at the Ft. DeSoto Olympic Triathlon. Hopefully things will be better then.


Until then, I will be a my home in Gainesville pouding in some more miles.


Ciao,


Felipe Bastos