Jaybird Reign- another tool in your arsenal

Success in the sport of triathlon comes down to training properly in all three sports- swimming, cycling and running. Putting in the work, making the sacrifices and committing yourself to the multisport lifestyle. But at the top level of sport, every professional triathlete does the same thing from a training perspective. The sets, intensities and durations may differer but we all swim, we all bike and we all run.

And because of this, nearly all professional triathletes are at 95% of what it takes to be elite. The remaining 5% comes down to what you do off the training grounds. There are countless small details that separate someone from simply racing as a professional to having success and making a career out of the sport. But one major component of training that can help take an athlete to the next level is focusing on recovery techniques.

The major recovery techniques that I focus on are nutrition, sleep, protein intake, use of my Normatec recovery boots, foam rolling, massage and acupuncture.

In the past, tracking recovery was a preemptive measure and I would attempt to anticipate how I would respond to a block of training or super hard string of workouts. But the body acts in mysterious ways and no matter how much I try to calculate that, it is a very difficult variable to predict. And this is where the Jaybird Reign comes into the picture.

The Reign is a small, watch-like device worn on the wrist that is essentially a power meter for your body. The Reign understands your body's fatigue and recovery by measuring your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in addition to activity and sleep patterns. These values are put together and converted into a singular number called your "GO-ZONE." Using the Jaybird app, I can log on in the morning and see exactly how my body is responding to my training. When the numbers are good, my recovery is on track and I am confident to push it in training that day. When the my go-zone is off, that is a red flag that something may be up and I take a serious look at how I am feeling before going out on a 5 hour ride or a 2 hour run.

The Reign is an awesome tool that can easily be incorporated into your training and get you that extra few percent you are looking for next season.

For more information on the Reign or to pick one up, click HERE.

Why I RIDE ENVE

When it comes to professional sport, success is found in the details. Every decision I make has an ultimate impact on my ability to perform on the worlds biggest stage. We all swim, we all bike, we all run. But simply training the three sports does not make a successful professional triathlete. I make sure I have all of my bases covered in order to set myself up for ultimate success. My nutrition, recovery techniques and of course, equipment are all dialed in.

Nutrition and recovery techniques are up to me. I consider these two aspects equally important to swimming, cycling and running. And I treat both like training sessions. So both feel easy to incorporate into my daily routine. But equipment choice is less simple. There are so many brands, so many products and so much varying information it can be hard to figure out what is best. It is really the only aspect of sport that I really have to work on and study in order to make the best decision. Thankfully, a lot of this work has already been taken care of by Maverick Multisport, the most high profile professional triathlon team in the United States. 

When it comes to cycling aerodynamics, there are a few critical aspects to consider: rider position, bike frame, helmet, bottle position and of course, WHEELS.  I am constantly tinkering with my position on the bike, bottle location and small details on my bike frame but one thing I never touch are my ENVE's. And that comes down to trust. I have looked at the data, considered my riding style and trust that these are the fastest wheels on the market. They have powered me to four podium finishes in 2015 and hopefully many more in the future. 

This season I raced the ENVE SES 8.9 Carbon Fiber Road Wheelset with Vittoria Corsa Tubular Tires. For those in checking out the wheels, click HERE. 

And for anyone interested in learning more about wheels, tires or anything else triathlon related, feel free to reach out! 

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And send me a message if you want an awesome deal on a new Cobb saddle (the best out there... comfort= speed)

The Finale

Living the Dream

70.3 Calgary Preview

2015 Challenge Knoxville

Man.... This sport is harsh! The highs are so incredibly high but the lows are equally (and painfully) low. I consider myself a fairly level headed person but that last two months have been a true test. So before diving into Knoxville, let's take things back for a minute and reflect on what has gone down since 70.3 Puerto Rico in March.

I grabbed an 8th place finish at Puerto Rico, pressed on some training in Clermont and then took my talents overseas and toed the line at the most competitive race I have ever been a part of in 70.3 Brazil (the Latin American Championship). The goals were high but if I am being completely honest, my perception of my physical abilities and the actuality of the fact were quite different on this first weekend in April. I was still coming into form, building my fitness and ended up suffering my way though a really tough race and placing 15th.

After some crazy travel back to the states, I packed up my life once again and drove cross country for the second time in 4 months; moving myself to the triathlon mecca that is Boulder, Colorado. Because I was on the move for an un-exaggerated 120 hours straight, I didn't have time to throw together a written race recap but if you want the quick low-down of Brazil, here is a little video I did post race.

With a lower than expected Ironman points ranking and a dwindling bank account, Coach Jesse and I decided to pivot and embark on "route B" that we had tentatively mapped out earlier in the year. The original plan was to race 70.3 St. George (another incredibly competitive race, similar to Brazil) but we decided it would be best to forgo St. George, put less pressure on World Championship qualification and go for some confidence building results. And at this point in the year, I really needed something that was going to show I wasn't a rookie-year one hit wonder. So I put my head down and went to work. I relished my new environment and soaked in the fresh, albeit thin, mountain air in preparation for an iconic race on the same day as St. George: Wildflower.

Riding up Carter Lake in Boulder, Colorado.

I grabbed a last minute flight to Cali, quietly confident that I had the fitness banked to be a major factor in the race. But something odd happened when I arrived in that desolate, far off location in the middle of California country hills. I ended up swimming with the main group but once I hit land, something felt very wrong. I was able to get through the 2-mile run from the swim to bike transition but right when I got onto my trusty steed, I immediately knew the day was not going to be mine. There was a clear disconnect between my mind and my body- a feeling I have never had before. Not even in training. This oddity led me to make the decision to pull out of the race after completing the bike and therefore obtaining my first DNF.

I got back to Boulder and had never been so down on myself. I questioned nearly every decision and change I have made recently (and there have been a lot of them!) I knew I had worked hard in training and had seen some good performances there but not being able to put together an accurate reflection on race day was a really tough pill to swallow. And with a much needed mid-season break looming, I itched to give my early season work one last test before a week of near complete rest. So this is where Challenge Knoxville comes into the fold.

Training coming back after Wildflower rolled smoothly and I went into the race physically feeling as prepared as I have for any race in my entire life. But mentally, I felt the pressure. Most of it was personal. Some of it was external. But it was there. So I went back to everything that has worked for me in the past and meticulously accounted for every detail leading into this race. My nutrition, my sleep, my social interaction and the travel were all accounted for and made as seamless as possible. The key was to keep the stress LOW and hanging out with some good friends at the pro-meeting was a perfect way to talk some trash with my buddy AJ and catch up with some other friends.

Hanging with fellow Maverick teammate and Boulder local, Lesley Smith.

Race morning went as smoothly as planned and I hopped in the water ready to lay it all on the course. If that meant 5 hours and 50th place, so be it. I was going to finish this one and go deep into the well. As deep as I could. And I knew if I did that, and the body was able to respond, the result would come.

I had a descent start and was in the main bunch right from the gun. A group of 5 super-elite swimmers took off in the distance and about 400m into the swim, I found myself comfortably cruising through the main bunch. Shortly thereafter, I was on the front of the group, swimming what felt like a much too easy pace but leading the charge completely on my own. I expected some company from AJ after the Michael Phelps-like comments he was throwing around at the pro meeting but he had lost a contact early on and had to spend the whole swim fighting his way back (*so he says!) I exited the water first of the main bunch with a line of athletes right on my heels and mounted my bike ready to put the hammer down.

Exiting the transition area first allowed me to comfortably slip into my shoes and take stock of who exited the swim on my feet. I quickly realized it was a strong group that could put some serious time into the leaders and create substantial separation from the chasers. And after 1 mile into the ride, our group of 5 somehow missed an early turn and went about :60 seconds off course. We quickly realized our mistake, turned around and then got back on track but the 2:00 loss allowed all of the weaker swimmers to merge with our more elite group, creating a huge bike pack that I (along with Chris Leiferman, Derek Garcia and one other) took charge of. We keep the pace high but the 10 or so guys behind us got a free-ride through the technical, hilly and wet 56-mile bike course. The four of us at the front attempted a few breakaways but the pouring rain and hairpin descents continuously brought the group back together. After a nerve-racking final 2 miles with multiple near crashes, I dismounted the bike ready to run.

As soon as we threw on the running shoes, the guys I was riding with took off as if we were about to throw down a 10k. But I know what I'm capable of. And 1:15 pace on an incredibly challenging course was not going to stick for anyone. So I played the patient game and built into the pace. I quickly reeled in two guys and spit them out the back. The hard-nosed veteran Thomas Gerlach was the only one who was able to match my effort and once I bridged up to him around the 1 mile mark, he latched onto my hip. The man was breathing very heavy, very early so I was confident as we got into the hard portions of the course. Around the 5 mile mark, I passed two of the early sprinter's and at this point found myself running in third place. But 9 miles is a long way and Gerlach would not fade... I used my downhill running strength to gap him multiple times but he would somehow, always find his way back to my hip. He tried a few moves but I was able to respond and re-dictate the pace we were going. Around the 10 mile mark, we went through an aid station and screamed down a huge hill. I put in a little surge and got a small :15 lead on him. Just enough to be partially out of sight on the narrow trail back to the finish line.

The next 3 miles I was locked in. I left it all on the course. After all, that was my primary goal for the day. I could have had a 10:00 lead out there and I would have still put myself into a world of pain in that final 5k. Thankfully, that pace was enough to hold off Gerlach and as I entered the final portions of the course, I was able to take a quick glance over my shoulder, realize my comfortable lead and enjoy the finishing shoot.

Two words to describe how I felt after I crossed the line: relief and elation.

1. Relief. I needed this result. Bad. I trained my ass off, threw up huge numbers there and knew I was primed for something like this. Not being able to do it at Wildflower was really challenging. But being able to prove to myself that I can get back to the race-day execution I was known for last year was seriously reassuring. 
2. Elation. This race was a BREAKTHROUGH for me. I dictated the pace on the swim. I took charge and was able to respond to everything on the bike and then threw down the second fastest run split of the day to score my first pro podium. I was, and am, so freaking stoked. 

And although I enjoyed this result and was happy with where I ended up, I am very aware that there are still two spots I need to take down before I can be even partially satisfied. The fire burns for the back half of the year and I couldn't be more excited to give it another shot here in a few weeks.

I want to give a special thanks to all of the Maverick Multisport sponsors and team director Chris for their incredible support. Without their backing, being competitive on this stage would be impossible.

Also a huge thanks to the mastermind behind nearly everything that I do related to this sport, Coach Jesse Kropelnicki. He does more, cares more and believes in me more than I believe in myself sometimes. Having someone like that in your corner certainly does not hurt.

The reason I was most happy about the result was that I could go into this week feeling awesome! I essentially have the entire week off to reset and recalibrate before getting back into training and taking down the back half of the year. The race schedule is still getting solidified but as always, look for me to be jetting around the globe to race the worlds most competitive triathlons.

Thanks for tuning in.

Justin

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And send me a message if you want an awesome deal on a new Cobb saddle (the best out there... comfort= speed)

2015 Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico

Holy crap… 5 months can go by fast! It seems like yesterday I was crossing the finish line at 70.3 Augusta, wrapping up my first season as a pro and reflecting on the amazing results I had all year. Since then, almost everything in my life has changed in one-way or another. I know the majority of you have been following along with my social media posts but for those that have been living under a rock, here are some of the highlights:

·      Jesse Kropelnicki now coaches me at QT2 systems. And I’m all in. Whatever the sensei says, goes!  

·      I drove cross country moving from Iowa City, Iowa to Clermont, Florida

·      I signed with the most elite professional triathlon team in the nation: Maverick Multisport

·      I successfully completed a 17-day intensive training camp with 24 of the fastest triathletes in the nation

·      And I was named the 2014 Rookie of the Year by USA Triathlon

So yes, it’s a whole lot all at once. But I’ve actually come to accept and enjoy the change. It is stressful at times but it keeps me on my toes and is always exciting. Despite all the moving parts, the main reason I made all of these changes was to put myself in the best situation to not only be as fast as possible this year but also lay the foundation for the rest of my career. As a second year professional, it was time to make all of the sacrifices required to compete at the highest level in sport.

With my ducks in a row and some hard work in the bank, I set my sights on the first race of the season: 70.3 San Juan in hot and humid Puerto Rico. Although there was another race on the same day in Mexico that offered a few more world qualification points, the ease of flying from Orlando made it the perfect event to test the waters before the championship races in April and May. So I hopped on a quick flight south on Thursday night and ended up here…

Arriving a few days before the race gave me a really good opportunity to get familiar with the area, feel relaxed and enjoy the island. Friday morning started off perfect with beautiful sunrise and a smooth swim in the Condado Lagoon

Bueno! 

Spirits were sky high after the morning dip and the good vibes continued as my Mom got into town. I always love having her at the races but more than anything, it was just nice to hang out and catch up. I hadn’t seen her for almost 6 months! Too long in my book. 

So we got the good out of the way, now time some bad and even some ugly. That afternoon, I went out for a super easy spin on the bike and got caught in a flash rainstorm that passes through almost every day on the island. You’ll get hours of sun, a half hour storm that comes out of nowhere and then perfect weather the rest of the day. Mix that with some of the most aggressive, inconsiderate and downright violent drivers I have ever encountered and you get a fairly inopportune situation to ride your bicycle.

#fresh

I had an hour ride planned but after about 30 minutes, it was too dangerous with all the traffic and I began to make my way back home. And as I made a turn over some cobble stones… WHAM! Down he goes.

Clean bike, then assess wounds. Priorities.  

I got up gingerly and inspected the damage. Bones and bike parts were all in tact, so I didn’t panic. Some road rash and bruising would be inconvenient and “swollen” wasn’t really the feeling I was going for pre-race, but I knew it wasn’t anything that was going to deter me from getting on that start line. And it didn’t hurt that my mommy was there to take care of me.

Yeah, this did not feel good 

After that traumatizing ride through traffic on Friday, I had no intentions of a repeat disaster Saturday morning so I got out on the roads before sunrise to beat the traffic. I could feel some tenderness in my hip from the fall but all systems were go on my short ride/ run. I made it back home safe, gorged on my carb-loaded breakfast and then met up with a new friend, Maja Stage (fellow professional triathlete from Denmark) to preview the course, go for a swim and hit up the pro meeting. In fact, we ended up doing most of the weekend activities together which was awesome.

I ended up being away from the apartment we were staying at all day on Saturday taking care of pre-race obligations but still tried to keep things on island time and remain relaxed. We ended the day with a rooftop dinner and I went to bed ready to throw down in the morning.

For those of you that know me, you are well aware that I function best on routine. I like to feel settled and sometimes I can get stuck in my ways. But simply repeating what feels comfortable will only get me so far. I need to grow, learn and innovate to get faster. So that means changing a lot of things and following the instructions that coach Krop’s gives me. And those changes started off in full force as I woke up and downed 3 and a ½ cups of applesauce before 4am! My QT2 people know what’s up!

With a belly full of apple goodness, I headed over to the race site to set up transition and make the walk over to the swim start. I have been putting in some serious time in the pool and the goal this year will be front pack swimming. But ripping off times in the pool is one thing and actually doing it on race day is an entirely different beast. So I got in a really solid warm up, hoping to hit the start mid-stride and got ready for the cannon to fire.

The gun went off and I had a very strong start swimming right next to good friend, training partner and fellow QT2 athlete AJ Baucco. Although we were ripping along nicely, we both quickly realized that we had lined up much too far to the left and missed the feet of the two fastest swimmers in the field. We took a slightly less direct line to the first buoy, which resulted in the two of us towing the front pack, swimming side by side, all the way to the swim exit. 

Photo: Jay Prasuhn, Lava Magazine 

I came out of the water in 4^th place and was super excited about the effort, proving my months of hard winter yards did not go to waste. Had I lined up a little bit more to the right, honestly think I could have exited with the leaders (who still only gained :90 seconds on me)

It was nearly an 800-meter run from the swim exit to T1 but I made quick work of it and got to my bike ready to hammer and show off the hard work I put into my cycling. The gas was on full throttle as we rolled out of town, over a few bridges and out to the main highway. I battled back and forth with two guys for the first 10 miles, bridged up to another athlete by mile 15 and around mile 20, the entire field came together to form the front bike pack. This was exactly where I wanted to be… Right in the thick of it. We rode hard for the first half of the bike but I was still well within my limits. Around mile 30, the pace slowed down dramatically as we merged with age groupers for a second lap of the course. It seemed as if everyone was eyeing each other to take charge at the front but no one was really up for the task. Early on, I had initial plans on making a break off the front around mile 40, but with the increasing heat and knowledge of the brutal run that laid ahead, I refrained and stuck in the group. Right at the end, I made a little move with two other athletes which did not put any time on the chasers behind us but it did put me in a good position heading into the second transition as I got off the bike in 5^th place. Still, we were all together and spots 2-10 were up for grabs.

Now, I’ve briefly mentioned the hard work that I have put into my swimming and my cycling and in previous years, I would say the same for my running. But this year, I really backed off on my early season run volume. We did this in an attempt to not only focus on my swimming and cycling but also ensure I am not completely trashed late in the season when it really counts to run fast. So as I quickly transitioned into the run shoes, I could almost immediately tell that the snappy run legs I am use to were simply not going to be there on this day.

Photo: Kate Bruck 

Still, not all hope was lost! I still have been running well and showed glimpses of really solid form including a 1:14 open half marathon in January. Additionally, the run course is arguably one of the most challenging, hilly and hot courses on the entire 70.3 circuit. This thing is no freaking joke. Seriously brutal… So I played the patient game. Biding my time, waiting for people to go out too hard and get spit out the back. And I hung tough. I did not feel good at any point but I never succumbed to a slow jog. I ran as hard as I could, leaving everything out there. I ran the entire half marathon with spots 4, 5 and 6 in striking distance but I just didn’t have that extra gear to go and get them. I ended up crossing the line in 8th place with the plan well executed and it solid way to start off my 2015 campaign. The race was an honest reflection of where I am at with a lot of room for improvement so I was proud of the performance.

This race paid 6-deep and it was a goal of mine to be in the money at the finish. And it certainly did not help that I was only :60 down from that final spot. The good news is I am feeling more confident in my swim and bike than I ever have in my career and I know when I get rolling with my run, it can quickly turn into a lethal weapon. I’m looking forward to getting there very soon.

Another change that I have slowly been able to make is to just letting loose a little bit. I love this sport and I want to do it for a long time. So after getting a 10-minute Puerto Rican ice-sponge bath from the volunteers and getting my body temperature cooled off a little bit, I was able to slip into 24-hour vacation mode. Chips, quac and margaritas did the job nicely. Sugar and salt to rehydrate, right?!

This was my first race as a member of the Maverick Multisport Elite Team and I would absolutely not be able to go after my goals without their backing. Huge thanks to our team director, Chris Hutchens for all the work he puts in. It’s a thankless job and I’m sure he puts up with a lot of headaches. Knowing he is there working hard behind the scenes means a ton.

With that being said, I also want to thank all of the sponsors for providing the BEST gear out there. Argon 18, Enve, Jaybird, Rotor, Infinit Nutrition, Blueseventy, Cobb Cycling, Primal Sport Mud, Sugoi apparel, Catlike helmets and Shimano- I can’t thank you enough.

And I cannot even explain how much I value the support of my coach, Jesse Kropelnicki. Having someone of his caliber in my corner makes me a very confident athlete.

Debrief with Jesse 

That’s it for now! First race of the season in the books. Definitely not a bad place to start. Now, it’s time for some run training, some more Florida sun and then I’m jetting off to 70.3 Brazil for the Latin American Championship in Brasilia.

Looking forward to whatever 2015 brings.

Justin

Like my Facebook page- Justin Metzler Triathlete 

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Use code MavJustin for 20% off all products at www.blueseventy.com 

Use code MavJustin for $40 off the BSX Multisport device at www.bsxinsight.com/multisport

Use code Maverick for 10% off all regular priced Infinit Nutrition items at www.infinitnutrition.us 

Use code MavJustin15 for 20% off Primal Sport Mud products at www.primalsportmud.com

And send me a message if you want an awesome deal on a new Cobb saddle (the best out there... comfort= speed)