Retul University

Back in March I had the opportunity to visit Retul University in Denver to obtain my fitting certification. I’ve sat in on a hand-full of fittings here at the Bicycle Studio as John led the fittings as he has been doing for the past 15 years including 3 years with Retul. With a degree in Kinesiology I found it fairly easy to comprehend the basics of the fits. But when it came to reading and dissecting the data, I found myself overwhelmed with information. So the visit to Retul University was the ideal learning opportunity for myself to get a solid base of knowledge on Retul.

            Before we could participate in the class we had to complete prerequisite lessons and tests that would be covered in the three days that we were at the Retul Studio. The lessons learned were basic bike fitting topics that would help us improve our ability and knowledge of fitting such as basic anatomy, basic exercise physiology, the fit flow, marker placement, physical assessment and assessing the Retul data ranges. Once we are able to confirm that we understood these basic concepts, it was on to the big show.

I must admit that I walked into this learning experience a little intimidated. I didn’t know what to expect going into this course, I imagined the usual “college” experience of sitting in a lecture hall full of hung over students from the nights “study session” as the professor rambles on about how the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is responsible for the production of the protein or something of that sort. But my fears were quickly diminished the moment I walked into the Retul Studio and met one of the founders; Todd Carver and his Retul Staff.

The best part of the class was that our instructor was Todd Carver; since he is one of the founders we got a good look into why and how the system works and the ins and outs of the Retul 3D system. So it was no question that Todd knew his stuff and he’s done his fair share of fits. To name a few here is a small list of his past fits: The U23 Livestrong Team, Lance Armstrong, Craig Alexander, Tim DeBoom, Chris Lieto, Team Garmin-Cervelo, Team Radio Shack and the list goes on and on. So it was no question that we were getting our money’s worth with the knowledge that Todd brought to the table.

During my three days at Retul University all three of us fitters had the opportunity to practice out fitting on actual Retul customers. Each day we had about four clients of different ability and riding styles. While Todd led the fits we were all hands on in the process, each fitter was assigned a duty for each client. Once we gathered the data we carefully studied and discussed what we found, then as a group we conversed on to what we thought would be the best way to correct the client’s current position. The fits lasted about two hours each, and at the end of each fit we sat down together to discuss any questions we had or where we could improve on our fits. 

The information I learned in these 3 days at the Retul Studio was more then I expected. Some of the information was overwhelming in that every fit we did was different then our previous fit. What we learned from the previous fit necessarily couldn’t be taken into to the next fit. Each rider that comes in has a different style, purpose and or issue, and that is the beauty of Retul. There are no generalizations that apply to fitting a rider, each rider will have a unique fit and experience when they come in to use the Retul system.

            Though I may have received my certification with Retul, my education of becoming a better fitter hasn’t stop. The data doesn’t lie but to be a good fitter one must also be able to look past the numbers and look at the riders themselves. This is why for each client’s we do an extensive evaluation of there riding history, medical history and future goals. Here at the Bicycle Studio when we have a client come in for a Retul fitting that John will usually lead, I find myself learning something new in every fit we do. With his background in Physical Therapy, John brings a very valuable, unique style and knowledge that you won’t get with other fits in the business. I look forward to the ongoing learning process that John and the Retul System bring as well as helping each client reach their cycling needs and goals. 

Las Vegas Rage Half-Ironman

This year I decided to throw in a little warm-up race to ramp up the season by doing the Rage Half-Ironman in Las Vegas, NV. I've heard many good things about this course such as the rolling terrain and the run course that takes you up to the Hoover Dam....well just shy of it. On the other hand I also heard about the organization of this race or the lack there of. Overall it was the perfect set-up for me to get the season rolling with Vegas only being a 7hr drive from Grand Junction. My intentions for the race as they usually are, is to go out fast and give it everything I have. But my coach (Tony DeBoom) had different plans for me. The plan was to build into each discipline and avoid going out like "gang busters", find a good rhythm and focus on my nutrition. You got it coach!!!

The swim was held in crystal clear Lake Mead, I've never swam in water so clear but yet so dangerous. Many locals refer to Lake Mead as "dead body water". Just as it sounds, they do have many deaths in this lake whether they were accidental or not. Why would I mention something like this or even fret about it in this blog, well when visibility in the water is so clear you can spot a few interesting objects down on the bottom of the lake. The day before the race I went for my usual pre-race swim. About 300m out from shore after passing a few rocks and tires I spotted two cinder blocks tied together with rope........let that play with your mind a little as your out in the lake alone.

Race morning we were set to go off a 6:30am. The water was cold (about 60 degrees) but manageable. The swim was a mass start around a one loop course that stayed pretty close to shore. I decided to brave the crowd and line up near the front row. Right on time the gun went off, my start was good, I was able to settle into an early rhythm without pushing myself too much. I noticed only a few "gang busters'' out front but didn't worry about them to much keeping my focus on my stroke. About halfway through the swim I began to pick the pace up a little bit. I was breaking most of my own water, with a few guys on my heels. I popped out of the water in 30:17, right where I wanted to be then made the long trek up to transition.

Swim: 31:11

I exited the water 7th overall but made a quick transition to pick up a few spots coming out of transition

The bike course was my kind of course. It consisted of rolling hills with a few steep climbs and some fast descents. I've never considered myself a good climber but today sure seemed to point to that. I was able to work my way past a few of the leaders to get into second place. I played cat and mouse with a few guys on the climbs and descents. At the turnaround I was holding onto a solid 3rd place with the chase pack about 3-5min behind, the leader had a good solid 5min or more on me at the turn around. He looked solid and I knew unless he had a breakdown he was holding on to that lead. It felt good to be out front with the leaders for once, something I plan to work for even harder for for future races.

On the way back at about mile 40 I could feel my pace begin to slow up a bit. I tried hard to get calories in but my stomach wasn't really feeling it. I also knew my race fitness (or lack of) was coming into play, something I didn't worry to much about for this being my first race of the season. I was in a good position and from here it was to see what I had left in me. 

Bike: 2:39:02
I entered T2 in 6th place, but again with a fast transition I got out of there in 4th after maneuvering my way thru the sprint and Olympic finishers. 

The run course was mostly on dirt, that eventually made its way from Lake Mead up to an old Rail road trail that worked its way thru about 4 or 5 dark tunnels up to the Hoover Dam. They used this old rail road trail for when they were building the dam, it was a nice distraction from the pain of climbing up to this trail.The first 4-5miles were a gradual climb out of the park, before eventually flattening out to the turnaround then it was all down hill, a fast descent if you had the legs to keep up.

Out of  transition 2 I was able to regain 3rd quickly, it wasn't until about mile 4 that I was passed and fell into 4th place, it felt like I was standing still when he blew passed me. Since it was an out and back course I knew I would get a good look at the leaders and there pace. Once at the turnaround I saw that I was only a minute back from 3rd, I turned up the heat a little bit and began to open up the pace. But this didn't last long, the pace began to fade fast. By mile 10 I was in survival mode, I was once again passed and from here I tried my hardest to hang on to 5th. For the last 3 miles I struggled to hang onto any pace, I found that I was looking over my shoulder a lot (shhhh...don't tell my coach). Just when I thought it would never come I crossed the finish line to be greeted by my girlfriend who shouted "hustle-up"......hahaha. That's why I love her!!!!

Run: 1:36:07
Overall 4:49:44 1st in age, 5th Overall

I knew it was a tough course with some good athletes out there, I enjoyed this type of course, it kept everyone honest and was a challenge every step of the way. This race was a big confidence booster that all the hard work of the off season is paying off. From here its back to training hard and smart as I prep for a small sprint triathlon in Denver in May then its off to Boise 70.3 in early June.