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Here's to be being bigger and better in 2012!
Thanks everyone!

OUCH, It hurts

It's time!  I have taken 6 weeks off from training (well except for two half marathons that I ran and a horrible hundred bike ride).  As I come back I always wonder why it was so easy for me to get out of the routine of not training, but a long sluggish road to get back into it.  I hope someone else experiences this cause  I can't be the only one can I?  That is now in the past and it is time to refocus and start preparing for my tri season which will include a few "A" races:

Ironman New Orleans 70.3 in April
Ironman Coeur D'Alene in June
Hy Vee Us Championships in September

I think the hardest thing to do is train in the off season when there aren't any races for months.  The first scheduled race I am going to do is at the end of March in Clermont, Florida during the great Clermont Challenge.  Earlier in the year than most triathletes but, I am always chomping at the bit by the time March rolls around and I absolutely love the race course down there.  I am uber competitive so that helps me focus and anytime I want to take an unscheduled day off I always think about the other athletes out there pushing themselves to kick my butt on race day.  I saw a saying on a Nike shirt that I loved, it said, "I kick my butt today so that I can kick yours tomorrow".
So this week I am easing myself back into the routine and swam on Monday for the first time since October 16.  If anyone has taken a substantial time off from the pool and then jumped backed in, you know what I went through- breathing heavy, sore muscles, inefficient swim stroke- ahhhh yes the joys of swimming.  Why do you like to swim again Julie?  This is my worst of the disciplines so I have to force myself to the pool.  Once I am there I am good, but Monday was tough.  I swam 50 laps and to my surprise I didn't lose that much speed, just endurance.  This will obviously take some time to build that endurance back again. 

Yesterday I rode on the spinner bike for an hour.  Yep, my legs were wondering what the **** was I doing?  I need to get them to have some endurance as Sunday I will begin my group rides back with the Open Road Bicycles (Best Bike shop in Jacksonville) and they aren't going to wait for me if I tell them, "I am sucking wind".  I think they actually get enjoyment out of punishing me and making me suffer, but I welcome it because the only way to get better is to ride with people better than yourself.  So bring the pain!
Triathlon is 90% mental so if you can persevere through the tough times, when your body is screaming at you to quit then you will make yourself a better athlete.  Heck, if you can do this in your everyday life as well, you will make yourself a stronger, more resilient person. 

So the pool is calling my name again tomorrow...Yippee - did you sense that sarcasm?  Followed by a short 1-2 mile run. 
It feels good to be back and I am looking forward to hearing other triathlon stories along the road through next Spring, Summer and Fall.  Work hard and enjoy every moment. 



PS- I know I have been waiting for the Ironman World Championships to be aired on NBC and they are finally here....Saturday, December 10 at 4:30 PM EST catch the greatest one day event in the world! ENJOY AND BE INSPIRED!

DIY Huaraches Running Sandals

Lately I have been cruising through Born to Run, Christopher McDougall's exploration into ultra-running, the documentation of the running tribe, the tarahumaras, and the organization of a race that brought together an wild group of endurance athletes.

The rebirth of barefoot running is credited to this book. Of course, we have all see the Vibram FiveFinger shoes, which although are smart in theory, or extremely unattractive. Seriously people, you look ridiculous and I don't like seeing your toes individually wrapped. Anyway, this is not a rant on fashion, but rather my curiosity into the huaraches that were mentioned. Huaraches are running sandals and were foot covering of choice by one of the runners in the book. Previously being in the footwear industry I was interested in the process of how to make a pair at home.

I found these step by step instructions for a basic pair of running sandals created by Steven Sashen of Invisibleshoe.com (check out their blog here). I would definitely like to try making these sometimes. I am still not anxious to put a pair on and run, but maybe that will change when I make my own kick-ass pair. I haven't fully looked into getting all the materials needed for the sandals, but I did come across Luna Sandals, which offers a DIY kit as well as a la cart materials for purchase, or some pretty sweet looking, but spendy, already-made sandals.

Subaru Distance Classic Race Review

The Subaru Distance Classic in Jacksonville FL marked the first time Dan and I have raced together. Having someone else to run side-by-side with was an incredible booster, especially when it is someone you look up to.

And then somewhere along the delusional mile 11, I couldn't stand Dan's positive attitude anymore and I yelled out "stop talking to me" as I put both of my earbuds back in my ears.

This is what Sibling TRIvalry is all about.

Up until mile 9 I was feeling great, then it all started to become a struggle. I was low on calories and at that point my stomach wasn't interested in taking in any GU's or other oddly textured substances.

For breakfast I had my typical peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a banana, and a Gatorade Prime. Dan pointed out that I greatly under-pb'd my sandwich and recommended putting at least 3 Tbs on. I guess that was my first mistake. Also the Gatorade Prime tasted exceptionally sugary that morning so I only drank half: my second mistake. Next time I may mix it with water or find an alternative because I can't stomach the syrupy taste. Dan and I did take mix in some Chia seeds in our water before we left the house, which I like to think helped counteract my other nutrition mistakes.

Hey, and what do we say about trying new foods on race day. WRONG! So why did I chose to eat Shot blocks instead of GU's during the race? Oh I don't know. I love Shot Blocks and while they are definitely not new to me, I usually don't intake them while I am running. While I was chewing and chewing trying to get one block down, I was missing the slip 'n slide of the GUs.

My goal for the race was to beat my last personal record of 1:51 (roughly a 8:28 minute mile). I set an ambitious goal of hitting 1:45 which is roughly a 8:01 pace. Dan made a great attempt at keeping us on track for that time, unfortunately I started to fade and started to get frustrated at my lack of energy.

Dan and I were testing the theory that racing is about 10% physical and 90% mental. Our week leading up to the race, we did so many things that aren’t recommended for training: eating poorly (pizza, burgers and beer…yum!), I ran about 6 miles the whole week while Dan topped out at 2 miles, we stayed up late, and to top it all off we decided we would run in brand new sneakers! So, for the poor training, a 1:45 was really ambitious. (If you want to gauge your race time, here is a helpful calculator.)

Anyway, this course was f-l-a-t. Welcome to Florida, I guess! There may have been a two foot elevation gain throughout the whole race. The route was very residential and to my surprise, never made it into town. I think the race coordinators also did a good job at making sure the whole route would be in shade which was a major benefit towards the end of the race when the temperature was starting to rise. It was also great to have race clocks at each mile marker to help gauge pace.

As we turned the corner to the finish line I knew that my time was going to be close. There was no way that I accept a later time than my Bellingham Bay time (with the winds and hills of that race), so I hit the gas and sprinted losing Dan in the process (there goes our photo op!). Speaking of photos, while we haven’t found race day photos yet online, I am sure my finishing line photo has me looking like I am about to puke. Sure to bring some laughs.

This course definitely wasn't my favorite, but wasn't boring. The race packets were a little disappointing with mostly just advertisements. They did give out tech race shirts and this one actually fit me...although the neon orange color is only safe for the eyes at night or on a construction site. Kudos for the great finisher medals though!

And another example of what Sibling TRIvalry is all about:
Dan and I have decided to sign up for another half marathon (OUC Half Marathon) next Saturday. Of course, the Key West Tri is not completely off the table. More to come!

Rude Awakening...

Sorry, it has been a while since I have posted to the blog. As I discussed in a few earlier posts, I decided to take the last 5 weeks off from training, gain a few pounds, eat all the foods I avoid while in training, stay out late and drink the occasional beer.  For the first time in three years, I actually stuck to my plan think I have recharged my batteries for a successful year next year. 

Tomorrow, the Subaru Distance Classic  (a Thanksgiving tradition)  is being held in Jacksonville.  Earlier this month, I told myself that I was not going to run in the event because it was still in my "off season" and I really wanted to give myself the time off I craved.  Julie had been contemplating coming to visit over Thanksgiving, but up until this past Saturday, her coming to Florida didn't seem like it would come to fruition.  Alas, I was wrong, we found a great flight on Jet Blue for her to come down on this past Monday and spend Thanksgiving with us. 

Seeing as this may be the one time we get to race together this year, we contemplated running in the 13.1 mile race.  We talked and I told her that I had not run in five weeks (well, one 4 mile run nothwithstanding) and she said great because she had not been training either.  We decided, "what the heck.." and threw our hat in the ring along with 10,000 eager runners (who most likely trained to have a good race).  This being said, being the uber competitive person Julie is, she not only wanted to run in the race, but wanted to set a PR for herself by running 8 minute miles throughout the race. How ridiculous is that?

So tomorrow we are ready to lace them up and see how the "rest" has treated us.  Julie has run a couple short runs in the past month, but on Monday she went for a 4 mile run.  Coming from Seattle, I guess she wasn't prepared for an 85 degree day with humidity.  She struggled through her run and may have hurt her confidence a little.  I, being completely indifferent to the race tomorrow decided after 5 weeks off I better run 2 miles tonight to warm up the legs- why?  I have no idea just seemed like a good idea.  Who am I kidding, like one small jog is going to help my cause.  I made Julie go and although it was a bit cooler, we ran those two miles at an 8:45 pace....hmmm a little off our target.  Until you actually do it, you don't realize how quickly you lose your fitness.  I assure you it doesn't take longer than 5 weeks to feel like you are starting over. 

So the gun will start at 7:00 am tomorrow in Jacksonville.  The air temperature is supposed to be about 45 degrees and getting up to about 50 by the time we finish, little colder than last year when it was about 75 degrees at the finish line.  I guess the only things I am prepared for are:

1.  It will be cold
2.  I am going to be in pain
3.  The only certainty will be my nutrition
4.  I can eat a lot of turkey, have a few adult beverages and watch football after suffering through a half marathon.

For the race, Julie and I will eat a PB & J in the am along with some water or Gatorade to hydrate.  I will eat about 300 calories on the run and Julie will probably eat about 150-200.  I will be consuming GU's on the run and Julie is still undetermined (better decide soon chica-HA). 

I have always told other training that racing is 90% mental and that if someone has a tough mental state of mind they will be able to suffer through the pain and finish what they set out to accomplish.  Well tomorrow is a test of my mantra and will.  I have been in races where I was pushed to the brink and finished so I am assuming tomorrow won't be as tough, but breaking 1:45 might be asking a bit much.  We will find out in about 11 hours.  Since we are bucking every trend training mindset, we also decided to buy new running shoes and wear them tomorrow.  What the heck, we will already be in pain and honestly, Julie needed them, she had been running in her pair of shoes for almost 2 years(yeah I know right?).  So no training, new shoes and of yeah we have indulged in some adult beverages the past few days since she has been here.  Why not right? 

Tomorrow will be fun if nothing else.  Julie and I will have gotten to race and it is Thanksgiving.   I would never recommend to anyone what we are doing tomorrow, but it will be nice to know how tough we are mentally.  We will let everyone know how it goes and if we can reach our goal of breaking 1:45. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Congratulations to Mutai and Dado, McCormack and Schildknecht!

The ING NYC Marathon is one of the most well known marathons in the world.  Winning this race brings instant credibility to any professionals resume (as does Boston).  Now, how about winning them both?  Before Sunday, four people had accomplished this feat.  You may now add Geofferey Mutai to this distinguished list.   Now how about winning them both and setting course records at each in the same year?  Now, you are looking at one person.. Mutai who was able to run himself into the record books yesterday by crushing the course record in New York by over 2 minutes and 30 seconds.  He ran a 2:05:06 and just to get a sense of how fast he was running, he ran mile 20-23 in 13:35 (4:31 miles).  He finished with 4:48, 4:41 and a 4:39 (info from www.letsrun.com).  Blistering the course and laying the hammer down on his competition when he needed to.  Congratulations on a feat we may never see again.  I hope everyone was witness to one of the greatest marathon performances in history.

The woman's race saw Mary Keitany race out to an incredible lead early in the race.  She is the world record holder in the half marathon.  She set a blistering pace that if kept up would have crushed the women's record by more than 6 minutes.  She hung strong, but began slowing around mile 20 leaving the door open for the three chasers that were about 1:40 behind her.  They kept their pace while Keitany kept fading, about mile 23 Keitany was final in view of the chasers motivating them to keep plugging away. Dado finally passed Keitany in the last few miles and although did not set a course record etched herself into history (and a lot more appearance fee money) by taking the women's title.

Triathlon took center stage as well with Ironman Florida.  One of the most prestigious Ironman events in North America that showcased another record! 

A huge Congratulations to Switzerland's Ronnie Schildknecht who posted a sub 8 hour Ironman (the first in a North American held Ironman event). An amazing feat for any Ironman triathlete and one that will help Ronnie come to peace with his season after having to drop out in Kona.

Swim - 51:18
Bike - 4:19:55 (25.85 mph)
Run - 2:43:47 (6:15 avg)

The 2012 race sold out in 16 minutes! So if you want to race in Panama City the best case scenario is to volunteer the year before. 

Across the globe Macca had his sights on a 70.3 title and was not to be denied.  Congratulations to Chris "Macca" McCormack for taking the Ironman 70.3 Tawian title in Macca fashion posting a 3:54 and finishing over 4 minutes ahead of second.

Refreshing!

After taking the past two weeks off and not doing a thing, I felt lethargic and decided that I better do something even though I am technically not training.  Last night, I decided to go for a 4 mile run, nothing fast, really just wanted it to be a slow jog where I didn't get my heart rate above 130. I set out on the run and the weather was cooler which always makes it easier to go.  I felt like I was running about an 8:30 pace.   I looked at my watch at the halfway point and realized I had ran the first two miles at a 7:30 pace, but didn't feel winded nor was I breathing heavy.  I ran the two miles back at a little slower pace (8:00) and finished with a 7:45 pace and never pushed myself.  Made me think... did I just get faster, was the weather a contributing factor or was it the fact that I had taken the previous two weeks off and my legs were rested.  I chalked it up to a combination of the three.  Either way, I had a good run and the best part was I was not worried about how fast I was going.

Today, I decided to jump back into the pool.  For a while now, I have been dreading going to the pool.  Not once I am there, just finding the motivation to actually make it there.  It is probably the fact that now it is colder in FL, I have to drive 35 minutes to get to the pool.  Once I get in and start swimming I can go.  Today I made the trek to the pool and told myself I would swim 70 lengths.  nothing too crazy, just trying to get back in rhythm.  Swimming endurance is always the first thing to leave me if I don't do it, so I try never too take too long between my pool visits.  The pool was in rare form today, there were about 35 senior citizens doing some sort of pool class, splashing around leaving only 2 lanes for swimmers.  Luckily, one lane had only one other person in it.  I jumped in, strapped on my aqua sphere goggles and I was off.  I typically swim 250 yards in about 3:50 and today, to my surprise was about 5-10 seconds faster per 250 and held that pace through the first 1500 (Olympic distance) and then I swam my last 10 as a cool down. 

In addition to hitting the pool again, I decided to re-acquaint myself with the weights.  I have not lifted weights in quite some time so I was interested to see how I would do and how sore I would be.  I did a full body workout (more sets with legs) and just did some light resistance since it was my first day back.  I want to strengthen my legs so that I can climb hills better with IMCDA in mind.  It was mentally relaxing to not have a real agenda at the gym today, ease myself back into the flow of things.  My body didn't forget that I should be sore, I am walking around like an old man.

I think as triathletes, we forget how fun it can be to do a workout with no attention to the clock or watch.  To go naturally and not push.  We are so consumed with power meters, and heart rates and splits  that we forget that it CAN be fun without those things.  If you aren't training for a running race I would recommend taking some time off, recharge and do workouts that are fun.  Mix it up, try cross training, go for a trail run or jog, take a spin class or try cyclocross etc.  Shock your muscles as I shocked mine today.  I am enjoying my time before I start back sometime in December.  Your body endures grueling hours throughout the spring and summer training and competing.  Let them know you are appreciative of how they performed this year with some rest,  they will reward you later. 

Then.. begin looking at your next year- Remember to write those goals down. 

For those of you who are interested in the NYC Triathlon (one of the most popular venues in the country) you have until November 6 at 11:59 pm EST to enter the lottery. Here is the link. (http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?EVENT_ID=1988020&CHECKSSO=0)

Good luck if you enter the lottery.     

A Swimming Pyramid and Learn to Count

As soon as I hit the water at the pool, I lose all ability to count. How far do I swim? No idea. How many laps do I usually do? Not a clue. I've have certainly tried to count. Usually, around 4 lengths I lose count. This obviously is not helpful.

I think this has to do with the fact that swimming has become a meditation for me. There is something about the feel of the water, the methodical stroke, the controlled breathing, the buoyancy, and the repeated swimming path. And it also might have to do with the dim lights and the jazz music that they play evenings at Evans Pool in Seattle. The combination of all these definitely allow me to zone out or think about all that is going on in my life (except counting.)

Sometimes by best thinking comes during swimming and therefore I like to refer to the pool as the THINK TANK.

Dan has asked me several times how far I swam in my workout and usually all I can come up with is "at least 4 lengths." Tonight, prior to my swim he suggested writing down a workout to take with me that I would follow. This way, I would only have to keep track of segments, not the entire workout. Here is what he suggested:

400 yrds Warm-up (16 laps*)
2 x 200
2 x 150
2 x 100
2 x 50
4 x 25
...then repeat back up the list.
Cooldown
* based on a 25 yard pool

This workout is considered a pyramid because you are working all the way down and then back up the list. I wrote the above workout on a piece of paper and put it in a zip lock bag. I was then able to keep this on the pool side as reference. Wow, this definitely helped. I think only at one point I lost track and may have done an extra 2 laps on one of the segments.

The above workout equals 2500 yards is about 1.42 miles. I was only able to complete 2300 yards with the last 200 segment as my cooldown. I just ran out of time! This was the first swimming workout that I actually followed and it definitely helped keep me focused. Plus, I really liked that about half way I was able to add some speed with the 25 yard lengths. I think I will continue to organize some workouts prior to going. And then I can report how far I have been swimming.

1 mile = 1760 yards (approx 70 laps)

Triathlon Swim Distances
Sprint: 750 meters (820 yards)
Olympic: 1.5 km (1640 yards)
Half Ironman: 1.93 km (2110 yards)
Ironman: 3.86 km (4221 yards)

Efficient Swimming Open Turns

Oh seasoned swimmers and your fancy flip turns, how smoothly and effortless you change directions in the pool. Maybe I have turn-envy. With each approach on every lap I think how nice it would be to have such a quick change. Well, its not going to happen...at least not while I am practicing with 4 other swimmers quickly approaching my tail. In my previous attempts at flip turns I think I flipped and pushed myself straight into pool bottom, only then to get water in my nose and then lose sight of the direction I should be swimming.

But I think flip turns aren't natural, PLUS when is that useful in a triathlon. Yup, never.

So, happily avoiding the flip, I have started to look into increasing my speed and efficiency of an open turns. This is a lot easy to practice and could potentially be just as quick. Plus, I have 100% success rate of now banging my head on the bottom of the pool. The following videos are pretty thorough...ok, really thorough. There is still opportunity for style points with this one.

Evaluation Time

Every year, around this time, I get a little depressed.  Yes, tri season (for the most part) is over.  I posted last week that I was going to do Miami 70.3 if I had a good training weekend last week.  Well, I did.  So Sunday night, I went to sign up and general entry had closed and there were only Blazeman Foundation slots left.  I am a supporter of the ALS Foundation, but was not in the financial position to pay $500.00 for the slot and then the ancillary things that go along with racing.  Unfortunately, I am back to taking my month off from running and training.  Do not get me wrong, I will still ride my bike and swim (maybe once a week each), but I am at ease knowing I don't HAVE to get up in the morning and ride or run long.  This will be a nice break from training before we jump into Ironman Coeur D'Alene training. 

Julie has spoken about coming to FL to extend her season a little bit.  We have races into December down here.  She wants to come down for Thanksgiving and run in the Subaru Distance Classic (formally Outback Distance Classic) on Thanksgiving day.  Great race in northeast FL that has about 10,000 people race (before they go home and stuff themselves with Turkey, MMM)- the real motivation, HA. 

The week after that there is an Olympic Distance race in Key West on December 3.  I said if she came for Thanksgiving that I would do both of the events with her.  We will see what she decides to do.  (www.trikw.com)  Would be great if she did because that would be the first triathlon or running event we have done together.  Would be a great experience and maybe I could help push her to a new 13.1 PR. 

One thing I am committing to is the Horrible Hundred in Clermont, FL.  Clermont is known as the "hilly" part of FL and actually has some decent rollers with once decent climb of about 500 feet in 1/2 mile called "Sugarloaf".  They have a 35, 70 and 100 mile distance and will be nice to go down with some friends and have a fun, training ride without any worry about speed or time.  (www.horrible-hundred.com)  The following is a video of the top of Sugarloaf hill.  I climb this hill at about 7 MPH, it does have some steep grades to it. 

On another note, Today, as most days www.active.com send me emails and links to articles and races.  There was a great article by Chris Janzen of www.triathletemind.com called How to learn from your triathlon season (http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/How-to-Learn-From-Your-Triathlon-Season.htm?cmp=306&memberid=103663730&lyrisid=23457513&email=danielreed13@gmail.com).  If you have the time to take a look at this article you, it will help you review your season and help you look towards a "successful" 2012 season (this will be different for all triathletes).  One thing he does mention is to take the time to write your goals and aspirations down.  I am quickly going to run down the list of 9 things he says that you should contemplate this off season:

1.  Were your season goals clear and attainable?
2.  What were you most proud of this season?
3.  What would you like to duplicate next year?
4.  What frustrated or disappointed you this year?
5.  What do you not want to happen next year?
6.  What did you learn by going through these experiences?
7.  What decisions did you make that were empowering to you?
8.  What habits seemed to hold you back from achieving your potential?
9.  What decisions should you make in order to have your best triathlon season ahead?

As I have mentioned previously, writing down goals make them concrete and visible to you each day.  There is no where to hide from written goals and they will definitely help you make that early morning wake up call. 

If anyone would like to post their own goals for the 2012 season we can all help motivate one another.  Here are a few of my goals for the upcoming year:

1.  In February run a sub 3:30 marathon
2.  In March, at the Great Clermont Challenge- finish in the top 5 in my age group
3.  April - Post a sub 4:45 at Ironman NOLA 70.3
4.  St Anthony's Triathlon - post a top 8 finish in my age group
5.  Ironman Coeur D'Alene post a 12 hour IM (not sure how bad the hills will be)
6.  Qualify for USAT Age Group Nationals
7.  Qualify for 5150 Hy Vee US National Championship

Calling all Tri Geeks!: Virtual Expo

2011 Tri Gear Expo: www.trigearexpo.com

Every triathlete is a "junkie" for technology and the "latest and greatest" triathlon items. Here is an opportunity for multi-sport athletes to see what is headed to the market for 2012 in a one stop shopping format. The best thing about this opportunity is its free! Triathletes spend thousands of dollars a year on items that make us more aero, fuel us, help endurance and become the best athletes we can be, why not check it all out in one place..virtually. I know the one drawback is that you cannot touch the items, which I love to do especially being a taller athletes, but this is an opportunity to see items from distributors that may not be able to attend race expos.

The event runs from November 25, 2011- December 2, 2011.

So whether you are shopping for yourself or your favorite triathlete this is a great opportunity to check out the 2012 gear.

Bellingham Bay Review...Finally!

Ok, ok. Yes I have been totally MIA and am long overdue for a write up about my half marathon in Bellingham, WA. My race countdown ticker says it was 27 days ago. Oops! Thanks Dan for the constant hounding and poking me so much that the guilt was starting to hurt. I guess without a triathlon goal set up and a couple other life transitions, exercising (and writing) slipped lower on the list.

Bellingham Bay was my second half marathon, the last being the BMO Vancouver
Half back in early May. The goal for anyone’s first half marathon, or race for that matter, should be to just finish. So, ok, I did that. I finished with a time of 2:16:43, which is a roughly a 10.5 min mile.

While finishing was (and is) a great accomplishment, it was shadowed by the fact that starting right around the time I passed the half way mark, I was sick. A key rule that people tell you about nutrition on race day is that you should never introduce anything new to the system. I followed this rule up until about mile 6 when accidentally I shocked my system with a Chocolate GU. I hate chocolate. Ew. I am sure I threw up about 15 times starting at the half way mark up until about 100 yards from the finish line. I finished and I left part of my stomach lining all across Vancouver.

Anyway…Bellingham! My goal this time around was to beat the last time, of course. I was aiming for about 2:05. I thought this race was well organized, start/finish was well stocked, course was great, and Bellingham was really easy to travel in and around. I think they also did a great job of communicating to participants through email and social media. Some areas to improve: course needed more fueling stations, a half way marker would have been helpful, and they should definitely offer race-day packet pick up!

From the start of the race, my legs were tight. Often times when I start running it takes a couple miles before they loosen up and can start moving. It turns out this time even after 13.1 miles, my legs never wanted to loosen up. I am still watchless, which meant I had no way of tracking how fast I had been going or for how long. I think roughly around mile 5, I knew I wasn’t going to have fun and I started to crave biking and swimming!

The most beautiful section of the course took us along the boardwalk and trail along the Bellingham Bay roughly around mile 10 and 11. But then again, by this point I think I keep saying to myself “what the f, what the f, where does this course turn around and head back to the finish line? The day, although sunny, was windy! At one point the headwind was so strong that I realized I wasn’t running faster than I could walk, and then I got passed by a compact woman who wasn’t much taller than the boardwalk railing. So I started walking.

I’m not sure I can say I enjoyed running this day. Except until I rounded the corner, could see the finish line, and caught a glimpse of my time. I finished at 1:51:16, not only blowing my last time by 25:27. Woooot! That is some might fine improvement. A personal PR. I hope the same happens in my third half! Ha!

Kids Tri Team- Ocean Palms Elementary

This is the team that I helped coach from Ocean Palms Elementary this past year. We had over 30 participants under the age of 13 compete in a modified format triathlon. Children under 10 competed in a 100 yard swim, 3 mile bike and 1 mile run while the older children (10+) competed in a 200 yard swim, 6 mile bike and 2 mile run. The team competed at the University of North Florida and is the largest "kids only" triathlon in the country.

Many of the children came to us without a prior history of swimming or running. Most have rode bikes in the past whether it be a BMX or some on road bikes but needless to say many were just learning swim stroke technique and running form. It was great to see the amount of kids that were out trying something new and getting out of their comfort zone.

We relied on the parents to help the children outside of the time we spent with them and most were great because they themselves were triathletes. Some were a little harder to convince as some of the children came from homes where physical activity was not taught or condoned. You could see the children's excitement grow as the event grew closer and they saw the improvements they were making. All of the children drastically improved and said that they were going to continue to train for next year and in a few years down the road a sprint triathlon.

As coaches we were proud to see these children progress and get excited about the opportunity that was presented to them. Not every child has opportunities like this so it was great to see not only our team, but 1,200 other children take advantage of competing in a race. We never focused on the winning aspect of the race, just going out enjoying doing something you have never done before and finishing the race (although there were some kids that were definitely competitive and wanted to win, which was fine with me). It was a great feeling seeing these children finish their race and hopefully something that they remember for years to come.

Response to Anonymous

I think anyone that takes on the challenge of a triathlon has some sort of competitive nature inside them. You may be selling yourself short if you feel you do not have this. Tackling a triathlon is a very daunting task no matter what length (sprint, Olympic, half, full) you are trying to complete.

Every person has different motivation. Whether it be to lose a few pounds, tone up, meet new people or give yourself the sense of accomplishment and join the elite fratnerity of triathletes. USA Triathlon posted that in 2010, 1.4 million unique people competed in a triathlon- that is a small percentage of the country so completing a race in and of itself is a feat. Committing to your first race could lead you down a path you never thought possible. Chrissie Wellington (Kona's Iron woman- 4x champion)started her meteoric rise in the sport when she began running a few miles to lose weight.

I speak from my motivational point of view because I know what pushes and drives me to be the best I can be. 90 percent of the people competing in a triathlon probably have their own view of success which doesn't include winning their age group. It may include running more than walking on the final leg, it may be cycling faster than their previous time or even swimming with their head in the water. Although the overall winners are amazing athletes, so is the last person crossing the finish line.

Now that the season is over for most triathletes, you can reflect on the race(s) you have done and what you would like to improve on.The great thing about this sport, is no one ever masters every portion of the race. I missed my bike rack twice in my last triathlon.

I would recommend writing down your goals for 2012. Once they are in writing they are tough to ignore. Post them on your fridge, or on your desk at work. They will help you reach whatever goal you set for yourself. If you want to lose 5 pounds- the goal posted on the fridge may help you from over indulging or snacking late at night. If your goal is to run for an entire 5k then seeing that vision may help you get up on that Saturday morning to go run when it is easier to sleep in. The great thing about these changes and living a more healthy lifestyle is it will give you more energy in all facets of life, create discipline, inspire others and lead to a happier you.

In response to, "What else can we use as a focus if not the person about to take us over in the race?"

I return to the 90 percent rule (this is a guestimation in my mind). This is the percentage of people in a race just trying to reach their personal goal not win the race. These are people competing against themselves and no one else on the course.

Also, remember in a wave start, these people all started at different times so you cannot gauge your performance based on someone passing you (easier said than done).

I know the sound of footsteps creeping up on you makes everyone tense and look back because in a triathlon overtaking someone that has previously passed you almost never happens. You have to remember that you cannot race someone else's race- you have to stay committed to yours. Too many times I hear people say I started to swim too fast and got tired quickly or I tried to keep up with someone on the bike and it killed my run. Most athletes need to remember they need to stay within themselves to reach THEIR goals. Chris McCormack has stated, "that you don't want to feel like you are racing until the final 1/2 of the running portion." If you have anything left in the tank for the final portion of your race THEN you can turn it up another notch.

Instead focus on things that you can control (breathing, cadence, continuously moving forward, thinking about your goals-your time, your performance). When I am tired and I hear footsteps, my first inclination is to try and stay with that person, if I can't I focus on markers in front on me (aid station, street signs, traffic lights) whatever it is to help dissipate the pain that I am enduring. One thing that always helps me forget about my surroundings (if only for a brief second) is waving to spectators (high fiving kids) thanking people for supporting us. You know what else this does? Makes people cheer for you and in turn gives you an extra shot of adrenaline and tap into reserves you may have not realized you had. You can also focus on your family, friends and how you are probably inspiring them just by competing in the race.

Also- remember not everything is going to go perfect on race day. There are so many variables (choppy water, waves, wind, flat tires, mechanical issues, cramps, heat etc) and any person on any given day can cope with these things better than another which may cause them to have the race of their life and set their own PR. You may be being caught by someone having one of these days and that is nothing to feel bad about.

Every triathlon race is its own story. You can race the same venue over and over and never experience the same conditions. That is the great thing about this sport. You are competing against yourself, against times that you set for yourself, and against your own limitations. Then the next race you will break through those barriers.

If interested, I would be more than happy to help you set goals and guidelines to help you reach a successfully 2012 and beyond. We may all compete in a race, but we enjoy the camaradarie of the sport more. I hope this response has helped and if you still have further questions, please repost. I wish you the best next year and beyond.

What to do.....

I know, I know....

My last post was about getting fat and being lazy for the next month, sprinkled in with the idea that there was one opportunity left for me to compete if I wanted. I have not signed up for the race, BUT I have put in some work the past few days to ensure that if I do decide to race that I am ready to.

So after my race Sunday, I took Monday off. Yesterday I decided to get after it because I was going to need to be on a crash course for the race since I haven't been training for a half. It was raining and wind blowing 25 in Saint Augustine so I decided to go inside for the workout (which I know is very different than sweating and training outside).

I jumped on the spinner bike and was actually excited to get this workout in when I started. My goal was to go 35 miles on the spinner and then run 9 miles after on the treadmill. I wasn't sure how I was going to feel, but that was the goal. Being excited about a workout has been different than what I was experiencing lately because I have had a lack of motivation lately as the window closed on the season. I knew I would be depressed once the season actually ended so maybe that is why I am thinking about this race.

I set it for the endurance test and started getting after it. I put the resistance on to what I thought would be the equivalent for me of hammering a flat. This will be different for everyone depending on what your fitness level is. I went after it for the first hour and averaged 25.5 on the spinner. sounds more impressive than it is because there is no resistance and no outside elements. (This is also the speed Craig Alexander averaged in Kona over 112 miles...ridiculous). I then put another half hour on the bike and reached my 35 miles keeping the same average the entire time. I then grabbed some PowerBar energy blasts (180 calories) and refilled my gatorade bottle and jumped on the treadmill. Let me just say if races were always in 70 degree weather they would be a lot easier, HAHA. I ran the first mile at 8 minute pace to ease into my run and see how the legs felt. I then ran the 22 minutes at 7:30 pace. After the first 30, I then started bumping up the speed at 5 minute intervals until I was running the last 10 minutes at a 6:30 pace. I had to work through the last 20 minutes, but kept thinking, "there is someone behind me catching me if I slow down". The great thing about the mind is that even though it can break you, it can also help inspire you in the same way. So use it to your advantage.

I got up today and decided I needed to run long back to back days since I have not ran more than 10 miles once in probably the last month. So I gauged when I thought I might be out on the run course in Miami and decided to run then to simulate the temperature and humidity. Last night I looked at the wave starts for Miami and saw that M30-34 go off in the last three waves (8:32, 8:36 and 8:40). With last name beginning with "K", I should be be in the second wave. So looking at a 36 minute swim and a 2:25-30 bike I would be running around 11:15. I actually started running around 10:45, but not much different temperature wise.

I decided that I would run 10 on tired legs and see how they felt. Started off running and they were a little lethargic, but not too bad. Ran the first 5k in 22 minutes. Rested one minute ran the next 5k in 22 minutes rested one minute and then ran the next 5k in 23 minutes and then ran the remainder of the way home at an 8 pace. Not too bad, but not breaking any records, but built some confidence going back to back.

I have to swim this afternoon since I have such a short time before the race (and this may be all for not cause I am not totally 100 percent sure if I am going to race). I think the big test will be Saturday, I plan on riding 50 with a 5-6 mile run after. if that goes well I think I will be ready.

Guess we will see. Until then bear with me and my undecidedness. I am all over the map.

Is Tri season really over?

I woke up this morning with a sad feeling in my stomach knowing that yesterday I had raced my last triathlon of the season. Every triathlete goes through this feeling and you ask yourself, "what now?" During race season my life is dedicated to training and racing. What do I do with my time now? And now that I am not training for hours on end how do I keep myself from annoying the people I live with?"

I decided to take the next month off from training and "Get Fat" - not sure if I can really allow myself to do that, but sounds good in theory. I may ride and swim once a week, but no running. I need to recharge my batteries and the best part is I am not obligated by a race to get up and go ride every Sat or Sun or run long the other day. I can sleep in, go out, enjoy a few adult beverages (decided I love Pumpkin beer) and just take it easy before I start training for Ironman Coeur D'Alene.

Before I say I am doing all this, I have to decide one thing first. A good friend of mine named Marc is going to do the Rohto Ironman Miami 70.3 in two weeks and he has been trying to get me to go down and race with him. HMMMM. this would extend tri season, and give me one last hurrah with a chance to try and qualify for the 70.3 World Championships. See I am not the fastest out there, but if I play my cards correctly I can hope most triathletes have packed in their racing for the year and are doing what I said I was doing in the prior two paragraphs. I looked at the times from last year and saw that there are 4 qualifying spots to the World Championships in my AG (30-34). I saw the times from last year and the fourth position did (4:42), and the spot rolled down to the 7th person which was a 4:50. Now normally I would say I don't have a chance to do that, BUT it is Miami in late October. The swim should be wetsuit legal (good for me- I call myself a manatee out there), flat bike course- which I can hold my own and great weather (high 82) for running which I can also hold my own. That being said, I can look at (36-swim, 2:26 - bike (23 avg) and 1:36 (7:25) run) with transition that will put me right around the time I need. We will see, the race is $300.00 plus getting there and hotel /food. Guess if I am writing another post next week saying this is the week before the race, yes, I changed my mind and delayed "fatness".

Way off track now. We were talking about getting fat. Every athlete needs to get sufficient rest to mentally and physically prepare for the next race season. I will begin my training for IM CDA in December and just want to have some "me time" before I go all in training.

As far as the race yesterday, it went well. I finished 2nd in my AG and 12th overall. Damn all those runners who average sub 6 minute miles. I am an average swimmer, good biker and decent runner (6:40-50) for an Olympic distance race. I know what I need to work on in the off season...me and the pool are going to be spending a lot of time together and although I made good strides in running...I will be pounding more pavement in the days ahead.

My sister asked me in a previous post, "How do you stay motivated". First response is sign up for another race. Just as importantly you have to set goals for the upcoming season- new goals to push you through the days when you don't want to get up, when you want to go out with friends. These goals need to make you work so whatever your fitness level is, don't hesitate to push. Most individual's mind will break before the body does. That is why tremendous athletes can push into the red and exert every ounce of ability they have until they cross the line. Average AG'ers brains will not allow them to punish themselves, it is the brain's way of protecting the body. But that is why we sign up for races as triathletes to push ourselves further than we have ever pushed. Demand more out of our body than most would in a lifetime and to experience the feeling of giving it all.

I thought of a third on yesterday when you end on a bad race. I didn't have a bad race (podium finish), but there were things I knew I could have done better (sighting during the swim-probably swam an extra 300 yards because I was back and forth trying to pick up the buoys and my goggles kept filling with water) and pushing harder on the run. When I finished I always expect to collapse in exhaustion and although I was tired, I ran the last two miles faster than any of the previous 4 which means I should have pushed harder on the run. There's the motivation (also the fact that the winner in my AG beat me by 4 minutes). One other factor weighed into me having a bad taste in my mouth, I missed my bike rack twice!!!!!!!! I always take precautions, count the racks to mine and make mental notes. Yesterday, coming out of the water I ran 3 racks too far then stood around trying to find it and when I came off the bike I ran past it again and had to have a volunteer help me find the rack. Seriously? What a rookie move. No one likes being beat, but no one really likes to make mental mistakes during a race. So there you are Motivation Number 3!!!!!!

Good luck to everyone who is racing into November, there are some great races (IMFL, IMAZ, Beach to Battleship, 5150 series finale in Clearwater, Ironman Miami 70.3 among lost of other local races). Keep pushing yourself, stay motivated and Keep TRI-ing!

Rev-ving in FL!

For every triathlete that hates seeing the triathlon season come to an end, but doesn't want to race IMFL... here is your chance. Rev 3 Tri has just announced that they have agreed with the city of Sarasota to bring a half-rev (1.2, 56, 13.1) to the beautiful Gulf Coast. Mark your calendars for October 27-28 of next year and join one of the most family friendly, entertaining races of the year. The bike course has not been finalized, but will be updated - I assure you it will be flat and fast for all you triathletes that love to drop the "hammer" during this portion. I know I do, or like to think I can, HA.

This is the perfect venue for all those people in cold climates who are sick of of the thermometer hovering around 40(ahem..... Julie and family in New England). This is a chance to swim in the pristine waters of the Gulf (and be able to see to the bottom of the ocean) and race in what should be about 70-75 degree weather (but could be colder). IMFL (Nov 5) last year began the day at a chilly 40 degrees. What could be better than finishing your race beach side? NOTHING..except if they give you a margarita IV after the race. Sarasota has frequently been voted as having some of the best beaches in the United States and has unique attractions and shopping in the area.







And for any of the "shellers" out there, Sarasota is close to Venice Beach, FL which is supposed to have the largest concentration of sharks teeth on its beaches and you couldn't be that close to Sanibel Island and not make the trip south to the mecca of shelling and top rated beaches.

Registration is not open yet, but will keep everyone aprised of when it does. I assure you this will be a race on my list.

http://rev3tri.com/news/revolution3-triathlon-announces-new-2012-race-in-florida/

Congratulations......Again

To everyone who streamed and tweeted about the Ironman World Championships this past weekend you were in for a treat. Once again, Craig Alexander crossed the line in dramatic fashion and finished with a course record by 12 seconds after posting an amazing 2:44 marathon. He then collpased after the line in pure exhaustion, but again Ironman champion.

Here is how he became Ironman Champion:

Swim:51:56 (4th overall)
T1: 1:55
Bike: 5:17:56 (4th overall) (25.45 mph)
T2: 1:58
Run: 2:44:02 (6:15 avg)

For his full splits (mile marker breakdowns go to http://kona.ironmanlive.com/ and put in bib number 1 or look up by his name

Here is a look at Alexander's Specialized SHIV which he used to "win" the World Championships. The bike has always been his achilles' heel until he wore out the course with this sleek bike



Pete Jacobs finished second (6 minutes behind Alexander) and Andres Raelertt finished third to round out the men's podium

In the women's division, it came down to the two favorites; Chrissie Wellington and Mirinda Carfrae with Wellington edging out her rival by almost three minutes. This was the closest finish Wellington has had in her Kona career, but was able to secure her 4th Ironman World Championship in four years. Last year she had to withdraw because of illness.

Chrissie Wellington:

swim:1:01:03
T1: 2:05
Bike: 4:56:53 (22.64 mph)
T2: 2:26
Run: 2:52:41 (6:35 avg)

Carfrae swam 4 minutes faster than Wellington, lost about 7 minutes on the bike and ran virtually the same as Wellington (40 seconds difference) to finish almost three minutes behind and finishing in 2nd. Leanda Cave finished in third (8 minutes behind Wellington) to round out the podium.

The edited version of the 2011 Ironman World Championships will be played on NBC on December 18.

Kona Fever!

October 8, 2011, 6:30 am

The World Series or Super Bowl of Triathlon begins on the Big Island of Kailua-Kona. Every triathlete dreams of one day making it to the island. There are 1,800 lucky athletes that get to swim, bike and run in the most extreme conditions of Hawaii. The pro men will finish in just over 8 hours, the women just over 9 and the official party lasts until midnight when the last athlete officially crosses the line. Each athlete has a different goal, but for most crossing the line in the most grueling test of endurance and will power is enough to satisfy the most competitive of all people. The Ironman World Championships is not only a test for the pros, elite age groupers, but for the inspirational stories brought about by ordinary people trying to do an extraordinary thing.

Last year, you witnessed Rudy Garcia-Tolson compete (who had his legs amputated from the knee down and has no hamstring muscles), two years ago Jason Lester (who has only use of his left arm and legs), Rick and Dick Hoyt-maybe the most inspirational of all athletes (Rick who is paraplegic is pulled by raft by Dick in the swim, pushed on the front of his bike and pushed on the run so he can experience the joy and pageantry of the event http://www.youtube.com/watch?index=0&feature=PlayList&v=rPLCaAu_H2U&list=PL17026704D6C8EF52. You cannot watch the video without getting chills. These stories exist every year and is what separates the sport of triathlon from every other sport in the world.

Kona has been at the forefront of the sport since 1978 when the sport was conjured up by Doug Collins who was arguing with friends about the most grueling test of endurance (2.4 mile Waikiki rough water swim, around O'ahu bike race, and the Honolulu Marathon), the winner shall be pronounced Ironman. Each competitor (15 total - 11 finishers) was given a few sheets of rules for the race with the last page reading, swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles, Brag for the rest of your Life! Full story available at (http://ironmanworldchampionship.com/media/history-of-ironman/)

There is one noticeable exemption from this year's starting line and that is the 2010 champion, Chris McCormack who will not be there to defend his title. Immediately, the odds on favorite revert back to Craig Alexander who is considered the best runner in Kona and just lost a little too much time on the bike last year to catch McCormack and Raelert. If you didn't see the finish last year Andreas ran an incredible marathon to catch McCormack at mile 24, they ran stride for stride (reminiscent of the Iron War between Dave Scott and Mark Allen) (http://www.mattfitzgerald.org/?utmref=vpironman) until McCormack seemed to have another gear and turned it on to claim his second Ironman title. Others that could steal the title include, Raelert, Tissnik, Llanos, Al-Sultan, Potts, Lieto (I hope he wins one day because he leaves so much out there and just hasn't had the speed to hold on the run- but hammers the bike- look for him to be first out on the run).

The women's race comes down to two people: Chrissie Wellington (3 time champ 07, 08, 09)- withdrew last year because of illness and Mirinda Carfrae- last year's champion. Mirinda may be the better runner (by a slim margin) but the overall athlete has to be Wellington and look for her to take back the title she lost out on last year. Should be a good battle between these two, but in the end look for Wellington to have that huge smile on her face when she crosses the line.

One day I hope to experience what it is like to race on the Big Island against the sports biggest stars. It is an experience that every triathlete dreams of, but each year only a handful get to experience. About 50,000 athletes compete in an iron distance event each year, but only 1,800 qualify for Kona. Good luck to all the athletes competing tomorrow in the event and I cannot wait to see what drama this year brings. The one thing Ironman needs to work on is getting NBC or Universal to show the event live or even a condensed version the day after, then they can edit it for a show later. Playing it on December 18 sucks! Give us the drama in real time, not just in blog form, or twitter updates.

Enjoy the race and if you aren't inspired to train, check your pulse!

Age Group Team Opportunity from Rev 3!

Rev 3 Tri has announced that they are accepting applications for their Age Group Triathlon Team until November 1! Not only do team members receive free entry into all Rev3 races, but also receive discounted products from sponsors and a team environment at each race! For more information regarding the team (http://rev3tri.com/news/rev3-is-now-accepting-applications-for-our-age-group-team/)

This team is not just about winning and the competition (although it is great to test yourself against other athletes), but about being an ambassador for the sport and the series. These are family oriented events and always have destinations that will engage athletes and spectators alike.

Rev3 has added races for the 2012 season and here is their schedule slated for next season (http://rev3tri.com/events/):

March 17 - Costa Rica
May 6 - Knoxville, TN
June 2- Quassy- Middlebury, CT
July 10 - Portland, OR
August 12- Wisconsin - The Dells
August 26- Old Orchard Beach, ME
September 11 - Cedar Point- Sandusky, OH
October 9- Anderson, SC

Look forward to seeing everyone out at the events and for a competitive and fulfilling 2012 season!

Motivation: The 15 Minute Rule

Sometimes it is so hard to get out the door. A run...bleh. A swim...ug. Exercise...boooooo.

In our family we have a motivational mentality for the days you just don't feel like doing anything except eating and lounging around. We tell ourselves to just go exercise for 15 minutes. Lift weights, go for a walk, a run, something to move the rear for 900 seconds.

By the time 15 minutes elapses, usually you are already feeling better and just continue exercising. You reach the point where you are already out there, now you are warm, and chances are you just want to keep going. If not, well at least 15 minutes is better than not working out at all.

Need Motivation?

Just a short post today, but I found this book in one of the groups I am associated with on LinkedIn (Cycling professionals) and thought it might be appropriate for some as the season winds down unless you qualified for Kona or are doing IMAZ or IMFL.

The book is called Sufferfest (http://www.thesufferfest.com/uncategorized/the-book-of-suffering-now-available-and-free/). You can download this book for free and peruse the photos of cyclists "torture chambers" and find inspirational quotes. This goes along with the photos I uploaded earlier in regards to my sister needing to find inspiration. Also might make you feel better knowing the rest of the world is dusting off their trainers and setting them up as most prepare for the winter training season.

Now to the quote. This might be one of the best quotes I have seen and if you can read this quote without feeling motivated to go train I would be shocked....

Ready to go train? To be motivated? I leave you with your inspiration for the day.

"I will beat my ass today to kick yours tomorrow" - Sufferfest

Kona Prepared!

Congratulations to Craig Alexander and Melissa Rollison who took home the title "Ironman 70.3 World Champion" yesterday in Henderson, NV.

Alexander who won the inaugural 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater, FL torched the hilly run course in NV posting a 1:11:50 finishing four minutes ahead of uber biker Chris Lieto. Despite getting a flat tire on the bike (and rolling the remainder of the ride on Andy Pott's spare wheel) (http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/worldchampionship70.3/marines-ironman-world-championship-70.3-sees-convincing-wins-by-two-australians#axzz1XlLfnKOP) and being 4 minutes behind Lieto off the bike Craig made a strong statement to the field by making up 8 minutes on the run. Alexander put the rest of the Kona field on alert with this impressive performance and letting current champion Chris McCormack know he is out to regain the title. Should be a classic battle in October.

Once again, Lieto cannot hold off the stronger runner's in the field after hammering the bike course and gaining over 4 minutes on the field. It is a hard way to race for Lieto knowing he is going to give up time each mile on the run course, but one day I hope he does break through and finish on top of the podium.

Melissa Rollison seems to be following in the footsteps of Chrissie Wellington and Mirinda Carfree. Rookies with impressive victories. Although Carfree didn't win the Ironman World Championships her first year, she posted the fastest run time and finished second to then champion Wellington and last year solidified her as one of the best in the world by breaking through and taking the championships.

Melissa completed her first 70.3 distance race last year and can now call herself champion. She ran a 1:21:14 en route to a 6 minute margin of victory. An impressive performance for the first time winner and a performance that will quickly gain the attention of the best women's triathletes around the world.

Congratulations to Both Craig Alexander and Melissa Rollison!

Split times and full event coverage can be seen on www.ironman.com

Century Rides: A dreadful necessity

If you are an avid cyclist or a long distance triathlete you know the term "Century rides" all too well. I did my fair share of them last year when I was training for IM Louisville and after the race vowed to stop riding them for a while. I think every IM'er has wanted to (at some point or another) throw away their bike or give it away while training for a long distance race. I know I didn't want to look at my bike for days after my race.

Recently, I have been riding 60-80 miles rides once a week and enjoying them and the group I ride with. Well about a week ago, one of my friends who is training for IMAZ in November asked if I wanted to ride the "Endless Summer Watermelon Ride". Since the race started about 5 miles from my house I couldn't say no. They had a 30,70 and 105 miles ride. (http://www.nfbc.us/Rides/Events/tabid/58/Default.aspx) The ride started at 7:30 am so I met my friend outside of her house and we rode the 5 miles to the start.

Getting ready to ride a century without having a race to look forward to or a specific purpose takes a different mental toll on you than on race day. Race day you can focus on your goals while in contrast going for a 115 mile "joy" ride is completely different. Motivation might be a little lower and getting up at 5 am your body might be saying "seriously? Doesn't bed feel much better". The morning was nice, started off about 80 degrees and was hoping cloud cover would stay throughout the day, but that only lasted until about 9:00 am. Then the heat and humidity came and touched the high 90's -draining your energy very quickly.

The biggest thing to be prepared for on these long rides (especially when it is hot) is to make sure you stay hydrated and fueled. I try to drink at least a bottle and a half of liquid each hour and try and consume about 400 calories. I started the morning with a bagel and peanut butter, 20 oz chocolate milk, cup off coffee and and a myoplex protein bar. I brought about 1500 calories with me for the ride (3 bags of powerbar energy blasts, two honey stinger waffles, two purefit protein bars - these are great because they do not melt). I brought three bottles with me, two filled with Gatorade and one with water. They had rest stops about every 20 miles so I knew that I could refill at each station.

We started the ride at a nice easy pace (19-20) while some groups blew past us doing 24-25+. It was hard for me to let them fly by without wanting to latch on to their group, but I knew we would be picking up many of their causalities along the way. I knew there was no chance that everyone in those groups would last the entire distance at that pace. We continued on and at about mile 40 our small group had added about 8 more riders which grew another 5 or 6 about mile 60. We had some first time century riders with us and as most learn on their first if you don't eat or drink enough you bonk. We tried to keep the group together and stopped at each rest stop for the individuals needing the additional food. Just for good measure the final 10 miles or so we had the wind in our face.

Overall, the ride was great, little hot but I live in FL, it is always hot. It was good to have my first century of the year under my belt. It was nice to have ridden the IM distance on the bike and know that I felt like I could have ran after - not sure about 26.2 just yet. These rides are great for training and can help you push yourself in those final 20 miles or so when your body is telling you it wants to get off the bike and when you need a break you can tuck in behind some people and draft off them.

I got home and had a 320z chocolate milk waiting for me, along with water and Gatorade. I laid on my floor for a while, stretched out the legs, watched some football and then indulged in some pizza. I know once the beginning of the year comes I will be logging more of these rides, but today was good to just be out there remembering what 115 feels like and knowing that I do not need to do another for quite some time!

High Praise for the Hy Vee 5150 US Championship

I think every triathlete has a bucket list of triathlons that they would like to do, I am adding the Hy Vee Triathlon to every triathletes list. I know Des Moines, IA over Labor Day Weekend is not every one's idea of a tourist destination, but if you want great competition, electric atmosphere, unbelievable volunteers, great swag and the opportunity to watch the professional athletes compete for the largest purse in the sport- Des Moines is your place!

I live in Saint Augustine, FL and decided to drive to Des Moines (1280 miles). It was a long trip and we had no idea whether an Olympic race would be worth it or not, but we decided to go since it is one of the few races I have qualified to go to (http://www.5150.com/). Along the way, we decided to go stop in St Louis and before driving the remainder of the way to Des Moines and see the famed St Louis Arch.

Once we reached our destination (6 pm) on Friday night we checked into our hotel, the Embassy Suites (http://embassysuites1.hilton.com/en_US/es/hotel/DSMDNES-Embassy-Suites-Des-Moines-On-the-River-Iowa/index.do). It was not the host hotel, but we quickly realized that this was definitely the best place to be and seemed to be in the middle of the downtown area. The hotel overlooked the start for the pro race and their transition area. It was very reasonably priced (we paid $99.00 per night) and we found out Saturday morning that this price included a breakfast buffet of all buffets (cooked to order omelets, pancakes, bacon, eggs, waffles then had a buffet line of fruits, yogurts, biscuits, cereal, hash browns, oatmeal, and offered coffee, juices, sodas, water) and a "Manager's Reception" each night with complimentary adult beverages.

We went over to the Expo because we thought the last mandatory briefing that night was at 6:30, but it turned out to be at 6:00. Since we missed the briefing, we walked around the Expo for a while and realized this was one of the largest Expo's I had seen (larger than St. Anthony's, Washington DC, Ironman L'ville, and NOLA 70.3, Augusta 70.3, FL 70.3, RI 70.3). After perusing the Expo for a while we went back to the hotel and saw that the parking lot across from our hotel was preparing for a concert which included a local opening band and the Gin Blossoms put on by Michelob Ultra (http://www.michelobultra.com/). The concert was free for everyone and was attended by about 1500-2000 people.

After sleeping in (24 hours on the road will make you do that) we went down and had the incredible aforementioned breakfast buffet and sat at the table next to Greg and Laura Bennett and at the table behind us was Matt Reed, Cameron Dye, and Chris McCormack and other pros eating at that time included; Pip Taylor, Sarah Haskins, Miranda Carfree, Ben Collins, Emma Moffit and Hunter Kemper. We found out that the Embassy Suites was the host hotel for the pro athletes (probably because they could roll out of bed and be at the swim start, HA).


After breakfast went back to the Expo, went to the mandatory race briefing and then went to packet pickup. Once through the process of signing waivers etc, athletes went to get their numbers and race bags. These were the nicest bags I have received and was a full backpack for easy toting. You also received an exclusive Hy Vee cycling jersey, hat or visor, Ironman Sunglasses (http://www.fostergrant.com/), Hy vee bicycle seat cover (which we needed since it rained Sat Night), Myoplex bars and protein drinks (www.eas.com/myoplex), 5 hour energy drinks- which we used on the home home to stay awake (http://www.5hourenergy.com/), Lava magazine (http://www.lavamagazine.com/) and a host of other samples.

Since it was raining when we left the expo, we decided to eat and wait to check my bike in at T1. We ate at this Sports bar and restaurant off Locust Ave (cannot remember the name) but the food was really good and packed for the opening week of college football. After that we went down to Gray's Lake (swim start for the 5150 US Championship and the Hy Vee Triathlon) and racked my bike. This was a huge transition area (over 3,000 participants) which was divided for the US Championship race and the triathlon race. The buoys were already set up so we could see the swim, but with the water temperature at 83 degrees on Saturday didn't seem likely that the race would be wetsuit legal. I racked my bike and was happy that the rack bars were high enough to allow me to easily get my bike off the rack - I usually have trouble because of my seat height on my frame ( I am 6'6). We talked to a few people that were competing in their first tri and told them what I tell everyone, "enjoy the moment and don't concern yourself with times, just crossing the finish line".

We proceeded to eat at a great restaurant called "Spaghetti Works" (http://desmoines.spagworks.com/) which was packed out with triathletes looking to carb load the night before the race. After eating we walked to "sculpture park" in the midst of the downtown area. Upon coming back, I saw a cop writing me a ticket. Apparently, in the midst of the pouring rain I had parked in a no parking zone, guess I should have realized there was a catch when the spot in front of the restaurant went unfilled in a rainstorm... With the great hospitality we received he was actually nice enough to tear the ticket up after I plead my case. That didn't help me on the way home when I got a speeding ticket in Missouri. F$#@ that state- HA I am sure it is nice, but left a bad taste in my mouth and being only 130 miles into our drive home.

The alarm sounded at 3:30 am. I ask myself every morning why I do I sport that forces me up so early, but then quickly get into race mode and prepared for what I hoped would be a great day. Race morning breakfast: Bagel with peanut butter, Honey Stinger waffle (http://www.honeystinger.com/), bottle of G2 (http://www.gatorade.com/default.aspx#product?s=g2), and a Gatorade Prime (http://www.gatorade.com/default.aspx#product?s=prime). Then filled my drink bottle- Profile Design aero water bottle (http://www.profile-design.com/profile-design/products/hydration/all-hydration/aerodrink.html) with my favorite caloric drink during a race - Carbo Pro 1200 (http://carbopro.com/cartnew/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=22). During an Olympic distance race I will burn about 2500-3000 calories and during the race will consume about 400-500 calories, coupled with my breakfast this will give me plenty of energy to sustain myself throughout the race. I put all of the calories in the water bottle and consume them on the bike. Since the high of the day was only in the 70's I didn't have to worry about getting dehydrated.

I arrived at the race site and to my surprise the swim was wetsuit legal. To my dismay, I had left my wetsuit in the hotel figuring there was no possible way that the water temperature could dip 8 degrees in one night, BUT alas it was a miracle and the temp registered 75 degrees. Being that most everyone else came prepared, I was behind the eight ball before the race started. The race start had plenty of porta potties and coffee for racers and spectators since it was 50 degrees out. I needed to stay warm since I live in Florida and forgot what 50 felt like. I was clothed in a t-shirt and shorts. How dumb was that?

I was the 6th wave to go, the swim went well (slower than I anticipated and lots of time to be made up from the faster swimmers). The hardest thing about the swim was when we made the turn to come back the sun was directly in your face and you could barely see the buoys. I had tinted goggles and couldn't really see, I feel bad for anyone with clear lenses lenses - Mental note, for WHEN you do this race. I exited the water and had to run around to the south end of transition area and then back through to the north end where the 5150 racks were. Had a good transition and was out on the bike.

I was figuring that the bike was going to be flat since we were in the Midwest, but ALAS wrong again. There were a few climbs that you felt- the first one coming about mile 2 that lasted about a mile. The second came about mile 14 and lasted about 1.5 miles. The first climb I tried to climb in the big chain ring and push a larger gear then realized this was not the best tactic so in the second long climb went to the small chain ring and kept my cadence around 90-95. The course was windy, probably about 20 mph which also helped and hurt. There were a few straightaways where you could hammer and I hit 30-31 on the flats but the hills evened out the course. I averaged 22 mph over the course (wanted to do 24). The elite division had a few that averaged 26 and I thought to myself how in the hell did they do that? Their "hammer" must be larger than mine on the bike. (They also averaged 5:20's on the run so I will chalk it up to they are just incredible athletes). The course was fair and the good thing about it was with the hills they had the 25 miles flew by because you weren't just tucked in your aeros (which I prefer being from FL)- remember hills are a relative term from my point of view because of where I live.

I came back to transition and racked my bike, again everything was very well marked and there were tons of volunteers cheering and guiding you to the correct position. I quickly changed my shoes and was off. The run was a point to point run and flat the entire way - until about .3 miles to the finish where you faced a short burst of a hill just to let you know it's there. I ran relatively well (7:00) was hoping to do around 6:45's but apparently my legs didn't. Funny note, I got off the bike and ran down another member of my division within the first 1/2 mile. I turn to him and said, "way to hammer the bike, I couldn't keep up", he turns to me and says, "F#$@, you're a runner!" The course was well marked and again locals and volunteers were out in the masses cheering you on. The city embraces this race unlike any other and I thought Ironman Augusta had good support- sorry, Des Moines does it better!

The race finishes with a little climb and then you take a left and run through about 200 yards of grandstands on the right hand side and athletes and spectators on the left. It is a finish unlike any other I have experienced. The announcers did a great job announcing each competitor as they crossed and there was already a hearty crowd in the grandstands when I finished around 9:15 am. (These crowds only grew throughout the day and reached capacity for the pro men which finished about 6:00 pm. After crossing the line there was plenty of food and drink for recovery, plenty of massage tables and a very accessible gear pick up area for your post race clothes that you dropped off at the start and they brought to the finish. I was lucky enough to finish high enough to be part of the awards ceremony ( top five in each age group). For amateurs, the prizes were incredible. These awards were part of each division (5th- $100 gift card to Orbea-Orca (http://www.orbea.com/us-us), 4th- $200 gift card to Orbea-Orca, 3rd place- set of Dura Ace pedals (http://bike.shimano.com/publish/content/global_cycle/en/us/index/products/pedals/road/product.-code-PD-7810.-type-.html, 2nd place- Timex Ironman GPS watch (http://www.timexironman.com/Products/Global_Trainer_GPS.htm) and 1st place- $650 gift card to Orbea-Orca). Top three finishers also received medals commemorating each athlete's accomplishment. A great thank you to the sponsors of the prizes for all athletes.

Thirty minutes after the 5150 Championship waves went off the Hy Vee Triathlon began (triathlon that individuals could just sign up for and not have to qualify). This race was filled with over 2000 participants and is an incredible venue for individuals looking to be part of a first class event with the excitement of a championship. Individuals of all skill levels competed and by 10 am, one of the streets adjacent to Locust (main street where individuals ran up and then turned around to head towards the Capital) closed down and a local band set up and played all afternoon and a farmer's market with different food options opened. Hy Vee employees gave out small bells to help cheer on individuals on the last leg of their race. By the time the last triathlon participant crossed the line there must have been about 5000 people near the finish line cheering and recuperating from the race. There was also a jumbo screen set up in the parking lot near the Embassy Suites showing individuals as they cross the finish line. The Hy Vee races had television cameras in multiple areas recording the excitement and will be hopefully shown as part of the pro races shown on NBC later in the year.

The Pro Championship began at 1:30 when then women started followed by the men at 4:00 pm. The great part of this day was that athletes got to watch the pros race which usually does not happen during a race, they usually go off in the morning and you usually do not see them unless they are lapping you on the course (which I had happen to me in Louisville and Augusta when Laura Bennett blew past me on the run making me feel like I was wearing concrete boots not running shoes). Thirty women and thirty men participated in the race which had a different venue than the course that the other races competed on which made it VERY spectator friendly. The swim course was in the river behind the Embassy Suites and was a unique three lap course in an amphitheater style forum. There were bridges and grass berms surrounding the river which was enclosed by thousands of people cramming to get a glimpse of these amazing athletes. The wind was howling by the afternoon and you could see the strong current in the river which posed problems for many of the swimmers (heck even Andy Potts got tangled up in one of the buoys). Before the race started I thought the average pro swimmer would lose substantial time in the current of the river. One the three loops were completed in the river, athletes got out and began a four loop course on the bike through downtown Des Moines.

The great thing about this was that there were plenty of opportunities to see the pros hammering away on the flats of downtown (except for one hill at the end of each loop). After the bike, the pros set out on a four loop course on the run, each time running through the grandstands which were full of spectators. This race had the largest pro purse I have ever seen (over $500,000 in cash and prizes up for grabs. This also included a $5150 (note the amount) bonus for each lap led (3 swim, 4 bike, 4 run). If an athlete went wire to wire they would receive an additional $56,000 in addition to their purse. (this did not happen in either race).

In the women's pro race Haskins seemed like she was going to hold her lead on the run through the finish, but a charging Norden and Carfree cut into the lead each lap and on the final 2.5K Haskins was caught first by Norden who had a great run followed by Carfree who absolutely blistered the run course and finished second to Norden. Carfree was well back after the swim, but if had about 1.5K more in the race would have taken over the lead but just ran out of pavement. She showed why she is an Ironman Champion and I look forward to seeing her and Wellington battle it out in Kona this year.

The men's race didn't have the exciting four man sprint as it did in 2010, but the performance by Greg Bennett allowed him to finish first by about 30 seconds. The only athlete who was making up time on Bennett was Hunter Kemper who showed a Carfree'esque run and just ran out of real estate. Matt "Boom-Boom" Reed looked strong throughout and would have battled Greg Bennett for the overall title but succumbed to cramping in the second lap and could not keep the pace that Bennett had (although he can run with him on most days). The leader off the bike was Ben Collins but was also caught by Bennett when he appeared to have a foot injury on the run but toughed out a solid run.

Overall, we walked about 8 miles going from start to finish of both races and around the streets cheering on all athletes. This is what the event was about; great competition and seeing individuals becoming triathletes by finishing the course. The city of Des Moines was an incredible host, everyone was so friendly, the food was amazing, volunteers were second to none and the event set up was first class. I absolutely loved being able to watch the pros race.

After the pro races concluded we still had time to make it back to the Embassy Suites and enjoy their complimentary "Manager's Reception" which included beer, wine, and mixed drinks each night from 5:30-7:30. We thought we deserved a celebratory drink and ended up meeting some nice individuals who had competed as well. That is the great thing about triathlon, you share experiences with these strangers who quickly become friends. They understand the sacrifices you make to train, the dedication it takes to compete and the feeling when you cross the finish line. Triathlon is not just a sport, it is a way of life and I encourage everyone to "tri" a race at some point. Whether it be on your bucket list of things to do or a sport which you once looked at as unattainable. The pros are amazing athletes, but so was the 75 year old I saw competing this past weekend. Throughout this blog I will continuously reiterate the excitement of the sport and the camaraderie that goes along with the finishing something so inspirational.

Again, a BIG Thank you to the the volunteers of the Hy Vee and the event sponsors who were a huge part of the success of the event and what it will be for years to come!

Hy Vee (http://www.hy-vee.com/)

PepsiCo (http://www.pepsico.com/)

Frito Lay (http://www.fritolay.com/)

Tropicana (http://www.tropicana.com/)

Gatorade (http://www.gatorade.com/

Dole (http://www.dole.com/)

Kellogg (http://www.kelloggcompany.com/)

Unilever (http://www.unileverusa.com/)

JM Smucker Company (http://www.smuckers.com/)

Sara Lee (http://www.saraleebread.com/)

Kraft Foods (http://www.kraftfoods.com/)

ConAgra Foods (http://www.readyseteat.com/)

Dannon (http://www.dannon.com/)

Farmland (http://www.farmlandfoods.com/)

General Mills (http://www.generalmills.com/)

Old Orchard

MillerCoors (http://www.millercoors.com/)

Hallmark (http://corporate.hallmark.com/)

21st Century Healthcare

Diamond Foods (http://www.diamondfoods.com/)

Schwann's Consumer Foods (http://www.theschwannsfoodcompany.com/)

Land O' Frost (http://www.landofrost.com/)

E & J Gallo Winery (http://www.gallo.com/)

Bar-S Food Company (http://www.bar-s.com/)

Brawny (http://www.gp.com/)

Horizon Organic (http://www.horizonorganic.com/)

Finisher Pix (http://www.finisherpix.com/)

Additional Sponsors: Marriott Des Moines, Embassy Suites Des Moines, Michelob Ultra, Snapple, Gillette, Smirnoff, Principal Financial Group, Stemmitt, Tyson, Scheels, Iowa Health, Star 102.5, Kemps