DoxA

Pre-Ironman Louisville

It's Thursday... I'm here in Louisville or L'vuhl as they say it around here and pretty much have adjusted to the time zone in one day. Went promptly to bed last night at 10pm or 7pm on my body clock and woke up this morning at 7am or 4 in the morning which is a time of day I rarely like to see involuntarily let alone normally. Last night I was in search of a grocery store, not easy to find even with my iPhone. I did however get a chance to tour some cool and not so cool parts of Louisville. Eventually found a store, bought some staples, (case of water, milk, cereal, bananas, Triscuits, cheese, OJ) then discovered they had a Whole Foods in the area! Ah, now we're talking! But since it was the end of the day all I purchased was dinner... soup/sandwich and a killer chocolate thingy.

Today, I've done my tune up run... I ran the only hill on the course. It's the bridge that crosses over the Ohio River and is exactly where I am staying for these few days. It was muggy and in the mid 70's. I was dripping when I returned from the 20 minute out and back but if that's the worst of it; I'm feeling fine. Weather reports for Sunday are very nice conditions; less humidity, cooler temps, partly cloudy and where the highs should be in the low to mid 70's. I can't tell you how awesome that is. Ever since Hawaii 70.3, at the end of May, I've been dreading heat and humidity like the H1N1.

In just a little bit (pretty much when I'm finished writing this) I'll go over to the expo site and register. What this means is I'll weigh in, sign the waivers, get my wristband declaring me as competitor, acquire the necessary stuff like transition bags, swim cap, timing chip and then they'll hand you some swag; most of it you won't keep but occasionally there's some nice stuff in there. Then, I'll tour the vendors, try to find a new tire for my front Zipp 404 as I noticed when packing the bike there was a small sidewall blemish. Now, you might think, well if it's not a gash or a hole it the tire why worry... TRUST ME! You don't want to have anything going through your mind while you're racing that you think might, could, perhaps or otherwise be a problem.

Tomorrow prior to the athletes banquet will be an IronPrayer service which I've been asked to speak. I enjoy these events where other athletes, not all sharing the same faith, do come together to place the focus on something other than just a physical endeavor. It's the first time being done here so we'll see how it goes. Also tomorrow, Spence Smith, a friend from Nashville and his gang will be arriving. Spence is competing in his first Ironman. He is very excited and I am happy to be here to witness this. I am very much looking forward to hanging with Spence.

The rest of the time I'll just be staying off my feet, drinking plenty of water, reading and doing a little work from the hotel room. Might try to take in a movie tonight. Although I don't like going to the movies by myself. Which brings up the last thing in this pre-IM report. I miss my wife, who generally comes with me to Ironman events. But this being my 10th IM, she has seen a few and lately has declared she only wants to travel to the "destination" races like Hawaii or France. I don't blame her. I can't stand spectating a sprint triathlon which is generally over in an hour... but one that takes an entire day! Yeah, I can see why. But I still wish she was here.

So that's it... I'm off to the expo. But before I go. If you would like to follow along on Sunday here's how you do it. First Log into ironman.com There you'll see two races providing live coverage, IM Louisville and IM Canada. Click on Watch Live Coverage of IM Louisville. Once there you'll be able to track the progress of the athletes, get a blow by blow description of the race (mostly of the pro athletes) and even a video feed, which turns to the finish line once the pros are in so you can watch for your favorite athlete come across the finish line. My race number is 2648 which is not to be confused with this number - 24601. For extra credit anyone know who's number that is or what it's from. (no fair Google-ing it... Hint: it has nothing to do with triathlon but has been very much a part of my life!)

Hurts So Good: Vineman 70.3 Race Report

As I mentioned in my previous post the Vineman 70.3 was to be a "tune up" or test for the upcoming Ironman Louisville at the end of August. A tune up race gives you a chance to check fitness, sharpen focus and tweak limiters or reveal blind spots. I did want to go with a hope of doing well and certainly breaking the 5 hour mark but the purpose was to gage training to racing conditions.

Since Vineman 70.3 is held in Santa Rosa, California it is now an easy, less than 2 hour drive to the race start. As instructed by coach Brian, I arrived the day before the race at race time start to swim and check water, sighting and depth. After chatting with Lee and Cherie Gruenfeld, I jumped in the water and swam out past the two bridges and back. It definitely was warm in the wetsuit as water temps were reported to be 76 degrees. After getting out it was time to go check in at the race, chat with some vendors and connect with a few friends from the desert. Then it was off to lunch, check in at the hotel and then back to join in at the IronPrayer service near the race venue.

When I arrived back at Windsor High School I walked over to where Troy had set up the FCA-E tent. Robin was there and soon came Susy and together it was an intimate time of encouragement. When it was over the temperature was still close to 100. I had been on my feet a lot throughout the day and needed to get off my feet and continue to put more water in my body. So opting to have a quiet evening of race prep and fueling I headed back to the hotel, stopped by Trader Joe's, picked up dinner (an antipasto salad and chicken salad to stuff into pita bread) and breakfast (a soy protein smoothie, blueberry bars, bananas and Clif bars to munch on pre-race) and plenty of water!

After getting the bike prepped with Hammer Gels, Endurolyte packets and a spare tube and CO2 cartridge, everything was packed and ready for a 5:30 departure in the morning. Since the wifi that I paid extra for wasn't working, I watched a little women's softball on ESPN (no Versus and TdF at this lovely Establishment) and went to bed at 9:30.

RACE DAY:
Alarms off at scheduled 5am. I easily woke up put on all my gear: timing chip, heart rate monitor, shorts, jersey... warm clothes. walked my bike back out to the car, ate and drank my breakfast, packed up the room and pulled out of the parking lot at precisely 5:30 am. Hit the Starbucks for a grande Americano and found myself rolling into Guerneville at 6am. I found (legal) parking easily in town and decided since there was still over an hour and a half before I would start my day, I put my seat back and napped for about 15 min.

This race brings out a lot of people and it was definitely crowded at Johnson's Beach. After laying out my transition gear and getting body marked the last formality is porta-potty duty and then wait it out.

Swim:
Since I've been in the 50-54 age group this year, several races have had a swim wave titled 50+ making them very big, if not the largest wave start of the day. Vineman lived up to that. Lining up nearer the right hand side of the group I was able to get a pretty smooth lead out and a bit more shade from the sun. sighting was eventually pretty difficult going out because the sun reflection on the water made it nearly impossible to see distant buoys but the river is narrow and it's pretty hard to get too far off track. Going out, you're swimming against the current and the further up river you go, the shallower the water becomes. Although swimming relaxed, I could still tell something isn't jiving with my open water swim. Why I can swim so well in the pool and flail in the open water is a mystery to me and something I'll be working on in the next several weeks.

At the turn around, as I breathed to my right, I notice a body upright (walking) and then felt the gravel of the river bottom on the next stroke. I was swimming in about three feet of water but stayed horizontal and swam past the walker. Now heading back with the sun behind me everything became clear and quickly found myself coming out of the water feeling pretty refreshed. I was amazed however at the amount of people from the previous wave with an eight minute advantage that I had swam past. Kind of makes you think you're a pretty fast swimmer yourself... not so; watch said something like 32:??.

T-1:
Here it's gravel and old carpet squares; not the best for your feet but you get the job done. finding my bike (one rack over) I slid under a open space, yank off my wetsuit, put on my glasses, helmet, shoes... SHOES! where are my socks? I forgot to put them in my Transition bag. Crud... this means I'll be fine on the bike but having to run over 13 miles without socks is a sure-fire recipe for blisters and pain but nothing I can do about it now. So, I pack everything in my swim bag (you have to pack up all your stuff because it is later transported to the race finish since this is a two transition race or a point to point race, meaning it doesn't start and finish in the same location) and off I go.

Bike: The start is at the bottom of a little hill and many people were just running or walking their bikes to the top to mount, I on the other hand, know this about the race so my gears were in the lowest gearing allowing me to just pop on and dance up the hill. At the top I check all my gear; HR monitor, computer, all looks good and hit the main road out of town. For about 7 miles it's an easy flat pretty run out among the river, redwoods and vines. Then you cross underneath the road you were just on and hit a steep little climb to get you on the other side. Approaching the hill I change out of my big ring into the easier small but all my chain does is rattle around doing nothing... this is called "throwing a chain." For newbies this is always a problem but never for a pro like me... right? I just allow the momentum of my travel to take me half way up the hill while I gently try to peddle the chain back on using my front derailleur... BUT... Not this time! No sirree, with my new oval shaped Rotorings, the chain gets lodged inside the chain rings and wrapped around the bottom bracket. Now stuck in the middle of the road, I'm forced to hope off the bike and pull to the side to discover that I'm literally in a jam! Chain jam that is. I try to pull the chain out with no luck and not the big ring is fused against the chain. I try working it out from several angles and multiple tries. Trying not to get flustered I just keep trying but what seemed like an eternity I thought to myself... Oh well, I guess my race is over! People that I had just past were whizzing by me now and I just stood there. Then I thought to look for the specific area that was jammed and realized if I tug on the ring and chain at the same time it might break loose and that is exactly what happened. It was a gamble because I wasn't sure I would bend the chain ring but it was fine. But my troubles weren't over yet. Now on this steep incline I've got to get clipped in. This is much different than mountain biking, my peddles are one sided... after several at temps trying to move sideways on the hill I finally coasted downhill to a driveway and finally got going again.

Once on Westside road, I'm in familiar territory. The road is beautiful passing vineyard after vineyard and underneath tall redwood and stately oak trees... with the exception of one, oak tree, I mean. Just minutes prior a long heavy branch broke away from the tree taking down a power line with it and a couple of riders. I showed up on scene just as the emergency vehicles were getting the power line up off the ground and securing the tree limb to the side of the road. The ambulance had already left but you could see this really hurt someone.

For the rest of the bike I just plugged along at an average 128 heart rate. My speed was good enough to keep me from getting passed by anyone from behind while I was passing dozens per mile. However again on a short steady climb, at the bottom of Canyon Road, I threw that chain again, this time I just hopped off the bike and manually put it back on. Taking three Endurolytes per 40 minutes on the bike, nutrition was good and water intake was steady at a bottle and a half per hour (30 ounces). At the 45 mile mark comes a short little climb called Chalk Hill. It can seem steep to most but felt pretty routine to me now that I train up here in the Santa Cruz mountains.

On the run it to T-2 with about 3-4 miles to go, I passed a guy in my AG. For some reason he decided it was time for him to race and pushed ahead of me but didn't hold the pace so, I passed him again... 15 seconds later he passed me and said something I couldn't hear. I just let him stay 15 meters up as we now were on the final approach in. I slipped out of my shoes, hit the ground running right by my new friend into transition... I never saw him again!

T-2:
It's a long run from the dismount to where you rack your bike... knowing all I had to do was collect and stuff my run nutrition in my pockets, place visor and put on my sock-less running shoes, I was out in a flash!

Run:
Coming off the bike I felt great. No back problems, no quad fatigue... I just felt fresh. The temperature was warm but not like Hawaii... Not even CLOSE! So when I ran out onto the road many of the female pros were coming in at a nice clip. At the one mile mark I starting checking pace... and boy was I surprised! Mile 1-2 was a fast 7:17, mile 2-3 where there are some good hills, 7:38, then back to 7:20 then 7:32 and it went like that while I was holding a 146-148 HR -- perfect! just like in training.

While taking a GU Roctane every third aid station and 3 Endurolytes every other, I was surprised how poorly staffed the aid stations were. They had little water and often you either slowed down to get something or even had to pick something off the table yourself. This didn't deter me from what was shaping up to be a great run and I wasn't going to let anything to get me thinking otherwise!

At the run turnaround, La Crema Winery, I saw Susy going in and out with great words of encouragement and it was here I could see and feel the heat beginning to take it's toll on the field. Many were walking and I could see now my HR was in the low to mid 150's. But I knew I was on my way back with only 5 miles to go I would do everything to keep the pace high. Doing the math in my head I knew, not only was I on pace to break 5 hours (even with the two thrown chains and no socks) I was looking at breaking 4:50.

With less than three miles to go to the finish I could hear the first pitter-patter of feet coming from behind. It was a tall, blond, leggy type who was tapping out a steady rhythm. We encouraged each other and that was the extent of any come from behind pass! I could still see her as we went into the High School and I could tell I was going to be close to the 4:50 mark... really close, so I picked up the pace a bit and sooner than I was ready, came across the line in 4:49:54.

Afterward, it was good to connect with friends, teammates, Troy and Robin, Alan and Debbie Woodruff from la Quinta joined us for some post race food and we got a chance to catch up. Thanks to Troy for driving me back to Guerneville to pick up my car and Susy for letting me take a shower at her place prior to the awards ceremony. Up until then I was just happy to have done a good race but the third place finish was even sweeter, knowing the trophy is a bottle of La Crema Wine in a wooden box. But when they called up the order of Men 50-54 for their awards, there was a bit of confusion. Then the announcement. "We have a change in the standings... 5th place is now... so and so, forth place is ... third goes to... Second is Dan Perkins and first is ... WHAT? Apparently the first place guy cut the run course and logged a 50 minute 1/2 marathon. He was DQ'd on the spot (he wasn't there). So not only a bottle of wine but a nice brand new TYR transition bag as well... Just like the one I bought a year ago.

Over all I couldn't have been more pleased. I headed home after chatting with Lee and Cherie again, saying the next time we see each other will be back in Kona. First I need to go through Louisville, which I'm feeling a lot better about now!

Stats:
Swim with transition - 35:26
Bike - 2:35:20 (21.6 mph avg.)
T-2 - 2:11
Run - 1:36:56 (7:24 per mile pace)

Time 4:49:54
2nd out of 109 in AG
115 overall out of 2286

Oh, and by the way... only one blister, on the side of my right foot. It really was a good day!

TRI-ing Times

Yes, it's been a while since a progress report has gone up here regarding my triathlon training/racing. So, here is the latest without tri-ing to be cute... just the facts ma'am.

For those preparing for Ironman competition, or other long-distance races for that matter, there are several phases of training. First you have your "Base" phase, this is a time where you just put in a lot of miles at lower intensity while developing the aerobic stores to let you go the distance later on. This is like a foundation or bottom of a pyramid... everything stacks on top. Next is the "Build" phase where you begin to increase distance and intensity on individual work outs. Next, there is the "Peak" phase where you're used to going great distances and recovering well for optimal performance come race day. Finally, comes the "Taper" which is a incremental decrease of distance while maintaining intensity allowing you to absorb, so to speak, all that training. the taper is like having a cannon filled with gun powder and tapping it down for the explosion.

Right now I'm going into "Peak" this means there will be four weeks prior to taper that will be long, difficult days of training, where I become zombie like and sneak mid day naps for survival. My blood pressure drops making me dizzy if I get up off the couch too quickly. I need massages and my body is prone to injury as fatigue sets in and I look for shortcuts to my training. I will increase my intake of water, supplements (Hammer Nutrition shout out!) and will find myself going to bed around 8:30 to be up by 5 to start another grueling day before going into the office.

Along with this routine, I'll throw in a couple of races to reveal limiters and blind spots in my fitness and mental preparation. Last week, I raced a pre-race, pre-race. Again, wondering where my weaknesses lie, I competed in the San Francisco Triathlon at Treasure Island. Racing by RPE (rate of perceived excursion) to HR (heart rate) for a half ironman distance race, not the olympic distance I was actually racing, which is done at a quicker pace, I was able to squeeze out a 2nd place finish in my AG (age group). This was done with a 2 1/2 minute longer finish over last years time when raced as an olympic distance race at a much higher HR (and what would have been the difference between first and second). All of this was done to prepare for this weekends race the more competitive and longer distance Vineman 70.3 Ironically, I'll take sections to go at Ironman pace and HR and ask the question when I cross the finish line, "Can I do that all over again, right now?" Problematic for me once out on course it will be hard for me to remember this is still a pre-race test. I know me... I'll want to go hard and finish high up in the AG ranks... but Vineman is not my "A" race and I have to keep the goal in mind... Louisville!

So, patience and pace. That's my aim. Stay healthy, rest well and go strong and far! This is what makes an Ironman. This is the "base" of endurance. Do you think this applies anywhere else?

Jamie's Having Surgery Again

It's been a while since I've updated everyone on Jamie Whitmore and the saga which is her recovery from cancer, retirement from the sport of Xterra Triathlon and redefining her future.

Today Jamie is having surgery to have a kidney transplant... her own kidney, removed and replaced and when I say replaced, I mean her own kidney taken from her lower back and moved around and place in her pelvic area from the front. This will allow Jamie to return to a bit more of a normal life as she has had to carry a drain that exited from her back to clear that kidney. Without the drain she'll be able to swim, shower and get about without concern of the six foot long tail.

A concern for Jamie is whether this new placement of the kidney will hinder her active lifestyle. So, she has asked that folks pray through this 8 hour long surgery and she'll be able to return all the sports she loves. So, without taking my words for it, I'll repost the words she wrote this morning on her blog.

As I go into this next surgery I pray that all goes well.  I pray that I can still go to the bathroom on my own and that there is no further damage.  I also pray that the doctors can tuck my kidney in far enough that it doesn't really bother me.  I will be out for at least 8 hours so most of all I hope I wake up because you never know when it is going to be your time!

Powered By God,

Jamie

Not So Hot When It Was So Hot: Honu 1/2 Race Report

After the race Saturday in Hawaii, I felt compelled to let everyone know who had commented and gave encouragement going into the race it that it hadn't turned out as planned. I wanted to Twitter... "I suck!" but realized that was probably too strong and too brief to convey my exact feelings at the time. So, I'll go ahead and begin to tell the story and perhaps you'll understand why I was a bit... no, a lot, disappointed in my race.

PRE RACE:
Given the fact a half Ironman race is a grueling endurance event it requires plenty of proper training. My coach had set out an appropriate training schedule to which I was following and making progress... that was until the first of May! This month has been rife with interruptions and travel to the east coast. Two out of the four weeks leading up to the race I was without bike and pool and very limited for run time. The other two weeks had quick trips to Southern California for a conference and a memorial service. Generally speaking this lack of focused training wasn't going to keep me from finishing but it would have it's affect on a focused finish! I had high hopes for this race. Knowing it was going to be a competitive field, on a moderately difficult but one I liked, course; I felt that I could really take some time off my previous 4:58:00 three years prior.

When we arrived in Hawaii on Thursday morning we noticed things were... hmmm shall we say different. It was very hazy and cloudy! But it's the big island and the weather is pretty unpredictable and cloud cover is actually a good thing, so didn't think much of it at first. When we arrived at Fred and Laura's place off of Ali'i Drive (from where I'm currently writing this report) we were warmly greeted by our dear friends, shown our comfortable accommodations and asked what we thought about the Vog? "Vog... you say?" Yes... the vog was the cause of the clouds and haze... As most know Kiluaea, the active volcano on the big island, has been spewing lava into the ocean for decades now. This has settled to a stream or a flow of which this past year developed into another flow so now there are two and the plumes of toxic, volcanic ash are creating havoc for the islands.

Friday morning brought an early wake up call and drive to Hapuna Beach where I was to swim in the warm waters at race start, then a 45 minute bike and 15 minute run. When I got to the beach at 7am the crowds were already forming however there were no swim buoys in the water so we all just took off in the direction of the route and enjoyed flat, calm conditions in pristine clear water. After exiting the water and putting on my bike gear I noticed the cloud cover was keeping the temps down but humidity high. There was little breeze, which is unusual on the Kohala Coast, leading one to a good news, bad news scenario for the morning but I reminded myself, "This is the big island... you can never predict the weather!" After the workout was done, without incident, I traveled a mere 4 miles to the Fairmont Orchid Hotel to check in for the night, check in for the race and wait for Joy to arrive.

The registration, Bikeworks expo and hotel check in was a well oiled machine... which makes me pause and give a shout out to Diana Bertsch and her team. There is something to be said about the same people who put on the Ironman World Championships; they know what they're doing... which meant we had to have our bike to run transition bags prepared and turned in by 2:30. It was here I ran into Mitch Gold, my former coach from the desert. Mitch was hosting his Honu Camp with nearly a dozen athletes preparing for Ironman Cour d 'Alene... he said it was going well with nearly 500 miles of cycling in a week (that's a lot!). Along with catching up with a few other folks from the desert, like good friend, Lori Travis, I was off to take final steps to get my bike to the beach, dinner secured and a good night's rest. Lights out and a decent sleep began at 8:05 pm and continued until the alarm went off at 4:45 am.

RACE DAY:
Getting to the swim venue was especially easy since we had a car and avoided the shuttle from the hotel. Unlike the last time here parking was a breeze and soon I was standing by my bike making last minute checks on tire pressure, gearing, shoe, helmet and race belt placement. My position was actually great; way up front right next to the pros! I had a chance to chat briefly with Chris Lieto. We wished each other a great race. Then heading down to the beach; body marking is unlike the usual find-someone-with-a-black-permanent-marker-pen because here they have tables where they use ink pads and block numbers to press on your arms. This year something a bit unusual... no age marking on your calf! Huh? How would I know if I needed to run someone down? We will later see this became a moot point.

Swim - the waters of Hapuna Beach are spectacular! A perfect 81 degrees, which means you're not allowed to use a wet suit. So, as I was getting ready to jump in to warm up I noticed a TRIbe Triathlon teammate walking toward me. It was great to meet Todd as we had heard of each other but not met until then. He wasn't racing but there to cheer on his girlfriend... I think he said something like, "I'm glad I'm not doing this #@&%*! race. It's gonna be hotter 'n hell out there today!" With a nod I bid farewell for the calm Pacific.

The start at this race is unusual for a half Ironman distance race... it's a mass start as opposed to a wave start. Also, you can either start in the water and swim, start at the waters edge and run in or run along the beach and jump in... there is no advantage and the faster swimmers tend to start in the water and that's were I go. Treading water I looked over to see Mitch right next to me. We wished each other well and then the canon and the splashing begins!

I was surprised how smooth the swim was going out to first buoy but that is as far as it went being smooth from there on it was a slug fest for the next five hundred meters. I don't know why or what happened to make it like that I've been in much worse condition with more people and didn't struggle as much. In fact what should have been the open backside/long length of the swim seemed the most congested! Lori had made a comment that someone who swam the course the day before thought it was long... who knows, but I will admit I was disappointed to finally get vertical on the beach to notice that I had a blazing 35 minutes (that's sarcasm) on my watch. slogging away up the sand toward T1 I crossed the timing mat at 35:53 exactly the same time as Lori... I had no idea I was right next to her. Getting into transition was a little slow because it was a bit crowded and many folks just walking their bikes out. When I finally got out to the bike mount area there was Lori right in front of me having some difficulty getting into her pedals and I comment about needed some help... she gave me a funny look until she realized it was me. We rode out together to the highway and said our goodbyes.

Bike - Almost immediately you could tell the humidity was stifling and the "vog" beginning to accumulate. It would take the twenty-plus miles per hour on the bike to keep comfortable; which began as soon as the course turned south on the Queen K highway for about 5 miles to the entrance of the Mauna Lani Resorts then U-turns back to a constant grind north through Kawaihae then up to Hawi. It's a rolling terrain with uphill thrusts to the Hawi town limits. Unlike the Ironman this course doesn't quite go into the quaint little town and as the turn around approaches the speed diminishes with the climb. Again at the turn around with no air flow it was extremely stuffy and I looked down to notice I was already crystalline white and sweating as though I had just walked through a water fall. Taking on my mix of Edurolytes and Thermolytes (Thermolytes add more sodium for these extreme humid conditions) I realized that the humidity was going to be a factor later in the run.

The ride down out of Hawi was fast and steady. I chose to change the big chain ring from my usual 53 to a bigger 55 since most people run out of gear and can do nothing but coast down but there was little wind to push from behind so I wasn't given much of an advantage but did have one none the less and went he rollers began again I started a cat and mouse chase with about 5 other athletes. At the bottom going into Kawaihae harbor there is a deceptive 1 1/2 mile up hill back to the highway... this is my least favorite part of the bike course because you just feel like you're standing still and with the humidity still climbing it became harder for me to do the same. Getting to the top there's only about 8 miles left and here it's just pace yourself to ready your legs for the run... I remembered thinking my back, legs and lungs all felt good coming into the Fairmont... T2 (which I had not seen before) was a picturesque location just outside our hotel room where I quickly came upon the dismount area, heard Fred in the distance giving instructions to where my bike rack location was located and had my bike to run gear placed. Running my bike down I usually look from my time but forgot to look. I was in the throws of shock as the heat and humidity was punching me in the throat like an Ultimate Cage fighter. Time on the bike 2:37:36

Run - getting my gear out of my transition bag goes something like this... 1. open 2. dump 3. put in or on appropriate places... Hammer gels in pockets, visor on head, socks on
(I opt for sock during half IM's only on the run)... socks on; oh crud I forgot to turn them outside-in before hand and individually in each shoe. Rookie mistake! Okay everything in place I stand upright and start running. I could hear Joy, Laura, and Todd yelling and encouraging on the way out... especially memorable was Fred saying, "remember how great that rib-eye's gonna taste!" thinking I would gladly trade the rib-eye for an iceberg lettuce salad right now! Wow, was it hot!!

The run takes place on the golf course and roads around the resort. Before the course was slightly up and down with a good section along the beach catching a nice breeze but not anymore. This course was headed straight inland and up and up. when it went down it did so sharply and often. By the time we hit the road I was checking heart rate and mile pace. Holding @ 8:35 pace for the first few miles I shrugged it off to the heat as that's been about 45 seconds slower than training brick workouts but by mile 5 things were slowing down even further. I was grabbing cups of ice and holding ice in my left hand, a technique thought to keep body temps lower... it didn't appear to be helping. By mile 7 my heart rate was a whopping 164! and I just managed a 9:50 mile. Not only did that discourage me I was getting a bit dizzy and started to lose my balance a bit. DANGER!!! Although I knew I was probably in podium position I had to make a decision. keep this up and run slower out of contention and most likely DNF or slow it down, meaning walk (I can't run much slower than 10 min. mile pace) and finish. This was too eerily like what happened in France last year but at least there I had already run an half marathon. Here I was just half way! So the walk began and continued until half way down to "Hell's Kitchen" the Honu equivalent of the Energy Lab where it's nothing but lava and pavement everywhere. But I was starting to feel good and my HR finally dropped below 120 while walking so I started a jog... which turned back to stride and by the turn around I was feeling normal again... and the last two miles actually felt like kicking myself for ever walking as I was holding a 7:50 pace (albeit it's slightly downhill here and partially shaded)! When coming into the finish the crowd was loud, view incredible and there before you know it! I was glad to be done yet incredibly disappointed but not regretful for the decision... I really wanted to finish more than podium. Total run time 2:10:41. Up until then my slowest triathlon/half marathon was 1:50... so yeah, 20 minutes stings besides that's the difference of my making it on the podium but 14th place regardless is respectable and as one guy said to me as we were waiting for a massage along the beach... "Hey man... 5:28 would be a huge PR for me."

One thing for certain. I've got my work cut out for me come August in Louisville. It is a hot and humid race and obviously I don't do well in these conditions but I am determined to come back to the island in October and now have, as my youngest daughter used to say, a great "owie in my heart!"

Post Script: The after party of this race is top notch! I loved the location, atmosphere, organization and staff/volunteers; absolutely the best and worth every penny! I want to again thank our hosts Fred and Laura Keener, dear friends who made EVERY effort to make our stay so "stressful!" Finally, to my travel companion, who sits next to me now reading over my shoulder... "thanks for letting me do this. We have good times together, don't we?"

Now, it's back to the grind and lots of training!

A Wild Day Before a Calmflower

On Thursday night I picked up Chris Anderson at the San Jose Airport. Anyone who knows Chris, knows he's not easy to miss. Donning a bright yellow jacket and a shiny bald head, I pulled up as he was walking out of the terminal. We greeted... went home had dinner, got up the next morning packed up, Bobby arrived and the three of us headed down to Lake San Antonio.

When we arrived it was all about the set up as the weather forecast called for wind and rain. Luckily the tent went up quickly and bed made just as the rain began to lightly sprinkle. I made the long trek from Redondo M to register and then present and pray at the afternoon IronPrayer Service. There we made new friends, caught up with old ones and began to ask God for a safe, dry and successful day of racing. When the service was over teammate Troy Soares and I wanted to get a few miles on the bike to assure mechanics and legs were in proper working order but as we pulled out of camp the rain really began to pour and with the wind, by mile 4 I was ready to head back!

Now wishing I had just kept my bike in the tent and rested on my air mattress, I shivered my way into dry cloths and started the 30 minute process of cleaning my bike. Afterward we settled in for a quick bite of Robin's pasta and casual conversation. Soon it was bedtime (8:30) and last minute preparations for the morning start at lake's edge. As always trying to sleep in a crowded campsite with nothing but a synthetic cloth around you to keep out the elements the sound has complete access... as does the cold. But I was able to get a decent nights sleep.

RACE DAY

My wave, as it always seems to be, was the last of the men's age groups. Meaning I was going to wait a lot! Race starts at 8am with the pros. My wave wasn't until 9:05. Getting into transition after the cold ride down Lynch hill was great... it was effortless. My location in transition was anything but... smack dab in the middle, with limited amount of room due to being on the end of two bike racks put together and some guy who just didn't get the concept of "personal" space! Yet I forged on... setting everything out making accommodations for what I could do. Next body-marking, porta-johning, and strategic fueling! Other than water and Endurolytes the only food I took in was a half of a Clif Bar 30 min prior to race. This is based on the research by Hammer Nutrition stating anything other prior to three hours before endurance activity affects the body's insulin levels negatively and thus performance. I've been testing this on my long training days and it appears to work well for me.

Swim:
The only warm up you get is after the wave before you goes off. In the past I would just jump in get wet and then get out. This time I really warmed up with a good push to the first buoy and back. Just making the time behind the mat and setting my watch for the horn. As we hit the water I felt great. Even my dive felt like it should be a cover shot for Triathlete Magazine! My arm turn over, my sighting, the turn at the first turn was tight and unpunished. I felt some bubbles coming around the turn and they seemed to stay right in front of me so I looked up to see we were headed in the right way and just stayed on his feet getting a nice draft. I do recall a few time looking up seeing ourselves well to the inside by he seemed to correct himself nicely and I was enjoying the ride, but as we were getting close to the turn at the halfway mark, I began to realize this was probably hurting me. So once we made the turn back I found clear water and picked my own sight, the edge of the pier and pushed on. My stroke was consistent and smooth and unlike last year where I had to pull up several times to clear my horribly foggy goggles, my new Blue Seventy Visions were crystal clear. I thought, "I'm having a really good swim and probably will be really close to the 30 min mark if not under it for the first time! When I hit the ramp and looked down I was crushed to see my time was the same as last year. Argh! it had to be the bad choice of holding that draft for so long... oh well, swim and learn. Swim time 32:54

T1 - I decided to try and take off my wetsuit standing, but I'm just not good at it. I need to practice this more I just get stuck at the ankles but once in my bike shoes everything else moves along nicely... Time 3:38

Bike: Here I just remembered the advice of my coach from the previous year... take it out easy work it on the descents and keep a steady rhythm. Although I was about 10th out of transition I was able to quickly pick off a few guys right away; good swimmer but not strong cyclists. At the 10 mile mark the road flattens and the and you get a good chance to see who challenges you and who either drops you or you drop them... for good. Such was the case of three guys who wanted to play what I call "hurry up and slow down." these guys like to prove something by getting in front of you but can't hold the pace so you eventually pass them. Some think this is a legal way of pacing but it really bugs me. So after Mr.Kuota passes me in a flurry and then proceeds to drink and take on nutrition, slowing down to a near crawl and being accused of drafting by another wannabe I just said bye bye and took off! Not what I wanted to do but Homey don't play dat! Again finally being back at my pace and holding all the way through the flats to the turn back toward the lakes I hear a disc wheel approaching... "Wow!" I'm thinking, "a really bad swimmer with strong bike legs... who is this guy?" only to see I'm getting "chicked" rather soundly. Sooooo, I pick up my pace just a tad and keep behind her a good 12-15 meters and ride. we traded positions properly and nicely with some chit-chat about the day and proceed to the bottom of Nasty Grade a two mile section of good climbing. Here we were blocked by a horse trailer slowly moving up the hill at one point she made a dash around... I stayed where I was making a later move. Giving a self-pep talk about the girl pulled away due to a technicality as I approached the top another GIRL rolled on by! This one I couldn't pass off. It was an outright "see ya!" only to be rubbed in by a spectator going, "Come on! You can catch her." I didn't bother to explain why I shouldn't try... Finally at the top of Heartbreak hill come the long fast descents that aren't for the weak at heart. At 53mph and a few gusts of cross winds I kept assuring myself the bike wants to roll forward and not to panic and trust the brakes! I almost caught second girl... the rest of the ride in was just like a training ride. steady, strong and within my target HR. Coach would have been proud. Upon the decent into T-2 I normally take my shoes off but chose my road shoes instead for comfort in this race so was unable to do so making it harder to run into T2. Which was harder than I thought... total bike time 2:46:31

T-2 Although I had a lot of time to check out the transition area... I didn't... and I usually do. Which is why I paid the price for the mistake. I over shot the row... went to the middle of the farther section and had to now look for my spot like a person who lost their car in a mall parking lot! Finally finding it and kicking myself I changed shoes, put my nutrition in my side pouch and realized I hadn't put out my pill box of Endurolytes! Already having wasted time now I would lose more digging in my messy transition bag looking for a little red pouch! Also missing my visor. Finally, finding the pill box I decided I could go without the visor and took off! Time 2:36

Run: What makes this race arguably one of the hardest there is in triathlon is this blankety-blank run! So you always want to start with a good attitude because I will go south... FAST! My pace felt good and within the first mile picked off two guys in my age group; good for my attitude. Judging by the bikes in transition I figured there were about 5 guys out there including myself. My goal going in was a top 5 finish. So I thought alright just hang on to this and you're there. But by mile 3 I was passed by somebody but who could not pull ahead. Soon I was in front of him again. By mile 4 I realized this was gonna get ugly. The hardest climb on the course was about to begin and I was starting to feel like doo dah! My quads began to cramp with every stride and I was glad I took the time to get those Endurolytes! As we began the climb my Nemesis came beside me and we matched stride for stride for a hundred yards or so then he pulled away. Now a pool length behind I wanted to just join the steady stream of those walking up the steep grade... but I remembered making a promise to Jamie Whitmore to think of her on that hill and when I did I though how could I walk this when she would give anything to run it. So I ran!     well, I stutterstepped... It's steep people! That thought carried me up the next tough climb though and on the flat backside of the park I began to recover as the Endurolytes kicked in. Mile 7-8 more climbing but strides were steady and strong... mile 9-10 I started looking at my watch and thinking I could really PR big here. According to where the mile markers sat I did the math and it said an 8-8:30 pace would put me in about 5:05-10... the out and back didn't seem to bother me as I was thinking PR... but the guy in my AG that passed me with a choppy little stride did! Then when I got to the top of the hill and realized all that was left was a punishing steep descent down to the finish I looked at my watch and saw that the time was now saying between 5:10-15. Huh? Then it dawned on me... how could mile marker 55 on the bike and mile 12 of the run be nearly 3/4ths a mile apart? Something is wrong here! Total run 1:49:38

Finish: coming into the finish I was happy knowing a PR was definite just not sure by how much but I was ready for it to be over. Although the swim felt strong and wasn't, the bike was managed well and not blazing for my strength and the run started badly and ended uneventfully... passed by two I didn't even seem to care that my hope for a top 5 was gone... that was until I decided to look at the results and there I was in 5th position. I don't know how I missed it but I must of passed a few other guys and not noticed. It's easy to do when the coarse takes everything out of you! Total time 5:15:16

Wildflower First Race of the Season

Today I have to finish message prep for Sunday as I'll be completely out of sorts for the next two days. I have camping gear to pack, my bike to prep, transition bag and various things to collect, wetsuit... shoes... helmet... rain gear... RAIN GEAR?!

Wildflower, known as the "Woodstock" of triathlon is a weekend affair hosting 3 different races in central California. The venue is a secluded lake surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards and military compounds. Most of the 5000 plus participants camp on site which creates an interesting dynamic pre and post race living up to the Woodstock reputation. The forecast has rain for Friday and Saturday... I recall many of those Woodstock videos of people rain-soaked and rolling around in the mud! Could this be us come Saturday?

The race I'll be doing on Saturday is the long course or half Ironman distance race. It's a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike over those rolling hills, then the 13.1 mile run on trails that only seem to go up and up and up! which will be interesting if they are wet... running in the mud. Hmmmm, this will be fun... er funny.

Fitness seems to be good going in. I've put the miles in, my head in the game. I'm looking forward to represent the TRIbe, the triathlon club I belong to here in San Jose and to be able to race for Fellowship of Christian Athletes - Endurance. I'll be sharing a brief devotion at the Iron Prayer service on Friday afternoon and hanging with the FCA-E team including pros Kirk Nelson and Brad Seng. So, keep us all in prayer. Especially little Anna Soares to get better so mom and dad feel secure in coming down. I put up a full race report on Sunday detailing the weekend so stay tuned... in the mean time, I've got some stuff to do which include a hair cut. Yep! time to get aero!

Your Worst Day Could be Another's Best

It's been a while since I've shared any news about my friend, former Xterra World Champion, Jamie Whitmore. It would not be an understatement to say this past year has been the most difficult of her life as it began with hearing the words, "You have cancer." After two radical surgeries removed her left sciatic nerve and left glute, damaged a kidney ureter which provided several rounds of near toxic poisoning... the recovery of all this took months of miserable solitude, lying on her side, in a hospital room and the humiliation of constantly being poke and prodded... While her one wish, to keep her ability to normally answer the "call of nature," has been honored... She even had to fight for that!

Talking with Jamie yesterday, I heard an upbeat Jamie, like the season's about to begin and I'm almost ready for my first race of domination on the circuit, Jamie... for the first time in a long time, there is good news! A team of doctors at UCSF Medical Center will soon perform a kidney transplant of her own kidney in a new location of her body and she will no longer need a drain for that kidney... meaning she'll finally be able to get back into the pool and look forward to training and racing again as a challenged athlete. She already had been talking about relays, and trail riding and just getting back into the wild outdoors which has mostly identified her life but now it's looking more and more like a sure probability!

While talking, we groused about taxes, daily necessities, people who just don't get it and how thankful we should be for every opportunity in life. It was a delightful, upbeat chat... one I believe we both enjoyed. However, later in the day, as I was reflecting on our conversation, I was humbled by my own freedom, ashamed of my ingratitude of never having to spend a single day of my life in a hospital bed and my ignorance to believe nothing short of perfection is what I deserve for the remaining days of my life. It made me think... would I have felt this way had we not talked about it?

Early in the day I watched a homeless man eat breakfast at the Jamba Juice I frequent... at the end of the day I saw this same man standing on a very cold and windy street corner clutching a sack in one hand and managing a comforter with the other.

My worst day. What is that really?

Having My Period

 As I begin to ramp up training for this year's triathlon season it requires a well thought and purposeful plan. Conventional thinking says just go out there and go as hard as you can for as long as you can and hopefully by the time you show up for race day you'll have enough in you to get through the day. For years in most sports this was the model. It was the survival of the fittest mentality that kept people motivated toward the goal... or did it?

Several decades ago people were wondering why Eastern Block countries were kicking the butts of the west. While some drug intervention did appear to play into the equation there was another "secret" weapon known as Periodization Training influencing their peak performance. Now studied and practiced here, especially among endurance athletes, it is a means of taking your workouts and breaking them down in periods of Fitness: Frequency (how often you train), Duration (how long you train for one session), Volume (how much you train in a given week or cycle) and Intensity (how hard you train at any given time). Among the four periods of Fitness there are four periods of Focus. These are better known as the Phases of Periodization; Prep (getting the body adjusted to training), Base (getting the body filled with aerobic capacity), Build (getting the body tuned for aerobic delivery) and Peak/Race (getting the body adjusted to compete at maximum effort). Finally, there are varying patterns or rhythms in each of the periods. Each phase is broken down into three to four week segments of F/D/I/V leading to a rest week or easy week. There are also blocks, of which can be several, marked by these rest weeks. The Base phase can be up to 24 weeks lending itself to 6 blocks. How these phases and blocks are built depend on working backwards from an event or race date selected in the year. We call these in triathlon; our "A" Races. Once you know these dates you then can determine the time to begin training, and build the plan for a successful event.

Phase	How long?	Frequency	Duration	Intensity	Volume
Prep	4-8 weeks	High	Short-Medium	Very little	Low
Base	12-24 weeks	High	Medium-High	Moderate	Moderate/High
Build	4-8 weeks	Moderate-High	High	Heavy	Moderate
Peak/Race	3-5 weeks	Moderate	Short	Heavy	Low

Now imagine for a moment how one could be successful at any other endeavor if this same approach we taken to business or education. A rhythm within a family... an opportunity to set goals and plan an intentional process to reach those goals! Just think how often we set goals and just work as hard as we can leading up toward them hoping we've done enough!

If you're a triathlete... you would do well to have a period every now and then. If you're not a triathlete or an athlete, ask yourself, "Would I benefit from a plan for success?" You'd have to agree: We all need one... period!

Have You Seen This?

Occasionally, I'll get and email to a video link or a newspaper article asking me if I've seen this? "This" is always the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. My answer is always, "Yes." I had the pleasure of meeting them in Kona a few years back and shared my appreciation for their inspiration and message of, "You can do it!" So, in case you've never seen this... take a look!