Gators and the Silver Lake

The Great Floridian is exactly 2 months away, and I'm starting to get prepared. I'm focused, and the plan is coming together. My parents are driving down there so they can take my bike and other stuff, and I just booked my flight so I don't have to spend 2 days in a car right before an ironman. After the race, I'm going to Disney World and I'm going to lay on the beach and do nothing. I can't wait.

This week I start a tough 3 week training block. 18 hours this week. 20 next week and 22 the following week. By far the most hours I've ever logged in a 3 week period. I'm a little nervous about it because it's going to be very challenging and I can tell from my last 3 week block that it's time for me to focus again on stretching and my strengthening/core work. I've been neglecting that and I'm feeling those aches and pains that turn into injuries when I neglect those things. It sounds easy to stretch for 15 minutes, but when you're working out 20 hours in a week you don't feel like spending 15 minutes stretching when you could be sleeping on the couch. But it needs to be done. I pay the price when I neglect those things.

The joke has been that I'm going to get eaten by an alligator on the swim, until I pointed out that it specifically says on the website that I won't encounter a gator in the water. So Matt sent me a picture his parents took on their bike ride this weekend...



It didn't occur to me until now that I might encounter a gator on the bike. He's 6 feet. I'm 6 feet. It could be a good fight, but a wise man would put his money on the gator.

The Silver Lake Triathlon

Saturday was the third annual Silver Lake sprint tri in Portage. I've raced this one every year and it's a lot of fun so I was really looking forward to doing a short, fun race. I took 4th overall, first in my age group, last year so I was hoping for 3rd overall or better.

The Swim - The swim was great. I felt fast in the water and got on some fast feet and got a good draft. I pushed hard and didn't have any problems other than sighting the finish due to the sun. But I made it okay and didn't lose too much time searching for the beach. I got out of the water in 6:36, the 4th fastest swim of the day (big surprise)...most likely due to my new schnazzy white goggles. They're PRO. [last year I was out of the water in 5:50, but the swim was shorter last year]

T1 was good. 1:08, one second slower than last year.

The Bike - I've been feeling good on the bike this year so I wanted to push really hard. I averaged 24.2 mph last year and was hoping to break 25 this year. I thought I could do it with a 300+ watt average, but I could tell early on that I didn't have the legs to hold 300 watts. I backed off to 280 and held that (compared to 265 last year). Unfortunately, this year we had a slight crosswind and that slowed the bike portion down a bit. I put out more watts, but only improved my time by 2 seconds over last year and still finished with a 24.2 mph average - but it was the 3rd fastest bike split so I'm happy with that.

T2 - good again. 28 seconds, one second slower than last year.

If you've noticed, my transitions were a total of 2 seconds slower than last year, and my bike was 2 seconds faster so other than the swim I'm dead even with last year. And it's hard to compare the swim from year to year because I don't think the buoys are ever in the exact same spot.

The Run - I've been working on my running a lot and hoped to run really well. I could tell immediately into the run that I wasn't used to short, intense workouts. My side ached and my calves were cramping up. Shortly into the run, Tim Petrie (the eventual winner - for the third year in a row - he has a great streak going) passed me and pulled away quickly. About a half mile into the run my legs loosened up and my side ache went away and I was able to pick up the pace. From that point on, I felt pretty good, but not fast. I haven't been working on my 5K speed this year, but I was hoping it had improved along with my improved long distance speed/endurance. Nope. I ran the exact same time as last year. 20:16. I'm happy with it, but I really wanted to go sub 20.

I finished in 1:08:00 for third overall and first in my age group. I improved upon last year and had a lot of fun so I'm really happy with the race. As usual, the organizers did an awesome job. What a great event.

Even though this was a short race, and I'm training for an ironman I'm really glad I did this race. It was a good break from my long workouts, and I think the intensity was good. But mostly, it was lots of fun and now I feel more focused on my ironman than before. If I go too long without racing, I lose a little focus so this was really good for me.

Now I just need to focus on nailing this 3 week training block and figuring out how I'm going to fend off a gator in the middle of a 112 mile bike ride.

Beloit Biathlon

It's officially race season. The Beloit Biathlon (it's really a duathlon - run/bike/run) is probably my favorite race of the year. Two years ago, it was my first multisport event ever. So far the weather has been good every year, and it has become the beginning of spring/race season for me. The grass is green, the trees have leaves, the weather is consistently warm....

...it's race season.

I have a few goals for the year, and goal number one was to win the Beloit Biathlon. Being my first ever multisport event, I wanted to win it. I thought it would be perfect too, because I've never won the overall so I figured it could be my first win as well.

Goal #1. Check.

Race Report

I was in the first heat, and I started out at the front. About a minute into the race, I checked my watch and realized (like the April Du) I was running a 5:45 pace. Oops. I backed off and quickly dropped back to 7th. I've raced enough duathlons now not to get bothered by that. Everyone goes out way too fast so patience is the key. Run your own race and it will all work out in the end. On the turnaround onto Huebbe Road, we got our first blast of the nasty winds that day (25 mph). We had a full on headwind, and it was rough. I checked my watch and realized I slowed down too much. My first mile was 6:20 and I was now running 6:35. I stepped it up, and moved into 2nd by the end of the run.

Run 1 = 11:44 - 6:23 pace

T1 was fast. I came out about one second in the lead, hopped on my bike and started hamering the bike right away.

T1 = 55 seconds

About a quarter mile into the bike, I looked back to see where second was and I could hardly see him. How long did it take him to get on his bike? I had a gap already...so I dropped the hammer. After Huebbe we had a nasty crosswind, and I kept my watts at about 320 and got tucked down as much as possible. I wanted to get out of sight so second place wouldn't have a rabbit to chase. After the crosswind, things got fun for a while - a tailwind. I kept my speed consistently above 30 mph and let my watts drop a bit so I wouldn't burn out.

The way back was tough with a strong headwind and crosswind and gusts that were blowing me all over the road. I had a hard time keeping my power consistent, and I started tucking down really low....really low. It helped me keep my speed up, but I think it hurt my power a bit since I was uncomfortable. I checked back a few times and couldn't see second place.

Bike = 26:21 23.6 mph 275 watts

T2 was pretty fast. I didn't hit the lap button in time so I think it was about 45 seconds.

As I came out on the second run, the race director yelled, "you have a gigantic lead" and gave me a high five. I was now running down Huebbe Road and I still couldn't see second place. I was feeling pretty good about being able to hold the lead. I struggled a bit on the run, partly because I had no one to chase, and wasn't able to run as fast as I had hoped. I had a comfortable lead, but I wanted to keep pushing hard to try to beat last year's time and make sure no one in heats 2, 3, or 4 beats my time because I let up thinking I had it in the bag. About the mile mark I settled in a bit and dropped my pace from a 7 minute mile to 6:40. I finished the second run with a 6:51 average.

Total time = 53:03 (only 3 seconds faster than last year)

I got the overall win and a trophy. But most importantly, I had lots of fun, met one of my goals and got to see some friends I haven't seen in a while - the Wimmers and Steve Knox. Everyone did really well. The Wimmers took tons of time of last year's time and Steve took a couple of minutes of his time as well. Jenny got a third place age group medal and Steve got a second. A good day for all.

I'm looking forward to next year already. Maybe it won't be so windy. [be careful what you wish for - I wanted wind so the bike would be tough...I didn't want 25 mph winds though]

A Crazy Crazy Legs

Last weekend was the April Du. It's a 2 mile trail run (hilly), followed by a 12 mile bike (hilly) followed by the same 2 mile trail run (still hilly). It was really fun. Lots of co-workers and friends there. I did well (2nd), but injured my hamstring by attacking the downhills too hard - that's how I tore my tendon 2 years ago.

So all week I've been in a lot of pain. I tried running Wednesday, and that was a big mistake because I made it worse. Thursday it was the worst - very painful. It hurt to touch it, so it hurt all day sitting in my chair at work. Friday was much better, but still far from 100%.

This morning was Crazy Legs, and I really wanted to run so I went out early this morning for a short run to see how it was and it didn't feel too bad. It hurt, but not so bad that I felt I couldn't run. So I smothered the leg in Aspercreme, wrapped it for support and headed to the race.

The weather was brutal today - thunderstorms and heavy rain. It was my parent's first year walking Crazy Legs so I was hoping for better weather for them. I'll run in the rain so I don't mind that much, but walking in it has to suck.

Anyway, I had two goals. The lofty goal - break 30 minutes, and the realistic goal - 31 minutes. I started out at a 5:55 pace and felt great. I decided to back it down a tad at the 3/4 mile mark and finished the first mile in 6:04. The second mile has Observatory hill (this is when the heavy rains started), and I took it easy on the backside to protect my hamstring, so that mile was slower and I finished with an average pace of 6:14. I held that for a while and felt really good. I figured I'd pick up the pace toward the end and try to get back the time I lost on Observatory...not meant to be.

I faded....then faded some more....then faded a little more. I finished in 32 minutes. I missed both goals, but set a Crazy Legs PR so it's not a complete disappointment.

I find it frustrating because last year I weighed in 5 pounds lighter than I did this morning, and I pushed myself a lot harder during the race and suffered a lot more. I don't feel like I had the mental edge today. I lacked the strength and will power to push myself as hard as I did last year. I don't know if it was the hamstring or the weather or what the deal was, but I need to get that focus and determination back or this season may be full of disappointing results.

Unfortunately, I'll be in Connecticut next weekend so I can't race the Peanut Butter Duathlon this year (big disappointment), so now I'm focusing on the Beloit Biathlon. That's my next race. I hope the weather is nice.

My parents said they had a good time despite the rain so that was good.

Race Report: 2008 Ironman Wisconsin

Pre-Race: I didn't get much sleep, but I did get a few hours which is all I was really hoping for. I woke up at 3:45, ate some breakfast and had some coffee. Then, yes, number 2. After that I prepared my bottles for the bike, woke up Cheri and made sure we had everything.

We got to transition about 5am and I went straight to the end my bike was on. Security told me I couldn't enter on that end and that I had to go the other end. I complained that my bike was right there (I could practically touch it) and that I would have a marathon in before the race if I had to walk to the other end. They didn't care, but one of the race officials heard me and led me through security - very cool. So I put my bike computer and water bottles on my bike and pumped up my tires. I came out of transition and told Cheri I was surprised there was no one there yet. Then they announced they were opening transition and Cheri and I noticed there was a huge line at the other end. Smooth.




After that I threw my vest in my bike bag and some perpeteum in my run bag and dropped off my bike special needs bag.



Then we headed down to the water to get ready for the swim.



N-E-R-V-O-U-S





Here's our friend Johnny about to get in the water..



The Swim

Goal: 1:10

My plan was to line up on the inside and swim inside the buoys. You can go on the inside as long as you swim on the outside of the corner buoys. There were a bunch of us there with the same plan. Right before the start they said all of us had to start on the outside of the first buoy, which really made things crowded. I knew the start was going to be rough, and it was but only for the first 200-300 yards. After that it wasn't too bad, and starting on the inside was shaping up to be a good plan. It's a 2 loop swim, and there was more contact on the first loop than I expected. I knew there would be in the beginning, but I figured things would thin out a lot after rounding the first 2 buoys and heading back down the back stretch but things were still pretty tight. The second loop was much better. Some of the people in our group started to fade so the pack thinned out and there was very little contact on the second loop. Overall, the swim went well although I got a little bored out there.

Official time: 1:09:40



They have wetsuit strippers that pull your wetsuit off for you, which is cool. Then you have to run up the helix - you can see it in the background of that picture - which is fun because it is lined with spectators. Then you grab your transition bag and get ready for the bike.

T1 Official Time: 7:28

The Bike

Goal: 5:45

The bike went well. I started out really conservative and kept an eye on my power the whole time and didn't worry about people passing me, although that gets annoying sometimes. When you ride with power, you get really annoyed by people who do nothing but attack hills and I was surrounded by a group of four of five of those riders all day. They would pass me on every hill like I was tied to a pole - while I'm putting out 250-300 watts. Then on the backside and the flats I would pass them like they were tied to a pole putting out 180-210 watts. It gets old.

But I tried not to be bothered by them and stick to my plan - nutrition and power. My power goal was 190-195, but I averaged about 185. I started a little too conservative and when my average power was 185 after the first loop I knew there was no sense working really hard on the second loop to get my power above 190 and I had an average speed of 19.3 so I was really happy with that. At the start of the second loop black clouds rolled in and the winds picked up quite a bit which slowed us down. The rain held off, but the wind made the first half of the loop pretty slow and my average speed dropped to below 19.

As I came through Verona on the second loop the crowd around the barricades was thick, but really quiet and I was the only cyclist coming through so I pumped my arms a bit to get them going and the crowd lit up. I'm sure they were wondering who I was and why they were cheering for me, but it was really fun. I did this a few more time throughout the day just for fun and motivation. It's a rush.

We got a good tailwind coming back into town and my bike computer said my average speed was 19.4, but I ended the bike with an official average of 19.1. I guess that must be from the 2 bathroom stops, which added a few minutes to my time. I missed my goal by a bit, but I was really close and I stayed on top of my nutrition plan and kept my power under control so I was really happy with the bike.

Official time: 5:51:46 (19.1 mph)


Here I am coming into the Verona aid station on lap 2. I just spotted Cheri and my parents.




Here I am right before T2, not sure what the smirk is about.



T2 Official Time: 2:52


Run

Goal: 4:00

I figured I would be starting the run about 7 hours and 10 minutes into the race, so I was really hoping I could run a 3:50 and finish in 10:59. I knew that was a long shot, so I was hoping for a 4 hour marathon or, better yet, just under 4 hours. The beginning of the run was really tough, but I knew I just needed to give it time. On my long brick a few weeks ago, my legs didn't come around until the 4 mile mark so I figured I just needed to give it 4 miles and then I'll get into a good rhythm.

I wanted to start with an 8:50-8:55 pace, but I accidentally ran the first mile in 8:39. Mile 2 was 8:55. The 9:05, 9:05, 9:01...I was feeling a little better and starting to find a rhythm. I was also fading a bit because I was well off an 8;45 pace and it was clear from mile 2 that a 3:50 marathon was out of the question. I was way too tired to pull that off, and I was realizing that 4 hours was probably not going to happen either. I could feel the fatigue setting in, and I was thinking that I just don't have enough running miles in my legs yet to run a 4 hour IM marathon. At this point, I didn't care. Eleven hours was an aggressive goal and at this point I just wanted to get to the finish line.

About mile 10 things started to get really tough. I drank my perpeteum, which was probably a mistake. My stomach was shutting down, and the perpeteum made me belch...A LOT. For the rest of the marathon I was belching perpeteum and waiting for the vomit. It never came, but I was sure it would.



At the halfway turn around, I was really hurting and starting to wonder if I could run the whole thing...or even finish. I didn't want to eat anything and I was sure I was going to vomit. Cheri said I looked horrible when they saw me heading back in to the turn around point.

The crowd there is great and I saw my family. My brother in law somehow got a spot along the fence and set up his tripod for his camera and snapped some great pictures. The crowd and my family helped and I started feeling a little better. Cheri thought I stopped at special needs because she said I looked a lot better heading back out than I did coming in.





The second half of the run was really tough, and I faded a lot. After running through Camp Randall, Mark biked a long side me for a while which helped. He encouraged me, and if nothing else, it was a distraction from the fatigue. I hadn't eaten anything in a few miles and he reminded me to keep eating and drinking even though I didn't want to so I walked the next aid station to get some Gatorade. After he headed back to the stadium I took another gel and got some more water. My stomach didn't want anything, but I knew I couldn't do a half marathon without more calories.

I walked Observatory hill the second loop, although I probably would've been better off running it because it was really tough to get going again after walking. My legs were getting stiff and sore already and my hip flexors were really sore. I stopped looking at my watch and just kept telling myself to put one foot in front of the other and keep my legs turning over and moving forward.

Official Time: 4:12:46

Overall Time: 11:24:32

One of my co-workers made fun of my Spirit of Racing finish line picture because it was a picture of me turning off my watch, like the OCD-time-obsessed-triathlete I am. Until then, I had put no thought into my finish line picture, so I thought about it and decided I would ignore my watch, raise my arms and get a good picture. Then I thought, when I raise my arms should I do the #1 signs with my fingers or just do closed fists? I figured since I'll be far from #1 (384 to be exact - tough to do with your fingers), I'll go with closed fists. Makes sense. Check it out, one closed fist, one #1.



A few times I jokingly promised a trip to the medical tent. It was no joke. A few minutes after finishing, I knew a trip to the med tent was in order. I was very light headed and felt like I was going to pass out. My hands and lips were numb.

The first thing they do at the med tent is weigh you. I was only down 3 lbs, so it wasn't dehydration. They took my blood pressure and it was really low. So they sat me down and made me drink some chicken broth. Then I had a soda and started to feel better after about 10 minutes so we grabbed my gear and headed home.



The plan was to go home, take an ice bath and go back to watch the finishers. I came home, took an ice bath and then both Cheri and I didn't feel like going back. We were tired, and my legs had stiffened up and walking was quite a challenge.

Today, we've decided to go to the awards banquet so we're heading out in a few minutes. My legs are really, really sore and I'm having a tough time walking. I couldn't imagine going to work today.

I never thought the Ironman was going to be easy, but I'll admit that it was tougher than I thought it would be. I really thought I was in shape to feel good through the 20 mile mark on the marathon, but I started struggling at mile 2. It was really tough and I have tons of respect for anyone that has done the distance.

People I want to thank for supporting me and cheering for me at the race: Cheri, (Her support was incredible and a big help. Having her with me definitely made my Ironman journey much more enjoyable.) my parents, my sister, my brother in law, my nieces, my nephew, Cheri's family, Mark at Swimfast (it wouldn't have been a 1:10 swim without his help), Dennis, Abby & Toby, Mark & Jessica, Heather & Tad, Stephen & Emily, Jordan, Brent the tank, Jim T., Steve W., Ryan O., Nick & Nicole, Andy, the Wimmers, Bob, Jessica and Pete. I hope I didn't forget anyone. Thanks.

Race Report: Silver Lake Triathlon

We got a little lucky with the weather this morning, as there was a 50% chance of thunderstorms. We got rained on a bit on the way there, but then it cleared up and the sun came out before the end of the race and it's turning into a really nice day. Aside from a few wet spots, the roads were dry so the rain wasn't really an issue.

This was the first triathlon Cheri and I have done together so that was fun, and our parents came to watch so we had some spectators. This was essentially the first triathlon that my parents would see me do so I really wanted to do well. They showed up for the Janesville Tri last year, but I didn't do a good job giving them instructions on where to go so they never actually saw me race.

This is only the second year for the Silver Lake Triathlon, and I've been really impressed both years. Last year, I expected a few problems being their first year, but it was really smooth. This year was even better as they made a few minor changes, mainly to the transition area, which worked out really well.

Cheri hasn't been able to run much lately due to her knee pain (I believe it's partially because she's running in stability shoes when she should be in neutral shoes or flats) so she was getting pretty nervous last night and feeling unprepared. Then I packed up my wetsuit and made things worse. She doesn't have a wetsuit and assumed I wouldn't be wearing mine since the swim was only a 1/4 mile. As soon as she saw my wetsuit..."Why do you need your wetsuit? I didn't think you would need a wetsuit. I'm going to die."

After my wetsuit experiment at the aquathons, I'm always wearing a wetsuit. My wetsuit makes me a lot faster and I can get out of that thing in a matter of seconds so the time saved on the swim is well worth it. I told her I was only wearing it for speed, and that we'll have to get her a wetsuit for next year.

Anyway, on to the race report....

The swim: Last year - 8:45 This year - 5:50

Silver Lake is a great lake for a triathlon...clean, calm waters, nice soft sand on the beach. It's great. The only difference on the swim this year is that they changed the direction so we basically swam the course backwards from last year. It worked out better for transition so I think it was a good move. As for my time, I'd love to say all of that increased speed was due to hard training, but it's not. Most of it was, but I didn't have a wetsuit yet this time last year. Wetsuits really do make a big difference and I'm really glad I wore mine because I can now check off my goal of breaking 6:30 at a sprint tri this summer. I think the wetsuit may have saved me roughly a minute...that's really significant for a swim that short.

T1 - Last year - 1:30 This year - 1:07

Bike: Last year - 43:26 This year - 39:39

I'm really happy with my bike split this year. Some of that increased speed is my Cannondale, but I've put a lot of work into my cycling this year so it's really encouraging to see that pay off... and this is my fastest average speed at a multisport event ever - 24.2 mph. The only time I've topped that average is one of my Tuesday Time Trials and the Bong Park 40K TT...but there's no running after a time trial or swimming before so you can't really compare them. I set the third fastest bike split for the day and moved into the lead in my age group on the bike. Once I moved into the lead I really started to hammer the bike because I knew I had guys like Ryan G behind me who are strong runners and could outrun me so I needed to open a gap, and hopefully a big enough gap to discourage them from even trying to run me down.

Here's where I got stupid: Coming into T2, I got out of my shoes (way too early, which probably cost me a few seconds*) and was ready to do a side saddle dismount and run into transition. It's downhill coming into transition so you're going at a good pace. I forgot they moved the dismount line up the road from last year so I was riding into the dismount line side saddle doing about 20+mph. They yelled at me to get off my bike and I grabbed the brakes hard, stepped off my bike and started running. I stumbled a bit and my shoes hit the ground and the back of my bike kicked pretty hard, but mainly I really pounded the bottom of my feet getting off my bike going that fast. What a stupid mistake 2 weeks from Ironman. I should've kept going until I was slowed down enough and just accepted a penalty if they wanted to give me one - which I doubt they would've since this isn't USAT sanctioned and it's just a fun, local tri.

T2- Last year: :53 This year: :27

Run- Last year: 23:46 This year: 20:16

My feet stung pretty bad for the first half from coming off my bike so hard and I kept thinking about how I could've easily broken a foot or toe or injured myself somehow. The run course is decent, although they have you run a loop by the airport on grass and I don't like running on grass. They also don't have the miles marked, which isn't that big of a deal for a sprint tri but it would be nice because I like to see how my speed is at the first mile marker. I kept an eye on my competition at the turn around points and saw each time that I had a decent gap so I felt confident that I could hold on and win my age group. I was hoping to break 20 minutes, but I just didn't have it in me today.

Overall- Last year: 1:18:18 This year: 1:07:18

Last year: 15th overall, 3rd age group - first age group medal at a triathlon
This year: 4th overall*, 1st age group - first age group win at a triathlon

As I'm sure you can guess, I really like the Silver Lake Triathlon. It's fun, it's well-run, and I've done well both years. And the families come out and watch which is always great.

Then there's Cheri.... she told everyone not to expect much and that her knees hurt and she won't do well..... whatever.

Since she refuses to write race reports for my blog, I guess I'll have to do it....

Swim: 7:10

She really needs a wetsuit. It's not that 7:10 is a bad time, don't get me wrong. It's that Cheri is a better swimmer than I am and with a wetsuit and little more time in the pool she could be out there setting some of the fastest overall swim times.

T1 - 1:28

My T1 time from last year was 1:30 which means Cheri puts socks on 2 seconds faster than I do. I no longer wear socks during tris, and one of these days I'll get her to ditch the socks as well.

Bike - 48:05

I figured she would have a good bike split, but this was a little faster than I expected...a 19.96 mph average. We'll round that up to an even 20 since it looks better. The bike is an out and back so I was watching for her on the bike and counting women. Her age group was the first female wave, and when I saw her she was in 4th place so I yelled, "You're the 4th female!" I figured if she knew she was that close to the front, she would dig deep and keep pushing through the pain. She set the 9th fastest bike split among females. I've said it before, but one of these days she's going to need a tri bike....and an aero helmet.

T2 - :41

Run - 28:28

Very impressive considering how little running she's been doing the past few weeks. Her running has improved a lot in the past year, and I think once she gets this knee pain figured out and she can start running consistently again she's going to be able to knock a lot of time off her run splits.

Overall - 1:25:49

68th overall, 3rd age group - first age group medal at a triathlon

Silver Lake is good to us.

When I look at her results and think about how few base miles she has in her legs - cycling and running - I think about how fast her times could be if she really trained hard and put in a lot of hours. I think she could compete for overall female wins and finish high enough in the overall standings to make the top guys take her seriously as a competitor. Combine her lifetime cycling and running miles, and I think I did more miles from January to July just on the bike this year. I really believe she has the potential to be one of the top local female triathletes if she ever decides that's what she wants.

But I don't push her to train hard because she doesn't have to. It has to come from her.

Anyway, it was a good day...good results...lots of fun...can't wait for next year.


* Only 4 seconds behind 3rd and it's killing me....motivation for the trainer this winter

Race Report: Spirit of Racine Half Ironman

The morning started off with a threat of thunderstorms, high humidity, thick fog (which delayed the start by an hour) and a water temperature of 55 degrees (and my new Rudy Project glasses broke). Not ideal race conditions, but the rain held off and the skies cleared up and then it got downright hot.


Here I am setting up transition and getting the lowdown on the bike course. There's really not much to say about the course. It's flat, very flat. Actually, a little too flat. I would've like a few more hills to separate the riders and give you a chance to get out of the saddle.




The swim is a point to point swim, so you have to walk a mile down the beach to get to the swim start.




The fog was so thick they had to delay the start until visibility was better. It looks like I'm talking to this guy about how cold the water is, but I'm probably just standing there peeing all over myself. Apparently, cold water makes me pee. This would be my last pee until 4 pm (not a good sign).




Can you say crazy (allow me to remind you the water temp was 55)?



Where's Waldo...



The Swim: (Goal = sub 35)

They pulled the buoys in so we didn't swim that far from shore (I think they did that because of the water temp and fog). I'm not sure they lengthened the swim to adjust for pulling the buoys in, so I think it was a little short. There's not much to say about the swim. It was a little crazy at first, but then everyone settled in and it was mostly uneventful from there on out. There were a couple of morons in front of me that kept swimming into each other and I was boxed in so I couldn't swim around them so I swam right over the top of both of them. It was by far the most aggressive move I've ever done on the swim. They didn't want to quit swimming and let me through so I had to plow my way through.



Results aren't posted yet (I'll add them when they're posted) and I decided not to swim with a watch so I don't know my official time. Cheri said it was a sub 30 minute swim, but that's because the swim was a little short. I heard a few people say their swim time was about 5 minutes fast so I think I would've hit my 35 minute goal.

Update: Official Time = 29:38



The Bike: (Goal = 2:30)....Let the stupidity begin....

Every time I do a long brick, I make a nutrition cheat sheet and tape it to my aerobars. I didn't do that today, because I figured I knew what and when to eat.

This course is so flat and fast that I never wanted to get out of my aerobars because it seemed like everyone was going really fast. There was nothing to separate the riders. I only hit one rest stop, and at that one I threw away a half bottle of gatorade for a bottle of Heed that I never touched. I also didn't start out my bike nutrition with Newtons like I always do. I figured Perpeteum and a few gels would do the trick, and they may have had I finished my Perpeteum and taken more than one gel. I took in about half the number of calories I should have and drank one bottle of water. Yep, you read that right. On a hot humid day, I drank less than one bottle of water on the bike (this includes the half bottle of Gatorade).

To top it all off, I'm convinced I'm getting a penalty on the bike, which will really piss me off because I worked hard not to draft, unlike a lot of riders out there. I got passed by a 10 bike paceline about the 40 mile mark. Toward the end of the bike I got caught in a group and I was trying to get around them. I never sat on anyone's wheel, but I think I took too long to pass one of the riders because we were going up a gradual hill and I didn't want to increase my power too much. As this was happening, I noticed one of the USAT officials riding next to me. I guess it doesn't really matter if I get a penalty, but it will upset me because I tried hard not to draft and that can be tough sometimes when you have so many riders on the road. I hope they caught the paceline and hit those guys with some penalties.

My bike computer had my time at 2:30:43, a 22.5 mph average.

Update: Official time = 2:30:05 (no penalties)

Coming into transition after the bike



Heading out of T2 for the run

The Run: (Goal = 1:45)

The beginning of the run was tough. My legs were tired, and I started thinking about how I haven't done any long tempo rides recently and I just did a 56 mile tempo ride. I should've trained a little better for this. All of my long rides recently have been in my Endurance power zone (IM pacing). The run course is really flat except for 2 hills toward the beginning (it's a 2 lap course so you hit those hills twice). My legs were tired and my side hurt so I walked the second hill. My first mile pace was 8:30.

From there my legs loosened up and I felt better. I continued to ignore my gels and I grabbed water in every aid station, but I dumped it on my head instead of drinking it. I didn't drink any water for the first 4 miles (you can probably see where this is going). By this time the skies had cleared and the temp was in the mid 80s.

My next few miles were decent, an 8:01, 7:57, 8:13, 8:13...



I was feeling pretty good by the start of the second loop. I took a gel with a little water and planned on increasing my pace hoping for a sub 8 average.

It's amazing how quickly things can turn. I went from feeling strong to nothing in a matter of minutes. My next 2 miles were an 8:36 and 8:43. Not too bad, but definitely the wrong direction. I had no energy and from here on out I had to walk all of the aid stations drinking as much Heed and water as I could get my hands on. 8:50, 8:54, 9:12.

I was getting passed a lot - and by a lot of people I didn't think should be running faster than me - and my trips through the aid stations were getting longer and longer. My right thigh was cramping a little and I was having a hard time breathing. My chest felt really tight and I couldn't get a good deep breathe. I swore off half ironmans for good and wondered how I'll get to the finish line at Ironman Wisconsin if I'm struggling this much at a half.

9:21, 9:14, 9:32..

Time according to my Garmin: 1:54:15, an 8:43 pace.

Update: Official time = 1:54:19

Overall time: 4:57:20



Post race was horrible. I was disapointed in my run, but mostly I was completely depleted. I sat in the shade and drank some Endurox, a Coke, some water and contemplated going to the med tent. I was dizzy and felt very sick. Eventually I came around enough to go grab my bike and head home. Cheri had a big ol M&M cookie waiting for me at the car, which actually helped a lot. I felt a lot better after eating that cookie. As Seinfeld says, "Look to the cookie."

I'm a little disappointed in my run, but mostly I'm disappointed in how I handled my nutrition. I had about half the calories I should have on the bike and only 2 gels on the run. I drank one bottle of water on the bike and I didn't drink anything for the first 4 miles of the run. By the time I realized I was dehydrated, it was way too late. I know better, and that's what's so frustrating.

Even though this race didn't go as planned, I did learn from it... 1. Always follow your nutrition plan. 2. Don't wait until you're dehydrated to drink 3. I need to do more bricks with tempo work on the bike and long runs if I'm going to make it through the Ironman 4. Look to the cookie.

And I did get through my first half ironman and 5 hours is a pretty good time so I can't complain. I'll be sure to follow my nutrition plan at Ironman, that's a guarantee.

Here's a picture of Bob on the run. Always smiling...he makes it look easy...




This is Brinkley, the cutest pup at the races...



This picture is for Abby (it's where the cookie came from)...


I'll update this with official times when they post the results.

Janesville Race Against Racism 5K

We woke up to a light rain, and thought it was going to be another crappy day for a 5K...just like the 5K in Beloit. The rain continued through registration, but stopped a few minutes before the start of the race and then the sun came out and the weather was great.

We were doing this race mainly as a training race for Cheri, because the Danskin triathlon is only a few weeks away. Unfortunately, she's been struggling with severe knee pain the past few weeks. The guys at the Endurance House suggested she work on her form and try to strengthen her quads with leg extensions and lunges. She's been doing the exercises and making progress, but we were both very worried that she might have to walk to the finish line. I gave her a few Ibuprofen to take before the race hoping that would hold off the pain so she could get in a good run.

For 2 years she's been trying to run a sub 25 minute 5K. She's been running stronger than ever, but we both figured this wasn't the day for a PR....wrong. Not only did she PR and run a 24:33 5K (7:54 pace), she dominated the dojo and won her age group....again. She only had a little knee pain so we think the strength training is helping (although I still want her to see the physical therapist).

My race went well. I ran a 19:22, a PR by a few seconds, and finished 2nd in my age group. Check out the trophies they handed out to the top 5 in every age group...

Pretty cool, huh?

If you're looking for a 5K to run in the Janesville area next year, be sure to put the Race Against Racism on your schedule. The course is flat, fast and certified. And the event is run by Tim Rutter, who does an excellent job running events. They're always very well organized with lots of goodies, like trophies and a ton of giveaways....and pancakes. Can't beat that.

Here are a few pictures from the Aquathon...

Me and Andy before the start.

The start.



The puppy that stole all of the attention. His name is Ambrose and he's 12 weeks old. He's a bullmastiff so he's going to be a big boy.

Race Report: Verona Triterium

Whew. Three triathlons in 3 weeks, and I'm exhausted. As much as I love racing, I'm ready for a break to focus on the Spirit of Racine Half Ironman and Ironman Wisconsin. These triathlons were a lot of fun and were great training, but now I need to focus on volume. I still have some races coming up, but they're really just training events such as the Aquathons, a 5K in Janesville Saturday, and I think I might do the Open Water Challenge in Pleasant Prairie on the 28th. Otherwise it's all about the Spirit of Racine right now, and then my focus will switch to the Ironman for the rest of the summer.

Yesterday I ran the Verona Triterium Olympic Triathlon at Fireman's Park in Verona - only 5 minutes from my house. It was raining in the morning with a chance of thunderstorms all day so I thought it was going to be a crappy day for racing, but a little while before the race started the skies cleared up and the sun came out for the rest of the day. It turned out to be a good day, except the transition area was pretty muddy from the rain last week. But considering the weather we've been having, I can't complain.

The Swim: Mark wanted me to attack the swim and focus solely on the swim since this was a "C" race for me and I was going into it tired and really just using it for training. The quarry at Fireman's Park is pretty small so the Olympic swim is a 3 lap swim - a little different, but kind of fun.

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but I definitely approached the swim a little different and it went much better so I made progress. In most triathlons, I just try to get back to the beach so I can get on the bike. This time I focused on the swim and tried to vary my pace throughout the race rather swim one pace the whole time. I tried to be more aware of what was going on in the water - who was where, who was fast, who was slow, who was fading... I searched for feet to draft off and drafted a lot more than usual - although I don't know how much it helped since I kept picking guys that couldn't hold a line.

I was hoping for a better time, so I'm a little disappointed but I'm also happy that I swam faster than last week (by about 2 minutes) and felt like I raced the swim more than survived it. Rather than focus on not setting as fast a time as I would've liked, I'm going to look at this as a step in the right direction, a confidence builder. I raced the swim for the first time and it felt good. Thursday is the second aquathon (assuming they open the beaches by then) and I'm going to attack the swim with everything I have, even if that means I'm so friggin tired I have to walk the run. I think that will be good training for the Spirit of Racine.

Lap 1...



Lap 2...



Coming out of the water...I didn't try to trap my goggles in the sleeve of my wetsuit this time. I've had enough of that trick.



Speaking of wetsuits, I called QR and found out why mine is tearing...it's me. I've been putting it on by pulling on the outside of the suit rather than the inside and I've been tearing it. I patched it and took it easy when I put it on Sunday and no tears. So if you have a wetsuit, learn from my mistake. Pull from the inside and take your time putting it on.

Swim Time: 27:07

T1: 1:41




Bike: The bike course followed a little bit of the Ironman route and then did a loop I used as Horribly Hilly training last year, except the triathlon did the loop the opposite way so it was a little easier but still plenty hilly. I felt like I ran out of gas a little on the run last week so I mixed up some perpeteum (which Cheri says tastes like waffle mix) for the bike so I could get some calories in before the run.

There were some spectators on the bike route this time which was great. It helps a lot when there are a few small groups of people in the corners cheering you on. Plus the dude playing the bagpipes on the top of Observatory was cool.

Bike Time: 1:16:24

Coming into T2...




T2: 0:43


The run: The run was a 3 lap route that came back by the transition area each lap. I wasn't sure if I would like doing laps, but it was great. It gives spectators a chance to see the racers more, and it's definitely encouraging to see Cheri cheering me on a few times during the run. I'd like to see more triathlons go to a format like that. You could do the same for the bike so family members could see how you're doing in the middle of the bike.

The run wasn't as painful as it was last week and I think drinking the perpeteum on the bike helped a lot, although there was a short, steep hill at the beginning of each loop that was brutal. Overall I feel pretty good about the run. I wish I could have had the energy to attack the course more rather than just hold on, but that will come with more run training. It takes a long time to become a good runner.

Lap 1...





Lap 2...




The finish....



Run Time: 44;54


Overall: 2:30:48 (23rd overall, 5th age group)


Here's a picture of a friend of our's. He finished in 2:55 and took 2nd in the 55-59 age group. Bob's an animal.





Here's another picture of a friend of ours, Jason. This was only his second triathlon, and he opted for the Olympic distance rather than the sprint. He did really well and finished in 3:17. He's doing another Olympic tri in 2 weeks...that's a tough start to a tri career, but I'm confident he'll do well.




Luckily, this is a recovery week so I get to take it easy and relax a bit before getting in a few weeks of tough training for the Spirit of Racine Half Ironman.