Chasing The Athlete Within

Lights Out

2007-10-06T14:55:00.000-07:00

Well, I keep meaning to post here but having trouble putting pen to paper lately. I've been thinking it's probably a good idea to formally shut this down rather then fade away. So I'm pulling the trigger...*for now*

I couldn't leave without thanking all those that took the time to land here for a visit though. I'm sure reading my blog was a chore, more often then not, but I truly appreciate all the comments here and those that hit me privately. All part of the most excellent journey over the last two years.

So there you have it...Focus on the positive, eat organic, keep the rubber side down, support your local farmers, never give up, enjoy the journey, count your blessings and all that other good stuff. Here's to keeping it real and the awesome connections along the way. *smile*

I'll catch you on the other side!

*Peace*

Suffering

2007-09-16T12:00:00.000-07:00

Think back to the times that you've "suffered" during training or racing...paid a visit to the pain cave...burnt all your matches, etc. Good times eh?

I guess with an Olympic team spot on the line, you take suffering to the next level. Here's Jarrod Shoemaker letting it all hang out, literally, as he crosses the finish line at the Beijing World Cup. As first American, he earned the first USA olympic team spot for USA Triathlon. He beat out USA favorites Kemper and Potts in the process - good on ya Jarrod!

I got in a short run and a trainer ride where I "suffered" a bit for 2 x 20 minute intervals, albeit on a much much much lower scale! ;-)

After the training silliness, I did get around to more important things like watching The Royal Tenenbaums again. With a lot of the crap out there, you have to revisit the worthwhile stuff every so often.

Have a good week!

*Peace*

Yummy, Part Deux

2007-09-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Here's how it goes down....
You start with natural, hormone & antibiotic-free, grass-fed, *LOCAL* beef, slice up some organic tomatoes, toss on some organic greens and voila!!

You can almost rationalize away the guilt from eating a hamburger...and a tasty one at that!

No excuses for the beer though...that one hurt so good! ;-)

Hope everyone is doing well out there...I know my updates have been lacking but I've been buried at work among other excuses. On the training front, I'm still working on healing the feet and have been restricted to running a max of one mile. I'm not too happy with that but hoping to beat this chronic PF!!

In other news, my beautiful ZIPP 999's have gone bye-bye! *sigh* I love that disc wheel but trading them for a Powertap SL. It's all about raising that functional threshold POWER in 08!!

Before I turn off the lights, let me leave you with some PDP. It's not the greatest video but you gotta appreciate the cool vibe. For real.

Sing a simple song brah!

Have a great weekend!

*Peace*

Yummy

2007-09-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

It looks like Quintana Roo listened to everyone who whined about their ugly 07 graphics...hell, it even hurt my eyes to look at the 07 Lucero frame the first time I laid eyes on it! But, it's all about the fit right? Now I don't even notice how ugly my frame is...*yeah right* ;-)

My bike....kinda like the "before and after" weight loss pics

My 2007 bike *Before*

Now the "After" pic...Check out the 2008 Lucero Lite...SWEET!!

My money is on the ChiCqilo though. I love the pink graphics! If I didn't already buy the Lucero, I'd have a hard time choosing between the Lucero and the ChiCqeeeeeeeelooooooo! Say it with me now!

Hope the week is treating you all well!

*Peace*

Glutton For Punishment

2007-09-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Yeah Baby! ;-)

04 Sep 2007 13:22:19 -0800
This message is generated as confirmation of your recent registration on Active.com. You have been successfully registered for the following:

Registration: 2008 Subaru Ironman Canada On-Site Entry
Purchase Date: 09/04/07
Category: On-Site Registration
Event Date: 08/24/08

All In

2007-09-02T09:36:00.000-07:00

Anyone else losing sleep over the "shoulda / woulda / coulda's" from a recent race? Ok, maybe not losing sleep but it still has been on my mind alot lately since IMC.

Based on a review of my Ironman races:

1999 Ironman Florida 11:54:41
2000 Ironman California 12:02:51* Long swim
2001 Ironman California 10:55:51
2001 Ironman Canada 11:13:13
2002 Ironman Canada 10:41:29
2003 Ironman Canada 10:48:56
2003 Ironman Florida 10:22:41
2004 Ironman Canada 10:55:27
2006 Ironman Canada 11:15:05
2007 Ironman Canada 10:50:46

See a theme there?

"If you change nothing ... Nothing changes"
-unknown-

Except for the races where I blew up (reduced to walking alot of the marathon in 01 / 06 IMC), I seem to be stuck in a rut of finishing right around 10:50. Don't get me wrong, anytime you cross the line at an Ironman race, *regardless* of finish time, it is a victory in my opinion. BUT, *and it is a big but* you know deep down in the dark recesses of your brain, you have a certain goal or time that would validate all the sacrifice and struggle of the huge training volume over a season.

I guess you can't expect to get different results by following the same protocol season after season so I plan on mixing it up next year. If i'm going to put in the training hours, a given as always, why not push it? I don't necessarily mean an increase in hours because I think the law of diminishing returns applies here. I mean training smarter.

I have a computrainer that has been nothing more then an glorified trainer based on my usage. I plan on exploring more of its features such as using its ergo mode to train at a certain power / wattage level. I also plan on seriously considering the option of training with power (powermeter)- it almost seems like a necessity at this point to get to the next level. I will join the Nike Masters Swim program. They meet twice a week and it would definitely be a good idea based on my swim times going south lately. Finally, I am going to have a more balanced approach over the winter vs. strictly running. Granted, I plan on focusing on the run during the winter months but I will not eliminate or ignore the swim / bike stuff. I just want to have a SOLID aerobic base across all disciplines come April vs. playing catch-up and jumping right into my first 20hr week in Late April as I did this year.

Here's a link to some great training articles for anyone interested.

I know I've mentioned it before but if you have some time, pour a BIG cup of coffee and read the "Hadd's approach" article available through the link above. Yeah, none of the sexy fast stuff there ala track workouts, etc but long-course racing is an AEROBIC engine exercise and focus should be placed there. The ability to run 5 minute miles probably won't come into play during your race! ;-) Also, great stuff in the other articles.

That's it. Simple.

I'm all in for 2008.

Now excuse me while I head out for a run. :-)

*Peace*

Ironman Canada 2007

2007-08-31T19:21:00.000-07:00

Wow- where do I start? I can't believe it's only been 5 days since the actual race since it feels like a distant memory at this point. I've really enjoyed DOING NOTHING the past couple of days and plan on easing back into the workouts very slowly. Although I didn't hit my goals for the race, I feel very blessed to have had the opportunity to give it a go out there. Let me share my journey from race start to finish...

The day before it was all about shaking out pre-race nerves with a quick S/B/R workout. First we headed to the lake for a quick 15-20 minute swim. Steven and I met up with my friend Kevin and his girlfriend Sharon. They are a couple fast triathletes from the triathlon mecca of Colorado- definitely nice to have their company for the swim since Kevin is always the source of a few good laughs! Here we are pre-swim- not sure why I look so friggen skinny here but let me assure you it is an optical illusion! ;-)

We followed it up with a quick bike with a few race pace spin-ups. I then went for a 15 minute run around the block before shutting it down for the day.

We took it easy the rest of the day while getting the bike and race bags ready for drop-off. Afterwards, just a bit of sight-seeing/relaxing. Here's Deb and I posing for the obligatory Peach pic at the beach! Yes,I'm wearing a pink shirt..so what! ;-)

Race Day Morning
4:15am jolted awake by my two alarms...yes, I am anal on race day and don't like taking any chances with a missed alarm! ;-) It's strange but I always count on Deb at this point to take over. Sensory overload with anticipation / dread of the rest of the day, I tend to move pretty darn slowly early on - almost as if I would rather just avoid the whole day. She is great and starts getting me in the right mindset...."you are going to have a great day out there", etc. With a quick attitude adjustment at the hands of my favorite cheerleader, I'm up soon enough and downing 3 chocolate Ensures (750 cal). I typically take in 4 Ensures pre-race;however, in light of stomach issues in the last 3 weeks, I didn't want to push the calorie count too high. My stomach didn't protest too much and before I knew it, it was time for us to meet Steven and Karen for the short drive to race central. It was good to have my wingman there- Steven and I had done the majority of the long stuff together so nice to have him there to share the day. We said our goodbyes to the girls and were off to T1.

Bodymarking was a clusterF%@!- note to self, bring my own marker next year so I don't have to deal with the crowds at bodymarking.

Quick check of the bike, drop off the special needs bags, and start thinking of getting into the wetsuit. It was nice running into my friend Kevin in transition- i've seen him up here the last 3-4 years. We wished each other well and were on our way. I sent Steven on his way as well assuming we'd run into each other out on the course.

SWIM
1:12:09
147 / 393 AG (Age Group)
836 / 2588 OA (Overall)
With close to 2600 people out there, I knew the swim was going to be crowded. As in years past, I lined up on the far right closest to the buoy-line. It sounds nuts but this is actually the best place to line up to avoid the massive crowds at IMC since everyone seems to swing wide of the buoy line on the left-hand side of the swim start. I did a quick warm-up to make sure the goggles were nice and tight before getting back behind the start line. I made small talk with fellow racers to make sure I was self-seeding in the right group. I started asking several people what they planned on swimming for the day. I got a couple sub-hour answers so moved around till I got 1:05'ish answers.

For anyone following along on Ironmanlive.com, here's us all waving to the IMlive helicopter cameras- hope you caught us out there!

At this point, time seems to stand still for me. Thoughts of all the long training days, sacrifice, fatigue blending into this moment. I couldn't wait for the cannon blast to start the race.

*Breathe Deep*

BOOM!! We were off and I immediately settled into a comfortable pace. I did not want to start hyperventilating early-on so I started very conservatively from an effort-level perspective. There was the typical thrashing to deal with at the start but I avoided the major beating everyone was taking further over in the middle / far left. After 200 / 300 yards I went hunting for some fast feet to pull me around the lake but was having a hard time settling into a rhythm. I kept latching on but couldn't find the right feet...either too slow...too fast...too erratic. In hindsight, I probably should have pushed the effort level here and focused on forward movement vs. just trying to find the right feet. With much more wetsuit time under my belt pre-race, as well as longer open-water swimming, I should have trusted my swim fitness and pushed it. My effort level was lacking so I pushed it a bit around the last houseboat when we headed for home. I started passing alot of swimmers at this point which never bodes well for your finish time. It only cemented the fact that I went out too easy. The wind started picking up at this point so we also had to deal with some chop. I kept pushing for shore and before I knew it, I was scraping knuckles on the bottom.

I knew it wasn't a great swim but suprised that it was 1 friggen 12! Probably explains why my eyes are closed in this pic as I exit the water..I probably just saw the clock and closed my eyes hoping it would just go away!;-)

I swam 1:10 last year on very minimal swim training and swam 1:04 several times in previous IMC's so a bit disappointed initially but worked on removing any negative thoughts as I waddled out of the water. The swim is nothing but a warm-up for the real race...nothing more, nothing less.

**Note to self- start jumping into the masters swim program available at work! No surprise that the two years I swam 1:04 comfortably were while I was swimming masters in SoCal.

T1
4:15
OA / AG Slow!! ;-)
Yes- I need to work on the sense of urgency during transition. I say that every year but I was probably still reeling from the long swim and trying to wrestle into my bike gear. I was moving out of transition soon enough running my bike to the bike mount area.

BIKE
5:43:07
19.6 MPH
93 / 393 AG
460 / 2588 OA

I love the IM Canada bike course. Even though I wasn't happy with my bike stats this go around, it is still my favorite bike course among the several IM races I have completed. It is a one loop course with 2 major climbs - the 6 mile slog up Richter Pass at around mile 40 and the shorter / steeper climb up Yellow Lake at around mile 90. In addition to these big climbs, there are a series of 6-8 rollers beyond Richter that are a handful. I think the size of the "rollers" catch people by surprise, especially if they haven't seen the course since they have a different interpretation of what is considered a "roller" up in these parts! ;-)

Back to the start...I was moving thru the crazy crowds out of town and was able to spot Deb and Karen giving me a shout of encouragement along with the huge crowds lining both sides of main street *much appreciated*.

This was taken by my favorite photographer with her new fancy-schmancy Canon Digital Rebel camera as I headed out of town *Thanks Deb!*

I focused on taking it easy here since too many nutjobs were deadset on time-trialing dangerously thru the packs. Definitely not worth it with the crowds here. We were out of town soon enough and heading for our first climb up McClean Creek Road.

As we hit the bottom of McClean Creek, I was still going pretty easy from an effort level perspective. With all of my stomach issues of late, I also waited until I was 30 minutes into the bike before I took in any hydration or fuel. It seemed to work as I had no issues initially. I felt really good on the climb up McClean Creek...effort level felt very comfortable and I was passing people. I took it easy down the backside as the course turned toward Osoyoos. This was the flatter / faster portion of the course and also had a sense of familiarity as it looks very similar to my stomping grounds back home with all the vineyards / orchards. I didn't want any dehydration issues this go around so I was religious about taking in a swig of H20 along with every drink from my nutrition bottle. I mixed my fuel a bit lighter for the race this year...3 scoops of straight maltodextrin (53 grams carbs / 210 cal) per bottle flavored by a little crystal light based on several consults I had with Dave from my tri-club. My goal was to drink one bottle of fuel chased by close to another bottle of H20 per hour.

This flatter portion came with its own frustrations. 2588 people on the course meant crowded conditions and it was very evident here. I made it a point to ride legally and it involved a ton of slowing down / surging past people & packs to avoid drafting. Definitely not a way to pace an IM ride but I figured the climb up Richter Pass would break everything up soon enough. Before I knew it, I was climbing Richter Pass with a big smile on my face. I was moving smoothly thru the pack up the climb and feeling really good. All the long training rides were paying off at this point. Up and over the 3 steps in the Richter climb and then got hit with a healthy dose of reality in the form of a STRONG headwind. I don't mind headwind and can push against a solid wind but throw in long, fast mountain pass descents into the mix and I have a problem. My bike is already pretty "twitchy" to begin with and the gusty wind just made the situation much worse anytime the course headed downhill.

In hindsight, I probably picked the wrong wheel (disk) based on the strong winds but didn't have a backup anyway. Don't get me a wrong, a disk is probably the best wheel in light to steady winds coming at you from all angles but when it gets really strong and gusty, the pendulum swings the other way in favor of an aero-spoked wheel. Thank god, I chose to borrow a friend's 404 front because it was even a handful out there. My deep 808 front would have killed me out there!

Back to the descent down the backside of Richter, it was frustrating to see everyone who I had just passed on the climb rocket past me on the descent. I was forced to take it a bit conservatively based on the previously mentioned issues with the handling of my bike. This cycle was repeated through the rollers on the way out to Cawston as well. Pass people on the flats & climbing / get passed on the descents, repeat...repeat ...repeat. Not a fun section for me but just dug in and did what I could. I continued to focus on the nutrition and hydration and things were going well. I felt a slight twinge here and there in my gut but no major issues.

We then hit the out and back in Cawston which has been a tough section in years past but I felt surprisingly good here. Even though I was riding slower this year due to the issues with the wind, my overall bike fitness was pretty solid and I had no issues with fading. Cawston can be very cruel because you turn back around and get a nice tailwind for around 10 miles before turning back around to face the wind again! I grabbed my special needs bag at the turnaround here- nothing much to speak of. I just took a ziploc bag of japanese rice crackers...solid source of sodium / carbs and salty! Nice break after all the sweet stuff for a couple hours out there. Just pass the special needs, I caught my friend Kevin on the bike just as he was shoving massive quantities of fig newtons and assorted other goodies down his gullet. It was good for a few laughs from the both of us and I was really glad to see him looking strong and in good spirits. I wished him well and continued to push toward Yellow Lake. At this point, my stomach was acting up a bit so I took it a bit easy on my liquid fuel and resorted to bananas / water at the aid stations along with the odd gel thrown in. It seemed to help.

Once you leave Cawston and make the turn toward Yellow Lake, you hit a loong section of false flats. This section always seems to drag on forever and in past years has been tough mentally for me when I pushed too hard early on. No such issues today, I continued to keep it steady thru this section and was passing people so kept the effort level up. I was climbing Yellow Lake soon enough and LOVING IT!! This is the "Tour De France" climb section of the course as people line both sides of the climb here creating a tunnel for you to climb through. You can definitely feel their positive energy as they are screaming encouragement and making noise in many other forms (cowbells, etc) all the way up the incline as you spin by. One of my favorite sections of the whole bike course- the support couldn't come at a better time because if you didn't pace your ride correctly, you are DYING at this point in the ride. One of those "hurts so good" kinda moments, eh! ;-)

Here I am cresting the climb at Yellow Lake. I don't look too bad even though I had to hold my head up carrying around that big helmet all day!;-)

I knew there were additional climbs to the true "top" of Yellow Lake so continued to push beyond the first summit until I hit the LOOOOOONG descent back into Penticton. Again, frustrating here as I had to watch the speed with the gusty winds on the descent back into town. I was not happy getting passed again multiple times here but also wasn't going to risk crashing in the last 10 miles of the race. I took it very conservatively until I hit the flats into Penticton and then pushed it back into town passing several people until i hit the crazy throngs back on Main Street. Again, got a nice jolt of adrenaline from the screaming crowds lining the streets as I rounded the last corner into T2.

It was really nice to get off the bike! Major frustrations all day out there whenever I was descending since I had to slow way down. It definitely felt like a big weight had been lifted off my shoulders to hand the steed over to the T2 volunteer. I do feel lucky that I was able to finish the 112 miles without any crashes, mechanical issues or flats on the bike but frustrated nonetheless! I did not spend countless training hours on the bike to come cruising in at 5:43! Evil friggen wind!

T2
5:10
AG / OA EVEN SLOWER!
Sheez...had some issues in the tent getting on my socks / run gear. Then further issues waiting for a porta-potty to open up in the transition area. I finally decided not to wait any longer since I had already waited for what seemed to be a ridiculous amount of time. Still not sure what the guy was doing in there but I'm sure it wasn't pretty.

Run
3:46:07
8:38/Mile Pace
35 / 393 AG
220 / 2588 OA

The run was truly the x-factor for me this year. My plantar fasciitis injury really limited my run mileage so I was hoping things would go well. Maybe going easier on the bike helped the legs a bit because they felt pretty good right out of the gate. Also, vs. last year, I wasn't starting the run dehydrated. Kev's Sharon gave me a shout right outta transition which gave me a little boost. Once I turned the corner and headed for the little out and back toward the Sicamous, I saw Deb and Karen which was a welcome sight at this point. While overall crowd support is a plus, the support of a loved one out on the course is an added bonus! I couldn't help smiling and pushed around the corner while working out the stiffness from the bike. Based on my time out of T2, I figured I'd be seeing Steven soon out there but didn't expect to see him so soon! Aaah! We know how that boy can run so I figure I had about an 8 minute lead on him since he was entering the out and back toward the Sicamous as I was about to run by the girls again. I remember shouting "Incoming, Fast!! Behind me!!" referring to Steven as I ran by Deb and Karen. No time to stop and chat at that point!;-)

Here's me right before I made the above comment- I had seen Steven a few minutes back around that corner.

I just worked on maintaining good run form and not pushing too hard. I couldn't risk blowing up at this point since this run course gets VERY DIFFICULT as you hit the major hills out by the run turnaround not to mention the rollers before that point. I was suprised at how good I was feeling. I was religiously drinking water at each aid station, throwing ice down my hat and shorts, and eating bananas at every other aid station. All this WITHOUT ANY STOMACH ISSUES this go around. How great is that!?! I was so happy! A totally opposite experience vs. the death march I had on the run last year! I kept expecting Steven to run past me but fought the urge to look behind me in case he had me locked on target. Any runner knows that if you see someone ahead of you looking behind, it is a sign of weakness. Steven would have come in for the kill seeing that so kept my focus on moving forward.

I just kept clicking off the miles and my feet were hanging in there. I was focusing on forefoot striking which I think was key to helping me get thru the 26.2 without any serious leg fatigue typical with heel-striking. Nice and smooooth was my mantra. Here are assorted pics Deb took out on the run- she was quite the photographer out there that day (THANKS DEB!!)

I love this picture. Not because it is a particularly great action shot but because it is a reminder of how truly blessed we are with the gifts we are given...to even have the ability to walk, let alone run. The smile on the face of the guy in the green shirt says it all. Thanks for the encouragement brother - much appreciated!

I feel violated...there is a head on these shoulders lady!! ;-) Too funny!

Back to the action, I was getting closer to the run turnaround which only meant one thing. Major HILLS! If you are feeling good here, you can put the hurt on your fellow racers here. Major carnage as you start seeing the distance take its toll on people when the road turns up. I gave out words of encouragement as I passed all the people forced to walk as I was all to familiar with the pain last year. I continued to push running all the hills and never being forced to walk. Soon enough, I was descending the big hill into the 13.1 mile turnaround at OK Falls dreading the thought of climbing it on the way out!

As I hit the turnaround at 13.1, I timed myself because I wanted to see what kind of time cushion I had on Steven. Well, guess who was my ONE minute man...friggen Steven was right there! I gave him a high-five as we ran by each other. About 50 yards past this exchange I ran by Jessi and Tom . It was good to see more friendly faces out on the course but I couldn't stop and chat with Steven right behind me. They probably thought I was nuts since I could only let out a "aaaargh..aaaaah" with my tongue out as I passed them...in fatigued translation, that meant "Hey Tom / Jess- nice to see you out here- thanks for the support!! ;-)

I pushed it on the climbs out of OK Falls- I wasn't going to give up that minute too easily. I figured I'd try and make Steven work for it while I was still feeling good! ;-) I kept clicking off the miles out of the turnaround and was able to keep Steven's vision of me limited to this view until mile 18/19.

Aaah, the inevitable pass...Steven was a true gentlemen this time vs. the jaws theme he was belting out when he passed me at Pac Crest last year. See the bottle hanging out my rear pocket in the above pic? It fell out of my pocket at this point and as I started to turn back for the bottle, I saw a runner right behind me. Not sure why but the sight of the runner caused me to whip back around and keep running - I decided I didn't need the nutrition at this late stage in the race. The runner behind me picked it up and ran up beside me and asked "Did you need this?" I turned to him and said "Hey, thanks man" then registering it was Steven...the only thing that followed out of my mouth was "Aaah, you bastard!!". Good times indeed...it provided some good laughs between us. We ran side by side for awhile which felt good. The whole chase out of OK Falls was a good thing mentally for the both of us. It helped us "forget" or at least took our mind off all the hills on the way back as well as the stiff headwind we had running back into town. Definitely cruel out there that day with winds on the bike and run!

From mile 19 to maybe 22/23, we were running pretty darn close to each other. Steven would get a lead on me and I would catch and pass as he stopped at the aid stations only to have him repeat the process until we hit town and could hear the finish line. We were both feeling good at this point and wished each other well as we headed for the finish. I worked on keeping Steven on the radar as we hit the heavy crowds along main street and then for the out and back along Lakeshore. The crowd was going nuts at this point and I loved it! I can always pinpoint Deb's voice among the crowd and it was nice to have her there for me as she and Karen gave some of the biggest cheers as I passed by *thanks!!*. Steven went thru first and I was in hot pursuit...this was at around mile 25 as you are cruelly directed away from the finish before turning around for the last kilometer into the finish.

Steven looking strong headed around the final stretch!

Me pushing to keep him on the radar! Action sequence with me throwing out a subtle shaka sign in shot 2! ;-)

It was a great feeling to get back my mojo and finish the run leg actually feeling strong at the end of the race. I ended up finishing 11 seconds behind Steven. It was definitely nice to have him pushing me the second half as I negative split the marathon. Even with the stiff headwind and hills, I was able to run the second half 5:49 faster then the first half. A total surprise based on my limited running leading up the race.

Finish Stats
10:50:46 Time
54 / 393 AG
304 / 2588 OA

Post-race, not sure what the deal is but again started feeling nauseous when I stopped moving. I tried to keep walking but it wasn't helping so I hit the med tent again. 2 for 2 the last two years- not good! My blood pressure was dropping too much as I sat in a chair so they moved me to a prone position which helped tons...i laid for a bit and was finally able to get in some fruit. I hated having to make the gang wait outside but I was out there soon enough and we called it a day!

Da boyz post-race...Steven, Kevin, Me, and Noel..one more notch on the iron-belt all around!

Post-race Thoughts
I consider each ironman race a learning experience and this was no exception. I don't think my finish time was a true reflection of my fitness level going into the race but it's a long day out there and you have to roll with the punches in its many forms. I love racing the ironman distance race though and truly feel that I have a magic race in me....one where everything comes together. I am convinced it will happen and I'll keep banging my head against the wall until I make it a reality. Believe that!

I couldn't have done the race without all the people in my corner this year.
Steven and Karen- thanks for your support this past year...Steven, it has been great training with you thru all the good times and bad. It was always easier heading out in the crap weather knowing you were going to be out there sharing the misery! ;-) Also, I knew I couldn't let up one minute because you wouldn't let me. Thank you for that. Karen, thanks for letting me borrow your husband for all the extended training time...much appreciated along with the meals and treats coming out of your kitchen along the way! ;-)

Dave C and Jonathan P from the Ironheads for their time and help with my nutrition and bike fit issues, respectively. They were a major help in this area!

Bob & Athlete's Lounge for being the coolest bike shop around- thanks guys!

Big thanks to everyone that has followed along via my blog this past year. My friends, family and my fellow bloggers- major props to all of you. I have appreciated each and every comment along the way- you all were definitely part of my journey....mahalo!

Finally, thank you to my swee'pea Deb. She has always been there for me with her emotional support and unconditional love. Ironman racing is a selfish endeavor, no doubt, and she has been VERY understanding in this regard not only this year but the last one and the last on and the last one and the last one, etc etc...time for me to give back big time! :-) I love you sweetheart!

We'll have to spend more time relaxing like this in the near future! *Please note, Steven is to thank for getting the plastic chair in our picture. Sheez- put the camera down and stick to the running nancy!! ;-)

Not sure what the rest of the year holds for me. I want to give my feet a real chance to heal so will keep the running light through the month of September. RIght now I just want to do a whole lotta of nothing though! Sorry this ended up being so looong but if you are still reading, thanks for pushing thru to the end! I appreciate it.

Last but not least, Steven and Karen's sweet girls made us signs. Definitely put a big smile on our faces rolling up to this welcome in his driveway....thanks Jen / Kelsey!
Steven's sign...it was aaah-ite!

My super cool sign...maybe I'm biased but I think my sign is much cooler then Steven's! Uuhh, see the reference to the "Iron BFF's"? Don't ask! ;-)

I mean come on man...check out the detail on the signage...Kelsey even got the detail on my aero-ness on the bike- cool! ;-)

Good times indeed...what a great end to the racing season!

How lucky am I? Counting my blessings and always keeping in mind that the glass is half full!

*Peace*

Return The Favor

2007-08-19T14:15:00.000-07:00

I finally volunteered at a race and LOVED it (well all except the waking up at 5am part)! I can't believe it's taken me so long to do it...embarrassing really. Volunteers have helped "push" me through many difficult moments during a race so nice to return the favor. If you haven't volunteered at a race, jes doo eeet!! One of these days, I'd like to volunteer at an ironman...I know several of you bloggers have done that (Steven / Courtney) and it sounds like a blast.

Today was definitely a day to volunteer vs. race- it was raining at the race start. While swimming / running isn't an issue in wet weather, there are several hills on the bike course that I wouldn't want to be "racing" in the rain- yikes!

I was swim support and was able to get into the kayak and manuever it into position without wacking any of the swimmers. *a small victory since I've never been in a kayak before!* I actually enjoyed kayaking and will definitely get out there again.

It was nice to get the kayak perspective on a triathlon swim wave.
My observations:
The racer leading the swim quickly put a gap on the field and extended it to around 50-75 yards? by the finish. He did this while, based on his stroke, looking as if he was in the middle of a recovery swim. His form was perfect and it didn't look like he was working hard at all yet he kept increasing his lead. Darn technique! It is so important in swimming and this guy was a poster-boy for perfect technique. I kept scanning his technique vs. the chase pack behind him and the difference was huge.

If you ever feel sorry for yourself during a triathlon, take a turn in a kayak and cover the very very back of the pack. The stragglers. Hats off to these racers and I have a newfound respect for them. THEY ARE WORKING HARD!! They ran the whole gamut from breaststroking, doing the sidestroke/head out of water thing, backstroke, and freestyle thrashing/hyperventilating and stopping every 15-20 yrds to catch a breath swimmers. The constant among this hardy bunch, regardless of how they went about moving forward, was that they kept going! Pretty darn inspiring when I'm sure it was a victory for some of them to even finish the swim.

As the last of the bunch was headed in, I spotted a gal having trouble about 30-40 yards from the finish. I stroked over to her and she was in tears...poor thing. I told her to grab the side of my kayak and catch her breath. She started rambling about being seasick and forgetting her dramamine....all the while, continuing to get sick / vomiting...she kept apologizing, "Please forgive me", which struck me as strange since she had nothing to be sorry about. Pretty soon she was on her way and it was cool to see her step up on the boat dock and jog to transition. I spoke to another kayaker who said the poor gal was pretty much stopping and getting sick around the whole 1.2mile loop. Positive vibes out to her...hope she had a good end to her race!

After the volunteer stint, I put on my suit and met two racers that are also doing IMC for a swim around the buoy line. We did a solid 53'ish minute swim. I followed that up with a 5 mile run when I got home. Training..check. Lunch..check. Hot cup of fresh coffee while relaxing...CHECK!! ;-)

Is this guy speaking the truth or what!? ;-)

Hope your weekend is going well...thanks for stopping by.

*Peace*

It's Official, I'm A Dork

2007-08-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

You all wanna see what fast looks like?!

Or maybe dorky based on the reaction from Steven but what the hell does he know right - don't drink the hate-orade just because my helmet is bigger then yours brother!;-) Actually, I will have to commend him on his maturity in biting his tongue today - no comments about the helmet even thought it warranted comments. And yes, that is rain in the pics...taken TODAY. Steven and I were about 5 minutes from finishing our ride and got dumped on. Mother Nature up to her silly tricks...gotta love her!

For my aero inspiration, you only need to look at the following clip...although I think Dark Helmet is wearing a Louis Garneau Rocket since his helmet is just a hair bigger then mine.;-)

Taper is rolling along and full of the typical highs and lows...feeling fatigued but that is normal so rolling with it. I'm still dealing with stomach issues even today on the bike...hmmm, I'm thinking i may have a mild stomach bug. What else could explain it? I've been taking approx 300 cal / hour all season and now i'm having stomach issues with "light" bottles of approx 175 cal. It doesn't add up...hopefully it gets sorted out by next Sunday because stomach issues on the bike = long marathon!

Tomorrow I am volunteering at the Hulaman 1/2 Iron . Bummer that it is right in our backyard and I can't race it due to the timing issue with IMC. Oh well, at least I can do my part by volunteering. I'm scheduled to be out on the swim course monitoring the racers via kayak. I'm not sure who will actually need monitoring since I've never paddled a kayak before. They may have to keep an eye on me! ;-)

*Peace*

#1013

2007-08-15T20:36:00.000-07:00

Come August 26, Keep your eyes peeled for #1013 and #1206 we're going to be representin' a lil Pacific Northwest style...yeah, a lil crunchy, lil granola but hardened by 6-8 months of solid training in the hills and rain!

Bring. It.

The days are counting off QUICK! I've been fighting a cold accompanied by continued stomach issues whenever i eat...probably a combination of the illness and nerves, not sure. I'm just glad it's this week and not next week.

Probably need to relax...chill...breaaathe....

and keep my musical chill pills on repeat...yeah, steady doses of Ben and Bob will help...positive vibes my friends!

It's always strange how months of heavy volume followed by a taper always leaves me in a fragile state....even watching the preceding video has me tear'in up for no particular reason...no worries though, I'll be in full *peaceful* warrior mode next Sunday!

"We can shift (or refine) our perceptual filters, recognizing that there are no ordinary moments. If I feel bored, or view life as mundane, I can refocus my attention to the small things, and to the gift of each breath, and remember to say “Thank you for this day.” D.M.

Yes Indeed!

*Peace*

Shut It Down

2007-08-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Less then two weeks out and my stomach is acting up...not a good sign. Yesterday, Steven, Linnea, and I met at Hagg for a S/B/R workout (1hr open water swim / 4.5hr bike / 30 min run). My stomach was acting up pretty much from the start of the bike. Strange because I didn't change my nutrition protocol and the swim was pretty ez on the effort scale. I did swallow a bit of water during the start of the swim and ate a clif bar before the start of the bike but didn't think the timing (immediately following the swim) was an issue since I didn't go hard in the water and I also drank plenty of water to help digest the bar. By the time I hit the run the fluid in me belly was sloshin' around...major stressor for me. If it was race day and I was going 26.2, it wouldn't have been pretty. Hmmmm...not sure what the issue is but I think I will scale back the caloric mix of my hourly bottles...currently 350 calories with 75g carbohydrate which my body tolerated very well during all of my training in the last couple of months. At my race weight of 142-145lbs, probably a bit too high. I'm definitely scaling it back to ~250 cal / hour with approx 50g carbs in one bottle and will supplement with additional H20. This episode gave me flashbacks of my dehydrated death march on the run last year at IMC...i do NOT want to repeat that.

Today, had the exact opposite experience. Met a couple people from Nike and one guy from Intel doing IMC at Hagg Lake for another open water swim. Today went a bit longer on the swim (one hour exactly...probably around 2 miles +) followed by a solid run. Since I did a solid swim yesterday, I spent alot of time following feet today during the swim with several race pace bursts- felt good. Starting to feel "comfortable" in the wetsuit which is a plus going into the race this year. I followed up the swim with a 10.6 mile run around HILLY Hagg Lake in 1:19 for a 7:27 pace. That will be my last longish run before IMC...the feet didn't protest too much either. I needed a solid workout after the confidence-crushing workout yesterday!

That is pretty much it for the longer stuff...I will definitely scale back the duration of all workouts in the next two weeks...shut it down as they say. The key workouts this coming week will be 2.5hr brick on Tues / 3hr bike Sat / I will also try to get in 2 open water swims next weekend. The rest of the workouts will be light.

Summary of last two weeks
IMC Training Week 4
This was a recovery week and an opportunity to get rid of all fatigue prior to the 3 week peak / taper. I had two days completely off but I also did a 20 mile run and a solid 3.75 bike during this "recovery" week so it all probably balances out.
11.0 TOTAL Hours
Swim 3.0 Hrs
(9,250 Yrds - 3 swims. Finally got in a solid 1hr open water swim at Hagg Lake)
Bike 3.75 Hrs
(49.5 Miles - 1 whopping ride. Do the math on the ave speed...this ride was all about going up.)
Run 4.25 Hrs
(31 Miles - 2 runs: 20 & 11 miles. The 20 miler was a bit brutal on the tail end. I was definitely feeling the lack of mileage in my legs from 16 on. The 11 miler was a solid hilly run around Hagg Lake in 1:25 (7:44/mile pace), post-swim.)

IMC Training Week 3
(Peak Week 1)
13.75 TOTAL Hours
Swim 2.0 Hrs
(2 swims. Both open water swims at Hagg Lake- approx 1 hr each swim. Nice to get in a couple extended wetsuit swims prior to the race. Hagg Lake even has a buoy line cutting the lake in half which served as a perfect race buoy sighting exercise)
Bike 7.75 Hrs
(120 Outdoor Miles / 2 CT rides - 4 rides: CT Intervals / 37.5 / EZ spin / 82.5 Scaled back my mileage big time this week. I did get in a solid interval workout on the computrainer with some intervals hitting 280watts for several minutes - didn't kill myself but good to get that push. 37.5m ride was 2hr ride portion of a brick workout on Tuesday, 82.5 was the stomach shutdown bike from yesterday.
Run 4.0 Hrs
(31.2 Miles - 4 runs including a 2 hr "long" run of 15.1 miles & hilly 10.6 miler around Hagg Lake today (7:27/mile pace).)

Rest....Recovery...SLEEP...healthy eats...No stress...positive...focus...
*time to breath deep*

*Peace*

No Title

2007-08-09T00:26:00.000-07:00

Started a bit late and didn't get done with my 2 hr run until 10pm tonight...explains why i'm a bit wired and blogging right now....one more big workout this Saturday and then it's all taper, all the time!

In more exciting news...Ben Harper is releasing a new album on 8/28...get some!

In case you missed this link on slowtwitch, the following video is painful...Why Carl!? Why!?!? I just don't get it...the outfit..the white belt...well, I guess it gives his outfit a little color but still....the gal blowing bubbles....while he has repeatedly denied accusations that he is gay, this video isn't helping bolster his argument. Not that there is anything wrong with being gay of course!

Hope your week is going well....

*Peace*

Picture Me Rollin'...

2007-07-31T19:11:00.000-07:00

My last 4 training weeks have been pretty solid: 20.75 hrs / 21.5 hrs / 19.75 hrs / 24.75 hrs. Probably not optimal without a rest week in there to break it up but counting back from IMC, I wanted a recovery week to flush out any fatigue before heading into the 3 week taper so had to go with 4 straight weeks of volume. Definitely a ton of heartbeats there and I am REALLY enjoying the recovery week right now! :-)

Week 5 was a pretty solid week with 300 bike miles capped off by back to back 100 mile rides followed by a brick run. Saturday, Steven and I were pretty much skunked by crappy weather so I went out Sunday and got in a pretty good race simulation ride. I chained myself to the aerobars and did 5.75 hrs / 105 miles over some rolling terrain with some good hills, serious headwinds, rain. The brick run went surprisingly well and I ran 6 miles over rolling terrain in 47 minutes - not a bad end to a solid block of training. The only bummer was a bee sting during my Sunday ride that ended up getting infected. My arm swelled up like a balloon so I was at the Doc today getting some antibiotics. I had a 2.5 hour ride on tap but decided to skip it and let the body rest.

Here's the tale of the tape for the last two weeks:

IMC Training Week 6
19.75 TOTAL Hours
Swim 3.25 Hrs
(11,000 Yrds - 3 swims. Focused on longer straight sets - did a boring straight 4000 during one swim.)
Bike 12.5 Hrs
(232.9 Miles - 4 rides: 27.4 / 42.8 / 91.1 / 71. Overall, didn't really seem to get in any "long" rides- I am trying to keep all my rides to 2+ hours and it didn't happen this week)
Run 4 Hrs
(32 Miles - 4 runs including a "long" run of 13 miles. The ASTYM continues to provide healing with the PF even though I am continuing to run *thank god*)

IMC Training Week 5
24.75 TOTAL Hours
Swim 3.25 Hrs
(10,500 Yrds - 3 swims. I'm just punching the clock here and getting in the minimun 3 a week)
Bike 17.5 Hrs
(303.7 Miles - 4 rides: 42 / 50 / 106.1 / 105.6 SOLID week capped off by back to back century bricks)
Run 4.0 Hrs
(29.5 Miles - 3 runs including a glorious long run of EIGHTEEN miles- huge for me since I really haven't been running and didn't think that was even a possibility a couple weeks ago. I plan on doing a couple more long runs pre-IMC.)

Rolling thru week 4 and enjoying some nice recovery. Coach KP always scheduled a recovery week right before the peak / tapering block to flush out any fatigue so going with that protocol. The thought of another heavy volume weekend would have crushed me so it's nice looking at a weekend where I only have a 2.75 hr long ride scheduled. Granted it has a tough 3 x Bald Peak hill repeat insert but sub-3 hours..nice!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel....
and it's a beautiful thing!

*Peace*

No Heroes

2007-07-24T22:22:00.000-07:00

What in the hell is going on in the Tour De France!? With Vinokourov testing positive for homologous blood doping and Astana leaving the tour, can the sorry state of affairs sink any lower? Now every great performance is suspect but I guess it's been that way for awhile now.....pretty darn sad.

Edit..7/25
Can the sorry state of affairs sink any lower? I guess so...Rasmussen had his arse kicked out of the tour. The TDF has turned into a circus...I'm waiting for the little car full of clowns to roll out

This lil cutey-pie has the right idea eh! DOPERS SUCK!!

*Peace*

Keep On Movin'

2007-07-19T21:28:00.000-07:00

Just surfacing real quick to let you all know I'm still alive and kicking! ;-)
As the Ironman Canada clock went sub-50 awhile back, I decided that stressing about the chronically injured status of my feet wasn't helping matters so I decided to focus on doing everything I could to get them to a point where I could run semi-regularly. Here's a couple of good things that you all should look into:

Evolution Running or Pose Method or Chi Running....in whatever form, improving your run technique is definitely worth the time investment. I purchased the Evolution Running DVD and it is definitely worth every penny.

Take a look at your running race photos- heel striking? If so, it's only a matter of time before you get some type of nagging injury. Work on the technique my friends! Don't learn the hard way...it sucks!

ASTYM- If you are suffering from Plantar Fasciitis or any soft-tissue injury, get into see a PT who is certified in this injury treatment protocol. After only 4 treatments, I've noticed a HUGE difference in my PF pain. The best thing about ASTYM is that they encourage you to keep running thru the treatment phase. The only regret I have is that I didn't get in sooner before my PF was so bad. Check out the website, YES- the treatment is pretty painful at times but the payoff is definitely worth it!

Don't worry, be happy! Seriously, if you are dealing with an injury, It doesn't have to shut you down. Remember the glass is always half full right? If you can't run, swim more. If you can't swim, run more...and so on. For me it's been all about the bike lately. I need to make sure that I get off the bike as fresh as possible at IMC since I won't have the optimal run fitness going in! Here's my finish shot from a good day in Canada...aaah, memories.... I'll definitely be giving a 100% of whatever I have on the day, come 8/26/07. Daylight finish baby!!! :-)

I also had a appt. with my awesome podiatrist and had him modify my new orthotics. Unfortunately, they no longer look nice and new like this photo taken the other day.

He went to town on them with a grinder and saw but they are much more comfortable now. Also, I got some cushioned shoes (Air Max Moto) to help with the PF foot pain since the orthotics should provide all the structural correction I need.

Ok, enough about my feet...or at least my injured feet. How about some very cool cycling shoes. It's really unfortunate that Nike got out of the retail cycling business because there was some really cool stuff coming down the pipe in 07 and beyond. Including these shoes. I don't think they are available at retail yet but I've been told they're only going to be available in limited quantities. Luckily, since I was involved in the Nike Cycling group, I was given a pair. Actually someone asked me if I could fit a size 43 as she dangled a pair in front of my face. Amazing how my size 42 feet immediately grew a size as I said Yes! ;-) Nothing that an orthotic or insert can't fix right!? They are EXTREMELY LIGHT, especially in comparison to the weight of any other cycling shoe I've ever had in my hot little hands. I think the minimalist upper is pretty cool too.

Speaking of minimalist, check out these new free 3.0's I bought for a friend. They've taken the Free and carved out more of the sole...hopefully I can get to an injury-free status soon so that I can give them a go. My podiatrist would still like me to get into a racing flat which he states will definitely help in the running technique dept. by promoting a forefoot vs. heel-strike since they typically don't have a huge built-up heel.

And last but not least, in case any of you thought I was going soft in the training department. Here's my last two weeks of training, a bit light, as mentioned, in the running dept. but increasing the cycling to compensate.

IMC Training Week 8
21.5 TOTAL Hours
Swim 3.25 Hrs
(10,500 Yrds - 3 swims. Working on longer sets and doing alot of straight 3000's.)
Bike 14.5 Hrs
(240.9 Miles - 4 rides: 58 / 27.6 / 45.3 / 110)
Run 3.75 Hrs
(27 Miles - 4 runs including a "long" run of 11 miles. Much less pounding on the legs with the forefoot strike off the bike.)

IMC Training Week 7
20.75 TOTAL Hours
Swim 1.0 Hrs
(3,500 Yrds - 1 swims. OUCH-swimming took a big hit for some reason last week, Dr. Appts got in the way of a couple workouts)
Bike 17.25 Hrs
(306 Miles - 5 rides: 34.5 / 36 / 62 / 100.4 / 73.1 Solid bike miles - last 3 days were consecutive Fri-Sun)
Run 3.0 Hrs
(22.3 Miles - 3 runs including a "long" run of 11 miles. Working on ramping it up here soon as long as the injury treatment continues to go well)

Currently in the middle of Week 6 and the running has been getting better. The feet are still sore but I've noticed marked improvement with every ASTYM treatment. ANYONE SUFFERING FROM PF, TRY THIS NOW!!!

Finally, lets all send positive vibes out to the STRONG guys and gals rocking Ironman Lake Placid this weekend. I'll be following Cliff, Darren, and Jeremy. Good luck and Godspeed boys- RACE HARD!!

Train smart and be safe out there!

*Peace*

Oregon Coast Vacation

2007-07-15T19:09:00.000-07:00

Post-race, battered feet....what better time to get off the aerobic train and get in a little R&R right? I drove back from Bend, Oregon the day after the race just in time to pick Deb up at PDX. We had planned a quick run up the Oregon Coast staying a couple nights in the Newport area and a couple nights in Manzanita. I'd like to say that I was able to come up with the itinerary myself but I did the easy thing and asked resident expert and lifelong Oregonian, Steven, for some suggestions and he didn't let me down. He suggested The Inn at Cape Kiwanda, located in Pacific City, Oregon and The Inn at Manzanita. They both get two big thumbs up from Deb and I.

We started out early Monday morning and drove straight to Newport which was just south of where we would stay in Pacific City. We didn't stay too long in Newport but long enough to check out the Oregon Coast Aquarium and The Rogue Brewery. I'd have to say the Rogue is one of my fave microbrewers in Oregon...great food and tasty beers.

Rogue Nation Baby!!

Oregon Coast Aquarium...yes, I'm a dork!

I love the jellyfish exhibits...pretty darn cool...gave me flashbacks of Ironman Florida...they had some big ones there!

We then drove up the coast for the short drive to Pacific City. We really didn't have any formal plans, just wanted to get a chance to spend some time together and relax. The Inn at Cape Kiwanda was located right across the street from the beach and The Pelican Pub & Brewery. We hit the pub for a bite to eat and to sample the brews. The food was pretty good, we probably could have done without the TOWER OF RINGS...probably belongs on one of those lists of things that should never enter your mouth! ooof!

The Tower baby!!

all those pretty colors....

The food was all my fault of course, Deb is usually my voice of reason...she eats much cleaner then I do...she was a vegetarian for a long time and usually lets me know when I am going sideways...I guess she relaxed a bit for this vacation and let me get crazy...everything in moderation right? ;-) After we waddled out of there, we took a nice walk up the beautiful beach and climbed the biggest sand dune / mountain, I've seen. I called it the hill of doom and I tried to convince myself that I was able to work off the damage from dinner by climbing to the top...maybe not but fun, nonetheless. We just relaxed around Pacific City....did some sightseeing, hiking etc before we drove North to Manzanita.

Deb and I on top of the world aka, the hill of doom!

Pacific City was nice, but I LOVE Manzanita. Such a nice *little* town without all the tourist trappings of the larger coastal towns like Lincoln City or Seaside. Our Inn was really nice and the town had everything I needed, a great coffee shop,a bookstore, a good pizza place across the street and the beach within walking distance. Two big thumbs up here. More relaxing and quiet time....nice to just spend time with Deb. The only bummer was that it ended up raining while we were in Manzanita but it is Oregon right?! No worries, we just made the best of it. We also drove up one day to check out Cannon Beach. Also a very cool town up the coast. I'm a coffee addict and we found a really good local coffee shop in Cannon Beach and Deb bought me a couple different bags of the good stuff....if you're ever driving thru Cannon Beach...STOP!! at The Sleepy Monk Coffee Roasters....great, fair-trade organic beans!

Much too soon, the week was over but again, a nice relaxing time with Deb. She is definitely my better half, my voice of reason, my biggest cheerleader, and best friend. :-) I still think she let me down on the Tower of Rings though....how could she let me order that artery clogger!?! ;-) Happy to report that all that "throw caution to the wind, vacation eating is done!!

I also need to throw a shout out to Karen and Steven for a great b-day dinner last night - THANK YOU. Yes...I hit the big 41...but I heard that 41 is the new 31 so It's all good. Steven and I did a hilly 100 mile bike / 4.3 mile run so the dinner really hit the spot. He makes a mean barbecued double-patty, cheez burger which was paired with a tasty fruit salad, roasted potatoes, and beers. YUM...the best part was that Karen sent me home with a bag of her homemade oatmeal-raisin cookies. A couple even made it safely in my car all the way home! :-). I spent my birthday counting my blessings.....Deb, my family, my health, my wonderful friends, my job and realized how lucky and truly blessed I am. The glass is always half....or three-quarters full, it's all about your mindset and perspective right? I also threw in a 73 mile / 4 hour ride for good measure!

Have a great week!

*Peace*

Pacific Crest 1/2 Iron Triathlon

2007-07-08T21:44:00.001-07:00

I don't even know where to start with an update since it's been so long! I raced, went on a mini-vacation, dealt / dealing with the saga of my injured feet. Maybe chronological order will work?

Pacific Crest 1/2 Iron
I wish I had a more exciting race report but it was a pretty standard race. In hindsight, I wish I would've skipped it based on how F'd my feet were post-race. I could have used the taper & race week to get some additional solid aerobic volume under my belt for Ironman Canada.

Swim
I *thought* I did everything right this year. I got in the water early, did some warm-ups to get the HR up and clear the jets, etc. When the gun went off I made a conscious effort to go out very easy to avoid hyperventilating since this was only my second wetsuit swim and we were at elevation. It didn't seem to matter because I was right on the edge of gasping for breath after only 2-3 minutes of racing. I was able to talk myself off the ledge and get it under control, thank god! After about 2-300 yards, I thought I was doing okay when I saw a kayaker fast-approaching from the right. F&#%! I was veering off course so had to cut a hard left to get back on course, pretty uneventful after that....just settled in and worked it to the finish. One bummer is that there is absolutely no draft at Pac Crest due to the murky water. It really makes it difficult to find any feet and to stick to them. You can only see about an arm length out so it made it a tough swim for those, like me, who are aquatically-challenged.
Swim Finish: 37:06
1:45 pace OUCH. Oh, well...where's that bike!?

T1 4:22 Yeah, that's FOUR:22...you gotta problem wid it!? ;-) We had to bag up all our stuff for transport to T2 but still not an excuse for that loong transition.

Bike
I was a bit bummed that they had to change the course this year due to road construction. They eliminated the climb up Mount Bachelor and the screaming fast descent down the other side and replaced it with a *yaaaawn* boring course with a horrible road surface. I'm talking teeth-jarringly bad. I didn't have time to drive the bike course but had heard that it was flat and fast. The first 15-20 miles were anything but. Right out of the gate, there were some good rollers and a couple climbs....I made it a point to push it up the rollers / climbs and settle in on the flats. After about 25-30 miles it was pretty flat with several sections of false flats but nothing that forced you to get out of the aerobars. I was a bit nervous with the big fat 808 wheel up front but glad to report that it was very manageable in the wind....granted there weren't any gusts but some pretty good wind in certain sections. Besides pushing it up the climbs/rollers I just rode the bike at a pretty steady pace.

Race-ready....stunning eh!? ;-)

Uummm, does this disc wheel make my butt look big?

Ok, back to the race...I did three stops - 2 stops to dismount and use the bathroom, 1 to park it at an aid station for a quick fill-up on the bottles. Isn't there an unwritten rule not to pee on the bike if it isn't an A race?! I couldn't force myself to sully my beautiful new bike so took the time penalties to keep her nice and pretty. The whole ride went well until the dismount area where the rider immediately in front of me slammed on his brakes at the front of the dismount area while I was right behind....not good! There was approximately 15-20 feet where he could have gradually come to a stop but he panicked and thought he had to be off the bike at the front line. I almost laid it down right there but was able to save it by making a wacky brake / turn combo while making some strange moaning sound. You had to be there- good times.
Bike Time 2:30
22.4 mph ave

T2 2:35 I was actually happy with this transition since it was old school all the way. I sat down to put my socks on and also tie my regular laces. I was too lazy to put on race locks or easy laces. I even used the bathroom before exiting the transition so not too shabby.

Run
Ok...nothing to see here, keep it moving.
The run was disappointing but it's not like I was expecting to PR based on the plantar fasciitis I've been dealing with. My feet hurt during the first 5-6 miles of the run but nothing I could do but suck it up. To put it in perspective, I was able to shuffle through this whole run without walking and still have the same run time as last year where I could actually run but spent quite a bit of time walking. No walking just an overall slower pace this year. At least endurance wasn't an issue on the run, all the bike mileage in training seems to have helped me here.
Run Time 1:48
8:15/mile pace

Finish 5:02:20
13/63 Age Division

One major positive from this race was my successful fueling / hydration plan. I seem to have nailed this aspect of the race and didn't have any stomach issues on the run AT ALL. After a ton of research and pestering guys who have raced well in the heat (thanks Crash), I now realize that my racing m.o. was to get off the bike woefully dehydrated, try to ingest calories on the run and have my stomach immediately shut down. I carried a bottle of my mix (2 scoops malto / 1 scoop cytomax / 2 endurolyte tabs = 350 calories) out of T2 and was able to drink it with no problems. This was HUGE for me. It really got me fired up about how I was going to tackle the fueling at IMC. I definitely DON'T want a repeat of last year where I ended up in the med tent puking my guts out!

The major negative from the race was the state of my feet, post-race. They felt like someone beat them with hammers but I figured as much based on how sore they were while I was actually running during the race. They are still bothering me 2 weeks later but I have taken some other measures to help in that area but that'll be a topic of another post. Also, I guess I should have paid more attention to the race clock since I had no clue I was close to the 5 hour mark. Oh well, STILL A PR sore feet and all, so I'll take it! :-)

I'll have to tell you about my great vacation up the coast of Oregon with Deb in my next post- stay tuned!

Also- thanks for your patience in dealing with my sorry blog updates. I'm dancing as fast as I can!

*Peace*

Bad Blogger! Bad Blogger!

2007-06-19T21:41:00.000-07:00

It's scary when you haven't turned on the lights for awhile and the first thing you see is your race countdown clock at 67 days!! Seriously, where does the time go!?
I figured I'd take a break and spare you all the agony of reading the multiple posts I would of threw up here all revolving around my current obsession with my aching feet.

Bad mojo baby!

Sorry, indulge me a bit here on the feet though. :-) They are ...dare I say it...getting better!? Ok, maybe that was a bit premature but I have been treating them aggressively since my last post. If anyone is suffering from plantar fasciitis, USE THE GOLF BALL! I got the tip from Fluro who is dealing with some serious foot issues. The ball therapy has been HUGE in getting my feet to a point where I can actually run. It isn't the most fun digging a golf ball into the pain points in your heel but I definitely feel like I am breaking up the knots in there. If i'm sitting down, I'm working the golf ball, simple as that. Also, firm support of the arches at all times with the Birkys has been a major help as well..got that tip from Steven's Karen so getting some love all around....oh, and using the foam roller to keep the calves nice and loose....actually a goal since my calves are pretty "knotty".

Running has been pretty pitiful the last 3 weeks....2 weeks ago, I could only run once due to the pain (6 miles) but last week I was able to crank out 19 big ones (kinda funny bragging about running 19 miles eh?)...the feet were definitely sore but the fact that I could actually run was huge. This week, I ran 4 miles yesterday and got attacked by a bird...maybe he was trying to tell me to stay off my feet? Whatever...it scared the crapola out of me when it divebombed and hit me in the head and then came back for a second pass which I was able to avoid by ducking....this was on the woodchip trail around the nike campus and I think it was probably protecting a nest but come on...just trying to get my run on!! ;-) The second loop, sure enough...the same bird was stalking me and every time I looked up it was getting ready to divebomb me again...crazy! I must have looked like a fool sitting there clapping and yelling while trying to run but was able to avoid any bloodshed so it worked.

I'm hoping my feet continue to heal...I will continue with the aggressive therapy on my end. I figure I will continue to run as well...I can't run fast since whenever I hit around a 7:45 pace they (feet) let me know they aren't happy but each week the pain seems to be just a little less then the prior week....I'd hate to think it was my pain tolerance going up eh!?

Finally, instead of living vicariously through all you studs and studettes who have already raced this year, I am going to toe the line at the Pac Crest 1/2 Iron on Saturday. It was definitely iffy for awhile and my run is definitely the X factor since I have no miles in my legs to speak of. I'll just have to HAMMER the bike so that I can still have a decent finish if the run turns into a walk! Thank god it's only a 1/2 iron....if this was IMC, I would not be happy!

I know several of you are racing IM CDA so I'll definitely be following online. Positive vibes headed your way for a strong race out there...stay in the moment and believe!

*Peace*

Breaking Down

2007-06-03T20:44:00.001-07:00

It's starting to be a constant theme around here but can we talk about me feets!? They hurt man!! The sad thing is the PF pain has elevated to where BOTH my feet just ache walking around- definitely not good. It hit a new level this weekend when I finished a beautiful bike ride on Saturday with Steven and had to shut it down about 10 steps into our transition run. Nothing worse then watching your bro run off into the distance to bang out a transition run as you *WALK* back to your car.

Aggressive therapy is probably needed at this point since my feet are falling apart and I only ran 3.25 hrs last week. It's not like i'm throwing out 50-60 mile weeks. One thing that has really helped in the last day is wearing Birkys (thanks Karen!!) instead of my comfy crocs. As Karen stated, your feet need support right now, not cushion. She is battling similar issues and the dull ache I was experiencing while walking around is pretty much gone with the birkenstocks *good news*.

I have given up trying to wean myself off of orthotics and will look into getting some new ones asap. Timing could be a bit better though. I am signed up for the Pac Crest 1/2 Iron on 6/24 so that may turn into a swim / bike / walk? Oh the horror.

Now on to better things, Steven found a new route that goes through the little burg of Timber on the way out to Vernonia and it was AWESOME.

SERIOUSLY

An hour away from his house we were riding along in some beautiful country without anyone else in sight. One of those rides where you rarely see a car since they really have no reason to be out there unless they live in Timber. Nice mix of some rolling hills, flats and steeps on the way back but a solid ride that moved right up to the top of our fave rides.

Saturday Bike
5.5 hours
94.6 Miles

I would have liked to run on Sunday since I seem to be obsessing about it with my foot issue but figured a bike ride would probably be much better then taking a chance with the feet right now. Got out a bit late into the winds but just put my head down and banged it out. I went out for a loop around Hagg Lake before heading home.

Sunday Ride
3.75 Hours
71 Miles

Now for a long overdue PSA (public service announcement). You all need to get one of these!!

No not the really cool glasses, I'm talking about the DORKY rear-view mirror. I've seen these for years and have always thought they screamed GOOOOFY until I started riding with Steven and was amazed at how he was always aware of what was going on behind us waaay before i even realized a car was approaching. I finally broke down and bought one about a month ago and I seriously don't think I could ride without one now.

Increasing your awareness can only be a good thing when you are riding around on a bicycle with a big bullseye on your back. We are really blessed to ride in a very cycling-friendly community up here in Oregon but for those of you having to regularly deal with homo sapiens of the assholicus maximus sub-species (I dealt with my fair share down in Cali so I can relate), this product can literally be a lifesaver. Swallow your pride and vanity, affix the mirror to your glasses and let your Dork Flag Fly!!

Seriously, it's not about you, it's about the people you love and making sure you come home safe and sound each time you swing your leg over your bike.
*stepping off soapbox now*

IMC Training Week 13
24.0 TOTAL Hours
Swim 2.0 Hrs
(6,750 Yrds - 3 swims. Swim volume was lacking big time. I missed the weekend swim again and one of my weekday swims was only 15 minutes!!. I need to work on my timing and figuring out the pool hours here!)
Bike 17.25 Hrs
(288.6 Miles - 5 rides. Big bump in cycling hours due to the Memorial Day ride this week. 272.6 road miles / 16 Computrainer *Intervals*)
Run 3.25 Hrs
(25.6 Miles - 3 runs including 1 off the bike. Need to work on the PF issues, as noted above - not good!)
Weights 1.5 Hrs
(2 x 45min sessions)

As always, thanks for stopping by. Have a great week and be safe out there!!

*Peace*

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-27T20:33:00.000-07:00

I made it through a pretty solid week without too much damage except for a sore foot. I put the holiday weekend to good use by getting in some extra bike volume and I'm happy to report that the weather actually cooperated *translation, no rain* even though it was pretty darn cloudy at times.

Since Steven was out of town, I hammered out a solitary long ride on Saturday. Overall, very good ride, aero is getting more comfortable and bike feels solid on the flats as well as climbing. I hit the big bumps (Bald Peak) as well as the speed bumps (3 x Hagg Lake loop) to get in a pretty hilly ride.

Saturday Bike
106.1 Miles
6.0 Hours

I was planning to take it easy on Sunday since Steven and I were going to be riding on Monday. I decided to keep the ride fairly flat but the wind was really whipping out there so I was forced to push more then I wanted. I still took it around Hagg Lake once since it is really hard to keep it flat around here. Whenever I wasn't going up, it seemed like I had to deal with a wall of wind. I was really glad to get off the bike! I went for a transition run and was keeping my fingers crossed since my PF flared up again in my right foot (yes, the other foot now too)! Major suckage! The run wasn't too bad and the pain in my right foot was much better then it was Friday / Saturday so that was a plus.

Sunday Bike
71.3 Miles
4.0 Hours

Transition Run
5 Miles
37:24

I was definitely feeling it a bit in the legs today after two solid days of riding but dragged myself to Steven's house for some more self-inflicted abuse. Steven and I headed into the hills straight outta the gate and got more then our fair share of climbing. We started with Unger and I knew it was going to be a long day due to my percieved effort on this out-of-the-saddle grinder . I can't imagine the hill got steeper since the last time I rode it but it sure felt like it! We then decided to follow a portion of the 05 LiveStrong ride and it was nothing but HILLS. BEAUTIFUL hills though...definitely a route that opens your eyes to the beauty that surrounds us up here! We also climbed up the backside of Bald Peak and were treated to some awesome vistas from the ridgeline...definitely a day to have a camera in your back pocket but sorry to say I didn't have mine. *sigh* Our mileage (or lack thereof) really gives an indication of the amount of vertical we hit today. I'd guess that we spent over 3 hours climbing today. My legs were toast but I had to deal with Steven rambling about the transition run and how it was going to "be great". If you can't beat'em, join'em right!? We got it done though so another solid block and a boost of extra volume to start the new week.

Monday Bike
72 Miles?
4:50
Run
4.8 miles
37:34

Steven's awesome wife had thrown a pizza in the oven (their kitchen is awesome, btw) for lunch and gave me an invite but I had to look the other way and leave since I was going to try to make it to the Nike pool to get in a swim a bit later before they closed. If you know how much I love pizza, you can imagine how difficult this was. I only shed a couple tears though. ;-)

I made it to the gym with 45 minutes to spare and banged out a quick workout.
45 minutes
1 x 2500
My legs felt great, post-swim, so glad I forced myself to hit the gym!

Now the weekly stats for last week.
IMC Training Week 14
23.75 TOTAL Hours
Swim 2.75 Hrs
(9,000 Yrds - 3 swims. Swim volume still needs work. I have a very hard time choosing to go for a swim vs. cycling on the weekend but will have to bite the bullet since my bike volume is pretty steady.)
Bike 15.0 Hrs
(262.4 Miles - 5 rides. I love my tri-bike! I'm finally getting the position dialed in and it is feeling much more comfortable in the aero position vs. last week. Still focusing on getting in the hills. Did Richter pass on the computrainer several times and hit the usual big bumps around town here. 215.4 road miles / 47 Computrainer)
Run 4.5 Hrs
(36.9 Miles - 4 runs including 1 off the bike. Getting frustrated with my PF issues. While the left heel hasn't changed, my right heel flared up post-run Friday!! It was pretty sore just walking around Friday / Saturday with even some pain while cycling Saturday. It seemed to be a bit better on Sunday so I ran 5 miles off the bike and it actually wasn't too bad so keeping my fingers crossed here. Aaah, just when I was starting to get my "run legs" back!)
Weights 1.5 Hrs
(2 x 45min sessions. Increasing the poundage but still sticking to a weight that I can do higher reps of 15-20. I'm loving the weight sessions!! *NOT* I'm sticking to the schedule though.)

Last, but definitely not least, let's all take a few minutes to give thanks this Memorial Day to those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in defending our country. Also, we need to continue supporting and giving thanks to our current troops. I have a nephew in Iraq right now and he is just a kid so it definitely hits close to home. Scary times indeed.

Hope you all had a relaxing and safe weekend!

*Peace*

Don't Forget The Sunscreen

2007-05-22T22:45:00.000-07:00

...and other assorted good advice

*peace*

Recovery...Not So Much

2007-05-21T21:43:00.000-07:00

I just got thru my "recovery" week although it didn't feel like it! I was buried at work so it couldn't have come at a better time but I really think "outside / life" stressors vs. just training stress should be a major consideration during a recovery week.

Let me throw out the hours last week- I didn't even break ten hours and the only reason I got close was because of a 4.25 hr ride I did with Steven on Saturday. Still came out the other side of the recovery week feeling a bit tired due to work.

IMC Training Week 15 (RECOVERY)
9.0 TOTAL Hours
Swim 1.5 Hrs
(4,500 Yrds - 2 swims. Easy 45 swims with drills)
Bike 5.5 Hrs
(78 Miles - 2 rides. 1 CT hill ride 12 miles and 66 mile road ride with Steven)
Run 2.0 Hrs
(16 Miles - 3 runs. Still having issues with the left heel. It's pretty sore for the first 5 minutes of each run then fine for the remainder.)

Based on work last week, I would have fried myself if I had to do more so luckily the recovery came at a good time. Work will be extremely busy though for the next couple weeks so really need to focus on maximizing my time / efficiency and making sure I can nail the workouts. I did get in 3 hours today via bike am / swim lunch / run pm so I'm on the right track. I am hoping to get in some extended volume this coming Memorial Day extended weekend so keeping my fingers crossed for some good weather. What happened to April Showers bring May flowers!?! Based on recent weather up here, April Showers bring.....you guessed it, May Showers. ugh.

Now into a glimpse of how the top age groupers do it, I had an exchange with with one of the elite AG'ers in my club. He's an extremely knowledgeable guy and always very nice about responding to any training Q's. He and his wife just won their respective AG's last weekend at the Florida 70.3. I was asking him why he schedules his long runs Sunday following a long bike Saturday and his thoughts on my mid-week long run. This was his response:

"Ok, my theory...that's been tested by 3 straight kona slots and 2 top 3 finishes at CDA (yeah boasting)...and tested on Ann.

You need to tax your body metabolically in every way possible without over doing it. Take this past weekend for example...yeah I have the Florida 70.3 Sunday but I am looking at the big picture.
I did more than an ironman within a 48 hour period. Bike 127, Run 24 and swim 4K. Is that nuts? Well, a month ago yes, but I have periodized to handle the work.

So, I firmly believe in using various combinations of big workouts over a 24-36 hour period to tax the legs in various manners. That's why weekends vary from:
Long run, then long ride (reverse brick)
Run, bike, run, bike, run (big brick)
Ride long, then next morning run long
IM TT simulation, and run IM simulation off the bike.

These 4 combinations I think, doing them a couple of times each to varying degrees will best prepare you for the IM distance. Not just finishing...but placing high in the age group.
I have run Two 20 milers in the past 2 weeks day following over 100 miles on the bike. First 20 miler ave 7:15 pace, second one ave just under 7, 16 miles of which were 6:45 pace. The difference in strength over a couple of weeks is obviously noticeable. Ann? same thing. Her first 20 ave 8:20, her second 20 7:50 pace. Her IM goal pace is 8.

Now, why bike after a long 16 miler? There is no other way to put it except experiencing the total body weakness in the final hour of a long bike following a run.
After just 2 of these workouts, the next time you bike before running, you notice a huge difference in Bike strength.

The big brick and race simulation speak for themselves.

Now the other vital component? It's imperative that you practice exactly...as exact as you can get...race day nutrition. On both the bike rides and the runs. This, over only a month or so, will allow you to adapt very well on both the bike and the run.

Mid week long run?
I dont disagree with this. My reasoning is this. I save the mid week for a key road interval or hill session. If this is done on tuesday, you could run long on thurs. You should allow 1 day between key runs though.
I would still try combinations of big workouts on the weekends, and maybe every third...take do your long run mid week.
Perhaps doing the long run during the week that you have a shorter ride/run planned, like a brick, big brick, or race simulation. Then chill out sunday.

Doing too much will spiral you down thats for certain. BUT...stringing together 2 bigger workouts together or within 24 hours will, over several weeks, allow you to adapt to extreme stress.
hope this helps a little"

Check his blog for a glimpse into his training here. Nice to be able to draw from that kind of experience when any questions arise. My take away is that beyond consistency, it's pretty important to vary the training stress. Also, no way around it...you gotta HIT IT HARD. I definitely plan on incorporating some more run volume into the weekends, as suggested, since I already plan on hitting the bike volume pretty hard.

Have a great week out there!

*Peace*

Break On Through

2007-05-13T20:16:00.000-07:00

This past week was just a blur of activity for me. I was spreading myself a bit thin but figured there was light at the end of the tunnel since this was the last solid week in this training cycle. I just needed to make it through the weekend and my key bike workout.

I ended up flip-flopping my short / long bike ride so that I could get in a ride with Steven. We ended up doing 3 hours on Saturday. It was our first ride on our tri-bikes and it was quite the experience.

Ooof!! Sore neck! Sore back!

My bike is set up on the aggressive side with 79+ seat angle and about a 10.5 - 11cm drop from seat to bars so it will definitely take some time to adjust. Steven was going to make the final push in his kitchen remodel so this actually worked out for the best. In hindsight, the duration was probably perfect for our first ride on our tribikes anyway.

Today, I was going long and was wondering how it would all turn out. It actually wasn't too bad. I decided to push the hurt and ended up doing a pretty hilly ride (Unger / Bald Peak / Hagg Lake / Blooming Fern *at mile 86 ouch*). In addition to the hills, the wind was a BITCH today so definitely got my work in. Bike felt great- just need to put some time in the aeros and this was a step in the right direction. It was also another good day to train the nutrition / hydration protocol. I still haven't set-up the bike completely and without a rear hydration system, I had to resort to carrying a bottle in a jersey pocket but it worked out okay. I felt pretty strong at the end of the ride and was able to motor on the flats pretty well on the last stretch home. Once there, I jumped on the scale and got some great feedback.

My Pre / Post ride weight was exactly the same! That is HUGE for me.

I threw on the shoes for a quick transition run. I wasn't looking forward to this but knew I'd regret it later if I bagged it. It's much easier to get out there when Steven is cracking the whip. After a wobbly first mile on the run, I found my legs and finished it by descending on each mile *barely*. One thing I noticed immediately is that riding steep definitely helps when you are running off the bike. Also, that running comes much easier when you get off the bike well hydrated- what a concept eh!? ;-)
Bike
6.25 Hrs
104 Miles Hilly
Run
30:12
4 Miles
7:57
7:33
7:22
7:20

Now the weekly stats
IMC Training Week 16
23.0 TOTAL Hours
Swim 3.0 Hrs
(9,250 Yrds - 3 swims. Again, swim yardage was a bit lacking with the missed 4th weekend swim. I definitely need to make sure I hit the weekend swim since it is my longer endurance set @ 1.25 - 1.5 hrs)
Bike 14.0 Hrs
(229 Miles - 5 rides. Still focusing on the hillwork and finally got the tribike on the road. Nutrition / hydration protocol is going well- will need to focus focus focus on this so it becomes second nature! 156 road miles / 73 Computrainer)
Run 4.5 Hrs
(32.5 Miles - 4 runs including 1 off the bike. Nice to get my piddly mileage over 30 for the week. Definitely have some room for improvement here! Continuing to monitor the left heel.)
Weights 1.5 Hrs
(2 x 45min sessions of low weight / hi-rep AA sessions. *Yawn* Got it done but not too excited about the gym work.)

Now to the bike.....check it out!
I haven't ridden the ZIPPS but figured I'd deck her out in her sunday best for the pics. Before anyone sez it, let me. Is that logo overkill or what!?! Looks like someone threw up on the bike with a ton of logos. I may actually peel the decals off the ZIPPS but nothing I can do about the frame. I would have preferred a more subtle graphic but the "formula one" style is sloooowly growing on me.

Close-up of the bars...they are actually pretty comfy and superlight (thanks jess!)

Last but not least, I'd like to wish all you awesome moms out there a HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

That's all I got.

I AM SO READY FOR THIS UPCOMING RECOVERY WEEK!!
*tried to run, tried to hide....break on through to the other side, yeah!*

Have a great week!

*Peace*

Thirsty Thursdays - Take One

2007-05-10T21:47:00.000-07:00

I love the change in seasons up here in Oregon. It truly is beautiful once the sun pokes out from behind the clouds and the endless gray skies turn blue. With the great weather come the Thirsty Thursdays at work where they showcase different events accompanied by beers and appetizers.

I always make it a point to attend the first one of the year...The Annual Nike Mile. It is a pretty cool event with mile races for the kids (I think the 9-11 yr old winner ran sub-6 this year). The "All-Comers" event for the "not-so-competitive" employee runners at Nike. Yeah right, the winner finished in around 5:15. He definitely belonged in the Nike Competitive Mile for the "serious employee runners". The Competitive Mile was pretty darn fast with the majority finishing in sub-5. Yes, even the joker wearing a suit like he was dressed for an interview. Hilarious- I wish I had a picture but didn't get a shot. The top 3 finished in around 4:30- I think two Nike employees ended up beating Kara Goucher who jumped in to race. She is QUICK!!

The Elite Mile was awesome. It is truly amazing watching the guys at the top of the game running *so fast* so effortlessly. At least they make the hurt look painless. I didn't recognize the majority of the runners (besides Dan Browne & Adam Goucher) and we didn't have any Kenyans here this year but still a great race. Adam Goucher had an amazing kick in the last 200 yards and gapped the field...truly a beautiful thing to see in person. He also broke the record for the Nike Mile by running a 3:56:50!! Last year Gouch placed second running a 3:58:21.

Here are some pics....what a beautiful day!

The track on campus...really cool how it winds right thru the trees there.

Here are the leaders of the Nike Competitive Mile. I think the two guys in front of Kara Goucher came in at about 4:30 with her right behind them. The guy shadowing Kara is a 2:20 marathoner. Check out the pack behind them.

Here's the rest of the pack coming around the turn- they all finished right around 4:50-5:05

The Elites...ready, steady, GO!!

The elites coming around Lap 3. Gouch tucking in behind the rabbits waiting to make his move. They hit lap 3 in 3:01 so Gouch ran a 55 sec last quarter.

Gouch dropping the hammer and crossing the finish way out front - check out the gap he put on the rest of the field. Amazing!

Hope you all had a great day out there and the weather is cooperating for you!

oh..off topic but I love this post.
"Find the good, and push it out…infect everyone you meet" excellent!

*Peace*

Special Delivery

2007-05-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

It goes without saying, but I'm going to say it...

It sure beats getting a bill in the mail!

More later but I gotta give a big shout out to Matt for "the deal" to end all killer deals. Thanks again brother!

*Peace*