Lake Stevens 70.3

After a relatively uneventful - but not too successful - Rev3 Portland, I was happy to head up to Lake Stevens for another whack at the 70.3 distance, my 3rd attempt in 4 weeks. It was a really good race, and an even better indicator of my fitness, and here's how it played out.

Swim (28:49)
Great swim for me. Good lake, buoy line to follow, and (finally) proof that Chris Bagg's master's swim class is working. Check.

Bike (2:29:48)
Imagine a roller coaster which lasts 2 1/2 hours, and you get the picture. Hands down the most fun I've had on a bike during a race. Period. Hilly, twisty, technical, wet and warm. For a majority of the ride I felt like putting my arms in the air and screaming like a kid on a coaster. It was that much fun.

My normalized power was 275, so it was only about 15 watts off goal pace, but I wanted to make sure I was running the 13.1 at the end. I also upped my PowerBar Gel consumption up to a gel every 25 minutes, which felt a lot better than every 45. Since I was drinking only water I wanted to try getting more calories. I'm going to go up to 300/hour next race.

Run (1:27:56)
Felt good for a bit and then tired for a bit. I need to work on my run, but I knew that coming in. At least I avoided walking, which was a big goal of mine after my Rev3 shuffle.

All in all, a great race, and I'll definitely come back. I'd highly recommend this race to just about anyone. Unless you just want a flat, fast course, this has something for everyone. I'm not signed up for anything besides IMWI & Hawaii, so not sure if I'll do something in August. I have a lot of work to do between now and WI, mainly with endurance, so I need to get crackin'.

Pacific Crest Long Course (Baby Got Back)

I'm back, I've still got a bit too much winter fat, and I'm (more or less) ready to go. After a couple of solid weeks of crash-training, I 'competed' in my first triathlon of the year. Long story short: worst....race....ever. Before I blabber on about the horrors of my race, let me say Pacific Crest Long Course is a beautiful event and is run as well as any triathlon I've ever done. I'd highly recommend it to anyone, but with a warning that the weather can be a bit finicky. Unfortunately, the weather conspired against us and everyone who knows me will attest to my lack of fortitude when the temps begin to dip. What can I say...I like it hot. Race day saw 60 degree water temps with 40 degree air temps, and the bike was re-routed and shortened from 56 to 28 miles because of snow on the course. Yes...snow. In short, my race went like this: 1. Solid 200-300 meters in the swim before I began something between a heavy pant and hyperventilating. Not pretty, and much backstroke and breaststroke was involved in a vain attempt to regain my composure. I wanted to quit the whole time but didn't for reasons still unknown to me. 2. Somewhat strong 6-7 miles on the bike before I lost all feeling in my legs, feet, and hands. Paltry watts after that, though I tried my darndest! 3. At T2 I needed the help of a volunteer to unbuckle my helmet and the Velcro straps on my shoes. 4. Too embarrassed to ask for further assistance, I ran without tying my running shoes, because my hands were too cold to tighten my toggles. I was also too cold to pull dry arm warmers on. 5. At mile 2 on the run it began to hail, which turned to a heavy, freezing rain at mile 3. 6. By mile 6 the sun came out, and by mile 8 I began to feel my feet again, which was extremely painful. Did I mention this was the worst race ever? The rest was pretty uneventful, although I did spend the first 4 miles of the run wondering how cold effects reaction time, and if I were to trip and fall if I'd have time to put out my arms or if I'd just land on my face. I didn't fall, and that fact alone was perhaps the highlight of the race. Actually, the highlight was that I finished, and persevered through the toughest conditions I've ever experienced. At the end of the day, besides being really, really cold, I was really happy I stuck it out and didn't throw in the towel. I figure after last weekend, the rest of the season is all downhill from here, right? Next up...Rev3 Portland on 7/8.

IM Arizona Recap

It’s been a while and I have the usual excuses, which I won’t bore anyone with, so let’s get to it. I thoroughly enjoyed another trip to Kona this year. So much so I was actually wondering if I’d be able to ‘race’ another Ironman. I slowly but surely wrapped my head around running an IM marathon, and by race morning I was feeling more or less ready to go.


Swim

Tempe Town Lake is a pretty cold (61 degrees) and very murky body of water, with a good bit of algae around the fringes. Simply put, you wouldn’t swim there if you didn’t have to, and after an absolute minimal amount of physical contact (compared to Hawaii, at least) I was pretty happy to get out of that water. I expected to be out in 60 minutes but missed that boat by a full 4 minutes, but I wasn’t wearing a watch and didn’t see a clock, so blissfully unaware I headed off on the bike.

Bike

I really enjoyed the triple-loop format of the bike, and when my toes finally thawed out at about mile 50, I was pretty happy. My only goals on the bike were to take it easy for the first half and to go to the bathroom by mile 70. I stuck to my nutrition of a PowerBar gel every 25 minutes, which really seemed to work well, and was keeping ahead of my hydration goal, which is a mistake I’ve paid dearly for in past races.

The course was pretty crowded by the mid-point of the second lap, and although I was riding at well below my wattage plan, my speed was where I wanted it to be, and I figured I'd save the energy and apply it to the run. I also kept thinking of EN’s ‘should of vs. could of’ bike pacing advice. I ended up at 4:56:49 and set a new record for lowest average watts in an IM by almost 20 watts. A true indication of what a lack of hills does to your time, but I certainly wasn’t complaining…

Run

The first half of the run went by pretty quickly and I stuck to my nutrition and pacing plans. I really wanted to break 3:15, and was ahead of schedule through mile 15 by about 1 minute. Then the wheels began to wobble between 15-20 and then from mile 20-21 I had to stop several times and walk because of some pretty disabling cramps. It was the proverbial ‘shit hitting the fan’ moment of an Ironman. I pounded fluids at the next couple aid stations, and was able to more or less get back on track by 22, but the damage was done and I was suffering pretty badly until the finish. Although I missed my run goal by 6 minutes, I was very happy with my run.

There was a lot of concrete on the run, and now, 2 days later, I’m still hobbling around like an old man. And this is what I do for fun! Now it’s time to pack up the bike and go home and see Mary and the kids, and I miss them all like crazy. I ended up with a new PR of 9:30:33, and another trip to Kona next year, so all in all, a great race. It was made a lot more enjoyable by the time I was able to spend with my Dad, who lives just outside of Phoenix. It’s always great to see him and it proved to be a very relaxing approach to the race. My buddy Larry was also there and it was great to have his support both during and after the race.

Let the ski season begin!

The Big Show

Swim


I was pretty tired but very excited on race morning. As soon as I got in the water I headed left, and I couldn't help but think of the coutless times I’d watched NBC coverage over the years, and how brutal they made the swim sound. Well, everything they said was true, but as long as I didn’t lose my goggles or swallow too much salt water, I was determined to enjoy myself. The water was so beautiful and clear, it was hard to get upset about an occasional smack in the head or kick in the jaw.

I spent the first half watching fish and really enjoying myself. Just before the turn around it became painfully evident that all of my training sessions over the past month had been less than 2,000 yards, and I realized I was getting a bit pooped. I focused on staying relaxed and spent the remaining time either counting fish or counting strokes. I didn’t start my watch so I had no idea what my swim time was, although I felt pretty good and pretty happy – although a bit tired – as I exited the water and made my way into T1.

Bike



After a very crowded T1 (there really isn’t much room on the pier for the changing tents) and a quick application of some SPF70, I was away on the bike. I had been warned the bike would be hot, windy and filled with drafting, and that pretty much sums it up. Perhaps since I wasn't 'racing' the ubiquitous and blatant drafting didn’t bother me, and I just tried to keep out of trouble.

Once we turned off the Queen K and began the climb up to Hawi, the wind and the heat really began to pick up. About 2 miles into the climb I passed a German guy who looked wearily at me and said only “it is fuuuckeeeeng hooottt out here!” I felt like saying “welcome to Hawaii,” but given that I was a first timer and had no idea what to expect or how this compared to normal conditions, I just agreed and pedaled on.

About 15 miles out from Hawi and the winds started to really kick in. There’s no real way to describe the heat and wind in Hawaii…you really have to do it to understand. I was both scared of getting blown off the road and enjoying every moment of it. This is what Hawaii is about, right? Sudden gusts would take me across an entire lane and instantly reduce my speed from 18mph to 7mph, and the frightening part was you never knew when they were coming. After I passed the second ambulance picking up folks who I presumed were involved in wind-induced accidents, I decided to forego aerodynamics and ride upright on the bullhorns. Damned if my vacation was going to be ruined by an attempt to shave off an additional 90 seconds from my bike split.

With 30 miles to go I started to tire. The fact I hadn’t been on my bike in 4 weeks (I shipped the race bike to Kona the day after IMWI) was quickly catching up to me, and I kept the wattage in survival mode to through the rest of the bike. At the end of it all, I survived the winds and the climb to Hawi, and really had a blast out there, but I knew the run was going to be ugly.

Run



It was a pretty special experience running down the first 9 miles of Alii, packed with spectators and running along the ocean. Out of necessity, I decided my plan was to walk the aid stations and run the rest, for as long as I could keep it up. I was running a 7:20-7:30 pace and with walking breaks I was averaging somewhere in the neighborhood of 8:20’s. Good enough… The surprising thing was that even when I was running what I would consider a solid pace, I was steadily getting passed by other runners. It seemed for every 1 runner I would pass I would get passed by 5. Welcome to Hawaii!

I kept this up until about mile 10, and then I threw in the towel and began walking. I was pooped, and after all, I was here to have fun, right? An easy excuse, but since I didn’t come equipped with any mental fall-back, it was about all I could do. Fast forward to mile 22, and my old high school buddy Ken slowed as he passed and encouraged me to run with him. It wasn’t pretty, but I (barely) managed to keep up, and had a really great time the last 4 miles running in with him. It was a very memorable way to end my first Kona experience.

After all was said and done, I managed to meet all 3 of my goals, and couldn’t have been happier. The only regret I have is not having a plan beyond ‘just enjoying myself'. In retrospect, you need to be prepared for it when things get ugly (and they always do in an Ironman), and I wasn't. That being said, I have no regrets with my run, and although it might not be a time I would normally be happy with, I definitely had a wonderful time and a fantastic experience, and one which left me wanting to come back and do it again. I suppose that is what makes Ironman – and specifically, Ironman Hawaii – what it is.

It was also great to share the experience with Mary's folks and the Weaver-Fisher clan. Mary and I are already planning for next year!

Kona: Pre-Race

After almost 2 days of travel (we spent an afternoon and evening in Seattle on the way over in an attempt to break up the trip for the kids), we arrived on Wednesday afternoon with just enough time to register and pick up the bike. Check and check: off to a good start.

The first thing you immediately notice in Kona is the pro presence, which is (obviously) second to none. You can’t walk more than 100’ without seeing one of the greats in our sport. It’s strange to see folks who repeatedly adorn all the Tri publications walking about and training so freely in and around town. For the non-triathlete, it is like going to the 7th game of the World Series and spending the days leading up to the game practicing on the field with both teams. In my initial ¼ mile stroll up Alii as I headed to the expo, I saw Chrissie Wellington, Craig Alexander, Timothy O’Donnell, Luke Mackenzie, Greg Welch, Belinda Granger, and Julie Dibens, and I wasn’t even trying to spot anyone. I’m not usually at all starstuck, but to be perfectly honest I was feeling like a kid on Christmas morning.

Far too much time was spent on Thursday walking up and down Alii, checking out the expo with the kids, swimming at Dig Me Beach, and snorkeling, but I was having a blast, and this trip was more about the experience and the vacation than the race. With Mary and the kids, Nancy & Al, Amy & Jeff, and Matthew, Nikki and Andrew, there was going to be a lot of action at our house throughout the week, and I didn’t want to miss it in preparation for the race. As for the Ironman, I was aiming for a performance which would basically allow me to do 3 things:

1. Enjoy the race, have fun, and not worry about a time or placing
2. Vacation without excuses on Sunday morning, which I knew would include lots of soccer, snorkeling, hiking, etc.
3. Not go so slow as to embarrass myself


Friday began with a 5-hour snorkeling cruise, during which Oliver, Sadie and I got sea sick but had a great time once we were wet. Friday afternoon was spent checking in the gear bags and the bike. Bike check was quite a spectacle, with upwards of 200 spectators and counters watching folks check in their bike, half of which had lawn chairs and created a tunnel leading to transition, making me feel quite like I was in a parade.

I was exhausted but back at the house and ready to eat dinner and begin relaxing by 4pm. Only problem was we didn’t really have much besides bananas, beer and wine. I was too tired and lazy to do anything about it, and too stubborn to wait until ‘real’ dinner time, so my pre-race meal ended up being a peanut butter and banana sandwich and some chips. Not ideal but it did the trick.

Dig Me Beach

I can easily see why someone would want to come back to this event year after year. The atmosphere and excitement are at an entirely different level than any other race I've been to, and the spectating is second to none. Well, perhaps second to Las Vegas, but in a very different way.

I'm feeling exhausted from the travel, the walking up and down Alii, and the swimming with the kids, but I wouldn't trade it for anything. I can't wait for the race, both so I can experience it and get on with serious vacationing. And speaking of serious vacationing, I need to go get ready for a 5-hour snorkelling trip this morning...

(not) Leaving Las Vegas

It is Interbike week, and I again find myself in Vegas, wanting to escape. I went for my first run since IMWI this morning, and it was a beautiful experience and one that makes me actually look forward to visiting Vegas. Interesting because I always find the best part of Vegas is LEAVING Las Vegas. No, I am not a big fan of the strip, Vegas shows, gambling (losing) money I don’t have, all you can eat buffets, or escort services (for the record, I’ve never experienced said services, though I’m frightened enough by what I see on the postcards littering the sidewalks). But I am a HUGE fan of Red Rock Canyon. Not exactly Vegas, but I’ll give Vegas partial credit none-the-less. As a generally positive person, I like to see the glass half full, and my Vegas glass is filled almost entirely by RRC, though I’ll give a percentage or two to the weather for good measure. 2 days down, 5 to go…