Hello from the desert- Old Pueblo, Arizona! It took a little time to decide where I would spend March, I was considering a few different locations--Tuscon, AZ, Kona, HI, and Florida. I finally decided on Tuscon, as it offers some of the best cycling in the US and I would be close to my very good friend Bill and his family. Like the other locations it would also be sunny and warm --most days!
I arrived on March 1 and will be staying until March 31. At first, I was unsure about my decision, as I did not realize Tuscon was a busy, spread out city. But, after a few days of navigating around my temporary home, it has all worked out.
The cycling is truly great, aside from the bumpy road conditions and smashed glass bottles. The asphalt is rough, due to being constantly cooked by the sun and I believe the folks who resent cyclists-- smash bottles on the shoulders purposely. It's interesting the roads have lots of random nuts,bolts and loose asphalt pebbles, my theory--the roads are so rough that they loosen nuts and bolts from trailers and vehicles and that debris ends up on the shoulders. But, the riding itself is world class, that's probably why Lance Armstrong spent many days in Tuscon training for the Tour De France. A 28 mile ride up Mt. Lemmon. to the short but steep ride up Gates Pass out to the McCain Loop in the Saguaro National Park --it's all really awesome! The Mt. Lemmon road- Catalina Highway- takes you from 2500 ft in elevation at the base, to just over 9000ft at the summit. I could not resist Mt. Lemmon, so on my first saturday here I rode up halfway at the beginning of my 6 hr ride. Last weekend I made my way to the end of Catalina Highway. Incredible! The other great thing about Tuscon cycling is the city is very pedestrian/cyclist friendly with- for the most part- really great bike lanes on most roads. But, be advised, if you come out here be prepared with a set of good tires and a bunch of tubes. Total flats since arriving in Tuscon = 4. (glass,thorns and who knows what else)
The running: well it's always sunny here --- that's a huge plus, as we all know. I mostly run in Reid Park, a city park just down from my apartment. It's very nice! I also run through the neighborhood streets and around the U of Arizona campus. That's really great as well. The campus is cool, for all of my eastside rides I travel through the campus, as that is the safest, smoothest way to get out to the east of town. Sometimes--- I stop at Starbucks on my way down University Ave before I head for the hills of Saguaro National Park.
Swimming: At first this was one of my concerns, but as it turns out the options are really endless.I ended up using the city outdoor pools at ARC-Reid Park-1/8 of a mile from my apartment, Catalina City Pool -2miles away, each visit cost 2 bucks. The U of A facilities were an option, but a little pricey and honestly the Masters team coach at U of A was sort of a............ , so I opted to avoid that vibe. Although, the U of A facilities are insanely sweet!
Tuscon is cool. The neighborhoods are old and plotted within the city, most of the structures are Stucco concrete and very few places have second floors. The weird thing about Tuscon is that it is literally strip mall after strip mall surrounding the neighborhoods. But, it's neat, as the college area brings a small town feel and amongst the Targets and Walgreens there are quaint little neighborhood shops and cafes. It's also a grid city, so navigation is pretty easy.
It's been great. I hope the weather turns back east before I get home. Thanks for checking in.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Down, but Not Out -- A Hopeful Return !
Greetings and a belated Happy New Year!
Well, sorry for the lack of updates. It has been a long few months since the Miami race back in late October. Following Miami 70.3, I decided to take a break from training and racing. The trouble was that it was a long break, and the break turned into another pretty dark segment of life. I was grappling with the reality of our loss, and it was tearing me to pieces.
Once again, I found myself in a deep hole, struggling to get out of bed. The thought of Ironman and training was ridiculous -- I was barely functioning. But as I moved through another dark phase of this horrible reality, I was aware of the precariousness of my emotional condition and knew that at some point I would have to claw my way out...again. My condition was really no different than last June, in terms of what I was dealing with and the thoughts running through my head; only this time around it hit me even harder, and I was really struggling to get out.
As I sorted through my options, I thought of what Mike would say: "Get back on the horse, Jimmy." Mike had many nicknames for me, and Jimmy was one of them -- Ocelot another, and his most used was Brother Essau. He had nicknames for everyone. His college buddies called him BUG! I wasn't sure about my decision; I wasn't sure about much in this existence. But hearing Mike's words and, listening to him as I always did, I believed this was my best shot at climbing out...again.
In my depressed state, I emailed Coach Jesse and gave him the go ahead -- Ironman Lake Placid would be the goal for 2011! So, I started back up two weeks ago on February 7, after many months away. I had packed on many extra pounds and knew once again that my return would not be easy, but I also knew my emotional conditition was teetering on the abyss. I had never been so far down, so very low -- and I really didn't care to get out. I couldn't, but I had to. After two weeks of being back, I am focused and deteremined, but the hole in my heart is huge and the pull of the darkness is strong. It's like running from the boogie man all of the time. It's the proverbial "bad dream," but waking up doesn't make it go away.
It will be one year ago this coming Saturday, Febraury 26, and it feels like it was yesterday. But, with the support of my family -- even as they struggle through their own pain -- and the many friends who have helped me limp along, I have climbed out and plan to have a great season, hopefully running strong. I am going to kick off this renewed plan by spending a month in Tucson, the Ironman training mecca. I'll be in touch from out west. Thanks for checking in!
Well, sorry for the lack of updates. It has been a long few months since the Miami race back in late October. Following Miami 70.3, I decided to take a break from training and racing. The trouble was that it was a long break, and the break turned into another pretty dark segment of life. I was grappling with the reality of our loss, and it was tearing me to pieces.
Once again, I found myself in a deep hole, struggling to get out of bed. The thought of Ironman and training was ridiculous -- I was barely functioning. But as I moved through another dark phase of this horrible reality, I was aware of the precariousness of my emotional condition and knew that at some point I would have to claw my way out...again. My condition was really no different than last June, in terms of what I was dealing with and the thoughts running through my head; only this time around it hit me even harder, and I was really struggling to get out.
As I sorted through my options, I thought of what Mike would say: "Get back on the horse, Jimmy." Mike had many nicknames for me, and Jimmy was one of them -- Ocelot another, and his most used was Brother Essau. He had nicknames for everyone. His college buddies called him BUG! I wasn't sure about my decision; I wasn't sure about much in this existence. But hearing Mike's words and, listening to him as I always did, I believed this was my best shot at climbing out...again.
In my depressed state, I emailed Coach Jesse and gave him the go ahead -- Ironman Lake Placid would be the goal for 2011! So, I started back up two weeks ago on February 7, after many months away. I had packed on many extra pounds and knew once again that my return would not be easy, but I also knew my emotional conditition was teetering on the abyss. I had never been so far down, so very low -- and I really didn't care to get out. I couldn't, but I had to. After two weeks of being back, I am focused and deteremined, but the hole in my heart is huge and the pull of the darkness is strong. It's like running from the boogie man all of the time. It's the proverbial "bad dream," but waking up doesn't make it go away.
It will be one year ago this coming Saturday, Febraury 26, and it feels like it was yesterday. But, with the support of my family -- even as they struggle through their own pain -- and the many friends who have helped me limp along, I have climbed out and plan to have a great season, hopefully running strong. I am going to kick off this renewed plan by spending a month in Tucson, the Ironman training mecca. I'll be in touch from out west. Thanks for checking in!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Miami 70.3 -- Informe de la Raza (Race Report)
Buenos Dias-
Check-in was at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, but at first I thought it was at the Intercontinental Hotel--HOLY CARS! Mom and I pulled up in our Nissan Versa rental (great car, by the way), admist the mostly black Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Maseratis, Porsches, Mercedes and--oh yeah--BMW's. The reason I almost forgot them was because a Beamer down there is like well--a Chevy or Ford up here. No kidding, it was unreal; and the lobby of that place was insane. I learned from our Hampton Inn front desk girls that the Intercontinental is where all of the foreign presidents, diplomats, ambassadors and celebrities (whoever they are) stay when in Miami. Cool in a way and, well...umm, gr...in another!
Check-in was terribly disorganized. That concerned me instantly, as this race was to shake down in the heart of Miami. It's one thing to be disorganized/clueless with athlete check in; but road closures, swims in the port of Miami, organizing a race in the heart of a large downtown--hmmm, that made me wonder about race day safety, etc.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn-Coconut Grove, just a few miles from downtown Miami. It was perfect: very clean, a great staff and very friendly. Mom and I enjoy Hampton Inns, as we always find consistency with cleanliness, guest services and the greatest part --- a FAT continental breakfast. All at a very good price! We met another proffessional athlete who was staying at the Hampton Inn--Kelly Williamson. Kelly had just competed out on the Big Island--Kona, Hawaii at the Ironman World Championships on October 9th. Yup, just three weeks ago and what a day she had out there--15th Overall Female at the World Championship--that's serious. Nice work!
Coconut Grove is very cool. It's mostly residental, but has this little shopping district with cafes, restaurants, art galleries and some hip shops. Apparently, it has undergone several transformations over the years with the most recent attracting a sort of bohemiam clientele in their mid twenties/thirties--we enjoyed it. Mom was happy at the pool-side Thursday afternoon in the sun, with some nice mid-eighties temps. I absolutely loved the warm temps but had some dealing to do before I could settle in, as the bike needed to be assembled for a short 30 min ZR ride and then a short ZR run. After consulting the girls at the front desk, I headed for Key Biscayne, only 10 minutes down the road to the causeway bridge, and I was out over the Port of Miami--incredible! I felt great that afternoon and could only hope I would feel the same Saturday for the race.
Friday: Mom and I headed out by car to Bill Baggs State Park on the point of Key Biscayne. There is an old lighthouse out there, a beuatiful beach and a really nice little cafe. The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in all of Miami-Dade County. It was built in 1825, destroyed during the Second Seminole War and rebuilt several years later. My mother loves the beach; every summer, we spend a little time on Cape Cod and, no joke, she will log in consectutive days where she is down there from 10 am-5pm. Oh yeah, we walk--it's like 200 yds from the front door of the cottage. Seroiusly, my father calls her the "sun goddess." Anyway, we spent about 30 mins chillin' in the waters off of Key Biscayne, and that was it. As I know and she knows, the day before a race on the beach is not smart. Mom's great--really great, so understanding. Amazing! And I ain't just sayin' it--ask anyone who knows her! She happily headed for the pool.
Okay here it is: race day.
You got it--4am breakfast. I woke up Saturday morning pretty bummed out and not feeling well. It's hard. So much is missing from my life, and there are just times, days and more days where it's almost unbearable. The days leading up to Miami have been rough, and I guess today wasn't going to be much better. It's hard to explain the pain, but we lost so much in February. And it's so painful when your best friend isn't there anymore; there's no good luck phone calls--that hurts bad. Mike would call from Belize, he would email and Skype from his classroom. When I was in Hawaii last year, Mike called three times a day from Belize--that's gone and it sucks. Although, I do believe all four of their spirits are with me, each stroke, pedal and for every step out there, they are my strength. So, I pulled myself from the rack and downed my Powerbar Ironman Perform http://www.powerbar.com/--man I love the orange /mango--and then the remainder of my race-morning breakfast.
As I approached transition, the race announcer was giving us the water temp update and it was a no-wetsuit day. I sort of planned for that, so I had my Blue Sevenety Speedsuit ready to go, only to have it stripped from me about a minute before leaping into the dark abyss. Yes, apparently when the no-wetsuit policy is in effect--when water temps exceed 76.1 degrees--the policy includes speedsuits that contain neoprene or rubber. I guess the rule states that the suit must be lycra or nylon. Not that she will ever read my blog, but a very special thank you to the kind volunteer who offered to bring my useless speedsuit to transition. Not sure what I'll do with it--I mean it's sort of obsolete, isn't it?????? Bang!
Into the darkness we go. I mean, I know it was Halloween Eve, but swimming in the dark-spooky water-- yes, dangerous you know it! Oh well! Dropped. Real quick and on my own, wandering in the waters where Crockett and Tubbs chased down the bad guys in their cigarette boats: the Port of Miami! Well, I tried to focus on good form, but that's tough when you don't have a clue where the hell you're going. After the boys pulled away and I could no longer see splashing feet and arms, I knew I was on my own, with just the light of the moon. Seriously, this is no exaggeration--it was dark when they started this race --not smart! I was forced to sight every few strokes, but was unable to follow the course and ended up straying off course a few times, until the gals began to catch me. I was able to hang with one of the female pros and we did our best to find our way. We reached this buoy, and I was sure it was the turn for shore. I focused in on a red light coming from a boat or something near shore. Nice! Oh man, wait: Suddenly swimming became more difficult--darkness okay, but unfair. Now opposing current--really unfair and with no wetsuit--really, really unfair. Plain wrong! What the hell is this? It felt like I wasn't moving forward! As we approached the boat, one of the sparse swim volunteers was yelling "hey, hey this way, follow me!" I stopped completely and said "where the...do we go?" My partner spoke nearly the same words. We rounded another buoy. I couldn't believe it, but we still had another 300-400 to go. At that point, I sort of began to lose it, knowing this would be my worst swim ever--that's discouraging! Confusion, cramps and rough current--this was my swim. The only good thing was the moon over me; I could see it each time I went for a breath. It was comforting, in a not so comfortable place. I enjoy the adventure of it all--really, I do. I am never in fear out there, it's just that this is a race and because of a few variables beyond my control--but variables that are controlled by people you entrust to do a safe and complete job--I found myself exiting the water terribly defeated.
As I climbed up the stairs from the dark waters, I was deflated, uninspired and unsure if I would go on. We're athletes, competitiors, we go out there and we race. When things like this happen, whether it's something you control or something out of your control, it sets you back. But, we all have expectations. And yes it's part of racing, we know that, I know that; but for me, Miami 70.3 was the day I would hope to cross the line--happy. As some of you know, this season was salvaged about mid-July when I started to ride. I stopped drowning my pain in beer and eating and began losing the extra 25 lbs I put on following the accident. I released my sorrow, pain and suffering out on the roads, riding and running. I had to do it for my survival and for Mike, Jill and the kids --they were my inspiration to fight on. But, coming out of the water in 44 minutes was terribly disappointing. As I knew like Timberman 70.3 and Syracuse 70.3, this day would be sub-par for the athlete in me. As I jogged up through the cheering crowds, I could only think about my disappointment.
I packed the Powerbar http://www.powerbar.com/ products in my pockets, slid the Smith shades on, popped the Louis Garneau helmet on and off I rolled. My spirit was broken. I pedaled along for 5-10 miles at a very low heart rate and considered just going on a scenic bike ride, and then maybe I would run hard. "Vamos, vamos!" (Come on, come on!) "Vamos!" Vamos is we go, to go or let's go in Spanish. Mike would use it all of the time with his students. These were the words a passing athlete shouted at me as he cruised by. He would be a companion all day; he was riding for a relay team as he was preparing for Clearwater 70.3 (Half-Ironman World Championships, Nov.6). Thanks! I guess it was time for me to go. I dropped the chain down, lowered myself into the aerobars and started pedaling, quickly bringing the heart rate up as I pushed about 90 rpms. That is where I stayed as I made my way through the lush vegatation along the residental streets of Miami and the surrounding neighborhoods. I loved the ride, actually. There were a lot of turns, but it was warm, sunny and, unlike the swim, the bike course was incredibly well staffed and safe, as they must have used every orange cone in the state of Florida--thousands of them closed off an entire lane for 56 miles. And a huge thank-you to the hundreds of police officers who manged the intersections with a smile and even a cheer. Thanks. Remember, this race was in metropoliton Miami. I dialed into the numbers Jesse http://www.qt2systems.com/ gave me Friday night and found myself riding with relative ease. At times, there was a pretty stiff head wind, but it wasn't consistent. It was once again time to fight on, it's what Mike would expect, it's what he would want me to do--I had never quit before, never DNFed and today wasn't going to be any different. Mike was a fighter, he never gave up on anything or anyone. Vince Lombardi said "once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit." I managed to sustain 24 mph comfortably, and although the day would not be great--due to the Halloween swim--it would yield some positive feeback. I struggled at Timberman on the bike, Syracuse even worse; but today I rode well--that's progress, it's positive. And the run would be the same.
A few days ago, I received an apology from the race director, as did all the other athletes who raced Maimi 70.3. The WTC/Ironman Corp apologized, as well, and offered a free entry for athletes who raced Miami, into one of the 2011, 70.3 Ironman races. They also guaranteed that all of the Miami 70.3 problems this year would be fixed for next year, making it a good quality, safe race. We deserve that.
Not sure what the compensation is for the pro athletes, as we pay a flat fee--maybe I'll receive an email addressing that issue! Well, thanks for reading and sorry about the length of this post, but it was some kind of day!
I'll be back soon with a season wrap-up and some thoughts on the winter and next season. Until then, remember: Fight on. Mucho gracias a mi familia.
Adios-estar bien.
 |
Espero que todo el mundo esta haciendo bien hoy. (Hope everyone is doing well.) That's about it for my espanol, but man down in Miami, Spanish is spoken more than English. It's really cool, as many of the residents are from Cuba, Argentina, Columbia and I am sure many other Latin American countries. It's one of my favorite things in the world: To be in the United States, immersed in the culture of another part or parts of the world--that's what America is! I loved Miami!
The race--- well that's another story, at least from registration to exiting the water from the swim. First, just a little about our trip down. Mom and I headed down Thursday at 7am on a Southwest Airline flight--direct. My advice to all is this: If you have the option, always fly Southwest--they truly rock! Most of you probably are not aware of the excessive charge most of the commercial airlines put on for transporting a bike; it ranges from 100-250 dollars. Southwest is 50 bucks; and more importantly they are courteous and friendly, unlike other airlines. That's all, just a shout out to Southwest--nice work!
Check-in was at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Miami, but at first I thought it was at the Intercontinental Hotel--HOLY CARS! Mom and I pulled up in our Nissan Versa rental (great car, by the way), admist the mostly black Rolls Royces, Ferraris, Maseratis, Porsches, Mercedes and--oh yeah--BMW's. The reason I almost forgot them was because a Beamer down there is like well--a Chevy or Ford up here. No kidding, it was unreal; and the lobby of that place was insane. I learned from our Hampton Inn front desk girls that the Intercontinental is where all of the foreign presidents, diplomats, ambassadors and celebrities (whoever they are) stay when in Miami. Cool in a way and, well...umm, gr...in another!
Check-in was terribly disorganized. That concerned me instantly, as this race was to shake down in the heart of Miami. It's one thing to be disorganized/clueless with athlete check in; but road closures, swims in the port of Miami, organizing a race in the heart of a large downtown--hmmm, that made me wonder about race day safety, etc.
We stayed at the Hampton Inn-Coconut Grove, just a few miles from downtown Miami. It was perfect: very clean, a great staff and very friendly. Mom and I enjoy Hampton Inns, as we always find consistency with cleanliness, guest services and the greatest part --- a FAT continental breakfast. All at a very good price! We met another proffessional athlete who was staying at the Hampton Inn--Kelly Williamson. Kelly had just competed out on the Big Island--Kona, Hawaii at the Ironman World Championships on October 9th. Yup, just three weeks ago and what a day she had out there--15th Overall Female at the World Championship--that's serious. Nice work!
Coconut Grove is very cool. It's mostly residental, but has this little shopping district with cafes, restaurants, art galleries and some hip shops. Apparently, it has undergone several transformations over the years with the most recent attracting a sort of bohemiam clientele in their mid twenties/thirties--we enjoyed it. Mom was happy at the pool-side Thursday afternoon in the sun, with some nice mid-eighties temps. I absolutely loved the warm temps but had some dealing to do before I could settle in, as the bike needed to be assembled for a short 30 min ZR ride and then a short ZR run. After consulting the girls at the front desk, I headed for Key Biscayne, only 10 minutes down the road to the causeway bridge, and I was out over the Port of Miami--incredible! I felt great that afternoon and could only hope I would feel the same Saturday for the race.
Friday: Mom and I headed out by car to Bill Baggs State Park on the point of Key Biscayne. There is an old lighthouse out there, a beuatiful beach and a really nice little cafe. The lighthouse is the oldest standing structure in all of Miami-Dade County. It was built in 1825, destroyed during the Second Seminole War and rebuilt several years later. My mother loves the beach; every summer, we spend a little time on Cape Cod and, no joke, she will log in consectutive days where she is down there from 10 am-5pm. Oh yeah, we walk--it's like 200 yds from the front door of the cottage. Seroiusly, my father calls her the "sun goddess." Anyway, we spent about 30 mins chillin' in the waters off of Key Biscayne, and that was it. As I know and she knows, the day before a race on the beach is not smart. Mom's great--really great, so understanding. Amazing! And I ain't just sayin' it--ask anyone who knows her! She happily headed for the pool.
Okay here it is: race day.
You got it--4am breakfast. I woke up Saturday morning pretty bummed out and not feeling well. It's hard. So much is missing from my life, and there are just times, days and more days where it's almost unbearable. The days leading up to Miami have been rough, and I guess today wasn't going to be much better. It's hard to explain the pain, but we lost so much in February. And it's so painful when your best friend isn't there anymore; there's no good luck phone calls--that hurts bad. Mike would call from Belize, he would email and Skype from his classroom. When I was in Hawaii last year, Mike called three times a day from Belize--that's gone and it sucks. Although, I do believe all four of their spirits are with me, each stroke, pedal and for every step out there, they are my strength. So, I pulled myself from the rack and downed my Powerbar Ironman Perform http://www.powerbar.com/--man I love the orange /mango--and then the remainder of my race-morning breakfast.
As I approached transition, the race announcer was giving us the water temp update and it was a no-wetsuit day. I sort of planned for that, so I had my Blue Sevenety Speedsuit ready to go, only to have it stripped from me about a minute before leaping into the dark abyss. Yes, apparently when the no-wetsuit policy is in effect--when water temps exceed 76.1 degrees--the policy includes speedsuits that contain neoprene or rubber. I guess the rule states that the suit must be lycra or nylon. Not that she will ever read my blog, but a very special thank you to the kind volunteer who offered to bring my useless speedsuit to transition. Not sure what I'll do with it--I mean it's sort of obsolete, isn't it?????? Bang!
Into the darkness we go. I mean, I know it was Halloween Eve, but swimming in the dark-spooky water-- yes, dangerous you know it! Oh well! Dropped. Real quick and on my own, wandering in the waters where Crockett and Tubbs chased down the bad guys in their cigarette boats: the Port of Miami! Well, I tried to focus on good form, but that's tough when you don't have a clue where the hell you're going. After the boys pulled away and I could no longer see splashing feet and arms, I knew I was on my own, with just the light of the moon. Seriously, this is no exaggeration--it was dark when they started this race --not smart! I was forced to sight every few strokes, but was unable to follow the course and ended up straying off course a few times, until the gals began to catch me. I was able to hang with one of the female pros and we did our best to find our way. We reached this buoy, and I was sure it was the turn for shore. I focused in on a red light coming from a boat or something near shore. Nice! Oh man, wait: Suddenly swimming became more difficult--darkness okay, but unfair. Now opposing current--really unfair and with no wetsuit--really, really unfair. Plain wrong! What the hell is this? It felt like I wasn't moving forward! As we approached the boat, one of the sparse swim volunteers was yelling "hey, hey this way, follow me!" I stopped completely and said "where the...do we go?" My partner spoke nearly the same words. We rounded another buoy. I couldn't believe it, but we still had another 300-400 to go. At that point, I sort of began to lose it, knowing this would be my worst swim ever--that's discouraging! Confusion, cramps and rough current--this was my swim. The only good thing was the moon over me; I could see it each time I went for a breath. It was comforting, in a not so comfortable place. I enjoy the adventure of it all--really, I do. I am never in fear out there, it's just that this is a race and because of a few variables beyond my control--but variables that are controlled by people you entrust to do a safe and complete job--I found myself exiting the water terribly defeated.
As I climbed up the stairs from the dark waters, I was deflated, uninspired and unsure if I would go on. We're athletes, competitiors, we go out there and we race. When things like this happen, whether it's something you control or something out of your control, it sets you back. But, we all have expectations. And yes it's part of racing, we know that, I know that; but for me, Miami 70.3 was the day I would hope to cross the line--happy. As some of you know, this season was salvaged about mid-July when I started to ride. I stopped drowning my pain in beer and eating and began losing the extra 25 lbs I put on following the accident. I released my sorrow, pain and suffering out on the roads, riding and running. I had to do it for my survival and for Mike, Jill and the kids --they were my inspiration to fight on. But, coming out of the water in 44 minutes was terribly disappointing. As I knew like Timberman 70.3 and Syracuse 70.3, this day would be sub-par for the athlete in me. As I jogged up through the cheering crowds, I could only think about my disappointment.
I packed the Powerbar http://www.powerbar.com/ products in my pockets, slid the Smith shades on, popped the Louis Garneau helmet on and off I rolled. My spirit was broken. I pedaled along for 5-10 miles at a very low heart rate and considered just going on a scenic bike ride, and then maybe I would run hard. "Vamos, vamos!" (Come on, come on!) "Vamos!" Vamos is we go, to go or let's go in Spanish. Mike would use it all of the time with his students. These were the words a passing athlete shouted at me as he cruised by. He would be a companion all day; he was riding for a relay team as he was preparing for Clearwater 70.3 (Half-Ironman World Championships, Nov.6). Thanks! I guess it was time for me to go. I dropped the chain down, lowered myself into the aerobars and started pedaling, quickly bringing the heart rate up as I pushed about 90 rpms. That is where I stayed as I made my way through the lush vegatation along the residental streets of Miami and the surrounding neighborhoods. I loved the ride, actually. There were a lot of turns, but it was warm, sunny and, unlike the swim, the bike course was incredibly well staffed and safe, as they must have used every orange cone in the state of Florida--thousands of them closed off an entire lane for 56 miles. And a huge thank-you to the hundreds of police officers who manged the intersections with a smile and even a cheer. Thanks. Remember, this race was in metropoliton Miami. I dialed into the numbers Jesse http://www.qt2systems.com/ gave me Friday night and found myself riding with relative ease. At times, there was a pretty stiff head wind, but it wasn't consistent. It was once again time to fight on, it's what Mike would expect, it's what he would want me to do--I had never quit before, never DNFed and today wasn't going to be any different. Mike was a fighter, he never gave up on anything or anyone. Vince Lombardi said "once you learn to quit, it becomes a habit." I managed to sustain 24 mph comfortably, and although the day would not be great--due to the Halloween swim--it would yield some positive feeback. I struggled at Timberman on the bike, Syracuse even worse; but today I rode well--that's progress, it's positive. And the run would be the same.
Quickly through T2 and running like an Antelope--run, run, run, run, run--RUN--like an antelope out of control. (Antelope--A Phish song my brothers and I enjoyed at many shows over the years). I cruised out of T2 at around a 5-5:15 pace, truly gliding, effortlessly, but knew the numbers Jesse gave me were different; so, I dialed it back. I had no idea what the course was like until Friday night when Jesse sent my pacing. I thought, what the heck is this? I can run faster than that tomorrow, but Jesse knew something I didn't until Saturday morning, when someone said we run over a bridge 8 times--I guess that deserves some respect. I focused in on the numbers and, with ease, cruised through the run. I used two Powerbar gels out on the run, but was concerned a bit as the aid stations lacked adequate amounts of Powerbar Ironman Perform http://www.powerbar.com/. I depend on a sports drink for hydration and fuel--it ended up not playing a role, but it's another issue that needs to be fixed for next year.
The run course and the bike were fine. The bike had no real issues, other than maybe a few too many turns. It seems to me the bike course could head out to Key Biscayne instead, because with that many turns on this course, it could be eliminated. For the pros, the turns are not a big issue as we are spread out; but, when the packs of age-groupers roll through, it's a bit different and most likely a bit dangerous. The run course was just fine and really good for spectators, as it passes by transition multiple times. The run-aid stations need work, more trained volunteers and more product. The major issue with Miami 70.3 was the swim. You can't start a swim in the DARK--BAD! What more do I need to say? Also, more buoys and more personnel--again, trained personnel who want to be out there. The other issues--like registration lines confusion, transition zone issues (many), along with other more trivial issues--are tolerable. They should be fixed, but do not present any real threats or dangers. I was very dissappointed with the race organizers, WTC and Ironman Corp, not only because their decision to start a race in the dark directly effected my performance, but more importantly because they created a very dangerous and unfair situation that could easily have been avoided.
For me, it started at check in, as I could not understand how a WTC/Ironman event could be so unorganized. And then the swim start came, and I was blown away. In my years racing Ironman events, many of them are near flawless, but here and there you get a wreck --and I ask myself how this happens. I understand that WTC/Ironman don't always manage/organize/direct all of the Ironman/Ironman 70.3 events, but wouldn't you think that they would have a training program for race managers, event mangament protocol and, basically, some sort of format to follow that ensures a safe and well managed race? Ater all, I think the athletes deserve that. Thanks.
For me, it started at check in, as I could not understand how a WTC/Ironman event could be so unorganized. And then the swim start came, and I was blown away. In my years racing Ironman events, many of them are near flawless, but here and there you get a wreck --and I ask myself how this happens. I understand that WTC/Ironman don't always manage/organize/direct all of the Ironman/Ironman 70.3 events, but wouldn't you think that they would have a training program for race managers, event mangament protocol and, basically, some sort of format to follow that ensures a safe and well managed race? Ater all, I think the athletes deserve that. Thanks.
Not sure what the compensation is for the pro athletes, as we pay a flat fee--maybe I'll receive an email addressing that issue! Well, thanks for reading and sorry about the length of this post, but it was some kind of day!
Adios-estar bien.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Walk for Frankie -- October 16,2010
Walk for Frankie: Corning Preserve Park, Albany, NY --
This is not a race report. I wanted to post a little information about an event that my cousins put together in memory of their late brother, Frankie O'Brien Jr. Frankie passed away on December 14, 2006, at the age of 40, from an inoperable brain tumor. He left behind his loving wife, Carrie and a very young family.
In October 2007, my cousins -- Frank's sisters -- established The Walk for Frankie in memory of their brother. The walk was created under the Moyer Foundation and Camp Erin, an organization dedicated to assisting children bereaving the loss of a parent. All funds go towards supporting Camp Erin, the largest network of bereavment camps in the country for children experiencing a significant loss.
Growing up, Frankie was a model for my brothers and me; he was the guy we looked up to, we watched him, we truly idolized Frank. He was a gifted athlete from high school to college at Notre Dame, where he played hockey and lacrosse, to his professional hockey days in Europe. He always wore number 14 and so did we, as this was the coolest number ever. Frank was a funny guy, the constant joker with a laugh to go with it and an ability to relentlessly dish it out. Ask anyone who ever knew him. During our early twenties and thirties, Frank and I spent many days skiing Vermont, hiking in the Adirondacks or fishing some river somewhere. Frank loved the outdoors and adventure; he truly loved life. If you ever spent any time with Frank, you know what I mean. But he loved his family more than anything, and I will never forget a few words he spoke to me one day hiking up in the Adirondacks: He said "they're everything man, ya know? Hey man, yeah I can't get out here as much anymore, but you don't care, it's all about them -- it's crazy, it's great," then a Frankie sinister cackle and "you'll see," and another long Frankie cackle. Those are words I will always remember him saying. He loved his wife and kids more than anything in the world, and I believe he really wondered why it was so difficult for others to have that. Frankie was a special guy to a lot of a people, a great friend of mine and a wonderful husband and father.
It was a great day down at the Riverfront, with beautiful weather and a great show of support. The event is held every October at the Corning Preserve, Albany Riverfront. It's a great venue and a really great cause -- stay tuned for next year's Walk for Frankie. You can check it out online @ http://www.walkforfrankie.com/. And check out The Moyer Foundation and Camp Erin @ http://www.moyerfoundation.org/.
I would also like to thank my cousins (event organizers) for giving me the opportunity to promote one of my great sponsors: Powerbar Nutrition -- http://www.powerbar.com/. As a Powerbar-sponsored athlete, I have a few contract responsibilities that involve product promotion, nutrition education and social/media exposure. Our Powerbar booth at Frankie's walk was great fun and provided the walkers and runners with some product samples, great training and race fueling tips, as well as nutrition information about the wonderful Powerbar products. Thank you.
Thanks for reading.
This is not a race report. I wanted to post a little information about an event that my cousins put together in memory of their late brother, Frankie O'Brien Jr. Frankie passed away on December 14, 2006, at the age of 40, from an inoperable brain tumor. He left behind his loving wife, Carrie and a very young family.
In October 2007, my cousins -- Frank's sisters -- established The Walk for Frankie in memory of their brother. The walk was created under the Moyer Foundation and Camp Erin, an organization dedicated to assisting children bereaving the loss of a parent. All funds go towards supporting Camp Erin, the largest network of bereavment camps in the country for children experiencing a significant loss.
Growing up, Frankie was a model for my brothers and me; he was the guy we looked up to, we watched him, we truly idolized Frank. He was a gifted athlete from high school to college at Notre Dame, where he played hockey and lacrosse, to his professional hockey days in Europe. He always wore number 14 and so did we, as this was the coolest number ever. Frank was a funny guy, the constant joker with a laugh to go with it and an ability to relentlessly dish it out. Ask anyone who ever knew him. During our early twenties and thirties, Frank and I spent many days skiing Vermont, hiking in the Adirondacks or fishing some river somewhere. Frank loved the outdoors and adventure; he truly loved life. If you ever spent any time with Frank, you know what I mean. But he loved his family more than anything, and I will never forget a few words he spoke to me one day hiking up in the Adirondacks: He said "they're everything man, ya know? Hey man, yeah I can't get out here as much anymore, but you don't care, it's all about them -- it's crazy, it's great," then a Frankie sinister cackle and "you'll see," and another long Frankie cackle. Those are words I will always remember him saying. He loved his wife and kids more than anything in the world, and I believe he really wondered why it was so difficult for others to have that. Frankie was a special guy to a lot of a people, a great friend of mine and a wonderful husband and father.
It was a great day down at the Riverfront, with beautiful weather and a great show of support. The event is held every October at the Corning Preserve, Albany Riverfront. It's a great venue and a really great cause -- stay tuned for next year's Walk for Frankie. You can check it out online @ http://www.walkforfrankie.com/. And check out The Moyer Foundation and Camp Erin @ http://www.moyerfoundation.org/.
I would also like to thank my cousins (event organizers) for giving me the opportunity to promote one of my great sponsors: Powerbar Nutrition -- http://www.powerbar.com/. As a Powerbar-sponsored athlete, I have a few contract responsibilities that involve product promotion, nutrition education and social/media exposure. Our Powerbar booth at Frankie's walk was great fun and provided the walkers and runners with some product samples, great training and race fueling tips, as well as nutrition information about the wonderful Powerbar products. Thank you.
Thanks for reading.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Race Report: Bread for Schools Run -- Half Marathon
Greetings,
Bread Run for Schools Half Marathon -- Fabius, NY -- a small agricultural village in upstate/central New York, about 20 mins south of Syracuse. The race was Sunday, October 10, 2010 --10/10/10. Would this be a perfect-ten-of-a-day? Almost -- but not quite! It sure was a beauty: crisp, 39 degrees, clear, sunny, but warming up nicely. I headed out from Albany Sunday morning, around 6:15 a.m. Once again, I was heading to central western New York for a race. It's interesting, I had never gone west in New York State for a race until this season, and here I was for the second time in two months on I-90 west. I'll keep from boring you this time and just say that it was a beautiful trip out I-90, with flocks of geese in flight, thick fog sitting in the valleys, surrounded by beautiful autumn colors. Each fall I am always amazed, watching geese make their way south in temperatures and winds that would literally freeze humans to death in seconds, and these rugged feathered creatures are flying hundreds of miles to their winter homes -- truly remarkable!
As I made my way west, yes I consumed my tasty QT2 Systems Coaching (http://www.qt2systems.com/) race day breakfast. (See older posts for the delicious menu items.) Although, I did mix it up a little with a new Powerbar drink product called Powerbar Perform (http://www.powerbar.com/). A portion of my race day breakfast includes consuming one 20 ounce bottle of sports drink; and over the last two years, I have been using Powerbar Endurance drink mix. The NEW Powerbar Perform is conveniently bottled in 20 ounce plastic containers, which eliminates fussing around with mixing, and there are a few great flavors. My favorite is the orange/mango. The Endurance and the Perform Drinks have the same carbs and are equal in sodium and potassium, so for me it's the convenience, especially when traveling and the additional choices for flavors. The other great thing about both Powerbar Endurance and Perform is the great light taste; many other sports drinks are way too sweet and will often lead to digestive issues when racing or training. These great products can be found on the Powerbar website (http://http://www.powerbar.com/).
I arrived early at the rural Fabius/Pompey High School and was greeted by several really nice volunteers. I could tell this event was very well done, with great signage indicating registration, bag drop, massage, along with several "big race" amenities. And the setting was stellar. It was a perfect day for racing, a beautiful venue, great people, and a race committee made up of a group of high school friends looking to give back to there community. They were 'The Boys of "56-57" Fabius/Pompey High School Basketball Team', and I'll tell you these guys have put together one heck of a race (http://www.breadrunatfabiusny.org/). Check out the website. I checked in and made my way out for a little warm-up run.
As I walked over to the start line, my mood was a bit somber and sad as I passed by a cemetery and could only think how much Mike enjoyed being at my races -- I missed him, Jill and the kids so much! It was a very nice morning, a great venue, but I just didn't feel quite right. I hoped that this feeling would pass and the 10/10/10 day, with a morning as perfect as the date, would turn things around for me. At the start line, most of the runners were lined up quite a ways back from the actual line, except for a few uniformed racers -- and they looked fast! These speedsters are part of Stotan Racing, a running team from the Syracuse area focused on working with post-collegiate distance runners. I took my place next to them. BANG -- off we go! It wasn't long and they were gone, so I focused in on my goal pace of 5:55. Those guys were smokin' along around 5:20-5:30. I knew at this point in the season, that pace was a bit fast for me.
As I worked to settle in at my pace, I could tell the old body just wasn't feelin it -- not sure why! I seemed to be struggling with my form and pace and just couldn't get any real rhythm. My hope was that it would come around -- it didn't. I really worked for 13 miles and was a bit disappointed with my situation, but fortunately another runner had caught me around 3 miles in and was kind enough to run with me, as he really didn't have a goal time and was happy just to be running with someone. We were sort of in no-man's land as the Stotan speedsters were out in front and the other participants were well behind us. Steve ended up running with me for about 5 miles, it helped in a huge way just having another athlete to run with, but my condition remained and I knew it wasn't going to change. Steve ended up pulling away around mile 10 or so, eventually catching one of the Stotan runners for a fourth place finish, as I battled my way in for 6th. It was a tough day out there for me, but the course was beautiful as it meandered through the beautiful countryside on rural county roads all closed to vechicular traffic. YES -- CLOSED! That was sweet!
Check out the website for this race (http://www.breadrunatfabiusny.org/); it's really cool what these guys are working on out there. I would like to see this race grow, not only is it very well done, includes a really good prize purse ($1,000 1st Place, $750 2nd), but it goes towards a great cause: funding schools. Check it out! It's only about 2.5 hrs from Albany and the course is just beautiful.
Overall, for me, it wasn't a great day; but it was a good training session -- thanks in large part to Powerbar -- and a nice morning. Thanks for reading. Next up MIAMI 70.3 (Half Ironman) -- only 7 days away!
Bread Run for Schools Half Marathon -- Fabius, NY -- a small agricultural village in upstate/central New York, about 20 mins south of Syracuse. The race was Sunday, October 10, 2010 --10/10/10. Would this be a perfect-ten-of-a-day? Almost -- but not quite! It sure was a beauty: crisp, 39 degrees, clear, sunny, but warming up nicely. I headed out from Albany Sunday morning, around 6:15 a.m. Once again, I was heading to central western New York for a race. It's interesting, I had never gone west in New York State for a race until this season, and here I was for the second time in two months on I-90 west. I'll keep from boring you this time and just say that it was a beautiful trip out I-90, with flocks of geese in flight, thick fog sitting in the valleys, surrounded by beautiful autumn colors. Each fall I am always amazed, watching geese make their way south in temperatures and winds that would literally freeze humans to death in seconds, and these rugged feathered creatures are flying hundreds of miles to their winter homes -- truly remarkable!
As I made my way west, yes I consumed my tasty QT2 Systems Coaching (http://www.qt2systems.com/) race day breakfast. (See older posts for the delicious menu items.) Although, I did mix it up a little with a new Powerbar drink product called Powerbar Perform (http://www.powerbar.com/). A portion of my race day breakfast includes consuming one 20 ounce bottle of sports drink; and over the last two years, I have been using Powerbar Endurance drink mix. The NEW Powerbar Perform is conveniently bottled in 20 ounce plastic containers, which eliminates fussing around with mixing, and there are a few great flavors. My favorite is the orange/mango. The Endurance and the Perform Drinks have the same carbs and are equal in sodium and potassium, so for me it's the convenience, especially when traveling and the additional choices for flavors. The other great thing about both Powerbar Endurance and Perform is the great light taste; many other sports drinks are way too sweet and will often lead to digestive issues when racing or training. These great products can be found on the Powerbar website (http://http://www.powerbar.com/).
I arrived early at the rural Fabius/Pompey High School and was greeted by several really nice volunteers. I could tell this event was very well done, with great signage indicating registration, bag drop, massage, along with several "big race" amenities. And the setting was stellar. It was a perfect day for racing, a beautiful venue, great people, and a race committee made up of a group of high school friends looking to give back to there community. They were 'The Boys of "56-57" Fabius/Pompey High School Basketball Team', and I'll tell you these guys have put together one heck of a race (http://www.breadrunatfabiusny.org/). Check out the website. I checked in and made my way out for a little warm-up run.
As I walked over to the start line, my mood was a bit somber and sad as I passed by a cemetery and could only think how much Mike enjoyed being at my races -- I missed him, Jill and the kids so much! It was a very nice morning, a great venue, but I just didn't feel quite right. I hoped that this feeling would pass and the 10/10/10 day, with a morning as perfect as the date, would turn things around for me. At the start line, most of the runners were lined up quite a ways back from the actual line, except for a few uniformed racers -- and they looked fast! These speedsters are part of Stotan Racing, a running team from the Syracuse area focused on working with post-collegiate distance runners. I took my place next to them. BANG -- off we go! It wasn't long and they were gone, so I focused in on my goal pace of 5:55. Those guys were smokin' along around 5:20-5:30. I knew at this point in the season, that pace was a bit fast for me.
As I worked to settle in at my pace, I could tell the old body just wasn't feelin it -- not sure why! I seemed to be struggling with my form and pace and just couldn't get any real rhythm. My hope was that it would come around -- it didn't. I really worked for 13 miles and was a bit disappointed with my situation, but fortunately another runner had caught me around 3 miles in and was kind enough to run with me, as he really didn't have a goal time and was happy just to be running with someone. We were sort of in no-man's land as the Stotan speedsters were out in front and the other participants were well behind us. Steve ended up running with me for about 5 miles, it helped in a huge way just having another athlete to run with, but my condition remained and I knew it wasn't going to change. Steve ended up pulling away around mile 10 or so, eventually catching one of the Stotan runners for a fourth place finish, as I battled my way in for 6th. It was a tough day out there for me, but the course was beautiful as it meandered through the beautiful countryside on rural county roads all closed to vechicular traffic. YES -- CLOSED! That was sweet!
Check out the website for this race (http://www.breadrunatfabiusny.org/); it's really cool what these guys are working on out there. I would like to see this race grow, not only is it very well done, includes a really good prize purse ($1,000 1st Place, $750 2nd), but it goes towards a great cause: funding schools. Check it out! It's only about 2.5 hrs from Albany and the course is just beautiful.
Overall, for me, it wasn't a great day; but it was a good training session -- thanks in large part to Powerbar -- and a nice morning. Thanks for reading. Next up MIAMI 70.3 (Half Ironman) -- only 7 days away!
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Syracuse 70.3 Race Report
Cuse -- as in Syracuse, New York and the inaugural Syracuse 70.3 Half Ironman. It's hard to believe that this race has come and gone; it feels like Timberman 70.3 was last week. Anyway, I was really excited for this race. One, because I truly enjoy racing and two, it would provide some feedback-- giving me an idea how well things were moving along.
After athlete check-in on Saturday afternoon and the mandatory pro athlete meeting -- I wasn't sure why the pro meeting was mandatory and the amateur/age group meeting was optional, oh well -- I made my way out to the race start at the Jamesville Reservoir County Park. It was a beautiful venue for a race, clear water and an abundance of space for 2000-plus athletes, their families, friends and cars. That's always a good thing, as some races really lack parking space. The race course layout was a bit different than most 70.3 races because it was a point to point race, meaning the swim start and the transition area were at the county park, but the finish line was in the city at the Inner Harbor on Onondaga Lake. This type of layout is typically a bit of a pain for both the athletes and the spectators, as it requires some serious logistical planning and oftentimes results in a hassle of some sort, at some point on race day. Most often for the spectators who are trying to get to the finish line before their athlete gets there; and then for the athlete, it usually comes after the race when they're on a reconnaissance mission to pick up their bike and wetsuit at the race start. Basically, everything happens at the race start and then the run finishes in a different location. Yup, it's sort of weird! Providence 70.3 is set up the same way. Okay, I promise the race report is coming, but first I have to tell you about my 'CUSE' BIG ORANGE experience.
After checking out the race start in Jamesville, I decided I would check in at the hotel in Syracuse. I was staying at the Sheraton Inn at Syracuse University...bad idea! As I made my way towards the college, I had to navigate through the masses of BIG ORANGE fans decked out in orange hats, shirts and jackets with orange flags flying, kegs stashed under tables with orange tablecloths and orange cups, and ticketless fans in orange begging for a pass into the DOME, not only to see their beloved ORANGE, but to see their team's first home game on the 30th anniversary of the Carrier Dome -- yes that structure that looks like something that belongs on the moon. I quickly knew this was no place for me and I bolted for the Hampton Inn, where the rest of my family would be staying. I could only imagine what it would be like at the Sheraton following a Syracuse win; and if they lost ??? This was a serious display of some dedicated BIG ORANGE fans and they were ready to party on. I guess this is what tailgating is all about, and WOW! They did win!
Okay -- the race! Race morning started for me at the usual time -- 3hrs before the race start. The pro swim start was at 7 am, so I was up at 4 am swallowing down my unsweetened apple sauce along with my Powerbar Sports Drink http://www.powerbar.com/ one banana and oh, that wonderful scoop of whey protein. This breakfast combination is the QT2 Systems http://www.qt2systems.com/ race day nutritional protocol. It sounds tough, but after a few times, it's really easy and it works incredibly well. I have had my struggles with race day nutrition prior to working with QT2 Systems Coaching and prior to using Powerbar products; but after starting with both last season, I have had great success. Nutrition is the fourth element of long distance triathlon racing; a good nutrition plan is key to having success with long distance racing. I have seen and known many athletes who fail to cross the finish line because of a failed nutrition startegy, not because they were physically unprepared. We headed for the swim start around 5 am in a little drizzle, with temps around 60 and a water temp about the same -- yes, wetsuits were allowed. The road in was a bit congested, so they pushed the race start to 7:15 am.
There I was for the second time in line at the swim start with some of the best triathletes in the world -- pretty cool! And yup, once again it wasn't long before they dropped me like I did something to piss them all off. Although, this time I managed to hang on for a few hundred yards, but that was it -- gone. And there I was with the entire reservoir to myself. The lake was as smooth as glass and I was swimming pretty well until about the last 600 meters, when I spotted a few pink caps -- "ah man, they got me again." Yes the fast pro women swimmers caught me again, but this time it was just a few of them and it was a bit later than Timberman 70.3, a little bit anyway. I think ,with some more swim volume, the 1.2 mile half-iron swim distance will be smoother all the way through. At this point, I feel like I am swimming well for 1200 or so yards and then my form begins to suffer, and with that my pace slows. Anyway, I was out in just over 32 min, not bad, not great. I think the swim distance was a tad long, and the with the cold water temp, I was pretty stiff.
The transition zone was a few hundred yards from the swim exit and I felt like I was running on the bottoms of my tibias (lower leg bones); my feet were very cold and my hands were hardly functioning. Wet suit strippers please, I need all the help I can get. In T1, I was a bit slow from the cold water, but I managed to get out of there in under 3 min, including the run from the swim exit. Popped the helmet on, stuffed the Powerbars/Power gels http://www.powerbar.com/ into my jersey pocket and out on the wet pavement I rolled. It was misty, really foggy and eventually very lonely out on the rural roads of Onondaga and Madison Counties. It wasn't the landscape, the terrain or the aesthetics -- as most of my riding over the years has been in upsate New York and Northern Vermont -- but the fact that most of the pro men were out in front and I had caught the few female pros who passed me in the water. See, on training rides, I have instant company with one touch off the IPOD: BOOM -- Jim Morrison and LA Women or maybe some Janes Addiction; but today I was on my own, although I had developed a few mantras to help me through. Anyway, for the next 40-45 miles I was solo, occassionally passing some local spectators and a few cows here and there -- man, I wish they could talk back to me -- but more or less on my own. This made for a difficult course, and with hills and long flats making it even more challenging, it weighed on my mental strength. My goal was to average around 23.7 mph at around 143 average heart rate, which were the numbers coach Jesse http://www.qt2systems.com/ had given me the night before. This course was described as hilly -- it was, but it was also relentless: If you weren't climbing, you were grinding out a long flat, sometimes into the wind; and there was very little free speed (downhills) until the last 10 or so miles, where I did end up reeling in a couple of pro men. I battled my way into T2 a little spaced out but managed to average 23 mph = 2:25:54 bike split.
Dazed and confused into T2, I fumbled around with my Powerbars/Gels, managed to pull on my running shoes and attempted to strap my Garmin to my wrist. I eventually stopped completely to fasten the watch to my wrist. In T2 I could hear the cheers coming from my family and friends, as the fence was very close to the pro bike rack, but I never looked up. I had all I could do to get myself out on the run course. I eventually made it out to the road and was greeted by my brother Dan. He asked his typical question: "How you feelin man, you alright? You look great, come on, go get it." I acknowledged him, but without any real response; that was a dead give away. Dan knows me well, and he knew I was a little off. Suprisingly, I quickly settled in and was actually running very well, but way to fast -- around 5:15-5:30 pace coming out of T2. Not for long, as I knew Coach Jesse' s plan was to hold 6:25 for as long as possible. Based on that, I knew that if I didn't slow down, I would probably blow to pieces at some point. So, I settled in to a 6:20-6:30 pace very comfortably and maintaned it really well for most of the run. The aid stations along the run were amazing, with cheering volunteers, some dressed in costumes and just full of smiles -- pretty cool. One station had a Hawaii theme; that was very cool as it reminded me of being on the Big Island in Kona for the Ironman World Championship. I was there as an amateur in 2007 and in 2009, and my biggest atheletic accomplishment would be to get back there as a professional -- that would be amazing and would fulfill my life beyond words. It's possible, but will be very difficult! Anyway, the run course was mostly flat, but there seemed to be a head wind and it wasn't the most scenic run -- well I guess it depends on what you like to look at ???? I maintaned my pace well and was actually running with ease until about mile 9, at which point I began to work a bit harder to hold my pace, but was still running pretty well. Again, I was in no-man's land on the run as well, as the pro men were mostly in front and I wasn't catching them, and the pro women were behind and they were not catching me. So, there I was for the 13 mile run, like the 1.2 mile swim and the 56 mile bike -- solo, but I did have the wonderful aid station volunteers -- thank you. At this point in my season with only a few months of training, it's difficult to hang with the pros, as these guys can swim, bike and run fast. As an amateur, it wasn't uncommon for me to be several minutes back coming out of the water, but I would typically catch up with most on the bike and then usually a few more on the run. It's diffirent now that the guys in the pro field are rock solid at all three disciplines. My hope is that as I move along with what's left of this season and in to next season, my bike and run strengths will return and my swim will improve. This, hopefully, will put me in the mix down in Miami at the Miami 70.3 in late October and will set me up for a solid season next year and maybe, most importantly, I won't be out there in no-man's land! Run split 6:22pace/1:23:20 run time. Overall finish time -- 4:26:00 17th Pro.
The finish was very cool along Onondaga Lake at the Inner Harbor. My family and friends had made it from the County Park (race start), most by car; but Dan, he chose to ride my old Specialized Tarmac along the run course. It was fun for him and fun for me as he would disappear from time to time and I would wonder where could he be and then he would reappear. At one point, late in the race around mile 10, I had not seen him for some time. Suddenly, I heard "ha, what you thought you could lose me? You ain't losin' me boy, hah, hah!" and he reappeared again. Pretty funny!!! Over the 5 years of my triathlon career, my brothers Dan and Mike would often find their way out to the run course on some old bikes of mine. It's diifferent for Dan and me now without Mike, but I am sure he is always with us. Thanks for reading. And a special thanks to my friends and sister Kelly who made the trek west, out "boring" I-90, and a very special thanks to my Mom and Dad for their support and generosity.
 |
| Pro Swim Start |
I headed west from Albany, out I-90 around mid-morning on Saturday, after helping my brother Dan set up for the Delmar Farmers Market. Dan's cafe, The Perfect Blend http://www.perfectblend.com/ is one of the vendors at the seasonal farmers market in Delmar, New York. It was an amazingly beautiful morning with blue skies and crisp, September Autumn air. I was looking forward to the trip west, as I've always enjoyed the drive along the Mohawk River through the beautiful pastoral lanscape of upsate central New York. It's a drive that most describe as "boring," but I've never really understood this. What would they rather be looking at?
After athlete check-in on Saturday afternoon and the mandatory pro athlete meeting -- I wasn't sure why the pro meeting was mandatory and the amateur/age group meeting was optional, oh well -- I made my way out to the race start at the Jamesville Reservoir County Park. It was a beautiful venue for a race, clear water and an abundance of space for 2000-plus athletes, their families, friends and cars. That's always a good thing, as some races really lack parking space. The race course layout was a bit different than most 70.3 races because it was a point to point race, meaning the swim start and the transition area were at the county park, but the finish line was in the city at the Inner Harbor on Onondaga Lake. This type of layout is typically a bit of a pain for both the athletes and the spectators, as it requires some serious logistical planning and oftentimes results in a hassle of some sort, at some point on race day. Most often for the spectators who are trying to get to the finish line before their athlete gets there; and then for the athlete, it usually comes after the race when they're on a reconnaissance mission to pick up their bike and wetsuit at the race start. Basically, everything happens at the race start and then the run finishes in a different location. Yup, it's sort of weird! Providence 70.3 is set up the same way. Okay, I promise the race report is coming, but first I have to tell you about my 'CUSE' BIG ORANGE experience.
After checking out the race start in Jamesville, I decided I would check in at the hotel in Syracuse. I was staying at the Sheraton Inn at Syracuse University...bad idea! As I made my way towards the college, I had to navigate through the masses of BIG ORANGE fans decked out in orange hats, shirts and jackets with orange flags flying, kegs stashed under tables with orange tablecloths and orange cups, and ticketless fans in orange begging for a pass into the DOME, not only to see their beloved ORANGE, but to see their team's first home game on the 30th anniversary of the Carrier Dome -- yes that structure that looks like something that belongs on the moon. I quickly knew this was no place for me and I bolted for the Hampton Inn, where the rest of my family would be staying. I could only imagine what it would be like at the Sheraton following a Syracuse win; and if they lost ??? This was a serious display of some dedicated BIG ORANGE fans and they were ready to party on. I guess this is what tailgating is all about, and WOW! They did win!
Okay -- the race! Race morning started for me at the usual time -- 3hrs before the race start. The pro swim start was at 7 am, so I was up at 4 am swallowing down my unsweetened apple sauce along with my Powerbar Sports Drink http://www.powerbar.com/ one banana and oh, that wonderful scoop of whey protein. This breakfast combination is the QT2 Systems http://www.qt2systems.com/ race day nutritional protocol. It sounds tough, but after a few times, it's really easy and it works incredibly well. I have had my struggles with race day nutrition prior to working with QT2 Systems Coaching and prior to using Powerbar products; but after starting with both last season, I have had great success. Nutrition is the fourth element of long distance triathlon racing; a good nutrition plan is key to having success with long distance racing. I have seen and known many athletes who fail to cross the finish line because of a failed nutrition startegy, not because they were physically unprepared. We headed for the swim start around 5 am in a little drizzle, with temps around 60 and a water temp about the same -- yes, wetsuits were allowed. The road in was a bit congested, so they pushed the race start to 7:15 am.
There I was for the second time in line at the swim start with some of the best triathletes in the world -- pretty cool! And yup, once again it wasn't long before they dropped me like I did something to piss them all off. Although, this time I managed to hang on for a few hundred yards, but that was it -- gone. And there I was with the entire reservoir to myself. The lake was as smooth as glass and I was swimming pretty well until about the last 600 meters, when I spotted a few pink caps -- "ah man, they got me again." Yes the fast pro women swimmers caught me again, but this time it was just a few of them and it was a bit later than Timberman 70.3, a little bit anyway. I think ,with some more swim volume, the 1.2 mile half-iron swim distance will be smoother all the way through. At this point, I feel like I am swimming well for 1200 or so yards and then my form begins to suffer, and with that my pace slows. Anyway, I was out in just over 32 min, not bad, not great. I think the swim distance was a tad long, and the with the cold water temp, I was pretty stiff.
The transition zone was a few hundred yards from the swim exit and I felt like I was running on the bottoms of my tibias (lower leg bones); my feet were very cold and my hands were hardly functioning. Wet suit strippers please, I need all the help I can get. In T1, I was a bit slow from the cold water, but I managed to get out of there in under 3 min, including the run from the swim exit. Popped the helmet on, stuffed the Powerbars/Power gels http://www.powerbar.com/ into my jersey pocket and out on the wet pavement I rolled. It was misty, really foggy and eventually very lonely out on the rural roads of Onondaga and Madison Counties. It wasn't the landscape, the terrain or the aesthetics -- as most of my riding over the years has been in upsate New York and Northern Vermont -- but the fact that most of the pro men were out in front and I had caught the few female pros who passed me in the water. See, on training rides, I have instant company with one touch off the IPOD: BOOM -- Jim Morrison and LA Women or maybe some Janes Addiction; but today I was on my own, although I had developed a few mantras to help me through. Anyway, for the next 40-45 miles I was solo, occassionally passing some local spectators and a few cows here and there -- man, I wish they could talk back to me -- but more or less on my own. This made for a difficult course, and with hills and long flats making it even more challenging, it weighed on my mental strength. My goal was to average around 23.7 mph at around 143 average heart rate, which were the numbers coach Jesse http://www.qt2systems.com/ had given me the night before. This course was described as hilly -- it was, but it was also relentless: If you weren't climbing, you were grinding out a long flat, sometimes into the wind; and there was very little free speed (downhills) until the last 10 or so miles, where I did end up reeling in a couple of pro men. I battled my way into T2 a little spaced out but managed to average 23 mph = 2:25:54 bike split.
Dazed and confused into T2, I fumbled around with my Powerbars/Gels, managed to pull on my running shoes and attempted to strap my Garmin to my wrist. I eventually stopped completely to fasten the watch to my wrist. In T2 I could hear the cheers coming from my family and friends, as the fence was very close to the pro bike rack, but I never looked up. I had all I could do to get myself out on the run course. I eventually made it out to the road and was greeted by my brother Dan. He asked his typical question: "How you feelin man, you alright? You look great, come on, go get it." I acknowledged him, but without any real response; that was a dead give away. Dan knows me well, and he knew I was a little off. Suprisingly, I quickly settled in and was actually running very well, but way to fast -- around 5:15-5:30 pace coming out of T2. Not for long, as I knew Coach Jesse' s plan was to hold 6:25 for as long as possible. Based on that, I knew that if I didn't slow down, I would probably blow to pieces at some point. So, I settled in to a 6:20-6:30 pace very comfortably and maintaned it really well for most of the run. The aid stations along the run were amazing, with cheering volunteers, some dressed in costumes and just full of smiles -- pretty cool. One station had a Hawaii theme; that was very cool as it reminded me of being on the Big Island in Kona for the Ironman World Championship. I was there as an amateur in 2007 and in 2009, and my biggest atheletic accomplishment would be to get back there as a professional -- that would be amazing and would fulfill my life beyond words. It's possible, but will be very difficult! Anyway, the run course was mostly flat, but there seemed to be a head wind and it wasn't the most scenic run -- well I guess it depends on what you like to look at ???? I maintaned my pace well and was actually running with ease until about mile 9, at which point I began to work a bit harder to hold my pace, but was still running pretty well. Again, I was in no-man's land on the run as well, as the pro men were mostly in front and I wasn't catching them, and the pro women were behind and they were not catching me. So, there I was for the 13 mile run, like the 1.2 mile swim and the 56 mile bike -- solo, but I did have the wonderful aid station volunteers -- thank you. At this point in my season with only a few months of training, it's difficult to hang with the pros, as these guys can swim, bike and run fast. As an amateur, it wasn't uncommon for me to be several minutes back coming out of the water, but I would typically catch up with most on the bike and then usually a few more on the run. It's diffirent now that the guys in the pro field are rock solid at all three disciplines. My hope is that as I move along with what's left of this season and in to next season, my bike and run strengths will return and my swim will improve. This, hopefully, will put me in the mix down in Miami at the Miami 70.3 in late October and will set me up for a solid season next year and maybe, most importantly, I won't be out there in no-man's land! Run split 6:22pace/1:23:20 run time. Overall finish time -- 4:26:00 17th Pro.
The finish was very cool along Onondaga Lake at the Inner Harbor. My family and friends had made it from the County Park (race start), most by car; but Dan, he chose to ride my old Specialized Tarmac along the run course. It was fun for him and fun for me as he would disappear from time to time and I would wonder where could he be and then he would reappear. At one point, late in the race around mile 10, I had not seen him for some time. Suddenly, I heard "ha, what you thought you could lose me? You ain't losin' me boy, hah, hah!" and he reappeared again. Pretty funny!!! Over the 5 years of my triathlon career, my brothers Dan and Mike would often find their way out to the run course on some old bikes of mine. It's diifferent for Dan and me now without Mike, but I am sure he is always with us. Thanks for reading. And a special thanks to my friends and sister Kelly who made the trek west, out "boring" I-90, and a very special thanks to my Mom and Dad for their support and generosity.
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| Nearing the finish,Pop's on the video camera in the background. |
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Timberman 70.3
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| Pops and my Timberman trailer digs. |
Well, it came quick. I only decided to do this race back in late July, and suddenly I was on the start line --WHAT-- with the pros. WOW, pretty cool! The most exciting thing for me was that I was starting with just 20-30 people instead of 200-2000 in some cases, like Ironman Lake Placid where the swim start is a mass start. Yes, that means all 2000+ amateurs begin at the same time -- scary, you get trashed. It's sort of like being in a washing machine -- not that I have ever experienced that, but it seems like it would feel pretty similar. This would be my debut in the professional ranks, my return following the accident, and it was my brother Mike's 33rd birthday -- it was a very emotional day.
I wasn't sure how the day would go. I did know it would be slow for me, but it was a starting point. My life changed in the blink of an eye (see post 'Blink of an Eye') and would never be the same, but my new beginning had to start somewhere. And so it did, ouch -- 4am breakfast! Not that I forgot about the QT2 Sytems (http://www.qt2systems.com/) breakfast protocol -- large quanities of unsweetened apple sauce, 1 banana,1 scoop whey and 1 bottle of PowerBar Endurance sports drink (http://www.powerbar.com/), but man, 4 am bowls of apple sauce: yummy! But, this sysyem really works! Throughout the day, out on the bike, I use a combination of PowerBar Gels and PowerBar Performance Energy Bars; for the run, I go with just the gels -- it works great! Back in February, just several days following the accident, I was asked to be a part of PowerBar Team Elite for the 2010 and 2011 seasons, this is a great honor and I truly believe in the PowerBar Nutrition System.
BANG! Like dolphins, 20-30 pro men go diving through the clear waters of Lake Winnipesaukee. Quickly, without surprise, I was dropped from the group, but was so stoked to be out there -- it was great! I actually got a good laugh out of it. I was dusted...no suprise given my swim volume leading up to Timberman was very low. The swim is my weak spot. If I'd had some volume, it would have helped, but I still would have been dropped. BUT, maybe, just maybe I could have stayed in front of the 3 pro women who passed me at the first turn buoy -- they started 50 seconds after me -- HA, HA. The swim was a rectangle -- 700 meters out (north), 400 across (east), and 700 in (south). The first 700 was smooth --slow, but smooth.
Man did things change shortly after the 700 meter point, as we turned east -- HOLY @#%% CHOP --where did this come from? From shore, it appeared to be very calm. My family really didn't beleive me when I told them it was very rough coming across the lake. It was this segement where I lost all form, at times, feeling like I didn't have a clue what the he.. I was doing -- survival mode! It's funny, but I sort of love when sh.. hits the fan like this. Pure survival mode -- humbling! It remained very challenging for about 400 meters -- gulps of water, missed strokes over the waves and prayers that it would change at the turn buoy. It did, as I turned for the shore the chop was less severe, but -- oh man -- passed by a few more gals. Oh well!
SWIM 32:20: not great, but not terrible. If my swim fitness was there, maybe this number could have been 28:30-29:30 -- in time, I hope!
As I made my through transition, I could see my parents and my brother Dan. It was at that point where I felt like I never left the sport -- there was something about exiting the water, running through the cheers and bells and feeling the support of so many people I didn' even know. It felt right and, physically, I felt pretty good. As I approached my bike, I could see my brother Dan. Mike was always with him at my races. Suddenly it hurt, bad; but Dan was there and Mike was with us in spirit. Dan asked "how you feelin? You okay?" Dan asks these questions all day, at every race, every year, always making sure I'm okay, getting a read on how I'm feeling. He always asks, but has said that he can pretty much always tell by the look on my face. Oh man, where did everyone go? I think my bike was the only one left on the pro rack -- I laughed!
I had done this race a few times in the past. Actually, it was my second triathlon ever back in 2005. The bike course was a mix of long flats and some hills, a pretty good course for me in the past. Early on, my legs were slow to react, but after about 10-15 miles they began to come around. Exiting the water between 5-10 minutes behind the other male pros left me out on the road riding alone. Around 20-25 miles in, I had caught all but one of those fast female swimmers, but the men were long gone. I did catch one male pro at around 50 miles, but he ended up passing me within the first few miles of the run. Anyway, I felt pretty good on the bike, very strong in the hills, a little shy with power on the flats. Overall, about what I expected.
BIKE: 2hr 24min bike split, 23.3 mph.
The temperature was perfect and there was a light rain falling as I rolled down the hill into transition. I was feeling really good, no stomach issues, and my legs were okay. Over the last two seasons I have used Powerbar (http://www.powerbar.com/) products for all my training and racing nutritional needs with incredible results. In the past, nutrition was often a problem during ultra distance events. As I dismounted the bike and approached my spot on the rack, my teamate Tim Snow was lacing up his sneaks. Tim and I headed out together running about a 7 min pace. Tim is a great runner, but was using the race as a training day in preparation for Ironman Louisville on Aug 29. Back in July, he ran a 2:54 marathon at Ironman Lake Placid, finishing 5th Overall, but missing a Hawaii (Ironman Championship) slot by the slimmest of margins. In order to claim a Hawaii slot as a pro, you must finish within 5% of the overall winner's time -- Tim finished between 5-6 % behind Ben Hoffman the overall winner -- kind of screwed up, I think! So, he will be going for it again next Sunday down in Louisville. We ran the first loop together, maintaining a 7 min pace and pretty much a full blown conversation, amusing many folks along the way. It was a great pace for me. I wasn't sure how the run would go, but my thought was I could probably run at least a 7 min pace for the 13 miles. So, Tim peeled off at the beginning of the second loop and I pushed onward, comfortably maintaining the 7 min pace out to the turnaround. It was around mile 10 that I decided to pick it up some as I was feeling pretty strong and thought I could push it hard to the finish line -- the last 3 miles I was running 6:00-6:30 pace.
RUN= 6:52 pace, 1:32:00 run split with the last 3 miles being my fastest. Usually, it's the other way around.
Finish Time: 4hr 32min. All and all, happy with it. It was very smooth and enjoyable. It was an emotional day, but a positive one, for a life that has been full of darkness for many months.
A special thanks to my friends in Vermont -- Patti and Scott, who over the course of the last 6 months have helped me in so many ways -- Thank You so much! And my friends in Albany -- Renee, Walter, Brendan, Craig and my brother Dan for all their support, my Mom and Dad, brother Shawn, sister Kelly, Aunt Con and my best buddy Rat (Bill) out in Flagstaff, AZ -- Thanks! Keep on Shining!
A Slippery Slope
A Slippery Slope
Sorry about the lack of updates, but it has taken me some time to be sure about any racing plans. Thanks for checking in! Over the last few months following the loss of my brother, Mike; his wife, Jill; and their children, Makayla and Bryce, I have spent many hours wondering if I would ever return to Ironman racing and training. In the intial days and weeks -- even the first few months -- I was pretty sure that my season was over. And maybe my career. I knew my 2010 season plan for Oceanside 70.3, Ironman St. George -- along with a hopeful return to Hawaii -- was out. Gone. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, I was ready to throw in the towel on many fronts, and triathalon was one of them. Life had smacked our family right in the face. It flattened me. I lost my best friends, two of my biggest supporters, their children, my god child, Makayla, a piece of my heart. It created a giant hole in my life and made for a very uncertain future. In the wake of it all, I was broken, deeply depressed, angry and had no idea how I could ever live with this; the weight of it all was unbearable. At this point, it has been 6 months since the accident, the anger, pain, sorrow and sadness have not magically disappeared, but the fog has lifted -- some. As Lance Armstrong said during his fight against cancer, "pain is only temporary, quitting lasts forever." In one of my most difficult weeks back in July, I knew I needed help, as I was in a very dark place. Maybe it had reached that point where I had no more answers. All along I have faced this challenge alone, with the support of my best friends; but the darkness that had overcome me, those days of that week, was all too much. It was at that point, although with uncertainty, I knew I had to start riding again. The only real options in life were limited. As Lance's words rang in my ears -- give up or hold on to hope and believe that things would get better -- I listened. Ironman racing and training have been my life for the last 4-5 yrs and, at this point, it was possibly the only stable ground I could bring back to my life after a large part of it had been ripped away.
So, in early July, I started to ride with some focus, wanting it to work out, at least well enough that I could possibly race at some point this year -- I hoped! In the months following the accident I had gained over 15 lbs from drinking beer daily, poor eating, and lack of exercise. It was my plan to shed some weight by cycling, and then I would start running. As most of you know, running with extra weight is bad and hard on the body. It was also being out on the bike, on the open road, in the hills where I found the most comfort. It was helping me mentally, emotionally and physically.
As a pro triathlete, we are allowed to register for Ironman and Ironman 70.3 (Half-Ironmans) races at any time during the season. So, after my original season plan changed following the accident, I registered for several 70.3 races and a few Ironman races, uncertain if I would ever get to the starting line; but life was in turmoil, and I had no clue what was ahead. I was making decisions and hoping for the best. After spending the weekend as a spectator at Ironman Lake Placid on July 26th, I made the decision that I would race at Timberman 70.3 on August 22nd, my brother Mike's 33rd birthday. Although I would not be in great shape for the race, I hoped that it would be a positive step forward, regardless of my finish time. I started to log in some decent mileage on the bike, a little swimming and eventually some running, getting in just a couple of runs beyond 10 miles before Timberman with only a couple of weeks of 20 plus miles. I figured my durability for the Half-Iron distance would be okay and was pretty certain I could complete the distance in the 4:20-4:30 range, knowing that just 2 months of training wasn't going to produce a PR performance. But, it was time to pick up the pieces and at least try to move forward. I am sure -- Mike, Jill , Makayla and Bryce will be with me along the way, with Danny and the rest of my family along the side of the road, as we move step by step through the pain, suffering and sorrow of such an unimaginable loss.
So, my new season plan will be : Timberman 70.3 (Half-Iron) August 22nd, Syracuse 70.3 (Half-Iron) Sept.19, and most likely Miami 70.3 (Half-Iron) Oct.31st.
Thanks for checking in.
Sorry about the lack of updates, but it has taken me some time to be sure about any racing plans. Thanks for checking in! Over the last few months following the loss of my brother, Mike; his wife, Jill; and their children, Makayla and Bryce, I have spent many hours wondering if I would ever return to Ironman racing and training. In the intial days and weeks -- even the first few months -- I was pretty sure that my season was over. And maybe my career. I knew my 2010 season plan for Oceanside 70.3, Ironman St. George -- along with a hopeful return to Hawaii -- was out. Gone. In the immediate aftermath of the accident, I was ready to throw in the towel on many fronts, and triathalon was one of them. Life had smacked our family right in the face. It flattened me. I lost my best friends, two of my biggest supporters, their children, my god child, Makayla, a piece of my heart. It created a giant hole in my life and made for a very uncertain future. In the wake of it all, I was broken, deeply depressed, angry and had no idea how I could ever live with this; the weight of it all was unbearable. At this point, it has been 6 months since the accident, the anger, pain, sorrow and sadness have not magically disappeared, but the fog has lifted -- some. As Lance Armstrong said during his fight against cancer, "pain is only temporary, quitting lasts forever." In one of my most difficult weeks back in July, I knew I needed help, as I was in a very dark place. Maybe it had reached that point where I had no more answers. All along I have faced this challenge alone, with the support of my best friends; but the darkness that had overcome me, those days of that week, was all too much. It was at that point, although with uncertainty, I knew I had to start riding again. The only real options in life were limited. As Lance's words rang in my ears -- give up or hold on to hope and believe that things would get better -- I listened. Ironman racing and training have been my life for the last 4-5 yrs and, at this point, it was possibly the only stable ground I could bring back to my life after a large part of it had been ripped away.
So, in early July, I started to ride with some focus, wanting it to work out, at least well enough that I could possibly race at some point this year -- I hoped! In the months following the accident I had gained over 15 lbs from drinking beer daily, poor eating, and lack of exercise. It was my plan to shed some weight by cycling, and then I would start running. As most of you know, running with extra weight is bad and hard on the body. It was also being out on the bike, on the open road, in the hills where I found the most comfort. It was helping me mentally, emotionally and physically.
As a pro triathlete, we are allowed to register for Ironman and Ironman 70.3 (Half-Ironmans) races at any time during the season. So, after my original season plan changed following the accident, I registered for several 70.3 races and a few Ironman races, uncertain if I would ever get to the starting line; but life was in turmoil, and I had no clue what was ahead. I was making decisions and hoping for the best. After spending the weekend as a spectator at Ironman Lake Placid on July 26th, I made the decision that I would race at Timberman 70.3 on August 22nd, my brother Mike's 33rd birthday. Although I would not be in great shape for the race, I hoped that it would be a positive step forward, regardless of my finish time. I started to log in some decent mileage on the bike, a little swimming and eventually some running, getting in just a couple of runs beyond 10 miles before Timberman with only a couple of weeks of 20 plus miles. I figured my durability for the Half-Iron distance would be okay and was pretty certain I could complete the distance in the 4:20-4:30 range, knowing that just 2 months of training wasn't going to produce a PR performance. But, it was time to pick up the pieces and at least try to move forward. I am sure -- Mike, Jill , Makayla and Bryce will be with me along the way, with Danny and the rest of my family along the side of the road, as we move step by step through the pain, suffering and sorrow of such an unimaginable loss.
So, my new season plan will be : Timberman 70.3 (Half-Iron) August 22nd, Syracuse 70.3 (Half-Iron) Sept.19, and most likely Miami 70.3 (Half-Iron) Oct.31st.
Thanks for checking in.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
In the blink of an eye.
Unfortunately, this post is not a race report from California 70.3, but an update on my season plan changes -- due to a very tragic accident in my family. On February 26, 2010, my brother Mike, his wife Jill and their children, Makayla (2.5 yrs) and Bryce ( 6 mths), were in a fatal small airplane crash on the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize in Central America. Mike and Jill had been living in Gallon Jug, Belize for the last 9 yrs working as teachers at the Gallon Jug Community School. Mike was also the principal. Gallon Jug, Belize is a small farming community on the mainland in the northwest part of the country. The plane was traveling a very routine 20 min flight from Belize City out to the island when it experienced some mechanical problems and ended up crashing about a 1/4 mile from the runway.
My season at this point has been put on hold. I withdrew from California 70.3 and will not be going to Ironman Utah in May. From here, I have not decided what will be next; but as I move through this, I will keep my updates current. Thank you for checking in -- Chris.
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