San Diego Training Camp – Report

After a thrilling, but exhausting weekend as title sponsor of the Accenture CA 70.3 race (a/k/a Oceanside), I was ready to spend some quality time training for IM CDA.  Earl laid out a brief, but aggressive, plan calling for three days of riding and two days of running (and a swim if I could manage it). 

Sunday morning I slept in (6:30am) and headed south to Del Mar where I was crashing with my friend Roy Perkins.  Before this “camp” my only outside ride had been the 56-miles during the PR 70.3 so wasn’t sure how I could fare, but was excited for the challenge.  After helping put my bike together, Roy and I did a quick ride (20 miles) before eating some California-inspired Mexican food (and a margarita). 

Busting the 100-mile cherry

Monday was my “epic” day of cycling which called for seven and a half hours of riding over 100-miles.  Let’s see how I handle this one.  Roy and I headed out for a warm-up before meeting up with Kristine Entwistle (a friend who also works at CAF), who mapped out an 80-mile loop taking us from the coast to the mountains back to the coast.   In addition to getting a lot of saddle time, the ride was another test in my nutrition plan.  Loaded with more PowerBar gels, PowerBar bars, and PowerBar perform (in powder as my bike can only hold  two bottles and knew I needed to drink at least 8+ bottles) than I could imagine, we hit the road.  Our ride had us on open roads consisting of some flats, rollers, some steep inclines and nice descends.  As we were riding with open traffic, we had to wait for traffic lights.  While it was nice to rest our legs at time, some lights felt like they were taking forever to turn.

The morning weather was chilly, so started out with a short sleeve bike jersey, bib shorts, a vest and a borrowed pair of arm warmers from Roy.  Midday, when the sun started to come out more, I shed the arm warmers – and have slightly sun burned arms to show for it. 

The first two hours of the ride kept me in a pure endurance zone (I had a maximum power which I could not exceed).  I set the Garmin bike computer to “normalized” power (which calculates the power but includes variables such as wind, accelerations, uphills, downhills, etc.).  My legs responded well to the inclines – not burning too much – but thanked me on the downhills.  Drinking and eating on schedule, I was totally in focus as the miles kept adding up.  Mentally I was “in the ride” and did not hit any dark spots.  It was nice chatting and catching up with Kristine…She has done the “old CDA course” and gave me an Ironman 101 reality lesson (her one advice, have a plan b when the thought of another gel on the bike or ride makes your skin crawl).   

The three hour mark called for another hour of Tempo watts (up to, but not above 165).  Luckily, these also came on the rollers and some steep inclines too.  Kristine and I stopped to refuel at an interesting corner store near a trailer park before hitting the infamous Circle R Drive (apparently a pretty well-known and challenging climb).  As we approached the climb, I was focused on my power #s, cadence and heart rate.  Kristine told me where we should meet up and I went off.  At one point I could hear her saying you just climbed a 6% grade.  Holy shit here comes another hill…followed by another one…While the climbs were indeed hard and my quads started to burn, I was keeping in my zones and looking at the amazing scenery.  Finally at the top, Kristine and I regrouped and headed back down the hills.  Still in my tempo zone, I was focused on the switch-backs and rollers on the last part of the loop.  When we reached the bottom, I told Kristine “that was kinda fun” – and she commended me on tackling Circle R (felt as if I earned some creds!).

  

Hours four and five (120 mins) called for another endurance session.  As we approached the coast, the winds started to pick-up big time.  Kristine and I traded blocking the winds over the next 7 miles as we headed towards Oceanside.  Keeping in aero position and an easy gear, I kept pushing through the wind, but the pushing resulted in more burning to the quads.  I kept readjusting and pedaling focused on the mile markers and hoping for a tailwind at some point.  Finally we hit the Oceanside – where I just left two days ago.  Talk about full circle! 

After another refuel stop and bathroom break, Kristine and I were off.  The next hour + went by pretty quickly (maybe I just lost a sense of time), but was chugging along…chatting with Kristine and watching the coast, the ocean/waves and eating/drinking on cue.  Through Oceanside we approached Carlsbad when I had to start my next session – a mix of tempo and endurance (4 mins tempo followed by 10 of endurance) over the next hour +. 

Taking off, Kristine said she would meet up with me on the recover/endurance section.  I was in the zone and didn’t feel any pain, but now had to contend with side-winds (where are my tailwinds)!  While powerful gusts, I stayed in the aero position pedaling down Highway 101 on uphills, downhills and on flats.   Past Carlsbad and into Escondido, the winds did ease up as we made the last approach before Kristine veered off (her ride done, mine with a tad more to go). 

Now without any company, and the delicious smell from various restaurants off the 101 hitting my nose (gels don’t smell or taste like a good meal), the next 45 mins had me going back down to Torrey Pines, back up to Escondido, back again to Torrey Pines (you get the idea).  My mind kept wandering, the pain in the quads and now my far right toes (something I never experienced before) increasing, I was fending off the dark zones.  Riding along, I kept telling myself mind over matter.  Just a few more miles to go. 

Looking down, I saw 99 miles…the end almost there.  The last 2 miles took forever.  Every tenth of a mile could not come fast enough.  99.5 then 99.6 then 99.9.  Down the final stretch and I could get off the bike.  Past the light, up the hill leading to Roy’s driveway (like I needed another hill), I open the garage door, take off my shoes, put on my running shoes and jog off (did I forget to mention I had to run 20-mins off the bike!).

The first few steps were a total struggle.  My legs were trying to fire, but the pain was great.  I opted to stop, take a breather and try and start again.  Heart rate in check, I started to run (well jog really).  After 5 mins, I had a strange pain in my back, so stopped and walked for second.  “Focus,” I said to myself.  Running for another 20-mins (well actually 22 mins) and was relieved when I stopped in front of a pizza place.  I didn’t care how cold and crappy the slice, I downed it and walked back to Roy’s place.  Compression socks on, I answered work emails until dinner time.

My first century ride and first 7+ hour ride in the books.  Wow that hurt. 

A Tuesday’s struggle ride

My ride for the next day called for 75-miles (25 warm-up/25 tempo/25 endurance) followed by a 2-hour run.  As I was riding solo again, I opted to stay on the 101 (Roy gave me a route out to Oceanside which he thought was about 20 miles).  Knowing I had to double back at least once, I tried to memorize the road.  Earl warned me that if I felt real pain I should stop immediately and if needed should cut my run to an hour.  Little did I know how hard a back-to-back volume ride would is. 

Starting out up a hill from Roy’s towards Del Mar, I immediately felt the ride from Monday, but was focusing on being in the moment and keeping to the plan.  The first 10 miles went by pretty slowly, but I made my way north on the 101 checking out sights.  Keeping to the right HR/watts combo I kept the checking miles.  Keeping in aero, I was thankful the wind wasn’t as intense as it was the day before.

Past Del Mar, Solana Beach, Escondido, Carlsbad and into Oceanside.  22 miles done.  Back to the start of the Oceanside race once more.  Quick calculation – the ride back to Roy’s would be 44 miles, so had to make up ~ 30 miles somewhere.  Figure if I did 18 miles down and back, that would get me pretty close.  Let’s go.   

A quick bathroom break and a refueling stop at a nearby deli, I headed back south on the 101, this time in a Tempo race (I cut the remaining 3 miles of the warm up off). In reverse order, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Escondido, Solana Beach, Del Mar.  Some side winds, but mostly decent conditions.  Focusing on keeping my watts and not the pain in my legs, I made it back down hitting 40 miles before returning back up north.  Focusing on eating/drinking/taking in calories (practice makes perfect).  Suddenly my Garmin watch, which I needed for the run off the bike, died (thought I had charged it the night before).  An omen?   I still had my bike computer (fully charged) and would figure out something for the run. 

The stretch from mile 40-55 was really tough mentally and physically.  I kept playing mind games with myself to keep in the moment, but at times that was hard considering the pain.  Will I have legs to run?  Right outside Oceanside, I hit a 7-11 to refuel again, hit a porta-potty and headed home.  As tough as miles 40-55 were, the last section felt like I was watching paint dry, but with someone pounding on my legs (and my two right toes again).  The wheels of the bus felt like they were coming off, but I tried to keep in the moment.   I kept telling myself, “get back to Roy’s, re-pack the bike and then run an hour maybe (definitely not two).”   I was focusing as much as I could hold on (Up and down 101 (the hills didn’t feel as bad the first few times I rode this route, but now, wow!).  Despite the intense pain, my HR and watts were in check (I was in the endurance zone). 

Heading back to Escondido, I knew I had only a few more miles to go.  One more hill I told my legs…one more set of lights…one more burst.  Finally cresting the last hill, I had a downhill leading to Torrey Pines and the turn off to Roy’s complex.  Up the hill of his drive way, I stopped, opened the garage door and breathed a sense of relief.  Relief I was off the bike and finished with another 5 hour ride.  However, I knew my legs simply did not have it in me for a run today. 

I emailed Earl with headline “Failure” and explained what happened.  Could it have been three rides in three days and no runs/swims in between?  Did I push too hard?  Am I not in the right endurance shape yet (yes I have 11 weeks until CDA, but that is only 11 weeks!).  Earl immediately responded that the camp was no failure, but a major biking breakthrough.  Yea, but…you know Earl you’re right.  I accomplished a lot, rode for over 13 hours and close to 200 miles over three days on roads that I am not used to. 

So to celebrate, I had an In-n-Out Burger (while in CA….)

Accenture IM California 70.3

This past weekend my company, Accenture, served as the title sponsor of the half Ironman (70.3) in Oceanside, CA.  It was an incredible experience in many ways.  In addition to having 19 employees and clients racing under our "colors" the Challenged Athletes Foundation was the official charity of the race.

While the days were long (I have always maintained supporting a race is longer than doing it), I  also had the cool experience of holding the finish line tape for the men's winner (Andy Potts edging out Jesse Thomas by ~ 10 seconds to claim his 5th win).

The weekend was full of meeting new people, having a great time spectating and cheering on racers, but also supporting many of my CAF friends.  It was a crossroads of work, friends and my triathlon passion.

Check out Facebook for photos from the race.

Puerto Rico, you lovely Island, full of tropical breezes and HILLS! Report from Puerto Rico 70.3 – My IM CDA warm up

Since embarking on my IM journey in October, my focus has been trying to improve on my weakness – biking – while not neglecting both my swimming (one of my stronger legs) and running (something I actually enjoy).   Over the past six months, training has not been that bad yet, but if you ask Coach Earl Walton, the “fun” has only begun.  Yea…right.

When reviewing my race calendar, Earl and I were looking for a half-iron distance race during the late base stage of my training.  Having done some early season races in the past (Nola, South Beach), I was game for something new and different. Looking at IM and Rev3 races, there was only one that actually fit into my work and training schedules – Puerto Rico 70.3.  But March 17^th?  Wow that is an early season race.   While I don’t really mind racing alone, traveling alone is another story – who will cheer for me at the finish line (and have a post-race drink with me)?  Thankfully my friend (and now best race Sherpa) Randi Gordon stepped up to the plate (she rationalized the trip as a weekend away from the NYC cold – and indeed it was). 

Side bar…Back to training for a sec….

While I have had some rough run workouts (especially in the cold, dark days of winter), I keep telling myself, I am not just doing an IM for me, I am doing it to honor my father and raise funds for Challenged Athletes everywhere.   The training is tough (just like the race itself) , but I have put in the work thus far and now it was time to see how it is starting to pay off.  

Back to the race…

I heard a lot about the PR 70.3 race – mostly how nice the swim was (cool), how well supported the ride was (even better), but how tough the run was (how bad could it really be?  O h bad!).   For those who know my spreadsheet-loving, crazy advance-planning pre-race regiment, you might be surprised that going into PR 70.3, I was completely calm; calm to the point that Randi joked she had no idea who I was when I told her the only reservation I made was for the post-race dinner. 

I was also using the race to test my new race nutrition plan thanks to QT2 Systems and Jaime Windrow.  The plan is pretty intensive, exact, but heard it works.  Hey, if it’ll get me through 140.6 miles, I am game – including giving u my beloved morning coffee (yes I have been coffee and mostly caffeine free since January)!

For those w/ A.D.D and like the bottom line…I was pleased with the race…the swim and ride were great, but the run was “what the f*ck was that!”  

And for those with an attention-span…

Randi and I flew to PR on Friday to take advantage of being away as much as possible.  Landing, we got to the hotel, registered for the race, ran into friend Dave Ragsdale (who was announcing), put my bike together, Randi went for a run and I tried to ride the run course.   I got a little misdirected in Old San Juan and wound up riding part of the course which I didn’t think was that bad (oh I was wrong).  Friday night we had a relaxing dinner at a local restaurant – this was big “carbo load” dinner.

The day before the race (Sat) was all about following the QT2 plan, doing last min race prep.  We woke up, did a quick run (where I proceeded to not see a curb cut and fell on my knee – not a huge scrape, but ouch), and head to breakfast. 

It’s all about the food…

Now I like breakfast.  It’s an important meal.  But I typically never have eggs, potatoes, toast, and pancakes in one sitting.  But that is what the plan said so I ate it.  After some digestion, we made our way to the swim start for a practice swim (just to the first turnaround) before heading back to the hotel to yes, eat again (this time a chix wrap – plain with a little mustard and my second of three bags of pretzels).  My former colleague and friend Tillie Castellano, who retired in PR a few years ago, came by to visit us at the hotel and laughed at how much I had to eat and drink (there goes another bag of pretzels). 

At this point Tillie and Randi (who ran most of the run course the day before) explained what I had in store for me on the run.  Tillie calls it the “hell hill” that leads to her son, Marc’s, house at the top of it (Tillie said she would be waiting outside Marc’s house waiting for me on the run).  Randi just laughed….After more water, PowerBar Perform drinks and a PowerBar, I had to lie down for a bit….before dinner (thankfully Randi took matters into her own hands and made a dinner reso for yes, 6:15pm – just following the plan).  While Randi had an amazing looking meal, I had, you guessed it, 4 oz of grilled chicken and 1 cup of pasta (basically the most basic thing on the menu and I could only eat ½ of it).   Off to bed at 8:15pm…

Race day

3:15am alarm buzzes.  Why 3:15am when the race doesn’t start until 7:00 (and my wave doesn’t go off until 7:28)?  Well because I had to eat 2 ½ cups of apple sauce, whey protein, a sports drink, and a banana in enough time to digest.  Now most of us eat, maybe ½ cup of apple sauce at one time.  Trying to get down that much made me, well, spit up just like a baby does (but I had no one to burp me).  But at least I watch to sun rise while getting my pre-race meal down.

Restless (there is just so much social media you can do before 6:00am); I went to transition to set up my area before heading to the swim start.   I looked for AGTC teammate Sonia Cordero, but could not find her in transition.   So I just made my way to the swim start and waited…and waited. 

My wave – men’s 40-44 #2 (wave #10) started to line up.  I ate my late Perform Gel and visualized the race.  Earl and I spoke the day before and decided I would just go and test things out.  No goal…just go.  So when it was my time to start, I did just that…I went.

The race was an in-water start.  Waiting on the edge where I could stand until 30-seconds before our horn went off, I was totally calm.  At 30-seconds, I swam my way to the front and we’re off.  Aggressive at the start, I was a little off my sighting, but after some corrections, I kept swimming.  Past a few people in the waves ahead of my (not getting passed that much), the water was clear and I felt good.  Buoy to buoy I went until the turn around.  The course was like a long “U” but on its side – most of it in a protected bay off the ocean.  I was going strong until about ¾ through when we hit the waves from the open sea started to rear its ugly head.  I was tossed a bit, and got off course with the current, but straightened myself out and headed to shore.   Getting helped up the ramp out of the water, I quickly glanced at my time – 36 mins and some sec…not bad for a 1.2 mile ocean swim without a wetsuit.  The run to T1 (transition 1) was about ¼ mile on asphalt.  I started to jog, saw Randi (who was about to go out for another run), got into transition, got Malibu (my bike) and myself ready for our ride and went out. 

Time to get onto my bike

The ride was really pleasant.  Again Earl and I decided to focus the ride on maintaining a decent power (I plopped down a pretty penny and bought myself a PowerMeter – a cool new toy for those who don’t know what it is, it basically measures how much power I am putting out through my pedal strokes.  I have certain watts I know I can maintain for a long period of time and still have “legs” for the run).  The course was specular.  Right along the ocean, I was cruising, keeping to my numbers.  Yes I was passed – often – but I still passed a large number of people (I always said good morning to every pretty girl I passed – most smiled and said thanks). 

This being my first outside ride since October 2012 (during CAF’s SDTC Race Weekend), I wasn’t sure what to expect on the 56-mile route.  Especially troubling was that the race was sponsored by Gatorade and not PowerBar (which I have been training with) so while I had two bottles of the formula I knew, Jaime and I discussed using Gatorade and seeing what happened (flash forward, yea that wasn’t planned).   During the ride I am sticking to my nutrition plan – making sure to drink when I can, eating PowerBars and PowerBar gels on schedule and taking in salt.  I made the first turn-around (the ride was basically two loops) and checked in on my power and HR (all good) and looked up a saw a large rain cloud and thought I wonder when it’s going to rain.  NOW was the answer.  The sudden the sky opened up and buckets (literally) came down on us.  Immediately, I became a tad more conservative (no repeats of old bike spills), watching out for white lines to avoid a crash/fall.  Yet, as quickly as the rain started, it was gone.  Sunny sky, but yet wet pavement means riding conservatively and not crashing.  At the second (of three) turn around, I started to pass more people, keeping in areo position and staying in the moment.  Then the finally turn around and I am heading home. 

While I didn’t have a time goal, I thought it would be great if I could break the three-hour mark (a PR for me).  Then the winds started to pick up even more and at times I was getting blown all around the road.  While not as bad as they were in Nola, they were bad.  But I was more prepared this time around and kept my focus….approaching the last 10 miles, I look up and see NYC on someone’s ass…that must be Sonia.  Hey Sonia I yell as I pass her.   Making my way on the last stretch of highway, I suddenly become concerned as I see no other bikers around me.  Did I miss a turn?  Nope all good. There are some police men I am heading into T2. 

Jumping off the bike, I trot into transition, check my time 3:03 (cool all things, rain, etc.) considered and prepare for my run.  Not having a second pair of socks in transition, I need to run on semi wet socks (from the rain).  I ask a pro who just finished how bad it is and he comments, just drink a lot…and often.  It then dawned on me that I didn’t pee once on the bike…didn’t even feel as if I needed to.  Despite drinking over four bottles, I was still dehydrated.  Oh boy, I am f*cked.  Ok, let me try and see what happens. 

The hot and hilly run…

Before heading to the run, I got into the banana boat tent and ask the girls spraying lotion to down me in whatever they had.  Face, head, arms, back, legs…all good.  I am off. 

Immediately I see Randi who walks/runs me over the first bridge/hill.  As I head out on the run, I see professional women Rinny Carfrae finishing (she looks like she had a hard day out there) and hope the wheels do not come off too quicky.  I have my plan (eat a Block every 2 miles, drink at every aid station and keep going. 

Not knowing the full course, I opted to use the first loop (there are two) to see how bad this run course really is.  One hill, well that sucked…ok some flats….a little downhill, good.  Usually when I start to run, my HR jumps up for a bit and then settles in.  For some reason this isn't happening today. Only time wll tell what this means for my race.

  

As I turn a corner I see it…the “hell hill” both Tillie and Randi described.  Yes indeed it’s hell.  Straight up.  No way can anyone human actually run this…so I do a fast walk.  Finally cresting, I start to run again until I see one more hill.  Looking to my left I look for Tillie and her son Marc.  I go over to say hi (a nice high five and a hug) and get a nice dose of water sprayed on me by Marc’s son (this would be one of my un-doings).  Despite the hills, this is one beautiful run course. 

Past the old fort, we run on historic cobblestone streets down to the edge of the fort (what goes down will need to come back up).  At the first turn-around (prob mile 3), I am feeling the heat and some burning on my feet (never had that before), but I go on.  Tracing my way back to the start, I pass Tillie again, get another dose of water on me and head down the hell hill (going down isn’t much easier).  The miles keep clicking away and despite the soreness, the heat and the need to run/walk, I never get into the dark place where I want to quit. 

At the turnaround I see Randi again who tells me how good I look (looks can be deceiving) and how proud everyone at Tailwind Endurance (Earl’s studio) is of me (that gives me more energy to go).  Only 6.5 miles to go.  I am running more now…running up hills, trying to stay focused.  Once again, I walk up hell hill and think, only 4.5 miles to go.  I see Marc again, who took my picture running up the hill (below).  Passing the old fort again, the pain in my feet is intense.  I know the blisters under my feet must be roaring in full force (I cannot...will not let that get me down).  Onto the edge of the fort to the turn around, I am on my way home.  Passing Tillie and family again, I tell them I cannot stop…need to get this done.  

Down the big hill again.2 miles to go. 
Then wow…the heat, blisters, dehydration all come on at once.  I start to walk.  I keep telling myself to run walk the last two miles…it’s only two miles….I walk in the shade to get away from the heat…I run in the street and get inspired by a 60-year old man (his age was on his calf) who is running and not giving up either.   One mile…half a mile.  Ok last aid station…last bridge up…I crest the top, and head home.  I see Randi near the finish line chute and she runs me home.   Dave announces my name (I still get a kick out of that) and I am done.  Time for a beer and burger and some celebrating with Randi and Sonia.

So the good:  no demons…no dark zones.  Positive thoughts.  Great swim, Pr on the bike.  An early season race…lots to improve, but all around a stellar early season race.

The bad:  a slow half-marathon.  Dehydration.  Not having an extra pair of socks in Transition.  All things to improve.

Thanks for reading this.  As mentioned at the onset, I am raising money for CAF.  If you want to support my efforts,  please click here to make a donation.

My biggest journey….An Ironman with a purpose

My biggest journey….An Ironman with a purpose

When I first started doing triathlons in 2007, my focus was finishing with a smile.  Never in my wildest imagination did the idea of an Ironman cross my mind.  I liked doing shorter races (sprint and Olympic distances) …then did some half iron distances and enjoyed it.  I was challenged, and satisfied.  Triathlons offered me a new network of friends,  helped me to become a certified triathlon coach and presented me an opportunity to become very active with the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF).  Why in the world would I want/need to put myself though 10-months of training? An Ironman was for real triathletes…for strong, skinny people…for people who were basically not me.  But things change.

Life throws you curve balls.  My curve ball came in August 2011 when my father passed away somewhat suddenly.  In truth, my world was shaken – not knowing what side was up and what was down.  Besides my family, the only thing that kept me grounded was my training.  Many of my father’s friends told me how proud he was of my athletic accomplishments.  I was never into high school or collegiate sports, so the idea of my father calling me a “jock” (his words) was pretty funny to me.  Hearing how much my father admired my racing “career” pushed me to make the decision to push myself further and harder than even I could imagine. Now, close to six years after I first crossed my first triathlon finish line, on June 23, 2013, I will be participating in an Ironman. 

I am participating to honor my father and to give back to others.   I have a great coach and a solid support network (many who are making the trip to Coeur d’Alene Idaho with me).  And I am trying to raise $10,000 for CAF and continue to support athletes with a physical disability – especially those wounded while in uniform -- pursue active lifestyles through physical fitness.’

I am asking for your support in making my Ironman even more significant by helping challenged athletes achieve their goals.  Your financial support will go a long way in changing someone’s life.

Please click here to make a donation.  While any amount is appreciated, you can also “sponsor” a portion of my race which corresponds to part of the Ironman course.  For example, your donation can be $112 (miles on the bike), $26.2 (miles I will need to run), $140.6 (entire distance in miles of the race), $1,020 (the total time, in minutes, I have to complete the race – that is 17 hours for those doing quick math) or any increment thereof. 

Visit the blog which will be updated during certain milestones between now and race day.

Thanks in advance for your support.  

Accenture U.S. Paratriathlon National Championships

The race is only a few days away.  This is going to be our best events to date.  Although some of my friends are missing it (Sarah, JP, Matt, Tommy, Paul, and Chief Winger Mr. Beeson), we have a great crew racing this weekend and a cadre of volunteers.

We also got some good media attention today in a profile George Gallego in the New York Daily News (ok, I have a small profile too). 

More updates after the race. 

A few new Ironmen - and Iron-ladies

This past weekend, I had the good fortune of watching a handful of friends compete (and complete) the 2011 Ironman Lake Placid.  It was an amazing weekend with a lot of cheering, laughing, and some recovery workouts.  Congrats to all the new Iron-people (Rev, Margarita, Brad, Danny, Susan, Matt, Cassie, Michelle) and well as those "veterans" (Meg, Kate, James) and countless others. 

From the top of The Bears, to the AGTC Cheering Squad at IGA Hill, it was a blast. 

Check out some pics from this weekend.  http://www.facebook.com/#!/media/set/?set=a.10150323923180802.390886.573745801

Vineman 70.3 - There really are that many vineyards?

Anne Ronzoni, my friend, fellow traveler, and teammate said it best, "with this many vineyards, no wonder we have a drinking problem in the U.S."  Vineman - my third 70.3  (half-iron distance) experience was a blast.  Since the beginning of 2011,  I have raced over 200-miles in five triathlons, plus another 50+/- during road races.  But this by far was the best experience this year.  Technical, challenging, yet fair and a new PR for me.  I left it all out there (throughout the Sonoma region of Northern CA) and had an amazing swim and bike (thanks to the swim lessons and new race wheels), but had issues on the run.  Goes to show you that you need to keep up training for all three disciplines and not slack on one of them as your weakness will be exposed in the end.

Warning Label:  For those new readers to my race reports, do not expect a straight forward accounting of the race.  This is more like a tale of a triathlon from my viewpoint.  It can be long in places, so if you're not ready for the journey, close your browser now.  

Travel Days...
I flew to San Francisco on Thursday morning (partially to get to the Valley to see old work friends from Orrick (great seeing you Melissa and Ann, sorry Frank, Ashley and others could not join us), but also to be on the ground to troubleshoot a client event (thanks Ashley and Lee for managing this one for me) taking place in NYC and NJ.  Randi Gordon (another friend and teammate) joined me later that day and finally Anne arrived after a delayed and diverted flight.  Friday, we did some quick sightseeing in San Francisco, had a great breakfast and a shopping spree in Ghiradelli's Square, picked up a borrowed Bike Rack from Allison Caccoma and Alan Shanken and headed up to Windsor, CA to prepare for our race.  

Anne, Randi and I decided to use a bike travel service and send out bikes ahead of time, so we did not have the stress of flying out with, and transporting three bikes with us.  We get to the Hampton Inn  (cannot say enough good things about this hotel), go to the river for a trial swim (I also did a quick 25-min run to get the legs moving), drove the bike course (more on that later), checked in with Tara Rasch, a friend also competing, who flew out on my flight with her mother) and settled in for the night after a great meal at Johnny Garlic's (see pictures on Facebook).  

Vineman is a point-to-point race - meaning that our swim-bike transition (T1) is located at a different place than our bike-run transition (T2).  This required us to prepare our T2 the day before so that we went straight to the swim start on Sunday morning.  This arrangement also required us to pack all of our stuff in a supplied plastic bag immediately upon exiting the water (the bag had our race number on it) so that they can transport it to the finish line.  So on Saturday, we registered, prepared our T2 spots, picked up our bikes, went for a quick test ride packed for our race, chilled at the hotel before a quick meal, alarms set, wake-up call requested and bed...

Sunday...(Race Morning)
1:30am I hear a buzzing sound...Anne accidentally set her alarm (never trust an amateur) to NY time and not CA time.  Oops...we have at least three more hours to sleep.  4:15am wake-up call comes in.  I get up, get some coffee downstairs (another reason to love the Hampton Inn is that they had breakfast/coffee for all athletes (and spectators) at 4:30am (a rarity for a hotel), hop in the shower and prepare for the day ahead.  5:10am we're in the car with bikes and head to the swim start.  Normally, I like to get to the transition area in plenty of time to rack my bike, set up my gear and do some mental and physical preparation.  Normally, we have a designated area (set aside by actual race #) to set up our bikes & stuff.   However, the Vineman race organizers only had racks set aside by swim wave - it was a first-come/serve situation at the racks.  By the time we found parking and walked to the swim start, I was a bit pressed for time.  It did not help matters that my plastic bag broke on the way to the start, so some of my mental energy was spent trying to solve this issue (turns out the volunteers mend any bag before bringing it to the transition area).  I hear the pros go off (~ 6:45am) which means I have less than 15 mins to get settled and into the water before my wave goes off at 7:02am.  I check everything, pack what I can into the T1 bag, find Randi and wish her luck (I cannot locate Anne and Tara has started her race),  hope for the best and head to the water.

Typically I like to start the swim near the back of the crowd and find open water.  However, Earl Walton (a/k/a the swim god from my prior post) told me that I should actually start near the front, go strong for the first few mins and then get some open water.  Ok Earl, you're the pro at this....The horn (I think it was a horn) sounded, I start my Garmin and start to swim.  Never being near the front means that I never really experienced the washing machine that is a swim start.  Arms, feet,  bodies all collide as we all jockey for position and try and find open water.  I am in the mix of things and keep feeling fellow racers on all sides, in front of me and especially annoying on my feet -- trying to draft off of me (get the hell off).  I find some open water and start swimming.  Russian River is clean, mostly visible, but very shallow.  So shallow that at time you can actually feel the bottom of the river.  I try and stay on course - sighting every few strokes.  Whenever my mind wonders, I go off course...so by focusing on counting strokes and my swim cadence (how often I am taking a stroke), I tend not to do zig-zags.  I see the turn-around buoy and see fellow swimmers walking...seriously?  I turn around the buoy and keep swimming until I am scrapping the bottom of the river.  Ok I stand up (might as well do a quick time check - 19 mins), dive in take a few strokes and repeat until I am able to swim without hitting bottom.  I decide then to pick up speed and just go for it.  I start to pass a bunch of others in my wave (white swim caps) and catch up to a few in prior waves (blue and green caps), when the swim exit appears.  That seemed quick....holy shit it was - 1.2 miles done in 34 mins (a 5 min improvement over Timberman's swim).

I just out of the water and go to T1 only to go right when my bike was racked to the left.  Finally I find my bike, strip off my wetsuit, pack my T1 bag, get on my compression socks, helmet, sunglasses, bike shoes and grab Malibu and take off.  One leg down, two to go...

When we drove the 56-mile bike course on Friday, we noticed a lot of technical turns, a few straight aways, two challenging climbs, but mostly fair rolling hills and beautiful scenery.  We suspected it was going to be an amazing ride and it was. The bike started off with a quick somewhat steep climb from the beach to the road which I decided to walk up (my heart rate would have been too high to start the ride otherwise).  At the top, I hop aboard for what I suspect will be close to a 3.5 hour ride.

The first 5 miles were mostly flat which gave me a chance to test the new wheels.  Immediately I feel the difference and start to pass a bunch of people.  Hey, riding can be fun finally.  At mile 5, there was a quick and very technical down slope and turn, which I made sure to take easily (I am not having a repeat of South Beach ever again) followed by about 12 miles of rolling hills through perhaps the best scenery in triathlons.  As we pass vineyard after vineyard, I keeping remembering what Anne said about the amount of wine produced and am amazed.  On one side of the road we have a vista of mountains and blue sky and on the other fields full of grapes getting ready for harvest.  But I am not here to sight see, but to ride.  At least the next 3+ hours will have a nice view....

I am actually amazed how well I am riding.  Perhaps it's the new wheels, perhaps the amount of work I did on the bike during the pre- and training season is paying off (finally) or perhaps it's a combination of both, but I am rolling along, keeping my HR in check (mid Zone 2), a high cadence and a decent speed.  Despite being passed by the "fast kids" I am actually passing people (a lot of them).  The miles keep going by and while I do need to stretch once and while (staying in an aero position for a while can begin to ache), I am feeling great.  By driving the course before, we knew there were a few "hills" which would require getting into my small ring (easy gear) and scooting up the hills.  Yes, my HR would spike, but that would only be for a short period and I would be able to recover after on a flat or a downhill.  Still having fun riding, watching the landscape, I am being tactical - getting aggressive for quick bursts to pass people, yet doing it in a safe way (safety first).  One thing I focused on was nutrition -- making sure I take in not only enough fluids, but also some solid food and gels -- all to be sure I don't bonk on the run.  On schedule, I take a shot of my EFS gel (tastes like vanilla pudding) every 40-minutes, take liquids as needed and take half of my mojo bar at the mid-way point.

Another warning:  Triathletes speak candidly about bodily fluids, so if you're not comfortable reading about this, skip the next paragraph.  


During Timberman and Nola, while I was drinking enough fluids, I had some slight discomfort as I needed to pee, but was not able to do this on the bike (I did not want to get off the bike, find a porta-potty and try and get back on as my legs may not move again).  While I tried peeing while riding several times during training, I simply was not able to go.  Mile 35 was approaching and as I grabbed a bottle of Gatorade from the aid station (a few sips and I toss it back to the volunteers), I knew my bladder would not hold for another 20-miles.  I had to figure out how to pee...now.  I focus, relax my bladder and concentrate....success!  Just like being a toddler all over again, learning to pee on the bike is a big thing  and now that I know I can do it, am happy (yes, we triathletes also celebrate the small things).

The last hill on the ride at mile 45 is a bitch.  While not as hard as ones in other races (certainly not as hard as Rev3) or on training rides, it is a steep one covering 3/4 a mile.  Time for the small chain ring again.  Time to hunker down, focus on strong, quick pedal strokes and not to get my HR too high.  The crowd on this hill is great - they cheer us on step by step as we go up...and up...and up.  I crest the hill and know that with single digits left, the end of the bike leg is near.  Miles 46-54 are a blur.  A few more rollers, a few more competitors passed...Mile 55, I start to get my foot out of my bike shoe and lay it on top of the pedal...I see the crowd cheering as others are on the run course.  Time check.  Approx. 3:09 on the bike (excellent, this is a +20 min improvement from Timberman and + 10 from Nola) with a total time of under 4 hours (unless something horrible happens, I am going to have an excellent day).  I dismount and run to my T2 spot.  What the hell.  Some ass parked their bike in my spot.  I move his bike over so I can park Malibu, grab my sneakers, CAF visor (always do a race with something CAF related), a sip of water and head out for the next 13.1 mile leg; but first another bathroom stop.

Out of T2 and onto the run, I am in pain, but not incredible pain.  It started to get hot as it's closing in on mid-day.  The game plan for this leg was to keep a moderate pace for the first few miles to get my running legs back and then do whatever I can after.  I do best when I follow a run/walk pattern to make sure my HR doesn't go off the charts, yet I am not shuffling.  So I run walk, run walk.  A teammate who did this race in prior years told me the run was like the West Side Rollers in Central Park.  Well from my view point, they were just that, but on acid.  My hamstring and quad start to ache, so decide to walk up the hills (a strained hamstring after Ragnar was incredibly painful).  Up the hills...running at a good clip (probably a 8-min mile) when I can followed by a 15-min pace walk.  I am definitely feeling my training - or lack thereof - now (focusing on the swim and ride paid off, but now am in trouble).  I am focused...mile by mile I go.  Mile 4 was a climb and as a crew of volunteers cheer us to run up the hill, I say "screw that" (PG version of what I actually said)  and walk up.  Cresting the hill, I start running into La Crema Vineyards ( a race sponsor) into their orchards (if that's what the grapes are called) on a dirt path (the course changed this year...in prior years they ran around some fountain), which is a nice relief and pick off a few fellow racers.  As much as I wanted to grab the grapes directly from the vines,  a nice bottle of chilled vino would be in my hands soon enough.

I hit the mid-way point (6.65 miles) and know I am on the way home.  Mile by mile I go.  I start to get hungry but keeping hydrated is more important as the sun is at high noon by now.  At around mile 8 I pass Randi and then see Anne on that killer hill (she is training for her first IM in Canada and is following her coaches orders to run a certain HR).  Miles 9, 10 go by as I keep running and walking...passing people and getting passed.  At mile 11, I feel  pebble (must have picked this up in T1) in my shoe which I know was there for the past 10, but is now at my toe.  I need to get it out.  I walk to the side of the road, pull off my shoe, sock and dump the stone onto the ground.  Back to running.  Up the last few hills.  I am not having a great run, but not a horrible one either.  I get into what my friend Rob Gibbons calls the dark place and focus.  2 miles to go...1.5 mile to go...1 mile to go.  I turn onto the last stretch.  Home is a few mins away. I walk for a few seconds (breaking my cardinal rule) to lower my HR a few beats.  Ok, ready.  Let's roll. Into the finish line chute, meters to go...I pass someone (sorry guy), hear the announcer call out my name and for hit the finish line.

Time check:  6:09!  Amazing.  A new PR.  + 30 mins from Timberman and prob +12 mins from Nola (if we had had the swim, I projected a time of 6:21).

Vineman does a great thing by holding a finish line tape for every competitors.  After all, we are all winners for completing this thing.  Stretch, get a quick bite, and make my way to the start of the finish-line chute to cheer on fellow competitors and wait for Randi and Anne with Tara and her mom Sandy.

By 2:15pm we are all home...all have hit PRs (Tara did her 19th half Ironman - amazing) and time to celebrate and drink some vino.  More on that later.

Race Wheels and the Swim God

The bike portion has always been a challenge for me. While I have been constantly getting better, I never seem to be able to get the power that others do. Well as an early birthday present, I made the plunge and our based new racing wheels. After a lot of research and many discussions with people more knowledgeable than me, I plunked down some cash on a new set of racing wheels. Thanks Nelson at Strictly Bicycles for the sound advice -- Malibu (my bike for those who don't know her name) looks sweet - and fast.  Hopefully I will be able to pick up on that charge.

Whale my swim has been solid, I wanted to get pick it up a bit. For that I turned to Earl Walton Head Coach of Trilife (another NYC area triathlon club), someone I have known for a few years and trust for advice.  Turns out Earl is not a mere mortal, but a swim god. With a few adjustments, some different (and difficult) drills, I saw major (and major) improvements in my practices in the pool and actually saw real results at Vineman (see race report for more). Earl did me solid and highly recommend him to anyone wanting to improve times.

Summer Months - all leading up to the big race...

Sorry for the lag in posts but these past few months have been busy ones for me. Between work, the 5th annual CAF gala (more on that later), AGTC work (my third job) and training. This season I made the difficult decision to self coach. I would never (and am forever grateful) be where I am if not for the foundation and friendship of coach Neil Cook. However, I needed to do this year on my own to get back to the joy I lost last year (possibly because of the constant injuries) and to self test if I ever actually want to coach. I also needed to lay the groundwork for my "a" race - Vineman 70.3 which I completed this past weekend (see separate posting/race report coming soon).

Anyway, the 2011 race season was well thought out and included some different and very challenging races. First up was the Columbia Triathlon in Maryland - known for the hardest 10k in triathlons - and Rev3 in Quassy, CT - a relatively new race that has a huge following and a very challenging bike (and run) course. Both lived up to their billings and while I had +3 hour Olympic distance races (a first for me since 2009) I focused on things I needed to focus on and learned a lot from every race. I was lucky enough to do both with friends so it made the event and racing even more fun.

June also brought the 5th annual CAF gala where we raised a record 1.3m for this amazing charity. Thanks to those who came out and supported the dinner and bought auction items. The weeks and days leading up to the gala were a lot if work and yes training took a hit but it was well worth it.

Late June I did the swim for a relay team for CAF during the Philly Tri with Julie Golden and a blind athlete I had never met before (true the are challenged athletes whom i do not actually know). Thanks to the Philadelphia Insurance Company for the entry. Always a blast especially hanging with the CAF crew (Willie Stewart, Nick Roumonada, Scout Basset, Sarah Reinertsen, Barbara Evans and Torrie Tinley) as well as AGTC Crew -Rob Gibbons, David Weiss, Anthony DiGangi , Ken Szekretar,  Jocelyn keynes, Kerry McGrath, Julie and the countless others racing.

Ragnar 2011 - Team "Dude, Where's our Van? " came through

Great and fun weekend running from Bethel (~ Woodstock,) to Dobbs Ferry.  Had two tough legs, which left me sore.  

Full report to come, but check our video a teammate pulled together.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vbbi3LpaBsI

Leg # 7...where I found the van, but  left my quads...

Nola 70.3 - Where that wind come from?

Almost a year ago to the day I was in the operating room having screws put in to  repair my broken wrist.  This past sunday I finished my second half ironman (well almost half as the swim was cancelled).  Considering the winter we had this winter (read lots of indoor training), I am happy with the results -- especially for an early season race in extremely windy conditions.  Nola, for me, was a great gauge for the rest of the 2011season.

The prep

When my friend Victoria Brumfield first mentioned doing Nola this past fall, it was something far in the future...I first had to get through foot surgery, the Miami Half Marathon, winterand more importantly try to lose the weight gained in the off-season.  I knew I could do the distance - see Timberman 70.3 race report -- but in an effort to constantly improve, wanted to do better.  To "prep" for Nola, I needed some benchmarks...The Miami Half Marathon was an eye-opener (wasn't as prepared as needed to be), and thanks to Coach Ben Lloyd, I knew that I had to improve my power on the bike...through training and yes losing weight.  Needless to say I had a task ahead of me. 

I made the decision to self coach this season -owing a lot to Coach Neil Cook who created an amazing foundation for me to build off of.  Self coaching is extremely hard as the only onto motivate you is you. You need to think hard about what areas you are week, develop a training schedule that achieves results and focus.  They say time passes quickly, but it seems to come up even faster when there is a race involved.  Thank to my friend Rob Gibbons, I focused training in my "zone 2" (a/k/a  aerobic zone) - to not only build endurance but also to lose weight. Rob helped me keep a slower pace running, helped to keep me motivated when I jumped on the trainer for hours, but also helped me to mentally prepare myself with constant encouragement.   

Near the end of my training I also had the opportunity to enroll in a class to become USA Triathlon certified coach (I passed the multiple choice and the short answer sections and am waiting to hear if I passed the training plan section).  The session was a real eye opener for me providing even more knowledge about how to race - the mental and physical side - and how to fuel my body for lasting results.   

Race travel/prep days.
Upon victoria's recommendation I decided to ship Malibu (my bike) via UPS to Nola to avoid airline costs (don't get why gold clubs fly free, but bikes don't).  Tracking Malibu's journey down to Nola took my mind off of thinking about the race.  The posse also decided to make the trip, so along with my mother and Ruth (their first 70.3), Vic and I were joined by her boyfriend Micha Ophir, Linsey Skalamera and Allie Ott. We left NYC on Thursday late and after a quick trip to Wendy's so Vic could get a "softee" (inside joke), we made it to the hotel and crashed.  

The days leading up to the race, for me, are all about making sure I am mentally prepared for the race.  Yes this means making sure Malibu is in working condition, and that my legs are moving (runing the last 2.5 miles of the course and visualizing myself crossing the finish line helped), that I am registered, that Malibu is checked into transition, and basically relaxed.  Micha and Linsey decided to do a relay while we were waiting on line to register...that's ballsy!

I wanted to explore  Nola as I heard it's a fun town and indeed it is interesting (sad the same of the roofs o homes in the pooer areas are still gone after Katrina).   Being sober (I went on the wagon a month prior to the race) and wanting to stay off my feet as much as possible isn't condusive to being a tourist.   After the winter we had in NYC (can we say snow!), wearing shorts was a nice thing...I just did not expect the winds to be as strong as they were (more on that in a bit). 

Race Day...Those Damn Winds!

Sunday morning, we all met at 4:30am to head over to the race...Vic was all excited as she heard that the swim was cancelled (unlike me, she hates the swim and loves the bike - for good reason - she's good!)  because of the winds.  The race organizers could not get the rescue/safety boats into the water and therefore didn't think it was safe to put swimmers there (logical).  So instead of being able to warm up during the 1.2 mile swim, we were all headed straight to the 56 miles bike and then the 13.1 mile run.   Time to adjust my game plan. 

Around 7:30am, the race organizers call the pros to the starting line to kick off the race.  While they go out 30-seconds apart, the age groupers will start 2x2 after the pros in swim wave order (I was in the 5th swim wave).  We all take our bikes and line up and walk to the start line...8:00am my turn to start.  Jump on Malibu and I'm off.

The Bike...
The first few moments I clip in (no running mount on this start) and start to pedal.  Looking down at the Garmin, my heart rate (HR) is under control and I'm going at ~ 19 MPH - a good start.  I heard from others who raced this course but it could be windy so I was prepared for a bit of breeze (so I'll go even slower on the bike!).  Over the first overpass (Nola's version of a "hill") when I start to feel the winds...coming right at me....bike speed drops from 20MPH to 15...then to 13...as I pedal stronger and my HR increases (gotta calm down or I won't make it).  I easy up on the pedals, get into an easier gear and try and deal with these winds. 

The course is an out/back taking us along the lake, on a freeway, into the swamp areas (yes there were cops with shot guns looking for gators...).   It is flat (well we do have a two-three meter elevation gain in some areas (mostly overpasses) which means very little coasting and a lot of pedalling during the bike.  The bike is not my strongest of the three legs (or for this race two legs), so am pretty ok when I get passed, which happened a lot.  I did pass a few others (always ooking down at their calf to see if they were in my age group - I didn't want to be the last one off the bike afterall) along the way (ok mostly women who started ahead of me, but a pass is still a pass).   When the wind is not coming at me, I'm going at an average of 21 MPH...but when the wind hits I drop down to 13 PMH...Because I am pedalling non-stop and now pedalling against the wind, I am using more energy to propell myself foward.  Crazy, but I am careful to keep my HR around 158-160 BPM (my zone 2) so I don't blow up. 

Fully prepared to be on the bike for a good 3+ hours, I constantly check my HR, my time, and my speed.  Vic, who started about 15 mins after me, zooms by me at around mile 20...see you later.  Along the way fellow riders shout encouragement (my name is on the bib, but more important I have a big "NYC" on my ass thanks to my Asphalt Green Tri Club gear (hearing anything - even NYC - is great when you're pedalling for hours.  At one point I pass my friend Susan Katz - the only feamle physically challenged athlete in the race (and default winner - I'll take that) knowing that the minute she's off the bike and on the run, I'll get passed by her.    As I approach the end of the bike, it's time to mentally prepare myself for a half marathon (13.1 mile) run.  I see mom and Ruth shout my name as I get off the bike, and walk into transiiton...3:10...not bad, but damn did that hurt! 

Off with bike shoes, on with the sneakers, visor (CAF of course), a quick drink of water and I am off on the run - giving mom and Ruth another high five...see you in 13.1 miles at the finish line.   The first few steps are tough - I am more shuffling than running at this point.  Like the ride, the run portion is flat taking us through Nola's largest park, (majority of the run) and into the French Quarter for the finish.  My HR is higher than I want it to be, so I easy back and let it droop down. 

The wind has died down, and now it's just hot.  Not wanting a repeat performance like I had during the Chicago Marathon, I am constantly making sure to hydrate and to walk thorugh every water station.  I talk to fellow runners as I pass them (I am a stronger running than biker so pass many of the people who passed me on the bike now)...as long as I keep moving forward it's a good thing.  Mile 1-4 were mentally challemging, but I keep remembering how far I have come since my last 70.3 when I had to walk 75% of the half-marathon.  As Rob likes to say, get into the dark place and remember that as much pain as you are in, others are in more pain. 

Miles 5-8 are a breeze...I am sticking to my game plan...walking through the water stations, talking to other, checking my HR, acknowledging "the go NYC" shouts as I press on.  Somewhere along the way I see a guy who is obviously in a darker place than I am in...I ask if he's ok as I pass (his muscles are cramping).  I dig into my race belt and hand him a salt tablet...and remember to take one myself...he thanks me over and over -- see NYers are nice! 

Miles 9-12 are a bit of a blur.  At this point we're out of the park and heading into the French Quarter...I remember mile 12 and thinking to myself while I am going slower than my typical half-marathon pace, I am ahead of where I was at Timberman and I am passing people.  During the corner I cna see the finish line ahead...Almost done.

Finding another gear, I tell my legs to move...down to 1/2 mile...1/4 mile...I see the chute ahead....hear Linsey, Allie, mom and Ruth call my name, hear Dave the announcer welcome me "home" (and congratulate me) and I am done.  Wow what a relief....but a blast! 

  

The hard work paid off...I shaved 20 mins off my bike and 15 of my run from Timberman...I healed a broken wrist, recovered from foot surgery, managed to stay on the wagon for a month, dropped 12 pounds, and completed my second half-ironman (70.3)

Almost game time...

April 17th came on very quick...too quick.  I am feeling confident in my abilities, know I can do the distance...and now we're just days away from the "big dance."

Malibu was shipped out on Saturday via UPS (a fraction of the cost of taking it w/ me on the plane) and as of this morning is in Knoxsville, TN!

Two Weeks....

This came on really fast, but in a mere two weeks (14 days kids), my 2011 race season kicks off with the Nola 70.3.  Damn this came on fast.  I am feeling prepared enough - swim is good, my run has been consistent, and I am getting stronger on the bike.  Plus being on the wagon for the past 18 days and watching my caloric intake has helped to get my weight down to "race" weight.

Nola here we come!

USAT Level I Coaching

Just came back from Baltimore where I spent 2.5 days in seminars leading up to become a USA Triathlon Level I Coach.  Not that I am going to quit my day job anytime soon, but based on my work with paratriathletes, I thought it was a good thing to have. 

Now time to study for the damn exam....more to come.

Race Season Set...Almost

So I think the 2011 Race season is locked... It's mixed with some new challenges, some why the hell not races and my staple ones.  Hope to see some of you out there...

• Miami Half Marathon (Jan).  Done in the books.  Not a PR, but a great weekend. Next time, training would be good
• New Orleans 70.3 (April).  Why I am doing a half-iron early in the season is beyond me...Someone suckered me into this one...Let's consider this one a LOOONG training day instead of a race
• Ragnar Relay (May).  Like Reach the Beach, but 6 hours closer to home.  Ends in Westchester.  How bad can it be
• Columbia Tri (May).  I missed this one last year due to the broken wrist.  After all the good (and hell) things I heard about this one, I need to try it...
• Rev3  - Olympic (June).  A tri in an amusement park?  Why the hell not!
• Philly Tri - maybe a relay for CAF (June).  Still a maybe, but I could get suckered into this one. 
• Vineman 70.3 (July).  While this is my "A" race for the season, I am still on the wait list.  I was  assured I would get in from race organizers, but if it doesn't happen, heard Rhode Island 70.3 is a decent race which doesn't sell out.
• CAF's San Diego Triathlon Challenge  (October).  Simply put, always going to do this one. 
• NYC Marathon (Nov).  I want revenge...Mile 22 broke me in 2009...It won't happen this time around.
• Las Vegas Half Marathon (Dec).  Maybe I'll hit black jacks right after the finish line. 

New Orleans 70.3 Remind me why again?

yes I am one of the stupid ones who signed up for an early season race...Not really sure why I did again, but alas, I have about 60 days before the kick off of the 2011 season.

So far, the training has been on the bike (trainer) at home (2 hours last weekend) and running. Also bought my flight down there today ($400 RT), so there is no turning back now...

Hawaii then Miami. not a bad way to start January

If there was ever a month to miss being in NYC it was this past January.  December was hell enough with the storm at the end of the Month, so I was very glad to get the hell out of dodge.  No better place to escape the cold and the snow than Hawaii.

Thanks to the Korff gang (Victoria, Linsey, Allie, Beau and John), I went to took a much needed break to the North Shore of Hawaii.  This was one of the first times I traveled with my bike just to have it with me to train (I actually bought a travel case just to have it for Hawaii and my races this coming year).  Leaving JFK on a Saturday morning I finally arrived in HNL a mere 20 hours later (time zone and 4-hour lay-over in LAX included).  Upgraded rental car to a Mustang Convertible -- Vic and Micha met me to take my bike (they spent a week in Kona before).  Off to Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore...time to chill.

Hawaii is indeed like paradise.  While overcast a few days, it was nothing but relaxing, some training, laughs and good times with friends.

The combo of being five hours behind NY and not having my laptop really got me to unplug.  It was a blast riding my bike (the hours on the bike trainer in the way back of my mind), going on long training runs (for Miami) and just lounging on the beach chair watching the waves was incredible.  The 9-days I was away did wonders for my mind and my tan lines.

Yea and the sunsets did not suck.
As I lugged my bike 6,000+ miles (and two time zones), I made sure to get in the saddle as often as I could.  While we have all heard stories of the Hawaii winds (segments on the IM Championship TV broadcasts are devoted to it), I had never actually experienced it, until one day when I decided to see what they were all about.  After going against the winds for ~ 15 miles in ~ an hour and getting pushed and shoved and almost blown off my bike, I had a whole new found respect for the winds (it was especially nice going with this wind on the way back in 40 mins).

As sad I as I was to leave Hawaii, it was time to go back to work...at least for a few days.

I was back a mere four days (literally arrived back in NYC on Tuesday morning) before flying out to Miami (Friday morning) for a half-marathon with friends.  I have done the Miami half for the past three years (this was my first half marathon in 2009) and it's always a blast.  Throw in a group of 13 and it wasn't just a race, it was a weekend away with friends.

No need to go into great detail, but I defintely learned you cannot screw with the distance.  The lack of training, not sticking to my no-drinking a week prior rules, and not watching my diet contributed to a not to great race in my book...But I had a BLAST. 

Back to reality....

Final Days of 2011

I cannot say I'll miss 2010 that much, but did learn a lot about myself as an athlete, friend and all around human being. 

Jan:  Miami half marathon.  Lots of laughs with Rob, Davey, and Rev...Randomly seeing Ken at the start...Pro Bowl.  No PR, but a decent start to the year. 

Feb - March:  Random NYRR races, March Madness Duathalon (never again...even though I said the same in 2009).  NYC Half Marathon (not heat this time, but that damn asphalt-to-concrete surface change really screws me up). 

April:  Started off well...until the crash during the South Beach Race.  Man-o-War Vick?  Nah, it's not broken, just really badly sprained (right!).  Surgery...decisions on summer race schedule (realization that Eagleman 70.3 wasn't happening).  Learning what it is like to actually be a challenged athlete (more admiration for those living with one arm - loafers are my friend). Weekly visits to arm surgeon begins...weekly cast changes. 

May:  Start to run again...slowly with one arm in the air.  Trip to Boulder to visit Mac (love that place).  DNS at Columbia MD (I'll do this one in 2011).  More training.  Second surgery right before Labor Day.  Trip to Rob's for Memorial Day....first time on the bike since the crash. 

June:  CAF Gala...a drunken night...Gold Coast Tri (hated that one), Philly Tri (which turned into a duathalon -- did I mention hating these -- due to tragic reasons).  Training..Timberman 70.3 will happen.  Neuroma starts to get worse, but I will run through it.  Trip to the DR (and the aftermath of that).

July:  NYC Tri - the best day of the year.  Close to 100 Parrtriathletes competing for a spot on the national team.  Four weeks to Timberman...Trip to Newcomb for training and then watching IM Lake Placid (no IM bug for me).  Camped for the first (and last time).

August:  Decide to go to Budapest to support Paratri National Team, my bday, start of Chicago Marathon training...and Timberman 70.3 DONE!   

September:  Budapest...Amazing...Paratri World Championships...total admiration for my friends who came home with real hardware.  Back home...back to Chicago Marathon training....Cortisone injection for neuroma.  Decision to skip Reach the Beach.

October:  Chicago Marathon (that heat still haunts me) with Julie, CAF SDTC with a great and larger group from NYC.  Foot surgery (#3 of the year).  Cane, .Das Boot! 

November:  NYC Marathon (Julie runs - I sit this one out - for her 40th Bday).  Still in the boot, but get rid of cane...Cleared by Dr. Lai to train again...Beach2Battleship passes (another race I did not do this year).  Thanksgiving! 

December:  Training, FTP test with Ben, hours on the bike trainer, miles in CP...New Years Eve...

By 2010...welcome 2011

The End of the Race Season…Chicago Marathon. From Hell and Back (literally)

Even though the 2010 Race Season could be dubbed the “Season on Injury” I wanted to end it with a big race.   For that reason alone, I decide to participate (not race mind you) in the Chicago Marathon.  My friend Julie Freeman and I signed up for in January when we were both injury free (it was also supposed to be Julie’s 40^th birthday present), because it was taking place on October 10^th (10-10-10) and the course was known to be flat and fast.  Well the race didn’t turn out exactly as planned and after close to five hours (yes that even shocks me), on a close to ninety-degree day, I finished my second (and maybe last marathon).  After the race, Julie and I both felt like we had gone to hell and were trying to make our way back (beer helped).

The weekend started off great.  Arriving on Friday AM, I checked into the hotel, bought all race-day supplies, and made plans to meet up with Chicago Friends (Melissa Stockwell, Jean Draper and Michael Kirshner) after the race before picking Julie up at the airport and then heading to dinner at our friend and colleague, Jenna Becks’ house.  Julie warned me she was not in race condition, a major ankle injury had her in an air-cast the week before; but I was even shocked to see her being on the platform of the T/Subway in a wheelchair with The Bible in hand (per plane reading material).  

Anyway, after a great home-cooked meal by Jenna we get back to the hotel and rest up. 

Saturday was an interesting start.  As soon as we entered the race registration hall, my left flip-flop literally broke in half.  Walking around the expo literally looking for a new pair of flip-flops probably wasn’t the best idea, but who knew it would take me until the last booth we visited to find a pair.  Perhaps I should have read into this omen for the race itself.  The rest of the day, we hung in the hotel room to rest our legs/feet (I was constantly checking the web for updates on Kona as I had a handful of friends racing) before heading out to our colleague’s/friend’s house Christine Bailey who offered to host a small pre-race carb-loading dinner.  The pre-race meal was a lot of fun – especially hanging out and sharing gossip with other work friends Kirsten Klimenko and Tisha Teeluck.  Back in the hotel by 8:30am and in bed by 9:00pm. 

The alarm goes off at 5:30am (sleeping in for a race believe it or not); I check my Garmin hoping it cooperates (unlike at Timberman), get ready and head to the corrals (we opted for the Open Wave because we forgot to submit times to allow us access to the seeded system).   As we were checking the weather since Friday, we knew it was supposed to be hot – mid 70s during the race.  This is less than ideal (put mildly) running weather, but the race organizers kept the level at Green (the best).  We stretch/warm-up and get into the corrals to start the race.  I tell Julie my lower back is really tight and ask her to stretch me out a bit.  Hopefully it is phantom pain or the tightness will ease up as I start to run. 

Because of my neuroma, I opted to follow the run/walk Galloway (me mentored by Reveka Wallace) method  -- 1 minute of running and 1 minute of walking; I planned on following this for the first 20 miles and then if my foot allowed me, I was going to run the last 10k.   The first mile or so was crowded (to put it mildly) that I had a hard enough time keeping to my system as Julie ran ahead (she wasn’t sure how much of the race she’d actually be able to complete due to her injury so wanted to try and get as far as she could). Continuing the cat/mouse game of passing people when I run and having people pass me as I walk, I decided to switch from a 1:1 to a 2:1 (two min run/one walk) as I felt good and my heart rate was in check.

For those who have seen me race, I sweat…a lot.  But as the temperature started to rise (it was in the high 70s by Mile 4), I was soaked (my CAF tri top looked like I was competing in a tri and not a marathon).  My nutrition plan called for drinking something at every aid station, taking some gel every hour and salt tablets every hour and a half (as Coach Neil says, hydrate early and often).  Past Mile 10 (my half-way mark), I was passing the 4:45, 4:30 and was caught up with the 4:15 pace groups.   At Mile 15 or so, I heard an announcement that the course conditioned changed..not from Green to Yellow, but from Green to Red (what the hell happened to Yellow?).  The race organizers warned everyone to slow down, to hydrate and be careful.  Always someone who listens to my body, I slowed my run pace a but, but still felt ok – no major back pain, I was hydrated and wasn’t cramping and was on goal pace.  

The crowds were lined up all over the racecourse and really helped to motivate us  - I often heard “go challenged athletes” as I either walked or ran past them.  Thankfully no one was yelling “you’re almost there” at Mile 16 – like we don’t know exactly where we are on the course!  I saw Kristen and her friend (and former relay teammate during the Chicago Tri in 2008) Karla Gross at Mile 16 and told them I was doing ok…10 miles to go.  Coming up to the 18-mile aid station, I knew to look for Melissa who I knew was volunteering.  I saw her, walked over gave her a five-five and a hung and kept on going (I heard her yelling only 8 to go, you got this).  Indeed I did.   But something suddenly wasn’t right. 

As I approached Mile 20, I felt something terribly wrong in my legs.  The muscles in my legs started to shake and then tighten whenever I was running.  I didn’t think it was it was dehydration as I was taking in fluid regularly.  It must be the damn heat.  Ok, I’ll slow down and walk for a little more…and then a little more.  I grab some ice from someone watching, put it down my back and on my head to try and cool my core down and keeping moving…I refuse to stop so while I am walking more often than I am running (I run as long as I can before the muscles started to twitch), I am walking towards the finish line.    

By now (about Mile 22), it is like walking among the living dead…racers are literally sitting on the curbs, I see some EMS taking people off the course (some on stretchers), but hardly anyone is running.  While it was only probably in the high 80s, it felt as lot hotter.  I was no longer thinking about a goal time, but finishing – in one piece.   When I am able to run (even if for 30 seconds), I pass people who were in the 3:30 pace group (this is a brutal day), but keep telling myself one foot in front of the other is closer to home.  I pass Mile 25…1.2 to go and continue to struggle. More racers giving up sitting on the sidelines, the roar of the crowd gets louder every meter we get close to the finish line.   I see the 800 Meter sign – ½ a mile to go… The last 400 meters of the race has a 100 meter uphill and then about 300 meters of downhill to the finish.  I try running up the hill, but opt to walk, as I want to run, not walk across the finish line.  At 300 Meters, I grunt, and dig as deep as I can and run…across the finish line…The first thing that pops into my mind – thank god this is over! 

I grab my medal, a glass of beer, my dry clothing bag, and look for ice before heading back to the hotel.  At the hotel I take an ice bath, stretch a little, and grab some food.  Julie and I share horror stories – as she finished half an hour before me she saw some of the quicker athletes go down (literally) because of the heat.   We ended the day with a great dinner at a Tapas place – Julie opted to sit with Jenna (and some of her friends) and our colleague/friend Deanna Derrig (and her husband Mike) and I opted to stay at the bar with Melissa, Michael, Jean and her friend Heather. 

At the end of the day, we both finished and both agreed that while Chicago may be a flat (and if we were healthy) a fast race, it’s checked off on our bucket lists and we won’t be returning.