Roger Thompson

QR Illicito [wipe drool now]

2012-01-26T12:51:00.000-08:00

This blog entry was taken from TOM DEMERLY OF TRISPORTS on his review of the new QR Illicito. Enjoy.

The logic is simple: If you want to make a bike perform differently you have to design it differently.

The Quintana Roo Illicito is different. The frame has no left seat stay. While the missing seat stay and massive left chain stay are the most visually striking features the SHIFT technology, improved carbon fiber lay-up, redesigned rear brake and BB30 bottom bracket also exert a strong influence on the bike's performance.

The lesson of history is that if you want extraordinary performance you must adopt extraordinary design.

The Illicito has not gotten much media attention mostly due to different industry emphasis and greater effort on product than marketing by Quintana Roo. QR has focused on the steak and not the sizzle. The logic of tossing the UCI rule book and designing a bike specifically for best aerodynamics makes sense- to triathletes. Lotus, Zipp, Softride, Trek, Kestrel and Hotta have all done it. The Quintana Roo Illicito, as the name suggests, is illegal for UCI sanctioned races like the Tour de France. For triathletes: who cares? It's designed to be faster, rules be damned. For QR designing a bike specifically for the triathlete is where they started in 1987. It excludes them from events sanctioned by USA Cycling and professional bicycle racing time trials governed by the UCI. In both politics and technology Quintana Roo walks the walk with the Illicito. They are truly 'True to the Tri' with the Illicito design. And of course, for triathlons the Illicito is entirely legal.

The Illicito is a natural evolution from the company that invented the original triathlon bike back in 1987.

Illicito was developed in the wind tunnel as are most aero bikes from Trek, Specialized and Cervelo. A major difference is that Quintana Roo invented this category: The aerodynamic triathlon bike. And, of course, Quintana Roo makes the claim that the Illicito has the lowest drag numbers where drag numbers matter most. I'm unapologetically cynical about wind tunnel drag numbers. Every manufacturer produces a 'white paper' that supports their sales agenda. On a practical level I will suggest these white papers are best used on a roll next to the loo since they are all purporting the same thing; 'Our bike is best!' They effectively cancel each other. But in the case of the Illicito something prevails: Logic. If the bike has missing frame sections, it ought to be faster simply by virtue of the fact that something is gone. If that is 'Exhibit A' then 'Exhibit B' is the UCI sanction of the Illicito.

The most conspicuous feature of the Illicito is the asymetrical rear end, but other aerodynamic designcues are less obvious such as QR's "SHIFT" orientation of the down tube.

And then there is the emerging anecdotal evidence. TriSports.com founder Seton Claggett can ride any bike, including brands TriSports.com currently doesn't sell. At Ford Ironman Arizona he rode Quintana Roo's Illicito. He had his fastest bike split ever, his fastest Ironman ever. A few weeks before that on his first race on the Illicito he had the fastest amateur bike split at a local event. While any one variable like a new bike can't be attributed with that success, it does track with the trend that Claggett made good equipment choices, trained effectively and executed a good race plan. The convergence was an age category win at Ford Ironman Arizona and a Kona spot.

We discovered the rear end on the Quintana Roo Illicito frameset was extremely stiff in out of the saddle climbs, largely due to the massive left chain stay and high end carbon fiber lay-up.

Because Tennessee based Quintana Roo doesn't have pockets as deep as Specialized and Trek, fortified by mountain bike and hybrid sales, we won't see Craig Alexander or Lance Armstrong on an Illicito. We will see an increasing number of age groupers on the bike from a live swipe of their own credit card- a more relevant endorsement than paid sponsorships.

The logic of the Illicito seems supportable: If you make a design that is tangibly different it will perform tangibly different. There is also an accumulating repository of solid results from people already on the bike. Those two factors merit attention.

If it is made differently, it will perform differently. The asymetrical orientation of the rear

triangle and the massive left chainstay are apparent in these photos.

The Quintana Roo Illicito is currently sold as a frame only. Quintana Roo said there are no immediate plans for a complete bike version. The good thing is you get to pick your own components; the bad thing is this is generally more expensive than buying a complete bike. At this level most customers want a degree of flexibility with components anyway so offering the Illicito as a frameset makes sense for dealers and consumers.

From the front of the frame to the back:

For all its conspicuous features the Illicito is mostly a bike of subtle technology. It starts with the fork. Quintana Roo developed the first aerodynamic fork with the Carbonaero in the late 1980's. Their fork innovation continues with the Illicito fork. The dropout protrude forward of the fork blades adding stability to the front end, a great feature for a bike designed to be ridden in the aero position. Viewed from the front the fork blades arch away from the front wheel dramatically. This aerodynamic feature allows the boundary layer of air to pass between the rotating front wheel and fork blades at lower pressure with less drag and turbulence. The brake is mounted behind the fork, another aerodynamic que. The new brakes have very good stopping power and are a conspicuous improvement over prior efforts.

The fork on the Illicito provides stable handling in the aero position and reduces the pressure of air

between the front wheel and the fork blades by maintaining a large gap from rotating spokes (right).

The head tube of the frame features a conical shape we've also seen on some Cervelo efforts like the P3. The downtube is a deep airfoil shape that harkens to Specialized's new Shiv. Top tube is a flattened shape parallel to the ground. There are two standard bottle cage mounts on the frame, one seat tube, one down tube. I appreciate this feature, rare on an aero frame bike.

Claggett's Ironman AG winning Illicito was controlled from a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 control set mounted on a Profile "J" bend extension aerobar. Note the elegant cable inlets and Di2 integration on the Illicito frameset.

The cable inlets on Seton Claggett's Illicito were very nicely done Shimano Di2 specific and made for a clean, well conceived presentation. They also do a nice job of sealing out moisture from spilled sports drink and rain. In the case of Claggett's IM AG winning bike the Di2 battery is slung under the down tube. I'd like to see more aero integration of Di2 batteries on all aero bikes. A rumored 'Race Day' battery that is smaller may help resolve this in the next few months. For now Di2 battery mounting on every bike seems like an afterthought. Bike industry: The new coffee flavor is Di2, wake up and smell it!

Moving back on the frame you see the influence of Quintana Roo's 'SHIFT' design doctrine. The down tube angles off to the rider's right toward the crank. SHIFT technology is the first attempt at not only reducing bicycle frame drag, but also mitigating drag caused by the drivetrain. The downtube on a SHIFT technology bike sits 18mm closer to the drive side. It is claimed to 'shift' the boundary layer of air away from the drivetrain to the cleaner, non-drive side of the bike. SHIFT also seems to improve bottom bracket stiffness, a boon when climbing and accelerating. Several other manufacturers have trended toward an asymmetrical bottom bracket with SHIFT leading this trend. While the unique rear end design of the Illicito is the most visually striking the SHIFT technology may be the more effective aerodynamic design feature.

QR's greatly improved aero brakes from TRP. The right photo shows the asymmetrical orientation of

the down tube, improved rear brake and clean cable routing as well as the Di2 battery mount.

Rear bake on the Illicito is a massive improvement over previous under-bottom bracket brakes. The new TRP (Tektro Racing Products) 'U' brake has more powerful return springs, is easier to adjust and holds its center better than previous rear brakes which were, admittedly, quite poor. Another benefit with this brake is the capability to work with the wider aero wheels trending now like Zipp Firecrest, bulge disks and HED's new wider rims. The brake has more 'throw' and leverage to facilitate a more open position and better leverage. This is a great improvement.

Chainstays on the Illicito are wildly asymmetrical giving the bike a lot of visual punch. The thinking is the massive left seat stay provides structural integrity given up by removing the left side seat stay. When asked if a future bike could be built with this design completely replacing both seat stays Quintana Roo's spokesperson went awkwardly silent.

The eye catching rear end of the Illicito includes practical details like clearance for new wide aero

wheels, replaceable, adjustable dropouts and derailleur hanger.

The rear dropouts on the Illicito are all alloy and very robust. They empty to the rear of the bike and are horizontal. At the top of the seat mast there is an alloy binder clamp that uses two bolts, another practical design feature.

One thing that struck me working with the new Illicito is that it is a superbike you can travel with. Most other aero bikes with substantial component integration might not work well going into a flight case and, if something goes wrong when you are at an 'away' race there may not be mechanics and parts on-sight to service the issue. With the exception of the brake calipers, the QR Illicito frame uses fairly standard fittings and fasteners.

Quintana Roo stayed true to their lineage with the fit and geometry of the Illicito since the bike can be ridden at an 80+ degree open seat tube angle. The head tube is a stable and comfortable 72 degrees across every size. Head tube height on the two smaller sizes, 'Small' and 'Medium' are a low 90 millimeters, tracking with Cervelo's P4 and P3 and Felt's 'B' and 'DA' bikes. There are four sizes in the Illicito called 'Small', 'Medium', 'Medium Large' and 'Large'. I am 5'9' and have a long torso so I would be on the 'Medium Large' with the 54cm top tube and the saddle in a forward orientation to open the angle between my torso and femur at the top of the pedal stroke. Seton Claggett, who prefers a more compact position and a slacker effective seat angle, rode the 'Medium' for his Ford Ironman Arizona Age Group victory.

QR stayed true to the tri with their steep angle geometry for a comfortable, open torso to let

position in the aerobars. Seat tube angle is adjustable through a wide range.

There have been a few bikes important enough to influence triathlon specific bike design- most have been from QR over the past few decades. The Quintana Roo Superform was the first to make a real impact on athlete performance and the market. The Illicito may be another. The Illicito puts Quintana Roo firmly back in the top ranks- if not at the very top- of triathlon bike innovation and performance.

Elements...I like their touch

2012-01-26T06:58:00.000-08:00

A recent addition to my training and racing season this year, is regularly scheduling a massage. I used to get massage when things went south...sore muscles, strained muscles, etc. But I thought I would be more pro active this season and shoot for once a week. I know the benefits, but I just did not take advantage of them.

Increased blood flow
Increased joint range of motion
Increased flexibility
Increased elimination of exercise waste products- lactic acid
Decreased muscle tension
Increased relaxation of nerves
Ultimately, enhanced recovery for future training/building
Reduce injury

The north side Elements Therapeutic Massage is located near my house, so there is really no excuse since they are open ~ 11 hours a day, 7 days a week

Though they offer a variety of packages and types of massages, I normally get the deep tissue massage. If you have not had a deep tissue (more sports related), it's not about light touch and falling asleep. It's a "grit your teeth and try to relax" experience. Ya, I like a little torture in the week. But the advantages I have noticed are substantially less lower back issues, more flexibility in my hamstrings and I am bouncing back after the massage more quickly. Having a person tell me where some 'trouble' spots are that I can work on is super beneficial. The therapist is always able to find some 'hot spots' that do not seem to be too happy with me...go figure?

Wherever you choose to go, make it a part of your regular routine...just like intervals or endurance days...I think you will see the benefits quickly.

Candy for the road

2012-01-06T08:31:00.000-08:00

Some new rides for the 2012 TIMEX Multisport Team. Pretty exciting! See yours at Fitness Fanatics in Spokane.

Extreme Endurance

2011-12-16T21:15:00.000-08:00

Many of you know that I have been using Extreme Endurance for about a year now and have seen some amazing results. I know athletes like to often 'hold their cards close' so to speak, and keep what they use a bit ambiguous or secret. I don't, because it takes a bit more than a 'secret pill' or 'magic serum' to produce results, success, or PRs. Through my time using it, I have been truly blown away. I have done little experiments by not taking it, and then taking it again. Doing tests with and without it...looking at power on the bike...lots of different pieces of data. Bottom line, it works for me. Not only does the data prove it, but I can literally 'feel' it in races and hard training. Weird.

Anyway, here was an article that made me say, "Hmmm...tell me more about this stuff," and it just resurfaced again on prweb.com. You can view all this here, or read on below where I copy/pasted it.

Nutritionist Investigates Claims of New Sports Nutritional Supplement

Nutritionist sets out to see if sports supplement is the real deal. Extreme Endurance is a 100% natural athletic dietary supplement, manufactured in a NSF Certified facility and certified drug-free by the world's largest sports drug laboratory. In a Gold-Standard, double-blind, placebo controlled clinical study, aerobic threshold increased 41% and lactic acid was reduced by 15%. This was a 30 day study involving 22 elite athletes.

After seeing the claims of Extreme Endurance, a new sports nutritional supplement on the market, nutritionist Lori Anonsen, MS, RD, ACSM, thought the product sounded too good to be true. So late last year, Lori investigated the phenomenal claims of Extreme Endurance. What she found out made her a believer in the product.

According to Lori, an extreme endurance athlete recently asked her, "How good can I get?" What a great question, she thought, and after several days of research, found some fascinating new sports nutrition information along with an abstract on a new sports supplement called Extreme Endurance. The abstract covered a double-blind, randomized, crossover study of 22 elite athletes. Being an ex-triathlete and current weekend aerobic warrior herself, she found the abstract very interesting and began a full investigation of the product.

Extreme Endurance claims to influence and reduce lactic acid concentration, which in turn improves maximum exercise performance and reduces muscle soreness. These are bold claims, so Lori looked at their website, http://www.xendurance.com. The site provided sound information, and cited a clinical study. In addition, there are plans to repeat the study on a variety of athletes from different sports.

The ingredients in Extreme Endurance are fairly basic: acid buffers like Magnesium and Potassium, Antioxidants, Trace Minerals and Protease Enzyme Papain. It is important to note the buffers used in the product, as well as Protease Enzyme Papain, which stimulates anti-inflammatory agents leading to less muscle pain and soreness are obviously of important benefit to extreme endurance athletes.

Powerful buffers, like Magnesium Hydroxide, often cause diarrhea when released and absorbed through the stomach lining. Extreme Endurance, however, is released in the small intestine to avoid gastrointestinal problems such as stomach upset, diarrhea, and interference with a healthy acidic environment needed in the stomach.

Since Extreme Endurance is a new product, Lori contacted a lead proponent of the product, Jürgen Sessner. Jürgen is the head trainer and coach for several professional triathletes in Europe who competed in the Ironman race in Wisconsin this past September. Jürgen participated in the double-blind clinical trial on Extreme Endurance with his triathletes, and told Lori he knew which athletes were receiving the active product after the "very first test" in the 10 day trial.

Triathletes in the first group used a substance in a brown bottle. After Jürgen tested two triathletes in the first group, he knew the contents of the brown bottle was the active substance (i.e. Extreme Endurance) and not the placebo. No one officially knew who had Extreme Endurance or the placebo until the final testing was completed 35 days later; but Jürgen knew because his triathletes had never tested so high in their lactate threshold.

Lactate threshold is a term used to describe an exercise level at which more lactate is being produced than cleared. The first group of 11 athletes, who all took Extreme Endurance, finished the 10 day test with an increase in aerobic threshold of 84%. The test also showed a reduction of lactate by 18%. By the time the crossover study was completed with all 22 athletes, the numbers changed to an increase of aerobic threshold by 41% and lactate reduction by 15%. Aerobic threshold increase is very important in athletic performance. It will allow athletes to use fat vs. carbohydrates as a major source of fuel, and therefore perform at a higher level of intensity for a longer period of time.

Jürgen said all 22 athletes wanted to continue using Extreme Endurance because all saw an improvement in their training. An athlete produces lactic acid during high intensity exercise. The lactic acid that is formed dissociates into lactate and hydrogen ions. Lactate can be used as a fuel source for the heart and other muscles during intense exercise. However, when the accumulation of hydrogen ions (H+) exceeds the buffering capacity of the muscle and blood, fatigue sets in. An acidic pH not only leads to fatigue, but can also cause muscle tightness and that burning feeling often felt during intense exercise. Extreme Endurance's ingredients help buffer the production of H+, and thus can increase an athlete's lactate threshold or ability to work much harder for a longer period of time.

Articles have been written about an acidic blood pH and lowered bone density in cyclists who ride over 100 miles a week, and in light weight rowers. An acidic blood pH needs to be buffered, and one of the body's ways to handle this is by using calcium stored in the body. In 1996, a study of six Tour de France riders showed bone density losses of up to 17% over the course of the race. An important side benefit of Extreme Endurance may be as an acid buffer to help neutralize calcium loss, and preserve a healthy bone density.

After analyzing all this information, Lori e-mailed http://www.xendurance.com and asked them for product user references. They gave her the name of Coach Rick Stassi, a strength and conditioning coach from Irvine, CA. Rick's resume is impressive; coaching 13 #1 draft picks, 60 college All-Americans and a world-class swimmer, Jason Lezak. Rick started Jason on Extreme Endurance just before the swimming trials last June. During the third day in Beijing, the 4X100 free style race was held. A major television network said 81 million people watched Jason Lezak catch France's Alain Bernard. Rick said, "Bernard was the 100 meter world record holder and had about 0.8 of a second head start on Jason - but the last 10 or 15 meters, Bernard tightened up. Lactic acid buildup got him"!

Jason smoked Bernard with the fastest 100 meter freestyle in history - 46.06. A sports announcer called it one of the miracles of the Games. Rick said, "This was Jason's third time at the games. I have trained Jason for 8 years and at the age of 32, he won his first individual Medal, 2 relay Gold Medals and swam better and faster - Extreme Endurance was his game changer!"

After completing her investigation of Extreme Endurance, Lori concluded if you are interested in improved athletic performance, with less muscle burn and soreness, then Extreme Endurance may be the game changer you've been searching for.

References:

Roy M. Wallack
Achey - Breaky Biker Bones
Southern California Bicyclist Magazine
http://www.bikerforlifebook.com

Nancy Clark, MS, RD.
Food for Thought
Rowing News, September 2008
Vol. 15, No. 7, 74-76

Jürgen Sessner Extreme Endurance Clinical Test Protocol
Testing Facility: Corpus Diagnostik, Hilpoltstein, Germany
Dr. Volker Tzscheetzsch and Juergen Sessner

Extreme Endurance is a tradename of LifeSpan International US, LLC.

TIMEX Run Trainer to TrainingPeaks...simple

2011-12-08T13:20:00.000-08:00

Some of you lucky ones out there have recently acquired the new TIMEX Run Trainer and have not downloaded it because you think it’s too hard…or simply put, you haven’t looked at it. So I thought I would give you a few screen shots to show you just how easy it really is.

To start, go to the TIMEX support page and download the right device agent for your computer (Mac or PC). It’s as easy as downloading any program. That site can be found HERE.

The page looks like this:

As soon as you load it on to your computer, you should see a shortcut, or, if not, go to applications folder on your computer and it should be there. It looks like this:

Use the download cable that came with your watch, and clip it on to the back and pug into a USB port.

Open the program, which will bring you to a screen that looks like this:

After your watch is connected, and you have the program open you should be ready to download. If the “Download” button is not active, you probably have not connected the your watch correctly. Double check that the pins and prongs are in the right spots. You are now pretty much set to take the data form your watch.

*While in this mode, you can also make any adjustments to your watch by selecting the “settings” button (top middle of the screen). That will allow you to adjust aspects to your watch like time, user information, zones, intervals, screen display/set up, and so much more.

To transfer data from your Run Trainer, click on the ‘Download’ button and your workouts should start downloading.

When they all have downloaded, your screen should look like this:

At the bottom of the screen, there is a button that says “save.” All the workouts that are checked, will be saved. Once they are saved, the desktop will look ‘empty,’ like it did when you first started:

Now you can login to TrainingPeaks by clicking on the “Login” button in the lower left of the screen.

This will now bring you to your Training Peaks account and all your workouts will be transferred on to the days.

If you do not have a TrainingPeaks account, you can activate a free one through this process. I believe it will ask you some questions to get it set up. With the free version, it will not allow you to build a week, meaning you cannot add notes or workouts to days beyond the current day. So it acts more like a diary than a training schedule. It is still a great place to story and analyze your data. But that is a whole different post.

Another thing to note is to make sure you have the latest Firmware update. That is a little different from downloading a program, but still pretty easy. I will show you a step by step of that too…shortly.

Let me know if you have any questions, or if I missed a step that would be helpful to add.

Dave Erickson did a video recently too, which he posted. You can find that video HERE.

Train on,

Roger

Galveston 5150

2011-11-01T21:03:00.000-07:00

As I destroy some of Emma's Halloween candy, I thought it would be a good time to hammer out a post on my most recent race...ahem, cough...2 weeks ago.

I have had my eyes on a 5150 race all season. I planned on racing Las Vegas in early Oct, but it was canceled. Booo (no the scary booo either). So we, Ken Collins, rescheduled for Galveston. I really do not know too much about Galveston other than it is in Texas. I don't know too much about Texas other than it defines flat and you should shake out your shoes before slipping them on to avoid large bugs.

Ken and I arrived in Houston a couple days before the race and immediately started wheeling and dealing on getting an upgrade for a rental car. We did. We had a economy car and wound up walking away with a Tahoe. Not too bad. Ken is quite the wordsmith. We also immediately noticed that it was hot...hot and humid. Blech.

Ken and I found some great places to eat and enjoyed some phenomenal fresh Mex restaurants. Since the World Series was going on, all we could watch was baseball. And don't ever mention the word Cardinal in Texas for about 1 year if you don't want someone to spit in your food.

We rode the bike course the day before, and I have to be honest, I have NEVER seen roads this flat in my life. I swear, if I hopped on someone's back, I could see across the entire state. But, though flat, the wind was rippin.' The bike had a unique cross/tail wind going out, and a cross tail coming back. Since the road was literally right along the Gulf of Mexico, there was no shelter. Bring it.

Fast forward to race morning, we arrived in plenty early, and since we had to check in our bikes the day before, there really wasn't much to do. We got kicked out of transition 1 hour before the swim start (not a fan of that) and wondered over to the swim start.

I used the bathroom a couple times and next thing I knew, I was clearing my TIMEX Race Trainer to zero. Here we go. The horn sounded and off we went. First breath I was reminded that this was salt water, mmmm so good. We were the 6th wave and quickly started swimming through other groups. I think I swam relatively straight, but who knows. I knew there was one guy in my wave that was just ahead. Beyond that, I think I was swimming well. I exited the clam bed (or oyster bed, can't remember) and quickly headed to T1. My Orca 3.8 wetsuit came off easily and I was quickly pushing my Orbea (last race on this steed) out of transition.

The first 1 mile of the bike has a series of 90 degree turns and rough(er) road. I used this time to get my feet in and situated. Before I knew it, I was on Seawall Road. I felt the cross wind an quickly locked into my pace, which was 'go hard.' I went past a few guys from another age group and quickly found myself somewhat alone on a highway. It was so boring. I cannot imagine IM Florida. I hit the turnaround and was headed for home. On the way back I actually had to get out of the saddle and stretch a little...at 30 mph. That is how flat it was, I actually felt the need to stretch even when going that fast. I rolled into the technical 90 degree turns and saw a couple of the pros and elites on the ground. They looked okay, but did not navigate the corners well. They sure are not helping the bad reputation the triathletes have on thier poor bike handling skills.

I hit T2 and was off running in my Kwiss Kruuz racing flats. The run was pretty flat and was a 2 loop course (5k each loop). The first loop I just did not feel well. I tried to push a little but just felt out of sync. I decided to settle in to what I had and then as I started lap 2, for some reason I felt a ton better. I am not too sure what was going on, I am assuming I was too hot from the bike. Once I was able to cool off through the aid stations on the first lap (I was taking about 4 cups of water and tossing 3 on me and drinking some of the 4th) I was cooling down. I ended up running the second 5k 30 seconds faster and felt like I could have run another 10k at that pace. Cool. It might also have had something to do with the Extreme Endurance regimen I have been taking the last 4 months too. Legs felt amazing.

I was happy with the day. I knew I stretched it a bit. Nothing felt good, it all felt tough and I was struggling a bit. Don't know why. But as a result I won my age group, the overall amateur divisions, and beat all the elite amateurs. Now I will hopefully be able to race HyVee 5150 in early September for the Championship. That would be cool.

Ken ended up 2nd in the age group (we are in the same age group) so he qualified for the championship too. He had a great race and represented Spokane well.

Big thanks to Ken for making this trip so much fun. He is an easy travel companion. It's never easy to travel to races so it's nice to have someone there that is not a stress case.

This concluded my race season for 2011. Racing for the TIMEX Multisport Team for another season has been phenomenal. I cannot thank Tristan, Keith, Tom, and Doug enough. They really see to it that the team is ready and on the start line with the best and looking svelte. The support is unmatched.

Also, locally, thank to Robin and all her staff at Fitness Fanatics. They really help me throughout the season and are such a HUGE part of the cycling and triathlon community here in Spokane.

Finally, and ultimately, thank you to my wife Jessi for holding down the fort while I was gone. I know me being gone, and with 2 kids to take care of, can be tough. I totally appreciate your support and encouragement in seeing that I get to some big races and ready to race. I love you and cannot thank you enough for all your support.

Sorry for the lack of photos, when I don't have any "support" at the race, there is no one clicking the camera. But thanks to the company shooting the race, I have a couple.

Redemption

2011-10-07T11:21:00.000-07:00

Just a quick follow up from my post on Wednesday...

I swam again today with Ken Collins and smashed my swim sets. I'm back. Just in case you were worried. :)

Hope all your training and racing has it highs and lows...but more highs.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2011-10-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

We all have these days. Sometimes we can explain them, other times we cannot. I had one this morning.

Owen got up at 3:50am to eat and Jessi responded. I did not look at the clock because I wanted to 'think' I had more time before my alarm went off at 4:10am...BEEP BEEP...my alarm goes off and Lloyd (100 lb black lab) gets up and steps on my head. I'm up.

I go and feed Lloyd and start my coffee only to find out we are out of coffee cups. But we have more, out in the garage. Another break in the regular pattern. I got my coffee, added one of the last sweeteners, and had one of Jessi's home made muffins. Things seemed to be going well.

I grabbed my running gear and was ready to run in the rain after a swim. I hopped in the car and loaded up my swim bag. In doing so, I took out a few things in order to get my running clothes in it (foreshadowing?)

Upon driving to the club, I realize I forgot my water bottle...oh well. I will survive.

I pull into the parking lot and see an open spot right up front, but then another car swoops in and takes it. I drive another lap and park in the back row.

I get changed and am ready to swim, and then realize I forgot my swim cap. Not the end of the world...just need to rinse really well afterward and use my SBR Tri Swim shampoo.

I walk into the pool and see that every lane has 2 people in it. One has an "aqua aerobic" person in it. I decide to jump in with her...she glares. As I unpacked my bag, I discovered one of the items I pulled out and did not replace was my pull buoy. Crap. I will survive.

I started my warm up and felt like maybe the water was "thicker" than normal. But that's why we all warm up.

I do my first kick set and come in 15 seconds per 50 slower than normal. That felt crappy.

I then do a 100 steady and come in 10 seconds slower than I should have at that effort and my form felt disjointed. I try again with similar results. I resign to a 500 easy and just 'swim.' I honestly felt like I was drowning. I decide to call it a day after 20 minutes.

I place my bag in front of my locker and hit the shower. When I get back from the shower there is a guy sitting right in front of my bag changing to work out...seriously? The place is empty and he picks the only place where there is a bag? The guy smells of well aged cheese and a back alley bar in England after a soccer game...and he's panting for some reason.

I change, grab my gear, and head out. As I was walking out of the club I hear my name called. A couple people I vaguely know are on the treadmills. So I go over and say 'hi.' They said they saw me come in and thought I got up early to only workout for 15 minutes. I said 20...not counting the shower.

I then drive home, sit in the driveway a few minutes, and ponder what the hell just happened. I have a few options right now. I choose going back to bed. I go in to the house and find my Lloyd, my dog, in the spot I had left. He is reluctant to move, but does. I laid down and Jessi asked how my swim was (this is now 5:15 am). I said, 'Horrible, I felt like I was drowning, so I came home.' She said, 'Keep it in perspective.' I tried to fall asleep again.

Now, this is really not that bad of a morning. Granted, it's about a 1 hr 30 min time frame, but I can't remember the last time where I just could not pull out a swim. Maybe being 40 has finally hit me and I am getting weak. I don't think so.

What I take from this is, my next workout will be amazing.

As Emma always says, "If this is the worst thing that happens today, it's still a pretty good day." But it's only 6:30am. There is a lot of day left though, but I will take her advice.

Cda Triathlon 2.0

2011-10-01T08:40:00.000-07:00

Cda Triathlon…possibly my favorite Olympic race in the world…possibly. This year it would serve as the USAT Regional Olympic Distance Championship. If you have not read my last blog post on the Cda Triathlon, you may want to in order to understand my battles with this race (click HERE to go to that post).

Fast forward to the day before the race, Aug 12^th. I was already packed, ready to roll. Jessi took Owen and Emma up to her parent’s for the day to be with them in hopes to give me some room to get some final prep done. I know this is a stressful/anxious time for her too. I decided to go for a short prep ride on my race set up. All felt good except I was having some trouble with my front derailleur. Earlier in the week, I noticed that a zip tie had cut one of the wires and made the front der inoperable. Remember, I use Shimano Di2, which is electronic, not cable. But I was able to manipulate it a bit to get it to work…so I ‘should’ be okay. I decided to double check it when I got home, and it was no longer working. Crap! So I spent about 2 hours trying a variety of different ways to get it to connect. It worked from time to time, but not consistently, and not enough to make me feel confident enough to race with it. The Cda course is HILLY. I thought for a moment that I might be able to ride in the big ring, but I would ruin my race if I tried that.

I got on the phone and called Fitness Fanatics to see if they had any word on a new wire set…no luck. They had some suggestions to get it to work, but none seemed to fix the problem. I made a few more calls and was left empty handed. To start with, Di2 is not really on the shelf in very many shops, and ‘extra parts’ are nonexistent. Since I have di2 on my road bike too, I thought I could borrow some of the wires from it. So I disassembled my TT bike and road bike only to find out there are completely different connectors. Crap #2. Now I have 2 bikes completely taken apart, and still don’t have a race bike that works. It was now late afternoon and I needed to head to Cda to check in for the race that I am starting to wonder if I will be able to do.

Check in went FAST and I was able to peruse the list of 850+ athletes competing…but would I be on the start line? I was home again at about 6:30pm looking at a bike that was in shambles. I decided to go back to mechanical shifting…yup, cables. So I got Jessi’s TT bike and took off the front shift lever and the front derailleur. I got some SIS housing and a new cable that I had for some reason. I fitted my Orbea with the cable and housing and routed all the cables internally in the frame and aero bars…never easy. I got it all adjusted, wrapped the bars again, took it for a 2 block ride, made a couple adjustments, and loaded it in the car. Live by electronics, die by electronics. I was feeling a little bit country and little bit rock and roll, but I could shift from my small ring to my big ring…life was a little better.

Which looks better...right or left?

Not exactly the cleanest look

A battery next to a traditional front der.

I would like to say that the rest of the evening went smoothly, but it didn’t. Jessi got home, realized she left her purse and other things across town, ran out of gas in our driveway, had to go get gas in a 5 gal container and refill, dumped my toolbox all over the floor…the list went on and on. FINALLY I felt like we had everything where it needed to be and I hit the sac. Jessi and I both had a short laugh about the day. I think one more thing would have put us both over the edge…but, as I told her, it’s just a triathlon. In the big picture, it’s not that big a deal. It’s only as important as you make it. Since we were now laughing, priorities were in check. I went to bed still wondering if my front derailleur would work though. Zzzzz.

I woke up and had everything ready to roll. Breakfast, bottles, coffee… all was set. I was a little behind as to when I ‘wanted’ to leave, but I was still good. I hopped in the car, turned the key, and my battery was dead. Crap #3! Since it was about 4:45am, and dark, this was not part of the ‘plan.’ I backed Jessi’s car up next to mine to ‘jump it’ with cables, but our batteries were on the opposite sides. Cables were too short. So I went into the garage and got our battery charger, which has a ‘start’ function. So, finally, I was off and running, hopefully all the way to Cda.

Fortunately the drive to Cda was uneventful…I was happy for that. But I ended up arriving about 1:10 minutes before my start. That is pretty close for me. It also meant that the transition area would be pretty full and I would get a bad spot. But I know how to eek out some room. Derek Garcia was there and let me rack near him, which was helpful. But it still takes me some time to get all set up. The race started at 7:00 for the 39 and under, and 7:10 for the 40 and over. Since this was a USAT race, I was racing 40 and up and would start in the second group. This had some advantages and probably more disadvantages. But it was what it was.

The ‘young guys’ took off and it gave me some time to get ready. I don’t think I even had my wetsuit on yet, typical. I went down to the start and got in about a 100 yard warm up. Just enough to make sure my goggles did not leak and my Orca 3.8 was fitting perfectly. There were some fast swimmers in my group, so I knew there should be some out in front. The swim course itself is pretty simple, but if you don’t know the layout, you can always make it harder. They gave us the 1 minute to go call, and I started my TIMEX Global Trainer. The horn sounded and the race took off like a shot. I swam steady from the start and watched the race sort out a bit. The swim felt good, but I did not think I was swimming too straight. I started running into the slower swimmers from the prior wave fairly quickly and that required me to do a bit more spotting and weaving. When you come up on slower swimmers, it can often be quite alarming to them and you. I tried to keep calm and focus on my stroke. As I was approaching the exit, I knew I needed to be fast. I also knew I needed to prepare to hear how far I was down on the others too. Most people who were giving me splits, knew I started 10 minutes down, and some would just tell me how far I was down on my wave. Both are good information. I quickly made it through transition and was given numbers, and times of things I had no clue they were connected to. But eventually it would all make sense.

I was looking forward to this bike leg because it’s a course that I know pretty well now. I have spent a little time on it over the past years and feel that there are some sections that you can get an advantage in if you know the course. Those that have raced this course (was also the 1999 and 2000 USAT Nationals Course) know that it is anything but flat…or straight. As I was moving along the first 5 miles of the bike, I was passing quite a few people. I did not know if they were from my swim start or not, but it really did not matter. I knew what effort to ride and I had my nutrition pretty well set. As I started the first real climb, I saw Jessi, Emma and Owen on the side of the road cheering. They gave me splits on the first wave, which was great, but the most important questions was, did they actually start 10 minutes behind? Because if they didn’t, the information would be off. Regardless, it did not matter. I was going to race hard and see where my fitness was and what kind of bike/run I could pull off. I saw Jessi a couple more times and knew I was putting time into them, and I would need as much as possible. I finished the bike strong feeling like I still had some fuel in the tank.

T2 was quick and the crowd had already seen about 10 guys through…all from the wave that was 10 minutes up. I was leading the 40+ group, and was working my way into the other wave pretty deep. I was excited to run in my new K-Swiss K-Ruuz race flats. The run is pretty flat which I don’t mind, but it allows pure runners to move along quite well. After 2 miles I think I had about 2:30 on the lead of the race. I figured they were not putting a lot, if any, time into my lead. I passed a few more runners and was still feeling good. At about mile 4 I started to sputter a bit, but again, seeing Jessi and others out on the course really helped keep my spirits up. I hit mile 5 and started seeing a lot of the other runners coming out and that, for some reason, helped me pick up the pace a little.

I saw Jessi one more time with about a ½ mile to go and she gave me a few more yells and confidence boosters. I started to think that I might just win this race. But you never know until you cross that line. As I approached the line, I could see the 5 guys that finished before me, and after I crossed, Derek said, “You won it man, you were about 2 minutes faster.” It was a little anticlimactic to cross 6^th and really be first. Not so much for the glory of it all, more for the knowledge that you won. Derek’s confirmation seemed accurate based on the other information…but again, that was under the assumption I started exactly 10 minutes behind. I still wanted to hear it from the officials. Soon, that affirmation was given. I was also told that I was the ‘oldest’ guy to ever win this race. I think that’s a compliment? I will take it that way regardless.

Winning this race wasn’t the highlight. This year has been one of new beginnings and new additions for our family. We have made some huge positive changes that place priority on family and supporting one another not only in sport. Though training and triathlon are a part of a MUCH larger picture, they are not the center of it. So to walk away with a good result, win or not, really showed us that even with perspective, good races still happen. It feels a lot different knowing that I was able to win a race with the family first.

This was the second time I have won this race. The first time was redemption, this time it was satisfying. I walked away proud that “we” did it, rather than we won it. Weird, I know.

Here is a video by Dave Erickson (www.swimbikerunvideos.com). Check out his site for more triathlon related videos and more.

Bike is back to normal...rest easy

Race the River Triathlon... here we go.

2011-09-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

This year I was able to race in another one of my favorite races, Race the River Triathlon. It is a sprint in Couer d Alene as well. This year it would be the host of the PNW Region’s Sprint Championships. I have raced this race in 2008 and 2009 and won it both times. But 2011 would mark a return to my first Sprint race in 2 years. I was a tad nervous, but I figured it would all come back. Since I was the last one to win the race returning, I would be donning the “stripe,” otherwise known as #1. This is a great compliment in any race, but it also is a bit of a target and burden.

One aspect that I was not too sure about being back was my fitness. It’s easy to reflect back on what you once had and have delusions that you still have the same fitness. Based on my limited training (about 5 weeks) since our precious Owen was born, I figured I had a solid base carrying over from Oceanside, but my speed (which is essential for Sprints) was pretty limited. The field at Race the River was maxed out at 850, and some of the elite athletes were rolling off some big events. Brian Hadley was 4^th professional at IM Cda, Derek Garcia who qualified for Kona at St. George, was just coming off a near victory over Brian…missing by a mere 2 seconds the week prior in a sprint event. Both have been having great seasons so far. Then there was a smattering of others that could easily pull off a great race as well. But I felt I had a small advantage since I was familiar with the course and the bike was pretty technical. And, you gotta do your ‘first race’ eventually.

The race itself was a bit of chaotic for me. I arrived about 1.5 hours before that start and I felt like I had never set up a transition area before. I was just moving stuff around not really thinking about what I needed. It was weird… I have done a ton of these races. Must be the old age. It’s just a part of not doing a race in over a year. I think this goes to show you that if you only race once or twice a year, your transitions will never be all that fast…relatively.

The race started with a ½ mile down river swim. I think the total swim time, with about 1 minute of running to T1, was about 9 minutes. I was feeling out of sync, but we were moving FAST. The problem with current aided swims is it allows weaker swimmers to stay close since relative time in the water is less. My shoulder was feeling a little stiff, and achy, but nothing too terrible; just not comfortable.

I ended up 2^nd out of the water, quickly transitioned, and was in the lead on the bike in about 10 yards. I never felt I settled in to the bike, but I rode the 3 laps hard. I had 5 seconds, then 15, and then a 30 second lead on my nearest competitor. I had a quick T2 and started the run.

I cannot say I felt very good from the start of the run. But I plodded along. Derek Garcia caught me at about 2 miles of the 3.1 mile run. Then, shortly after, Brian Hadley passed me at 2.5 miles. They really did not make much distance after they went by. But I was in 4^th gear and just cruisin’. I just did not feel like I had a 5^th gear. Derek went on to win, with Brian close behind and me about 30 seconds off the winning time in 3rd. Brian and Derek really battled hard against one another and it was an amazing finish.

I cannot complain really. Got to keep perspective and look at the positives. I knew going in that I did not have the races or the training that is needed to challenge for the win in a race like this. As I reflected back on the race though, I was really happy to be able to be ‘in’ the race. But my next race would be Cda Triathlon…2x the distance…in 3 weeks. I love the Oly distance, but questioned if I would be fit for it? I knew the competition would be deeper, and the course tougher.

Hats off to Derek, Brian, and Nate Birdsall. They have been racing strong all year in a variety of distances and showed today their level of fitness and speed. Just glad they were still at the finish line when I crossed.

Here is an amazing video by Dave Erickson (www.swimbikerunvideos.com). He has a ton more on there as well.

A big thank you the Christine and Curt and all their volunteer staff that made this event another great one. The first year I did this race I thought, “Yes, this is what a race should be like.” Four years later, I am still saying the same thing. Check them out at www.racetheriver.com and sign up early…it WILL fill.

Whitworth Criterium

2011-07-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Roger to Jessi at 9:15am: "The Whitworth Criterium is today."

Jessi: "What time does it start?"

Roger: "11:00am"

Jessi: "You gonna do it?"

Roger: "I don't know, I was thinking about it, but I don't think so."

Jessi: "You should, you will have fun."

Roger: "I don't know. I rode kind of hard yesterday and I forgot it was today."

Jessi: "You will regret it if you don't."

Roger: "Okay...I should probably get ready."

Roger: "They also have a kid's race."

Jessi: "Emma would love to do that."

Jessi: (smile) "What can I do to help you get ready?"

And that was how the morning went. I went down to the basement to find my road bike. I realized it did not have any cranks on it or wheels. Hmmm...probably need to fix that. I quickly assembled the missing parts and was then finding my cycling gear. This consisted of many 'yells' up the stairs starting with, "Jessi, have you seen my..."

Eventually I got most of what I needed. Jessi mixed some bottles for me and I was pretty much ready to roll at 10:20. The reason I could not miss this race was it was being held 2 miles away. So I saddled up and rode to the race.
Upon arrival I signed in and rode a few laps. I ran into some familiar faces and did some catching up. The Whitworth Criterium, presented by Spokane Rocket Velo, is a .9 mile loop with only 2 real corners. But it did pose some challenges because on race day it was VERY windy.

Our pack quickly assembled on the start line. Since I had some hard efforts yesterday, I was surprised my legs did not feel more fatigued. They did not feel like they had that high end explosive speed, but they felt good. I take Extreme Endurance and I am convinced that plays a HUGE role. My intentions were to sit in for about the first third of the race. Kind of let things settle, and then go to work. Well, I think I race one way...attack, bridge, chase, attack, repeat. Because I only made it about 1/2 way around the first lap and I felt the pace was too slow so I attacked. You see, when packs (especially in crits) go slow, that's when crashes typically happen. As I was off the front, and producing some pretty big watts, I had to smile. You race the way you race...

After a couple laps in, I started to hear some familiar cheers. Emma, Jessi and Owen had arrived. I can always hear Emma's little voice cheering at the top of her lungs. Jessi had the whole clan in tow...and lots of bags too. Such a production with an infant. I will spare you all the race details, but I was able to get in a break and stay away. It was a fun event and one that I hope they will continue to have.

After my race I went and saw Jessi. She had mixed up a recovery drink for me and gave me some recovery supplements. So cool. She really takes amazing care of me and the family...always thinking ahead. Emma was already warming up for her race and sizing up the competition. Her race would start in about an hour and they would do 1.5 laps. They grouped all the kids together...kids from 6 years old to 12. A mix of mountain bikes and road bikes. The 'younger kids' would only do 1/2 a lap and initially Emma was lumped into that group. But she asked the official if she could do the longer race, and he obliged.

Photo by Kimberly Hicks Brittain

The race started and some boys took off fast. They got a good gap but Emma started to go to work. She was passing kids and getting up to the 2 boys up front. As they approached the hill on the back of the course, Emma flew up it...I don't think she even shifted. One of the boys yelled, "Girl coming!" to his buddy. But it did not matter. Emma smoked them on the hill and then maintained over the top. I could tell she was working hard and 'racing.' She put such a gap on them, that you could not even see them at the finish. She rolled across 1st...ahead of all the boys :) It was pretty fun to watch. And the race official who questioned if she could make it was obviously surprised. When she finished she was so excited and I could tell was tired.

The highlight was sharing the day with my family and watching some races in some beautiful weather. None of this would be possible without support from my family. We all work together to make things happen. It's such a good feeling.

Wednesday Mt Bike Race #3

2011-06-02T23:00:00.000-07:00

Well, not much more to say about these races really. They are a blast, amazing people, and a phenomenal workout regardless of your "sport." As a triathlete, these races expose me to some serious 'above threshold' efforts in a real race environment. They also train my bike handling skills a great deal as well to keep them sharp. And lets face it, triathletes, in general, are not known for their keen bike handling. Finally it allows me to network with other wheel riding people, that I have to say, are not so OCD, Type A, Compulsive, etc. Now, I can see you all now wrinkling your nose and scowling. I know I am part of this said group as well. I also know that there are many mt. bikers that are too... but I am pretty confident about the bike handling :) I'm just saying, it's a change of scenery. If you have not been to one...go. You will see what I am talking about.

Today's race was a big change. It was a lot more single track and more technical with tight corners and major rock sections. It is definitely not the area that I make up any time on people. I need the wide open trails...the wider the better. But for today, I would be learning. I was also a little fatigued from the 24 Hour Race efforts on Saturday and Sunday. Legs will be calling for some recovery at some point. Thank you Extreme Endurance!

I started on the front line and could not get my foot in. I went into the first corner about 10th out of 60. Not ideal. We immediately started a single track climb that I started to see a slight split. I knew not to freak out...I would let the others do that. I passed a couple guys, and we started another single track climb. The front 4 were pulling away. Patience. Things finally settled in and I figured I was with a group that I would be good with for a bit. One guy came off the lead group and we picked him up. We turned into a group of about 8, and I was riding 6. We hit some steep climbs where guys tried to move up...but then exploded over the top. After lap 1 of 2, we were down to 4. As we rounded the first corner into lap 2, I could see that Jessi made a special trip down to the race to cheer me on...or look at all the other svelte young guys :). I heard her cheer, and knew Owen was somewhere with a full belly of milk. It's so refreshing to see familiar faces (good looking ones too) that cheer your name. Makes the race feel more personal. I looked at my TIMEX Global Trainer to see how many miles a lap was so I knew when the finish would come at the end of lap 2. There were 2 guys from a local team "The Bike Hub" that did 90% of the work. The guys behind me only had an interest in getting ahead of me. The two "hubbers" navigated everything well and I was getting gapped on every technical section but could easily close on the open areas. As we rolled quickly into the last 2k or so, the road opens up. Like I have said before, when others do a lion's share of the work, I normally do not contest the finish. So I wound it up a bit and went to the front to give these guys a swift lead out. As I pulled in front of the lead guy, he took my draft. I could see the 4th guy making an effort for the finish, and I let it roll. I was hoping one of the "hubbers" would pull around me, but I think I gapped them all. As a result, I won the 4 person sprint. Wasn't really a sprint, but you get the idea. I ended up 4th overall...thanks to other people's work.

Fast Finish

Afterward I thanked the 'hubbers' for all their work and it was not my intention on stealing the finish. They loved the race and thought it was the best one they have done so far. What a great group of guys all in all. Out there for fun, pushing and challenging themselves...just like me. We chatted a bit and then I went to the finish line.

At the finish line the keg was already tapped and the rootbeer was being pulled from the cooler. Everyone has their own account of their race which is always fun to hear. Sometimes you can relate, and other times you wonder if they were on the same course.

I was looking for Jessi. Normally she can be found at the finish line where she gets the finish shots. I located her in her car with Owen...a little 'busy.' I chatted with a few more people. Robin from Fitness Fanatics was there. She was the host sponsor of this week's event. As a result Felt bikes showed up. People were able to demo their mt. bikes. Jessi emerged from the car and Owen was ready for a hug...and a diaper change. No matter how hard you ride, what place you finish, or how tired you 'think' you are...poop happens.

Start the watch

Remove diaper..wipe and clean...

Install new diaper...

Stop the clock.

Nice split. I think the helmet helped.

After a quick change, (I am pretty fast at diapers), we got loaded up and headed for home. On the way home, we were greeted by a torrential downpour. So much rain that rivers were crossing the roads, small ponds were forming that cars could not cross. I love this stuff.

Here is a short video I shot on the way home from the race. Notice the guy in the brown Chevy to my right. He decides to show how cool he is by trying to 4x4 it through the water...only to flood his rig and literally become "dead in the water." He was pretty cool for about 3 seconds.

24 Hour Mt Bike Race

2011-05-31T17:55:00.000-07:00

This was our Camp

I have heard about this race that happens on Memorial Day weekend that starts at 12:00 noon on Saturday and ends at 12:00 noon Sunday. About 850 people ride their mt. bikes around a 15 mile circuit for 24 hours straight. Some do it solo, some do it on single speed mt. bikes, some do it on teams of 2 or teams of 10. It is ultimately one big party...with a lot of mt. bikes.

One fun day

I have never been to this event, and obviously have never participated in it...until this year. I heard that a team was short a few people so I asked if they needed a rider. I have known Tim Arnold at Bicycle Butler for many years. And I would consider him the "Mayor" or "Sheriff" of this event. He has done this race on mt. bikes, single speeds, beach cruisers, ...you name it. It is about getting out and having fun. Of course there are some "serious" people, and teams, as well. But for the most part, it's the Woodstock of the mt. bike world. Just with a lot of carbon fiber and suspension.

People Hydrating...or something

I asked Tim where I could find "camp" and he said that I would not miss it. And I didn't have any trouble. It was a western saloon with all the fixins.

After signing in and trying to figure out how this whole rodeo worked, I started to get suited up in all my TIMEX gear. It always amazes me how much easier it is to get ready for one sport versus triathlons. Helmet, shoes, glasses, bike... guess that's it.

The first corner with spectators

The race started with an 800 meter run that was pretty tough. But I think that was good because it spread out the start a bit. But watching some people try and run in their mt. bike shoes was pretty humorous. I already found myself saying, "If I were to do this I would have..." Dang triathlete in me. But once underway the race would continue for another 24 hours. I was assigned leg #3. My friend Greg would be passing the timing chip to me and I would be off.

My first Leg

And off I go

Greg came in with a great time and had a sweet hand off with the timing chip in his mouth. I took off a little quick up the hill and settled in. The course was pretty clear of people because they were so spread out. I ran into very little traffic and was in the red zone a majority of the time. I probably took some unnecessary risks, but it was a race. I had done this course once before in a mass start mt. bike race just the Wednesday prior, so I kind of knew it a little. But instead of riding with people, you were on your own and avoiding others in your way. I eventually was about done and making it to the transition point. It seemed to go fine and I was happy to be done. My official time was only about 30 seconds slower than my mt. bike race split so I was happy with that.

Mug 1, done

At the end of each lap, the person needed to chug a boot full of drink. That may be beer, vodka, or PowerBar sports drink. Fortunately a 'kind' person filled the boot with PowerBar sports drink...whew.

I was now 'off' until the morning. I hung out and cheered people on and watched this whole carnival unfold. It was as much about the campsites as it was about the race. People were cheering as much as racing. What a great display of a sport in full form.

I was fortunate enough to not race any "night laps." But I would need to ride again at 7:00am. After blitzing my first lap, and not cooling down, I was a little worried. I knew once I took off again, I might pay for that. Nothing worse than wanting to give your all and have your legs feel like you rode 200 miles the day before. But fortunately they felt really great! Extreme Endurance is a product I have been using and I attribute a lot of my recovery to that. Though I could tell I rode the day before, I was not suffering. As a matter of fact, I only slowed about 1 minute...maybe less. And I attribute a lot of that to much more 'slower' congestion the next day. I spent more time on the single track behind slower riders which was frustrating. But that's the way it goes. But my power output was quite similar.

Once done, it was chill time. Jessi packed a great lunch for me (I can already hear all of your comments) and I sat in a recliner and ate brownies, sandwiches, and a HUGE bowl of fresh fruit. Only thing better would to have her here sharing it with me. But I think it would have been a long day for Owen. I stayed a bit longer and listened to all the great stories that people had to tell. Everyone rode the same course, experienced the same mud, hit the same rocks, but had a different take. It was pretty cool.

A great event and one which I would love to do again. However, rumor has it that they will need to limit the field next year because they maxed out what they could accommodate. Great races do that, so sign up early. Thank you Round and Round Productions and all the great volunteers.

You can lead a horse to water...

2011-05-26T13:48:00.000-07:00

I think there is a saying that starts something like that. Or is it, "You can buy a cyclist a mt. bike, but you can't make him ride it." But that does not seem to be the case lately. Since riding for the TIMEX Multisport Team, a lot of opportunities have come my way. It's been amazing. One opportunity was getting a mt. bike a couple years ago. I have always wanted one, but really could not justify the expense. But a couple years ago I was able to. Since then I use my mt bike for recovery rides, riding in the winter, riding when roads are horrific, or getting out with a different group of people. It has afforded me a variety of riding options. But I had never raced it. The thought had crossed my mind, but it never seemed to work out. Until recently...

Eric Ewing and Gino Liesiecki put on the Wednesday Night Mt Bike Series. Though mt. bikers are their own 'group' with special skills, the group is painted with a broad brush of abilities...kind of like triathletes (but I am not making ANY comparison). But what I like about the mt. bike group is that there is really no expectation of anyone. You get quite a diverse group of bikes, dress, and people. But I will say this...don't judge. Just because a guy has hairy legs and a third eye mirror, does not mean he won't school you (yes, it happened, and he even was shooting video at the same time, check it out HERE). Anyway, I showed up and threw down what I was able to.

Staging...and wondering what it is I am doing

And we are off...

The first race was a hoot, 3 laps of a 5.1 mile circuit. When I was registering I was hoping to casually sneak into the 2 lap race, but the folks at registration only laughed and check the 3 lap option. It was then when I was handed my timing chip where I asked if this went around my pant leg to keep the grease off it. I then asked if we would be regrouping at the top of all the major climbs so we all stay together? Though the officials got a kick out of it, I am not too sure if the other racers knew if I was serious or not. I took my chip, number, and twist ties and headed back to my steed (bike...but since it's a mt bike, it's really more like a large animal...with suspension).

As I was fastening the number to the front of my mt. bike (which was hard for me to do since it's about the most un-aerodynamic thing I have ever done to a bike), I ran into a lot of people I knew from years past. I asked them a lot of questions about the course, what pressure they were running, tubeless or not...you know, traditional questions. Before we lined up, I had to let the race director know I had some concerns on the course. I saw that on some of the corners there was loose dirt, and I noticed that from time to time there were rocks on the trail. Fortunately, I have known Gino since I was a 13 year old junior cyclist and he knows how to dish it right back.

As we all lined up, I did not really know where to stage myself. Nothing worse than slowing people down. So I started a couple rows back in the mass of 100 riders. The start was quick, like a crit, and the 5+ abreast pack quickly split apart when we came to some road-covering puddles. "What?" Mt. bikers avoiding mud in a race? I really did not have an option so I went flying through the small lake. In doing so, I got wet and my shoes were soaking...oh well. But when I was going through it, water was blasting to the sides of me, like a boat, and dousing the people next to me. Cool.

Lap 1, under my belt.

We eventually hit some single track and I saw that I was definitely towards the front. Probably sitting about 18th ish. My initial racing self thought, "Great, up front." Then my common sense self thought, "Crap, this is going to hurt at this pace." You see, I kind of wanted to do this race and 'enjoy' it. Get out on the course and cruise along at a good pace and have fun. You know, group up and ride together. NOPE. Not where I was. I was following the wheel in front of me and holding on for dear life. I had no clue where I was going. Rocks, trees, sharp sandy turns, stumps, berms, more rocks, more trees. I fund myself saying silently to my bike, "Sorry for this." But with full suspension, I am blown away what a bike can do. All I need to do is hold on for dear life. But there are some limiters. Like I don't think I can go through trees...literally. I saw my PowerBar waterbottle on my bike wondering why in the hell I brought it since I was NEVER going to take my hands of the bars.

After a 2 laps I found myself in a group of 4. We seemed to be moving along quite well. The two guys in front of me seemed to like to dictate the lines. And I appreciated that. As we climbed each hill, I felt like my legs were going to stop turning around, but we were approaching the finish. Since it was a single track for the last bit, I knew that this would be the finish order. I was perfectly fine with that. These 2 guys pulled me along and I was not about to pip them at the finish. I had to sprint though as to not let the 4th guy beat me and to give the finish some respect.

Tough finish, but it's a finish

It was a great 1st race. I ended up 12th overall. Not too bad for triathlete on a mt. bike. However, I often wondered if I could have gone the same speed on my tri bike. But after all was said and done, I was able to look at the data from the race. HOLY SH-Cow. My avg HR and watts were similar to what I do in an Oly bike leg! Yet it was not consistent at all. The power spikes were incredible. It looked a lot more like a criterium than anything else. And it was also about 1 hour long. Nice speed/power intervals. However, my HR was a bit higher because I was probably more fearful of dieing than anything else.

The second race was a bit different. It was a 1 lap race on what would be in 3 days, the 24 Hour Mt Bike Race. That was good to know since I was going to be in that race too. Nice to get to know the course a bit. This time I had a better understanding of the dynamics of the start and what, in general, happens. I lined up on the front, and questioned if this was a good idea. The horn sounded the start of the race, and we were off. I took off strong and then eased up a bit because I did not want to 'lead' the race. I settled into about 7 place back into the single track.

Start of Race #2

Good spot as we hit the first hill. I know this would be a leg burner since it was at the start and people would hit it hard to maintain their spot, or try and move up. Once to the top it opened up and I moved up a spot or two. I was in contact with the front until a guy went down on a rock bed section. CRAP! I had to almost stop and then swerve and go into some forest o get around. The leaders were now off the front by about 30 yards and moving fast. Double Crap. I hooked up with another person and we cruised along until I realized they were riding the technical section so much better than I was. The gap was growing and I knew I was working waaay to hard to try and catch. So I settled in and started riding steady. I caught a guy on the flats that got spit out the back of the leaders and it was nice to have some company. As we climbed a steep hill he lost traction and spilled over. I kept climbing and was waiting for him to rejoin. Now, this is where I made a mistake. There are two ways to take a certain decent on this course. The fast way, and the slow way. But I did not know which was which. I guessed, and, well, though it was 'safe, it was the slow way. Once I got to the bottom I could see the guy I was riding with was 1/2 mile up the trail. Crap Crap Crap! Fortunately it was through some flat sections and I slipped into TT mode and started closing. I passed a couple other people, who were also behind me, and continued my quest. After chasing for about 10 minutes, I caught them. I stayed with them until the end of the race where it finishes on about 1/2 mile flat 1 lane road. I was happy to stay behind the guy that navigated me through the trees and rocks, but he said he wanted me to pull through and go. So I went to the front, thinking that he would jump on my wheel, but as we rounded a corner, I could see him on the inside. So I wound it up for the last 1/4 mile and finished strong. It was a fun race an a pretty quick course. I ended up 6th overall. Compared to the last race, I worked harder (according to watts) and the race was about the same distance. All in all, great.

Finish of Race #2

Afterward, everyone hung out with a beer in hand (they have a keg after each race) and shared their war stories. Pretty cool. I caught up with Greg and Cris to find out how their "first race" went, and they were both ecstatic! I know they will be asking me if I am going to come to the next one. Cris just bought a mt. bike the day before the race. Crazy.

Natalie and Greg with Owen

Me, Cris, and Greg post race.

I am sure I am telling an awesome story :)

Big shout out to Greg W, my old coach, for tunin' up my suspension and tires before the race. Apparently I had it all messed up and he got it dialed in. Whew. He knows bikes and how to make them perform to what they are designed to.

I cannot say thanks enough times to my family, Jessi, Emma, and Owen for coming out to the two races as well. It's a big quest for them to hang out in the woods and cheer me on. They are so supportive and patient. And because of them, I am able to post some pictures too. It's always nice to finish seeing Emma cheering her heart out. And it's a definitely a new look to see Jessi with the jogger again. It takes more time, and it's more work, but it's such an amazing gift. My family is awesome.

Just like when I was a kid, my parents signed me up for something that I did not want to do... only later to find out that I loved it... get out there any try something new. I am too old to learn any new tricks, but I think I found a bone I like.

Spangle TT Series

2011-05-25T16:30:00.000-07:00

I finally got my TT bike built up the day before race 1 of the Spangle Time Trial Series but on my Emde Sports. This series is a combination of 4 time trials. Two 12 mile TTs and two 22 mi TTs. No sense in trying something new the day of a race. I have been needing to build up my new Orbea Ordu but had been waiting for a couple parts. Robin, at Fitness Fanatics, got in my base bar and then I was ready to build.

Since I run Shimano Di2, it can be a little tricky to build. But in the big picture, it is not too bad because it is wires, not cables with tension. If you have not tried di2, let me say that unless you plan on buying it, don't try it. I have never been so amazed by a new product. Technology is definitely taking new shape. I suppose the next step will be wireless shifting.

I got it all built up late Wednesday night for Thursday afternoon race. I showed up to the race start and took it off the rack and took it out for about 4 mile spin. It all seemed to hold together, so I was ready to race. This race was a short 12 miles. Short yes, but painful as well. I had not raced a TT in quite some time, and not one this short. In a triathlon, it's a little easier to settle in. If you don't go hard enough, you can always run harder. If you go too hard, you fade and you still have to struggle through the run. But in a cycling TT, it's pain form start to finish. It's the "Race of Truth." The person who goes the fastest from point A to point B will win. No hiding, no drafting, no team, no team strategy. Just you and the clock.

As I took off, I watched my watts on my SRM and saw that they were pretty high. But, ignorantly, I felt like I could maintain those watts. Then about 2 minutes passed and my legs felt like plump, well done, sausages. I knew I would need to settle down a bit and ride what I know I am capable of. As I pressed on, I kept things constant and felt good. 6 miles out takes forever...but it always seems to go a lot faster on the way back. When I crossed the line I was spent. I can't say that I rode it very well, but I knew I went hard. Best of all, my bike did not fall apart and I posted the fastest time at 26:50.

It was a great baseline for me since I had not been on the bike for a bit. I was able to look at the data and see where I was too confident, and where I faded. But all in all, it was a solid effort. Next time it would be a 22 mile TT. Ouch.

Jump forward about 10 days to the 22 mile TT. This race was on a Saturday and Jessi, Emma, and Owen came to cheer. It's always nice to have some "support" in case you fall apart and someone needs to drag your sorry carcass home...or to the hospital. It was also only a few days after the Wednesday Mt Bike race. I was a bit nervous about recovery, but I have been using Extreme Endurance for a few months now and my body seems to adapt to harder workouts better. This, again, would be a good test.

Chitchatting with Marla Emde

Next to go...

The Start

The Middle

Ridin' the whiteline

This would be ride #2 on my new Orbea with the Di2. I knew what kind of watts I did in a 12 mile race and figured I should be able to avg the same or a tad less since I felt I went out too hard in the last one. I used my TIMEX Global Trainer this time to see how far into the course I was, and more importantly, how close to the finish I was as well. I selected a 2 field layout. One for speed, and one for distance. My legs would tell me if I was working hard enough and the powermeter should be in line with my legs.

I started off well, and watts were a tad high, but not like in the 12 mi TT. I settled in and tried to stay smooth. My position on the bike is pretty aggressive, so I know if I stay relaxed, it translates into speed. They had us go off in 1 minute intervals and I caught the first couple people in about 3 and 4 miles. I caught my minute man, at mile 6. So I knew I was going along well, but there was a long way to go. If too much is put out in the early miles, the last 3 miles will be rough. Kind of like a sputtering plane. Watts would be high...then low...then high, etc. Not a good pattern. I hit the turn and knew I was moving well. On the way back I held it steady and it went by fast. I crossed the line in 46:31 for the fastest time of the day, with an avg watts AND speed greater than the 12 mile race. I think it was due to having Jessi, Emma, and Owen there.

The Finish...with cheers from Emma

One thing I love about these races is seeing all the people out there testing themselves against the clock. It's a bold race that many people are afraid to do. I know I am each time I do. Because it's like a VO2 test. Fortunately this one you know when it will be over...you just question if you gave it everything you had.

Good luck to all of you and your "trials."

Wow...waaaay behind

2011-05-15T08:00:00.000-07:00

Wow, a lot has been going on since "2 weeks before Oceanside." Just the thought of a blog entry at this point has been daunting. But let me see if I can put it in some kind of a nutshell.

I am going to start from when I left Spokane...but stay with me because it has significance. I left Spokane on Thursday and when I landed in San Diego I had a message from Jessi saying that I needed to call here asap. So as I was walking to baggage claim, I called to hear what was going on. Jessi informed me that she was hospitalized because of pre term labor contractions. Things were moving forward, but she was only at 33 weeks of her pregnancy. I know this means VERY little to most people without kids, but you really need to be at 37 weeks before delivery, ideally 40 weeks. So a bit too early. I started scheduling flights to fly out the next day (Friday). I was on and off the phone with Jessi and her dad (who is a pediatrician) throughout the night. It wasn't until early morning that they felt the baby would 'probably' not come this weekend. Probably? I am 12 hours travel time to get home. If she goes into labor, I am screwed. This was really the dilemma of the weekend. Constantly second guessing what to do. Jessi wanted me to stay...I felt selfish staying to do a triathlon when my wife is in the hospital and could give birth to our son. Something about this did not seem right. But Jessi reassured me that it was better that I stay and do the race. I tried to get some more sleep Friday since Thursday night was a wash. But race morning was near.

Saturday morning I got up and had my traditional breakfast. But it did not seem to sit well. I just thought it was digesting and would take a few more minutes. But it never seemed to settle. Felt like I finished an all you can eat pizza contest. Anyway, I cruised down to the start, in the dark, and got all set up. Funny thing was, I was not nervous about anything. In the big picture of what had been happening, and what was happening in Spokane, this was pretty insignificant. And I think that took a lot of the stress off of it. Perspective.

As we were getting closer to the start, I tried using the restrooms, but the lines were way too long. So I suited up in my Orca 3.8 and rushed to the start. It would not be a race if I wasn't late to the start :) I got to my wave and we were about ready to head into the water. The water temp was cool, and it was saltwater, but it's still just swimming. I lined up on the front line and was ready to roll. The horn sounded and I was off in my first 1/2 IM in over 3 years. I swam steady and felt like I was never on people's feet, which I don't mind. I always get confused on where I am at on this course, but in the final 400 meters, you always seem to know where you are. I got out and looked at my watch and was happy to see that I swam a low 27 minute. Not too bad for the rather rough conditions. My Orca felt perfect. I quickly transitioned and was off on the bike.

Photos By ASI

My stomach was still not feeling great, but I was ready to ride. I felt pretty good and was holding back quite a bit. But I think everyone does at the start. On one of the out and backs I saw Sam Picicci and he was looking strong. I also saw Greg Gallagher who was cruising as well. Since I was in an earlier wave, it was not too congested out there at all. After about 1.5 hours on the bike I started to feel like I was missing some nutrition. I mixed my bottles a little differently hoping that I would supplement with course aid. But I factored it wrong. I took a chance to race with 1 less bottle, and it was a stupid mistake. At about 2 hours I knew I was limping a little and trying to maintain a 'reasonable' pace. I could feel that my legs had no snap left in them on the bike. I tried to eat and drink, but I knew it was too late. I still had a respectable bike time, but not my fastest at this race. Even on my Computrainer I rode higher watts and better times in training. I was happy to see T2 and rolled through it pretty fast. But I had to pee, and I did that in transition as to not have it impact my run split.

Photos By ASI

The run started fine. I started a tad fast, but slowed it down a bit. I watched my TIMEX Global trainer which kept me honest. The first lap I felt okay, the second things started to slow a bit. On the second lap I was able to see some people I knew which was nice. Tim Hola, fellow TIMEX Multisport Team member came up behind me and gave me a little push. But I was needing a bit more than a push at mile 8. Near the last turn, with 3 miles to go, fellow Spokaninte and friend, Sam Picicci came flying by me...I mean flying. He ended up running the fastest run split for our age group at just over 1:20. That's moving! As solid as he looked, I looked equally not. I plodded in and ended the day with a run split of 1:31+. Not a bad run for coming a bit unglued late in the bike. I ended up 7th in my division and was pretty happy with that. Total time 4:34:35...which just so happens to be 1 second slower than my best time there. But it was my best swim (by about 45 seconds) and best run there (by about 4 minutes). Bike was 6 minutes slower than my best, hmmm, who knows. So my final time was a bit slower because of the bike, but that's okay, I can fix that. So being away from triathlon for over a year, and away from 1/2 IMs for well over 3 years, I feel like I am right back in it. Just wiping off the cobwebs.

Photos By ASI

Once I finished, my mind was on getting home to be with Jessi. I gathered up my gear and rode back to my hotel room and packed the bike. As much as I wanted to think that I was focused on this race, I really was more focused on getting done with it. So that felt good. But it was also nice to get out and race and put in a solid effort.

A huge thank you to all the great people who made the day flawless on so many levels. There are so many aspects that can go wrong in a race. It's always nice to have the best equipment and sponsors doing their part. Now all you have to do it yours.

TIMEX and all fine partners of the TIMEX Multisport Team
Orbea bikes
Shimano Components (especially the Di2)
Orca wetsuits
K Swiss shoes
PowerBar
Extreme Endurance
Fitness Fanatics in Spokane
Rudy Project
Sugoi clothing

Oceanside in less than 2 weeks

2011-03-21T13:39:00.000-07:00

Well, what was once so far away, is less than 2 weeks away. The snow has finally lifted from most of the roads and the weather has been stable... stable as in not snowing too much.

I have a bit of history with this race. I raced this event for the first time 2004 when I saw it as one of the best races in the US, maybe the world. Wow, what a wake up call. If you think your training has been going well here in the PNW, go down to southern California and you will soon find out that there are 500 other people that will show you where all your deficiencies are. In 2004 a lot went wrong, (broken chain) but the fact that I was down there, and in one of the biggest races of the season, was pretty cool. As I have told a few people, you cannot show up there and have a marginal race and expect to walk away with a high placing. There is no hiding. In 2004 I was 32nd in my age group. Most races don't even have 32 people in an age group.

I went back in 2006 and was able to move up to 21st. Race went better. Had a decent swim, way better bike, and struggled on the run. Damn run. But it always sets a baseline to where you 'think' you are, and the reality of where you are. That year I had a great season qualifying for Hawaii in Cda and finishing 5th in my age group in IM Canada and 33rd overall. It was a great season full of racing.

My final race in Oceanside was back in 2007. I was focusing on IMs again and knew this was the race to start with...again. I moved up to the 35-39 age group which meant, well, nothing really. I placed 19th in my age group and 6 people were within one minute of my time. 2nd place was 8 minutes. So to think things get easier as you get older is a myth. That day was a pretty similar day to 2006. Good swim, faster bike by 10 minutes, sub par run. But, it is what it is and I learned from it...again.

So that brings me to the current day. My swimming has been more consistent and a larger volume. I am hoping that will translate into a similar time with less effort. I can't say there has been any real changes, just hoping for some benefits :) My shoulder has been holding on. A few hiccups along the way, but nothing that has been too serious. (shoulder problems resulting from getting hit by a car last May).

My riding has been a bit hit an miss. I have been able to get out on the road a couple times this season. Once on my mt bike and a couple on my road bike. I think last year at this time I had been on the road quite a few times. So I would suspect I am a tad behind there. I will have to keep that in mind when I am comparing my prior seasons there relative to this year. But I feel smarter, if that means anything.

The run has been good in terms of staying healthy. I had a problem back in November with my calf that set me back, but that all seems to be in check at the moment. No real speedwork. Just out jogging along at this point. Probably why I tend to joke with people, "Why run when you will probably end up walking anyway." Joking of course.

I think the best part of my training this season is the way that Jessi, Emma, and I have worked it into all our schedule. I really feel that this season I have not missed anything 'family' related, and I have been able to be there when we are all home. It seems like in prior seasons I have trained when I wanted to, often waiting until the weather was perfect. Which also meant that it was mid day when the family was up and rolling. Now I tend to do it in the early morning, or when Emma is swimming, or in transitional times. It really helps out with staying connected and being there for one another.

So it's a new way of training for me, and I like it. Now we will see how it translates into racing. I am not expecting a miracle by any means. Just looking forward to a performance that I think I am capable of. This will be my first 1/2 IM in 3.5 years...and first triathlon in 1.5 years. I feel a little out of the loop. Do I need to eat during these events...I can't remember?

Hope everyone's training is going well. Those of you that will be in Oceanside in less than 2 weeks, I hope your day exceeds what you thought was possible.

I am a Geek...I always have been

2011-03-11T13:49:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia defines a Geek as: a slang term, with different meanings ranging from "a computer expert or enthusiast" to "a carnival performer who performs sensationally morbid or disgusting acts", with a general pejorative meaning of "a peculiar or otherwise dislikable person, esp[ecially] one who is perceived to be overly intellectual." I am not a computer expert, nor do I perform in carnivals, and I hope I am not a dislikable person...so I searched further...

A derogatory reference to a person obsessed with intellectual pursuits for their own sake, who is also deficient in most other human attributes so as to impair the person's smooth operation within society.

A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad but because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as "geeky" is heavily debated.

I think those pretty much sum it up. Essentially, a person whose passion for something exceeds what would be considered "normal" and who often does not heed social norms when talking about the subject or participating in it.

That said, I think we are all Geeks in some for or another. Some of us have many Geek hats. Now, a Geek is not to be confused with a Nerd, who is defined as intelligent but socially and physically awkward. A Nerd seems to be more of a character. A Geek seems to be more relevant to subject matter. Okay, enough on that.

I have to say that I am a Bike Geek. I have enjoyed seeing the changes that have happened over the last few decades. I love the smell of solvents because it means something is clean. If they made a cologne called "Tri Flow" I would probably wear it.

I love seeing shorts with more than 6 panels.
Just the word Assos gives me a chill.
6 speed brings back memories of the great cyclists of the 80s.
Retrofriction I still hope makes a comeback.
A 42 chainring should ALWAYS be the smallest on a road bike.
A straightblock tells me it's time trial time.
Benotto ribbon wrapped well, was sleek...but Cinelli cork was plush.
A two button Avocet is still all you really need.
Deep drop has nothing to do with women.
A-Head, quill,...they both do the same, yet define an era.
Lugs did once exist on frames.
28 hole wheels were light weight TT wheels.
Bladed spokes meant you had to drill a hub.
Aero rims were 4 cm max.
Hairnets were not what food service women wore.
Leather chamois were commonplace.
Oakley Factory Pilot...all the others can thank them for creating the market.
LOOK was primarily a ski binding company.
You used to actually grease bearings.
25 pounds was pretty light.
Aluminum meant "big tubes."
Frame pumps were not for airing up frames, and there was a difference in the heads.
Clips and straps had nothing to do with bondage.
High flange we will probably never say again away from a track.
36 hole wheels were standard, and 32 meant race ready.
Rim cement was just that...cement. And when applying it, if you did not ruin what you were wearing in the process, you probably did not use enough.
Solar anything on a road bike? Ya right.
If you could still use your waterbottle after 1 month, it meant you rarely used it, or are drinking mold, or you have a mom that bleaches bottles. The tops did not lend themselves to cleaning.
V1 Pro? Nice try at a hairnet Bell...but a big miss.
If the word WINNING means more than 1st place, that meant you ran to the mailbox once a month...and the only running a cyclist would ever do.
Results were found in the paper, or rare weekend CBS Sports coverage, which left a week's worth of hypothesizing who the winners would be and how the races would unfold in Europe.
The 'Professor' has nothing to do with Gilligan's Island.
The 'Badger' has nothing to do with Wisconsin.
American Flyers is respected not because Kevin Costner was in it, because it was about cycling.
Breaking Away was not about a guy trying to leave his girlfriend.
Quicksilver is not just a brand...right Nelson Vails?
Though Americans praise Armstrong for his borderline countless Tour wins, it was Greg LeMond that had the most thrilling one in 1989 when he averaged over 34.5 mph in the final stage...the time trial... to win oevrall by 8 seconds. Though most Americans have forgotten this victory, no Frenchman will ever.
There is so much more that can be said, but I will end with two last words... Detto Pietro.
**Sad thing, I typed this list in about 5 minutes**

The point here, the machines are magnificent...the history is rich tradition and controversy. If you walk into a bike shop and immediately assess the mechanic's aptitude by the crispness of the return of a brake lever...you are probably a Bike Geek. If you can admire a new bike that is $500 for what it is, and the budgeted quality it possesses, you are a Geek. If you walk in a shop and you can immediately locate the most expensive bike there, and not because it's on display, you are a Bike Geek. Bike Geeks like all types of bikes and respect what they represent.

2011-03-08T15:26:00.000-08:00

The season in numbers…Hmmm. I really don’t have too many numbers yet. It’s really been more about the season and events and things I see along the way.

After Jessi and I carefully merge our calendars every Sunday (which just might be my favorite time of the week…and it has nothing to do with the calendar merging but the conversation) the training takes shape. I feel a bit like a hamster, but that’s okay. I might get up in the morning and put a little time on the Computrainer. I eventually get bored after a bit and then I watch what local news there is before Emma gets up and Jessi and I start our morning routines. She makes the lunches and I make breakfast and coffee…normally. I have been known to drop the ball completely from time to time, but I usually pull my weight.

A couple days a week my afternoons find me at Oz splashing around. Michelle, the Oz general manager, has set some time aside for “Master Swimming.” Though it is not officially Master Swimming, it is an opportunity for people to lap swim without people with flotation dumbbells thrashing around in a lane…not that I am against that, just not while I am swimming if at all avoidable. I know swimming alone is not ideal to improve fitness, but it does offer me the opportunity to get in a few yards and get the feel for the water back. The Oz pool is quite warm, so it will be a bit of a shock in Oceanside when the water is in the upper 50’s. Eeek!

Another swimming activity I have been taking part in is watching Emma’s swim practice. I know, you can’t get better by watching a sport…but I disagree. I watch these coaches give their feedback with these kids and I take note as well. It’s kind of like watching tapes of a game to know what you do right and wrong. It’s also a time that Jessi and I often hang out and admire Emma’s pure joy of swimming. It blows us away. She will be late for everything. But not swimming. It normally takes her 20 minutes to put on her shoes, but she can go from a dead sleep, with clothes on, and be swim ready in 30 seconds and be yelling at you to hurry up and get in the car. You give her the option not to swim, and she won’t take it. I don’t know too many people with her drive and the smile that goes along with it. Who knows how long she will swim for, but right now she loves it and loves her coaches.

Next word…treadmill. There, I said it. Treadmill. How many people have stopped reading now? I tell ya, up until this year I would laugh at those that chose to run indoors…laugh I say! Because there is never a reason not to run outside. You tell me one reason you can’t, and I will come up with 10 reasons you can. BUT, this year we purchased a used treadmill for $100 from a friend so that Jessi can get some workouts in while pregnant and not slip on ice and when the baby is here, is able to sneak in a run or two. Well, I just so happened to have injured myself in November. I screwed up my calf and knew the journey back would be a slow one. So I started with walking on the treadmill in mid December. That walk, weeks later, turned into an easy jog. That easy jog turned into a longer easy jog…and that’s where I feel like I am now. Maybe a bit more than easy jog though.

One part of training that I have always been a believer in is documenting your training. We all know that it’s important, but we often fall victim to time. But I figured if I started to see the little I was doing, it would eventually add up to more than a little. I have been using TrainingPeaks. It’s free and does more than 99.99% of people will ever use it for. I am a data guy and am always trying to make a 10 minute mile look like a 5 minute mile. I have not been able to do that, but I have been able to see trends and things that show that there has been some progress. And really, that’s all we ever want.

Through training it’s always nice to have a few toys that keep your interest. There is no doubt that the one thing that puts a little pop in all our step is music. I have to say that I train almost all the time with something in my ears. No, not swimming…yet. I can listen to the same 5 songs over and over. I don’t think I really listen though. It’s just background noise. I really enjoy listening to podcasts too. Three of my favorites are The Competitors, Packfiller, and IM Talk. All of them have their own variety. I had the opportunity to meet Bob Babbit from Competitor Radio at the TIMEX Multisport camp a few weeks ago. I have been listening to him for the past 3 years. It was amazing to sit and chat with him for hours about sport related stuff…and some not so sport related. What an amazing person.

Another couple items that I have entertained me along the way, and given me data as well, are my Timex Global Trainer and the new Race Trainer Pro. If you want to see a little video of the new Race Trainer Pro, click here. It will be available late March 2011. Both these devices download to TrainingPeaks where I can see everything I need to. The Global Trainer shows everything from pace, map, distance, speed, cadence, power, etc, etc, etc. It’s crazy. The Race Trainer Pro is super for all your heart race needs and quickly and easily uploads to TrainingPeaks as well. I like gadgets…these both make my training go by a tad faster.

Even with the best laid out plans, things happen that kick our asses. Since December I have been sick on 2 different occasions. That pretty much wipes out 1 week per illness at least. But, I have found since my cycling days when I was a mere 13 years old, that when you are sick your training should be to get healthy. The sooner you are back on top, the sooner you can resume regular workouts. So I feel that the 2 weeks I lost was okay…not ideal…but okay. I was super fortunate to have a supportive family that eventually told me to stop whining like a baby. So I did, and got up and got going again.

So though training has been okay, and I have been getting over the occasional hurdle, the big event is yet to come. That being May 15^th when our little boy is supposed to make his debut. When that day comes, though we’d like to think that the world will stop for a day or two, it won’t but we will. Emma is so excited and trying to figure out what he will be like and what he will want to do for fun. Jessi and are just wondering what new changes will be made. Kind of fun, and crazy, when you have no control over things that you know are coming. I think that’s good.

Count Chocula, Races, and Trainers

2011-02-07T13:38:00.000-08:00

Hmmm...where to start. It has been a very slow start to the season for me this year after being hit by a car on my bike last season. The biggest hurdle is figuring out if my shoulder can handle swimming again. So the slow return ensued. It started with minimal effort and minimal yardage. Even then, I knew I was asking more from my shoulder than it wanted to give. But after working with Brian Mather, I trusted that what he said was 'okay,' truly was. Many people have asked, "How is your riding and running." To be straight, I have not focused too much on those since everything hinged on the variable of my ability to swim. If you can't swim, it's hard to make it to the bike and the run. So first things first.

Through a very slow build process, and a lot of muscle stimulation and isolated muscle work, I can say that swimming seems to be coming along at the moment. That is not to say that I don't find myself rubbing my shoulder from time to time, or rotating it around and around trying to alleviate some soreness...but all in all I think I am making ground on where I was after the accident. I think that is all you can ask for. I have not really had too many set backs in swimming, so that's good. My swim endurance is coming along, but speed still needs some work.

So with that off the table, training can slowly resume in the form of running and riding. Yikes. I ran outside last week and I think it took me a week to recover...seriously. I am bummed that our weather has not been cooperating either for outdoor rides. Last year, I don't think I had to ride on the trainer at all. This year, it looks like it will be necessary. Yawn...you want to make time completely stop, I can do that if you put me on a trainer :) Mark Hodgson said recently on a the Packfiller podcast that if he was only give on year to live, he would spend it on a bike trainer
because it would seem like time would stand still. 1 year would seem like 20. I thought that was a very good point.

So what does this year look like in terms of races? Tough call right now. Jessi and I sat down a bit ago and looked at many things coming down the road. The first and foremost, is our son being born ~May 15th. We decided that anything after that was a tad 'up in the air.' But before that monumental date, we could schedule. After that, we looked at when Emma had big swim meets and made sure that we were there for those. Then we looked at some races for me that I would be interested in doing. Since they would have to be before May (though that does not fit in my current fitness progression), I would probably need to travel to them. I like to keep travel time and stress to a minimum, so I decided on 2 of my favorite races...Oceanside 70.3 and Wildflower. Not only are they some of the most competitive, they are on the west coast and fairly easy to travel to. I have raced them multiple times in past, so being familiar with a course and its surroundings are important to me.

Both races provide an opportunity to race in a World Championship later in the year which appeals to me at this point. Wildflower is offering some slots to ITU Long Course World Champs in November (the 5th I think), and Oceanside has the traditional 70.3 World Champs that will be in Vegas this year; moving from Clearwater (finally) on September 11th (my birthday). Since Jessi is intimately involved with the REV3 races, I know we will be going over to Portland for that event on July 10th. I have heard rumor that this is a tough bike course and VERY technical...I'm in if it works out for the family. Beyond that, who knows. So, in short, I have 3 races. Maybe 5 if things go well. I have a few other things in the hopper, but those will not be decided upon until our new little boy is born. For a boy name, I am pushing for Count Chocula.

Caffeine in English

2011-02-02T10:14:00.001-08:00

I read this and thought that is put things in easy to understand language. This article can be found at: http://www.powerbar.com/articles/218/caffeine-and-athletic-performance.aspx

Caffeine is the kick in your coffee. It gets you up and going in the morning, and helps keep you going when you start dragging. The benefit of a caffeine lift is not lost on athletes. In fact, among some of the world’s best endurance athletes — Ironman triathlon competitors — almost three-fourths reported using caffeine to improve athletic performance. And yet many of these same top athletes confess to being unsure about how much caffeine they need for a performance boost, not to mention the caffeine content of common foods and beverages.

Caffeine 101
1,3,7-trimethylxanthine, aka caffeine, is the world’s most consumed natural pharmacologic agent. Found in coffee beans, tea leaves, cacao beans (and therefore chocolate), and kola nuts, caffeine consumption is almost unavoidable. Roughly 9 out of every 10 adults in the US consume caffeine, averaging 238 mg every day — the equivalent of 2–3 cups of coffee. Upwards of 20–30% of us consume a whopping 600 mg of caffeine daily. About 71% of our caffeine comes from coffee, 16% from tea, and 12% from soft drinks and energy drinks. And we are not alone. Coffee, which is chock-full of caffeine, is the beverage of choice around the globe.

Why all the fuss about caffeine? It’s all about the buzz. Caffeine functions as a mild stimulant: It helps wake us up, and it keeps us going when we might otherwise throw in the towel. No surprise — athletes are very interested in using those qualities to their advantage

Effects vary by sport
The data are pretty convincing that caffeine is effective at improving athletic performance across a number of different sports. It’s been shown to improve endurance and time trial performance in cyclists, increase endurance in runners, and improve performance times and boost power in rowers. It’s also been shown to improve performance in cycling and running events lasting approximately 5 minutes, and to increase peak power output, speed, and isokinetic strength in sprint and power events lasting less than 10 seconds. Researchers studying tennis players found that caffeine increased hitting accuracy, speed and agility, and overall playing success on the court. And players reported feeling more energy late in their matches.

While the evidence supports a performance-boosting effect of caffeine for a number of sports and events, it doesn’t help in all cases. Specifically, caffeine has been shown to have no effect, and may even be a negative factor, in sprint and power events lasting anywhere from 15 seconds to 3 minutes.

How it works
Caffeine has a wide range of effects on the human body; it affects hormonal, metabolic, muscular, cardiovascular, kidney, and respiratory functions. It also influences the central nervous system, where it acts as a stimulant by interfering with the binding of the brain chemical adenosine to its receptors. Adenosine affects nerve cell activity, and it works opposite to caffeine. Where adenosine has a calming effect because it slows the activity of nerve cells, caffeine speeds up the activity of these cells. Thus, caffeine reduces tiredness, increases alertness, improves mood, confers a sense of being energized, enhances concentration, and helps to speed reaction time. Exactly how the hormonal, metabolic, physiologic, and central nervous system effects of caffeine work together to improve athletic performance remains a matter of study. However, one performance benefit in particular stands out: For many athletes, caffeine lowers the perception of the intensity or difficulty of exercise. So, you’re able to compete or train at a higher intensity for longer, without actually feeling like you are working harder.

But is it legal?
Because of its ergogenic effects, caffeine at high doses used to be on the list of banned substances for Olympic athletes. But because caffeine confers performance benefits in relatively small amounts and its use is so widespread, the ban was lifted in 2004.

Caffeine sensitivity
That same stimulant effect that helps propel you through the last few miles of a marathon may actually impair performance for someone who is sensitive to caffeine. For example, in some individuals, almost any amount of caffeine seems to interfere with sleep patterns. This can spell disaster before an important competition, and can also undermine training. Also, if you’re caffeine-sensitive, the accompanying jitteriness and anxiety may compound the pre-game jitters you already feel. Headaches, dizziness, and stomachaches are other possible caffeine-related side effects for those who are sensitive to it. So, if you fall into this camp, take a pass on caffeine.

How much caffeine is effective?
Athletes interested in the potential performance-boosting benefits of caffeine are often uncertain about how much caffeine to consume and when to consume it in relation to exercise.

A moderate dose of caffeine is all that’s needed. Higher doses are more likely to cause unwanted side effects, and there’s no evidence that more caffeine provides greater performance benefits.

The recommended amount of caffeine for performance improvement is in the range of 0.45–1.36 mg caffeine per lb body weight (1–3 mg per kg). For a 150-lb (68-kg) athlete, that equates to a dose of 68–204 mg of caffeine. It’s a good idea to use the lowest amount that’s effective for you, because, again, more does not mean better. When caffeine intake gets too high, there is an increase in side effects like jitteriness, nervousness, insomnia, headache, dizziness, and gastrointestinal distress, all of which can impair your athletic performance.

Timing of intake in relation to exercise
Caffeine is readily absorbed by your digestive tract. In fact, caffeine concentration in the bloodstream peaks 30–60 minutes after ingestion and stays high for 3–4 hours. On average, about half of it is gone within 4–6 hours, and 75% is cleared within 6–7 hours. So, as a general rule, consuming caffeine about an hour before your event will help to ensure that blood levels are high when you begin competing; your window of opportunity for obtaining a performance benefit from caffeine is probably about 4 hours from the time you consume it.

That being said, you don’t need to consume all your caffeine before exercise, especially for longer endurance events. Studies have compared taking a full dose of caffeine an hour before exercise to taking half the dose an hour before and the other half 45 minutes into exercise. Both regimens improved performance times similarly in comparison to a control group. Another study compared taking the full amount of caffeine an hour before exercise to taking the caffeine in divided doses every half hour during exercise. Here again, both regimens improved performance times similarly.

Putting this into practice, if you weigh 150 lbs (68 kg) and require 0.90 mg caffeine per lb body weight (2 mg per kg) for a 3-hour event, the 136 mg of caffeine can be taken all at once about an hour before competing, or it can be taken in divided doses prior to and during the competition.

Tolerance, withdrawal, and your caffeine usage strategy
There’s more to the caffeine story than dosage and timing. Caffeine tolerance and withdrawal symptoms need to be considered.

If you’re new to caffeine, you’ll probably experience a noticeable buzz or jolt the first time you consume a moderate dose. But if you consume that same amount of caffeine every day, after about 5 or 6 days, the stimulant effects are much less obvious. This is because you develop a tolerance or diminished response to caffeine with repeated doses.

The other side of the tolerance coin is withdrawal. Once you grow used to a certain daily intake of caffeine, stopping abruptly can lead to withdrawal symptoms, most commonly, a bad headache. Withdrawal also can have a less obvious, but detrimental, impact on athletic performance. Withdrawal symptoms peak in a day or two, and are usually completely gone within 4–7 days. If you resume caffeine intake in the midst of withdrawal, the symptoms, including headache, usually disappear pretty quickly.

Take caffeine tolerance and withdrawal into consideration when you formulate your caffeine usage strategy:

If you are a caffeine novice, you can use caffeine to get you through 3 or 4 days of intense workouts, as you gear up for a competition. Do this by starting with a low dose of 0.45–0.9 mg caffeine per lb (1–2 mg per kg) body weight, and then increase the dosage a bit each day to achieve the same effect.
If you’ve got a well-established caffeine habit, beware of the unintended withdrawal. For example, this can occur when you’re on your way to a competition, stuck in a remote airport with absolutely no coffee to be had anywhere. Unintended withdrawal can also occur when training in hot weather. You’ll probably notice the telltale pounding headache. Caffeine withdrawal symptoms can impair your ability to perform during a competition, so be sure to plan ahead and have a caffeine source handy if your usual fix is in short supply.
If you’re a regular caffeine user and you want to optimize the benefits of caffeine ingestion for an important competition, first wean yourself off caffeine gradually over 3–4 days to avoid withdrawal symptoms. Do this about a week before the competition, so you’re completely free of any withdrawal effects. Then, once you’re off caffeine, resume a moderate intake of 0.45–1.36 mg caffeine per lb (1–3 mg per kg) body weight on the day of your competition. You’ll get the desired stimulant effects again, just like a caffeine novice would experience.
Finally, if the mere thought of tapering your caffeine intake before a competition leaves you dysfunctional, stick with your current regimen, but consume some extra caffeine before and during your event to get an extra kick.

Caffeine sources
Although coffee is the most widely consumed caffeine source, it may not be the best source for improving athletic performance. One reason is that you can never quite be sure what amount of caffeine you’re getting in that fresh-brewed cup of java, because of the inherent variability in coffee sources and differences in preparation methods. Another reason is that there may be other factors in coffee that antagonize or impair the performance-boosting effects of caffeine. In a study of treadmill runners, endurance times were improved when athletes were given a standardized dose of caffeine, but not when given that same dose in the form of coffee.

An advantage of the caffeinated energy gels and cola drinks that are often available at aid stations during running events and triathlons is that their caffeine dosages are more uniform and dependable. This can be helpful in ensuring that you get the caffeine dose you know from training to be effective.

The table below provides some idea of the caffeine amounts in typical caffeine sources that athletes rely upon. Beverages are often the most concentrated caffeine sources, but levels can vary considerably from one beverage to the next. Complicating matters is the fact that manufacturers are not required to list on the label the quantity of caffeine in their products. So, if you have a favorite caffeine fix, but aren’t too sure how much it’s packing, do some searching on the Internet to try to nail down the dosage you are getting.

POWERBAR GEL energy gels and POWERBAR GEL BLASTS energy chews are available with or without caffeine. These energy gels and energy chews can be used to help meet your caffeine load in the hour before exercise, or during an event, when you need that extra kick to push you through to the finish.

Practical application
If you’d like to know if caffeine might help to boost your athletic performance, follow these guidelines:

Don’t begin experimenting with caffeine at an important event or competition. Test the impact of caffeine on your performance during a few race-pace training sessions.
Use the lowest possible amount that is effective for you. More is not necessarily better.
Keep in mind that you will develop a tolerance to your usual caffeine intake, and there are symptoms associated with sudden caffeine withdrawal. Both of these issues need to be factored into your caffeine usage strategy.
Remember that caffeine can produce side effects. If you feel uncomfortably jittery, anxious, hyper, or if your heart is racing, dial back your dosage. And if you can’t seem to find a caffeine level that leaves you feeling comfortable, skip it entirely. Caffeine doesn’t work for everyone.

References:
Desbrow B. Leveritt M. Well-trained endurance athletes’ knowledge, insight, and experience of caffeine use. Int J Sports Nutr Exerc Metab 2007;17:328–339.

Sokmen B, Armstrong LE, Kraemer WJ, Casa DJ, Dias JC, Judelson DA, Maresh CM. Caffeine use in sports: considerations for the athlete. J Strength Conditioning Res 2008;22:978–986.

Armstrong LE, Casa DJ, Maresh CM, Ganio MS. Caffeine, fluid-electrolyte balance, temperature regulation, and exercise-heat tolerance. Exerc Sport Sci Rev 2007;35:135–140.

Burke L, Cort M, Cox G, Crawford R, Desbrow B, Farthing L, Minehan M, Shaw N, Warnes O. Supplements and sports foods. In: Burke L, Deakin V. Clinical Sports Nutrition. 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill, 2006;485–581.

Website resource: http://wilstar.com/caffeine.htm

New PowerBar Perform Sports Drink

2010-11-15T11:34:00.000-08:00

This is what will be used at Ironman Events

Recently I had the opportunity to use the new PowerBar drink in training. Originally I only had it in the premixed bottles which sure was nice...but took up some space. But it does come in a powder form which is a bit easier for when you have time to mix it up.

Probably the most important thing for me in a sports drink is if I will drink it. There are many out there that are simply too sweet for me and it ends up sitting in my bottles for me to dump out at the end of a ride. So that is the first marker. Because if a drink it 'perfect' in every way, but does not taste good, you don't tend to drink it. I like the flavor of the new PowerBar drink and its mild sweetness.

The next step is looking at the electrolyte make up and the rest of the nutritional information. For those of you that NEED to know EXACTLY what is in it, here you go.

Carbon Seat Posts. Lube it right...torque it right

2010-10-22T22:33:00.000-07:00

Many people have been having trouble with carbon seat posts slipping. I have seen all kinds of solutions which I always say, "It may work for a bit, but that is not designed to do that." So, there is a right way, and then there are other ways. The other ways people seem to think work range from loads of tape, cleaning off the post and cleaning out the frame so it's bone dry, and then also using traditional grease. Those ways are not recommended. Instead, use a carbon specific grease and tighten your bolts to recommended torque specifications. Here is a step by step method that Morgan, from Fitness Fanatics, demonstrates.

Finishline Fiber Grip

Get a portion of it on your finger...

and rub it up and down the post...about 3-4" from the bottom.

Insert the post back into the frame...

Torque to appropriate load. Most seatpost require anywhere from 4 to 6 Nm, and they normally say what the Nm they require on the seatpost cuff.

If you don't have a torque wrench, and you have a bike with many carbon parts, I strongly suggest you invest in this tool. Frame manufacturers are not warrantying bikes that are cracked because of owners over tightening bolts. And one of the most common bolt that is over tightened is the seat post because people use the wrong grease. Horrible cycle.

Group Riding Etiquette

2010-10-13T13:50:00.000-07:00

After riding in many groups, I started to come up with a list of suggestions. After searching around a bit for some pics, I stumbled upon some other 'lists' and now I will post them here.

Group riding can be a lot of fun when people all are 'speaking the same language.' As triathletes, we often train alone and therefore really only pay attention to what we need. But change that solo ride into a group (4+) and the dynamics change quite a bit. What we think is common sense, we soon realize isn't so common afterall.

Although cycling has its benefits and is relaxing and fun, it’s always more pleasurable to ride with someone than to ride alone. However, riding with someone or riding in a group requires adherence to certain rules. It also requires skills that may take a little practice before mixing it up with the local club. No one likes a squirrel in the pack so I thought I’d outline several common sense "rules" of etiquette to follow when we are out there enjoying the scenery with a group of friends. These "rules" will increase your enjoyment and safety whether you are just putzing along or if you are hammering in a fast paced training ride. You surely don’t want to peel yourself off the pavement or cause someone else to be seriously injured by displaying poor riding habits.
Be Predictable—This may be the most important rule (even for solo riding) and it involves every aspect of riding from changing positions in the group to following the traffic rules. You might say that all the other rules support this one. Smooth predictable riding isn’t just a matter of style. If unpredictability is the only predictable part of your riding style, you are a hazard to yourself and everyone else who has the misfortune to ride with you. Have you ever been on a ride where the group stops at an intersection and people scatter all over the lane? Some going through on the wrong side of the road and others turning left from the right side? Some running the stop sign and others doing it right? It’s confusing and irritating to drivers of vehicles as they approach a situation where cyclists are going in all different directions or just blowing through stops. Part of being predictable is riding within the rules of the road as a vehicle. Groups should maintain integrity when approaching intersections. That means staying in the correct lane, stopping together, and starting together as traffic allows. It goes without saying that if we demand the right to ride on the road, then we must be willing to ride responsibly...especially as a group.

Don’t Overlap Wheels—This habit will get you in real trouble. This is a good way to test your ability to do cartwheels if you don't adhere to this rule. Some people do it from lack of concentration, others may just not know any better, but sooner or later they'll crash. There is no recovery from a front wheel deflection. All it takes is for the person in front to move sideways a few inches...if someone is overlapping his wheel, that someone will go down along with practically everyone who is behind him. Many times the person in front can recover, but not the people behind.

Be Steady—This includes speed and line. If the person behind you fails to adhere to #2, you will contribute to a crash if you wallow around all over the road. When everyone is working for the group, maintain a steady speed as you go to the front. Ever notice how easy it is to ride behind some folks? If you take note of their riding style you’ll probably notice they don’t yo-yo around in the pack. They are rock steady. When they take the lead, they don't accelerate. If they are strong enough to accelerate the group, they do it after the previous pull has rejoined the rear of the group and then only gradually so as to not string out the pack. When they are leading, they ride a straight line and their speed will be constant with the conditions. What a joy to ride with someone like this. Sometimes steady doesn’t just mean speed. It means steady pressure on the pedals…uphill or downhill, headwind or tailwind. When you are following someone like this, life is good! When they are following, they don’t make sudden moves or they know how to control their spacing by using their body position instead of using the brakes. Sudden braking will set off general alarms from everyone in the rear and make you very unpopular. If you do use the brakes, feather the front brake only and keep pedaling against the resistance. This allows you to moderate your speed without disturbing trailing riders.

Announce Hazards—When you are in the lead, you are responsible for the safety of everyone behind you. You will become very unpopular very quickly if people behind you keep bouncing off of potholes, running over rocks, or reacting to unsafe traffic situations that you fail to point out. You need to be very vocal when approaching intersections, slowing, stopping, or turning and all actions should be smooth and deliberate. Sudden, unannounced actions will throw terror into any peloton. Riders in the pack should relay these warnings to the rear. When you are following, announce oncoming traffic from the rear…in this case others should relay this info toward the front.

Signal—Signaling lets everyone (vehicles and riders) know your intentions…remember #1? This makes you predictable. Also, it’s a good idea to make eye contact with oncoming traffic at intersections. One note here, use your right arm straight out to signal a right turn. It’s uncool to stick out your left bent arm to signal a right turn; more importantly, it’s impracticable and ineffective. In a big group combine this with a loud vocal warning of your intentions.

Don’t Fixate—If you are staring at something (i.e., the wheel in front of you), eventually you’ll hit it! When you walk in a crowd, you don’t stare at the back of the person in front of you…so you shouldn’t ride like that either. Learn to be comfortable looking around or through the riders ahead of you. This will allow you to see things that are developing in front of the group. With a little practice you will be able to "sense" how far you are off the wheel in front of you.

Stay Off Aero Bars—This shouldn’t require much discussion. They are much too unstable to be used in a group ride. Plus, you don't need to be on aero bars if you are in a pack as you will receive more aerodynamic effect from the other riders anyway. Maybe...one exception…when you are at the front pulling you can get away with it, but never, never, never when you are within the group or following a wheel. I know there are some people, usually triathletes, who are more comfortable on the bars. But, sooner or later, steering with your elbows in a group will add new meaning to the term "lunch on the road." Use aero bars for what they are meant for...solo fast riding.

Don’t Leave Stragglers— If you get separated at intersections, as a matter of courtesy, the lead group should soft pedal until the rest have rejoined. Another note here is that if you are the one who will be caught by the light, don't run the red light to maintain contact. If they don't wait for you to catch up, you may not want to be riding with them anyway. Also as a courtesy to those who may not be able to stay with the group, the pack should wait at certain points along the route to regroup. Especially, at turn points and if the stragglers don’t know the route. No one should be left alone on a group ride. If you don't adhere to this rule, your "group" will get smaller each week until you're riding solo.

Know Your Limitations—If you’re not strong enough or too tired to take a turn at the front, stay near the back and let the stronger cyclists pull in front of you instead of making them go to the back of the line. Unless they are a complete...well you know...they will appreciate that more than having to get past you to get back to the front. Plus, it strokes the animal's ego as you admit that he/she is the stronger rider. Another point here, don’t pull at the front faster and longer than you have energy to get back in at the rear (Remember, your "pull" isn't over until you do). I've seen this scenario many times, it comes "biker wannabe's" time to take his/her pull and the pace is getting up there. The thoughts running through his/her mind is, "I need to show these guys that I can pull 2 mph faster than everyone else has been pulling." They go to the front and hammer. Legs begin to burn after a monumental pull...now it's time to pull over and let some "lesser" rider take a turn. Well, the "lesser" biker is all refreshed after tagging on a wheel and is ready to punch it up another notch. It's bye-bye to the first rider as he/she gets blown off the back...toast! Testosterone and ego is a volatile mix and it can get you dropped in a heartbeat.

Change Positions Correctly—A common beginner faux pas is to stop pedaling just before pulling off the front. This creates an accordion effect toward the rear. Keep a steady pressure on the pedals until you have cleared the front. After pulling off, soft pedal and let the group pull through. As the last couple riders are passing through, begin to apply more pressure to smoothly take your position at the rear. If you don’t time it correctly, you’ll create a gap and have to sprint to get back on. A technique used to reenter the line is to move your bike sideways first then your body. Try it. It will feel awkward at first, but it is the safest way to move within a group. It's just a small subtle move not an exaggerated one. If you lean your body first and misjudge the speed or the person in front of you slows down, you’ll touch wheels and be leaning the wrong way…bad situation! If you move the bike first, you will have a chance to pull it back.

Climbing—Ever been behind someone when they stood up going up hill and all of a sudden you were all over them? If you need to stand, shift up a gear to compensate for the slower cadence and stand up smoothly keeping a steady pressure on the pedals. This will keep you from moving backward relative to the rider behind you. Apply the opposite technique when changing to a sitting position. Downshift and keep a steady pressure on the pedals to avoid abrupt changes in speed. It takes a little practice, but your riding buddies will be glad you spent the time learning how to do it right.

Descending—The leader must overcome a much greater wind resistance as the speed increases. If you are leading, keep pedaling. If you don’t, everyone behind you will eat your lunch. Riders to the rear will accelerate faster downhill as drafting becomes more effective at the higher speeds. If you are following, back off a couple of bike lengths to compensate for the greater affects of drafting. If you are closing on the rider in front, sit up and let the wind slow you or use light braking to maintain spacing, but in both cases you should keep pedaling against the resistance. Keeping your legs moving not only makes it easier to keep the spacing, but also helps the legs get rid of the acid build up from the previous climb.

Relax—This one is really important. It will allow you to be smooth and responsive. You can bet that if you see someone who is riding a straight line and is very steady, he/she is relaxed on the bike. It not only saves energy, but it makes bike handling much more effective. Anytime you are riding in close proximity of other riders there's always the chance that you may come into contact. If you have tense arms and get bumped from the side, the shock will go directly to the front wheel and you will swerve, possibly lose control, and possibly cause a massive pile up. If you are relaxed, it's much easier to absorb the bump without losing control. A good exercise is to go to a grassy field (which is softer than pavement if you fall) with a friend and ride slowly side by side. Relax your arms and lightly bump each other using your relaxed elbows to absorb the (light) impact. You will become familiar with how to safely recover from that type of contact. It may save you some road rash someday.

I Love this Time of Year

2010-10-12T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is the time of year that you just don't care about training. You go back to the roots of enjoying a run, ride, or even a swim. You workout with people you have not been able to because a ride is just that...a ride. You indulge in food that you normally would not on a ride and learn that it just may have helped. Swims at the pool are not about 'time' but about enjoying the feel of the water. Runs are not about splits, and how fast you were able to run a loop compared to last week...they are full of conversation, stops, and views. This is the time of year when you enjoy your surroundings...people, nature, yourself. This is the time when you start to again realize why you supposedly like to train/workout. It's not always about what race is next.

Then there are also those days that you simply do nothing. And that feels just as good.

Happy October people. Enjoy the lazy months while you can. Well, except those of you racing IM AZ and Clearwater :)

A Better Story

2010-09-17T21:38:00.000-07:00

One happy...and proud...family

For the month of August it seems that Emma has been doing a lot more racing than any of us. She wanted to race the Hot Summer Nights 5k series (3 races). So, like any 7 year old, she wanted to pre run the course a few days prior. So we, as a family, decided we would. I told Emma that since the course goes right by our house, we could join the course there and do 1 loop. She said that would not work. Emma said that we needed to drive to the start and do it the "right" way. Sooo, we loaded up and headed to Twigs.

We got out and ran the course. Emma did a great job pacing herself and getting an idea as to how the course went. She remembered a lot of it from the race last year (she ran it 4 times). Afterward, I was thinking that she may rethink running it, or setting too lofty of a goal. Nope. She wanted to run faster than she did last year where her fastest time was a 34:50. If you know Emma, then you will know that when she sets goals, so will bleed through the eyes to meet them.

She ran her first race in 31:40. Holy cow! I thought a sub 33 would be great for her this year. The conditions were really good on that day so to repeat would be tough the following week. Emma did not seem to take race #2 as serious, but somehow she pulled out a 30:20. She really worked hard. She collapsed at the finish and was so excited. The last week was much hotter and conditions just did not seem the best for a PR. Jessi and I both ran with her and cheered her along. I was getting hot, so I knew her little body must be miserable. But she kept it steady and finished strong. Her goal was to beat last week's time, but her super secret goal was to go sub 30. Sub 30 was a steep goal given the conditions. But we cruised along and I knew Emma was working so hard. She was heading into the last 400 meters and we could tell she was picking it up. But she knew to make time was not about a sprint...a steady effort makes up time. So as she was approaching the final 100 she was clipping long well and when she could see the clock, she raised her hands as if winning the whole race.

Emma seeing the clock

You can almost 'feel' the excitement

Emma high 5'ing Uncle Mark

On the clock read 28:04. She was so excited to cross that line. She annihilated her super secret goal. She fell grass and was almost in tears. She did it! She set goals each week and worked to meet them. Along the way, she beat over half the women who raced...wow.

Feeling Flat?

2010-07-29T14:08:00.000-07:00

There are many events that happen in life that connects us all. Events like, locking your keys in the car, burning dinner, saying something you regret when you are intoxicated (maybe more than once), having your zipper down when walking out of a public restroom. All these things most people can say, “Oh, I have done that,” and then a subsequent story ensues.

As a cyclist, or triathlete, one thing we all seem to stumble on from time to time is getting a flat on a ride. Some of these unfortunate events happen when you are close to home, and simply require a quick and easy change. Other times, they require a phone call…assuming you are in cellular range. But on occasion you are faced with a unique challenge that you wonder if there is a solution to.

One such challenge I have been faced with from time to time is when the puncture size is so large, that the tube will actually come out of the tire upon inflation. These can happen on the “tread” of the tire (part that touches the road) or on the sidewall (part that does no touch the road where all the tire information is). If you do not notice this, after you install a new tube and inflate it to 80-100psi, the tube can come out immediately, like a kid blowing a bubble, and explode. Though it makes one hell of a sound, it will still cost you the price of a tube (about $4-$5). One expensive firecracker.

A couple weeks ago, I, once again, experienced such an event. I was riding with Jessi as she was conquering her ascent of Mt. Spokane, and to my fortune, I flatted near the base. As I waved her on and told her to go one without me (between the rapid panting) she continued up the climb and I allowed my wheel, with the deflated tired and tube, rumble to a stop. Upon my inspection of the tire, I saw that there was a pretty big slit in the tire that went through the casing as well (meaning the slit went all the way through to the tube). Normal punctures are caused by small sharp objects like glass, nails, staples, etc. The impact those have on a tire itself are quite small and the tire can normally handle installing a new tube and you are on your way. But when the cut is so large, as stated earlier, you have to get a little more creative.

All the supplies

Here is a picture of the cut in the tread

The cut being a little more visible

The inside of the tire...it's actually bigger than it looks in the picture

In fixing such a problem, you need to put something inside the tire, where the slice is, so that the tube will not “squirt” out. This does not have to be a very big, or bulky, item. Most things can be found on the side of the road. In this case, I had just eaten PowerBar so I used the wrapper. I have also used a dollar bill, grass, paper cup, etc. Just something to block the opening. You could even use a patch from your patch kit and stick that over the hole in the tire. Seems like a waste of a patch though.

The wrapper

So the next steps are the exact same when you change a flat. The critical part is to make sure that you place the covering over the whole. It would be easy to have it slip when you put the tube in or when you inflate it.

However, I have to say that I did not use a CO2 cartridge on this one, which I normally always do. I used this cool little mini pump that fits INSIDE my under-saddle bag. It took quite a few pumps, but was well worth it. It is made by Innovations. I added this to my repair kit after having my CO2 inflator not work. Believe it or not, this has happened twice to me when I am out by myself. It is pretty frustrating when you have 2 tubes and 2 CO2 cartridges, but you cannot get the air into the new tubes! And that is where the cell phone comes into play.

Yup, it works

I hope you never flat, and if you do, you don’t have to implement this strategy. But if you do end up having a large hole, or slice, in your tire, don’t freak out. There is an easy fix.

2 Videos Of The Kids Triathlon

2010-07-09T07:01:00.000-07:00

Emma after the finish. (photo by Dave Erickson)

Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) created a two part video series of the race that Tri Fusion put on again this year. It was an amazing day and so many kids (a sellout) were able to take advantage of it. If you ever want to watch triathlon in its purest form, go watch a kids triathlon. These guys have a blast and put it all out there. And parents... I think they get a better workout in the process as well. A HUGE thank you to all the sponsors that made this great event happen and all the hard work of the volunteers and excellent direction by the beautiful Jessi Thompson.

Click HERE for video #1

Click HERE for Video #2

Mt Spokane

2010-07-02T23:47:00.001-07:00

I think it's a ride that most cyclists and triathletes do once a year or so. That is, ride to the top of Mt. Spokane. This is about 3500 vertical feet +/- effort that has some good pitches. Some friends of mine have ridden some of the epic stages in the Tour de France such as Mont Ventoux and L'Alpe d'Huez and said that Mt. Spokane was a tougher climb. I personally have not confirmed this, but I think it goes to say that it is a respectable climb.

It has been a ride that I have been wanting to do for over a month now, but just have not had the time. But recently Shawn Howard, a stellar local cyclist, posted on facebook that he climbed up there and had pics that looked cool. So, I thought, "What the heck." Jessi and I rode for over an hour before she had to go and meet with my mom. She just got a new Cervelo road bike that she has been enjoying to ride and we have been getting out from time to time and enjoying time together on road bikes. Since I did not have a lot more going on, I started towards Mt. Spokane. The day was cloudy with some shots of sun. But there were some very daunting clouds that were throwing down the rain that required any driver to run the wipers on high and slow to about 30mph.

As I rolled across the flatlands, the weather was holding. But just when I hit the base of the mountain, it started to rain...and boy did it rain. I tried to capture how hard it was raining but I could not pull my phone out of the plastic bag because it would have been ruined by the volume of rain.

The last 2 pics were taken through a ziplock bag...but you can still see how hard it's raining

As I climbed up the gradual 5-6% approach, I watched the water stream from my cotton gloves and looked at the sleeves on my jersey droop from my arms and drip water. Fortunately I wore my Timex thermal vest by Sugoi. Though it would get wet, I would hopefully stay warm...especially on the way down. I rode for about 30 minutes in an absolute downpour. It was amazing. It was raining so hard, that you did not even think about how to try and stay dry...or avoid standing water on the road. I don't think I could have been any more wet if I were to have stepped out of a pool. But, I plodded along and maintained some body heat.

I was watching my power output on my new SRM powermeter (thanks Robin and Fitness Fanatics!). I had not even reached the main part of the climb and I was already in my easiest gear. Oh boy, this is going to be a long climb and my legs would be turning over very slowly as I climb.

About 1/4 of the way up the mountain the rain stopped and the sun was trying to come out. The road was still very saturated and the water was streaming down it. But it was beautiful. There was really no place to take it easy and take some pics, but I snapped a few.

I eventually reached the snowmobile parking lot. The clouds took over again and the winds were blowing pretty good. At this point I had 2 options. 1) continue up, or 2) head back down. I was a little nervous about getting too cold, but what the heck. It's just a mountain.

Continue up...Or head down...Down does not sound all that bad...

I have not ridden to the top in quite some time. But whenever I have, I seem to get so friggin' cold. Then, you have to coast all the way down and get colder. But mountains are meant to be climbed and I was most of the way up...I think.

The last portion of the climb is beautiful. You zig zag along the ski runs and are treated to some amazing views...and winds. The road narrows and you really feel like you are on some grand tour alpine stage, but without all the crazy fans.

Kind of looks like a Tour stage.

Once on top I only took a few minutes to snap a couple pics and send Jessi a video to let her know I made it and was heading home. I could not feel my feet and the wind was smokin'. I ate 1/2 a PowerBar and headed down. I made some pretty good time down the entire mountain and was back into the sun. I really don't like descending because I feel it's kind of a waste of time. I'd rather be riding my bike than coasting and braking.

Towards the end of the ride I actually ran into Shawn Howard at a stoplight about 1 mile from home. Crazy. Though I am sure I did not climb it anywhere as fast as he did, or felt as good, I saw the same amazing sight. It was a lot of fun and I hope to ascend that climb again.

Great Northern Stage Race, Whitefish, MT

2010-06-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

This weekend was the Great Northern Stage Race in Whitefish, MT. I raced a similar race here back in 1985 when I was 13. It went well then, but this was a couple decades later.

The Players
Patrick Bulger

Mark Hodgson

Cris Lucas

Me

This would also be the debut of the Arrivee Cycling club where we all raced together in a stage race. This was going to be fun. This stage race consisted of a criterium, time trial, and road race. It was all based on time so the more time you finished ahead of people, or "time bonuses" you got, the further ahead you would get. Since there was a time trial in this race, I really liked it being based on time.

Pre race warm up. "How are we supposed to take all these corners?"

Stage one was the criterium. It would be 45 minutes around a 1k 6 cornered course in downtown Whitefish. It has been quite some time since I had raced a crit, but I was racing with some of the best team mates ever. I knew we'd have a blast and make the best of it. From the start, I took off. I ended up getting a little gap so I kept going. The pack stopped chasing and the gap grew to be about 25 seconds. But that was about as far as it ever got. I was working my ass off and I knew this would hurt my time trial which would be about 2 hours after the conclusion of this event. I was not too sure what this was taking out of me, but I was well above threshold, and was hurting. But I also knew that my team was back there doing what they could to slow things down so we would get the win. I ended up soloing for the entire 45 minutes at a hard effort, but also ended up winning the stage and becoming the race leader with about a 30 second lead with the time bonuses and primes. But would I lose over 30 seconds in the TT because of this? We would soon find out.

Me off the front for a looong time.

Arrivee controlling the pack

Pat finishing the criterium

Post criterium discussion

Jessi was there giving me all the support you could ask for including taking all these great pics and helping me through the crit with her words of encouragement. But she was also going to race today. She signed up for the TT that would be shortly too. So we wolfed down some food and got her ready and off she went to the race site. I was able to get there before she took off and I was able to give her a few cheers and take a couple pics. The TT venue did not really lend itself to spectators, but it was a TT. Jessi ended up riding really well and ended up 3rd in her category for the TT. Impressive. For not riding her bike more than 4 times in the last 3 weeks, she flew.

Emma giving me a hug before the TT

Talkin' strategy...go hard

Jessi before the TT

I started about 20 minutes after her and the last of the Arrivee team to go. I waited patiently in the 80 degree heat and was hoping to dear God that I had something left in my legs after my 45 minute TT just a couple hours prior. Now, I would attempt a sub 30 minute TT on tired legs. This could be interesting.

I took off and quickly settled in to an anaerobic pace. I caught my 30 second man (giy who started 30 seconds before me) within the first mile...only 10+ to go. The course was bumpy and had some pretty tough hills. Ones that required me to be in my 39x23 and working pretty hard. On the way out I saw Jessi coming back and yelled at her...might have sounded more like a wheeze, but I think she heard. She looked comfortable and was moving well. I finally hit the turnaround and saw that my avg speed was good, but had no clue what others were doing. I continued back and maintained a great effort to roll off the 11.4 miles in 25:55 and to win the TT by over a minute. Whew, I did not blow it. I would now go into stage 3 with about a 2 minute lead. That felt good. I was a little disappointed that our group had such a minimal time between the crit and TT, but that's the way it goes. Some of the men in the other categories had about 5-6 hours. I would have got 12th in the 1/2 Pro category, but did not feel that my time was reflective of what I was capable of. My effort was great though.

Post TT awards

Pre road race nerves

Now on to the road race which was a 6.6 mile loop that we'd do 9 laps of in 78 degree heat...maybe warmer. We all felt that my time was fairly secure, but wanted to try and move Cris up a few slots from 7th. But that would require him getting some time bonus sprints and a top 3 finish. This course was fairly flat, but you never know. Things stayed together through the efforts of a few chases and attacks. But as we rolled into the last 5 miles, I went to the front and brought up the speed to alleviate attacks and crashes. I pulled for quite some time and no one was coming around. Pat came to the front and took over for a bit and then for the last mile I wound it out. It kept people honest and did not allow for some lame attack. Cris was in good position but jumped a tad too early. He ended up 3rd, which is amazing, and moved up to 6th overall. Though we did not win the final stage, we won 2 stages, and overall as well as a 3rd place in the road race and 6th overall as well. It was a great debut for the new Arrivee.

Cris throws his bike for 3rd in the road race and 6th overall

Big thanks to Jessi for all the pics and support through the weekend as well as a great result in the "last minute" TT. Also thank to Michelle (Pat's wife) and Lisha for their cheers and help through the weekend with entertaining Emma and wanting to come in the first place.

Swimming, and cancer support

2010-06-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Cancer is a word that is used to describe many things that we don't like...or something that spreads negatively within a group. But anyone with cancer, or has survived cancer, knows this word as more than an adjective, it is a word that can change your plans, your outlook, and your life. We have all beocme more aware of this tragic disease through education and research. To sustain those efforts, it takes some money and time. One of my sponsors, Aqua Sphere wetsuits and goggles, has created a swimming opportunity to do just that.

Aqua Sphere is supporting a Swim Challenge event where men and women and logging the amount of hours they swim per-day in a friendly competition. The women are swimming for breast cancer and the men are swimming for prostate cancer, a real great cause that helps raise money and awareness.

Check the website out at www.swimchallenge.org for info on the event.

TIMEX Global Trainer Now Available!

2010-06-03T13:15:00.001-07:00

Huge news!! REI is now selling the brand new TIMEX Global Trainer on line! The Global Trainer will is also shipping to each individual store over the next few weeks and should be in store mid June.

I have been using this full functioning GPS and heart rate watch since February and LOVE it.

For more information on this, and get in the know, click HERE.

Arrivee Video...

2010-05-28T00:03:00.001-07:00

Click on the picture and it will direct you to the video

Tumbles and Triumphs

2010-05-27T11:55:00.000-07:00

It seems I have emailed, texted, Facebooked…you name it, enough times that I don’t think a blog post is really worthy. But since I referenced it in my last post, I thought I would expand on it a little. That being getting hit by a car, or hitting a car. Whatever it might be.

It happened just as Murphy intended. Take a bike that took me 4 weeks to build, get the “right” parts for, cost way too much, get it polished, fit, and wait for that perfect sunny day. Then, take it out for its maiden voyage and crash. I even joked with a few people about the probability of crashing on that first ride. I did this in hopes that if I verbalized it, it obviously wouldn’t happen. Wrong.

I was excited to ride it for the first time. I had been riding a similar bike (same frame) that Kalen Darling loaned me for the winter. Nice loaner huh? Kalen was so kind to do so and it really allowed me to get things perfectly dialed in. So when I got “my” bike, it really was no mystery as to what measurements I was working with. Kalen’s bike was built up with SRAM Red. Good stuff really. I rode the same kit last year and it worked well. However, I would be making a HUGE jump in going with the Shimano di2 TT kit on my new bike. I have been pretty familiar with this product since I also have it on my Orbea Orca road bike. If you have not tried the di2, try it. I promise you, you will want to get it. I have ridden a lot of good components. The di2 blows away any advancement in shifting. But as I say about many things, maybe a topic for another blog post.

It took me some time to get all the parts I needed. The TIMEX Multipost Team provided me with almost all of it, but there were a few finite parts that add a touch or personality. Those I got at Fitness Fanatics. Robin and her amazing staff always go out of their way to get me the “just right” stuff. I appreciate all they do for me, and so many others. So after getting everything I needed, the assembly would start. When you are running powermeters and di2, you have to get a bit more creative with how you run things, especially on TT bikes that don’t seem to conform to any rules. So I end up using quite a bit of tape, ties, and creativity. Morgan (mechanic at Fitness Fanatics) really helped give me some direction and options on making it all come together.

After it was all assembled, I took about 25 measurements, remeasured everything a dozen times, tightened everything, and was ready to ride. Though I run through all this in a couple paragraphs, this was a lengthy process. I never like to “rush” the assembly of bikes. Especially TT bikes. You really count on them to be perfect.

I went out for about an hour and half ride to get an idea of what was fit correctly and what needed adjustment. All in all it felt great. My power output was solid which translated into some swift speed. I decided to ride a large loop as to not write off the speed to a tailwind and rode about an hour at just under threshold. This is pretty easy to do on a new bike. Once I got back near town, I shut it down and took a quick peek at the data. Looked good. Bike felt good. Two thumbs up. As I was riding home, I maintained a pretty solid speed in the bike lane on Farwell. As I rolled through the light on Hwy 2, I was next to a new Chevy Impala. As we approached a side road, the Impala turned without indicating with a blinker or brake lights. I did my best to turn with the vehicle, but hit it and my body smashed up against it. I could feel my shoe rubbing against the tire until I lost all balance, momentum, and energy and was thrown to the ground. As I was bouncing off the ground, I could see me new bike tumbling down the road…bouncing. Not good. I stood up and did a quick ‘head to toes’ and knew I was alive. The driver came out of the car and asked if I was okay, and I said, “No…no I am not.” I got to my bike and did a quick look over and saw evidence of it hitting the ground pretty hard. I could feel my shoulder starting throb knowing that I must have hit the ground hard too. I gave a call to Jessi and she promptly came and got me. I was only 2 miles from home. But there was no way I could ride.

Not really my bike, but needed a picture

I cannot imagine the horror in Jessi’s mind when she got the message and heard I was just by a car. Even if I said that I was “okay,” a crash is a crash, and one involving a car and a bike is never good. Jessi and Emma arrived quickly and I think it really scared Emma a bit but she was trying to be ‘strong’ for me. But eventually, on the short drive home, she started to cry because she was scared. You just never know what goes through a kid’s mind in situations like this. As adults, we can try to logic this all out, but the reality is that kids often don’t think…they feel. And Emma ‘feels’ a lot. We talked and I reassured her I was fine. I just tipped over near a car. The grimace on my face and me holding my shoulder in pain did not help, but she felt better.

We got home and Jessi then realized I was not as “okay” as I said I was. I think I may have been going into some minor shock and she went into nurse mode. Jessi is normally more than happy to yield to my requests about not needing things, or being fine. But I think she saw some indicators that showed I was not fine. She buzzed around the house getting food, clothes, fluids, etc. She was ready to cut off my clothes, but because there really was no damage to them, we attempted to get them off by being creative.

Jessi immediately called Tiffany and asked if Emma could hang out with them for a short bit because we were going to the hospital. Tiff was more than happy and in all honesty was probably excited for some Emma time anyway :). Emma loves our friends…and our friends love Emma. We are so fortunate that we have so many people that give her love and support. And the street Tiffany lives on has many of these friends…including Natalie, Greg, Eric (Tiffany’s husband) and Steve. Fortunately they all live only 5 minutes from our home.

The rest is just hospital talk. However, my mom always told me to wear clean underwear because you never know when you may be rushed to the hospital. I don’t think I was wearing underwear at that point, but ran into many people I knew there that happened to be working or came to visit. Amy, Jessi’s sister, came and gave her support. It was great to see her and talk accidents. Amy has had the unfortunate opportunity to be in a few auto accidents and actually got hit by a car while running…none of these being her fault, but the recipient of a lot of PT and hospital time. My mom and dad came down too. It seems like they have been in the hospital waaaaay too much in the last few months. Last time I was in the hospital because I was hit by a car on my bike was when I was 13 years old and was in ICU for about a week. Different circumstances. It was so nice to have people there to talk with. Once I found out that I did not break anything, I felt relieved.

Now, it would be about recovery. It’s been a painful couple of weeks with my shoulder, but all things considered, I am very fortunate and lucky.

A big thank you to the insurance company that is handling the claim, State Farm. They have been very helpful and are helping get the bike all taken care of as quickly as possible. There was a bit more damage to the bike than I initially thought after a professional assessment.

Thanks also to Robin (owner of Fitness Fanatics) and Morgan (mechanic at Fitness Fanatics) for answering all my random questions and helping me get my bike up and running again. They are always super helpful, professional, and timely. I don’t know anyone that has gone in there and not appreciated how they were treated.

So now I need to reassess the season, get healthy, and hopefully be able to start training again. All in time. The body will heal, and the bike will be fixed. Life is good, and I am blessed.

Whew...that's life.

2010-05-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

"Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. "
~ Ferris Bueller

The last couple months, our family life has been in somewhat of a challenging predicament. It has not been anything that is bizarre, or unheard of…but typically all these events do not come at the exact same time in anyone’s life. Kind of the perfect storm, or extremely unlucky to have a hurricane, tornado, and earthquake all happen at the same time. But because of all the craziness in it all, there have been some phenomenal learnings, experiences, and growth we have been able to share. I don’t think any one of us tried to make something good out of a bad situation…we simply embraced it, and reaped the rewards that subsequently came gushing out. And for that, I am thankful and grateful.

It all started in March when my mom’s breast cancer relapsed after being in remission for 14 years. My mom is amazing and even after being diagnosed again, she acts like it’s just another cold. She had a mastectomy and was back at work a couple days later. She schedules her chemotherapy on Thursday after school, so she can be at work again on Monday. She shows up to work no matter how bad she is feeling…it simply amazes me and makes me proud as well as feel a bit wimpy. But through it all, she has come out the other side with a smile and the faith that God has a plan. And that plan she knows is a good one. My mom even scheduled her operation so that she could be ready for my dad’s surgery shortly after.

So my young and youthful dad found out that he had an aneurysm on his aorta and needed to have his chest cracked open to remove/fix it. The surgeon suggested my dad stop smoking to help in the recovery and preparation process. Uh, stop smoking? My dad has been smoking since he was 18 years old and he will be 80 this month! (For those of you that have trouble with math, that is 62 years he has been smoking). But as of January 1st, he stopped and got through this very invasive process and is now doing very well. His next doctor appointment is in one year. That’s pretty neat.

Well, that takes care of my family…now how about Jessi’s side? Jessi’s dad had back surgery that was necessary to relieve some severe back pain that he had been suffering from for the past year. It was planned that he would have discs fused, but when the surgeon got in there, they cleaned it up and hoped that would do the trick. The recovery was a little tough and now VERY frustrating because the surgery was not as successful as they hoped. So after over a month of recovery, it has been determined that he will have to go back and have the discs fused anyway. This is so frustrating. He is putting himself into traction to relieve the pain…using chairs, tables, tree branches…anything. I cannot imagine how frustrating this would be, but he always seems to be game for a visit and have smile on his face and an interest in our lives.

Then, the next week, Jessi went to visit her grandma in Seattle (Jessi’s dad’s mom) since she has not seen her for quite some time. Grandma Elaine has suffered a few strokes over the past years but continues to grace us all with her positive spirit and desire to connect with family.

Whew, I thought we were out of the forest, but as I went out to 6th grade Camp at Camp Lutherhaven, I ended up getting the stomach flu the first night and Jessi came and rescued me. That seems like pretty small potatoes compared to open heart surgery, cancer, back surgeries, etc. But just a short week later, when I was riding my new Orbea Ordu that I just finished building that afternoon, I ended up getting hit by a car. Crap! As I tumbled and watched the car slow to a stop, and my bike tumble away from me, I thought, “perfect!” Kind of like the Alanis Morissette song “Ironic.” I don’t think there is a line in there that says, “It’s like a brand new bike that gets run over by a car…it’s your first ride back, followed by a separated shoulder…” But I think it would fit into the song perfectly.

Though the last couple months have been filled with what some people would think of as misfortunes, disasters, and bad luck, we have really learned a lot about family, friendships, and relationships. There have been some phenomenal moments that have made both Jessi and I take a step back and look at differently…better. Through it all we have delivered MANY meals to our family members which has resulted in spending quality time with them as well and helping out with their needs.

In creating the meals, not only have I learned a little about cooking and preparing food, Jessi and I have found an activity that we enjoy doing together. However, I don’t think I really “cook,” I cut and clean and take an occasional unauthorized taste. Jessi has been very patient with me when I ask her how to cut an onion…or how small ‘dice’ is and ‘chop.’ No matter what I do, when I ask her if it is right, she says it’s “perfect.” I wonder if it really is :)

Emma has also jumped in and has been passionate about being involved in the food preparation process as well. I have also found out that Emma knows just about everyone that works at Fred Meyer. Does not surprise me, but fun to hang out with a celebrity when I shop. Another advantage to shopping with Emma is that she knows where everything is and “runs” to get it. She is amazing if you did not know that already. It’s been a month of some great family time that has opened so many new doors of activities we never thought to be ‘fun.’

Ya, I like pics too

2010-05-21T12:15:00.000-07:00

Since a majority of people like to read blogs that have pics, and quite honestly, most people are more drawn to the pics, I thought I would make this post mainly pictures. The series of pictures are from the last two meets that Emma did. One was last weekend in Lewiston with her best friend Brynn, and the other was just yesterday, (Thursday) at Comstock pool on the south hill. Both events were in 50 meter outdoor pools...that means "long course" and potential bad/good weather. Emma swam very well in both winning almost all her heats and setting a National Standards time for 10 and under girls for the 100 meter backstroke. Emma is 6. I could go on and on about her love for swimming, her commitment to it, and Jessi and my love in seeing her swim...but that may be for another post. For this one, enjoy the pics. She is a beautiful girl in so many ways. We are so lucky to have her in our lives. Thank you ALL for the support you give her and making her feel special every day of her life.

Lewiston Long Course Meet, May 14-16.

Two little swimmers after warm up...still a little cold

Getting some coaching from Coach Keddy

Still cold...but ready to warm up

Warming up...

Emma being wished "good luck" by an older WAVES swimmer

Start number 1

Start of the 50 backstroke

Brynn and Emma racing the 50 backstroke

"All we have to do between races is look cute."

Emma loves to watch other swimmers. She says it makes her a better swimmer

Two happy little sisters...I mean swimmers

No one there yet...you win

Any last needs?

Waiting and getting in the 'zone'

A little nervous. Emma ALWAYS looks like this before a race...ALWAYS

Some pre race encouragement from Mom

Start of the 50 breaststroke

Ready to start

Great start

Emma cheering on some fellow WAVES swimmers

Start of the 100 backstroke. She did not false start, it was just a fast start. This is the event that Emma set a national standard time for the 10 and under girls.

Brynn and Jessi cheering her on in lane 2

Winners of their heats

When you are heat winners, you get to pick out a special treat

Comstock LS Developmental Meet, May 20th

Warming up on a very cold day

Emma warms up with everyone...even the college kids. She is seen in the last 2 pictures with another WAVES swimmer who is much older whose name is Erica. She really looks after Emma and encourages her pre, during, and post race. Pretty cool.

Start of 50 backstroke

50 butterfly

Must be "Pre Race"

No starting blocks at Comstock

50 breaststroke

Start of 100 backstroke

Emma's Pentathlon

2010-04-28T14:01:00.000-07:00

Good times...Good times

It’s that time of year again where Emma starts to put into play, all of her practice. Over the last couple weekends, Emma has had a long swim meet and, of course like any 6 year old, a soccer game. Call me a nutso dad, but I love watching Emma compete. It’s not about her winning, or scoring a goal. It’s about watching her get out there and give her best, have fun, and be proud of what she did. She loves to “debrief” her events immediately after…which I enjoy as well. There are times that I really wonder what’s going on in her mind when she it out there. Because when I was 8, and was playing soccer, I have no clue what was going through my head…probably Leggos.

The record setting girls 8 and under 200 free relay team

Same record setting team...not looking quite as fast

Two weekends ago, Emma had a swim meet that was a pentahlon. Now, I had not clue what this really meant. I knew it must have something to do with the number 5. To me, it was a swim meet. And watching Emma swim is pure joy. Since we were traveling from Lewiston where Jessi was racing a triathlon, where she was the overall winner (insert big smile and super proud husband here), we would miss Emma's very first swim of the day, and that would also be her very first attempt at the 100 IM. This is a race that they do a 25 of each stroke, butterfly, back, breast, and freestyle. The hard part of this stroke for a little 6 year old is the technical aspect of it. Needing to touch with 2 hands on certain strokes, stay on your back until 1 stroke on the backstroke, kicks have to be correct for butterfly and breast…the list goes on. I would forget the order of the dang race, not to mention all the stroke technique. On our way back, Jessi called Rory (her amazing coach) and told him to look for Emma and talk to her. Because once Emma found out she was doing the IM, she was a bit nervous. But after her talk with Rory, and a Dairy Queen deal he made with her, she was all set. Emma gave her all and ended up getting the 4^th best time of the day for the 8 and under. Uh, that’s awesome! Her first IM and she did not get DQ’d. I’d say that’s a winner. But to get 1st in the heat, and 4th overall is amazing! Jessi spoke to Emma and she was so excited. Not for the 4^th place of course, but Rory had to buy her Dairy Queen. We continued to speed home in hopes to make her next event which was the butterfly.

We were able to get there about 10 minutes before she raced the butterfly. Watching Emma race the butterfly might be my favorite. This stroke is very hard physically, and when you watch kids do it right, it looks easy. There did not seem to be any nerves with this stroke. She has done it before and it was just one length. She ended up winning the heat and she had the 4^th fastest time for the 8 and under group in this stroke as well. Amazing! This was when Jessi and I were informed as to what a “pentahlon” was. Basically, the top 6 would be presented with a medal in a somewhat “formal” awards presentation. For Emma to be 6, and on a podium with 8 and almost 9 year olds, would be so exciting for her. But we did not mention any of this to her since she still had a long way to go. She dropped time in the butterfly which she always wants to know.

Next stroke for her was the backstroke. This used to be her favorite and best, but I think she likes the butterfly more now…don’t know. I love watching her start this stroke because she pushes up and off the wall and then does a dolphin kick under water for a bit. It’s pretty impressive, and then she gets into her stroke. This was an excellent race for her. Her kick was good and her arms were fast. Most kids in all the 25s are about the same for about 10-15 yards, but then all of a sudden, things separate a bit. She again won her heat and dropped time in the backstroke as well.

Emma had a little time before the breast stroke, which isn’t her favorite, but her form looks solid now and looks like she moves through the water well. Since her coach is a phenomenal breast stroker, (fastest time in the nation for div III). I think he has helped her quite a bit and has created a bit of passion about the stroke. Her stroke looked great and she won her heat and dropped time. Things were looking good. I cannot remember what her place was overall for the breast, maybe 9^th?

The last stroke was the freestyle. Emma is pretty solid at this, but so is just about everyone else. She is still trying to go under 20 seconds of the bulkhead. I think she can do this off the blocks, but the bulkhead is a lot lower. She took off and swam with all her heart. Her time was fast enough to win her heat, and I cannot remember where she was overall. I think top 10. She was excited to be done, and find out that she again dropped time.

Afterward, we hung out a bit and chatted with the many great people that are involved with swimming. Jessi took Emma to make sure she washed her hair correctly so it would not turn green. Emma has a habit of rushing through this process a bit. Jessi normally goes with her ALL the time now at practice. Emma gets a little sidetracked in the locker room with talking to people and hanging out in the shower.

They were about to begin the awards, so we went to the pool. They started with Emma’s group, and started with 6^th place. Emma was not really paying attention to any of this since she has never been a part of the “awards” in swimming. She races against 8 and 10 year olds…chances that she will do well overall, is slim. They announced 6^th, and it wasn’t Emma. Then they announced 5^th, and it wasn’t Emma. At this point I thought she was out. Then they announced 4^th, and that went to none other than, Emma Thompson. She did not know what to do. She walked over there and got onto the podium, which she is familiar with from triathlons. She stood there very proud and clapped as the others got their awards too. She was so excited and proud. Jessi and I were excited and proud too. Emma loves to get recognition (don’t we all), and I know she will remember this experience for a long time. It will also fuel her for future events because she will want to be on that podium again. But I know she will want to be looking down at more people next time.

Emma on the podium

Emma...very proud

Emma with all the other winners

Jessi and I are so proud of Emma and her desire to work hard on a daily basis. She sees these challenges and meets them. She gets nervous before the race, but once she is lining up, it’s ‘game on.’ We would be absolute idiots if we thought that Emma does this all on her own. It is the support of many fine people in her life that give her the positive feedback on a daily basis. From coaches, to friends, to family…Emma seems to inspire us all, and she is also inspired by us as well. We all want our kids to enjoy something…and activity, sport, instrument, …anything. And when they do, it’s magical.

Thanks to all of you that have given parts of yourself to make Emma feel validated and appreciated. She smiles, sings, and laughs on a daily basis because she is one happy kid.

Frozen Flatlands...Holy He##!

2010-04-04T17:11:00.000-07:00

Photo by Sue Hutter

This weekend would be my first return to a multi staged cycling event. It was the Frozen Flatlands in Cheney, WA put on by the Baddlands Bicycle Club. I feel it necessary to mention Baddlands because any group that puts on bike races I truly admire and respect. It’s no easy task, but they make it look so simple. The race saw over 500 people registered to race this multi staged, multi day event. It consisted of a time trial, and 2 road races… one being 47 miles (right after the TT), and then a shorter 25 mile road race the following day.

Pat, Cris, Roger, Mark

This event is the one that recently reassembled the Arrivee Cycling Club (Mark, Pat, Cris and myself) about 3 weeks ago…on a whim. For more on that, visit arrivee.blogspot.com. So as the 4 of us got to the venue, it would only be me racing the TT that day. This is one advantage to the Omnium format. You do not need to race all the events. You can, or you can pick and choose which ones you want to do. Since they did not have the miles, or recovery in their legs, they all decided to forgo the 20k TT. Made sense really, it was windy, cold, and…well… it was a TT. Nothing says miserable like an individual TT. But to their credit, they came to the event to support regardless. My time to take off was at 10:39:30. They sent us off at 30 second intervals. Our road race would go off in the afternoon at 2:15pm. I only say this because all 3 of these guys came out to cheer me on, when they could have stayed in bed for a few more hours.

Now, let me simply explain what an individual time trial is. The official says “go”…you ride as hard as you can for 20k… then you cross the finish line and you are done. It is known as “The Race of Truth,” because there is no drafting, teammates, support, nowhere to hide…nothing. It’s just you against the clock. Now, as bad as this sounds, these are my most favorite races. Eliminate the variables, and the strongest on the day, on that course, will win. This is probably why I like triathlon so much. It’s one big time trial but you have to swim and run too. Sure, there is strategy, but it’s “your” strategy.

I am always impressed, or surprised really, how much cyclists warm up for races. When I raced (you will hear this a lot), we got on our bikes, rode a mile to make sure all 7 gears worked and the brakes did not rub, and then waited for our start. Now I see people warming up for 30 minutes to an hour on trainers. Oh well, maybe something I can learn from. After sitting in the car for as long as possible, I started to get ready. The weather did not really lend itself to “hanging out.” It was 34 degrees and the wind was gusting up to ~35 mph. As horrible as that sounds, I LOVE racing in conditions like this. Throw in a little rain/snow…ideal. Not my favorite training conditions, but love to race in them. I rode my traditional mile warm up…give or take…and headed to the start. I had about 3 minutes which I passed by asking one of the officials, Marla Emde (www.emdesports.com, another group here in Spokane that puts on races as well) what the rule is when overtaking another cyclist. Obviously I know what it is in triathlon, but in cycling it is much different. The draft zone is more than 20 meters long and 2 meters wide and you cannot enter the draft zone. Holy crap! That is one big zone. But unlike triathlon, TTs are a bit more spaced out and overtaking other riders does not happen too frequently. Glad I asked Marla, because I did not know this.

This is a great video that Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) created.

Soon my time to start came, and I was ready roll. I took off like I would normally in a tri or TT. I soon found myself battling headwinds and crosswinds. I knew they were out there, but my upper body was working very hard to maintain a straight line. It was tough, but I watched my power, and kept it honest…maybe a little high, but I would soon see that come down. I caught a few people ahead of me, so I knew I was moving right along. I eventually hit the turnaround and was headed back. I looked at my time and saw that I was right about 15 minutes. I thought that was pretty good since I “should” have a little tailwind coming back…hopefully. For the first bit, it still seemed windy. But there were a few sweet spots that allowed for a tail from time to time. Once I got to about 5k to go, it seemed to turn into mostly a tail/cross wind. This was very welcomed. I took as much advantage of it as I could, and pressed on home. My legs were feeling like tree stumps and the thought of a 47 mile road race later that day, lingered. But I needed top focus on what I was doing now. Nothing worse than losing a TT by a second or two. I kept winding it up as much as I could and came across the line with the day’s fastest time at 27:29. I was very happy with the time considering the conditions. It was nice to have Pat, Cris, Mark, Jessi, and Dave out there cheering me on and getting some great pics too. Now, on to the 47 mile road race.

The road race was only 3 hours away and I needed to get some food in me. I went to subway and fueled up a little. Cycling is a little different from triathlon in that it’s not all at threshold. There is a lot of recovery going on, so I was not as particular as to what and when I was eating...it was that I was eating. I was excited to dust off my new Orbea Orca recently outfitted with the new Shimano di2. Okay, there really wasn’t much dust because I have only had it 1 week.

Photo by Sue Hutter

I was a tad nervous to be in a pack of 75 riders, but I had been there before. The winds were still kickin’ and it snowed from time to time. The pack was not too interested in doing much work so it all ended up being decided on a hill with 10 miles to go. The pack broke up and there was a group of 15, or so, of us moving towards the finish. Things got a little crazy with 300 meters to go as we overtook 3 people from the race ahead, but I was still able to muster out an 8th place finish. Not too sure my legs knew what was going on when I asked them to “sprint,” but they did what they could. I was very happy with my efforts at the front of this group and a bit disappointed with the unwillingness by the majority to get their nose in the wind. But that may be whole separate post.

It was a long, and cold, day that was full of highs and lows. But all in all, I was happy to be back on the road again and sharing this with 3 other teammates that I had done this with before. Afterwards, it was great to hear about everyone’s race and what happened and where. I know we will only get stronger and fitter.

The next day, Easter, our pack would start at 10:40. Kind of nice since I could use the sleep. Again, I showed up 2 hours early, only to sit around and talk with some good people. As I rushed to get my gear on, and number pinned, I was once again able to muster up a 1 mile warm up ride with the guys. Old school I guess since the gals next to us had been on their trainers for an hour by now. Ironically, none of them won their field sprint either…go figure?

This race was substantially shorter, and for a lack of a better explanation, easier. It was relatively flat and the pack stayed together. But, unfortunately, it was the same people doing the work at the front. Surviving several near crashes by people not paying attention, I made it to the finish leading out what was to be a very difficult and chaotic sprint. I finished towards the end of the pack and cruised back to the car. Pat was also in the pack and launched a few attacks as well. Nice to see him up there. Cris reeled in some breakaways and defended the front a bit and then ended up finishing on the pack’s heels. Mark, on his new bike, took off of the front early on and mixed things up as well. It was so great seeing all these guys out there and having fun. The only thing we lack is fitness. And that all comes in time.

On a side note, Jessi raced her first TT as well and won her division, and placed 5th overall female. Pretty cool for someone who still expected to run a 10k afterward. She looked very comfortable out there and I may have even overheard her say that she wants a road bike.

Thanks to everyone that helped with the race, raced, and suffered out in the elements regardless. It was a fun weekend.

Little Timex Global Trainer Video

2010-02-28T17:24:00.000-08:00

I made this video from some random clips I had from a ride I did with Jessi and Steve on a beautiful Saturday morning. The ride was magnificent, and the company was better. Thanks for the ride guys!

Steve and Jessi

TIMEX Team Camp

2010-02-23T20:38:00.000-08:00

I really don't know where to start on this one, or what to talk about. Do I start with how amazing the experience was? Do I focus on the support that TIMEX and other sponsors provided? Do I talk about the phenomenal experience hanging out and working with New York Giant athletes and staff? Or do I simply try to share the attention to detail that was not spared whatsoever? Tough call. I think I will just post a bunch of pics and try to explain what it all was, and you can formulate what you want.

The entry area to the Timex Performance Center (TPC)

I am not too sure what a Superbowl trophy goes for on ebay...but multiply that by 3.

Uh, well, if you follow football legends, then you will know that this is Carl Banks. He judged our videos we made. Pretty cool.
New York Giants...literally.

One of the many classy touches that TIMEX corporate did for us. Too cool.

This is the locker room where our names were in place of the New York Giants' names. I was down a bit from Eli Manning's, but mainly because I wanted to give him a little room. I tend to spread my stuff out a bit.

The TIMEX Performance Center where the New York Giants train. There were dumbells that were 150 lbs. We watched some of the guys doing some high rep sets with 325lbs on the bar...ya, I could do that, if I wanted to.

This is actually an underwater treadmill with jets. Kind of like an endless pool, and could be used similarly but you can also run on it too.

This was part of an assessment that indicates the potential for injury in certain areas. Pretty cool. There are a couple areas that I am more susceptible in getting injured.
VO2 Max Testing. Ya, it hurt, but a nice gift. There is a guy on the team with a VO2 max of 85. Can't tell you who though.

The indoor practice field...full sized and all that fancy rubber composite grass. We played a few football games on it. You want to see something funny? Watch successful triathletes play football. There are really no winners...just a lot of funny pictures.

Medieval Times...and the entire TIMEX crew. Quite entertaining, both the sporting event and the team.

The Big Apple baby!

Out front of the David Letterman Show Studios.

This is a pizza place right next to the David Letterman studios.

Hanging out with some pretty amazing people. Tim Hola, Rachel Ross, and Trista Francis

Getting my first NYC hot dog and pretzel

It looks like a normal hot dog. But it's not. It's a New York Hot Dog...totally different.

Bright lights, big city

If you cannot read, the front of the New York Times.

As always, this short 4 day camp is always a great time. It's an opportunity to have all the athletes on the team in one place and making some great connections. We will see one another from time to time throughout the year, but not everyone. Obviously the support from the team is phenomenal. But you will see all the new clothes, bikes, wheels, and other equipment in time. The camp this year was like no other. And yes, I know how lucky I am.

Though I never have really followed football before, I am now a New York Giants fan.

An Amazing Story about Coach Glory

2010-02-10T11:50:00.000-08:00

I was first introduced, or came to know, Rory Buck about a year ago at Pirate Night at Whitworth. This was a swim meet against division nemesis PLU. It was at that time I heard about this guy from South Africa that was a 22 year old freshman who swam Division one times. At that meet he smashed the pool record, and jaws dropped on the pool deck. Not only from the challenger PLU, but from Whitworth swimmers and coaching staff as well. What did they have in their arsinal?

It was after that that our paths, or lanes, crossed a little closer as Rory would often join our Master swim group at 5:30am at the Whitworth pool. Rory would not swim with us, he would simply use the lane next to us... more importantly, next to me. It was very humbling to see a swimmmer doing a breaststroke kick cool down set faster than I could swim an all out 50 freestyle. It was kind of like snorkeling in the ocean and watching the fish dance around you. And I think from time to time Rory would look at me, like the fish do, and wonder what the heck I was doing in the water. I really enjoy watching great swimmers swim, and Rory was definitely one of them. He was all business in the pool with his coach standing with a stopwatch at the end of the lane. It wasn't until a bit later when I learned that Rory was a normal person. Well, simply had something in common with me at least. It was one morning when he stood on the bulk head and did not want to jump in to the water because it was cold. I have that experience every time I get in the pool, or hot tub. I hate the dramatic change in the temperature.

After that, Rory seemed to loosen up a bit towards the "Master Hacks," I mean "swimmers," and actually coached the group from time to time. As a coach, he was/is phenomenal. No doubt about that. There is no question that his coaching style is not for everyone, but if you want honesty, progression, and a no excuse attitude, look no further. If you came to swim when he was coaching, in his mind, you came to swim to get better and faster. That means lots of hard work.

Glory and Jessi

It was during those sessions, one being about 2 weeks long, that we got to know Rory a little better. Jessi is a magician with making connections with people and getting them to show their true colors. Between her and Tiffany at the master swims, they made him smile quite a bit.

It was also during this time that Emma's coach, Luke (who now coaches some of us on Sundays) moved on to a different pool. Taking his place was Rory. I was pretty excited about this because I knew what a phenomenal swimmer he was AND he was from a foreign country. And we all know that the further away someone comes from, the better they are as a coach (sarcasm). Emma was initially afraid of Rory because he was a little more "strict" and "down to business." Being in kindergarden, Emma took everything he said literally. Like the time that he said that if they stop kicking again, he was going to throw his shoe at them. That directly translated to, 'If I do this wrong, I will get hit in the head with his big shoe.' She told her friend Brynn, that started swimming shortly after that, that she needed to be very carful around him. I loved this! For some reason Emma never really grapsed the "R" in Rory. And always called him Glory...and still does, as do we. It wasn't that much longer before Emma was doing impersinations of Rory, and his South African (somewhat Australian/British/New Zealand) accent. She does a pretty good job.

This series of photos are from our backyard when Emma challenged Glory to a race
I am sure Emma is talkin' trash here

Emma, much like Jessi, does a phenomenal job making connections with people and was soon joking around with him and talking with him. She now loves the time she gets to swim with Coach Glory because he's a lot of fun and his expectations for behavior and performance are high. You might even see her sport some some new "glasses" that look quite familiar, like someone who's name rhymes with "story".

Another challenge from Emma

Over the year, we have got to know Rory, his girlfriend Carla, and brother Damon quite well. They even joined us for Thanksgiving this year. All of them are really great people.

Carla and Glory
Carla and Glory

Sitting around at the Thompson's at Thanksgiving

Hanging out at my birthday party (Jessi, Tiffany, Glory)

Carla, Glory, and Damon

After a Whitworth swim meet. Notice the shirts, that is his face on them. Steve made those.

They are an amazing group who's paths somehow crossed ours. Lucky for us. As I have stated in prior posts about Emma, she is so blessed to have so many great people in her life. Coach Glory is definitely one of them.

-------------

The following is an article from the Spokesman Review on Feb. 10th 2009 by Jason Shoot.

Rory Buck lost something that once had been an integral part of his life. He traveled halfway around the world to get it back.

After spending much of his life competing in swimming venues around the African continent, Buck now is a sophomore at Whitworth and a big part of the Pirates’ hunt for an eighth consecutive Northwest Conference championship.

The Whitworth men, who have rolled up 71 consecutive NWC dual-meet victories, can build on their dynasty at the Northwest Conference championships Friday through Sunday at the King County Aquatic Center in Federal Way, Wash. The Pirates women are attempting to dethrone defending champion Puget Sound.

Buck’s time of 2 minutes, 3.1 seconds in the 200-yard breaststroke ranks as the fastest time nationally in NCAA Division III this year. Coincidentally, he posted that time in Federal Way in December at the same site as this weekend’s events. Buck also is the favorite in the 100 breaststroke, where his top time of 57.34 is an NWC-best and ranks 10th nationally.

Those are considerable feats for someone who mulled whether he wanted to continue his swimming career at all just 2 years ago.

Born in South Africa, Buck was 9 when his parents moved their family to Malawi, a narrow, landlocked country in southeastern Africa still finding its way in the world after seizing independence from British rule in 1964. A country of 15 million inhabitants, Malawi suffers from an elevated infant mortality rate (89 deaths per 1,000 live births) and low life expectancy (50 years). Like much of Africa, the underdeveloped nation is plagued by widespread HIV/AIDS.

“Malawi is run by agriculture,” Buck said. “Coffee, tobacco and tea drive the country. The two big cities (Blantyre and Lilongwe) are developing pretty quickly. That’s why my father moved there. He works for a construction company.

“Shopping centers, banks – they’re coming up. But Malawi is still very reliant on the agriculture sector. The agriculture sector is not the same as it is here. They’re very dependent on the weather and the amount of rain they get.”

It would be unlikely he could duplicate his experiences in this country, too.

“What Malawi has going for it I’ll be forever grateful,” Buck said. “It’s a very transient society and multicultural society. We had 52 nationalities represented at my high school. … To this day there are no movie theaters, no bowling alleys. What you rely on for entertainment is the people. People are what make the country. The people is what I miss the most.”

Buck graduated from St. Andrews International School in Blantyre, and his family uprooted and moved to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates on the Persian Gulf. Dubai and Malawi share little in common, Buck said.

“Dubai is like Vegas on steroids,” he said of the city – home to the world’s tallest skyscraper and a number of other architectural achievements. “The downside to Dubai is there is more of a focus on you. People are there to make money, and they want to live that lifestyle. … It’s difficult to find good social circles in Dubai.”

Buck returned to South Africa with his goals set on earning a roster spot on that country’s Olympic team for the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. It also required another cultural adjustment. Black Africans compose nearly 80 percent of the country’s 50 million residents, but South Africa still contends with racism and discrimination issues even after the rule of Nelson Mandela ended more than 10 years ago.

“Once people my age get into power, things will start to change again,” Buck said. “They still don’t have the influence of a Nelson Mandela or a leader like that. As 22-, 23-year-olds get into those positions (of influence), you’ll see the ball start rolling faster.”

Buck, who also excels in swimming’s freestyle sprints, began working on his Olympic bid after graduating high school. He reconnected with a former coach running an Olympic developmental program in South Africa. Then, in 2006, his career was derailed by a serious groin injury.

“I went through two surgeries on my groin region,” Buck said, attributing the injury to too much training. “It took 13 months to recover. … I went to the (Olympic trials) in 2008, but it didn’t go quite as planned. I finished 21st in the 200 breaststroke, if I remember right.”

Buck, then 22, faced a choice of reloading for another run at the 2012 Summer Olympics or finding an alternative plan.

“I wanted to reassess everything,” he said. “When you’ve been bitten by the Olympic bug, it never goes away. But another thought that came to me was that I’d be 26 and not have a degree. I just thought, ‘If something happens, what do I do?’ ”

Buck’s brother, Damon, ultimately offered a solution. Buck’s mother, Alison, was a foreign exchange student in high school living with extended family in Salem, Ore. The Buck family made several trips to the United States over the years to visit relatives.

Damon visited Whitworth during one of those vacations and determined it was where he wanted to earn his college degree.

Damon’s older brother was not far behind.

“Swimming became kind of a job, and I wasn’t enjoying it,” Buck said. “I was in the pool from 5 to 7:30 every morning and from 3 to 8:30 every night. It started getting a little overwhelming, and I started to lose my love for the sport a little bit. After the (Olympic) trials, I decided I wanted to go back and study. I always wanted to study in the U.S.”

Buck found an ideal situation at Whitworth, which satisfied his educational pursuits in kinesiology and business management. The Pirates’ successful swimming program, meanwhile, rekindled his competitive fire.

“It all fit perfectly,” he said. “You’re swimming in a competitive environment, but at Division III, where you can be competitive but still take the edge off. You’re not competing for money. Your school work has as much emphasis as your swim work. That really appealed to me.”

Whitworth assistant coach Gary Kessie acknowledged Buck wasn’t a typical freshman. He was 22 and more developed physically and emotionally, Kessie said. Buck’s swimming – and life – experiences internationally shaped him inside and outside the pool.

“There was a little more maturity, leadership,” Kessie said. “He was a take-charge leader from the get-go, and that’s nice to have from an underclassman. A lot of it is his talent level, and others look up to that. He has experience at the international level and competed at a big-time level. He’s been there, he knows what to do and what’s expected.”

Buck still has work to do in the pool, though. Races in America are distanced by yards, not meters. He also is adjusting to short-course swimming, where the pool length (25 yards) is half that of Olympic pools. Instead of making one turn in a 100-meter race, short-course swimmers make three. Keeping his strokes in rhythm and transitioning through the turns are works in progress, Buck said.

Kessie said Buck’s physical tools help him compensate for any technical shortcomings, however.

“He’s built like a swimmer – big, tall and bulky but with lean muscle,” Kessie said. “He’s knowledgeable about what to do with his body. He’s a very good student.”

Buck wasn’t sure if he consciously embraced a leadership role, but he agreed it came naturally. His lifelong experience dealing with people of myriad backgrounds has served him well.

“There are cultural differences, sure, from where I’ve been,” Buck said. “When you’re in the pool, you’re doing your job and working hard. That’s the same whether you’re here, in Dubai or in South Africa. Anybody who puts in hard work gets respect. People are still people, whether or not their cultures are different.”

Are You Kidding Me? The Ultimate, and it even looks cool.

2010-02-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, TIMEX has been designing a GPS watch that would not just be another multisport GPS watch. It's been done, why do it again? And for those of you that did not know, TIMEX was the one that really started the athletic watch with the GPS back in the early 2000. At that time, they worked with Garmin to establish the technology. At that time, TIMEX decided that there really was not much of a market for it. Oops. Guess there is. Obviously there are a few GPS watch manufacturers out there that have capitalized on what many multisport athletes want and/or need. So TIMEX revisited the idea to come out with not another mousetrap...but something better. Here is the little I can share:

Timex® Ironman® Global Trainer™ Bodylink® System with integrated SiRFstarIII™ GPS technology measures pace, speed, distance and more in real-time, allowing athletes to measure, review and advance their performance.

Customizable displays show up to four windows of information, and advanced online training log software analyzes uploaded data across several dimensions.

The water-resistant case and long-lasting rechargeable battery prove this is the only GPS-enabled watch worthy of the Timex® Ironman® name.

http://www.timexironman.com/Products/Global_Trainer_GPS.htm

-Performance and Route Data Downloads to Online Training Software Powered by
-Advanced Desktop Software Manages Users Settings for Easy Customization.
-Battery Recharges when Connected to USB Port or AC Adaptor.
-Compatible with Windows® XP or Newer and Mac® OS X 10.4 or Newer.
-Compatible with Timex® Heart Rate and Bike Sensors Using ANT+™.
-Compatible with Third-Party Bike Power Sensors Using ANT+™.

Available at many specialty sports and sporting goods stores in September 2010.

Motivation...where does it come from?

2010-02-05T12:40:00.000-08:00

This is a video I took of Emma on Thursday night. She did not go to swim practice because she wanted to take Steve, a good friend of Jessi and mine, out to a movie for his birthday. I know this was more of a gift to Emma, but she wanted to do this for him on his birthday since he took her out for an adventure for her's.

Often we have people come over a ride their trainers in our basement...otherwise know as the sweat lodge. And from time to time, Emma will join in. She actually puts in a solid effort. It's not like, get on your bike and pretend. She does a lot of the workout including the fast pedals (which are quite easy for her since her wheel does not hit the drum that creates the resistance) and the one legged drills. Then she sets her towel, her gels, and her water bottle on the bike...just like everyone else. Occasionally you will see her with her iPod on, but she likes the television more. She loves her Felt road bike. Again, a big thank you to Robin at Fitness Fanatics for getting her all hooked up.

I know that Emma does not get this from me since I have only been on the trainer once this winter. It's all the great role models she has in her life, and ours. We feel so fortunate that she looks up to some pretty amazing people and models all their great habits. What if every child had this?

So where does Emma's motivation come from? I am not too sure really. But I don't think that there is any "motivation" involved here. This is status quo for Emma. When people come over to ride in the basement, so does she. When in Rome...

We are so proud of this little girl.

I do run sometimes...but rarely.

2010-02-04T19:05:00.000-08:00

This is a video that Dave Erickson created a couple weeks ago when I got home from a ride. I was going to go for a run, and we decided to get some clips and then he put them together. It won't be long before I will be able to look back on this and remember when we had to run in tights and long sleeved shirts. To see more videos from Dave, go to www.daveerickson360.com.

Love this Shot!

2010-02-01T15:22:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken by Michael Lee at the Spokane Triathlon last year. I will miss this bike... it seemed to go very well for me.

What's new?

2010-01-26T15:08:00.001-08:00

Hmmm...I feel so lame since I have not posted anything in a bit, so I thought I would throw down some words as to change the scenery a bit.

Some big accomplishments lately...Emma dropped 5 seconds in her 25 freestyle. That's huge. I am still trying to accomplish that same feat. Try it some time. Take your best 25, and knock off 4 seconds. Good luck with that.

Training world is pretty stagnant. I am hoping to start a little later with some intensity in hopes to still feel fresh later into the season. I can say, without a doubt, that as of today, I have only ridden the trainer 1 time. Yup, only once. Pretty excited about that. Not too sure how that will play out when it comes time to actually start riding the bike.

Speaking of "bike," I will officially be on a Orbea this season. I don't know, an awful lot of vowels. Orbea is a fine company and I am looking forward to getting a new bike all dialed in. I know I was a little nervous last time, and it all seemed to work out very well.

I have not been bitten by the 2010 triathlon bug yet. Not too sure what distance I am going to race yet. I know it will come. Until then I will eat Peanut Buster Parfaits from Dairy Queen...love those.

If you have not been in to Fitness Fanatics lately, go take a peek at the great deals they have right now and the beautiful new 2010 inventory arriving. Wow!

Enjoy your training,
Roger
sorry, no pics for this one

Just thought I would throw this out there

2009-11-25T10:59:00.000-08:00

Doughnuts: 12 Original Glazed Krispy Kreme Doughnuts

* 2400 calories
* 1200 fat calories
* 144g of fat
* 36g of saturated fat
* 48g of trans fat
* 60mg of Cholesterol
* 1140mg of sodium
* 120g of sugar
* 24g of protein

That really does not seem all that bad...does it?

Emma's Swim Meet

2009-11-08T15:08:00.000-08:00

This video was shot and edited by Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) at Emma's swim meet. Emma is the one in the red cap. Also in this video is one of Emma's best friends, Brynn. These gals are studs and amaze me every day in what they do...together.

Haley Cooper interview part 2...still awesome

2009-10-14T20:11:00.000-07:00

This is the 2nd part of the interview with Haley. You can find out more about Haley and her quests in life on her blog at haleycooper.blogspot.com.

Thanks again to Dave Erickson (daveerickson360.com) and his video mastery and editing skills.

Timex Triathlete Tim Hola before IM World Championships

2009-10-13T23:28:00.000-07:00

I was able to sit down with Tim Hola a couple days before the big race. Tim is one phenomenal guy that I have admired since 2004. I pretty much "result stalked" him for years. Then, in 2007, I ran into him in the post race tent after Oceanside. We were both grabbing some pizza or something and I introduced myself. We chatted for a bit. But the one thing that I remember the most about that conversation was when I asked Tim if he would be in Kona that year, and he said, "I don't know, I have not got a slot yet." And in my mind I was thinking, 'What? Tim Hola not racing Kona? Are you kidding? That's like a fish without water... or Christmas without Santa.' It just goes to show you how humble this guy is considering this year marked his 11th straight Kona appearance. Not only is he an amazing athlete, but a father of twin boys, has a full time job, and has a beautiful wife. This nice guy finishes first...a lot.

Enough said. I will let the interviews do the rest of the talking.

Thanks again to Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) for doing the video coverage as well as the editing.

Timex Multisport Athlete Cindi Bannink before IM World Championships

2009-10-10T19:40:00.000-07:00

Cindi is one heck of a short course athlete and 1/2 IM athlete. She qualified this year at a 70.3 and decided to take a bit at the apple. I was able to grab her right after she checked her bike into transition the day before the race. This interview shows not only her nerves, but also her respect for the race.

Thanks to Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) for filming and the editing. We talked a long time in this interview which means more work for Dave.

Haley Cooper is pretty dang awesome...part 1

2009-10-10T19:23:00.001-07:00

There are many traits that I admire about Haley. Some of them include that she is such a humble person and has a very casual sense about herself. Though she is a phenomenal competitor, you would think that she just shows up to events giving them no thought in advance. That may be the case from time to time, I know she trains her ass off and is physically and mentally committed to her training and racing. I love how she can just jump into a pro race and keep it in perspective. She has a huge target on her back, and it looks really good on her. She is definitely a woman that I enjoy to see do well. So when she agreed to do an interview, I was pretty excited. Not only did she agree, she did it the day before her big race...Ironman World Championships.

Big thank you to Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) for doing the filming and editing. He's pretty good at this stuff :)

Interview in Kona with K-Swiss stud Ben Harper

2009-10-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

I was able to snag some of Ben's time the day before the big race on October 10th to find out what is going on with the company.

Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) did the filming and editing...thank goodness. Check it out.

Interview with Mike Lavery on the new Trek Time Trial bike…WOW!

2009-10-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

Mike Lavery, of the TIMEX Multisport Team, was so gracious to meet with me and talk about this elusive bike that first debuted in the Tour. Though still a prototype, it what is to come.

Thanks to Dave Erickson (www.daveerickson360.com) for the editing and great media work.