Just HAD to post these pics of Lance

I am obviously a huge cycling fan, and with that, a huge Lance fan as well. These pics were sent to me by Katie Hemenway from this year's Tour of California. I watched every stage of this year's race and loved it all. The fans that were there rivaled those of the Tour de France. I remember seeing this guy on one of the stages and was not too sure what he was trying to say with his dual tipped syringe. I was curious as to what message he was trying to deliver. Regardless, I think Lance's message was delivered better.

Notice Lance with the yellow/black helmet

Lance grabbing the guy's shoulder. Since the guy is running his spandex ass off on the edge of the road, covered in snow, his balance has got to be sub par. Notice that he has his cell phone clenched in his other hand.

Lance tosses him into the ditch like the prissy boy he is (I would suspect he goes by the name "anonymous"). The fall must have been hilarious to watch since he had his prop in one hand and his phone in the other. Lance is not in this picture because he is behind the Astana ride with the blue arm warmers. You can see Chris Horner (Astana) laughing a few riders back and a guy from Saxo (in white jersey at end of pic) laughing as well.

This picture is pretty tame since this could have resulted in a crash since he sluffed so much snow on to the road from the bank. But I would imagine that if he were to have caused a riders to go down, the subsequent pummeling that he would have received would have added to another great series of photos.

Emma’s First Ride of the Year

Once again, Emma ceases to amaze me. After 2 days of alpine skiing at Schweitzer, and skiing the steeps, the ice, the powder, and trees, she comes home and wants to ride her bike on the trainer. Oh, it gets better…she wants to do it while watching the Tour of California. Are you kidding? Are there cameras around watching me? Is this a joke someone is playing on ME? It just brings a tear to my eye.
So I got one of the trainers from the basement and her 50lb bike from the garage. While doing this Emma was getting on her cycling gear and her nutrition for the ride (e.g. a waterbottle). I got her bike set up on the trainer, with many books stacked under the front wheel to bring it level with the rear wheel. I don’t think they really make indoor trainers for bikes this size. Just don’t think there is a huge market for them. Once set up, off she went.

She rode for about 15-20 minutes at a variety of intensities…set by her of course. She did want me to tell her when 2 minutes were up because she wanted to do some ‘fast pedals’ and then wanted to do some lower cadence tempo intervals. I am not making this up…these are HER words. You can verify this with Jessi. She was holding back the laughter. Again, laughter in amazement.

This, again, shows me that kids model what they see their parents do, and the people their parents associate with. I know that many of your eyebrows just went up as the rolladex in your mind is scrolling through all your friends that may not necessarily be ‘good influences’ on your children. Don’t worry, Emma has those too. But it’s always a relief when she reflects on ‘good choices’ and choices that kids her age, and adults, make that are not necessarily good ones. That’s pretty rewarding.
Emma is the benefactor of many people’s love…friends and family alike. We know that we are fortunate to have such a great support system for her. And obviously so is she.

Ironman To Charge Professionals...BIG change.

I was forwarded this link HERE to the recent changes in the professional/elite policy regarding entries into North America IM events. Currently, as an amateur, my response was, ‘Big deal, we all have to pay.” But as I ponder this more deeply, I scratch my head. I know they were probably not made in haste, but just curious as to why they were made.

Here are my primary concerns:
1. Pro/Elite fields will diminish in size. Many pro athletes register in hopes of having a ‘good day.’ Some do, some don’t. So when you look at a race like IM Cda, a pro field will be much smaller. As a result, I think it will be less exciting for the spectators and amateurs alike and will ultimately decrease the interest in the ‘race’ itself. I support the decision in giving a complementary entry to those that were in the top 3 from the prior year. I think all races should do that.

2. With the economy the way it is, I really doubt that the professional/elite athlete will pay the entry fee to do a race that they think they might ‘have a shot at.’ So rather than doing 2 or 3, they will maybe do 1. Most of these athletes are on a shoestring budget, and entry fees for IM races are huge ($500+). By doing this, they are truly turning this into an elitist sport and not affording blooming and struggling athletes the opportunity to race in such events. We have provided homestays for multiple pro/elite athletes (Tom Soderdahl, Tiina Bowman) in the past years and know that this is a tough sport and expensive.

Since they have not stated, or I have not read, why they have increased the fee, the following are just shots in the dark for solutions. But I would suspect that it comes down to a couple things. One being that people are just signing up at the last minute and are really not ‘prepared’ to race and creates headache and ultimately costs you money. Two is that it might be that they are losing too much money per athlete. Even though their entry is waived, it still costs IM money for them to race. Someone has to cover it.

Solutions:
1. Charge a reduced fee. I feel by doing this it would discourage those that would just sign up because they can. This would show some kind of investment on their part. Say like $100-$200.

2. If a pro/elite athlete does not finish a certain number of IM events that they registered for as an elite/pro, then they will be required to pay the full entry in the next event they register for. This way it would deter athletes from registering and then dropping out of the run because they are out of the prize money. I know this was a topic on a recent podcast.

There is no doubt they put on great races and truly have marketed the brand, and triathlon, well. I have paid for many IM entry fees and have never regretted it. Even last year when I registered for IM Cda and ended up racing Oly races instead. It was a donation to triathlon :). But I am not a professional triathlete, I am a teacher. The decision they are making I simply don’t truly understand and I think it penalizes athletes that are struggling as it is. I don’t know how that helps to promote triathlon or IM.

Feel free to contact Heather Fuhr regarding this (heather@ironman.com). I emailed her my concerns and she was very gracious in receiving them and passed them on to management. Take a look at the link above. And if you feel like it, email Heather. I really think that this hurts some great blooming athletes out there.

A Little Valentine Du

Last weekend we were able to drive a few miles across the state of Washington and get in our first duathlon, and race, of the season. There is a guy over in Olympia that puts on a bunch of races throughout the year. They are normally very casual and pretty much everyone gets something. Never money though. This race would not disappoint.

6 of us piled into the Excursion at 5:30pm on Saturday and made the 4.5 hour pilgrimage. The drive was easy and pretty uneventful. When Emma is awake it means we watch a lot of “princess" movies if we are interested in actually watching them. But normally she just puts on the infrared headsets and we have some ‘adult’ conversations. We arrived a about 11:00 pm after a couple stops and “redirections.”

We woke up to share in the luxurious continental breakfast that is always served by such deluxe hotels as the ones we choose to pile 6 people in to. Since the race was not until 2:30pm, it created a little bit of a challenge in terms of what to eat and when. But ya know, who cares. It’s a short duathlon and it’s all for fun. Aren’t they all?

We arrived at the race and it seemed like it was bumper to bumper trying to get a parking spot. There was a marathon and ½ marathon going on which had already started. I later found out that there were about 400 athletes there that day. We found a spot and got out of the car in the 44 degree air. Initially it felt great. But after about 20 minutes we found ourselves bundled back up in the car.

With about 40 minutes to go, I thought it would be prudent to start getting things together. No matter how casual you make it, you still need to make it to the start line on time. I switched my wheels and changed into some clothes that I could ride in, and went to the transition area. I have to say that I really do not enjoy duathlons…actually really don’t like them. But there are aspects about them I do like. For example, transitions. Helmet and shoes. That’s all you really need. So I got a spot and set everything up. I went for a short ride to make sure I still knew how to ride a bike since I had not ridden one outside since November. But it seems to come back to you. I can’t say that I ever feel ‘good’ on race day. Whenever I go and warm up I feel tired, legs feel slow, or as Norman would say, “I have no powah!” I actually smiled this time knowing that I was fine, this was just something that I experience.

After riding I rolled back into my spot and cleared everything out. I took some final sips of an illegal concoction…the same one Lance uses I think, and then was headed for the start line. I normally am nervous and need to pee, just like everyone else. But normally it’s not bad and I just race anyway. But this time I felt like I really needed to take care of this. So I ran off in the bushes and found a large tree to take cover behind. As I stood there I thought about them actually starting while I was back there. I was trying to listen, but there were too many people. Then I started to think about being able to make up the difference if they did? Could I make up that 100 yards of the entire race course? Made me think. But I was done. Ahhh…much better. As I was running back to the finish I heard Mark yell for me as if they were going to start…and they were. I have missed the start of a race before because I was changing shoes in the car. Ironically it was a duathlon and Mark was at that one too.

The race took off and I was not really “in the front.” I was about 12 back. I had not even started to breathe hard at all but I knew all this would catch up soon. I eventually made my way to more of the front and then we made the turn to come back. The course was not measured totally right, but I felt like I was running okay. Hopefully faster than a than an 12 minute mile. I came into T1 in 2nd and left in first. Once on the bike I feel a lot more comfortable. Not that I was going fast, but just more comfortable. The course was an honest course. Rolling terrain that was never steep enough to be spun out, or turn into a climber’s race. Since I warmed up on the course, I knew there was a slight headwind going out and that would mean a little faster coming back. Throughout the ride I was reminded about how different it is to ride outside versus inside. Though I was trying to ride steady, I kept finding myself switching cadences which was new for me. When I am on the trainer, I find a wattage to ride at and then maintain the exact same cadence for the ride. With all the rollers my cadence would change and I would wonder if I needed to shift or what. The legs would burn, so I would ease up a bit, and then increase effort, then ease up.

I ended up passing a few signs for the run races that were going on which always made me think that it might be the turnaround…nope. Then after a bit I came to a spot on the road where there were many chalk marks indicating a turn. So I turned. These guys looked at me a little perplexed and I asked if this was the turnaround. Fortunately they knew where it was and said no, it’s down that road. So I had to turn around and get back on the main road and get going again. Probably lost about 20 seconds? Once back on the road it was not far to the turnaround. As I approached it, the lady came out to the middle of the road and said, “Turn somewhere around here.” ‘Somewhere?’ Really? You are being that specific? So I turned around, said thank you, and started heading back. I took a split to see how far up I was. I knew I lost a little time, but I should still have a little gap. I looked at my watch as the two guys behind me went flying by. It felt like there was a slight tailwind so it would be fast going back. And as a result, not as much of time gains. I was able to see Jessi, Matt and Mark on the way back and it was fun to see them out there too. Now it was all about getting to T2 first.

I got into T2 and was off running again. I could hear Emma cheering. Her little voice is so cute. In the first couple minutes I felt horrible, but after that things seemed to settle in. I saw the guys behind me coming in on the bike but knew I had a big enough gap at that point. I rounded the turnaround and was heading back. I saw 2nd and 3rd very close to one another behind me. I came into the finish and was happy it was over and excited to see the data from the bike and run splits to use for future training. I was able to see Jessi, Matt and Mark too and cheer them on. I actually was able to run with Jessi which was fun. I knew she was running hard because it took me quite bit to catch up with her. She ran strong on both runs and had a great bike…as usual. She ended up crossing first for women. But like me, it really wasn’t about the pacing, it was about the data afterwards. We hung out for a bit and headed out. I think all of us were pretty hungry and we had quite a drive ahead of us.

BUT since it was Sunday, that means it is Sunday Sweet Day... for me anyway. The one day a week that I indulge in sweets. The rest of the week I don’t eat any (sweets as in cup cakes, cookies, candy bars, pop, etc.). So in a matter of a few hours I was able to consume an Oreo cookie milkshake, 2 Pepsis, a 12oz Red Bull, 3 raspberry filled powdered doughnuts, one large pink cookie, a Tollhouse ice ream cookie, a large bottle of Gatorade, and a bag of Smartfood. Mmm…I am looking forward to Sunday right now :) I got to bed at 2:00am and was up again at 7:00am to start another wonderful Monday.

I am pretty excited to think that it is the 2nd week in February and I have one race in. Pretty cool.

Best Of The US

This was an eventful trip in many ways but as far as a race goes, it was a bit of a disappointment. The race will come further down on this post.

Upon arrival to Phoenix, I got a text from Bruce Gennari (TIMEX athlete) letting me know that he was there and about to get something to eat. I knew I would not be able to connect with him, but it was nice to know he was there and ready to make a weekend of it.

I collected my bike and headed out to get on the Best Western shuttle, which I did. But ended getting on the wrong one…the one that went to the airport Best Western. Fortunately I did not leave the terminal and waited a bit longer. I stood there next to the curb in about 85 degree heat in the shade. Just like the weather I left in Spokane.

I got checked in to my hotel and waited for Chris Thomas (TIMEX rider) to get there. I got my bike all put together and put on the new front wheel that I got from Fitness Fanatics. Thanks Robin. It all went together fine and looked tough. I watched some educational shows, like I always do when I travel, and waited for Chris to get there. I was getting hungry and fortunately Chris was on his way and he wanted food too.

I met him in the lobby where we both introduced ourselves to another triathlete, Chris Fetter form Nevada. Chris and I both raced at the Rage in the Sage in Nevada in April. That is where he qualified. He was interested in getting some food too and he had a car. So he hauled Chris and I to eat at some fancy pub. It was cool to get to know Chris and hear about him and what he does and the connection he has to the PNW. He was supposed to be staying with Bruce…kind of funny…but ended up staying at our hotel instead. We all planned on getting up and going for a ride in the morning after our continental breakfast.

The morning came and off we went to get some grub. And guess who showed up for breakfast? Bruce. He spent a lot of time at our hotel. Much more than at his own. I think the people actually thought he was a guest since he was there each morning for breakfast and using the shuttle service. We also ran into Cindi Bannick (TIMEX rider) and her roommate Crystal who is originally form Belgium and racing for Georgia. As you can tell we were turning into quite a pack. We decided that morning to go for a ride and check out the run course. We left at about 9:00am and the sun was already out and making a statement. The high on Saturday was to be 92 degrees. We definitely did not want to hang out in that too long. So we rode around town, attempted to ride what we thought was the run course, and then headed back to the hotel to shower and get ready to drive the bike course and get something to eat.

We took 2 cars to drive this bike course that had 5 ‘out and backs’ (e.g. 180 degree turnarounds) as well as twenty 90 degree turns. We would do 2 laps of this supposedly totaling 27 miles. We would later find out that the race distance would be about 31-32 miles. This course was pretty complicated, but would probably make more sense once it was marked with cones and volunteers. But for the time being, it was very difficult to navigate. We finally finished the drive and decided to check in and then get some food.

After we walked all over a 1 block area looking for the ‘right’ place with 6 different ideas, we ended up back at the place we went last night. It was good, but I have to say I was getting tired of the place already.

We all decided it was about nap time and we needed to get the gear set up for the mandatory bike check in at 4:00pm. Having forgot my shoes at my last race, I decided that it would be pretty important to take a good inventory of what I was bringing this time. Some of the items that we got at this race were pretty cool. For numbers, they were actually temporary tattoos that we placed on ourselves. Knowing how complicated these ‘can’ be, I knew this was a good idea that was going to go bad. But what do I know, this was my first year. The race numbers and the numbers on the bike were pretty cool. They had the state flag on them with the state name. And the number that we each got corresponded with the order in which our state became a ‘state,’ or part of the union. Good thinking.
Chris and I got our bikes ready pretty quickly and were ready to go to the pre race meeting with everyone. This was a meeting for only the Best of the US athletes at a local Mexican restaurant. The race staff really tries to make this event very personal and makes each athlete feel ‘special.’ Jerry, the race promoter, knows every athlete by name and their results. His excitement for this race, and enthusiasm is honest and sincere which instills a lot of confidence that he has things well thought out. As we walked into the restaurant, Jerry welcomed us and put a pin on our shirt that was a BOUS pin. Then we sat and waited for the meeting to begin. We were told all about the course, when we would race, some complication, and some other neat aspects to this race. We then left there and headed out for an all athlete photo where we were given our state flag. This is where I found out that Tracy Orcutt, the woman representative form Washington, did not show up. That was kind of a bummer. This would mean that we (Washington) would not be eligible for a state award. Oh well. Not that I was there racing for Washington…but I was from Washington. We got the photo taken and now we were off to an Italian restaurant. I must state that the ASU was playing Oregon this weekend, so getting into any place was tough. So a group of 15 of us waited about 50 minutes to get in. A little long for me really, but we were there and it was a great group of people. As a matter of fact, the people that were in our group occupied 4 of the top 10 places in the men’s race. It was nice to get to know some people I have raced against quite a few times this year but have not had the time to actually have a conversation with.

After dinner, people were pretty excited to leave and get to bed. Chris and I were able to turn off the lights at about 8:45pm. That was a good feeling since we had a 6:30am race start, which would mean we would need to get up at about 4:00am. Morning would come fast.

I ended up waking up a bunch of times, but I felt like I got some good sleep as well. We hit the continental breakfast with some of the other athletes and were off to the race course. We were pretty close to the race venue so we arrived promptly at 5:15...plenty of time to get the wheels pumped up and transition area set up. And maybe even a warm up. New concept for me. At this time in the morning, it’s still very dark which made getting things in the right place and seeing exactly what pressure your tires were really at. Though it was dark, I loved the idea that we would be on the course before the sun came up. The only downside of all this is that I only brought tinted goggles which made it difficult to see the buoys. But who really sights off those anyway? I would not lead since Bruce was there as well as some other legit swimmers. I just needed to follow the splashing.

I went for a quick run with Chris and Chris and made one last stop at the port potty. I got on my B70 Helix and headed to the swim start in a very murky reservoir. I actually did a little warm up swim too… all these new things :). The national anthem was sung, and all of a sudden we had 2 minutes to go. The nerves started flying and people were getting really excited and pushing close to the front. I felt like I was getting squished, so I made my way to the front and possibly a little across the line. The countdown began and more eeking forward occurred. Then it was go time. I was worried about the start of this race because it was the most competitive field I have ever raced in. All the people there had won a race in their own state that was a qualifier for this race. So just about everyone thought they had a legitimate chance of winning this thing…and it all starts with the swim. I took off fast with fast turnover and moving at a good clip. I got clear of most the chaos and found myself with about 5 in front and a couple around. With 86 people in this race, I knew I was near the front and now I would just need to make sure I did not get sucked up and blown out. The first turn came pretty quickly. But I could see someone moving off the front. I knew that was Bruce and he would lead the swim. The second buoy came pretty quickly too which also meant we were on our way back. There was a bit of bumping and kicking, but all unintentional I would think. I could not see any of the turn buoys because of all the splashing and my tinted goggles. But I knew I was on track. Most the guys I was with seemed to swim straight. Then we made the final turn and I was on my way to the exit steps which were pretty easy to see. I started to think about the bike and what I needed to do. That seems to relax me a bit for some reason. I don’t think I slow down too much, but it helps me to set up for that. I got to the stairs and got up them quickly. This is the same swim reservoir and steps that they use for IM Arizona. I got out and eventually found out I swam a 11:04 for 1000 meters…ya right. In other words, the course was short…real short. Now many people would think that this is not necessarily a bad thing. This is a bad thing. Not because good swimmers don’t get an advantage, but it ends up making the bike really congested and creates ‘packs, ‘ a little foreshadowing? I think I was 10th out of the swim, but was 5th onto the bike.
My transition was quick and I wanted to get on my bike fast. I passed 3 guys in the first 500 meters and there was one guy out front. After about 2 miles I could tell it was my fellow TIMEX teammate, Bruce Gennari. I looked behind me to see what was going on and it seemed like some guys were trying to close on me or ride the same pace. This was a VERY technical course, as I said before. I wanted to put some time on these guys by riding this course aggressively, but smart. You can take some risks in these corners, but you could not be stupid. I attacked out of every corner trying to put a little time on these guys through each one. After about 3 miles I was 10 seconds behind Bruce. At about mile 5 I took the lead. I was watching my power to make sure I was not pushing too hard. After the first turn around I could tell I was putting time into the field, but also saw that there was a pretty big group behind an initial 4 that were chasing me ‘legally.’ After about 15 miles, the group was one big pack. Not a strung out group, but a pack. Like 3 abreast, 1 foot off one another’s wheels…a pack. This resembled something from the Tour de France. No kidding. The first few times I saw this, it really took the wind out of my sails. I thought about giving up and sitting in like the rest of them. But what good would that do me? I know I would regret it, and many of these guys are flat out better runners than me. So though I could be in the group with them, they would still run away from me. So I kept at it and was trying to take some splits on them. At times it seemed like they were closing, but not fast. Then all of a sudden I had a 50 second lead. I knew it would take a solid effort by the group to close that and I did not think anyone would really want to risk it. So I plodded away and figured I was getting some good exposure for TIMEX and Trek. Not to mention I enjoy leading the bike. I was hoping that Bruce and Chris were benefiting form the others chasing me and that they would have some rested legs for the run too.

I came into T2 fast dodging a few pedestrians along the way. I dismounted and quickly got on my Zoot shoes. I was off and running and knew I had a bit of a gap but did not know how much. Later I found out I was about 1 minute ahead. I was running okay but that 1st mile is always tough. I knew I put a little more out there on the bike than I normally would…but I was good with that. I ran through the first aid station and got poor service, as expected. When you are the first person, you never know what you might get…or not get. As I blew through the first one and missed a couple cups, I actually heard one of the volunteers say, “I guess they are not going to stop.” I don’t blame them. I know they are doing their best, but it’s just another hurdle you get to deal with. I made it to mile 1 still leading. I think I made it about 1.5 miles before I was passed by 4 guys that are amazing runners. Fortunately, one of them was Chris, my fellow TIMEX teammate. So that felt good. He is a phenomenal runner, so I knew he would do well. After they passed me, they seemed to slow down a bit. But not to my speed. Chris later told me that they were running so friggin’ fast, that he knew someone, maybe even him, was going to blow up. I would suspect they were at about a 5:15 mile for the first mile. But once the carrot was caught (me) it seemed like they settled in. I was not feeling great and got passed by a few more. I just kept plodding along and getting to the aid stations. There was one turnaround and I was able to see how far up the front was and how close the people behind were. At about that time Bruce passed me and gave me a little push…literally. He looked like he had a good pace going, but he was in sight the rest of the way after about the 4.5 mile point. I had no clue what place I was in. Definitely not the top 10, but somewhere in the teens. But there were people close behind and people close in front. I wasn’t sure if I was running from people, or trying to catch people. Regardless, we were crossing the final bridge and I was running with a guy from Delaware who said we had about a mile to go. I wasn’t too sure how accurate he was, but it sounded good to me. We eventually were back running along the water and headed to the finish. We crossed the 6 mile mark so I figured we had a half mile to go. A solid 3 minute effort was all I needed to do. So I picked it up and caught up to Delaware and encouraged him on to one final effort. But I did not seem to get a response. I could see I was closing on Bruce, but did not think I would be able to close that gap with 300 meters to go. But it looked like he was in a tough spot and I closed it to be running next to him. This race has a big slip ‘n slide at the end that I told him we could slide down together and he thought that would be cool. We rounded the corner together and crossed the line together but missed the slip ‘n slide. But the best part of it all…we were done. It was a frustrating day for both of us. He is an amazing swimmer that was unable to get the gap he needed, or normally is capable of, because the swim was so short. I worked hard on the bike and had a good gap, but was run down fairly quickly by guys that were drafting. But the highlight, Bruce was first out of the swim and I was first off the bike. Everything would have been perfect if Chris would have been first across the line. So it’s all his fault :). Na, just kidding. He ran so well, but the guy who won ran just a little better. He had a great day, on the run.
I ended up finding out from the official that they were aware of the pack and had actually written up a bunch of violations, but then did not submit them because there were so many people involved and she felt the course made it difficult for the packs to separate. What? Are you kidding me? It’s a non-draft legal race, but all of a sudden it turns out to be okay? Just wish I would have known. They could have told me that since I was off the front bustin’ my ass for 27 miles. Whoops, that wasn’t right, it was actually 31-32 miles. Slightly off. So I was hanging out there for 31 miles. Oh well. I had a great ride and my power average was higher in this race than it’s been in any race I have done. And there were a lot of coasting into corners. So I know I rode well. I can go home and know that.

Obviously a lot of frustration from this race, much like ITU Worlds in Vancouver. But it all boils down to this. If the USAT cannot get courses that can facilitate a ‘fair’ race, people are simply going to stop coming to them. Clearwater is a perfect example. I thought the USAT National course in Portland was great. It was challenging enough to break things up and I did not see any drafting there and I did not hear any complaints either. I think most athletes would agree, but for some reason race directors don’t think about this. A lot of people have stopped going to ITU or USAT championship events because they simply are not fair, and the race officials do not enforce their own rules. It’s sad and I hope more attention is paid to this in the future. These races cost too much, and people train too hard, not to be treated to an honest race. Enough said.

After we all licked our wounds, and people shared their view of the pack on the bike course, we decided to head back and get some lunch. We went to another sports bar and ate outside and shared more stories and talked about what’s up for the rest of the year. Chris Fetter (from Nevada) decided to head out. He had to drive 5 hours home. I hope we all cross paths with him in the future. After eating some strawberry shortcake (that is what I ordered) we headed back to the hotel to pack the bikes and get ready for our departure. But before we did, Bruce and I still needed to hit the In and Out burger joint. I had never been there and he said it’s a must do. So we went and got our orders to go. I ordered the ‘Double Double’ with sautéed onions with fries, soda and a chocolate milkshake. Bruce ordered a couple burgers fries and a soda. We took them back to the hotel and ate it all there while watching “Goodwill Hunting” and “Patch Adams.” Nice way to end the trip really. We both jumped on the Best Western shuttle to the airport. Again, Bruce was not even a guest here but took advantage of all of its offerings.

And now I am on the plane.

On a HUGE side note, that I thought I would put at the end, while I was down at this race Jessi ended up getting in a bad bike accident on a ride with the club out north on Sunday. I have not even seen her yet, but apparently a deer (a buck with antlers) ran out in front of her and she ended up going over the bars and hitting her head pretty hard. She was taken by ambulance on a backboard and in a c-collar to the hospital. She suffered a pretty solid concussion ruining her helmet. She also got some road rash on her lower back. She is doing okay now, but I have to say a huge thank you to all the friends and family that were there for her while I could not be. When I heard about this I was pretty freaked out, but I started to hear all the people who were there and all the people that were helping out with everything. So a big thank you to Greg, Ken, Steve, Tiffany, Natalie, Tim Swanson, Nate, Tricia, Steve W., Eric, Linda, Mom, Dad, Tim Seppa, and probably a host of others. Though I wish I could have been there, I knew she was in amazing hands with all of you. What great friends and family we have. I really appreciate all of your support.

Nationals

“Ten minutes and the transition area needs to be cleared out,” the announcer says. As I get the final touches on my transition area, that I showed up a tad late to, I reach into my bag to find out that I do not have my cycling shoes. Folks, this IS a nightmare. Nationals, and I don’t have my cycling shoes. The thought of asking others if they had an extra pair crossed my mind, but was pointless. I was hoping they were in the car in another bag…hoping. If they were not, that meant that they were about 45 minutes away and I would be screwed. Here’s the corker in it all…the car is a 4 mile shuttle ride form the race venue. Yes, 4 miles. And yes a friggin’ shuttle ride. I really tried to stay calm here. But I am at a race where my wave starts in 45 minutes and I do not have my shoes and they are a total of 8 miles (there and back) away via a school bus shuttle. Things re not looking good, but I thought if this was going to happen, it would not happen with me thinking about it. So I ran up to the road where the shuttle ‘was’ regularly dropping people off. I sat there and waited what seemed like 20 minutes, but I would suspect it was more like 10. Oh, it gets better. Since the race waves had started, the busses could no longer go the 4 mile way, they now had to go all the way around the lake which was 8 miles. Crap! I told the driver my dilemma and he said, ‘get in and I will do my best.’ I have to say that I have never been on a school bust that has been driven like this one. This driver was phenomenal. My guess is this was a life long dream for him. To have some guy jump in this giant but he has driven hundreds of thousands of miles and say ‘follow that car.’ Well, kind of like that I guess. He closed the bi-fold doors and we were off. That bus was doing things that I never thought possible. We were carving corners like bobsled. I was holding on to the seats as to not fall off. I did not want to comment on how fast he was driving because I did not want him to think that I did not approve. So I sat there and watched this guy do his thing. I was doing the math in my mind thinking that if he just averaged 30mph, it would be 16 minutes. Then 1 minute to get to my shoes, and another 10 minutes back (4 miles back). Then, of course, I still needed to get ready for the race. So I had 45 minutes, and about 37 was accounted for. That meant I would need to get my wetsuit on while on the bus. So I did. I got some odd looks, but it was necessary. The B70 Helix is so easy to put on, you can really do it anywhere. I just hope that TIMEX does not get any complaints. I could really go on and on about the details of this ‘bus trip’ but I need to get to the race part.

Needless to say, I made it. Jessi coordinated with a volunteer in T1 to get my cycling shoes to my transition area and all was ready. I was able to actually say hello to some TIMEX friends. They laughed, and I guess I could as well…now. A big thank you to Ken who was about to give me his shoes and did everything he could to help me. Also, thanks to Jessi for sending text while I was on the bus telling me to ‘stay calm,’ ‘take it easy, and ‘focus on the race.’ All which helped.

Walking down to the start

I ended up lining up right in the middle, which I thought was odd since no one else was there. I thought that maybe I was missing something. Was thins a ‘bad’ spot? Oh well, I would not be there long. As I sat there at the dock, I could hear Emma yelling ‘Go Daddy!’ about 7 times in a row. No one but me know who she was yelling at, and some guys smiled thinking it was cute…probably Dads too wishing their kiddos were there yelling for them. I waved and we had 1 minute to go.

The countdown came and the horn sounded. I think it was horn, might have been a gun too. But I was off. I put my head down and started an aggressive start to try and get away from all the bodies and get a little open water. It seemed like everyone was right there but I was far enough away as to not get all tangled up. After about 300 meters, it seemed like I was by myself. There were people around, but not all that close. I really like to have my own water and focus on my own speed. So that was nice. I was swimming well and pretty straight form what I could tell. I made the two turns of the far end and was heading back. The swim was just too easy…no people…no problems. I eventually found myself swimming with another guy at the same speed. So I tucked in behind and could ease up a bit. I then started to go around him and found myself just swimming next to him so I backed off and stayed behind to rest a bit before T1. I cam out right behind him and swam a 19:37 which I was happy with.

Waving at Emma and Jessi form swim start

Running to T1

The run to T1 was pretty tough up a steep boat ramp. But you just do it and get up there. I had a ‘fairly’ smooth T1 since I really never saw where my shoes were placed because it was a volunteer that Jessi asked to put there since it was closed when I arrived. But sure enough, they were there. So instead of having the shoes on my bike, with rubber bands, I had to put on my shoes and then helmet and off I went. I mounted quickly, clicked in, and was now off on the bike. I passed a few people in the first 75 yards and then we were immediately into a ‘no pass zone.’ These can be good or bad. If you are alone, or leading, they are good. If you are behind a 60 year old woman trying to put on her arm warmers while she rides up the hill, it’s bad. I was patient and as soon as I got out of the no pass zone, I passed everyone that was there. I was anxious and was ready to get this bike leg going. It was 2 laps of a 20k course that was rolling. Nothing too steep, so it kept your effort honest the entire way. I was feeling good and was staying on top of my hydration and watching my power as I was flying by other age groups. My Trek TTX felt right at home on this course…smooth, powerful, and efficient. I saw a few people out on the course that I cheered on. Some being TIMEX people like Cindi :) I was watching my time as I came around on both laps. I remembered that sub hours were not all that common last year and I thought I would be right around a mid 58 minute which was good. I rolled in to T2 and was off the bike in on to the run pretty easily. Zoot shoes make transitions way to easy. Unfortunately, I see a lot more people wearing them. My advantage is disappearing.

Riding out of T1

Coming in off the bike to T2

I headed out on the run and was feeling pretty good. It’s a very challenging run and you seem to be going up or down all the time. It’s important to take advantage of the downs as much as the ups, so I did my best to do that. I knew Chris Thomas was behind me (another phenomenal TIMEX athlete) and could easily run me down if he was close. I saw him coming in on the bike when I had only been running 1:15. So I figured I had about 2:30 on him… not enough. But I would still need to run hard regardless. I felt like my cardio was there and my legs were doing well. I always know I am in trouble when my breathing is in control and my legs are tired. This was not the case. I eventually got to the 3 mile point and saw Jason Schott coming back. Crap… he was ¼ mile ahead and I was sure I was not making ground on him. I eventually made it to the turnaround and looked t my watch. I ran for about 45 seconds and then saw Chris and Craig Greenslit. Craig runs even faster than Chris. So I knew I was in double trouble now. I thought I might be in 2nd, and if they both pass me, it would be 4th. Nothing really magical about that for me, but I still needed to run hard. I finally hit mile 5 and I seemed to be still running hard. At about the 5.5 mile point, Craig passed me. He went by fast, but then faded quite a bit. But was then able to pick it up again on the downhill sections. I knew that Christ had to be close. I thought I would need to run hard for 4 minutes, that’s it. I hit the final uphill section that was not as ‘uphill’ as I thought it was. It was pretty flat really. So I kept up the tempo and made the final turns down to the finish area. I was still worried and glanced back another time just to see. People on the side said that there was no one behind. That’s funny, because I can see Chris right back there and that guy can close a gap like adolescent braces can. I came around the final turn and was on the red carpet of the finishing stretch. I was so excited. I had no clue hat place I was in, but I really felt like I race this race an honest effort. Swam well, rode well, and ran my best. I definitely did not out run Chris, he’s was faster than me, but I was simply able to hold him off. I hope because I my effort, he was able to elevate his effort as well and give something of himself he was proud of too.

Starting the run

Crossing the finish line

"Legendary" Chris Thomas and me


Bruce Gennari and me (National Champion when it was held in Cda)

Ken, me, and Greg

Afterwards we all talked and were happy it was done. Ken Collins and Greg Gallagher both came in too with solid efforts. We were the only 3 men from Spokane and I think we did well.

Awards ceremony

Thanks to Jessi, Emma, and Natalie who were the sherpas and cheer squad for the day. Couldn’t have done it without you guys. Also a huge shout out to Ironheads Triathlon Club who set us up with a stellar home stay. Grant Folske gave up his bachelor pad condo for all of us to stay at and he stayed at his girlfriends. What an amazing guy. And get this, he raced too!

Greg, Natalie, and Ken

Emma

Grant and Ginny

Congrats to all the TIMEX athletes who showed up and raced. I am honored to don the orange of TIMEX. Watching all of you race makes me race harder. Nice work Ian, Bruce, Chris, Julie and Cindi. You guys are awesome.

The TIMEX crew (L-R)
Roger, Chris, Ian, Cindi, and Bruce
not pictured: Julie

Some of you have asked if I was ever going to post the pics from the Cda Tri... yes, I 'plan' to. I have been just a bit pre disposed the last few days... and that's not necessarily a good thing. I was reminded just how good a bathroom tile floor feels against the face.

I don't know what it was, or how it happened, but Jessi left for Seattle on Tuesday and I got up Wednesday morning at 4:45am to swim. My stomach felt bloated and tight, and somewhat sour. But I was not going to use some 'sissy' excuse not to get in a swim. So I got down there and put in a solid effort. I felt pretty good really. But my stomach just felt sour.

I eventually got home and went straight to bed. I left on all my clothes and pulled the covers up over my head because I was cold. Not good. I was shivering and was not hungry and could not fathom the thought of drinking anything. I fell asleep for a bit, woke up, fell asleep... the typical cycle. Then it was time. The thing that I thought I would avoid, I could not. I was summoned to the bathroom by the rapid watering of my mouth. I made a quick exit of the bed straight to the bathroom. I will avoid the details because we have all been there. But my body heaved for what seemed like eternity ridding itself of some demon that had found its way into my body. It felt like a Volkswagen bus, but it resembled everything I had eaten from the day prior. After my body performed this amazing physical feat the yielded something that maggots would turn their nose up to, I collapsed on the bathroom floor. My face was covered in sweat and I felt like I just crossed the finish line at IM Cda (not Hawaii, you really have to experience that). I was finding comfort in that floor. I loved that floor. That floor has been so good to me today... always there when I needed it, an open ear for me to rationlize why I thought I was dieing. Or justifying why I should call 911. I also started to remember how bathroom floors felt in the ol' college days. However, they were not nearly as clean. But you snuggled up to them just the same. I ended up losing another 5 pounds during this affair. Granted, mostly water.

I ended up in bed for the next few days with fluids exiting me from multiple directions. It was so frustrating. Here I felt like I needed to get back at it, and I was thrown back into bed. I have contemplated on hanging up the season because of the sub par training I have had since Worlds in June. It seems like it might be a good choice rather than continuing to try and 'get back' with so many obstacles. I was convinced that once mid July hit I would be back at it... but I haven't. My training has been hit and miss because of many things I have let get in the way, and things that I simply could not avoid. All choices I suspect. As I tell so many people I work with, you cannot expect a 100% performance when you only put in a 60% effort in preparation. It's really simple math. I don't know the exact formula, but you get the idea. The final races I have this year are Nationals and Best of the US. Two races that require you to be at your best. Right now I am searching for mediocre. These are struggles that we all face. Some call it motivation, some call it desire. Call it what you want, but it requires you to dig deep and figure out 'why' you do something. What calls you to do what you do? It's at these times that we often find out the truth.

I have been wondering if I was fighting off this bug at the Cda tri as well. I really don't know. I would suspect not since Cda tri was on Saturday, and this hit me on Tuesday night (3 days). Regardless, I was reminded how important adequate fluid intake is. During this hot season, it's so crucial to stay on top of your hydration daily... not just the 2 days leading up to a race.

Yesterday (Saturday) I was finally able to get back out and start training again. I went for a little run late in the evening. It was nice to get out, but I am sore today. I think my body is still dehydrated and running on a dehydrated body sure is tough on it. You feel like you raced a 1/2 marathon the day prior not mater how hard you went.

So, that's what's up. I love my family, love my life, and love the life that triathlon, and sport, brings into so many people's lives. As I tell my students every year many times, 'The choices you make today, mold you into who you are tomorrow... choose wisely.'

I would be a bit self absorbed if I did not mention the people that helped me get through my illness. Big thanks to my mom, Madison, Rick Phillips, Natalie, Greg, Phaedra, and Kris who all offered their support with their food and taking Emma so I could rest. And obviously a huge thank you to Jessi who had to put up with this blob of a person and always gets me healthy every time. She always seems to know that I don't take care of my body even if I say I am. No foolin' her, sh knows me all to well. I am a wimp really. I just have a lot of people holding me up and making me look good. But most of you know that.

Cda Oly Race

Photos to come...

Sometimes things go your way, and some times they don’t… we learned that in Kindergarten more commonly stated as, “That’s just the way the ball bounces.” It did not really make sense then, and when you are the one the statement applies to, I can’t say it makes sense now either.

Sparing the finer details, I can say that I was looking forward to this race. It was a stacked field composed of many professionals and some very fast northwest riders. I was mentally prepared and I feel physically as well. The swim went pretty well and I swam in the front group of people who were the ‘contenders.’ Kalen Drling swam off the front of us and ended up 3 minutes up the way. As the group of 8 swimmers rounded the buoys, we wandered around quite a bit. Can’t say as a group we were very organized. We were swimming 4 at the front, deep into the course, on the outside…I don’t really know what was going on. But we were all together. We exited in the low 20s and I quickly ran into T1 and had a fast change. I was pretty much the 1st one in the group out on the bike with the fastest T1 time of the day. I yielded to Matt Seeley respecting what he has done in the past and would probably do again today. That being ‘win.’

Matt and I both got our feet in our shoes and were off. The roads were wet from the quick dump of rain that happened during the swim. This would create a little challenge on the high speed corners. You could tell that Matt was a little cautious going through the corners and so was I. Jeff Smith was close in the mix too and passed me within the first mile but did not go far. I thought he was going to try and chase down Seeley, but he just hung off the front of me by about 6 bike lengths. I eventually made the pass and we seemed to do this throughout the day. Within the first 5 miles I was descending down a hill and hit a sink hole pretty hard and my waterbottle ejected and slid across the road at 40 mph. CRAP! I need that and there was not any support on the course. I kept going and hoped I would be able to see it on the way back in a few miles. At the first turn I could see that the lead rider was still riding well and about 3 minutes up. I closed 3 ½ minutes on the same guy a few weeks about in only 12 miles, but he was definitely riding stronger today. Seeley was pulling further ahead and I was riding solidly in 3rd. On the way back from the turn, and up the hill, I was able to locate my aerobottle on the road and stopped and picked it up. While doing this, Jeff passed me and I got back going. I saw Jessi and she said that I was 2:55 down. Wow, I was not pulling in the time like I have before. I kept going and was pulling Jeff back in as he attacked the hills. Towards the top of one of them I saw Seeley on the side of the road standing by his bike. He flatted. I did not have anything to give him since I did not have a spare as well. Fortunately for him, Adam Jensen, who was coming up the road, gave him some CO2 and sealant that did the trick and he was back in the hunt. I saw Jessi again at the top of another hill at about the 10 mile point and said we were 3 minutes down. What’s going on? I was starting to think that Kalen was a pretty good climber. Regardless, if I was to reel anything in, I would need to pick up the pace a bit. I started to ride the flats harder and elevate my watts on the climbs. After I got through the hills and was on the flats, I had reeled in over 1:30 on him and he now had a 1:25 lead. I was wondering if he was falling apart, or if he just struggles on descending and the flats. Regardless, I was in 3rd after being passed by Adam Jensen, a phenomenal cyclist and triathlete. During the last 5 miles of the bike I was feeling good and was moving along well. I came into T2 about 25 seconds behind Adam, and 1:25 down on Kalen. I ran over a minute faster than Kalen in the last race, so I was hoping for a great run today and a less than great one from him.

I moved through T2 quickly and was running. It always takes a little time to get things going on the run where it starts to feel comfortable. But as I hit the 1 mile mark, things just were not feeling right. But I was working hard and that’s just part of it. I continued on to mile 2 and I was struggling. I was no longer thinking about the people ahead, but now focusing on those coming from behind. When I reached the 3 mile mark I looked at my watch and saw that I was at an 18:30. Not good. And I knew I was slowing down more and more. I was passed by Matt Seeley at the 4 mile mark. What the hell? I just got passed by a guy who flatted… things are not going well. I was mustering all I had to keep good form and keep my legs moving forward. I felt like I was at mile 20 in an Ironman marathon. I should no be feeling like that. I did not get it. I did not ride horribly hard, as a matter of fact, I rode a little easier than I normally do. What was going on? Was my fitness bad? Does my run really suck this bad? I was now in 4th and moving like I was in 44th. With about 1 mile to go, I was passed again by Michael Bresson who ran a 33 minute 10k. He went by me like I was walking a dog and he was running from a gunman…and outrunning the bullet. This was not good. I was now in 5th and the only reason I was running was because I was in the front end of the race and I wanted to be respectful of being there. You cannot give up, but it was all I could do to maintain a ‘jog.’ Everyone who saw me said that I did not look good. With about ¼ mile to go Ben Greenfield passed me… 6th place now. I meandered in and was happy to get across the finish line with a run split shy of a 41 minute 10k. Are you kidding? 41 minute? I could not believe it, but I knew how I felt and there was nothing I could do to run faster. My stomach felt like it was full of lactic acid and I was a bit dizzy. I could hardly stand for very long and then settled to sitting on the grass. I sat there in disbelief of my performance.

I had so many friends and family members there cheering me on and there supporting me. I felt like I let their cheers down. I just wish I could have somehow absorbed their energy, but I just couldn’t.

Whenever you have a race that just does not go as well as you feel it should, or you normally have done, you start looking at what was going on. What did you do wrong? What went wrong? As I weathered the “so did you win?” and “What happened?” comments, I was asking myself the same questions. Mainly, ‘what happened.’ I don’t want to take anything away from those that beat me, but more looking at what did not go well. I could go on and on about what I was feeling, but the bottom line was it was a disappointment. Anytime you feel ready, physically and mentally, and then you do not even come close to doing what you have done on any given race, you start questioning everything.

I believe that I have discovered the primary reason that my performance was hindered. Now, where it all started, I don’t know. Was it on the bike, or just the run? Don’t know. But what I know is this. I weighed myself in the morning before I went to the race. Then I weighed myself when I got home from the race. I weighed 4 pounds less when I got home. And that’s after drinking a few waterbottles and eating some food. So my belief is that I was dehydrated and the symptoms I was experiencing would support that as well. I checked my aero bottle that was still on my bike, and saw that it was only ½ empty. I normally consume all of it. It would explain what was going on in my stomach as well. So was this the difference between 1st and 6th? I don’t know. But I figure I gave up 3-4 minutes on the run that I normally do not. I have been running well in training, and I felt like it was the first time I have run this year. So rather than hanging my hat on the thought that “I suck,’ I would like to think that I did not suck in enough. But 4 pounds? Wow, that is something pretty big.

I have had some great races this year, and I have to look at those rather than thinking that this is what I am capable of.

I have to tip my hat off to Matt Seeley. This guy has done it all. He’s a legend and has never lost here at the Oly race in Cda. He would have undoubtedly won today if he had not flatted. I am 100% positive about that. But here he is, reeling in the leader, and he flats. Totally takes him out of the race and he gets right back in and puts forth an honest effort. He knew when he got off the bike that he would not be able to get to the leader, but he still made a hard effort. That’s what champions do. They race like they are going to win no matter where they are in the race. He ended up 3rd overall.

In a similar situation, Jeff Smith crashed behind me with 1 mile to go on the bike. He still got up, collected himself, and finished in the top 10 as well. Again, a champion.

Both Matt and Jeff could have hung it up and called it a day. They could have stomped their feet and kicked the dirt, but they didn’t. They got back on their bikes and continued to race.

Rule 76: No Excuses, Play Like a Champion