Blue Lake Triathlon...and a lot of pics

Today was our anniversary

Wow, what a great anniversary weekend Jessi and I had. Spending it with some of our friends and racing a triathlon. Pretty good if you like that kind of stuff I guess.

This weekend would find us on the outskirts of Portland at the very popular Blue Lake Triathlon on Sunday along with 1000 other people racing the Oly and sprint tris. We headed over on Friday after school. It should have been the last day of school, but thanks to those wonderful 5 snow days, we would be returning to school on Monday. So in the Excursion were Jessi, Emma, Steve, Tiffany, and Eric. This would be Eric’s first Oly race. So he was VERY excited about this often asking if maybe he could do the whole course just to make sure he was ready :).

Very nice dinner at a secret restaurant

Livin' it up at the Quality Inn

We stayed at a pretty decent place that had a continental breakfast. One that I never get to totally tear up. This one had all the fine fixins…donuts, waffles, dainishes…yum. Buuut, I would have to refrain and have more sensible breakfasts. But it’s fun to window shop.

Steve in his race, runnin' strong

Saturday was the Sprint race where Steve participated. He wanted to do the Oly race, but he would be racing IM Cda the following weekend and a 10k run takes a little out of the legs. So he decided to test his new bike on the Sprint course. He ended up rocking it and getting 7th overall and having a very solid race. It’s fun to watch friends race. Normally they are racing with you and you never get to see them or cheer them on. Steve has worked hard all season and I am excited to see how IM Cda goes for him.

On race morning Natalie, Eric, Tiffany and I loaded up the rig and headed to the course. Tric, Steve, and Emma would soon follow and make up the cheer squad.

Loaded in the Excursion race morning

Eric REALLY excited for his first Oly race

Tim, Eric, and Tiffany

Getting on the Helix in preparation for the swim

I knew the racks were numbered but wanted to get a decent spot. In all reality, most spots are decent. You don’t spend too much time there hopefully. After I racked my bike I unloaded all my stuff and went for a short run to get away from all the chaos and other peoples’ nerves that somehow impact me. I felt a little sluggish, but that always seems to be the case race morning. I feel like lounging around and just walking everywhere. I am in major slo-mo. I ran into some other Tri Fusion athletes…Matt and Jessie. Matt always has some random observation that are kinda funny and this would be a big race for Jessie. Tim was there too with his wife Andie and newborn Elise.

Andie and Elise...hardcore.

Jessie, Matt, Trisha, and Emma

I have raced this event for the past 3 years and have come to really enjoy the event. It is early enough to establish a baseline. I am not one for flat bike courses because it normally means that there will be a lot of drafting. But I have never really seen that to be a problem at Blue Lake. It does create a great opportunity to test some thresholds and compare from year to year. It has normally been a pretty fast course for me and I have had some good splits there on the bike. The run is flat too. But if you do too much work on the bike, it’s very easy to get run down, and I know I can get run down :)

A quick pre-race good luck kiss...we all need these

The race started at 8:00am in water that was about 71 degrees and air temp that was 60 with an overcast sky. Not too bad really. Would have like to see some rain, but you can’t have it all. In the elite wave, there were about 15 I think. We lined up and took off. I went out fairly hard, or quick, and got passed about 200 meters in by Matt Berg. Then I got passed by another guy and got on his feet. Only problem was his feet kept going from side to side in the lake, i.e. was not swimming straight. So I maintained my line and would catch up to him and then he would get away, then I would catch him again. We made the turn for the finish and as he drifted off course, I swam straight and was 2nd out of the water. I knew Matt was ahead, but I did not think by more than a minute. I saw him in T1 and caught up to him. He left transition about 4 seconds ahead, so I closed almost all of my deficit I had from the swim.

Heading out of T1

As I was putting my feet in my shoes on the bike, Matt went by and got back the 4 seconds that I got back at the mount line. I eventually caught him again and passed him about 1 mile into the bike. Then it was pretty much open road for 24 miles. Well, and a motorcycle. I locked into a steady effort that I felt I could maintain. At the last turnaround I took a split to 2nd (still Matt) and realized I had a pretty good gap, but I thought I would need more time. With about 9 miles to go, I picked it up a bit and pressed on to the finish. I ended up with one of my fastest 40k bike splits, and highest power output as well. I was pretty excited about that.

Coming into T2

Emma, my super cheer squad...the "BEST" cheerer out there hands down

I rolled into T2 and was greeted by many spectators cheering me on. I was really impressed. There must have been 100 people right ON the dismount line. I cruised in and threw on my K-Swiss K’onas and was off. I normally feel slow in the first mile and know that I just need to get settled in.

Heading out on the run

I could see the 5 that were behind me coming in and realized I have about 3:30 on 2nd, so that gave me a little breathing room. I ran to the turn and was feeling good. I felt like I got going from mile 3 to 4 when I saw my mile split I realized that the mile markers may be off because it was a little faster than I was running. But it really did not matter. At this point I had about 4 minutes on 2nd, and knew that I just needed to keep doing what I’m doing…nothing stupid. Just run my race. I saw the first woman on the way out and knew Jessi would be close behind. I cheered her on and she was looking good. I came into the final quarter mile and was pretty excited knowing that I would defend the number 1 I was wearing this time.

Running along the lake...nice and cool

After crossing the line, I grabbed a bottle of water and headed out on the course to cheer some friends on as well as Jessi. I saw Tiffany and ran with her for a mile or so and then ran a bit with Jessi on the way back. Tim was close to her so I was able to throw some cheers his way too. I ran with Jessi for about a mile before she took off down the last ¾ mile. I headed to the finish to see them all come in.

Post Race Winnings

It was my fastest true Oly race I have ever done. I was happy with all my splits. None of them were earth shattering…well, maybe the bike a little, but they were consistent and efforts that I “should” be able to replicate in future races. There was never a time I felt like I was racing out of my control. So that feels promising.

After the race, we hit the local Dairy Queen and then a Carl’s Jr. 3 hours down the road. Love post race food. We had a very eventful trip down there with some hilarious happenings. A few memorable moment were:

1. Tiffany imitating what it sounds like when doves cry and making this mournful pigeon sound
2. Dropping Steve off at the Medical Lake exit and told him he needed to ride the rest of the way home at 8:30pm (30 miles) on our way back to Spokane…and he did.
3. Having Eric read a 20 minute story off his phone that literally did not have a conclusion about a guy named Tucker Max.

Another amazing trip with great people. Races are a lot of fun, but they are even better when you share them with friends, on your anniversary, and end up setting a PR. That’s a good weekend.

Hope your weekends are great, and thanks for all of your cheers out there.

Moses Lake Triathlon

Some days thing go well, and some days they don’t. Then there are those days that things just “happen.” I think this day was one of those days that just happened.

Moses Lake…I am not too sure what this community is know for other than a quick stop on the way to Seattle at the Starbucks and fueling up at the local restaurants. By the way, Moses Lake has one of the best pizza joints called Chico’s. We have actually driven from Spokane (1.5 hrs) on multiple occasions for their pizza. But this weekend Moses Lake would be know for the triathlon being held there.

Since the race was on Saturday, we headed out after work Friday and picked up Steve en route. As usual, Jessi supplied us with some amazing eats for the trek. I am pretty fortunate to always have Jessi in my rig. She makes sure we are “honest” with what we eat since she only brings the right food, and enough food, to eat. I don’t know what Steve was planning on eating, but he did not have to worry since Jessi supplied it for him too.

We arrived in Moses Lake about 1 hour before packet pick up closed and then we headed to the race venue. It was a typical park on a smaller lake. The road surface/parking lot was pretty rough but you got the idea of the race day layout. Jessi went for a swim and Steve and I got out on the road for a ride. It was a warm afternoon with some wind so I thought it would be a good example of what the race conditions would be like. Moses Lake is know for being hot and dry and even a bit windy. I am fine with the windy part…not the hot and dry though. That beat me up pretty good at Onionman 2 weeks ago. Not a huge fan of that. After the ride, Jessi fueled us up some more and we were off to the hotel.

I always “ask” for a main floor room. But I don’t think I have ever received one. This time would not be an exception. Fortunately this hotel was all “non smoking.” Now, when we opened the door, I am guessing that they acquired the “non smoking” status the day prior because the room smelled like it was the only room they smoked in. I hate that, but you live with it. There were actually burn lines on the carpet and on the table tops. Classy. I am not going to say where we stayed because I don’t want to get emails from the Shiloh Inn, right off I90, about giving them negative press. That’s no fun. We got the bikes all dialed in and were ready for bed…after I made a quick walk to the local gas n’ sip for some fig newtons. I just needed to top off my belly.

We got up about 5:15am and had a nice sit-down breakfast in our “non smoking” room, and then were off to the race site. But before we could get on the road, we needed to stop by Starbucks per Jessi’s request. More of a ritual thing I think. Since the race site was 2 miles away, I figured we had time. Supposedly the transition area did not open until 1 hour before the race. But when we got there we still set our transition area in the designated spots. We were the first 3 bikes there. Love that. One of the coolest things was seeing all the Tri Fusion members there racing. I think there were over 20 in all. Though it does not speed things up in transition, it’s nice to chat with people and know that you have a lot of peeps out there.
The TTX was all set up and ready to roll. Now the only thing to do was to get on my Helix. Once that starts going on, I think my heart rate automatically elevates. Not too sure if that is because of the work it always seems to take getting on wetsuits, or if it is a signal to my body that it’s about “go time.” I meandered down to the start, swam a little, and then lined up. Since there were so many club members there, it seemed like we were just out for a swim. But we were awfully close to one another? Hmmm…. When I saw the swim course I immediately thought, “That’s short.” But I was reassured by a lady that it was long enough because we did 2 laps. I again said, “Yes, I understand, but it’s short.” I have always found that whenever a course ‘looks’ long, it’s normally right on. When it seems right, it’s short. And when it looks short, it’s really short. Once again, I was reaffirmed.

My best impersonation of a monkey

The countdown started with a 1:30 warning…then 30 seconds…then 10…then we were off. The first turn buoy was a mere 50 yards out and it was a 90 degree turn. So getting there quickly was pretty important. I took off aggressively and was able to avoid congestion at the turn. I found some open water and was heading for the turn buoy. It came quickly (unsurprising). When I made the turn, I actually looked up and down the lake further thinking that there must be one more buoy…nope. So I headed back to complete lap one. I felt good on the swim and it was going by fast. After completing the 2nd lap, I was first out of the water heading to T2. My Helix came of flawlessly and my Rudy helmet was on and buckled. It was time to ride. As I left T1 I took a split and saw on my watch it said 16:XX. Sixteen minutes? Hmmm, I must have hit it in the swim. Nope, I later found out that I swam a 15:44. And no, I don’t swim that fast. It was actually supposed to be a mile swim too. Wouldn’t that be nice? I am sure everyone would like to have had the time they did AND have had the course be a 1mile swim. Buuut, it wasn’t.
The bike was disclosed as a 22 mile course. Great…not only was the swim short, but the bike too. Not exactly a course suited for my strengths. I wanted to start off on the bike and keep things steady. This was a rolling course with a pretty good headwind at this point. I was really doing my best to manage my watts and not get overzealous at the start. For whatever reason, the bike did not feel like it was clicking. I was moving along, but it seemed like I was having to work harder than it was showing. I hit the turnaround in 28 minutes and was headed back. Immediately after I started coming back, I could feel a nice tailwind. One of those tailwinds that finds you in your biggest gear and you still do not hear anything but the tires on the road. Though this feels good, it’s almost impossible to make time on people when everyone is going 35 mph. I saw second place and knew I had a pretty good gap. I kept it steady and forged on home. I made it back in 23 minutes. Tailwind? Maaaaybe. As in almost all triathlons, no one is really ready for the first bike. So I navigated my way around people in transition getting ready to start the sprint race and was in and out.
I wanted to settle in to a comfortable pace right away and avoid the discomfort I had at Onionman. Just keep it steady, comfortable, and smooth. Don’t run from people, run what you are capable of. Most of the run was along long open stretches of road that actually felt downhill, which made me think that it would be a little tougher coming back. I felt good and thought I would be at the turn at about 18:30 ish. When I hit 18 minutes, I could not even see the turn…19…19:30, finally, the turn. I rounded at 19:40. Seriously? What a blow. Here I thought I was running well? Heck with that, I knew I was running better than that. The course was long. Often I feel like the run course is long, but I know it isn’t. This time I knew it was long. Short swim, short bike, long run. This is just not my race. I took a split to see where 2nd was. After seeing him, I knew I just needed to maintain what I was doing. Don’t do anything crazy, just keep running. I started to see the onslaught of people and it looked like they were all flying. Again, ‘just keep doing what you have been doing, and you’ll be fine.’ I told Steve that the run is long when I saw him so that he would not think he was having a crappy run. It felt like the finish was coming quicker and quicker,,,that’s a new experience? I saw Jessi when I had about 1 mile to go and I could tell she was in a bit of a quandary. There were some gals in front of her running well that I knew she did not know if she should try to run with or not. I told her to stay within her race and to do ‘her’ thing. It’s hard to when you think the race is going away from you when often it’s just people being eager, and then it all comes back. It’s hard to separate the two. But I did not think it would be a good time to tell her that the run was long :) As I rolled into the final quarter mile, I zipped up my TIMEX suit and was excited to be done…I held on today. A very good feeling. I ran 19 minutes on the way back. Negative split the run. What next? Is Jessi pregnant? Is it going to snow race morning at IM Cda? (no, Jessi is not pregnant). Also, the run was 6.55miles too. Whew, I was not crazy. So though on paper this was not an “ideal” course for me, it turned out pretty well. I will say that the weather was VERY kind. Overcast, 63 degrees, a little rain… I must have been nice to someone.
Jessi had a great race too posting the highest watt output in an Oly race. She moves out quite nicely on the bike. Since we both love the rain, cool temps, and overcast, I don’t think it mattered what place either one of us got. It was just a good day. Now I will cheer on all my fellow Tri Fusion athletes, and Team TIMEX athletes, at IM Cda next weekend. What a long day that will be. I need a recovery week after cheering for people.

Hope all your races are going well and you are able to find moments that surprise you.

Race Report for Onionman

Since some of you have inquired, and it was all pretty much done anyway. So if you are at work, read on...

Onionman…I am starting to like this race. Though this did not end quite the same as it did last year, the feeling while there was the same. It was so great re-connecting with so many athletes that I have not seen all winter (The whole Gordon clan…including Kara, Jeff, David,…okay, I feel like I am just name dropping now), and some that I have not seen in a few years (Laura), and of course meeting many new people. This year the race seemed to draw groups from all over the PNW. Groups from Helena, Boise, Portland, Seattle, and of course, Spokane. On top of that, it drew a very competitive field. Four winners from prior years were all racing. How often does that ever happen at a race?

We arrived at the lake on Saturday at about 3:00. Just enough time to go for a swim. Fortunately the air was so dry that it was pretty easy to get on my wetsuit in the 85 degree weather. We (Tim, Steve, Jessi, and Tiffany) all headed down to the water to see just how cool/warm it was. After pissing off a few fisherpeople, we got in the water. It was amazing. But it might have had something to do with the air temp as well. We swam out a bit, floated, and swam back. As we were getting out it seemed like we were just ahead of everyone else getting into the lake for a swim. We all disrobed (love this part…not because of that, but I like taking off wetsuits. It’s like taking off ski boots at the end of a ski day) and got into our cycling gear. Shorts and short sleeved jerseys…man I love 80 degree weather! We headed out on the roads of Walla Walla passing vineyards and giant Ks in people’s front yards. Not too sure what that was, but it was big. I really like this countryside and can see why people live here. I am not one that normally comments on the bike course, but this one is pretty nice. After Steve fixed his bike in the middle of the ride, we headed back. He was having trouble with his shifting and had to move it from SIS to friction. Ahhh…I remember the days of friction. When there was a true art to shifting. None of this click and go. You had to know exactly where to move that lever. Ten gears? Not even close…six is all you got, and that seemed like a lot. A small chainring was a 42. And if you ever rode with a 25 in the back meant that you were off the back. My how things have changed. Off topic? Ya maybe. But the Giro is on and the wheels are coming off in that race right now. This year’s Tour de France is going to be epic. Now I am off topic. Back to the ride. After we got back we went for a short run out on the course. Last year it was raining and very wet so the trail was mud. This year it was dry and dusty. Already I knew this race would look play out differently from last year. Steve and I ran out about 1 mile and then headed back. Always nice to see what the course looks like at the end…but obviously it feels way better when running it with a friend chit chatting. A little foreshadowing of what is not to come? After mixing with the locals that had obviously been in the sun too long and were a good ½ rack over limit, we pressed on to registration.

Unlike at the lake, we found that everyone thought it would be a good idea to register at the same time we did. But it was fun seeing many familiar faces. Not to mention that it was a Trek dealership, so I felt at home with my peeps. Since I won this race last year, I would be donning the ‘stripe.’ The number one. Otherwise known as the target. It’s a nice memento from last year, but also somewhat of a noose. Most people would not think anything of it. Probably just think that I registered early. But those that will be in the top 10 know exactly what that means.

It was now time for dinner. It was a bit early, but after the short swim/bike/run, I was a bit in the mood. As was everyone else. We hit our secret place that gives us all energy (if you don’t tell anyone, I will tell you. But anyone who knows me knows exactly where we went) and then were off to our hotel. A few other Tri Fusion members were staying at our hotel. Dave “The voice of KXLY News 4” Erickson, Josh “Hoshberry” Hadway, and Matt “Ya, I am allergic to that too” Cusak. No matter where you are, or what race you are at, it’s always nice to see people you know. Just brings everything down a notch. We all settled into our rooms, placed our numbers on our gear, got breakfast out for the following morning, and went to bed. I woke up 5 times to go to the bathroom, but other than that, uneventful.

The 5:45am bell rang and we were up and rolling. I had the so uncommon breakfast of oatmeal and a banana. Not that it’s magical, but simple and easy to reproduce in almost all situations. I was not feeling all that hungry and did not eat all of it, but we wanted to get to the course by 7:00am to get a good position in the transition area since the race started at 9:00am.

When we got to the race site, we saw that the racks were numbered, so the need to get there early was irrelevant. But we all got good spots on our racks, so that’s good. I have to say that my spot was not the best, but it is what and you make due. As Emma would say, “You get what you get and you don’t throw a fit.” I got my area set up pretty quickly trying not to talk with too many people that seems to always happen then I am scrambling. Once set up, I went for a run on the same route I did yesterday. Afterwards, I went and laid in the Excursion and almost fell asleep. My heart rate was a tad high, but I was trying to relax. 30 minutes passed, and it was time for the pre race meeting and time for me to get into my B70 wetsuit. After the meeting I headed to the water. It was a beautiful morning and the sun was out. It did not feel too hot because the wind was blowing pretty good. So good, I was a little concerned about riding a disc and a deep sectioned front wheel. But nothing to do about it now. I got in the water and swam a bit to get loosened up and get some water in my suit, and then it was back to get a spot on the line. As I stood there, some familiar faces appeared. Michael G., Ben G., Josh H., Tiffany, Jessi, and a slug of others. This wasn’t a race, it was a party. Then there was the call for 1 minute to go. Party over. The gun went off and so did everyone else. Actually, I don’t know if it was a gun. Probably an airhorn. Or maybe someone just pushed me? I really don’t remember. I went out strong and felt people across the backs of my legs trying to get behind me. Not a big deal, but I continued on. I had a high turnover and was going well. I started to settle in after a bit and really found my stroke. This is when I expected to feel hands touching my feet, or people going around me… no takers. So I pressed on feeling pretty good. As I rounded the first buoy, I was able to look back a tad and saw that there were people close by. But we had only gone 200 meters. Throughout the whole swim I could hear my swim coach Kevin giving me all kinds of feedback on my stroke. So I listened. Funny thing is, I remember doing the same thing last year too. I really don’t mind leading. As a matter of fact, I would rather lead than follow in the swim. I swim straighter and smoother. After lap 1 of the 2 lap swim, I was still feeling good and sighting was no problem. I made the final turn for home and was already thinking about the bike. I did not know if there was someone close behind me and ready to come around, or if I had a gap. As I exited the swim, I could see that I had a bit of a gap. Later to find out it was 20 seconds over Jeff Smith…just like last year. Except last year I think the gap was a little larger.

With about a 20 second lead on elite triathlete Jeff Smith, who is pretty solid on the bike too, I took off pretty hard. Pushing some pretty high watts…higher than I wanted to, but I also wanted to get the heck out of there and the first 2 miles was pretty technical with twists, turns, speed bumps, etc. Once out on the road, I tried to settle in knowing that I would need to work a bit harder on the way out. I brought about 24 oz of fluids with me as well as 2 gels PowerGels. It was warm and I knew I would need t stay on top of my hydration for the run. I ended up getting passed by a team rider but that was all I saw going out. I made the turn, took a split, and started heading back. This is where you start to see if your hard work has paid off. I realized that I was over 30 seconds up on Jeff after the turn, so I knew I was putting time into him. But when you don’t know what the other peoples’ swim times are, you really don’t know if you are putting time into them, or if they are closing on you because of a horrible swim. It did not matter, I was still going hard. I took a gel right after the turn and was heading for home. Unlike last year, there was a headwind coming back. Crap! It was a steady downhill for the most part, but there was a cross/headwind to fight as well. Now I look at this 2 ways really. One is that you will need to stay on top of your power output on the way back, and two, aerodynamics will play a larger role. Both of which I was happy with, but I also did not plan on having to work as hard on the way back. I was moving quite well, and staying on top of my hydration. With about 4 miles to go, I could feel my power get a little erratic. Not bad, but I felt like I was having to work harder to maintain a steady effort. I was not too sure if it was because of the winds, or because of me. So it was hard to tell if I was suffering or not. Regardless, I was getting a little nervous and wanted this bike to get over. I was out of fluids with about 2 miles to go and I had just enough to chase down the last gel. The last couple miles have a few turns, so it allowed me to rest the legs a bit. I rolled into T2 and had a smooth transition. This time I also took a flask of water with me…should have had a canteen. I knew that the run was going to be hot and dry and I thought that in the first few minutes I could either dump it on me, or drink it. I did both and was glad I did.

Nice to have a nice clear transition to work with

The first mile of the run is a gradual uphill on a dirt trail. It’s not really fast, but I felt like I was moving right along. My first mile clocked in pretty solid. I was still feeling good at mile 2 and running well. I kept plodding along feeling okay. When I hit the turn, I was happy with where I was and figured I just needed to maintain and I “should” be good. I took a split to see what kind of gap I had on the rest of the field. I eventually saw Michael Gordon flying along and saw that I had about a 2:30 gap on him. Seemed pretty safe to me. Michael runs well, but not 5 minute miles, at least not yet. I still felt good until I was between mile 4-5. Things started to sputter a bit. When I hit mile 5, the wheels came off. I could not tell if I was over heating, or just out of energy, but the engine was shutting down. I kept reminding myself that I only had 1 mile to go and much of it was downhill... after a short uphill. At this point I had a good feeling that Michael would catch me…even with 1 mile to go. Fortunately he caught me with about ¾ of a mile to go, rather than with 400 meters (whatever that means). By the way, Michael had the fastest run of the day with a 34:39. I was struggling to get back. It felt like the last miles in an Ironman. Where you are just getting one foot in front of the other. I knew 3rd was another 3 minutes back, so I was not overly concerned unless I passed out. As I ran past the post race bar-b-que, I was looking to see if the food was put out yet because I was going to go straight to it. I eventually got across the line…I think I actually walked across. I was absolutely starving! At the finish line I ate about 6 oranges, 4 bananas, 3 fist full of pretzels and some fluids. I started to feel a lot better. But when I crossed that line, it was tough. Felt like the Cda Oly race where I was so dehydrated. But this time I was not craving fluids, I was starving. So it might have been a combination of the two, don’t know. When I got home later that day (6 hrs later) I weighed myself and was about 1 pound lighter than I should be. So not a huge variance, but low. That was after drinking quite a bit and eating as well. So I may have been a bit dehydrated as well. Don’t know. My total run time was about 3 minutes slower than last year and I would think the course was faster.

So I ended up in 2nd place by about 1 minute. If I would have ran what I normally have in years past, I would have held on. But that’s the way it works out sometimes. Michael ran a great race and put it all together for a win. Like I have said before, and even last year at this race, I never have any regrets losing races to good people/athletes. Losing to Michael was good loss.

I also wanted to recognize Jessi’s great race too. She dropped time in almost every area. She is really starting to figure all this stuff out and maximizing what she can do on any given day. I always admire her bike splits because I know it is an area that she really enjoys. But she is racing really smart too. Her race report is up on her blog too.

Also congrats to all the Tri Fusion members down there. We had 3 in the top 10. I think that’s pretty good.

Onionman 2009

Onionman 2009 is in the history books. It was much anticipated race with the field that was scheduled to be there. There were 4 people there that had won the race before, so I was excited to see how it would all shake out. Last year I won this race, but I was also coming off a build to ITU World Championships and it was my 3rd Olympic race of the season. So I had a pretty good idea where I was. This year, not so much. I was set to race Wildflower in early May, but caught the flu a few days prior and canceled my trip to Wildflower…major disappointment. So after recovering from that, I was able to get healthy for Onionman. It would be an honest test to see where I was, or was not. Not only with the athletes assembled there, but from what I had done the prior year.

Rather than bore you all with the detailed version of my trip down there, what I ate, how many steps I took to T1, I thought I would share some things that I observed, and learned, at this race. Since this is the first major race of the season for this area, it’s the first time that we all get together. Along with this, we all get to hear what everyone has been up to. This normally starts off with some variation of, “I really have not been training all that much,” or, “I have been sick the past 6 months,” or, “I had a heart and lung transplant last week, so I am not too sure how I will do.” I like to think this is all code for, “I have been training my ass off,” or, “my doctor has put me on some meds that would make Lance Armstrong look like a club cyclist,” or, “I have this new PT and massage therapist that has worked wonders on my body.” We all probably do this, just some more than others. I wonder if athletes in all sports do this? Does Tiger Woods walk up to his competition and say, “My swing is quite a bit weaker this year…I will be lucky to get 200 yards out of my drive. I just hope to stay on the PGA this year.” Does Michael Phelps say, “I have not been swimming much. I just hope not to get lapped in the 50.” My guess is we all question what kind of condition we are in as we start the season, and this is just our way of externalizing it. So the next time you walk through a transition area, listen to the conversations going on. Most of them revolve around personal disclaimers. Unfortunately for all of us, they never show up on the results. When you see the results, that asterisk next to your time is not an indicator that you were “training through this race.” It indicates that you got a 2 minute penalty for drafting.

Onionman 2009 was a great race, but I have not been running as much as I should have, and my allergies were kind of acting up a bit, not to mention that I did not get as much sleep the night before because my stomach was upset from eating some food that was undercooked from a party that I was required to be at a couple days prior that I ended up twisting my ankle at after jumping out of a tree after rescuing a rabid cat that ended up biting me. Did I mention that I might have Swine Flu?

Rule 76: No excuses, play like a champion.

New Ride Trek Madone 6.9 Pro Red

The maiden voyage of my new Trek Madone 6.9 Pro Red is done. It consisted of a rather hilly, and quite windy, ride with Jessi and Steve. I knew we had planned on riding this afternoon and my new Madone was to come as well. UPS arrived at about 1:00pm and I immediately got into the box because it seemed too light and I thought that the wheels were missing…they weren’t. I started working on it about 2:30pm after a few other obligations. So that gave me about 2 hours to get this all sized up and set up. Seems simple, and it “can” be.

Upon opening the box all I could see was bubble wrap and styrofoam. I guess that’s good. I took the frame and many of the components out of the box and began getting them ready for the light assembly required. This would be he first bike I have had with the new SRAM Red. But I thought it was built on the Shimano platform for the most part, so how hard could it be? Well, it wasn’t that hard but I seemed to fumble around with the front derailleur more than I needed to. Other than that, taking off the reflectors on the $2000 Aeolus wheels was a little funny as well as spoke protector. Yup, the same ones you see on the bike at Toys-R-Us. After running a few measurements and checking levels, I was ready to go.

Let me quickly walk you through the bike. The bars that came on it were Bontrager carbon bars that are 44cm wide. That’s pretty wide for a narrow shouldered guy, but feels super stable on the road. The bars are nicely matched up with a white carbon Bontrager stem. Very sleek and bold…yes, both. The SRAM Red brakes are fitted with carbon pads to accommodate the Aeolus 5.0 wheels (that happened to be clinchers…hmmm). The bar tape and cable housing are a very bright white, for now, and really set off the bike. I really like the seat post design that is a carbon mast design. Many frames are going this route to save weight, and decrease parts while making things stiff. The front derailleur is a clamp on, which happens to be one of the first bikes in a long time that I have owned without a braze on. The SRAM Red package was complete with the red accents and the cassette that has red anodization detail facing the spokes…pretty cool. I completed the bike with a pair of Look Keo Carbon Ti pedals.





I got this bike all built up literally 10 minutes before we had to leave. So as I walked out the door with my new ride, I was not 100% confident that I double-checked all the bolts. Oh well, should hold. I rolled down the driveway and grabbed the brakes…worked. Whew, I can stop. How about a quick acceleration? Yup, everything held. How about shifting from chainring to chainring under load? Yup, did it. So as Jessi rolled down the road too, we were off. Currently there is absolutely no computer of any kind on the bike. No speed, heart rate, cadence, time, …nothing! So I was riding by all feel on a completely new feeling bike. I felt like it looked cool. I mean, how often do we go out and train on a set of racing wheels? Though I was sitting way more upright than I do on my TTX, I felt like I was cruising along nicely. Jessi was tucked in behind me not complaining.

We came to a few stops and climbed a few more hills before we ran into Steve. From that point, we pick up the speed and started running the bike through the tests. It climbed like it was 10 pounds and as stiff as a downhill bike. The shifting was precise, and never left me shifting up two to come down one. It is designed on a 2-click system that you can quickly adjust to if you are used to Shimano STI. I had no problems with it form the get go. We hit some pretty big climbs and I found the hoods very comfortable and had a large enough platform to rest your hands. They also allowed for out of the saddle climbing, and even shifting, with success and ease. There were only a few times that I found myself in the drops, but when I did, I felt like I was pulling a Tour peleton behind me. Granted, I was going down an 8% descent. It made my ride go by so quickly. Since this was a brand new bike, and I did not change ANYTHING out of the box other than adding pedals, I was happy to ride for a bit and not experience any soreness. I did not even change the saddle! Jessi, Steve, and I had a great ride. I was so lucky to have such a great couple of people to ride with and let me test this new steed out with. I dragged them all over the place.

So to sum it up, this bike is race ready out of the box. I have ridden quite a few bikes from steel, aluminum, and carbon. I have used all the great components from the down tube retro-friction shifting to the Campy Ergo, to the Shimano STI. This bike was honestly a pleasure to ride. I would like to let everyone come and ride it and experience what it is like, but it’s mine and you can go buy your own :) I highly doubt many local Trek dealers will stock these bikes in a full size run, so if you are ever at a place that they are demoing them, take advantage of it. It’s like being at the BMW test track with a fist full of keys. Now I really know that Lance was never on drugs. I know exactly what he was on.

A HUGE thank you to Team TIMEX, Tristan, Tom, and all the great minds at Trek. It's because of all you that I am in need of a tent. But it should only be a temporary arrangement.

Free Ticket To Hawaii!

Well, not really a "free" ticket, but a way to save on one ticket for the Thompson household.

After Emma got back from her swim meet, and after seeing her lug around her team swim backpack that she got for Christmas the past few months, I truly thought it was as big as her. So today we put it to the test.



There are many internal pockets in this bag that I thought would be great for a reading light and some small snacks...maybe an inflatable pillow? Emma liked the idea. Granted, I did compare it to "First Class," just without the annoying stewardess. I have not quite figured out the oxygen, but those are small details.
Hawaii ticket from Alaska Airlines : $550
One extra carry on: $25
CPS Lawsuit: Priceless

UBC Triathlon

We made another pilgrimage to the wonderful Great White North known as Vancouver BC. We were there back in June at the ITU World Championships where I was not too happy about the race that unfolded at that time…but that is in another blog :)

A little snow over the Pass

Jessi and I took off on Saturday at about 1:30pm. Kind of a late start, but a drive is a drive and it really did not matter what time we got there. We also knew our race was starting at about 12:00 the next day so there really was no huge “rush” in getting there. Emma went up to Schweitzer for a weekend of skiing with her Papa Tim and Grandma Kris.

Secured Parking that we cleared by 1/2 inch going in, but could not drive out. We had to back out

Our accommodations found us staying at the luxurious Quality Inn in Vancouver. Might I caution you before staying at this location if traveling to Vancouver. We set our clocks forward and got a good night’s sleep.

This weekend would see similar weather trends with the wind and unseasonable cool temps (36 degrees on race day) as was experienced in June. But I have to say that this race is a lot of fun. The first time I raced this event was back in 1998. It was set up a tad different, but the gist was the same. It is well attended, selling out weeks before the event.

Paying to Park. I Hate this.

We made it to the race site in search of a parking spot. I am not one that likes to pay for parking, but we were in Canada and I think they charge you for parking in your own driveway. We eventually gave up and parked in a hospital parking lot that, of course, you had to pay for. But at this point we were ready to go. We got the wheels aired up and the gear in the packs, and we were “race ready.”

His and Hers

After being redirected at every building we went to, we eventually had all the items in the right places and were awaiting our start time. As I have said in many other race reports, I am normally one of the first ones to the race site, but one of the last ones ready for the start. This race was no exception. As all the athletes in my wave were listening anxiously to the pre race talk in their swim suits, I stood there in my fleece pants, down jacket, and fleece beanie. I figured we had about 10 minutes, so plenty of time to strip down.

Outdoor Pool

I eventually took off all my outer warmth and was exposed to the elements with nothing protecting me but a thin layer of orange lycra. They staged us in a “warming tent” right next to the outdoor pool. It was at that point that the race would begin. You would walk across the timing mat, get in the water, and then they would tap you and say “go.” I HATE being the first one because I usually screw something up. I was told to enter the water so I hopped in the pool. It was surprisingly warm…so I peed..just kidding. It was quite warm though. Then all of a sudden the lady said “go.” Crap! I pathetically pushed off the wall and was off. I felt slow…I mean really slow. Like something was slowing me down. I was in a skin suit, but it felt more like a drag suit (and not the cross dressing type…that would be really slow). I proceeded to the end of the pool where I would duck under the lane line and continue back. I would see all the people that were coming behind me. I tried to take a split by counting my strokes. But I know it would not be that accurate. As I came to the other end, I did a flip turn and headed back along the other side of the lane, just like “circle swimming.” Little did I know that this pool had 8 lanes and we were to duck under the lane line each time which meant..yup..I was swimming right into everyone that was behind me. Nice…real nice. Fortunately I was swimming slow so any impact would hardly be felt. I narrowly missed the guy behind me (really in front of me) and then I ducked into the other lane and continued on. I finally made it other end and got out of the pool. I glanced down at my watch to get an idea as to what I swam hoping that I would surprise myself at the sheer speed I was really going. Nope. It provided evidence that I was just above “treading water” speed. Oh well. Off to T1.

They had our T1 bag ready for us as we exited he pool. However, in the bag was my down jacket, fleece pants, and other warm clothes. So as she outstretched the bag to me, I shoved my goggles and swim cap in it and said thanks. Jessi and I both looked over the arrangement of the course and figured it would be faster to do all of T1 at the bike itself. So the T1 bag that everyone was grabbing, we did not. My wet body carried me barefoot through the 36 degree air temp and to my steed about 400 meters away. There I started the longest T1 I think I have ever done. I put on a vest, arm warmers (which I never rolled up) helmet, number belt, and gloves. I could see the people coming from the pool all dressed and ready to go. I grabbed my Trek and ran out of T1 and did the common flying mount. I am always a tad afraid of missing the seat, or having the seat fall down when I do that. It’s quite a spectacle to watch when it goes right, but would never be forgotten if it went wrong. Bottom line, I was off on the bike.

I brought my Trek up to speed and then started to fumble with my shoes to get my feet into them. I have never tried this with gloves before and struggled quite a bit. I think it took me about 2-3 minutes to finally get my feet in. And since this was such a short bike, I was wasting precious time. Once all secured in, I was able to start going. My watts went up rapidly and the adrenalin kicked in. The cool air was making a statement on my face and bare legs, but I knew things would adjust. But for the first few minutes, it felt like pins in my legs being poked all around. The first out and back is a slight downhill. I found myself in my largest gear turning it over pretty comfortable for a bit. I was passing people at a ferocious speed. Granted, some of them were in a completely different race, more than likely longer, and on mountain bikes, but I felt like a sports car on the freeway passing semi trucks up Snoqualmie Pass. I made it to the first turnaround where I could take a split on 2nd…or at least the guy who started the swim behind me. I figured I put over a minute into him in the first few miles. That was good. But I still had a 5k to run and I needed some more time. I continued to push some good watts and saw Jessi flying the other way. She was looking very comfortable and traveling at a high rate. I was finally making my way back to T2 and thought I would put in one more big effort before setting up for a dismount. As I approached T2 I got my feet out of the pedals and was ready to jump off at a pretty good clip. As usual, the official was waving his arms and yelling to stop..slow down…dismount here…all the same things they say when they don’t think that you see them. I jumped off at about 15 mph and skipped into T2. I wasn’t really “riding” my bike, but like running though a parking lot with a shopping cart, I was using it to propel me a bit.

I got to my transition spot and was able to get into my shoes quickly. I grabbed my Rudys and TIMEX visor and was off on the run. I started off the run with a quick turnover and figured I would give it what I had. It was only 5k, but it was still 5k. I got to the first marker that said “1.” Since we were in Canada, I knew that that was not a mile marker. But it came quickly. I eventually saw “2” and I knew I was close to the turnaround. It always feels better to be running back to the pasture so to speak. As I hit the turnaround, I took another split to see how far back second was. I was running well, I thought. I did finally see 2nd and he seemed to be running well, but was too far back to make a push for it. So now it was just me running against people I could not see. I started to look for Jessi and was hoping to see her soon. With all the people on the bike course, people being cold, and three 180 degree turnarounds, it all increases the chance of an accident. So when I saw her running up the hill, and looking strong, I knew she was doing well. She was trucking and looking good. I continued on towards the finish navigating all the turns and cones in the last kilometer. I saw the finish and just ran strong to the end. I crossed the line, they took off my timing strap, and then I started running back on the course to cheer Jessi in.

It wasn’t long before I saw her so I turned around knowing she would catch up to me quickly. As I turned around in the middle of the run course, I figured there were a few people that probably thought I was running in the race still and just turned around in the middle of the run. Oh well, not a big deal. I ran the last 1.5ks in with her and I could tell she was cruising. She even picked it up for the last ½ mile. I peeled off with about 300 meters to go and met her at the finish.

After crossing the line, we quickly went to get or bikes out of transition and got our warm clothes. We tried to look for some results, but none were posted. We saw that the awards ceremony was not for another 1.5 hours. So we headed back to the car, loaded it up, and were off to Spokane. It was good thing we left when we did, because we did not anticipate the 90 minute wait at the boarder. Yikes! That was frustrating. We were in a bit of a hurry because we wanted to get home and see Emma. The drive home was pretty uneventful other than consuming 5 Krispy Kreme donuts. That was pretty fun.

The 90 minute wait at the Boarder

Hmmm...what shall I have?

ALL MINE, Ah, Ha, Ha, Ha...

It was a great trip that found us home in 36 hours from start to finish. Both Jessi and I won overall for men and women. That was pretty cool. But it was definitely not a distance that we really wanted to race. But you race the race in front of you and do your best in that. Even with a race that short, that went pretty well, there were definitely things I would change if I were to do it again. But for what I knew, and what I had, I am happy with the race.

I love racing. I love the anxiousness and the feeling of “Why am I doing this?” that you experience. But at the end of the day, you always seem to know why. Never be afraid to test yourself… it’s what makes you better.

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

So I am not a huge calorie counter, or even someone who really watches too much what I eat. I am very thankful that Jessi takes care of 95% of that for me by shopping and getting foods that would benefit me more than others. If I were the one who did the shopping I would probably not get too far past the Hostess isle where I would be able to justify the raspberry filling in the powdered donut as a “fruit serving.” And the shredded coconut on the other ones has got to account for something…right? I do have a sweet tooth, and I LOVE Costco cake. I am not too sure what food group that falls into but I know there is a milk product in there and some fruit as well. And all those chemicals…come on, those are scientifically created. That is NASA stuff. Hi Tech means "good stuff" in the triathlon world.
So Kathy W. gave me a book called, “Calorie, Fat and Carbohydrate Counter.” It’s a great reference book to all kinds of foods. But more specifically, they have a big section in the back that has all the common restaurants, ice cream shops, and of course coffee houses. Once in particular, Starbucks. I have been known to go to Starbucks from time to time, but I am not what some would call a ‘regular,” or “addict.” But I thought I would take a peek at what one of my favorite treats had to offer. That being the infamous Pumpkin Scone. That innocent scone with a gourd for its name hiding under a silky layer of frosting. Yes, you know the one. It’s normally not available after 8:00am because of its popularity.

So what is the verdict? The Pumpkin Scone weighs in at a hefty (good word huh) 510 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 71 grams of carbohydrates. Now, I have to honest and say that these numbers really don’t mean too much to a guy that does not count calories. So I thought I would compare it to some items that would “outweigh” the delicate and delicious Pumpkin Scone.

Take for instance the Quarter Pounder with Cheese from McDonalds. That has got to be a killer. That grease bomb has 510 calories, 26 grams of fat, and 40 grams of carbohydrates. Pick up your jaw please. Yes, it’s true. I might as well go to McDonalds and get a Quarter Pounder with cheese if I get the Starbucks Pumpkin Scone in terms of base nutritional value. If you sat those two side by side, I would suspect that over 90% of people would think that the Quarter Pounder with cheese would be substantially worse for you. I am not too sure if I want people to se my car I the McDonald’s drive thru getting a coffee and Quarter Pounder each morning…but I might as well.

And those deep fried Chicken McNuggets that we all used to eat, but would not touch now because of how bad they ‘must be’ for us? A 6 piece meal has 250 calories, 15 grams of fat, and 15 grams of carbohydrates. That is practically a Weight Watchers Meal! Granted, if you want the sauce, that’s another 50 cals per container. Pretty disheartening really. I will stop now and simply provide a comparison chart to my once loved, wolf in sheep’s clothing, Pumpkin Scone.

Item_______________________Calories___Fat____Carbs
Starbucks Pumpkin Scone______510____ 22 ____71
McD Quarter Pounder w/Cheese_____510_____26_____40
6pc Chicken McNuggets___________250_____15______15
10pc Chicken McNuggets__________420_____25______26
Big Mac______________________540_____29______45
McD Hot Fudge Sundae___________330_____10______54
12oz Oreo McFlurry_____________560______16______88
Quizno’s Steakhouse Sub (6”)_______510______21______52