Triathlon Lifestyles: Kevin Konczak

Record snow!

2012-02-05T11:04:00.000-08:00

Record snowstorm totals for Boulder from one storm for the month of February. Sure puts the ka-bosh on cycling when the main roads have 20 inches of snow on them. Either way it allows one to focus on getting in the pool if you're a triathlete & warm weather bug. Bike trainers can be miserably boring but a great boost to cycling with no downhills to coast on & having to continuously pedal.

If you're just getting into the sport of triathlon, now is the time to get all those equipment "things" taken care of. Now is the time for a new bike, shoes & taking care of what you have to eventually take care of anyhow. Bad weather outside can mean good times for taking up a new winter sport such as nordic skiing if you are in snow pelted areas of the world. There are also indoor strength improvement opportunities as well during this time. Just because precipitation is coming down does not mean you have to be inactive & "couch it" as we like to say. Get those rainy day activities done so when the sun comes out, you too can be out there without a huge laundry list of items. Time crunched athletes can open up some time by tasking out 1 or 2 things you MUST get done a day. We all procrastinate--so committing to getting 1 or 2 things done can really make you feel productive.

One of those things I have saved for a snowy/rainy day is a blog entry. So here it is with suggestions on what to do during stormy weather. Of course, there is nothing wrong with taking some time to watch the 2012 Super Bowl! However, you still can get those 1-2 things to do items off your list & possibly burn off some of those buffalo wings with some exercise.

Taking off the weight

2012-01-13T07:37:00.000-08:00

Taking off 17 lbs since the (disaster-dly) marathon on December 4th is not insurmountable, but 17 lbs added on has made it one of the heaviest points in my life. Making better food choices & reducing calories by 500 per day will take a pound off in a week itself. Combine that with regular training/consistency, that should equal 3-4 lbs a week. Quite an easy task if you stick with it.

I do not believe in diets, in addition, you should have fun eating & making smart choices of common sense "good foods" daily. I certainly do not want to starve myself to lose weight, so I eat more frequently but use smaller and more regular meals. I find this helps my blood sugar levels and sustains my energy better throughout the day. If you are looking to lose weight, start looking at the labels and seeing what it is you are putting in your own body--it may scare you!

After the first week of exercise and smarter food choices, I have already taken off 3.5 lbs. My projected "ramp up time" is around 5 weeks before I am back at fighting weight. All things equal, this will be a great time to establish base miles for the upcoming season, allow the bad weather season move through the calendar, as well as allow me to work on flexibility and strength. By the end of February, it should be GAME ON!

The specifics of the build phase periodization will depend on progress of the transition phase from what many would call "off season" (to which there never really is an off season--just what I call a step back point in the season). It is important to let all systems, mentally, physically and for some spiritually, to step back each year to assess your life and race goals, while moving to a non-regimented schedule. This reduces stress that the focused part of the year brings on and allows for adaptation universally throughout all aspects of that which makes you a "whole person". What are those aspects? They vary from person to person so that is one you'll have to figure out yourself. Either way, this stepping back will bring you a new level at the start of each season and you'll be on meeting the challenges of the year knowing you are on board with whatever it takes to make those goals happen. Good luck & see you on the fitter side of life shortly!

Pacing Tips for Marathon

2011-12-09T10:58:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I raced in the Cal International Marathon in Sacramento. Despite zipping through the 13.1 mile mark at 1:18:29, I found it would have been much better to run closer to a 1:22 in the long run. My pace after mile 20 drastically slowed. Additionally, I really needed to take in more than 4 gels and micro-sips of water during the race. Clearly I was in a state of imbalance nutritionally and became quite "bonkish" around 21 miles. The difference would have meant a 3rd place in my AG vs whatever place I actually ended in. The winner of the 60-64 AG was only 1 second behind--amazing! At age 62 this older fart was a lightening bolt.

In hindsight, after spending Sept. 24-Nov. 2 with an injury that kept me from running, followed by 2 weeks of the flu, my total of 20 runs from Sept. 24th through Dec. 4th left me quite "out of shape and it is difficult to do a marathon on such little training. At least I can say I ran 2:49 (with a #2 pitstop at mile 14), on less than three months of training. Whatever the case, I feel pacing the first half considerably slower would have allowed me to comfortably finish under 2:45 without any issues. Remember that next time you run a marathon, race the first half as if it were more of a warm up!

2011 Boulder 70.3 Half Ironman Race Report

2011-08-07T22:25:00.000-07:00

Wow what a difference a few weeks can make. Looking at the start list (2010 Ironman Hawaii & half ironman world champion) in the 40-44 AG decided to show up. Then last year's winner of the 70.3 Boulder race showed up, and my lungs & legs decided NOT to show up. I've had nothing but 1st & 2nd place finishes all year pretty much, except when I was sick for Oceanside 70.3 in April. Weeeell it struck again. I got my kid & wife's cold, conveniently yesterday, the day before the race. Shheeesh. What is it about half ironman races & getting sick? Bad enough it is my worst distance, but toss congestion & a runny nose in it & you can spell "subpar race" out easily. Which is too bad really, because I felt even on the 4-5 hours average training per week this year I've been getting (all three sports), I could still "bluff my way" to the line in at least 2nd place. Not today. No way no how, it just wasn't there.

There was a host of top area athletes showing up and somehow I managed to ward them all off but two. Last year's champion and the reigning world champion. Not bad place wise but really was disappointed with the lackluster horsepower from the legs. I suppose it is for the best, makes me realize that you can't always have a good day or have things go your own way.

Here's a recap...yesterday was about an hour of standing in the garage deciding to use the disk wheel or Corima 4-spoke. The 4-spoke has been the A choice all season and for some reason the disk came out the winner of the two. Don't think it really mattered actually--except mentally. Then in transition before the race, I must have moved my bike three time, trying to find the best place to park in order to have the fastest transition spot possible according to my strengths. Lots of indecisiveness for some reason. Then the swim went awful...zig-zagging all over the course, to the point where an old training buddy of mine that has been finishing behind me in swims the last few years by quite a bit, said to me, "You were zig-zagging all over out there!" I knew...and it certainly adds time onto the swim, but it is what it is. What do you say when you are only swimming 1-2 x a week? You get out of practice, so I'm fortunate to not have just swum in a big circle non-stop all day long. The bike...considering when I hit mile 30 and it was quickly approaching my weekly average long ride distance, the legs just cut out. Stopped pumping power to the pedals. Not much you can do but learn to train more I guess. On the run...here's where I had hoped to make up some time because the run had been spot on all season. Well...that didn't happen either. I ended up running with a pro named Brad Seng (who was on his final lap starting :30 min ahead in the pro wave). It was like the run was just a big joke...not only lacking the horsepower to push the pace, but lacking the desire. Methinks the only thing that could drain me like that were the following: 1) Lack of calories the last few days--been too busy around the house so neglected to eat properly or enough...maybe 1800 calories yesterday. 2) Ran out of calories on the bike because I ran out of Infinit & only had Gatorade to use for this race, with a NUUN tablet in it. 3) Lack of sleep averaged in around 6 hours the last 2 days 4) The almighty head cold which seems to be a little better than it was this morning. If if follows suit like the wife & kid, it should be gone tomorrow...like a 2 day cold.

Much could have gone better but so what? It happens, there were faster people showing up while it would have been best to stay home & nurse the cold. The result of 3rd place isn't horrible, especially with the competition involved, but it certainly was a slow time that I'm not really thrilled about Just one short 5K next weekend, a trail race in September, and marathon in December and it's a season! Then a break and build up to "real" fitness levels for another shot at an Ironman race in 2012. Time to get off the but & start some "real" training. But sheesh, it sure is nice NOT doing all that training, amazing how much you really get done in a week without a 20 mile long run and 120 mile bike rides thrown in. Word of advice for any future half ironman racers out there...at LEAST train more miles & hours per week than the ACTUAL race. It was weird racing more in one day than I train all week long! Except that 118 mile ride when my friend Sean was in town last month...but that was a one-off. Until the next update...sleep well.

August update!

2011-08-01T11:18:00.000-07:00

It has been quite a while since my last entry so to start it off, let us look to the early race season. Ironman California 70.3. Once again, the week before I got sick (again). Same race, same week, one year apart. I do not race with a watch, and oddly enough—my run split was EXACTLY the same (to the second). It was not a spectacular start to the season, but it was a fun get away to spend a weekend with my friend (and athlete I coach) from Florida. I also ran into another athlete I used to coach in a bar/pub-grill the first day there in Encinitas. He is also from Colorado and was there with his son who is a lacrosse player competing in a tournament. It was good to see him again.

With no Ironman in the schedule for 2012, it is a year to continue with my 4-6 hours of training (per week combined) for all three sports. It is so much fun not training much and getting projects completed that have been put on the back burner for a few years. With a full roster of athletes again this year, I would not have the time to train for Ironman anyhow, so it is a relief in more than one way to be racing short course. The plan this year was to just race myself into shape and continue with “maintenance” training only. There are no expectations other than to have fun and spend more time with family and really enjoy this summer. I even hopped in my second ever Bolder-Boulder and finished in an acceptable 35:40 (altitude) on about 15 miles per week of running. To qualify for the A wave I had to run the Boulder Distance Classic 15K which was 55 minutes with absolutely no warm up (because the line for bib pickup ran too late & some missed the start).

So far the BDC 15K has netted a 2nd, Bolder-Boulder 2nd in the Age Group and 75th overall (out of 55,000 runners), a first Master’s AG AND Overall Age Grouper 1st place in Loveland Lake 2 Lake Olympic Distance Triathlon, a 1st place in my Age Group/Master’s in the Boulder Peak Triathlon. Quite a few 1st’s and 2nd’s this season with 4-6 hours of training. Certainly there is something to be said about being undertrained vs. over-trained like most years I do an I.M. (Ironman). I’m having fun, racing locally (and often) for the price of one I.M. race, spending way less time away from family so it’s all good!

One of my all-time triathlon heroes returned from the “retired list”—Dr. Chris Peeters. I had the honor of him hosting a dinner alongside his family at his house in 2009 when I visited the Olympic Training Center for the Elite Mentor Coaching Program. I was chosen as the lead US Junior National Triathlon Camp’s running coach and worked with hundreds of children teaching them proper warm up, drills & running form with the help of a great supporting staff. It was an honor to be chosen as an invited coach (and the only one from Colorado at that!) Anyhow, back to the story, Chris Peeters came down with M.S. and had to stop racing because his body just was failing him. I asked him about this at Boulder Peak and all he said was, “It’s a long story.” It’s my hope it turned out to be a misdiagnosis. He is truly another of the great people I have met in my lifetime & I only wish him the best. I’ve been racing Chris since living in the Midwest and racing him back when I started the sport in my late teens.

The athletes I have worked with this season have been doing fabulous. Last year I had an 80% Personal Record rate for all athletes combined. This year, I have an athlete who has had a 100% PR rate. Anything this New Yorker races in he comes out faster than he ever has. Way to go Ethan! Again, most of the athletes I work with seem to be repeat customers which tells me I am doing something very right with coaching them. One athlete comes back for his 6th season working with me. This group are a testament to what I tell them upon working with them from day one: If you follow the program, do exactly what I tell you, you will succeed. No excuses, just lots of feedback in your training log. Those that do this, and do not modify the program, ALL succeed. I have had failure in the past with athletes not following the program. The result? They don’t do well, or meet their goals—and think the answer lies somewhere “out there” elsewhere. It isn’t hard to pick them out. Motivated at the start, it only takes a couple months to see what they are really made of (or not). The best successes I’ve had include Ironman Hawaii qualifier athletes, ITU World Championship qualifiers, 5150 Championship qualifiers, personal bests all season long for all those athletes that actually do what I instruct them to. To those athletes, I commend all of you for staying the course and proving to yourself that you CAN do what it takes to be your best. I’m proud to be part of that success and being your “program manager” for athletics.

This summer I had a lot of fun with some friends visiting from Claremont, Florida. We rode up Mt. Evans which is something I’ve always wanted to do (holy moley was it COLD UP THERE!!!) I took some pictures of a Marmot which was cool (looked like a beaver). Then the following weekend an athlete of mine and one of my Florida friends rode my favorite 118 mile route up in the mountains through National Forest climbing nearly 10,000 vertical feet—and met up with Raynard Tissink (5th overall pro in Ironman Hawaii one year). These two outings alone pretty much doubled my normal weekly training volume but it was a lot of fun. There were a little too many going out to eat trips during those two weeks but it was nice to not have to cook much during that time (or grocery shop). Most of the time was spent remodeling the front entry of the house so it was booku-back-breaking-work for much of those two weeks. So much to do & so little time!

I’ve been glad to be off the Facebook thing on my iPhone for a few months and wow—what time it saves!~ Never realized what a waste FB really is unless you really need or want to connect with someone you haven’t talked to in a while. I took the “app” off the phone because life is too short to waste on FB. I “Tweet” as @toontriathlete but not very often. Besides, FB is dangerous because there are so many folks “offended” by something you may say, and there are always nosey people peering in on what you say there. One of the guys that came from Florida this summer was a director at some company in I.T. and said that he goes on there regularly to “spy” on workers or potential workers. Then he said they fire them if they say something they feel they shouldn’t have said. While I didn’t really know the guy (he just came along with the others for the trip to Colorado), he was “proud” of what he does. I told him those accounts are personal networking/friends type of things and companies really have no business taking action when it is “personal” such as things they do on their time that is their own opinions or statements (it is a free country right?) He said it was “public knowledge” which I call B.S. on—it is a personal account and the account owner’s freedom of speech so companies should BUTT OUT on it. Anyhow, I didn’t care much for the guy after that. Guess he couldn’t tell the difference between right and wrong so it isn’t my problem.

As for reconnecting, the 25th H.S. reunion is next year, oh boy…I went to the 20th and it seemed like some either had plastic surgery to “try” to improve looks while others I totally didn’t recognize. Meaning, wow, how “old” they looked. Full heads of hair were gone, bellies appeared, gray instead of other colors were covering their heads (or not!) and wrinkles were the norm. I didn’t think we were that old! Some actually looked better in their late 30’s than as teens. The clicks were still there—gravitating towards each other, like they were in high school. Some didn’t even bother to say hi (just like in the halls in high school)…although it was nice to reconnect with some of the nicer people out there. It was awesome hanging out with my cousin Dave & Robin, and my old next-door-neighbor Jennifer. I had my “fill” for a few more reunions (maybe I’ll go back for the 35th or something). Besides, I’m booked during reunion time anyhow so already commitments are made for 2012.

Winter…had not skied ONCE last winter. Did I miss it? Not the time it takes to drive up there, wax skis and spend an entire day just for a few hours of skiing. But yes, missed the tranquil trails zipping up & down mountains on 2” wide skinny skis. Next up for racing…5430 half (which will be longer to compete in one day than my entire week of training this year so far). It is actually called the Boulder 70.3 Half now, but it will be hot & no, I am not looking forward to it despite racing at the top of the pointy end of the races this season. There may be a few other races this fall I’ll hop into at the last minute, and a winter marathon just for funzzies. One thing I’ve come to realize is that training should include lots of racing just to break things up. Race often, race yourself into shape, get experience and use it as a plain old “C” race effort type of training or interval work. If anything, you may end up racing as fast or faster than you have with quadruple the training volume. It goes back to quality. If there is little time to train, usually you’ll end up hitting the most important key workouts and toss aside all the “junk”.

On to 2012…who knows what lies ahead for next year. There are some “goals” set in place (yes, another Ironman) as well as non-racing goals set in place. We’ll see how much more efficient I can become working towards those by cutting out the “fluff” from daily routines. Maybe clean up the amount of email I get, spend less time looking at email—and hone the daily routines and create a more organized approach to daily “to do” lists. Luckily I don’t have a video game habit, nor am I glued to the television for anything. In fact, I don’t really watch much of any TV—no time for it! Live each day to the fullest, try to smell the roses each day, as long as you can. Don’t waste the days you have, spend them eeking out every single minute to the maximum you can squeeze out of it. You never know how many minutes you have left. Period. Until next time—be the best you can be. Be everything you know you can be. Forge your own path, don’t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do—you make it all happen. Or you don’t. As a wise puppet once said in a fantasy film…”You DO…or DO NOT…there is no try.”—Yoda.

The Flight of Time

2011-05-25T10:29:00.000-07:00

Criminees & Jimney Crickets! It has been since April 13th since my last post & not sure where the time has flown. So much going on with Memorial Day weekend/Boulder Creek Festival & oh, my 42nd birthday on Friday! Yeah, made it this far in life & am still breathing, that's an accomplishment in itself when you look at all the folks that pass on too early in their lives. Some go by the wayside & take themselves out from accidents, or stupidity, or it "just happens". I'll call myself one of the lucky ones & be thankful for it.

Some home projects have been put on hold so that others could be started. The yard project will have to wait so that I can start inside projects. Not sure where all the time will come from to do it all, but it will be a learning experience doing a remodel of a bathroom. Plus, it just sounds fun. Playing with thinset is like playing in the mud in the rain. Combine that with a contractor grade wet-saw power tool "Ohhr Arrr Arrr" like Tim the Tool Man would say, it makes for a daunting yet exciting challenge!

Bolder Boulder is only a few days away & I often wonder why the heck I have only run it ONE time in the 15 years I have been here. I guess it is too short. 10KM just doesn't seem "right" to bother getting a pair of shorts dirty for, or shirt or the socks. Nor does it warrant waking up so dang early. It is fun to watch--but even that seems far too early to do. The races I seem to do well at include an 80 mile warm up before I "get going" and rolling. Anything shorter just isn't my bag of tea. I seem to look at all the runners & say, "Thank gosh I'm sitting here on the curb not in pain!" More power to them but it sure is a fun time watching everyone.

It FINALLY stopped raining a few days ago before it started again. Yes, I mananged TWO bike rides in the last two weeks because my bike isn't equipped to be a dual-purpose raft. The tires do not float. Hopefully this weekend will lend some dry days to sort of allow a ride of adequate distance (whatever that may be on that day). I'll try to remember to take some before/after pictures of the bathroom remodel (which is still over a month away from starting). Until next time (at the rate I've been posting that will be 2012!)...be safe!

On Wings of Angels...

2011-04-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ever have one of those days where some odd thought drops into your head like it was delivered there on the wings of some angel? The thoughts are all happy & smiley like the only thing you could think about is nothing but good thoughts? Here's the plot...today I had just finished a 4,000 yard swim (okay, a rare day of solid training--so maybe the endorphines contributed to the warm cozy thoughts...) I then followed it up with nearly an hour aqua jog. There was an elderly water aerobics exercise class in the other half of the pool where some lane lines were taken down. I was watching these now smiling elderly get out of the pool, some barely could make it up the ladder. Some were carrying a good 100+ lbs extra and having a heckuva time walking. There were still smiling, seemingly happy at getting some exercise.

Suddenly, I couldn't help but wonder what walks of life these folks came from, or what amazing things they had done in there many years of living. How many great things good deeds throughout the years that had added up and affected so many people in positive ways. Here they were in the twilight of their time here on earth, seeking out that "feeling" of being alive through exercise. Some could have been teachers or postal workers, health care industry employees, electricians or even maids. It didn't matter what their past was in this moment, only that they were--and ARE. They are here, enjoying whatever it was they had done, enough to make it through all those years. Life must have been somewhat happy for them if they were walking on the pool deck smiling with such grins. Yes, they were really cute, "older" people. How interesting the stories must be just sitting down and listening to them. The history and monumental achievements they have passed on to this world and those interacting with them.

At a time I should have been concentrating on technique, form, breathing patterns during a workout, these wonderful people came into my view and I wondered about them. I wondered about how great these people are to someone out there. I will never know them, or their stories, but there is one story I will say I was told today by each and every one of them. The look on their faces smiling, laughing, joking...delivered a smile to my face and made me feel lucky just to be alive. Somehow I became happy the rest of the afternoon because there were so many angels delivering smiles on their wings today.

Where do the athletes go...?

2011-01-31T13:20:00.000-08:00

As a kid getting into running at about age 14, there was a guy that lived 2 doors down. From what I recall, the single most successful men's post-collegiate runner from my home town. Steve Wagner--from Alpena. He would wake me up in the summer by running past our house on the first of his daily two runs. One around 7 or 7:30 AM, the other around 1:30 or 2 PM. It has been many years but those are the time I recall hearing him run by--I would pop up in bed to try to see if I could catch a glimpse of this speedster before he disappeared. He ran in America's 10K...not sure if they have it still, but supposedly one person from each state was chosen to represent a state to vie for top honors. Some of the times I seem to recall (but can't find anything on the Internet)...was a near 30 minute 10K, as well as a near Olympic Qualifier time for the marathon. That would place him around 2:20-2:25. Again, I do not recall the specifics just only that he went on to do some amazing things. Steve was not the fastest runner from the high school days but certainly was up there during a time of top dogs who now have their pictures hanging in the Walk of Fame just outside the gym doors at Alpena High. Guys like Chad Zielinski, Todd Zielinski and Ed Matash. These are the true all time champs I recall from high school days--to make state championships and have your picture in the Walk of Fame...WOW! On a side note, I debated on Facebook who the top runner in high school was and it came down to Todd Zielinski and Ed Matash. Both ran in slightly different eras. Ed ran when most races were 3.0 miles, Todd ran 5km (3.1 miles). I believe Todd's fastest 5km time in high school was 15:55 where Ed's was 15:32. Different distances and most likely different courses--so I will call it a tie. Just simply because it is too close to call--although Todd went on to college and posted a top 15 in college national championships (NJCAA I think it was called--for junior colleges).

Back to Steve...my folks contacted me this past weekend to ask if I knew Steve, as they didn't recall much about him. Asking me if I knew of a runner from Alpena or not is like asking the Pope if he is Catholic! They told me of the story and here is the link and ultimately what happened to Steve: HERE
Sad as it seems I barely recognized the once runner-like person in the photo, although I saw it in his eyes. I used to walk a few doors down to talk to Steve (or Laura or Brian his siblings), mostly Steve though--because he was a runner and I wanted to pick his mind on training. I saw how hard this guy worked to become the runner he once was, now wonder what became of all those that worked so hard to get where they got to. What made them stop? What kept them going--and do they miss it?

Undoubtedly the fastest female runner from the home area is currently Michele Suszek who oddly enough only lives about 20 minutes away from me in Colorado. She is the 12th ranked female marathoner in the USA...and has qualified for the 2012 Olympic Trials. While I have not met her personally, except talking on FB or email, I wish her all the best in her efforts.

Of course, there would not be a point of mentioning all this without the name of one person...Jeff Blumenthal. The schmuck (not really--I've always been very thankful for him dragging me into whatever he has any time while growing up)...sat next to me in band class who couldn't quit talking about ski racing (I never heard of Nordic skiing & thought how boring to ride up to the top & jet down the hill at warp speed). Jeff was also one of the top runners in high school in the state during his years of running cross country and indeed went on to race in the state finals--although not quite the caliber of Ed Matash and Todd Zielinski--he was certainly faster than I ever was in high school. Jeff is the knucklehead who dragged me into cross country skiing just before he went on to win NCAA Division II National XC ski Championships. He also went to the Olympic Trials and finished 16th in the 10km skate event and respectable finishes in the other disciplines. I went on to race in college as well as compete in the USA Junior Olympics representing the Midwest region of the USA. Additionally, Jeff dragged me into triathlon as well. Triathlon led me to Colorado seeking better competition in my age group which led me to racing "pro" for one year. Of course, I had a full time job and we all know how pro sports are plagued with doping and performance enhancing drugs so I was already at a double-disadvantage to some of the athletes I started next to. But what kid wouldn't want to say they wouldn't want to play for the Tigers or Yankees if they were in Little League? Racing pro was the equal in triathlon and I met the qualifications so I did. Then I called it "good" and went back to racing amateur, which I still do. But this leads me back to my point and title of where do the athletes go?

I haven't gone anywhere, although my best competitive days may be over--missing three of what should have been my best years to injury starting around 2007. I still strive to be the best I can with the time I have. My friend Jeff (who I credit for dragging me into skiing & triathlon--THANKS JEFF) doesn't really do much in solo sports these days with all the kids he has and following blowing his knee out, thus, ending his ski career many years ago in a ski race. Steve Wagner, if you read the above link--we know what happened to him. Ed, Chad, and Todd...not sure what happened to them either. Although I did get with Todd in Marquette, Michigan when I lived there...he and his family invited me over for Thanksgiving one time and he ran just to stay fit. It was an honor to run with my captain from high school--and certainly one of my personal childhood heroes. Where did they all go, why do they stop and do they miss it?

I know the answer for myself--I have not stopped, never really felt the want or need to. Training/racing certainly is not a priority anymore. The others mentioned in this blog entry have their reasons which are fine...they had talent beyond anything I could ever have been born with. These were national level athletes at one time. It seems that after competing in 10 World Championships (9 Hawaii Ironmans & 1 ITU World Olympic Distance Championships), there was something that just took a little longer to develop. Something that is still there to this day, the answer to "How far do you want to take it?" The answer has always been the same: AS FAR AS I POSSIBLY CAN. Longevity in sport, the will to know that just because the other guy may be bigger, faster, or stronger...does not mean that they can't get their asses kicked. I have and am not going anywhere...

Motivation In Athletics

2011-01-05T09:27:00.000-08:00

2010 was a fantastic season for the athletes I coached who were with Gemini Multisport.com 85% of the athletes I worked with achieved personal bests in one or more triathlon distances. Starting off this year is an experienced new athlete from New York who has set three personal bests in three races--a pretty fantastic start for one with experience to any degree.

I think there are fewer people in life willing to give you a chance in life, than chances you yourself take in life. Because once you decide to take a chance, there are those not willing to meet your motivation to help you succeed. I personally have run into this and enjoy proving the nay-sayers wrong. This is something I have offered to those who have approached me for my experience in the sport--a chance. The common situation goes something like this...

An athlete approaches me for coaching...if I have room in my roster and if they have some sort of direction they are interested in I will work with them. Usually it is something to the effect of: "I want to qualify for the Ironman in Hawaii." Few understand where they are and where they need to get to in order to achieve such a lofty goal. The years of training it will take is often not realized until after year one of working with them. So many athletes think in just one year they will be racing in Hawaii --but so few are willing to make the sacrifices needed over the long term to get there. The main thing to do as a coach is be positive and reinforce their goals any way possible.

If you are not willing to go the full 100% of the way and dedicate yourself to your goal then there is no point to go any further & that person needs to adjust their goals to something lesser than Hawaii . Maybe to finish an Ironman first should be that goal. The most dedicated athlete I worked with to date took 5 years from an absolute "newbie" in the sport to Hawaii Qualification. During that time, he was loyal and dedicated in a manner that not even I had attained in my race career. Of course the kid had talent upon working with him initially, but he surprised me (and eventually surpassed me) in many races. You never know what sort of sheep is under all that wool until you sheer it off over time.

The most motivated individuals (initially) are usually the ones that fizzle-out early on and eventually drop out of site and out of mind. Often, we never see them finish a single race after they have left My Pride. It is the quiet ones who just do the work and keep the faith and ego at bay--holding onto hope and developing that base, knowledge and earned experience. Never giving way to those who say "Nay" even once. We can all achieve our dreams, we have that ability. But a dream is just that until action is taken. Paying the dues to make it happen is where 99.9% fall short. There are those willing to give the chance, but there are usually those who are not willing to even take that first step towards making it all a reality in the first place. These folks keeping those swirling desires at bay for some reason & hold onto it forever as a dream--and that is how many got started in the sport. My question to them is why is that dream still just a dream?

2010 Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #1

2010-12-06T12:11:00.000-08:00

Several years have passed since the first attempt at one of the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon races where I finished 2nd overall. A different course, different day and much different fitness level, I had signed up only last week for the first in the 2011 series. 12 lbs heavier than when racing Ironman Hawaii in October, about a half dozen runs and eight or so bike rides since then, with a smattering of the one-off swim and visits to the weight room, I put the uncertainty aside and plopped down $30. A small series with several hundred athletes in the winter time to stave off the competitive hunger, the Chilly Cheeks Duathlon series is nothing short of a painful yet fun time, as races should be--all for a decent price. There are no race shirts or awards, only competition. It isn't unusual to find a pro athlete or two showing up at these races.

Held at Cherry Creek Rez, I parked at the high school a few blocks away and saved $9 in parking. Coasted downhill to the start and did my warm up in Levi blue jeans and a hooded cotton sweatshirt. Pretty sure I was the only one who looked like a spectator during warm up without all the fancy lycra-clad folks out there. It was indeed a "chilly cheeks" morning so since the laziness of not wanting to dress like a racer during warm ups was so overwhelming, I used this as a way to keep my goals in check which was not to get my butt kicked too much while being grossly out-of-shape. While 155 lbs isn't "fat" it IS heavy compared to my 143 just a few months prior. The reasoning for racing this last minute was that if I did get my rear kicked (you always like to put on a decent showing at races), it would be motivation to quit the procrastination and start training again. Although I'm not sure what it is I'm actually training for as 2011 has lined up to be a few select fun races that are close/nearby except for Oceanside 70.3 in April.

The race started (yes, the Levi's were now off as was the hooded sweatshirt), soon I found myself running in 2nd place with a few yards on the lead pack. Concerned the pace was too quick for my fitness--I backed off to about 4th place and held it for the first run. While a tough pace it wasn't my "maximum" output as there was still a 10 mile bike ride after the 4 mile run. The leader was several minutes up on me at the start of the bike but luckily I had the fastest transition in the entire race and was soon on my way. Bike fitness is quick to lose and it sure showed up race day. In short it was quite the Snot-Fest by the time I finished. Not much power and kept looking down to see if my tire was flat. Nope. It was just me being slow! By the end of the bike I was still in 4th place but had nearly caught the run leader...missing by about 16 seconds. The guys who did place ahead were an elite duathlete, pro triathlete, and former world championship AG runner-up in duathlon. Not bad for a chubby out-of-shape athlete. Time to get out the door and do that exercise stuff again--what do they call it? Oh yeah, Butt-Kicked Prevention!

2010 Ironman Hawaii Race Report

2010-10-14T11:41:00.000-07:00

A brief race report from the Hawaii Ironman this past Saturday on the Big Island of Hawaii:

Looking at swim times my swim was definitely slower than it should have been vs. those I'm used to coming out with who actually had speed suits but wasn’t about to spend $275 for one—budget man! (Besides the swim was only an hour long.) But it is what it is.

Summary here...the swim was "okay" but slow for me. Bike—at mile 40 got bloated, tossed cookies around mile 70, then 80 & so on. No nutrition absorbing to the body (salt level imbalance). Run...tossed cookies several times until mile 6 THEN felt great, bloating went away (a few gallons in your gut can do that). Sorry for the “graphic images” here but that is what the sport involves—not for the faint of heart. Started picking off dozens of athletes then got to Max Lawler at mile 12 (a guy I coach), who was walking. It was a simple decision to shut down my race & encourage/walk with him and finally get him going again from mile to mile, to the finish. He was just walking and told me to go on ahead-- but he needed some help & since I'm his coach, I wasn’t about to leave him to walk 15-16 miles home alone (miserable). It seemed my coaching duties were not quite done that day. This was my ninth Kona, his first. The first goal was to get him to the line AND in before dark which we did. It was setting up to be a decent run with my run cooking along starting from mile 6, but in reality, Max needed help more than I needed another "finish" or "time" or "place" so my good running lasted for about five or six miles. To top it off, my plan was for him to hit the line a few inches ahead of me so that he could get to the line first. That's my story & I'm glad to have made the decision. Sometimes sport is a little more than just competition.

Sure there have been a lot of sacrifices with training time, money & family time to get to the World Championships, and likely my placing would be much higher had I run by my “student” with just a “good-job-keep-going” encouragement (even though he clearly out-swam & out-biked me). After all I just beat him 3 weeks ago in a half ironman here in Colorado after running an additional mile from being sent off course by a lone volunteer (I was leading the Age Group race there). This year Hawaii just didn’t go well from the get-go for me. In hindsight, I'd do the same thing all over again even though competition mentality says NO. Max’s goal five plus years ago was the hardest thing to do in triathlon—qualify for the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. We started this journey together, it was only fitting to see him through to the very finish line along side of him.

I was so proud and happy for him, he finished what he started. All in all, because of what transpired, it was my second most satisfying memory of Hawaii Ironman, with the first being my original finish way back in 1995.

2011 plans involve only short course at this point, with more family time. I’ll take next year off & be right back at it in 2012!

Kevin

Pre-Kona 2010

2010-09-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Countdown 23 days until Kona, Hawaii. The Ironman World Championship, the top of the iceberg in triathlon. This will be my 9th time competing though I have qualified 14x.

I have been lucky enough to qualify all years I have attempted to get to this race except for 2007 when I suffered a mechanical on the bike at Ironman Arizona. I qualified at IM Couer D’Alene this year, taking 2nd in the largest age group, 40-44 (up one spot from my 3rd last year). All the training and past four years of injury are behind me for the most part, which is new to me. Some of the best years of my racing have had to give way to a hamstring/gluteus tear which left me virtually decimated on the bike and run—taking nearly all four years to recover. Although not 100%, I’m getting close.

Part of the proof was a recent race called Harvest Moon in Colorado. Starting third wave in the biggest wave, I was first out of the water, and only one person caught me on the bike from my wave, although I headed out first onto the run—and then a quick bathroom break just a few feet outside of transition. I had caught the lead woman who started 10 minutes ahead of me. Near the one mile mark, we were steered off course by a volunteer onto a dirt path. The lead woman turned first onto the trail and I said, “You sure?” to the volunteer, who insisted to go down the trail. Long story short, we ran back to the start and amid the confusion had to run back to where we hopped off course, adding another mile to our race. It was setting up to be a personal best half ironman distance (although I don’t recall if it was actually advertised as a half iron officially). Regardless, the volunteer made a mistake and there were some other logistical problems with the race which I brought up in person and via email to the race director. After all, it is hard to improve on things if you don’t know about them right? I was more verbal than the other two who were sent off course with me. Being at the front of a race has its downside as well sometimes. I had “cut the jets” on the run after getting back where we were steered off course & jogged the rest of the run. I still ended up winning the age group by 9 minutes, but add 7 minutes to that & the 20 seconds we stood back at the start of the run asking how we got back there, that is nearly 17 minutes. Then figure in my run time had I raced it would likely be another 4 minutes faster, you have 21 minutes faster than second place. Why was there a problem? Because I went into the race expecting to give it my all but there were issues which shut down the race for me when after paying nearly $200 for the race you would expect to get what you paid for. As I said the race director now knows about all the issues I’ve encountered and for 2011 will try to incorporate my suggestions. I have no doubt this can be one of the finest races in Colorado. The race wasn’t all that bad overall, but the issues certainly should have been prevented with a little more attention to detail. In the end, it was great to slide across a 40-foot water slide (Slip & Slide) at the end then land up in a pool of cold water. That is unique and something I’ve never experienced before, so kudos to Lance of Without Limits Productions for having that in the race. That is something I’ll always remember. He did offer to let me into any of his races for free that I wanted in the future, to which I told him no because I had already “been there & done that”. I was steamed after the race being basically penalized through no fault of my own by at least 7 minutes. In hindsight I should have taken him up on his offer to enter in 2011. If he offers it again I think I’ll take it to try to vindicate this year’s race. Maybe a good alternative would be to take the distance from leaving the course & back, and my per mile pace then calculate the amount of time to deduct from my run time and use that as the official time. This would be pretty much one mile extra (I’d have to GPS the exact distance but the other guy behind us said he went .8 of a mile but turned around well before we did). All in all it was an experience and I wish Harvest Moon much growth, I think the race has many, many positives to offer in the future. They nearly have it nailed. Although if I were them they ought to use me as a consultant to “tweak” the race—I certainly know the weak links that would make this a killer of a race.

Some of my suggestions: Sweep the corners on the bike. Keep local farmers from buzzing racers somehow. Accurate run course with full signage & make it idiot proof. More volunteers. Better security in the bike corral (nobody saw/checked my number on my arms upon leaving the race sight so I could have been walking out with anyone’s bike). Aside from those points I would say this is would be a fantastic course and race to be in. I’ve always felt that if you speak up (whether someone likes it or not), you should be thanked and go on your way. If there are words which are “pointed” because of bringing up issues, then so be it & good luck with that view—because it certainly sounds defensive more than anything rather than constructive. If you were one of the three onto the run course with the pros far out of sight, I’d say you may want to wait to race here until this race has its bugs worked out to the point of flawlessness. If you were one of the 399 other racers in the race, you will likely be just fine and have a fun, challenging time that will bring you back for more year after year. Will I go back? Well…Lance, make that offer to me one more time about letting me race a race of yours one more time—I think I’ll take it. Chances are these issues will NOT happen again, with this edition being a quirk/one-off by chance stroke of multiple bad luck and oversights. So decide for yourself, take in my review here and mull it over. You may just have the time of your life.

Onto pre-Kona prep. The Harvest Moon went great for 2/3 of the race and some indicators are that things are fine with the minimal training I’ve been getting. Only an average of 11 hours per week with 19 & 17 hours being the peak weeks. The mission this week is to recover and take it easy, as I have new clients coming on board in the next few weeks so there is lots of preparation time to get them up and running (literally). The season is almost over but it is my hope to not let my fitness slide too much, there is a lot of work to be done to improve by next April which isn’t too far off. I’ve got both “plans” and back up plans for racing next season in case things don’t go as planned. ALWAYS have a back up plan for your season. I’m looking forward to the vacation in Hawaii with the wife and racing Ironman Hawaii again. Swimming with the fish/dolphins, drinking some genuine Kona Coffee when I swim out to the Coffees of Hawaii catamaran, and just relaxing on our own private beach. Of course, there will be some parties during the trip as well. I’m looking forward to the entire trip before returning to the daily grind, which is really not that bad for the most part. Letting loose and taking a short break from training will be fun however, it will only be a matter of a few weeks before chomping at the bit for some 120 mile bike ride or something. Seems to be a crazy addiction though a healthy one, but nothing like getting out there and pounding your body into the ground hour after hour coming home totally spent. Follow that up with a shower, food, then a couch---zzzz time in the most peaceful slumber! THAT is my idea of a relaxing day. It sounds crazy I know, but it is the lifestyle I’ve chosen and the one I intend on keeping as long as the body holds up. I’ll keep trying to push myself in races against myself to do battle within rather than others. It is fun going faster against your past efforts and not get too caught up in racing others. This is part of why I suppose I tend to finish closer to the pointy end of results than others—because the race is against myself for the most part. The others are a byproduct of that race and they are a reminder to not let myself down by pushing myself harder (if they are in front of me). Although on that note, it is nice to win, but if you finish second place, you are technically the first place loser. I’ve been there many times on the podium but not at the top as often as I’d like. I suppose that is part of why I head out the door each day in rain or shine, snow or dark, to search out my best so nothing is left at the end of the day to say I should have, could have, would have if only I trained a little better. Prepare the best you can consistently with the time you have, give it your best shot and if you fall short, someone beat you fair and square. At least you hope they did.

2010 Boulder Altitude Camp Round Up

2010-07-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

Finally we have closed the 2010 Boulder Altitude Camp as a successful fund raising effort between Gemini Multisport of Boulder and Team Hendryx of Florida. All of our campers completed the camp and went on to finish their first EVER full Ironman distance race in Coeur D'Alene, Idaho nearly a month after camp. They learned many things including nutrition, bike fit, strategy, proper training and swim technique as well as having the chance to compete against the clock on the final day in a very short time trial taking place in the mountains surrounding Boulder. In the end, it was PERFECT weather (we were in someone's good graces!) The campers got to know each other and help benefit a local family who is under the medical cost burden of dealing with numerous health issues with their 7 year old son Klaus. Coach Sean and Coach KK were able to present a rather large "helping hand" from 100% of the proceeds after cost of the camp to Klaus and his family. We hope to build a larger and more honed camp in the near future (although it was a stellar camp and provided athletes with the best bang for the buck in the state of Colorado). Boulder Altitude Camp (BAC) will also now be known as Boulder and Cleremont Training Camps. Using these two great cities to base triathlon training camps for athletes of all abilities in the future, we hope to help other athletes, and other families along the way to spread the word and lifestyle of the sport of triathlon.

In the included photos of this post, you will see pictures of the bike time trial used in the Boulder Altitude Camp which I snapped this last week on one of my rides, as well as the family the camp was able to benefit. From Left to Right (back row), Coach Sean Hendryx, Tracy, Tim and our primary beneficiary of the camp (front row), Klaus Dragon and Calvin. To the left in the background of the family, for those of you wondering what Old Stage Rd (part of the Boulder Peak Triathlon) looks like, that is IT...the legendary hill (you can only see about half of it in this picture as it gets steeper out of view. If you would like to help or donate more to the Klaus Dragon cause, please visit Caring Bridge website.

2010 Ironman Coeur D'Alene Race Report

2010-07-13T09:12:00.001-07:00

Training for June 27th started back last November when I had a bug in my ear to try racing my way into Ironman Coeur D’Alene in Idaho (IM CDA). First up was Ironman California 70.3 where I figured I could nab a slot to IM CDA since I wasn’t signed up for it. Luckily, despite my first ever drafting call in 22 years of racing at IM CALI 70.3 (Oceanside, California), and having the flu, I still managed to qualify for the race in Idaho.

Barring any mechanicals or calls from the course marshals (which was unlikely since there were not really any “traffic jam” areas that were similar to the Oceanside race), I hoped to improve upon my 3rd place age group place from 2009. I had started out with an improvement in running speed this season, topped with a new bike to help bolster my speed this season—things were headed in the right direction. The down side would be less time to train this year and every minute of it had to count, no junk training. Looking at Training Peaks totals for OVERALL average hours I ended up with a mere 11’ish hours per week. Pretty “sorry” totals if I was to ever hope to get a slot to Ironman Hawaii, but if anyone could maximize a sparse amount of training time most effectively, I figured I’d be near the top of the list having qualified 13x for Ironman Hawaii. I’ve turned down quite a few trips to Hawaii but I was going to take this one if things panned out.

I arrived on Thursday to make sure I had everything set up. This was a solo trip as a friend I coach ended up having to bail because he broke his collarbone a few months earlier. Bummer. Luckily, everyone that attended the Ironman Distance Camp I put on a month earlier were also going to be at IM CDA racing, so I’d know plenty of folks. Plus, there were many Boulder local athletes showing up as well. The plan was simple, make sure I had the tools & general fitness to get a slot on June 27th, minimize any potential mechanical or nutritional issues by not falling asleep out on the course. Keep the eyes open for potholes so I don’t get a flat tire. Now onto the meat of the story.

I set up all my gear for the race & had it sorted out by dinner time on day 1 of arriving. I stayed at the Spring Lake Motel just outside of Hayden, Idaho. I found a sweet deal on the room at $99 a night which was about half of what rooms were going for during IM CDA. It was quiet, and not in the hub-bud busy area near the race & allowed me to rest well & just get away from everything. Although, it was unfortunately quite the drive to the race site with all the lights and construction on some roads in the area. I talked with a few people before the race and as usual, many were strutting their stuff making predictions. Fancy equipment and self-qualified Ironman slots seemed to already be handed out according to some. My prediction for race day: PAIN. No matter how well or poorly you prepare, an Ironman is going to really, really hurt. The kicker on this race was trying to attempt it on the second LEAST hours per week average since my first ever Ironman back in 1995.

Mindset…never give away anything. Even if you feel great and rested, don’t pat yourself on the back until all is said and done because there are tons of guys out there wanting what you are after. My age group of 40-44 was the largest age group which had about 400 in it. I had to finish top 10 on only 11 hour of training when the average per census stats provided by Ironman Corp. was over 20 hours. Anything can happen in an Ironman so it serves no purpose to talk your talk to others in attempt to shine in front of them before the race begins. The time to shine will be at the finish if you make it that far & in good position. I’ll leave the pre-race self-appointed Kona qualifiers to eat their words when and if they “pop” out on the battle field. I know that my preparation was as good as I could have made it given the time limits this season, there were no major issues but the lingering 90% healed 4-year old hammy tear I’ve dealt with and slight shoulder re-injury cropping up. But things were feeling fairly smooth but as usual there could always be a better dose of distance work/foundation I’d liked to have before an ultra distance race. During race morning, there never were any butterflies, just an urgency to get it going and start racing. Here is a lesson to anyone racing a big event: Do not use the fact that race day is upon you lead to have negative anxiety attacks. Use the importance of the race instead, to motivate you to perform your best. Often racers will get all worked up and bent out of shape over a race. The bigger or more important the race the more they are worked up. Have faith and comfort in knowing you did all you could and let the dice roll where they may. Just don’t cave when the going gets tough—after all, it IS an Ironman! So no I wasn’t nervous nor did I doubt my chances. The way I looked at it, this was my 21st or so Ironman, and having finished 3rd in the age group last year slightly more injured back then—with older equipment on top of that—well, it was my slot to lose or win. Why give away my energy to others by psyching myself out? I looked at the start list and picked a few who were commonly up the ranks that I recognized, but in the end I race myself. Race MY race and not let others make my result for me. When racing to the best of my ability, usually things fall into place and it doesn’t matter too much who shows up, because even those with a “big name” can falter during an Ironman and finish near the back. Been there & done that in Arizona a few years ago with a mechanical—so never count the chickens before they are hatched.

Pre-race Transition set up: I arrived around 5:30 AM to transition and the biggest issues were finding an empty porta-potty and a “Smart Head” pump for my Corima valve extender. I finally found one after 30 minutes—doesn’t anyone use a COOL modern pump anymore? Geezus. My total set up of my bike took maybe 5 minutes. Pop in my Salt Stick tablets into the bars, place my bottles, clear the bike computer, put it in a low gear, pump the tires and I was ready. Simple enough. That left plenty of time for a slow jog along the first mile of the run, then hydrate and get to the swim start. For breakfast I had a mini-bagel and a cup of coffee with my own custom blend Infinit drink so things were off to a good start in topping off the calorie levels. While I’m thinking of it, pre-race night dinner consisted of a trip to the Olive Garden where I had pasta with tomato sauce and grilled chicken on top and three or four breadsticks.

Swim: Not a problem, started far right again, at the edge of the 2,200 racers. Steered clear and just went steady without pushing it beyond what a typical 4,000 yard short course pool training swim pace felt like. Word was it was to be a hot day so save early and get paid back later when it is hot! Given the 5-6,000 yards I’ve only been swimming due to a slight re-tear of my labrum and limited training time, I swam okay. It was pretty darned wavy out there so times were a bit slow. Transition went pretty well except for grabbing bag 1026 instead of 1126. Upon discovering my mistake I ran back and placed 1026 where it should be then retrieved my bag. T1 bathroom stop #1. Luckily, I didn’t have to stop for bathroom breaks again except for T2. Not on the bike or run—so Dave Scott’s suggestion of adding more salt during my race worked well. I even used Clif Shot Blocks for some extra calories with my Salt Stick, Clif Shot and Infinit drink. That is about it for nutrition on the bike. In reality I had only one Clif Shot but three sticks of Clif Margarita flavor blocks.

Bike: One thing of interest was how easy I rode. Usually I feel like I’m burning up the legs but the new bike was comfy and felt fast. I rode 4 min. faster despite more wind this year and hotter temps. It was difficult to tell where I was because while most bib numbers were in a specified number range for the age group, there were a few that were not for some reason or another. One guy had a #86 that was a different color—the color of the pros but he wasn’t a pro. Anyhow, this made it tough to know where exactly I was. My bike computer for some reason did not register anything except for RPMs. No mph, no distance, no time. Nothing. Looking down, the setup was just fine and in theory should have worked. The magnet alignment was just fine too, not sure what the heck was wrong with it. The tricky part was in not knowing when to eat. Usually I use the clock or distance to gauge feeding, but had to resort to my RPE, cadence and signs on the side of the road placed by the race organization for mile markers. Signs were every 10 miles so I knew that a little past the 20 mile marker at my “known cadence” of 92 average that I should have one 600 ml biden consumed. That would give me just around 350-400 calories per. It was a gamble but it worked out okay. My only regret is in not biking harder, but there is always that marathon and I sort of wanted to retain the fastest Age Group (AG) marathon title I had from 2009. I knew I was in the top 50-55 overall at the first turn around (around 10 miles) on the bike and had maintained my position fairly well throughout the bike, but wasn’t sure where I was in the Age Group. I know folks will often falter during the marathon as people seem to be big on the putting in a huge bike effort which accomplishes nothing other than wasting your legs for the run. With the heat the problems of huge bike efforts would just compound itself. I kept telling myself, wait…wait…hold back, at least until mile 13 of the run. Then let it loose. I could always make my way to the finish on Coca-Cola and pretzels, water and Gatorade if things got too tough after 13.1 miles.

Run: This was a surprise seeing Michael Hagen (superstar AG athlete) only a couple minutes up the road, as well as Albert Boyce (another superstar AG athlete & holder of the top 3 times at IM CDA in my AG). I felt just fine although not as springy in the legs as last year. Eventually I caught Michael Hagen and was counting bib numbers in my AG who were ahead of me at the several turn around points. By the end of the first lap I figured I was around 7th or 8th or so and more would fall. Eventually I passed Albert Boyce (now in an older AG with Michael Hagen in the 45-49). I had to stop at an aid station to take my sock and shoe off to put Vaseline on my toes because a nasty blister was forming which could ruin my day quickly. By the time 5 miles were left in the run, I passed that #86 who from what I could gather, was in the lead of the AG. I never “pushed” during the run because athletes were falling apart on their own so I held a steady pace. Never had I given chase like last year on the run (which showed because my run was 8 minutes slower this year). The kicker here was that I ASSUMED I was in the lead of the men 40-44. Around mile 25 a friend of mine yelled there were a couple of guys in my AG just ahead of me around the corner. My first thought was “How the hell did they get past because I didn’t see a bib up there at the last turn around in the 40-44 bib range!” So finally I picked it up and caught a guy from Colorado Springs I vaguely remembered from a portion of the bike race. He looked like he was muscling the gears and hills so figured he’d come back to me anyhow. We ran together for the first half of the last mile. Turning onto the final 4 block straight away stretch downhill towards the finish line…there was a slight headwind and I waited patiently for his move. He gained about one meter maybe two and that was it. It appeared as though he was cooked and would not answer to a sprint. I closed the gap in about five strides, shifted quickly to his left and slingshot sprinted past him gaining just over 30 seconds in only four blocks. I found out that I was second in the age group and some guy from Calgary was about 10 minutes up the road in first. Bummer, I thought there was a chance at winning the age group while out there on the run. Had I known where everyone was at, in hindsight I would have biked a little harder and sure would have made sure I ran a 3:10-3:15 instead of a 3:20. So the moral of the story is don’t screw around thinking you have it wrapped up when you could be quite a ways behind. My run took me from 15th of around 400 in my AG starting the marathon, to 2nd out of 400’ish. This moved me up one spot from last year in the results and I was able to claim my Kona slot. Some of the early favorites crumbled during the race while no-names did quite well. All I know is that the conditions were harder this year due to the heat and wind, but it wasn’t terribly windy, just enough to annoy the racers.

Wrap up: While not my best performance effort wise, it was enough to get my best placing in an Ironman for my age group. Overall I’ve been in the top 40 many times (including pros). I need to step it up if I would like to be sub top 30 some day before father time eliminates that possibility. Some young guys have leap frogged me but I still can hold my own on a good day. Time to crack the whip for Kona and try to RACE this time, not just finish it like usual. Kona is never a key race for me despite being the world championship, it is more of a reward for racing well enough to get there. Some issues needing attention are ankle strengthening and flexibility. For some reason my ankles were very wobbly and weak during the run—possibly due to a lack of mileage both on the bike and run in preparation. Flexibility is another huge problem for the ankles, I think a new pair of shoes will help support these two issues. Strength on the run…definitely need to work on some hills to get some POP back in the stride. Nothing adds pop to your game like some good old fashioned hill work. The mental approach seems to be fine, nobody in my age group really scares me so I don’t mind trying to challenge someone no matter how fast they are. The reason is that if someone is faster they will beat you anyhow, so it doesn’t matter if you challenge them so you may as well go ahead and challenge them and to heck with fearing their legacy or race history and backing away from it. The conservative approach to races for me needs to be something I need to get over quickly before Kona, but the conditions are rougher than most in Kona, so I don’t want to implode on the race course. I’ll need to let my race hang out there in the danger zone a little more though and stop having that final kick like it was a mere 800 meter dash. Given you’ve raced close to your fitness potential, you should be spent at the finish line or even the last mile. Putting 30 seconds on someone in 4 blocks is what I call under-racing. Too much left in the tank. I did the same in Kona last year when my final mile time was only a few seconds slower than the overall Pro World Champion Craig Alexander. Here’s hoping that number 9 is the charm. 9 should be a good number, it was my high school captain’s number on cross country. I chose 19 because he had 9 and it was a close as I could come to the number of my first athletic hero. It will be an intense and interesting next three months but a challenge I look forward to. I’ll be using my past mediocre performances in Kona not as something that will cause anxiety for me, but rather, something that will motivate me to be better there than I have before. Who knows, maybe and maybe not—we’ll know on October 9th. Either way, never say never—but it will take more than 11 hours average to accomplish this.

Ironman CDA pre-race report

2010-07-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

It was a long solo trip to Idaho but it was something that surely was a step in the right direction as far as getting a better handle on pre-race routine. Missing family was the hardest part, but sometimes a job has to be done and the sacrifices need to be verified by some manner. In this case, a result. There were some pluses and some minuses to the entire trip but it certainly was an enjoyable trip in the end all things considered. I am off to Kona again after qualifying 2nd in the M40-44 (the single largest age group in the race with 470 racers). 2,200 racers total and I finished 40th overall (23rd amateur)...all this includes the professionals that do this for a living. Not too bad for all the things on my plate this past year.

The updates/official race report with all the yummy details will be something I'll be working on shortly here, lots of good stories.

Chest cold & drafting...

2010-03-29T11:10:00.000-07:00

Oceanside 70.3 half ironman is in the books & over with. After a time in 2007 that would win my age group 2 of the last 4 years, I hoped for a better race yet than 2007 to at least finish 2nd. I say 2nd because a pro athlete that finished 2nd overall in the pros at Ironman Canada apparently realized he would not be able to compete with the other big boys anymore and now decided to race age group. So there was little chance I'd be able to take down someone that travels all over the world to train at will and has the capacity to nap/recover in the afternoons while the rest of us manange to squeeze in a workout & work well into the afternoon or night surviving on anywhere from 5-6 hrs sleep a night.

I came down with a chest cold last week which dashed my hopes of the podium finish--and the hope was now to just complete the race and nab a spot to Ironman Coeur d' Alene in Idaho in June. The long and short of the race report is the swim was easy but knowing my lungs wouldn't hold up long once on the bike due to illness, I held back--but surprisingly finished only about 35 seconds slower than last time I raced here. The transition went smooth although I didn't quite run T1 as fast as last time (understandable without the lungs). Hackingly, I started the bike with a large group of athletes and it was chaos with 2,500 athletes out on the course that day. There were wave starts but I caught people who started 3 waves ahead of me by the end of the swim so here I was coming out with them. There were some from the wave behind me that caught me too (the faster swimmers from the 40-44 AG), so those guys were also starting the bike together. At mile 8 or so, there was a turn around & we had to slow up to do a 180 turn around an orange cone. Wheel to wheel then once around the cone everyone accelerated. When you have so many of the same cycling ability, it takes some time to spread out. About 1.5 miles later, a marshal pulled up & yelled to the guy behind me to pull over at the next Penalty Box to serve a 4 minute time penalty for drafting. I knew he was close because I could see his shadow on the ground as we were riding. Then the marshal yelled at me to do the same--but there was nobody in front of me. I nearly yelled back, "W.T.F? There's nobody in front of me!" But I restrained because that would likely get me disqualified from the race. Clearly there wasn't anyone for around 100-150 yards in front of me. That took the steam out of my engine and I was paranoid to get anywhere near another cyclist. Soon pack after pack were passing me (really drafting that is). The only thing I could ascertain is that the drafting occurred at the 180 turn around point. In 22 YEARS of racing, I have not so much as gotten a warning for drafting, and do not agree with the call. But I am glad they were marshalling the course & have to take my lumps along the way even if I don't think I was drafting.

At the penalty tent I was asked by everyone in the tent if I was okay due to the non-stop coughing from my chest cold. They asked if I need medical assist. "Nope, I've been sick for a week & am still sick--probably shouldn't be racing." I said. It was a really windy day and the time out at the Penalty Tent only made me lethargic & unable to get back to speed. No top end at all on this day, although my climbing was surprisingly good on my new P3C Cervelo--few people the entire race passed me on an uphill. All I could think of was getting off the bike & onto the run. When T2 came around I knew I had not only lost contact but lost my energy reserves from decreased stamina due to the illness. The fight to fight was just a mere fight to finish from that point. After taking a "number 2" (to be politically correct) in T2 (Transition #2 where you change from a biker to a runner's equipment), I went through the first 6.5 miles rather easily but had no gumption to push at all. Lap #2 of the half marathon portion was worse as the Muscinex I was taking clearly contributed to dehydration and I began to feel light headed. In the end I was only 22nd in my age group instead of what should have been a challenge to the #1 or #2 spot and top 50 overall. It was a dismal day indeed but I live to fight another day when I get healthy. Racing is a weird thing in that you never know what the day will hold for you. Things can go great right up until the start, then in can all tumble, or it can be horrible & then turn out great. On this day, it was back to basics and the hope of getting to the Ironman Coeur d' Alene in June where I will have some athletes racing. I intend on being there for their support (although I'll be racing too). It is always nice to be at the same races as those you coach. As I hack away slightly worse for the wear writing this post race report, I will take a week or week and a half off to recover and then it will be build back up time for a domestic Ironman in June--where I was 3rd in the AG & top 36 overall including pros out of 2,200 last year. Hopefully sickness and/or injury can be avoided next time around. All of us triathletes pretty much have the same mentality & that is when we get knocked down, we get back up again and fight harder next time.

2010 Oceanside 70.3

2010-03-24T22:37:00.001-07:00

T-minus 14 hours until lift off for the first race of the year in California. All was well until a week ago I came down with a chest cold which leaves me in coughing fits all day & night—lungs feel “burned” from all the coughing. Slept with a humidifier 2 feet from my pillow yesterday just to ease the breathing. Funny how things can “tumble” on you all at the last minute. I’m not sure how this will affect my race aside from the fact any illness affects you—and being a half iron distance this is going to HURT! I’ve already scaled back my expectations from what they were a great deal. If only there was one more week to “heal” instead of only 3 days.

I’ve made some improvement today hitting the green tea all day long, hoping to loosen things up. On a bright side, my first race on the new bike should be a blast. Hopefully it doesn’t ride away from me because yes—it is that fast of a bike. Nothing like having its rider left behind! I should have some fun meeting up with my first cousin…he is now the head US National Surf Team head coach. He’s also owner of his own line of surf boards---and SURF Magazine has dubbed him “Lord of the Boards”. Just go down to the beach and talk to any competitive surfer and they’ll know who he is. Former US National Champion…ESA Champion & was also on the cover of SURF Magazine when he was younger.

It’ll be a nice meet up with a party Saturday night post-race as one of the original “Page Peeps” from Ironman California. This is the 10-year anniversary of it all but it has been downgraded to a half iron distance due to military/security issues on Camp Pendleton property post 9-1-1. Either way, the weather should be nice. Looking at some of the posts on Slowtwitch, there are a lot of “nervous” racers all ramping up for the first big race of the year. I had a fleeting moment of that a few weeks ago looking at the start list—that usually doesn’t happen. Part of that was I think because I knew who the contenders were after viewing the start list and I was excited in knowing the names & where I “could” place. Not so much an “Oh my gosh so & so is here—this is going to be rough” but more of an “Oh my gosh I could actually podium high if all goes according to plan.” Of course, now I’ve been clobbered over the head with a chest cold & it isn’t fun. This is one time I’ll have to depend on my “luck & karma” to not feel like death warmed over at some point during Saturday’s race. But remain optimistic & hope for the best—even though I already know it won’t be my best. Let the Guardian Angel guard me Saturday!

Cervelo P3C: 2010

2010-03-19T18:43:00.000-07:00

Here's my new 'baby' which I think I've posted on FB...but just got the XLAB Torpedo drinking system on yesterday. So far I've dropped the seatpost about 5mm--not much, but enough to keep the hips from rocking side to side while pedaling, and take pressure off the achilles & hip flexors. So far not a lot of issues from the bicep femoris or ITB at all. The armrest width is still a little narrow but it goes to show how "un-aero" my last setup was. Control will be the big thing on fast downhills nearing 50 miles per hour...which we have plenty of those around here! The Riser Kit to take 3 cm of spacers from the steerer tube below the stem should be here in about a week.

I'll get a chance to visit my first cousin in Oceanside which will be neat, he recently took over as Head Coach for the US National Team in Surfing. Yes, surfing has a Team USA too. He's the head honcho. Looks like coaching runs in the family! He wasn't sure if he was going to be in town until recently--he travels a lot to other competitions, so I'm hanging out with my buddy Chaz next week. Should be a hoot, he's a crazy man but certainly fun.

Time to post the pictures & then pack for the trip.

Boulder Altitude Camp, Wolfgang Dittrich & Spring

2010-03-11T10:18:00.000-08:00

What a whirlwind past "quarter" it has been, can't believe how the time has flown. This season started out great thus far, with of those I coach--who raced thus far, all PR'ing (Personal Record) in early races--Mark, a local guy from Golden, set 2 PR's in half marathons he competed in this year, a day after a 100 mile ride, then again a day after a 80 mile ride. While I told him not to ride so long beforehand--he still PR'd.. I'm really wondering how fast this guy could go on a day where he just rested. They were both training days for IM CDA this summer anyhow and he had the opp for a really long ride in nice warm weather rather than the trainer or freezing cold of Colorado, can't say as I blame him! Two others that raced & set PRs, John & Bob, in the Walt Disney Marathon. John qualified for his first Boston Marathon which he'll race in 2011, he's really doing great & seems quite a bit more serious than past years.

The BAC (Boulder Altitude Camp) has really taken shape & we currently have athletes from coast to coast (Florida to California) who will be attending. While we have spots available, we are hoping more come to Boulder for a week long fun in the sun & learning about Iron Distance training & racing.

After 10 long years, I finally have my new ride! Still getting adjusted to it and dialing it in a little closer. While I'm coming up on my first race of the season shortly, I'll have a nice bike that will hopefully compensate a little bit for the lack of fitness so far. I had Wolfgang Dittrich film me in the pool & give his top-notch swimming expertise to me about a week and a half ago. My stroke feels like I've changed it drastically but to my surprise he thought my stroke was not that bad. For a later starting swimmer (I think I was 18 at the time), it seems I've made up for lost time--never having been a swimmer in high school nor on the local swim team...I fell into it late, but trained seriously with a small Master's group up at University. The swim coach was the head US Deaf Swim Team Coach and was very good--with both his daughters setting school (collegiate) records in their time. So far the run seems to be coming along, hopefully I can rely on my strength to get me through this upcoming half ironman and produce a decent result. I know "decent" is arbitrary but considering the near 3 year injury that comes & goes, I'd say any "podium" finish would be very satisfying at this point.

Spring has sprung in Boulder & we have had rain, snow, sleet, warm & cold temperatures. It is only a few weeks from the buds starting to transform into leaves. A few rains & warm days things will start greening up around here. I'm looking forward to some races this year even though I'm only signed up for one so far. I'll develop my race plan as the season progresses, hopping into races randomly. The important thing now is to just get in as good of shape as I can so that when I do enter a race, I'll be able to contend for a high placing. Time to ride...

Great Call!

2010-02-11T21:51:00.001-08:00

I had a pleasant surprise today with a call from one of the co-coaches on my “final exam” team from USAT Level 2 Certification Clinic in San Francisco a few years ago. He called to tell me he was in Colorado Springs and has been named to the USA Regional Junior Develop Team to coordinate/direct it. He wanted to thank me for my input several years ago, when over dinner (after a very, very long day in the classroom), the two of us along with Laurie (former pro triathlete & who was also on our final exam team), chatted about his interest in an Ironman. Being the most experienced one of the group in the world of Ironman on the team, I advised him to take up short course & XTERRA instead.

Ironman is an expensive sport, at the time his wife was the Daddy Warbucks of the family, so it would be tough to pull off Ironman racing if you aren’t up for spending a lot of money. Also, as a new dad, he wouldn’t have the time to coordinate the training that would suffice to please his palate for the level he hoped to achieve. His body type just seemed more like a club rugby player than an Ironman type. In addition to living in East Coast area where winters can be harsh—for Ironman you really need to train all year to reach a high level. He wasn’t able to do many long rides outside in the “off season”. Apparently, my advice was go for XTERRA/short course racing knowing all the above—when I diagnosed for him his best path of action (in my opinion it was the best path), in addition to trying to work with juniors more. For him, it led to meeting someone at a race who asked him to take part in the Regional Development Program—which led him to Colorado Springs and the chance to work with and directly coach a group of juniors. He was quite happy and just wanted to thank me for having a direct influence on his direction of travel within the sport. This in turn, affects those he gets to work with, influencing them in a positive manner in their development of the sport. He really wanted to know if I somehow saw the future like a “palm reader or in a crystal ball.” Funny how over a burger and shooting the breeze with off-the-cuff observations can impact the course of one’s life for the better. In the end if it helps someone positively, that is really all I need to justify what I do.

Quaker Oatmeal Festival 5K

2010-01-09T11:28:00.000-08:00

Dust off the shoes & get out the door! 2010 has started & the Quaker Oatmeal Festival 5K kicked off the "training" for the second year in a row. For $16 you get a race, oatmeal & pancake breakfast afterwards, a goodie bag, can of oatmeal to take home & some vitamin water from Eldorado Springs. I woke up at 7 AM for the 9:30 am start time...putzed around with a shower & coffee/toast before leaving--it was 6 F when I woke up so pretty dang chilly! Last year I ended up 17:59 & getting "chicked" by the top female. This year, after setting a new PR only 2 weeks on a pancake flat run back home at sea level in 16:04, I was at least hoping I'd be close to 17 this time around. Add in altitude, cold weather & ice on the roads & it took me down to a rather disappointing 17:41 (12th overall out of 1,086 & 1st Master runner)--still faster than last year (which at 40 is a bonus). However, I really was hoping to be close to breaking 17 but that's the way the cookie crumbles when you let yourself slide out of race shape! I've been running but it has all been base miles & the last speedwork I had done was a short race before Kona on trails where I took 2nd overall there. This year I did get "chicked" again by a gal that just finished Chicago Marathon this year in 2:32. She passed me shortly after the turn around & she was flying!

I could tell my core was weak as my run form was not holding together after the first half mile. I was up with the top 6 at the top of the first hill (about a half mile from the start), then the wheels came off. Opposite of last year I went out faster this time 'round instead of starting slower & keeping even paced. Obviously I slowed near the end, but figured if I got to the front & up to the turn around, I could "cruise" back home. One guy finished about half a step behind me so I was definitely having the hurt put on. I did not warm up that well I feel, and cold certainly isn't good for me & high intensity running. Cool weather is fine--but when it is below freezing, that is a little out of my comfort zone. Maybe next year I can be a little closer to 17--I'll just have to start some speed work late in the year to be ready for a January 5K..this year, it was too little too late but it WAS IMPROVEMENT over last year. Always have to take away the positives from your experiences.

Childhood Memories...

2010-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

Things I remember from the past that keep popping into my mind…Sour Cream & Onion Doritos, Tostitos Nacho Cheese Rounds, Days of Our Lives soap opera at lunch with mom, poached eggs on toast several times in the morning with mom before leaving for grade school. Earl Nightingale on the alarm clock radio to help me wake up before grade school each morning…a show suggested to me by Delores Torsch. Using Hot Wheels track as a pretend fire hose to imitate my uncle, while playing at my cousin’s who was a captain in the local fire department. Sliding down the support pole from the top of my aunt’s steps to the basement—pretending I was sliding down a fire pole at the firehouse with my cousin, pretending we were my uncle’s firefighter crew. Playing T-Ball for a week on another cousin’s T-Ball team (while I was much older), as a guest player (only because my uncle was the coach of the team). Getting a can of Pepsi and bag of chips from the “concession car” after a game of Little League. Squashing ants/ant hills out in right field while I should have been paying attention to the Little League game…Going with mom & bro to sign up for a season of hockey—getting up to the desk and BAILING at the last second because I was too embarrassed I couldn’t skate that well. Staying up late in junior high school listening to my mini-speaker/Toshiba cassette player with the entire collection of Billy Joel music. Reading and re-reading and memorizing issues of Triathlon Today issues. Beating TWO of the “BIG FOUR” during their pro triathlon careers shortly before they retired…Scaring the bejezzus out of my parents every time I could when they either came home from grocery shopping or from somewhere else. Working summers in a factory until late evening and then cycling on the mag trainer & lifting weights until 1 or 2 AM with music blaring—then passing out after a bath (we didn’t have a shower). The day I ate 7 hot dogs & buns at my Grandma’s (cooked on this little yellowish gold indoor electric grill). Playing checkers with my grandpa every time I went to his house. Beating the tar out of my neighbor with a whiffle ball bat after I walked into the path of his swing set (I thought it was his fault). The street marker made of brick on Lincoln Street where we used to live—where I thought Frankenstein was housed (it always scared the bejezzus out of me walking by it). My dad occasionally bringing home a bag of Made-Right Cheese Popcorn from the vending machine at the factory (how I looked forward to it when he could afford it!) Catching a 27 lb. salmon with my dad when I was 13 years old—it took me half an hour to land it & my arms were soooo dead after! The trips to Cedar Point. The punishing and seemingly endless hours of cross country ski training with my buddy Jeff (who later went on to finish 16th in the US Olympic Trials & was NCAA national champion). My beloved doggy “Max”—a beagle—dying in my arms carrying him to dad’s truck when I was 14. Finding a giant bag of “speeders” in my sister’s high leather boots when I was nosing around in her room one day. Playing each weekend at “Busha’s” farm, or at my grandma’s house, usually playing games like Twister or hide & seek. Grinding up Ginger Snaps in my Great-Grandma’s hand-crank coffee grinder with my cousin. Pounding rocks looking for gold at Bloom Road Camp with my cousin, getting eaten alive by mosquitoes at the Haas Hunting Club each summer. Winter horse drawn sleigh rides pushing each other off into snow banks then going back to Bob & Mayford’s house for hot apple cider or hot cocoa. Becoming city-champion record holder beating my “mentor’s record” at Ms. Pac Man. Competing in the city-wide grade school championships track & field high jump event in a dress shirt and corduroy pants (I was too embarrassed about my milky white skin). Lastly, my first day of cross country in high school, running in an old pair of “Kangagroo” running shoes…it was about six miles and practically killed me (think I was sore for two weeks!)

NEW! 2010 Boulder Altitude Camp presented by Gemini Multisport & Team Hendryx

2009-12-26T21:44:00.000-08:00

Press Release

2010 Boulder Altitude Camp (Presented by Gemini Multisport & Team Hendryx)

When: The week of May 23rd to May 29th, 2010.

What: Join our expert coaches at altitude in the Rocky Mountains for a week of fun filled long distance triathlon training and education geared towards the 9 to 12 hour athlete who is looking to take their knowledge and training to another level. LT Testing, guest speakers, swim & run video analysis, welcome and camp-end group dinners, supported endurance ride, trail runs, group swims and rides, the best camp goodie bag around, and much, much more--all taking place in the beautiful triathlon Mecca of Boulder, Colorado. If you are looking for a peak mileage training week in preparation for Ironman CDA or Ironman USA, or if you just want to accelerate your season and knowledge about being your best, this camp is for YOU!

Camp Information/Registration: There are 15 slots available for the camp, for more information on registration:
http://www.geminimultisport.com/10boulderaltitudecamp.html

Camp Directors: Kevin Konczak (USAT Level II Coach/20x Ironman) of Gemini Multisport and Sean Hendryx (USAT Level I Coach/M.S. Kinesiology) of Team Hendryx.

December 15, 2009

2009-12-15T22:47:00.001-08:00

December 21st is the start of the new year for me (Winter Solstice). Not just a new race season, but each day the sun is out a little longer and the spring will rush up on us before we know it.

Time to start thinking about the when and where for vacations, house projects, getting the yard ready for the spring foliage growth, etc. So much to do and so little time. Each week my list of things to do grows by a few items, while time allows me to strike only a couple from that list. It isn’t a time management issue at all, but more of an overwhelming (at times) list of things that seem to fall in my lap. The many hats I wear day to day really need to be sewn together to make one big sombrero! It sure keeps me hopping though, and allows for an exciting year.

Last summer’s fence project was a doozy. The wind storms had snapped off the old fence at the bottom of the 4 x 4s, so my neighbor & I rebuilt it. I had only built one 20 foot section of fence about 5 years earlier with a friend, so I was going off of memory to do this right. It turned out great & looks pretty darned good. It did use up a lot of time resources and quickly became labeled as a “pain in the behind” project. But heck, I have a nice looking fence now! Too bad I have to build another entire section of fence yet—that will be more of a pain, but it too will look great when all is done.

One project that will be using up some time this spring will be the 2010 B.A.C. A charity event taking place late spring, which I will run along with another coach from Florida. The details are nearly complete, so stay tuned if you’re a triathlete and participate in Ironman events—because this will be designed specifically for those type of athletes. What does B.A.C. stand for? You’ll just have to wait a little while longer. Possibly the next blog entry. Since I write about two of them a month on average, it will be the next or the one just after that.

On another subject, when I raced on the cross country running team in university, we had a wacky team captain. Outstanding runner, so much talent, but a year after I left the town where I went to school, I totally forgot the guy’s name. I ran across that name on the internet yesterday, it sounded familiar—but I wasn’t sure who it was. I Googled his name and clicked on “Images” and found an interview with him. While I didn’t recognize him at first (Tracey Lokken), the name sounded as if I should know him. Later in the interview he became more “animated” and the 20 years that have passed since I knew/ran with him peeled away. There he was…Tracey, the same old Tracey, just looking a little older. Little did I know he kept running and worked hard; enough to become the 2009 US National Master’s Marathon Champion. Pretty impressive! His first ever marathon was more impressive—at 2:23! “That thar is a speedy old guy!” Good on ya Tracey!

Summing it all up 2009

2009-11-26T09:17:00.000-08:00

Summing up a year is at best, a generalization of what is at the forefront of the mind. Let me rewind and speak specifically about family growth, with the little rascal growing I don’t know how many inches taller—but it sure seems like he went from a toddler to a post-toddler size overnight. It is amazing the memory capacity of the little ones, and how sponge-like they are in their observations of the world around them, as well as how helpful they really can be when they’re not being helpful (read as: making more messes than they clean up). The best thing about it is that it never really gets old and these really are some of the best of times to capture in my memory for the upcoming later years. Of course, my better half has been actively involved in teaching the majority learned things by the “mini-me”…while taking a backseat in competition to do so in 2009 with all the different projects I've been in this year. Then again, she actually raced more than I did this year! Looking back, I have reduced my racing this year (again), to limit it to a 5K running race in January, then a winter duathlon a couple weeks later, all for “funzzies” to test out the injury and assess what I would need to do in order to get ready for my real “A” race which was Ironman CDA in June. I had a lot of sharing/support from the better half this year to get back into things and chose to train rather than race a lot. After qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman (with what I consider a rather good race for me in CDA, given the physical issues the last several years), the rest of the season was set to be as much family time and preparation as I could for Hawaii.

There was the last-minute 5K I hopped in while visiting my parents on the 4th of July. This was a surprise to me as 12 days before I had finished a very difficult course at Ironman CDA. My dad told me about a 5K to be held on the 4th of July. Race morning I still wasn’t sure I’d do it, feeling a slight calf strain leftover from IM CDA. Finally, about 1.5 hrs from race start, I hopped out of bed, had a cup of coffee & jogged down to the start and entered. I would be lying if I didn’t say I was a tad nervous showing up to the start in my hometown with some of the top local runners there, including a guy from downstate who was an NCAA All-American runner in college & head coach of a track team. The long and short of it was the nerves were mainly from knowing I did a full Ironman only 12 days prior, now toeing the line in a race I never have even trained for since high school, against some decent competition (but far from decent compared to Boulder). I ended up starting in the second row behind some girls after a nice long warm up, then after about 100 yards I took the lead. I figured I may as well have some fun with it and “go-for-it” to see how many would fall off pace. It wasn’t until about a half mile before it was myself and some high school runner were alone—with him tailing me trying to draft off of me. I knew the imaginary rubber-band effect can be broken with mind games, especially at an inexperienced age of a high school runner. They are usually (not always) more prone to tactical games than someone my age. I decided to cut quickly to the left on the path then accelerate. When I heard him starting to follow my left direction, I moved quickly to the right. Then a few more times…before long, the zigzagging may have tired him out and busted that imaginary rubber band. From there I just tried to keep up with the lead biker, when he picked it up, I picked it up to try to catch him. At that point I didn’t really care who was behind me as I only tried to go as fast as I could. About 2 miles into the race, I started to tire and slowed the next ¾ mile. When I knew the finish was near, I picked it up. My Garmin 305 GPS told me I was 16:04 for 3.1 miles, a new PR at age 40. Not too shabby—to top it off, it was a course record. Had I known I was that close to breaking 16 minutes, I most certainly would & could have picked it up to chop 5 seconds off in that 2 mile-2.75 mile portion where I slowed down to try to recover. There were 223 racers which is a pretty good turnout for this small city.

I think my legs were sorer the day after the 5K than they were after IM CDA.

One highlight of the season was a pre-Kona long ride with one of my athletes I coach, Max. He’s been barreling through the ranks from an 11+ Ironman athlete to now a 9:12 finish at Ironman Arizona last week. I’ve worked with him for the past 4-5 years, and he has done everything I’ve told him to a tee—and fills out his log in such detail that it is like being right there training with him—watching (which I only did a couple times). I get regular power meter downloads, HRM downloads and tons of comments/feelings & feedback. I told him it would take 4-5 years if he did everything I said to get to Hawaii. This was the fourth year. We road 125 miles on a long ride up in the mountains, where I usually could pounce and drop him at will. Actually, that would be true for the flats as well. However, this was more for me to size up how his training had been going (a in person spot check I guess you could say). I needed to see how strong he was to finalize his training before IM AZ. After red-lining the entire day, for the first time ever he was able to drop me at will, and then…I knew he was ready to claim his spot for Hawaii. I lost count how many times he turned around or stopped to wait for me after disappearing up the highway at 9,000 feet altitude. All he needed to do was race and put it together—he was ready for sure. He is a swimmer by nature, and the run has become his strength. He raced just like I race…get a good placing on the swim, be competitive on the bike, and try to blow away the remaining folks on the run. Typical KK race style. In doing so, he surpassed my PR of 9:14 with his 9:12. While the swim course seems to be a little faster than the ocean (AZ is in a canal), the run seems to be a little hillier than IM FL where I set my PR, and so his time was even more impressive. I digress…the fact is, Max was ready and lean & mean. The power he had on the bike made me realize I was either aging & losing it, or I was really just being dusted by a now superior cyclist. After seeing his time at IM AZ, the latter was the apparent truth. Max finished 3rd in the 30-34 and 27th overall, stamping his first ever ticket to Kona. All the work I had him do on the bike this year took his weakness to his strength. Even more than his run (how could this be if his placing on the run was 2 spots better than his bike?) Simple, he had the 4th fastest bike in his AG but was still able to run with the 2nd fastest run. That shows his fitness on the bike was so strong it was only for that reason that he could possibly run so fast like the bike didn’t even happen.

Before Kona, I competed in my third Sombrero Ranch Trail Race. This is the hardest 3-something miles you’ll ever do. It gains 1,000 feet in about 1.25 miles. It was only 3 weeks out from Kona, so with rocks, tree roots, and the chance for twisting an ankle, it was a big risk. However, I love the race and wasn’t feeling too confident for Hawaii anyhow as training was not going that well on the bike anyhow (injury was acting up). If something happened I figured it would be minor anyhow, as my background initially is in cross country running. I ended up running more of the race in 5-7th place but with about ¾ mile left overtook Master’s running legend Andy Ames and started to slowly build a gap. I would have moved into second a little sooner but got caught behind some quickly tiring runners on some very rocky sections where I just could not pass for what seems like a half mile. Essentially, I was being held up by a few runners who weren’t really adept at downhill rocky trails. At the top of the last hill, I turned off course about 20 yards and Andy yelled over to me, “This way!” I turned around for a quick look and was back on course. At this point I felt he slowed up so I could get back into the same position I was in, since he wasn’t quite to the crest of the hill. Once heading downhill, I let my legs fly as fast as they could give the rocks and ruts on the trail. Andy was not able to overtake me downhill so I ended up second overall. It was good sportsmanship for Andy to call me back on course and not attack when he saw I went off course, but I’m pretty sure had I stayed on course I would have placed ahead of him by a slightly larger margin than what I did. Either way, he is a legend in the Boulder area and this was my first win over him.

The season pretty much ended like this:

Quaker 5K: 1st AG/18th overall

Chilly Cheeks Duathlon #2: 3rd overall

Ironman CDA: 3rd AG (Kona Qualified-fastest AG run split)

Firecracker 5K: 1st overall (course record at 16:04 & P.R.)

Sombrero Ranch Trail Run: 2nd overall

Hawaii Ironman: 66th AG/448th overall (UGH!)

From a coaching standpoint, I’ve had success across the board. Obviously the first to mention is Max, enough can’t be said about what he’s done in the past 4 years to become an elite amateur in any distance race. Next, Bob…was on pace to break his P.R. at Ironman Florida by over an hour until he had knee issues and stomach virus (next year Bob!) There was Bill, who went out to become Idaho state champ this summer in his Age Group, then there was Laurie who after much coaxing to do Ironman Florida, overcame her doubts and ended up missing her Kona slot by just a small margin, finishing in P.R. time and 8th in her Age Group—a testament to the talent she has. Those were just a few success stories from a few athletes. It was certainly a success year all around. There were a few athletes who fought some injuries through accident or because of the way they are naturally built resulting in biomechanical issues. There were those who stopped far too short of giving their aspirations an honest “go” from the start, but still ended up doing okay. Once those issues are tended to, then they should get back in the saddle and pick up where they left off, for working only a few months is hardly a fully-dedicated effort to succeed in Ironman racing. Athletes need to be honest with their initial goals and how realistic they are related to their motivation and dedication levels. Some did not keep good training logs; some made excuses and did not follow the program, then after a few months seemed to lose faith in them, and finally, others just didn’t even get off the ground after a couple weeks for some reason or another. I certainly hope they overcome this outlook, as that is what truly holds them back from their dreams. So many people go 99% of the way to their goals and stop when they are literally one step away…1% away. Ever wonder what the top 1% most successful people in any field have in common? They push through and give the 1% effort that the other 99% did not. If you want it bad enough and are willing to work for it, anything can happen. Anything.

Launching 2010

2009-11-15T23:06:00.000-08:00

There are so many things for 2010 that will be going on it is not easy to figure out where to start. First, an announcement from Gemini Multisport about (here's the teaser)...2010 B.A.C. It will take place here in Boulder--an event that is truly world class in every aspect. Triathletes from all over the country will be wanting to hear when the 2011 B.A.C. will take place. Nuff said, stay tuned to http://www.geminimultisport.com/latestnews.html for announcements by the end of the year.

The winter has stricken Boulder with almost 8 inches of snow the last 48 hours, with cold temps. The serpantine belt came off one of the vehicles so that put a damper on a planned cold run through the city. This weather makes you want to just rewind back to the summer time or at least forward to next summer. The good news about the sun going down so soon this time of year is in knowing that Dec. 21st isn't that far away--then the daylight slowly extends. Minute by minute every few days, but it is a sign that the warmth of spring is on its way. Now is a great time to spend getting those "rainy day" items completed around the house, as they will surely be replaced with another long list of to do things.

2009 Hawaii Ironman Race Report

2009-10-25T15:39:00.000-07:00

2009 Ironman Hawaii Race Report/KK

The week leading up to race day went well, no blips in the radar to think anything would have affected me one way or another. I arrived in Kona lean and feeling quite prepared (but not quite as much as IM CDA). The run was “on” as I just finished 2nd overall in a mountain trail race three weeks before IM Hawaii. The swim has been quite “on” compared to the past as well, yet my confidence on the bike wasn’t there despite spending a lot of time in the saddle this year. My recovery from a two-year long injury just wasn’t 100%, so no matter what I did this year my biking hasn’t been too powerful (may next year eh?)

The issues that brought down the roof on this edition of Hawaii were largely self-imposed. #1, NEVER start next to the pier. I’ve started there only once and it worked out as I could swim “inside” the buoys, but this year there were nearly 100 surfboards linked together forming a barrier so swimmers couldn’t swim inside the buoys. When the gun went off, I was smashed up against the boards—starting in the third row. Immediately I was kicked, submerged, punched and forced to go into breast-stroke mode for several minutes. Briefly I contemplating grabbing a surf board just to get some air as this was the most cruel/rude group I’ve been with in Hawaii in eight attempts. It was as if safety and courtesy didn’t matter to anyone. Eventually, before the turn around I was kicked or punched in the nose which led to a slight nosebleed. Note to self next time around…start FAR left by the Body Glove boat and avoid the congestion. Better to lose a big of swim draft and have the freedom to swim AROUND the congestion in open water. I think this has been a common strategy for me in most Ironman races and it worked well. I can swim faster on my own in open water than with a group that is always fighting for someone’s feet—there seems to be a yo-yo effect in a line of swimmers. Plus, there seems to be a lot of dangerous elbowing and kicking by someone in a group because they don’t like their toes touched when someone swims behind them too closely. This ended up being a rather slow swim for me despite my new Blue Seventy speed suit (I’m sure it would have been much slower without it in fact.) The large amount of breast-stroke done this time around pretty much put the kabash on everything in the first leg due to congestion—there just wasn’t any open water to go to left or right. Right—surfboards. Left—about a few hundred swimmers…thus, trapped. Exiting the water there were carpeted steps (different from the ramp on the other side of the pier last time I raced here.) There were steps underwater and before anyone said anything such as, “Watch the steps underwater!” BOOM! I had tripped, ripping a 2-inch portion of skin off my right shin—falling to the ground. What a great way to start the day…slow swim, bloody nose and now a gash in my leg with an instant bruise. It has been a week now and has been healing quickly.

T1: Uneventful, as entertainment was provided by my decision to use DeSoto Cool Wings. Basically they are sleeves connected by material over the upper back, which you pour water over during the race in order to keep cool and keep the sun stay off your back. Try putting those on with wet skin—it doesn’t work so well. It must have taken a clear 45 seconds alone to put those on. Next time, I’ll use a full Craft Sun Shirt or something. At least I didn’t get burned during the bike all over my shoulders as I usually do.

Bike: There must have been around 600 bikers passing me—most all in packs. The groups of approximately 5-20 were common all the way to Hawi. Not much to say here other than if those passing me in the packs feel like they actually beat me this day, more power to them. There were marshals that would ride up to a pack of 20, nobody broke it up, and then the marshals just drove off on their motorbikes without taking a number or flashing a penalty card. Clearly, WTC did an extra, extra poor job of marshalling the AG athletes. I have plenty of video footage to prove my point as well. In addition, I saw the shadow of one guy for around a mile, practically so close to me that he was nearly on the same bike. I turned around and told him that if I wanted to ride so close with someone, I would have packed a tandem bicycle for the race. He muttered some expletives and peeled off my wheel. This is where I think the other part of my bike leg went in the drain: I missed my Infinit Nutrition “Special Needs Bag” bottle at Hawi. There was nearly 400 calories in that bottle, compared to nearly 150 I could take in/stomach through Gatorade Endurance and other aid station hand-offs. I simply ran out of steam from caloric deficit. In hindsight I should have stopped for the Infinit until they could run it to me…especially since I stopped for a bathroom break right at the turn around (there was a minute right there). I used Salt Stick tabs in addition to Infinit, this all worked well until I ran out of both of them on the bike. From Hawi back there was a constant headwind but the gusts weren’t bad this year. It was simply steady with 13 mph on some sections of flat in aero position. Tough, tough bike when you bike it fairly.

T2: Stopped for a bathroom break again but not much exciting here aside from a tough time standing up to run just after dismounting the bike. The old back was a bit stiff. At least heading out onto the run course…I saw two athletes just walking right out of T2. Methinks they went too hard on the bike.

Run: This went well at a 7:08 pace for the first six or so miles. Then my issues with heat management set in. I began to walk the aid stations after 10K, just to grab what I could to keep myself going. Figure about 20 aid stations (that’s a LOT of lost time). However, it went much better than the bike leg went. I was able to pass hundreds of athletes with few passing me. There were a few in my AG from IM CDA that I saw in the energy lab who I managed to gain a lot of time on here. The AG winner from CDA ended up being only 3 minutes ahead of me at the end of the day while gaining around 20 on the bike alone. To think—if I just hopped on the group of cyclists like everyone else seemed to be doing all day long, I may have gone sub-10 hrs. But I couldn’t enjoy my placing knowing I didn’t do it on my own. During the run, I was able to pass Andreas Neidrig (a pro) who has won Ironman races outside of the USA. There were some other notables I finished ahead of, but there were some not-so-notables who finished high today as well. Depends on how you choose to race a championship race I guess (draft or not). I finished in a 3:26 marathon with a final mile of 6:22. Pulled off an “okay” run considering how the day started. As the run went on, I felt better and better, wondering where all my power went on the bike and in the middle of the run. My lighter weight this season helped my running no doubt, However I may have lost a bit on my cycling leg due to that. I did not lift many weights this season due to recovery of the leg injury, so that will be something to look at for ’10. It was really a victory in itself getting back to Kona after so many years of turning down slots, and it was enjoyable this time around without the pressure. Sure some of the other competitors ticked me off in how they chose to curb the rules for their own gain, but it was fun getting back to Kona nonetheless. My main goal was reached this year, getting to Kona. My second goal of winning my AG in CDA didn’t happen (but I was 3rd so that was close!). My third goal of setting a Kona PR didn’t happen either (but those were tactical, nutritional, and strategic errors on my part). At least the #1 goal was reached, so with lofty goals it was a very successful but short season.

Notes for 2010 & lessons learned: Start AWAY from the pier to find clear water in Kona. Stop to get your race nutrition at Hawi, it is VITAL. Move down a tooth from 54 to 53 (too large of a gear given the terrain). Do NOT use DeSoto cool wings, instead use a moisture wicking light colored shirt like the CRAFT shirt Tbjorn Sindeballe used—it’ll be easier to put on & pull down rather than slip an arm through and get it around the backside. Ride close to the LEGAL limit of the draft zone and don’t get carried away with too much distance as that will cause you to drop back much faster. Be careful coming up the steps at the end of the swim. Finally, wear LIGHT colored clothes on the run, it could keep you from overheating early on along the coast where the humidity is high on Alii Drive. Besides that, keep reaching high and never give up. We all learn each and every Ironman, even the top pros—it is a continual process and is never completed until the last time we race. I’ve set some new goals for 2010, different from this year, and hopefully these will start taking shape in a matter of months. The season is over, it’s family time, they’ve made a lot of sacrifices for this trip so it is payback time.

Story of a real hero...

2009-09-13T00:54:00.000-07:00

A long time ago in a land far, far away I began my career in triathlon, which developed through a lot of hard work and seemingly endless hours of post-midnight bike trainer rides in the basement of my parent’s house. It was in the wee hours of the morning after a 12 PM-12 AM, or 6 AM to 6 PM or whatever screwy hours they gave me…in a labor job during the summers between college years, when already tired—I pounded out the miles in the summer night heat of a small room with no air conditioning. After those rides I would usually take to the plastic covered concrete weights I inherited from my brother who decided exercise would not be part of his daily lifestyle. The only real reason I wasn’t heading straight to bed upon my shift’s end was because I didn’t like second place. Not in the overall standings or my age group…second was the first place loser. Fast forward to the race seasons during college and post-college years, when first place overall in my area was nearly an every race occurrence. There was a weekend where I won a triathlon on Saturday, then raced again the next day—winning both of them overall. It was not just by a small margin, but quite a bit—well over 5 minutes in both sprint races.

Was it a case of poor competition and small fields? Possibly, but not to those attending the races. I had heard of another fast guy from Green Bay that was lighting up the circuit around the US, in pretty much any town/any race whether it was on the national or world level. One day this guy showed up at a race I fully expected to win. I actually thought I was in the lead at one point until I got about a mile from the 10 K turn around of the run. This guy would have been at the 4 mile marker while I was only at the 2 mile marker…”What the…? *)@” Did this guy take a short cut and do the entire course? “No bleeping way…” I thought to myself. Later I found out it was the guy from Green Bay and it all made sense. I had a chance to talk to him…his name: Chris Peeters. A few years later he showed up again and I was able to close the gap on the bike…this time, my foe was only about a quarter mile into the run when I was arriving at T2. Finally, I was able to show myself Chris was in fact human by denting his large lead out of the swim. Little did I know I had blown my running legs in order to chase him down (but I had still biked faster so that was a small victory in itself). Over the years this guy was the carrot I chased in my training sessions, since he was the best.

Chris disappeared for a few years while going to medical school, getting his doctorate in Radiology. It took me a few years to improve and leap up to levels that included Team USA and multiple Ironman World Championships. When he returned to racing after med school, he came back to the sport stronger. Once again, he was faster, stronger and was able to take down the likes of even some of the strongest athletes in the world. Athletes who have become of legendary age group lore—many of whom I had already beaten multiple times such as Tim Hola from the semi-pro group Team Timex. Even when guys like Hola were at their very best at the Ironman World Championships, Chris’s best was better, faster. An unassuming guy who I got to know over the last two decades, Chris is a class act. Always humble and willing to share whatever knowledge about racing and training, Chris was far from protecting his routine. I admired the accomplishments both on the race scene and off the race scene. He is a whole 3-4 years older than I am, so not too much older…yet we raced each other for nearly two decades and I have never finished ahead of him.

Likely, Chris never knew it was he that would help drive me to become better in this sport. He was one of my biggest rivals yet I was nothing of the sort to him as he was so much faster—nor likely was I ever a threat in races to him no matter what the distance. Still, this is a guy that I placed a target on for nearly two decades and who over those years, became one of the few heroes I had in the sport. Not Dave Scott, Mark Allen, Scott Molina, or Scott Tinley, but a guy from Green Bay. He is a “real” person with a “real” job, not a media-driven full time sponsored athlete who pretends they have lived in the real world most of us live in while trying to climb the rankings of this sport. No salaries to buoy his training over the years by some sponsor, or months of just training in exotic places like so many pros at the top level have done. That is why I saw some of myself in him, and aspired to remotely reach even a sliver of what he has done in the sport. If he could do it so could I type of thing.

I was riding one day this summer with Barry Siff, founder of 5430 Sports, when he told me Chris Peeters was retiring from racing at a young age of 43. Turned out that he recently discovered he has M.S. If you don’t know what this is, it is a cruel sentence on the human body that debilitates those afflicted with it. There are many forms of it and degrees of severity, but let’s just say it isn’t something an athlete can really ever see themselves having because we are usually so used to being able to achieve the impossible with our body. I was at the US Junior National Championships coaching in the Mentor Program for USAT just a few weeks ago, running a clinic for over 100 kids, with about 6 assistant coaches. I contacted Chris since I was to be in the area, after not seeing him for some years (of course I fell out of touch and wondered where the heck he had been…)

He invited me over to his house for dinner, to meet his wife and 8-month old daughter. I was flattered to be invited to sit down for supper at one of my biggest hero’s home. I must admit, it was a great time. I passed on the beer and went for what was actually one of the tastiest spinach salads I’ve had (but picked the almonds out due to allergies). He had ordered pizza, so Chris, Laurie (Chris’s wife), and I sat around reminiscing about the athletes we raced against back in the Midwest throughout the years. Then…the awkward part of the visit came that choked me up (I tried to hide it best I could). I feel you should tell people of their importance in your life, especially, if they help you to become a better person or whatever. Just because they helped you in some way, shape or form—even if you don’t normally hang out together. I think Chris picked up on the fact I was bothered by his diagnosis and mentioned something about how people can have pity parties or just move on in life. I wasn’t there for a pity party certainly, but to tell him how much of a POSITIVE effect he has had on my life without him directly knowing it. The getting “choked up” part came about just because I care about people I think it is a raw deal he is getting…that’s just me. Regardless, I set out to do something I should have told him a long time ago, tell him. It may have seemed odd for him and his wife to hear, but what the hell, I’ve never claimed I wasn’t odd in some way, shape or form. In hindsight, I felt like a dork, but whatever.
I wondered why I never mentioned this to him before. All I could come up with is that I needed to keep my race face on whenever I saw him and not give up any power. I really honestly felt I could take him one day, now I’ll never know. One thing that is for sure, it doesn’t matter. In fact, what matters most is that he as served a great purpose in my life whether he knew it or not, causing me to aspire to become better than what I could have been without him as a carrot. I suppose it is a case of “if he could do it so can I” type of thing as I said earlier. I left his house feeling like I made contact with an old friend, sitting around having an informal dinner chatting about old times. It was pretty cool and I HOPE it wasn’t too weird for him to hear how he inspired me. Last thoughts here…I sure wish a cure for MS would become a reality with all the Labor Day millions in research gathered over the years. Last year, I also lost the manager that hired me last year due to MS, it is time a cure came about to battle it down to the levels of a head cold. What a great thing this would be with Labor Day just passing about a week ago. Besides, it sure would be nice to kick Chris’s butt in a triathlon at least one time!

Blue Seventy Rocks!

2009-09-09T14:05:00.001-07:00

Just got back from a 50K ride with aero position intervals, upon returning there was a box on the doorstep. It was my Blue Seventy Kit for Hawaii Ironman Championships in less than 5 weeks! Talk about a sweet suit! The Point Zero 3.0+ fit like a glove & the mirrored goggles should be awesome for the hot Kona sun. Maybe I'll have to test drive it out to the Coffees of Hawaii raft floating in Kailua Bay, I'll be able to get there quicker now at least, and in style. If you haven't checked it out, go to KK'S POST tab on my website: www.geminimultisport.com for the latest post.

Also, congratulations to Dr. Molly Craven of Michigan, on her new baby. Molly is an ex-girlfriend that has always been an awesome person to stay in touch with, and all around good human being. An athlete herself and former kick-butt cross country skier, Molly offed to Med School and met up with an army doctor, got hitched and is now practicing in lower Michigan. She went for her dream and is now living it. Way to go Molly!

What are you WAITING for?

2009-08-21T22:03:00.000-07:00

If you don't stand around to wait for things to happen, you will surely always know what "could be". For those that stand around, waiting for others, you'll always wonder what "could have been". Initiative. It's what transforms dreams and desire into progress and ultimately, success. Whether you wonder if beginning an adventure towards some human performance that is seemingly insurmountable or even starting a business, or breaking away from your current job to see if you float or flop in one of these endeavors, it only happens with initiative. Recently, a name popped up on a Slowtwitch.com forum I hadn't heard in a while. An old arch-rival from Michigan who was heads & tails above anyone in the state in triathlon back around 1990. I'll call him Kenny...one thing I remember was his side-kick Gene (his coach), and this guy's 1 large chain ring (no small ring) at Leon's QEM Triathlon National Championships in Hammond, Indiana. A few things I recall about his bike was that he used Gommatalia tires, his chosen "best" tire out there. Not sure why these odd details of his bike stood out, but one other thing I recall is a top female triathlete named Mellisa Patterson who was on the cover of Triathlete Magazine once. That's about all I recall other than it being the race I first heard of "Tim & Tony Deboom" in the tri world. This was my first really big adventure into top level competition, which led to bigger races. Amongst them, Hawaii Ironman.

I flew out to Hawaii with my brother to see what this Ironman thing was all about. Never would I have even thought about going there if it weren't for "Kenny" my arch rival. He tried to win this little local race, and just couldn't do it. He tried year after year, and became frustrated. On a cool down run with him at this local race in 1993 or 1994, he talked about how he one day wanted to do the Hawaii Ironman. He explained a little bit more about it as I was just a short course guy in the start. It sparked an interest & then I wanted to check it out--soon. I was hooked when I was there with energy crackling in the air at every turn of the corner. Mark Allen won that year I went to watch...his last win. I set out to qualify for this Ironman thing for the following year. Seeing the race in person really prepares you mentally for not only the conditions, but the level you realize you need to get to in order to compete with the best in the world. It took a lot of time, daily consistency in training, and laser beam focus for another year. I'm convinced that once you figure the formula out--even once...you can do it again. The problem is so many do it once and don't have the drive, energy & focus needed to not only get to that original level, but beyond their original level. Each year competition becomes more difficult in our sport of triathlon. Each year you must not settle for a past fitness level, because it won't take you very far. If you see yourself sliding, further and further, wondering why the field has passed you by, it is because the others around you have actually found or re-kindled that passion and desire you once had in search of that goal. They would have never been able to leapfrog you in the results standing if it weren't for that one seed which takes our dreams to reality...that seed that takes reality to levels of legend...that seed called...INITIATIVE. So why are you sitting here reading this...? Get out there and train...get off the couch or out of that chair and START whatever it is that you have packed away in the back of your mind and bring your dreams into the real world.

Sport of Solitude

2009-08-12T21:34:00.000-07:00

Triathlon in general is a social sport. Master’s swimming, group rides & runs, track sessions…they all can be a place to meet others and create a solid foundation for friendship or otherwise. Cross over into the side of the sport called Ironman and the tables can take you for a ride quite opposite of that which makes up the social side of the sport. Breaking the wall between the two is tough, with the extensive doses of training required, suffering through long and lonely hours can keep one from seeing the light—or it can become the light.
So involved can our sport become, and more specifically, Ironman—it can be something of a comforting “friend” for those looking for escape from other realities of life. It is no surprise that the physical attractiveness of the average triathlete is a draw for some. There is also no surprise that Ironman athletes have the highest divorce rate of any sport (note that ALL of the “Big 4” have been divorced). Athletes need to turn inward and become self-absorbed to an extent in order to achieve the seemingly (at times) insurmountable task of preparing to race 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and then run a full marathon. A spouse must be able to willingly fully support and understand this or else it can become something that erodes a relationship. It can be a sport that provides the very chemicals one needs to battle bouts of depression, or recourse from unhealthy relationships for an athlete. I have worked with athletes that feel comfort from the loneliness that takes you for a ride while getting ready for an Ironman competition. Part of that is because people in the sport know that the long hours provide the endorphins that make them feel good, even when other things in life aren’t. For the athlete not involved in a relationship and hoping to get involved, they may be striking out in

The Art of REAL Coaching

2009-07-27T21:12:00.000-07:00

With the Tour done, finally the TV isn’t a distraction—so that means now it is time to rise up and get out the door with only 10 weeks to Kona. I qualified at Ironman Coeur d’ Alene for the 13th time in my life…only this time I actually took the slot to Hawaii. Normally I would pass on it (but marked on the application I was competing for a slot), as it has been about seven or eight years since I had been there. After the last two disastrous seasons with declining training, declining results and increasing pain, 2009 became a mission of redemption or acceptance. For starters, I did not accept my 2008 April race at Ironman Arizona as being my fate from there on. It was a PW (Personal Worst) race, though I thought I had prepared fairly well given the fact I was in constant pain—especially on the bike. The only thing actually making it feel better was to do nothing, which I did a lot of up until about January of 2008. A crash course in high volume training normally would bring things around but this time it was to no avail.

I contemplated not racing for a few years after Ironman Arizona, so at that time, it was a matter of healing before getting back at it. As luck would have it, I stumbled upon a new procedure that allowed me to heal to a certain degree—come back fairly strong and prepare to tackle another Ironman only seven months post-surgery. It was one of those competitor things that just happens, we never want to give in to the obvious. It is always train, train, train, when we should be seeking out the real issues of injury. I have had the opportunity to work with two interesting athletes this year, both who are very talented yet will not be able to realize their true potential unless they a) stop b) heal. There isn’t a valid reason to keep pushing until the problems get fixed, simple as that. Healing takes longer if you are trying to heal and train at the same time. Sometimes light exercise helps healing along, depends on the hand you are dealt with. One of these athletes has so many problems that he would be best doing nothing else but swimming and aqua jogging. Yet, he has a fall and winter schedule he wants to compete in even while he doesn’t know what is causing the pain for sure. This is an example of complete disconnect with reality and could cause permanent damage. Luckily, I was able to find a fix to my hip issues and bounce back, but should have taken my own advice here and just stepped away for a time. This athlete has been told to step away by me on more than one occasion. Finally, (thank God!) he did…but will resume shortly with a fairly full schedule and forge on. He needs to just step away at this time all together and focus his training on his recovery instead.

Another athlete of mine, crashed on her bike up in the mountains and when asked what I thought she should do from this point (recently)…I told her to step away. It does not one ounce of good to push through injury, while still trying to prepare for an A-race. Heal, then go at it again. That is all there is to it in all three of our cases. Experience teaches you a lot about being a coach. Coaching gives you a lot of experience. This works both ways and the result is always the same, a dependable and wise source of information. Sharing information and teaching is largely what coaches do in their profession. Sharing is the key here…when you do this for a living, then the motivation becomes less about sharing and more about the dollars they can rake in. Not that coaching is that good a profession to get rich in…but if you don’t share the information, the credit for helping one another and just look out for your own pocket book, it isn’t a profession you should be in. Share because you CARE. About the athletes, about the sport, and use that experience to help others become their best. Be honest with them and strengthen the sport rather than trying to monopolize it with marketing and cheap gimmicky words of wisdom. Believe in the athletes and the profession. I say to all coaches out there…remember the real reason you got into coaching and the sport. It was because you love the sport and your experience to improve not only yourself but the wealth of knowledge in hopes of sharing it someday for the sake of helping others. At least that is what the REAL coaches and athletes I know got into the sport for. Keep it real, keep it honest.

A month beyond IM CDA

2009-07-20T23:35:00.001-07:00

Well busy isn't the word I'd use to describe the last month since Ironman CDA. Since qualifying for my 13th Hawaii Ironman (*competed in 7 of them--passed the qualifying spot on the others down the ladder)...I've been busy doing things I'd normally save for a rainy day. To keep from going nuts from training very little, I've redirected my energy into painting, yardwork, family time, and projects that just weren't getting done in big training blocks. I hope to add photos by the next blog entry, but downloading the camera seems to even take time I don't have right now. Heading back into training slowly will be painful, but luckily if anything, the healing from last month should be complete. Mentally I'm ready to roll, physically, being a slug with sparse training has caused a bit of a sluggishness in the system as my watts during riding have been very low. There is this residual fatigue I've been sensing on the bike since CDA, but the wattage has been slowly returning this past week to near normal levels. I got in a good interval session with the Cervelo boys who were in Longmont from the Cervelo HQ in Canada. They were all here for a gathering with store owners showing off goods in a pre-Interbike like presentation. I guess the Cervelo P4 will actually come in some pretty cool colors this next year besides plain black & white. Not sure on that yet, but I seem to be sort of over the P4 & looking at a few other models for a new bike. Some companies have caught up & surpassed Cervelo I think in technology as they've incorporated all that Cervelo learned in wind tunnel testing & then have improved on it to create some of the coolest bikes out there. One of which, the new Specialized, Giant, and Trek TT machines. The Speed Concept looks to be far superior in nearly every aspect I've seen. To top it off, none of these bikes have a "dork bottle" that the P4 has. Never did like the bottle to begin with.

On another front, Kudos goes out to Max, an athlete of mine who just won his AG at the Cabbage Head Du, and won the Mile High Duathlon Series in his AG. He race 4 weekends in a row, with IM training during the week, no taper, and is still kicking butt. These are just speed sessions for him, in his quest for IM AZ results. He's been rocking it all summer long as is a hungry pit bull...so hopefully the stars will align for him this time around in AZ. He's doing better than any year previous. It takes some time for a coach/athlete to get wired into each other so that everything is clicking. More than that, it takes a dedicated athlete that does ALL the work put to them by the coach, believes in the program, has un-ending drive, and communicates in detail their training logs so the coach isn't guessing what the heck the athlete is doing or performing like week to week. This cat exemplifies every aspect of a serious triathlete looking to get to Hawaii for Ironman. No excuses from this guy, he will get the plan & JUST DO IT. Like Nike says in their ads.

As for what I've been doing since IM CDA, I went to my parent's for the 4th of July & hopped in a 5km race only 12 days after IM CDA. I was surprised to win the race (over 200 racers), in 16:04 on a GPS'd accurate course--and set the course record. It must have been the sea level altitude or still being on a "peak" from IM CDA because that sure was a pretty good go at it so soon after IM averaging 5:17 per mile. Of course now back home & sitting for a spell, I went on a 8 miler today and about blew a gasket with high HR and slow pace (must be either the sitting around, altitude, or the fact it was about 90 F). Either way, I have to get back in the saddle again. Oh I certainly am looking forward to the many miles of sweating & consuming sugar gels & sugar water and my Salt Stick tabs along the way. I think my reward post-Hawaii will be something like this...two pc. white toast, mayo, 6-8 slices of bacon, cheddar...drop the L & the T. Wash it down with a giant glass of O.J. or milk. Sounds nasty, but hey, you have to reward yourself for all the discipline with a good old fashioned heart-attack-snack right? Then a short rest & get ready for 2010 season a.s.a.p. Happy Training!

Ironman CDA Race Report

2009-06-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

The long road back from a two year long injury to prepare for this journey began back in November 2008. A PRP injection started the ball rolling; it is a new treatment for chronic injury that doesn’t heal much on its own. At 162 lbs, all my pants were tight and belts were no longer needed. My past racing diet held me to around 153 lbs. on average for Ironman fitness, but 162 lbs to start with was something beyond that which I had ever reached starting a training cycle. I knew that the days of poor eating had to stop right then with relentless focus and execution, consistency and mental preparation. Family support became essential for the upcoming half a year, knowing I would be around less on the weekends training substantial amounts (for me) for many weeks. Ironman and succeeding at it takes such vast resources physically, emotionally, financially, mentally…it isn’t for the faint of heart. I made the commitment after my worst Ironman time ever in Arizona back in April 2008; it was time to get that old feeling back in the legs. I narrowed the waistline down to a svelte 143-145 lbs, while maintaining my power numbers with my power meter—actually increased the numbers to a degree compared to last year. Never before have I raced at such a light weight. This was the lightest I had been since high school as a senior. I’ve fought off a 2 month+ stress fracture in the same place/foot as when I ran in college and then used just under 2 months prior to this race, to attempt to get some sort of run fitness back. The layoff concerned me, but I focused on cycling/swimming instead.

I left on Thursday the week of the race, scheduled to depart at 5:55 PM. Checking if the flight times changed online, my wife told me the flight was cancelled and I was put on a later 9:35 PM flight instead. Then it was delayed until 9:55, and then delayed again until 9:57 and again until 10 PM. This concerned me as I needed to pick up my car rental and drive to CDA, 45 minutes away and I would be getting in late. The other issue was the airport car rentals closed at midnight. We sat on the runway for 35 minutes after taxiing, or 10:45 PM. It was around a 1:45 flight time with an hour roll back due to time zone change. We landed at 11:56 PM but didn’t get off the plane until around 12:05. Luckily, the car rental folks stayed open knowing there was a plane just landing. I ate one of those egg salad sandwiches in a sealed plastic Saran-Wrap-like container and drank a Gatorade from an all night open gas station on Barker Rd. Nothing else was open off of highway 90 through Spokane aside from a Carl Jrs. The egg salad sandwich actually wasn’t that bad—the nutrition report on the side of the package showed it was well within my new “healthy” diet. La Quinta Inn in CDA was a $139/night noise machine; I slept 4 hours and heard the neighbor peeing a dozen times in the next room throughout the night. I promptly checked out that morning and went to the Best Western a block away, as they had a block of rooms cancelled. This was a really nice place, but it was $179/night. It was worth it though, as I rested very, very well and was totally relaxed. With the room all to me and no noise bothering me at all, it was a good night of sleep. A friend from Boulder, oddly enough, was staying just THREE doors down from where I was on the same floor. Maybe the folks at the front desk knew we planned on getting together anyhow as we attended the race “solo”? So we chummed around for the next day, ate breakfast together, hit the expo. Good stuff. Then I ran into Bill, a fast guy I am coaching and another gal from Boulder (who unfortunately DNF’d due to serious back issues)—Laurie (who was there signing up for 2010). Bill had an extra room so invited me to stay there with him, Laurie, and sister Madonna Buder. I stayed with them the next two nights so they were my room mates for the key days up to the race. Really I hadn’t expected to stay in three different places the first three nights. But if you do sign up for CDA, rent a house—it is economical compared to the hotels, and above all don’t get a room at the La Quinta Inn off of Hwy 90 on Apple Way…it’s a noisy, expensive dump and you will regret it!

I never did get a swim in before the race due to time constraints. The weather was quite cold (I heard it was 60 F as a high on race day—a bit cool by 2 to 4 degrees I think), but I still only used toe warmers and regular warm weather race outfit on the bike. No gloves or anything, or arm warmers…I took a chance in that I left my Craft long sleeve thermal base layer in my T1 bag banking on luck the weather would hold. Cold weather races suit me better for some reason—I guess because I come from a colder climate originally. It stayed dry did but was very, very windy with 4 foot waves. The swim was extremely slow and the roughest water they’ve had there with 15 mph winds. I laughed during much of the swim and had a good old time having waves go under me, disappear then dropping me straight down with a body slam back into the water. Many swimmers were being pulled from the water from what the post-race video of rescue boats showed. People were getting motion sick to their stomach swimming. The key was to smile, laugh, stay relaxed and just deal with it. Get worked up and it is wastes energy you need for later in the race. Conserve during the swim, steady on the bike while monitoring calorie/liquid consumption, and power numbers as well as mph, then try to hold it together on the run. The plan was anything left with 10Km on the run was going to be dished out in full. I exited the swim feeling like I really didn’t just swim 2.4 miles; it was almost TOO easy despite the conditions. Someone said I had around the 14th fastest swim in my age group but I don’t know, didn’t look it up yet. Out of nearly 362 in my AG, that is pretty good for screwing around having a “tour” out there.

The bike was a bit different as this was the bane of my training/racing the last two years and caused me the most misery training from the pain level. My time wasn’t that impressive with a 5:22 compared to the 5:05-5:15 most the other guys were doing in the top 10 of my AG. But it was all I could muster without destroying my chances for a good run. I was counting bikers at the first turn around, where I was in 74th place overall. I was with the eventual AG winner Brett Sublett for the first 56 miles, and then dropped off on the second lap quite a bit. Brett was so far in front after the bike my top AG run time couldn’t dent his lead too much aside from 5 minutes…however, take away those mentioned pee breaks during the race and I would have been staring right at his back coming down the finish chute. It didn’t matter though, my mission was accomplished, and I finished the run while running the entire thing. Plus, I captured my 13th Hawaii Ironman qualification. After this race, I would say I pretty much have qualifying for Hawaii Ironman figured out, while holding a full time job and with a kid. This is something I think most coaches can’t say they can do (despite some claiming to be specializing in training Ironmen)…so it is something I can pass onto my athletes on how to do this. Qualifying for Kona while holding together a real life and with responsibilities isn’t easy. Finding a balance in life while not having to forfeit everything to get to Kona is often a tough medicine to swallow. But you do have to do your work and stay focused, unwavering in your determination. In my situation, the extra support of my wife made a huge difference too (thanks honey!)

I ended up with over 3,000 miles cycling since November, so these were numbers beyond what I was used to training. However, since I wasn’t running, I had a little time to bike more. The cycling still was not at a point where I was 100% satisfied for this race, but it was enough to come off the bike and finish with the fastest AG run of the day. While my time was 9:43 and change for a hilly and windy course, I was a little over-hydrated on race day. The first stop was T1, had to pee. Same went for T2, peed before running. On the bike, I pulled off around mile 60-something and used the porta-potty at an aid station. On the run I pulled over FIVE times and counted 1-one thousand, 2-one-thousand, etc. until I hit 40. Yep, 40 before I stopped. Total time lost there was 45 seconds (getting in and out of the potty actually takes a couple seconds, not to mention losing your momentum). Each stop was 40-45 seconds each time…sometimes you just have to count so you know what you’re actually losing. Long and short of it is I ended up losing 2nd place in the AG due to peeing and quite a few overall spots as there were many athletes just a couple minutes in front of me. I know it sounds uncouth, but the reality is, if you’ve ever raced with a full bladder you know how distracting it can be, if not just from discomfort. My marathon run time was actually 3:07-3:08 taking out the bathroom breaks…and I was far from tapped out on pace. I can run faster—maybe next year? Around 9 miles left in the run I felt a little “woozy” so started immediately on pretzels for the salt, which did not help much. Next plan was to take in anything that had high calories, so in thinking what they had at aid stations, I determined chocolate chip cookies and de-fizzed cola were my best options for my caloric deficit. The caffeine would most undoubtedly have an effect. It brought me back a bit so I calculated with one final turn around point, that I was sitting in about 4th to 5th place with only 4.75 miles to go according to the race numbers I saw at the turn around points. I knew one guy was “Sean” something so I looked at the numbers on the back of the legs of the athletes to identify anyone in my AG. My mission was to hunt this cat down and pass him—which I did with around 2 miles left in the race. This is the only time I went top speed on the run, knowing I had to catch a few people in order to podium but still needing to be able to conserve enough to complete the run while actually running the entire thing.

There was an old “pay back” settled on this day, in that a rather excellent athlete and head coach of another coaching business from California…finished behind me (we’re now 1-1). I’ll call him Military Guy or MG for short. This is the same cat that took first at Ironman Brazil in my AG a few years ago. I raced Brazil with a slight sprained ankle that year finishing only 20 seconds behind him for third place, with a guy from Italy sandwiched 16 seconds ahead of me and only 4 seconds behind MG. MG had passed me near the end on a steep downhill which I had to pull up on pace due to the sprain. To which I never caught him but was closing fast.

MG was behind me the entire bike at IM CDA until I pulled over on the bike to use the porta-potty. So when I saw him at one turn around on the bike and he was behind me, then saw him again on the run and he was ahead—I knew my breaks allowed him to pass without knowing it. When I caught him at around three miles into the run, I knew he was going to have to “pick ‘em up and lay ‘em down” if he was going to keep pace. I was watching his cadence and it looked a little labored but wisely conservative. I was so relaxed and just cruising without hardly any effort…even looking at a few nice houses along the lakeshore in admiration before regaining focus on the task at hand. Seriously though, my concentration was above normal for a race in my opinion—doing everything I “preach” to those athletes I coach on race day. I kept tabs on MG but he eventually finished about 7 minutes down on me…not including what “could” have been without the breaks. That would have made the run difference between us a full 11 minutes. But still, I respect the guy as he may have just had an off day. Just a little friendly competition but heck, it makes for a dramatic race!

When I rode with Dave Scott before his accident a little over a month ago, he asked what my expectation or goals were for the race. It was merely to finish the race without walking—which I did. Sure, I wanted to finally get back to Kona for my 13th qualification/8th time racing it. Ultimately, I would like to PR before I get too old to break it. While I do not do well at all in the heat, especially in Kona, I feel I can do it if I work hard enough. I will be racing myself only—not even attempting to compete specifically with even any local athletes who did well at IM CDA or others. The goal is clear: go faster than my current Kona PR. If it happens, great, if not, I tried to the best of my ability. There is always another race next year, never give up on your dreams or goals. It’s up to you…How_Far_Do_You_Want_To_Take_It?

Pre-Ironman CDA 2009

2009-06-16T13:22:00.001-07:00

It's not every day that I get to sit around & just read the internet(s) ala "W". However, I find that there is a lot out there that just zipps in & zipps out on the news pages. One thing I find time consuming is reading the online tri rags and cycling rags. It just seems too non-productive to deal with in a day that is full of job & family responsibilities, as well as trying to stave off the extra calories we all seem to accumulate if we treat ourselves a bit too much. Luckily, I've been the opposite this season and have done an excellent job with nutrition on a daily basis. I have been on top of the information super highway a bit more as well. Call it a willingness to make a concerted effort to avoid the "sin box" even though it is 1080i HD.

I just finished watching IM NZ 2009 on DVR, the only full show I've watched in a while. NZ was my first out of country experience and the Kiwis put on a race like no other save for the US military. This is one race I'd like to go back & compete in again--simply wonderful people down on that island, with a passsion for sport. That same passion wanes in athletes from time to time as we encounter this--that--and various other things life tosses our way. One thing I am finding for sure though is that passion never leaves us for good. It is always there, sometimes hidden, or put away to slumber for a few years, then it returns. I've seen old rivals come back after 10 years of layoff from the sport, driven and reborn, picking up where they left off or faster than they were when they took their leave. This is one thing I am trying to come to grips with--it just feels like I want to get back into the swing of things again because I miss being in good shape. I am now a full 9 lbs lighter than when I was racing at my best. Not to say I will race well or even finish for that matter, but Ironman CDA is only 5 days away and surely the better nutrition will have left me capable of at least not being slowed by extra weight. Heck, it's been since high school that I weighed this little--lighter than at any point in college even. Will it be good for racing or will it be TOO light? Either way, I am enjoying the consistency in training again, nearly 3 years after our little boy was born. It is nice to get out and just give it a go one more time at an Ironman. Happy father's day to all those fathers out there!

Pro Triathletes in the Bolder Boulder

2009-06-05T22:45:00.000-07:00

Got the chance to see World Ironman Champion Chrissy Wellington in action at the Bolder Boulder 10K on Memorial Day. Pictures are attached. I have a few others I'm posting too...you may have heard of a guy named Matt Reed (went to the Olympics in triathlon this last time around)...he's actually a Kiwi transplanted to the USA. Some other guy who is named Tim Luschinske (for World Amateur Ironman Champion) is posted in the red top (sorry I cut your head off in the photo Timmy! It was hard to see others in the crowd, especially when they are running so fast. Congrats to one of my athletes that I coach, Max. He beat World Champion Chrissy by 15 seconds...just 2 days after he hammered out 124 miles and 8,000 feet of climbing on the bike with me. He's in the white jersey surrounded by runners smiling & making it look easy.

Choosing the right shoes...

2009-05-26T21:14:00.000-07:00

For weeks now I have been toiling over which new pair of racing shoes to buy. It is a personal decision and nothing to take lightly as the chosen pair will be used in an upcoming Ironman. For quite a few years I had been using the Brooks ST Racer—a lightweight and stable racing flat. It has a low arch and low toe box, plenty of room up in the toe area. Maybe it was being tired of the same shoe, sometimes they were great and other times I thought there should be a change in my footwear in an attempt to find something that was just better—period. Before the Brooks ST Racer I was sold on the Adidas Competition shoe. Lightweight but not a stability shoe, it served its purpose for several Ironman races and shorter races as well…including a 5km this spring.

I’m a bit particular about my racing shoes, so the search began many weeks ago with reading upon the models, features, reviews, materials used…anything to help narrow down the final few. Long story shorter it came down to the Adidas Mana, Adidas Tempo and New Balance 904. At this time I can’t really recall how many times I was about to sit down at the computer and order a pair of one of these online. Bolder-Boulder weekend I went to the most popular store in town where they had a huge tent sale. I tried on the Mana model, it just didn’t work. Too floppy and not supportive enough though claimed as a support racer model…then the Tempo (suggested to me by a co-owner of the store), it felt good. The week before I was at another store in town where I tried on the NB 904, which also felt good. Thank goodness for all the reviews on the web to research this daunting task, they helped put me in a place of indecision for a few more days until I could regain some sort of rational thought pattern on how to break this “tie” between the 904 & Tempo models. The thing I could come up with is that since these shoes were to be for my upcoming Ironman, how could I best feel how they would feel near the end of the race without actually having to buy a pair of these shoes?

Today was my last day as a “30-something” so the best thing to do with a little over three weeks left was to complete my last longish-like run (not super long but long enough). The plan was to get cleaned up and head straight to the two stores and try on the Tempo and 904 then run on the treadmill a bit in each pair. Right away the Adidas Tempo felt good on foot standing still, but on a treadmill after a quarter mile, the effects of my long run left my feet hyper sensitive and well aware of any potential hot spots. The seam on the inside of the big toe of each shoe (especially the one with the newly formed blister), stuck out like a sore thumb. The fatigue of the long run also left me a bit wobbly legged, and really put any stability or support the shoe was built with, to the test. Stack 112 miles on top of what I ran and we’re talking jell-O legs. The final analysis for the Tempo: No good for me to use in an Ironman.

Onto the next store. Upon slipping into the New Balance 904, then jogging another quarter mile on yet another treadmill, it was apparent that these were the winners. With a seamless liner, fancy non-slip laces, light weight (9.7 oz), not to mention a secure heel support and stability equal to the best racing flat I have used to date. Time will tell if it actually surpasses the “best” racer I’ve used, but regardless, the long daunting task has been completed. That’s one more item off the list of things to do!

Decisions...decisions

2009-05-18T21:13:00.000-07:00

Sitting on a saddle for five or six hours will make a man wince in areas unbeknownst to our counterpart gender. It will also force you to reflect and wince on some rather poor decisions you have made, decisions you need to make, or decisions you’d just rather not deal with. Some of my best thinking is done while on a long solo bike ride, as is rediscovering what it is that makes people and/or events so important to me. Health. This is certainly a reason I got into triathlons. I was an elite cross country skier at one time (now just a shadow of that skier—rarely racing even at a local level…as in once every three years or so). Before that I was a runner but only mediocre until I discovered triathlons where my running took a huge leap. Swimming…nope…biking…just a bit. It took triathlon to spur the curiosity in me to unravel the mystery of a three discipline sport, with many, many (sometimes seemingly way to many) miles and hours absorbing the chlorine filled water. Often times, my bottom was so sore from sitting on a narrow uncomfortable saddle that I didn’t even want to sit on a couch. Other times, my quads were so hammered from long runs that were absolutely needed to establish the level required to be competitive, that it seemed like a mindless and unnecessary act of foolishness. Through it all, a certain standard had been established by which I could return at any time to a state of mental retreat.

Not only was this a way of turning myself inside out and hiding from those decisions I was faced with, it was also a quiet confession time for and with myself to admit my true inner feelings on subjects with one person only. Feeling I was the only one that really was 100% trustworthy not to laugh, mock, or try to argue towards side or the other, my confessions were 100% safe and reliable. You know how someone can toss their opinion out there or present questions that are slanted one way or another? Not this way. Sport allows me to say what I want, even out loud (without anyone around), about any subject, person, or view from either side of the pro (or con) aspect of any situation without offending anyone (primarily because nobody else is around!) That said, it allows things to “soak” and find the best possible answers without any influence from any outside source or interference. 100% my decision. This way, I can take 100% responsibility of success (or failure) for whatever it was. What is it that these decisions are in reality? Speaking in tongues about something that I don’t want to say on a blog? Actually…nope. It is in reference to the fact that we have a lot of junk in our lives that we deal with each day. Things that we have to or don’t want to think or act upon, even if an outcome can be positive or negative. The discomfort of what we deal with in training for sport can fade away the mental pain barrier of those life decisions to a point where we can think more clear. The physical pain becomes the focus and the junk that normally clouds our thought process allows ideas to float freely and in the end, a logical resolution develops and we are left with the happy notion that this resolution is correct. Correct and all our own. In summary, I have concluded that I will go with the Adidas Mana rather than the New Balance 904 running shoe—it took a long time and research to get here, but that is it. Not exactly the earth shattering tug-of-war decision you thought I was toiling with is it? Happy trails~!

The latest from Boulder...

2009-05-06T21:15:00.000-07:00

It has been sometime since my last post with all the “craziness” going on as the summer winds up. Between projects around the house, coaching, travel, the “day” job, planning out 2010 from all aspects of these…seems like a blog has just had to take a back seat for a bit. On one front, I am pleased to announce that Colorado Multisport is now the preferred bike shop of my coaching company Gemini Multisport. The experts at “anything triathlon” has chosen me as their pilot “ambassador” for many reasons which seem to parallel their company’s growth goals with Gemini’s. It will be great to work with them on multiple levels in the future, as both of our companies continue to grow at a healthy and sustainable pace. If you need anything related to multisport—from building or rebuilding bikes, an overhaul, top notch bike fits, nutrition or equipment in general—these folks have it or can get it for you. This shop is run by pro triathletes and serve the greater Boulder area. World Champions shop & stop in on a regular basis…in fact, I saw Greg & Laura Bennett there just last summer. Stop in, say hi, and tell them I sent you.

In other news…the big 4.0. is coming up quick in just a few short weeks. Looking rearward to when I was younger (say 20’s or early 30’s), 40 just seemed soo…soooo…old. Not that it really is now that I’m nearly there, but dang, it sure did seem that way. I feel the years each morning, stronger and stronger each time I get out of bed. Could be keeping up with the toddler or just battle damage from the years gone by. One thing I am thrilled about is the chance to get into a new age group. The Master’s age group. It should be an advantage for me for a few years anyhow, so I welcome it with open arms. Finally ditched those young punks in my 35-39 age group for a few years—ha! But there are the fast 40-somethings to contend with now…doh! I’m up for the change, the new competition and the unknown of how or when things will transpire the next few years with Father Time starting to take his stranglehold on the mortal self.

On the world scene, it sounds as if things are slowly shifting in the employment arena for those who are out of work. If this is you, hang on as long as you can, help will be on its way. It takes money to create money, and the economy was in such a wreck the last decade that it will take a lot of infrastructure to bring back jobs to the US. It will take some tough decisions by the government to weed out the crooked CEOs & CFOs of so many financial institutions—but things will get better. We’ll see more businesses disappear, more foreclosures, higher unemployment rates, but what is lost will be gained back on the other end with increases in other sectors. I just saw a report that said the last quarter showed a 3% increase in construction spending. Housing construction is even continuing right in my own neighborhood. They are building a new subdivision just a mile away in Boulder (didn’t think there was any room in town to build—but they plowed under a horse grazing field). Denver Metro area was named one of the top FIVE places for job growth recently in an article I read, with growth centering around the hi-tech and telecommunications sector. Sounds like a plan to me!

Onto my athletes…one athlete of mine just finished Wildflower, and felt he met or exceeded his expectations he set considering the course & a back locking up on him. Another local athlete, is about to toe the line in a duathlon, which will be his first race of the year. Another, is about to tackle the 70.3 in Clearwater. Yet another—is doing a century ride/race this coming weekend. The others…training for races down the road a bit later in the summer. Yessiree-bob…things are coming along swimmingly this season, and hopefully this year will be as fruitful in results for my athletes as last year was. Last season ended with a bang with three athletes PR’ing in the Ironman distance…not by a little—but by a LOT. It is nice to have athletes like these so dedicated and wanting to do ALL the work. I’ve worked with some in the past who were big talkers in the beginning, but then didn’t end up doing the work needed to succeed. Right now, I have the kind of athletes I like to work with—Bulldogs. They take whatever comes their way head on, no whining, and executing my plan to perfection. That is what makes this roster I have right now a group of winners. To future Gemini Multisport athletes…if you want over-the-top coaching & attention and are willing to do the work necessary, let’s talk. For the excuse makers and whiners…you need not apply. In triathlon the “big talk” gets you nowhere, action will get you everywhere.

Some People Can't Ride Rant

2009-04-14T22:47:00.000-07:00

There are a few things that I just don’t understand about some bikers. Take a wide bike lane along the highway for example, place two cyclists side by side with a faster biker coming up behind them. The overtaking cyclist yells, “On your left!” Remember, the two other bikers are obviously riding together and chatting, completely closing off the bike lane. The attempt to overtake is foiled briefly, as he has to slam on the brakes because nobody is moving over, and he would be forced into the lane of auto traffic. “On your LEFT!” bellows the faster biker again. “Thank you!” said one of the cyclists, who is nearest the auto traffic (without moving over).

What is wrong with this picture? Do the socializing cyclists honestly think someone just wanted to tell them they were coming up behind them? No! The lack of cycling education out there on the roads is sometimes dangerous, as the rules of the road and the sport seem totally oblivious to some. The cyclist should have heard the warning and followed into formation single file with the other cyclist and let the overtaking cyclist go by.

Take another example, yet two more cyclists riding side by side. The same warning by the overtaking cyclist was given. The rider closest to the auto traffic is wavering all over the road, given multiple warnings of an attempted pass directly behind both cyclists. Neither acknowledged the encounter, or attempt to move over despite no wind being present. The faster cyclist attempts to pass but has to move out and around them after checking traffic from behind. The wavering cyclist on the left makes a huge zig-zag forcing the overtaking cyclist out into the middle of the auto traffic lane. Again, these people need a basic riding on the road rules class before they seriously push someone out into traffic that could end in a death. BOTH of these situations happened to me this past weekend on the very same ride, and shows that even in the cycling town of Boulder, some folks just shouldn’t be out on the road until they learn a few basics. Let’s review a few of those…

1) Stay to the RIGHT.
2) When someone yells, “On your left!” Move over to the farthest right possible, because they are trying to pass you on your LEFT.
3) When riding side by side, especially on commonly used cycling roads, be aware of your position so as to not block the entire lane, which could endanger other cyclist.
4) If you are not able to ride your bike in a straight line, don’t ride on heavily trafficked areas until you do, you may just be endangering others as well as your life.
5) Learn proper hand signals for left and right turns, stopping, and pointing out debris on the road for other riding behind you.
6) Do NOT ride looking down at your pedals. If you can’t hold your head up long enough to ride a relatively straight line, work on strengthening your neck muscles before taking to the road—cyclists don’t want someone riding their bikes like they are drunk—it could prove fatal.

2009 Hawaii Ironman preview

2009-04-07T21:07:00.000-07:00

New Faces and Old Champions of Hawaii Ironman

Where to start…wow, Chrissie Wellington’s near half an hour win over second place at Ironman Australia leaves me void of words to describe exactly what is the driving key to
such super human performances since she has arrived on Ironman circuit. I suppose the only thing I can muster up to describe it is…way to go, the rest of the gals need to step it up a whole lot. What is the answer to Chrissie and how to topple her at Ironman distance? She has gone undefeated in her first six Ironman races, and now finishing 13th overall even amongst a deep field of pro men in Australia…she is now poised to take over Heather Fuhr’s long list of Ironman overall wins in a just a few short years. Should she keep up this tempo for the next few years, given she would maintain her dominance much like the aging Natascha Badman in Hawaii, she stands to break the all time Queen of Kona’s record not just in time, but overall wins. That honor belongs to the immeasurable Paula Newby Fraser.

PNF as she is known around the world is by far Ironman’s most dominating and legendary figure, with whom I have emailed on occasion and chatted with in person many times. In fact, she stayed at my wife’s house when wifey was growing up, while racing up in Canada through a Home-stay program for visiting professional triathletes. Whether or not PNF’s times will fall is not a question of if, but when. With the onslaught of newer more aerodynamic bikes and materials, helmets, nutrition, etc, someone is bound to go faster in Kona. It is the Holy Grail not just to win Hawaii, but to take down PNF’s record. Can Chrissie be the one to take the mantle from PNF and Natasha? Michele Jones and Natasha are bound to have something to say about it this October for sure.

Michele Jones, undoubtedly the most decorated all around female triathlete in the history of the sport. Sure she won Kona, but there was no Chrissie in the pro ranks, and Natasha had a not-so-good day. Don’t discount her, Michele knows how to win, but she doesn’t seem (as does anyone) to be in the same time zone as Chrissie. Natasha is the aging current active Queen of Kona, having bad luck the last few years. Natasha’s downfall is her running and swimming. While she may be able to bike faster than Chrissie on most days, getting left behind in the swim to play catch up will tax her for the run, which is Chrissie’s strength. The scale tips to Chrissie, who has an all-around solid swim/bike/run game. October is quite a ways off and much can happen during the race or leading up to it.

It remains to be seen what excitement comes down the line for the lineup of superstars of our sport in October, the early season races usually have no bearing on the Big Dance as far as predictions. Chrissie has moved to this very city I live in…Boulder, Colorado, under the guidance of 5-time World Champ Simon Lessing. Simon no doubt has a master plan to answer the call of whether or not he can match up with Sutto’s (Brett Sutton) magic of preparing elite athletes. One thing is for sure, someone will have to perform on an alien-like level to find an answer to Chrissie Wellington…she appears unstoppable right now with no answers on the horizon.

Props to Tim DeBoom for his 8:39 performance in Ironman Australia! Nice to see you back in the saddle again. Let’s hope he continues his comeback to the ranks of the podium in time for Kona. He’s still hungry, and he’s still wicked fast—on a good day he is as good as the best…Macca…Norman…he’s proven it twice. Last I checked as of this writing, that is one more time than Macca—the sometimes proclaimed best triathlete in the world.

Launching into the men’s discussion, Macca is very accomplished, but he is neither the best Ironman or short course athlete in the world or history. He may have won some championships—but Craig Alexander has too. Any way you chop it up, Craig is every bit the champion Macca is or was—he’s proven it at all distances. The media hops on the Macca band wagon partly because of his outspoken demeanor, whic is his choice and the media’s. But let’s keep things in perspective. Simon Lessing alone has won 5 ITU World Championships, and is the only man to beat Mark Allen in Mark’s last race of his career. Mark Allen has won Hawaii six times in a row himself, as has Dave Scott. Norman Stadler won it twice, so has Luc Van Lierde (with the course record on a more difficult coruse). The answer to Macca has already been found—that answer is any number of athletes toeing the line on Dig Me Beach could take the crown in the end, including 2-time champ Tim DeBoom.

Once known as the best Ironman runner in the sport, Tim DeBoom worked on his run in 2008 while training for the Leadville 100, and stated his run was as good as it ever has been. He can swim 48 minutes or faster in Kailua Bay, then ride in the pack not far off of the uber bikers…and then catch them all on the run if the stars are aligned. Then again, so can Macca and a host of others. My point is, don’t discount the “old guard” because media blitz on colorful athletes. Keep an eye on the quiet ones. Faris was quiet, as was Thomas “Hell on Wheels”—and Norman Stadler. Their voices were not heard, but their actions were seen on race day. The finish line is what these athletes are measured on for the next year for sponsorship and media attention. An athlete can be loud to nab a little media time leading up to the race, or quiet and nab a LOT of media time when you finish first at the Hawaii Ironman in October.

Doping in Sports--is there hope?

2009-03-31T22:23:00.000-07:00

Athletic Turning of the Tides

There is a refreshing turn in an old story of doping in sports, with the recent admission from last year’s Tour podium finisher Bernhard Kohl, Canadian cyclist Geneviève Jeanson and Austrian triathlete Lisa Huetthaler. Both have pointed out Stefan Matschiner as a supplier for EPO and other doping products, as has Dr. Andreas Zoubek been named in scandals. I often wonder how even at the age group levels, how many athletes have pushed me down the ranks of results because of possible easy access to pharmaceuticals, not to mention the highly known fact it is very widespread at the professional levels.

What I applaud is Lisa’s coming forward to tell all at her own personal risk, to expose the ring and provide authorities details on how it all works. It certainly seems to be an underground market and black secret you catch a rare glimpse of. I have always been pretty good at forecasting likely “suspects” based off of overnight improvements to levels that seem unlikely. Or, at least, those who appear seemingly from nowhere not just at a amateur level, but a professional level to become top contenders from little more than a background as hikers or lumberjacks. One need to look at the odd physique transformation some become known for in the blink of an eye, to identify that something just isn’t right about that…

As a legitimate sport without the full blown reputation that cycling currently has as one of cheaters, triathlon can only hope there are more Lisa Huetthalers out there who come clean with their conscience and help clean up the sport, even after they themselves have helped to dirty it up. I am in no way condoning doping in triathlon, but it is sport, and there are always those who will try to win no matter what. It happens, in part, because there is a lot at stake for some athletes as far as national or world notoriety, money, as well as helping pull themselves and their family from poverty.
It is not to say all cyclists at the top levels, or triathletes for that matter are cheaters, they’re NOT. But there are a lot of them, just watch the media. Every week someone is getting busted, and it is almost humorous now to see who will get caught this week. Humorous because they caved into something they likely said they would never do when they started the sport, and for what? Glory and money. There is much more to sport than glory and money…things such as spirit of competition, health, social aspects, and adventure. Lisa should pay her dues for what she has done, and while tarnishing the sport, we should maybe look at it in a positive light that she is at least trying to help un-tarnish it some (of course AFTER she got caught…). But at least, we can certainly say she did NOT have to spill the beans, but she did. For that, you have to give her credit where due, even if it is a little bit after the fact. Eventually, maybe that word describing athletics can be used again with pure unadultered meaning…SPORT.

Cervelo’s New Toy (that will make your friends SUPER JEALOUS!)

2009-03-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

Cervelo P4 Test Ride, March 25, 2009

I was amped up to head to the pool today, but wanted to see what sort of aero bars were on the website at Colorado Multisport in Boulder. Alas, I saw it was “Cervelo Demo Days” so on the way to the pool I wanted to stop by and test ride a P3C. Upon walking through the door—in all its glory…was a Cervelo P4 C in a stand, complete with SRAM RED, a Zipp disk and 1080 front. I honestly thought there would only be a “slim” chance of a P4 being there, but was prepared to try a P3 for kicks. When I was told I could test drive it, my eyes lit up and I heard angels singing somewhere above the ceiling tiles of the shop. I think there was also glitter appearing in the air throughout the shop. It just so happened that it was a wicked windy day in Boulder—and the swirling wind made my test drive very scary when crosswinds hit the front 1080 wheel. After dialing in the seat and for/aft position, I felt right at home.

Sure I only test rode it for about a half an hour total, but it was everything they said it would be. They being Cervelo and the critics. I am unsure of how the wicked trick water bottle would work in an Ironman, as the refill hole seems rather small—but it sure looked cool. The bike was stiff from a dead stop to full speed, with no noticeable flex at all. The P4 climbed like a champ up the short hill on Folsom Street (part of the famous Bolder-Boulder 10K race in May), and the SRAM RED shifting was just dead on with each click—but I would also like to try the new shift levers from SRAM that returns to the original position. The click throw is shorter than Shimano indexing, but the SRAM RED carbon cranks were about the most perfectly smooth pedaling I’ve ever had on a bike bar none.

This bike was nearly too much bike for my ability, but heck, it can only help in a race right? What better way to close the gap than with superior equipment. Geoff and Blake at Colorado Multisport were kind enough to discuss options, sizing, set up the bike so it would fit me better with some minor adjustments to make my test ride a truly wonderful experience. Now if this bike only had a pair of those Bontrager prototype time trial bars that Lance has…we’d have something that every triathlete would be jealous of having.
Unfortunately, I had to leave the P4 with the shop, as it was theirs and not mine. Who would pass up an opportunity to ride the legendary P4C though…certainly not me! The one thing I would want to change on the P4, is the cost. $4800 for the frameset (OUCH!)
Lastly, I didn’t get to swim…just weights and the bike ride. Something made me digress from my workout…something wonderful…called the Cervelo P4.

Potato Training

2009-03-24T09:39:00.000-07:00

With Cour de Alene on the horizon I figured it was something I should write about today, and reflect on how the common goals of others can bring them all together whether they plan it or not at the oddest times. Saturday I was heading out for a ride and within a mile I came upon a couple cyclists--one of which had a tri bike & 3 bottles, so I asked her a bit about her training day ahead and plans for the season. The other was a former professional cyclist. Here are a few pictures of "Alicia" and myself take by Michelle on our way to Carter Lake. We spent nearly all of 35 miles chit-chatting away about tri geeky stuff, and comparing notes on the CDA course. Alicia had done CDA several times, and enjoyed the race. I peeled off once at Carter to finish my ride while she continued to Masonville.

The following day, for kicks, I decided I wanted to ride out & around Carter again (both up the North side for Larry in case he wants to know...). When I got to the Broadway/36 intersection, another triathlete on a Cervelo just happened to be heading out at the same time...nearly the same place I met up with Alicia & Michelle the day before. I got talking to Michael, a kid (26) who was of all things, on his long ride training for Ironman CDA! Bizzzzzaro! Two days, two people, at the same place both training for CDA. He was riding out around Carter as well...so we ended up riding the entire time together, chit chatting away, and of course I milked him for information about the course. While I didn't get a picture that day, I did have some fun riding with fellow athletes who were all going out for the same training rides for the same race and had some good laughs and conversation. The wind waned after a few hours just from being lost in conversation, but one thing for sure is that no matter when you are doing activity that may seem like it will be a solo effort--it can turn into a team effort with laughs and learning involved. Not just about training, but about people themselves.

5430 Triathlon Series in Boulder

2009-03-16T13:37:00.001-07:00

It's already nearly St. Patty's Day & the trees already have buds on them, and the wind continues to howl as it has all winter in Boulder. I'm starting to see scores more triathletes out on the road with the group rides leaving Amante larger and larger each weekend. We are in for a dry summer I suspect--undoubtedly some scorching temps for the souls doing the 5430 series. This will be my first year NOT racing the series in quite a few years. My first year took me to a win in my AG on the 5430 Half, as well as the overall AG series. The next year took me to a Boulder Peak AG win by over a minute (okay, the fast guys never showed up that year), then last year things really took a tumble fighting off this torn hammy/glute tendon thing. But that actually happened 2 years ago--it just really got considerably worse in 2008. It was odd having a lack of training, and race results as well. A first ever over 11 hrs for an Ironman happened in '08 as well...I guess I won't need to wait until I'm almost 50 for that to happen now! Who knows, it could be slower next race as anything can happen in an Ironman. Let's just hope I can keep it in the 9 hr+ range this time around.

This past weekend I took a tour de farm roads with a few snapshots of the 5430 Sprint "twisty corner" where Neva Rd. splits off from Hwy 36. Next up, a couple shots of where the famous LeftHand Canyon & Hwy 36 meet (at the Greenbriar), which is where you come back from the Old Stage Hill on the Boulder Peak. There are a few shots of me taking a rest & slacking by sitting against a stone wall just enjoying the weather. Hard to believe it is only March and I've been able to ride in shorts at least one time each month since December.

For those who have heard of the big wild fire here in Boulder back in January, I have to tell you that the scorched mountainside is no more. It has PLENTY of fresh green grass growing all over, so if you do come to Boulder you will find virtually no traces of any wildfire anywhere. What you will find is a nearly perfect and freshly repaved road for almost the entire Boulder Peak course. Barry Siff just so happened to have a race on the very roads Boulder decided to give a face lift to, so it is a fast course even with the altitude and hills. What goes up must come down right? For example, I hit 44.9 mph on a downhill on Nelson Rd yesterday--which is part of the Boulder Peak. The road was so smooth I had no fear of any high speed crash, in fact, I was drinking a watter bottle & holding on to my bike bars with only one arm in the aero bars!

Lastly today, I wanted to tell you a few things about the 5430 Series. Barry puts on a great series, and fully supports USAT, a yearly charity (this year it is blindness), and has been a leader in efforts to ensure his series leaves a zero carbon footprint. The competition both pro and age group are world class, with THE best in the country (both short & Ironman racers). Not to mention the plethora of athletes from other countries visiting and training in the Boulder area all summer, often use these races to tune up for other major championship races. The thing about these races though, if you want to podium finish--good luck! Some of the top names in the world live here and race these races...Chris Peeters, Tim Hola, Kirk Framke, Eric Peterson, Craig Greenslit, Andy Bigelow, Jeff Keil. These are all guys I know (except for Jeff Keil & Craig Greenslit), these are serious athletes and they are as serious and fierce of competitors as you'll find anywhere in the world. In fact, many of these guys are either national age group champions or have placed in the top 3 in the WOLRD Championships of either Olympic, Half, or Ironman distance. Get out of town and come visit Boulder for the 5430 series...it's too bad I'll be in Cour de Alene for Ironman, otherwise, I'd be on the line ready to knock heads with some of the best guys in the world. I don't mind a few bumps and bruises for a little fun!

A Short Long Ride--81+ miles

2009-03-03T23:33:00.001-08:00

It was dumb luck I had just reached the Gateway Park entrance/exit as the "Gateway Ride" was leaving. Any given ride has 40-80 riders depending on the day. These rides have included local pros such as Tyler Hamilton and a cast of Cat 1, 2, 3, 4 & the misplaced triathlete (myself!) The first 10 riders peeled out of Gateway as I meandered my way into formation. What struck me as odd was the yo-yo affect large groups of roadies have. One minute we're all tootling around chatting, then the next we're all hanging on for dear life. When I was in the fourth row of rotation for pulling the near 70 riders, I realized there is no way I should even be with a group such as this as I was fighting off the remains of a cold for the second week. Wisely, I peeled off to the side and sat in the back of the peloton, and decided to hang on for dear life that way as most triathletes do not have the large close & personal riding technique that roadies have. Translated, it was safer to have me out of the way--in the back. When we finally hit 24.5 miles in 1 hr, 32 seconds, and the pace kept cranking up from there, I decided to drop off the group and ride my own pace. Okay, honestly...I blew sky high and was the third or fourth from the peloton to blow sky high. There was a straggler up ahead, maybe 100 yards, so I used what little TT ability left in my legs to catch him and pull him back up to a pack of four. From there I have no idea. Upon getting to the base of the climb at Carter Lake, the entire peloton was strung out with about 20 left at the front and gaining distance on whoever was left. Some riders had turned around with their tails between their legs & headed back in the direction of Boulder. I rode to the top of Carter Lake, stopped at the top and snapped a few digital pictures. From there, the new couple of miles took me about 15 minutes to get through with all the picture taking.

It was such a sunny day out I couldn't resist getting some shot which you see here with this entry. Simon Lessing & Chrissy Wellington were stopped at the top of Carter Lake, but those were the only "famous" triathletes I recognized. The goal was to get some good photos, a long ride in, and a little intensity--okay, but not THAT kind of intensity. But it was fun anyhow. The total ride ended up being 81 miles but with around 30 miles left I somehow got a slow leak in the rear tire. I only had one CO2 so had to stop & nurse the tire back to Boulder. Sure the spare tube would have worked, but why waste it when the tire was toast anyhow? What I really needed was a new tire...oh, and to close the valve stem the entire way (which is where the slow leak was actually at). I spun my way back home going at times only 12 mph into a headwind. There I had the distance, intensity, a little repair practice, good company, scenery--so the ride was a success! I got to follow that up with a easy 1,000 yard "loosen up swim" later that afternoon.

Riding with Dale Stetina

2009-02-24T22:44:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday I really felt like riding in a social setting, so I went to the popular roadie gathering spot in North Boulder, Amante coffee shop. Saturday or Sunday anyone can show up at 9 AM or 10 AM, and pick any number of group rides--from novice to professional groups. I waited about 10 minutes for a group to leave, and most looked like they were more interested in talking or drinking coffee, despite nearly 40 bikers gathered just outside the shop. Finally, I decided to take off on my own, but soon realized I would need a hat under my bike helmet, as it was quite chilly. I took my time putting the cap on, only a mile from the coffee shop, in hopes that a group would come along. A group of 11 rode by, and I quickly joined in. Throughout the ride we rotated pulling at the front of the pack. The last half of the ride I was at the front and got talking with my co-puller and found out he had won 2 of the Coors Classic bicycle races (1979 & 1983). His name was Dale Stetina, and was the only person beside the famous Tour de France champion Greg LeMond, to win the race multiple times. Among other names that won this race was Bernard Hinault (LeMond's former team mate). Dale was obviously overdressed with his fleece jacket, and thermal jacket, booties, neoprene gloves, skull cap under the helmet, and thermal bib tights. I had knee warmers & just a base layer with jersey on top...Dale was sweating like he was in a sauna. He used to be on the US National Team, and was invited to the Tour de France, but eventually declined due to the timing of the race and being tired from racing all spring. I learned a lot in that you don't "half-wheel" a former world class bike racer. If you don't know what "half-wheeling" a biker is, it is when you slightly pull ahead of someone and it basically means you are challenging them. Dale picked it up, then me, then him, eventually we briefly hit 29 miles per hour on Airport Rd. in Longmont, looking back--we had exploded the entire group that was with us. Someone yelled up to us and asked what had gotten into us...Dale replied, "Oh, he was half-wheeling me and I got irritated..." To which I explained to him I thought he picked it up because I was going too slow. Heck, I didn't even know what "half-wheeling" was, so this was news to me. Triathlon is a different culture, have a different way of riding. Unless you spend some time riding with groups (which I very seldom do), especially with roadies, you may not ever know what half-wheeling is. He calmed down after I explained I really had know idea why he kept picking it up, and that I was just trying to keep up with him. It was a great learning experience, and fun to ride with such a superstar of cycling from the old days...even if I never heard of him before, or knew of his accomplishments--until I Googled him. It looks like he was quite the world beater back when I about 10 years old. Maybe we'll ride again...only this time I won't half wheel him.

Lance Armstrong and legends

2009-02-18T22:00:00.001-08:00

Lance, Tyler, Landis, Heras, all are back this season, battling age & time. For whatever reasons you have to applause or boo their return to pro cycling, they are back. The excitement seems to be abuzz in all the mags, and the evening news even has been having updates. While cycling sales have slowed the past couple of years (Bicycle Retailer), they seem to be picking up slightly from what some call the "Lance effect". While there is not any supporting solid data aside from opinion, I for one, am glad we have a return of such legendary athletes (some may have other choice words aside from "legendary"...) The mere fact that Lance is back, makes me want to follow cycling a little closer than the last couple of years. Three years off & he is back at the top, obviously holding back from winning Tour de California due to respect for Levi, and orders from above to support Levi. No doubt Lance could drop the entire race if it was July right now. These are training days, and his payback days will be this summer--with his team in full support. Like him or not, Lance is back and the ones who don't want him back seem to be the ones who want to win...or those who want their own favorite rider to win, yet KNOW that with Lance in the peloton, they won't. Besides, the awareness of cancer and the drive for a cure is driven to new heights by this cyclist. If you don't agree, look around at all the yellow wristbands folks wear. To think one cyclist could have the effect on so many people, and bring such world wide attention to the sport, the technology of cycling, and awareness to one of the biggest killers in the world is nothing short of applausable.

Never Say Never...

2009-02-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Alas, the newest triathlon blogspot on Friday the 13th...I said I'd never do it or at least it was unlikely, but blogs seem to be the thing because there are those who just can't help themselves in "nosing around" and reading up on others. Prepare for some fun, this will be a trip. From the city at the foot of the mountains...Boulder, CO, this is the official blog of Kevin Konczak. Stay tuned for posts, or visit www.geminimultisport.com for more information about triathlon, the lifestyle of the sport, it's going to be a blast!