Lakewood Summerfest Triathlon (0.5mile,14+++miles,5k)

It was hard to pass up on this race as it was only a 15 minute drive to the race start.

Saturday morning we arrived into transition to discover no bike racks or swim buoys. I wasn't sure if we were going to lay our bikes on the ground. At 6:30AM, one of the race officials explained the truck towing the racks and buoys wouldn't start. They found another truck and arrived around 6:45AM. After setting up our bikes we drove over to T-2 to set up out run gear and park the vehicle.

Swim

Course: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 70+ degrees.
Gear: XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT, Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles
Race action: GO! As always, a few guys sprint all out at the start. I pass them after 200 meters and see at least 1 person ahead of me. I tried to keep him in sight. We came out on the boat ramp.
Next time:
Result: (11:19 for approximately 0.5 mile)

Bike

Course: 1 loop fairly flat with a couple of small hills.
Gear: LYNSKEY TI BIKE, ROTOR 3D CRANK WITH AERO Q-RINGS, Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, Zipp Firecrest 808s with Continental Attack/4000s tires, XLAB 400 torpedo.
Nutrition: Gu Brew (150 calories)
Race action: I did not feel great from the start of the bike. I was sweating a lot and the effort felt higher than the last race (power was 12% lower for this race for the same effort). In the first mile a squirrel in on the line. I move left to give him room. He moves right then crosses right in from of me. Once I got onto North Gate Road I could see the lead cyclist escorted by a Lakewood motorcycle cop. I put my focus into closing the gap. During the race briefing we were told not to turn unless you see a sign and that there would be a person at the 2 main intersections on JBLM.
    The latter part of the statement was incorrect. I assumed the cop knew the route. I closed the gap to the lead cyclist to less than 100meters. The cop led us to a dead end and then proceeded to go in the wrong direction. I knew where I was, so I rerouted to get back on the course. I was now on part of the JBLM tri-course. The other turn was 100 meters before going under I-5. I didn't see anyone at the intersection, but took the turn anyway and hoped the gate was open.
     My instinct paid off. The turn put us on Dupont-Steilacoom Road. I couldn't see anyone in the distance, so just kept pushing forward to T-2. I ended up riding an extra 1.3 miles.
Next time: Stick with my instincts.

Result: (39:30 23.3mph)

Run
Course: 1 loop on 99% trail.

Gear: NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES & VISOR with Xtenex Laces.
Race action: I entered transition and saw no bikes racked. I quickly racked my bike, switched gear, and headed out. In the first 200 meters it was flat, then went up. As I was going up I could hear the crowd getting loud to signal the next racer. This meant I had a cushion of a few minutes. I was cramping a little. After cresting the hill, it was downhill then flat with lots of turns. With less than 1/2 mile left I saw another racer. I kept the pace up as I neared the finish line. I stopped to give LA a kiss and then crossed the line.
Result: (19:49, 6:30 per mile)

Finish: 1:11.58 (1st overall).
Upcoming: ?

Five Mile Lake Sprint Triathlon (0.25 mile, 14 mile, 3 mile)

I was still debating on going to Nationals. There were 2 local races taking place the last weekend of June, so I thought it would be a nice test to see if I could handle racing Saturday and Sunday. I went out to ride the Black Hills course early Thursday morning prior to the race. I tried to sign-up for the race and it was sold out. Bummer for me. I quickly went to the BUDU Racing website and signed up for Five Mile Lake. I did not want to be shut out of both races.

Saturday morning I checked in and got all my gear set-up. The weather was not very good as it was raining on and off. I rode a loop to make sure I knew the course. This race used to be known as Federal Way Escape. They extended the bike course a little over a mile.

Swim

Course: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 70 degrees.
Gear: XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT, Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles
Race action: GO! It was chaos. I felt like I was in a washing machine. I couldn't believe how many guys going all out. Someone pulled my strap off the velcro. Luckily they didn't hold on or my wetsuit would've filled with water. After the first buoy, I started moving through the crowd. I turned for shore and there was guy to my right. I came out just ahead of him for 3rd.
Next time: Sprint the first 100 meters???
Result: (5:35 for approximately 475 yards)

Bike

Course: 2 loops with a few turns and one small hill.
Gear: LYNSKEY TI BIKE, ROTOR 3D CRANK WITH AERO Q-RINGS, Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, Zipp Firecrest 808s with Continental Attack/4000s tires, XLAB 400 torpedo.
Nutrition: Gu Brew
Race action: I jumped on my bike right behind MD. A couple hundred meters up the road I saw the lead racer. I tried to keep him in sight, but could not manage the pace. I took a turn and felt my back wheel skid. I decided to back off the gas on all corners and turns. I really did not want to have quality time with the pavement. I felt good throughout the entire bike ride.
Next time: Little less air in tires because of wet roads.

Result: (32:28 24.4mph)

Run
Course: 1 loops on 99% road with the last 200 meters on trail.

Gear: NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES with Xtenex Laces.
Race action: I came out of transition right behind DM. I kept the gap close as I ran right off his left shoulder. In the first 1/4 mile, he stopped suddenly. I quickly side stepped and looked back to see if he was ok. DM kept running, so I focused on getting to the finish line. Around the 1 mile mark, I was passed quickly by the guy who ended up in second overall and the fastest run. A little after the 2 mile mark, I was passed by another racer. I was now sitting in fourth. I took the turn into the park. I heard some yelling behind me. It was a spectator encouraging the 5th place guy to pass me. I kicked into overdrive and held him off.
Result: (18:04, 6:01 per mile)

Finish: 59:28 (1st in age group and 4th overall).
Upcoming: Lakewood Summerfest Tri

Boulder 70.3

LG and I talked about doing this race last November. The race opened in December and was sure to sell out. I talked it over with my better half and we decided to make it a short family vacation.

I stopped riding the bike in early September and got back on in late March, so a little over 6 months with no cycling :-/  During that period, I maintained some fitness with 2-3 swims and 3-4 runs a week. I threw in a few run races (Turkey trot with stroller and 2 dogs, Santa 5k with stroller, Arizona Rock n Roll half, St Paddy 10k with stroller, and YMCA 10k with stroller).

It is tough to train for early summer races in the Northwest. You choose to go outside and get soaked or sit on the trainer. We were fortunate with several sunny days in April and May. My power numbers slowly started to come back in mid May. Everything was coming together until late May when I got a horrible cough and a stomach bug that lasted 2 weeks. I didn't swim for a week. I also cut back on the bike and running with short and easy workouts. I started to finally feel better the week before the race. 

During my final week, I did a few key workouts and it showed I might be able to still put together a decent race. Thursday morning while getting in one last bike ride my right aerobar extension seemed very loose. I thought no big deal. I got home that night to find 1 of 2 screws connecting the aerobar extension to the base broke in half. Another screw broke as I was trying to loosen up the aerobars. I was in complete panic mode. I call DC to help me out. He contacted JOYRIDE and they looked at it Friday morning. It was good news bad news. They were able to get the screws out, but the extension was so corroded that a screw would not work. Thankfully my wife uses the same aerobar set-up and Joyride had enough time to swap out pieces.

We flew out Friday evening. Flight was scheduled to depart at 7:25pm. Southwest delayed the flight 3 more times. We departed Sea-Tac at a little after 9. At Denver airport, the baggage claim carousel was malfunctioning, so we lost another 30 minutes. We walked into the hotel room a little after 2am. LA slept thru entire flight, carousel hold up, and drive to the hotel. He woke up as we were getting ready to unpack in the room.

Saturday morning we headed over to LG's house. I put my bike back together only to discover my seat clamps are cracked. There was nothing I could do, but cross my fingers. LG and I headed out to the race site to check-in and turn in our bikes.

Sunday morning we were up at 4am and out the door within 30 minutes. We picked up 2 more racers and headed to Boulder. We pulled into Boulder a little after 5:30. This gave us plenty of time to set-up a canopy for the families to hang out during/after the race and then our race area. I ended up forgetting my watch. I sprayed on sunscreen before putting on my sleeveless XTERRA VENDETTA.

Swim

Course: 1 loop clockwise with 2 right turns, okay visibility, water temp 67 degrees.
Plus: It was great to have a designated area to swim that did not interfere with the race, so I warmed-up 10-15 minutes.
Gear: XTERRA SLEEVELESS VENDETTA, OOMPH SPEEDSUIT, & Blue Seventy Nero Mirrored Goggles
Race action: I was in the 5th wave. They sent us off and I notice a few guys getting out quickly. I felt good during the swim and had mostly clear water through the first turn with a little traffic for the remainder. I exit just behind the guy who started in front of me.
Next time: Push the first 200-400 meters to stay with the faster guys.
Result: (28:52, 1:29 per 100m)

Bike

Course: 1 loop on decent roads. The first few miles are a gradual incline then its fast for the next 20-30 miles. The second half of the ride is slightly rolling.
Gear: LYNSKEY TI BIKE, OAKLEYS, Rudy Project aero helmet, Shimano custom shoes, and XLAB 400 torpedo.
Nutrition: INFINIT CUSTOM in 3 BOTTLES
Race action: I felt good throughout the entire bike ride. I made sure to drink frequently. Near the 50 mile mark, several guys in front of me turned right, so I followed. We ended up adding 0.6-0.7 miles to the ride. Luckily we got back on track with only a few miles left.
Next time: Get the bike checked out sooner. Know the course!!!

Result: (2:25.41 23.06mph)

Run
Course: 2 loops on 90%trails with a shorter hill and a longer hill within the first 2 miles then mostly flat.

Gear: NEWTON DISTANCE SHOES & VISOR and bottle of GU Brew Blueberry Pomegranate.
Race action: I had to control the effort at the beginning because quads were cramping and breathing was labored. Normally, I take a drink every mile but changed it up to approximately every half to try eliminate the cramping. I felt stronger after the 5k, so started grabbing coke at the aid stations. I saw my 2 favorite people just before going out on the second loop. I caught up to a 30 year old, who passed me around mile 5,  and encouraged him to keep running as we only had a 5k left. He ran with me for a little over a mile and then faded as I was trying to get er done. As I neared the finish, I saw my 2 favorite people again, so I stopped and gave them each a kiss before crossing the finish line.
Next time: More time to acclimatize to altitude.
Result: (1:36.38, 7:22 per mile)

Finish: 4:34.00 (9th in age group and 63rd out of 1544).
Overall: It was the first race in a few years that I really enjoyed.
Upcoming: Take the week to recover and decide if I want to try and do Nationals. Should I do the Olympic race Saturday and Sprint race Sunday?

Rock n Roll Arizona Half Marathon

A group of us decided to go to Arizona for some fun in the sun. Who can argue with 75 and sunny?

Originally when we planned the trip I was not going to run. A buddy told me to sign up for Boulder 70.3 in June. Once I committed to that race, I had to sign up to run the half marathon.

I wasn't sure how my Achilles would feel about training for a race. It was still healing from last spring. My plan started 10 weeks ago. I wanted to run 5-7 times a week. The Achilles told me that was not going to work. I found that 4 runs a week was the magic number. I also swam 3 times a week 2000-3500 yard workouts.

The plan each week was 2 easy/short runs, 1 tempo or hill workout and one longer workout. Every once in awhile I threw in one extra run and kept it very easy. Some of the training was done with Lucas in the stroller as long as he was willing. He slept or looked at the scenery around. I had to cut 2 of the workouts short because Lucas had enough.

Race morning we headed out the door at 6:15AM. Traffic got crazy 1 mile from the site. We ended up parking in front of a Thai restaurant that opened at noon. It was only a 1/2 mile to the start, so we walked the rest of the way. I got in a short 10 minute jog and lined up in the first corral.

It took me almost 30 seconds to cross the start line once the race began. I passed a lot of people in the first mile. My plan was cruise the first 5k and progressively build my speed. I felt strong thru 7 miles. I started to have a rough patch miles 8-10. I had a hot spot on each foot. I knew they were turning into blisters miles 11 to finish. If I walked it would take me longer, so I powered thru to the finish. I finished 11th in my age group, 112th overall out of 13,000+ with a 1:26.08.

Once we got back to the house I checked out my feet. Just as I suspected, a blister on each foot a little bigger than a quarter. JOY!!!

The best part of the day was watching the Seahawks pull out the win. It was a good day!

Bonney Lake Sprint Triathlon...

I decided two days before the race to enter. I knew my cycling was strong. I figured I could swim a 500. My running on the other hand was somewhat minimal. All the crazy running I did back in the spring caught up to me. I kept the running short and only 2-3 times a week. I didn't know what to expect out of myself since I had not raced all year and done no fast running all year.

Race morning I ran into a few familiar faces. I got everything set up and went out for an easy ride to warm-up. I bought a new sleeveless XTERRA VENDETTA. This would be the first time in a sleeveless and in it. I felt great warming-up.



Pre-swim with Lucas

I felt good at the beginning of the swim, there was a guy swimming to my right. I put a little distance on him at the turn-around. I love the sleeveless XTERRA VENDETTA. I can't believe it took me so long to purchase one. I saw a guy exiting the water just ahead of me. I ended up 4th out of the water.

I quickly transitioned from swim to bike. I put on my helmet, grabbed the LYNSKEY, and passed one guy out of transition. I was quickly passed in the first 1/4 mile by the guy who was right behind me on the swim. I knew there were at least 2 guys in front of me. I kept them in sight. After a couple miles, we caught up to the lead swimmer. He was a high-schooler on a road bike. It looked like he did a lot of draft legal races. As we passed him, he would just sit on the wheel. After a few more miles we dropped him. We were cruising along and the passed by a blur. Of course this made us all pick up the pace. I was in fourth while entering transition.

I quickly switched to run mode. I put on my NEWTONS and left in second, right behind the guy who had the fastest bike split. I knew it was going to be a dog fight to the finish line. As we left the parking lot and got onto the road. He went straight. I looked down and saw an arrow for left turn. I assumed I was making the right choice. I heard the 2 guys behind trying to figure out which way to go. I had no clue if I made the right decision until I saw the next arrow. I ended up running into the guy who missed the turn with less than a mile to go. He knew he made a wrong turn, so ran it in behind me then disqualified himself.

I ended up defending my title from last year. I was a few minutes faster. The swim was a little shorter, the bike was the same, and the run was a little longer. I ended up breaking the course record as well. BUDU Racing put on another great race. The best part was having Lucas there to watch his first triathlon.

Week of ironman whistler

I have been riding 3-4 times a week for the last several weeks. Most of the rides are cruise rides. Once a week I ride with Nick or Eric for 40-65 miles. After warm-up, we pull for 5 minutes then recover for 5 minutes. Rinse and repeat until home.

Last Tuesday, Nick and I decided to ride out to Ranier and back. After 20 minutes of warm-up, we took turns pulling. As we started on the range roads we quickly spun out because of a nice tail wind. This section of road is 6.5 miles long. If you have a tail wind at the beginning you will get a head wind at the end. I knew there were going to be some challenging sections due to the wind. It was the hardest ride I have ever done, almost 2.5 hours of hard riding.

Drove up to whistler to cheer on a couple of friends racing. The drive up was very scenic. I rode the course on Friday. It is a tough course. The garmin had 7000+ feet elevation gained. Many of the pros had it over 6000. The first 58 miles consists of rolling with a few steep pitches spread out. The next 32 miles are pancake flat with a little wind. The last 22 miles involves some of the hardest climbing of the course. My average speed for the ride dropped from 20.6 through the first 89 miles to 19.1 during the section back to whistler. If the winds and heat are present, the bike will be so much more difficult.

Saturday I ran to the swim start, jumped in for one loop, and ran back. It was a little choppy in the water because it rained that morning on and off, so conditions were not favorable.

The conditions on race day were almost perfect, little to no wind and mild temps.

bike cobwebs

After all the running I did earlier in the year, I decided to drop the miles back down. Actually I didn't decide, my body did. I started to have a few minor aches and pains. I still feeling pretty good in the pool. I am maintaining fitness by running around 30 miles and swimming 11000 yards every week.

The weather has been so nice lately that I decided to dust the cobwebs off the bike and finally take the bike outside last week. First I had to make sure everything was in working order. I had a buddy, who recently finished bike mechanic training, check it out. Everything looked good except the rear wheel. I found a decent set of wheels to use for training. I finally have a dedicated trainer wheel. No more switching the tire back and forth. I tried to turn on the QUARQ power meter, but no power meter present. I started to unscrew the battery cap and it broke. I grabbed the cap off my wife's bike and still nothing. I tried her batter too and still nothing. I bought new batteries to make sure there wasn't a bigger a problem. I guess the batteries were dead. I contacted QUARQ and explained what happened. They sent out a new cap the next day. Awesome customer service!!! . Once I set the new battery with cap, the bike was ready to roll.

On Tuesday, I took the Lynskey for 2 hours. I wanted one of the athletes I am coaching to ride a hillier route. We rode from Dupont thru Steilacoom, University Place, and turned around at the top of 6th Avenue in Tacoma. The last time I sat on the bike was back in March, but that was indoors. The last time I took it outside was October. It felt great to be back on the bike.

Two days ago I went out with a few friends for a longer ride. We rode from Dupont Forza thru JBLM, Yelm, Ranier then back home. I felt pretty good for most of it except the last few miles. I am definitely lacking some bike fitness. I finished just shy of 57 miles. I spent more time on the bike Sunday then combined for all of 2013. It's time to start riding the bike more.