Ian Mikelson Triathlete

Talking Shop

2012-01-19T13:47:00.000-08:00

I recently did a little interview with the guys from www.firsttimeironman.com. As the name implies, this is a website run by a crew from "Down Under" that is dedicated to providing information and "know how" to those who are just getting into the sport.

If you are interested you can check it out here. Have a surf through their website as there is some good stuff throughout.

In other news, my shoulder is coming along much faster than I (or anyone else) expected. I am pretty much back up to full speed in the pool now and it feels pretty much back to normal. Now the task is just to build back some of that endurance that, if you'll pardon the pun, washed away in my month out of the water.

I'll leave you (as has been my trend of late) with the view I caught on a recent ride enjoying the California "winter."

Heading in the right direction

2012-01-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

I hope everyone had a great holiday season. I did, and I think the best gift I received, aside from great time spent with friends and loved ones and some flip flops, came in the form of steady improvement/healing of my shoulder. I am not back to 100% as of yet, but suffice it to say that I am back to riding and running outside without any pain or fear of further injury, and full range of motion and strength has been restored to my shoulder. The latter part I am very stoked about. The primary concern of the doctors has been whether I would have full range of motion and strength. As such, it seems I am "out of the woods" from that perspective.

While the major concerns of range of motion and strength have been quieted, there is still the issue of endurance. Right now, I am good for only 2.5 - 3K of swimming before the muscles in my shoulder tucker out and give up. I guess 3 weeks out of the water took its toll! But I am rehabbing and working on strengthening the shoulder several times a week with a great Physical Therapist and it is improving almost daily. Unfortunately it just hasn't come around quick enough for me to make the first camp with the Triathlon Squad this year. While initially the docs, Paulo, nor myself thought my attendance at the camp would be even a remote possibility, the rapid progression of my recovery sparked some hope in my mind. Thus, not being able to make it was slightly easier to accept. So all is not lost, and I will continue to work, and come the February and all ensuing camps, I will be ready for the whole ball of wax.

Riding and running outside has been great and I will leave you with a few photos from recent workouts.

Bouncing Around

2011-12-18T05:32:00.000-08:00

In all the hustle, bustle and focus of the racing season, I often realize that I don't have the time to really appreciate the beauty of some of the places my job takes me. Yes I snap a few pictures here and there, but often times some amazing scenery flies by before I can really comprehend the incredible beauty in wherein I often find my "offiice." Immersed in my powermeter, engaged in the work, I miss much of nature's splendor.

A few days ago I had a lunch with an athlete I coach and found myself, down in Manhattan Beach, with free Christmas Parking and some time to kill. It was a beautiful day in my old stomping grounds, so I decided to take it all in for a while. The luxuries and the "offseason" and the silver lining of an injury.

Manhattan Beach, CA. Where I lived for 3.5yrs during my final year of law school and first years of practice, and where I took up triathlon. The hill in the background is Palos Verdes, CA the land of my childhood.

For a while I was content to sit, walk a bit, and snap some photos. But soon, the taunting and peer pressure heard in the footfalls of passing runners rose to an unbearable level. I hadn't technically been cleared to run, but I just NEEDED to. A part of me needed to feel it again, to take in this powerful scenery with a pounding heart. So I ran. And it was liberating. Exactly what I needed.

The next day I boarded a plane bound for the opposite coast. On tap was a visit with my nearly life long best friend who I have spent countless hours on the beaches above with in my life. He and his lovely new fiance moved out here in July, came and watched me race Lake Placid, and I haven't seen them since. A visit was needed.

Friday morning I woke with antsy feet and a run route in my inbox from a caring friend who knew I needed it. It was windy and cold, but I was excited to take in what the landscape had to offer. I was pleasantly surprised.

Heading out onto Tod's Pointe in Old Greenwich, CT.

From the Southern tip of the Pointe you can see the New York City skyline

The contrast between the white-capped waters of the south side and the slate like calm to the east was striking.

The final portion of the trail along a nice long sandy beach

For a few reasons, this proved to be one of the best runs of my life. One I am sure I will look back on in the years to come with great reverence. It is great to be running again. Taking it all in.

I hope you all are fortunate enough to find the time this holiday season to "stop and smell the roses."

Christmas Gift

2011-12-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I went to the doctor for a follow up appointment for my shoulder. After further inspection of the X-Rays and talking with his colleagues, the good Doctor told me his recommendation was not to operate and treat my separated shoulder with aggressive physical therapy instead. I was elated. I almost hugged him but refrained, thinking that might make for an awkward doctor/patient scenario.

To me, this was the best Christmas gift I could receive.

On an entirely different note, I have been asked a few times in the past few weeks what a good gift would be for a triathlete in the family.

Since most of us can't give someone a favorable medical diagnosis like I was fortunate enough to receive, or at least not one anyone should give any credence to, I figured I would try and spread a little triathlon goodwill and make a gift idea list for those of you who may be shopping for a triathlete this Holiday season. So without further ado, here are some products I use, think highly of and would recommend for any triathlete.

It is winter. It stays dark later and gets dark earlier. It is cold. But none of those are valid excuses not to get our runs in. And lets face it, running when uncomfortable... Sucks. So here are some ideas for some great winter run gear from Zoot. The Kalani is a groundbreaking (no pun intended) high mileage trainer perfect for logging the winter miles. This is the shoe I do almost all my longer training runs in. Along with shoes, the winter weather calls for some coverups and the XOTHERM run jacket and tight
will stand up to the cold.

After a year or two of logging countless miles on the road, especially after the summer heat has come and gone, helmets can begin to get a little funky. Not to mention that UV Rays are helmet foam's biggest enemy, next to violent road meetings that is. By far the lightest and most comfortable helmet I've ever worn, the Specialized Prevail will meet the standards of any cyclist or triathlete.

If you have a very special or deserving triathlete in mind, then he or she will be incredibly stoked on a set of these

The Reynolds 66 wheelset is a versatile high performance setup perfect for almost any race course.

Winter doesn't exactly mean no sun. Further, while riding eye protection is a top priority. SPY+ Optics has a great line of casual and performance shades. The Alpha is my favorite from the performance lineup. They combine great looks, fantastic lenses and are extremely lightweight which makes them great for riding and running. The commando kit comes with three lenses for all conditions. The perfect setup.

For those of you looking to fill some stocking gift vacancies, the following ideas are perfect.

Even though its cold, we still need to stay hydrated on the longer winter runs. FuelBelt released its Revenge Series this year and it is fantastic. The Revenge series of belts features plastic molded flask holders that allow for easy one-handed entry. I don't do a run over an hour without one.

Staying in the hydration department, putting in the base miles on the bike will require some serious fluid intake. While I used to think a water bottle was simply that, a water bottle, and all were the same, that changed when I used the Purist. The Purist Hydroflow is an ergonomically shaped, highly flexible, BPA free bottle that has an interior coating that protects from both color and taste stains. Possibly the coolest feature of the Purist is the spout that prevents all leaking or spilling. Just squeeze.

Since there are gonna be some long rides in the saddle for most of us this winter, keeping the undercarriage happy is paramount. An ISM Saddle will do the job. I haven't found a more comfortable saddle.

No matter how comfortable a saddle is, hours on hours will take its toll unless proper care is taken. And lets face it, even the finest machines need lube. DZnuts, as the name hints, was developed by Dave Zarbriskie, the US Time Trial Champion, who has logged ALOT of time in the saddle. It is the best chamois lube I have found.

Finally, while the winter isn't an excuse to totally slack off. It is a time for a little more rest and relaxation than the in season months will permit. For those triathletes like myself who may not be blessed with the worlds most hyperactive of metabolisms, this means its a time to watch the intake. PowerBar provides a product that is perfect for these times. Keeping hunger at bay with its higher protein content, while keeping carbs and sugar low, PowerBar Protein Plus Bites are the perfect winter snack.

I hope the foregoing list helps some of you out.

If you buy at TriSports.com don't forget to use coupon code IMIKE-S to save yourself some dough.

Happy Holidays.

Cozumel: The Dust

2011-12-02T12:11:00.000-08:00

As any of you who read my last post pre Ironman Cozumel could tell, I went into this race with high expectations of myself and looking to occupy one of the top steps on the podium when all was said and done. I was not expecting to record my first career DNF and certainly not in such grand fashion. Here is how it all shook out.

On Tuesday of race week I traveled to Cozumel with good friend and roommate for the past 7 weeks, Chris Mcdonald. All was going well including no bike fee on the way down and we settled into our accommodations, built bikes, shook out the legs and arms, and hit the grocery. The week was rather uneventful and probably the most restful week I have ever had leading into a race. If we were not training, or walking to the grocery, I was just sitting in bed surfing the temperamental internet. I was feeling fat, a bit sluggish in training, and a bit tired. So things appeared right on track ;-)

Swim:
Race day came and we hit the warm waters with plenty of time for a descent warm up. I picked a spot dead in the middle of the lineup with a straight shot down the buoy line. My swimming had been going well, and I was determined not to get stuck behind a break or to get popped off the front group as I had in Hawaii. I hadn't worked as hard as I had in the pool to let that happen again. So I took my middle spot and hit it hard from the gun. A couple hundred yards into the swim two packs had formed side by side and separated by 20ft or so. Soon those packs came together and it got a bit rough for a minute. There were some strong swimmers in the field with Mathias Hecht, Brandon Marsh and some others. So I knew holding those guys was not going to happen. Eventually they broke away and I found myself on the feet of a solid swimmer, at the front of the first chase group. I made it around the first turn without issue and was feeling good heading into the second turn before the long back stretch. It was at this corner that I got what in hindsight would prove to be a little foreshadowing of how my day would unfold. A kayaker had chosen to park himself just on the other side of the 2nd buoy out of sight to approaching swimmers. I went around the buoy and was abruptly stopped dead in my tracks when my head met the bottom of the kayak. I was a little dazed but adrenaline and a seething desire to stay on those feet propelled me onward. Once back on, we put in a few surges and distanced ourselves from the remainder of the pack forming a three man chase pack. The remainder of the swim was uneventful, and the back stretch being so long, gave me the feeling that maybe we were not swimming all that well. Upon exit however, I was very happy to see a 47:25 on the clock and hear a split of only a little over a minute to the front group of 8 or so. Onto the bike and out of transition I saw a clock reading 49:XX and was fired up to be on the road in under 50mins. Yes, the Cozumel swim is fast!

Bike:
Onto the road I was feeling good and immediately made a pass or two. Since Kona my coach, Paulo Sousa, had been drilling into my head the lessons that I learned in that race. In our pre race discussions he harped on those lessons and gave me strict instructions that I was to disobey at my peril. I rode steady, within the plan, and about 30mins in I was caught by a group of Chris Mcdonald and eventual winner on the day, Michael Lovato. I did my best to stay with the group and within my plan but doing both would soon prove impossible. The back side of the island is completely exposed and we had some fierce cross winds, the likes of which I've never encountered before. About halfway down the stretch, when Chris went to the front, I and a few others could no longer maintain contact. I rode the remainder of the 1st lap trying to close the gap to a few others up the road and started the second lap near Brandon Marsh and Zack Ruble.

Soon after hitting the windy section of the second lap I realized the wind had died a little bit and would allow me to focus in on my power meter and "ride numbers" all the way down the stretch. I did, and managed to get a break on the guys I had been trading passes with before. Shortly before the end of the long straight section back to town I bridged back up to Chris. We were heading back into town together and I was feeling great. We were just south of 3hrs and I felt a 3rd lap around 1:30 was well within reach. I knew that Michael couldn't have been that far up the road and that if we brought him back, and I could hold on for the third lap, that getting off the bike with the likes of Chris and Michael would put me in great position. In the first turn back in town however, that excitement and positive energy was instantly decimated and replaced by sorrow and disgust.

Entering into the hard left turn there was a age grouper on our right so I took a tighter line into the corner. Entering the turn I hit a bump that Chris, who had a front row seat for the debacle, said just unweighted my front wheel enough that when the weight came back down, while in a turn, simply snapped the front wheel to the left and I went over the bars. I comleted a half somersault and landed ever so gracefully on my head and left shoulder. I remember sliding across the street, coming to rest near the exit of the turn, and immediately being concerned about getting hit by other riders. It is with great gratitude that the first face I saw was Chris, unbuckling my helmet and holding me still. The fact that he had stopped, in the middle of what was setting up to be a good race for him, shows exactly what type of competitor, friend, and person he is.

Once I cleared my head, I realized that in a matter of seconds the medical team was on site. I must send a HUGE thank you to the Cozumel med team who provided top notch care in such rapid fashion. I quickly took inventory and realized there was no blood, my legs were working, and my shorts were still intact. I stood up and walked over to my bike and saw it had escaped rather unscathed as well. For a brief moment I thought "I'm still in this thing!" Fortunately Chris saw exactly what I was thinking. He also saw my shoulder which I had neglected until that point. He put his hand on my bike, looked at me and said "Ian, you're done." while making a cut throat motion with his other hand. It was then I realized my left shoulder had a rather large protrusion coming out the top of it. At that moment it set in that the great race I was having, was done. To say I was upset is an understatement. I was also concerned about recovery and what it would mean for next season.

Long story made slightly less long. I was whisked off to the hospital, an X-ray was taken and fortunately the broken collarbone I had resigned myself to, was not to be. Rather, it is a separation of the clavicle and I am not in nearly as bad of sorts as I would have been had it broken.

Only adding to the disappointment of the weekend, the bad luck was not visited upon only one resident of room 204. Only 15mins later, Chris struck a volunteer who had run out into the road to pick of a stray bottle and ended his day when his face had an abrupt meeting with the street at 26mph resulting in some nice battle woulds and a soundly concussed melon.

I am back in the States and within the confines of home sweet home California getting some excellent care for the shoulder which looks a little like this at the moment.

I returned from the hospital, to find Chris nursing his wounds and we had a little post race debrief. It was then that I finally discovered the nice battle mark on the top of my head courtesy of the kayak from the swim. Injury to insult. Clearly this was not the end to my 2011 season that I was hoping for. But with this line of work comes the inherent risk that such fates will be met. The positive is that it could not have happened at a better time.

I am still in the early stages of diagnosis and treatment but things are shaping up well and all signs point to a fairly speedy return to 100%. For that I am very thankful.

I owe an extreme debt of gratitude to Chris for stopping to help me out, for playing nurse, packing my bike and lugging my gear around from Mexico all the way home. All the while, dealing with injuries of his own.

I also owe a big Thank You to my sponsors:

Zoot: I'm pretty bummed I didn't get to bust out the TT 4.0s on the Cozumel course as I am positive the drainage and light weight would have given me a one up on the competition in the wet conditions.

Specialized: Thanks for building some amazing bikes for me to wreck ;-) On a serious note, I did a number on my TT helmet and it did its job. It is much worse for it, but my noggin is not!

Reyonlds Wheels: The wheels were working in awesome fashion as usual until I decided to try and ride them upside down. I promise to remember "Rubber Side DOWN" in the future ;-)

TriSports.com: Thanks for another year enjoying your awesome support and service. Nobody stocks more or get it to you faster. Use coupon code IMIKE-S for a nice discount

Powerbar: As usual, race day nutrition was dialed and working to perfection. I had the power to push for the first 3:50, unfortunately not the ability after that point.

SPY+: Training and racing with your shades has been great. And even when busted up I still got comments on the casual shades. Awesome stuff.

PVBC: Even from afar, it is great to know you have my back and racing with your support adds a great deal of confidence.

The End is Near

2011-11-25T09:59:00.000-08:00

The cannon for Ironman Cozumel fires in less than 48hrs.

As anyone who has read my blog through the year knows, 2011 has been a up and down year for me from a racing perspective. There have been some highs, but some definite lows as well. Ironman Cozumel will close the books on 2011 and I am looking to do so on a high note.

I have been here since Tuesday and seen much of the course as the ride consists of 3 laps of only 60K and the run is right outside our hotel door. It is flat, but the heat, humidity and wind will CERTAINLY make it a challenge. Maybe an equally grand challenge will be to keep my focus on racing while passing scenery like this:

I mean... come on. Look at that!

But I will do my best to put on the blinders, batten down the hatches and go for it on Sunday.

I want to take a moment to say a big Thank YOU! to all of you who have followed along with my racing and offered such great support all year. It has been a humbling year in many ways, and having been the recipient of so much support from so many has been overwhelming at times.

So Sunday it is. Lets Roll.

Poor Practice

2011-11-18T07:32:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is in reference to the lack of new information on this blog. It is indeed, a poor practice.

To recap real quick, upon leaving the Big Island, I flew home to LA for a few quick days, then hit the friendly skies again, landing in Denver and making my way back to Boulder. I retrieved my car and after a quick 36hrs or so, got out before the snow and spent the next two days driving to Tucson (by way of a night sleeping in my car in a New Mexico parking lot), to begin my training for Ironman Arizona and enjoy the generous hospitality of my friends Chris & Marilyn Mcdonald. That was somewhere around a month ago.

Since that time, some plans have changed. In fact, on my first long ride since Kona, I began to feel the weight of another Ironman looming just four weeks down the road. Chris was due to race on November 5th in South Africa, but the race had been abruptly cancelled, leaving him with a great deal of built up fitness and nowhere to express it. Fortunately, he still had time to register for Ironman Cozumel and his sights were once again set. The thought of an extra week to get ready, the opportunity to travel with a friend, and lets face it, cold blended adult beverages on a tropical beach to end my season all combined to sound pretty good at that point in time. I mean... come on...

Insert frosty beverage above

Since that decision was made I have been absorbed in getting ready for the day with the goal of my best Ironman performance to date in my crosshairs. Save a few minor hiccups in the bounce back from Kona, training has gone well. Having a friend immersed in the same pursuit has made the preparation for a late season Ironman a little easier, and much more fun, so I owe a big THANK YOU to Chris and Marilyn for their hospitality and support.

I must say however, that while I am happy to be heading to Cozumel (never been before), with IM AZ just days away, I find myself just a tad bummed not to be racing. I had a great time racing Arizona last year and was really looking forward to racing it again with so many friends and family racing and spectating.

That said, I will be heading up to Tempe to cheer on some great friends including Zoot and TriSports.com teammate Charisa "CBB" Wernick who will be capping off her great 2011 season with what I am sure will be an awesome day out in Tempe. I am also excited to see fellow Specialized rider and Zooter Jordan Rapp take on the course he dominated in 2009 and hopefully take his title back. Finally, there is a battle brewing between TriSports.com teammate Leanda Cave and the owner of our great sponsor, Seton Claggett. A bet has been made, the terms of which are yet to be revealed, and it should be great fun to watch this battle unfold.

So if you are out in Tempe this Sunday, cheer hard, have fun and say "hi" if you see me bumbling around.

SPY+

2011-10-28T11:38:00.000-07:00

I am pleased to announce that I recently gained the support of SPY+ Optics.

SPY+ has been producing high quality, fashionable eyewear for some time now and has recently begun producing performance focused sunglasses that are great for running and cycling. The knowledge and experience the designers at SPY have from their ski/snowboard and motocross goggle production is evident and has resulted in some great shades like the Alpha.

I am excited to have the support of an experienced eyewear company behind me and to have the opportunity to work firsthand with a company that is dedicated to developing a top of the line performance eyewear range.

And lets be honest, their casual shades are awesome.

Check out the SPY+ website and see for yourself.

Kona

2011-10-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

The 2011 Ironman World Championships is in the books and I am happy to say my name appears in that book.

After every race this season I have come to post on this blog and express my discontent with my performance at each race. It is a rare day indeed in our sport when all three disciplines come off without a hitch, and everything just "falls into place." That kind of day is not something you can go looking for. It may happen a few times in a career, or never at all. I haven't been looking for one of those days, just a day where I am content with each aspect of my race. For every race this season, that is all I wanted. To have a race where I could sit back at the end of the day and say, "I can live with that." Kona finally provided that satisfaction. The following is my race report.

Race Morning came and I found myself feeling rather relaxed. All was going smooth until I started to set up my bike. I put my fuel for the bike in one bottle and as I was putting that bottle on my bike, I dropped it. The top popped off and out spilled my fuel. I told myself to just stay calm, find a volunteer, see if I could get a towel to clean it up as it was all under my bike and Matt Reed's and find some gels. I got a towel and got it cleaned up and Matt was very mellow about the mess I created. The replacement gels however, were a bit harder to come by. Thankfully, one of the awesome volunteers came up HUGE for me. He took my bottle and said "you've got a race to prepare for. Go swim, don't worry about this shit. It will be on your bike when you go out." I cannot thank this guy enough. He is a HUGE part of my day. Luis is the man!

Swim:
I got in the water 15mins before the start, got in a nice solid warm up, and felt good. I lined up a little to the left, next to Rasmus knowing he would go out strong. At the gun I jumped right on his feet and was amazed at how calm and nice the start was. About 100m in that changed. We merged with another group and it got pretty rough. I was able to hang in the first group however and was pretty comfortable with the pace. Coming to the first turn buoy, I knew the pace would pick up, and I was ready for it. I felt the surge starting, put my head down and went for it. Unfortunately, while doing so, I swam off the feet in front of me and off to the left. I have seen first hand on previous occasions just how fast a gap can open if you let it, but this was a new level. I got just a few feet off to the left of the group and was popped off. The gap opened with astonishing speed despite my all out effort to close it back up. I was off the back and there was nothing I could do. Some others met a similar fate and we formed what became the second pack. From there on in I swam very comfortably, and saw 53:45 on the clock. I was actually surprised as it felt longer and was content.

Photo Courtesy: Shawn Henry

Bike:
I managed to stay with the guys I exited the water with through transition and was out on the bike with Michael Lovato, Jan Raphel and Cam Brown. Immediately we all began to push hard to try and bridge up.

Courtesy Kerry Yndestad

I had no idea how far back I was, but knew I wanted to go with the group. Onto the Queen K for the little stint before Palani, and I got a split, 2:20 up to the main group. I knew the guys I was with were gunning to try and catch that group. The power was way too high though, and I knew closing a gap of 2:20, even if I could, would come at way too high a price, so I had to stick to my plan. Doing so meant that I rode probably 85% of the ride, totally on my own.

One of the main goals for me in this race was to "learn about the pro race" and that meant riding with the group. I was bummed to realize ten minutes into the ride that I would miss that lesson. Back onto the Queen K I just tried to get into a zone and ride it. I hoped maybe the front group would split and I could catch the back half of it, but that was not to be. Then I narrowly avoided yet another nutrition disaster. I went to take a pull off my fuel bottle and the top popped off. Gel went all over me and my bike but I stayed upright and ust had to slow down and screw the cap back on. I was a sticky mess however, and at nearly every aid station from then on I was taking a literal shower.

For some portion of the climb to Hawi I had company, but after Special Needs I was back on my own. The final 15mi of the ride proved to be the toughest for me, with energy and power tumbling. I was again content to stop the clock at 4:45.

Run:
The last time I raced here in 2009 I went out way too fast. So my goal was to be conservative and just try and hold 6:50s for the run. Once I got rolling I checked my Garmin and it told me I was running 8:50s. I knew this was off and this is why I find it so hard to run according to the "current pace" function on the Garmin. So I held the same tempo until the first mile split came up a 6:25. I knew I needed to slow down.

All the way out to the turn my mile splits kept climbing but stayed under the 6:55 mark. I was on track. Shortly after the turn around on Alli'i I began to feel very bloated and got some "slosh-belly." I decided to take in pretty much only water from mile 6 back to the base of Palani in the hopes of clearing it out. This was a very rough section of the course for me.

Once I hit the top of Palani and got the breeze in my face my stomach was feeling better, but the 5-6 miles of running without any calories began to take its toll. My energy was waning and I knew I had to start taking on fuel again. I chose not to make use of the pro fluids tables this year as it was totally foreign to me. I did run with a Fuel Belt however and was happy I did as it allowed me to slowly take in calories rather than trying to down as much as I could at each aid station. Right around Kona Mountain Coffee I caught my second wind and I began to feel better but the splits weren't falling all that much. Into the Energy Lab I saw that there were several guys within my reach and I knew if I held it together I could pick up a few spots. The heat on the course was getting to me, and staying as cool as possible became a big objective. Once out of the lab I tried to simply let my legs go and concentrated on keeping the cadence high. I slowed to a walk at several aid stations in order to get ice and fluids. I knew this would cost me the sub 3 hour run split I was shooting for, but thought not doing so might leave me in dire straights.

I had been chasing Matt Reed since coming out of the Energy Lab but it was at the bottom of "Mark & Dave Hill" that I really began to push to catch him. I ran the hill hard, flirting with blowing up and rounded the corner onto Palani with Matt only a few meters up. Letting my legs roll down the hill hurt, but I didn't know if Matt would come with me or not and I didn't want to find myself in a duel. Once I made the turn I saw the gap had formed and was slightly relieved but that was short lived. Jan Rafel was in sight and a friend yelled to me that the gap to him was 8 seconds.

I didn't know what place I was in, I knew there was no money in it, but I just didn't want to get beat by 8 seconds. So again I pushed hard, with "pins n needles" I passed Jan at the turn just before Alli'i Drive and kept running hard, again fearing he would come with me. It wasn't until I hit the carpet that I allowed myself to look back and see where Jan was. To my great relief, there was a gap, and I allowed myself to relax a bit. I hadn't worn a watch with total time for the race and really had no idea what it was. I looked up as I approached the line and saw 8:48 n change on the clock. I was happy. Not so much with the time, but just to be done and to be crossing the most hallowed finish line in our sport. Not much compares to crossing the line here in Kona. The feeling is electric to say the least.

I stayed away from putting a time goal on this race. I wanted to simply put together 3 solid efforts, and learn from the day. I wanted to swim with the 1st group, I wanted to ride in the mix, and I wanted to run sub 3. I fell short of each of these goals, however, I wasn't far off and for the first time this season, I feel I finally put together 3 "decent" performances and thus, I am again content with the day on the whole. There is work to be done, and much progress to be made, but at least I am seeing the signs.

I need to send out a big "Mahalo" to all those who supported me leading up to, and on race day. The crowd support at this race is like no other, but to have so many people shouting my name was simply incredible. And to all those who offered words of encouragement or congratulations through text, e-mail, twitter and facebook, Thank You all very much. If I didn't get back to you individually, please know that I did get your message and it was appreciated greatly. Time and again I am humbled by the support that people have offered, and this race was no exception. It means a great deal to me and I thank you for it.

I also need to thank my incredible sponsors and supporters, some of whom went above and beyond for this race.

Zoot : Being a part of the Zoot family is truly incredible. The gear is incredible, but the family and support is second to none. Having you guys out on the course going nuts was awesome and I can't thank you enough.

Specialized: My Shiv TT was great. Darth Vader ran without flaw all day. An incredible bike aside, I had a few issues when my poor tubular gluing skills came to light and I am confident my day would have gone much differently if it wasn't for the amazing help I got pre race from the Specialized mechanics. Thanks Jeff, I still owe you big time. This kind of support is priceless.

Reynolds: The 81s performed flawlessly and were a stellar choice. Having the freedom to pick a wheel and run with it is a great confidence builder going into the race and I thank you for making a great product and standing behind the performance capabilities of every wheel you produce.

PowerBar: Of the nearly roughly 3,500 calories that I consumed on race day, I would say 2500 of those came from PowerBar products. Gels, gel blasts, Perform, and bars, they all went down easy and fueled the fire allowing me to keep at it into the late stages of the day.

TriSports.com: Getting to Kona prepared and healthy is half the battle. The service and expediency thereof that you provide is a valuable asset in training for the day. I don't think it could get any easier, and that is a HUGE bonus.

Palos Verdes Bicycle Center: Knowing you guys have my equipment dialed in and ready to roll takes a heap of a headache off my plate and is a great help that I appreciate to no end. Its great to work with such great people.

I also need to thank Brian from PBN Nutrition for spending a good deal of time helping me dial in my nutrition plan. Knowing that I wasn't just "winging it" and that my calories and electrolyte plan had been expertly designed gave me confidence and let me not worry about it on race day.

Exciting Stuff

2011-10-06T20:00:00.000-07:00

I am sure all of you are aware, but it has been a big week full of exciting news. The new iPhone 4S was debuted!!

On a side note, the triathlon world is "Full Throttle" right now with the Ironman World Championships taking place this Saturday on the Big Island of Hawaii. I was fortunate enough to secure a spot and will be sporting bib # 47 on Saturday, taking it for a 140.6 mile tour around the waters, roads and lava fields of Kona.

I arrived Saturday after a quick stint back home and have been blessed with some great friends who have allowed me to set up camp at their Hawaiian home.

The island has its usual spectacular sights, sounds, smells and tastes, but somehow, Ironman just seems to add a surge of electricity to the place that makes it that much more invigorating. I have been pleased with my training and preparation and minus a few small hiccups, my stay here so far has been perfect.

I really cannot put into words how excited I am to line up and race this course again on Saturday. The usual press and media explosion surrounding Kona has been elevated to a new level this year with the new points system and reduction in pro slots. Adding only further fuel to the fire was the unveiling of the "Shiv Tri" by my sponsor Specialized. The bike is INSANE and it was announced on Tuesday that it will be under one of the greatest in the game, heavy favorite, Craig Alexander, on race day. I will not be aboard the new Specialized triathlon flagship, but could not be happier with the way my ShivTT has come together and how the bike has performed in training. Darth Vader will be breaking in his racing wings on Saturday and I am confident they will fly strong.

On that note I would like to take a moment to thank all my sponsors who, quite simply, have made my being here possible. I have been getting a few questions re my race set up, equipment, nutrition, etc... and I thought it would be good to detail it out here, so that you all can see and if interested, ask any questions.

Swim: I will be swimming in the Zoot SpeedZoot and the Blue70 Hydra Vision goggles.

Bike: I will be riding a Specialized ShivTT (small), equipped with SRAM Red components, A Quarq powermeter running through a Garmin 500 Edge computer, ISM Breakaway saddle, Shimano Dura Ace pedals and Reynolds 81 wheels with Specialized S-Works tubular tires. I will run 2 bottle cages, one up front between the bars, one on the down tube.

Run: I will be running in Zoot Active compression socks and the TT 4.0 shoes.

Nutrition: My day will be fueled almost exclusively by PowerBar products. On the bike I will take in Strawberry/Banana gels, a peanut butter PowerBar and Red Bull at special needs, and PowerBar Perform at aid stations. On the run I will carry PowerBar Berry Blast gels mixed with water and Red Bull in the new Fuel Belt Revenge 2 bottle belt.

Again, a HUGE "THANK YOU" to all my sponsors and supporters for all the help and support. I'll give it my all on Saturday, knowing I have no excuses.

Cheers & Aloha,

Ian

Branson 70.3 Race Report

2011-09-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Sorry folks but my fan club President, VP, Treasurer, and Historian (aka "Mom") was not able to make it to Branson last weekend so I have no photos from the race. I know, slacking on the job right? But it was only the second race she has missed in my career so I will cut her some slack.

I hope the tedium of this un-illustrated version is bearable. Without further ado:

Swim: 25:33
It was a small field of male pros and with Guy Crawford present, he was the marked man. I tried to get on his feet after the beach start (I hate those btw) and was successful in doing so. Soon Ben appeared at my side and I thought we both had made it. Unfortunately, something went awry and I simply had to slow down. I couldn't get my breath and I had to let go. Matt Lieto passed me as did another guy but my lungs were still in panic mode and I couldn't respond. A few back strokes, and Matt had gapped me by about 15 meters. I decided at that point not to be concerned with catching anyone and to just get into a rhythm. I did, I was able to bridge back up to Matt, pass him, and ended up closing back up to Ben and Guy and only losing 30 seconds or so.

Bike: 2:36
The bane of my season has been the bike. This race was no different. No excuses, no whining, no BS. I rode terribly. There is really nothing to say. It was so lame that it lacked any eventful content to retell here. 12mins lost to Matt and Ben. Pathetic.

Run: 1:19:07
I came off the bike not knowing what the gap was, but knowing it was BIG. So I put it in my mind to just run hard and see what happened. At least get in a good hard run as Kona training. Good news is, my legs showed up for the party and I was able to make up some ground. On the 3rd and final lap I saw I had brought the gap down to Karl. In fact I was told he was 2 minutes up on me with about 3 miles to go. I figured I might have a chance, and had no reason not to risk blowing a gasket trying. In the end I just ran out of Branson river front walkway. I brought it down to 20secs but Karl hit the finish chute about 75m ahead of me. Another 4th. Another missed podium. Nobody said it would be easy.

Thanks to all of you who have supported me, offered encouragement and words of congrats.

Huge Thank Yous to:

Zoot for making awesome products like the Prophet wetsuit that allowed me to make up ground after a brief fiasco, and the TT 4.0s, which I can't say enough about. An incredible shoe.

Specialized for making a great bike even if I haven't done it justice. And PVBC for keeping it running in top shape.

Reynolds for providing me with some of the best training and race wheels I could ever hope to ride.

PowerBar for providing training fuel to get through the long days, and race fuel to give me the power to push myself to a half marathon PR even after swimming and riding.

TriSports.com for being the reliable, speedy people you are and providing all the gear I need at the click of a mouse.

A "Thank You" and big props also go to the Branson 70.3 race crew. Ryan Robinson, Tom Ziebart and the whole crew worked their asses off in some of the toughest conditions I have ever witnessed and the race came off without a hitch. The rain, lightening, wind and thunder was relentless, but so was your drive and commitment to an A+ event. A top notch event it was. From a top notch crew. Well done. Well. Done.

I am back in Boulder now. Putting in the last little bit of work before I head off to Kona. I am excited, especially since I will hit the Queen K on this Bad Boy.

His name is Darth Vader

Ohh, and a big thanks to all of you who participated in the contest. Sadly one of the slowest time guesses won. Maybe I will have to do another one for Kona and fix that ;-)

High Country Update & a Contest

2011-09-12T13:30:00.000-07:00

With time, came a little adaptation, and I am happy to say some improved performance in training. Physiological familiarity with the environment proved to be a big kick in the pants. I wouldn't say I am "crushing it" up here, not by any means, but I have found myself able to access that next gear that had been missing the first couple weeks.

The beauty of this land continues to amaze me and I find myself in awe of the Rockies' grandeur on nearly every ride.

The off-mountain routes do not lack aesthetic appeal either.

Aside from all the "sightseeing" the mountains do offer their challenges and I have found myself gasping for sweet, sweet oxygen on many a day when the altimeter begins to roll.


Taking TriSports.com up high.

Being a California kid, Los Angeles at that, the closest thing I got to small mountain towns was Big Bear, Lake Arrowhead and Mammoth. Up here, the seclusion offered by the expansiveness of the Rockies, and the apparent allure thereof, has given birth to some funky little mountain towns. I have not seen many, but those I have, are quite unique.


Outside the "general store" in Ward, CO

I have been here now for four weeks, and six have passed since Ironman Lake Placid. A little break after Placid was good for the mind and the body. Getting back into some good, consistent and focused training was equally so. And I find myself excited to race again. Watching all the recent racing has only added further fuel to the fire. So this weekend I head off to Branson, Missouri, to race a challenging 70.3 and see where my fitness lies after this Boulder campaign.

With this race approaching, and as I have never raced this course before, I figured now would be a great opportunity to put out a little reward to those of you who have poured through some of the senseless drivel I put forth herein. So I have a little contest in mind: Respond via comment on this post with your guess (H:MM:SS) as to my finishing time at Branson 70.3 this Sunday. Closest, without going over, wins! (Ex: if Carl Jr. guesses 4:08:27 and Jimmy John, 4:21:42 and my finish time is 4:18: 09, then although closer, Jimmy John would be left to his sandwiches as he went over, and Carl Jr. would have his burgers and his winnings.)

"Carl wins what?" you ask... Well, thanks to the generous support of my sponsor Zoot, there are a few prizes available.
Carl would have his choice of the following:
1. one of my race kits from this season (unworn of course) Med jersey, Med shorts
2. This awesome Zoot race/training backpack
3. A Zoot visor, number belt, and water bottle combo.

So guess away. And make em good.

Cheers,

Ian

Tuff Stuff

2011-08-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

I realize my last blog was lacking any photos of this beautiful place called Boulder that I have been writing about. I have gotten a few requests for some photos and I tried to comply. Trust me. I did. I really did.

However, it appears that the elevation that is so hard on our lungs up here, is equally unforgiving on electronics. This week both my digital camera and my iPhone felt its wrath and came out the worse for it. So sadly, despite my best efforts, this post will again be noticeably lacking any photographic documentation of my Boulder exploits. (As of this posting the iphone has been resurrected, sort of, by the nice girl with the cute smile at AT&T).

My second full week here in Boulder came and went without any mishaps (other than the aforementioned electronic tragedies) or any particularly noteworthy events. I did my job, got the work done, relaxed and pulled off some major internet surfing sessions. You see, Ben, by his own admission, doesn't really watch TV, so he hasn't felt compelled, understandably so, to add another utility bill to his mailbox. Thus, between sessions, I am left with pretty much the MacBook Pro on which I write this post for entertainment. Luckily for me, this week the Island of Tahiti played host to the Billabong Pro surf contest at the infamous Teahupoo (pronounced: Cho-poo) at precisely the time when one of the biggest swells to ever hit the island rolled through. Some major edge-of-your-seat type stuff came across my monitor. Some of the wipeouts were quite intense.

While watching these guys and a gal, risk their lives in some insane surf was certainly riveting. More spine tingling was watching Jordan Rapp resoundingly signal his return to the top step of the podium with a crushing win at Ironman Canada. Jordan has been "back" after his horrific accident since LA Tri last year, but I think even he would admit that his "defense" of his title at IMC marks yet another step in his full "recovery."

Photo Credit Tim Carlson - Slowtwitch

Sunday also gave me the privilege of watching good friend and fellow Boulder summer camper, Chris "Big Sexy" Mcdonald claim his 4th Ironman title at Louisville. Chris is a great friend and person and I have HUGE respect for him as an athlete not just because of his 4 Ironman titles, but more so (and I don't think he will mind me saying this) because of his ability to take a good hard look at his situation and the road that lay before him earlier this year, make the tough decisions, and proactively change his approach. The results do not lie. It is not the easiest thing to stare down the gun barrel of reality, accept your current path may be "off", admit it to yourself, make the difficult choices and changes and have the work ethic and perseverance to power through the rough parts and come out better for it on the other side. It may sound a bit cliche, but I think it sort of encapsulates Ironman racing. It is that kind of character that is needed to push through and become a champion. Sincere Congratulations Chris.

Larry Rosa - Lava Magazine

So while my electronics collection may not be, these guys have certainly proven they are made of some "tuff stuff."

Boulder you got good stuff.

2011-08-21T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well my first week in Boulder is in the books.

So far training is going well. I have been busy soaking it all in, the sights, the sounds, the grasshoppers.

I decided to cough up the dough for privileges at the Flatirons athletic club, mainly because pool hours basically become a non-issue. There are some solid swim groups at the Flatirons as well and getting to jump into one of those every once in a while is good. Good for a solid thrashing.

Running here has been "an experience" but one I have enjoyed, for the most part. Elevation can be a tricky nut to crack, and I have felt it's wrath this week. Tempo runs have been, well, less than tempo and I had to check a couple times to make sure my new heart rate strap was working properly. Numbers that high are something I am not entirely accustomed to.

While the above described activities have, on the whole, gone well, things on the cycling front have been stellar. Riding here, elevation notwithstanding, has been fantastic. Some incredible views, challenging climbs and great weather have combined to make for quite the cycling experience. I have actually found myself reminiscing on the scenes of Lake Placid. With towering mountains, lakes, and rushing rivers round nearly every corner, one can easily see the similarity between the two. The two are equally beautiful. Boulder however, in my humble opinion gets the nod due to the variety of routes, the climbs and the quality of the roads. The only detractor may be the aforementioned grasshoppers and the colonies of which we encounter out here. Its a brutal scene at times.

All in all, Boulder is proving to be a spectacular place. Even if its only been a week.

Past, Present, and Future

2011-08-16T15:16:00.000-07:00

In all the hustle and bustle of the last few weeks I haven't gotten around to updating this here Blog for a bit. So here is a little run down on the Past, Present and Future.

The Past: Following Lake Placid I took a trip down Connecticut way to visit my friends Tommy and Katie in their new digs. I had never been to Connecticut before, and was impressed with Stamford and the surrounding area. One day was too short of a trip, but I am hoping to get back this winter.

I had been in Lake Placid since July 3rd, and before that, had spent the previous 7.5 weeks between Hawaii and Utah. In reality, I had been home for about 36hrs since January 9th, so to finally be heading home felt a little strange and more than a little exciting. In all I got to spend 10 days at home, visiting with friends and family I had missed dearly. The highlights of my trip included getting to spend time with my 93yr old grandma, my parents, brother, friends, and attending the wedding of a long time dear friend. 2 days after said wedding I was back on the road.

Which brings me to the present:
I am writing this from a couch in Boulder, Colorado after having spent 3 days in Salida, Colorado with my good friend Maiki. I have been in Boulder for 4 days as of this posting, and have to admit, this place is pretty awesome. Boulder takes some heat in the triathlon world as it has become "Triathlon Mecca" or "Tri-Geek Central" but after just a few short days I can see why so many people like it, and why so many of the top professionals in our sport train here. Plain and simple, the place has a great deal to offer when it comes to training for triathlon, and very few mitigating factors.

I am knocking on wood as I write this, but I haven't found the adjustment to altitude to be all so terrible as of yet. While I'd like to think that is due to my outstanding physiological capacities, I am sure it has much more to do with the training plan my coach has built. So far, so good.

Finally, the Future:
I plan on staying in Boulder for the next several weeks and am fortunate that friend and fellow Specialized and Zoot athlete, Ben Hoffman is allowing me to crash at his place at the mere cost of $2,000.00 a month, and all laundry, cooking, dish, car and S-Works Ruckus washing duties. A steal if you ask me ;-)

On the racing front, I will be putting in a good block here before I head on down to Branson, Missouri on September 18th for a 70.3 that I hear is top notch. I wanted to race Rev3 Cedar Pt. and was fired up all season to do so, but with my race at, and recovery from Lake Placid not going as desired, it was just too much too soon.

However, occupying the biggest and most (only?) important news of this post, I am happy to say that I accepted a slot to race the Ironman World Championships and thus will be heading back to the Big Island and the town of Kona for a second time this season. I am stoked and humbled to have qualified, albeit due to roll downs under the new Kona Points Rankings system, and cannot wait to be floating in the harbor waiting for the cannon to fire and racing as a professional triathlete on the most hallowed of triathlon grounds. If you had asked me 5 years ago if there was even a glimmer of hope that such circumstances could arise, I would not have hesitated even a fraction of a second in saying "NO!" I have had heard some friends and my former coach describe the feeling of starting and racing in Kona as a pro, and I am thrilled and honored to get the opportunity to experience the same myself come October 8th. GAME ON!!

Riding Downhill - Race Report, IM Lake Placid

2011-07-25T09:06:00.000-07:00

Last year some of you may recall that I raced Ironman Lake Placid and had a decent day until about mile 21 of the run when I lost 5th place and proceeded to get passed by 2 more guys in the 24th & 25th miles.

Soon after the race I mentally put IMLP on my schedule for this year, intent on doing much better.

Yesterday the cannon went off and it seemed that I was on the right track. But soon, things went down hill, rather abruptly. Despite some serious doubts and mental battles, I rode it out in the hopes of learning from the experience and coming out better for it. The following is my report on that downhill ride.

Swim: The water was 77f so we were without wetsuits. I haven't swam in a wetsuit yet this year, and after training in St. George and my swimming in a suit feeling strong, I was looking forward to rocking my new Zoot Prophet for the 1st time this year. That was not to be, but I wasn't really bothered by it as I was very concerned about overheating if somehow they had found a 76.0f spot.

The cannon went off and I had a good start and was swimming after about 200m finally lost the feet of TJ Tollakson and Luke Bell. From there I was swimming next to Specialized and Zoot teammate Ben Hoffman. I swam next to Ben until the 2nd turn buoy when I hitched a ride on his feet back to the beach. Onto lap 2, I stayed on Ben's feet for the first few hundred meters then in a bit of spontaneous teamwork, I took the lead and pulled for the remainder of the swim. After fighting through some of the age groupers (sorry to those I swam over) I got out and was pleased to see 52:xx on the clock. Official time after crossing the mat was 53:06. I was happy with this, felt great, and thought my day was looking good.

Bike:
Getting on the bike I felt good and Ben was just a bit in front of me. On the first climb I got out of the saddle and my rear brake started rubbing, and rubbing bad. I was pushing ~340w and barely moving. I stopped, tried to adjust it, got back on, rode with it rubbing for a while, stopped again to adjust... repeat that 3x. The final time I even managed to fall. My brake was rubbing so bad that as soon as I quit pedaling I stopped dead in my tracks and wasn't able to unclip fast enough. Fun times. I was passed by a few guys and was pissed to lose Ben, and give up spots when my legs felt good and I had swam so well. I finally managed to fix my brake and was able to ride on my watts for the rest of the 1st lap, regain the spots I dropped and only be passed by a charging Eduardo Sturla.

I began the 2nd lap feeling good but quite suddenly, that changed. I began feeling very flat. I pounded down some extra nutrition and tried to rally, but the body was not responding. In the past I have put a 12oz Red Bull in my special needs bag. But with my friend missing his bag here last year, and me missing mine at IM AZ I decided not to rely on special needs this race and skipped the Red Bull. Not sure if this was a good call in hindsight. From there on out, I went into damage control mode and just tried to ride as steady and strong as I could. I was hoping to ride 2:50 or below and after a 2:25 1st lap, I was on pace to do so. So I was obviously bummed with a 5:04 bike split. No excuses, I just fell apart and didn't cut the mustard.

Run:
With how terrible I felt the last 2hours of the ride, I was actually concerned that my legs were just not going to hold out for the run. Thoughts of my 1st DNF began to enter my mind. I just figured I would go until my legs just quit. I went out and tried to down as much fuel as I could before having to climb back into town. The 1st lap was pretty much a struggle every step of the way. Not Fun. But I put faith in the power of the Red Bull waiting for me at Special Needs and just endeavored to make it there as fast as possible. I was cramping a fair bit on the uphills and again, hindsight being 20/20 salts may have been a good idea.

After the Red Bull I got a bit of a second wind and just tried to focus on the next aid station, and staying up on nutrition. At the bottom turn around, I saw I had about a minute on 7th place. After getting caught in the final few miles, I was determined not to let it happen again. Given that I was in the money I didn't really want to give it up, but I made the decision to go for broke. If I fell on my face and DNFed I figured I would feel better bout that than I would if I played it safe, gave up a spot in the final miles and made a small amount of money. So I went for it. Coming in the last mile, I was in a bad way, but made I made it and held my spot. I had a goal of running sub 3, obviously 3:10 is a far cry and again, no excuse, I just failed to perform.

I have never felt as bad after a race as I did yesterday. A big thanks to the medical team for helping me out.

Also a Big thanks to my sponsors. As always, I had the best equipment and support I could ever ask for from Zoot, Specialized, Reynolds Wheels, TriSports.com, Palos Verdes Bicycle Center, and PowerBar. Nothing, absolutely nothing, in my lack luster performance can be blamed on my equipment or fuel. I had the best possible equipment to carry me to my goal, just lacked the motor.

Also a HUGE thanks for the humbling support from one of my long time best friends and his beautiful fiance, Tommy n Katie for making the long trek from Connecticut to watch me race.

Long Time...

2011-07-20T07:56:00.000-07:00

I know. I have been slacking on blog updates. Big. Time. I am sure I have disappointed you greatly (*sarcasm).

Quite simply, after racing Honu, the quick-bang travel home and then hours later to St. George, and the immediate jump into camp put me behind the 8 ball. Before I knew it, I was too far behind.

So here is a quick recap:

I raced Honu 70.3 and while it wasn't a great race for me, quite similar to Florida 70.3 in fact, poor swim, lackluster bike, and a run to redeem myself. I finished in 4th, making up 2 spots late in the run, but unable to work up to the brothers Lieto. It was a good trip though, and spent some great time with some great people on the Big Island.

The camp in St. George went well. Again, a good amount of hard and consistent work. I was on my own a good bit as my long course prep called for a different workout schedule than most. St. George is a great place, although we got hit with some heat that made running outside after about 10am nearly impossible. So unfortunately this meant a fair bit of treadmill running, which I hate and really isn't the best preparation for IM Lake Placid. The treadmill was especially difficult to stomach in light of the great trail running St. George has to offer. Still, I did manage to get in the work and the heat forced me up into the mountains on all my rides so hopefully I benefited from all the climbing. If you are looking for a good place to train, St. George is awesome, but I would say you need to do it in late May to early June. Mid June through August / early September it is just way too hot.

I have been in Lake Placid since the end of the Squad camp on July 3rd. I have an incredible homestay here in Placid and things have been going well. The weather has really been awesome, with rain only coming once during training and it was while I was swimming. I am a huge fan of this area for both what it offers for training, and for pure aesthetic enjoyment.

So it is now Wednesday, 4 days to Go Time! I am excited to get a crack out at the Ironman Distance again. Workouts have been going pretty good, but I have been brutally reminded of just how challenging this course is. With the depth of the field lined up here and the challenge the course will present, its gonna be a tough day. But I am excited to cut my teeth at the distance. Lets go!

Race Report: Florida 70.3

2011-05-16T03:40:00.000-07:00

Well the my first race of 2011 is FINALLY in the books. It was not the race I wanted, but it was the first race, and the "ring rust" has been knocked off. Here's a short recap of how the day unfolded.

Swim: We were greeted race morning with lightning, thunder and some pretty heavy rain. When I got to transition, everyone was huddled under any shelter they could find. There definitely was some question in my mind as to whether we would be swimming. It was pretty cold with the wind and rain, and since they had told us we wouldn't be allowed to warm up in the water, a warm up run seemed a little pointless as I would then be standing around after and get cold again. But I did manage a short jog, some strides and skips before heading tot he water. The storm passed as we waited and we started 40 minutes late. Which from the picture below, you can see was probably a good thing since it was taken right about the original time we were to start.

I used to love beach starts after growing up surfing and doing Jr. Lifeguards, but in the pro ranks, they are not exactly my favorite. This is particularly so when the water is roughly shin-knee deep for a good 50 meters before you can swim. Not being the tallest bloke in the world, I wasn't able to get my feet out and over the water like the taller guys were and I fell back a bit from those who would form the front pack chasing Potts and Kahn.

Unfortunately this left me about 20 meters behind this pack for the majority of the swim. On the home leg however, I did my usual head on run in with a buoy, pushed it to the side and swam on. A few strokes later I realized some Disney lifeguards on a boat were yelling at me. I realized they were telling me I had to go back. Reluctantly, and with a few words to them that they were wrong, I swam back to the buoy and went around it with it on my left shoulder. To be clear, this was not a turn buoy, it was like the 3rd to last buoy, and I was gaining no advantage by passing it on my right, certainly not after running dead into it. Almost every race I have been to has said we could swim on either side of the buoys and only had to round the corner buoys on a certain shoulder. Either way, my 20m gap to the pack was gone, and I swam the rest of the way solo... and pissed.

Bike: Here is where things went from "not so great" to "pretty pathetic." Once out on the course I tried to settle into my pace and develop a rhythm to move along, and gain some spots back from my poor swim. For some reason however, I just couldn't get my legs going for the first 25 miles or so. I was passed by a few guys and they simply rode away from me. It pains me to do so, but I will readily admit, that I had a little bit of a mental breakdown and pity party for myself from miles 15-20. This is probably the thing I am most upset with about my race. Plain and simple that cannot happen. Mental toughness has always been "there" for me and frankly, I was not "in the race" for those miles. A huge and unacceptable error on my part. Finally, when fellow Specialized US Tri Team member Jimmy Archer caught me, I told myself to stick with him if it killed me. It didn't and a few miles later my legs began to come good. I thought I may be able to salvage a descent ride on the day, but it was too little too late. I averaged some disgustingly low watts for the ride, actually the lowest I have averaged for any half ironman distance since I began racing and training with power. Not a good day.

Run: Going into this race only running for half of the last three months, I was unsure how I would be able to manage on the run. After the Las Cruces camp, I knew I could get through it, I just didn't know how fast, or if it would devolve into an ugly slow jog/walk. The heat, humidity and the reputation of this being a tough run course with 3 miles of uneven grass running, I was even less confidant. Surprisingly, the run turned out to be the lone somewhat bright spot on the day. I was passed early on by Andrew Hodges who I know can run, and I just did my best to keep him as close as possible. I made my way through the run, feeling strong for most of it and picked up a few spots along the way.

End of Lap 1

Heading out for the 3rd and final lap

Again however, it was too little too late, and while I picked up one more spot a little after the mile 12 marker, try as I might I couldn't catch the last guy for a top 10 finish. I brought it home as hard as I could, but he was able to stay a few seconds ahead of me going into the shoots and when I knew it was a lost cause, I relaxed.

I ended up running a mid 1:21, which might not sound that great, but was right there with the bulk of the guys times ahead of me. The fastest runs on the day were by Kriat

So It was not a great day, but on the first race of the season, I understand it is tough to put a blinder together. So I will lick my wounds, get back to work, and focus on the next one, Hawaii 70.3.

A huge THANK YOU to all my sponsors, Zoot, Specialized, Reynolds, TriSports.com, PVBC, PowerBar, and Mikelson & Mikelson, LLP. Without your support, fantastic products, getting my bike tuned and all my gear ready for race day, this would certainly not be possible for me. A big thank you also goes out to all those who read this blog, follow along on my dream chasing, and offer support and encouragement along the way. It is greatly humbling and appreciated.

2011

2011-05-14T06:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I arrived safely and without incident in Orlando, Florida, as did my support crew (a.k.a. Mom). I got in a quick shake out run with a little thunder, lightning, and rain for company. It was actually quite nice given the obscenely dry conditions I have been in for the past five months living in the deserts of the American Southwest. The thick and steamy air instantly reminded me of Kona. Oh, how I miss Kona. But I digress.

Tomorrow morning I finally get to kick off my 2011 season. Excited, nervous, anxious, uncertain, etc... all the emotions and feelings are pulsing through me right now. I'll feel better when the canon fires.

Thanks to all of you who have followed along, read this blog, offered advice, suggestions, or just support and encouragement as I battled my achilies injury and the lack of fitness that resulted. It meant a great deal to me.

Cheers,

Ian

3rd Times a charm

2011-05-10T18:21:00.000-07:00

The third camp with The Triathlon Squad has come to and end and my main goals for the camp were accomplished successfully. Namely, to make it all the way through camp; a) without injury and b) without missing a workout. I knew coming off injury that these goals were important to the progression of my season, and also knew that I could not cling to them too tightly and risk falling back into the denial that lead to the aggravation of my achilies injury in the first place. As much as I wanted to accomplish both (a) & (b) above, I made a deal with myself that if something felt "off," at any point in time, I would immediately let Paulo know about it, and take a break if need be. A "better safe than sorry" approach if you will.

I am happy to report that any resurgence of my achilies injury or the emergence of any other injury never came to pass. The four weeks in Las Cruces flew by and I got the work, all the work, done. That is not to say there weren't some "failed" workouts, where the numbers, splits, or paces called for were not hit, but the workouts were "completed" to the best of my ability.

Going into the camp, I knew my most difficult, and also the most important task, was to get my "running legs" back under me. After a six week break off my feet, this was a primary objective in my mind. Fortunately, when I first arrived at camp, Paulo confirmed that we were like-minded in this goal.

As far as the running goes, I did get in some good mileage. Some of the bigger weeks I have logged. As in the first camp, there were no "crazy" workouts, no epic runs to recount the details of to you here. Plain and simple it was just a solid four weeks of consistency. At times I was drained to the point I thought I had nothing left to give. Then the next workout would come off without a hitch. The first time this happened I knew my body was responding. That I had reason to trust the method and the consistency thereof. Just keep plugging along, getting the work done, and not looking towards the next workout, or the one after, but focusing on the now. Concentrating on the task immediately at hand, living in the moment.

If I had to point to only one element of training camp as being the singular aspect that makes them so effective, it would be just that. A training camp, with a coach present, allows you to simply focus on what is immediately before you. You need not worry about what is next, when, where or whatever else. You simply show up, do the work prescribed, go home, eat, sleep and repeat the next day. You simply trust the coach to handle the logistics of planning the time, location, duration, etc... of each workout. It might not seem like much, but trust me, not having to concern yourself with, and not having to spend the mental energy thinking about the details and logistics of the next session makes things MUCH easier.

So the third camp is in the books and I am beyond happy to report that it was a complete success.

I am now in Tucson, and thanks to the hospitality of friends Chris and Marilyn Mcdonald, enjoying the first few days of my taper week here on training grounds I know fairly well. I will fly out of Phoenix on Friday to Orlando Florida where I will finally kick off my 2011 season at Ironman 70.3 Florida on Sunday. To say I am excited would be a drastic understatement.

NEW WEBSITE

2011-04-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Is up and Running!!

Please check it out if you are so inclined. I am pretty fired up on it.

www.ianmikelsonracing.com

Pedro Gomes does some great work!

Breaking Point

2011-04-22T13:39:00.000-07:00

By no means is my dad an endurance athlete. Nor was he ever. Last time we ever participated in an "endurance event" he tripped me in a Turkey Trot 5k (pretty sure it was to ensure his victory). So even he might be a little surprised to read he has served as a big part of my triathlon career.

You see, he was a US Marine pilot during the Vietnam era and thus went through some pretty intense bootcamp/survival training. While his enduring of the trials those schools put him through was no doubt admirable, it is not those feats themselves that inspire me. Rather, it is a statement he has made to me at various times throughout my triathlon career. Something he learned through those experiences. That is, "When you think you're done, you can really go much further." Or said another way, when you think you hit your breaking point, you can push much further, dig deeper.

A while back I had a chance to meet a TriSports.com teammate Mike Montoya. Since then I have been fortunate enough to spend some time with Mike and realize his admirable qualities that go far beyond his considerable talents as a triathlete. Mike is a middle school teacher in Las Cruces, New Mexico and has taken on the difficult, yet to hear him say it, immensely rewarding task of teaching those with mental disabilities. He also volunteers his time as the track coach. The other day I rode with Mike and he told me the week before he had coached the team in a meet wherein he let them choose their own events, and form their own relay teams. Being a middle school team, everyone wants to run the 100 or the 4x100. However, one athlete, Joseph, one of Mike's students with mental disabilities, wanted to run the mile. Mike let him, he ran hard, not realizing he could come into lane 1 after the 1st lap he ran lane 8 the whole way, struggling a bit in the 2nd half due to a lack of training. This last week was the championships, and after letting them choose their own, Mike took the reigns this time and assigned the athletes' events to give them the best shot. Joesph, would run the 800.

Before the race Mike told Joseph he could cut into the 1st lane after the turn and Joseph nodded he understood. At the gun Joseph ran hard in lane 8, after the turn, he stayed in lane 8. He was holding on running even with 3rd place, all by himself out in lane 8. Heading into the last half of the second lap Mike literally chased Joseph pushing him into the 1st lane. Joseph ran as hard as he could, sweat pouring, foaming at the mouth, but the outside lane had done him in and he crossed as the final runner. Immediately after, Mike congratulated Joseph and gave him some water. Joseph promptly collapsed into a heap and began convulsing. He had pushed himself THAT hard. A precautionary trip to the ER and Joseph was given a clean bill of health. I have no doubt that Joseph had at some point during that 800, thought he had nothing left. That he was done. That he had reached his breaking point. But he didn't give in. He pushed on, pushed his breaking point all the way past the finishing tape. Yesterday at a school assembly, Joseph was honored with the first "Heart Award" he so richly deserved.

Earlier this week I had really rough day. A swim that felt like the bottom was literally sucking me down, and a run where my legs just could not go any faster. I thought I needed a rest day. That I had reached my breaking point. The next day's long ride with a long hard interval in it, had me intimidated. I couldn't fathom being able to perform that task. Then I thought of what my dad has always said, "When you think you're done, there's always more." I thought of Joseph and how he pushed his breaking point. I put aside my self pity and decided I needed to harden up. The next day, I completed the ride as prescribed with my dad's statement as my mantra and thoughts of Joseph running repeatedly through my head during the interval.

I am not saying we don't have our breaking points, or that more and harder is always possible or advisable. All I am saying is that I think we all need to realize at times that our mind can be our biggest limiter and that our actual breaking point, more likely than not, lies well beyond where our brains may want us to believe.

Keep pushing.

Week 1 and No NO

2011-04-17T20:36:00.000-07:00

For any of those who read this blog and may have been misled, and/or confused as to my DNS at New Orleans 70.3 er.. 69.1 today, I apologize.

After a few weeks in Scottsdale seeing Nate Koch at Endurance Rehab nearly every day, it is true that I am back up and running. That "running" term however, is used loosely. My achilies problem began shortly before I went to the A2 Wind Tunnel with Reynolds. I got in a few days of running thereafter, but essentially, until my second week seeing Nate, I hadn't run since roughly February 12th or so. Roughly six weeks of no running has taken its toll. While I felt I could go to NO and "race" it without complications, I knew I was in no way, shape or form, ready to really "race" the half marathon. It would be more survival. To me, this was no mindset with which to head into a race. In nearly every race I have ever done, and certainly every race last year, I went into it with the mindset that "today will be the day I run my best half ever." Not having that element, left me without the fire that is usually there. After talking it over with Paulo, we decided that spending a complete four weeks in Las Cruces, without any time out for taper, travel and recovery, was a better idea. This way I can focus on simply getting my running legs back under me and moving forward. After one week, I think it was the smart decision given the work we got in. Add to it that the powers that be saw fit to cancel the swim at NO today, and it seems that much wiser.

Back to the work:
The first week of camp came and went in expedient fashion. We are fortunate enough to have the outdoor pool here set up for long course meters so there is much less flip turning and gliding and more work. We got in some solid swims with me chasing the girls to the best of my ability (read: not getting close!).

Given the various whereabouts of several of the Squad members right now, a fair bit of my riding has been done with the only company coming in the form of my buddy Garmin/Quarq. All is well though as I tend not to mind this too much. Just put me head down and get the work done. One highlight of riding in New Mexico, a stone's throw from the Southern US border, is that gas stations stock these beauties.

Mexican Coke. Made with REAL Sugar. Delish!!

Out at TriFest a couple weeks ago I got the opportunity to meet and chat with my TriSports.com teammate Mike Montoya. A seriously accomplished triathlete with a great deal of experience, and an all around great guy. Mike lives here in Las Cruces and of course is good buds with another of Las Cruces' best, Dannois Montoya. I had a longer ride on Thursday, and luckily, Mike could join and tow me around town. It was no joke of a ride as Mike is in the final prep stages for the Tour of the Gila and we faced some serious wind. Without his company and pushing of the pace, I am sure I would have been in a bad mood all day, but in the end we got in a good hard ride and I nearly wet myself laughing at Mike's fuel choice.

Snap Into a Slim Jim

Being back in the groove at camp has me feeling pretty darn good. After essentially "missing" the Tucson camp due to my inability to run, coming back and completeing every workout Paulo puts out there has been invigorating. Tiring, but invigorating. I will not go so far as to say it has been all smiles, skipping and sing-songing, but it is good to be back running. Everytime it gets tough on the run, I just remind myself how terrible it felt not to have the ability. On that note, after this week I am pretty happy with my decision to pull out of NO 70.3. I got in a solid week of training, without any issues and no breakdowns. In fact I logged a relatively high mileage week and feel stronger for it. Another great thing about being back running is the excitement of actually getting to USE some of the insane new kicks Zoot has out.

Top to bottom: Energy, Ovwa, TT 4.0

I even got to spend my final run of the week in these super stealth bad boys to be unvieled at a later date.

Awesome!

Cheers and thanks for reading,

Ian

Round 2

2011-04-12T20:16:00.000-07:00

Since the last Triathlon Squad camp ended in Tucson (March 13th), I was fortunate enough to spend all but the days I was at the Specialized camp, in Fountain Hills, AZ due to the incredible generosity of some great people and friends, the Dunns. It was truly a blessing that they took me in as it gave me the opportunity to get the treatment my achilies needed. In fact I was at Endurance Rehab nearly five days a week for much of that time. Nate Koch at Endurance Rehab plain and simple knows his stuff and he got me back up and running much sooner than I expected. In fact I was a little shocked the first time he finished treatment and said "Go run." Don't get me wrong though, it was not all smiles and Tulips. ASTYM works, but not without a hefty price. That price is PAIN! It is not a pleasant procedure, but pain is temporary, and pales in comparison to the reward of being back on your feet.

Now, as to the "Round 2" mentioned above, I am now back in Las Cruces for the third camp, the second time in Las Cruces, with the Triathlon Squad. I am by no means fit, but running is coming along and if I can stay healthy, I'm optimistic that I can get back to where I was before the injury by the end of this camp on May 8th.

A few things have changed with the Squad for this go round. We are a smaller crew for the first little bit, with certain members off training and racing in different locales for much of the camp. And the pool is set up long course meters. These two facts combined leave me gasping, quite literally, while trying to hang onto the "ITU Girls" every morning. I know I will come out the better for it, but the swims are no joke right now.

Today was actually the second day of camp here, and it was a good one. A tough swim with a "hard and harder" theme, a nice but windy and dry ride and an evening run to top it off. Two things are certain, Las Cruces is MUCH warmer this time of year, and I simply CANNOT drink enough out here. This place is DRY.

Cheers

Specialized Team Camp

2011-04-06T20:59:00.000-07:00

Last week I spent 4 busy and fun filled days in Morgan Hill, CA meeting all my new teammates on the Specialized US Tri Team. When I first signed with Specialized, I was happy and honored to say the least, however, this camp presented an opportunity to meet the people and see the "behind the scenes" work that has taken Specialized to the pinnacle of the cycling and triathlon worlds. It also gave me the opportunity to meet the athletes making up our team. It wasn't until I was there, in the presence of these people, that the reality of the situation finally set in. It was a humbling experience in every sense.

Specialized has built a top notch "Global Triathlon Team" under the guidance of Bobby Behan which includes the likes of Chris McCormack, Rasmus Henning, Javier Gomez, Simon Whitfield, etc... A "top shelf" team no doubt. However, in a move that exhibits the company's commitment to triathlon, they have seen fit to develop a "US Tri Team" with some more "up and coming" athletes. This is not to say that this team doesn't pack its fair share of firepower. What with the likes of Ben Hoffman, Melanie McQuaid, and Desiree Ficker. The week was even kicked off with the aforementioned Ben and Mel taking out the top podium spots at X-Terra Granite Bay.

There wasn't a day at Specialized that I didn't have to fight the urge to simply walk around ogling all the cool stuff. Evidence this piece of machinery. It is just one example of about twenty such "one off" bikes around the complex.

Pretty much each day kicked off with a early morning swim and the opportunity to ride was ever present. Below is the pre "lunch ride" lineup. In case images of a fun little spin in the sun pop into your head, rest assured, with the likes of Ned Overend in the bunch, it was anything but. I almost lost my breakfast.

In between swims, rides and runs, our days were filled in meeting rooms learning about all things Specialized. Everything was covered; bikes, shoes, tires, helmets, apparel, etc... we got some serious learning done.

Product Manager and WHIZ Mark Cote talks about the development of the Shiv

What served as quite possibly the highlight of the week came about in the form of Global team members Jordan Rapp and Peter Reid joining us for two days. Representing no less than twelve Ironman titles between them, not including Peter's three, Ironman World Championship titles and three runner up finishes, it was an incredible opportunity to pick the brains and learn from two of the most knowledgeable men in the sport. To see for yourself, and learn a thing or two, click on the photo below of Jordan and Peter graciously sharing their knowledge and experience with the team.

As you can see it was a fantastic week of training, learning and team building. And from the size of the dinner tables, you can probably tell it was a great deal of fun as well.

To say I am excited to be a part of the Specialized US Tri Team would be a drastic understatement. Its going to be a great year.

Bummer

2011-03-31T15:34:00.000-07:00

I am a little bummed to say that I will not be on the starting line in Oceanside at California 70.3 this weekend. With this being my "home" race and one of, if not THE most qulity field assembled outside of the 70.3 World Champs, I always like to start my season off at Oceanside. A sort of babtism buy fire, if you will. Unfortunately, while on the mend, my achilies injury has set me just too far back and attempting to race would not be smart.

Just gotta move on. But it still isn't fun.

Some Pics

2011-03-27T00:02:00.000-07:00

Ok so I am WAY behind the 8 ball here, but I figured better late than never and am thus posting some of the few pictures I took during the Tucson training camp.

My first weekend in Tucson meant my first trip up Mt. Lemmon

Me, Pedro, Maiki, & Chris "Big Sexy" Mcdonald

On a select few occasions while in Tucson, coach gave us treats in the form of "Free Days" on the schedule. This meant we had to do "something" but it was whatever we wanted. Before the Squad arrived, I took two of those "free days" to do the following:

Linsey Corbin Dirty 30 Birthday 100x100 SwimFest
Maiki, Montana Matt, Me, Linsey, Ben Hoffman, Hillary "Coach" Biscay

On another, I ventured out to discover Tucson on my own, 120mi of it.

There are some great views to be had in Tucson

Sam hosted a dinner party one night and Chris showed he isn't all looks, he is a certified pastry chef as well

At the end of the Squad camp, TriSports .com hosted TriFest and Charsia came out for the weekend. It was awesome to have her to train with again.

The TriSports.com TriFest group ride up Mt. Lemmon

I am getting much better at taking photos while riding.

This makes me look like i have really hairy arms

Mt. Lemmon has some incredible views as you climb up

Switchback

Look close and you can see riders climbing below us

Mt. Lemmon is just over 8,000ft. The highest I have ever ridden my bike & only the 2nd time in snow

I really feel like I "should" have more to say about Tucson. but as my last post indicated, I am doing my best to put it behind me.

On that note, my incredible hosts here in Scottsdale were kind enough to let me mooch off them for quite a bit longer than originally anticipated/requested. I am extremely grateful to them for this, not only because it allowed me to call their beautiful house, my "home" for a while longer and to spend some more quality time with these great people, but also because it allowed me continue treatment on my achilies here in Scottsdale at Endurance Rehab. I am happy to report that I am back up and running with virtually no pain in the achilies! I got in about 30 miles this week, even some tempo-ish work to boot. The main obstacle now is getting my "running legs" back under me. Even with the swimming, cycling, and aqua running, I feel that I definitely lost some fitness during the month I could not run. I am sure that loss will be felt soon, but right now. the pain and soreness that comes along with getting one's legs re-familiarized with the pounding and stress running carries with it. Once this "phase" passes (please end soon, please end soon, please...) I will be able to really judge my fitness and be able to begin climbing the ladder back to where I was before the injury.

Well its almost midnight as I post this, I had a LONG day of swimbikerun including 100+mi on my Transition and I have to be up in 5hrs to fly to Morgan Hill, CA for the Specialized Tri Team camp. I am excited to attend, hang with the team, meet those I haven't had the pleasure of yet, and see and learn more about Specialized.

Cheers.

Putting the past behind me

2011-03-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Any of you who follow me on twitter or have seen my FB updates will know that I have been battling an achilles injury for sometime now. The injury struck shortly before I left for the wind tunnel and though I thought the 3 days of inactivity would solve it, this was not to be the case. Thus, unfortunately, I was unable to run for the entirety of the Tucson training camp with the Squad. To me, if I am not running, I am not really "training" and certainly not getting everything out of the camp. Disheartening, maddening, disappointing, infuriating, frustrating, saddening, etc... all such adjectives fall short of capturing the range of emotions this caused. It weighs on you when you have just "quit your day job" to undertake a sporting career and then are unable to perform.

The upside of not running was that I was able to fit in some "extra" riding, and was that much "fresher" for the rides and swims with the Squad.

I was fortunate to be turned onto an excellent Physical Therapist up in Scottsdale and finally started to get the treatment that my Achilles so desperately needed. Nate Koch, and the entire team at Endurance Rehab have been a Godsend and I am happy to report that I am on the mend and have logged 3 runs and about 13 miles of running this week. And I GET to run again on Sunday. Yes I said "GET to run again." This injury has once again taught me not to take good health for granted. Please take heed, if you are in the Phoenix are and have a nagging injury, get into Endurance Rehab and get it solved before you make it worse like I did, and find yourself on the disabled list.

That is enough of my bitching. I am putting the past behind me and writing off the missed camp as just a learning experience. I am now staying in Fountain Hills with fellow Zooter Bryan Dunn and his wife Jamie. They were kind enough to let me share their amazing home and dogs for a couple weeks while I rehab my achilles at Endurance. Things are still "touch and go" but I am confident that with another week of treatment I will be back running without any limitations. If that is the case it will be just in time as the following week I am excited to be heading up to Morgan Hill for the Specialized tri team camp. I am definitely excited for that trip.

On a funny side note, I have been doing all my "runs" this week in some big dirt/gravel parking lots next to Endurance Rehab. The lots are overflow lots for Western World, a golf tournament and a horse show arena. Today, all three were in full effect, as was I, complete with the bright yellow and black Zoot "Kona 2010" compression socks. You should have seen the looks I got from the golf attire clad spectators, the horse show goers, and best of all, the "Western World" carnival goers and exhibitors some of whom had donned full cowboy/girl and frontiersmen dudds. Never have I been looked at so strangely by those who I perceived to be so strange.

A little goes a long way

2011-03-02T15:09:00.000-08:00

This post coincides with that of my good friend Charisa. Oddly enough, even though we are not sharing the same coach, training together all that much anymore and are several hundred miles apart, we can't seem to separate our thoughts.

It seems that she has encountered the same lack of etiquette among the cycling community that I have recently. Specifically, the seeming inability of some cyclists (more often than not, the "serious roadies") to return a wave or a friendly hello. By all means, if I am in the middle of a hard interval and a wave is cast my way, I will likely not return it as the near totality my concentration will consumed in trying not to puke. However, if I am not in the midst of such an effort, I by all means try and return the gesture. It just makes cycling that much better.

The other day I came upon a guy walking his road bike with a flat. I stopped and asked him if he needed anything and ended up giving him the CO2 he needed. On no less than three occasions since that incident, I have seen this same cyclist (a roadie here training for a month), clearly not hurting himself mid-interval, and shot him a wave. In return... nothing. Not even a head bob. In one such instance I was nearing the end of a long ride and had that little bit of irritability built up that we all know. It was all I could do not to turn around and chase him down for a lecture on etiquette.

Its bad enough that we have to deal with unfriendly, angry motorists who seem bent on scaring us off the roads, lets do our part to try and make it a little brighter road for all of us. Who knows, you could cast off a few waves and one day watch as a someone rides right by when you need help, because he remembers you as "that guy." The guy in the story above is going to have to catch me on a REALLY good day for me to stop and assist him again should he need it.

Ok, there is my rant. Happy and FRIENDLY cycling.

Tucson Training

2011-02-23T19:42:00.000-08:00

The second camp of the Squad has begun. Unfortunately, I have only been 2/3rds of the way in. A nagging Achilles tendon issue has been plaguing me and the result has been no running for the past several days. I got in a whopping 20mins with the Squad on the first day but the Achilles wasn't happy and that has comprised the totality of my running thus far.

On the brighter side of things, we are now swimming at the U of A pool and it is a fantastic facility. A welcome reprieve from the community pools I have been frequenting the last couple weeks.

Falling into the "Brighter Side" category as well, my "saddle time" has received a nice bump due to the lack of running. Nothing crazy just some consistent hours in the company of my Specialized.

I was getting very used to the training out here, normally just Pedro and I, with a few other "Mini-Squad" swims, and riding with some of the local crowd. We had a nice groove working and to be totally honest, I wasn't exactly counting the hours until the second camp began. However, once we had everyone back in one place, I recognized just how valuable the Squad is. A regimented schedule, with times for every workout, forces you to be accountable. Add to that the competitive drive that is inspired by the group dynamic, and you essentially have the principle reasons I joined the Squad. Shortly into the second day of camp, I was somewhat struck by this realization and found myself smiling at my good fortune to be included in this group of talented athletes and quality individuals, under a dedicated coach. Don't get me wrong, camp life is not all cake and ice cream parties. But the consistent hard work, in the company of like minded individuals, all striving to improve, is even more rewarding.

Read it in the Wind

2011-02-14T17:43:00.000-08:00

Again I apologize for the late posting, but after a whirlwind (pardon the pun) trip to the tunnel, and back to Tucson training, time has been hard to come by.

Simply put, the A2 Wind Tunnel experience was incredible. I owe a HUGE "Thank You" to Paul Lew and Reynolds Cycling for taking me along for the ride. It was quite a privilege to get to see the inner workings of a wind tunnel, have the science explained (as best as possible in laymen's terms), and see the numbers for myself. It was immediately apparent why the A2 Tunnel has become the standard bearer of sorts in the triathlon & cycling worlds.

We started off the trip by heading to a great shop in Charlotte, NC which gave Paul a chance to talk wheels with a Reynolds distributor. Paul Lew, is, in no uncertain terms, a wealth of aerodynamics knowledge. His main business is designing unmanned aircraft for the government. 'Nuff said.

Paul & I bookended by Bicycle Sport's owners

The next morning started early as a long day of testing lay ahead of us. Mike Giraud heads up the bicycle testing at A2 and the guy knows his wind. Between he and Paul, suffice it to say I felt like a square peg all day. A big thanks goes to Mike not only for his expertise, hard work, and attention to detail, but also for his patience in taking the time to explain the goings on.

Mike Giraud setting me up on the Reynolds RZR 92s. INSANE Wheels

The rest of the day was jammed packed with testing, and given that I can't reveal much as of yet, the story is best told in photos:

Testing was done in the black skin tight shirt as well for consistency

Testing was done on a road bike to see the interplay between the different frames

Mr. Lew Dispensing knowledge

I am extremely greatful that Paul & Mike took the time to use their expertise & knowledge and make some changes to my position that I am confident will benefit my racing in 2011. HUGE!

You might have noticed that I was aboard Specialized bikes for the testing. No, this was not because Reynolds had a deal to use their bikes. There is indeed, something more in the wind (sorry, I couldn't help it).

If you have been reading this blog for a while, or followed my racing last year, you know I rode Blue Competition Cycles in 2010. Well, in addition to those changes I announced in previous posts, the bikes I will be riding in 2011 can be added to that list.

I greatly enjoyed working with Blue and riding their bikes. I have NOTHING bad to say about the company, the people I was fortunate enough to work with, nor the quality or performance of their bikes. The Triad and Triad SL were/are great bikes.

I am excited however, to announce that I will be aboard the "Big Red S" this year and training and racing on Specialized bikes and in Specialized helmets and shoes. Specialized has earned the reputation as a leader and innovator in the cycling and triathlon world and I am honored and privileged to have their support in the coming year. In tandem with another sponsor of mine, Palos Verdes Bicycle Center, a Specialized concept store, I am extremely fortunate to have all bike bases covered. Its going to be a great 2011 aboard a bike! How could it not be with this set up?!

Cheers, Ian

Wind in the forecast!

2011-02-09T03:32:00.000-08:00

I am extremely excited to announce I will be continuing my relationship with Reynolds Cycling in 2011. I raced & trained on their wheels for the majority of last season and love them. Speed, performance, and QUALITY... Reynolds in a nutshell.

I am also very excited to say that I am writing this from a hotel room in North Carolina, where in a few short hours I will find myself working with one of the most renowned aerodynamics expert in the business, Reynolds designer, Mr. Paul Lew, in the A2 Wind Tunnel. We will be testing a multitude of Reynolds wheels and working on my position to dial in the right combo and show just how well Reynolds wheels perform. To call this a great opportunity is almost absurd. Wind tunnels are EXPENSIVE and I will be spending close to seven hours in there today. I know this is WAY more than a great opportunity. More likely than not, its of the "once in a lifetime" sort.

I will be tossing out some twitter and facebook updates so follow/friend me if you are keen to see some of the action.

1st Camp

2011-02-04T16:45:00.000-08:00

First off I would like to apologize for the tardiness of this post. The words "Busy" and "Tired" are too often used excuses, but between packing up and "moving" to Las Cruces, training, and then "moving" to Tucson, they are apt in this instance. So my humble apologies to any who may have been awaiting an update on "Squad Life." But alas, here goes.

Coach Paulo wasted no time in setting the tone for the Las Cruces camp. No introduction, no touchy-feely "Welcome to the Squad" dinner, it was, "be at the NMSU pool at noon on Saturday." I hadn't even been to the hotel yet. For the most part, the Squad all rolled in and after a quick chat (brevity is one of Paulo's strong suits) we were on deck for our first swim. An hour and twenty minutes and 5,700 yards later, we were told who our roommates would be, and to meet at a, "to be disclosed" location for a run in 2hrs. So it was a quick check in and unpack the car and off for workout #2. Whirlwind.

Ayway, I won't bore you with the details, you can check "The Triathlon Squad" Facebook page if you are so inclined, but suffice it to say that we got some solid work done in New Mexico. If you have read my blog in the past, you will be aware that my former coach was a fan of some pretty big workouts, those 8, 9 & 10hr epic days I wrote about in the past. For the Las Cruces camp at least, I found none of that. In fact our longest runs were 1:35 and longest rides just over 4hrs. It wasn't about one or two epic days, but rather, putting in solid work, most times 3 times a day, day, after day, after day. Repitition and accumulation. As one of Paulo's favorite acronyms goes; G.T.W.D - Get The Work Done.

Unfortunately, early in the first week I managed to tweak my left adductor/quad and had to miss a session or two. But thanks to the incredible support offered by Chiro and ART practitioner Dr. Bobby Harrison, my time on the DL was short lived.

The Squad is made up of some great people, personalities, and athletes. I joined the Squad becuase I wanted to be pushed in every workout. I think I underestimated just how "pushed" I would be. It's no secret that I am not a standout athlete in any of the disciplines of triathlon and that fact was readily apparent in all our workouts. Just about everyone on the Squad is a better swimmer than I. Chris Coble swam for USC, Pedro Gomes is a former ITU stud and thus can more than handle his business in the pool, and the "ITU Girls" as we like to call them, can all hold thier own, and some of mine. Needless to say, the almost daily 5300-6400yd workouts started my days off with a full helping of "challenge."

Me 3rd lane in & behind as usual

The bike offered no repreive from the above-described Smash-O-Ian. This is where the Canucks of the Squad really showed their prowess. Trevor and Heather Wurtele, professional triathlon's talllest couple, laid the smack down, day in, and day out. We were also blessed with another talented cyclist from our Great White neighbor to the North in the person of one "Johnny-O!" On the mend from some health problems that plagued him the past two seasons, Johnny-O definitely showed some of that form that took him to the podium on several occasions.

Hill repeats

On the run it was more of the same. I have raced Trevor in the past and been unfortunate enough to watch his long legs run away from me several times. Thus, I knew he would be one to push my heart rate to death metal speeds. I would say that Pedro Gomes was the cause of similar, coronary close calls, but as he was so often, so far up the road, my eyes, brain and heart did a simple "fogettaboutit."

All this meant that I and all the members "got their money's worth" on the trip to Las Cruces. I know it may not make for the most entertaining reading, what with no "8.5hrs, 135mi and 10,000ft of climbing" adventures to take you through, but trust me, none of us are the weaker for it. In fact, I think all the members of the Squad learned a little something about what has become one of our other Squad Mantras, "Backing it up." Plain and simple, it is about getting the work done, in a professional, responsible and dedicated manner. Then waking up and doing it again the next day. To sum up the "lesson" if you will, of the Las Cruces camp, its that there is no secret, there is no magic session and the is NO SHORT CUT. "DO YOUR JOB." EVERYDAY.

"DO YOUR JOB"

Again my apologies for the delay, but there you have my report on Squad Life: Part 1.

I am now in Tucson, reunited with Maiki and some other great training partners including Pedro who I convinced to tag along, and plodding along waiting for the next camp to begin in a few short weeks.

Interestingly enough, opportunities have become available to come train with the Squad here in Tucson. If you are interested, check it out.

Stay tuned as now that I have gotten a little better settled, (and am blessed with more reliable internet access) I will be reporting in more frequently. I have some BIG, if not HUGE (at least for me) news to report in the coming days. Suffice it to say, I am VERY excited about 2011.

Cheers

The SQUAD

2011-01-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

First off I want to thank everyone for all the well wishes and support. I am humbled.

Secondly, I have gottan more that a few questions about the Squad, how it works, who is in, who is behind it, etc...

I won't try and put words to another man's vision. Paulo Sousa, "the man in orange," is responsible for the creation of the squad and will be coaching all athletes involved. Click on the shirt to read about the Squad and his vision in his own words.

There is also a Facebook page that has been set up for the Squad. In a few days Paulo will be announcing the Squad members on that page. Throughout the year the page will also be updated with pictures from training camps, info on the workouts we are going through, race schedules and results. So if your are on Facebook (really who isn't?!), log on a "like" the Squad if you want to keep up to date.

Its looking like I will be taking off early next week for the first camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico. I am excited as all get out, but I would be lying if I siad I wasn't a little bit concerned about the weather. A friend of mine was out there last week, albeit in a neighboring town, and he said it was 5 degrees one morning when he got in his car! 5 FRICKEN DEGREES!!! Good thing I just put in an order for some super warm and high tech clothing!

Cheers,

Ian

BIG Changes for 2011

2010-12-30T11:37:00.000-08:00

I will readily admit that it has been tough to put the figurative "pen to paper" on this blog post. It is not because I am not excited about the coming year. Quite the opposite in fact. However, 2011 will bring with it some significant changes in my life, a couple of which, give my heart strings some powerful tugs.

As most of you who read this blog know, I have been a practicing attorney for the entirety of my "triathlon career" such as it has been. For the most part, working full time while training was a fairly manageable task. However, with my move up to the professional ranks last year, came the realization that I just can't continue to try and do both if I want to attain the level of performance to which I aspire in triathlon. In my eyes, my options were to make a change or remain a mediocre pro. After some consultation with some close friends whose advice I truly valued and appreciated, I made the decision to leave the legal profession, at least temporarily, to train and race full time in 2011. While I am not quite "old," and certainly not in race years, there is a limited window in which I have to operate, so I must take the chance while I can.

Financial considerations aside, this was not an easy decision. For the past 4 years I have been fortunate enough to work alongside my Dad. Spending many hours a day with my Pops was a gift, and was the one thing that really gave me pause about this decision. I am sure to miss it.

To be honest I made the decision to go full time several weeks ago. The decision re the other BIG change for 2011 however, was not made until shortly before Ironman Arizona. That decision has me parting ways with someone who has been instrumental in getting me to where I am today in this sport. He has been a great friend, a confidant, a brother/father figure and above all, an incredible coach. Leaving the Dirkinator crew was definitely a tough decision. I cannot possibly thank Dirk and his family enough for all they have done for me. I know we will remain in close contact, but not being under his tutelage and watchful eye, will be a big change for me.

I am 100% confident that Dirk could have gotten me to where I want to be in this sport. The reason I chose to part ways is that I was presented with an opportunity to be part of something I believe will also lead to me reaching those goals, and will add some incredible experiences along the way. I was lucky enough to be selected to join a group of professional triathletes that will be forming a North American based training squad under the guidance and coaching of Paulo Sousa. I believe that the group training aspect of this squad will add that extra element to my training and joining the squad represents a full blown commitment to the sport. As they say, "Go big or go home." I will be leaving for my first training camp in Las Cruces, New Mexico in the beginning of January and will likely not return to LA until the middle of March after the second training camp in Tucson, AZ. To say that I am excited would be a drastic understatement. I'm chomping at the bit!

Aside from the benefits of giving me time to train, rest, recover and sleep properly, leaving the law biz will also allow me to engage in something I have found to enjoy greatly. Just after CA 70.3 last season a friend of mine talked to me about his disappointment with his race. After some thinking, we decided that I would help him with his training plan for the short run up to Wildflower, and see how things went. He had a great race and we decided that I would coach him all the way to his first Ironman attempt at Arizona. Throughout the months I found the process to be extremely enjoyable and rewarding. Then it was race day, and I was going to share the course with my friend I had coached to that day. I'm happy to report that he went 9:47, won his age group and got his Kona slot. All in his first attempt at the Iron distance. I was stoked. Given my new found appreciation for coaching, and the time I will have to do it, I have decided to coach a limited number of serious athletes in 2011. So if you are interested, or know anyone that would be, please have them contact me through my website at www.ianmikelsonracing.com

2010 was an incredible year. I am hoping that 2011, with these big changes, will be even better.

Cheers

Ultraman Finale

2010-12-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

I have finally mustered up the stamina to wrap up the Ultraman

Day 3: Double Marathon, 52.4mi from Hawi to Kona

After hitting the sack at 7:30pm the night of day 2, the alarm at 4am wasn't as bad as I feared it would be. Of course, our best intentions notwithstanding, we found ourselves a little late and in a rush to get to the start by 5:30.

Day 3 starts at 6am so it was still dark when we got to the hotel and to the start line. So please pardon the pics below.

We could start pacing Hillary from mile 2 on. So Big Dave got the call and would take it out from 2 until he was gassed. At the start we pushed up the road to the 2mi mark and waited for HB. We soon saw Amber and Shanna come by and they were NOT taking it easy. 7min pace would be a conservative estimate. HB wisely chose not to get sucked into that.

Waiting for HB

The next few miles were pretty uneventful with all going according to plan. I took over for a quick mile from ~9-10 as Dave had a bathroom respite. I was actually shocked at how upbeat and happy Hillary was. I think the beautiful morning and cool temps helped, but most of all, I think she was finally allowing herself to grasp that the end was near (relatively speaking).

HB & I during Dave's respite

Dave took back over and things continued going well through the half marathon mark and on. Sometime after that though, we got our first indication that maybe HB was hurting a bit. At one stop her request was, "A fruit smoothie or fresh squeezed orange juice!" You read that right. It was clear she was looking for something that wasn't in our arsenal to help her along. After a mad rush, some OJ was retrieved and HB gulped down a whole single sip. So much for that.

The views were calming though

After about 18mi or so, things started to unravel a bit. It was that point in the race where you have gone very far, but there is even farther remaining to go. This had to be an incredible mental obstacle. Especially when your GI tract isn't happy. Which her's was not. This marked the beginning of the bathroom stops and another mad dash off the Queen K to get some Immodium.

After about 26mi or so, Big Dave was tuckered out and hungry. It was time for Maiki and I to go to work. We adopted a 2mi per shift plan and followed it pretty closely.

Knowing Hillary, I was well aware that she would not be a happy camper post race if she felt she hadn't given it her all. I also knew that she was tough and ready & willing to suffer. Additionally, given the makeup of our crew and the plan we had, I was also aware that I could find myself assuming the role of "the pusher" or as Hillary would later term it, the "tough love guy." Sure enough, from about my second running stint on, I was in that role. I was wearing a Garmin and just tried to keep our pace below 9min/mi. I know getting half wheeled 35mi into a run could piss one off, but I was willing to risk it. So I just kept staying about a half stride ahead of Hillary while we ran. funny enough, after a few miles, she kind of found another gear, and round about 40mi into the run, really started climbing out of the dark hole she had been in. Her attitude rebounded big time, she was running faster, and her famous smile and even laughter was back. Chris Lieto and his family made it out to watch and his son Kaiden wanted to run with Hillary. Frankly I was surprised when she found the energy to smile, yell his name and ask him to run with her for about 100yds. Cool.

We started picking off fading runners a little after the airport. This was even more motivating. I tagged in Maiki and while he was running we saw our friend Mike again. he had been out on his bike, cheering on all competitors and giving them splits. He told us that Hillary had been overtaken in the overall standings by Shanna and needed to make up 3.5mins on her to get back into 2nd. I basically took this as an order and knew my job: get her back those 3.5mins. I knew Hillary had worked too hard to let it slip away. The problem was we were 5.5mi from the finish. Thats a pretty big margin to make up late in a race. Especially so when you have run ~46mi. But we had our orders.

When I tagged back in to run, I told Hillary the split. Told her we could do it. That 2nd was hers if she could dig deep and go get it. What followed was one of the more impressive athletic feats I have ever been privileged to witness. Step back for a second and think, in the 2 days prior, Hillary had swam 6.2mi in the open ocean 26mins faster than any female had done it before. She had ridden her bike 260 miles up and over a volcano and the Kohala mtns., and she had now been running in the Kona sun for almost 7.5hrs, covering some 47 miles. And I was asking her, actually yelling at her to pick up the pace! She responded. And I watched first hand as she dug herself into a deep cave of pain. I could literally feel the effort she was putting out. It was visceral. There were some scary noises, some tears, some requests that I just "shut the hell up" but all the while her pace was dropping. Cresting the last hill I looked down and we were running 7:35s. I was blown away. About half a mile from the finish I handed off to Maiki and he ran her in.
Through her incredible efforts Hillary made up the 3.5mins on Shanna plus another 3 and took 2nd by over 6mins. In hindsight, I guess she didn't "need" to push so hard.

52.4mi - 7:55:10

The aftermath of this race was anything but pretty. I have never seen Hillary in such rough shape. Things were a little scary for a few hours, but soon enough she was back to calling out food orders from bed. No such luck sweetheart. That ended at the finish line ;-)

Truly an INCREDIBLE experience.

Ultraman continued

2010-12-16T10:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry but it took me a few days to recover from writing day 1's report. Here is day 2.

Day 2: 171 mile ride from Volcano National Park to Hawi.

Day 2 was a cold start after a night at a B & B in the rainforest. It was a really cool spot that would be fun to go back to for a really chill vacation. Up around 4,200ft, at 6:30am, it was pretty chilly, just below 50 degrees and pretty wet.

Sweatshirt, snow jacket & typing the 1st tweet of the Day on HBs crackberry

The first 20mi or so were downhill and a no feed zone so we had to take off ahead of the pack. We had discussed some strategy the night before at dinner, and Hillary was motivated, intent, and focused. Unfortunately, about an hour and a half into the day it was clear her body still wasn't really on board. There was a section not too far into the ride called the "Red Road" which was another "no feed" zone and we weren't even allowed to drive it.

So we took a little detour that allowed for a cool stop in Volcano Tree National Park. This place was awesome. I felt like I was on the set of Lost.

After meeting back up with Hillary we basically continued the same thing as the day before, leap frogging her in about 30min gaps. Of course we had more than a few fumbles, and instances where Hillary would inevitably call out for something we didn't have in hand, forcing a frantic rush back to the car and a quick re-do.

Coming thru Hilo with Shanna

On the road out of Hilo

Climbing out of one of the gorges

Some of the roads on the other side of the island get a little narrow so our stops were a little more frequent as we couldn't stay parked too long on the side of the road and we didn't want to get too far ahead in case Hillary had a problem. And in a race this long, Murphy's Law is really a law. But we were lucky, we had just pulled over and since Hillary had just begrudgingly taken on more fuel from us only minutes before, we weren't planning on doing anything at this stop other than cheering her on. Just as she approached we heard the ever familiar "PSSHHHH" that all cyclists know. The crew sprang into action, Maiki grabbed the bike and got to work on removing the rear wheel while Michael and I unstrapped the spare wheel bag from the roof and got the other rear ready.

Cat like reflexes

A quick swap, tighten it all, and HB was back on the road. I was seriously proud of the crew and felt like a Nascar pit crew member. Definitely got the blood pumping.

Shortly after the wheel change at about 120 miles in, HB started to come back around. Much to our joy she started asking for food! She even cracked a smile. Coming into Waimea things were really beginning to look up. Which was fitting since the last big climb of the day began about 150mi into the ride and forced the competitors to climb up and over the Kohala Mtn. range before descending down into Hawi. It was a LONG day, but thank Sweet Baby Jeebsus that HB started coming around at this point. She was climbing very well and even smiling and talking to us at roadside stops to cheer. It was almost as beautiful a sight as the views from up there.

Hawaii is incredible

After a scary and nerve wracking descent down into Hawi, HB made it, finishing just 3rd on the day in a time of 8:28. Unfortunately, this was about 6mins slower than Shanna and a whopping 30mins slower than Amber. However, both Hillary and the crew were actually pretty happy to see these numbers as at times we feared that Amber was really far out there. I guess it was due to our concern for her that we just didn't realize how fast Hillary was actually riding. The day's ride and the efforts of the other girls had shuffled things around a bit. HB was now in second, 25mins behind Amber and 10mins ahead of Shanna. We knew she had her work cut out for her on day 3.

I don't think I have ever seen a person as ready and willing to never see her bike again as Hillary was after this stage. When she dismounted (pardon me for this HB) she was walking like a 90yr old woman with severely arthritic hips. It wasn't pretty. But after a shower and a massage... well it still wasn't pretty but she was looking better. I would be lying if at this point I wasn't genuinely concerned about Hillary's well being, and wondered to myself if she was going to be able to make it through the run. Actually, I should elaborate on that. I was pretty much 99.9% sure that Hillary would keep pressing on through the run no matter the circumstance or consequence. But that is exactly what I was concerned about. I felt it was somewhat of my responsibility as a crew member to be concerned foremost with her safety in both the short and long term. The absolute last thing I wanted to come of this event was some sort of injury/physical debilitation that would have negative impact on her racing career going forward. I felt it was part of our responsibility as crew to do our best to ensure that didn't happen. And knowing Hillary, I was well aware that we would have quite a fight on our hands if we had to step in and tell her it was time to quit. Luckily we had the "Good Doctor" Michael on the crew. I figured he could provide some sort of empirical (at least to Hillary) evidence in support of our decision should it come to that. That night I lay in dread of that event coming to pass.

Ultraman

2010-12-08T14:44:00.000-08:00

Ok, I know this is belated, but with an event of this magnitude, the writing of a race report is all the more daunting. And I was only crewing. Hillary raced the thing! That she has 2 days of RRing done is yet another testament to her grit and determination.

Some of you may know that I spent some time in Kona this summer staying and training with Hillary Biscay and her husband to be Maik Twelsiek. During their prolonged stay on the island, Hillary got the wild idea to end her season racing Ultraman. For those unaware, Ultraman is a 3 day race circumnavigating the Big Island of Hawaii. Just tackling the distance is a monumental feat. But in my humble opinion, taking on this event and attempting to truly race it, requires one who may be described as JUST this side of insane. Or maybe just THAT side.

I left for Kona the day after Ironman AZ. Planning on having 3-4 days of relaxation and recovery prior to Friday, race day. This was NOT what I got. Everything started fine. We met up the first morning at the pier with a bunch of athletes for a casual swim followed by some coffee. Then, it began. We started shopping for race supplies. Between race registration, crew meetings, and SHOPPING, we were literally "on the go" untill Thursday afternoon. I said it then, the shopping alone was exhausting. But by Thursday night, the crew consisting of Hillary's local cousin Amy, her incredible doctor Michael, Maiki and myself, had been assembled, briefed, and the vehicle somewhat packed. We were ready for it. Or so we thought.

Day 1: 6.2mi swim from the famous Kona pier, to the Sheraton at Keauhou, followed immediately by a 90mi bike ride with 7,600ft of vertical gain to the Volcano National Park.

If you know anything about Hillary, its probably that she is known for racing. A. LOT. And if you know one thing about her racing, its that the girl can SWIM.

The Lineup

Straight from the gun, she did not disappoint. Starting at a solid pace she quickly distanced herself from all female competitors and everyone else in the race save 2x Champ and swim course record holder Jonas Colting.

Pink cap barely visable

Maiki and I were on land for this portion of the race with kayak duties falling on the capable shoulders of Michael and Amy. Rest assured it wasn't "ice cream & coffee" time like Maiki and I had planned however. We had to race to drop off an extra car, gas up the truck, head back to the house to grab Hillary's bike and TONS of other stuff, get to T1 and set it all up, before Hillary got there. Unfortunately for us, Hillary being Hillary, this left us with scant time to do so. As we hoped, Hillary set off with an incredible swim breaking the standing course record by 26mins and covering the 6.2mi of open ocean in 2hrs and 20mins.

Rounding the last buoy

And DONE

We rushed her through transition, getting her showered, changed and fed (at least apparently), as fast as we could before pushing her off onto the bike.

Note the half eaten banana

She took down about half a banana and 1 bite of a PB&J only to spit it out about 20ft into the ride. But we felt we had a solid transition and she looked good heading up the Kam III.

For the 1st day, Maiki and I thought it would be no problem to just ride in the bed of the truck and thus have easy access to all supplies and the coolers and be ready to pounce on any unforeseen problems. In theory it was a great idea, and for the first 2hrs, it was in practice as well. But soon the cramped seating, less than forgiving surfaces and the fact that we were getting out and running every 30mins combined to cause some aches and pains. Our approach was to wait 10mins or so after Hillary left, prepare food and bottles, leap-frog past her and set up our "aid station" a few minutes ahead of her. We figured this would mean a stop roughly every 30mins and would be no problem. I mean, we were 3 professional triathletes accustomed to eating, drinking and restocking fuel on the bike. How hard could it be, right? We were wrong.

Error #1: We assumed Hillary would be operating at a relatively low intensity and thus be able to consume "real food" in the form of veggie burgers, PB&Js, pretzels, cookies, PowerBars of various varieties, & banana bread. Fairly soon into the ride it was readily apparent this was not going to be the case. The day's fuel sources basically consisted of PowerBar Perform sports drink, a few bananas, some gel blasts and a few cookies. Hillary was having a rough go of it as her stomach, not surprisingly after 2:20 in the ocean, was NOT happy. Stop after stop she would ride by us taking nothing more than sports drink notwithstanding the virtual buffet we had in hand for her. At one point I got her to take a few swigs off a Red Bull and judging by my elation, you would have thought I'd just bargained my way into six figure contract for the 2011 season. At times this was very frustrating and I was in no way prepared for what an emotional toll it took on us. Watching a friend suffer through a rough day when you are just a spectator is one thing, watching it while you are part of their "team" and tasked with keeping them fueled and strong makes it that much more painful.

Error #2: Assuming we would have no problems with the hand offs. Sadly, we had quite a few fumbles on the day and this necessitated quite a few full on SPRINT efforts trying to catch back up to her only to watch her slowly pull away. We would then rush back to the truck, and take off up the raod to set up a sooner than expected aid station just shortly in front of her. This quick stop also often necessitated another full sprint hand off as we would invariably find ourselves on a downhill or flat section where she was doing 20+mph.

Error #3: Assuming that Maiki and I could really handle all the hand-off duties. Even given the limited fuel sources Hillary was finding tolerable on the first day, on numerous occasions we found ourselves to be without the ONE thing she would actually ask for when she came through our lineup. This again necessitated another rush back to the truck and another quick stop like those described above.

Almost there

Error # 4: Not believing the locals when they said it would get "cold" up towards volcano. Maiki and I cast this off as Hawaiian's being spoiled by the heat they normally enjoy. I mean, its hawaii, how "cold" could it be. In the back of a truck, in the rain and fog, at 4,000ft, dressed in a Tech-T and running shorts, the answer is: "Pretty Dang Cold!"

You can see how this would be frustrating and consuming. And while I paint a pretty dark picture of the day, it is only because of the emotions I experienced watching Hillary battle the course, conditions, and her stomach problems. On the whole, the day was actually extremely enjoyable and some great moments were shared between the crew. We got to cheer on other athletes and try to help them in any way we could, and I got to see some beautiful parts of the island I have never seen. We even got in a coffee stop. But it was REALLY quick HB, I swear!

From the beginning of the ride, Amber and Shanna, Hillary's 2 biggest competitors began taking time out of her. This continued for a while and we began to wonder if Hillary could hold her lead while suffering through stomach problems and the brutal headwind. But then Hillary began gaining time back and our hope and enthusiasm returned. In the end, what began as a 20min lead over the other girls, ended as just 4.5mins. But she was still in 1st, well under course record pace. And Alive.

FINISHED!

More AZ Photos

2010-12-06T10:42:00.000-08:00

Ironman Arizona was fortunate to have some great photographers show up and do their work in fine fashion. Below are a few shots that some caught of me and were gracious enough to share. BIG thanks to them all. I am still on the hunt for pics of me crashing into the motorcycle. I want those BAD!!

The above photos were shot by Tim Carlson who does great work for Slowtwitch and other triathlon publications

Kerry Yndestad caught this one from a cool angle

Sue Hutter snapped these coming into the finish

One of the best in the business, Larry Rosa.

Kerry Yndestad

Quite possibly my favorite triathlon shot. Larry Rosa.

IM AZ Race Report

2010-11-25T22:54:00.000-08:00

Life has been a run of jam packed days this last week. The day after Ironman Arizona I flew to Hawaii with Maik and Hillary to help crew for her in the insanity that is Ultraman. The shopping for this event alone requires nightly carbo loading. It is now the night before the race and I am just now finding time to write this report.

After getting sick I debated racing Arizona or Cozumel. I am happy I made the decision I did.

Swim: 51:15
We got into the somewhat chilly waters of Tempe Town Lake at about 6:35. I did a little warm up, and found a place in the line up towards the right and near the feet of Brandon Marsh as I knew he would be pulling quite a wake with his swim speed. For the most part the rest of the swim was uneventful. I found myself towards the front of the first chase pack and found the pace comfortable for most of the swim. There were a few surges and I was able to hold the feet and close the gaps in front of me. When I came out of the water I saw Maik and he gave me a "Good swim!" I checked my watch and saw 51:2x and was stoked.

Bike: 4:42:24
The bike started off with a bang. Literally. The pathway out of T1 at Arizona is pretty narrow. There was an athlete just a bit ahead of me to the right so I was on the left of the chute. Unfortunately, in a show of great wisdom someone had seen fit to park a rather large motorcycle on the left side of the chute about 10ft or so after the mount line. When I jumped aboard my Blue Triad SL, I looked down briefly to find the top of my shoe and before I knew it I smashed headlong into the back of the moto. I knocked it over, and it knocked the fencing over. My fingers on my left hand got smashed and were bleeding, and my knees suffered the same fate. Fortunately Blue and Reynolds make some tough bikes and wheels. My front wheel was jacked to the left but a quick wrestle job while holding it between my knees and I was back on the road just slightly worse for the wear.

Unfortunately, this little escapade did give up some of the time I gained on the swim. The rest of the bike was rolling along pretty well. We had some rough wind, some rain and even hail, but it wasn't as bad as the weathermen had been saying and what I had prepared myself for. The second mishap on the bike came when they did not have my special needs bag and I therefore missed the calories and boost that 2 Powerbars and a 12oz Red Bull would have given me. Because of this, the third lap of the bike was a struggle and my power suffered.

I had a goal of riding 4:45 so I was happy when the final lap came to an end. I felt OK and knew I had some calories and Red Bull waiting for me in my Fuel Belt and I was ready to run.

Run: 3:03:39

At Ironman Wisconsin I used a Fuel Belt for the first time and liked it despite my crap (literally) run. However, I only wore it for the second half of the run. For IM AZ I decided to use it for the entire run. This decision might be the one decision that MADE my race. I had missed about 700 of the calories I planned to take in on the bike and thus starting the run with 550 readily accessible calories was HUGE! I was not feeling so great in the beginning of the run, but my pace was solid. In fact it was faster than I wanted to run and I knew I could not sustain it. I tried to slow it down, but it hurt more to run in that mode. So I just decided to let my legs roll and find a rhythm. About 5mi in I was still in the same mode, but I now knew why I wasn't feeling so good. A bathroom stop took care of that problem and I was running well and happy for the next several miles.

For the remainder of the run I just focused on running controlled and sticking to my nutrition plan. At Special needs I picked up my second two Fuel Belt flasks and continued with the same mantra: "Run controlled and stick to the nutrition plan."

Nothing really eventful took place on the run, which s to say no more bathroom stops like Wisconsin or catastrophic blow ups like in Lake Placid. I think this is due to the mantra mentioned above. There was however, one memorable moment in the run. About mile 14 I noticed a big increase in the media motos around me (couldn't pick out the one I crashed into). I knew this could only mean one thing. Chrissie Wellington was gaining on me. She passed me and I knew there was no hope of staying with her (she went on to run a 2:52). I stuck to my plan and plodded along.

In my eyes I have yet to put together a reasonable Ironman marathon and my dream goal was to run under 3hrs. My realistic goal however, was to go sub 3:05. With a bathroom visit, I was happy with a 3:03 and a new Ironman Marathon run PR. Still lots of work to be done there though. I know I can run faster.

Final: 8:41:18

In the end I was very happy to finally break the 9hr mark and end with a good run. Getting a hug from quite possibly one of the greatest athletes to ever walk the face of the earth was a pretty nice capper!

A HUGE thanks to ZOOT for once again providing the BEST wetsuit, apparel and shoes I could ever ask for. The new Phrophet wetsuit is INSANE and my vastly improved swim PR shows it. I ran in the Alli'i shoes, sockless, and came away totally unscathed, no blisters, and all toenails in tact. Comfy the whole way. I cant say just how much it means to head into a marathon fully confident that I will have no problems with my feet. Not to mention doing so with the 2nd fastest transition in the race.

BLUE Competition Cycles makes some great machines and stands behind their bikes like nobody else in the industry. They are quality, fast and as my altercation with a BMW moto evidences... TOUGH!!

Reynolds Wheels likewise makes some of the best quality and fastest wheels on the market. And like Blue Bikes, they take a beating and keep on ticking. Not a scratch or anything after plowing into a 600lb BMW moto!

TriSports.com calls Arizona home and I was fortunate to have some awesome support out on the course at their aid station. But getting me to the race in proper form was even more important and TriSports kept me stocked with easy and FAST access to everything I could need.

PowerBar gave me the power to push all day and I had no concern with my stomach all day.

PV Bicycle Center is my local shop in Palos Verdes and has helped me all year with EXPERT maintenance and advice. If you are in the South Bay area, there is no better shop.

Quality Time

2010-11-17T07:09:00.000-08:00

I will be spending a good amount of the above with the trusty Toyo 4Beast, newly downloaded music and my thoughts today. The Ironman Arizona adventure begins today with 6hrs (I hope) of solo driving.

Decisions

2010-11-10T16:10:00.000-08:00

Although a little ashamed in light of Chrissie Wellington's battle with West Nile Virus, I will admit that I had all but pulled out of Ironman Arizona a week ago. When I got sick and had to take 4 days completely off of training, including 3 days that were supposed to be the BIG days for AZ prep, I got nervous and anxious. I knew the field at AZ is going to be DEEP and that I would need to be in the best shape possible going in if I wanted a respectable finish given what the times that are likely to be thrown down on race day. Missing my big weekend and figuring I would still be a little under the weather, I had mentally pulled myself from the race. A moment of weakness it was.

However, with clearer sinuses, came clear thought, and and some good workouts, and I made the decision to race IM AZ. No turning back now.

With that decision in mind, and most of my AZ training parters either otherwise engaged or winding it down, I headed South last weekend back to the time tested training grounds of North County San Diego. The Wernick casa honored my standing reservation and I was ready to go.

Friday we all went out to dinner as Todd was in town doing some tri shop re-conn and we wanted to shoe the pasty Minnesota man some good Mexican grub. It was a good time, with good stories and good people.

Unfortunately the triathlete half of my host couple woke with a cold on Saturday so that meant it would be just me and my Mo to the top of Mt. Palomar. It felt good to be back on the mountainside and pushing a hard effort all the way to the top. It was a little chilly up there, but one of the most best days ever to be on a bike.

Camera phone just doesn't do it justice.

Sunday, trusty training partner Kevin maned up and rode with me. 6.5hrs, and 7,500ft of climbing later it was time to run. My legs surprisingly showed up for the challenge and rounded out a solid weekend. Monday was a running day and served to slam the cap on the weekend. All in all a really good one and I am feeling good about AZ.

Ironman Arizona will be my last race of my rookie season. I am hoping it rounds it out with my best result yet, but either way I am happy with the way the season has gone despite my less than stellar results. But I am also happy it will be over. I've been training for this season since December and its a long time on "GO!" So a break will be more than nice. I am super stoked to be starting that break with what promises to be an awesome adventure. The day after IM AZ I will be boarding a flight to the Big Island of Kona. A great friend and one of the most inspirational and tough as nails girls I know, Hillary Biscay, is tackling the challenge of Ultraman and I am lucky enough to have secured myself a front row seat to watch her hand that race a beat down. I will be crewing for Hillary on her 318.6 mile journey around the Big Island and can't wait for it. I can't think of a better way to finish the season and get motivated for 2011!

Mo Fun

2010-11-01T12:16:00.000-07:00

This weekend I finally was able to get back into the groove and got in some good training.

All weekend I was actually looking forward to today, Monday. Why, well because it is Mo Monday. That is right, Movember begins today and this morning my upper lip felt the last strokes of a razor it will feel for the next 30 days.

I've had some facial hair before, but this might be a first for the solitary Mo. Here's a flashback photo for those that my not have seen my scruffier days.

If you can figure what is going on here I'll give you a dollar next time I see you ;-)

For those unaware, "Movember" is an effort to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer. There are a bunch of statistics, but lets just say this, prostate cancer is a HUGE problem that affects many more men than even breast cancer does women. So, in support of the effort, I, along with my team of fellow "Mo Bros", will be growing a wicked mustache or "Mo" and pleading for your donations in support thereof for the next 30 days.

To make a donation please visit my "Mo space page" to donate.

I haven't yet decided what "type" of Mo to grow, so if you got a good idea let me know.

Personal Ad

2010-10-27T16:48:00.000-07:00

White male, 30, athletic, out doors type. DESPERATELY Seeking a Cold remedy that works. And FAST!!

A funny thing happened

2010-10-22T14:13:00.000-07:00

I think that is a title of an old movie or play, at least that is what I can gather from an episode of Mad Men (I'm on season 2) I watched on my way out to Austin. Little did I know it was foreshadowing.

I left this out of my RR but remembered it yesterday and had to laugh (more on what sparked my memory below).

Out in Austin, during the final miles of the bike leg, just after catching up with fellow Blue rider, Trevor Wurtele, we came upon a little traffic. I saw a truck pulled over on the opposite side of the road, but until I got around a few cars, I didn't see what all the fuss was about. Then I saw the driver of the aforementioned truck running down the middle of the street in jeans and cowboy boots. This struck me as quite odd and I looked up the street a bit and saw the reason for the bottleneck. A HUGE cow or bull had gotten lose and was running down the middle of the highway. I couldn't help laughing. Then it stopped, sideways, taking up the entirety of the lane in my direction. I took a wide line around it, figuring no referee was going to give me a penalty for crossing the double yellow under these circumstances. Just as I passed the thing started running in the same direction so I put in a little effort to drop him/her/it. Just up the road I saw a cop laughing his ass off and taking a picture with his phone. As I passed I laughed and said, "Only in Texas!" On the run Trevor and I had a good little laugh about it as well. Good times.

What reminded me of this was something I saw at the pool yesterday. I have regaled you all with the funny/stupid stuff that goes on at my local pool. Yesterday provided yet another instance. A woman got in the lane next to me and at first I didn't notice anything. It was only when I saw her swimming some unidentifiable stroke that she got my attention. She was wearing a cap with a cartoon-ish shark on the sides, mouth open towards the front. Then I saw her cap actually had a dorsal fin sticking up out of the top of the cap. I stared in disbelief until she got to the wall next to me when I had to put my face in the water to hide my laughter. She was like 40yrs old. I'd be willing to bet this cap was bought in the pool toy aisle at a local Big 5. What some people wear?!?!

Any funny things happen to you recently?

Austin 70.3 Race Report

2010-10-19T16:13:00.000-07:00

With my sites firmly focused on Ironman Arizona, Austin 70.3, like Tinley's, was another chance to race on short rest and a good amount of training running in. I have come to expect that Coach's idea of a taper may not be exactly "couch time with Bon Bons" but the "taper" for this race was even more "eye-opening" than any before. With some pretty tough workouts through Wednesday, I knew Austin was going to be a good day to build some mental and physical toughness. If it was easy...

I landed in Austin after a painless non-stop flight and arrived at my Aunt's house mid day and HUNGRY! It was great to see my Aunt and cousin after many years. I also got to meet my cousin's new wife. First stop was the grocery store and Austin has one of the finest I have ever been to. Central Market is RAD.

On Friday I got in a little run and a swim in one of the coolest "pools" I've ever been to, Barton Springs Pool. A natural spring pool that is 50 yards wide and 300 yards long. Awesome!

Friday night I met up with old friend Greg out at his parent's pad for great food and conversation. Really good to catch up. And great to get to race with an old friend.

Onto the race.

Swim: 25:55
Despite some traffic getting into the venue and the slight hassle that a split transition presents, it was a beautiful morning. I had less time than I would have liked to warm up and soon enough we were off.

Although my warm up was pretty much nil, I was happy to stick with the front group through the first 500m or so. Then I had the misfortune of jamming my left hand and middle finger directly into an upkicking foot. It hurt like hell and for a second I thought I dislocated my finger. The pain of trying to pull water at that point was pretty bad so I took a few one armed strokes. After that a gap had formed and I was off the back. I had a little company to the first turn, but after that was pretty much solo all the way in. Adding irritation to injury, was the fact that the WTC has seen fit to allow wetsuits all the way up to 76 degree water even for pros! I never saw any problem in having a different temperature for age groupers and professional athletes and cannot fathom a reason for this change. I understand, sad and ridiculous as it is, that non-wetsuit swims strike fear in the hearts of Race Directors and some age groupers alike, but there really is NO legitimate reason that professional triathletes should be wearing wetsuits in water up to 76 degrees. The water was about 73-74 degrees on race day and by the turn I was baking in my suit. No reason we should have been in suits. I was tempted to take a big scoop of water down my chest to cool off but knew it would be costly.

Bike: 2:15:02

Onto the bike and I felt like death. As usual my legs did NOT want to push for the first bit on the bike. I was passed by seemingly half the field in the first 15-20mi. At one point I got caught by a group of about 5-6 guys and Nicola Spirig riding a road bike!! I seriously contemplated just phoning it in the rest of the day as I thought the body was just not ready to go. Brad Seng is a fellow pro I have had the pleasure to race and get to know this season. I've also had the misfortune of getting to watch him catch me in the later stages of the run at IM LP and Wisc. I know when he is in the field I need to have a good gap on him into the run if I want to hold him off. Sunday he was in that group that caught me. When he passed he asked how I was doing and all I could muster was a sigh and grunt. He yelled at me to "just push through and keep working." That was really great of him and speaks to what kind of guy Brad is. With Brad's encouragement, I decided to try and put my head down and just ride hard to hopefully salvage a decent bike split and get away from that group as penalties were being handed out right and left. It worked. I got away and towards the end of the ride caught back up to Trevor Wurtele and we made a "Team Blue" entrance into T2.

Run: 1:22:22

Heading out onto the run I knew Trevor was right behind me. After running a bit with him at CA 70.3 this year I knew he was going to be tough to hang with, so I tried to get in some fuel and pace it easy, then try and stick with him as long as possible. He passed me just shy of a mile in, and when we hit the cross-country style section of the course he got out of sight a few times due to the turns and put a gap on me that I couldn't close. I was however running fairly well and felt pretty good.

Keeping the man parts cool

Onto Lap 2

About a mile and a half into lap 2 Brad caught me and again I played the "hold on" game. It lasted even shorter this time. From then on I just made a point to run hard the rest of the way home and not lose focus. I passed Charisa on my way back and could tell she was pushing hard as usual. She did and made up some spots on the run. Seeing that kept me pushing.

Done

Finish: 4:06:41, 10th Pro
I definitely had some higher hopes but the results were pretty in line with my realistic expectations given the depth of the field and my training going into the race. Overall it was a new (Non-Clearwater) Half Ironman PR so that is something I guess. Still LOTS of work to be done.

Thanks to my awesome aunt and cousin for the hospitality and the videos. Catching up after all these years was great!

A big thanks to my sponsors. I continue to be impressed as ever with the Zoot shoes. No socks, no blisters, no problems. Awesome! The heat aside, I was glad I had on my new Zoot Prophet wetsuit as well as I have no doubt I would have been even further back if I didn't have such a great suit. Despite my lackluster start, once the legs came around I was able to salvage a somewhat respectable bike split thanks in no small part to the performance of my Blue Triad SL. The incredible wheels that Reynolds provides me with, helped greatly in that effort as well. PowerBar gave the the power to push and keep pushing and getting to meet some of the crew and feel their support on course was great. TriSports.com keeps me stocked up on all the essentials and makes racing and training just that much easier. Last but certainly not least, a big thanks to PV Bicycle Center for all their help in keeping my Blue race ready and running smooth.

A few days to recover and then a couple weeks of big work. All guns set on IM AZ

Cheers

Race Day Eve

2010-10-16T16:17:00.000-07:00

Well Austin has been more than I could have expected.

In no particular order, these have been the highlights thus far:

1. Getting to see and stay with my Aunt and cousin after not seeing either of them for probably at least 13 years, and getting to meet my cousin's wife for the first time.

2. Reuniting with old family/swim team friends from way back in the day while taking in some great views and grub.

3. Having some great weather in Austin.

4. Finding that Austin has totally redeemed my opinion of Texas and the less than wonderful taste for the state that Lubbock left in my mouth.

5. Swimming in a 900ft long "natural pool" sans wetsuit (on purpose) and goggles (not on purpose).

6. Finding an INCREDIBLE local grocery store (Central Market). If you're ever in Austin, hit this place up.

7. Meeting some nice locals on my morning run who were all training for NYC Marathon.

So hopefully tomorrow the trend will continue and all will go well.

Tinley's race report

2010-10-04T13:23:00.000-07:00

Prior to racing Ironman Wisconsin Charisa brought up the idea of racing Scott Tinley's Adventures Long Course Tri up in Arroyo Grande, CA. This race is part of the TriCalifornia Series of races put on by Terry Davis and crew, the same folks that put on Wildflower. As is par for the course with TriCal, this race is EXPERTLY run and everything is top shelf. From the SWAG bag, medals, awards, etc... all the way down to the individually marked transition rack spots, TriCal just knows how to put on a race. Even though it is my rookie year, I have raced enough to run across a few race directors and companies that seem less than thrilled to have professionals in attendance. We've even had a RD at a certain race tell us he "hates having to deal with our presence." So, when I get to race an event where the race director and crew treat you well and seem genuinely happy to have us there, it is appreciated. Everyone likes to feel welcome right? TriCal goes above and beyond and really goes "all out" to complete the "race" experience for age groupers and pros alike. I can't say enough about the team and their races.

I had raced the olympic distance at this event 2 years ago and it was a disaster (obviously nothing to do with race direction, but rather, the rain and the fact that I committed a comedy of errors in setting up my bike and transition). So, especially given my poor performance in Wisconsin, I was eager to try and redeem myself after those performances. However, given the proximity to Wisconsin and with Austin & IM AZ training to do, this race would be "trained through" with no real taper. So I knew I was in for some hurt.

The views on the bike course though, were anything but painful.

Swim - 1.5mi: 32:20
Catching everyone by surprise, the USAT wetsuit cutoff temp of 68 meant we would be swimming sans neoprene as the water was allegedly hovering right around 70 (it felt colder). So many of us ended up going old school and sporting tri shorts and furry (for some of us) chests. I got off to a decent start but got out of the draft and lost the lead group. I ended up finding a replacement in Emily Cocks (girl can SWIM) and gladly accepted a tow around the 3 loops but still had to work to stay with her.

Bike - 49mi: 2:06:19
Immediately on the bike Wisconsin and the lack of taper had my legs screaming at the effort. I just tried to focus on my watts and keep pushing. However, early on I was passed by 2 guys, one being Nick Thompson who I have raced several times this year. Nick is a cool, stand up guy, a solid athlete and I really enjoy racing him, except for the fact that he has beaten me every time. Each race has followed the same script, I beat him out of the water, he catches and drops me on the bike, I catch him right at the tail end of the bike, then he passes and drops me on the run. So when he caught and dropped me on the bike, I figured it was par for the course. I continued to try and push my watts and took note of the gaps at the first turn around. At the second turn around, I noticed I had closed it down somewhat and a few miles before the finish, I caught back up to Nick. I then tried to just put as much time as I could into Nick before T2.

Run - 9.3mi: 58:05
I now had my goal in mind, run steady, try and reel someone in, but most of all HOLD OFF NICK! There is a big, vicious beast of a hill on this course that we must do twice, so I knew I had to have a good gap on Nick going into the hill on the second lap in order to stay ahead. At the turn around on lap 1, I saw the gap was not that big, so when I started lap 2, I tried to put in a little surge and try to keep/extend the gap. I focused on Dan McIntosh in front of me and tried to reel him in. By the top of the big hill I had closed the gap from about 40sec to about 15, but that was as close as I would get, he let his long legs roll on the downhill and dropped me. I gave it the gas on the one last little bump but Dan was too strong. So I cruised it home on the downhill and enjoyed the finish.

Total
3:38:05 & 6th place.

Thankfully TriCal, in addition to putting on a great race and treating ALL athletes like champs, additionally sees fit to pay the top 10 pros, so a paycheck was earned. This is even more handy since I managed to leave my Garmin 500 in transition and someone picked it up and either didn't realize it wasn't theirs, or has yet to turn it in. So if anyone that raced knows of anyone finding a Garmin, please let me and them know.

Once again thanks to Zoot, I was able to have one of the fastest T2s in the race and the TT 3.0s worked awesome (get yours at TriSports.com & save some $$ with coupon code IMIKE-S at checkout). As always, the reliable Blue Triad SL performed flawlessly and delivered me to T2 ready and able to run. The speed with which it did so was helped greatly by Reynolds wheels (SDV 66 front and Element disc) again proving their merit and reputation. A few athletes flatted out on course and had their days ended when Pitstops failed to fix their tubulars. I was happy to be riding my Reynolds carbon clinchers knowing I wouldn't have that problem. One mistake that could have hurt me was failing to bring gels out on the run course, however, the PowerBar gels and Ironman Perform I took in on the bike fueled the engine just fine all the way to the line.

Summer arrived

2010-09-27T10:29:00.000-07:00

Apparently last weekend was the first "official" day of fall, but judging by the weather, it was the start of summer. In typical Southern CA fashion the news stations went to Defcon 4 and gave round the clock coverage to "Heat Wave 2010." Sadly I am not joking.

Anyway, I was happy to have it on this weekend as coach changed things up a bit for Saturday and after a morning masters session and a quick run with a bit of faster stuff I was done for the day.

I am not really a fan of Venice Beach. OK, to be honest, I pretty much hate it. I am sorry, I just have zero tolerance for the drugged out, hippie/drifter element of society. However, as I swim up in Santa Monica, sometimes I find myself running in that area. It sucks. A brief review of my run at 9am: 1) guy being arrested with medicine bottles full of tiny little baggies of a rock like substance, 2) Bum romance on the rocks = drugged out couple in the midst of a fist fight, 3) Dude either high as a kite and/or CRAZY screaming at the top of his lungs at a cinder block wall, 4) 20 something girl passed out face down in the middle of the bike path with paramedics and lifeguards attending to her. All this at 9am before the day even got rolling! Its really too bad as the area is literally overrun with that element. There was to be a huge concert/art/rave festival in Santa Monica on Saturday so we got out of town and spent the rest of the day lounging poolside in Manhattan Beach with my old roommate and his wife-to-be in 2 weeks time.

Sunday was back to the longer stuff. Fortunately, a good friend, who I have been coaching in his run up to his first Ironman in AZ, had a very similar ride to mine so I had company. The same weekend as Wisconsin, at Nautica Malibu triathlon, Bill put some of his training to the test, won the 50-54 age group and took 2nd overall. First place was some little known guy named Chris Lieto.

It was quite refreshing to spend a day on a bike with a good friend taking in some new routes and great views.

Along with the heat came, for you non So-Cal peeps, what we call the "Santa Anna Winds" which basically just means the prevailing winds come from the east blowing out to sea instead of the regular on-shore winds. This tends to blow a bunch of smog out to the coast from the inland areas which was the only bummer of the weekend.

I had a good 1hr run off the bike, in the middle of the day, when the sun was burning its hottest. The beaches were packed and running on the coast was fun. I can't say enough about the new Zoot Alli'i. A great shoe indeed. An hour run with plenty of sweat and no socks and my feet never felt better.

(Edit per E.Rich Comment:)

And to keep these sweet kicks from smelling up the joint:

Stuffitts Shoe Savers. My Alli'i were dry and smelling like a forest by the time i finished lunch!

I have decided to jump into another race this weekend to get another hard effort in before Austin and IM AZ. I will be racing up in San Luis Obispo at Scot Tinley's long course triathlon put on by the awesome folks at TriCalifornia (same peeps as the one and only Wildflower). Hopefully things will go a bit better than Wisconsin and I can put a race together.

On my own

2010-09-20T11:36:00.000-07:00

This last week was a recover, reset, refresh week and weekend. By now, coach trusts me enough to know what that means. So I was "on my own" this week. Do what I want. In the days after an Ironman, usually that means "not much." However, given the way Wisconsin went, especially on the run, I felt pretty good, and like I didn't really get to "use up" my legs on the bike and run.

Normally I take about 6-7 days before I run again after an IM. This week I ran on Wednesday and it felt OK. After however, I had some very strange feelings going on. Like a full body growing pain. Maybe I am getting TALLER!!?? Sadly I am 90% sure it was just some residual lactic acid/bacteria/"junk" that the run flushed out. Thursday and Friday I felt really good and started picking up the tempo in some sessions. The only problem I was having was waking up early again. Apparently I got too used to sleeping in & Madison time in the comfort of my homestay's awesome house. So I missed masters everyday last week.

Saturday, this was not going to happen. I made it to masters, got in a nice good ride with my friend Danny who was in his last big weekend for Kona, and had my first "real" run. All of it felt good. Top o the day, was the patriotic/somber/emotional moment we had when we stopped for a minute to take in this:

Pepperdine University put up a flag from the country of each victim killed on 9/11/01. A beautiful tribute.

Sunday, I had the pleasure of riding with T3's youngest member, Duncan. He is fresh off winning the the 11-12yr old USAT National Championships! He raced a cross race that morning so I met him there to do some riding after. My first glimpse at a live cross race. It actually looked really fun. Maybe something to try one day. It was good fun riding with Duncan and hearing about his racing exploits. Kid has a BRIGHT future!

After a good but short ride with Duncan, I called it a day as far as training went, and treated myself to a "normal" Sunday, with lunch out, a movie, a gelato, and an afternoon of lounging. A good weekend.

Back at it this week. There is racing to be done, improvements to be made and REDEMPTION to be had!

Ironman Wisconsin Race Report

2010-09-15T20:46:00.000-07:00

It has taken me a little while to get around to writing this. The truth is I have been avoiding it. Consciously and unconsciously, every time I have thought about writing it I have "found" something else to do, or some reason not to. Plain and simple I had much bigger goals for Wisconsin than 9:10 and 11th place. But here goes:

Pre-Race:

I arrived in Madison on Wednesday afternoon & was met by my awesome homestay and given the keys to their minivan. I got in a quick swim with Hilary and hit a local restaurant with my homestays. Thursday I decided to ride the loop portion of the course and see what I was in for. Thursday night our homestays threw an awesome Rosh Hashana party.

Friday morning I woke up feeling rather full from the night before. Charisa, Steven and I met up with Kathy and her husband Kerry for a swim and breakfast. Unfortunately, my morning feeling was a sign of the day. Without going into too much detail, I felt "full" the entire day, through the swim, pro meeting, massage, etc... and nothing was happening to relieve that feeling. I wasn't able to eat until about 3 and then just a few bites. Saturday, things weren't much better, but I was able to get in a good dinner at our homestay's house and they were kind enough to let us invite about 20ppl for dinner.

Brothers Pearson (Chris & Ryan the latter raced), Brynn, me, Catherine, Hillary, Maiki, Charisa & Steven

Race day came and I was willing myself to feel good. I set up my bags and bike, got suited up in my new Zoot Prophet wetsuit and found myself in the lineup.

Swim:

The swim was the highlight of my race. I stuck with the front pack for about 500m until I swam off course and lost the draft. Hillary, or who I thought was Hillary, caught me about halfway home on the back stretch and I happily assumed a position right behind her. A few times I tried to swim ahead but once out of her draft I knew I was swimming too hard for too little benefit. I actually felt pretty crappy during the swim. I didn't feel tired or weak, but I just felt slow. Anyway, I decided to stay behind who I thought was Hillary and hope I was right, knowing she would swim well. I did that right up until the last turn buoy when we hit an absolute floating roadblock that was the middle of the age group swim. I seriously have to give credit to those who swim in the 1:15-1:30 range. It is absolutely NUTS in there and I could not handle 2.4mi of that. After working my way through the pack I hit the chute and looked at my watch to see zeros, never started. But I spotted the clock to my left and saw 53:2X and was thrilled. Indeed it was Hillary, indeed she was true to form the 1st female out of the water, and indeed I did benefit from that. Also a testament to Zoot's awesome new wetsuit

Bike:

My goal was to bike under 5hrs. I knew this course was a bit slower than Placid so I knew I had my work cut out for me. I hit the course hoping the pleasant surprises would continue to come. The old saying "You don't have to feel good to race good" was running through my head. This was my first race on my new Blue Triad SL and my new Reynolds wheels. I knew it was set up to go fast if the engine was willing. Unfortunately, about 10mins into the race it was becoming clear the engine wasn't really up to the task. I was passed early as my legs felt like concrete and my heart rate and power were stuck well below race pace. My stomach problems from before the race were making it known that they weren't finished with me. I struggled through the rest of the ride and except for a span from about mile 30 through 60, I felt pretty poor. I am ashamed to admit it, but it is the first time in my triathlon career that I found myself actually wanting something to go wrong that would make it impossible for me to continue. I have always told myself that I will not DNF unless its a mechanical or a serious medical issue. So I pushed on, told myself to suck it up and just keep pushing. Its. Supposed. To. HURT! Needless to say I was more than a little surprised when I hit T2 and realized I had ridden 4:56. I think this speaks volumes for the Blue Triad SL and my new Reynolds wheels.

Run:

Getting off the bike, I was 99% sure I was in for some serious disappointment. My stomach was bloated to the point of being painful and I knew my goal of a 3:00 run was about as likely as a lottery win. I hit the run course and tried to keep the pace mellow. About 3mi in and just out of the stadium I moved into 7th or 8th place and was hoping with all hope that I was in for another good surprise. Again, I will spare you the gory details, but suffice it to say, things went South from there, and rapidly. I saw the inside of more than a few Port'O Johns on the course and my 3hr run goal went out the door. After my final Port'o visit I was actually able to pick up the pace and run the fastest I had run all day.

I knew I was out of the money at that point but I decided to push as hard as I could to the finish. I knew that friends, family and training partners were watching on line, and that if nothing else I owed it to them and all who have supported and cheered me on to at least give it my all. I was able to pick up a spot on the way back to town and unfortunately realized too late that 10th was only about 30secs up. I saw my homestay in the chutes and went back to give them a high five as they had been such incredible hosts and people all week.

Spotting my homestay a little late. Also a good Saturday Night Fever impression

Heading back for High Fives

Cooked

Best Cheerleader

Incredible hosts and people

I am so proud and stoked for Charisa. She pulled our combined weight and took 5th! Great friend, great training partner, great athlete, & great inspiration.

When all was said and done, the clock read 9:10:38 and I was 11th. Again, not what I was hoping for, but a good smashfest and training day. I suffered and learned more about myself. Although it wasn't what I wanted, I think it was a valuable experience that will serve me well. Live to Fight Another Day. I said that right after the race and I believe it.

I want to thank all those who have offered words of encouragement, cheers, and support leading up to, during and after the race. I appreciate it all more than you will know. I also want to thank my sponsors who make this possible, Zoot, Blue, Reynolds, TriSports.com, PowerBar, and PVBC. I can't thank you enough for your support and believing in me even when things go South. I am more motivated than ever to redeem myself in the next go round.

5 Star

2010-09-09T08:48:00.000-07:00

Well if there is one thing I am apparently really good at with regard to Ironman (aside from fueling;-)) it is finding myself some incredible homestays. Gail and Greg in Lake Placid were spectacular hosts, great people, and I am glad to now call them friends.

I arrived in Madison yesterday and for the first time in my 30yrs was actually "that guy" with his name printed on a sign in the hand of my host awaiting my arrival. Awesome. A quick trip from the airport and my homestay was dropping me off to pick up their minivan they are loaning me for the duration of my stay. First class? I think YES.

I felt awfully rude just taking the car and leaving my homestay Adam with all my gear, but I knew I needed to do something to shake the travel out of my legs. Lucky for me Hillary is racing as well so I met up with her and we shot out to the lake to test the waters.

This was my 1st swim in my new Zoot Prophet wetsuit and I must say I am STOKED on this thing. Floatation is incredible but the flexibility is even more impressive. I have worn a few suits in my day, this is the best yet, by a sizable margin. If you are struggling with a stubborn suit, when this thing makes its debut, I HIGHLE recommend it.

The water was a little warm. Hillary swam in a skinsuit, and we were of mixed opinions after as to whether we will be donning the rubber on Sunday or not. After wearing my suit, I sure hope so.

After the swim it was dinner time and I had some great conversation with my homestays. Obviously it takes a rather outgoing, generous sort to open your house to random athletes, some of whom may not even speak English, and give them run of your home for 5 days just to have them up and take off right after the race. But so far I am 2 for 2 in getting some fantastic people who truly go above and beyond the call of duty. Jackpot x2! Not only have they been incredible people, but the homes... WOW! I came home and cooked breakfast in this kitchen this morning.

Just a tad bit nicer than the Holiday Inn Express!

Cheers from Cheesehead land.

Wheels Up

2010-09-07T11:04:00.000-07:00

I am proud to announce that I have been fortunate enough to form a relationship with Reynolds Cycling and will be racing this weekend with these under me

To say that I am stoked to be racing with the support of a company with such a solid reputation for producing top notch wheels would be a drastic understatement. Reynolds is trusted by the likes of Team AG2R, Footon Servetto, & Fly V Australia to provide leading edge wheels for their races throughout the season. Having now had a chance to ride these wheels for the last week, I can see why! These things fly.

A leader in Carbon Clincher technology, Reynolds is one of the few companies to offer nearly every wheel in their line up as a tubular or carbon clincher. I have never ridden tubulars, and frankly the cost and hassle associated with gluing, taping, applying, and removing tubulars was not something I was too eager to learn & deal with. Thankfully, with Reynolds help, I don't have to. Reynolds offers an incredible lineup of racing and training wheels across all varieties of bike racing (check em out here). They also have some BIG things coming down the pipe that I will definitely share when given the green light to do so. Heads will turn. Trust me.

I am looking forward to my first race on top of these wheels and my first race on a true disc. They feel extremely solid and fast, and as an added bonus, the Blue looks pretty nice all dressed up in its dancing shoes.

I am "wheels up" tomorrow morning. Madison bound and looking to lay it down!

Charm School

2010-09-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Don't get me wrong, by no means am I trying to go off on my high horse here, clearly I am no model of manners or etiquette, but at least I try.

As I am sure most of you do, I spend a great deal of time in pools and riding my bike. While much of my cycling is done indoors (I have professed my appreciation for the trainer here before), almost every time I ride outside, I ride at least a portion of the ride with others. When it comes to swimming however, virtually EVERY swim session requires me to interact with other swimmers. For the most part, I do this on purpose. I swim masters because the people there push me to swim harder than I would if I was doing my own workout. In truth I get my ass handed to me. On days I don't swim masters, I often try and swim with a couple guys at the local pool for the same reason. If not, it is an extremely rare day that I am not sharing a lane with at least 2 or 3 others. Whatever the case, this interaction requires a certain etiquette be followed to ensure that everyone has an enjoyable and worthwhile workout and in the case of cycling, a safe one as well.

This morning's masters workout has spawned this post. For the most part, a masters workout is pretty well defined so far as rules and etiquette goes. You get in the lane you normally swim in, you know the swimmers around you and where you fall in the pace line. If I swim a workout time I normally don't swim, or with a different masters squad, I try and feel it out as much as possible in the warm up and then place myself conservatively to ensure I don't slow anyone down. Today a girl I have never seen before showed up at masters. She took up the spot behind me. In the warm up she hit my feet a few times. When we were given the main set, I gave her the opportunity to go ahead of me and she didn't take it. The set was 2(6x150) alternating each 150 faster and slower. On the second round she hit my feet a few times on the slower intervals. At the wall I asked her if she wanted to jump ahead and she did. This is where it got interesting.

She swam that 150, then abruptly sat out the next one. There was no "rest" between the 150s so this created a big gap I had to try and close to get back to the feet of the guy I was originally behind. At the wall before the next one she was hanging on the wall when I got there and it was her time to push off if she was going to jump back in. She didn't, and was talking to another swimmer, so I went. Out of nowhere, she pushed off swam into me and pushed her way past me when I stopped. I was literally laughing to myself as she swam by and I treaded water in the middle of the lane.

So I figured I would start a list of things people do while swimming that are examples or poor etiquette / things that piss you off / things one should NOT do.

1. If you are gonna pull ahead of someone in a masters workout, be able to stay ahead of them and do the WHOLE workout or at lest finish the interval.
2. If someone swims past you, take up the spot behind them, and if at the next break you think you can go in front, ask them.
3. When sharing a lane in a non-masters workout, swim free, back or kick. Save breast, fly, whatever you call that flopping, flailing, lookslikeyouaredrowning mess of a stroke for when you have the lane alone or with just one other.
4. Abide by the "Fast" "Medium" "Slow" signs for each lane. Don't go in the fast lane just because there are fewer people in it if you are not Fast.

5. If you're gonna kick, let others go before you at each wall.
6. Realize the obvious:

Got a story to share or rule to add?

Hopeful ending

2010-08-31T21:54:00.000-07:00

Last weekend marked the end of "real training" for Ironman Wisconsin. My last task was a medium long run where I hit the trails to just run, not worry about pace, stride, or anything else. Just go run. It was one of the better runs I've had in recent memory. This was the result:

Post run, and shower, it was time for dinner and I knew the perfect place to wrap it all up. The weekend officially came to a close eating a great dinner watching a pod of Blue Whales swim off into this

I can't really think of a better way to wrap it all up. I am hopeful that these are good signs for what is to come in Wisconsin, and that Sunday Spetember 12th will end just as well, if not better.

Big spectator weekend

2010-08-30T11:44:00.000-07:00

As I am sure most all of you are aware, this last weekend was a jam packed one in the triathlon world. Between TriCal's Alcatraz, Santa Barbara, IMs Canada & Louisville, and Chicago, there wasn't time for much else than spectating.

On Saturday I hit the alarm and the road at 0' dark 30 for Santa Barbara to watch and support a host of T3 athletes that were tackling the long course race. They did not disappoint. Danny Brienza came up BIG and had the overall victory almost in his grasp, losing it with less than 2mi to go. He gutted it out the rest of the way and held on for 2nd. Another big performance came from good friend and loyal training partner Bill MacLeod who used the fastest bike split and fastest run split in his age group to take 2nd in 50-54 and 19th overall. Fellow IM Wisconsin racer in 2 weeks, Ryan Pearson, also stepped onto the 30-34 podium with a solid race. Scott, Brynn, Christine and Chris all had very good races as well.

The only decent pic I got all day: Bill MacLeod heading out to put the hurt on

Charisa and Jason and Gaylen May headed even further North to take on Alcatraz. As per usual, Jason CRUSHED the swim coming out of the water only 1second behind the fastest male pro swim split. He went on to take 2nd AG and 4th amateur OA. SOLID! Jason's better half, Gaylen, came up on only slightly shy of her husband, and used a dominating bike split to take 4th in her AG. Charisa put a little spin on her usual race and showed some solid bike improvement, then (also per usual) ran her way up the rankings and into the $$ finishing 7th in the women's pro field. Impressive given the amount of volume/IM focused training she has been doing.

In all it was a MONSTER weekend for T3 Performance Multisports.

After my spectating was done for the day, I was pretty wisped and enjoyed a restful remainder of the day.

Sunday was my last big day for IM Wisconsin. Another 7hrs of swim/bike/run went by without a hitch. Nothing spectacular, but nothing unspectacular either which was all I was looking for. The work is pretty much done now. Just get there, execute, suffer, and hopefully finish with a smile.

Congrats again to all T3ers on smashing it this weekend.

I am SLOW

2010-08-23T16:58:00.000-07:00

I know I am slow on this but here is a quick recap of the last couple weeks goings on.

I went down to SD and Casa De Wernick for a big weekend in our IM Wisconsin build. I got down there on Thursday night and Charisa and I banged out a hearty trainer session in her backyard. Pretty sure she is still mad at me for making her ride the trainer.

Friday, we were joined by Team Walsh (aka Beth n' James) for a 6hr ride with some good climbs.

Saturday we were joined by Kevin, James, and my buddy Jason from up here who was in SD visiting. We revisited the old Henshaw loop and took a new (to me) route that tacked on some good climbing. It is now my standard Henshaw route. I like it alot. Charisa got a ticket on the way home and that was all that put a damper on the great ride. Surprisingly, and much to my joy, my run off the bike went very well.

Sunday was supposed to be the longest ride of the weekend. It started a bit rough when my heart threw a little temper tantrum and wouldn't pick up the pace, but I plied its willingness with a little caffeine from Peet's and it was back on line. That day it was Kevin, Charisa, Beth & I.

Soon it ended up being Kevin and I after the girls "missed" a turn. For a little while I was stoked as Kevin and I decided this was a golden opportunity to really turn this ride into a Monster. About 2hrs later, I was riding along felt a bump bump bump. Stopped and looked at my front tire. It had a small bulge in it. I rolled up to Kevin, and we both watched the bulge grow and then explode the tire. This is the strangest thing I have ever had happen to me on a bike. Fortunately it happened when it did and not 10min earlier when I was doing 40+mph down Palomar. Unfortunately, you can't ride a tire like this

I was about 40mi from Casa de Wernick. But luckily the male proprietor of CDW, Steven, obliged and came to my rescue. He even brought me food and drinks! I highly recommend this establishment if your ever in the area. At least I had some nice views during my wait for the meatwagon.

I was a little bummed that I didn't get to finish the Monster ride with Kevin, who much to his credit pushed on solo. But I still got in 100mi and 7,000ft of climbing so I wasn't too upset.

This weekend I again took Friday off and swam masters in the morning then got pummeled by Jason and Scott on a hilly ride in the Santa Monica Mtns. It felt good to rest up the rest of the day.

Saturday was a mean brick that ended up consisting of a masters session, a long bike and a run off with some race pace work. A solid 8hr day, but again the bike problem Devil paid me a visit and broke my rear shifter. So I rode from mile 80-120 with 2 gears, big ring or small and 15 in the rear. A rushed trip to Helen's Santa turned up fruitless. Again it seemed my Sunday MONSTER ride was doomed! Instead coach and I came up with a plan that was sure to provide equal punishment as the original plan had. So yesterday morning I racked my wounded horse onto the trainer and spent the next 3hrs banging out intervals as Coach Troy barked them out. After a quick transition to the road bike I headed for the hills and spent the next 3.5hrs doing my best Thomas Voeckler impressions.

I was fully COOKED after that day in the saddle!

The big weekend was capped off with a SOLID long run this morning that included some race pace efforts and went MUCH better than I was sure it would after the weekends binge. I am just hoping I can hold onto these good feelings until Ironman Wisconsin. Something tells me race day isn't going to feel quite so good, but I am hoping the pain will pay off.

Get your Kicks

2010-08-12T10:32:00.000-07:00

It is HERE

Last year I ran Kona in the 2009 Zoot Alli'i shoes. They were awesome! (I still have a pair that I wear sparingly to save em). I ran the marathon sockless, dumped amounts of water on my head that would make me a conservationist's public enemy #1, and ended up with only a tiny blister on the tip of my middle toe due to that foot being slightly bigger than the other. Ohh and I did happen to have THE FASTEST T2 IN THE RACE!!! Chris McCormack was closest, about 5secs behind me!

I have been eagerly anticipating this year's Alli'i and it is finally here. This shoe, aside from having all the fantastic "Zootness" (light, drainage, seamless sockless liner, neoprene upper, elastic quicklace) is a work of art, and as such, is produced in limited numbers (the back of the shoe has your xxxx of 1700 right on it!). So Check em OUT

There is a women's version as well that is equally AWESOME! And if you buy either (and you should;-)) use coupon code IMIKE-S for 10% off.

Happy Shopping

My New Office

2010-08-09T12:06:00.000-07:00

I spent some time getting used to my new office this weekend. Time WELL spent.

Here is the view:

And here is said new office:

I am insanely stoked on this bike. It is very similar to the Triad I was riding before, but this is the Blue Triad SL. It has just a little different carbon and is therefore a bit lighter and even a bit stiffer (I didn't think it was possible). The main reason for the new rig was sizing. After some time on the Triad, and some discussion with the guys at Blue, we figured I might be better off on a medium frame. I can tell already that the change was for the better. The bike feels great and I am even more impressed than I was before. An awesome machine. If you are in the market for a new rig, I highly recommend you give Blue a serious look.

What was NOT awesome was forgetting my helmet for Saturday's ride. Thankfully, my friend Matt came through with a spare:

At first glance its not that bad. From the front at least. But....

From the side.... Yeah, I spent 4hrs riding around the Santa Monica Mtns. and Malibu with that on my head. I am REALLY cool.

Ultimate Christmas gift for a Spartacus Fan

2010-08-05T15:33:00.000-07:00

Palos Verdes Bicycle Center has an INSANELY COOL bike on hand. If you are, or someone very special to you is a Fabian Cancellara fan, there aren't many better gifts than this:

EXCLUSIVE FABIAN CANCELLARA LIMITED EDITION FRAME

Fabian Cancellara is the world's fastest Time Trialist. He won two stages of the 2010 Tour de France, wore the yellow leader's jersey for several days, and earlier in the year won the Tour of Oman, Tour of Flanders, and the prestigious Paris-Roubaix. Cancellara has been riding a Specialized Tarmac S-Works SL3 with a custom paint job. Specialized made 75 copies only; we have one in size 56 and when it's gone there won't be any more made!!

I have seen this frame in person and it is BEAUTIFUL!! If you're interested, act fast because it will not last. Tell them I sent you.

Ironman Lake Placid RR

2010-07-29T14:19:00.000-07:00

I am late on this I know. But with travel, the lack of a computer (something to be remedied soon) and getting caught up back home, it was a little difficult. So without further ado, here is my Ironman Lake Placid Race Report.

Pre-Race: I flew in on Tuesday, met Charisa and our team photog (aka Steven) in Albany and we drove to Placid. I arrived at my homestay's house promptly 2.5hrs late. Nothing like a first impression.

I got my bike put together the following day, got in some swims, rides and runs, and was well rested, fed, and excited for the gun. In a text to a good friend of mine who had sent me some awesome words of encouragement (thanks Bill), I said that this distance "really fires me up." It is true. There is something about the Iron distance that really gets me riled up. The challenges presented by the distances themselves are obvious, but I think what gets me are the tests the day will inevitably put to your mental strength and will. Without waxing poetic, the purity of the you against yourself, or mind over matter battle that you must wage is visceral. It drives me.

Race day: I arrived to transition a little later than I wanted, but got the bike set up, got into my speedsuit, and hit T-0 with what I thought was a fair amount of time to spare. As I went to turn in my special needs bags, I realized this was not the case. Special needs was FAR and my barefoot 15min run to bag drop and back to the start served as my warm up. I hit the water with about 7mins of warm up time.

Swim: 57:28

I had a decent start and found some feet early, but they suddenly died about 150m in. I tried to find others, but soon found myself leading the first chase pack and unable to close the gap that had opened to the front.

I led that pack through the first lap and relinquished the lead as we started the 2nd. I figured following some feet, letting them navigate through the AGers and saving some energy was a better idea. I was hoping for a swim of about 54 even without a suit, so I was disappointed with a 57, but was happily surprised to hear I was only 2:30 down to the first group (excluding Rhodsey who smoked everyone), and that I was in 7th.

A long run to and through the longest T1 I have ever been through, added another 3:30.

Bike: 5:02:04

I had been dealing with some calf issues before the race so I knew my only shot was to ride well. I had a goal of 4:50-4:55. I knew the course was challenging, however, I had put in a great deal of work on the bike before Boise and while in Kona, and I didn't think this was overly ambitious. I still don't. My Triad was primed and ready to go, and I was confident I could do it. For the first 30mi or so however, my body seemed to have other thoughts and I struggled to produce power. I am not sure what it was, my heart rate was there, but the power numbers were just not coming up. I immediately surrendered 4 spots in the first 10mi and just kind of went into damage control mode. However, just before the first turn around something clicked and my power began rising. From there on I set about trying to close the gap. I thought a sub 5hr split was still within reach.

At the end of the first lap I felt great. Power and heart rate were perfectly in line and my nutrition plan seemed to be coming good. I was able to pick up a few of the spots I dropped just out of town and built on it out to the turn around. After the turn I hit another weak spell, pounded down some extra calories and just tried to manage and try and get back over the bump. The climbs on the back side were unforgiving, but I felt that I had done enough to recover from the energy dump and hit T2 feeling good. My split ranked 7th, but the early loss is still irking me. T2 was quick and easy thanks to my Zoot Race 2.0s and I hit the run course.

Run: 3:11:16

The aforementioned calf problems were definitely on my mind as I took my first strides, but I put them out of my head and just tried to run steady and smart.

Less than a mile in Brian Shea (Personal Best Nutrition) who I have been working with to dial in my race nutrition told me I was in 6th, and 4mins down. I knew I could not afford to try and close that gap too fast, so I just tried to settle into a rhythm. About mile 5 I caught Rhodsey and took 5th. On the way back I got my first taste of that gnarly hill heading into town.

It was BRUTAL. I focused on the Red Bull waiting for me at special needs and just tried to get there as fast as possible.

After special needs, and with a fresh caffeine boost, lap 2 started well. I saw at the turn that I still had a good gap to 6th, but saw that Tim Snow and Brad Seng were running well. I couldn't just run my race anymore. I knew I had to try and push to keep the gap. At the final turn around I saw the gap was still there, but that Snow had moved up and was still running fast (he ran a 2:53! which was just seconds off the race best). I did all I could to find another gear, but about mile 20 I really began to struggle. I walked an aid station, took in an extra gel and started my "I.V. line" tactic from each aid station to the next. At that point I knew the way I was feeling, the pass was inevitable. Sure enough, just before the mile 22 marker, I lost 5th, $1,000.00 and a shot at Kona. From there on it was just survival.

Brad caught me just before the 25 marker after I struggled hardily up the hill into town. At the turn, I could see my spot was secure and just enjoyed the crowd and the experience to the finish.

9:15:58 put me 7th.

Charisa and I passed a few times on the run and seeing her charging along drove me to keep pushing. In a twist of fate, and in typical fashion, she ran her way through the field and finished as the 7th female pro. Awesome.

I owe some HUGE "Thank You's" to a whole slew of people. Too many to name all individually but some I need to.

To Greg and Gail, quite possibly THE BEST homestay that any athlete could ever be lucky enough to have. I showed up late, but was welcomed into their incredible home like family. I was treated that way throughout. You truly are wonderful people and I count my blessings for being placed in your home. You guys went WAY beyond what was called of you. Thank You.

Zoot makes some of the most comfortable and best performing gear available. One of an athlete's biggest concerns is that he will be limited by his equipment. With Zoot, I don't have that worry. Plain and simple.

Blue Competition Cycles is another company that takes a firm stand behind the products they produce. When my legs came around, my Triad was ready to rock and responded awesomely. This bike continues to impress me, not only with its performance, but maybe more importantly, the way it leaves me after the ride. Running off the bike has never been so easy for me. The adjustment time is nil.

With the inclusion of PowerBar Perform on the course nowadays, I am lucky as my day is fuled almost exclusively by great tasting nutrition products that WORK!

By even the furthest stretch, I am no mechanic. PV Bicycle Center, and specifically Miguel, Sean and Josh keep my bike running without a hitch and get me to race day confident in my machine. Its priceless.

TriSports.com continues to make my life easy when it comes to getting equipment, parts, and supplies that we all NEED. Nobody stocks more or ships faster. Plain and simple, they are the best.

Brian Shea from PBN, thanks for all your help and on course support.

To all else who continue to support and encourage me, you know who you are and I value it immensely.

Cheers.

More Kona

2010-07-16T14:20:00.000-07:00

Here is round 2 of my Kona pics

Cool down swim after Hapuna race

The Machine I spent much of my trip following

Capitan Cook swim

Sushi Grub down

Cool down swim from the King's Swim

Awards for King's Swim

Maik and I with Bree's nephew post Bike Work's 10K

Post 10k cool down swim/catching Hillary up on hometown goings on in the past 10yrs

A great crew

Our last ride

It was a truly awesome trip.

I've been home for 6 days and I am LAX bound at 0' dark 30 tomorrow morning, heading for Lake Placid. Sunday is GO TIME!

Kona Part 1 in photos (mostly)

2010-07-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

That was the first photo I took on the Big Island. Not a bad site to see.

Dare I say, and pardon the pun, but the Kona trip was a "smashing" success. I had an incredible trip with some great people and some truly ass kicking sessions thanks to my hosts Hillary and Maik.

This is the Harbor and the view (sort of) one gets when sitting at the Harbor House enjoying a schooner of beer. Sadly, this trip was sans a trip to the HH as a "No Schooners" rule was in effect.

Bree's son Kainoa had his 4th birthday early in my trip and we celebrated with a beach party and turtles were invited.

I knew heading to the island that I would be doing some serious training, that was the whole point. I just wasn't aware that training would involve so much racing. The first race came only a few days into my stay when Hillary and I joined Bree and some of her swimming friends for the Hapuna Beach 1 mile rough water swim. This is held at the same beach as Honu 70.3. the wind came up early that day and the swim lived up to its "rough water" name.

Post swim. Hillary wouldn't permit me to wear my regular drag shorts so I apologize for the speedo shots.

On our cool down swim (dive)

Not a bad day!

More to come.

Train-cation #2

2010-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year Charisa and I took a trip out to Tucson to put in some solid training before the season officially got under way. Today, I am off on another trip to put the finishing touches on my Ironman Lake Placid training. Tucson was awesome. But I have a sneaking suspicion that KONA is going to be just a tad better. I leave you with what I will likely be seeing tonight.

Buffalo Springs RR

2010-06-29T13:13:00.000-07:00

I didn't really have any big expectations for the city of Lubbock, Texas and lets just say that it managed to just barely live up to them.

I did however, have some expectations or at least strong hopes for my race. Below is how it went. But first I want to get something off my chest.

We went down and swam at the lake on Friday. It was HOT. I don't mean like the water was warm, I mean it was HOT. I knew going in that it was likely to be a non-wetsuit swim. After taking a dip, I knew that there was NO WAY I would have swam in a wetsuit even if they allowed it. In the meeting they told us the average of 3 tests taken that day was 81 with the highest reading at 83. It was HOT the rest of the day. We walked out of the hotel room at 4am on race day and it was WARM. But somehow, "miraculously," the water had managed to drop 5 degrees overnight and it was wetsuit legal for the AGers. Excuse my going off on a tangent here, but I find it really lame that RD's do this. There is NO WAY the water was 76 on Sunday. I understand they do it for safety, I understand that when they have non-wetsuit swims they have a higher incidence of swimmer distress. But here's an idea; when the water is warm and there is literally NO REALISTIC chance of it dropping below the legal limit, announce it the day before that the swim will be non-wetsuit. This will give those who are uncertain about their unaided swim ability, a chance to back out, or a chance to "fall ill" on race morning and save face. Or better yet, announce it will be non-wetsuit, and give the option to do just the bike & run segments.

Now again, I ask for some leeway and forgiveness here. And I DO NOT intend for this to sound conceded, elitist, snobish, etc... But the real problem here lies with the athletes. If you are not able to EASILY swim 1.2mi in open water, without a wetsuit, and are not confident enough in your swim ability that you would not hesitate to do so alone any day of the week, you SHOULD NOT be on the starting line of a half ironman. Again, I'm not trying to put anybody down here, I don't care if you can swim the 1.2mi in 22min or 1hr, but if you are not 100% certain that you can swim it without issue, you should NOT be out there. Tragically, on Saturday a swimmer died at the Philadelphia triathlon. The swim for the Philly race on Sunday was cancelled. I am sure this factored into the RD's decision to make the swim wetsuit legal at Buffalo Springs. This is not to cast judgment on the swimmer who was lost, his swimming ability or to say he shouldn't have been out there. I don't know anything about him, and would not do so. Accident's happen, people get hit, kicked, take in water, have medical emergencies, etc... I have been in situations where I thought I was going to need help. But these would be much fewer if we, as athletes, were more realistic with ourselves, and came in to events fully prepared and confident that we can and will, absent some accident or medical problem, finish the swim whether in a wetsuit or not.

Sorry for my rant. Onto the race report:

Swim: 24:31

I put my goggles on under my cap because I was pretty sure I was going to get so hot that I would need to rip my cap off. I nearly did, but was halfway through the swim and I didn't want to lose the draft I had just found. I got gapped at the beginning of the swim (need to work on my sprinting), and had to swim through one group before the 1st buoy. I found some feet, thought we were going to slow, swam through them, and promptly swam off course. I re-corrected and caught back up to that same group of 4 and just held their feet to the finish. I swam hard the whole swim, and while the course was definitely short, I was happy with my effort. Given the short course, the time is meaningless.

Bike: 2:19

I got out on the bike and my goal was to try and hold higher watts than I did at Wildflower and to do so with the heart rate in check. For the first half of the ride things went well. I passed a few guys, was holding my watts and my heart rate was up. I am not sure if it was nutrition or fatigue, but in the second half of the ride (where I normally start feeling strongest), I began to crumble. My watts and heart rate fell and I struggled. I probably should have eaten a bigger breakfast or taken on more during the ride, and I had to really battle the rest of the way home to keep my power reasonably high. The headwind didn't help matters.

Run: 1:24

My 1/2 marathon PR continues to elude me. I WILL break 1:20 this year! In transition I had picked up a spot, but gave it back immediately out of T2 as I had promised myself that I would take the first mile easy. Well, that extended for about the first 3mi as I was having some issues in the first part of the run. Thankfully I didn't give up any other spots. Out at the turnaround I started feeling good. I had picked up one spot on an uphill, and gotten a gel at an aid station and things were beginning to feel good. On the way home in the "Energy Lab" we had a tailwind and this made for the hottest part of the run. I mad a deal with myself to just hold pace and once off that stretch (about mile 8), I would try and pick it up. I lived up to my end of the bargain, made it hurt, picked up another spot, negative split the run, and brought it home with the tank on empty.

Total: 4:11:08

I cracked into the Top 10 in the Pro field for the 1st time and I set a new (non-Clearwater) Half Ironman PR. I am happy with my race.

Maybe even more so than with the actual results, I am happy with how much, and what I learned in this race. I kept the throttles down even when I was hurting and wanting to pull back, and I had the Dirkinator's "You MUST make it HURT!!" running through my head all day.

However, I probably learned the most from the fortitude, perserverence and toughness

exhibited not by myself, but by Charisa. She came off a rough swim and a medium bike, to run herself into and through an IMMENSE amount of pain, and more than half the women's field! 16th to 6th with the 2nd fastest female run split (that makes 2 races in a row!). She could have easily chalked it up to a bad day in TOUGH conditions and compromised, and nobody would have known she didn't give it her all. But she didn't. She knew she had more to give, and she knew that SHE would know she didn't leave it all out there. Her performance was gritty and inspiring. Coming into the finish I could see her determination. Hugging her after, I could literally feel that she had pushed herself right up to the brink. Her body was shaking and wavering, but she was grinning from ear to ear. Inspiring and AWESOME!

I owe some big "Thank You" shout outs to those who make this racing thing possible. Zoot for making some incredible apparel and shoes and for standing behind their products and athletes. Blue Competition Cycles for building great bikes and putting performance and reliability foremost in their minds, ahead of the "bottom line." TriSports.com for making all the essentials literally a point a click away. PowerBar for making top of the line fuel for the human machine (next time I'll use more) and Steve, Miguel and the crew at Palos Verdes Bicycle Center for keeping my rig running in top form with little or no down time. Having confidence that one's equipment will perform as it is supposed to, day in and day out, is indescribably HUGE. I am beyond fortunate to enjoy the support of companies and individuals who pride themselves on ensuring just that. THANK YOU!

Next up the first BIG one... Ironman Lake Placid!

Big Country

2010-06-24T12:06:00.001-07:00

In a few hours I am off to the land of everything BIG, Texas, for Buffalo Springs 70.3. Another stacked mens field (Crowie, Terrenzo, Lieto, etc...) with what could be some interesting weather (read: HOT & Sticky).

I made a purchase this week of a new digital camera, so hopefully I will have some good pics to post on here from now on, thus saving you from my usual verbosity.

Cheers

Things the Interweb doesn't tell you

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

For several months now I have followed a little man by the name of Kiet Tran's blog. We became FB friends (which really means we are like brothers right?), and discussed triathlon and other issues via e-mail. In short, when he decided to come down this weekend to SD to train with Charisa (our meeting followed nearly identical lines) it felt like I already "knew" him.

So it was pretty funny when after about an hour of hanging out, I realized that I had been pronouncing his name wrong since I first read it. In my head (as well as Charisa's and Bree's), his name was Kiet (Keet). In reality, its Kiet (Key-ette) or something like that. But the guy is cool enough that he doesn't care. Charisa and I had to ask him how to say it properly. His response: "However you want to say it is fine. I know you're talking to me." Pretty classic. Apparently Bree refuses to pronounce it properly and just refers to him as Keet or Pinoy. Things that the Internet can't teach you.

Pronunciation lessons wasn't all that went on this weekend. There was some baking, some riding, some caffinating, some running and lots of laughing.

For a pictorial recap click here and for an AWESOME video that Kiet put together, click here.

New training

2010-06-18T14:22:00.000-07:00

I am off to SD again this weekend, but with Boise just a week ago and Buffalo Springs just a week away, we are doing a new sort of training.

Some new peeps will be along for the ride as well. Keit is down from up north and though his sabatical is over, he isn't quite ready to let it go just yet. And Charisa's homestay friends from Boise, Brian and Teidji (T-G), are paying back the visit and joining us. I am probably most happy to report that Kevin is back on the train as well. His back is all healed up and he is ready to roll.

Should be fun.

Boise 70.3

2010-06-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Its taken me a while to get around to writing this race report. I was anything but pleased with my performance last Saturday, and I didn't want to pen a report that sounded like a whining little school girl. I still don't. So excuse (or welcome) the brevity hereof, I figured I would save you the dramatics.

Swim: 26:54

I started off pretty good and was actually happy with my ability to hold with the lead of the pack for the longest time I have yet. I was thinking this could be the start of an good day. I was wrong. About 500m in I blew up. Ended up swimming the 2nd half alone. My swim sucked. I got caught and passed by Julie Dibbens.

Bike: 2:23

In my head I had set a goal of riding 2:15. I got on my bike, and my friend and guy who continues to dominate me in these races (I'm 0-3 against him), Nicholas Thompson, immediately passed me. Others soon followed suit. I struggled along for the whole ride. The wind, the heat, the course, none of it was an issue or an excuse. I just couldn't put down any power. I was barely able to catch Julie before the end.

Thanks to Sue Hutter for the photos of me piddling along.

Run: 1:25

I went out on the run right with Nick from above. He promptly dropped me at about mile 2. Just like in the bike, others followed suit. I actually felt halfway decent for much of the run, I just couldn't find that "next gear."

End of 1st lap

Start of 2nd lap

Coach Dirkenator emphasizing exactly how slow I was

At least its over

This week and next are a somewhat strange combo of recovery, training & tapering for Buffalo Springs 70.3 on June 27th. Here's hoping for a much better day in Texas.

Thanks to all those who make it possible: Zoot, TriSports.com, Blue, Powerbar & PV Bike Center. I hope to redeem myself and do you proud soon.

Boise Bound

2010-06-10T10:58:00.000-07:00

I am off today to Potato Country for Ironman Boise 70.3.

My last trip to Idaho went pretty well, so I am hoping the great state will treat me kindly again.

Really, given my training of late, I am not exactly sure what to expect from this race. Coach Dirkinator has a "Grand Plan" in his head that I know doesn't include having me at my best for this race, but I think that is in fact, part of the plan. Judging by the directions he has given me as far as race strategy for Saturday, that thought is seeming right on.

It shall be interesting. Another chance to mix it up with the big boys (at least as long as I can hold on).

Cheers

Underwater

2010-06-08T13:57:00.000-07:00

That is how I felt much of last weekend, also where I spent a fair amount of my time.

Due to my race schedule, the 5 weeks between Wildflower and Boise was some of the only time I would have to really put in the volume for the Ironmans I plan to do this year. Typically, I do 4 week blocks (3 hard training, 1 recovery), but the aforementioned 5 week gap, plus the 2 weeks between Boise and Buffalo Springs, meant that I would be doing my first ever 5 week block (4 hard training, 1 recovery/taper) leading into Boise. This way I avoided too much recovery time before and between Boise and BS.

At first I didn't think it would be that bad. I made it through the first 3 weeks and felt like I normally did after a 3 week build. The second day of the 4th week it hit me. HARD. As usual, the weeks built one upon the other, so the 4th week was the biggest and I felt it. In particular, the final 3 days had a bright red circle around them in my mind. The weekend would provide the finishing touch on the entire block and I therefore viewed them as being very important to execute.

I won't bore you with details, but provide a few highlights of the weekend:

1. Friday I set a new swim PR. It was my birthday, my 30th, and I had a 2hr swim on the schedule. So I figured something special was in order. Super swimmer Hillary Biscay, who recently earned her Kona slot the HARD way at IM Brazil a week after IM Lanzarote, agreed to provide a little "guest coaching" and designed a birthday swim set for me. My first ever 100 x 100. So Friday afternoon, after a morning run and climbing party on the bike, I hit the pool. 10,000yds later, I had myself a new swim volume PR. It was amazing how fast it actually went by, and I give all credit and "Thanks" to Hillary for designing an awesome set.

2. Saturday morning, I found myself back in the pool for back-to-back masters workouts. I thought I was going to drown. I made it, and hit the road for a long ride. On the way home, I ran into a cyclist who politely asked if I wanted to trade pulls back down PCH. I said I was just trying to stay steady and he asked if I wouldn't mind if he just hung on the back. *Side Note* It is very refreshing when someone actually asks if they can take your wheel. Sometimes its a pretty rude surprise when I am riding along, sit up and realize a guy is 3" off my wheel. I've had some close calls, so it was nice to have him ask. I digress. About 25min later, I grabbed a bar from my jersey and my company asked if I wanted him to take a pull. Sure. Thats when my ride went from steady & moderate, to "choking on my pancreas". This guy did NOT need a pull. I was doing all I could to hold his wheel on the flat. We hit a climb and he started pulling away, I got out of the saddle and was giving it all to keep in touch, when I saw my watts closing in on 500, I knew it was time to let go. Off he went. He ended up sitting up and waiting for me and we had an awesome talk. Turns out he is a pro cyclist from the Isle of Man, and grew up riding, and is "good mates" with Mark Cavendish. No FREAKING wonder he nearly ripped my legs off! He is over here training for a series of races in Europe and the dude hammered me each time he took a pull on the way home. Just under 110mi and I made it back about 20mins faster than I expected.

3. Saturday night: Another first, I had a surprise party. A bunch of my friends surprised me by showing up for an awesome dinner in Hermosa Beach. I was legitimately surprised too. I had no idea. I think the training had taken its toll on my brain. Seriously, maybe the best birthday celebration I have ever had.

4. Sunday: Another PR. My longest brick ever clocked in at just a bit under 9hrs complete with 130mi and over 10,000ft of climbing on the bike. When all was said and done I was totally SHELLED! I had some definite rough moments out there and I chalk it up to working on my mental toughness. Alot goes through your head during a 9hr day when you are on your own, and at the end of a big block. I struggled through the rough patches, refrained from just throwing myself in the Pacific, and was stoked I did when I realized the weekend was complete.

Now it is time to recover, rest and taper for Boise. I am not sure 5 days will really give me a chance to rebound, but it will be another good toughening up experience if nothing else.

It happened.

2010-06-01T14:45:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago I was staring a big training weekend in the face and it was looking as though I would be doing it alone. But a local marathon, an unexpected masters workout and some met-while-riding company on the bike saved me from the lonely fate.

This weekend I was not so lucky. Solo, for the most part, happened. I started the weekend off with a quick morning run before heading to masters. Much to my good fortune, the second workout, which was IM last I swam it (I don't do IM), was free on Saturday, so the 2hr swim went by much faster getting to swim with friends the whole time.

After the swim it was time for some breakfast/pre run #2 fueling. When I hit the road back home from Santa Monica, I planned on running pretty much right when I got back. But things came up, and I didn't end up starting my run until about 1:45. Hottest part of the day. I chalked it up to good training as I will be running at that time come Ironman Lake Placid. At the turn around 1:30 into the run, I was regretting it big time. The plan called for 45min of tempo to end the run. I had a steadfast fear of that section. For about 42min, I thought it might kill me. I ended my run at my grandma's house because my cousin was in town & I was hoping I could see him, but I missed him. What I didn't miss was quite possibly the most refreshing shower I have ever taken. And when I say "shower" (Maggs you will love this), I mean me sitting in a lawn chair and my uncle spraying me down with a garden hose. It was glorious.

That run, brought me to a new mileage PR. I have never run farther in a single day than the 26.2mi of a marathon, but with both runs, I ticked off just a bit over 28mi on Saturday. My fatigue and fear of Sunday's ride prevented me from being too happy about it. After an incredible dinner, I slept like a rock until the alarm sounded for the Sunday ride.

Charisa and Kevin are pretty much my only friends training for an Ironman right now, and as I wasn't down in SD this weekend, I knew I wasn't going to find anyone to tackle this ride with me. Surprisingly, my legs didn't feel as bad as I feared they would and the first climb went by quickly. This was the view I got at the start of the second climb:

From the famous Latigo Canyon Road

About 10mins after I took this shot a motorcyclist passed me going up the windy road. About 30mins later an ambulance and a paramedic truck passed me and stopped just around the next bend. Turns out the motorcyclist tried to pass some cars and lost it, sending him over the guardrail and down the cliff/hill. I stopped and saw he was hung up in some bushes was still alive. That makes it 2 motorcycle crashes I have come upon in as many weeks. At least this guy lived and I didn't have to see another dead body like last week.

After the descent, and a fluid refill there was another climb bookended by some coastal riding. This was from the start of the last real climb of the day.

From the summit of the last climb, which is actually the back side of the second climb:

7hrs & 45mins, 131mi and ~11,000ft of climbing, BANKED! And all I had to show for it was some dirty legs.

This week is the last big week in this 4 week block. Then its recover/taper time for Boise 70.3. The plan scared me when I first saw it, and I have been looking at this week with dread for a while now. It seems even more daunting as I get into it today. I just hope I come out the other side in one piece.

I searched

2010-05-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

But I couldn't find another local marathon to run this weekend. So looks like after my nice long swim tomorrow morning (last one this week!), I will be trudging trough somewhere close to 26mi for right close to 3hrs.

Post run there is some BBQ fun to be had. One good thing about a long swim/run day is that it actually leaves some free time. Sadly the same can't be said for my Sunday when I will be revisiting my "Tour de Santa Monica Mountains", probably solo, definitely long, definitely lots of climbing and definitely hard on some beat up legs. Thank goodness Monday is a rest day.

Cheers

SOLO Weekend

2010-05-17T11:39:00.000-07:00

Before Wildflower Coach sent me an e-mail saying something along the lines of "enjoy the taper and recovery before we start winding it up for Placid." This week marked the first week of "Ironman" training after a couple months of gearing everything towards the half distance. So this weekend was my first BIG weekend in a long time. Due to work, travel, illness and lameness, it also marked what was to be my first truly SOLO training weekend in a long time. A long run, long swim & long ride all looked like they were going to be done with only my thoughts for company.

Fortunately however, this was not the case. I was talking with a training partner of mine Bill, who was pacing a friend in the Palos Verdes Marathon on Saturday. I grew up in PV and my uncle, who also goes by the moniker Bill, was an avid runner. In fact I think his marathon count lies at 50. The PV marathon is the 2nd longest running marathon in the country. Only Boston has been around longer. My Uncle Bill has run PV like 20 times and as a kid, I was present for many of those. The course has changed a bit over the years, but its still the PV Marathon and this year marked the 44th running (pardon the pun). So, given the 3hr run I had on tap, and my family history with this race my query to Coach received an affirmative with strict directions to abide by the pacing rules. I agreed. So on Friday, I entered my first PV Marathon to be run the next morning, and workout 1, was now going to be done with mucho company and aid stations. I was even going to get a shirt for it. Much better than the solo effort I had envisioned.

PV is not flat. In fact, around here, its known as "the Hill". For that reason, the slower times that come therewith, and the lack of prize money, it is a small race. They don't even do chip timing. But it is AWESOME. So Saturday morning I toed the pleasantly uncrowded start line for a 26.2mi training run. I reminisced before the race how a couple years back I would have NEVER EVER thought of running a marathon, let alone doing it spur of the moment after a week of hard training.

The "race" was great, I had some good company for the first half or so, then Bill (friend not Uncle) joined me for the second half. We even had a cyclist pacer in the form of another friend and Club Ed runner Debbie join us for a good stretch. I took it easy for about the first 17mi, then about mile 20 kicked it up a notch for the "tempo" effort that was included in the plan. In the end I ran 2:52 and had a great time. Running in a local race with no "race" pressure makes it feel so much different. Good times.

That afternoon I headed to the pool for my long swim. Again, in my head this was going to be me and my thoughts for 2hrs. However, in another dose of good fortune, about 40mins in, a masters workout I was unaware of, came on. So I jumped in that workout which helped speed the time. Solo workout #2 successfully avoided.

Sunday was a long ride. Again, solo. I had some company for part of the first climb but he fell off and I started getting cold while waiting at the top. Knowing I was only going to get colder on the descent I started downward hoping he would catch me. Sorry Stan. He didn't and the next 4.5hrs were spent alone. 2 outta 3 aint bad. After nearly 7hrs, 115mi and 8,500ft of climbing, I was hungry and tired but stoked to have gotten in a solid weekend of training and for the most part, avoided the lonesomeness I thought I would encounter. Next weekend will most certainly not be lonesome as I will be SD bound to revisit some old routes with good friends.

Getting TRXed

2010-05-13T10:23:00.000-07:00

I am sure by now all of us have seen and heard adds on TV, billboards, radio, etc... and seen vendors at race expos and other fitness related venues hawking the "latest and greatest" in fitness products. Many of these products come with the promise of 6 pack abs from a variety of activities ranging from full scale, full body, high intensity workouts, all the way to sitting on the couch eating potato chips while an electronic gizmo electrocutes your abs into buffness. For the most part, in my humble opinion, the majority of these products would in fact yield some result in that they are aimed at taking a relatively inactive, out of shape person (see: Betty the bon-bon eating housewife), and getting them performing some type of physical activity for at least some portion of their day. Be it 30, 15, 9, 7, or 6 minutes, they are getting them moving. It was something. Few of these products however, targeted an audience of people who were already, for the most part, active, fit and athletic. Even fewer targeted those same types of people with the intent to improve their performance in their chosen sport. This is where TRX differs from the vast majority of the other fitness products out there.

Like any other competitive triathlete who maintains a "day job" my "free time" is pretty scarce. Between the 3 disciplines, work, eating, sleeping and life in general, my ability to get to the gym without sacrificing one of the foregoing was, to be generous, pretty limited. Then I came across the TRX suspension training system.

As triathletes, even given the "cross-training" nature of our sport, we tend to be a rather limited lot. That is, we spend so much time operating in a singular plane, going forward while swimming, riding and running, that the muscles required to change planes, get ignored, diminish and atrophy. Hence the 10hr Ironman who finds himself laid up and sore for 2 days after spending 30mins playing soccer with his nephews at a family BBQ.

The reality is, that the benefits we triathletes can realize from building a strong foundation of core and stabilizer muscles are numerous. A powerful swim stroke uses a whole chain of muscles literally from head to toe. Power generation on the bike starts from and is enhanced greatly by having a strong core. A strong back will allow you to stay in an aero position longer and more comfortably. And that same strong core and back combined with a strong system of stabilizer muscles will help you develop power and keep your running form in check deeper into the run leg. Maybe the most important benefit however, is that a strong body is one that is more resistant to injury. For all these reasons, the list of triathletes who use the system is long: Chris Lieto, Tyler Stewart, James Cotter, etc... are among other athletes like Drew Brees who all claim to have had their "game lifted" by the TRX system.

I wasn't blessed with too many great "triathlete" attributes when I came into this sport, but my history of lifting weights had given me a strong platform to build off. After the last couple years focusing on swim/bike/run, my strength began to decline. With less and less time in the gym, I began to lose that foundation. Enter TRX. I got the system a couple weeks ago and have been very impressed.

First off, for once the name of a company bears truth. "Fitness Anywhere" makes the TRX system and it is truly capable of just that. You can use this thing anywhere. On a door, a tree, a rafter, a pull-up bar, etc... It also comes in a handy little carrying case that is no bigger than your average shaving/makeup bag making travel easy.

Secondly, IT WORKS! Using body weight not only adds to the convenience and ease, but it also allows anyone to easily control the loads. The suspension training aspect puts your body in a bit of a foreign environment, forcing you to use all those little and often neglected muscles to stabilize yourself while performing the exercises on the major muscle groups. You feel it IMMEDIATELY. In fact I felt like a little bit of a wuss as I was only able to go about 20mins in my first couple workouts. Even with those limited durations, I was FEELING it the next day when swimming and riding. After seeing those effects, I have promised myself that I will keep using the system at least 2x/week leading up to and through Boise 70.3, Buffalo Springs and onto Ironman Lake Placid. I am confident I will realize some real benefits from it.

So word to the wise: Get yourself one! But take it easy in your first couple workouts or you'll pay big the next day.