Cigarette sighting

Today while running some errands, I was at an intersection, waiting for the light to change. To my left, an SUV pulled alongside of me. The front and rear seat windows were down about four inches. From both openings, there were the hands of the people sitting inside, holding their cigarettes. They were obviously keeping the cigarettes outside so the inside of the car would not be polluted with the smoke. The thing that struck me as odd was that it was okay to inhale the smoke but it was not okay to have the smoke inside the car. Maybe it is time for a new, more serious warning on the side of a pack of cigarettes. "Car Dealer Warning: Smoking can cause your car to stink. If you must smoke, keep all lit cigarettes outside the car window. Preserve that new car smell! And then there is that cancer, heart disease thing. "

Ironman Coeur D’Alene Race Report 2009

I apologize for a long post but,, it is hard to cram 13 hours into less space. Trying to capture the events of the Ironman can be can be difficult and trying to capture the emotions of the day are damn near impossible. I enjoy doing race reports because it gives me a chance to reflect on what worked and what needs to be honed for the next race. In addition, I feel like I owe this to everyone who supported me and has followed my progress throughout this year. Well, here is my best shot at capturing the Ironman Coeur D'Alene 2009.

 

I spent the first few days at IM-CDA getting registered; packing transition bags, doing some practice swims and bikes. The registration process is a bit like old-school college registration where you move from station to station. Very much a manual process. The one thing they did over and over was check your ID to make sure you are who you say you are. Luckily, I was me, so I passed. It was interesting to hear people say, "Another Texan" or "Who is left in Austin, I think the whole city is here at Ironman." True enough, Coeur D'Alene had turned into a mini-Austin. We had 60 people from our team there plus all the families and friends that followed us up. I signed all the waivers, got all the IM stuff done in less than an hour. Interesting thing about IM is that all you get at registration is all you get if you do not finish. So basically, if you don't finish, you get your number, some stickers and a bunch of plastic bags and a swim cap.

The rest of the week was spent getting used to the city, the routes, the hills and the weather. Practice swims proved that the water was not as cold as we were expecting. Water temps were not an issue. Race day weather on the other hand was the big variable. Rain and cool temperatures were being predicted.

 

Sure enough, race day arrived and there was supposed to be rain in the late afternoon. I was keeping my fingers crossed that I would be off the bike before the rains hit. Race day morning was cold and windy. The water in Lake CDA was choppy and we would be swimming into current on the way out. 2000 plus athletes stood one the beach waiting to start.

 

Swim:

Prediction: 1:15:00

Actual: 1:15:19

Standing on the beach waiting for the race to start was odd. I was not nervous in fact I was pretty calm. What I was wondering about was "How the hell did I get here and why am I here. " For some odd reason, I completely forgot about all my training and was curious why I was in an Ironman". Before I could even dwell on that silly thought, the cannon went off and we were into the water. Physically I felt great. I started out really hard the first couple of hundred yards and then settled in at a good pace that was comfortable but pushing it a bit. No sooner had settled in when the wave of swimmers overtook me and I was butt punched, kicked, whacked in the head and possibly groped more than I would like. These little skirmishes would happen every once in awhile as the swim progressed. I learned a few things from past triathlons about crowded swims. Number one, if there is a crowd around you, then there is most likely an empty spot near by. So whenever I felt claustrophobic, I would rise up and try to find a vacant spot in the water. Nine times out of ten, there was one nearby that I could swim to. Once I started getting packed in, I would start searching again. I think I know what salmon feel like when they are all swimming upstream. The second thing I learned is that going around buoys does not have to be within arms reach of the buoy. I would try and swim around the buoy about 20 yards out from the marker and I avoided the mad rush of people climbing all over each other. We had two looks of the swim so we had to get out, run across the beach and then get back in the water and start all over again. At the end of the swim, was a bit like walking drunk (I have heard). My mind wanted me to go straight but my body kept moving left. I think it would be funny to see a video of people as they try to get their equilibrium. I staggered across the timing mat and head up to transition.

 

Transition Swim to Bike:

Prediction: 00:10:00

Actual: 00:06:23

Wetsuit strippers are the best. They have it down to a science on how to get you out of a wetsuit in less than 4 seconds. Key to getting out of the wetsuit was listening to the directions they were yelling at you. I saw several people trying to do their own thing and not listening, they looked like they were having a seizure. There is usually not much to say about T1 but I did have a funny moment while changing. The changing tent was packed and I did not need to change clothes, I just needed to put on shoes, socks and helmet. I chose the area outside the tent to change. One of the things that makes sitting on the bike tolerable is chamois butter, which is basically lanolin cream. So, I squeezed out a big glob of chamois butter into my hand and deposited it where it belongs, in my shorts. I overheard one of the spectators exclaim "Did you see what that guy did with his hand in his pants!"

 

Bike:

Prediction: 6:30:00

Actual: 6:50:01

The bike was tough. My brother and I drove the course to see what it was like and it did not look overwhelming. Of course that appraisal was done while in a Ford Taurus. Sitting on a Felt bike, it is a different story. The hills were a bit longer and steeper than I expected. In my mind, I was doing terrible. For some reason, I was pessimistic about my performance. In actuality, I was doing well because on some portions of the ride, I would see my teammates and I was staying pretty consistent with the amount of time between us. Nutrition worked well. I crammed in the calories as much as possible. Every 15 minutes I was taking in nutrition. My plan for the ride was to divide the day up into three timeframes. With each timeframe, I would increase my heart rate but would stay below 85% HR. On the hills I naturally went a bit higher but for the most part, I stayed within my heart rate and kept cranking. As I came into town, I was actually quite happy with my bike time. Slower than I wanted but I was not hammered. I felt great, legs were good, and I was ready to run. I was really feeling pretty excited about starting the run.

 

Bike to run transition:

Prediction: 00:10:00

Actual: 00:05:29

Nothing to report on in T2, I kept my hand out of my pants so it was pretty boring for everyone.

Run:

Prediction: 4:20:00

Actual: 4:46:52

The run was my big worry. I tend to fade in the last 26 miles of the marathon. The first .2 miles though are all mine. Mentally and physically I have been preparing myself for the run. Since training started, I tried to run after every spin class or bike ride. I wanted my legs and my mind to know what it would feel like to run after riding. Mentally, I have been visualizing myself running the first 18 miles. I did not plan on walking water stops until post 18 miles. I planned to eat every 30 minutes. All I can say about the run is that it felt great. It was hard but it never felt like it would overwhelm me. I stayed with my plan and it worked out well. Seeing all my teammates throughout the run was a great motivator. The occasional high five, head nod, "Way to go" or any acknowledgement helped me so much. Every timing mat that I went over, I visualized friends and family getting an internet notice of where I was. I used that to imagine good thoughts coming back at me. I went out a little too fast at the start at it came back to haunt me a bit on the last few miles. So, the lesson learned is to take it a bit slower if you feel like you are doing okay. One thing that started playing a role in everyone's performance was the weather. It started raining and getting colder. Runners were wearing Mylar blankets or garbage bags to stay dry and warm. Race officials were walking through the course checking on people for fatigue and hypothermia. As I was coming in towards the finish, I felt really bad for those that were headed back out for another loop. I knew that they had another 2-3 hours out on the course. These would be hard hours. I shouted out encouragement to a few people who looked like hell and were struggling. Depending on a person's frame of mind at this point they either appreciate you or detest you for the support. They really looked like survivors were coming out of a disaster zone.

The finish, this is it, the goal that I and many others have worked hard for. It is pretty easy to describe getting to the finish line. For the past 6 months, 280 hours of training, 320 miles of running, 1400 miles on the bike and countless laps of swimming. Rainy days, windy days, hot days, days you wanted to sleep in, special occasions missed so you could train, all the sacrifices that we made and that our families made so that we could cross a line on a street in Coeur D'Alene Idaho. When it comes to describing the last 300 yards, those last few minutes all I can say is that you want the distance to end but not the time. I wanted those last few moments to last forever. Tired, cold, wet, exhausted I was ready to cross the line and be done with the day. Rose Mary and my brother both ran out into the street to run with me for a bit. That will be a moment I remember forever. Seeing the streets lined with family, friends and hundreds of strangers all cheering for me. With their enthusiasm and zeal, they were pulling me to cross that line, urging me to be the Ironman I worked for. Noah, a teammate, reminded all of us to take it all in as we came down the finish chute. He urged us to slow down and enjoy the moment. Thanks to him, I did that. I high fived anyone I could reach, I looked people in the eyes and just soaked in their excitement. Suddenly the finish line is too close and it all ends when a volunteer hands you a hat, a medal and a t-shirt. They make sure you are okay, that you can stand for a bit longer, they get you some water and then they are gone, off to help someone else. 13 hours and 04 minutes after I started, I became an Ironman.

In our lives there are occasions that stand out. Births, deaths, graduations, marriage, these are moments that you can think back upon and all the emotions from that time can come flooding back. None of them equal but all of them are memorable. I want as many of these life moments as possible. I can honestly say that I have a new life moment. This was an amazing day for me and I did not get to have this without the help of a lot of people. So, I have to give some thanks to Rose Mary for putting up with this craziness called Ironman. It was a lot of time apart and I could not have done this without her support. I also have to thank friends and family for the continued support. Their words of encouragement and best wishes were amazing. On the run, I carried a baggie with printed copies of emails from everyone. I never wanted to quit but there were times when I wanted to slow down. When those moments came along, I remembered how much support I had with me. Too many names to mention but you know who you are and I appreciate you. The wonder of technology like Facebook, putting me in touch with long distance relatives, and long lost friends was pleasure. Having them on board and staying in touch was a great motivator. Huge shout out to "the team". I trained with the T3 team here in Austin. I owe a special thanks to all the Angels, the coaches and fellow athletes for teaching me, inspiring me and motivating me to be better than I was the previous week.

 

Although Triathlon is an individual sport, it takes a lot of people to get you across the finish line.

 

 

 

Just for Fun

Several weeks ago, Brandon Marsh published an article in Runner Triathlete News that focused on thinking about why we do Triathlon. The article was in the March 2009 issue of RTN and was titled "Perspective". I would post a link to the article but RTN is a tough site to search old articles. Brandon did a great job of telling us to think about why we spend time on a sport (or anything). If we are at the point where we suffer through workouts or do not look forward to spending time on races, then maybe it is time to step back and rethink our passion. Brandon did a much better job at it than I can do. . My point in bringing this up is that I have had a few times when I did not look forward to a workout. There are many times when I wanted to skip track or sleep in. And there have been times when I dreaded a race. On the flip side, there are those moments in training and racing where it is just plain fun. This past weekend, was that, just plain fun. It was the CapTex Olympic Triathlon. I had the most fun that I have ever had in a race.

I had one freak out moment at the start of the swim. I went out way too fast and ended up getting exhausted within 200 meters. It was a stupid mistake. I calmed down and settled back into a smooth swim and everything came together. Once I got into the swim, It was a perfect balance of swimming strong and not going over the edge of exertion. As I neared the swim exit, I noticed I was passing other swimmers so I felt good knowing that I swam hard but not so hard that I ran out of gas. Once in transition, I noticed that there were a lot of bikes on the racks and that meant I was out of the water pretty quick compared to the others in my age group. The bike was where the fun started. We got to ride through downtown Austin on closed streets and as fast as we wanted. That was so much fun. It was like being a kid, just going fast for the sake of going fast. I stayed in the small gears on the first lap or 4. After that, I kicked it in and pushed myself. I got passed a few times by age groupers that were in the previous wave but for the most part, I held my own relative to my age group. Again, it was a balance of putting in the right amount of energy but not so much that I overdid it. Heading out on the run I had good legs and was able to get into a stride that felt good. Tiring but good. Here is the interesting (at least to me) part about the run. At about the 4 mile point, I came upon a guy in my age group. I was slowly overtaking him. As I started to pass him, I realized that once I passed, I was his rabbit. He could pace me and pass if he wanted. It was up to me to pass him and stay strong for the remainder of the run. So I committed myself and passed him. He was right behind me and I think he picked his pace up to stay with me. After about a quarter of a mile, my shoe came untied and I had to stop. As soon as I pulled over to tie my shoe, he passed me. Damn,, here I go again,, I not only have to catch him, but I have to pick up the pace to drop him. At this point I have no idea where I am in my age group but whether I was first or last,, I was racing like I was first. I eased back into a good running pace and caught him. Once I passed him (again), I picked it up. I kept in my imagination that he was right behind me and that he would pass me if I let up. That vision stayed with me the remainder of the run. At the end, I PRed the Olympic distance with a 2:35 finish time. The guy I passed came in 6 seconds behind me. He also came in 4^th place. I managed a podium finish. Out of 20 old farts, I got 3^rd. The podium finish was just icing on the cake. I had more fun racing that day than I ever had.

Goals, not mine but goals in general

I recently met someone and we found that we had running in common. She was running about 5K, three or four times a week. She mentioned that she was thinking about getting in a program to train for the San Antonio R&R Half-Marathon. She was not sure about it and was scared to take on that as a goal. At this point, she did not know anything about my training for IM-CDA, in fact she knew nothing about my running / training experience. I gave her a bunch of encouragement to take on the half-marathon. I told her about how much fun she would have and how she would really enjoy the sense of accomplishment that comes with goal seeking. We eventually got around to talking about my goals and I told her I was training for IM-CDA. She automatically started talking about her silly little 13.1 mile run compared to an IM. As much as my ego likes to be stroked, I was really taken back by this. My goal is not any different than hers. Her goal is just as daunting, just as challenging as mine. She has to overcome a lot of obstacles, she has to make a sacrifice in time and money, and she has to dedicate herself to achieving that goal. Just like me.

We talked about this and I am glad that we did. Regardless of what the goal is, they are all equal, as long as they are realistic, they move you forward and you work at them. It was a really good conversation. For me it was an IM, for her a half-marathon, for some it is learning to paint, lose weight, get active, writing that novel or whatever. So, the lesson we learned was, a goal is a goal and we should all have some.

Ten Weeks and Counting

Depending on how you look at it, we are about 10 weeks from IM-CDA. Some people are looking at it as 4 more weeks of long rides and runs, not counting the taper weeks. There are a lot of different ways to look at it but the bottom line is,, we are over half way to CDA.

NBC of all networks, had the 70.3 world championships on TV today so I parked my butt in front of the TV and watched it. After seeing the event on TV, I was ready to go out and race. Watching a triathlon for most people would be like watching paint dry or a cake being baked. Not much there in terms of action. For me and most endurance athletes, watching a triathlon is an exercise in training and inspiration. From the broadcast you get to see how the pro's deal with race conditions, how their posture on the bike is and how they run. Inspiration comes from just watching and knowing that it won't be long before I get to do my race. Speaking of races and 70.3, the Galveston 70.3 was last week. There were about 40 T3ers that went down to race. I could not make it and it really bugged the hell out of me that I could not be there. First off, let me say that having the hell bugged out of you is easy to deal with when you are in the Bahamas’, so no tears for me, please. For many weeks I have been training and a race is where you get to put all your training together and see how you are doing. The truly odd part about triathlons is that we train as a team but it is an individual sport. Come race day, the outcome is all yours. (And this is where I stick my big BUT in.) BUT, when you train as a team, there is a huge emotional bond with everyone. You want them to have a good day of racing and you want to be there to cheer them on. I guess that is camaraderie? It was interesting to see all the race reports and experiences that people had. For the most part, everyone had great races. Many people ended up in the med tent getting IV's., some people had GI issues, one person got her feet all cut up during the swim. So, 40 some odd racers, 40 some odd stories. Many of the stories involved interesting circumstances like vomiting, peeing on the bike, belching, and farting. I am not sure what the men had to say.

One other thing about the team, the last few weeks have been amazing in terms of seeing people experience breakthroughs. Many of the team completed their first century ride followed by a 20 mile run the next day. When we first started training, back in January, people looked at the schedule and many stated, "I am not sure I can do this" or "I have never ridden that far, much less follow that up with a 20 mile run the very next day". That is the amazing part of this sport ( and other endeavors) when you see people breaking through boundaries and seeing that , Yes, they can do this. Also, it is very cool to see how people have physically changed. Weight is being lost, muscles are popping up on legs and arms.

Wind is supposed to blow, but it actually sucks

What a great week it was. A very heavy week of training but it was just amazing to see all the progress people are making. This week, besides the usual training, there was our first 100 mile ride and 20 mile run to be dealt with. The angst leading up to the weekend was heavy on the T3 discussion board. People were concerned with nutrition, ride routes and the weather. The weather became the big contributor. T3ers were scattered all over Central Texas. Some rode in charity rides North of Austin in Salado, some rode the Rosedale ride on East Austin, some rode down South towards San Marcos, several rode indoors while others opted to run on Saturday and ride on Sunday when it was supposed to be a better day.

I rode on Saturday up in Salado. When I left Austin, the temps were in the high 30's and the wind was gusting like crazy. All the way out to Salado, I figured we would get there and everyone would decide to skip the ride and just head back to Austin for a run. No luck, everyone showed up and was ready to ride. The wind was crazy. Strong gusts, I mean really strong. Liz and I rode together the whole way. It was very discouraging to work my ass off training, feeling good about having a usual average speed of 18 MPH, and then not being able to go much faster than 16 MPH due to headwinds, side winds, headwinds up hills and even downhill's. It was like gravity was being nullified by wind. At one point, we were riding across the dam on Still house Lake when we got hit with a side wind from the right. I saw Liz get pushed about two feet into traffic and then before I knew it, I was right there in the car lane with her, my right foot pulled from the cleat. Everything ached; we were riding hard the whole time. I wish there was some way to convey the physical demands and the mental games you have to play in order to get through a day like this. It was the toughest ride that I have ever encountered. It was a total of about 7 hours in the saddle at an average speed of 15.4 MPH. Now that it is over and I am sitting at my computer eating marshmallow peeps (Pink Bunnies), I can say that I am happy that I did it. It was a mental boost knowing that I can face those tough conditions and come through intact.

There were very few people riding the 100 mile route at Salado. We did not know that until later but at the time, we saw very few people once we got out on the longer routes. Liz and I got out to the furthest point on the route. We picked up Clarence along the way and the three of us were pushing hard to put the miles behind us and get this thing over with. When we got to the most extreme rest stop, there were a bunch of Boy Scouts manning the stop. We saw them ahead of us. They were playing around by the cars and when the saw us, they went running to man the tables. One grabbed some cups, another grabbed food, we watched them prepare to take care of us. I think we were their first customers of the day. Part of the training for today, was to have limited stops on the bike. We had to carry all our own nutrition and water. We felt bad when we just kept pedaling and passed them by. They looked so dejected.

The next day, (Sunday) was a 20 mile run. It was a great run, except for the last three miles. I was seriously hurting. Not injury hurting, just leg tired. My legs were worn out. I finished but it was painful. We ran negative splits between the first 10 and the second 10.

Everything is going well with training. Biggest problem I have right now is a saddle sore on my butt cheek. Let me just say that you have no friends willing to help when you have a sore on your ass. Not that I have asked anyone, I am just saying.

Breakthroughs and Breakdowns

This past week was the first of two really tough weekends. Saturday we were scheduled for an 80 mile bike ride followed by a 50 minute run. The idea with this workout was to put some miles on our legs and then follow it up with a run. Hoping off the bike, you sort of do a goofy run until your legs get used to changing motion. This workout gets you used to race day conditions. So that was Saturday's workout, Sunday was a 17 mile run. All in all, it was two days of tough work. Nutrition would be a key element in everyone's success. Along with the training, you throw in some food poisoning that many people encountered, and you got some good old fashioned drama.

Many of us participated in a charity ride which included a post-ride fajita buffet. Since we rode 88 miles (23 miles further than any of the normal routes) and we did a 50 minute run, we were fortunate enough to be amongst the last diners. Hence, you got yourself some food poisoning. I woke up in the wee hours with all the effects of food poisoning. I won't go into details, and you are welcome. I thought it was just me until I showed up for the run on Sunday and found out that there were probably a dozen of us were ill. The 17 mile run quickly collapsed into short runs from bathrooms to bathrooms. Some people did not make it out of bed; some made it 5 miles and then called it quits. I made it 14 and then ended up walking the last three. It was a miserable day.

Saturday, after the ride, before the food poisoning, I was on a high. The ride was great; I had good energy, my nutrition worked great. I was able to get off the bike and run a good 5 miles at a 9:17 pace. I was really feeling good about things, mentally and physically. Then having the run fall apart on me brought me back to Earth. The run experience really took the wind out of my sails.

The whole training program is a drama in real life. The highs and lows were evident everywhere. Reading and listening about other people's experiences was amazing. Throughout the course of a day riding 88 miles, the terrain changes, the weather changes, calories are consumed, muscles get fatigued. People go from the excitement of starting the day out and then reality hits them in the face with wind, hills, heat and lack of nutrition. Some have the ride of their lives, everything works just fine. The wind does not bother them, they climb hills with ease. The same goes with running these distances. They last over 3 or 4 hours and a lot can happen.

Next weekend, we have 100 miles to ride on Saturday and then a 20 mile run on Sunday. The drama continues.