Rev3 Half Rev Race Report - Run

Starting the run I had my PowerGels on my race belt and in my side pockets.  I was down a couple but I could easily pick them up at the aid stations where I would be getting my water.

I tried to be very conservative for the opening miles.  My inner quads started to cramp on the bike and I needed to loosen them up before trying to squeeze out any speed.

Two years ago when I did the HalfRev I had gone too hard on the bike and cramped up bad.  In 2010 I spent some time at the first aid station walking out the cramps and taking salt tablets.

This year I was able to cruise right by the aid station while calming down the quads.  I was going to stop and take a pee but I saw someone duck into the port-o-potty and another was in line.  As I ran past the last volunteer I saw several other guys heading towards to tall grass to relieve themselves.  I was fine for the time being and kept on trucking along.

At the mile markers I pressed the split button of my watch but didn't look at my time.  I just wanted some data to look at after the race.  I was going to race by perceived exertion.  Just like I've ran all year I would find an effort I felt I could hold the entire distance.  Only problem was that this would be my longest race distance of the year and there were mile markers telling me how much I had left to run.

Between miles 2 and 3 Mark finally passed me with a smack on my butt.  He was moving at a great pace and was by me in seconds.  There was no way I could stick with him and not pay for it dearly in the later miles.  I had to let him go and stick with my own strategy.

Nutritionally I was taking a PowerGel every other mile and water at all aid stations.  The PowerGels keep me mentally aware of the race and what I am doing.  Without proper nutrition on the run I turn in to a zombie just going through the motions. 

I did my fair share of passing people but was also passed by some people much faster.  But I held my own, raced my race and thanked the volunteers when I could.

For the first three miles I was averaging a 7:40 pace.   In hindsight that was probably too fast but that is what felt comfortable at the time.  For these longer races, half and full, I may need to pay attention to my watch a little closer and control my efforts.

At some point during the first half of the run I couldn't stand the loaded bladder and didn't want to bother with a pot-o-potty.  For the second time this year I peed during the run while running.  At the next aid station I grabbed some water and dumped it on my legs.  It felt good to have an empty bladder again.

Right before mile 6 I approached Daly's Pub and saw the CTC crew setting up their corner of the patio to cheer the runners.  They saw me and started cheering.  I saw them and headed towards them to get some high fives.  One person I was glad to see was an old teammate Adam.  I haven't seen him in a long time and it was great to get a high five and some encouraging words from him.

I continued on my way and got back on pace.  At this point I was going to start picking up the pace but my legs had different ideas for me.  My right calf decided it was a good time to start cramping. 

I was maintaining a good 8 minute pace but certainly some dehydration over the course of the day had seeped in.  I shortened my stride to prevent a full blown cramp from developing and had some good self talk with the calf in question.

I just told my muscles to relax and we would get through this with very little problems.  I was still cognizant about my surroundings and encouraged those athletes around me that I knew.  I passed my Hood to Coast teammate Steve.  He said he was hurting but I told him to control the pain and push through it.  He eventually placed in his Clydesdale division.

My calf tried to cramp on me no less than five times during the last half of the run.  But I fought through it.  There were several times I thought I would be forced to walk but I didn't.  I saw Mandie, 1 Puma, on her run and yelled that she was looking good.

I also saw Ginny near the 3 mile aid station.  She was three miles into her run and I was three miles from finishing mine.  I still managed to cross over and give her a high five, despite almost crashing into a volunteer.

I loved seeing my teammates and friends on the course.  We managed to give each other a mutual exchange of energy to boost our spirits and lighten our stride.

With about 1.5 miles to go we cross over a bridge which is the largest elevation gain/loss of the entire run.  It's only about 20 feet but near the end of the run it feels much steeper and taller than that.  I was gaining on the person ahead of me and I would make the pass near the top of the bridge.  Despite his compression socks I could tell he was in me age group.  I made what felt like a solid pass and pushed myself to widen the gap between us.

The calf was screaming at me some more but I kept a steady breathing pattern that allowed me to control the pain.  Only one more mile to go.

Mike took this picture of me at my finest.  I was grunting my way to the finish line.  I passed a couple more people before entering the final gated chute. 

There was an opening in the fence for relay teammates to join their runner to the finish line and I saw some familiar faces as they cheered for me.  Right before the passing under the inflatable arch I saw Aimee standing along the fence were I set up the team tent.  I slapped her hand as I passed and turned left towards the finish line.

I crossed the line with a final run time of 1:45:27 and finish time of 4:58:16.  I managed to achieve my sub 5 hour goal by two minutes. 

I stood for a moment with shaky legs as a volunteer helped take my timing chip off my ankle.  My finishers medal was draped around my neck and I started walking towards the back of the finish chute. 

They were handing out large Gatorade towels that had been dipped in cold water.  It felt good on my heated up body.  I grabbed my finisher shirt and sat in an open chair.  I pulled the towel over my head and allowed myself a moment to release the emotions that were ready to come out after a hard fought battle.  The battle with my body, mind and course often takes an mental toll on me and the post race release is just how I deal with it. 

I collected myself and started to make my way to the Snakebite tent.  Aimee, Laura, Jane and some others were sitting around waiting for more finishers, especially Mandie.  Aimee and Jane didn't have to wait too long to cross the finish line with their teammate.

Mandie was hurting just as bad as I was if not worse.  Her foot was bothering her very bad but she gutted it out for the team.

Overall I was 6th in my age group and 37th overall male.  I was happy with the effort I put forth even if it was not the smartest race I have ever had.  In retrospect I needed more fluids on the bike.  I recall a couple of times where the wind was drying the sweat from my body.  This leads to a false sense of your how much you are sweating.  I also discussed it with Aimee and she mad me realize that I didn't take any salt tablets prior to the race.  And the Saturday before the race was not the best nutritionally.

Oh well.  If you can't learn something from each race then why bother.

After watching some more people cross the finish line and change into regular clothes I made my way to Daly's Pub in downtown Sandusky.  I joined Jen, Mark, Marie,  and a couple others cheering for the runners. 

Then we drove back to the finish line and partied until midnight.  I was tired from racing but still had something for the party. 

Another great end to a fun and exciting season.

Rev3 Half Rev Race Report - Bike

I ran past the other athletes mounting their bikes and had a great running mount onto the bike.  Mark wasn't too far behind me and when he caught up he said he was going to draft behind me for the entire ride.

I know he wasn't going to draft in the illegal sense of the word but just ride behind me.  Which he didn't have to do because he could have crushed the bike course.

My strategy on the bike was to take it easy for the first 28 miles and then increase the effort for the second half.  It was hard to not push the pace too hard with so many people around.

Leaving Cedar Point I was consistently passing people.  At times I had to push the pace so that I wasn't drafting and could make a quick pass.  But it was a little congested the first 15 miles.  We were sometimes 3 wide on the street as passes were made at different speeds. 

The roads were in good condition and the recent chip 'n seal was confined to a short stretch.

My nutriton plan on the bike consisted of two bottles with Perpetuem, one bottle of Nuun, two Clif Z-Bars and one Honey Stinger waffle.  I also had a PowerGel to get me ready just prior to the run.

During the first hour I drank my Perpetuem and also used my PowerGel.  My effort was steady but I wanted an extra boost for some of the hills.  There were PowerGels at the bike aid stations so I knew I could grab one on the go.

During my second hour I switched to my solid foods.  The first Z-Bar went down fine.  It was good to have some solid food.  When I was  reaching for my waffle the second Z-Bar fell to the ground and was a distant memory in a matter of seconds.  According to USAT rules I could have been penalized for abandoning equipment or littering but it just wasn't possible to turn around on Rt. 113...more dangerous than worth it.  So I ate my waffle and switched to my Perpetuem bottle early.

I didn't need anything from the aid stations until around mile 31 when I could feel the pressure of a full bladder.  I would have to empty my bladder soon and wanted to take a "shower" when I was done.

After passing through the town of Berlin Heights I found some nice rollers to relieve myself.  One athlete behind me passed while I was taking care of business and washing off.  When I passed him a short time later I apologized for him having to see that.  He thought it was a good idea and may need to do it himself.

I was picking up the tempo by now and I could see Mark ahead of me.  Along Rt. 113 he had managed to pull away and I didn't realize it.  I meant to keep in contact with him and I wasn't focused enough to follow him.

Now I could see him down the road and he was a target for me to catch and pass.  Unfortunately I was also catching up to a lot of other people which caused us to start bunching up again.  It seemed like a constant rotation of the same group.  One person would pass on an uphill, I would pass on a downhill, everyone took turns passing on the flats.  With 16 miles to go the traffic was getting bad again.


I hated being in a group like this and tried to stay off the draft created by the person in front of me.  I must have been getting some benefit because eventually I would start creeping up and have to pass several people and take the lead.  I would stay out there until someone else had recovered enough to make another pass. 

When we turned back onto Cedar Point Road I decided to back off the effort for the final 6 miles and give the legs a chance to recover and be ready to run.

Despite my reduced effort I was still close to a lot of people.  I tried to be staggered and stay out of a draft but it was difficult.  Of course a motorcycle pulled up behind me and I knew it was one of the USAT referees.  I immediately backed off my tempo and faded away from the person ahead of me.  I think the referee understood what I was doing and continued down the road. 

I started making some additional passes and the second USAT referee passed me while I was making a pass.  It was legit and she moved ahead to watch how others were riding.

I came into the Cedar Point parking lot with Mark and a couple others.  We made our way towards the transition area.  I slipped my feet from my shoes and was ready to dismount. 

Despite the crowds lining the road I spotted Aimee cheering for me.  I swung my right leg over the bike and prepared to dismount. I found the hole shot I wanted at the dismount line and hopped off the pedal right at the line and ran to my transition spot. 

I took off my helmet and started to slip on my shoes.  These were new running shoes and I never replaced the regular laces with Yankz.  So I tied my shoes, grabbed my race belt and hat, then started heading towards the transition exit.  Despite needing to tie my shoes I don't think my transition time was much slower.  My T2 time was 1:34.

I pressed the split button on my watch and started my 13.1 mile run to the finish line.

My 56 mile ride took me 2:37:46 with an average speed of 21.3 MPH.  I had been passed by some guys in my age group so I was leaving transition in 6th place.

Rev3 Half Rev Race Report - Pre-race and swim

This race report should be about the Rev3 Revolution which consisted of a sprint tri on Saturday and the HalfRev on Sunday.  But due to circumstances beyond anyone's possible control the sprint race was cancelled.

Aimee and I got up at our "normal" 4:45AM time Saturday morning and headed to Cedar Point for the 7AM start time.  There were only five of us registered for the Revolution and then all the other sprint racers including two SBR teammates, Martha and Beth.

The rain was coming down in buckets but I readied myself for a cold wet race none the less.  Driving on Cedar Point Road, part of the course, the water was almost covering the road at points.  Some sections only had 2 feet of pavement showing.

In the parking lot people were saying that the race was cancelled.  A 5k run would take place instead.  I walked to the expo while Aimee waited in the car.  I found Martha and Beth in the registration tent and managed to get a team picture.

I checked in the club tent area and dismantled my tent and the CTC tent before the expected winds ripped them to shreds.  Aimee and I drove back home and we climbed back into bed until 9:30AM.

We met out friends later on Saturday to pick up the race packets and check the bikes into transition.  Aimee was the swimmer for her HalfRev relay team, 1 Puma, 2 Cougars, with our friends Mandie and Jane.  We didn't spend too much time at Cedar Point and wanted to get home.  I think we were both feeling a little off because of already being at the park earlier that day.  We tried to get to bed as early as possible.

Cougar 1 (Aimee - swim), Cougar 2 (Jane - bike), Puma (Mandie - run)

We woke up on Sunday morning at 4:45AM...again....and made our way to Cedar Point.  The transition area would be open for us until 7:30 but I wanted to get there before the FullRev started.  Adam O'Meara was racing and I wanted to wish him good luck.  Adam had been our homestay in 2010 when he raced the Full.

We got there with plenty of time to see Adam, set up my transition area, pump up bike tires (mine, Jane's and Laura's), get the team tent put together, and mingle with friends and competitors. 

Aimee and I were in the same start wave going off at 8:45.  The FullRev started at 7AM but they wanted the full racers to at least complete their first lap before we entered the water.

During the time before the start I was able to talk and share some moments with everyone.  I was also able to get into the water and loosen up the arms.  All of this keeps the atmosphere loose until we enter the swim corral.

When our swim wave was announced I gave Aimee and quick kiss and made my way into the water.  We stood about thigh deep in the water as we waited to be sent off.  I lined up front row middle since my swim had been pretty solid all summer.

With 5 seconds to go I started my watch and got ready to start swimming.  I immediately started swimming since it was deep enough.  With each breath I could see the people walking around me but I felt it was easier to swim than walk through the water.  We were all going the same speed whether walking or swimming.

Eventually everyone was swimming and we set our sights on the course markers.  My left goggle was getting some water in it so I stopped for a moment to take care of it.  The water still wasn't too deep and I was able to stand with no problems while I took care of my goggles.

Back in action I pushed forward through the water.  About half way to the first turn buoy the chop became a little more noticeable.  My sighting seemed to be paying off as I felt I was swimming fairly straight.

Rounding the first turn buoy the chop started coming at us from the left side.  I caught a couple of waves during my breathing but you can't let something like that affect your swimming.  I just exhaled as much water as possible and went for another breath.

On this second section I felt my sighting was not as good.  I'm not sure if I was trying to counter the wave action too much but I always felt like I was drifting left.  I had to keep adjusting right so I wasn't too far away from the buoys.

I began passing some people from the previous waves but also noticed a yellow swim cap from my start wave.  We were swimming the same pace I always had sight of my swim "partner".  Maybe I should have drafted off that person but I'm not very good at it.  So I just kept chugging along. 

About half way through the swim I was able to settle into breathing every third stroke.  I kept myself long and made the most of my catch and pull.  I felt fast and powerful which is a great mental boost.

Rounding the final turn buoy we began heading toward the beach.  The wind was coming from the west, the direction we were headed, and the chop was the worst here.  It was still manageable, but it was also noticeable when trying to sight the buoys. 

My yellow capped swim mate and I were continuing to pass people.  I tried swimming as far as possible, but when I started digging into the sand I was still a ways from the beach.  There is a lot of shallow water leading up the beach so I walked with those around me until I could get my feet above the water line and run.

I spotted my friend Laura ahead of me who was doing the Aquabike.  I ran by her, patted her on the butt and said, "let's get going girl."

I glanced at my watch when I hit the beach and it said 32 minutes.  My chip time was 32:18 and I was 3rd of 59 in the age group.  So I was happy with my swim.  I felt it was solid and put me in good position for the rest of the day.

As I ran up the beach I could hear some people cheering for me on both sides.  I could see the group from Spin/Second Sole Multisport off to the left and pointed at them in recognition.  I charged up the beach through the sand to the parking lot.

As I rounded the corner and headed towards the transition area I saw CTC super cheerleader Krystal bouncing up and down cheering for me.  It put a smile on my face and I hope she saw it.

I ran towards my bike getting my wetsuit down as far as I could.  I was finding the shortest route possible to my bike.  Below are the bike racks Rev3 uses.  I jumped over an empty transition rack to get to my bike.  It was just quicker that way.

I immediately put my sunglasses and helmet on before taking my wetsuit off the rest of the way.  Mandie, the Puma runner of Aimee's relay team ran over to cheer me on but I was very focused on getting onto the bike I didn't say anything to her.  I heard her screaming at me but my concentration once inside transition is so intense I shut things out. 

Having a friend right there at my transition spot gave me some extra energy to move even faster out of transition.  So my socks and shoes were next and I grabbed my bike from the rack.

I ran towards the bike exit and saw that it was jammed with people getting on their bikes.  Just hanging out and the mount line taking their time straddling their bikes.  I found an opening in the crowd and ran through the hole running right past my friend Mark.  I ran about 5 more yards and finally mounted my bike on the fly.

Time for a 56 mile ride.

Hood to Coast - Leg 3 and Finish

I’m not even sure how long we slept but being able to sleep in a bed was awesome. When the alarm went off I was out of bed and getting my stuff together. I took my gear to the van and had a quick breakfast in the lobby….mmmmm waffles.

We had to drive to the 24 – 25 exchange so James could run his last leg. After getting our bearings and driving in the right direction we passed Marie before the exchange zone. We met up with our teammates from Van 2 and waited for Marie. She came rolling in out of the fog and handed off to James.

The traffic between the exchange zones was starting to get congested. A couple of times we were worried that we wouldn’t be at the exchange zone in time. As Katie was getting ready for Steve to finish his leg I was getting ready for my final leg.

I was all dressed and ready because Katie’s final leg was only 4.2 miles. As we drove along the road we passed all the runners heading towards the exchange. We saw Katie and cheered for her as we drove by. Then we reached the traffic jam. The road was all backed up and moving slowly. We didn’t even know how far away we were from the exchange zone.

We kept looking back to see where Katie was. Finally we saw her and she was gaining ground on us. I grabbed my water bottle and race belt then jumped out of the car. I started running towards the exchange zone so I could be waiting for Katie.

After a couple of minutes I realized how stupid I was. I didn’t need to be there before Katie, I could be there with Katie. Why was I killing myself trying to beat her there when I could run with her to the exchange zone.

I slowed down and waited for her to catch me. She told me we still had 1.5 miles to go so I was in for a long warmup. Katie was running strong and adding to her road kill count. JC had also joined us and we escorted Katie to the exchange zone.

As the volunteer announced our team number I said, “Here I am.” I held up my arm and Katie slapped the wrist band on my arm to begin my final running leg.

Run leg 29 is the fifth and final “very hard” segment. It was also the longest at 6.11 miles. As the profile shows; you go up….then you go down. So from the exchange zone I was immediately going up.

I knew this was my final leg and I was going to leave it all on the course. I was feeling surprisingly good and had plenty of targets ahead of me.

This was by far the prettiest segment I ran. The tall trees and river beside the road provided plenty to see when I wasn’t looking at the road. The road was similar to my first segment when the twists and turns of the road had a serious pitch to it side to side. I ran on the gravel berm as much as I could to find flat land.

But I kept my pace steady and passed people at a good rate. The team finally passed me after picking up Katie and JC. Their cheers brought a smile to my face. And there were many other teams cheering for everyone.

The part of the climb between miles 2.8 and 3 was a bitch. It was a slow shuffle up the steep part but I never walked. My team was counting on me to bring it home quickly. I just wanted them there before me.


As I reached to top of the climb my road kill count was up to 18, that made me feel good. I glanced at my watch and I had covered the 3.5 mile climb in 30 minutes, an 8:34/mile pace.

I crested the hill and felt gravity pull me down the road. Now I was in my element. I have worked hard over the past several years to improve my downhill running. I find that balance between falling forward and staying in control which helps propel me down the road.

My focus had to be spot on because I was still running on the gravel berm. I felt there was better traction on the gravel than on the road. I kept my leg turnover quick to maximize my speed.

I was passing other runners who were braking down the hill and would probably be feeling it in the quads later that day. I was also passing a lot of van too. The traffic had become congested again and I wondered when I would see my teammates again.

It was pretty cool to be running past the cars. It made me feel fast and I imagined the people in the cars were thinking the same thing.

I did finally pass the van and they cheered for me saying Josh was waiting for me at the exchange zone. Josh and Katie had gotten out and ran to the exchange zone to be ready for me.

I came flying into the exchange zone and handed off the wrist band to Josh. This time is was a good 5 minutes before I regained my composure. Katie and I had some time to kill waiting for the van which was good for me. I kept walking or running up and down the road to keep my legs moving. I wanted to flush out at much lactic acid as possible before sitting in the van.

When the van finally reached us we headed to the next exchange zone to pick up Josh.

I completed the final 2.6 miles in 16:13, a 6:14 pace running downhill. And I added 18 more people to my road kill count. It was good to be back in the van with my teammates hoping our team in van 2 would continue running strong.

After we picked up Josh we stopped at a roadside gas station/convenience store/bar. We bought beer, snacks and an ice cream sandwich for me. It was delicious. We sat around for a while relaxing and enjoying the fact that Van 1 was done. But we still needed to make our way to the finish line at Seaside.

We arrived about way before Marie, our last runner. We got some food and beer for everyone else since I was driving the van back to Portland. I chatted with some other runners, especially Team Cougar Club. Steve wanted me to take a picture of the team. They were very willing to take a picture WITH me.

Marie arrived at the finish line before Van 2 could make it through the traffic.

We waited for the entire team to assemble before we all ran under the finishing arch. We took some more pictures and headed back to the cars. Dinner was calling but would have to wait until we got much closer to Portland.

Our team dinner was a great time to share stories from each van. Seeing pictures and reading other race reports helps tie the two vans together and remember this was a team event. And I was blessed to be part of such a great group of people. I would run with them again without any hesitation.

Our team finished in 27 hours, 10 minutes, 50 seconds. Over one hour better than the prediction. We ranked 15th out of 68 in our category and 167th of 1060 overall. That says a lot about the caliber of people on the team. We drew the best out of each other because of that desire to not let our teammates down. To give everything we had and not sacrifice the gifts we have to offer.

The Burning River Runners had their Game On.

Hood To Coast Race Report - Leg #2

After Van 2 took over the running we decided to get some dinner. We headed towards downtown Portland where we would meet back up with our teammates and start the second rotation. Someone suggested Deschutes Brewery so we let Garmin show us the way. Checking in with the hostess it would be a 30 minute wait for a table. We walked back across the street to the parking garage and dug into the mountain of snacks purchased for the weekend because we needed some sort of food NOW!

I plopped down next to the van and put my legs up. It felt good to be off my feet. The six of us with our compression socks and technical t-shirts were getting some good looks from people out to have a good time on a Friday night. One older couple surprised me when they asked how our race was going. Having someone understand and recognize what we were doing and going through was rather comforting.

We finally got our table and were able to have some real food. During dinner we received a message from Van 2 telling us that Leg 17 had been changed. Not only was it changed but the distance was extended by almost 2 miles. Of course Leg 17 would be my next running segment.

After dinner we made our way to the 12 – 13 exchange zone. The exchange zone was on the path that ran next to the Willamette River. We had to park the van on a deserted parcel of land and wait. Imagine 6 people trying to get some form of sleep inside a mini-van, with all of our gear. Around us people were climbing on top of vans with sleeping bags to get some sleep.

I tried to get some sleep but my front row seating was not easy to get comfortable in. I did the best I could with the room I had. Eventually Josh and I walked over to the exchange zone with James would be our first nighttime runner.

Marie finished her run looking pretty good having completed her first run in the dark. We took her back to the parking area and chatted briefly with our teammates in Van 2. However we couldn’t delay our departure because James’ leg was only 4 miles. We had to make sure we arrived at the next exchange zone before he did. We continued the leap frog drive to each exchange zone trying to pick out and cheer for our teammates. We blew by JC without recognizing him and pulled a quick u-turn so we could cheer him on. Steve was quite vocal cheering for James out the window considering James was sitting right next to him in the van.

Around 2AM I was ready and waiting to Katie to reach the end of her leg so I could begin my modified leg 17. The leg is ranked moderate probably due to the distance. Or should I say original distance. The distance of 7.01 was increased to 8.82 because of a fire at a local business along the highway. The detour took us off the primarily flat highway to roads which were more rolling.

Katie came into the exchange zone looking good and I took off after the runners that had left before me. During the hours of 6PM – 7AM we needed to wear reflective gear (vest) and lights (headlamp, front and rear flashing lights). I could see the flashing lights in front of me but didn’t know how far away there were. I never knew if I was getting closer or farther away until I could actually see the runner.

Once again I was passed by two runners early on, -2 on the road kill count. I was still happy with the effort I was putting in even if I didn’t know what pace I was actually running. I had my water bottle with me and two Powerbar Gels to fuel me for the long run.

It was dark along the highway. My light would show me the asphalt immediately in front of me and then be swallowed up by the darkness. Occasionally I would look up and see the stars above. There were definitely more stars in the sky than I would normally see back home. I would have enjoyed stopping and standing along the side of the highway to take in the beauty of the stars but my competitive nature pushed me forward. I had teammates that were relying on me to run well.

I finally checked my watch and I was 20 minutes into my run. It was the perfect time to take in my first gel. I was hoping to finish around the one hour mark so my second gel would be 20 minutes later. I was also starting to catch up to some of the runners ahead of me. The red flashing lights gave me targets to reach, pass and aim for again. My road kill count was finally into the positive numbers.

At various side roads I would see vans parked. Teammates waited for their runner to go by and offer words of encouragement, water, food…whatever was needed. It was so dark, and I was on the opposite side of the highway, I never saw my teammates drive by in the van. But I knew they were cheering for me, or maybe they were fast asleep in the van.

I finally reached the detour that took us off the highway and onto the rolling country roads. It became even darker as I moved away from the highway. The detour arrows painted on the road entered the circle of light in front of me and exited just as fast. At least I knew I was going in the right direction because I was all alone at this point. No vans were allowed on the detour and I didn’t see anyone in front of me. There were no red flashing lights in front of me. It was rather peaceful on this quiet road.

I finally saw some light ahead of me. A mobile generator was powering a tower of floodlights at the next turn. It was good to finally see someone even though it was only a short time since turning off the highway. Each time I saw someone I knew I was getting closer to the exchange zone.

I also started to see people running ahead of me. The red flashing lights had reappeared. Street lights from intersections and neighborhoods illuminated the people in front of me as well. I had new targets to turn in to road kill.

My pace over the rolling terrain was still strong and I started to increase my road kill count. Knowing I was getting closer to the exchange zone made me go even harder. The excitement of starting the run leg is perfectly matched by the thrill of completing the leg strong and handing off to your teammate.

I approached the exchange pushing myself to the edge of the red zone and saw Josh waiting for me. I could also hear my teammates yelling for me. I handed off to Josh and stopped my watch. After I collected myself I turned to the runners along the exchange zone and told them, “to treat your incoming runners like the gods they are, because that leg was a bitch!” Going into the run expecting a fairly flat segment and being treated to those rollers in the last two miles proved the toughness of all the runners that night.

I completed the 8.82 mile segment in 1:07:00 at a pace of 7:35/mile.

When we go back to the van my teammates gave me some of the best news I could have heard. The high school we were at was open for food, showers, sleeping and massages. They offered to drive to the next exchange, pick up Josh, and return for me. I gladly accepted their offer and grabbed my gear bag.

I paid two dollars to use the showers in the boys locker room. It was great to get clean and I wouldn’t be in the way of my teammates when we reached the hotel room we had secured for some sleep. I also got a 15 minute massage that surely helped my body recover for my final leg.

Just as I was walking out, Steve walked in to pick me up. It was perfect timing. It turned out that our hotel was right around the corner from the high school so we were able to get to the room quickly, get everyone else showered and crash for a couple of hours.

Because of the darkness during our second legs I didn't get any pictures.  I was also kind of tired.

Hood to Coast Race Report - Start and Leg #1

My adventure with Hood to Coast begins only three weeks prior to the race. A local team had sent out the message for a replacement runner. One of the team had an injury that would not allow him to run. I threw my hat into the ring since I; had a flexible schedule, was fairly well prepped for the distance because of Rev3, and knew about half the team. Jen P, Josh & Katie Z, John M, Marie R, and Steve T would be the friends I already knew. I’m sure the rest of the team would be just as awesome.

For the uninitiated, Hood to Coast is a 12 person team relay event. It starts at Mount Hood, Oregon and finishes 199 miles later at Seaside, OR……hence Hood to Coast. The distance is broken into 36 legs. Each person runs 3 legs. Distances range from 13.6 to 19.68 miles. Plus there is a difficulty rating for each leg: easy, medium, hard and very hard.

Part of the difficulty is driving from exchange to exchange, running through the night, eating properly and getting some sleep. I was replacing the number 5 runner who had the 2nd longest mileage and most difficult terrain. John was very accommodating and offered to have someone else run in the number 5 spot, but I didn’t want to cause any disruptions with the order so I stuck with the #5 spot. I looked at the difficulty as a challenge that I would endure as best I could.

With the go ahead from Aimee and the nod of acceptance from John and Katie, I booked my flight to Portland, OR. All of the other logistics were already taken care of so all I really had to do was show up and run.

The flight out to Portland was fine and I was able to spend some time with Steve and teammate JC who was traveling with his wife. In fact I was going to share a room with Steve and words were already being exchanged about how I might need a gas mask to sleep.

 JC, Steve and Lisa at the airport

Once we made it to Portland and our hotel for the first night, the team gathered on the patio for some important hydration. Two 12 packs of Oregon beer served as our warm-up for dinner. I was able to meet the rest of the team, Robin and his wife Katie, Bill, and James. The entire evening would involve getting to know the team better.

The team would be split between two vans for ease of transportation; it was also the recommended way of doing things in the race guide.

Van 1 consisted of, in running order, James, JC, Steve, Katie, me, and Josh.

Van 2 had Robin, Bill, John, Katie, Jen, Marie.

For dinner we went to the Mellow Mushroom in downtown Portland where of course, we continued to hydrate with beer and wine. More great conversation and we had a night cap at the Rogue Brewery across the street.

One important thing to understand is that Hood to Coast is an all weekend event. The race starts on Friday at 6:30AM. Well the first runners go off at 6:30AM. It’s just not feasible to have 1,060 runners starting at the same time, so groups of 20 – 25 runners start in 15 minute intervals starting at 6:30AM and ending at 6:30PM. Our start time was 1:45PM. Van 1 had plenty of time to sleep in, shower, eat breakfast and drive to Mount Hood. Van 2 didn’t need to be anywhere until almost 6PM when their first runner would take the exchange from Josh.

The Van 1 crew made it to Mount Hood with plenty of time to register, decorate the van, and get James pumped up about the start.

Despite his shirt, James was excited to get things started for the Burning River Runners.

At 1:45PM our race started. As James ran down the side on Mount Hood we drove to meet him at the first exchange. It became standard protocol to yell incessantly as we passed our current runner, even if we did call someone by the wrong name. While waiting to run my first leg, we enjoyed watching the other runners and teams in the exchange zones. I took some pictures and mentally prepared myself.

My first leg was 6.08 miles and listed at “very hard”. Just look at the profile.

Sure it’s downhill for two miles but that uphill starting at mile 4 is pretty steep all the way to the exchange. Except for landmarks listed in the athlete handbook there were no mile markers. Without any way to know my pace I would push myself just below the red line. I didn’t want to completely explode until the final leg. I would need to hold something in reserve for the second and third legs.

I was off to a good start after Katie passed me the wrist band. She warned to me to take it easy because of the heat, but my mind was already made up to push the tempo. I was carrying my Snakebite water bottle for hydration during the run and also a couple of Powerbar Gels just in case I needed some electrolytes or quick energy.

 I thought I was running well when I heard footsteps behind me. A few moments later a spry female started to make a pass….not at me but by me. If I tried to stay with her I would burn too many matches so I had to let her go. Of course getting chicked like that by a person 15 – 20 years younger than I shows a sense of maturity right? I didn’t try to knock her down or anything, like I wanted to do to the little shit who passed me next. That guy must have been a collegiate runner because he passed me like I was a turtle going uphill.


One fun aspect of Hood to Coast is counting the road kill along the way. It’s not road kill in the traditional sense; deer, raccoons, possum, birds, snakes. But how many people you can pass during your leg. We were keeping track of our road kills for a friendly little competition in the van. Unfortunately I was the road kill which put me at a count of -2.

Despite it all I was still having a good time running on the road. The highway traffic didn’t bother me and the sights along the road were wonderful. On the open highway we were exposed to the elements. The wind was blowing straight into my face and the sun was fierce. I could feel it on my face despite wearing a hat.

By the four mile mark I had passed a couple of people and was at 0 on the road kill count, at least I was breaking even. This was the point when the course turned off the highway and onto a nicely shaded part of the leg. However this is also where the course started to climb up. I reminded myself that it was only two more miles until I could turn over the wrist band to Josh for his first leg.

The shade was a welcome relief from the blazing sun. As soon as I entered the shade it felt 10 degrees cooler. Up and up we climbed the roads. The worst part of the road was the ever changing camber. The road curved back and forth and there were barely any flat spots to run on. The climbing and cant of the road would take its toll on the legs.

I thought I was climbing well until I was passed by two people. DAMN….down to -2 on the road kill count. I pushed that out of my mind and kept moving forward so I could finish my leg. Damn….another guy just passed me….-3.

Everyone who passed me never go that far away and I was within striking distance. As we rounded the final curve I could see the exchange zone ahead of me. And there was a guy not far ahead whom I was pretty sure I could catch. It was still a little uphill but I started to push a little more. The competitive nature of the run took over. I came even with my target and he started to increase his pace. Shit, he didn’t want to become road kill either and was going to make me work for it. I pushed harder and he matched me again. Finally I said, “no fucking way” and made a final surge away from him. That final surge took me past one more person and into the exchange zone where Josh was waiting for me. I gave him the wrist band and tried to catch my breath. I started walking back towards my teammates who were coming to greet me.

 I saw the two guys I had passed at the last minute and shook their hands. We all smiled and agreed the little “competition” was good for the run. Once I collected myself and peeled off my sweaty clothes we drove to the next exchange zone where Van 2 would take over the running duties.

My first running leg of 6.08 miles was completed in 45:19 at a pace of 7:25/mile. I was -1 on my road kill count after Katie had recorded somewhere around 20, she stole all my road kills.

Now it was time for Van 1 to get some rest before starting legs 13 – 18.

Happy Father's Day/Sprint Tri Race Report

First off the bat Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there.  Now more than ever kids need a good male figure to help them learn and grow.  We hear about all of the bad stuff out there but there a lot of men out there helping build the future generation.  Some may not be dad's but they certainly act the part and should be thanked as well.

So in addition to it being Father's day it was also race day.  And if I am posting a race report the same day as the race....you know I must be super jacked about the race.

HFP Racing has the second stop of their race series at Maumee Bay State Park in Oregon, OH.  With the race being in close proximity to Cleveland (and Toledo, Michigan) the race talent is amazing.

Team Snakebite was gearing up to have a great showing at the race in many different categories.  Tri, Du and Aquabike.  Sprint and Olympic.

There were also people from many other clubs and teams.  Bike Authority Fleet Feet, Spin Second Sole Multisport, Cleveland Tri Club, Grunt Girl Racing, Team Toledo.

Aimee and I left home at 5AM to have plenty of time to get my transition area in place and to set up the tent and team banner.  It also helps to be there early because with some many people there that we know it becomes a social event.

While waiting around for the races to start Big Daddy Diesel comes over to say hi.  It's always good to see him and catch up before and after the race.

About 20 minutes before the race I put on my wetsuit and warmed up in the water. I wanted to see when the water gets deep enough to swim. It would be a fast start because I would be racing the sprint triathlon (750m/23k/5k).

I backed down to the shorter race because I was more prepared for the distance with several great 5k's under my belt so far.

We watched two waves go off before the 40 - 49 men took to the water. As we lined up we joked about who would be drafting off who and no one wanted to be in the front row.  I pulled my teammate Chris up to the starting mat and got ready.  With ten seconds to go I started my watch and dug in.

At the word go we sprinted into the water.  Once the water was up to my knees and I couldn't get my feet over the water line I took two dolphin dives into the water and started swimming.  With the quick start I was breathing every stroke to my right sighting frequently to stay on track.

I was breaking clean water and only saw one person near me. The swim course is rectangular with three buoys on each side.  When I reached the middle buoy I started catching the wave in front of us.  I had to swim around a couple of people but I was past them pretty quickly.  Once switched my breathing to the left side so I could spot the next buoy which would turn us to the left and approximately 300+m into the swim.

After the turn I was able to get into my race breathing pattern.  Another left turn and we headed back to the beach and T1.  This was the first time I was aware of someone from the starting wave passing me.  So until the final results are posted I will say that I was second out of the water from my start wave.

Once I touched sand I stood up and ran towards transition.  I hit the split button of my watch and noticed is was not on stopwatch mode.  I started an interval set so I didn't know my swim split.  No problem, that is what the timing chips are for.

In transition I had a hard time getting my feet out of my wetsuit.  Since getting the XTerra Vortex my feet keep getting stuck. It never happened with my QR suit.  I think a small modification to the leg openings and I will be okay.

After I freed my feet from the wetsuit trap I put on my bike stuff and headed out of transition.  On my bike I changed watch mode and hit the split button....it was somewhere around 14 minutes.  Aimee said I was out of the water/on the beach in 10 minutes. I put on my sunglasses and settled in for the 23k (14.25 mile) ride.

With the watch interval timer running the alarm was beeping at me.  The time was so screwed up I finally stopped the watch all together.  I took the watch off and stuffed it in my Bento box.  I wasn't going to worry about the run splits and just run my ass off.

I passed a couple of people quickly then slowly caught a couple more during the 32 minute ride.  I was only passed by one person, my teammate Chris. He rolled by me and kept on going and had a nice lead on me.  He is a very strong cyclist and not in my age group so I cheered him on.

I had taken a PowerGel (2x caffiene) halfway through the bike to prepare me for the run.  At the pace I was keeping I would need to little extra boost.

As I went back into the park people from the Olympic race were heading out for their 2 loop 40k ride. I saw a couple of friends/teammates.  As I approached the dismount line I took my feet out of my shoes and ran into T2.

Helmet off, shoes on, grab visor and sunglasses and I was out of the transition area.  As I made the left turn under the exit banner I saw my teammate Chris.  I caught up to him as we entered the run course and the MC announced, "Two Snakebite Racers are making the turn onto the run course."  I raised my arms in response and was jacked up for the run.

I patted Chris on the butt as I passed and was hoping we could run together.  After the race he admitted that he had put to much into the bike and couldn't stay with me.  It didn't matter because it is still fun to race with a good friend.

I was putting the hammer down for the 3 mile run around the lagoon.  The course is never far from the race site and people are cheering you on along the path between the parking lot and beach.  I could also see and cheer for friends and teammates.

I caught a couple of people during the first half mile.  Around the 1 mile mark I could hear foot steps behind me.  I thought it was Chris picking up his pace.  The footsteps finally passed me.  I couldn't tell what race this person was in because he was wearing calf sleeves.  I was hoping he was in the duathlon but it wouldn't matter because I couldn't match his pace or stay with him.

More sprint triathletes were returning from the run turn-around so I was trying to gauge my position.  I think I either passed a lot of people on the swim or closed the gap with the two previous waves, I was in a great position. 

As I approached the beach area I saw two Spin teammates, Adam and Bruce.  Right behind them on of our young SBR team member Josh.  He is a rock star running entering his sophomore year of high school.  He was about 50 yards behind Adam and Bruce.  As we ran past each other I told him to catch the guys from Spin.  After the race I was talking with Bruce and he said Josh passed him like he was standing still.  This kid loves to race.

I reached the turn-around for the 5k and tried to maintain my pace as best I could.  I didn't want anyone catching/passing me but I wasn't sure if I could catch anyone ahead of me. 

More sprint triathletes/duathletes were on the course now and I saw more teammates but I just couldn't spare the breath to offer encouragement.  I picked off one more athlete about 400 yards from the finish line and promptly doubled over to catch my breath when I was done.

I had pushed myself harder during the swim, bike and run than any other sprint.  There was a big fear that I would blow up at some point during the run but I managed to hold it together and nail a great race.  I'm still amazing myself as I push the limits further with each race.

After I caught my breath I walked over to the guy who finished right before me.  I said, "Please tell me you did the duathlon".  He said "No".  Then he told me we are in the same age group.....DAMN.  That was okay because he earned the win for the age group because he caught and passed me on the run. Later I was told that he is going to the Sprint Tri World Championships this year.....soooooo he has that going for him.

Until they publish the final results I do not have any splits.  I am very interested to see what my run time was.  My race time was 1:09:33.  This netted me second in the age group and 6th overall of age group athletes.  Even with some of the elite racers added in I may still be in the top ten overall.

And Josh.....he started two waves ahead of me, approximately 4 minutes, and he finished 22 seconds behind me in the overall times.  It was cool seeing his name right below mine in the overall standings.  Of course there is 30 years difference between us and he is just going to keep getting faster and stronger.

I congratulated my fellow triathletes and spent the rest of the morning cheering for all of my friends and teammates.  Snakebite did very well and very likely took home hardware for just about everyone. 

There were some huge PRs put down and some first time distances achieved.  I had more energy after my race was done while cheering for people. 

I have to profess my undying love for Aimee.  She is the best when it comes to cheering, taking pictures, and supporting me on race day.  Plus she cheered for everyone else on that course. 

Race details will be posted once they are posted on the race site.

If you want to see some pictures Aimee took of the race go here.

We packed up our stuff around noon and headed home.  For Father's Day my brother hosted dinner.  Aimee and I got back and took a power nap before getting ready for dinner.  We had a great time together as a family as we laughed about all sorts of stuff new and old. 

Spending time with family and friends.  How can that not make for a perfect day.

Game On my friends.

Mastering the Domain - Towpath 5 Mile Race Report

Time to get everyone caught up and write a race report.

So I'm trying to follow my training plan.  I am managing to keep the consistency there week to week.  In fact last week was a recovery week AND I was traveling for work.

So that combination worked out perfectly.  Especially since I wouldn't have access to a bike, spinning or otherwise, and I didn't have access to a pool, the area YMCA's closed in December.

I managed to lift one day and run the other.  Last weeks run was going to be 40 - 50 minutes.  I was so lethargic I called it quits at 36 minutes. 

I ended my 4 day recovery week with a visit to the Witch Doctor for a nice massage.  Tod helped stretch me out and release the fascia all over my body.

Aimee and I had planned on traveling to Athens, OH for a training weekend but the potential for crappy weather kept us home and saved us a lot of money. I was determined to turn the weekend into a couple of solid training days.

Saturday I had a triple threat of training on tap.

First off in the morning I swam for an hour putting in 2500 yards of drills and tempo work.

Second I met some Tough Mudder friends for a little run through the woods, over and under trees, through a drainage pipe, over/under some picnic tables and rope climbing.  That lasted for about 1 hour.

When we were done getting muddy I changed into my cycling gear and rode my bike for almost 2 hours.  The forecasted high of mid 40's was never realized as I spent most of my ride in sub or low 40 temps.  As long as I kept moving I was fine with my leg warmers, toe covers, wind vest and mittens.

But I will say that I was well spent after 4 hours of training.  The rest of Saturday was spent running errands and getting a small power nap around 5PM before eating dinner.

The final part of the evening was preparing for the Towpath 5 Miler Sunday morning.  Aimee had signed up for the half marathon earlier in the week and I decided to join her for race day.  I'm not in half marathon shape right now even for a training day.

Besides, our friend DS was doing the 5 miler and I could also take some pictures of the half marathon.

Knowing how tired I was from a good Saturday of training I mentally prepared myself for a difficult race.  I just wasn't sure how the legs were going to respond to what I was going to make a tempo run.  I was ready to bonk or blow up at any time during the race and be reduced to a shuffle. 

Sunday morning was pretty nice.  The temp was around 40 again but for running that is actually pretty good.

We made our way down to the race starts pretty early.  By race starts I mean Aimee's half marathon was starting from different location than the 5 miler.  We all finished at the same place.

I hated leaving Aimee at the start with the cool temps but Dale and I needed to be at the other start line....both races started at 8AM.  Dale and I were fortunate to get an awesome parking spot right across the street from the start line.

At 7:30 I started my warmup to see how the legs were feeling.  After some striders, high knees and butt kickers I was starting to get warmed up.  I did an easy two miles when I was done with my warmup.

I started to see some friends and caught up with them while we waited for the start.

Overall the course is flat.  We had to run up Harvard Ave. to the entrance of the Ohio Canal Corridor.  It wasn't very steep but I didn't want to blow up early.  I just settled in with the other people around me.  My friend Matt was with me and I figured I could just stay with him and see how it goes.

Once we got onto the running path we started downhill towards the canal area.  Unfortunately we would need to run back up this hill to the finish.  Slowly Matt and a couple other runners started to pull away from me.  I wasn't concerned because I was gradually slipping back.  I was still maintaining contact with them and we had 4 more miles to run.  According to my watch the first mile was 7:20.

During the second mile I kept my pace consistent and my strides short and quick.  As we ran along the winding path I started to slowly pull Matt and the other guy back to me.  I wasn't surging to close the gap, just staying consistent with my pace.

As I passed them I could tell they were trying to stay with me.  The heavy breathing just over my shoulder told me I didn't have any worries.  Aerobically I was fine.  I just wanted my legs to hold out to the finish line. 

After I pulled away we came off a small loop and back to the main towpath trail.  I could see the next runner ahead of me but with two miles left he seemed to be too far ahead.

I wasn't worried about him and just tried to keep an even pace.  I was hitting my splits but ignoring my watch until after the race.

Mile 2 = 6:40
Mile 3 = 6:32
Mile 4 = 6:21

During the last mile I found myself getting closer to the guy ahead of me.  I couldn't believe I was reeling him in.  I was waiting for him to push and keep or increase the gap.  But it never happened.  We passed a spectator who told us it was 500 yards to the finish.

I decided to push to the finish.  I passed my last competitor and kept it up to the finish line.  The final hill seemed short as I swung my arms and crossed the finish line.  Somehow I managed to expend the right amount of energy for the entire race.  I could still stand but I needed about 30 seconds to get my breathing under control.  I congratulated the next three guys across the line, including my friend Matt.

My final mile was 6:28 and a total time of 33:16 (chip time).

I figured I was in the top twenty finishers.  I really wasn't paying attention to those ahead of me.  Before the awards I was told I made top ten.  Little did I know I would wind up being the Male Masters Winner.  This win bumped me out of the age group Matt and I race in putting him first in the 45-49 age group.

Below you see some of my winning friends from left to right: Matt - 45-49 AG winner, Julie - Female Masters Winner, DS - winner 65-69 AG and myself. 

The final results listed me as 6th overall in the 5 miler.  I definitely surprised myself with this race.  I attribute this performance to several things.

Crossfit:  My training at Coca Crossfit has really improved my overall strength.  This base strength carried me up the hills to the finish line.

Mental tenacity:  I knew going into the race it would be more mental than physical.  Running on tired legs meant pushing through and making my body do what it was told.  Also patience.  As several people pulled away from me I didn't panic and go with them.  I waited to see how the race would unfold.  The final push past the last guy with 500 yards to go...that was something I didn't think I could do.  But you never know until you try.  Maybe he could have out kicked me.  But I would have kicked myself for not trying.

After the awards ceremony we watched Aimee and our friends finish the half marathon.  I got some nice pictures.

My Snakebite teammate Jason was 3rd overall in the half with a 1:20...yeah he's pretty speedy.

Daniel was looking good approaching the finish line.

Had to get a picture of our team sponsor Vertical Runner ( I also got a gift certificate for VR with my award)

Aimee approaching the finish line.  She caught the girl in front of her before the finish line.

Adam, Daniel and Cassie were all smiles after the races.  Adam did his first, and possibly last, half marathon in 1:38.  I think he will be back.

With great friends like these how can you not like running, cycling, competing, and having fun.

Game On.

8th Annual Winter Run for Regis Trail Fun Run - Report

...or the

Have Your Legs Ripped Off, Beaten Against a Frozen Tree and Put Back on Backwards Saga.

You may remember some previous reports from the Winter Run for Regis.  This was my fifth time at this race and I love supporting the Regis Shivers Scholarship and the Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher House.  It also helps that this run is a blast thanks in part to the head honcho Tanya.

One of the best parts of this race is listening to her pre-run instructions.  Tanya is funny and isn't shy of telling people to shut up so her instructions won't be missed.

Aimee and I signed up for the half marathon again.  We would have TriSaraTops, JenP, Brandy and Ana joining the fun this year.  They were all newbies to either the event or the course.  A fresh layer of snow had fallen overnight and the clear skies had the temperature at 10 degrees.  At least there was no wind.

With the unceremonious "go" we headed out on the 8 mile loop.  As the crowd started to thin out I found a comfortable pace with two other runners.  Cassandra and Jeff would be my running mates for this first loop.

Being a very casual run it's great to be able to talk with people. The cold weather was fine if you were running.  My toes finally warmed up at a couple of miles.  We talked about other trail races, triathlons, and other BS. 

At the first aid station I took my time and they continued on.  I ate and drank what I felt like.  The Coke and Mountain Dew were already getting slushie.  The PB&J sandwiches were not frozen yet.  I thanked the volunteers and head back to the start/finish(Home) to complete the 8 mile loop. 

Back at "home" I had my number marked that I completed the loop, said hi to Joe and hit the restroom. 

I thought I felt good starting the 5 mile loop.  Before we actually hit the official loop part there was another aid station.  I took a HammerGel despite its frozen condition.  I would get a small bit out and let it melt in my mouth.  I needed some extra energy to make it through the loop.

As soon as I hit the rollers through the woods my legs started to complain.  My left knee was starting to bother me and a general lack of energy was sitting heavy in both legs.  Maybe that 90 minute bike session on the trainer was a bad idea.  I rode pretty hard since I had missed the Tuesday spin because of work.

I started walking every little incline.  It felt like a monstrous hill but I kept the legs moving.  Slowing down too much or stopping would have been worse because of the cold weather.  Each time I would spot a tree and tell myself that that is when I would start running again...no matter what.....because it would get me back to "home" that much faster.

It was a big struggle to keep moving.  But I embraced the mental challenge of pushing my legs despite their protests.  I crossed the finish line and gladly relinquished my race number to the volunteers.  I had completed the 13 miles in 2:25.  Two years ago I managed a 2:05 on the same trails. 

I wasn't very well prepared this year.  Since the Salt Fork 10 Mile Challenge I had let my running slip pretty bad.  I need to get my ass in gear.  I signed up today for Triple T again.  Now that is a course that will kick your ass if you don't prepare properly. 

So let this past weekend be the start of something wonderful.....a good training plan leading up to Triple T.

Game On.

Classic at Mastick - Race Report

Found this race report saved under draft mode. This race was held August 10th....enjoy the read.

The annual Classic at Mastick 5k Run was held this past Wednesday. I had seen the race director (John) around town and he reminded me of the race. I haven't run this race in years and seeing John motivated me to participate.

The race is primarily for the kids.....high school cross country runners getting ready for the fall season. The race feeds a scholarship fund which is awarded to kids after the XC season is over.

So quite a few high school teams come out for the event which means the old guys (those over 25) are severely outnumbered. But I just wanted to come out and have some fun.

I saw some friends and coaches before the men's race (women raced separately) and did a 3 mile warmup. I haven't done a fast 5k in a long time so I needed a lot of warm up time.

The course starts by running across an open field. I needed to watch my footing so I wouldn't twist an ankle. I was holding my own as we looped around the grassy sections and headed toward the bridle path. I was still running with quite a few people and the path was full. It was hard to move around other people due to the rocky terrain.

We hit the first mile marker in 6:40....holy crap. I wasn't expecting to be that fast. Was the first mile accurate? I don't know but I was feeling the effects of the pace. I just needed to hang on for 14 more minutes and it would be over.

It was funny running with the young guys. I would start to pass and they would surge ahead. They didn't want to be passed by some old guy. But I held steady and they eventually would fade off my shoulder.

I had my eyes on another "old" guy in front of me and slowly reeled him in. As we popped out of the woods he sounded like an exhausted horse snorting and grunting. Knowing he was spent I dropped him with a quick sprint up a small incline. After the 3 mile marker we turned toward the finish chute were two young guys sprinted past me.

I crossed the line in 20:43 which gave me a 6:40/mile pace. I guess that first mile was accurate.

I hung out for a while to watch the girls race and then headed home. It was a great night and showed me that I still have some speed in my legs.

Oktoberfest 5k Race Report

Aimee and I have had a great labor day weekend with family and friends. We finished our weekend at the Cleveland Labor Day Oktoberfest 5k Bier Run. Our friends Mandi and Dale have made this an annual race on their schedule. Aimee and I decided to join in on the fun.

Race morning was a far cry from the hot temperatures on Friday and Saturday. It rained overnight and the temperature was around 65 degrees.

We showed up an hour early to register and warm up. I saw our friend Joe V and we did a warmup run on the course. Since I had never done this race I wanted to see the entire course. I've been feeling that my knee has required some long warmup time since the surgery. We caught up with each other during out warmup just chatting away.

Back at the start area we started seeing more friends. Snakebite teammate Jason Z showed up with his family and Mark from Spin/Second Sole Multisport team was my age group competition.

We saw quite a few fast runners so I didn't know where I was going to wind up overall or in my age group, but the odds were looking pretty good.

I started the race at a good effort. Despite my "good" effort the front runners were pulling away step by step. It didnt' take long for the lead police car and speedie guys to be out of sight. I focused on the people around me and within my line of sight.

Mark passed me after the first half mile and I stayed on his shoulder. Together we passed some other runners and hit the first mile marker at 6:17, I hit my split button but didn't look at my watch. I looked ahead and needed to push the pace.

My strategy during mile 2 was to catch and pass as many people as possible. Each person was within easy striking distance with little surges to each person. One person I was trying to catch was 50 yards ahead of me and it took my a while to catch him. Of course I was stuck in no mans land and the winds coming from the north were stiff. I caught him and started going after the next target.

I passed the water station without grabbing anything to drink. My focus was on the person in front of me. The pond in front of me had a fountain shooting water into the air. The only reason I mention this is because the water was being sprayed 10 feet to the side. Of course I had to make a left turn into the wind. Beyond my target I could see Joe V. and John Z. (Jason's dad).

Into the wind I push hard to catch my victim. Once I pulled up next to him I continued by him. I could here him try to go with me but I wasn't going to give him a free ride. I passed him with authoritay......

It's part of the strategy of running I like. If you are going to pass someone make it hurt them physically and mentally. Crush their spirit and don't allow them to hang on. I know I have been crushed many times that way.

A couple hundred yard more and we turned right and were out of the wind. The rest of the course, under 1 mile, would be south and east in direction. Ever so slowly I was catching up to John Z. but time and distance was running out.

We entered the parking lot of the county fairground where the finish line was. I had actually managed to get within 10 yards of John. I kept pushing towards him and was right on his shoulder at the final turn with 50 yards to the finish line. He picked up his pace and I tried to stay with him. I crossed the finish line just off his shoulder and half a second behind.

Funny thing about races these days. Most are also chip timed. When the results were posted it turned out that I had actually beat John by .3 seconds. I had started about 2 rows behind him. Good thing were are in different age groups because it didn't affect our age group finishes.

My finish time of 19:36.9 placed me 2nd in the 40 - 44 age group and 11th overall. I managed a 6:19/mile pace which is the fastest I have seen in a couple of years.

Since this was an Oktoberfest Bier Run the awards were these awesome bier steins. Aimee and I stayed around for the Oktoberfest with some friends. I drank my beer from my award and had some very tasty bratwurst, sauerkraut, and German potato salad.

I just don't know why we haven't done this race in the past. I think this was a very well executed race. I kept my head in the game and raced strategically. And the effort definitely paid off.

We will be back again next year for more fun on the run.

A Return to Racing - Huntington Tri Race Report

So having signed up for the Huntington Tri I needed to do some preparation.....mostly mental. My training once I completed rehab was short runs and big bikes. Swimming was spotty at best.

So I was preparing myself for the suffer-fest which is a sprint tri.

I had to travel for work Thursday - Saturday and Friday night was only 5 hours of sleep. But my Saturday night was a solid 7 hours.

Waking up race morning, the temperature was already 70 degrees with the dew point just a little below that.

Aimee and I headed to the event so we could get our transition areas set and mingle with all of our friends. That is one problem with this race. Everyone comes out for it so I get talking with people. I turn around and there is someone else I need to talk with. Walk five feet and talk with someone else. I enjoy seeing everyone but I had to force myself to get my act together.

With the day being so warm I decided to not wear my wetsuit. The swim is so short and I didn't want to deal with the suit in transition. I would put my running singlet on in transition.

I got to the beach and did a quick warmup before wishing all of my SBR teammates good luck. Well, at least the ones I could find. We had 13 people racing today.

I lined up for our wave which consisted of guys 40 - 54. The horn went off and we ran in to the water. I took two dolphin dives and started swimming. I was surrounded by some swimmers but that didn't last long as I started to pull away from the masses.

After the first turn buoy I was in the lead pack of approximately 5 guys. I was breathing every stroke since this was a sprint and I was pushing the pace. I was expecting this race from beginning to end. Half way through the swim my upper chest and shoulders were screaming at me but I just kept pushing forward. I wouldn't need my arms once I got on the bike.



As we hit the beach I believe four of us from the wave were together. I heard my dad, brother and some friends cheering for me. I pushed hard to the transition area which is about 200 meters from the beach.

All of my splits are from the watch since I don't have the official splits, those will come later.

My swim, beach to beach (1/4 mile swim), was 8:20. The run to transition, partly uphill, was 2:33. This is the funny stuff from my watch. I must have hit the button accidentally......
...in seconds...

51.2
18.9
1.07
.76
.88

I did manage to hit the button after mounting my bike. I pulled my singlet down the rest of the way on the bike and settled in for the 12 mile ride. I was riding well and catching people in front of me. But I was also watching guys in my age group pass me. I stayed strong and just tried to keep them close. At mile 6 I took a Power Gel and kept taking my water with Nuun.

In those final miles I could feel my stomach becoming upset with the effort. The feeling in my stomach was the slight hint of puking. Upset enough to think about sending the contents back up but nothing that wasn't controllable.

I evaluated how I was feeling and decided it was exactly where I wanted to be. On the verge of exploding but keeping it together.

Approaching transition I started to take my feet out of my shoes ready to dismount. As I hit the timing mat I could hear some of my friends cheering for me.



Bike time was 32:46 with an average of 22MPH.

I don't have a transition split but I was out ahead of my main competition. All I had to grab were my shoes, race belt and visor.

There was definitely something about transition that got my adrenaline pumping. All of the people watching...excitement to get running...being in the heat of competition.

I roared out of transition and hit the immediate downhill. Of course there was an immediate uphill on the other side and that is where I needed to settle down a bit.

I did some self assessment to see how the body was doing, especially the knee. The point where I had my surgery done was not bothering me at all. I was a little sore over the top of my knee. It wasn't painful so I would reassess further down the road.

After half a mile my legs started to come around. At the one mile mark I needed to start picking up the pace and I found my target. A guy who had passed me on the bike was within striking distance. I started pushing forward to reel him in.

I finally caught him at one of the corners of the course and moved past. I could hear him trying to stay with me but I wasn't going to let that happen. I saw some more targets in front of me but I wasn't sure if I would catch them. So I pretended the guy behind me was still my target in front.

I was on the final straight before the downhill/uphill return to the finish line and all I wanted to do was hang on and finish as best I could.

I managed to pass quite a few people in front of me as I continued to pick up my pace. On the final uphill I drove my knees high and pumped my arms and came sprinting over the top to the finish line. I let the volunteers take my bib tag and timing chip since I really couldn't move. I grabbed some water and continued to grab my knees and get my breath back.

I completed the 3 mile run in 22:55 and my finish time was 1:07:47.

My finish put me third in the age group and 24th overall....something I am very happy about for my first tri of the season.

It was a great day for Snakebite Racing. We had 10 awards with 3 of them being overall awards.

So what race will I do next?

Ohio University - Athletes in Action - Triathlon - Race Report

So many things to talk about but first things first.

Did you wish you mom a happy Mother's Day? I did and we had a nice time together with both sides of the family today.

As you can tell from the title, Aimee and I raced at the Ohio University - Athletes in Action - Triathlon. When this race was announced it was a no brainer to sign up. Aimee is an alumni of OU and we love going down to Athens any chance we get.

The inaugural event consisted of a 500m indoor swim, 25k bike and 5k run. This would also be our first multi-sport events of the year. Our training hadn't been the greatest but the race would allow us to blow out the rust.

Being a Saturday race we drove the three hours to Athens on Friday. We grabbed out packets and had dinner at the pasta buffet. After dinner we drove the bike course. We weren't paying very close attention to the road markings and drove several miles (more like 5 or 6) beyond the turn-around. Once we got back on track we headed back to Athens.

The bike consisted of either going up or going down. Athens is a hilly area and this course would keep us honest about our fitness. Nothing very technical since the majority of the turns were sweeping and could be taken in the aero-bars.

We checked into our hotel and settled in for the night.

Race morning we were up at 5AM to eat some food and make our way over to the race. We would be meeting Big Daddy Diesel for this race (yes he is real). We got our chips and body markings before setting up our transition spots. The hardest decision for this race was going to be what to wear. The morning temperature was 45 degrees with some fog. For the bike I opted for a regular bike jersey, wind vest, arm warmers, my long compression socks, skull cap and light gloves. One big difference with today's race would be the events I was doing.

Because of my knee issues I changed to the aquabike division. So it would only be the swim and bike. It's a whole different mind set in aqua bike. I could go balls out on the bike and not worry about blowing up on the run.

After setting up transition Aimee and I went to the pool to finish getting ready. We met the couple who parked next to us and chatted until the race started. Chuck and Brenda drove in from Huntington, WV for the race. They are the same age as us so it was nice chatting with another couple who race together. We had a great time talking with them. I warmed up in the 50m pool to get used to the long lane length.

As I chatted with Aimee, Brenda and Chuck some more BDD finally arrived.

After the announcements and national anthem, I lined up for the start. Being a time trial start we were asked to give an estimate of our swim time when we registered. My projected time placed me 25th in line. I was hoping I wouldn't get passed by too many people.

Every ten seconds someone would jump in the pool and start swimming. Once it was my turn I jumped in and started chasing the person in front of me. Two parts of the swim are unique. At the end of each lane you had to go under the lane lines and swim back in another lane. There was also some congestion at the walls as I caught the person(s) in front of me. I think I passed 2 - 3 people and was passed by only one. My swim time for 500m was 9:21, but that included the run to transition.

It took me a while to get dressed for the bike. The worst part was putting on my jersey. On a wet body things stick and won't cooperate. I finally got dressed and grabbed my bike for the run out of transition. The first 1.5 miles of the bike were on the Hocking Bikeway. We were told that due to "traffic" it would be a no passing zone. As I started on the bikeway I could see two people in front of me. I thought I could catch them but wasn't sure. I came up behind the first cyclist and I believe it was Julie Krause from Team ER. I came up on her shoulder and asked if I could pass. We were the only two people around so I knew there was no "danger" by making the pass. With a smile she said it was fine and I thanked her. If you are going to break the "rules" you may as well be pleasant about it.

I started catching the second person near the end of the bike path but I waited to pass until we were back on the road. Once I made the pass I needed to focus and put in a big effort for this bike. In 15 miles I would be back in T2 and done with my race.

Overall I felt pretty good. On the uphills I alternated between standing and sitting. If the hill was short enough I would keep my gearing and power over the crest by standing up. I didn't want to waste any time shifting since I would need the gearing to keep my speed up.

I slowly started catching some people in front of me. On one downhill I noticed an OU triathlete in front of me. He was coasting down the hill. As I passed him I encouraged him and offered some simple advice. Keep pedaling...even on the downhills. I know some people see it as a time to rest and recover. But this is a great time to take advantage of gravity and increase your speed without blowing up. I pedal until I spin out my gears completely.

During the return trip I passed several more people and buried my head and legs into the effort. As I headed into transition I unclipped my shoes and prepared to dismount. Because of a left hand turn to the dismount line I swung my left leg to the right side of my bike. I didn't want to have my weight on the inside pedal as I dismounted since that could result in my wheels washing out from under me.

I crossed the timing mat and my race was done. I started walking towards my transition spot when I spotted Rich Fowler, he's the announcer for HFP Racing. He asked me if I had lost my transition spot. I responded no since I was done with the aquabike. As I racked my bike he made the spectators aware of the little known category of Aquabike and said that Snakebite Racing was in the house.

So I was done. First multi-sport race of the year complete. I changed and got my camera. Watched people come in on the bike and cross the finish line.

We had to wait until everyone was done before awards were presented. Aimee took 3rd in her age group. I took first in the aquabike with BDD right behind me.

We wanted to spend the entire day at OU with some bar hopping that night but Mother's Day activities pulled us back home. We finished our day tracking friends at Ironman St. George.

Just another weekend of getting our Game On.

Great Race Nutrition helped keep me hydrated during the race.



Aimee finishing the bike.



Aimee starting her run.

While Aimee was running I waited for BDD to finish his aquabike. I almost missed getting a picture at the dismount line because I had a hard time recognizing him.




Aimee "flying" across the finish line.



Aimee with her "3rd in age group" mug



Aimee and I enjoyed the evening together watching the live feed from Ironman St. George (another post) and drinking some hot beverage from our race awards.