I have seen the future......

and it is good.

I know. Where is the bike report?!?!?! This has been a crazy weekend. So the race journal has to wait, but I am inspired to write about my weekend.

Friday I was working from home and getting some good work done when a last minute task slammed my way. It would involved getting into a customer remotely to do some computer setup. Great. But I did manage to have lunch with Coach Angela and talk about the past, present and future. AKA, Ironman recap, how I'm feeling post IM and where I'm headed next. I'll tell you about my future racing plans later. More work after lunch then BuckeyeRunner's hisband came over so I could help him get him new wheelset on his bike. After the mechanical work we went for a 2 hour ride. he was worried that I might want to hammer at some obscene speed like 26MPH, remember....Ironman is about pace not speed. Anyways he's a strong rider and we were clipping along at times. I'm still in my post IM recovery phase so I'm not supposed to be hammering yet.

After that it was getting things ready for the rest of the weekend and dinner. Pick up my daughter from her day at the Van's Warped Tour and off to bed.

Saturday started early because I am a captain for a bike aid station at the Greater Cleveland Triathlon. This Half IM event is in it's second year and I love helping out at this race. My aid station is at the furthest point on the course and people are so glad to see you at mile 30. I recruited my Snakebite teammates so it was an all SBR affair, including a new running friend Lloyd.

So I picked up my supplies Sat. morning and watched the kids races before heading home. Aimee and I had tickets to the Indians game in the afternoon then a quick appearance at a summer picnic held by one of Aimee's clients. It was good to see Carmen because I wanted to thank him again for a huge donation he made for my charity. Then back home to get my daughter to work, prep my gear for the aid station, then tackle my work task. Of course it didn't go perfect and I was up until midnight trying to make things work. I had to leave it at 95% done since I had to get up at 5:30 in the morning.

5:30 came too fast. First Aimee's alarm was still set for 4:30AM....that hurt...but I was able to get that last hour of sleep in.

Wake up, eat, contacts, pack the truck with aid station gear, fill water coolers. I left by 6:30 so I could swing by Panera and get bagels for my crew. Off to the aid station. I was early, because my inner self said I had to be, and started placing the gear. The crew started showing up and we finished our area. Made signs for the racers and filled water bottles. Then the Sherrif's Deputy came over and said there was a course change. We managed to confirm the change and move our aid station 400 yards to the otther side of the intersection. I was so proud of my teammates. We moved that aid station like nothing. We knew it was going to be tight before the first racer came through, but we did it.

Our Aid Station was awesome. Everyone did a great job. Except for Aimee and Mel, all of the ohters were road cyclists. I think they really got into it though. Doing anything the racer asked for and making sure Gatorade, water and gu made it to everyone. They all learned something about triathlons today, all the better for everyone.

After the last racer came through we tore down the station and I packed everything into my truck. I hauled everything back to the transition area for the RD.

After I hung out with friends post race I had to zip over to my father-in-laws to cut the grass. He got stuck in Houston because of work, so we were trying to help out around his house. Remember I've been up since 5:30AM with only 5.5 hours of sleep.

Back home I unloaded what was left in the truck, then Aimee came home. Dinner and blah blah blah and here I am writing a blog post when I should be in bed. So why am I posting?

Because, I have seen the future and it is good.

Three sightings have improved my field of vision.

#1
I drove my daughter to work Saturday night. Her brother was working two doubles this weekend to make up for the small vacation he took with his girlfriend's family. I hadn't seen him in a while and wanted to talk. He was working the go-cart track, no he was the manager at the track that night. Actually he has manager duties wherever he is working. This is his third year at this place. Watching him grow up, accept the responsibility and do a job well makes me proud. I would watch him as he let people get into the go-carts, having to tell some kids they were unfortunately too small to ride and perform his final safety check on each driver. He had a serious air about his duties. I've always tried to instill a good work ethic by example. I think that's how I got mine, from my dad. So I was very proud to watch him work. I know he will be great at whatever job/career he undertakes in the future.

#2
The bike course at the Greater Cleveland Tri is not easy. Actually there are some nasty hills involved. Nothing like what Bolder has been riding but significant for Ohio. Well, the race had some major changes due to devastating flooding along the shore of Lake Erie. The event site had to be moved, course changes made and so forth. Some people made wrong turns or were guided in the wrong direction. An unfortunate occurance but everyone was under pressure. Regardless, I was loaded with all of my aid station stuff and following the sag car. He had already picked up two people off the bike course so his rack was full. I wanted to make sure he didn't need my help. Sure enough one person pulled off the rode and was going to stop. I offered to take him back in my truck. We put his bike on top of the already full bed and headed out. This athlete was mid 50's, from Detroit, doing the aquathon (Swim/bike) at half IM distances. He had accidentally done the sprint Tri bike course, yet he decided to head back out of transition and ride the original 56 mile route. When I picked him up had was at mile 65, and still smiling and laughing about it. He said he would catch some guff from his friends but I told him to shut them up since he rode 9 more miles than they did, who's laughing now?

His attitude was what struck me as awesome. Despite coming from Detroit he stayed the course, once he made it on the right one, and rode his bike. He did say that he enjoyed the Indians game the day before and was impressed by downtown Cleveland. He didn't let a small turn of events diminish the fun weekend he was having. The future lies in the spreading of his attitude and spirit to those around him. I was encouraged myself.

#3 - and this one amazes me.
After I picked up the guy from Detroit, there was one more rider on the course. The SAG car and I pulled over to discuss his options. He wasn't going to make the bike cut-off. The SAG driver explained the situation to the racer and I could see him trying to make a good decision. He crossed the street to my truck and we placed yet another bike on my pile of stuff. The guy from Detroit commented to me about this persons bike. The tires were dry and cracked. I had never seen pedals like that before, pre-Look style, he was riding in his running shoes. Shifters on the down tube. This bike must have been ridden my Eddy Mercx in the Tour de France. Before we pulled back onto the road I congratulated this racer. He was the last cyclist. He was 16. That's not a typo people. Sixteen years old and doing a half IM race. I was amazed. Not only that we was out there doing it but stunned by his composure. He had an air about him that he knew he put his best effort forward. He knew the bike was his weakest sport. Yet he was calm and composed about it. the more I talked to him the more impressed I was. He already is a good swimmer and runner. He's going to school at Bowling Green, OH, where they grow 'em fast and lean. The girls cross country team has won state four years in a row, so he's in good company. He has raced triathlons for several years at olympic and sprint distances. He ran the Columbus, OH marathon in the fall of '05 with a 3:50:00 time...and told me how he didn't race smart that day and surged too early at mile 13....I'm like oh okay. He said that if he could have made it to the run he would have been fine. We was probably looking forward to running 13.1 miles, and would have clipped off some fast splits.

I saw the future of not only our sport (triathlon) but hopefully other sports as well. Athletics filled with composed young men and women who compete for the joy and satisfaction and not for the hardware or money. To walk off the bike course and have his attitude......I saw adults today with far worse attitudes. INCREDIBLE. I know he will learn from this day and come back stronger than before.

It inspires me and renews my faith and spirit in this wonderful sport that I have found and love. WOW.

Ironman Race Report - Race Day (Swim)

Race day has finally arrived. My race journal I am writing in Word is 14 pages long so far. Boy am I getting wordy...but hey, this is my journal and my journey and I like what I'm writing. I hope you do also.


I slept well before the race and woke up around 3:00AM to pee. I also went downstairs and grabbed my first Boost of the morning. I went back to bed for one more hour before my alarm went off. I ate an orange, small bagel with peanut butter and 2 more Boost. I had a good amount of calories in me, probably around 1000. I showered to wake myself up and put on my racing clothes. I walked into Andrew’s room and told him I would see him later then I gave Amanda a kiss on the forehead. Aimee and I grabbed the rest of my stuff (tire pump, backpack with wetsuit, goggles and cap, special needs bags and fuel for T1 and T2 bags. We then walked to the Olympic Oval with her mountain bike since she would be out on the bike and run course for the day.

In transition I pumped up my tires and pulled the swim caps/garbage bag from my bike. I placed all of my nutrition on the bike and put my frozen fuel belt bottles on my fuel belt. As I was working on my transition bags the guy next to me stepped up to his bags. I was staring at his blue toenails. I commented on his toes and he said his daughter painted them last night, awesome. It takes an Ironman to allow his toenails to be painted blue. I was done in transition and went back out to rejoin Aimee. I got my body markings then we went to drop off my special needs bags.

We saw Matt Luck and his wife Sue one more time and they were returning from the special needs area. One more good luck and the girls exchanged cell phone numbers. As we walked back towards the swim start we stopped near Aimee’s mountain bike and I put on my wetsuit making sure I put body glide on my arms, neck and calves.

I gave Aimee a huge hug and kiss while she tried to keep herself under control. She was excited to finally witness the beginning of a race that I had trained 6 ½ months for. She wasn’t nervous because she knew I had the training under my belt and was well prepared for the long day. I made my was to the start area and saw Mark, Linda and Rocky near the bathrooms and we wished each other luck again.

There were a lot of people standing at the waters edge. I wasn’t going to dick around so I immediately got in the water to get some kind of warm-up in. I wanted to start near the middle of the start line to avoid the masses that would try to follow the cable under the wire. In case you haven’t heard about the swim cable at Lake Placid it’s pretty cool. They run a cable straight out and back along the swim course. The markers are attached to this line and it provides the athletes to swim without having to worry about sighting. The cable is only 3 – 4 feet under the water, but then again everyone wants to swim close the line and not sight.

I took my position in the water and continued to swim back and forth. I went along the waters edge to see if I could spot Aimee and anyone else. When I wasn’t swimming I floated on my back to stay calm and not waste any energy. These wetsuits are great for just that type of thing, treading water was not even necessary. The National Anthem was sung beautifully by a friend of my mom and dad, Kim Dodd. Kim’s husband is the son of my parents friends who grew up in Cleveland. Kim has a great voice and has done the National Anthem for Ironman for quite a few years, not exactly sure. Soon after that the starting canon went off.

National Anthem



Swim Start



My race plan called for me to start in the middle of the start line and go towards the first turn buoy at an angle. It would keep me from getting pummeled and in open water. I started out fine trying to draft off a woman in front of me. I was feeling great for the first 400 yards. Then all of a sudden I don’t know what exactly happened. I was surrounded by a maelstrom of people. Close quarters, sandwiched in between two guys. I lost my focus, confidence and stroke. My breathing was erratic and I’m sure my pulse/HR was through the roof. I couldn’t get back into my grove. I started to swim heads up, then breast stroke, then side kick. When I started to swim side kick I looked behind me to see more people barreling down on me. I knew I had to act fast but staying where I was definitely was not the answer. I had to get out of the mess I was in. I made a bee line to open water at a 45 degree angle across the path of the swimmers. I tried to pick my way around people but when I had to I swam over peoples legs. I had practiced this in the pool before with some friends, so at least I had that skill working for me. Once I made my way to more open water I was fine. I immediately got back into my stroke and rhythm with no problem, like nothing happened. I haven’t had an “attack” like that since early ’05 when I was swimming Olympic races. I stayed wide through the turn markers and swam on the outer fringes the rest of the way back to shore. It was during this time that I felt the urge to pee. I’ve never peed while actually swimming. Usually it’s been done in Lake Erie while treading water, but I wasn’t going to stop, tread water, pee, and then start swimming again. I don’t think anyone was behind me so I just went right there while swimming. First time I’ve peed like that during a swim. Something about being surrounded by water, oh well.

I exited the water for the first loop and got a big shock. The race clock said 32 minutes. Now my best Half IM swim to date was 36 minutes. How did I manage to pull of a 32 minute swim lap? I didn’t dwell on the time and wondered if I could negative or even split the second lap. That thought was soon out of my mind and I hit the water for lap two. I wasn’t going to push the swim so I could negative split. You never waste yourself on the swim, especially when you have 10-16 hours to go.

The crowds on the second loop had thinned out and I found myself swimming closer to the underwater cable. This was cool because I didn’t need to worry about sighting as much. I still sighted so I could gauge how far I had to go for the turn marker. I was concentrating on finding a person to draft off of……..

Swim drafting. Well there is a topic of discussion. Perfectly legal in the world of triathlon, swim drafting is simply the act of following the person in front of you. The lead person is breaking through the water and the follower can swim with less effort in the smooth water behind the lead person. Now I have done this on occasion when there are enough people to swim with. I simply find someone going the same pace and slip in behind them. The water in Mirror Lake was clear enough to see the people around me, especially the person in front of me. I found that this would help keep my swim form on track by keeping my hands wide of the feet I was following and keep my head up so the water was hitting my forehead and not dropping under the water, bad form. So anyways I’m trying to draft off some people and I keep touching their feet. Just a light scrape of my fingers on the bottoms. It seemed like I could never anticipate where the feet were going to wind up at. These people didn’t kick much with their feet so the feet kind of drifted back and forth. Of course on the other hand there are the people that kick a lot and you are stuck following a cloud of bubbles.

So I’m having fun, yes fun, on the second loop drafting behind people, keeping my stroke long and powerful. I tried to conserve as much energy as possible for the rest of the day. On the way back to shore I felt the urge to pee again. WTF? Is my bladder that small? Was my wetsuit compressing my bladder? So I let it loose again. Hell if I was going to stop at the bathrooms after coming out of a big lake. I swam until I touched the sand at the beach. I stood up and started to undo my wetsuit immediately because the wetsuit peelers are right there. I glanced at the race clock and hit the split button on my watch.

Official swim time 1:04:59. I was 99 of 418 in the swim and 440 overall. How awesome is that. I was expecting somewhere between 1:10 – 1:15. First withdrawal from the Bank of IM training account, first deposit into the Bank of IM time account.

I spotted and made eye contact with an open peeler but someone else got to him first. Fortunately there were two open right next to him. I dropped onto my back and before I knew it my wetsuit was off. I grabbed my wetsuit and started the run towards T1.


I now know how cattle feel when being herded into the barn. The fencing holding the crowds back was five feet wide with grass carpet to run on. I heard and spotted Aimee along the fencing as I ran to T1. My transition bag was in a great spot due to the low number secured through JCC. All I had to do was follow the fencing around to the first row of bags. I didn’t have to squeeze between the other racks to get my bag. I grabbed my bag and headed into the changing tent to get dressed.

With the cooler morning temperatures I decided to wear arm warmers, leg warmers, wind vest and long finger gloves. I know it may sound like a lot but that huge downhill I mentioned from Friday was only 9 miles away. I didn’t want to get chilled flying down at 46MPH. Others were wearing arm warmers and jackets but I didn’t see any other leg warmers. The guy next to me was sneezing so I did the polite thing in saying “Bless You”, each time he sneezed. Come on, we have to show come decorum in the tent. Support your fellow athletes. The changing tent volunteer was great as he made sure I had everything I needed before stuffing my wetsuit into the T1 bag and took it away for me.

Out of the changing tent I had to run past a majority of bike racks before getting to my primo spot in the first row. I didn’t have to run far with my bike before I passed the mount line. I ran past several people to find clear space and did my running mount onto the bike. Including the run from the lake to T1 my changing time was 7:19.

We interrupt this.....

....race report for a special Youtube video I found at John's blog this morning. Have something nearby to wipe the tears away.

Ironman Race Report - Pre-Race (Saturday)

Sorry it's been so long since the last post. I've been busy and this post has taken longer to create than I thought. Three days in the making and I submit it for your approval. Enjoy........

Each morning leading up to race day I would let myself wake up when the body was ready. Aimee set her alarm for 5:30AM so she coould get ready for her long 2 hour run. I woke up around 6:30, she finally left for her run, and I had something to eat. I packed my running shoes and bike to loosen up the legs and make sure the bike was in good order. I drove into town and rode my bike first. I did a loop around Mirror Lake and was able to see where the run turn-around would be. Back to the car I put on my running shoes for a quick out and back next to the lake. There were alot of people out, some triathletes, some runners, some cyclists, etc. People walking and enjoying the day.

I stopped by the beach to use a port-o-potty and check out the beach. The Gatorade Swim Check-in tent was busy. the tent is available for people to put their dry clothes while they swim in the lake. You can also pick up some schwag after your swim. First I was surprised by how many people were swimming....the day before the race. Second, the schwag at the Gatorade tent was lame. They were handing out GU and water bottles. I don't use GU and I have 10 Gatorade bottles at home, I'll pass. I walked to the Oval along the path from the lake. I wanted to know where I was going for T1.

I went back to the car and drove home. Aimee had just finished her run when I pulled in at the townhouse. Aimee had a great breakfast planned for all of us. While she made breakfast I started to put my transition bags together. During the late morning it started to rain. We knew the rain would be heading in but not sure how much was going to come down. Breakfast was fantastic and hit the spot. The pre-race nutrition called for a larger breakfast, medium lunch and light dinner. Around noon my mom and dad stopped by and they took the kids with them to the volunteeers meeting, then up to the campground. Aimee and I went to drop off my bike and gear bags. The overnight rain had people covering their bikes with plastic bags. I covered my seat and arm rests with old swim caps. I also used a garbage bag to cover the rest of my aero bars. I wasn't too worried about the drive train since I had applied some lube earlier in the day. I double checked the transition layout with a volunteer and walked the route for getting my gear off the bag racks.

We went back to the ART tent for another pre-race treatment. Barry handed me off to another guy who fine tuned me just right. My muslces were feeling great for the race. Aimee and I then went to the Janus Charity tent to report my fund raising totals to date. They had some computers to use and I had $5,910 at that point. I felt great to be able to exceed my goal and reported my total to the JCC rep. We chatted a little and she gave me my JCC tri top. I've worn it twice since being home. I'm proud to wear it when I can. She also told us about how Janus secured us with low bib numbers and the bibs also had a different color background. This was all very cool. My mom reminded me that my bib number was also my dad's age. She will be 71 in October. TriFrog also reminded me that 71 was the race number for Floyd Landis during the TdF, only I think the number was luckier for me than him.

Exiting the Janus tent we ran into Matt Luck, another Cleveland triathlete who was doing his first Ironman. I wasn't sure if I would see him during the weekend, I'm glad we did see each other. I gave him a big hug so I wouldn't have to look him in the face and have tears roll down my face.

I have to side track here briefly. Why would I get emotional the day before the race? Where were these feelings bubbling up from? The final month or two I could feel the wave building inside of me. But I couldn't/wouldn't allow it to be released. Remember, don't reveal yourself to the race. Wait until you have won the battle. Man that is hard to do. With everything that can happen in the life of an Ironman in training how are we supposed to keep it together? By surrounding yourself with people that support and love you. People that understand what you are doing and why you are doing it, even if you don't know yourself.

Like I said, the eb and flow of emotions were picking up in frequency as race day approached. I never knew when a rush of emotion would hit me.

I would watch a replay of last years race at Lake Placid and almost cry.
I'd look at Aimee and think about everything we had been through for the past 6 months.
The last e-mail from Coach Angela before the race took me 5 minutes to read through even though it was only 5 sentences long.
Hearing Coach Hodska tell me I was "dial-in" for the race.
Seeing a welcome friendly face in Matt.
Coming out of the Janus Charity Challenge tent knowing I did my best raising money.

These were the emotions bottled up inside me the day before my big "A" race. Emotions that were to stay bottled up until I cross that finish line.

So back to my meeting with Matt. We chatted for a bit and wished each other luck, not knowing if and when we would see each other on race day.

Aimee and I made it back home for some quiet time. I reviewed my race plan again while Aimee and her dad sat with me quietly at the table. No distractions. Pure concentration on my race plan. Picturing my race from beginning to end. Hoping it would all go well.

Tom, Aimee's dad, left for a volunteers meeting. Aimee and I were left alone at the townhouse. We hadn't really been alone since we had gotten there except for dinner the night before. Went spent some quality time together before everyone returned for dinner.

Saturday night dinner was with everyone at the townhouse. We had pasta, bread, wine, salad, sausage, etc. It was a great time to be with everyone. My mom brought some desserts including a cake that Amanda decorated with candles in the shape of my race number. We took pictures and everyone "secretly" went out to the garage to make signs for race day.

When everyone left and it was time to go to bed I felt extremely prepared for race day. Coach Angela provided me with the training plan and motivation to be prepared. I had executed the training plan to the best of my ability and it was showing. Aimee had done everything possible to help, I can't even begin to list everything. The week leading up to the race I had rested wisely, ate cautiously, hydrated religiously. I was hydrated since the day we arrived. I hadn't seen yellow pee in four days.

Time to get one more nights rest before the Big Show began.

Ironman Race Report - Pre-Race (Friday)

Friday morning was another day to wake up when I felt like it. After breakfast Aimee and I went to meet Coach Hodska for some downhill practice. This was important in order to feel comfortable with the sweeping turns and high speeds encountered during the long downhill.

This major downhill section isn't totally downhill. There are two sections that flatten out and require pedaling. Actually I was pedaling alot. I would pedal until I spun out my gears. Why waste a good downhill. Bike handling skills were also valuable. The curves were gradual but at that speed you still needed to push down on your outside pedal as you turned. There was a little bit of steering to do as well from the aero bars. "Chicks dig guys with skills".

The first time down I was on the bullhorns and had to brake since I was too close to some other riders, Hodska, Mark and Rocky. Being on the horns make the front wheel shake alot so I had to clamp the top tube with my knees and relax.

The second trip down was much better as I was alone so I stayed aero the entire time. After each ride down Aimee would be there to drive me back up to the start. We did one more ride before I looked at my computer. My max speed was 46MPH.

Once we loaded up for the last time was drove back to town. We made a quick side trip on Riverside Drive. This is the long out and back for the marathon course. At least I wasn't going to be seeing it for the first time on race day. This is the view coming back on Riverside Drive. These are the Olympic Ski Jumps, very impressive.

We made it back to the house for lunch and relaxed a little before my afternoon massage. I reviewed my race plan again.

When Aimee and I went to the Oval for my massage we met up with my mom and dad. While I was getting my massage the three of them made signs at the Janus Tent. Aimee managed to snap a few pictures.

Jen was my IronHands massage therapist. We had a great time together and talked about alot of things. It was so hot under the tent she pulled back the curtains for some fresh air. I didn't care since I had shorts on. I have Aimee to thank for this pictures.

Jen was the volunteer coordinator. She did a fantastic job and I felt great heading into the race.

In the Janus tent my mom was making a sign while I goofed around in the background of the picture.




My kids, Andrew and Amanda, drove in from home on Friday. They arrived right before Aimee and I left for dinner and The Veranda. I got them squared away and we left for a nice meal. The Veranda has a nice porch that overlooks the downtown area of Lake Placid. We got two nice pictures from the porch.

Ironman Race Report - Pre-Race (Thursday)

Ahhhh, vacation. I woke up when my body told me to. Of course it was still relatively early because that is what the body is used to. After breakfast we went grocery shopping to get items we didn't bring from home. When we finished putting things away Aimee, Tom (her dad) and I drove the bike course to see what the roads were like, get a general feel for the hills, and enjoy the scenery. Downhills would be fast, uphills would be manageable. The hills were relatively mild compared to the Death Ride back home.

Back home for an early lunch then head up to the Olympic Oval where the athlete village is set up. Driving around town we saw this guy running along the road. Turns out it's Eric Hodska, he lead the summer tri camp I did in June. We pulled over and talked with him for a short bit. It was great to finally see a familiar face around town. He told me that I was ready for this course and that Coach Angela had me dialed-in for race day. It's always good to hear those types of words coming from an accomplished coach and triathlete like Hodska. We would be seeing him the next day at downhill practice and on the course race day.

At the Oval we looked at the merchandise for sale but I didn't see anything that I needed or wanted. We started to head over to registration and found the ART (Active Release Technique) tent on the way. I walked up and signed-in to get worked on. Dr. Zak had given me three names he recommended to have work on my legs. Barry Horpestad was the first name on my list and he was immediately available. Barry was great. He worked on my hamstrings, hip flexors, and other connectors. Barry has been an ART doctor for 9 years and has also been an athlete at Ironman USA.

After the ART we went in to registration and was taken care of in like 10 minutes. We dropped off my race stuff and grabbed my swim gear. Coach's plan called for an easy loop of the swim course. I felt great in the water and enjoyed the swim. I took a nice nap back at the townhouse.

My mom and dad came over to the house and we all drove to Tail of the Pup BBQ. They have a lobster clam bake and great ribs on the menu. I went with the ribs for my race protein. It was a nice relaxed atmosphere and Ironman was about 10 miles away. Back at the house we relaxed and sorted through my athlete bag. I took this picture of my Ironman Gorilla.

I don't think he really wants me to GO but I'm not going to let him stop me on race day.

Ironman Race Report - Pre-Race (Wednesday)

I started writing a journal of my Ironman week and found myself getting quite details in my writing. I was trying to figure out what I should or shouldn't write on my blog. I usually like to write short, concise posts but that wouldn't do Ironman USA justice. So I'll try to do something inbetween that won't bore you with my ramblings yet express the shear beauty of the land, excitement of Ironman and struggle to compete. So I present to you my first installment for Ironman USA.

Aimee and I left for Lake Placid on the Wednesday before the race. Aimee's dad would be following us out there since we didn't have room in out car with all of our gear; two bikes, extra set of wheels, helmets, shoes, food, clothes, bike workstand, pump, folding chairs, laptop, camera, etc. The advantage of being able to drive to the race was not worrying about overpacking. We could pack almost anything we wanted.

The drive was mapped out and forecasted to be 9:15 in duration according to GoogleMaps. Of course we had several stops for eating, gas, stretching, etc. We actually made the trip in about 10 hours. The drive was fairly uneventful along the New York Thruway passing such great cities as Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester and Watertown. On the thruway we saw alot of BMW motorcycles. At a service plaza we asked one rider where he was headed. He said there was a rally in Burlington, Vermont. He had be on the road for 48 hours having come from Dallas, TX. Now we understood seeing all of the motorcycles. We even saw a family of four with a side car for the kids and trailer in tow.

Actually Watertown is where we left the main highways and made the final push to Lake Placid. Aimee switched over to her dad's car and drove with him for the rest of the trip. This was actually nice because I liked having the time alone with my thoughts on Ironman, listening to my MP3 player with my Ironman playlist and enjoying the scenery.

The majority of the drive is in the Adirondak National Park. No cellular service, very few buildings, small towns, etc. I managed to get a couple of pictures while driving but of course seeing it first hand is the way to go.

We passed through Tupper Lake, home of the Tinman Half Iron distance tri and also Saranac Lake.

As we got closer to Lake Placid I finally saw the first indication of Ironman.....yup that sign is up there for me.

Pulling into Lake Placid from the west I missed the street we were staying on since the city had renamed their streets and not put up all of the signage. So we wound up driving down main street and circling back around to our street. We finally found the townhouse I rented. I liked the location of the townhouse. Nestled back from the main road in a clearing. After talking with the rental agent I learned that we were in the only unit that they rent and she didn't know if any of the other units were available for rent. It was a nice 8 unit condo association. I never saw another tri bike or any other evidence of Ironman USA. I was close enough to town, but just on the fringe to stay away from too much hype. I could stay calm and focused as I prepared for the big day.

Don't sacrifice your gift

And boy did it ever count this year. When I decided to do Ironman USA I was drawn to the Janus Charity Challenge. I had wanted to do Team in Training but the schedules never worked out. But TriSaraTops did manage to link up with TNT for her Ironman, check her out.

Regardless I had several friends who would inspire me to raise money as part of JCC. I chose the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation as my charity. I initially set a goal of $5,000 to be raised by race day. As my training and fund raising efforts progressed I watched the dollar amount climb closer and closer to my goal.

At the same time I was receiving names of people who were battling cancer, had battled and beaten cancer, or had fought cancer only to succumb at the end. Each name was carried with me in my heart. I especially carried the two names (Tina Hoban and Chris Armstrong) that started my efforts under the brim of my running hat. I placed them so I could read their names whenever I looked up. During the second half of my marathon I needed the strength and energy to continue.

As my fund raising came to a close I had a final total of $6,155. Janus Investments also contributes to the various charities based upon the final totals. I fell in a group of 25 JCC Athletes that would receive an additional $750 for their charity. That would bring my grand total for the Komen Foundation to $6,905. I am so thrilled to have exceeded my original goal.

Two other benefits of being a JCC athlete. My low bib number, 71, was secured thru JCC. Each JCC athlete had a low number that also had a different color background. That was awesome.

I also received a tri top. It's a cool top and I love the saying on it......Men of Iron, Hearts of Gold. I rode this morning with my new top that I'm proud to be wearing.

One of my most favorite quotes is from Steve Prefontaine.....

"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift."

I gave my best this year to Ironman and Komen. What a wonderful gift it has been to give and receive.

Find your gift and give your best to share it.

Peace and love to all my friends out there.

P.S. I'll start posting my race report tomorrow. Thanks for waiting patiently.

Proof Positive

Here is a teaser photo of my Ironman Swag. Life is interupting my opportunity to post my race report. I don't like leaving you hanging but I'll get there. You can also check out my finishing video on Ironmanlive.com. Go to my results, bid number 71, and click on the Watch Me Finish. I'll be in the Orange/Blue jersey, my race number torn and hanging on by one hole.

Yes....I am an Ironman

I just wanted to get a quick post up to say I survived and thanks for all of the well wishes pre-race, good vibes during the race and congratulations post-race.

Needless to say I am very happy with my final results. I've started writing my race journal and will get it typed up and start posting to the blog-o-sphere.

Right now it's time to sit back, relax, and think about what I have done.

Once again, thanks to everyone for all of your support during my IM journey.

More to come soon.

I got my Game On, get yours on too.

Feel the Love

Since the beginning of the month I've seen more of my friends than ever before. Tapering allows you to do things that you have been missing out on. Everyone has been wishing me good luck, accomplished Ironmen have been offering small tidbits of advice, friends and co-workers have been asking about Ironman, and these same people continue to donate to my charity, I'm over $5,000 now.

And my bloggiest friends have been keeping me stoked about my big day.

Cliff figured out that my magic number is my bib number, 71.

TriSaraTops had an awesome day at Musselman Tri.

Aimee and I will be leaving for Lake Placid soon. I will have spotty access to the internet at Placid. For now I leave you with a little bit of love myself...... I Feel Love.

What's the Magic Number?

71

Weapons of Choice

I finally have my arsenal complete for IM USA, these are my Weapons of Choice.

On the swim I will be wearing my trusty QR wetsuit.

Sleeveless for good arm movement and enough bouyancy to help give me that extra little edge. Last night I did an open water swim in Lake Erie without my wetsuit, yes it was that warm, and I felt great. I had a strong swim without wetsuit.

For the bike portion I will be riding my trusty Elite bike. I rented a pair of Zipp 404 wheels from RaceDayWheels to add the finishing touch. I rode on them this morning and they felt great. This is the bike that I have spent over 150 hours on totaling over 1,981 miles. Coach Hodska looked at me on the bike to make sure there were no adjustments to make, he said I was good to go with no changes. I knew it felt right.

For the run I will have on my feet the Mizuno Inspire. I have raced/trained in Mizuno for the past 4 years and these shoes work so well for me. I will also be sporting a FuelBelt to carry Enduralytes and water.

It's gonna be alright.......right?

There are so many things to worry about during an Ironman. Weather, mechanical, nutrition, spectators, physical problems....all sort of things. Some you can control, others you take what you get. Just deal with it, move forward and reach the finish line.

But I've put in the training. Those that know me and have seen my training know I'll be rockin' the course. Aimee says I"m looking good and am fit.

So I guess......It's Gonna Be Alright

Does anything else matter?

6 months of training.

164000 Yards Swimming

2221 Miles on the Bike

540 Miles Running

This year has been about nothing but Ironman.

Nothing Else Matters

Will I Stand Alone?

How will I feel come race day? Standing/wading/treading water with 1999 of my newest closest friends, how alone will I really be?
I will have family cheering from the sidelines.

I will have friends tracking me on the internet.

I will have the memories of those that have left us having lost the battle with cancer.

I will not be alone, but I Stand Alone because triathlon is about competing by yourself against the clock.

Pain vs. Suffering

Remember my diatribe about pain and suffering. Well my training for IM has dealt me some pain but not suffering.

So just give me a pain that I'm used to on Ironman day..........

Taper Time

It was Wednesday last week that it was officially taper time. Only with an Ironman does a taper involve 4 hour bike ride, easy pace of course.

My music selections from here on out will be devoted to getting jacked up and steeling myself in preparation for Ironman, I must Galvanize.

Let's Play Tag

I'm It...I have been tagged by Tri-ing Without Limits:

four jobs I have had in my life:
1. Dad
2. Husband
3. Triathlete
4. Student
at times each has felt like a job, but I love each "job", except for student ; )

four movies I watch over and over:
1. Major League
2. Weird Science
3. Ferris Beuller's Day Off
4. Any Jackie Chan movie
if I run across them on TV I'm done for

four places I have lived:
1. Parent's House
2. College Dorm Room
3. Apartment
4. My own house

four TV shows I love to watch:
1. Food Network (almost any show)
2. Weather Channel (have to know the current weather)
3. MXC on Spike
4. Fox 8 News in the Morning

four places I have been on vacation:
1. Aruba (Honeymoon)
2. Antigua
3. Baja Mexico
4. Multi-sport tour of Yellowstone and Grand Tetons

four websites I visit daily:
1. My Yahoo (e-mail account)
2. Blog Lines (keep track of my bloggiest friends)
3. Cleveland Triathlon Club forum (great information)
4. Training Peaks (coach uses this for my workouts)

four of my favorite foods:
1. Pizza (especially grilled)
2. Fish (Salmon, snapper, talapia, etc. on the grill)
3. Wings
4. Race food (Gatorade, Carbo-pro, clif bars, clif blocks, hammer gel)

four places I would rather be right now:
1. Training (Swim/Bike/Run)
2. With my wife
3. Sleeping
4. Laying on the beach

four favorite bands/singers:
1. Fatboy Slim
2. Timo Mass
3. Prodigy
4. Blue Man Group

four bloggers I’ll Tag
1. TriGreyhound
2. Dante - The Journey
3. Buckeye Runner
4. Mark's Triathlon Blog

The Ironman Gorilla

My friend Rob ReddyToTri posted a quote right before his day at IM CdA.....

"Ironman is like wrestling a Gorilla - you don't stop when you are tired - you stop when the Gorilla is tired"

This quote popped into my head this morning during my run. You see I started my taper for IM USA Wednesday so I have time to think about what is ahead of me. This huge race that I have been training for the last 6 months to complete. I've seen the gorilla on some of my training rides. He may have been blowing hot air in my face or riding in the child seat while I climbed hills. There were times I thought I was carrying that gorilla on my back during a run or pulling him along on a float during my swims. But no matter what I wouldn't let the gorilla beat me down. In fact I've enjoyed accomplishing some of the hardest work-outs I've ever endured.

So come Ironman Day, I will be treating this giant beast with the respect and dignity it deserves. I will let him draft off me on the swim. I will pull him up the hills. I will push him in a stroller on the run course if I have to. But I know he won't be happy when I dump him off as I enter the finishing chute.



But I'll come back to him, rub his belly, give him some food and he will take a nap, because you don't mess with an Ironman.

Mountaineer Triathlon Video

Here is a "video" I created for the Mountaineer Triathlon

Mountaineer Race Report - Time to Run

Here is the end of my race report. Thanks for hanging around to read it. Between training and life it's been hard to blog.

I’m running, and feeling pretty good. Wait, what is that. Right there on the back of my leg, right below the butt, above the knee, damn that’s what I thought. The hamstrings started to tighten up. The plan called for me to find my legs in the first 10 minutes of the run. I knew where my legs were all right…...cramping the hell out of my hamstrings. I backed off slightly and grabbed for a water bottle to get a drink. The bottle slips out of my hand and falls to the ground. The guy behind me almost runs into me as I slow down to go back for it. I grabbed the bottle and started to walk a little while I took some water. I walked for about 15 seconds then got going again. The hamstrings felt better. They just needed a little extra rest to loosen up and agree to run with me.

Quick reminder of the run course: two loops, first 5 miles flat and fast along the river, next mile is a hard uphill then rolling ups and downs. The last half mile to the finish area is all downhill. Got it? Good, let’s move forward.

I’m feeling good. Coach’s plan called for my HR to be around 146. Right on the money. The aid stations were manned by some experienced people. They had everything ready and waiting. The turn around at mile two was manned by the West Virginia Hash House Harriers, they didn’t have any beer available but plenty of energy.

So far things are going well. I’ve found a running partner in Luke and we are talking as we run. Conversational pace and having a good time. Miles 3 and 4 brought us back to the transition area and then the finish area. Moving away from the finish line we heard the race announcer on the PA. Turns out the first pro was coming to the finish line. Chris Legh won the Half distance in 4:11:09 besting his competition by 10 minutes, and I had another hour to run. At mile 5 we leave the flat portion of the course and head towards town where we find hills immediately. I’ve managed to reach this point of the run course in about 40 minutes. Here are my splits so far: 7:40, 7:37, 7:56, 8:05, 8:27.

Devil’s Hill greats us as we leave the flat trail. I used GMAP to measure the climb. In .14 mile (740 feet) there is approximately 100 foot gain in elevation. That equates to an average grade of 13.5%. Here is how I saw the breakdown in three sections.

Section 1: 16 foot rise over 264 feet equals 6% grade, definitely runnable
Section 2: 37 foot rise over 264 feet equals 14% grade, slowly runnable
Section 3: 53 foot rise over 264 feet equals 20% grade, power walk time

Going up section 3 I immediately begin to power walk. Luke is trying to run the hill and isn’t even moving ahead of me. Next thing I know he slows, drops behind me and I hear him say something about him hamstring……he’s done. I didn’t see Luke again until the finish. From the top of Devil’s Hill to mile 6 the course is fairly rolling up and down. I still managed to hold an 8:40 for that mile. The rest of the course to the finish area is a great downhill grade that allowed me to pull a 7:38 for mile 7. As I approached the finish area I took a left turn back towards the river trail for loop number two. I found another person to run/talk with during the flats. The “plan” called for me to increase my effort and HR for the last miles of the course. Knowing the hills were waiting for me I began to increase my speed on the flats, sounded like a good strategy to me. Looking at my splits I was maintaining speed instead of increasing it, which is fine. For some reason my mile 9 split was 9:27. The only thing I can figure is that I grabbed some Pepsi from the Hash House Harriers aid station and was walking while I drank it. I grabbed Pepsi at each aid station from here on in. I wanted to try it because I’ve never raced on Coke/Pepsi before and knew this was a good time to test.

The rest of the flat was uneventful. I was passing some people who were on their first loop of the run course or running the international race. At Devil’s Hill I power walked the 3rd section again. I looked ahead of me and saw a female walking the hill as well. At the top of the hill I grabbed more Pepsi from the aid station and set my sights on the two people in front of me. As I approached the female I noticed her leg was marked with a P. She was one of the two pro women in the half distance race. I passed her and another guy (in my age group) at the top of a small uphill. I was golden at this point. One more uphill then a nice half mile downhill to the finish. As I hit the final trail section to the finish line I saw Scott Erdman of HFP, gave him five and told him what a great course. I could hear Aimee cheering for me as I approached the finish chute. The announcer called out my name as I crossed the line.

Run: 1:46:44
Pace: 8:09/mile
7:40 / 7:37 / 7:56 / 8:05 / 8:28 / 8:41 / 7:38 / 8:17 / 9:27 / 7:53 / 8:02 / 8:21 / 7:46 / 00:43
7/32 in age group
44/209 overall

Race time: 5:12:27
6/32 in age group
31/209 overall, including pros and teams.

I was happy with the performance that day. I wasn’t completely spent and was mobile. After we had some food, showered, cleaned out my transition area; Aimee and I headed for home. I actually drove the three hours back home myself. The race plan was executed perfectly with some minor adjustments on course. Coach was happy with my adjustments since I was performing so well. This race was a huge confidence booster for IM USA.

Special props go out to my wife Aimee and the Cleveland Tri Club members that were racing. In the words of Jen Collister, Aimee is a great cheerleader. I could hear Aimee each time I passed her; yelling for me, taking pictures and ringing the cowbell. I also loved seeing the club members on the run course and yelling words of encouragement.

Mountaineer Race Report - Time to Ride

Here is the bike portion of my race report. I didn't realize I was leaving people hanging in the middle of my report until I saw Buckeye Runner and her husband this past weekend. Training and life have pulled me away from writing. Enjoy this installment.

Like I said in my last post, I’m outta here (on the bike). I love running by people who have stopped just outside of transition in order to mount their bikes. I run clear of them and hop on my bike. I then clip in while rolling down the road. Think Lance Armstrong after his rode across that open field and had to dismount and remount his bike after crossing the drainage ditch.

The race plan was for me to be conservative for the first 75% of the bike then hammer the rest home. I was to ignore all other racers and go with my own plan. Heart rate was to be high Zone 2, around 140. Also had my watch timer set for drinking and eating every 10 minutes. Coach said I should feel like I could go harder, but to stay just below that effort. The first loop of the bike was nice with dry pavement and enthusiastic volunteers at the 15 mile aid station. The first hill at mile 7 was nothing that I haven’t ridden before. The fact that it was straight and you could see quite a ways up the road was a mental test. There was a moment of false hope as you approached a slight left turn on the climb. You had the feeling of relief thinking that the top was just around the corner…then…..BAM….you still have another quarter mile to climb. Oh well, you just hunker down and keep climbing. After cresting the climb the section until the aid station was very fun. There were some short ups with some awesome downhill’s that allow you to recover and get the HR down. Somewhere along the course I reached a max of 40 MPH.

So the top part of this bike course takes us into Pennsylvania. This is where we reach the little town of Taylorville hosting the aid station right before mile 15. My first time through I didn’t need anything but thanked the volunteers anyways. After the aid station there were still some hills to climb. These were more like a staircase, steps that got you up to the top of the hill. When we finally crested the last hill it was all downhill from there.

Prior to the race the RD and several other racers made comment about a dip in the road. Aimee and I saw it during our drive of the course the night before. This “dip” came three feet into the road from the right shoulder. There were arrows and paint guiding you around the depression in the road. This first time through this area I was following, at a safe distance, the guy in front of me. Of course a car was coming towards us. He made it through before the car reached the area of the dip. I however reached the dip when the car did. There was still enough room between me and the dip in the road to make it through safely. The one thing I miscalculated was the speed which I was carrying into the turn. Oh did I forget to mention that the dip was at the apex of a right hand turn? Yes, so maximum velocity, hard right turn, centrifugal forces pushing me to the outside, I had to the fight the bike a little to keep it turning to the right.

After that last downhill we were flat and fast. We went through another area of homes with people standing out cheering for us. The Half Distance course required us to do a small 2 mile out and 2 mile back to extend our course. Pretty much all the way back to the transition area was pretty fast. I did have to make a rolling pee break, which is a good sign. I was hydrated enough that I had to pee. I also had to make sure I kept myself in check and not let the HR get to high. I had another loop to do of that bike course.

I came around the transition area and the bike aid station is immediately after a left hand turn. I knew where it was, had my empty bottle ready to toss and the volunteers had a bottle of water waiting for me. Here is where I share an aid station tip that I find works great. I forget where I got this from but I use it every time. As I approach the aid station I yell for what I want. Those that have what I want usually identify themselves with a “here”. I point and make eye contact with the person I will take the aid from. This way the person I am going for is expecting my grab and I rarely miss. I like making the personal connection with the volunteer, it makes for flawless execution.

Aimee is waiting for me as I exit the aid station and got a picture of me about to make the turn back out onto the course for round two. By now the rain has started to come down. Not heavy or windy rain but wet none the less. It doesn’t have an impact on the course because most of the course is fairly straight. I started to see people I know on the small section where we pass. I was heading back out and some people were heading back from their first lap. My teammate Mel was cruising along and it dawned to me that she was the first female I saw on the bike. I also saw Matt, who I started the swim with, and was wondering when he would catch me on the second loop. Matt is a powerhouse on the bike, think Thor Husvold.

So I’m just cruising along and hit the hill again at mile 7. Time to start climbing into the sky. This time I alternated between staying in the saddle and standing a little. I wanted to use different muscles this time. I think it worked because I felt better on this hill the second time. Nothing to exciting on this loop, even with the rain. I exchanged water bottles this time at the aid station and thanked everyone for being there.

Some of the hills were taking their toll on the newer triathletes. I passed a teenage boy pushing his mountain bike up the hill. I tried to encourage him with some words. At the top a woman had just finished walking her bike up the hill and was stretching her quads. I offered her some encouragement as well. As I crested the hill I started my decent towards the “dip”. This time as I approached the right hand turn there was no opposing traffic. Cool, I had the green light to let it rip. Unfortunately I ripped it too hard. Again I miscalculated the angle of the turn, the speed I was entering the turn and the amount of G forces that would push me all the way to the left side of the road. Now don’t get me wrong, these are not major highway roads, but if a car had been coming the other way, I’d be a hood ornament. I literally fought my bike to turn away from the soft shoulder on the side of the road. I actually spoke out load, “Cooommme ooonnnn baby”. This was not easy to do while in the aero position. A combination of leaning and a twist of the arms got me back to the right side of the road. That was close.

At least I was on the flat part of the course and really no more climbing to do. At the intersection of the out and back we had to do there was a mining operation. Coal mining to be exact, we are in West Virginia you know. So on the way out to the turn around I didn’t think about it. On the way back I was worried about it being slick but it was a straight shot through the coal dust on the road. Oh, in case you forgot, IT’S BEEN RAINING. I look down at my legs and they are covered in this wet coal dust sprayed up from my front tire. Lucky for me I had a spare water bottle and hosed off my legs. Hey, everyone had to ride through it as well.

Again, the rest of the bike loop was flat and fast. I was given the green light to increase my speed and HR for the last 15 miles of the bike loop. About 3 miles from the transition area I started to prepare for T2. I had everything I needed waiting for me, but I was going to make a slight modification and I knew exactly how to execute it. Did I mention, that IT’S BEEN RAINING?!?! My feet are soaked. My shoes are soaked. My socks are soaked. Of course peeing two more times on the bike course didn’t help, but IT’S BEEN RAINING.

Okay, I have a pair of socks in my transition bag. I know exactly where they are. As I approach T2 I always un-strap my shoes, take my feet out and ride on top of my shoes into transition. However, this time I also take my socks off. Now what am I supposed to do with wet dirty socks as I approach the entrance to transition? Stuff them in my aero water bottle. Sure did. I wasn’t going to drink out of it anymore. It worked great. Into T2, rack the bike, off with the helmet, unzip the bag, grab the socks (right where I knew they were at), socks and shoes on, grab the hat and fuel belt and I’m out of T2.

Bike: 2:48:05
Average speed: 20 MPH
10/32 in Age group
42/209 Overall


T2 : 1:03
I had the fastest T2 in my AG by .35 seconds.

I still can't get pictures up to blogger, suck donkey balls!

Mountaineer Race Report - Race Morning and Swim

The alarm was set for 4:30AM. Coach told me to eat 3 hours before the start of the race. Mini bagel with peanut butter and 2 Protein Boost would give me around 600 calories. The extra time also allowed me to take a quick jog outside to transition and back. I walked outside with my sweatshirt on but quickly realized that I didn’t need it since the temp was 65 degrees and the humidity was very high, so it actually felt warmer. I started jogging towards transition and along the way saw a group of people sitting on their front porch still partying. I think they had gone all night long, I wasn’t sure if they would still be there during the race. At transition I spoke with two girls that were manning the area with the timing chips. I think I was the first athlete they saw for the day. When I returned to the hotel I finished eating and started making trips to the bathroom getting ready for the race. Aimee stayed in bed while I rummaged around the room getting my racing kit on and making sure I had everything in my transition bag.

Around 5:45 we finally left for transition. We made quick stop by the car to get the Cleveland Tri Club banner and my tire pump. In transition I pulled out all of my gear, put the bottles on the bike, laid out a towel for my shoes, hooked my bag to the chain link fence, etc. One last stop at the port-o-pottie near transition allowed me to talk with some other racers and see Snakebite teammate Mel Bolgrin. Mel was down for the International Distance Tri. She is in good form right now training for her first Half Iron-Distance race in August. I also chatted with several of the tri-club members who were getting their own areas set-up. One last check of my transition area and I grabbed my swim gear and headed towards the swim start.

At the finish area there were more bathrooms so I made one last pit-stop, you can never clean yourself out completely, especially when the nerves start kicking in. As Aimee and I walked down to the swim start Chris Legh, the guy from the Gatorade commercials, was stretching and I wished him good luck, he responded likewise. At the swim start no one had gone into the water yet. Chris Legh came down to the start area and I chatted with him some more, such a nice guy. Someone had to “break the ice” so I slapped on my goggles and swim cap and walked into the comfortable waters of the Mon River. I had a good warm-up of about ten minutes before getting back out and standing with Aimee. The RD gave some last minute swim directions before the pro’s started getting into the water.

minutes after the pro men, 35-39 age group. My wife said we were the only age group to have our own start. All of the other groups were lumped together for the start. Tri club friend Matt joined my age group this year. We made our way out to the starting buoy. This was my first time with an open water swim start. I liked it. We were spread out and the contact was either minimal or non-existent, as in my case. I was able to get into my pace immediately. I was watching where people were at around me to avoid contact but no one was even close. Even at the turns traffic was light. The long straight for the swim was upstream and I could feel a little bit of a wave action from the wind. The Army Corp of Engineers had shut the dam upstream soAt 7:30 the pro men were off, all four of them. Next to start were the two pro women. My wave didn’t start until 12 there was no current. About half way up the long straight I tried to look around at who was near me. I saw one red cap, my wave’s color, to my right about ten yards away. He looked to be going the same pace as I and I almost went over to draft behind him, but he was not really that close and the pace was the same so I didn’t see the benefit. I also started seeing the blue caps of the group that started 2 minutes before us. I was starting to catch and pass some of these guys. I felt great during the swim. This was one of my best swims ever. At the end of the swim we had to hoist ourselves onto a dock. No beach to run up or anything. I wasn’t sure how the arms would get me out of the water after the 1.2 mile swim. I was surprised that it was not a problem. The only thing now was a quick jog up the bank and into T1. The carpet laid down on the uphill was old Mountaineer astro-turf. It made for a nice surface to run up. Aimee was waiting for me at the top of the climb taking pictures and cheering me on.

Swim time: 35:02
4/33 in age group
32/209 overall

T1 is usually pretty fast for me. Off with the wet-suit, pull on some socks, helmet, glasses, shoes, a couple of items in my back pockets and I’m off. Running out of T1 and onto the road I ran past two others and did my flying mount onto the bike. I was outta there.

T1 time: 1:33
5th fastest time in age group

Blogger is having problems with photos so I will get these up soon.

Secret Identity Revealed

Several bloggers have talked about their secret alter ego as they train for Ironman races, or just train for triathlon period. I agree sometimes with the notion that beneath the calm exterior of the mild mannered: university professor, lawyer, teacher, mother, father, accountant, banker or business owner, there lies a triathlete waiting for the next early morning workout to begin under the cover of darkness. A person dedicated to the triathlon lifestyle. "Little do my neighbors know that I just rode 60 miles on my bike", says the resting triathlete with a smirk on his face.

But why do we keep it under wraps until race day, when we put on our lycra racing gear and swim/bike/run with 50-2000 of our closest friends for the day? Why not expose ourselves, not just our feet, to those we know and see on a daily basis and say, "Hey, I'm a triathlete and I Swim, Bike and Run because I think it's fun." I know, I have neighbors that don't get it either. They would rather drink beer, play poker, refurbish a car, tend the garden, watch NASCAR; and I have no problem with that. Different strokes for different folks, we just happen to love triathlon.

Okay, back to the secret identity. I admit that I am modest when talking about triathlon. Get me started and I can go for quite some time. But I don't go around tauting I'm a triathlete. If someone asks I will tell them. I also gauge the persons true interest. I have had several ask and then the eyes gloss over after I mention the three sports. And other times people have questions that I love to answer. So my secret identity is slowly revealed. And I use my secret identity to hopefully inspire someone to start walking, join the Y, quit smoking, dust off that old bike in the garage. Maybe they will say, "If he can do it, so can I." I have a dream. Not as eloquent as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's dream, but a healthy one for those around me.

Well, today the outer covering of my secret identity was torn off. My fund raising for the Komen Foundation is moving forward and has gained momentum. More people are asking about my training and fund raising. I joined the Janus Charity Challenge because of the added challenge and the benefit I felt that I could bring to triathlon and the battle against breast cancer. I was working today at a customer that I enjoy going to. The people there are genuinely nice and good people to work with. Kelly provided me with one of my first donations. Mary Ann called me and wanted to give me a check for my fund raising. This was the first personal check handed to me. All of the other donations have been through the web site. That check in my hand made this fund raising thing even more real. Then Ron started asking questions about the fundraising and my training. A feeling of great personal satisfaction hit me today. I guess we all need that in our lives every now and then. But, I'm just a normal guy doing my best to help those around me. I'm no superman. I don't hide my identity, I'm a triathlete who has to work to support my love of the sport. Some people may never get "it", but even if just one person starts their day differently by deciding to do something to improve their health, maybe I was superman for a day (even though I may not know it).

Game On.

Mountaineer Race Report - Pre-Race

While writing my race report I have found that I get quite verbose. Of course this is my personal journal of the race and I like to get the details down for when I read them later.

Yet, I don't really like long blog posts. Write something of interest and move on. I feel this helps people do some reading and move on to another blog or surfing for bike porn. So I begin with my first installment for the Mountaineer Half Iron Distance Tri. I hope you enjoy it.

Let's get this party started.......

Aimee and I headed down to Morgantown, WV on Saturday the 24th. We left home around 11:30AM and had a nice drive down to Morgantown. We took turns driving so the other could nap. We had an active morning with Aimee running 10 miles in the early morning and a quick trip to the Brecksville Homedays Dog Jog. This was my “easy” morning run to turn the legs over. Snickers and I won the event last year and were there to see if we could defend our title without wasting too much energy. It’s interesting how I felt during the jog. Two guys were in front of me and I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch them because I’m not training for speed this year, it’s all about the Ironman. So this year Snickers pulled me through the two loop, one mile run. We had fun then had to get home and finally leave for Morgantown.

After we checked into our hotel room we hit the expo to get my race packet. We had to check in my bike Saturday night and I found a good spot on a rack. The transition area was on the first level of a parking garage which would provide cover from the elements on race day. I grabbed the end of a rack next to the garage wall. The chain link fence provided me with a spot to hang my transition bag from so that it was out of the way yet easily accessible if I needed anything.

We walked the transition and finish area to make sure I knew the flow for the race. Once I was happy with how things were going to work we made our way back to the hotel for some dinner. The hotel restaurant was not very busy. The weather outside was nice enough to eat on the patio overlooking the river. We picked a table between the common area where some wedding guests were sitting and the serving area. For the majority of our dinner we were alone enjoying each others company, watching some people swimming, running on the course and heading to transition. The menu for the restaurant looked great. Aimee had some mushroom stuffed ravioli in a seafood cream sauce. New to the menu was a create your own pasta meal. Pick your pasta, pick your sauce, pick some protein and also some sides. I went with penne pasta, marinara sauce, meatballs, salad and a glass of pinot noir. We finished out meal before the 6:30PM cutoff time coach had in the race plan.

After dinner we hopped in the car for a drive on the bike and run course. Scott Erdman who is the voice of HFP Racing and a CTC member had posted a bike course recap on the club message board. With that in hand we drove the course and were able to relate his version of the course to where we were on the course. The hills were nothing extreme and resembled some of the stuff I had been training on. We saw where the rough spots were and one nasty dip that I had trouble handling during the race, but more on that later.

The beginning of the run course is flat on a path the runs along the river so we focused on the second half of the two loop half marathon run, especially Devil’s Hill. Turning off the paved bike path and heading into town the run immediately starts to go up. The hill goes up to an intersecting street, is flat for 20 feet then climbs again. At the top of this second climb is a right turn and a gradual climb toward the campus of WVU. From here on in to the finish area the roads roll up and down, some rather sharply, with the final mile going all downhill.

We made our way back to the hotel to call it a night. I got the rest of my gear ready for morning, chatted with a couple of CTC members and finally turned off the TV. It was around 10:30PM when I finally settled down enough to fall asleep.

I'll try to post every day so you don't have to wait until August for my race report to end.

Truer words were never spoken...

....and I rely upon the writing talent of TriSaraTops to verbalize what we all feel. I usually can't get close to the prose she puts out so I have to direct you to her site to read about one of our friends who attempted IM CdA this past weekend.

http://trisaratopsimadventure.blogspot.com/2006/06/i-have-friend-who-is-ironman_27.html

She tells it like I feel it.

Thanks girl.....she's got game.

Two for Tuesday - Keeping Things Dry

Yes, TfT has returned because I actually thought of something helpful to post. Hang on, because things may get slippery when wet.

I raced the Mountaineer Half Iron Triathlon this past weekend and we got rained on. Starting with the second loop of the bike course we had a steady but never heavy rain. Everything was wet when I finished, except my bike. The transition area was under cover. More on the race when I complete the report. So I share these tips to keep things dry or help dry things out.

Newspaper
I had learned a ways back to stuff newspaper in my running shoes to help dry them out. I don't know what absorbing properties newspaper has but it works extremely well. Usually two "stuffings" of the shoes does the trick. I use this for both my running and bike shoes.

Swim Caps
When we arrived at Morgantown the truck in front of us had three bike in the bed with some colorful covers for the seats. I took a closer look to find out where this person got such cool seat covers.......old swim caps. Now why didn't I think of that. I have a whole bunch of swim caps from races that I never use otherwise. Yet I am taking it one step further.....cover the arm rests on the aero bars. Check out these pictures to see what I mean. Ignore the messy garage, my race number from Morgantown (116), you see part of my road and mountain bikes, but ignore the rest of the messy garage.
















Game on....check out my countdown timer----------->

Eve of Mountaineer Half Distance Tri

Aimee and I drove down to Morgantown today. It was a very nice day, great weather and all.

Our hotel room overlooks the Mon River and I can see the swim markers in the water. Drove the bike course and it shouldn't be a problem. The run course has one brutal uphill that I will try to get a picture of, they have called it Devil's Hill, think San Francisco.

Looking forward to a good day of racing. Hope to have a picture of the club members that have travelled from Cleveland for this race.

Picture Day

I found these pictures on the website of Eric Hodska. Eric was the coach who led us through our tri-camp weekend. Such a great guy to work with and alot of fun as you can tell from the pictures. I was on my fourth hill repeat to test for max run HR. I was the last to do the hill and he followed me up.....bastard. Also a good picture of me on the bike.

Half IM Taper

I"m kind of in taper for the MedExpress Mountaineer Half Iron Distance Tri at Morgantown, WV on Sunday. So today was a an easy Zone 1 ride on the bike. It was a nice day despite the winds from the south. So today I say, thank you Master Placid for providing the steady winds in my face and on my back to help me stay easy on my bike ride. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person on July 23rd.

Weekend Update - Sunday Long Run

Crap.....I had this in draft and forgot to post it. Another update from the weekend. Another huge deposit for Lake Placid.


So Sunday was Father's Day. What better way to enjoy the day than to go on a 2.5 hour run. Amanda had to be at work at 10:30AM so I kind of slept in and got ready to run. I dropped off Amanda at work then drove to Hinckley Reservation to run the bridal trails, Buckeye Trail and some hills. I took four Fuel Belt bottles and a flask of Hammer Gel for the run. I was anticipating stopping by the car once to refuel.

I was pleasantly surprised with how my legs were responding after a long day on Saturday. The bridal trails I was on were awesome. Not too hard and forgiving on my legs. I even took some walking trails that I had no clue where they went but that added to the adventure.

A majority of the trails seemed like they were heading uphill, so for quite a way. I was sipping on water every ten minutes when my countdown timer went off. At the 40 minute mark I started taking gel every 30 minutes. I operate best with water and gel on the run. The gas on the run has pretty much disappeared since dropping the gatorade from the run, again too many carbs.

I was going through a bottle per 40 minutes so I didn't need to worry about stopping back at the car. I ran on some of the best trails in the park. Very little traffic and wonderful surface. I was on actual road for maybe 2-3 miles tops.

I finished 30 seconds shy of 2.5 hours. This was a great confidence boost considering the trials and tribulations of the brick on Saturday.

So the entire weekend was great and I learned alot about my nutrition capabilities/needs. Of course this is exactly how it should be, learn during training so you don't make the mistake during a race.

Mountaineer and Ironman, look out.

Weekend update - Saturday Brick

Below is the e-mail I sent my coach about my training day on Saturday. All I can say is that my IM bank account is getting huge.

I started preparing for a 7 hour training day Friday night by putting together my nutritional needs since I would be supporting myself. I knew it was going to be hot and humid. I might need some extra energy. In each bottle of Endurance Gatorade I loaded three (3) scoops of Carbo-Pro. I had 6 bottles ready to go. I also pulled out several Clif bars. For the run I had a flask with Hammer Gel and two water bottles.

I started Sat. morning around 7:00AM. I started at Station Road and followed the parkway out to Bonnie Park, this was the end of the first hour. Just as I planned I headed back to the parking lot to refuel for the remaining four hours. I had completed two bottles of fluid and one Clif bar, took one pee from the bike.

I started the remainder of the ride on the Death Ride route. I continued to eat and drink at 10 minute intervals. At about 3.5 hours my insides started to rebel. Actually they started to get clogged. Fortunately I was able to recognize the warning signs due to the camp talk by Jennifer. I was over loaded with carbs. Things were sitting in my stomach and couldn't get processed. I immediately started changing my nutrition. I stopped eating and filled one of my water bottles with water. I did this at the bottom of Rt 303 at the Peninsula Trailhead. I continued on the ride with a heavy stomach trying to drink water to help digest the contents of my stomach.

When I hit the bottom of Steeles Corners I took the Bath Road connector to Riverview Road and continued the Death Ride skipping the entire southern portion of the route. I was at 4 hours to this point, maybe a little bit over.

I rejoined the route at Martin Road. Still my stomach was heavy with food and backed up. Loading the bottles with 3 scoops of Carbo-Pro was the killer for me. If I hadn't done that I would have been fine. At hour 5 I hit Oak Hill, which is always fun during a long ride. After I made it to the flats I had to force myself to pee again. I wasn't worried about not peeing because I knew I had fluid in my stomach. I wasn't sweating profusely but that was another release of fluids from the body. I hadn't peed since the 1.5 mark of the ride. So I went about 3.5 hours without peeing.

After coming back down Stine Road to Riverview I stopped that Boston Store to load up with more water as I had completely given up on the Gatorade. I skipped Boston Mills Road going west and went up Snowville instead. I made my way down and around Brecksville Reservation, however I skipped Meadow Dr. and I made it back to the parking lot right at 6 hours.

I transitioned to my running shoes, grabbed my Fuel Belt and headed out for the 45 minute run. I ran down to Old Carriage Trail where I practiced my hill walking to try and keep my HR lower than Zone 4. I was still feeling heavy in the stomach but was able to start burping to release the pressure. I couple of times I had to walk as a burp was building up. On my return trip to the parking lot I started to feel better. My HR wasn't quite Zone 3 but I was moving at a good pace.

Back at the car I was able to start cooling off the body with the ice water from my cooler. I poured the water on me in an attempt to cool and clean myself. I finally looked at my bike computer. For my 6 hour ride I had accumulated just over 102 miles. I finally broke the 3 digit barrier during a single day of training. The run was around 5.5 miles with the time between 45-50 minutes.

After dinner my daughter and I saw the movie Cars. This is another good animated movie. We both liked it alot. Even if you don't have kids, treat yourself to some fun.

Family & Friends Friday - Susan G Komen

In case you haven't paid close attention to my blog, and I mean reading my header or checking out my links, I am doing something special with my Ironman Training.

I have accepted the Janus Charity Challenge on behalf of the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I have chosen this charity because of the impact cancer has had on two people I know; Tina Hoban (fellow triathlete) and Chris Armstrong (co-worker of my wife, Aimee). Each has battled bravely through their cancer. Tina in fact is doing very well and is currently in training for Ironman Florida.

I hesitate making the request for donations but I have realized that this fund raising is bigger than I expected. I am simply relying upon the word getting out through my family and friends to visit my donation web site and help out.

Between my trilogy of family, work and training I don't have the time to do fund raising events and such. However, I am glad to report that so far I have donations o $2,115. My goal is $5,000.
I'm still working on getting more donations and this is the meaning of this post. If you feel inclined to donate to my charity please visit the Janus Charity website. Also, please forward this information to those you think may be interested in my charity.

http://www.januscharitychallenge.com/LP06/ericgibb

If you make a donation in honor or support of a person please let me know something about that person. I am collecting names to carry with me on July 23rd. Either post a message on my blog or e-mail me at eric_gibb@yahoo.com.

I'm pleased to announce my first Blogland donation. Flatman had sent out a request for a bike part and I so happened to have that part. I "sold" him that part for a fair price since it was just sitting around in a box anyways. But then I started to think about it. I would have given it to him. I wasn't doing anything with it. I don't sell things on E-Bay or anything like that.

So unbeknownst to Flatman, I have taken his check for the bike part and made a donation on his behalf to the Susan G Komen foundation. I hope you don't mind Flatman.

I know there are many of us raising funds for different charities. CurlySu was/is a part of Team In Training. So I understand if you have already made donations to other charities.

Regardless, thanks for reading and considering my charity.

Stop reading and start posting

I somehow find it easier to read 10 blogs each day than post something on my own blog. But there are so many good blogs out there to read and you want to keep up with what so-and-so is doing and how training is going for this dudette and blah blah blah.

So what have I done lately.

Monday was a 4200 yard swim that felt great considering it had been just over a week since my last swim. I did the workout in 1:20:00. I was encouraged by that since I was only 24 yards shy of 2.4 miles, some intervals were above race pace and there were the 30-60 second rest periods between intervals/sets.

Tuesday I did some bike intervals early in the morning. It was 45 degrees out when I started so I put on tights, toe booties, long sleeved jersey and had a great ride. I share the workout with you because my coach says it is supposed to help build the lactate threshold. There is some lactate build-up with a period of flushing.

These are 2 mile intervals broken up as follows:
1/2 mile big chain ring and whatever cog you need for a 55-65 RPM spin, aero position.
1/2 mile big chain ring and whatever cog you need for a 55-65 RPM spin, standing...think hill climbing.
1/2 mile small chain ring, spinning high RPM 90+, I was hitting 105PM
1/2 mile easy to recover for next 2 mile interval.

I repeated this 6 times. I know I'm getting stronger because I maxed out my cassette and was pushing 70-75 RPM in the big gears.

Wednesday night I did hill repeats....8x90 second. I need the hills due to the course at Lake Placid. Again I felt great and had a total run on 1 hour.

Tonight I meet up with some club members for an open water swim in Lake Erie.

Tomorrow will be a special Family and Friends Friday, please don't miss it.

Go get your game on.

Two for Tuesday - Training Food

TfT is back today because I actually have something to report/provide to everyone.

Gatorade Endurance
Yes that orange and yellow gold of endurance athletes. That drink of preference at triathlons, running and cycling events. Amazing how much advertising Gatorade is putting forth for a specialized sports drink. Yet as we all know we need to train for what is on course. But can it be more difficult to find it? I found a reliable source at our grocery retailer and they haven't let me down. But for the masses I share this little tidbit. A reliable source, Race promoter and director of the Greater Cleveland Triathlon (Mickey Ryzmik) says that Target is under "contract" to stock Endurance. I was successful at finding plenty of bottles on the shelves and the Target in North Olmsted. Do you hear me TriSaraTops and TriAl, TARGET in North Olmsted. So check out the shelves at your local store. Go to the link above for coupons and such from the website.

Go-Tarts!
New to the Pop-tarts line of products I find these little packages of goodness perfect for stashing in your jersey pocket for bike fuel. My only complaint is there seems to be extra "crust" around the filling which tends to be dry, so you need extra Gatorade Endurance to wash it down.....wait is this some ploy between the two products? Makes you wonder. Anyways I will have a couple of these Go-Tarts in my special needs bag during my IM bike.

Now go out and shop. Have a great day.

Special Two for Tuesday....on Friday

I can't believe I am posting again this morning but I have to get this one out. So this is my two a day for the week.

We received a new issue of Runner's World in the mail this week and I finally looked at the cover and index.

Cover: Lokelani McMichael, Bolder's personal hawt friend
Index: Get in Great Shape.....with triathlon

Well it's about time. I hope alot of my friends read this and realize the benefits of cross training and our beloved three sport discipline. You can't argue with an article that starts with...TRIATHLON IS HOT. Maybe not Hawt, but still hot.

One of my favorite t-shirts I've seen says....So you are a runner, is that all you do?

Now I'm not dissing my running friends. I love them all. I would just like to see them on the bike or swimming a little bit more, especially for recovery.

Oh....and the pictures of Loke are HAWT.

Yes, I'm still around......

....but just haven't had time to post like I want. My three regular posts have fallen by the wayside, Two for Tuesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday and Family and Friends Friday. I'll managed to get back on track someday. Let's see if I can review the past week now that the hardware problems at blogger seem to have been corrected.

Friday 6/2: First day of Tri Camp with Eric Hodska. Swam 4000 yards, rode 2 hours, trail ran and did hill repeat HR test, lunch, trail run, bike time trial HR test.

Saturday 6/3: Second day of Tri Camp. Ride 80 miles with 1 hour run afterwards. No lake swim because of choppiness of the lake.

Sunday 6/4: Last day of tri camp, 2 hour trail run on the Buckeye Trail. Swim 2000 yards of drills and underwater video-taping

Monday 6/5: Sicker than a dog day. Caught a stomach virus from my coaches little boy and it..laid..me..out. Diahrea and puking. Stiff muscles. Listless. All I could do was lay around the house and rest. So my rest day from the big weekend turned into a sick day.

Tuesday 6/6: Virus broke before midnight Monday so Tuesday I was able to catch-up on work and start to slowly eat again. No workout today as the stomach was still a little quezy.

Wednesday 6/7: Finally made it out of the house and to visit a customer. Good to get outside. My coach said to ride easy for 90 minutes. I didn't want to run to avoid jostling the stomach so ride was a great alternative. My fitness is starting to really show now. I got on my road bike and started to go. Once the legs got warmed up I took a nice ride out to Lorain and back. Tested out the newly paved road along the lake and I felt much better. I was holding 19-20 MPH using a 90-100RPM cadance and my HR barely made it to my zone 2. I was around 120 BPM....and this was after a two day rest from camp with a virus thrown in. Look out IM.

Thursday 6/8: Stomach still a little quezy at times but I'm out and about at customer sites and getting stuff done around the house. Got an e-mail from my coach telling me to slow down. This is a recovery week and she wants me to be totally rested and ready for the MedExpress Mountaineer Half IM Tri on June 25th. If I'm not feeling right I don't hesitate taking an extra day off. So today I skipped any workouts and cut the grass which is a nice 1 hour walk.

Friday 6/9: Family and Friends Friday has me going down to OU to pick up my son from school and bring him home for the summer. No workout today.

So much to talk about and never enough time. I hate to post after the fact but I'm sure some will come out, too good to not post.

Get some satisfaction from your weekend.

Weekend by the numbers....non-training edition

I started thinking about my Memorial day weekend and realized I did do more than just train. Actually Aimee did alot while I was training. So here are the non-training numbers......

Friday
2 - hours chatting with our neighbor, Kim
1 - boxes of Mac 'n Cheese for a quick dinner
8 - hours of sleep that night

Saturday
3 - miles Aimee ran before cheering her friends at a local running race
1 - garden completely prepared and planted by Aimee while I was riding my bike
2 - lobster tails cooked for dinner
1 - bottle of champagne used in preparing dinner and drinking during dinner
5 - tiki torches bought at Home Depot
8 - tiki torches planted in the ground and lit for a quiet evening on the back porch

Sunday
6 - miles Aimee ran with friends in Bay Village, I joined by riding my bike easy
45 - minutes I was able to lay down while......
60 - minutes it took my awesome wife to cut the grass, what a saint

Monday
3 - hours Aimee did gardening at her dad's
3 - number of burgers cooked for lunch
2 - number of bratwurst cooked for lunch

Wow.... it really shows how busy the weekend can get when training is mixed with life.

I'm fortunate to have a great IronMate that helps me during this monster training.