Ironman Wisconsin - Bike

The bike course goes out on the country roads of Dane County. It’s a nice 12 mile ride out to the city of Verona where the loop begins. People refer to it as the “stick” and the “lollipop” due to how it looks on paper.

The race plan called for a very controlled heart rate on the “stick”. I was to be in the low 130’s. My body however had different ideas. I was running around 140 BPM all the way to Verona. I finally saw 130 as I passed the special needs area. I was feeling fine, legs weren’t getting pushed hard, just a high heart rate.

I was eating and sipping Gatorade for the first hour of the ride along with a Z-Bar to eat. I would then switch to Perpetuem for the second hour. I planned on switching like this each hour to mix solid and liquid calories during the bike.

The bike was a normal ride through the country, only the hills were constant and sometimes steeper than expected. Hodska posted on his blog that this course will keep you honest. It will be rewarding if you prepared for it or punish you if the bike was neglected. My training was good for this course and I was hoping for the best.

You can’t explain a 112 mile bike ride in too much detail but I’ll at least give some highlights.

I was trading position with a girl that was riding very strong. Her race number was folded under her race belt so I didn’t know her name. Her bike was a nice Aegis painted green and yellow. I asked her if it was painted for the Green Bay Packers and she said no. As I rode in front of her she called out my name and asked if I do any power lifting. Something about power squats. I responded that I rarely weight train and actually hate weight lifting. She was impressed with my calves and said they looked good from her view. I told her I play soccer and the ham hock calves come from that.

At Mount Horeb I saw Hodska and Baker. Eric said he would call Angela with my status and Baker was taking video. I hope to see it some time. Not much further was an aid station where I took some water and a banana. My mom and dad had driven to this aid station and were cheering for me and waving signs they had made.

My favorite aid station was at Cross Plains. The volunteers and aid station were dressed in a Pirate theme. As I approached the aid station I raised my arm, hooked my finger and yelled “AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHHHHH”. The bottle drop was also labeled, “drop your booty here.”

After Cross Plains I had my first sighting of Mark Durno. Mark is an SBR teammate who was watching about six of us from Cleveland. He surprised me by being on the bike course but I managed to give him a wave as he took my picture. I knew I would be seeing him again.

Depending upon who you talk to there are 2, 3, or 4 hills on the bike course. There are many rollers but the actual hills are another story. I really only thought there were two major climbs and that is where the fan support is awesome. People were lined up on both sides of the road beating drums, ringing cowbells, waving signs, cheering you up the hill.

Heading into Verona there is a section near the high school where all of the spectators gather. There is an aid station at this point as well. The cool part is riding down a street that is covered in chalk. It’s hard to read all of the writing on the street when you are going 20 MPH but just the fact that the street was covered proved the crowd support was tremendous. Aimee, Rosana, Tammy and a couple other wives had taken the shuttle to this point to watch us ride by.

We zipped down the road between two rows of barricades. This got me all jacked up as I powered through the city. I looked down and saw my HR was 150…..whoa big fella….slow that heart rate down. After the barricades we approached a left hand turn. As I headed into the turn my bike was tracking right towards a small hole in the road. It was the natural way to take the turn but I was heading right for this thing. So in mid-turn I took the risk of giving the small hole a bunny hop. If the roads were wet I would have been down, but the dry pavement grabbed my wheels when I landed and I completed the turn.

After a couple more miles I was back to where we started the “lollipop” loop. Time for loop two. Just outside of town the bike special needs bags were lined up waiting for us. I stopped at the volunteer who had my bag and replaced all three bottles on my bike. I still had enough fuel with me so the remaining items stayed in the bag. While this was a nice break from riding I made sure to keep it short. I thanked the volunteers as I passed them.

As we headed West we could tell that the wind had picked up. Fortunately we wouldn’t be heading into the wind for very long. Most of the second loop was just a repeat of the prior. I saw my parents at Mount Horeb again which is always a boost to your morale. I also saw Debbie taking pictures on the course. She was waiting to see our friend Amy on the bike course.

As we headed towards the hills of the course I was passed by another rider. I looked at his calf and saw his age. I almost couldn’t believe what I saw. This person was 60 years old and riding strong. At one point I commented to him that I hope I will be riding that well in twenty years. Checking the results after the race he won his age group. He also came out of the water behind me….meaning he caught up to me on the bike. Damn.

The fan support during the second lap was still as strong as the first lap. At one point I was riding by and someone shouted out my first AND last name. I tried to look behind me at who it was but I couldn’t get a good view. I think it was a co-worker who lives in the Madison area.

As I went through Verona I kept myself under control and didn’t push the pace like I did the first time. The intersection with the hole in the middle of the corner was marked this time with orange paint so I could make the turn without any problems.

Heading back to Madison I kept the final 12 miles under control. There is one last hill that some people tend to forget about. Once I made it past that hill it was smooth sailing. I didn’t push hard into transition but put forth a solid effort. As we approached the helix up to the top parking deck I slipped my feet out of my shoes so I wouldn’t have to worry about it during the climb. Some spectators were cheering on the ramp and were telling people to take their feet out of their shoes. When I went by I heard one say, “oops he already did”.

Once I reached the top of the helix I rounded the corner and headed toward the bike handlers at the dismount line. One person yelled “orange” indicating the top of my jersey. I coasted toward him and handed off my bike.

I jogged into the room with our transition bags. A volunteer grabbed my bag as I approached and handed me the bag as I went by. Once inside the changing area I slipped off my helmet and grabbed my hat and race belt containing my PowerGels. There wasn’t much in the bag. I did a quick inventory, told the volunteer I had everything and said he could pack away the bag.

As I headed out the door I found the two guys I was looking for, ART doctors. ART is Active Release Technique. It helps release the tension in the muscles through the use of pressure and active movement. I asked them to work on my hamstrings. I did the same thing in Lake Placid and it worked wonders. They each worked on my legs to prepare the hamstrings for the marathon. Once they were done I thanked them and headed outside.

So yes Alan, I had another massage in T2 with a smokin’ transition time.

Through the door I was greeted by a line of women waiting to rub my body. Of course they were wearing rubber gloves covered in sunscreen. A quick rubdown with sunscreen and I was heading out to the run course.

Bike time: 5:46:53
T2 time: 3:48

Helllllooooooooo.........

Blogger: Hello

Blogger: Helloooo....TriEEEEEriiiiiiic?

Blogger: HELL....OOOOOOOOOOO

Blogger: Is there anybody out there? Heh heh..I like quoting Pink Floyd.

Blogger: One Ringy Dingy....Two Ringy Dingy.....

TriEric: Who's there?

Blogger: It's me Blogger.

TriEric: What do you want?

Blogger: How about a post?

TriEric: What?

Blogger: A blog post. Remember, you write a blog. Type type type...publish post....Blog post.

TriEric: Yeah....I've been busy.

Blogger: Excuse me. This is your blog. You posted last Saturday. Not last Saturday the 20th, but last Saturday the 13th. What the hell have you been doing?

TriEric: Work has been hellacious.

Blogger: Is that even a word? You are in the middle of a race report for Pete's sake.

TriEric: I know. I'm heading towards my bike in transition.

Blogger: You have people waiting for the rest of your race report. An IRONMAN race report!!! What is more important than that?

TriEric: The work that helps pay for my triathlon lifestyle. I'm not a pro you know.

Blogger: Puhleeeaaaassssse. Spare me the drama.

TriEric: Watch it Blowhole. I've been busy. After my last post I had to drive down to a customer between Dayton and Cinci. I had to spend the entire week there. I drove down Sunday just as the remnants of Hurricane Ike blew through the state. I was driving with a nasty cross wind pushing my car around.

I then get to my hotel around 9PM only to find that the area is without power, including the hotel. I'm a triathlete...I can go with the flow.....I stayed in a darkened hotel for the night.

My customer had power but I needed to work during the day. I moved to another hotel about 40 minutes away. When I got there, the hotel's power had just been restored. Power...but no cable and a very weak wireless signal.

So for the entire week I had no internet, except at my customer, and was too tired to do much else. Then I drove back Friday, worked at a customer that night, did yard work all day Saturday, drove to another customer Sunday to work almost all day, and now it's Monday and YOU ARE BITCHING AT ME FOR NOT POSTING!!!!

Blogger: But...

TriEric: NO BUTTS munchface. I'll get there.

Blogger: But....

TriEric: LEAVE ME ALONE. Yes my race report is important. There are alot of memories I have stored, especially from the run part of the race. I will get there.

Blogger: But......

TriEric: ENOUGH!!! I will get the report posted when I can. I know my readers will understand. They are real people....unlike you. I'm not going anywhere. The race report will be posted soon. Thanks for understanding.

Ironman Wisconsin - PreRace and Swim

Race Day – Pre-Race
Aimee and I left the hotel around 5:00 AM. We watched one couple get into a cab for the short drive. I mean come on…..what’s a one mile walk compared to the rest of the day. Our short/private walk to Monona Terrace was a nice time for us to spend together before the long day ahead of us began. A quick stop to drop off the special needs bags and we continued to the Terrace.

I got body marked quickly and made my way to the bike racks to load my nutrition and pump my tires. I let someone borrow my pump for his tires then went to wish Tim Walsh good luck. Tim was a couple of racks away and ready for his first Ironman. We saw Rosana waiting for Alan so we all waited together for him to come back out of the bike area.

Alan and I then went inside to check on our transition bags. I put the MyAthlete.biz race belt in my T1 bag and reviewed my path to retrieve the bag. I also went over to the T2 room to spot check my second transition bag. I’m glad I did because the bags were placed slightly different from what I expected. It’s always good to review the transition layout.

I hit the porta potty then joined Aimee, Alan and Rosana to wait out the remaining minutes before heading to the swim start. We were at a good spot to see other Cleveland friends and wish them good luck. We enjoyed each others company which helped us stay loose and relaxed.

Alan and I finally slipped into out wetsuits before heading down the helix with our girls.

Swim
I was excited to get into the water. I had no problems with getting in and either treading water or floating on my back. I made sure my goggles weren’t leaking and got into position. Coach and I agreed that right of center and 5 rows back would be a good starting position. Tom Zeibart sang the National Anthem while I floated on my back with my hand over my heart. We got in position and the cannon was fired. It was time to be Iron again.

I tried to get into some sort of rhythm but the congestion wasn’t helping. I soon found myself surrounded and feeling anxious. Anxiety soon bordered on fear as I started to fight the feelings of panic. The heart rate and breathing were out of control. I was swimming with my head out of the water trying to find open water and keep from getting pummeled.

At one point I swam across the legs of four swimmers as I headed to my right searching for less traffic and some space to swim. I don’t know when I regained control but I was finally able to get my face in the water and actually swim. To the first turn buoy I was breathing each stroke to the right watching the people around me, getting as much air into my lungs as possible and avoiding the rising sunlight to my left.

As I swung wide around the buoy I was able to start swimming with my normal race stroke, three strokes/breaths one side then switch to the other side for three strokes/breaths. During the return trip of the first loop I got too close to a foot and caught a toe to the left eye. Fortunately it pushed the lens into my eye instead of off. I got away from that foot to avoid another kick. At some point I also received an elbow to the head. It wasn’t hard but I thought to myself, “should I be wearing my bike helmet out here?”.

I stayed wide for both loops of the swim course. I could judge my distance to the buoys and I seemed to be holding a good distance. My sighting was working well for me so I didn’t feel like I was zig-zagging too much.

As I rounded the final turn I spotted the exit and tried to pick up the pace just a little. My pace to that point was solid and felt just at the edge of too much. I swam until my hand dug into the small pebbles at the exit and stood up in barely a foot of water.

I didn’t see the clock but hit my watch button to record my split. I didn’t look at my watch but felt it was a good swim time. I quickly started to peel off my wetsuit. I raced past several volunteers and made eye contact with one of the last volunteers. I slipped as I stopped and landed a little hard on my butt. No damage and they had my wetsuit off with two pulls, it’s hard to get the legs off with my ham hock calves.

Back on my legs I ran towards the parking ramp known as the Helix. People were all lined up along the side as we ran by to transition. Reaching the top of the Helix I saw Aimee along the fencing and ran to her for a quick kiss.

This is the bike exit. We had to run up this same spiral after the swim at the other end.

Entering transition I stood in the door not remembering which aisle to go down for my bag. Some volunteers were asking my number and I just shook them off and saw the row number I was looking for. I ran down the aisle and grabbed my bag. I had the MyAthlete belt sticking out the top so it was easy to see.

I found a place to sit and started getting my bike gear on. I put on my….Helmet…..Sunglasses….Socks….Race Belt. There wasn’t a volunteer to help with my bag so I stuffed my swim gear into the bag and tossed it along the wall. I grabbed my shoes and headed out the door.

Outside the Terrace the sunscreen girls were all lined up with gloves covered in white stuff. Three girls covered my arms and back with sunscreen as my mom yelled for me. I looked her way and acknowledged her cheers. I ran towards the entrance of the bike racks. I waved to Aimee again and went to my bike.

Stopping to get some sunscreen

My rack was five rows from the entrance. I had to run the entire length of the bike area with my bike. The volunteer helped pull my bike off the rack with me and wheeled it to the aisle for me. I ran with my shoes in hand pumping my arm in the air encouraging the people watching to cheer for all of us. As I approached the end of the bike racks I handed my bike to a volunteer so I could put my shoes on.

This the only HALF of the bike area. My bike is at the far end of this picture.

I thanked her and headed towards the mount line. I heard Eric Hodska yell my name and I pointed to him in response. I mounted my bike with the smoothest cyclo-cross slide onto the seat I’ve ever had and heard a spectator say “suhweeet”. That’s right baby….that’s how I roll. I rode down the exit ramp and was on the bike course.

Swim time: 1:06:57
T1 time: 6:05

Ironman Wisconsin - Race Report Status

Do not fear....I have started my race report. I will be posting the pre-race and swim soon. I'll check it tomorrow and publish. When it comes to the report you know it has to be right. It's just good journalism.

So much to write about. So many thoughts and feelings. Such an awesome race.

Ironman Wisconsin

Before I crash and burn in my bed and get some sleep I want to just post a quick recap of the race.

If you were tracking me you already know the results.


Swim 1:06:57
Bike 5:46:53
Run 3:59:53

Total 11:03:36

Despite an immediate panic attack at the start of the swim, once I got myself under control I had a great swim.

The bike was awesome except for the winds that started blowing during the second loop.

the run was decent but I think I burned too many matchsticks on the bike. the highlight of that was finishing the final four miles at a 9 min/mile pace after slipping to 11 min/miles.

I specifically want to thank a host of people.

I saw Aimee a huge number of times on the course and even gave her a couple of sweaty kisses.

My parent and in-laws (Tom, Liz, Becky/Kyle) for being on the course and cheering for me quite loudly.

Alan Wong and his girlfriend Rosana for spending some time with us over the weekend and before the start of the race.

Mark Durno for being out all over the course, bike and run, to cheer on the Cleveland crew.

The main people I saw alot of and made for a special weekend were Paul, Rob, Dave and Tim. You guys rock.

Debbie Sidol was out on the bike course then took my timing chip off and gave me a big hug at the finish line.

Eric Hodska and Baker for being on the the bike and run course and looking out for me, making sure I was doing well and reporting back to Coach Angela.

Coach Angela for getting me ready for this day and finish. Her workouts encourgement and friendship have become invaluable to me.

Finally I want to give a shout out to Halle Nanda. She was with me during the final 4 miles, just like the hard brick runs giving me strength to run well.

More to come. There is so much to tell...a.fterall it was an 11 hour day.

Thanks to you all for supporting me on this second Ironman Journey.

Game was definitely on.

Ironman vs Cancer - Roll Call

This is who I will be thinking of during my race.......

Tina Hoban - Survivor
Chris Armstrong - Survivor
Jamie Whitmore - Battling
Bolder - Fighting
Dan Van Luvender - Survivor
Rita Moher - In memory
Debbie Jerrome - Survivor
The fathers of Roger and Donna Lozinski - In memory
Grandmother of Jen - In memory
Gerri Herbruck - In memory
Linda's sister Karen - Survivor
Annie, Jan, Lisa, Kim - Support
Ralph B. Lunt - In memory
Michelle Elkins - In memory
Sara's Aunt Judy Wuennemann - In memory
Jan Ptacin - Survivor
Margie Paltani - In honor
Judy Joseph - In memory
Abe's sister Becky - In Support
Jason Hendricks - Survivor
Dakota Hendricks - Fighting

HALLE NANDA - In memory

Each one of these people have been with me during training. Halle in particular has given me strength on those hard days. I know she will be with me again tomorrow.

My fund raising total today was $3,375.69. That's $24 per mile. That's cool.

On race day I will be reminded to Harden Up.



Run



And to Galvanize



Game On

Let's Do It Again

Aimee and I are heading to Wisconsin today. It's finally here and I'm ready to do it again.

I need something....

.......something that I'm used to. This taper thing is nice but the legs are ready to go.

Ironman Thoughts

Ironman does not define you, it is a part of who you are!

Thanks for the reminder Coach Angela.

Game On.

Confidence is High

Scene: Pre-flight meeting for the Rebel Alliance before beginning their attack on the Death Star.

General Dodonna: The Empire doesn't consider a small one-man fighter to be any threat, or they'd have a tighter defense. An analysis of the plans provided by Princess Leia has demonstrated a weakness in the battle station. But the approach will not be easy. You are required to maneuver straight down this trench and skim the surface to this point. The target area is only two meters wide. It's a small thermal exhaust port,

right below the main port. The shaft leads directly to the reactor system. A precise hit will start a chain reaction which should destroy the station. Only a precise hit will set off a chain reaction. The shaft is ray-shielded, so you'll have to use proton torpedoes.

(side conversation)

Gold Leader: By the time we hit the trench leading to the exhaust port we will only have 4000 yards before firing.

Blue Leader: At the speed we maintain.....the target will be in range in 1:05.

Wedge Antilles (Red 2): That's impossible! Even for a computer.

Luke: It's not impossible. I used to bullseye womp rats in my T-16 back home, they're not much bigger than two meters.

Luke's confidence is high. Luke also had the Force on his side and Stayed on Target.

Luke has learned that anything is possible.

4000 yards huh? That's 224 yards short of an Ironman swim.

1:05??? For a X-Wing fighter that could be 1 minute 5 seconds for 2 miles.

But for me....it's the length of my swim Thursday morning. And that 1:05...hours and minutes.

Confidence is High

Game On

Where's my brain?

One thing is for sure.....my brain hasn't been into posting lately. I have been quite busy with everything else and the posts have not been coming out. I usually have goo dpost thoughts during training but I don't quite have the time to write them out during the day. I'm just going to throw some crap out here for ya. Filter through it and find what is useful or interesting for you.

This past Sunday I had a good bike ride. I wanted to watch some friends race in a local sprint/Oly tri but I need to focus on my own training and continue my prep for IM MOO. I went 3.5 hours and had a good time riding in the Cleveland Metroparks. I wasn't so bored the I wanted to get off the bike so that was good.

Not so good was the 1.5 hour run Saturday morning. I started early, like before the sun came up, and proceeded to roll my left ankle twice and jam the big toe on my right foot into a rock. Nothing too serious but it did prevent me from completing the run portion of my brick Sunday.

The rest of Saturday was devoted to the Valley City Street Fair Road Race that my team Snakebite Racing hosts every year. I drive a lead or follow pace car during the races. You would think that wouldn't be hard but before each set of races I was making sure everyone understood their driving assignments and making last minute changes. Aimee and I took a quick nap after the races before heading to our neighbors for a quick showing at her birthday party.

I'm gathering all of the important information needed for IM Wisconsin. Still waiting for bib numbers. Coach Angela and her hubbie (Scott) have inside contacts with the owner of http://MyAthlete.Biz. Check out the website. A GPS transmitter is worn by the athlete during a race and people can track their progress on-line during the race. It's way cool and I will be wearing one at Wisconsin. Check it out this weekend for IM Kentucky. Go to the website and click on Track Athlete. Sign-in with user name: ma1 and password: ma1. This will be the same information for me at Wisconsin. Try it for Kentucky even though you may not know any of the people.

My fund raising for the Janus Charity Challenge is going well. I am at $2455, almost half way towards my goal of $5000. If you are interested in donating shoot over to the Kintera website:
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=250249&supID=225415826

Every little bit helps. Don't forget that my charity is the Komen for the Cure in northeast Ohio.

So I just wanted to give you a quick update. As the final 11 days tick by for Ironman Wisconsin my mental and physical preparation continues. I am preparing myself for what lies ahead by visualizing a successful race and resting my body so that it will be ready to handle the 140.6 miles.

Game, almost, On.

The "Get Me Off This F'n Bike" Ride

I'm heading into taper for Ironman Wisconsin. My weekend brick was scheduled for Sunday due to work on Saturday. Coach said to take it easy and the ride should be boring. I guess the boring part was supposed to be a good mental workout. I never, NEVER, want to be off the bike. But for some reason time was movin v.e.r.y. slooooowwwwllllyyyyy and I just wanted to get home and have it over with. Half the time I didn't even know where I was going until I approached an intersection and would decide to turn here or there. The map below shows my crazy route. . Map

Posted from bimactive.com

I can't be that depressed about the ride since I did cover 93 miles in 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Happy with my performance on the ride, not happy with the mental attitude on the ride.

Perhaps it's good to get those bad vibes out during a training ride versus on race day.

I was looking at the IM MOO bike course on Google maps. Did you know that 99% of the course is available with street view pictures? You could "ride" the course and see the almost the whole thing.

Game On.

Twilight Trail Run - Race Report

I am slamming this report out because I had so much fun and felt great.

Aimee and I went out to the Twilight Trail Run to benefit the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center. Our friend Mandie volunteers at the center and this was a great way to support the Center's and Mandie's efforts.

My intention was to have fun with the run. Support a good cause. Hang with friends.

In order to avoid congestion on the trails we started in waves....so I was 13 minutes back from the first group. With maybe 20 of us in the group I wasn't sure what to expect from the others.

I didn't take my HR monitor but did use an old watch. I didn't look at my splits along the way but felt strong the entire run. It was a little hilly, the first hill was called *()$%#@ hill. I ran on the shoulder of another runner I know up the hill at a nice steady pace. I had also mentally marked who was still in front of me.

After the hill I was feeling real good so I chased after the only other two in front of me from our age group. I bombed the downhills to gain ground and stayed steady on the uphills.

I was racing but not racing. I was thinking clearly about what I was doing and being tactical. As I ran up on someone I just sat with them until I found a good spot to pull away and crush them, like on a short uphill.

I was in control the entire time. Staying loose. Not over exerting myself. Each time I passed someone, Aimee, Dale, Mandie, I was able to say something. I even felt like I could still hold a conversation. My fitness is starting to show.

I finished the 8k (4.9-5 mile) run in 33:47 (6:45 average). And this was on some hilly to rolling bridal trails. The only person who passed me was local duathlete Aaron Rood and he started 2 minutes back from me but he didn't catch me until we were within one mile. He did take second overall.

At the finish chute we were handed a beer to go along with the awesome pizza donated for the run.

This run was just what I needed at this point in my training. Something with a relaxed atmosphere that also allowed me to gauge my fitness.

I am entering taper at exactly the right time. My training is starting to peak. Mentally I'm ready to recharge and prepare for battle.

Ironman Wisconsin........Game......On

Family and Friends Friday - Factory Rider Family

The Factory Rider is a one of my blog buddies. I got to know his dad and step-mom before starting to learn about FR. His dad, Rudy, is the head mechanic at Bike Authority. He's also a brutal competitor on the bike. Julie, the step-mom, is a gifted athlete that continues to branch out into various areas of the cycling world. She has been primarily mountain biking this year but has also been All-American in Duathlon which allowed her to travel around the world with Team USA.

Anyways........I was at the track when the three of them came out to ride. I was taking pictures of the races. This one has stood out for me ever since I took it.

This was after one of the races. Without alot of people in attendance everyone raced together.

Rudy to FR, "Are you having fun?"

Nuf' Said.

Game On Factory Rider Family

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

I often can't come up with a G,B and U but today was not a normal day. Day one of my big training weekend had me up at 5AM to get ready for my 2.5 hour run.

The Good:
Running on stretches of road with no cars around.

Cool temps with a slight breeze and cloud cover.

Seeing this during my two loops through the park. Simply Beautiful.

19.9 miles in 2:37......7:53/mile


The Bad:

After the first hour there were more cars on the road. Oh well.


Accidentally discarding the BIMActive information from my cell phone. I still had my watch splits.


The Ugly:

Two big chaffing marks on the inside of my legs. Should have put on some BodyGlide.

Fortunately the Ugly gets taken care of with this stuff. It's AWESOME. And no wise cracks about it being a Monistat product.

Game On.

Stuff It....Stuff It Real Good

The local Fox station has an annual campaign called "Stuff The Bus". The station is collecting new school supplies for the children of Cleveland and East Cleveland schools. The supplies will be taken to the Cleveland Resource Center, which is operated by the Kids In Need Foundation. The supplies are sorted and placed on shelves. Teachers from all of Cleveland and East Cleveland schools will then be invited on scheduled days to come and get the free supplies for their students. And teachers say this means the world to the kids. Without the help of generous people, many students would have to go without. Last year, thanks to so many generous viewers -- Fox 8 filled four school buses with supplies.

This year Aimee mentioned getting some supplies to TriGuyJT who works at Fox 8 thinking that the bus stuff was next week. Watching the morning show we realized it was TODAY. Aimee shrugged it off as not doable. But the bug was planted in my feeble little mind. She didn't realize that I would be at a customer near downtown. I could head over to Steelyard Commons, purchase some supplies, and drop them off at the station.

So by 11:30 I had stopped by Staples and loaded up the car.

I was at the station in no time where the volunteers grabbed my stuff and loaded the bus. I spoke with one person and he said they were on their fifth bus already after 6.5 hours of donations.

So I leave you with this........

300 two pocket folders: $29

2 boxes of copier paper: $50

10 packages of filler paper: $9

120 pens and 216 pencils: $20

Thank-you's and a good feeling: Timeless

A childs education: Priceless

Why.....Because I Can

Fitness Test.....kindof

I had a 45 minute run this morning. We woke up at the crack of 4 dark 30 so we could both get our respective runs in. I haven't done much running in the morning this summer, mainly swimming. Temperature read 70 degrees already. So I put my shorts and racing singlet on and headed out the door. Damn it was warm and humid. Before I reached mile two the singlet came off and was tucked into my shorts.

My pace felt fast and whenever I passed under a street light I checked my heart rate. I was below my target zone, based aerobic, and felt great. I was holding up pretty good. As I ran through mile 4 I decided to push the last mile in order to increase the heart rate and test myself. How hard could I push for one mile at a steady pace. I really haven't had any speedwork since it's all about Ironman this year.

With one mile to go I hit the split button on my watch. I had 42 minutes in the bag after 5.5 miles. I picked up the tempo and started hauling ass back home. Each time I felt my pace start to diminish even a little I surged forward to keep the pace going. With half a mile to go I picked it up again and tried to make sure I was keeping form, staying loose in the upper body and running solid. At the entrance to our development I pushed it again and was practically sprinting to the house, but in a controlled manner.

6:02

That was the time for my last mile. There were times when I felt like my legs would buckle under the speed. I forced them to move. Pick up those knees, increase the tunover, land on the ball of the foot. In the dark you can't see the undulations of the road and I could feel the waves under my legs as they moved quickly over the asphalt.

Somehow I kept my footing moved forward with determination and felt great at the end.

Thanks Hallie.

Now more than ever......Because I Can = I Know I Can

Brainless Weekend Brick

I arranged to ride my Saturday brick from a friends house, Chris. He lives a little bit further west from me and also has great access to country roads. I told Chris that I needed four hours but didn't want to think about where to go. He was happy to oblige since he was riding from his house. He didn't let me down. I just listened to his instructions, "turn left" or "turn right". I can do that.



We picked up Peter along the way and we had a great time. Peter just graduated from high school and will be leaving for college in one week. He just got back from USA Cycling Developmental Camp and is a strong rider. He joined us on his cyclocross bike while Chris and I were on our Cervelo TT bikes.


I took my camera along for some pictures and video.

We started around 6:30AM so the sun was still rising and burning off the morning haze. Clouds were moving through the entire time so it never got too hot.

Here is Peter waiting for Chris to finish one of his half dozen pee breaks.....I think the small bladder is a family thing.

This is one the many times Peter was leading us. I did mention that he was on his.....CYCLOCROSS BIKE!!!

Chris during out feed zone break. He has his package of Sharkies. Such talent on the bike sans hands.

And I can't have pictures without video. I had to stop the camera work due to the rough tracks we were approaching.

Rode 74 miles and ran 5.5 miles. Met a new young rider. Enjoyed the company of friends. Done by 11:30AM. Overall a great training day.

Huntington Sprint Tri Race Report

Wait a minute......a race report? But I still haven't posted my race report from Morgantown. I know. But this will be a shorter read before I lay the monster on you. I hope you enjoy my race ramblings.


The Huntington Sprint Tri is one of the most popular races in the Cleveland area. The race draws seasoned athletes as well as those attempting their first triathlon. I haven’t been able to participate in this race since 2004 when I was training for my first half Ironman race…Great Buckeye Challenge. It was my best showing at the race with a top ten finish and winning my age group. The next three years would find me traveling to races and keeping me away from my favorite local race.

For 2008 I would be in town and I didn’t want to miss the race. The trick was figuring out how to incorporate the race into my Ironman training without deviating from the volume required for the weekend. Coach Angela and I figured out that the race would be a good test of speed endurance and mental toughness considering the weekend she had planned for me.

As a warm-up for the race I had a 5 hour bike and 40 minute run as my Saturday brick. The bike was flatter since I had attacked the hills the weekend prior. It was a difficult day with some mental challenges later in the ride but Aimee was waiting for me to ride her bike by my side during the 40 minute run.

Sunday originally called for a 2 hour run by Coach. Figuring that I would complete the sprint tri around 1 hour we opted for a 1 hour warm-up before the race. I managed to show up early third bike in transition and headed out for my run. With all of this long distance training I have been finding that it takes longer for my legs to get moving. Sunday was no exception due to the prior days ride.

I found my running pace within the first mile and was holding steady in Zone 2. It was a good seven miles by the time I made my way back to the event site. I finished setting up my transition area where my newly painted TT bike was making its debut. I had taken the Elite apart and found a guy who does powder coating. The bike was looking good hanging on the rack. I was able to chat with Aimee, Kim and my parents who all came out to watch me race. The hard part with racing the local events is that you get to know a lot of people and the chit-chat can sometimes take you out of your race preparation. I said my final hellos to friends and made my way down to the beach with my friend Jason who would be competing in his first tri.

At the beach I saw Sara and her four high school girls and told them they would have a great day today. I knew they were nervous but would be able to handle anything that came their way. I did get into the water for a small warm-up. The water was perfect temperature for swimming without a wetsuit.

As the race director made his final announcements I heard Coach Angela and Scott yelling to me from the stairs where they would be watching. I gave them a quick wave to acknowledge them and made my way to join my starting group.

The first several waves started then it was time for the 40 – 49 age group to start. I lined up right at the front determined to make the best of a quick start and swim. The horn went off and we ran into the water. I ran as far as I could then sank into the water for a couple of strokes. I then proceeded to execute a couple of dolphin dives in the shallow water to help propel me forwards. So far so good my goggles were still on my face and I felt good heading towards the first buoy marker.

As we approached the first marker I lost my rhythm and stroke. My breathing was erratic and out of control. I hadn’t raced a sprint in so long I wasn’t used to the quick start. I had to swim breast-stroke for approximately 50 yards to get things under control. Once I forced myself start swimming again things started to click. My stroke was back and I was starting to catch-up and pass people from my group. The remainder of the swim was perfect. My sighting kept me well on course and I could see one of the other top triathletes in my group not too far ahead of me exiting the water.

I swam as far as I could before standing up which is usually about one foot of water. I peeled off my swim cap and goggles as I ran across the beach hearing people cheer for me as I went by. The run to transition is about 200 yards with a road the takes us up to the bikes. I washed my feet quickly and ran to my bike.

With not much gear to worry about I dropped my swim cap and goggles and started to put on my helmet sunglasses socks and shoes. I also put a PowerGel in my back pocket for some quick energy. I grabbed my bike ran out of transition and jumped on my bike Cyclocross style.

Once on the road I started to pass people from the waves ahead of me but I was also getting passed by some of the other riders behind me. One person from the Spin team passed me and I kept him within reach trying not to draft behind him. I was holding a good speed but needed to keep the cadence high because the legs were not willing to provide any power due to the previous days ride. There was also a headwind as we headed west away from the park but I was hopeful for a nice tailwind on the return trip. I was very happy with the effort I was able to put into spinning the pedals.

The bike was uneventful as we continued to pass people from previous waves. The Spin rider had built a gap on me but I was bringing him back in as we approached the park. Once I saw the entrance I started to take my feet out of my shoes and prepare for the running dismount into transition.

While placing my bike back onto the rack I almost caused it to fall over. I took off my helmet and slipped on my shoes. I only had to grab my visor and race belt before heading out of transition. I was exiting to start the run at the same time as the Spin athlete. He glanced over at me and said he was a duathlete. I nodded and we made out way down and up the first of two hills on the course.
I managed to run with him for about a quarter mile and then he had more gas in his legs and pulled away. I was still maintaining a constant pace that was very sustainable. I was trying to redline the run and as far as the legs were concerned I was already there. I kept a mantra in my head that I read in a teammates race report “I can do anything for 20 minutes”. I knew I could keep this pace for 20 minutes during this 3 mile run.

During the out and back section I could see where some of my friends were and I gave them a quick word of encouragement. A quick word was about all I could provide in my anaerobic condition. Several times I could see people ahead of me and wondered if I could real them in. I kept my steady pace and if I did catch some more people that would be some nice icing on the cake.

At the aid station I grabbed some water and dumped some on my head. The humidity of the day was taking its toll and the heat I was generating was not leaving the body. I looked up and realized that I was gaining on several people ahead of me. One person I had my eyes on was Bill. We met each other several years ago at a Duathlon where we raced each other to a new friendship. I finally passed him right before we turned into the park where we would have to run the final down and up right before the finish line. He cheered me on as I passed and I pushed forward. The downhill was steady as I gained on more people and I pushed upwards to pass several more right before the final turn to the finish line.

I could hear Aimee, Coach, Kim plus my mom and dad cheering for me as I made my way to the finish line. I was completely spent when I crossed the timing mat and had to grab my knees to catch my breath. I had completed one of my hardest training weekends preparing for Ironman Wisconsin. Being able to race the sprint tri as part of my training helped with my fitness and confidence.

Game....pant, pant, pant.....On

Just something quick and short.....

.....for my blog post, not my swim this morning. Coach had me down for 4200 yards. That is 24 yards short of the Ironman swim of 2.4 miles. Completed in 1 hour 20 minutes. That's including rest between intervals or sets, warm-up and cooldown. My goal on race day is to hold close to 1 hour on the swim. Lake Placid swim was 1:05. 800 yards today are race pace totaled 12:14, that's about 1:32 / 100 yards.

Game On.

Where in the world am I?

Not posting on my blog that's for sure. Work has had me traveling during the week and training has kept me busy, and tired, on the weekends. I'm posting this from the Las Vegas airport. No this wasn't a pleasure trip, business. Really.....needed to have a customer meeting. I'm not saying I didn't have fun. My sister-in-law was also in Vegas for work so we managed to have dinner together.

My Ironman training has been going extremely well lately. The weekends are kicking my ass but in a good way. I am getting stronger with each ride or run. I'm resting more so that my body can recover for the next round. This past weekend I did a hilly 4 hour ride followed by a 2 hour run. Aimee accompanied me on her bike during the run and it was a big help.

Oops....they are boarding the plane. I hope to be back soon with another post.

Game is On......so is my training.

Family and Friends Friday - All of You

I consider all of you my friends. For some you stop by my blog, read my ramblings, endure long droughts of nothing, wait patiently for something to show up. I hope you manage to be entertained, learn something, take something away from my posts.

You are my friends. Without you I wouldn't be able to share my experiences and knowledge, especially over such a great forum that has a wide reach. Your blogs and posts provide me with entertainment and motivation. So I say thank you.

Friends should not be shy to ask friends for favors. You have waited since the beginning of the year, so today I finally post my declaration of intent for Ironman Wisconsin.

I sent the following message out to those in my Yahoo contacts:

CANCER SUCKS......IRONMAN IS COOL........

You want to be cool, right?

As some of you may already know I am currently training for Ironman Wisconsin at Madison, WI on September 7th. This 140.6 mile event will be my second Ironman. Similar to 2006 and my fund raising at Ironman USA, I have accepted the Janus Charity Challenge and have signed up to raise funds for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation of Northest Ohio.

I have chosen this charity again because of who they are and who they support. In 2007 Komen provided grant money to the Karen P Nakon Foundation, http://www.nakonfoundation.com/, whose Turkey Trot I've run the past two years. It is wonderful to see grant money staying local and helping organizations in your own city.

I have also dedicated my race season and Ironman to Hallie Nanda, you can read my blog post about her here... http://trierictri.blogspot.com/2008/02/family-and-friends-friday-halle-nanda.html

Hallie lost her battle with ovarian cancer earlier this year leaving behind her husband and two young children. Her courage and fighting attitude will provide me with the motivation I need for my training and race.

I'm keeping this request short but the attached document has much more detail about the fund raising program, including web links that would be useful.

Please consider helping me raise funds to fight breast cancer. My goal is $5000. Visit the web-sites below to help us all reach the finish line together. If you have any questions please let me know.

My web log (blog) site to read about my Ironman journey.
http://trierictri.blogspot.com/
Fund raising website to make contributions and track my progress
https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorreg/donorpledge.asp?ievent=250249&supID=225415826
Susan G. Komen website to learn about the fight against breast cancer
http://www.komenneohio.org/
Ironman Wisconsin web site for event information
http://www.ironmanwisconsin.com/
Ironman Live for tracking day of progress during my race
http://www.ironman.com/

Please pass this information forward to anyone whom you feel would be interested.

Thanks in advance for your consideration and contributions.

Why do I do this..........

Because I Can

Running the Numbers

40 - minutes to get out to Findley State Park to run the trails

5 - Deer seen while running the trails.

3 - Wild turkeys, 2 adults, 1 baby

1 - family of geese I passed three times.

4 - water crossings that were at least up to my shins.

5 - times I fell during the run.

2 - roots that caused two of the falls while stubbing the same toe each time.

1 - knee bashed and bleeding

10 - miles run on the trails

2 - hours of feeling completely alive.

Game On

The Daily Double - Video Post

Do not try this at home. Remember I am a highly trained cyclist.






Game On

Don't Try This at Home - PSA

I'm managing to keep my head above water between work, training and home life. Unfortunately haven't been able to post much. I finished my race report from Spirit of Morgantown so I hope to have that posted soon.

In the mean time I wanted to share a little incident I had on the road while riding my bike last night.

I was in the early stages of a 1.5 hour ride. I was approaching a stop sign where I would be making a left hand turn. I looked behind and saw I had enough room behind me to take possession of the lane and signal my turn. As I was signaling my left turn the driver behind me crossed the double yellow and passed me within 100 feet of the stop sign.

I lost it at that point. I moved towards the center line so I could pull up close to the rear bumper of the drivers side. I yelled at the guy that I had the right of way. When he didn't acknowledge my comment I back handed his rear fender and yelled at him again. He paused shortly and made his left hand turn.

I moved through the intersection quickly after him since there was no traffic coming. I saw the street he turned onto and very briefly thought about following him, then reconsidered. It wasn't worth the effort, time, or aggravation.

I regret I lost my cool and may have put some other cyclist at risk in the future by becoming the a$$hole the driver already was. The rest of my ride was uneventful and the remainder of drivers I encountered were patient at stop signs/lights and provided plenty of passing room.

One bad driver......oh well.

Be safe out there on the roads.

Game On.

Friday Bike Porn

It has been a long time since anyone has posted any bike porn. So in anticipation of the Spirit of Morgantown I took this movie of Aimee's Cervelo. We got this bike for her in preparation for the Half IM in West Virginia. She has already said how she feels her cycling has improved and she is ready to have a good bike segment on Sunday.

Enjoy and there will be a race report next week.

Watch This!

How much do you want to reveal?

When I train I have a very active mind. I lose myself in the run or ride and let my mind process the many thoughts I have stashed away. I try to push to the back things like work and think about my life and how it sometimes relates to triathlon.

Now I don't lose myself to much that I don't keep the purpose of my workout on track. Performing the workout in key to my training success.

Over the past two and a half years of this blog I have read other blogs and forum posts about how a person reveals themselves with triathlon. First is how a person handles the emotional roller coaster during a race and NOT revealing themself to the "race". Second is how a person may or may not reveal their true identify as a triathlete, especially an Ironman.

I have my own personal feelings about both topics but today I am writing about the first topic.

Revealing Yourself to the Race

With triathlon there are so many emotions that go into training and racing this sport. We may feel guilty that our training takes up so much time away from our lives. We may miss moments with family and friends that we will never get back. Parents with young children especially have it hard since the early years are the most magical in that young persons life.

As we train and race we also learn to deal with the psychological impact of training hard and pushing through barriers that we never thought to reach much less break through. All of this weighs heavily upon our shoulders, especially as the race distances increase resulting in longer training periods.

A triathlon often takes on a personae of it's own. We learn how to deal with adverse weather conditions, mechanical issues, competitors, fears and anxiety. Because the "race" has a personality we must be mindful of what we reveal to the "race" so that it does not know how we are feeling.

We want to enjoy the race but perhaps we shouldn't enjoy it too much. What if the "race" doesn't want us to be happy and suddenly increases the heat or causes a cramp in our side. We also don't want to show how poorly we are feeling. At the first sign of weakness the "race" may take advantage of the opportunity and inflict even more suffering upon our weakened bodies. And worst of all, revealing to the "race" that, "yeah I've got this in the bag, it's all downhill to the finish from here." Oh the "race" won't like that and the last mile(s) can soon turn into a walking and stumbling death march.

I am speaking to this "revealing" from experience at three different races.

The first Half IM I did was the Great Buckeye Challenge. Aimee and I were working with Coach Angela. This would be our first long course triathlon. This was entering new territory. But this was all about finishing. Time didn't matter. Just finish the race. And I did. Thinking back to the finish though I realize how I cheated myself of the accomplishment.

I was a bad ass long distance triathlete now. I was surrounded by friends who came down to watch Aimee and I race. Coach was there with her husband as well. I crossed the finish line as if I had been there before. I got some water and bent over on the ground to collect myself.

The emotions of what I had just accomplished were right at the top of my throat, but I didn't let them out. The event medics even came over to check on me because I knealed there on the ground trying to contain the emotions for such a long time they thought I was having problems.

I can't believe I robbed myself of that moment. Two years later, 2006, would be Ironman USA. I started this blog to capture my IM journey. IronWil was my inspiration for writing. I found the Kahuna/williamlobdell and Bolder/write2fight. We were all on similar IM journeys that would lift and inspire us in different ways. For IM USA I participated in the Janus Charity Challenge raising funds for Komen.

Talk about emotional baggage. Family, work, training....the trifecta. Raising money for charity.

I was reading books and forums about race strategy. Keeping yourself cool. It's a long day, don't waste your energy on emotion. Don't reveal yourself to the race....not until it's over and you are across that finish line. I was holding well at Lake Placid. That is until the second loop of the run. I passed the Inspiration Zone heading back to he finish. The announcer said my name and said I would finish. I almost lost it right there, but quickly brought myself back together because damn-it, I still had at least 6 miles to go. I wasn't across that finish line yet.

Get yourself together....you're not done yet.....keep running. There will be time to celebrate later. And I soldiered on. Before I knew it I was on the Oval heading towards the finish line where I would hear Mike Riley say, "You are an Ironman."

Over the finish line into the waiting arms of two wonderful female catchers. I caught myself again not really knowing how to react. I had raised my arms up in triumph for the finishing photo, but now what. Somehow Andrew (son), Amanda (daughter) and Becky (sis-in-law) had snuck their way towards the finish line.

I went to them....hugged them all.........and cried. It was finally over and I had my release.

In 2007 I backed down the training and prepared for an early season Half IM at Racing for Recovery. This would be a flat and fast 70.3 miles. No hills. No IM preparation. All out, balls to the walls, leave it on the course racing. Training went perfect for this early June race. The Lake Erie water was even warm enough to go without a wetsuit.

I was severely focused on this race. Mentally ready to suffer and see how fast I could go for the distance. Having completed IM USA the year prior helped take any pressure off from being able to finish. This one was about being fast, not blowing up and crossing the finish line with a PR.

I was very much within myself during the entire race. I barely acknowledged Aimee or Coach Angela. Maybe a slight wave when I went by. Emotions were in check....all energy was being poured into the effort.

As I ran down the finishing chute I knew I had a good day. My watch validated that I had beat my previous Half IM times by 30 minutes. I was also 5 minutes faster than my prediction.

I didn't hold anything back this time either. I stood at the finish line and screamed out loud for everyone to hear. You would have thought I had just won it over-all and had money waiting for me. No.....I just had a different, joyous release for this race.

I don't know what type of finish's I will have this year. Spirit of Morgantown, a 70.3 distance race, is this weekend. I'm going all out for that one. Then Ironman Wisconsin in September. Laying it on the line there also.

No matter the outcome of these races I will learn something about myself and others. But the one thing that I have learned and want to pass on to others is to embrace, enjoy and celebrate the accomplishment of crossing that finish line, no matter what distance the race.

You will be doing yourself and those around you a disservice by not letting the world know how you feel. Because bottling it up will serve you no purpose, but letting it out may show someone else how much fun you have training and racing. You may even inspire someone to give it a "tri" themselves and experience the thrill of crossing the finish line.

Game On

How to ride a bike and take video

Vegas Vacation

Aimee and I went to Las Vegas this past weekend to help our friends celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary. We lost no money on gambling...you have to play to lose. We didn't see any shows....wished we had. We did eat well and got in some light training. I'm posting some of my favorite pics from the weekend.

Aimee, Dave and Wendy (the happy couple) the first day in Vegas.

Pictures from the Bellagio

Eiffel Tower on the Strip

Our bike ride through, you guessed it, Red Rock Canyon.

More flowers in the lobby of the Mirage Hotel

Walking along the Lake Mead Railroad Trail.

Hanging out at the poolside cabana's as the happy couple kiss

Dave's dad finishing off a bottle of Grey Goose

Family and Friends Friday - Dan Van

Dan works with my wife, Aimee. A couple of years ago Dan wanted to get a little more serious about his running. Knowing that Aimee was a marathon finisher he started asking her questions, followed a training plan and signed up for the 2007 Marine Corp Marathon. He trained, he ran, he finished. In fact he finished his first marathon in 3:58:55. A wonderful way to start his marathoning career.

Not long after the marathon Dan didn't quite feel right. He knew something was off. Unlike some men who just shrug off the occasional weird feeling, Dan visited his doctor. Dan's doctor ordered a colon scope. Dan had early colon cancer.

Again I was saying to myself, "Why Dan". He takes care of himself, is one of the nicest guys I know, sometimes house sits for us because the dogs absolutely love him.

Then I thought good for Dan. How is this good for Dan? It's good because it could have been alot worse. Because Dan was running and taking care of himself he recognized the ever so slight difference between feeling good and being slightly off. Being that in tune with your body is what possibly saved his life.

Someone else might have let it go and they would now be facing certain death. But Dan only lost 12 inches of his colon and is training for his second marathon.

Because of Dan my perception of the company he and Aimee works for, ADA Architects, is solidified. I always knew it was filled with good people to work with/for. Dan was worried about his recovery and the extended time off from his duties. Instead the company owners put together a fair and generous package so that Dan would only have to worry about getting better.

Not only did Dan recovery from his surgery but was back at work in half the time the doctor said it would take. Dan was physically fit heading into surgery and his level of fitness allowed him to recover that much quicker.

So like I said Dan is training for a second marathon. I've included the text of an e-mail he sent out to friends.

Game On Dan.....GAME ON.

Spring is finally here, I for one, am happy to see winter go this year because for obvious reasons, it sucked! However, I consider myself lucky that I have gotten thru the cancer for the most part unscathed and feeling 150%. My experience gave me a small glance of how this disease can impact others. I believe there are many in the office that can attest to the impact that cancer has had on family members and friends and themselves. It is because of this that I have decided to dedicate this running season to raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation for cancer research. I have entered a marathon in Maine on October 19th, 2008 and hope to meet my donation goal by this time. So, I come to uncomfortable territory here, in asking you to donate some of your hard earned money to the foundation. Please follow the link below to my donation page and give what you can. Also, please forward the link to anyone else whom you think would like to make a donation and make sure you use the donation box in the middle of the page so it credits my donation goal.


Thanks in advanced and thank you again for all your kind words and support during this time,

Sincerely,
Dan Van

http://www.livestrong.org/grassroots2008/danvanluvender

Message to triathletes......

You can also view the inspiration for this sign at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unkIVvjZc9Y

Bolder Boulder Race Report

Work and training has kept me very busy so I haven't had time to blog, especially posting my race report from the Bolder Boulder 10k. So without further delay here is the race report.

30th Bolder Boulder 10k

I am going to keep this to a race report instead of a complete recap of the entire weekend trip to Denver and Boulder. The only preface I want to provide is that Friday through Sunday were beautiful days despite the cooler than normal temperatures.

We ate at a very nice Italian restaurant with Bolder in Boulder as our pre-race meal. It was just what we wanted for the night before the big event. When we returned to the HABC we settled in for the night with good conversation and plenty of laughs. I hadn’t been sleeping that well all weekend but I was still feeling rested. Part way through the night I woke up to use the bathroom and I heard rain falling outside. The rain was constant until the early morning when we woke up around 5:00AM.

Breakfast consisted of half a bagel with peanut butter and Boost. I really didn’t need the Boost for a 10k but I drank it anyway since my stomach was used to this type of breakfast. The three of us left around 6:00AM for the race so we could find good parking for the short walk to the start. Walking to the starting area I was nervous but in a much different way than other races. My nerves were calmer and I didn’t have any butterflies. Being an “A” race I thought I would be much more nervous to run. Was it the atmosphere for the race? Was it being with Aimee and Bolder that kept me calm?

The start of the Bolder Boulder is done in waves……a lot of waves…..87 waves to be exact. There were people holding poles with the start waves similar to the pace groups of a marathon. I was in wave AB which is the third wave to go. Looking up the street it was impressive to see all the people. The race was expecting over 50,000 people for the day. I left Aimee and Bolder at the bag check while I waded through the masses to my start area. The first 23 waves you have to qualify for by submitting a previous race result. The security for these waves was very well organized. They were checking race bibs to make sure you belonged with the group.

For each start a trumpeter played the “Call to Post” with 30 seconds to go. Then Davis Phinney would say a few words to the group before he shot the starter pistol. At 7:01:50 we were on our way.

I was back further from the starting line than I wanted to be. I had to weave around quite a few people before I found good open space to run in. Once I made my way towards the front I was able to get a better stride going. The first mile has a downward grade. It’s one of those that you don’t notice but it definitely increases your speed. During this mile my left quad tightened up on me ever so slightly. I don’t know if it was a mild pull or some type of strain but I used the first mile to take a quick inventory, see what the quad wanted me to do and decide my course of action. I’ve never had this muscle tighten up on me like this so I really didn’t know what caused the issue. After crossing the timing mat for the first mile I knew the muscle would get me through to the finish. This race was going to be a test of pain management.

Despite the profile of the race course, the uphills were not as bad as I thought. Sure there were some visible inclines but nothing that lasted too long or couldn’t be handled with extra helping of leg muscles. One aspect of the Bolder Boulder that helps you make it through the streets of Boulder is the on course entertainment. There were 30 bands, musicians, entertainers and front yards that provided distraction for the 50,000+ runners that would pass by during the day. I saw the Blues Brothers, Elvis, an 80’s garage band blasting their neighborhood, belly dancers (something I wish I hadn’t seen) and cheerleaders. I heard some bad karaoke and people saying “you’re almost there” with 4 miles to go.

Back to my race, I was running strong. The effort felt right as I was pushing hard for such a short distance race. I never looked at my watch but marked the splits when I passed each mile marker. Each mile that ticked by was the only indication of where I was. Not knowing the streets was a possible benefit that allowed me to just keep running. When I reached mile three I was half way done. I knew my pace was still good and it was something that I could keep until the finish.

At mile 4 was the first of two sharp uphills. I powered my way up the hill and through the aid station at the top. The volunteers at this aid station were not handing out the cups but were standing behind the tables filled with cups. I ran along the tables until I spotted the Gatorade I wanted and snagged it from the table. Since the volunteers were not handing out the cups they were able to cheer very loudly for us runners as we went by. Separated by only the table, their cheering surged through me and I felt the extra boost of energy as I crested the hill. I used the adrenaline rush to begin the downhill push towards the center of Boulder.

Bolder had told me that between miles 4 and 5 the street would have a slight downhill grade that would help with the pace. As I rounded the corner onto Pearl Street I tried to shoot the gap between two runners. They squeezed together just as I increased my speed. This was the only time I made contact with another runner. I backed off briefly until they separated again and made my move. I pushed down the street until we made several turns and crossed the 5 mile timing mats.

During mile 6 is where I started to really feel the fatigue but I was still in control of my race and kept a good pace as the course headed towards Folsom Stadium on the campus of Colorado University. Looming ahead was the second short uphill that dropped us into the stadium. What a cruel place to put an uphill so late in the race, but the benefit of finishing inside the stadium was worth it. I powered up the hill surrounded by runners from my wave and the wave before me and we all entered the stadium for the final lap to the finish line. I stopped my watch after crossing the finish line and tried to compose myself as quickly as possible. The finish line volunteers were trying to move people through the area quickly and I tried to oblige in between grabbing my knees for air. I finally was able to look at my watch and saw 40:13. I missed my goal of being sub 40 by approximately 13 seconds. I was immediately happy with my race. I ran hard and solid on a tough course. I left everything I had on the roads of Boulder except my breakfast. My actual chip time was 40:06, so I missed my goal by 7 seconds.

There are several people I have to thank for such a great run: Aimee for believing in me and reminding me to keep my arms down and loose, Jeff for telling me to stop scuffing my feet on the ground when my foot lands, especially when I’m tired, Coach Angela for getting me ready with some great workouts leading up to the race, Bolder for providing insight into the race course and accommodations while in Boulder. When everything is combined together it made for a great weekend in Colorado and a race to remember.