One More Time…

…it had been a while since I had raced the JJ Triathlon at IR Davidson…so I decided to give it a go. It was a family friendly event and besides I wanted to end this challenging season on what I hoped to be somewhat of a brighter note.

I showed up race morning to setup and was surprised how many people were already there. I went through the usual transition setup…and warmup while saying hello to friends and fellow racers including going over race strategy with 4D racers. After a warmup I headed to the water for the start…after a quick warmup swim and a quick hello to my family that had arrived, it was go time. The gun went and we were off. It was a tough start…plenty of banging around. I had to back off slightly after taking in water. I quickly was pushing again after finding some slightly open water. I came out of the water thinking I had a good swim but my time wasn’t quite reflecting that feeling. Having some work to do…I got on the bike and pushed immediately. Making good power, I passed many people…including some in my group. Coming off the bike I moved into 3rd. Now into T2 I changed quickly and was onto the run. I took a few seconds to get into a rhythm…then I started pushing. I saw Travis and he was looking great heading back toward the finish. I continued passing a few people…then just after mile 1, I passed Joe for 2nd…he was moving well so I couldn’t back off…especially as I was trying to catch JJ. Well the end came and I couldn’t catch JJ for the win so 2nd it was…14th Overall. 
It has been a tough season with injury and life changes but this race shows that at least I am on my way back. Plenty of work to do still though…

Thanks to everyone for their support…family, friends and sponsors!

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#liveitxtreme #brlsports #humagel

   
   

Ouch…

…that’s about all I had been saying for the weeks leading up to Lake Logan Half Ironman. In case you hadn’t heard I had hurt my ribs quite badly at Xterra Whitewater which caused me not to be able to train for a few weeks and at race time I was still struggling a bit. I arrived the day before to see how my ribs would feel in the wetsuit…after a quick swim they weren’t too bad.

So onto race day…I knew I could not push hard in any discipline so it would have to be a moderate and steady kind of day. After setting up transition and warming up I headed to the water. A quick warmup then the gun went and we were off. It was tough watching the lead pack pull away…but that’s all I had and once again knew I needed to pace myself. After being somewhat back in the pack I exited the water and went quickly through T1 and onto the bike. Now I was told that this course was hilly but that was an understatement. I was also warned that at mile 40 there was a tough hill…I was ready for that one…it came and went and I thought it wasn’t that bad. Then mile 42 came and I was quickly aware that this was going to be a tough one…in my easiest gear, I wasn’t sure if I would make it up to the top. Well I did…there were a few more hills on the way in…but nothing horrible…except the hill near the end of the bike leg. I recovered on the downhill after into T2. I quickly put my shoes on and was out on the 13.1 mile run. There was nowhere to hide on this run…2 loops of 3 miles uphill then 3 miles down…with a run around the transition area in between. I pushed somewhat harder now knowing I was on the last leg. Hurting a little by now I knew it was only 2 loops…well onto the second loop it was getting warm on as I passed people throughout the run but I pushed on…within a 1/2 mile of the finish I noticed someone in my division just ahead…so I gathered what I had left and surged by him, pushing as hard as possible…I put some time between us and crossed the line ahead. So in checking the results turns out that was a pass for 3rd AG. I’ll take it after what I had gone through the last few weeks.

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#liveitxtreme #brlsports #humagel

   
   

Return to the mountains…

…back at it again at Tsali Xterra. I travelled up with the family. We stayed about 40min away from the race site. We all woke up early and headed to the race…everyone was happy to be going. We arrived and I setup my transition…somewhat being pressed for time(hanging with kiddos)…I did an extra short warmup run and jumped in the water for the start. The gun went and we were off. Now I was still unsure about how I was recovering from being sick so this race would be interesting. I felt ok on the swim but not overly strong…I tried to draft a faster swimmer near the first turn but I couldn’t hang on…so I was solo between two groups. I came out of the water in 15th and transitioned quickly onto the run. My family was there cheering as I ran into the woods( yes this race was a reverse format with swim/run/bike). I was passed within the first few minutes by 3 people but I also passed a couple. I was having trouble in the first part of the run getting acclimated but found some speed later when I was caught by two others…but I pushed hard on the last climb to get back in front of them and pulled away in the last mile into transition. I got on my bike quickly to my cheering family and headed into the trail. I passed 1 person within 2 miles and then rode alone until about mile 8 of the 11 mile bike…then I saw someone ahead and quickly caught and passed them…then on the last climb on mile 9 I passed two more. Pushing hard for the last 2 miles I never caught anyone else. I crossed the line to my cheering family which was awesome…finishing 3rd AG and 9th Overall. Feeling a little better now with each race…hopefully back to normal soon.

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#liveitxtreme #brlsports #humagel

   
    
 

Brand New…

…to me. Today was Enka Triathlon, having never done this race I was excited. Continuing to feel better this past week, maybe this would be a turning point in the season. I travelled to area with my family who planned to watch the race. The day before the race though my daughter took part in the kids tri which she was so happy to complete …doing very well. Today it was my turn…we arrived at the race site…I setup then spoke and warmed up with a few clients that were doing the race also. I decided to try a few different things today. One was to have some Trifuel pre-race. Well after a warmup swim we waited on the sandy bank which was somewhat chilly for our wave to go. The gun finally went and we were off. I felt much better than last weekend…moving toward the front I found a person to draft behind after the first turn who I stayed with until the end of the swim. I came out of the water feeling good and quickly jumped on the bike. After only a few minutes I found most of the power I had been missing from the last few weeks. I began passing people and was moving well. Then I came to an intersection which I flew through…getting to the bottom of the hill there were a few turn option but no signs…oh no…I had gone the wrong way. I turned around and headed back uphill to the intersection, before I got there I was met by a man in a truck telling me how to get back on course which I did. After losing 2-3min I was back on course and not happy. I pushed really hard…passing quite a few people…eventually I made it back to people I had passed before the wrong turn and then saw Casey who I passed while I shouting encouragement him. I had one person who I recognized as a top overall finisher usually come up and pass me but stayed with him for the remainder of the bike. We came into transition fast…getting onto the run quickly. This was a mixed terrain run course with moderate hills. I gave it what I had and almost kept him insight….then I got passed by one person…I stayed with him and managed to come across the line 1st AG 7th Overall.

I will take it after the off course excursion and was definitely feeling better than last weekend. Am I 100%…probably not…but I am a lot closer.

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#liveitxtreme #brlsports #humagel

   
   
   
   

2 for 1…

…not really…today was the day I had 2 triathlons to do in one day due scheduling conflicts…and it just so happened to be my first weekend back from pneumonia…so I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

First up was TriLatta road sprint Triathlon. This race is great because it’s minutes from the house but with an early 630 start time it can be tough to be alert. I got there with a little time crunch to get ready. I quickly setup my transition, did a warmup run and went down to the water for a final warmup. The gun went and we were off. I could tell within the first couple of minutes this was not to be my day…where I would usually pull off into or near the lead pack this morning just wasn’t happening. I came out of the water tired…transitioned quickly and was on the bike. Again, immediately I could tell something was wrong…I couldn’t make any power. Continuing to push my best my power came up slightly but wasn’t where it should be. Finding myself having negative thoughts as “I have do this again today”…was not helping. I finished the bike having passed a few people, I had no idea of my placing going onto the run though. This was a trail type run which I was used to due to Xterra triathlons. I pushed all I had…especially on the hills and crossed the line in 3rd. 

Not exactly what I was looking for but ok considering. In sprint triathlon you need to be able to push 100% effort and I only had 90% at best today.

So next up was Xterra Greensboro at 430pm. When arrived the temperature was 94 with full sun. Doing my best to recover after the morning race, I again was even more unsure what was to come. I didn’t bother with a run warmup and just did a few swim strokes before the start.

The gun went and once again I was off. Well I bet you can guess how this one turned out. I was completely swamped with people on top of me during the swim due to not having any escape velocity. I got out of the water beat. Then jumped on the bike hoping to have a good ride on unfamiliar trails…well that didn’t happen, crashing in the first 4min…then I got going and my chain came off a few minutes later(entirely my fault from not re-engaging the dérailleur clutch) so that was more time lost. That would be the theme of the bike…while I passed a few, I continued to bleed spots as the bike went on. I was actually happy to see transition so I could get out on the run. It was supposed to be moderately hilly…nope, sure wasn’t…many hills and they didn’t stop. I pushed as hard as I could knowing this was it for the day. I only got passed by one person…but regretfully it put me into 4th where I would end up finishing. 

In retrospect it wasn’t a bad day and I believe it would have turned out better under different circumstances but that was the hand I was dealt and I played it the best I could.

   
    
 

Return to the hills…

…at Pinehurst. It had been a couple of years since racing here due to the cancellation last year with a Tropical Storm. I arrived somewhat early to a rain storm. The story of this weekend would be the weather …thus far it was forecasted to storm all weekend, but as forecasts usually do, it had begun to change to be somewhat more favorable.

Upon arrival I picked up my packet and decided to pass on a swim due to the ongoing storm. I got sorted away at the room and left to meet everyone at dinner. I had various clients and friends doing this race, so there was plenty of strategy and race course talk at dinner. I went back to the room after which Jack had agreed earlier to share with me so I had someplace to stay. Got everything setup, then one last check of the forecast and we turned in early. We woke up the next morning to a slight sprinkle outside, but it was supposed to stop before race start.

Driving over to the course…the rain was coming down fairly hard. I got my stuff together at the parking lot and rode my bike to transition…by then the rain stopped and we were informed that it should be done. I setup my transition, helped a few others and then headed to the start after a quick warmup run. After taking a few minutes to swim…it was time to start. The gun went and we were off. I swam fairly hard to escape the pack…after a couple of minutes I noticed two others coming from the left…I chose one of them to draft behind but he began to slow. I saw the other guy had started to pull away up front so I put in an effort to try and catch him but that wasn’t going to happen. Now at the first buoy I noticed someone coming up my inside…I decided to draft behind him and it worked out perfect for the remainder of the swim. But at the end, I thought he might be slightly more tired than me after the swim…was I ever wrong. He ran out of the water to transition like Usain Bolt. I got to transition(slower than some) and got out quickly(faster than most). On the bike now, I didn’t want to push too hard the first half of the course because the second half had most hills as I remembered. I got passed by 2 people in the first half of the bike…as I did plenty of passing myself…especially in the second half. But I did seem to have trouble making power. I rolled into transition in 2nd place.  I quickly changed and was out on the run which had switched direction from 2 years ago.  Now with all hills for the first 5.5 miles with no time to get into a rhythm. I pushed hard, the hills were tough and kept coming…passing a few and only getting passed once near the end of the run I was happy.

I ended up 2nd AG and 13th Overall…not my best performance but definitely not my worst. 

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#liveitxtreme #brlsports #humagel

   
   

Let’s bring everyone…

…recently I competed in my first Xterra of the season at Ft Yargo State park. It happened to be my sons 2nd birthday also, so it would be a fun event at park in a cabin for the weekend…or so we thought.

It was a less than relaxing 3hr drive down there, my son wasn’t happy the whole way and we were dealing with some other issues via phone.

We arrived later than we wanted, checked in, got my race packet and went back the cabin which was in the park where the race was to be held, only a mile away. I got changed and headed out to complete my pre race workout. The family went to the beach. When I finished my workout, they were walking to the truck. Wow…perfect timing. Now it was getting late so we went and grabbed takeout, then back to the room. We ate, the kids played a few minutes ten everyone was off to bed. 

I was up the early, got ready and rode my bike to transition…got setup and during my warmup the family arrived in time for the start.

I got in the lake, the gun went and we were off. Feeling good in the water but I felt like I was out there for a while…I came out in 10th Overall…but turns out swim was almost 50% long. It was great to see my family including the birthday boy cheering me. I transitioned quickly and was off in my bike. I passed a few people early but then I was on my own for most of the bike…but that was ok as I really like this course…super fast. 

I came back into transition where my family was there once again…a quick transition and I was out on the run. I was alone again after passing one person until I heard foot steps behind me about halfway through the run with 3ish miles to go. He caught and passed me but I held onto him. We were running well and I pushed myself to stay within about 100yrds. I was really surprised we didn’t catch anyone during this time. With a mile to go I pushed hard to try and catch and pass but he had the same idea and kept the gap. I crossed the line 3rd AG and 8th Overall.

We had planned to stay the rest of the weekend but after a quick birthday celebration, thunderstorms moving in and an issue with the room, we decided to leave that night. Still was fun though to have the whole family there…even if it wasn’t perfect. 

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#liveitxtreme #brlsports #humagel

   
 

Back at it…

…it’s been a while, but now it was time to start the 2016 season at White Lake International. Alex and myself headed out the day before the race in a rainstorm where we met Mike at the cottage. The forecast showed the weather would break over night. Because of the late start time, we were able to sleep in and upon rising and looking outside the weather was clear. I headed to the race site, setup my transition and went for a short warmup run, got back and changed for the swim. A few swim strokes before the start and I was ready. The gun went, and we were off. I felt pretty good in the water but could not swim straight. Everytime I came up to sight, I was going the wrong way. Worse was, I was taking others with me. I decided to start sighting more often which slowed me slightly but kept me going in the right direction. I got out of the water in 2nd. After a quick transition I was out in the bike where it was quite lonely. I passed a few people but mainly I was alone. This portion of the race felt good but I wasn’t riding terribly strong. I came into T2 ready to run…I made a super quick transition and was out. My legs were turning over well which showed by the people I was passing. I continued to run faster splits and pushed strong the last mile. Crossing the finish line the results showed 2nd overall and 1st AG. There was only one problem…turns out I made a wrong turn on the run which cut off between 1/3 – 1/2 mile…oops. After speaking with officials they decided to give me a 4 minute penalty. This is more than what I had cut but I was very thankful and believe it was very fair. So this puts me 5th Overall and 2nd AG…will take it for race #1.

#4dendurance #precisionfitness

#LiveItXtreme #brlsports

#humagel

   
   

Ok…here goes something…

Finding myself  standing on Wrightsville beach at 7:29am under a start banner ready to start B2B full, I thought to myself…wow, how did I get here. To answer that I need to go back 8 weeks when Travis Beam talked me into registering.  Since then it has been a fairly quick ramp up in training.

So now back to the start…7:30am, the gun sounded and we were off for the 2.4 mile ocean swim. I was surprised how hard everyone was going out but I had no choice and had to do the same. I eventually got into some clean water where I could fight the waves crashing into me from the headwind alone. With all of those challenges the swim went well. Travis and I exited the water at the same time, ran through transition together and left T1 together until I mounted my bike and had forgotten my socks that were in my left shoe. I had to stop, dismount my bike, put my socks then shoes on, remount my bike and off I went. All of this in front of everyone watching at T1…a bit embarrassing…but in my defense, I never wear socks. At this point Travis was long gone.

So now it was onto the 112 mile bike. The first 60 miles was into the wind with a cool part of the ride was on the highway where the left lane was closed for us. On mile 30 I saw some railroad tracks up ahead…not thinking much about I went over them but to my surprise they were extremely rough…enough to have my hydration torpedo fly out onto the road. I quickly made a U turn and retrieved it costing more time. Moving through mile 60, my friend Alan passed by me…we had a quick conversation and then rode in proximity for the next 20 miles until he moved out of sight. At approx mile 85 my energy fell off. At that point I thought to just spin into T2 and save for the run.

Coming into T2, I was feeling even worse but hoped my legs would come back. Now onto the 26.2 mile run. Needless to say, my legs didn’t come back. By mile 4 I wasn’t sure if I could continue. I was so concerned with upsetting my stomach I had not strayed from my training nutrition but now I had no choice. I grabbed a banana piece from an aid station. In about 5min I began to feel better…the next 2-3 stations I did the did the same and by now although I wouldn’t return to race pace, I knew I could finish. The rest of the run I was now in a position to do my usual and encouragement to others including Alan, Tyler and Travis who I saw frequently. At mile 25 I grabbed some coke knowing it wouldn’t hurt my stomach at this point. It was rocket fuel and I had my fastest mile.

Now coming to the end, it was more than great to see my family at the finish line. My wife cheering like crazy…simply awesome!

In the end my time was 10:11, good enough for 1st AG. It was a great experience and I learned a lot about my own nutrition.

Special thanks to everyone who helped me get to start line. And especially my wife and kids. It was absolutely priceless having all of you at the race.

Also Precision Fitness, Live It Xtreme, BRL Sports and Schwable tires for your continued support.

   
   

Return to White Lake…

…but this time with a different purpose. I had recently registered for B2B Full Ironman so this Half Ironman would be somewhat of a dress rehearsal. 

  
I arrived the day before the race with Travis who would also compete in the half and Joe who was racing the international distance. 

After packet pickup, we went for a quick swim and cooked up dinner. I woke up race morning and took a short ride down to the race site. 

A quick transition setup, warmup run and into the water I went. After a few strokes to warmup and I was ready. The gun sounded and we were off. Now the plan was to take it really easy on the swim, which I did. By the time we finished the 1.2 miles I came out of the water second in my group. I ran up to transition and jumped on my bike to start the 56 mile bike. Again the plan here was a good steady effort. 

The only excitement on the bike came at the beginning when Me and Travis started at the same time and he pulled ahead of me then veered in front of traffic while adjusting something on his bike. After that the ride was a bit lonely…I passed 3 people while getting passed once. With 20 miles to go the rain started, then with 10 miles to go, both the rain and wind picked up. Coming into T2 I was wet and ready to run. Putting on my wet shoes, I headed off. The plan here was another good steady effort and push at the end. I set a good pace and with the offset start time of the international distance race, I found myself going out on the run with that races leaders. Now they would run 6.2 miles while I had 13.1. But it was nice to have company until they turned around at mile 4. Then it got a bit lonely again for a while. But I did see Travis looking good running back before I got to the turn around. I continued to push along and after mile 10 tried to step it up. With 2 miles left to go we joined back with the other race, which gave me a little lift into the finish. 

In the end my result was 2nd age group and 8th Overall. I would deem this a success leading into B2B.

#precisionfitness #liveitxtreme

#brlsports #schwabletires