breakthrough race

the day started off picture perfect. the sun rising out of the east striking the clouds turning them a bight red....red sky in morning, sailors take warning...



i got to the race site and my support crew pulled in right behind me. my grandparents and mom were able to make it up to the race to cheer me on. they helped me unload the car and then i made my way over to the transition area. after a quick stop to get my numbers and then my chip it was time to set up my space. no problems here. continued with my pre-race nutrition game plan and then the pit stop. races like this really need more portapotties, i mean seriously, you know that everyone is going to want to pee or crap before the race starts....oh well. mission accomplished, back to transition to get my wetsuit and down to the lake. i said goodbye to my family and they found a place to watch the race.


i started in heat #1...i have never started in heat #1. there were some pretty fast people that i recognized from other races in my heat and knew that my time at the front would be non-existent. the gun goes off and we start for the bouy. i get caught up in the initial fight for space and end up tailing the lead group. this was great and all, except they were headed on a really wide path. so i ditched them and caught another set of feet on a better course. i turned the far bouy and pretty much had the water by myself with 2 other people. i swim on back to transition and get out of the water in 27:44 which i think is a new PR for me on the 1.5k swim. off to transition,
my wetsuit just wouldn't come off. finally get off wetsuit and run out with my bike.


after about the frist 1/2 mile i get my legs back and i am starting to feel pretty good. i keep looking down at my speedometer and can't figure out why my average speed is only 10mph. i know i am going much faster. the current speed is correct but the average is just way off. after about 5 miles of trying to ride faster to get the average up it occurs to me that i had reset the computer at the car and then walked it to transition screwing up both the time and the distance. oh well. i figured i would get to transition when i got there. somewhere around mile 2 or 3 we turned heading straight south. i was staring at a massive thunderhead, black as night, with rain pouring from the clouds...and oh yea, bolts of lightening. oh well. i figured i was pretty safe, being fully insulated on my tires...luckily the storm stayed south and didn't impact the race. (what i found out later was that this same cloud, and same lightening could be seen while we were swimming, my mom wasn't too happy i was in the water) there was a fierce headwind as we were heading west which ultimately cramped my riding speed a little, but nonetheless i managed. on the way home i was holding around 26-28 mph...yeeehaaa. that was was fun, i was flying. back to transition in 1:15:09. a little slower than usual, but i will take it with the wind and the hills.

second transition was a little better, despite the fact that i had to tie my shoes because i forgot my speed laces. (at least this year i didn't forget my bike shoes...) i start running out of transition and actually feel pretty good.

there is a new run course this year because of all of the storms that we have had recently, too much mud, too many trees falling, etc. i made it to the 1/2 way point and look at my watch 24:45...holy crap. i am flying. i figure it i keep up this speed i might have a chance to break 50 min a wall that has since i started racing triathlons been unbreakable. i decide i am going to keep pushing for the finish line. i cruise past the turn around, wave to my support crew and keep on going. no time for smiles now. i keep going, up one last hill and then i see the finish line. i really dig in to find whatever energy is left to get me across the finish line.

run time: 49:22 for 7:58 min miles. not only did i break the 50 min barrier but i also broke the 8 min mile barrier. i couldn't believe it. i was just thrilled.

total time 2:35:59. a new personal best

all in all it was a spectacular race. the weather held out, i got to spend some time with my family, and i had a great race (well probably my best ever).


i guess that all of the extra training this winter and spring, even if not speed training, has really paid off. i am starting to have high hopes for racine.

this race is just what i needed to regain my motivation for training. madison is in 76 days. bring it on.

off to the races

yea!!!!! I finally get to race this year. after a 3 week delay due to travel and work commitments i am ready to hit the starting line. i am racing tomorrow morning up in lake geneva at the bigfoot triathlon. i have done this race during the last 2 years and really enjoy the course and the venue. latest weather predictions suggest that the rain will hold off until the afteroon with low winds in the morning. sweeeeeeet.

i think the race will go well. i have trained my butt off this year, but the majority of the training has been geared at long distance endurance. it will be interesting to see how my times stack up this year when i need to go short and fast. i'll probably have it in me. there is also a chance that i will be starting in the first heat...i've never had that happen before...however, little chance of sitting in front for any of the race.

i'm looking forward to having my grandparents at the race with me. it should be great.

i'm going to head up there today to relax, get my packet, try and find something to eat, get some work done. now i am off to finish packing, get the bike ready, eat some more, and drive back up to wisconsin.

by the way, i checked my fuel mileage yesterday when i had to refill my tank. 39.2 mpg, how about them apples.

oh yea, cubs win, take that you silly southsiders.

tackling madison

with a forecast for perfect weather i drove up to madison to ride the course. i had just finished nights and knew my sleep schedule would be rather screwed up. so i woke up at 5:45am without an alarm and was out the door by 6:15 after eating a bowel of cereal.

after a very relaxing drive of just under 3 hours, and 2 bagels later i was in verona. ah the memories of last year when i tried to do this. let me take you back. it was the sunday of the ironman. i didn't really have much to eat for breakfast, hadn't slept well the night before, had barely had any liquids during the day. all in all the perfect set up for one of the worst headaches i have ever had. that coupled with trying to ride on all of those hills and pay attention. equals BAD...very bad. i think i had to stop about every 5 miles last year because i felt like absolute dog poo. well not this year...different story all together.

i get the bike all set up, chain lubed, water and gatorade loaded, and i am off. there is a little wind from the northwest which is building and the sun is out. not a cloud in the sky. i have the cue sheet in my back pocket and use it for the turns on the first loop. i definitely remembered almost all of the first 2/3 of the route from last year.

what i didn't remember was how annoying witte road about 1/4 of the way into the loop and midtown road were. i just forgot how punishing those hills were. i remembered all of the other hills, the climb into mt horeb, old sauk pass, timber lane, but the midtown climb just caught me off guard.

after the first loop i stopped at my car, refueled my bottles and headed out for the second loop. i think i was going about the same speed, maybe just a tad slower but it felt much better. it was probably an 80-85% effort throughout the day. two loops 86 miles, 5 hours.

during my 5 hours of riding i passed 3 bikers going in my direction and around 5 going in the opposite direction, sure different than my usual training day on the frightening path.

i felt really good at the end of the day, my neck was a little sore and i was tired of sitting.

so i changed, packed the car and headed back home. 3 hours later i was making myself i nice ribeye steak to get in some protein to help build me some big climbing muscles.

things to take away from today
-i have no idea how fast i was going down garfoot, when i finally mustered the courage to look at my spedometer i was going 32.
-if i remember correctly i was above 35 a the end of timber lane
-climbing timber lane will be so much more fun when it is lined with people
-it is much easier to ride this course without a headache
-oh yea, i think i am glad that i won't have deep wheels, that wind was pushing me around all over the place, i think i might have ended up on my face with a disc...
-i feel much better about being ready to really take this thing on in september, but feel great knowing that i could do it today

what a day, what an absolutely perfect day

milestones

i guess it has been too long. i have been spending most of my time either eating, sleeping, training, or working. the past week has been tough as i basically worked every single day, was getting home late from work, and was just tired.

but nonetheless it was a big breakthrough week for me. in past 5 days i have upped the ante with my riding and running. this week marked the longest distances so far - 15.5 miles running and 83 miles on the bike.

the ride was actually really nice. started out in glenview and headed all the way north. eventually ended up across the state line in wisconsin. i have always wanted to ride my bike to wisconsin, now i guess i can check that one off the list. a little less anti-climatic that i thought it might be. riding back was into a nice little headwind. somehow we missed all of the storms because when we got back there was an evil line of storms at the wisco border. oh yea, that was yesterday, i'm still hungry.

the 15.5 mile run was earlier in the week. i had tried to go for a 13.2 the week before but guessed wrong on the distance. crap. i was mad so i just figured i would overestimate a little to ensure that i didn't miss the miles this time. managed to keep an average HR around 144 for the entire run which was the lowest that it has been all year. i hope that is a good thing

i still have to get into the lake. yea it will be cold but i just need to get into the lake. maybe this evening if it isn't raining. i guess if it is raining then i will just swim inside. i need to loosen up after that 83 mile ride yesterday.

um 85 days.

um, need to figure out nutrition

um, what have i gotten myself into

luckily no nightmares or lying awake in bed not being able to fall asleep yet.

3 overnights of work, training is usually sub-optimal on that schedule, we'll see what happens.