Thanks for checking in!
I have been hard at work putting up a new site.
It is finally up and running and you can check it out at http://web.mac.com/epicaj
I have done it all on my own, so please be kind. If you find anything that needs to be fixed
or that you think I should change, please let me know.
Be kind!!
Thanks,
AJ
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Catching up
Well, it's been awhile since my last post. There hasn't been anything too pressing to write about, but I have been having a good time. Overall I have been training a bit here and there, working on some sponsorship resumes and doing some long needed projects around the house.
On the 6th of October, Court and I raced the first FitBeats Metro Mile. My newest sponsor, Fit Beats, put on a great mile around the town of Glendale, just outside of Denver. We both raced for fun and to help out with the race. In addition to the race, the entry fee included entry into the Glendale Raptors Vs. Denver Highlanders in rugby. Glendale has the nicest rugby stadium in the country, and it really is something to see. We watched both games, the first was a tie, and the second was the B game, and they don't keep score. Rugby is certainly a fun game to watch, but I don't think you'll find me on the pitch any time soon.
We also went back to Iowa for the Iowa/Illinois football game. I grew up in Iowa City, and Court and I met there at school. Plus, Court's sister and brother in law went to Iowa as well, so along with Courtney's parents we had a fun trip. Iowa won, we had a great time tailgaiting and we got to see the campus again. Having lived there for 23 years, I like to come back as often as possible. Many things have changed, but in general, it's always the same. I can remember what restaurant used to be where, and where the campus buildings are. I am grateful that I was able to spend my entire childhood, teenage and college years in Iowa CIty.
How about the race in Hawaii this year? What an odd day for the favorites and one huge upset on the women's side. A big congrats goes to Kelly, whom I swim with in the mornings. She won her age group and had another fast day. She posted a 3:19 marathon! Congrats also to Mark, Billy and Scott, all of whom had solid days as well. I really did miss being on the Island. The energy and buzz is something that I love to be around. Not feeling that this year made things difficult at times. I tried not to think about it too much, but I also wanted to keep up with all the news. I will take that feeling with me for the coming season and use it fuel my quest to return to Kona as a pro.
Finally, I hope to be moving this site soon. I am currently working on a new site that will make it easier for me to update and look more professional. I will keep you posted.
On the 6th of October, Court and I raced the first FitBeats Metro Mile. My newest sponsor, Fit Beats, put on a great mile around the town of Glendale, just outside of Denver. We both raced for fun and to help out with the race. In addition to the race, the entry fee included entry into the Glendale Raptors Vs. Denver Highlanders in rugby. Glendale has the nicest rugby stadium in the country, and it really is something to see. We watched both games, the first was a tie, and the second was the B game, and they don't keep score. Rugby is certainly a fun game to watch, but I don't think you'll find me on the pitch any time soon.
We also went back to Iowa for the Iowa/Illinois football game. I grew up in Iowa City, and Court and I met there at school. Plus, Court's sister and brother in law went to Iowa as well, so along with Courtney's parents we had a fun trip. Iowa won, we had a great time tailgaiting and we got to see the campus again. Having lived there for 23 years, I like to come back as often as possible. Many things have changed, but in general, it's always the same. I can remember what restaurant used to be where, and where the campus buildings are. I am grateful that I was able to spend my entire childhood, teenage and college years in Iowa CIty.
How about the race in Hawaii this year? What an odd day for the favorites and one huge upset on the women's side. A big congrats goes to Kelly, whom I swim with in the mornings. She won her age group and had another fast day. She posted a 3:19 marathon! Congrats also to Mark, Billy and Scott, all of whom had solid days as well. I really did miss being on the Island. The energy and buzz is something that I love to be around. Not feeling that this year made things difficult at times. I tried not to think about it too much, but I also wanted to keep up with all the news. I will take that feeling with me for the coming season and use it fuel my quest to return to Kona as a pro.
Finally, I hope to be moving this site soon. I am currently working on a new site that will make it easier for me to update and look more professional. I will keep you posted.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Crested Butte
This photo is from our first trip to Crested Butte. The leaves were suppossed to be peaking so we drove down HWY 285, which is a great drive in itself, and pulled into CB around 5. I was immediately impressed with what I saw. A lot of people on townie bikes, a local community, funky architechture, beautiful mountains and some great weather. Figuring that the town wouldn't be too busy on a Wednesday, we left without hotel reservations. I assumed that a hotel wouldn't be hard to find, but I was wrong. Apparently all of the hotels are up by the ski restort, Mt. Crested Butte. Driving around the town for 15 minutes it was decided that we should have dinner first and ask our sever where we should stay. We grabbed an outside table at the Brick Oven Pizza where the locals were having some beers after knocking off of work. It was pretty easy to spot the locals, old Carhartt work jeans, dirty sweatshirt, beard, hat and covered in saw dust, dirt and/or paint. These are the guys that build the condos/townhomes and mansions in the summer, then ski all winter. Most drive an old truck or SUV that has at least 2 pieces of outdoor equipment on the roof. Most of the locals I saw looked happy with where they were in their life. For some reason I really dig that sort of vibe. These people typically don't have much in the way of luxury but they have what they need to be happy. It's a good lesson to learn. After dinner we asked our sever where we should stay. She recommended a little B&B just down the road. Unfortunately they were booked! The innkeeper recommended a lodge down the road. Thankfully they not only had a room, but a hot tub and a free breakfast. We brought our bag in and hit the hot tub. After a nice soak it was time for some reading and sleep.
We woke up around 7 and made our way to breakfast. It was quite the spread! There was a big round table that seated about 12, several smaller tables and some couches to boot. Breakfast was homemade French toast with thick raisin and cinnamon bread, sausage, hard boiled eggs, muffins, rolls, muesli, cereal and of course coffee. I did my best to not make a pig of myself, but I did sample a bit of everything. After breakfast Court and I went for a little walk on the outskirts of town. It was a beautiful, cloudless day and the sun was out. Most of the locals were heading to work in their trucks, and some of the women were cruising to work on their townies. Next on our agenda was a trip up Kebler Pass. All of the books we read suggested this drive if you wanted to see some good leaves. So up we went and we were not disappointed. We pulled off at several points and snapped away. Back at the hotel we changed into our riding clothes and hit the trail. Court found a trail online that was supposed to be easy and was described as perfect for townies and single speeds. As is the norm, the description was way off. Three or four miles donwn the trail it got pretty sketchy. Court was trooper and got way out of her comfort zone to keep going forward. Fortunately it didn't last too long and we were on a nice open road. After the ride we had lunch, walked around the shops a bit, then headed back home. The trip was a great time and I really enjoy Crested Butte. I will be back there in November for sure. They have a program in the first 3 weeks of November where everyone skis for free. How cool is that?
As for my training, it's been on and off. I am just doing what I feel like, when I feel like it. I'm not too worried as I need to listen to my body right now. It looks like I will race the SilverMan 1/2 IM on Nov. 11, but it's not 100% yet. I am going to take it day by day for now.
Monday, September 24, 2007
New bikes, cross and 2008
These pics are of Kuota's 2 newest bikes. The first shot is from Paul Thomas, Kuota's National Sales Manager. The Kueen K is Normann Stadler's new weapon for the Ironman World Championships. The bike looks ridiculously fast. The 2nd bike is their new cyclocross bike. I am hoping to pick one up in November.
In the last few days I have learned a lot about recovering from multiple IM's so close together. The first thing I learned was that even if I feel good on the bike, keep it very, very low key. On Tuesday I went for an easy spin. I didn't bring a watch and I ended up going for 2 1/2 hours. It was all easy, but that night I was tired. Wednesday morning I woke up and felt exhausted. After breakfast I tried to get going, but I just didn't have the energy. At 9 I went back to bed and ended up sleeping until 12:30! I would have slept longer too but Court and I had signed up for a class at the Mac store. We learned about iMovie, and Court bought me an early birthday gift, the new iPhone. It is ridiculously cool and I still haven't figured out all it can do. Anyways, so even an easy effort takes a lot out of me. I'm feeling stronger, but I still need to keep it dialed back no matter how good I feel at the time.
That being said, if I feel good I am going to race some cyclocross on Sunday. Court is going to race on Saturday and I will race on Sunday. I am borrowing a bike from my friend and client Frank. The guy is seriously fast on a bike. On Sunday he raced his first cross race and was in 3rd until a flat tire slowed him up. I did a quick wheel change for him and he was able to hold on to 4th. It was an impressive showing.
With my spare time I have been able to do a bit more around the house, get some work things sorted out, and think about my '08 season. My lawn looks good, the garage is clean and I have some great new ideas for D3 Multisport. I was also able to attend a great USAT coaching clinic at the Colorado Springs OTC. It was about running off the bike by Bobby McGee. I have been lucky enough to work with Bobby in the past and he is amazing. The clinic was great and I got so much good information that it will take me weeks to get it all.
I am already looking forward to racing next year. This year was a big disappointment for me and I feel like another season has slipped away. I am searching around for a coach and trying to plan out my race schedule. This year I travelled more than I ever have, and having a coach to see the big picture would have been very helpful. Looking back at the year I see some points where if I had rested, or done some different work leading to IM things may have been different. Or they could have been worse, you never know. I think too many people think that if they had just done something different, things would have worked out better. Maybe, but they may have turned out worse. I get frustrated when I look back and see the mistakes I made. It's tough to know that you have more than your results show. I guess I need to use that to fuel a successful 2008.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
More Racing!
Thankfully I wasn't racing, I was just spectaing. Last Saturday Court and I went to the Highlands Ranch Oktoberfest. Why is it in September? I think it's because by October the weather can be very unpredictable. Anyways, we hit Oktoberfest at 2:30 and quickly grabbed an authentic white sausage, sauerkraut and German potato salad. It was from a place called Helga's, and man was it good. We saw their restaurant menu and they had Radler and ColaWeissen! We grabbed an Erdinger and sat down to eat.
At 3, it was the main event. The ever popular sport of Daschund racing! That's right, they had 16 little weiner dogs race about 10 yards. I guess last year they tried to race about 30 yards, but the dogs couldn't finish or got distracted. There were 4 heats of 4 dogs. One person would hold the dog at the start, while their husband or wife was at the finish line with a tennis ball, hot dog or dog toy. The racing was tight and the winner of each heat went into the finals. The last race went to the wire, and the Daschund that won last year was again triumphant. A true dynasty in weiner dog racing. I can't wait for this event next year.
From there we went to the Parker Oktoberfest! Again, another Erdinger, but no authentic German food. Instead it was Boston Market, not bad, but not great. The great thing about the Parker Oktoberfest was that it was in conjunction with the Parker Crit. So we got to drink, eat and watch some really fast racing. The first race we saw was the kids race. The girl with the 10 speed bike destroyed all the others on their BMX bikes, some with training wheels still. What struck me was the little kid that came in 3rd. When he stopped in front of his parents he was in tears. I thought maybe he fell, but he was upset that he didn't win! He was yelling that he lost, despite the 10-15 kids that came in behind him, he was inconsolable. The parents were trying to show him the kids that he beat, and told him that the 2 kids in front of him were older, but to no avail. I struck me that this kid may just have the attitude it takes to be a champion some day! Thankfully 20 minutes later I saw him running around with his friends with a big smile on his face.
The men's Pro Cat 1/2 race was super fast and was practically in the dark! They started at around 7 and rolled around for an hour before it finished in vicious sprint. Taylor Phinney, the 17 year old prodigy and recent World Junior TT champ showed why he's a talent to look for in the future. He didn't win, but he was certainly up front and pushing the pace.
Sunday was an early day as we both went to the Harvest Moon 1/2 IM. I had 2 athletes racing in preparation for IM Florida and I wanted to support them. Plus, Court was shooting, so why not make a day of it? Both of my clients had strong showings, which was a great sigh of relief. I really get nervous when I watch a client or Court race.
This week I have started to bike a bit and swim. I feel good and will be ready to go for the Soma 1/2 IM in Tempe, Az. on Oct. 28. In between I will be racing some cyclocross events. I started racing cyclocross last year and had a blast. I grew up racing BMX bikes on a local and national level, so getting back to some techincal riding brings me back to the good old days.
Now it's all about having a good time and training when I feel like it. After a full week off I was really looking forward to getting back into some training. The crisp fall air really energizes me and gets me moving. I hope that everyone gets a chance to enjoy this time of year!
Train Safe!
AJ
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
IM MOO Race Report
I am still in a bit of shock about my race at IM Wisconsin. Having never done 2 IM's so close together, I didn't know what to expect. I thought that I would be OK in the swim and bike, and then struggle through the run. Honestly, I wasn't even sure I would start the run. The thought of struggling through another IM run and still finish out of the money was not appealing.
Courtney and I flew to Chicago early on Thursday and made our way to her parents house. I put the bike together, got the gear organized and we headed out for a great Asian dinner. Friday morning we started the 2 hour drive to Madison. The weather was good and the trip uneventful. We went straight to the Monona Terrace, which is where the registration, transition area and expo were. I got registered, grabbed a quick bite and went to the Pro Meeting. At the meeting I met up with Paul Fritzche, who I used to train with a bit when we both lived in Boulder. He is now in State College, PA. and I only see him at some races. He looked fit and was ready to race. The big news at the meeting was that wetsuits would not be allowed for the Pro's. The water was over 72 degrees, so by USAT rules wetsuits were out. I was REALLY glad that I grabbed my BlueSeventy PointZero3 before I left.
After taking care of business we drove to the house. Scott, Steve, Sue and Kim were all staying there as well so I knew it would be a fun crew. The house was about 20 minutes away and right on Lake Kegonsa. Right away I notice some "motivational" materials posted on the fridge, and lots of post race goodies. Five of us piled into the rented SUV and made our way around the bike course. I raced here in 2002, so I remembered some sections but was glad to see the course again. It's mostly rolling with some BIG rollers and 2 good climbs thrown in for good measure. It's the slowest IM bike course I have been on for sure. After that we had a great dinner with some wine and dessert. Only 1 glass of red for me and no dessert!
Saturday was uneventful. I got in the water for 15 minutes, and felt good. After the swim I chatted with Ben from BlueSeventy and he hooked me and Court up with some visors and shirts. I went back to the house, had a nice big breakfast, got the gear bags ready, then went for a short bike/run brick. It was only the 3rd time I had run in the 2 weeks after IM Lou.
We drove back to the Terrace to check the bike and bags in. I bumped into Ben again and he asked me if I knew anyone that was still scrambling for a suit. I told him that Paul was in need of one still. Sure I am racing against him, but he's been a great friend and I know what a difference that suit can make. Not just physically, but mentally as well. Bike and bag check in went quickly and I was back at the house with my feet up in no time. I was feeling excited to race. My body had really come around in the 2 weeks since IM Louisville and while I didn't feel fast, I felt strong. It's odd to go into an IM with it not being an A priority race. I had no pressure and wasn't super nervous about what the day would bring. Dinner was some rice, chicken and mashed potatos, yum! My phone rang and it was Paul thanking me for letting Ben know that he needed a suit. Apparently Ben saw Paul at the terrace and handed him a suit to use on race day. I was glad I could help Paul out and told him if he won he had to thank me during his speech.
On to race day! I woke up around 4 and had my usual breakfast of hot cereal, organic toaster pastries, coffee and sipped on some FRS Energy Drink. I packed up the last minute stuff and started the drive. We parked about 2 blocks from transition and made our way to body marking and the bikes. I got to my Kuota, pumped up the tires and went to put the bottles in the cages. But, for the first time in 10 IM's, I had forgotten them in the fridge! Oddly, I wasn't really bothered by this. Quickly I went into damage control and set out to find a solution. Two weeks ago I had ordered a new drink from the makers of Carbo Pro. It's basically a concentrate of 1200 calories in 16 oz! I had tried some the day before as it is a great way to carb load leading to the race. I had never used this stuff before, but right now it was all I had. I had left a bottle in the car that was about a 50/50 mix. So now I had 1 bottle that had around 400 calories. I figured it was the best I could do. I let that snafu go and started to make my way to the swim start. After a short jog and some muscle activation movements got the PointZero3 suit on and hit the water. I felt very fluid and quick from the first stroke. That gave me a lot of confidence that this was going to be a good day for me.
The pros lined up and soon the cannon fired. I had a clean and clear start, like I had my own lane. The pack was moving along and quickly selections were being made. I was in the front pack, but falling off quickly. One athlete went by me and I thought, "these are the feet I need to follow". I tried my best, but didn't have that extra gear. Another swimmer went by and again I tried to stick with him. It didn't happen and soon I was on my own. This was not good. Thankfully I saw another swimmer to my right so I slowed up for a few strokes and tucked in. I stayed there for as long as I could, but then my draft stopped so I would have to do the work. This put me back into the situation I didn't want, but I had no choice. Thankfully this athlete quickly realized that I was not moving quickly and resumed pulling. Starting the 2nd lap I did a backstroke turn at the bouy and saw another 8-10 athletes right behind us. Soon I was swallowed by the pack and thankfully was able to sit in for the remainder of the swim. I wasn't wearing a watch so I had no idea of my time (turns out it was 59:30). There were some other guys around me that I knew like Curt Cheseney and Blake Becker. I took this as a good sign and ran up the helix to T1.
I grabbed my helmet and ran for my Kalibur. I started of conservatively and let Blake go by me with no effort to stay with him. To my surprise Dave Harju went by me around mile 5. From there some more guys went by me, but I stuck to my plan of going easy and getting my nutrition down. My CarboPro mix was tasting good and staying down. About mile 20 a German athlete went by me and I ended up sitting about 15-25 meters back of him for the next hour or so. In Louisville I was racing on my own, so it was a relief to have other athletes around. Plus I could see 2-3 athletes ahead of me on certain sections. I was in good spirits and felt surprisingly strong. I was hoping to bide my time, then go harder on the 2nd loop. Unfortunately when we hit the first big climb I fell back a bit. I realized that I was not going to be able to hold my pace for the second loop, but my nutrition was still spot on. I was taking in gels and the mix for about 400 calories per hour. I had also placed some small Snickers in my special needs bag. A big thanks to my Mother in law for packing the Snickers for me. I usually love them for post race, but I thought I should try something new. Going through special needs I grabbed my 2 new bottles, a gel and my Snickers. That little bar was the tastiest thing I have ever eaten. Unfortunately it didn't go down too well, but it did stay down. My 2 bottles consisted of 1 containing 400 calories from PowerBar Endurance and Carbo Pro powder. The 2nd bottle was something I have used in training, but never a race. I call it the Red Bomb. It is equal parts Fruit Punch Gatorade and Mountain Dew Code Red. Typically, Gatorade doesn't go well for me, but when it's diluted, I can handle it. Plus I like the taste and just a little bit of carbonation.
I had gone through the 1st 56 miles on pace for a 5:05 bike. That was motivating, but I knew I would slow down. Plus, the wind was whipping up and coming from all directions. On the second lap I passed a lot of age groupers, but it was mostly uneventful. I was going back and forth on whether or not to start the run. My legs felt good, but I was worried about doing too much damage. Plus I knew I was well behind the leaders. I had told Court that if I wasn't in the top ten off the bike, I wouldn't start the run. I never dreamed that I would actually feel decent and want to run. Quickly I decided that I would at least start the run. The course takes you into Camp Randall, the Wisconsin Badgers football field, and it's a really neat feature. For some reason I really wanted to run on Camp Randall.
I took my time in T2, got ready and took off. I started easy to find my rhythm. To my surprise I felt strong and my stride was quick and short. Not having a watch on I didn't know my pace, which was a good thing. I just went as hard as I thought I should. I saw Courtney on a motorcycle and just shrugged my shoulders to say " I don't know what's going on!".Soon I was entering Camp Randall. Running on the field is great because the artificial grass is so soft. I grew up in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, and I went to college there. As a matter of pride I sang the Iowa FIght Song out loud. It was a little something to keep me having fun. From there you make your to Observatory hill down to State St. which is always lined with people out having lunch and enjoying the day. On that section I saw the lead guys, and Paul was in 4th! I shouted some encouragement to him. There is a lot of energy in the air on State St. and it's easy to feel good on this seciton. After this section it's pretty flat and I was really feeling fluid. My nutrtion was going great. I had eaten another Snickers in T2 and had another at mile 10. In between I was drinking Coke, water and putting down some gels. My plan was to push when I could, then slow a bit to get my nutrtion down. Occassionally I would walk an aid station, slam 3 cokes, some water and set off hard. I was very focused mentally. I have done more than one IM run where I kind of space out mentally. After 7-8 hours of exertion, it can be hard to keep your mind on the job at hand. I was taking inventory of what nutrition I had on me, what I felt like, what I had just taken in, etc. Without the watch I didn't know how fast or slow I was going, but I realized that without the watch the run feels like it goes by quicker. When I would pass a mile marker, I didn't think about how many miles I had left, or how long I had been running already, I just kept focused. Running through Camp Randall the 2nd time, I again sang the Iowa Fight Song, only this time there were others around to hear me. I didn't care since it kept me motivated. I was still having fun. I saw the lead guy go by again, and the next guy was Paul! I was psyched to see him having such a good day and I knew he was going to finish strong. I was really enjoying my run. No one was passing me and I wasn't feeling bad at all. I felt the same as I did in Kona in 2005 when I ran a 3:04. Granted I wasn't running that fast, but the feeling was the same.
When I hit mile 18 I pushed as hard as I could. It hurt, but at the same time it was rewarding to feel that strong that late in the marathon. I have always wanted to feel that good at the end, and I even ran hard up the Observatory Hill. I wanted to keep pushing super hard and turn myself inside out, but I thought better of it. I was still a ways from the finish, and did I really need to damage myself to go 3 minutes faster? After 3 miles of tough running I slowed to get in some nutrition for the last push home. The last miles seemed to go on a bit longer, but I was looking forward to hitting that finish line.
I soaked up the last 1/4 mile and enjoyed the last steps to the line. I never dreamed that I would have a strong run, 10 minutes faster than IM Lou.
Post race festivities were a blast. Court and I found Paul and we ended up eating roast beef, potatos, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, coffee and pastries in the V.I.P. area by the finish line. It was nice to be sitting down with real food and something warm to drink. Poor Paul couldn't go 10 ft. without someone congratulating him and wanting to chat with him. I guess that's a good problem to have though as it means you finished well. Paul had to go and hand out medals to some of the later finishers, so Court and I met up with the rest of the crew. Everyone had a good day of racing and was ready to have some fun. I have never seen the last finisher at an IM. The closest was at Kona 2 years ago when Court and I stayed until 10:30. This time we were in the stands cheering people on. I was really glad we stayed as we got to see 78 year old Frank Farrar cross the line in 16:58. It was truely inspiring to watch this guy cross the line. He even gave a short interview right after and was a funny guy.
I am extremely happy with how the race went. My goals were to solve some issues that plagued me in Roth and Louisville, and I think I did that. My nutrition went well, I was focused for the entire run and I had a fun time racing. I love Madison and will definitely race IM MOO again.
I feel OK right now and am already looking for another race or 2 to finish off the tri season. I will be racing a good number of 'Cross races as well. I raced BMX when I was young so I enjoy the technical riding. I will start looking back and analyzing the season and what I need to do to reach that next level.
Thanks for the support!
Courtney and I flew to Chicago early on Thursday and made our way to her parents house. I put the bike together, got the gear organized and we headed out for a great Asian dinner. Friday morning we started the 2 hour drive to Madison. The weather was good and the trip uneventful. We went straight to the Monona Terrace, which is where the registration, transition area and expo were. I got registered, grabbed a quick bite and went to the Pro Meeting. At the meeting I met up with Paul Fritzche, who I used to train with a bit when we both lived in Boulder. He is now in State College, PA. and I only see him at some races. He looked fit and was ready to race. The big news at the meeting was that wetsuits would not be allowed for the Pro's. The water was over 72 degrees, so by USAT rules wetsuits were out. I was REALLY glad that I grabbed my BlueSeventy PointZero3 before I left.
After taking care of business we drove to the house. Scott, Steve, Sue and Kim were all staying there as well so I knew it would be a fun crew. The house was about 20 minutes away and right on Lake Kegonsa. Right away I notice some "motivational" materials posted on the fridge, and lots of post race goodies. Five of us piled into the rented SUV and made our way around the bike course. I raced here in 2002, so I remembered some sections but was glad to see the course again. It's mostly rolling with some BIG rollers and 2 good climbs thrown in for good measure. It's the slowest IM bike course I have been on for sure. After that we had a great dinner with some wine and dessert. Only 1 glass of red for me and no dessert!
Saturday was uneventful. I got in the water for 15 minutes, and felt good. After the swim I chatted with Ben from BlueSeventy and he hooked me and Court up with some visors and shirts. I went back to the house, had a nice big breakfast, got the gear bags ready, then went for a short bike/run brick. It was only the 3rd time I had run in the 2 weeks after IM Lou.
We drove back to the Terrace to check the bike and bags in. I bumped into Ben again and he asked me if I knew anyone that was still scrambling for a suit. I told him that Paul was in need of one still. Sure I am racing against him, but he's been a great friend and I know what a difference that suit can make. Not just physically, but mentally as well. Bike and bag check in went quickly and I was back at the house with my feet up in no time. I was feeling excited to race. My body had really come around in the 2 weeks since IM Louisville and while I didn't feel fast, I felt strong. It's odd to go into an IM with it not being an A priority race. I had no pressure and wasn't super nervous about what the day would bring. Dinner was some rice, chicken and mashed potatos, yum! My phone rang and it was Paul thanking me for letting Ben know that he needed a suit. Apparently Ben saw Paul at the terrace and handed him a suit to use on race day. I was glad I could help Paul out and told him if he won he had to thank me during his speech.
On to race day! I woke up around 4 and had my usual breakfast of hot cereal, organic toaster pastries, coffee and sipped on some FRS Energy Drink. I packed up the last minute stuff and started the drive. We parked about 2 blocks from transition and made our way to body marking and the bikes. I got to my Kuota, pumped up the tires and went to put the bottles in the cages. But, for the first time in 10 IM's, I had forgotten them in the fridge! Oddly, I wasn't really bothered by this. Quickly I went into damage control and set out to find a solution. Two weeks ago I had ordered a new drink from the makers of Carbo Pro. It's basically a concentrate of 1200 calories in 16 oz! I had tried some the day before as it is a great way to carb load leading to the race. I had never used this stuff before, but right now it was all I had. I had left a bottle in the car that was about a 50/50 mix. So now I had 1 bottle that had around 400 calories. I figured it was the best I could do. I let that snafu go and started to make my way to the swim start. After a short jog and some muscle activation movements got the PointZero3 suit on and hit the water. I felt very fluid and quick from the first stroke. That gave me a lot of confidence that this was going to be a good day for me.
The pros lined up and soon the cannon fired. I had a clean and clear start, like I had my own lane. The pack was moving along and quickly selections were being made. I was in the front pack, but falling off quickly. One athlete went by me and I thought, "these are the feet I need to follow". I tried my best, but didn't have that extra gear. Another swimmer went by and again I tried to stick with him. It didn't happen and soon I was on my own. This was not good. Thankfully I saw another swimmer to my right so I slowed up for a few strokes and tucked in. I stayed there for as long as I could, but then my draft stopped so I would have to do the work. This put me back into the situation I didn't want, but I had no choice. Thankfully this athlete quickly realized that I was not moving quickly and resumed pulling. Starting the 2nd lap I did a backstroke turn at the bouy and saw another 8-10 athletes right behind us. Soon I was swallowed by the pack and thankfully was able to sit in for the remainder of the swim. I wasn't wearing a watch so I had no idea of my time (turns out it was 59:30). There were some other guys around me that I knew like Curt Cheseney and Blake Becker. I took this as a good sign and ran up the helix to T1.
I grabbed my helmet and ran for my Kalibur. I started of conservatively and let Blake go by me with no effort to stay with him. To my surprise Dave Harju went by me around mile 5. From there some more guys went by me, but I stuck to my plan of going easy and getting my nutrition down. My CarboPro mix was tasting good and staying down. About mile 20 a German athlete went by me and I ended up sitting about 15-25 meters back of him for the next hour or so. In Louisville I was racing on my own, so it was a relief to have other athletes around. Plus I could see 2-3 athletes ahead of me on certain sections. I was in good spirits and felt surprisingly strong. I was hoping to bide my time, then go harder on the 2nd loop. Unfortunately when we hit the first big climb I fell back a bit. I realized that I was not going to be able to hold my pace for the second loop, but my nutrition was still spot on. I was taking in gels and the mix for about 400 calories per hour. I had also placed some small Snickers in my special needs bag. A big thanks to my Mother in law for packing the Snickers for me. I usually love them for post race, but I thought I should try something new. Going through special needs I grabbed my 2 new bottles, a gel and my Snickers. That little bar was the tastiest thing I have ever eaten. Unfortunately it didn't go down too well, but it did stay down. My 2 bottles consisted of 1 containing 400 calories from PowerBar Endurance and Carbo Pro powder. The 2nd bottle was something I have used in training, but never a race. I call it the Red Bomb. It is equal parts Fruit Punch Gatorade and Mountain Dew Code Red. Typically, Gatorade doesn't go well for me, but when it's diluted, I can handle it. Plus I like the taste and just a little bit of carbonation.
I had gone through the 1st 56 miles on pace for a 5:05 bike. That was motivating, but I knew I would slow down. Plus, the wind was whipping up and coming from all directions. On the second lap I passed a lot of age groupers, but it was mostly uneventful. I was going back and forth on whether or not to start the run. My legs felt good, but I was worried about doing too much damage. Plus I knew I was well behind the leaders. I had told Court that if I wasn't in the top ten off the bike, I wouldn't start the run. I never dreamed that I would actually feel decent and want to run. Quickly I decided that I would at least start the run. The course takes you into Camp Randall, the Wisconsin Badgers football field, and it's a really neat feature. For some reason I really wanted to run on Camp Randall.
I took my time in T2, got ready and took off. I started easy to find my rhythm. To my surprise I felt strong and my stride was quick and short. Not having a watch on I didn't know my pace, which was a good thing. I just went as hard as I thought I should. I saw Courtney on a motorcycle and just shrugged my shoulders to say " I don't know what's going on!".Soon I was entering Camp Randall. Running on the field is great because the artificial grass is so soft. I grew up in Iowa City, home of the University of Iowa, and I went to college there. As a matter of pride I sang the Iowa FIght Song out loud. It was a little something to keep me having fun. From there you make your to Observatory hill down to State St. which is always lined with people out having lunch and enjoying the day. On that section I saw the lead guys, and Paul was in 4th! I shouted some encouragement to him. There is a lot of energy in the air on State St. and it's easy to feel good on this seciton. After this section it's pretty flat and I was really feeling fluid. My nutrtion was going great. I had eaten another Snickers in T2 and had another at mile 10. In between I was drinking Coke, water and putting down some gels. My plan was to push when I could, then slow a bit to get my nutrtion down. Occassionally I would walk an aid station, slam 3 cokes, some water and set off hard. I was very focused mentally. I have done more than one IM run where I kind of space out mentally. After 7-8 hours of exertion, it can be hard to keep your mind on the job at hand. I was taking inventory of what nutrition I had on me, what I felt like, what I had just taken in, etc. Without the watch I didn't know how fast or slow I was going, but I realized that without the watch the run feels like it goes by quicker. When I would pass a mile marker, I didn't think about how many miles I had left, or how long I had been running already, I just kept focused. Running through Camp Randall the 2nd time, I again sang the Iowa Fight Song, only this time there were others around to hear me. I didn't care since it kept me motivated. I was still having fun. I saw the lead guy go by again, and the next guy was Paul! I was psyched to see him having such a good day and I knew he was going to finish strong. I was really enjoying my run. No one was passing me and I wasn't feeling bad at all. I felt the same as I did in Kona in 2005 when I ran a 3:04. Granted I wasn't running that fast, but the feeling was the same.
When I hit mile 18 I pushed as hard as I could. It hurt, but at the same time it was rewarding to feel that strong that late in the marathon. I have always wanted to feel that good at the end, and I even ran hard up the Observatory Hill. I wanted to keep pushing super hard and turn myself inside out, but I thought better of it. I was still a ways from the finish, and did I really need to damage myself to go 3 minutes faster? After 3 miles of tough running I slowed to get in some nutrition for the last push home. The last miles seemed to go on a bit longer, but I was looking forward to hitting that finish line.
I soaked up the last 1/4 mile and enjoyed the last steps to the line. I never dreamed that I would have a strong run, 10 minutes faster than IM Lou.
Post race festivities were a blast. Court and I found Paul and we ended up eating roast beef, potatos, Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, coffee and pastries in the V.I.P. area by the finish line. It was nice to be sitting down with real food and something warm to drink. Poor Paul couldn't go 10 ft. without someone congratulating him and wanting to chat with him. I guess that's a good problem to have though as it means you finished well. Paul had to go and hand out medals to some of the later finishers, so Court and I met up with the rest of the crew. Everyone had a good day of racing and was ready to have some fun. I have never seen the last finisher at an IM. The closest was at Kona 2 years ago when Court and I stayed until 10:30. This time we were in the stands cheering people on. I was really glad we stayed as we got to see 78 year old Frank Farrar cross the line in 16:58. It was truely inspiring to watch this guy cross the line. He even gave a short interview right after and was a funny guy.
I am extremely happy with how the race went. My goals were to solve some issues that plagued me in Roth and Louisville, and I think I did that. My nutrition went well, I was focused for the entire run and I had a fun time racing. I love Madison and will definitely race IM MOO again.
I feel OK right now and am already looking for another race or 2 to finish off the tri season. I will be racing a good number of 'Cross races as well. I raced BMX when I was young so I enjoy the technical riding. I will start looking back and analyzing the season and what I need to do to reach that next level.
Thanks for the support!
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Pre Race
A quick update before IM # 3 for the year. The legs don't feel especially fast, but they do feel strong. So I guess I will take what I can get tomorrow. I am actually excited to put it on the line again. It is definitely odd to be racing an IM without it being an A priority race. It means there is no pressure, so I am going to try some new stuff and see what happens. No matter what goes on tomorrow I will be satisfied with the effort. I had a bit of luck as I remembered at the last minute to bring my BlueSeventy PointZero3 suit. It turns out that the water is too warm for the Pro's to be using wetsuits, so I am glad I packed it. Remember you can follow my progress on Ironmanlive.com. I am # 7, hopefully lucky #7. I will update as soon as I am able!
Yours In Sport,
AJ
Yours In Sport,
AJ
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