Why I need a TOM TOM

Craiglist could be the best site ever created. I've bought sold and sold some more on this site and have always had the pleasure of meeting the best people. Recently, I found out how bad I am with directions. I was talking to a guy about a trainer recently posted on Craigslist. We did the usual dance, I like it..., it's brand new barely used.., nice.., I'll be over tonight to check it out. Map quested the guys road and later called on my way to get the house number. Simsbury is big and dark at 7 pm so of course I got way lost, deep forest lost. After driving up and down side streets and back tracking for the elusive Clifdon Drive, I found it. Nearly a half hour after I said I would arrive to peek at the trainer. Took a left on the road, mashed my face to the windshield to look for house numbers and was flagged down, or so I thought, by a guy out at the end of his drive. Rolled down the window asked if he was Steve? Yes, he said. Sorry I'm late, I have no GPS and no sense of direction. No sweat, pull on in, he said. After some brief chat about the loads of snow and size of Simsbury I proceeded to follow him into his house. Standing on the welcome mat Steve took of his shoes and stood tall. His wife at the top of the stairs laid into him about not picking up his cell because they need dog food and milk. I'd yell at you now, but he's here now, she said. She later came down introduced herself and we talked again about the darkness in Simsbury, black hole dark. After a few laughs and some chit chat...1o minutes worth. Steve said so, what are we doing tonight? I immediately thought to those nasty posts on craigslist and thought we may have miscommunicated about what the trainer actually was...perhaps it was code for swinging for something. After some awkward silence I said, I'm here for the trainer? The trainer? They all looked confused. Yeah, the trainer you have for sale. Again, silence. They then burst out laughing. We aren't selling anything. I asked if this was 32 Clifdon and they again bellowed with laughter, no it's 4. After some more gut wrenching laughter, I wished them a Merry Christmas and ran to my car.

It appears he was just getting his garbage can and throwing a friendly wave to a passer by. But his name just happened to be Steve. He thought I was there to see his wife about something. He had just got home from work so the classic.....i thought he was here to see you and i thought he was with you was in effect.

I need a Tom Tom. Finally did find the house and get the trainer.

California Kid Dominates Again

Unbeatable! Big Frog was no match. Most talented and confident cage fighter ever, Urijah Faber cannot be beat. Next up Jens Pulver one of the toughest most talented fighters he's ever faced. Tune in. Should be a major bloody showdown and test of complete wills and endurance...the talk has already started click here.

Winter Has Arrived

Got dumped on! Time for some cold training.

IMFL 2008

I completed the first leg today...signing up! I spent about four hours in front of my computer today starring at the active.com registration page for Florida IM. Spent about two hours limbering up my trigger finger so I could be quick on the reg button at 1 pm. I even tried to recruit some friends who all declined and I can't blame them since it was 58+ degrees outside. Well, by some stroke of amazing luck, I got one of the few spots available.

After the adrenaline subsided I realized what I had done, actually signed up for a grueling 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run. Craziness? Yes. I originally planned to do my first IM in 2009, but after seeing the date of IMFL I figured what the hell I'll give it a shot since I have a better chance being struck by lightning while sitting in front of my computer than actually getting in. Now I am committed and with that comes a little, or rather a lot of nerves firing off in all directions, but I am excited at the challenge ahead.

Time to get training and smarter about racing at this distance.

The Rundown

Here's a list of all my races for 2007 to date:

Triathlons:

Mystic River Valley
Griskus Olympic
Webster Mass Sprint
Massachusetts State Triathlon
Litchfield Hills Olympic
Timberman Half Ironman
Madison Triathlon

Road Races:

Granby 5k
Hartford Half Marathon
Hartland Harvest 5K
More to come...

Harvest 5K Run

So New England - 1st Place Overall Receives a homemade apple pie. My first overall win!

Becoming a Runner

Now that the tri season is over I've started to try and become a runner. As a former college soccer player I always thought running came naturally to me, that is until I started doing triathlons and I realized I sucked. So for the next three to four months I am only focusing on running.

I started with a 5k and ran a 20:26 on a hilly course to win my age group. That was surprising and what made it even more special is my fiance Jen ran too. It was her first and she placed 72. A little more work and she'll probably be beating me.

This past weekend we both did the Hartford Half Marathon. I did this race three years ago and posted a 1:51. Now that I've been racing triathlons for two years I'd hoped my running had improved to at least put up a respectable 1:35.

The day started off cold but quickly warmed up as soon as the sun rose. Jen and I started together but I told her I had to run off and try and meet my goal. She was nervous but confident from all of her training. It was tough getting through people the first mile or two. Couldn't get in to a comfortable rhythm as I kept coming up on people's heels and had to cut around them to the left or right. My 5k time was miserable and I chalked that up to all the bobbing and weaving. I finally hit some clear pavement and decided to push more. I hit the 6 mile mark in 42 minutes which was right where I wanted to be.

The course was flat with some little rollers that kept it interesting. At mile 11 heading up park street I started to hit the wall. I kept plugging on knowing I was off my goal pace by at least 20 seconds. I hit the finish in 1:39. A new PR for me and a time I know I can better. I ran to the food tents to fuel up and waited for Jen. She hit the finish at 2:00 - not bad at all for her first half and only two months of training. Jen finish put it all in perspective. I was so proud to see her finish.

Madison Triathlon

I raced in the Madison Sprint triathlon this past Saturday. This has to be one of my favorite races and I think it's because this is where I got my start in triathlons. Two years ago, this was my first ever tri.

I had a too big Billabong shorty for the swim, a pretty decent road bike for the bike and a good outlook for the run. My swim was so bad my fiance thought I drowned out there after she didn't see me come in with the guys wearing my color swim caps, nor did she see me in the reds, greens and whites that came in later. It took me lots of doggy paddling and twenty five minutes to knock out that half mile. I did well on the bike and run but placed 125. After that I was hooked.

With my season winding down this was my second to last race of the year. It was hard getting out of bed at 4 am for the long drive, but as usual, worth it in the end.

Swim - 14:14
There was some hop when the race started a 7 am. I took off in the second wave and found clean water right away. I'm finding that I'm always nearly alone behind the lead pack but ahead of the second pack. .I took in some salt water before figuring out how to time the ups and downs. Hit the turnaround buoy and rode the waves in for a time of 14:41.

Bike - 39:07
The bike is fast and flat. After finally freeing myself of my strangling wetsuit I got on my bike and took off. I know this course pretty well having done it three times so I just tried to hammer my way through. Legs felt great and I caught a number of the faster swimmers in my wave and a ton of riders from the first wave. Cruised into T2 feeling great and barely winded at around 39 minutes. Racked the bike and shot out on the run. Fastest transition yet, 39 seconds.

Run - 21:25
I passed another Heatster right away but then pulled back some and just couldn't get my legs going. He caught me and I held his shoulder all the way to the turnaround. My legs started to loosen up and I decided to open it up more. I caught two or three guys ahead of me and decided to open it up more, maybe a little too late, with about 1/2 mile to go. I crossed the finish with a time of 1:16 good enough for 35 out of 350 and third in my age group.

This was my second age group win for the year. I placed third in my age group at this race last year as well.

Timberman 70.3

On Sunday, August 20 I completed my first half IM in Gilford New Hampshire. It was a great weekend to get away and finish it off with a good race. The Timberman festival is a great race and I am glad I chose this race as my first half. I was actually I was put on the waiting list in February and actually found out I got in two weeks before the race. It was a little unnerving since I needed to step up my training in only two weeks and I raced in a really testy Olympic the weekend before.

Swim
I was in the 9th wave. I've never seen so many triathletes at one location it was actually pretty cool. The beach was filled with about 1800 people in wetsuits all with different colored caps. It was an in the water start which was new and actually preferable to the mad dash that usually kicks off these events. I started in the upper right front and waited to get tackled by swimmers but they just never came. I fought my way through a couple slower swimmers and was kicked in the goggles which quickly filled with water. A quick back float and goggle clear got me back on track. The 1.2 mile swim felt short or rather I felt really strong perhaps it was the adrenaline. I hit the first buoy and decided to pick it up and quickly ran into the people in the waves ahead of us. A few ducks and turns and I was in the clear. Hit the final turn and was met by some chop but found my way through and up to the beach for at time of 38 minutes. Getting stripped out of my wetsuit just made that more special. No hassels, just hang onto your shorts!

Bike
Got into transition and took a quick swig of gatorade, put on my cycling shoes, helmet and sunglasses and ran out of the bike racks to a long path leading to the mount line where we were met by even more spectators. I felt good, a little cold but hammered up the first upgrade past people still getting their bikes together and a few who already had flats. Quick decent to a turn and then onto the bike course for the 56 mile ride. I moved past quite a few riders in the beginning trying to hit that Zen state people talk about on the bike. A little water, clear the head and just spin. About 7 miles in people had talked about a steep incline which people were struggling up but it really wasn't anything compared to the hills I rode in my race last weekend. The Litchfield Oly proved to be a good base for what was to come. We eventually found our way out to the rolling flats where I gelled up and took in loads of fluids. I moved my way through traffic and decided to keep my cadence around ninety plus with an average speed around 21. Just before the turn around the pros were ripping by on their way back and damn were they moving. They really put it all in perspective. Hit the turnaround and was hit by a pretty serious headwind which pulled me out of aero in parts and moved me to just spinning. I decided to eat some cheese crackers and snack on a rice krispy treat while my head was down pulling through the headwind. Around mile 40 I decided to pick it up and took over a ton of people in my age group and also in the waves ahead. We hit a nice spot of downhills and I just tucked and held back on the pedals hitting a cool 49 mph in most parts and passing some blockers and people who just didn't want to get the hell out of the way. They were also met with some get the f___ out of the way. Climb back to T2 was killing people but not me since I had spun it out most of the way. In T2 with a time of 2:50. Not what I had planned.

Run
Racked my bike, slipped on the shoes, visor and out on the run. Having took in so many fluids I really had to pee and I just couldn't do it on the bike. I jumped the rope hit the porto john and let go for what seemed like 5 minutes. Back out on the run chute surrounded by thousands of people, my legs felt really freakin great! I had no idea of my time since my watch locked up for some reason but I didn't care. I hit the first three miles with a time of 22 minutes, little fast for what I thought I could handle but my legs felt great. I was moving by a load of people and got a look at the route coming back which had one tough hill but I didn't think it would hurt that much considering what I ran last weekend. I made my way through Margaritaville a great spot on the course where neighbors turn their neighborhood into scene from Mardi Gras it really makes you forget about the second loop. By the turn I felt some hopping in my stomach, and decided to pass on all gatorade, gels and just stick with water - good choice. I motored up the hill in for the first loop and met up with a guy from Connecticut and we paced out for about three miles until he pulled ahead around mile 8. I took a salt capsule in Margaritaville, some salt and vinegar chips and all of a sudden I felt really good. I turned it on and caught my fellow pace mate, passed him and caught people I had seen well ahead of me on my first loop. Something totally came over me and it's really hard to describe but I felt really really good. I kicked it through mile 9 and past some onlookers who commented that I was making it look to easy. With two miles to go I let it go. Made my way past the spectators who were on both sides of the road, turned into the shoot and just sprinted finishing in 5:32. The clock actually read 6:12 and I thought I really sucked but after realizing I started in the 9th wave I felt better. Talk about better, I felt like I could have done another loop. I realized I really held back in this race which is totally understandable considering I just wanted to finish. Now I know I can hammer more on the bike and even pick it up sooner on the run.

I met a ton of great people. People just out to do it because they love it and are in it for themselves. I hit the ice bath for about five minutes and hit the food tent with no pain in my legs or anything it was truly a great feeling knowing I have more and can do better at this distance. Great race, well run, good people -

Lessons learned:

1. Don't underestimate your training - if you put in the time it will be there on race day.

2. Don't be afraid to feel pain on the bike or run because you can always gut it out to the finish.

3. The time spent trying to be cautious will hurt your overall time.

4. It's a race - let it go a little.

Litchfield Hills Olympic

Ouch! I really underestimated this tri that is held up in the beautiful hills of Connecticut. I had rode the bike course a few weeks before the race so I new it would be challenging but what I should have done was check out the run course. The day started out good. Later start time than most races and only a 20 minute drive so no waking up before 5 am.

The swim was in a warm spring fed lake. I took my usual position on the start somewhere out to the right and away from the crazy fast swimmers. I started out with a good pace no flying elbows and got into my own clean water. After rounding the first buoy I tried pushing the pace. Made the turn around the second buoy and caught some fast feet for a nice easy ride in. Finished just under 29 minutes.

T1 - Long run up to transition to the bike. Grabbed a few gels and took off. Hammered down the first hill hitting 51 mph (nice to have ridden this course once before) and out onto 44 for a 10 mile down hill run. I decided not to push the big ring since the big rollers were coming soon. I pushed between 22-24 mph with high rpms (new strategy to maybe improve my awful run times). Hit the first hill and spun right up no problem. Ended up taking over two people and then hit the backroads for the climb back to transition. Sucked it up and out-of-the-saddled it up the last remaining hills to the dismount line. 1:13 - about six minutes slower than I would have liked.

T2 - Took of on the run. Legs felt great no cramps, must be those bricks I've been doing or not doing. Hit the road and let it go downhill. First mile or two were downhill and flat with a few rollers. Then the hills came...I had a few cramps up a couple but kicked them out and ended up passing two people on the hills. At mile 4 I rounded the bend only to see more hills and people just slugging up. Caught a fellow Heatster - we exchanged hellos and he told me to go catch three guys ahead of us which I have no idea how I managed to do this. Traded spots with a fellow age grouper the last mile and he took me on the last hill. Finished the run in 48 minutes.

Ended up with a time of 2:36. I was 4th in my age group and 27th overall. The Heat ended up winning the Connecticut club championship. That was a tough race with over 2500 feet of total climbing. I'm glad I got a good challenge before heading up to Timberman and I hope it provided a good base. Let's hope the run course does not resemble Litchfield's.

Random Thoughts

I'm almost through a heavy week of training and now it's really starting to catch up to me. I'm sort of zombie after my workouts and have thought about spilling my thoughts through this period;

1. Triathlon is lonely; you often train alone, race and compete alone. Coming from a team sports background this is all new to me. Even though I'm a member of club they're not out there assisting you in anyway so the only time your really a team is before and after the race - and only individual results count. I need to start racing better...

2. I miss my dog!

3. Triathlon is ridiculously expensive; you need a special bike, wheels, clothing, nutrition, hydration systems...it's crazy! Races are start at $60 on the low end and just climb as the distances increase. I wish I had more money...

4. Triathlon is competitive; don't be fooled by the standard 'we're and inclusive sport' mantra, that's only if they can beat you. If you end up being better than those who brought you in or up be prepared for the chill. Like anywhere you meet a lot of nice people and I truly have some of the nicest, but then there those who, well ya know! Just remember you're only out there for yourself...

5. Triathlon takes time; it takes time to train, years to gain endurance and race knowledge, and it steals you from everyday life and your dog since it's easy to become obsessed with the latest gear, training tips, nutrition, races - it's endless. Remember to thank those that allow you the time to do what you love.

6. What a great sport!

Training

Knowing that my first half IM is only a few weeks away is starting to stress me out. I just got my revised training plan and it's pretty damn heavy. I really need to log some training hours or I'll just burn up in the race. It's not like I'm not looking to set any goals, well maybe there's one and that's just to finish! It really hard to get into the pool when it's 80 degrees and beautiful outside. I've got to find a better time than after work to get my swims in. If I could just drag my butt out of bed earlier I could maybe get it in before work. Oh well, this is what it's all about planning and preparation.

Oh, and how can anyone not get addicted to this...WEC, UFC...these guys are crazy and it's always a show. Boxing just doesn't cut it anymore.

Massachusetts State Triathlon

I traveled up to Winchendon to race in the Mass State Tri at Lake Dennison today. They were hosting an olympic and sprint distance. I decided to do the sprint. It was pretty much a sea of team TriFury and Boston tri team uniforms. So needless to say, the new Heat uniform stuck out pretty good. Felt like I was in enemy territory.

The lake was 78 degrees and I decided to go with my wetsuit, because I'm a lousy swimmer and need that extra sleekness or whatever. I regretted my decision after the first turn as I started to really heat up and sweat. This was new to me and uncomfortable. Maybe I'll invest in a sleeveless suit. The bike was a hilly 16 out and back and much of it on a closed road. I couldn't really get into a rhythm but started to get moving after a really steep climb that lasted at least a mile. I made up some time on some really quick downhills and then into T2 for the run. I started out a little stiff but started to push, something I've been trying to do more of on the run. At the turn I really started to push but held back some because of the heat and since there were no water stations. I finished in 1:18, 19th overall and second in my age group. It was my first win of the season and I didn't even stick around for the awards ceremony since I felt I really didn't have a chance. Hope I didn't miss out on a good prize, wins don't happen for me much so I'm a little bummed. Overall it was a good race, good people and nice location. I'd def consider heading back up for next year's race.

Timberman 70.3

I'm all in. I found out yesterday, after being added to the waiting list in February, that I will be racing Timberman in Gilford New Hampshire. The race will be my first 1/2 IM and over the next two weeks I really need to step up my training. I had prepared earlier in the year to race the Mooseman 1/2 but an injury sidelined me. I'm excited, nervous and eager to do my first long distance race. A lot more training and thought goes into a race like this and I need to be prepared. There's nutrition, pace and a host of other things to keep in mind on race day. I'm up for the challenge. I know I'll be tested like I have never before and hopefully my base training and race experiences from this year will pull me through.

Race: Timberman Date: August 20, 2007

Races to Date

I guess it's been a pretty good season so far. I trained hard over the winter and really improved my swim and run. Things were going great right up until April when I started to have serous pain around my knee. It got so bad I couldn't really move up or down stairs and ended up having to take more than a month off and miss my priority race the Mooseman, a 1/2 IM. Turns out I had IT Band syndrome, and now three months later I'm still battling it, but at least I can race.

My first race was Mystic River Valley Sprint - I did this race last year and really wanted to return because it was flat, fast and is in a great location. Last year I placed third in my age group and was really proud to take home a cheesy trophy. This year the competition was much better but I improved on my time. I finished in 1:18 - 4th place in my age group and 27th overall. No trophy, but great time!

My second race was the Griskus Olympic, a pretty challenging Oly that I did last year. This is one of the most popular triathlons around and really draws some talented athletes. Last year I finished in 100th place and was very pleased. This year I finished in 84th with a time of 2:38. I had hoped to do better, but the bike is just killer.

My third race was Webster Tri up in Mass. I was new to this one and it was my third race in as many weeks. I was feeling addicted - mainlining triathlons is good for the soul. I bumped into some fellow Heat members or tri veterans. This sprint distance was super flat and super fast. The swim was great and I really was strong. It was followed by a 1/4 mile run to T2; jumped on my bike and stormed out on the flat roads; I was hammering on the bike trading places with three our four guys (fellow age groupers)and eventually nudged them out. Coming into T1 I'm still not great at popping out of my shoes and hopping off the bike. I stay clipped in and it costs me sometimes. This time I hit the front break a little too much and almost brought my back tire into my helmet. I got a chuckle and good save from the crowd as I steadied the bucking horse and ran into T2. On the run I was stiff, as usual from pushing such big gears, but loosened up at the turnaround. I picked up my pace and ran a negative split coming back finishing in 1:09:15, 5th in my age group and 42 overall out of a huge field.

I've been slacking the last few weeks on training because of work priorities and am now ramping back up. I'll need to really start getting back on schedule to prepare for the 1/2 IM at the end of September.

Upcoming races:

Massachusetts State Triathlon
Litchfield Hills Olympic
Timberman Half
Journey for Sight
Madison
Hammerfest
ExtremeMan or Nutmeg State Half

Lake Placid

This past weekend Ironman Lake Placid took place in New York. I followed many of my HEAT teammates at they worked their way through the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run and I was completely envious. Never have I wished I could have been anywhere else than churning my way up a hard climb on the 112 mile bike course. I'm not that familiar with too many of the HEAT guys but one that I participated in IMLP for the first time last year. This year he improved dramatically and his write up is really inspiring. I'm still very new to this sport but my goal is to do my first Ironman in 2009. Before I bite of that big of chunk I need to compete in my first half this summer and really get smarter about training and racing. So I'm on the two year plan from this very day (7/24/07). In 2009 I will participate in my first Ironman. I've never been so captivated by an accomplishment as I have these last few days as I read and hear the stories of the Heat members who raced this year. You never want to wish away years, but here's hoping that 2008 moves in and out relatively quick.

Tubular Troubles - Airless

I recently got a pair of Zipp 404s that run tubulars but couldn't seem to get any air into the darn tires. The rims are so wide you need valve extenders because the tire valve won't extend through the rims. Anyway I tried repeatedly to get air into them and just couldn't seem to get it through, I even went and purchased a new pump since I thought the seal was shot in my other one. To no avail I took the tires to the shop and they simply hooked it up to a seriously burly looking pump and next thing you know the air is flowing in like crazy. I felt pretty stupid, as I usually do when I go into the local bike shop. So the tires held the air for a few days and I was able to get a fair amount of riding in, but two days later they were flat again. I hooked up the pump like told and started hammering away but nothing seemed to work. I just worked up a pretty good sweat! Frustrated I hit the local bike forum and put out a call for help post and in no time there were 10 responses from people who had similar experiences. I'm a newbie and I make mistakes and look clueless often so it was great to hear from others that they too couldn't complete the simple task of pumping up a tubular. The cure was pretty embarrassing and filled with common sense - make sure the valve stem is pointing down, meaning orient the tire so the valve is at the top part of the tire which helps release a sticky valve and pump away! There was a slight click as the air passed the rim and then found its way into the tire. I was so pumped I nearly redlined the air pressure and exceeded 110 in just a few pumps. So I'm back on the road again and not worried about showing up race day and not being able to compete because I complete the relatively simple task of pumping up a tire.