So yes, I am feeling a little like a flake lately. A couple of posts ago I was all fired up about doing the SOMA Half. Shortly after I decided, Scott posted my training plan. I don't know why but I just wasn't feeling it in the workouts. I was getting them in but was dreading the actual race. I'm not sure if I was just getting burned out a bit or what. Anyway, I've changed my mind again and I will not be racing. I decided I didn't want to waste the time, energy, or money for something I was excited about. Since I made that decision the workouts have been feeling outstanding again. Today will be my 6th day in a row of running, and I should get close to 50 miles this week. I've backed off of the riding a bit, but am still getting 3 rides and 3 swims in per week. It feels good to be getting the running endurance back though. Right now I am getting over the hump of sore and tired. It's the point in which you think "how am I going to run today with these tired legs" but when you start running they feel great. The last 3 days have felt like that and each day the runs get faster and feel better. RnR Marathon is still a long way off so I really need to stay focused on not over doing it like I have in the past. Nightly stretching and recovery drinks after each run have been key.
Speaking of marathons, last Sunday we went down and watched the Portland Marathon. It was a harsh reminder of how hard marathons are. Trying to run that hard for that long hurts. Especially with the goals I have in my head for January, it's really going to hurt! But it was great to see so many friends coming in looking strong. There were, of course, the train wrecks that pushed beyond their limits and paid for it. Like the guy who was projectile vomiting as he ran up the street to finish. He was under 3 hrs, but it was not pretty. Then there was the lady with what looked like mud running down her legs. Needless to say it wasn't mud... I'll admit I gagged a little as she passed. Why do we do these things to ourselves... Oh ya, cause it's fun!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Thursday, October 2, 2008
The Great Tuna Adventure
This last Saturday Rob P and I set out to the coast. That afternoon we fished the Neacanicum River just off hwy 26. This is where I caught my biggest fish up to that point. It was a 10 inch trout. I was very excited. After few hours we continued on to the booming town of Hammond just outside of Astoria. We met up with our guide Jad, Capt Chuck, and the other two guys that were fishing with us the next morning. The goal was to head out before dawn, stop for some bait and out into the ocean in pursuit of Tuna. The unique thing about this trip was the fact that we would be using fly rods rather then normal rods. The main difference is the length. A normal rode is much shorter and stiffer which gives you more leverage once you hook into the fish. With a fly rod the pole bends almost completely in half and makes if difficult to get the fish up to the boat. Especially when it's a Tuna fish.
So we were up at 4:45, mostly because we couldn't sleep. We loaded up the 36ft boat and headed out. A quick stop in Ilwaco for live sardines (bait) and we were off. The Columbia river bar is one of the roughest bars in the world and this was my first time crossing it. I was excited to experience it, but a little nervous about getting sea sick. I have never had the issue before, but my actual time out in the ocean is very limited. As we progressed towards the mouth of the river the swells grew and it became a noticeably rougher ride. It was amazing, the sun was just coming up, it was clear and relatively calm. It was a perfect morning.
We arrived at the fishing grounds at about 9:30 in the morning, about 30 miles out at sea. On the way out we saw a whale and some sea lions. We dropped the lines and started fishing. Within 20 mins we started catching fish. It was crazy at first. One person would get a fish on and yell "fish on" and everyone else would start reeling in their lines as quickly as possible to prevent getting tangled. Through out the day we had a fish on every 20 to 40 mins. Typically the goal is to find a large school of fish and throw out the live bait to attract them and bring to the surface. Then you cast your line into them and hope they take your fly. In this scenario it is normal to have multiple fish on at once around the boat. Unfortunately the wind had picked up so much that it was impossible to see the schools or really use the bait. But total we still ended up with 10 fish caught and 3 others that got away before we could get them to the boat. Not a bad day at all.
Overall it was an awesome trip. It is unbelievable how strong and fast a Tuna fish is. I had no idea. Also, just being out on the water that far off shore is very cool. You see so much more wildlife. I can't wait to do it again next year. Unfortunately the season is pretty short since the Tuna travel with the warm currents. So they really only show up from mid to late July through early October. But, I think that makes it that much better, makes you appreciate it more when it's so limited. In the meantime it will be back to the river in search of those little guys. Everything is going to seem little after this...
So we were up at 4:45, mostly because we couldn't sleep. We loaded up the 36ft boat and headed out. A quick stop in Ilwaco for live sardines (bait) and we were off. The Columbia river bar is one of the roughest bars in the world and this was my first time crossing it. I was excited to experience it, but a little nervous about getting sea sick. I have never had the issue before, but my actual time out in the ocean is very limited. As we progressed towards the mouth of the river the swells grew and it became a noticeably rougher ride. It was amazing, the sun was just coming up, it was clear and relatively calm. It was a perfect morning.
We arrived at the fishing grounds at about 9:30 in the morning, about 30 miles out at sea. On the way out we saw a whale and some sea lions. We dropped the lines and started fishing. Within 20 mins we started catching fish. It was crazy at first. One person would get a fish on and yell "fish on" and everyone else would start reeling in their lines as quickly as possible to prevent getting tangled. Through out the day we had a fish on every 20 to 40 mins. Typically the goal is to find a large school of fish and throw out the live bait to attract them and bring to the surface. Then you cast your line into them and hope they take your fly. In this scenario it is normal to have multiple fish on at once around the boat. Unfortunately the wind had picked up so much that it was impossible to see the schools or really use the bait. But total we still ended up with 10 fish caught and 3 others that got away before we could get them to the boat. Not a bad day at all.
Overall it was an awesome trip. It is unbelievable how strong and fast a Tuna fish is. I had no idea. Also, just being out on the water that far off shore is very cool. You see so much more wildlife. I can't wait to do it again next year. Unfortunately the season is pretty short since the Tuna travel with the warm currents. So they really only show up from mid to late July through early October. But, I think that makes it that much better, makes you appreciate it more when it's so limited. In the meantime it will be back to the river in search of those little guys. Everything is going to seem little after this...
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
But wait, there's more!!
Just when I thought my Tri season was over I decided to do one last race. I tried to get into IMAZ, but no luck. So I am going to do the Soma Half IM in Tempe on 10/26. Jen and I did this race last year and it was REALLY hot. I remember finishing that race thinking "well, at least the full Ironman won't be this hot" and it was... So when I tell myself that there's no way it could be 97 degrees 2 years in a row I catch myself knocking on the nearest piece of wood. It's kind of nice to have the fitness to decide to jump into a half IM 4 weeks prior. I think it will work well. Scott has me running a lot right now as I build a base for Marathon training leading up to Rock N Roll marathon in January. My bike fitness seems to be hanging in there and the swim is feeling pretty good right now. So why not race?
On the job front, still not very busy. Should start to pick up again next week. I've been continuing my search outside Intel and have stumbled upon some interesting leads. I'll update ya'll on those later if they workout. Keep your fingers crossed!
Jeep update - I LOVE this vehicle! It has changed my life. I am a much happier person now that I own a Jeep again. I can't explain it... But there's definitely a connection there. It's strange because it is probably one of the slowest and clumsiest vehicles I've ever owned, but I always look forward to driving it! I got some new shoes for it yesterday. After taking it in the sand a couple of weeks ago I was unhappy with the lack of traction with the stock tires. So I found some mud terrain tires that are stock on the Rubicon version and swapped them out. Once I sell the stock wheels/tires on Craig's list I should just about break even. Let the wheel' in began!
My next post should include pictures of REALLY big fish! This Sunday is the big Tuna trip. Weather looks perfect...
P.S. I was just proof reading this entry before I posted it and I realized how strange I am. What a weird mix of topics. Not sure how I got this way... Wait until I post my list of top 10 favorite songs to do trainer intervals too. I'll give you a hint, it contains music from Crosby Stills & Nash, Disturbed, Lil Wayne, Johnny Cash, and the Greatful Dead.
On the job front, still not very busy. Should start to pick up again next week. I've been continuing my search outside Intel and have stumbled upon some interesting leads. I'll update ya'll on those later if they workout. Keep your fingers crossed!
Jeep update - I LOVE this vehicle! It has changed my life. I am a much happier person now that I own a Jeep again. I can't explain it... But there's definitely a connection there. It's strange because it is probably one of the slowest and clumsiest vehicles I've ever owned, but I always look forward to driving it! I got some new shoes for it yesterday. After taking it in the sand a couple of weeks ago I was unhappy with the lack of traction with the stock tires. So I found some mud terrain tires that are stock on the Rubicon version and swapped them out. Once I sell the stock wheels/tires on Craig's list I should just about break even. Let the wheel' in began!
My next post should include pictures of REALLY big fish! This Sunday is the big Tuna trip. Weather looks perfect...
P.S. I was just proof reading this entry before I posted it and I realized how strange I am. What a weird mix of topics. Not sure how I got this way... Wait until I post my list of top 10 favorite songs to do trainer intervals too. I'll give you a hint, it contains music from Crosby Stills & Nash, Disturbed, Lil Wayne, Johnny Cash, and the Greatful Dead.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Post Sabbatical
Two weeks back at work and it's not so bad. Work has been really slow though. It's been a busy two weeks outside of work. Last weekend we were at the beach camping, fishing, and crabbing with the Perkins'. Had a beach fire and hung out, good times. Last Sunday we jumped into the Pints to Pasta 10k at the last minute. The first 2 miles felt great, then my legs reminded me that I was only 2 weeks off of IMCA and 5:30 pace was unacceptable. So I watched Rob and Chris V quickly pull away as I suffered the last 4 miles. But this is the only time of the year that drinking beer before 10am is ok. The result is usually a nap from noon to 4, but it's worth it, the beer is free after all.
This last weekend was a tough but fun Mt. bike ride up at Browns Camp. I only had a couple notable wrecks this time, but I feel like I've been in a car accedient. I am sore in the strangest places. I'm sure part of it is getting old. Overall it was a lot of fun though. Other then that not a lot new. Starting to pick the training back up to a sustainable level. It's nice to get be back on a routine even if it is reletively light.
So what's next? Thinking about doing the Run Like Hell half marathon at the end of October. The main focus starting next month will be the Rock 'n Roll marathon in AZ on Jan. 11th. I hope to qualify for Boston and check that off the list. Right now it's looking like the next triathlon won't be until next April when we do the California Half Ironman. I am bummed that the season is over, but on the other hand I'm not craving to race one right now. The running races seem to be enough, and I hope to try my hand at Cyclo-cross soon while I still have the bike fitness.
In other news - Rob P. and I will be heading to the coast on Sept. 28th to fly fish for Tuna. It is supposed to be very intense. Check out the video on Rob's website: http://www.perkwire.com/oceanfishing.html. It should be interesting since to date the biggest fish I've caught on a fly rode is about 6 inchs long and these tuna are usually about 2-3ft long. Should be cool.
This last weekend was a tough but fun Mt. bike ride up at Browns Camp. I only had a couple notable wrecks this time, but I feel like I've been in a car accedient. I am sore in the strangest places. I'm sure part of it is getting old. Overall it was a lot of fun though. Other then that not a lot new. Starting to pick the training back up to a sustainable level. It's nice to get be back on a routine even if it is reletively light.
So what's next? Thinking about doing the Run Like Hell half marathon at the end of October. The main focus starting next month will be the Rock 'n Roll marathon in AZ on Jan. 11th. I hope to qualify for Boston and check that off the list. Right now it's looking like the next triathlon won't be until next April when we do the California Half Ironman. I am bummed that the season is over, but on the other hand I'm not craving to race one right now. The running races seem to be enough, and I hope to try my hand at Cyclo-cross soon while I still have the bike fitness.
In other news - Rob P. and I will be heading to the coast on Sept. 28th to fly fish for Tuna. It is supposed to be very intense. Check out the video on Rob's website: http://www.perkwire.com/oceanfishing.html. It should be interesting since to date the biggest fish I've caught on a fly rode is about 6 inchs long and these tuna are usually about 2-3ft long. Should be cool.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Sabbatical Summary
So I've been trying to think of the best way to summarize my sabbatical. I've come up with a couple ways to quantify it. Pictures and numbers. The numbers are the best way to wrap up the training I was able to do. The pictures below are from my many adventures over the last 8 weeks. It sucks to come back, but at the same time it was a great opportunity that most people never get. This is what I keep telling myself today anyway. So far it's working OK...
So here's sabbatical by the numbers:
Training:
Miles Swam - 39
Mile Biked - 1057
Miles Ran - 236
Amount spent at Starbucks - $226
Miles put on the Jeep - 3014 (mostly to and from Starbucks)
Pictures:
#1 - Murphy on one of our many adventures together...
#2 - Training in Penticton the month before the race with Scott. One of the few places I could live other then Portland
#3 - Chris V in Canada the day before the race. Chris is great to have around when you need to lighten things up.
#4 - The best post race meal to date! The Rusty burger (2 patties, double cheese, double bacon).
#5 - What better way to commemorate a shitty race then by getting a tattoo of it, and no it's not on my ass (but in hind sight...)
#6 - The hardtop hoist project. Much more time consuming then first planned, but well worth it!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Searching for that Silver Linning
The thing about Ironman is sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn't. Going into yesterday I was in the best shape I've ever been in both physically and mentally. Then on top of that the weather was perfect! Unfortunetly though the week leading up to the race I wasn't feeling right. Extreme fatigue and light headedness seemed to persist daily without ever getting better or worse. It wasn't until Saturday afternoon when things went downhill. It was likely the stress of the race made things worse. By Saturday evening I had a light grade fever and major aches and pains. I thought for sure I was going to wake up with a full blown cold or flu. Instead I woke up at about 2 am after a really hard sleep and soaked in sweat. I think the slight fever I had broke and I was actually feeling better. At 4 am when the alarm went off I felt a pretty good. So off to the race we went.
So fast forward to the race start... The swim was good. I found a spot towards the outside and in the very front. I normally wouldn't start in the front but no one else was stepping up. So I figured I would go for out. Right before the gun went off I turned around and there wasn't very many people behind me. The cannonn blew and I jumped in and went hard. Within seconds a wall of people washed over me. Not sure why they didn't start in front but I would rather get pushed out of the way then try to climb over people. The swim went by fast and wasn't too physical. My time was almost identical to AZ. I was very happy with that based on how Lake Stevens went.
On to the bike I was feeling pretty good. My HR was lower then usually out of T1 which has always been a big issue for me. About an hour in I started getting blurred vision just before the headache set in. It was a good one! Not sure what brought it on, but it hung around in my temples and eyes well past Richter (The first major climb). Shortly after the climb I took a little caffine gu to see if that would help and it did. The pain dulled a bit and became much more tollerable but never fully went away. Just before mile 60 I was cruising feeling good. It was looking like I was on track for about a 5:20 bike split until I heard that dreaded noise. The sound of 130 psi of air leaving your tire in less then 10 seconds. I quickly came to a stop and assesed the situation. I managed to stay pretty calm, but I knew this would have a major impact on my bike split. I quickly pulled the wheel off and went to work. One leeson learned here, make sure your valve extender on your spare is long enough for your deepest wheel. I didn't realize mine was too short until I got the tire on. So I had to pull it off and take the one off the flat tire. Unfotrunetly I had broke it when I ripped the flat tire off the wheel. With some tweaking and a little luck I was able to get it too work. So 8 minutes later I was up and rolling. Since I was on a downhill it felt like 500 people passed me while I was fixing it though. Needless to say I was a little pissed. My first instinct was "screw it, I'm going to push the rest of the bike as hard as I can". Then I did the math and realized I still had 52 miles to go. So I backed off a little but did keep a steady pace. My legs felt good, but my nutrition started to fail toward the end. I would take a drink of water or Infinite and it would come right back up.
Off the bike I actually felt pretty good. I laid off the nutrtion until mile one and things were going well. Mile 1 was a 7:45 and my HR was right on. This was the one! Things went well the first 5 miles. Then I started to slow a bit as the headwind really picked up. At times it was strong enough to almost blow my visor off. Just before the turn around the wheels came off. My stomache cramped and my jog turned into a walk, then a sloooow walk. This is when the emotions flood in. It's a mix of falling short of personal expetations, the bitter sweet of seeing all of your friends and team mates excel around you, and the months of prep that go into these races feeling wasted. Needless to say it was a long lonely 8 mile walk in the rain. But it gave me time to quit feeling sorry for myself and put things in perspective. I had thoughts of dropping out, but I'm sooo glad I didn't. It pretty much came down to finishing what I started. I thought of how Jen pushed through her race in AZ and was out there a hell of a lot longer then I was. I felt like I would be letting her down if I gave up. So I started trying to jog off and on as much as I could. As I passed the mile 25 marker I saw Jen and got a little choked up. Then there was Chris V with a A&W Chicken bucket on his head! This was exactly what I needed! He handed me the bucket and I put it on my head. The last mile is an out and back so it is packed with people. Needless to say when you have a chicken bucket on your head that says "Chubby Chicken" you get a lot of attention. These cheers pushed me to run the entire last mile.
So in the end it was a tough and somewhat dissapointing day, but it is what it is. Number 7 done!
BIG congrats to all of my Ironhead team mates that kicked ass out there! 
Here's another random picture of me hanging with the locals in Levenworth on the way to Penticton:
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Here we go
Lucky #7? Guess we'll find out soon enough! IMC starts in 16 hrs. Not too sure how it's going to go at this point. All week I have been feeling like a turd. Very tired, no energy. Not sure whats up. I am hoping it is just the taper, but I've never had this issue before. I figure if I was getting sick it would have hit me by now. So I am going to go out there tomorrow and give it everything I have. Hopefully I snap out of it once I jump into the water. I guess there always has to be something. After all, this is Ironman. Thanks to everyone that has wished me luck and supported me along the way! It's time to get it done.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Life's a beach
Well, after a tough couple weeks of training Murphy and I thought we would treat ourselves to a little R&R today. We woke up this morning and decided to take a little impromptu trip to the beach. We loaded up and headed out. We ended up at Delray Beach just north of Seaside. One of the few beaches in Oregon that you can still drive on. After much ball playing and hole digging we made a quick stop in Cannon Beach for salt water taffy and caramel corn before making the quick trip home. There are times when I am driving to work and I think to myself "I would sure love to pass the exit off hwy 26 to work and keep on going to the beach". Today was that day. These are the types of things I wanted to do on Sabbatical. So far so good!
Like I said, the last few weeks have been pretty good training. Last week was the last "big" one. A few notable highlights were my long run. It was 2 laps around Hagg Lake (~21 miles) after a 2800-ish yard open water swim with Christian. What a great place to run in the early morning during the week. Lots of hills and wildlife (4 deer and a coyote), and very few cars. The day before that was another 5 hour ride. I went into this ride with tired legs, but ended feeling pretty good. Then on Sunday morning bright and early I had an 11 mile run with 3x10min threshold intervals. I hate running early in the morning, then to have to do threshold repeats?!? I had been dreading this workout but it ended up going very well. I managed to finish up in time to make it to Salem for my Niece's 3 year old birthday party!
This week is still some good volume, but a little lighter on the interval side. I still have some threshold stuff and 5 swims scheduled though. Next week we head north! I am really looking forward to toeing the line for IMC! I don't think I have ever felt this prepared both mentally and physically. Now if I could just figure out how to not go back to work...
This week is still some good volume, but a little lighter on the interval side. I still have some threshold stuff and 5 swims scheduled though. Next week we head north! I am really looking forward to toeing the line for IMC! I don't think I have ever felt this prepared both mentally and physically. Now if I could just figure out how to not go back to work...
Monday, August 4, 2008
Blue Lake Oly Tri and Fishing Report
Yesterday was the Blue Lake Triathlon. This is the same course that the June race covers. This race is usually a good bench mark since it is a flat course and the conditions are usually pretty consistent from race to race. In June I went 2hrs & 7mins and change. My goal this time was to break 2hrs & 5mins, improve on my bike split and push the swim as hard as I could. Finally I was able to do all of the above. The only downside to this race was loosing 3rd place with less then a tenth of a mile to go. Chris Bell passed me (again) and surged hard enough that I couldn't stay with him. He is a strong runner and ended up beating me by 14 seconds. Oh well, not much I can about that. But this is the second race he has done this. Lesson learned, I need to push the bike extra hard when he is in the race. Here's the whole story:
Leading up to the race I have had some big weeks with some tough workouts. On Saturday before the race I was a little concerned because my legs were tired and heavy. With a couple easy workouts and a long ice bath that Jen forced me to take I was able to bounce back by Sunday.
Race morning we arrived at the venue early. After a warm up run with Grant F. (the overall winner) I suited up and headed to the water.
The swim started out good and I was off the front with the lead pack to the first buoy. Around the first buoy I lost the pack and ended up with no feet to draft on. I really tried to focus on my form and pushing as hard as I could. There were a few times I would let up a little, but I was able to catch myself more quickly and stay on track. After talking with others is likely the swim course was a little longer then it was in June. This race has the reputation for inconsistent swim courses. Oh well, ether way it was a PR, 24:17.
T1 was good, no issues. As usual Trevor was in out much quicker then I was and we headed out on the bike together. In the past I have always feared that while mounting my bike I would catch my crotch on the back of the seat. Well... guess what happened yesterday... Yep, the crotch of shorts got caught but my feet managed to clip in. Not good, especially with a hundred spectators standing around. Fortunately I unclipped my foot just before I fell over. So I didn't go down, but I'm sure I looked pretty darn stupid.
The bike was pretty much the same as June. The only difference was my HR was a little lower and my legs never really felt tired. At both turn arounds There was Trevor, on my ass. In the end this is likely the reason I pr'd the bike. I was a little frustrated actually because I didn't want to push as hard as I did. Mentally I think I was feeling a little lazy I guess. I'm glad he was there though, I needed that. In the end though he ended up beating my bike split by one second and taking the "fastest Ironhead Oly bike split" record. Well deserved though, he has been racing very well this year. My time was 57:20.
T2 - I sat down, as I usually do, to put on my socks. With numb feet I struggled a little get them on. It didn't help that Trevor was running out of T2 already. Crap! I got my shoe on and took off after him. I caught up quickly and surged ahead in an attempt to control the pace a little. Within the first half mile my feet warmed up and I clicked into a groove. This never happens this early! My legs felt like springs and I felt my stride relax and stretch out. What a great feeling, FINALLY! About a mile in I saw someone ahead and realized it was Dave Campbell. This guy is fast when he's having a good day. He started in the wave before me so I knew I had a minute on him if I could finish with him. I managed to get within 20 yrds, but could never completely catch up. My goal within the last mile changed to "just keep him in sight". As I stayed with him he begin to push. I think I negative split most of my miles thanks to him. As we passed the mile 6 marker I began to hear foot steps. I tried to push but my HR was maxed and my breathing and form began to fall apart. Chris passed and I tried to hang on but had nothing left. I did managed to stay within 30 seconds of Dave though so 4th was were I ended up. My run time was 39:53.
Ironheads kicked ass as usual. Grant "g-funk" Folske smoked the race and won overall. In the process of pushing me Trevor came in 3rd in our age group with a great race. Jason K, AJ, and Taylor also raced well out there. Congrats to Taylor on his first Oly distance. In the Sprint race Darrin Smith had a huge PR and Aleck once again dominated by defending his overall win from last year (when he kicked my ass in the swim and held me off on the bike and the run). Amazing how much he's improved over this last year! I'm anxious to see how he does at IM AZ in November. I have a feeling he is going to murder it!
Jen also raced the Olympic distance for the first time. After not feeling very good for the last week she toughed it out on race day and finished strong. She's really become a seasoned pro out there. I'm very proud of her toughness and strength.
On the fishing front... No "big" news to report, but I did catch my first fish! Size isn't supposed to matter right? I'm going to go with no this time. My fish wasn't very big in size, but he had a lot of fight! I caught him on the Clackamas last Monday with Rob P. my fishing mentor. Thursday we headed out to the Wilson and did some fishing there too. Great scenery, but not many fish that were hungry. The water was clear enough that you could see some of them though. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. I'm looking forward to getting back out there soon. The fall run of cut throat should be heading up the Wilson next month. I may have to take a sick day or two...
Leading up to the race I have had some big weeks with some tough workouts. On Saturday before the race I was a little concerned because my legs were tired and heavy. With a couple easy workouts and a long ice bath that Jen forced me to take I was able to bounce back by Sunday.
Race morning we arrived at the venue early. After a warm up run with Grant F. (the overall winner) I suited up and headed to the water.
The swim started out good and I was off the front with the lead pack to the first buoy. Around the first buoy I lost the pack and ended up with no feet to draft on. I really tried to focus on my form and pushing as hard as I could. There were a few times I would let up a little, but I was able to catch myself more quickly and stay on track. After talking with others is likely the swim course was a little longer then it was in June. This race has the reputation for inconsistent swim courses. Oh well, ether way it was a PR, 24:17.
T1 was good, no issues. As usual Trevor was in out much quicker then I was and we headed out on the bike together. In the past I have always feared that while mounting my bike I would catch my crotch on the back of the seat. Well... guess what happened yesterday... Yep, the crotch of shorts got caught but my feet managed to clip in. Not good, especially with a hundred spectators standing around. Fortunately I unclipped my foot just before I fell over. So I didn't go down, but I'm sure I looked pretty darn stupid.
The bike was pretty much the same as June. The only difference was my HR was a little lower and my legs never really felt tired. At both turn arounds There was Trevor, on my ass. In the end this is likely the reason I pr'd the bike. I was a little frustrated actually because I didn't want to push as hard as I did. Mentally I think I was feeling a little lazy I guess. I'm glad he was there though, I needed that. In the end though he ended up beating my bike split by one second and taking the "fastest Ironhead Oly bike split" record. Well deserved though, he has been racing very well this year. My time was 57:20.
T2 - I sat down, as I usually do, to put on my socks. With numb feet I struggled a little get them on. It didn't help that Trevor was running out of T2 already. Crap! I got my shoe on and took off after him. I caught up quickly and surged ahead in an attempt to control the pace a little. Within the first half mile my feet warmed up and I clicked into a groove. This never happens this early! My legs felt like springs and I felt my stride relax and stretch out. What a great feeling, FINALLY! About a mile in I saw someone ahead and realized it was Dave Campbell. This guy is fast when he's having a good day. He started in the wave before me so I knew I had a minute on him if I could finish with him. I managed to get within 20 yrds, but could never completely catch up. My goal within the last mile changed to "just keep him in sight". As I stayed with him he begin to push. I think I negative split most of my miles thanks to him. As we passed the mile 6 marker I began to hear foot steps. I tried to push but my HR was maxed and my breathing and form began to fall apart. Chris passed and I tried to hang on but had nothing left. I did managed to stay within 30 seconds of Dave though so 4th was were I ended up. My run time was 39:53.
Ironheads kicked ass as usual. Grant "g-funk" Folske smoked the race and won overall. In the process of pushing me Trevor came in 3rd in our age group with a great race. Jason K, AJ, and Taylor also raced well out there. Congrats to Taylor on his first Oly distance. In the Sprint race Darrin Smith had a huge PR and Aleck once again dominated by defending his overall win from last year (when he kicked my ass in the swim and held me off on the bike and the run). Amazing how much he's improved over this last year! I'm anxious to see how he does at IM AZ in November. I have a feeling he is going to murder it!
Jen also raced the Olympic distance for the first time. After not feeling very good for the last week she toughed it out on race day and finished strong. She's really become a seasoned pro out there. I'm very proud of her toughness and strength.
On the fishing front... No "big" news to report, but I did catch my first fish! Size isn't supposed to matter right? I'm going to go with no this time. My fish wasn't very big in size, but he had a lot of fight! I caught him on the Clackamas last Monday with Rob P. my fishing mentor. Thursday we headed out to the Wilson and did some fishing there too. Great scenery, but not many fish that were hungry. The water was clear enough that you could see some of them though. Not sure if that is a good thing or not. I'm looking forward to getting back out there soon. The fall run of cut throat should be heading up the Wilson next month. I may have to take a sick day or two...
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