Alcatraz Challenge

San Francisco, California

It was a great day for this race. The water was 60 degrees. Last time I swam it was 55 degrees. Let me tell you that 5 degrees makes a big difference. It was sunny for the swim. The water was much choppier than last time making for a rough swim. Sighting was difficult because of the swell, but I hit the beach at Crissy Field just right. Last time I had to swim parallel to the beach for quite some time. My swim time was slower, but they say you really can’t compare Alcatraz swim times. Each day is different. Different currents, different conditions make Meaningful comparison impossible.

Unlike last time I did this swim, I had to run 7 miles after I got out of the water. I struggled to find my run legs today. At a little over a mile we hit this staircase that really tightened my calves up. It is quite an elevation gain in a short distance. Once I got up to the bridge I found myself continually praying that my right leg would loosen up so I could run normally. I stopped for a few seconds twice to try to release the cramping with no success. I crossed the entire bridge in pain, but once I hit the aid station at the turn around I stopped to drink a cup of water and after that 3 second stop I ran pain free an normal for the rest of the run. In fact, my Garmin watch had my mile average at over 11 minutes per mile at the turn around and I was able to run that average down to a 9:09 mile average by the finish. The bridge was shrouded in clouds and made for a cool run. This has got to be the greatest Aquathlon ever! The finisher medal was awesome. It had a run swim side and a run side to the medal. I thought that was clever.

This is the path we follow during the swim, The current pulls us towards the bridge which you can’t see the bridge in this picture because it is shrouded in clouds, which is typical in my experience.

IRONMAN 70.3 Vineman

Windsor, California

Swim

Although it did seem a little shallow in spot when I had given it a test run a couple of days before, on race day the number of waves before me had churned up the river and I couldn’t see the bottom and never encountered it except at the turnaround. I had no problems with depth. It has to be one of the safest swims on the circuit. At the race meeting, they said if you get in trouble . . . Just stand up! It was pretty funny. It was one of the least crowded best swims I have had in a 70.3. In fact I set a new personal record for the 1.2 mile swim. There were 17 or 18 waves. They spaced them out pretty good. My wave was the very last, which meant that my race started about 2 hours after the pros. The 40-44 men’s division would also have to face the most heat later in the day as we were not starting until 8:38 A.M. That was ok with me. I have decided that I do better than most in the heat despite my size. I had the best spot in the whole transition at T1. I had gotten up at 4:45 a.m. and set up my spot. I then walked back to the hotel and slept for a little while. I have never been able to do that. My transition was slow because I made a few mistakes, but I was happy with my swim. Even though I ended up with a personal record, I didn’t feel like I had swum that hard. I led my heat for about the first 400 yards, so I knew I was swimming pretty well.

On a sad note, there was a female athlete who died during the swim. She died from a heart attack. Her teenage daughter was there observing the race and she had other family members competing in the race.

Bike

I liked the bike ride despite the fact that it is not a good ride for me. It is not a good ride for me because it takes place on rough road with pot holes and constant rolling elevation changes with continual gear changes. There are very few flats and I can’t get in a rhythm, which is my strength. It is a beautiful ride though. The race is well named. You see a heck of a lot of vineyards. You actually spend very little time in the sun which is nice. You ride in the shade through tunnels of trees. This can make spotting the pot holes very difficult. When I ride this course again, I am going to do it with clear glasses. I almost crashed, or at least pinch flatted when I hit this giant pot hole. It was deep and about the size of large pizza. The problem was I was riding in the sun and then went into shade and couldn’t make the eye adjustment to see the pot hole. There is one mean hill at about 45 miles into the ride. I came in just over three Hours

Run

Transition 2 was located at Windsor High School. The finish and expo also are located there. Even though they send us off last, the race director gave us 40-44 year old guys the best spot in both transitions. When I headed out to the run I knew I had had a good swim, and I knew that I had just turned in a 3 hour bike. Adding in some slow transitions gave me 2 hours and 15 minutes to run the half marathon and still break 6 hours. I figured I need to keep my average at about 10 minute miles.

I would struggle to keep that average for the entire run. It was a battle against time for me. I would run hard to bring my average down only to see it plummet on hills, and there were many, many hills. The hills were not huge or steep, but constant. I fought and I fought with my average going back and forth. I stayed up on my nutrition. It was hot, but not Hawaii or Buffalo Springs hot. The aid stations did not have as much ice as I am used to though which led to higher body temperatures for me. The ice I stuff down my chest and carry in the back pocket of my tri suit really do make a difference. I ran strong through a portion of the course that circles a vineyard. It was hot and many people seemed to be struggling. Hills and more hills kept carving into my average, not to mention I was beginning to tire. I started pushing hard when I hit 10 miles. With about 2 and half miles to go, I realized I wasn’t going to make it. With about 2 miles to go this young woman passed me and something told me to just stay with her. I stopped thinking about the pain and just ran at her heals. Somehow running faster became easier. I followed her. I told myself, just stay with her and you will make it. After a bit she must have heard me laboring behind her and she side- stepped as if to let me pass and turned around slightly. I told her I was burnt and was pacing off her. She was an excellent choice. I managed to stay with her and crossed the finish line in 05:58:40. It took my 7 attempts, but I finally did it. I hope Mark, our number 5 was able to look down during that 5th hour of this run. I gave it all I had. The 5th hour was everything it was supposed to be in this race, but I held strong. I always dedicate the 5th hour to Mark. I know that my suffering is nothing compared to the 5th hour of his race. I can only hope to have the strength and courage to finish as strong as my brother finished. This one was for you Mark. You would have loved racing this one with me. I miss you.

I used Tri Team Transport to ship my bike for this race and was very happy with them.

I believe that outstanding service deserves recognition. I used your service for Ironman 70.3 Vineman and I couldn’t be happier. I have used one of your competitors and there is a difference. My bike was in your possession for a few days instead of weeks. I loved dropping off my bike fully assembled and equipped and picking it up exactly how I left it. When I sent my bike to Hawaii with another service my bike arrived with a damaged and bent hood and a flat tire. You took care of my bike like I take care of my bike. You guys could not have been closer to transition and more helpful. I was able to communicate with you immediately by cell phone when I had a question and you took the time to introduce yourselves at the race sight. I hope you proper as you will be my first choice for bike transportation. Thank you for completely eliminating all the stresses of bike transportation.

IRONMAN 70.3 Buffalo Springs

Lubbock, Texas

I drove the bike course and the run course the day before the race. I don’t often get around to doing this, but I wanted to see this course for myself. I don’t know if that was a good idea or not. The first hill up from transition would be a tough hill in many other races. In this race it just gets things started. Thinking about the hills that my eyes were taking in on the run course actually made me swallow hard as I imagined running them in the 100 degree heat. Driving this course scared me and made me very humble quick fast and in a hurry. I knew I would continually pray throughout the next day for the strength to finish this course.

This race is put on by Mike and Marti Greer. They are quite the couple of characters, and it was entertaining to watch them at the meetings.

I am glad I drove the course the day before, or I might have had trouble finding the race in the morning. I woke up at 2:30 a.m. to start getting ready. I was the second car there in the parking lot. I set up my transition and went to see the swim in. In the dark I accidently stepped into the lake wetting my shoe and sock. Great I thought. I figured out a way to remedy the situation however. They had these gas powered generators powering these giant portable lights in transition. I put my sock on the exhaust pipe to dry my sock and it worked.

This race is one of the few Ironman races that has a Clydesdale division. And better yet a 40+ Clydesdale division. I looked at the numbers from years past and thought I might even have a shot at placing. Since it is the only Clydesdale division I know of in Ironman races it is well represented and competitive, but still I am a fast Clydesdale. I had asked the Greers to put in the division when I learned of it. I was racked with all the other Clydesdales in transition. Man these guys were not fat like me, they were just big and ripped. After driving the course and seeing my competition, I gave up on the idea of placing.

Swim

Somehow I miscalculated time and thought I had more time until my swim heat. The only other time this has happened to me was the last time I was in Texas in Austin. My heat went off and I still didn’t have my wetsuit on completely on. I quickly pulled on my cap and goggles and ran into the already departing fray. I realized I still had my headlamp on which I tossed. I spent the entire swim Swimming trough the obstacle course of slower bodies. Even though the water was 75.9 degrees (barely wetsuit legal) I did not overheat. I also took it easy and made sure I didn’t over exert, I knew it was going to be a long hot day. My swim actually fell within my normal range which was surprising to me given that I felt like I was taking it easy.

I ate more calories pre-race and also tried to consume more this entire race given the experience I had 12 miles into Hawaii. After analysis I have come to the conclusion that I bonked in Hawaii. I ate a gel in T1 and headed out to the bike course. That first hill out of transition is no joke. It had me redlining right out of the T1.

Bike

Although the surfaces of the roads looked rough to me the day before, they weren’t bad. This course has some crushing hills, but it also has a lot of great flats where I made up time that I lost climbing. Surprisingly I must say I actually enjoyed this bike course. I ate, hydrated and took my salt supplements religiously on this ride, trying to consume as much as possible. The hills were difficult, but not as bad as I had anticipated. They are evenly spaced with lots of flat in between them. The Staircase is the most difficult climb, but I was up it before I knew it. The hill in ITU San Diego is far more difficult. I finished the bike course feeling good. Don’t get me wrong, it was difficult and I was tired, but I was not burnt. I was ready to run and I had saved some gas in the tank for what I knew would not be and easy run. While on the bike I took note of the horses. They would always stop by the fence and take great interest in the cyclists. They seemed intrigued. It was not something they saw everyday and you could tell. I whistled at a few of them and tried to get them to run with us. Another intrigued native population was the prairie dogs. They would stand erect and watch us go by with great interest. I almost hit a tarantula that was crawling across the course just after I came back down the staircase.

Run

Despite some crushing hills, I liked the run course. It is a fun course. I headed out and felt good for the first few miles. I was passing lost of athletes who had obviously pushed the bike too hard. It felt good to run so many people down. I was taking on ice and water and staying on top of my temperature as well as nutrition. I wasn’t very hot yet and the first few miles actually have some shaded portions. After driving the course the day before I had made the decision to walk the long steep hills. There was no question in my mind about it. In that heat those hills would be race enders. You really don’t lose that much time by walking these hills and reserving the ability to run after the hill is invaluable. Sure I could have run that first hill, but it would have cost me the ability to run strong the rest of the race. There were plenty of people who found that out. Tons of people were walking the energy lab which is a beautiful flat stretch for anyone who hasn’t blown their engine. Some of the hills had aid stations relatively close to the beginning of the assent. I loaded up on water and ice and instead of stressing my body on the climb I used the hill to hydrate and cool down. Once at the top of the hill I would then blow past everyone who ran up the hill. This strategy is particularly important for a big heavy guy like me who already runs with a heart rate of 150+. This becomes even more important in a hot run like this one. Once your temperature reaches critical, your body will start to slow you in an act of self preservation. One thing training in the heat has taught me is that heat is more damaging than distance or even extreme effort. I recover faster from both distance and a hard effort much faster than I do a training session where I became overheated. Now I am not going to give myself license to walk every hill in a race. In fact there were plenty of smaller shorter hills on this run that I ran. I am now a believer in the wisdom of walking those long steep extended, heart rate spiking, blood pressure raising, critical temperature driving monster hills. There is no wisdom in running up one of these hills only to explode and destroy your ability to run strong for the rest of the race. The course is an out and back and I think there were only three, maybe four hills that I walked. They were all monsters. One review I read described them as “soul crushing” They are defiantly the biggest hills I have ever faced in 70.3 and with the exception of maybe the Mountain man triathlon, I have never faced hills like these in any triathlon.

I had an issue in the section of this race that they call the energy lab. This forced some unscheduled walking. Speaking of the energy lab, many people seem to struggle greatly with this section of the run. It is a straight stretch of out and back that literally goes as far as the eye can see into the heat rising off the road. I think it is mentally challenging for some. Perhaps it discouraging for them to see the seemingly endless distance for which they must run.

The stretch gets its name from the more famous and original energy lab segment of the run in the Ironman Hawaii championship race in Kona Hawaii. Christian and I drove the Hawaii energy lab this year while we were in Hawaii to see what all the fuss is about. After driving it, I can see how it would be a mentally difficult stretch, especially given the point in time that it hits you during that marathon. That stretch of the Hawaii run course tends to break a lot of people on the big island. The stretch on the big island is named energy lab because of the actual natural energy lab that exist there and the road takes you down into the lab several miles before you eventually just turn around and head out.

The buffalo Springs energy lab is not only similar in its effect, but it actually goes out and past a energy plant. What are the chances of that? I think Buffalo Springs energy lab has something to do with oil as opposed to the natural energy of Hawaii, but still that is a pretty good coincidence.

As I started to say, I had some issues in the beginning of the lab. I started struggling with stomach cramps. It is a long flat open exposed stretch where the sun and wind can have its way with you. I was actually looking forward to this stretch. I had driven it, and despite its appearance, I knew that it would eventually end. There was no mental challenge for me. I wanted to run this section strong, but side cramps continued to plaque me. I couldn’t figure out why. I have seldom encountered this problem. The most noteable experience happened last time I was in Texas in the ironman 70.3 in Austin. In that instance I attributed the cramps to drinking too much water. Here in Buffalo Springs that was not the case, so I was puzzled. In Austin I became dehydrated on the bike and by the time I realized that on the run, every time I attempted to drink to address my dehydration I would end up with side cramps due to the water intake.

In buffalo Springs I was drinking water sparingly according to plan and what has worked for me in many races including Hawaii. Frustrated, I prayed for the cramps to end. They did not. Then I prayed for guidance to figure out what was wrong so I could correct it. I immediately got the strong feeling that I needed to drink more water. Prior to the cramps beginning I had been eating a high Sodium chomp every mile. Just before entering the energy lab I had downed two salt pills and a gel. I had not taken in much water with it. Water consumption was usually the cause of stomach cramping and now I felt like I just needed to drink more water. I decided it couldn’t get any worse. I remembered the chomps, the gel and the salt pills. Maybe they were sitting in my stomach like a rock. I needed to flush them into my system with water. So the next aid station I visualized this mass in my stomach being diluted and flushed away by the water I was drinking. Soon the cramps stopped and I was running strong again passing lots of people. At the Energy lab turn around they were handing out something that was a first for me in triathlons. I will never forget when they offered beer at the first Marquee Triathlon, but this was a unique stand out as well. In this race, they were offering pickle juice. They had bottles of drinkable pickle juice. I did not know they even made such a product. Lots of people drank it too. I had heard about pickle juice in conversations as a home remedy, but I was still shocked to actually see it offered. Apparently a lot of people were struggling with cramps at this section of the race also. I did see a great number of people doing the run/walk/run/walk during my bout of cramps. They must have been pretty cramped and desperate to be drinking pickle juice. My cramps had passed and I passed on the pickle juice also. I hate pickles and the thought of drinking that juice made my stomach turn.

I headed out of the energy lab running strong, thanks to some help from above. The only real challenge I was facing at this point was staying cool. I did my best to stay on top of that. I was running pretty good still when I got to about 2 miles to go. I was starting to tire and my pace was slowing in the heat. It was at this point that I came upon a fellow Clydesdale. It was a guy I had talked to in transition before the whole thing started. I had no idea where I was in relation with the other Clydesdales. I knew that I came off the bike in good standing because I think there was only a few other Clydesdale bikes on the rack when I put mine there and headed out to the run. I did not recall being passed by any obvious Clydesdales that I recognized from transition, but there were painful moments in the energy lab where someone could have passed me without my noticing. I had also actually stopped at a few aid stations to load up on ice and water where a pass could have easily taken place.

All I knew when I came upon this guy is that it was still remotely possible that I could place and I would not be able to live with myself if I missed a trophy by one place. I may not have been in the running for a trophy at this point, but if this guy stood between me and bringing home a trophy to Christian, I was going to do everything I could to put this guy behind me. It took some doing to catch him and I was hurting. I knew I had to appear strong and dash any ideas he had of running with me to the finish. I did not want a dual. I knew I was nearing my limit. So I ran up next to him and then pushed hard to give the impression that I was too strong to even think about staying with. That hurt and I was now committed to a place of deep suffering. I thought about how I had been careful to stay fed, how I had forced down nutrition in the past half hour despite not wanting to. I thought about how I had spent extra time at aid stations to stay cool. I convinced myself that I was in better shape than this guy in this race on this day. I was more prepared to fight through these last 2 miles than he was, I just knew it. I told myself I could suffer for 2 miles. I don’t think most people can appreciate what it takes to push into a sprint after 6 hours of pain and effort. You are already exhausted and have been exhausted for some time. Your blood stream is depleted of energy and running thick due to dehydration. Your heart is already working too hard because of overheating and dehydration. Then you ask your body to sprint and it rebels with pain. I ran and prayed I did not completely melt down. I was afraid to look back. I was too tired to look back. Was he coming? Was he waiting until the end to pass me? As I neared the finish I began to slow. My body was shutting down. I was overheating and my body was beginning to try to save my life by shutting down. I tried to argue with it and pushed hard once I saw the actual finish arch. No one passed me. I had beaten him. I would find out later that I had put 3 minutes between us by the end.

I went to the awards dinner that night which was free and collected my Ironman 70.3 Buffalo Springs trophy for 2nd place! It is still hard to believe.

Special Note:

My son Christian always asks me if I think an age grouper could have an exceptional day and win an Ironman race. Today that question was answered by 21 year old Drew Scott who finished this race a full 2 seconds faster than any other athlete including all of the pros. He may not have received the prize money or the trophy because he is not a registered pro, but he became an instant legend and age group hero.

IRONMAN 70.3 Hawaii

Kohala Coast, Hawaii

Swim

I buy these cheap flip flops for $2 for the specific reason of being able to just wear them to protect my feet and then leave them at the swim start. I knew I would be coming back to Hapuna beach soon so I decided to try to save $2 and hid my flip flops in the bushes. Stupid! Stupid! The whole reason I buy and wear the flip flops was to avoid exactly what happened to me. I got a thorn in my foot. The swim start was minutes away and I couldn’t dig the thorn out. There I was sitting in the shore getting knocked around by the surf trying to keep enough sand off my feet to see the dumb thing. I knew I probably wouldn’t feel it until the run up to T1 or the actual run itself. What a stupid thing to do. As it turned out, the thorn would be the least of my worries.

With race just minutes away a guy told me I couldn’t wear my compression socks. I tried to hide them in the lava rocks. The canon went off unexpectedly like usual and we were off. This was one of the roughest swims I have ever completed. Sure the water was choppy and windy, but I am talking about the other bodies. I just couldn’t seem to find open water in this swim. I took a few shots, but the one that really hurt was when some guy swimming next to me sliced my under arm open with his watch. There was blood in the water now. It burned during the swim, but I was more concerned for the run when it would get rubbed several thousand times. To add to the rough swim, the wind broke loose one of the buoys the lead pack and I chased it out to sea adding to our swim distance. My time was a few seconds slower than last year, but I actually think I was swimming faster considering we probably swam 1.4 or 1.5 miles as opposed to the 1.2 of last year. Last year I took a few seconds to rinse off in the shower hoses. This year I didn’t see the point. I would remember when I got to T1.

T1

I also struggled in T1 with several problems including my race belt and forgetting to take off my skin suit before getting my shoes on. The reason for the few seconds in the shower, is because it saves you lots of seconds when you are covered in sand trying to get you gear on and off. Miles later on the bike I was still trying to get the sand off my arms so it didn’t rub in my aero bar pads. Lesson learned.

Bike

The past few days have been windy, but nothing compared to today. The island decided to test our metal today. The Mumuku winds would be their fiercest today. After the race the Island would calm and we would not see any wind for the next 7 days that we remained on the island. The island chose to test everyone who was here this year. The wind affected the swim, the bike and even surprisingly the run.

Reported gusts of wind up to 60 mph actually blew people off their bikes. I had a few scares myself and I weighed in at 235 for this race. It was a crosswind most of the time. We were all doing the same thing to fight the wind . . . Leaning into it. It was and incredible sight out there on the Queen Kaahumanu Highway. You would look ahead of you and see everyone on their bike leaning like they were about to take a corner, but they were traveling straight. It was like the world had tilted. I have never seen anything like it. I drew on this picture below in pink so you can get an idea of the angle of the bike wheels on the bikes in front of me. This is no exaggeration. Ask anyone who was there. I drew on this picture about 15 times before I got the angle accurate enough. It is not easy drawing with a mouse.

It was still very hot and there was one aid station where I desperately wanted water, but I was afraid to let go of my handle bars even with just one hand for fear of losing control in the wind. On the way up to Hawi we were pelted with rain for some time as we climbed. You would think that would cool you off, but the climbing caused me to heat up and sweat. I couldn’t tell the sweat from the rain.

To give an idea of the winds we are talking about take a look at this picture below taken of Lance Armstrong during the race. Pay attention to the trees in the background. Just so you know that I am not exaggerating, here are some quotes by some of the writers who covered the race:

But boy, you should’a been here last Saturday. They’re going to be talking about this one for years, and not just about the extremes, but the contrasts. The winds were so strong that people were looking skyward half-expecting to see Dorothy and Auntie Em whirling around overhead. Top age group finisher Chris Hauth told the finish line crowd that at times he was pumping away with all he had and barely moving. You hear that kind of thing all the time in heavy wind conditions, but Chris was talking about the run, not the bike. Here’s what the start area at Hapuna Beach looked like the day before the race:

Best-selling author Lee Gruenfeld recaps the amazing day of racing at Honu.

One after one they came in and told us they’d never seen race conditions like this. “I had to stop to put water in my water bottle at the aid stations,” Ironman World Champion and Kona veteran Laura Sophiea said. ”I’ve done over 300 races and this was by far the toughest conditions I’ve ever experienced.”

“I’ve never raced in conditions like this … With this wind there were points where you were running on the spot,” said runner-up finisher, Australia’s Greg Bennett. “It was, without a doubt, the most brutal thing I’ve ever done.”

Run

I fought hard to get off the bike in decent time and hit the run with a chance of breaking 6 hours. Despite the wind, I actually got off the bike with a shot. I quickly figured that I would have to run 9 minute miles to accomplish that. It seemed pretty ambitious given the beating I has just taken on the bike but I ticked off the first 3 miles on pace. What I didn’t realize, is that pace was in part due to enjoying a tailwind. Things changed when I turn and headed into the wind for the first time. I was stunned, the wind picked up and we were running in place! It was unbelievable. I actually found it humorous at first. I mean 235 lbs of runner being held in place by wind. It didn’t seem possible. You know how some people walk hills. In this race people were walking the head winds. As it turned out, the island was kind to us, or at least to me. Although it blew reported gusts of up to 60 mph in my face making it difficult to run forward, each time I encountered the worst headwinds on a long stretch into the wind I was running downhill. Each time was also on an out and back of which the Hawaii run course has many. It was a strange turn of events to be running on the downside of an out and back looking over to the uphill return and longing to be on the other side. Usually you run the downhill looking at everyone running up the other side with dread. I knew that if I could get down that hill, I would enjoy the welcome push of a strong tailwind on the way up. In a strange flip flop of normal racing, the up hills segments of this race were easier than the downhill segments. Although the island winds were cruel, they could have been crueler. This was odd occurrence was a welcomed blessing.

I ran strong mile after mile. It was strange for me to be passing so many people. I know I am not a better runner or faster than these people on most days, they were just reaching their limits. It did feel good to be the passer as opposed to the passed, as is usually the case on this 13.1 mile pain fest. I headed down the road to nowhere still feeling relatively good. After about mile 7 I was having trouble eating anything anymore. Even perform at the aid stations was not sitting well with me. I did not use the bottles I was carrying in my fuel belt. I had filled one, but ended up pouring it out when I hit the road to nowhere. I turned around at the bottom of the road to nowhere still feeling relatively strong and headed back up still passing people. I knew the finish was just about 3 miles off now and I was also looking forward to seeing that last 2 miles of this course since last year, my memory blacks out after the road to nowhere. Climbing out of the road to nowhere is at least a 1.5 mile climb. It may seem much longer than that to many given the point it hits you in the race. It is not super steep and at another time in another climate would not be remarkable. However, make no mistake, in Hawaii after a taxing 67 or so miles, this stretch of the run should not be underestimated. I climbed out of the road to nowhere and began to feel a little strange as I go to the top. A few of the people I had recently passed, now passed me despite no perceived change in my pace. By the time I was up the road to nowhere and finished with what they call “hell’s kitchen,” I only had two miles to go. This is the 2 miles that I cannot remember from last year. I began to struggle. My pace was dropping and my form was deteriorating at an alarming rate. I thought I must be burning up from the climb, so when I hit the last aid station at about mile 12, I actually stopped at the sponge trash can. They fill these trash cans with ice water and sponges. I grabbed sponge after sponge, drenching myself until I actually felt a chill. I started off to run again, but felt no better. I felt nauseous, dizzy and incredibly weak. I must have looked it, because a few fellow triathletes slowed for a moment or two to pat me on the back and offer words of encouragement. Each time I came to the slightest incline I was reduced to walking. The wheels were falling off. I was in trouble. Serious trouble! Thank goodness there was only a mile to go. If it had been 2 or 3 miles this story might have gone differently. At ½ mile to go I told myself I would start running and would not stop until I reached the finish line. Walking at this point was not making me feel any better or making things easier. So I ran and was never happier to reach the finish. I jumped in the ocean after handing Christian my medal. I had a real tough time climbing down the lava rocks since my body was no longer listening to me. The water felt good. I tried to look under my arm where it had been slice during the swim. Just the slight strain of looking caused my neck to cramp. I clenched my jaw in pain and my jaw cramped. Something was chemically off in me. I got out and immediately sat down in a chair. I couldn’t get up for about a half an hour. The walk back to the room seemed and awful long way, although it was only about 200 to 300 yards. Standing in line to get food was too much for me, so once I reached the room Christian took my ticket and went back down to get me the free hamburger. That helped a lot, so I gave him some money and sent him for another one. Then I crashed and when I woke up I felt a lot better. My best guess is that I didn’t eat enough during the race and bonked from lack of calories.

Here is an actual picture of me that accurately portrays just how hot it can be running in the Hawiian heat:

Ok, this is an actual picture, but it sure feels like the one above is more accurate.

ITU Olympic Triathlon

San Diego, California

I enjoyed this race experience as a whole a lot more than I expected. First, let’s start with the hotel and accommodations. I really liked the hotel. From our bay view balcony on the 10th floor you could take in the ocean, the pier, the bay, the bridges, the pool below, the swim for the race, and the bike for the race. We watched part of both the elite women’s race and the elite men’s race from our balcony. It was neat to stay in the hotel with pros from all over the world. Below is our hotel in the center of the picture. The Pro swim takes place in the bay at the top left where I put a yellow square. The expo, finish and grand stands I marked with a pink square also in the top left. The bridge marked with a red square is the bridge they crossed over and over on the bike course. I thought it was a great set up. I definitely want to do this one again and bring the girls. You can walk to Sea World from our hotel. The age group race takes place on the bay to right. The bike course is completely different and I will tell go into more detail on the course shortly.

The Swim:

The Transition area was very nice. They had these luxurious blue mats that I warmed up on. There were plenty of bathrooms. The swim was great and I had a good swim.

The Bike:

I was not a huge fan of the bike course. It was quite difficult, and in my opinion dangerous. It was not the kind of course in which I tend to do well. My time was horrible. I was happy with both my swim and my run times, but my bike was an hour and 37 minutes. The course travelled rough choppy roads with very few areas that I could get a good rhythm going. I got bounced out of my aero bars more than once. It must have been a logistically very difficult race to pull off for there were so many crossings and so many police controlled intersections. Despite that a black SUV almost took out a woman right in front of me. Both of us were traveling about 35 mph at the time. The real challenge of the course is this very challenging hill which you must climb twice. On my first climb I made the mistake of taking it too hard not realizing how long it was. It hit over 7% grade and was over 2 miles long. Once you reach the top you go down a wicked decent. I don’t enjoy that either. It was a little better the second time because I knew what to expect.

I checked a few of the hilly races I am planning over the next year or so. Leadman, Buffalo Springs and even Escape from Alcatraz. None of these races has a hill that equals the one I took twice in this race. Leadman comes close with one level 4, but it is not as steep as the hill in this race. Ironman 70.3 Buffalo springs has much shorter 5’s, and even that killer hill in Ironman 70.3 Oceanside is only a shorter 5. What this means, is that I will not face a more difficult hill in any of the triathlons I have planned and I did that hill twice! This is a huge confidence boost for me. I know I can take the hills on those courses now. I looked it up and even the fabled ‘beast’ in Ironman 70.3 St. Croix, is a shorter 4 than the hill in this race. After this hill (Twice) I feel I can take on any of those hills. Of course I am not saying that I took it fast, just that I took it. Twice!

The Run:

The run was a two loop course with what I thought was a great route. I like two loop 10Ks because everyone who goes by me on the first loop I see again on the second loop. The way I run a 10K either has a negative split or others just fade, either way I tend to pass all those people on the second loop that passed me on the first loop. I don't know why, but I  get stronger and faster as the 10k wears on.

Rio Salado Triathlon

Tempe, Arizona

I kind of prioritized this race to do well because I knew that my parents, Lori and Vayden would all be coming to watch. Lori and Vayden did not come, but it was nice to have my parent there. It was the hottest run of the year so far. All three disciplines were faster than the Marquee triathlon a couple of weeks ago. I feel like I could do a lot better, but this race has a weird bike course with lots of u-turns which tend to kill my momentum on the bike. I ran a pretty good 10K given the heat.

Mesa Olympic Triathlon

 

Mesa, Arizona

 

Since I pushed my last race at Seville I hadn’t intended on pushing this one. When I say push, what I mean is this: I always give at least 95% of myself in a race. There are those days where you push into the final 5% and that final 5% is a place you don't want to go often. Pushing hard with 100% of everything you have in a triathlon costs something. I can do a triathlon at 95% and be back to normal now a couple days later. But that extra 5% comes with a disproportioned price. Don’t get me wrong, 95% hurts and I finish panting and exhausted. Burning through that final 5% leaves me exhausted for the entire day and sore for several days after. It is hard to find strength for up to a week afterwards.

Unlike most Tri Family races, I had never done this one. I did want to push the swim since the swim takes place in a beautiful 50 meter pool. This pool is the nicest one I have personally had the pleasure of swimming in the entire State of Arizona. It is the same pool the Splish Splash Aquathlon was in a couple of weeks ago. Whoever takes care of the water quality is awesome. This pool has crystal clear perfect visibility. So I resolved to give it a good swim and then settle in for a moderate effort on the bike and run, especially since it was an unfamiliar course and I wanted to race well at Rio Salado in less than a week since my parents would be here watching.

When I came out of the pool the race director was yelling at me that there was only one guy ahead of me. I knew the guy who was going to win the race was actually behind me, so I thought to myself it might be interesting to see how well I could do on the bike. It was a very windy day making speed more difficult for some of the lighter guys. The course was 6 loops. After completing 3 loops no one had passed me. I realized that after half the bike course I was most likely still holding on to 2nd place. I was feeling ok, so I resolved to make this a race. I could actually place in the over-all if I kept this up. I put some hurt on my legs in the final 3 laps. The guy who I knew would win the race passed me on the 4th lap putting me in third by my estimate. After the end of the bike I had only been passed by one guy on the bike. I had not caught the guy who exited to pool prior to me, so I was approximately 3rd.

The run is where I lose ground to faster runners. I took off out of transition determined to let as few people pass me I as could. After a couple miles, no one had passed me and I could not see anyone behind me. Wow, I thought. If I can just grit my teeth and run through some pain I might be able to pull this off. Now the course had some turn arounds and actually crossed over itself and then headed back for a 2nd lap. The course layout made it very easy to keep track of other runners and where you were in relation to them. Towards the completion of the first lap I could see that there were two guys threatening to overtake me. 3 miles to go and I was holding on to 3rd for dear life. I knew was going to have to suffer to hold my place.

During the second lap it became clear to me that one of the guys was going to eventually pass me. He was closing on me too fast for me to hold him off forever. I had already made a mental note of his number. His number was 14 numbers less than mine. In a pool swim like this race, they send the athletes off one by one in numerical order with either 10 or 15 seconds between them. I hadn’t paid attention to which interval they had used today so I could only calculate that he had started this race either 140 seconds or 210 seconds before me. What this meant, was that even if he passed me, if I could manage to stay only 140 seconds behind him, I would still be in front of him in the race. I decided I better calculate based on the lower number since I did not know for sure. I needed to cross that finish line within two minutes of when he did. I needed to keep him in sight.

I could feel him coming up on me half way through the second lap. I was happy that I had held him off for so long. I had anticipated him over taking me before this. I wanted him to know I was not going down without a fight, so I sped up as he closed. I wanted to make him question whether or not he could put 2 minutes between us. In a situation like this, in my opinion the advantage is always with the guy who is running behind (but really ahead). The reason is because I can see him and keep track of where he is and pace off him based on what I see. I am behind him and he has no idea how far or how he is doing with putting distance between us. I could tell he realized the situation because he really started increasing his pace. He started putting distance between us despite my best efforts. I was running with all I had and sliding inot some substantial suffering. The other guy who originally was a threat during the first lap became irrelevant. He must have had a tough second lap. Based on all my observations and calculations it was pretty clear to me that 3rd place over-all was mine to win or lose.

When the pain is great, your mind begins to betray you. The body has long since rebelled against you and has been complaining for many miles, but it is the mental betrayal that is hardest to fight. This voice starts talking to you and saying things that sound good to you at the time. It says things like, “4th place over-all is great Karl.” “4th place is good enough.” “You weren’t even going to race this race originally.” “It is not like you are not fighting for 1st place, just the difference between 3rd and 4th, and what is the difference really?” “Who is going to care anyways?” “All you have to do is ease up and this intense pain will go away.” “This suffering is senseless Karl.” That voice starts to sound very reasonable as the pain intensifies.

But I did not listen to that voice and I ran with everything I had. I held on to my 3rd place in the over-all. I actually placed 3rd in an Olympic distance triathlon. Now I know that I am still a slow fat dude, and the had their been a faster field I would never have had a prayer of holding on to third over-all. But for today it was fun to compete with who was there and for a day pretend like I was a real triathlete.