Robsworld

Post Camp Reality

2012-01-26T15:20:00.003-06:00

I thought I would post a short update about my progress since the Kona camp. I gotta say that my motivation is better than before I went. I continue to work out when I can, however, the work schedule and 24 hour shifts I’ve been doing are making it difficult for me to get into a training rhythm. I’m lonely here. I miss my family, I miss Tulsa and all my old training pals. I’ve joined the local triathlon club and hope to meet up with some folks that share my enthusiasm for the sport and help keep me focused in the right direction. The club is called Rufus Racing . They seem like they have a lot of energy.

I have started riding Erg videos on the computrainer. The trainer is a grind but those motivate me and make the time go by faster. It’s just like riding outdoors with a pack of pro cyclists. I set it to my FTP and the trainer sets the resistance for my fitness, present power level, the terrain and responses to what the pack does. I have also taken the mountain bike out for a spin a few times.

I haven’t made it to the pool yet. Joplin doesn’t have too many options and I really hate swimming in “hot” water. I’m considering getting a vasa ergometer and just try to get to the pool once a week to keep my feel for the water.

My running is coming along well. I have been running off road and on fire roads hitting some really steep grades. This is improving my strength and also limits the pounding my legs take on the roads. My legs don’t ache as much as they did when I started up again. I can feel the speed and endurance improving.

I have the P90X system and do that when I feel like killing some time and working on some core strength.

I have lost 5 lbs and now weigh 169. My body fat has dropped to 17-18%. My past race weight was in the 140’s so I have a little bit to go.

It’s a slow process. Trying to do this and balance my work schedule is difficult. I recently pulled a 24 hr call and it just beat me up. Hardish training and no sleep set me up to get sick. I currently feel like dog crap. Gotta keep going.......

Kona Kickoff Camp

2012-01-17T17:37:00.008-06:00

My Kona training camp was just what the doctor ordered. I am motivated and feel I got a big bump in fitness as well.

I arrived in Kona on Saturday evening, the 7th of January. At 8:00 the next morning, I was on the pier ready to swim 2.4 miles with Karlyn Pipes-Neilsen . I met her during my last visit to Kona but at that time I was in much better shape. It turns out she is dating my friend Petro so it’s a small world indeed. Karlyn toed me and a few others for the distance. My armpits were on the verge of bleeding after that swim. I rented a nice bike from bike works then got out on the Queen K for my daily rides. This was a goal; ride every day. By the end of the week the folks at Bike Works knew me on a first name basis. Kona feels like home.

My longest ride was 56 miles and shortest was 20 miles. One morning I was out cruising the Queen K and some really fit dude in a K-swiss kit on a Trek cruises up behind me. It turned out to be Chris Lieto. Kevin Moats was out there too. Chris was taking an easy recovery ride and we were able just to shoot the bull and chat a little. Kevin flatted out so I ended up riding with Chris alone for a bit. It was just like I was riding with an old training buddy. It turns out his wife is from Tulsa. His thoughts about the weather there are the same as mine.. too cold. He has moved to Kona for the winter. Just one crazy windy race day on the Queen K like Norman had a few years back and he will be the world champion. Riding with Chris pumped me up a bit more and I started thinking..... Maybe I could race here again?

It was a great camp for my kick off to fitness and I was able to do much more than I thought I was capable of doing.

My totals are as follows:

Swim 8.4 miles 4:05

Bike 234 miles 12:50

Run 20 miles 2:50

Total training time was 19:45. That’s a pretty big week for a fat guy just coming off the couch. The good thing about it was that I felt that I was getting stronger as the week progressed. On my down time, I cruised the Kona village and ate some great food that consisted of fresh fish, vegetables and drank some awesome coffee.

This was the first vacation I have taken alone. During my downtime, I drove around and visited places on the island that I had not seen before. I really enjoyed myself. There is something on this island that really makes me feel happy. It’s a very special place for me. It was tough leaving this island paradise but before I left I had scheduled my next training adventure with Petro. Stay tuned as this fat and out of shape guy gets fitter and is back on top again.

The Big Island Smile

2012-01-09T21:36:00.005-06:00

When I was fit, training camps were something I used to do to bump my fitness level up a notch. I would pick out a cool place to go and just make a vacation out of it. I know, it's not most folks definition of a vacation but I enjoyed it. It's been a while since I have done this but I always admired how my Epic Camp buddy Mark Pietrofesa got around. That guy is all over the world riding his bike. According to me, Petro "lives the dream".

About a week and a half ago I shot Petro an email and asked what his next adventure was. He sent me his calendar and I saw that he was going to be in Kona the week I was on vacation. I have always wanted to come to Kona in the winter to train. So I thought, why not? There was nothing holding me back. I scheduled the hotel, flights, bike, and car rental and here I am. It was the best decision I have made recently.

Kona is a magic place for me. I've had some happy times here. Returning here has put a smile on my face and a spring back in my step. I needed this. It's also a great symbolic place to start my quest back to fitness. Whenever I have been here I have been in incredible shape so it's motivating to me too.

I'll report something about the trip and what I did when it's over. It's not going to be that serious. I'm just going to try to overload (which shouldn't be that difficult) and have a good time in a beautiful place doing it. Aloha

Baseline Data

2012-01-02T13:15:00.006-06:00

I’m an applied physiologist ( Anesthesiologist ), I need some baseline data to work from. I love science and scientific method. Currently I'm in horrible shape and feel lousy. If folks just knew what it felt like to be really fit the obesity problem wouldn’t be a problem. Or maybe it still would.....I don’t know. I was lazy and let myself go. What’s another glass of Baileys or another Bud gonna hurt?

So I have a Tanita scale that measures all kinds of useless parameters. Having numbers like this at your disposal can make you sound like a geek with an eating disorder when you recite your latest visceral body fat measurement over dinner with your next date. (don’t do this) The scale uses Bioelectrical Impedance then multiple regression analysis. Sounds complicated, but for a fat and out of shape guy like me it gives me some baseline numbers to go from. I like numbers.

BODY

My current weight 174.2 lbs (79 kg) Ugh!.. This close to a record high for me. I think I got up to 180 lbs when my diet consisted of Nestle’s cookies and cream chocolate bars and Burger King from the hospital cafeteria during residency. This time...Uhhh.. maybe too much Baileys and Frangelico.

My body fat is 20.1%. It is on the border of being healthy and overfat for my age.

My BMI ( Body Mass Index) is 26.5 . This number places me in the overweight category. At least I caught it before I became obese.

Some other data gathered include:

Total Body Water 57.2%

Visceral Fat 9%

Muscle mass 132.4 lbs

Metabolic Age 38

Basal Metabolic Rate(BMR) 3827 cal

Stepping on the scale was the easiest part of the day. I just crawled out of bed and stood there. For the rest, I had to work for it.

BIKE

For the bike, I got on the Computrainer and turned on the coaching software. A group of numbers and squiggly lines run across the screen showing my speed, cadence, heart rate, and wattage. I used my SRM for backup. To the average observer, it looks like some sort of science lab......Wait until I pull out my portable lactate analyzer and start testing blood;-).... Later

Computrainer settings: calibration number 2.33, Tire pressure 100psi

After a 20 min warm up, I tested 20 min at what I thought was FTP ( Functional Threshold Power) My goal was also to keep the cadence over 90 rpm. Normally, you should do two of these. I have an excuse.... Fat and out of shape.... I only did one.

Results:

Average Watts 206, cadence 93, Average HR147 ( monitor not functioning well it was 160’s at the end of the test.) 2.6 Watts/kg. Slightly better than untrained and falling in the Cat 5 cyclist category. I felt I got some good numbers to work from here.

RUN

For my run test I wanted to do a sub-maximal effort. I wanted to keep my Heart rate under 150 bpm and see what speed I could maintain at a 1% grade on the treadmill for 2 miles. This gives me a baseline speed and HR to work from. My speed should improve at a set heart rate. Right now I just want to concentrate on getting the miles in my legs and strengthening connective tissue to avoid injury. Later, after I become fitter and stronger, I will take my testing to the track and do test sets there.

Results:

HR 150 ( HR monitor didn’t work. Had to use one on the treadmill)

I maintained an 8:30 pace at this heart rate and it felt good.

SWIM

My last test of the day was swimming. This is my forte and I still can maintain a good stroke despite my poor shape. After a 500 warm up I did a test set of

5 x 100 yards on the 1:45

Results:

1:10
1:12
1:14
1:12
1:12

After an easy 100 I did a 500 yard time trial. The time on that was 6:38. I felt that one!

So there it is. The baseline numbers of a 50 year old out of shape triathlete on the comeback trail. I will try to test periodically to measure my progress as well as change the intensity of my workouts. I also plan on changing my diet and laying off the alcohol. I’m too lazy to write about it. I’m just going to do it... Enough said. Some cool things are going to happen next week so stay tuned;-)

Rebuilding

2012-01-01T19:50:00.006-06:00

After a two and a half year absence, in 2012, I thought I would bring Robsworld back. My life took a major turn for the worse on October 26th 2009. I have learned that you can never be complacent with life’s status quo. I had it all and life was all that I could wish for. Unfortunately, when you least expect it, things can change beyond your control. I suffered through a huge storm and I eventually hit rock bottom. I lost everything. If it weren’t for a few close friends, I probably wouldn’t be here. I won’t elaborate how it happened but I would never wish it on my worst enemy. The most important thing now is that I’m alive and ready to rebuild.

In August 2011, I landed in Joplin, MO. It’s ironic that Joplin is a town that has also been devastated by a huge storm and is in the process of rebuilding. It’s a 100 miles away from my kids but it could be further. I can’t complain. Joplin is a nice community and the hospital where I work provides a less stressful environment and my anesthesia group is lifestyle focused. I am truly blessed.

My depression has lifted and I have finally regained the motivation to workout and get back in shape again. I thought that it would be fun to bring back the blog and document my progress and new adventures. I’m planning to get the most out of what ever is left in my life. Documenting this should be a motivator for me and, hopefully, others as well.

My goals for 2012 are to lose weight, get cut again, be consistent with daily workouts (if work schedule allows), regain a base fitness, do some races to test my fitness, then cap the season off with the XTERRA World Championships in Maui, Hawaii in October.

I plan on traveling, racing and working out in exotic locations around the globe as well. My life is going to be an adventure. I invite my readers to join me on my journey back to life and fitness. Any words of encouragement are appreciated and if you aren’t fit yourself, it might help motivate YOU to get in shape too. Happy New Year!

The Woodstock of Triathlon

2009-10-06T00:55:00.005-05:00

Recently, my race experiences have not been so great. However, my latest race experience involved minimal travel. This time, all I had to do was load up my equipment in my SUV and drive an hour and a half down the road to Oklahoma City. I didn’t have to pay exorbitant fees for the airlines to lose my bike and the stress level was much lower.

Redman is a fantastic race located in America’s heartland. The folks in Oklahoma City have gone all out to produce a high quality event and the race has grown in participation every year. This year, Redman was hosting the USAT Long Course National Championship that would be run concurrently with the Redman iron distance event.

The weather forecast for the morning of the race was excellent. It had rained every morning for the past week, but for the day of the race, the forecast was for a 20% chance of showers. That meant that there was an 80% chance that it wouldn’t rain. My bike was spotlessly clean, and the chain was lubed. A clean bike is a clear mind. I pictured myself racing on a bright and sunny windless day.

When I arrived the morning of the race, I was forced to park a mile away. This was another sign that this race has grown. Every year I get pushed further away.

The energy in the transition was high. I was just putting the finishing touches on my transition setup when they called for us to clear the transition area. It was still dark and the race was about to start. Moments later, there was a huge deluge. The sky opened up and it started to pour. I saw lightning in the distance. So much for the weather forecast and my image of a bright and sunny day.

The rain was persistent and the transition area soon started to flood. Items that were neatly set out by athletes moments before in the transition area, began to be washed away. Helmets filled with water if they were placed open. It was also unusually chilly. I was happy to have my long sleeved Xterra Vendetta on. It provided a warm neoprene insulation converting my 5% body fat to 15%.

The race start was delayed, so I found shelter in one of the Ironman transition tents. The race director happened to be there on his phone. I overhead what was going on. Apparently, with all the recent rains, the ground was so saturated and the roads were flash flooding. There was talk of canceling the bike segment because a portion of the course was knee deep underwater and mud was flowing out onto the road. I felt for the folks who had prepared months for the Ironman and had traveled a long distances for this evert. A cancelation would be devastating to them. The race director joked on the P.A. system that the were considering changing the event to a swim run swim. I don’t think these folks got the joke.

After an hour delay, the race director and staff decided to continue with the race. The only stipulation was that we were required to dismount our bikes on a segment which was underwater, 6 miles out, and walk or run through it. I felt this was a gutsy call by the event staff and the decision won many praises from the athletes who traveled here to race.

The Ironman heat started first, followed by the under 40 half iron, then the over 40 men (my heat). I am in fairly good swimming shape, so it only took about 50 meters to clear the field. Once I caught the bulk of the under 40 group and as I moved through the field, I found it noteworthy to observe the swimming skill and the stroke technique of those that I passed. The swimmers at the rear or middle of the field appeared to be kicking and trashing wildly while those who were swimming closer to the front end of the field had strokes which were smoother and kicking was more streamlined. It was just a random thought I had as I made my way through the packs. I can tell that I’m going to have a good swim time when I’ve caught up to some smooth swimmers. In this case those that were going to get out in 27 minutes. I exited the water in 24:30.

One of my spotters told me I had moved into 15th overall and was 4 minutes back. So with their 3 minute head start, I was only one minute back and was actually third overall behind Tim Hola and Willy Pickhart. I wish I could have started with those guys, maybe I could have been towed to a faster time and had cleaner water.

The rain was coming down hard, but it felt good. I stayed cool. I prefer to ride the trainer on days like this, It’s just too much of a hassle to clean my bike afterwards. I was cringing as I rode through the mud puddles. My bearings, my cables, the future corrosion. Ugh!

At 6 miles I hit the underwater section. I dismounted, as instructed, and ran through it. I had to carry my bike on my shoulder, cyclocross style, because the water was knee deep. This is the first time I have had to do this in a race. It was memorable moment. I wish the race photographers were out there taking photos of this section. I would have bought that one for sure.

Despite the wet roads, I was able to maintain my race wattage. There were very few turns on this course but the of the turns that were there, I took them very easy. I’m sure everyone else did too, because I didn’t see anyone with road rash after the race.

The race for the overall top finish soon faded away from me, as young guys were just killing it and flying by me on the bike. I lost concentration after the turnaround as I began to watch the folks on the other side of the road going the opposite way and randomly wondered to myself if the Spiuk aero helmet which I was wearing was actually making any difference in my overall time as I puttered along. At least it looks fast.

As a daydreamed about aerodynamics, a guy with a 45 on his calf came buy me at around 42 miles. Luckily, he wasn’t wearing compression socks so I could see that he was in my age group. This woke me up. I can’t let an old guy in my age group ride away from me. I stayed 4 or 5 bike lengths back like glue for the remainder of the ride then passed him in transition. My bike time was 2:32...Not bad for the water, rough chip and seal roads, loss of concentration, and the overall conditions. It must have been the helmet.

We headed out on the run together. This guy was killing it, and he was killing me. We went through one mile at 6:20. This old guy didn’t need a gimmick like compression socks to run fast. His pace was so fast I felt that there was no way I could hang with it and not explode, so I let him go. Turns out this guy’s name was Robert Schloegel from Kansas City, he is a top athlete in my age group and consistently runs low 1:20‘s in half iron events. He has also gone 9:15 in Kona. No wonder I couldn’t hang. He is world class and out of my league. I visited with him after the race. He was nice guy and a doctor too. He used this race as a tune up for Kona.

The run course was flooded more than the bike, and the rain kept coming down. At first, I attempted to run around the puddles to keep my socks dry but eventually I found this useless, so I just ended up splashing through the puddles and mud like everyone else.

Tim Hola won the event in the time of 3:59. He looked so comfortable and smooth. Robert ended running himself into 4th overall and went 4:22. That’s what a 1:22 run will do for you as a 45 year old at the amateur level. The running at this event was stellar. There were some very fast times. Maybe the cool rain helped those who otherwise would have blown up in the heat and humidity that is usually the norm for Oklahoma at this time of year.

I ended up struggling to a 4:30.22 holding off some charging younger guys with a 1:30 run split. Nothing spectacular, but it’s something I am always striving to improve on. My time put me 15th overall in the National Championship, so as a 47 year old, I can’t complain too much. I was hoping to go under 4:30. Maybe compression socks would have got me that extra 23 seconds. Another helmet? Nah..I think I’ll just hit the track.

I’m really learning to love this distance. It’s long enough that I don’t need a tremendous amount of power and speed to be competitive. It’s also short enough that I only have to train 10 to 12 hours a week and unlike, Ironman training, still be competitive, work more than full time, and maintain a life without totally pissing off my wife and alienating my kids.

This race qualified me to participate in the ITU Long Course World Championships in Immenstadt, Germany next summer. How cool is that. I think the distances are 3K/80K/ 20K. I like that combo even better than 70.3 distance. It puts more weight on the swim. My goals are set for next year.

Following this race, the venue was completely flooded and muddy. Some folks were walking around with bare feet covered in mud. When I returned to claim my bike it was covered in mud as well. It was painful to look at. Doug Kopp, a writer for Runner Triathlete News called the race the “Woodstock of Triathlon”. I had to laugh. It sure was.

A Huge Cluster

2009-08-26T09:25:00.005-05:00

Sometime in an athlete’s career a race or event just doesn’t go as planned. I have been fortunate, thus far, to be able to execute important races to my maximum ability with minimal adversity. However, this past weekend in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, at the age group National Championship, things didn’t quite go as planned.

The last time I did the Olympic distance National Championships was in 1998, in Claremont, Florida. I had a great race and qualified for the world championships which were held in Lausanne, Switzerland later that summer. I was happy but I had to curb my enthusiasm because my wife, Dana, dealt with a mechanical issue on her bike which blew her race. It was tough to watch, especially because I was the chief bike mechanic for the family at the time and felt responsible.

My lead up to this race was flawless and I had reached my best form of the season. I felt primed and ready.

The week leading up to the race was tiring. I had three days which I worked greater than 15 hours and Thursday, the day before I left, I was on call and had to arrange for a partner to cover for me while I went to the airport to catch my 6 a.m. flight to Birmingham. No big deal, I do hard workouts after being on call all night all the time. I would sleep on the plane.

I got to the airport, checked in, and got to Birmingham with only a slight delay. I was only carrying my transition bag with just a few clothing items and checked only my bike. My plan was to rent a car, drive to Tuscaloosa, check in, do a short workout, then rest and kick back in the hotel for the remainder of day. The best laid plans are doomed for failure.

I stood at the baggage claim like a forlorn lover awaiting the return of his long lost love. Once the baggage claim cleared and my bike didn’t appear. Dejected, I made my way to the American Airlines lost luggage counter and spoke with Dawn, a nice old lady who didn’t seem to have the attitude that most customer service representatives convey to airline patrons these days.

Dawn made a phone call to the luggage handlers who checked the plane one more time. She went back out to the unloading area on the runway herself to check and make sure that it hadn’t been left out there. She even called Dallas by phone, my connecting city, to check on it. Dawn went above and beyond the call of duty. Unfortunately, the next flight into Birmingham from Dallas wasn’t until 5 p.m. Athletes were supposed to check in bikes to the transition area by 6 p.m. That wasn’t going to happen.

I ended up driving the hour to Tuscaloosa, checking into my hotel, and picking up my packet. The race director gave me a pass on checking the bike in that evening and allowed me to bring it the day of the race.

The original plan was to do a short hard workout on my bike and run maybe swim a little in the river then check out the course. That didn’t happen. I had to drive back to Birmingham to pick up my bike. I was back at the luggage carousel at 4:45, then soon learned that the flight was delayed for over 2 hours. I hung around until 8 p.m. and was relieved to see that my bike show up on the carousel. I got it put together by 10 p.m. and finally got some much needed sleep.

Race morning was uneventful, I was ready to go. I visited with a few friends and hit the water for warm up when my heat was called. Quickly I noticed that this river was really a river. There was a strong current! This would be really good for me since I am a strong swimmer.

When the start horn sounded, I took it easy because the first portion of the swim was downstream. When we made the turn upstream into the current, I punched it and found someone to draft off. The physics of laminar flow systems and Reynolds numbers was far from my mind as I powered behind this guy at the buoy line near the middle of the river. I suppose a recon swim mission the day before the race would have helped. Anyway, I was in the top group of guys and pleased with my position, but I couldn’t help but think “ How much further? This swim is lasting much longer than usual.”

( For those who don't want to click on the link: The velocity of flow becomes less at the perimeter of the river than in the center)

It took me high 27 minutes to swim 1500 meters! If that swim was that hard for me it must be three times as hard for non-swimmers. I was 3rd in the age group and was licking my chops. This race was going to go very well for me.

I made a seamless transition and was just getting my land legs when 7 minutes into the bike “Snap!” Uh Oh! My left aero bar had broken loose from the base bar and was just hanging there. I thought” can I ride safely like this?” The answer was “No” . My race was over. My first DNF. This was hard handle when I was having a great race. I thought “don’t chance it. There will be other races.”

It guess it wasn’t meant to be. I pulled off to the side of the road and watched other racers go by and cheered for those I knew. I checked my bike in, handed in my chip, then went down to the river and watched the remaining swimmers who were still in the water.

One woman looked as though she was swimming in an endless pool. The arms were moving but she wasn’t. Kayaks were surrounding her. She would stop to rest only be carried backwards. I admired her strength and perseverance to keep at it. Some folks took 2 hours to swim 1500 meters. The winner completed the entire event in 1:57.

I made the best of my trip despite the poor outcome. I met a few other outstanding athletes in my age group then I watched the pro race. I had a few drinks with Mike Llerandi and some nice folks from Team Psycho.

DNF is something I don’t want to see again. When I got back to Tulsa, I replaced all my attachment bolts on my aero bars. Sometimes you learn more from bad race than a good one.

A Butterfly Landed On Me

2009-07-10T15:04:00.005-05:00

There is a quote from a fortune cookie in my kitchen that says “Luck happens when hard work meets opportunity”. So true. In life and in triathlon. In 2006 I was lucky enough to get a Kona roll down slot at Ironman Canada because the girl that finished in front of me wanted to remodel her kitchen. Funny, one of the most memorable days of my life, racing in Kona, came down to another person’s decision about how to allocate her resources.

Attempting to get to Kona can become all consuming for a triathlete, either it be for the first time or the fifteenth time. When people hear that I do triathlons, inevitably the next question is “Have you done the one in Hawaii?”. Many new triathletes get started in the sport because they saw that crazy Hawaiian Ironman on TV one Sunday afternoon, and they want to get there, too. And with good reason, it is a magical experience like no other.

I have been within striking distance of a Kona slot many times, and was lucky enough to go once. But the thing about Kona, for me, once is not enough. After a particularly difficult race, and a roll down process that kept my heart rate higher than my racing cap, I spent some time thinking about what I want out of the sport. I was lucky enough to go to Kona a few years ago, and that is more than a lot of triathletes can say. And I am really thankful about that. If I never qualify again will that be OK? Will I still enjoy the sport? Why am I really racing? For a Kona slot or for the experience of the race itself? I decided that I love to train, I love to race, I love the opportunity to travel to places I might not otherwise. I enjoy pushing my body to see what it can do. I look forward to the all day bike rides and the three hour runs and swimming 4000 yards straight. I like putting it out there on race day and seeing how I stack up. Those aspects of racing have nothing to do with a Kona spot.

A few years ago we lived in St. Louis, and they have this place called the Butterfly House. It’s an 8000 square foot glass building with hundreds of different kinds of butterflies in it. I took my kids to this butterfly house, and they started running around trying to catch a butterfly. They got frustrated very quickly when they couldn’t catch one. I told them to be still, look around at the beauty of the butterflies flitting about, and maybe one would land on them. Sure enough, a butterfly landed on their arm, and it was much more rewarding than running around trying to force a butterfly in your hands.

I thought about the Butterfly House as I chose races this year. I picked races for the experience. I wasn’t going to run around trying to race where I might have the best chance of securing a slot. Rob and I went to St. Croix in May because we enjoy that race. I ended up finished in third place in my age group behind two women that took the top two podium spots in my age group last year in Kona. I wasn’t disappointed when no slot rolled my way. I had a great race and I was honored to be third behind those talented women, the “gold standard” of my age group.

I chose Ironman Austria because I wanted to see Europe and many people told me what a beautiful course it was. I’m sure my husband and coach shook their heads when I told them my plans, involving complicated travel issues by trains, planes, and busses, of seeing Spain and Venice before the race. Not the perfect pre- race taper week but I’m all about the experience. The day before the race I was abandoned at the train station (long story) but my friend and I found our way back to the hotel by train and on foot. My pre-race pasta meal was later than I wanted because the restaurants in Europe close at 2 PM and open whenever they feel like it in the evening. I ordered a pasta dish from a German menu with a waitress that spoke almost no English, which ended up being so spicy I could hardly eat it, and as I went to be that night with a burning mouth I wondered how that meal would sit the next day.

But, as I raced the next day, I just enjoyed the atmosphere and kept my thoughts still except for the thought “What an experience! I am such a lucky girl. This is so cool!”. The day couldn’t have gone better. I felt great the whole time. I had a perfectly executed race, a PR of almost 20 minutes, and a Kona slot. Unbelievable. The butterfly landed on me.

Dana and Rob Chance TV Interview

2009-06-22T08:40:00.002-05:00

Here is a little interview Channel 2 did while we were in Kansas last week. If we can do it ... anybody can.

Kansas 70.3 : A race report

2009-06-20T10:14:00.006-05:00

This past week was bittersweet for me. I was tapering for the IM Kansas 70.3 so my training load was toned down. Normally when I get off work I’m out the door for a ride before it gets dark, but last Tuesday I was up in my bedroom when Dana’s phone rang. I answered it for her and it was Lori Davis. She had heard on the news that some cyclists had been hit out on highway 51 and was checking to make sure that it wasn’t either of us. This was a big blow to me, as I later learned the magnitude of this accident. The cyclists were run down by a drunk driver on one of the routes I consider to be my safest. I was just out there the previous day doing some intervals. Two cyclists were killed and one was treated and later released from the hospital.

This really shook me up. Ironically, at the time of the accident, around 4pm, I was on the phone with a life insurance agent expanding my coverage. I know how dangerous it is to ride on the road, but this event hammered it home. It could have been me, it could have been Dana, or any of my close friends. None of us are immune from this. Unfortunately, there are thousands of drivers out there who are inattentive, drunk, and have poor attitudes against cyclists. It’s so depressing. Read this article and then read the comments.

I was originally planning to do Ironman Florida this year but this tragedy spooked me. I think I’m going to bag it. I have so many responsibilities and there a lot of people who depend on me. To be injured or killed on a bike is not an option. I think I will just stay with the half ironman and Olympic distance for now. I figure I can still do the nightly bike training on the trainer and still stay in the sport.

So much for the bitter......Now the sweet.

This weekend was Ironman Kansas 70.3. I’m a Kansas boy, so it’s nice to be able to get back home and race. I’ve been driving down to Lubbock, TX for the past four years. This race was closer and I needed a change.

I wasn’t up mentally for this race. I felt kinda down and depressed about the death of the cyclists all week. I didn’t feel like racing. I was glad that a few of my coached athletes were here racing along with my training partner, pro, Jessica Meyers. It was motivating to see others getting psyched for their races.

Race morning came quickly. It took a little thought and organization to get there and get two transitions set up before my 6:46 start. I was sure glad I got there early because I was told I needed to clear T1 before the pros started. I had a minute to spare. A lot of folks were late for their waves or didn’t get to start.

Tulsa sportscaster, Jason Shackleford, with KJRH TV Channel 2 was up here to do a feature story for the news on Dana and I, so the pressure was on to not suck in this race.

My wave went off 16 min after the pro’s, so finally there would be fewer heats of swimmers to swim over. It’s so much easier to swim faster in clean water.

I took the swim out hard for the first 100-200 meters or so. I usually can build a big gap then cruise the rest of the way however, this didn’t happen. The swimmers showed up for this race. I ended up blowing myself up. I had to let a few go by and let someone else lead and let myself recover. Anyway, I can’t see jack despite having prescription goggles. The swim felt unusually hard despite the fact that I was still drafting. I thought to myself that I must be having a bad day. I ended up 5th in the age group out of the water this time. Later when I checked the split I was surprised with my 25:29. No wonder it felt hard, it was one of my best splits ever.

I was out of T1 quick. I had passed so many on the swim that the bike course was virtually empty. It was like doing a small local race. Kansas is a rolling course. It’s not flat by any means. Over the past few months I have been making adjustments to my bike position and have been seeing better results with my speed and wattage outputs. I used to be so low and I felt that my power was compromised. I brought the front end up about an inch. I rode strong today and only a few folks passed me.

I enjoyed an empty course and soon caught some of the slower women pros. The out and back sections allowed me to see the congestion going on behind me. The weather was perfect, 60’s with spitting rain. I rode a harder than I usually do. I was thinking of those cyclists who had died this week and thought to myself “They would love to be where I am now...Don’t wimp out”

My bike split was 2:33.31 this was much better than I have been riding recently. Wattage numbers were slightly higher than my previous halves.

Once out on the run I checked my splits on each mile. I was hitting solid 6:30’s, 6:40’s for most of the run. I was pushing it hard and running with the pros on a non congested course for the first loop. When a pro ran by on their second loop, I tried to hang with him as long as I could. I think that helped my overall pace. The second loop was just mad; lots of people and little space. I still managed to run a PR for the distance in a HIM of 1:29.30.

When I turned the corner into the finish I found it to be empty. No one was around. Dana always tells me that I run hard through the finish and don’t enjoy it. Well, this time I was going to do my best Usain Bolt impression. I had my hands in the air waving to the crowd just like I had just won the race. Cheerleaders where welcoming me home on the yellow brick road. Then I hear Mike Riley saying there is a sprint to the finish. Does it look like I’m running that fast? Before I know it some guy comes tearing by me on the right and crosses the electronic finish line just in front of me. It turns out he’s in my age group and clipped me for third. I felt like such a dork. Note to self: turn around before you celebrate and always run hard through the finish. Sorry Dana. It’s all your fault.......... He He He.

The guy who clipped me was Mike Vance from Iowa. We talked after the race. He was a super nice guy who ended up running a 1:20. That’s my best recent open time. I don’t know if I would have been able to hold him off even if I knew he was back there. I’m just glad it wasn’t for the age group win. However, it would have been fun to have a dash to the finish and a lean for the tape. My overall time was 4:31.55. That’s a PR for me. I’m pleased that I had a solid race in all fronts. I felt good about all my splits. I was 5th in the swim and run and 4th in the bike in the age group. I was really pleased with the bike which is normally my downfall. The course was accurate from my measurements and to others that I spoke with. Full age group results here

I ended up taking the Clearwater slot which I had passed on at previous races. It will be a lot easier to train for than an Ironman. It should be fun and I look forward to improving my time there. Last time I went there it was just for a vacation and the race was a side show.

I really enjoyed Ironman Kansas 70.3 and I will be back again next year.

Boathouse Triathlon On The TV News

2009-06-04T10:58:00.006-05:00

Here's a local TV news bit on the Boathouse. I was the camera guy for Jason when he does the finish line scene.

Tulsa Tough Pro Cyclist Home Stay

2009-06-02T09:05:00.009-05:00

This past weekend Tulsa hosted a major cycling event, the Tulsa Tough. This is the fourth year for this event and it gets bigger each year. It consisted of criterium racing for novices up to the pro category. Floyd Landis even made an appearance and raced. There were also tour rides in the Tulsa countryside for all skill levels. For the last week in May, Tulsa was on the cycling map.

Dana and I opened our home to some pro cyclists for the home stay program. We hosted four female pros from Team Type 1, Jen Mcrae , Alison Powers, Morgan Patton, and Jackie Crowell. It was a great experience. We all went out to cheer them on and watch them dominate in their three days of racing.

One thing that I noticed that most triathletes often don’t do that much of is.... the all important... Rest. The team did quite a few more coffee shop rides than I do. Maybe I need to do more of those? Sounds like a better plan than the over/under intervals.

In Daniel Coyle’s Book “Lance’s War” he writes that when a cyclist is off their bike they are like babies. They conserve energy as much as possible and get plenty of rest and shield themselves from places which might make them sick. Their habits are similar to one of a cat, sleeping and resting up for that all out attack. Jen Mcrae said that when Chan, her husband, was racing pro they went to the zoo with the kids once and he strolled in a wheelchair to save his legs. Extreme? Yes, but I have been known to do similar things before a big race. Ever go to an exotic place to race and just rest the whole time in the hotel room? I have.

Jen Mcrae is hoping to win the criterium national championships this year. She has been second and third many times and is motivated to make it to the top step this year. She did that without the support of a team. Maybe this year she will be able to pull it off with her strong Type 1 team mates.

Alison is the national time trial champion. I got some tips from her. I need to find someone who will motor pace me. She said she paid a guy to do that for her on a scooter a few times, but he didn’t go fast enough for her. Now she paces behind a car. Yeah, she’s that fast;-)

Jackie is a college student at the University of Florida with a swimming and triathlon background. This is her first year as a pro and she was impressive with her teamwork in the races.

Morgan is one of the team’s type 1 diabetics. She is 20 years old and just started racing 3 years ago. She did very well in the races with the veteran women pro cyclists. It’s motivating that she can hold her own at this level with this serious disease.

The women were very particular about what they were eating. All the food they bought was from Whole Foods and was organic. These women are professional athletes and they approach all aspects of their racing with a professional attitude. They all raced brilliantly. I stood next to Jack, the team manager, on the last race day when he was on the two way radio telling Allison to make her breakaway and commit. That was cool to see.

Above in this pic Alison Powers is leading for 10 laps and broke the field to pieces.

On the final day I made them a grilled dinner and we enjoyed each others company for a while. Alison brought home a envelope filled with money to be divvied out the team’s winnings.

The team is off to Philadelphia for the Liberty cup next weekend. We wish them good luck. The Chance family will be up for this again next year. It was a blast.

Here’s a link to the team blog

There's Something In The Water

2009-05-26T22:15:00.003-05:00

The water in the Oklahoma River at the Boathouse Triathlon was nasty. It was brown like a mud hole. It tasted bad too. I have done some swimming in water like this as a kid so I thought, what the heck. However, when I caught my first glimpse of the water that the pros were swimming in, it did make me think. "Eeeww, I have to swim in that?"

Well, today I was sent articles and links to pro blogs from various folks reporting that swimming in this water caused illness. I also received an email from the Oklahoma Health Department with a questionnaire to fill out. Luckily, I only had some mild GI problems. I got a call today from the Health Department. They want a stool sample. Something was in the water and it seems that it was a little more than just mud. Some folks just had a shitty swim.

Read the article here

Boathouse International Triathlon

2009-05-21T10:01:00.007-05:00

When I looked at the race schedule last winter and I saw the Boathouse International Triathlon, I knew I had to be there. A race of this caliber right down the road in Oklahoma City? That never happens here. Normally, I would have to travel out of the state for something like this. It’s great that the folks in Oklahoma City are putting the sport of triathlon on the map.

Since this race was just two weeks after St. Croix, I just planned on training through it and making it a hard workout. I have IM Kansas coming up and I plan on focusing more on it. Saturday, I went down to the race venue and watched the mens elite race. The venue is located in downtown Oklahoma City at a facility called the Boathouse. The Boathouse is in close proximity to a cosmopolitan part of town called Bricktown. It has a baseball stadium, nice hotels, and quite a few arenas for conventions and events. The area seemed to be thriving. I see why Tulsa is trying to emulate this.

The swim took place in the Oklahoma river. Spectators could stand on Lincoln Ave bridge and watch the entire swim. The bike course was four loops around the capital building. This also offered quite a few opportunities for spectators to watch the race develop. The run was four loops. From the bridge you could see the entire course.

It was inspiring watching how fast those pros can run. Drool hanging off their lips, gave me a good idea how hard those guys were hitting it. I was born 20 years too late. I would have loved to race like this. When I was young, I was a decent swimmer and I could run a 5K under 16 minutes, so it would have suited my strengths.

Mary Beth Ellis won the women’s pro race and Matt Reed broke away on the first loop of the run and eventually won the mens race. Hunter Kemper came on strong on the last loop of the run and almost caught Matt as he celebrated with the flag at the finish. Kemper finished one second later. That would have been embarrassing if Hunter had snuck by.

There weren’t as many spectators out on the course watching the race as I thought there would be. If this race were in Europe it would have been a freckin’ madhouse. However, I did notice after it was over, the parking lots of all the restaurants in the area were full. Oklahomans have their priorities. “The next meal”

The age groupers competed on Sunday. I stayed at the Econolodge motel about a mile down the road, so that morning I just hopped on my bike and rode down to the transition area. I love not having to mess with parking a car. Google Earth comes in handy when planning race lodging.

The race had four heats with over 200 competitors overall. I went off in the second heat. Fortunately, my heat had the best swimmers. Christian Ballard, Jason Newland and I had a nice group going. The Oklahoma River reminded me of the chocolate river in the movie “Charlie And The Chocolate Factory” The water was a milky brown. Apparently no one has swum in the river before this weekend. Some folks came out with chocolate mustaches. I see why it’s not a popular swimming hole, however I swam in worse places when I was a kid.

Christian is a former Cal Berkley distance guy so he established about a minute lead on Jason and I by the finish. I was surprised they had wetsuit strippers. That was a great touch. I always have trouble getting out of a wetsuit after a cold swim. The run to the transition was about a quarter mile. I made a fast transition and was out on the bike in less than 40 seconds. It wasn’t as fast as the ITU guys but they inspired me. I’d say the swim time was around high 19 minutes for the 1500 m excluding the transition run.

The bike was four loops, and it followed the same course as the ITU race. I really enjoyed hearing the cheering spectators at the turnarounds. I was unable to get to the watts on the bike that I was hoping for because I was still a bit tired, but it was a hard workout for me, so it served it’s purpose.

The run was four loops. Again, I couldn’t get myself to dig too deep on it either and ran at a half ironman pace for most of it. I thought I had the masters category locked up. Then I saw Jon Everets gaining ground on me with each loop. On the last loop I noticed that he was just getting too close so I flicked the switch with just 1.2 K to go. It was probably the fastest part of the run for me. With just 400 to go, I looked back and he was right there, just behind me. I’m glad coach Phil has me doing those 400 threshold track intervals. I was able to kick it in and hold him off at the finish by just one second. It was a thrill to have a sprint finish like that. Jon had a great run, kudos to him for making me work for it. Hunter Kemper was there at the finish to give me a pat on the back and a high five for that one. Classic ITU finish. I’m thinking I need to do more of these Olympic Distance races. It was a blast.

I ended up 5th overall, and won the masters by just a hair over Jon. Jason Newland won the race with a 2:07. A few of my coached athletes participated as well. Kara Cassel was second overall with an awesome 39 minute run. Sean Stevens finished just ahead of me in 4th. Michael Krupka was 28th overall. Go over to Tulsa Iron and take a look.

I hope this event continues to grow and flourish. I will be back next year for sure.

St. Croix 2009: A Race Report

2009-05-11T22:52:00.005-05:00

On the plane to St. Croix I read a book entitled “Off The Deep End” by Hodding Carter. It was a personal account of a guy in his mid forties, that was attempting to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Trials in swimming. He was a decent swimmer in his younger years, a Division III All American, but not Olympic caliber. It was inspiring to read how he refused to listen to those tell him that his dream was impossible and that everyone slows down with age.

In the book, he quoted some coaches ingredients for success: motivation, opportunity, and incentive. Another ingredient that was mentioned was brainwashing detox. “ We are conditioned by society to know that we can only run fast when we are young. Overcoming that mindset is, perhaps, the major battle. “You can’t help but be affected by those prevailing negative comments asserting that when you get older, you get slower.”

I knew the competition showed up for the race in St. Croix this year and they were fast when they were young. If I had any chance of picking up an Ironman slot it would have to be due to the miscalculated pacing efforts of my competitors. I’m just not that fast.

Dana and I were up at 3:45 am for our pre-race meals. I typically take a mixture of Perpetuem, HEED, and a banana and peanut butter. My mix totals about 1000 calories. It tops off my glycogen stores and is slowly absorbed in the hours leading up to the race.

We loaded up the bikes and drove down to the race site around 5 am, racked them, and set up our gear. There was plenty of time to chill out and talk in the transition area. St. Croix is laid back. I was putting my shoes on my bike when some guy came running up to me and said “what are you doing with my bike?” “Huh?” I laughed. He was getting aggressive and started pushing me. “Hey watch it bud” I said.” Finally he looked at the bike. “Oh this that isn’t my bike...Sorry” “What ever dude. Get some glasses.” That was awkward. I suppose when everyone has a Cervelo P3C there is bound to be some confusion.

The swim starts on a island beach, so competitors have to opportunity to warm up by swimming the 200 to 300 meters over to the island. From there the race goes off in heats starting with the pros at 6:15 am. The following heats are separated by 2 to 3 minutes. I went off at 6:43 am, so I had plenty of time to do some pick ups into the boat mooring area.

Before long it was time to head over for the beach start. The course goes out about 75 meters then makes a sharp left turn. My goal was to be second or third to that buoy. Instead of blasting out at a 58/59 second 100 meter pace to gap the field, I choose to just settle in and let someone else do that. Once I felt they petered out, I was going to gently surge past and conserve energy.

The plan was executed perfectly and I soon found myself in the lead swimming into some chop and current. I had one swimmer in tow, tapping my feet. It was Ken Glah, the ex pro. We all were wearing blue caps but somehow Ken had a purple one on. He was easy to spot. I don’t know why he had the purple cap. It is the color of royalty, and he certainly was that.

Ken has been top 5 overall in Kona multiple times, and nobody can forget the sprint finish he and Pauli Kiru had in IMNZ; Ken won. Now he has a travel business which caters to Ironman triathletes. Dana went to Brazil with his group last year and is going to Austria in a few months.

Once we were closer to the turn around buoy, I juked and surged. I looked back under my arm and he was gone. “ Um, that was easier than I thought” I made it around the congested turn and swung wide to avoid the mess of swimmers who went off in heats ahead. I looked to my right and there was Ken stroking away with his regal purple cap. Darn!

My goal of this race was to conserve energy whenever possible, so I swam over to him and returned the favor; I got in his draft. Swimming in Ken’s slipstream, and the “tailwind like” current that brought us back in to T1, made the swim feel almost effortless. I was one arming it to avoid running up his back.

Once we made the turn on the final stretch to the swim exit, I pulled out and to the right and punched it. I could tell he didn’t like that. He wasn’t going to let me just take this easily and I could tell his stroke count had increased. At that point I felt I had made a tactical error. I was to his right side and the swim exit was to the left. I would have to get a good lead then cut the tangent quickly to the ramp.

Mission accomplished; I was first out of the water in 27:50. Ken came out four seconds later. Ok folks what do we have for the swim winner of the mens 45-49 age group? Maybe some bragging rights?

Anyway, I had saved some energy for the day ahead, so I was pleased. It was cool to be able to battle with such a triathlon legend like Ken, but I knew that there was no way I was going to be able to stay close to him on the bike. At the mount line I commented “nice swim” but got no response. See ya later swim guy.....> He was gone up the road.

Once out on the bike, I discovered that my Profile water bottle that I put between my aerobars was loose. That little Velcro strap that holds it in place had come unthreaded. I pulled the bottle off and stuffed it in my shorts and proceeded to thread the Velcro strap through the loops as I rode. It took me about 2 miles or so to get this done. The process allowed my heart rate to settle and not chase after Ken, which would have been a foolish thing to do. It would have been tough to impossible to ride with that bottle loose on the front, so I was glad that I was able to fix it on the fly. I rode controlled until I got to “The Beast”.

On the way to “The Beast” there are some picturesque coastal roads. It was nice to just take in the sights and control the effort level. It was a beautiful day. Just before I made it to the beast, a few guys from my age group passed me. I just let them go. I thought to myself “I’ll see you guys on the last loop of the run.

The Beast wasn’t that bad. I think my wattage spiked at 330-360 and heart rate went to 160s. I kept it under control. The race starts after the speed bumps and once you get onto the Melvin Evans highway. Once I got to the highway, there was a decent headwind so, I was glad that I had kept a lid on it up to that point.

At around 40 to 43 miles, Joe Boness came by me with his entourage. It was sad but impressive watching a 54 year old man pulling a train of dudes behind him. The guy has huge quads. They all rode away from me and I was alone for the ride back to T2. Bike time including transitions 2:49.

I made a quick transition and headed out on the run with Jeff Cuddeback. He started a few minutes later in the heat after me, so he was actually a few minutes ahead. He is a triathlon god in my eyes and has accomplished so much in the sport. I thought he was keeping a decent pace so I would try to pace off him. Once we got to the Buccaneer golf course I had to stop to take a pit stop, so Jeff got away from me and eventually he ran out of sight.

It was so hot and humid out there. Aid stations were situated every 1K and I needed refreshment and ice at each one, but despite the heat, I felt good.

Typically, my long training runs are done the day after my long bike ride. I like to run them at a tempo pace and then on the last half I do a series of 6 x800 repeats with 400 jog recoveries at close to threshold effort. I feel this trains me to run the back half of a race like this faster. On a course like this if you miscalculate your pace early, it will come back to bite you on the last half of the run. Once I hit the turnaround, I hit the switch. “It’s go time”

I began to pass folks quickly. I felt strong. I was hitting some mile splits in 6:30‘s. My pace was faster than the first loop. Once we got to the golf course, I could see that I was gaining ground back on Jeff. Back on the road into town I surged past him on the last long grade. I could tell he was hurting. I kept the effort level high but he still hung with me. He was smoking his age group, the 50-54, but he wasn’t going to let me, a 47 year old guy, just run away from him. I was able to hold him off to the finish line. It was a thrill to race him. The guy is a competitor! At the finish he complimented me on my race execution. That meant a lot to me coming from a guy like him. Run time was 1:34. It is so tough to run sub 1:30 on this course in this heat and humidity.

When all was said and done, I had topped my time from 2007 by 2 minutes and went 4:51. In 2007, I won the age group by 7 minutes. In all the years leading up to this one, that time would have won my age group every year, but not today; I was 6th. Former pros and Olympic marathoners showed up and just smoked me.

None of those guys miscalculated their efforts, and on the final loop I was only able to pass only 2 or 3 guys. The guys who finished in front of me are all Kona caliber, and guys like that just don’t fade.

Looking back on the results, I would have placed higher in the 25-29 age group. So upon reflecting on Hodding Carters book, it’s true. Old guys are refusing to let age slow them down. The times of older guys keep getting faster every year. I won’t be going to Kona this year, but I look forward to seeing the results of those who do. The times are likely going to be the fastest ever.

Dana, my wife, had a great race too and finished 3rd in her age group. Unfortunately for her, the two women who finished ahead were also the top two women in Kona last year. So the top woman already had her slot from the Kona win, and the slot passed to second leaving Dana just on the cusp again. She is getting used to being a Kona slot bridesmaid. When we were on the plane back home, and away from all the other triathletes, she told me she was happy not to hear the word “Kona” anymore. I totally understood.

St. Croix is a fantastic race. The volunteers are great, the venue is fantastic, and the islanders throw a huge party for all the athletes the Friday before the race. I love this race and I will be back.

St. Croix 2009:Pre-Race

2009-05-02T17:31:00.008-05:00

Well, we’re back in St. Croix. Last fall Dana signed up for this race so I followed along too. I had a great race here in 2007, and nabbed a Kona slot. It’s a tough race, probably the toughest 70.3 race on the circuit. I often wonder why they chose Clearwater as the World Championship. This course is epic in so many ways. This would be a destination as desired as Kona if they could move the race here. Have it in May to avoid the hurricane season. Just my opinion.

We had an uneventful trip down here on Wednesday. These folks have it figured out. It’s a small airport, and most of the planes that fly in here are double props. There isn’t enough space in the cargo area for all the bikes and luggage so they are shipped over separately on a cargo plane. When we arrived, our bikes were waiting for us in the baggage claim.

We met some nice people on the flight over and pro Mirada Carfrae was sitting behind us. I wished her luck even though I don’t think she needs it. This course seems to favor the “small athlete”. It’s hot and hilly.

We rented a car and I made sure that I concentrated on driving on the left side of the road. It’s easier in Britain because the driver’s side is in the middle of the road, on the right side of the car. Here you drive an American car, so the driver is on the edge of the road. Weird. Island music piped from the cars as we sat at stoplights. The atmosphere was definitely island.

Last time we were here, we stayed at the Buccaneer hotel. It was nice but very expensive. This time we reserved a spot at the Carrington’s Inn. It is a nice little bed and breakfast with a great view of Christiansted Harbor. When we arrived at 11 pm, we were greeted by, Roger, the inn’s proprietor. He was friendly, and showed us to our spacious room. It was painted a pastel yellow. The ocean breeze was blowing through the windows and it was quite refreshing after our long trip. Something about a sea breeze just helps you sleep better, which we did.

The sun came up at 5:45am, which brightened our room. We were treated to an awesome view and sunrise. Breakfast was at 8:30. The inn has five rooms and we all sat together, family style. We met a few other folks at breakfast, including two Germans who had been here for week training. Both were surgical residents currently training in Switzerland. Man, in my residency, I had a total of two weeks vacation for the entire year and there was no way I could have done a triathlon, let alone this one! They work 50 hr weeks, pretty much what I do now.
After breakfast, we put the bikes together then went down to the harbor for a swim on the course. The water was rough with a resistive current on the way out, and a nice smooth push on the swim back in. I timed myself at 29 minutes, which included some stops to tread water and check my sighting points. Swimming shouldn’t be a problem.

After our swim, we loaded up the bikes and drove the front half of the course. Some folks were out riding it. I remember some of the roads being very rough with potholes and loose gravel. I wasn’t interested in riding over that. On a positive note, they were oiling the roads and laying down fresh asphalt. Unfortunately, the folks on their bikes were riding through the oil and the hot asphalt. I was cringing hearing the sound of the rental car driving through it. I sure wouldn’t have ridden my bike through it.

We stopped at the foot of “The Beast” to take some photos. Laura Sophia and Kevin Moats stopped behind us. Kevin pulled his bike out of the car and without a warm up proceeded to ride straight up it. Laura, Dana, and I choose to save our legs for Sunday. Kevin is a stud!

We drove the rest of the course and refreshed our memory, then stopped at the Divi hotel and unloaded our bikes. This is the Southern and windward side of the island. It has some great views and rolling hills. People are all freaked out about “The Beast”. In my opinion, this is the part of the course that is the toughest. Winds can come at you like the climb to Hawi in Kona.

Dana and I rode this loop and the Lowery Hill. I felt great. I was hitting target wattage easily and the climbs seemed effortless. After an hour, we called it a day and headed back to the room for a dinner consisting of sandwiches and chips on the floor of our hotel room.

Typically before a race, I usually take a day off two days before so Thursday we went down to the Boardwalk to Rum Runners had breakfast, then went on a half day snorkeling excursion. A catamaran took us out to Buck Island. It would have been great if it weren’t for some obnoxious, beer-drinking, wife beater t-shirt wearing hillbillies that were lighting up their next cigarette before they finished their last one. They were told not to smoke but did it anyway. Smelling cigarette smoke really bothers me and they poisoned the smell of the fresh sea breeze for all of us. An interesting note is that they had the smoker’s version of the Bento box around their necks. A clear plastic box necklace with a case of Marlboros inside…. I’ll see you folks on the table for your lung lobectomy in a few years.

Saturday morning Dana and I were up early, drove to the Buccaneer for a run and a ride. We ran the golf course loop with a few race-paced efforts then rode the lowery loop, also with a few race-paced efforts. We were back at the inn before 8 am for our breakfast and some down time for the rest of the day.

Wondering around town, I have seen a lot of fast people. I don’t think the recession is slowing down the fast folks travel plans. It looks like the field will be stacked in both the pros and age groups tomorrow. Dana and I are just going to race our own races and let the rest take care of itself. I keep in mind that that in a race like this, hot and humid conditions, one needs to pace appropriately for optimum outcome. The best result here will depend on who runs the quickest.

In my age group, I think it’s going to take a 4:45 or better to make the top three. I was 4:53 here in 2007. I don’t think that’s going to cut it this year, unless the conditions are poor. If I can equal or better what I did a few years ago, I will be happy. Thanks for reading… I will post a race report sometime following the race whenever I find some free time.

My Pool: It May Not Be Much, But It Works For Me

2009-04-28T20:27:00.008-05:00

I swim at the Downtown YMCA here in Tulsa. This place was built in the 1940's or 50's and currently not meeting building codes. It reeks of mold, and is in disrepair. It will be shut down in the next few months. The problem is, most pools in Tulsa cater to the aqua-sizer crowd and those folks demand that the water temperature be like bath water in the upper 80's. I can't get a good workout in that temperature of water. The Y keeps the temps around 80.... Perfect, and the hours fit my schedule. I feel refreshed when I finish a swim, not drained. Something good is "in the water" at the Y. Come along and join some local Tulsa area triathletes for a workout and a short tour of the facilities.

Off To The Races

2009-04-20T22:34:00.002-05:00

It’s been a while since I have had time to write something on this blog. I haven’t had much time to do anything besides work and train. The work, unfortunately, has taken precedence, but that doesn’t mean that myself and a few of my coached athletes haven’t been able to test our fitness with a few races.......We have;-)

A few weeks ago a few of us flew to the birthplace of triathlon, the land of perpetual sunshine and summer, Oceanside, California for the Ironnman Oceanside 70.3. Californians seem to take this race very seriously. These folks are in tremendous form and very fit for this race. It’s very competitive. I’ve always wanted to do this race but I find it difficult to get myself ready for it with the long, dark, and cold Oklahoma winters. It’s dark when I leave for work and it’s dark when I get home. Most of the cycling this year got done on the Computrainer. After a while, I found myself watching slasher movies to keep my cranks moving at a high rate.

Myself, Sean Stevens, Eric Lundt, and Michael Krupka made the journey to the land of whoop ass. We all had respectable races but we were each handed our tushes on a silver platter when all was said and done.

It was a wonderful day in southern California on April 4th for the day of the race. It was a little chilly in the morning but we were all used to that. The water temperature was a nice 58 degrees. It sure beats the 89 degree water temperature that the health club keeps for the aqua-sizers. Don’t get me started on that.........

My heat was one of the last heats to go. The guy at the ramp keeping us in line, said that it was one of the largest. It was greater than 200 athletes. That’s a race in itself. I don’t think a local race in Oklahoma gets that many entrants.

Before I knew it the gun had sounded and we were off. I was able to swim away from the pack within the first 200 meters or so and continue to extend my lead for the entire swim. Unfortunately, I had to swim over and around the multiple heats which had gone off in front of me. Based on my training times, I thought I would be able to swim a 25 min 1.2 mile, but due to the congestion and taking a wide tack, it was 26:30. I still couldn’t wipe the big smile on my face as I cut through the chilly water in my XTerra Vendetta.

It was great to have the lead and my hopes were high. I started to think “Could a guy from Oklahoma come into their house and take this age group?” I guess I stood there and dreamt a little too long. For some reason, I had a brain fart in T1. I put on a jacket then decided to take it off, then I put on gloves and forgot to put on my helmet. I jacked around a minute longer than everyone else did. I was wasting time and folks were arriving and I was getting left behind. The swim lead evaporated just like that...Duh! The answer to the above question was a resounding.... NO!

On the bike those fit bleach blonde ripped dudes were tearing the cranks off their bikes and just demolished me. I was riding up one of the hills in Camp Pendleton and said to someone as I rolled by. “This hill seemed a lot easier on the Computrainer”. No answer.

Meanwhile, Sean, Eric, and Michael were having tough races too. Sean was holding his own with his swim and bike and was in the top 12 in his age group at T2, and Michael was having his all time best bike split on this course.

Once I hit the run, I was feeling good. I knew I had given up too many places to have a chance of getting on the podium. Being the top swimmer has a dubious advantage; you are able to count your position in the age group race as each competitor rides by. I had dropped from 1st to 18th and had the 24th best bike split. Ugh! Not exactly a glowing Computrainer testimonial, but I think it was mostly due to the lack of time on two wheels compared to my SOCAL counterparts.

I ran up on Eric who had left a few heats in front of me. He was running strong and ended up having a personal best HIM run. I saw Sean running the opposite way and was having a great race and looked strong too. Michael was plugging away and we shouted encouragement to one another.

Sean topped us all with an overall time of 4:42, 22nd in his age group, I went 4:48 for 12th, Michael went 5:13 for 73rd, and Eric ran himself up to 116th in the 35-39 age group from 182nd after the swim and went 5:23. It was a great way to get the season off to a good early start.

A week later, another one of my coached athletes, Doug Leib, 51, finished 9th overall in the Iron Pig Duathlon and was first in the grand masters category. Doug has his goals set on going back to Duathlon Worlds again this year, but also wants to do a few triathlons. He told me young guys half his age were coming up to him and asking him how he got so fast. I know.....The guy works hard!

This weekend a few other athletes raced. Kara Cassel has been tearing up the courses lately. She recently ran a PR 5K of 17:50 after a threshold bike ride workout, and this weekend travelled to Lubbock, TX for the Collegiate Triathlon National Championships. Kara is new to the sport but despite her newbieness, managed to place 26th out of 313 athletes in the event. Her strength is the run and she finished up with a 38 min 10K. I can see big things in the future for this girl.

SOCAL has Oceanside 70.3 for their world championships. Northeast Oklahoma has the Spring Fever Triathlon. It consists of a 450m swim, a 12 mile bike, and a 2 mile run. This race took place this past weekend. People here get really riled up for this event like the Californians get riled up for Oceanside. This year record numbers registered, 379, I think. There were so many, I was shut out. When I tried to register. They said “sorry we are closed”.

I had a few athletes do well here too. Toby Smith was 3rd overall and Michael Krupka was 9th. Eric Lundt ran a PR and broke one hour. My wife Dana had a great race too and finished 10th overall and 2nd amongst the women. She was bested only by local pro Jessica Myers.

Dana and I are getting ready to travel back to St. Croix. It’s a nice destination race. I like the heat. A full report will follow that race. Until then.......

Trifest 2009

2009-03-11T11:01:00.014-05:00

This past weekend Dana and I flew back to Tucson, Arizona for Trifest. This is an annual event organized by Trisports.com. A store that goes far and beyond what most stores do to cater to the needs of triathletes. Dana and I are honored to be a part of their racing team. I joined the team last year and Dana was selected to the team this year.

Dana arrived to Tucson on Thursday and I came later on Friday after work. On Friday morning a large group ride of about 300 people were escorted by police and a Trisports.com van from downtown Tucson to the base of Mt. Lemmon. At that point, the riders had a choice on how far they wanted to go. Most were turned back by the cold at a spot called windy point, which is about half way up.

Pictured below is windy point with a view of Tucson in the distance. It is around 7000 ft.

I love that mountain. It climbs from 3000 ft to 9000 ft at a steady 6% grade for 27 miles. There is a café at the summit that serves great pie. Dana and I have been up there on several occasions. It’s a delicious reward for such a long arduous climb.

Trifest itself is an expo, a lecture series, and a big party to kick off this year’s triathlon season. Dave Scott and a number of other professionals were there to provide their expertise.

Pictured below: Dave Scott leads a group of Triathletes on a morning run

Dave is known for his finicky eating habits. I walked by his table and couldn't resist taking this photo. Beer and Pizza. Dave's response "It's not mine. I swear someone must have planted it there."

I made it to a few lectures and spoke to a few vendors, but I spent most of the time taking advantage of the warm weather and hilly terrain to get in a mini training camp.

Dana and I met up with Liz and Chris Waterstraat who are also on Team Trisports.com. We know them from the cyber world but this weekend we were able to train and party together in real life. I have a big race planned in a few weeks. I felt somewhat guilty because my training plan is so regimented and planned out that I did a lot of training on my own, while Dana was off training with them. We reunited with George and Jane Esahak-Gage who we met back in the mid 90’s. Back then, George and I were always battling it out and finished with some close races. They both were involved in a bike vs. car accident a few years back and were seriously injured. George almost died. I was pleased to see him looking so good.

As I have said before, it is great to meet like-minded folks who have the same passions and goals. We have developed some solid friendships with folks from all over the country.

On Saturday night, Trisports.com had a party and casino night at the store for all the vendors, pro athletes and team members. There was an open bar and catered Mexican food. Seton Clagget, the owner of the store gave us his own personal tour of the facility. After meeting him, I can see why this company is so successful. He has a passion for the sport and throws everything he has at it. They currently have 45 employees, sponsor a pro cycling team, OUCH with Floyd Landis, and sponsor a triathlon team that includes top athletes like Andy Potts. Click here to learn more about Trisports.com This company is like a family and Dana and I feel fortunate to be a part of the team.

Seton has the red hat on. Team members gathered around as he gave us a tour

The party gets in full swing at the store.

Therefore, when you are looking to buy anything Triathlon related click on Trisports.com and you will find it. The other nice thing is that you don’t have to interrupt your life to shop. Your item will show up at your doorstep in a couple of days. For a busy guy like me that’s great. Below are a few photos from the week’s events.

Here's where your order is taken

Here's the warehouse. The order gets filled here.

The show room has an indoor endless pool to try out wetsuits and complete bike fit system. A lot of high dollar bikes fill this place too.

Tucson Training Camp: Day 5 and 6

2009-02-22T09:41:00.014-06:00

After a mid week recovery day, we were ready to push the next few days a little bit harder. It takes a few days to get your body wound up and used to doing this much daily training. After the initial adaptation occurs, you go into combat mode and you are able to take it a bit further.

After a few cups of coffee, I was in a better mood

We awoke early on Wednesday morning. It was going to be a long day so we got our run in. Sean and I ran a brisk 50-minute tempo run on the trails of Canyon Ranch at sunrise. We were flying at a 6:00/ mile pace at times. Dana ran on her own. The sun was coming up and reflecting different shades of orange and purple shadows off the mountains. The sky was a pastel blue. My legs felt a bit loaded at the start of the run, but were revved up and ready to roll for the rest of the day by the time we finished.

Owen went all out to make us huge pancakes!

After the run, we had another wonderful cycling house breakfast then loaded the bikes onto the Hammer van for the trek across town to the Pima Community College parking lot. The plan was to start on the west side of town and ride up and over Gates pass, then ride loops on the other side of the Rincon mountain chain. I hadn’t ridden over there before, so it would be some new scenery. These roads were familiar because they were in the movie "The Wraith" with Charlie Sheen. I was living out here in the 80’s when they filmed that awful movie. Anyway, we hit a few 15 to 20 minute threshold efforts up Gates Pass, and then we did some longer tempo efforts on the way back. We rolled it back to the house to complete our 4 hours in the saddle.

Sean and Brendan power over Gates pass with Matt and I a few yards back

Dana was so strong that she bent her chain! Here's the link Owen removed.
After the ride, we were led in another core session then packed up our bags and made our way to the Catalina High School for another swim. I managed to get in 3000 yards in with a decent set of 10x100, but most of us used it as a recovery session.

When we returned, a nutritious meal was prepared and waiting for us. It was a full day of training from sunrise to sunset. This would have been impossible to do without the support from the cycling house and the support crew.

That evening we downloaded data, talked about the day, kicked back, and watched the movie documentary ”Overcoming” There is nothing like watching the pain that pro cyclists go through day to day to toughen you up.

Geeking out over the day's data
Day 6 was set to be one of the toughest days on the schedule. The plan was to leave the house, which is located in Sabino Canyon, then ride to Saguaro Monument East, then through Vail, down to Green Valley and up to Madera Canyon. Madera Canyon is a steady climb to 5400 ft. The last 3 miles pitch up to a 20 percent grade, so there is a steady tightening of the screws as you move further into the ride. It ended up being 70 miles and taking 4 hours.

After the ride, we did a trail run to the top of the mountain, tacking on another 3000 feet. The slope of the trail was unrelenting on rocky terrain that soon turned to ice and snow as we climbed further. I felt stiff at the start but I soon started to feel euphoric as the air became thinner and colder. It was a great way to end the camp and it put an exclamation point on what we had done this week. It was reminiscent of last years “Epic Camp” when we did the triathlon to the top of the mountain.

This kind of finish is something that builds confidence and pushes you to a new level. On the run, I started a little slow then caught some of the younger guys, Matt and Sean, walking. I overheard them saying “I’m Cracked” I ran on ahead alone. On the way down, I ran into Sean. He had regrouped and had started running again. I told him” Never tell yourself that you have cracked. No negative thoughts!” Sean has a deep well of untapped talent; he had a great camp and has pushed his game up a few notches this week, as did everyone else.

After the run, we had a picnic lunch then drove back to the house with the bikes on top of the van. Everyone was tired, but felt a sense of accomplishment.
When we returned we had another data download sharing session, then it was time again for another wonderful cycling house meal. The task that I wasn’t looking forward to was packing up everything.

Below is a shot of Madera Canyon and Doug Leib finishing strong. We had a great meal when we returned.

On the final day, Lisa and Dana went on a final run while I rested. I had a 48-hour call weekend ahead of me when I returned and I anticipate that it might be more brutal than this camp. Matt, Sean, and Doug’s plane left later in the day so they got in an extra ride. Some folks just cant get enough.
It was a successful camp as evidenced my WKO cycling performance manager chart. Take a look at this!

Tucson Camp Day 3 and 4

2009-02-17T22:13:00.008-06:00

On Monday, all of us took on the mighty Mt. Lemmon. The climb is 27 miles in length and the grade averages 6 to 8 %. The girls got a head start and we steadily climbed from cacti and the warmth of the high Sonoran desert to pine trees and snow and ice at the top of the mountain. Brendan, one of the cycling house staffers was in the van to provide us with food and water and access to our warmer clothes.

Everyone did great. Personally, I over geared and was out of the saddle a bit more than I would have liked. A few years ago, I spun up at 10-12 miles per hour. On this day, I was only managing to hold 8-10 on this climb. It really makes a difference when you use the correct gearing. It was a great strength workout.

This is a great mountain to train on and I saw quite a few professionals and folks from other triathlon camps out there. If I lived here, the ultimate weekly workout for me would be to climb this mountain at threshold with jumps above threshold and occasionally and see how far I could get each week before I blew up. It’s kind of like an over under workout on a mountain.

I guess the best thing I have next to this in Oklahoma is wind and, of course my, Computrainer.

Doug Leib, pictured above, has an altimeter on his watch. Here is a photo of his polar down load. It’s quite impressive. The ride time was between 4 and 5 hours for the group. The pools were closed, so we were unable to get in a swim, but some of us got in a run.

A massage therapist came by that evening and I got a wonderful one-hour massage. Sean Stevens said I looked “worked” after it. It was good.

On Tuesday, Brendan, a former high school runner, took us on a run on the Sabino canyon trails. The dude is smooth. Toby and Sean enjoyed the trail running dodging rocks, while I preferred some half-mile intervals on the flat fine sand horse trails. Here's some of the "Cycling House" special pancakes.

After the run we went for a two and a half hour recovery ride then stopped at “Le Buzz“, a coffee shop, and put the finishing touches on our recovery. On the way back, we saw an old man fall in his driveway. He wasn’t able to get up, so we helped him up. He was out measuring the square footage around his driveway to buy some gravel. Toby and Sean did that for him then we took an easy ride back to the house. He and his wife were thankful. We did our good deed for the day.
After a 15-minute core session, our final workout of the day was a swim. I upped the main set of my workout to 6 x 400’s on the 6:00. A guy got in my lane and shared the other half. He was keeping pace with my 1:05-1:10/100 pace. After talking with him after my workout, it turned out that he swam for Dartmouth and was a distance guy that swam a 15:40 for the 1500. That’s smoking fast. He said that I pushed him, and was glad that I was there. If I had known that, I would have let him lead then I could have circled with him.

When we returned from our workout the boys had our dinner ready, which was delicious. Dana was super hungry.
Tomorrow, it’s another day of swim, bike and run. We are headed to Gates pass and ride on the west side of town. Until then……

Tucson Camp Day 1 and 2

2009-02-16T08:11:00.012-06:00

The first official day of the Tucson Camp started with a 4-hour ride to a point southeast of town called “Pistol Hill”, it is close to Saguaro National Monument and Colossal Cave. Our ride out involved steady false flat terrain that allowed us to keep a steady power output for an hour of tempo intervals. After the meat of the ride was completed, we rode a loop around the Cactus Forest. It’s a beautiful place and it’s purely Arizona.
When we arrived home, lunch was waiting for us. After that settled, we took the Hammer bus to the community pool and just took over. It’s important to establish “lane dominance“. The locals were wondering who we were. I managed to get in a set of 5 x 400’s as my main set.
Following the swim, there was an optional run which Toby and Dee took advantage of while the rest of us took part in a killer core workout that was lead by Jen. My abs are still sore from that one.
We were then treated to an awesome meal by the cycling house staff. I can’t rave more about the food here. It is fantastic. The best thing is that we don’t have to prepare anything. It’s all taken care of.

Day 2 started with a 1:30 run up to the Sabino Canyon recreational area. Toby, Sean, Doug and I ran up on the trails deep into the canyons until our progress was halted by a couple of washes that had actually turned into rivers. They were impassable. We backtracked a bit and ran a few hardish efforts, and then we headed back.

I am familiar with the area and thought I could show the group a short cut back to the house. To make a long story short, I lead the group on a run through some heinous brush, burs, cactus, and a few washes that, again, were actually rivers. Despite some wet running shoes, we made it back to the house with only a few scratches from the cactus we ran into.

The girls avoided this, and went on a shorter run and longer ride.

After the run was a nice 2-hour active recovery spin that involved carrying our bikes through sand then riding across a wash. Some folks got a little wet on that one. The Tour of Tucson runs through that wash, and the thought of thousands of cyclists hauling ass through there at the same time seems pretty crazy.

To complete the workout for the day we loaded up the van and headed back to the community pool. This time the community had established “lane dominance” . We eventually got in a good workout with some top end 100’s. I found the swim refreshing.

When we returned we were treated to another great meal then kicked back and visited.

Andy and Sam returned from the 24-hour race, which they won. They had some good stories.

Tomorrow we are going on a 5-hour ride and summit Mt. Lemmon.

Training Camp Is On At The Cycling House

2009-02-14T08:18:00.009-06:00

This week I won’t be inside hammering out intervals on my computrainer surrounded by a pool of sweat. Why not? Dana, I, and a group of 6 other fitness minded Tulsans have traveled to Tucson, AZ for a week long training camp. Dana and I came here twice in 2007 and the fitness we gained from that week carried us through to great performances that year.

We are staying at a unique place called "The Cycling House". Dana and I stayed here in 2007. This place caters to the fitness minded athletic camper in every way. As a guest here, you get the “pro athlete” treatment.

We shipped our bikes to the house and when we arrived, they were assembled and ready to ride. A nutritious lunch was also prepared and waiting for us. Within an hour, we were out on the roads enjoying the sunshine and the hills.
It is such a pleasure to just train, and have everything else taken care of. All you have to do is train and relax. The rides are supported by a sag and they provide a guide to ride with us to make sure that we don’t get lost. The support riders aren’t slouches either. They all come from a professional cycling background.

I’m a Hammer Nutrition guy, so I find it nice that there is a pantry filled with all the products I need for my long rides and recovery needs. Dana and I only brought one small bag with us on the plane, which was nice. I think I had more crap with me the last time I flew when I did Escape from Alcatraz. Now that was an adventure.

Last night after everyone arrived we had a nicely prepared salmon and saladfor dinner. Yum! All the food here is great. It was my birthday, so a surprise cake with candles and the traditional birthday song was for desert.

Yesterday we managed to get in a 20 mile bike ride and a 5.5 mile run with some tempo intervals. The official start of the camp is today and we are planning on a 4 hour ride with some intervals followed by a swim and a run. The outline is on the grease board.

Breakfast at the cycling house. Today was oatmeal and awesome pancakes with fruit.

Andy and Sam are getting ready to leave for a 24 hr mountain bike race called "24 hrs of old pueblo"

I will try to update daily since I will have tons of time on my hands.

2009 Gets Off To A Good Start

2009-02-07T19:50:00.001-06:00

These past few weekends some of my coached folks and my wife and kids have started the year off with a little competition and racing.

Toby Smith and Kara Cassel both took 3rd overall in the men’s and woman’s elite division of the St.John indoor triathlon. The event consisted of a 500-yard swim, 12-mile stationary bike, and a 3-mile indoor track run. Both athletes have been hitting it hard in training, and were pleased with their results.

My wife Dana, Michael Krupka, and Eric Lundt traveled to Austin Texas for the 3M half marathon on January 25th, while Dana ran well; she wasn’t pleased with her race. Both Michael and Eric ran PR times for the distance and were happy. Both are building for Ironman 70.3 Oceanside in April. I cut back on their volume this year and focused more on speed and it appears to be yielding good results.

Paige and I traveled to Oklahoma City for the Oklahoma Age Group Swimming Championship. Swimmers had to qualify for the event that consisted of prelims and finals. There were some fast swimmers at the meet and it was fun to watch. There were 12-year-old girls there who could smoke me. Now that was humbling.

The parents in the stands are just unbelievable……. Too serious for a kids meet. They carry clipboards with all their kids’ times and yell like drunken sailors in the stands. “They can’t hear you”

All I care is that Paige has a good experience and develops a lifetime fitness attitude. She had fun and won a bronze in the 200 free relay. She just missed the finals in 2 events. Her times were off her best. This was probably because we had to get up at 4:30 am both days to drive to Oklahoma City to make the 7 am warm up time. She was tired and so was I. It was good fun though.

Payton took part in the Krafft Gymnastics Friendship cup gymnastic meet in Tulsa. Dana and I tag teamed the events. While I took Paige to the swim meet, Dana took Payton to the gymnastic event and was a concession volunteer on her 40th birthday. Prior to that, she did a birthday set of 40x100 in the pool with a group of her buddies on the 1:40 send off.

Payton wasn’t happy with her performance. She fell on the beam, which is rare for her. These gymnastics kids are such perfectionists!! Payton had another Gymnastics meet in Oklahoma City, the Dynamo Classic, and this weekend and had better results. She placed 4th in the floor for the Level 7’s with a 9.4.

Braden ended up 3rd with his science experiment at the school science fair. I asked him if he was upset that he didn’t win. He said “Dad, it’s not about winning it’s just about taking part and having fun” Who told you that??? “No one” Wise kid.

It was good fun and a busy few weekends. We are currently gearing up for our Tucson training camp February 13th-20th. A large group of motivated Tulsans will be joining us for a week of fun in the sun at The Cycling House. It will be nice to just train and not have to deal with other life responsibilities. I will update our daily camp happenings on this blog. Until then….

The Science Experiment

2009-01-26T08:43:00.002-06:00

My eight-year-old son, Braden, has entered the school science fair again. The project he chose to do this year was to determine the effect that fertilizer has on plant growth. We talked through our plan together and developed a hypothesis. He felt that the fertilizer would stimulate the growth of the plant.This was well known. His experiment was to determine that if more than the recommended amount of fertilizer was given what the result would be. He hypothesized that it would result in a huge plant. Like “Jack and the Beanstalk“. Makes sense right? More is more.

I looked around online to find clear planters where the root systems of plants could be visualized. I found some from Edmond Scientific and placed an order for three. We placed pea seeds in the Plexiglas planters with equal amounts of soil. Colored construction paper served as a barrier from the soil and also identified our control and experimental boxes. One of the boxes received the recommended amount of fertilizer while the other box got a whopping four times the recommended amount.

It has been two weeks into the experiment and he was astonished by the results. The control box was the first to sprout but the fertilized box soon surpassed it and it is flourishing. What he felt that was unusual was that the over fertilized box had barely sprouted. The growth of the seeds appeared as if they had been stunted and they have failed to progress pass the sprouting stage. Most of these seeds won’t even germinate.

I had no idea that this experiment would amount to much, but the results even surprised me. We are often lead to believe that if you give or do more of something, the results should be better. As I sat at the table and stared at the experimental boxes through my fog of fatigue from my own workouts I started to think…This little pea seed experiment reminded me that too much of a good thing, no matter what it is, can lead to poor results. I was over fertilized with training, work, and family obligations.

Training for triathlon is a science experiment for me. I’m a busy guy but I still want to perform well. I want to make the most out of every training session. They always have to have a goal and a purpose., no junk miles here. I love to keep detailed logs that include graphs logging my stress scores, fatigue scores, power, pace, heart rate, and even blood lactates on selected intervals. I know that if I get too much of a dose of training the results decline just like the pea seeds with too much fertilizer. The key is to get just the correct dose… The recommended amount of fertilizer consistently. If you get too much…Well, you know what happens…. Fried, Cooked, Shelled what ever you want to call it.

I read an article in “Popular Science” a few months ago about Andy Potts Andy Potts article and felt that he and his coach are really on to something. The body responds to all kinds of stresses and this has to be monitored on a DAILY basis. There is no use in doing a hard workout if it is going to be sub par due to underlying fatigue. The data I collect tells me exactly how much stress it takes for me to get a training effect and by looking back at times when I have been shelled, such as this moment, I can look at fatigue scores which show me what I need to avoid in the future. My best results have come by listening to my body and, currently, paying attention to these graphs and numbers. It’s nice to be able to associate a feeling with a number.

My wife teases me about all my meticulous data collection. “JFT” she says. I just don’t think it would be as fun for me. I like all this detailed data collection. I get a better feel for what my body is capable of and get a better sense of proper pacing for longer races. The Raceday software has helped me keep a good eye on this.

The science fair is January 29th and last year Braden won with his electric generator project. We will see were this project leads. In the meantime, I’m monitoring my own training doses and with the help of Dr. Phil, the results are coming along very well. My science fair is coming up this spring;-)

The Last Man Standing

2009-01-18T12:09:00.002-06:00

This past weekend was the “Dad and Lad” camp in. 50 Dad’s and their cub scout sons paid $75.00 to ride a bus from Tulsa to Oklahoma City to stay overnight in a science museum called the “Omniplex”. All this included a catered barbecue dinner, science demonstrations, and activities, which included an all night movie marathon…… A young boys dream.

I had just come off an all night call in the hospital the night before so another all nighter was going to test my endurance.

Braden and I started the trip on a bad note when I refused to let him bring his Lego collection along with him. “Come on, there is plenty of things to do there. The Legos stay at home“. He is a Lego fanatic but that’s a topic of a different blog. Needless to say, he was not happy with me, but once we arrived at our destination, he quickly forgot about the Legos.

A science demonstration was by a spunky college student who drove a Segway. He performed some explosive chemical reactions with hydrogen gas, liquid nitrogen and other substances. This guy seemed to have a crazy effect on the boys. They were going nuts and dancing in the isles while explosions kept me awake.

The museum was filled with all kinds of artifacts from moon rocks to F16 jets and I enjoyed just touring it on my own as Braden took part in his own personal hands on experiments. He chose to sleep under an indoor tree house with his buddies so I looked for a more secluded quiet spot.

By 10pm, I was dragging and found a quiet place to lay down behind a snack bar that looked like it hadn’t been used for a while. I slept well but, unfortunately, the lights came on at 5:30 am when a man and his grandmother had arrived with our breakfast of coffee, donuts, and cereal. Figures…I had picked the worst place in the museum to crash. Oh well, I get up at that time anyway, so I packed up my stuff and moved out of their way.

I went into the theater to see what was going on there. I found one boy still up watching the movie “Cars”. I asked him if he had been up all night and he said “yes”. I was impressed. I told him we should give him a medal or trophy for being the last man standing. That’s Ethan Baskin pictured above.

Ethan and I ate breakfast together while the rest of the crew was awakened at 6:20 am. We were back on the bus by 7:45am and back in Tulsa by 9:30am.

It was a fun and educational time and I was glad that we stayed inside vs. outside. It’s kind of chilly out there now. Last summer, Dana went on a Mother and son campout with Braden. This indoor thing at the science museum was cushier and I feel I got the better end of the deal.

Now it’s time to get some sleep and get rid of this crick I have in my neck.

Time For A Change

2008-12-26T22:25:00.010-06:00

I never thought that I needed a Triathlon coach. I’ve been in and out of this sport for a long time. When I started doing triathlon in 1983, the approach was simple we just trained with specialists in each sport. I swam with the college swim team. I rode with the area cyclists, and ran with the college cross country/ track runners. This, unfortunately, also was the first time I experienced the overtraining syndrome. Back in those days, more was more and the triathlon magazines were filled with articles on how much the top athletes in the sport were training. To achieve those levels you had to be able to reproduce what Scott Molina, Scott Tinley and Dave Scott were doing. It was not very sophisticated but I probably did a lot more intensity and volume at one time than I needed to do. I, like most triathletes, tended to push myself beyond my limit. A coach would have been a good idea back then if I had one.

With that said, when I embarked on my return to triathlon in 2005 after a long layoff, I began to look for a coach to help me reach my goal of completing my first Ironman. A very demanding job and family kept me from overtraining. The internet was filled with great information to help me. Gordo Byrn’s site and forum was my favorite. I trained on my own up until eight or so weeks before the day of my first Ironman in Florida. I was clueless on how to handle the nutrition, pacing, and approach the race. I needed some help. I needed a coach!

I ran into an old friend, Dave Latourette (pictured in both pics above) at the Degray Lake half ironman in 2005. He was the announcer at the race. He’s a really spunky guy with a great personality. I had raced with him before in shorter races back in the 90’s. I knew he had done quite a few Ironman races and even had raced in Kona several times. I mentioned to him about my upcoming Ironman and asked for his advice. He gave me some tips and mentioned that he was a coach and that he could help me with the final build to the race. I hired him on the spot. Eight weeks later, I picked up 5th in the 40-44 age group at Ironman Florida, a podium spot, and qualified for Kona. That began a three and a half year relationship that cumulated in top ten age group finish in Kona in 2007.

Dave is not only is a good coach but a great friend. I have referred him a number of clients who also have achieved great things in the sport.

Not many coaches are there for you in the meat of your “A” race. Dave was there riding his bike along side me at mile 24 of the marathon of an Ironman Hawaii giving me encouragement in Kona in 2006 and 2007. I was digging deep and my body was saying quit, Dave was there to motivate me and keep me on pace to finish strong both times.

Last year my motivation was low. I had some chronic aches and pains. My hours at work had increased and I just couldn’t get myself out the funk I was in to get out the door to train. My performance suffered. Dave advised me to take some time off. It was good advice from a good friend and coach.

A few months ago when my motivation began to return, I felt I needed to make a change in my training. During my downtime, I began studying and using performance computer modeling. Unfortunately, I also felt I needed a coach who was familiar with using models intimately. Training with these models take the junk out of training. A busy guy like me needs the maximum “bang for the buck”. So I chose to move on to someone with experience using this type of training. I thought who better to be my new taskmaster than Dr. Phil Skiba, who developed the software “Raceday” and is the owner of Physfarm . It’s a different approach, and the workouts vary a bit from what I was doing with Dave, but I’m enjoying the change of pace thus far.

I called Dave to tell him a few days before I made my change. He understood my feelings but it was still hard to tell him the news. It’s hard to let go of something that worked and move on to something new.

Dave still coaches my wife, Dana, and a few other Oklahoma superstars like Chuck Sloan, and Amanda Erwin.

I just want to say …Thanks Dave. We had a great ride!

Don't make me get off this thing...

2008-12-20T14:04:00.004-06:00

Well, winter has hit in Oklahoma. The kids missed two days of school last week because of ice on the streets. Now they are home for two weeks for Christmas break. This means that Rob and I are spending more time training indoors on the computrainer.

I don't look forward to training indoors on the bike. I like the computrainer just fine, but it is a distant second to riding outside. I really enjoy riding in rural Oklahoma and just being outside.

So, I have set a few house rules for this season of indoor training. Just like when my parents, driving the car, warned my brother and I "don't make me pull this thing over", when we got a little rambunctious in the backseat, I will say...
"don't make me get off this thing" when I am on the computrainer.

To my kids:
Don't ask me to make you something to eat. I don't think you will starve in an hour.

Don't ask me to fix your hair, put lotion on you, tie your shoes, or floss your teeth. I think you can do all those things yourself, and I'm sure not going to get off the trainer to do it for you.

Don't make me solve your "she/he has been on the Wii ALL DAY and I haven't had a turn!" problems. My solution is to turn it off, and you won't like that.

And for my husband -- I can't really tell you what to do so here is my "make some major brownie points" list:

Please keep your cell phone with you while you are in the house so I can ask you to bring me stuff while I am on the trainer.

Please ask me if I am about to ride before you take my bike off the trainer and put yours on. You could win "Double Browie Points" if you put my bike back on the trainer when you were finished, too. (A girl can dream, can't she?)

Please don't expect me to be pleasant when I am doing intervals or when I am at 3:20 of a 3:30 indoor trainer ride. It is humanly impossible.

We can all get through this winter if we just work together!

Some Food For Thought On Thanksgiving

2008-11-13T07:51:00.003-06:00

I found this video on YouTube. I thought I would share it with my athletic readers as Thanksgiving approaches. I think I will just have a salad and a water thank you.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

The Mobile Locker Room

2008-11-04T21:08:00.004-06:00

I’m a busy guy and trying to fit in workouts in three sports is a big challenge. To save time, I keep my workout equipment including swim and running stuff in my car. I use the passenger’s headrest to drape my swimsuit over to dry, and the back seat to hang and dry used workout towels. I have gym bags water bottles and other equipment recklessly strewn about. I call it my mobile locker room. My partners at work have expensive cars like Mercedes, BMW’s, and Porsches, and I drive a Ford Explorer mobile locker room.

The other day I had my kids in the back seat taking them to gymnastics meet. My son Braden, who seems to always express his opinion about everything, said, “Dad, your car stinks. It smells like a dead rat!” Well, I know for a fact and from personal experience that isn’t true. I have had the dead animal smell permeate my vehicle before and this smell isn’t close.

Dana and I were on the road to the Redman Triathlon in 2005. Suddenly, as were driving down the turnpike, there was a grinding noise in the air-conditioner and then it stopped working. I thought a belt had broken. So I just rolled down the windows and opened the vents. As the drive wore on a peculiar odor began to permeate the car. It was bad, really bad. Dana said that she was about to vomit.

I lived with the smell for a few days by driving with all the windows open. I am often forced to endure terrible smells at work like the smell of burning flesh and dead necrotic bowel. Necrotic dead bowel… Now that is nasty! I can tolerate bad smells. However, the stench had now started to take over the garage and I think the smell was even sticking to my clothing. I was unable to take it any longer. I took the car into the shop to see what cause of the awful smell was. It reminded me of that episode of "Seinfeld"when Jerry couldn’t get rid of the body odor smell the valet left in his car. Another link with video” The Smelly Car"

The shop guys couldn’t sit in the car very long either. “How can you stand it” they said .They opened it up the system and found chunks of a chopped up field mouse in my air-conditioner fan and hoses. Apparently, the vermin had made its home in my car air-conditioning system and met his fate when he walked into the spinning fan. They had to remove and replace the fan, hoses, and fumigate the car for 24 hours to rid it of its awful smell. Ughh! Eventually, I had to sell that car. I think the entire ordeal cost me a grand!

So, “No Braden, it doesn’t smell like a dead rat! You have no idea. “

I have to admit, my car is looking pretty messy. It needs a good cleaning. When my eight-year-old son complains about it, I suppose I should get it detailed. Maybe I will be able to do that in the near future, but until then the kids will just have to tolerate it and be glad that they don’t have to endure the smell of a dead rat or dead bowel.

Twelve Years Ago....

2008-10-28T17:50:00.014-05:00

...our twins were born. They were tiny, each weighing in at about 3 1/2 pounds. They spent the first month or so of their life in the NICU. The nurses "bunked" them together, they seemed to function better that way.

We brought them home and spent a lot of time with them snuggled up on our chests.

Rob had a bit more hair then!

Today they are twelve years old. They still enjoy being together, and would rather play with each other than anyone else on the earth.

Playing house "Oklahoma Style".

She is your mirror, shining back at you with a world of possibilities. She is your witness, who sees you at your worst and best, and loves you anyway. She is your partner in crime, your midnight companion, someone who knows when you are smiling, even in the dark. She is your teacher, your defense attorney, your personal press agent, even your shrink. She is your twin, your sister. ~Barbara Alpert

Happy Birthday Payton and Paige!

A Tale of Two Seasons

2008-10-24T21:04:00.011-05:00

In the summer of 2006, Mark Van Akkeren (MarkyV) excitedly carried his laptop into my house and fired it up on my kitchen counter. “The new performance manager is here, look at this!” he said. He demonstrated how he was projecting his training and taper by altering his stress scores (TSS) in advance on the new cycling peaks software. I was new to training with power and I was still learning the nuances of this new device. I said, “that’s cool.” I didn’t have the depth of understanding and enthusiasm Mark was hoping for. At that time, I just had time to train and the time I spent analyzing data was minimal, but I recorded my rides daily and they were stored away in my cycling peaks file for later analysis. Mark continued to send me his charts throughout the next year and I began to get a better feel for his methods as time went on, but I continued to train by "feel" and taper by "feel".

This past year, I went into my old files and analyzed the anatomy of my good season last year and compared it to my poor season this year. I loaded up the charts on the computer and looked at them. Granted, this is only cycling data, it still gave me a feel for my fitness during both seasons, because the other sports training paralleled my cycling. Below is an image of my 2008 season. Click to enlarge. Following that is an image from 2007 season.
The first thing that I found, which was obvious, was the lack of consistency and progression this year in comparison to last year. I missed a lot of days this year. I just couldn’t get myself out the door. The rides that I did do, lacked direction, focus, and intensity. My motivation was lacking and I just didn’t get out and hit it like I should have. There were a lot of gaps in training and my (chronic training load)CTL, the blue line, and (acute training load)ATL, the red line, numbers were low. My CTL didn’t get much over 25/d for this entire season. In 2007, I was hovering in the 60’s all year and before Hawaii, I was in the upper 80’s. This year, I went into races unprepared but I still had fun despite my lack of performance. I needed the break physically and mentally.

I read this post on Joe Friel's blog and now understand that I what I did by “feel” in 2007, was right on despite not having a graph to look at. The CTL dropped around 10% before each race, and the (training stress balance) TSB rose above the zero line to just below +20, before each race.

I took a little break after Buffalo Springs, then started my massive build for Hawaii around July 4th. In 2007, I had one day on the bike with a TSS of 450, a 160 mile ride, and a peak of 133TSS/d week during that same week in July. My TSB dropped to -60 that week. I cooked myself that day, but I remember the next day I was able to go out and still run 13 miles at a 7 min pace. You can see this huge peak (red spike)in ATL in late July. This might have been a bit too much, but I was preparing myself for the potentially horrible weather conditions that the Big Island can throw at you. It was the “Epic Camp” approach.

If you look at the graph, at around the beginning of September, I took a 100+-mile ride. It rained for the entire day and when I went out on the bike a few days later, and the SRM didn’t work. I had to send it back to Colorado for repair. The big drop in CTL/ATL and huge rise in TSB isn’t a massive taper. It was just a month or so riding without power while the folks at SRM in Colorado fixed the water damage to the unit. It picks up again September 23rd. However, I do like long tapers before Ironaman races.

I’ve started to monitor my running and swimming with the same methods and it gives me a good idea where I am graphically. The graphs usually match my subjective feelings. I suppose I could continue to use the “feel” approach. Some would think it is a little silly to do all this data gathering and analyzing, my wife for one, but it works for me. I’m a scientist and I enjoy doing training experiments on myself. I have kept detailed training logs for years and I often go back and see what worked and what didn’t. I have also found that, by coaching others, what works for me doesn’t work for everyone. These graphs just give me information that is more objective so that maybe I can reproduce positive results more frequently. If things go wrong, I can look at the data and then develop theories why. I think combining them with the, subjective, “feel” method is the way to do it.

Ironically, Marky V is now is coached by Paulo Sousa, who is the author of The Triathlon Book Blog ,who trashes the TSS method and coaches by “feel” without all the bells and whistles. It looks like Mark believes the same thing.

Zen Mom

2008-10-12T15:29:00.011-05:00

The last triathlon race of the season was Sunday. This is the time of year when we put triathlon on a back shelf for a little while and put more energy in other areas, mostly our kids. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty for not being a "Supermom". I’m not the kind of mom that is always at the school, volunteering for every party, field trip, class project, school fund raiser, etc. etc. I’m not a total slacker, but I pick and choose. I took a quiz on the internet – "What kind of mom are you?" And you know, internet quizzes are SO scientific. Anyway, I was labeled a "Zen Mom". That sounds good to me. Healthy attachment is slightly detached.

At school, I help in the library only because I love to read, and I love the Dewey Decimal System. My favorite job is putting the books back in order. Everything has it’s place. So therapeutic.

I also don’t like to drive on most field trips. I have a problem with field trips to the mall, or Starbucks, or the Imax theater. Yeah, my kids have been on all those. Really. Maybe I am getting old, but I hear myself saying "When I was a kid, we only had one field trip a year. And it was to a ‘field’". And we walked.

A field trip to Starbucks? When I was a kid we didn’t HAVE Starbucks.

All my kids play sports, but I’m not really into their sports that much. Braden is playing flag football, which I love to watch because they are just SO CUTE. But I don’t really know what is going on most of the time. Looks like to me they do a fair share of just standing around.

Payton has been working on a certain skill in gymnastics that has alluded her for TWO YEARS. I never ask about it, I’m sure she will tell me when she gets it. I look at it this way, what a great life lesson – she has been attempting something and failing for two years. But she won’t give up. In this day of instant gratification, there aren’t many opportunities to learn a lesson like that. Awesome. There I go again, sounding old.

Paige swims, but I couldn’t tell you her best times in any event, or if the were a "B" time or an "A" time, or whatever. I don’t understand why she occasionally gets DQ’d, I think that is just mean!I do know that she has fun, she looks beautiful, smooth, and elegant when she swims, and she loves the breaststroke the best. What else does a mom need to know?

I don’t like to micromanage my kids school work, either. We can look up their grades on the computer but I don’t unless they ask me to. When I was a kid, my parents didn’t ask about my grades. I guess they were OK or I would have heard about it. I don’t help with homework unless they really need it. If they ask me a question, I often tell them to "Google it".

When I was a kid we didn’t have Google.

Well, this week, I became "Supermom". And I have the pictures to prove it!

I volunteered in the lunch room at school. It didn’t quite look this bad. But I was so busy opening milk cartons, passing out trays and squirting ketchup that I couldn’t take a picture.
I watched Braden’s first flag football game. Serious standing around.
I took the girls to see the US Olympic Gymnastic Team put on a show at the convention center. Maybe that will encourage Payton to work hard on that devil of a skill.
I drove on a "field trip" to the zoo. At least it wasn't Starbucks. Here is Braden drawing a picture of a rhino.

I watched Paige’s swim meet. Here is a picture of her just after getting DQ’d for turning over too much as she touched the wall at the end of her 50 M backstroke race. I told you that is mean!

I went on a "mom and me" camp out with my son. 24 hours in the woods with a bunch of 8 year olds. Actually pretty fun, but my superpowers were starting to weaken.
We finished off the week with a birthday party for Paige and Payton. I am exhausted. One week of being a Supermom is enough. Zen mom is coming back. Just breathe.

A Few Updates

2008-10-07T22:07:00.009-05:00

Marky V is kicking up his run, he went 3:59 at Longhorn 70.3. Look out for him next season!
It’s been a while since I updated this blog. I just haven’t had much idle time since the training has picked back up again. I am back running again and it feels good.

I have added another contributor to “Robsworld”, Dana, my wife. She, of course, is a large part of my world and adds a touchy feely component to the writing. Our coach, Dave LaTourette, describes us as “ying and yang“. I am all numbers, heart rates, paces, power numbers and I don’t have a bit of trouble taking my training indoors if I have to. In other words, I’m a geek. I also have a dry sarcastic scene of humor. Dana, on the other hand, could care less about paces and power numbers and just loves getting out with her friends to socialize on a ride. She is positive, bubbly and fun.

Dana has posted under my name before on previous posts. Now folks won’t think I am a cross dresser racing as a 39-year-old blonde woman. Now that’s a sick thought.

Last week we raced the first annual Tall Chief open water challenge. It was a small race put on by the Tulsa Masters Swim organization and Denise Smart at the Zink Ranch. 36 swimmers attended it and it should grow with each year. I placed second overall in the 2 mile and Dana was 4th in the female division. The guy that won was Christian Ballard from Oklahoma City. I was able to hang with him for around 500 yards then he juked left and dropped me from his draft. I thought,” who is this guy?” After the race, he told me he grew up in California and swam for UC Berkeley as a distance specialist in the mid 90’s. I just wish he had let this old man drag behind him a little longer. When all was said and done, he blew me away by 2 minutes. He was so strong. I have work to do!

Doug Leib raced the Duathlon world championships in Rimini, Italy last weekend. The weather there was horrible and he crashed on the bike. Check out his blog here for details.

This past weekend Dana and I traveled to Austin, TX with the Chance crew (our kids) for the Longhorn 70.3. Dana raced and I was the sherpa, gear runner, master kid herder, and long road driver. I did some running down at the Town Lake trail Saturday morning. What a spectacle, it seemed like everyone who was a runner in Austin was down there. It was congested just like Austin's highways

The Longhorn 70.3 race had 2000 people in it. Big race! We spent a lot of time in lines. There was a line to pick up the race packet. It took two hours to wait in a line of traffic and drop the bike off at the transition and on race morning there was a line at 5 am to get into the park. While we were waiting in traffic jam the morning of the race, the song “Lunatic Fringe” by Red Rider popped into my head. When you are racing, you are so into it you don’t realize how silly it really is. All these were people lining up at 5 am on a Sunday morning to pummel themselves. They paid to do it, too!

While I was dropping Dana off at the race, the kids were back at the hotel asleep. I was back in the room before they even knew I was gone. Our three kids don’t have the patience to hang out at a sprint race, let alone a half ironman so I chose to give them a few more hours in the room before we headed out to the 50 mile marker of the bike to watch the final section of the bike and the run. It was still a long day for them.

Dana at 50 miles and looking strong
Dana on the run with the kids in the background cheering her on.
Dana did great and she finished under 5 hours, which was her goal. She finished 3rd in the 35-39AG. After her finish, I sent her to grab food, then her bike out of transition, and we got out of there. We were back in Tulsa by 9:15 that night. It probably took less time to drive than it would have if we had flown. If you have read my past blogs, you know my past experiences with air travel.

Jessica Myers-Jones, a pro triathlete Dana and I train with sometimes here in Tulsa, did great in her debut at the 70.3 distance. She was 8th overall amongst the pros.

Jessica looking strong on the run.

I did some analysis of my 2007 and 2008 seasons using the Performance Manager on Cycling peaks. I will highlight that a bit during my next post. Some interesting (if you are a geek) but obvious findings.

These times, they are a changin'

2008-09-26T18:29:00.007-05:00

A few things happened today that got me thinking. Time is passing, whether we like it or not. Whether we are ready for the inevitable changes or not.

My kids didn’t have school today, so we were all just hanging out around the house. I was scheduled to do a key bike workout, some ten-minute efforts with wattage numbers starting with a 2. I figured I would put the bike on the Computrainer and get the workout done while the kids hung out in the other part of the house. Well, there were two problems with that.

One, it was an absolutely perfect day outside, and the though of sweating out those somewhat uncomfortable intervals inside changed everything about the workout. They would be fun outside, hammering up and down the road, enjoying the Indian Summer. But inside, ugh. Sweating all over the floor, counting the minutes as they ticked slowly by, with perceived exertion much higher than it would be outside. I am just not an inside workout girl. I rode several 4-hour rides this winter outside when the temperature never reached 30. That was more appealing than the trainer to me.

Secondly, my kids love love LOVE the computer. Having mom hog the computer for a stupid bike ride would be cruel in their eyes. They fight over who gets to use it, and I have to allocate computer time like gold bars. Braden builds virtual LEGO cities. He knows how to customize a LEGO order and put it in a virtual shopping cart. If that kid ever gets his hands on my credit card number I am going to be in big trouble. The twins love making web pages on Piczo, and playing Webkins.

So I decided I would leave the girls in charge for a little while and go on my bike ride outside. They will be twelve next month. I guess they are ready. But I don’t know if I am. I gave last minute instructions, made sure I had my phone, told them to call me if they needed anything, and I was off. I felt so…strange. Apprehensive, but … free. I worried the whole ride, but I had a fantastic workout. For the last twelve years, I have always had to find “coverage” -- someone to watch the kids while I worked out. Rob and I would often tag team, which means we hardly ever get to train together. Or we would find a babysitter. Many times, I have had a group of training partners waiting on me, while I was waiting on a teenage sitter. Those sitters never knew how their punctuality, or lack of, affected up to half a dozen people at times. My kids have been around triathlon their whole lives, and fitting in mom and dad’s training is natural to them.

I rode my route, the “bait shop” route, in record time. Maybe it was the feeling that I needed to get back quickly before they kids burned the house down, or maybe I felt a bit lighter. I felt a bit of empowerment that I could leave my most precious people on the planet alone for a little while, and it was just fine.

I got back home, and the girls were playing in their room. Playing with Barbies, nonetheless. Here is a picture of the Barbie scene. I guess the Barbies were watching a movie on Payton’s laptop from school. Yes, my girls do most of their homework on laptops now. I am constantly amazed at their computer savvy, and I find it amusing that they still have hearts of children enough to integrate the Barbie dolls in their world.

The girls got dressed up tonight and went out. Yeah, they went out. Celebrating one of their girlfriend’s birthday. They looked so pretty waiting for their ride I had to take their picture.

Then, SURPRISE! They were picked up in a big black stretch limousine. Are they really old enough for all that?!? I guess so, whether I am ready or not. But, secretly, I do find comfort in the fact that I know their Barbies are still strewn about the floor of their room, waiting to be played with when they get back.

Back In The Saddle: Redman Triathlon

2008-09-23T17:12:00.003-05:00

I’m a month out from my knee surgery and things are on the mend. I have started running a little but not enough to race. I was originally planning to go to Portland, OR and do the Age Group National Championships this weekend but injuries and knee surgery nixed those plans quite some time ago.

About a week ago, I started to feel better on the bike and I felt the urge to test my fitness. I wrote to the folks at the Redman Triathlon in Oklahoma City to see if I could get into the half ironman aqua bike.

Redman is Oklahoma’s only iron and half-iron distance race. I have done it several times before, using the iron aqua bike as my simulation prep for IM Florida in 2005 and Kona in 2006. This year they made the iron distance aqua bike an official event. For the athletes prepping for Ironman Florida and Kona the timing is perfect

This weekend the race, for me, wasn’t prep for anything other than getting some baseline data to work from to build upon for next year’s program. I haven’t ridden longer than about an hour and forty-five minutes recently so it would be interesting to see what would happen. There wasn’t much pressure to perform and I was glad that I wouldn’t have to get off and run. Dana challenged me to break 3 hours. That was a doable goal and I was up for it.

We had to check in our bikes the day before the race so I had to drive down there after work on Friday. The morning of the race was perfect. There wasn’t any wind and Hefner Lake was like glass.

The iron distance and iron aqua bikers went off in the first heat, following them, 15 min later, the under 40 male half iron athletes, then 3 min later, me and the over 40 male half iron and aqua bikers.

My swimming has been coming along great lately so I quickly swam away from my group and within a few minutes, I was swimming through the bulk of the younger half iron males. At the turnaround, I had clean smooth water and I began to pass some of the leaders of the first heat as I continued to move through the field.

My goal, though cocky, was to be with the overall leaders of the first heat of half iron younger guys by the time we hit T1. I figured a 25 or 26 minute swim would get me there. My Xterra Vendetta wetsuit provided me with the best ammunition to get the job done. I ended up with the fastest swim split of the day, a 26:38. The course might have been a tad long.

I had a sub 1 min T1 and was on the bike in third overall not including the 3 min head start I allowed on those guys. By 4 miles, I had moved into second overall and I was setting my sights on catching the overall leader. Folks on the roadside were telling me the leader was just 3 min up the road, so in reality we were about even. Without the burden of the run hanging over me, I was going after him. There wasn’t a lead police vehicle with lights flashing on it so I couldn’t see him up the road.

The race starts in an urban populated portion of Oklahoma City, and then you quickly find yourself out on desolate farm roads with fields, grain elevators, potholes, and chip seal roads as rough as gravel. Out there, alone it’s easy to lose concentration. I just looked down at my SRM and tried to keep a steady wattage level of around 230 and my cadence above 100. My heart rate was high in the 150’s but I didn’t care because I didn’t have to run. At around 1:30 into the bike I started feel the fatigue. That seemed about right, because that was about the extent of my long rides recently. My quads and calves started to cramp so I soft peddled and worked them out.

I was pretty pumped coming into town, as it appeared that I was going to achieve my goal of going under the 3-hour mark. I was motoring at an even wattage and cadence and I was getting ready to turn it on to the finish.

The traffic is a little dodgy coming into town so you have to keep your wits about you. Redman does a great job of policing intersections and fast food entrances but some people don’t follow their directions and are quite irate with athletes taking up their road space. I saw a few honking and shaking their fists.

I was approaching the last major intersection before I made the turn for the final loop around Lake Hefner to complete my race. I had my hands on the hoods and fingers on the brakes as I cruised through. I just don’t trust drivers at busy intersections like this. At the very last minute, a silver car pulled out right in front of me. I tightly gripped my brakes and fishtailed slamming directly into the side of the car. “Smack!! Ugh! It reminded me of the type of hit I would take when I was playing football. It sounded the same too. The right side of my body and head took the majority of the impact. According to my SRM, I was going 27mph and on impact, I had slowed to 16.5 mph. That’s one tidbit of data that you can garner from your power files that the book “Training with Power” doesn’t tell you.

I laid on the ground for a bit, stunned and angry. My right leg cramped and it was bleeding. The policeman who was supposedly directing the traffic asked me if I needed an ambulance. I looked up at one of the other police officers picking up my bike and the wheels seemed to be turning well but the handlebars were bent. I looked over at the driver of the car. It appeared to be a gray haired elderly lady. I told the police officer to get all her information. I was going to finish the race.

I gave them my race number my name and birth date and told them that I would be in touch. I was banged up, sore but I could ride another five miles, and I was already so far out in the lead already. I hadn’t come this far not to finish.

I cruised in third overall in the half and won the aqua bike but my time was 3:02. The accident cost me my sub 3 hour goal and my bike time was 2:34, far from the sub 2:30 pace which I was on. My anger soon changed to relief. I realized that this accident could have been more serious. I could have had a much more severe injuries or even been killed.

The race director, co race director, and folks in the medical tent were all wonderful. I was treated like a king. Everyone was flocking around me giving me drinks, pretzels, bandaging my wounds. Those folks all work so hard to make this race a success and I appreciated all their efforts to take care of me and devote their free time to help make events like this a possibility.

I have to admit, the traffic situation at Redman is a problem though. I heard of other athletes having narrow escapes and in my past races here, I have had close calls too. People just don’t follow the traffic direction. Other than closing the course to traffic, I don’t see any other way to solve this problem. The folks at Redman have done everything in their power to make this course safe.

Currently, I have a sore neck from the whiplash and a swollen lower right leg, but I will recover to race again. My friend, Brian Flournoy, D.C. fixed my neck up today and the headaches that I was having have diminished. I feel fortunate just to only have these injuries.

I haven’t had an accident in years. I was due. My plans for the future see me on the Computrainer…a lot.

If anyone out there is looking to do an Ironman race and want to try a race other than an Mdot, Redman should be considered. It is set to be the Half Max USAT Long Course National Championship next year.

Some Races Just Take Guts!

2008-09-07T21:38:00.004-05:00

Of the few Ironman races I have started, I always wonder at the starting line if this will be the race, which I will face disaster, an unavoidable event out of my control that results in implosion and blows my race apart. When I cross the finish line part of the emotion I feel when I raise my fist in the air is relief, because nothing went terribly wrong and I finished strong.

When I started coaching athletes this year, I tried to guide them away from potential disaster and help them through my experiences to have a solid race.

One thing that I like to do which most might find somewhat compulsive, is my race blueprint. My race is scripted. It’s a booklet that I have put together. I have everything planned out concerning pace, nutrition, fluid consumption, what to do when X, Y or Z occur. It’s something that I have put together through the years and continue to make additions. A lot of the information has been gathered off the internet and from other athlete’s race reports. It’s a script for the “perfect race.” I review it for a few weeks and days up to the race just as an actor might remember his lines. I gave my latest copy to my athletes and let them configure their own blueprint.

Last week, Matt Carnal, an athlete I coach raced IMKY. Matt had been training for this event for a year and was doing great until an uncontrollable situation occurred during the peak of his training phase. Matt works for a company called SemGroup .They made some risky bets in the futures markets, which resulted margin calls and within a week of the news breaking, bankruptcy.

SemGroup was a great company to work for because they valued employee physical fitness. They had a tremendous health club in their building, which was more posh than anything else was in town. Matt was well rewarded for his athletic participation with sponsorship from the company. He was the model employee.

Bankruptcy resulted in SemGroup terminating 110 Tulsa employees and, unfortunately, one of them was Matt. This came as quite a shock. Priorities quickly changed and so did Matt’s focus. I felt so sorry for him. He had worked so hard and for this to happen, just as he was heading into the home stretch was a real bummer. I think making a race blueprint and thinking about his race plan was the furthest from his mind.

Before Matt left for Louisville, I sat him down and went over a plan but there is no way that you can cover all the bases in 15 minutes.

Matt had some company along on his trip, Sean Stevens; another athlete that I coach went to the race with him. Sean brought his mountain bike so he could offer some verbal support at various positions along the course. In addition, he helped share some of the drive time going home.

On race day, I was on the computer with my cell phone texting splits and coaching advice to Sean and he was able to relay it to Matt. It was a slick operation. I was the “Chance Command Center” at the home office in Tulsa, OK and Sean was my patrolman.

Matt’s race went just as planned for the swim and the bike. He was off the bike in around 15th place in his age group and his weapon is the run. I was confident that Matt had a 3:20 or faster marathon in his legs. He had done some badass long runs after long bikes at 7:00 pace in the humid Tulsa heat so I was feeling pretty stoked. I felt that when Matt hit that run he would unleash his fury. I was looking forward to watch him move through the field on the split grid. I felt he might be able to go under 10 hours. A top five age group placing and a Kona slot were within his reach.

I was texting splits to Sean that Matt should adhere to prevent him from going out too fast and I was informing him of the carnage that was happening to his fellow competitors ahead of him up the road. Then I got a direct call from Sean and he told me Matt wasn’t feeling too well. GI problems, gas, bloating, and dysentery “It’s not good” Sean said. I gave Sean all the information I could to help Matt get through this bad patch but the pace still didn’t improve. I was racing vicariously through Matt this year. It was disappointing. I wanted so badly for him to succeed and get a Kona slot his first time out, but sometimes shit happens and there isn’t a thing we can do about it.

There are a number of reasons that he had GI problems but I won’t go into all of them now. All that matters is that Matt finished his first Ironman in 11:01, despite his problems in the race and on the home front. He finished 14th in his age group under very difficult conditions. Not bad for a first timer. Chalk it up to experience. I guess its back to the drawing board to figure out how to manage his nutrition for next time.

I have often asked top age group athletes, why do you continue to race? What drives you? Their answer is almost unanimously, “I have yet to have that perfect race.”

I wonder if the entity of the “perfect race” even exists. It sure would be great to experience it if did.

Knee Rehab.....Smooth Sailing

2008-09-01T13:02:00.003-05:00

I want to thank all of those who called or wrote emails to me after my recent surgery. It was appreciated. I have often been asked about how my rehab and recovery is going, so I thought I might document it here to allow others who may have this procedure take a peek at what is involved in the rehab and recovery. Of course, everyone is different and some surgeries are more involved than others are. My surgeon tells me that I am way ahead of the game in my recovery.

Originally, I mentioned that my plica was lateral. Contrary to that belief, it was in fact a medial plica, which had torn loose and settled in-between the two condyles of the femur. I have pictured it above.

I went into this procedure in very good shape. I was swimming a lot (4-5 x /week), and despite some pain in my knee, I was able to ride my bike three times a week fairly hard and had built my Critical Power up to a season best. I wanted to go into the surgery in good shape with the rationale being that I would lose some fitness but, once recovered, I would still be reasonably fit.

I am currently a practicing Anesthesiologist, but I am also trained and board certified in the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. I knew what I needed to do to recover as quickly as possible. My enemy would be muscle atrophy in the quadriceps muscle group and swelling, which would limit the range of motion of my knee.

I have documented below how things went for the first few weeks of my rehab.

Day of surgery: Ice and ROM (range of motion). I didn’t need any oral pain medication. The knee felt kind of squishy to move it but I made sure I ranged it often. My knee actually felt better after the surgery than before. This was a good sign. It is important in this period to keep the range of motion. If it is kept stiff, the collagen in the knee capsule can remodel quickly resulting in a contracture making it more difficult to move later on. This becomes more of an issue with knee replacements than with arthroscopic surgery. However, contractures can occur if the patient becomes complacent about ROM.

Post op day one: I went to work with my portable ice pack and crutches with partial weight bearing (WB) through the right leg. I worked on ROM a lot that day. I provided the anesthetic for a long back surgery. I was able to sit in one place for a while which I would have been doing at home anyway.

Saturday, Post op day two: Ice, ROM, dressings off, crutches, compex muscle stimulator on the quads for an hour to maintain some muscle tone.

Sunday, post op day three: Ice, ROM, and one crutch, advance WB

Monday, POD four: Back to work, ice, ROM, one crutch and at end of day, no crutches. I got back to training today and swam 3300 yards including a 1000yards in 12:02 pushing off the wall with one leg. It still hurt a little pushing off the wall full force. Knee is still swollen. I might have overdone it a bit with the kicking today. Compex on the quads.

Tuesday, POD five: worked all day and into the night and next morning. No time for exercise but I was able to occasionally ice, ROM, stretching, full WB walking with a slight limp. Some pain and swelling.

For the rest of the week I swam daily and by the following Sunday I was on the trainer spinning 100-120 RPM 120 watts for an hour a day. I occasionally iced the knee when I felt I had pain and swelling or the joint felt warm. Riding the bike actually helped ease the tightness and discomfort at the portal sites. There is some residual scar tissue at the port sites and I massage those areas frequently.

By two weeks post op, I advanced to 200 watts intermittently on the bike trainer. Currently, I am able to ride 200+ watts for a few hours and rode outside the other day hitting some 30-second efforts in the 500-watt range with no ill effects. My 1000-yard swim time is down to 11:35, so things are good on the waterfront. I am holding off on the running for a week or so and I should be able to be back to full triathlon training including running 4 weeks post op. I’m back and it feels good.

My motivation has been low this year because of my pain issues and burn out from the past few years of really hitting it. It’s tough fitting in the training, a greater than full time job, and a family including a wife that does this crazy sport. I just had to shut it down this year and have fun. However, after I watched my buddy, Marky V, lead IM Canada for the majority of the race, and my wife, Dana, do so well there a few weeks ago, the motivation to race and train is starting to come back. Dana and I are already making plans for next year.

I guess that my future plans of buying and relaxing on a sailboat, hoping for a windy day will be replaced again with getting on my bike and hoping for a windless day.

Perspective and a Race Report

2008-08-25T15:25:00.013-05:00

Hoorah! I finished! I told Rob last night that I think this race was the hardest one to finish. I hear people talk about those "low times" in Ironman but I really haven't experienced it before now. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself so here goes the race report.

The swim start was great. Everyone around me swam so politely and worked together from the beginning. I sat in the back of a small pack of 8-10 swimmers and we were off. The water was cool but not uncomfortable. The swim went by quickly and I was out in just over an hour. I grabbed my bag and ran into the changing tent, quickly got ready to ride, and passed about 15 women in the tent. I don't know what they were doing in there for so long!

The bike went well. I love this bike course. I think the reason I keep coming back to do this race is because of the bike course. It is as beautiful as a postcard, and it has a little bit of everything. Long grinding climbs, challenging rollers, fast flats, and superfast descents. Oh, and I successfully peed on the bike! On my sixth Ironman, I finally got it!! Ok, TMI, I know.

Coming into T2, I was ready to start running. In my previous two Ironman runs, I have been getting a little bit faster, so I was excited about this one. I had just over 4 hours left before an 11:00 finish, so I made my goal to finish under 11 hours. I thought that would be easy. Silly me, nothing is easy in ironman!

Heading toward OK Falls, we had a terrible headwind. It was difficult to not get discouraged but I kept the heart rate in check and kept plugging along. Then I started experiencing some stomach troubles. I made many trips to the little blue penalty boxes every mile or so on the run course. I really had to "gut it out" from there, in more ways than one! It was so hard to keep it together and keep plugging along. I said all kinds of terrible things in my head -- I wanted walk, I wanted to quit today, I wanted to quit Ironman, I wouldn't take a Kona slot if they gave it to me on a silver platter(shame on me!)etc.

At this point I was past the turn around, and my perspective changed. I was watching all the people that were heading to the turn around, and I started thinking that they probably wanted to be where I was. So the marathon was not going as wished. Suck it up, buttercup. At least you are out here and you better give it your best. It began raining at this point, and as I came back into Penticton, the streets were still lined with spectators. They were cold and wet, but they were still watching and cheering. From their perspective, each one of the racers is amazing, and worth their time, even if it meant standing in the rain, to cheer us on. That gave me the motivation to give my best.

So I finished in 11:04. I didn't make my goal of sub 11 but it could have been a lot worse! I finished 6th in my age group. The Kona slot rolled down to the 5th place woman, who went 10:59. But, I sincerely mean this, it is totally OK. I know this woman has barely missed a Kona slot several times, and I am super happy for her. Keeping it in perspective.

Here is a picture of my three kids on the first day of school.

From their perspective they couldn't care less if I finished first, last, or anywhere inbetween. They just are happy I can tie a cute bow in their hair or help build a LEGO scene.

And here is where I am going now, world famous Tickleberry's ice cream. Oh yeah, I deserve that!

A Funny Thing Happened On The Way....

2008-08-22T14:24:00.006-05:00

Today is Friday, a big rest day for me except for a short 20 minute swim. I was looking forward to the swim today because I have heard that the water is much warmer, already. Down at the swim start there were quite a few people with the same idea.

When I first got in, my feet were cold, but after a few minutes the water was PERFECT. Seriously, it is quite a bit warmer than it was two days ago. I was really enjoying my swim, feeling smooth and fast in my new Xterra Vendetta wetsuit, thinking how clear the water is ("hello fishies down there!") and what a great swim it will be on Sunday, then BAM!!! Head on collision with a rather large guy in a bright pink cap. OUCH! The first thing I thought of was the sound -- I was suprised how loud two skulls sounded when they hit head on. Then I tasted blood in my mouth and thought "that wasn't very fun". So I popped up, Big Pink Man popped up, and we both apologized. He was very nice, and it was all good. Really, it could have been my fault just as much as it was his. I finished swimming to the Sycamous then turned around and came back.

My friend Michal was waiting at the shore. When I finished swimming, my noggin still hurt a bit, and I told her what happened. She started laughing hysterically and said that not too long ago a Big Man in a Pink Cap exited the water and said "I ran into three people on my way back in". She thought it was so funny that I happen to be one of those people! Maybe it wasn't as much my fault as I thought it was! Well, luckily, on race day we will all be heading the same way, so that won't happen again.

3rd Time's A Charm?

2008-08-21T16:58:00.011-05:00

This will be my 3rd annual trip to Ironman Canada. This year, for a change, I decided to fly into Spokane then drive from there to Penticton.

It worked out great. The flight to Spokane was easy, and the airport there is pretty small and getting in and out was quick.

I shipped my bike to a local shop in Spokane, because I though it would be important that my bike went with me on my drive to Canada. Uh, yeah. What a nightmare it would have been if I had to wait around in Spokane for my bike to arrive on some later flight.

Here is a picture of my bike waiting for me to come get it outside of Two Wheel Transit. It is a really cute bike shop but my bike didn't want to get left behind. She heard there was a party in Penticton and she didn't want to be late.

This is the coffee shop in Spokane where we had lunch. It is just about as cute as the bike shop.

We drove past the Grand Coulee Dam on the Columbia River.
Did you know there is enough concrete in the Grand Coulee Dam to build a 60 foot wide highway four inches thick, from Los Angeles to New York City! ~ That is a 4 lane Highway 3,000 miles long!

Here is a picture at the US and Canada border. Not a very good picture, but I didn't want to stop and get out. It was raining, plus I don't think the border patrol would appreciate any horsing around at their border.

We drove past the Husky Station that marks the turn up to Richter Pass. My bike wanted to get out but I told her she had to wait until Sunday. See ya on Sunday, Richter, my old friend.

Finally, we made it to Penticton in the afternoon.

Driving into this city is a welcome site. I love this race and this place!

Here I am standing by "the peach" -- the most well know landmark in all of Penticton. Well, maybe not, but it ranks way up there. I registered and have my hands full of my race "stuff". The swim start is behind me. The water looks like glass. It really is a fine sheet of ice that is over the lake that makes it look that way! And look out there in the water -- a poor soul is stuck in there, frozen, and can't get out.

Just kidding. The water feels VERY COLD to me, below 60 degrees. But I can't find too many Canadians that will show me any sympathy. Obviously.. that dude is out there without a wetsuit!!

New Motivation

2008-08-19T10:47:00.007-05:00

1972 was a simpler time. Technology was still in its infancy. Digital Watches were just being introduced. The first scientific hand-held calculator (HP-35) introduced (price $395), and Atari kicked off the first generation of video game with the release of "PONG". HBO was just launched in US as the first subscription cable service. There were just a few fast food restaurants in our community.

Most kids then played outside all day. When school was released, I ran home with the motivation of beating the bus riders. I rode my bike all over the neighborhood and throughout the town. We played football in the vacant lot. There were only three TV stations and cartoons played on Saturday mornings. Besides that, nothing else was that interesting, so TV was a less important part of my life.
I grew up in the Kansas City area. My mother put me in a lot of different sports as I grew up, but at 10 years old, in the summer of 72, I preferred the refreshing cool swim practices versus standing in the hot sun in the outfield.

1972 was also the first time I remember watching the Olympics. What caught my attention at that time was a swimmer named Mark Spitz. It was a big story and the family gathered around the TV to watch his events. I was new to the sport and his achievements were both inspiring and motivating to me. This was the first time I had seen medals awarded and learned the significance of each color.

I had a poster of Mark with his seven medals on my closet. (above) I can remember below it said "7 gold medals, 7 world records" and it listed each one. I examined the medals closely on the poster and can remember that I wanted one.

The last swim meet of the summer was an invitational, and I had heard that they were awarding medals to the top three in each event, just like the Olympics. My best event was breaststroke. I was in one of the slower heats so I knew that I would have to swim fast to beat the kids in the later, faster heats. I was a boy on a mission. I wanted a gold medal.

I still remember that race vividly. It was only 25 yards and I stood on the blocks gazing at the end of that pool. I knew I had to swim fast. When the gun went off, I hit the water and stroked as fast as my gangly 10 year old body would take me. I won the heat. I remember, after finishing, looking around and the rest of the kids were still swimming a quarter of a pool length behind me. I had given my best effort.

When the results were published, my name was at the top of the list. I had won the gold. It was only about the size of a quarter on a red, white, and blue ribbon, but I was so proud of it. I was probably just as talented as the rest of the kids there but I guess I just wanted it more. I learned early, that motivation plays such a big part in success. I willed myself to win that medal. I have won many medals since then but none of those wins were as special as that one.

Since that time I have continued with some form of a fitness program and it has just become a part of my life. One of my former training partners called me a "Lifer."That poster, and what Mark Spitz did in the Olympics in 1972 were instrumental to my development and current lifestyle.

Fast forward to today, 2008. There are over a 100-cable television channels. I don’t see any kids today outside playing or riding bikes. I suppose, now, they are inside playing Madden football rather than playing it in the vacant lot. I heard the other day that based on the current trends, everyone in the US will be obese in 30 years. I don’t see that happening.

I have my kids in athletics, and it is a requirement in our family. I don’t care if they win or lose. I don’t push them. If they want to win, it has to be self driven. I just want them to develop the "fitness" lifestyle. I want them to be healthy and be "Lifers"

Michael Phelps did something special in Beijing by winning eight gold medals. Mark Spitz described his 100 fly win as "epic." I don’t remember an age group swimmer in my local meets being as dominant as Phelps was in these Olympics. It was truly amazing. Talent combined with motivation is an awesome thing.

I wonder if it is possible today, with the current trends, to motivate today’s youth to swim and develop lifetime fitness habits. I hope Phelps efforts have motivated today’s youngsters away from their virtual sports worlds and into real world sports and a quest for their own medals.

Dealing with the Damage

2008-08-10T09:03:00.021-05:00

In 2005, I made a comeback into the sport of triathlon. I had yet to do an Ironman or half Ironman for that matter and before I got too old, I wanted to be able to check this event off my “to do” list. I took it much further than I had dreamed, and that one Ironman turned into three including two World Championships in Hawaii. In 2007, I was top 10 in my age group there. If I never do a triathlon again, I would be satisfied. It’s been a good run.

I have been training consistently for three and a half years without illness or injury but this year things have not gone so well. Multiple aches and pains have caught up with me. For the past year and a half, I have been dealing with discomfort in my right knee, which, in the past, I was able to endure and train through.

After the Buffalo Springs triathlon last month, the pain in my knee became too much to bear and I was unable to run without an abnormal gait. When the pain became constant, I put the running on hold and started swimming exclusively to see if it would go away, it didn’t, and I feel it actually worsened. I sought orthopedic attention and underwent arthroscopic surgery this week on Thursday 8/7.

I had my surgery done at a local outpatient surgery center here in Tulsa. I used to supervise the nurse anesthetists here so I was familiar with the staff and the routine there. I worked until 10:30pm the previous night and the last case of the evening I did was an emergent incision and drainage of a large back abscess on an obese diabetic man. It was disgusting. We sucked two liters of pus out of it. Needless to say, I was happy that I had chosen to have my surgery done at a clean new outpatient center. The last thing I needed was a nocicomial (hospital acquired) infection.

I arrived at the surgery center at 9:30 am the next day, and filled out the last set of paperwork including living will forms. I planned to have this surgery done under local anesthetic and MAC (monitored anesthesia care)…awake, so this seemed to be a little much. Tim Davis, a friend of mine, texted me on my phone and claimed my bike if I died. I texted him back and told him that bike was his if I didn’t survive.

I was quickly escorted back to the holding area where I received the standard issue a gown, hat, booties, and was placed in bed number 4. There, I got my IV and passed the time by watching my own personal TV where I caught up on details regarding the Brett Farve trade. I hope it works out for him in New York.

I had many visitors by old friends and folks that I used to work with. A surgery center like this is a great place to work. There is no call or weekend duties and the patients are healthy, unlike the major tertiary center where I work. Many nurses move on to places like this, it’s a much better lifestyle.

Pat Case is a nurse anesthetist that I used to supervise and she arrived there early and signed up for the room that my case was to be assigned. Pat is an avid cyclist and is fluent in Italian. She has a second home in Italy, and has ridden most of Italy’s major mountain passes. Pat has even been to the Tour de France. She would always have a copy of Velo News in her bag that I could read when I was working with her. I was pleased that she would be taking care of me.

Dr Ron Hood was my surgeon. He trained in San Francisco with Eric Heiden, the former uber Olympic speed skater and professional cyclist, who is now an orthopedic surgeon. Ron is an expert on knees and sports medicine. I liked the way that he was able to do a good local block to allow the patient to stay awake and watch the surgery. It was what I wanted. The post op pictures just don’t show the knee as well as a dynamic live view.

I was taken into the room and hooked up to all the monitors. I requested not to get any Versed (Midazolam). It is a potent fast acting benzodiazapine, which causes amnesia. I usually give this as my pre-anesthetic and can quickly convert a stressed person into a laughing jokester. It is known as truth serum and is often used illegally as a date rape drug. It has a half-life of 2 hours but I had no idea how I would be affected by the drug. I wanted to remember the procedure so I opted not to have it.

When the scrub tech pulled up some local anesthetic in a 60 ml syringe with a long 18-gauge needle, I asked Pat “I think I’ll take that Fentanyl now“. Fentanyl is a fast acting powerful opioid, which is ten times the potency of morphine. I observe patient’s reactions daily as I administer it, and often wonder what it feels like. It is a frequently abused drug in our profession. I soon found out why.

I felt a lightheaded and a warm euphoric feeling came over me soon after I got it. It was smooth. The next drug I asked for was Diprivan (Propofol). It facilitates inhibitory neurotransmission in the brain mediated by a transmitter known in short as GABA. It often burns as it flows into the vein then it renders immediate unconsciousness. I was commenting on the lack of the burn when the next thing I knew; Pat was quietly speaking my name and waking me up. I opened my eyes, I looked up to the screen, the scope was in my knee, and the surgery was already in progress. “Wow, how long was I asleep?” It’s been a while since I have had anesthetic and each time I marvel at the power of these drugs.

Ron quickly went over his findings. Immediately, he said they found cartilage loose bodies floating around in the joint. There was a tight plica stretched across my lateral femoral condyle digging a groove into it. He demonstrated the damage with instruments. I had a torn lateral meniscus and my lateral capsule demonstrated some tight bands causing my patella to track laterally. The photo shown below is the synovial plica which was removed and causing the problems.

Loose cartilage body

Lateral Meniscus tear

Femoral cartilage groove

I had no pain during the procedure and I asked questions just as I would have if I was sitting back there administering the anesthesia.

The lateral plica is a rare finding. Most plicas are medial. The most likely cause of lateral plicas is trauma or overuse. He said he had never seen anything like it. After he pulled it out, I looked at it. It had the consistency of ligament and I knew that it was the source of my pain. It had gradually gotten thicker, tighter and tougher and had begun to wear a groove into my femoral cartilage as a steel cable would if it were rubbed repetitively across a piece of wood.

He trimmed up my lateral meniscus and did a lateral release of the tight capsular bands and I was done. Here is the trim job ----->

I was taken to the recovery room where I was greeted by recovery nurses, Lacy and Kelly. They were familiar faces that I usually drop patients to in the hospital after they awake from anesthetics. They had moved to outpatient too. Dana eventually was allowed back into recovery to be with me. I am normally reserved guy but the Fentanyl made me euphoric and I wouldn’t shut up. Dana had to tell me to put a lid on it. The cardiac alarm above my bed was going off because my heart rate was extremely bradycardic at 38-39 bpm and it was causing a racket. I’m sure that they wanted to get me out of there.

Lateral capsular tight bands

I was discharged quickly with crutches, a large portable ice cooler attached to a knee wrap, which was great. I didn’t need to take any pain medication and my knee felt better after surgery than it had before. This was a good sign. The referred pain, which radiated into my calf, had also disappeared.

I was able to go to work the next day on crutches. I arranged a long room where I could prop my leg up and ice my knee. I brought my knee cooler with me.

Recovery is going well. I might start swimming again on Monday and then in two weeks or so, I will be able to get back to cycling. Meanwhile, I think I will take a break and watch the Olympics. It’s a good time to be laid up. It’s nice to have some motivating TV to keep me off my feet and keep me entertained.

I am so glad that I made the right decision to go through with taking care of this issue now. It’s a relief to know that the source of my discomfort is resolved. Maybe it isn’t all over for me. I plan on a smart recovery and focus on next season. I look forward to the journey back.

A Breakthrough Race

2008-07-29T22:15:00.010-05:00

This weekend Tulsa hosted a Team USA qualifier for the World Duathlon Championship: The Chris Brown Memorial Duathlon. Chris Brown was a triathlete from Tulsa who unfortunately succumbed to pancreatic cancer. Randy Pausch who wrote and gave “The Last Lecture” passed away last week from the same devastating disease. Randy’s national bestselling book and thoughts in his lecture give the basic message of to not give up on your dreams, grab life by the horns and make everyday count. A good read from the mind of a dying man.

Athletes converged from all over the country for our little race. Fleet Feet sports took over management of the race this year and moved the venue from the outskirts of Tulsa to the downtown river parks and Riverside Drive. It was a definite improvement. I was planning to do the race but I have been dealing with injuries recently, more about that later.

Doug Leib, an athlete I coach, asked me about doing the event last week, a few days before the race. I thought it suited his strengths, the bike and run. Doug had not done a duathlon before so I thought why not; it would be a good experience and quality training session. Doug was just moving into the intensity phase in prep for the Triathlon National Championship in Portland Oregon on September 20th

Doug is an amazing story. I love stories like his. He doesn’t have any previous athletic experience. He is a 50 year old whose kids have left the nest. Not to long ago he was sick, out of shape and pushing 300lbs. His health problems resulted in hospitalizations. Being the intelligent man that he is, he made a commitment to turn his life around and get in shape. He started running, lost weight, and started to feel good again. He entered some running races then caught the racing bug. Last year did his first triathlon. He tells me that he is now in the best shape of his life. This year he has stepped up his game and just finishing is no longer a goal. Doug has bigger dreams and goals and with his hard work, he is achieving them. It has been fun to watch the transformation.

I went down to the race venue on my bike on race day to take some photos and provide encouragement for the folks who I knew who that were racing. I kept a close eye on Doug and it was exciting to watch him move through the field on the bike. He was having a breakthrough race. On the final run segment, I shouted some last words of encouragement and told him “I think you have found your event”. On the final kilometer, a 19 year old cruised by Doug and I said “See how long you can hang with this 19 year old guy”. The 19 year old shouted back “I’m also an OU college runner”. Doug was hanging with him too. It was amazing!

Doug executed a flawless race. His first and second run splits were essentially the same time. This is difficult to accomplish in a duathlon. His heart rate profile demonstrated the best effort I have seen from him this year. Previously his efforts on the bike tailed off during last half of the race, so we did some strength work during this past month and he was able to maintain a consistent effort throughout the entire bike segment. He averaged 24.1 mph on the bike and his split was the 6th fastest overall! His time was faster than two of the 50+ former professional cyclists in the field. Doug won the 50-54 age group with a time of 1:30.25. He finished 12th overall , just missing winning the masters division by a mere 12 seconds or so.

In winning his age group, Doug earned a slot and an opportunity to compete for Team USA in the World Duathlon Championships in Italy this September. How cool is that!

I’m so proud of Doug not only for his recent athletic accomplishments but also for making the change his life and realizing the importance of health and fitness. He has a promising future in age group racing. Breakthrough races like this can take an athlete to a new level.

At the conclusion of Pausch’s book, he mentioned that his lecture wasn’t about how to achieve childhood dreams; it was about how to lead your life. It’s sad to see folks wasting their health and lives and not living life to its fullest. Don’t be afraid to go after your dreams and achieve goals that others may tell you are impossible. I believe in the quote on the header of this blog. People like Doug Leib are catching on to this too.

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On a personal front, I have had some chronic problems with my right knee. For the past year and a half, I ran through pain and discomfort. The knee would ache in the morning but I was able to live with it. Currently, whenever I run the knee swells and I have pain all the time instead of just following a run. I realized it was time that I needed to do something about it before I damaged myself any further so I had one of my orthopedic surgeon pals take a look at it. Arthroscopic surgery is scheduled for August 7th. It sucks getting old.

I have been swimming more often to maintain my fitness and enjoying my time off from running. I recently set a state citizen’s record in the 1500 M free for my age group. Former 1980 Olympian, Ron Nugent holds the overall masters record of 18:59. My time was close so that’s something I can shoot for in future races.

Dana and Dara: Striking Similarities

2008-07-07T08:50:00.008-05:00

This past week the DVR at the Chance household has been recording the Olympic Trials. Watching all these incredible athletes realize their dreams is wonderful. I have to say that am most impressed with Dara Torres. She is 41 and just blitzed the field in the 50 free and touched out Natalie Coughlin in the 100 free. Exercise Physiologists will tell you that as you age you lose speed and power. Dara has done the opposite and gotten faster. She was always fast and I think modern training methods and these new fast suits help a lot. She has been inspiring to me though.

I remember back in the mid to late 80’s Mark Spitz at 40 tried to make a comeback. He competed in a series of televised 50-meter swims against top competitors like Matt Biondi and Tom Jager for prize money. He was spanked.

I remember watching Dara swim at the LA Olympics in 1984. I can say I had a crush on her at the time. I have seen her in magazines and subsequent Olympics through the years but it wasn’t until now that I noticed some similarities between her and my wife Dana. When I saw her go the end of the lane and get ready for her swims, it was almost as if I was watching Dana. I have included some photos below.
Head shots. I'm sure if I looked hard enough I could find a photo of Dana with her hair cut like that and with a black and white dress on.

Some action shots.

All dressed up.

When I was a kid in the 70’s, the Donny and Marie show was popular. It wasn’t really my thing at the time or anytime for that matter. He was never a “little bit rock and roll” to me. Unfortunately, in my younger days I bared a likeness to Donny Osmond. I would always get embarrassed when people reminded me of this. I heard it all the time. I would have rather looked like a famous athlete rather than a lame pop idol. I was looking for photos of Dara and this one caught my attention, our look alikes, Dara and Donny how sweet.

Surviving Buffalo Springs 70.3

2008-07-03T13:28:00.015-05:00

This past weekend Dana and I made the trek to Lubbock, TX for the Buffalo Springs 70.3. This would be my 4th year in a row of doing this race. I think that’s a record for me doing any race consecutively. It was my first ever half ironman four years ago and I remembered how painful it was. I thought how on earth can I do twice this distance? This would also be my first race with Dana since St. Croix 70.3 of last year so it made this trip a bit more fun.

Lubbock is a west Texas town in the desert. The geography consists of scrub brush and red rocky soil with very few trees. The major attraction in this town is a museum for the 50’s rock idol, Buddy Holly. The climate is usually arid and hot. It sits at 3000 ft altitude. It’s not a destination race by any means, unless of course you happen to be a Buddy Holly fanatic.

Buddy is dead now. I think I wore a pair of glasses like that in medical school. I think he died in a tragic plane crash. We missed the museum tour.

The Buffalo Springs Lake is spring fed and lies at the bottom of a canyon. There are several steep climbs into and out of the transition area which add to the race’s difficulty. Like Kona, the conditions, including the heat and the winds, usually take their toll on the athletes. I think this is what draws the “hard core” triathletes and having 28 Kona slots doesn’t hurt either. The level of competition is usually very high.

Dana and I arrived in Lubbock on Saturday, the day before the race. We drove down there in 7 hours. It was to be a quick in and out trip so I booked a room at the Quality Inn. How could I go wrong with a name like the Quality Inn? It had to be nice and $69.95 seemed like a bargain.

We went to the Holiday Inn where the race expo was located to get our packets. We met and talked with a few folks then headed to the race site for a quick prerace workout to check the equipment out. It was a great day, warm, sunny, and wind was at a minimum. If race day was like this, it would be perfect. Dinner was at a fine Italian establishment called Orlando’s. We saw some pro athletes there, so it had to be good. The pros are always on top of everything.

We returned to the Quality Inn, stuffed our backpacks, and got to bed early, 9:30ish. The problem with this is, most of the rest of the motel life is still very awake. The walls were paper-thin, but what do you expect for $69.95? To our left we heard the cars going by on the interstate. In front of us, a TV in the next room was blaring. And to our right, kids were screaming and running down the halls. Behind our headboard, the loudest racket was coming from the “sex couple”. That’s right, we heard the rhythmic banging and moaning. This woman was making a lot of noise. Dana and I laid there silent for a while and neither of us said a thing. Finally, I said dryly…“He must be pretty good” Then Dana replied, “Ugh, She’s such a faker! I wish she would just shut up. She’s so annoying. Nice place you picked, Rob!” I always get blamed in situations like this.

Hey, wait a second. Faking it? This poor guy thinks he’s God’s gift and she’s faking it! Images of the diner scene with Meg Ryan in “When Harry Met Sally” flashed into my mind. I think Elaine on “Seinfeld” mentioned the same thing to Jerry in an episode once. Anyway, we turned on our air-conditioner unit and drowned out most of the noise and finally drifted off to sleep. Dana, a light sleeper, said they were back at it a 1:30am. They definitely weren’t racing on Sunday.

Dana nudged me at 3:50 am. The alarm at the Quality Inn didn’t go off, big surprise. Luckily, Dana set her watch alarm, also. Morning. Ug, I hate race mornings, especially ones where you have to get calories in you as soon as you wake up. I suppose four years in a row were starting to wear on me. Motivation plays such a huge part in this sport. This race meant very little to me. Dana was a bit more into it. It has been five weeks since Ironman Brazil and she was feeling fit.

As we were driving to the race site the wind was picking up and we saw lightning in the distance. I didn’t check the weather, but some folks in the transition area said a storm was moving in. This would certainly be a challenge.

Last year I wrote about the sandbar at the start of the swim. Well, my secret was out. Everyone must have read my race report in my blog! So, this year, the pro wave ran along the sand bar almost to the first buoy and so did every subsequent wave. It was hilarious.

I was in the 5th wave, the 45-49 men were leaving with the 25-29 men. I ran along the sandbar but in the process stepped on a rock with my left foot and I felt a sharp pain into the ball of first metatarsal head. My foot was killing me as I started the swim. I soon forgot the pain and searched for some young feet to draft off . I accelerated to a 25 year old guy and just latched on for the entire swim. I remember looking at my watch and seeing 23:50 when I got out. Nice swim, but after that my race went quickly downhill. I was able to maintain my wattage target for an hour but after that I just couldn’t keep it going. I remember that last year I felt I was able to really race this race. Well, this year I was back to just surviving again. My lack of training time on the bike was apparent.

This year at Buffalo Springs, the weather was horrible with rain and winds gusting to 45 mph, which further exploited my weakness. In my training this year, I have been able to get in the runs and the swims, but the bike training time has been a bit tough to squeeze in, and the results showed. You can fake your way through an Olympic distance race with low miles but you can’t do it with a half ironman.

There was a lot of carnage on the course. Folks took the down hills too fast and the slick wet roads caused quite a few crashes. I took those descents very easy. When all was said and done I turned in a personal worst time on this course of 2:46.

I had a decent run though, a 1:35, with a negative split. The usual oppressive hot conditions were replaced with a cool rain this year, so there were fewer implosions on the run by guys that biked too hard, and I only managed to run myself back to 9th in my age group with a 4:49. This was over 10 minutes slower than last year’s time. I think that ties my slowest overall time here, which was the first year I did it. Anyway, I have to be pleased with the result considering the amount of training I have done. Long hard rides are necessary to do well at this distance.

I felt like quitting early in the run but I toughed it out. My left foot was killing me and I couldn’t figure out why. Later, when we were driving home the pain got worse and my big toe swelled like I had gout, then it dawned on me. “Oh yeah, I hurt it on the swim start running along that sand bar“. On Monday I had it x-rayed. Luckily there are no fractures but I still have to put weight on the outside of my foot due to the deep bruise and pain . I guess that’s the price you pay for cheating on the swim. Dana thinks that they should rope off that section next year so the athletes can’t run along the sandbar. “It’s a swim, for goodness sakes, not a water run. “ she said. The swim is under-represented in a half iron distance race anyway.

Dana had a solid race. She thought the bike conditions were tougher this year. It took her ten minutes longer than the last time she raced here, two years ago. She wanted to break 30 on the swim and went 27. Her run was a PR for her on the Buffalo Springs course, but not enough to net a PR for the race because of the slower bike. She was 7th in her age group with a 5:16.

I learned a few things from this race. One, if you don’t put in the time you don’t get the time, and in future races I will add ear plugs to my race equipment checklist.

Volunteering

2008-06-19T21:47:00.010-05:00

Volunteering for a race is something every triathlete should do. When you are out on the course focusing on your race, it is easy to forget about the work that goes on behind the scenes to make your race a success.

When Peter Reid volunteered for the Hawaii Ironman a few years back, he chose the go to the heart of the race, the energy lab. I guess he wanted to get a good feel for the race he loved and that usually followed him. I remembered a comment he made in an interview. He said that the 9:30-10:00 guys were the most intense and demanding and were the rudest to the volunteers. I thought, “Hey, I was in that group and I don’t remember any incidents“. There is no reason to be rude to people who come out and stand in the hot sun for hours on end to help you.

If Dana qualifies for Hawaii this year, I plan on volunteering. I think it would be a lot of fun.

I see folks on various online forums complaining about races and race directors. Obviously these people haven’t volunteered for a race and don’t appreciate the work that goes into putting one of these on.

This past weekend was the Tulsa triathlon. I was still feeling ill and tired so I chose to volunteer rather than race it. Dana was doing the bike on a relay team, so I had the kids. I was placed out on the bike course at mile 15 of the 25 mile course. My job was to keep the athletes on track and headed in the right direction. The race was the standard Olympic distance, however this year they changed the course from a hilly loop around Skiatook Lake to a point to point, Skiatook to Tulsa. The route took the athletes due south into a prevailing headwind for the entire ride. This made the course difficult and I think only one rider, Chuck Sloan, averaged over 20 miles/hour. On a positive note, it brought the race back to Tulsa, which brings more visibility to the sport here.

The kids and I got to our assigned position an hour in advance. I chose to make our station a Star Wars theme. Braden had a Darth Vader helmet and cape and we had plenty of plastic light sabers to assist in directing the cyclists like airplanes. While we were waiting, I had plenty of duels with Darth Vader and managed to win a few. We also used the light sabers as baseball bats to hit rocks over the fence at the cows. We examined the road kill at our station. Braden correctly identified the decayed corpse as a raccoon. Dana had a case of Diet Coke in the back of the van so the kids managed to open a few of those and pour them all over the cars interior. It never fails, if the kids have drinks or food in the car it always ends up on the floor. I should have had the carpet and the vans interior coated in plastic prior to bringing it home.

Once the cyclists started pouring by we had a lot more fun but the excitement soon grew old, especially for Darth as the cyclist flow slowed to a slow trickle. Everyone seemed to get a good laugh seeing me standing on the side of the road waving light sabers with little Darth at my side. I think it would have been funnier if he had a Yoda mask on. We spent a total of 4 hours out there. It’s been a few years since I have volunteered. There were quite a few folks that voiced their appreciation for our efforts and I liked that. I think that is something that I’m going to do more regularly when I’m out on the course racing.

Here's a shot of Darth and I bringing the cyclists home. Excitement is high.

Darth started to get a little tired and had a seat in the lawn chair.

Despite drinking this entire mug of
Kona Nightingale, Darth is out cold.

Roadkill...The give away is the striped tail.

After the race, I spent a short time at the finish line returning my gear and talking with a few folks, but I was pooped. I went home and crashed on the couch. It was tough work. I think I was more fatigued than those that raced the course. Jessica Myers won the women’s race in 2:17 and Chuck Sloan went 2:05 for the men. Eric Lundt, one of the athletes I coach, went 2:48 and 7th in his age group in prep for Buffalo Springs in two weeks.

Remember when you race give thanks to the volunteers. They will appreciate it.

Escape from Alcatraz.........and the Denver Airport

2008-06-12T15:29:00.020-05:00

This past weekend I had the opportunity of competing in a race that has been “on my list” for a long time, The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Participants of this world-class field are taken out by boat to the site of the famed prison and dumped off to swim 1.5 miles in the frigid swift currents of the waters of San Francisco bay to the Yacht club. From that point, there is a run, almost a mile, to the transition area, which is followed by a hilly technical 18-mile bike tour of the town. The 8-mile run is less than flat. Most of it is on single-track trails through steep hills, stairs and sand. This race is a mixture of an adventure race and a triathlon. This race is so popular because of the lure of adventure and the challenge of swimming across San Francisco Bay. Was an escape from this famed prison really possible?

A few days before the race I was on call. Unfortunately, I was up all night and my immune system took a big hit. The next day I came down with a sore throat and the fatigue that goes along with an upper respiratory tract infection. It couldn’t have been better timing. This plagued me even through race day. I felt like crap, but I kept a positive attitude and didn’t let it spoil my little adventure.

I managed to arrange a few extra days off work and left on Thursday. After a few delays, I made it to San Jose late that night and stayed with my Epic Camp pal, Mark Pietrofesa. He was a great host and his girlfriend Kammie made us an awesome breakfast the next morning. While staying with Mark, I was able to sample some of the great riding San Mateo County has to offer as well as swam at his health club. On my way out, I saw NFL star Jerry Rice. Mark mixes with the best.

Here are some photos of Mark and I and a bike trail to get to the nice roads in San Mateo county.

Albert Boyce, another epic pal, took us both out to dinner at Le Colonial near Union Square on Friday night. Albert won epic camp and was on the age group podium in Hawaii in 2005. Both he and Mark are a couple of the best 40-44 age groupers in the nation if not the world. Mark just won his age group at the Honu 70.3 and is now a member of the “Big Bowl Club”. Here's Mark's big bowl.
Albert is the man behind"Coffees of Hawaii" .He grew up in the Bay area, and is involved in a few other businesses as well. He is one of the hardest working guys out there. It was relaxing to take in some good food and good company and exchange stories.

Through triathlons, and traveling to races, I have met many fine folks. I suppose it is one of the things that I like about the sport and which keeps me in it. Both Dana and I are developing quite a network of like-minded friends from all over the country. Here's a photo of Albert in Yellow at Epic Camp.
Race day went smooth. The weather was perfect. I got on the boat with Albert and we shot the breeze until it was time to jump off. Being a former sailor of the bay, he showed me some of the nuances of the tides while we waited.

Once the starting gun fired, participants shuffled off the boat like penguins jumping off an iceberg. I had prepared myself for the worst, but I was pleasantly surprised when I hit the water. “Hey, this isn’t that cold”. Being a good swimmer, I ran into a lot of folks before I was able to get to clear water. I was kicked in the face a few times. There is a radio tower off in the distance that the swimmers have to sight. The tower is way left of the yacht club. If you swim to the tower, the ebb current to takes you to the target. I kept a steady course for it and landed smack dab in the center of the beach at the exit. Perfect!

The bike was very hilly and I felt like I just couldn’t get my effort level or heart rate up. I wasn’t able to get myself to the point of hyperventilating. It may have been due to some of the medications that I was taking along with the congestion I had. Tons of people were passing me. I experienced the same on the run. This wasn’t going to be my day, so I decided at that point to enjoy the race and take in the sights and the experience. I had a blast.

I ended up finishing seventh in my age group, and 70th overall, with a 2:32, which I felt was better than I thought I would have been. I thought I was middle of the pack. Albert rocked it and was sixth overall amateur. I just had escaped from Alcatraz, but little did I know that my entire escape experience was far from being complete.

I quickly collected my gear and headed up to my motel to pack my bike and make my way to the airport to catch my flight. Michael Yatsko, another good friend I met at St Croix last year, drove all the way up from the Monterey area to see the race and do a training run. He and I chatted a little while I packed the bike in the motel parking lot. It was good to see him. He is training for his first IM in Canada this year.

I had allowed myself several hours to make the flight. I felt confident that I had plenty of time, but after dropping off the rental car, getting on a number of buses and trains, and waiting in endless lines, with my bike box and all my luggage, I just made it to the gate just as my flight was boarding. Ahh, I let out a sigh of relief. I would make a connecting flight in Denver and be home in my own bed by midnight and back to work in the morning. It had been quite an adventure.

When I arrived in Denver, I found that my flight had been delayed 30 minutes due to weather. There were some folks at the gate who had been at the airport all day waiting for a flight to Tulsa. Each had their own stories, but the flights were overbooked so they were bumped sequentially from each flight as it left. This one was the last flight of the night and everyone was tired and anxious. Some old folks sitting across from me looked very tired. I had pity for them.

By 11 pm, we heard that our flight had been cancelled. I was very angered by the way we were notified. The gate agent disappeared, and then the “cancelled” notice turned up next to our flight on the departure screens. I overheard it from some other folks talking about it and since I had experienced the self-service customer service before, I quickly got in line to rearrange my schedule. I had to call the hospital to tell them that I couldn’t wouldn‘t be there. Others in my group would have to pick up the slack in my absence. I hate to do that to my partners.

Here I am at United Airlines "self service customer service"unshaven and unhappy.

Self-service customer service is a computer kiosk and a phone. Your personal information is entered on a touch-activated screen and if there is a problem, you pick up a phone and speak with some agent in a distant land. This is an ingenious way for the airlines to distance themselves from irate stranded passengers in their time of need. I overheard a lot of frustrated people having it out with the agent on the other end. The gate agents send you to the computer customer service and the phone agents send you to a gate agent whose attitude is “It’s not my job”. Everyone wants to pass the buck.

I managed to get a flight out the next day so instead of sleeping on the floor at the airport like a lot of the other folks, I got on a bus to the Hyatt and got a decent 5 hours of sleep. The exhausted old folks rented a van pooled together with some others and drove back to Tulsa. They were through with the airlines. I couldn’t blame them. They did the smart thing.

I got back to the airport early that morning to be greeted by yet another surprise at the security check in. My new boarding pass had been labeled with SSSS. I was a “high risk” security target. Were they on to me? Did they know I had just escaped from Alcatraz? I was shunted to the super secret security line where I went through everything but a strip search. However, I was placed into a chamber and “blown”. I made it through without the security team finding out about my escape.

I was on standby for the morning flight to Tulsa, but so were 30 other people. There wasn’t a lot of compassion from the gate agents. This flight was overbooked, too, as was the next one, and then the following one after that. It turns out escaping from Alcatraz was easy compared to attempting to escape from the Denver airport!

It’s a real shame how I and the other folks were treated. Here our flight had been canceled, and we were being treated so poorly. For all they cared we could just be stuck at the airport for days waiting for a seat to open up. After being gouged $200.00 for my bike and then all this, just leaves a bad taste in my mouth regarding airline travel. I don’t want to travel by air anywhere anytime soon. However, what did leave a good taste in my mouth was that I was able to try the entire espresso menu of both Seattle’s best Coffee and Starbucks while I hung out in the airport all day.

By 8:20 pm, 25 hours after I arrived in Denver, I finally boarded the plane to Tulsa. When I arrived at my seat in the very back of the plane. I found that I had the middle seat next to a woman with a crying baby. After I sat down a huge fat man sat down next to me in the isle seat. After we took off, I closed my eyes and was just about to drift off when my knees were crunched into my chest. The woman in front of me just reclined her seat all the way back. Oh boy, all these things combined had never happened to me before. What were the odds that I would experience the nightmare trifecta? A fat man taking up half of my space, a baby crying in my ear, and a full recline from the passenger in front. I was also in the rearmost seat, across from the toilet. The unofficial potty monitor -- where everyone thinks they need to ask you if the toilet is open, or make some other comment to the poor soul who got the “potty-monitor” seat. Luckily, the flight was only an hour in a half.

It’s good to be home, but since I have returned work has been rough. The week is almost over and I feel I have never been home. I had to pay all my partners for working for me due to my absence. I am currently on an other night call and all I want to do is just sleep and get over this illness. Exercise is the furthest thing on my category of needs.

Would I do it again? You bet, in a heartbeat! I loved this race. I definitely plan on going back and conquering this course again next year.

Mr. Mom

2008-06-01T15:38:00.013-05:00

While Dana was jet setting in Brazil, I used my vacation time to be Mr. Mom and live in Danasworld. Remember that old movie “Mr. Mom “with Michael Keaton? That was me. We are also doing some home remodeling. Thankfully, I have hired the work out. I am smart enough to know my limitations and that every thing can‘t always be fixed with duct tape.

It was great to get my training in during the day while the kids were in school, and then be finished with it all by school pick up time.

Pick up time was my least favorite time of the day. My kids go to a private school so no buses transport them home. It is the parent’s responsibility to be there for pick up. Hundreds of kids are released at once, followed by an onslaught of vehicles converging on the school. You can give me a hemorrhaging gunshot wound, or a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm and I usually keep my cool and my stress level is minimal. However, it’s some thing about all these type “A” housewives in their luxury SUV’s pushing and shoving their way into the line that shoots my stress level through the roof. It makes me want to scream, and sometimes I do. There is a scene in the Mr. Mom movie where the guard tells him “you’re doing it wrong” That has happened to me. The guards have had some words with me. Every time I pick them up, I profess to myself, “there must be a better way”.

Braden, my youngest, just graduated from first grade. Earlier in the week, I took him to a birthday party at Skateland. It was nostalgic seeing all the kids skate. It brought back some memories of my own childhood. I got him into his skates quickly and made sure he was able to propel himself then I headed out to get some grocery shopping done. I had one hour, I thought this would be plenty of time. However, I failed to factor in the time in the checkout line, which took a bit longer than it should have and I was ten minutes late. Later, I heard one of the mothers of one of the other children (not the mother of the birthday boy) was frantically trying call me to pick Braden up. The party was over and I wasn’t there. A small miscalculation on my part and I was in deep dodo. When I arrived they were just loading the gifts in the car, at least they weren’t tapping their feet with cross looks on their faces. This is another reason I can’t come close to performing the responsibilities of motherhood the way Dana can. It takes precision timing and calculation, these are skills I have yet to hone.
Braden’s class had another party at one of his classmate’s homes, and since it was a pool party, parents were required to attend. I suppose that if your kid drowns, it’s going to be your fault. So twenty or so mothers were there sitting watching the kids have a great time. I was able to sit with the other mothers and talk about motherly things. I was fortunate enough to talk with a grandmother of one of the children who does ultra marathons. Now that’s a cool grandma. I had a nice conversation with her. I managed to turn her on to Hammer Nutrition. Brian Frank would be happy. I was able to get in some soft marketing for one of my sponsors at a kids pool party.

I suppose I was being too boring and the host of the party told me “if you have something else to do“……. Are you sure? Do you know the reputation I have regarding party pickups? I was there long enough to see my son in action. I was shocked when a little girl brought him a plate of snacks while he sat on his inflatable raft lounging in the pool then she got in and snuggled up beside him. I couldn’t help but get a vision of an older Braden with hotties hovering around him bringing him beer. “No, No.. Stop!!” Keep him just like he is, a happy “Star Wars” loving seven year old

When I arrived to pick him up (on time), one of the girls was getting him a cotton candy. I told him ‘Braden the party is over.” The little girl said ….” The party is just getting started” Oh boy, these are just first graders. I suppose they are second graders now.

The weather here is just right. The oppressive heat and humidity has yet to hit, so I thought it was a good opportunity to take the kids to the drive in movie. Yes, we still have one open here in Tulsa, the Admiral Twin. It was were they filmed the hit movie the “Outsiders”. This was a new retro experience that is likely to, someday, not be an option for them anymore. I hadn’t been to a drive in for years and once I experienced the sound and picture quality again, I realize why they have become outdated. However, in the past, I don’t think the movie was the main reason we went to the drive in for anyway. It was still fun to sit outside with the kids and take in this experience.

We tracked Dana on Ironman live on Sunday. She had a solid race and was 16th overall and top 10 amateur finish. If she had done any other Ironman race in the series, she most likely would have left with a Kona slot. However, it appeared that some of the fastest women in her age group showed up in Brazil that day. I am so proud of her, she can compete and train at that level and keep this family running smoothly. Believe me; it’s harder than it looks.

Vegetarians Beware!!

2008-05-27T08:24:00.000-05:00

Monday night the Endurance Travel group had a dinner at a churrascaria, or what we call a "brazilian steakhouse." The meat is cooked in a huge grill on these great big skewers.

All different kinds of meat are grilled, including beef, chicken, lamb, pork, turkey, and "corazon" -- which is heart. ooh gross. Then the waiter comes around to the tables and cuts off a big hunk of meat and slaps it on your plate! Dig in!!

There is a large round salad bar in the middle of the restaurant where everyone can get other food to accompany the MEAT. But the meat is the star of the show, definitely.

The waiter is so happy with his big knife -- he loves his job!

Race Report --kinda long

2008-05-27T07:49:00.000-05:00

On Sunday morning, shuttle busses took us to the race start. In this race of 1200+ participants, women make up only about 10%. The reason I mention this is because the morning before the race, the athletes always have to make those port-o-potty (chemical toilet) stops. Well, at Ironman Brazil they have separate men and women port-o-pottys, so there was never much of a wait for me. What a nice way to start the race!It’s the little things that count!

We lined up at the beach for the start. A man next to me said, in broken English, that I should be ready to go. There is no national anthem, no countdown 3..2..1.. Just a horn. And right about that time -- the horn!! We were off and running down the beach into the water to swim. Yeah! The washing machine just hit spin cycle. Everyone was thrashing around like crazy, and South Americans have no personal space. The Americans in our hotel have been joking about it all week. Their idea of waiting in line is just to push up to the front. So the first part of the swim was really uncomfortable. I just told myself “this, too, shall pass”.

And it did. Things smoothed out and I got in a rhythm. The swim was shaped like an M, and we started at the right of the M and worked our way to the left. The first part of the M was longer than the second. We had a small section of running on the beach and I checked my watch -- 33 minutes, that’s good. The second loop of the swim would be shorter so I was on target.
Ken Glah said that the currents usually run with the swim, but not today. The current was very strong and becoming quite a problem. It was like swimming in an Endless Pool. I just told myself it was like biking into a headwind, I didn’t want to expend too much energy fighting it so I just tried to keep the effort steady and keep chipping away. Finally I made it to shore, out in 1:11. That second loop took me 38 minutes, not 20 something like I thought! A PW for me by far! Oh well, before the race my coach told me to not worry about the swim time, it could be fast or slow so I didn’t worry. Just movin’ on. I just hoped I wouldn’t set any more PW splits today!

The bike was two loops and really fun. Lots of flat sections, down in aero position, just hammering away. This is what triathletes love. That is why we spend so much time and energy on fast tri bikes and aero positioning , disk wheels and aero helmets. Put the head down and go. It was a blast. There were 2 significant hills that we went over out and back on each loop, but the hills were a nice change to sit up, put it in the small ring, and spin a bit or stand up for a stretch. There were also 14 - 180 degree U-turns -- kinda crazy. I had my nutrition divided up in three bottles -- 2 bottles were on my bike that had all the calories I needed, and one bottle at Special Needs in case I dropped a bottle. Well, coming back from the first loop I hit a bump, and off the bottle went. No worries, I stopped at Special Needs and got my reserve bottle. First time in a race that has ever happened, but I’m glad I was prepared.

I was off the bike in 5:35, not a PB but definitely close to it so I was pleased. Now it was time to run. This is the part I had been a little worried about. I haven’t been running pain free for about 3-4 weeks. Up until 2 days ago I was still feeling twinges of pain and limping a bit when I ran. I just hoped I could run the marathon. The first loop of the run had some steep hills, but not too long. It was easier to walk up them with long strides than run them, and I was walking up faster than anyone who was attempting to run them. The downhills were no fun at all either, and I gingerly ran down because I didn’t want to kill my quads for the rest of the run. A girl from my age group passed me at the 10K mark. UGH! I couldn’t stay with her and I didn’t want to blow up so I stuck to my plan.

Two shorter loops of 10.5 K to go then to the finish. There were no mile markers and I was a little confused trying to figure out the kilometer/mile conversion. This is not the time for complicated mental math. At this point in the race I wasn’t thinking too much, just putting one foot in front of the other, ticking off the miles, or kilometers, or whatever. Coming down the last mile stretch to the finish “portal” the sun was setting, and it was a beautiful sky with a few clouds, bright pink, orange and gold colors. I told Michal before the race that I wanted to finish in the daylight, so there was my challenge. Get down that road to the finish before the sun set. It was a great way to finish and I did it -- barely. Marathon time 3:55, a PR for the marathon split. Total time 10:50:23. Not a PR but it sure would have been without that long swim time. 4th in my age group. No Kona slot rolled down to me, but that’s the way life goes. I had a great race, and a great experience. Brazil was a blast.

little miss sunshine

2008-05-24T08:43:00.001-05:00

Thursday morning I was lying in bed, and the thought of getting up and getting dressed in the same clothes I had on for the last two days was a little bit, well, depressing.

So I got up anyway, a little bit sad because the novelty of being "that girl that still doesn't have her luggage" had worn off. I was a bit tired of well-meaning people, in their clean underwear and socks, asking if my luggage had arrived yet.

Well, I went to the lobby and saw a most beautiful sight! My luggage had arrived and was being delivered to the hotel. I was so happy that my stuff was here! My "little miss sunshine" was reunited with me -- literally and figuratively.

Michal and I took a swim -- it was so nice. The water temperature was perfect, and the water was very calm and clear. I am really looking forward to the swim on Sunday!

Later Thursday evening, we went to the race expo and pasta dinner. Here is a picture of Michal with a big Ironman logo made out of scrap metal -- really cool. It was three sided with a swimmer on one side, this cyclist on this side, and a runner on the third side.

We sat with some really nice people from the Endurance Sports Travel group. Can you see the guy on the left end? Look really close -- he is a dead ringer for the evil doctor, Dr. Nichols, in the movie "The Fugitive". And he had a Hungarian accent. Well, I couldn't remember exactly, but I knew the doctor in the Fugitive movie had an accent, too. So finally after dinner we got up enough nerve to ask him --"are you the guy in the Fugitive movie?" HA! HA! He said, no, he wasn't, but he gets that all the time. The Dr. Nichols in the movie was actually a Dutch actor (I really can't tell the difference between a Dutch accent or a Hungarian one. Oh well) named Jeroem Krabbe. Here's a picture of him, too. Don't you think they look JUST ALIKE!?

The two days before an Ironman I don't do much except rest and eat. So I took a picture of my plate of food. The food in Brazil is delicious.

We took a walk down the street a few blocks to pick up some bottled water, here is a picture of the street. Cute cafes and shop line the street. It's very clean and safe here and it is fun to walk around. But we are not walking around much, I promise, Rob, we are resting a lot. Because tomorrow is the Big Day! We turn in our bikes and transition bags this aftenoon. I can't wait to stop just thinking about Ironman because I will be racing one.

I will think about my little pal Yoda, I will use the force and race my race. I will be patient and let the race come to me. I will hear Yoda's voice saying "Do or do not. There is no try." Hopefully he doesn't mean there is no tri -- that would totally suck. All this eating and resting and no tri? Anyway, I digress. I will do. To the best of my ability. And then some. AND I will have fun along the way becuause it IS about the journey.

First day here

2008-05-23T11:35:00.000-05:00

We finally arrived in Floripa Wednesday night. We checked into the hotel then headed for dinner. We booked our travel with Endurance Sports Travel, and it is definitely the way to go. They take care of everything -- hotel, transportation, bike mechanics, two meals a day… all covered. Here is a picture from our hotel balcony. The beach is right there. Awesome.

Thursday we still didn’t have our luggage, but we did have our bike boxes so we put our bikes together, had the mechanics give them a check over, and went for a little spin. Ken Glah took a group of us on a van tour of the bike and run course.

We registered for the race and went to the English speaking race meeting.

The language differences are quite entertaining. Here are a few translations that make me smile.
1. Port-o-potty is a “chemical toilet” he he he

2. When you transition through swim to bike, or bike to run, they call it a “portal” -- makes me think of an outer space portal -- “beam me up, Scotty!”

3. At the end of the race after 140 miles the race director said he will be there “to receive you”. Doesn’t that sound nice? I can’t wait to be “received”.

66 hours without clothes to change into is getting a little gross. That is stating it mildly. We got a lot done today, but I’m sure that I am pretty stinky and I want to burn the clothes that I have been wearing. I’m beginning to get a little concerned that my luggage may never show up.

A Free Lunch?

2008-05-23T09:30:00.000-05:00

Well, it’s noon on Wednesday, and I’m sitting here in the Sao Paulo airport, where I have been sitting since 6:30 this morning when we arrived from Miami. We were supposed to catch a 8:10 AM flight to Floripa, but that didn’t happen. We had to reclaim our checked luggage before we went through customs. Michal, my friend that I talked into going on this adventure with me, and I waited at the baggage claim. And waited, and waited some more. Finally, our bikes arrived --whew! But our other suitcases were nowhere in sight. So we had to fill out lost luggage paperwork, and by the time we did that, our flight was long gone. I took a picture of the loooong lines we spent our morning in.

This is the South American idea of a line. Chaos.

Usually when we travel, or anytime “negotiations” need to be made, Rob makes me do the “negotiations” because I’m pretty good at getting what I want. Well, there really is no way to negotiate when one person can only speak English and the other person speaks Portuguese. So we are now on the 3:45 PM flight to Floripa, ugh. But, for our nice long 9 hour layover, we did manage to get a “free lunch”. The airline gave us vouchers for a free meal. After walking around for at least 30 minutes, we finally found the restaurant where the voucher would work. It was actually right around the corner from where we started, but there goes that language thing again.

A nice Brazilian woman in the restaurant took us through the buffet line and told us all about the dishes that were being served. I took some pictures of the food, our first real Brazilian meal. We had some delicious beef called “picanha” which we were told to order “magra”, which meant lean, and “ao ponto” which means medium-well done, I guess. The Brazilian meal also had “farofa”, a cornmeal and flour mixture that looks like couscous. She said that these were accompanied by “arroz” (rice), “feijado” (black beans), and “couve” ( a dark green leafy stuff that was finely shredded - yummy). The desserts usually consisted of chocolate, coconut, sugar, and Brazil nuts, of course. I took a picture of the dessert table, too.

Although things aren’t going as planned, today hasn’t been too bad. Looking at the bright side of things, we are here in Brazil, our bikes are here, and we have met some nice people that are eager to help us experience Brazil and remind us that this is an adventure. I guess there is really no such thing as a free lunch, but the price of this one, just a little extra time waiting, wasn’t too bad.

Here I am just chilling in the Brazilian sun at the airport after my free lunch. Life is good.

Racing Updates

2008-05-19T21:33:00.000-05:00

This weekend I spent in the OR taking care of the “very sick and the extremely large”. I won’t go there. That’s another story. However, as I worked several of my coached athletes traveled to Memphis, TN and Kansas City, KS to do some racing.

Matt Carnal, Sean Stevens, and Doug Leib competed in the Memphis in May Triathlon in Millington, TN, a small town on the outskirts of Memphis with it’s claim to fame as the boyhood home of Justin Timberlake. Memphis may have Elvis but Millington’s got Sexyback. Anyway, this race is a high profile event that used to draw very fast people from all over the nation because of its Kona slots. Despite the current lack of Kona slots, it still draws some very fast competition. It’s a great race to match your fitness against some fast age groupers.

This race has a unique format. Everyone goes off one at a time in a time trial format. As you get older, you get pushed further to the back. I hate it because of the lack of open water in the swim; slower cyclists clog the bike course. You have to pay close attention to avoid collision but the run is good. I like to be able to pick targets and run for them. The other thing I hate is when you see someone in your age group you have to do some math in your head to figure out where they really are. Dana tells me “if you can do this kind of math in your head then you aren’t running hard enough. You need to be in Gooberville.”

Sean Stevens is a member of the Oklahoma based Tri-Mettle racing team. With the departure of Greg Rouault and Chuck Sloan taking a break from tris to pursue training for the Olympic trials, Tri-Mettle is looking for a new bad ass. Sean raced the amateur challenge. This includes a mountain bike Xterra Triathlon on Saturday and the Olympic distance race on Sunday. The best-combined time wins, and prize money is given to the top racers.

Sean was seventh overall and 2nd in his age group in the Xterra and placed 3rd in his age group with a 2:04 in the Olympic race. He was fifth overall in the amateur challenge. Sean is quickly on his way to achieving rock star status on his team.

Matt Carnal raced his first Olympic distance triathlon at Memphis. This former baseball player went 2:01 and placed 7th in the 25-29 age group. Not too bad for a first timer. Matt is focusing on longer events this year and Ironman Kentucky is in his sights .

Doug Leib’s goal this year was to qualify and race in age group nationals in Portland, OR. To do this he needed to place in the top 10% in an Olympic distance race. There were seventy-three competitors in his age group which meant Doug had to finish 7th. This was Doug’s first Olympic distance triathlon so he was a little on edge. He didn’t get off to a very good start and missed his swim start send off which put him at a disadvantage. He had a good bike ride but flatted about a mile from the finish. He handled it like a seasoned veteran and rode the rim on his rented race wheel into T2. He had a good run then waited at the finish line for the results to come up. When the results were posted Doug’s name was in the seventh spot in 2:20. He had done it. He met the standard to enter the Nationals. However, when he looked at the times a bit closer he had done it by only ONE SECOND! Way to go Doug!

Jessica Myers is a new transplant to Tulsa from Colorado Springs. She is a new mother of twins and a pro triathlete. I swim intervals with her in the pool occasionally. She rides sometimes with Dana when they can get their schedules to line up. In this race, she had no idea how she was going to do. I had a good idea she would do pretty well. Jessica finished second in the female pro division in Memphis.

Eric Lundt traveled to Kansas City and competed in the Heritage Park Triathlon in Kansas City. Eric finished 12th in his age group. He bettered his previous time, prior to the challenges of fatherhood, by three minutes! Eric is focusing on Buffalo Springs 70.3 this year.

My wife Dana is heading off to Brazil tomorrow to compete in Ironman Brazil. She will be taking my laptop and will be posting on “Robsworld” this week. I look forward to reading her thoughts and seeing Brazil so stay tuned. I will be spending my vacation taking care of the kids and living in “Danasworld“.