Turkey Triathlon 2011

This was it!  The day had finally arrived for my triathlon debut and I could not wait to get to the starting line.  The anxiety had me restless in my sleep the night before and I went through the paces in my head on what could go great, wrong or unexpected.

Jessikah, Bradyn, Titus, and I arrive around 6:15 a.m. and unloaded.  After checking in, it was time to dock the bike on the rack and unpack.  Man is there so many things to go through (body glide, fuel packs, shoe placement, etc...) and where it is placed strategically determines how fast and organized your transitions go.

National Anthem

The relay gals going through
prayers

Putting on the Chip Timer

Brian Franco and I

My boys before the starting gun

After saying hi to the guys and gals in our group (and meeting a few new peeps), it was time to suit up and turn our attention to the singing of the National Anthem.  At that point, it gave me the quiet time to relax and slow down the mind that had been all over the place most of the morning.  My 2 boys had been talking about the "Turkey Race" for weeks and they weren't too sure what was going on or what exactly Daddy was doing today.  They were about to find out....

The Men - Mindy "smokey chick" smith was too fast for this pic

Omid giving me pointers on the swim

The Men - doing this together!

The second wave looking upon the first wave
already in the water.  We all look concerned.

Second wave is in the water!

2nd wave out

The swim for me is the weakest link of the 3 sports.  I hit the water cold "turkey" and boy it was a little chilly (59 degrees).   Immediately I tried my normal swim routine but within 30 seconds, my form was all over the place.  From what I can remember, it seemed that I was breathing too quickly and I could not keep my speed from dropping as I kept pulling my head up and out of the water to catch my breath.  About 5 minutes into the swim, the women that were 3 min behind my wave, caught up to me.  It was funny as right before the start Omid mention to me...."when you see the pink caps, don't freak out!  Just keep your pace".  It seemed like forever to get to the turning point (approx 500 meters out), but seeing the shore on the way back just made me work harder to get out of the cold water.  I did get a few bumps and run-ins with other swimmers, but overall it wasn't too bad.  The one thing I did not anticipate was the limp feeling in my legs when I arrived on shore.  It took alot out of me to even jog a slow pace and my HR was still reeling from the 30 minute - 1/2 mile swim. 

Mindy Smith finishing a great swim time,
progressing in T1

Where is the feeling in my legs?

Finally reaching my bike and I got rid of my wetsuit.  It came off just like in practice, except for my left ankle.  It took me about 5 seconds to realize that I was fighting with the chip timer.  Once I got through that hurdle I was able to don the sunglasses, strap on the helmet and slip into my bike shoes.  Running in cleats from the back to the front wasn't as bad as I had imagined (did this in August's duathlon) and I clip in at the timing station and off I went!  I manage a respectable 2:35 transition 1.

                                                                                              What's fun about the Turkey Tri is that as you leave transition on your bike, within 1 minute you are battling a small hill.  Usually this hill is nothing, but still trying to feel the legs work it was a wake up call - "WELCOME TO THE BIKE LEG!"  On Saturday we received some mild Santa Ana Winds which carried into race day, giving us a nice warm morning.  This however turned into a headwind heading down the back stretch of the bike ride around Puddingstone Lake.  I made sure to pay attention to my HRM to stay even and not get ahead of myself.  I watched a few other riders pass me, only to be passed shortly by me on a hill because they were out of gas.   It definitely helped to know the route beforehand to know what to encounter and keeping an even uptempo pace using the HRM.  I pull into T2 with a bike leg around 45:39 for a little over 14 miles.  Quickly getting rid of the bike and slipping into the shoes, I managed an expected 59 second transition.  What I didn't expect was the flight of concrete stairs that I had to come down on to begin the run.  What is all that about? 

Can't feel my legs again!  Out
from T2 for the run

Coming in for the finish line...I did it!

One thing was noted; as I battled the bike headwind by getting low on the bars, I stressed my lower back muscles that were already sore and weak.  This proved to give me grief soon into the run.  I had to stop twice to stretch it out and for about 1.5 miles, I was hurting bad.  I did talk to myself plenty of times and by mile 2, my pace was almost back on track.  Arch blisters then came around mile 3 in my sockless feet.....boy did I want to end the race already!  Finally I gave it all that I could spotting the finish line and I finished my first Triathlon!  My run came in around 45 min. for 4.5 miles. 

 Overall a great feeling of accomplishment and seeing your hard work put to the test was awesome.  My favorite is having my little boys around to know that outdoor stuff is in our lives.  My dear Wife that put up with all the month's training, stood by and gave me all her support.  I couldn't ask for a better first Triathlon.  Now if I can get under 2 hours for this route next year....... * I finished with a 2:06:00

Results:
http://www.geminitiming.com/posts/san-dimas-turkey-triathlon/
Race Website:
http://www.renegaderaceseries.com/index.php?view=details&id=21%3Aturkey-tri-pumpkin-pie-kids-du&option=com_eventlist&Itemid=146

Thankful - you betcha!

As the days comes before us - you can sense it all around - the leaves turning golden and fallen on the ground - the breeze that leaves a tingle on your skin - the music that all seems to soon to be the holidays and our sensories going overload on the shopping opportunities.

Yes this is the HOLIDAY season.

This year it has seem to just be in the background for me....Thanksgiving dinner doesn't seem to draw me to excitement, shopping deals are kind of the same and decorating the house seems to be in a distant fog.  I know exactly why this year has come to this point......my focus has been on the Turkey Triathlon, November 27th........it is after Thanksgiving.

My body is tired and so is my mind from the last few months of training in which has also put many things in my life on hold or disregard these past few weeks.  But as we come to recognize Thanksgiving, there is one thing that I haven't lost focus on and that is how blessed and thankful I am each and every day.  I have the Prince of Peace to lean against that gives me the strength to continue to lead my family, support my wife, be a loving husband and enjoy life.  Writing this out today really gives me the perspective when our emotions and energy is nowhere near where it should be.

- I am thankful for God being the rock in my life that doesn't budge
- I am thankful for the job that provides for my loved ones
- I am thankful for my healthy and loving kids
- I am thankful that I am given good health today to do what I love
- I am thankful for my partner for life that respects, adores and sacrifices for me and my family
- I am thankful for my friends as they bring joy and conversation to us
- I am thankful for the family that surrounds us that loves us and supports us


Take the time to write down your own thanks......It will give you a chance to stop for a busy second and reflect what is going on around you!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Memorial......forgotten?

I clearly remembered that day. August 10th, 2011....it was a warm and nice day. I happened to be out in Palm Springs for work and the heat was in the 120's and was thinking to myself how nice the weather must be back at Orange County and would love to ride when I got home. I was still preparing for my upcoming Duathlon and I wanted to squeeze one in. Duane Parkinson did get that lovely ride in. Unfortunately it was his last.

Duane was going southbound on Shady Canyon road towards the 405 freeway. He had to be on the road because the popular bike trail that outlines Shady Canyon ends at the park. There is also NO bike lane. A female driver in a Mercedes SUV (insert typical O.C. Stereotype here) had recently exited from the guard shack and rolled down the hill. The road veers to the right. Duane and the SUV collide as the bend in the road straightens out. Duane left behind a wife and 3 children. He was 42 and served as a detective for the San Bernardino Sheriff's department.

So soon after the accident, a memorial had begun with flowers, pictures and notes. Soon after, the white "ghost" bicycle appeared that I had read about in NYC for fallen riders. It is a stark reminder of the risk we take each time we take the wheels out for a spin. The memorial stays there for months....until this week.

I frequent that drive because of my clients that live in Shady Canyon, and today (November 14th) I was shocked to see what wasn't there anymore. The ghost bike that was locked to the light post was missing and the flowers and keepsakes were no where to be found. The nearby gardeners tending to the lowly bushes did not seem to know anything. It was as if.....nothing happened on that fateful afternoon. Nothing to remind the drivers of the flashy SUV's and sedans that us bikers, are vulnerable people out next to your vehicle. Nothing to scream that your Facebook on your cellphone can wait until when you get to Irvine Spectrum. Nothing to remind us riders to be a little more cautious, a little more vigilant.

I wonder who executed the removal of the memorial. I wonder how much Irvine Company has to do with it. Where does the city draw the line between allowing such memorials to stand vs. being cleared out. I wonder if I should honor Duane's last ride on that sunny afternoon with a revival of the memorial.....

Tape(r) worm

So after hitting the wall last weekend, I decide to take a few days off and also begin the taper progress. I already had it on my calendar to start a month out, however I was contemplating on shortening it down the 3 weeks, so here we are. I took Sunday-Tuesday off completely and I happened to be in Vegas for work. The only thing I didn't get to do was get a good night's rest.

Wednesday night I returned to the circuit with a 3 mile run with some short intervals. Thursday and Friday were short bike rides with some intervals. Saturday was rest and Sunday I let out a 5 mile run with little intensity pushes.

How do I feel? A little refreshed, but the sting of the overtraining still lingered in my legs and I am cautious to add in higher volume. This is the toughest part of tapering....trusting your body to do its repairs when you let it. I am sure the anxiety of race day is building and the second guessing stuff is sure kicking in.

Here is a write up on tapering
http://www.triathlontrainingarticles.com/Taper.html

Viva Las Legless

Increasing the recent training the past 2 weeks by 30% and lack of sleep hours has caught up to me in returns of lackluster times, efforts and motivation. After Saturday's bike and run, I took Sunday and Monday off completely to hit the 48 hour rest mark. I happen to fly into Las Vegas for work today (Tuesday) and did bring my running shoes. I am going to have to listen to my body today to see if I am ready to resume my efforts. Reading my Runner's World magazine, they recommend doing less volume, but maintain intensity and also mix in some changes in intervals. I find my case of "overtraining" to be mild and more of doing too much in a short time frame with little rest in between. I hope to look at 2012 a little differently and plan for the long haul and to maintain a healthy and balanced workout regimen.

Sooo...dah-licious

So I normally don't have to kee a soda pop in my hand, but I decided to once again remove it from my daily consumptions. It's water, tea and a little bit of juice. Just one week into it the ban, I took a sip of Jessikah's diet Pepsi at a kid's birthday party and boy I could not take another shot of it.  Just needed a few days to get rid of the "habit". 

I encourage you to drop the diet and regular soda and focus more on water.....whaddya think?  I'm sure you've heard all the studies etc, etc......good luck!

"Muddy" Buddies

We're all buddies right?  After a barrage of "trash talking" emails back and forth amongst our riding group, we all set out for a ride n' run @ Frank Bonelli regional park (San Dimas) to prepare for our triathlon.  It was cold and in the 40's, since a storm front had just pass through the night before.  7:15 and we rolled out and around Puddingstone Lake.  For anyone wanting to 'try the tri' route, here is the Map.   They were setting up for the Muddy Buddy the next day and we pondered and joked about doing it next year.  Josh thought he could do it solo with his "imaginitive" friend.

Bill (Me), Brian Franco, Landon Diener, Matt DeMartino, Josh Manashe (taking the picture)

Landon, Matt and Brian took off on a nice pace and all the training that had led up to today sure has taken the toll on my legs by feel and looking at my HRM. Beats per minute were staying low....but any push was all gone. Looking at history calendar, my training was normally in the 4-5 hour per week range. The past 2 weeks have gone into the 7 hour range. Taking off for Vegas for business this week should give me the rest I need to get back on track I hope.  21 days left before the Turkey Tri!

Rolling towards Fairplex drive, the (not so) warm sun peaks right over Auto Club Raceway - Did you know 2011 NHRA Finals are to begin qualifying on Thursday 11/10/11?  John Force is doing a rare pre-event appearance and the race points are sure pretty tight coming in from last week's Vegas event.

After a few miles in, the tempo seems to be more forgiving and the rough road kept us keen and alert on the path.  Landon and Matt finishes up the 14ish mile double loop in about 45 min.  Brian, Josh and I finish up a few minutes behind.  We lock up our bikes, change into our running gear and I found an opportunity to get Josh into a picture on this post..... 

When you gotta go....you gotta go.  At the local Park n' Pee

We took off for a 4 mile run and once again, Landon led the way; Josh had started ahead of us so we had to play catch up.  Brian and I kept each other company as we overcame the hilly course.  Noticing many things on the run: Fall foilage, crisp air and some white dust on the local mountains......Winter is coming quick!  Also out of all the places that I have trained, I have never encounterd such nice group of people all around Bonelli park.  We almost got a 'Good Morning!' out of everyone, a 'Good Job guys!' out of another lady and plenty of hi waves.  It is always nice to be around people that look out for each other in the simplest ways.  We finish up and head back to our weekend activities.

Drooooool.....

Not a big Trek fan......but watching a few Chris Lieto videos leads to me dreaming of this bike!

Nutella ...tella friend!

So many friends have notated an occasional use of Nutella in crackers/bread etc. Today I peeled back my first jar and man, this is suppose to be a "healthier" option? I found pretzels from the kids Halloween bags and man did I have a grand ol' time. So rich, creamy and chocolicious! Give it a try!

Looking for books to grace my shelf....

Laird Hamilton's 'Force of Nature' book has been out for a bit, and I for some reason came across his name recently. A pro surfer, strong stand up paddle boarder and married to pro volleyball star Gabrielle Reese, whats not to like about him? I browsed through a few pages and it is an inspirational read with awesome details (hellooooo Surfing!?!). Looking to grab this one. Not meant for the Kindle - gotta have this in your hands!

quote of the day.....

To go fast....sometimes we have to go slow - Liz Hatch - Team Vanderkitten (2008)

I read this one in 2008 and has stuck with me time and time again.  Either in training or in life's daily activities....in order to do something proper and with quality strides....sometimes we need to slow it down!

As for training...read this article to truly understand what going slow to go fast means

- Peace in the Middle East