Good news indeed!!

So, I'm sitting through a car wreck of a children's skit at church yesterday afternoon and my phone buzzes in my pocket that I have new voice mail, email or whatever. I ignore it hoping the play will be over soon. (Our 3 boys all had minor roles in the play) Afterward, I finally sneak a peak at the phone and find I have a voice mail from a number I don't recognize but is in an area code near my work. (for those who don't know, I am a Systems Admin - read that as computer geek and as a consequence I am on call pretty much at all times) So my first reaction is the tightening feeling in the pit of my stomach that this could be a long night. I live the farthest away and if they're calling me then it can't be good. I step outside to quickly listen to the voicemail and that is when I get the surprise of my fall!

A couple of months ago I applied to get onto a triathlon team based in Livonia Michigan called the Racing Greyhounds. I did it on a whim and felt then as I do now that I could at the very least commit to the minimum race requirements to be a part of the team. They seemed to be a group who were fun and semi-serious which I thought really suited my personality. I thought it would be cool to roll into races and have a support crew there. (no really any of the official team races they bring the bike techs and service/tune up your equipment for you pre-race) I also thought it would be cool to have teammates to Cheer on and be cheered on by at races. Let's face it, it can get pretty lonely out there at some of the bigger races. I also thought any other perks or discounts for being on the team would be nothing but a bonus. So, I applied for the team.

Until Last night I had almost forgotten that I had applied. That changed quickly when I listened to the voicemail. I am now a Racing Greyhound!!

I am initially very excited and a bit apprehensive about what the heck did I get myself into, haha. I will find out more at the end of this week when I go to the 2009 team orientation meeting.

I was planning on posting my 2009 goals this week. I now think I better hold off until I see what happens at the team orientation and how I can mesh my personal goals with those of my new team obligations.

That's all for now, more to come as soon as I have it.

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Body Glide, Triathletes best friend

Shortly after I started training for my first triathlon a couple years ago, a good friend told me about Body Glide. I was complaining about some minor chafing issues and I was told this was the product I needed to try. Fast forward a couple of years and I have now done/competed in over 6 triathlons ranging from sprint distance all the way up to a Half Ironman. I won't ever race or train without it. I believe in it so much that when I went to my season ending Blue Water sprint triathlon and realized the evening before that I had forgotten my stick of Body Glide, I drove all over Port Huron Michigan looking for a sporting goods store that carried it. I ended up buying the last stick of it they had at a Dunham's store. It would have been ugly if they had been out.

The reason Body Glide works so well for me is it's wide variety of uses and ease of application. The product comes in "deodorant" like stick which makes application and storage a breeze. It is not messy to put on like Vaseline or many of the "whatever butter" products can be. Body Glide has never stained or ruined any of my expensive tech clothing. It retains its lubricating effect even through long hours in the saddle on training rides. During my Half Ironman race, I applied it generously in the normal "chafe sensitive" area (read that as inner thigh, saddle contact location, rear end, crotch or what ever your preferred term is haha). Then I applied it just as generously around where my shirt would rub on my shoulders, my nipples, and in my shoes where I know I have a tendency for blisters. 6 hours and a ton of sweat later, I was chafe free. I only had a couple of blisters on my feet from my cycling shoes, not my running shoes where I had used the product. In fact, had I not used it in my running shoes the blisters from my cycling shoes might have caused me to quit had they gotten worse on the run. I had been sweating profusely and dumping water over my head all day and Body Glide just kept on doing it's job. I can honestly say the when I am wearing Body Glide, I don't even think about rubbing or chafing issues. I have enough to think about while training or racing and I am thankful worrying about rubbing or chafing is not one of them.

In the interest of full disclosure, I was sent a couple of samples of Body Glide prior to this review. However, I was a committed customer well before I received the samples and I will continue to use it to literally save my rear end at every race.

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Hey did anyone miss me???

Ok all, if anyone is left that is, rumors of my demise are greatly exaggerated. Well, ok, maybe there have been no rumors and maybe not many really care where I've been or missed my posting but hey, just a quick note to say.

I'M still ALIVE.

Stay tuned. I promise, this time there is more to come. All I'll say for now is this, once my Half Ironman was done my family and job both needed more attention than they had gotten for a while. Nothing serious but with out all of their support for my endless training this summer I needed to give some back.

Now it's time to get back to work and begin planning the 2009 season. In the short term you can expect a long over due review of Body Glide, a product I won't race without, and a look back at the highs, many lows and lessons learned from Steelhead.

So for now, enjoy the season;

Craig

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Steelhead update

Hey all. Just a quick update on my race yesterday. I finished in roughly 6 hours. The water was so rough they canceled the swim and made it a duathlon (2 mile run instead of swim). Not good for me as I'd rather swim than run anyday of the week but hey that's triathlon, you adapt and move on. The weather was great, not to hot and not to humid. I was pretty wiped out after the race for the rest of the day and I don't think I slept a whole lot last night from the muscle soarness in my legs. I'm doing better today. Still walking like an old man and tired but I wouldn't change it for anything. The race was very well organized and even with the change from swim to run at the beginning the organizers handled it with a great deal of class. What an awesome venue.

Ok, off for a nap. I'll write more later and get some pictures up my wife took. Thanks again for all the well wishs and support.

Craig

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The Day before THE Day

If I said I wasn't a bit freaked out at the moment, I'd be lying. Now, I am not a nervous individual by nature but this week I have had a growing pit in my stomach and I can feel the anxiety washing over me with each passing day. So here I am getting the last few things packed and ready to go. Yesterday was a clean and lube the bike day. I hope giving the ol girl a little extra attention makes her want to make my ride a little easier tomorrow, haha.

Today is the shave down and go soak up the expo day. Tomorrow, barring an unforeseen circumstance, I will become a half Ironman. Or would it be half an Ironman? Maybe it's a 70.3man, I actually think I like that one the best, haha. I've decided to only give a short set of goal times as thinking about it too much drives me crazy right now. So, here it is short and sweet.

Swim: 35 minutes
T1: <3 minutes
Bike: 3 hours 15 minutes
T2: <2 minutes
Run: 2 hours 5 minutes

for a total time of 6 hours even.

I've prepared and done everything I could at to be ready at this point. I have to trust in my fitness, not make stupid decisions or mistakes during the race and just keep moving forward. That's all I need to do to break 6 hours tomorrow. Holy cow! that's asking an awful lot, haha

Ok, that's all I have for now. I'm going with my wife to a secret recovery place after the race for a few days. When I get back I'll give a full race report. Until then, I have my laptop and if I get inspired I'll try and leave a quick post.

Have a great weekend and good luck to anyone racing this weekend.

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The week before the week....

And now the anxiety has started to settle in a bit. I have started to work on my Steelhead 70.3 race plan, pacing strategy and equipment prep list. Now, I am not a nervous person by nature but the closer this race gets I suddenly find myself getting nerved up a bit. Yesterday I found out my bib number and starting wave (bib 1754, wave 11). Suddenly it is not about talking, it is real and it is about doing! I know my fitness is there to complete this race, that is not the issue here. I think what it all boils down to is this. Last December after going through my shoulder surgery, I signed up for this event even before I could lift my arm above my head. I wanted a goal in front of me that scared the crap out of me so I would not just go through my physical therapy but I would push my physical therapy and come back stronger than ever. Call me crazy but that is how this guys works, haha. Well, now that big scary goal is almost over and yes my shoulder is fine, yes I am physically fit enough to do it, but I haven't made any major goals beyond this one. It is like this is the end of a great big long journey and I have no idea what lies beyond it. Well all that stuff and this is the biggest freaking race I have ever been in, in my life!!

Once Steelhead is over I have a couple of product reviews I plan to do. One I plan on doing will be about my experiences with a can't live without product called Body Glide. In the interest of full disclosure, I was sent a couple of sticks of it last week to write a review. On a personal note, I already love the product so it won't be hard to write about. If anyone out there has any other products they would like me to try just let me know. I also have another fun project involving work that I will be announcing shortly that everyone here can follow along with. So, I guess I have some things to look forward to after Steelhead after all.

As for my review of the Interlochen race. I have gone back and forth on what to actually say about that event. I love the race venue. I love camping in the State Park which hosts the event. I think the course is a good one and very challenging. Unfortunately I have a lot of negative feelings about the race organizers. I don't want to use this forum to air a bunch of negativeness and I surely want to encourage anyone who has thought about doing this race to go do it. Believe me the positives far outweigh the negatives in this case, for me. I have heard many things I did not witness from this race. The only thing I will say is this. 3 Disciplines as a race company works their rear ends off to put on a quality race. I am, however, tired of excuses and disappointment at everyone of their events. They have been in business long enough to get it right EVERY time they put a race on. Enough excuses. In this case they advertised "tech T's" for anyone registered by a certain date. There were no "tech T's" they had "moisture wicking" tshirt's and not a consistent message from the volunteers. Some people were told there weren't any "tech T's" and some were given the moisture wicking line. Either way most people know the difference who run these races. They ran out of finishers medals long before I even crossed the finish line, we'll see if it show in the mail like they said it would. Lots and lots of other little stuff at every one of their races. If your budget is that tight Kenny, then you need to raise your prices, plan better, cut costs or stop letting so many people sign up the day before or day of a race! You could even put a cap on the day of day before registrations so you don't go over your available capabilities. I could go on and on about the petty things that annoyed me at this and every 3 Disciplines race but I will stop for now. I will continue to do their events but I am thinking that next year I will try a couple of other ones for a better comparison. I have been told there is a huge difference in quality of race organization so we will see. In the mean time, I am already planning my return to Interlochen for next years race.

Until later, happy training and everyone needs to go on over to the Kodafit blog and tell him congrats on his new addition in his family that should be arriving today.

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Interlochen Race Report

Where to begin? I guess I'd like to start by saying I have a great wife and friends. We all arrived on Friday to the race site. Last year we had 4 of our core group racing. This year I thought we would have at least 2 or 3 of us. I knew a couple of our group hadn't really been training but I was sure they would give it a go. As of Saturday afternoon it was decided that I was the only one and my support crew would be awesome! We had about 10 other people from our hometown coming in to race their first ever triathlons and they would need all the support we could give them. Ok, on with the race report.

This was to be my second Olympic distance event of the summer. After my Motor City race, I was anxious to redeem myself and do well in front of my friends and family. Friday evening, after we had camp setup, I took a shakedown ride to preview the Olympic bike course. It was enjoyable to return to the bike course from my first ever triathlon a year ago. The first 10k seemed to fly by, this was my turn around point from last year and all I could think of was "is that it?". Life is good with a heightened fitness level. I enjoyed the rest of the ride and made a lot of mental notes for race day. On Saturday I rode the run course and found out what they were talking about with "the hill". This hill starts when you make a left hand turn from a tree lined, greatly shaded dirt road at about the 2.1 mile marker. Suddenly there it is rising up for the next mile right in front of you. I was instantly dreading the run. I made the climb on the bike and enjoyed the quick decent back. I also threw on the wetsuit Saturday and did a little swim warm up of about 700m. Just enough to get the blood flowing and see how the stroke felt. Mission accomplished on the course preview and race prep it was time to just rest and prep the transition bag/bike. It was also time to lay out my race goals and plans to friends and family. I have to say it's one thing to put my goals here on the blog where it all feels like I'm just writing for myself, it's quite another to make my goals public to my close friends and family where I will be held accountable. Time for the race.

Sunday Morning we wake to blue skies and warm weather. Unfortunately we hear the wind whipping in the trees. It is announced at the pre-race meeting that the wind is expected to be 20mph steady gusting to 30mph. UGH!! on a positive at least it would be a headwind on the way out on the bike and pushing on the way in.

Swim: goal time: <30 minutes Actual: 29:22

PERFECT!! The swim course was a clock-wise triangle. My favorite kind. I am a right side breather and this is the easiest way for me to keep the buoy's sighted without lifting my head much. The only problems I had were that I got stuck in no man's land for most of the swim without a person to draft off and when we made the last turn for home I could have sworn I was feeling like I was swimming into a headwind. The water got pretty choppy for the last 300 or so meters. All in all I felt like I had a good strong stroke the entire way with no real problems. This is my best event and once again I proved it with a 4th in my age group and a 29th out of 200 overall.

T1: goal time: <3 minutes Actual: 3:01

Not bad given the distance from the beach to transition and the fact that I put socks on this time. I'm right on my goal pace at this point.

Bike: goal time: 1hour 20 minutes Actual: 1:23:11

The out on this out and back route was BRUTAL. I don't know how the riders I saw with rear disc wheels stayed up on their bikes. I was almost blown over more than once on the way out. I worked hard to hammer when I could and just hang on when I had to. I knew the course and I knew I'd make up some really good time on the way back in. The ride back was, dare I say it, FUN! The wind made holding 20+ mph feel like I was coasting. I hammered it until I was into the last few kilometers when I finally backed off and let my legs rest a bit before the run. My nutrition and fitness were both finally just right on a hard ride. My legs still felt great as I dismounted for T2.

T2: goal time: <1:30 Actual: 1:40

No issues, just had to get some crap out of my sock. Threw on the number and took off.

Run: goal time: <1hour Actual: 1:01:35

I set a goal of running the entire way, having fresh legs and not pushing the pace too early. I'll take this time. I had NO issues with cramping like Motor City. I even held back a little early on knowing I had "the HILL" to deal with. I went past the first 2 miles thinking I felt really good. Then I turned the corner and could see the trail of ants ahead me climbing that blessed hill. I stuck with my goal of running the entire way, I wasn't fast but I managed to keep running. This was my last real challenge of the day. It would have been so easy to just walk as I watched person after person do on that climb. In case you're wondering it was about a 9% grade and coming back down hurt almost as much as going up. Every step was putting on the brakes coming back down. By the time I got to the bottom I was starting to feel twinges of cramping in my hamstrings. Fortunately, this evened back out again once I was on the flat again. I hit the 4 mile mark seeing my pace was holding steady to break my overall goal of a sub 3 hour race. I felt pretty strong all the way in and with a half mile to go I saw that I could shatter my 3 hour goal with a hard effort. A couple of roller hills with a little bit of cramping starting to set in but at this point nothing was stopping me. I sprinted hard the final 50m down the finish chute.

Overall goal time: 3 hours
Actual: 2:58:47

Overall I was excited to not only run a good race by my standards. I also hit almost every goal time I set and most importantly I beat my overall goal time by over a minute en route to setting a new personal best by over 12 minutes.

Look for my race evaluation and review in the coming days.

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Interlochen, pre-race expectations

This week I would like to take a minute to discuss my pre-race expectations for the Interlochen Music Festival Triathlon. I will be competing in the Olympic distance event. This is my second Oly and I'm excited to see my progress from a month ago. As some of you might recall, I had a less than ideal race in Detroit. I personally felt that my bike fitness and nutritional plans were both inadequate. I have spent the past few weeks working on both. On the nutrition plan side I have adjusted my strategy to include both Infinit and Hornet Juice. In my testing with both of these products on my long rides (30+ miles) I have come off the bike still feeling like I have some legs left. Last weekend I went for a hard 46 mile ride with extreme hills including about a 2 mile climb to finish (the last half of which was out of the saddle barely able to hold 7mph). I used Infinit, Hornet Juice and water only on the entire ride and felt good afterwards. I'm not sure I had enough in the tank for much of a run but I certainly had more than when I came off the bike in Detroit. On the bike fitness side, what can I say? I have been riding my tail off. In blowing wind and hard hills I've pushed and right now I feel pretty comfortable in that area again.

Pre-race, my goals for this weekend will be pretty conservative. This is a B race for me and only 3 weeks before my main A race for the season. I want to rev up the motor a bit and see what I've got but I don't want to blow it up either. Here are my goal times for this weekend.

Swim: goal <30 minutes
I really laid back at Detroit in the swim. I want to push this one a bit more. I really think a sub-30 swim is must. I also want to practice drafting off the fast guys in this one. This is my strongest discipline and it's hard to hold back but I still need to go easy on the shoulder a bit.

T1: goal <3 minutes
I know, very conservative. The transition area is quite a ways from the timing mat on the beach and I am going back to socks for the bike, I'm still healing from the blisters I got in Detroit.

Bike: goal 1hr 20 minutes
This course is pretty flat, a couple of rollers and if I average 18mph I'll nail this goal and should still have enough left for the run. The plan will be to ride conservative the first 1/3 of the race, check the overall feeling and if it feels right hammer it right up until the last 1/2 mile. I want to spin easy the last half mile and should be able to maintain my speed coming in because its flat and downhill. (side note, the dismount here gets interesting because you are flying in on a down slope to the transition area) If it all comes together I really think a sub 1:15 is possible without ruining my run. Nutrition wise I plan on using my Profile Design Aerodrink bottle loaded with Infinit and my second water bottle a mix of Hornet Juice and water. The goal is to finish BOTH of these on the bike and start taking in Clif Shot Bloks as I come into transition.

T2:goal <1 minute 30 seconds
It better be fast, the timing mats are at the bike entrance and run exit and it's a small transition area. Nothing special here, drop the bike, slip on the shoes and hat and off we go. Nutrition plan here? Have a pre-made bottle of Hornet Juice and water to take a swig of just before I go along with more Clif Shot Bloks.

Run: goal <1hour
Not too hard for me to hold a 9:40 pace if I have some legs off the bike. This is a conservative goal but hey after Detroit, where I walked more than I ran, this goal has to be conservative. I want to run this time only walking aid stations if needed. I want to start slow and build my intensity throughout on this one. Nutrition, just water or Gatorade if they have it.

overall goal: sub 3 hours.
If I accomplish this I'll have made significant improvement from Detroit. If things go well and I feel good through out, my ultimate goal for this race would be a sub 2:50.

Were making this a family camping weekend. Staying at the State park where the race is held with a bunch of friends who are racing and their families. On Saturday morning I'm thinking of taking my son into Traverse City (about 20 miles away) where they are having their Cherry Festival 5k and 15k races. This is a big race and if he is up for it I think I'll let him run the 5k. So, we might have a couple of race reports next week. I won't be back until at least Monday so the race reports won't be up until Tuesday or maybe Wednesday.

As a side note, we had a wonderful time in Frankfort last weekend with family and friends. I didn't train as much as I planned but sometimes we need to remember to enjoy life a little with those we care about. They put up with our training and non-stop talking about our sport so we do need to just let it go every once in a while. I got in one great ride, a monster sand dune climb, a round of golf with some pals and a ton of walking on the beach. Does life get any better than that?

So, unless I come up with something genius to say again this week, good luck to everyone racing this coming weekend and check back next week for my race report.

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Ok, where to start this week. This post will cover last week and this week due to the short holiday week. I am off Work for the July 4th holiday starting on Thursday (July 3rd) through Sunday (July 6th). This is the last big week for me before my next race. The Interlochen Triathlon in beautiful northern Michigan. This was my first ever triathlon a year ago and I have a LOT of friends doing this triathlon this year. Last year we had 10 of us who did this tri, this year we have around 20 of us that I can think of. We are planning a long weekend of camping and friendship. I will again be doing the Olympic distance in prep for my half Ironman a few weeks later. More on all of that next week.

Training, When we last left our super hero he was ruminating on his humiliating lack of fitness on the bike and vowing to make a come back to defeat the evil forces of wind and gravity. haha well maybe not quite that dramatic but hey, it is my blog and if I want to embellish I have the artistic license to do so. But I digress. I have made the bike a major focus in the past 2 weeks and I am starting to see the fruits of my labor. Saturday I took a couple hour trip west to the Grand Rapids training camp, also known as my wife's friend Tammy's house, and got to ride in 15-30mph winds over some of the hilliest terrain I've ridden in a long time. I am yet again reminded why it seems that the winners of every triathlon, I have raced, always come from the Grand Rapids area. They have the biggest hills to train on!! If I had that for my daily riding enjoyment and torture I would be so much better. I managed a 2 hour ride and only made it 34 gut wrenching, smile plastered on my face miles. I am not kidding people passing my must have thought I was on something, I could feel myself smiling constantly. It was a great test and my legs felt great afterward. A week ago I ran my 11 mile trail run around the state park. This is my litmus test of sorts. I feel like if I can run that trail run solid, then flat pavement should be a cake walk. I ran it my fastest time yet in 1 hour 48 minutes and I wasn't wiped out for the rest of the day. I know my fitness is getting up where it needs to be now.

On the nutrition front, my plans for Steelhead are starting to take shape. I'll be using Interlochen as the final test for my Steelhead nutritional strategy. So far, I've been testing Hornet Juice and Cliff Shot Blok's. Last week my Infinit order arrived and after a couple of longish rides with it I am definitely adding it to the race day strategy. It has the right mix of carbohydrates, protein and electrolytes. The flavor is tolerable and growing on me. But, most of all I am having no cramping issues during the tail end of long bike rides and I feel physically good even after harder efforts. I've had no GI issues from it as well, which is a major bonus. Next week I'll layout my Interlochen "real life" test for nutrition.

Ok, this coming holiday weekend I will be off to either a northern Michigan training camp location or back to the Grand Rapids training camp. Either way I plan on getting lots of riding and running in with some open water swimming along the way. Look for a big jump in mileage this week as it is lots of time off coupled with my last big build week before Interlochen. I'm hoping to build this week, mini taper/recovery next week before the race then train hard right off Interlochen into another week and half build with a week and a half taper for Steelhead. The next month will be tough but the week before Steelhead will make it all worth while.

So, for all you U.S. folks out there have a great 4th of July, take a moment to thank someone in our armed forces for making the sacrifices they do for our freedoms we enjoy. For everyone regardless of nationality let's all try to perform at least one random act of kindness in the true communal spirit of triathlon over the next week.

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Motor City Race Report

Sunday was my first attempt at an Olympic distance triathlon. The triathlon was on the once very beautiful Belle Isle, right near downtown Detroit. I picked this one specifically because it was a bigger event, I need big event experience this year to prepare me for Steelhead. Besides, nothing and I mean nothing scares me about swim starts so why not go big or go home. One last item of note about this race, I had soft goals and no idea what to expect going in. I didn't taper and if anything upped my training intensity in the past week. Not a great recipe but this was a C- minus race just for the practice.

I made the 2 hour drive down to the race site on Saturday afternoon to preview the course get signed in. Not off to a good start though, I left town an hour later than I planned and had to drive the 5.8 miles around the perimeter of the island twice to find the entrance to the area T2 and race registration were. I arrived with 20 minutes to spare before packet pickup/sign in closed. whew, ok, I hoped we were back on track. After getting signed in and picking up my race packet I took some time to look around and get acquainted with the layout. This was to be a 2 transition location event. T1 was about a mile up the island by the swim location, T2 and the finish line were at the main sign in location. I would need to remember not only to bring everything for the race but also a second transition bag to put my wetsuit and T1 stuff into before taking off on the bike. Once I felt comfortable with the way transitions were laid out and the swim location it was off for a drive around the island. Drive, why drive you say? Well, two reasons mainly, first it was getting later in the day and the island was PACKED with people. Apparently half the population of Detroit was attempting a picnic with loud boom boxes, barbecue and adult beverages. There was no room on the island to ride my bike safely with all the people and traffic. So I drove the bike course and made my mental notes as I went. I was glad I did, there was a section of the road on the back side of the island that had a ton of bike eating pot holes. The race director had obviously been working hard though as almost all of the pot holes in the bike course had bright green paint circling them. I firmly believe that you should ride or drive every course, both bike and run, sometime in the day or two before a race to get your final strategy and mental notes in order so there are no course related surprises come race day. With that done it was time to head in to town and get checked into my Hotel, lay out and pack the transition bags, eat my customary pasta dinner and turn in early. Back on schedule, let hope it stays that way.

Race morning. I wake up in a panic! why is it so light? I look at the clock, it's 5:30am. CRAP!!!! Where was my wake up call!! I need to be at the island in 30 minutes when bike check in an T2 opens for setup. Crap!!! Crap, crap crap!!! Ok, deep breath. this is no time to truly panic. What is triathlon after all, deal with adversity and move on. Luckily I packed everything up the night before. I also shaved and showered the night before I was completely ready. All I had to do was get dressed, down some coffee and check out. Ok, deep breath. We planned for lots of extra time at the race for mental prep, now it would have to be on the fly. I arrive at the island at 6:15am, find a parking spot and start getting my gear around. Everything is moving like clock work now. I finally get to T2 for setup 15 minutes before it closes, I set it up and hop on my bike to ride it over to T1, chip pickup and body marking. I am there at 7:05 am along with 700 of my closest friends who are all trying to get their chips and body markings at the same time. I drop the bike and swim gear in T1 and decide I better get in line before it gets any longer. After waiting and begging my way to the front of the chip pickup line, I move over to body marking and decide it is getting close to race start so I better just jump right up front. I explained my situation to a few wide eyed, obviously first time, sprint people and they let me in. Body marking complete, 10 minutes left to race start. Now I'm not one to panic. This time however, I was beginning to panic, I still had to get my wetsuit and setup T1 AND get mentally right before this race starts. How was that ever going to happen? I head over to T1 set up my spot and get my wetsuit on up to my waist. What's that I hear over the loud speaker? Crap!!! 3 minutes to race start and some instructions I can't understand. I grab my goggles and swim cap and run.
Get to the waters edge, get some assistance getting zipped into the wetsuit, dive into the water just enough to get wet so I can settle the wetsuit a little and run over to the starting chute. "1 minute, until race start." comes over the loudspeaker. Ok, mental prep time now officially cut out, haha. I push my way to the front of the pack. Have I mentioned that swim starts don't scare me any? Now, finally now I am comfortable and relaxed again. The world comes to a screeching halt and time slows to a crawl. This is a beach start, I seem to have forever to jostle for position and pick my line I want to the first buoy. THIS IS COOL!!! Man I love competing in triathlons. Then, time comes back up to full speed. 10, every muscle tenses, 9, 8, I ready my watch to time myself, 7, 6, 5, I dig in my toes, 4,3,2, the horn goes off!

Swim: goal time: 30ish minutes actual time: 30:20
Distance: 1500 meters

The swim felt pretty good. The first 500m were against the current, at times it felt like I was swimming in place but every time I sighted on the buoy's I was getting closer to the turn. The middle 500m were with the current and I felt like I had a jet pack on. Only problem to this point was couple minor elbows and kicks to the body during the first turn, all in all not too bad. I hit the turn back for home and it was like hitting a brick wall. Man am I glad I do a LOT of pull sets during my swim workouts. I dug in, hoped onto the hip of some younger kid that tried to pass me and drafted off him the rest of the way in. I felt pretty good at this point. As I stood up I decided I was walking rather than running out of the water. The extra 10 seconds wouldn't kill me and I'd get my legs back under me quicker. By the time I hit the beach I had my wetsuit down to my waist, cap and goggles off and my legs felt pretty good. Time to jog to T1.

T1: goaltime: none actual time: 2:46

Note, I WALKED through all transitions. I had read somewhere that taking that extra few seconds helped you stay better focused and conserved a small amount of energy for the next stage of the race. This was a new thing I tried at this race and I can say, it sure didn't hurt me any. T1, I had to not only ditch the wetsuit, but I also had to pack it and everything else not going with me on the bike into a bag that the race volunteers would bring to the finish for later pickup. With all that in mind, I'm not too disappointed in this transition time. A little slow but I wasn't putting ANY importance on the transitions here.

Bike: goaltime: 1 hour 15 min give or take actual time: 1:19:23
Distance: 23 miles

The bike was sweet!! pretty much flat, a couple of small rollers and 1 tight corner right at the top of the biggest hill and, of course, in to the teeth of the headwind. I held back big time on the first lap. This was a 4 lap ride and I felt I would be wise to conserve and learn on the first lap then I'd know where and when I could hammer on the last 3. This turned out to be a pretty good strategy. I would fly around 20-22 mph on the flat downwind side and maintain with a high cadence around 16-17 on the headwind, rolling hill side. I knew my bike fitness was lacking coming in and I was surprised I was able to maintain this pace as easily as I was. It kinda bit getting passed by all the $10,000 bikes and people looking like they were working half as hard as I was but I was trying to stay within myself. And I felt like I did a pretty good job of it until I got to the run.

T2: goal time: none Actual time: 1:51

Ok, so maybe I took a little too much time on this one. But, in my defense, uh no. I actually have no excuse for this one. I have new Zoot racing flats so the shoe change is quick. I only had to throw on a hat and my number belt so I have no clue why I seemingly took a nap in this transition. Again though, I'm not too worried here. I really wasn't putting any emphasis on my transitions at this race.

Run: goal time: sub 1 hour Actual time: 1:17:10
Distance 6.6 miles

Ok, I new I was in trouble coming out of T2 and running over a small humped up bridge and both thighs locked almost solid! Not a problem I've had before. Usually I get calve cramps, bricks and nutrition changes have helped this immensly. This hurt!! I figured it was better to be safe than sorry and maybe if I just walked for a minute I re-adjust from coming off the bike. For about 2 seconds I considered calling it a day and quiting. Then I remembered what I always tell my son. At some point during every race it is going to hurt and it is going to hurt bad. But if you just focus on the moment, start micro managing the race so your goals become very small, sooner or later it will start feeling better and if that doesn't work then just remember pain is temporary, finishing is forever. With those thoughts in mind I started running again and with in a few minutes, this time, I was cramping again and when I wasn't cramping I just felt like I had no legs under me at all to run with. I was rapidly learning what blowing up in a race felt like and it sucked! Ok, I have to adapt and figure a way to get through this. I settle on a plan, run 10 minutes, walk 2 minutes. I use this method when I do my trail runs and even when it hurts the most I can usually keep that up for hours. 2 miles down and it's starting to feel a little better. at the turn around, 3.3 miles, I am feeling like ok, this is do-able. I know I'm not setting any speed records but I am at least maintaining a pace and mentally I'm feeling better. Next I start looking for people who look like they are struggling as bad or worse than I am. I start cheering them on and telling them hey, lets just jog to the next sign post. Somehow between my internal struggle and cheering on others in my condition I manage to hobble through the second 3.3 mile lap. As I came to the finish chute both my legs were cramped so bad it felt like I was running stiff legged. But I finished!!! I had pushed myself farther than I have ever gone before in a race and survived. I learned a few things along the way but I finished.

Final time 3 hours 11 minutes 29 seconds

Out of this I take a few things.

1) my fitness on the bike is not where it needs to be. I spent to much of the energy bank on the bike and had nothing left for the run. This will be a focus over the next few weeks before my next race.

2) My nutrition plan was pretty good. I maybe could have used more sodium to help with the cramping but I already have a plan to address this. I just wasn't going to trying it in a race first. More on that later.

3) My over all fitness level is leaps and bounds ahead of last year. After a race last year, all sprint distance, I was toast for the rest of the day. I was so sore I could hardly move for 2 days afterward. Yesterday, not only did I drive home after the race, my wife and kids and I went to my in-laws for a cookout. I even stayed up and watched the US Open and NBA finals game last night. Today? My thighs are a bit sore from all the cramping. I am a little tight all around but nothing slowed me down at all today. I pushed myself for over 3 hours yesterday and today I am fine! I know my fitness is way up there.

Later on I'll lay out my game plan for Interlochen. For now, I'm disappointed with the overall time but hey on a positive note, this was my first Olympic distance so I at least set a PR, lol.

Thats it for now, time to rest and recover.

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Friday mish mash....

Anybody been wondering why no race report from last weekend? Well, the answer is simple. I didn't run. My allergies kicked into overdrive about Wednesday and I barely had the sinuses and itchy eyes back under control by Saturday morning. That coupled with a desire to really focus on my son's potential for this race caused me to skip it. Well, ok all that and I hadn't registered in advance so I wouldn't be out any money either. Besides, I thought it would be fun to actually be there at the finish line to see Ryan cross it. But not to disappoint, I'll give you a race report for his race.

The morning started hot! It was in the high 70's by 8am when we got to the race. It was humid and had a slight breeze blowing. I challenged Ryan to run faster than he had in any of his previous 3 races this year. This was a fast, flat course and I knew from experience That the fastest runners from all over showed up to set PB's here. (The overall winner of the 5k ran a 16:03 and 10k ran a 31:57 if that gives you any idea how fast this course is) I worked him through his stretching and warm ups like a coach, got him to talk a little smack with some of my friends knowing they'd give it right back to him and hoped it would fire him up a little bit. I helped him stay loose and got him positioned in the front row with the fastest of the fast. I challenged him to run 7 minute miles the entire way. I told him he was capable and that when he really needed me for encouragement I'd be there to help him kick it home. Right from the start I was proud of his effort. he jostled and hung with those bigger faster runners at the horn like he'd been doing it for years. He appeared to set off at a good pace and looked relaxed. The next 18 minutes were about the longest 18 minutes of my life I think. Especially the last couple because I knew he had to be coming soon to make his goal. During this time I walked up the course and positioned myself right about the 3 mile mark. That point right where you are rounding the last curve and finally get a good look at the finish. I cheered on the first few runners as they came by. Then I could see him off in the distance. His gate was strong but looking a little haggard. He seemed to be in pretty rough shape mentally and was beginning to fade. I knew he was pretty close to the pace I had wanted him to attempt and I knew it was hurting. That's when I yelled to him, "HEY WEAVER, IS THAT ALL YOU HAVE IN THE TANK TODAY?" immediately I saw him perk up. It was like I woke him from a deep sleep. I yelled again "Come on Weaver, I know you got a little left let's show em how we finish at our house". Almost immediately he smiled and started picking up the pace. I jogged along the side talking him up through the next 50 yards, he kept going faster. In the end he passed 3 people in the last .1 miles. He finished in 21:57 with a 7:05 pace. He dropped almost 2 minutes off his personal best to date. He was the fastest 13 year old there, he was 3 in his 11-14 age group and 25th overall out of 298 total runners. I couldn't have been prouder of his effort. Once he got his final results he was ecstatic. In our post race evaluation the first thing he said was I know I can drop 15 more seconds... I asked why 15 more seconds? He says, "It's only 15 more seconds to get that 7 min average"... Now I know he's a runner, when its only 15 seconds over 3.1 miles. Another cool thing at the race, he's started getting noticed and talked to by some of the local school coaches and better runners both before and after the race. I can't wait to see what comes in the future. I'm not sure I want to run many more of the same races he does after watching this last one. I think its time to just support him at most of those and be there when he needs that pick me up most.

Next up for me? Motor City Triathlon. Not an A race, not a B race, more like a C- race for me. I'm using it as a training test, pacing and strategy test and nutrition test. It's my first time at the Olympic distance so, no matter what it will be PB, lol. I just want to race strong the entire race. If I can swim a sub 30 minute 1500m, ride a 19mph avg and run a 9 min avg I'll be ecstatic. If I go sub 2:30 for an overall time, I'll be whooping it up for sure. But not matter what I'm making a deposit in the mental accomplishment bank. One I'll save to draw off at a later time when I need it. Proving to myself that I can not just do the distance but race it!

Lastly I have a bit of a rant today. In the past week I have heard sprint triathlons referred to as "mini" triathlons by more than a couple of people. This drives me nuts!!! There is nothing "mini" about any triathlon. I read once that the effort level to accomplish a sprint triathlon is somewhere on the level of running a half marathon. Yet you never hear people refer to a half marathon as a "mini" marathon. I politely try and correct people when they call it a "mini" triathlon, I even challenge them to do one with me then if it is "just a mini" triathlon. I have yet to get any takers on that offer.

So, until next week when I finally have a real TRIATHLON race report. Keep training and take a moment to enjoy life.

Craig

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CAC 5k Race Report

Ok, I know this is a little late. I was waiting for the official results to get posted online before I wrote this but I see that's not happening so here we go. Firstly, my motivation for this race was two-fold.

1. My son wanted to run it, he seems to want to be a runner this year and who am I to stop that desire, lol. I can think of a lot worse hobbies for him to have and hey it's nice having some company once in a while on my runs.
   
2. This event was to raise money for a very worthy cause in my community, the Child Advocacy Council, they are a great bunch of people who really get out there and support children from abusive homes.

The course was completely off road in fields, on trails and gravel drive. There was not a flat footing to be had not to mention the hills. All in all a very brutal course. I spent the first half of the race socializing with friends and neighbors (which was kind of fun for a change) and the second half just surviving. I'm not sure what exactly happened to me this race but you'd have thought it was the first race I'd ever run. Maybe I didn't take it serious. I know my training in the past week or two had slacked off a bit but come on it was only a darn 5k. Needless to say my time was horrific even by my standards. I self clocked in at about 29 min 30 sec but never saw an official time. (thus the reason I was waiting for the online posting) I will say this, I had fun and saw a lot of local people I don't get to see too often so that was good. It is also good for a turtles soul to run in small races. This was a race with only 50 or 60 people and somehow even at my turtle pace I got 3rd in my age group. My 13 year old son managed a 24 minute 5k on this brutal course. That impressed the heck out of dad. His continued growth in running is great for a dad to witness. It's fun to take him to these races and have him woop my butt. It was even more fun in this race because I could watch him run quite a bit of it due to the layout. He looked so cool, composed and like he was having the time of his life. What more could a proud parent ask for.

Ok, now for the self reflection. Drinking beer with my bother in law the night before a race is NOT the right way to carb load! Not a mistake I will be making anymore. Too much cotton mouth the first couple of miles. I am not a runner, I run best when I run consistantly. I have always had my best races when I come in with my regular 3-4 days a week of running. Not high volume but I have to have some volume. I know this impacted me as I hardly ran last week before the race. My third reflection was I need to focus, focus, focus. Socializing and watching others is fun but it is no way to "run" a race. I need to either be there to race or be there to watch. This includes pre-race mental prep. My best races have always started with the proper internal mental prep and focus.

Goals for this weeks 5k/10k
a) decide 5k or 10k, I am leaning toward the 10k only to get the longer run in. If I do the 5k I will be trying for a PB because this is a fast fast course.
b) run at least 2 more times between now Saturday
c) once the registration process is done and my son is set, get my head in order and mentally go through my race plan one last time.
d) get rest and proper nutrition the night before the race, such an easily overlooked piece of the puzzle.

and last but not least, I can have all the fun and socialization I want AFTER the race but treat this for what it is, a RACE!

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Here we go....

As I sit here I have just realized that the season kicks into high gear now. I have officially registered now for the Motor City Triathlon, Olympic Distance, in Detroit on June 15th. (Happy Fathers day to me). In the next 2 weeks I am running a cross country 5k this weekend and a flat, fast 5k next weekend. Then, the week after that is my first triathlon of the year. Holy cow!! Time to kick the training up a notch I guess. I am planning on doing the Interlochen Triathlon again this year although I'm bumping up to the Olympic distance there as well and 3 weeks after that is the Whirlpool Steelhead 70.3 Half Ironman in Benton Harbor. I am planning on training through Motor City and Interlochen with no taper. I am just using those events as race practice for Steelhead. I am a firm believer that you truly learn to race by racing. You can practice transitions, you can practice nutritional strategy, you can practice pacing but until your adrenaline is pumping and your competitive instincts are boiling you just don't know how you'll react, adapt or overcome. You learn those traits toeing the line, looking fellow competitors in the eye and finding out just what you are made of.

As the season gets going now, I'll try and be a bit more diligent again about keeping this blog up. I'll try and talk more about my training and goals. I'll make sure I post my race reports as well as an internal evaluation of each races effort. I go through this race evaluation after each race to realign future race goals and strategy or even change my training focus if needed. I feel it is important to do this while the race is fresh in your mind. I have been teaching my son to do this after each of his 5k's and I can already see him starting to race smarter as well. I'll also try and post some more equipment reviews shortly. I have a new swim suit on order from TYR, I've never tried their brand of suit so this will be interesting.

So, I guess that is all for the moment. Check back soon for this weekends 5k race report.

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Happy Birthday part 2

Just a quick update on my B-Fit birthday challenge. I wrote last Friday that I was getting ready to finish my challenge. The challenge as a whole was harder than I anticipated in some ways and in others, I felt like, I exceeded my own expectations. I don't for one second regret doing the challenge or attempting to go for the virtual gold in this case.

I would not recommend a 4 mile swim all in one session to just anyone but for me it was very much a personal challenge and needed breakthrough. I had not really "tested" my shoulder since my surgery. Oh I've worked out and I given myself pain and I've worked out through pain but I had not just sucked it up and pushed through the pain, around the pain and with the pain the way I did Thursday during the 4 mile swim. And you know what? I am ok! I survived and my shoulder is still intact with no lasting effects. I am sure my doc or physical therapist would have not really liked the level of pain I pushed through and dealt with but I'm bull headed that way. I needed to feel and experience it so I know when it happens during a race, and it will, that if I block it out I won't be causing further harm. When I wrote my blog entry on Friday morning all was well again. I had some very minor muscle pain in my legs, back and arms. I had no real deep "bad juju" pain in my shoulders and that was a relief. Time to keep pushing.

After my blog update and a few errands I headed out for the grueling 1 mile run. So ok, it wasn't grueling or painful and it hardly felt like even a warm up but hey it was running and it was my required distance for my challenge. Then came the real mental test of the entire challenge. The 41 mile bike ride. 2 hours 45 minutes later I had not just proven to myself I was fit enough to do it, I had proven I still had the mental fortitude for the ride. Long rides on the bike, to me, are more about keeping my mind in the right place than physical effort. I would have quit out of boredom more than physcial pain or fatigue. I didn't set any speed records on this ride but I did it.

The sense of accomplishment when I finished the challenge in less than a 24 hour period was huge. The feeling of fitness when I woke up Saturday morning and was a little tight muscle wise, but not in any major pain anywhere was awesome. The feeling that I have now done some distances and put myself out there far enough in all three disciplines this spring already to KNOW that I can complete my scheduled Half Ironman 70.3 in August is huge. Now that I know the distances aren't an issue I can redouble my training efforts to start working on some semblence of speed at that distance.

My times for the B-Fit Birthday Challenge were;

4 mile swim: 2 hours 38 minutes
1 mile run : 8 minutes 20 seconds
41 mile bike: 2 hours 45 minutes
total : 5 hours 31 minutes 20 seconds

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Happy Birthday!!!

Yeah its my birthday!!! I made it another year. I feel alive today. Well, I really mean I KNOW I am alive today from the pain, haha. Last night I started my B-Fit Birthday Challenge. I am swimming the first number in my age in miles, running the second number of my age in miles and biking my entire age. This year, unfortunately for me, I turn 41. Last night I swam 4 miles, 6,450 meters. It took me 2 hours and 38 minutes. I had to really gut out the final 500 meters but by that point it was easy not to quit that close to the end. Now today I get to run an easy mile and ride a lazy 41 miles on my bike. (who'd a thought a 41 mile bike ride would feel easy?)

I am taking the pain in my muscles as a great sign that I am alive and living! If you want see more about this challenge and see how you can do you own B-Fit Birthday challenge just click on the graphic below or visit http://www.bfitbday.com

Everyone should do something to make them KNOW they are alive on their next birthday.

Visit raceAthlete B-FitB-Day.com

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And so the season starts.....

Ok, first, I have not fallen of the planet in the past few weeks. I took a much needed break to take my wife to Cancun Mexico and relax. One last week of relaxation before the serious training gets under way. It was beautiful. We got to run in a country we had never been to and we had a great time. Now the real fun begins.

Last Saturday my wife, oldest son and I ran in the inaugural Memorial Healthcare Auxiliary 5k run/walk. I had mixed emotions for this event. Proud parent, proud husband and do I really want to run??? Any of my family and friends who know me can attest to the fact that I just really do not like to run. I know it seems like a dumb way to feel given how much I have to do in triathlon but, for me, it is not as bad when I'm numb from the swim and bike. To give an example I ran a 26:14 5k last Saturday and I will run a 5k at the end of a sprint tri within a minute and a half or so that time. All I will say on the subject is this. Running for me is getting better, not great, but better. It is my weakest link and next winter during my off season I plan on addressing this issue a bit more as I see it as my most limiting factor in racing. Ok, now on to much happier subjects from last Saturday. My wife, the runner in the family, once again took first in her age group. I was about 35 yards behind her for most of the race and as we passed people it was pretty humorous how many gave me grief for being behind. If only they all knew that I am not sure I'll ever beat her. I finally got within touching distance of her with about a half mile to go and, she denies it but, she just turned around smiled at me and promptly left me in the dust. haha, makes a guy feel good!

And now for the best news of the day. My wife may finally have to give up the title of best runner in the family. Our oldest, Ryan, ran his first ever 5k race. He's been running on his own and with me a few times, this spring. I came into the race with him just hoping he'd be able to finish strong. He came into the race hoping for a sub 28 minute run. We both were hugely wrong. I made him run with me at the start just so he wouldn't go out to hard and burn out early. (And I was so proud to be standing on the starting line with him I was almost bursting.) I gave him a few pointers as we started the race. I showed him how to pick his spots to pass and in general passed on my "lame dad" running knowledge on to him as we went. At the half way point I was trying to decide when I would cut him loose to see what he would do. I took one look at his, barely breaking a sweat - not even breathing heavy, face and realized I was seriously holding him back. I told him to go ahead and go and he promptly left me in the dust. I mean he took off like I was standing still. I spent the next mile and a half watching him up ahead extending his lead on me until he finally was out of site. This kid beat me by almost 2 minutes in a mile and a half! He had the biggest smile on his face when I saw him at the finish line. He was the fastest Weaver that day and I am sure for the foreseeable future. On Monday we discussed another 5k coming this weekend and I told him I'd take him. The plan this week is to put him up front with the faster kids and see what he can do. I might have to move to the back with the other proud parents running. We'll be easy to spot, we're the ones floating just off the ground with the huge smiles on our faces finally not really caring how slow we are.

Check back soon. I'll try and get my race schedule a little more finalized this weekend and post on it and my feelings about this season next week.

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Team Evotri update

First of all a great big THANK YOU, to all of you who voted for me. It was so cool to see that many people supporting me through their voting. Now for the bad news. I didn't make the top 3. So all the cool gear and world wide fame will have to wait. haha

Now for the good news. This blog isn't going anywhere. Well, I guess that's more good news for me than any of you who read it, lol. You're all stuck with my ramblings about my training, equipment and anything else that pops into my head to write about. Please stay with me as I continue to build this site. Also, please email me with any questions or topics you'd like me to put up here. It's my blog but hopefully someone out there is reading it and if you have a question or topic maybe someone else had the same question or topic they were curious about but didn't let me know.

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Saturday Challenge

Have you ever gone to do a workout not really sure you were up to the task? Maybe had a plan which would push you well past your comfort zone or any limits you had passed previously? I did on Saturday.

One of my favorite places to run is a state park about 20 miles from my house called Sleepy Hollow state park. They have this trail that weaves and winds all around the outer edges of the park and is approximately 12 miles long if you go all the way around. I have always enjoyed running different parts of this trail but had never even comprehended the thought of doing the entire loop, until Saturday. Once I set out to train for Steelhead one idea I liked the thought of was building up to run the entire trail at Sleepy Hollow as part of a regular long training run. Saturday I had a free day, the weather was great and I thought why not see how far I can go.

The plan was simple. Set the countdown time on my watch at 10 minutes and run until it goes off. Then walk anywhere from 2-10 minutes (reset the timer if needed) and repeat. Go until I feel like I've gone far enough then turn around and head back or do the whole thing which ever comes first. 30 minutes into the run I was really questioning my sanity. It was a gorgeous spring day here in mid Michigan, mid 40's and sunny as can be. I never thought about the inch of snow we had 2 days earlier and that maybe just possibly the trail would be a slippery, muddy, water filled mess. 30 minutes of slipping and sliding and trying to avoid the large puddles that more closely resembled small ponds and I was tired, sore and my feet were soaked to the bone. I tried to decide whether to turn back or press on. I decided it had to get better at some point or I might at least go numb, so I pressed on. At the 1 hour mark I hit a major stretch of trail that was on the high ground and was awesome to run on. I continued on forgetting how awful the trail had been just yards back. At the 1 hour and 20 minute mark I was back in the slop again and started to seriously question my sanity. At this point I realized I was over half way around and there was pretty much no turning back now. I could, but then I would have to re-traverse all the crappy trail I had been down to this point so I might as well at least finish on, as of yet, unseen crappy trail. Besides it was now closer to continue than turn around.

It was at this point that I began playing the "just make it to some unknown point in the distance" game and I'll reward myself with some walking, or if the trail comes close to the road I'll just hop on there and run that back to the car. I learned, yet again, that I lie to myself just to keep going. Every time I'd get to that point or close to the road, I come up with some even better reason why I should keep going. My walk to run ratio started changing as well. I found I only needed to a couple of minutes of walking to consistently recharge for the next 10 minute run. I kind of got into a rhythm and the great outdoors was flying by. Until about the last mile. That's where I started to notice chafing in places I had never wanted to imagine and the bottoms of my feet were cramping. Not up under the arch but under my HEEL! What the heck, I've never felt THAT before. My legs began to feel like lead weights with every step and I am quite positive my walking was faster than my running at this point. But, like the determined zombie I was, I kept pushing on.

Seeing that end point right where I started was a pretty happy moment for me. I had completed nearly a half marathon of epic proportions, at least in my mind it was anyways. I had run, slid, slogged, walked, fallen, skated, hopped, tight-roped, jumped, slipped and barreled up and down hills, across ridge-lines, through valleys, in fields and through forests all for the fun of it. I challenged myself and found I grew. 2 hours 21 minutes, that is what it took. I had often thought it would be fun to pack a lunch and do the entire trail in a day. I never thought I'd do it in 2 hours and 21 minutes.

Now I can't wait for the next opportunity I get to go try it again. I hope it dries up a bit before then but now I have a personal best time to beat. Oh, and as a side note. Sunday I was a little sore, as I expected, and today I feel much better. Life is good when you can push yourself beyond your limits and don't have to pay with too much pain.

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It's all about the goggles.

Let me just start by saying that I am an "old school" swimmer. I grew up in the pool and have been a Speedo goggle wearer as long as I can remember. That has changed this winter. It was time to replace my current goggles about a month ago. So off to the store I go to take a look at the latest and greatest Speedo, TYR and Nike had to offer. I haven't been exactly pleased with my most recent Speedo goggles. They seemed like the most uncomfortable pair of goggles I had worn in a long time. The problem I have is that I miss the old days with the soft neoprene foam gasket around the lenses. It's hard to find a pair with that anymore that fit right or the neoprene doesn't obstruct the view. This time I decided maybe I'd go a new direction. I checked out all the Nike goggles, they looked cool and seemed ok but nothing really caught my attention. I looked at TYR and that's when I found what had to be one of the coolest looking pair of goggles I had seen in quite some time. The rubber they were made from seemed soft enough so I had to give them a try.

What I bought was the Nest Pro, Blue made by TYR. Here is TYR's description from their website.

A performance goggle that transcends traditional design. Inspired by the unique bird nest architectural design of Beijing's main stadium for 2008. The structural elements of the Nest Pro's frame creates a unique grid-like effect, similar to the way a bird's nest is intertwined for support. TPR frame/gasket features dual-injected system with over-molded nosebridge. Patent Pending Nest Frame Technology.

• Polypropylene over-mold nest frame provides unique high-tech structure design.
• Headstrap features patented Glide Clip system which allows easy on-head adjustment.
• Double VTS (Varied Tensile Strength) silicone headstrap conforms to side of head while flat back straps allow for secure fit.
• Wide peripheral Cellulose Propionate (CP) lenses feature imbedded anti-fog properties and are UV protected.
• Soft TPR gaskets for comfortable, water-tight fit.

Now enough of the "company line" propaganda. What's the real story with these goggles?
Plain and simple. I LOVE THEM!!! The fit reminds me of the old school goggles of my youth. They look awesome and the comfort is out of this world. I am not sure what the heck "Soft TPR gaskets" are but where the rubber meets the face is the softest most comfortable fit I have found in a long time. The strap is easily adjustable. They are extremely fog resistant with incredibly clear and wide area of vision. I have had no issues with water leakage to date. The only con I have is the strap. I really, really like the old single, fat rubber strap. All the new goggles have a double strap of some kind and to me it is a pain in the rear end to deal with. Yeah, once they're on and set they, for the most part, are good but I would prefer the old single strap. I mean the double strap always ends up twisted around it's self and like a single strap by the end of the workout anyways so why bother. I have noticed the strap has a tendancy to slip up my head during flip turns occasionaly when wearing a swim cap. But if the strap is the biggest complaint I can find with these goggles then we've made huge strides.

This old Speedo goggle guy has officially become a TYR goggle guy. I can't wait to try them in a race or open water swim to see if they still hold up but as of now they have my vote.

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Case of the Mondays...

Ok, not really. I'm actually feeling pretty darn upbeat today. I started my morning with an early morning swim, 2800 meters, and that always wakes me up!

On the sad news front, they have extended the voting period for the Team Evotri making the team contest. I have already hit up everyone I know, and lots I don't, to vote and feel like this extra week of voting will only hurt my chances not help them. Such a bummer but it's out of my hands so I'm not going to sweat it.

On the great news front. I am finally feeling much better after dealing with that nasty cold and sinus crap for the past week. Last weeks training turned into a maintenance week just to keep some cardio up while my body kicked this illness. This mornings workout felt great and I have high hopes for the rest of the week. I need to get 2 good weeks in before my wife and I take a much needed vacation to Cancun Mexico for a week. Our last big break before serious training and the racing season starts.

Ok, anyone who hasn't voted for me just send and email to vote@evotri.com with craigtris.blogspot.com as the subject. EVERY vote helps.

Watch the blog this week. I am planning on starting to pick out some of my equipment I like to use and review it as well as update a list of upcoming events.

Here's to a great week for all.

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Making the Team: 2008

Making the team? Am I still young enough to make a team? Do I still have what it takes to be on a team? 20 years ago, all yes, in a heart beat! I would have not taken no for an answer. I swam competitively at fairly high levels through most of my youth and childhood. What strikes me as so similar about swimming on a team to what I envision being part of a triathlon team is the competition and camaraderie of your teammates but ultimately it comes down to you and your internal drive. There are so many long, lonely miles during training. But they are like coming back home to me. It’s so good to be home!

What happened in between then and a year ago, when I really found a sport I always felt I’d love? Life, plain and simple, the paths chosen in ones life can lead you down such strange and often incomprehensible paths. What started this new obsession a year ago? It was initially a desire to get into a little bit of shape and lose some weight so I could be around for my wife and kids as long as possible. A friend of my wife wanted us to join her in this crazy race she found called a sprint triathlon. All of a sudden my training had a goal. I found I enjoyed working out again. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed working out! That first triathlon was an amazing experience for me. I was back!! I felt alive. I tasted the sweet taste of competitive adrenaline and oh how I LIKED it again! That was July of last year. I swam for an olympic triathlon relay a month later then raced another sprint tri in September. I placed 3rd in my age group in that last tri of the season and began making plans for 2008.

Through most of the season I had known something in my shoulder wasn’t quite right. Something was downright painful but I sucked it up figuring it was just age and 20 years not working out catching up with me. In October I went to see a sports doc, just to make sure. I found out I needed surgery to repair a torn labrum. Long story short, I had my shoulder scoped on November 27th 2007. Before I could even raise my arm above my head again I registered for the 2008 Steelhead 70.3 triathlon. I know this sounds a little nuts, but I wanted a hard goal in front of me as I went through physical therapy. I wanted something to not only motivate me but scare me away from failure. I have since finished PT and resumed base training. My shoulder feels stronger than it has in years. I am confident I am on track to attain my goal of a sub 5 hour Steelhead.

I want to be on the 2008 and beyond Team Evotri. Please vote for me.

Thanks for reading! If you think I should be the next fully-sponsored member of Team Evotri, please write down the URL of this web site and have it ready for voting when you click the EVOTE button below. Thank you!

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Monday 03-17-08

OK a quick recap, have I mentioned I came down with something at the end of last week? Yup, it's still hanging on but once my fever broke, Friday, life got a boat load better. So, needless to say Friday was a wash for working out. Priorities, priorities. Right now the priority is get healthy for a trip my wife and I are taking in a few weeks. This means rest and recuperate. Saturday comes and I felt worlds better. This cold I have been fighting has now moved into my sinuses. This I can live with! I am continuing my Zicam treatments, I firmly believe this has really shortened the duration and intesity of this cold so far. Saturday I decided it was time to start my weekly long run ritual. 6 miles. Not a bad start. I was pretty wiped out afterward but I felt fine on Sunday. Sunday was my last week of basketball leagues. Only 6 guys on the team again so lots of running yet again! Is there something wrong with me when I love that?

Today? stuffed up and tired but not sore. Loving my current fitness level. I think my base is way up already this year. This week will be a maintenance week while I try and kick this cold once and for all then a couple of harder build weeks in prep for a recovery week while gone on vacation.

I'll talk with you all in a couple of days..

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A day in the life of an average age grouper

Ok all you age group triathletes out there, here is my recount of what many of us go through on a daily basis just to be able to train. What I am about to talk about is how as age group triathletes our daily lives seemingly work against us getting that all important training in. Today was a prime example of the worst possible obstacles trying to keep me from my training. I truly think how we deal with these obstacles and adapt our training around them is what makes us who we are.

Tuesday nights sleep was spotty at best. We had a sick child come in and wake us up at 3am, which seemed like 2 minutes after I fell asleep. The alarm goes off at 4:45am and there is no way I'm going in early to work out before work this morning. I reset my alarm and get another half hour of sleep before the day begins in earnest. I'm thinking at this point hey a good lunch swim and post work run and I'm back on track. Oh crap!! I forgot I have a lunch meeting at work today. Ok, maybe I can sneak off for a little bit this afternoon after the meeting to swim. No go, it was a busy afternoon in the office. And to top it all off I can feel a cold coming on now. As the day progresses I physically feel worse. I am achy and starting to have chills, although it's hard to tell if the achy is from working out too hard this week. You see I showed up for my basketball league early last Sunday in hopes I could get a little extra running in subbing on another team before my normal game. Oh I got a little extra running alright. Not only did the team I subbed on have only 7 guys, my team for the game right after only had 5 of us show up until we recruited 1 extra player so we could at least get a little break every now and then. Monday morning I felt like someone had used me for a punching bag. And 3 days later I am still sore but it is getting better.

So back to Wednesday. I forced myself to go to the gym after work. Ran a reasonable 3 miles on the dreadmill and swam 1500m. It felt good to get the workout in but by the time I was done, I was feeling physically finished. On my way home from work I forced myself to down a protein shake and an apple. I have officially lost my appetite another bad sign for the cold, but hey this could help with that extra weight I've been trying to drop. : ) Chills, sweating, back and forth all the way home. I stop and pick up some Zicam to try and get this cold under control quickly before it gets worse. Get home, talk with my wife for a few minutes and its off to bed. What a day!

In retrospect I can take the following out of the day. I still made it a priority to get in a workout. I didn't put in quite the distance I wanted in the swim but something was better than nothing. I have learned to adapt my anticipated schedule as the day progresses. Zicam is king!! I went to bed feeling awful. I got up this morning feeling awful, but already I am feeling better. I didn't bring my workout clothes to work today so I wouldn't feel obligated to workout. If I feel up to it tonight I'll hit the trainer for a bit otherwise rest and Zicam will get me through the cold the fastest.

Now this is not an average day in my life but it is a good example of what an age group triathlete can have to deal with. Sound familiar to anyone???

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Monday 3-10-08

Ugh!!! I realized this morning I should have listened to my wife to change my alarm clock time. But no, I was being a dork about it over the weekend knowing I was having her wake me up so I could go work out this morning before work. Now, let me prefice this by saying that getting up at 4:45am is bad enough. But to roll over and see 3:45am on the clock this morning that was awful!! It was so hard to crawl my butt out of bed and hit the road to the gym. I have to say, nothing like jumping into a cold pool to wake you up in a hurry, lol. And to think I used to hate those 5:30am swim practices in high school. Now I do it by choice.

It was a good 2400m in the pool this morning followed by an easy 2.5 miles at lunch on the treadmill. Not a bad day all in all. The shoulder was a little sore after the swim this morning but feels fine now. It sure feels good to be able start building the swim intensity and distance back up.

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