To conclude my first season rockin’ triathlons, I was fortunate enough to race somewhere with beautiful weather, warm water and gentle sunlight (in retrospect, probably could have come up with a better description, but I write stream-of-consciousness so onward we go), Clearwater, Florida.  Knowing that this was the last year that the 70.3 World Championships would be held in Clearwater, I was happy to get a shot at such a screamin’ fast course and (hopefully) a wicked fast time.

Renting a condo with Timex Teammates Bruce Gennari and Andrew Hodges a ten-minute walk from transition was a phenomenal decision on their part (experienced vets), as it allowed for slightly more time in the sack on race morning.  After pounding a banana and bagel with some Justin’s Nut Butter toppage, I was off to transition.

Once in transition I pumped my tires, checked my bike about 17.8x, and then concluded that staring at “Ketchup” (my red Orbea Ordu of course; and yes, I have a yellow road bike named “Mustard”) wouldn’t do much good so headed out of transition early and quickly threw on my Aquasphere wetsuit to stay warm.  As I was the last wave, I got to see the Pro waves finish the swim, with my man Andrew Hodges looking solid.

Stepping up to the water for swim start, I was ready to rock.  I’d worked hard on the swim and felt I was prepared to knock ‘em dead.  The gun went off and I quickly got pummeled by numerous flying arms and legs in the vicinity.  A visual:

Eventually, things settled down and I found a rhythm.  Exiting the water in the mid-28s, I was happy, as it was my best swim split of the year.  Entering T1 at 29:05 and in 17th place in my Age Group, I knew that the bike was bound to be insane, as the course was flat and there were lots of fast folks.

About 10-15 miles into the bike, things began to tighten-up, and escaping those near me was not feasible without significant effort, so I made the tactical decision to look down at my speedometer and hold back if I couldn’t hold the current pace without jumping into my LT HR range.  Again, I will provide another visual:

Staying patient and conserving energy on the bike was key, as I still threw down a PR bike split of 2:10 and headed into T2 in 14th place in my Age Group.  Much work to be done.

Heading out onto the run, I tried to push myself to a limit never experienced before.  Ripping through the first 3-and-change miles in just over 5:50 pace, I felt good but had no idea where I was place-wise.  The only solution was to continue killin’ it and hope that it all played out in the end.  Getting passed at about mile 4 of the run by a fellow Age Grouper Alexandre Ricard, I tried to hang onto his pace and was glad I did.

Making it over the Causeway the 4th time took some digging to find the energy, but once cresting the top, I tried to open my stride up and let gravity work its magic.  Finishing the last 3 miles at under 6-minute pace (after dropping to 6:10-6:15 for the middle portion of the run) felt great, and I was fortunate enough to creep past on a couple of my Age Groupers right near the finish of my 1:19 half.

All-in-all, I ended up finishing 44th overall, 13th amateur and 4th place in the 18-24 Age Group (6th was a mere 16 seconds back, with 10th just outside 2:15!).  I felt pretty solid about the result, a good finish to a good year.

Now, to the most important section of my posts, MAD PROPS:

• My coach and former Timex Team Member, Mike Lavery.  Without question (providing he continues to be willing to put up with my crap) Mike will be returning as my coach in 2011
• Timex Teammates Andrew Hodges, Bruce Gennari, Trista Francis and Kim Hager, who all threw down siiiiick (that’s alotta i’s!) races
• Timex Teammates Ian Ray and Cindi Bannick who provided incredible support during the race
• Doug Berner and Tristan Brown for putting up with me all season (and to whom I owe some brews)
• Buddies Brian Duffy and Morgan Anderson (coached by Lavery’s fellow FFT Coach and Timex Teammate Eric Bean) who finished 5th in M18-24 and 2nd in F18-24, respectively
• Local Chicago triathlete Marc Robertson, who was gracious enough to stay in Florida following IM Florida (the week prior) and provided support on the Causeway

That’s all I’ve got for now.  Hope that everyone has great Holidays with family and friends!

Until next time, peace…

Many of us were thoroughly impressed and inspired by Amani Toomer, the former NY Giants all-world football star and Super Bowl Champion, completingthe New York City Marathon a few weeks ago.  What many did not know was that Amani started dead last in the field – behind over 40,000 other runners.  His incentive was to pass as many people as possible; and, for each one passed, Timex would donate money to a wonderful charity for kids.  He passed 25,817 people!  What a stud!

Well, with that as inspiration, I didn’t quite start at the very back of Ironman Arizona Sunday (November 21); but, did manage to begin the bike leg almost last.  Yes, in what I call “Amani Toomering,” I then proceeded to pass 1,173 other Ironman competitors – nearly half the field – on the bike alone.  I continued my passing frenzy in the first 3 miles of the run, only to succumb to the pain felt in my quads with every step, slowing down; and, ultimately, just passing 40 more people, for a total of 1,233 people passed in the Ironman.  Now, mind you, these are all Ironman finishers!  In addition, I went from 68th place in my age group after the swim to 16th at the finish.

Yes, Amani passed roughly 64.5% of the NYC competitors, and I only passed 55.5% of the Ironman field; but, hey, I didn’t have Timex Multisport Team stud and coach, Chris Thomas, coaching me.  Maybe next year.  The interesting things you see (and most of you miss) when you swim in the back of the pack is how many times these crazy backstrokers hit you in the head when they pass you; or, how those breast-strokers are constantly stopping in front of you, only to do that hard breast-stroke kick just when you are within range.

I will say it was really cool having 11 volunteers all to myself, taking off my wetsuit; and, finding my transition bag and bike was a breeze.  And, yes, it is motivating and somewhat fun to cruise past so many other cyclists; but, Jodee, my wife, had to wake me up last night, as I was shouting “on your left” over and over in my sleep.

One Moment Not Saying "On Your Left" (Credit: Paul Phillips, as seen on Triathlete Mag's Photo Gallery)

Just six weeks after doing Kona, I did make the trip to Tempe for IMAZ.  I did this race 2 years ago, and had a respectable 11:24.  This year, with my legs feeling a bit “lava-laden” after the bike, I finished an hour slower; but, hey … the season is over – yeah!

And, what a season it was.  We started with a 50K run way back in January, and completed two 70.3′s, another non-WTC half, a couple of half-marathons, a few other shorter run races, and two Ironmans.  And, now, just 48 hours later, I can’t help but think about next year.  Right now, I’m thinking of some different goals: NYC Marathon for one, maybe the Trans Rockies Run solo, and an ultra run or two.  Maybe focus on triathlon half the year, and run the second half.

And, yes, maybe a swim lesson or 2. 

Finally – in the spirit of Thanksgiving – the thanks that are so well deserved for all the support given in 2010 to enable me to do so much: first & foremost, Timex- it is such an honor and privilege to represent such a quality company, fully committed to its athletes and to the sport of triathlon; PowerBar – my first year on PowerBar’s Team Elite, and ever so thankful; K-Swiss for their awesome running shoes, for their friendship and support of triathlon; Sugoi, Orbea, and Shimano – you help make all of the Timex athletes faster and … better looking (which means a lot to triathletes!); Rudy Project - great eyewear and helmets; and, finally, my friends at Aqua Sphere – great stuff (it ain’t your fault … my swimming). 

Thanks to all of my friends in Boulder (and elsewhere) - amateurs like me, and all the pros – for your encouragement; Simon Lessing and Darren DeReuck (Boulder Coaching), who took me on in May, and got me as fit as I have been in many, many years; Brain & Elliot (my 2 sons) for their unconditional love and support, and leading their lives the right way; and, finally, the biggest thanks to Jodee and Jackpot for being there always, and allowing me to pursue my passion each and everyday … they put up with a lot!  Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

With ambitions to do some racing on the dirt next year I was lucky enough to get a head start thanks to Orbea; with the all new Alma 29er. I knew I wanted my next mountain bike to be a 29er and when Orbea released the new model in multiple sizes I thought it would be the perfect bike not only for some racing but just ripping the single-track as well. I went with a size large- and found it to work quite nicely for myself; its a bit tight on the stand-over clearance due to the larger wheels but otherwise the geometry was spot on for what I was looking for. I was able to get it out for a ride on some easy trails today to allow for some acclimatization as well as on the trail adjustments.

A work of Art

The front end is highlighted by a Rock Shox Reba Team and Shimano XT disc brake. I was very impressed with the small bump compliance of the Reba. The beefed up lowers really show increased torsional control in rough stuff. Initially I found the brakes to be a bit slippery but they grabbed much better after a bit of break in.

The frame improvements include the 4×4 rear end which has ample mud clearance (though no mud was to be found today). I found the rear end to be a great mix of compliant/ stiff. With the larger wheels you can really float over things more so than a 26″ wheel, even without dual suspension.

Orbea has worked with Gore Ride On cables and created an integrated system on the frame. This should make for miles of riding without getting grit in the cables. A slightly kinked seat-tube allows for increased mud clearance and a tighter handling geometry.

The attention to detail is excellent: with such items as custom lock-on grips, a beautiful seat collar, built in mud fender on the downtube and a beautiful paint job. It’s these small details that really make a quality bike that much better than the competition. A remote shock lock out can be seen here as well.

The Shimano XT is hands down the best performing group for the money. The durability vs. weight absolutely cannot be matched. Shimano wheels are not known for being the sexiest, but they provide unmatched quality and durability. I found them to be plenty stiff, and I really appreciate the lock-on rotors they provide vs. the 6-bolt pattern which have a tendency to strip out.

After one ride I came away very impressed and looking for more singletrack and rocks to run over! The frame is as near to perfection as I have seen, and the component spec is first rate all around. If your looking for a hardtail 29er look no further than www.orbea.com.

Trends, driven by marketing and data, but how much of each?

Spending a couple days at The Running Event (a conference and expo for running specialty stores), hosted in Austin, Texas, the trends of 2010-2011 announced themselves everywhere in everything. No suprise, the trends: compression and minimalist shoes.

Perhaps like trends toward chicken (v. ‘fattier’ cuts of meat) and non-fat items (just add sugar for taste) in the 1990s, the perspective gained provides insight on healthy choices for your body. But, heck, you’ve gotta use your own noggin (just because the doughnuts are ‘low-fat’ doesn’t mean eating the whole box is a good idea).

It’s enjoyable to represent Timex. The trendy presents itself in style and colors and technology, but the heart and soul of a Timex represents just that – sincere heart and soul.

I guess it is going to be race day tomorrow. The last couple of weeks have been great. Trying to get as much out of each training sessions as possible, even in the cold and sometimes rainy weather. Swimming had to be indoors, or you would almost need a pick axes to get into the water. Cycling was mostly outdoors, but with a couple of sets on the trainer the variety kept me going. Running was, of course, somewhere in and around Groningen, in mostly perfect conditions! Alone, with a small group or just with my dad on the road to get ready for tomorrow!
But writing about that is too obvious, so instead something else. All this training has been so much fun!! It actually starts to look like an ‘addiction’, perhaps not the training itself, but the analysis afterwards. Power output files of the bike are interesting, but that is not where my ‘addiction’ lies I guess… Since the start of this year I have been running around with the Timex Global Trainer and guess what: that thing really rocks! It not only keeps track of heart rate, but also my speed, cadence and even power can be messured! But above all, it keeps track of where I go…Nothing special you could say, perhaps it is indeed insignificant to some of you who have been running around with a GPS watch for the last couple of years, but to me it is NEW! New in as: ‘Wowwwww!’ I must admit that that sounds strange, but after downloading the file you can download  it into any of the Trainingpeaks software packages and from there get it into Google Earth. Still nothing special?!
Well here my ‘addiction’ starts…. I like getting my trips into Google Earth! All of them! Slowly but steadily a web is forming in the north on the Netherlands. Mostly cycling and running, but even some outdoor swims are in there! And so I try to get each road covered! Each time I peak if there is some new road I ‘discovered’!
So tomorrow might be raceday, it is also a nice way to get some extra ‘point’ for adding some place different to my web in Google Earth! It is going to be a nice ride and a nice extra file, one that will have to wait at least a year to be ridden again!