I have written this post about 15 times as while most of my team members are still anxiously waiting for their new Ordu’s, I was lucky enough to drive my car into a parking garage with 4 bikes on the roof which left me ‘bikeless.’  So, the great people at Timex, Orbea and Shimano took pity on me and hooked it up.  I have to give a quick but huge thank you out to the entire team of sponsors as they were extremely understanding and supportive while I was going a little crazy.  Also, this post signifies a few ‘firsts’ for me-

1. First post as a member of Team Timex (I hope I’m doing this right)
2. First post about my new sweet new ride, Orbea Ordu
3. First time in 6 years I am riding a new brand TT bike with a completely new setup

So, here goes-

Let me start by committing a cardinal sin, I am going to address the ‘bear in the room’. A lot of forum banter has centered around the Ordu, it’s geometry, how it rides, etc.   I was nervous and skeptical after reading these reviews as well. For anyone who still has concerns, I have one word of advice- go ride the Ordu; that is what I did.  In the past 2 weeks, I have put about 29 hours on this bike testing it in every way imaginable, long climbs in the Santa Monica mountains, flats, power intervals, trainer sessions, descents, and I could not be happier. Truth be told, I have actually found that although my position is less aggressive right now(due to recent injuries), I am in a more powerful position than before and am more comfortable running off the bike as well. This is in part due to Steve from PV Bike as he is a true master in the art of fitting and has really helped dial me in and just due to how this bike rides.   If you are ever in Southern California, I highly recommend a trip to see him. Back to the bike- It is very stiff in the bottom bracket, super responsive and really gets rolling.  Right now I am running the forward seat post with a 100mm stem.  It puts me out over the bike but just about where I would be on my previous setup.  As a frame of reference I have a long torso and short legs.

Shimano Di2… what can I say beyond- EXTRAORDINARY!!! I think that once anyone rides with Di2, they will never go back to standard shifting.  I have tried every way possible to make it fail and I can not. It is very smooth, extremely responsive and just a treat.  I love having shifters on the pursuit bars for when you are out of your aerobars and being able to shift both front and rear at the same time is pretty fantastic. Couple this setup with the Pro bars and I feel like my entire setup is just too good!!   Truth be told, I am feeling very spoiled as the setup that Orbea, Shimano and Timex put together for us, is much better equipped and has more advanced technology and research put into it than my other mode of transportation:

Timex® Ironman® Global Trainer™ Bodylink® System with integrated SiRFstarIII™ GPS technology measures pace, speed, distance and more in real-time, allowing athletes to measure, review and advance their performance.

Customizable displays show up to four windows of information, and advanced online training log software analyzes uploaded data across several dimensions.

The water-resistant case and long-lasting rechargeable battery prove this is the only GPS-enabled watch worthy of the Timex® Ironman® name.

http://www.timexironman.com/Products/Global_Trainer_GPS.htm

-Performance and Route Data Downloads to Online Training Software Powered by
-Advanced Desktop Software Manages Users Settings for Easy Customization.
-Battery Recharges when Connected to USB Port or AC Adaptor.
-Compatible with Windows® XP or Newer and Mac® OS X 10.4 or Newer.
-Compatible with Timex® Heart Rate and Bike Sensors Using ANT+™.
-Compatible with Third-Party Bike Power Sensors Using ANT+™.

Available at many specialty sports and sporting goods stores in September 2010.

This is WAY overdue, so I’ll (unusually) keep it brief!

Challenge Barcelona is an ironman distance race and was held for the first time this year in the first weekend of October. And it ROCKED! With a deep European pro field, and a flattish but windy bike course, this was going to be a lot of fun.

The swim was steady and pleasant. A bit of time out of the pool due to injuries from Trans Rockies hadn’t been the end of the world: rib was absolutely fine on race day, and ankle flexibility returning well. As ever, the Aquasphere wetsuit was a joy to swim in and easy to get off in T1, so I have no excuse to explain how I spent nearly 3 minutes in transition, except to say that the volunteers were very friendly! I’d managed to finally work out what was up with the bike at IMUK, and having fixed the brake/dodgy tire side wall combo (with a rather overdramatic but well timed ‘BANG’ at the doorway to the CMR bike shop a few days earlier), the Trek TTX was riding like a dream again. The aid station drinks were a little weak, and there was no evidence of coke, so I was riding a little light on calories and caffeine free, but put in a solid 4:46 split. Into my Newtons and onto the run (again caffeine free!) I put in a 40min 10km on the first loop, but then started to slow up a little… 42 mins on the second, I’ll not go into the next two - needless to say, I had to walk a couple of aid stations towards the end to get in food and fluids and ended up finishing a little disappointed at being a couple of minutes over my 3 hour marathon ceiling.

8:53 put me 19^th in the pro race (over 40 MPROs), but its good to be consistently seeing solid times again. Other pleasing things about the race: I got over my issues with two piece tri kit - the Sugoi two piece fits me perfectly so no tan belt/burn at the end of the day J ; Octoberfest tent was right next to transition… perfect planning from the organisers!

Thanks to Chris and Wookie (and Carli) for being great travel partners!

Next up: IMArizona!

Day 3

The evening of day 2, in the aftermath of bouncing off the mountain descent from Hope Pass, my ankle started to swell up massively, and my ribs started to give me grief. By dinner time, walking was difficult and breathing was becoming painful. I had serious doubts as to whether I would be able to walk the next day’s stage, let alone run it. The fun of the event evaporated within a matter of hours and I went to bed early, dosed up on anti-inflammatories and resigned to see what happened in the morning.

Waking up on day 3, my ankle looked like an elephant’s. We packed up the kit and tents ready for the 24 mile stage, and I went to the medical tent to get the ankle strapped up. The strapping was tight and the first couple of miles were slow going and the inflamed ankle and strapping needed to ease into the day. The gentle downhill on tarmac to start the stage from Leadville to Nova Guides was painful. But with just under 3000ft of climbing in the day, and a maximum altitude of only 11000 feet, the main issue for the day was its length. Will was very patient and towed up the climbs, even getting in some sprint efforts to get enough momentum to pull me through short steep sections. For one early river crossing which we couldn’t walk around, I got a piggy back over it to keep the strapping on my ankle dry.

Downhill was not pleasant. In the second half of the stage, the pain killers started to wear off, and the downhill stress on my ankle and constant jarring on my ribs meant that the pain factor was sky high. But make it through we did, albeit at a pedestrian pace. The final three miles into Nova Guides, Will towed me through the flat to the finish, which seemed to go on forever. As usual, the end of the run was quickly followed by a trip to the creek for icing – though today I was chest deep to get my ribs soaked too.

Day 4

Camp Hale to Red Cliff was another short stage with a massive climb. The top of this stage was a ridiculously steep forest trail, where the tow rope was redundant. I was borrowing Adam’s Leki poles for the day – in the mid grade uphills I was unsure about their usefulness, especially given the added pressure on my ribs from the use of my arms, but on the steep climbs, they became invaluable, where a forced march pace up the slopes was all that we could manage. The downhill was better today – the ankle was well strapped but less swollen, and a better pace was maintained. I was still frustrated from losing places on the downhill on day 3.

The best part of the stage was a lengthy section running down a small creek. It was icy cold and made your feet instantly numb, but only a few miles from the finish so not too bad in terms of blisters and chaffing, though some people’s feet did suffer in the stage.

Day 5

Quads starting to feel a little sore. Ankle starting to feel a little better, if not looking improved – darkening purple patches showed the bruising coming through around the heel. My ribs however, seemed to be getting worse.

The stage was set to be nearly 24 miles, with 4400 feet of climbing, basically straight uphill for 11 miles, 3 miles of undulating, and then 10miles of decent. I was in the BOX by the top of the climb. Several teams overtook towards the top as my pace slowed our progress. But the pain really kicked in on the downhill. Between aid stations 2 and 3 I was nearly in tears thanks to the pain from my ribs and extra stresses through my right leg trying to keep my ankle out of trouble on the gravel downhill.

Arriving in Vale I was pleased to be done for the day. It was hot and lively, and with a beer and barbeque, the days’ challenge was quickly forgotten.

Day 6

Final day. This hurt. At last though, the ankle and ribs were not the limiting factor. Today, muscular fatigue and lung function were the main issues – and I was pleased to have this situation. Will was feeling the long week and the additional strain of towing days 2 through 5, and the tow rope saw a little less action today as we just worked through the fatigue.

The final climb of the day ended up a ski field in Beaver Creek before descending back into the town. That final hill is best described as a hike rather than a run, but we’d made enough time in the descents today to hold a good position.

The after party was something to behold. Things certainly loosened up and after a long week of work, celebration was the order of the day.

More photos to follow!

I’ll keep this one brief! After my last epic report from the Nove Colli double marathon, it was back to triathlon in beautiful Dorset in the South West of the UK. The Saturday night before the race was stormy, bouts of torrential rain and full on gale winds. We went for a quick dip in the sea to try out the six foot swell – it was more like body surfing than real swimming, but was very good fun. The point of this was to try out the new Aquasphere Icon wetsuit in real open water conditions. Having received it earlier in the week, I’d not yet swam in it in earnest.

Race morning was a gift. It seemed like we were in the eye of the storm. It was relatively calm and blue skies above seemed very temporary in the face of banks of grey clouds around us in all directions. Fingers crossed that the weather would hold.

Swim start came around quickly enough. Confident that the new Aquasphere would do the job, and seeing the flat water ahead, I started at the front of the elite wave start. Despite the buoys drifting a little (the swim seemed about 400m long), the swim was comfortable, and I settled into second place sitting behind a swimmer who seemed to be going for it at the front of the pack. We lost the rest of the pack and gained a substantial lead. At the final buoy, I moved past the guy ahead – it turns out he was a relay member, hence why he was going full pace, and exited the water in the lead.

Onto the bike I remained ahead for a fair way. But I wasn’t feeling very strong on the bike. In the TT position, my legs were still feeling the double marathon from a fortnight before, and it felt like my engine had dropped out. To add to this I accidentally jettisoned a powerbar and a couple of gels in a rather uncoordinated attempt to eat on a corner, so I knew I was down 400 kcals for the remainder of the ride. Unable to push past a hard cruise, I had to let a few of the other elites past, unable to respond. Coming off the bike I was in 7^th place, and dropped to 8^th within a few kms of the run as one of the Optima guys ran past. By the second lap of the run, I had warmed into things, and was running well, managing to pull back to 5^th for the finish. Overall I took 6^th as someone from a later wave put in a fast time.

All in all, not a bad half IM effort for a couple of weeks into base and after a heavy few weeks. It gave me a chance to try out the new kit – the Sugoi team race kit is fantastic and the Aquasphere Icon is faultless.