Ed Clarke's Fort Lewis Race Report - SERIES TITLE!

There was perfect weather for Ft Lewis #3 – high 60s and dry. The swim buoy was placed further out, making this a legitimate ½ mile plus, so this would favor a stronger swimmer. Nick Johnson looked confident and ready for the deciding battle. At the gun 165 of us went off in a mass start.

A strong swimmer went off the front immediately and I swam solo 2nd the entire distance, about 15 seconds in arrears. No one right on my toes but a dense line of contenders were within 30 seconds. Off the beach in 12:15 so indeed the course was nearly 2 minutes longer. I had a decent transition and off on the bike, rode clean through the turn I had missed in July. By mile 3 it was clear I was not feeling the A legs of July though. The same gear felt like one gear bigger, just a bit harder to stay on top of. I check the time at the turn-around, there was a chick within 40 seconds! Oh no, there’s Nick only 1:45 back! Dang… I gave everything I had for the return trip but my spirit was a little damaged with those early indications.

Rolling into T2 solo with a bike split of 48:50 (1 minute slower than July) I worked into my run gear clean and quick and out of the park I “jogged”. A strong looking rider (not Nick) rolled in <>

NJ ran 16:59, while I put up a turd in 20:02.

So on the series NJ bested me by 25 seconds. However… my close friend and loyal ally, Minerva, cited a technical point that NJ had entered as an age-grouper the first two races, noting that the rules for series trophy contention clearly state one must race elite all three races. I almost surrendered my trophy anyway out of pride and honor, but hold up, I’m 46 and he’s 23. Screw that. Wood is wood at my age. I have to admit NJ was the faster man this summer but I’m not one to buck the system or question rules and procedure! Bring me the chicken dinner suckers! This trophy is a little nicer than the one I collected 10 years ago. I’m still contemplating whether I will carve an asterisk into it, or maybe just let the little NJ detail fade into the forgotten forest.

David Raftis Lake Stevens Race Report

On Sunday I finished my first "Half Iron" at Lake Stevens. It was a great day for triathlon as the weather was perfect. I was not fast but I finished and it meant the world to me to just be there competing and doing a triathlon. I have a few circumstances in my life that may have made the Lake Stevens 70.3 seem like a long shot just a few years ago so this was a bitter sweet milestone for me. First, I was a smoker until November 30, 2005. I smoked for 20 years and with the help of an on-line quitsmoking support group, joining Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program, and finally RTB I quit and have stayed quit. I quit and relapsed many, many times over the years and in particular from 2000 to 2005. In a downward spiral I wondered what happened to the happy 22 year old that was doing triathlons in the early to mid 80's and I longed to be back in that place. I got a little hope from those memories and decided that if I could get free from smoking I would do triathlons again. I am not as fast as I was in 1985 but I have 14 triathlons under my belt since quitting and I cherish every experience. Second, I have an extremely rare inherited form of diabetes that is not the sugar type but a defect in the kidneys that prevents my body from reabsorbing water back into the cells of the body. In other words, dehydration is a problem. It is called Nephrogenic Diabetes Insipidus and effects 4 in a million. I take a diuretic which would make normal people loose water but is just the opposite for me and thus allows me to get to about 50% of normal function. I am also on a low sodium diet which recommends 500-1000mg of sodium per day. The reason for this is that the body can only regulate sodium by drinking water and I already would be drinking 4-5 gallons per day on the medication alone. By also keeping my sodium in this range it allows me to "only" drink 2-3 gallons a day. It is saving kidney function by reducing the sheer volume of water I process. So, salt tablets on race day - bad idea. The diuretic I take depletes potassium so race day was a balancing act where I cut-off the diuretic on race day and load up on my high dose prescription potassium. The diuretic effect still works for about 24 hours after taking so I was OK on that front but needed to get my potassium level up. On Sunday I drank freely all morning pre race. I chugged 16 ounces of water in T1 and I had 2 litres of water in my camel back. In addition, I drank four 20 ounce bottles from the aid stations. I still had a headache from dehydration by the end of the bike. It was getting hot and I was worried about my chances if it got worse. I drank a minimum of 16 ounces at each the 12 aid stations which led me to use the porta potties at least four times on the run. I walked more than normal hoping to stave off worse dehydration long enough to finish and it worked. My vision was a bit blurred after the race which is a classic symptom of dehydration but otherwise I was fine and estatic that I finished the race on my terms and not some course official or medical person. In addition, I have had reconstructive ankle surgery, knee surgery, and a previous stress fracture that kept me watching and listening to my body very closely during the training phase for lake Stevens. I also developed shoulder problems last year and did not race in 2008. The problem is still unresolved and thus I did not train swimming except for a handful of times this year. I "wung it" on the swim and had one of my better open water days so that worked out very well for not training. I still have dreams of a full Ironman but it would have to be the perfect alignment of stars, constellations, and weather to happen. I know from this 70.3 that 140.6 is a stretch but I can still dream can't I ?. This is my Ironman for now and I am very proud of my finish. I am grateful to the support I received all season from my wife Louisa and son Anthony. As all of you at RTB know they sacrifice daily as we are not fully engaged due to the training demands. I want to let my wife know I love her for going along with my "Half Iron" goal. I also want to let everyone from RTB know that I sincerely appreciated all the support on the course during the race and especially on the run - It helps more than you know. I was not going to let you guys down no matter how bad I felt. Raise the Bar Baby!!!! Dave Raftis P.S. On a funny note I was rushing around in the morning getting my transition set-up and went to get body marked before going back to the motorhome for final dress. I found the young lady with the marker and I pulled my shirt off for the arms and whipped my sweat pants down to my ankles before I realized I was standing there only in my tighty whitey's. I just laughed, said oops and quickly pulled my pants up. I have attached a photo I took the moment I quit smoking back on 11/30/05

Deb O'Connell's Lake Stevens 70.3 Race Report

Well, Sunday was my second 1/2 Iron distance triathlon (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run=70.3 for you uninitiated!)... All in all, it was a great day! (In a painful, exhausting, wake up at 4:20AM kind of way.) My #1 goal was to finish strong, no medical guys this time. And so it was! My overall time was 6:49, which is about 7 minutes faster than my 1/2 Iron in June. But even better than that, I felt very strong at the end, and pushed a 9 minute mile out on the last mile of the run. I was able to charge the finish (I love doing that), eat pizza, carry all my stuff back to the car, drive home, take the boys to the pool (and swim a bit more!), and do a bunch of laundry and errands Sunday night. After a 12 hour sleep, I was at work yesterday. The mental boost of this is unmeasurable in terms of Ironman confidence, yee-haw!

The weather was perfect, you couldn't ask for a better day. About 50 and chilly at 5AM when we left the hotel to go to Lake Stevens, about 10 miles east of Everett. After the pros, and just about everyone else, us old ladies (45 and up) were due to start at 6:59AM. Due to low-lying fog on the lake, the race start was delayed for about 10 minutes. Saw Patty and Bill Swedberg at the start, yea! So, it's time for a few photos and hugs before the start. Eventually, it was time to go. And, for perhaps the first time ever, no swim anxiety. How awesome is that???

One super cool thing for this location is the fact that they have cables under the water (one out, one coming back), with little buoys on them for the rowing crews that race on this lake. So, all you had to do was keep an eye on the white cable under the water. It was like the black line in the pool, I loved it! Didn't have to sight at all on the big bouys. There was a bit of crowding around the cable, everyone wanted to follow it. So, a bit of bumping and pushing going on here and there. I didn't care, I just held my space. All too soon, the swim was over. Last 1/2 Iron swim was 48 min, just about the same this time (47:46). I'm okay with that. (Of course I would like to be faster, but was swimming conservatively... have to keep in mind my #1 goal, see above, and watching out for "goal expansion" )

Run up the ramp to get ready for a brutal 56 mile bike ride. And I'm off. Well, we had already ridden the course this spring, so we knew what to expect. It's a brutal double loop of rolling hills that never seem to end. No big issues for me, thank goodness no mechanical issues like my team-mate Linda, who had 2 (!) flat tires back-to-back. 3:30 later, I was back in transition again. That was my goal time, so I was happy again.

Off to the run... Well, the cloud cover is gone and it's heating up (probably about 75 degrees). I'm not really feeling like running, and of course as soon as you head out, there's a medium sized hill you have to run up, shoot! Okay, it's over and there's the first aid station already! Wow, that mile flew by. The run is a double loop too, and before you know it, I'm at mile 6 ready to do the loop again. There's Patty at the turn cheering me on, GO DEB GO! So, I'm sprinting around the corner, and up that same darn hill again yuk (okay, I'll do a Jeff Galloway and take a walk break on this hill!) Then, I met a lady who had done Ironman Florida last year, and so we chatted for about 2 miles (she was walking and I talked her into running). Nice distraction, even if I was doing most of the talking when I probably should have been running! Needed the break I suppose, because the final 3 miles had really good (sub 10 minute) time splits for me. I got some good Ironman tips from her, and she saw me at the finish and thanked me for pulling her along when she was ready to give up.

I was amazed at the "good job" and "nice work" I got from the other participants. Everyone was so friendly and encouraging, it was so great. So, I ask myself, could I have gone out harder? Did I leave too much in the tank? Well, perhaps I did. Besides a stiff shoulder/neck, I'm not really sore at all. But, I remind myself, my goal was not to go all out and see what I could lay down. My goal was to go at the same rate I trained, nice and steady, and have a good strong finish and feel good, and that is how it went. Ironman is not about going all out (for me anyway); it's about being consistent, steady and following your plan.

Thanks for reading my story. Keep to this channel for more news on the Road to IRONMOM...

Next up, Las Vegas Rock N Roll Marathon, December 6, 2009.

XODeb

Lake Steven's 70.3. QUITE the day!!!

Bill and I loaded up the car for a full day of spectating at Lake Stevens. Tough to know where to go yesterday! The Danskin was also happening and we had some folks out there too. I'm hearing good things about the day at the Danskin and congratulations to our gals and the gals from my Danskin Mentor group that conquered that race. RAH!!

Longer races seem to be quite the petri dish for stories and yesterday's 70.3 was no different. Many of the stories I don't even have an ending for yet.... But here's what we know..

Matt Hoover, RTB's resident celebrity from "The Biggest Loser" conquered the race with a flat on the bike course and a very sore back. Bill's got a picture of him running that is almost sideways. Ow.... Get a massage or something!!! Matt's well on his way to race in Kona in October for the Ironman and we are PSYCHED for him! If yesterday is any indication (and why wouldn't it be) he's going to do great.

The other men of RTB - Dave Raftis and Jim Hutter crossed the finish line in great form. Well, Dave did. Jim was bloody in a number of places from a mishap on the bike course. LOVE Jim Hutter. Jim has crossed more finish lines limping and bleeding than not, I believe. And you won't find a nicer guy out there. Strong athlete. Dave, coming off a shoulder injury, looked fantastic all day.

Then there were the girls and their stories.... Bri Caldara, Andriette Timblin, Tammy Magnuson, Tammy Barnhart, Cindy McGonigle, Deb O'Connell, Linda McCandless, Barbara Huseby, and Tracy Brown. Linda's day was postposed temporarily by 2 flat tires (what's with the flats yesterday?) and Tammy M dealt with very ugly blisters during the run - ow. And Cindy McGonigle....aargh...who was caught in the confusion of some volunteers on the run course who were certain they were supposed to close down the run course during the afternoon - explaining that there was a time cut-off. The confusion was cleared up in about 5 minutes but poor Cindy was one of the athletes whose day ended early because of it. Cindy is a trooper but is understandably disappointed in how her day ended.... 6.5 miles short of her first half Ironman finish. She'll certainly be out there again - hopefully granted a free entry by the race director.

The best story I've heard SO FAR was given to me by Kris Stolmeier who is one of the directors/athletes of our tri-neighbors at Team Fastt. One of her athletes was flying downhill on the bike course yesterday and hit a dog! After his trip to the hospital and finding out he was ok he found out the dog's owner died and the dog needs a new home. So even if our Team Fastt friend didn't get to cross the finish line yesterday, he's apparently adopting a new dog - and a very resilient one! Triathlon heaven... Glad you're okay, Marcus!

More Pictures on the RTB Gallery HERE

Congratulations everyone.

Lake s

Phil Spencer's Crash....ugh....

Not only did Phil sacrifice some dermis on this little adventure, he also sacrified his beautiful Cervelo Road bike. RIP...

Small turn out for the sunday ride. Wet roads. Erin and Rick both working me like a rented mule the entire ride. Took Spencer Corner at what I thought was a reduced speed but apparently not reduced enough and I went down...again...at the same exact spot! Slid across the oncoming lane of traffic. Somehow my long suffering and greatly overworked guardian angel kept me largely out of trouble again. Lots of f'Brian style road rash and bruised ego but all bones seemingly still connected.

There was still the little matter of my race and after a call to Speedy Reedy they said they would be able to replace the destroyed derailleur, the bent derailleur hanger tape and lever in about 1 and a half hours to get me to the race in Kirkland in time. So after a very painful shower and debridement, I loaded up the big hairy mutt, and we made the trek to Speedy Reedy. I gotta say, they really are an awesome shop and did all the work in time for me to get to the race.

So the race was basically an exercise in jumping back on the horse that threw me. No time to ease back into feeling comfortable on the bike as this would be a fast, technical course with high speed corners and 60 people all trying to continually move up. The first ten minutes was crazy fast and I felt every bump and bruise, then it settled down and I was feeling better every lap. Final lap, final corner...I was sitting 5th wheel in perfect shape when another guy came diving into my inside where there was no room and nocked my rear tire out. I had to break and hold up to stay upright and...for the third time this year, my sprint was over before it started. No points:-( I stuck around afterwards and flirted shamelessly the rest of the evening and watched the rest of the racing. Not only did I have Leo working for me but I also had bandages for the "pity" attention-seeking angle. Saw lots of people I haven't seen in a long time and had a blast.

Diana Hull's Whiskey Dick Triathlon Report

So I finished the Whiskey Dick Olympic tri which entailed a mile swim in the Columbia, a 28 mile ride up Old Vantage hwy and a 6 mile run through Ellensburg which took me 4:35 minutes to complete....I even had 25 minutes to spare since there was a 5 hour limit. The swim was great the water was clear and cool with very little current. The bike ride was very tough for the first 12 miles and windy and I was really wondering what I had gotten myself into, then I thought if it wasn't hard they wouldn't give you a medal at the end and that helped me to keep going. I finally figured out what those aero bars on my bike are for. After the first 12 miles it was still windy and some hills, but nothing like the first part. It turned out to be a gorgeous day in Vantage and Ellensburg not cloudy and overcast at all. It was pretty warm on the run, but some people had out sprinklers so that was nice. All in all a good day.

Ken Pinchiff at Lake Samish

I didn’t know if I would but I managed to get a race in last weekend. I did the Lake Samish Sprint Triathlon up in Bellingham and low and behold was excited to find that there were other RTB members there also. I shouldn’t be surprised but was very excited when a team mate (Greg Kline) flashed the RTB jersey at me when we arrived. I was very excited about doing this race but when I saw team mates there my energy level went up a couple of notches and really made a difference for me during the race. It is always so great to share a smile or a high five on the course as we pass each other. Anyways, just to prove I was there and actually did a race I got some pictures.

RTB's Maillot Jaune

XTERRA Black Diamond was yesterday - it's the best attended RTB event all year. We've got a handful of brave athletes that actually DID the race!!! Matt Morrisson, Jerry Sommerman, Paul Morris, and Sean Wittmer were our individual competitors. We had some relays too - Patti Anderson, Katy Smith, Brad Williams, Wendy and Dave Graves... We did our first kids race and saw some RTB kids out there too. It was a FUN day to cheer on our teammates who worked hard in the hot sun.

There was also an army of 72 volunteers that worked in the hot sun all weekend getting ready for the event, putting it on, and cleaning it up. Toby, Kathy, and I were grateful to you guys for being there, but it wasn't until we did the laundry today and put the volunteer shirts in the sun to dry that we realized just how many of you were there and how really grateful we am.

To the men and women that wore the Maillot Jaune this weekend at XTERRA Black Diamond - Merci Beaucoup!!

Toby, Kathy & Patty

Seasons

By: Rebecca Bailey

This is my 5th Season of participating in Triathlon.
Who would have thought (not me!!) that I could take up a sport that involves endurance and enjoy it for 5 Seasons and beyond??
What inspires me? What keeps me moving even through this season when I can't run as I'm trying to heal my nasty case of plantar facitis? I have been very challenged by my time and energy constraints this season....how do I keep going?
There are some though ts, things that inspire me this 5th Season of Triathlon:
1. New Triathletes.
-One of the major things that keeps me going is the ability to inspire others to do it. It is so fun to see my teammates take this on and be so excited when they get in shape, drop weight, discover their inner athlete, and most important, feel better about themselves.
-I created my Triathlon 101 class three years ago at the request of my employer who asked me to teach the class to other employees, and I've taken off with it, teaching it about 15 times. Every one of the class participants inspires me to keep going. They have no idea that as I'm standing up there teaching them and demonstrating how to do this, that they are all inspiring me to keep going too. They make me want to keep going so I can stand up there and inspire them. It is so wonderful when they find me at a triathlon, or event later and tell me about their races, so nice to see the excitement they experience.
-This year I am thrilled to have my coworkers at the ER joining me! Six women completed the 5 Mile Lake Triathlon with me. So far there are 10-12 others who have signed up to do a coed triathlon in Elma on August 2. The buzz and excitement around the ER about is great! Every day coworkers are talking about Triathlon, asking questions, contemplating it, trying to find relays, having a good time with this.
2. My Health & Family
I continue to keep diabetes away, and know with 100% certainty that Triathlon is the best way for me to keep it away. Mom died 3 years ago from that horrible illness at only 69, I just can't let myself go there. I have to stay healthy for myself and my family. I love knowing that even though I am an XL person, I am healthy and strong. If I could train more, I'd be healthier and stronger, but I am healthy and strong. I can complete any sprint length triathlon I take on. I have completed every race I have started.

The wise words of the very wise Patty Anderson keep going through my head. I sent out a whiny email one day about being frustrated not being able to join my teammates enough, not being able to train with the group much. Patty emailed me to remind me there are Seasons in life. She is so right, this is so helpful.
This is the Season for me to coach my son, to spend time with him, teach him to throw the discus and the season for me to work hard.
There will be other Seasons for me to get to work less and train harder.
Thank you for that Patty, those words have been very helpful, nice to remember that my life is long and good. I will be doing triathlon for a long time, there will be many more Seasons, some Seasons will be perfect, some Seasons will have challenges, that is life.
Life is a cumulation of ma ny Seasons.
There will be many more Seasons.

“What would Kathy Morrisson do?”

By: Kathy Gendreau


I’m sitting here at the computer, my hair still wet from swimming. It’s not even 8 AM and I’ve already been up for almost 3 hours. It’s summer break, and the kids are still in bed. I’m looking forward to a run tonight, and Lake Meridian training tomorrow. Seafair is on Sunday. It will be my second triathlon, and my fourth race, counting the two 5Ks I did early in the season. Sammamish is on my calendar for August.

It’s hard to imagine my life being any different than it is now. I swim, I bike, and I run. Sometimes, my crazy hectic life gets in the way. Sometimes, it’s hard to get up for swim. Sometimes, I don’t want to finish the last mile. Sometimes, riding on the road scares me. But somehow training has woven its way into the fabric of my life. It feels like it has always been there, and I don’t want it to ever leave.

It’s hard to even comprehend how I got from where I was to where I am. It seems like such a long time ago, and when I was there, I certainly couldn’t see to here.

It has been a long journey, and I’ve learned a great many lessons along the way. I have a lot of people to thank for helping to get me here, especially my RTH teammates and coaches. That’s the first, and probably the most important thing I learned when I joined RTH: Don’t go it alone. In the past, exercise was always a solitary activity for me. It was something to endure and get over with. When I joined RTB/RTH, I had no idea how much of a difference it would make to be part of a team. The support, encouragement, and camaraderie I have found with this incredible group has had a tremendous impact on my life. I look forward to every team workout, and fitness has become a social event instead of just another obligation. I am surrounded by people who have similar goals – and similar struggles, and I am inspired by every one of them.

When I accepted Kathy Morrisson’s invitation to come to the RTH kick-off meeting in January, it was the third year in a row she had asked me about it. The first year, I was so out of shape that the idea seemed absurd. The second year, I had just signed up for a boot camp at a local gym. Triathlon training was for athletes, and boot camp was for people like me. I turned her down. I did boot camp for most of a year, and though I did get results, I really, truly hated every single minute of it.

The third time was the charm, and when she asked me in January I told her I would at least come to the first meeting. I immediately had second thoughts. Who was I kidding? After a year of boot camp I could still barely run a mile, my weight was heading back up toward the 200 lb mark, and I had no idea how I would fit training into my schedule when I had barely made it to 3 one-hour boot camp sessions a week. Train for a triathlon? From where I stood, it just plain sounded nuts. But I went to the meeting, and I decided after hearing all the wonderful stories from everyone there, that it would be even more nuts not to give it a go.

What I know now is that I didn’t need to be “ready” to start, I just needed to start. It was never my weight or my level of fitness that was the problem. It was fear. Fear of the unknown. Fear of failure. I’ve conquered so many fears since joining RTH that it sometimes makes me laugh. Now, when I am faced with a challenge, I don’t hesitate, because hesitation holds me back, and I want to keep moving forward. If I can’t do it now, I will be able to do it eventually, but if I don’t start, I’ll just sit where I am, and these days, I don’t spend too much time sitting still!

Another crucial lesson I learned early on was this: Behave like the athlete you want to become. When I first started training, I really struggled with motivation, especially when it came to running. I felt terrible doing it, and most days I just didn’t feel like going. With a kindergartener in half-day school, I had very little free time, and there were lots of things competing for that time, so it was easy to find reasons not to go. I was still getting used to the early morning swim schedule, and I was feeling very tired from the early mornings. Some days, after putting the kids on the bus, I just wanted to go back to bed.

One particular day, I found myself sitting on the sofa watching TV at 9:30 in the morning. It was raining, or maybe it was snowing, and I was unsuccessfully trying to convince myself to get my butt off the couch and do the run that was on my training plan when it occurred to me, Kathy Morrisson would not be sitting on the couch watching TV at 9:30 in the morning! She would go for a run! So, I got up and put my shoes on and went.

For the next several days, when I needed a little motivation, I would think to myself, “What would Kathy Morrisson do?” Would she let a little rain stop her? No! Would she run in the snow? Yes, she would! Would she stay up late to watch TV? No! It worked so well that I joked that I was going to print up little bracelets and T-shirts with WWKMD? on them for the rest of the RTH team. It made me laugh, but it also made me get up and go, which is what I really needed.

The point is, Kathy is a successful athlete, and if I wanted to be a successful athlete myself, I needed to act like one. Find an athlete that you admire (and there is no shortage of them on RTB or RTH!) and when facing an obstacle, ask yourself, what would that person do in this situation? T-shirts and bracelets optional.

Though I still look to Kathy for advice and encouragement, I’ve come a long way since then. I remember meeting with our RTH groups for the first time. I sat there listening to everyone talk about the races they wanted to sign up for: Escape from the Rock. Seafair Issaquah. Start with a 5K. Set some goals. Sure. Except that I can’t run around the block. Oh, and did I mention that I don’t own a decent bike? OK, maybe I can swim 25 yards, but ¼ mile? In a lake? Wearing a wetsuit?

It was someone else sitting at the table. It was someone else doing the workouts. I was just along for the ride. But here I am, just 6 months after my first swim class, 4 months after starting my run to walk training plan, 3 months after buying my new bike, and 2 months after getting my wetsuit. I am a triathlete, and I am no longer just along for the ride.

Paul Morris XTERRA Vashon Race Report

Thoughts on my First Tri

(XTERRA Vashon July 12, 2009)

Well, I made it and finished. So that in and of itself is an accomplishment. But not a real big surprise considering the time, effort, training, and practice that I have put in since I decided to participate in a triathlon last fall. All in all, I was happy with my individual split times and the overall time. My swim time was better than I was anticipating by several minutes. This was a big achievement since I hadn’t swum in approximately 18 years and never competitively. I still had issues getting out of the water – the going from horizontal to vertical thing wasn’t working too well. I probably lost a minute trying to gain my equilibrium so I could stumble like a drunk into transition. Then transition took too long as I was still coming out of my stupor. Off on the bike to hit that first hill. Wow! What a climb it was. Not only did we get to ride or walk up it once, but three times! On the tight, single track that was a challenge. I had not anticipated walking very much with my bike, but that long (maybe ½ mile or so) staggered hill required too much energy to ride and I figured that it was better to run/walk up it. Once up the hill, the tight twisty single track was fun to ride. I had to try to remember that I was in a race and not just out for an enjoyable mountain bike ride. I had hoped for a faster bike time. However, after I finished the first of three loops in around 35 minutes, I knew that wasn’t going to be the case. Coming in for the bike transition, I was caught off guard when another rider was right behind me as I was trying to dismount and run into the transition area. For most of the bike ride I was riding alone except for occasionally passing by someone or being passed. I got through T2 in acceptable time, but as always could improve here as well. Just as I was heading out of transition, it started to rain. Starting out on the run going up another hill, I noticed the biker that had been right behind me coming into transition was now running ahead of me. I could see that he was struggling, so I reeled him in as we ran up the hill and headed into the forest. The 2 loop trail run through the forest was enjoyable. I tried to find my pace and felt like I ran fairly comfortably. However, like the bike section, I didn’t know the course or the terrain. So I was at a disadvantage and could have pushed a little harder during the run. Then I ended up back where I started, crossing the finish line 2 hours and 33 minutes later. Not too bad for my first triathlon.

Joe Hafner's IMCDA 2009 Report

It would be disingenuous to wax poetic about the resilience, stamina, and dedication required to complete the Ironman distance, without first giving a big shout-out THANK YOU to all of the people who had the resilience, stamina, and dedication to support me. Your prayers, encouragements, and well-wishes made my day worth every sacrifice. The IronPrayer verses and the individual prayer requests got me through the miles. And for those who call me "coach" (you know who you are) - I love you guys and hope to emulate you in more areas than you emulate me.

If you've ever read a race report, you know it usually starts with the swim and runs chronologically through the entire 140.6 mile journey, sometimes in true HighDef detail. This report will break that pattern, instead focusing on the highlights, lessons learned (aka "areas of greatest potential" as Coach Swedberg likes to say) and a few of the noteworthy people on (and off) the course.

Highlights:

Arrived at the starting line healthy - what can I say? So many people get to the event with an injury. My only physical complaint was a dodgy IT band the day before the race, but some intense massage did the trick and worked out the kinks.
No blisters, falls, crashes - My feet looked pretty much the same after the race as they did before, as did my clavicles, elbows, shoulders, hips, etc. It helped that the rain held off during the bike segment, keeping the roads much safer.
No intestinal issues on the bike - Last year my GI felt like a bomb went off as I rode from aid station to aid station with a persistent lower gut ache. Might have been something about "Don't try anything new during the race". I heeded that advice this year, despite all the "good ideas" and "breakthrough products" bandied about in the Ironman village on Friday and Saturday. Note to others "don't try something new on race day - even if Michael Lovato says it helped him win last year".
Well hydrated throughout - I did the unthinkable and listened to my body! I drank when I felt thirsty, and used a fairly diluted solution of Nuun in water. The electrolyte content in Nuun probably wasn't that significant, but it helped make the water more yummy. I also learned a really cool trick to stay in the aero position, get the tablets out of the Nuun container and into the water bottle with one hand, without spilling them all over the place. Ask me some time and I'll show you.
No bike mechanical defects - Despite all of my nicer-bike envy going into the event, I have to admit that my bike has been super-reliable, even though my maintenance skills leave a bit to be desired. I also lucked out and found a local shop with a set of race wheels to rent for significantly less than the Seattle area shops. Those wheels made a difference, especially considering the windy conditions.
Pre-race nutrition was spot on - I'm not a particularly picky eater. However, after eating the exact same portion of steel cut oats with coconut oil, raisins, walnuts and honey with a banana chaser every single day for the last 4 months, I was ready for a change. But I waited until the day after the event. MMMmmm, PopTarts!
Pre-race routine (including porta-potty timing) was good - I have a thing about my race day morning routine. My goal is to get the bike tires pumped up, hit the john, get the wetsuit on and down to the swim start without ever feeling rushed. Check.

Lessons Learned:

Weather matters - the weather forecast changed hourly in the days leading up to the race. I didn't know if I should pack for 74deg high temps, or a hurricane. For the conditions, I was comfortably dressed on the bike (with my newly acquired arm warmers: dollar store women's trouser socks in stylish grey...), over-dressed at the beginning of the run and a little under-dressed at the end of the run. Those temp swings can wreak havok on the heart rate.
Gear matters - okay, to all those who've found unique and interesting ways to tease me about my extended transition times (no, I didn't pack a sleeping bag, thank you very much) here's the thing: on my long rides leading up to the race I was getting progressively less comfortable riding in my tri shorts. The shammy on the RTB bike shorts is pretty thick, so it's cushy, but not great for swimming or running in. So I changed from jammers during the swim, to the RTB bike shorts for the bike, then into my Oomph! tri shorts for the run. All that taking off and putting on added time. Unfortunately, either the bike shorts or my bike saddle still weren't perfect. Beginning at mile 40 and every 20 miles thereafter I had to stop and call out for Vaseline and a latex glove. I will leave the details to your imagination... All that to say that I'm in the market for a better saddle and open to suggestions for better tri shorts.
Pacing matters - "negative split, negative split, negative split" Since every leg of IMCDA is a two-loop affair, my mantra and goal in life was a negative split. As it turned out, I was 7 minutes slower on the second loop of the swim, 20 minutes slower on the second loop of the bike, and uhh, I have no idea what I did on the run because I left the Garmin on the bike. I'm not sure how much more conservative I could have been, but with all those smart and fast athletes claiming a negative split as the holy grail of endurance events, I'm sure they must know something I don't.
Love matters - not the way you'd think, though. My time was 13:02. I spent about 3 minutes chatting with my wife at the aid station she was volunteering at. Hmmm, sub 13 sacrificed for love? On the other hand, I had the special privilege of seeing and hearing lots of friends cheering for me, which definitely provides a psychological boost.

With better preparation and no change in fitness (in other words, faster transitions and no Vaseline stops) I could easily have taken another 15 minutes off my time. That means I really only need to find another 47 minutes of fitness improvement before next years race to go sub 12.

People of note:

Polka dot arm-warmer guy - This guy had the most, uh, noticeable arm warmers. He was fun to have nearby on the run course because he got lots of attention from the spectators.
Weird toe-shoes guy - This guy had shoes shaped like his feet, with little toes and everything. I don't really think you could even call them shoes. They were pretty much like non-slip gloves for your feet. I passed that guy, thank goodness. Not sure I could have looked at myself in the mirror if I hadn't...
Bob - Bob passed me on the bike with a very polite "I think I'll get ahead of you for a little bit". Bob was probably in his 50's, wearing running shorts and a cotton t-shirt and riding a bike that had the aerodynamic qualities of a mountain bike. In fact it may have been a mountain bike. I never saw Bob again...
Heckler party guy - There was a section on the run where the spectators were flaunting their inebriated state with a full blown karaoke system run by a guy with a pretty good sense of humor. I was passing by on one of the loops as he announced to another athlete, "Hey man, bad news is that you are getting your [butt] kicked by a girl. Good news is that you've got the best seat in the house." Classy.
Ironbarbie - RTBs very own PK has earned the Ironbarbie moniker. Always smiling, hair in place, looking just as moist and dewey as if she'd just stepped out of the pages of a triathlon magazine.
Smooth Bill - every time I saw Bill Swedberg he looked calm, cool and collected. Running with his smooth-as-butta stride and tossing milk chocolaty encouragement to me as we pass each other. What a guy!
Super Jerry - picture Jerry coming up over a rise with his space blanket flapping behind him like a cape...
The Intimidator - Craig and I went for an easy ride on Friday before the race. He was next to me, so I didn't spend too much time looking at him. But on the race course, seeing Craig on the bike he looked focused and in-charge. His poker-face visage belied the hurt he was putting on the riders around him. As we passed each other on one of the out and back sections of the bike, I heard another cyclist ask if that was the bodily incarnation of Dale Earnhardt Sr...
The All-American - I remember seeing Brad Williams come through the transition tent last year when I was a volunteer at IMCDA. He came through T1 so early and so fast that he utterly intimidated me. I actually stayed on Brad's feet during the first part of the swim this year. Well, if the first 100yds count... Brad really knows this race and I learned a lot from him.
The Battle-Hammer - Kelvin and I met last year when we went out to volunteer. If you aren't friends with Kelvin, its because you haven't met him. What an awesome guy.
The three amigos - My friends Brian, Jon and Casey came out to support and sign up for next year (well 2 out of 3, right Brian?). They made the race so much fun for me because they kept popping up in unexpected places. It was like a Where's Waldo of three yelling dudes, totally cheering me on. Even after they thought I got lost in the transition tent, they didn't give up on me.
Camo-skirt gal - This race report would not be complete without an honorable(?) mention of Camo-skirt and top gal. I happened to catch sight of Camo-skirt and top gal at about mile 18 of the run - she was about 200 yards ahead of me. I was "motivated" to follow her for the next 3-odd miles at a pace that would have been entirely unsustainable. Her, um, tempo was mesmerizing, and I appreciated her great, er, running form.

I dropped an hour and 17 minutes from my Canada time last August. My preparation for Canada was questionable at best. Leading up to Cd'A, my training was consistent, if not necessarily of tremendous volume. In fact, seldom did I exceed 12 hours in training, including a long 3-5 hour bike ride on Saturdays. I focused on quality workouts and adequate recovery, and feel that this is a workout routine that I can live with and still keep balance in my family and personal life.

The most overwhelming feeling I had as I ran through the chute at Cd'A was one of validation.

Thanks to everyone who helped me get here. And a special thank you to Patty Swedberg. Validation as an athlete, as a triathlete, as an Ironman. Validation for the hard work, and sometimes difficult decisions that had to be made. Validation as a father who models a balanced, healthy lifestyle for my kids. Validation as a person who can set a goal and achieve it. The only other person in the world who can really understand the depth of this victory is my awesome, loving and supportive wife.

Kelly Richards Escape from Alcatraz- Year 2

Kelly Richards completed the Escape from Alcatraz in 2008 and did not get enough, so went again in 2009... here is her short report:

Once again I had this notion I would love to do Escape from Alcatraz.

Why is it so alluring?

Maybe it is jumping off a boat in cold rough water?

A 1.5 mile crossing of a river.

Or the basketball size jellyfish I swam over. Four of them.

Where is that current? The waves hit you from the right, but the current is caring you West. Math and directions, not my strong point.

The 3/4 mile run after swim to transition? When you can not feel your legs from knees down or any part of your arms from elbow to finger tips.

18 miles of hills and stomach acid? The rough roads and skinny tires make for a hair raising combination. Let alone the sharp 90 degree turns and the wall.

A 8 mile run up hill with stairs, more stairs, beach, sand ladder and finally a down hill.

3 hours later the finish line is in sight. Feeling like you were in a washing machine and dryer.

One day later and still feeling ill. Thinking I ate a jellyfish!

Sign me up again!

Matt Morrisson's Sub 3 Hour Marathon Report...

2009 Capital City Marathon

Well, this story starts more than two years ago in 2006. Kathy and I decided it would be fun to run the Disney World Marathon in Jan 2007, and I set a goal to run under 3 hours. My PR was 3:05:00, so it seemed achievable. I trained well and around race time, I felt like I could do it. The Disney World Marathon starts at 6am, and race morning we walked out to 100% humidity and around 65 degrees (forecast was for it to be in the mid 80s by the finish). I tried to stay positive and stay on plan to run my goal pace. I was going OK in the early miles, but I could tell the heat and humidity was getting to me. By half way, I remember thinking 3 hours was going to be awfully hard. After mile 17, I was still doing OK. As I ran along, I thought "I should have seen mile 18 by now, maybe I missed the mile marker." A little further along, I thought "Maybe I missed a couple mile markers, if I'm really at 20 miles, I think I can still make 3 hours." Needless to say, I didn't miss any mile markers. When I saw 18, I was mentally toast. Looking at my watch, I was sure I couldn't go under 3, and I probably couldn't even get a PR. I really got down on myself, and once I hit mile 19, I started walking, and walked all the way to 20. I cursed the marathon many times, and swore I would never run another one again. I alternated between running and walking for a few miles and ran in the last couple. I finished in 3:34:12, which isn't a bad time, but quite a ways from my goal.

Lessons learned from that race:
- I don't run well in the heat, which I already knew.
- If I had modified goals to match the conditions, I likely would have had a much better finishing time.
- Stay positive. If I had hit 18 with a better attitude, I would have had a more enjoyable race.


Fast foward to January 2009. I finally felt like I could attempt to run a marathon again and I picked Capital City since I had run it before and did reasonably well. My original plan was to just run it with no time goals at all. Just a low pressure run to get my marathon legs back. My early training went well, and my fast runs went really well. I was able to do some long pace and tempo runs at a pace that would put me under 3 hours. The turning point came at the Fort Steilacoom 20 Mile race. The race was on Saturday, but my training schedule had a 9 mile pace run on Friday. I decided to stick to my original training plan with the pace run, and just use the 20 miler as a little faster long run. I ran the pace run at 6:44 pace, so I figured the race the next day would be maybe 7:30-7:45 pace. I ran the first 5 miles at what seemed a comfortable pace, and I was surprised when I looked at my watch at realized I was running under 7 minute pace. Since I was feeling good, I decided to just keep running at that pace. I felt great until about mile 17, and even then I was able to finish fairly strong. My average pace was 6:44 (a 3 hour marathon is 6:51 pace). My marathon goal went from "just finishing" to maybe a PR, and maybe even under 3 hours. The rest of my training continued to go well. I had one week with more miles than I usually run and started to get some minor injuries; a sore hamstring and sore foot. Luckily the next week was the start of my taper, and all the little aches and pains subsided.

The day before Capital City race day, I was nervous, with my stomach fluttering away. The weather forecast was for highs in the low to mid 70s, which would not be good for me, but I stayed positive. Race day finally arrives. It is still cool at the 7am start, which helps alleviate my fears of heat. The gun goes off and we head downhill toward the water. As I get close to the first mile marker, I think how that felt nice and easy. I glance at my watch and see 6:05. Oh crap! Way too fast. I calm myself by thinking "its OK, it was downhill". After that, I quickly settle into a better pace. I see Kathy on her bike around mile three. The miles click off easily for a while, running in the 6:40s. Around halfway, a guy catches up to me from behind and we run together for 5 or 6 miles. We chat as we run along, and he mentions that he thinks we might run 2:55:00. I tell him "all I am aiming for is 2:59, and I'm staying on plan". We start to make headway on a runner in front of us, and this guys says "I think we can catch him". My reply again is "I'm not running for place but rather for time, and I want a 2:59". A little after that he picked up the pace slightly and I just stayed on plan. The marathon course rejoins the half marathon course at mile 18. A little after that, I started seeing half marathon runners. Spectators were cheering everyone on, and when they would see a marathon bib number, they would cheer and say "great job marathon runner". At about mile 21, I could hear cheering behind me for a marathoner, so I figured someone was catching up to me. Farther down the road, I could tell the cheering behind me was definitely more enthusiastic than it was for me. Then I heard someone say "first marathon woman". Ah...now it was clear why the cheering was louder. At mile 22, there is nice downhill section. I checked my watch and saw 2 hours 27 minutes. I only had to run the last 4.2 miles in about 30 minutes, and I felt I could do it. This was followed by an uphill at 22.5. The hill is not particularly steep, but it goes on and on and on. It is more than a mile long. I could feel my pace slow, but I was still running past half marathoners, so I knew I couldn't be going too slow. A little past the top, the cheering behind me was getting closer, and it wasn't long until a pace car was driving along side me, then past me, then Annie (the eventual 1st place woman) passed me. There was still about 1.5 miles to go. At this point, I am running about as fast as I can, but it sure doesn't feel fast. Everything is a blur, and I don't hear anything in particular. I am focused, I just keep repeating to myself "...2...59...2...59...". My legs feel like mush and my breathing is labored. I pass the 25 mile marker, watch says 2:50 and change. "If I can run 1.2 miles in less than 10 minutes, I will have it!" The last mile is downhill, which is a blessing. I keep waiting to see the top of the finishing banner, but it seems to never come. Less than half a mile to go, I can see the finish, but it seems so far away. I was to stop running, but I keeping pushing. I can feel my head starting to tip backward as I run, and it takes a mental effort to force myself to bring my chin back down. The time clock comes into view. I see 2:59:30 and think "OH NO! I'm so close, and I'm not going to make it!" As I get a little closer, I realize it says 2:58 not 2:59. My head starts to tip back again enough that I feel like I will fall backward. I cross the finish line and fall into the arms of volunteers. Kathy is there to help me too. It is clear that I'm not totally coherent and I need some help to get to the medical tent. My head is swimming, and I feel faint. Blood pressure is strong though, which is good. I lay there and drink, not easy to do, but they get me a bendy straw :) My nose and lips are tingling, which I find strange. Once I recover enough to get up, I feel a lot better quickly. My legs are tired, but not totally shot. I walk over and get some food, and even have a slice of pizza.

In the end I finished 8th overall, and 1st in my age group. And I finally got my sub 3 hour marathon! 2:58:43!

Lessons learned from this race:
- Stay on plan. Even when feeling good.
- In the last few miles when you get tired, keep running hard. It might be unpleasant, but you can do it.
- Respect the race day conditions, but don't get psyched out by them.

“Safety” Cones: Don’t believe the hype!

Humbly submitted by Brian Guillen following the Issaquah Triathlon: 5/30/2009

As I sit here reading a Triathlete Magazine article entitled, “Overcoming Mental Obstacles in Training” I cannot help but feel cheated. So I turn the page with my bandaged hands, wincing in pain as I toss the magazine to the floor. Over the years, I have read many articles about overcoming nearly every obstacle, both physical and mental, facing the triathlete. But never have I come across an ounce of helpful advice about dodging the dreaded Safety Cone on the race course.

Yesterday morning, I pulled on my wetsuit and waded knee deep into the lake and waited for the horn to sound announcing the start of the Issaquah triathlon. I entered the race with the sole goal of beating John Curley for the chance to win a donation to the charity of my choice. Believe me! I had no other aspirations other than surviving the race in full health so I could resume my training for later-season races.

But the gun sounded and suddenly I felt I had to do everything within my power to be the first one to the finish line. The short quarter-mile swim seemed to be over before it began and I found myself starting the bike leg in fifth position. After a few miles into the 15-mile bike course I passed two people and it appeared that I was beginning to pull back leaders. The legs felt good and I was settling into a nice, comfortable groove. At a hill at mile 6, I opened it up a little and quickly ascended at which point I noticed I was still gaining on the leaders. I crested the hill and put my head down to get the full benefit of aerodynamics as I descended the hill at 30 mph. I was in a full aero tuck, looking at the white line upon which I followed closely. I looked up to see further up the road and suddenly noticed a row of orange safety cones lined up on the white line immediately in front of me! Having no time to react, I waited for the inevitable to unfold.

There are a few occasions that occur in a man’s life which enable him to defy the very laws of time itself. This peculiar phenomenon of which I speak manifests itself in the apparent near-stopping of time so as to allow for full and complete absorption of all the sensory information that is so rapidly being presented to his brain. This can make a 5-second event from another’s perspective seem like hours to his. For a man, this phenomenon is typically experienced either during sexual intercourse or in those instances where he has nearly kissed death. I was unfortunately experiencing the latter.

I hit the first cone. The bike bounced to the left but kept me on track for the rest. I hit the second and third cones. The bike came out from under me and I was suddenly airborne. I landed hands-first and began the last leg of “ The Brian Guillen: Swim-Bike-Skid-On-My-Arse Triathlon.” And, oh, did I skid! At one point during the skid I thought I was nearly done, but I just got tossed over to the other side of my body and kept going still surprised by my ground speed. I came to a stop roughly 15-20 yards later and remained on my back doing mental diagnostics of the damage. I crawled over to the ditch to get off the course while the race volunteer called for an ambulance.

Luckily, I was out of the hospital in two hours with only bandages around the appendages. So I walked back over to the triathlon and came across John Curley. I showed him my wounds and joked with him that this mess was all his fault. Very kindly, he expressed his condolences and handed me a “I beat John Curley” shirt. Very nice gentleman, that man is. But one thing is for certain: it’s harder than you think beating John Curley!

Saving the best and most important news for last: the bike is perfectly fine! In fact, in looking at the bike you wouldn’t believe I crashed. It appears to have slid entirely on the non-drive train side, preserving the derailleurs. Unfathomable!

Alicia Gunderson's Trainer Mishap

So this is one of those funny stories of the unaware, naive, still a new-be triathalete. My "friend"....who am I kidding, I suck at lying it was ME, purchased a Kinetic trainer last November when I decided I wasn't a "postal rider"...snow, sleet, wind & hail just don't work for me. My goal this last 6 months was to ride at least 3 times a week for at least an hour each time, I wanted to improve my over all time and figured since you spend most your time on your bike...well, I'd try and get faster. I also remember you saying last year at one of those Lake Meridian Wed. training nights that you should pay attention to your cadence, and keep it at 90. So I stepped it up and got myself a Catseye meter that did all this fancy crap.

Anyway, I met my goal, rode my little butt off (don’t I wish) and so when I went out on my first "real" ride outdoors I was so shocked to see how fast I'd gotten. I'd look down and see 25, 28, 32 on my meter. And I even rode with Missy who's meter is broken so she kept asking me "how fast" I'd spit out these high numbers and she'd argue (the nerve) with me by saying, "really this feels like 16 or 18 mph". I started ignoring her. When I got home, I "reset" my meter, just to be sure I was RIGHT....guess what, in Canada...I was kicking butt all winter, but here in the USA where we DON'T use the metric system and go by MPH not KPH I was right were I left off last year......SUCKSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

But it's all good, I'm not going to let this bum me out, my attitude is "at least I'm where I left off last year" and not having to start over.
UGH, I'm such a retard and I’m hoping I'm not the only person you know that has done this...but if I am, well, the longer you know me, the more of these wonderful stories you'll hear about!

RTH Gals at the Yakima River Canyon Ride!!

Some of our Raise the Hope gals conquered the searing temps in Yakima today at the 34 mile Yakima River Canyon ride. WAY TO GO!!

Phil Kriss's Duathon Race Report (and training details)

This race marked the second race trying my new strategy. For the last few months Chris Blair and I have been sucking our thumbs about how slow we run. We figure we are slow runners because we are bigger than most other triathletes.That proved to be mostly true until this weekend.In January I decided my runs needed to be tougher. Studying my splits and analyzing the data mile by mile, I came to the conclusion I suck in the “dead zone”. For me that is between 16-18 and 20 miles. In order to be better at that, I need to train more in that zone and add 15% more running in 2009. To do that and still have time to increase time swimming and riding, I decided to run 2 days a week (except for the bricks). One tempo run on Wednesdays with the Maple Valley mafia, and Sundays with David “Marathon Diet” Spooner.

I had heard rumors Dave was running the Orting Loop (21 miles) every Sunday he was not racing. So, decided regardless of if he was a jerk or he didn’t like me I would run it with him anyway.

Meanwhile, he heard war stories about the triathlon from me and others that showed up to run. Next thing he owns a bike and a wet suit and shows up to play.

Oh Yeah, the duathlon. That is what this is about…I got some last minute advise on heart rate management from my hero Kent Sizer. I decided to target 160 BPM from start to finish.

8.1 run time: 35:24 or a 6:56 pace! For me Smoking Hot! Heart rate 160+

28.8 mile Ride time: 1:25 or 20.2 MPH. Fair. Heart rate 160+ until I cramped in the middle of the first lap.

I had some difficulty on the ride. I am not sure if it was from my heart rate being too high, or being too cold, or poor nutrition or a combination. Anyway, I cramped on the way up Mud Mountain road and had to slow for about 10 miles to minimize cramping. If my heart rate was below 150 I was fine. I think that slowed me by 3-4 minutes. But, a 20.4 MPH average doing 2 laps up that hill is not bad for a 50 year old old guy.

Second 3.8 mile run time: 28:57 or 7:37. Needs improvement. I got my heart rate back up to 160, and hit 170BPM at the finish.

2:33 was my time. 22nd overall. 2^nd in age, but only to the reigning national duathlon champ in my age group. 5^th master.

Other Notes: When Chris Blair rides his junky bike, we are pretty much neck and neck except on hills given the same heart rate profiles. His Cervelo P3C is an unfair advantage compared to my POS bike. His 24+ MPH average proved that in my mind J

David Spooner defeated the “big guys can’t run” theory. He ran 6:30s on his first run and 6:40s on his second. Considering he ran the Boston Marathon 6 days earlier, and had completed 4 rides on his new bike as a new biker, and had never done a transition before, his 2:37 time is very impressive. I better learn to run or he will soon be showing me who is boss.

I think my new run in the dead zone strategy is working. 7:37 pace is not that fast but it is improving. Next week is the Tacoma City Marathon. Time to test it again.

Ricky Bobby is right. “I wanna go fast!”

Life is like a Load of Laundry

Forrest had a box of chocolates - on Mondays the Swedbergs have laundry..And Life at the Swedbergs must be pretty good by the looks of it! I just hung up a load and as I stepped back to admire my domestic handiwork (with banana bread in the over, BTW) I was a little less depressed that our dryer broke last night...

I'm hoping we win the neighborhood award for "Coolest Laundry" thanks to the RTB sponsors, Rad Racing, and the Hagens Berman Cycling Team.

I'm not posting a photo of the next load...

Phil Spencer's Grizzly Triathlon Report

The first race of the season is in the books. I’ll file this one in the “mixed results category.” For those that don’t want to suffer through more details than anyone should have to read for a sprint race, the short version is as follows: I finished first masters and first in my age group. Also managed 7th overall taking a minute off my time from last year. Had you told me that going in, I’d have been thrilled but the way the race played out I actually think I could have done better.

So Montana’s Grizzly Triathlon is quickly becoming my favorite early season race. By April I’m starting to get a little race fitness and a lot of training staleness. I’m dying to mix it up again and this race provides the perfect opportunity to test my form against some crazy fast guys. Normally I wouldn’t drive all the way to Montana for a race that is over in an hour but this one is different. The Missoula Stampede triathlon team jokingly calls this the “Montana State Championships” as everyone shows up making it the areas biggest triathlon. To give you an idea how popular this race is, this year’s edition sold out in just 8 days! This team seems to have an endless stream of speedsters, many of whom go off to have successful pro careers and they all seem to come back for this race.

So the day before the race the heat sheet comes out and this year I was included in the Male Elite category. As if that’s not intimidating enough, I’m splitting a lane with none other than Ben Hoffman. Now the nerves really started kicking in but I was equally excited to be racing with these guys. The format is a 1000 yrd pool swim where everyone is seeded by projected swim times. The first heats go off at 8:00am and go all morning finishing with the elite women and finally the elite men in the last heat at 1:45 in the afternoon. Being in the last heat is nice as I got to sleep in on a race morning! Somehow, for the second year in a row, we got great weather as race day was dry, sunny and by the time our wave was set to go, about 62 degrees.

Waiting for the last of the elite female wave to finish I’m looking
around to see the rest of my wave looking ridiculously lean and fit.
Matt Seeley was apparently trying to fly under the radar as he was entered under the pseudonym “Calamity Seeley,” and showed up with a massive Goatee. I’m talking about an entire winters growth that you
could sit and stroke while contemplating the mysteries of the world.
If it were grey he could have passed himself off as a Jedi Master.
Surprisingly, Ben was one of the least intimidating looking. He looked so young, like he just came off the set of Mayberry. He was also really nice which helped calm my nerves a bit. One of the benefits of being in the elite wave was that, unlike the rest of the athletes having to fight with 5 per lane, we raced two per lane. By that time everyone else was done so the entire pool was full of people cheering us on. Once the gun went off, as always, the nerves are gone and you just do what you’re trained to do. Ben and I hit the first wall together only to find out that he comes off the wall on his left and I come off on my right side leaving us staring directly into each others face. We went through the 100 in 1:03 then settled into about a 1:10 pace and this is how it would go for the first 500. I considered making faces to try and throw him off but thought better of it. Meanwhile the swimmer in the lane directly to my right (17 year old age grouper Sean Niccolucci) is blasting off like he’s swimming an all out 100 and his lane mate (52 year old John
Weston), Montana’s version of Brad Williams, was not far behind.
Wonder boy hopped out with a time of 10:16 and John just behind in 10:40 for the first two out. By the 500 mark Ben had clearly tired of looking into my ugly mug and started easing away coming out in 11:34. I followed him 13 seconds later in 11:47.

Out on the road, Ben just slowly eased away as I knew he would. I caught the youngster just a few miles in and expected the evergreen Mr. Weston to come back so I could have my moment in second place before the masses caught me. Well, John was still well up the road but I made it to just before the turn around before Calamity Seeley went by, luxurious beard flowing in his slipstream. We hit the turn together and, much to my dismay, there were 4 guys together just behind us. I expected Matt to disappear up the road and the others to come flying by but Matt just sat out there about 100 yards up front the rest of the way back to transition. Adam Jensen and Matt Shryock finally caught me a couple miles before T2 and the three of us and John Weston all came into transition together with a couple more right behind. Finishing with those guys was a real thrill for me as I’ve never been in sight of most of those names after the bike.

So Ben was long gone, Matt had left T2 just a few seconds before we all pulled in and then there were about 5 of us all heading out at the same time. Adam looked comfortable as he slowly pulled away as did Matt who was flying. Brendon Halpin also went past me like I was running in cement. The run is along the Clarks Fork river on a loose gravel trail that makes it impossible to get into any rhythm as your feet slip around. Just before the turn, there is a detour that takes you straight up a single track hill that spikes your heart-rate to the max before an equally difficult descent that twists back down to the trail. To this point I hadn’t looked back but at the turn I got the chance to see three guys right behind me and they all looked like they were flying. I had about 1.5 miles to go and I went into complete vacuum cleaner breathing mode trying to hold them off and hang onto 6th place. As I lumbered along with about 400 meters to go, 22 yr. old Graham Meng came easing soundlessly past me…or quite possibly making all kinds of noise but with the God-awful racket I was producing at that point, I couldn’t have heard a train approaching. Everyone was screaming as we went by but sadly, I was already as deep into the red as I could go and had absolutely no response finishing 6 seconds in arrears at 1:04.12.

So for those of you keeping track...inspired by his awesome lane- mate, Ben went on to win handily coming in at 57:39 followed by the chia faced Calamity Seeley at 1:00.53. Local studs Mat Shryock and Brendan Halpin duked it out finishing in 1:01:03, and 08 respectively. Coming back from injury, Adam Jensen still killed it for 5th at 1:02:12. Finally that little bastard Graham pipping me at the line for 6th…Arnie, you need to teach me some of those blocking techniques!

As always, these early races give us a great barometer to gage what is going well and where we need to work. I was really happy to have taken over a minute off my time from last year and finishing 7th in that field was great for me…my run , however, was an absolute abomination.

Oh, Oh, one other thing...Lindsey Corbin was supposed to race but was still recovering from last weekends half-Iron so she was all over the course cheering us (really cheering ME) on. She was so impressed with my race she demanded she get a photo with me (it was really almost embarrassing for the poor girl the way she was following me around)! Cute as a button that one. And thus ends my Montana adventure. Special thanks to Leo for his great company!

Mary Hanna's Yakima River Canyon Marathon Report

Mary Hanna and Cliff Richards did the Yakima Marathon this weekend with some other RTB members. Great race report from Mary below. Congratulations to all of you!!

First the men's race: This was a very close race. Joe Darda (recent UW runner) won in 2:35:12, and second place was two-time Yakima winner, Manuh Santos in 2:35:32, a four or five minute PR for him. I for get who got third, but my friend and fellow SRC runner, Glen Weissman, was fourth in 2:46ish. My other friend and fellow SRC runner, Cliff Richards, finished fifth in 2:54. He was also the first master, because Glen won't be a master for two more weeks. :) There were three women highlighted in the paper as potential winners: Selina Danko (3rd last year, just minutes behind me), Amber Green (CWU runner, 2nd marathon, but shooting for 3:10-3:15), and me. I looked around when I started the race and found myself in the lead, but after a couple of miles, Selina joined me. I didn't know her, but guessed that was who this was. We ran together for about 13 miles. After a few miles, we started to hear a woman's voice behind us. It was Amber, and she slowly caught up to us. I really enjoyed having the three of us running together. I felt like the veteran, and I was counting on my marathon experience and YRCM experience to get me through. I knew that we were all three running under our goal time. I hung back a little, but stayed with them. Then Selina dropped back and told me to hang with Amber. I said OK. I ran along with Amber a couple of miles and noticed our splits were slipping. At mile 18, I decided to make my move. Not knowing what would happen, I picked the pace up just a notch and never looked back. I found out in the newspaper Sunday that Amber had hung within 30 yards of me for the next three miles! At mile 23, my calves started cramping, so I slowed down and took shorter steps. That kept the cramping at bay, and I was able to get to the finish before Selina (2nd) and Amber (3rd).
It was my slowest Yakima and the closest women's finish since 2001. The weather has never been better, though, and I had a lot of fun. :)