So now that I am back from Hawaii and caught up on work I find myself with seom free time again to do what i want, and after a few lazy days of eating mexican food, drinking beers and being a bum I have jumped back into the training mix. You have to, it is a way of life.
So I finally got a true bike fitting last week and did they make some adjustments I tell you. Swapped out stem bar, new wider seat, adjusted clips on my shoes, tightened pedal cleats, adjusted height of seat post and completely adjusted my aero bar length and width. Just sitting on the trainer I felt much more relaxed.
I ended up doing a pretty hilly ride on Saturday with Den Den, Damian and Greg and to be honest I was pretty beat at the end of it, but oh well, I was back riding again. I am not sure of the new adjustments quite yet, need a few more rides to make sure I like them.
About Me
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Thursday, April 12, 2007
I'm a Lavaman Finisher!!!
What an incredible experience the trip to Waikoloa Beach and Kona, HI was. I took off from Orange County on Wednesday morning a few hours late due to some mechanical problems with the Aloha Air flight, but who cares, I was on my way to Hawaii on vacation and going to compete in my first Olympic distance Triathlon.
We got to the condo on the Hilton Waikoloa Beach property about 1pm and what a relief it was to finally be there....great crystal clear weather and about 80 degrees out. We went to a ballroom in the hotel (seriously about a mile walk from the condo, which was on the same property...this resort was massive) to get our bikes and put them back together. There were a few other teammates there, so it was nice to chat and catch up with everyone. After bike packing I rode my bike back to the condo, then headed out to "A" bay, the protected cove on the Waikoloa Beach property, to do my first ocean swim with the sea turtles and beautiful tropical fish and coral.
Thursday was pretty much a free day other than some light training, so I enjoyed a few Cerveza's by the pool and then went to dinner with my brother and sister at the resort. Friday brought the whole team together in the morning for a course preview. We all met a the lobby at 9am, rode over to the transition area, then walked our bikes up to the sand and got into the water. I did about a 400 meter swim out to a buoy and back and then swam some more with other teammates. The water is so nice over there it is hard to get out and the swim is so enjoyable. After the swim, we headed out on our bikes for about a 10 mile ride covering the beginning part of the course and after that we came back to the bike room, locked our bikes up and then did about a 2 mile run, with the last 1.2 miles over the same part of the course that includes running through the resort, over the lava rock, broken coral and then finishing through the sand. All in all our preview was about 3 hours, so I was happy to head back to the condo, have another beer and relax in our pool.
That evening we headed to LuLu's in downtown Kona for some team bonding and to partake in the yearly tradition of watching our Coach dance like he has a motor in his rear that has its own mind, so funny you have to see it yourself.
Saturday comes and when I wake up the reality that the race is tomorrow hits me.....oh no it is finally here, after 5 months of training......I gut check myself and say, "You have another day, so relax"....I hop in the shower.Off to the Hilton Hotel again, another mile walk...I have seriously walked at least half a marathon at this point by now. Race expo and check-in last for a few hours, and I am able to see all the participants at this point. People from everywhere are here to do the same crazy event as me...what a great experience. The day then moves on to the Race Director's mandatory meeting where they go over the course, rules, bla bla bla and so on. Hurry up, the Pasta Party is next.
I will have to say that this Pasta Party was much nicer than the one I attended before the Rock-N-Roll Marathon last year in San Diego. First of all it was smaller, about 500 people compared to 6,000...it was on the lagoon at a resort in Hawaii vs. at the convention center, and the food, people and all intangibles were, well...BETTER!!!! A few tears were brought to my eye when a speaker with great resolve - told us the story of her son who had Leukemia and eventually lost his battle with it at the age of 7, but how being a part of TNT has made her cope with the loss.Went home and packed all my gear meticulously, over and over, till I was sure I had everything I needed.....off to bed about 10pm.
Sunday - Race Day
I woke up at 4:15am and next thing you know I was off with my roommates to meet up with the team outside of the lobby at 5:30 am to ride over to the transition area. When we arrived at the transition area, it was truly a surreal experience. They had spotlights on the racks (which were the same ones used for the legendary Ironman World Championships each year also in Kona), the race director was welcoming all athletes and there was Hawaiian music playing. Next thing you know I was in line to get body marked (#94), put my electronic timing chip on, then setting up my transition area next to my bike and then I was off on a 15 minute warm up run. After my run I grabbed all the gear I needed for the swim and headed down the walkway to the bay. Ah....the beautiful site of "A" bay. I jumped in and did about a 300meter warm up swim and then stayed in the water for quite some time.
After a few group photos, some good luck from friends and family, I was in the water with all the other men, relay teams and elite women and men, who were all slated for the same heat. I would estimate there were about 400 of us that all started at the same time, with the women 5 minutes behind.
Horn goes off, and the human blender begins....arms flying, legs kicking, people stopping in front of you, climbing over others, those climbing over you......stay calm, keep your breath I keep telling myself....look at the reflection off of your divers watch to keep you calm and focused. Next thing you know I am halfway around the course on the first loop and really enjoying the swim. Wow, is this how it is supposed to be? Calm, relaxing, nice rhythm, regular breaths and so on. I am really enjoying this.
I finish my swim with no incidents and all in all the human blender did not affect me that much...30 minutes 12 seconds when I cross the line on the sand that records my time.
I get to the transition area, wash off my feet, grab my tri-top, glasses, helmet and take off...no incidents (other than wasting about 20 extra seconds looking for my bike and about another 20 talking to coach)...definitely can improve time in my transition.... 3 minutes 07 seconds.
Off on the bike...great feeling I am passing some of the people who beat me in the swim....people older than me, younger than me, a lady that could have been my mother...jeez am i that slow in the swim, or are these people that fast? Any ways, I knew I took it easy on the swim so I could turn it on in the bike ride and run. I end up finishing the bike making up a few places, 71 to be exact, when based on my swim time rank vs. the bike time.I come in on the bike, get off before the transition entry line, grab my running shoes (no socks), hat and water bottle and I am off. I still have some GU residue on my arm and hand from spewing it all over the place on the bike, but that is okay...I can clean up on the run.
I am off through the lava rocks and now into the resort...hit the first aid station at mile 1, still doing fine and not too hot at this point. I make my way through the aid station and head up the hill towards mile 2. This is when I knew the run would be tough. It was getting hot out, I knew I was hitting the lava fields for the out and back and I saw the faces of those in front of me who had just done the out and back. I make it to mile 3, the next aid station and whew, 1 more mile in these fields and I am done. I make it out, up the hill (slowly) and then get a second wind and sense of relief, because now I am on the homestretch and I see a fair amount of my teammates just hitting up to mile 2.
I enter the resort, get through it, and hit mile 5. I know the last 1.2 miles is tough...I have done it already twice in course previews (but this one would be much more difficult since I have ripped the skin off the mid part of my right foot). I struggle a bit and tell myself, wait for the last 1/4 mile and then turn it on...well I am starting to overheat now, and I know this because my body now has the chills and I am feeling cold all over...Oh well, not too much farther to go. I make it over the broken lava rock, coral and then hit the beach.....oh the beautiful beach. The finish line is in a corral between luscious palm trees flagged with people and sponsors all along the side.
I feel someone coming up on me, see my brother ahead and decide to turn it on for the last 150 yards or so......2 hours 36 minutes....that's my finish time. Under my 2:45 goal and ended up being 6th in my age group and 105 our of 684 overall. I am happy with myself and happy that I could push my body to the limit, because those with Leukemia and Lymphoma do it each day to stay alive, I did it just to finish a race.
We got to the condo on the Hilton Waikoloa Beach property about 1pm and what a relief it was to finally be there....great crystal clear weather and about 80 degrees out. We went to a ballroom in the hotel (seriously about a mile walk from the condo, which was on the same property...this resort was massive) to get our bikes and put them back together. There were a few other teammates there, so it was nice to chat and catch up with everyone. After bike packing I rode my bike back to the condo, then headed out to "A" bay, the protected cove on the Waikoloa Beach property, to do my first ocean swim with the sea turtles and beautiful tropical fish and coral.
Thursday was pretty much a free day other than some light training, so I enjoyed a few Cerveza's by the pool and then went to dinner with my brother and sister at the resort. Friday brought the whole team together in the morning for a course preview. We all met a the lobby at 9am, rode over to the transition area, then walked our bikes up to the sand and got into the water. I did about a 400 meter swim out to a buoy and back and then swam some more with other teammates. The water is so nice over there it is hard to get out and the swim is so enjoyable. After the swim, we headed out on our bikes for about a 10 mile ride covering the beginning part of the course and after that we came back to the bike room, locked our bikes up and then did about a 2 mile run, with the last 1.2 miles over the same part of the course that includes running through the resort, over the lava rock, broken coral and then finishing through the sand. All in all our preview was about 3 hours, so I was happy to head back to the condo, have another beer and relax in our pool.
That evening we headed to LuLu's in downtown Kona for some team bonding and to partake in the yearly tradition of watching our Coach dance like he has a motor in his rear that has its own mind, so funny you have to see it yourself.
Saturday comes and when I wake up the reality that the race is tomorrow hits me.....oh no it is finally here, after 5 months of training......I gut check myself and say, "You have another day, so relax"....I hop in the shower.Off to the Hilton Hotel again, another mile walk...I have seriously walked at least half a marathon at this point by now. Race expo and check-in last for a few hours, and I am able to see all the participants at this point. People from everywhere are here to do the same crazy event as me...what a great experience. The day then moves on to the Race Director's mandatory meeting where they go over the course, rules, bla bla bla and so on. Hurry up, the Pasta Party is next.
I will have to say that this Pasta Party was much nicer than the one I attended before the Rock-N-Roll Marathon last year in San Diego. First of all it was smaller, about 500 people compared to 6,000...it was on the lagoon at a resort in Hawaii vs. at the convention center, and the food, people and all intangibles were, well...BETTER!!!! A few tears were brought to my eye when a speaker with great resolve - told us the story of her son who had Leukemia and eventually lost his battle with it at the age of 7, but how being a part of TNT has made her cope with the loss.Went home and packed all my gear meticulously, over and over, till I was sure I had everything I needed.....off to bed about 10pm.
Sunday - Race Day
I woke up at 4:15am and next thing you know I was off with my roommates to meet up with the team outside of the lobby at 5:30 am to ride over to the transition area. When we arrived at the transition area, it was truly a surreal experience. They had spotlights on the racks (which were the same ones used for the legendary Ironman World Championships each year also in Kona), the race director was welcoming all athletes and there was Hawaiian music playing. Next thing you know I was in line to get body marked (#94), put my electronic timing chip on, then setting up my transition area next to my bike and then I was off on a 15 minute warm up run. After my run I grabbed all the gear I needed for the swim and headed down the walkway to the bay. Ah....the beautiful site of "A" bay. I jumped in and did about a 300meter warm up swim and then stayed in the water for quite some time.
After a few group photos, some good luck from friends and family, I was in the water with all the other men, relay teams and elite women and men, who were all slated for the same heat. I would estimate there were about 400 of us that all started at the same time, with the women 5 minutes behind.
Horn goes off, and the human blender begins....arms flying, legs kicking, people stopping in front of you, climbing over others, those climbing over you......stay calm, keep your breath I keep telling myself....look at the reflection off of your divers watch to keep you calm and focused. Next thing you know I am halfway around the course on the first loop and really enjoying the swim. Wow, is this how it is supposed to be? Calm, relaxing, nice rhythm, regular breaths and so on. I am really enjoying this.
I finish my swim with no incidents and all in all the human blender did not affect me that much...30 minutes 12 seconds when I cross the line on the sand that records my time.
I get to the transition area, wash off my feet, grab my tri-top, glasses, helmet and take off...no incidents (other than wasting about 20 extra seconds looking for my bike and about another 20 talking to coach)...definitely can improve time in my transition.... 3 minutes 07 seconds.
Off on the bike...great feeling I am passing some of the people who beat me in the swim....people older than me, younger than me, a lady that could have been my mother...jeez am i that slow in the swim, or are these people that fast? Any ways, I knew I took it easy on the swim so I could turn it on in the bike ride and run. I end up finishing the bike making up a few places, 71 to be exact, when based on my swim time rank vs. the bike time.I come in on the bike, get off before the transition entry line, grab my running shoes (no socks), hat and water bottle and I am off. I still have some GU residue on my arm and hand from spewing it all over the place on the bike, but that is okay...I can clean up on the run.
I am off through the lava rocks and now into the resort...hit the first aid station at mile 1, still doing fine and not too hot at this point. I make my way through the aid station and head up the hill towards mile 2. This is when I knew the run would be tough. It was getting hot out, I knew I was hitting the lava fields for the out and back and I saw the faces of those in front of me who had just done the out and back. I make it to mile 3, the next aid station and whew, 1 more mile in these fields and I am done. I make it out, up the hill (slowly) and then get a second wind and sense of relief, because now I am on the homestretch and I see a fair amount of my teammates just hitting up to mile 2.
I enter the resort, get through it, and hit mile 5. I know the last 1.2 miles is tough...I have done it already twice in course previews (but this one would be much more difficult since I have ripped the skin off the mid part of my right foot). I struggle a bit and tell myself, wait for the last 1/4 mile and then turn it on...well I am starting to overheat now, and I know this because my body now has the chills and I am feeling cold all over...Oh well, not too much farther to go. I make it over the broken lava rock, coral and then hit the beach.....oh the beautiful beach. The finish line is in a corral between luscious palm trees flagged with people and sponsors all along the side.
I feel someone coming up on me, see my brother ahead and decide to turn it on for the last 150 yards or so......2 hours 36 minutes....that's my finish time. Under my 2:45 goal and ended up being 6th in my age group and 105 our of 684 overall. I am happy with myself and happy that I could push my body to the limit, because those with Leukemia and Lymphoma do it each day to stay alive, I did it just to finish a race.
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