Well I got to San Francisco with no real issues. In fact I didn't even get charged for my bike at DIA. That is special! And now I am all checked in for the 7 day journey that will take me from San Francisco to Los Angeles. While the feat of the ride is not really that big of a deal for me, the charity attached to it IS! Over the past year, a majority of the HIV/AIDS funding in California has gone away. Events like the Aids Life Cycle are becoming more important as the years go by.
I would have to say that the "training" environment that I am now placed in is a bit different than what I am used to. I guess you could say that it is like a cross between an Ironman, circuit party and a local bike path. It's funny how you learn more and more about your comfort zone when you do things outside of the usual routine.
While I am gay, my usual routine does not involve being around this many gay people at one time. And while I lived in LA for most of my life and I have been out since I was 19, this many gays at one time is overwhelming to me. What is even more interesting, to me, is that I am not 100% comfortable around all the straight people that I train and hang with on a regular basis. I guess you could say that I am having an awakening to the fact that I am not sure where I am 100% comfortable. Growing up gay can kinda do that to you. Once you come out, it is like you are supposed to just join the whole "gay community". Or it least that is how it can feel. A little hard to explain but my issue has always been that I never thought my sexuality had to be the top thing that "defined" me. That can be a hard thing to not let happen because the reality is that it IS a huge thing that defines you. Being straight is a huge definer too. Most just take it for granted.
Anyway, Blah blah blah lets stop the Dr, Phil show before I start analyzing every part of my life on a blog and get back to the ride.
I have seen so many of my friends from LA and am excited to sleep in a tent for seven days. Okay, that was a lie. I am willing to sleep in a tent for 7 days. I am pretty willing to do a lot of things in fact. Hopefully we won't get any rain. Tent + Rain + Training all day = Credit Card + Hotel.
Better get off to bed. Have to wake up SUPER early as the ride starts at the butt crack of dawn. There are going to be some people out there all day every day and we have to start according to the slowest rider. I am going to try and find out who those people are and set up their tents if possible. See what a nice guy I can be if I want to be!
You can still donate: www.tofighthiv.org/goto/bdc
More later from ALC 8!
bdc
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Bolder Boulder 10K Race Report
I decided after Wildflower that I wanted to run the Bolder Boulder 10K for fun. It is one of the biggest 10K's in the country and there are NO spectators. Why? Because EEERRRRRREEEEEYBODY in town runs it. I mean everyone! I haven't run an open 10K in years, and since my foot has been behaving I thought "why not"?
About 2 min after saying that in front of my friend Jim, I had an e-mail in my in box saying that I was registered for the race. My run time at WF got me in the "A Wave" so I wouldn't have to start behind the masses. That was a plus for sure. If you saw how many people there are you would understand.
JZ let me do the race as long as I used it as part of my long run and didn't take off my usual Saturday workout. I must say, Saturday was a pretty huge day. JZ served up a nice 3.8K swim that included a 2K TT. Then we hit the bike and popped off a nice 105 miles. The last hour I felt like crap but was still riding strong. When we got back to the home base I SOOOOO did not want to run. My desire to run was about as low as it gets and I was praying for a thunderstorm. One came but we still ran.
Sometimes you surprise yourself. After a few steps everything felt excellent. We were on our way to the track to do an 800 workout. I have started doing a second track workout off the bike on Saturdays in addition to my Wednesday track session that comes before the second long ride of the week. Saturdays workout is a bit slower than wed. So anyway, we get up there and I start out on the 800's. We ended up doing 4 of them starting at 2:55 and ending in 2:38. Felt great. I should add that as part of the "keep my feet in order" plan, I do 1/2 of the track stuff in the reverse direction.
All in all Saturday was a great day. Where am I going with this? Oh- Probably telling you this as a built in excuse about Bolder Boulder. I mean, it wouldn't be a true race report if you didn't list at least 10 reasons on why you could have gone faster!
I ran 4 miles to the race (excuse) and then when we got lined up for our wave they held us in the coral for about 15 min (excuse) and the first mile is down hill which I don't really care for (excuse). We are up to 4 excuses so far!
I ran into my buddy Sven, who actually ran at UCLA right before I did, and we had a quick chat about what we wanted to do for the 10K. He was thinking 5:30 pace so I thought I would just stick with him. Of course I went out faster than that (excuse). First mile was 5:15. And then the course started to go up. First time racing at altitude (excuse) and it was more of a climb than I thought (excuse). Man I am good at this excuse thing! I actually settled into a pace that wasn't too bad and finished with a 5:40 average. Here is the kicker- I won my age LOL! They do age by exact year so apparently all the 32 year olds slept in today.
I was happy with the effort. I recovered from the race the second I stopped running which was a good sign. I didn't really stop for too long actually. I just ran home. I was a bit cold and had nothing to change into. Plus JZ told me to run home.
Once home I met up with JZ, Carole, Monica and a few others for a swim. The swim went great and helped flush out any lactic acid left in them. Not a bad training day!
Now I am off to drink some beers at a BBQ. I have a few days left in Boulder before I head off to Cali for the California Aids Life Cycle. I will write a blog on that adventure in a few days and also plan to keep a daily blog while on the ride.
Cheers,
bdc
About 2 min after saying that in front of my friend Jim, I had an e-mail in my in box saying that I was registered for the race. My run time at WF got me in the "A Wave" so I wouldn't have to start behind the masses. That was a plus for sure. If you saw how many people there are you would understand.
JZ let me do the race as long as I used it as part of my long run and didn't take off my usual Saturday workout. I must say, Saturday was a pretty huge day. JZ served up a nice 3.8K swim that included a 2K TT. Then we hit the bike and popped off a nice 105 miles. The last hour I felt like crap but was still riding strong. When we got back to the home base I SOOOOO did not want to run. My desire to run was about as low as it gets and I was praying for a thunderstorm. One came but we still ran.
Sometimes you surprise yourself. After a few steps everything felt excellent. We were on our way to the track to do an 800 workout. I have started doing a second track workout off the bike on Saturdays in addition to my Wednesday track session that comes before the second long ride of the week. Saturdays workout is a bit slower than wed. So anyway, we get up there and I start out on the 800's. We ended up doing 4 of them starting at 2:55 and ending in 2:38. Felt great. I should add that as part of the "keep my feet in order" plan, I do 1/2 of the track stuff in the reverse direction.
All in all Saturday was a great day. Where am I going with this? Oh- Probably telling you this as a built in excuse about Bolder Boulder. I mean, it wouldn't be a true race report if you didn't list at least 10 reasons on why you could have gone faster!
I ran 4 miles to the race (excuse) and then when we got lined up for our wave they held us in the coral for about 15 min (excuse) and the first mile is down hill which I don't really care for (excuse). We are up to 4 excuses so far!
I ran into my buddy Sven, who actually ran at UCLA right before I did, and we had a quick chat about what we wanted to do for the 10K. He was thinking 5:30 pace so I thought I would just stick with him. Of course I went out faster than that (excuse). First mile was 5:15. And then the course started to go up. First time racing at altitude (excuse) and it was more of a climb than I thought (excuse). Man I am good at this excuse thing! I actually settled into a pace that wasn't too bad and finished with a 5:40 average. Here is the kicker- I won my age LOL! They do age by exact year so apparently all the 32 year olds slept in today.
I was happy with the effort. I recovered from the race the second I stopped running which was a good sign. I didn't really stop for too long actually. I just ran home. I was a bit cold and had nothing to change into. Plus JZ told me to run home.
Once home I met up with JZ, Carole, Monica and a few others for a swim. The swim went great and helped flush out any lactic acid left in them. Not a bad training day!
Now I am off to drink some beers at a BBQ. I have a few days left in Boulder before I head off to Cali for the California Aids Life Cycle. I will write a blog on that adventure in a few days and also plan to keep a daily blog while on the ride.
Cheers,
bdc
Friday, May 15, 2009
Wildflower Race Report
Wildflower is a race I always seem to want to do. It's a unique race atmosphere and kinda early in the season (for me) so I enjoy the fitness check. And let's just say Wildflower will NOT lie to you about how fit or unfit you are. It's BRUTAL. I actually got to write the chapter on "Wildflower" in "50 Greatest Triathlons". The book should be out soon. I hope I did the race justice.
Anyway, this was my third time doing the race. It was the first time I went into the race not injured. What a better way to race. Not injured. Go figure. I had a decent amount of prep for it and was very happy with my end result which was 2nd in 30-34, 5th AG overall and beating over 50% of the Pro Field. Not to mention I had a shocker of a run. 1:21.03 was the time. I really wasn't expecting to be able to go that fast on this course. I would have to say, given the training I have in my now, it is a pretty good sign.
The day before the race I was feeling a bit of the pressure. I think most of it was coming from the fact that my last race was Hawaii and last year I only did 2 other races, one of which didn't go well internally. The result was fine but the way it felt was another story. As well, my swim in Hawaii, while being a non wetsuit PR, had a major anxiety attack attached to it. I was obsessing about the swim at WF. In a way I guess I was just out of practice when it comes to racing and I felt like I didn't know what to do.
That feeling became even stronger about 30 seconds before the start of my wave. I was standing next to Patrick Baldwin (Not that Bachelor). I have gotten to know him over the last 2 years racing as he and I seem to always be right around the same time give or take. We both are not a big fan of the swim start so we jockeyed for the far left of the front line. I said something lame to him in a nervous chatter like "So what do we do"? It was such a strange feeling I was having. I had NO IDEA what I was supposed to do. Luckily triathlon is not rocket science and when the gun went off instincts took over and I swam like a mofo to that first buoy.
When I made the turn I was in a great position. Things were calm thus far and I had a pair of feet with a green cap. Unfortunately, those feet went out a bit too hard and I had to go around them. I felt so smooth in the water early on which is not normal for me. I usually take a while to find a rhythm. Maybe all those hard swims JZ has been making us do on Saturdays is paying off!?
It was crazy how many people from the wave before us we had to swim over. And not in the second 1/2. I was climbing over people by the second buoy. So the rest of the swim was my best attempt to be polite to yellow caps. It wasn't easy but I tried. As the swim progressed I would look up to see if I could find any green ones that I might be able to get on but I never saw any. Of course, part of me thought I might have been dropped by my wave. But then I thought "Hmmmm? Maybe I am swimming in the front of my wave?" Turns out I was. I got out third which was a first. I was stoked. I saw a 26 on the clock and that was good enough for me. It was probably the most effortless swim I have ever done. Maybe it was that new Orca 3:8 suit. I must say it was quite slick!
Out of the water I had a minor issue. I got to my bike and I was extremely dizzy. I bent down to get my stuff and was like "WHOA! I better sit down." SO I did and that helped but for the first few miles on the bike I had this strange vertigo feeling. Never had that before but I figured it came from the swim. I wasn't planing on riding very hard for the first 30 min so I just cruised along till it went away.
As I cruised, I was passed by Jonathan Toker (Salt Stick) and then by Patrick. I wasn't sure if I should let those two guys go but I did. They rode away from me pretty quickly and by the turn to the back side of the course they were both gone. I didn't have my power meter on the bike nor did I have a running time going. I was 100% numberless for this one and I wasn't sure how I was riding. I could clearly have a conversation with anyone. I wasn't working hard but my left quad felt a bit spent. Just the left one. So I rode using that as my gage.
Once I got to the "hill" some dude in my AG caught up to me and I decided that I needed to at least keep this guy in my scope. I rode the hill like I might in a training ride and then tried to keep the other guy in view the rest of the ride.
Somehow at about mile 48 I caught back up to JT and when I go by I ask him how far up Patrick was? He said that Patrick was just up the road. This lit a fire in me. I will admit that for most of the ride I thought I was out of the game. Apparently I was back in. I rode so easy that I should be able to run off this bike okay and hunt these guys down.
My transition to the run was quick and as I started the run I felt like I was just shuffling along. I was moving well but my stride was so tiny. I usually have a pretty long stride that actually makes me look like I am running slow. I just kept up with it and before I knew it I had Patrick in site and passed him at mile 3 and then saw the other guy. I passed him in the next 2 min. At that point I thought I was in front for my AG. That is what people were telling me.
I never really opened it up on the run. The progression to being injury free has been long and I wasn't about to screw that up. The Wildflower run would be hard enough on my feet as it is. From the running days, we would get green lighted in races. If you have a green light from coach you can open it up and run hard. Without it, you better do what he told you to do or you were gonna be in big trouble. I did not have a green light for this race. I was just supposed to run smooth. And that was all I was doing.
It felt great. I was actually present and aware of people watching. I had some interaction with the aid stations and my friends watching. It wasn't until about a mile and half to go that I spot my friend Matt Dixon watching and he tells me that there is one more guy in front of me. "DAMN! I thought I had this in the bag". There wasn't enough road left to try and get him. So I just kept trucking along at my pace. I really wanted to win my AG. I really wanted to be top AG of the day but that didn't happen and I was okay with it.
The race was a perfect start. The feet fell better than I expected afterwords. I don't have a race until Buffalo Springs 70.3 in late June so there is plenty of time to recover and move forward. Hopefully, I will be able to ride that new sweet Orbea Ordu I am on a tad faster :-)
The weekend was a blast and I look forward to next year!
Cheers,
bdc
Anyway, this was my third time doing the race. It was the first time I went into the race not injured. What a better way to race. Not injured. Go figure. I had a decent amount of prep for it and was very happy with my end result which was 2nd in 30-34, 5th AG overall and beating over 50% of the Pro Field. Not to mention I had a shocker of a run. 1:21.03 was the time. I really wasn't expecting to be able to go that fast on this course. I would have to say, given the training I have in my now, it is a pretty good sign.
The day before the race I was feeling a bit of the pressure. I think most of it was coming from the fact that my last race was Hawaii and last year I only did 2 other races, one of which didn't go well internally. The result was fine but the way it felt was another story. As well, my swim in Hawaii, while being a non wetsuit PR, had a major anxiety attack attached to it. I was obsessing about the swim at WF. In a way I guess I was just out of practice when it comes to racing and I felt like I didn't know what to do.
That feeling became even stronger about 30 seconds before the start of my wave. I was standing next to Patrick Baldwin (Not that Bachelor). I have gotten to know him over the last 2 years racing as he and I seem to always be right around the same time give or take. We both are not a big fan of the swim start so we jockeyed for the far left of the front line. I said something lame to him in a nervous chatter like "So what do we do"? It was such a strange feeling I was having. I had NO IDEA what I was supposed to do. Luckily triathlon is not rocket science and when the gun went off instincts took over and I swam like a mofo to that first buoy.
When I made the turn I was in a great position. Things were calm thus far and I had a pair of feet with a green cap. Unfortunately, those feet went out a bit too hard and I had to go around them. I felt so smooth in the water early on which is not normal for me. I usually take a while to find a rhythm. Maybe all those hard swims JZ has been making us do on Saturdays is paying off!?
It was crazy how many people from the wave before us we had to swim over. And not in the second 1/2. I was climbing over people by the second buoy. So the rest of the swim was my best attempt to be polite to yellow caps. It wasn't easy but I tried. As the swim progressed I would look up to see if I could find any green ones that I might be able to get on but I never saw any. Of course, part of me thought I might have been dropped by my wave. But then I thought "Hmmmm? Maybe I am swimming in the front of my wave?" Turns out I was. I got out third which was a first. I was stoked. I saw a 26 on the clock and that was good enough for me. It was probably the most effortless swim I have ever done. Maybe it was that new Orca 3:8 suit. I must say it was quite slick!
Out of the water I had a minor issue. I got to my bike and I was extremely dizzy. I bent down to get my stuff and was like "WHOA! I better sit down." SO I did and that helped but for the first few miles on the bike I had this strange vertigo feeling. Never had that before but I figured it came from the swim. I wasn't planing on riding very hard for the first 30 min so I just cruised along till it went away.
As I cruised, I was passed by Jonathan Toker (Salt Stick) and then by Patrick. I wasn't sure if I should let those two guys go but I did. They rode away from me pretty quickly and by the turn to the back side of the course they were both gone. I didn't have my power meter on the bike nor did I have a running time going. I was 100% numberless for this one and I wasn't sure how I was riding. I could clearly have a conversation with anyone. I wasn't working hard but my left quad felt a bit spent. Just the left one. So I rode using that as my gage.
Once I got to the "hill" some dude in my AG caught up to me and I decided that I needed to at least keep this guy in my scope. I rode the hill like I might in a training ride and then tried to keep the other guy in view the rest of the ride.
Somehow at about mile 48 I caught back up to JT and when I go by I ask him how far up Patrick was? He said that Patrick was just up the road. This lit a fire in me. I will admit that for most of the ride I thought I was out of the game. Apparently I was back in. I rode so easy that I should be able to run off this bike okay and hunt these guys down.
My transition to the run was quick and as I started the run I felt like I was just shuffling along. I was moving well but my stride was so tiny. I usually have a pretty long stride that actually makes me look like I am running slow. I just kept up with it and before I knew it I had Patrick in site and passed him at mile 3 and then saw the other guy. I passed him in the next 2 min. At that point I thought I was in front for my AG. That is what people were telling me.
I never really opened it up on the run. The progression to being injury free has been long and I wasn't about to screw that up. The Wildflower run would be hard enough on my feet as it is. From the running days, we would get green lighted in races. If you have a green light from coach you can open it up and run hard. Without it, you better do what he told you to do or you were gonna be in big trouble. I did not have a green light for this race. I was just supposed to run smooth. And that was all I was doing.
It felt great. I was actually present and aware of people watching. I had some interaction with the aid stations and my friends watching. It wasn't until about a mile and half to go that I spot my friend Matt Dixon watching and he tells me that there is one more guy in front of me. "DAMN! I thought I had this in the bag". There wasn't enough road left to try and get him. So I just kept trucking along at my pace. I really wanted to win my AG. I really wanted to be top AG of the day but that didn't happen and I was okay with it.
The race was a perfect start. The feet fell better than I expected afterwords. I don't have a race until Buffalo Springs 70.3 in late June so there is plenty of time to recover and move forward. Hopefully, I will be able to ride that new sweet Orbea Ordu I am on a tad faster :-)
The weekend was a blast and I look forward to next year!
Cheers,
bdc
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Wildflower: With The Senior Disscount.
I thought I would post my Dad's race report from his first olympic distance triathlon at Wildflower. I will get around to writing about my race at the 1/2 Ironman this week.
************************************************************************************
Did you ever agree to something, then utter to yourself, “now what am I going to do”? What if what you agreed to do was so far out of your comfort zone you knew you were entering the twilight zone !
Dateline: Kona. October 19th 2008. I am at the Ironman Awards banquet to celebrate the superb race that Brandon completed the previous day. There was a kinetic static in the chatter about having spectated all those racers, particularly those who were finishing in the 16th hour of the race. So Brandon, my son, says that he has always thought that in the past, with all the running and biking I did, that I could have done an Ironman if I could swim. It is important to know that if I ended up in "hell", it would be an endless deep pool. I avoided ANY immersion into water unless I have on life vests. Brandon persists in importuning me that I still could do this. "This" being a triathlon event. He announces he can coach me! This is where my brain entered the twilight zone. I think, "I live in the backyard of Wildflower, it’s eight months away, I have a tri bike, I can start running again, and, I can try, not tri, swimming". Oh, and there is one more impeding issue. I have to loose a lot of weight and deal with the fact that I now have a fake knee that I didn't rehab properly so the amount it bends is not "the best". So, being a reality TV lover (Survivor), I just created my own reality show, "Triathlon Extreme Makeover"! With that, those two words spilled from my lips in front of everyone, “I’m in”!
The next day I am anticipating that no one will remember my uttererances due to the amount of beer consumed and I can slip out of this one. I’m off to play golf early and get a ride to the course and play 18 solo. Plenty of time to think this through and come up with a graceful exit. I call Mary Jo to come pick me up. She will be there in a half hour. Then it hits me. I’m not backing down. Instead, I start running back rather than waiting for her and think she will catch me in 10 minutes. Thirty-five minutes later I get picked up. Now back to the condo to get ready to go to black sand beach with Brandon and the group. Hey what the heck, I’ll run some more on the way to the beach. Two runs today! Clearly, I have that strange gene that most of the people in the sport posses.
The group decides to go out to the water and swim out past the waves and just hang out. I put on a jog belt and snorkel mask and venture to the edge. I have to get past the surf to reach the group. This is huge, not the surf, but the fact that I am thinking of doing this. I get out there and actually get to see a turtle when I put my head in the water- Maybe the turtle was there to tell me "Hey, water ain't so bad". Brandon decides this would be a good time to evaluate my swimming technique, even though he is not totally sure I should be out there in the first place, or lack thereof. I flail for twenty yards and gasp. What am I going to do about the other 1,480 yards? I demo a little backstroke and Brandon declares, “You can swim”. I made it back to the beach and managed not to panic. There were about 6 of us out there so I had plenty of "life guards" with me. I must say, floating out in the ocean was a fantastic experience and I can't believe it has taken over 60 years to feel that.
Later, back at the condo I go to the pool knowing there is safety. I swim some and now know there is a long way to go.
The Coach: Moving forward Brandon will now supply the training wisdom, workouts, evaluations, and motivational encouragement. I have to supply the effort. Back at Oak Shores (houses on the Wildflower course) we have a small pool and it’s still open for another two weeks. I can start the swim training here. I can’t swim one full-length non-stop, but I am determined that I can improve and get better.
Brandon visits for a few days a month later. I’m on the weight loss plan and getting through the small workouts. We try a small ride in the neighborhood and I have trouble riding the bike a mile on the small inclines. And when I say small I mean small. The hills on the WF course are like mountains compared to these flea bites. There’s work to be done. I join a health club that has a 50-meter pool. At my first pool swim I cannot swim a length and have to deal with the “deep end”.
By the time the Christmas holidays are here, I have made significant progress with all three events. I am now swimming as much as a 3K, biking up to 48 miles, and have run up to 10 miles. An additional note is that while I am running on a titanium knee, all three sports have helped make it feel better. Brandon continues to evaluate my progress based on my reporting back after workouts and establishing benchmarks. It wasn’t just, “how was that workout, and for tomorrow do this”. He asked questions a coach needs to have answers for so that training is meaningful and on target. I knew the workouts he assembled were to reach the incremental improvements and not just to be able to say I did X. By January 2009 weight loss was good and still dropping.
Four months to go until Wildflower and toeing the line at the open water’s edge. I knew that if I listened to the coach I could complete the Olympic distance. There was still a matter of that open water swim, which I had not experienced to this point. I knew the pool and my ability in the pool. But how was that going to transfer to the open water? By the end of the month I was ready to test the event distance and see what level of fitness I’ve reached. This is where I strayed from the prescribed workouts. I went to the club and swam a 1500. Transitioned as quickly as I could and jumped on the stationary bike for 24 miles. I walked off the bike and stepped on the treadmill for a 10K. After finishing I thought, this is not too bad. However this was a controlled environment and not the real thing. Nonetheless, I was pleased to know that I could cover the distance. Now I had to keep loosing weight, and get stronger for each event. Weekends allowed for some rides with runs right off the bike. I was now doing well over the race distance with rides on the Wildflower long course that included "hell" hill. I saw the light.
At the beginning of March I knew there had to be some actual "on course" testing. So I entered the Cal Poly Sprint Tri for April 4th at Lake Lopez. Heck this is only a 750-yard swim, 12-mile bike, and a 5K run. I expect this distance will give me the confidence that I can complete a Triathlon. I still have to keep training, loosing, and listening to my coach but the sprint would help work out some of the newbie bugs. A note to keep in mind is that I’m working 50-hour weeks so a lot of training is happening after 6 PM. Work, train, sleep and do it everyday.
A week before the Lopez event I purchase my first wetsuit. I decide sleeveless is good for me. After all, I’m usually warm and I can handle some chill. My first wetsuit swim in the pool is taxing due to different body position, different breathing, not to mention this compression on my chest. So I completed a couple of 1500 pool swims for acclamation. Plus it helped on how to get the wetsuit off.
Dateline: April 4th. Here I am at Lake Lopez at 6:15 am for my first Tri tryout. Mary Jo (my wife and Brandon's mother) is there to watch me get settled in transition but she has to attend a course and won’t be able to stay. Now I am solo. No coach other than in my head. Check list done. Set up is done. It’s a chilly day and the announcer informs us that the water temp is 57 degrees. I know there is not going to be any in water warm up, so I run for 30 minutes to generate some thermal energy. Transition closes and now I have nowhere to go but to waters edge and wait for my wave.
I observe the first swimmers and reconnoiter the course buoys for my 750. They don’t seem that far out and before I know it, it is time to go. I walk in and feel the chilly water and don’t even dip my arms. I decide that if I did, I might not take the plunge. Better to just hit it and take it rather than anticipate. At the water level that first buoy now seems further away than I thought. I have to keep it in sight but at the same time keep forward motion. Looking up is an issue with breathing. I know that my arm turnover is quick, thinking I’ll get out faster. I stray a little right of the buoy but make it for the first left turn. The next buoy is not as far since it will be the left turn and head for exit. I stray too far to the right and have to come back on line, but still at high arm turnover. I know this is more effort than I need, but I need to stay on top of the water. I’m out in open water, my hell. More course correction but still adding too much additional distance, but finally I’m at the timing matt. Numbness is in my hands and feet. I find my sandals and slog up the path to bike transition.
I’m biking now and know that "Fear Factor" is over. I just need to re-energize and I do after 5 miles. The first hill right at the start was tough and the re-entry hill gets your attention but I know they are nothing in comparison to WF's monsters. I’m back inside the park and ready for run transition. I’m running now and just have to get through a 5K. It’s tougher than expected because there is no fast leg turnover. It’s a maintenance run. Same pace at start, same pace at finish. Now there’s a word I can deal with, "finish"!
I am pleased that I made it and that my coach would be pleased with my first time out. Hey, I’m thrilled I didn’t drown and become a Tri statistic. I’m further pleased when I learn that I took 3rd in my age. This might be the time to consider, that having completed a triathlon event, maybe one was enough. It was on the “bucket list”. No, I need to know, can I do Wildflower Olympic? More training, coaching, and weight loss. That next day I rode the Wildflower bike course and knew once again, “I’m in”.
The approaching race day: After more longer pool swims, longer rides, and longer runs, I envision that the race will go well. Brandon is now assigning workouts that will increase with intensity and have the next week at lower intensity. As race day gets closer I know this is going to be a much different experience. I’ve got people there. Brandon’s there and his coaching will tell the tape. Brandon arrives eight days before the race. He needs to see first hand, is Dad ready for this? This is where it get’s interesting.
We are going down to the lake for some practice. Naciamento, the other lake near WF, is nowhere near as cold as Lopez. A course point is set. I dive in and start the fast arm turnover again. This causes anxiety and the need to rest after 100 yards. What about the other 1400? This is where Brandon’s coaching plays a major role. He knows that I have to slow down, relax, find a comfort zone in the water, and get some technique for sighting those buoys. First day was tense. Head thoughts about, “how did I do Lopez”? Breathing was compressed. Maybe Lopez was a one time only event. But, if anyone knows me, and Brandon does, I’m not throwing in the towel. He has me go back to the pool and swim a 1500 with the wetsuit and swim as slow as possible and find that relaxed stroke zone. I complete this swim in 37:16 and thought I was slow. The reality is I was relaxed. The other reality was that I was in the pool.
We go back to the lake for another practice swim the next day. Same course points as before. Re-arranged my mental perspective. Stay relaxed. Improvement is apparent. Swam longer with less stress and far better breathing. Thursday, one more lake swim before race day. Again marked improvement, most notably with relaxation and breathing. I can and will do this! After all, I’ve got an Ironman Coach.
Race day at Wildflower: Here’s the report on the weight loss and part of the extreme triathlon makeover. I’m down 52 lbs.! Goal was 50. I know that this weight loss will play a role on this course. I’m in the 10 am wave. A later start that I am pleased about. No rushing, keep calm, have time to warm up, and soak in the atmosphere of the second largest triathlon event in the USA. I’m here and “I’m in”. Brandon is there after a great previous day giving it his all on the Long Course, and designates himself as the "go to" guy. Keep me in race mentality and not be overwhelmed with race day stress. Which I should note, we had something come up. I left my Tristar race top at the house. HOW DID I DO THAT? Luckily, MR. Go To, got on the horn and called up his friend Jen Martinez who was still up at the house. She was just leaving but grabbed it for me and Brandon found her to get it with 20 min to go.
Swim: Start left and wide to avoid the churn. I stay wide enough that at 60 yards I hit beach but no problem. Brandon’s there and asks, “OK?”, I let him know o’yeah.
I stayed relaxed in the open water even after getting my goggles knocked off twice. My buoy sighting was far more efficient and my breathing was level. No fast arm turnover. At the last right turn buoy I knew that I was heading for exit. I could see the houseboat dock as a marker. A small bend to the left, and I’m done. I swam out in 38! Brandon had my crocks there and I slipped them on and ran to transition. Triathlon I can do. Running 400 yards barefoot up a ramp. I'm 61. I get to wear Crocks!
Bike: It was a fairly uneventfulin transition. No numb feet. Less time spent in it. Of course, this time, I was racing in Tri Star uniform and felt a sense of strength, like I really earned it. I left transition feeling strong for the uphill bike out. The ride was familiar. I’d done almost all my training rides on that road. It made it easier to know where I was and what was coming. I finished the bike knowing that I was going to have an Olympic Tri under my belt. I hit transition and got out of there as quick as I could. Especially, after stepping on my drink carton, and squishing chocolate, all over the place including my run hat. Ironically, I didn't need it. Brandon told me that but I guess some things you just have to experience to know it.
Run: A 10K to go. My legs are not "rubberized" and I feel solid about this run. I know that there are some nasty hills so there won’t be any fast leg turnover. Get into a zone and stay there. The long hill was taxing but I passed others that were walking. As I have in so many past running races, I ran one mile at a time. I knew of course that at 5 miles downhill would take over. Half way down the hill I could hear the crowd cheering. I was a Gladiator about to enter the arena. Brandon had done his job as my coach.
Who knew that seven months before I would be at this time and place about to finish what is considered to be the toughest Olympic distance triathlon? Now I’m in the fencing, the arch is 125 yards away, I can at least pick up the pace for my finishing photo. It was at that moment of 3 hours and 43 minutes that I knew, “I’m in”.
And when I say "I'm in" I really mean it. Brandon pulled some strings and got me into Vineman 70.3 and I also signed up to race the Chicago Triathlon. He is still on board to coach me and I will need it. Chicago was my first Marathon years ago and I am so pleased that after a long hiatus from any athletic activity, I am back to it! I have completed 29 marathons in my younger years and Brandon seems to have this crazy idea that I might just do one more. He also seems to think that I am going to swim and bike before I start it.....we shall see.
Dan Del Campo
Triathlete
************************************************************************************
Did you ever agree to something, then utter to yourself, “now what am I going to do”? What if what you agreed to do was so far out of your comfort zone you knew you were entering the twilight zone !
Dateline: Kona. October 19th 2008. I am at the Ironman Awards banquet to celebrate the superb race that Brandon completed the previous day. There was a kinetic static in the chatter about having spectated all those racers, particularly those who were finishing in the 16th hour of the race. So Brandon, my son, says that he has always thought that in the past, with all the running and biking I did, that I could have done an Ironman if I could swim. It is important to know that if I ended up in "hell", it would be an endless deep pool. I avoided ANY immersion into water unless I have on life vests. Brandon persists in importuning me that I still could do this. "This" being a triathlon event. He announces he can coach me! This is where my brain entered the twilight zone. I think, "I live in the backyard of Wildflower, it’s eight months away, I have a tri bike, I can start running again, and, I can try, not tri, swimming". Oh, and there is one more impeding issue. I have to loose a lot of weight and deal with the fact that I now have a fake knee that I didn't rehab properly so the amount it bends is not "the best". So, being a reality TV lover (Survivor), I just created my own reality show, "Triathlon Extreme Makeover"! With that, those two words spilled from my lips in front of everyone, “I’m in”!
The next day I am anticipating that no one will remember my uttererances due to the amount of beer consumed and I can slip out of this one. I’m off to play golf early and get a ride to the course and play 18 solo. Plenty of time to think this through and come up with a graceful exit. I call Mary Jo to come pick me up. She will be there in a half hour. Then it hits me. I’m not backing down. Instead, I start running back rather than waiting for her and think she will catch me in 10 minutes. Thirty-five minutes later I get picked up. Now back to the condo to get ready to go to black sand beach with Brandon and the group. Hey what the heck, I’ll run some more on the way to the beach. Two runs today! Clearly, I have that strange gene that most of the people in the sport posses.
The group decides to go out to the water and swim out past the waves and just hang out. I put on a jog belt and snorkel mask and venture to the edge. I have to get past the surf to reach the group. This is huge, not the surf, but the fact that I am thinking of doing this. I get out there and actually get to see a turtle when I put my head in the water- Maybe the turtle was there to tell me "Hey, water ain't so bad". Brandon decides this would be a good time to evaluate my swimming technique, even though he is not totally sure I should be out there in the first place, or lack thereof. I flail for twenty yards and gasp. What am I going to do about the other 1,480 yards? I demo a little backstroke and Brandon declares, “You can swim”. I made it back to the beach and managed not to panic. There were about 6 of us out there so I had plenty of "life guards" with me. I must say, floating out in the ocean was a fantastic experience and I can't believe it has taken over 60 years to feel that.
Later, back at the condo I go to the pool knowing there is safety. I swim some and now know there is a long way to go.
The Coach: Moving forward Brandon will now supply the training wisdom, workouts, evaluations, and motivational encouragement. I have to supply the effort. Back at Oak Shores (houses on the Wildflower course) we have a small pool and it’s still open for another two weeks. I can start the swim training here. I can’t swim one full-length non-stop, but I am determined that I can improve and get better.
Brandon visits for a few days a month later. I’m on the weight loss plan and getting through the small workouts. We try a small ride in the neighborhood and I have trouble riding the bike a mile on the small inclines. And when I say small I mean small. The hills on the WF course are like mountains compared to these flea bites. There’s work to be done. I join a health club that has a 50-meter pool. At my first pool swim I cannot swim a length and have to deal with the “deep end”.
By the time the Christmas holidays are here, I have made significant progress with all three events. I am now swimming as much as a 3K, biking up to 48 miles, and have run up to 10 miles. An additional note is that while I am running on a titanium knee, all three sports have helped make it feel better. Brandon continues to evaluate my progress based on my reporting back after workouts and establishing benchmarks. It wasn’t just, “how was that workout, and for tomorrow do this”. He asked questions a coach needs to have answers for so that training is meaningful and on target. I knew the workouts he assembled were to reach the incremental improvements and not just to be able to say I did X. By January 2009 weight loss was good and still dropping.
Four months to go until Wildflower and toeing the line at the open water’s edge. I knew that if I listened to the coach I could complete the Olympic distance. There was still a matter of that open water swim, which I had not experienced to this point. I knew the pool and my ability in the pool. But how was that going to transfer to the open water? By the end of the month I was ready to test the event distance and see what level of fitness I’ve reached. This is where I strayed from the prescribed workouts. I went to the club and swam a 1500. Transitioned as quickly as I could and jumped on the stationary bike for 24 miles. I walked off the bike and stepped on the treadmill for a 10K. After finishing I thought, this is not too bad. However this was a controlled environment and not the real thing. Nonetheless, I was pleased to know that I could cover the distance. Now I had to keep loosing weight, and get stronger for each event. Weekends allowed for some rides with runs right off the bike. I was now doing well over the race distance with rides on the Wildflower long course that included "hell" hill. I saw the light.
At the beginning of March I knew there had to be some actual "on course" testing. So I entered the Cal Poly Sprint Tri for April 4th at Lake Lopez. Heck this is only a 750-yard swim, 12-mile bike, and a 5K run. I expect this distance will give me the confidence that I can complete a Triathlon. I still have to keep training, loosing, and listening to my coach but the sprint would help work out some of the newbie bugs. A note to keep in mind is that I’m working 50-hour weeks so a lot of training is happening after 6 PM. Work, train, sleep and do it everyday.
A week before the Lopez event I purchase my first wetsuit. I decide sleeveless is good for me. After all, I’m usually warm and I can handle some chill. My first wetsuit swim in the pool is taxing due to different body position, different breathing, not to mention this compression on my chest. So I completed a couple of 1500 pool swims for acclamation. Plus it helped on how to get the wetsuit off.
Dateline: April 4th. Here I am at Lake Lopez at 6:15 am for my first Tri tryout. Mary Jo (my wife and Brandon's mother) is there to watch me get settled in transition but she has to attend a course and won’t be able to stay. Now I am solo. No coach other than in my head. Check list done. Set up is done. It’s a chilly day and the announcer informs us that the water temp is 57 degrees. I know there is not going to be any in water warm up, so I run for 30 minutes to generate some thermal energy. Transition closes and now I have nowhere to go but to waters edge and wait for my wave.
I observe the first swimmers and reconnoiter the course buoys for my 750. They don’t seem that far out and before I know it, it is time to go. I walk in and feel the chilly water and don’t even dip my arms. I decide that if I did, I might not take the plunge. Better to just hit it and take it rather than anticipate. At the water level that first buoy now seems further away than I thought. I have to keep it in sight but at the same time keep forward motion. Looking up is an issue with breathing. I know that my arm turnover is quick, thinking I’ll get out faster. I stray a little right of the buoy but make it for the first left turn. The next buoy is not as far since it will be the left turn and head for exit. I stray too far to the right and have to come back on line, but still at high arm turnover. I know this is more effort than I need, but I need to stay on top of the water. I’m out in open water, my hell. More course correction but still adding too much additional distance, but finally I’m at the timing matt. Numbness is in my hands and feet. I find my sandals and slog up the path to bike transition.
I’m biking now and know that "Fear Factor" is over. I just need to re-energize and I do after 5 miles. The first hill right at the start was tough and the re-entry hill gets your attention but I know they are nothing in comparison to WF's monsters. I’m back inside the park and ready for run transition. I’m running now and just have to get through a 5K. It’s tougher than expected because there is no fast leg turnover. It’s a maintenance run. Same pace at start, same pace at finish. Now there’s a word I can deal with, "finish"!
I am pleased that I made it and that my coach would be pleased with my first time out. Hey, I’m thrilled I didn’t drown and become a Tri statistic. I’m further pleased when I learn that I took 3rd in my age. This might be the time to consider, that having completed a triathlon event, maybe one was enough. It was on the “bucket list”. No, I need to know, can I do Wildflower Olympic? More training, coaching, and weight loss. That next day I rode the Wildflower bike course and knew once again, “I’m in”.
The approaching race day: After more longer pool swims, longer rides, and longer runs, I envision that the race will go well. Brandon is now assigning workouts that will increase with intensity and have the next week at lower intensity. As race day gets closer I know this is going to be a much different experience. I’ve got people there. Brandon’s there and his coaching will tell the tape. Brandon arrives eight days before the race. He needs to see first hand, is Dad ready for this? This is where it get’s interesting.
We are going down to the lake for some practice. Naciamento, the other lake near WF, is nowhere near as cold as Lopez. A course point is set. I dive in and start the fast arm turnover again. This causes anxiety and the need to rest after 100 yards. What about the other 1400? This is where Brandon’s coaching plays a major role. He knows that I have to slow down, relax, find a comfort zone in the water, and get some technique for sighting those buoys. First day was tense. Head thoughts about, “how did I do Lopez”? Breathing was compressed. Maybe Lopez was a one time only event. But, if anyone knows me, and Brandon does, I’m not throwing in the towel. He has me go back to the pool and swim a 1500 with the wetsuit and swim as slow as possible and find that relaxed stroke zone. I complete this swim in 37:16 and thought I was slow. The reality is I was relaxed. The other reality was that I was in the pool.
We go back to the lake for another practice swim the next day. Same course points as before. Re-arranged my mental perspective. Stay relaxed. Improvement is apparent. Swam longer with less stress and far better breathing. Thursday, one more lake swim before race day. Again marked improvement, most notably with relaxation and breathing. I can and will do this! After all, I’ve got an Ironman Coach.
Race day at Wildflower: Here’s the report on the weight loss and part of the extreme triathlon makeover. I’m down 52 lbs.! Goal was 50. I know that this weight loss will play a role on this course. I’m in the 10 am wave. A later start that I am pleased about. No rushing, keep calm, have time to warm up, and soak in the atmosphere of the second largest triathlon event in the USA. I’m here and “I’m in”. Brandon is there after a great previous day giving it his all on the Long Course, and designates himself as the "go to" guy. Keep me in race mentality and not be overwhelmed with race day stress. Which I should note, we had something come up. I left my Tristar race top at the house. HOW DID I DO THAT? Luckily, MR. Go To, got on the horn and called up his friend Jen Martinez who was still up at the house. She was just leaving but grabbed it for me and Brandon found her to get it with 20 min to go.
Swim: Start left and wide to avoid the churn. I stay wide enough that at 60 yards I hit beach but no problem. Brandon’s there and asks, “OK?”, I let him know o’yeah.
I stayed relaxed in the open water even after getting my goggles knocked off twice. My buoy sighting was far more efficient and my breathing was level. No fast arm turnover. At the last right turn buoy I knew that I was heading for exit. I could see the houseboat dock as a marker. A small bend to the left, and I’m done. I swam out in 38! Brandon had my crocks there and I slipped them on and ran to transition. Triathlon I can do. Running 400 yards barefoot up a ramp. I'm 61. I get to wear Crocks!
Bike: It was a fairly uneventfulin transition. No numb feet. Less time spent in it. Of course, this time, I was racing in Tri Star uniform and felt a sense of strength, like I really earned it. I left transition feeling strong for the uphill bike out. The ride was familiar. I’d done almost all my training rides on that road. It made it easier to know where I was and what was coming. I finished the bike knowing that I was going to have an Olympic Tri under my belt. I hit transition and got out of there as quick as I could. Especially, after stepping on my drink carton, and squishing chocolate, all over the place including my run hat. Ironically, I didn't need it. Brandon told me that but I guess some things you just have to experience to know it.
Run: A 10K to go. My legs are not "rubberized" and I feel solid about this run. I know that there are some nasty hills so there won’t be any fast leg turnover. Get into a zone and stay there. The long hill was taxing but I passed others that were walking. As I have in so many past running races, I ran one mile at a time. I knew of course that at 5 miles downhill would take over. Half way down the hill I could hear the crowd cheering. I was a Gladiator about to enter the arena. Brandon had done his job as my coach.
Who knew that seven months before I would be at this time and place about to finish what is considered to be the toughest Olympic distance triathlon? Now I’m in the fencing, the arch is 125 yards away, I can at least pick up the pace for my finishing photo. It was at that moment of 3 hours and 43 minutes that I knew, “I’m in”.
And when I say "I'm in" I really mean it. Brandon pulled some strings and got me into Vineman 70.3 and I also signed up to race the Chicago Triathlon. He is still on board to coach me and I will need it. Chicago was my first Marathon years ago and I am so pleased that after a long hiatus from any athletic activity, I am back to it! I have completed 29 marathons in my younger years and Brandon seems to have this crazy idea that I might just do one more. He also seems to think that I am going to swim and bike before I start it.....we shall see.
Dan Del Campo
Triathlete
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)