100Triathlons

Walt Disney World Marathon

2012-01-08T20:43:00.005-05:00

Today was the 2012 Marathon at Walt Disney World. I had last done the race in 2010 and had progressively better times in each one, until this year. My times were:

2005 5:18:56
2009 4:51:33
2010 4:32:08
2012 4:38:53
Oddly enough, my total distance was 26.80 miles on my Garmin GPS watch. My time at 26.2 miles was 4:32:25. Several other people with GPS units also reported that the course was long; from 26.4 to 26.6. I spoke to the race director later who said the course is measured at the tightest point and narrowest corners totaling 26.2 miles. It's almost impossible to run 26.2 miles with other people there, so the GPS measurement will show a longer course. There were 13,478 finishers.

The race itself posed a few difficulties. I arrived at 2:30 AM to beat the traffic and then met Bernadette walking past the parking area from the shuttle bus zone. The morning was crystal clear, 51 degrees, with a full moon shining through the trees. The 5:30 start went off fine and B and I ran together for the first mile. Some ground fog crossed the road and the temps dropped going through the wooded areas. At about mile 20, my left leg started hurting and despite the use of Anti-fatigue caps and Tylenol it got worse. I started to take little 100 yard walk breaks through the water stops for relief. By this time the temperature was in the 60s and it was very sunny. It was really sore by mile 25 all the way to the finish. My final time of 4:38:53 had me finishing 124th out of 412 55-59 Men. The Garmin also showed I burned 3,706 calories. A post-race assessment of my pain indicated ITBS or Ilio-Tibial Band Syndrome. A friend told me the combination of long distance, age, and uneven pavement can bring it on. The number of canted exit/entrance ramps the last 5-6 miles probably did it.

Unfortunately, Bernadette suffered leg cramping at mile 24 and fell off her pace to finish at 4:53:13, 109th out of 444, 50-54 Women.
Another mutual friend, Rick Paine (on left), qualified for the Boston Marathon with a 3:28:13 finish in 50-54 Men.

500 MILES!

2011-11-19T22:29:00.002-05:00

Thursday evening I went for a 6 mile run in Wekiwa Springs in the dark with no moon, just my headlight. Sandy doesn't like me to do that and it is a bit scary but exhilarating. Friday morning I did a 12 mile ride on the trails as we were going to the Albin Polasek Museum & Home in Winter Park early. I was going for a long bike ride this morning but the Litespeed had a flat and I didn't feel like riding the Trek so I took out on the Salsa and went into the Park. Stopped about mile 12 to watch 2 buck deer chasing 3 does in the big open area on the north end. As I started out again, I checked my bike computer and discovered I had just passed 500 miles on the bike! That's all trail riding since I got the Salsa in May. Still love it; every ride is an adventure.

Magic Full Moon Run

2011-11-11T12:41:00.000-05:00

With the end of Daylight Savings Time on Sunday morning, darkness now begins around 6:00. I rushed home Wednesday evening to do a long run under the full moon. I planned on running 6.2 miles in Wekiwa Springs State Park as early as possible. I grabbed my headlamp, a new 200 lumen mini-flashlight, my reflective belt, the Garmin GPS, and my park pass and headed out at 5:55. As I entered the park, the canopy of oak trees made the road even darker and I was grateful for the pool of light from my headlamp on the road ahead of me.

By the time I reached the base of the big hill at mile 1.3, it was quite dark. Off to my right, a owl hooted to it's mate with no response. As I approached the campground entrance, my light picked up tiny glittering green lights in the grass by the road's edge. At first I thought it was dewsparkle but upon crouching in the gravel, I realized what I was seeing were the eyes of small ground spiders. I soon reached the open area by the Sand Lake parking lot, which was bathed in the full moon's light. I turned off my headlight and ran a short distance in the moonlight. I turned it back on as I rounded the lot at 2.7 miles for the run back. Glancing into the woods to my left, I was surprised by a pair of glowing eyes watching me, about 4 feet from the ground. I flicked on my new flashlight and realized it was a deer watching me about 20 yards off the road. Running back past the campground brought me the smell of woodsmoke and campfires visible through the trees.

Leaving the park, I did a little additional mileage to finish my run at 6.23 miles with a time of 1:05 under the shining moon. I grabbed my camera and took the photo above. This was a lot of fun and I'll definitely do it again.

# 111 Masters Championship Olympic Tri @ Moss Park

2011-10-23T17:04:00.000-04:00

Today was my last race of the year, the 5th Annual Masters Championship Olympic Tri. I've kept my training level up after my July injury and even ran 12.2 miles with Bernadette last Sunday. I've won this race twice before but was unsure what to expect having done only 1 race since July.

What was not expected was a cold snap, pushing temperatures 10-15' below normal, almost January conditions. Saturday morning was in the high 40s so the air temp of 52' at Sunday's race start combined with a 70' water temp brought out the wetsuits. The sun was just peeking up over Lake MaryJane when we hit the water for the 2 lap swim. The field spread out well and I exited the water at 26:55, my 2nd quickest time at Moss Park. Transition was a bit slow as I still struggle with removing the wetsuit no matter how much Astro Glide and Suit Juice lubricant I use. I took off on the bike and after covering the 23 mile bike course, I finished with a 1:11:23, averaging 19.1, making this one of my slowest bike time at these races (20.5 was my fastest). I headed out on the run feeling better and pushed harder. My mile splits for the 5.6 mile run were 8:36 giving me a run finishing time of 48:14. My final time was 2:33:59, good enough for 1st place out of 3. My friend Bill Floyd from Tampa won his 60-64 age group and a new friend, Chuck Callahan, from College Park won 50-54. Chuck "ages up" next year into my age group so I better watch out. A great finish to a great year. Number 112 will be in 2012!

# 110 Clermont Sprint Triathlon

2011-09-10T21:47:00.001-04:00

This is my first tri after my injury at the Scenic 17 Tri seven weeks ago. I bruised tendons on my right foot stepping off the road on the run leg. I didn't do any activity (did RICE) for a week after and my right foot turned purple. I resumed swimming and cycling cautiously as it healed and did a few 1-2 mile runs in the last 2 weeks. I thought the Clermont Sprint would be a good first race back.

I've done Clermont Sprints for years starting in June of 1994, five months after we moved to Florida. The big surprise today was that the old, cramped Highland Hut had vanished, replaced by a huge new pavilion and building; very nice! Another surprise was that there were over 600 competitors.

I was in Wave 4 which was surprisingly crowded including 1 guy who decided to do the backstroke in the middle of the 400 yard swim. The bike was nice and hilly and I averaged 20 mph for the 10.6 mile course with a max speed of 40.2 on a downhill. My main concern was the run because of my foot so I started slow with the idea of taking it easy. Well, that went out the window after about 100'. At the first quarter mile one of the many collegiate team members passed me and I hung with her. Her name is Allison, a Junior from USF, and this was her first triathlon. She was complaining of cramping so to get her mind off of it, we started chatting. The miles rolled away and I finished at 1:08:12; my mile splits were 8:40 which is a pace I was happy with. I finished 5th out of 13 with Ken Junkins winning and Jim Mayer taking second in Male 55-59. These guys are really fast! Allison finished 4th out of 6 in Collegiate Female, a great first race.

# 109 Scenic 17 Triathlon - Babson Park

2011-07-31T17:58:00.000-04:00

This tri is a favorite of mine since I first did it in 2009. It's held on the campus of Webber Intl. University in Babson Park, near Cypress Gardens. The 600 yard lake swim is fine and the 5K run has a few hills but what makes it great is the 15 mile hilly bike ride on the Scenic 17 highway. My average speed on the bike was only 18.9 but my max was 39.8! Several long climbs are balanced by very fast downhills after great views at the top.

There were 9 total in my 55-59 age group so I had plenty of competition. I was 4th on the swim and 4th on the bike. There was a little problem on the run though. Leaving transition, I was passed for fourth by Charles Best after we dueled for the entire bike ride. After the turnaround at 1.55 miles, as I was climbing a hill with a right hand turn at the top, I put my foot into a hole at the pavement's edge. My foot rolled to the right and as I went down, I jammed my left big toe on the pavement. My right foot was really hurting so I walked about 500 yards and got passed again, moving me to sixth. I soon discovered it didn't hurt any worse running than walking so I hobbled all the way to the finish. The guys at the medical tent diagnosed it as a bruised tendon and iced it there. Even with my slow run, I finished 6th out of 9.

#108 Tigershark Daytona Mid-sprint Tri

2011-07-27T14:03:00.000-04:00

Great race today! This was the Mid-distance sprint at Tigershark's venue in Daytona Beach Shores. The Seminole County Triathletes came out in force as Tracey, Becky, and I raced and Billy, Deanna, Walter, Cathy, and Leigh cheered us on. Walter got some great photos!

My 600 yard swim was quick at 11:52, much better than last year's 18:27 with 5' waves. I managed to beat my friend and fellow Maddog, Randy Brown, out of the water, but he started nibbling away at my lead, passing me on the bike. I upped my bike pace from last year's 20.8 AVS to 21 for this leg.

Randy's strong run ended with me 2:02 behind him for second place. My final time was 1:18:06. Jan Thompson (Maddog #27) won her age group again, finishing just behind Tracey.

First 200 Miles

2011-07-20T16:28:00.021-04:00

This morning I passed the 220 mile mark with my new 'snow' bike, a Salsa Mukluk. The majority of my rides, ranging from 5 to 18 miles, have been in Wekiwa Springs State Park, across from my house. I travelled locally to other venues and after I sampled the Seminole State Forest, the Upper Wekiva Preserve, and Rock Springs Run State Preserve, I found that Wekiwa Springs had the widest variety of trails, hills, lakes, ponds, and fire roads anywhere nearby. The best part is that it's so close and very big. I've seen deer, black bears, fox squirrels, a bobcat, owls, rabbits, a gopher, tortoises, a bee tree, and an alligator gar in the river. One thing I almost never see is people. I often ride before or after work on the weekdays but nobodies around. Here are a selection of photos from my rides; click on any to enlarge it.

# 107 Tigershark Daytona Sprint Triathlon

2011-06-26T19:22:00.014-04:00

Rob Wallace's Tigershark Triathlon Series at Daytona Beach Shores is always a well run group of races and this year's first one was no exception. The races increase in length each month so it adds to the challenge, plus changing surf conditions always add some spice to the swim. Sandy rose at 4:00 AM with me to greet the sunrise on Daytona Beach. We met some old friends in transition and I readied myself for the 7:00 AM start.

There was some overcast skies at the gun but the waves were calm with a very low tide so there was little north/south current.

The bike leg on A1A was fast and flat with a small breeze from the south. The tailwind on the return allowed me to crank my max speed to 25.6 with a final average of 20.4. I shot out of transition for the new run course with the continuing overcast keeping temps down. The new beach run now has two turnarounds so I was keeping an eye out for my competition. My mile splits for the run were 7:34 with a final finish time of 1:00:34. My tri-run times are always faster than my running races alone. This was good enough for first out of three in my age group.

Fellow Mad Dog Jan Thompson also won her age group with her son picking up second as a Clydesdale. Another great race!

# 106 Orlando Triathlon at Baldwin Park

2011-05-22T22:18:00.009-04:00

Today was the perfect day for a race; 70s, no wind, calm water, flat course, lots of people, at a local venue. Baldwin Park is a new urban community about 3 miles east of my office in downtown Orlando on the site of the old Navy Base. Epic Marketing was putting on this race for the seventh year. It features an unusual multiple lap bike leg which is 5 times around the lake, followed by a 1 lap run.
I started out strong on the 750 meter swim and then charged out on the bike. With all the people on the course at once, it adds to the challenge but it feels great to be passing people constantly. I finished with an average speed of 21.7 and followed with a fast run at a 7:37 mile pace. My final time was 1:14:05, good for 2nd out of 6 in the 55-59 age group.

New Salsa Mukluk - First Ride!

2011-05-08T20:21:00.025-04:00

A few years back, I was at Orange Cycle when Orlando bike doyen Diane Blake, arrived with an amazing new bicycle, a Surly Pugsley. It's a snow bike from Minnesota that does equally well in sand. I thought, "What a perfect bike for Wekiwa Springs State Park's sandy trails". So for about 2 years, I have been saving for my own snow/sand bike. After gathering small work bonuses and ebay sales, it finally added up and on Monday, May 2nd, a new Salsa Mukluk arrived. I put it together the next evening and was riding around neighbors' lawns at 10:15 that night. I was really looking forward to Sunday in the Park!

Mother's Day morning at 7:00 AM I entered the park, filled with nervous anticipation. My last foray in there with a Gary Fisher mountain bike (1999) resulted in many spills and the sale of the Fisher at the following month's Orange Cycle Garage Sale. I hit the first trail 1 mile from my house and immediately started a sharp uphill climb, scattering 9 deer on my way up. About 5 minutes later, I was hooked; the Mukluk was perfect for the sandy trails! About 3 miles later I decided to turn off the fireroads and try a singletrack trail. The bike excelled at the technical stuff too, bouncing over roots and obstacles with ease. I rode up toward Otter Camp, the furthest camp in the park, at the 6 mile point. I passed Big Buck Camp which was occupied with a family (Happy Mother's Day!) and waved as I continued on. Otter Camp was empty so I stretched my legs and took some photos. Both of these camps are on Rock Springs Run, which funnels into the Wekiva River.

After a break, I backtracked and explored a trail I had never run down before. I was surprised when it dead-ended at a fence on the border of Kelly Park, the very north end of Wekiwa. I turned south and stopped again 2 miles later at a trail crossing. I was then surprised by 3 mountain bikers, William, Paul, and Tony. We chatted briefly and I let them lead out and followed behind. We separated after a bit and I saw them in the distance on another cross trail later. I went through the dreaded "sugar sand" 5 times but only had to walk through it twice. I'm sure that will improve. The best part of the ride was never falling once. I returned home with a total of 15.6 miles and the conclusion that this bike is amazing!

SCT Lake Monroe Bike & Run

2011-05-08T20:20:00.008-04:00

Saturday started with a 10 person Seminole County Triathletes Meetup at D2 Cycling in Sanford at 7:00 AM. We took off for a 33 mile bike around Lake Monroe. A little extension of the course took us down some empty country roads.

Everyone laughed when we passed a "Lost Pig" sign by a mailbox. Upon our return, 6 of us ran the D2 2.7 mile loops, some twice, some 3 times; Deanna and I did 7.25 miles. It got quite hot near the end in the bright sunshine. Good workout: it's nice to have D2 as a place to meet.

Easter Sunday @ Lucky's Lake!

2011-04-24T11:35:00.003-04:00

Dr. Lucky invited everyone to his home for an Easter sunrise service, lake swim, and pancake breakfast. An amazing 172 people showed up for the 7:00 AM service! Everyone packed away pancakes after a 1 or 2 kilometer swim and my wife Sandy made dozens of omlets for all. Great time!
Read more about Lucky's Lake at my July 2010 blog or go to the link on my home page.

# 105 Frogman Olympic-distance Triathlon

2011-04-17T14:40:00.012-04:00

Beautiful Daytona Beach was the venue for my 105th triathlon. The Frogman Triathlon is an Olympic distance race that benefits the Naval Special Warfare Foundation, supporting Navy SEALS and their families. Rob Wallace, the race director, has 2 sons in the SEALS.

Since this was a longer race, the start was right at sunrise, 7:00 AM. The .9 mile swim was a bit choppy and it took a while for me to get into a rhythm. I exited the water at 29:51 and headed out on my bike. The only unusual feature of the 25 mile bike was going over the intracoastal bridge, which came at mile 4. It was a slow 10mph climb to the top, rewarded by a 32mph downhill on the other side. After about 8 miles on the mainland, I hit the bridge again for the return. I was blasting along at 21+mph south along the river when I realized that the wind had picked up and I was going downwind. After several turns, I was back on Atlantic Ave. which turned into A1A and a headwind. My speed was consistent at that point and I finished with an average of 19.6mph. Coming out of transition for the run, I headed north on A1A, which had the right lane closed for us. At the 1.5 mile mark, we turned right down a beach ramp for a 3 mile run on Daytona Beach, followed by a final 1.5 back on A1A. I passed 1 person on the run for a 3rd place finish out of 5. The 6.2 miles took me 1:03 for a 10:09 mile split. My final time was 2:50:01.

Several retired SEALS spoke at the awards cermony which was a special treat.

SCT/D2 Half-ironman Training Weekend

2011-03-20T22:35:00.019-04:00

Tremendous weekend! The Seminole County Triathletes presented a Half-ironman Training weekend starting with a 1.2 mile swim on Friday evening in Little Lake Howell (thanks, Terry), followed by a 56 mile bike from David Houle's D2 Cycling Center in Sanford, concluding with a 13.1 run on the Seminole-Wekiva Trail on Sunday morning. About 15 people signed up with about 10 doing all 3 legs (including me).
The swim was great, with a well marked course (of water-ski buoys) in calm, spring fed Little Lake Howell. You could tell when you swam over a spring because the water got colder instantly. We were treated to a nice buffet on Terry's lanai as we watched the sun set over the lake.

Saturday's 56 mile was due to start at 7:30, so I arrived at 7:00 and got my gear all ready. David Houle hosted the event at his shop, the D2 Cycling Center in Sanford, just north of Route 46.

We took off promptly and headed south being led by 3 very fast members of the Seminole Cyclists club, including David's wife Shannon. I dropped back a few times but would catch the group again at stoplights. Around mile 25, the 3 leaders took off and I caught the second group at the 1st SAG stop, right on Lake Monroe in downtown Sanford. We all finished together after the lap around Lake Monroe. My average speed was 18.8 mph for the entire ride; that's close to race pace for the 56 miles.

Sunday morning we all met at the Markham Road station of the Seminole-Wekiva Trail. West Volusia Runners helped coordinate this and brought a sizeable contigent with also.

Most of the SCT people were doing the 13.1. We started out pretty fast and I stayed quick despite my efforts to slow down. I was feeling good and figured just go for it. Jennifer from WVR was already at the water stop/turnaround at the Jones Trailhead at Long Pond Road and started after me. She kept pushing me and I stayed with her, doing 8:30 mile pace. We caught Rebecca with about 3 miles to go and she stayed with us and surged ahead, forcing me to keep up. My PR in the half is 1:54:52 (2005 OUC Half/Orlando) and the time was pretty close.
A big push at the end got me in at 1:57:14 so that was a great finish. Thank you ladies for pushing me so hard. After a rest/stretch at the trailhead, most of us headed over to D2 Cycling for the BBQ. David & Shannon outdid theirselves with the food and we enjoyed watching the pictures from the weekend on the video screens. All together a great training weekend.

Orlando Xtreme Half-Marathon

2011-02-12T17:58:00.017-05:00

The first event of the New Year! Orlando Xtreme Half-Marathon is an annual event, an off-road 13.1 mile run at the Orlando Wetlands Park, on the very eastern edge of the city. (If you click on the picture above, you can see runners across the lake.) My friend Bernadette signed up early and convinced me to join her and another runner from West Volusia Runners, Rick Paine. There is also a 5K and 10K at the same event. The trails are really dirt roads that twist and wind through the park. The half-marathon course was a 2 and 1/2 lap run for the total distance.

It started off cold (36') with a crystal clear sunrise at 7:03 AM. The 3 events all started at 7:30 at 3 different spots so we never saw the others. A co-worker
Rhonda brought her daughter, Ashlee, to run the 5K. Since I was off on my race, I missed Ashlee's victory as First Female Overall. The picture to the right shows a proud Rhonda with Ashlee.

Rhonda snapped the pic below of me as I finished lap 2.

At the start of the Half, Rick took off like a bullet and Bernandette and I ran together for the first mile. Then her ITB problem acted up, forcing her to walk, so she sent me on. I began a methodical climb through the field, averaging 8 to 9 minute miles. The weather was perfect after the sun came up and it was great running in the early Saturday morning. Very scenic course through the wetlands. I decided to carry my Hammer Nutrition bottle filled with a 240 calorie mix of Perpetuem rather than use a belt carrier. The next day my biceps were aching from the hundreds of bicep curls I performed during the event; back to the belt next time! I supplemented the liquid with Hammer Gel, Endurolytes, and Anti-Fatigue Caps and felt strong throughout the entire race. I really cranked it up for the last mile as my GPS showed me doing 7:30 pace near the end, with a final time of 2:07:24. The result was an average time of 9:17 per mile over a 13.70 mile distance, so the course was a little longer than a half-marathon. My PR in the half (on asphalt) is 1:54:52 at the OUC Half in 2005.

Rick had finished ahead of me with a 1:44:47 and Bernadette came in with a 2:18:07. When they announced the awards, we all had finished second in our categories! A very satisfactory result to a great day!

Into the New Year

2011-01-15T12:13:00.007-05:00

Well, 2011 is stretched out in front of me and I just filled out my calendar with various events in the New Year. I spent many of the past December mornings at Florida Hospital Rehab at RDV Sportsplex in Maitland. Betsy Hughes at Track Shack recommended a therapist there named Laura for my running injury. Laura was a godsend and the 1+ hour therapy/twice a week cured me of pain and discomfort. I still need to perform the exercises twice a week and aggressively stretch after my long runs. They open at 6:00AM, which allowed me to get to work by 8 with no problem.

This morning I ran 11.1 miles in the Wekiwa Springs State Park and felt great afterward. Encountered Gary Cohen's trail running group at mile 7 in the middle of a golden meadow of grass; they even had a little white dog running with them. See Gary's and the Park's link at the blue box on the right side of the main page.

No swimming yet as the water temp in Lucky's Lake is 56'F; cold even with a wetsuit. I may go back to the state park as the springs temp is 72'F year round. Last Sunday, I froze on a early bike ride as it was 46'F at the start but dropped to 32' on the northern route. Made a Panera's and Starbucks stop just to warm-up. The rest of the USA was buried in snow all weekend. Looks like it's going to be a great year.

Training continues...

2010-11-28T19:25:00.003-05:00

Big 4 day Thanksgiving weekend! I did a 10.2 mile run in the park Thanksgiving morning on some new trails. Encountered 4 wild turkeys who were enjoying the turkey day morning up by the youth camp. Biked 25 miles on Friday morning and then did a 6 mile run in the park on Saturday. Finished up with a 65 mile bike on Sunday morning, which ended up tougher as fatigue did set in at mile 45. I'm seeing a new physical therapist on Wednesday to address the nagging running issue. Hope she has the solution.

# 104 Masters Championship Olympic Tri

2010-10-24T17:15:00.008-04:00

Some might call it dumb, some might call it chancy. But I didn't want the season to end on my middling performance in my first Half-iron distance triathlon last Sunday. So after much week long discussion and second guessing, I awoke at 4:00 AM this morning, gathered my thoughts, my bike, and my tri-gear and headed out to the Masters Championship Triathlon at Moss Park in Orlando. I like longer events so I chose the Olympic distance (.9 mile swim, 24 mile bike, 5.5 mile run) rather than the sprint. It was 66' at the start with water (wetsuit legal!) at 76'. I had a solid swim followed by a great bike (average speed 20.0 mph) and a very good (no problems) run with 8:35 mile splits, finishing at 2:30:11, which was good enough for 1st place. My old friend (and former/future competitor) Bill Floyd won the 60-64 age group ahead of me. (Pictured above on right with me). Bill is a USAT Certified Coach and you can visit his website at http://trifloyd.com/ . This was the perfect end to a perfect season of triathlons.

# 103 Atlantic Coast Half-iron distance Triathlon

2010-10-19T12:19:00.016-04:00

Well, after 102 triathlons, I've finally decided to do a Half-iron distance triathlon, 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run. I can't say Half-Ironman 70.3 as that belongs to World Triathlon Corporation, which happens to be a client of my employer. I considered doing the Florida Challenge Half in Clermont in September but was dissuaded by Ken Junkins, a friend and competitor in my age group. Ken said the hills on the bike and the run with little shade and the run temp in the 90s make it a tough race (Ken won the 55-59 age group with a 5:31 time, 1 hour & 2 minutes ahead of 2nd place). I didn't think that was good for my first long race so I looked around and after considering the Miami Half, I chose the Atlantic Coast Triathlon on Amelia Island, just north of Jacksonville (a 2.5 hour drive is better than 5).

I raised my training level beginning in July, going to Lucky's Lake every Saturday morning for 2 laps, totaling 1.33 miles, and riding 60-70 miles each Sunday. My running was limited to a few long runs and a lot of short ones as the osteitis pubis still bothers me a little. My last weekend before the race was the final tuneup, with a Saturday morning Lucky's Lake swim followed by the Breast Cancer Bike Ride at David's World Cycle (25 miles). I got knocked over on the bike at a stoplite and suffered a vicious calf cramp and a bruised ego. Sunday, I got up early, did a 25 mile bike followed by a 6 mile run and felt totally ready afterward.

The following Saturday I headed north to Amelia Island and checked in at the Comfort Suites by the beach. I was given room number 103, when I suddenly realized this was my 103rd tri! The hotel was half a block from the race site and a block from the pasta dinner on Saturday night, so it was very convenient. I checked in, getting #170, and racked my bike. The transition area was well laid out in a parking lot split by a grass strip with 6 porta-lets and 2 changing tents. The olympic distance race (held at the same time) was on one side and the half-iron on the other. I met some really nice people at the dinner and then wandered down to the bike -filled transition area and spoke to several of the race officials including a really great guy named Phil Royal. I woke at 3:00 and laid in bed until 4:00, gave up on sleep and got up and began mixing my Hammer nutrition (5 different bottles) before heading out to check-in, which opened at 5:00. Next to my bike was Kathy, who was doing the race with her fellow Tampa Bay Tri-gal, Jen. They were also first-timers and very excited. On the other side of me was a married couple Annie & John, along with Stuart, more first time half-iron distance competitors. About 7:00 the sky over the Atlantic began to brighten with the promise of a beautiful sunrise, no wind, and 1 foot waves. There were about 240 half-iron racers and 175 doing the olympic distance gathering on the beach for the start. The air temp was 56' and the water was 76' so conditions were ideal.

After a rousing version of our National Anthem, I headed down to the water to start in Wave #2. We all took off at the horn and I hung back, promising myself to take it easy on the swim. The sunrise was so beautiful I actually paused twice during the swim to look around and enjoy the moment and sight the course buoys. The 1.2 miles went quickly and after a brief encounter with a jellyfish, I hit the beach with a time of 41:33.
I jogged into transition, grabbed my bike bag, and entered the changing tent. I pulled off my wetsuit and put on my bike shorts/jersey, pulled my bike off the rack, and headed out on the bike course. We started out on A1A for several miles and then turned right to head towards the mainland. Unfortunately, a group of olympic-distance cyclist were ahead of me and in my concentration on catching them, I missed the turn. I caught my error almost immediately and turned back, losing only 1/2 a mile. At mile 17, I reached the intercoastal bridge and began the long climb up and over. After many miles on the mainland, I headed back over the bridge (spectacular view at the top!) and hit 29.7 mph on the descent. I was feeling great and my average speed was 19.6 at this point. I then headed to the south end of Amelia Island and over the Nassau Sound Bridge into Duval County. Crossing this 1/2 mile long bridge in the early morning was stunning as the Atlantic was just to the east. I went back over the bridge after reaching the turnaround and headed north on A1A towards the finish. The combination of a slight headwind, slight incline, and my own fatigue slowed my final average speed to 19.3 for the 56 miles, finishing at 2:55:55.
I quickly changed into my running shorts/singlet and stopped in a porta-let. I was treated to the sight of cramping calves twitching uncontrollably and took off on the 13.1 mile run. The run quickly became a walk as my body tried to quickly adjust to the new activity of running. I ran/walked for the next 8 miles and pain and minor cramps threatened to derail my race. The run through Fort Clinch State Park was exceptional though, as all the roads were heavily shaded by a canopy of oak trees. By mile 9, after 2 Hammer Gels and more water, I was feeling much better and my running pace picked up. I ran strong the last 4 miles, passing 2 of my competitors in the process. The finish line looked mighty good as I charged across it with a 2:39:45 run for total time of 6:33:32. I finished 8th out of 10 in my age group and 170th overall. Oddly enough, 170 was my race number too, coinciding with the Room 103/103rd tri.

In closing, I have to say I had a great time in spite of my poor run. My PR for a half-marathon is 1:54:52 so it's easy to say I was way off. The venue, location, race organization, officials, volunteers, and race course were all first rate, so I can recommend this event to anyone. It was especially nice that the aid stations (every 10 miles on the bike/every mile on the run) was well staffed with cold water, gels, and a porta-let. This was a text-book example of a well-run event; hats off to DRC Sports ( http://www.drcsports.com/ ).

HFCS & 2 great books

2010-08-29T12:58:00.010-04:00

Just a quick note on something amazing I saw yesterday at The Fresh Market, a high end/gourmet supermarket chain that has a store near us. They had a product tasting yesterday and several of the products featured were Coca Cola, Pepsi Cola, & Sprite. So what, you say. What was incredible is that these were IMPORTED from MEXICO and contained REAL SUGAR instead of High Fructose Corn Syrup/Corn Sugar. It tasted like the Coke I drank as a child. I have recently seen ketchup and soda with "NO HFCS or MADE WITH REAL SUGAR" on the labels.

I use Hammer Nutrition products exclusively and they use no simple sugars in their products but are really opposed to HFCS. The July 2010 edition of their magazine, Endurance News, had a great article about a March 2010 study done by Princeton University. Three groups of rats were given different diets. Group A got rat chow and water, Group B got rat chow and HFCS water (at 1/2 the concentration of soft drinks) and Group C got a high-fat diet. The result was a increase in weight by some of the rats on the high-fat diet but all the rats on the HFCS water became obese. They found that the HFCS is processed by the liver into fat while sugar went into the bloodstream to provide a glucose/energy boost (though temporary).

Reference: Bocarsly, M.E., et al. "High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels." Pharmocology Biochemistry and Behavior, 2010; DOI 10.1016/j.pbb.2010.02.012

Here are 2 great books I received as gifts: 17 Hours to Glory by Muller/Carlson and Trizophrenia: Inside the Minds of a Triathlete by Jef Mallet. Jef is the cartoonist/triathlete who created Frazz, the songwriter/school janitor/triathlete cartoon character. Jef's book has some hilarious observations on triathletes and makes us laugh at ourselves. ("How old is your new girlfriend? She's 30-34 age group.")

17 Hours to Glory profiles 17 Pro or Famous triathletes in their quests at the Hawaiian Ironman. It really give you an insight into the training levels of Iron-distance athletes. Both are available at Amazon.

# 102 Fall Moss Park Olympic Triathlon

2010-08-25T21:37:00.005-04:00

This was my first race at Moss Park (just southeast of Orlando International Airport) this year. Buttar.com holds a Tri Sprint on Saturday and Olympic distance on Sunday; the lake is always calm, the 24 mile bike course is flat and the 5.5 mile run is in the woods on hardpack sand. A brief shower as I arrived before dawn allowed the humidity to rise as the sun did likewise.

I've done this course multiple times in the past so I've recorded my splits many times. My bike time and run speed were almost identical to my last race here in October 2009 but I was surprised to discover that I took 5 minutes off my best swim. All my additional swim training for the half-ironman in October is evidently paying off. I've had a cramping problem in my hamstrings on the run several times in the past due to the flat bike but a short stretch in T2 and several Endurolite capsules allowed me a good run in the heat/humidity with no issues. I was happy to finish first as all my competitors were unknown to me. My time was even fast enough for a third place in 50-54, the next younger (and more crowded) age-group. Two more races ahead for this year.

# 101 Tigershark Daytona Long-Sprint Tri

2010-08-01T12:52:00.012-04:00

St. Pete Maddogs Danny Hicks (2nd/65-69), Jan Thompson (1st/65-69), David Burg (1st/55-59), & Jack Finucan (2nd/55-59)

Today was the longest of the Tigershark/Rice & Rose Sprint Series, with 800 yard swim, 15 mile bike, and 4 mile beach run. The overcast sky and flat water made this race more pleasant than 2 weeks earlier, which had big surf and a very hot run. Jan Thompson brought her husband Danny Hicks and David Burg with from Tampa. All three are Ironman finishers and pretty fast. David beat me by 2:06 even though I had the fastest run, with a final time of 1:44:50.
Only 1 other person pre-registered in my age-group so as I climbed the ramp from the beach, I saw Butch exiting the water. Keeping an eye out for him at the first bike turnaround, I calculated I was 36 seconds ahead so I pushed hard on the bike. A big surprise came near the bike finish though when I came upon a unknown cyclist with "59" on his calf. I passed him quickly but we were in transition in just a few minutes. I headed out on the run and at the 2 mile turnaround, I was 1:00 minute ahead of him. As I concentrated on keeping my pace high, I had a sudden visualtion of my passing him on the bike; he had flat handlebars, which meant he was in the "Fat-tire" class. I finished strong but never saw David Burg ahead of me; there were actually 4 in my class. Sometimes you never know where you are in a race until the results are posted.
This ends the Tigershark Series for 2010 with my two First Places and today's Second.

Reflections on # 100

2010-07-25T20:46:00.016-04:00

On July 20, 2010, I completed my 100th triathlon. I stumbled on this upcoming event several years ago when I totaled all the race numbers I had saved over the years (with the race data inscribed on them). At that time it was a very surprising 72 which in turn provided me with a goal of 100 in the not too distant future. Looking back at the 100 Triathlons I've done, you can view the statistics:

1 Mini-Sprint Tri (my first triathlon; see earlier post)

1 Team event: 1993 Chicago Sun Times Triathlon; Team Ameritech, 2nd place (I did the 25 mile bike leg in a thunderstorm on Lake Shore Drive)

22 Olympic distance Tris (St. Anthony's Triathlon 10 times)

76 Sprint Triathlons (plus 1 fun triathlon, the 2001 New Year's Day Hair of the Dog Triathlon put on by the St. Pete Maddogs. Sandy & I did it together on our tandem bike.)

Medal Count:

Firsts - 12, Seconds - 8, Thirds - 10

No penalties ever, No DNFs, 2 flat tires (same race!)

But I think the greatest part of competing in this sport is all the great people I have met. My wife Sandy has been extremely supportive, emotionally with encouragement, physically by being there, and nutritionally with her wonderful meals. (Pic on left is from the 2000 Sanibel Triathlon)

Others who contributed to my success are my friend & occasional coach, Jeff Cuddeback (pic below with former pupil Olympian Hunter Kemper), his wife, Dr. Kim Watson, who got me back in shape after a broken collarbone in 1995 and several other injuries,
Alec & Lera Rukosuev (National Training Center coaches) for their advice over the years, the late Jim Ward (for years the oldest Ironman World Champion), Bruce & Maddie Olster, David Sanborn of David's World Cycle, for his continued support, Race Directors Fred Sommers/CFT Sommer Sports, Zahid Buttar/Buttar.com, and Rob Wallace/Tigershark Endurance Events, USA Triathlon for their guidance & management of this young & growing sport (when I joined it was Tri-Fed USA), the St. Pete Maddogs Triathlon Club, all the wonderful volunteers and referees like Charlie Crawford who labor on hot Sundays so we can race, and many others who I've met over the years. And a big thank you to the fine people at Hammer Nutrition for the wonderful products that I used for many years. Their free guidebook is a great resource for endurance athletes. http://www.hammernutrition.com/

One of the neatest experiences I've had was when a co-worker, Hollie Finley (pic on left), asked me to coach her in her first triathlon. Over several months, we found her a bike and the accessories and did practice rides and transition rehearsals. She then did her first race at Moss Park.

Looking ahead, I've just signed up for the Atlantic Coast Half-ironman Triathlon on October 17 at Ameila Island, Florida (just north of Jacksonville). This will be my first half-iron race (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run).

People ask me why I did 100 triathlons. It’s not like I planned on doing one or two and then moving on. I look upon triathlon as a fountain of youth; something that will keep me fit and moving for the rest of my life. But endless training with no goal is to me without purpose. Triathlons, whatever distance, give you a point and a goal to achieve, if just to have a good time. After all 17 years and 100 triathlons, I still get excited on race mornings. I also still say to myself during the swim, bike and run, "Boy, is this great!"! That's why I keep going.

# 100! Tigershark Daytona Mid-Sprint Tri

2010-07-20T20:33:00.016-04:00

This race was #100! I returned to Daytona Beach Shores for the second of the 3-race Tigershark series. My wife Sandy again rose at 4:00 AM to cheer me on. Rob Wallace, the race director, puts on a great event at a really great venue. The only glitch was the rough surface of US A1A but when we turned off of Dunlawton Ave, surprise!, A1A had been completely repaved! I was really looking forward to the 12 mile bike now but this was tempered by seeing the Atlantic Ocean and the 600 yard swim ahead. Despite the lack of wind, the waves were running 3-4' with a strong south-to-north current. At registration, I was delighted to find I was given #100 as my race number for my 100th triathlon! Ken, Joe, & I discuss past and future races. All men were in the first swim wave, so we all charged into the waves head on. I'd been reviewing my rough surf technique since May and it really helped diving into the breaking waves. Finding the swim buoys in the rolling water increased the challenge but I exited the water in 18:27, not bad considering the waves. I jumped on the bike and quickly got into a strong rhythm. The smoothness of the new pavement enabled me to quicken my speed to an average of 20.8 mph over the 12 miles.

I shot out of transition and headed on down the beach for the 3 mile run. It was starting to get hot in the early morning sunshine but it's a joy running by the ocean and I maintained a strong pace, completing the run in 26:41. As I approached the finish I heard the announcer calling out my name and that this was my 100th triathlon. Sandy was there with a big kiss and received a sweaty hug from me in return. My final time was 1:25:12, good for 1st in my age group.

At the awards ceremony, Rob Wallace presented me with a plaque commemorating my 100th, as well as my 1st place age group award. My friends all congratulated me and as a capper, I won a door prize for a RoadID wrist band! A new friend from the West Volusia Runners, Ken Allen, who entered the tri after encouragement from me, picked up 1st place in the 70-74 age group. Joe Evans and his girlfriend Charisse, was there too as well as Howard Montgomery. We finished the day with a celebratory dinner at McCormick & Schmick's seafood restaurant. A great 100th triathlon!

Ken Allen with Jack waiting for the start.

Lucky's Lake Swim

2010-07-10T16:53:00.005-04:00

I finally got out to the Lucky's Lake Swim on Lake Cane by Universal Studios. I heard about this last year but never got a chance to go. Dr. Lucky Meisenheimer generously opens his home and lake up to anyone who want to swim. The lake is one kilometer across and back and the swim starts at 7:45 on Saturday morning. You can use the bathrooms and showers by the pool too. There were about 85 people there this morning, all having a great time. I swam 1 lap at 24:12 and then another at 26:00 after a 5 minute rest. So 2 kilometers (equals 1.32 miles) in 50:12; not bad. Had a great time; I'll be back soon.

For more info, go to http://www.luckyslakeswim.com/.

Here's a Growing Bolder video: http://growingbolder.com/media/sports/water-sports/luckys-lake-swim-202905.html#content_tabs

# 99 Tigershark Daytona Sprint Tri #1

2010-06-20T19:23:00.021-04:00

Big day today with #99! My wife & number one fan Sandy rose at 4:00 AM to accompany me to the first of the Tigershark Series of Sprint Triathlons. The races increase in distance over the series of three. I spent a bit of time checking out my four competitors online (which became three when one decided to compete as a Clydesdale) since I had never raced against any of them before.

Jack with Jan Thompson

Howard Montgomery & Jack

The weather was crystal clear, 74 degrees, no wind, with a calm Atlantic Ocean at the start. As low tide was 60 minutes after the start, it was a 100 yard dash off the beach to water deep enough to swim in; it was also 72 degrees! I had a good swim (after another 100 yard dash out of the water) and headed north on Rt. A1A on the bike. I warmed up after several miles and got up to 21mph for a while, pushing my average to 20.4 for the bike. The rough pavement on A1A kept my speed down and I felt I could go faster.

Since I had not seen any of my fellow 55-59 racers, I took off immediately on the run down the hard-packed sand of Daytona Beach. I was running strong and felt great the whole 5K, finishing it in 26:17, with an overall time of 1:02:14. When the results were posted, I was stunned to see I had won by a margin of 7:01! So much for my pre-race concerns. As usual in sprint tris, the rule is just hammer the entire event.

I did run into Joe Evans again after another great 4th place in only his 2nd triathlon! Also saw Jan Thompson (Maddog #27) win her 65-69 age group; her son Andrew picked up a second in Clydesdale. Also met a great ex-marine and current fireman, Howard Montgomery; he'll be in my age group next year (uh-oh!).
Jan, Ashley, & Andrew Thompson

# 98 Clermont Sprint Triathlon #1

2010-06-13T11:26:00.020-04:00

June 12 was the start of the Clermont Sprint Tri series, put on by Fred Sommer of Sommer Sports. Fred pretty much started triathlon in Central Florida (and the Tri-America series across the USA). He also puts on a 1/2 Iron-distance tri in September and a full Iron-distance in October. These 4 sprint tris are held several weeks apart on the same course, which is great if you are tracking your splits and looking for improvements. I did my first tri in Florida at one of the Clermont sprint events in 1994. Interestingly enough, I drove my first auto race in Clermont, Indiana. The waterfront park in downtown Clermont is a great venue and Lake Minneola is rated "pristine waters". The area around these events is quite hilly with some really big hills, Sugarloaf, Grassy Lake, Buckhill Rd., nearby.

This race had an entry list of over 400 with 11 in my age group, 55-59. My old nemesis, Ken Junkins, was there (we first competed in 2005) and blew the field away as usual, finishing in 1:01:33. You can read about Ken at the Facebook page his daughter created: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Incredible-Ken-Junkins/332767313666

John Holloway and I battled back and forth on the bike leg with me in third exiting T2. But he passed me about 1/2 mile into it with a blistering run and finished 1:20 minutes ahead of me. I came in 4th out of 11 with a 1:10:03. My top downhill speed was 38.4 followed by a long climb at 9 mph! Another great race!

# 97 Ocean Deck Triathlon - Daytona Beach

2010-06-06T19:13:00.015-04:00

Great race today! This is a low key race, utilizing an all beach format. Held at the Ocean Deck bar right on Daytona Beach, you must have a mountain bike or beach bike to compete. My old Softride hybrid has 1.5" tires, so it worked well. The transition area is set up on the beach too so you don't have far to go to complete each leg. I did decide to bike in my running shoes, so I switched the Shimano cleats for regular pedals with toeholds.

The ocean was much calmer than last weekend and I had a great swim followed by a fast downwind ride north reversing course into a headwind going south for a total distance just over 8 miles. It's interesting weaving around the soft spots in the sand (you can drive your car on Daytona Beach) and the early morning tourists. The run was a quick out & back 5K down the beach. My finishing time was 1:08:27, nearly 3 1/2 minutes faster than last year's 1:11:59, good enough for first in 55-59! My training seems to have paid off as my times keep dropping.

I met some nice people doing there first tri's, Joe Evans and Dave Johnson. Joe got a 3rd in his age group, which always entices people to keep competing. I think I'll see him at future races.

Joe Evans readies himself for the ocean swim.

# 96 Tri-Y Ormond Beach Sprint Tri

2010-05-30T19:59:00.008-04:00

Sunrise across US Route A1A.

This triathlon is now in it's seventh year and I always found it on the calendar too late to enter until this year. Ormond Beach is on the Atlantic Ocean, just north of Daytona Beach. When I arrived at 5:40 AM the wind was blowing a steady 15 mph from the south. The transition area was located right at the corner of US Route A1A and Granada St, directly across from the beach. I think the wind picked up bit at sunrise and the waves looked about 5-6' at the start. The Race Director announced 5 minutes before the gun that you could compete in a duathlon because of the rough conditions. As this is a small race, 200+ people, there were 2 waves, men and women. The swim headed north with the tidal current after the first buoy but the waves were horrendous and as everyone was getting tossed around, it was difficult to get any sort of rhythm going. Finally I came ashore and took off on the bike. I passed the second place rider at mile 4 on a downwind sprint and entered T2 about 40 seconds ahead of him, averaging 21.8 mph. However, he could really run, passing me at mile 1 and kept accelerating, passing the guy in 1st at mile 2 and never looking back. I had a great run (7:54 mile splits) and was closing on 2nd place when the race ended. I was quite happy with my 3rd out of 6th finish. The capper was winning a $25 gift certificate for Stonewood Grill at the post race party!

# 95 Baldwin Park Sprint Triathlon

2010-05-23T18:20:00.003-04:00

Today I discovered the new way to win a triathlon; smash the 2 small toes on your right foot the evening before the race.

The previous week we spent in heaven on Captiva Island, Florida, at our timeshare condo on the Gulf beach. I used the "rest" week to kick up my training and posted 3 long bike rides and 3 long runs. We had a garage sale on Saturday so by Sunday I was well acclimated to the 90' heat too. Saturday evening however, rushing through the garage barefoot, I "found" the 4''x4" we use as a car curbstop with my right foot. After several well chosen words, I limped off to dinner. Tylenol and ice eased the pain/swelling so off I went to the race early Sunday morning. (Nice color purple though!)

Baldwin Park is an upscale "new urban" community created with the closing of the Orlando Navy Base several years ago. The entire race is conducted inside the community with the swim in Lake Baldwin (site of the Navy's Sonar Research Lab), an unusual 5 lap bike course of 13.4 miles total, followed by a 4.5K around Lake Baldwin. All my spring swim training paid off with a great swim, getting me a 2nd in the swim (I'm usually last). I had one of my fastest bike rides ever, averaging 22.1 mph on the flat course. The 5 laps result in lots of passing and yelling "on your left!". The run around Lake Baldwin was fabulous as I warmed up within the first 500 meters and then really took off. I "felt" my foot the whole race but it never bothered me and I picked up a 29 year old guy with 1 mile to go who stayed with me to the finish. My final time was 1:15:09, good for 1st out of the 5 guys in my age group.

# 94 - St. Anthony's Triathlon

2010-04-19T21:36:00.013-04:00

Pre-Race: This weekend is my first tri of 2010; I had planned on doing two tris before this but Florida's frigid winter kept water temps very low even into April. Wetsuits are helpful but 56' is still pretty cold water. I've done St. Anthony's 9 times before, starting in 1995, but have not been back since the 2005 race. It's grown now to 4,000 triathletes, so it should be a major show. My wave is 25 out of 32, starting almost 2 hours after the pro's. Also it's fun to join the club Sandy & I both belong to, the St. Pete Maddogs, who throw a great party Friday night. The club does homestays for all the pro's so you get to meet some famous people at the party. Sandy got a chance to talk with Katie Knight-Perry, one of the first Maddogs. Saturday morning's mini-tri, The Meek & The Mighty, features children and adults competing together around downtown St. Petersburg and is great fun to watch. We did manage to get into a B&B, the Sunset Bay Inn, within walking distance of everything, which makes the congestion easy to deal with. We had a great breakfast Saturday morning after I had a short bike ride.

Race Report: We had a great weekend and I had a great race. One of the issues with big races like this is the fact that it takes a huge effort to organize and work out the logistics to have 4,000 triathletes race at the same time. I got up at 4:30 AM and walked the 3 blocks over to transition. Once I had set everything up (bike was racked on Saturday), I walked back to Sunset Bay and relaxed until 8:00. Sandy & I then walked the mile to the start at Spa Beach and waited for the 8:39 start for Wave 25.

The wind, which had been blowing since sunrise, began picking up along with the waves and the race director decided to shorten the 1.5K swim to 1K, which delayed the race 36 minutes. They were already pulling swimmers from previous waves out of the water. Finally the gun went off and we began. It wasn't too bad and I finished the swim in 18:51. A long run through transition (it looked like 10 acres of bike racks) and I was off on the bike.

Great picture, Sandy!

By now, the wind was blowing 15-20 from the south with higher gusts. By mile 5, my AVS was only 16.4 MPH! As you rounded a corner, you'd get hit with a big headwind that slowed you immediately. At mile 10 I felt I was getting into a good rhythm but everything clicked at mile 17 and I was really cranking with a strong tailwind. My speed jumped to 25-29 MPH and as I headed into transition, my AVS was up to 19.7 for the 25 miles! I drank 2 bottles of Perpeteum during the 1:15 minutes bike ride so I was well hydrated & fueled.

As I ran out of transition, I swallowed 2 Endurolite capsules in case of cramping. Sure enough, at 1/2 mile the first hamstring cramp hit; I slowed and stretched and at the 1 mile waterstop I had 2 more capsules and continued on. My speed kept increasing and after a Hammer Gel at Mile 4, I was flying. I finished the 10K with a time of 58:23 (9:18 mile) which was slow as I lost about 2-3 minutes with the cramp. My final time was 2:39:47, which was skewed from my previous times by the shortened swim. One nice thing on the run was the overcast and the wind, which was really blowing by now. I finished 35th out of 100 competitors in the 55-59 Male age group, so I was very happy.

Here's the finish with Celine from Ireland by way of the Cayman Islands. We spent most of the bike and run leg within sight of each other. Great race!

Injury & Recovery

2010-03-03T20:24:00.003-05:00

In all my years of racing, I've been thankfully free of any severe injuries. For several weeks now, after the Disney Marathon, I've been bothered by a sports hernia/groin strain. It generally manifests itself after a long run so after several doctor visits, I'm being more careful with more stretching before and after training and racing. It's difficult to start slowing down just as the season is ramping up but the message as always is "listen to your body". It knows what it can do and what it needs to accomplish these tasks. So from now on, I'll be a little more careful.

Winning, losing, and finishing

2010-02-02T21:00:00.009-05:00

Here's an issue that triathletes have contemplated since the first (modern) triathlon back in 1974 in Mission Bay, San Diego. As triathlon has always been viewed as an endurance event, just finishing a tri was looked upon as an achievement. Since the media has portrayed tris as a grueling, heart wrenching contest (ala Julie Moss), whenever you mentioned the word "triathlon" the reaction has been "Ironman". When I began my first tris, my objective was to finish. I viewed that as an achievement, as opposed to my days of auto racing, suffering DNFs* due to a blown engine, fried clutch, and my last race, a defective radiator cap. I've never DNFed at a triathlon despite flat tires, cramps, bonking, or injuries. (*Did Not Finish)

And then I turned 50. This momentous occasion coincided with more people than ever competing and with a boom in the number of races in Florida. While I got my first trophy in 1994, 5th place in a Clermont Sprint, my first win came as a complete surprise in 2004. Now I was really excited! It didn't matter that the increase in races or my age meant that there were now fewer people in my age group. A win is a win, and a place is a place. It's made me more competitive and less complacent, made me train harder and with more planning. At the big events, I'm happy to improve my performance over previous years. With 93 tris complete, I currently have 8 Firsts, 8 Seconds, and 9 Thirds, in Sprints and Olympic distances. One of my happiest finishes in the 2009 season was my third at the Downtown Orlando Triathlon, because I beat someone I thought was unbeatable. It's also amazing to me that my times would occasionally win the next youngest age group.

I still enjoy competing and I love finishing; after the results are posted it's just icing on the cake to see my name at 1, 2, or 3.

The Right Bike

2010-01-31T21:01:00.012-05:00

Here I am in Chicago (Evergreen Park) in 1963; I rode this bike to school and back 4 miles (1 mile each way & home for lunch) everyday. For a child growing up in the late 1950s/1960s, a bicycle meant freedom and a chance to explore your surrounding. One speed, balloon tires, probably 45 pounds. I was totally unaware that bicycle racing existed.

1994 Softride Power V; before carbon fiber was light. This was my first tri-bike; before this I used a Specialized road bike for a few races. Great bike but the carbon frame was a bit heavy. It eventually developed a crack and Softride replaced it with the frame below. Greg Welch won the Hawaiian Ironman on the Power V in 1994. This picture looks so dated now.

1999 Softride Rocket TT7, very aero. Softrides were still a bit heavy and they had a higher center of gravity due to the frame shape. The aero shape was better than anything else at the time and amazing on long downhills. I hit 51 mph descending Hospital Hill during a race in Clermont, FL. Weighing 175 pounds helps on downhills!

2005 Litespeed Tachyon; light & fast! I love this bike! The titanium frame with the carbon fork/seatpost does a fabulous job absorbing road shock and keeps the bike nice and light. Litespeed discontinued this model in 2008 and their aero shape tri-bike was a half pound heavier. I added a FSA Compact Crank (36/48) to give my old knees a break climbing hills.

You can do triathlons with any bike but having a tri/forward seatpost frame certainly helps to alleviate the "dead-legs" feeling I used to get off the bike on the run. The theory is that with the seat forward, you're utilizing a different set of leg muscles to pedal. You can find bike bargains on Craigslist or Ebay (if you know what to look for) or check out your Local Bike Shop's end of year sales. I got the Litespeed in 2006 when a LBS dropped Litespeed and cleared out their inventory. At the last race of 2009, I got a kick out of passing a 30 year old on a Cervelo P3 Carbon (disk wheel/aero helmet). Bicycling legend Eddy Merckx is quoted as saying, "You want to go faster? Pedal harder". You can buy speed on the bike but you still have to train to go fast. So which is the Right Bike? It's the one that feels right for you.

Never give up

2010-01-29T06:23:00.009-05:00

I'll pass along to you a lesson I learned on September 13, 2008. I was competing in my 5th Downtown Orlando Triathlon. It's an interesting sprint tri since the finish line is 3.5 miles from the transition area. You swim in Lake Underhill (which is bisected by the 408/East-West expressway bridge), bike through downtown Orlando, and then run back to downtown, finishing in Wall Street Plaza. Since I work downtown, it's fun biking and running past my office.

I had a good swim and a great bike and was running along fairly steadily when at Mile 1 I was caught by a guy who, after a quick glance at his age on his calf, was in my age group. Steve and I chatted as we ran along for the next mile and discovered we lived about 2 miles from each other. At mile 2, he said he'd like to stretch his legs and pick up the pace a bit. I had earlier stated that I thought we were probably in 4th or 5th place and I let him lead out. I was feeling a bit tired as just a day earlier, I had a 8 hour flight back from a vacation in Ireland. Steve pulled ahead and I could still see him after the last turn down Orange Avenue to the finish. He finished about 21 seconds ahead of me. I probably could have stayed with him but just took it easy, figuring we were too far back.

You can probably guess the outcome; we were not in 4th or 5th. I was in 1st when he caught me and if I pushed it, I would have run with him for a big charge to the line. However, Steve's focus is mainly running (this was his second tri) and he may have just rocketed away from me. The point is I took it easy and defeated myself. I learned a valuable lesson that day in my second place finish.

The picture above is of Steve and I at the awards presentation.

A postscript occured at the first sprint tri in Clermont, Florida in 2009. I caught a fellow competitor on the run with about a 1/2 mile to go. I felt sure he would repass me if I went past him so I hung back while making sure no one else was catching us. He knew I was there and began picking up the pace as we neared the finish line. We were fairly flying when we crossed the first readout pad in the finishing chute. The announcer called his name first and I surged past him in the 20' to the finish, beating him for second place by one second. Lesson learned; never give up!

Footnote: This hasn't happened yet but I continue to push hard through the run now because though another competitor may finish 1:45 minutes ahead of me, the possibility of a post-race 2 minute penalty may put him 15 seconds behind me. Another reason to never give up!

Swim Training

2010-01-29T06:21:00.006-05:00

Swimming has always been my weakest link in the triathlon. While I swim a lot during the spring/summer/fall, my training has always fallen off during the winter. I always plan to do some more swimming during the winter but each year in April I realized that I missed it again. The upper body weight training has helped but nothing replaces swimming.

So last Tuesday, I did a 30 minute swim workout as a guest at the new LA Fitness club near my home. It's a 25 meter pool with 4 wide lanes so 8 swimmers can use the pool simultaneously. Plus it's temperature is 82-85' so it's pleasant to workout in. My wife, Sandy, joined too because they have aqua aerobics classes there which she always enjoyed.

My goal is 3 swim workouts per week with the desired result by exiting the water sooner, I won't be passing as many people on the bike leg, a least in the start of the season. My other goal is to have a swim PR at St. Anthony's Triathon on April 25 in St. Petersburg. This will be my 10th time doing the race and my last was 2005; in 2009 the water was so rough, the swim was cancelled. It'll be fun to return and see it now that it has 4,000 competitors.

Marathon training & Garmin GPS

2010-01-24T20:55:00.008-05:00

Above is our Training Log for the Marathon (click on it to enlarge). I have to give credit for my great time in the Disney Marathon to Bernadette and the great training program she put together. We ran together every Sunday morning from October to the week before Disney.

The truly amazing device she used was a Garmin Forerunner 205. While this unit has many diverse and interesting features, I loved the real time speed it displays. If our goal was to run 10:20 miles, it told us immediately if we were on that pace or not. It made a great training tool and I am now looking at getting the 305 which incorporates a heart rate monitor also.

Meetup.com

2010-01-24T20:50:00.003-05:00

I discovered Meetup.com in September and joined a running group in Orlando. Meetup groups are free (or there is a nominal charge) and encompasses all sorts of hobbies and interests.

Just go to http://www.meetup.com/ , type in your interest, Bowling, Triathlon, Knitting, Golf, Cats, Dogs, etc., your zip code, and it will find groups in your area. I would have never met such a great group of people to train with if I hadn't found Meetup.com.

Walt Disney World Marathon notes

2010-01-24T19:20:00.005-05:00

During the "winter" in Florida, the running events really pick up with the capper being the Disney Marathon. It's always the 2nd weekend in January and the weather is usually clear and cool. In 2009 it was 50' at the start and 70' at the finish. On January 10, 2010 it was 26' at the start and 40' and windy at the finish! I could deal with the cold on the run especially with a pair of handwarmers (what a great product!) that my running partner Bernadette gave me that morning. The picture shows Joy and Bernadette warming up in the back of my CRV at 4:00 AM in the EPCOT parking lot.

I was in Starting Corral D which was in the first wave as Corrals A, B, & C were on a separate road; we came together at Mile 3. The frigid temps were felt after all the pre-race warm-up clothes were discarded in the first few miles. The race organizers wisely provided sand at the water stops to spread on the pavement, the spilled water was turning to ice immediately! I passed one long-haired runner whose hair was tipped in icicles at Mile 12. I grabbed a cup of water at Mile 22 only to discover a layer of ice on top. Overall, it was a great experience but one I don't wish to repeat. Two weeks later (today), I went on my 6:00 AM bike ride in 65 degrees at the start. Much nicer!

I finished the Marathon with a time of 4:32:08 which was way better than my 2009 time of 4:51:32 which was better that my first Disney Marathon in 2004 with a 5:19. We'll see how much time I can trim off in next year's race. More about my training program in the next post.

First triathlon

2010-01-22T21:36:00.005-05:00

Looking back at my first triathlon, it doesn't seem so long ago. It was a small race called "I Tried A Triathlon" in Oswego, Illinois, west of Aurora (way west of Chicago). Designed as a very short (250 yard swim, 6.5 mile bike, 2.1 mile run) course event, it is a great way to get your feet wet (pun) in multisport. It was Sunday morning, August 15, 1993, when I first tried a triathlon. The race was so casual, there were no bike racks and the swim was 10 laps in a pool. I did have one small problem though, no bike! I had sold my Fuji road bike 2 weeks earlier and bought a new Specialized bike which was supposed to be delivered the Wednesday before the race. As you guessed it, no bike arrived Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. I had already paid for the race, so I put our Santana tandem bike in the van and drove out there. The race actually went off without incident though I got a lot of strange looks on the bike leg. A local sports newspaper did nominate me for an "overcoming adversity" award and I won a pair of New Balance running shoes! This event did prepare me for my next race two weeks later; the new bike did arrive in time for that one.

Triathlon Nutrition

2010-01-20T19:45:00.003-05:00

Last evening I was at Track Shack (the greatest running store in the world) buying a pair of shoes and was drawn into a conversation about Sports Nutrition. I have learned a lot over the years about what to eat/drink before/during triathlons and running races and wanted to pass it along to all my new friends.

In 1995 & 1996, I was helping some coach friends run a triathlon training camp in Clermont, FL and learned a lot while sitting in. This knowledge culminated in my exclusive use of Hammer Nutrition products for the last 14 years. Hammer's basic premise is that less is more; taking in less food and water will actually produce better performance. Go to their website, www.hammernutrition.com, and download their guide to sports nutrition. It's a 134 page book they sell but you can download it for free. Reading this guide can help you avoid the mistakes I learned by trial and error (and stomach upset). You can also sign up for their monthly newletter they will (snail) mail to you loaded with tips and stories.

Hammer makes a very complete line of products with NO simple sugars/fructose in anything. I have hypoglycemia which makes me especially suceptable to bad nutrition and added sugars. Hammer's line covers pre-race, race, & recovery. They make Hammer gel in many flavors which is a complex carb only product. I regularly use Sustained Energy (unflavored) and Perpeteum (caffe latte flavor) both of which are carb/soy protein blends (soy is the only protein which assimilates during exercise). They also make Heed, a carb only drink mix. After each race or hard training I use Recoverite, a whey protein isolate/carb drink and have found this allows me to recover quickly with less soreness. I also use Hammer Whey protein powder during training but must confess to not really liking the taste. My wife and I like Designer Whey Protein Powder which you can get at Publix (Florida); mixing the vanilla flavor with orange juice tastes like a Dreamsicle!Years back the only way to get Hammer products was mail order but now in Orlando, Track Shack, David's World Cycle, and Orange Cycle sell some of them, with Orange Cycle having the most variety. I do not work for Hammer and my only connection with them is my friend, Jeff Cuddeback, gets discounts on the products he gets and I wear his team's bike jerseys. Jeff is the coach who recommended them to me back in 1995.
www.jeffcuddeback.com

The journey to here

2010-01-20T12:31:00.000-05:00

Several years ago, during a conversation with friends, we were talking about the most memorable triathlons we had done, what got us involved in the first place, and where we hoped to go in the world of multisport. As I had done my first triathlon in August of 1993, someone asked how many I had done. This led us to the file cabinet in my den where, years before, I began filing my race bibs (with the results written on them). After counting and recounting the numbers, we discovered, to my astonishment, I had done 72 triathlons. Currently, at the close of the 2009 season, I have finished 93, both sprints and Olympic distance.

My reasoning for starting the blog, is to share my goal of 100 Triathlons and beyond, with people who are just beginning in this wonderful sport. Two years ago, a co-worker named Hollie, came to me with the goal of competing in a tri. In the ensuing months we found her a bike and started her on a training program to complete her first triathlon at the end of the summer. I hope you will gain some information and some insight into the sharing of the knowledge I have acquired since that summer morning in 1993.