Hammer sponsorship

I am now sponsored by Hammer Nutrition!  I have been using their great products for over 18 years and I attribute my successes to them.  The sponsorship only allows me to buy products at a discount so I won't be quitting my day job.  One of their major advantages is that all their products work together to provide outstanding results.  Go to www.hammernutrition.com to shop; locally, Orange Cycle, David's World Cycle, and Track Shack all stock some Hammer items.

Hammer display at Orange Cycle, Orlando, FL

Celebration Marathon

This was the 2nd Annual Celebration Marathon, located in the "Disney" town of Celebration, just south of the Walt Disney World.  I did the first race last year and enjoyed it very much, setting a new marathon PR of 4:29:56.  This was negated somewhat by 4 bathroom breaks during the race.  The 2 loop course winds through the town and many residents come out to watch the runners.  2014's full to half ratio was 506 to 1575 and this year's was close, 500 to 1817.  Half marathons have gotten even more popular.  One thing that makes this race great is the accessibility; I parked 100 feet from the Start line.  Besides the t-shirt swag, they included a Headsweats hat and a Tyvek windbreaker this year.  This was my 6th marathon since 2004.


The morning was clear and 43' for the 7:00 AM start.  I crossed the start line 11 seconds after the gun and hit the button on my (borrowed from Kevin Casey) Garmin.  I started out too fast as usual and slowed myself down immediately.  I wore less than my personal clothing guide mandated so I was cool but actually felt great.  The miles clicked away and I drank Hammer Perpeteum every half hour, took a Hammer Gel every 6 miles, and followed my pace band plan.  Stopped at a bathroom for 3 minutes at mile 10 and continued on.  At mile 12.2, the course splits and I found myself running alone as I started the second lap. I began chasing people down and passed 38 people in the next 14 miles; no one passed me at all.  Sun came out and it warmed up a little but the cool temps really helped.  However, after mile 15, it really became an effort to keep the quick pace up.  I stayed with it though and soon downtown Celebration was visible across the lake.  Near the finish, Paula Yeomans from EY and friends cheered me on and I crossed the finish line at 4:26:56.  That time was 2 minutes and 25 seconds faster than 2014, establishing a new marathon PR for me.  My overall splits were 10:12 per mile.  My total GPS distance was 26.34 miles as the 26.2 mile course is certified at it's tightest layout.  Last year's Garmin distance was 26.46 so I made sure I was tight on the corners this time.  I ended up 10th out of 22 in 60-64 Male; in 2014, I was 10th out of 19.  Very sore after the race and the next day despite a lot of stretching.

# 131 TriAmerica Long Course

This final race of my season was run alongside the Great Floridian iron-distance Triathlon by Sommer Sports in Clermont, Florida.  As we used the shorter parts of the ultra course, the distances were 1.2 mile swim, 38 mile bike, and 9 mile run, longer than Olympic but shorter than a half-Ironman. 

I trained for the longer swim and the hills of Lake County in the weeks up to this event so I considered myself ready.  I decided to use the Moulton AM SPEED bicycle as I found I was a little faster on it than my Litespeed plus I was curious as to how it would do. 


The white Moulton SPEED on the rack and ready to go!



Over 500 triathletes in the 3 events.


I arrived at 5:45 to 60' temps and plenty of people were already there.  In transition, I was happy to find longtime friend, Jeff Cuddeback.  The Great Floridan started at 7:30 and we followed at 8:30 for the women and 8:40 for the men.  Wetsuits were just legal with water temp of 77' and I decided to wear mine too.  I hit the water in the mass start and had a very good swim, though I felt warm near the end, finishing in 43:58.  Rushed into transition and began attacking the hills in the first mile of 38.  I knew enough to take it easy for the first 5 miles and was passed by a woman at mile 3 who called out "I see you brought your kiddie bike!".  I said "We'll see." and let her go.  The first 10 miles had some hills but it was still cool, clear, and sunny and I was enjoying the ride.  I knew Sugarloaf was waiting at mile 22.  After many more hills on CR 455, I headed towards Sugarloaf.  All the racers got an extra chip for a "Climb Sugarloaf" competition and there was a blue pad across the road at the base of the the climb and another at the summit.  I felt great as I started the climb, looking up the road to see other racers along with several people walking their bikes.  I shifted down to my lowest gear and alternated standing and spinning all the way up.  Halfway up, a line of BMW motorcycles with sidecars passed me going down the hill (Biketober fest was going in Daytona).

Reaching the top, I shot down the backside, reaching 42.8 mph on the downhill.  The next 16 miles had more tough hills (or was I just getting tired).  At mile 36, I passed the woman who made the kiddie bike comment and she was not happy.  I rolled in with a time of 2:19:27, the bike computer displaying an average speed of 16.4 mph.  The 9 mile run was 2 loops of an out and back bike trail course and it was hot and sunny.  With little shade, it was a tough run and I cramped briefly in the first mile.  Settling down to an steady pace, I carried on, completing the run time of 1:31:08 for a 9:47 mile split.  I crossed the finish line, at 4:45:04, good for 3rd place in my age group.  Jeff was in the overall lead when he had a flat tire at 8 miles to go and rode in on the flat.  He ran hard to get a 5th overall, 1st in his age group with a 3:22:34.  Nina Kraft, the German Ironman champion who lives in Clermont, won the women's overall with 3:31:44.  I was very happy with my choice of the Moulton bike and the suspension was welcome on the bumpy roads.  There were many positive comments made during and after the race about the bike.



All finished.

Nice plaque!

I'm now unsure if I'll do any more long races as I quit enjoying myself about halfway through the run.  I've always loved Olympic distance and will try to find more next season.

# 130 Clermont Sprint Triathlon

Today was the last of the Clermont Sprint Tri series of 4 races.  Fred Sommer has been doing events at the Clermont waterfront for over 20 years with great success.  This race boasted over 500 competitors today and the organization was great.  I arrived early, got my packet, and racked my bike.  Ran into some old friends and found Ken Junkins, James Mayer, and Will Hathaway were all there today.  These 3 friends train together and are very fast and all 3 are in my age group.  I thought to myself, well, 4th place is open.  I brought the Moulton SPEED to it's first hilly course and with so many people there it attracted a bit of attention.  Kevin Casey was there too and he started in the third wave while I was in the sixth.  Swim was great though it was a little hard seeing the finish looking toward the rising sun.  I took off on the bike a bit cautiously, looking forward to seeing how the Moulton handled the hills.  I was very happy with my performance, averaging 18.2 mph for the 12 miles and hitting 37.6 on the big downhill (followed by a slow uphill).  My runs keeping getting better even with the hills there and I ran a 27:11, good for 8:45 mile splits.  I finished in 4th out of 9 in my age group with a time of 1:15:28 behind Ken, Will, and James. Ken's time was 1:03:01 (30th OA!) with Will and James getting 1:04:04 and 1:04:07 respectively.  They are very fast!  Kevin struggled on the big hill on the bike but had a solid finish and was quite pleased. A great day all around!

It pays to get up early!

Lots of people.

I'm ready!

Happy finish!

# 129 3rd Annual Seminole County Triathletes Club Tri in Deltona

Today's event was a bit different; it was put on as a "practice" tri by the Seminole County Triathletes.  Billy Price, who turned SCT from an informal Meetup group to a top line triathlon club, has conducted several practice races in the past and this was the best yet.  Staged at a great venue, Campbell Park, in Deltona, it consisted of a 400 yard swim, a 12 mile bike, and a 5k run.  Originally for members only, Billy extended it to guests for a $10 fee.  35 people said they'd do it and 26 competed.  Billy even got full electronic timing for this event.  The lake was warm but pleasant and 3 kayaks ensured our safety on the water.  After the swim, the 12 mile bike ride did have 4 stoplights on it and I was caught twice and had to wait.  I rode the Moulton AM SPEED again and averaged 19 mph over the hilly course.  I hit a maximum speed of 29.4 on a downhill. The run was 2 laps of a hot, sunny, hilly streets and I ran in with a time of 1:21:08, good for 8th overall out of the 26. At 61, I was also the oldest competitor.  There were no awards but Billy did have a raffle, giveaways, and a BBQ chicken dinner.  It was nice sitting in a covered pavilion and enjoy the Florida morning by the lake after the race.

Great venue at Campbell Park

Me and the AM SPEED

# 128 Believe Strong Triathlon at Moss Park

Today was the 5th Annual Believe Strong Triathlon in Orlando, located at Moss Park, just southeast of Orlando International Airport.  It was also the inaugural race for my Moulton AM SPEED bicycle.  I've had several different Moultons over the years and aquired this one in June.  The factory website is located here: http://www.moultonbicycles.co.uk/. 
Here a great video about the bikes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdU9seGqCA8
I made the mistake of doing chores and painting on Saturday but had no choice as the painter was here to finish up from a plumbing project.  I went to bed at 9:00 to get up at 4:00 AM but was tired from the day's efforts.
The race was an Olympic-distance tri and I had a great 1.5K swim (due to my additional training at Lucky's Lake I think).  In transition, I racked the Moulton back in a corner so no one would make a fuss.  Starting out on the bike, I found I was quite fast right away.  The course is flat and fast so you stay aero and in 2 gears the whole 40K.  I averaged 19.1 mph, reaching a maximum of 22.1 at one point.  I matched the fit of the Moulton to my Litespeed tri bike so there was little discomfort during the ride.  I may put larger cranks on as the Moulton has 170mm and most of my other bikes are 175mm.  The crank length issue makes a great debate and I noticed that the inside of my right knee didn't hurt at all, something it usually does near the end of a race.  The 10K run was fine, shaded in the woods, with a few stretches of hot sunshine.  I finished in first place in my age group with a time of 2:38:28 which is my normal time on this course.  I ran half the distance with a woman named Heather who was doing her first Olympic-distance; nice to know I can pace a 31 year old.

The AM SPEED ready in transition
 

# 127 Pineappleman Triathlon in Melbourne

Today was the 29th Annual Pineappleman Triathlon in Melbourne, Florida.  My friend Kevin Casey made it his first tri last year and planned on a repeat so I signed up early as it always sells out.  Kevin is from Melbourne so he and his family could stay with his parents but I got up at 3:00 AM to drive the 96 miles from my house to the race.  I arrived at 5:00 when registration opened and quickly moved from check-in to transition.  The organization was superb and everything was laid out well.  Kevin found me quickly and showed me the transition exits and entrances.  Just before 7:00 we headed over to the pier for the swim start.  This race is unusual as it's a in-water start and you go down ladders at the end of the pier to get in the 4' deep water near the shore.  The Indian River is shallow there and the swim course was only 5' deep at the deepest spot.  Kevin started in the 2nd wave and I was in the 5th.  The swim course was very well marked with large and small buoys along it's length.  After finishing, I climbed up a stairway on the other side of the pier, running down the boardwalk (with carpet down) back to transition.  The bike course was advertised as flat and fast and after a mile or so on city streets, we headed south on Route A1A, the famous beachside highway.  A surprise came at mile 3 as the skies opened and a steady rain began to fall. This continued off and on through the 15 mile bike.  Even with the wet, I averaged 20.4 mph for the course.  Heading out on the run the rain stopped and then started again for a short time.  I increased my speed steadily and the sun came out just before the finish with 8:32 mile splits.  I finished in 5th place out of the 20 men in my age group with a time of 1:28:18.  Old friend Jerry Bird blistered the course with a 1:18:58 for the win in 60-64.  Kevin had a very good race and cut his previous time by 8+ minutes and his family arrived to see him finish.  The sun shone the rest of the morning and a very nice spread of food was laid out for the racers.  This is one of the best organized races I've seen in recent years and we had a great time.  Plus we got free photos; scroll down to vue and click to enlarge.

Kevin & Jack before the start

Transition filling up

Happy finishers!