Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon

We departed Tucson in a panic late Friday afternoon, despirately trying to get out of town before the monsoons hit town. The plan was to drive as far as possible and grab a hotel to reduce the drive on Saturday to Lubbock. As we set out, things look like it would rain and possibly storm. And we THOUGHT we may avoid the storm, but things just got worse the farther east we headed. Just as the sun was setting, we got to experience our first dust storm. It was very strange. Kind of like fog, but very windy and dark.


































After excaping the dust clouds, the sky lite up with lightning and thunder. The sky was BLACK and nasty looking, but the rain never really came. It rained a little, but never too hard.



We drove until 1 AM before trying to find a hotel in Rosewell of all places. To our surprize the place was packed with UFO watchers, and after checking all the respectable places in town, we ended up staying at the Econo Lodge - a rather shady place to say the least. I'm just happy I didn't catch anything staying there.



The next day we drove on to Lubbock without incident. The road is dead straight and boring, soo when I thought I saw spiders all over the road, I wasn't sure if I was over tired and seeing things, or sleeping at the wheel. After talking to a coworker after the race that grew up in this area of Texas, she assured me I wasn't imagining things.



The city of Lubbock is pretty cute, and Texas Tech University campus rocks. It is soo classy. The downtown by the university was a little lacking, but overall it was pretty cool. We spent most of the day hanging out in the hotel room getting ready for the race, cleaning our bikes and watching the weather forcast online and on TV between constantly looking outside. When we went to bed, we were still very uncertain what the next day would bring.



When we awoke at 4 AM, the sky was angry, with the occational flash of lightning. I was certain the race would be cancelled, but we ventured to the race site anyway. Following the stream of cars, we arrived very early to get try and get a good parking spot. The walk in was a little scary as we had to trek about a mile into the park in pitch darkness to get to the transition area. Smart orgainized me forgot my helmet and I had the pleasure of trying to run back to the car against traffic in the dark to get it. so much for a calm relaxed warm up.

The race ended up starting a little late because of parking issues and disorgainization on the part to the race orgainizers. To say the start was disorgainized was being generous. There was no one calling the waves or getting them lined up, no one getting athletes to cross the timing mat, making sure everyone was in the right wave (i'm sure if you were willing to risk it, you could easily get a 4 min head start going in the wave ahead of your own, without anyone knowing)... but most disappointing for such an important race was the lack of even a starting line. People just kept edging further forward into the water, and then running along the shore line as the water levels were low, and no markers forcing you to swim out and around the corner. I opted to stay to the far left and not run the corner and hope that avoiding the crowds would pay off with less wasted energy. that and I can no longer mix it up like i used to since almost drowning in Hawaii 2 years ago - i get paniced very easy and would rather take a slightly longer line than get caught in a large group.

The swim was uneventful, and smooth. I stayed to the inside the whole way and avoided any trouble. I worked on trying to stay relaxed and smooth, and really concentrate on my recovery, keeping my elbow high and efficient, and my stroke turn over high. I felt my sighting was pretty good, and never got too far off course. As i exited the water, i checked my watch - 27 min and change. a PB. As I ran up the ramp to transition I looked for the wetsuit strippers as I heard they were going to be there, but I somehow missed them and ended up kicking it old school and trying to get it off myself as i stood at my bike.

The bike ride was a little different than usual. Normally I attack right from the start trying to catch anyone in front of me, going as hard as I can for as long as i can. This time i was worried about my hamstring that I had pulled a few days earlier so took it a little more conservatively, focusing on spinning more, with high RPM, and not trying to power up the hills. The bike course was relatively flat and fast, with several decent hills thrown in as you cris crossed the canyon in which the lake and conservation area were located. The hills weren't that though going up, but were very tricky going down. The rain had brought the oils to the surface of the road, and the corners on the hills were like glass. I did a good job on most of the corners but got careless on the last decent, neary going off the road on a quick switch back that caught me napping.

The ride back to T2 was straight into a head wind, and after trading off the lead with several other guys in my AG, i put my head down and tried to keep the pressure on to the end of the bike. Not really feeling like I was going as hard as I normally like to, and keeping an eye on my time, as it kept creeping closer to 2:30 for my bike without the end in sight, I kept expecting to be passed by other riders. It wasn't until the run, when one of the other guys I was racing told me how much of a dent I put into them in the last 10 km that I realized how well I did.

The run started off well. I was feeling good, and my legs felt better than usual with much less lactic acid. Again I focused on technique, trying to stay relaxed and my turnover high. I was having a hard time judging how well I was doing, as several runners (4 in total) passed me pretty handily. I was however slowly picking off one female pro after another, so I assumed I was doing ok.

At about the 13km mark, I managed to do something I have never done before in a race. On an small down hill my shoe lace came undone and I ended up tripping over it and going down hard. I tried to get up as quickly as possible, but I had easily lost a good 30-40 seconds, and 2 positions as 2 runners went past as I was on the ground. With a shot of adrenaline, and fear, I eventually caught back up to the 2 runners and passed them back. But with blood running down my arm, and my hip aching, and now blisters forming on my feet from my rain soaked shoes, the last 8 km was going to be tough. I tried to suck it up as best I could, and was either doing pretty good at it, or others were suffering worse than me, as I slowly gained time back on many of the runners that passed me in the first half. Unfortunately I was unable to catch all of them before the line, but felt good about my finishing kick, as I managed to pass 2 poeple in the last mile.

As I crossed the line, I felt pretty good about my race. I had a solid time, and finished strong. Not really having any idea where I ended up in my AG, I was sure I had done pretty well. And a quick check on the results showed I had managed to get 5th in my AG with a PB in both the swim and the run. Not bad considering 2 days before I didn't think i could race.

With about 40 minutes till Chris made her way to the finish line, I quickly got changed and ran back to the car to get my camera to try and catch her crossing the line. Unfortunately she was too fast for me to get back in time - finishing in a time of 4:54 and first in her AG. And more importantly, having had a PB in the swim and run, and didn't end up in the med tent !! I did however manage to get a picture of the dynamic duo shortly after she had crossed the line.

Trilife and Relationships

Do triathlons and tri training enhance or detract from a relationship ?

There is no right or wrong answer, and probably as many opinions as there are people doing tris. But having personally watched others relationships - and a few of my own - stretched to the limit or even to the point of collapse as a result of the training and partnerships and friendships formed during all that time spent training, I really have to wonder.

Is it the time spent training and hanging out together, the socializing after the workouts and races, the travel to races and time spent in hotels, or the hard bodies that make us jealous ? Or is it an inherent insecurity most of us endurance athletes have that keeps us humble and constantly striving to do better. And why does it seem to get get worse the more training we do ? Or maybe its just me. But I don't think so.

Ironman training and racing however seems to bring with it insecurities and issues other triathlon distances don't really have to deal with - time and money. This sport is expensive and time consuming, and there is a lot of athletes with a lot of disposable income - and a lot of free time. And if you don't have either, your already at a disadvantage.

The pros have all the free time, are fun easy going, and FIT. The top age groupers have MONEY. Money for the latest clothing and equipment, money for training supplements and coaching, money for race entries and travel expenses, money for IM stuff .... not to mention the Hummers, and Porches. And in a sport with 80% men, the competition for the attention of the few women in the sport is fierce. And as a result the guys with money or lifestyle use it to their advantage.

As a man in our society, we are taught that money is power, and a berometer for how successful a man is. And with money comes confidence in addition to all the many luxeries it can provide - both of which are very attractive to members of the opposite sex.

And when your partners success ultimately surpasses you, and they are constantly surrounded by both athletes with BIG money or professional athlete good looks your really F#$KED.

I personally think these insecurities are a combination of all these things, and leads us to feeling jealous and ultimately resulting in us to acting stupidly and to losing perspective on things. ultimately F#$KING up the very thing you value the most. Because you see, insecurity is like a cancer that slowly eats away at you, and gets worse with each passing day. Ultimately comsuming your thoughts and actions, until it destroys the one thing you tried soo hard to hang onto - your relationships.

Summer Heaven no BS !!

Well I just finished my first summer ride up Mt Lemmon to Summer Heaven, and they aren't kidding. I never would have believed that altitude would make such a difference in temperature, but it amazes me every time.

After sweating my ass off at the bottom of the climb at 85 degrees, I made it to the top about 2 hours later to a very comfortable sunny and breezy 68 degrees. But if I thought the ride up was amazing with the change in temperature, the ride down was mind blowing. The winds were ripping off the mountain on the way down, throwing me left and right. so much so I thought my brakes might get soo hot they may blow my tire !! Luckily they didn't, but the ride down was very tricky none the less.

The change in temp by the time I reached the bottom was UNREAL. The air felt like it was coming from a blast furnace and was thick as hell. I am not normally one to complain about the heat, but this was tough. I was ok by the time I got home and reaclitmated to the heat. I can see why people flock up the mountian in the summer. I think I will be making a few trips in the coming weeks when temps reach a very comfortable 120 degrees here in the valley. YIKES !!! may have to do hill repeats at the top of the mountain - after driving up there !!

Deuces Wild !!

Well I just got back from the Deuces Wild 1/2 IM in Show Low AZ, and it was totally not what I was expecting.

The drive there was absolutely amazing. What should have been an easy 3 hour drive, ended up taking a good 5 hours after stopping a dozen times to take pictures and to take in the views. It was exactly as I imagined AZ would look when I moved here. I kept waiting to see the roadrunner come burning up the road in a cloud of smoke, and Wye Lee Cyotte chasing wearing a pair of rocket skates !! The pics really don't do it justice.

The race venue itself was surprisingly very similar to Muskoka or Peterborough. I really never imagined pine forests in Arizona, but what did I know. We arrived late friday afternoon, registered and checked out the venue. It really was amazing - with the exception of the lake. Although it looked pleasent and inviting, it was anything but. At a balmy 58 degrees, it was colder than Tempe Town lake at IM AZ !!! Needless to say, a prerace swim was out of the question.

After hanging around for a few hours, checking out the sponsor tent, talking with the Skins and Kuota reps, and after Chris had ripped off the local middle school kids for dinner, we headed back to our luxury hotel. Lucky for us, the inside was better than the outside - or the bar attached to it. Seedy would be a minor understatement.

We awoke early on Saturday to pack the truck, and drive to the race site. To say it was cold, is a minor understatement. Even worse, was that neither of us brought enough clothing, and as a result we froze out A$$ off. Lucky for us there wasn't a cloud in the sky and things warmed up quickly. The lake however didn't warm at all.

The mens swim went off at 6:30 am, and was soo cold I began to panic and hyperventilate the instant my face hit the water. I had to really concentrate on relaxing as I was sure I was going to have to DNF if I could calm myself down soon. I managed to get things under control for most of the swim, but had several minor episodes during the swim when I hit cold(er) spots. Needless to say, my time was a little slower than I would have liked, but i had survived, and that was most important. My feet however were completely frozen by the end and had real issues running into transition. Not to mention trying to get my wetsuit off.

The bike started with problems right from the get go. After getting up to speed, I tried to shift into my big chain ring, and nothing. I tried several times before having to get off and switch it over manually. Once rolling though, things went really smooth. I began picking off people one right after another, until the half way point, at which point I was all alone. Not really sure where I was in the race, and with no one to chase, and no one chasing me I found myself getting into a solid pace, but definately not pushing as hard as I should have. I also ended up missing 2 turns weaving my way through the neighbourhood surrounding the conservation area.

Having seen the leaders already on the run course coming into transition, I tried to rush things and ended up leaving T2 the wrong way and had to back track. Not to self - check the course out before the race !!! I began the run as quick as possible affraid I had lost too much time with all my stupid mistakes. I was trying as hard as possible to suck up the pain of my blisters on both feet I got on my last run 2 days before the race. Can anything else go wrong ?!?! Once I hit the turn around at mile 10 and I realized no one was near me - infront or behind - I decided to coast in to the finish. I crossed the line in 4:43:?? in 3rd place overall.

Overall I was happy with my race. It was a solid effort, and much better than I ever expected. And I'm glad the bike section of the race is largest, otherwise Christine who ripped up the course finishing first in the womens race would probably have beat me !!!

Next time I will have to prepare a little better, and iron out the little mistakes if I want to do better in Texas next month.

HR, Fatigue, and Training Effect

This is a shout out to all you Exercise Phys experts.

Its a question I'm sure everyone has asked or thought about at some point training for an IM or half IM, but probably never looked any further. It crossed my mind this w/e as I struggled through a "speed set" in the pool as my third workout of the day, and at the end of a very heavy week of training and work. I was doing sets of 12x50 (25 all out, 25 easy) followed by a 200 all out. I was dead tired, but after starting I was determined I was going to finish the workout. During the workout I kept track of my HR and times. I was clearly at my LT based on my HR, but my times were VERY slow compared to what they should have been. As I struggled through, I kept wondering - am I actually getting the benefit of the workout I should be ? I was clearly working at my LT, but at the same time I was soo dead tired, I definately wasn't doing a real "speed set". So often when training for an IM we do workouts dead tired and just pushing through. So my question to the experts :

Do you still derive the benefit of pushing up your LT doing these workouts dead tired and slower than expected, but clearly at the proper HR zone ? Or are you doing more harm than good ? Or is it better to just call it quits, skip the w/o and have a nap and recover and do a better quality workout tomorrow ?

I would be interested in seeing if there is any scientific evidence - or everyones personal experience.

Arizona Roadkill

Well its official - roadkill season has started !! In comparison to London the number of animals on the road is much lower (no raccoons here !!) but definately much more interesting - or exotic. Intially I saw a few small VERY dead snakes and other small animals. But they were very far and few between. At first I was very interested and excited when I came apon something new and exotic. A few weeks ago I saw a VERY dead Gila Monster. I felt sad for him.

In the last two days however, things have really picked up. The animals are no longer small and cute, but big and scary. Yesterday on my ride I came across a dead pitt bull. It was sad. He obviously had just been hit recently, and luckily it wasn't gross. It just looked like he was sleeping. Later in the ride I saw one of the scariest things I have seen in real life - a giant 6 foot long black king snake. I was lucky not to hit him. He was in the bike lane right at the end of a 4 hour ride, and I was tired, and just managed to avoid it after riding with my head down. At first I thought he was dead, but after turning around to take a closer look, I realized he was still very much alive. I quickly made a quick 180 and got the hell out of there.

Today I came across two very cool of AZ finest. At the start of my ride I came across a Gila Moster trying to cross the road at about a half a mile an hour. Without getting too close I managed to scare him back into the desert and save his life. Good deed for the day done. I was excited to have seen one, as they are very rare, and few people who live here for years get a chance to see one - let alone save its life.

All pumped up about seening some of AZ's wildlife upclose and personal I kept my eyes peeled to see the "urban legend" Javalina. Unfortunately no dice. I did however stumble across the biggest snake I have ever seen. It was about 7 feet long, and about as thick as my arm. Luckily it was dead - but just. It must have just been hit minutes before. Had I been just a few minutes earlier, I would have found myself screaming down the road at 35km/h staring at a giant snake and no where to go.

I quickly changed my mind. I am happy to not see anymore of AZ wildlife upclose and personal - especially since I still have yet to see a rattle snake, scorpion, giant millipeed, africanized bees, bob cats or cougers, ....

Hiring a Coach

Seemed like an easy thing to do when I started. I mean how many professional triathlon coaches could there be out there?!? A hell of a lot more than I expected thats for sure !!!

I thought it would be easy to decide. Check their record, results, philosophy, programs, .... and done. but instead its like buying a new car (or bike!!).

So you start with a budget and compare all the ones in and around there. You look at their credentials, race results, testimonials, .... and rates. And of course all the ones you want are just a bit more than your budget, but somehow you think you can justify it.

And this is where it really like buying a car - you start with a budget of X, and then see a car thats just a bit more expensive, but its got more horsepower, or better breaks, or looks better, so you justify it to yourself that you can afford that little extra. But then at the next dealer you see a car that is just a little more than the last one you convinced yourself you could afford but it drives soo nice. So you justify that little bit extra for A/C and traction control .... and pretty soon you have justified to yourself spending way more than you initially intended.

And it begs the question - especially with a coach. Are they better just because they were faster as a pro and are more expensive ? In our society if it costs more, it must be better. This applies with everything from cars and bikes, to jeans and wine. But is that $1200 bottle of wine really better ? Or has some popus ass just told us its better and therefore worth more ?

And with evaluating coaches its even more subjective. We already know that sometimes great althletes make terrible coaches. One only has to look at Ishia Thomas. Great basketball player. Terrible coach. Same with Wayne Gretzky, or Micheal Jordan. All great althletes with terrible coaching records.

And can you really believe everything you read on a website ? Have they all coached IM winning athletes ? And if so how come none of them give full names ?

I guess when it comes down to it, its going to be a bit of a leap of faith. I'll let you know who I decide on, and how soft the landing is.