Awesome summary Josh! Gotta say though, I believe we did more damage to our bodies on the drive home though, so it's worthy of mention here. McDonalds (twice), Jack in the Box, Taco Bell, Dairy Queen, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut. We all ate at all stops. Cutter, have you finished that 4th piece of pizza yet??
My weight pre-Ironman - 160
My weight post drive home - 172
My weight now after crapping several times - 163
Yep, that's a LOT of food
Good times. Looking forward to Arizona 2011!!!
MM
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Why We Do These Things
6/27/10
Exactly one year ago today a pact was made and destiny was set in motion. The goal was to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run 26.2 miles thus becoming an Ironman. Why… because we were dumb and were trying to be cool. Really! Why else do people take a chance and step outside their comfort zone? Usually because most people they know have not or can’t do it, and that just makes us feel cool. And so today’s experience began.
6/27/10
Exactly one year ago today a pact was made and destiny was set in motion. The goal was to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run 26.2 miles thus becoming an Ironman. Why… because we were dumb and were trying to be cool. Really! Why else do people take a chance and step outside their comfort zone? Usually because most people they know have not or can’t do it, and that just makes us feel cool. And so today’s experience began.
The characters: Josh- The rather confident young man that is said to possess no pain receptors; Jamie- The beautiful bride that WILL NOT be outdone by some cocky, arrogant man… even if it is her husband; Jeff- The Jester of the club who is said to have pedaled his way out of the womb; Mark- The disciplined, calculated, math geek, who back-stroked his way to a last place swim finish (in a Sprint Tri) just two short summers ago. The scene: The beautiful pine filled hills surrounding Lake Coeur d’Alene in Northern Idaho.
The Day: With a mass beach start of 2400 racers, the swim took on a scene straight out of “The Miracle of Life” (Don’t know it? We can have a quick screening once I get the Sex Ed. Permission forms signed by all of you). Once in the water, kicking, bumping, pulling, punching….were all apparently fair game. The water was rather choppy with some serious swells out father in the two loop course while the water temperature was a chilly 58 degrees (at least until you had a moment to insulate your suit with a little “pee-pee,” sorry Gary, your suit was rinsed out REALLY well). For the 2.4 mile swim, Josh had a satisfying 1:13, Jeff and Jamie, a stellar 1:17 and 1:22 respectfully, and Mark a 1:19 after sucking his thumb in fear for a few moments at the start. Once on the 112 mile bike ride, Jeff CutterStrong took over. Destroying Josh’s 5-minute lead in just 17 miles, the two stooges held hands and sang cumbiya for the next 25ish miles. This time was highlighted by Cutter bombing the down hills like he was an Oompa-Loompa strapped to a rocket (oh wait…), all the while striking up exuberant conversation with anyone who would listen. Josh pretended not to have trouble keeping up, while whimpering on the inside, as he could never admit to Jeff taking it to him like this! Mark strapped on his seat belt and rode a strategically calm ride while planning his running attack. Jamie smiled and glistened (girl’s don’t sweat I am told) while pretty in pink as she sang “the hills are alive, with the sound of….. me kicking everyone’s ass!” When T2 arrived, Jeff had smashed the course with a 5:47 (19+ mph on a hilly course!), Josh entered T2, 4 minutes back with a 5:57 bike, Mark came in with a 6:20 effort, and Jamie came in looking better than us ugly folk with an 8 hour ride. Out of T2, Jeff stopped to sign autographs which allowed Josh to take over the race lead by mile 2, Mark put on his dancing shoes and started prancing his way to a comeback, and Jamie did her hair and makeup before skipping off down the road. With temperatures rising to the 80 degree mark, the beautiful, lakeside course was as conflicting as kissing you sister (at least your kissing, but come on man!!). With Josh eyeing his sub-12 hour goal and Cutter finally off his rocket and no longer a threat to his ego, Josh settled into an easy pace he thought he could hold. With Jeff’s big lead on Mark out of T2, Mark had to run the day’s best marathon, a 4:25, in order to catch him, slap him on the ass, then pass Jeff at mile 21. He finished the race with a fate-displaying 12:22. This happens to be the exact time of Josh’s debut Ironman two years ago in Arizona. Sing with me now… “we are the best 4 friends that anybody had…” Josh held a strong 9-10 minute pace until he realized, at mile 21, that Joe was NOT there to yell at him, upon which he bonked so hard the barefoot guy (yes, there was one out there) had to give him a piggyback ride in order to limp in at a 14 minute pace and secure another second place split for the day with a 4:30 marathon. BUT, he did nail the sub-12 goal with a 31 minute PR and 11:51 race. Jeff, still gloating and giggling from his friend-bashing bike ride, had to settle for 3rd after a 5:07 marathon but with a PR 12:37 Ironman. Jamie started the marathon strong but when the 42 Imodium’s kicked in at mile 16, running became “poopy” and somewhat “nauseating.” She did have the “heart-warming” moment of the day when a little girl gave Jamie a necklace during the run (true story). Jamie ended up cruising, with a great smile, to a debut 15:30 Ironman and secured her spot in the “Hot-Ironwomen-Who-Are-Working-Moms-Of-Three-Hall-Of-Fame.”
In all, in was amazing and worth it in the same way childbirth is worth the pain! So why did we do it? Because we can. Because an Ironman is LIVING life. Because you truly don’t know what you are made of until you push past your limits and see what is left. Yes, there is the competitive component, and yes there is a cool factor… but once you are out there all alone it becomes a battle within yourself, and this is why we truly do these things! Do you have the confidence to believe in yourself? Can you turn those doubts into pride? Can you fight off the desire to give up? Can you exceed the physical expectations and limits you and everyone else has placed on you? Can you challenge yourself….and win?
In all, in was amazing and worth it in the same way childbirth is worth the pain! So why did we do it? Because we can. Because an Ironman is LIVING life. Because you truly don’t know what you are made of until you push past your limits and see what is left. Yes, there is the competitive component, and yes there is a cool factor… but once you are out there all alone it becomes a battle within yourself, and this is why we truly do these things! Do you have the confidence to believe in yourself? Can you turn those doubts into pride? Can you fight off the desire to give up? Can you exceed the physical expectations and limits you and everyone else has placed on you? Can you challenge yourself….and win?
ARE YOU AN IRONMAN?
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Chanoko Series Starts Saturday!
FYI, I am doing the Chanoko Trail Run Series that starts this Saturday if anyone wants to join me! Each race is 6 miles through mostly single track with some decent hills. Small races, maybe 50-75 racers, but lots of fun and pretty cheap ($20). Check out details at:Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Ironman CDA Review
Check out article WITH video at http://www.endurancenation.us/blog/2009/06/24/endurance-nation-ironman-cda-2009-race-recap/
Endurance Nation Ironman CDA 2009 Race Recap
Ironman CDA 2009 has come and gone, and well over 25 Endurance Nation athletes successfully having reached the finish line. As reports from the venue suggested, the weather played a significant role on race day. It was very windy with temps dropping from the low 60s to mid-50s as rain moved in towards the end of the day. Athletes forced to slow down on the run faced the double challenge of being wet and running into stiff winds off the lake. What follows here is a general review of Team performance; specifics will come to light over the next few days as the race reports trickle in. Note: You can view results here, pictures here, and read athlete race reports here.
The Swim: With water temps reaching the low- to mid-60’s, a solid 5 degrees warmer than in 2008, specific fears about handling the cold water were somewhat reduced. Instead the solid morning winds led to some serious chop, slowing the average athlete by 3-5 minutes.
The Bike: Cloudy and windy conditions ensured that everyone was pretty chilly for the first one to two hours on the day. While adrenaline carried most of the competitors through the short out/back section along the lake without noticing the winds, this was not to be the case in the second lap.
Everyone enjoyed a screaming tailwind out of town. Unfortunately this turned to a pretty challenging cross/tail/head combination during the hilly loop outside of town. As always the return trip was punctuated by a solid headwind. Early fears of rain and slick roads were unfounded, as the weather held until about 5pm. Reports from the racecourse described athletes hammering early on and crushing the hills while TeamEN folks used the Four Keys Ironman Execution protocol to pace properly.
From the sidelines, it was clear that while many athletes were ready for the cold, the wind came as a surprise. The value of warm weather gear is definitely reduced when said gear is big, baggy, and hinders your ability to actually ride. In the future, folks would do well consider a quality cycling vest with arm warmers. Gloves and toe caps optional.
With the wind whipping the hills, athletes had to pedal throughout the course. In 2008, lighter winds meant cyclists could coast down most hills; the winds of ‘09 meant moderate effort was needed to maintain decent speeds. In other words, this meant more work for a time similar to 2008, or just slower times overall. I estimate that, on average, athletes rode five to fifteen minutes slower than in 2008.
All of this extra work meant that by mile 65, a large portion of the MOP and BOP athletes were sitting up, hands on the hood, unable to stay down and reap the benefits of being aero. This meant more time on the bike and more work, requires more nutrition and meant folks would be out there longer for their overall day. You can’t underestimate the ability to stay aero for the full 112 miles!
The Run: Athletes ran in the same cool and cloudy conditions that pervaded the bike leg, with anyone finishing after the 5pm mark forced to deal with some rain. The crowds were out to cheer despite the rain, but the water and wind proved a hard combination for many. In particular, the exposed portion of the run along the lake meant serious winds and temperature fluctuations.
For many Team EN athletes, this was the first time they were able to run the whole marathon (or close to it), with several setting 20+ minute PRs on the day despite not biking or swimming to their time potential given the windy conditions. In all, most folks had a solid day despite the weather and terrain, but few reported that they felt they had “left time” on the course. It was truly a day that demanded 110%.
From the Pointy End: On the pro / Kona qualification side, the fast folks were still…just plain fast. Athletes looking to qualify faced some of the fastest age group times in recent IMCDA memory. Despite the wind on the bike, many of these top athletes were able to run fast times thanks to the cooler, more forgiving temperatures. As a sample of one (n=1), a 10:04 in 2008 netted 7th place AG but in 2009 only got 16th place. The message is clear: if you are looking to qualify, you need to have your A game on regardless of race day conditions.
Congratulations to all the finishers. You have earned some well-deserved downtime…and some dry clothes! Happy recovery and see you on the roads.
Endurance Nation Ironman CDA 2009 Race Recap
Ironman CDA 2009 has come and gone, and well over 25 Endurance Nation athletes successfully having reached the finish line. As reports from the venue suggested, the weather played a significant role on race day. It was very windy with temps dropping from the low 60s to mid-50s as rain moved in towards the end of the day. Athletes forced to slow down on the run faced the double challenge of being wet and running into stiff winds off the lake. What follows here is a general review of Team performance; specifics will come to light over the next few days as the race reports trickle in. Note: You can view results here, pictures here, and read athlete race reports here.
The Swim: With water temps reaching the low- to mid-60’s, a solid 5 degrees warmer than in 2008, specific fears about handling the cold water were somewhat reduced. Instead the solid morning winds led to some serious chop, slowing the average athlete by 3-5 minutes.
The Bike: Cloudy and windy conditions ensured that everyone was pretty chilly for the first one to two hours on the day. While adrenaline carried most of the competitors through the short out/back section along the lake without noticing the winds, this was not to be the case in the second lap.
Everyone enjoyed a screaming tailwind out of town. Unfortunately this turned to a pretty challenging cross/tail/head combination during the hilly loop outside of town. As always the return trip was punctuated by a solid headwind. Early fears of rain and slick roads were unfounded, as the weather held until about 5pm. Reports from the racecourse described athletes hammering early on and crushing the hills while TeamEN folks used the Four Keys Ironman Execution protocol to pace properly.
From the sidelines, it was clear that while many athletes were ready for the cold, the wind came as a surprise. The value of warm weather gear is definitely reduced when said gear is big, baggy, and hinders your ability to actually ride. In the future, folks would do well consider a quality cycling vest with arm warmers. Gloves and toe caps optional.
With the wind whipping the hills, athletes had to pedal throughout the course. In 2008, lighter winds meant cyclists could coast down most hills; the winds of ‘09 meant moderate effort was needed to maintain decent speeds. In other words, this meant more work for a time similar to 2008, or just slower times overall. I estimate that, on average, athletes rode five to fifteen minutes slower than in 2008.
All of this extra work meant that by mile 65, a large portion of the MOP and BOP athletes were sitting up, hands on the hood, unable to stay down and reap the benefits of being aero. This meant more time on the bike and more work, requires more nutrition and meant folks would be out there longer for their overall day. You can’t underestimate the ability to stay aero for the full 112 miles!
The Run: Athletes ran in the same cool and cloudy conditions that pervaded the bike leg, with anyone finishing after the 5pm mark forced to deal with some rain. The crowds were out to cheer despite the rain, but the water and wind proved a hard combination for many. In particular, the exposed portion of the run along the lake meant serious winds and temperature fluctuations.
For many Team EN athletes, this was the first time they were able to run the whole marathon (or close to it), with several setting 20+ minute PRs on the day despite not biking or swimming to their time potential given the windy conditions. In all, most folks had a solid day despite the weather and terrain, but few reported that they felt they had “left time” on the course. It was truly a day that demanded 110%.
From the Pointy End: On the pro / Kona qualification side, the fast folks were still…just plain fast. Athletes looking to qualify faced some of the fastest age group times in recent IMCDA memory. Despite the wind on the bike, many of these top athletes were able to run fast times thanks to the cooler, more forgiving temperatures. As a sample of one (n=1), a 10:04 in 2008 netted 7th place AG but in 2009 only got 16th place. The message is clear: if you are looking to qualify, you need to have your A game on regardless of race day conditions.
Congratulations to all the finishers. You have earned some well-deserved downtime…and some dry clothes! Happy recovery and see you on the roads.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
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