I'M BACK...

I'm Back!!! And I am going to bribe you to keep reading with some FREE GU though I know you would love to read it anyways ;)

One of the exciting things that has happened over the last few months has been my promotion to Field Sales and Service Representative at GU Energy. This was my perfect opportunity to take that next step and the reason why I moved my life to the Bay Area. To say I was nervous would be an understatement but after a couple of interviews, I was offered the position and just like that dreams were coming true. It has been a lot of hard work before and since but it has been a great experience and a TON of fun.

My Sales Territory = Lots of Driving

I have now been on the job for 3.5 months (106 days to be exact, this will be important later) and have been traveling all over northern California. I have accounts from Monterey to Fresno up to the Tahoe, Reno, Redding, Sacramento and Santa Rosa. Basically if you cut California in half, I handle every single bike shop in the northern half. It has been a great learning experience and I take something away from each meeting. Plus I get to see A LOT of bike porn...and for a gear geek like me, I already want to upgrade everything on every bike I have.

On the triathlon note, I signed up for the Wildflower Long Distance Tri in early May. This is the "Woodstock" of triathlons. There are thousands of competitors with the majority of them camping in and around the race site. After fighting injuries for most of last year, I am excited to take part and just hope the training continues to go well. I have a few races leading up to the event in hopes to put on a good showing in my first Wildflower. I hear the course is crazy hard but I wouldn't want it any other way...at least that is what I say now, just don't ask me during the race :)

And since you kept reading all they way to the bottom, I have a little GU give-a-way contest. I thought about doing this when I started the new position (because I knew it was inevitable) but now that it has actually happened, now just seems like the right time.

Being a Sales Rep, I am in and out of my car all the time: 20, 30 sometimes even 40 times a day. I knew it was only a matter of time, but last Thursday (Feb. 16th) was the first time I locked my keys in my car. See I have a problem that if I get distracted (write something down, look something up, make a call), I can easily forget my keys and then jump out and lock the door behind me. Its all about routine for me getting out of the car, which is why most times I check, double check, triple and even check a 4th time that I have my keys.

So that being said, it took me 106 days to lock my keys in my car (far longer than I expected). If you can guess the next time it happens, you have a free box of GU coming your way. You pick your favorite flavor and it will appear at your door. The catch being it might happen tomorrow or another 3 months down the road. Just to make sure someone wins (I may get lucky), I will pick a winner at random on May 31st. I know that is a long way down the road but just imagine how nice it will be to have some GU with your season starting to pick up.

Enter by posting a comment on this post: Make sure you provide the date and your favorite GU!

So guess away and thanks again for reading!

San Jose Metro Triathlon - Race Report

First of all I want to start out by saying how impressed I was with this entire race. From the organization of transitions, to the music and announcements but most importantly, it was the in-race efforts that I most appreciated. I am not kidding when I say there was a police officer at EVERY intersection, cones and arrows at EVERY corner and people telling you exactly where to go. I have done many races, Ironman included and this is top-notch. I didn’t stick around for the awards ceremony but the 3 tables full of bottles of wine were a sure bet that this event was legit from beginning to end.

Swim and Expo Area

There is always a little bit of fear when getting ready for your first race of the year. Not knowing where your fitness really is, will you remember to do all the “small” things leading up to and during the race, will you take your helmet off before you head out for the run…you know, all the things that you might just forget.

My last race was in September, I spent much of the last month getting over a cold and poison oak, so much of my training was hit and miss. Riding has been most consistent but nothing more than some base miles. Running has been going ok but I never get out as much as I need to, but honestly that has been the problem since I started this sport. And swimming…well let’s just say I forgot the smell of chlorine…Yeah it’s THAT bad. I swam last Thursday just to see if remembered how to do it. Another athlete at the race made a funny comment and referenced it to that “Last Chance Workout” they do on Biggest Loser…that was my last chance swim workout before the race.

Swim Course (out around the island twice)

Just like every race morning, the alarm goes off WAY to early and I was out of bed by 4:05am and out the door 30 minutes later. It was about an hour drive down to the race site and like always, wanted to give myself plenty of time. I was ready to go with over an hour to spare…perfect in triathlon time.

Add caption

So with a little extra time, I took a moment to familiarize myself with the transition entrances and exits along with the first parts of the bike and run course. Mentally I was ready to go…it was only a matter of time until I would see if I was physically ready as well.

After struggling into my wetsuit and a quick warm-up swim, I was toeing the water’s edge ready to go. With a lack of confidence in my swimming fitness, I really forced myself to go out easy. I usually try to start fast before settling into a hard but good pace. I didn’t feel that would be a good approach at this race since it could leave me doggy paddling the rest of the race.

Photo by: Tom Vo

I was surprised on how comfortable and strong I felt throughout the swim. I knew I wasn’t going real fast but at the same time, I felt like I was working hard and didn’t feel like I faded…definitely a plus considering the last month. And if it wasn’t for the guy who kept touching my feet the ENTIRE swim, it would have been perfect and considering it was a 2-loop swim, with quick beach run…Ironman CDA-esque, well minus the few thousand fans cheering you on. I exited the water knowing I might have been able to go just a little harder but knew that I could have easily gone too hard and suffered the rest of the race. Swim Time: 25:31 (but I think this counts the run up to transition too).

Photo by: Tom Vo

Up and into transition I went. This is kind of my self-proclaimed specialty and for the first transition of the season, it went surprisingly smooth. I even did the whole flying mount onto the bike...SUCCESS!!!

Photo by: Tom Vo

Once on the bike, I still had to force myself to hold back. I wanted to push myself but at the same time REALLY didn’t want to blow up on the run. The course was flat and fast which can easily lead to pushing yourself harder than you really should. This was my fastest 40k (1:04:57) to date but I contribute that to the fast course and to these damn hills surrounding the East Bay.

Photo by: Tom Vo

Coming off the bike, I really wanted to see where my run fitness was at. So far I had only done 1 transition workout and that was after a 3 hour ride. Not a real good gauge on 10k fitness. I was surprised to feel my legs under me right from the start. I was passed pretty quickly by a couple of guys who disappeared in no time but I was just focused on putting together a solid run.

Photo by: Tom Vo

Without a watch, all I focused on was my effort. I wanted to make it to the turn-a-round and then begin to pick up the pace with each passing mile. This was by no means my fastest run off the bike but I really felt it was my smartest. Each time I wanted to speed up, the legs responded…especially when I heard one guy chasing me down.

Photo by: Tom Vo

I was able to hold him off and finish with a 43:23 or what I like to call… sub 7’s at 6:59.8!!! It felt like I was running faster but it was nice to “feel” what this pace felt like and now I know I can begin to push myself more and more.

Photo by: Tom Vo

All in all, this was a great race. I think this is my second fastest ever Olympic (2:15:37) and for the first race of the season with all that has been going on over the past 2 months, I will take it. I was impressed by the race itself and glad to get my first race of the year under my belt and finally some numbers to look at.

Winter Training- Mind Confusion



We have had just a little bit of snow this year :)

When the snow is piled high and the temperatures drop, training in the Pacific Northwest can become difficult. Throw in the fact that it is the off-season and it becomes a perfect storm for sitting on the couch watching TV and enjoying a few adult beverages to pass the time away.

Well I have found a way to trick the mind into thinking things are much cooler than they actually appear. Most of you have probably heard of muscle confusion where you try many different techniques to get many of the same results, basically keeping the body guessing...




Watch out Arnold...

 My new method is mind confusion. So when it is dark outside and the temperatures are freezing, who wants to go to the gym and lift weights...definitely not I, but when it becomes "Ninja Training" now this seems awesome and who wouldn't want to become a better Ninja.



For the last month or so, Eric and I have been hitting the gym twice a week to do circuit training...aka Ninja Training to build some extra strength and get those muscles stronger for next year. It is a great change of pace from all the swimming, biking and running and well in the end we might actually have a beach muscle or two :)




Just keep swimming...

 Our next trick to mind confusion is "S.E.A.L. Training". Now since I am still a triathlete and... well swimming is all about muscle memory and technique, I still need to get to the pool, even if it is the very last thing I want to do. So instead of going to the pool knowing that I will be staring at the black line over and over again...the new plan is to treat it as S.E.A.L. Training.

And because the Navy Seals are pretty damn badass in my book. I fools me just enough to put on the spandex and stay focused for just long enough to get in an almost quality workout.



Finally cleaned of the inch or so of dust and got all set up.

Since the roads are either covered with Ice or Snow or Slush or well all of the above...the only really way to ride your bike is on the trainer. Now I have pretty much failed at this over the last couple of months but with the new year coming quickly, it is time to get my butt in gear.

So yes, we have come up with a way to confuse the mind on this one too. It is called "Lancing". Since the most badasstic cyclist of all-time is Lance Armstrong...you wouldn't want to be able to ride like Lance...or even 10% as well as him... or maybe even as good as his left foot.

 

As for running...I still haven't figured out a way to confuse myself enough. With a goal of becoming a better runner this year, it is talking absolutely all the mental strength I can muster to run. Lately, I have even been jumping on the treadmill (I know...I might be going a little insane) after Ninja Training, in hopes that I might still be in Ninja mode and will be able to suffer through it for a little bit.

So at this point I am sending out an all call for people who want to run. I am a sucker for running partners, since I know I won't have to suffer alone. Honestly, any pace and all paces are welcome. Right now I just need to get out there and RUN!!!


What are you tricks of the trade so to speak? Are you awesome enough to be able to get out and do all these workouts or do you have to try your own sort of mind confusion?

Update from Kona 2010

OK...so I have pretty much been MIA in the blog world besides a few race reports here and there. It's time to get this thing rollin' again and what better place to start then an update from the mecca of triathlon...Kona, Hawaii and the Ironman World Championships!

This is where is all begins on Saturday Morning!

Tomorrow, over 1,900 athletes will jump into the Kailua-Kona Bay and begin the 140.6 mile journey towards Ironman royalty. I have had the pleasure to know many athletes who have competed here and a few that will be attempting it for the first time. Whether it is your first or your 10th, lining up Saturday morning to begin the race has to be an amazing feeling.

Set up along Ali'i Drive.
Nothing like some GU along the road during some serious hot workouts!

Today I was fortunate to help out at the GU Energy booth and was able to speak with many athletes who are about to embark on this crazy race. It was very interesting to talk with them about where they were from, what race they qualified at and how they were feeling about the race.

I am not going to lie, there were many faces that showed fear...how could you not. This race is no joke, the winds on the way to Hawi, the heat of the Energy Lab...for many of these athletes there is no way for them to mimic these conditions, so I can easily see how it can be very overwhelming. But at the same time, talking with each athlete you could tell they felt ready. They had put in all the long hours, the hard days, the many sacrifices it takes to get here and honestly each and every one of them were going to go out there with dreams of hearing Mike Reilly tell them "You are and IRONMAN". They just wanted to race to start.

There is no doubt that someday it would be great to have the opportunity to race here and be that athlete with eye so wide and nerves so built. But this year I am going to be cheering these amazing athletes and watching their dreams come true.

Aloha from Kona!!!

Grand Columbian 2010- Race Report

Some may call it under-trained, some may call it lazy but I call it WELL rested. Training the last few weeks has been non-existent. I hadn't swam in almost 3 weeks, running occured maybe 2 twice a week and my butt doesn't even know what a saddle is anymore...and to add a cherry on top of my trainingless sundae, I have been fighting LONGEST congestion cold I have EVER had!


All 4 bikes loaded up! Thank You Thompsons for letting us use the bike rack!

 I had absolutely no expectations going into the race. Last year, my tri club Tri-Fusion, narrowly won the North American Club Endurance Challenge by 1 point. Though this year we had a large turnover in athletes from our club, we still had plenty of people representing and we wanted to bring back another victory...which by the way we did with Josh Hadway winning 1st place overall in the Olympic and Ben Greenfield winning 1st place in the Half-Ironman. We also had plenty more athletes taking age-group awards! All in all we DOMINATED once again! Great job Tri-Fusion.

So onto my race. Have you ever had those thoughts that this just might be 'YOUR' day. Everything is going to go right and you might just surprise yourself with an extraordinary effort and an amazing PR? OK...maybe I am the only one living in that fantasy land ;) Since my training was anything but, physically I felt good. No aches or pains but I knew that this was a tough race and it was going to hurt no matter how easy or hard I went. I just wanted to make sure I finished it and kind of see where I compared to my results from last year.

Adam, Jenn, Cam and I loaded up and headed down to the Grand Coulee dam and Banks Lake where the race was held. With the 10 AM start for the Olympic, we were able to leave the morning of and still make it down in plenty of time to get everything set up and stand around for an hour or so and cheer the half ironman competitors out of the water.

I wanted to make sure that I got a good, yet short, warm up in since I haven't had the wetsuit on much this year but at the same time needed to save EVERY.LAST.BIT of strength for the race. After a quick dip and a few yards of swimming, we were lined up and ready to go.


Getting ready for my first open water swim since CDA Triathlon!



Even though I knew it wasn't going to last, I went out strong for the first couple hundred yards. I wanted to avoid any congestion and see if there was any way I could find some feet and hang on for dear life. Since the race had a buoy line to follow from start to finish, I was able to keep my head down and just focus on trying not to die.

The swim was pretty uneventful. About halfway through I was ready to be done and was just pure survival mode. I was unable to keep up with the main pack of swimmers as they pulled away shortly after my strong start and much of the rest of the race was spent swimming alone, leading the second pack out of the water.

I think the swim was short this year since my time was 1:08 faster and I felt at least 108% worse.

Swim Time:
2010- 23:21.5
2009- 24:39



Heading out of T1...notice the bike in the left hand. WTF?

 As I have mentioned in previous race reports, transition are one VERY important key to a good race. I really try my best to have great transitions as it is basically free time. T1 was no exception. I could have definitely gone faster but due to the fact I was exhausted from the swim, I just tried to keep my feet under me and do my best to think through the entire transition process. I was almost 18 seconds faster than last year and 13 seconds ahead of 2nd place.

So 1st place...for T1!!! It's the small things in life...right?

Transition 1:
2010- 1:24.5
2009- 1:42

Here is one of the videos Dave put together for the Swim and Transition 1

Now transitions are one thing...getting on your bike out of transition is something complete different. I usually do a running or flying mount from the right side of my bike. For the first time ever, I ran out of transition with my bike in my left hand. I really have no idea why I did this, but it resulted in me feeling in complete no mans land. It was like trying to throw a baseball with your left hand or kicking a ball with your left foot. It wasn't pretty and the best part was Dave Erickson got it all on camera...thanks Dave! Dave and Melissa made a special trip down to video the race and take pics...which you will see throughout the report.

Now this bike course is a B.I.&.%.H!!! And yes all caps are required. The bike starts out with a brutal climb shortly out of transition and then a series of tough rollers that seem to go on FO.EV.ER! There is really no chance to get into any sort of rhythm...and just when you seem to get in control you hit a LONG downhill. By long I mean averaging 40+ mph for over 10 minutes and at one point hitting 48MPH for a few minutes and you don't even have to peddle.

With no real judge of my fitness, I could have road hard and completely blowup on the bike and would have probably suffered even more on the run. I just tried to keep a constant pace the entire bike and do my best to chase each athlete down one by one. Overall I think I passed 5 or 6 racers and rolled into T2 feeling pretty good.

Bike Split:

2010- 1:15:52
2009- 1:11:20

It was at this point Dave informed me that I was in 4th overall...and it was at that exact same moment I almost crapped myself. There was no way I was in 4th. He must have missed some people come in. I knew if he was correct and the fact that my running has been getting slower and slower throughout the year that it was going to be difficult to hold on for the next 10K.

Transition 2- Much better dismount and off on the run. Thanks Dave!!!

Trying to save every last second before I was run over by the freight train of athletes behind me, I did my best to get through Transition as fast as I could. I wish I could report I had the 2 fastest transitions of the day but my buddy Cam beat me by .6 seconds...

Transition #2:
2010- 1:03.6
2009- 1:04.3

Every time I get off the bike in a triathlon, I know this is where I lose any time of athletic advantage I might have gained in the swim and bike. As I left transition, there was no one in front of me. I couldn't see 3rd place, even of the half mile long bridge. I really tried to focus on being consistent and in all reality, just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I was passed by one guy before the turn-around and knew holding onto 5th place was going to be tough...but I had no idea.

The great thing about out and back run courses is you get an idea of who is behind you and how big you lead is. About 30 seconds after I made the turn, I saw 6th, then 7th, then 8th...they were stacked up and barreling down on me like a train. I made a conscious effort to pick up the pace and did my best to hold on.

The Run and Finish...and my first interview EVER!!!

I have said this in the past, but I have a real problem going to the really dark place in a race when you are pushing yourself to the limits. I know it's not because I can't physically do it because I have done it many times in training but in a race I just lack that extra kick. I think it is fear of blowing up with the result of walking but there might be something else. This is one thing I really want to work on. Not sure how to do it but I will figure it out.

This Is I!!!

Overall the run was solid. Nothing crazy but all in all it was a good effort. I was passed by one more guy about a mile from the finish and held off the top female finisher by 12 seconds...didn't want to get chicked ;)

Run Split:
2010- 46:04
2009- 45:23

Still Smiling!

This race is always going to be tough. It is late in the season when everything is winding down. The course is tough but once you are finished it was a great end to another success season of triathlon. I am already looking forward to next year and can't wait to see what is in store.

Overall:
2010- 2:27:45.9 6th OA, 1st AG
2009- 2:24:09.8 5th OA, 1st AG

Tri-Fusion Age-Group Hardware!!! Nice Work!

I want to send a special thanks to Dave, Melissa, Jay and Michelle for coming down and cheering at the race. I also want to say thank you for all the good lucks and well wishes for this race and all my races of the year. There is nothing I like more in the sport of triathlon then the athletes I get to share this great sport with.

Thanks again for reading...Until next time!

Race Report: Coeur d' Alene Olympic Triathlon

Leading up to this race I really focused on getting a few runs under my belt. I know two weeks is hardly enough time to become good at ANYTHING (it might be different for you) but I just wanted to have a couple consistent weeks of running before the Coeur d' Alene Tri. I have a feeling it benefitted me more mentally then it did physically but I didn't care, I was going to run.

It started off with me entering a local 5K the Tuesday after Race the River with the plan of running hard and seeing when I would fail. I am happy to report that I didn't die though with a heart rate of 198 over the last .1 miles...I am pretty sure I was on the verge. I did set a new open 5K PR of 19:14 for the distance (my Bloomsday 5K split was about 1 minute faster) so I knew my legs had a little bit of speed in them...but the trick would be to have it off the bike.

After my new PR!!!
I would have been faster if I was wearing a shirt like the kid in the background...

So over then next week and a half it was all about the run. My bike sat in the house...exactly like it was after my last race and didn't move until I loaded it up for the race on Saturday morning. I did get a few rides in on my road bike but that was it.

As I went to bed Friday night and set the alarm for the UNGODLY zero hour of 3:45AM, I was excited to see how it would go. So FREAKIN' excited in fact that I couldn't even fall asleep...like a kid on Christmas eve. All in all, I think I slept about 30 minutes...nothing like trying to amp yourself up when all you can think about is lying down. It got to the point where I actually contemplated rolling up my transition towel and just taking a quick nap next to my bike...but I figured I would wake up with a wetsuit dripping on me as the first swimmers were coming out of the water.

I also decided to do this race without a watch and just go by feel. No heart rate to keep low or time to try and beat, I was out there to race with my legs and just see what happened.

The Swim:
The great thing about doing a race each year is that you can see how much you have improved from the previous year.

Photo by Rory Buck

As the gun went off, I went out hard. The plan was to position myself up near the front, find some feet and settle into a solid pace. As we started in, I felt some open water immediately but knew with some serious swimmers in the bunch and it would take long for the wave of people to come flying by...and that took all of about 15 seconds. As I reach the bouy I found a familiar friend right next to me.

Unorganized Chaos!!!
Photo by Rory Buck

For the next 15 minutes or so, Nate Duncan and I swam stroke for stroke. I was able to draft of the EAC for a bit on the backside of the course and try to pull my fair share too. As we made the final turn back towards the finish I tried to open it up a bit, only to find Nate right there. Two years ago, I had a similar experience, he happen to be the guy who got the little extra kicking, see Coach Kevin and Rory...even triathletes can kick while swimming...but this year as we are wisely veterans, we were able to keep it clean and with a last little push and some swim traffic ahead of us, I was able to finish strong and swim what I believe is a new PR for that 'distance'.

Heading into T1
Photo by Rory Buck

Swim:
2010- 24:38
2090- 19:27
2008- 26:05
2007- 30:41

Transition 1:
When you are not as 'fast' as everyone else around you, a quick way to make up time is in transitions. I have always made it a point to use this as my advantage and pick up those valuable seconds. After a quick challenge from Roger Thompson to have the fastest transitions (nothing like a little extra competition) I was ready to go.

My Transition Area...Key to successful transitions!
Photo by ME ;)

At Race the River I was passed by 3 or 4 people on the run up to the bikes. NOT THIS WEEK!!! I came out of the water flying. As soon as I reached the park I picked up the pace and flew through transition like I was being chased by the cops.

Sprinting towards my bike.
Photo by Kathy Worden

Even without the best location (near the exit since they had to run less with their bikes), I was able to have the fastest T1 at 53 seconds which was 5 seconds faster then my buddy Derek Garcia and 3 seconds faster than last year.

The Bike:
You only have a good bike if you have a good run. Since my focus for this race was the run, I knew I needed to be a bit conservative on the bike. It wasn't that I didn't ride hard I just didn't push myself like I normally would. It felt more important to leave a little more in the tank and give myself a chance on the run.

Photo by Rory Buck

The great thing about this bike course is that it keeps you honest. You can't go to hard at any one point or you will suffer bad later on. I really think this bike course suits me well though. There is a great mix of flats, rollers and a 'small' 3 mile hill thrown right in the middle.

Leaving the shoes on my bike!
Photo by Kathy Worden

I know I could have easily pushed myself harder and had a much faster bike split but that wasn't the goal for this race and even if I could have have gained 1 minute on the bike, with my current run it could have added 3-4 minutes on the run. As it turned out, I was 3 seconds slower than last year but think I probably rode easier. It is a good sign my bike fitness is there.

2010- 1:06:09
2009- 1:06:06
2008- 1:09:31
2007- 1:12:32 (shorter course)

Transition 2:
Once again I was trying to put down a solid T2. I had a couple issues trying to roll my bike along but was still able to lay down a solid 30 second time which was good for 2nd. I was beat by 3 seconds but was 8 seconds faster than last year.

Photo by Dave Erickson

The Run:
I can't say I was dreading the run but I was very nervous and didn't know how I would feel or how to attack it. I had a few people out in front of me to chase down...which never happens and I knew I had some dang fast runners behind me who were going to be flying.

Smiling on the run...must have been a good race!
Photo by Rory Buck

Since I had no watch or heartrate monitor, this was going to be on complete feel. I left transition with a 23 yr old and made it a goal to keep him in sight. I NEVER pass anyone on the run and usually get passed by 2 or 3 people before the finish. This time was going to be different.

Photo by Rory Buck

As we headed out, I really focused on keeping my pace up and it helped to have the 23 yr old to pace off of. At one point I actually passed him and he was pacing off of me...I know CRAZY!!! I pretty much caulked it up to him not knowing who I was :)

Just around the park!
Photo by Kathy Worden

Since Nate and fellow Tri-Fusion teammate Trevor Blackwell didn't catch me on the bike I knew they were back there somewhere. I was leaving transition when Nate was coming in and figured I had about 40-60 second lead. It didn't take Nate long to catch me and by mile 1.5 he was pulling away. Now it was up to me to stay focused and race my race.

And DONE!!!
Photo by Rory Buck

Overall, I am very pleased with my run. It definitely wasn't my fastest run split for a 10K or even at this race but with the struggles I had at Race the River, it was great to be able to run consistent and finish the race. I probably could have run just a bit faster but it is easy to say that now...not so much when you are struggling for each last bit of oxygen coming to the finishline.

2010: 42:40

2009: 41:29

2008: 42:18

2007: 49:41

I have the EXACT same photo from last year...
Photo by Rory Buck

Thanks again to my roommates Rory and Carla for coming out to cheer and take some awesome pictures. Also thank you to everyone for the text messages and cheering me along. It was not my best race but a race that I can build on and now work to improve.

Until next time...

Snake River Tri: Race Report

As I am sitting in the pool before I am about to do the swim portion of the Snake River Tri, a lap swimmer next to me sparks up a conversation. She asks what we are doing and I explain the unique format of this race. The fact that we swim on Friday night and bike/run on Saturday. She informs me that it doesn’t sound like a ‘real’ triathlon, ya know the kind where you do them all in a row.

She then asks about the distances and after I tell her about the 500 yard swim, 12 mile bike and 2 mile run, she is quick to say ‘Ohh, so this is a easy one’ and follows that up with ‘Have you ever done a hard one, like Troika or Ironman’. It was then, that I had to laugh and explain to her, just because this race is short, does not mean it is easy.

Tri-Fusion Registration Table w/ GU Energy Product for the racers.


Race Report:

The Swim:

I knew going into this race, it was going to be tough. All my training is for Ironman and the Snake River Tri is a sprint race, short and not so sweet.

The race began Friday night at the YMCA North in Spokane. The goal here is to swim 500 yards as fast as you can. There is no need to save the legs, no need to worry about transition or anything else. Just swim.

Based on training, I set a goal to be sub 6:30 for my swim. That was going to be a 24 second improvement over last year but I knew it was possible. After talking with Coach Kevin earlier in the week, the plan was to get rhythm in my stroke for the first 100, bring in some power the second 100, start bringing in some legs for the third 100, the forth hundred really start to kick and the final 100 is complete survival.

I followed the game plan to a tee. All my 50's were within 38-40 seconds and I was even able to pick up the pace on the final 100 or so. Overall it was a ‘good’ swim with a time of 6:30 ON THE DOT!!! I have a real problem of knowing myself a bit too well and knowing exactly what I can do (more on this later)…I Think it is time to quit setting time goals and just race the race. I am really trying to not get too caught up in it all but I do find it funny how well I know my ability.

Heading down to Lewiston...

With the swim out of the way and running on about 3.5-4 hours of sleep from the night before, we all headed down to Lewiston for the bike and run portions of the race. The weather was absolutely perfect, a far cry from the snow I remember from a few years back.

Going into this portion of the race, I knew my age-group was STACKED! I think I had the 9th fastest swim overall but felt with a solid race I could place in the Top 5. The only problem was 3 out of the 8 people (Ben, Nate and Derek) in from of me were in my age-group and are all extremely fast. It was going to take a miracle for me to catch them, let alone beat them, but I set out to push as hard as I could and hope for the best.

The Bike:

I took off out of transition with a goal to push hard the entire time...you have to remember this is an easy race...right? There was going to be no breaks, no points where I wish I would have pushed harder, it was all out all the time. I had a few carrots out in from of me and I was going to do my best to catch them.

Out on the course.

The bike portion hurt…in a good way. It took me a while to get my legs under me but eventually they started to respond. There is a long slow climb out to the turn-around which resulted in a super fast ride back. I am pretty sure I averaged over 30+mph coming back to transition…It was AWESOME!!! I ended up biking 1:45 faster than last year’s race so I am definitely excited about that.

The Run:

2 Miles...Just 2 miles! Sounds easy right, just ask the girl at the pool. Well 2 miles can be very painful. It was all I could do to keep moving forward. I wanted to get out of transition quick and see if I could chase anyone down. Fortunately I was able to catch one guy, unfortunately I was not able to catch the three guys in my age-group.

Heading out to the turn-around...

Remember when I said I knew my abilities...Before the race, I asked Tiff how ‘awesome’ it would be to finish 4th in my Age-Group and 4th Overall. That is how stacked this race was. So what happened? I was able to hold off a fast charging Greg by 8 seconds, and yep, finished 4th in my Age-Group and 4th Overall.

Coming into the finish line with Greg right behing me.

I may have bike a bit too hard (which was the goal) and it affected my run, I was still able to finish 1:49 faster than last year. Overall my run was slower by 35 seconds and after watching Dave Erickson’s video, I can see why. If this race was another 20 yards, I might have crawled to the finish line.

This is I!!!


I really enjoy this race, even if it is painful, and want to send out a special thank you to Lewis and Clark State College for putting on a great event.