Ironman Louisville

Ironman Louisville – the sequel. It’s been a nostalgic summer; riding and running the same routes in preparation for the same course where I did my first and only Ironman 3 years ago. I have a certain comfort level with this race that stems from a lot of different things: First of all, I know the course very well as this was my 4th trip there in a row, either as a participant or a spectator; second, it’s a hot race and I actually “like” the heat – I tend to race better in August than I do in April; Finally, I have a great support group in Louisville. One of my best friends since childhood (Tom) married a Louisville girl (Ashley) and they have lived in Louisville for years. They are great, and it’s always good to come back and see them and enjoy their hospitality. All that said, I was feeling pretty good about the race, and looking forward to improving on my 11:12 performance from 3 years ago.


I got to Tom’s late Wednesday night and was really able to relax and take it easy for the few days leading up to the race. It’s so nice to not be in a hotel. You don’t realize how much running around you do when you live out of a hotel for days at the time. This time I was “at home” so I did “at home” things, like sit on the couch and watch tv, sleep in and enjoy home cooked meals.

My Long Time Nemesis - The Mighty Ohio

Tom's soon to be famous "Couscous Salad"

The day before the race was a breeze. Tom lives about 10 minutes from the transition area so everything was easy. I zipped down to the river in the morning for the practice swim, came back and laid on the couch for a few hours, then zipped back down to the river for bike check in.

Bike Check-In 

Race morning arrived and as usual, my pre-game jitters were out of control. I dread those race morning feelings of anxiety and nervousness so much, but I guess it’s all part of it - plus it makes getting to the finish line that much more special.

I actually quite enjoy the National Anthem - I'm just scared to death

Finally it was time to go so I jumped off the dock and started my day. It was more congested than I remember and the first 400 or so was crowded and hectic. Swallowed half the river but eventually found some clean water and got into a good rhythm. After that it was a pretty uneventful swim and I exited the water in 1:10. I am not the best swimmer so I was certainly pleased with that. After a decent transition I hit the bike course feeling pretty good.

Starting the bike was the first time I really noticed the weather; it was nice. Some cloud cover early really made the first 30-40 miles comfortable, and when the sun did come out it really wasn’t bad. It was a bit windy which slowed us down some, but that was a fair tradeoff as temps were in the mid 80s instead of low 90s which is more typical. I didn’t really have any problems staying hydrated or fueled and the legs felt “ok”.

Mile 40

After a 5:15 bike, I made my way through T2 and started doing the math as I hit the run course. I needed to run 3:26 to break 10 hours and I knew it was going to be close. I was in the midst of contemplating the shear silliness of running 26 miles after swimming 2.4 and biking 112 when I saw something very strange in the distance. Is that what I think it is? Yes, it’s a hot dog!! Steph had donned her famous hot dog costume to provide me with some much needed encouragement. I nearly laughed myself into a side stitch but it was worth it.

Me and the Hot Dog on the 2nd St Bridge

After the hot dog episode, I settled in at about 7:40 pace and stayed there til mile 18 or so. At that point, it got REAL hard, but this time I found a way to keep running, whereas in 2008 I started to walk. If I only remember one thing about the race it will be that – you can always keep running.

The pace started to slip a little so I started looking at my watch a little more often. Am I going to make it? From miles 20-23 I really wasn’t sure, but when I hit 24 at 9:41 I was pretty sure I was going to get there. As I made the turn on to 4th Street, I was about as satisfied with a race as I have ever been. It’s such a great finish line and I couldn’t have been happier to get there. 9:58.

Good Job! Um, the medical tent is that way

I am extremely proud of this result. I feel like I executed well, didn’t make any big mistakes, and fought as hard as I could when things went from “really hard” to “unbearable”. Going into this race I had 2 goals: break 10 hours and grab a Kona slot. Typically, at Ironman Louisville those two things are one in the same; break 10 and you are in. In fact, in the previous 4 years, no one in the 35-39 age group had ever broken 10 and failed to qualify, and that includes 2009 (the cool year). But this year things were different. Guys are just getting stronger, faster and smarter nowadays and if you want a slot, you really have to up your game. My 9:58 was only good enough for 15th Sunday. Maybe next year I will make another run in 40-44, but for now, time to rest……. And eat. How about these super nachos?

Thanks to Steph as always for putting up with all of this, to super-hosts, Tom and Ashley for all the hospitality and to PowerBar, Brooks, Xterra and my good friends at J&A Racing for all the support. I couldn’t do this without you guys and I appreciate it.

My Summer In Pictures

Hi everyone, long time no post. Sorry, I will try to do better. I would tell you about my summer but there is way too much; so I will just sum up...... with some pictures of course.

After St. Croix, I was tired, unmotivated and I just needed a break from all things triathlon. So I took one, and I did a lot of this:

And some of this:

And yes, a little of this:

Then one day I decided I felt like doing another triathlon. So I signed up for this:

So I had to do a lot of this:

And of course a lot of this:

I'm not as young as I used to be, so as usual I had to do a lot of this:

And this time I even had to do some of this (Yikes):

After all that I feel pretty good. Time to roll the dice again next weekend.

St. Croix 70.3

Wow, what a trip. If you are a triathlete and you have not made it to St. Croix yet, you definitely need to put this one on your “to do” list. The race is charming, small and accessible, scenic and incredibly challenging. All three events are difficult and nothing is easy there; the water is choppy and the currents are shifty, the bike course is hilly and windy with lots of rough pavement, and the run is hot, humid and hilly. It’s 70.3 miles and you earn every inch of it. It’s truly a test, both mentally and physically, but it is a beautiful place to race and an awesome place to enjoy a relaxing vacation afterward.

For us, the week didn’t start out great. Our flight out of Norfolk was cancelled which threw a big wrench into my pre-race planning. We were supposed to arrive in St. Croix Thursday afternoon but we didn’t get in until Friday night. And to make matters worse, my bike didn’t make the plane. Luckily, it arrived Saturday morning, so I put it together just in time to tag along for a shakeout ride with pros, Luke Bell and Mac Brown which was very cool. Our condo wasn’t far from the legendary climb they call “The Beast”, so we spun up to it to have a look. At ¾ of a mile, topping out at a 23% grade, it is not for the faint of heart.  

 The base of the mighty Beast

Race morning arrived and I was actually pretty relaxed. I knew I wasn’t in that great of shape coming in, so I really just wanted to race smart and do my best. This winter was hard; cold weather and too much work really hurt my motivation and cut into my training time and I just wasn’t as fit and lean as I needed to be. But I was still looking forward to the race; we had a good group of racers, some of which were doing the half and others were doing the sprint.

Body Marking

The warm up swim over to the cay

 Our top performer of the weekend - Amy took 

3rd overall in the sprint

 Our MVP of the weekend - J-fab forgot to train for the race

but that did not deter him from finishing, or being the life of the party all week

I didn't feel great Sunday and I didn't go very fast but I was committed to enjoying the day. The course was epic, the scenery was breathtaking and our support group on the course was unmatched. Steph, Jerry and the rest of the crew were having a blast watching the race and their enthusiasm attracted some big names. By the time I made it to the finish line, our cheering section included Mac Brown, Luke Bell and Kate Major.

Glad to be done!!

I am not disappointed with how I raced; I actually feel like I executed pretty well. I am however, disappointed with the build over the winter. I just wasn't as fit as I should have been. Some things were beyond my control, but most of it was just lack of motivation and laziness, and I know if I want to be competitive I have to make some changes and do better. I'm really not sure what is next for me so I am going to take some time to figure it out. I do want to thank Brooks and PowerBar for all the support, and Jerry and Amy for being great sponsors, but more importantly great friends. You guys are always there to encourage me when things don't go well and that inspires me to get it together and do better.

After the race, we stayed for 4 days and we had an absolute blast. We laid in the sun, saw the sites, drank fruity drinks, snorkeled, played golf and kayaked.

Fruity drinks a plenty

Great Friends

Beer Drinking Pigs!

Snorkeling and diving 

 Every morning we sipped coffee while enjoying this view

Sunset in Frederiksted

It was a great vacation and I was actually sad that we had to come back. 

Thanks for stopping by.

St. Croix Here We Come

My how the time has flown by. I can't believe that St. Croix is here already. We are heading out Thursday, so hopefully that will be enough time to get acclimated to the heat and humidity before the Sunday race. I know the terrain and the conditions are going to be brutal so I am trying to prepare myself mentally for what lies ahead. I don't know if I have done enough work, but I do know I have done a lot. Time to let it fly and see what happens.

We have a really good group heading down there so it should be a really fun week. I'm looking forward to the race, but I am also looking forward to relaxing and enjoying the island for a few days afterward.

Last weekend I made time for one last long ride in Pungo.

 Anyone who lives around here knows that it isn't that far,

but it still feels cool to ride into another state

I was by myself on the ride, but I did make time to say hello to some old friends:

Llama!

Big Horse

Tiny Horse!

Thanks for stopping by.

Cary Long Course Duathlon

I went to North Carolina this weekend to race the Cary Long Course Duathlon. I drove down Friday afternoon and stayed with my brother in law, Brad and his family. They took great care of me (and my puppy) and their house is only 15 minutes from the race site so that was a huge bonus.

We had some serious thunderstorms roll through the night before which really cooled things down a bit. I was expecting mid 60s but we got low 50s but that was fine. The roads were dry by the time the race started and the winds were light so it was a perfect day to race. I took it fairly easy on the first run and got on the bike in 4th place. I was feeling really good on the bike and quickly rode into 3rd and by the halfway point of the bike I could see 2nd place up ahead. I rode past him but I couldn't really put any time on him. He knew he was a better runner than I was so he was content to just keep me in his sights and then run me down later; smart racing, I would have done the same. So with 6 miles to go on the bike, I decided to just let it fly and try to get a gap. I knew I might suffer on the second run as a result but it was my only chance, as I would definitely loose an 8k foot race with this guy if we came into T2 together. I managed to get about 45 seconds but it wasn't enough. With about a mile to go on the second run leg, he zipped by me and I didn't have an answer so I had to settle for 3rd place. It was a good result and I feel pretty good about St. Croix based on what I did Saturday. 

This was a fun little event; very well organized, safe, good roads and good food afterward. The course is fun; spectator friendly and it has some good hills on the bike and run. If you are training for a hilly race this is a great tune up. I would definitely go back and do this race again.