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Vineman70.3 Race Report by On The Road

The night before...
Saturday afternoon we drove down to pick up my race packet and set up T2 (This race has two transition areas; one near the water-T1 and the other is 15 miles away in Windsor-T2). My number was 644. A good number. If you don't know me very well...I must tell you I have this thing with my race number. I am a bit superstitious I suppose, but not really. I just have to have a 'good' number. If it is not an obviously good number I find a way to make it so. I could go on for pages about what makes the number worthy, but for now we will just say 644 is a good number.
I found the rack for 30-34 year old women and placed my shoes, water bottle, visor, chap stick, and a couple of power gels in a plastic bag under the rack. Notice I did not mention socks-this will be important later.

After my chicken fajitas at Chevy's we scouted out 'camp' site. The only rooms that were available the week before were smoking rooms in a motel 6. We decided to save the money and sleep in the car. We put the back seats down and laid out some camping pads and a comforter. It was actually quite comfortable. And... other than the midnight awakening to some questionable activity by two men who thought that our car would create a nice romantic barricade from the rest of the world (That's a whole other story!)... I slept well and awoke rested just a few hundred feet from transition.

The Russian River...
The water was 75 degrees. Perfect for my sleeveless wetsuit. There was so much commotion at the start, I barely heard the horn. Suddenly we were swimming-upstream. The river is quite narrow compared to the vastness of the lakes and oceans I am used to swimming in so it was near impossible not to draft. Still, I did my best to stay on someone’s toes all the way upstream. By the turn-around, the crowd had thinned a bit and there were not near as many options to draft. I noticed 4 or 5 yellow caps that I swam along with pretty much the entire race. We took turns in front, but we all seemed about the same ability. Only once did I experience volatility. As one of the 5 began to cut in front of my, she must have thought I was running into her... she pushed me. She actually put her arm into my side and pushed me. Bitch. I held my ground and left her behind me. Hah!
The transition area is in a dirt (and rock) parking lot. The carpets laid out for us were nice on the feet except for the random rocks strewn across from the waves ahead of us. I found my bike and peeled off my wetsuit. Within 2 minutes I was running my bike out of transition, without socks. (I never wear socks on the bike, so I didn't even think to put them on.)
Swim=35:32.4
T1=2:01.4

Wine Country...
The bike was beautiful. Fields of grapevines. Trees everywhere. Rolling hills. One tougher climb, but not enough to bring me out of my saddle. I did stand a few times just to stretch out my legs a bit. A highlight was the two women who flew by my in the first 5 miles.... about 30 minutes later I passed them... and never saw them again (until half-way through the run at least). A friend was even able to snap a few pictures of me from his car. The bike course was so enjoyable I couldn't believe when I looked at my watch ad saw that it had already been 2 hours! Soon it was over though and I was off to the run.
Bike=2:53:48.5
T2=2:57.3

Hot Hills...
The run was constant up and down. One hill after another. Without socks my feet were soon covered in blisters. By the turn around I was in pain. By mile 7 I think I was walking more than I was running. I thought for sure my shoes would be filled with blood at the finish line. I was actually a bit disappointed when I took off my shoes and only one blister was even open. All that pain and not even a little blood!
It made me doubt my pain tolerance. I should have just kept running. I felt weak. I wanted to see some blood.
But in the end it was a good race. I will always be sure to have socks with running shoes from now on. Live and learn. OR... race and learn as the case may be. :)
Run=2:07:38.9
Finish=5:40:58.4

Click HERE to visit Irongirl's Blog and help her raise money to find a cure.

A funny thing happened on the way to T1 by 21st Century Mom

Editor's Note: This week we are featuring some of the your most interesting race stories.

Did you have a terrific day or a horrible train wreck of a day? Did something crazy happen to you or did you have to overcome a a huge problem just to finish?

Click HERE to send us your best race day story or a link to it so we can share it with the rest of the team.

We start with a recent swim at Wild Flower that didn't turn out the way you'd expect:

I started the race in the middle of the pack although it had been my intention to be to the right and toward the back. Much of our wave sort of coalesced around me after I picked my spot. The horn went off and I ran down the ramp like very one else and hit the water. I was smack dab in the middle of the washing machine but it was okay - except I couldn't see. I just kept swimming.

I swam and swam and swam and swam and wondered where was the damned buoy and then BONK - I hit a kayak. I looked up, squinted through the fog, located some splash and headed that way. I could sort of see a buoy by now. For those of you who have never done a triathlon we're not talking about those little things that mark a channel - these are huge, inflatable, bright orange buoys.

At this point I am totally disoriented - I have no idea where I am in the water relative to the course and then I hear a guy shouting 'RIGHT! RIGHT!" so I head right. I must have been near a buoy at that point and I actually think that after I headed right I ended up almost inside the perimeter but there was another boat so I swung wide and just kept swimming.

I swam and swam and swam and I still couldn't see and I guess I drew someone off with me because I was not alone. Then the colors of the caps started changing (again, for you non-triathletes they put each wave in the same colored cap). I was a blue cap and I found myself amid green and yellow and white and I realized that I was passing really slow swimmers from earlier waves and being passed by fast swimmers from a later wave. It didn't matter, though because I still couldn't get a bead on where I was. I just kept swimming.

And then - rising from the water like the promised land was a buoy - huzzah! I swam to that buoy and got right up close to it, swung around the corner and headed out like a bat out of hell. I was squinting and looking for the balloon arch and I couldn't see it and I thought 'WHERE THE HELL ARE THOSE BALLOONS???!!" and then BONK! I hit another boat. At that point I grabbed it and pulled my goggles up and saw that I was way, way off course. I was almost to the other boat launch - so close, in fact that I could smell the gas in the water.

"What the hell!!??? Why are you so far out??!!!!" I yelled at the poor kid. He smiled and said, "yeah - there aren't enough of us out here. Just head over there and join the other swimmers". Now I was so, so confused. Why were they way over there? And where were the damned balloons?? I zig zagged my way over there and I finally caught them and started heading in the right direction and then I saw the balloons. I was home free! I just kept swimming and headed for shore.

So what happened Monday? I looked at the course maps one more time. I had looked at these maps many, many, many times. Let me share:


See how the long course map is in the shape of a rectangle and the short course map is in the shape of a triangle? I had somehow gotten it into my head that the short course was just like the long course only they brought the buoys in closer. While I was swimming I was not only blind, I had the wrong shape of the route in my head. I was thinking the swim was long up the first side, straight out from shore, turn 90 degrees and go perpendicular for a short bit and then turn another 90 degrees and head straight back to shore, see the balloons and swim in. But no - that's not the way it was at all and hence, my swim looked like this:

Triathlon imitates life, once again. Lesson learned - before I take off I need to make sure I know where I'm going and that I can see. Not as amusing or adventuresome as just swimming along bumping into things until I get where I'm trying to go but way more efficient.

Click HERE for more 21st century mom
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USAT Nationals Race Report by Irongirl

The day was perfect for racing. Clear skies. Cool air (~72 degrees). Low humidity. Smooth water.
We arrived at transition about 1 hour before race start. I didn't start until 1:05 after the first wave set off. Set up my transition. Checked and re-checked my bike: tire pressure, gearing, breaks, fuel. I set out for my warm-up run starting up the first hill. That wasn't too bad. It's short. A bit of stretching and the wetsuit wiggle and I settled on the shore for the long wait until my race would start. I hate that part. I'm all ready. Primed. Perfect level of arousal. And I have to try to maintain that for an hour. I tried to block out the distractions, the noises the athletes who need to get "pumped" before their race. It is quite a challenge to remain distant in my 'race world' without appearing rude to my friends who wait to watch me race. I think I did okay, but it is always difficulty for me.

Swim: I made my way to the left side of the pack in attempt to avoid jostling my left arm too much. I chose not to wear my neoprene sleeve as it gets tight on the bike and especially the run and my elbow starts to ache like none other. Besides, I don't think it really gives me much protection. It was more a way for the doc to feel better about letting me race I think. With a minute to go I start my breathing. It is an automatic response to racing. I stand at the start and my breathing becomes deeper and slower. Concentrated exhalation, willing my heart rate to drop. 106. 94. 89. 83. Relax. Breathe. The world tunnels in and all I see is the open water ahead of me. I am aware of bodies around me in the water. Arms and legs. Voices. But everything is a bit fuzzy. 10-9-Inhale-8-7-6-Long exhale-5-4-3-2-Deep breath-1! And we are off. A moment of clumsy floundering. Then I find my pace. Gliding. Every time roll to my right and breath left, I lee the dock floating past, and one lone swimmer a few stroke behind me. Immediately I start looking for some bubbles. I've forgotten my arm.

I am racing.

One buoy. Two. A lone yellow cap passes (30-34M). The 3rd buoy is orange, pointed-left turn. Ah! I can see the second orange buoy about 200m away and the 2 yellows leading back to the shore. Suddenly I am aware that my arm is tired, aching. I try to focus on pulling with my upper arm as I have learned to do over the past week and a half. I let my forearm relax and pull my elbow towards my hip.
Suddenly a mass of yellow caps surrounds me. They are fast-and aggressive. Getting knocked around a bit, I try to maintain a steady pace. Suddenly a sharp pain. I almost screamed out under water as a man's arm comes down forcefully over my left shoulder. Our arms entangle for a brief moment and I am free. Aaaargh! Treading water for a few seconds, I hold my elbow and catch my breath. Keep going Jen. It ached, but it has been worse.
Finally, I see the dock looming to my left. I can see the boat ramp rising up under the water. My Fingers touch rock. Feet on the ground I stand and make my way toward transition. Swim-Done-28:04.

T1: I had a bit of trouble getting that wetsuit off. Trying to pull it off my legs with only one arm was near impossible. And of course it folded over and got stuck on itself. Finally I break free, grab Duke, and head out for my favorite leg of the race-2:36

Bike: The course is twice the loop around the lake with a short out and back at the South end. I rode it the day before and felt pretty comfortable. It was 12 miles of roller coaster hills. Nothing too difficult. There was only one hill that might require standing, but with my arm broken, I would stay in the saddle all day. The ride was going smoothly until I came around the first lap and realized it had taken me 40 minutes. WHAT!!! NO! I can't be going that slow! I tried to pick it up a bit, but every time I got a god pace going...here comes another climb. The hills really screw me up. I have strong legs, but climbing kills me. I am more of a time trial cyclist. I do really well on flats or barely there grades. But as soon as we start to climb...I get dropped. My only reconciliation on that ride was that the only bikes passing me and Duke were fully loaded with zip discs. One girl without zips passed me and I proceeded to re-pass her immediately. And I never saw her again. 1:18:12

T2: Pretty uneventful. I realized that a woman I had just passed before entering transition was a few slots down on my rack. Same age group. She would later pass me in the run. 1:25

Run: I knew the hills were going to kill me, but I was determined not to walk. This is Nationals! I succeeded, but slowly. My heart rate skyrocketed on the first hill and never went back down. Trodding along, I watched as countless women in their 40s flew past. How do they get so fast? The best part of this run (and the race) was seeing so many familiar faces. Four of my Team In Training teammates where there with me and it was great to see them on the out and back run course. 57:29

In the end, I did not have a great performance, but it was a great race. I am looking forward to going back next year and showing that course who is boss. 2:47:45

Click HERE for more Irongirl

Siege on Ft. Yargo AR - Race Report by Saddle Sore to sebring

Kinda long...LOTS of pics

The alarm clock went off at 3:20 a.m. I'd told my teammates that I'd meet them around 6:30 a.m. That meant we had to leave the house by 4:30 a.m. I had to sort out the animals, get some food in, get the husband alive and kicking with coffee, etc. We left the house on time and made the two hour drive to Winder, GA. Big thanks to el Jefe for driving on the way up (we thought I might have to) as it was foggy and I got to relax a bit while he dealt with it.

Met up with Terri and Katie around 6:45 (the signage directing folks to parking, etc. could have been a lot better, as in there was no signage!). We checked in (got a nice water bottle and a really cool tech t-shirt), set up our transition area, got our boat, paddles and PFDs situated...then just waited on the race meeting before we could start.

Time passed pretty quickly, and we were to start. The prologue before we could get our passport (the document you punch to show which checkpoints you managed to find) was sheer chaos. All teams in the event were three-person teams. So at the bottom of a hill they'd tacked down index cards with team numbers (three for each team). One at a time each team member ran down the hill to locate a card with their team number on it. It was like old maid...of course the cards weren't all in one spot. Terri, our team captain, took off first and was nearly mowed down in the chaos of the start. Luckily by the time I headed down (2nd) it had thinned out a bit and I managed to see both of our final numbers so I was able to tell Katie exactly where to go!

Then we were off to find the first 4 checkpoints. We had the choice of trekking or swimming...and we chose to trek as swimming in a pack, PFD, and tennis shoes is not only tiring, it would have made it hard to eat and drink regularly. I was the pacesetter and the hydration nazi. I hollered when to drink and made sure we stayed within 100 feet of eachother throughout the event. We found that our fast walk kept us up with the shuffling runs of the other teams pretty well. We didn't want to blow up before the paddle and bike so kept it in check. I still remember Terri asking me, "How'd you learn how to walk so fast"?

We found the first two easily and found another team heading backwards as they'd missed CP1. Whew! At least we hadn't gotten into trouble that early. But maybe we spoke too soon. We got all out of whack searching for CP3, ended up finding CP4 first after too much dithering and essentially DQed ourselves right there. Then we made an unfortunate bushwhacking vs. regular trail decision and managed to set ourselves up as the last team out on the trek/swim portion. Sigh. We were 10 minutes behind the preceding team and they actually sent someone out to look for us. When they saw us they kept asking us if we were OK? Like we'd been injured, thus causing the delay. D'oh!

We got to the boats and realized we weren't going to be able to get all three paddling CPs in enough time to get us through the MTB section that would at least have us finishing the CP portions of the official race. Plus, paddling was our weak point. So we chose to get CP7 and then paddle to the transition area to pick up our bikes. If we hadn't DQ'ed already...this would have DQed us. But it was the right choice...and not all AR races have CP "musts" like this one. Surprisingly, except for Katie getting fatigued and needing a rest while Terri and I kept paddling, we manuevered the boat really well, especially as we had to "dock" under a tree to punch the CP. With some practice we'll be fine paddlers.

After hauling the boat up the shore (canoes are freaking heavy and awkward)as we were not allowed to drag them, we got our bike gear on. But before we could head out on the bikes we had to complete a special task. Basically we had to catapult a hackeysack into a circle with a piece of 2x4 propped on a section of PVC pipe. Katie didn't have nearly enough oomph and I had way too much. After about ten tries Terri got us close enough that the race officials let us go on.

Onto the bikes...we caught up to several other teams. YIPPEE. We passed several teams. YIPPEE. We managed to get off track once or twice. Causing us to have to climb the powerline in the blazing sun and humidity after we'd bombed down it. We had these girls that shall henceforward be known as the "black t-shirt girls" who were cluelessly trying to follow us. We would have been glad to assist them if they'd attempted to work with us, but they didn't even pull out their maps. They were intent to just try to follow us. However thay had no MTB experience so we dropped them!

SIDE NOTE: My teammates met me when they came to one of my beginner mountain bike rides at a local trail system. They showed their stuff at this race and made the jump from newbies to MTBers. So proud! They climbed things they thought they couldn't climb and only occasionally got off their bikes.

We grabbed CPs 11 & 12 and decided to forego CP13 as it was off trail and we had to make CP14 at a certain time to ensure we'd get back to the start/finish by 2:30. We made it! With that under our belts we grabbed CPs 14, 15 and 16...all the while climbing and climbing on the bike. The trail is bi-directional and Saturday's direction had us climbing up the steep switchbacks that are the ridearound to bypass the rock garden. Katie and Terri both made it up all the switchbacks though they never had before!!!

We caught several more teams as we hit the last CPs and we stayed in front of them as we rode in to the start/finish. But we weren't done yet. Oh no...we still had to go through the mud pit.

It was not cool and refreshing mud. It was very warm, red clay mud. It stained our feet and hands despite hopping into the creek afterward! But we crawled through (you had to go under ropes they'd strung across the pit and then dashed up the hill to turn in our passport.

All in all we had a fantastic time. We laughed the whole time and we learned that we're a great team. Terri had instigated an "hourly" compliment rule...but we complimented eachother about every ten minutes. "Terri...way to hold down that sticker bush so it didn't whack me". "Katie, way to eat that Power Bar". We'll definitely do many more of these together and we're planning to train up for some longer ones in '08!

The aftermath...I'm ready for an off day today. I've got one chafed spot from my pack. It doesn't look bad, but it's in a spot that gets rubbed constantly by my clothes, my computer bag, etc. It hurts. Plus I've got a monstrous bruise from a spot where I had to hop off the bike when this one girl didn't make a rooty climb. Must have nailed myself with my top tube or my seat, somehow.

Click HERE for more by Mallie

Gold Coast Sprint Triathlon RR by tnewman

GREAT RACE, GREAT PEOPLE, GREAT DAY

Editor's Note: Another great raceAthlete competes and rocks the triathlon course on the East Coast.

Click HERE for the details by Swim Bike Run Long Island

High Cliff Half Race Report by Rural Girl

What a great weekend! Hangin' out with friends and family and having a good race; does it get any better? The weather was sunny with temps in the low 80's and the wind was mild. The course had it all; biological mayhem, fast bike, terrain-challenging run.

This was my 2nd half-ironman distance tri. My first was done as my A-race last July at a different venue. I had done this race last year but competed in the sprint division. So I was familiar with the type of bike course and trail running I would be facing. What amazes my is how perception affects attitude. This was my second half but I wasn't nervous or freaked out. I knew I could go the distance. I also knew this was but a notch in my belt in my prep for Ironman WI. Plus, I'm facing another half in a month. So, as the catch phrase goes, I just needed to 'Git 'er done!'

Swim
Lake Winnebago is a beautiful lake. This year, however, the sporadic fish carcasses on the shore and the thick, suspended algae left the swim experience a bit to be desired. I swam part of the course on Saturday in my swimming suit and came out of the water with a 2 mm layer of bright green fine sandy algae covering my body. Thankfully, the wetsuit helped to keep the deposit of algae to a minimum on race day. The swim portion of the race was fine and only fine. I didn't push myself. I feel I went at a moderate pace and in retrospect should have kicked it up a notch. Sighting went well except for the stretch heading due east. There were not a lot of sighting buoys and despite the dark goggles I couldn't see where I needed to go. A few areas of rubbage occurred pn the back of my neck and underarms secondary to the wetsuit. Nice scabbed over areas the next day. Nothing that time won't cure and hopefully Body Glide will prevent in the future.

T1
No big issues here. I have found with the longer races that I like to sit down and put my shoes on. I've got a few more seconds to play with plus I'm a bit more fatigued. Sitting allows me to be more balanced and coordinated.

Bike
Here's where my fun began! The course starts off similar to Wildflower in that there is an immediate hill to climb after getting out of transition. However, unlike Wildflower it's more like a big lump than a HILL! After the initial hill, the course is fairly flat with some mild rolling sections. My race plan was to settle in for the first 15 min. on the bike and get the heart rate down. For me, getting the heart rate down means lowering it to 150. Never happened. I tried, I really did! I stayed in the small chain ring and an easy gear. I waited. I spun easily. The lowest I saw it was 169. I was not feeling winded or fatigued. I felt strong. After 15 min. I just stopped looking at the stupid monitor and started racing based on power. My original plan was to race at 85% of my functional threshhold power which for me is 192 watts. Mathematically that works out to 163 watts. I was planning a build strategy. Each half hour I would aim for an increased wattage to ultimately average the desired 163 watts. I fell short averaging 154 watts which is 80% of my FTP. There were times with the tailwind and downhill sections when I was moving over 25 mph with little effort. When this occurred, I felt it was more important to rest my legs and my wattage dipped. Also, the last 6 miles I was mentally ready to get off the bike and I slacked off a bit. I wasn't pushing as hard here and was trying to loosen up a bit in prep for the run. This was part of my plan but I had hoped to not do this until the last 1 mile on the bike. All in all, I was satisfied with the bike performance. No mechanical issues and had a fairly steady, consistent ride.

T2
Also, an uneventful transition. Once again I sat down to get the shoes on. Did manage to get a bit of sunscreen on my shoulders. In future long races I will need to make a more concerted effort in T2 to put sunscreen on my face and legs as well. The sun is high and hot by this time of the day. A few extra seconds here will definitely save me hours of potential suffering later.

Run
The run course was challenging for me. Of the 13.1 miles, I am guessing about 1.5 miles was on an asphalt surface. Once again, the initial hill that started off the bike course also started off the run course. After that, the trail surface was varied and consisted of bark chips, grass with ATV rut marks, gravel, and jagged, uneven limestone quarry bottom. So, never a dull moment there. Eyes alway open. The great thing about the trail run is that about 60-70% of it was shaded. Not being a natural runner or a runner with a vast history of experience, it definitely seems that trail running is easier on the joints but more work for the muscles moving those joints. The other, more significant problem I developed was huge blisters in the arches of my feet. 13 miles of friction and heat was the limit for the orthotics. Back to the shop or in the garbage they go, I haven't decided which yet. As per my plan, I walked through the aid stations to take in water and Gatorade. My race plan called for increased effort and speed as the miles progressed. I felt pretty good the first half of the run. I don't have any split data. I can never seem to manage or remember to push any buttons while running. I guess I'm just doing all I can to keep moving forward. My effort seemed to be increasing but I don't know about the speed! Somehow, I don't think so! I see these women zip by me with such ease. How do they do that? I seriously want to know their secret! Once again, the run section is my Achilles heel and where I definitely need the most work.

Nutrition
I woke at 0400 and started fueling. Breakfast consisted of a bagel with PB&J, a banana, 16 oz of OJ, and 8 oz of coffee. I then sipped Gatorade almost up to the time of race start at 0700. My nutrition plan on the bike went perfectly. I took in 65 oz. of fluids and 886 calories which was what I had hoped. I started drinking immediately on the bike and took big swallows every 10 min. thereafter. I felt a bit full and water-logged when I started the run, however. It didn't take long for that to pass as a few miles went by. I had originally planned to take in 2 gels while out on the run in addition to the Gatorade and water. I couldn't bear the thought of the gels. I swear those are the grossest things ever. What I felt like I could have eaten though, was a banana or orange wedge, and these weren't being offered! When the race ended, my body was fatigued but I didn't feel like I was having a nutritional or fluid deficit meltdown! I was extremely pleased with that.

Stats
Overall time-5:40:58
6th in my age group (32 women total)
20th overall (106 women total)
Swim-38:07
T1-1:32
Bike-2:50:34
T2-1:41
Run-2:09:01
Average heart rate-175
Max heart rate-195

What I learned
I can push harder in the swim. More sunscreen in transition. I feel I have room to grow and strengthen on the bike. This seems to be my strong point and I need to maximize it. Carry cals on run. Stop thinking I can ingest something while running that makes me gag while sitting on the couch. Throw out the orthotics. It's 2.5 months to IM. I don't have time to mess with that stuff. Lastly, run faster (easier said than done). The beauty of the whole race was at the end I honestly could say to myself 'Let's go. I'm ready for more. I'm looking forward and going to work hard to improve.'

Click HERE for more Rural Girl

One Big Deposit by IronPol

On Saturday, a storied group of bloggers descended upon the Fox Valley in Wisconsin to tackle the High Cliff Half Ironman triathlon. There are sure to be much more detailed reports, but here is a breakdown of the major topics.

A pasta dinner was held at the Pol homestead, and the entire tri-blog/raceAthlete contingent attended. This included George Schweitzer (Article George, story to come), Simply Stu, Iron Will, and Rural Girl and her family. We had a great time, and have some funny stories and pictures for later.

On Sunday, each of us completed the half-IM race on our own terms. We raced our own races and faced our own demons. At the end of the day, we overcame and put one in the "Finish" column. A generic recap of the race:

George threw down the gauntlet. The official results need to be posted, but he was only about 20 minutes behind the overall winner, and that's after a flat in the first mile of the bike.

Simply Stu posted a stellar time, despite believing the run took a lot out of him. He came in well under 6 hours and placed in the top 20 in his age group.

Rural Girl showed that she will give Stu a run for his money in Madison. Her overall time was only 6 minutes slower than Stu's. She also placed very well in her division.

Iron Pol set a half-IM PR (since it was his first one), finished in 5:47, and beat his expectations in every discpline. This was good enough for 20th in his division, and something like 120 overall.

Iron Wil finished in about 7:45 and looked as if she had gone through a battlefield between the swim exit and the finish line. After catching some gravel and facing bike issues, she continued to bike and made it to the run. On the difficult trail run, two areas of gravel played havoc with her footing. I'm sure she'll post the pictures we took at the finish line. She overcame huge mechanical, physical, and mental challenges to finish, and she should take them to heart. She proved she is ready to beat the mindgame that is Ironman.

More detailed reports to follow, and I'm sure each of the others will have their reports. This was a truly exciting weekend, and if you have the opportunity to meet and/or race with any of these bloggers, take it. Each is inspirational, gracious, and humorous in their own way.

Take My Run... PLEASE! by Triboomer

There are fabulous races...

... and there are fabulous places to race...

... and when the two come together you have the Kings Trail Triathlon in Maui.

This Olympic distance race happens on the southwestern, resort laden corner of the island. Bordering the nearly untouched black lava flow from the island's volcano, the course winds through some of the most picturesque roads Hawaii has to offer. The location alone is worth the trip but hey, there was a race to be run and a report to be written so, let's get on with it...

Over 350 athletes gathered at the swim start just after dawn. Warm breezes carried the scent of burnt sugarcane from the island's plantations. The sun had not yet risen over the volcano, Mount Haleakala, but the beach was buzzing with activity. Minutes before the race began an island minister in traditional dress, palm leaves, and conch shell gave the invocation and lead the athletes in singing The Star Spangled Banner.

The Swim: If there's a better swim location I haven't been in it. The conditions were perfect. Perfect. The water temperature was not too hot and not too cold. It was clear to the sandy bottom. Dozens of fish and the occasional giant sea turtle swam along the ocean floor. There were no chopping waves and no swells to add to the 1,500 meter swim challenge.

The start was an old-school run from the beach. The announcer gave a count down and my pulse began to rise. The minister blew her conch shell and it was race-on with a dash into the low surf. With only few dozen athletes in my wave --that would be the Men 40 to Death wave-- it was easy get away from the thrashing and find room to swim. Despite suffering from an aching left shoulder (more about that in a later post) I was able to keep up with the front of the pack and catch a draft from the leaders. Soon I caught up to the slower swimmers in the proceeding wave and was rounding the last buoy for the finish. I was out of the water in just over 29 minutes and onto the beach, up a set of concrete steps and onto the soft grass of the transition area.

After she swim I was 5th in my age group.

The Bike: Once out of transition the real fun began. The two loop bike course is hilly and technical with several sharp and hairpin turns. It's a fun ride on a glass smooth pavement with just enough elevation change to put a burn in the quads on the climbs and a yahhoo! on the descents. One after the other I passed bikers in my wave.

There's no drama to write about on this bike leg. It was all push, push, push and fun, fun, fun. I wasn't wearing a heart rate monitor and my bike computer was back in Dallas so the only monitor I had was my perceived effort and how many people I passed (or how many people passed me) on the course. It felt good to feel good in a race.

After the bike I was 3rd in my age group.

The Run: The King's Trail Triathlon is named after the historic lava fields just south of the swim start. The barren, black, and sharp lavascape was formed after Mount Haleakala's last eruption in 1790. The kings of the time declared the fields sacred and walked them in an annual ritual of respect for nature's power.

Just like how the molten earth melted all in its path two centuries ago, so too did the fields melted my legs on the run. Within just a couple of minutes of getting off of the bike my quads cramped and my left foot became numb. Despite the pain, I passed the first mile in 8:50. That's when the cramping became so bad I had to slow just to keep my balance. Then my right foot started to numb and some of those I passed on the bike passed me and pulled away.

A simple one-lane blacktop road enters the state protected lava fields at mile two. There's no shade. No vegetation. No windbreaks. Just black lava for hundreds of yards on both sides of the course. One side forms cliffs diving into the sapphire blue ocean and the other side rises up the slopes towards the mountain's caldera. This is the kind of place that fills you with strength and energy, all the while, reminding you of the enormity of the earth's power and your relative minutiae on her surface. There, in that place, at that time, my mind turned from the ocean and towards the place of northern belle rivieras I often go. There were no competitors around me, yet I was not alone. The veritas of my confessions were heart-borne, unwavering, and secure. There was no doubt about it... there was only one who I wanted there with me. The small sterling circle of Empired love was safely attached as it had been for the entire race. Much was confirmed in two miles.

Any time advantage I built on the bike was swept away like a mai tai induced drunk... slow, steady, and sure. The push continued but any hopes of a podium finish was ahead of me and widening the gap. My pace had slowed. What started out as sub-9 minutes per mile became over 11 minutes per mile. My quads continued cramping and both feet stung from the pounding. Nonetheless, I was feeling good elsewhere and pressed the stride, only walking the water stations to fill my hat with ice and down some drink.

I crossed the finish line all smiles knowing I did my best.

My place after the run was 7th in my age group.

Was I disappointed by giving up four places during the run? Sure I was.

Was I happy with my performance? Sure I was.

You see... I gave it my all and left nothing in the ocean, on the road, or in the lava fields. And for that I have no regrets. None.

Stay tuned or click HERE for more Triboomer.

Topeka Tinman and Tater Tots!

Editor's Note: A  very happy congrats to Duane for finsishing his second tri. His race report is below:

Thanks to Jess and Pete for their training me, and thanks to you bloggers for all your encouragement! I finished! I was in doubt for a while, I will get into the details shortly, but first, a bit more on the people who are triathletes!

I met 5 cool people at the race. The first was Mark, I don't know if he blogs, but Diane and I are sitting on this rock wall and Mark comes by and says" Hey, you're Duane! I read your blog"! Now how cool is that! Hey Mark! Then I get to meet Tri-Dummy (Jay) and his wife Amy! Very nice people! Jay is doing IM Wisconsin this year so you tri-bloggers need to meet up with him - great guy!

I also got to meet Blink after the race. He and Jay came out and met me on the course long after they had finished and walked in with me. They both believe in staying until EVERYONE finishes, they are adamant about it. Two solid guys for sure! I believe Blink came in 5th place overall and won his age group! We thought I was the last one on the course, and we had to drive back to pick up my youngest daughter, so we hit the road as as soon as I could muster up the strength to grab my bike and gear. We were driving out through town and Jay calls me and tells me their is still another athlete out on the course, I'm sure they were there waiting! That is what it's all about!

I also got to meet the cutest little gal but I didn't get her name. We encouraged each other out on the course and got to talking in the transition area after the race going to pick up our gear. She was about 20-25 and African American. We saw another African American guy earlier, it was nice to see a little color diversity mixed in with the ripped, fat, in-between, ex-hippys, GQs, old, young, and everything else you can imagine. She was talking about how beautiful the course was and what a great day it was. She had been taking in all the beauty of the day and relishing it. I knew what she meant (part of the time anyway). She said her friends who race never notice that stuff, they just get so focused. I liked her right away.

Then there was Bev, who I actually beat in from the bike portion. (I did beat in one other racer but he had bike trouble, his pump was broke and mine didn't match up with his type of valve, so he had to walk his bike in the last two miles - he passed me on the run later with a great smile and hearty encouragement). This was the 6th or 7th tri for Bev and she was always last - today she beat me and was so happy! I was happy for her too! I was way behind where she placed and they were going to take down the finish line and mat and she stood on the mat and refused to let them do it. She stayed to watch me finish too! Instant friend!

So now for the race report!

4:00 am- hot shower
5:00 am - leave hotel for race
5:30 am - pick up chip and get marked
5:35 - 8:30 am - sweat profusely, drink water, sweat some more, drink some more. Set up transition:
Hang out and observe:
Drink, sweat, drink, get ready for the swim:
The swim went well, I didn't panic and felt very comfortable. I wanted to finish under ten minutes and my time for the swim was 9:48. Ran into a couple people, got smacked pretty good once, and went off course once, but overall I was pleased But when I got out of the water I was DIZZY! Took a minute or so to get my land legs. I look at the pictures and see how big I am, I forget sometimes I am so large! But wait till all the fat comes off, I will be so much faster!!
Name: Duane Newton
Time: 2:45:00
Overall Place: 298 of 298
Place in Gender: 183 of 183
Place in Division CLYDE: 28 of 28

Swim: 9:48 Rate: 3:16 Place: 286
Trn1: 5:45
Bike: 56:02 Rate: 8.8 Place: 306
Trn2: 2:34
Run : 1:30:52 Pace: 29:15 Place: 295

The bike was all rolling hills and inclines. The guy who said the course was "pancake flat" must be doing drugs! I cranked on the downhills as much as I could to get up the hills as far as possible before going down to granny gear. I did make it up a couple hills in 1 or 2 gears higher than granny so progress is being made!

At mile 6 of the bike my left calf started to cramp. I stretched it on the pedal as much as I could. By the time I started the walk I was in serious pain. Ever have your calf cramp when it tightens up into a baseball sized knot? Man it hurts! I wanted to do the walk under an hour but it took about an hour 20 as I was doing the pirate walk! I had to keep my toes pulled up towards my knee and my heel pressed down so the muscle wouldn't cramp. Then I had to swing it out just a bit and felt like a pirate walking with a wooden peg. That was the longest three miles I have ever walked. And hot! And humid! OMG!

Finally at about 3 miles the cramp went away. Jay called my on my cell phone and said he and Blink were on the way out to meet me. They walked in with me which as very nice. Blink's family, Jay's family, Diane, and Bev were all there waiting and I made it! It was a lot shorter than my first tri, but it was every bit as tough or tougher to finish. I feel good about my effort.

Here are some more photos (the tater tots story is at the end):




















So, I went to Topeka without my dinner prepared. I was tired and we settled on a Sonic drive-in, I don't eat bread anymore and I needed some starches so I ordered tater tots - Sonic Sized. When they brought them out they were smothered in chili and cheese, but did I send them back? No, I indulged. And from 2 am - 3 am I could not sleep as I had a very bad stomach ache. Lesson learned, take my meals with me!

I also learned that I need some kind of race shirt that will let my body breathe and the sweat evaporate!

Thanks again for all you support and I hope you all have a really good week!
Duane

Click HERE for Duane's Blog

The Road to Ironman Wisconsin: I'm Getting There by Rural Girl

I am getting there. I'm not exactly sure where. But, I feel I'm making progress in a positive direction.

Ironman Wisconsin is my main objective for my triathlon season. Leading up to the big dance, I am doing 5 races put on through Midwest Sports Events based out of DePere, WI. My plan is to do 3 sprints and 2 halfs put on by this organization in a series called the Five Star Series. It's a way to compete against others throughout the course of the season doing similar races.

Last year when I became more focused on triathlon, I also participated in the series. At that time, I would have given my left pinky toe to place in the top three at a sprint distance race. Yesterday I did it and I didn't have to lose a toe.

I raced the Green Bay Sprint Tri. I came in 2nd in my age group and 5th overall for the women's field. The age group winner was 2 min. ahead of me. The overall winner was 5 min. faster. No, it's not a huge race; 147 women total. But it sure gave me the boost I needed. The gap is closing. Names that I've followed for the last 2 seasons are around me; both in front and behind. Justification for the work put in!

I know I'm not training to win sprint distance races; but wouldn't it be great just once?! (At least in my age group?) 2-5 minutes faster, I can do that! Then I think, 'What's wrong with you? Just be happy for a bit about what you've done?' But wouldn't it be great?!

The details of the race are few. It's a sprint...... You go as fast as you can; very little strategical planning. Not as many of those nasty nutritional issues either!

The swim was not fun. A 400 yd paddle done in a 420 yd. manmade lake/pond. A person could have walked about half of it which made it challenging for those of us trying to swim and maneuver through the mayhem. About the time you had a rhythm going it was time to get out. The big question for the swim was whether or not to wear the wetsuit. I heard the water temp was 72F. I know that's warm to probably most of you. But I'm a wimp and like my water warm. So, the wetsuit went on. The minimal time savings I gained in the water I lost in the transition.

I am in love with my BMC Time Machine! I say this all the time..... That thing must have wings. I swear I feel like I'm flying. Can you tell I love the bike portion? My average watts were 170 which is 90% of my function threshhold power. Average speed - 21.09 mph. I thought the road conditions were great. I heard a few other competitiors at the finish area complaining that the roads were too rutty (is that a word?). Where I'm from, if I'm not dodging a pothole every 100 feet, I'm on a good road. I keep asking myself if I could have gone faster. Possibly. But, I get so freaked out by the run and am afraid of falling on my face that I hold something back on the bike. All in all, I was pleased with the bike segment.

The run went well for me. It was the fastest 5K I've ever done at the end of a sprint tri. It was an out and back run. I like that format because I can get some idea where I am in the women' field. I saw the woman who won the race on her way back. She looked so strong with such a determined pace. I can only hope to develop a run like that with continued work. I'm afraid that may take a few more years!

The transitions, I felt, rolled along smoothly. I went through the same process and was methodical and efficient. But the 4 gals who beat me all had much better transitions times. I lost about 45 sec. to 1 min in total. I think mounting and dismounting the bike with the pedals clipped in may help. I should try this. However, I'm always afraid of losing my front teeth!

After my race, my girls did a kids' tri. These are great events to watch. The kids are broken up into 2 year age increments. The distances raced are very short. It is an attempt to generate interest in triathlon without expecting training. The funniest part is the level of parent participation from the sidelines. You'd swear the parent was actually racing. More than one parent and I have commented on how WE get more nervous for these races than the kids. The best part is seeing the satisfaction and smiles on their faces at the finish line. Kind of like the adults, eh? It is so important to me for my girls to develop a love for physical activity . I wholeheartedly embrace the kid tris and am glad Midwest Sports Events puts them on.

I'm finishing this post on Tuesday and the glow is fading. Which is just fine because I need to focus in on the next race. The High Cliff Half Ironman on Lake Winnebago is June 24th. Obviously it's a different length race with a different level of strategy. The race features a few decent hills and some trail running. Several of us from raceAthlete will be present; myself, IronWil, Simply Stu, andIronPol. It should be a great time. I'm looking forward to it. Ironman WI, here I come. I'm getting there.

Click HERE for more Rural Girl