Ironman Florida 2019

I wanted to write this up while the pain is still fresh in my legs.

I have to sneak this important thing in first: Parking near the main venue is very scarce. I highly recommend finding accommodations within a mile or so from there. Think about getting your bike and all your stuff back after the race! Just a thought.

Okay, I got here on Monday and the weather was perfect. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday showed us all different kinds of weather: Temps from the 40’s to the 80’s, humidity from dry to 100%, rain, wind, and sun (just in this week!). Although Saturday was predicted to be quite good racing weather, clearly the weather here can and does change rapidly. This was my second full Ironman here. The first one had a cancelled swim due to offshore storm and unsafe conditions, the bike was started in 30’s temperatures and gusty winds. So if you have any preconceived notions that because this is Florida the weather will be perfect, you better think again. That’s all I’m gonna say about weather except we really did have nearly ideal conditions this year. Just that wind, it seemed like we had 80 miles of headwind, I don’t know why.

Okay, the swim course:
The water temperature at the beginning of the week was 76° and it was shaping up to be a non-wetsuit legal swim. By the end of the week the water temperature dropped 6°! If I do this race again, I’ll probably bring a sleeveless wetsuit. The water is clear and clean. The course is two loops with a short sandy run between each loop. It’s a wave start of course. The only creatures I saw out there were swimmers and jellyfish. I only saw about five or ten jellyfish. They seemed to be about 5 feet below the surface, I even touched one with my hand during the pull stroke. But they are either of the non-stinging variety or I got lucky because I felt nothing.

Transition is only a couple hundred yards from the beach, chaotic but organized, if that makes sense.

The bike course:
The swim was really quite nice, but the bike course shines. It starts out in the city and take you along the coast then it turns inland and meanders through the countryside. Mostly flat, there are some rolling hills. But it is only something like 1900 feet of climbing on the bike. Anyhow, the road surface is in pretty good condition over a vast majority of the ride. Once you leave the protection of the countryside, around mile 40 or so, you get exposed to the wind. It gradually builds to a nuisance, if you’re lucky. If you’re not lucky it might suck the life out of you. Around mile 68 you finally turn around and head back to town with a lovely tailwind. But don’t get too excited because that tailwind soon turns into a sidewind. Strange as this sounds, I honestly think there was about 70% headwind and sidewind, 15% downwind, and 15% no wind. Transition was more controlled chaos.

The run course:
The run course is two out-and-backs. You start out along the coast and then meander through the neighborhood, and head toward a park at the end. You only spend about a mile on the park trail before you turn around and head the same way back. I would say the surface conditions of the run course are average: there are some curbs, ruts, and potholes. But let us not forget that they are still recovering from a recent major hurricane. Did I mention the weather here?

The Finish:
Well, the finish is every bit as spectacular as an Ironman should be, it never disappoints!

Would I do this race again? It is one of maybe two (out of the ten) I’ve done that I absolutely would do again: I love ocean swimming, I love the bike course, wind and all. And the run course is also “fun” (><)
It’s a fantastic location for couples or families (or solo, like me!), with plenty of food options, grocery, and a gazillion miles of the cleanest, softest, white sand beaches you could ever imagine.

Aloha y’all.

Ironman Ireland 2019 Race Report

Ironman Ireland 2019 race report

Any race report regarding this inaugural event would not be complete without talking about the weather. And not really race related, but I think it’s important to mention the community of east Cork as well. Finally, I will talk about the specifics of the race itself. If that is really what you’re here for, skip down to about the half way point. This report is an easy five minute read.

My wife and I arrived in Cork a week before the race. We wanted to visit Ireland and be tourists, as well as recon the race course. I had previously arranged to rent a bike as my bike was being shipped by TriBike Transport and would not be available until the race. Although the weather was nearly perfect all week, every local we spoke with mentioned that weather is a constant variable in Ireland. And race day bore that out! I’ll get to that later.
While driving around, I reconned the bike course and decided not to dare riding on Irish roads. I was already fit. The roads are crazy narrow, fast drivers, and nonexistent bike lanes made my decision easy.

A few quick words about rental cars and driving in Ireland:
1. Insurance is provided by many credit card companies, including mine, if you use their card to pay for the rental. Note that Ireland was specifically excluded with my card. No doubt because driving on the left is hard AF if you’re not used to it. I highly recommend buying the insurance offerred at the rental desk. It was about €250 for a week (1 Euro is currently about $1). The rental car itself was only $70 for the week! The insurance supposedly covered anything that could happen to the car, with a €300 deductable.
2. I cannot overstate how hard driving on the left is if you’re not used to it.
3. They can park on both sides of the road, facing either direction.
4. Two-way roads in Ireland often barely fit one small car.

This was my 10th Ironman, we have been all over the world for this crazy endeavor, this labor of love. And I can emphatically say the Irish are among the most friendly we’ve ever encountered. Whether it was giving directions, food recommendations, or simply chatting in line somewhere, the Irish we met were fun-loving, caring, and not rushed when offering guidance.
The surrounding communities embraced us athletes who “invaded” their quiet little towns and villages by the thousands. The level of support I don’t think I’ve seen anywhere, although Mont Tremblant in Canada comes to mind. East Cork is wonderfully rural. The race venue is in Youghal (pronounced Yoll or y’all as in the southern US) is considered a “city” by the locals but would be a small town in the country by many standards. Again, wonderfully rural. Some coastal towns that stood out in our visit: Kinsale, Ardmore, and Ballycotton. But honestly, everywhere we went was amazing. Walking through Rostellan Forest was off the beaten path and so fun. We also went to Blarney Castle and Gardens and the gardens were so fantastic that we never made it to the castle! Trust me, I’m not really a “garden guy” but this place was breathtaking.

Okay, the Race:
As instructed, I arrived at the designated athlete parking area between 4 and 5 AM. It was already quite cold, in stark contrast to the previous week. At roughly 10-12C (49-52F), we athletes were blowing steam from our breath. Logistics required us to walk about a kilometer to the transition/swim start. It started to rain. Now cold and wet, the wind kicked up. Still dark and staring at the ocean, there was no swim course set up. It became apparent that the swim was in jeopardy: The ocean was violent and clearly unsafe. Now 5:45AM, I had been shivering in the rain with my fellow athletes for over an hour when the announcement came that a decision regarding the swim would come “soon.” At around 6AM, it was announced the swim was in doubt, they would continue to monitor the situation and make an announcement in 10-15 minutes, all the while we were exposed to the elements. Was I alone in my thinking ‘How would the weather change in 15 minutes?!’
At about 6:10AM they officially cancelled the swim and announced a Time Trial bike start beginning with the pro field at 7:20AM, and then the Age Groupers would begin, by number...only two at a time! There were ~2000 starters and I was bib 2025. I ended up leaving transition at 9:08AM, FIVE HOURS after arriving ready to race, but no raincoat and no tent.

On the bike it only got more and more cold, but at least I was moving. The rain was relentless. I train every day in the hills so the elevation changes didn’t bother me. But if you don’t have hills, try to be prepared: there are very, very few flat parts on this course. Having said that, my race ended after a racer came onto the course from a side street after presumably fixing a flat. He didn’t look and he entered the course on a descent where I just happened to be.
We crashed pretty hard. I got up and took inventory of my physical self: I was bleeding on both hands, both knees, right hip, and right shoulder. But no broken bones. He apologized several times but I yelled at him repeatedly. I regret my childish behavior now. There is no excuse for that and if you are the one whom I crashed with, I apologize to you. Even though you rode off, I hope you were okay and finished the race.
My front wheel was damaged and I was in no physical condition for the marathon. My day ended.
I should note that the bike is two 90km (56 mile) loops. The roads in Ireland are marginally maintained. On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being Swiss roads and 10 being...dirt, this course was maybe 6-7. If I dared get into my aero bars, my head shook to the point of blurry vision. There was maybe 10-20% of very nice road surface.
Finally, on a bike course where rain is a distinct possiblity, I cannot say enough that disc brakes are the way to go. Period.

Obviously, I didn’t do the marathon but I reconned the course: It is not flat either, despite descriptions to the contrary. Four loops is pretty manageable though and I can imagine that on a nice day it would be pretty amazing.

In conclusion, I regret my crash and DNF. I wish the roads were in better condition. But Youghal, the entire region, and her people left us with such wonderful memories that I will look back with much happiness!
I may or may not have an ax to grind here but I’m 55 and my days of traveling 15,000 miles to do an Ironman might be numbered.

Have a fit day, y’all,

-Dave

Trail running directions for a 9 mile loop at Quicksilver Park, San Jose

Quicksilver Park, Web Canton Trail entrance:

NOTES:
1) Mileage is cumulative, not distance between turns.
2) From start to Mile 1 is Almaden Valley neighborhood warm-up.
Mile 2-3 is single track trail, uphill rollers.
Mile 3-6 is wide fire trail, uphill.
Mile 6-9 is single track again, mostly downhill.
Total elevation gain is about 1,350 ft.

-Park at Williams Elementary School
-Start your GPS watch at the Stop sign on the corner and begin warm-up pace up Glenview Drive
-At .55 miles turn right on Echo Valley Drive
-At .91 miles turn left on Web Canyon Drive, the trail entrance gate is about 100 yards up. It’s paved for about another 200 yards past the gate, then turn right onto the Web Canyon Trail.

-At mile 1.37 turn right onto the well-marked New Almaden Trail.
-At mile 2.10 stay right to continue on the New Almaden Trail.

-At mile 3.05 intersection starts the wider fire trail: Turn hard left, a U-turn, onto the Mine Hill trail. All the trail intersections have good signage.

-At mile 4 intersection, stay right on the Mine Hill Trail.

-At mile 4.3 continue left up the Mine Hill Trail.
-At mile 4.48 turn left in the Randol Trail.
-At mile 6 is the top, turn left on the Prospect #3 Trail.

It’s ‘mostly’ downhill from here.
-At mile 6.2 turn left onto the New Almaden Trail.
-Stay on the trail, don’t turn unless you see a sign. There are lots of little ‘animal trails’ that branch off.
-At mile 7.47 intersection continue straight, you’re now back on the Web Canyon trail.
-At mile 8 you’re back at the gate.
It’s about a mile cool-down back to the car.
Have a Fit Day, y’all!

Aloha!

-Dave

Ironman Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada 2016 Race Report

Here it is on Friday, five days removed from Race Day. I will separate this review into four parts:

1) Logistics and Lodging
2) The Swim
3) The Bike
4) The Run

Logistics and Lodging: Mont-Tremblant is 1-2 hours north of Montreal by car, depending on weather and traffic. It's really quite a beautiful location. Think Lake Tahoe about 50 years ago (less development). The area of Tremblant is made up of three distinct villages: The Resort. Looks like any resort such as Whistler with shops, tourist food, and tourist things to do. Then there's the Old Town about five minutes away. Finally, there's Centre ville Mont-Tremblant, the main 'city' about 10-15 minutes away from the lake. It is also known as Saint-Jovite, don't ask me why. Great local food, trails, parks, etc. I recommend renting bikes at CyberCycle in the Old Town and ride the easy and beautiful path on the Petit Train du Nord.

Having T1 and T2 in the same place is pretty awesome. So many venues are not like this anymore. The nearest hotels are right at the Resort. They are very convenient, with a price to match. If you stay somewhere further away check on the availability of a shuttle as the roads are mostly closed on race day, there is limited parking on the nearby roads. It will be just a bit inconvenient compared to staying at the Resort where you can easily walk from the finish to your room. We stayed at an Airbnb about 2km away on Lac Tremblant near Hotel du Lac, no shuttle but it was an easy walk. Nearby Old Town is very quaint and also has lodging.

THE SWIM
Ironman Mont-Tremblant has had 5 years to fine tune this race and they have done a magnificent job. The lake itself is stunning, very clean and clear. This time of year it's very comfortable to swim in, about 69F/20C. It's a wave start and one big loop. There were 6 waves going about 3-4 minutes apart with several hundred swimmers in each wave. After getting out of the water it's about 400 yards from the beach to T1. The changing tent is very large and organized. It's warm in there and there's plenty of room. Get your bike and start riding.

THE BIKE
Before the race, a teammate described this bike course as "hilly but honest." I had no idea what that meant and didn't ask. Now I can say I know what he meant. There is a lot of climbing on this course, ~5,800 feet. But it won't kick your ass and spit you out if you ride it smart. It's mostly rollers, nothing too steep. That said, there's about 10km of some fairly hardcore climbing near the resort at the turn-around. Again, be smart about your efforts and it won't be overwhelming.

The bike is two loops. I haven't dissected my Garmin data yet but I suspect there is less than 10 miles of flatish road per loop, you're mostly climbing or descending. The roads are in fantastic condition and you always have at least a full lane that is off limits to traffic and often the whole road!

Coming back into T2 a volunteer takes and racks your bike while you are directed to your Run Gear bag and back into the tent to slip some shoes on and go for a little run.

THE RUN
The run is two loops. More climbing, about 850 feet over the full marathon. It starts out on steep hill almost right away. The good news is that all the climbing occurs within about 5km of the resort, coming and going. Once your are away from the resort the run goes onto a path in the forest, it is really pretty and flat. I can't say enough about the Mont-Tremblant volunteers and organizers. This is my eighth full Ironman and it was simply amazing. They are encouraging you all along and the vibe is so positive. When you're in your darkest moments, some volunteer offers a drink and a smile that lifts you right back up.

The finish line is unlike any other. Of course it's a climb to get back up to the resort but then you turn around and it's about 200 meters downhill through the middle of town. The crowd is deep and loud on both sides, cheering and clapping.

IN CONCLUSION
Would I race here again? Definitely. I've done Ironman in four countries and four states. There's a lot of venues out there in the world that I'm still interested in. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Have a fit day, y'all!

Ironman Florida 2014 Race Report

Here it is on Wednesday, four days removed from Race Day. I will separate this review into four parts:

1) Logistics and Lodging
2) The Swim
3) The Bike
4) The Run

Logistics and Lodging: Panama City Beach is way up north in the Florida panhandle, closer to New Orleans than Miami. Unless you plan on driving there, you will almost for sure have to make a connection to get to this town. This is not a major city. It's also not that easy to get around without a car. I do recommend renting one for sure.

Having T1 and T2 in the same place is very convenient. So many venues are not like this anymore. The nearest hotel is the Boardwalk. It was clean and convenient. If you stay somewhere further away and need to drive back after the race, there is plenty of parking on the nearby roads. It will be just a bit inconvenient compared to staying at the Boardwalk where you can easily walk from the finish to your room.

My only experience in Panama City Beach was for Ironman 2014 and I have been told that this was a very unique year. My experience is that it is a very, very cold and windy place. I'm from Northern California. While it doesn't exactly snow here, I know what cold is. Race morning was in the 40's. The wind was blowing so hard that garbage cans were being blown down the street. The ocean temp was perfect at around 70F. But when they sent the safety kayaks out to start the race they were quickly in need of rescue themselves!

It was announced on the beach that the swim was cancelled. New format would be a time trial bike start with the pros first at 8am and the rest of the field by age group. 4 riders at a time, every 10 seconds or so. 2,700 athletes waiting by their bikes in the freezing, windy cold for up to two hours. Such bullshit. But I digress.
Not too proud to admit that I found a discarded sweatshirt on the ground and put it on. Never done that before!

THE BIKE
Ironman has had 16 years to fine tune this race and they have done a magnificent job. If there were a swim, after getting out of the water it's about 200 yards from the beach to T1. The changing 'tent' is actually a large warehouse right next to where the bikes are. It's warm in there and there's plenty of room. Get your bike and start riding south along the beach.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I was warned by my friend Dustin that the winds tend to swirl around the beach-side hotels and cause severe bike handling problems. He suggested not to be in aero bars during the roughly 5 miles leaving T1 and the same stretch coming back to T2. I am a cyclist who rides many 1,000's of miles a year in much more technical conditions than Florida. So I took Dustin's advice with a grain of salt. DO NOT make the mistake I did! He was absolutely right. While I didn't crash, many riders did. And I understand that it is like this every year in that stretch. Be careful riding along the beach where the hotels are!

The bike is one big 112 mile loop. 99% flat. Not much in the way of scenery. Although we didn't have it this year, I can see that it is a fast course. Practice staying in your aero position for hours upon hours at a time. The pavement is very nice to ride on for 90% of the course. One out-and-back section is on a very poor quality road that is so bad you really can't go too fast without rattling your teeth out. I can't remember exactly, but it was around Mile 50 and was 5 miles out and 5 miles back. I was super happy to be off that road.
The rumors that you've heard regarding this particular race being a draft fest is true. I think they're trying to get a handle on this because I saw many, many red cards. After 7 Ironman races I can honestly say I've never seen so many penalties as at IMFL.

Coming back into T2 a volunteer takes and racks your bike while you are handed your Run Gear bag and back into the warehouse to slip some shoes on and go for a little run. There are volunteers to slather on sunscreen if you want. And off you go.

THE RUN
The run is two loops of roughly 13.1 miles. It is dead flat and fast. It starts out along the hotels and goes along about a mile stretch of incredible spectator support: costumes, loud music, and scantily clad spectators. Soon you're in some residential neighborhoods which are much more quiet and peaceful. Another stretch on a main street. The turn-around happens in a State Park that is quite nice.

Since I didn't get started on the bike when I normally would have, I got a chance to see the run course at night :/
At night the run course becomes a lesson in contrasts. Within about a mile on either side of the starting line, whether you're coming back to start your second loop or heading to the finish line, the crowds are festive and rowdy. It really is super fun there! Once in the neighborhoods it's dark, quiet, and lonely. Back down at the State Park turn-around it's (mostly) lit, but still quiet. It's during those dark, painful last miles that friendships are formed. Who but another person on the course can understand the demons at that moment??

IN CONCLUSION
Would I race here again? Probably, if the circumstances were right. I've done Ironman in four countries and three states. There's a lot of venues out there in the world that I'm still interested in. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Have a fit day, y'all!

IRONMAN CANADA 2014 RACE REPORT WHISTLER

Here it is on Thursday, four days removed from Race Day. I will separate this review into four parts:
1) Logistics and Lodging
2) The Swim
3) The Bike
4) The Run

Logistics and Lodging: Unlike most Ironman events, very few people actually live in Whistler. It's a destination venue and the town is pretty much a 'master planned' community designed to accommodate tourism. They executed perfectly. Maybe too perfectly, because Whistler Village seems to have a cookie cutter feel to it. I don't mean this in a bad sense at all. Just saying that if you really appreciate local character and flavor you really must visit nearby Pemberton. That's all I'll say there.

Most people will end up flying to Vancouver, renting a car, and then driving to Whistler. We left 10 days before the race and spent the first three in Vancouver. I highly recommend doing this if you have the time. Vancouver is an active, vibrant city not to be missed! Rental cars in Canada can be incredibly expensive at >$150/day. I rented my SUV from an off-airport site at $348 for 10 days, taxes and fees all included. Dollar Rent a Car on Marine Drive. $12 taxi from the airport and a free ride back to the airport on return. Easy peasy.

Be warned: Vancouver's not a cheap place to stay, but well worth several days visit. We stayed in the Yorktown neighborhood of Downtown Vancouver. A place called Rosedale at Robson. Highly recommended and by local standards very reasonable at $200/night.

A couple things to do in Vancouver:
Swim in Kit's Pool, Run around Stanley Park along the sea wall (10k), visit Granville Island, visit Capilano Bridge Park and Grouse Grind.

Way too many great eateries in Vancouver but here's a few that we found:
-Japadog! Hot dogs like you've never had, guaranteed!
-Rosie's on Robson (connected to the above mentioned hotel). Try the Butter Chicken Poutines!
-Local Public Eatery on Cornwall Ave. Try the Crispy Pork Belly!

Ok, on to Whistler. You can't get lost. There's only one road from Vancouver: The Sea to Sky Highway. It is a stunningly scenic drive on a new, well maintained road. Don't be in a hurry. Stop often for some beatiful sights. If you simply drive straight to Whistler it's about an hour and 45 minutes.

Don't be fooled by the first big sign that says Whistler Olympic Village. This is where they held the actual winter Olympics. Whistler Village is still several more miles of driving. Note that Whistler Village is divided into upper and lower sections. Both sections are walkable to the other but just inconvenient enough that I was glad to be in Lower Village. Even Lower Village has an upper and lower section. We stayed across the street at Stony Creek Lagoons (managed by Whistler Superior Properties) and were quite happy. $116/night total.

Also a ton of eateries in Whistler. Seems to have a pretty high turnover rate but while we were there we enjoyed Peaked Pies and Splitz Grill.

Before I get onto the actual race stuff I should mention that spending some time at Lost Lake is worth it. In our Swag Bag from the Ironman Athlete Check-In were coupons for Whistler/Blockcomb gondola season passes. Only $49 each and good for Peak to Peak as well as unlimited gondola use. Very worth it! Finally, spend a day in Pemberton. While there, drive past Pemberton along the Ironman Bike course and enjoy the countryside and mountain scenary.

THE SWIM
Alto Lake is clean, clear, and relatively warm. It was 66/67 all week. TIP: Everybody wants to do their practice swim at the Rainbow Park starting point. I did that and it was ok. But I also swam once from Lakeside Park across the lake to Rainbow Park and back. This was only a mile but so much more fun. What more can one say? It's a beautiful place for a swim. BTW, Whistler is only at about 2,200 feet above sea level. I live at sea level in California and didn't notice the altitude at all the whole time I was there.

THE BIKE
After getting out of the water it's about 100 yards to T1 on soft carpet. Get your bike and start riding some easy rolling hills through a neighborhood. Soon you're on the highway headed toward Vancouver. Lane is closed to traffic and all yours. In about a dozen miles you turn right up to the 'real' Whistler Olympic Village where they had ski jumping, etc. This climb is long and not to be underestimated, about 10 miles of up. Next it's back down the hill at blistering speeds (I got up to 50 mph) and through some more rolling hills to Whistler Village and on down to Pemberton. Then total flatness for a lovely 30-35 miles through beautiful, lush countryside. The roads in this section are in so-so condition. The rest of the course roads are in very good condition. BEWARE the last 15 miles back into Whistler is a f'ing HARD climb! It's a relentless, nearly 2,000 feet ordeal. It would be challenging all by itself, but this one is at the end of a century. Have fun with that. My Garmin registered 5,978 feet of overall climbing. For those that care, my split was 6:10 at 18 mph avg.

THE RUN
Let me start by saying I have run Ironman courses in some pretty scenic areas from Coeur d'Alene and St George to Switzerland, but the Whistler course is BY FAR the most beautiful run course. It is two loops of rolling hills along the Village and two different lakes. A mixture of paved path and well kept trail. The course takes too many turns and hills for me to accurately describe but it was very challenging. My Garmin registered 1,309 feet of elevation gain overall. Not much flatness at all, mostly up and down. Pace yourself.

IN CONCLUSION
Would I race here again? Probably, if the circumstances were right. I've done Ironman in four countries and three states. There's a lot of venues out there in the world that I'm still interested in. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Have a fit day, y'all!

2013 Ironman Cozumel Race Report

I wanted to write this with the race still fresh in my head and the pain still in my body for the most clarity. With two toenails already black and my muscles aching with every movement, I'll try to present Ironman Cozumel to those who are thinking about doing it, as well as to those who have no desire to do it but are curious about the beast known as Ironman. The Ironman is a three-sport race starting with a 2.4 mile swim, immediately onto the bicycle for 112 miles, change shoes for a 26.2 mile marathon. I'll break this up into Pre-race, Race, and Post-race. This is not about me or my goals, but about the venue, conditions, and organization (or lack thereof) that I observed.

Pre-Race

We arrived on Wednesday before the December 1st Sunday event. The variable that most triathletes fret over is the weather and Cozumel didn't disappoint. Being an island in the Caribbean, it was hot and humid. With clear skies the wind blew very hard that day, about 25 mph out of the north. This brought very high seas. The Cozumel Port Authority issued a small craft advisory, no boats on the water. No scuba diving. No fishing. The forecast was for more of the same over the next few days. The anxiety level went off the charts. With high winds and a white capped ocean, at least there was no rain...yet.

Thursday was more of the exact same shit. No swimming and fewer cyclists than I have ever seen before an Ironman, this being my 5th one. Sightseeing day with one eye constantly on the ocean and the other on the wind. Thursday afternoon it was announced that the swim practice for Friday morning had been cancelled due to conditions. Not good.

Friday weather was more of the same: viscous winds and high seas. With only two days before the event, it was also the day of the Mandatory Athlete meeting which included the usual highlights of the race. At the end they talked about contingency plans if the wind and seas didn't calm down: A duathlon (bike and run but no swim), a modified course, etc. Friday afternoon it was announced that Saturday's swim practice was cancelled. Three days of small craft advisories. I decided to do a loop of the bike course, nice and easy, 40 miles. The wind was going to be a factor, it was clear. It blew very, very hard. 8-10 miles was crosswind Another 10 was downwind. 10-11 miles directly into a 25 mph headwind, and another 10 miles into a crosswind.

Saturday morning arrived with slightly less wind, it was blowing about 15-20 mph. A glimmer of hope. The seas were still quite high but I had to get in the ocean to feel the current and the waves, and to just get the feel. After a short 300-400 yard swim I was much less worried about the conditions. It looked worse than it really was. And at about 80 degrees it was the perfect temperature for swimming. No wetsuits of course. Saturday afternoon it was announced that the swim course had been modified due to safety concerns. Although the predictions were for further declining winds, officials had no choice but to err on the side of safety. I get this. Instead of a 2.4 mile loop they changed it to a point to point 1.96 mile swim along the shore, down current. Saturday afternoon is also the bike check-in and take note of where to find it after exiting the water. Next we took a shuttle to the second transition area which was about 3-4 miles north to downtown and check in our running shoes, etc.

Race

The Big Day arrived and of course the seas were calm and the sky clear. The wind was the lowest it had been since I arrived, blowing at a manageable 15 mph or so. After about eight months of training six days a week for seemingly countless hours, it all came down to treading water, waiting for the start. That is nerves beyond description. BOOM! 2,000 of us are off in a thrashing, violent start. A sight to behold for sure and the beginning of a long day. The two mile swim in such beautiful water was too damn short. I don't think we were ever in water more than 50-60 feet deep and the coral and fish were beautiful. The water was crystal clear. The end of the swim funnels us to wooden steps and onto a small pier of a dolphin resort and water park. Our bikes were spread all throughout several parking lots of the park. Some people had to run through several parking areas to get their bikes. My GPS registered 1/4 mile of ground covered in that first transition before I got to the bike course.

I already touched on the bike course. It is flat and beautiful with very well maintained pavement, nearly new. Just that wind to deal with. 30 miles of harsh headwinds out of 112 total. It also rained very, very hard on me for each of the three bike loops. It never got cold but each downpour lasted about 15-20 minutes. I chalked it up to tropical weather, small micro climates all around the island. BTW, the course ended up being 112.9 miles. Doesn't seem like much of a difference after so long, but trust me it is.

The second transition was much shorter and smoother than the chaos of the first. Arriving at the end of the bike course, a volunteer takes your bike and whisks it away for you to pick up after the race. Within about 3 minutes after getting off the bike, it's off to the run course.

The run course is pretty flat with only two or three very small hills on each of the three 8.73 mile loops. More rain. It poured in sheets several times throughout the run. The drains clogged up and we slogged through ankle deep water in places. Between relentless sunshine and the rain and the wind, it was in interesting race. My feet were absolutely soaked, wrinkled, and water logged after the race. But it was oh so worth it. Would I do this race again? Hell yes. It was awesome.

Post-race area and notes

As always, an event of this magnitude does not happen without many hundreds, if not thousands of volunteers. I made a point to thank as many as I could. Roughly 1/2 of them understood what I was saying. Nonetheless, I always appreciate their help whether it's just handing me a water bottle or offering words of encouragement. Having said that, there were more children (roughly 9-12 year olds) volunteers at Ironman Cozumel than I've ever noticed, maybe 50 percent. As such, many were playing around instead of tending to the matters at hand, especially on the run course. A couple of aid stations on the run course were completely abandoned. Fortunately there was an aid station at nearly every 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile so safety wasn't an issue.

After the finish line food, aid, and water abounded. Organization and transportation was abundant. It was a great end to a day that offered more tests than I anticipated. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. For those who care about such things, I swam the distance in 51 minutes, rode the bike in 6 hours, and ran the marathon in 4 hours 29 minutes. Total time: 11:31 with transitions.

Have a Fit Day, Y'all!!

Ironman Coeur d'Alene Race Report

Hey gang! This post will be more of an actual race report and less of a logistics description as in my past reports. I intend it to be informational for the athlete who wants to learn about the Coeur d'Alene Ironman venue as well as those who are merely curious about this extreme adventure called The Ironman.

A little background AND IRONMAN info

Coeur d'Alene (pronounced CORE DUH LANE) is in the northern part of the state of Idaho, USA. It's a small town surrounded by woods and mountains. The nearest "city" would be Spokane, Washington, 45 minutes east by car. Most athletes drive to Coeur d'Alene or fly to Spokane and rent a car. It's a beautiful area and perfect for an event like the Ironman.

This was my 3rd Ironman and they don't get any easier. For those who don't know, the Ironman triathlon is a race that starts with a swim of 2.4 miles, out of the water and right onto the bicycle for 112 miles, and then change shoes for a 26.2 mile marathon. There are 2,000 to 3,000 athletes at the swim start and it is a massive spectacle to behold. To be actually in it is a whole nother level of intensity/insanity that can't be explained if you haven't been in it. YouTube: Ironman Swim Start.

The Ironman has been called the hardest one day race in the world. I can tell you that many people who finish this race are literally crippled for several days following it. There is a 17 hour time limit on the race that starts at 7am and ends at midnight. I have found that triathletes tend to be a supportive, positive group. Those who finish the race in the later hours are not ridiculed or frowned upon. They in fact have earned the title of Ironman Finisher. I finished Ironman St. George in Utah in 13 hours and 41 minutes; Ironman Switzerland in 12 hours 41 minutes; and Ironman Coeur d'Alene in 12 hours 49 minutes; Arizona in 12:25; Cozumel in 11:31. I consider myself an average triathlete who loves the sport and what it does for my physical and mental well being.

I try to get to an Ironman venue a week early to swim in the waters, ride the bike course, and just generally get a feel for the vibe of the community. I drove the 1,000 miles from California to Idaho in a non-rushed three days.

In this day and age of Facebook and social media, I am very fortunate that my good friend Ryan Moll is Mr Connected. He hooked me up with a "friend" of his, whom he'd never actually met, Andrew Evenson. Andrew is a wonderful human being who made me feel welcome and at home in his beautiful town of Coeur d'Alene. Andrew invited me to swim in the lake that first day and we hit it off right out of the gate.

Coeur d'Alene has a reputation of being fickle when it comes to weather and water conditions. This week would be no different. On that first swim the water was about 52 degrees F and there were good sized waves with white caps. I really didn't want to swim but figured if it was like this on race day I better build some character. Andrew swam like a torpedo through that mush. Christopher and I were more like small boats getting tossed around in a vast sea. It was rough.

Again, the lake is well known for it's changing conditions and this week showed us everything. As the week went on the water temperature slowly got up to around 60 deg F on race day. The conditions slowly improved throughout the week as well. Weather is such a huge factor in Ironman races that athletes are watching it closely for many weeks before race day. Imagine the collective sigh of relief when a good weather report is released just days before the race.

Swim start with three people: Myself, Andrew, and Christopher.

Swim start with 2,500 swimmers fighting for position!

The swim course is two loops of 1.2 miles each. It starts at the Independence Point beach in the town of Coeur d'Alene. It's a beach start so when the cannon goes off there's a mad dash into the water and then swimming pandemonium. It is full contact and vicious. It is my least favorite part of the race but honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. All the training in the world can't prepare you for a mass Ironman start. It must be experienced.

Soon the swim is over and it's time to get on the bike where some real work begins. After exiting the water at the beach there's a short run to T1 which is about 200 yards away. I can't say enough about Ironman volunteers. They are absolutely the best in the world. And specifically in Coeur d'Alene the community and volunteers are so supportive, helpful, and knowledgeable. Many of them are athletes as well. They help you out of your wetsuit, take the whole thing off if you want. They hold your bike while you get your stuff on. They slather on sunscreen. All with a smile.

The bike course is two loops of 56 miles each. Unfortunately I didn't take enough photos of the bike course but suffice it to say that it is very pretty. It starts out around the lake and lulls you into thinking it'll be an easy, fast day. Then you come back around through town and thousands of screaming fans (this is an amazing rush). Then you head back out of town to the west and the hills seem to go up and up and up. The first one is 2.5 miles of climbing. My Garmin registered 6,301 ft of climbing for the race. Not bad compared to the Alps of Ironman Switzerland. But it was still a grind.

I'm a cyclist first and I enjoy the bike the most so I was in my element. I had a great time on the course and if I had to bitch about something it would be the no-pass zone on the fast downhill return to town from the west. The course is on a highway with one of the lanes closed for racers. One lane isn't too much when going 45-50 mph downhill. And there are always less experienced riders who aren't familiar with "keep right except to pass." One thing I can't stand is hitting the brakes going downhill and there's a section of no-pass on a screaming fast downhill section. Oh well, it was more frustrating than anything. I doubt it affected my time by more than a few minutes.

Aid stations were well stocked with water and nutrition and were about every 10-12 miles. Again, the volunteers were outstanding. I tried to set a personal record in the number of times I thanked a volunteer (Thanks to Isa for that idea!).

After six grueling hours on the bike it was time to start the marathon. My only experience on the run course was driving it two days before. One thing about driving a run course is that the hills aren't really intimidating. Let me tell you, this run course was challenging. The first thirteen miles weren't too bad. The last thirteen were a total f*&%ing grind from hell. It starts out uphill out of town along the lake. Once out of town the climbing begins. And there's two loops of that. By the end of the first loop my mind started playing little games and the body was pretty nearly done. I started thinking, "I've done two Ironmans before this one. I have nothing to prove. If I don't finish it wouldn't kill me..." Then the guy on the other shoulder chimes in about finishing what you started and blah blah blah. The legs aren't functioning properly, the mind is getting messed up. The last 12 miles I hooked up with a dude that was clearly in the same boat as me and we pushed each other harder than we would've gone alone. Thanks Zach!

In conclusion, I ask myself if I would race this venue again. And the answer is ABSOLUTELY! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Cheers!

OMG it's been a while

I've been busy with life, staying fit, racing. I tried something different this past winter and participated in my first road-specific bicycle racing. I won a Category 3 Criterium race and promptly decided that I prefer triathlons.

Ok, back to you. My last post regarding your path to fitness nirvana ended like this "Remember, an hour a day in Zone 2, timer starts once you're in the Zone." If you're still hammering away, good for you! The Zone 2 sessions should occur in one complete hour, as opposed to two half hour sessions.

It's purely individual when to move onto the next step. As you progress, "the next step" for you might be different than for somebody else. I'm going to try and move forward in such a way that it benefits you the most. Those who are on the margins, extreme OCD like me or those who are less motivated, will advance in different ways. I'm gonna guide you on the middle road.

Let's assume that you've been doing one session a day in Zone 2, seven days a week. And you've been doing this for several weeks or months. At this point you should be happy with what you see on the scale! If not, I can only imagine that you're not doing it EVERY DAY. So, you should be ready to move on. There are two ways I suggest to go. If you feel that you still have significant weight to lose, continue on to "Paragraph A" below. If you feel like you have some weight to lose but you'd also like to increase your the strength of your heart, lungs, and muscles, go straight to "Paragraph B" below.

Paragraph A

This will be easy: Simply do two Zone 2 sessions per day, every day. That means either back to back for two solid hours per day OR 2 separate sessions. Perhaps one in the morning and one in the afternoon, but two full sessions EVERY DAY, seven days a week. This is how to get results.

Paragraph B

This is a little more aggressive and should be followed only if you feel like you're fairly close to your weight goal, say within 20-25%. So if you wanted to lose 40 lbs initially, you should be within 8-10 lbs of that goal.

I still want you to be an hour in Zone 2 once a day, every day. But I also want you to go into Zone 3 for an hour once a day, every day. If you need a refresher on just what Zone 3 is, go back to an earlier post titled "More Baby Steps" which describes in detail exactly how to figure it out.

Zone 3 reached by running easily as an example -- you improve your functional capacity. The number and size of your blood vessels actually increase, you step up your lung capacity and respiratory rate, and your heart increases in size and strength so you can exercise longer before becoming fatigued. You're still metabolizing fats and carbohydrates at about a 50-50 rate which means both are burning at the same ratio.

Whether you are moving forward with Paragraph A or B, you should continue the regimen for several weeks (like 8-10 at least) or months. Remember, baby steps. Now go out there and have a fit day y'all!

Ironman Switzerland Race Report and Travel Tips

Ironman Switzerland Race Report

NOTES, LOGISTICS, and TIPS
(If you're primarily interested in the race review, please scroll down a few paragraphs where it's highlighted in red)

For me this whole thing started when we were planning a vacation to Switzerland nine months earlier.  Next thing I know I'm registered for Ironman Switzerland. I've lived there, my wife and kids are Swiss, I was really looking forward to this beautiful venue. Zurich is an awesome city but to really appreciate what Switzerland has to offer, you have to get out to the Alps...or do an Ironman ;-)



We stayed at a hotel called Engimatt. It was just perfect, highly recommended.

Quick tip on packing for an Ironman abroad: PACK LIGHT!  You'll have your bike too and you'll go home with more stuff than you came with.  Utilize hotel laundry or do it in the sink and dry it on the window sill/balcony.  Trust me on this, you'll thank me later.  Pack what you think you'll need...then take out at least 1/3 more, but probably more like 1/2.  Most important piece to bring: electric plug adapter, about $5.  



I pack my bike and wheels in these awesome bags. There's no oversize charge because they meet the check-in specs. You do have to feel comfortable taking your bike COMPLETELY apart and reassembling it. It takes me about 45 minutes to tear it down and 30 or so to put it back together.



Note: At the time of this writing, July 2011, WiFi is not easy to find in Switzerland. If you do find it, it's seldom free.

From SFO it's an 11 hour direct flight on Swiss airlines.  We landed in Zurich on a beautiful July afternoon.  Landing at the Zurich airport on a clear day is just like landing in a post card.  The airport isn't exactly in the city of Zurich but it's only about 10 minutes away.  After baggage claim you can easily buy a train ticket from an English speaking agent.  You'll want to buy a ticket to the Zurich Main train station.  This was about $8.  The trains to the Main Station leave every 20 minutes or so.  The one German word you should know is "Gleis" (rhymes with "price") which means "Track"  There are over 50 tracks in the Main Station (or Zurich HB) and they're labelled "Gleis 12" for example.  

If you're not in a hurry or totally exhausted I recommend spending about 1/2 hour to explore the airport.  It is exactly how all airports should be: efficient, clean, and friendly.  The food choices range from sit down to take-away. Remember, the train leaving to the Main Station departs about every 20 minutes so if you miss one just hop on the next one.
 
On tipping at restaurants: Tips are included in Switzerland.  When my change comes, if the service is decent, I simply round up to the nearest Swiss Franc (1 Swiss Franc is about $1.25 at the moment) and leave that bit of change.  On the other hand, you will not offend anyone by simply taking all your change.

If you want a light, quick meal go to a deli-looking counter and ask for a Bratwurst and burli or a Shublig and burli for about $7.50.  They hand you a tasty sausage that you eat like a hot dog without the bun.  The burli is a round, fist sized piece of bread that's hard, crunchy on the outside and soft, tasty on the inside. If you wanna buy some groceries to tie you over for awhile there's a "Migros" in there which probably has the best prices for food and drink.  
If you love chocolate, nobody does it better than the Swiss and while in the airport go to the Sprungli chocolate store!  Buy some of those little bite-sized morsles (called Luxemburgerli), but only get what you can eat that day, maybe a kilo or two ;-) Swiss chocolate is very fresh with no additives/preservatives and won't last long before it melts.

After getting your train ticket and enjoying a meal, go down two escalators to the train platform which is clean and efficient.  Be advised: Swiss trains are NEVER late, ever.  Under very, very few instances would I recommend renting a car in Zurich.  Besides narrow, confusing streets and signs, there's hardly any parking at all and none that's free, even at a $300/night hotel.  The public transport is clean, reliable, and super easy to figure out.  Plus you can get pretty much anywhere with it.

Once at the Zurich Main Station, depending on how long you stay, I would recommend buying a week train pass for "Zone 10" which covers all of Zurich trains, trams, buses, and beautiful boat rides on the lake!  
The airport itself is not in Zone 10 is why we didn't simply buy the passes there.
We only stayed for 3 nights, so for us it made more sense to buy 24 hour day-passes for Zone 10 at about $9 each.  Conveniently, we could buy these at the hotel front desk.  You can also get Multi-Zone or even All Switzerland train passes.  These can get quite expensive and a cost/convenience analysis would be in order vs car rental.  

Cell phones: you'll have to do fairly extensive research here.  Only AT&T at the moment works here.  I simply called AT&T and told them what date range I'd be here and they put me on the Int'l plan for phone/text/data.  Figuring out how to call a Swiss number was a slight chore.

Once at the Main Train station it's easy to get overwhelmed.  Relax.  You can call the hotel and ask them which tram to take and they'll give directions, something like "take the #13 tram to Waffen Strasse and we're across the street."  While at the Zurich HB (Haupt Bahnhof, aka Main Train station) definitely get a Zurich Tourist map with public transport on it and study it.  It took us one day of exploring and having fun to figure out the trains/trams/busses.  Again, relax.  You have 24 hour tickets.  If you get lost, you can't stray too far.  Zurich is geographically small.  BTW, once you have the tickets you just get on board.  No need to punch/stamp them or show them to anyone.  It's the honor system.  They do random checks.  

RACE DAY stuff

If you've never done an Ironman event, the organization is incredible. It's not cheap for a reason.  They really put you, the athlete, first.  

You will of course arrive several days before the race to acclimate to the time change.   For me it takes a solid 5-6 days.  None of the so-called remedies have worked for me. If they work for you, great.

The weather in Switzerland several days before the race was awesome.  It was sunny/partly cloudy and between 65-75 deg F.  It often rained and stormed quite hard at night, only to clear to a warm,  slightly humid morning.  Swiss summers tend to be pleasantly warm but can easily bake or freeze in the same week!  They were calling for warm temps and scattered showers for race day.  That made me a little nervous.
 
We checked into the hotel Friday morning and promptly walked to the race venue to test the distance and get the route down.  It turned out to be about a 20 minute walk.  Not bad.  The Ironman Village was being diligently built up Friday morning. Registration and packet pick-up was exciting as the reality of it all sank in.  The Ironman Store was "conveniently" located at the end of registration.  Oddly, they were selling Finisher stuff already.  I didn't really like that the back of the jacket was screened and not embroiderd, nor did I wanna jinx my race so I didn't buy one.  At the finish line they gave us a cool Finisher polo shirt and towel.  

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Bike check-in is Saturday before the race.  It's orderly and very "Swiss-like." If you don't know what that means, let's just say the Swiss are perfectionists to the friggin hilt.

RACE DAY arrived and I hardly slept.  It was a clear, pleasant morning.  Athletes were silently making their way to the venue, many thinking about the long day that lay ahead.  

The swim course takes place in Lake Zurich.  It's two clockwise loops that are not the same distance.  It's a mass land start that swims straight out about 800 meters to the first right turn buoy.  Then it's about 900 meters parallel to shore to another right turn bouy.  Roughly 800 meters back to shore where there's this little island we had to run across and head back out for the second loop.  The second loop was a shorter, strange little shape that you have to see on the web site to understand.  The water was 21 degrees Celsius or 70 F.  We were told previous year's water temps have been as low as 15C or 59F.
As I just learned how to properly swim in December, 2008, I'm happy with my 1:29 swim time.  T1 around 3.5 minutes.



The bike course is two loops.  While Zurich isn't in the biggest part of the Alps, there are still some arduous climbs.  After completing one of the notoriously most difficult races in Ironman, St George, I highly underestimated this ride course.  The ride starts with some long, fast flats where I quickly noticed drafters.  As with most triathlons, they were very clear that drafting was not allowed.  But unlike most triathlons, the Swiss enforced it!  I saw at least 10 penalties handed out including to one guy that was on my wheel.  The flats are long and kind of lull you into thinking "This ain't so bad." and of course then it starts climbing seemingly forever.  The course winds through the countryside and some super nice little towns where fans are cheering you on every step of the way.  The community support is amazing.  I heard that 150,000 spectators show up!  After coming swiftly out of the mountains and back toward the lake, there's a steep climb around Mile 53/109 known as Heartbreak Hill.  The name is worse than the climb but the fans gather by the 1000's here and the vibe is indescribable!  Soon it's back out for another loop of bicycle bliss.


 
I was hoping for a 6 hour bike but made two mistakes here that I think cost me: 1) I should've rode one lap of the course earlier in the week, or AT LEAST driven it; and 2) I underestimated the ride.  As I'm a fairly strong cyclist, I didn't kick up the bike training like I should have.  Ended up with riding it in 6:23.  T2 was about 5.5 minutes.



The run course is four loops of just over 10k each.  It's all in Zurich and therefore really spectator friendly.  The crowd is really cheering you on the whole way, it's kinda cool.  It's all pretty much flat and after a challenging bike this was nice.  You leave T2 and start the marathon along the lake.  Since the loops are only about 10k, the organizers had to get creative winding us through the city.  I think they did a really good job as they take us through several tree lined parks with trails and over the lake on a bridge to another tree lined section near the Old Town of Zurich.  For me, I think the 4x10k format was good from the mental aspect of the race.  I never really got too far away and it therefore seemed shorter ;-)

I wrote this report in the 6 days following the race.  I tried to write it while the course, the pain, and the glory are all still fresh.  As I recall, there were 5 aid stations on every loop.  They were all fairly evenly spaced except that last one going back toward the finish line:  There's a station about 1 or 2 kilometers before the finish line.  Then you go through the Village and back out another 1 or 2k before the next station.  This doesn't sound like much...until the 3rd and 4th laps where it's an eternity.  They had fruits, water, coke, and some fluid called ISO which I did not like at all.  My marathon consisted of salt tablets, water, coke, and orange slices.
 
About 3/4 into each loop they slipped a colored band on my arm to signify which lap I was on.  By my 3rd lap the pain and fatigue was getting quite large.  This is where my mind starts playing little tricks on me and thoughts of quitting didn't seem all that bad.  By the fourth lap every inch of my body cried out to stop running and my mind took over.    By the end of the fourth lap I was giddy.  The crowd was phenomenal.  I ran the last 100 meters with both arms up, shouting I LOVE SWITZERLAND much to the crowd's delight.  I was delirious at that point and was really trying to shout I'M GLAD IT'S OVER! and that I FINISHED!

I really hoped for a four hour marathon and still think I can do it.  I ended up with a 4:45.  I have two excuses for my lack of performance here, and they really are only excuses at the end of the day, aren't they? 1) The last 6 weeks before the race I battled a nagging upper respiratory infection; and 2) While I continued and kicked up my swim training, I only maintained my cycle training, and only ran marginally around 25 miles a week.
My total time was 12:45.



After the race my legs are just ground up meat.  The word "pain" just doesn't seem adequate.  On the other hand, the food provided for the athletes was just amazingly delicious.  I mean, they could've served dirt covered bugs and we woulda thought it was the best stuff ever.  But they had a really good spread and an even better dessert selection!  There was also a barrista making delicious espressos, lattes, etc.  After that it was off to the wonderful showers they had that just rained down a waterfall on you, no drought going on here!  Finally, off to the massage tent.  
 
If you go to Switzerland but don't plan on staying in Zurich the whole time:
-Quick recommendations for other places to visit in Switzerland.  I lived off the beaten path in eastern Switzerland, you can do this small tour in one day: Early train to Wasserauen.  From Zurich you'll have to change trains in Gossau to the AppenzellerBahn.  Take a gondola ride up or a fairly strenuous 1.5 hour hike up the nearby alp, called Ebenalp.  You can stop halfway and snack at a mountain farmhouse.  They have Swiss beer, very fresh milk, cheese, and bread that are just amazing.  Near the top of Ebenalp, DO NOT MISS the wonderful alpen restaurant Aescher.  Sit outside and have a tasty lunch of rösti and dessert.  After that, hike the 5 minutes up to the Ebenalp.  Look/hike around.  Take the gondola down and then get back onto the train to nearby Appenzell town for some shopping.  After that, if you have time, drive or take the Post Auto bus to the nearby town of Stein and take in the quaint Swiss cheese factory where they make famous Appenzell cheese.  
Other visually stunning places to visit include Cellerina/St. Moritz in the south east; great hiking in Grindelwald and the Jungfrau just outside of touristy Lucern in central Switzerland; breathtaking views in Brig/Matterhorn to the west/southwest.    



-As I sit here in my hotel room in London I reflect with satisfaction on my time in Zurich.  I hope I've inspired someone to try Ironmam Switzerland, or at least to just live vicariously through my adventure.  In any case, stay fit y'all!

Silicon Valley International Triathlon (SVIT) Race review/report 2010

I don't know the full history of the various transformations of this event, but I'm thinking it's like 20 years old. If someone could reply with a comment on that information, I'd appreciate it. Held each June in the Almaden Valley of San Jose, this is a very big triathlon in Northern California and the biggest one in San Jose, attracting many hundreds of athletes. It's recently been known as the San Jose International Triathlon and the Silicon Valley Olympic Distance Triathlon (SVODT). The current organizers, USA Productions, have come under much criticism and scrutiny over their handling of this race in particular. Last year the 6.2 mile run was more like 7+ miles, not even close to the official Olympic distance. In this day and age of GPS it is amazing to get this wrong. But that was last year, and these things can't be easy to organize so I give USA Productions kudos just for having this event!



My triathlon club has a long history in this race and we've supported it long before I got here, all of two years ago. Although a relative triathlon newbie, I've been in nearly 20 events including Wildflower, Alcatraz, the Big Kahuna 1/2 Iron-distance, and for me the grand daddy of them all, the Ford Ironman in St. George, Utah.

Yesterday was a great day to have a race, June 13, 2010. This is one of two events that USA Productions has "in the neighborhood." The other one is at Uvas Reservoir in Morgan Hill and it's another super fun race. And they are getting better and better at organizing these events. There'll be glitches but hey, go out with a good attitude, have fun, and you can overlook some of the minor things that will always be present.

So I rode my bicycle the short 3 miles to the venue and arrived around 5:30am. The sun was just coming up and it was warm enough to be comfortable in shorts and a short sleeve shirt. It was around 60 degrees, which was a good thing because it was in the 90's the day before and people were already slathering up on the sun screen. There was little to no wind and it would be a beautiful day, if not just a wee bit on the warm side. I missed seeing the pros this year. I didn't quite understand last year's pro race in that it was a swim, run, time-trial thing. But it had a big purse and it was still cool to see those athletes perform up close. Their power in the bike and the run never ceases to amaze me. It's just super cool. Anyhow, they weren't here this year.

The swim course is in Lake Almaden. It's a deep water start so there's no pushing and shoving to get into the water. But make no mistake, it is a triathlon. And as such it's full contact swimming! The water temp was around 68 and I was comfortable in a shorty wetsuit. The water in San Jose is notoriously "toxic" but I've been swimming in nearby Calero, Uvas, and Lake Almaden since I was a kid and I've never gotten sick or anything. I've heard stories of athletes having issues though. Whatever. Here I am the next day and I feel fine. The swim is the swim: it's 1,500 meters of three left turns and a right. Next thing you know you're running up a small beach toward your bike.



The bike course is really fun. It's 40 kilometers (24.9 miles) of rollers and some climbs but mostly it's fairly flat and fast. You leave T1 and start riding flat roads mixed in with some rollers and a little head wind on the Southbound leg for about 12 miles. The wind tends to blow from the south in the mornings and the north in the afternoons around here. At the turn-around I immediately noticed the tailwind and my speed increased about 25-30% from 19 mph to about 26 mph. After a slight climb on Bailey Ave it's pretty much all down hill from there.

The run course was also super fun. It's 10k or 6.2 miles. Unfortunately I didn't get any photos of the run course but it starts out of T2 and goes out of the park and continues on a paved path which is flat and fast. The whole run course is pretty flat with really nice scenery. None of it is on city streets and there are no cars, how cool is that?! This year it was EXACTLY 6.2 miles, much to the joy of many an athlete. There were several aid stations (4?) with great volunteers along the way, providing water and gel. By the end of the run the temperatures had climbed into the 80's and it was really quite nice. At the finish line we were greeted with an ice cold bottle full of water and a medal. Honestly, the medal was kinda cheap looking compared to others but hey, the event was really fun and well attended. They should look at the medals given out at the Big Kahuna in Santa Cruz and Wildflower.

The post race festivities included live music, food and drinks. I found the venue really nice and USA Productions effort much more focused this year. I look forward to next year's race!

The road to Ironman St. George 2010: couch potato to Ironman and Race Review.

Hey gang, as I mentioned in my last post I took some time off of the Blog to increase my training regimen in preparation for my first Ironman triathlon. If you're primarily interested in the race review, please scroll down a few paragraphs where it's highlighted. It's been 3 months and I completed my dream of participating in and finishing the race. Crossing the finish line was one of the defining moments in my entire life. Later, I joked with a colleague that I wasn't sure if I was happier to finish the Ironman or when my kids were born. He aptly replied: "ANYONE can have kids, you-are-an-Ironman!" Wow, I hadn't thought about it that way. For those who don't know, the Ironman is a race that starts with a 2.4 mile swim in open water, we get out of the water and onto our bikes for 112 miles, then we run a 26.2 mile marathon. It is truly daunting and even after all the training and 3 weeks since the event, I cannot fathom the monumental task. It's just beyond reason. It's been called the hardest one-day race in the world. Below is my review of the race and the events that lead up to it. It will be long winded and likely boring to many. If it never gets read by anyone, I will still have gotten it off my chest.

I am not one of the fortunate few who are gifted with physical prowess or has that genetic gift for superior physical fitness. I train my ass off just to be average in a world of triathletes. I've come to grips with and am ok with that. Having said that, I'm also in better condition than 99.9% of the population. In a nutshell: May 5, 2008 was the first day I rode my bike to work, 20 miles round trip. After 3 months I was getting in pretty good shape and riding my bike to work soon wasn't enough for me. So I started running in the mornings before I rode my bike to work. One day I was golfing and two of our regular guys didn't show up, so the golf course added a pair to our group, one of whom was Brian. As we played I was talking to Brian about my recent weight loss and training. He said that he was a triathlete and that I should join the local triathlon club. It sounded intriguing. Another challenge. I could run and bike, but I couldn't swim. Brian said the club held a swim session every week and that beginners were welcome. I signed up online that night. In December 2008 I took a swim lesson with the club and promptly swam 75 yards before I thought I was gonna die! 3 months later I entered my first race: a local sprint distance triathlon in February of 2009. For the rest of 2009 I had raced in 7 events including two swims from Alcatraz to San Francisco, a Half Ironman triathlon, a marathon, and several other triathlons.

So in 2009 I had fully immersed myself in the triathlon world and had learned of this crazy race called the Ironman. Not knowing or fully understanding the scope of just what this Ironman race entailed, I tried to sign up for a few, only to learn that they sell out in days. It's not something you can just think about, you have to pull the trigger. So when this new race was announced for St. George, Utah I signed up immediately. This was late Spring/early Summer 2009. From that moment on I took the task seriously. I read books on it, I learned nutrition, I queried veterans, and I trained rain or shine...mostly rain, all winter long. I developed a training plan that turned out to be astounding. To summarize: I trained 6 days a week, taking Sundays off. The volume and intensity increased incrementally leading up to the race. The month before the race I was swimming 5 to 7 miles a week, running 40 miles a week, and biking 200 miles a week. Plus, I was doing yoga 2-3 hours a week. I regulated my nutrition: >100 grams a day of protein, <10 grams/day of saturated fat, a pound a day of fruits/vegetables, etc. In 2009 I swam over 250 miles, ridden my bike over 7,000 miles, run about 1,000 miles, did over 10,000 sit-ups, lifted countless lbs of weight, and learned the importance of stretching.

TRAVEL AND VENUE DESCRIPTION STARTS HERE (actual Race Day Review further below, in red):
By race week I was in the absolute best shape of my entire life, including high school and college. My wife and I left a week early and made a mini vacation of our stay in St. George. We packed up the bike, went over our checklists, and drove the many hours to Utah in one long day. Me and 2,000 other athletes had been checking the weather forecast for maybe a month. Rain had been predicted on and off for race day and I'm sure I wasn't the only nervous athlete. The race will happen rain or shine. We decided to try a scenic drive right though the middle of Nevada. We left San Jose, california Sunday morning at first light. We drove toward Lake Tahoe via Kirkwood/Markleeville and proceeded to Carson City, Nevada to visit friends for lunch.

After that we headed east on Hwy 50. One of the best ways to experience Nevada is to travel Highway 50 -- the so-called "Loneliest Road in America." Highway 50 roughly parallels the Pony Express Trail. It was indeed lonely and also ruggedly beautiful. We then took Nevada hwy 93 south which was also very beautiful. And finally 219 south to Utah 18 south and into St. George. We arrived and checked into our room about 9pm Sunday night.

Monday morning was clear, calm winds, and dry. As I suspected, the climate was similar to San Jose's. It'll be about 70 degrees F. today. Nice. This was taper week of course and so Monday was about exploring the town and a light swim at the venue. As recently as 3 weeks prior, the water temperature was a very, very cold 54 degrees F. By race week it was a balmy and tolerable 60. Many were complaining about the cold water, but I swim in the Northern California Pacific. I know cold. After checking the weather forecast again, it seems we are in for some strong winds this week. They're still calling for rain on race day. So off we go to Sand Hollow Reservoir. The reservoir is about 20 miles outside of town in a rural but developing area. After a short 1 mile swim I found that 60 degrees is tolerable enough that I plan on trying my sleeveless wetsuit on Thursday morning.

I was out of the water by 9am. After a snack and shower, we head off to drive the bike course. So the bike course will begin at Sand Hollow Reservoir. We will get out of the water and ride the 20 or so miles of rolling hills back into St. George where we'll begin two 45 mile loops into the surrounding red rock hills. During the drive I discover there will be a lot of climbing. Some 30 miles of steady climbing per loop and 15 miles of descent back into town at the end of each loop. My GPS showed about 6,600 feet of elevation gain for the bike course.

The rest of the day was spent checking out the town and grocery shopping. If you haven't had the pleasure of visiting Utah, I highly recommend it. The red rock canyons and rugged beauty are simply astounding.

Early Tuesday morning it was clear with a slight warm breeze. Tourist day, no training. We went to Snow Canyon State Park about 15-20 minutes north of town. It was sunny and about 75 degrees outside. Simply stunning. I'm guessing that since the air is very dry, 75 in Utah feels like 78-80 in San Jose weather.

Woke up early Wednesday morning to a gentle wind, blowing about 10-15 mph. I planned to ride the bike course. I've found that the wind kicks up predictably in St. George, pretty much every day. But Wednesday they were calling for 60-80 mph winds and I wanted to be out off the bike before that came! I rode 85 miles and just during the last 5 or so the wind came, it was manageable at first. Fortunately I got off the bike before the real wind came. It blew HARD, HARD, HARD that day and all night long. I'm sure there were plenty of nervous athletes in town that day. Garbage cans were strewn about, the wind was like a tornado without the twister. I mean it was just ferocious.

The Ironman Expo opened on Wednesday. The whole idea that I was really gonna do this race was slowly sinking in. I got my first butterflies. I took the opportunity to do the Athlete Check-In and get my packet and number marking. They were doing something new and had "tattoo number markings" for our arms and legs. It was some kind of airless body paint that would last a week. It would save time from having to do it race morning. Since this was my first Ironman, I couldn't wait to get marked. I got tattooed on both arms. I walked around that day proudly showing off my Ironman status =)

During our time in St. George we met some wonderful people, both athletes and locals. The locals were very excited to be hosting this event and it showed in the smiles and hospitality we were shown. While in the Ironman store, we met two of the nicest people: Dave and Louise from Canada. St. George would be her 21st Ironman! And at 69 she was the oldest female athlete.

By Thursday morning it calmed down to a gentle breeze, and it appeared the system was blowing though. The weather gods were now saying that race day may be nice. 2,000 athletes crossing our fingers and hoping for a small miracle for nice weather. I met up with my triathlon club friends Paul and Audrey for one last swim before the race. After a nice 1 mile swim I decide that the water's gonna be fine for me to race in a sleeveless wetsuit. I'm happy about that.

Thursday night was the Ironman Welcome Dinner. This was the first time I saw all the athletes and organizers in one place. It was awesome. The presentation, music, and speeches were truly inspiring. They brought out one of the original finishers from the very first Ironman on February 18, 1978 on Oahu, Hawaii. He talked about his experience and how things have progressed since then. He had to borrow a bike, cut his jeans to make shorts, and bring money so he could buy drinks (beer in his case!).

Finally Friday arrived. The Day Before The Race. No wind, few clouds. Oh weather gods, please be nice tomorrow. My wife and I planned a day trip to Zion Nat'l Park. It's about an hour drive or so. The drive was nice. The park is absolutely a MUST SEE. Words cannot describe the scenery. We have such a beautiful country and there's so much to see!

Bike drop-off is today. Pumped up my tires, put nutrition on my Bento Box, mixed my Carbo-Pro fluid for the bike, and it's off to the first transition area where my bike goes to it's assigned location.

A long day of hiking and I'm ready for an early bed time. Gotta get up around 3am. I slept fitfully 'til about 2:30am. Of course I didn't need the alarm.
RACE DAY and REVIEW STARTS HERE

Finally, Race Day and the weather gods were with us. Clear skies and no wind! I had two alarms set for 3am. I didn't need either one of them. Paul and Audrey were going to pick me up and drive to downtown St. George. From there all the athletes were to be shuttled by bus to the swim start some 20 miles east. In a nutshell, the swim start and T1 were quite a ways outside of town while T2 and the finish line were right in the middle of town. The logistics seemed a bit complicated, but the Ironman organization made it run as smooth as silk. Long story short on the logistics: They had everything for us at the finish area, labeled, bagged, and ready for pick-up.

It was dark and cold outside, high 40's or low 50's. All three of us are a bundle of nerves and not much is said in the car. We get to downtown which is about 4 minutes away, park the car, and I forgot my wetsuit! Without complaining (at least outwardly) Paul takes me back to get it. Fortunately St. George is a small town and we were early. After we get back and park the car we meandered over toward the buses. It was orderly and fast getting on the buses. The volunteers were already up and chipper, guiding athletes, buses, and cars to and fro with utmost efficiency.

20 minutes later we arrived at Sand Hollow Reservoir, still dark of course since it's like 4:30 am. Amongst the chaos of darkness and athletes pouring in, the ever helpful volunteers kept things going. They were absolutely amazing. After checking my bike and stuff, I had to find a porta-potty. Here was the first glitch. Imagine 2,000 nervous athletes. All need to pee, from the pros to the oldest age-groupers. The lines were long and slow. There definitely were not enough outhouses. This seems to be a common theme at triathlons.

The sky began to light up around 6:30 and the pros soon got into the water. The lines were still long for the outhouses. The pros went off at 6:45 and the rest of us slowly wandered toward the water. The lines were still long for the outhouses! Finally, I made the executive decision to pee in my wetsuit. I'm sure I wasn't the only one. Walking toward the water in a mass of wetsuit clad athletes, the National Anthem started. The crowd slowed to a stop. I listened and much to my surprise I began to cry. First of all, I'm a patriotic American. Second of all, it finally hit home that after nearly a year of seriously focused training, it all boiled down to this. After that we started wandering toward the water, it was an awesome sight! Black Sabbath started playing over the loud speakers: "I AM IRONMAN...Now the time is here, For Ironman to spread fear..." At that moment I thought truer words have never been spoken!

The water was about 59 degrees F as expected. I was still waist deep and about dead center of the mass when the canon went off. Let me tell you if you've never done an Ironman and you're nervous about the swim start, it's every bit of a washing machine as you can imagine. You will get kicked and grabbed. You will also do some kicking yourself. If you have any trepidation you will want to stay out of that mess. Also, it pretty much did not thin out. For the entire 2.4 miles I was always within 5 feet of someone, and 5 feet was breathing room.

Getting out of the water I felt solid. I had trained. But...I WAS COLD, shivering. Others were in the med tent being treated for hypothermia. Determined, I ran/shook my way to the changing tent. Shedding my (sleeveless) wetsuit, I worked slowly, wrapped myself in a towel, and changed. Finally after 12 minutes I made up my mind to move on. I had a 14 minute T1, Yikes. Once on the bike, my first thought was, "I have a long day ahead of me." I shivered for about 15-20 miles even with long sleeves on.

The Bike Course. It was clear and cool Saturday morning. Volunteers and spectators lined the course leaving Sand Hollow. Once on the road it was down to business. I stuck to my nutritional and energy expenditure plan and it worked like a charm. We rode the 20 or so miles back into St. George where we then started the first of two 45 mile loops. The road from Sand Hollow to St. George was hilly, mostly rollers with some climbs and steep, fast downhills. Once in the loop it's about 30 miles of steady climbing followed by several miles of rollers and finally 10-15 miles of steady downhill where we reached speeds of around 45-50 mph. I think that out of 112 miles there might have been a grand total of 6 flat miles.

Climbing on the bike course was challenging. I saw athletes on the side of the road either pushing their bikes uphill or just simply exhausted. One guy in particular looked like he was taking a nap, now that's tired. I had to do a double-take to make sure he wasn't in serious condition but it looked like his head was propped up on his helmet. I was thinking, "If you're tired now..."

It was a fast descent coming into T2, with spectators lining both sides of the street, many people deep. For me it was just amazing flying by people just 3 to 6 feet away at 35-40 mph. I can only imagine what it looked like.

The Marathon. Coming into T2 with the bike is very cool. This was my first Ironman and I love the organization. You get off the bike, a volunteer takes it, and another volunteer hands you your T2 bag with shoes and stuff in it. It's just as smooth as silk.



The run course was two out-and-backs of 13 miles. Leaving T2 there's about 200-300 yards of flat. Then it's a left turn onto a very slight rise. From there it only got steeper and steeper for then next several miles. Not kidding. All by itself this would've been the most challenging marathon for myself and all the other athletes I spoke with. But in conjunction with an Ironman, it was absolutely brutal. At the end of the first loop, the downhill was a godsend. But being so close to the finish line and knowing that I had to go out on that loop again was a mind game unto itself.

While I saw a few scattered instances of fatigued athletes on the bike course, the marathon ate athletes up for lunch. Ambulance rides, IV's, even a helicopter evac was nearly common. I haven't seen the final stats, but early indications showed 20-30% DNF. The marathon was just vicious.

Finally with the end in sight, I quit using the aid stations at about mile 22. St. George and the local community came out in droves. They supported this race like you cannot believe. From the numerous and fantastic volunteers that all seemed to have a cheerful face, to the spectators who lined the streets many rows deep, it was just phenomenal. I could hear the loudspeakers and the crowd during my last mile and I cannot explain the feeling. I started skipping and jumping and nearly fell with 20 yards to go! In the end I feel like my training and nutrition regimen was perfect. If anything, I probably would've trained running more on some BIG, long hills. I accomplished my dream. Couch potato to Ironman in 24 months.