Updates

Wow, hadn't realized how long it had been since I had posted. To be completely honest, I believe that is because there hasn't been a ton to talk about. Christmas was wonderful. Meg and I had a wonderful time celebrating with our two families as well as just by ourselves. I'd been eagerly awaiting Christmas to come as I had the perfect gift for my perfect gal and I absolutely hate keeping secrets! Around Christmas I got sick. I took two days off, got back on the bike and then realized I probably needed more time off. Consulted with coach, and he had me take 3 days off. Today was my first day back exercising and just happens to be our first day of a 3 day mini vacation in Bend, OR. That means XC skiing!

Today's XC ski adventure included an extra 4 miles or so. All in the bride and I ended up pumping out 4 hours of nice aerobic effort on the skis. I absolutely love XC skiing. Great cross training. On the theme of cross training, Muddy has me still hitting the gym and doing some work with bands to help work the outside of my legs. Most of our movement in triathlon is forward and little side to side, yet that doesn't mean you don't work those muscles in preparation. We want to be properly prepared for our heavy periods of training. The last thing we need is the body breaking down as we get into larger/harder training blocks.

That's about it for now. I've seen a lot of resolutions out there for 2011. I don't really have a resolution, but I do have a mission this year...and that's to kick the shit out of IMCDA in June. Hope everyone has a wonderful and safe New Years!! We are off to have some awesome sushi before cracking open some nice Champagne back at the inn as count down to 2011. For what it's worth, we will be counting down to the Eastern midnight as we are old and just xc skied for half the darn day :) Thanks for reading,
-T

Anticipation

Nerves show that you care right? That is what we were told as kids as we hopped up onto start blocks at big swim races. I'm sure most everyone has felt it at some point, before a 5k, a pick up basketball game, etc. I remember when I first started triathlon, I couldn't sleep before a race. Period. Now I take Ambien before races. But, what about before the start of a race? I'm often asked what it feels like right before you start a big race like Ironman.

To be completely honest, the feeling is much different than it was during say my first year of triathlon. Even before races that I had to race sick, such as Boise, I no longer worry about the distances or conditioning, etc. The only real concern that drives some nerves before the start surround the bike. Tires pumped up to proper pressure? Set up in correct gear for leaving transition? I never worry about the swim because I'm a good swimmer. I think the swim is a real concern for most competitors. They just want it over. For me, I just want to get it started! I think that is what I feed off of going into the big races...the excitement of testing yourself against some of the best athletes in the world. I don't worry about anything else because I am there to have fun and I know I have prepared as much as I can for the day. What more can you do?

As Rudy Garcia's mom said though (Rudy is a paraplegic athlete that competed and finished Ironman Arizona last year) "What's bigger than Ironman?" As I was standing there in the water at Ironman Canada this past year, her words rang true. Bagpipes, 2500 competitors, thousands of fans, and a helicopter. This is what it's all about. As I prepare for another season of competition, I'm eagerly awaiting that feeling of anticipation leading into a race. It keeps me hungry and wanting more!

From a training perspective, Muddy is giving me two weeks of reduced volume to refresh and be prepared to start the New Year with a new block. I'm still feeling good and quite fit. Looking forward to spending some time with family and loved ones the next two weeks. Merry Christmas to all!

-T

Favorite time of year

Well, I guess that would actually be summer time, but the Holidays are not far behind on my list. Although winter in Oregon means lots of training indoors for me, it is also a time to surround myself with family and friends. When you are constantly trying to balance everyday life while throwing in Ironman training, this time of year is awesome!! Although volume and intensity is down this time of year with training, I enjoy the fact that I have extra time to spend with my friends and family. I'm looking forward to spending some quality time with some loved ones over the next few weeks!

Not much going in regards to training to report on. Still feeling strong and just waiting for the intensity to turn up! Pretty soon I will be back on consistent two-a-days and long weekends of training, so a little family time sounds pretty darn good right now! I almost have our house figured out for Coeur d'Alene. This is kind of one of the final "big items" to cross of the list early on in the Ironman season. Lodging goes quick, so you need to be on top of it! Plus we will have a fair amount of people coming this year it appears so I'm hunting for a good size home. I guess that's it for now. Thanks for taking the time to read.

-T

One month down

When I was sitting on the beach in Hawaii this past September I made myself a promise: 6 months of complete dedication and commitment to arrive at Coeur d'Alene for my third Ironman race this coming June...in the best shape of my life, with the ultimate goal of going sub 10 hours and make a run at qualifying for the World Championships in Kona. I hired a coach (thanks Erich!!), have a bike fit coming up for some fine tuning, and gained entry into the premier triathlon racing team in the Northwest (they had 9 athletes at Kona this year). Sitting there watching the waves break in front of me, with a beautiful bride on my side, I thought about what it would take to make this happen. All the aforementioned changes/adjustments, are only part of the puzzle. The rest is up to me.

So the other day I finished my first full month with my new coach, and my new mission. Although if you are looking at a calendar, the 6 months don't really start until January. And that's something Muddy and I discussed. That being said, your body needs to be prepared to make it through that 6 months, without distress. This is a tough thing to do. I have a good couple of years already in my body so that's a start, and Muddy has set me up with a plan for the first two months that is pretty easy to follow (and low stress/impact) yet already has me feeling fitter than ever as of Dec 1st. I will flip the calendar into the new year in better swim and run shape than ever at this time of year, and my bike is right there as well. Yet my volume is down, except on the swim.

So here is month one down. I guess now I officially have 6 left...until taper!

-T

A patient wife...

If there is one thing that is required beyond all else when training to become an elite Ironman competitor...more than desire, work ethic, pain tolerance, etc...is the love and support of your family and friends. In particular, your partner in life. I'm lucky enough to have the best little lady around! We were recently watching Modern Family and there was this part where the older father is yelling at his wife and son as they are late to a birthday party, "Let's go, let's go, let's go!!!" I was instantly told that this was me! It's true, I'm always in a hurry. Seriously, always. You might think I'm impatient, but you would be wrong - in my opinion :)

Here is the deal. I have a lot to balance. We all do, I know. But for me, I wake up every morning with a fair amount of work and training staring me in the face...on top of domestic responsibilities. You should watch me post work, pre dinner. I'm a machine when it comes to my training routine and dinner prep. But in all honesty, if I'm not then a minute here or there turns into 15-30 and all of a sudden I have even less time to spend simply sitting and talking/hanging out with my wife and or friends. Also, you can say I have a "hungry monster" so we are always avoiding blood sugar crashes around the Yates' house. Let's just say Meg makes me travel with snacks!

So, in conclusion...I might be slightly impatient, but I feel like I'm extremely organized :) Right, wrong, or other, I have the most supportive wife in the world who loves me for who I am. When I'm out there training late at night or early on a weekend and want to cut a workout short or simply skip one altogether, I think of this woman and her dedication to my pursuit to chase my dreams. I hope you are all happy and healthy. I would also like to congratulate Trevor D on becoming an Ironman at Arizona the other week! I have yet to meet you in person bud, but it's been fun following you along on your journey. Congratulations on a great race, you should be proud.

-T

In Oregon, you can cut your own tree down!! $5 and a fun filled day :)

Race Schedule

Well, I've spent a lot of time trying to nail down a schedule for this upcoming year. For me, it's a little easier than years past as I know what my key race will be, IMCDA in June. I will try and get in 2 triathlons prior to Coure D' Alene. I'm looking at a half Ironman in April down in California and hopefully an Olympic race 3-5 weeks out from CDA. Beyond that, I hope to get in some 5 and 10k races during the late winter, early spring and mix in some road racing (bike) potentially. After saying this though, my schedule will be determined with the help of my coach. I have committed to putting everything I have into the next 7 months and this includes utilizing the experience and guidance of my coach.

Speaking of my coach, it is wonderful to have someone else preparing my workouts for me! I didn't realize over the past few years how much time and energy I was spending trying to put together workouts and yearly schedules myself. Furthermore, it helps me stay focused on putting 100% into each workout because I don't want to waste anything, including the commitment I have made to my plan, my health, and my coach. 3 weeks with Muddy at the helm and I can already say that I feel like a different athlete. Sure, I'm in better shape than years past at this time, but something is different. My workouts are sharper, my mental state is more focused, and overall I just feel more confident leading into the new year. This is a great place to be in. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Holidays approaching!

One concept that I hear from time to time is, "must be nice to eat whatever you want and stay (insert your fit/skinny/slender, etc adjective here)." Truth is, you are what you eat. And furthermore, your body is an engine...if it was a race car would you fill it with regular unleaded? Of course you wouldn't. Heck, same logic goes for a nice sedan. So yes, I can eat whatever and would probably maintain a certain waistline, up to an extent. But my goals in triathlon goes beyond a waistline or appearance, I want to perform. So I watch what I eat, consistently. To give you some perspective...

I stay away from processed foods whenever possible, natural and organic. I don't drink cola, except during races. I will drink diet cola, but try to limit this when possible. Sweets, after the calendar turns the page to a new year, you will probably not see me order a desert at a restaurant. I do eat low fat ice cream at home as a treat though. I try and eat lean cuts of meat whenever possible and stay away from chicken thighs, fatty cuts of steak, etc. Pizza is a weakness of mine so I allow myself to have it every so often, but ask for half the cheese. And as far as cheese, I don't eat it unless it's on pizza. Out to breakfast, I'm that dude, the one ordering egg whites. Vegetables and fruits all day long. Alcohol, like a lot of other people, I enjoy our local wines and micros. Post January 1, I limit my intake. If I'm going to have more than a beer or glass of wine, it's a weekend and I'm slamming water before bed to try and rehydrate before my workout in the morning. And finally, water, sleep and vitamins. Repeat daily.

So, at the end of the day, I try and fuel my body with proper fuel that will help my engine preform to a level that it's capable of. I don't eat whatever I want, but I also don't feel guilty if I have a steak from time to time (great iron content!) for instance. With the holidays approaching, I make a concerted effort to balance my diet and yet still enjoy a few escapes from the daily diet. Thanks for taking the time to read!

-T

Time to blog

Well, I haven't posted in a while. Why? Well, things have been pretty dull around the Yates' house. Actually, not really, but...in terms of training they have. And it is in training, and racing, that I get my inspiration for writing. So what's new? Actually, a lot. I celebrated a birthday the other day. Yes, I am older. And getting older by the minute. This kind of sucks when I relate it to triathlon as I'm in the second most competitive age group for Ironman racing right now. The most competitive is the next one! Oh well, if I didn't like competing than why do this right?

Other news. I have a coach. I am no longer coaching myself with the assistance of my father. I am professionally coached. I interviewed a few coaches and talked with a few athletes before reaching my decision. Ultimately, I ended up going with http://www.coachmuddy.com/. I had read about Muddy prior to hearing about him through a friend and fellow athlete so I was already aware of his reputation, but I must saw it was my friend Erich that really helped me pick up the phone and call Muddy. Erich is a phenomenal athlete that has had great success under Muddy and had nothing but great things to say about him and his programs. After talking with Muddy for nearly an hour over the phone the other night, I knew he was my guy. He cares about his people. He understands the sport. And he is incredibly passionate about the sport and his people. I am in my second week of "Muddy training" and can assure you that I am ecstatic with my decision. If you are thinking of a triathlon coach, please consider this individual. All levels.

Second announcement: I will be racing with a new team this year. Since moving to Wilsonville (South Portland, OR) a few months ago, I realized I was going to have a difficult time continuing to rely on Life Cycle in Eugene for my bike and triathlon needs. Furthermore, I wanted to be apart of a team. Here I am trying to make a run at Kona, I want to be surrounded by people with the same ambition. Enter the Ironheads. I'm happy to say I was accepted to become a member of their racing team the other day! If you live in the Portland area and have never heard of them, check them out!! http://www.ironheadsmultisport.com/ These guys are legit. They sent 9 members of their team to Kona this past year, the most in the NW I believe. I am extremely exited to be racing under the Ironhead logo this upcoming year!! It will be great to be able to train and race with the some of the most elite age group athletes in our region on a consistent basis.

Beyond that, everything else is pretty much the same. Muddy has me doing weights so my legs are tired! I was counting laps in the pool this morning while following the black line and again asked myself, "Why?" Why the hell do I do this? I spend all this time, energy, and money to suffer. Months and years of my life for one day. Maybe two, in one year, where I peak. I put all my energy into one or two races each year. Why? Because there is no greater feeling than to have committed 100% to something and seen your commitment through to the end. I have another year or two of Ironman racing before family comes first. I absolutely love the challenge and despite the fact IMCDA is over 7 months away...I was thinking about the marathon today. Bring it on.

-T

Kona is Calling...

Friday was my birthday. My parents were great enough to give me a cool present as well as a card in which my Dad wrote, "Kona is Calling..." After 2 Ironman and multiple years of racing local and regional triathlons, I am excited to say this year (in regards to triathlon), is about qualifying for the World Championships at my key race, Ironman Coeur D'Alene. The race is in June. I start organized training this coming Monday. I've been staying active in the off season, but am excited to get back into an organized routine.

Qualifying at this particular race has proved to be especially hard in previous years. Look at last year's results for instance. The winner in my age group went 9:05. That was good for 9th...Overall...including professionals. There are typically 6 to 7 slots made available in my age group at this race each year. Last year the final spot was awarded to Trevor (I know right?) Blackwell, who went a 9:46. This is just under an hour faster than my time in Canada. Granted, not the same course and conditions (at least for me) were miserable in IMC. The key ingredient for all these qualifiers? The all ran sub 3:20 on the marathon (except one competitor that ran 3:23). This over 30 minutes faster than what I ran at Canada.

Is this possible? Damn right it is. I'm actually quietly confident with my run. As long as my asthma cooperates, I'm confident I will be ready to run between 3:15 and 3:30. What I need to concentrate on is my bike. I feel like I got stronger on the bike this past year, but regressed in my races (on the bike). So, this year is devoted to Ironman. I'm getting a truly professional bike fit (thanks guys!!), hiring a coach, and not getting married or moving (hopefully not moving :)). I've wanted to race in Kona since I was a little boy. And like my Dad, I want to become a "sunshine finisher." This year I will attempt to make these dreams come true. I will try and stay focused throughout the year without losing focus. I will continue to rely on my *army* to keep my grounded and encouraged. It all begins Monday.

Kona is calling...

-T

The Big Easy

First off, congrats to Macca and Mirinda Carfrae on their wins last weekend. The men's race was something special. I spent the entire day watching the race while I picked up and cleaned the house. Hats off to Macca. I mentioned in my prediction post to not overlook this guy, but what he did, especially holding off Raelert after being caught...amazing. That night I went to bed with my sore throat and cough setting my alarm early to get up and head down to the Portland Marathon. My friend Jer was racing and I had committed to pacing him the last 7 miles or so. I was not well and the weather was terrible. That being said, what a blast to help my friend to a PR! This is the second time I have helped pace someone, last time being a full half marathon. I enjoy helping people reach their goals that I might look to get into pacing down the road...

The rest of the weekend was spent resting up as I definitely was fighting off a cold. I finally started to feel better towards Wednesday. As luck would have it, as I started to feel good, Meghan started feeling bad. Wednesday night we took the red eye out to New Orleans for a friends' wedding. We actually had a great time in New Orleans, sans the extreme drinking that most normally associate the big easy with. Fact is, neither of us, especially Meg was up to that kind of partying. Instead we took in some sights and I worked out every day. It ended up being a great trip! We are back in Oregon and looking forward to not taking anymore trips for some time. This has been a busy year, time to unwind some. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Kona Predictions

Each year, I enjoy putting together my Kona predictions. You see, Kona is our super bowl. The world championships of Ironman triathlon is held each year on the big island. For the past few years, it seems like the field continues to get stronger and the race more difficult to predict, although Crowie (Craig Alexander) has won the last two men's titles, and Chrissie (Wellington) has won the last three women's titles so what do I know? Last year I predicted a mixed bag of results...Whether right or wrong, I enjoy predicting so here it goes.

Women's race:

Hard to argue that Chrissie won't 4 peat. And I won't. I do think that her and Julie Dibens will enter T2 within a few minutes. Actually, I think there is a possibility that Dibens leads the race into the run. I'm still picking Chrissie to win. I do think Dibens is going to put together a good race, but I think she will end up 3rd in her first appearance. I like Mirinda Carfrae to give it a go again on the run. Last year she out ran Chrissie by over 6 minutes, but lost over 20 on the bike. She has worked a lot on her bike and looks to be in good form. Mirinda recently tuned up for the big dance with a win at 70.3 Muskoka. She ran away from the competition with a 1:18 half marathon split. You then look at Chrissie's last race at 70.3 Timberland, just a month after setting a world record at the Iron distance in Roth, and she was right there with Mirinda's split posting a 1:19 half marathon. On top of that, Chrissie has said she is stronger in the swim, on the bike, and on the run. Watch out ladies.

A few dark horses for me are:
* Linsey Corbin - broke through and won at IMCDA. New coach in Matt Dixon. She has the run and has been working hard on the swim and bike. Not being allowed wetsuits really hurts her chances, but she should have a shot at top 5.
* Tereza Macel can swim and ride with the best of them despite crazy amounts of training and racing, but had difficulty on the run last year, look for her to be in the mix.
* Virginia B - 3rd a year ago, but appears off form this year.

The men's race:
What can you say? How about loaded!! What a field.
* Craig Alexander - On form. Feels like he peaked too early last year and was trying to avoid that this year. His 2010 results have been solid. Everyone said he needed to work on the bike and he has. Yet he hasn't forgotten the run. Check out his 10k Olympic Distance speed, low 30s...
* Chris Lieto - 3 70.3 wins this year. Looked off form in Boise when he couldn't pull away on the bike, later found out he was injured. I believe he will still be able to ride away. Training with Meb and Ryan Hall was so helpful last year, he added another 6 weeks to his altitude training. I don't think Chris' performance last year was one and done.
* Andreas Raelert - 3rd last year after running with Crowie for most of the marathon. Looks stronger and fitter than last year. His brother Michael, no slouch himself, said he is in better form than last year. Torched a good field at Ironman Germany, winning in 8:05.
* Rasmus Henning - 5th last year after breaking his hand 3 weeks before the race. Went 7:52 at Roth this year. On form and hungry. Two dangerous components. Look for Rasmus to be in the mix on the back half of the marathon. That said, his 2:55 marathon must improve for a shot at the title.
* Chris McCormack - 4th last year despite a poor swim and cramping on the bike. Has had a disapointing year this year for his standards, but says he is in great form. His swim/bike is powerful and hard to argue his run. Does the former champ have one more in him?
* Dirk Bokel (sp) - Top ten last year, 2nd at Abu Dhabi this year. Young athlete with plenty of upside. What for Dirk to make a run at the podium.
* Terrenzo Bozzone - Young kiwi with a ton of potential. Top 15 last year on debut, won a ton of 70.3 events this past year. This kid hasn't put it together for the Iron distance this year and has spent 7 weeks on the island preparing for today. He is young and dangerous.
* Andy Potts - Olympic level swimmer that broke through for an impressive win at IMCDA this past year. He will be in the lead on the bike early, will be interesting to see how far up in the field he is at the start of the marathon. He has proved he is a contender with two top 10s in his first two attempts at Kona.

There are more than these guys as well. So who is going to win? Hard to argue against Crowie. I believe the top three will include him, Raelert and Henning. I will personally be routing for Lieto, and I believe he has a shot at winning if he is able to pull away like last year. However I feel the bike field will be a little quicker this year. I also think Bozzone will make a few moves today and test the vets. I also think this is Macca's last serious year to make a run at Kona. Do NOT count him out. My top five? Lieto, Henning, Raelert, Crowie, Potts. No particular order. Bozzone is my dark horse for the win, he just needs to get his pacing dialed in. I could continue to type, but instead...I'm going to turn on the race. Enjoy,

-T

What to think

It's been a while since I've posted. Fact of the matter is, I've been enjoying some down time. No true "training" has really been taking place. After getting back from Hawaii, we've been getting settled into our new place and adjusting to life together :) Let me tell you, kissing my wife goodnight each night sure beats the nightly phone call routine! I did get back to some more standard training starting last week, but keeping it fun and non routine at this point! That being said, I crave routine so I'm trying to stay routine during the week without getting too boring. For instance, Meg gets up super early 2 days a week to spin. Well, it's not like I'm going to stay in bed while she goes to bust her ass, so now I'm at the pool twice per week guaranteed! This has never happened in the off season before and I'm loving it :)

I spent a lot of time laying around in the sun of Hawaii thinking about my race in Canada. Overall, I guess I'm satisfied with what took place considering the conditions. I've never been that cold on the bike, especially in a race. But what really has been bugging me is that everyone else had to deal with those conditions as well. And 400 competitors or so handled the conditions better than I did on the bike (I think my bike split was around 400th place, I was 260th overall for the entire race). Why did I struggle so much on the bike? Heck, I had made this my focus! Well, I was flat, lost mental focus, and had considerable back pain which all led to a very sub par bike. Again, why? I don't know. Just spent 2 weeks on a beach trying to figure it out. I'm happy with my swim split (although I think the course was short) and my run. That being said, I believe in retrospect that I lost focus late in the run because I knew I wasn't going to reach my overall time goals. I pushed for 15 miles or so convinced that I would be happy with a solid run split. When the going got tough, I allowed myself to walk as I reasoned breaking 4 hours was good enough and ruined my chance at going MUCH faster. This was despite the fact my goal going in was sub 3:45, not 4 hours. I was not tired (beyond what you would expect), was not struggling from nutrition issues, and wasn't considerably sore or addressing any other pain/injuries. I simply lost focus and settled for ok instead of great.

On the flight home from Hawaii, I figured it out. And before I continue, let me emphasize one thing: I'm not in anyway diminishing what I did in Canada or what anyone else did. I understand many would love to have a 10:43. I do not take this for granted. However, I gave up a ton this year, as did my loved ones, to get me ready for a sub 10 hour Ironman. I was prepared to do it. So what happened? Well, two things. 1) I was not prepared for such adverse conditions on the bike and I let it get to me. 2) Although I thought I was ready to suffer, which you have to do to pull off what I wanted to pull off, I wasn't. When the going got really tough, I took the safe route and didn't push to that next level. I had such an eventful past few months leading into the race that I struggled to get mentally prepared for what was required of me. When the going got tough, I wasn't prepared to make the move I needed to make.

Maybe that is hard criticism, but it is my analysis of what occurred. I don't mean to ramble and I realize that I just wasted minutes of your life bitching about my inability to suffer through a tough day at Ironman. My apologies :), but I already feel better. So, what's in store for this year? More to come on that soon, but the goal is a Kona slot at IMCDA. This is going to take a one hour drop in my time from Canada. Some might say that is foolish. It's not, trust me. So I have a mantra for this next season. "6 months". It's the amount of time I will need to fully devote (starting in late December, early January) to meticulous preparation in order to peak properly and have a shot at IMCDA. 6 months of our lives where I will ask my new wife to forgive my absenteeism (although I promise to still make time baby!!). 6 months of suffering and dedication so that I can say with 100% confidence come late June, "I gave it everything I possibly had." 6 months. Now, back to relaxing.

-T

The dust has settled

Some people thought we were crazy. Maybe we were. I was watching the rain droplets bead off of the window on our 737 as we made our way back into the Rose city. Despite the 3 year old a few rows back that might have damaged our hearing from his persistent screaming the past 5 hours, the flight was otherwise uneventful from Maui to PDX. The last 3 weeks have been quite a whirlwind of an adventure however. Actually the past 3 months really. In the past 3 weeks we had done the following: driven 10 hours to Canada where I had raced Ironman Canada, driven home the next day and then returned to work for 3 days, off to Central Oregon where Meghan and I were married a day later, back to PDX a few days later, and then off to Maui for 11 days.

Were we crazy? Possibly. Are there many people in the world that got to experience what I did the last 3 weeks? Doubtful. I crossed the finish line at IMC with a new PR in hand, married my soul mate less than a week later and was sitting on a tropical beach drinking an over priced fruit drink just over a week after crossing that aforementioned finish line. Those are moments you live for. As the plane continued it's descent, I couldn't help but think back to a few years ago. Besides work and family, I was alone. And overweight. And unhappy. And unhealthy. I made the decision to change me life. I started to run. I didn't realize it would lead to all this, but it has. I soon didn't want to smoke cigarettes any more. I slept better, I ate better, and I started to lose weight! Before I knew it, I was on the start line of a triathlon.

Life is about making decisions. As we touched down on the rain soaked runaway in Portland, I looked at my beautiful wife and counted my blessings for the decision I made a few years ago. We bounded off the plane together, virtually singing in the rain, ready to start our new life together.

-T

IMC 2010 Race Report

Again, before getting into details regarding the race, I must thank my family and friends for their continued support this past year. Most importantly, my loving wife. And yes, I said wife!! As I wrote this race report on the plane as we flew out to Maui for our Honeymoon a week post IMC. It was quite an eventful year and throughout everything we faced, she continued to support me in my efforts. Love you baby, for heifer :) I also need to thank my father (pops). He was, in part, my inspiration for doing this specific race. He also doubled as my "coach" and advisor this past year. So it was fitting that the two of us loaded up the car and headed north on 97 to the lovely Okanogan Valley. I tried to keep the report short, but it is long...just like the race. Despite this, I hope you take the time to enjoy it. Thanks!!

Because we had such a sweet ride to head to Penticton in, we made great time and rolled into town Thursday around lunch. We were surprised to get caught in a powerful rain storm. Luckily we had the top on the car! Off to the house to relax. Going into the race, I had a few goals:

1) Beat my PR from last year (my only other Ironman) of a 10:53

2) Run a sub 4 hr marathon, last year I ran/walked to a 4:33 marathon

3) With a solid swim and bike, we felt like I could set myself up to go under 10 hours. This has been a Yates' family goal for a few decades, and I wanted it. BAD.

Check out the view below from my rental house!! The owners are amazing. It's called Giant Head Winery and Guest House. They are located in Summerland, just north of Penticton. Please look them up if you are heading up to Penticton. We stayed in the Panorama suite. It was great to stay within 15 minutes of the race start, but to not be anywhere close to the race start...you'll understand if you race Ironman :) Their link is http://www.giantheadwinery.com/

Ok onto the race. I got a good night's sleep despite causing a small panic when I started a little fire in the kitchen trying to bake my pizza! I will never forget pops yelling frantically, "FIRE!!" A little bit of overkill, but heck...it was a fire :) I woke up ready to race on Sunday. I took down a fair amount of calories including a bagel sandwich, a banana, and a granola bar and went to kiss Meg goodbye. My Dad and I were then quickly off to transition. Got body marked, which took almost 20 minutes so be prepared, and then was quickly standing beside my bike. Took me a few minutes to check everything over and get my tires inflated. Now it was time to take one final pit stop. I took a look at the length of the line to the porta potty and quickly started to think of alternatives. I used a nearby toilet that had a much shorter line and then went back to drop my stuff off with pops. Big hug had, in fact it was a very special and emotional moment for the two of us. This race, Ironman Canada, is his race...not mine. I was simply visiting his playground for a day. He looked me in the eyes and told me to go hard. I promised myself I would. Meg and the rest of my family were off trying to get a view of the swim start. I was sad that I couldn't find Meg right before the swim, but hell, there were 3,000 competitors...so people everywhere!!!

I got in the water after the pros were sent off and got a little warm up in. I felt fantastic. I could feel that I was going to have a solid swim. Back to the start line and I was somewhat able to hear the Canadian anthem. A couple high fives to the other athletes before the countdown was about to start; at this point everyone is super pumped. And then BOOM!! Cannon is off and so are we! I quickly distanced myself from those around me and made the first buoy in 2nd place. I eased into a more manageable pace and started swimming with a pack. I think I was around 10th place when we made the first turn (just before the half way mark). I got passed by another 5 to 10 athletes coming and and was starting to worry that I wasn't swimming well. Before I knew it the beach was in front of me and I was on land! It is hard to explain how loud the exit of an Ironman swim is, especially when you are towards the front of the race...freaking electric!! Up to the change tent and guess who is there to hand me my gear bag? My buddy Jer! In fact, it was a good thing he was there as I had told the volunteers the wrong bag #, but luckily Jer was paying attention and retrieved the correct bag for me. Love you dude!! Exit stage right to the change tent and there is this lady yelling my name like crazy; and she is within 10 feet of me?!? Who is that? I finally start to focus as I'm running into the tent and see it's my swim coach Gina!! Gina, you rock :)

Swim Time = 53:48 - 90 seconds faster than last year :)

That is me leading a small pack towards the finish of the swim.

Couple members of my "Army"

Off on the bike and I was feeling good. The first 40 miles or so down to Osoyoos are fairly flat and fast. I had an early mechanical where my chain got stuck beyond my hardest gear. This was a relatively quick fix, but costed me time for the repair and time in momentum. I had another issue about 45 minutes later where my chain slipped (think Andy Schleck in this year's tour). This fix was quick as well, but again, I lost valuable time and more importantly, momentum. I made the turn up to Richter and was feeling pretty good. I hadn't made the time down to Osoyoos that I thought I would, but was feeling ok. The climb was so-so. Basically I just didn't have my legs today. I was flat. Not sure why. Our only thought is that my larger muscles didn't fully recover from the ful I had a few weeks ago. Regardless, I spun up the hill as best I could. I got passed by a few riders that hurt me psychologically. I knew I was a better cyclist than these guys. I tried to keep remembering, it's a long day out there...stick with it.

So I did, but after the climb came the 7 bitches. My least favorite part of the bike ride. I lost more time to competitors. We finally came to the out and back section and I felt ok, but kept looking at the ever darkening skies above; this didn't look good. I grabbed my special needs bag which contained more carbo pro and a snickers bar. Neither were great, but both helped. And then it started to rain. At first it wasn't much, but soon it was like November in Oregon. It was fucking pouring. And windy. And I was already having a poor bike ride. We climbed up to Yellow Lake and I continued to struggle. We crested the summit after climbing through the largest and loudest bike aid station I have ever seen in triathlon (volunteers rock!!) and started the long descent into Penticton. By this point the temperature had fallen into the 40s and it was still very windy. I started to shiver. Violently. I had 20k left to go and didn't know if I was going to make it. The descent was white knuckle. I convinced myself that if I made it to transition I would have a vlunteer get me a cup of soup and a blanket and pull out of the race (I wasn't actually going to quit, but telling myself I would helped). I wasn't going to break 10 hours and was shaking so badly that I was worried for my safety on the bike.

As we entered Penticton, the weather finally started to improve. I finally made it into transition. Gina was still there and still screaming for me :) I was so miserable despite her encouragement. I sat down in the change tent and asked the nice volunteer to help me with my gear as I couldn't feel my hands or feet. After a few minutes of helping me, I was ready to go. He looked at me and said, "well now all you have to do is go for a little jog!" I laughed as this lifted my spirits. I ran out of transition while Gina continued to yell at me, "you got this Trevor, you got this!!"

Bike Split = 5:43:45 - Way slower than last year at IMAZ & about 30 minutes slower than goal.

Headed out onto the marathon

I shot out of transition with a renewed purpose. Screw this. I had worked too hard to allow myself to be discourage anymore. I was going to run a hell of a marathon and come in with a PR overall. I saw my family right away and waved at them. I was so happy to be off that f'ing bike. It was great to see Meg, my mom and my sis. My Dad ran alongside me during the first mile while we completed our first out and back.

Pops, "You ok bud?"

Me, "Close to hypothermic on the bike. It rained last 70 to 90 minutes. Can't feel my hands or feet."

Pops, "You going to be ok?"

Me, "Yes, in fact I'm going to run a helluva marathon!! And, as of now, my ashtma is cooperating."

Pops, "3:45 son. You look awesome. Stride looks great. Go get it."

I flew the first 10 miles. Most were run sub 8, some around 7:30. I remember getting into a rhythm and looking down at my Garmin to see pace much closer to 7min miles than 8 min miles. I quickly realized I needed to slow it down. I had expended a lot of energy out on the bike, especially with the cold and my shivering. That being said, I was convinced I could run sub 3:45 for the marathon portion. I didn't walk through a single aid station during the first 90 minutes. I was so happy with how I was running and feeling that I was smiling, for virtually the entire first 90 minutes :) There is a significant hill around 12 miles in. I walked it as planned. I then grabbed my special needs bag at the turn around and enjoyed another snickers bar. I walked while eating it and walked that same hill previously mentioned as I headed back towards town. I believe I eneded up giving up 5 to 7 minutes during this stretch. I will not repeat this again if I race here again. I was fit enough to run through this sections, but didn't trust myself, or my training. Actually, I think the plan was good, but mentally I decided it was ok to walk longer sections after walking these 3 "longer" sections.

The rest of the marathon was pretty uneventful. I struggled with the mental game a little between miles 18 and 22 and probably walked for a good 6-8 minutes. This really pisses me off and is something I will have to address if I want to make a serious bid at qualifying for Kona next year at IMCDA. At about mile 21 you start to head into town. I was energized the last 5 miles. I must have passed 15 to 20 people. Running down towards the out and back section before the finish, I heard another screaming fan. This time it was my friend Ava, who's husband was racing as well. I was so juiced!! I rounded the corner and saw my Dad again. I started crying as I was now running faster than I had all day while he ran beside me. We exchanged some words about what a tough day it was out there, etc. I asked him what the official running time was as I only had my marathon watch on. He told me it was around 10:30. I knew I was going to break 10:45, not bad after such a tough bike.

My buddy Glen

Pops handed me my Oregon hat and I gave him my stinky visor and took off for the finish line. The finish line at IMC is the best one I have been a part of, period. The chute goes forever. I passed a guy from my age group about 1/2 mile from the finish and put the pedal to the metal to ensure I had time to enjoy the finish by myself. I ran over to my family and high five'd everyone!! I was so happy to see them all again, especially Meghan. It's a long day out there, so seeing your loved ones is so great at the end of it. I kept going down the chute, high five'ing everyone that had their hands out. I was overcome with emotion. I knew I was going to PR. I knew I had run a quality marathon despite walking more than I should have. But most importantly, I hadn't quit and I was finishing healthy.

Total Time= 10:43 - A PR by 10 minutes!!

Marathon split = 3:57 - An Ironman marathon PR by over 35 minutes!!

As always, my otter half was there to great me at the finish line!!

This is what Ironman does to you :)

All smiles!!

Until Next Year...

Again, thank you to everyone for their continued support this past year. It was a challenging year to find the time and motivation to train properly to reach my goals. I got close, and reached some of them, just not all of them. But hell, how can I complain about this race? Once again, I learned a lot out there. Ironman is a continual learning experience. Next year we will make our run at a Kona slot at IMCDA. I will be taking some time off the next few weeks to relax and recharge the battery. Luckily I have two weeks in Maui with my new bride so this should be no problem! Thanks for reading and I'll post some more pictures and video when possible.

-T

IMC Race report problems

I can't figure out why the pictures won't load. Will fix after some more pool time :) Maybe tomorrow while my Ducks beat up on Tennessee!!

-T

Time to think?

With Ironman Canada happening over one week ago, it's funny how little I've been thinking about the race lately. Of course when asked about the race or talking to family, etc I get right back into analyzing the race. The reason for the disconnect with post race analysis and the lack of a race report is...Meghan and I got married on Saturday!!! So I had more important things on my mind the past week :) We are jumping on the big bird tomorrow to fly to paradise so I should be able to put my thoughts into a race report! Thanks for reading!

-T

Race Report Coming!!

Soon enough! Just trying to collect my thoughts and prepare for the wedding this weekend. I'll get the report up soon though, what an amazing day out there. Thank you for all the continued support :)

-T

Time to work

Well, it's the day before IMC. It has been a year since Meg and I were up here. I left Penticton last year incredibly excited to come back and race this year. Seems like the time has flown by. My Dad and I got up here Thursday. The house I'm renting is great. 10 minutes out of town over looking the lake. I didn't want to stay in town. I wanted to be away from the craziness and all the testosterone that surrounds Ironman week.

The rest of my family is heading up today. We will have a big dinner and then I'll be off to bed early. I've spent the last few days going over my race and nutritional plan. I have both perfectly planned, now it's just a matter of execution. I can't wait to get to Richter. Actually I'm really looking forward to the rollers and the out and back after. Apparently that is where everyone gets discouraged. I will be strong here.

I'm actually looking forward to the marathon the most. I'm hoping my airway is mostly clear and if it is, it would be my first chance to finish a long course tri in over two years without a huge lung handicap :) So, yes...I'm looking forward to the marathon!! I want to thank everyone that has supported me this past year. I know it hasn't been easy with a job change, moving cities, and throwing a wedding next week. My *ARMY* rocks and I can't wait to see you on the course tomorrow :) And of course, thank you to all that are somewhere outside of Penticton sending me positive vibes.

OK, time to get to work!!

-T

IMG00028-20100825-1514.jpg

In Route

It's Thursday morning of race week. I'm staring out the window of our hotel room, waiting for my Dad to wake up. I'm in the tail end of my taper so I'm finding it hard to sleep in! We have a short drive in to Pencticton this morning as we made it to Wenatchee, WA last night. It was a great drive! I have some photos I will post as the trip progresses, as well as some potential video if I can figure out the new toy :)

I'm feeling exceptional. Everything seems to be going well. I was very strong in the pool the last few weeks and my run as of late has felt fast and easy. Of course my bike is where I've put in the most time the last 6-9 months and let me tell you...I can't wait to get out onto that course on Sunday for the bike! Beyond that Dad and I are having a great time passing the hours talking about Ironman, fitness, current events, oh...and this little party that Meghan and I are throwing next week :)

I'll be #387 on race day. Feel free to follow along on Ironman.com. Thanks to everyone in my life that continues to support and encourage me. I'll be thinking about you Sunday!

-T

387 reasons

I wonder what it's like to have a perfect race? To put everything together on race day and actually perform to your full potential. It doesn't happen too often in Ironman. When it does, it's magical. Look at Chrissie's recent performance at Roth of Mark Allen's performance in the "Iron War" for examples. So what does it take to make this happen? Well, it comes down to planning and execution. And then, well you need to have lady luck on your side as well. How realistic is it to have a perfect race? I don't think very. Why? Well because in Ironman racing, things will go wrong...it's how you recover from these issues or moments, that determines how "perfect" of a race you will have.

I keep getting asked this week if I'm ready. If you know me than you don't need to ask :) The only thing that is holding me back right now is my asthma, but that seems to be getting better as race day approaches. So will I have a perfect race? I don't know. What I do know is I will leave it all out there. I'm going to race smart and race strong. I'm capable of going sub 5 on the bike, but I won't as it's not in my race plan. My entire race plan revolves around running a quality marathon. I will do everything in the first 6 hours to ensure that I'm in position to do so.

Well, everything else is going well. We have moved into our new place and are eagerly looking forward to our wedding the Saturday after the race. My Dad and I will be heading up early to Penticton this week, the rest of the *army* will follow on Saturday! I'm incredibly excited to be heading up to Canada this week and then to be getting married the week after!! Talk about a great week.

As far as the title of this post. I feel like when people ask me if I'm ready to race, I can give them a multiple number of reasons as to why. Discuss all the time spent away from family, all the days out on the road or in the pool when I didn't want to be there, watching my diet, etc. In total, there are plenty of reasons as to why I'm ready. It just so happens that 387 is my race number for Sunday. So maybe I have 387 reasons to be ready to go? Thanks for reading!!

-T

And so it goes

One week from today I will be arriving in Penticton, BC for Ironman Canada. Am I excited? Yes, absolutely. I've worked my ass off to get prepared for this race. Am I nervous? Sure, but not nearly as much as IMAZ last year. I know what is in front of me. Am I confident? Quietly. I'm ready to reach my goals, I just need my health/body to cooperate. I got sick a few weeks ago with the stomach flu. Since then I have been doing everything possible to get healthy. The issue that I have is that with my asthma and sinus issues, even a common cold can set me back for weeks. We were very careful with the virus and upon starting to develop a sinus infection as a result, my doc was proactive and got me on antibiotics and predizone.

Will I be 100% a week from Sunday? Probably not quite, but I hope to be close. This was my first full week of taper which included plenty of rest so that timing was ideal. I have one more brick on Saturday which won't be done at a high intensity, but should clue me into where I am from a health perspective. So until IMC, the protocol is for rest, and lots of it. I wanted so bad to go out and test the lungs today as they have been tight all day...but what would that really do for me? Nothing but negative. It's one of the problems with Ironman, you always want to do more. But I've learned that lesson. As I stand on the beach in Penticton in a little over a week, I will be completely confident in my abilities and know that I have done everything possible (including rest!) to have a great race.

Thanks for reading,
-T

2 weeks

The days continue to fly by. In fact, I'm up way too late tonight just because everything is happening so quickly that before I know it, the clock is closer to midnight than 11. I've been extremely concerned with my health as of late, but am feeling much better lately. I jumped on the recent infection earlier and should be in good shape come Penticton.

Speaking of Penticton...I can't wait! The yates family bike course record is still probably safe for another year at 4:58, but I think I will be giving my original overall goal time a run for the money if I can continue to rest properly and stay healthy. This course is all about the bike and while I'm not 4:58 bike worthy, I'm better off knowing that and leaving some in the tank for the run. I believe I can run sub 3:45 that Sunday, just need to give myself a chance. Well, off to bed. Thanks for reading!

-T

2 weeks

Me, my bike, and Ironman

It's been an interesting week. Home sick with the stomach flu for a few days of it. Finally started to feel a little better on Friday. Was able to get in 3k in the pool, all of it really easy. We then took off to Bend as we had some wedding stuff to attend to. I got up early and went out for my long ride of the week Saturday morning. I originally had another century on tap, but with the way I had been feeling lately we had decided to do this ride based on feel. So if I was feeling absolutely great, then maybe I would go the full 5 to 6 hours. If still feeling like crap, well then I would go an hour. You see, it doesn't really matter at this point. I mean it does, but it doesn't matter like you think it does. Going out and hammering a 6 hour ride 3 weeks before IMC isn't going to help me go faster. Getting sick again by doing this well most certainly help me go slower though!

So I set off from our hotel room and headed up Century drive towards Cascade Lakes hwy and Mt. Bachelor. I didn't feel great. Muscles were tired, low motivation, etc. I could tell I was still recovering from being sick. So I took it very easy, spinning up the hill. Despite this I was flying by people heading up the climb which made me feel great. I crested the summit and headed down the back side to Elk Lake where I turned around. I climbed back up to the summit again and then back to the hotel room. Overall I felt pretty good about the ride considering my current health. The thing I was most happy about is that my asthma (knock on wood!!) has yet to be impacted!

While on the ride, my bike and I had a few conversations. I told her she needs to go fast in 3 weeks. She told me she would. I thanked her for going hard at IMAZ, but asked why she was so slow at Boise 70.3? She laughed at me and told me to be smarter in my training and not race sick. I had to admire my bike at that moment. Not only is she worth more than me, but she was talking smarter than me to :) So we made a deal, I told her I would be smart the next 3 weeks and taper like a champ. I even committed to riding a strategic race in Canada, including not hammering out to Osoyoos or up Richter. In turn, she committed to a strong second half of the bike and promised my legs would be good for the marathon.

Let me tell you, it's good to have friends in this sport :) Thanks for reading,

-T

Well, I'm home sick today. Second day in a row. I caught some kind of stomach bug. I will spare the details, but let's just say I probably won't have a problem losing those few lbs that I was after :) The good news is my airway does not seem to be compromised at this point. This is always my biggest concern when I get sick as my airway typically gets inflamed and racing, well it's like trying to do an Ironman with a bag over your head. So...hopefully this bug leaves and I'm good to go. This was my last week of heavy work before entering into taper which means I'm just getting a little extra rest which is never a bad thing for an Ironman competitor!! I have a long bike scheduled for Saturday and a long run scheduled for Sunday, but I will change these as needed based on how I'm recovering from the illness.

There are so many doubts that enter your mind as you prepare for the big race of the season. The nice thing about this being my second Ironman is that I've had all the doubts before. I know there is nothing I can do in the next 3 plus weeks to race better at Canada...except for rest. Honestly, I could go out and do what I did last year 3 weeks before Arizona...a 112 mile tough ride with lots of pacing work, followed by a 7 mile run at sub 8min pace. Actually, it was the 3k pool time the day before and the 20 mile run the day after all added together that killed me. I had to face the facts...hammering out large workouts like that so close to the big race will do nothing but elevate the risk of illness. So this year I have been smarter. I've still been getting in these key workouts, but not in a row, and not so close to my race. Did I get sick this time due to training? Probably not, but my immune system was definitely not as strong as normal as I was in my final big training block leading into taper.

So the morale to this story is I have learned from my mistakes last year. I will not go out and hammer a 110 mile ride on Saturday and then back it up with a 20 mile run at a pace faster than what I intend to run at Penticton just to prove that I can do these things. I know I can. I already have...many times over the past 6 months. So as I retire the computer to take another nap, I'm content with where I am and confident that I will still reach my goals at the end of this month in Canada. Thanks for reading,

-T

Good Days

It's been a little while since I have posted anything. To be honest, I've been so tired from work and training lately that I haven't had the energy to sit down and blog. This past week was a pretty good training week. Not too heavy during the week as last week ended with some big efforts on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday was supposed to be an 18 mile run last week and it ended up turning into a 20+ miler with over 2k of elevation gain. That wiped me out for the rest of the day. But, I ran strong and felt OK during the entire effort, even when I got lost! My run feels good right now. I can easily run 7:45 to 8min pace on a hilly course (see elevation gain above) on my 15 to 20 mile runs. My goal going into Canada is to be able to run sub 3:45 for the run. I believe I'm in position to do this now.

This past week has flown by. Before I knew it, Meghan and I were having a cocktail Friday night. I met a friend Saturday morning for my long ride. He had 60 on tap for the day, so we rode a hilly course together for 60 and then I went back out for another 40 on more flat terrain concentrating on pacing and staying in the aero position 5+ hours into a ride (not as easy as you think because everything starts to get sore!). I felt good about the ride. Erich is at different level than me so it was good to ride with him and push myself a little harder. I got off the bike and put my runners on for a quick 4 mile transition run. I felt great. The rest of Saturday was nice. We had a date night, so it was a nice meal out on the waterfront and then we saw the movie Inception.

This morning Jeremy and I headed out for 14 miles of running back up on the Leif Erickson trial. I was pretty sore from the last few weeks of heavy training and yesterday's effort. We ran pretty well. We averaged 8 min/miles for run while holding a conversation for most of it. Again, the elevation gain was nice! 1200ft in fact. So there is the skinny on the training update. Speaking of skinny...I still have a few lbs left to lose before IMC. I've really been trying to work on my nutrition lately and hopefully it will pay off with me dropping a little. I eat a lot so it's tough...especially with eating out a lot for work, but a few extra lbs can really make a difference. The only other thing I've been working on is my sleep. Got 10 hours of it last night. It was marvelous! Well, that's about it. 4 weeks to go. Game on.

-T

The final push

Well, IMC is nearly here. 5 weeks left until I toe the line up in Penticton. I don't know quite what to feel as the event gets closer. I feel like my training program has been solid all year, I just haven't always been terrific at following all aspects of it. There have been so many interruptions this year compared to last year. Which is weird since last year was such a tough year. Although this year has been nuts! A job transfer, a move, becoming a land lord, working harder than I have in a long time, oh...and a little thing called a wedding that is upcoming. Actually 6 days post Ironman to be exact.

From a fitness standpoint, I feel as fit as I ever have. I think I wrote up a good training program for this year which required me to get a lot of early season cycling miles and have a solid run focus in the spring. I am disappointed about getting sick prior to Boise 70.3 as I feel like I was ready to put a very fast time on the board. The only discipline I don't feel great about is my swimming as I have neglected to make many early morning workouts due to work and life constraints, but I had the fastest split the other weekend at Hagg so I guess that is coming around as well. But none of that matters. Pentiction is what matters this year. So I have just over two more weeks of large training volume and then I will ease into a 3 week taper for the big dance.

This past week has been an interesting training week. It started out slow as I was just totally wiped out. So I backed off on one session and cancelled another. I then woke up this morning to get in my 6hr ride. I did the same course as last week. Out to and then up Larch Mountain. It takes me almost 2.5 hours to get to the bottom of Larch so it's a perfect distance away for Ironman simulation. This week my Dad met me at the bottom and he started up the mountain ahead of me. I gave him a ten minute start and then took off. I started this time at Women's Forum instead of just at the turn off to the mountain. I had a pretty good ride up. My legs were pretty sore from some intense training lately and the temperature was damn near triple digits out. My goal was to better my time from last week of 73 minutes. I was able to make it up in 70 minutes, and that included the extra 60 seconds or so it takes to get to the base from Women's Forum. I was very pleased with this effort.

So in 5 weeks I will be sitting in my rental house in Penticton wondering what tomorrow will hold. Will I be able to stay with the lead pack on the swim? Will I be able to hold back on Richter enough to bring it on the Yellow Lake climb? Will my bike and run prep be enough to allow me to run the sub 3:45 I want on the marathon? Will I have a mechanical? And on and on and on it goes. But you know what? It doesn't matter. Give it everything you have and the outcome will take care of itself. That is my motto this year. Be smart, and be strong. The rest will take care of itself. Thanks for reading and enjoy some pics from our trip up Larch below.

-T

That's Mt. Hood from Sheppard's Point.

Not for you

A classic Pearl Jam song. Also the theme of this post. Triathlon, and Ironman in particular, is a very selfish sport. Just the other day I caught myself trying to answer a ton of pending wedding questions from the Mrs as I was trying to get out the door for an evening ride. I had to catch myself and slow down. Life is about family, not about a bike; or a run or a swim. That being said, I have a VERY supportive partner that understands my need to race right now. No matter how much one denies it, Ironman is very selfish. To finish an Ironman you must put in the training that takes you away from family and friends. To be competitive at Ironman, and triathlon in general, you must put in even more training that takes you away from family and friends. And then there is the recovery and additional sleep that is required and special nutrition, and on and on and on.

So the Pearl Jam song comes on as I'm pumping up a rather nasty climb that same night. "This is not for you." No "it's" not for anyone, but that being said, I involve others with me as I can or as they want. This is where the selfish part is a little different for me. Although I do this sport for me, I race for more than just me. I race for those that have inspired me. I race for those that have spent countless hours a day by themselves while I was out training. But there is still the ultimate question, when you are beyond pain and mental exhaustion, 8 or 9 hours into an Ironman...who do you race for? At this point, it has to be for me. But I have an Army with me. They love and support me. They make me stronger. Although it's me at mile 20 of the marathon, it's not me. It's me and my Army.

I set a PR of almost a minute on that climb. The song finished playing. I smiled knowing that Ironman Canada is just over 5 weeks away.

-T

Big Weekend

The final four big weeks leading into Ironman taper are upon me. Today is a long day, with a large amount of the day spent on the bike. Today I'm trying to mimic the course up at Canada. I will work my way out to Larch Mountain that is a fairly significant climb, think Richter Pass. Actually, Larch is a much longer climb, about 15 miles in total. Then I'll work my way down a descent and an out and back section before climbing back up a fairly significant climb, think Yellow Lakes. Then a nice descent before a final 20 miles into wind to finish. Should be brilliant.

I feel like things are coming together. My run is feeling solid and same with the swim. I need to get the time on the bike. Only 4 more weeks and taper starts. Every workout counts.


Thanks for reading!

-T

Hagg Lake Race Report

I've raced at Hagg Lake 3 out of the last 4 years. For those unfamiliar with this venue, it is rich in triathlon history. Many the founding fathers of our sport have raced Hagg Lake: Scott Tinley, Scott Molina, Mark Allen, etc. In preparing for Ironman Canada this year I wanted a race a little under two months out that would test my fitness, but not require me to take extra time off from training post race. Basically I needed a tough Olympic Distance to race. Hagg Lake was a logical choice. This past week in Oregon has been extremely hot and it appeared Saturday was going to be a bright and sunny day as well. The alarm went off early Saturday morning and Meg and I made our way out to the lake.

My goal going into the race was to swim hard, attack the bike, and see what kind of fitness I had left on the run. I wanted to go sub 2:20 on this challenging course. My PR was 2:23 so I thought this was a realistic goal. I got checked in quick enough and set up my transition. Had some interesting people sharing my bike rack, very interesting people! Anyways, made my way back down to the lake and put on my wetsuit.
I didn't realize there was an elite wave so I was starting in the second wave, just one minute later. Perfect, I love rabbits on the swim! 10, 9, 8, 7...1 and we were off. I quickly took charge at the front of the group and started to set a fast pace. We rounded the first buoy and I was already catching some of the elite group. I settled into a long, smooth swim stroke and tried to enjoy myself. As I rounded the the first lap, I put the pedal down a little to try and catch the final couple elites in front of me. I made the final turn and headed to shore. I had the fastest swim split overall at 20:57 although I think the overall winner of the race might have out split me but his timing chip didn't work on the swim portion.



I had one of the quickest transition of my career at 1:52, third fastest of the day from what I could see. Off to the bike, I was in second overall. Hagg Lake is one of the more challenging courses in the area. Two loops around the lake with some decent climbs on each loop. It is a very honest course. Small climb to get out of the boat ramp and then another climb to start the two loop section of the lake and I could tell something was wrong. I was really struggling to make the pedals turn and was passed by 2 or 3 people. I looked down and instantly saw my problem, my damn brake pad was forced up against my front wheel. I spent the next mile trying to fix while riding, losing precious time. I finally thought, this is insanity and pulled over. It probably took me 20 seconds to fix, but unfortunately lost time getting off and on the bike, plus the time messing around with it while trying to ride. I slowly started to get back into a rhythm and at the turnaround I could see the few people in front of me heading back. I was a few minutes down to the leaders. I will admit, I was pretty frustrated with myself, my goal was to split a 1:07, maybe 1:06 on this course, but in order to do that I knew I needed to be riding with these boys.

The second lap was routine. I gained speed and confidence on the second loop. I entered T2 in what I believe to be 9th place overall. My bike split was a disappointing 1:10:21, good enough for 23rd overall. My goal of a 1:06:30 would have put me at 10th overall. I believe the mechanical cost me between 60-120 seconds, but it's so hard to know.

Anyways, quick out of T2. 1:11, which was a little slower than I wanted, but I struggled pulling my shoes on for some reason. I quickly took off for the hilly 10k run. I quickly picked up my pace and thought I was going to have a decent run. After about 1/2 mile, my asthma told me it had different plans! Oh crap. I knew I wasn't fully healed from Boise one month ago, but I was pretty frustrated that I was still struggling with this. The run course is very hilly as well which is not good for me when I'm struggling with asthma. I'm much better on a course where I can set a pace and not have to move too much off this pace.
That being said, I made the turn back home with 5k left and was feeling ok. I had been passed by a 2 or 3 people and thought I was in 12th overall. I put my head down and continued on my 7:15 pace. There is one final nasty climb before you enter down into the finish area. I made it up that final climb and happily entered the finish chute. I checked my watch and knew I was going sub 2:20. I picked out Meg and my parents and gave some high fives before crossing the finish line. Run split was 45:08 (7:15 pace). Total Time = 2:19:29. This was good enough for 12th overall and 4th in my age group.


Overall, I feel good about the race. I was happy to have my swim back, felt ok about the run despite my lungs still healing, but was disappointed with my bike. The good news is I know what I need to work on for Canada. No problem. If I take out the mechanical, I'm still a few minutes from top 5 bike split which is where I feel like I should be riding. The thing I like about Ironman though, I don't have to worry about being a fast twitch guy (speed guy). I mean you have to be fast, for example my goal on the bike at IMC is to average 21.5 which would get me in around 5:10 to 5:15 for my bike split. I entered the season with a goal of going sub 5 for my split at IMC, but not sure that is realistic. We'll see, so much can change in two months, especially with a solid taper. Anyways, I enjoy the longer distance where you can get into a rhythm and the race becomes a battle of fitness and mental strength. Very much looking forward to Canada next month. Thanks for reading!!

-T

Happy 4th!!

First off, Happy Independence Day to everyone out there! I'm happy to report that I'm having a great 3 day weekend. It started out yesterday with a solid 5.5 hour ride, followed immediately by a 25 minute run. I felt strong throughout the entire day, pushing the pace whenever I could. My lungs have pretty much healed from Boise. They are not 100%, but fairly close. I could tell this weekend that it continues to get better. Off to bed last night to be woken up at 4:30 by our alarm clock...Meghan's first half marathon was this morning!!

A friend picked us up and we were off. For me, it was all fun. I had a few new jobs: pacer, pack mule, and motivator. My goal was to try and help Meg get under 2 hours. I wore my Garmin, but after a mile or two I didn't need it. After a slow start where I had to hold her back a few times, we were dialed in to an 8:45 pace. I ran ahead to each aid station and refilled empty bottles in my fuel belt and then handed those off to Meg. I can't express how much fun the day was for me! I watched her enter into a dark place around 10 miles but she never wavered. In fact, her last two miles were her fastest 2 miles. Talk about finishing strong!! As we came around the final bend I had an enormous smile on my face as I reflected on everything she had done to overcome injuries to just get to the start line. To then execute the perfect race and come in at, wait for it, 1:56:29...well heck, she smashed it today!!

My parents were there to celebrate with. We told a few stories and then I put my fuel belt back on and headed back out on the course to find our friend Jess who had driven us over. She was doing the full marathon. I found her about 2 miles from the finish line and ran with her to the finish. Again, it was great to take on this new challenge of pacing. I thoroughly enjoyed helping Meg reach her goal. Not only did I get in my long run of 17 miles, but I got to be a part of her magical day :)

Next week will be my first race since Boise. I will be racing the Olympic Distance at Hagg Lake in Forest Grove. I'm excited to see where my fitness is. This is a great race to test your fitness as it is one of the more challenging Olympic races within the NW. An honest course which includes two loops of the lake on the bike with a few decent climbs, and a run that includes two of those hills. Until then, I will continue to put up some decent volume numbers and continue to execute an effective build for Ironman Canada. Thanks for reading,

-T

IMCDA, chasing my dream...

Well, it's official. Today I signed up for IMCDA 2011. Why Coeur d' Alene? Well, if you follow this blog you know that Ironman Canada is my "A" race this year. We are heading there to have a great race and take a shot at sub 10 (hours). If I'm able to execute the race I know I'll be capable of going under 10 and potentially qualifying for Kona. For those that don't follow Ironman racing, the World Championships are held in Kona each year in early October. Kona is basically our Super Bowl. As much as I would love to qualify in Canada, I'm getting married 6 days later and then we are off to our honeymoon...in yes, Hawaii :) So, I would not be ready to turn around and do another Ironman in early October.

Canada is more about completing a chapter in my family's history. My Dad raced Canada 5 times. I have always wanted to do Canada. More than I can explain in words. I have always wanted to attack the two monster climbs on the bike and run my way back into town on Lake Shore drive!! Just thinking about it makes me emotional. But I also want to have a shot at qualifying for Kona before we decide to have kids. Coeur d' Alene (IMCDA) will be our race to try and make this happen next year. It's going to take one hell of an effort to make this happen. Last year it took a 9:34 to qualify in my age group, this year it appears to be sub 9:40. To put this in perspective, the 6 individuals that qualified in my age group last year all ran sub 3:18 for their marathon. That is after a 2.4 mile swim and a 112 mile bike ride. That is 7:30 pace for a marathon after over 6 hours of racing before you even get off your bike!! Holy smokes! For you marathoners out there, 3:10 is the Boston qualifying mark. So in order to qualify for Kona in my age group at IMCDA, you are basically being asked to run a Boston qualifying time for the marathon portion.

Well, we'll see where I'm at come end of August in Penticton. I'm hoping to go sub 3:45 for my marathon there. I actually feel pretty good about going a little faster than that, but man, you just never know in the Ironman. If I can do that (sub 3:45), I'll feel pretty damn confident about lowering that another 20 to 25 minutes in 10 months. IMCDA will be my 3rd Ironman, and all three will have been in different locales: Arizona, Canada, and now Northern Idaho. I hope to add a 4th next year...the big dance in Kona!! Would be a great excuse to head to Hawaii for our one year wedding anniversary right?? The key to qualifying for Kona is your ability to race the marathon. To have enough energy left, after holding a good clip for the first 20 miles, at 10k to go that you can push harder than your competitor next to you, or actually, in front of you.

I love long course triathlon racing, but realize I can't do it forever. I will have a solid foundation heading into the off season this year and hopefully can make a realistic push at Kona come June 2011. As always, I would like to thank you all for reading, and especially those of you that put up with me chasing my dreams...most notably the love of my life. Thanks,

-T