IMCDA preview weekend

The above pic is the view from out room. In preparation for CDA next month, we decided to take advantage of the long weekend and head out to Coeur d' Alene. For me it is a wonderful opportunity to ride and run the course prior to race day. It's also a great excuse to get in a solid long weekend of training. Because training takes up so much of our lives, I thought it would also be nice for us to simply get away and relax (outside of some of the massive training I have scheduled of course). Unfortunately the weather in CDA is not much different than Portland. 50s and rain. Although, despite a gloomy forecast today, the weather ended up being ok. Actually, I didn't even get rained on!

Speaking of today. I had a long day in the saddle, 105 miles, followed by a 45 min run. I rode the course so my mileage should have been 112 but I missed a few turns apparently! That being said my total elevation was within a few hundred feet of what is posted online so I'm not too worried about it. I'm riding one loop (56mi) of the course tomorrow with a local so I'll make sure to see it all this time! The course is challenging. That being said, I really enjoyed it. The elevation changes are great in my opinion. The hills are much different than what I'm used to riding in Oregon however. These hills are steep and short. And there are a fair amount of them. After spending over 5 hours on the course today I feel really good about the course. I know where to push. I know where to hold back. I know where the turns are (haha, well most of them I guess!). All in all, I was very satisfied with today and will enjoy getting back out there tomorrow.

CDA is a great place. I'm very happy that we will be back here in a month for Ironman. It's a very beautiful town and the people seem very welcoming to all the Ironman athletes (I must have seen 200 riders or so out there training today). Thanks for checking in!

-T

Making it work

Well, I don't post nearly as often as I would like. The latest is this: balancing my family and friends, work, and pursuit of a kona slot has been incredibly difficult the past few months. I'll admit, there have definitely been some times during the past few months where I have wondered if it is truly worth it. Not because I don't love it, but because you have to pay so much attention to making sure your balance in life is correct. This means you must be healthy. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally and relationship(y?)...k, made that last one up. But seriously, I have to make sure I'm constantly balancing all these areas properly otherwise I will not reach my dreams; in life, marriage, work, or triathlon.

So, making it work. That's my theme for the past few months and as I enter into the last few weeks leading into IMCDA. I feel like I've done a helluva job "making it work" and am proud of this. Is it enough for Kona? We will see. To be honest, I'm anxious, but not nervous. I was ready to throw down last year at Canada, but came up lame on the bike. I will be in the mix next month. I've been told to make it to the elite ranks of the sport requires a special mix of: knowing when to push in training and knowing when to back off in training. Beyond this, you just have to be smarter and stronger mentally. I've really been working on this mental piece. Lots of intervals on the trainer and on the treadmill. Nothing to distract me, but the thoughts that creep into your head when you are pushing that hard. I've learned to deal with them.

So, as the last few days tick away until taper I will continue to focus on my balance. And most importantly, I'll make it work. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Rounding the corner

Well Ironman Coeur d' Alene is just over 6 weeks away. It's funny how the anticipation to this race hasn't truly developed like the previous Ironman and other key races I've done over the years. I really think this goes back to having my coach with me this year. Muddy has really kept me focused on my plan and not allowed me to think too far ahead. He continues to keep me grounded and on track. He also keeps me excited however and does a great job of reminding me to have fun. This guy is the real deal and I couldn't be happier to have found him to help me in my journey.

Speaking of the journey, everything is coming along well. Training is going very well and I'm feeling fitter than I ever have with just less than two months until race day. I'm very pleased to see how my run is developing, but more importantly I'm excited to be putting in some quality miles on the bike. I have another decent week mileage wise in the saddle this week including another century on Saturday which will help tell me where I am from a fitness perspective. In the ride two weeks ago I was pleased to cover 115 miles averaging over 20mph (solo) at a reduced heart rate, but also realize that the terrain was not hilly (only 2800 ft of elevation gain). IMCDA is 5k and from all accounts the course is probably a little more challenging than Canada.

All that being said, I know that we are right where we need to be. In sitting down this past fall I wrote out splits that I wanted to hit in June. These splits represented a substantial drop in time compared to Canada, but they also represent what is required to have a shot at qualifying for the World Championships. As of today I can say I'm confident that these splits are now realistic. And this makes me happy :) So, as the date gets nearer, the next month is about staying healthy, eating properly, avoiding stupid injuries/accidents, and sleeping/recovering. I'm on it! Another month and all the hard work of the past 7 months will be in the body and I'll be ready to line it up and get after it. Thanks for taking the time to read.

-T

Eugene

I have lived all over the great state of Oregon during my life. I left the big city of Portland to move south to Eugene to go to college. I ended up spending about 10 years all together in Eugene, including my 4 years at the University of Oregon. I love Eugene. There are times when I really miss the place. The 50 meter outdoor pool is where I rediscovered swimming. The country roads are where I fell in love with cycling. And with Hayward Field, Pre's trail, etc...how could I not start running! Just so happens that two years ago I proposed to Meghan after completing my first marathon (the Eugene Marathon of course!). Last year I ran the half, but this year I didn't have either on the schedule. However, I had a few friends running in the events so I suggested to Meg that we head down for the weekend.

Of course, head down to Eugene (110 miles south of Portland) might mean something different to some people. To me, it means I have a great opportunity to hop on my sweet new ride and get in a solid century! So, Saturday morning I headed south following the newly created Willamette Valley Greenway bike route headed towards Eugene. The plan was to get in somewhere around 110-120 miles and have Meg pick me up wherever that ended up being. The Greenway is not a direct shot so my guess was from my house it was about 140 miles or so. It ended up being a decent day as we had some sun in the sky for the first time in a while.

The day went pretty well. The route is not hilly (2800 feet of elevation), which was kind of nice because it allowed me to spend a lot of time in the aero position. Michael and I have been dialing in the fit on the new Speed Concept for the past few weeks and this ride was going to be a good test of where we were in relation to fit. As I got going, I could tell I was going to have a decent ride. I was finishing an intense two week cycling block and so my legs were still a little sore, but they warmed up quick. I was feeling so good in fact that I didn't stop to take any pictures along the way! Sorry. I've incorporated some new nutrition and hydration techniques thanks to Muddy so I can tell you that I was stopping more often than normal as I was very well hydrated! After about 75 miles I stopped to call Meg and develop a game plan of where to pick me up. I looked down at my computer and realized that I had been moving despite keeping my HR in check. I was very pleased to see these numbers.

The last 40 miles went pretty well. Eventually Meg met me in Harrisburg as I was already nearing 115 miles. Despite having a headwind for the first 60 miles and rolling through 3 towns that forced slow speeds and frequent stops, I was able to average over 20mph riding solo for the 114 miles (check out the Garmin below). The best part was, I felt great. I never pushed it. In fact, I averaged 125 Heart Rate. I was ecstatic with these numbers. After picking me up we checked into our lovely B&B and then went out for a romantic dinner at King's Estate. Highly recommended if you want to take your significant other out for a romantic dinner while in Eugene, especially on a sunny evening. The views are excellent. The next day was great as I got to watch my buddy, and training partner, set a new pr at the half marathon distance! I guess that is all I have to report for now. This week is a recovery week which was much needed after a tough two week block. I know I need to post some pictures of the new machine and will try and do this soon. Just been too busy working and training to do anything else the last few weeks!! Thanks for reading,

-T