Tri Guy

Weight

2012-02-12T18:20:00.000-08:00

Training is going well. Oceanside is less than 2 months away. As typical for February, I'm still fighting my weight. It feels like every year it is harder to get to race weight. I eat relatively well, especially considering that I don't have a sweet tooth. However, I do enjoy a wonderful Oregon micro brew on a regular basis :) This year has been more difficult than normal for me as I basically didn't exercise for most of the fall. I am doing my best to stay focused on Coeur d'Alene and realize that I won't be at ideal weight for Oceanside. That being said, there is no way I'm giving up! Besides just watching calorie intake, the longer training weeks are and will continue to help.

Beyond that, things are going well. I got a cold the other day, but for the first time in forever, I was able to train through it and it didn't turn into a sinus infection! I have to once again thank the amazing doctors that continue to help me stay healthy. Especially Dr. Pavlovich. He is my sinus savior! I'm looking forward to seeing what my body can actually do this year with some serious training. The last few years I've always had trouble truly ramping up my training due to illness. I'm still trying to stick to the early am workouts and it has been working pretty well. The key for me is getting enough sleep on the weekend to somewhat catch up. Even when going to bed really early during the week, it is still challenging to get more than 7.5 hours when waking up so early. I am really an 8.5 - 9 per night guy, especially with heavy training and my career. So, we will see how it plays out!

Thanks for taking the time to check in!

T

Starting

2012-02-02T06:02:00.001-08:00

As of this weekend we are 8 weeks from Oceanside. The ramp up has started. The last two weeks have been challenging. Longer workouts and more speed. The objective of course is to not over cook myself so Muddy and I are being very precise with how we are addressing this. Coeur d'Alene and Canada are the real races this year, Oceanside is an excuse to get to San Diego and Sea World and test the early season fitness. Because the build has started I'm focusing more on hydrating, eating properly, and sleep. Sleep is the toughest thing to get when you have to balance all this. The morning workouts help, but it is a real struggle for me to be out of bed when the alarm clock has a 4 on it. I'm getting better however and I know it will only improve.I'm definitely getting excited about the upcoming season. Meghan and I really love visiting Penticton and Coeur d'Alene. I also am stocked about completing some unfinished business at both races. I will do a run race or two next few months to get the race wits about me before flying south to So Cal. It's going to be a great year. Thanks for checking in!T

Updates

2012-01-22T08:56:00.000-08:00

Well, not a ton to report. Training has been rolling along. The super early morning training is actually working out pretty well! Luckily I'm not too disruptive to my wife when rising so early in the am. So, training is plugging along. I'm back to that consistent, "man my legs are a little heavy" and the, "isn't it time for bed?" at 8:30 routine :) I'm making some changes thus upcoming year. First off, Muddy is still coaching me. However we are getting more aggressive with our program as we have our sights set on some podiums. We will be turning my bike into more of a weapon while continuing to work on the run so I can get off the bike with a top couple percent split and still run comfortably fast. The run is always the challenge for me. I was happy with my progress last year with a half iron pr to end the season, but my run times were still not where they needed to be.Speaking of the bike...I'm getting refit. I have corrected some flexibility and strength concerns and so I will be returning to a more aggressive position. I gave up a lot of time last year with my set up, both in aerodynamics and power. This will not be the case this year. As far as the swim, I will be working with a local club to get more productive workouts as opposed to always swimming by myself. Overall, it's hard to believe that oceanside 70.3 is just around the corner! Time to get busy. And on that note, I need to get some training done! Thanks for checking in!Trevor

4:30

2012-01-05T21:14:00.000-08:00

Triathlon is an amazing sport. Ironman is simply a distance within the sport of triathlon. It is usually the distance associated with triathlon due to Ironman Hawaii and the NBC coverage every December. Heart felt stories of every day people over coming odds to race alongside the pros who are competing for podium positions in the Ironman World Championships. I have raced across most distances: Olympic, Half Iron, and Iron. Iron is far and away my favorite. I enjoy the shorter Olympic race as it is balls to the wall for 2 hours, but I really enjoy the mental game of Ironman much more. This came up recently when a friend of mine asked what to do when the going got so tough that the only logical solution was to quit. I said, "It's pretty simple...you dig deeper. Anyone else would quit. If you want to be special, you dig deeper. If you want to be ordinary you quit." This is Ironman racing. And really triathlon racing in general.

So, speaking of training...I am so happy to report that I am finally healthy and back to training!! I've been through two MRSA bug infections, sinus surgery and a cold/flu and can finally say...I'm back at it! Part of being back for this year is balancing time. I have committed to getting the majority of my training done early morning this year. This means waking up at 4:30am most days. And then working 11-12 hours. And then most nights working out a little bit before dinner as well. Yes, 4:30. I know. But, it is better than spending time after work away from my beautiful wife. I would rather train when she is sleeping. Also...it feels so good to not feel pressured to get in a 90-120 minute workout after work because you already NAILED it before everyone else was awake! I will admit, this change is not going to be easy. But I'm committed, and will update you all on the progress. It's only in it's beginning stages, but I feel good about it so far. My apologies for not posting more often during the holidays. My Christmas and New Year were wonderful. I hope yours were as well and you got everything you asked Santa for! Now, time for bed. Thanks for taking the time to check in,

T

Thankful

2011-11-25T09:11:00.001-08:00

So many things to be thankful for. I had the privilege this year to spend some time with my wife's brother and his family. Of course this meant that we got to take some time off from work, travel across the country and allowed us the opportunity to spend some time just the two of us in Charleston before we made our way to their house for the holiday. I'm a lucky guy. And lately I have noticed that I've been frustrated with my fitness, or lack thereof, to date. Some quality time with family quickly reminded me that life is about so much more than fitness, races, etc. Of course this stuff makes me very happy and I want it in my life, but it is not everything in life.

So, I had a relaxing vacation that allowed me to get some quality r&r as well as some good run workouts in. I'm feeling more excited about this upcoming season now and looking forward to another VO2 max test next month. That gives me a few weeks to get ready. This VO2 max will not give me an accurate depiction of where I am from a fitness standpoint, but it will clue me into how out of shape I am :) It will also help to show how the new asthma medicine I'm on is working. It will also allow coach and I to set some goals for another test two months later.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

T

Recovery

2011-11-18T06:32:00.001-08:00

It has been a while. Things have been slow moving. After dealing with MRSA and then sinus surgery, I am finally starting to feel better. After recovery from my surgery I fought a cold for a week or two. Towards the end of last month I finally started feeling like myself again and was able to get back to some limited training. The first two weeks of November have been crazy with a lot of work, birthdays, celebrations, etc. My goal for this month was to get back into my routine so December I could start to lay some ground work. So far this mission has somewhat failed, but I will get there! The most important thing for me this fall was to recover from the previous seasons of triathlon and my health issues. I feel like this is happening, but now need to concentrate on fitness and weight. I had a tough time keeping my weight down with really very limited exercise for 8 weeks.

Usually I set goals throughout the season to keep me focused. If not goals, just fun little races to do. Because of my competitiveness, whatever the race is, I want to perform. This helps keep the firing burning throughout the season for me. Some may wonder why the fire isn't burning all the time. I live in Oregon. It rains, seriously, 8-9 months out of the year. It can be depressing. The thought of 3-4 hours every Saturday either riding in the rain or on the trainer can drive you crazy. I literally train the majority fall, winter, and spring in the dark. Early morning in a dark pool and late night on a trainer or treadmill. In a normal week the only light I will see while exercising during this time of the year is on the weekends. It can eat at you. That is why I try and keep little, fun races to keep me motivated. I had one such race a few weekends ago but couldn't go due to poor fitness and health. I'm looking for some more fun races around the first of the year as my first big race is end of March in Oceanside.

I promise to check in more often as I do enjoy sharing the day to day struggles of an age group triathlete. Thanks for checking in,

T

Kona Prediction Time

2011-10-07T18:25:00.000-07:00

It's back! Kona prediction time here. Every year I like to put together my Kona predictions. Check out last year's predictions (below in the link). I would say I was pretty spot on with the men! I didn't hear anyone predicting Macca was going to contend. So, what does this mean? I'm a tri nerd. I know way too much. But, that makes tomorrow's World Championship so much fun for me!! I love watching Kona. As I said last year, despite getting some of the predictions pretty close to accurate, it is such a difficult race to predict. Last year, who knew Chrissie would be pulling out?

http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=1201535145390423776#editor/target=post;postID=5412085016247947272

Well here are my guesses at this year's race...

Women:
Miranda Carfrae - She owns the Kona run course marathon record. She is defending champ. I watched her run down an elite ITU (short course professionals) field in an Olympic Distance event (Hyvee) in convincing fashion. Her speed was remarkable. She has worked on her bike this year with Julie Dibens. She is my pick. I am willing to bet she will out run Chrissie tomorrow. The challenge will be not allowing Chrissie to get to far ahead of her on the bike.

Chrissie - Freak of nature. However, she recently had a bad accident on her bike. She seems fragile in her posts and communication. She had to pull out last year at last minute due to illness. I think she is kind of a mental case right now and believe unless he can get 5-10 minutes clear of Carfrae on bike she will be beat.

Dibens - She needs 15 minutes on the bike. I don't think she will get it. I figure she will come in 3rd-5th.

Notables - Caroline Steffan, Mary Beth Ellis (but might be burned out after so many Ironman races this year).

Men:
Wow, too hard to predict, but here are my guesses...

Craig Alexander - Easy pick, but did you see his run at 70.3 champs? 1:11 on a hilly course after a great bike? Dude is in good form. Only thing that might mess him up is he is swapping to another new bike right before Ironman. Hard to adjust and be comfortable so close to a 112 mile race, but he is a professional so I'm sure he will be fine.

Marino Vanhoenacker - I know he is the sexy pick, but how do you argue against him? He went 7:45 in Austria. If he can really out ride Crowie like last year I don't think he will be caught.

Timo Bracht - He won Lanzorate in record time. Great biker, but don't think he quite has the run to contend. I like him in 5-7th position.

Pete Jacobs - Amazing runner. If hadn't had a penalty last year would have been in contention for top 3. I feel he can run sub 2:40 tomorrow if in the hunt. Yes, sub 2:40. He will be in top 3 if he can hang on bike.

Andreas Raelert - Holds the record with 7:41 in Roth. Took Macca down to the wire last year and ultimately didn't have enough. Was injured earlier this year. I think he is going to have to push too hard on the bike and be forced to exert more energy than desired earlier in the run and falter to 4-7th spot.

Dirk Boekel - I had Dirk in my contention last year and I will do it again this year. If memory serves me right Dirk had a penalty last year too and still made top 7 or 8. He hasn't proved he can run 2:45 and he will have to tomorrow to make to 3. I feel like he has put in the work and will hang tough for most of the marathon. 3-5th place

Luke Bell - Love this guy. Saw him race in person in Lake Stevens. He has regained some old form. He will be in top 10.

Tim O'Donnel - First year in Kona. Great debut in Texas this year. Can run and put himself in the red zone for some time. I like him for top 10 in debut.

Eneko Llanos - Pulled away in Texas. Always a contender. Top 5 guy tomorrow is my guess.

Rasmus Henning - Seems like a mess to me. Could be wrong, but I think he still needs a year or two until he has the mental fortitude to go toe to toe late in the day at Kona.

So...if I had to pick an order

1) Crowie (won't make same mistakes as last year and allow field to ride away from him)
2) Vanhoenacker - Duels Craig to the end, but comes up short
3) Jacobs - Makes it to energy lab with Crowie and MV, but doesn't have final gear to pull away
4) Llanos - Steady and consistent get him back on podium
5) Boekel - Makes his first podium with awesome bike and solid run

So there you have it! Enjoy tomorrow. I know I will!!!

-T

Sinus surgery

2011-10-01T09:41:00.000-07:00

16 years ago or so I had sinus surgery to address a deviated septum and some other work to clean up some drainage problems with the ethmoidal and frontal sinuses. The surgery was extremely painful and I vowed I would never have a similar operation again. Well, fast forward to the present. After starting to get serious about triathlon a few years back, I became plagued with sinus infections. This, in addition to my asthma, added to my difficulty to perform at the levels I was training for. The past 9 months alone I think I have been on antibiotics 6 times, could be 7...stopped counting a long time ago.

About 6 months ago I found my guy though. Dr. Justin Pavlovich at the Portland Clinic is my hero. After multiple visits and a couple pictures of the sinuses, it was clear I had some major issues. In order to control this problem he needed to go back in and address the concerns. So we agreed. The plan was to get through the triathlon and busy work season (spring/summer) and do the surgery in Fall. Yesterday was the day. Everything went well and so far I must say that these procedures have advanced so much versus a decade or two ago. Better equipment, better drugs, etc. Doc told me that my Maxillary sinuses (check bones) were basically closed. Yes closed. He was amazed anything was draining out of there. I can't tell you how happy this makes me. If we would have gotten out of that surgery and I heard it went well and should be better moving forward that would be fine. But to hear, you had major drainage issues, on a scale that truly prevented two major sinuses to drain...so we fixed them. Well hot damn. The hope is this will not only dramatically reduce sinus infections, but will also help with my asthma and allergies. Despite being a little banged up still, I'm one happy guy.

Pre Surgery - All smiles

I would like to thank the exceptional staff at Providence St. Vincent surgical center as well as my newest best friend and one heck of a surgeon, Dr. Pav. And of course, my lovely wife for taking such good care of me and encouraging me to go down the surgery road. I'm truly excited about how this procedure will change my life. As we all know, being sick is simply not fun. The thought of not getting a sinus infection every 1-2 months? OMG. And from a selfish standpoint, the thought of being able to put in serious training efforts and not develop these infections as a result. Can't wait for next years Ironman races.

That's all for now. Thanks for taking the time to check in.

-T

Healing

2011-09-26T19:37:00.000-07:00

The body is an amazing machine. If you read my previous post, you know that I had some medical concerns that I had to address. Mostly, I needed to give my body a break. I am now almost back to normal. And just as this happens, I have to go into surgery on Friday! Argh. Well, Friday is sinus surgery and it is needed...so I'm not entirely upset about this. Actually, I've been looking forward (in a sense) to having this surgery for the past 6 months. I need to put an end to constant sinus infections, and the specialists are convinced that this will help. The reality of the situation is that you must be in great health to train for, and execute, elite Ironman performances. This is my goal and so therefore I need to do everything required to stay healthy.

The past few weeks has been really about resting, recovering and concentrating on work. My body has responded well to the rest. I'm looking forward to putting this surgery behind me and getting prepared for what is going to be an amazing 2012 season. As of now, I have two primary goals for this next season. 1) Get on a swim team and be ready to swim controlled 50-52 minute Ironman swim 2) Bike. I have to get this back thing figured out and become dominant on the bike again. Ironman is won or lost on the run, but if you don't have a solid bike, well the run doesn't matter. The bike was a strength of mine two years ago. I need to make it one again. My team, Ironheads, will help as we have a very large contingent racing CDA this year. And many of those racing are solid on the bike so I will have plenty of solid guys to train with.

Thanks to all for taking the time to read.

-T

Nothing

2011-09-21T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it's been weeks since I have posted. Unfortunately I had to end my season prematurely. After Lake Stevens I was riding a high. I was still very frustrated and confused by my back problems, but happy with where my run was heading. I knew that once I joined a swim team in our new area that we lived in that my swim would return to top pack and so all I needed to figure out was the back issues on the bike. My plan was to do one final race a few weeks ago. Was going to be a flat half Ironman and the goal was to set a huge pr. I was amped! At the same time I was very tired. Actually, I was exhausted. I took a few days off post Lake Stevens and slowly got back into the training mode. I should have taken more time in retrospect.

A week post race I did a 60 mile ride with a friend. It was hot out. I was tired. We did a big climb during the ride. The next day I was destroyed. Totally worn down. Later that night I discovered a lump/cyst down by the...well...jewels. I instantly thought it was just irritation from riding. It was hot, I was sweating, etc. After two days, the cyst had increased in size and pain. I was now starting to get very concerned. By Wednesday I called the doc who put me on the antibiotic bactrim. By Thursday it had started to really become an issue with mobility. It was extremely painful and made it difficult to walk/move, etc. By Friday afternoon, I had my Dad look at it (a physician). Within 10 minutes we were in route with my wife to the ER in the small town of Florence on the Oregon Coast. Of course, 45 minutes later my Dad and Mom were expecting 40 people at their house for my sister's wedding rehearsal dinner!!!

Luckily Florence is a very small town and my Dad was able to talk with the physician on duty directly. We were pretty certain it was MRSA which is a form of a staph infection. If you have ever watched "What it takes" it is what Peter Reid had in the summer of 05. So, the doc quickly cut it open, packed it up in a way that it could continue to drain for the next few days and I was off. I felt instantly better, but I was still spooked. You never want to see anything happen down there. Ever. This was Friday night. By Monday am I was in to see the Urologist. I was immediately ordered off all activity for 2-3 weeks and no bike or swim for a month. I have an ultra sound next week and at that point I can resume aforementioned bike and swim.

This has been a very scary and educational experience for me. When I met with the urologist, I asked him how I could have developed MRSA, especially down there. His thoughts were that normally he saw those infections in the chronically ill, think elderly, disease, etc. This is due to their immune systems being so deficient that these infections are able to take hold. His hypothesis is that my immune system was so below normal that I was ripe for an infection. So, I post this to all that do our sport, for fun, competition or otherwise. Listen to your body. This, luckily, ended up being nothing, but a forced break from training (pending ultra sound), but you never know. It is important that we realize that when training for Ironman, we must take care of ourselves as most of us are balancing so many other stresses in our life.

So for now...I'm out. I'm doing nothing. Went for my first run this past weekend. It felt...hard. Hard to imagine I was competing just a few weeks ago. Next year is going to be epic. But clearly my body needed to tell me something. After 4 years of non stop training, battling through a recession at a stressful job, getting married, and moving to a different town...I needed a break. So said break has occurred. I have done nothing, but gain weight.

Stay healthy out there. Lots of sleep. Keep a balance. And treasure what you have. Thanks for checking in,

-T

Time to think

2011-09-03T10:20:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have posted. After Lake Stevens I was really focused on continuing to work on my hamstrings and back and get back out racing for one last half Ironman before late September. Unfortunately I developed an infection that has resulted in me being sidelined for some time and I have decided to use this time to recharge the battery before entering into the off season. It comes at a good time as the weather in Oregon is absolutely beautiful and Oregon Football starts today so I will have plenty to keep myself occupied with.

The primary focus over the next 30 days is to continue to work on my hamstrings and back. I'm confident that we are moving in the right direction with this and am excited to see what these improvements do for my bike splits this next year. The immediate future includes a half marathon in early November and then nothing until Spring. However, next season is already figured out. I have Oceanside 70.3 in March, Ironman Coeur d' Alene in June, and Ironman Canada in August. Giddy up. Once I can get this back figured out, Coach and I are confident that I will be racing for podiums next year. And that's the goal. Well, the primary goal is to have fun. The secondary goal is to get out on the course and race. And race fast. This is the first year I have really had to deal with an "injury" that has impacted my performance. I'm trying to learn all I can from it and become a stronger athlete next year as a result.

Thanks for taking the time to check in everyone. And Go Ducks!

-T

Lake Stevens 70.3 race report

2011-08-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Well, another race is in the bag. I have to admit, this race was a TON of fun!! I went into this having two goals:

1) To race all out - leave nothing out there

2) To have fun

Well, I was successful in accomplishing both goals!!

I tried an entirely new concept going into the race; I did no homework. I mean none. I didn't want to think or stress about the race. Actually, I went too far :) After finding the race site (had no idea where it was when we left Portland except that it was North of Seattle), I asked the dude I parked next to where I was supposed to get my packet from. He looked at me like I was an idiot and told me I had to go to the high school to get it. OK, whatever dude, where is the high school? haha So after some time I got my packet picked up, racked my bike, and Meg and I met up with my coach. At this point I actually confirmed the swim course, bike course, and run course...LOL!!

Race day: wake up way too early...4am. Race starts at 6:30. Pull into the small town of Lake Stevens and there are parking lots everywhere marked with letters. What the hell? Pulled into one and asked the dude parked next to me what the story was. "You have to pay $20 to park here. See the guy down at the bottom of the hill." WHAT? Guess I should have researched that as well!! haha, it was the same dude as yesterday as well! This guy must think I'm a total moron. haha!! So anyway, got transition set up, hit the porta and made my way down to the lake.

Our wave went off at 6:41am. Hugged Meg, and then walked to the lake with coach. He looked me right in the eye and said, "Go like hell son. This is your redemption from Ironman Coeur d'Alene." I was so pumped at this point. Gun went off and I was off. Quickly in second place and catching some draft off the guy leading. After about 500 meters and passing people from waves in front of me I struggled to keep him in sight and eventually lost his feet. I came out of the water in 4th. Not exactly what I wanted, but I felt good about it. Quickly into transition and I was off onto the hilly bike course.

Now my back has been giving me serious issues for some time. CDA was a disaster. Unfortunately, we still have not fixed all the issues and this bike was almost as bad. I maintained my position for the first 10-15 miles and then slowly got passed by competitors. I had to take advil to help. But in reality it really didn't. The course is challenging. Reminds me a lot of CDA. Lots of hills. Good descents, but too many turns at the bottom of some of them that slows your momentum. After 40 miles I realized I wasn't going to have a great ride in terms of time, so started to focus on hydration, nutrition and preparing for a strong run.

I bolted out of transition. Despite a locked up back and my asthma starting to act up, my legs felt great! Got my garmin going and tried to control my breathing to keep asthma at bay. The first two miles were tough. After that, my asthma subsided and I picked up the pace. I got into a 7-7:15 pace and it felt pretty good. There is a decent hill you hit twice (two loops). You roll by the finish line half way through each loop and at the end of the first loop. It was awesome seeing Meghan and the Ironhead supporters! I was having a good run and felt like sub 1:40 was going to happen. About 8 miles in I hit a little bit of a rough patch and just concentrated on foot speed and not allowing my pace to show 8, I wanted only 7s. I knew this would past. It did. I got up the final hill, turned around for home and kept running as hard as I could. I can say that I was pretty much red lined for most of the run.

The finish chute was great. I felt really happy with my finish time and my run time (both pr's) despite having the back issues again. Most of all, I was happy to do it as planned...without one :) Thanks to my awesome support team, especially my wife, family and my coach. The rest of the season is up in the air as I will continue to focus on the back, but plan to race at least once more before fall arrives. Thanks for taking the time to check in. Cheers!

-T

Trevor Yates

BIB	AGE	STATE/COUNTRY	PROFESSION
1107	33	Wilsonville OR USA	Management

SWIM	BIKE	RUN	OVERALL	RANK	DIV.POS.
28:20	2:42:21	1:39:22	4:54:04	99	14

LEG	DISTANCE	PACE	RANK	DIV.POS.
TOTAL SWIM	1.2 mi. (28:20)	1:29/100m	30	5

TOTAL BIKE	56 mi. (2:42:21)	20.70 mph	83	12

RUN SPLIT 1: 6.61 mi	6.61 mi (49:06)	7:25/mi
RUN SPLIT 2: 13.1 mi	6.49 mi (50:16)	7:44/mi
TOTAL RUN	13.1 mi (1:39:22)	7:35/mi	99	14

TRANSITION				TIME
T1: SWIM-TO-BIKE				2:06
T2: BIKE-TO-RUN				1:55

Lake Stevens!!

2011-08-11T21:20:00.000-07:00

Well, Ironman Lake Stevens 70.3 is just around the corner. I'm getting pretty excited for the race! As I mentioned last post, I've been concentrating on the fun factor of triathlon as of late. So, what is my goal going into the race? Go ahead, ask me. I won't have an answer for you other than to go until there is nothing left. In fact, I guess I do have one goal. Shoot, I really have two. 1) Swim. First pack. I have been afraid to race to my potential in the swim like I used to.

2) Bike. Race. Hard. Again, bike is a strength, but you wouldn't know from recent race results.

Shit, OK...I have 3 goals.

3) Run. As Macca would say...embrace the suck. I plan on going out fast and maintaining. Will the wheels fall off? I hope not. But I'm pushing my chips in. I'm fit and ready.

Time to rock. And have fun. Gonna enjoy every minute of it! Feel free to follow online at Ironman.com if you want. I have no idea what my bib number is...haven't bothered to check. Part of the having fun part. Thanks for taking the time to read!!

-T

Fun

2011-08-07T17:43:00.000-07:00

Post Ironman Coeur d'Alene has been about having fun. That race was disappointing, but what I realized after I had time to really reflect on it was that I needed to make sure I was having fun. Lost in focus on qualifying for Kona was the "fun factor." Let's face it, I don't race for any other reason than to get my "fix." Triathlon is my escape from reality. My "happy place." I let myself get too caught up in chasing after numbers and lost sight to some degree of why I get out there and challenge myself.

So this past weekend helped to serve my mission of having fun. My good friend turned 30 and so we headed over to Bend where he lives to celebrate. The celebration included us taking part in Cycle Pub (not us below). Cycle pub is in one word...awesome. You load up the machine with all the beer and wine you want and then pedal your way around town to make stops at local bars. What a blast!

And so...now that my "fun battery" is fully charged...we are off to Lake Stevens 70.3 this weekend to kick some serious ass. As far as having fun for this race? Well, I'm going to attack it from the gun. I guess that could either be "fun" or tragic. I hope for the former :) Thanks for taking the time to read!

-T

Heat!

2011-07-24T17:38:00.000-07:00

Well, after months and months of cold weather it appears summer has finally arrived in Oregon! Yesterday hit mid to upper 80s and today hit 90 in some parts around Portland. Training has been going relatively well after my CDA recovery. Saturday's effort involved a 60 mile ride and a race pace run right off the bike. I started a little later than normal due to sleeping in (much needed!) and quickly realized how warm it was going to be out there. I stayed on my fluids and sodium as best I could and before I knew it I was almost done with the ride. I really attacked the hills to try and emulate CDA to see how my back would respond. It responded OK, but it is clear I have something going on with it. Off the bike and a quick 20 min run at sub 7 min mile pace. It felt great. Although I must say after this brick I couldn't even keep track of how many ounces of fluid I consumed while laying on my floor under the ceiling fan watching the tour! This Oregon boy is not yet accustomed to this heat.

Today involved a run of just under 2 hours. Again I got a late start after sleeping, but was happy to have my wife with me for this run! Well, she rode while I ran. Meg would talk with me for a bit and then zoom ahead and come back every so often. It was a lot of fun. Well, most of it. The heat really kicked my ass. Again I stayed on top of my sodium and electrolyte intake and was happy overall with the effort, but couldn't believe how hot it was. The best part however was sharing the day with my wife and enjoying a wonderful lunch afterwards. Not a bad way to spend your Sunday. That is it for now. Feeling fit and counting down the days to get it on at Lake Stevens!!

-T

Race Report

2011-07-19T21:02:00.000-07:00

There isn't one for the sprint tri I was going to do on Sunday. I woke up to rain, contemplated the fact that they were charging $90 (yes $90) for the event and it was now going to be held in the rain...and went back to bed. I got 11 hours of sleep and then dominated my long run. Best decision I have made in some time I think! So no race. I would like to get back out and race before Lake Stevens so will need to look at the calendar and see what else might work.

Currently Muddy is really focusing me on speed work to gear up for Lake Stevens. The recovery from IMCDA has gone really well and so far I've been able to nail my workouts so far. I'm looking forward to getting up to Lake Stevens in just under a month and letting it rip. Most importantly, I'm looking forward to having fun. I'm not worked up in hitting a certain time or place. Just going up there to kick some ass and enjoy some pain. Find that dark place and embrace it.

Now if we could only get some decent weather in Portland...

-T

Now what?

2011-07-16T21:19:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had plenty of time to reflect on Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Ultimately there were a few things, in my opinion, that ended up with me having a slower than anticipated performance. I have started to address this items. Some of this will take me into next year. For example, I wasn't mentally prepared as well as I could have been for trying to take that race to the next level. There is a huge difference between going 10:45 and 9:45. I will argue that I was in shape to go 9:45, arguably faster, but wasn't mentally prepared. Part of this is due to a lack of racing going into the event. It had been 10 months since I had raced. That was too long. I had forgotten what the pain felt like! Despite that, I would have been OK, until I hit that back pain. That is the second item I'm addressing. I'm back to the fitter next week and am stretching and doing exercises to strengthen my lower back in hopes that it will all help. I'm also going to take up yoga.

So, what to do for the rest of the year. Well, I was going to close out with a half Iron somewhere. I was thinking September, but my coach suggested Lake Stevens and it makes perfect sense! I'm in great form after CDA and am now fully recovered. Lake Stevens is a challenging course that I think suits me well. The harder the bike the better. Well, I say that until my back totally locks up and I can't run! Well, hopefully we will have it fixed by then! After Lake Stevens, well there are some possibilities as to what would be next based on that race. I plan on racing into September and then entering into some serious rest before base work to begin in late October, early November. The plan is to do a marathon early spring and then move into the season well prepared this time. So for now the focus is on Lake Stevens next month! But to shake the cobwebs off, I'm racing in a local sprint tri in the am! I can't wait. As coach and I were saying the other day, I'm racing angry now :) Check in soon,

-T

IMCDA Race Report

2011-07-04T21:31:00.000-07:00

It's taken a while to put this report together. I will try and keep it as short as possible. Here is the gist...this year was about putting all my cards into trying to get top five in my age group at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, thus ensuring a qualifying spot into the World Championships later in the year in Kona, Hawaii. I hired a coach, got dialed on the bike (while getting a new ride!), and took every precaution with my health to ensure that my sinus infection tendencies and asthma would stay in check. As I drove out of town on Thursday from Portland to Coeur d'Alene, I was convinced I was going to do this.

The feeling continued as race week went on and my family started to arrive. The weather was cold, but all the reports were showing low 70s and sun on race day. Perfect. The course was challenging: cold and choppy swim, hilly bike, and now with a changed run course; a challenging marathon. I went a did an hour ride with some of Muddy's other athletes Saturday am and felt amazing. I racked my bike, dropped off my gear bags, and headed back to the house to put my feet up. I remember walking out of transition looking at all the other athletes. Everyone looked so nervous. I just smiled. I felt so great. Tomorrow was going to be my day.

Race day came and I was up around 3am. About 3:45 I finally started to get up. I shoved some food down: bagel with ham, banana, some cereal, english muffin with toast, and a cliff bar before the swim start. Note: need to spice up the breakfast a little, the bagel sandwich was tough to take down at 4am! Apparently I was supposed to wake my Dad up at 4, but I had no idea so at 4:45 I went to check on him. Well, that's when the day started off on the wrong foot! Poor guy was running around like crazy to get ready so we could head down to the swim start. I was nervously waiting for the rest of my family as they weren't where they were supposed to be by 6:30. Finally I see Meghan. Apparently I had told everyone the wrong meeting point. Bad luck continues as I hug my wife, coach, and father and head off to the swim start. Well, funny thing about this race, there is NO ROOM to get by transition down to the swim start. I should have started my walk MUCH earlier. Shit. I was worried I was going to miss the start. The national anthem started and I still couldn't see the entrance to get down to the beach. I finally started acting like an ass and forced my way through the crowds. I made it down to the lake with 3 minutes to spare. Note to self #2: don't risk being late to the start of an Ironman.

Gun goes off and we rush into the water. I felt good up to the first buoy. Then it got crazy. I have never been punched and kicked so many times in my life. I was very uncomfortable and to be honest, I didn't have the normal fight in me to push through everyone and swim with the big boys. I don't know why. Still don't know why a week later. It wasn't fitness or taper, or anything other than my mental state. For whatever reason I didn't push. The second lap was uneventful and before I knew it I was having my wetsuit stripped and was off to T1. I couldn't feel anything in T1. The water was pretty cold. Actually, it was very cold. I had a tough time getting my socks on for the bike. Eventually I made it out of T1. Looked at my watch for my swim split; 58min. I remember yelling "Fu#k!" as I excited T1 in a rage due to the slow swim.

On the bike and flying. I was feeling good. We did the out and back section and made our way back to town before heading out to the hills. Muddy told me I was in 10th. Damn, a slow swim will do that to you. Oh well, I will crush these guys in the hills was what I was thinking. We hit the hills about 25-30 miles in and I feel it. This was going to be a long day. My quads were already aching and now my lower back was starting to act up. WTF? I remembered the game plan and did my best to spin up the hills but I was getting passed by guys that normally I would eat for lunch. What was going on? We finish the hills and start to work our way back to town. I remember seeing the 40 mile marker and thinking, "Damn, my lower back really hurts. What the hell?!? This is why I spent so much time with my bike fit guru, to avoid all this lower back pain I've fought previously. We had this figured out!! I hadn't had this pain since last year. Oh well, relax Yates. Take some advil and it will pass." Another sign the day was going to hell in a hand basket fast...I had dropped my advil. Note to self #3: Don't forget your Advil. Ever.

Through lap one in around 21mph. 1mph slower than what we had planned. OK, no time to panic. We aren't even half way through this race yet. Put the hammer down Yates. Passed coach, he yelled sodium. I was on the nutrition, hydration, and sodium pretty well so far. As we worked our way back out to the hill section my lower back started to feel slightly better. But at this point, I was a wreck. I wasn't prepared for this additional suffering (although I should have been!) and was having a tough time coping with everything. Instead of pushing the second half of the bike, I just rode. The hills weren't bad the second loop, but I suppose that was because I wasn't pushing. A group passed me about the 100 mile mark. I was fed up with my performance at that point so I put my foot on the gas and rode in the last 10-12 miles with them. As we hammered into town I realized that my split was going to be slow, but not nearly as bad as I had thought. OK, no problem, time to blaze this marathon!!

The mass swim start at Ironman is an amazing sight

My father trying to spot me amongst 2800 other athletes

The *ARMY* starting to look concerned as I wasn't getting out in the time expected.

Beautiful day!

Off on the bike and ready to rock! Or so I thought!

Off on the run and the legs were feeling good.

I let out of transition with a laser focus to put in a good marathon. I remembered the instructions, no faster than 8 min pace for the first 15 miles. Instantly I knew 8min pace was going to be a struggle as my back was completely seized up. I had never had this type of back pain before. It was a struggle to keep going. I finally found some Advil around mile two. About 5 miles in the back seemed to get a little better. This was about the time you hit the big hill on the run. I was able to run it OK. I made the turn back to town. I saw my coach and father numerous times on this first lap which helped. My coach pleaded to me to to stay strong as there was a lot of confusion in my age group and I still wasn't out of the mix. I tried to keep the 8:15 pace going. I made the turn at the half marathon around 1:50ish (will need to check my garmin). Unfortunately, I was really starting to hurt at this point.

This is on my way out to the second half of the marathon.

I struggled to keep going this second lap. Mentally I was beat. Having to deal with the locked up back on top of all the other pain was proving to be a tough challenge. I gritted my teeth and decided to just keep moving as best as possible. I once again ran the hill, but by now I was jogging more than running. The last 10k was brutal. My pace had slipped to 10min miles and I couldn't seem to improve on it. I was walking every now and then. I tried to run the last 4 miles in, but still had to walk every few minutes,even if only for a few seconds. And then it happened, I saw the magical sign that we all dream about in a marathon. The 25 mile marker. My attitude improved and I picked up my pace. As I was rounding the bend up onto Sherman avenue and the finishing chute I saw people just heading out on the marathon. I had no idea where my time was going to land as I hadn't been looking, but figured it would be around 10:45. As I started to climb the small hill just before the run in to the chute, Muddy was standing on the side to wish me congratulations. This meant a lot to me. I hadn't delivered the race that we had prepared for, but he had stuck with me on a tough day.

Coming into the finish chute at an Ironman is an experience that everyone should have. It is purely magical. I looked hard, but could never find my family. After finishing I instantly found the pizza in the recovery area and waited for my family to show up. Meanwhile, they had thought I was in Medical (my typical post race location) so I started to worry when I didn't see them. I finally found Meg and gave her a huge hug! The day was over. I had fallen short of expectations, but was proud to have another sub 11 hour Ironman under my belt (3 times over now!).

I want to make sure and thank my incredible wife, without whom I would be lost. When it gets really dark out there the thought of the seeing her keeps me going. Also want to make sure to shout out my family (this includes Meg's side, whom I consider my family) who totally rocked the support out on the course and from afar!! The Duck Calls were awesome :) Muddy Waters, you are an amazing coach and friend, and I'm happy to have you leading me. The volunteers. WOW, they are just amazing! And finally, this is my first year racing on the Ironhead team. What a great thing to have so many people (racers and spectators) yell "Go Ironhead!!" at you during the race. Just awesome. I specifically love the teammate that was spectating that yelled at me the following as I headed out onto the second half of the marathon, "Yeah Trevor. You are looking good. You go find that deep dark place out there and you f'ing embrace it man! Get after it!" Love it. Good stuff.

Finish time 10:47

Swim: 58

Bike: 5:32

Run: 407

I'll be seeking some help to uncover the back issues. I'm of a firm belief that the issue is not the bike fit. I believe that we have that dialed. I think my issue is anatomical and will require some strengthening and stretching. Thank you for all the support. I love this sport.

-T

Ironman Coeur d'Alene

2011-06-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

Well, the day is nearly here. Race start is 7am Sunday. The trip out was OK. Unfortunately we had a pet get a little sick earlier in the week so things were a little frantic. The house I rented out in Hayden Lake area is great. Plenty of room for the family. And let's talk about the important stuff...the fridge is packed of beer and food for Sunday night! I had the pleasure of meeting my coach and his wife for dinner last night. Tonight I'll consume a ton of spaghetti and then Saturday night is my typical pizza night! I always eat pizza the night before my races.

So between now and Sunday morning I'll be doing a lot of relaxing and trying to keep my feet up. We have a short workout tomorrow morning prior to racking the bike and then it will be chill time back up at the house. In and out when it comes to the Ironman scene. I have no desire to hang around the area longer than needed. It just gets the nerves going too much. Instead I'll come home, watch a movie or two and simply relax.

Health - I feel pretty darn good going into the event. My asthma appears to be under control. I was a little tight when starting my run today but was able to maintain 7-7:30 pace at 140-145 heart rate so that made me feel real good about my asthma. Hopefully everything will be in balance on race day and all I'll have to battle is the course and myself. Would be nice not to have to battle asthma issue for once in a race!

Finally, the weather. It appears like it will be around 70 on race day with sun. Today was pretty cold. The swim course this morning was cold as well. The water was cold and choppy. People were freaking out. I hope it is just as choppy come Sunday. As a good swimmer, the chop is good for me. That being said, I hope it will be a little warmer than expected for the bike. As long as it's not too windy, it will warm up because the sun will be out. And then there is the run. Man, I can't wait for the run. Thanks for all the support (emails, texts and phone calls I've received from everyone). I can't wait to get after it Sunday!

Bib number is 1142 for those that want to follow on Ironman.com on race day.

-T

Final week

2011-06-19T09:01:00.000-07:00

IMCDA is now just one week away. It seems like it has taken forever to get to this final week! My preparations have been great. I have recovered well from that bug I had and hope to be close to 100% for race day. Wahoo!! I've been focusing on resting and recovering this past week and it all seems to be coming together well. I have felt strong in all 3 disciplines. Beyond triathlon, I've been preparing for our vacation after. Glacier National Park, here we come! So what am I most concerned about in regards to the vacation? Beer and meats, duh! Seriously though, I will have a cooler filled with spirits (with plenty more ready to enter the cooler as needed) and a cooler filled with cuts of meats for some fine dining by the campfire.

After a long few months of watching my nutrition so closely, it will be nice to relax in a beautiful part of our country after Ironman and not concern myself with nutrition for a week :) The weather is looking great and we are going early enough that we should have our pick of campsites! I haven't looked forward to a vacation this much in some time. More than anything, I think that I'm just excited to spend some time simply hanging with my wife. Work and training has been so time consuming the past 4 to 5 months that we need some chill time.

Well, not much else to report at this point. I'm off for a short run soon and then will be cleaning up my bike and finishing my packing for the race and vacation. My speed concept is totally race ready with my race wheels now on. The machine looks amazing. I'll post some pics. After much debate, I decided to go with my 808 Firecrest rear as opposed to my Rolf disc. This is for many reasons, but primarily because the 808 has proven to be incredibly aero (close to the disc), is much lighter (whether mental or not I can feel this on the hills), and accelerates better than the disc (think corners and after hills, all of which CDA has plenty of). So I'll be running a 58m front wheel and the 808 rear. Later today I will be working out how to fit my spare tubular and tools under my seat. That should be fun!

OK, well thanks for checking in. Looking forward to getting out to Idaho and getting this race underway!

-T

Taper

2011-06-16T21:22:00.000-07:00

Well, incredibly Ironman CDA is just over a week away. Seems crazy. I mean, don't get me wrong, I am so happy we are finally nearing the date...but it seems like it was just yesterday that I was cursing the short December days wishing for summer to hurry up and get here. So here we are. I've been getting a lot of questions regarding what the last few weeks looks like for me heading into an Ironman so I thought I would take a minute to explain what I do. First and foremost, my plan seems to change slightly every year and each race I taper for based on past experience and current conditioning and health. This year, the plan relies a lot on my coach's plan. Muddy has me dialed this season and I'm not about to back away from his insight leading into the race.

So, without giving too much away (that's why I pay the guy after all!), here is the gist of my plan. The two weeks leading into the race are about rest, recovery, yet remaining sharp. I have rested too much previously and have been flat on race day. I have not rested enough and have been tired on race day. This year we are after the perfect balance. So we start by resting more than normal and then resuming normal interval training 1.5 weeks out. We will then rest more and take this weekend very easy before getting back to short and fast workouts next week leading into the race. I will stay active every day leading into the race outside of my travel day. Part of this is physical and part is mental. Bottom line, when you are accustomed to putting in hours a day of training, your body and mind crave some sort of activity most days. Especially when you start to rest because you start to feel really good. What we need to avoid during these periods is for the body to enter into full recovery state.

The whole idea of a taper for a full Ironman distance triathlon is still a work in progress among most you ask. Many would tell you just back off a little each week. Others will insist that you must rest and then when you are done resting you must rest some more. The truth, at least for me, lies in the middle. You must allow the body to recuperate, but not allow enough rest that it starts into deep recovery. This will railroad your chances for a solid race. Meanwhile, if you don't rest enough, you run the risk of not allowing your muscles and energy systems to recover properly from the big blocks you put them through. So what is a guy to do? Heck, I got Muddy. I could care less about my taper this year. It's such a nice feeling. I just trust this guy. I also trust myself. I know if I'm not feeling right I will speak up and we will make adjustments. But at this point folks, the hay is in the barn. The only real danger you run beyond resting too much (hard to do really) is to train too hard (easy to do).

So, I'm getting excited for the trip. I've prepared for some time for this opportunity and hope to enter the race healthy for once (knocking on wood currently). I truly appreciate all the support and interest from everyone. More soon.
-T

Patience

2011-06-09T19:45:00.000-07:00

Ironman racing is all about patience. Whether training, recovery, or the actual race, patience is key. Having patience can be a challenge. There are times in training when you feel like you need to push beyond what you should. You follow your schedule despite knowing you need to back off. You train while sick or injured. You become a slave to the philosophy that more is better. This is when you must exercise patience. In order to ascend to a certain level in triathlon, especially long course triathlon, you must take some risks. You must, at times, push your body to the edge in training. But once you get there, you must exercise patience and know when to back off.

This year, I feel like I've had to be more patient than ever before. I have chronic sinusitis as well as asthma. I'm on more medication than anyone should be on, especially a healthy triathlete. But, that's my life. And I realize it and have accepted it. In fact, what normally happens to me is I get sick prior to big events. Not like a cold mind you, but anytime I get a cold or the sniffles or whatever, it translates into a sinus infection and an asthma flare up. Hence, the common medical tent story. In fact, I have raced to date: 2 Ironmans, 3 half Ironmans, and dozens of Olympic triathlons. I have never raced a half Iron or longer while healthy. That's 5 for 5 when it comes to being sick. So this year was going to be different! I started seeing specialists. All the time it felt like. I went through all kinds of tests, exams, and appointments. Ultimately it was decided that I did indeed have some bad nasal passageways which, when my immune system was low, were allowing/contributing to sinus infections. Which in turn would compromise my asthma. After IMCDA, I will be having a second surgery to hopefully correct this. Or at least make it better.

So fast forward to this past week. I was finishing my big build. I was feeling pretty good until about a week ago. And then it started. I was feeling run down. My sinus specialist had called in a course of antibiotics that I was supposed to take once I started to taper (the point at which most people contract colds leading into endurance events). But here it was, over a week from taper and I could feel it coming. What was going on? I thought about the patience. Just be patient Yates, you are over thinking it. I slept on it. Still felt run down the next day. Overly tired. I started going through my old training logs and journals and realized something. I don't get sick because of the taper, I get sick prior to the taper! I get sick when I'm putting out the most volume and the stress and anxiety of the race is starting to build!! Damn, how had I missed that all this time? I immediately started on the course of antibiotics. Which was good, because that weekend (last weekend) I picked up some kind of cold. Shit.

I was protected right? I tried to be patient and let this thing take care of itself. But after an off day on Monday, I wasn't feeling much better on Tuesday. And come Wednesday I was devastated. I now had a sore throat and was still tired. I was watching my season and goals fall by the familiar sickness wayside. I was struggling to make it through the day I was so depressed. I was trying to stay positive, but couldn't. All the hard work down the drain. And then I called my Dad. He is a doc, so he immediately handled me like a patient and not a son. He gave me orders of who to call. What to ask, what to say, and ultimately he reassured me that we would get through it. I then talked with my wife. And she helped me get even more positive. I was quickly in contact with my sinus doc. After an exam, I was reassured that I hadn't developed a sinus infection! Most likely because I got started on those antibiotics when I did. I had most likely caught some of this viral crap that was going around. I almost hugged him right there.

So, now we are just over two weeks away from the race. If I had to guess, I'm about 80%, maybe 85% going into this weekend. My asthma isn't great, but it will get better every day without having to fight a sinus infection. What did I learn from all this? You must have patience when dealing with Ironman training and racing. You also must learn from the past. History is there to be studied, not dismissed. And sometimes, shit is going to happen. You can either hang your head (like I did for part of that day) or you can develop a plan to overcome. As I think about the upcoming race, I'm just damn happy I will have an opportunity to toe the line. And hopefully do it as close to healthy as this poor schmuck can get :) Thank you to everyone that was sending me positive vibes over the past week. It helped. 2 more weeks. And then it's on.

-T

Final touches

2011-06-02T19:24:00.000-07:00

Well, the last big volume weeks are now behind me. The process of finishing the preparation for Ironman Couer d'Alene has begun. It's funny, I've been so damn busy the last 6 months I still feel like the race is months away. The nice thing is...it's not. It's just over 3 weeks away! So this week Muddy and I backed off the volume and intensity a little which was nice after we really finished last week with a bang. I have another relatively long ride this weekend and then my final long run this Sunday. The week after the foot goes back on the gas with high intensity and then we taper. It is really amazing how fast the time has flown by.

So what goes into these last few weeks? Well, whenever I have a big race coming up I concentrate on my plans. In triathlon you need a plan. At least I do. And my plans need to have back up plans. Ultimately you are required to make "on the course" decisions (especially in long course racing), but you need to have a plan to accommodate the change. Here is an example: I have a very defined nutrition plan. Let's say for whatever reason I'm not taking the calories in properly. Well, you can't race without calories. So, I have an A and B plan to survive. Trying different food, more sports drink, less water, backing off the heart rate to help the digestion, etc, etc. I have pace and heart rate goals for both the bike and the swim. What happens if the heart rate is too elevated on the bike? How do you react. Keep it rolling or back off? I have a plan depending on when in the race this potentially happens.

Why do I concentrate so much on the what ifs? Because, 1) what else are you going to think about when you are training so much :) and 2) this race is important...I want to be prepared for anything. And most importantly, I want to truly enjoy this race. If I know that I have a well thought out game plan then it's much easier for me to go out and simply race.

Speaking of racing. This will be my return to racing in a way. Two years ago I was coming off a pretty good year. I had a couple top 3 age group performances at Olympic distance and had debuted with a 5:01 at the half iron distance while being sick. So going into that summer I was feeling good. I did a tune up race a few months before Ironman Arizona after having a disappointing start to the year (sick again...seeing a pattern?). At this Olympic tune up race (it was a small, local field), I led out of the water and set out onto the two loop bike course. I remember it was raining buckets out there so I had to take the cornering easy, etc. But I remember the main competition that day was this ex pro cyclist. He finally caught me at the halfway mark of the bike, but I had a decent bike and gutted out a tough run for third overall. This was at the end of a large training block and I have to say...it felt great. It felt great to be truly racing out there. Racing for podiums.

Since then I've struggled some. I have fought over-training. I have had some disappointments when it comes to races. Sure, I am proud over going sub 11 at the Ironman distance in my first two attempts. And I'm proud of running sub 4 hours at Ironman Canada this past year. But in each of those events I was capable of more. I promised myself after Canada that I would remove the work behind the sport and hire a coach so I could just enjoy training and racing again. I did. I vowed to get a proper bike fit to help eliminate all this back pain when racing. I did. And ultimately, I committed to embracing and enjoying the process of preparing for a Kona attempt. I have. As Muddy and I put the finishing touches on the preparation for IMCDA, all I can say is...I can't wait.

-T

IMCDA preview weekend

2011-05-28T18:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-18T21:50:00.001-07:00

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

2011-05-11T21:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

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

Selfishness

2011-04-21T21:04:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I pinch myself. I have the best wife in the world. Ironman is a very selfish sport. It can inspire people, change lives in fact. It can also ruin relationships, and has. This is a constant concern for me. In order to compete at the level I want, I have to put in an enormous amount of time and energy. Considering I don't get to do this sport for a living, this time and energy has to be done around work. And family. And friends, etc. When I met my current wife, we lived in separate cities. Training early in the morning and late at night during the week (before and/or after work) was no problem as we didn't see each other anyway. Well, then you fall in love. And you want to spend as much time as you can with that individual. Especially once you move in together and get married! Again, I'm a lucky man...my wife is awesome.

So, I'm in my build right now for IMCDA. The training is and will be intense for the next 2 months. Currently I'm in a solid block and am amazed that I'm still awake (it just turned 9pm). As soon as I'm done typing, it's lights out. So what does all of this have to do about my wife? Well, when you are in a big build like this and you don't want to get up at 5am to put in another session, it sure helps to have your wife there helping you get up in the morning! Yes, Meg gets up early throughout the week, which included this morning. So, I have my own personal alarm. Without her, I honestly don't know if I'm getting in my session this morning. I really don't. But that's what life is about. Sacrifice, and love.

Like I said earlier, ultimately this is a very selfish sport. I work more than most, and I train more than some people work. Not much time left for my wife, or anyone else in my life. And don't kid yourself...when I'm out there suffering in an Ironman...I think about those close in my life, but ultimately...you race for yourself. You race to test yourself. How fit did I get? How tough am I? Because of my wife, and other loved ones in my life, I'm stronger than I would be without you. Thanks for taking the time to read.

-T

So what's new?

2011-04-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been pretty interesting for me. I am finally starting to feel healthy which is great considering we are entering the bulk of my CDA build. I'm finally starting to get this sinus situation under control which is great. Unfortunately it involves a fair amount of medication to start and potentially surgery post race, but it's great to be feeling better again!! On the health front, the asthma is getting better as well and I'm seeing one of the more skilled specialists in the west coast in a few weeks to make sure we are dialing everything in properly for the big day in June. My number one goal over the next 10 days is to stay healthy. My docs are helping me with this, but I have to do my part. I have to continue to stay hydrated, eat properly and ensure that I'm sleeping and recovering properly! As you start to enter these heavy training periods when you are riding over 250-300 miles a week and/or running 40-60 miles per week, your body is on the edge constantly. Pros and some elite age groupers can sustain even more volume than this, but Pros don't work 50-65 hours a week. This is the time when I have to become one with my body. I need to listen to it. I need to fuel it properly. I must take care of it, and ensure I'm allowing it enough time to recover. My dad likes to tell a story about a former National cycling coach that said the toughest thing to teach a pro was not how to train, but how to rest and recover. So, although I will be putting in some pretty heavy weeks over the next two months, I will be listening to my body...and so will my coach. Speaking of coach, I can't tell you what a difference having a coach makes. I'm more fit than I have been in a while and we are just entering into our build for CDA. Speaking of balance, this week and the next few weeks will be tough. My career requires a lot of my attention normally, but especially lately. Right now for instance, I'm sitting in a hotel room in Florida as we are winding up an annual trip before heading back to Portland tomorrow. Travel can be tough for an Ironman athlete, but that's where my coach comes in. He knew exactly how to have me attack this week so I could still make some good deposits, but without having to spend all my time in the gym while out here. Lastly, I hope to be posting some pictures when I get home of my new ride for this season!! Not only have I upgraded to a faster machine, but I will be uber comfortable for the bike leg of Ironman which I have never experienced. Can't wait to get this new beauty out on the road and get some miles in on it!! That's all for now. Thanks for taking the time to read, -T

King's Valley

2011-04-10T13:42:00.000-07:00

Although I have been competing in triathlon for some time, I've never ventured into bike racing. I've always wanted to try, but have always had something else going on or didn't commit early enough, etc. As we have looked to what I need to work on going into IMCDA to have a legitimate shot at qualifying, my bike was the blinking red light. Although I normally in the top 10% of the field for my bike split, in order to get to that next level, I need to be in the top 1-2% of the field. So now that I was starting to feel a little better and starting our proper build into CDA, a challenging bike race made perfect sense. It was a 56 mile race that involved rollers, a hill or two and combined Cat 4 and 5. Here is how it went:

My buddy and I left Wilsonville and made the 1:15 min drive to somewhere between Salem and Corvallis for the start. We registered, changed, etc. Unfortunately we weren't able to get in a proper warm up, more on that later. So, we made our way down to the start of the race and listened to the race director. He discussed the usual stuff and made mention of how tough the finish was, a few times. Going into this race I figured I would be competitive. I mean hell, I race Ironman. Hang with a few roadies for 56 miles, no problem. Race started and instantly I could tell that I was still recovering from my sinus infection. We made it through the first couple rollers and I settled into the peleton and was really enjoying the race. At about 15 or 16 miles we hit the steep hill of the day. I started to drift back a little and then we hit a bench and we started to come together a little bit. As soon as I thought, OK, no problem...the hill picked up again and I couldn't respond to the surges going on ahead. The peleton was now much smaller.

I regrouped and looked around. My buddy Jer was there and we seemed to have a group of 3 or 4. Jer and I started to work together and quickly caught others that had been dropped. Some of them teamed with us and before I knew it we had a chase group of 5 to 6. I could see the peleton just ahead and we were gaining! Unfortunately it was as if none of these dudes had ever formed a pace line before! We just couldn't stay organized and I ended up taking some pulls that lasted WAY too long. But I wanted to catch the peleton. After about 10 miles of chasing, our group started to fragment even more on the second loop (of a 3 loop race). As this happened, the peleton became less visible ahead. As we moved into the 3rd lap we lost my buddy and soon it was just me and a guy that raced for a team out of Portland. We worked together to keep the pace honest, but the winds were absolutely brutal. Every time we hit a hill we both laughed because our legs were just concrete. I had exerted so much energy trying to chase that peleton because we couldn't form a proper pace line...and now I was paying the price.

The race finish was uneventful. Levi (the dude I finished the final lap with) and I rode the 4 miles back to the car. My buddy showed up a little later and we both joked about what a tough day it was out there. So, what did I learn? There appears to be a fairly big difference between Cat 4 and Cat 5. I was surprised by how tough some of these guys were. I also came to the conclusion that it is a very good thing that I have a big bike block coming up because I'm not where I need to be on the bike. I also know that I need more hill work prior to CDA. And finally, I learned - once again - that a proper warm up is a MUST. I was not warmed up and at those races, the pace starts right off the jump. The lactic acid will start very quickly if you aren't warmed up. I believe this is a big reason why I was already mushy legs when the attacks occurred at the end of that first lap.

I will say, I absolutely loved the experience! What a great way to get a solid 60 miles in on the bike. I will do more of these races, just not sure how soon. After racing Saturday, I ran 75 minutes this morning. Jer joined me, and it is fair to say we were both still feeling the race a little. Our run was relatively tough. So, hopefully this weekend I made some good deposits that will help come June! Thanks for reading.

-T

Build time

2011-04-05T21:05:00.000-07:00

Well, we are just under 12 weeks away from Ironman Coeur d'Alene. I'm finally starting to smell the race. And speaking of smell, I finally have some of mine back. Seems like I've been sick all winter. Basically I have. I just finished my 3rd course of antibiotics in just under 4 months. The good news is I'm feeling healthy again and am meeting with some great specialists to help control my sinus issues and asthma leading into IMCDA. The biggest obstacle for me when it comes to racing is staying healthy. I am very prone to sinus infections and my asthma is a formidable foe. With the help of some quality doctors, we hope to try and eliminate (or at least reduce) these handicaps over the next 3 months.

Speaking of the next 3 months, Muddy and I have started to increase the volume and intensity of my training. I'm excited to be getting some serious work done and look forward to seeing my body adapt. We put in a lot of maintenance work over the past 4-5 months, now is the time to really get the body, and mind, ready to race 140.6 miles at a high level. I will be heading out to Coeur d'Alene to preview the course prior to the race which will be awesome. Hopefully I will be well acquainted with my new friend, err I mean bike. Yep, I'm going to be riding a new machine soon. We couldn't get my Felt B2 to fit me properly so I pulled the trigger on a new ride. After considering and researching bikes for the past few months, I decided to invest in the Ferrari of bicycles. Pretty soon you will see me riding the 2011 Trek Speed Concept. Mine will look very similar to the one pictured below, but with different wheels. I am still a few weeks out from getting this beauty delivered and built up, but will post pics once it's done. I can not wait.

Well, that about sums it up for me. Time to hit the sack and go at it again in the morning!

-T

Time for a break?

2011-03-26T09:34:00.000-07:00

Last week I was excited about my coach and I starting to put our foot on the gas. Excited about increasing volume and intensity in my training. And then it happened. I contracted this upper respiratory cold that everyone around me seems to have had lately. Despite getting plenty of sleep, eating well, taking my vitamins and drinking plenty of water (with emergen-C twice daily!) I still got the cold. Now, I've been doing this sport long enough to know that complaining about missing training for a cold or other illness does to necessitate a blog post. I know and have seen many athletes that compete with illnesses and disabilities that they would gladly trade for a simple common cold. As usual though, I don't just get a cold and get over it in a few days like everyone else. Any type of infection or virus irritates my airway and negatively affects my asthma. So, after getting in some decent trainer rides over the weekend, I was forced to rest all week.

I felt OK on Monday, but decided to take it off to be safe. By Tuesday I was all congested and already coughing. Wednesday wasn't much better, but by Thursday I was done with the congestion and just dealing with the asthma. I'm going to try and ride indoors today (it's cold and rainy outside in Oregon right now) and see how my lungs react. If they try and fight me, I will not fight them back. I have 12 weeks until it's go time at CDA. The last thing I intend to do is press my asthma too much now and then be forced to take more time off in a few weeks. Better to get healthy now so we can make the final 3 months of preparation really count. Thanks for all the support I get out there from friends and family. It's tough to be sidelined when you are trying to ramp up for an event like Ironman, but you guys are always great about helping me keep everything in perspective. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Time to apply a little gas...

2011-03-18T16:52:00.000-07:00

Man, the words I wanted to hear from my coach were finally said the other night "Well, I'm going to start putting my foot on the gas a little bit Trevor." Perfect! I'm so sick of base training. I'm cravy intervals. As an Ironman athlete, my intervals are a little different that you might think. We are talking sustained 5-30 minute intervals on the bike and run. Every now and then I get to do a shorter interval like 2 min or so on the run, but often times these are longer sustained efforts at higher intensity than aerobic. We are 13 weeks out from the race at this point and I'm feeling strong. As Muddy said the other night, he will be adding some "intensity and a little more volume" to my plan starting next week.

So...250-300 mile bike weeks...here I come. Fartlek runs, I love you! Well, not really, but they are better than just running at the same pace all the time. Speaking of bikes, I have some news coming in that department soon. The bike is going to be the most important part of my day in Couer d'Alene. I need to be able to ride with the boys so I'm in contention for that Kona slot entering the run. In order to get there I will be racing in a few bike races over the next month leading into two big bike volume blocks. So basically my build to CDA is going to be very bike centric will working on some strength on the run. With only swimming twice per week I'm already confident that I will again be sub 55 on the swim and exit with the lead boys. The key will be to race smart on the bike and come off in solid position without killing myself. The goal over the next 13 weeks is to prepare me for that.

If we can get off that bike in contention, than the marathon becomes exactly what I want; a slug fest with some very elite athletes all looking to accomplish the same thing...punch their ticket for the World Championships. Just thinking about it gets me pumped. Hope everyone is happy and healthy.

-T

Shamrock Run 2011

2011-03-13T17:13:00.000-07:00

Could that kid really be running faster than me? We were a mile or two into the 8k at the 2011 Shamrock run and a kid, all of maybe 12, was running just in front of me. Is this really happening? Yates, you want to be an elite level Ironman competitor and some 12 year old is going to kick your butt in the Shamrock run? That got me going a bit. With endurance sports you have so much time to yourself and your thoughts. This event was short, just over 30 minutes, but typically in a large volume training week prepping for Ironman I'm logging over 20 hours of training. And in the Ironman race itself, you are constantly talking to yourself. Helps pass the time, and hell, who is going to listen to you besides yourself anyway! So I talked and joked myself through another Shamrock Run. I must say this one was pretty uneventful. This will be the last year I do the 8k. It's just too short of a race for me. Although I really don't yearn to do the 15k, I'm training for marathons and so I don't have any speed. Which can make it hard to out kick a 12 year old in a race as short as the 8k :)

The morning started poorly. I had no desire to get out from under the sheets and venture out into the rain. My coach had me scheduled to run 30 minutes prior to the race, do the race, and then do another hour on the treadmill later in the day. Barf. I did the warm up at our place on the treadmill to help stay warm. Put on some sweats and 30 minutes later I was lining up to start my first race of 2011. Overall I'm neither pleased or displeased with the race today. I haven't seen official times yet, but my watch had me within 10 seconds of last years time. I was displeased that I wasn't faster and struggled to run to my full potential, but I haven't done any speed work yet this year so I struggled to find those extra gears today. I'm pleased with how I was able to attack the hills and really mow some people down. That was a great feeling. I'm also pleased with my fitness level. I felt like I could have run right through that finish line and continued on for another 8 miles and set a pr for my half marathon. I hope to do that next month at the Corvallis Half Marathon. In the meantime, I grabbed a table at the bar for the wife and friends and waited for everyone to get finished. We had a nice lunch and then headed back home so I could get the hour on the treadmill finished.

According to my watch, my overall pace was 6:43. To be able to mix it up with the big boys in Coeur d'Alene in 3 months our plan is to have me running right about 7:35 - 7:40 pace for the marathon, or about a minute per mile slower than today. This, of course, will be after swimming 2.4 miles and cycling 112 miles. So, I'd say although I'm by no means a fast runner at the shorter distances, I'm feeling good about our progress this year. The fact that I was able to do 15 miles today with 5 at a hard effort shows me I'm fit. And it's March. As Muddy would say, right now is not about making withdrawals, it's about making deposits. We will make a large withdrawal on June 26th. So, another year of the wet and soggy Shamrock Run is in the books! Despite the rain, I'm about to hit the bbq as I have some Salmon that wants to be grilled! Thanks for all the support,

-T

Race Season is upon us!

2011-03-12T17:33:00.001-08:00

My first race of the season will be tomorrow. I will be racing the 8k at the Shamrock Run. Although this is not a triathlon, it will represent my first time racing in an organized fashion in 2011! Of course, that is very exciting. What is not too exciting is the thought of racing when my legs feel as heavy as they do today! Oh well, tomorrow is not about best times, simply about pushing myself against others. I will provide a race update tomorrow. Until then, I'm going to elevate this legs and get my hydration on!

-T

Bike Rage

2011-03-06T16:01:00.000-08:00

Yesterday a few friends and I went out for our weekly Saturday long ride. As of right now, my coach doesn't have me going too long. The ride ended up being 3.5 hours. Which I only mention because during a typical *long* ride of 5-6 hours, I seldom have many (if any) altercations with motorists. Yesterday however was a different story. I believe we were yelled or cursed at 4 times. One time while simply regrouping in a deserted parking lot of a country store by a passerby. So what gives? Well, there are plenty of reasons. For instance, last year I was outraged to discover a facebook page that was dedicated to encourage so called bike rage. Pictures and comments about hitting cyclists were common.

Why the hatred? Well, part of the blame rests on the cyclists. There are plenty on two wheels that ruin our image. You know the guy. Hell if you are a cyclists, you probably have ridden with him from time to time. Cocky, disrespectful, and aggressive on his bike. This is the dude that never stops at signs, rides as if he has special privileges as compared to motorists, and exudes his displeasure for the common motorist any chance he gets. However, this is only part of the problem. I am not that guy. Neither are either of the friends I was riding with. So, what is the other half of the equation?

In my opinion it has to do with resentment. I work my ass off. I got through high school with a decent gpa and then grabbed a college degree. After working too many 60-70 hour weeks to count as a dedicated employee for a well established company, I earn a nice living. So do my friends. For instance, each of our bikes were probably worth more than half of the cars that occupied the dirt bags that yelled or cursed at us. Throw on top that we are genuinely happy people with nice families, nice homes, and body fat percentages that are measured in single digits...well I'm assuming this all adds to the problem. If I'm one of the dirt bags that yelled at my friends and I yesterday (let's call him "Joe"), maybe he resents the fact that he was once a high school bully (probably making fun of people like myself or my friends) and now he's overweight, has a drinking problem and works at a dead end job that barely pays the bills. Joe sees a couple of fit looking dudes riding around on $5,000 - $10,000 bikes? Well, that not only pisses Joe off, but maybe it reverts him back to his high school bully days? Joe drives a big truck and can slam the accelerator as he passes us to try and scare us. He can yell down at us as he passes, or simply come up from behind and honk to try and frighten those ass holes on the bikes.

Well, you know what Joe? Honk all you want. Yell at me all you want. Does it piss me off? Sure. But really, I just feel very sorry for you. If you have nothing better to do than try and bully someone riding a bike, then you obviously are a pathetic version of a man and for that, well I'm sorry for you. Do you intimidate me? Hell yeah, you have a few thousands pounds on me and there is a decent chance you have been drinking. Maybe I'm totally off base. But after having enough of these encounters over the years, you start to see it in their eyes.

Deep breath Yates. I'm feeling better already. Sorry for the rant, but after years of sharing the road with idiots like Joe...sometimes I just need to get it out. Despite the bike rage incidents, we had a very nice ride and I feel my fitness continuing to improve each week. My buddy and I pounded out 13 miles this morning at solid pace despite climbing 1,000 ft. I'm feeling that I'm right where I need to be this time of year. Next week's Shamrock run will be interesting, but it will be fun to test the legs a little bit. Hope everyone is well. Thanks for taking the time to read.

-T

I got...

2011-03-03T20:00:00.000-08:00

nothing to say. Training is going along pretty well. I feel like I'm finally healthy which is nice. I've been working real closer with M. Slyvester on getting my bike dialed. We aren't finished yet unfortunately. There is still a chance that we might not be able to make the current bike work, which would not be ideal...but there are worse things than buying a new bike. I hope we get the position dialed soon so I can mark this off the list!

I haven't posted my schedule for the year, just been too busy!! If you notice, I've been having a tough time posting let alone updating my race schedule. I'll try and get to that this weekend. I can say I'll be racing the 8k Shamrock run next weekend and have the Corvallis half marathon in a month's time. Beyond that, there is a cycling race or two that I will probably take part in if it's cool with coach. Then most of April and all of May will be about getting my dialed for CDA. Crazy to think it's already March. I'll be interested to see how I perform at the Shamrock Run. I have yet to do any speed work. Any special work has all been strength (hills, etc). I also still feel like I'm carrying a few extra pounds. We'll see how it goes though. Those 8-10ks are so darn hard. Basically red line for 30 minutes or so. BRUTAL.

OK, like I said earlier...nothing to really say, so I won't continue to bore those reading. Thanks for taking the time to check in!

-T

Where is spring?

2011-02-26T10:19:00.000-08:00

Well, I must admit...I am so tired of hearing about snow. You see I live in Portland, Oregon. Not known for it's snowfall, but instead for it's rainfall. So when snow develops, even a small amount...the city goes crazy. Normally I don't really care, right now though, I just want to see spring. Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of the rain either. But, you can train in rain, especially just showers. I won't however ride in snow and ice. Instead I'll take to the trainer or rollers and keep it safe.

The purpose of this rant however has yet to develop. And now, well I'm too preoccupied cursing the weather to remember where I was headed! So for all of you that love the snow, I'm with you...if it's December or January. But it's damn near March. And I'm sick of training indoors. OK, there it is, off my chest. On to more relevant topics? Not really, but I can say I'm still feeling really good about my progression this year despite all the illnesses during the winter. I feel like we are right where we need to be with just a few more weeks of base work before Muddy starts to put his foot on the gas. Man, I can't wait! The season can't get here soon enough. Thanks for taking the time to check in. Enjoy a shot of our beautiful city with some (very minor) snow below.

-T

Time to yourself

2011-02-19T18:11:00.000-08:00

Ironman racing, and training for that matter, can be lonely at times. The swim obviously is not that lonely as you usually have someone around you. The bike, depending on the course, can be a similar experience. You can have packs around you, but if people are following the rules, you are usually a little bit ahead or behind your next closest competitor. The run, in my opinion, can be really solitary. If you didn't talk to yourself a lot on the bike, you will on the run. I remember at Ironman Canada not seeing another competitor when I was heading out to the turnaround for miles. The were a few pros coming back into town as I neared mile 7 or 8 maybe? But the first 90 minutes or so of the run I passed 10-25 people and was passed by two guys I think. So in between aid stations...you are a product of your mind.

In the few years I have been racing triathlon, in particular Ironman, I have learned some tricks. The swim doesn't bother me. The bike can...it's just long. You get tired. Your back starts to hurt. etc, etc, etc. So, I focus on some simple things. Keep my heart rate at this number until the next aid station, then I get a break to take in some nutrition and stand on the pedals for a few seconds to relieve the back. I also set my watch to beep every 20 minutes. Why? Forces me to take in calories and for whatever reason it makes the day go by faster. Onto the run. The nice thing is you have an aid station every mile. That being said, that time between aid stations can seem like an eternity. So...what's a guy to do? It's 16 miles into an Ironman marathon. How do I stay focused? I concentrate on landmarks, time and aid stations. For example, when I'm really hurting I might look ahead and see a bend in the road 1/4 mile up. Ok Yates, keep your pace up until that bend and then you can take a break. Guess what happens? Yep, make it to the bend and then I spot another landmark. Maybe a mileage sign or something. Go another 2 to 3 minutes and then pick another.

This whole process might seem incredibly tedious, but trust me...when you are out there racing for hours on end and your mind is telling your body to stop...well, you almost have to dumb down your mind. Hey brain, shut the F up! It's the hardest thing to do. Ignore the pain and the signals that your brain is sending. To push through. A wall? Not really. There is a wall, but in Ironman racing it's different. It's just downright pain and possibly caloric deficiency. If it's pain, I have to try in suck it up. If it's caloric deficiency than I've gone off plan and need to be smart. Sacrifice a minute or two to save an hour. Sound silly, it's not. Check out my marathon times at Arizona vs. Canada. Over 40 minutes different. Part pain tolerance, part sticking to nutrition plan, and all heart! I love this stuff. How far can you push yourself? Go find out. It's hard to describe what it feels like to find out.

-T

Moments

2011-02-12T17:36:00.000-08:00

Ironman racing is decided by decisions. Some are split second and some take time. Do I get re fit on my bike might be a more long term question months in advance of a race. Should I eat that gel even though I don't feel hungry might be a question you ask at mile 10 of the marathon. Regardless of the decisions made, your race is a result of decision making. Your race is also made up of moments. Moments of pleasure, agony, uneasiness, thought, despair, etc. One of my goals in training is to try and stimulate my brain to remember certain moments from training to carry me through the challenging moments of an Ironman race. I had one of those moments today that I will take with my to IMCDA in June.

A buddy and I were out for a long ride today when we turned down a road that neither of us had been down before. It was our understanding that the road was a good 4 mile climb. It didn't disappoint. As we turned down this new road to go exploring, we noticed a large pack of riders about to make the same turn but from the other direction. Probably 15 or so of them. I stayed up front with my friend next to me as we started in on the climb. We made some conversation with the large group and asked if we were on the correct road, etc. As the climb continued I started to press the pace just slightly as I really didn't feel like getting swallowed up by a peloton today. Problem was we had no idea when the actual end of this climb was.

I continued to lift the pace whenever my buddy would start to move up on my wheel. Instinctively I knew he was telling me to push just a little more as the crew behind was making ground. Within a few moments my friend attacked. The group had reached his rear wheel. I gritted my teeth and dismissed the pain in my quads from last night run, the pain in my lungs from the sinus infection I had just started treating with antibiotics 6 days ago and got out of the saddle. I made a joke while passing my bud and took off to the summit. It was great. I felt like my old self again. We got up to the summit and we looked at the group. There were about 5 left. The rest were strung out down the hill. Why is this moment so significant for me? Well, it's been a good 40 days or so that I have been sick. It has been incredibly difficult to tolerate as a competitor. Rest, don't train. Um. Don't know how. Well, I've been learning. Had to. But today was about pushing through the bad thoughts and rising up to reach a new level of confidence. Did it hurt when I sprang out of the saddle and led the boys up? Yes, but not in the normal sense. Because I didn't care. I knew there was more in me, way more. So, I'm going to continue to listen to my coach and father...these guys know what they are talking about and they are helping to keep me as healthy and fit as possible.

On the second loop of the bike at CDA, when I don't want to climb the same damn hill again 80 miles into the race...I'll think of today.

-T

Swim Challenge

2011-02-07T19:02:00.001-08:00

Swimming is by far the toughest discipline for me to keep at during the winter. Don't know what it is about it. Maybe the cold weather and darkness outside? Maybe my history as a swimmer (spent years of my adolescence swimming before and after school). But whatever it is...I struggle to get to the pool consistently during the winter. The funny part is my coach doesn't really care! Mostly because I'm in the top 1% or so of swim times and I can get in swim shape very quickly. Furthermore, the swim segment in the Ironman does not carry much significance for a swimmer than for a non swimmer. A non swimmer must worry about not only time, but also about conserving energy for the other two disciplines. For many swimming 60 to 120 minutes is a huge undertaking. Not so for a former distance swimmer.

So...how to stay motivated for swim this season? A good friend and I have our first "swim off" at the end of this month. We will be swimming in the am and then heading out for a long ride after. Loser buying lunch after the ride. It should be a great time, and just plain fun! I will admit, despite the impending swim date...I still haven't been swimming like I should! Darn it...when will I learn? Maybe after picking up the bill in a few weeks!!

Beyond the upcoming swim date, things are pretty boring. This is my final month of base work. Probably coming at a good time as I'm still recovering from January's onslaught of sinus infections. Michael is helping to get me dialed on my bike. I'll be excited to see how the latest adjustments impact my back. In the meantime I'm trying to get in all my core and band work to help strengthen my core to help with the back issues as well. Well, that's it to report on for now. Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Transformations

2011-02-03T21:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't had the opportunity to post lately. I've was sick for most of January. Despite that, I was able to get in some decent workouts and still feel like I'm entering February in great shape. I have also been working a ton lately. Which is good, as I'd much rather be busy than slow. That being said, it is difficult to properly train for Ironman, including rest and recovery, when you are working so much. Again, happy to be busy though!

I'm into transformations this week. The other day, I met with a very respected bike fitter to help start to transform my fit into a fit that will result in more comfort, and hopefully power. As some of you might know, I went into Ironman Canada with very good fitness and aspirations of riding around 5:10. I had severe back issues amongst other problems and suffered to a 5:43 split. Well, turns out I was riding a "aggressive and steep" position. In fact, my drop was close to 10cm. On top of that, my seat tube angle was a whopping 82%. A normal road bike is set up around 72% and most tri bikes are mid to high 70s. All of this was resulting in incredible stress on my back to stay in position, partly because my hamstrings are not as flexible as they should be, and partly because as Michael told me, "this is one of the more aggressive set ups I have seen." This coming from a dude that fit Ivan Basso.

Michael and I will continue to work together to dial this fit in. It will take some time. I have 3 hours no my machine Saturday to test out the changes. On top of this transformation that we are working on, I just had dinner with a good friend that has gone through an amazing transformation. My friend got serious about working out and eating healthy and in a short 6 months, dropped over 80 lbs. I could almost see his six pack! Unbelievable. After a long week, seeing my buddy helped inspire me to finish this week strong and keep pushing towards my goals as well. Man, I love seeing people get healthy like that! My friend looked like he was 10 years younger. Unbelievable. Hope everyone is happy and healthy,

-T

Full Speed

2011-01-25T21:19:00.000-08:00

Ahead!! I'm feeling much better today. Actually, started to feel better Sunday after that miserable "bike ride" I attempted Saturday. Got in a solid 60 minute run Sunday by taking it easy. Monday called for a little cardio and some weights, all done without incident. Today was the bigger test, swim followed by run early morning. I woke up 30 minutes ahead of my alarm in anticipation!! Haven't done that in some time. The swim went well as I felt ok for not being in the water in a few weeks. The run, well, at about 20 minutes my chest became extremely tight, but I just kept the pace reasonable and was able to motor through the 5 miles just fine. No problems. So, everything is starting to get back to normal.

This sinus infection was worse than most. Most likely due to the winter season and so many illnesses going around. My guess is that I caught a second bout of something 7 days into the treatment of the first infection which prologned everything. I saw my doc yesterday and was assured that I was progressing according to plan again. Great news! So, although we aren't quite at full speed at this time, I'm ready to scream "Full Speed Ahead" from the top of my lungs since I've been struggling with this darn infection for so long. But this is what happens. This is life. What doesn't kill me will make me stronger. Trust me. I hope everyone that takes the time to read this blog is also "full speed ahead!!"

-T

Take your medicine

2011-01-22T11:41:00.000-08:00

Well it must be the winter. Once again I'm struggling through another bout with a nasty sinus infection. I'll spare you all the details, but I started on antibiotics 2.5 weeks ago. After a week I started to feel much better again and then about 1 week after starting my course of antibiotics, all they symptoms reappeared. More sleep and allowing the medicine to take it's course cleared this issue up. This past week I had been feeling slightly better each day, but the infection appears to now be messing with my asthma. I ran for the first time in a while the other day and it wasn't pretty. I can't describe what it's like to train and race when my lungs aren't 100%. There is a painful, maybe like sore throat type feeling, that penetrates my lungs. Get the heart rate elevated much and getting air in is similar to trying to exercise with a bag over your head.

To be honest though, I'm not here to complain about my condition. People face much more challenging conditions each day, some life threatening. Hell, many people can't even dream of swimming, biking or running due to disease, illness, or other medical or mental issues. This helps give me perspective when I start to feel down. Here I am trying to drop an hour or so off my Ironman time and qualify for Kona and I can't even run. You know what? It will be ok. Just fine actually. My body wants to race, actually it wants to race fast. But, right now, it wants to rest and it doesn't want it's motor beating too hard. I need to respect this. Take my medicine and listen to my body. It knows what it needs to be successful, I just need to keep the brain out of the equation.

Soon it will be late spring and I'll be in the middle of a large training block and my body, and in turn my asthma, will be just fine. With that, I'm off for a nap. Time to rest and recover.

-T

Change the game

2011-01-11T20:43:00.001-08:00

Since this is a triathlon blog, I'm not going to dwell on last night's thrilling national championship game between the Auburn Tigers and my alma mater, the Oregon Ducks. Oregon came back from the dead to tie the game up with just over two minutes to go. At this point, I think many were grabbing another beer and looking forward to an overtime period. Auburn proceeded to benefit from a tough call that resulted in a 37 yard gain and entered field goal range. The game was decided by a field goal as time expired. So what is the point of this post? Check out the ad Nike ran today.

The significance of what the Ducks accomplished by getting to the game last night, and nearly pulling it off, is not lost on me. Have they set a new trend? Fast, up tempo football that relies on incredibly fit athletes? Ask yourself, did you see Auburn running more up tempo than normal last night? The Ducks altered everything they did as a program when Chip Kelley (formally the offensive coordinator brought in by ex head coach Mike Bellotti) took the reigns. Practices were moved from the afternoon to the morning. Nutritionists were brought in, the strength and conditioning coach ("RAD"cliffe) was all of a sudden more important. Pylometrics, recovery drinks, core and band workouts, and an entire different weekly schedule was developed...all in the hope to provide our athletes with a physical and mental advantage over the competition.

As I sat on my couch last night watching the field goal seal our fates as second best this year, I was obviously sad. Yet, here was my school...from little Eugene, OR...nearly winning the national championship in college football. Primarily because we had a coach that changed our game, and possibly...the entire game of football. One thing was evident, the hybrid, what Auburn had...was enough to win. BUT, realize that they are just that...a hybrid of what Oregon helped develop. SO, this is supposed to be a triathlon blog. As I was laying awake last night I thought about everything this year represents to me in triathlon. It is all about changing the game. My workouts are much different this year. It is not just about putting in the miles or hours, put being incredibly smart about utilizing intensity, recovery, and volume to help achieve our goals. Ultimately, my goal this year is to become, "a master at the conservation and allocation of energy."

At least in my mind...to change my game.

-T

Resolutions

2011-01-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

OK, so I mentioned in my last post that I don't normally make these. As I sit here on my couch, sick, I have decided to make one. As many of you know I struggle with asthma. I am also prone to sinus infections. Common cold? Turns into an infection. Sore throat, hey there sinus infection. What does all this have to do about resolutions? Well, when I contract a sinus infection, my asthma gets really bad. Although I have done and continue to do almost everything I can from a medical standpoint to reduce these infections, they still occur. So, my resolution this year is to try and eliminate these infections by doing one simple thing...Keeping a daily log.

Each day I plan on recording the following:
Training, including core and stretching
Diet, including alcohol if applicable
Sleep the previous night
Stress level 1-10 scale
Wellness level 1-10 scale
Morning weight

As the season progresses I am confident that keeping a daily tally of my activities will help my coach and I avoid illness when possible and recover faster when infected. Hopefully this helps. I am confident however that it won't hurt :)

Below are some pictures from our New Years eve ski the other day.

Check out that powder!!!

Meg setting the pace!

It was a beautiful day. Cold and sunny.

All smiles!!

I did good right?

-T

Updates

2010-12-31T18:22:00.000-08:00

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

2010-12-18T09:13:00.001-08:00

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

2010-12-11T09:40:00.001-08:00

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

2010-12-07T20:18:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-11-30T20:08:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-21T10:23:00.000-08:00

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!

2010-11-14T10:55:00.000-08:00

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

2010-11-09T21:19:00.000-08:00

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...

2010-10-26T20:50:00.001-07:00

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

2010-10-17T15:33:00.000-07:00

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

2010-10-04T18:35:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-18T10:07:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

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

2010-09-10T19:05:00.001-07:00

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?

2010-09-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-09-01T21:16:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-28T09:47:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-26T07:27:00.000-07:00

In Route

2010-08-26T07:01:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-22T08:18:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-19T18:55:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-16T23:56:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-16T23:46:00.000-07:00

Me, my bike, and Ironman

2010-08-08T15:45:00.000-07:00

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

2010-08-05T14:36:00.001-07:00

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

2010-08-01T15:39:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-24T17:22:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-21T23:09:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-17T08:08:00.000-07:00

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

2010-07-11T10:46:00.000-07:00

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!!

2010-07-04T15:14:00.000-07:00

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...

2010-06-28T20:06:00.001-07:00

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

Feeling Better

2010-06-27T17:25:00.000-07:00

Well, it took two weeks after getting sick and racing in Boise to finally start to feel better...at least my asthma that is. I had a decent training week including a couple swim sessions, a couple good runs, and nice solid 80 mile bike ride yesterday. I finally started running again on Wednesday. I'll tell you what, I still had problems with my airway. It was not happy for me to be running again. It was slightly better the next day on my run. Today I did 8 with Meg and I could tell it was much better, but still not close to 100%. That being said I had a great ride on Saturday including a two loop time trial type effort around Hagg Lake as I Will be racing their in two weeks. I felt very solid on my bike.

So this next week will be about getting back to some quality volume, but making sure I don't aggravate the airway anymore and continue to let it recover. I will be backing down on the interval sessions during the week unless my asthma is completely ok. All in all, I think I'm on the right track. I need to be smart about my build to IMC or I will probably end up sick...again. So I might be incorporating a little bit more rest than I normally would in one of these big builds. We'll see. I promised myself I would listen to my body this year and I didn't prior to Boise. And guess what happened? Yeah, no wonder Yates. Oh well, lesson learned...again!

Next week marks Meg's first half marathon! I'm going to be pacing her. Should be a ton of fun! Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Second Season

2010-06-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

I spent the past week reflecting on the past 5 months of training and my race at Boise. I had scheduled to take 4 days off after Boise and re charge the battery before getting in a little of training this past weekend. I went out for a run Thursday night and made it 10 minutes before I had to walk due to my asthma. I jogged, yes literally jogged, home. I haven't worked out since. I gave my body a full week to recover. The incident Thursday night, 5 days post race, illustrated to me how bad my airway really was in Boise. I mean I hadn't done ANYTHING since Saturday night and I still couldn't jog without my airway completely shutting down.

So tomorrow I will try and get back at it. The remainder of my season is focused on Ironman Canada at the end of August. The first half of the season was to build a solid base so I can absorb some solid training blocks the next 6 weeks. After my race in Boise, I debated jumping into Pacific Crest Half Ironman this weekend as I feel like my performance last weekend was not an accurate depiction of my fitness level or ability. Then I had the incident Thursday and realized that I needed more time to recover and racing so soon would only set me back further. So instead, I'm excited to get back into some solid training. I will have 3 tough weeks that each will culminate with an Olympic Distance race (Hagg and Blue Lake respectively). I will then start to enter into a low and slow taper to get the body and mind right for Canada.

It's been an interesting season so far. I felt like my run was right on pace early season and once again was ready come Boise. I thought my bike was where it needs to be and I'm happy with how my swim has developed despite limited availability to swim most of the spring. All that being said, I don't have a race on the board yet that I'm happy with this year and that is frustrating. I'm proud of how I've fought through some races, but not happy with any of the outcomes really. That is what I love about this sport though. It's about more than the finish time. It's about the experiences you have getting to the start and the finish line. The moments you have in training and racing that you just can't describe to others that haven't gone through similar experiences. At the end of the day, I am just happy to be healthy! I wrote that before Boise I would be content knowing that I had given everything I had out there. As I sat in the ambulance getting O2 pumped in, I knew I had.

Thank you for all the kind remarks that I have received from you all in this blog and elsewhere. I keep this running tale of my experiences because I think it is fun and hopefully will help one of you out. Yet, I'll be honest, there are times when I drag my butt out of bed because I know you all would want me to! Thanks for reading everyone,

-T

Boise 70.3

2010-06-13T16:30:00.000-07:00

"Trevor, what is your address?" I signed my address (with my hands). "Trevor, are you starting to feel better?" I looked at Michael, the paramedic treating me in the ambulance and nodded yes. I was starting to feel better, basically, I was able to breath a little bit. The neubilizer treatment of Duoneb had helped. Moments earlier I hadn't been able to breath too well. And when I say well, I mean it was tough to talk. Flashback to 15 minutes earlier right after I crossed the finish line at Boise 70.3, around 40 minutes later than I had anticipated. I looked at my Dad and said, "I will never do that again!" We both knew I was talking about racing while sick, not racing half Ironman. Hell I love this stuff. Back to the sick part...I contracted another sinus infection Monday of this past week. My Doc put me on antibiotics on Tuesday. My final dose was race morning. For those of you that don't follow my blog or know me too well, I'm a chronic asthmatic. I'm on daily inhaled steroids, albuterol, nasal spray, and everything else I can get my hands on!! So every time I get sick, could be the common cold or as severe as a sinus infection, my airway becomes inflamed.

Enough about post race, let's talk about the race. Here is how it developed age group position listed in parenthesis:

Pre Race:
I woke up feeling pretty good. I had managed to sleep 10 hours. Which actually kind of worried me. I was thinking, is my body telling me it isn't over this sinus infection and needs more rest? Well, I knew the answer to that. I was still sick. Oh well. Boise is a 2pm start which is unique for our sport. I dropped my run bag off at T2 in downtown and then we (Meg and my parents) headed out to Lucky Peak Reservoir. FYI, if you are doing this race and drive out to the reservoir, be prepared for a 10-15 minute hike uphill from the parking area to the reservoir on dirt road that you will want to carry your bike up.

Swim: 27:54 (4th)
My goal in the swim was to relax and not push hard. I was under strict orders to take it out easy for the swim and first part of the bike to not stress my airway. Boise does wave starts so we had to sit on the sweltering ashpalt as we waited for the pro waves to start. Then women 50-59 and men 40-49 or vice versa, can't remember. All I remember is I was sweating like a pig in my wetsuit and couldn't wait to hit the 60 degree water. BTW, the water was colder than 60. Not by much, but it wasn't quite 60. Anyways, I warmed up for a few minutes and was ready to go. My friend Evan immediately took off. We used to swim together in high school and I knew he was in better swim shape than I was. To follow him would have been suicide as he split a 25!! Nice job Evan. I finished the swim feeling strong and in control of my race. I ran up, got my wet suit stripped, and hopped on my bike.

Bike: 2:49 (Top 20, doesn't list it yet on results)
I was running a disc for this race which proved to be a terrible idea. We had woken up to no wind so I went with my disc. By the time we started the race the wind was blowing hard. Right after leaving transition there is a pretty significant downhill portion before turning left and climbing. I was getting blown all over with my disc heading down that descent. It was rather frightening. I sat up and let two people go past me. We made the turn left and started to climb. I quickly passed those two people and was told by a spectator that I was the 8th amateur to come by at that point. I was feeling ok, but was starting to get concerned about this wind.

The next 15 miles were a mix of rolling hills with one decent climb and descent as we headed out to 10 mile creek for our turnaround. The wind was, honest to god, sustained at 25 to 30mph. It was nuts. It was a cross or head for almost the entire way to the turn around. I had to ride a fairly significant portion of the first half in my drops instead of the aero position just to control my bike. I was honestly concerned about flipping my bike. Apparently I wasn't crazy, my folks actually saw someone flip on his disc. It was freaking brutal out there. The real problem for me?? I went into this race thinking I was going to split a 2:25 on the bike. With all this extra stress just controlling my damn bike I was wasting energy and I was aggravating my airway. I couldn't keep my heart rate down because even the flats and descents I was struggling to keep my bike steady.

The turnaround came and I knew I was still in decent position. Problem was I had exhausted too much energy fighting the wind. I really struggled on the way home. After you make it back to the reservoir you ride on a jogging path for a little while to get onto camp creek road to head back to Boise. Once I turned onto camp creek road I was riding into a straight headwind. Again, sustained at probably 20mph. It was demoralizing. As I pedaled into town I could tell my airway was shot. I was really struggling. Not from an energy standpoint, but from an asthma and motivational standpoint. I knew I wasn't going to be able to race the run because of the state of my airway.

Run: 1:57:21 (18th)
The run was miserable. In all honesty, I spent a few minutes on the bike towards the end of the ride debating whether to continue. I knew it was going to be a death march. But then I thought, well, give it a try and if it is terrible and the airway won't allow me to run, then I will just drop out. The run is a two loop affair around the Boise river just a few blocks from Downtown Boise. It was a great run course. Spectators throughout which is always helpful!! On the first lap, the women's leader, Julie Dibens, came up next to me. She was on her second lap. I could tell she was really struggling. Shortly after catching up to me she started walking. I shouted some words of encouragement at her. Not sure if they made any difference, but she did go on to win :)

I was unable to run. I had to basically jog. I found if I elevated my heart rate above about 155, I couldn't sustain it from an asthma standpoint. I was starting to get concerned, but thought back to my half marathon in Eugene and realized if I just settled into a pace that wasn't too taxing, my airway would allow me to continue. Ultimately, this is what I did. I saw Meg and my parents at the half way mark and just gave them a sarcastic type smile and a shrug of the shoulders. The second lap was a little better. I started to sustain a pace of about 8:15 or so and pass some people. I made the final turn towards the finish chute and checked behind me. As I entered the long finish chute in downtown Boise there was nobody behind me. I looked up at the clock and realized I was about 40 minutes below my expectation of a sub 4:40.

Overall: 151st overall (out of 1400 or so) and 18th in my age group.
I will be the first to admit, I was rather disappointed with my race performance. I came here to make top 5 in my age group, not top 20. I was ready and fit enough to go sub 4:40 on Saturday, but I just couldn't do it with the asthma, sinus infection and outside elements (wind, etc). I will take away a lot from this race and live to fit another day! My main race this season is yet to come...Ironman Canada in August. My doc and I have a solid plan to try and avoid illness for this race. I want to thank all of those that continue to support me in this crazy sport, mostly my fiance and family. You guys are the best!! Below are some pictures from the race. Enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading,

-T

Dad and I before the start at Lucky Peak

Meg and I before the start

Heading down to the lake with my wave

Warming up

And we are off!

One of my favorite pros, Chris Lieto getting out of the water.

4th out of the water!!

Damn, that bike is hot!!

Lieto and Crowie heading out on the run. Lieto would pull out a few miles later with an abductor issue.

First lap, hurting at this point!

Man that sucked. We started 13 min late, so finish time was 5:21. Way off of goal.

Lasted long enough to take a picture with Evan, then off to the ambulance.

Get it

2010-06-10T21:03:00.000-07:00

Meg and I arrived to Boise today. Took a little under 7 hours. It's not a bad drive, bu there is a lot of construction taking place on the interstate. We left rain in Portland and had some upon arriving in Boise late afternoon. The rain has since cleared and the sky was mostly blue prior to the sun setting tonight. Tomorrow should be close to 70 and race day Saturday is slated to be 75 and sun. Should be excellent racing conditions! I haven't bothered to check the reservoir temperature, but I know it will be cold. Luckily, this doesn't impact me like it does others. Growing up swimming, the temperature impacts weaker swimmers more than it does better swimmers.

It was windy as all get up today, but that should cease as the storm has now blown through. As far as me? Well, I'm trying to get over my sinus infection. I'm feeling ok, just not great. I'll get a ton of sleep tonight and rest a ton tomorrow. Luckily the race isn't until 2pm on Saturday which gives the antibiotics another half day to help prior to the starting gun going off. As far as my race plan, I'm going to have to alter it slightly because of the infection. I will be racing mostly on heart rate on the bike instead of attacking segments. That being said, if I'm able to go with some breaks and keep my heart rate in check I will. We'll see. I just don't want a repeat of Pacific Crest last year where I had to walk the half marathon and still ended up in the medical tent for an hour.

Race start for my age group is 2:13 Saturday. I still do not have any idea what my bib number is, but will post it tomorrow after registration. You can follow online at Ironman.com on Saturday if you wish. I might not be 100% come Saturday, but I'm as fit as I've ever been and will be relying on my fitness to help me have a fast race. One part of my race that will be 100% is my machine below. The Felt is ready thanks to the boys at Life Cycle. Thanks guys! And thanks for reading everyone.

-T

Colds and stuff

2010-06-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

Less than a week to go to Boise. The time has flown by. I feel fit and ready to race. I fought off a cold last week and seem to be OK. My asthma was negatively impacted. Not sure how much it will impact my race, it will, but I don't really care. The weather, my asthma, anything else...it doesn't really matter if you race to your full potential. I'm going to go out hard on the swim, attack segments of the bike, and try to execute a pr on the run. Obviously, I'm asking a lot of myself. At the end of the day I will be happy if I know I crossed the finish line with nothing left.

This past week I started to back off the training a little. I actually took 2 full days off and limited my weekend workouts to about 50-75% of normal volume with limited intensity. In fact today I ran 9 miles instead of the usual 12-15 and maintained a HR below 130. My legs felt pretty good. This week will include limited volume workouts, but good intensity. The most important thing this week is sleep. I will try and get plenty of it! As of today, the weather does not look that great for Saturday. Oh well, what are you going to do? Thanks for taking the time to read,

-T

Boise in my sights

2010-06-01T19:20:00.000-07:00

In just over a week we will be heading to Boise, ID for my first 70.3 of the season. Actually, it will be my only 70.3 of the season! I feel like everything is clicking right now. My swim is coming around nicely, 15.5k in the pool last week!! I'm hoping all my winter miles translate into a PR on the bike, and my run has felt stronger in the past two weeks than it ever has. I can honestly say that if I ride within myself next weekend, I feel that I can challenge my 1/2 marathon time from Eugene in regards to my run split at Boise. We'll see. In all honesty, I just want to race to my potential. The big dance is still 3 months away, but next weekend will give me some insight into how fit I am and where I need to spend more time in my big training block leading up to Canada.

I never feel like I have enough time in the day, and the past few weeks at work have helped to prove this point. I'm happy for a little rest from training the next week as I enter into a modified taper...I need the extra hours to get ahead at work!! All else seems to be good. I was a little concerned about a cold I picked up last week, but I kicked that to the curb. All I can do now is get some proper rest and hope for the best next week. For some reason the bib numbers are not up yet, but I'll post my number when I receive it. If you are interested in following, the race is on June 12th and has a unique start time...2pm. You can track results on Ironman.com.

Well, that's it for now. As always, thanks for reading!

-T

Peaking

2010-05-27T21:40:00.000-07:00

If you are an athlete, especially and endurance athlete, you know what it means to be "peaking." I'm there. Tough part is not doing too much before taper. I've made that mistake before. I won't repeat it. I had a solid track workout tonight after smashing out a solid 4k in the pool this morning. I have a decent weekend scheduled, but nothing over the top. I will enter into taper next week. Because I'm still over 3 months out from Canada, I'm primarily going to be racing on base miles with one training block that included more intervals. That being said, I'm there. Not where I will be in 3 months, but where I wanted to be for this upcoming race. I had a smile on my face all day. Time to get some rest. I've been battling a cold I picked up Monday so today was my first outdoor workout. I've been sleeping a ton and avoiding the outdoors as much as possible as it has been cold and rainy. I'm feeling near 100% today and as I mentioned earlier, I'm definitely peaking from a fitness perspective. It's a great feeling. Thanks for reading,

-T

Hagg Lake Swim

2010-05-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Another race in the books. This past weekend flew by. Saturday was another big day of training, including a solid long run for me. I woke up early Sunday to drive out to a friend's house to hop on our bikes. Our plan was to ride from his house in Sherwood out to Hagg Lake for an open water swim that the 3 of us were registered in. It was just under 35 miles each way from the lake. We set out for our ride before 7:30am and before I knew it we were pulling into the lake. We had a great ride out, and were now ready to jump into the lake for a long swim.

There were three distances to pick from at the lake swim. We were doing the longest distance, a 4k which is just over the Ironman distance of the swim at 2.5 miles. My Dad and Mom came out as well as my Dad was swimming in the race. My buddies, Jer and Josh were there two. I pulled on my new Xterra wetsuit and made my way down to the lake. It was freezing!! Race director said he recorded the temp at 64. A friend of my father that was out swimming out there last weekend recorded a temp of 54. My guess was it was somewhere in between. Either way, it was incredibly cold. My goal was to stick with Jer for as long as I could.

The countdown commenced and before I knew it we were off. I quickly jumped to Jer's feet and stayed there to around the first buoy. He was just too strong for me that day. I hadn't been swimming a lot so I was really looking at this race to boost my swim training and test my fitness. My goal was mid 50's for my time. I went a 55:07 at IMAZ, and we figured the 4k was about 2 minutes slower based on distance. Well, I think the triple the day before and the ride out took it out of me a little bit as I struggled to keep feet that I know I would normally stay with. As I started the second of two loops, I figured I was in about 7th place or so. I started to gain speed and strength and passed an athlete. As I continued on the second loop I just started to wear down. I chalk this up to the lack of swim training last few months. I tried to finish as strong as I could, but got passed by a few athletes the last 10 minutes. I finished in 58 something. Which, if the course was accurate, after subtracting time to equal the Ironman distance, would put me right about where I came out at Arizona. I'm ok with this!

Jer came in 3rd, not sure about Josh, but believe he was two minutes ahead of me. My Dad had a good race as well after overcoming the cold shock of the water! In fact, the cold affected most of us as we struggled with cramps. My other two friends that I rode over with finished strong and both had respectable times. Well, we grabbed a few burgers and hopped back on our bikes and rode the 34 miles back to Sherwood. My day was done! This is my final week of tough work before entering into taper for Boise. Can't wait!! Here are some pics from this past week...

My pre race (night before) meal. Man I love pizza

Not enough body glide on the neck resulted in some new nicknames at work. How about Bolt?

This cute little guy was waiting on my BBQ when I went to grill up a buffalo burger

Thanks for reading!!

-T

Coming together

2010-05-22T20:14:00.000-07:00

Over the past few month or so I was seriously doubting my training program. I had been very diligent about my base build up and here it was, late April/early May and I felt slow. I also felt like I was still carrying a few extra lbs that I should havealready lost. But then I had the Eugene 1/2. Although the race didn't live up to my pre race time goals, I was dealt a tough card and was able to still put forth a solid effort with a very compromised airway. That gave me some confidence, maybe I knew what I was doing all along?

Fast forward to today. After multiple 40+ mileage run weeks recently and consistent high volume bike mileage the past few months...well, I was starting to feel pretty fit. I went out this morning with Meg for a run. I had 14 on the docket and she had 7. Now let me be very clear about one thing...this was to be Meg's longest run in almost 2 years. This poor girl has dealt with all kinds of injuries to get back to running! She was doing so well that she said she wanted to run a 1/2 on July 4th. I broke open the computer and set her up with a training plan. Today was a big day for her. There was a point after a couple hundred feet of uphill that I put my arm on her back and smiled at her. I was so proud of her at the moment. For never giving up when so many people would have. She is a trooper. She turned and smiled at me and asked me what was up. I looked away and wiped my eyes so she wouldn't see me crying and looked back and said, "I just love you."

Anyways...sorry...as usual I digress! So I turned around with Meg half way through and then went back for seconds. I took off man. I was feeling so good. The first mile is uphill. 7:55. The second mile is slightly uphill, but levels out: 7:45. Third mile: 7:27. Fourth: 8:02 (not sure what happened there?). Fifth: 6:59. Sixth: 7:15. Seventh: 8:16 (cool down). Overall pace for the second half of the run was 7:34. The best part was my average hr for that 7 mile portion was 150. For me to average 7:30s at a controlled HR of 150 for the last 7 miles of a 14 mile run in the mud, gravel, and rolling hills of Forest Park...that tells me I'm fit. I polished the day off with a swim workout and later I spun out the legs on the trainer. To put this in perspective, I was running a little over 20 seconds per mile slower than I averaged at the Eugene 1/2 on a muddy course in the middle of a big training block, at nowhere near the effort I put in at Eugene. This makes Trevor very happy! One of my goals that I have for Boise is to try and put together a run in the same time area as the Eugene 1/2. This will be tough after the 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike, but I'm feeling very good as the event gets closer.

Tomorrow should be fun. I'm riding out to Hagg Lake with some friends. 35 mile ride out. Then we are competing in a 4k open water swim. Then we are getting back on our bikes and riding back. I'll be interested to see how I do in the swim. I'm definitely not quite race ready in the pool, but I'm getting closer. Overall, I'm no longer doubting my plan. I set it up for a reason and, as the title of this post states, it's coming together. The great news is my plan has my truly peaking in August for Ironman. Boise in 3 weeks will be great, but my fitness will be even better in 3 months up in Canada. Thanks for reading :)

-T

Passing the torch

2010-05-18T21:11:00.000-07:00

Role models are important in life. Since as far back as I can remember, my parents have been mine. They are the most amazing, loving, considerate, successful, and gracious people I know (well maybe a tie with Meg!). I am lucky to have them in my life. I mentioned successful, but don't know if that term does justice to what they have accomplished and continue to accomplish. This past weekend Meg and I had the pleasure to spend some time with them and toast my Mom's recent success...let's just say I will soon have two Dr.'s for parents!! That and a lawyer for a wife...man everyone is smarter than me!! Anyways, I digress. 3+ years ago I decided to change my life. I was overweight and unhappy. I had been successful at work, but my previous success in athletics was a distant memory. In fact, you would have not been able to guess based on my appearance.

Why triathlon? Well, I blame my Dad!! Just kidding, but the fact I was a former swimmer and loved my bike helped. Couple that with my Dad's history of Ironman and I figured I would train for my first triathlon. 3 years later I'm eying my fourth season of triathlon racing, training for a few milestones at the half Ironman and Ironman distance this summer. This includes racing on the course that my father tore up back in the day. This past weekend we were able to spend some time together on the bike. Actually, about 4 hours :) You can't imagine what it means to each of us to be able to do things like go on 4 hour rides together. People, this main is old enough to collect social security yet is still an animal on the bike! It was great to reflect on his past experiences and my training/racing.

As the summer season approaches and Boise and Canada continue to get closer, I'm reminded of why I push myself so hard. There are a few reasons, but the main reason is my desire to be the best I can at all I do, athletics included. That being said, having a role model that has been involved in Ironman at an elite level is wonderful, because Ironman has a dark side as well. My role model keeps me focused on putting in my tough training blocks, but also is instrumental in making sure I dial it back when needed. Next month when I'm struggling through the run portion of Boise trying to keep my pace down so I can reach my goal, I'm going to think about this past weekend. My Dad can still kick some ass on the bike, but the torch has been passed. The best part about this is, the torch is still glowing very bright and he will always be there to help me keep it lit. Some pictures below from our ride together to celebrate his birthday.

This past week was great. I ended up at 202 miles on the bike and 40 miles run. I backed off my run on Sunday by a few miles due to fatigue in general. I'm feeling much better today and just got my 1 hour track session done on the treadmill. Hope everyone is happy and healthy,

-T

Triple Play!

2010-05-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

I had yesterday and today off from work. Prior to heading to the coast for the weekend, it was time to test my fitness a little. Yesterday was the big day. Early morning 3k swim and then home to change into cycling clothes. Out the door for a 4 hour ride. The ride was done at a mostly aerobic rate, with a big effort on a 25 minute climb. I felt great great on the bike. Back home and time for some grub and chill time before throwing on the running clothes. Normally I would just run right after the bike, but I was going to run with a few friends and they couldn't start until later. Plus it was nice to have a break! I ran down to where I met them and then we went off for a 7 mile run. The pace was good, around 7:45 and it didn't feel too hard despite the tough day. Overall I was able to get in 11 miles.

I woke up today feeling pretty good actually. I was quite tired, but that was it. Legs didn't feel incredibly slow. Today called for a long ride, originally targeted for 5 hours. Due to time constraints and some flats, I went 4 hours. I felt ok during the ride, not great, but ok. Boise is a month away and I'm feeling quite good with where my fitness is. I will end up over 200 miles on the bike this week and close to 45 run miles. The next few weeks will include a fair amount of intensity while maintaining some good volume. I've decided to skip the Duck Bill next week to participate in a 4k open water swim instead. My swimming is not where it needs to be yet, so the extra swim workout that week will be good. Plus we are riding to and from the race so I'll get in 65 miles of cycling with a 2.5 mile swim sandwiched in between! Thanks for reading,

-T

Final Build

2010-05-12T21:42:00.000-07:00

As Boise 70.3 nears, I have one final training block to get in before racing. This will include some heavy miles and some good intensity. I'm very much looking forward to pushing my body and ensuring that I enter into taper at peak fitness. I'll keep this post short as I've been extremely busy with work and life lately. On a side note, I would not recommend two glasses of wine prior to an evening run. The 5 miler tonight was brutal.

Some pictures from this past weekend...

My lady...aka "the cheese lady" winning some prizes at the Beaver's baseball game!!

Columbia Gorge at Crown Point looking west

Pops and I rode out to Multnomah Falls

Blurry camera picture of the bottom of the falls.

Had another great ride with my dad last weekend as you can see above. I'm blessed to be able to do these kind of things with my father. On top of that, Meg has been able to run more lately and we are getting in a decent amount of runs together again!! Life is good. More to come. Thanks for reading,

-T

Moving forward

2010-05-05T22:07:00.000-07:00

What a hectic week. For numerous reasons. It is now Wednesday night and I'm sitting in another hotel room (3rd of the week so far) about to fall asleep. I'm pretty exhausted. Not from training, because this week is a recovery week for me, but just life. I had to hop in my car and drive 4 hours post half marathon on Sunday which gave me a lot of time to reflect on my race. As I mentioned previously, it was not the race I wanted, but it doesn't really matter. My race is August 31, 2010 in Canada. So how to move forward from a disappointing race? That's what I've been dealt with this week.

Luckily, I've been distracted by work. That helps make it easier. Also, I still had a good race, just not what I wanted. Moving forward though is a tough thing. Endurance racing is not something you just forget the next day. Whether it is an Ironman you have tapered for and spent months preparing for or a 1/2 marathon you jumped into to work on a few items...you dwell on the race after. It's just what happens. Until, that is, you start to focus on the next challenge. And I love challenges!! The next challenge is Boise. I have a couple key workouts next week that will help provide me with a barometer of my fitness level...I'm so looking forward to those workouts!! Beyond that I have a heavy 4 week block of training that will take me into a short taper for the event.

I feel like my bike is where it needs to be and when healthy my run is where it needs to be. I need to really bang out the swim the next 6 weeks as I have neglected it the past 2 months, but I'm not overly concerned with this. The next 6 weeks will help prepare me for a solid 12 week cycle leading into Canada. That is my ultimate challenge. The challenge? Well, I've set a few goals. I'm not willing to share all of them yet, but let's say I want to ride to my ability at IMC without overly exerting myself. I also want to run a quality marathon...something within the neighborhood of my current open marathon PR. And finally, well...there is a certain family record in Canada that I want to take a run at. It will involve me shaving 53 minutes off of my time at IMAZ. Time to move forward.

-T