Crash

With all the recent crashes during the Tour de France I guess I decided to follow suit. Out on a training ride on a route that I've never taken before I found myself at a y split on a path. It was paved kind of funky and with the narrow width of my tires the bike got stuck in a crack while I continued to turn the opposite way.

On the way down I clipped out my left foot and tried despirately to catch myself but as you know hard plastic on concrete offers no traction. I slide out hitting the ground hard as my right leg finally clipped out. My front cog dug into the back of my leg as the chain popped off. I laid there stunned at what just happend and even though I wasnt going more than 10 mph I was in pain. I took a moment to assess and gather myself, I couldnt believe that just happend. I hadnt fallen hard off a bike in years, not like this. My left wrist used in catching my fall hurt the most and began to swell. My left glute took a hit as well but I could stand and better yet I could ride.

This was only hours after a short ride to the store where a bee collided into my face and held on. By the time I was able to swat him off he had already somehow crawled under my sunglasses and stung me hard! I can barely describe to you how painful this is, your eye first begins to tear just before it swells shut. The initial sting starts to grow as the toxins spread.

I've had a chance to talk with others who've went down while on their bikes. One of the first things they say as their picking stones out of their wounds is "man I'm glad I wasnt on my TT bike." I was even saying this as I reset the chain and assessed the damages.


I finished my ride and went home to ice down my now swollen wrist. On of the worst injuries you can have in CO since almost every activity involves a wrist. Hoping for a speedy recovery but not sure how much damage was done.

On Your Left

I road the Boulder 70.3 course today and actually passed some people. It turned out to be a very fast course but at this point in my training I was not ready for the second loop.

It was also the first time on a training ride where I was consistant in passing people. Not sure if that's an indication of improvements on the bike or not, but it felt great!

Boulder Peak Recap

Got to TA with about 20 mins before closing and wasted no time setting things up (this being my 3rd race this year I now have it down to a science) This isnt amateur hour. Once out of transition I had the time but the bathroom line was a little excessive, Ive never seen it encompass the parking lot like that. Eventually someone did get smart and re open just the second set of bathrooms in TA. I waited around for almost an hour since I was the very last wave to go off.

The water was warm almost wetsuit illegal at 73*, far different then my first race this year at the Boulder Res where it was 59*. I started the swim about second row and right center. I figured I would drift more to the right making it easier for me to see the buoy and keep it on my right side (the side I breath and sight on). There was some bumping and grinding at the start but I found a great channel. I could tell some guys were going out too hard and within the first 500m I was able to pass a good chunk of my wave before the first turn. Even though by this point I was swimming blind, goggles totally fogged up. Turning away from the sun in my face did help a little but by the second turn I started to overtake some of the weaker swimmers from the previous wave. Heading for home I would sight people instead of buoys but then be SOL a few strong strokes later when I passed them. I used my legs as little as possible but my stroke could have been faster. I got out of the water with a 2 min Olympic distance PR. I guess I must be doing something right because my swim is improving with leaps and bounds each race.



T1

Dropped my goggles on the way to TA and had to stop and grab them but still managed to get my wetsuit off with no trouble at all and run out with a few second T1 PR

Bike


The mount was fast but not the foot placement and in doing so I somehow managed to go off the road and into the grass before getting a few pedals in. I took it conservatively, concentrating on getting my breathing under control, and getting some water in me. I was passed by a few guys (of whom were admiring my bike) and I estimated myself to be in the top 30 at that point. One good thing about being last wave is that you get to see a lot more of your teammates and familiar faces on the bike and get to encourage each other. This course demands encouragement, its one of the hardest Olympic Distance in the country (many pros cut there teeth on this one and wear it as a badge of honor). Not only do you climb up a mountainous road but you are also at altitude and end up gasping for each breath. My legs recovered from the swim much better this time around and I made my way up Lee Hill Rd again passing some of the slower members of the previous wave (maybe a few waves away) Each wave was separated by @5 mins.

At the summit there was no time to celebrate. I shifted gears and grabbed a bottle of G2 from the aid station. I love how well the volunteers take care of us, they open the bottles and ensure that everything is set to just start drinking as soon as you get it. Of course this leaves room for spillage (but we will get to that at the next aid station). I took a few sips and having nowhere to put the bottle since my Felt (Cortez) only has one bottle holder (which was currently occupied by water), I had to almost immediately ditch the G2. I hate being so wasteful, and im not the only one in this situation, maybe I can convince Ironman's race director to get smaller bottles so riders have the option. Anyway, 2 points...I was able to get it in the can on my way back up hill for a half mile before the decent. The initial half mile of the decent has a strictly enforced 35 mph speed limit and the incline is no joke. Without braking you could easily get up to 40-45 mph even out of aero. I hammered on the breaks at only about 23 mph but at least I was safe (and to my surprise I later recieved word from my friends at Ironman in the med tent that no one had an accident today). The downhill relief went on for another 8 miles and I loved every minute of the speed. I got into a zone and began passing people, however none in my age group that I recall.

At mile 20 was the second aid station and my stratigy was much the same as the first however this time I grabbed the bottle at a much faster pace, squeezed it tightly and got G2 all over the volunteer. After that I royally missed the garbage can, again since I was traveling faster and the fact that I drank less out of this bottle so it had more weight. Also im left handed and on the bike im forced to throw with my right.

At mile 23 I passed a 15 year old who was kicking some major butt and told her great job. I finally passed 2 people in my age group (one all tatted up that I reconized as someone that always passes me on the bike in races) but both re-passed me within the last mile as I prepared to dismount and get ready to run.

T2

My dismount was epic! I saw a guy in front of me cut it too close and get a penalty for going over the mount line so when I came flying in I didnt take any chances. I dove off the bike, throwing caution to the wind even let go of the bike (like one of those out of bounds dives in basketball) If you're not touching the bike over the line apparently no penalty bc all I got were smiles and applaude. I was able to catch the bike once grounded before it too struck the ground. Its so light that I lifted it a little off the ground until it was rolling straight. I quickly racked it and got my shoes on (tied, but next time ill have quick laces) and was out of T2 before one of the guys in my AG that had passed me.

Run

I was on a high knowing that I had great splits thus far and had a very speedy T2, I started my watch an grabbed some water right away out of TA. Being that I was the last wave, many of my teammates had already finished and now lined the later parts of the run (out and back) it was great to have their encouragement before heading out and having something to look forward to on the return. Within the first mile I passed not only that tattooed biker in my AG but also another who I just couldnt hang with since half way up Lee Hill. In the back of my mind the whole run I worried that he would surge back but I still went out a conservative 7:18 pace. A bit off my Sprint distance opening mile goal pace of 6:35. At the time I felt that this pace was right where I needed to be in order to A) finish and B) have something left in the tank on the return 3 miles in case someone decided to make a go of it. Also in the first mile that 15yr old girl I passed on the bike came charging past at an envious pace. It was probably around 6:45 to 7:00 which is where I was hoping I would be and probably had it in me to go with her but was not about to make that decision and blow up that early in the run so I let her go.

After the first mile, I cruised, picking off more men with 42 on their calf than i'd ever seen. Is this some sort of mid life crisis year or something? I passed at least 50 people before the turn around. I saw some of my teammates along the way on their way back and it would have been nice to be able to catch up to them (and I would have been hugely motivated to do so had I seen John from my Cherry Creek and BB10K showdowns). I was starting to overheat so I poured 2 cups of water on my head (visors are good for keeping it up there and out of your eyes), drank 2 as well. Again at the mile 4 aid station same thing (no gels), but I did mix in some G2. After making my way up Certain Death path to the turn around I walked at that aid station and got in a lot of fluids before picking up the pace for the return. I got my first glance at the guys in my AG that I had passed and deemed them a now show for the finishing any time around me. On a side note I often look worse off then I really am in races, I've found that you can always go harder no matter what face you are making. Not sure if this has worked to my advantage yet but ill keep a look out for people I basically snipe at the finish. Wouldnt it be great if they had huge screens like they do on the track at meets where you can see if someone is gaining on you in the final stretch?

I held steady at this faster pace even up one of the last hills but just before the final hill there was a 5' dimond back snake on the path in the middle of the race that broke my focus just before having to take on a hill. After I muscled up, I got back to work and decided it was time to get this thing done. I was now in no mans land, no one to aim for and spark any type of kick. It wasnt until the final 600m which is downhill that I started a kick feeding off the massive crowd around the shoot. It was a PR day (6 of them)SBR, T1,T2 and overall time!





Amanda Stevens, Tim ODonell, Matty Reed (lifetime fitness)
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Boulder_Peak!_P3426613/



overall place: 380 out of 1292
division place: 41 out of 94
gender place: 267 out of 718
time: 2:41:02
pace: 7:43
swim: 28:05 (33rd out of the water out of 94)
t1: 1:58
bike: 1:21:51
t2: 1:13
run: 47:55


Click Here to read my review from 2010

Boulder Sprint 5430 Triathlon

This is the first race of the Boulder Tri Series which is all around pretty competitive. The TA opened at 6 and my wave went off at 7:35.

Swim:
started right near the front. Goggles were already fogging while waiting so I spat in them and other then a little bit of visual obstruction they never really fogged up again. I clawed over the top of a few people and got boxed out 2x but after the first bouy I was in the clear and in a rhythem. I sighted the yellow turn bouy with a guy on my right but as we appoached closer I determined it was the wrong bouy and traversed back in line with my wave (having gone out of the way maybe 30m or so), while my swimmate continued off course. After the first turn I knew I was doing well, it was rather thin and I didnt have to worry about breaking rhythem due to fighting for position. As expected a few guys did go out too hard and were starting to falter after the second turn (I've been there). I had not probalems sighting on the return and began to kick less to save my legs but also sped up my stroke cadence.

I stood up the moment my hand touched the bottom and started out of the water in 11th place. I got passed right away as I struggled to undo my zipper but my run pace was better than the trott I had last race. When passing the baby pools to get the sand off my feet I was on the wrong side of the path and had to jump over and in. The surface change caused me to lose balance and fall into the bushes lining the path. Unlike the Boulder Sunrise race, WTC was nice enough to line the rocky paved parts with carpet so I was able to reach the TA without having to slow down.

T1:
I got my wetsuit low and off right away. Next I pulled on my socks (which were lined with baby powder which helps when putting them on over wet feet). Then it was sunglasses, helmet, bike and go. No fooling around this time! I reached the mount line and jumped on to the bike placing my feet onto my already clipped in bike shoes.

Bike:
After the first pedal stroke I was looking down to get my feet situated and ready to put in my shoes and somehow I ended up off the course and into the grass. A few spectators got more of a show than they showed up for as they had to jump out of my way. I was feeling good until about 5 mins in where other athletes began to pass me. There was nothing I could do but hammer down and ride smart, stick to my plan. The race wasnt over yet.

T2: went off without a hitch and I grabed some water on my way out onto the run course.








Run:

The run was an out and back course on the dam path of the Boulder Res. A familiar course both in training and racing at this point. The course starts off with a hill, which your tired legs hate after just getting off the bike but it makes for a great finish. I probably went out a little faster than I should have but I quickly picked off a few people that passed me on the bike but lack in running skill. My goal was to break 20 mins on my finish leg but in order to do that I would have to get on the shoulder of someone with that same goal in mind. At the turn around I made a friend and we pushed each other to the last 800m where I lost contact with him and it cost me both a sub 1:30 total time finish as well as a sub 20 in the 5k run. I maybe had a little more in the tank but felt like I ran a very good race overall.





division place: 29 out of 84
gender place: 208 out of 632
time: 1:30:07
swim: 12:56 pace=27:45 12 in AG
t1: 1:49
bike: 53:37 pace=19.25
t2: 1:19
run: 20:26 pace=6:35

Water Quality of life

We try to be BPA free, HFC free, and sometimes even take it as far as to be gluten free but are we really free of radicals and healthy? In my professional life I deal in water quality and I was noticing how much we expose ourselves to high levels of Chlorine as we spend hours in the pool.

You may or may not know this but Cl is a powerful oxidant and is used in bleaching and disinfectants, as well as an essential reagent in the chemical industry. In pools its used as a disinfectant in the form of a sodium hypochlorite tablet or solution.

However, Cl has also been used as a weapon in the gas phase. So that shortness of breath you experience during your workout may be cause from the over chlorination of your pool. The facility should have a highly trained water quality specialist administering any pool treatments. Dont be afraid to speak to the manager about this issue. Its a delicate science in getting the proper balence for the pool and it condinually changes with pool temperature and amount of use. The purpose of this post to bring to light the issues and spark some questioning on your behalf.

Happy Swimming

Uni Hill 2k Review

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPUbwuzlYO4&feature=player_embedded

The Uni-Hill (University Hill district) 2k kicks off the Run Boulder Series put on by Ironman/WTC. Team Timex including Barry Siff and Erin Krummer showed up to help the kids warm up before their 1k race (one loop of the course). There was even a 500m Masscot race.

The main event competitive division didnt go off until 7:20 starting with some of the fastest women in Boulder and surrounding area.

The men's gun was at 7:40pm as the overcast day started to lift and show a waning sun begining to set. I got a great starting position toward the front, but knew I wasnt going to be going out all that hard, toeing next to some of my friends from the mens BX team. I planned for a very conservative start considering the first 250m's objective was to take the hill, in about 20m of elevation gain before we wound back down to do it all over again. Within the first 200m I was already gassed. Breathing heavy, my legs were burning and I was passed by at least 5 people and wondering if I was now dead last. It was kind of humiliating until the second go round when my steady pace brought me up to and beyond a few stragglers that had started to lose their fight with the hill. In fact I wasnt last to begin with but I started to gain more confidence in my smart race plan as this happened. I got to the pinicle fo the second time and knew that was my cue to start kicking downhill with 200m left, the perfect set up for me normally. As shown at the Platte River Half Marathon. I just wish I had more in the tank for a better finishing time, there really wasnt anyone in sight to pass at that point.

I finished:

Time-7:38
Pace-6:09
26th out of 31 (some of the best runners around)

Boulder Sunrise Sprint Triathlon Writeup

This race kicked off my tri season, man does it sneak up on you quickly. Going into this race I had only done one brick workout working on T-running(huge weakness for me). I had barely been swimming and definitely didn't have any base distance swims in as of yet. On top of all this I just got my new bike a month ago and I'm still adjusting to it.

Race morning I woke up at 5:15 had a bagel with pb and started to load my bike into the car (rental still since mine is in the shop). I was really surprised to see it fit in there. I got up to the Boulder res @6am and didn't really hit any traffic. Its close enough for me to ride up there but theres 2 hills that would drain a little of my precious race day energy. I got a great transition spot right at the end of the row and close as possible to the bike out. I was set up, marked and warmed up by 6:35. My wave wasn't scheduled until 7:15. The water temp was a frigid 62*. I wore my brand new Runners Roost Tri uniform and headed over to the beach @6:45. Apparently there was a reason for a delay but I never found out what it was. My wave didn't actually kick off until 7:30, and that is why you didn't warm up in the water prior to your race. Don't follow these people, they will be standing there cold and wet waiting for their wave to go. Which basically negates any warm up and acclimation they just had in the water. Basically they are only in the water bc they had to pee, and there you go thinking they were with a great idea of swim warm up.

Swim Start:



I was calm and focused for the start, I put the rest of my wet suit on about 5 mins before entering the water and again wore ear plugs (I don't even want to know what cold water in the ear feels like). I had knew a few familiar faces in my wave Men Sprint under age 39, 77 guys in this wave but never saw those faces. Ever notice how different people look in wetsuits? Its got to be one of the most unflattering things for both men and women... just sayin. I stuck to the inside and about 5 feet from the front, the start was not packed at all and I actually started swimming to the start line before the gun even went off. My starting pace was apparently faster then the 6 or so guys in front of me and I almost swam right up on their feet nearly missing getting kicked in the face. I fought for position like a champ and created a little breathing room. Breathing, well breathing became a little bit harder about 200m in when my face and lips started to become cold and numb. I kept a controlled stroke and tried to remain calm even though the discomfort level was building. I tried to think of other things like how much cleaner the water seemed this year as opposed to last year.

At the first turn I knew that I was pretty close to the front pack/leader and I really hadn't pushed it. I kept the pace and concentrated on breathing and keeping water out of my mouth (which was difficult with numb lips). At the second and final turn home my goggles fogged up and I couldn't site the beach at all. I started getting off course, weaving and then slamming into people. I even stopped 2x to try to see but all I could do is aim for a guy less then 20' from me and hope he was headed in the right direction. I swam to the beach until my hands hit the sand, no stagger but I was out of breath. I normally run to transition with a pretty good pace but this time my feet were numb and the ground was rocky. I dipped my feet off in the wash buckets and entered transition in search of my bike.



T1:
I made the decision to put on arm warmers for the bike which added about a min to my transition but I still feel like it was a good choice considering air temperature @60 and how cold and numb I was coming out of the water. It wasn't freezing cold but it wasn't comfortable either. Next race I should have a great transition under a min for sure. I put my socks on and already had my shoes on the bike. I reached the mount line, jumped up and missed placing my feet on the shoes. In all I think it was a pretty good transition considering I hadn't practiced it at all this season and Ive never left my shoes on the bike before (Syracuse 70.3 I was going to, but it was a wet grassy TA instead of dry pavement).

Bike:





I was still a little out of breath so I took it out slow. I knew that a lot of people go out too fast and pay for it because this course starts out with a med sized roller then a gradual climb for the next 8 miles. As predicted 2 guys passed me within the first mile. The bike felt great, it was smooth, everything was working on it and this race I was sure I wasn't going to have a mechanical. To remind you, my past mechanicals include brake rubbing and 3 flat tires. I was so sure that I didn't even have a tire kit on the bike, just a water bottle with water.

This was the first time this year I've ridden this course sans wind (of 4 or so rides) and due to the calm you can really feel how much incline there is to overcome. On the flip side though, you do get it all back with a speedy 4 mile decent. Other then 2 riders passing me in the beginning I pretty much road alone, which is fine but you don't really feel like you're in a race. At mile 12 just before heading uphill again I looked back, my legs were starting to fade and I wanted to ensure my position. No one in view.

Mile 15 I got passed out of nowhere by someone in my AG, and there was nothing I could do about it. He was gone and I wanted off the bike ASAP to start hunting him down.


T2:

I took my feet out of my shoes with about a mile to go, hoped off the bike at the dismount line and watched a guy in my AG try to pass me and drop a shoe so he had to go back. Seriously, if you lose focus for even a second in this race you could do something stupid that will cost you HUUUUGE. I was out of transition around a min with a few gulps of water (I really need to concentrate on taking in more liquids while on the bike).


Run






I was already out of breath coming out of T2, then faced with a hill within the first mile I was unable to recover until mile 1.5. I passed a few guys in similar situations and attached myself to the hip of a 22 year old guy who was right at 7 min pace. We pushed each other stride for stride until mile 2.5 when I lost the fight and just couldnt hang on to the pace any longer. Off the bike my feet are always numb and running on numb feet can get pretty awkward, but the condition is getting better. The last .3 miles was downhill and I did spark up a small kick but it just wasnt enough to catch up with my buddy the 22 year old.

I also wanted to mention that my friend Dan and his GF both did their first tri today. It was great getting to talk with them about their experiences both during the race and training leading up to it. Its all pretty overwhelming and there's much to learn in a short amount of time but both had a great race. They were unsure if they were going to do another but I know better, knowing full well that the Tri bug has some pretty potent venum.

I really need to take a look at my training and stick to a schedule. I feel as though I set up a great schedule this year but have not stuck to a training plan that optimizes my success for them. I also have to remind myself as to which races are my A races and where I actually expect to reach my goals. For this distance I should be able to get under 1:30.


(Distances: 750m, 17, 5k)
overall place: 28 out of 283
division place: 5 out of 29
gender place: 25 out of 136
time: 1:32:17
swim: 14:17 pace 30:38 11/77 in wave 5/29 Div
t1: 2:25
bike: 52:15 pace 19.6 mph 11/29 Div (based on time)
t2: 1:18
run: 22:04 pace 7:07 6/29 Div (based on time)

Looking at the numbers and comparing my training to date Its clear and obvious that I have only recovered about max 70% from the BB10k race.

Now lets compare this race to my last sprint tri in 2009

FLT Comparison: (724m, 13, 5k)

.5mile swim, 13 mile bike, 5k Run
0:14:57 pace =33:13
0:46:37 pace= 16.73 mph
0:22:05 pace= 7:07
= 1:28:46
90/471 men, 71 of 225 in my age group 25-29


After the race I headed into the mountains to Vail, CO to check out the Teva Mountain Games. It was a blast be able to watch world class climbers, mountain bikers (team Timex was there), and a great dog jumping contest.

I got hooked up by Native Eyewear and got to stay at the Vail Sonnenal Resort
Hotel

From car accident to PR at Bolder Boulder 10k

The pages of the calendar are flying off and the biggest weekend of the year in Boulder is upon us. Memorial weekend draws a big crowd to Boulder for the Boulder Creek festival BolderBoulder 10K Expo and Memorial Day race. Its the biggest 10k in the country and if you get the chance for the experience you really shouldn't miss it. Seriously, this race is so big its the a common question asked...oh you live in Boulder? Have you done or are you doing the BB?


This year offered a course change where the first 2k was a slight uphill instead of a speedy downhill and added about 4 more turns to the race. Using my awesome time from the Cherry Creek Sneak 5m I was seeded in the AB wave (3rd wave...of about 50), and my goal was 42:50 or better. Last year I was in the GL unseeded wave since I hadn't done a road race in 3 years (sadly triathlons and pole vaulting does not count). My running has really been progressing since the Platte River Half Mary that I did in April. I'm not sure if I'm faster or more fit then I was last year and I've certainly lost some muscle mass (my guns are more like pistols now). However, Ive gained experience, confidence, the ability to pace evenly and I'm more acclimated to the altitude.

I woke up at 5:25 to get in my pre race bagle early enough for it to settle before the race. The weather was @50*, overcast with a slight wind. My warm up was a run of about 1m down to the starting line. Don't you just love when you re able to do that? Not having to fight traffic and finding a parking space before a race is one of the best ways to toe the line stress free and in complete focus. I threw on my RR Vizipro uniform and Pearl Izumi Streaks (first time racing in these) and I was out the door.

When you have a race that's expected to draw over 50k (actually a record 54,554 entrants) people the starting area can be a bit of a mad house but this being my 2nd time in this race I knew the drill by now and found a great spot in the front of my wave. Most of my Boulder running friends were in the first wave because they are rock stars and can run under 40 mins. In my wave with me was my RR teammate John, and it looked as though we were going to have another showdown like at the Cherry Creek Sneak 5m.

By bugle the 30 second warning was announced and the gun went off. The 4 lane street provided ample room for the crowd so we spread out pretty quickly and this year instead of going out with a reckless 6:13 pace, I settled in with a conservative 6:22 pace and felt pretty good with it, despite the incline. I ran the first 2 miles with some of my friends who are members of the Boulder Express racing team. By the 3rd mile I was sick of the climbing, I was constantly assessing how much I had left in my legs and reserving enough for the hardest parts of the course. So instead of pushing the pace at the first chance of an extended downhill, I used that section to recover, knowing that Id have to do a bit more climbing over the next mile before gaining back all my efforts through potential energy.

Along the course there were many distractions of fun including belly dancers with actual bellies (not sexy!), slip and slides, min pools, garage bands and a dancing/singing Elvis.



Mile 4 brought with it the highest elevation of the course, I charged the hill and gradually increased my speed as we approached downtown Boulder. This section I had trouble with last year due to my wave assignment. Its a tough course, its a popular race and its 10k... people get tired by this point and either slow down or start walking making them tougher to pass and ultimately slowing you down. This year there were less people in front of me to cause too much of a road block but I did start to pass a considerable number of other A wave runners. Generally these people are good runners at sea level and try to run the same at altitude. You know what I say to that? "Sea Level is for Sissy's!" (I have the T-shirt).

Mile 5 I was brought back to reality and reminded myself of how this was another showdown between my teammate John and I. I didn't know how close he was, and didn't look back to find out. With less then a mile to go I tried to speed things up but it didn't really seem like I was successful. We turned on to Folsom Rd and began a short climb to the stadium finish and there he was. Initially he carried some momentum past me and the hill hit him. We exchanged words of encouragement and I thought he was going to go with me. I started my finishing kick with about 500m to go about mid hill and he didn't respond like he did at the Cherry Creek race.



I entered the stadium in full flight for the only flat part of the whole course .1 miles to go. The plastic runway protecting the field felt springy and fast compared to 6 miles of hard asphalt. I finished ahead of John by 2 seconds and with a PR of over a min over last year's time. Its such a hard race, but the most fun you will ever have. I reunited with my teammates and wallowed in the post race high, while waiting for the pro race to kick off.












overall place:878
division place:22 out of 454
gender place:773 out of 22348
mile 1: :06:22.60
mile 2: :06:43.31
mile 3: :07:02.50
mile 4: :07:02.73
mile 5: :06:47.14
mile 6: :07:02.07
net time:00:42:15.44
pace:06:48 (based on net time)

The Crash-Almost got Raptured

Judgement Day: Now I'm a non-believer and I'm certainly not one to remain at home counting down the hours but when you stop and view what the world has become and what surrounds you from an outsiders point of view, what you see can really rock your world.

The day started out with nothing really out of the ordinary. I took the Felt TT bike out for a spin and quickly noticed 2 factors that ultimately shorted my ride. First one was that somehow my aero bars had slipped out of position and where now angled closer to the front wheel, the severity of the situation was heightened due to windy conditions (which isn't out of the ordinary here in Boulder on the front range). So I took the Felt back to the stables and jumped on my road bike for the remainder of a 25 mile ride. I need to make some serious adjustments to this bike now that I have the old seat back on it and now that I'm trying to get used to a more aggressive aero position. It was great to finally see the sun shining after so many days of rain so after lunch I had other outdoor activities planned.

I was on my way to meet up with some friends for my very first climbing session outdoors in Colorado at some kick ass routes in Clear Creek Canyon just outside Golden. However just passed an intersection a car 2 cars in front of me had stopped to turn into a parking lot that was blocked by a car exiting the lot. Myself and a pickup truck in front of me stopped to allow that trade to happen. While stopped I looked up at my rear view mirror and I instantly knew trouble was approaching. I saw a SUV come barreling through the intersection without hesitation, when it got to 50' or so behind me I knew it was time to brace for impact. Cue SLOOOW MOTIONNNNN! I was stopped about 7-8' behind the pickup and there wasn't time to plan out options of escape. It was weird, I waited for the sound of screeching tires as sort of a warning of the eminent situation. It didn't happen, full steam the SUV slammed my bumper setting myself, the car and all its contents into motion. My glasses and cap were thrown from my head as my glove compartment opened and the spare change from the center console took flight. Having mear moments to visualize this occurring I guess I didn't include the chance of a second impact, my car struck the bumper in front of me as it sought refuge under the pick up truck. Misaligned cosmic forces being visually acted out for the people of Lakewood (for you judgement day believers).

It all happened so fast and slow at the same time, I was stunned and couldn't really identify if it was over or to prepare for something else. This was my first crash, mainly due to a fundamental rule I drive by... To never occupy the space of another object at the same time. Yes generally I do drive in a fashion in which some may call aggressive, but I call it foresight. Being able to carefully calculate and predict actions and timing as I scan the situation and take in new data. But when you are at rest you're pretty much at the mercy of the driving abilities and attention of drivers behind you. Its not an easy concept to grasp, you are trusting other drivers with your life. The driver of the SUV came to my window to see if I was ok, and I was. I hadn't hit anything personally, nothing was broken or bleeding. I got out to assess the damages. At first glance my first thought was, "good thing I don't drive a smart car, that would have been a dumb way to die." The driver of the SUV actually had not locked up his brakes, he stated that he was looking right as he drove through the intersection. At least he wasn't texting! The truck and SUV had minimal damage, there were 9 people involved and no one was seriously injured. Surprisingly to me, there also were no airbags deployed either.

All cars were drivable and when the cops came to take statements and write reports we were instructed to move our vehicles off the road. My hood was so crunched up it made it difficult to see over.

I'm known to be a punctual person so by this time my friends were wondering where I was and what had happened to me. I showed up almost an hour late in a cloudy daze but still with the will to go climbing. However as the shock started to wear off I noticed more and more back and neck soreness. In the days to follow this increased.

Now that my car is at the shop getting an estimate while I wait for the insurance companies to battle it out, I was forced to ride my motorcycle to work. After being in a car accident on a clear day the last thing you want to have to do is get on a motorcycle for the commute in the rain. I've been on high alert ever since, constantly checking to make sure that other drivers see me and that I see them. Just like when we ride our bikes for a major crank session, we are vulnerable out there. Be careful, stay alert. Don't text!

What I learned

This is an old draft post of a few things I learned during my training for the Syracuse 70.3


Training:

Quitting your job just may be the best thing you can do for your training, it takes a lot of time from your busy life and some things are going to get cut in the process.

I've tried gels of all kinds, but so far blocs are my fav and upset my stomach the least on the run. They are easist to injest while running (least sticky) with minimal water.

A great pre-race meal: Chicken with oil/pasta and some bread. Lots of water and have great sleep 48 hours before race morning.

Drink 16oz per hour on the bike during the race
Eat one gel or fuel replacement every 45 min.

Swim:

Cheap drug store wax ear plugs work the best and really help you not panic in open water.

90 full pull through

Hand enters the water just about ear to top of the head

time in open water is the only way you will learn to swim straight.

butterflies and mixing up your strokes can keep your shoulders loose and increase range of motion for a better and faster freestyle stroke.

Do not warm up in the water on comp day, you will be wet and have to wait around cold. Do some drills and some runs.

Bike:

One leg intervals can improve crank efficiency and teach your legs to push pull.

Baby powder in on the tube will decrease the number of pinch flats you get, so will pumping up the pressure to 90-110 psi

Run past the mount line if its congested and then just hop on.

Run:

Shallow breathing when not recovering is more efficient
That everyone has a different weekly regiment quantity that they can handle and quality is always more important.

Its a good idea to mix it up as well.