THE OTHER SIDE OF LOUISVILLE

Some of you may know, I have lived in the Mid-West (Ohio) for a number of years from the mid 1980's to the mid 1990's and always look forward to returning there whenever I have the opportunity to do so. So, this year, Ironman Louisville was the reason for my trip to Kentucky and I enjoyed being there, tremendously.

Most of the time I write about, and post pictures from, my triathlon adventures. So this time, I wanted to share with you a few pictures from the places I visited while in Louisville. People there are awesome - warm, pleasant , and gracious. On top of that, I was also able to meet and visit with great friends.

 Fort Knox is located between Louisville and Elizabethtown

 Two army tanks welcome visitors to the center

I have seen it in pictures, but not up close and personal. A majestic building and nothing around it. People say its has got the goods.

Louisville is a world-renowned destination for the horse enthusiasts and hosts the annual horse racing extravaganza - the Kentucky Derby, the initial event of the triple crown.

Horses .......

.... horses

horses

and more horses, everywhere.

Louisville is a very lively city with a vibrant downtown. When it is not converted to the Ironman finishline, it serves as an entertainment center with music, restaurants, and bars.

On a Friday evening

With a live band

The biggest rock guitar

fun + Delicious

and Keith Stone. You are so smooth Keith Stone. Always!

Although, I am not a huge baseball fan, I could not leave Louisville without visiting the Louisville Slugger baseball bat factory and museum.

That is why it would not fit inside

Some of America's greatest players slugged with their bats

This is how they made them then ......

and this is how they make them now. There is only one employee left at the LS who can actually craft a bat by hand using a lathe. So if the computers crash they still will be in business.

The 21st Century museum on Main Street is easy to spot. Can you guess why?

Twice the size of the original statue of David sits in front of this worth-visiting museum of modern art. The statue is a constant topic of conversation and debate and competes with the Slugger's baseball bat for attention.

This penguin is made of recycled plastic and serves as one of the focal points in the museum. It rotates throughout the building and can be found in a different place each day.

In the past couple of years the greater Louisville neighborhoods have been devastated by tornados. This sculpture represents a tornado and is made up from items found in the wake of this natural disaster.

Louisville is full of entertainers .....

and the images of colonel Sanders. Yes, that is why we have the Kentucky Fried Chicken.

On Monday, it was time to say good bye to this awesome city.

The flowers and me

IRONMAN LOUISVILLE MAKES IT NUMBER SIX ...

... in ten weeks. Yes, this year's racing frequency has been a huge diversion from the past years. I returned to Ironman Louisville last Sunday to toe the starting line with 3,000 other athletes. I expected tough weather conditions and a challenging course, and they did not disappoint. A hot and humid day set the stage for a great and honest race.

This year, I elected to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the downtown. Instead, I settled in a quieter part of the city about 10 miles from downtown Louisville. This gave me an ample opportunity to relax and employ my daily routines without constant race reminders, such as bikes on the streets, compression socks, tri visors, etc. I replicated this idea from my previous races and it worked out very well, again. I was also able to do my training runs in beautiful and quiet suburban neighborhoods and enjoy swim practice at a local private club where I was the only guy doing a hundred-yard tempo laps for over an hour.

On the way out from the pool on a humid day. Next on the list of things to do - lunch.

While in Oxmore, I was also within a short driving distance to the Ironman headquarters where I had to register, visit exhibitor booths, and get last-minute technical assistance. As I found out, there was one problem with that strategy - a limited downtown parking options and associated risk of getting parking tickets. Yes, I have managed to accomplish that with many others.

Enjoying a compression therapy at the Expo.

Always finding time to get on the Tanita body composition scale before the race.....

.... to get the reading of the hydration level.

The race day started at 3 o'clock in the morning with a cell phone alarm. The hotel failed to wake me up and if not for the cell phone..... who knows? Anyway, I got about 6 hours of sleep and woke up very rested. Next, a quick shower, breakfast, and I was ready to go. I arrived at the transition area before the gates opened to find a crowd of several hundred athletes already standing in line. Next, a quick bike check up and a one mile run to the swim start. One could feel the air temperature raising already at 5:15 AM. I secured my space in the swim line and continued on to finish my run. Ironman Louisville employs a time-trial swim method where athletes jump off a dock in two-second increments. Needless to say, being at the front of the swim line definitely had its advantages.

At 7:00 AM the first age group athletes got in the water. I was right behind them about 45 seconds back. The water was very calm and warm. I got into a comfortable pace right-away and never encountered any particular traffic with plenty of an open water for the 2.4 mile swim. I thought, and others concurred with me, that the swim may have been a bit longer this year, but if it were, everyone had to swim it. Upon exiting the water my Timex read 1 hr. 17 min. - a bit slower than last year. Nevertheless, I was quite content with that, especially, since it was non-wetsuit legal swim.

With the swim behind me, heading for T1.

Out of T1. Crowds of cheering spectators were lining up the "Bike-Out" gate.

T1 took about 6 min. Not great, but not too bad either given the distance from water to the transition tent. The legs were getting more responsive as the blood started returning to them after being horizontal for over an hour. I also noticed, I did not cramp as much this time while putting on the bike shoes. Once on the bike, I felt relaxed again. Soon, I realized my speedometer stopped picking up the speed. The 10-mile road markers became my check-ins for speed. By the 20-mile marker I knew I was going fast. There was a minimal car traffic on the roads and things looked really good. My peanut butter-jelly sandwiches delivered the energy I needed despite having lost the entire supply of Endurolytes within the first few miles. I was not quite sure how my body would respond to the "Perform" energy drinks but it all tuned out just fine. And here I have to make a plug for my new ZIPP wheels. They were just awesome as they rolled beautifully and silently over the nicely maintained country roads. I was having a great ride which came to an end in 5 hrs. 32 min. Happy, indeed, I arrived at T2

I really like this shot.

The country side was truly picturesque. Horse farms, grazing cows, and manicured lawns.

Transition 2 was about 2 minutes quicker, although, my legs felt somewhat tired. I have been in that spot before and knew things should get better soon. So, I got some nutrition and hydration, put plenty of sunscreen on, visited a port-o-let, and got on my way to run the marathon just a bit more than 4 minutes.

The initial 2 miles on the run were slightly up and down hill, so it took a little time to settle into a comfortable pace and heart rate.

Within the first mile we ran out and back over the 2nd Street Bridge. It was hot up there - the air stood still.

The running got easier after a couple of miles.

Feeling good at the beginning of the second loop. I do not think, I ran into the proverbial "wall" in Louisville.

The celebration is about to begin. I can see the clock reading 10 hrs. 52 min.

The exaltation took a little bit of time as I finished the race in 10:53:05. Happy, indeed, with the podium finish.

The final pose.

After getting cleaned up and a 20-minute massage I returned to the finish line to cheer on others. My friend Dawid, who competed last year was there to cheer me on this time. In fact, about three miles from the finish he let me know I was fifth, which help me find an extra gear in my gear box. The last three-mile surge helped me move up into 4th. My other friends, Jim and Jackie were also there on the bike and the run course and I thank you all very much.

With Dawid at the lively and lovely 4th Street Live finish line.

One more thing left to do that day - picking up the bike and saying good-bye to the Ohio River.

On Monday, athletes gathered together one more time for a farewell celebration and the awards ceremony.

M50-54

Again, proud members of the AARP club ;o)

I was all smiles for every picture :o)

A team picture with Robin who also had a great day and took 5th in her age group.

I have two more races left this season. Next stop, Henderson, Nevada for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. Ironman will broadcast this race live on the Internet. Thank you for your support and great emails after the race. Feeling your support makes all the difference in the world.

Pictures courtesy of FinisherPix, Dawid, Hanna

THE COUNT DOWN

This weekend, I am sending greetings from a sunny, humid, and a welcoming Louisville, Kentucky. In ten hours about 3,000 triathletes will jump in the Ohio River to start this year's Ironman race. The bikes and bags are all lined up in T1 and T2.

Yes, it has been quite hot here. The temperature has been hovering in the mid-nineties and the forecast calls for another hot and humid day tomorrow, so the proper hydration and nutrition will be the keys to having a good race.

While in Louisville, I have been able to connect with many friends and to try some of the local culinary delights. "Wild Eggs" and "Mayan Cafe" are some of my favorites. I highly recommend them, if you ever plan to visit the city.

Ironman will have web live updates from the race.  

MY “OLYMPIC” EXPERIENCE

Greetings from Burlington, Vermont

I was not quite sure what to expect from my first Olympic-distance triathlon, but have delivered a solid performance, finishing in 2 hours 21 minutes and have placed 35^th/120 in the M50-54 Age Group. Needless to say, there were many very fast folks in their fifties racing on Saturday, and trying to keep up with them was quite challenging. 

The day started with a beautiful sunrise and a wicket wind. Lake Champlain, the swim venue of the race, was stormy as the first swim waves jumped in the water. Those with weak stomachs will certainly remember this experience for quite some time after being rocked by the waves during the 1,500 meter swim. In addition the sunrise made the sighting virtually impossible for those breathing to their right side (myself, included). Unfortunately, one of my age-group triathletes did not finish the race as he drowned during this challenging swim. I did not have an easy time either. After having passed the second turn-around buoy the strong swell pushed me far toward the shore, thus forcing me to make up about 150-250 meters before finishing the swim in 28 minutes.

A beautiful morning, but can't miss the whitecaps

After, what seemed to have been a lengthy transition (3 min), I was on the bike pushing the low gear on a well-maintained asphalt road, surrounded by picturesque vistas of the Chittenden County. The 26-mile ride came to an end in 1 hour and 6 minutes bringing a big smile to my face.

There was not much room for all the transition gear after all the bikes were racked. Have lost some time looking for my running stuff in T2

The second transition also felt as if it took forever (2 min 30 sec), as I could not find my running gear under an avalanche of wetsuits and other "stuff." Once on the run, I was back in my domain climbing the initial 400-meter hill (a 9% grade heart-rate stimulator). After that, the course had leveled off for the rest of the run. The biggest challenge for me was to determine how hard to push and at the same time not to blow up. I think, I found the proper balance and finished the run in 40 minutes. In the end, 15 minutes separated the M50-54 AG winner from myself.

Starting the 6-mile run

This finish chute was a very lively site during the race

NormaTec pressure cuffs were there again. One can almost fall asleep while being squeezed

It was a great speed training opportunity before the upcoming Ironman Louisville and a chance to spend the weekend with friends. We all had a great time, indeed.

With Aaron, Rebekah, and Michael

I finished the race by 10:10AM and the organizers did not disappoint with the menu. How often can you have a burrito for breakfast?

Pictures by Rebekah T., Thomas G., and Tomasz

US NATIONALS - THE DAY BEFORE

Greetings from Burlington where I arrived this afternoon with. The weather does not look too good. Heavy, thunderous clouds have been hovering above the city for most of the day coupled with a 20 mph wind. We are procrastinating with taking our bikes to the transition area because of the pending rain. Do not want them to get them drenched in the rain, if we can help it. Have until 19:00 to get it done, though.

My swim waive starts at 7:48 AM tomorrow morning and the weather forecast predicts a sunny/cloudy day with winds between 5-10 mph. Should be an exciting morning.

Sheraton Burlington is a busy place today.

At the race expo and registration.

No, this is not a medical procedure. I am enjoying a compression therapy courtesy of the NordiTec. Feels awesome.

My maiden experience with full length compression socks. I thought, I will never wear them. But, what do you know? Tomorrow, I will know if they worked.

Getting ready for tomorrow - Aaron messing with Michael's swimming cap.

Outside the house we are staying in - Aaron, Michael, and Rebekah. My arm was long enough for taking this picture, after all.

More to come after the race. Best. -- Tomsz

STEPPING OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE

This weekend I will be travelling to a beautiful Burlington, Vermont, the host-city of the National Age-Group Olympic-distance triathlon Championship. I am not sure if I have ever raced an Olympic-distance, so I might be stepping out of my comfort zone due to the race’s short distance; all-in-all, a total of 33 miles of swimming, biking, and running.

Nevertheless, I am looking forward to having a short day “at the office” and to treating this race as a speed test before the upcoming Ironman Kentucky.

Ohhh yes, this race starts on Saturday at 7:15 in the morning EST and in your spare time you can catch it live at: http://www.usatriathlon.org/events/usat/2012/08/age-group-national-championship/coverage.aspx

THE ALOHA TREATMENT

Thank you all for your kind and congratulatory emails and the good-luck wishes. I appreciate it all very much.

Upon my return from Lake Placid, I received my first Hawaiian-treatment from a friend

Below is the link to the Ironman Lake Placid finish line. Once on that website, click on the "Finish Line 2" button below the screen and scroll the timer to about 10:43:00. I should appear there with a gleaming smile in about 30 seconds (will not work in the Chrome browser).

http://live.ironman.com/?race=lakeplacid&year=2012#axzz21Hb9HMK4