DOING WHAT I LIKE

Turn on that whirlpool

First, my many thanks go to Kasia and Linda, the TOMTOMs, Ted, and the Bircher Family who endured the torrential rain conditions and cheered me up at Ironman Lake Placid last Sunday. The thanks also go to all my family members and friends who virtually followed the race and wished me well. Second, my congratulations go to my IRONTOM teammates, who finished strong and earned the right to the title of an Ironman. And, of course, my special congrats go to TOMalitta and TOMomma for finishing their first (of more to come) Ironman races.

My race was a combination of highs and lows. An average swim, a very strong bike, and the longest marathon I have ever ran – I think.

Heading for the water

Despite the less than perfect weather conditions (14 continuous hours of torrential rain and cold), which caused everyone to ride more cautiously, I felt very strong throughout the entire 112 miles on the bike. In fact, I felt so good, I rode in the big front ring throughout the race at an average speed of 18.7 mph ;o) – almost as strong as in 2005. Well nutritioned and hydrated I was having a very good day.

The joy ride

After a messy transition (mud and water holes everywhere) I left T2 feeling fresh and light on my feet ready to go. My face did not display this overwhelming joy on these pictures because I just could not see very well and had to squint my eyes to shield them from the rain ;o). At this time I was aiming at running my regular marathon time, and if accomplished, a sub 11hr. finishing time - I felt I was "flying" - things looked good.

Breathing is good

The first 3 miles of the run went great as I was cruising at a pace of about 7:30 min/mile. Shortly thereafter things changed as I developed a massive cramp in my left Vastus Medialis muscle (the “big boys” name). The encouraging words from TOM-a-Lot and TOMb, as they passed me, were very appreciated – thank you guys. Needless to say, I had to walk it off for a while.

Once the cramp was under “control” I developed a shortness of breath while running and later while walking (a pretty scary situation). As it turned out, following a medical examination after the race, I experienced a severe bronchial spasm during the last 23 miles which made my marathon time almost 2 hours longer that it should have, would, have, or could have been. Well, but as the saying goes, “it is was water under the bridge,” and I am already looking into my next Iron race – a Silverman in Henderson, Nevada on November 9th.

Finished, at last

Getting an early start - resting before the next race

IRONMAN FRANCE (JUNE 22, 2008) - TOUGH & BEAUTIFUL

"For most of us, health will depend not on who we are, but on how we live. The body you have at 20 depends on your genes, but the body you have at 40, 60 or 80 is the body you deserve, the body that reflects your behavior."

-- Dr. Harvey Simon

Ou la la! Where do I start...

One could start describing the outstanding beauty of the Alps Maritimes with its impressive cliffs, peaks & charming villages, the lapis lazuli color of the Mediterranean Sea or the enchanted Ville de Nice together with the Côte d’Azur, but I would defined it all with a categorical: tout c’ est magnifie!

Ironman France, with the course where Mark Allen once dominated, is a place with a great tradition of triathlon racing and a distinctly European competition. The fact that it has a bike course that is regarded as one of the most spectacular & difficult in the world make it a race for the determined only.

The pulsating nightlife in Nice. Here with Cory

Just a few bikes

The last minutes of the dark dawn said goodbye to all party animals and a shiny morning received all competitors gathered in the transition zone.

The Start at 6:30 am would be from the rocky beach of Nice and consisted of two loops, swam in different directions, one of 2.4km and the second of 1.4km with a beach run between both. The ocean was calm and pristine and the azure blue water was cool but not cold.

The whirlpool

In a sec I was behind the feet of a hefty swimmer who was wearing a blue wetsuit, which facilitated the catch, and who open me the way among the 2500 swimmers who with unprecedented euphoria invaded the blue waters of the Mare Nostrum.

The second loop would be more abrupt because when exiting the water I lost my blue guide and as a result the collisions and stroke-orientation become more and more frequent.

The swim would end with a PB swim in an Ironman but that would not be a great cushion with what would come later.

T1 consisted of a 400m run to the bags and a 400m run to the bike, and in my case, it was fast and irrelevant and very soon I was en route to one of the most beautiful and scenic cycling routes in the world, but also one of the most dreaded, due to more than 5000 feet of climbing and stunning & technical descents.

We would pass across fourteen quaint French villages with narrow cobbled streets, each with its own particular style which ranged from mountainous villes to medieval towns and fortified castles.

Stunning views and virtually no guard rails

The route, a magnificent emerald gemstone with gold had a number of splendors which make, for brief moments, our effort less severe with initial relentless gradients ranging between 10 & 12%. The first climb was hectic at 10%. More than one opted for walking their bikes; others less fortunate broke their chains and many, just like me, ride with all our strength sending our heart rates on top of those infamously rough climbs without even pushing the pace.

At the 50km mark it began a long ascend of twenty one kilometers famous for being a mountainous stage of the Tour de France and which truly tested muscles & tenacity in an endless clamber-like march towards the mountain ranges of the Alps. Fortunately the scenery took my mind off the hard work.

To tell the truth we all knew that this steep stretch would arrive sooner than later but once we were there, it showed us its sharp teeth which ranged from thin fangs to cutting incisors. I tried to speed the pace all I could, but the g-force attracted us like magnetic-iron-men.

At last one could see the crest and unbelievable we were just at the 71km mark, with 109km remaining, long Kms that included short high plateaus with incredible panoramic views of dense green mountains, projecting cliffs and durable fortresses; more & more cruel and inescapable climbs and finally one of the most technical and reckless descents of any cyclist route in the whole world, with tight hairpin bends, crazy speeds, a few U-turns in the middle of the descent at speeds of 70km /hr and mad cyclists everywhere, fiiiiiuuuuuuhhh!

During this time I saw more than one cyclist loosing control of the bike and falling down and one or two ambulances helping fallen athletes. According to later reports, unfortunately in this part one athlete passed away.

The entrance to the Ville de Nice announced the end of one of the most beautiful and equally challenging bike courses on Planet Earth, and with a strong and warm wave-like hug “she” received us.

Mi condition could be described as stable and I only feared of the possible consequences of that crushing heat that I was sensing, since my training had not include enough running in the heat, nonetheless we are Iron-men and NOTHING, yes you read correctly n o t h i n g, could ever affect us… Well, in reality, all things affected us at the time, but it was nice to think otherwise.

T2 was just as long as the first transition and I was sweating profusely even before I was out of transition. Even so, it evolved smooth and swift.

I started the marathon approximately at 2:00 pm after a stunning bike course and considering the difficulty of such ride, I dare to say, to some extend, it was a solid bike. The temperature was hovering around at 38-40ºC /104ºF. There was absolutely no wind and the run was going to be a real tester. Gossip was that the afternoon Mediterranean sun has been known to melt the ice creams while they are still in the freezer!

Still smiling

The run splits tell the full story. First lap was good (maybe too good) and I thought I would crack sub-4. The second lap was where all the chickens come home to roost, and I felt sleepy and though that maybe I was running in zigzags and could fall down anytime soon, I eventually conceded that I had to take a break. The shade of a palm tree called my name and it was inviting, I declined at first but then I had to stop, I lie down and set my alarm to ring 5 minutes from that moment. I really was afraid to sleep and wake up hours later… no way! Soon after that session, I realized that I was no longer in control and that the finish was going to be a struggle.

In the zone

By now the run course was very crowded and the tables had queues of athletes trying to cool themselves down and drink what ever they could find. I started cramping in the top of my thighs and calves on the last stretch along the beachfront and didn’t quite understand why, as I ate many bananas and swallow many salt pills & electrolytes, and all in all I was feeling good. But definitely it affected me later.

Light on my feet

The last two laps were spent dodging walkers, slow runners and cheering them. Eventually I pulled myself over the line, slapping thousands of hands in that vibrant blue carpet. It was a disappointing run on my standards but the overall experience was phenomenal. That day in Nice I gave my best in an extremely difficult course but equally magnificent race.

This time was more than a mental game…much more. But I can proudly say, I am a 7x Ironman Finisher.

7x Ironman

“Swim 2.4 mile, ride 112 mile, run 26.2 mile. Then brag for the rest of your life.”

-- Commander John Collins, US Navy and the father of the Ironman.

I've Done It

First, let me say that there’s a reason that athletes are “offered” the opportunity to sign up for next year’s Ironman THE DAY BEFORE the actual race.

Second, Ironman is CRAZY possibly THE HARDEST thing that I have ever done.

But WHOA.

Ironman was an awesome experience. And yes, I’m crazy. I’ll be back here again next year, competing with a bunch of other crazy people on July 26. That’s right, next year we’ll have an extra week to train.

As for the actual event, the days leading up were pretty relaxing with some nice easy bike rides to check out the run course and an easy swim to see just how far that turnaround buoy was .

I was amazed to see how many people were hammering both the run and the ride in the two days leading up to the race. Not nice easy paces past our hotel, a mile from town, and on both the ride and the run routes. We were on a flat section between town and the turn for the out and back on the run and there was a steady stream of runners and riders for 3 days prior to the race. I even saw a group doing hill repeats. Raise your hand if you even did hill repeats during your training! Talk about making you feel lazy for sitting in the sun by the pool. I got over that pretty quickly.

4 am race day dawned with clear skies and a nearly full moon. I stood on the balcony and listened to other races wake and talk about their preparation. I’d prepped most of my stuff the day before, so I quietly dressed, sun screened, lubricated the important parts and ate. 5:15 a.m. was ride time and we gathered to be driven as closely to town as possible by Tom’s dad. Spirits were light, nerves were likely high, but it didn’t really show. Getting into town really made it all real. The place was ALIVE. Just incredible the amount of energy sizzling from athletes, fans and volunteers. Incredible!

Mike, Tom and I headed for the racks to hang our transition bags and then on to our bikes to make last minute additions. It was good to have busy work to do since it was about 5:20 when we got to the race site and the race started at 7. We had a plan to meet back up and head to the water to put on our wet suits and get warmed up for the swim. On the way to the beach we bumped into the Hensel’s who were on their way into transition. Britta looked far too relaxed. I felt relaxed, but my heart rate monitor was telling me something else.

Now we’re standing at the beach with hundreds and thousands of athletes and volunteers. The music is blaring. The helicopter is soaring overhead. Spirits are high. Tension and energy are palpable.

Blip Blip Blip

Those are sprinkles….that I thought nothing of. The forecast was for partly sunny/cloudy and a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon . And I’m thinking to myself .. fine, as long as my bike isn’t soaked when I get out of the water since I’d taken great pains and sacrificed several trash bags to keep it dry over night. Pinky was now sitting in transition, uncovered, and waiting for me. Dry.

Sprinkles that turned into rain.

The cannon went off and we dove into the water. Okay. So if you’ve never seen an Ironman start. You’ve gotta. It’s truly spectacular. And you’ll think…there is NO way that I’m ever throwing myself into THAT. But you do, and it’s awesome!

And … at some point during the swim, the rain became a steady heavy rain, which fortunately, I had very little awareness of.

Upon exiting the water, I was stunned to discover that what had been a sprinkle had turned into a steady heavy rain. Water ran over the road, down the gutters and filled the changing tents and transition area. My then dry bike was now drenched. Fortunately I had had the forethought to tie my transition bags tightly and the contents remained dry.

In the changing tent, the volunteers were amazing. I felt like I had a single volunteer assigned to me who made sure that I’d removed all my necessaries from my transition bag replaced by all of my swim gear. Couldn’t have been easier and, still a little dazed from the swim, more helpful.

Volunteers handed me my bike and I was off into that steady heavy rain. I kept thinking, it can’t rain like this all day. I uneventfully ascended the first climb and just as the rather scary wet descent began … PSShhhhhh … FLAT. Now here is where things could have gotten interesting. I don’t have a lot of experience with flats, had never changed a tired on my new bike, and I was not at all sure how this would go. Since I was up against the guardrails, I was able to lay all of my tire changing gear out very carefully , get the tire off of the wheel , and when I’d finally figured out the CO2 inflator I found a bike tech who could pump some pressure back into my tire. I’m just lucky I didn’t flat again. And not again for the rest of the race. Which is more than I can say for Tom, who flatted TWICE on the first loop!

Bike finished in 7:24 with I’m not sure how much time lost to the flat. Feeling good. Feeling strong. Feeling ready to be on the run! Thankful that I’d made it!!!

Indeed, it may have been raining

A small pause in the race details to say that the volunteers for this event are truly amazing. Spectacular. Incredible. They too spent the entire day in the rain and cold, soaking wet and never faltered.

And our cheering squad … our friends and families … were incredible even unbelievable. Out for the entire day, right there beside the road cheering us on every time we came by. It was truly spirit lifting. I think I ran faster every time I passed.

The run. Whoever thought that I’d have enough energy to run 26.2 miles in a driving rain after riding a bike 112 miles in that same driving rain? But the first half of the marathon was faster than the half marathon of my first half ironman! I love that. I slowed on the second half, but let me explain. I had a plan. There are hills leading back into town that are lined with spectators. I was determined to run those hills to the finish. I thought that if I didn’t adopt a run walk plan for the second half of the run, as I was getting pretty tired and my quads were feeling shot, I wouldn’t make the hills. I ran the hills! Oh the glory! Ted and Eli were there, on the final hill, running with me and cheering me on. It was glorious. And it was great to see all of my Team Irontom teammates along the run course, many times. We high fived, shouted each other encouragement and hopefully helped each other to feel just a little bit stronger.

Athlete #2255 you look happy

There is nothing that I can say that can convey what it is like to finish an ironman, your first ironman. The race finish is absolutely lined with cheering spectators. Wall to wall. Everyone is screaming and calling you a hero and and Ironman and then as I rounded the corner and could finally see the finish, there was Eli, hands up, waiting for me. We locked hands and ran through puddles over our shoes through the finishing ribbon. I’m so proud of Eli for braving the crowds and the rain and the wet feet to finish with me, to wear the medal, to have my picture taken with him, both of us tired and wet and smiling. It was and still is an incredible feeling.

13 hours 54 minutes

Finishing the race with the next generation of Ironman

Tom Bircher had an incredible day, setting a PR by 21 minutes despite 2 flat tires on the first loop.

Tomasz had an excellent bike time and a strong finish.

Mikey and I finished very near one another and we spent the moments following the race celebrating in the food tent over chicken broth, pizza and potato chips.

Britta and Joe finished strongly, together, under the lights. Mikey and I cheered them on through town as they headed in.

And our new Team IRONTOM member, Terry Tom, was seen by all team members, high fived and encouraged, sporting the fashionable Team Irontom attire.

A great success at Ironman Lake Placid. We were wet, tired, hungry and sore. But above all, we were safe. And DONE!

What I learned from my Ironman experience:

I am NOT waterproof

My bike is NOT waterproof.

ALWAYS put your arm warmers in your T1 bag … doesn’t matter if you think you won’t need them. What if you did?

Practice changing flat tires BEFORE the race.

And lastly, during a rainy race, keep your mouth open, it helps you stay hydrated.

Thank you to all of my family and my friends who were pulling for me all day long…tracking me on the internet and emailing me messages of encouragement. It was a long long day and I felt every bit of your support 100% of the time.

13:54

Did I mention that it rained ALL day!?

Lowell Mill City Triathlon

Last year I did this race expecting it to be a sewer swim and I was pleasantly surprised with the clarity of the water. So, I signed up for it again expecting the same. Unfortunately it wasn’t. The water was very low this year and with the thunder storms we’ve had it a bit muddy.

While getting my gear ready I ran into a married couple on the UV Rays and chatted with them a bit. I took my new tri bike out for a spin, which I finally got it back from the bike shop Thursday. After this I got my wet suit and headed to the river, took a short swim and waited for the start of the race.

Last year, when the water was higher, there was more room to spread out. This year I was trying to site a lot better and tried drafting when I could. I’m not sure how successful I was with the drafting but I met one of my two goals for the swim this year, either one I would have been happy to have met. One was to break thirty minutes in the swim since I did it in thirty one last year. The other was to finish in the top half of the swimmers since it was my best event last year but I didn’t place in the top half. I was able to place in the top half of swimmers this year but my time was actually slower in the swim at just over 33 minutes which makes me wonder if the distances were the same this year compared to last.

Anyways, getting out of the water and into transition went pretty smoothly other than trying to get my wetsuit over my timing chip. Next up, the bike. It was 26 miles total with two 13 mile loops. It seemed to go pretty smoothly, passing some and being passed by others. I felt like I was trying to push myself a bit more this year and did feel faster. I didn’t wear a watch and didn’t see a official time clock anywhere on the course except the finish even going past the transition area on the second loop so had no idea how I did until the end. My time did end up at 1:23 which is well over ten minutes faster than last year.

When I got into transition from bike to run I remembered to get myself something to eat since I didn’t remember in the first transition. I ate about 2/3 of a banana and got my running shoes on. Off to the run. Same as the bike in that I passed some people and got passed by others. It was a flat out and back run with no major glitches. I grabbed water at each water stop since it was humid and I didn’t want to get dehydrated. I felt like I was keeping a good pace but didn’t feel like I was necessarily faster than last year. According to my final results I was about four minutes faster at just under fifty four minutes.

My final time was 2 hours 50 minutes 40 seconds. I took almost fifteen minutes off my time from last year. I guess, having a family reunion the day of a race was a good motivator. I didn’t stick around for anything after the race except a bagel and water.

Of the 70 finishers, I placed 27th on the swim, 41st on the bike and 36th on the run.

More Well Wishes For Team IRONTOM

Dear friend TOMasz, I send you and all Team Members all the luck in the world in Lake Placid, I hope you all have a great race and hopefully a breakthrough performances! Have fun and cheers, your friend, Ricardo. I'll be following your race on Sunday! Good luck Mates.

Over the Hump at Ironman Providence 70.3

Well, this was the big one, the big step up. Having spent the last three seasons racing sprint and Olympic distance triathlons I tackled my first half-ironman this past Sunday, Bastille Day Eve, at the inaugural Ironman 70.3 Rhode Island. A point-to-point race that began on the beaches of Narragansett and ended at the state house in Providence, the course offered a nice tour of the Ocean State as well as a few significant challenges.

The race weekend began Friday afternoon as I met up with TOMasz to begin our drive down to race headquarters, casa de Jankowski, in Warwick. We arrived in the late afternoon and then headed over to downtown Providence for a welcome pasta dinner. Let the carbo-loading begin! I packed my gut to the breaking point with zitis in tomato sauce, meatballs, and salad. After dinner we took a walk over to the state capital building to look at the bike-in transition and had a pleasant chat with the head referee.

Just finished the carbo-load dinner with the beautiful downtown Providence in the backdrop

Now, at this point I realized I had made the right choice traveling with our fearless team captain because I was just clueless when it came to all of the logistics and coordination that needed to be put in place for this race. Usually I just show up, flash my USAT membership, get my race bag, and hit the beach. But apparently when there are over 1,600 athletes racing across 60 miles of Rhode Island, things get a bit more complicated. But, while I may have been as clueless as Colonel Mustard, TOMasz had done my homework for me and a very busy, and tiring day was laid out before us.

Saturday was registration and bike racking day. Normally this is a one-stop affair, but with the point-to-point setup we had to do a bit (okay, many, many bits) of running around Rhode Island to get all of the gear in place. After more carbo-loading on pancakes, the recipe for which had been perfected after many post-run breakfasts, we headed to the convention center in Providence for packet pick-up and a bit of expo touring. This was a pretty painless procedure, though I have to say I was a bit disappointed with the skimpiness of the race bag--oh well. But, a magical thing did happen. Somehow Ironman pulled a few strings, made superman fly a few laps around the sun, or something, because I was 29 again. Yippee!Medical check-in, however, gave me a bit of pause, particularly when I was asked if was allergic to bee or jellyfish stings. Now, this was going to be my first race swim in the ocean, and being a little nervous about it already, I did not need to hear the bit about the jellyfish. It wasn't the stinging that worried me, it was the thought of reaching my arm forward to stroke and grabbing a fist-full slimy jellyfish. Eww.
From here, things got a bit more complicated. First I needed to go and drop off my bike a the race start in Narragansett, then I needed to pack a back with my run gear and bring it back to T2 in Providence. But, we made a day of it--unfortunately a large portion of that day was spent sitting in beach traffic. But, the bike got racked, and I even got to enjoy of a bit of the nice weather relaxing on the beach while TOMasz relaxed with a nice, long run. We returned to Providence to drop off the run gear, and I was pleased to see that I had a great spot in the transition rack--the last spot on the rack closest to the fence. This would make it easy to remember my spot and help keep the kicking of my gear down to a minimum. With the goods in place, we headed back to Warwick for--you got it--more pasta. With the race slated to begin at 6 a.m., it was early to bed.

Ah race day. You know it because it's still dark when you wake up. I was still feeling well fueled (maybe a little too well fueled) from the feasting of the last couple of days, but still had a bit of granola before heading over to Narragansett. I got to my bike, wiped the accumulated moisture off the seat and handlebars (here, and experienced racer would have put plastic over these pieces the day before) and put my fuel and fluids together. Then I noticed I was missing a critical component--sunglasses! I had brought two pairs, both of which were doing lots of good for me back at the house. Fortunately, the big T came through and let me borrow his.

Almost awaken - 6AM

Around 5:50 I headed off to the beach, though being in the last wave I was in no real rush. The water was looking pretty rough, with high swells and big breakers crashing on the shore. The swim course was a long, skinny rectangle that was more or less an out-and-back. The pros hit the water at 6:00 and came out 24 minutes later. The first age groupers began at 6:15. Around 6:30 I went over to another section of beach and warmed up a bit in the water. Around 7:00 I entered the holding pen with the rest of the 18-29 year old men in very stylish purple swim caps. The last few races I've tried to get out in front to avoid the massive mob, but I just couldn't do it this time. When the cannon went off, I entered the water. Things were pretty messy but I was feeling good that, unlike other swim starts, I wasn't feeling over anxious, working too hard, and struggling to maintain my breath. Despite the waves and the mob I managed to stay calm and try to find an open patch of water. That was pretty hard to come by. I also found, that, given the way the waves were moving, I needed to turn to breath away from the market line, which made it a bit harder to sight. As usual, I took a more...meandering track around the swim course before hitting the first turn. Then it was just a short stretch swimming parallel to shore, and then another left back to the beach. The bodies remained thick, not just from my wave, but from the swimmers from the two previous waves that I had started to catch. Despite that, however, I escaped with only minor contact--one kick to the nose, and one dislodged goggle.

Fully awaken at 7:05AM and 7:37AM

Out of the water after a strong swim

At 31:17 I exited the water and grabbed my bike. After a fairly long jog out to the bike mount, I was in the saddle and ready to tackle 56 miles of RI roadway. The bike was my biggest concern coming into this race. I had had a disappointing ride at Mooseman, mostly because I felt like I couldn't maintain my focus, and I worried that this would happen again over the longer distance. Yet, despite my concerns, I had what was definitely the best bike of any race I had done. I had thought, coming into this race, that it would all be a very flat course--I was way off. The first 10-15 miles was fairly flat and fast, but then for the next 15 miles it was fairly steady climbing, though nothing too steep. I was feeling good and was being pretty aggressive on the hills. Early on, however, I had to change my nutrition strategy. I had five gels and two cliff bars, and my thinking was to get in the cliff bars early, then finish off with the gels. So, once I got settled in, after say the first 15 minutes, I pulled out a cliff bar but could jot not eat it. I got in a tiny bite and then just put it back in my pocket. I was a bit worried that I would crash only having the gels but ultimately I think all the pre-race fueling paid off because it didn't become an issue. I did learn, however, that for my next race I need to adjust my hydration strategy. I had four bottles--two powerade, one nuun, and one plain water. I felt like I was drinking enough, but around mile 35 was just feeling drained. I had passed up the first two fuel stations, but took advantage of the third one. I grabbed a bottle of water--and it never tasted so good. So, next time, I need to keep more plain water in rotation. Lesson learned. Car traffic was a bit of an issue, in some cases the line of cars narrowing the bikeable roadway quite a bit, making it difficult to pass. Overall, however, the course was very well managed the volunteers and PD.

I think, I look good in those glasses

Despite my original concerns, I really enjoyed this ride. I managed to keep my focus throughout and kept up a good pace. After finishing the last few miles biking through the city of Providence, I arrived at T2 in just shy of 2:39, averaging 21.2 for the course--the fastest I had ever biked. After a long jog to my rack, I made the transition into the run. Here I took my time getting my shoes on, drinking a bit of my few remaining fluids, and setting off on the two-loop run course. From the start I made decision to start conservatively. The run is usually my strong suit, but I had only raced one half-marathon before (as its own event), so wanted to take the time to get my legs under me. So, I set off at a comfortable pace. I came into the first water stop around mile one, slowed to a walk, and took in some fluids. Already I could tell this was going to be an issue, and here I think is where my poor hydration planning on the bike manifested itself. I was feeling thirsty, a bit depleted, but if I drank too much I felt full and sloshy. Soon after the first water stop I was confronted with "Angel Hill." For those of you who are used to running in the Lebanon area, the steepness was equivalent to Eastman Hill--just not quite as long. Most people walked it, but I managed to keep up a slow jog. For the first three miles I followed the strategy of slowing into the water stops, hydrating, cooling off, and then setting off. After the first turn I started to pick it up a bit more. Like the bike course, the run course was a lot hillier than I would have thought. Even after Angel Hill, the rest of the run had some kind of pitch to it. My legs felt okay, and my breathing seemed good, it was really just my stomach that was giving me trouble, and some growing tightness in my back. I made the turn after the first loop and headed out to do the run all over again. Up Angel Hill one more time. I was moving at a swifter pace, but around mile 9 I was starting to struggle again. I hit the water stop around mile 10, and decided to ease up and take in some fluids. The brief break seemed to help. I ran strong the rest of the course, and picked it up for a last push as I came into the brick walkway to the finish. I finished the run in about 1:38, giving me a finish time of 4:52.

Almost there. The finish line is only 15 yards away

I was greeted by TOMasz, Kasia and some friends at the finish, and then made my way over to the food tent for some much needed liquid refreshment. Food was out of the question at that point, but ice cold coke did the trick. I grabbed a couple of cups and then headed over to get in line for a post-race massage.

Team picture with Kasia and TOMasz. Two hats are definitely better than one

So, overall, a race that I was very happy with, and a real confidence booster for Timberman.

Best of Luck .........

.......... to all the Team IRONTOM members racing this weekend at Lake Placid. My advice for the bike is to-Keep your mouth closed on the descent into Keene..... I will be rooting for you all!

MajorTOM Does Ironman Rhode Island 70.3

On Sunday, the 13th, MajorTOM will be toeing the starting line of IM RI 70.3. You can follow his progress on www.ironman.com. It may be a hot day down there.

The Numbers Are Out

The Ironman Lake Placid bibs are out. So, here we go:

TerryTOM (83)
TOMb (902)
TOM-A-Lot (1130)
T2 (1884)
TOMasz (1544)
TOMalita (2154)
TOMomma (2255)

Fresh Body of Water - Ahhhh

On a beautiful Sunday afternoon, Rick and I went for a long swim in the Mascoma Lake for one of the last swim training days before Ironman Lake Placid. The air temperature was 80F, the water 70F, and plenty of motor boats to create the wake.

In full attire

Rick displaying his diving skills

Stroke number 5,321

A 7-Miler in Woodstock

TOMahawk and I have joined the ranks of the Vermont maple syrup prize winners by getting podium finishes (both finished 3rd in our respective age groups) in the Woodstock 7-mile road race on July the 4th in Woodstock, VT. By having done so we can now be mentioned in the same sentence as the likes of MajorTOM.

It was a picture-perfect day on which about 130 runners challenged themselves on an “attention getting” hilly course, and dressed in the team uniforms TOMahawk and I proudly displayed the true Team IRONTOM colors.

By the time we arrived in Woodstock, TOMahawk was already there looking happy and ready to go. After a quick registration and a short warm up run around the Green the horn went off to mark the start of the race.

The 7-miler was definitely a good warm-up event for me before the upcoming Ironman USA in Lake Placid, in a couple of weeks. Its initial 3 miles were relatively flat and fast, giving an opportunity to get into a solid tempo. At mile 3, my Polar monitor read 19:30, which made me realize that I may be going a little to fast. Fortunately, I did not have to wait too long for the slow down. The few demoralizing, and seemingly, never-ending run-ups took care of that. Not having scouted this course before I had no idea how long they were. And they were long, indeed.

Well, what goes up must eventually come down - that is, at least, what they say, and in this case they were right, again. The descends were as challenging as the ascends making the quads and the lungs celebrate the 4th of July, together. At times, I was questioning the wisdom of my training day on Thursday, which included tempo runs and uphill bike intervals. But, after all, it was to be an another training day.

About ½ mile before the finish line I started accelerating in an attempt to break the 51-minute mark, but it was not meant to be that day (perhaps, next time on July 4th 2009). My finish time was 51:02, 25th in the general classification and 3rd in the 44-49 age group.

TOMahawk was close behind. With a taped-up left knee he clocked-in a finishing time of 51:52 and a 3rd podium finish in the 40-44 age group.

In the afternoon, we had a great barbeque time with the TOMahawks, and were dazzled by a single firework, or something that resembled that.