BSLT 70.3

I will get a full report on BSLT 70.3 upon my return from Maine. In general though it was a decent day (not my worst nor a banner day). Great to see friends from Austin and meet others throughout the weekend in Lubbock. Looking forward to a chill week with the family on the rocky & rugged coast of Maine.

Keep it smooth...

112

That's the temperature my Ergomo read yesterday afternoon. While I think that was a bit high, the temp was definitely toasty in the mid to upper 90s. My final prep for BSLT 70.3 has been on target and I am super stoked to toe the line in Lubbock this Sunday. Race coverage will be at www.ironman.com. I know several folks from Boulder who are racing and there will be a good crew from Austin including Coach Z's wife Terra (www.terracastro.com). Looking forward to a good time down south.

I am heading to Maine the week post my race and welcome the mid-season break. It will be fun to kick it with my family, fish at my uncle's camp in northern Maine, enjoy the ocean and of course induldge in a hearty lobster fest. 8 of my 11 nieces & nephews will be on-hand...lots of rough-housing and nuggies are in store :)

Good luck to all my friends racing this weekend!

Keep it smooth...

Fit to Tri

After coordinating with my friend Beth we are set to launch our Fit to Tri program for at-risk youth! It will be a six week program culminating with the kids' participation at the Boulder Peak Kids' Triathlon (www.5430sports.com) on August 11th. We have an eager group of 12 year-olds who have never done a triathlon and one 15 year-old assistant who completed his first race two weeks ago and now has "the bug". Our goal is to introduce triathlon to these at-risk-FOR SUCCESS-kids while promoting an active, healthy lifestyle. Stay tuned for updates and photos as the program unfolds.

Keep it smooth...

Beautiful Day

It is an absolutely stellar day in Boulder! Summer temps & low winds made for an excellent morning run with hill repeats. I ran across one of my favorite single track trails to a quiet paved road having a 4-6% grade...perfect for the 10x1'' repeats in preparation for BSLT 70.3. Above is the view I had for the second half of my run...nice, eh!? Post the run I enjoyed a good swim at masters with several of my friends :) The local triathlon season kicks off this weekend with the 5430 Sprint Triathlon on Sunday. I am looking forward to volunteering as a body marker and then taking in some of the action at the Boulder Resevoir. Happy grilling!

Keep it smooth...

Fragile

Glasswing Butterfly

Bugs come in all sorts of shapes & sizes...come to think of it so do cars, people, boats & a heck of a lot of other things!

Keep it smooth...

2.5 - 15.5 - 2.5...Dang That Hurt!

Well, I found myself getting back in the mix this morning at the Big Sky Duathlon - 2.5 mile run, 15.5 mile bike, 2.5 mile run (www.racingunderground.com) in the pleasant community of Bennett, CO. It has been about five years since my last duathlon. Friday evening I felt like a kid getting ready for the first day of school as I organized my race day bag. Darren & his crew put on a great event and I really enjoyed the low-key atmosphere. The FastForward training group from Boulder had a strong presence with several podium finishes including the top two elite women...way to go Sunny & Lianne! Of course my favorite part was talking a bit o'smack with Ivy, Scott & Randy from FastForward. Here's a quick re-cap:

The runs were two loops through a small neighborhood with one dirt trail section (my favorite part). The bike was an out & back affair over gently rolling terrain.

First Run (12:30) - Our wave included the elite men & women. Joshua Merrick was off like a bullet. Man this guy has some wheels. Justin Hurd was second, Leroy Popowski third with me just a few yards back. Joshua & Justin were heading out on their bikes as I entered T1. One of my goals was to have quick transitions. I was swift through T1 and started the bike just ahead of Leroy in third place.

Bike (36:55) - My hold on third was brief as Leroy quickly went to work on the fastest bike split of the day and passed me just outside of transition. Another goal I had was to respond to any surges from other athletes. My quads were tight and Leroy was gone. I continued to press my effort through the rollers, but never found any kind of range. About six miles into the bike, Jim Hallberg passed me and I fought hard to stay with him for a bit. I thought if I could stay with Jim he might help bridge me up to Justin who was still in my sights. Through the turn-around Jim soon began to open a gap on me which I could not close...dang! Although I was frustrated with how my legs were feeling, I continued to stay positive. As I entered T2 I could see Jim just leaving the transition area for his second run...is the gap too big??

Second Run (13:42) - The transition to the second run felt really good. I was enjoying the experience of racing in good health and went to work on cutting into Jim's lead. Through the first loop I could see I was gaining on him and held my foucs on maintaining a quick turnover. As we continued the second loop I enjoyed seeing some friends on the course. My form felt comfortable & relaxed. I soon realized I did not have enough realestate to catch Jim, but was exuberant upon crossing the line and congratulating the guys for their efforts.

This was a very fun event and gave me and Coach Z a good snap shot of my run as I prepare for BSLT 70.3 in two weeks!

Keep it smooth...

Under the Knife - A First for Me

Today was my first experience of "going under the knife". OK, so it was not really that big a deal...I made a visit to Boulder's foremost dermatologist and had a slice of my back removed. My massage therapist, who has first hand experience with skin cancer, noted a spot looked suspicious and hooked me up with Dr. Karen Kallgren. I expect to hear back early next week after it is analyzed for melanoma, carcinoma or some kind of noma -- that's a movie quote, but the movie escapes me at the moment. All kidding aside, skin cancer is no joke! As athletes we expend ooodles of energy to stay fit, eat well & get plenty of rest. We get our teeth checked every six months or so and pay top dollar for massage therapy & accupuncture. With the amount of time we spend in the sun training, it makes sense to get a thorough skin check once a year. Visit www.skincancer.org for more information. I am not an alarmist, but an advocate for healthy living.

The last couple of days has seen some downright crazy winds in and around Boulder with gusts up to 85 mph. No rain or thunderstorms, but lots of wind!

Training...
It has been a rather solid couple of weeks. My swim and bike are in a good spot at the moment and my run is coming along. Tuesday was a key session with 90 miles on the bike and a one hour run off the bike (9 minute run, 1 minute walk). Coach Z and I are pleased with my pacing on the runs. The dark side was getting at me this afternoon to skip my longer run with hill repeats, but I was able to get my bum out the door. It was a great session done on the CU x-country course. I'm lucky to live about a mile from it, which serves as a good warm-up and cool down. This weekend I am racing the Big Sky Duathlon (www.racingunderground.com) located in the farming community of Bennett, CO. It will be a fast and furious affair with a
2.5 mile run~15.5 mile bike ~ 2.5 mile run. I am stoked about getting in the mix!

Best wishes to my friends racing Baja 70.3 and Eagleman this weekend...rip it up!

Keep it smooth...