Holiday Shuffle

After a stellar week celebrating the Christmas holiday with family & friends in Michigan I returned to snowy Boulder late Wednesday evening. I had a hoot with my nieces and nephews, catching up with friends and feasting on some of my mom's tasty eats. Oh yeah, I did manage to get in a few good swims and runs.

As much as I enjoy seeing my family, it is always refreshing to return home (yes, I do refer to Boulder as home) and get back into the training, etc. Seeing several friendly faces around the gym has been great and this morning I doned my YakTrax for a sweet hill workout with a few folks. Amanda & Michael dished up a spicy little session and while my lungs were burning from the 11 degree temp, the snow covered mountains and blue sky provided some excellent scenery.

2008 is just around the corner and I am looking forward to what it brings! One of my goals is to learn how to salsa, hip-hop or ballroom dance. Wish me luck ;)

Keep it smooth...

Back in Motown

Motown, Hockeytown, the Motor City...all nicknames for Detroit. My flight arrived with no glitches Wednesday evening and it's great to be back. My family is gathering for our Christmas gig Saturday afternoon with the Christmas cheer lasting until the last little kid is standing :) Planning to go to one of my niece's soccer tournaments Saturday morning, sledding, snow ball fighting or bowling with the band of kiddos during the day then meeting up at my parents house late afternoon. Catching up with friends tonight at a Chritmas party hosted by my friend smokin' Joe Deighan. It will be great to see the crew from BD's Mongo Multisport Team.

Training has included a couple of swims and plan to run & hit the gym today. I had a fun social swim with my buddy Dennis at the local Y yesterday and this morning a solid session with my Dad at his swim club. I am super proud of my Dad for starting his swim program and he is rocking it after just four weeks. Like most of us he has his routine and it was fun to be part of it this morning.

Keep it smooth...

Triathlon Training 101

Upon reading Chuckie V's article at xtri this morning I was motivated to relfect on my training and what I deem a productive training model. I will premise my thoughts by stating I do not have any formal education on training principles and no degrees in kinesiology or human biomechanics. My training philosophies, if you will, have grown from the past eight years I have spent chasing a dream and the 15 years or so I spent chasing a soccer ball.

My foundational belief on how to be successful in and outside of sport is simplicity. I see and hear of far too many athletes who spend countless hours scrutinizing training data found on the web and magazines. (Some spend too much time scrutinizing other things on different kinds of websites and magazines, but I'll save that for another post). As Chuckie expresses in his article, debating about heart rate (HR) monitor versus power or how to utilize both is simply "icing on the cake". As a professional triathlete I have invested in these tools and do find value with them in my development. However, when it comes down to it I simply need to do the work - with or without my Ergomo and HR monitor. Gordo and his "good guys" group affectionally call it JFT.

Running is my strength within the three disciplines of triathlon. Having posted a 1:13 half IM run split and 2:53 marathon in Kona several folks have asked me about my running. It seems as though they are thinking I might share a special workout or secret tip. The reality is I simply try to be as consistent as possible with my training which includes taking care of the little things (recovery, fueling, rest, stretching, massage therapy, etc.). This past year when limited to water running I put in the work (which included a 2 hour deep water run) to help maintain my "feel" for running. It is also quite likely my years of playing soccer as a kid through college provdided a foundation for running. I have never received any formal run training. Actually, I used to think to myself when I saw someone jogging, "What a moron."

Boulder is certainly a unique place to live & train...the town oozes of athleticism, creativity, beauty...With this is the reality athletes often look at what so and so is doing and compare it to their training. It should not matter if I choose to swim with a masters group or on my own. It should not matter if Lilly does speed work with a group or bikes long on Tuesdays. What matters is each of us simply gets our arses out the door and trains.

There is an African proverb which reads: Every morning in Africa a gazelle awakes knowing it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be eaten. Every morning in Africa a lion awakes knowing it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. Whether you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up you better be running.

Keep it smooth...

The Giving Season or Silly Season

So here we are with yet another Christmas/holiday season upon us. Holiday parties, lights, parades, office parties and beer miles dot the calendar and consume our weekends. I'm all for the festive mood, but embark upon it with the goal of keeping it sane. For many people this time of year triggers a whirl of emotions, both healthy & unhealthy. One of my goals in closing out the year is to walk with humility and avoid getting caught up in the "loudness" of the season. Don't get me wrong, I am all for spreading good cheer. As a matter of fact my roommate and I are doing just that in a couple of weeks. (Any of you reading who have not RSVPd please do so :) I will spend Christmas with my family back in Michigan which is always a hoot and I look forward to mixing it up with my eleven nieces and nephews. Beyond the commercialism of the next few weeks, I find the connection with family and friends to be the crux of it all.

Keep it smooth...

Called Out

In fulfilling my obligations of being tagged, I am sorry to admit I committed a blogging foul. It appears my friend Kurt (www.stageracer.blogspot.com) has called me out on the sandbagging of the beer mile. Was it a true sandbagging....hmmm....my last quarter was clocked at 1:21 by Matt Reed acting as a non-partisan observer. My drinking splits were most likely triple that...at least!

So, in lieu of this I will retract my sandbagging revelation for this sparsely known fact: I was on the homecoming court my senior year in college (Albion College - home of the Britons).

Meeting up with a few of the fellas for a "conversational-paced" run in north Boulder.

Keep it smooth...

I've Been Tagged

Apparently there is a cyber game of tag being played within the blogger community and my friend Kerrie was kind enough to "tag" me. At least she was friendly and didn't "karate chop" me as she did recently via Facebook. Yes, I am guilty of having an account. It will take me a while to figure it all out though. Ok, back to the game of tag. I am supposed to list 5 random things about me and then tag some other peeps. Hmmm...what to share and what not to share....

1. I once keyed a cop car.
2. I sandbagged the beer mile.
3. As a kid my backyard had 4 apple trees, 1 pear tree, 1 plum tree, 1 peach tree, strawberry bushes and raspberry bushes.
4. I am not a fan of the domesticated feline species.
5. I am a sucker for Peanut M&M's, especially when frozen.

Now who to tag...

Mark because he might reveal how much running he really does.
Michael because his wife was already tagged and he has nothing better to do at the moment.
Zane because he is worse than I am at updating his blog.
Matt because he is going to win the Tour CLEAN.
Glen because he played basketball for the New Zealand National Team.

Catching Up

I have once again been a bit flaky with my updates, not that my world has been super busy lately. It has been great to get back to some low-end training. Just today I commented to my massage therapist, Kelly (www.kellyliljeblad.com), how I was starting to feel like an athlete again. I am loving the early morning yoga classes and the strength training. My new kicks from Spira (www.spirafootwear.com) are treating me quite well with their responsiveness and comfort. I was back on the FeltB2 for the first time since Kona for a little spin this afternoon and was stoked to have no irritation or tightness in my glute. The plan through November is to keep things tame and allow the body to fully recover/heal before getting more structured and specific as December rolls in.

My beer mile was pretty lame with a time over 12:00 (winning time was 6:40), but I had damn fun socializing between quarters at the "drink zone" with the spectators. I am in need of a new read having finished Kite Runner last week. It was a fantastic book. A couple of movies I want to see include American Gangster and Bella. Perhpas this weekend - any takers?!?

Keep it smooth...

Back On

Well, after three weeks of minimal activity, and I mean minimal :), it is time to unpack my bike, dust off my shoes, find my swim suit & goggles and get back on the training. I have enjoyed getting out on my mountain bike in the sunny, fall weather and look forward to regaining some strength and fitness! Yesterday was day one in the weight room and I like the routine Zane has given me with this phase...lots of variety. Now, if I can only get ride of this damn delayed on-set muscle soreness. Having not run since Kona, I was fairly certain my first run would feel quite foreign, but to my surprise it felt decent. Granted, it was quite the leisurely pace, but the form was smooth and relaxed in my new Spira kicks. Their shoes have been creating a bit of a whirl within the running community and I am stoked to partner with them for 2008. Check them out at www.spirafootwear.com. On the topic of sponsors, I have re-signed with Team Sport Beans/NTTC for 2008. The team will have a couple of new faces on it for 2008 and I am super excited about the upcoming season. More details to follow as our team director finalizes some deals.

It was bliss watching the Lions toy with the Broncos over the weekend. Big boy defensive tackle Rogers rambling for 66 yards after intercepting a weak pass and then stiff arming a Bronco player for the TD...classic ESPN highlight! Rumor has it another Beer Mile is being held in Boulder this Saturday...hmmm, could provide some good entertainment. For those of you not familiar with the Beer Mile visit www.beermile.com. Perhaps there is one at your local track.

Good luck to those racing Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater this weekend!

Thanks for checking in and as always,

Keep it smooth...

Few Random Photos

Running along Ali'i Drive...
Post race with my support crew
Classic Kona sunset!
Scenery along the "Road to Hana" in Maui

2:53 v 2:42

Crossing paths with Chris McCormack. His 2:42 form looks a heck of a lot more relaxed than my 2:53 form at the moment.

I have been enjoying the three week down time from training and getting my glute healed. The weather has been absolutely amazing since my return from Kona and I have tried to make the most of it with a few hikes and time on the mountain bike. My pre-base training kicks off next Monday. It's always fun to lose some fitness, put on a few pounds and then get back to work. The 7 am yoga class has been refreshing and my body is "unfolding" better than I expected. I am excited about the 2008 season kicking off with IM New Zealand in early March. As the winter weather rolls in I am looking at a few options for a quality block of training during January and early February in a warmer climate. If anyone has some ideas, let me know. At the moment I am considering Austin and Tempe. Kona is also being tossed around.

Happy Halloween and safe trick or treating!

Keep it smooth...

Strained Glut

With some lingering tightness since my return from Kona I made an appointment with PT guru Bob Cranny at Altitude Physical Therapy. I was keen on getting his insight on things and it turns out I have a strained upper glut muscle where it attaches to the lower back. The pain I experienced in Kona was not back related, but the strained glut. Bob initially thought my SI joint was out of whack, but after an evaluation he determined the glut was strained and now healing. At some point I tweaked it in training just before the race, although nothing jumps out at me. I did feel some tightness post my final long ride the week before the race in Kona, which was probably the initial symptom. Anyway, I will have a few more sessions with Bob for ultrasound and continue to stretch & ice it.

A few final thoughts on Kona...

- It is like no other IM event I have raced. The conditions and terrain are unique and the field is loaded with talent. To be top 10 requires a strong, balanced day in all three disciplines. Guys like Patrick Vernay and Michael Lovato did just that on race day...never being right up front, but solid throughout the day.

- Illness is common. Perhaps the gathering of athletes from across the globe in a relatively small area makes one susceptible to bugs & viruses. Several athletes withdrew or had less than ideal days due to illness.

- Be True to Yourself. As race day approaches and the energy builds around town, it is easy to get caught up in what so and so is wearing or how so and so is training. Have confidence in your preparation, know your limits and what works for you and make the best of it on race day!

Keep it smooth...

Sand to Snow

My non-stop flight from Kona Saturday night arrived in Denver early Sunday morning to a bit of wintery weather with snow, rain and temps in the 30s. We were a bit late with our arrival, so me and a few friends (Joanna, Mark & Michael) hung out in the warmth of the terminal over some hot coffee and rather tasteless muffins. Fortunately all our bags arrived without incident, save my bike box which is sitting in some guy's storage unit in Kona. Instead of carting my bike around the islands, I made arrangements for my bike to be stored and then dropped off at the Kona International Airport before I made the connection to my final flight. The minutes ticked by and no sign of my guy. His business card did not have a cell phone so I figured he must have forgotten as I never receieved a call. It was a weeee bit awkward boarding that plane without my bike, but I am hoping he did indeed forget our meeting time and will ship the bike on Monday. I will have to keep you posted...I honestly do not want to deal with any drama.

It will certainly feel comfy to sleep in my bed tonight and enjoy another week off from training. I am looking forward to getting back to yoga this week though. Other items on the list include sponsorship follow-up, new sponsorship contacts, tentative 2008 race schedule, fundraising follow-up and contacts for speaking engagements. If I get really motivated I will download some pics from Kona.

My current read is The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini which tells the story of an Afghani boy.

Keep it smooth...

Sick in Maui

Apparently the race really jacked my body. After arriving in Maui yesterday afternoon I have been holed up in a cozy condo with the chills, fever, cold sweats and aching throughout my body. Hopefully it is something of the 24 hour variety.

In reflecting on my 2007 season I would have to say it was perhaps my most challenging and frustrating year of racing. I definitely made more gains as evident from my training, but come race day no one is looking in the training log. Despite not having my ideal race in Kona, I know that performance does not define me as an athlete or person. I ran an IM marathon PR and given how my back was feeling I was pleased with that. My nutrition plan was solid as well and I never felt depleted or experienced any cramping.

Random, lucid thoughts I know, but that is where I am at the moment.

Keep it smooth...

2007 Ford Ironman World Championship

Collateral Damage - stiff back, sore legs, swollen feet, blisters, lost big toenail, sunburn, large serving of humble pie

Swim (1:00) - This was perhaps my best swim start as I was determined to keep my head down and swim hard the first 300 meters. It was a typical IM race start with a lot of body contact as I swam over and around other athletes. I did not sight at all until well into the swim as I had successfully secured a good draft. Through the turn-around I was feeling comfortable and swimming with two others. From my sighting it appeared a large group was about 100-200 meters ahead of us. The currents seemed stronger coming back towards the swim exit, but I still felt pretty good about things.

Bike (5:21) - Ughh! This was my second slowest IM bike split. My friends thought I was haivng mechanical issues or crashed. There was some hearty headwind along the Queen K and the final climb up to the turn-around at Hawi. My lower back began to bother as I rode through the wind gusts up to Hawi, but I thought it would loosen up as I made the descent with a good tailwind. My friend Billy rode up to me along the descent and I stayed with him briefly. He soon rode out of my sights. Making the turn back on the Queen K I was passed by numerous athletes and with 30-35 miles to go I was in a world of hurt. It was a VERY long ride back to T2. I had serious thoughts about pulling the plug with the amount of pain and inablity to stay aero. I just reminded myself to keep moving forward, but it was not fun to have soooo many athletes pass me with ease including JZ, Heather Gollnick, Hillary Biscay and others. My buddy Brandon rode by as I was out of the saddle in an effort to stretch my back asking, "You alright." "No, my back is jacked" I responded with frustration. Heading back towards T2 another Boulderite (Jeff Keill) caught me and encouraged me to run well.

Run (2:53) - Fortunately my back did not bother for the run and I was able to have a decent go. My focus was on keeping hydrated, cool and fueling. While I don't know my splits, I probably went out a weee bit too hard as the final three miles were ugly. It was great to have family, friends and Zane along the run course encouraging me to keep working. With no cloud cover I knew once I left town it was going to be pretty toasty along the Queen K and into the Natural Energy Lab. I simply told myself to keep moving forward. Coming down the hill on Palani I was feeling pretty well spent. The positve energy from the spectators pushed me to the finish line on Ali'i Drive to a 9:21:07 and 78th overall.

Boulder was well-represented within both the pro & age-group ranks and congrats to those who finished in fine fashion!

While this was not my ideal race I am grateful for the gift of good health to be out there competing in such an incredible event. Nutritionally, I felt good throughout the day. My body feels like it was just run over by a truck, but I will enjoy a relaxing week in the islands with a visit to Maui and Ohau. Someone asked me after the race, "Is it worth it?" Yes, without a doubt!

A HUGE thanks to everyone who was out on the course encouraging me, tracking me on-line and sending me positive thoughts. My efforts would not be possible without the support of my family, friends, coach and sponsors!

Mahlo,

Brad

Race Week Baby

Monday in Kona has seen a significant increase in activity as race week begins! Things were quite peppy at the Gatorade swim this morning. I enjoyed getting back in the ocean for an easy effort. This afternoon, well in about two hours actually, I move from Joanne's house into my condo at the Kona Reef. It has been super comfy kicking it at Joanne's mountainside home the past week and the new digs should be just as inviting! Last night I had dinner with a few friends in town and made a visit to our friend Carole who got her eggs scrambled pretty good two days ago while riding...two broken wrists, broken vertebrae and some minor road rash. Her sense of humor is uncanny though and I know she will be out and about within a couple of days. Funny thing is Carole is the coach for double amputee Scott Rigsby who is racing this weekend. Scott has no legs and Carole has two broken limbs. The weather continues to be somewhat cool with overcast skies. How about the craziness that took place at the Chicago Marathon yesterday...yikes! I have never heard of a marathon being cancelled like that with thousands of athletes still on the course.

The days leading up to Saturday will go quickly. Wednesday afternoon I was asked to speak at a local school which should be fun. Thursday is the pro race meeting and my typical two day pre-race day off. My parents and some friends will be rolling in throughout the week, but I'll pretty much keep a low profile and simply enjoy the atmosphere as the energy builds.

Thanks for reading!

Keep it smooth...

Kona Mountain Coffee

The week has been rolling along in fine fashion. There has been a fair amount of cloud cover which has kept the temps reasonably "cool". The humidity is still a bugger though. My homestay is fan-freaking-tastic and just down the Queen K towards town is the recently opened Kona Mountain Coffee shop & store. Oh man, their coffee is soooo good and this week has been on sale for a buck! Best deal in town!! I saw several cronies at this morning's swim which was fun and this afternoon had an easy run. Along the Queen K is a state park called Kakolo National Park. It has a several "trails" which traverse a large lava field to the ocean and a couple of fish ponds. Well, I found a splendid dirt road down to a secluded beach with a short sandy trail. In addition to being on a soft surface (once off the lava rock trail) the sandy trail along the ocean offerred some shade :) The dirt road can be accessed from the Queen K, but it is unmarked. I doubt too many atheltes venture down it. If you are ever in Kona and have an easy run to complete, this is the place. Mums the word though!

Keep it smooth...

The Big Island

Aloha from the big island of Kona!

My travels yesterday went as planned with no issues. It is great to be back in Kona and staying with my friend Joanne and her two little weiner dogs Lucy & Nani. Joanne lives in a new house since my visit in 2005 and it is conveniently located about five minutes from the airport. As I type I am kicking it on her lanai with my Kona coffee and enjoying the splendid view from her mountainside home which overlooks the lava fields and Pacific ocean.

Having sat on a plane for close to seven hours yesterday, I completed a little 20 minute shake-out run under the stars with a good stretch before calling it a night. My plan this morning is to venture into town and get in a good swim at the race site, hit the grocer store, build the bike for an easy spin along the Queen K and an easy run later this afternoon.

I brought my camera to document the beauty of the island, but wouldn't you know I forgot to bring the little cord to download to my computer...damn!

Keep it smooth...

Just In Time

As I noticed more snow atop the Rocky Mountains this morning while completing my run session I figured I am departing for Kona at a pretty good time. The temperature this morning was a brisk 48 with strong wind gusts and yesterday I had to don arm & knee warmers for my ride. The leaves are reaching their peak golden color and I am ready for the Kona warmth!

Keep it smooth...

Kona Bound in One Week

With rain, hail and temps in the low 50s the timing was perfect for a planned day off from training today! I enjoyed sleeping in with no alarm to rouse me out of bed and took advantage of the down time to begin getting organized for Kona. I depart next Monday and know it will be a busy week with key workouts, packing, organizing, blah, blah, blah. Mother Nature has been very kind to those of us in Boulder who like to swim, bike & run :)

A BIG congrats to my friends who rocked at Cancun 70.3 over the weekend!

I will be sure to have an update once settled on the big island early next week...hopefully with some pics.

Keep it smooth...

Four Weeks

The Kona countdown is on...a little less than four weeks. I leave for the big island in two weeks, so I am hoping the weather in Boulder can hold out just a weee bit longer. I completed the big block with good results and have been enjoying a bit of a transition week as I approach taper mode. From here it is about quality and taking care of the little things.

This afternoon I will be attending the Safe Routes to School community program with my friend Joanna and a few other athletes to encourage kids to ride their bikes or walk to school. It should be a fun afternoon with games, give-aways and a scavenger hunt for the kiddos.

Keep it smooth...