Kona Sunset

Last night's sunset...

Looks like another stellar day of island weather here in Kona. Heading out for a run shortly then some down time and relaxing :)

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Aloha

A couple of quick pics from the end of my ride today along the Queen K. Top pic is looking up towards the peak of Hualalai Volcano with an elevation of 8,271 feet. Bottom pic out into the lava field towards the Pacific. Hot & humid today with moderate winds...typical postcard day from Kona!

Keep it smooth...

Brad

IM Training + Moving = Tired

Kona training was spiced up a bit this past week with the final push to get in my new condo. I am oh so grateful for the generosity of my parents to drive with a minivan full of my stuff which has been in storage for 5 years and help me get settled! To add a bit more excitement into the week I raced the Harvest Moon Half IM today with a solid performance & 2nd overall...42 seconds out of first!

More to come on the race once I get some shut eye.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Eating for Recovery

Just a sampling of my daily food intake during the rigors of IM training...note the very large chocoate chip cookie stuck behind the package of almonds :)

Launching the New Sport Bean

The past few days I have been in Anaheim at the

IDEA Fitness Show to help Jelly Belly with the launch of their reformulated Sport Bean. It was an entertaining three days meeting fitness enthusiasts from around the globe & some damn good people watching. The attendees were mostly personal trainer, aerobic, spin & yoga instructor types...lots of spandex in this fitness subculture!

The new Sport Bean is now flavored with with evaporated cane juice & tapioca syrup for its sugar content instead of corn syrup. The artificial food coloring has been removed and it has some

nifty new packaging with a resealable ziplock at

the top of the pouch. Throughout the conference I was affectionally being called Mr. Sport Beans, the Magic Bean Guy & Mr. Ironman...I've been called worse.

There were several very dynamic and circus-like activities being featured at the show such as this Jukari session and the TRX fitness system.

It was a fun expo & I met some great people.

Glad to be back in Boulder though as I now move into my

big build for Kona.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Pics from North Carolina

View from lakehouse on Lake Lure

Austin riding a big wave

Jack working his tube

Graham taking a break from the action...Younger brother Brian with family...

IMUSA

With my family vacation winding down I figured it was about time for me to share a few thoughts from last weekend's IMUSA.

This is perhaps the most scenic North American race I have experienced. The Adriondack Mountains are absolutely beautiful and the town of Lake Placid has a great history of playing host to large sporting events. The support from locals combined with the enthusiastic crowds make this one of my top five events.

Swim (55:42) - With limited swimming two weeks prior to the race due to a strained serratus muscle I was a bit uncertain how this portion of my day would go. I had a good start and found myself in a small group which included Jason Shortis, Christian Brader, Peter Vabrousek, Dave Harju and Sam MacGlone. The swim in Lake Placid is pretty straight forward with it's rectangle shape and two loops. As our group began to run into traffic on the second loop I was determined to stay on the feet of Jason as he navigated through the masses. Our pace was comfortable and I felt relaxed and smooth.

Bike (5:20) - Exiting T1 and into the early miles of the bike leaving town I was in good company with several of the race favorites. Within the first two miles I lost one of my bottles and had to make some adjustments to my fueling plan which would cause me some stomach issues on the second loop of the bike. Unlike last year's downpour, we had good weather and I was able to maximize the long descent into Keene before making the sharp left-hand turn on the flatest part of the course. Making the turn I reminded myself to be patient despite the nice tailwind. My legs felt great and I was maintaining a good mental focus. Through the first loop I rode mostly on my own and was spot on my target time as I made my way past the famed hockey arena to start the second loop. Once again I lost some of my nutrition as a gel flask slipped out of my race kit after going over some rough road on a steep downhill just outside the transition. Around the 85 mile mark I started to have stomach issues and felt downright awful. Burping, belching & wanting to puke was not something I had experienced during a race. As three of my buddies from Boulder (Curt, Billy & Dennis) passed and rode away from me within a 10 mile stretch I knew it was going to be a long, tough climb back to town. I tried to keep my mind in a good place, but admitedly had thoughts of simply calling it a day.

Run (2:54) - My legs felt pretty good on the early stages of the run. Coming off the bike in 17th I knew I had a huge task if I wanted to make the top 10 after giving up so much time on the bike. Running out of town I felt comfortable & relaxed with my focus on fueling & hydrating through the aid stations. I ran down a couple of guys through the first two miles and caught my buddy Dennis on the out & back section of the course. He was struggling a bit as we exchanged words of encouragement. Making my way back to town the crowds were great with their encouragement and I was beginning to make some ground on the fellas in front of me. From miles 16-20 I was in a really bad place and found myself in IM survival mode as my paced slowed to what seemed like a crawl. At this point I was in 8th place and giving all I could to hold on to the final money spot. My friend Carrie gave me a big lift as she told me she was praying I had strong finish when I passed her on scenic River Road.

Crossing the line in 9:15 and 8th overall I was grateful, humble and glad to be done with my day. I was able to hold things together fairly well despite the stomach crud. A big congrats to my friends Billy & Curt for their strong finishes in 7th & 9th overall.

I thank God for the gift of good health and the support from family, friends & sponsors.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Race Week

My body & mind are in a good spot heading into this weekend's IMUSA in Lake Placid, NY. I am looking forward to my weekend visit in the Adriondack Mountains. How can you not like racing in the same location as where the historic Miracle on Ice occurred back in '80!?! For those of you reading this who weren't even born, you missed out on one of sports greatest moments and I hope you have at least heard about it.

Bags are packed for my afternoon flight to Detroit where I'll spend a couple of nights before making the scenic drive over to Lake Placid on Wednesday. Unlike last year, I will have some friends from Boulder also racing IMUSA (Laura, Billy, Dennis & Curt).

You can follow the action on Sunday at www.ironman.com

Thanks for checking in!

Keep it smooth...
Brad

BSLT 70.3 Race Report

Another fun road trip down to Lubbock for the BSLT 70.3 last weekend. The drive down to west Texas with my buddy Michael was fairly uneventful with the usual conversation...life after 40 (for him...I'm still MANY weeks away), training, women (or lack of in my current situation), where to stop for a "safe" meal, coaching...

This will be a relatively brief re-cap.

Swim (30:33) - What the hell?!? Well, at least the ridiculous running which took place the last two years at the start of the swim was non-existant(apparently two ladies were the only ones to violate the "no running" rule - shame on you ;) Not sure if the course was a bit long this year or if the course was short the last few years. I had a clean start and quickly found the feet of American Patrick Bless. We swam together and on the back stretch were joined by Argentinian Mario DeElias who seemed to be swimming solo noticeably wide. I felt very comfortable in my blueseventy point zero skin suit and was quite surprised to see my swim split close to four minutes on the south end of the last couple of year's.

Bike (2:27) - Legs felt very good throughout the ride as I rode within my target power range. Riding into and up the first canyon I was caught by my buddy Pat who reminded me this was the same spot he caught me last year. True, only last year I did a better job of maintaining closer contact with him. On this day he rode away from me with little response from said blogger. Mistake, big mistake, mental mistake, tactical mistake...you get the picture. I rode the remainder of the hilly & windy and at times rainy bike with Bless. Fueling was spot on and legs felt ready to roll as I approached T2.

Run (1:17) - Slipping on my comfy Spira Stingers I made my way onto the challenging run course. Within the first mile I put a move on Bless and was able to get away from him. Legs felt the best they have on this course and I focused the effort on hydrating and maintaining a swift rhythm in an effort to close the Grand Canyon-like gap between me and the guys up the road. I ran well through the long out & back section of the course (aka Energy Lab II as it is an exposed 1.5 out & back with a powerplant towering alongside). Shortly after entering the park I caught Kiwi Jamie Whyte and was working hard to catch the young Argentinian DeElias. Approaching the final stretch he took a couple of looks over his shoulder as I was digging deep and held me off with a six second spread.

Crossing in 4:18 I was grateful for another day of racing. It was great seeing so many friends from Boulder on the course and meeting new friends from the FCA-E team. I was honored to be invited to speak at the IronPrayer service Saturday before the race and look forward to being part of the service in Lake Placid for IMUSA.

Congrats to Paul Matthews & Amy Marsh for their wins as well as my teammate Ben Hoffman (6th overall).

Thanks to my support team of sponsors, friends & family.

May God bless you with a healthy, safe & fun holiday weekend!

Keep it smooth...

Nails Still Intact

On the tail end of a 70 mile run week I notice my feet are looking a bit worn...my friend Kelly told me I need a peticure...yeah right...a soak in the creek, yes, peticure, hell no!

RFR Half IM, High School Graduation, Bachelor Party, Stanley Cup Playoffs & More...

standing proud with my niece Arial after her commencement ceremony

post race with one of my stellar athletes, killer Kenny

my support crew - Dad, Mom, Pat & Don (my Godparents & good family friends)

Sport Beans...loud & proud baby!

Okay, so I've been quite lazy with any updates...truth is life has been crazy busy, but in a very good way of course :) Last weekend I made a quick visit back to the Motor City/Hockeytown for one my niece's graduation and to race a half Ironman event called Racing for Recovery. It supported a fantastic cause with the healthy message of sobriety! It also gave me the opportunity to get together with one of my athletes for the pre-race training and give an informal Q&A on triathlon with his training group in Clarkston, Michigan. Quick race recap:

Swim (30 & change) - You might be thinking this was a non-wetsuit swim in seeing the time. Nope, just your typical open water swim in Lake Erie's (one of the Great Lakes) surf. Standing on the beach it looked more like the ocean. I swam off the front for the majority of the 1.2 mile swim until another guy caught be within the final 50 meters.

Bike (2:21) - Flat course with three loops, head, tail & cross winds and lots of water in the road from the storms that rolled through delaying the start of the race. Passing the athlete who led out of the water within the first mile, I pressed the pace and focused on fueling knowing the young guns behind me would be giving chase. Shortly after the first loop I was passed by another athlete and worked to maintain contact. Legs came around and I was feeling good as the ride unfolded. Towards the end of the 3rd loop I made a move to pass the leader. I suspected he would not be content with me leading the way which was confirmed as he made a surge to once again take the lead. I worked to cover his move and we entered T2 together.

Run (1:13) - Exiting T2 I was running in second place about 25 meters back from the leader. I had been feeling really good with my run in recent weeks so I decided to get to business. Around the first mile marker I made my move and ran past the leader. I was able to hold a good rhthym throughout the run as we twisted our way around a few small lagoons and varied running surfaces of paved road, bike paths and trails.

I secured my first overall win crossing the line in 4:08.

After the race I had a chance to make a quick visit to Toledo, Ohio and catch up with my aunt and cousin who is rehabing from a nasty bike accident. Tuesday morning following the Sunday race I had an 8am radio interview with Michgan Catholic radio to discuss my racing, speaking & faith. It was a hoot! Later on Tuesday was my niece's graduation. This was no small affair with close to 600 graduating seniors! I was very proud and grateful to watch Arial walk across the stage.

Arriving back in Boulder on Wednesday afternoon I was able to get in an easy recovery swim just as some nasty thunder boomers rolled down from the mountains. The weather in these parts has been quite strange with lots of storms & rain. Later that evening I was off to Denver's ESPN Zone with a crew of 12 others to celebrate the upcoming nuptials of our buddy Lara & Billy.

My recovery from last weekend's race has gone well and I am looking forward to the final push for IMUSA.

Tomorrow night you can be assured I will be kicking back and taking in the lively game 7 action of the Stanley Cup finals as the Red Wings look to hoist Lord Stanley once again!

Thanks for reading & keep it smooth...

Brad

Columbine Elementary Marathon Mile

Last Friday I had the priviledge of participating in a kids' fun run at a local elementary school. It is an annual event held at Columbine Elementary School here in Boulder with all K-5 grades completing the run as a healthy year-end activity. All the kids wore race bibs and custom t-shrits for the run. It was an incredibly cool scene and I was humbled to be in the presence of so many outstanding athletes from various sports. Only in Boulder would you be able to assemble the cast of atheltes pictured above for a 9am kids' fun run which included many current and past Olympians, world champions, world record holders and hall of famers (Fernando Cabada - '08 US Marathon Champion, Jorge & Edwardo Torres - Olympians, Uda Pippig - marathon champion, Mark Plaatjes - 1993 marathon World Champion, Benji Durden - marathon champion & Colorado Running Hall of Fame, Cameron Widoff - professional Ironman triathlete, Barry Siff - competitive triathlete Team Timex & owner of 5430 Sports, Adam Chase - ultra endurance runner & Marcelo Balboa - former US World Cup soccer team along with many others!) Most notably though was the charitable spirit & encouragement each athlete brought to share with the kidos.

I lined myself up with an eager group of first graders. It was a hoot to see them explode from the start line and continue their sprint/walk/sprint mode over the one mile course as it looped through the neighborhood streets surrounding their school. The kids were all smiles as they made their way towards the finish line and received their medals.

Here is a link to a video posted on YouTube from the event: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_ZehzAjhPw

On a personal note it was truly a pleasure to be a small part of this celebration. I was stoked to meet Marcelo Balboa as I saw him score one of the most incredible bicycle kick goals during a 1994 World Cup match being played in Detroit in which the US downed Switzerland.

Keep it smooth...

Brad

Rest & Recovery

As a competitive athlete it is often difficult to listen to one's body and back off things as training volume & intensity begin to accumulate. Over the years Coach Zane has done an exceptional job of analyzing my training data, giving me the proper balance of volume/intensity & knowing when I need a break from training. It has been over three weeks since my last complete day off from training and my body & mind were ready for a break. Having a meeting & speaking engagement early in the day triathlon was off my radar as I enjoyed a late afternoon matinee showing of The Soloist. It is an excellent film depicting the true story of a one-time Julliard school of music student turned homeless on the streets of L.A.

Training has been going extremely well with a good dosing of consistent quality and increased volume. I find taking a complete day off from the sport is very refreshing on many levels. This is not to say I never train when fatigued...heck don't we always feel tired!?! All too often athletes push themselves beyond the fine line of fatigue & overtraining. Listen to your body and be sure proper rest & recovery are part of your training plan.

Keep it smooth...
Brad

Littlefoot Triathlon

Sprint triathlons hurt...sprint triathlons at altitude hurt even more...With some recent changes to my race schedule I opted to stay at home this weekend to train and race a sprint called the Littlefoot Triathlon (750 meter swim, 15 mile bike, 4 mile run). After a solid week of training and putting together a very good swim & long run on Saturday I was looking forward to testing my body and racing through the fatigue.

Sean Wendt and his crew put on a great event...very low key and a grass-roots atmosphere. Bear Lake State Park was a beautiful venue with the chilly 55 degree swim, rolling bike course with plenty of twists & turns and flat run along the lake. I think the run was shy of 4 miles in looking at the splits...

Swim (11:01) - The pro wave was set to go 20'' after the last age group wave which gave me plenty of time to get in and warm-up. Just as the starter was about to count us down a boat moved in to adjust the first turn buoy which had blown off course from the stiff winds. After a couple of minutes and some laughs it was time to go! I found myself on the feet of Matt Balzer and the leaders for about 50 meters before my heart told me to back the bump off. For the remainder of the swim I tried to calm my breathing which was way out of control and swim with a small group of three. With a short run to the bike rack I began to fumble with my wetsuit and lost some precious time in T1 with a transition just over 1:00 - yikes!

Bike (39:41) - One of my goals was to simply hurt through this bike and boy did it hurt! The lactic acid quickly pooled in my quads as my heart continued its pounding. The two loop bike course was a hoot with lots of technical sections and couple of hills. During the first loop I came into one of the turns a little too hot and overshot it going right through a section of cones (had there been a barrier or bales of hay I would have been up & over :) Getting back on course I continued to work and try and bridge up to the guys ahead of me. I rode through the first loop in around 20'' and I wanted to get the bike under 40''. Not missing any turns on the second loop I caught a guy near the end of the bike coming in just under the forty minute mark.

Run (19:22) - Onto the run and my focus was all about finding some leg speed! Joe Gambles and the guys from the Riptide Multisport Team were pushing things well up front. As the run progressed I was gaining a little ground on the guys up the road, but in a sprint you have to be with the group from the get-go.

9th place overall in 1:11:54. It was an entertaining way to spend my Sunday morning and I think my breath is finally coming back to me :)

Congrats to Joe for his solid win and all the athletes for a competitive, fair & fun race!

Keep it smooth...

Wildflower Triathlon

This was my second go at the challenging course served up by the good people at TriCalifornia and it certainly lived up to expectations! I rank this course as one of my top three and look forward to returning to scenic Lake San Antonio State Park next year. Huge thanks to Terri Davis & his crew for putting on another stellar event. In particular I'd like to thank Dixie who organized the housing & logistics for the professionals as well as the voices of Wildflower - Sean, Nick & Julie for their energy & enthusiasm throughout the weekend. It was a great race weekend traveling with several friends from Boulder including Billy, Kirk, Shane (one of my athletes) and Christiana (one of Kirk's athletes). We shared a beautiful house with four other athletes on an adjacent lake and it was loads of fun! I met several great people throughout the weekend and enjoyed seeing so many of my friends from FCA-E and spending some time at their booth post the race. At our race briefing TriCal had some swag for give-aways and I earned some goodies for being the oldest male pro. In reality I wasn't as Scott Young (43) was racing but did not attend the meeting. It made for some good laughs back at the house. We were blessed with very good weather on race day and I felt ready to roll.

Swim (27:22) - With close to 60 pro men entered it made for a rather cramped swim start on the edge of the lake. I lined myself up to the left next to Kirk as we had our tradtional lunch on the line for fastest swim. Getting caught up in the masses I failed to have a solid start and soon found myself being gapped by the main chase pack along with Kirk, Rutger Beke, Trevor Wurtle and a couple of other athletes. The pace was very comfortable and at times I thought about making a move to swim around the leaders of our small group. Not seeing anyone in sight to whom I could bridge up to I made the decision to conserve some energy and sit in. Kirk & I swam side-by-side for the majority of the swim and as we neared the exit I picked it up just bit in hoped of at least earning a free lunch. I nipped Kirk out of the water and as we ran up the steep boat ramp to T1 he looked at me and said, "Nice swim Bradley." He ran a bit faster than I up the ramp as he remembered the timing mat for the swim was at the top not at the bottom where I was thinking it was placed. We both eneded up with the exact same swim split so I guess lunch is a wash on this one.

Bike (2:37) - My goal for the bike was to be patient over the first portion while maintaining a stead effort to avoid blowing out my legs. I felt very comfortable spinning up the steep one mile
Beech Hill climb and over the rollers leading out of the park. I dropped my chain on one of the first rollers inside the park and had to stop & dismount to get it working. I figure it cost me about :30-:45 and stayed calm with things. I had a good chuckle making the left turn onto Jolon Road with the two Cal Poly volunteers completely sleeping in their chairs holding signs with an arrow indicating our turn. Nice party the night before boys?! Focusing on my target power range I rode up on a small group of guys including Victor Plata. We rode together legally within the stagger rules for a good portion of the ride attracting the attention of a race official who stayed with us. Around the 35 mile mark one of the guys was told to stand down for an apparent penalty. I then took the lead and readied myself mentally for the upcoming hills. At the base of Nasty Grade Victor and I were together and exchanged a few words. He encouraged me to continue my effort and I felt really good climbing both Nasty Grade & Heart Rate Hill. I was able to ride away from Victor on the climbs and maintained a good work rate over the final five miles. Entering the park I caught Rutger Beke and near transition rode past Chris Stehula and Hector Llanos. My mind began to shift to the run as I entered transition.

Run (1:18) - Heading out on the run was fun with the spectators, energy and mountain bike athletes completing their run portion. I had to weave in, around & past a lot of these athletes as I worked to find my running legs. The first five miles were tough as my legs really began to cramp. I was soon in pure manage-the-damn-cramping-mode and had to let up on the gas to avoid a complete shuffle. I caught several athletes within the first few miles and even though I could not see any athletes up the trail I kept reminding myself to continue working the effort. Through the aid stations I was all about hydrating and taking in my Endurolytes. As mile six rolled around I finally started feeling good and was able to press the pace a bit. The Cal Poly volunteers and spectators along the course were great. I love this run with the isolation of the trails and boisterous crowds within the campgrounds. Entering the "pit" (1 mile out & back section of the run) I was able to take stock of my position and focused on catching whoever was within range. The final two miles were tough with the uphill out of the pit and the final steep downhill on Lynch Beach Road. Crossing the finish line I was grateful for another day of racing!

My finishing time of 4:25 placed me in the middle of the deep pro field at 23 out of 56. In talking with several guys who raced last year it appears it was a slower day on both the swim & bike for many. I felt much better with my effort than I did in Oceanside and look forward to my build for IMUSA.

Congrats to all those who made it to the line including my FCA-E teammates, the two brothers from the Biggest Loser and the TriCal training camp team of Reed & Eileen Swanson. Big props to my teammates Alexis Smith (8th overall), Ben Hoffman (8th overall) and Jeff Piland for their efforts and of course a big thanks to my sponsors (Team Sport Beans/NTTC, Champion Systems, Rudy Project, blueseventy, Mix1, Spira, Flexpower Sports Cream).

Thanks for reading!

Keep it smooth...
Brad

CatholicTV

Here is a link to an inteview I did this morning for a progam out of Boston called This Is the Day - CatholicTV.

Hope you have a blessed weekend and good luck to all my friends throwing down at St. Anthony's in Tampa, FL!!

Keep it smooth...
Brad

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Spring Melt

I snapped this pic with my phone today during a recovery interval between hill repeats up on of our beautiful canyons. It was a stellar day for climbing with a backdrop of deep blue skies, sunshine, evergreens and snow melt creating numerous waterfalls along the canyon. Boulder Creek will again be an ideal place for soaking the legs post workouts :)

To the individual(s) who scattered scrap metal on both shoulders along 36 heading out of Boulder...get a life!

Keep it smooth...
Brad

37 & Rain

As I look out the sliding glass door there is a steady rain with temp of 37 degrees F. Moisture on the front range is a good thing, right?!? Well the rain will moisten the land and melt yesterday's snow :) Today's plan a moderately long trainer ride w/intervals and run off the bike.

On a more exciting note, the Wings are in action later today in Game 2 of their quest for Lord Stanley. Those of you reading this who don't follow hockey...shame on you. I grew up playing pond hockey on the frozen lakes near my home. I was never a super star skater or puck handler, but mixing it up with my buddies on the weekend for some "old time hockey" (that's a quote from Slapshot - perhaps the funniest hockey movie ever) was always a hoot.

"Let's Go Red Wings" will be echoing through Joe Louis Arena this evening!

Good luck to my friends Pat & Dennis racing IM China & 70.3 this weekend!!

Keep it smooth...
Brad

For Sale: 52cm Felt B2 carbon frame

52cm Felt B2 carbon frame (excellent condition - no dings, scratches, etc.) bought frame in July 2007. Dura Ace brake set, Dura Ace front & rear derailleur, Dura Ace bar end shifters. Vision Tech aero bar with s-bend carbon extensions, Ergomo carbon cranks - $1,500 plus shipping.

Ergomo power meter currently hooked up to frame, but only giving speed & distance. I believe a couple of the wires need to be soldered for unit to work properly. Basically it functions as a bike computer at the moment. Ergomo given for free to interested buyer of frame.

Cali 70.3

It was an incredibly fun race weekend staying with my friend Caroline in Del Mar. She also had another friend, Jenny, who was in for the race so we had loads of laughs throughout the weekend. Friday before the race I was invited to speak at the IronPrayer service being held on the beach. It was such a blessing to meet other athletes & volunteers and hear some motivating words & music. I have spoken at several of these events and the Oceanside gathering wasy very cool with the sun setting & ocean waves as a back drop. A special thanks to Robin & Troy Soares for getting it organized & hooking me up with a ride from San Diego up to Oceanside so I could register, attend my pre-race briefing and participate in the IronPrayer service. If you are ever looking for a special way to jump start your race weekend check out the IronPrayer at your next race. The weather was fantastic on race day and the four days I was in San Diego. It was great to see many of my friends racing and get things rolling for '09.

Swim (26:30) - Upon entering the water in my new blueseventy helix I felt calm & relaxed. I had a decent warm-up and did not feel too cold unlike previous years. I lined myself at the front sandwiched between Michael & a few guys I did not know. I had a fairly clean start, but took a good whack to my face which knocked my goggles. After about 300m I had to stop & adjust my goggles as they were beginning to fill with cold, salty Pacific water. I could see a gap had developed between me and the main pack, but I was able to secure a draft and swim the entire distance with Trevor Wurtle & Sergio Marques. It seems like Sergio & I often swim together and as we exited the water he was probably thinking, "Oh that guy again" just as I was. The three of us exited T1 together and were off on the challenging 56 mile bike course.

Bike (2:34) - Early in the bike course I hit some rough patches of road which caused my seat post to drop down. I could tell my position was off, but figured if things got bad I would be able to find some kind of tech support up the road or borrow some tools from a spectating cyclist. As the bike progressed Sergio & Trevor faded away in the distance and I seemed to be moving backwards. I just could not generate the necessary power and at times felt like a circus clown in my new "position". As my legs fatigued through the middle portion of the bike I started debating whether or not I should simply stop and wait for tech to make some much needed adjustments. I continued to ride and found myself coming off the bike dead last!

Run (1:16) - Needless to say I was quite happy to get my bum onto the run course. After donning my new red racing flats from Spira I was determined to put together a solid run & salvage this day. It took a good four miles for my legs to come around and I felt stronger as the run progressed. I caught my teammate, Jeff Piland, shortly after making the first turn-around and we exchanged a few encouraging words for one another. Through the second loop I was feeling pretty good and kept the focus on staying relaxed with my form while trying to press the pace. I caught a couple of the Timex fellas within the last mile and was happy to hold things together despite the frustrations with things on the bike crossing the line in 4:22 and 33rd overall.

A big congrats to Matt Reed for his overall win & all my friends on their finishes. I really appreciated the cheers & words of encouragement from folks along the course. Thanks as well to my sponsors for their continued support: Team Sport Beans/NTTC, Champion Systems, blueseventy, Rudy Project, Spira, Mix1, Flex Power & Adrenaline Tri-Sport.

Keep it smooth,
Brad