Hunter's Triathlon Blog

La Jolla Half Marathon Race Report

2011-04-18T17:07:00.001-07:00

It has been quite the year of racing! And it’s only April! This season started off poorly as I have had to deal with a lot of nagging injuries which seem to plague me each month since December. I have started to address the problems and hopefully things will improve. On a more positive note I have managed a PR in 3 of the 4 events this year. I thought I PR’d at Safari Park but it seems I was about 20 seconds off.
I haven’t run La Jolla since high school (5 years). Being one of my favorite roads in San Diego I was excited to see what the legs could produce. Race morning was the business as usual. I spent the night at my parents place and awoke with my Dad (who was running) to down some coffee and chow down. We got dressed and it seemed that we would have perfect running weather. The day before it was in the high 80’s but today it was in the mid 60’s with overcast skies. I usually hate cloudy days with a passion but I was SSTOKED. We drove the few miles to Miltons, which is only a ½ mile from the start line at the Del Mar Race Track. After jogging over we lined up at the front so that we wouldn’t have to weave through the crowds.
Off went the gun! My dad and I ran together for the first 3 miles but at mile 4 there was a slight up-hill and I kicked it in gear. Looking at my HR monitor I saw that I was going a bit too hard as I didn’t want to start my push until after Torrey Pines hill. However I was really afraid that my friend Linzay was going to catch me!
So a little back story is needed here. Linzay is a stud runner. She caught me at mile 4 at San Deguito, but I managed to push on an uphill and stay away with a bit of a cushion. The next time we “meet” was at Safari Park. I was having a terrible race that day (well I felt terrible) and she passed me at mile 5 and stayed away for about a mile. I had to work really hard to pass her again, she ended up finishing about a min back of me. She and all my running buddies said she was going to kick my butt at La Jolla. Consequently she had been putting in a lot of work and I had been suffering from plantar factious so my run training was less than ideal. However, I ran a 1:40 at IMCA70.3 2 weeks prior and that was less than a min off my stand alone 13.1 PR.
Ok back to the race report: I knew she would be running strong so I decided to start my push at mile 4, before the hill. I refused to let myself “look back” and continued to keep the pressure on as I ran through Torrey Pines on my way into La Jolla.
With about 3 miles to go we run down a really long hill into La Jolla Shores. I HATE RUNNING DOWN HILL! Once I hit the bottom I started my final push to the finish. After having biked the course the day before I thought I would have enough gas to have a strong push into La Jolla Cove. Once I started to pass the La Jolla Beach And Tennis Club I could tell that I was starting to fade a bit but figured once I crested the top I could let gravity pull me towards the finish. With about a quarter mile to go I knew I had another PR so I was pretty stoked. I cruised into the finish with a time of 1:37:21 finishing 21st of 159 in my AG and 187 of 6,064 finishers.
I am very pleased with my efforts on the day. I pushed hard from start to finish, executed a great nutrition plan thanks to Hammer Nutrition, rode 45 miles the day before, and focused on keeping good form during the race. I want to give a special shout out to my dad who averaged an 8min pace over the course after crushing the bike the day before and having to carry that super buff body up the hills. Many thank to K-Swiss and Injinji for keeping my feet happy, and TP Therapy for allowing me to walk today haha.
I might not be able to make it up to Wildflower so we will have to see. However its FULL steam ahead for Ironman Coeur D Alene!!! Congrats to all finishers!

Happy Training/Racing…

Ironman Oceanside 70.3 Race Report

2011-04-06T21:52:00.000-07:00

Finally! After three years of chasing the 70.3 PR I finally got it. Let's see how it all went down.

Race week was anything but restfull. Asside from lowering my volume It was crazy busy and hectic. We had to load the semi trailers for our national mud run series which had a TON of heavy lifting. A few times I thought I tweaked my back. Stress levels were also pretty high with the launch of the series. I was not to optimisitc because I was dealing with some plantar facitis that had plagued me for 3.5 weeks. Yealding only 4 runs since safari park half marathon and 0 speed work.

However I approached the start line with optimism and was very excited to be racing. Afterall I do this because I love it right??

Race morning was busness as usual and I was feeling confidant as we headed to the water. It was great to go off with farmiloar faces of James Walsh, Rj, James from Zoot, and my dad. The water was a bit chilly so I donned the neopreame swim lid to keep my noggin toasty.

As the swim started I jumped on some feet and got into my groove. Unfortunatly I got on the wrong feet as he swung wide right and I could see the pack slipping away. So I ended up swimming 3/4 of the swim in open water by myself. But i still had a decent swim coming out of the water in 33:43 and feeling fresh.

On to the bike!!!! Man I love the bike and I was ready to chase down RJ. My plan was to ride between a 3.5 and 4 on my HRM, and really push the pace the last 20 miles because I wasn't sure how my foot would do during the run. Well the wind decided to show up and man did it BLOW!!!! I was finding myself being forced to ride in the little ring on the flats and it was anything but confidence building. However, I was still moving up through the field and not being passed by riders behind. So, I figured I was riding well. With about 10 miles to go I finally saw RJ up the road. I knew I needed to put some time into him before the run as he is a much stronger runner than I am. As I rode past I said "WOO LETS GO DOGGIE!" and cheered him on, however, I tried to really hammer those last few miles. I was catching more and more people and with about 5 miles to go I eased off the gas and got in some more nutrition so I could be ready for the run.

I really had no idea how I would do on the run. I had only run 4 times in the last month and was concerned my foot would flair up and force me to a walk. I went through the first mile at a sub-7 pace but got myself to settle into a 7:30ish pace. RJ caught me around mile 2 and I decided to just run my own race and focus on keeping good form and maintaining my pace. I felt really good on the run was able to keep a pretty consistent pace over the 13 miles.

At the end of the day I managed the PR and a top 5 in my AG. A great confidence builder starting the season because I felt that my training could have been better. 80 Days To Ironman Coeur d Alene.....Bring it!!!

Swim: 33:43

T1: 4:14

Bike: 2:26:44

T2: 1:29

Run: 1:40:42 (Only 1 min slower than my stand alone 13.1 PR!)

Total: 5:06:32

Big ups to everyone who participated this past weekend! It seems like everyone killed it out there. Some others who deserve credit: K-SWISS keeping me lookin fly and running fast, Injinji= happy feet, TP Therapy (A Must Have For All!), Hammer Nutrition..the best fuels, and Darkfin gloves.

A special thank you to ART master Brian Kildow! Seriously wouldn't have been able to race with out his magic hands!

Happy Training/Racing!!!

Schedule Update

2011-02-22T16:36:00.000-08:00

Just updated my race schedule. Took off Xterra Black Mtn since it falls right after Oside 70.3, as well as Super Seal since I want to get in a solid training weekend. I just added a "fun"race the Spartan Race this weekend and just registered for the AFC Half with my Dad....this schedule just keeps getting better!

Happy Training/Racing...

San Dieguito Half Marathon 2011-Race Report

2011-02-13T15:16:00.000-08:00

(Photo Credit: Skinnyrunner.com)

My family has lived in Rancho Santa Fe for since I was in the 3rd grade so you could say that I’ve been scouting this course for the last 16 years haha, however, this is the first time I have done this event. My race preparations were anything but ideal. The last time I ran over 8 miles must have been 2 months ago, and I am coming off a 4 week injury. So going into this event I was confidant that my legs could handle the 13.1 miles of running but I was not expecting much from them in the speed department.

In the days leading up to the event I spent time doing other activities to ensure that I wasn’t aggravating my prior injury. Yesterday I had a great time surfing and beaching it with my friends, then called it an early night. This morning we met up with some running friends at my parents house. My new running friend Linzay or Broke Runner as she is better known, came over to run with us. (Check out her amazing blog at www.brokerunner.com). We all took a slow run/walk over to the starting line. I always love races because its like I’m going to a party and reconnecting with all my athletic friends.

We all lined up and I started running with my dad and his friend Bob who were planning on holding an 8min average pace on the course. I figured that I could safely hold this without aggravating my quad or blowing up. I was feeling pretty solid up to mile 5.5 when there was the steepest hill on the course.

I LOVE running UP hills and was able to create a bit of a gap on Bob. Once I crested the top I noticed I was pacing well off of this girl who was taking a bunch of pictures. I asked her “So are you taking pictures every mile”, she replied “no these are just for my blog”. Turns out her name was Sarah (I think I spelled that correctly) and her page is www.skinnyrunner.com Right after that hill I was starting to feel pretty good and lowered my pace to the 7:15 range. It was nice to have someone to chat with to keep my mind off of running. We were able to consistently hold this pace for the next 5 miles which was pretty sweet because it yielded a new PR (1:39)! I do have to note that the last Road Stand Alone Half Marathon I have competed in was something like 2 years ago. But none the less I was very pleased with my efforts after coming back from a month long injury!

Things are feeling pretty good right now. After the race we walked a mile home, downed some recovery drinks, and then hopped in the pool to cool off. The pool is something like 56 degrees right now so it does wonders for tired muscles! I’ve been refueling and relaxing Ill probably get back into the pool one more time then hook myself up to the muscle stimulator to flush things out later tonight. It was great having Linzay come kick it with us and be sure to watch out for this girl she’s PR’d in her last two races! And as always I love making new running friends like Skinny Runner (thanks for helping me push the pace!), it makes going to that next event much more exciting.

Final Time: 1:39:12/7:35 pace/11th in AG.....not to shabby

That’s all for now, training as usual this week (FINALLY!) Next up: Safari Park Half!

Happy Training/Racing…

UP-date

2011-02-04T17:14:00.000-08:00

Quick Quick update. So I have taken 2 weeks off from running and biking to rest my quad. Man let me tell you its TOUGH. I seriously have an addiction ;). This week is my first week back and I have managed 2 runs and 1 bike ride. Things are feeling pretty good, NO PAIN!!! Now I just need to be sure to not jump back in and hammer for the next week or so.

So what does this mean for the half marathon next weekend? FUN RUN! I have a bunch of co-workers and amigos participating so I think I will just opt for a mellow training day. I am super bummed about this, however, I don't have the run training to put forth a solid effort.

That's it for now, I'll be posting next week for my FIRST RACE OF 2011!!!

Happy Training/Racing!

Set-Backs

2011-01-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

2011 is set to be a big year and I was very eager to hammer hammer hammer! But it looks like I was too eager. I started upping my running too quickly and pissed off my IT bands. Then decided to go on an epic 60 mile ride with a strong group last weekend. After sending my quad in to spasm I took a few days off and thought that i was good to go. Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. I went out with uber-biker James Walsh and a few other really strong riders for a 90 mile epic ride. Around mile 50 the quad started to spasm again, but i tried to tough it out and get through the ride. The pain got pretty bad and I wasn't able to hang with the group, I also noticed that I was basically one leg pedaling. Finally listening to my body I pulled over called for a ride with about 10 miles left on the loop. I have to say that yesterday I was pretty down on myself, convinced that my season was over before it even began. But now as I spend my Sunday relaxing and rehabing I realize that this is only a minor set-back. My first real race of 2011 isn't for 77 days (Oceanside 70.3) and the A Race (Ironman Coeur D Alene) isn't for 160 days. So its not the end of the world if I cant train hard for the next two weeks. If you couldn't tell Im really just writing this post as a means to vent and convince myself everything is OK.

So I'm just trying to stay positive and ensure that I don't try too much too soon. On a more happy note I have been crushing it in the pool lately and even managed to get in the pool 4 times this week. Here's to a speedy recovery from this nagging quad and then its time to DO WORK.

If your in San Diego next weekend be sure to check out Endurance LIVE!

Happy Training/Racing

Xterra 17K Trail Race

2010-12-16T21:38:00.000-08:00

Just when you thought it was over… It seemed like this season was never going to end (not that I’m complaining). A few weeks ago my buddy RJ convinced me to sign up for the Xterra 17K in Laguna. The race profile showed some serious climbs but I really had no idea what I was in store for!

Our day started with a 6am wake up, which was really nice. Then we piled in RJ’s whip we jammed up 5N and onto PCH until we got to the park. We arrived with plenty of time to spare and managed to get in a nice little 5 min warm up run before lining up at the start. Our race went off at 8am and it was already getting warm as we all toed the line, so I knew that the climbs would be HOT!

The field was pretty small; maybe 300+ people were taking on the tough 17K. We started uphill for about a quarter mile then ran down the steepest hill ever! I have concluded that I am terrible at running down hill because I went from like 10th to 20th on the downhill. I usually have my “low point of the race” towards the end but the mile climb up the mountain at mile 3-4 killed me. My patellar tendon in my left leg locked up and I was forced to walk about a quarter mile. Luckily after a quick stretch and a “call of nature” I was well on my way.

The next few miles were mostly flat or rolling and I really picked up steam and was feeling great! I was completely ignoring my MPM and was just trying to catch people up the road while not letting anyone behind me catch up. I linked up with another runner and we paced well off of each other. She would surge ahead on the downhill’s and I would catch back up on the up hills. With 3 miles left to go I turned on the after burners and jammed as hard as my body could handle. I noticed I almost pushed it too hard because there were a few hills that I felt like I was going to pass out upon reaching the top, luckily I didn’t ha-ha!

The final mile was down hill, and when everyone else was excited to run down I really hated the final mile. My goal was to go under 1:45 and as I was coming in the final mile I saw that there was a slim chance I could go under 1:30. Unfortunately, I finished 1:30 and some change. Once I crossed the line I met up with RJ who finished 1:20 (HE WAS FLYING!). After getting some water and food I checked our results. RJ got 1st in our AG and I managed to pull 3rd, so we were really stoked. I mean this was the end of the season, I was sick, and my training was far from consistent.

I had a great time at the Xterra 17K and got myself some good points for the 2011 series. I have to miss the Boney Mtn. Half Marathon for some family stuff but I’ll be sure to get in as many of these as I can!

So that’s it for the 2010 season, its been an amazing journey and I have really exceeded my expectations and cant wait for 2011 its going to be epic!!! The next month I’m going to focus on my running form and slowly start to get back into things. I’ll probably officially start training for 2011 in February but things will start to ramp up in January. Many many thanks to all my sponsors for 2010 you all have really helped so much. And to my friends/family who’s support and inspiration I drew on every day in training/racing. Happy Holidays/New Year to all!

Happy Training/Racing!

Check This Guy Out!

2010-12-14T09:01:00.000-08:00

My good buddy and training partner just launched a blog check him out:
www.rjsnyder.blogspot.com/

New Sponsor For 2011

2010-12-07T14:14:00.000-08:00

Just signed with Darkfin Gloves for 2011. They are super sweet and especially great for open water swimming and surfing. Check em out https://www.darkfingloves.com/

Off Season?????

2010-12-03T10:24:00.000-08:00

Looks like no off season for me! Just signed up for a killer 17K. Follow my twitter for the daily happenings....I'll post a race report after the event.

PS: If you have been wondering where my NYC marathon report is I still haven't gotten around to posting.

Happy Training/Racing...

Fearless Triathlon Race Report

2010-10-31T20:20:00.000-07:00

Just when I thought my triathlon season was over with the SD Tri Classic I go an sign up for another race. The Fearless Triathlon was a DOUBLE Sprint Triathlon. It was a 250m Swim, 5 mile Bike, and 2 mile Run TWICE!

Coming into the race I was not expecting much from myself since I had not done any swim or bike training in the last month and a half haha. But I was really intrigued to try this new double sprint format. When I got down to the race it was still dark and the rain clouds were looming. I met up with some of my other buddies from Competitor Group and we when down to the waters edge. Before the gun went off we all chatted about race strategy and about how cold the water was going to be (we weren't wearing wetsuits).

OFF GOES THE GUN! And it was a total battle to say the least. I ended up swimming the entire first loop with my head above the water because we were all on top of each other. But then it was on to the bike and my favorite portion of the race. As we started out on the 5 mile course the rain started to come down so that made things interesting. Then on to the run, I was able to run the first lap with a few familiar faces.

Back into the water we went and I was wondering how things would go the second time around. The second swim was much more relaxed and I was able to get into a nice relaxed pace. It was actually quite refreshing starting the second swim, although all the blood was in my legs rather than in my upper body haha. Out of the swim I was with the group that I ran my first lap with, however, coming out of transition and on to the bike i was unable to close the strap on my cycling shoe. For some reason the thing was stuck, however I was able to get is closed and was on my way. Now at this time the rain was really coming down and the bike course was getting slippery. I kept telling myself that i had the NYC Marathon next weekend and didn't want to be recovering from a bike crash so I took the corners with caution. Finally onto the fun for the last time I went out onto the course feeling pretty good, yet there was no one up the road, that I could see, and I always like chasing people down so that wasn't very fun. But with 3/4 of a mile to go I could hear someone coming up from behind....and fast. I pushed the pace and tried to keep the gap. I couldn't help but think about the batter Macca had had in Kona. As this mystery runner came up on my right side I tried to look down at his calf to check his age. He noticed me looking and said " don't worry I'm old!". That really made my day and I managed to get in a quick laugh. I ran with him for as long as I could until he started his push for the finish line. As we were closing in on the final 500 meters, I took a look back and had a pretty significant gap from the next male competitor behind me so I didn't need to prepare myself for a sprint haha.

Crossing the finish line i knew that I had more fun in this double super sprint than any traditional sprint I have ever participated in. I already can't wait until next year and really hope this format of racing picks up!

I fly out to NYC on Thursday and am really excited for this experience as its one of the biggest marathons in the world....a full weekend report will follow next week!

Happy Training/Racing!

Hennesseys International and Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle Race Reports

2010-10-06T17:00:00.000-07:00

So this is a combo "race" report. Notice i put the word race in quotes.

In my strive to stay active in the off season i have decided to take advantage of one of the main features that San Diego has to offer: THE OCEAN. I have quickly learned that if any activity has a racing element associated with it i HAVE to partake. Thus i have jumped in headfirst into the world of Stand Up Paddle Racing.

SUP has been a great way for me to stay fit while still enjoying my workouts. I will typically get in some sort of tri-specific workout in the morning then either go surf or SUP after work. I was having a blast with all the SUPing i was doing and decided to sign up for the Hennesseys International Paddle Race. This was a 6 mile out and back course in Mission Bay. When i got down to Mission Bay i quickly discovered that this was a pretty cool sport, with a nice mix of the race vibe with the surf culture. As i toed the waters edge with my competitors i quickly discovered that their boards looked much faster. And indeed they were, i ended up being the only participant on a surfing SUP rather than a racing SUP. This would be like doing a Time Trial on a beach cruiser rather than a tt bike. As the gun went off i was quickly left in everyone's wake and managed to limp home second to last.

WOW that was a humbling experience!!! But i still got in a great workout and had fun....So whats an athlete to do?

I sold my board and picked up a racing board that next week as i was determined to somewhat redeem myself at the Rainbow Sandals Battle of the Paddle (one of the biggest races around).

Luckily the Battle of the Paddle went much better. This was an out and back 10 mile course along the coast line in Dana Point. I lined up with 180 other competitors out past the break and raced down to the pier and back. I was happy to see that i was just behind the middle of the pack as the race got under way which meant that i was doing better than last time haha! This being only my 10th or so time actually on a SUP board i was trying to pick up on the techniques of all the other watermen and noticed that stroke technique was VERY important to ones speed in the water. So this is something i will need to master before next season. As we made our way down the coastline i would pick paddlers up the way and try and catch them. This strategy worked really well as i was able to "come from behind" and pass a large number of racers. With about 3 miles to go i fell off my board and lost a few positions. Determined to regain my place i paddled all out to catch the group i was with and as i caught them i realized that i was not feeling signs of fatigue or any building lactic acid in my muscles. So i decided to keep going hard until i had to ease off. Well, much to my surprise i realized that i was able to hold this pace for the remaining 3 miles. Finally, as i approached the shore i attempted to time my approach so that i would ride a wave to the beach.....well that didn't go as planned. I caught a mini swell and glided a bit before getting tossed by the next wave in the set. Then it was a short run up the beach to the finish line with paddle in hand. I managed to finish top 10 in my age/craft class division.

Soooo i really love this new sport and cant wait for all the races next year. Im actually doing one final 6 mile race at the La Jolla Cove this Saturday, so that will be fun and hopefully i can further improve. I know i really need to work on stroke technique and am excited to start seeing improvement. Thats all for now, if any of you want to give SUP a try leme know and we can go out!

Happy Training/Racing.....and good luck to all racing Kona this weekend!

San Diego Triathlon Classic Race Report

2010-09-24T11:52:00.000-07:00

I have to say that I am pretty pleased with my results from last weekend’s SD Triathlon Classic. I still have not started a structured training program after Ironman and have only been in the pool a few times. What have I been up to? Well I have become hooked on Surfing and Stand Up Paddling. I have made a point to go every day I can after work (as long as I get in some sort of exercise before of course). Surfing has really been a blast I am getting better with each session and it’s a really fun relaxing workout. SUP has been another amazing escape from the everyday. I am participating in my first ever SUP race this Saturday which should be a blast.
Back to the race. I really was not feeling doing this race and was somewhat worried that I was burnt out on triathlons! But luckily that’s not the case as I had a really fun time; I think I am STILL super tired from producing TriRock. My dad and I drove down to the race site on Saturday morning and for once his wave went off before mine. So I mingled around reconnecting with old friends and chatted about the course and our race strategies. The swim was an out and back in a channel so it should have yielded fast times. NOT SO MUCH. I guess spending all Friday surfing (about 4 hours worth) was not the best way to taper before having to race an oly distance triathlon. Well I came out of the water in 27:43 not fast but not super slow either. I ran through T1 and had to move someone’s stuff out of the way which was a total PIA.
On to the bike course. This may be one of the nicest bike courses in San Diego. The ride had almost every element from fast flats, downhill’s, rollers, and a tough climb. It was a 2 loop course and I felt really good the entire time. My 1 complaint is that I started in the last wave and was constantly dodging traffic and yelling ON YOUR LEFT, MOVE TO THE RIGHT!!! It gets a little scary when bombing down a hill at 44mph dodging riders and trying not to hit the cones. My bike felt good coming off in 1:08:12 21.8 average speed.
The run course was a 2 loop course on a dirt path which was nice as it was not so much pounding on the legs. Although I really should have own socks in this on because I have gnarly blisters on my feet. The run went OK I didn’t have the speed I wanted but didn’t feel terrible either. I somewhat expected to have a slow run because I have not been doing much running. My run was 45:39.
My efforts resulted in a 4th place finish so I’m pretty stoked on that. I honestly have been “Mr. Consistency” for the last few events as I was never passed by anyone nor did I pass anyone in my AG. I guess it’s not a bad thing.
So this marks the end of my Triathlon Season for 2010. It’s been amazing and I have accomplished more than I have ever thought possible. My 100 min PR at Ironman Coeur D Alene still gives me the chills. It’s been a wild ride for 2010, the two 70.3’s were certainly not my best and I hope to drastically improve on those for 2011, I have improved at the OLY. Distance and I can’t wait to see what 2011 will yield for the Ironman Distance.

Coeur D'Alene Olympic Triathlon Race Report

2010-08-12T08:03:00.000-07:00

This will be a quick one....but i wanted to get it in before i head up to Boulder this weekend.

Flew up to Coeur D'Alene for a family thing on Thursday night. Did a short swim in the lake on Friday and did a bunch of wakeboarding/skurfing probably not the best decision because my back, hammies, and calves were hurting on race day.

The CDA triathlon goes off in 2 waves with about 250 in each. We headed right out into the wind and made a right turn that paralleled the beach then came back in along the length of the beach which was tough because the wind and waves were pushing us into shore. I felt OK on the swim, have only really been swimming 1 day a week lately as i have been taking July very easy and mainly due to the TDF I was doing a lot of leisurely bike riding. My goal for the swim was to do sub-30 and come out some where in the top 10 of my AG.

I came out of the water in 9th with 27:04.

I made a speedy transition and was out onto the bike course. As i did my flying mount and started riding i noticed that there was a rubbing sound coming from my back wheel. I thought it was my rear brake so i opened the quick release but the sound continued. I pulled over and realized that my back wheel was not in correctly, even though i checked it the night before after the rebuild. I was quickly on my way again and was red-lining it to make up for lost time. On the first down hill I slowed up and settled back into my pace. This course is really fun because you ride flat along the lake for a few miles then head into the hills for about 10 miles of climbing which is always fun. Just before the first climb a guy in my AG (who went 3rd in my AG and 11th overall) blew by me and I did my best to catch up and stay with him but it was no use. I then traded blows with the two female leaders on the course at the time. We worked well together continually pushing it up each climb and hammering on the downhills. On the way back into town another guy in my AG came along side me but i quickly put the hammer down and tried to get a little gap on him before heading into T2.

My bike was 1:10:52 which was good enough for the 9th fastest in my AG. Im starting to see a pattern here!

Out of T2 I was running hard. I had been having a lot of back pain from wakeboarding the day before and my right glute was giving me some issues so i was a little apprehensive heading out on the run. I think i did the first mile in 6:45. Just as i started to settle into my usual 6:50-7min 10k pace Julie Vieselmeyer (4th female overall) and 1st on the course at the time, came up on my shoulder. I managed to get out a "go get um!" to cheer her on because i could tell she was pushing hard. I came even with her 50ft later and we pushed each other along the course trying to hold that 6:50 pace. I actually felt GREAT and was really surprised with the lack of training and the glute and back issues i had been having. Unfortunately i had forgotten to take down a gel just before the run and stared to fade at the end of the run. But managed to get one last surge when a guy in my AG came up from behind me in the final 1/2 mile.

I ended the run in 44:47 which was good enough for 11th fastest in my AG. Leaving me at 10th place in my AG.

At the end of the day i was very pleased with my results from this years race. I had exceeded my predicted goals shooting to finish at 2:30 i went 2:25 so i was pretty stoked especially given the level of talent in my AG with 1/2 overall being taken by my AG. Its always fun to push myself and get another race in with my dad who i got to cheer on as he crossed the finish line. In the next week or so ill draft up a formal training program for the NYC Marathon and start seriously running again. I'll continue to do a base level of Tri training as i have the San Diego Classic in September, but nothing heavy. Aquathlon tonight, if i get time before i go up to Boulder Co for the Muddy Buddy ill post a quick race report.

2010:

S: 27:04 B: 1:10:52 R: 44:47 = 2:25:28 (10th AG / 54 OA of 544)

2009:

S: 22:10 (very short swim course) B: 1:09:59 R: 48:57 = 2:24:03 (10th AG / 80 OA of 606)

Although i was about a minute slower i would say this is a big improvement given the mechanical i had on the bike and the fact that the swim course was very short in 2009.

Happy Training/Racing...

Solana Beach Race Report

2010-07-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

Took me a few days to put this up but here it is…

The Solana Beach Tri is one of my favorite sprints because its just down the street from my house. Leading up to this race I haven’t been doing any structured training, kind of just going with the flow of what my body tells me and even taking days off haha. I was eager to get right back into things post Ironman CDA but did a little bit too much too early and kind of pissed of the legs, so I’ve been taking things easy, mostly doing a lot of bike commuting and swimming.

The day before the race my dad and I went for a 2hr spin on coast hwy, stopping by packet pick up to get all the goods before heading home. I spent much of the rest of the day relaxing and getting some work done around the house. My wave was the first to go off so I was up bright and early to ride down to the race site. On the way there I realized that it is very difficult to ride a bike with an aero helmet and a backpack. Once I got on site I found a spot on the racks and did the usual pre race set up/mingling with other racers.

Down to the beach. I had about 30 min to warm up before our wave went off. I took a dip in the water and practiced some “duck dives” because I haven’t done a surf entry start in at least a year. After splashing around and loosening up the upper body I went for a short 10 min jog down the beach to warm the rest of my body up and get my heart ready for the rush of the start.

Our wave was “big” considering this was just a local sprint and we went off with all the elites which is always fun. I was making my way out through the surf well when I got hit and as I came up because I was hit I got slammed by a wave and swallowed a bunch of water. I tried to get my face back in the water and keep swimming but my body said “NO WAY”. So I was forced to sit up and chill for a bit and recoup. I eventually got underway but my breathing was not the way I wanted it to be. Exiting the swim I was pissed, I had been making huge improvements in my swim and wanted to see how I could do, even swimming 11:?? Over 1,000 meters at the Aquathlon a few weeks back. But I did come out of the water a few steps behind the women’s 2nd place overall finisher, so she became my rabbit for the day.

Out of the water it was a long, uphill run to T1. I was huffin and puffin as I made it to my bike and headed out on course. Jumping on my ride I was determined to make up lost time and quickly started my 9 mile hammer fest. The problem with this 2 looped course, and starting the DU before the triathlon was that I was constantly moving around people and even yelling at a few “On your left!” as they would be riding side by side blocking the road. The bike went as planned and I felt pretty good. The drafting was not too bad at this event although I noticed that some of the TriJr’s were blatantly drafting even taking turns pulling. I didn’t say anything because they weren’t in my age group and I figured they may be working on their ITU skills (or so I hope) because this is supposed to be a development team and I don’t want to develop cheaters!

Back into T2 I entered on the wrong side of my rack so I had to duck under to get to my gear. I grabbed my new KSWISS Blades which are totally amazing by the way, they are lightweight and super cushy. I started my run “hard” well at least as hard as the legs could go seeing how I’ve done 0 speed work in the last month. But I felt good for the whole run and was not passed.

In the end I took 4th in my AG and knocked off 2 min from my previous time here, but looking at the swim times it looks like this year the swim was long for everyone. I was pretty bummed once I saw the results seeing that I was edged off the podium but in the end Im very pleased with my results because I managed to push my limits the entire race and never faded. Post race I went for a 2 mile cool down run and then rode home, adding a little bit on to get in a bit more of a workout. Unfortunately my body still doesn’t seem to be ready for any serious volumes in training as I did a swim in the am and a bike after work yesterday and was pretty spent. So im just going to keep going with the flow for a little while longer until I feel 100%. I’ve got the Coeur D’Alene Oly triathlon in a few weeks which is always a blast! I love the swim and bike courses there, especially because the bike has some gnarly climbs. But that race will be more about pushing myself hard and maybe looking for a PR rather than trying to get in any serious training these next weeks to be competitive. If your going to be at Surf Monkey this weekend come stop by the TriRock tent and check us out. TriRock is going to be the coolest triathlon to hit San Diego, ever!

That’s all for now…

Happy Training/Racing

Ironman Coeur D’Alene Race Report 2010

2010-06-29T14:14:00.001-07:00

For many people Ironman is much more than a race and for me this couldn’t be more the case. So a quick run down before we get in to all the nitty gritty details of the race weekend. Leading up to the race I had gotten what I felt was a pretty solid build although I had a miserable showing at Ironman Florida 70.3 a month prior. I was really pumped and itching to race. After talking with a few people and analyzing my results I figured that if I had a good day I could come in just under 12 hours. Making the goal for the day 11:59:59. I tried to map everything out before the race predicting I would swim a 1:17, bike 6-6:15 and then run 4-4:30. I was confidant in my training and felt I could hit these splits if I fueled properly.

Ok on to the race week. My dad and I got up to Coeur D’Alene on Thursday afternoon. We jetted over to athlete check-in and met up with a few friends. Once we got to our house we decided to test out the waters and loosen up the muscles. The water was still under 60 so I rocked a thermal cap to keep my noggin from freezing. Unfortunately it didn’t do much good. Once we jumped in the water hit your face like a thousand needles and it was really hard to breathe. But after a few min we were on our way and I was really enjoying the open water. Much of the prep went as usual although no panic attacks like last year.

Race day! My alarm went off at 5am and I was dressed and eating with-in only a few min. I think the nervousness, adrenalin, and focus really made me get up and ready. I downed my usual PB&J and sipped on a bottle of Banana NUUN. Then Blaize, Sonja, my dad, and I hopped in our boat and jetted to the swim start. Once we got there it was the usual pre-race craziness of frantically running around to get all the last minute details worked out before we started our insanely long day. I linked up with my dad and we headed down to the water to try and acclimate ourselves to the water.

7:00…..Boom and we were off I gave my dad a quick hug and jumped into the water along with 2400 other people. I quickly moved up through the field and found a good group to work with while avoiding getting kicked in the face. When we got to the first turn buoy it got crazy. People were doing everything they could to get around that tight turn. If you have ever seen a large school of fish getting scooped up by a fishing net, it was a lot like that. After the hectic turns I got back into my rhythm and headed for shore exiting the first loop in 35 min. Looking down at my Garmin at the end of the first loop was a huge morale booster I don’t think I have ever gone that fast even in a half ironman haha. The second loop was much like the first although my hands and feet started to get stiff from the cold waters. I exited the swim with a total time of 1:10. Which was 7 min faster than my goal time ( I guess all of the Monday, Wednesday night swims with the Cville triclub paid off!!!).

Ahh the longest part of my day…..the bike. I hopped on my bike and tried to get my legs ready for the 112 mile journey. After about 10 miles I found a good rhythm and was settled in. I noticed that I was averaging 20mph which made me a little nervous because I was thinking that even on a good day 18 mph would be fast for me. But I was within my heart-rate zones so I decided to “go for broke” and try and hold that 20 mph average. The bike went pretty much as planned no major hiccups, and I only had to pee 2 times this year as opposed to the 6 or so last year woooo!!! I feel like one of the keys to my success on the bike this year was getting my nutrition dialed in after talking with my friend Chris. In the final miles of the bike I felt pretty solid and ready to take on my marathon. I came off of the bike in 5:47 averaging 19.3 mph.

Ironman Shuffle Time! I moved quickly through T2 and was on my way for the 26.2 mile death march. Starting my run my legs felt really fresh and I was hitting my splits at about a 9-9:30 pace which was still under my 10min mile goal pace. At mile 3 Lindsay Corbin came up on my shoulder. I always love getting to see the pro’s out on course because even though they are going so much faster we are all doing the same race, which is really what makes this sport so special. The run always seems to me the true battle both physically and mentally. You have been working out for 7 hours and now have to run a marathon! At around mile 5 I started feeling like I was going to pass our and just felt a little out of wack so I downed another gel and kept trucking. At each station I would grab a few sponges, Gatorade, water, some pretzel sticks, and then splash myself in the face with two cups of cold water. Each time I splashed the cold water on my face I kind of “woke up” and was then on my way again. Having some friends in the race was a real mental help for the marathon because it would give me a little boost to give them a high five or share some words of encouragement. Around mile 15 Jake from Zoot and I started running together and we would yo-yo back and forth until about mile 24. We linked back up and started our final push to the finish line. With about a half mile to go I asked him what was your goal time? Here is what we said: “under 12” he said. “me too” I said. “HELL YEAH!, we crushed it!, HELLLL YEAH!!!!!” I said. Boom, there it was that beloved adrenaline rush. And I was off at a full sprint. Making my final turn before Sherman Ave I saw Jon from K-Swiss and gave him a huge hi-five. At this point I was going nuts, I was screaming with excitement, wincing in pain, and crying with joy. Now officially my favorite street in the world, Sherman Ave aka the finishing chute. Its about ¼ a mile long and packed with fans and spectators cheering for you. I WAS FLYING! When I would come down the road I kept getting these adrenaline rushes and I would let out these roars YYYEEEAAAHHH!!!!! I then saw my mom and brother and kind of lost it there again. Finally the finishing chute. I didn’t think I could top last years feelings but I did and then some. I just stood at the finish line screaming YYYEEEAAAHHH!!!!!!!! Then I basically lost all energy in my legs and was helped to the massage tent by the volunteers.

There is no feeling in the world like that of finishing an Ironman. For me its something so unique that I cant even express it in words. Yesterday was truly the happiest day of my life. And I still get choked up thinking about that final mile.

Although the race itself is a solo effort I could not have done it with out the help of the following people.
My family: who supported me all these years and has always given me the best opportunities possible. And my dad who I am fortunate enough to get to train and race with almost every day. These are really memories that I will cherish forever!

UVA Triathlon/Cycling Clubs: Having these groups while back at school made getting in the miles a piece of cake. I really enjoyed the Tuesday, Thursday rides with Rudy and the gang and traveling to races like Naylors, Oceanside 70.3, and Orlando 70.3

Cville Triclub: Monday and Wednesday night swims became a highlight of my week and I usually hate swimming. This was a really great group of people who I really enjoyed pushing my self with and sharing some good stories.

My Sponsors: Who give me the best in nutrition, equipment, and tools to keep me training hard and racing fast!

My St. Kitts Running Buddies: Who kept me company on “da island mon” and helped me train for the Charlottesville Marathon.

The Race Volunteers: Seriously we could not have done the race with out your help!

Friends and Family: Thank you to everyone else who has helped me in any way: be it from words of encouragement pre/post race or just helping keep me sane throughout all the craziness of training and racing.

I really love this sport and it is something that is going to be with me for life. I already signed up for next year, gotta keep the tradition alive! Now its time for some much needed rest for the next few weeks, then I have the Solana Beach Sprint Triathlon.

I’m so proud of everyone that raced with me yesterday: My dad achieved his goal of sub 13 finishing in the 12:50’s, Blaize kicked some serious ass finishing in the 12:30’s after being injured leading up to the race, Jake who jammed in his first Ironman and kept me company on the run, and finally Kate my B lane swimming buddy who kicked some serious ass in her first Ironman!

That’s all for now, congratulations to everyone who raced yesterday!

I am awarding myself the “Mr. Consistency” award because I placed 16th in the swim, 16th bike, and 16th Run haha. Here are my splits.

Swim 1:10 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/38446566 (Not very accurate)
Bike: 5:47 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/38446568
Run: 4:25 http://connect.garmin.com/activity/38446571

FINISH TIME 2010:11:35:03

OA: 447/2262
AG:16/48

FINISH TIME 2009: 13:13:56
OA: 1222
AG: 23/37

It's Finally Here!!!

2010-06-23T12:10:00.000-07:00

Its finally here! Has is really been a year since I took on my first Ironman? A lot has happened in the last year and I have learned a lot about myself as an athlete. Going into this race I am 100X more confidant than I was at this point last year and am ready to go out hard and crush this Coeur d’Alene course. Lets see how the last year went down and how my preparation went for this years Ironman.

After last years event I was very pleased with my efforts and was so stoked I could call my self an Ironman. As I had just turned 21 years old I took advantage of this and really just relaxed the remainder of the summer. I really needed the time off because I had totally burnt myself out on the bike training as I did 90% of it solo (which was a terrible idea). I finished up my season with a run PR at the Patriots Half (70.3) event.

Looking back at my season for 2010 so far I have been doing a lot of really long racing! Already taking on my first 50K, then following that up with two 70.3’s, and a Marathon I’d say I have had my fair share of long races for the season. This year in training I really focused on pushing my self harder and harder in each of my workouts, as opposed to last year when I seemingly gingerly took each long workout (probably because of a fear of doing too much in training). Knowing more about what my body could handle I made a point of getting fast fast fast! Luckily there were a bunch of really quick people that I got to train with while at school. In swim training there was never an easy workout in the B lane at the AFC. Mark, Rick, Sarah, Kate, Wes and occasionally a few others always gave me some feet to chase around the pool a few times a week. These swims really helped me with my swimming confidence and I’m thinking a swim PR should be in order on Sunday.

Once the sun decided to give us some afternoon daylight there was never a shortage of fast rides during the week. Each Tuesday and Thursday, Rudy and I made our way out to E-Ville for the hammer fest. These rides ended up being the highlights of my week and there was never a shortage of speed demons to get you to dig a little deeper each time we rolled out.

Running became more of a personal escape than a group workout for me, I would often load up on nutrition and go exploring on the many RTF trails in Charlottesville. Looking back these trails may have been my favorite part of Charlottesville as there was always something to discover or a new challenge around every curve. Seriously if your not running on the RTF trails you need to start!

This brings us to the end of my ranting. I really appreciate all the help I got from the Charlottesville triathlon community this past year be it from having someone to train with, someone to push me to that next level, or simply joke around with in the hot tub after a swim. I never really thanked everyone for their help so THANK YOU! Seriously, I would not be in as good of shape nor would I have been able to get though all the training if I had been flying solo all season, and I’m sure that come Sunday I will be drawing on old memories from training with everyone for motivation.

The gun goes off in only 3 Days, 18 Hrs, and 53 min and its going to be a wild ride. Be sure to follow Kate Lucas #2485, John Reed (my dad) #1824, Blaize Baehrens #331, James Jansen #368, and myself #139 on race day!

Best of luck to all racing this weekend!

Happy Training/Racing…..

New Garmin

2010-05-22T23:45:00.000-07:00

Just got the 310x and loving it. Took it out today for first "long" run. Nothing too crazy just waking the legs up after last weekends 70.3. I still have a lot to learn about this little tool but it was cool seeing my splits/pace in real time.

Golf Course Run by har5a at Garmin Connect - Details

Ironman 70.3 Florida Race Report

2010-05-17T21:15:00.000-07:00

With every race comes more experience we can use to make ourselves better, smarter, and faster athletes. This race was truly a learning experience. Lets start with my pre-race prep. The week before the race my taper kind of went out the window. With packing all of my belongings to ship back to San Diego, shipping my car x-country, making time to see all of my classmates one last time, and studying for exams I had little time to do any training. I managed to work in 2 swim sessions and a short run (where I slipped off the curb and really tweaked my ankle). I also went on little sleep all week so I hoped to make the best of things.

I flew into Orlando on Friday evening and discovered that they had lost my bag, which contained my running shoes, cycling shoes, and my race kit. My dad’s flights were extremely delayed so we booked a room in the airport hotel. They told me that my bag would be delivered at midnight but no dice. So the next day I went back down to the counter and inquired about my bag. The woman looked around and told me that they had already given me my bag!!! I had a few moments of total panic thinking of where I could find replacement gear. Fortunately, my bag was delivered to my hotel with out their knowledge. Then it was off to our friends Bob’s house where we rebuilt our bikes and went for a quick test ride before heading to Disney World for athlete/bike check in. We got to check in and went through the usual procedures. Had a quick chat with my UVA Triathlon buddies and the guys at Trigger Point Therapy. Then it was off to dinner with Bob and his family. We had a great time catching up and chowed down on some tasty Thai food. Then it was off to bed.

Our alarms went off at 4:45 and we were quickly out the door and ate in the car. I had my usual PB&J and a bottle of NUUN. The road we took into Disney was closed for the race so we had to go way around and showed up to transition with only 30 min before my wave went off. I basically had just enough time to set up my transition area and head over to body marking. I then went down to the beach to link up with my friends on the triathlon team. I slipped on my Blue Seventy PZ3 and toed the line at the edge of the lake. WE WERE OFF! I learned yesterday that I am really good at entering the water, running along and then diving repeatedly to get to deeper waters. I soon was at the front, I looked back and was like WOW I need to chill out. The faster swimmers quickly caught me and I tried to settle into my own rhythm and find some feet I could stick with. At the first turn I could tell something was off. I just was not gliding through the water at my usual clip. I was able to get into a bit better of a rhythm in the last 600 or so meters. I came out of the water and looked down at my watch 38:08. UGH! I was pretty pissed my swim was super slow! I tried to clear the bad thoughts out of my head and ran to my bike to get onto the bike course.

I made my transition as fast as I could coming out the other side in 3:24. Out the other side I ran to the mount line and hopped on my ride. I started cranking and tried to find my legs. I looked down at my speedometer a few miles in and was only going 17mph, but felt like I was pushing it hard. I cranked hard and tried to get up to speed ( I was shooting for an average of 23-25). Last year I averaged 22 and I have been doing a lot more quality riding this year. At mile 30 I puked and then just saw my average speed go lower and lower. I accepted my situation and figured that I was just having a bad day so I tried to keep fueling and get to the run.

I came off the bike in 2:41:13 averaging 20.8 almost 10 min slower than last year! Clearly something was up. I made my way through transition and learning form my mistakes from last year this time I wore a hat instead of a visor so that I could fill it with ice to cool myself off in the 90deg heat. Out onto the run course I settled into a moderate pace trying to hold 8:30-9min paces. At mile 1 I was doing 8:45 and basically held that pace the whole time, some miles were a little slower as there were some lines for ice and sponges, which were must haves during this 13.1 mile death run. I finished the run in 1:57:40 (8:59 pace).

I woke up today feeling a bit sick and my lymph nodes are huge so maybe this poor performance was due to the cold, or the lack of rest I had last week. But I’m glad that I was able to keep it together and have a decent run after the bike catastrophe. My legs are feeling really good today and I’m going to jump right back into things when I get back to San Diego. With 40 days to Ironman Coeur D Alene there is plenty of time to get in some really good training then have a RESTFULL taper and rock out for 140.6 miles. On another note the UVA Triathlon Team DOMINATED!!! Rudy was the fastest Age Grouper overall and finished 11^th overall. The rest of the team did really well and had some fast times.

2009-2010 Comparisons:

2009

S: 38:13 T1 3:17 B: 2:32:43 T2: 2:00 R: 1:57:27 (5:13:39)

2010

S:38:08 T1: 3:24 B: 2:41:13 T2: 2:14 R:1:57:40 (5:22:37)

...."I'm Going To Disney World!"

2010-05-10T11:57:00.000-07:00

With less than a week its time to get ready for Ironman 70.3 Orlando which takes place inside of Disney World! This will be the Only 70.3 that i will be visiting again so its going to be great to try and beat all my splits from last year as the course is the same. I am really excited because all of my friends are coming down for the race, many of them are 1st timers at the 70.3 distance. From UVA i think we will have 10 people and if you include my dad and our alumni pro Andrew there will be 12 of us!! Everyone is looking for fast times and a really good event.

My build up to now has been really good, i did a lot of work on the bike and had a really fast 75 mile ride last Saturday even with the hills and the wind! My run should be pretty good i took some time off after the marathon to recover and work on the bike but went for a trail run yesterday and my speed was really good. It has been pretty hot here in Virginia lately so i'm thinking i will be a little more prepared for the heat this year. I also have a few ideas on how to keep myself cool during the event: On the bike i will be bringing a sweat band so i can wipe the salt out of my eyes (something that has been killing me on my last few rides). Then on the run i'm going to opt for a hat instead of the standard visor so that i can soak it and fill it with ice to keep cool, finally i am going to stuff ice down my shorts on the run as this will really cool down my core body temp. Here's hoping for a fast time and finally breaking the 5hr mark. Everything will have to go well for that to happen but at least its going to be fun to see all my friends out on the 3 loop course. Im putting in 2-3 more days of solid training then tapering you can follow my updates along the way @trihuntertri (twitter). I will also do a post race report.

Best of luck to all racing!!

Happy Training/Racing...

Interview With National Champ Nicole Kelleher

2010-04-27T18:36:00.000-07:00

Check out the interview i did with my teammate!

Charlottesville Marathon Race Report

2010-04-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

The Charlottesville Marathon was an amazing experience and let me say there was very little flat ground, it was either up or down the entire time. My dad flew into Cville the night before the race and crashed at my place so we could be close to the start line before the event. We woke up at 5:00 and did our usual pre-race prep. I munched on my standard PB&J and washed it down with a bottle of NUUN. We then did a little stretching and jammed out to some ACDC to pump us up for the event. The night before the weather called for rain but luckily we had amazing weather. At the start it was just about 64 degrees with little humidity giving us just about perfect weather conditions for the event.

We headed out to the Rotunda and met up with Lilly, Jonathan, and Parker. Everyone was cheery and ready to rumble. We then all started about a 1.5 mile jog down to the start line. It was really strange running down the middle of the streets in the dark. Once we got to the start line we pushed our ways to the front of the start line. Once we were there I chatted with a few other friends who were running the event. We had about 10 min to kill before the gun went off and we all wished each other luck and gave some serious words of encouragement to help calm everyones nerves.

Off goes the gun! My dad and i did the first few miles in about 7:45's because we wanted to go out hard knowing that the way back in was up hill. At mile 3 my foot started to cramp but i was able to run through the cramp and I was chillin. We were clicking off the miles trying to stick as close to 8:00 flat each mile. At mile 4.5ish we came across Jonathan who had been truckin ahead of us. Unfortunately his knee acted up again and he had to drop out so that he wouldn't sustain further injuries. Only a few miles later we saw Parker coming back in. He was FLYING! What's amazing is that he did all this on little to no training placed top 30 and went 3rd in his age group.

Then we hit the turn around and started our way back UPHILL into the downtown area. At about mile 7 we crossed Lilly, who was going the other way, she was rockin a huge smile and was zoomin down the road. On the way back into town we started re-fueling with my Honey Stinger gels and some salt caps. Our splits going back in were a little slower than we would have liked so we figured that we were not going to hit our goal of 3:30 (8:00 pace). The hills just took too much out of us. So what we started doing was pushing harder on the flat sections and then recovering on the down hills to compensate for the slower up-hill time.

The 13 mile marker was a mood killer because all the half-marathoners were sprinting to the finish line and were all smiles while we crazy people had 13.1 more miles to go. The race really thinned out once the half split off from the full as we headed into the town behind the down town mall. This portion of the race was packed with rollers we would jam up a steep short incline and then try and let gravity pull us down the next little hill. At about mile 16 we hit a path that ran along a river which was nice because it was shady and flat. However my salt levels were starting to waver and i developed a really bad side stitch. At first it was nothing major just a small pain but it kept building and building. I started to panic a little bit remembering back to the Honu Half Ironman a few years ago when i had such bad cramps that i couldn't run, so i started mentally preparing my self for 10 miles of crazy pain. But lucky for me, my dad reminded me that i still had salt caps left and i popped 2 of them at the next water station. With in 3 min the cramp had disappeared. I was sooo happy, I was giving my dad high-5s and it really helped me mentally to know that i was going to be alright.

We still felt pretty good at the end of the first loop. But once that second loop started the lactic acid started to set in. My dad and i were still pushing it on the flats and encouraging people to run with us when they looked like they were starting to break down. With about 5 miles to go we started our push. First my dad started to pick it up and then i would go a little faster. As the rollers got worse my dad would pull away on the down hills, probably because every time i went down a hill it felt like my legs were on fire. But then for some reason i was able to truck up the hills and catch back up with him. We kept a solid pace trying to keep it between 8:00 and 8:30 despite the ups and downs. We would say to ourselves only 3 miles to go even though there was 4 miles because we knew that in that final mile we would get that adrenaline rush and it wouldn't hurt any more haha. That rush came right around mile 25, we came to the fork in the road where the finishers split off from the people doing their second loop. It felt so good to hear the race staff say "Finishers to the right! Second loop to the left!" My grimacing face quickly turned to a big grin. In the last mile my dad and i were high 5ing and giving each other props for pushing each of us to the finish. With about 2oo yards to go to the finish i asked my dad if we wanted to kick it in but we both knew we had no more left in the tank. As we came into the finish we held hands and raised our hands to the sky, crossing the line together and putting another successful race and amazing experience in the books. We finished with a time of 3:43:39 (8:33 pace). I finished 95th overall out of 501 finishers. So i am really pleased with my results. This was my 2nd stand alone marathon and i crushed all my other marathon times by about 1.5 hours. Which shows how far my running has come in the last few years. So im pretty pumped for Ironman Coeur D'Alene so i can see how my legs hold up after the 112 of biking.

At the finish we plopped down in some lounge chairs and got some ice for our aching feet and knees. Then we hobbled home and chowed down on some well deserved food. I just wanted to thank all my amazing sponsors for supplying me with the tools and fuels that get me through training and to the finish line as quickly as possible.

Last but not least! I wanna give a HUGE shout out to everyone who raced this weekend. Everyone rocked the course.

Jonathan: Although he had to bail because of his knee he flew through the first 4 miles. And most importantly he's now hooked on running. I'm hoping for a fast recovery so we can run the trails before school ends.

Colin: Unfortunately i never saw Colin out on the course. But he told me that his race went alright, a little slower than he wanted but he didnt get a good nights rest before the event. Colin finished in 4:14:21. Still a respectable finishing time. Not to mention this was his first marathon. So now that he has the knowledge of the distance he will be able to go out there and fly though the course, I'd easily say a sub-4 is on tap for Colin.

Justin: Justin flew past me at mile 2 and was looking really good. This was his first half marathon and he stopped the clock at 1:44:56 just under an 8 min mile. Congratulations Justin!

Lilly: When we crossed Lilly she was flyin. And fly she did. Lilly crossed the line in 1:54:04. On top of that she placed 7th in her age group!!! A top 10 placing in her second half-marathon is more than respectable. Watch out for this speedy chick.

Parker: Or should I say soon to be professional runner. Parker is the man posting a 1:30:09 in his first ever half marathon, taking a top 30 overall and 3rd in his age group. Parker thought he was going to do something around 2 hours before the race. So major props go out to Parker who did this race on little training.

Congratulations to everyone that participated in the Charlottesville Marathon/Half you rock!

I'll try and post some pictures later.

Next stop Ironman 70.3 Orlando 27 days and counting.

Happy Training/Racing...

(Sorry if the grammar is all off, I haven't really slept since the marathon, too busy celebrating! I'll edit it in a few days)

NYC MARATHON

2010-04-07T11:36:00.000-07:00

Its Official I Just Got My Spot For The 2010 NYC Marathon!!!

I Hope My Dad Got In....

April Update

2010-04-05T12:51:00.000-07:00

Update:

After running myself into the ground at 70.3 Oceanside i took 3 days easy then jumped back into training. The weather here in Virginia has gotten really HOT!! We have highs near the 90's for the next few days, which is going to be good training temps for Orlando in May. But the next race on my list is the Charlottesville Marathon. The race is now only 11 days away!

So heres the plan: I'm going to introduce a lot more running this week and get in a really heavy and solid week of training. Then this weekend i'll do a long run something between 12-18 miles. I'm going to use this run as a gauge to see what i should expect from my self at the marathon. If i can do the run and feel strong in the final miles, and not feel wiped afterwards then ill hit the marathon and try and stay on my dads hip who is going to try and go 3:32 or something.... However if i suffer complications on this run or just dont feel strong i am going to really take the marathon easy and just make it a nice casual 26.2 miles of running. I dont want to push too hard if my body is not ready and have my self blow up and then have a crap recovery etc.

On another note, I just sent in my information to Injinji and am really excited to be a part of their team. Hopefully I'll have some sweet stuff to rock at the marathon! Thats pretty much it for now.

Be sure to check out and cheer on my runnin buddies listed below (a few are first timers).

Marathon:

John Reed (My Dad)

Colin Burnette (1st timer)

1/2 Marathon:

Parker Merrill (1st timer i think)

Justin Dembo (1st timer)

Lilly McDonough

Jonathan Damron (1st timer just signed up a few days ago!)

Thats it for now ill post some more updates as the race gets closer, but you can keep track of my daily training activities through my twitter page @trihuntertri

Happy Training/Racing...

Oceanside Ironman 70.3 Race Report

2010-03-29T11:36:00.000-07:00

Alright so the first triathlon of the season over and im feeling really good about my efforts and results even though this was a slower overall time for the 70.3 distance. I got back to San Diego Wednesday night and got a good night of rest, I was able to squeeze in a short swim before my flight which left me feeling lose and relaxed for all the travel. On Thursday I picked James up at the airport and we grabbed some tasty Mexican food then hit the roads for a 1.5-hour bike ride. Along the way we stopped in at Nytro and chatted with old friends and Kate Major. That night we had a great sushi dinner and went to bed early. Friday was a really busy day for me: I woke up early and headed down to Competitor Group for a job interview which went really well and I will know in a few weeks. Afterwards James and I went to Solana Beach for a quick jump in the ocean followed by a short 4 mile run. After that we went to Naked Café for some organic fuel then headed to the Expo.

At the expo I got to spend some time hanging out at the Trigger Point Therapy booth and do some rolling out on my back and legs. The crew was really cool and it’s always great to get some face time with my sponsors. After hanging with them and checking out all the pros that were hanging out James and I went over to K-Swiss so I could check in with my K-Fast contact. We then headed home to eat a good hearty meal and then do the final race preparations before going to bed.

Race morning started at 4:40am. I was quickly up, dressed, and making my standard pre-race breakfast (a bottle of Nuun with a toasted PB&J). At 5:45 we rolled out up to Oceanside. We got there while it was still chilly and dark and set up out transition areas. After suiting up in my Blue Seventy Helix, James and I walked over to our wave to go and find my dad. We had about a 20 min wait while each wave went off and we got to see the pro men come back into transition, those guys were flying! Just before hitting the water I ran into Bob Babbitt who was being his funky usual self. I quickly jumped in the harbor and tried to acclimate myself to the water temp before the gun went off. With 10 seconds to go I swam up into about the front half of the pack. Off goes the gun and I started looking for feet to follow. The first 500m were not too terrible, no elbows to the face or anything like that just a few changes in direction to avoid getting pounded. The course was an L shape out and back, I took the first half easy and focused on keeping good form because in my last half I went out too hard and blew up. On the way in the sun was in our faces so I sighted by the splashes in front of me. Coming out of the swim I felt pretty good and realized that I should have started my push earlier, which was a good sign because it shows that my fitness is improving. I came out of the water at 35:04.

There was about a 100-yard run to my bike once exiting the water. I quickly slipped out of my wetsuit and was out and on the road. I had a transition of 4:00 even.

Once out on the road I tried to run at a high cadence for the first few miles to get all the blood flowing back into my legs so I would be ready to hammer on the bike. Going northbound I was flying we had the wind in our favor and I was able to scream up the coast staying as aero as possible. At this race I wanted to try something differently, I only brought 1 bottle with me on the bike and was going to grab bottles along the way as opposed to my usual set up of 3 bottles. Luckily every thing went perfectly. Once we passed into the North entrance of the base I noticed that I really had to pee because it was starting to make me uncomfortable while in the aero position. Unfortunately I was not able to find a long down hill to let things fly haha. But at the next station I was able to make a quick stop and get back on the way in about 15 seconds. Riding east the winds from the Santa Anna’s started to really pick up with gusts of at least 20 mph, which was blowing people all over the road. This race had one major climb that was a ton of fun! I was able to find a nice pace and passed a bunch of people heading up, which was a good confidence booster because it’s showing that the month and a half that I spent biking is paying off. After this climb there was a really long down hill where I was able to rest and stretch my legs out. For the next 15 miles the wind seemed to be constantly in our faces, which was really discouraging because I was pushing hard but was not hitting the speeds that I was expecting to be hitting. Then with about 15 miles to go we turned west and had the winds at our back so we were all flying towards the finish. While on the bike I took down 1 bottle of NUUN, 1.5 bottles of Gatorade, 3 Honey Stinger Gels, and 2 salt caps. I came off the bike feeling pretty fresh and I averaged 20mph (my target speed). This speed equated to 2:46:57, although this is slower than I have been able to go in the past I was very pleased with my time because I didn’t push too hard but I still made the splits I wanted to hit all of this on just 1.5 months of bike training and I had only ridden 15 or so times from September to February when I started my triathlon training.

Coming into transition I stretched my legs out while coasting down the chute. My transition time was 2:11. I slipped on my socks and shoes, grabbed some gels, and was out onto the course.

I was very nervous about my ability to even run the entire course because of the injury I had been recovering from since mid-February. I did the first mile in 6:50 and was like “wow I really need to chill out, you haven’t even run more than 5 times since mid-February”. So I settled down into a 8:30ish pace. The course was flat for the first 1.5 miles then was either going slightly up or slightly down for the next 1.5. We did the same loop (out and back) 2 times. I was not running at full throttle because it was my first long run since my injury and I was more concerned with being able to run the whole course than having a fast time. I did not have any serious issues with my tendon but did have some knee pain in my left leg and some calf tightness in the left leg that I was able to stretch out. I was very pleased with my efforts on the run; the left leg issues probably appeared because it was working harder since the right leg is not 100% yet. I got to cheer on a bunch of friends and my dad a few times while out on the run course and the volunteers were amazing they were a really young crowd and were always telling jokes that kept me in high spirits. I came off the run at 1:52:17. Which like my other times is slower than normal but I was pretty pleased because of my lack of training due to the injury.

Once crossing the line I grabbed my hat and medal, and then headed to the medical tent to get an ice pack put on my left knee to speed the recovery process. After getting the ice taped to my leg I jumped in line to get my post-race massage. My massage therapist was amazing; she worked on my legs, feet, back, and neck. I was so relaxed and felt great afterwards. Once I thanked her I grabbed a few slices of pizza and met back up with James and my Dad who were hanging in transition.

Oceanside 70.3 was a great experience and I will hopefully be able to do this race every year from now on as it looks like ill be back in San Diego next year! It was a great 5 days back in San Diego, I had a blast hanging with James and my family, my brother even came down from USC. I also wanted to give a big shout out to my sponsors and supporters. It was great hanging with the Trigger Point and K-Swiss crews they were really nice and hooked me up with some sweet gear! I am going to slowly get back into training this week we have a lot of rain so ill do light workouts from now until Thursday. Next up on the calendar is the Charlottesville Marathon, which is 18 days away. The plan is to do the 26.2 because it seems that the injury is at 95% right now but if I have any issues ill just opt for the 13.1. Looking forward to the rest of the season. Massage on Friday!!!

S: 35:04

T1: 4:00

B: 2:46:57

T2: 2:11

R: 1:52:17

Total: 5:20:26

M: 18-24: 20^th of 44

Best of luck to everyone this season and congratulations to all who participated in the Oceanside Ironman 70.3!

Happy Training/Racing…

I'll post pics later.

Lets Get It Started!

2010-03-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

LETS GET IT STARTED IN HERE!!!

So although my "season" (what ever that is) started with the Holiday Lake 50K++ the first triathlon of the year is about to kick off next weekend with Oceanside 70.3! So here is a quick update and recap on what has gone down since the 5oK++.

A few days after the race i started developing an intense pain in my right foot which i thought was a stress fracture. At the time i was totally devastated because this would have put me out of Oceanside and then would have caused me to have to call off the Charlottesville Marathon because i wouldn't have had the run training i needed. So i quickly scheduled a meeting with the local doctor that sees all the runners in Charlottesville. He got me an X-Ray, NOTHING, MRI, NOTHING. After a few range of motion tests he concluded that it was just an inflamed tendon due to a slip i had in the last mile of the race. He suggested that i see a physical therapist, because i told him that it seemed that i just get injured on my right leg.

Last week i went into the physical therapists office and he informed me that my right gluteus muscle does not fire when i run which causes my whole body to compensate, thus putting way too much stress on that right leg, especially after 50K in 5inches of snow!!!

So i have been running for 2 weeks now and things are at 85%. I can run pain free but things are still a little tight and hopefully will be 100% by Oside.

In the other parts of my training i have really ramped up the intensity and volume of the Swimming and Biking. I feel that i can bring my A game for the swim, but because i have only been riding consistently for a month now due to all the snow we had this winter i'm not expecting a great bike for Oside. As of now I'm just going to do a 3 day taper rather than the usual 7 day that i give my self for 70.3's. As far as my race plan goes I'm going to treat it as business as usual and just deal with potential problems on the run as they come up. I really don't think i will be able to PR for 70.3's at this race due to the foot injury i sustained after the 50K, but you never know, this rest could be beneficial.

I get back to San Diego on Wednesday so ill have some time to do a ride or 2 along PCH and preview the swim course. Not to mention get some tasty burritos! But best of all my AG wave goes off at the same time as my dads.

Looking forward to seeing a lot of friendly faces and giving a shout out to all my sponsors at the expo.

Best of luck to everyone racing this weekend

Happy Training/Racing!!!

Holiday Lake 50K++ Race Report

2010-02-14T12:12:00.001-08:00

I am an Ultramarathoner!!!

This weekend I did the holiday lake 50K++. The race was at holiday lake in Appomattox Va. The race started at 630 am while it was still dark and snowing. It was freezing cold. All 200 something of us headed out into the darkness knowing it was going to be a very long day because there was 5 inches of snow on the trails. The first 4 miles took 50 min to cover which was ridiculous! The trails were so bad and there were so many bunched up at the start that we ended up walking quite a bit. Quite the site to see that many people running though the dark in the middle of the woods. Eventually things thinned out and i was able to get a good pace down and start running. Because the course was single track it was difficult to make passes because the snow was so much deeper on the sides than it was on the trail. So for the first 8-10 miles i would come across a group, hang at the back for a little and rest, then i would sprint ahead in the deep snow and then settle back into my pace. I never really ran with any one person the whole time, i would pair up with some one and we would run for a few miles then one of us would head on alone. The first lap went well i got to the turn around which was approx. 16.5 miles at about 3:15. This just shows how bad the conditions were as i was about 1:15 off of what i expected to be. But, getting back to the turn around was a huge motivational uplifter because i got to have a quick chat with my girlfriend Alexis. We chatted about how i was feeling and how long i expected to have the last lap take. I was thinking 4 hours. Fortunately the second lap only took 3:30. So i had a finishing time of approx. 6:45. I was really pleased with my efforts on the day, especially because a lot of people said that the race was brutal. My nutrition went really well i brought my hydration pack and used Nuun and carbo-pro. I also had gels and gummies from Honey Stinger. All in all a great but tough event!

I am still pretty sore and mentally and physically tapped out (as i'm sure you can tell from this incoherent post). I loved doing my first Ultra and have found another dimension of endurance sports that i absolutely love! And who knows if my run continues to improve this year and i'm still loving the distance i may sign up for a 50 miler next year, hey its only 18 more miles haha! Once again i wanted to thank Alexis for coming out to my race it really helped mentally having her there. I also wanted to thank my sponsors: having the right nutrition products and tools such as Trigger Point Therapy, have kept my body working!

Congratulations to all participants of the Holiday Lake 50K++. Now its time to get a good recovery over the next few days and then officially transition from my Ultra training program to my Triathlon training program. Oceanside 70.3 is next!!!

Happy Training/Racing...

Its About To Get Wild!

2010-02-10T12:05:00.000-08:00

So this is the email I just got about my 50K race this Saturday. Bring on the SNOW!!!!!

To stay updated with what's going on check my twitter.

Runners,

I’m sure you are wondering what Holiday Lake looks like. I can sum it up in one word. WHITE. There is still about 4-5 inches of crunchy snow. On the few road sections the snow is deeper, but with the traffic going through it is compacted to fairly decent running conditions. Because of all the snow, I am going to increase the time limit from 8 hours to 9 hours. I’m sure many of you are shocked that I would do this. Of the over 50 ultras I have directed, this is the first time that I have done this, hopefully the last. To continue after the first lap, you must reach the halfway point by 4 hours and 15 minutes. The predicted weather for Saturday is a high of 38 and a low of 16. No bad weather is predicted between now and race day. I really think that the second lap will be easier than the first lap. It is going to be a real challenge for the front runners on the first lap. Would Yaktrax or screws in your shoes help? I doubt it.

There will be a massage therapist at the pre and post race site. The cost is a dollar per minute with a 20 minute max.

They are trying to scrap and grade the parking areas at the 4H center. It will still probably be icy so be very careful driving and walking in these areas.

I think there is still lodging available even if you have not yet reserved a spot. The cost is $16.

Aid station 2 will be moved about a half mile farther along the course. Normally it is at 8 miles. It will now be at 8.5 miles. When you come in Friday night or Saturday morning we will have a sign in sheet in on if you are a LU student or Virginia Tech students. There is a special award for the top LU and Virginia Tech student, therefore please sign in before the race starts.

Runners are NOT allowed to use snow shoes in the race.

If you are scared away from the snow, and you are a big sissy, and are not tough enough to run on Saturday, please let me know asap. I am seating the runners and assigning numbers tonight, therefore I really need to know who is not running on Saturday!

If you want to complete the beast series you need to complete the race this Saturday. You need to exercise patience this Saturday because the course is not fast at all.

Are you man enough to finish the race this Saturday?

Happy training/racing!

January Update

2010-01-24T12:28:00.000-08:00

First post of the new year. Back in Virginia and already not liking the cold weather and rain. Went out for a 50 mile ride with the racing club here and froze. The 50k is fast approaching and i am very excited to get my racing season under way with a huge race. I have been doing a lot of running lately and am enjoying running on the extensive trail system here in Charlottesville. I am still finalizing my sponsorships for 2010, but so far have signed with: NUUN, Fluid, H2o Audio, and Honey Stinger. The rest are still in the works. Thats all for now, life is pretty busy here now that school and rush have started but this is looking like its gonna be a really fun season!

Happy Training/Racing!

December Update

2009-12-03T13:25:00.000-08:00

Quick Update: I decided 3 weeks ago to sign up for a 50K! Training has been great and I have been taking advantage of the trail system here in Virginia. Its finally starting to cool off here too, as we have an expected snow fall this Saturday! I have already signed with NUUN, and Honey Stinger for next year and am in the process of looking for some new sponsors and re-signing with old ones. So i want to take this time to thank those who have supported me last year, you all have been great and much of what i do wouldn't have been possible with out your support. I'll be back in San Diego in less than 2 weeks and will totally take advantage of the warmer weather. Thats all for now.

I just posted my (tentative) 2010 race schedule.....Check it out!

Happy Training/Racing!!!

Great Eastern Trail Run Series Race Report

2009-11-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

Yesterday i rolled out with a few of my fellow Tri Club teammates to Walnut Creek Park to participate in the Great Eastern Trail Run Half Marathon. Since my last race of the triathlon season (Naylors) i have not done much structured training, or any training for that matter so i felt this was going to be a tough day. My friends and I decided to do this race simply because it was all on trails and it was going to be MUDDY because it rained non-stop for 4 days leading up to the race, however, we couldn't have asked for better running weather. The race only had about 40 people running and was a relaxed atmosphere.

From the gun we followed the pace car up to the top of the part and the beginning of the trail head. The distance was just over a mile to the beginning of the trails and i was in the lead group until the faster guys took off at the entrance of the trail. I had decided before the race that i was going to push it the whole time and just see how long i could keep pace. Things were going well and i managed to stay on my feet although there were people falling and slipping on roots and rocks. Once thing i found frustrating was that the terrain seemed to dictate my pace and i couldn't always run as fast as i wanted. The trail was a lot of up and downs until about mile 4 when we reached the top of a plateau and had to climb over some fallen trees. From there we came back down towards the start/finish but headed left back to the hills. Just before we started, what seemed like, a 2 mile climb we had to cross a stream that was knee deep. Lots of people were slowing down and walking across but i thought it would be fun to fly though it as fast as i could go. My shoes go pretty soaked but dried off just in time for me to cross another stream a few miles later.

I have to say that this was the hardest 1/2 marathon i have ever competed in, the constant changes in elevation, obstacles, and not knowing how far along i was made it difficult. Although I left it all out on the trail my endurance was feeling great at the finish, if i had nutrition to take with me I could have run the course again. I am really glad i came out and participated because i am starting to get motivated to really start ramping up my training for next season and although i have done something everyday, i want to start setting some fitness goals and going after them.

I also want to give a shout-out to my friends who kicked some as5 with me at the race and big props to Chris Berg, Rudy, and Andrew for some blazing fast times at 70.3 Worlds!

Naylor's Beach (Oly.) Race Report

2009-09-28T06:58:00.000-07:00

Naylors was truly a unique race experience. It was the first time I had a chance to race with the whole team, i think 14 of us all rolled out together. Coming into this race we all knew that the field was going to be tough because this was the USAT Collegiate Regional Champs and everyone was going to be bringing their A game.

I came into this race knowing that my fitness is starting to fall and i am ready for the off season. I just haven't had the time to log the hours that I wanted to be competitive. So I had decided that because i have mostly been running lately that i would be looking for a new run PR and try and come in under 2:30.

The race started at 9am and it had been raining heavily for 2 days straight so we were expecting a wet and wild event. When we got to transition for check in on Sunday morning it was raining like crazy and we were quickly soaked. I went through the usual pre-race warm-ups and headed to the water for the swim start. It seemed that the weather knew we had a race and the rain stopped right as we all hit the water for wave 1. The swim went as planned i found a group that was going at a pace i could hold and we stuck together without many issues for the whole swim.

The run back to the bike was pretty short and i was quickly on my way out on to the bike course. The bike course was mostly rolling hills with 2 serious climbs at miles 10 and 18. With in the first 4 miles i must have seen 6 or 7 people sitting on the side of the road because of flats or from wiping out on a turn. Luckly i was able to stay out of trouble and averaged just over 20mph on the day. With 5 miles to go I passed one of my fellow teammates who is a FAST runner and i knew that i wanted to gain a little ground on him before we hit the run.

Into T2 all of my stuff was totally soaked at this point so i opted to put on socks for the run so i wouldn't be slipping inside of my shoes. Scott left transition only a few steps behind me and we ran well together for the first mile and a half at a 6:30 pace. At the 1.5 mile mark i fell off Scotts pace and ran solo for much of the rest of the run. With the last 1.5 miles left i again linked up with one of my fellow team-mates: Diana (who recently parted ways with UVA Cross Country and Track Teams) so I really wanted to test my legs and try and hang with her. Let me tell you it hurt, we kept pushing each other and found more and more speed. Diana went one last time just before the line but i couldn't keep pace. We both came in at the 2:30 mark, so i was glad that I made it in under my goal time.

At the end of the day i was pleased with my race because i felt i left it all out on the road and had one of my fastest run times ever. Although this race was about 10 min slower than my previous Oly. races I can still count it as a success. The triathlon season is quickly coming to a close as i have my last race this coming Saturday. The plan will be much of the same as it was for Naylor's i just want to make sure i leave it all out on the road. After next weekend I will probably stick to running for a while and do some 10K trail races. Then, depending on how the fitness is going i might take on a marathon in November.

Thats all for now, just want to give a shout out to all my fellow teammates for a great weekend and big ups for Rudy who won the race over all! Look for a race report next weekend.

Happy Training/Racing!

Patriots Half (70.3) Race Report

2009-09-13T11:03:00.000-07:00

The patriots half was a great race. Being the first Half "Ironman" that i have done that was not run by Ironman it was quite different. There were only something like 600 people racing that day and everything seemed much more laid back. The bay was about an 8th of a mile from transition so it was a bit of a run back to the bike. I was in wave 1 which was men 39 and under. We started in about waist deep water that had little to no visibility. The course had 2 left turns but the second turn was hard to find. When we reached the second turn bouyee the sun was directly in our faces so it was very difficult to sight the final run into the shore. After swimming in a zig zag for a bit i was able to see the finishing arch for the swim. The swim to the finish took longer than expected because we were fighting the tide as it headed out to sea. I had one of my slowest swims ever for a 1.2 mile race (a time of 37:58) and i was very frustrated running back to transition. But as it turns out i had the second fastest swim for my age group, so it looks like everyone had a terrible swim.

Coming out of the water I was excited to try out the new aero position at the Half distance. I jumped on my bike and was off. The course was great, mostly flat with a few rollers and a couple long false flats. We rode through the Virginia countryside and through some tobacco and cotton plantations which was pretty cool. I was able to stay hunkered down in my aero position for a majority of the ride, however my forearms did get a little sore and i would have to come up and stretch periodically. I am pretty pleased with my bike effort on Saturday, i managed to average over 20mph and my nutrition went off with out a hitch. But once again much like the swim the course was long...2 miles too long i think. So my hopes of coming in under 5 hours were quickly squashed.

Onto the run. I knew at this point that i couldn't go sub 5 so i just wanted to have a great run and enjoy the rest of my day. As i left transition a guy told me i was top 30 which was pretty encouraging. The course great we ran out along a corn field and then did two loops through a forrest with gravel trails. My feet and legs were hurting pretty badly on the first 3 miles and i thought i was in for a lot of pain but i was able to link up with Sarah (fellow UVA teammate who got 3rd overall for women) and we jammed from about mile 8 to the finish. Although it wasn't that fast 1:44 was my fastest 13.1 time yet.

At the end of the day i was very pleased with my result because i came into this race under trained. So i am stoked with the 4th place finish and a new run PR. Up next is the Naylor's Beach Olympic triathlon which is in two weeks and its the regional conference champs so there will be a bunch of fast guys there. My goal is to try and break top 10 and get a new Olympic PR.

Congrats to everyone who raced this weekend!

Happy Training/Racing!

I'll try and post some race pics later this week..........

Back To School/Taper Time

2009-09-08T10:08:00.001-07:00

Well I'm back in good old Virginia for the next few months. Classes have been going well and i have settled into a moderate training program. I have been doing more speed work and less distance because for the rest of the season i will be doing shorter races. Although i might throw in a marathon at the end of November :-).

I signed up for a "class" that is focused on swim mechanics, something i could really benefit from. It has been fun but i feel a bit out of place because most of the people in my class are not swimmers and have never done any kind of structured swimming before. But i am hoping this will yield faster more efficient swim times.

My final block of Triathlons starts this weekend with the Patriots Half (70.3 distance). I am really looking forward to this race because its pancake flat (just like Florida 70.3) but it looks like it wont be as hot as Florida. So i am hoping to yield a PR although my training has been anything but rigorous post Ironman Coeur D Alene. This race will serve as a bit of an experiment as i have my new more aggressive aero position, and i am going probably try some new nutrition plans.

Well thats all for now. I'll post a race report sometime this weekend.

Happy Training/Racing!

Wind Tunnel

2009-08-18T20:15:00.000-07:00

Race Report

2009-08-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

There have been some big things going on: the wind tunnel and the Coeur D Alene Olympic Triathlon.

Race day started off with out any major complications. The weather was in the high 50's and the lake was in the 70's. There were 2 waves for the swim start and i was in wave 1. I positioned my self near the front of the group before the gun went off. Once all the bumping for position ended i got into a groove and tried to find some feet. I felt like crap on the swim and was expecting a pretty slow time seeing how i have not been doing much training post Ironman and i was in a car crash. But i came out of the water in 22:10 which is a new PR for me so I was in high spirits heading onto the bike.

I dont think i had ever been more excited for the bike segment of a triathlon as i was on Saturday, because i had just spend the day in the wind tunnel and i decided to try out my new position. I hit the road and started picking off people up the road. I hunkered down into my aero position and clicked away. I was able to average 20mph over the very hilly course and was not passed by any other rider. I finished the bike in 1:09:59.

Heading out onto the run i was feeling good and ready to jam because this was the only race that i had to DNF from because of an injury last year. I was able to link up with the 4th place OA woman and we tried to chase down the other women up the road. By mile 2.5 i was falling off her pace and had to set out on my own. The rest of the race was just trying to stick to my pace and not get passed by to many people. I finished the run in 48:57.

The total time for the day was 2:24:03 which was good enough for 10th in my age group of 30 and 80th overall out of 606 competitors. All in all this was a great race because i had not been training since Ironman and the car crash put a hold on things. Now is time for a little down time at the lake before i go back to school and officially start up my training program. Next race is in Sepember. I will post something about the wind tunnel next week. Thats all for now.

Happy Training/Racing!

August Update

2009-08-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Lots happening this week:

-My friends over at TT FLY wheels hooked me up with a disc!

-I finish working full time at Competitor Group as i get ready to head back to school. But plan on still helping out the editors with some side projects back in Virginia.

-I just signed up to race Ironman 70.3 Florida next May. Should be a blast again!

-Got a new pair of K-Swiss running shoes that i will be breaking in this week.

-WIND TUNNEL!!!! I am so stoked to get a chance to go down to the wind tunnel its going to be amazing. I will be sure to post plenty of photos and videos of the experience.

-My first race since CDA is this weekend the Coeur D Alene olympic triathlon.

Thats all for now look for a few updates in the middle of next week.

Huge Congrats to SONJA for kicking ass at Ironman LP!

Big-Ups to Blue Seventy

2009-07-17T10:35:00.000-07:00

So i came home last night and this is what i found:
So thank you Blue Seventy! There are so many to choose from. I cant wait to hit the pool and try all of these babies out. Which is probably a good thing seeing how i have had little running injures these last two weeks. I probably need a little more rest post Ironman.

I have been trying to force my self to spend a little more time doing things other than S B R. And have been doing a lot of skateboarding thanks to my friends over at Sector 9 who hooked me up with a sweet new board. Thats all for now: best of luck to Chris Berg who is racing Vineman 70.3 this weekend and a huge congratulations to Sonja who is going to be racing Ironman Lake Placid next weekend. I will be following you both.

Happy Training/Racing.....

Back To Training...

2009-07-09T11:38:00.000-07:00

Since Coeur D'Alene I have been forcing my-self to go out and not focus on the training. I was able to completely rest for 6 days post Ironman and have been doing a lot of unstructured biking and swimming because they are low impact and i'm not 100% as of yet. Which is something i learned today: earlier today my dad and i headed out for a run he could only come for 30 min and we were jamming. I kept upping the pace and chasing down people who were further down the trail. I loved every second of it but have realized that i need to really take things easy for the next week. My right calf had totally locked up at the end of the marathon and it still gets tight easily. I have started rolling out again with my Trigger Point stuff which has helped. With all of these injury prevention products and recovery products you really see how much they help when you stop using them for a while. Because my legs were so tight last night and boy did it hurt. My plan is to focus more on running for the rest of the year once i feel i am fully recovered. Thats all the ranting for now, I will send an update in the next week or so. Big things coming up: 8/7 wind tunnel!!!!! and 8/8 Coeur D'Alene Olympic Triathlon (my only DNF ever so i have some serious unfinished business!)

Happy Training/Racing

I am an Ironman….Coeur D’Alene Race Report

2009-06-23T10:05:00.000-07:00

First let me just thank any one and everyone that supported me in the past year during my training. I also would like to thank my sponsors for their support.

My trip up to Coeur D’Alene began on Saturday 6/13. My mom and I loaded up the car with my bike and our two dogs. Our trip up the country was very scenic. We arrived in Coeur D’Alene on 6/14 just in time to have a quick dinner in our new home. During my final taper week I was able to do some exploring on the roads that lined the lake, as well as get in a few swims to test the waters.

The final days leading up to the race were a roller coaster of emotions. I had some great moments: interviewing Paul Huddle, participating in the 1^st ever Coeur D’Alene underpants run (I’ll post pictures later), spending some time in our new boat, and hanging out with the Trigger Point Therapy crew. And there were times that I would rather forget about: totally freaking out the day before the race, developing two minor injuries two days out from the race, a few restless nights, and finally our boat not starting race morning which resulted in a hair-raising race in the car, after which I realized that I may be a good rally car driver.

All of this was tuned out race morning as my mindset became focused on the “here and now”, a little tip Paula Newby-Fraser gave me to help manage such a long day. After going through all the last minute checks for the bike and gear I slipped on my Blue Seventy Helix and headed down to the beach. The weather was not on our side for the swim as we had strong winds, which created rough conditions on the swim as well as cold air temperature, but we lucked out in that the water in the lake was in the 60’s. I was able to find my dad and we gave each other some words of encouragement before the gun went off.

The start of the swim at an Ironman event is one of a kind; just to see close to 2,000 people hitting the water at once was amazing. Although it may have been visually appealing having to fight with that many people made the swim a bit difficult as I was never able to find a rhythm because I was constantly having to change direction and push away from other swimmers. At the end of the first lap of the swim I was feeling very fresh with a time of 36 or so minutes, I knew that I was pacing my self well. The second lap was much like the first but I was glad to be coming out of the water at the end of the 2.4-mile swim. Upon exiting the water it was a quick jog to transition and I geared up for a long, cold bike ride.

The air temp was still in the 50’s when I started riding so I had decided to throw on an extra layer along with arm warmers and full finger gloves. Before the race I chatted with Paul Huddle and he stressed that the bike needed to feel easy so I kept it one gear easier than usual. Much of the bike ride went according to plan although I did not plan on having to hit the porter-johns 5 times during the ride. I was able to have a few quick chats with some of my fellow competitors although it seemed that all we talked about was the headwinds and the cold. I came off the bike averaging 17mph, which was right in my target range, and I felt pretty fresh. But things took a huge turn for the worse once I hit transition.

I was in high spirits coming in to T2, but those were quickly squashed when I entered the change tent. As I was putting on my shoes and preparing to head out on the marathon one of the medical staff asked me how I was feeling and as I stood up I got very dizzy. He told me that this was a serious problem and that I needed to take the first few miles easy and eat a lot because I had burned a majority of my caloric stores. He ended his advice with its better to go slow than die. These last words almost scared me to death, during the first 4 miles I was convinced that I was just going to drop dead so I made a point to eat everything I could. The run wasn’t too bad until mile 15 when the fatigue and cold rain started to beat me down. I had started to employ a strategy of walking at every aide station so that I could eat and give my self a mental and physical break. When things got tough I tried to find someone to run with to help distract my mind from the pain. I ended up running with a few great people one of them, Hilary, who was doing her second Ironman after taking a 10-year hiatus after having a few children. Hilary was in good spirits and we paced off of each other and kept one another distracted from the pain. My feet felt like they were going to snap in half at mile 20 but I found that if I ran on the dirt rather than the paved road that I could keep going. When I got to mile 21 I told my self that I could run the final miles in my sleep and that the last mile didn’t even count because it would be a celebration mile.

With 4 miles to go I was hurting pretty bad and was barley able to run, I was just biding my time until I found that motivation to surge into the finish. This came with 3 miles to go, I passed a house that was throwing a party and they were playing some song that really got me moving. I picked up my pace and started rockin towards the finish. No longer was I stopping at aide stations and with each person I passed I went a little faster. At the 24-mile maker I stated to get a little emotional because I realized that I had done it and that all that hard work and dedication in the last year was going to pay off. As I rounded the final corner I could see the finish line about a half-mile away and I could barley keep my emotions in check. In the final quarter mile I passed my mom who was jumping up and down with a sign cheering for me. At this point I started to sprint because I was on cloud nine high-fiving people as I passed. In the finishing shoot I let out the loudest yell I have ever uttered and without thinking shot my arms up in excitement when over the PA I heard “Hunter Reed: YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!”

Crossing that finish line is probably the most rewarding experience I can think of, to know that I actually did it. After celebrating with my mom for a bit and having the best piece of pizza I have ever had I went back up the road to watch my dad finish, which he said was the greatest fathers day present he has ever been given. My race was: the best, worst, most painful, nauseating, amazing 13:13 of my life and if given the chance I would do it again, in fact ill do it next year! My dad and I signed up for Ironman Coeur D’Alene 2010, why…..because we’re crazy or we just love a good challenge.

As I fly back to San Diego I will have some time to finally relax for a few weeks before I start training again for my next race (Coeur D’Alene Olympic Triathlon), and might just take advantage of the fact that I turned 21 last month. That’s all for now I will post race pics and splits later in the week. And if you see a young guy hobbling around like an 85 year old at the expo for the San Diego International Triathlon this weekend that’s probably me.

And I will leave you with this quote I heard on an Ironman Video……

“Swim 2.4 miles…….Bike 112 miles……Run 26.2 miles…..Brag for the rest of your life”

Happy Training/Racing!!!

First Posting!

2009-06-10T12:10:00.000-07:00

http://triathlon.competitor.com/features/ironman-coeur-d’alene-water-temperature/

Last Week In San Diego Before IRONMAN

2009-06-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

These last weeks have been very busy and eventful. I have been really enjoying the time back in San Diego; especially the long rides down PCH with old friends. Ironman CDA is fast approaching and will be here before I know it. I leave for Coeur D’alene on Saturday and will be driving up with my mom and the dogs. We should be arriving on Monday, which will give me time for a short swim before dinner. The nerves are starting to build as the days fade away. There are a lot of last minute items that need to be checked off the list before I head out, my bike is in the shop right now for a full make over. I hope to post at least 2 more times before race day but you can follow my daily training and triathlon related updates on my twitter account (trihuntertri) or just check out the scrolling updates on the top of this page.

RACE NUMBER 297

Huge Congratulations to Alexis on finishing her first marathon 2 weeks ago, and big ups to Chris Berg for a great showing in Hawaii!

Happy Training/Racing

New Job... Old Stomping Grounds

2009-05-28T14:12:00.000-07:00

Post Florida 70.3 has been very busy. The night after my race I was a bit too tired to go out for my 21^st, so I had decided to throw a bash after Ironman CdA. I have started getting back into my regular training program after easing back into things post Florida. Today marks my first week working for Triathlete (Competitor Group Inc.) and it has been a blast. I love being immersed in the sport: chances are if you are a pro or in some sort of a triathlon club you have received an email from me some point in the last week. I don’t think it has hit me yet that Ironman Couer D’alene is right around the corner because I have been in anticipation of racing since last summer and its finally here.

Its been great catching up with some old training buddies and being back in the san diego sun, I was able to crank out a ride up PCH to San Onofre last weekend and will do the same this Saturday.

A lot is going on this weekend: Alexis will be competing in her first marathon (San Diego Rock N’ Roll), Chris Berg will be kickin A*s and taking names at Honu Half Ironman, and my brother will be graduating form high-school. Best of luck to everyone! Oh and I finally BOOKED A DATE FOR THE WIND TUNNEL 8/

7!!!!! That’s all for now: check out the pics of me goofing around on my training rides this last week.

Happy Training/Racing!

PS if you will be at the Rock N Roll Marathon Expo this friday come swing by the Trigger Point Therapy Booth and say hi.

Race Report

2009-05-17T12:52:00.000-07:00

Florida Ironman 70.3 is now in the books and the title reads: Hardest Race Ever! My day began at 4:10 am, had to be up at least 2hrs before the start of my race so that i could eat. After eating my PB&J my dad and i jumped in the car and headed down to Disney World. We got to the race site while it was still dark. After cleaning off the morning dew from my P3 I got my transition area ready to go. With everything set i grabbed my goggles, cap, and Blue Seventy Point Zero 3 and headed over to body marking. During marking the lady asked me how old my race age was and i said 21 (well as of tonight!). I then walked over to the edge of the lake and relaxed and did some stretching. As the waves went off i had one last chat with my dad before hitting the water. My swim seemed to go pretty well no one kicking me in the face, or dunking me under, and i maintained good form. I made my way through the swim and exited the water in 38min, this worried me because that is a slow swim for me in a non-wetsuit race. I later would find out from many people i chatted with after the race that the course was a bit long and they were all 3min off of their target times. I quickly made my way through transition which was one of the longest runs to my bike i've had to do and was off cranking through Disney. The bike seemed to go as planed although i knocked off my speed sensor 1.5 hours into the ride. The course was pretty flat with little wind for the first 40 miles. In the last 16 miles there were strong winds which put the hurt on all of us as we tried to make it into T2. I maintained my position for most of the bike, i dont think i was passed up by anyone in my AG during the whole 56 miles, but i was able to pick a few guys off in the last 1o miles of the ride. Coming into T2 i knew i was in for a world of hurt on the run as it was already in the high 80's with zero wind inside the park. The run course was 3 loops with about 6 miles of trails. As i ran out of transition my legs were feeling great and i think i hit the run course at 3:12 (which was just a bit off of my target as i planed on running a 1:40 which would have brought me in under 5hrs. But i quickly realized that these 13.1 miles of running would be more about survival as the heat was so intense that it completely zapped me of all my energy with in the first few miles. I never was able to get into a good rhythm i had my moments when i was running like i wanted to but there were periods of grueling heat. At every aide station i grabbed ice cold sponges, water, and ice and cooled my body down. I brought 2 flasks of concentrated NUUN with some carbo-pro that i sipped on in the first 2 laps until i ran out. This kept the cramping away for the first 10miles. My first 1.5 laps of the run was a lot of fun as i got to "run" (watch them blow past me) with the Pro men and women. I gave Paul Amey a shout and had a really quick chat with Andrew Hodges (a former UVA Alum). So it looks like my run took me a little over 2hrs which was about 25 slower than i planed on running. I dont have the official results in yet but i estimate that i finished 5:13 which was good enough for 12th place of 85 guys in my age group. But i will update this information when i get it. So i cant complain with my finish given the conditions, although i would have liked to have done better on the run aspect of the race i couldn't ask for a better way to kick off my summer and celebrate my 21st birthday. Now its time to ease back into training for Ironman Couer d'Alene and then hit it hard for a few weeks before beginning my taper for race day! This is shaping up to be a great summer, i will start work at Competitor on 5/20 which looks like it is going to be a blast! My dad posted at time of 5:33 a new PR but 3 min shy of his target time of sub-5:30. I had a great time hanging out with all the people of TP Therapy Crew and really appreciate their support, along with all the other support of my other amazing sponsors! Thats all for now look for an update once things get rolling over at Competitor and i get back in the swing of training.

Happy Racing/Training!!!

Pictures and Exact Race Splits To Follow.

Final Race Splits:

Swim: 38:13 (Div Place 20)

Bike: 2:32:43 (Div Place 8)

Run: 1:57:27 (Div Place 17)

Final Time: 5:13:39

Overall 12 of 62

Summer......Orlando 70.3

2009-05-11T11:40:00.000-07:00

So school just wrapped up last week and its great to be finished with school work for a few months. I spent the weekend in Staunton Va with my Grandmother, got to see some great countryside via bike. I am now chilling in the Richmond Airport getting ready to fly down to orlando for my first big race of 09: Ironman 70.3 Orlando!!! I will be in Orlando Monday-Sunday so i will have plenty of time to acclimate to the heat and humidity while i finish up my taper. I am super stoked to do this race as it should result in a fast time as the course is pretty flat. My 09 kit just came in last week at it looks pretty sick: i will be posting some pics later this week. Thats all for now i, will be sending another update mid-week and you can follow my daily updates Via Twitter. Oh and the day after my race will be my 21st birthday so it will be a much deserved celebration after the race.

So i have been off-line for a bit so here is a quick update! The last week i have been training and tapering for the big race tomorrow! It looks like it is going to be a fast/hot race. Heading over to the TP Therapy tent again today to hang out and spread the good news! I am feeling really good and getting stoked to get things started. Got to have a chat with Paul Amey at the Ironman Village yesterday, looks like he may head back down to San Diego for a bit this summer so it will be nice to see him back in the shop again. That seems to be it for now, i am soooo stoked to race! You can follow me on Ironman.com i am race number 373. Not sure what number my dad is rocking but you can find him as well i think we are the only two Reed's. Thats all for now: i hope to post a race report sometime tomorrow. Best of luck to all racing this weekend.

Happy Training/Racing!

California here i come... well kinda

2009-04-27T09:34:00.001-07:00

I just signed up for Ironman 70.3 Oceanside March 27 2010. It will be sweet to get to come home again and get another race under my belt. Hopefully a number of my buds from San Diego will be racing as well... so that should be a good time. Best of all the race offers both Kona and Clearwater spots!!!

It has been really hot the last few days and i have been swamped with studying for final exams. This week is supposed to be one of my highest volume weeks but i am going to have to tone it down a bit so i can get in that extra study time. One of my fellow UVa triathletes got 3rd in her AG at DU Nats last weekend! Thats all for now.....

Happy Training/Racing

Race Report!!! and UVa Nationals Update.

2009-04-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was my first race of the season: The Rumpass In Bumpass Olympic Triathlon. The week leading up to the race was my recovery week so that acted as my taper, i skipped lifting for the week to give my self more of a break and switched my track workout on Thursday to a short run. That Friday my shipment from Blue Seventy came just in time and then i drove out to the race site to pick up my packet and do a course preview. I ended up not having time to check out the course but tested out the waters of the lake. Race morning i woke up feeling great, no fatigue at all, so i figured it was going to be a good day. I had to leave Charlottesville a bit early because the roads were closing for the Cville half/full marathon. My girlfriend Alexis posted a great time on this tough and hilly course: 2:05, she will be jamming at the Rock N' Roll marathon next month. It took 1.5 hours to drive out to the race site and i was one of the first to rack my bike in my division. After racking my bike and setting up my transition i got in a good stretch and then went for a jog to loosen up the legs. The lake was 60 deg so i did not want to get in too early but was eager to try out my new HELIX. I chatted it up with the guys in my transition/age group, most of them were from colleges around the area and had sent teams to nations except for Hampton and Sydney. I finally met Tre Harris, he is a local triathlon coach and is on the CVille Triathlon team. He did Couer D'alene last year so i hit him up for some more pointers. With about 40 min until race time i jumped in my suit and warmed up in the lake. I was worried that my swim would be effected because i had not used the HELIX yet but it felt great i didnt even notice the sleeves and it was nice and buoyant. The first few min in the lake it was really hard to breathe and get my rhythm down but after that i was fine and eager to get started. It was a deep water start and we were in wave 1 with about 50 guys. The gun went off and it was your typical battle for position i got dunked a few times in the first 200 meters but then things started to settle down. I was feeling pretty good during the swim but it seemed that people were all strung out and there were no real groups forming, at the first turn i was in the fourth of the group, half way down the back stretch there was a large group of people swimming off away from the buoys ( looks like they had a longer swim than most). I stuck to my lines which was not too hard because the course only had 2 turns. Although it would have been nice to have had some people to draft off of i was able to focus on my body position and my stroke the whole time and not worry about getting kicked in the face. We approached the beach and a few of us were battling for position i was able to squeeze through the guys and swim right up to the steps and into transition. The last 50 meters was pretty tough and i was out of breath coming into transition so i tried to calm my breathing so that i could get in and out quickly. My swim time was 26:40 (5th fastest in my AG) which is 5 min faster than my previous race time of 32:00 over 1500 meters. So i was pretty stoked. I headed out onto the bike, it took me about a mile to settle down and get into my rhythm. Once settled i felt pretty good and tried to keep my pace in the 20-25 range. The course profile called for a flat and fast course: this was anything but, i dont think there was more than a mile of flat roads on the entire 12 mile loop. At the end of the first lap i was feeling pretty good and decided to keep my pace that i had for the first lap. About half way through the second lap a guy on a P3 with the exact same set up came blowing by me, i decided to pick it up and pace this guy, we battled back and forth for the rest of the lap but i made sure not to get too close because the race marshals were in full effect on there moto's. It was a down hill into T2 and i jumped off my bike and ran in, the race announcer called out my name as i came in which is always a great pick me up ("Here comes Hunter Reed all the way from Rancho Santa Fe, California!!!"). I wanted to do the bike in around an hour and came off in 1:05:26 which was the second fastest split in my AG so i was pretty pleased with my time especially with the course profile. The run was a 2 loop out and back course with the first half mile being trails. I was not a fan of the rocks and roots while i was trying to find my legs after the bike. I went out on the run just trying to hold a pace that i felt like i could do over 13 miles as i wanted to see how i may fare in Florida next month. With in the first mile a a guy came up from behind me who was in my age group but i had to let him go as i had not yet gotten my legs and could not match is pace (he was an ultra-marathoner so i didn't feel too bad haha) . The run had 3 hills so there was very little flat surface much like the bike course. I chatted it up with the guys about upcoming races and we all tried to keep our minds off of the pain and the heat. I ended up running with a guy from San Diego who was a member of the Camp Pendleton Triathlon Team, which was pretty cool especially all the way out here in Virginia. In the final half mile (on the trail again) i go passed by a guy who i assumed was in my AG because he had a 20 on his leg (or so i thought), i caught up with him and tried to catch my breath for a few seconds then made my move, we came out of the trails and he was about 50 meters back, i maintained my pace and kept checking to see if he was catching back up. With 200 meters to go he started to close the gap so i decided to hammer down and sprint all out to the line. I would say its a safe bet that i have never sprinted that fast in my life. Upon crossing the line we shook hands and it was then that i realized that he was 30 not 20 his number had just started to wash off, so that big effort at the end was all for nothing haha. I was so wiped form that sprint that i had to sit down as the race volunteers cut the chip off of my leg. I finished with a run time of 48:44 which was the 6th fastest time in my AG. So my final time was 2:23:22, a successful day as i wanted to do sub 2:30. After the race i took a dip in the lake to cool off. I went over to check the preliminary race results and saw that i was 3rd. I was pretty stoked but i didn't want to get too excited until they had posted the final results. Sure enough the guy who won my age group lost his chip on the swim pushing me down the 4th for the day. Over all it was an amazing day placing 4th in my first olympic distance triathlon. I was really pleased with my result because i have not been doing the kind of speed work needed for an olympic as all of my training is geared towards Ironman. At the end of the day i felt really fresh and it was a great indicator of how i should be able to do next month at 70.3 orlando, because i could have held that pace on the bike for 2 more laps and i could have held that run pace as well for another 6 miles. So i feel like i should be able to get another PR in Orlando. I was supposed to do a short run after my race to get in the miles for the week but i decided not to and just rest up so that i can hit it hard this week. I woke up today feeling pretty fresh my legs are a little sore from the run but nothing that is going to slow me down this week, i have a 2hr recovery ride today and then i really step it up these next two weeks. So i really could not have asked for a better result for my first race of the season, i crushed my swim PR, have kept my speed on the bike, and had a pretty good run especially after the injuries i have had this year. My nutrition went great as well: I think i have things pretty dialed in at this point. I am running NUUN and Carbopro in my bottles and getting the extra calories and sodium from the Honey Stinger Gels.

On another note the rest of the Virginia Triathlon Team were over in Texas for Nationals this weekend and it seems like they had very tough conditions and a freezing cold swim. Looks like our best finish was from Rudy who placed 7th in the undergraduate division, and everyone else seemed to have a good day. I have decided that i will make the trip next year and try my hand at Nationals as it will be my last chance to do so. My dad has the Boston Marathon this weekend so best of luck with that. I will post another update in the next week or so and hopefully will get some sweet photos of the race, and maybe my new kit for the 09' season!!!

Happy Training/Racing

Gentlemen Start Your Engines!!!

2009-04-13T18:28:00.001-07:00

The triathlon season is about to get started for me this Saturday! I'm so stoked. It is going to be an International distance race (1500 meter swim, 24 mile bike, and a 10k run). More updates to come!!!

http://www.setupevents.com/files/Rumpass_Int_Maps.pdf

April Update

2009-04-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past 3 weeks i have been seeing a local chiropractor and sports injury guy. Turns out that my pelvis is off tilt which it seems to be the route of all my little problems. Since going to see him my posture has improved, as has my running. I have really started to notice the improvements in the last week or so, and his is really exciting because that means that I can push harder and go longer. I have come to realize that there is a fine line of going hard and going too hard, especially when training for Ironman because you are putting your body through such stress every day. On another note of improvements and good news I have meet with some folks who have taken a look at my swimming. Turns out that I have some improvement that needs to be done with my head position, body roll, and arm extension. Although this may seem like a bad thing it is rather a blessing because that means that I can really improve on the swim. This is great because I am already a lot faster than I as last year at this time, so I am getting pretty excited. Some big days are coming up. This Sunday on NBC they will be showing 70.3 world champs. Not only am I stoked to see some amazing athletes crush it in Florida, but I am really looking forward to the announcement of the 150 US winners of the Kona Lottery. Hoping my name is among the list along with my dads name. It would be great to get to race side by side in Kona. Although my ultimate goal as a triathlete is to qualify for Kona I would love to go with my dad while we are both racing together. Second, my first triathlon of the season is next weekend, the Rumpass in Bumpass international triathlon. I am really excited to get a glimpse of my current strengths and weaknesses. I'm back to the gluten free diet as during my period with gluten I noticed that it was much harder to recover from intense efforts. Finally, congrats to all of those who competed in IM ca 70.3. That’s it for now watch for a great showing from my fellow Uva teammates at the Collegiate National Championship next weekend!!!

Bread and Bike Position

2009-04-01T18:41:00.000-07:00

So today marks the 90 day point in my gluten-free diet experiment. I have to say that 90 days was a lot longer than i had originally thought it was going to be, 1/4 of a year! But with it all said and done i had my first tastes of gluten today. I munched on some tasty cereal, had a massive burrito, and a BBQ chicken sandwich, and for dessert i had a PB cookie. After eating today i realized that i did not really miss the gluten foods and plan on going back on a modified form of the diet next week, as i find my self eating very healthy when i restrict myself to non-gluten foods. But that does not mean that i wont be taking advantage of all things gluten this week! haha. I have started seeing a Chiropractor 2x a week now in conjunction with my self therapy with the Trigger Point products (which have really been amazing). After just 2 visits i have noticed that my running form has gotten better. Hopefully regular visits will not only keep me injury free but make me faster.

Here is a quick video for my current bike position. Have yet to do a long run (more than 13 miles) in this position so i may need to make it a bit less aggressive. Im getting pretty stoked first race is a little over three weeks away! Best of luck to everyone competing in Oceanside this weekend. Race hard and happy training!!!

Half-way

2009-03-23T18:44:00.000-07:00

So by now I'm basically half way through my training program and have about 90 days until Coeur D'alene. I am also fast approaching the 90 day mark on my gluten free experiment. So that means i get to eat normal food on 4/1! I have been craving pizza and pancakes so i think i will feast on that. If i notice my training is getting harder to complete or that my recovery time is longer then i will go back to the gluten free diet. I have never been this fit i my life and the fact that Im only half way through the program make me very confidant. My swimming and biking are very strong, my run has had its issues due to my right foot giving me problems, but it seems that after meeting with Dr. Rob Rich in Encinitas that he fit me with some bomb insoles that will fix the mechanical issues. I had to send them back however, because they were a bit short, but the little that i walked around in them felt really good, i finally felt like i was coming off the ground with my whole foot rather than just my big toe. Last week i meet with Paul over at Cville Bike and Tri. and he fit my cycling shoes with shims so that the problem is corrected there also. Finally things look like they are coming together and i will be able to run worry free. To try and make sure that i didn't take too much time away from running i did an hour pool run yesterday, being my first pool run it was kind of hard but still i think that i did the trick. My first triathlon of the season is about a month away, its going to be an international distance so it should be a blast. I should be getting my gear from Blue Seventy in the next week or so and will post some pics when it comes in. Best of luck to all of you doing the Super Frog and Oceanside 70.3 in the coming weeks!

Thats all for now...Happy Training!

My Buddy Berg

2009-03-12T15:45:00.001-07:00

Check out my buddy Chris Berg, kickin ass and takin names!

http://ironman.com/events/ironman70.3/matthew-dale-profiles-san-diegos-70.3-racer-chris-berg

Spring Break and More

2009-03-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

So last week was spring break. I headed back home to San Diego to spend some time with the family, surprise my brother for his 18th birthday, and log some serious training. Got home and spent a few hours in the pool with my dad got a pretty bad Speedo tan because i haven't seen the sun in forever! The next day i went down to little Italy and met Mr. Colnago, who announced the start of our ride out to the Olympic Training Center. I hadn't ever been out there and it was really cool to catch up with old friends on the ride as well as check out the Olympic training center. I meet with Dr. Rob Rich who runs www.elitecarechiropractic.com . The guy is the man he knew exactly what was wrong with my strike and how to fix the mechanical problem. He also works with my Coach Paul Huddle as well as a number of other top pro triathletes. So you know the guy knows what he's doing. Spent the rest of the week logging some longer training miles and enjoying the nice warm weather. The TP Therapy products have been a life saver my lower leg pain is gone and i have been keeping injury free so its been great. I also got a the chance to head over to Triathlete HQ and meet with the people over there and square away my summer internship, i have to say that I'm totally stoked, just going in there and meeting all the guys was crazy, its not every day that you meet the guys who run the sickest news media in the world! Ended up getting one of the fixed gear bikes from FELT over the break so that i can better get around grounds after my old commuter was stolen.

Next weekend i will be going up to DC to run the National Half Marathon. Im going up with my buddy Dan Kim and am going to help pace him through his first half. Im pretty stoked it should be a blast to run the mall and hopefully see some friends up in DC. Ironman training is coming along smoothly i have really come to love the training program, and I feel more and more confidant for race day. 101 days and counting. On another note The Tour of Calif was sick nasty and i really enjoyed watching it especially when they rolled into San Diego.

I will post a race update after the Half Marathon with some sahweet pictures, i'm not looking to go out there and kill my self trying to PR, just have a great time enjoying the sights should be a fun training run if we can come in at a sub-2hr pace i will be super stoked but i'm always glad to run.

Happy Training!

In The News

2009-02-19T08:04:00.000-08:00

I was recently interviewed and published in my Fraternity News Letter, as a standout student and fraternity man. Will be back in San Diego in a little over a week! The Trigger Point Therapy products are doing amazing things, just got the quad baller the other day and it works the tissue really deeply. I'll post a new write up on the TP stuff in a week or so and give a full run down.

February Update

2009-02-08T19:27:00.001-08:00

So February is under way, so far its been a great month! Last week i got some of my products from Trigger Point, and i have to say that its the Bomb! I got the total body package (just waiting on the quad-baller) but foot baller and the massage ball have been helpin me out. I have been using them on my legs, feet, pectorals. I have had constant leg pain in my right calf after a Tendonitis injury back in July and the daily pain is starting to subside. I spoke with some friends who already have been using the TP products and they said that it will take about 3 weeks to get the full results. So big ups to the people at TP for hooking me up, also check out their web page they posted a pic of me doin my thing with a link to the blog. Just tried the Berry Treasure from FLUID, seriously i dont know how i could recover with out it. Hoping to see the guys at FLUID when i head home for Spring Break. I'm trying to make it up to the USC sprint triathlon that week but im not sure if it will work out. The other day i took my buddy Dan out for a 100 min run we covered 10 miles. I was so stoked that he was able to complete the run. So now Dan is going to come up with me to Washington DC for the National Marathon. He is going to take on his first half-marathon and I'm doing the marathon. Hopefully this will be a good indicator of how I'm standing on the longer stuff come mid-March. Although i have not mentioned it before but my Dad qualified for Boston!!! Thats really legit so im hoping i can watch him do that race.

So a few weeks ago the rides were freezing cold. Often in the single deg. and i would have that painful thawing out afterwards. (see pic) But the last two weeks have been "hot". I love how i think 50-60 is hot now that I'm back east, where if i was at home i would be in full winter gear. But we have had some great weather here in virginia the last week and this week only looks better leading up to the cycling race at NCSU on Saturday. Yesterday i got a group of about 9 riders on the team to tag along with me for a 56 mile ride up towards Afton Mt. and tool around in the back country hills. It was a great fun "easy" ride with the team. Had a nice little race pace section up part of Afton, which was a good because i felt great after that hard effort. Im really excited to get started on the cycling season, although i wont be doing as many races, NCSU suits my riding style and should be a fun race. Got a pair of Specialized Cycling S-Works shoes on order from the guys a Cville Bike & Tri. The old ones are totaled.

Looking forward to getting back home in a month, planning on doing a century ride that leaves from little italy. Hoping to get a ride in with my buddy Chris with Break Away Training, (Chris and my Dad just kicked some ass in Rancho today at the half-marathon) My Dad posted a 1:40 and i think chris went 1:20. Thats all for now.......Check the new Virginia kit (SMS Santini very nice....)

Frozen NUUN

2009-01-19T10:51:00.001-08:00

Went out for a ride on Saturday. Weather was something around 5 deg. Had to turn around and come home because i lost all feeling in the hands and feet. Check out this bottle. Totally frozen.

Blue Seventy and more....

2009-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

So recently I received an email from the people over at Blue Seventy and they have been kind enough to offer me a limited sponsorship. Needless to say i was really stoked!!! I was in the market for a new wetsuit and the Helix seemed to fit me the best. I had assumed that it would just be a "pro"-like deal on a wetsuit but they hooked me up with all the fixins. So I'm going to be totally kitted out in Blue Seventy at Ironman CdA. I have been using their Vision Goggles, and they are so comfortable. So i just wanted to thank the amazing people over at Blue Seventy for helping me out!!!

I have been back here in Virginia for about 2 weeks now, and the training is going well. I think working with the guys over at multisports.com is really going to help me to become a more complete athlete. Before i would really only focus on one aspect a day were as now I have been able to fit all 3 into a day. Not sure how the racing season is going to line up this year. I know I will be doing the local San Diego races, Ironman Cda, 70.3 Florida, and the cycling season back here with the team. I am going to fit in as many other races that I can during the next few months. I did put my name in the Lotto for Kona so depending on that outcome it will dictate my summer training/racing. I would like to try out some Track races. The gluten free diet is coming along well. I guess it has been about 2.5 weeks. The one thing i noticed is that i'm just eating a lot healthier now, not that i ate poorly before. I feel like this change in diet is really going to help the performance levels. Im itching to get a race under my belt for 2009 so it looks like i will do the first race in February at NCSU. Thats all for now........

Ironman Training Begins

2009-01-07T19:36:00.000-08:00

So the training has started! Its been a lot of fun I'm doing lots of things that i haven't done before. Still going Gluten free which has been hard but at the same time its still fun. Started bringing some of my buddies out with me for the swims and prob. to the track tomorrow we will see though. Virginia is kinda cold but not too bad yet. Im sure it will get much colder. Glad to be back with my steeds again (P3 and Soloist). Happy Training!

New Year Update

2009-01-01T15:42:00.000-08:00

So it has been a great month back home in San Diego. A little update.... i have had a lot of time to just go out and enjoy some longer distance workouts. Did a 80 mile bike ride the other week with lots of climbing, it was a nice measure of my fitness before i start my training. Last weekend went for a 20 mile run down PCH. It was a blast finished it in 3 hours and that really felt great because i was not pushing it and felt great at the end of the run. I am getting really excited to start the training for Ironman! Got my first shipment of some of the Honey Stinger stuff..... and seriously its amazing i love it. Going to meet with a new doctor here in San Diego soon who is going to do a full muscle skeletal check and really fine tune my stretching and weight training so i can stay injury free, he is also going to help me fine tune which Trigger Point therapy techniques i should be doing. Got a great email from the people over at Blue Seventy yesterday...... more updates to come soon! Looks like it is going to be a great new year

Goals:

Sub 5hr in Florida 70.3 (gotta cut about 9min)

Finish Ironman CdA would like to go sub 12hr

Finish a cycling race in 1st best finish before was 2nd.

Stay Injury Free

New Sponsor

2008-12-19T15:49:00.000-08:00

Just got hooked up with the people over at TP Therapy! I'm super stoked to be representing such a great company and using their products, because their stuff is really going to help me with my recovery, and all those little problems that pop up during the Ironman Training!

NUUN KONA COLA

2008-12-03T20:19:00.000-08:00

I just tried my first tube of the Kona Cola Flavor, and can i just say its amazing!!! It seems like it is going to be perfect for the marathon's and later portions of Ironman.

Thanksgiving and More...

2008-12-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving break was much needed. Got home the first day and before i could unpack i was out the door for a nice 6mile run on some trails around my home. It was great to get to run the old routes and not have to wear a ton of layers. Took the next day off, and spent time catching up with friends. Did a 30 mile ride with my dad the day after thanksgiving. The next morning we set out for a 80 mile ride. It was great we linked up with some of the Camp Pen. Tri Team guys and really hammered up the coast. Got a little "racy" at some points but all good fun. Glad to be back in San Diego for a few days. Ended up getting sun burned from that ride, just shows what little sun i get here in Virginia

Off To The West Coast

2008-11-24T13:36:00.001-08:00

Looks like I'm heading home to sunny San Diego for some warm weather, mexican food, and coastal training. Checked the weather for the week but it looks like its going to rain! But no matter should be nice to come home to get to do some quality riding with my pops. Went for a 2.5hr training ride the other day, and man is it cold here in Va. My whole face chapped from the wind.

New Sponsor

2008-11-23T13:38:00.000-08:00

Just picked up a new sponsor: Honey Stinger. They make amazing energy products! They have a great assortment of different gels, bars, and gummies. I cant wait to start using their products during all of my races and training.

Post Race-Richmond Half Marathon

2008-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

So Richmond was a very interesting race, i lost my hotel info and had to stay somewhere else. The weather reports called for a very very rainy race, it was supposed to be thunder-storming during the entire run. So i woke up at 6am, started eating and stretching. I was excited for this race because it would be the longest run since my injury back in july as i had only done 11 miles since then at any one time. I was looking to go for broke on this one, really push hard from the start and see how long i could take it. So the weather held off and it was not going to end up raining until after a few hours after the race. But it was beyond humid and that really put a damper on my race. I toed the line at 7:15 just 15 min before the gun was to go off. I was in Corrall 1 and was with all the really speedy people. The gun went off and I was off down the roads of richmond. I was holding 8min miles for a majority of the race and then decided that i should really back off and prevent over stressing my injured leg. I was fine up until mile 9 when my leg started to cramp up. I thought it would hold off but by mile 10 it started to hurt, and for fear of doing any serious damage i stoped at a street sign and stretched my leg. I started out again but it was only worse. I feared i would be walking the last 3 miles, so i gave stretching anotehr go and lucky for me it was fine, my legs actually felt great!!! I was able to fully extend my legs for the remainder of the 3 miles and i figured i would just enjoy the race and the atmosphere. I crossed the line in 1:51 which i felt was pretty good seeing how i had not done any training asside from some swimming in the pool during this off season. Im glad that i didnt have any serious leg problems and it made me really cofident that the injury is healing. After the finish i went to the medical room for some ice for the legs just to speed recovery...and let me tell you it was very scary being in there it looked like a battle field of wounded soldjers. I made it out of there alive just in time to see my girl friend cross the finish line. We went back up to the room and i pounded some FLUID so i could get back to normal asap, and on the drive home i sipped on NUUN to get my hydration back to normal. All in all a great day. I'll plan on doing the marathon next year, should be a good race!

Blue Ridge Burn 10K

2008-11-09T19:19:00.001-08:00

I signed up last min. for a fun 10k trail race last Saturday. I had never done a trail race before and this was my first race back since my injury in July. So i was pretty excited but a bit worried that my leg may act up. The night before it was raining so we were not even sure we were actually going to go. I woke up saw clear skyes, poped in a few slices of toast with some peanutbutter and headed out the door. So the gun went off and the first eight of a mile or so was down hill on a paved road. I started out at what i thought would be a conservative 10k pace and quickly realized that there were only about 10 people in front of me. So i decided that i would go for broke with this 10k. The paved roads quickly ended and we had to cross a small brook and then right up a very steep hill. I quickly passed a few runners. A majority of the run went as planned i held my pace for a majority of the run. Then we begin to come back towards the start. I had run "what i thought was the final half mile of the course that morning before the race. So we come to an aide station which i turned down assuming that the portion of the course i pre-ran as the actual last half mile. Boy was i wrong. So i sprinted the last half mile and came back to the "finish" but i misunderstood the course and you run past the finish and do another 8th of a mile loop before coming back to the finish. So i was pretty tired starting the final loop, and didn't recover until a hundred yards before the finish. So i was passed by about 4 people on an uphill during the last little loop. Right after the loop i jogged back to the car put on my compression socks and Zoot sandals, grabed my FLUID and headed back to the finish line to see my girl friend finish. But i finished 4th in the 20-24 age group, so it was a great entry back into the racing thing. I am really excited for the Richmond Half Marathon that is coming up next weekend, course looks pretty flat and i should be able to PR at this race seeing how i havent done a stand alone half marathon since April 2007.

Richmond Half Marathon

2008-11-03T17:06:00.001-08:00

I will have my first race since my post-tib injury in July. Looking forward to it. I'll be doing it with my girlfriend so it will be more about enjoying the race scene rather than killing my self for a good time. Look for more updates on the race and photos post race!