Ironman Coeur d'Alene

About five days have passed since the race up in Idaho, and I thank you all for tuning in for my report. I apologize for the delay, but I decided to take a bit of a step back before writing the report. I know I'm not the most prompt and timely person, but this was a calculated move, as I thought it would be fun to let things sink in even further, prior to summing up the details.

My five-day hiatus from all things TRIATHLON came to an end yesterday, as the two Doping Control Agents from USADA showed up on my doorstep. It's great to see that they are doing the testing, and I'm always more than happy to give a sample. Unlike Sunday's post-race drug test, I was fully hydrated and able to provide right away. Enough about the urine, let's talk race.

Race day arrived in similar fashion to the previous several days: there was a good bit of wind, plenty of chop on the lake, and temperatures were quite cool. It was a far stretch from my first CDA experience where highs in the nineties melted away a lot of Ironmen and women.

I always take it as a good sign when I awake prior to the alarm clock sounding; I somehow feel more rested and ready go. On Sunday I did just that, and managed to get a jump start on my morning routine. I phoned Amanda for some final words of encouragement; it was great to hear her voice and to get a final boost of confidence. With a short run and a LARGE breakie behind me, I headed down the street (two blocks) to transition to prepare the bike. Everything went together very smoothly, and I was back at home relaxing by 6:00 AM.

My incredibly gracious home stay folks, Ann and Tom, have a gorgeous house only steps from the venue. I was able to don the Batman suit (ie. blueseventy helix) right there in my bedroom, before moseying over to the beach. It sure was cool out, and the sea was angry.

After a high five or two from my mom, I hit the beach and readied myself for the race. I felt a nice level of confidence heading into the water, and with my Todd Gerlach swim strategy in mind, I was itching to start.

I positioned myself to the left of the field, prepared to swim solo through the first several hundred meters. As the gun went off, I did just that. I knew Rhodesy and Evans would get a jump, but my plan was to swim my own race. I kept a watchful eye on Victor, to be certain I was on pace. By the turn buoy at 800 meters, I began congratulating myself on having such a great swim. I was timing the waves just right, and my stroke felt calm, powerful, and controlled.

By the end of loop one, I found myself to the back of our small group, content to sit on feet through the remainder of the swim. Exiting the water 90 seconds down of the leading trio, I positioned myself behind Victor (light blue cap) with Jasper (yellow cap) just ahead. Moments after I hit the waves for my second 1900 meters, my swim experience went from good to bad; north to south; fun to miserable. Oops.

I am still not sure what happened, but more likely than not, I was just fatigued from loop one. Just as I was patting myself on the back in the first half, I was moping and feeling pitiful on lap two. It was amazing how drastically things had changed in the course of twenty or thirty minutes. Lap two took me five minutes longer than lap one: a terrible positive split, in part due to a few segments of backstroke swimming. Yes, even on a good day, we professionals can have some rookie moments!

Exiting the water, I did my best to shake off the insults of cramping legs that were added to the injury of my swim gone bad. (Disclaimer and apology to those who view a 57-min swim as excellent: it's all relative.) I put the swim behind me, as soon as I hoisted myself up off the ground, after a successful wetsuit peeling (stripping).

The bike ride in Coeur d'Alene is awesome. The first fifteen-mile out-and-back is beautiful, and the sections through town are energized by large crowds of screaming Iron Sherpas and Fans. The rest of it is characterized by plenty of green rolling hills, gorgeous horse farms, and very tall pine trees. Oh, and it's tough as hell.

I did my best to ease into the ride. I felt great out there, and rolled along at a steady clip, planning to build the final forty to fifty miles. I saw the leaders' margins shrink for the entire first half of the bike. I was encouraged, as I really felt that my best riding was yet to come. Just as I thought I would increase the pressure, I watched as my plan again took a detour from reality.

Tom Evans dropped the hammer; Luke McKenzie went with him; Adam Jensen (a first-year pro) came by me on the bike; and I did not go any faster. The rest of the field stayed fairly steady, but it became evident that my back-half strength was not quite where it needed to be. In spite of my efforts to build, I continued to lose ground to the leaders. The deficit grew to over twelve minutes by T2.

Trying to be a good planner, I had in mind at least two race scenarios prior to the start of the race. If I was at or near the lead, I'd race a conservative marathon, similar to 2006 Arizona: building throughout. If I faced a ten-minute (or so) deficit, I'd get aggressive from the gun. Well, plan two was in effect.

I forced the pace from the outset, and my first four miles were all right at 5:55. I did not feel great, but figured I'd find my rhythm soon enough, and a 23:40 four-mile split got me pumped up a bit.

By mile five I was truly enjoying the day. It was incredibly cool out, and the breeze added to that pleasant effect. This would not be a meltdown day; if I was to catch anyone it would be due to my efforts, rather than to the attrition of a hot day.

As I made my way past Rhodesy and McKenzie, I realized the race was just beginning. The final eleven miles of the Coeur d'Alene race are make-or-break. I applied the pressure once again, and managed to bring back one minute from Victor, who was taking time out of Evans. That gain (from mile thirteen to fifteen) gave me all the encouragement I needed to keep the pace going.

It was still a large gap to first, but with Ironman racing anything can happen. (Anything is possible is a trademarked phrase, so I'm not using it.)

My final 10k was one of my best in all of my nineteen Ironman races. I had the strength and the drive to continue the chase. Victor and Tom were engaged in a great battle, and unfortunately, their battle pushed them just out of my reach. My efforts were good and fun and hard, but were only good enough to stay in third.

And when I say "only", I mean no disrespect to the placing. A podium finish in an Ironman event is not easy to come by, and I love that I've been able to do just that over the past few years, much less twice in one season. Along with my finish came a second US Championship title, a welcome accolade, for sure.

I have one more Ironman this season, and after a solid summer of preparation, I'll be out in Hawaii trying to make it three top-threes in a row.

Coeur d'Alene is probably my favorite race on the circuit. It's hard to beat Hawaii, but if any race can do it, this one is in contention. I have to say that the local support of the event is incredible. The crowds sure know how to make you feel loved.

And in addition to the on-site support, I had a huge boost knowing that everyone back home was tuned into ironmanlive, sending out the positive vibes. An extra special thank you goes out to Amanda and Stephanie for sitting by the computers all day long! Your support is invaluable.

OK, I just had to get on here to post a quick shout out to all of my faithful readers, before you all lose faith! I'm here, I'm happy, and I'm healthy. I have been doing a mini-build for Ironman Coeur d'Alene, and it's taking a bit of my down time from me... in other words, I'm a bit tired!

I will be back on very soon to post a couple of photos of what's new in the Lovato scene, and I'll soon be getting a bit more time to post something more interesting than this excuse!

Thanks for checking in, and I'll have more to report SOON!

Florida 70.3 Race Report

Ok, so there was not a lot of singing and dancing around the old Real World House on Sunday night. The only true post-race highlights and excitement were centered around a heated match of mini golf between Luke and Lucy Bell and me. I ended up with the big-fat third place for that one. I sure did hit that back nine well, but taking too long to get my putt-groove left me well off the mark for the overall win. Congrats to Luke for taking the title (and third place in the race).

A nice bonus for this race was that my sister Stephanie and her boyfriend Huggy Bear Hays decided to drive down for the weekend. It's only about a five-and-a-half hour drive from Hilton Head, so they arrived late Friday afternoon. We had a great pre-race meal that night at the Black Angus. Funny thing about Central Florida: it's restaurant chain heaven! On race day Steph and Hays put on the Ironmanlive uniforms, and served as spotters for the mens' bike race. It was great having them down for the weekend, and I hope they are able to make it to Kona this fall!

The race at Disney has changed elements of its course each of the last four years, since its inception. The swim has remained the same, the bike has changed from year to year, and there have been three different run courses. In my opinion, this year's bike course was the best it's been, and the run was probably the toughest.

I was very excited to try out my new blueseventy pointzero3 skinsuit for the race. I received it two days before the race, so I was able to swim in it one time on Saturday. It felt great, and I figured it was going to be a nice little aid for a faster swim. Even if most of the other pros are using the same suit, it still seemed like it would give me an edge!

The swim start went off pretty smoothly. I jumped right into a good position with the front of the group, and put my head down for a hard swim. Unfortunately, about 400 meters into the swim, the guy in front of me got dropped from the pack. How many times does this seem to happen to me!! I need to take control of my own swim destiny, and go right to the best feet in the swim. At least then it will be my fault if I lose them! My swimming is in a good place right now, but I am only capable of holding onto the draft of the lead group. When there is a gap, I cannot close it alone. I watched helplessly as the group swam away from me.

The remainder of the swim was pretty easy and slow for me. I did not see the point in attempting to leave them to forge my own way. In retrospect, I should have done just that, as our group lost major time out there.

Heading out on the bike, I heard a split that we were close to three minutes down. I figured I'd do my best to minimize that gap, but knowing who was up the road, it was a long shot.

Within the first ten to fifteen miles, I reeled in a few of the faster swimmers who had been spit out the back of the lead pack. I was surpirsed to see that there were several athletes I did not recognize. Normally I have a pretty good feel for who is in the race; this time was very different. As we rolled through the out-and-back around mile 20, I got a good look at the leaders. There were five of them, and they were all riding pretty tightly together. The gap was growing, and I didn't figure I could ride a whole lot faster.

I kept on the pressure, while most of the dozen or so guys behind me sat in. A couple of guys came through for a token time at the front, with a grand total of about four minutes in the wind. The most frustrating part for me when these guys tried to take their turn was that the pace would immediately drop by a mile or two per hour. When a strong group of five was putting time into us, we could not afford to ride that speed. I finally made a bit of a break just after the 30-mile mark. It amazed me to see how far back the others fell, as soon as I had about twenty or so meters on them. I took advantage of a moderate head wind and some rollers to make the gap stick. Within five to eight minutes, I had a significant lead on my former group.

I was very pleased with my ride, and in particular with the latter 25 miles. It felt good to have my first solid bike ride of my 2007 season. Next up was the run, and a shot at the top five.

Within 400 meters of transition, I was back in sixth place (having been caught on the bike with two miles to go by a fellow who rode through my old group). My intention was to run hard from the outset, then let the chips fall as would.

I was pleased to get a nice pace going right away. Mile one was at 5:21 and the second mile was at 5:40. I felt very comfortable at this pace, and figured it would taper off to a mid 1:16 pace by the end of the run. That was not quite how it played out. Just after the second mile marker, the course made a turn to some rough and uneven grass. I didn't figure it would slow me too much, but I was very wrong there. My next couple miles were a struggle. The strange thing was that when I got back to the asphalt I was able to get back to 5:40 pace. Why was that grass stealing so much of my energy!?

I stayed focused, and continued to chase the leaders. WIth the deficit I faced, it was not likely that I'd see Craig, Simon or Luke again. However, with a swift run, I figured that TJ Tollakson and Bryan Rhodes were within my reach. Sadly, the return to the grass segments brought more of the same suffering. I just couldn't find my groove on that grass.

I reached into my bag of tricks in every attempt to make my way back to fast; however, without that great energy return from the roads, I was a bit whupped. I made every effort to keep the Portuguese and Spaniard from flying by on lap three, but I had very little response to their moves.

In the end, I resigned myself that the final money spot would have to suffice: another eighth place finish in a half! It was a good showing, and although it was not my best day, it certainly was a fun race to the end. There were many positives on the day, and one of them was that I was able to squeeze under four hours again: a bit of a consolation prize.

Thanks for tuning in!

I'm out here in Florida for the 70.3 race which is tomorrow. I've been here since Wednesday evening, and have been enjoying myself as a guest in a seven-bedroom rental house in Kissimmee. I'm not too far from the Wide World of Disney, and I am lucky enough to have some fun roommates here at the house. A couple years ago, Andrea Fisher and I stayed in a house just down the street, and we pretty much concluded that, with our other triathlete roommates, we were as close as we could get to living MTV's the Real World. This is season two for me, and I am having a lot of laughs.

To protect the identities of those involved, I'll not name any names as I describe the cast members.

The first to arrive is a young girl from New Orleans via Colorado Springs. She works for USA Triathlon, and is here to work registration for the event. She's the young impressionable type who seems to be absent most of the time. I'm thinking she's been out to Downtown Disney a couple times already, and is probably enjoying the night life a lot more than her fellow roomies.

Next to arrive is a foreign-born female triathlete. She came with one friend, who is clearly heading up her support crew on race day. These two have been in and out quite a bit, and it remains unclear as to whether or not they are but two parts of a bizarre love triangle. Housemates numbers five and six may or may not have overheard a loud lovers' quarrel late last night. And the arrival of a dozen red roses on our porch this afternoon indicate that someone has made an attempt at apology.

Guests number five and six come from far, far away, and they speak with funny accents. The only real drama surrounding these two is related to the fact that the one who is slated to race tomorrow is hobbling around like a wounded animal, as he rolled his ankle while packing. Yes, it was a packing injury. Other than that, the highlight for this twosome was the trip to the municipal pool where, had I remembered my camera, we could show proof that the pre-race activities of some pro athletes involves tackling the speedy 150-foot water slide. Ah, that was fun.

It is yet to be determined if this season at the Real World Triathlon: Disney ends with a bang or a bust. We've had fun so far, and we still have race morning (and any potential post-race parties) ahead of us. Should we end up playing beer pong (or beer ice hockey) or singing karaoke on the pool table, I'll try to remember to snap some photos.

Oops, I've done it again. I did not mean to let two weeks go by, but it seems I have done just that. After returning from Idaho, I jumped right back into some short, speedy training, and I am pretty sure the upped intensity is mostly to blame for my lack of posts. At least that's my excuse.

With the first part of the season behind me, I have begun to look forward to what's up next on the horizon. My recovery from Arizona has been very good, and I have been able to test myself with some very fast running riding. I have held up well, with the exception of needing a bit more sleep and a bit more caffeine!

The plan has evolved to where I'm spending a few weeks keeping the pedal to the metal. After a nice spring of base-type training, with some Ironman pacing thrown in there, it's time to work the high end. I've really enjoyed the regular Tuesday morning interval workout with Simon (and others!). It's been great to great having Simon make up the workouts, and, of course, to have him as someone to chase.

We've been doing some great riding lately as well. And except for Simon's crash to the pavement last Wednesday, we've sure had some fun. And in case you are wondering, no, I did not cause him to go down. I am thinking there was a rock to blame.

The next race should be a good one. The fourth running of the Disney Half Ironman, or Ford Ironman 70.3 Florida for the sticklers out there, is coming right up. Last weekend's races spread the competition out pretty well, so that neither St. Croix nor Wildflower had the depth of fields they typcially have; it seems that Disney is making up for that. Last time I checked, there were 35 men on the list, with several of the top guns slated to clash. Hopefully we're all ready for that Central Florida muggy heat!

After that one, I'll probably throw my hat into the ring for the US Pro Ironman Championships: Ironman Coeur d'Alene. I absolutely love that race, and the new bike course makes it that much more appealing. It seems to me that it would be a shame to miss out on al the fun. Plus, I really feel that the timing is great to race in late June, then plan a late-season peak in Hawaii. Last time I found my way into the top ten of Kona, it was on the heels of a win in Idaho. That is definitely a double I'd like to duplicate.

Thanks for checking in. I'm adjusting to the harder training, so I shouldn't be too whacked out to post again... SOON!

Multisports Ironman Coeur d'Alene training camp!

What a fun weekend I've just had up in Idaho. The folks at Multisports were kind enough to invite me back to one of their entertaining and imformative Ironman training camps, after my first attempt at being camp counselor back in Tempe in February. That weekend was full of laughs, and this one proved to be a full barrel of monkeys as well. Barrel of monkeys: what a strange phrase.

I traveled out to Spokane, WA late on Wednesay night. I met up with fellow coaches, Jimmy Riccitello and Steve Katai. We made the trek over to the host hotel, a great little spot on the side of a gorgeous river. This picture doesn't really do it justice, but we had one heck of a view from our rooms.

As the IM CDA bike course has changed quite a bit from the previous four years, we all had to get out there early to pre-ride the course. It's a good idea to be familiar with the route when acting in the position of group leader. At least that's what they told me.

The only way to sum up the new bike course up here is to say that it's very beautiful, and quite challening. After getting through a few flat sections, the middle segment of the ride is peppered with a variety of medium length rolling hills. Depending on where you come from, these hills can be quite tough. All in all, I give the new route a double thumbs-up!

Friday was the first day of organized camp activites. We all grouped up for a short ride over to the swimming pool. We had to split into two groups, as the pool would only accommodate twenty folks. I treated group number one to an up-close peek at my Splish Sausage Suit. (I suppose it's a wiener suit, but the alliteration here sounds better.)

I think some of the campers were a bit alarmed, but anyone who knows me realizes that I wear this suit becuase I'm a winner not a wiener.

Day two began quite early, as we had a five-hour ride to tackle. The plan for our faster group was to cover the whole loop once, and to add on a second dose of the upper (hillier) section of the ride. I ended up with only two campers, Mike and Dave, while a local cyclist took over with the second part of the "fast group".

I think the one lesson we all learned out there was that this course is really going to kick the butts of those athletes who go out too hard on the first lap. Words to the wise: start conservatively!

We three then headed out for a short run at the end of our ride. These guys were tolerant of my chitter-chatter (a prelude to Sunday morning's long run), and they even played along with one of my favorite games: Guess Who's Running Form I'm Doing! I like to run along and mimmick some of the better-known triathletes. I covered Cam Brown, Faris al Sultan, Dave Scott, Simon Lessing, Lori Bowden and a few others in my routine.

The long run was nice and easy, and I managed to tell a few more stories. Those running with me seemed to be interested in hearing the play-by-play account of my past marathons in CDA. If they weren't interested, they were too polite to tell me that they didn't care where I passed Spencer Smith or where I bonked or how I tried to win the race at mile ten.

It was a beautiful day, and I am pretty sure everyone was happy to be out running in such a pretty place.

The final step of camp is Awards. This is when each camper gets the opportunity to win various prizes and gifts. It's not merit-based, so it's a unique award ceremony: just be there and you win! I don't have any photos to prove it, but I know someone out there must... I figured the final touch would be to hand out some prizes while dressed, once again, in the Wiener suit. It's a good thing these campers, and the coaches, have a sense of humor!

Thanks for checking in.

I'm now in the middle of my second week of post-ironman workouts, or lack of workouts. I've really enjoyed tending to other duties, and making my way slowly through the days with no real urgency or plan.

I will be returning to a normal routine next Monday, and this weekend promises to be fun, as I'm guest counselor for the IM Coeur d'Alene Multisports camp up in Idaho. So I'm trying to enjoy my down time.

I have done two runs and a couple rides, and it's been enough exercise to realize that I'm recovering fairly well from Arizona. My swims have been really nice as well, as the energy levels have been pretty good. And with the exception of a touch of soreness I have acquired from Dave Scott's strength and injury prevention class yesterday, I'd say I'm pretty well recovered!

Yesterday, while talking to my sister (as she took a break from her training to become a Physician Assistant), I was noting how much better I feel than after last year's race in Tempe.

From that conversation came this analogy:

Say you train to do a 10k, and you're fit enough to run a 45-minute race. If you show up on race day, and manage to run 43 minutes, you're going to be extremely sore the next few days (sore and happy). But how about if you are fit to run 45, and can only muster a 47 or 48, for some uncertain reason. Well, the next day you're probably ready to rumble already. (You're happy, but you're a bit unsatisfied.) And finally, if you run exactly 45 minutes, you're moderately sore the next day. (And depending on your personality, you're happy... probably.)

Based on this analogy, I am feeling more and more like I ran 47 minutes down in Tempe.

And in my world, that lack of satisfaction breeds hunger.... I'm happy but I'm hungry.

Post-Ironman Week

A week of rest; a week of wine; a week of productivity; and, without a doubt, a week of fun! It's been almost a week since we raced IM Arizona, and I feel I've accomplished quite a bit.

After returning from Tempe on Tuesday, Amanda and I jumped right back into the chores and duties that were waiting for us. While Amanda spent her time preparing for a real estate closing, and juggling various doctor appointments and tests, I threw myself into a few chores around the house, filing our 2007 taxes, and consuming a bit of red wine with friends.

Tuesday evening and (yes, I was late) Wednesday afternoon were spent in front of the computer, as I toiled away with Turbo Tax and a calculator. This is the first time I've ever missed the official deadline, but the consolation was that I got them done within a 24-hour grace period. Next year's goal is to submit them in March!

Wednesday evening was Amanda's book club. As there are no men allowed, I joined Simon, Karla and Amélie for a nice dinner at their house. As always it was good to catch up with Simon, to down some good red wine, and to spend a bit of time around a couple of really sweet and energetic little girls (not so little anymore though!).

Thursday was another indoor day. I actually did not leave the house until 6:00pm, when I took the dogs for a short walk around the neighborhood. That was the only time I managed to get out of my pajamas that day. Before I sound like too much of a slacker, I should say that I did manage to take care of several indoor chores, mostly related to cleaning up, tending to some athletes I coach, responding to emails, and updating the blog. Very relaxing it was.

Friday morning was the first day back on the job. Sort of. Amanda and I arose very early to join Dave Scott for his strength and conditioning class. It starts at 7:00am, so I was duely impressed that we made it. The class is really great. We used to do this two to three times per week a few years ago. The group is different now, and the challenges slightly modified, but it's still a great way to tune up the body. As our first bout of exercise since Arizona, we took it pretty easy, mostly just enjoying the movement of the body. After that we knocked out an easy twenty-minute swim. Pretty nice morning.

I spent the rest of the day doing yard work, garage work, and a bit more house work. My good friend Andy came down to spend the day with us. He's interviewing at a local shop, so he hung out at Casa Lovato. That evening we zipped over to the semi-annual, mostly world famous Jawad Sushi Party. This was yet another great opportunity to drink some tasty wine, and catch up with some good folks. Shout out to Bolder and the other bloggers who were there!

This morning came mighty early, as Amanda and I made our way to the 9 News Health Fair to draw some blood. And I mean that literally. We figured it would be a good idea for us both to test the full spectrum, from Thyroid funcition to Cholesterol to Hematocrit and Iron.

Last thing was that I got back on the bike today. It's always a big question mark as to how quickly or slowly I'll recover from an Ironman. Two years ago, with a second-place finish in Arizona, I bounced back very quickly. Within the five weeks post-race, I had already done two half ironmans, one half marathon, and a five-mile race. Last year, after a harder effort, I took five weeks before I jumped back into race mode. Even with the longer down time, I had a very blah race.

While I was certainly hoping for another win this year in Tempe, I suppose my consolation prize is knowing that with an easier effort, I seem to be on the speedy recovery plan again. I guess I'll just have to finalize the rest of the race schedule now.

Ironman Arizona race report.

Yes, this is a photo of me on race morning. And yes, this is the outfit I chose to wear for defense of my title. And yes, it does have a large sausage on the front.

Ok, no it's not. The truth is that after much positive response to the unveiling of my CHAMP suit, I thought a follow-up with the WIENER was appropriate. Or maybe it's just as inappropriate as the last.

Either way, this is actually me on Friday morning, prior to the start of my very busy and fun day of promotionals and appearances. I'll save the details of my pre-race appointments for another post, as they are interesting enough to merit their own attention.

On to the race.

After the tires were pumped, the water bottles were filled, and the Bento Box was attached (yes, I use this very uncool piece of equipment!), Amanda and I made our way back to the car to dump off our bags, have a warm-up run, and to slide into our wetsuits. It's always such a crazy scene down at transition that the peace and calm of an empty parking lot is quite quite mellow in contrast. We both took short runs to shake out the legs and the nerves. Afterwards, we lubed up with some baby oil, and quite literally slipped into our blueseventy wetsuits.

As we walked over to the start--the final calm before the storm--we could here Mike Reilly calling all pros to the water's edge. It figured that we were the last two athletes across the timing mat and into the holding pin.

The start of the swim was quite easy. I found myself right behind Tim Deboom, and well clear of any flailing arms and fists. As Tim seemed to be veering too harshly to the left, I unwisely chose to hang a right, in order to follow some better navigators. Turns out my move left me in a larger and slower group of swimmers. After several frustrating incidents (such as swimmers stopping dead in their tracks), I concluded that I need to bump up my swimming, for no other reason than I do not like my group. No offense, fellas. I'm ready to make the move to a faster one, even if it costs me more effort in the race.

Exiting the water, I was in the midst of a very large group of men and women. And let me tell you, the women were the ones who beat me up the most out there! I cruised through transition, feeling good and confident my race was proceeding about how it had in 2006.

In the early stages of the bike ride, I made the conscious decision to let Rutger Beke gradually ride away from me. My strategy was to hold a very comfortable pace for the first loop, and to follow that up with two stronger laps at the end. My feeling was that more often than not, athletes tend to blow up a bit on a three-loop course. What I had not counted on was how my legs would respond to the steadily rising wind speed.

After finishing lap one in just under ninety minutes, I began my charge. I had lost about two minutes to Beke, and only a few seconds to Deboom. I knew that it was time to close the gap from the swim, and I began to apply the pressure. The only problem was that Rutger seemed to be applying even more pressure than I. At the second turn on the Beeline Highway, I noticed that I had lost a good chunk of time to both of the leaders. I figured I'd make that up on the return trip, as the headwinds were really strong by that point. My goal was to really work the headwind section, while recovering on the tailwind parts.

I soon realized that my legs did not have the strong and powerful feeling I had hoped they would have. I tried to modify my caloric intake, to compensate for the greater energy expenditure caused by the howling wind. I figured there was a good chance my lack of power was caused by a lack of fuel. With no real change heading into lap three, I began to worry if the ache in my quads was just a symptom of "one of those days."

My ride was still going fairly well, but relative to the competition up front, I was just not on par. I knew that the two front runners were strong competitors on foot, and that my best chances for catching them would come if I minimized my time loss on the bike. I had hoped to keep within a six- to eight-minute gap of them.

At the end of the ride, I was getting splits that Beke had put fourteen minutes on me over the course of the day. What an impressive ride he had! With Tim twelve minutes up the road out of T2, I knew my work was really cut out for me.

The great thing about Ironman racing is that anything can happen. I felt great starting the marathon, and history shows that even a twelve- to fourteen-minute lead was sometimes not that much. I set out there to close as much of the gap as I could.

After lap one, the splits were the same: I had made up zero ground. I knew my greatest challenge was that Rutger was running to stay ahead of Deboom, and Tim was running to catch the lead. I was not on their radar, and the very competition they were engaged in was my ultimate undoing.

They continued their battle for the win, while I was left in a desperate No Man's Land: stuck in third place. While this is not a terrible place to be, it is certainly not an inspired spot to find oneself. After competing the first loop in 56 minutes (my jock math quickly calculated 2:48 pace), I knew I had a low 2:50s marathon in my legs. Accounting for a slowed rate over the next two loops, I figured a 2:53 was achievable. The problem was that would still leave me in a distant third place. For a few miles, I went for it anyway. A fast run time is always a welcome consolation for missing out on the overall win.

I normally love those little victories.

Sadly, on the particular day, I could not find the motivation to drive myself to that point. Last year's race was stuffed full of easy motivation; there was no way I'd relent. A year later I found myself struggling to figure out why I should kill myself to have a slightly closer third place finish.

In the end, the middle loop was a bit of a surrender. I removed the push from my pace, and settled into a slower run. By lap three, some built-in motivation returned. I received a split from the sidelines that Petr Vebrousek was mounting his typically strong late-day charge. With proven marathon results to his credit, I knew I needed to take a bit of control. My run pace dropped back down to the mid 6:30s and 6:40s and I enjoyed a bit of a race. While it was no where near as exciting as my chase from 2006, it was refreshing to get a bit of a race out of the day after all.

Finishing an Ironman is always such a special feeling. In first place, third place, or 395th place, to cross that line is a thing of beauty. I have now done so eighteen times, and each and every one of those finishes has made me feel like a million bucks.

With adjusted performance goals and modified placing expectations, I crossed the finish line with a smile. To finish the day achieving a common goal set by two thousand others was a sweet and satisfying accomplishment. I was an Ironman finisher again.

We have arrived in Tempe! It's great to be here, and we're really excited to be back in the warmth!

After quite a positive response to Amanda's online poll on her blog, I am posting a quick look at a possible race outfit of mine. Courtesy of Splish, here is my back and my front.

Amanda and I are off to Arizona tomorrow evening. I know I'm really looking forward to racing, and I am pretty sure Amanda's just as excited. We've packed just about everything but the bikes, and we'll take care of that tomorrow! And by "we" I mean "I" will pack the bikes. Ha!

I'll try to touch base later this week with some photos from Tempe... and, in the very least, with some updates.

California 70.3!

The 2007 season is officially underway! Amanda and I traveled out to Oceanside, CA last week for the sixth running of the half ironman in the San Diego area. Having done the Ironman back in 2001, and having raced all but the 2002 version of the half, I have become very familiar with this race course. I really like the event, and appreciate the course for all it has to offer. In past years we have had sunshine, wind, rain, clouds, heat, and cold. Somtimes we have had combinations of the above weather phenomenons in the same year!

This year the forecast was for sunny skies and warm temps. Well, let's just say that it takes a while for it to warm up out in Southern California! It may have hit the predicted 70degrees that day, but not until well after the race was over.

The day began with a pretty uneventful swim. I got a quick start, which gave me ample opportunity to draft the faster feet. With the exception of when Mr. Bryan Rhodes took us all a bit off course, the swim ended with few snags or issues. I was very pleased to find that my brand new Blue Seventy Helix wetsuit was extremely comfortable, and very flexible.

I finished the swim thinking I had not worked very hard to maintain contact. However, as soon as my feet hit the boat ramp, I realized I was a bit worked over! I seem to be getting worse and worse at my transitions, and I believe I lost six or seven places before I ever found my bike! Once on the bike course, I realized just how cold it was that morning. It sure would have been a good idea to bundle up with some arm warmers and gloves. I guess that sunshine gave us a false sense of security! Like many of my fellow racers, I'm sure, my legs and hands and toes and feet were freezing for the better part of the ride.

My ride went about as it has the past few years: it was very unexceptional. I thought going into the race that I was going to have a good deal of power, but what resulted was a very average performance. I started conservatively and planned to build a late charge. I pretty much stayed at that pace for the bulk of the ride. Toward the end, closing back in on T2, I found my rhythm, and pressed the final eight to ten miles with good intensity.

Were this not the pre-Ironman tune-up event, I might have lamented the days when I felt I owned the Cali bike course! This day it seemed to have owned me. :0

With the transition to the run, I felt a great relief that my flatness or staleness or whatever was behind me. The mile one marker came past me at 5:23, and the pace felt effortless. I figured I'd go with that effortlessness as long as I could. There were plenty of folks to catch, so the motivation was there to continue my pace. By mile three I had slowed a bit, as the split was 16:26. I liked that it still felt very easy, so I kept it up.

A funny thing happened at mile five. I came by in about 27:42, which meant I had gradually slowed, but this coincided with the easy feeling leaving me. It was suddenly going to be a bit harder to maintain 5:30s and 5:35s. I kept the effort the same, and allowed the pace to drop a bit. I figured I'd have time to bring the pace back down there after a bit of slower running. By the time I realized it was time to "gut check", in order to get into that final money spot, I had only five kilometers to go.

I knew it was not going to be the best thing for recovery sake to "gut check" my way up to eighth, but I couldn't justify letting it slip away. Just as I was turning back up the pressure, I noticed I was overtaking a fading Luke Bell. Lucky for me he had blown a bit after lap one (courtesy of IM New Zealand), and I was then in eighth with no need to kill myself.

Content with my effort, I stayed on top of the pace just enough to notch the fastest run on the day. Andy Potts may have put nine minutes on me overall, but he didn't outrun me! (It's the little victories we savor the most.)

With my eyes firmly on the prize of IM Arizona, I am very happy with my early-season showing. I have learned from '05 and '06 that an average race in California bodes well for a strong race in Tempe! I'm now on the couch and counting down the days! Once again, thanks for tuning in.

Tri Scottsdale, a non-profit organization dedidated to promoting health and wellness through the growth of the sport of Triathlon in Scottsdale and the surrounding communities, has generously sponsored Amanda and me for the upcoming races at Oceanside and Tempe.

Please see their newly launched website:http://www.triscottsdale.org

This is an incredible group of people who, in addition to sponsoring athletes, and promoting the sport of triathlon, are involved in the production of The Tri for the Cure: http://www.triscottsdale.org/movies/cure_movie.php.

In addition to this great event in May, Tri Scottsdale is promoting another event Thursday prior to next month's 2007 Ford Ironman Arizona. If you find yourself in the Scottsdale area on April 12th, please stop by our seminar:

Tri-Scottsdale , the RedRock Co., and Max Muscle McCormick Ranch invite you to join us for a Free clinic and question and answer session with Defending Ironman Arizona Champion Michael Lovato and his Wife, Professional Triathlete and former Soma Triathlon Champion, Amanda Lovato.

Topics will include but not be limited to:
· Nutrition - day to day and pre and post race day secrets
· How to do well on the IMAZ course
· Thriving not just Survivng the1/2 Ironman and Full Ironman Distance.

The Lovatos will also entertain questions and answers on any triathlon related racing topic.

Date: Thursday April 12, 2007
Time: 6:30 - 7:30pm
Location: Max Muscle McCormick Ranch 7353 North Via Paseo Del Sure, Suite 430 Scottsdale, AZ 85258

Please R.S.V.P. to Marc@Triscottsdale.org

The LONG RUN!

I love long runs. When the fitness begins to come around, and the tolerance for the longer miles starts to add up, I love running long. I have a few great loops here in Boulder, and I'll generally alternate them in an Ironman build. This year I did a long run down in Austin, and one in Tempe. So this really only left me with three up here on my home courses. Well, the first one sure was a memorable one...

Two weeks ago, late in the afternoon, I was finally getting myself together for a 20+ mile run. My sister-in-law, Diana, was in town for the weekend. And Jarrod, my brother-in-law had also come up with his girl, Carrie. We were enjoying family time all weekend, so the normal start times were pushed back a tad. (This is my excuse for starting a long run at about 1:00pm on a Saturday afternoon!)

Well, the run I had chosen was a loop from the house. It involves a few challenging, but short, climbs, a lot of rollers, and plenty of false flats (and some flats). It's pretty much got it all: dirt, trails, concrete, ashpalt. The nice thing is that it starts and finishes at my house.

The nice thing about this run, my first one back at altitude, was that I had some company. Diana decided she would accompany me on Amanda's cross bike. She's a great athelte, but it's been a few days (weeks, months) since her days of regular bike riding. I assured her we'd only be gonig about nine to ten miles per hour, and the terrain was moderate.

This assurance was only partly true.

About five miles into the ride, we took a turn to the north on Lefthand Trail. This one winds up north from the Rez area and connects with some great dirt roads. On a normal day, the path is a fairly mild one, and a cross bike is well suited for the trip. That particular day was, evidently, a bit too soon after Boulder's last snow fall.

For about three miles, we were faced with a nasty combination of soft dirt, sticky-thick clay-mud, snow, deep snow, crusty snow, and other various debris and obstacles. Let me just say that Diana is one hell of a good sport; and one heck of a tough gal!

Considering this was her first ride in several months, and she was only up from sea level for about 2.3 days, she hung in there very well. A highlight (in between segments of serious huffing and puffing) was when she took a break from following the actual trail to forge her own route. Rather than follow the more dangerous switchbacks (covered with snow drifts), she bravely cut her own trail straight down the slope, over cactus and weed, to reach the bottom ahead of me. I looked over, and truly wished I had a camera to capture her masterfully throwing her weight about ten inches behind the saddle to keep from nose-diving into a yucca plant. Ah, that photo would have been priceless.

After an eternal three miles, we finally made it back to the more manageable terrain I had promised her. We both picked it back up, while easing up the effort!

The remainder of the long run was quite enjoyable. Diana managed to drop her heart rate back into the safe zone, while I pushed it a bit harder (in great part due to Diana's spirited cheers and coaxing).

A second highlight was when we were making our way back to the 'hood, on Jay Road. In the midst of Diana's hooting and hollering, we heard a car horn honking. To our surprise, Amanda was making her way back to the office, after showing several houses to some clients. As all occupants of the vehicle craned to necks to get a look, Amanda grinned ear-to-ear as she realized they were overtaking her sister and husband!

To make up for my lack of photographic evidence of the SERIOUS mud and grime, I will include a pre-ride/run photo; one which clearly shows off our knack for workout style.

I'm trying to go in order, that way I feel like I did this the proper way. I realize this was over three weeks ago, but I wanted to share these fun photos I took while I was down in Austin. One day, while doing one of my favorite rides, I spotted a Texas flag blowing in the breeze. I thought it would make a good photo, so I jumped off my bike, and snapped a shot or two. This shows you two things: 1) It was moderately windy that day, so the trip from Austin down to Wimberley was a bit slower than normal and 2) I continue to take photos that I think would impress my High School Photography teacher, Mr. Pinto; even if the shots really aren't that impressive whatsoever. (I didn't impress him then; I don't impress him now!)

I wish I had the company of my riding bud and good friend, Todd; however, he wouldn't skip work with me that day, so I did the ride solo. The ride leaves Austin to the west, takes up Hamilton Pool road to Ranch Road 12. It heads south from there to Dripping Springs, and continues on to Wimberley. From there 12 takes a bend to the East, and you arrive in San Marcos. At that point, the 100-mile loop goes left, and back to Austin. Since this was my last ride in my 500-mile week, I opted to add on by doing an out-and-back toward New Braunfels. The fond memories of days gone by started to flood me at every turn (boiling water bottles; 110 degrees; my first taste of Coke and Snickers, to prevent a bonk). I love the riding in Boulder, but the early years in Texas sure were the formative ones!

Overall the training camp was a success. I enjoyed some lovely sunshine days; some great rides; some awesome food, and some awesome company; and I gave myself a nice mental boost for Ironman next month!

Ok, I'm realizing that I so far behind that I might not catch up. I'm a bit bummed I didn't make time to post this stuff sooner, but I'm living by the better-late-than-never motto!

I mentioned that I went to Austin for a bit of training. During my preparation for Arizona last year, I had a key block down there, and I wanted to duplicate it somewhat. I have learned over the years that my body never really requires the same training for each Ironman, nor does it respond the same to each bit of training in the same way. This being said, I thought the timing was just right, and the block was fun last year, so it would be fun again.

I showed up on a Thursday night, and the first thing I did was grab a delicious meal over at Magnolia Cafe. Those in the know understand why I so sorely I miss this restaurant.

The very next morning (Feb 16th) I went down to Jack and Adam's for a bike fit with my good friend and fit wizzard, Zane Castro. I've known Zane for a long time, and I continue to be impressed by how much triathlon and bike fit knowledge he crams into his Little Mexican Brain! (We always called him the Little Mexican!)

I'm posting a few photos from the fit I did with Zane. All in all, it was a great experience for me. I had not been on the Barolo yet this year; in fact, I had not ridden the race steed since Hawaii. I was anxious to check out my position, and dial myself in at a bit steeper, more forward set-up. My focus is IM Arizona, and this is a pretty darn flat race. I really want to maximize my power out there, so the goal that Zane and I set was to raise my saddle up, while brining be a bit more forward over the bottom brackete.

We did just that, and along the way we did some tweaking to the position of my cleats. I was able to find a bit more power with these adjustments to the cleat, and in doing so also made more efficient use of my pedal stroke.

If you're ever in the Austin area, I urge you all to check out Jack and Adam's incredible tri shop: www.jackandadams.com. They have EVERYTHING you need for our fun sport. And I mean everything! I also encourage you to enlist the help of the guy I sometimes call Dr Castro. Chances are good he'll get your bike fit where it needs to be.

Oh boy, it's been nearly three weeks since the last update. I'm slacking. However, this means that I'm not slacking in other areas of my life, therefore, I'm busy. That means I've got lots to say. Please tune in soon for updates on... my bike fit at Jack and Adam's; my training trip in Austin; my fun time at the Multisports camp in Tempe; and my super-duper training partner here in Boulder, Diana Gillam. Oh, and there will definitely be photos.

Before too much time passes, and I slip into my former slacker status, I want to send out a short update. This time I really will try to snap some photos for proof, as I'm on another training trip. I made a last-minute decision to get down to Austin for a week of warm weather training. I arrived late on Thursday night, and will be here until Friday morning, at which point I'll head off to Tempe to help out with the Multisport.com IM Arizona training camp. More news later... gotta get some sleep tonight!

Thanks for checking in.

Now that I have a week back in Boulder, I have realized that as much fun as it is to be away, there really is no place like home. I sure missed having Amanda around for the past week, but the dogs, Frisco, and I made the most of our time.

I had a nice bonus last weekend, as my good friends Jack and Stacy were up in Keystone for a ski trip. I scrapped plans to do any triathlon training on Sunday, and zipped up the mountains for a visit... and the SuperBowl. Before my rendezvous with Jack and Stacy, I stopped over at the Frisco Nordic Center for a final Cross Country Ski for the season. I suppose I could make it back out a few more times, but I'm not sure I want to risk it. I did manage one little tumble during my 90-minute workout, and I've got the resulting sore chest to prove it. While it didn't slow down my training last week, the discomfort is starting to get to me, so I'm going to have to lay off the skis!

Boulder weather got back to normal last week, and the temperatures got up to the mid-sixties. I was happy to be out running in shorts, and even started a ride without arm warmers! I found that it was a bit colder out on the plains, so I quickly pulled them on, but it was a far cry from the single digits we'd been experiencing! I managed a nice, solid week of biking and running, but must admit that my swimming is still taking a back seat. I'll get to it soon enough!

The highlight of the week came on Friday when Amanda returned to Boulder. The dogs and I piled into the car for a late-night trip to the airport. We were all very happy to have her home, and even Frisco waited up for her arrival!

Yesterday morning we made our way over to the Cross Counrty National Championships. It came to Boulder for the first time in its history, and it was quite the show. While the women's race was a bit of a blowout (Deena Kastor set a punishing pace at the outset and never looked back!), the men's was very close. Alan Culpepper managed a come-from-behind victory over a gritty-tough Adam Goucher and early frontrunner Dathan Ritzenhein. Jorge Torres rounded out the top-four finishers, making it a 1-2-3-4 for former CU Buff runners. It's an incredible thing to watch these guys saunter around a muddy golf course at a sub-five-minute pace--at altitude--while looking very controlled. It definitely got me in the mood to race!

Back to the COLD!

I returned to Boulder on Thursday night, and is it ever cold here! I knew I was going to get soft while training out in that mild California weather. Oh well, it was well worth it.

As I mentioned before, I'll sum up the training totals for the two weeks I was in California, just for kicks.

I should start by saying that our primary goal was to log some big hours in the saddle, as we figured the swimming and running could progress along just fine back in Boulder. I say this because the swim time was pretty low, although Amanda and I did some great workouts together, and we did make it to two masters practices. My running hours were about average. I had a lot of nice runs, but nothing too fancy, just cruising along, enjoying all that extra oxygen in the air.

From January 18 to February 1, here are the numbas:
Swim: 7 hours 25 min
Bike: 46 hours
Run: 11 hours 25 min
Total: 64 hours 50 min.

Obviously, the biggest boost to my fitness was on the bike. I really enjoyed all that riding, and all those hills. It's fun to get out to a new area, and to explore new routes. We were lucky enough to have some locals, or others familiar with the area, to show us where we were going.

I sure wish I had remembered to bring my camera along, but I guess that means I'll just have to go back!

Ok, so this is just a short update on the training we've done here in San Diego. It's been so nice out, we just haven't wanted to stop riding and running and swimming. Consequently, we've been too tired to write much on the blogs, as we might have thought we would do. Ok, I should speak for myself, as I'm not sure if Amanda has been better about updating.

Some quick thoughts:

The riding here is really much better than I had imagined it would be. I now know why all those folks come here to train for Hawaii. In addition to having incredible weather, the riding is tough, with a lot of climbing: everywhere you go!

There is a lot more trail running than I knew about. I've done some nice road runs, but the trails are readily available as well.

Although I've definitely gotten stronger, and my cycling has taken a huge boost, I am worried I am becoming soft. How so? Well, when I get back to Boulder on Thursday, I'm going to have to get used to the cold weather all over again. Once you get accustomed to sixties, it's tough to face thirties and forties again. Ouch.

And finally, counting the one-hour yoga session last night, my seven-day training total was a healthy 39 hours. I'll summarize more of the specifics later, including a total for the two weeks we will have been in California.

Until then.

Ok, so I have slacked a bit. My slacking has not been training related, but rather photography related. I keep forgetting to bring the old camera along to document all this great training we've been doing. And all the fun we've been having. Now I hesitate to talk about how great the wether's been, as I know we might bring some instant weather karma. I don't want it to start raining, and I don't want to get more cold weather when we get back to Boulder. I don't want to jinx it.

Suffice it to say that it's been really nice, and we've had lots of sunshine.

The training has been great. Amanda and I have done a lot of riding together, we've done a couple swims, and we did a great run yesterday with Heather Fuhr. It's nice to have the locals show us around, so we can stray away from the PCH, and find all the new and interesting routes.

Today I started out with Amanda, Roch, and a couple of athletes he coaches, including our friend Rae. After about half an hour, I turned East and made my way toward the hills. My legs were beginning to feel the effects of the past few days of riding. Nothing quite like jumping right back into the cycling after two months of rest! I decided the best way to deal with the sore quads was to stop early for a nice coffee and a muffin.

After fueling up I made my way toward the famous Palomar Mountain. I had heard stories about this climb, and was anxious to see what it had in store for me. I went there expecting one heck of a climb, and I was not disappointed. I took the long way there, so by the time I arrived at the base of the climb, I had ridden about 57 miles. This was definitely going to be the longest ride of the year for me so far.

I really enjoyed the climb, and it was great getting a longer climb so early in the year. We can't make it too high up the canyons in Boulder, as you pretty much freeze your bones coming back down. This was different, as after climbing twelve miles, I was only at about 5300 feet. Not too shabby. The climb was tough though, as it was steep for the entire way. Instead of breaks with the gradual grade, like Left Hand Canyon, this had no breaks. My tired legs made it to the top eventually, and I was sure happy to be at the lower elevations, as I was able to summit without huffing and puffing!

After a brief chat with a cyclist at the top (with no photos, unfortunately!),I headed back down, and back toward the coast. In the end of the day I had ridden all up, down and around the place, and I had a great ride, and I'm officially back in the groove.

I hope to bring the camera next time... for proof!

The weather here in Southern California is spectacular. We are here and we are happy. And it is warm. And there is no snow on the ground. More on that later!

YakTrax are the greatest invention for those of you who live in Chilly Cold Climates. When the snow and ice are piled up, but you just can't take another run on the treadmill, this product is for you! Amanda, in her infinite brilliance, came home the other day with a couple sets: one pair for each of us.

We tried them out last Tuesday, as we were itching to do one of our favorite hill runs: up and over Linden--a snow-covered route--so we knew they were great. But today, we put them to the test on our long runs. Fortunately, our long runs aren't over the two-hour mark yet, so we were only facing about an hour forty-five. We had been warned by our friend Henry from Boulder Running Company that a long run in this type of cold would really wipe us out. It just takes so much energy to keep the body warm, the tendency is to tire out much sooner than would normally be the case. With this piece of advice in hand, and few more PowerGels than normal (Clif Bloks for the wife), we headed out to see what we could handle.

The YakTraks immediately proved to be a great addition to our winter running wardrobe. Leaving FAC, we ran into our friend Brad Seng. He was starting out on a run as well, but it was pretty obvious his traction was not quite up to par. We had only run a block, but were already pulling away. Brad is a quick runner, so this could only be attributed to our superior equipment!

I've heard it said that there is no such thing as bad weather, only bad equipment. Well, today we proved that yes, there is bad equipment; yes, there is good equipment; and yes, there really is such a thing as bad weather. Ten degrees with a slight snow shower qualifies as bad weather. I had bundled up very well, so well, in fact, that I was actually quite sweaty at the end of the run. And we had those incredible YakTrax on our side. However, by the end of the run, I was pretty worn out. I'd say the furnace was cranked up on high-burn out there, and although we didn't quite make 1:45, I am pretty sure we got the equivalent of 2+hours!

I messed up and didn't bring my camera along for proof. I'll have to do so next time, as I think the post with photo is more interesting than the post without. The photo would have been of me doing something I haven't done in exactly ten years.

A few days ago, I finally decided that I had talked enough about making an addition to my winter training regimen; it was time to do something. The snow shoeing is fun, and running with Yaktrax seems pretty efficient (more on that later), but there was one thing missing from the routine: skate skiing.

The other night I managed to get ahold of a set of used ski equipment. I had been searching for just boots, as I have a few friends who've been inviting me to borrow their back-up equipment. I stumbled upon this great deal for everything, and could not pass it up. I'm officially equipped.

Since outdoor riding was out of the question, due to the day's high temperature of NINE DEGREES!, I opted to start off with a ski. I didn't want to overdo it, as I suspected that my technique might need some fine tuning. I went over to local Valmont Park, rather than up to the hills.

Turns out that skiing is like riding a bike: you don't really forget how to do it. It all came back to me fairly quickly. I skated about for around forty minutes before I packed it in. I figured I didn't need to press my luck, because yes, skating did come back to me quickly, but no, I'm far from expert status. It's going to take a while to get the muscles back in the groove.

Next time I'll bring a camera, as to appease the rule of "pictures or it didn't happen."

Wednesday morning I woke up at 6:00am to head over for a 7:00am swim workout. I was up and ready to roll by 6:30.... there was only one problem: Amanda was still in bed, and wasn't budging. Normally the opposite scenario plays out: I am in bed, while Amanda is attempting to get me rolling. I realized I was not winning the battle, so rather than venture out on my own, I jumped back into bed, and cut a few more z's with the wife.

Why is this noteworthy? Well, on the one hand, it's proof that sometimes I am the first one up in our household; but more importantly, our sleepiness managed to keep me to the previously determined schedule I had sent to USADA. This is the US Anit-Doping Agency. I had sent them a schedule of my whereabouts for the entire quarter, because I'm now in their Out of Competition Testing pool. This means that I have to tell them where I'll be, on a quarterly basis, for the entire year. When I filled out the form, I planned on doing the 9:00am swim workout, not the 7:00am session, so it turns out... I needed to sleep in!

I arrived at the pool, and minutes after beginning the workout, I met with Travis, my USADA testing agent. I politely asked them to wait until I had finished, which the kindliy obliged me. As they waited up on deck, a bit chilly out there, I churned out my first decent swim workout in about three months.

After finishing Travis and I headed to the lockers where I changed, and he "accompanied" me. He has to go everywhere I go, after "serving notice", just to be certain that I do not do anything fishy. Not sure what that could be, but fishy is fishy. I showered, dried off, and headed to a more private bathroom upstairs. Being post-workout as I was, I did not know if I'd be able to provide a full sample. Dehydration can be tough on sample giving.

I was able to fill the sippy cup, and later filled my two test viles. The procedure is actually pretty air-tight, not unlike the test viles. As we sat on the bathroom floor of Flatiron Athletic Club, performing what looked like a boring chemistry experiment, I imagined how many of my competitors are going through these same procedures. My hope is that many are doing do, but the reality is that it's an expensive process, and I'm not sure how frequently this happens worldwide.

After Travis acknowldeged that I had sufficient quantity, and after checked my pH and specific gravity (that of my urine actually), we packed it up. I was done for now... besides the waiting six weeks for the results.

The sun came out yesterday. Turns out that the wind came out as well. Nobody told me that it was supposed to be howling out there, so I bundled up (see above photo), and headed out. I got a late start, as my 'cross bike didn't have wheels or tires. I found the necessary parts, installed, and brushed off last year's rust and dirt. By the time I hit the roads, it was nearly 4:00pm. That only left me time for an hour spin, but at least I was heading out.

My neighborhood proved to be the most challenging section of the whole ride. There was a ton of snow and slush and ice. I made it out to the main roads just fine. It appears that all this time on the rollers really does wonders for your snow-handling skills.

It really wasn't too cold, but that wind sure did throw a mean bite into the mix. I cruised around until it started to get dark, then headed home to continue the ride on the rollers. The workout soon ended, as dinner was calling... so was Amanda, for that matter.

I am happy to say that I'm making it through the first week of training! It's good to be back, and at the risk of jixing myself, I belive the blog is making a comeback as well...

Here we go, here we go, here we GO! I'm really doing it this time. I know these are my famously unbelievable words, but this time I'm really trying. I'm going to blog a couple times a week. Nothing too over-the-top, nothing to fancy; just a few updates.

Here we go.

It's the fifth day of the year, and our New Year's plan to train, train, train hit a solid roadblock today: 16 more inches of snow! What is going on here? I thought El Nino was warming us all up; why all this cold snow! Oh well, we did manage to get five strong days of training under our belts before the snow hit. Again.

The Drop-Dead Date was January 1, and with that date we got back to work. We're easing into things, with a plan to build into the latter part of the month. It's time to shed the winter build-up, to get back to a routine, and to start enjoying the outdoors again.

Today we did just that. After canceling plans to hit a swim workout early in the morning, Amanda and I opted to strap on the snow shoes for the first time this season. The last two blizzards hit during a time of slacking and laziness, so we just watched it pile up, with no intentions of working out in it. This time it is different.

We went out for about two hours total, with the total run time on my watch hitting 90 minutes. Not a bad workout considering we were both tired after about 27 minutes. Imagine running in beach sand, but really deep beach sand. Push too hard and you go nowhere; don't push hard enough and you go nowhere. It's quite the leg burning workout.

Our friend Graham joined us for the first thirty+ minutes, but had to bail out due to a hockey game commitment. Canadians.

However, just prior to his departure, we spotted a running icon of Boulder. Let me rephrase that: we saw an icon of the running world; one who lives in Boulder. He wasn't running at the time; he was shoveling snow and chipping ice. We stopped for a photo, and to say hello. It's always fun to meet the legends. It's always fun to see such phenomenal talent right there in your own neighborhood. It's especially fun when he's not got snow shoes on, and you know you could actually outrun the guy. Always a competition.

Our encounter was with, none other than, Frank Shorter. If you aren't familiar with Frank, you should be. He's mostly responsible for starting the running boom (jogging boom!?) in America back in the seventies. Check him out with Amanda, Graham, and me; and then check him out at http://www.runfrankshorter.com/olympic.shtml.

That's it for now. I'm off to ride the rollers for a spell, while I watch a movie.... or something.

It's that time of year again! The time of year where I sit around a lot, take care of things I have neglected for the last several months, and I... write on my blog! Ok, so I haven't been doing that, but this is the goal: to establish a posting routine, so that come spring I'll be all set to maintain regular postings. Let's see if I can do it!

As I near the end of my fourth week of relative inactivity, I am beginning to itch for a routine. This is really why I like to take some serious time off: so that I'm more than ready to fall back into a more strict, planned-out schedule. My body definitely needed the break, but more than anything, I think the off-season resting program can benefit the mind. In general I take the entire month of November as a 'exercise if I feel like it' month. I'll try to be more consistent in December, and come January 1st, I start back up.

I've really been enjoying the past couple weeks, an in particular the last ten days. Amanda and I have been spending a lot of time together, and with the dogs. We really have enjoyed sleeping in (til 10:00am some days!), and staying up late (I've seen midnight!!). It's been very relaxing, and the recharge should go a long way toward the preparation for another fun year of racing.

Last night we saw the movie Borat: very interesting. It certainly made us laugh, but the question "what the heck is wrong with these people" came up numerous times! Very funny. After that we spent an hour or so perusing the book store. We bought a couple books, and who knows, maybe we'll review them as a pastime.

Stay tuned, as I plan to update on all the fun happenings of a Lovato November Day.

For those of you who are checking in for the Hawaii Ironman report, scroll down a bit further, and you'll find it. I just wanted to send out a big, fat THANK YOU to all of you who sent me good luck notes, and well-wishing before the race. I've been away from the computer a bit more than usual the past two weeks, so I've not had a ton of time to reply to emails. Rest assured, I'll get back with you all very soon. I appreciate everyone's support and interest. Keep checking back in, as it's now off-season, and lack of time can no longer be my tardy-blog excuse!

I'm finally back home in Boulder, and I've finally found my way to the computer, so I thought I'd send out the initial race report... who am I kidding? As long as I'm reporting, I might as well give the blow-by-blow version. Sit back and grab some popcorn, 'cause here I go:

They said the swim was rough; they said it was slow. I can look at the times and realize that the fastest folks were about four minutes off what they normally swim. I can look at my deficit to those top swimmers and say that this was my best ever Hawaii swim. With the goal of coming out with the main group, I positioned myself right behind Cam Brown, a guy I have swum with in the past, but never in Hawaii. He is always in a desirable spot, so I joined him. Well, for a little while anyway. I got edged off his feet as we were joined by a larger group of little fishies. I settled for another set (and ultimately another couple sets) of feet, and rode the wave to the turnaround. I am pretty sure that those up front faced a pretty mean current coming home, so this would explain why, on the hardest swim day in recent years, I felt very relaxed.

I zipped through T1, intent to catch or maintain contact with whomever had beaten me out. I did a good job, as I ended up passing some pretty fast swimmers very early on the bike. Things were looking good, and my legs were feeling great.

I made my way to the front of the chasing group, by the time we left town and hit the Queen K. By the airport, my charge found my at the very front, as I anticipated reacahing the leaders. Early on two things became evident: there was no wind to slow us down, and I was not catching any leaders!

As I made my way out, under an uncharacteristically overcast sky, I began to wonder if I had gone out too hard. My plan was to ride pretty darn fast for the first ten to fifteen miles, but then to settle into a steady pace, perhaps with a group. What I had not anticipated was how angry and agitated I would become with other riders packed so closely around me. I made several attempts to bridge up to the lead group, while dropping those around me. Each time I would find myself alone for several minutes, but ultimately being caught back up by the groups behind me.

After fifty miles of this cat-and-mouse (cat-and-mice) riding, I began to feel the effects of my surges: my quads were really starting to ache. I made my way up the rollers toward Hawi, at which point I was swallowed up by the front end of a very, very large group: probably 30+ guys. I patiently waited for the final uphill push toward Hawi: seven miles into a typically stiff headwind. On the day there was no headwind, but I still managed to break away one final time. I charged ahead, with only one other rider in tow. Entering Hawi and approaching the turn, I was confident that I could finally make the break stick.

On the return trip back down to Kawaihae, I really hit a solid brick wall. I felt nowhere near as good as I had anticipated feeling, and was forced to let a small group of six ride away from me. I figured that with a slight break, I could catch them back up with a strong push over the final thirty miles. However, the quads were very achey, and they never seemed to come around, as they tend to do around mile 80. I was in for it!

For the next thirty minutes or so, I continued to question myself: why did I let other athletes and what they were doing draw me out of my race plan; why did I get so angry at their riding tactics and strategies; why did I not stay within and race my race; why did I not just sit in, as the other athletes had no problem doing? These questions kept plaguing me; in fact, the fact that I was dwelling on these questions was plaguing me. For the first time in recent memory, my mental strength of staying within the moment, and racing positively in my own race had let me down.

With about fifteen miles to go, I found a second wind (or should I say my quads found a second wind), and I finished well: I even picked up a few folks who had blown as well.

Starting the run, I was a few spaces out of the top twenty: a place I had begun the marathon before. I was confident that I could overturn my mental and physical let-down from the bike, and run my way into the top ten: a revised goal for me.

Knowing very well that many folks never make it out of the Alii Drive out-and-back, I bided my time for the first ten miles. I found a groove, and held several comfortable 6:20's, waiting until the Queen K to increase the pressure. I knew, just knew, that once the sun came out, I would be right there to pick up the pieces of those before me who had gone out hard.

I waited for the sun to come out. I waited for that perfect moment to begin my push. I waited for the carnage that typifies the Kona Coast marathon. I waited and waited. I needed that brutal heat.

I have to say that I am still a bit shocked that the suffering never happened: the heat never hit us, and the flies never dropped. The top fifteen to twenty guys seemed to hold steady, in the same order throughout. I did move up a handful of spots, and lost one spot along the way; however, the normal attrition rate on the Queen K was strangely absent. Just as the bike ride was strangely windless, the marathon gave us little to no sunshine, and very mild conditions.

To top things off, the damage I had done myself on the bike was preventing me from running fast. I pushed and pushed; built and built, but I gained very little ground, as I anticipated doing. I was stuck in a no-man's land. I had ridden myself out of contention.

In 2005 I truly learned what it was like to have a bad race. Being forced to a walk, and finishing 395th was a humbling experience. And now to finish back in the top twenty, and to do so with my second-fastest time on the course, I can only be pleased with the result. Even still, I must say that I am a bit disappointed to fall so far short of my goals; however, the race taught me a very valuable lesson, one that will surely aid me in next year's quest for a top finish.

After two years with mild conditions out on the Big Island, I can only assume that next year will be a brutal one. In a strange way, I look forward to this, as I have no doubt that with the normal wind and heat, this year's outcome would have been very different for a lot of people.

Earthquakes and dolphins are on my mind. I'm here in Kona, and have finally found my way to a wireless hotspot for an update. Thanks for being patient and for checking in again.

Yesterday's tremors work me up from a sound sleep. At first I thought it was a violent thunderstorm, as we've been having A LOT of rain this week. When I realized it was an earthquake, my instincts made me roll over and cover Amanda, in case the ceiling fan ripped out and crushed us. That would have been quite dramatic. That did not happen, but I felt quite heroic nonetheless. Fortunately for us, our condo is fairly new and well built, so Amanda and I did not have to evacuate, as some of our counterparts have reported doing. Aside from slowing down the start of our day, our plans were not disturbed too terribly much.

Last week Amanda and I went for a really nice swim. We set out to conquer the entire swim loop, but at an easy pace with plenty of stops to chat and see the sights. Turns out there were plenty of sights to see: about 12-15 dolphins! On the return trip, I popped up to wait for Amanda, and while floating in the pristine salt water, I spotted a handful of dorsal fins poking just above the surface of the water. After a slit-second of 'are these sharks?!' panic, I realized they were our friends: some playful dolphins.

We enjoyed watching them splish-splash about, jumping and flipping, gliding and flopping. It was amazing. We went on our way, and they on theirs, but moments later we caught up with them again, further down the way. This time they swam below us upside down, and seemed to head back out to sea. What a fun-loving animal! And what a great experience for us both!

Aside from those two noteworthy events, most of our week has been the Kona Norm. We've done some nice rides and runs; we took a great drive to Hawi for some exercise and delicious sushi; we've lounged about; and we had a great birthday dinner (mine was the 14th) with our friends Graham and Sue.

It's now Monday, and the official start of Race Week. It has begun to get a bit more crowded around town, and the reality of the pending competition is becoming more clear. I love it.

I have some a couple photos of myself and Amanda in our comfy Kona condo. I plan to use that surf board after the race, by the way!

More later, as the good stuff is only just beginning!

Aloha!

Ironman North America TV schedule:

>Ironman North America events to air on OLN/Versus
>Boulder, CO Ð Ironman North America will partner with the Versus network
>(formerly OLN) to air the five full Ironman events held in the continental
>United States. These national broadcasts on the Versus network (US) are
>scheduled for October and November at the times show on the schedule below
>(all time ET).
>October 8, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman Arizona
>October 9, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman Arizona
>October 10, 2006 1:00 am Ford Ironman Arizona
>October 11, 2006 5:00 pm Ford Ironman Arizona
>October 15, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman Coeur dÕAlene
>October 15, 2006 6:00 pm Ford Ironman Coeur dÕAlene
>October 16, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman Coeur dÕAlene
>October 17, 2006 12:30 am Ford Ironman Coeur dÕAlene
>October 18, 2006 5:00 pm Ford Ironman Coeur dÕAlene
>October 22, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
>October 23, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
>October 24, 2006 1:30 am Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
>October 25, 2006 5:00 pm Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid
>October 29, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman Wisconsin
>October 30, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman Wisconsin
>November 5, 2006 3:00 pm Ironman 70.3 St. Croix
>November 6, 2006 4:00 pm Ironman 70.3 St. Croix
>November 26, 2006 3:00 pm Ford Ironman Florida
>November 27, 2006 4:00 pm Ford Ironman Florida

As long as I'm posting photos, I thought that I'd show you all a couple of fun pieces of equipment I'll be using in Hawaii. First, the kind folks at Saucony have created a custom pair of shoes for me. These are a standard pair of their triathlon-specific shoe, the Type A, but with a couple new grahpics. Thanks to Saucony for making me feel very special out there... it's gotta be the shoes!

And next up is my Rudy Project aero helmet. It's a standard Syton Open helmet, but jazzed up a bit courtesy of Fitz Graphix, a local auto body detail shop. It's scary, so beware!

That's it for now. I've got to get to sleep, as tomorrow is the final short brick workout here in Boulder before we head off to the Big Island.

Thanks for checking in on me.

Oh, and for those who are interested in seeing a bit of triathlon on TV, I'm attaching the OLN schedule for Ironman North America events. Tomorrow just happen to be IM Arizona, so I definitely recommend tuning in!

The past several days have been fun for me. As the taper progresses, I have found myself entering the phase where I am really enjoying a boost in energy. And with a boost in energy comes a boost in blog posts!

First off, I wanted to post a picture I took today while riding with my friend John Alvarez. John is here visiting from Hilton Head Island, and he's going to be taking care of our house, our dogs, and our cat while Amanda and I are in Hawaii. We headed out for an easy spin this afternoon, and this photo proves that. It also proves that I occasionally live dangerously, not unlike Austin Powers, as I snapped this one at about 20mph. I slowed a bit so things wouldn't be too blurry.

For those of you who don't believe that I'm really back, I'm here now to prove you wrong... or to prove myself right. I keep telling myself that I'm back, so that I'll really be back.

The past few days have been really nice. Saturday and Sunday both gave us a rare Septempber venture into the eighties! On both days I rode my bike up South St Vrain canyon: once on Saturday with Amanda, and once on Sunday alone. The most beautiful thing about the ride was the abundance of aspen trees with gorgeous yellow leaves. I would, in fact, be posting a picture of the stunning town of Raymond for all to see... had I only remembered my camera on these rides. Unfortunately, the camera was still sitting on the table by the door, when I reached into my jersey pocket to grab it. Bummer.

Thanks for checking in, and yes, I really am back. More later.

Watch out: I'm on a roll! I just wanted to add a few more thoughts, to prove that I'm really back.

First off, I wanted to post a couple pictures from a fun weekend of training I had with my good friend, and Jack and Adam's teammate, Todd Gerlach. He made his way up to the soft mountain air, in order to have some fun, and to escape the relentless heat of a September in Austin, Texas.

While he was here, I was finishing up week three of my big build. I took him to all my regular stomping grounds, including Switerland Trail (a gorgeous trail at 8500ft, in the mountains above Boulder), a trip up Left Hand Canyon (LHC for short), and a couple trips to FAC, our local club (pool and gym, not hip-hop/ party).

Along the way I only managed to pull my camera out twice. Bummer, but at least I got two shots. First, Todd and I were racing some incoming weather, as we shot up to mile 12 of LHC. We were hoping to hit Ward at mile 17, but the report of snow turned us around early. In photo number two, note the ominous black clouds behind Todd: this was actually down the mountain from us, and was therefore BETTER weather than what awaited us up top.

What awaited us down in the flatlands was a lot of wind. And I mean A LOT. I don't think you can grasp this unless you live, or have visited, the front range of CO. The wind was a STEADY 35mph, with gust from 50-80 mph. Please note that 80 mph classifies a low-grade hurricane (when sustained at that speed, of course). Nonetheless, Todd and I "practiced" for Hawaii for the rest of the ride.

Picture number one is in honor of Todd sprinting past the city limits sign (evidently something they "do" in Austin now) in front of me. Now, granted, I was on the side of the road waiting for him when he sprinted by... small victories.