Beach2Battleship Half-Ironman -- 11/7/2009

The Beach2Battleship 1/2 IM was definitely my "A" race on the calendar this year. The late season date was a good thing and a bad thing -- I'd had plenty of time to train, but also plenty of time to get tired of training too. Credit here to Coach Debi Bernardes for help keeping me focused when I was sick and tired of working.

But except for a couple weeks hurt by family business and an asthma flareup, training had been solid. I felt good going into the race, and I was confident I could knock my old 1/2 IM PR (5:41) down quite a bit. Competitively, it's been a good year for me, but I've stuck pretty close to home -- I was looking forward to getting out in a bigger race and seeing how I'd stack up.

Got to Wilmington the day before, and hopped around town picking up my packet and driving out to T1 (there are separate T1 and T2 areas). Dropped my bike off, and by then it was late afternoon. I skipped a tune up ride and run and we went off to dinner and then hotel check in. I relaxed the rest of the evening by taking a stroll down the River Walk and packing my bags.

Saturday was up and at 'em early. Carmel drove me down to T1, where I got marked, dropped off my T2 bag and put my bike gear in place. Then it was back to the car to stay warm. The morning was cold, in the high 30s, but temps were due to rise quickly as the sun came up. Finally it was time to go, and I caught the bus to the swim start. Got there with over an hour before the 1/2 swim started, but settled in and chatted with fellow athletes while sipping coffee from my thermos (got some envious looks for that). Talked to Brad Yoder, who looked ready to go (and I believe he got a PR, if I'm not mistaken).

A bit after 7 AM the full-distance racers zoomed by up the inlet. The swim looked like it would be as advertised -- fast, thanks to a strong tidal current. Then at 8:30 our waves started taking off, and finally it wast time me and the rest of the old guys at 8:55. The water was a bit cold but not frigid, and it was easy to settle in comfortably on the swim. I flew up the inlet, took a left at the big boat, and then spent a fair amount of time figuring out which way to go. After some unnecessary zigging and zagging, I got to the marina dock, and climbed one of the numerous ladders to get out.

Swim -- 27:12 (gotta love that tide!)

After trotting along the longest run to transition I've ever had, I got to my bike. The sun was up, and the air was warm -- the original plan of armwarmers and gloves went out to window. I stripped off the wetsuit, stuffed it and the rest of gear I didn't need into my bag, grabbed my bike and got going.

T1 - 5:50 by my watch -- slow, but about normal given the long run and the necessity of packing your wetsuit in a bag so it would get returned later.

Right away I felt strong on the bike. After a few twists and turns we settled into the first of many flat, fast segments on smooth 4-lane roads and headed north. A lot of people had started in the waves before me, but that gave me a lot of people to pass, and kept me feeling strong and confident. About 10 miles in the bike course rolled onto to I-140, a bypass road around Wilmington. This was heaven -- an entire lane of Interstate highway blocked off, smooth pavement below, and a slight quartering breeze. 90-100 RPM, 23-24 MPH -- the miles slid away underneath my wheels.

We turned off the bypass and headed north, with more good pavement, then turned west onto a 2-lane.My rhythm was still steady, and drinking and nutrition seemed right on schedule -- a drink every 15 minutes, with gels and eCaps added in at 30 minute intervals. My only problem was a constantly running nose -- the salt water of the swim was more effective than a neti pot at clearing out my nasal passages. Wipe, spit, rub my hands on my shorts -- the glamorous life of a triathlete!

Then the turnaround point and it was time to head back south. The breeze was no longer at our back, and had turned into a steady headwind. We retraced our steps, rolling south towards T2 at the battleship USS North Carolina memorial. The headwind was starting to pick up at this point, though not as badly as it did for the full distance racers to follow. Still, it was an effort to stay focused and stay within myself as the ride dragged on.

Finally a highway sign "Battleship 3 Miles." All right! Except for -- a bridge? A big one too, rising high enough to cross the Cape Fear River and let ocean-going ships underneath. Note to self -- pay better attention to the course maps next time. Not to worry -- I downshifted to the small ring, then up and over. Down the other side, a hard left onto a narrow road lined with spectators and suddenly the dismount line.

Bike -- 2:46ish (timing problems with the event, not quite certain, but about 20.5 avg.)

A volunteer grabbed my bike (new experience for me), and directed me towards my gear. A smooth transition and it was time to run.

T2 -- 1:42.

The way I see it, the run is make or break in a tri. My plan was to start steady, walk through the first four aid stations, then pick it up to the end. The run course takes you from the west side of the Cape Fear River, over two tall bridges, and then dumps you onto the riverfront of Wilmington, on the river's east side. From there, you climb south into a lovely city park, then turn around and retrace your steps back to the battleship.

I fell in with a smooth-running 30 year old woman and kept pace with her, successfully navigating the climbs over the bridges. I knew I'd have to come back over them, though. After 4 miles, I started cranking up the pace.

As we hit the turn around at mile 6.55, I pulled off to the side to brush off a pine needle that had gotten caught in my sock. Immediately I saw a "54" on the calf of a runner passing me. Now it was time to make a move. I matched stride and then putting on my best "hey I'm enjoying this" grin, I dug in and picked up speed.

"Don't look back" I told myself -- just keep going. I caught another AG runner -- "53." Then another -- "50." Mile 7, mile 8, mile 9. Now I was feeling the strain. My quads and calves were tightening up while I tried to hold form. I snuck a look back when I turned a corner. "54" was about 50 yards back, but "53" and "50" were gone.

Unfortunately, I was about gone too. At mile 10, I was feeling slightly nauseous, and my quads and calves started to seize up on me. I dropped the pace a little. Mile 11, and time to climb back up the bridges. I looked back -- 54 was still there, running steady.

Mile 12 -- the cramps were coming more often, and my pace kept slowing. The last bridge to climb was a struggle, and some stronger runners started to pass me. Finally I was at the top. And at the top 54 made his pass -- I tried to match pace but couldn't. A little deflated I pushed on, waved and smiled for Carmel as she took my picture and then did my best finish line pose as I crossed.

Run -- 1:52:16

After about 30 minutes of lying in the grass feeling ill I'm was finally ready for some pizza and beer. I'd hoped to break 5:10, but the last few miles killed that chance -- 5:13: 58 was the final total. In retrospect I was still happy -- I put myself in position to make my move on the run, and when I saw the opportunity I went for it. I got beat by 54 (congrats, Steve Thompson, of Chapel Hill, NC), but he had to earn it.

Icing on the cake was a nice plaque, carved from a genuine teak board from the deck of the battleship USS North Carolina, for 2nd place in the 50-54 AG. Pretty cool, and a pretty cool day.

Ken

Buck Mountain 1/2 Marathon -- 10/11/2009

A race report in three parts.

Prolouge -- This has to be about as low key as any race out there. It's put on by Charlottesville's local running store, Ragged Mountain Running Shop, primarily as a test "race" for their fall marathon training program participants. It's open to anyone, though I had to call the shop to find out when it started -- 7 AM (ouch). There's no entry fee (donations to Meals on Wheels are accepted), no splits being called out, no road closures, and the water stops are self serve. Mile markers and directions are simply chalked onto the road.

What it does have is an incredibly scenic course in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, with some challenging hills. It's a fun course and a great test.

Part 1 -- I started out easy, planning on keeping the pace under control for the first four miles. Mile 1 slid by in 7:24, and I was feeling pretty smooth, so I decided to stick around there. By mile 3 I was on my own, with one runner about 200 yards ahead, and nobody in sight behind on the curving roads. Mile 4 was a long downhill, and I stretched it out to pick up some time.

Mile 1 -- 7:24
Mile 2 -- 7:27
Mile 3 -- 7:39
Mile 4 -- 6:58 (downhill)

Part 2 -- As the course turned onto a gravel backroad, I kicked it up a gear. This stretch was tougher, with some long climbs, and some short, steep ups and downs. I started making time up on the runner who was ahead of me, and concentrated on keeping my tempo up on the hills. Around mile 6 I was overtaken by a group of 6 post-collegiate runners, members of the Ragged Mountain team. Not sure why they'd ever been behind me, since they were running effortlessly as they passed. Around mile 7, I caught the runner I'd been chasing, then we turned back onto the main road with a long downhill. I took the opportunity and picked up the pace as mile 8 finished.

Mile 5 -- 7:57 (uphill)
Mile 6 -- 7:38
Mile 7 -- 7:44
Mile 8 -- 6:50 (long downhill)

Part 3 -- Now it was time to take it home strong. I had about 3 miles of long gradual ups and downs, then the course turned onto the final stretch, a mainly couple of miles back to the start. I paid for the downhill on mile 8 with a long uphill on mile 9, but then settled into a series of smaller hills. I kept my tempo well, and settled into a counting rhythm -- 100 steps, then switch the gloves I was now carrying from the right hand to the left. Another 100 steps and switch again. It kept my mind totally focused on the mechanics of running.

With the last turn onto the relatively flat ending stretch I started to pick it up. Still counting, but picking up the tempo for the first 20 steps of each 100. Mile 11, then picking up the tempo every 50 steps. Mile 12 came and I went for broke, finishing feeling pretty strong.

Mile 9 -- 7:50 (uphill)
Mile 10 -- 7:11
Mile 11 -- 7:10
Mile 12 -- 7:02
Mile 13.1 -- 7:57

1:36:54, 7:24 pace. Knocked about a minute off of my PR time from last year. Pretty good morning, all in all.

Ken

Naylor's Beach Tri Race Report - 9/27/09

I went into the Naylor's Beach Triathlon with a pretty specific goal. While my triathlon racing had been pretty successful so far this year, I felt like I wasn't quite performing up to my potential because of poor decision making and pacing. And with a 1/2-IM coming up, I wanted to improve that. Poor pacing in a sprint tri can be worked through, but in a 1/2-IM it could bite me pretty badly!

Heavy rain on Saturday kept me at home, rather than camping out at the race site, so the family staggered into the car at 5 AM on Sunday morning for the drive over. The rain continued intermittently, and when I got to the race it was coming down heavily again. I got my packet, hung out in the car, and finally slogged over to set up my transition area. Finally, 5 minutes before the first swim wave, the rain stopped, the sun came out, and a rainbow stretched across the river we'd be swimming in. The weather was great for the rest of the day.

I seeded myself at the front of my swim wave, and got off with no trouble. We were swimming in the Rappahanock River, which is wide, brackish, and tidal at the race site. Current was negligible at the start, but as I rounded the first turn and worked downstream, I found myself getting pushed strongly towards the left, and had to correct constantly. My swimming rhythm felt pretty good, so I told myself not to worry, it was the same for everybody. I managed to stay on course pretty well, sighting off the buoys and my fellow swimmers. As I turned the final buoy and headed in, I was pretty well satisfied -- the pace felt good, and I seemed to be pretty far up in the field. My watch gave me a split of 28:43.

T1 was a bit more of a thrash than I normally like -- not enough body glide on my legs and feet. But I got out in good shape and started off on the bike without much traffic around me. My mantra for the bike was "tempo." Paradoxically, my new tri bike has been a two-edged sword. I'm faster on the bike, but I'm also more tempted to go for broke and hurt my run leg. Today I'd keep the RPMs up, save my legs, and take what I got. The strategy felt pretty good as I was riding. I had a solid tempo going, but never put myself in the redzone. Nutrition went smoothly, with regular drinks from my aerobottle, and a GU at about the halfway point.

At about the halfway point of the ride we started hitting some fairly stiff head and cross winds, brought in by the changing weather. I kept to my mantra, downshifted to lower gears so I could keep my tempo up, and stayed patient. I came into the dismount with a stylish shoes-off flying dismount and went into T2 feeling good. The bike was unofficially around 1:16, for about a 20.5 average.

T2 went smoothly, and I was out on the run in no time. By now the sun was out and it was getting a bit warm. My plan was to split the run into three parts -- 2 miles getting into a groove, 2 miles picking it up, and surging to break up the last 2 miles for a strong finish. Holding it back a bit, I got into a good rhythm running and breathing at the start, and was encouraged to be picking off a lot of other runners. I popped two endurolyte tablets at the first water stop, then half a gel at the second, washing each down with water and pouring half the cup on my head.

After two miles I was averaging around 7:30/mile and felt good. Picking it up, I hit mile 4 at around a 7:15 pace, and then started surging to break up my pace and stay focused. By the time the finish line came into sight I'd caught a group of 30-something runners, but couldn't quite hold with them as they found some fresh legs for the final sprint. Still, I was ecstatic with the run -- 44:47, my first time ever under 45 in a triathlon 10K.

All in all, a very satisfying day. I beat last year's time by about a minute, on a day when most times were slower than last year. More importantly, I'd really had a consistent, solid effort all the way through. A good training program was at the heart of that, but I helped myself by smart decision making -- it was a valuable lesson!

PS -- Got second in my AG, and won a plaque and a tote bag.

Ken

Pepsi 10K Race Report -- September 19, 2009

Long time since I posted. I'll try to dig up my old race reports and get them on here.

Here's my most recent effort --

Summary: 43:01, 10K.

Long Report:

I've got a sentimental attachment to this race. It was my first race, back in 93 or 94, and aside from triathlon legs it's the only 10K race I've ever done. Got my 10K PR there in '97 at 43:07, and I've been shooting at that mark ever since I got back into my athletic "career" back around 2005. It's a fast course by Charlottesville standards, with a couple of hills at mile 2 and 4, but otherwise rolling, rural, and scenic.

The weather was good, in the mid 60s with just a bit of humidity, and there was a pretty good-sized field -- probably about 300-400 I'd estimate. Lots of UVA college students, including several teams in the off-season out for a good time. My plan, developed in consultation with Ms. Bernardes, was to start easy, around 7:10, then gradually pick up the pace. At mile 4 to the end, throw in some surges every hundred yards or so and try to kick it home strong.

The start was the usual scrum of inexperienced runners blasting ahead, but I found some space and settled down, telling myself "easy, easy." At mile 1 it wasn't quite easy enough -- 6:35. Damn! I chalked it up to a downhill stretch and resolved to settle down as we made our first turn on the double out-and-back course.

Through the second mile in 7:08, which included the first uphill. Not too bad. By now the field was spread out pretty well, and I was running pretty much alone. Mile 3 in 7:05, and I didn't feel too bad.

I started to pick it up just a bit over the next mile, which featured a couple of downhills, and hit mile 4 in 6:42. Another turn, and onto the last hill, and the inevitable period of pain that comes with any 5 or 10K race. I started to throw in some surges, picking up the pace for 20-25 steps every hundred yards or so. It helped break up the last couple of miles and kept my pace up pretty well.

Finally the turn into the school where the race ended. I saw the finish line clock -- 20 seconds left if I wanted to break 43 minutes. Dig deep and go! I hit the line right around 43, and gasped my way through the chutes, totally blown.

All in all, a good race. Snagged my PR, with an official time of 43:01, and got 2nd in M50-54. Looks like I'll have to wait for next year to try to break 43:00!

Ken

New Year's 5K Race Report

Race: New Year's 5K, Free Union, VA.

Executive summary: Pretty solid race -- 20:49, 5th AG (45-49), and 29/367 overall.

Long form:

Back at the beginning of December I blasted through the Charlottesville Men's 4 Miler in 26:35. I felt primed for an attempt on a sub-20 5K at this race. It's a simple out and back, following almost exactly the same route as the 4-miler. We lined up for the start in pretty good conditions. Sunny, temperature in the 30s and rising, and a little bit of a head wind on the outward leg.

I settled in pushed the pace a bit early, maintaining contact with the faster guys longer than I usually do. The first mile split was a very speedy (for me) 6:18, but I felt good and hung tough. The second mile started to kick in a few easy rollers, but I was still feeling pretty solid. As the leaders started coming back past me, I counted positions and found myself in 25th (!) at the turn around. A glance at my watch showed me at a little under 10 minutes for the 1/2-way point. So far so good.

Mile two passed -- 6:46. I'd definitely slowed, but I wasn't in distress.Still, the smarter runners who'd held back a bit were starting to reel me in, and I had no extra gear to shift into. By mile 2.5 it was time to hang on.

And I did -- I managed to find a little bit extra for the final stretch, but the clock didn't lie -- 20:49. No doubt about it, my overly ambitious starting pace hurt my overall effort. Still, not a bad way to start the year, with a sub 21 race at 6:42 pace. Onward to Myrtle Beach, with a valuable lesson learned.

Ken

MJH 8K Race Report -- March, 2009

Another race from the archives!

I've done the Martha Jefferson Hospital 8K for the last 3 years in a row. It's a great tune up for the Charlottesville 10-Miler, which follows in 3 weeks, and it draws a pretty big field (over 500 this year). The course is a real tester, winding up and down through the downtown streets of Charlottesville. There are over 20 turns on the course, and I can only think of about 2 spots that are flat. The rest is up and down, with an emphasis on short, steep hills.

Race morning was cool and overcast, in the upper 30s, but the expected rain was holding off. I got a good warmup run in, and went to the starting line in shorts, long sleeve base layer with a short sleeve technical shirt over top, gloves, and a polypro hat.

The start was a bit downhill, and one of the longer straights of the run. I'd been feeling a little nicked up over the last week or so -- a little knee pain and a tight hip -- but I was happy to feel good and smooth as I took off. The field strung out pretty quickly. It's one of the nice advantages of getting a little faster -- I can line up nearer the front and avoid the usual craziness of the crush at the start.

The first mile featured a couple of downhill stretches, and my time showed it as I hit the Mile 1 marker -- 6:30. A little fear at that, since I know I'm not that fast, and there were some tough stretches to come. I backed off on the throttle a little bit and settled into a good rhythm. I caught a few runners, but lost position to some others. No worries -- this felt good. Mile 2 hit at 13:22, a 6:53 mile. That felt solid.

As we twisted and turned through the streets, I knew the first real challenge was coming up -- a fairly long and steep climb near the 2.5 mile mark. I hit the bottom of the hill and started counting on every left foot strike. 1, 2, 3... I knew I could keep this up to 100 at least. 33, 34, 35...starting to get winded, keep the pace up. 75, 76, 77...near the top. Finally around the corner at the top and a chance to stretch it out on the next downhill. Mile 3 -- 20:06, a 6:44 mile. Good.

The next obstacle was looming. Near the end of mile 4, a San Fransisco worthy street that'll hit you like a ton of bricks. I kept my pace up, running strong with some 40-something age groupers in a loose pack around me, and we hit the hill. Counting steps helped here, at least to keep my mind off the uncomfortable thought that I might get sick. Finally we crested the top, and started down, past the Mile 4 marker. 27:00, a 6:53. Not bad.

The last chunk was anti-climactic. I was running strong, but the age groupers around me gradually pulled away. No shame on my part -- these guys were solid, and just had a little bit better top end gear. I was running strong, and powered up the last gradual climb and turned to do the final stretch. Across the line, stopped the watch and let it sink in.

33:26. 6:45 pace, and almost a 2 minute PR over last year's 35:15. Best of all, while it had been a hard effort, I never felt out of control, or on the edge of losing it. And with the Charlottesville 10-Miler in three weeks, the idea of running under 70 minutes seems like a real possibility.

Ken

Charlottesville 10-Miler Race Report - 4/4/09

I've been way behind on posting, including the news that I qualified for Boston with a 3:34:54 at Myrtle Beach on February 14. A sweet treat!

Here's my most recent race, the Charlottesville 10-Miler, on April 4, 2009

Executive summary:

1:11:04, 7:06 pace. 149/2300 overall, 7/92 AG (50-54 M)

Long report:

I imagine most running communities have a race like the 10-Miler. The local race with a long history that the hardcore runners aim at, but that also attracts a large community following. The 10-Miler qualifies: it's been around for over 25 years, and draws a field of over 2000, mostly local runners, whose goals range from picking up an AG win to seeing if they can actually run 10 Miles.

The 10-Miler also has a great course going for it. A scenic tour of the UVA grounds, downtown Charlotesville, and some attractive old residential neighborhoods. Crowd support is vocal and enthusiastic for much of the course.

I came into this year's race feeling pretty strong. I'd gotten my BQ at Myrtle Beach by running a well-executed marathon, and I'd blown away my 8K PR just a few weeks before. 1:10, 7-minute miles seemed doable. A stretch maybe, but doable.

Race morning was bright, sunny, about 50 degrees, but quite windy. I seed myself in the first 4-5 rows and took off with the pack. A little jockeying around for position, and working through the rolling roadblocks of people who didn't understand where to line up, and I found some space. The key to the course is to hold something in reserve for the end. The course gets progressively more difficult as you go along, and a too-optimistic start can bite you later on.

I hit mile 1 in 7:00 flat. Good and bad -- good because I felt great, bad because I knew that was probably about 15 seconds too fast. No problem, relax on the next mile. Mile 2, which curls around the UVA football stadium has one of the first big hills. I held back, trying not to get caught up in the excited runners who attacked the hill like Marines going up Mt. Surabachi. Mile 2 -- just under 7 minutes. Hmmm....still felt good, but had a nagging feeling that this wasn't good in the back of my mind.

Mile 3 featured some slight rises as we passed by the center of the UVA grounds, designed by Thomas Jefferson. A beautiful place to run, to be sure. I concentrated on a conservative pace and came in a little over 7 minutes. Good. As we moved into Mile 4, I got ready for the long downhill that heads towards downtown C-ville. This is a mile to bank up time, and I did, coming in at 6:45. OK so far -- I was under 7 minute pace and feeling pretty solid.

Mile 5 heads up the Downtown Mall, a brick pedestrian street. The crowds are enthusiastic here, and the confines tight, so there was a lot of shoulder-to-shoulder racing. A had a good stride going here, and clipped it off right at 7 minutes. We turned off the Mall into the hilly neighborhoods north of the mall. This is always a moment of truth. The hills here aren't long, but they're numerous and relatively steep. Mile 6, a little over 7 minutes -- still OK. A wave to my wife and son, and onto the last long hill of downtown.

Now my early enthusiasm was creeping up on me. I kept pace with most of my competitors, but I could feel my strength fading and hear my breathing getting a bit ragged. Hold it together -- over the top, and back across the downtown mall. Grab a Gatorade, regroup and prepare to take on the last three miles. Mile 7 -- about 7:15. Not good. Not a deal-breaker, but not good.

Into the wind now, I head up the longest straight stretch of the race. A long false flat leading back to the UVA grounds. Runners who'd run a smarter tactical race than me were overtaking me, and I kept trying to match their pace, eventually finding one runner to draft off of. Mile 8 -- about 7:10. A had about a 20 second defecit on my dream goal now.

Mile 9 would decide the race. The route hits the last killer hill here, an ascent up the UVA "Corner," a student-oriented business district. I had to hit this hard if I had any chance to get back on pace. It didn't feel good. My legs were heavy and I was hurting. You can throw all the cliches you want at a hill, but if you don't have the wheels, the hill has the advantage. Finally over the top, then retracing the route back up the race course. Mile 9 -- fail -- 7:35.

OK, time to regroup -- push for as big a PR as possible, at least go under 1:11. Then -- YOW -- calf cramps. Both legs. Shorten the stride, stay under control. I watched my pace setter disappear into the distance as I alternated between sets of short strides and longer strides, trying to work out the cramps. I kept my pace up as well as I could, but there wouldn't be any sprint to the finish today. As I saw the finish line in the distance I looked at my watch -- 1:10. Darned close. I took it in best I could, and got across in 1:11:04.

I got my hugs from the family and reflected on the race. It was easy to be disappointed, but that faded quickly. 1:10 would have required doing everything right, and I had nothing to be disappointed about. I'd beaten last year's time by over 2 minutes, and taken out a 10-year old PR of 1:13:01. And I'd learned a lesson, too. You've got to train, you've got to plan, but most importantly, you've got to execute the plan when the race comes. The longer the race, the more important that fact is. I'll get it right next time.

Ken

Naylor's Beach Triathlon -- 9/28/08

Executive summary:

1500M swim, 26 mile bike, 10K run -- 2:34 (2:36 with penalty).
9/30, 45-49 AG

Long report:

This was my first time at Naylor's Beach. The race is situated on the north shore of the Rappahanock River, in quiet rural surroundings. I arrived on Saturday afternoon, and pitched my tent at the pleasant campground right across the street from the transition area, got out my gear, and enjoyed a short swim, bike, and run. After I cooked dinner, the weather changed for the worse, as thunderstorms rolled in, so I called it a night and dove into my tent at around 8:30 -- that's life in the country for you.

Race day dawned overcast, with occassional showers, but warm temps and light winds. For whatever reason, I'd woken up at 2 AM and couldn't get back to sleep until nearly 5, so I wasn't feeling too fresh as I crawled out of my tent. I rolled my bike across the street and racked it, then came back to get my gear together and have some breakfast. For whatever reason, it just wasn't my morning. I'm normally methodical (compulsive? anal?) about getting my gear together the night before a race, but this morning I couldn't get organized. I ended up making three trips back and forth to the transition area as I kept realizing I'd forgotten items. In retrospect I didn't get as good a breakfast as I needed and I skimped on my hydration. Live and learn!

Swim: 27:32, 12/30 AG

Water temperature (70 degrees) and conditions were very good for the swim. The Rappahanock is wide and brackish at this point, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay, really. I was in the second wave, a pretty large group of all the men 40 and older, plus the clydesdales. As we took off I tried, unsucessfully, to get some open water around me, but was hemmed in by a pack and played bumper boat all the way out the first leg. There was a steady current flowing right to left that pushed us left of the buoys, and by the first turn we'd already caught up to the stragglers from the first wave, which made for a pretty big scrum at the buoy. Now we were swimming the longest leg of the course, with the current mainly at our back. I finally got a bit of space around me and got into a good rhythm. I felt good and smooth, but had gulped down some water when I got dunked at the turn, which wasn't sitting too well on my stomach. As I rounded the second turn I had to fight back up against the current as I went towards the beach. Fortunately it was easy to get a sight on the exit and I kept swimming strong, kicking hard to loosen up my legs as I approached the shore. Onto the small sandy beach and over a small seawall, then up a grassy lawn, and I was into T1.

T1: 1:37, 3/30 AG

The usual blur -- toss down the goggles and cap, step out of my suit, slip into my shoes, grab the bike and start running. Wet and breathless, it's always sort of surreal, but I usually do a good job on these. No exception this time.

Bike: 1:16:40, 20.3 mph, 10/30 AG

I'd heard people talking about how tough the bike course was. They had to be kidding -- it's flat down there. Still, I gathered there were a couple of hills to be concerned with on the first half of the course. Traffic was tight as we came out of transition, but got myself into a rhythm and started concentrating on RPMs -- keep 'em at 90ish. While most of the course was pretty flat, there were a lot of fairly sharp turns throughout. Still, plenty of room to get down on the bars and roll through the countryside. Around 8 miles I hit the first of the hills. Fairly steep, but not too long. With my granny gear engaged I spun past a long line of riders and over the top. At mile 13ish we hit the second hill. This guy was steep -- I could look up it and watch cyclists tacking back and forth like drunken sailors after a night of shore leave. With a hearty "Hi-Ho Silver," it was "Granny Gear Away!" and I spun up and over.

I was cranking along at 90 RPM when the Coach Debi express went ripping by on my left. Good incentive. I picked it up just a notch to keep her in sight, and passed her on an uphill. She returned the favor on the next downhill, and I followed, gradually dropping back as we went round a corner and then up a short hill. Then I heard the motorcycle go by, and watched as the official jotted something down in his notebook. I had a bad feeling about that, which turned out to be correct. A 2-minute penalty for not dropping back fast enough. What can I say? We were going downhill, then slowing for a turn and starting a climb. Technically correct, but...disappointing -- I take a lot of pride in racing clean.

Back to business at hand, and I took advantage of the last few flat miles to pick up the pace -- I got my final revenge by passing Debi on a small rise, and then amused myself by jumping my bike over a series of speed bumps right before the transition area. Off the bike and done.

T2: 1:00, 3/30 AG

Rack, shoes off, shoes on, grab my race belt and go. Pretty fast.

Run: 47:11, 7:35 pace, 9/30 AG

Coming out of T2 I could see Debi about 10-15 yards ahead of me. Damm, that was a fast transition for her. Well, here's some incentive for me -- try to keep up with her.

After about 3 minutes one thing was clear -- that wasn't going to happen. Time to refocus on the task at hand. I got my running into a good rhythm and concentrated on my own race. Past the first water stop I picked off two guys in my AG, then a mile or so later I got by another one. As I got near mile 3 my right quad started screaming at me. My poor hydration and pre-race nutrition was catching up to me, most likely. I held back on the pace a bit, hoping I wouldn't push it over the cliff into a full-fledged cramp, and worked through it. We turned for home and I could see an AG competitor who'd passed me on the bike ahead and within striking distance. I slowly kept reeling him in and by mile 4 was within a few steps. As we hit a slight rise I passed him.

He wasn't going to give up easily. I could hear his footsteps right behind me, so I surged slighty, then relaxed, surged, relaxed, for several minutes. Sneaking a look back I could see I'd opened a gap. We turned to go down a short, final out-and-back leg and both quads started to tighten up on me. I had to slow somewhat. We turned and headed for home -- maybe a half mile to go. My rival saw his opportunity and came past me, opening up about a 10-yard gap. I almost mailed it in then, but the tightness in my muscles had eased a bit, and it was worth a final shot. I picked it up and drew even. He surged. I surged. With two short turns to go I drew ahead. Rounding the last turn, 10 yards to go -- there he goes, and I don't have an answer. He beats me by less than a yard.

We congratulate each other and I go sit down -- I'm cooked.

2:34 (2:36 w/ penalty) -- 9/30 AG, 41/154 men

Summary:

My last tri of the year, and a pretty good result. My age group was stacked with strong athletes, so I'm pleased with the placement. A typical result for me -- even performances in all 3 disciplines, with quick transitions.

Looking ahead, next year I'll be the new kid in the 50-54 AG, and I know I've still got plenty of room to improve. In particular it's time to spring for an honest-to-gosh tri bike. I think I've earned it.

Pepsi 10K Race Report

Short report:

Pepsi 10K - Charlottesville,VA - 9/13/2008
43:21
33/416 overall, 4th in 45-49

This is a great local race. If you want a nice test of your running speed and stamina, 10Ks are an excellent way to go.

Long report:

I've got a soft spot in my heart for this race. It was the very first road race I ever did, back in the early 90s. I ran a 48:50 and then went home and slept the rest of the day (I wonder whatever happened to that shirt?)

Fast-forwarding to the present, I went into the race with two goals: 1. Get a good test of my marathon preparation for Richmond in November. 2. Beat my co-worker Tommy, who's 39, and has beat me by about 15 seconds in each of the two races we've both competed in this year.

The weather on Saturday was oppressive. Humid and hot, though the sky was overcast to start the race. Got in a good warmup and kibbitzed a bit with some of the guys, then it was time for business.

The course is a double out-and-back: out one mile, turn back past the start, then out to mile 4 where you turn around and head for home. It's a pretty run, on rolling country roads. I found some space in the insanity of the start, and weaved my way around the usual quick-starting flameouts, running downhill to the first turnaround. I hit the mile in 6:50 -- that felt about right, given the downhill.

As I came back up hill I settled into a good rhythm and counted my footfalls -- 90 for the minute -- good running tempo. Tommy and I traded spots a few times and I pulled ahead a bit as we came to the first waterstop. Mile 2 came at 14:06 -- OK, considering the hill.

Now was the time to really settle into a groove, as the course flattened a bit. I'd opened a little gap around me and kept motoring along. I knew Tommy was just a bit behind me, but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me look back, so I focused in like a laser on the road. Mile 3 -- 21 flat.

A couple of stiff little rollers hit me hard as I moved into the fourth mile. I kept concentrating on my tempo as I climbed the hills trying not to bog down and lose time. I turned around and headed for home at mile 4 -- right on time at 28 and a couple of seconds.

This was starting to hurt. I started to pass more runners as they slowed. Picking them off was a nice distraction. I kept checking my watch and counting steps, striving for a fast turnover, thinking about keeping my form together. The sun was out now, and the humidity brutal. My singlet was stuck to my skin and I could feel water dropping off my shorts as I ran. Finally, mile 5 -- 35:00.

By now I just wanted to slow down and rest -- man, 10Ks hurt... As I closed towards the finish a young woman flew by me -- whoa, I can't catch her. Next it was my turn, as I passed a young 20 something guy. He tried to make a game of it, passing me back up, but I quickly dropped him.

Finally I turned down the road into the school where the finish is. I peeked over my shoulder. Tommy was hanging on, about 5 seconds back. Now or never -- I gave it everything I had left and went home hard. One more look -- I'm safe.

Done. Crap, I can't even breathe...well, that'll pass.

Felt pretty good about the race -- 43:20 in those conditions was a very good time for me. I'm right on track for Richmond, and I beat Tommy by 15 seconds. Life is good

Ken

Charlottesville International Tri, 7/27/08

A hard day, with a good result -- 3/18 in my AG!

In the four seasons I've been doing triathlons, the Charlottesville International is one of only two that I've done more than once. It's more a point of pride than anything else, really. The course is tough, and late July weather doesn't make it any easier. Last year I fell apart during the run -- 6 miles of hilly single-track -- and I was determined to do better this year.

I got up at 5:00 on Sunday, and after a quick breakfast, threw my gear onto the truck and headed for the course. It's only a half-hour from my house, but there are no assigned racks in the transition area, so the early bird catches the worm as far as primo racking spots. Sure enough, I pulled into the parking lot at 6 AM, and got one of the best spots in the transition area. Hey -- I'll take any advantage I can get. The usual fiddling around ensued, as I placed my gear, then a trip to the men's room, some meet-and-greet with friends at the race, and it was time to head to the beach.

Into the Bathwater:

Water temps were in the low 80s, no wetsuits today. Surprisingly I hadn't raced without a wetsuit since my very first tri, back in 2005, and I was a little nervous about it -- you kind of get used to knowing you'll have the wetsuit on, I guess. The swim was advertised as 1500 meters, a two loop course, but it looked a little too long to most of us on the beach. Finally it was our turn, and the old guys waded out into the water. The horn caught me a bit by surprise, and I was treading water further back in the pack than I had planned on, but after about 50 yards of bumper boat I got some space.

I quickly got into a good rhythm. The course was a very long rectangle, so after a quick turn, it was down the backstretch. It was a dead-flat calm morning, and the lake is small, so there was no chop in the water. Normally I'll sight every 3-4 strokes, but with the calm water I went for 10 strokes or so before sighting. That kept me in a good rhythm, but I quickly discovered that I drift to the left when I swim. Couldn't blame the current today. By the time we started the second loop I began to be passed by some of the faster women swimmers in previous waves. That cured the drift -- when they passed I jumped onto their feet for as long as I could, trusting to their superior navigation.

Finally around the last turn, and we started towards shore. I powered through some lake grass and vines, then stumbled through the mud and jumped up onto the grassy run to the transition area. I crossed the mat and hit my watch -- 30 minutes and change -- that had to be too long a swim. Running up to my bike I saw a friend's bike still on the racks. He's a good swimmer, so I must not have done too bad.

Swim - 30:41 - 9/18 AG (45-49)
T1 - 1:02 - 2/18 AG

Onto the Hills:

A quick trip through T1, and I was on the road. The bike course at Charlottesville is a litle short, at 23.5 miles, but it makes up for it in difficulty. Lots of hills, mainly short steep pitches. While there are a few good areas for getting down in the bars, for the most part you need to be patient. Last year I blasted through the bike like a steroid-enhanced pit bull and left nothing in the tank for the run. I was determined to ride smarter this year.

During the long climb out of Walnut Creek Park I thanked my lucky starts that I was riding a road bike with a triple, after passing several people tacking back and forth across the road on their tri-bikes. Spin away and keep going, I said to myself. I was determined to ride within myself, keeping my gearing down and cadence up on the climbs. After leaving the park, I settled in as I zipped down the two-lane country roads of the course. It was surprisingly quiet -- maybe it was the way the waves had been set up, or maybe I had a good position, but always had plenty of room around me. After about 6-7 miles I was passed by a few riders, none of them in my age group., and I was starting to pick off riders from earlier waves.

The middle section of the course had some good spots for going fast, and I took advantage, but I played it safe on the many climbs. As we turned back the last few miles to the park I continued to keep my RPMs up, and avoided the temptation to attack the last few hills. Turning back into the park, I spun in an easy gear on the long descent back to transition and collected myself. Where was everbody in my AG? Usually there'll be some cat and mouse games on the bike, but I hadn't seen anybody I was competing directly against.

Off the bike and into T2 -- time to go minimalist -- don't need sunglasses and a hat in the woods. Rack the bike, shoes on, grab my stuff and go.

Bike -- 1:15:40, 4/18 AG
T2 -- :40, 2/18 AG

Into the Woods:

The run at C-ville is a beast. Six miles of hilly, tough, honest-to-gosh singletrack. A two-lap course that only briefly peaks out of the woods. Last year I'd suffered major cramps, and had barely got it done in less than an hour. I was hoping for much better. By now it was hot, and the woods held in the humidity like a steam bath.

Even before you get your legs under you there's a steep rocky downhill. My quads are starting to scream already. Then an uphill -- ouch -- was that a cramp? I grabbed a water at the first stop and slugged it down, walking a few steps and collecting myself. Back into the woods, the trail started winding up, but it was gradual and I started to get my feet under me. Better, I started to track down slower runners -- a nice moral boost. Suddenly I was passed by a sprightly 19 year old. She yelled out a "good run" as she skipped by, leaping through the forest like a deer (turns out she finished 3rd overall for the day). She had the right idea -- I relaxed and started flowing through the run, keeping my feet light.

I couldn't keep the feeling going though. Every downhill wound up my quads into a knot, and the following steep uphills made them feel like wooden posts. Finally I was out of the woods, past the finish line, and back for a second lap. More struggles through the ups and downs, until finally I hit the 4 mile mark. There's something about the four mile mark that always encourages me -- only two more to go! I collected myself and got my feet turning over in a good rhythm. Back out of the woods, and there's the finish -- zip up my jersey and try to look good for the photographer.

I'm done. Cooked is more like it -- my clothes are wringing wet, there's dirt and mud on my legs and my shoes are soaking wet, even though it wasn't wet on the trail.

Surprisingly, my run was good for second in my AG, even though I thought I was giving time away to the field. I checked the results when posted, and sure enough, I placed 3rd in my AG -- first time ever placing.

I got a hat...

Run -- 53:44, 2/18 AG
Overall -- 2:41:37, 3/18 AG, 36/101 overall men.

Colonial Beach Triathlon - July 13, 2008

Summary -- 2:10 and change, 5th AG for this "short Olympic" distance tri.

Lengthy report:

This was my first time doing the Colonial Beach Triathlon. A relatively small race, in a "beachy" town on the Potomac river, very flat when compared to races around Charlottesville.

I headed down on Saturday to pick up my packet and get in a short ride and run. The weather was hot on Saturday afternoon, but a nice breeze off of the Potomac kept it tolerable. I checked out part of the out-and-back bike and run courses, then drove over to Debi's house, where she and her husband were kind enough to host me for the night. Pizza and a movie, then off to bed.

4:30 in the morning came quickly, and after a cup of coffee and breakfast, we hit the road for the race site, about 25 minutes away. Our early arrival paid off -- I snagged a primo end spot on the rack in the transition area, then fiddled around endlessly with my gear while I counted down the time until the start. The water was warm, but wetsuit legal, so I took advantage with my short-sleeved suit. My race packet had the wrong color of swim cap, so I got a lot of odd looks and some concerned questions from other racers as all the green caps except me took off in the first wave. After a couple of minutes, I waded in with my group and off we went.

Swim (advertised as 1000 yards, probably around 750-800)

The swim started well. A couple of collisions, then clear water and easy sighting to the first buoy on the triangular course. Turning round the first buoy I could feel swells picking me up and down as I went down the next leg. The Potomac is very wide and salty at this point, wider even than the Choptank at Eagleman, so there was really an "open water" feel to the swim. Stayed on course pretty well, then turned for home. For whatever reason I couldn't sight worth a darn on this leg, and realized after a bit I was drifting downstream, away from the swim exit. I corrected, but I'm sure it cost me a few spots. Hit the shallow water and dophined a few times then ran up onto the pebble beach, down a concrete sidewalk and into the asphalt transition area -- pretty hard on the feet! (13:58 -- definitely not a 1000 yards! -- 8/20 AG)

T1

This flew past -- I thanked my lucky stars for the end rack spot, got out of the wetsuit without too much bother, and ran for the mount line (1:17, 3/20 AG).

Bike (40K)

Transitioning into the bike always feels strange to me. Suddenly my wet body is pedaling away on a bike and my heart's going a mile a minute. I navigated away from the bike start, held up temporarily by an old guy driving a golf cart (they drive them around town in Colonial Beach). In a few minutes I was rolling down the highway, drinking out of my aerobottle and settling in for the ride. The course was a simple out-and-back, with minimal turns, and was well-suited for putting in a fast time. I kept my concentration on the RPMs -- keep the tempo at 90+, go fast without trashing the legs. I jockeyed around a bit with several other riders in my AG through the first few miles -- passed a few and had a few pass me. When it was all done, it evened out pretty well.

After about 6-7 miles we turned right and started climbing. What? There's a hill? Sure enough, a fairly long, gradual climb. Nothing bad, but enough to make you notice. I kept an eye on the RPMs, and downshifted when necessary, only interrupted by the whooshing sound of Debi passing me up. I kept it smooth, and didn't try to be a hero, since she's faster than me anyway. Over the top, and then a sharp left after a short downhill. Another long straight stretched in front of me, and I started to see the leaders coming back. Here's the turn, and I was feeling good. Best off all, it's a net downhill going back to the river.

I kept the tempo up on the return, playing hopscotch with a couple of riders from the Richmond Tri Club. They pass me, I pass them, they pass me, etc. Kept it interesting. As the end approached I took a flyer and started cranking up the RPMs and laying on more speed. It'd been a good ride. A couple of turns past the crowds, a quick stop and back into T2. (1:09:57, 21.3 mph, 8/20 AG)

T2

Smoked this. Racked the bike, helmet/shoes off, shoes on, grabbed my hat and race belt and go! (:50, 1/20 AG)

Run (6 miles)

The run was an out and back 6 miler, following shore on the small peninsula that the town is on. My legs felt pretty good coming off the bike, and I concentrated on my running cadence for the first 5-6 minutes. Check the watch, count my footfalls to 90, check the watch. My rhythm was good, and started to gradually close in on some runners ahead of me. Passed one -- there's a 48 on his calf -- my AG -- yes! Hit the first mile in 7:30, and felt good. Just have to keep this up.

By now it was getting hot. Water stops were available every mile, and I doused myself down and drank each time. As we rounded peninsula, we hit some shady neighborhoods, which helped. At three miles we turned, and I hit a rough patch. My legs started getting tight and the heat started to wear me down. Back to my old trick I went and started counting my cadence. This took my mind off of my problems and I got back into a rhythm. 4 miles, 5 miles, still on pace, and catching a fair number of other runners. After 5 I caught another runner. There's a "46" on his calf -- I've got to get this guy. I pulled behind, and decided to give it a strong push. As I passed his right shoulder I put as unconcerned an expression on my face as I could and picked up the pace, counting my steps. 10, 20 , 30, 40, 50 -- hopefully he wouldn't realize how tired I was and try to come after me. As I hit the final turn I took a look back and saw I was in the clear. As I crossed the finish I was too tired to mug it up for the photographer, but happy when I checked my watch -- 44:36 for 6 miles, 7:26 pace, 5/20 AG.

I'd hoped to go under 2:15, and I did, with a 2:10:36. Good time, and a fun race.

Ken

Little Pepper Sprint Triathlon - May 18, 2008

Summary: (750 meter swim/15 mile bike/5K run) A great day for racing, and a good balanced effort.

1:28:20 -- 6/25 45-49 AG, 50/237 overall male.

Long report:

I did my first triathlon at Culpeper in August of 2005, so doing this race was a homecoming of sorts for me. It's a great venue: the swim is in a small quiet lake, with the transition area in a large grassy swale just a few yards from the waters edge. The bike takes full advantage of smooth highways and rolling country roads in the surrounding countryside, and it's topped off with a run on a closed highway that pops in and out of a couple of suburban neighborhoods. As the morning sun comes up over the lake, I can't imagine a prettier place to have a race.

Thanks to an early start, I completed my 45 minute drive and was at the race site with plenty of time to spare. Checked in, got my packet and chip and snagged a primo spot right on the end of my rack. Plenty of time to set up, so I was even more fussy than usual in getting everything "just so" in my transition area. I keep it pretty simple anyway -- helmet and glasses on the bike; bike shoes, running shoes, race belt and hat on my towel. A full aerobottle on the bike and I'm ready to go. After a liberal application of BodyGlide I strolled to the lake and checked out the water with a quick swim. Cool, but not bad. No morning fog, so visibility is excellent. Kibbitz with Debi, who made some noise about not running (sure, Debi...), and talked to a few acquaintances from C-ville and the race got underway.

My wave was next to last, so I killed time trying to stay warm until it was my turn. The sunny morning had turned overcast, with a bit of a breeze picking up. Great weather for racing, but kind of cool for standing around in a damp sleeveless wetsuit. Finally, the Women 35-up took off on the swim, a big school of yellow swim caps spreading out across the water, and it was my turn to wade in. A short wait, and the horn blew.

I'd seeded myself near the front of my wave. I'm not super fast in the water, but I can hold my own. The strategy worked well, and I had a nice pocket of space to myself right away. I got into a good rhythm and concentrated on having an efficient swim. A quick flick of the head every 4th stroke or so kept me sighting and right on track. By the first buoy we started hitting traffic from the previous wave and I played bumper boats with a couple of guys from my wave. Soon enough I was back in clear water and moving nicely down the back leg of the triangular course. I rounded the second turn and pushed the tempo up on the home leg. It'd been a good swim -- in particular I'd sighted well and stayed right on course throughout. As I hit the shallow water I went hard up the ramp, shooting for a good T1.

Swim: 14:05, 10/25 AG

A straight shot into transition, and I pulled off my cap and googles and undid my wetsuit's zipper as I jogged along. No problems with the wetsuit (thanks, BodyGlide) -- shoes on, glasses and helmet on, grab bike and go. A run up a grassy slopt to the mount line and I hopped on and coasted down the road as I clipped in.

T1: 1:33, 3/25 AG

The bike is a real joy on this course. It's hilly and fairly technical, which keeps you thinking throughout. And the scenery is great. As we headed west towards the Blue Ridge Mountains, I would have stopped to take a picture if I'd had a camera. In the first few miles of the bike I played hopscotch with a few other racers from my AG, but soon the field shook out and I found myself in my own comfort zone, keeping the RPMs up, and taking advantage of the flats and downhills to put on some speed. There were a lot of short steep uphills, and I attacked them conservatively, gearing down to keep up my momentum and pedaling speed as I went over the top.

It seemed to be working -- I was picking off dozens of riders from the earlier waves, and holding off anybody behind me. At about mile 12 another racer in my AG caught me on a downhill. Good incentive. On the next uphill grade I stepped up the effort and pushed past then put the hammer down for the last few miles. I was feeing good --- it'd been a solid ride overall.

Bike: 49:38, 8/25 AG

T2 reversed the direction of T1 -- run down the hill from the dismount area, bike on the rack, helmet off, shoes on, grab hat and race belt and out the chute. Nice smooth transition.

T2: 1:02, 2/25 AG

I've been working on the run a lot this year, and I'm feeling the benefits in my racing. The first mile of so of the run course was mostly uphill, but I got settled in pretty well. I was breathing hard (a bit of a cold wasn't helping things), but my legs felt good. No cramping, and the muscles felt pretty fresh. The course was an out-and-back, with a couple of out-and-back spurs on the way out. It made it interesting, because you could see the field in front of you a couple of times. As I hit the first spur, I started to really get into a strong running rhythm. Jack Bernardes, Debi's husband whooshed by going the other way -- I wasn't going to catch him, it looked like. But there were plenty of other people in front of me. Just like on the bike, I was passing lots of other racers. Into the second spur -- there goes Jack again -- well, at least he's not any further ahead. Finishing the second spur, I turned for home. This had the potential to be fast -- it was mainly downhill, retracing the tough first part of the run course.

I zeroed in on a pack in front of me and tried to catch them. Then I saw the "45" on the leg of a guy in front of me. Yes -- I can pick up a spot. I tucked in behind, then made a hard break past, hoping he wouldn't try to latch on. The strategy worked and I cruised in over the last 1/4 mile by myself and gave it a good shot across the line.

Run: 22:03, 7/25 AG

Overall a good race for me -- interestingly enough, my overall AG finish was better than my swim/bike/run placements. I'll thank the fast transitions and a pretty balanced performance for that. I'm not exceptional in any of the disciplines, but I won't count any of them as weaknesses, either.

Some people just don't get it...

Witness the wilderness geek in the picture. For the good of all, he subjected himself to two grueling nights in the woods, testing out gear that would keep him connected to the internet during his wilderness sojourn.

Why bother? Look, I'm no Luddite -- I'll take a digital camera, a small sports radio, and a cell phone for emergencies with me when I go backpacking, but our hero misses the point. If you've got to stay connected that badly, stay at home.

The wilderness has a powerful effect on me. I find that the time I spend there refreshes me mentally and physically. There's something powerfully meditative about focusing on a goal as simple as walking from here to there, carrying all your necessities of food, fuel, and shelter on your back.

Sure, I love the convenience and connectivity of modern life, but there's something to be gained personally by leaving that behind for a while sometimes. Our internet Davy Crockett just doesn't get it.

Ken

I qualified for Jeopardy!

Short version:

Weekend before last, the Jeoparday contestant search was in Charlottesville, and I took the contestant test on a whim. I qualified!

Long version:

I'm one of those people who watches Jeopardy and shouts out the correct answers all the time, so when the Jeoparday contestant search came to town I thought "what the heck," and went to try out. They were set up on Sturday at a local auto dealership. I walked in, sat down, and they handed me a 10-question test. Easy stuff, and I sailed right through in a couple of minutes. Handed it over to the guy running the test, he glanced at it and handed me a couple of sheets of paper.

"You did great -- come back tomorrow tomorrow to the Omni Hotel downtown at 11:30."

"What? I've got a race in Richmond in the morning."

"What kind of race?"

"A duathlon."

"Is that some kind of shooting race or something?"

"No. Run, bike, run. Kind of like a triathlon, only drier."

"Can you win money there?"

"Me? No, I'm not a pro."

"You can win money on Jeopardy -- you'll do well -- try to make it."

So, there I was on Saturday night -- not only getting my gear ready for the race, but packing a sports coat, shirt, and tie (the test invite for Sunday said come dressed as you would if you were on TV). If I got the race done in about 2:30, and drove straight back, I might make it to the hotel by 11:30.

Race over, I hustled back to my car and hit the highway, zooming up I-64 back to Charlottesville. A quick change of clothes at a rest area and a dab of deodorant, and there I was, at the hotel at 11:25. A crowd of about 125 or so of us was ushered into a ballroom and sat down at tables. After a quick intro, and a video from Alex Trebeck, we took a 50 question written test. Eight seconds for each question, then on to the next. Pretty easy stuff, mainly. The tests were taken up to be graded, and a young lady on the Jeopardy crew took questions from the audience. Amazing how many people want to know what Alex Trebeck is like in person.

Here comes the big moment. They start reading out names -- I've made the cut! The losers are ushered out, and the 20-25 survivors gather at the front of the room. A few forms to fill out, and a quick sample game and interview (our screen test, in effect) and I'm done.

Now the wait -- I'm in the contestant pool for 18 months. If they call me, I fly out to LA and give it a shot in person. No guarantees I'll actually make it onto the show, but I'm already starting to study -- I think I'll brush up on Shakespeare first.

Duathlon Nationals (10K/40K/5K)

I'll admit when Debi suggested this race I was a little taken aback. Nationals? Me? Duathlon? Granted, there's no qualification standard and anyone can race, but I was prepared for my ego to get a little bruised by the competition.

Sure enough, the atmosphere in the transition area as I set up was pretty hard-core. I don't think I've ever seen so many aero helmets in one place, not to mention lots of wiry looking guys wearing "Team USA" outfits. Not like the usual local sprint tri, that's for sure. It was pretty clear that if I wanted to make this a profitable day, I'd best concentrate on my race, and not worry about the rest of the guys out there.

Men aged 40 and over were in the last of three waves, so after we watched the young guys and then the women go, it was our turn. I seeded myself conservatively in the pack, determined not to get caught up in the moment, and settled into a comfortable pace as we took off. The course was a two-loop 5K, crossing the James River on a footbridge suspended beneath a highway bridge, and then looping around Belle's Island on gravel and dirt paths. Pretty flat for the most part, but running onto and off the foot bridge required going up a series of ramps with several 180 degree turns. When I hit ground on Belle's Island I started to catch some of the slower women runners and a few of the men. My rhythm felt good, so I stayed focused on how I felt. Oddly enough, there weren't any mile markers on the course, so I didn't have a clear idea of my pace.

By the time I'd started back across the James, the leaders were recrossing, and there was two-way traffic in many spots. It got interesting as we rounded corners, particularly on the bridge ramps. As I turned for the second loop, I glanced at my watch -- around 24 minutes and change -- not bad. Knowing the course for the second loop made it easier to judge my effort and I held pace well. By know, a light drizzle had started. As I finished the second loop and went into T1, I was at 49 minutes. Most importantly, I felt good, and was looking forward to the bike. (49:04 - 7:54 pace, 22/32 AG).

The bike course was a four-loop affair. I'll take a moment to describe it. Leaving transition there was a steep, two-switchback climb up a hill. Then we looped around some office buildings, went downhill past transition, and then climbed an entrance ramp onto a highway bridge over the James. Once over the river, we went down the ramp and onto Riverside Drive, a mainly residential street with a series of climbs, turns, and descents. The course then turned from Riverside drive, climbed into a residential neighborhood, and made several sharp turns in a park, before retracing our path back to Riverside Drive and back over the bridge. From there, back up the switchbacks and repeat.

The course was technical, but a lot of fun -- no time to zone out or you'd pay for it. And, as a matter of fact, I saw several riders down along the way, owing to the slick conditions, and a lot of riders with flat tires, probably the result of debris on the highway bridge. The lowlight of the ride was the bridge. To avoid going over the expansion joints, you had to stay on the shoulder, which had it's fair share of obstacles. After a few laps I knew what to watch out for, but a lot of riders weren't so lucky and had to pull over for flats and mechanicals. Coming back across the bridge went directly into a steady headwind. I didn't choose to fight it, and geared down to keep my RPMs up.

As I started the bike I paid strict attention to my heartrate and settled into a good riding rhythm. The first loop was a feeling-out process, as I got familiar with the circuit. By the second time around, I knew where to go, gear wise, and was feeling in control. Finishing the second loop, I checked my average speed (17.5) and started to go a little harder. So far I'd judged the race well, and had plenty left in the tank. It's difficult to keep track of the race on a multiple loop course. You're being passed by the faster riders, while catching up the slower ones. Pretty soon you're wondering who you've seen before.

As I started the 4th loop, the early waves and faster riders were starting to hit the transition area, and there was more room on the course to go hard. I picked up my pace to a 17.9 average on my computer over the last two laps and felt good about the effort. As I hopped off into T2 I was confident about the upcoming 5K run. A quick transition and back out onto the course. The race finished with the same 5K loop we'd run at the start -- a real advantage, mentally, knowing what to expect. (Bike - 1:24:49, 22/32 AG).

I got into a good rhythm right away, and started to pick off slower runners. Over the bridge and back onto the wooded paths of Belle Island and I found myself alone. No one in front, no one running with me. Time to concentrate, now. Think about form, turnover, keep going strong. Suddenly a mountain bike blew past, with a quick shout to stay to the right, and the runners from the elite race blew past (they'd started while I was on the course). Speedy.

Back on the bridge I zeroed in on some runners ahead of me and tracked them down -- nothing like fresh prey to give you incentive. Finally, I hit the line. 2:39:37. (5K run -- 24:06, 7:46 pace, 16/32 AG).

All in all, I was pleased with the effort. I executed well, and finished with a pretty strong effort on the 5K. The level of competition was an eye-opener, but not really a factor in what I did. When you race, you try to execute your best race at the moment, and I thought I did that pretty well. Getting faster is about executing over the long term, so it's nose to the grindstone and keep it at until next time. A fun race, and a nice challenge.

Charlottesville 10-Miler Race Report

Summary: 1:13:15, 16/126 AG (M 45-49)

Long report:

"Lean forward," I said to myself, "Pick it up -- you've got this in the bag."

I was 7-1/2 miles into the 10-Miler, and everything had gone right so far. Know I was within reach of beating my PR, set 10 years ago. It was time to see what was left in the tank.

The morning of the race had dawned colder than expected. Temperatures were hovering around 40 at my house as I had my breakfast. Just to be on the safe side I threw a short-sleeved shirt in with my bag along with my singlet. The rest of my gear -- hat and gloves were already set to go.

I drove down to the race start with plenty of time to spare. Although the race had a record field this year -- over 2100 finished -- the race starts by the University of Virginia's basketball arena, so there's plenty of space for parking. I got in my warmup run, hit the men's room, and lined up towards the front, not too close to the speedsters, but away from the crowd.

With the gun, we were off! My location was good. I went out conservatively, and had room to run without dodging other runners. At the half-mile I was at 3:50. That was perfect -- Debi's instructions were to do the first mile in 7:40 and pick up the pace from there. I was determined to follow the advice, after heading out too fast in my last race.

Like all the 10-Miler course, the first mile has some hills. I kept my effort even, but stretched it out on the downhills. At the first mile I was at 7:30 -- maybe a touch fast, but there was a long downhill stretch in there. More importantly, the effort felt good. I was breathing easy and running relaxed. I could hear some of the runners around me who'd gone out to fast breathing heavily, and it was a good reinforcement to me.

Mile 2 circled the football stadium, and the pace stayed consistent - 7:25, despite a couple of hills.

Mile 3 continued through the University grounds, passing many of the University's original buildings and Thomas Jefferson's enlightened architecture. At the close of the mile I was at 22:23 -- nice consistent pace through three of the more challenging miles on the course. Most runners leave too much effort on the ground after three miles, but I felt good -- relaxed, running well and in control. Now it was time to take it up a notch.

Mile 4 passes out of the University of Virginia grounds and into the city -- it's a fast mile, with a long downhill stretch. I took advantage and hit it in 7:05.

Now I was approaching the Downtown Mall, a pedestrian mall that's at the heart of the city. Good size crowds were out as we ran up the brick paving, and turned north into some of the older residential areas of Charlottesville. Despite the slight uphill, I came in at 7:17, hitting the 5 mile mark at 36:46.

This was a key moment. The 10-Miler is notorious for sucking runners in during the first 5 miles and then chewing them up. Negative splits are the exception, not the rule. I felt good after 5 -- plenty of gas in the tank, and prepared for the next couple of miles.

Mile 6 hits with a downhill, then a tough uphill. I gathered strength by starting to pass some of the runners who had left me early in the race. Every hill seemed to take a little more out of them, and I started passing more and more familiar faces from the first few mile. 7:24 for this tough mile.

Mile 7 is the breaking point for a lot of runners -- a long uphill past a cemetery (today featuring a bagpiper mangling some Scottish airs) and then a turn onto a short, steep uphill. The course passes back by itself, so I could see the crowd of runners still coming on behind me. A short jaunt back onto the Downtown Mall, then off onto another street. 7:29 -- the pace was a bit slower, but I was holding my own, picking off other runners consistently.

As I ran back towards the University I started doing the math. My PR was in site. 1:13:01. I'd need to average a little over 7:00/mile and I'd have it in the bag. The longest straight stretch of the race, Main Street, was in front of me. "Lean forward -- you've got it in the bag."

Mile 8 -- 7:23. Damn.

Mile 9 -- The University "Corner" -- shops, restaurants, and one of the toughest hills on the course. Keep it going -- fast legs, go hard. A left turn back onto the University grounds, and then a sweeping downhill. Here's the mile marker -- 7:19. This is going to take a heck of an effort.

Mile 10 -- There's no rest on the home stretch -- it's a tough section of rolling ups and downs as you retrace the opening mile back to the start. I focus on each runner ahead of me, focusing on catching one runner at a time, rather than the growing fatigue. Then I see him, up ahead. My co-worker, Tommy. I've been trying to beat him all year. I'd seen him at the start, then put him out of my mind, knowing he'd go out much faster.

Now I'm gaining. I keep digging. There's the finish. I'm not going to get him -- or the PR -- go hard anyway.

Finish -- 1:13:15.

No PR, no victory over my co-worker. But one of the best races I've run in years, and 3-1/2 minutes faster than last year. That's a good day's work!

MJH 8K

Summary: First race of the year, 35:15 (PR). AG placement: 4/29

My big goal this year is to improve my running and qualify for Boston at the Richmond Marathon in November. So road race results seem to take on extra significance. Despite a bout with a bad cold in January and February, I felt pretty strong coming into this race. I had a pretty solid base and had done significantly more early-season track work than I've done before.

The Martha Jefferson Hospital 8K is a pretty popular local race in Charlottesville. A lot of runners use it as a tuneup and yardstick for the Charlottesville 10 Miler, which follows in three weeks. And the course covers some of the same territory, albeit in a different direction. It's a pretty tough course -- urban and hilly, with about one significant climb in each of the 5 miles it covers. It'll tear you up quick if you're not careful.

Saturday morning was just as bad as the Weather Channel had said it would be. Grey skies, pelting rain, and temperatures in the mid 40s. Five minutes into my warmup jog, the rain changed into a downpour and I took cover on the porch of a house until it passed. Eventually I hit the streets again, finished my warmup, took care of business and got ready to race.

Despite the bad weather a pretty solid crowd was ready to go. I seeded myself a bit more to the front than usual, hoping to get a little running room early and settle into a steady pace. Amazingly, the rain stopped -- no rainbows, mind you, but at least no more cold rain in the face for a while. The gun went off and I began.

After a couple of quick cuts, I found the space I wanted. Settle in and shoot for a seven minute first mile. With the hills there's not much advantage taking it out too fast. As we wound through the residential streets north of the hospital I felt pretty good -- nice tempo in the legs, breathing under control. The first hill came as we neared the end of Mile 1. I kept my tempo, but didn't try to go too hard up the climb. Here's the mile marker -- 6:45.

Finishing the first mile, Tommy, a coworker of mine passes me. I've never beaten him before, but I see an opportunity here. He tends to go out too fast in his races, so I didn't try to stay on his heels. He'll come back. More residential streets, then the second major hill. As we pass the County Courthouse, running down the same street that Jefferson and Madison used to walk, I hit the second mile -- 13:49.

After the Courthouse, we turn onto the Downtown Mall, a brick-paved pedestrian mall. Normally an active spot on a Saturday morning, but today quiet and rain-slicked. The mall's a slight downhill, but at the end we turn and start up hill number three. There's Tommy in front of me -- he's stretched his margin out to about 75 yards. At the top of the hill we turn and start downhill again. I try to stretch my stride out a bit and make up some time. Here's mile three -- 21:00.

OK -- time to dig in -- I've been losing time since that 6:45 first mile. I've got to kick it up to keep it at 7 minute pace. Problem is, I'm in no-man's land. There's a loose pack about 25 yards ahead of me, and some stragglers behind. Nobody's energy to feed off of. But here's something -- I'm closing the gap on Tommy. Yes, I'm reeling him in.

Up ahead comes the toughest hill on the course, right at the end of mile four. I've got Tommy in my sights and the distance is dropping. As he turns to go up the hill, I can sense that he knows I'm coming after him. We both motor up the hill -- he gains some of his ground back, but he can't shake me. Cresting the hill a woman passes me, running well. She's looking strong, and I see an opportunity. I jump onto her heels and let her set pace. Here's mile four -- 28:23.

OK, I'm going to have to dig deep now. Trailing my pacesetter I pull up close to Tommy. The gap is only a few feet now. As we turn to hit the final hill, my pacesetter makes her move, accelerating away. I can't cover the move and her gap over me increases. As she passes
Tommy he picks up her energy and pulls away. Dang!

Now it's just me -- keep my stride together, don't give up. I make the last climb, pushing hard, feeling another runner closing the gap. Here's the final turn -- go! As we hit the line my pursuer pulls up and lets me across first -- a nice gesture to the old guy -- he could have had me. Stop the watch and walk breathless through the chutes -- final time 35:15. Over a minute off of last year's time, and a PR.

A good way to start the year. Now it's on to the 10 Miler in three weeks.

Ken

It's not the cold, it's the wind...

There is a certain macho appeal to bundling up and getting a run in on a cold January morning, but I draw the line sometimes. I mean, 31 degrees isn't too bad, but match it up with 20 mph breezes and you've got tough conditions. And since my gym is only 5 minutes away...

So this morning's 8 mile run was indoors. Since I had some HR zone training to do, it actually worked out pretty well. I did 15 minutes easy on the track, then hopped on a treadmill to do 5 repeats of 4 min Z3, 4 min Z1. Getting to Z3 was easy -- just increase the incline and watch your HR go up. I'd start each Z3 repeat at 5.5%, 9 min/mile, and decrease the incline as I started to hit Z4. For the Z1 segments, I'd slow a bit, and drop the incline to 1% until my HR came down. Gradually speed up the treadmill, then up the incline for the next repeat. Worked pretty well.

After the treadmill, back onto the track for an easy 15 minutes. Good workout, and I didn't even need to put on chapstick.

Ken

Weak

I didn't think I was weak. I'm loads stronger in my swimming/biking/running than I was last year, my weight's at a good level, and I'm feeling pretty fit.

Then I did my "Core" workout this morning.

Coach Debi has me on a core routine twice a week. Simple stuff, easy to do at home with just an exercise ball, which is cool because I hate doing weights at the gym. So for my first time, I started easy -- just 10 reps of each exercise and only one set.

Now, hours later, I'm sitting at my desk with aches in places I didn't know I had. I feel the weakness now, and I could feel it when I was doing the exercises. Weak ab muscles in particular, with a real lack of flexibility. I've got a long way to go.

The good news is that I can see the utility of the exercises and I'm going to stick with them. If I want to improve (i.e., beat people) it's what I've got to do.

Ken

Top 32% !

If you want a definition of "anal" look no further.

I just checked the USATriathlon rankings, and all my races for the year are now listed. A quick search and a calculation later and I'm elated to discover that I'm in the top 32% of my age group (M, 45-49) for the nation in 2007.

Sounds a little silly, I know, but one of my goals has been to be a consistent top 1/3 finisher in my AG. It doesn't always happen, because it's so dependent on who's racing on a particular weekend and the size of the field.

But it is nice to see that when you average it out across the country for the entire year I've hit my goal.

Next year -- top 20% is the goal -- tough, but doable I think.

Ken

Moving On

Seems a little early to be talking about a new year, but my work's just getting started. Last year was all about Eagleman, and taking on the challenge of doing the 1/2-IM distance.

Mission accomplished. The race went very well, and I've reaped the benefits of the training. All my race times have improved this year, and I'm feeling fit and ready to take on new challenges.

So what is the new challenge?

Boston.

With a marathon PR of 3:58 (set almost 10 years ago), Boston qualifying used to look incredibly remote to me. But two things have changed. One -- I'm getting older, so my qualifying time is getting closer. Two -- Coach Debi. Under her guidance, I've gotten to a level I never thought I could acheive, and I can still see lots of room for improvement.

The plan is to run the Richmond Marathon in 2008 as my qualifier, with Boston in 2009. Since I'll be 50 at the time of the race in 2009, my qualifying time is 3:35. Coach Debi's response when I told her the time requirement?

"Oh PLEASE. You can do a lot better than 3:35." Nice to know your coach has confidence in you!

At any rate, I'm working with Debi again, after a few months of steady maintenance on my own. I'll keep things up to date here on the blog.

I wonder if I should give it a new name?

Ken

Finishing out the tri season

Although I haven't written much lately, now's a good time to get the blog up to date on the rest of my triathlon racing season.

The Mountaineer Tri was a blast, and a good result for me. The next race was another Olympic distance event, the hometown C-ville International Distance Triathlon, on July 29 at Walnut Creek Park, south of Charlottesville.

C-ville International Tri

The C-ville Tri is notable because the run is almost entirely on technical single-track trail. As a result, run times tend to be kind of slow for this one. I'd had some good training leading into this, and felt ready to put down a good effort. And it was good -- up to a point.

The 1500 meter swim was barely wetsuit legal, and I opted to take that route. Since the swim takes two laps, traffic was an interesting issue, especially as I started around the second time. Despite some sighting difficulties, I got out of the water in pretty good shape -- 25:20, good for 8 out of 13 in my AG.

I smoked through T1 and got out quickly on the bike. The bike course is a challenge. It's hilly, with lots of rollers and a couple of lengthy climbs, and has a fair share of tight turns. Fortunately I'd ridden it before, so I know what to expect. From the beginning, the bike felt strong. I got passed by a couple of the faster riders in my AG, but got to return the favor to some others. Time was a solid 1:14:29, good for 6 out of 13. I was psyched!

I blasted through T2, feeling confident, and then the **** hit the fan. The first mile on the trails was tough, but I felt myself starting to get into a rhythm. Then on an uphill stretch, both legs seized up with cramps -- big time cramps. I stopped dead by the side of the trail, and thought for a few minutes that I'd have to DNF. But as I started hobbling up the hill, the cramps eased enough that I could continue, slowly.

The rest of the run was just an exercise in gutting it out. My time was 58:54, good for 8 of 13 in my AG. Overall, I came in at 2:41 -- disappointing, and 7/13 in my AG.

A tough race, and a tough age group field, as well.

Giant Acorn Tri (sprint)

I'd planned on doing the Culpeper Sprint in August, but missed it due to family business. By the time October rolled around I was itching to go. I felt strong, having done a local 10K in 43 minutes and change in early September -- the fastest I'd run in almost 10 years.

The Giant Acorn Tri is a classic sprint (750M, 20K, 5K). The weather was outstanding, warm and sunny, and the water was just wet-suit legal. SetUp Events puts the race on, and they pulled it off with their usual competence.

My swim wave was one of the last, and almost immediately I was overtaking slower swimmers from the earlier waves. I'd seeded myself near the front of the wave, and had a clear shot and view of the buoys. SetUp had yellow buoys at the turns, so sighting was easy. I got into a good rhythm right away and popped up for a sighting every 2nd or 3rd stroke. As a result, I stayed on course throughout. Running out of the water I spotted a fellow C-ville triathlete and master swimmer just in front of me. He's a solid swimmer, so I felt pretty good about that. 14:57 for the swim (course was a bit long) -- good for 7/33 in my AG.

Into and out of T1 and onto the bike. I was looking forward to this -- my cycling has really improved this year, and the course was fairly flat and short at 12.4 miles. Traffic was an issue throughout the ride. Lots of newbie triathletes it looked like, with a fair number cruising down the center of the road on hybrids and mountain bikes. I spent a lot of time shouting "on your left" and "keep right!" Hopefully nobody thought I was some sort of tri-nazi. But seriously folks -- read the rules and stay to the right!

Lots of passing by me, and a great bike leg -- 35:23. Over 21 mph, and good for 11 out of 33 in my AG. Best of all, I'm getting closer to the fast guys -- the 5th place bike in my AG was only 1 minute faster.

I made the bonehead mistake of running to the wrong rack during T2, so I lost a few seconds there. Got a pretty quick turnaround otherwise, and was on my way pretty quickly. I caught a cramp in my calf during the first 100 yards or so, but I've come to expect that. I kept my cadence quick, and it faded away.

The run course at Giant Acorn is a flat out-and-back, so you get a chance to see a lot of other racers. I got into a good rhythm and kept picking off runners from the earlier waves. I also got a chance to measure my distance from some of the other competitors in my AG. Coming back in, I got on the heels of a strong runner in the 55-59 AG and kept pace with him. As we turned for home, my coach Debi Bernardes shouted at me to catch up to him, and the extra incentive gave me enough boost to take it in strong. I finished the run in 22:42, good for 8 of 33 in my AG.

The totals: 1:15:55, 7 of 33 in 45-49, and 68th of 281 males overall. An excellent end to the season -- I progressed from a solid middle-of-the-packer to a position where I'm getting close to the guys who place. Or as I like to say, I've gone from MOP (Middle of the Pack) to BOFOP (Back Of the Front Of the Pack). The next step will take some work, but I'm ready to give it a shot!

Ken

Mountaineer Triathlon (International Distance)

It's been a while since I've posted, but I've been keeping at it. Here's my most recent race report:

Mountaineer Triathlon (International) - July 1, 2007

I entered the Mountaineer Tri on a whim. I hadn't originally planned to be in the area, but a change in schedule had my wife and I visiting her parents in Fairmont (30 minutes to the south) that weekend. Since I'd just finished Eagleman a few weeks ago, the International distance option sounded just right.

I checked my bike in on Saturday afternoon after taking a short ride and run on the course. The race is centered on the "wharf district" of Morgantown. In the years since I went to school at West Virginia, Mo-town has diversified and gentrified quite a bit, with a lot of development and revitalization based around the riverfront. Former light industrial areas now sport high-rise hotels and condos, and a well-used bike path follows the river in place of the old rail line. Open real-estate is scarce in the wharf area, so the transition area occupied the ground floor of a parking garage. Space was at a premium, so I was glad to get there early and get a decent rack spot.

On Sunday an early fog lifted off of the river, and the sun came out bright and clear. Temperatures were forecast for the 70s. Perfect racing weather. After setting up my wife and I watched from the bike path as the first waves took off on the swim.

The swim started from a new boat dock. Each wave jumped in from the dock, paddled around for a few minutes waiting for the signal, then swam a long rectangular course that went first downstream, then turned, going back up river past the dock, and turned again to finish back at the dock. Since the International racers went last, we got to see the early waves take off, and cheer the pros as they returned just a few yards away from our starting point.

Finally it was my turn. Into the water and I positioned myself to the inside and fairly near the front. Let them pass me -- I'll avoid the traffic if I can.The horn blew, and we were off. I got around the first end of the rectangle in good shape, and started the long swim up river. The course headed directly upstream towards a navigation lock and dam, which the Army Corps of Engineers has kindly turned off, so there was virtually no current to swim against. As an old industrial river, the Mononghalea has a bit of a shady reputation, but the water was surprisingly clear -- much better than many of the lake swims I've done. Traffic got thicker as I turned for home and started to overtake slower swimmers, but I stayed close to the buoys and had a pretty clear path.

I gave it an extra burst as I reached the dock to get ahead of the other swimmers. A waiting hand grabbed my arm and yanked me onto the dock. I scrambled onto my feet and off I went.

Swim (1500 M) -- 29:08, 7/20 AG

The dock was a great place to start the swim from. Unfortunately it was almost 300 yards away from the transition area. I stripped my suit down and settled into a jog on the paved bike path. My right calf cramped slightly so I had to keep the speed down a bit, and a couple of people from my wave passed me by. As I got to my bike, I thanked the genius who invented Body Glide, as my suit came right off with no problems. After the long run, the rest of T1 went very quickly and I got out in good shape.

T1 --3:24, 4/20 AG

The mounting area was right outside the parking garage on a quaint brick street in the wharf district. A nice crowd had gathered to witness the madhouse of wobbling bicycles and traffic jams associated with us MOPer's. I ran over to the side away from the madness and took my time to clip in before setting off. A quick wave to my wife, and away I went.

I had some trepidation about the bike course. West Virginia can be hilly -- very hilly -- and I didn't know the course. I'd decided to adopt a strategy of riding hard, but always at high RPMs. Keep an eye on the cadence meter. If it dropped below 85, downshift. I figured it would be better to stress my lungs rather than my legs.

As the bike unfolded I got more and more confident. The route crossed over the Mon and then rolled along the river, giving us some surprisingly flat terrain. After about 6 or so miles we turned away from the river. As is usually the case in West Virginia, the road paralleled a creek and began rising slowly as we traced the stream back to it's source. Initially the rise was not very steep and I kept up a nice brisk pace, downshifting occasionally to keep my cadence high. Since the Half-IM field had started before the International I had plenty of riders to zero in on and overtake. They had to do the bike loop twice, while I had only one go-round -- I could afford to go harder.

The easy climbing ended and I got a good view of a long grade. No use being a hero -- my bike has a triple ring, and I'm not ashamed to say that "granny" is a good friend of mine. Sit up, downshift, and spin like a madman.

Finally up and over the top, the route settled into a short stretch of easy rolling terrain. After a very tight u-turn, I was on the way back. The return route merged onto an excellent two-lane highway and it was time to get cranking. I snuck a peak at my average speed -- 19 mph. That was good. I'd hoped to do the ride in 1:20 or better, and 19 would get the job done. I dug in with extra deternimation -- all downhill from here!

Or so I thought. The longest climb on the course kicked in. Not too steep, but steep enough and long enough to cause a little apprehension. The good and bad news was that you could see the entire climb from the bottom. Well, at least there wouldn't be any surprises. Sit up, downshift, and spin once more. Once again it helped that I had other riders to track down. I only had to do the climb once, while the riders doing the Half-IM had to measure their effort more carefully.

Over the top and it's party time! Nothing ahead but a straight downhill and smooth pavement. I geared up, cranked hard and tucked in for the downhill ride, letting off a few whoops as I zoomed downhill. As I turned back onto the side roads leading to the finish, the smooth pavement disappeared, and I got a good shaking from some very rough pavement. But soon the bridge back across the river appeared and the end was in sight. Another wave for my wife and a smile for the camera and I ducked off to the side for the dismount. Into the garage, shoes on, and back out into the sunshine for the run.

Bike (24.85 miles) -- 1:16:03, 7/20 AG.
T2 -- 1:08, 3/20 AG

As I jogged out of T2 I started to catch a leg cramp. Not this again -- leg cramps had really slowed me down at Eagleman. I shortened my stride a bit and concentrated on a short, quick turnover. Flex my toes, shake out the arms and neck -- relax. As I started down the riverside bike path a woman age grouper and I started working together and soon I had a good rhythm going.

After two miles the course turned and returned back up the path, going past the finish and continuing down the riverside trail. I tracked down and passed a fellow age-grouper and left him behind, but for the most part I was running alone. Since the bike path had quarter mile markers, it was easy to check my pace -- right on 8 min/mile -- good.

Soon the male pros began to appear, running past me as they started their run legs. I saw Andrew Hodges and held up five fingers for him -- 5th place. He looked strong, though (which he was -- he finished 2nd.)

At mile 5 the course turned towards the hills overlooking the river. The steepest hill on the course loomed in front of me. How steep? Ridiculously steep. Stupid steep. To add to the atmosphere, a spectator dressed as the devil waved a pitch fork at the runners. Shades of the TDF. I high-fived him as I shuffled slowly up the hill. Fortunately the leg cramps held off, and I turned towards the university campus and downtown Morgantown.

Only about a mile to go now. Through the WVU downtown campus -- strangely quiet on a summer Sunday morning, then descended through Morgantown's downtown streets -- also quiet. I overtook a woman age-grouper, then a 28 year old male as we turned to make the final push to the finish. The guy wouldn't have a 48 year old pass him, and found an extra kick when he saw the finish line. I had to let him go, but I turned it up best I could and gave the obligatory fist pumps when they called my name.

Done!

Run (6.5 miles) -- 52:17, 5/20 AG

Overall: 2:42:00, 6/20 AG, 49/180 overall. Probably my best overall race I've done. I was hoping for 2:45, so I hit my goal with room to spare. As it turns out, the run was 6.5, rather than 6.2 miles, so I'm even more happy with the time. I was especially pleased that my placings for each of the disciplines were very consistent, and that I had some excellent transition times. This year's half-IM training really paid off at this shorter distance.