If I was a deer, this might be a good thing...
Well, Dee Dee might think its a good thing ;-)
For me, rutting means... I'm in a rut.
Putting things into perspective. This is SUPPOSED to be an easy year for me. I have four triathlons on my schedule and a couple of road races. An easy schedule, right? No ambitious goals. No pressure. A little hard work. A whole lotta fun.
Evidently, it means no improvement either. OK. That's not fair. I've seen some improvement on the bike. A smidgen. We are grasping at straws here, people.
So... What's the goal, the plan, the reason for all of this...
First off, a healthy perspective. When this stuff becomes not fun anymore, I will stop doing it. Yea, like that is ever going to happen. So always, this first and foremost.
Second, focus on the little things. There is always something with my form I can work on, whether that's swimming, cycling, or running.
Thirdly, I am working on my eating habits. I am in the process of de-bloating again, and it feels wonderful. I am losing more weight. Less weight = faster right?
Finally, patience. I gotz patience. Keep doing the right things, trust in the process, and let the chips fall where they may.
In case you couldn't tell, this is a rest week for me. Tuesday, the little old lady in the lane next to me had a longer main set then I did. Yesterday, I did a 45 minute run that had a good bit of walking before and after the main set. I liked it that way. Today, I had a 3x300 time trial, and I didn't try my hardest. Yea, I did it, but it was a reasonably hard effort, not max. *le sigh*...
OK. I'm feeling whiny today, so I'm leaving. I'll be back soon, and hopefully, I'll be a bit more chipper :-)
Wes
Thursday, July 09, 2009
Monday, July 06, 2009
Late Fourth Post
My representative in the House of Representatives, Chip Rogers, sent this in an email. I thought it was a good thing to share, and although I didn't ask for permission, I think Mr. Rogers would approve whole heartedly.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the fifty-six men who signed the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the fixty six fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well death would be the cost if captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Thomas McKean was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr. noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education.
They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes this year while enjoying Independence Day and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated. But they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well death would be the cost if captured. Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by the British Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.
Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.
Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their thirteen children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill were laid to waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.
Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were soft-spoken men of means and education.
They had security, but they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor."
They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books never told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time and we fought our own government!
Some of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't. So, take a few minutes this year while enjoying Independence Day and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid.
Friday, July 03, 2009
Keep Your Mouth Shut
First things first!! Down to bidneth....
The winner of the $75.00 Saucony gift certificate from Onlineshoes.com is:
Lisa @ Chasin Bunnies!!
Congratulations, Lisa! I have sent your contact information to the marketing peeps at Online Shoes dot com. Let me know if you haven't heard from them by next week!
I am off to Mobile this weekend to visit with my mother. Now that I have no restaurant holding me back, I have no excuses to get home and see my family more often. Matthew and I will be packing it in this afternoon and making the short-ish drive. The down side is that Dee Dee has to work again and will not be making the trip with us. Boo!!
In order to stay on track, I packed Dee Dee, Matthew, and the bikes in the car and made the trip to the Silver Comet Trail yesterday evening for my one hour bike ride. I rode for 20 minutes with Dee Dee and Matthew, then wrapped up the final 40 minutes by myself. Even though the outside temperatures were in the high 80's, the Silver Comet is mostly shaded, and it was most enjoyable. Unlike riding in the morning, the clouds of bugs were out in full force. I quickly learned to keep my mouth closed and breath through my nose. Bugs don't really have a taste, but they are awkward going down :-)
I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July weekend!! Stay safe, and I'll see you on the flip side of the fireworks!!!
Wes
The winner of the $75.00 Saucony gift certificate from Onlineshoes.com is:
Lisa @ Chasin Bunnies!!
Congratulations, Lisa! I have sent your contact information to the marketing peeps at Online Shoes dot com. Let me know if you haven't heard from them by next week!
I am off to Mobile this weekend to visit with my mother. Now that I have no restaurant holding me back, I have no excuses to get home and see my family more often. Matthew and I will be packing it in this afternoon and making the short-ish drive. The down side is that Dee Dee has to work again and will not be making the trip with us. Boo!!
In order to stay on track, I packed Dee Dee, Matthew, and the bikes in the car and made the trip to the Silver Comet Trail yesterday evening for my one hour bike ride. I rode for 20 minutes with Dee Dee and Matthew, then wrapped up the final 40 minutes by myself. Even though the outside temperatures were in the high 80's, the Silver Comet is mostly shaded, and it was most enjoyable. Unlike riding in the morning, the clouds of bugs were out in full force. I quickly learned to keep my mouth closed and breath through my nose. Bugs don't really have a taste, but they are awkward going down :-)
I hope everyone has a great Fourth of July weekend!! Stay safe, and I'll see you on the flip side of the fireworks!!!
Wes
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Woman Power!!
An Iron Girl Atlanta 2009 Sherpa Report
For those of you who would like a shot at a $75.00 Saucony gift certificate from Online Shoes (www.onlineshoes.com), go to this post and leave me a story about the biggest affect your endurance sport has had on your life.
I realize the fewer entries the better, but I would like to ask my friends to spread the word on these final few days and lets get some more people into the drawing! If we don't get lots of participation, then the advertisers aren't going to keep doing these kinds of things!
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At last we knew, our intrepid sherpa had dropped Dee Dee off at work, went for a trail run, cooked gumbo, and loaded up the car with Dee Dee's bike and race gear. Talk about busy, busy! I really needed a nap, but I knew it was highly unlikely. I made it to Dee Dee's work on time, and even dodged a traffic accident to make it happen. She popped out of her store at 4 PM, right on time, and we were off to Lake Lanier Islands!
Unfortunately, said sherpa forgot to bring directions to Lake Lanier coming in from the west. I wasn't worried though. There are three roads that run south to north, and each one connects to the road that leads to Lake Lanier Islands. Eventually, we reached Peachtree Industrial Blvd and headed north. Part of the race course is on this road, and Dee Dee enjoyed pointing out the nuances.
We arrived at packet pick up just after 5 PM. Dee Dee grabbed her stuff and spent a little bit of time in the expo doing some shopping. I picked up some 2XU compression sleeves, and Dee Dee opted to wait till after the race to pick out her race prize. We left the expo and headed over to the transition area to drop off Dee Dee's bike. Before racking, I pumped up the tires and checked everything over. While Dee Dee was racking her bike, I drooled over the pros bike in the first rack. They had some sweet sweet rides. With Dee Dee's bike safely parked, we left for the hotel and got checked in, then hurried over to Cumming to meet Kevin and Cathy for dinner.
It's always good to have someone local pick out a hole in the wall eatery to dine in. They have the BEST FOOD! (and beer too, evidently... Ed.) I was very happy to find that they had La Rossa on the menu there, one of my favorite beers!
See how happy I am? :-) We had a lovely dinner! Cathy and Kevin are such fun to hang out with. The food was good. The beer was good. The conversation was flowing. It doesn't get much better than that. After dinner, it was back to the hotel and ready for bed! With a little help from the beer, I was soon snoring away, although we have no proof of that (other than Dee Dee's word).
Around 10 PM, Dee Dee got frustrated with the kids running up and down the hall ways slamming doors. After two calls to the front desk, she finally jerked the door open and yelled at the little hellians to keep it down. After 10 to 15 more minutes of hushed voices and doors slamming, it finally quieted down. I told Dee Dee not to worry. She would be fine for tomorrow's race if she got no sleep at all! As for myself, I felt like I had woken up from a nap and had quite a bit of trouble getting back to sleep, but eventually, I did.
The alarm clock went off at 4:15 PM, and we were up and at'em. Dee Dee's wave was scheduled to go off shortly after 7 AM, and we needed to be there on TIME. I wanted to pull into the parking lot at quarter to six, and that is exactly what we did. I didn't count on having to walk a half a mile to transition, but hey, that's the way it worked out. We pulled in right behind Kevin and Cathy and walked with them down the road.
At transition, the body markers were out in force, and we looked for Sarah. We found her quickly and she proceeded to mark Dee Dee and Cathy (and I got a hug!).
Ironman in Training!
Dee Dee and Cathy went inside transition to get set up, while Kevin and I went around the side of the fence to watch and take pictures.
Once Dee Dee had everything set up, it was time for the long walk down the beach.
Everybody gathered around the swim start, and it was amazing. Over nine hundred women were ready to get their tri on. While waiting for the race to start, I saw a familiar face pop up to the front of the line. It was none other than Missy from Tennessee! I had been keeping my eye out for her, but with ton's of chicas running around, I didn't have much hope. The bathing suit she was racing in certainly helped! LOL... I introduced Missy to Dee Dee and Cathy, and we all spent a few minutes chatting and keeping the nerves steady before the race start.
The professionals were there too: Mirinda Cafrae, Pip Taylor, Michellie Jones, Sam McGlone. It was truly amazing. Their body composition was to die for, hard core triathletes, indeed.
Pip Taylor returning from high fiving the front row of age groupers! Awesome!!
After a brief delay, the AFLAC duck counted down... three... two... one... AFLAC!! and they were off.
Cathy went off before Dee Dee, and once Dee Dee got under way, Kevin and I walked down the beach to the swim finish. About half way, we had three calls for help go off in the water, pretty much all at the same time. The life guards were on top of things and moved swiftly to assist the swimmers. Evidently, everything turned out just fine.
I managed to squeeze into a leeeetle space at the swim exit and waited for Dee Dee to come out of the water. Cathy had a really good swim. Kevin and I missed her entirely. It wasn't long before I saw Dee Dee make her way up the shore and snapped a good pic...
Dee Dee climbed the hill to transition. Kevin and I took off for the bike exit. We have a little experience with this race now. We knew what we had to do. I put the camera away and took out the video camera. I'll upload some video at a later date.
We watched rider after ride come down the hill out of transition. Again, we missed Cathy, but Dee Dee came out in short order. I barely had time to yell, "Go Dee Dee" before she went zooming by.
Then we waited. I figured it would take Dee Dee somewhere around an hour and fifteen minutes to do the ride, depending on how she was feeling. I was a tad bit surprised to finally see Dee Dee coming down the hill after an hour and a half.
She really didn't have time to train the way she would have liked, but she was out there getting it done, and I was so proud of her!! I got a little video of her coming back on the bike, and a good bit of her leaving the run exit. While Dee Dee was out on the run, Kevin and I positioned ourselves where we could see her coming back on the run, yet still beat her to the finish line.
Dee Dee was in good spirits on the way by, despite the rising heat. She even managed to smile. She was having a hell of a time with cramps, but was soldiering on like a true triathlete. I dashed back up the side walk and got some good video of Dee Dee coming through the finish. She raised her arms in triumph and crossed the finish line, a two-time Iron Girl finisher.
I hurried around the timing booth to grab Dee Dee at the finish line. She was having severe cramping and needed a few minutes to recover. Finally she felt like walking it out a little, and we wandered around the finish area. We ran into Marni and Katrine. Marni finished first in her age group, fifth overall amateur and eleventh overall female, including the pros. Katrine came in second in her age group behind Marni. Not a bad day for the girls from Florida et all!!!
We hung around a bit for the awards ceremony, then grabbed Dee Dee's bike and headed back to the car. On the way out, we ran into Missy again. She had a great race, finishing in the top 5%. We wished her a safe trip home before continuing our walk towards the car. Dee Dee ended up stopping just outside of transition and asked me to come back to pick her up. I walked back to the car. If I had been smart, I'd a rode her bike! LOL... Anways... I picked her up, took her home, helped her get her stuff out of the car and situated. It wasn't long before she was down for a nap. Me too :-)
Being a sherpa is hard work, but its fun, and I can't wait to do it again!
Wes
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Red Top!!
Onlineshoes.com and Saucony have teamed up to offer gift certificates to readers of A Code Geeks Tail! If you would like to enter for this free drawing, then go to the post before this one and leave a comment. If you want to enter and do not have a Google login, then shoot me an email! I am non-discremenating!
We enjoyed a nice dinner at Ruby Tuesday's at the Mall of Georgia, and I really enjoyed catching up with Marni and meeting Katrine. They are going to have an awesome race Sunday!
Iron Girl is HERE!!! The hottest chicas the south has to offer are congregating in Atlanta for this great event!! My friend Marni and her friend Katrine drove up from Jacksonville FL Friday to enjoy the festivities. Marni has been in the Atlanta area a few times since last year's Iron Girl, but life has intefered with my ability to visit with her. I left work early Friday to meet her and Katrine for dinner. I was NOT going to miss this opportunity!
After dinner, I drove back to Canton and met Dee Dee for her dinner, and then it was home to bed! I was one tired puppy, and we are having a big day today! I got up early and drove Dee Dee to work. I have to pick her up at 4 o'clock and then dash over to Lake Lanier to beat packet pickup, which closes at 6 PM. She has to have her bike racked by 7 PM.
After dropping Dee Dee off, I headed back to Red Top Mountain to run in my new trail shoes. I don't know why they feel tight on my left foot when I put them on, but when I run, they are fine. I ran on packed gravel, covered with pine straw, and the shoes did just awesome. I didn't have to worry about slipping or my footing one single time. The soles absorbed the big rocks and the cushioning was awesome. I ran on this trail last time in Mizunos and I could really tell the difference. I {heart} them already!
Alrighty then... off to get ready to go!! I'm cooking some shrimp gumbo because one of the rug rats left the freezer open all night! Gah!! I'm going to charge up the batteries for the video camera and the regular camera too. I'll be back next week with some great pics!!
Wes
P.S. Go register for the free Saucony gift certificate by leaving a comment on the prior post!! or send me an email!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
My Review: Saucony Progrid Xodus
Saucony Gift Certificate Promotion
My first big decision was which product to field test. I already have three pairs of shoes I am rotating, each with about 100 miles. I did NOT want to get another pair of running shoes. They would fall apart long before I put 500 miles on them. I went to Onlineshoes.com and reviewed the Saucony products. I spend a lot of time, not only creating web sites, but using them as well. The first thing I look for in a web site is apperance, ease of use, and response times. The Onlineshoes.com site is very well designed. It didn't take long for the Progrid Xodus Trail Shoes to catch my eye, for a couple of reasons.
1. I did not have any trail shoes.
2. They were a Runner's World Editors Choice
I added the shoe in my size to the cart and proceeded to checkout. When I went to pay, there was no option under Pay Pal to use the gift certificate I had been given. In Onlineshoes.com's defense, I had been told to use a credit card, and by proceeding down this path, I was successfully able to order my shoes without any problems. It was a big bonus for me that Onlineshoes.com offers free shipping. I hit the submit button and proceeded to wait.
Just as advertised, seven to eight days later, UPS dropped the shoes off at my door. I couldn't wait to try them on. Having done my home work, I ordered the Xodus true to size. That would be ten and a half for me. The first thing I noticed when I put them on my feet is that the fit was just a little tight around the forefoot. With Onlineshoes.com generous return policy, this did not concern me at all. I decided to take them out for a spin, and it ended up not being a problem.
To get to the trails behind my neighborhood, I had to run about 0.3 miles in the street. The stiff Vibram soles felt, well, stiff. They are a lot sturdier than the soles I am used to. They are not heavy, however, weighing in at about the same weight as my road running shoes. Once I made it to the trails, the shoes really began to shine. The Vibran sole gripped the loose gravel trail securely as I ran up and down the hills. The shoe was very light on my feet, very comfortable. The padding was just right.
The upper part of the shoe is made out of three different materials. There is the leather, which provides all the support. There is the light fabric in the toe box and the tongue, then there is the "side netting" that allows the foot to cool and remain dry. It is very comfortable, and the non-slip shoe laces are a bonus. It's easy to see why this shoe won an Editor's Choice from Runner's World.
Over all, I really like the shoes. I have an hour or so trail run this weekend coming up, and I can't wait to take them out to Red Top Mountain and give them another go.
THE CONTEST
The moment you have all been waiting for :-)
For your chance to win a $75.00 gift certificate for a Saucony product at Onlineshoes.com, tell me in the comments to this point what was/is the greatest impact your endurance sport has had on your life, and why! On July 2, 2009, my lovely assistant will pick a winner from all eligible participants. If you live outside the continental United States, you are not eligible. Sawry!!!
Leave me some comment love. Go!!!
Wes
Monday, June 22, 2009
A Different Kind of Celebration
A Callaway Gardens Super Sprint Race Report
I got up early Saturday morning to get my pre-race brick in. I was so proud :-) I drove to the gym, only to find out it was closed. I drove to the park, thinking I would swim in the lake, but the attendant wouldn't honor my state parking pass. Hell if I was gonna pay three bucks to swim in the lake. I drove back to the gym and got my swim on, an easy 600 meters with some sprints thrown in for good measure. For my bike, I rode down to Hobgood Park and back. I did a few pick ups and (always!) hills got the leg muscles firing. The run off consisted of 10 minutes of trails in the small park at the back of my neighborhood.
That's when the fun began....
It was time to head to Dothan to pick up the rug rat from Panama City. My father was meeting me there. Having not heard from him, I left the house at 11 AM. Everything was running smoothly until I hit construction traffic outside of Atlanta. Even with this small blip, I made good time. My dad called me when he was 39 miles from Dothan. My GPS said I was 41 miles away. Perfect timing! We pulled in the gas station a few minutes apart from each other, exchanged rug rats, hugs, and luggage, then it was back on the road again. The trip home was a little less hectic, but all in all, I was on the road for 7.5 hours.
When I arrived back in Atlanta, Dee Dee texted me to let me know that rooms were still available at the Hampton Inn in Lagrange. We've stayed there every time we've done Callaway. It fits the bill nicely. At the last minute, we decided to drive back down there that night so we could sleep a little extra in the morning. Tack another hour or so of driving after dinner, and I was mentally exhausted! Physically, I was feeling fine.
Dee Dee and I got to bed by 11 PM, and the alarm went off at 5:15 AM. We ate some banana bread for breakfast, got dressed, and hustled over to Callaway Gardens. We weren't able to pick up our race packets this year early. As a result, we weren't sure what to expect. Quite a few triathletes had arrived before us, but check-in went smoothly. Dee Dee and I headed over to transition and got a good spot on the racks for our bikes. By 7 AM, we were ready to go.
Every year people complain about there not being enough racks at this race, and every year, I see the same thing. The racks in transition are big enough for six bikes per rack. Most of them had 4 or 5 bikes per rack, because the new triathletes do not know how to set up their transition area. The little old lady next to me had a mini-base camp set up, next to her bike, underneath the rack! With about 45 minutes till race time, you have scores of participants wandering transition, looking for a place to rack their bikes, until they give up and use a tree or the medians in the parking lot. LOL... If there is one thing I would change about this race, that would be it. Have someone there to help the new guys organize their transition area.
Dee Dee and I spent a little bit of time talking to Kevin and Cathy. It had been quite a while since we had seen each other (South Caroline Half?). It was good. Cathy is doing Iron Girl next week with Dee Dee, so we'll get to see them back to back weekends. With a half an hour before race start, the four of us went down to the lake and swam the race course backwards as a warm up. The water was very warm (again), and it looked like they had added more buoys to the swim course, forcing the swimmers along the lake shore.
After the pre-race announcements, the waves got under way. The RD had reminded us to be nice to the new triathletes and not kick, punch, swim over, or otherwise traumatize them. I was in the second wave. I entered the water behind the first wave and waited for them to start. After the RD sounded the horn, I claimed a front row starting position, as far right as I could get. The RD said the buoys were in six feet of water, but I couldn't stand where the starting buoy was located. I treaded water for three minutes or so until the RD sounded the horn for our wave, and we were off.
Some guy had come up behind me and pushed the buoy off to the side. He started out a lot faster than I did, but I let him go. This swim course looks like an inverted U, with the bottom much longer than the sides. I sprinted some what to the first buoy, passing my friend on the right along the way. I expected to find the usual cluster of people trying to get around the buoy, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself all alone. I made the right turn and began the long swim down the back stretch.
So far so good. I was very pleased. I was starting to get out of breath and decided to hold my pace at that level. I started to pass through the slower swimmers from the prior wave. I saw some feet in front of me and latched on. I poked my head out of the water to sight and saw that my swimmer had a blue cap on. Doh!! He was from the first wave. I passed him. When I poked my head out of water to sight again, I saw nothing but clear water between me and the landing. I swam until my hands scrapped the bottom and climbed from the water to run. I went in a staight line to the lake shore, then ran across the ground and up the hill to transition. Up ahead, I saw one silver cap climbing the hill. I thought I was second out of the water in my age group. Later, I found out I was third. I measured the swim on G-maps, and it is 400 meters in the lake, then another 100 meters up the hill to transition. I crossed the timing mat in 7:23 or something like that, a slight improvement over last year.
Having taken the time to register some land marks, I went right to my bike. The transition area for this race is big. I put my helmet and race belt on, grabbed my bike, and headed for the exit. The RD had asked everyone to walk in transition, due to the large number of participants. I was fine with that, but it did not allow me to improve on my T1 time at all. I still came out the exit in about two minutes. I jumped on my bike and started coasting down the hill. No matter what I tried to do, I could not get my right foot into my shoe. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally crammed my foot in the shoe, did the same with my left foot, and started spinning. My chain was off. Holy crap! I had to stop my bike and put my chain back on. Finally, I got started. I actually entertained the idea of riding the entire course with my feet half way out of my shoes. Instead, I rode in pain.
The course hadn't changed, of course :-) I spun out of there as fast as I could. It wasn't any more crowded than last year, despite two hundred more registered athletes. I had to remind a few peeps to stay to the right when the could, but other than that, it was about the same. By mile four, my feet were hurting so bad, I had to slow down and pull the tongues of my shoes out. Relief! The pain was bearable enough to make it through the rest of the race. I pedaled hard and tried to maintain good aero form. I actually tried to enjoy the scenery a bit more this year. It IS a beautiful course. Unlike the past two years, this year, I actually got passed by four to six people, some of whom I knew were in my age group. It is hard to tell in this race since they do no body marking what so ever. This race is less competitive than your normal sprint.
I worked hard to not let anyone else pass me and finally I pulled into transition. I was able to get my feet out of my shoes before the dismount line and hopped off the bike with no problems at all. I crossed the timing mat into T2 in 23 minutes and some change, almost a minute slower than last year. I found my row in transition but had a hard time locating my spot. I was looking for my transition bag but just couldn't find it. It was actually further down from where I was looking. (Note to self: get landmarks from the otherside too!) Once I located my bag, I racked my bike, took off my helmet, and threw on my shoes. Unfortunately, my T2 time this year was actually slower, at least two full minutes. I was not happy with that.
The volunteer at the aide station handed me some water as I exited T2. He asked me to stay to the left to avoid the swimmers coming in off the lake. Yes! That's how many people there were. I was heading out onto my run as swimmers from the final waves were still coming in.
In order to meet my goal on the run, I pretty much had to haul bootay from the git go. This, more than any other place, is where I failed myself. I was not in my mind and heart on this day to do what I had to do to succeed. I gave it my all. I walked a few times, but without my heart rate monitor, I had no idea what level of effort I was giving. Shortly at the start of the run, I was passed by a guy with one leg. It was very inspiring. I tried to latch onto him for as long as I could, but eventually had to let him go. I passed the one mile marker with a sub-8 mile, but as I got closer and closer to the finish, I realized there wasn't much of a chance to break fifty minutes.
The enthusiasm of the crowd at the finish this year was amazing. I crossed the finish line in 51:08, and I'm sure the finishing photo will show both the pain and the disappointment. I had to find a bit of shade to catch my breath and control the urge to throw up.
Mister? Can I have your chip?
I reached down and removed the chip strap from my left ankle and handed it to the young man. I wandered down to the pavilion to get something to eat and drink. The race was playing over in my mind: the awesome swim, the craptastic swim to bike transition, the pain on the bike, and the gasping for air on the run. The cups for gatorade were so small, I decided to go and get an empty water bottle out of my transition bag. Dee Dee's bike was still out.
After retrieving the bottle, I went to the bike entrance and cheered her in. I walked back down to the finish line and up the short hill there to assume my usual after race position, cheering in the runners. My friend from work came in. Dee Dee followed shortly there after. We hung around for a few minutes chatting with Kevin and Cathy before making the short drive back to Woodstock. We took a long nap than made a most excellent Father's Day dinner. My family gifted me a really nice Livestrong running shirt that I can't wait to wear. All in all, I can't think of a more perfect way to spend Father's Day.
Per coach's orders, I am not reading too much into this race. I am not seeing any improvement, and my mind really wants to know if I am competitive or recreational. My body doesn't care. It's happy doing what ever its doing. This is only my second full year of triathlons. I have to believe that more and better is ahead of me, whether or not that includes better times or not.
Happy late Father's Day to all you dads out there!
Wes
** EDIT: I did come out of the water second in my age group. The first guy came out in 5:00. That seems awful fishy to me... but no worries.
I got up early Saturday morning to get my pre-race brick in. I was so proud :-) I drove to the gym, only to find out it was closed. I drove to the park, thinking I would swim in the lake, but the attendant wouldn't honor my state parking pass. Hell if I was gonna pay three bucks to swim in the lake. I drove back to the gym and got my swim on, an easy 600 meters with some sprints thrown in for good measure. For my bike, I rode down to Hobgood Park and back. I did a few pick ups and (always!) hills got the leg muscles firing. The run off consisted of 10 minutes of trails in the small park at the back of my neighborhood.
That's when the fun began....
It was time to head to Dothan to pick up the rug rat from Panama City. My father was meeting me there. Having not heard from him, I left the house at 11 AM. Everything was running smoothly until I hit construction traffic outside of Atlanta. Even with this small blip, I made good time. My dad called me when he was 39 miles from Dothan. My GPS said I was 41 miles away. Perfect timing! We pulled in the gas station a few minutes apart from each other, exchanged rug rats, hugs, and luggage, then it was back on the road again. The trip home was a little less hectic, but all in all, I was on the road for 7.5 hours.
When I arrived back in Atlanta, Dee Dee texted me to let me know that rooms were still available at the Hampton Inn in Lagrange. We've stayed there every time we've done Callaway. It fits the bill nicely. At the last minute, we decided to drive back down there that night so we could sleep a little extra in the morning. Tack another hour or so of driving after dinner, and I was mentally exhausted! Physically, I was feeling fine.
Dee Dee and I got to bed by 11 PM, and the alarm went off at 5:15 AM. We ate some banana bread for breakfast, got dressed, and hustled over to Callaway Gardens. We weren't able to pick up our race packets this year early. As a result, we weren't sure what to expect. Quite a few triathletes had arrived before us, but check-in went smoothly. Dee Dee and I headed over to transition and got a good spot on the racks for our bikes. By 7 AM, we were ready to go.
Every year people complain about there not being enough racks at this race, and every year, I see the same thing. The racks in transition are big enough for six bikes per rack. Most of them had 4 or 5 bikes per rack, because the new triathletes do not know how to set up their transition area. The little old lady next to me had a mini-base camp set up, next to her bike, underneath the rack! With about 45 minutes till race time, you have scores of participants wandering transition, looking for a place to rack their bikes, until they give up and use a tree or the medians in the parking lot. LOL... If there is one thing I would change about this race, that would be it. Have someone there to help the new guys organize their transition area.
Dee Dee and I spent a little bit of time talking to Kevin and Cathy. It had been quite a while since we had seen each other (South Caroline Half?). It was good. Cathy is doing Iron Girl next week with Dee Dee, so we'll get to see them back to back weekends. With a half an hour before race start, the four of us went down to the lake and swam the race course backwards as a warm up. The water was very warm (again), and it looked like they had added more buoys to the swim course, forcing the swimmers along the lake shore.
After the pre-race announcements, the waves got under way. The RD had reminded us to be nice to the new triathletes and not kick, punch, swim over, or otherwise traumatize them. I was in the second wave. I entered the water behind the first wave and waited for them to start. After the RD sounded the horn, I claimed a front row starting position, as far right as I could get. The RD said the buoys were in six feet of water, but I couldn't stand where the starting buoy was located. I treaded water for three minutes or so until the RD sounded the horn for our wave, and we were off.
Some guy had come up behind me and pushed the buoy off to the side. He started out a lot faster than I did, but I let him go. This swim course looks like an inverted U, with the bottom much longer than the sides. I sprinted some what to the first buoy, passing my friend on the right along the way. I expected to find the usual cluster of people trying to get around the buoy, but was pleasantly surprised to find myself all alone. I made the right turn and began the long swim down the back stretch.
So far so good. I was very pleased. I was starting to get out of breath and decided to hold my pace at that level. I started to pass through the slower swimmers from the prior wave. I saw some feet in front of me and latched on. I poked my head out of the water to sight and saw that my swimmer had a blue cap on. Doh!! He was from the first wave. I passed him. When I poked my head out of water to sight again, I saw nothing but clear water between me and the landing. I swam until my hands scrapped the bottom and climbed from the water to run. I went in a staight line to the lake shore, then ran across the ground and up the hill to transition. Up ahead, I saw one silver cap climbing the hill. I thought I was second out of the water in my age group. Later, I found out I was third. I measured the swim on G-maps, and it is 400 meters in the lake, then another 100 meters up the hill to transition. I crossed the timing mat in 7:23 or something like that, a slight improvement over last year.
Having taken the time to register some land marks, I went right to my bike. The transition area for this race is big. I put my helmet and race belt on, grabbed my bike, and headed for the exit. The RD had asked everyone to walk in transition, due to the large number of participants. I was fine with that, but it did not allow me to improve on my T1 time at all. I still came out the exit in about two minutes. I jumped on my bike and started coasting down the hill. No matter what I tried to do, I could not get my right foot into my shoe. After what seemed like an eternity, I finally crammed my foot in the shoe, did the same with my left foot, and started spinning. My chain was off. Holy crap! I had to stop my bike and put my chain back on. Finally, I got started. I actually entertained the idea of riding the entire course with my feet half way out of my shoes. Instead, I rode in pain.
The course hadn't changed, of course :-) I spun out of there as fast as I could. It wasn't any more crowded than last year, despite two hundred more registered athletes. I had to remind a few peeps to stay to the right when the could, but other than that, it was about the same. By mile four, my feet were hurting so bad, I had to slow down and pull the tongues of my shoes out. Relief! The pain was bearable enough to make it through the rest of the race. I pedaled hard and tried to maintain good aero form. I actually tried to enjoy the scenery a bit more this year. It IS a beautiful course. Unlike the past two years, this year, I actually got passed by four to six people, some of whom I knew were in my age group. It is hard to tell in this race since they do no body marking what so ever. This race is less competitive than your normal sprint.
I worked hard to not let anyone else pass me and finally I pulled into transition. I was able to get my feet out of my shoes before the dismount line and hopped off the bike with no problems at all. I crossed the timing mat into T2 in 23 minutes and some change, almost a minute slower than last year. I found my row in transition but had a hard time locating my spot. I was looking for my transition bag but just couldn't find it. It was actually further down from where I was looking. (Note to self: get landmarks from the otherside too!) Once I located my bag, I racked my bike, took off my helmet, and threw on my shoes. Unfortunately, my T2 time this year was actually slower, at least two full minutes. I was not happy with that.
The volunteer at the aide station handed me some water as I exited T2. He asked me to stay to the left to avoid the swimmers coming in off the lake. Yes! That's how many people there were. I was heading out onto my run as swimmers from the final waves were still coming in.
In order to meet my goal on the run, I pretty much had to haul bootay from the git go. This, more than any other place, is where I failed myself. I was not in my mind and heart on this day to do what I had to do to succeed. I gave it my all. I walked a few times, but without my heart rate monitor, I had no idea what level of effort I was giving. Shortly at the start of the run, I was passed by a guy with one leg. It was very inspiring. I tried to latch onto him for as long as I could, but eventually had to let him go. I passed the one mile marker with a sub-8 mile, but as I got closer and closer to the finish, I realized there wasn't much of a chance to break fifty minutes.
The enthusiasm of the crowd at the finish this year was amazing. I crossed the finish line in 51:08, and I'm sure the finishing photo will show both the pain and the disappointment. I had to find a bit of shade to catch my breath and control the urge to throw up.
Mister? Can I have your chip?
I reached down and removed the chip strap from my left ankle and handed it to the young man. I wandered down to the pavilion to get something to eat and drink. The race was playing over in my mind: the awesome swim, the craptastic swim to bike transition, the pain on the bike, and the gasping for air on the run. The cups for gatorade were so small, I decided to go and get an empty water bottle out of my transition bag. Dee Dee's bike was still out.
After retrieving the bottle, I went to the bike entrance and cheered her in. I walked back down to the finish line and up the short hill there to assume my usual after race position, cheering in the runners. My friend from work came in. Dee Dee followed shortly there after. We hung around for a few minutes chatting with Kevin and Cathy before making the short drive back to Woodstock. We took a long nap than made a most excellent Father's Day dinner. My family gifted me a really nice Livestrong running shirt that I can't wait to wear. All in all, I can't think of a more perfect way to spend Father's Day.
Per coach's orders, I am not reading too much into this race. I am not seeing any improvement, and my mind really wants to know if I am competitive or recreational. My body doesn't care. It's happy doing what ever its doing. This is only my second full year of triathlons. I have to believe that more and better is ahead of me, whether or not that includes better times or not.
Happy late Father's Day to all you dads out there!
Wes
** EDIT: I did come out of the water second in my age group. The first guy came out in 5:00. That seems awful fishy to me... but no worries.
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