Well its been a little over a month since my last post and I have completed 2 more triathlons during that time bringing my 2010 total to 6. They haven't been my best performances but I finished and that is what counts. Here is a brief recap of both races.
On August 8th I did the Bridgeland Triathlon in Cypress. It was a Sprint Race (50n0 meter swim, 14 mile bike and a 3.5 mile run). For the most part the race was uneventful. I was in the second wave and I started off well. About 250 meters into the swim I swallowed a nasty mouthful of water and I actually had to come to a complete stop until I could get all the water I swallowed out of my system. After a few minutes of not moving I finished my swim and moved on to the bike. The bike was very flat and very fast and I averaged over 22 mph on the ride. The run was the same, flat and fast and I averaged 8:20 per mile. Not my fastest run time for a Sprint but it will do. My finishing time was 1:24:16. Overall a good race and I'm sure I'll race it again.
My second race of August was in Clear Lake on the 28th. This is the 3rd time I have done this race and its one of my favorite events. I started in the last wave for the Olympic which is rare for me but what can you do. I felt really good during the swim despite my slow swim time. I'm not sure what happened but again I felt good in the water. The bike course was mostly flat with the exception of the Kemah Bridge which I struggled getting over because my legs were dead. There was some headwind but it didn't effect me too much. My bike time for the 40 k ride was 1:11:13 which was 20.94 mph. Last year I averaged 22.9 mph but I was also in the middle of my Ironman training and I was much better prepared. The run was the same course, flat and fast. I finished my run in 53:55 which was an 8:40 pace. Not as fast as last year but not too bad. My finishing time was 2:49:15 which is about 10 minutes slower than last year. The good news is that it was my 3rd fastest at the Olympic distance.
My training is going well but I am not signed up for anything else this year. I'm not sure what is next but I'll keep everyone posted.
Bye for now!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Memorial Herman Ironman 70.3 Texas
Today was the unofficial start to the TNT Memorial Herman Ironman 70.3 training season. We had a short practice this morning (1 mile timed run) followed by a shoe clinic at Finish Strong Sports. So far it looks like we have 25 people and hopefully a few more. I am very excited with my new group and I know we will have a great season. We will have one more unofficial practice and a few clinics before we get started with the tough work at the end of September. In the meantime I will put my coaching duties aside and will train with Memorial marathon group to get ready for the Goofy Challenge in January.
I also signed up for the Clearlake International Triathlon this week. I went ahead and signed up for the Olympic distance because my training is going well. So, I will race twice in the month of August. Beyond that I have a few races in mind but nothing concrete at this point. I hope to have some definite answers over the next few weeks. For now I am planning to focus on my training.
Bye for now!
I also signed up for the Clearlake International Triathlon this week. I went ahead and signed up for the Olympic distance because my training is going well. So, I will race twice in the month of August. Beyond that I have a few races in mind but nothing concrete at this point. I hope to have some definite answers over the next few weeks. For now I am planning to focus on my training.
Bye for now!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Training Update
Well, my training has not gone as planned. I am recovering from a back and neck injury. I injured my self about a month ago and I am just starting to get to where I feel like I can train as normal. My main issue is my neck but its slowly getting better. I am hoping to ramp up my mileage over the next month and get back into a routine.
As for racing, I have done nothing since the Silverlake Triathlon in mid May and I still have a few weeks before the Bridgeland Triathlon on August 8th. Even though my training has been light I feel I can do this Sprint race with little difficulty. I do also plan to race at the Clearlake International Triathlon at the end of August. I have done this race twice and I really enjoy it. I am trying to decide on the Sprint or the Olympic. My body says do the Sprint but my brain says do the Olympic. I'll make a decision in the next day or so.
Bye for now!
As for racing, I have done nothing since the Silverlake Triathlon in mid May and I still have a few weeks before the Bridgeland Triathlon on August 8th. Even though my training has been light I feel I can do this Sprint race with little difficulty. I do also plan to race at the Clearlake International Triathlon at the end of August. I have done this race twice and I really enjoy it. I am trying to decide on the Sprint or the Olympic. My body says do the Sprint but my brain says do the Olympic. I'll make a decision in the next day or so.
Bye for now!
Monday, June 28, 2010
Exciting News
I wanted to let everyone know that I have signed up for 2 exciting events in 2011. For my 1st event I have signed up to do another fund-raising event for Team in Training. I will be raising $4500 for Disney Marathon's Goofy Challenge on January 8th and 9th. This consists of a Half-Marathon on Day 1 and a full Marathon on Day 2. I am also planning to run the 5k January 7th. This should be a very exciting event and I am looking forward to participating with TNT again. Please help me raise me by making a tax deductible donation to fight blood cancers. You can use the link on my page to donate.
For my 2nd event I will be competing in IronMan Texas. This event will be on May 21, 2011 right here in The Woodlands. This will be my 2nd IronMan and I am very excited that I will be doing the event here in Texas.
Please check back for updates on my training and fund-raising efforts.
Bye for now!
For my 2nd event I will be competing in IronMan Texas. This event will be on May 21, 2011 right here in The Woodlands. This will be my 2nd IronMan and I am very excited that I will be doing the event here in Texas.
Please check back for updates on my training and fund-raising efforts.
Bye for now!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Silverlake Triathlon Part 4
Before I give a recap on Silverlake I wanted to add something to my last post. At Gateway I had the pleasure of meeting Andy Potts and Matty Reed. They were competing in a relay for charity and they stuck around for a meet and greet with the athletes and fans. It was a super cool experience and I was able to get my picture with them.
As for Silverlake this was my 4th time racing there. I have done this race more than any other and its one of my favorite events. Its a short Sprint race but always well done and they added a finishers medal for 2010.
The swim course was the same and it happened to be wetsuit legal. The swim was nothing exciting and I finished in 9'52" which was my second fastest at this race. I was little tired coming out of the water but overall I felt good. The bike course was new for 2010. It was still flat and fast but with less turns which made it even faster. Because of this I had my fastest bike time of 28'09" which was 21.3 mph. By the time I made it into T2 I was starting to loose energy. The beginning of my run was good but I started to fade quickly. If not for a slower run I might have set a PR for this course. My run time was 23'50" which was a 7'57" pace and my second slowest time at this race. Overall my time was 1:05:31 which was 3rd fastest for this event. All of my times are relatively close in time so I was satisfied with the day.
As for my next race I have 2 in mind but I have signed up for neither. I am looking at the Sylvan Beach Triathlon and Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon. I am not sure if I will do one, both or neither race. I will let you know.
Bye for now!
As for Silverlake this was my 4th time racing there. I have done this race more than any other and its one of my favorite events. Its a short Sprint race but always well done and they added a finishers medal for 2010.
The swim course was the same and it happened to be wetsuit legal. The swim was nothing exciting and I finished in 9'52" which was my second fastest at this race. I was little tired coming out of the water but overall I felt good. The bike course was new for 2010. It was still flat and fast but with less turns which made it even faster. Because of this I had my fastest bike time of 28'09" which was 21.3 mph. By the time I made it into T2 I was starting to loose energy. The beginning of my run was good but I started to fade quickly. If not for a slower run I might have set a PR for this course. My run time was 23'50" which was a 7'57" pace and my second slowest time at this race. Overall my time was 1:05:31 which was 3rd fastest for this event. All of my times are relatively close in time so I was satisfied with the day.
As for my next race I have 2 in mind but I have signed up for neither. I am looking at the Sylvan Beach Triathlon and Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon. I am not sure if I will do one, both or neither race. I will let you know.
Bye for now!
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Gateway to the Bay and Lone Star Triathlons
I know these race reports are way over due but I wanted to give an update prior to the Silverlake Triathlon tomorrow.
On April 10 and 11th I did my first back to back triathlons. April 10th was the Sprint (500 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike and 5 K run). On April 11th was the Olympic (1500 meter swim, 24.9 mile bike and 10 K run). The Sprint race was a non event with the exception of the swim which was very choppy and a bad cold that I was nursing. It wasn't my best swim but I was happy considering the choppy conditions. The bike was a one loop course the started with Kemah bridge. It was tough making it over both sides with little momentum but that was the toughest part. The rest was flat and fast and I averaged a little under 20 mph for the bike. Not my fastest but not bad considering my training. On a side note I received my first penalty ever for passing in a no pass zone. The run was flat and went through the Kemah Boardwalk area. Overall it was a good race and I finished in 1:21:59 without the penalty.
The Olympic was a little more challenging. The swim started with being taken a mile off shore on a boat dropped off to swim back. The water was not as choppy as the day before but it was still challenging. You would think this would be easy? Just swim in a straight line and make it to shore. The problem is it is a long shore and you have to exit in a specific place. To make matters worse there were only 3 marker buoys. I rely heavily on these buoys to guide me because I have poor vision and I have a difficult time swimming in a straight line without them. Needless to say it was by far my worst Olympic distance swim ever. After I exited the water and got on my bike I felt better. The bike course was the same but it was 2 laps. Overall, I has happy with my bike but again not my fastest. The run course was different than the day before but it was still flat. Unfortunately, my bad cold and the long swim took my energy away and it just was not my day. I finished with my 2nd slowest Olympic ever. My two Olympic races this year have been very slow but I have several upcoming opportunities to improve.
Lastly, I wanted to provide a brief note about the Lone Star Triathlon. I coached 18 people to compete in the Olympic Triathlon and 4 people in the Half-Ironman Triathlon. They all did a great job and I was proud of them all. I hope they all enjoyed the event and I hope they all return for a future event with Team N' Training.
Tomorrow May 16th I am racing in the Silverlake Triathlon for the 4th time. I have not done any other race more than 2 times. It is one of my favorite races and I am hoping the weather cooperates. I'll let you know how it goes.
Bye for now!
On April 10 and 11th I did my first back to back triathlons. April 10th was the Sprint (500 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike and 5 K run). On April 11th was the Olympic (1500 meter swim, 24.9 mile bike and 10 K run). The Sprint race was a non event with the exception of the swim which was very choppy and a bad cold that I was nursing. It wasn't my best swim but I was happy considering the choppy conditions. The bike was a one loop course the started with Kemah bridge. It was tough making it over both sides with little momentum but that was the toughest part. The rest was flat and fast and I averaged a little under 20 mph for the bike. Not my fastest but not bad considering my training. On a side note I received my first penalty ever for passing in a no pass zone. The run was flat and went through the Kemah Boardwalk area. Overall it was a good race and I finished in 1:21:59 without the penalty.
The Olympic was a little more challenging. The swim started with being taken a mile off shore on a boat dropped off to swim back. The water was not as choppy as the day before but it was still challenging. You would think this would be easy? Just swim in a straight line and make it to shore. The problem is it is a long shore and you have to exit in a specific place. To make matters worse there were only 3 marker buoys. I rely heavily on these buoys to guide me because I have poor vision and I have a difficult time swimming in a straight line without them. Needless to say it was by far my worst Olympic distance swim ever. After I exited the water and got on my bike I felt better. The bike course was the same but it was 2 laps. Overall, I has happy with my bike but again not my fastest. The run course was different than the day before but it was still flat. Unfortunately, my bad cold and the long swim took my energy away and it just was not my day. I finished with my 2nd slowest Olympic ever. My two Olympic races this year have been very slow but I have several upcoming opportunities to improve.
Lastly, I wanted to provide a brief note about the Lone Star Triathlon. I coached 18 people to compete in the Olympic Triathlon and 4 people in the Half-Ironman Triathlon. They all did a great job and I was proud of them all. I hope they all enjoyed the event and I hope they all return for a future event with Team N' Training.
Tomorrow May 16th I am racing in the Silverlake Triathlon for the 4th time. I have not done any other race more than 2 times. It is one of my favorite races and I am hoping the weather cooperates. I'll let you know how it goes.
Bye for now!
Friday, April 2, 2010
Champions Triathlon
Last Saturday I did my first Triathlon of 2010 by completing the Olympic distance at the Champions Triathlon in Austin. This also marked my 25th triathlon since becoming a triathlete in 2005. I am very proud of this milestone and I look forward to many more races. Now for the race report:
Saturday morning I woke up around 6 am to get ready and eat some breakfast in the hotel. I had a waffle and some orange juice that did not settle well with me and would prove troublesome during the race. As we drove to the race my stomach was upset and I thought it was just nerves but the feeling wouldn't go away. I was determined to race anyway. After body marking, bike racking and transition set-up it was down to the swim start.
As I waited for the race to start I felt like throwing up and I tried to hold it in. Unfortunately as soon as I entered the water for the start I started to hurl. I felt awful but I started the race anyway. The water was not too cold but it was very choppy. This was not helping my stomach and I had to keep stopping to let my stomach settle. After one of my longest Olympic swim times ever I made it to T1 and set off for a slightly longer than normal bike course. A typical Olympic distance triathlon is a little under 25 miles. This event had the bike at a little over 26 miles.As I started the bike I was happy to have a tailwind to give me a little time to get settled. The tailwind didn't last long and it was hills and headwind for a little over half the loop. The bike course was two 13.1 mile loops so I knew I would have to deal with all the challenges twice. It took about 11 miles but I started to feel a little better. My legs were hurting but I pressed on. The bike kicked my butt however I was able to average 18.4 mph on the bike. Not too bad considering my lack of training time leading up to the race. After a challenging ride I headed to transition to prepare for the 10k run.
The run started off OK but my energy was fading. The run consisted of 2 loops around Lake Pflugerville. It was flat but not as fast I would have liked. After my 1st loop I was starting to get sick to my stomach again and I had to walk for the first time at a race of this distance. I was disappointed but I had to walk or bad things were going to happen. After all was said and done I finished in 3:05:29. This was my slowest Olympic but I was just happy to finish.
One other race note. Several members of my Lone Star team did the event as well. 
Lori, Jessica and Norma competed in the Sprint race and Mindi competed in the Olympic. Norma and Jessica finished top 6 in their age groups and Lori earned a podium spot finishing 2nd in her age group. 
Mindi in her first ever triathlon finished 6th in her age group. They all did a great job and I am proud of them all.
For my next races I am competing in the Gateway to the Bay Triathlon in Kemah on April 10th and 11th. I am racing the Sprint and the Olympic distances and I suspect I will have a much better outing. I have never done back to back races before so I am not sure how it will go but I am excited about the challenge.Lastly, I received some great news last week. I gained a sponsorship from PowerBar and I am now a member of PowerBar Team Elite. I am very excited and honored to be a member of this team. I will have more details to come on this sponsorship in the weeks to come.
Bye for now!
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