Doping

From reading the press reports, a lot of people think that drug testing in cycling isn't working. The reasoning is that some cyclists are still using EPO and blood transfusions to gain an advantage.

I think that testing is working or people wouldn't be getting caught. I think that the major of cyclists are clean and one reason is the deterrent factor. Most of the cyclists know there is a good chance they will be caught if they cheat and so they don't. There are a few who think that the risk of getting caught is worth the reward of cheating so they try it.

To say testing isn't working would be like saying the judicial system isn't working since people still commit crimes. We arrest criminals, convict them and send them to prison but still others commit crimes. Imagine how many people would commit crimes if there were no consequences for their actions.

Cycling is one of the only professional sports where athletes are tested on a regular basis. For years, the player unions of the big American sports have fought random drug testing. The reason I believe is that rampant drug use would be discovered.

I do think cycling could increase the penalty for illegal drug use but even that would not eliminate the problem completely. As in the judicial system, the death penalty or life in prison doesn't discourage some people.

2007 Boulder Peak

Prologue

It's time for the annual trip to Boulder for the Boulder Peak Triathlon. This is my seventh BP and it should be one of my best. I've been getting a lot of swim time and my bike training has been consistant. Since it is BP, I'll be racing with several friends including my brother, Bruce, Holly, Bree and Neil. It's always fun seeing Neil since he's so fast and always in the mix for a top finish.

ACT 1 - The Swim - 1500 meters - 26:30, 1:46/100

I decided to do something different this year and I lined up in the middle of the second line of swimmers. Why not? I'm a pretty good swimmer so I positioned myself right in the mix. That was a big mistake. I couldn't find my rhythm until after the first turn. The scrum was as bad as Ironman. I guess that's one lesson learned from this year's race. Even if you're a good swimmer, line up to the side or in the front row. Compared to my other BP performances, this year's swim was pretty average.

T1 - 1:16

ACT 2 - The Bike - 42k - 1:10:48, 22.1 mph

As I grabbed my bike and exited T1, I saw Rafael heading out so I gave him a shout. He's really fast so that should be last I see of him until the end. I run out of T1, jump on the bike and do the flying shoe trick. BP is one race where you see a lot of the flying shoe trick and while I don't have it perfected, I can at least struggle through it.

I pass Shaun before crossing US36. I wish he had more time to train cause I think he could be fast but like so many others, life has so many committments and something has to bend to fit everything in. When I pull out to pass a few people before the turn to Old Stage I hit a nice pothole and launch one of my gels. I hope I don't need it later but it's gone now.

Going up Old Stage, I shift down to my middle ring and keep pushing hard. I watch one of my fellow competitors hit stall speed and fall over straight sideways. Old Stage always gets its share of racers. I do so well going up that I don't have to shift to my granny gear which is always great. After the big downhill, I stay on my aerobars and try to keep the pressure on the pedals.

T2 - 1:02

ACT 3 - The Run - 10k - 41:16, 6:45/mile

Out of T2, I start to chase a guy in blue but when we hit the dam road, he starts to pull away. With the heat starting to climb, I decided to let him go and run my own race. I know it's a cliche but I know what I can do and I don't want to explode in the first couple miles. The first half passes easily enough if a 10k can ever be easy. Coming up on the turn around I see a racer for Team Snickers so I set my sites on him and decide to try and reel him in by mile 5.

I gradually up the pace and slowly Snickers comes back to me. Somewhere on the dam road, I finally catch him and about twenty yards ahead is the guy in blue. I noticed that Snickers and the guy in blue are both in my AG so the race comes down to me, the guy in blue and Snickers. I start to reel in blue but I make a critical mistake, I catch him too soon. I pass blue before we leave the dam which means there's about 800 meters to go. Blue covers my move and there is too much race left to stay with him. Somewhere in all this, Snickers gets dropped off the back.

Total Time: 2:20:53

Epilogue

Personal Record - 2:20:53 - 4 minutes off of my previous best. 10th in my age group and 85th overall. First top 10 AG, first top 100 overall.

It happened with a solid bike ride of 1:10 which is where I picked up the four minutes. I kept the pressure on the pedals solid the whole way even up Old Stage. On the flats and small hills, I kept the RPMs high and kept ticking over the pedals. My swim was solid. I've spent a lot of time working the swim to make it steady and it paid off. I wasn't in any trouble in the water and just kept my pace. The run was good but the heat too its toll. I was solid but I wasn't as fast as I wanted. Both transitions were right at one minute which didn't hurt. I think the shoe trick is working and the practice is paying off.

Buffalo 5k

Nothing like a 5k before your A-race to see how you legs feel. The Buffalo 5k is held in Grand Lake at 8400 feet with 125 feet of climbing. Even if you don't push it, you have trouble breathing with elevations like that.

I decided to run the race the day before with a goal of just having a good run and not pushing too hard. I let the start group take off since it was mostly high school kids who were all legs and no weight.

After an easy start, I began the steady climb to the turn around point. Most of the people who went out too fast faded on the climb and I was able to climb up the standing. The second half has a pretty steep and long climb which you just push through. Overall I was tenth and second in the 40 - 49 age group. Now I just have to hope I didn't push too hard with Boulder Peak tomorrow.

Boulder Peak - 4 days and counting

Four days and counting until Boulder Peak Triathlon. This is the one I've been training for most of the summer. If I have an A-race, this is it.

They posted start times yesterday and I get to start at 7:10. Just once I wish I could start around 6:30. I guess the advantage to starting late is that I don't have to wait around to see the pros. A couple of my friends get to start even later so maybe I'll have a chance to take pictures.

The only thing left to do now is rest, relax and get ready to race.

Why - Work vs Fitness

Why do we consider it normal to work eight or more hours a day but when you exercise for an hour, people think you're obsessed? We encourage people to work but we don't encourage exercise. I don't think you have to go crazy and workout eight hours a day but thirty or sixty minutes would probably be great.

If you work in an office, you could escape outside for a quick thirty minute walk. Most office parks have actual parks which are great places to escape. You could even walk to lunch. Think about it next time you jump in the car to drive two minutes to get a burger and fries. Maybe walking over, eating and walking back would be something to try.

Hootie

We said goodbye to our cat last night. She was pretty healthy until a year ago when we noticed she wasn't her usual self. She developed arthritis so we got her on medication for that. She was then diagnosed with a hyperthyroid and she underwent radioactive iodine therapy to control that.
A couple months ago, the vet said she had really bad gum disease and would need to have her teeth clean and possibly removed. We scheduled the cleaning and at that time, the vet discovered a tumor in her upper jaw. He removed a couple teeth and the tumor but he wasn’t sure if he had gotten it all.
Apparently part of the tumor was missed because during our followup visit, the tumor had returned and had entered the sinus cavity. It was also causing pressure on her eye which is why it seemed to be discharging mucus all the time.
The vet said that Hootie only had a few months left and that at some point the pain would cause her to stop eating. We knew it was time to say goodbye.
After work I went to the vet and spent a couple hours with her just holding her and stroking her fur. I made her as comfortable as her arthritis allowed and just spent time with her. When it was time, the vet took her, put in a IV and then brought her back. I got to hold her while they gave her the final drugs and then it was over.
I wish there was something we could have done to make her better but we tried just about everything. It’s sad with her gone but I know she’s not suffering anymore and that’s some comfort.

2007 Loveland Lake to Lake

Prologue

If you haven't done a race in Colorado, this is one of the best. The organization is great, the volunteers exceptionally friendly and the post race food is fabulous.

I last race here in 2003 and I was excited to return. The transition area is in a grass field which is so much better than pavement.

ACT 1 - The Swim - 1500 meters - 25:32, 1:42/100

The swim went really well. I've been working on weak side breathing and I think that helped straighten me out. Like all Colorado triathlons, the swim is in a lake and the visibility was extremely low. I kept looking for feet to draft off but I couldn't find any. I could see the bright swim caps when I was sighting but there weren't any feet.

T1 - 1:14

ACT 2 - The Bike - 30 Miles - 1:21:15, 21.9 mph

The bike course is as challenging as you'll find with a steady climb to Horsetooth Reservoir followed by two more challenging climbs with quick descents thrown in. I kept focused and held my pace through the whole ride.

When we got back into town, the bike route took an interesting twist. There was a wide right turn which put you on the wrong side of the road in curb lane. It was coned off but it was interesting to be traveling against traffic. As I approached on intersection, the race volunteer allowed a fire engine to make a right turn before me. Since there was plenty of space, it wasn't an issue but there was a pickup behind who decided to cut me off. I don't know how but I avoided the pickup but it definitely took me out of my game for a mile or two.

T2 - :50

ACT 3 - The Run - 10k - 40:10, 6:35/mile

The run has changed since my last race here and it's for the better. Before you looped around Loveland Lake which meant you crossed the entrance to the transistion. The course is now an out and back so you don't have to mix it up with the cyclists. My run started out a little slow and a slowly built to race pace. I felt pretty good the whole way and missed my 40 minute goal by only 10 seconds. That bodes well for my next race.

Total Time: 2:29:46

Epilogue

Overall I had a great race. Everything worked really and I felt really good. The bike went especially well and the run really came through.