Mini Ha Ha Triathlon

Prologue

It's back to Broomfield for my second Mini Ha Ha. It was going to be my first race of the season but then Pelican Fest happened. Although it's a short race, it's very popular and sells out pretty quickly. Last year, I barely got in so I registered as soon as I could this year. Bruce, Holly and I have teamed up and will be racing as a team were each person does the whole race and then the times are combined.

A couple friends of mine will be trying their first triathlon at Mini Ha Ha. It's a great race for beginners since it's short and a pool swim.

ACT 1 - The Swim - 300 yards pool - 4:09, 1:23/100

A nice aspect of Mini Ha Ha is that the first two heats of the swim are the fastest two heats. If you have a good swim time, you can get off to a quick start. Pool swims always start with the great confusion of trying to figure out who's going first. No one seems to want to go first and this was no different at Mini Ha Ha. After trying to convince the fastest swimmer to go first, I gave up and volunteered to go first. We had one guy in our lane who estimated his swim time at 5:30 but the rest of us were guessing 4:30. I almost lost count but when I heard the crowd roar, I knew the first swimmers were finishing and I knew that I was almost done. After the short, quick swim, it was out the back door to transition.

T1 - 1:14

ACT 2 - The Bike - 11 Miles - 30:02, 22 mph

When I ran into transition, there were about ten people there. I quickly pulled on my glasses, helmet and ran my bike out. As I started out I passed one other racer and started the first loop. As I go around the loop, I keep looking for other racers up ahead. With the nice straight aways, I can see pretty far but I don't see anyone. When I start the second loop, I start to see some people but they have to be from the second or probably the third wave. As I start the last leg down Main, I get passed by a racer on a nice Orbea. I decide to hold the gap and follow him into T2.

T2 - :48

ACT 3 - The Run - 1.7 miles - 10:21, 6:05/mile

The Orbea racer is racked a couple spaces down so we charge into transition together. I quickly slip on my shoes, grab my hat and number and bolt out T2. I don't know what positions were are in but if he wants to beat me, I'm going to make him work for it. I don't really know how close he is so I'm basically running scared and just push it hard. As I approach the aid station someone says that I'm the first runner. Well that can't be because all those people exited the swim before me. The aid station is on a corner where you go right, 30 yards and then right again. I don't see anyone in the turn area and as I take the second right, I glance back and there's no one back there. Still running scared, I keep the pace high and push it to the finish. As I approach the finish line, I hear the announcer saying I'm the first finisher. Wow, where did all the fast swimmers go? No wonder I didn't see anyone on the bike or run.

Total Time: 46:35

Epilogue

My time held up through the morning and was the fastest time of the day. Since I was on a team, I wasn't eligible for the overall awards but my team did win with strong performances by me, Holly and Bruce. The two new triathletes had a fun time and I think they will both be back next year.

Pelican Fest Triathlon

Prologue

The Pelican Fest Triathlon wasn’t on my race schedule until three days before the race but after seeing some friends had signed up, I decided it would be a good early season race to see how my training was going. I was expecting a nice low-key, relaxing race without a lot of competition but was I wrong. Making the drive up to Windsor from Westminster, I started to wonder where all the nice bikes on the highway were going. When I pulled into the parking lot, I could tell it was going to be competitive, all the fast bikes were there and a lot of fast looking athletes too. Apparently a lot of people were using it as a tune up race.

ACT 1 - The Swim - 800 meters - 11:42, 1:28/100

The swim went pretty well except for the drifting off course a couple times. I need to work on the sighting more and I need to balance out my stroke. I’ve started practicing transitions and I think it paid off at this race.

T1 - 1:16

ACT 2 - The Bike - 10 miles - 26:49, 22.3 mph

I ran my bike out, jumped on and slide on my shoes without a lot of trouble and coming back in, I left my shoes on the pedals. I actually felt good about both T1 and T2. The bike course was mostly flat except for the half mile, six percent hill at the beginning. Once you climbed the hill, the course became pretty crowded. After the race I was talking with Jerry and he was wondering about drafting. To avoid drafting you either had to drop back or just pass everyone you could.

T2 - :52

ACT 3 - The Run - 5k - 18:17, 5:51

The run was held on the cart path for the golf course and had two very steep hills. The hills were steep enough that the concrete was grooved to provide traction. I pushed up the hills pretty good but you had to work pretty hard to stay in control on the descents.

Total Time: 58:57

Epilogue

Things that went really well: transitions and bike leg. Things that need work: swimming straight. For the first triathlon of the season and being a last minute race, I think it went really well. I finished twenty-ninth overall and fourth in my age group. I did get nipped at the end by the thrid place finisher in my AG. I don't know what I was thinking but I let up a little near the end and he took advantage of it. Next race, Bolder Boulder in two days, hopefully I’ll be recovered.

2006 Resolution Review

In no particular order:

• Run a 5k in under 18:20 - I only ran a couple 5ks so this one didn't happen. I think all the long course training didn't help either.
• Run a 10k under 38:00 - I only ran two 10ks, Boulder and Holy Cow. Boulder isn't fast and it rained heavily during Holy Cow so the course was pure mud.
• Average 21 mph on bike during an Olympic distance triathlon - 40k bike - I held 21.1 at Boulder Peak.
• Run under 40:00 during an Olympic distance triathlon - 10k run - I ran a 41 at Boulder Peak so I wasn't really close.
• Finish under 2:30 at an Olympic distance triathlon - 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run - 2:24:59 at Boulde Peak. The increased bike speed made it happen.
• Complete Ironman Coeur d'Alene - 11:02 - Everything went right.

2007 Resolutions

In no particular order:

• Complete an ultra - either 50k or 50 miles
• Complete the Chicago Marathon in under 3 hours
• Run a 5k in under 18:20
• Run a 10k under 38:00
• Average 22 mph on bike during an Olympic distance triathlon - 40k bike
• Run under 40:00 during an Olympic distance triathlon - 10k run
• Finish under 2:20 at an Olympic distance triathlon - 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run
• Get one new person to complete a triathlon

2007 Tucson Marathon

Prologue
The day began like a lot of other marathons, an early morning bus ride out to the middle of nowhere. Everyone on the bus thinking and talking about the journey they are about to undertake.
After the bus ride and the wait, it’s time to warm up and get ready to run. As I peel off layers, I notice a lot of people in tights, long sleeves, gloves and stocking caps. Was I optimistic wearing a singlet, shorts and ball cap? The temperature is in the low 40s and you can see your breath but the skies are clear, it is Tucson and yesterday it warmed up into the 70s.
The announcer gives a five minute warning and everyone starts to move into place. I line up about 5 rows from the front not wanting to get sucked out at the start but not wanting to have to weave too much. As I’m waiting, I over hear a runner talking about trying for three hours. Looking around I see he’s wearing a bright safety green singlet.
Act 1 – The First Half
The starter counts us down, three, two, one and then nothing. No gun, no whistle, no GO, nothing. Everyone is standing around and a couple of seconds pass. Finally the announcer yells GO and everyone is off. A couple seconds later, the gun goes off.
The course starts with a half mile climb and the starting crowd is like any other marathon with people going out too fast. I settle into my pace and try to take the climb easy. After a few miles, the crowd has thinned out and I notice the bright green singlet about 50 yards away. I decide to close the gap and over the next couple miles I catch up to him.
After a mile or so to relax and catch my breath, I pull even and say hi. He’s checking his Garmin so I ask if he has a goal. He (from Phoenix) says his goal is three hours and I know I have the right runner. I then notice another runner (Detroit) at my side and I ask his goal which he states as 2:55. Another runner (Atlanta) joins us and his goal is also three hours.
With three runners going for three hours, it’s time for the a decision, do I stay with these runners and try for three hours or do I drop back to a more comfortable pace. I decide to stay with the group and see how it plays out. The miles start to click off and we go through nine miles in just over an hour. We pass the halfway point in 1:31 and the pace is feeling good.
Act 2 – The Lonely Miles
Somewhere over the next couple miles, Detroit picks up the pace, or maybe he just held the pace and the rest of us slowed down. I decide to go with Detroit covering his move and over the next couple miles both Phoenix and Atlanta drop off the back.
Around mile sixteen, Detroit starts to fade but I still feel comfortable with the pace. I look ahead and there’s a runner ahead of me with a blue singlet. I decide he’s my new pace partner and I move to close the gap. He’s a bigger runner so I decide to use him for a wind block. I noticed a pretty good headwind and there’s no sense fighting the wind alone.
Act 3 – The Real Marathon Begins
Blue guy is holding an even pace and we hit the twenty mile mark at 2:15. The saying is that the marathon starts at twenty miles and now I find myself only forty-five minutes and ten kilometers from a sub-three hour marathon. I’ve run both stand alone and triathlon 10ks under forty minutes so I know I have the ability. I just need to hold my pace and I should make it.
Blue guy starts to fade but he did pull me up to another group of runners; another blue guy, shirtless guy and Ironman guy. I tuck in next to the new blue guy with shirtless leading the way and Ironman hanging on the back. Ironman is breathing heavy and I wonder how long he’ll hang on.
With five kilometers left, Ironman has been dropped and blue is starting to fade. He’s slipped of the back and surged back a few times but I think he’s done. I focus on shirtless and just hold onto his pace. We only have five kilometers to go and we have twenty-five minutes to get there.
At the twenty-four mile mark, it’s just me and shirtless. We have around twenty minutes to go only 2.2 miles. I pull even with shirtless and ask what his goal was. He wanted to go 2:50 but with the headwind, he thought that a sub-three marathon is a good effort. He has no doubt that we will break three so all I have to do is hang in and not break.
Bearing down and focusing, I climb the last hill and take the turn towards the finish line. I hear Manuel and Susie yell out surprised to see me so soon. As I cross the finish line, I notice the clock rolling over to 2:58 as the announcer calls out my name.
Epilogue
I can’t believe it I’ve broken three hours by almost two minutes. When I first started running marathons, I thought I would break three but after the first few, I thought it was a pipe dream. Three hours was the rare air that real marathoners breathed. Here I was in that same exalted company. Dreams can come true if you just relax, prepare and let them come to you.

Official Time: 2:58:14, Chip Time: 2:58:07

1/2 Time: 1:31:32

19th of 1149 Finishers, 19th of 705 Men, 5th of 116 Men 40 - 44

2006 Resolutions

In no particular order:

• Run a 5k in under 18:20
• Run a 10k under 38:00
• Average 21 mph on bike during an Olympic distance triathlon - 40k bike
• Run under 40:00 during an Olympic distance triathlon - 10k run
• Finish under 2:30 at an Olympic distance triathlon - 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run
• Complete Ironman Coeur d'Alene