Triathlon Season 2009

The most satisfying moment in 2009:

Winning for Janet's Memory!
__________________________________________
The toughest moment:

Holding 2nd place at the Aquathlon, hurting every step of the 5K run, racing sick at ZooTown triathlon and...

...getting 2nd at the State games, a race I know I can win.
______________________________________

The end of the triathlon season is always dissapointing, but I take comfort in knowing, that after a winter of hard work, next season will be even better.

If I could sum of my triathlon season I would do so by saying, "rags to riches." I was in rags up through March after a winter of not training, only to rise up to riches and attain my fastest form ever. Out of 8 finishes I managed 4 wins, 3 seconds, and an 8th in Washington after bike problems, not bad for a season that was scrapped the first day of the year.

I had more fun and success this year than any previous. At times is was hard, especially in the beginning of 2009, most would have given up but I take victory in the fact I did not. I had incredible races and trips with so many great people! Please see my previous posts for the specific race reports. I would just like to sum 2009 up with a few antedotes and photos.
_______________________________________________________

Best triathlon accomplishment of 2009: Winning 4 races in a row!

Win #1 at YTriathlon!

Win #2 at Queen City

Win #3 at Janet Clarkson Memorial!

Win #4 at Spring Meadow Sprint!
______________________________________________________

Best Swim:


Janet Clarkson Memorial
______________________________________________________

Best Bike:






Tie! Spring Meadow Sprint and Federal Escape (bike problems not considered)
______________________________________________________

Best Run:



Tie! YTriathlon and Spring Meadow Sprint
______________________________________________________

Best Finishes:


Finishing 8th in Washington despite major bike problems and...



...smashing my course record in West Yellowstone
_____________________________________________________

Best supporter (non family):


Wasn't even close! :)______________________________________________________

Best new triathlete:

Carrie Eubank! (with me at her first race) ______________________________________________________

Best counselor and therapist:


Jess Kato!
______________________________________________________

Best trip (interstate):

Federal Way Triathlon with Kevin via Yakima and Seattle hospitality and cheers
______________________________________________________

Best trip (intrastate):

West Yellowstone with Corrie, my family and Quintana!______________________________________________________

Best home-away-from-home (Montana):


PJ's house "my apartment in the basement" in Billings for State Games and Great Falls triathlon!
______________________________________________________

Best home-away-from-home (non-Montana):

Kevin's house! His mom makes excellent pasta salad and his dad likes NASCAR...just like me, don't hate.
______________________________________________________

Best shared accomplishment:

Sharing the overall (men's and women's) wins in West Yellowstone with my Sister!
______________________________________________________

Best tradition continued:


Mackenzie winning her division in her first Half Ironman (My older sister did it, I did it, and now so has Mackenzie)
______________________________________________________

Best triathlon get-away:

The Tri-Pad at the lake! (living room full of bikes)
______________________________________________________

Best weekend trip:

Tri-Pad with the Eubanks, Jess, Kevin, Trisha, and Chris the pizza slicer, hands down (I mean hands up...Chris)!

______________________________________________________

Best triathlon "whip":

Tie between my Civic SI and Cervelo P3 Carbon
______________________________________________________

Funniest T-shirt of 2009: My friend Evan "the excellent" Eck's triathlon shirt (not typing what it says).

______________________________________________________

Best triathlon quote:

It's in your head, NOT your muscles." -made by me :)
______________________________________________________

Best Wedding to have to miss a race for:

The only wedding I have ever done that for, the Fimrite-Eubank wedding bash!

______________________________________________________

It was an amazing season, thanks to everyone who took pictures, traveled, cheered, sponsored, housed, and helped make it great. Thanks for following and being there for me! Thanks for reading, triathlon 2009 is done. :)

Let us all look forward to the winter training. Remember it's not what you do when you are on top, everyone is "the man" when things are going well. It is the times when you are down that shows the true measure of your belief in yourself. 2009 triathlons were the perfect test and subsequent proof of what it means to BELIEVE IN THE POWER OF ONE.

Anchorman Seattle

The trip "operation San Diego-Seattle" was planned, the minds set and objectives clear: obtain tickets to Championship in California or implode trying. Kevin and I had our minds set to race an event in Seattle called Anchorman, a unique race in which the start was a 5+ foot plunge off a ferry boat and swim to shore. The people who do well at this race get paid entry to the sprint championships a month later in San Diego, California.
 Unfortunately, the week of the race the event was cancelled. The championship slots we should have won (I know that we could [and would] have gotten them, we were very motivated and prepared) became a "never was" when the race was cancelled. Just goes to show you should never take anything for granted, especially in triathlon, because it can be gone just that quickly. I feel bad for my family in Seattle, they were all looking forward to the race, and for Kevin because he and I would have cleaned up with awards at that race. I hope the series survives and we are able to secure our slots next year.

...The Last Two Races

**The Finish Line I never Crossed

I can usually count on catching a "bug" twice a year, once in the winter and once in the summer. My summer bug came in August, I missed two races because of it.

One race I was too sick to even think about starting. The second race I was too sick to finish it, withdrawing after a slow swim and a lack luster bike.

Here are a few pictures of those two races.

**Radio personality Dave Norman telling me jokes before the swim start. Dave is the nicest guy on the triathlon circuit

**The Start of First Annual ZooTown Triathlon

**4th out of the pool

**2nd place after the bike, very sick

**Heading out on the run in 2nd place, I withdrew a few minutes later, too sick to run another step.

I have had a few weeks to recover, I feel much better going into the most adventurous race ever... (lead to next race Sept. 13) Look for the post :)

Harvest Thunder Triathlon

The Harvest Thunder triathlon, a race that is unlike no other. This is not because of world class venues, scenic courses, or once in a lifetime experience. I wavered back and forth about racing this year, a rather steep entry fee and a 3.5 hour drive each way dampened my enthusiasm to race it.

However, I like to race, and as always I caved in and paid up. My experience has been that the races that I have the most doubts about racing are the ones I end up enjoying the most, and I did enjoy this trip! Corrie, very nicely, agreed to go with me, it gave us an excuse to drive my car on the twisting hair-pin road was just an added bonus. vroom vroom.
This race is one of the only races in the pacific northwest that utilizes a time trial type swim start. Each racer essentially races against the clock as each racer is started one-by-one 30 seconds apart. It is hard to gauge where you are relative to other racers but one thing is for sure, catch the racer in front of you and you have essentially gaped them by 30 seconds and dealt them a mental strike. Have a good day and positive confirmation comes easy, have a bad day and you'll see a lot of racers going past. I put down a little slower of swim time estimate to add a little "fun" to my race. I figured if I am going to drive 7 hours round trip and pay 55 dollars for entry I am going to make the most of the experience. I chose to start further down the start list (starting 10th) because that would allow me to use those racers starting in front of me as motivation to go faster and add a little to the race.
  My race, after a 300 meter warmup, started with a leaping plunge into lane 1. I hit the far end of the pool, flip turned and started back. After completing lap one (of 5) of the 500 meter swim, I ducked under the lane line and started down lane 2, thus the serpentine swim format. After 2 laps I had caught 2 swimmers in front of me, 7 left. I continued to swim what I felt to be a comfortably, yet fast, pace. I caught 2 more racers by lap 4, taking it 3 wide in the lane. Time is of the essence in this race and I was not going to wait for these swimmers to pull over at the wall.
  I completed the final lap and hopped out of the pool for the run to transition 1. I picked up a few spots in transition while quickly getting my helmet, sunglasses, race belt, and saddling my Cervelo P3 Carbon. I put the hammer down and passed one racer before putting my feet in my shoes. With my feet in my shoes, I made the sweeping corner to enter the main out and back of the bike course.
  I felt two things immediately. The first was the slight wind I was riding into the the 22.5 mph reading on my computer re-enforced my suspicion. The second was the uncommon, but not unknown, feeling of not fitting on my bike.

I am fortunate enough to have a body type that affords the full maximization of a P3 frame. Very few people can ride a P3 to it's full aerodynamic potential because in order to do so one must fold themselves over very prominently at the waist, ride a high seat, and drop many inches to the aerobars. This tucks the rider into a very pronounced and very aerodynamic tuck. Like I said not many people, due to flexibility issues, bio mechanics, and/or body composition cannot (or should not) ride in this aggressive setup. I am lucky because I have very long legs and a relatively shorter torso. This allows for a very high seatpost on a relatively smaller frame. This afford the aggressive drop from saddle to aerobars that is extremely aerodynamic.

However, it takes everyone time in this position to fully adapt to it, no matter how flexible or bio mechanically efficient you are. I had not spent enough time in the position (time off and aquathlon) so I felt a little awkward and uncomfortable throughout the ride. It was mostly a comfort thing as I forced myself to stay in the aero tuck as to not lose any time. I rode hard, creeping all the way up on my saddle, holding my shoulders steady, and focusing only on those ahead of me, forcing myself to stay in that zone of burning legs and painful lungs.

I caught a few more individual racers and many of the team cyclists that started 20 minutes prior on the out portion of the race. I readied myself for the one major hill that led to the turnaround and my one time split I could take on Geoff (my bet for the winner).

I hit the bottom of the climb and sat up, dropping a few gears. I saw Geoff go by going downhill at easily 40 mph. I found my way to the turnaround spinning easily 95 rpm, made the turnaround and started downhill. Not only was it a down hill, but it was also, after making the turnaround, tailwind assisted. I maxed out my huge FSA chainring and 11 tooth cassette, easily doing 45+mph with wheels (literally) screaming in the wind. I wind gusted blowing me from one side of the road to another, I held tight and pitied those smaller riders that would be more susceptible to the cross winds.

The ride back to transition 2 was fast, mostly over 25 mph. I caught a few more riders, 1 that started 4:00 ahead of me. There was now only 2 racers left to catch. I made my way back through transition 2, feeling great and started the run course.
 Finally, after 2 races of running like a "tank" in a world of incredible pain, I felt like I could actually run efficiently. I made my way around the course running what my estimation to be a 6:30 ish per mile pace. I could not catch the person that started the run slightly ahead of me, but he had started 4:30 ahead of me so I essentially had a 4 minute gap on him from this position.
  I later found out it was this same guy who I had battled for the lead on the bike portion of Summit Solstice in 2006 before he cracked me late in the race to take the win. The fact that I had erased 4 minutes of the 4:30 gap he started with today felt great. He ended up 3:56 behind me at this race, a tribute to my hard work in the past years, very satisfying.

I ran hard the rest of the run, making it really hurt at the finish line. I had a great race, ending up 2nd overall, only 50 or so seconds behind super-triathlete (and Hawaii qualifier) Geoff L'Heureux (He was also my home stay for this race). I even made out with 2 yes I said 2 medals!!
  Aaaaaannnnd! The Great Falls News Station wanted to interview me! I answered many questions on camera, the typical ones mostly. "What goes through your head in each portion of he bike?" My summarized and paraphrased answer, swim: swim smooth, strong, and don't get crazy. Bike: hammer, hammer, hammer. Run: pain, always pain. :)

My favorite question was "what would you tell the people watching this that are thinking about doing a triathlon?" Ahh, a perfect question. My answer, "I would tell them that a race of this length is perfect for anyone to achieve success at. If you can swim 1 lap in the pool the can work up to this race. If you can ride a mountain bike for 30 minutes you can work up to this race. If you have ever run a 5k you have what it takes to train for this race."


And the million dollar phrase, it's mine so don't try and steal it. "The thing that people overlook is the mental aspect. With a race of this distance it is really the mental challenge that one must overcome. Once a person puts their mind to actually starting the training and starts believing in themselves, a race like this is achievable.When it comes to a triathlon the challenge of finishing it is IN YOUR HEAD, NOT YOUR MUSCLES" That made the news...because it's true. Hopefully it convinces one person to take up the challenge or breaking their routine and doing something special.

It was a great race, and a great weekend trip. Check out some random pictures of the adventure. Thanks for reading.

***It gets windy here!

***Mmmmmmmmm

***Fun times with the camera!