Lake Meridian Triathlon

After Saturday's race I was feeling confident about Sunday.  I was the defending champion, I had beaten my triathlon idol for the first time ever the day before, and the Sunday race course suited me better than Saturday's.  I was quietly confident that I would rip off a good swim, have a strong bike, and run it in.



I am very proud of this post because the race did not go to plan, it felt like a nightmare honestly.  Rather than  lament how my times were slower than last year or describe my overall (albeit unexplainable) powerlessness I felt during the swim and bike, what if I just gave credit to everyone else for doing a good job and neutralizing my strengths? The winners executed a great game plan.

Maybe...just maybe...I can be happy for everyone else, compliment them, and rather than spoil their achievement by writing about my disappointment, I could just let other people enjoy their "moment."  I've certainly had my time in the spotlight this year and seized my moments, this was my time to take a step down and be happy for other people. 

I must thank a few people, Bill and Debbie were so nice  to come and cheer me on.  The one part that stings a little is that I wished I could have done better for them.  I know they still love me the same, but I always like to do great when my family is in attendance.  Thanks to Renee Ayling for the cheers and pictures, I appreciate them.  And...a BIG thank you to my competitors, who are some of my best triathlon friends.  I am thankful for their competition, the challenge they bring, and their lessons in humility that keep me both grounded and motivated. 

So let's go for the race.  The swim is usually a weapon of mine.  The field, at this race however, did a good job of neutralizing it.  There were two swimmers who went way off the front, and I came out with the chase pack.  When we left transition 1 the lead pack of super bikers were all over me after doing a great job in the swim.

 



Super biker, Mark Doane, was the first to strike. He passed and went on his way.  I watched his powerful calves move up and down as he hammered on.  Trev Dakan was next.  He rides the same bike, and wears the same outfit, as Stuart, so when I saw the front of his bike in my peripheral I mistakenly said, "Good Job, Stu. Go get 'em." 

Drew Magill was next to go by.  When I saw Drew that soon on the bike I knew I was in deep trouble.  Drew gave me a thumbs up when he went by, which I appreciated.  One of the things I like about Drew is he is a dominating figure on the race course, but a very quiet and humble person off of it.  He carries a lot of prowess because his is so dominating, yet so humble. 

After the race one of the racers came up to me and apologized for drafting me on the bike.  It wasn't until after he apologized that I learned that Drew had some words with him about it.  Of the top 4 overall, I was the only one under 38 years old.  It felt strangely comforting to know that Drew was kind of watching out for me, the young punk competing with the big dogs. I also appreciate the sincere apology from the other racer.  That was a cool thing.

I was backsliding on the bike and strong racers just kept coming.  Josh Adams, caught me at about mile 10 and dropped me to 6th place. He is a great rider, compliments to him. I was just doing my best to hang tough, I haven't been in a position to be losing spots like I was, it was humbling. 

*Josh leading me into Transition 2

 



I came into T2 as my cousin Bill said, "All right Brosious, time to go to work."  I knew I had a lot of work to do on the run.  I actually felt pretty smooth on the run.  I took time out of everyone in front of me as I navigated the hilly course.  I was able to take back two spots to move to 4th, and was doing my best to reclaim 3rd from Trev.  At the turn-around I saw Drew and Mark about a minute ahead of me, Trev was about 15 seconds, and Stuart and Josh were hot on my heels and both looking strong.

 *Just hang in there and finish 'er up.

I made one last push to catch 3rd, but Trev handled it well and managed his gap on the last big hill.  I suffered it in for 4th place with Stuart right behind me securing 5th.  I congratulated Drew on winning, Mark on 2nd, and Trev for hanging tough to keep 3rd place.  I am happy for them.  I wish I had pictures of all of them to post.

 

*The finish was more fist-pump and smiles in 2012 :)

 

 *2013 was a lot more spit, "glad that's done," and grimace.

*25-29 age division, killing them with jokes. The girl next to me seems to find it funny.

 

I am really happy for everyone at the race, today wasn't my day and I tried to do a good job of trying to unselfishly let other people have their moment. 

 

Maybe....just maybe...I have something other than winning to be proud of today.

 

 

Lake Sammamish Triathlon

This was the Saturday race of my Saturday-Sunday double.  Last year I was knocking right on the door for the win.  Francis Stanberry, a super-fast buddy of mine, out surged my other friend, Jonmark, and me at the end for the win.  I was hoping to move up one spot this year.  I want to win this race.

 

*5:45am and Team Hammer is all smiles. I had such a good time with David and Richard, they are great guys.

 

I enjoy this race because it has a ton of people, and it is superbly run by Budu Racing.  This year over 600 were signed up to race which makes me happy as a racer and as a friend of Deanna and Rory.  The race is run in waves, my wave is usually second, so I have a lot of people to chase down thanks to the three-minute cushion, which I enjoy. 

The swim went great, I navigated most of the course in a straight line.  The end of the swim got a little dicey as we caught the previous wave, but I made it to shore with minimal collisions.  I exited the swim 3rd in my heat and right in the thick of the previous wave.  The chase was on!

*Swim exit

 

I love the bike here because it's constantly chasing and passing people.  I love to fly by the previous wave and just "let the big dog eat."  :)  The course is coned off and narrow so you have to keep your head up.  It added a bit of a challenge this year because it was raining cats and dogs on the bike.

After a mile or two I saw my Hammer Teammate, Martin Ayling, riding strong.  I told him good job as our paths crossed.  My other Hammer Teammate, Richard Ling, started in the previous wave and I passed him on the bike right out of transition.  At mile 2 Richard re-passed me.  I was so happy to see him doing well, I really enjoyed having him to race with on the bike. 

I should not have been because he is an awesome rider, but I was a little surprised when he passed me.  When I recognized the hunkered-down Asian Shinkansen (Asian Bullet Train), I said, "What the heck has gotten into you, you're looking great, Richard!"  His reply made me laugh, "Be nice to me today, it's my birthday." ha ha ha ha ha

We exchanged a few back-and-forths as we ticked off the miles and consumed the previous wave on our way to the front of the race.  At the turn-around there were only a few people in front of us, all of which started with the 3 minute cushion.  I took time checks to a few of them, Drew Magill (my triathlon idol) in particular, and I was sitting pretty.  I rode steady the rest of the way back to the lake without losing any spots.  It was time to run.

*I love coming into an empty transition area.

*Matching head to toe, time to run.

 

The run here is an ankle buster.  It has knobby paths, tight and twisting corners, and it is fun.  There were two things going through my mind on the run; finishing within 3 minutes of anyone in the previous heat (which would mean I beat them), and being aware of any one in my heat posing a threat. 

 

I did my best on the run and felt like I was running fast.  Turns out it was a little slower than the two previous times I raced here, which leads me to think I am probably over-raced and over-trained.  None-the-less, I held strong and had fun.  On the run I lost one spot.  Michael Millic, a 15 year old on the Canadian National Team went flying by on the run doing easily a mid five-minute pace.  I give him a lot of credit because his run was amazing, easily besting the entire field. 

 

When we finished we all waited for the numbers to tell us how we did overall. I saw that I finished 2nd overall, narrowly beating Drew, my idol, for the first time ever. I don't want to make too grand of a deal out of this, but I have dreamed of beating Drew for 3 years.  I may never beat him again, but today I finally did.  I would like to mention that Aaron Scheides, an inspirational, blind triathlete, had the fastest time on the course.  He easily won the para-division [using a tethered guide] in dominating fashion.  He was amazing.  

*Really proud of my outfit :)

*Michael Millic and me on the podium.

*Martin "The Torso" Ayling and his family.  It was great to spend time chatting with them after the race, nice folks.

*The Budu crew, Jenna and Shila, my two favorite girls.  A big thank you to them for their cheers and pictures.

*I found it comical that David seatbelts his bike in the car.

It was great to stay with Kevin.  He is the funniest son of a bean-sprout I have ever met.  I am in stitches from the time I arrive until the time I leave.  I had so much fun at his house relaxing, watching movies, and making delicious food.

*Seriously, he is so funny! (seriously-funny = oxymoron)

*We made delicious tuna melts with avocado and eggs.

*We watched the movie Oblivion after the race.  I told Kevin to act natural, as you can see he is cracking me up by doing the opposite of "natural."

Saturday was a great day and I enjoyed it. 



State Games Male Athlete of the Year

It's hard not to come across as boastful when you're very proud of something.  The important thing is to be proud of what the award represents and not in the perceived prestige in having received it.  This award means the world to me.  I am so thankful for all the great things that have come my way this year.  This award is one of the most cherished honors I have ever received in athletics.  I am very thankful and humbled in receiving this.  I am a very lucky guy, and I am so thankful for all the love and support that I have received from my family and friends.  I am very proud of what I have done. If you'd like to read about my adventure here is the link to the 2013 Race Report

BSSG ANNOUNCES ATHLETES OF THE YEAR

The Big Sky State Games 2013 Athletes of the Year are Jen Reiter and Bryan Brosious.  Youth Athlete of the Year is Ethan Harder.  These awards are designed to recognize individuals who best personify the ideals of the State Games movement: participation, sportsmanship, effort, and positive attitude.  

 

*Courtesy: Cheryl Davis Photography

Bryan Brosious is a multisport athlete.  He has earned a total of 52 medals in the Big Sky State Games: 42 Gold, 5 Silver, and 5 Bronze in the sports of Triathlon, Road Race, Swimming, and Cycling.  This year was especially exceptional for Brosious:  two of his medals were for overall wins in the triathlon and 12-mile Cycling Road Race, as he competed and medaled in a total 15 events.  

 

Brosious has participated in the Big Sky State Games since 2008.  With each year of participation he continues to add events and, indeed, medals.  His passion for sports is clearly not all about winning.  He recognizes that the Games are a chance for participants of all levels to set goals and achieve them. "There is nothing more pure and honest than the competition and people of the Games," said Brosious.  His appreciation of other participants could not be more evident than it is with his good deeds in the 12-mile Cycling Road Race.  Here Brosious has been known to help others, young and old, finish the ride when they otherwise may not have.  This is sportsmanship at its best.   

 

While he cycles, runs and swims, it is the combination of all three where Brosious finds his true passion as an athlete - as a triathlete.  He competes in numerous triathlons each summer.  Bryan Brosious is a true standout on the road, on the bike, in the water, and as he does his part to make sure others achieve their goals and dreams, too.   

 

Jen Reiter and Bryan Brosious will be nominated for the National Congress of State Games (NCSG) Athlete of the Year Award and Ethan Harder will be nominated for the Youth Athlete of the Year.  The national winners will be selected from a field of over 500,000 athletes of all ages and abilities who participate in one of the forty recognized State Games programs in the United States.

 

-Article by Karen Sanford Gall  

 

 

The Boys of Fall and The Friday Night Lights

Some of my favorite memories are from late summer.  Football season looms in late summer, it was also time to cut wood and haul hay with my dad.  We used to chop and haul, and rent VHS tapes of the NFL Hall of Fame players to get motivated for the upcoming season.  I loved that time in my life.

 

*Friday Night Lights

 

I am having the time of my life every day, but if I had the option to go back and re-live one thing, the only thing I would pick would be to go back and live those 5th and 6th grade late summers with my dad and those little guy football teams.  Lucky for us, Uriah is quickly getting to that age of starting football if he desires. 

 

Let me ask you a question:  Who looks tougher?

 

Me as a rough and tough Senior...



* #55 in the program, #1 in your heart :)

 

...or me as a rad 5th Grader?! 

*...ha ha ha ha... ha, priceless

 

My football coach once told me, "No matter how old you get, you will never forget 'double session' workouts."  "Double session" is a fancy word for two-a-day workouts, one session in the a.m., and one in the p.m..  These were tough, it was a big time commitment, especially for a young kid, but I remember them fondly.  For whatever reason, one year I came into camp out of shape, I want to say it was when I was 12, maybe 13.  I suffered during the conditioning, and I vowed to myself that no one will ever work harder than me to prepare from here on out.  That was 16 years ago, and that lesson has been implemented in both life and sport every day since. 

 

*The colors of fall, always takes me back.

 

I may not be the best athlete,  but since I was 12 I have beaten and lot of "better athletes" because I have out-worked them.  I wasn't the strongest, fastest, or coolest, but when the 4th quarter came, I was in a position to "lay the wood" (football phrase for delivering a big hit) because of conditioning.  Conditioning, not size, was my strength and I developed it the best I could.  It's very simple, yet very complex. Vince Lombardi once said, "Fatigue makes cowards of us all."  This is true in triathlon as it was in football.

 

*The tools to "out-work" people, I do my drills in cleats. 



 My favorite thing during two-a-days were the hard conditioning parts; in particular the grass drills out in the hot sun.  Every 2nd Monday in August my heart and mind reminisce about my numerous years of double sessions.  I am the type of athlete who loves to train unconventionally.  The great thing about triathlon is that you can be creative, and I like to implement football type training.  It takes me back.  

 

Once the 2nd Monday of August rolls around I implement my favorite football-style drills, just like I did way back when.  My coach was right [so far] because I remember the two-a-day workouts, the time with my Teammates, and the memories and rush of being under the "Friday Night Lights" of game time.

 

*Under the Friday Night Lights with my teammates

 

I don't keep much contact with many from high school, not because I don't like them, but simply because we are not the same people we were when we knew each other. I'm at the point now that I don't necessarily make efforts to keep in touch with my old classmates, but I love it when I run into them [and my teachers], after all it has been about 10 years since I have seen them.  I enjoy this because I'm proud of the person I have become, eager to see what they have done with their time, and for my teachers I owe them a big thank you for their help so many years ago.  

 

I was a nice kid back then, and I like to think I have turned into a nice young man today.  I am proud of who I have become and what I have done, and I like to share that gratefulness with my teachers, and see that same "success" in my classmates. 

 

Most remember me because I still look like I am in high school, I never miss an opportunity to approach a familiar face and say, "Aren't you...?"  I give most of them hugs because I am a big-tough-hug-machine.  It's always interesting to see them "now."  Some of them have made great things out of themselves, some of them are making-ends meet and taking it day-by-day, and a few of my classmates are complete train-wrecks. I think that's probably true for every class.  

 

We have all changed and grown up, some for the better, some not so much, but we will always remember our time together in high school.  We will always have that bond that we forged during two-a-days under the hot sun, and under the "Friday Night Lights" when our backs were against the wall, and at times when all that separated success from failure was our bond with each other.

 

 

I will always carry those memories with me. 

 

"Men, most people will never go through double sessions. But, those who do will always remember what it takes."  -My H.S. Football coach before my first season of "double sessions."

 



Seeley Lake Triathlon

For this triathlon trip we had rugged camping, boating, and hard racing.  It really was a great family weekend. 

 

*Hannah, Uriah, Kayla, Scott, and me

 

My parents were very gracious to get us a campsite, cook all the delicious meals, and handle most of the planning.  It made my trip that much easier and I appreciate. Thanks to my parents we secured the last campsite in the campground and we had some amazing meals, so delicious.  A big thank you to them.  Also, we were lucky to have Ann and Hannah Seifert join us at our campsite and for the race.  It was nice to have them with us.

 

*Uriah was cozying-up to Ann because she had cookies.

 

Uriah and Baby P. provided numerous moments of hilarity and entertainment.  I was lucky to be a part of their priceless moments.  Those two are great kids.  Although our family swept the overall wins, the true fun of the trip was camping, boating, and spending time together.  I will try and keep the race report short. 

 

*Lounging fire-side

 

*Ha ha smore time. 

 

 

*Get your game face on, it's tube time.

 

*I got such a kick out of these two and their cookie/muffin pre race meal.

 

*Waiting at the bus stop

*Hannah and Ann on the bus

*Bus driver driving the bus

 

*Baby P. looks none too pleased

*Brosious-Seifert-Johnson transition rack

 

*Lining up for the swim

 

*In all fairness we did say, "You can't go in because you'll get your clothes wet."

*Let's Go!

 

We took off on the swim and I found the feet of a former college swimmer who was competing in a team relay.  I intentionally tapped his feet a few times to let him know I was there. I used the draft for about 400 yards until he started to run out of steam.  I made the pass and led the group to the beach with a pretty good gap over the field.

*Checking the swim gap

*Scott out

*Kayla out

*"What are you looking at?" Priceless

 

The pavement on the bike was super smooth and my bike was whisper quiet.  I did not ride my race wheels so it made the ride all the more quiet, I loved it.  Not a single car passed me on the entire bike.  I made it to the turn-around with the chase group being held at bay.  Scott, Hannah, Kayla, and Ann all looked great and were hot on my wheels.  When Hannah went by I said, "Good job, Cookie."  I found it strangely comical at the time given her pre race meal.

 

The great thing about triathlon is that even though we are moving forward to the finish line as a unified mass, we are all moving independent, coming or going, within each discipline. The race is like a solar system and racers like the planets.  We are all revolving around the sun, but we all have our differing paths and speeds.  The winner is the person who navigates their path, the allocation of energy through the swim-bike-run, in the most efficient manner.   

 

*Into transition 2

 

*Scott on the bike

 

The rest of the bike was rather uneventful.  I rode out front and cheered on the approaching racers.  I successfully bunny-hopped over the 5 speed bumps and made it into transition 2.  My parents gave me some cheers and I left  for the run.

 

*Time to do work...in a sweet outfit

*Scott is a blurrr

 

*Kayla making her charge for the lead.

 

A team runner who was really cookin' passed me on the run, but I had the individual race well in hand.  A very ironic thing is happening this year.  At this race last year I felt like a million bucks and ran away with the win.  This year I felt more like a crispy hundred dollar bill, but the ironic thing is my time was faster this year.  This has actually happened at quite a few races this year, I don't feel all that amazing, but my times are faster.  I am not complaining, I will definitely take it, but I do find it odd. 

 

The run was pretty tough, we navigated long, slanted stretches, ankle busting dirt trails, and twisting campground loops.  I never really felt any pressure on the run which allowed me to try and enjoy the tough run.  By the time I was back at the finish I was one happy camper (pun intended).



*Hands up if you love camping.

 

*Two-time champ, 2nd time is just as sweet. 



*Scott on the final stretch

 

*Uriah and Scott finishing together

*Kayla winning the women's race

*Hannah looking great at the finish

 

*Ann finishing strong. She is one of the best Montana triathletes of all time. 

 

*This is like an Abs of Steel advertisement.

 

*Ohhh, Baby P.

 

*Waiting for awards

 

*Baby P., "Gimme that."

*Uriah overseeing the cookie disbursement.

*Johnson family portrait

 

*Hannah sporting some bling.

 

*Hannah won her division, 2nd overall female.

*Kayla won overall woman

*Ann won her division, too

*Scott, first in his division.

 

*My friend, Nate, was 2nd in his division. It was nice to see him.

 

*I'm more friendly on the podium than most.

 

Scott, Kayla, Hannah, and Ann were all hot on my heels at the finish and did great winning their divisions.  We all had tremendous success and seemed to have a lot of fun.  I was lucky to have been part of it.  It was awesome to win the men's race while my sister won the women's race.  That was cool.

This race has been elusive, to defend my 2012 title was super satisfying.  I have had tough races here in past years and let me say it is satisfying to do well after years of hard work.

Dang I love being a rugged, tough, mountain man.