New Duluth Half Ironman - Superior Man Tri

This post has literally been a few months in the making.  It really started around late August when Clint Agar from Duluth Running Company first gave hints of a triathlon he was working on putting together for the Duluth area.  He gave out bits and pieces and today it was finally announced officially: Superior Man Tri.  While this is the first year of this triathlon, Clint and Duluth Running Company have been putting on running races for a few years and they also were part of the now defunct Duluth Duathlon.  I raced in the final year of the Duluth Duathlon and thought it was a very well run race so I have no problem recommending a first year race that Clint and Duluth Running Company is putting on.

This race is going to be a classic half ironman distance that is based out of the Duluth waterfront area.  Both the brand new Amsoil Arena and the wonderful Bayfront Park will be utilized for transitions and finishing areas.  The course will have some interesting twists from your average race including jumping off a boat for the start.  Speaking as someone who has participated in the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon where you jump off a boat to start, it is a very fun way to start a race.  So set your calendar for August 26, 2012.  And know that if you are one of the first to sign up, there is an early bird discount.

Swim

The swim for the Superior Man Tri will be in the Duluth harbor.  As stated, the competitors will be ferried to the start area on the Vista fleet of boats that they will then jump off of to start the half ironman journey.  I would suggest enjoying the ride and the views of the Aerial and Blatnik bridges now, as once you are in the water you will tend to be more focused on getting to shore as fast as possible.  The water in the harbor will not be as cold as the main lake, but it will most likely be anything but warm.  This will be one of those races where wetsuits will always be legal. 

From the course description, the swim will start 1.2 miles southeast of Bayfront park which should be right around 19^th Avenue if you were on Park Point, or just short of the channel to go under the Blatnik bridge in the harbor itself.  Racers will jump off of the Vista boats and then swim straight northwest towards Bayfront park.  This should be nice with the sun at your back and the dominating fixtures of the Amsoil Arena and Bayfront bandshell to sight off of.  If you go off course during this swim you should see your eye doctor before getting on your bike.

Bike

The bike course is a single loop that heads towards Two Harbors and then follows the majority of the Grandma’s marathon run course back.  The weather of late August in the Duluth area could provide the whole gamut of biking conditions, so just be ready for a very warm ride to a cold/windy/rainy ride if you plan on racing.  The averages are a low of 54 and a high of 74, so pretty good weather for a race if it is average.  Just know the records are 95 and 32.  Yup, it can get to the point that water will freeze in August in the Duluth area.  Just know that if it is cold in the morning, the water will feel great at the start of the race.

Based on Clint’s description and the website, the bike course will start out a little technical as it attempts to get out of the downtown area.  In a half ironman I think this will be fine.  Much like the Ironman race in Madison, if the first couple miles have a few turns and whatnot it only helps the average racer not start out too hard.  Once the course gets to London Road and heads northeast towards Two Harbors it should really be nice.  There are no turns and only minimal hills.  This should allow for some really good bike splits if the wind cooperates.  The return trip from Two Harbors will be on the Scenic Highway.  This is a popular bike route for area cyclists for a reason.  The road is decent with a shoulder and the views are very nice.  The beautiful view of Lake Superior should give everyone something to take their mind off of the potential grueling nature of the race on the back half of the bike.  The return into town will share the slightly technical nature as the start, but once again this can be a good opportunity for everyone to change things up and get out of the pedals to stretch before hitting the run. 

Run

I need to talk to Clint a little more to understand the details of the run course a little better (the exact turn around point and stuff).  I have a general feel and it will be a very spectator friendly course.  Three laps will make that a given, but the fact that the course loops around Canal Park will also make it easy for spectators to jog around and catch athletes at multiple spots if they are up for the walk.  For the runners, the William A. Irvin, Aerial Lift Bridge, Lake Superior, and the Boardwalk will be interesting sights as they make their way around the course.  The finish of the run is set for the Bayfront Festival Park which should provide a wonderful spot.

Overall

As I think about the overall potential for this race I believe it has a lot of things going for it.  From a pure racers standpoint, the unique swim is a draw.  The bike course will be challenging enough for the experienced racer, but not too intimidating for a relative newcomer to a half ironman distance race.  The run will allow for great spectator support in an interesting area to help keep the motivation level high. 

The Canal Park area as a general area for a triathlon has many perks.  For the out of town racers, the hotels on Canal Park are an easy walk to the transition area so getting your spectators up and driving to the race will not be needed if you choose to stay in Canal Park.  Should you be a local or choose to stay outside of the Canal Park area there will be ample parking available for racers and spectators alike at the transition area.  The Amsoil Arena is setup to handle 6,000 or so people for events, I doubt the volume of racers will have any trouble finding a close parking spot.

For spectators the Canal Park area will be very nice, as will the three loop run.  While your athletes are out biking there are multiple shops to check out and places to eat all within a short walk from transition (and on the run course…).

So, if you were looking for a half ironman distance race close to the end of the season, this one should be on your list as a potential race. 

I plan to find out all of the little details that make a race for the average racer such as what kind of items will be available at aid stations, where will the aid stations be, etc…  As I find them out, I will post that information here.  If anyone has any questions, I will be more than willing to try and find them out just put them in the comments.  Hope to see a great field in Duluth on August 26!

Moutain Biking and Hockey...

Elm Creek Park Reserve Trails

Over the long holiday weekend, I was able to take advantage of the unseasonably warm weather.  While in the Twin Cities area I got out and rode the new mountain biking trails at Elm Creek Park Reserve. 

They have three loops that are basically singletrack through the trees with some open field singletrack also.  While in the trees, the majority of the technicality of the trails comes from tight trees and corners with trees.  The advanced loop had a few technical features thrown in that were always optional with a way around them. 

The first time around the loops, I was keeping the speed in check as I was making sure to not hit a tree.  On Friday, I went around half of the intermediate loop and the complete advanced loop twice.  On the second trip around, I was able to hold  little more speed as I was more familiar with the tight spaces and corners. 

On Saturday I was back and did the complete intermediate and advanced loops one time around.  I was able to hold even more speed and I even tried a couple of the technical features.  I tried the half-pipe looking feature and the bridge bypasses with success.  When I tried the final log ramp over a tree branch, my chainring caught when I was at the peak and flipped me over my handlebars.  No damage to the bike and I was fine to keep riding.

All in all, over 25 miles of mountain biking this weekend was a nice way to most likely end my outdoor riding for the year.

Hockey

Since the last time I wrote about hockey, the Wild went on a little bit of a run to the top of the NHL.  They have been playing well during the stretch.  It would be nice if they would start off their games a little stronger, but they are doing a good job of coming from behind.

The Gophers look similar to the start of the year.  They are a little inconsistent.  At times, they look like they are dominating every team they play.  And at other times they cannot seem to get out of their own way.  I really hope this team can continue to work out the kinks so they are ready come playoff time.  They potentially have the pieces to make a good run. 

I will be at the Wild's December 14th contest against the Chicago Blackhawks.  Looking forward to seeing how they are playing in person again.  I might have to make a trip down for a Gopher game at Mariucci some time this winter also.  It has been a couple years since I have been to Mariucci...

Red Solo Cup

I am not a country music fan, but this is awesome...

Run Season Recap

With the finale of the NMTC fall trail season this past weekend, my running season for 2011 has essentially come to an end.  I may get another holiday 5k in, but nothing planned right now.  When the year started, my "A" run races were the Garry Bjorklund half marathon and if I got in, the Twin Cities 10 miler.  I also planned on running as many of the NMTC events as I could.

Spring NMTC/Garry Bjorklund Prep

Early this year I was focusing on running often.  In fact I was running 5-6 times per week.  My plan was to build up the consistency of my running to see how this worked out.  This worked out well as the spring NMTC series rolled in.  I managed to make it out for all of the events but was not as fast running as I felt I should have been.  I was focusing more on preparation for the Garry Bjorklund so I was not too concerned.

Garry Bjorklund Race Day

As the race approached, I was feeling pretty good about my prep.  I felt I might be able to get a PR if I raced well.  Race morning dawned and it was questionable weather.  It was raining and windy.  At least the wind was coming from the northeast.  Standing around at the start line we were all getting wet and it was cold with the wind off the lake. 

Once we got running, the rain stopped and we were able to take full advantage of the tailwind.  I was keeping a good pace and came through the 10 mile mark in 1:11:XX which was a PR for that distance for me.  I was able to finish with a 1:33:49 which was a more than 1:00 minute for me. 

The race ended up being a great race with a combination of good fitness coupled with good race weather for a PR.  If I want to break that time I will be hard pressed to do so.

Summer Running

As summer set in, I focused on hitting solid races at my multisport events.  As far as running goes, I hit some really good times, and some that were less than stellar.  Apple Duathlon and the Moose Lake Triathlon had pretty good run splits. 

I also jumped into the Park Point 5 Miler during the summer.  I was not really focusing in any way on this race and even got out to the point early and got in 16 miles of intervals on my bike prior to the Friday evening run.  I ended up having a pretty solid race and knocking out a PR of 33:49. 

Another summer run that was found was the Bay to Bay trail race on the Superior Hiking Trail from Silver Bay to Beaver Bay.  This was a very challenging 10k trail race.  I had a great time running the race and even won the $50 door prize after the race.

Prep for 10 Miler

Later in the summer I started my prep for the Twin Cities 10 miler.  I was still running consistently and hitting really good mileage (for me).  I was averaging over 100 miles per month so far this year.  As race day approached I did a couple specific workouts I have tried in the past that I liked and did not hit them like I was hoping to.  I was a little concerned that I might have been a little less prepared for the 10 miler this year. 

I had thought my running was setting me up for a chance at a PR, but I was getting a little concerned.  Once race day hit, I figured it was worth going for the PR anyway.  I figured if I ran a smart race I had a chance.  In the end I was able to pull out a great PR for myself of 1:09:56. 

Fall Trail Running

For the fall trail running season I really wanted to make it out to all of the races so I could see all of the courses; especially the power lines.  I was able to make it out every week.  The start of the season went well, but after the TC 10 miler, I think I really lost my drive to race.  I still enjoyed the remainder of the races, but was not knocking out times like I was hoping for. 

Season Summary

All in all I had a great year running.  At my two "A" races I knocked out solid PR's.  I also had a PR at the 5 mile distance.  So three PR's in one season.  I doubt I will ever do that again.

For the rest of 2011 I will be just running when I feel like it.  For the first time ever I have run more than 1000 miles in a year.  As I look forward to 2012, maybe I will shoot for 1200...  Already I have the Garry Bjorklund lined up for next season.  I think I will have to find a couple of new races for next year too.

Hockey Weekend

This weekend was an excellent weekend for hockey lovers in Minnesota.  For the fans of the NHL, the Wild put together a strong game on Saturday night to beat the Blues.  For the true MN fan, the Wild come away with the win and Cloquet native Jamie Langenbrunner scored the lone St. Louis goal. 

I happened to have tickets for the game and was impressed with the way the wild played.  They had some good offensive pressure that produced some good chances.  They did not score 5 goals like the other night against Vancouver, but they got enough to win.  Harding also played well for the fourth straight game to preserve the one goal win.

Gophers Sweep!

On the college side of things, the Gopher men were entertaining the Sioux from North Dakota.  Any time these two teams get together, things can get interesting.  On friday night I only got to see the end of the game, but I did end up seeing both Gopher goals.  On the first goal, the Gopher power play was able to move the puck around and take advantage of a UND player with a broken stick.  Bjugstad took advantage of a 2 on 0 and put a nice shot into the upper left corner.  The second goal was a good pass to break Serratore on a breakaway that he converted.  Patterson took care of the rest for his fifth shutout of the year. 

On Saturday night, I was at the wild game and was trying to stay up to date on the Gopher game through the wonders of a smartphone.  When we got into the car to head home, the score was 2-1 UND with about 13 minutes remaining in the third.  With less than a minute remaining in the game the Gophers put the stamp on a great weekend with the third goal of the game for them and a 3-2 win.

The Gopher women had a good weekend as they managed to sweep the UMD Bulldogs in Minneapolis.  So, all in all a great MN hockey weekend. 

NMTC Fall Series Finale - Pine Valley

Today marked the final race of the fall NMTC Trail series, and it was held at the ski trails of Pine Valley in Cloquet.  In a previous life I went around these trails a bunch of times on a couple of skinny pieces of finerglass.  So I had a pretty good feel for the layout of the trails and the location and size of the hills.  And yes, there were hills. 

What Goes Up, Must Come Down...

The very first thing this trail does is go straight up a hill.  Well after a short straight section of trail and a hard right turn.  When Jarrow gave his quick command to go the whole crowd lurched forward and veered to the right and up the service road for a second or two before some loud yelling from a helper got everyone back on track. 

After the first hill, there is a whole lot of the trail turning back on itself and some good rolling ups and downs.  More than once you will be running and see people ahead/behind you through the trees on your left or right.  The signs marking the kilometers are a nice touch on this trail so you have a good feel for how much running you have left until the finish. 

One Last Uphill

What I always will remember about Pine Valley from high school skiing is the final steep downhill with the sweeping left turn at the bottom.  Many skiiers did not look forward to this downhill as the tracks would be washed out very quickly and invariably a few folks would not quite make the corner and skid off into the snowbank on the right side of the trail.  Skiing, this was my favorite part of the course.  I really enjoyed the fast technical downhills as that was my strength (as opposed to being a strong or fit skiier...).

Running up this hill, and then down, was not nearly the same as it was on ski's.  The uphill side of the hill was similar to skiing, however the down portion of the hill was harder on foot than on ski.  It turns out you do not carry your momentum on foot very well when running down a steep hill. 

Summary

All in all, I had a fun race.  I was not very fast again today, but I felt good and had a faster time than last year.  Taking a look at the season as a whole, I was generally pleased.  I had some very good runs, and a few I felt I may have been able to do a little better.  I am glad I got to run the power lines that I missed in previous seasons. 

I am also ready for an off-season from racing.  From now until next spring I will be simply running for fun, riding my bike on the trainer from time to time, and getting to the gym once in awhile to swim and lift a weight or two.  Sometime in maybe February I will put together my plan of attack for next season.  Currently I have the Garry Bjorklund half marathon on my schedule, I will figure out the rest soon enough.

Lester Park Trail Run

Earlier this afternoon was the Lester River Trail Run.  It was the second to last race in the NMTC fall series.  The weather once again cooperated.  Cool with a bit of a breeze, a perfect crisp fall afternoon.  I decided to ride my road bike over to the park as a sort of warm-up for the run.  The idea was a good one, but my toes were a little chilled when I got to the park. 

Loop-De-Loop

The course for this week was going to be three loops of the "C" loop.  I have run the trails in Lester a few times this summer, but I had no idea which was the "C" loop.  Once we got out on the trail, most of it looked familiar but I do not think I ever ran the course in that order before.  However, the course was the classic Lester run.  As you head away from the lake you are going uphill, and then at some point you turn back towards the lake and go down. 

For the first loop I felt pretty good running.  On the second loop, I seemed to lack any real energy.  I kept running and all, but just could not find any speed in my legs.  All the running I did to be ready for the Twin Cities 10 miler had me running well early this fall.  The lack of running since then has really shown.  No big deal though, these trail runs are a lot of fun no matter what.  They are not races I schedule my training around.

Next Week

I am looking forward to Pine Valley next week.  The final run in the series for the fall.  I have circled the Pine Valley course multiple times on skinny skis, and it is a good circuit for running. 

Sports Spectacular!

Baseball

Loved seeing the Cardinals pull off the World Series victory this year.  I am a fan, and must say by mid June had already consigned myself to wait for next year as far as baseball was concerned.  The Cardinals were suffering from injuries and not playing well coupled with Milwaukee playing wonderfully.  The Twins, well they reverted back to the Twins of old and just could not win games no matter what they did.  But then September came...  The Cardinals did something amazing and somehow snuck into the playoffs.  Then, they took out the World Series favorite from the NL Phillies...  After a series of football like scores they dispatched Milwaukee too. 

When it came to the World Series I will admit by then I was just happy to see them still playing.  I figured they had a chance, but they would have to play very well and not make mistakes.  Boy was I wrong.  They kept on hitting, but they also made some wonderful mistakes.  Watching game 6 was hard because I felt making mistakes to lose the World Series would be a lot harder to take than simply being outplayed.  Then they managed an improbable series of comebacks to take the game.  What an end to the season.

Hockey

Coming into the year I was not sure what to expect from my favorite team the Golden Gophers.  They have struggled the last few years and had some younger players they would be counting on this year.  I was pleased that I would be seeing them play early in the year here in Duluth so I could see for myself what they had to work with this year.  I was both impressed and concerned.  Some of the players really impressed me, specifically freshman Marshall and Rau.  But the overall play on Saturday in Duluth was not very good.  When they coupled that with a loss at home to a very poor Vermont squad, I was a little worried with a trip to Alaska Anchorage coming this weekend.  The travel can sap any team, and Alaska plays well at home every year and looks decent this year. 

Well, last night the Gophers knocked Alaska around for a 5-0 win.  Another shutout for Patterson and another 5 goals for the Gopher offense.  Lets see if they can get the sweep tonight.  Those WCHA league points will be important come February and March.

Now if the Wild could just get going and string together a couple of regulation victories...

More trail running tomorrow, I will check in after the Lester Park run.

Trail Running Galore

Never checked back in after last week's run at Haw Ridge.  The weather was perfect for a run other than the wind.  I was still getting over a little chest cold so that made it a little hard to really get rolling at a solid speed.  But I was happy to be back out running on a nice trail. 

Roughrider

This week's run was nicknamed Roughrider and has a reputation as the hardest course in the series, when the trail is dry. Of course the rain that started drizzling down early today took care of the dry part. 

We started at 2:00 pm and the course was good and wet by then.  The singletrack start was a little slippery and I managed to not slip off the trail with the help of the trees on the trail.  After a short distance we pop out onto the power lines.  Here is where the fun begins.  A bunch of up down sections that were wet and muddy. 

The trail is an out and back so you got to see what you will be facing later.  This had two disadvantages on a day like today.  First, you know what you will be running up at the end of the race and it festers in the back of your mind.  Second, with the rain and all of the runners going over the trail on the way out, it was even muddier and more slippery on the way back through.

On the way out, I managed to stay up on my two feet the whole way.  There were a couple of spots where I slipped pretty good but I always managed to catch myself and stay upright. 

After tagging the pink turnaround tape, I headed back into the powerlines.  The first up down valley produced my first fall.  I lost my footing and onto my ass I went.  Not too bad, and I was up quickly and kept moving. 

Through the middle section of the trail I tried to preserve a little energy for the tough section on the powerlines I knew was coming and had a few folks cruise by.  As I came out onto the last section on the powerlines I had a few more episodes of planting my ass on the trail.  On one of the sections, I tripped and went head first into the brush.  Luckily I did not slip too far, but when I caught myself my thumb jammed a little. 

On the next downhill, I had a couple slips with one providing me with a very quick 50 foot drop on my ass.  I did however allow me to catch back up to another runner who had passed me earlier.  That is not worth noting, other than when he passed me on the outbound leg he heckled me telling me to "quit running like a girl" and then telling me to run faster.  At the time he was ahead of all of the ladies running and passing me.  However, karma slapped him upside the head and he finished behind two ladies and me.  So, note to everyone: if you feel it is necessary to talk shit to other runners, don't let your mouth write checks your legs cannot cash.  On top of that, if you are a middle of the pack runner, making a comment about running like a girl (many of whom finish in front of you...) is not the best smacktalk to be using.

I worked my way back up the singletrack that seemed tougher than what it was on the way out, and then finished up.  After finishing it was amusing to watch everyone come through to finish and see the huge mud streaks on everyone's legs and butts.  There were very few people who were finishing without a large mud stripe somewhere. 

Next Sunday we get to try out the ski trails at Lester.  I have run the trails a few times this summer.  Not sure the exact route we will follow, but I am looking forward to it. 

MTU in First Place!@?

In college hockey news, Michigan Tech is currently the top team in the WCHA and the nation.  I figured I had better make mention of this now before it went away.

15 Shots, 5 Goals?

So at last nights Gopher game the end result was the right one, a Gopher victory.  In fact, a matching 5-4 score to the previous evening.  The events of the game were significantly different from the previous night's game.  I do not think I have ever seen the Gophers play worse and win in my life.  They gave up almost 50 shots on goal again last night.  And outside of their power play time, they did not have much for sustained offense at all.  Their offense was opportunistic in every way.  They scored on the power play, and they even scored off the end wall/under the goalie/off the defenseman/back under the goalie... 

Bottom line, the Gophers leave Duluth with two WCHA victories.  They may not have been pretty, but they all count the same.  There were some positive things with the Gophers this weekend: they managed to score on the power play, Patterson was making a lot of saves, younger players such as Marshall and Rau played strong and showed promise.  Other than the first period on Friday, the Gophers ability to break out of their own zone and transition into the offensize zone and then develop some sustained pressure was non-existent.  Hopefully the Gophers can keep the hot start going next weekend against the Vermont Catamounts at Mariucci. 

I will be back this afternoon with a race review of the NMTC Hawk Ridge run.  The wind will be a challenge this afternoon...

OT and a Morning Run

Last night was an exciting game.  As a Gopher fan, the first period was great.  The Gophers took advantage of the power plays they were given and played well all around to grab a two goal lead.  In the second and third periods the bulldogs started playing a lot better and the Gophers could not get any consistent offense going 5 v 5.  I was really impressed with a couple of the young players for the Gophers.  Marshall on defense and Rau on the front line played well all night.  Rau had a couple of power play goals and gave the bulldog defense fits.  Marshall moved the puck well and did not seem intimidated at all by playing on the road against the defending champs.  I felt a little bad for Ambroz, he clearly does not play on the penalty kill and spent more time in the box serving other guys penalties than anybody.  In an odd touch of fate, Condon got the game winning goal in OT after being one of the least effective players on the ice all night.  More than one time he tried to make a rush up the ice all by himself without passing the puck only to have the bulldogs steal it away and go the other way. 

Morning Run

It has been a little over a week since I have been out for a good run.  The cold I had really knocked me down from running and biking.  Since I did not have any more races on the horizon, I figured a rest was in order to get well.  This morning I felt good enough so I went out for 4 easy miles.  It felt good to be out running again, and during the first mile I think I coughed up the bad chunks of lung up and left them on the side of the trail.  I think I will be ready to have a nice trail run tomorrow at Hawk Ridge.

Hockey Time

Getting ready to go to the Gophers vs bulldogs games this weekend at the Amsoil Arena.  I watched a little of the game last Friday when the Gophers were playing Sacred Heart.  It was good to see they won, and I am excited to see them early this season in person.  I want to get a feel for how the defensive corp works together.  Also, it will be nice to see the new players and how they handle a good hostile road WCHA environment. 

I hope to be writing at the end of the weekend about a wonderful two game sweep that the Gophers unleased on the bulldogs.  I will also hopefully be writing about a nice run on Sunday afternoon also.  The trail run series is venturing up to Hawk Ridge this weekend.  This run starts out on Skyline and runs down the road for the first mile or so and then jumps onto the trails from there.  It has a very quick finish that is slightly downhill running along Amity Creek.  Looking forward to it.

Tri Season Review

Now that the triathlon season is officially over for me, I thought I would put together a little overall review of the season as a whole.  I want to preface this by saying that going into the season, my “A” races were Timberman Triathlon in early July and Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in mid June. 

Apple Duathlon (Sartell MN)

I signed up for Apple a week or two prior to race day.  I had not gotten out for much training on the bike, but felt it would be a good jump start to the season.  I have racced here before, so I had a good feeling for the course.  On the first run I went out hard but comfortable.  My goals for the race were to have a well paced bike and to have as small of a slowdown from second to first run as possible.  When it was all said and done, my bike split was the fastest I have ever had on this course and was very even effort wise.  The runs were less than 2 minutes difference and my second run was the fastest I have had when doing the course as an individual.  Overall, very pleased with the race. 

Moose Lake Tri (Moose Lake MN)

I showed up for this small local event just to find out what it was all about.  It is a second year event that is the epitome of low key.  The cost was $25 on race morning.  There were 25 or so people there, and transition consisted of picking the best tree in the park to lean my bike against.  The swim was as simple as swim across the lake and come back.  There was a single small buoy on the far side of the lake to go around.  The bike course was an out and back on the Munger Trail with a volunteer at the turn around.  And the run was around the lake.  I really enjoyed this event. 

Timberman Triathlon (Grand Rapids MN)

The second event of the summer I was really hoping to do well at.  When we woke up race morning, it was windy and wet.  For a running race this is not a big deal, but for a tri it is interesting.  On the swim, the wind was not a big deal.  Out onto the bike, and the rain was annoying more than anything else.  The wind was a nuisance heading into it which happened to coincide with the worst roads as far as surface.  I had a hard time getting in a good rhythm into the wind.  When I hit the big hill on the second loop around the course, I was greeted with a skunk running across the road at me.  I do not know who was more surprised, him or me.  Thankfully he did not spray me and I got away clean.  Once onto the run, I ran decent.  Not my best run ever, but a good effort overall.  I was reasonably pleased with the race even though the bike was not paced very well for me. 

Chequamegon Bay Sprint Tri (Ashland WI)

Another race I got into at the last minute.  It sounded like fun with a swim in Lake Superior and a short sprint course.  When I showed up on race day, I was very disappointed with the race setup.  For the price they were charging, I expected not to see people laying bikes down on the grass.  With the extremely warm weather, Lake Superior was not even that cold.  Onto the bike and the course was decent.  The aid station hand ups were interesting.  On a short course I was not expecting them, and one of them was on a slightly downhill section of the course so we were moving extremely quick.  Luckily, I had payed attention to the course map as one of the corners coming back into town was on a downhill section with a tailwind and there was no volunteer.  I made the corner fine, but I would bet more than one person missed it.  When I got to the run course I was simply trying to survive.  The heat was really tough and even though it was only a 5k, I was happy to get through it without walking.  Overall this race has potential with a cool Lake Superior swim, but the amenities to cost ratio was not very good. 

Brewhouse Triathlon (Duluth MN)

I have done this race in the past, and swore it off due to the poor quality of the roads.  Now that I am back in town, I figured I should give the local race another try.  Also, I heard they were reworking the bike course.  I understand requiring packet pick-up the day prior with such a large race, but as a local I wish there was another method so I did not have to schlep up to Pike Lake two days in a row.  Maybe like some other races, have the packets available at a sponsor bike/tri store earlier in the week for the locals…  Race day weather was fine for a race.  No rain but clouds to keep the sun off of us.  The swim went well and I got out onto the bike fine.  The bike course was interesting.  It was a ten mile loop with 700 people on it.  Also there was multiple sections with two way race traffic and one 90 degree corner with two way traffic coming from both directions.  This corner had fencing up to separate all of the lanes of traffic and was quite tight.  And even though they re did the course, the pavement was still the roughest I raced on all year.  It is really too bad that there is no decent pavement around Pike Lake as the rest of this race course is pretty nice.  When I got to the run I took it out hard but smooth on the out leg.  After the turn around I focused on getting up the hill and then slowly picking up the pace as I could.  When I turned the corner onto Midway road I saw a few people up ahead that I figured I could try and pick off in the last mile.  When I got to the final quarter mile, there was one last guy I thought I could catch.  I passed him just before the turn into the auto club.  At this point, he decided to try and outsprint me to the finish.  So I had to see what I had left in the tank, and I managed to beat him to the line.  All in all, the race was decent, but the bike course is still less than good. 

TriStar 111 (Maple Grove MN)

This race sounded intriguing.  Bike heavy with a shortish run that should be easy to recover from.  Also, this course was on roads that I have biked on a lot when I lived in the Maple Grove area.  When I showed up to the race site on Friday night to sign in, it was nothing but a clusterf#!@%.  Sign in at one table and be told to head across the park to get my transition bags.  Get over there; nope the bags are back at the first table you were at.  Here is a chip to put on your bike, no we do not have instructions on how to do it.  Rack your bike and place your bags in the assigned spots.  Get to the racks, no they are still working on tagging the racks with the assigned spot stickers (this is with ½ hour left in check in left).  Anyway, I left my stuff and headed home for the night.  Show back up race morning, and my bike and bags are moved.  A little surprising but at least I went to find my bags prior to the race so I knew where they were. 

The swim was uneventful for me.  Out onto the bike and as we are leaving transition there is a short steep hill.  I saw it and made a point of leaving my shoes off of the bike so I would be clipped in and not fumbling with my shoes at this point.  As I am biking out, there is another biker who was fumbling with his shoes and he started veering straight left into me.  I let out a quick “on your left, watch out!”  He replied with a few well placed expletives.  Sorry buddy, but I was just alerting you to the fact that the general race direction is parallel to the road direction and not perpendicular.  He passed me a couple miles later, and then a few miles later I saw him sitting on the side of the road with a bike problem he could not fix.  I would like to think that was karma coming through…  The rest of my bike was pretty laid back.  I managed to stay on course, even though a lot of people had issues.  I ended up going a little easier than I wanted to, but that is better than going too hard.  When I hit the run it went well.  A little upset stomach, but my legs felt strong. 

Burrito Union 5 Hour Tri (Superior WI)

Another race I signed up for just for the heck of it.  This race is so unique, I figured it was worth giving it a try to see what it was all about.  The park where this race is staged is perfect for a race.  A nice small lake, outside of town so there is not too much traffic, and nice trails for the run.  Of course, see what you think of the lake the third or fourth time you have to jump in.  The first circuit of the sprint course went well, but I might have went a little too hard.  The second time around, it was really interesting getting into my wetsuit.  Other than that, it went well.  The third time through, was getting a little tougher.  I was really feeling the fatigue on the third run.  And I knew based on the time I would have one more time through the course.  On the fourth trip around the course the run course was a struggle.  The hills on the trails seemed to have grown, and the course seemed to have gotten longer.  When I finally hit the finish line, I went straight for a water and a piece of shade.  All in all, this is a race I will do in one form or another again. 

Recap

Overall I was pleased with my season.  My best races overall would be Moose Lake Tri, and Apple Duathlon.  At these events I put all three legs together and paced my race very well overall.  The race that impressed me the most (combining all factors including course, cost, setup, etc...) were Timberman, and Burrito Union.  Timberman has a nice location and a good overall setup.  Burrito Union is a very unique and fun event.  Moose Lake tri was another event that I found very fun and will be doing again for sure.

Wednesday Night Trail Run

Another Wednesday, another fun trail run with the NMTC group.  The weather once again was perfect for running.  The wind was the only down side, but since we were in the ski trails at Snowflake, the trees did a wonderful job of blocking the wind for us. 

Ankle's Beware...

The trails at Snowflake nordic look like they would be great for skiing on in the winter.  In my previous life when I did ski, ,this place did not exist.  For running, the trails are nice, but if you want to make it out with your ankles intact you need to pay attention.  There are quite a few holes, rocks and general obstacles to avoid.  In some of the low spots there are half buried logs that show up at the last second as you run.  Personally I was able to make it through with no big problems, but a few others had some problems.

The course was  two loop affair so once you got through it the first time, you had a decent idea what was coming at you.  I felt pretty good out on the run, no real after affects from the weekend's race.  My legs felt pretty decent so that was nice.  My quick bike ride yesterday was a good recovery ride and probably helped out too. 

With the TC 10 Mile being my last real goal race of the season, I will be simply having a good time out running and riding.  The trail runs fit perfectly with that.  I will also be trying to get a few more bike rides in outside before the weather gets too cold and I am relegated to the trainer. 

Up next, Rock Hill on Sunday.  With the ever shrinking amount of daylight on weeknights, the switch to Sunday afternoons for the NMTC runs is happening starting this Sunday.  The Rock Hill course is one of the nicer surface runs.  There is still a challenging hill that you get to tackle twice, so it should be a fun run.

Kona and Hockey...

Also this weekend the big race on the big island will be going down.  Good luck to Marc Malinoski, local Duluth triathlete toeing the start line in Kona.  Also, the hockey season really gets underway with the NHL kicking off and college hockey getting in full swing too.  I am very curious to see how the Wild and their new players/coaches do this season.  As for the Gophers, with only one upper classman on defense, it could be a very interesting season.  Not sure what to expect from them so I am really excited to see them on the 14th and 15th in Duluth playing the bulldogs.

TC 10 Mile; PR or Stupid Mistakes???

Finisher's Medal

This morning I competed in the TC 10 Mile race again.  Last year I came into this race with pretty solid race fitness, and I set my PR on the course by running one of the smartest races I ever have.  In the past, this course has always given me problems and I typically go out way too fast, and then proceed to fall apart on the last five miles.  Last year I ran a 1:13:39.  Earlier this year at the Garry Bjorklund Half, I came through the 10 mile mark in 1:11:24.  Coming into today's race, that was my 10 mile PR.

50 Degrees and Clear Skies...

In other words, the weather was on our side again.  There was a little wind, but it never really felt like it was really pushing against us.  No excuses not to put up a solid time.  My running this summer has gone well so I know I had good enough fitness to run a good time.  The question was could I keep out of my own way and not do anything stupid on the run course that would stop me from running a good time.  I really felt I could get my personal course record, with an outside chance at hitting my 10 mile PR.  In order to do that, I figured I wanted to never see a split higher than 7:10 on my watch other than the third mile (the hill to get up to the Franklin Avenue bridge).  If I managed that, I figured I would have a chance to let gravity do its thing in the final mile and help me hit my PR time.

7:23???

That was the split I saw when I came through mile 6.  Now, mile 6 does not have the worst of the hills and I was just a little pissed at myself.  Especially since I had come through the 5 mile point in 35:16 which had me in good position to that point.  So I made a conscious effort to pick up the pace a little.  So when I saw a 7:12 for mile 7 I was really pissed off at myself.  The rolling nature of the hills on mile 7 were definitely easier than mile 6 and I was not able to get back to my goal of 7:10 or better per mile.  So, the weather was cooperating, my running prep was there, and here I was screwing it up again.  At this point, I had made enough small stupid mistakes on this course that I figured why not throw it all out there and either get my PR or have a really epic failure.  So I really picked it up now.  If my mental math was correct, I needed to hit 7:00 flat for the final three miles to make my PR.  As I was picking it up, I was not feeling too bad.  So when I saw the 6:49 for the next split I was glad to be back on track.  I tried my best to hold the pace for the next mile and hit a 6:51.  I was still feeling pretty good at this point.  On the edge, but I thought I could hold it for another mile.  Of course at this point, I was doing the math to see what would be needed to go under 1:10 so I could actually average sub 7 minute miles.  I could not really do the math so I just ran down the hill towards the Capitol as fast as I could.  As the clock came into view, I could see 1:09:4X and was not sure if I could get to the line in time.  As I crossed the line with a clock reading of 1:10:1X I was a little pissed off.  It really sucks to be that close to a milestone and miss it.  Who knows when the weather and my fitness are going to come together for a great race opportunity.  Then I checked my watch...  1:09:57...  So, my chip time was just under the 1:10 barrier. 

Summary

Overall I ended up pleased with the race.  The more I look at my splits, the more I wonder what the heck I was doing out there.  My splits were all over the place.  Also, the final three miles were all under 7:00 minutes so I clearly could have run a little bit faster than I did.  Oh well.  Be happy with a PR.

One last thing...  Next June I will be taking another shot at the Garry Bjorklund.  I "won" a slot in the random drawing from the Grandma's Minnesota Mile in Duluth a couple weekends ago.  The whole concept of calling the method of giving out slots for the popular races as lotteries is a little bit of a misnomer.  Something tells me Powerball would not be nearly as popular if when you "won" the Powerball you had to pay the lottery $75 and then you now had the privilege to run 10 or 13 miles.

Garry Bjorklund Here I Come!

Spell Check Is Your Friend

Front Page of startribune.com This Morning

I have no idea what a forcast is...

NMTC Spirit Mtn Trail Run

Tonight was the Spirit Mountain trail run.  The weather was clear with temps in the mid to upper 60's.  Great for a nice fall run.  The trail was dry and very rocky. 

Trail In Google Earth

We started in the first parking lot for Spirit Mountain and then headed down the hill.  We run straight down a washed out rocky trail and then hook onto a road for a short time at the bottom.  Then the trail heads back onto the trails and going up.  On the way down, I spent the whole time picking my line so I did not trip on the rocks, and also did not roll my ankle with the TC 10 miler this weekend.  When we hit the road, I focused on keeping a nice steady pace.  As we hit the new trail I am glad that Leslie was ahead of our small group because there was a fork in the trail with pretty much no marking as to which way to go.  Leslie chose to the left while one of the guys was leaning right.  Leslie was correct and we all simply followed her lead.  One of the benefits of being middle of the pack is there is always someone else to follow; hopefully I continue to follow people like Leslie who know the correct path to take. 

Uphill...

As we started our way back to the finish, I wanted to make sure I did not push to hard on the first chunk of uphill.  As the elevation profile shows, we had a chunk of up, with a small down followed by the final uphill push for the last 3/4 of a mile.

Elevation Profile

When the trail came onto the final uphill stretch we were on a straight part of the trail and I could see the guy up in front of me about 200 yards.  I thought to myself he was really moving slow and I should try to catch him.  After about 1 minute of running he was still 200 yards ahead of me and I realized everyone was barely  moving because the trail was just so steep.  So I focused on keeping my pace smooth.  With about 1/3 of a mile, I started to feel a side stitch starting.  Knowing what we had left, straight uphill, I pushed through.  Overall I felt pretty good with my 29 minute time. 

TC 10 Mile

Now my focus is to put the finishing touches on my prep for Sunday's race.  I plan on running a nice easy 4 miles tomorrow.  Maybe another short easy run on Friday, but Saturday will be no running and only getting my race packet at the Excel Center.  The weather for Sunday looks dry with temps probably in the 50's to low 60's when we are running.

Jay Cooke Fall Ride

After work today I stopped out in Carlton and did a favorite ride of mine through Jay Cooke.  Starting at the Munger Trail parking lot in Carlton, I head east on the Munger trail towards Jay Cooke State Park and then take a right turn onto Hwy 210 and ride through Jay Cooke.  On weeknights the traffic is very light and due to the curves and hills the cars are usually moving a lot slower.  The trees are just starting to change colors and the ride was nice albeit a little cool. 

Hills, hills, and more hills...

Google Earth Trace of the Route

I really enjoy this ride for the hills.  Riding the loop through the park and taking a right turn onto 23 over the St. Louis River, and then up to Cty Rd 18 into Wrenshall.  From Wrenshall I take Cty Rd 1 and the Alex Leveau trail back to Carlton.  In this setup, there is about 1000 feet of elevation change.  With a wonderful climb of over 1 mile on Hwy 23 after leaving Jay Cooke.

Green Line is Altitude, Purple is Power

Today I was rolling my road bike and was just enjoying the ride.  I did not really try to push hard at any point nor was I really trying to do any sort of workout.  I was just out enjoying a ride.  Now that the tri season is over this is how my bike rides go and I really enjoy that.  Soon enough I will be looking to put together specific workouts as I look forward to next year...

Sunday Long Run

This morning I got out for a nice 8 mile run.  I spent the first two miles easing into the run, and then proceeded to pick up the pace.  After my turn around  at the four mile mark I hit two miles under 7:20 pace that felt pretty good.  I will run a few easy runs this week as I finalize my prep for the 10 miler one week from today. 

The last few times I have been running out on the Lakewalk I have really noticed one of the best parts of off season running.  The trail is so open and clear.  Even when I get down between Fitger's and the pier there are no tourists, very few random walkers etc...  Much nicer than a couple weeks ago when the family let thier kid dart out in front of me when I was on my bike causing me to crash.  This time of year I typically see other runners, some folks walking their dogs, and a few walkers.  I actually enjoy the other people on the trail when out running.  I just wish they would not take up the whole trail and ignore the other people trying to enjoy the trail along with them.

After my nice run this morning, I went shopping for my niece and nephew's birthday presents.  With that taken care of I then took care of rotating the tires on my truck.  I also did some minor bike maintenance on my tri racing bike. 

I hope everyone else had a great weekend and was able to get out and enjoy the good weather.  I will be back this week to talk about some easy runs and the trail run at Spirit Mountain on Wednesday.

Runnin' and Roller Derby Saturday

This morning I got up and knocked out a nice 5 mile run.  With a week to go to the TC 10 mile, I want to make sure each run has a purpose.  Today I wanted to have a couple miles of race pace effort, but not work too hard overall.  I will get my last longish (8 miles) run in and I want to be fresh for that.  So for today's run I started out pretty easy for the first mile and a half.  Then I started upping the pace so that at the 2 mile mark I was running at just over 7 minute per mile pace.  I held that for about 2 miles and then eased back for a nice easy one mile cool down. 

I then proceeded to do show random chores around the house.  A little cleaning around the apartment and I also washed my truck.  I haven't done that in a while and it really needed it.  After the chores I am now just relaxing and watching a little college football.  Roll Tide!

Tonight we are going to watch the opening night of the Harbor City Roller Dames in Duluth.  I have never watched roller derby before, but why not?  It could be interesting.  And until hockey season starts, I need to find some fun stuff to do. 

On the hockey note, my co-worker was able to help me out and get tickets for the Gophers vs. bulldogs hockey games at Amsoil arena.  Since he is a season ticket holder he was allowed to buy them before they go on sale to the general public.  So this year I will get to see both games on the weekend.

Well, off to the dinner and the roller derby.  Then I will be trying to knock out a nice final longish run tomorrow.  I will share some thoughts on that tomorrow evening. 

Wednesday Trail Run Report

This Wednesday the NMTC run was at Brown's Point in Superior.  This is the third time I have done this race, and the third different course we have run.  This year, the normal trails had not been mowed while the trails on the other side of the road were mowed so we ran on them.  Basically any advantage and ability to pace because I knew the course was out the window.  In my warm-up I did notice how the finish met up with the start of the course so I had an idea of what the last quarter of a mile would look like.

I wanted to run hard tonight, so I made a point of going out strong.  I might have started a little too hard as half way through the run I had a few folks go by me.  I did what I could to keep my pace smooth and handle the quick up/down hills the trail kept throwing at us.  Knowing the finish had a steep down/up with about 100 yards after to the finish was helpful.  I ran the down portion as fast as I could without stumbling and then gave the up portion everything I had left and cruised in for a solid finish. 

Overall this week went well.  The weather was perfect for running.  The clouds were thick, but we did not get rained on.  Temps were in the low 50's and while there was a wind, the trails kept us hidden from the worst of the wind.  Now we get to look forward to next week's run at Spirit Mountain.  I love when the finish line is at the top of the hill...

Easy Run

Went for a nice easy 4 mile jog after work today.  As is typical of fall running around Duluth the weather was cool, perfect for a run.  I did one of my basic routes on the lakewalk that is a simple out and back.  With the good running weather there were a lot of other runners out getting their workouts in also.  Great to see so many folks out taking advantage of the weather and the great trails for running. 

Looking forward to the NMTC trail run tomorrow evening.  I am curious to see what course we are able to run.  Hopefully the trails are dry enough to run so we do not have to do an out and back on the road.  No matter the course, I plan on running a pretty hard pace to make sure I get a good workout in for the middle of the week.  I will follow it up with another easy day on Thursday or Friday, and then get one last longish run in this weekend prior to the Twin Cities 10 miler.   

Sunday Long Run, Monday Ride

With the Twin Cities 10 miler coming up, I got in a nice 10 mile long run yesterday.  I used a portion of the Grandma's marathon course to take advantage of the mile markings so I could check my pacing.  Overall I was pleased with the run.  A two mile warm up with then upping the pace till I hit 7:14's for a couple followed by a two mile cool down. 

With the nice warm weather today, I figured I would get a nice easy ride in.  Since my tri season is over for the year, I took the road bike out.  Well, the tri bike is now in pieces for some minor maintenance/modifications could also be the reason I took the road bike out too...  I started out at Ordean school and headed east to Skyline Parkway.  I rode up and jumped off at the top of seven bridges, and then found my way to Tischer.  I kept heading north and then took a left on Zimmerman to head back to Jean Duluth and head home.  On the way up, I kept it pretty easy as the road was either heading up, or a little rougher pavement or both.  Once onto Zimmerman, the pavement was pretty nice so I picked up the pace a little.  The rest of the ride was nice and overall it was a good way to recover from the long run yesterday. 

End of the Season Mexican Style

The hail while running yesterday was a solid reminder that winter is approaching quickly around these parts.  So the good weather last Saturday for the final triathlon of the season was that much more welcome.  For the last tri of the year I registered for the unique Burrito Union triathlon (http://www.burritounion10hrtri.com/).  This event has many different option from individual 5 hour to 3 person 10 hour versions.  I signed up for the individual 5 hour category.  We would be competing on a 600 meter swim/14 mile bike/3 mile run course and repeating until the clok hit 5 hours.  In the days leading up to this race I spent a lot of time trying to figure out how to get in and out of a wetsuit quickly while sweaty. 

For everyone who has raced before, think of how long it takes you to get into your wetsuit prior to the race and all of the tricks you use.  Now add a bunch of sweat, and oh yeah, try this right at the finish line of a sprint tri...  To try to make this step as easy as possible I also had to figure out how to not just take my wetsuit off quickly, but also not leave it in an inside out lump with the breakaway zipper still engaged. 

So, basically I really iced to fact that I am a slow swimmer (this would be why I was putting the wetsuit on for every swim...  that and the cold water).  I passed so many people on the bike and run throughout the first lap of the course.  The bike course was a simple out and back on pretty decent roads.  The fact that the park where we swam/transitioned was at the top of a nice hill so the bike was seven miles of downhill followed by the return trip of seven miles uphill, well that was just a fun benefit!  The run was on very well shaded trails.  A little bit of slippery mud was not a big deal until the third or fourth lap.  Overall it was a wonderful course. 

Now anytime I race for more than 2 hours, there is usually something that surprises me during the race.  For this race, I assumed that would have something to do with transitions as I would be doing that a whole lot more, and in new ways.  For this race, my "issue" to deal with would be more of a gostrointestinal issue.  When I was out on the second run, I started feeling like I needed to use the restroom and not to take a leak.  I wasn't sure if it was really a sh#t coming, but I was figuring I did not want to bet on a fart with more than 2 hours of racing still to come.  Luckily the transition area had a nice little bathhouse with real toilets.  The location was actually in between the finish line and my transition spot so I did not add extra time with my detour.  Of course, wearing my racing onesie made the effort take a little longer than normal.  Once I got on the crapper, all I had to do was fart...  So I wasted a little extra time for a fart...  Better safe than sorry.

Once I got back to racing things continued on like normal.  The third swim was quite a challenge.  Not sure why, but it was tough.  At this point it was pretty obvious the race would be four full circuits of the course.  Once onto the fourth lap, the swim went well this time.  Maybe because I knew I did not need to do it again.  It also felt nice to just peel the wetsuit like normal and get through t1 in a more normal time.  The second half of the bike was feeling a little slow, and the run...  Well, it went a little slower than I would have liked. 

All in all, I was happy with the overall effort I had.  I captured first in my age division and had a good time.  Sitting around after it was fun to watch the 10 hour individuals and teams still coming in and out of transition.  Maybe next time I will try the 10 hour version, maybe as a team too.  I would suggest this race for anybody looking for a unique event to finish your season off.  Get a few friends together and relax while racing, or go solo and see what you can do for 5 or 10 hours. 

Sprite with the handcrafted bowl for 1st in my age division.

What the Hail?

Every spring and fall I participate in the trail running series in the Duluth area organized by the Northern Minnesota Track Club.  It is a series of races on various trails around the Duluth area on Wednesday evenings or Sunday afternoons. 

Tonights race was Zapp's loop.  It starts in the Fond du Lac area runs through the Mission Creek park.  The trail has some good hills, a couple of creek crossings and is through a very wooded area.  With the dark clouds that were headed our way as we prepared to start, it was inevitable that some form of precipitation would hit us while running.  Since it was in the low 40's, it happened to be hail.  Luckily it was only small hail, only fell for a short time and fell while we were running through a pretty tree covered part of the trail. 

The run starts with a nice uphill section.  The trail is basically single track and pretty easy to follow.  At the top of the hill we get thrown out on the paved Munger Trail for a short section.  With my legs still a feeling a little heavy from my triathlon this past weekend, I used the flat section to see how my pace felt.  After leaving the trail, we then head downhill.  The trail downhill is a little wider than the uphill section, but it has a lot of washout so I spent the whole section trying to pick the best line and not trip and fall on my face.  At the bottom of the hill you hit a couple of creek crossings.  They are not very deep so you can barrel right through them.  Then it is back up the hill again.  At the top we are back on a single track section and there are lots of tree branches hanging over the trail.  Since a lady had passed me on the uphill I was following her through this section for a bit.  After smacking into a few branches that appeared out of nowhere, I figured it would be smart to pass her before the coming downhill.  Onto the final downhill...  This section was a very fast downhill with very tricky footing that was not helped by the fact it was wet.  I managed to keep myself upright and crossed the creek one more time and hit the finish. 

Even with the wet conditions, I was able to cut over a minute from my time last year.  I would say that had a lot to do with having a decent idea of what was coming and being able to pace the run better.  Ended up being a great run and lots of fun.

First Post...

I have thought about starting a blog for awhile.  It isn't that I have anything really important to say, but every now and then it might be nice to put my thoughts on various things (mostly exercise and participating in athletic events such as triathlons and running races) out there for others.  Of course talking to co-workers/friends/family that may not care or understand of what I am talking about will make you wonder if you are boring them with the little details.

Enter a blog.  Now, I am only boring the folks who stumble upon my blog that choose to read it.  So, if you want to know what it is like to sign up for running races and triathlons as a way to force yourself to exercise because you do not want to make a complete fool of yourself come race day...  Welcome. 

I plan on discussing whatever it is that comes to my mind, so I will drift from swimming/biking/running often and discuss other subjects that come up.  Enjoy and I hope my ramblings can bring a smile or a laugh, or maybe even inform someone.