Run the Bird! Continued...

Two additional things I wanted to mention about the Akron Triathlon:
1) The race was, in my opinion, extremely well organized. A case in point is the support for the relays. Imagine needing to bus at least a couple of hundred people out to a remote site in the middle of the race. Then making sure each individual "connects" with the appropriate team member, running the previous leg, to be able to "pass the baton" (in this case bracelet) and continue the relay. In addition, imagine that many of the people standing around for up to two hours waiting have not met and maybe haven't even seen their relay team member before. Also, imagine trying to keep these couple of hundred people from wandering in front of the racers who are passing by in increasing numbers just a couple of yards away. Keeping runners orderly is a lot like herding cats! Not that runners aren't great people, they just tend to be very individualistic. Finally, multiply this by 4 sites and you have a small sense of the nightmare of logistics and organization facing the race organizers. Race organizers, I salute you!
2) The support among the people of Akron for the race was nothing short of amazing. On my leg, I passed many impromptu aid stations set up in people's front yards. Some playing inspirational music (the theme from "Rocky" certainly comes to mind) on their "boom boxes". Several public places had bands playing. All very encouraging especially when you are grinding out the last few miles.

Did I mention it was all a very wonderful experience? It most definitely was!

Run the Bird!

Cute, huh? I saw that on a t-shirt today at the Akron Marathon sponsored by, who else, Road Runner high speed internet. Hence the name. I really wanted to get the t-shirt but I already have many t-shirts with cute stuff written on them. Besides, I got a very nice blue long sleeve shirt with my packet. So, at least the event is covered by apparel! :-) Here's the link: http://www.akronmarathon.org/
My day started at 3AM. Got up and took a shower. Had a breakfast of bacon and an omlet and headed to Akron at about 4AM. Met up with the rest of the relay team around 5AM and headed into Akron to get ready for the race. The race started at 7AM but since I was running the last leg I didn't have to do anything at the start but watch and cheer.
About an hour later we took a bus to the relay point at mile 18.6. Here is where the final 7.6 mile leg of the relay starts. We arrived at the relay point in time to see the marathon leaders pass that point in the race. Over the next two hours or so while we waited for our 4th leg runners the number of runners passing that point in the race became larger and larger.
Finally, I was just about to make one final trip to the port-a-potty when I heard the race number of our team called. So, I toward the hand-off point and grabbed the bracelet to start the final leg of our relay - still needing to go to the bathroom. Happily, it wasn't too far along that I was able to take a bathroom break at one of the many stops proveded along the course.
Well, I was able to complete the 7.6 mile final leg in just over an hour - an 8 minute pace for that distance. Our relay finished in a respectable 4 hours and 5 minutes. Everyone seemed to enjoy the race which was very well organized. I will certainly consider doing it again next year. I'm feeling pretty well as I write this. A little bit sore, and very tired but I had not problems with leg cramps and felt very strong during the race.
Bottom line. I had a great time with a great group of "Team in Training" people. We had two relay teams and they are the nicest people you will meet anywhere!

Florida rain

It's raining in Florida, pretty much all day, and especially in the morning. I am in Florida for the week on business. Since I don't have a bicycle down here this is always a good time to switch to running. I run early in the morning (6AM) to avoid the Florida heat. But, this time the air is thick with humidity and it's raining pretty much all the time.
Yesterday morning, I left the hotel in a downpour. Turned back immediately to leave my glasses in my room. I see well enough without my glasses and definitely better than through glasses that are dripping with rainwater. The run was an adventure. Many times I was "dancing" through puddles that were almost knee deep. Well, actually, they were just above my ankles. It only seemed deeper. But, that's deep enough. There is really no place for the water to go in southern Florida since it is so flat. The frogs were singing in the many small lakes that quickly formed. They clearly love this weather. The noise was sometimes deafening!
It is actually quite pleasant to run in the rain. Even if it is not raining, I always return to the hotel completely soaked - in sweat! It's really nicer to be soaked in rainwater instead. Also, much cooler. Anyway, I did enjoy the run.
This morning, it was only drizzling and I shortened my run since my achilles tendon felt a little tight from yesterday. Had to dodge the rain drops coming across the street to the office. That's all for now. Still having fun!

Saturday Fun!

My brother, Jim, his friend James (in the front), James' friend Jesse, and me (in the back) posed for this picture at my mom's house in Cincinnati before we headed to Oxford, Ohio - about 30 miles away. Our adventure began at about 8AM on saturday. James was chuckling about the backpacks on Jim's and my bikes, until, that is my brother used the tools he was carrying to tighten James' handle bar and I furnished water from the spare bottle I was carrying when the day got really hot. All in good fun! I like to be at least reasonably prepared, and the extra weight is good training on the hills. I'm gonna have to learn to love those hills!
So, we were off! The morning was cool, for a little while at least. After a several mile downhill at the start of the ride, we reached the Little Miami River. We spent the rest of the ride gradually climbing back up out of the valley to return to my brother's house which is not far from my mom's. The country around Cincinnati is lovely. It's very dry right now. Cincinnati is badly in need of several good, soaking rains since they are down about 12 inches from their normal rainfall. After 2-3 hours we stopped at the Cappucino Depot in Millville. Jim started talking to someone who was enjoying the coffee with his wife and daughter. After a short conversation, he discovered that our sister had gone to grade school with this man's brother. Small world!
I got a frozen cappucino and a pound of freshly roasted Ethiopian Yigracheffe. I'm not even going to try to pronounce that! The label says: "One of the world's most distinctive coffees. A fruity winey taste with rich soft toned acidity and light to medium body." I really don't know about that, but I do like the taste. After that short stop, we were on our way to Oxford, and Miami University.
"Uptown" in Oxford, High Street (which IS actually higher than the surrounding area), we found a little sandwich shop to get some lunch. After lunch I had a little snack of "nuts and berries". Trail mix and water are my primary sustenance on these day long rides.
It was a long (about 7 hours) and rather hot day, so I spent much of it, riding or not, continuously sipping water or downing diet pops when we stopped. While riding, I try not to let my mouth get dry. That seems to be a good strategy for staying hydrated since I finished the ride feeling very fresh. No trouble with leg cramps and I felt as fresh climbing the hills as I did when I started.
We finally made it to downtown Hamilton, Ohio a little while after lunch. I realized that even though I lived in Cincinnati for just over 40 years I had never been to downtown Hamilton, at least not that I can remember. It's a nice area and they were setting up for a small concert or carnival so we stopped and got some pop.
Jesse, who had not ridden much for the last month, was starting to drag a little. I could tell he wasn't looking forward to getting back on the bike. A few more miles down the road, he called a friend of his to pick him up and take him and his bike home, or as my brother put it: "He called for an extraction." :-) Well, the way I see it, he covered nearly 50 miles that day. And, my hat's off to anyone who can put forth that effort!
A few more relatively easy hills put us back level with my brother's house and we cruised on in. We got a picture of the 3 amigos to mark the occasion. I can't think of a better way to spend a saturday!

Weekends!

Got cool plans for the next three saturdays. Tomorrow, my brother and I are planning to bicycle around 60 miles from Cincinnati to Oxford, Ohio (home of Miami University) and back. Along the way, we will be stopping in Millville at my favorite coffee shop, the Cappucino Depot. Millville is also the birthplace of Kenesaw Mountain Landis, the first baseball commissioner. Of course, whenever I go riding with my brother, we always get lost midway through the ride. So a 60 mile ride will probably turn into 65 or 70 miles.
All in a day's ride. :-)
Next saturday, I will anchor a 5 person marathon relay in Akron. This last leg will be about a 7.6 mile run. I think its mainly a group of Team in Training alumni. My kind of people. :-) I'll have to get up around 3:30AM to meet them at 5AM near Akron since the race starts at 7AM.
The saturday after that, I will be back in Cincinnati for Aramac's annual pig roast. I'm hoping to get together again with my brother to bicycle the 60-70 miles from his house to the location of the roast. Great way to build up an appetite for the dinner.
It's gonna be a great few weekends!

A favorite quote...

"We must always change, renew, rejuvenate ourselves; otherwise we harden."

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

In other words: "Move it or loose it!" I am continually amazed at what we can train ourselves to do!

Fall is coming!

I love these cool mornings. It's a great time to hop on my bike and ride for an hour or two. Monday morning was a bit cold - about 44 degrees. But this morning was better at around 55. I have a nice 7-8 mile loop that I can repeat as many times as I feel like. Yesterday and today I completed the loop twice, riding for about an hour each day. Part of the loop is on trails through Veteran's Park which is very close to my house. Deer, ducks, the ever present Canada geese, and even a few swans are always hanging out in the park as I ride through. Great way to start any day. Can't wait for daylight savings to go away so I can start my ride a little earlier. :-)

My First Triathlon

I completed my first Triathlon - thus earning the right to call myself a "triathlete" - on 6/24/07. I joined an organization called "Team In Training", which is a fund-raising group for the "Leukemia and Lymphoma Society". It was an amazing experience! I am definitely hooked! Here are my thoughts from the day of the race.

Thoughts and Results from the Triathlon

Woke up sunday morning (6/24) around 4:30AM ready to roll...

At 5:15AM we ride our bikes the 3 miles to the transition area to set up our gear (bikes, shoes, shorts, water, etc.) for the two race transitions - swim to bike and bike to run.

Still waiting to hear whether the water temperature is low enough to wear my wetsuit. The wetsuit has become sort of a security blanket for me - something I will have to fix. I have the feeling that the swim will not go well if I don't wear the wetsuit. I am scheduled to start in the second wave, at 7AM. Finally the question about the wetsuit is answered. I am so happy to hear over the loud speaker that the water temperature is 76 degrees F and the race is "wetsuit legal". At 78 degrees the race is "wetsuit optional" and I will have to ditch mine or start in the last wave (around 8AM) which I will NOT do.

I am in the water at about 3 minutes to 7, lining up with the buoy and treading water until the start. The water feels good and I am confident (I have my security blanket :-). At 7AM on the dot we start swimming. Sometime during the swim, I apparently jammed my thumb. It started feeling a little weird and I guess I got kicked in the thumb or something. Lots of kicking but it is really not as bad as I thought it would be. Finally, rounding the final buoy and heading for the beach.

When I hit the beach my legs are a little unsteady but I am able to find my bike pretty easily. It takes about 5 minutes for me to get the wetsuit off and my glasses, helmet, gloves, shoes, shirt, and shorts on.

I am running my bike over the grass headed for the road. When I hit the road I am feeling strong and smooth on the bike. There is plenty of room and the other riders generally are pretty courteous. Keep right except to pass. Pass quickly on the left and move back to the right. Everyone seems to follow these rules pretty well. We all have our age written on our right calf so I can see the ages of everyone who passes me. 25, no surprise; 30 something, still young and strong. the professionals just have a "P" written on their calf and you can easily hear the different sound their multi-thousand dollar bikes make. Then it happens, I get passed by a guy with "66" written on his right calf! Hey, hold on there! Too late, he's already gone. :-)

I'm moving fast on the bike - even on the hills and feeling strong. Wondering how much I should save for the run. The people on the side-lines are great! I get a lot of "Go Team!" cheers. This is for anyone wearing a "Team In Training" jersey - which I am. Seems like everyone is rooting for me. Cool!

Two loops on the bike and I am pulling back into the transition area, walking my bike to my spot. I can already tell it will be payback time on the run. The swim and ride went too easily. The run will "kick my butt"! I'm jogging out on wobbly legs and wondering how long I can hold of the leg cramps.

I glance at my watch and see that it is about 9AM. If I can do a sub 1 hour 10K I have a chance to beat 3 hours for the triathlon. I'm am psyched to try that since I was hoping to beat 3 hours and 30 minutes. Now the strategy is to try to run around 10 minute miles - maybe a little less - but not much faster since I don't want to cramp up and have to walk. If I have to walk, I can kiss a sub 3 hour finish goodbye. The run WAS a real struggle for me but I only started to feel a little stiffness in about the last mile and it was my left hamstring and achilles tendon - not the calf. Go figure!

When I started to hear the cheering at the finish and one of the volunteers said "less than a minute to go" I knew I was in good shape. As I crossed the finish line I saw 3:01 on the clock. Since the clock started with the first wave, which started 5 minutes before my wave, I knew my (stretch) goal of finishing under 3 hours had been achieved...

Here are my official results:

Overall Rank 827 of 1544

Class Rank 12 of 31

Swim 0:32:36

Swim Rank 929

Transition 1 0:05:24

Bike 1:23:03

Bike Rank 910

MPH 17.9

Transition 2 0:02:23

Run 0:52:52

Run Rank 688

Pace 0:08:31

Final 2:56:20

I did NOT make up these numbers!

You can check them out yourself on the Philly Tri website:

http://phillytri.com/results.html

Click on 2007 "Triathlon Results"

Select "2007 Philly Olympic Individual results" and click "Search"

Enter "Bib number" 163 - that's me - and see my results.