Monthly Summary - June 2009

Here's June:

Swim: 26,731 yards
Cycling (outdoors): 575.15 miles
Cycling (indoors): 0:30 (hours)
Run: 66.1 miles
Strength Training/Yoga: 1 session

Approximate monthly total training/racing time: 51.25 hours

Weight: 164

I can't believe we're half-way through 2009.

Another good month of training. My body is holding up well (knock on wood) and I've been able to dedicate a lot of time to training. (unemployment sure helps in that department...) I now have about 8 1/2 weeks until Canada and I feel like I'm in a good spot right now. I've been able to get a lot of time on the bike - without looking back too much, I'm guessing that this was my biggest month on the bike ever. I've been able to mix up the cycling - spending relatively long periods of time in aero and also doing some really good, hard climbing. I'd like to continue that trend for the next 6+ weeks until my taper. My running is fine, but I've been speaking with Coach John about increasing the volume a little bit. For the last couple months, I've been running about 15-18 miles per week, with a hard effort on Tuesdays and two shorter runs on Saturday and Sunday. I'd like to add another mid-week longish run. I know I have a great base, but I want to get some longer runs in again.

This month's highlights were the Bonelli Triathlon and the trip to NY. The race was a nice intro to Southern California racing. I wish that I were doing another couple races before Canada, but scheduling - both in terms of training requirements and other commitments - makes that pretty tough. I might try to get some races in this fall after I recover from Canada. The trip to NY was fun. It was good to see family and friends and check out the old haunts. I didn't really miss a beat in my training. But it did help confirm for me that we made the right choice in moving.

Swim - June 27
Distance: 2,650 yards
Time: 50 minutes

Strength - June 27

Run - June 27
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 31 minutes
Average heart rate: 134
Course: Wainscott
Conditions: Sunny and warm, low 70's

Bike - June 28
Distance: 75 miles
Time: 4:10
Average heart rate: 117
Course: East end of North Fork Long Island
Conditions: Cloudy, some rain, 60's

Swim - June 30
Distance: 2,000 yards
Time: 49 minutes

LA Tri Club Griffith Park Brick - June 30
Total Time: 1:52
Bike:
Distance: 20.9 miles
Time: 1:14:11
Average heart rate: 135
Transition Time: 11:08
Run:
Distance: 3.5 miles (had to cut the run short to meet Elizabeth)
Time: 27:08
Average heart rate: 148
Conditions: Evening, mid 70's, sunny and clear

NY trip continued

It's been a bit of a whirlwind (and I don't just mean the weather) so far, but here's hoping for a nice, relaxing weekend, full of eating, reading, chilling and, of course, training! The weather has been up and down, mostly rain, humidity, and overcast, but there has been some sun - in fact, it looks pretty nice out right now.

I have managed to get in all my training, as well as doing some work and spending some quality time with Elizabeth and a few friends. Charlie's definitely NOT getting the attention he's used to, but he'll survive.

The highlight of the week was going back to the City for a couple nights. It was our first trip back since we moved and it was really nice to be back. The sights and smells were all so familiar and it felt fairly natural to be there. I stopped into my favorite triathlon store, Jackrabbit Sports, got my traditional summer haircut at my old Cuban barbershop

and walked and walked and walked, something I've definitely lost touch with since the move. We were staying in Times Square, which was a total trip - mainly because I avoided the place like the plague for the 9 years I lived in NYC. I wish this picture came anywhere close to showing the chaos that is Times Square. (BTW: these pictures were taken with my new iPhone! Just because I don't have a job doesn't mean I can't have new toys!)


I also got in a good, hard run in Central Park on Wednesday morning. I got a little later start than I'd planned, so I missed most of the running crowd, but there were still a bunch of people out there who I "raced" against to get that extra push. Even though training in LA has been incredible, I still think Central Park is one of the best places in the country for running. It has varied terrain with a few good, short climbs, there are enough cut-offs and side roads that you can run short or long, for the most part you can run protected from traffic, there is even some off-road running that you can do and there are always good runners out there. I ran a little too hard, but was having a blast and feeling really good.

We came back out to Wainscott last night and I went for a great run - my longest since the marathon. I ran pretty easy for the first 55 minutes, then pushed the pace for the last 25. I was cruising, but felt relaxed and calm. Very encouraging stuff. This morning I went for a ride. It was drizzling a little when I started, but the rain stopped pretty quickly. Then, on my way back, about 20 minutes from home, the heavens opened up and it began to pour! I mean torrential. I started counting between the lightning and the thunder to try to see how far away the lightning was striking and to make sure it wasn't too close! It was probably a little dangerous, but frankly it was mostly fun, particularly because I was on my way home anyway. I hope to get in one more ride out here on Sunday. That will make three good rides during this trip and would make dragging the bike across the country totally worthwhile.

Swim - June 23
Distance: 3,200 yards
Time: 1:00

Run - June 24
Distance: 6.9 miles
Time: 53 minutes
Average heart rate: 150
Course: Central Park
Conditions: 70 degrees, some clouds, humid

Run - June 25
Distance: 10.25 miles
Time: 1:20
Average heart rate: 137
Course: Wainscott
Conditions: Evening run, clear, comfortable low 60's

Bike - June 26
Distance: 45.0 miles
Time: 2:24
Average heart rate: 121
Course: Route 27 towards Montauk
Conditions: Cloudy and low 60's at start with a few sprinkles, POURING rain, lightning and thunder last 20 minutes

In NY

Dreary, rainy New York. I hear you locals (Ha! Like how I wrote that now?) have been dealing with this all month. Ain't nobody allowed to ask me why we moved to LA during this trip!

It hasn't rained the ENTIRE time we've been here, but I haven't seen the sun either. Supposedly the sun might be making an appearance tomorrow, or maybe Wednesday or maybe not.

Despite my anxiety, traveling with the bike was really easy. Virgin America didn't give me any hassle at check-in and the $50 they charge is a bargain compared to other airlines. Putting the bike back together was a snap and it rode great today.

Bike - June 19
Distance: 43.6 miles
Time: 2:38
Average heart rate: 121
Course: To Griffith Park, some loops, home
Conditions: Sunny and warm (high 60s)

Run - June 21
Distance: 8.2 miles
Time: 1:03
Average heart rate: 140
Course: Wainscott
Conditions: Overcast, mid-60's

Bike - June 22
Distance: 27.25 miles
Time: 1:30
Average heart rate: 114
Course: 27 towards Montauk, back, 114 towards Sag
Conditions: Low 60's, overcast

Stupid flat!

I flatted today. That was the first time that's happened in a couple years I think. I've been very lucky. Today I was just stupid. I ran over a pretty rock; clipped it with my front tire and immediately heard the whooshing of my tire going flat. To make matters worse (or at least more interesting), the flat actually happened at about the farthest point on the ride from where I started. For those of you in LA or who know the PCH, I started at Ocean and San Vicente in Santa Monica and my plan was to ride out to Big Rock, turn around, ride up Latigo, down Kanan Dume and head back - about 90 miles. My turn around at Big Rock was the farthest I would be from my car, about 35 miles. And that's exactly where it happened. Well, to be honest, it was about 100 yards before where I was turning around. Nonetheless. Anyway, long story short, it worked out fine. I changed the tube and finished my ride as planned. BUT, there is one more detail to share. This stuff:


totally saved my ass. Vittoria Pit Stop. I'd never used it before but I did see someone successfully use it the other week. I bought it mostly out of curiosity, but I am a BELIEVER! Here's what happened: I changed the tube fine, but when I went to fill it with the CO2, my cartridge must not have been on very well because nearly all the CO2 went out the sides into the air. I had one extra CO2, but I was worried about screwing up again and then really being SOL. So, instead I used the Pit Stop. And it worked like a charm. It's so easy to use. It filled my tube with foam and CO2. It didn't fill it close to the 115psi (the instructions say to use a hand-pump after the Pit Stop), but it was enough to get me back on the road. Supposedly (I only say that because I haven't tested it) the Pit Stop will work even on a damaged tube, so you don't even have to take the time to change the tube. That's perfect for races. The drawback is that it's sort of expensive (~$13 I think), so I'll only use it in emergencies or races, but those times, yee haw!


In other news, on Saturday morning, Elizabeth, Charlie and I are headed to New York for about 10 days. Mostly we'll be in Wainscott, but we'll also hit the City for a few days. That's the reason I did my long ride today. Well, that, and the fact that I can! I don't want to be without a bike for that long, so I'm bringing my Felt road bike. I've never traveled with a bike before. I borrowed a Trico Iron Case from my friend Will and will be lugging this across the country:

I was a little nervous about taking the bike apart and jamming it into the case, so I did it a few extra days early. It took a little while, but was really easy. Essentially, it's wheels off, back derailleur off, seat post off and handlebars disconnected. I didn't have to mess with any cables or anything that requires more than an allan wrench. Here's what it looks like:


A big piece of foam goes on top of the bike and then the wheels, then another piece of foam. Then the straps get tightened and voila!


Taking it apart was easy, but let's see what happens when I go to put it back together!! Keep your fingers crossed!

Brick - June 18
Total Time: 5:21:30
Bike:
Distance: 90.2 miles
Time: 5:06
Average heart rate: 129
Course: PCH to Big Rock, up Latigo, down Kanam Dume, back on PCH
Transition Time: 3:53
Run:
Distance: 1.5 miles
Time: 11:30 minutes
Average heart rate: 142
Run Course: Ocean Ave
Conditions: Overcast and cool (low 60's) start, then hot and sunny by middle of ride

The "Perfect Pushup"

First off, if last week the ocean was a little choppy, this week is was just plain rough. At least the entry and exit were. A big shore break that pushed you back trying to get out and caused many tumbles trying to get back in. A few people even lost their goggles in the commotion. At least the water was warm!

For as long as I can remember, I have had a gym membership. And I used it. I started lifting weights pretty seriously around my freshman year in college and for many years I did much, much more strength training than cardio. It wasn't until I started training for Ironman Lake Placid in 2007 that the balance shifted. But even then I was still hitting the weights at least a couple times each week.

When we moved to LA - and I stopped having a regular income - the gym membership was pretty much the first expense I cut. It wasn't worth the money to me because I couldn't bear the thought of being inside to exercise and frankly, I was getting bored with it.

On the other hand, I do recognize the value of strength training and cutting it out entirely goes against one of my cardinal rules, but I hoped I could get some basic stuff done on my own at home.

I was doing pushups and core work as well as a few exercises with our dumbbells and Therabands. Pushups are great, but I wanted something a little more. Enter the "Perfect Pushup". You've definitely seen the "Get Ripped" commercial on TV. I'm smart enough to know that no matter how many perfect pushups I do, I'm never going to look like this guy, but I hoped it would at least give me some variety in my pushup workout. After a friend's strong recommendation, I picked up a set at Target for $30. My first impression was surprise at how sturdy they feel. I assumed they would be flimsy pieces of shit, but they seem to be well-built. They're also really easy and intuitive to use. I found that the wrist rotation is a fairly natural movement.

I've now been using them pretty consistently (~3 times per week) for the last six weeks. I mostly do their standard "2 Minute Drill" workout. There are four basic positions - feet on chair, regular, wide hands and narrow. For each position, I do three sets within two minutes, for the first set I do 18-20 reps, the second is 12-13 and the third is 7-9. I do that four times with a break in between each one to do a little core work.

My verdict: For a cheap investment, it's a good piece of equipment. I'm not gonna get "ripped", but I feel like I'm gaining upper body strength and definition. Perfect Pushups are harder than regular ones and put less stress on my wrists and hands. They're also more interesting than regular pushups and pulling the equipment out of the closet makes it more likely that I'll finish my planned sets. It's a good chest workout and hits triceps and shoulders and a little core as well, but it's not a substitute for a full-range of upper body exercises at the gym. (It doesn't take six weeks to figure that out!)

Blogger Merrill suggested the Iron Gym a few weeks ago for pull-ups. I haven't gotten that yet, but I think it would be a nice complement to the Perfect Pushup.

Swim - June 15
Distance: 3,280 meters (3,000 yards)
Time: 1:09

LA Tri Club Griffith Park Brick - June 16
Total Time: 2:24
Bike:
Distance: 21.3 miles
Time: 1:18:33
Average heart rate: 129
Transition Time: 7:41
Run:
Distance: 7.1 miles
Time: 57:55
Average heart rate: 150
Conditions: Evening, low 70's/high 60's, sunny and clear

LA Tri Ocean Speed Circuit - June 17
Distance: 2,000 yards (4 laps)
Time: 37 minutes
Conditions: Rough and tumble! Warm water.

Badwater!

Two years ago, I posted a review of the movie "Running on the Sun". It's a great documentary about the 1999 running of the Badwater Ultramarathon. Badwater is a 135 mile ultramarathon, starting in Death Valley and finishing on Mt. Whitney at 8,360 feet above sea level.

Since even before I saw the movie, I've spent a fair amount of time thinking about the race and wondering if it was something that I have in me. In the end, while I'm not convinced that I couldn't do it, I doubt it is something that I ever will do. But this July, I get to do the next best thing: I'll be there as part of my friend Blake's six-person crew.

Blake's pretty bad-ass (obviously...) and, if all goes well, will be in contention for the top spots. In 2007, Blake's only other Badwater, he came in 8th place with a time of 30:56:59. He was 8 hours behind the winner, but he did beat Dean Karnazes by over 35 minutes.

Honestly, I don't really know what being on the crew involves; I'm guessing the basics are sitting in a car for about 30 hours, making sure Blake has enough to eat and drink and trying to keep his motivation up during the tougher hours of the race. Whatever it is, I'm excited to be there and to be part of Blake's team. The race is the in the middle of nowhere, so while I'm not sure if I'll be blogging at all during the race, I'll be sure to take lots of pictures!

My recovery week is now over and it ended up much better than it started. That might be because I ended up doing some nice, longish workouts, including a Brick yesterday that went far beyond what Coach John had scheduled, both in terms of length and intensity. This week is back to my normal training. It's also about time to start picking up the running again. My run base is great, so I've been concentrating on getting quality time on the bike and just maintaining my run fitness and strength. I think it's now time to start increasing the run mileage.

Eleven weeks to go. I'm feeling good about it, but still really happy to have that much time.

Ocean Speed Circuit - June 10
Distance: ~2,200 yards (5 laps)
Time: 42 minutes
Water conditions: 63 degrees, rough!

Bike - June 11
Distance: 26.2 miles
Time: 1:32
Average heart rate: 119
Course: LA River Bike Path/Griffith Park
Conditions: Overcast, mid-60's

Swim - June 12
Distance: 3,200 yards
Time: 1:00

Brick - June 13
Total Time: 4:32
Bike:
Distance: 72.6 miles
Time: 3:58
Average heart rate: 130
Transition Time: 3:21
Run:
Distance: 3 miles
Time: 24 minutes
Average heart rate: 135
Conditions: Partly cloudy, low to mid-60's

Run - June 14
Distance: 5.85 miles
Time: 45 minutes
Average heart rate: 143
Course: West Hollywood/Beverly Hills
Conditions: Sunny and warm, low 70's

Recovery Week blues

It's only Tuesday and I'm already feeling the recovery week blues. Hell, I only finished my Bonelli race report yesterday evening. After the long, relatively intense week last week (13+ hours of training and racing), Coach John insisted that I take a recovery week. And I HATE IT. Already.

"Recovery week" means Monday off, no Griffith Park Brick today (instead I did a low-intensity Brick at home) and slightly shorter and less intense workouts for the rest of the week. I'm still doing the Speed Circuit swim tomorrow morning.

I'm sure - positively sure - that I need the rest, but how f-ed up is it that 48 hours after a hard effort, high intensity race capping off a long week, my skin is already itchy and crawling, I'm in a grumpy mood and all I can think about is why I'm not training?!

Anyway...

A few days ago, a reader named Steve wrote in the "comments" that he'd be in LA for the month of July and was looking for some good rides and runs to do while he's here. I'm new to LA myself, but I've been getting out there and have a pretty good sense of where and when to train. Here's my list of must-do's (and some to-do's) so far:

• Climbing Palomar Mountain. It's tough and not for the faint of heart, but the feeling you get at the top - and during the descent - make it all worthwhile. When I did it, we parked at the Harrah's Rincon Casino and climbed the South Grade. Here is a map of the 68 mile loop I did. Friends who did it separately the same day parked at the intersection of Interstate 15 and Highway 76 and rode from there to the bottom of Palomar (about 20 miles) and then did the climb and returned the same way. Either way it's about a two hour drive from LA.


• PCH. As far as I can tell, the most popular riding out here. It's pretty convenient, there aren't many stoplights or stop signs and the cars are generally respectful of cyclists. And, every time I've been out there, there have been a fair number of other cyclists. I either start the ride from San Vicente and Ocean Ave and make my way down to the PCH or park somewhere along the PCH and go from there. You can either just ride north for as long as you want, or, for some climbing, you can go up one of the many canyons. I've done Mulholland and Yerba Buena, and people talk about Latigo, Encinal and some others.


• Angeles Crest. I haven't done this ride yet, but it's supposedly a really sick climb. I think most people start in La Canada or Pasadena. I haven't done this one. Yet.


• Griffith Park. Steve said he'd be staying in Echo Park, so while Griffith Park doesn't have the sexy fame of the other stuff I've listed it's convenient and still pretty great for running and cycling. For cycling, you can do any number of loops around the inside of the Park and/or jump on the LA River bike path that goes for about 5 miles starting near the north-east corner of the Park. You can do a nice climb up to the Observatory from a couple different locations. For running, there are tons of paths - streets, dirt paths, non-technical trails. Depending on how adventurous you are and how good your sense of direction is, just pick a direction and go!


• Beach running. All along the beaches from Hermosa (at least) up into Malibu there are running paths. Pick a beach and go run it. On Saturdays after riding on PCH, I've been running in Santa Monica, either on the grass median on San Vicente or on the path along Ocean Ave. Also, someone today was telling me about the Manhattan Beach Sand Dunes. Evidently, it's a really steep sand dune that people do hill repeats on. It's near 33rd and Bell Avenue. It's another one on my list.


• Solvang. Steve mentioned a century ride in Solvang. Solvang is north of Santa Barbara - a couple hours north of LA, I think. Unfortunately, I don't know anything about the riding up there.


• Ocean Swimming. Check out the LA Tri Club website for their organized group swims on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. In general, you don't have to be a member to join the fun.


• Trail Running. I love running trails, but other than in Griffith Park, I haven't done that much of it out here. The Santa Monica Mountains have tons of trails that are good for running.

I've also had some success finding running and cycling routes on mapmyrun and mapmyride. You have to weed through a lot of shit to find a good course convenient to where you want to be, but it's worth it if you're trying to find something new.

As I get some more experience, I'll add to the list!

Brick - June 9
Total Time:
Indoor Bike:
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 119
Transition Time:
Run:
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 15 minutes
Average heart rate: 127
Course: West Hollywood

Bonelli Olympic Distance Triathlon

My first Southern California race is in the books. It went really well and even more importantly, I had fun!

I finished in 2:22:29, which was good enough for 27th overall (not counting relay teams) and 6th in a very competitive age group. My swim (24:24) was pretty good, my bike (1:12) was fine, but a little slower than I'd hoped even though it is a tough course and my run (42:13) was great for me, I think it was my triathlon 10K PR. But there are some fast f-ers out here, even in a "small, local" race like Bonelli and a few dudes just blazed past me during what was a fast run for me.

It was a great day for racing - comfortably cool and overcast in the morning, with the clouds mostly burning off for the run, but it never got too hot. The course is fair, even if the bike is a bit hilly to really fly. The race organizers did a good job getting everything together and getting started close to on time. The swim course was a little confusing from shore because it was hard to see which buoys were "ours" but I was able to just follow the red swim caps and didn't have any problems. The bike and run courses were clearly marked. All in all, a good, well-run race.

The official photos for the bike and run are posted, but I can't "grab" them to put them on the blog. Instead, you can see bike photos here, here, here and here and run photos here and here. Unfortunately, the guy just missed me coming into the finish.

This was my first Olympic distance triathlon in about two years. I've obviously done a ton of training in that time and my fair share of racing, but nothing that requires the kind of high heart rate constant exertion that I was putting out yesterday. Other than a few visits to the track before Boston and the Griffith Park Brick, I haven't really done any speed work in any of the sports. Racing fast like that is a different experience than the Ironman or marathon, but it was fun and I'll hopefully be back for some more Olympic distance races later this season.

OK... on to the report:

Pre-race:
After a pretty restless night's sleep, I was up before my alarm, which gave me plenty of time to eat breakfast (bagel with peanut butter and jelly and half an apple), walk Charlie and get my stuff together before shoving off right before 6AM. It was an easy, quick drive out to San Dimas and I was parked and in line to check in before 7. Check-in was a little bit of a cluster-f* right then because everyone got there at the same time, but the race director announced that the start would be pushed back about 10 minutes to account for the delay. I got to transition and picked my spot. I noticed that Rudy Garcia-Tolson, CAF spokesperson and paralympian extraordinaire, was setting up right next to me. It was great to get the chance to talk to him for a few minutes. He's now on his way to NYC for the CAF Gala, which was such a blast last year, but which we can't attend this year. I set up my transition area and went for a short warm-up run and then, somehow, the director was announcing 10 minutes until the start. I sucked down a gel, got into my wetsuit and hustled down to the beach.

Swim:
I had a good swim. I was confident and relaxed from the start. My wave of about 80 athletes was the first into the water. There was a little kicking and contact for the first couple hundred yards, but then it pretty much cleared out and it was smooth swimming. My stroke and breathing were under control and even though I knew I was pushing it, I was swimming at a pace I could sustain. I struggled to find a good draft and ended up swimming mostly on my own, which surely cost me a little time and energy. The water was warm - maybe even a bit too warm for my full wetsuit - and felt pretty clean. It was also totally calm. It was difficult to find the buoys while sighting, but the course wasn't much of an issue because I was able to follow the red swim caps ahead of me. As I was nearing shore, I could see a few guys getting out. I'm pleased with my time - 24:24 (or about 1:29/100 yards), but it was my relative weakness compared to the field. It was a good, comfortable swim and I came out of the water ready to get on the bike, so I definitely won't complain!

T1:
It was a good, relatively quick transition. My heart rate was racing as I ran up the beach to the transition area and it took me a little while on the bike to recover from that, but I got through T1 without a hitch. I was slowed down a little because my feet were filthy, covered in sand and small rocks and I was a little worried about blistering. I took an extra few seconds to wash them off. I wore my new aero helmet (LAS Crono) for the first time in a race and I was a little worried about getting it on quickly, but it slid right on, no problem at all.

Bike: Based on my usual pacing, the faster work I've been doing in Griffith Park, and my time at Philly in July 2007 (1:08), I was hoping for a 1:08 or 1:09 bike split. I'd never seen the course before, but knew (thanks mostly to Cat), that it was three loops, with some hills, one bumpy section and a couple fast descents. The bike starts with a steep, short climb out of T1 (sort of like at NYC) and then another less-steep climb to the main part o the course. When I got on the bike I could only see three people ahead of me; the first two I passed pretty quickly, then third was maintaining his lead or even pulling away a bit. That guy rode just ahead of me pretty much the entire ride (except one brief period when I was ahead of him), until the last two miles when he pulled away and finished a minute or so ahead of me. Cat's description of the bike course was right on, except I guess I didn't really appreciate the hills she described. They were tougher and longer than I expected, especially by the third loop. There are a couple fast (40+ mph) descents, which a great on each loop. The first loop was wide open and we were the only people on the course. The second and third loops were significantly more crowded, with people from later waves and the racers from the sprint distance all out there. Thankfully, the bike lanes were plenty wide enough to accommodate. Other than the one guy, I never saw anyone else ahead of us and it wasn't until about mile 16 that I got passed by anyone else. Around then, I got passed by two guys who shot past in an instant. My aero helmet was comfortable and I think I wore it well, with the fairing flat against my back. One of the official photos (the 3rd link) shows a side angle, and the helmet looks A-OK! In the end, I'm happy with my 1:12. Especially now that I've seen the overall results and realize that a 1:08 would have put me in the top ten the overall bike splits!

T2:
I pulled into T2 feeling pretty good and ready to run. I put on socks for the run, which I'd been debating.

Run:
I started the run feeling good. I had been a little concerned about racing without any taper or days off and the day after a long, hard brick. I was curious to see how my legs would hold up, especially on the run. But I started off feeling strong. My heart rate was through the roof, but I hoped that once I settled in a bit, it would come down. Pretty soon into the run I passed the guy that I'd been riding with on the bike. There are no mile markers on the run. That's tough! I felt like I was running well and hard, but I wasn't passing anyone and I had no idea what my pace was. About 15 minutes in, I got passed by a guy who I know from the Griffith Park workouts. He's really fast and I knew there was no point in trying to keep up with him. Then between miles 4 and 5 (I think) I got passed by a few more guys. I tried to keep up with one of them, but just didn't have it in me. The run course is nice - probably 2/3 roads and 1/3 dirt trails. There are some nice, shady sections, including one where the trees reach over the trail and create a bit of a tunnel. There was one stretch without any shade at all, which got pretty hot. It's a little bit rolling, but only a couple real hills to climb. With a mile to go (the one mile marker on the course), I looked back and couldn't see anyone close. I decided that no one else would pass me. I looked at my watch (34:40) and started for home. My legs were really heavy, but I steamed through and finished that last mile in about 6:30. Wow.

After I finished, I found a few people who I've met at recent LA Tri Club events and talked with them, re-hashing the race. I also found Cat and Jeff, which was fun. It seemed like everyone was happy with their race. When I went back to transition to gather my stuff, I ran into an challenged athlete, Brandon Erickson, who lost his right arm in Iraq in 2003. It was nice to talk to him as well! After loading my car, I watched the awards ceremony before driving home.

Bonelli will likely have been my only race before Canada. I won't be racing in a half Ironman so I wanted to get at least one race experience in. This wasn't my fastest Olympic*, but I think it was my best overall performance. I was worried about "heavy" legs from my training, and maybe I would have gained a couple minutes (and spots), but it's tough to consider.

If you've made it this far, thank you! That took almost as long to write/read as it was to race! A few other short notes:

Friday - Friday afternoon, I went out to Malibu to volunteer at the Seven Arrows Elementary School's 6th Grade Triathlon. It was a blast! At that school, all sixth graders (all 13 of them) are required to do the triathlon at the end of the school year. It's a short swim in a pool, a 2 mile bike ride along the beach and a 1.5 mile run up a long hill to the school, where all the students are waiting to cheer on the finishers. I got paired up with Isaac, who was a crack-up. Hopefully they'll email some pictures that I'll post.

Saturday - Saturday was another early morning to meet with a group to ride PCH and some of the canyons. It was a great ride, with a tough, long climb up Yerba Buena and a screaming descent back to the PCH. Funny thing - during the climb up Yerba Buena, we passed the entrance to Gindling Hilltop Camp, where I went to camp for a couple summers around 5th/6th grade. Riding by brought back some funny memories.

p.s. Steve - if you're reading, I saw your questions the other day in the comments and will respond in the next day or two!

*I did NYC in 2006 11 seconds faster and Philly in the exact same time as Bonelli, but the NYC swim was a lot faster because of the current in the Hudson and the Philly bike course was a considerably faster course.

Swim - June 5
Distance: 3,062 yards (2,800 meters)
Time: 1:00

Brick - June 6
73.1 miles
2 miles
Bike course: PCH, Yerba Buena, Mulholland, PCH
Run course: San Vicente
Conditions: Overcast, then sun, 50s and 60s

Brick - June 6
Total Time: 4:55
Bike:
Distance: 73.1 miles
Time: 4:36
Average heart rate: 122
Bike Course: Santa Monica start, PCH to Yerba Buena, other canyon roads, back to PCH then Santa Monica, extra loop on Amalfi Drive
Transition Time: 3:30
Run:
Distance: 2 miles
Time: 16 minutes
Average heart rate: 145
Run course: San Vicente grassy median
Conditions: Early (6:30am) start, a bit cloudy and low 60's to start, but burned off and got into high 60's and sunny by end

Bonelli Olympic Distance Triathlon - June 7
Overall time: 2:22:29
Overall place: 27/289 (not counting relays)
Age Group place: 6/36
Swim:
Time: 24:24
Rank: 47 (including relays and DNFs)
Average heart rate: 143
T1: 1:59
Bike:
Time: 1:12:27
Rank: 29 (including relays and DNFs)
Average speed: 20.5 mph
Average heart rate: 144
T2: 1:29
Run:
Time: 42:10
Rank: 33 (including relays and DNFs)
Pace: 6:48/mile
Average heart rate: 162
Conditions: Overcast in the morning, then mostly sunny and comfortably warm

ugh

I got drunk Tuesday night. Real drunk. For the first time in months and months and months. Went to a ballgame in San Diego with a couple friends (above, before the drinking really started), then closed down some bars in the Gaslamp District. Was fun, a lot of fun, but it wasn't long into Wednesday morning that I remembered why I don't do that very often.

I took yesterday off - and will make up that swim tomorrow - but today I got back on the bike for a ride out towards La Canada Flintridge. Because we live in West Hollywood, I normally drive to do my rides, but I decided to try riding from home today. I have to say, it sort of sucked, and getting in the car to get out of West Hollywood is worth it as long as I have the time. I did a there-and-back of about 30 miles and the first 10 or so miles out were in steady traffic with regular stoplights. It wasn't until I got through Glendale that the roads were clear. At that point, I did a nice climb up Chevy Chase Drive and then turned around. It was nice to have a two hour ride take just two hours (instead of adding time for the drive), but in the future I'll do the driving.

I'm getting excited for racing this weekend at Bonelli. More on that later!

Swim - June 1
Distance: 3,499 yards (3,200 meters)
Time: 1:11

Brick - June 2
Total Time: 1:56
Bike:
Distance: 23.1 miles
Time: 1:11
Average heart rate: 135
Transition Time: 2:44
Run:
Distance: 5.6 miles
Time: 42 minutes
Average heart rate: 154
Course: Griffith Park
Conditions: Sun and clouds, mid-60's

Bike - June 4
Distance: 31.6 miles
Time: 2:00
Average heart rate: 123
Course: Home, Los Feliz. Glendale, Chevy Chase Blvd to Flintridge, back
Conditions: Overcast, mid-60's