Octomax Triathlon Race Recap

Innsbrook, MO - Aspen Lake (9-16-07)
500 yard swim, 18 mile bike, 3.2 mile run

Prerace: What can I say? It was the last race of the season. You may notice that it says my race was in Missouri and not the listed Devil's Lake race. Due to a clerical error...okay, for some reason I never signed up for the race when I thought I had been for the last 3 months...I picked up the only available race in the Midwest. Innsbrook is a resort town about 40 minutes west of St. Louis on I-70. At the last minute, my parents decided to go with me. It definitely made me feel better about doing this race. To be perfectly honest, I did not want to even do this race. I had a bad feeling about it, I knew I'd have to miss the Iowa game (which was good in retrospect), and I was just plain sluggish all week. This was not the time to loaf, however, and I followed rule 1a in The Triathlete Handbook: Play Like a Champion.

Race morning was overcast and cool, probably in the upper 50's or lower 60's. For the first time I had a prerace outfit of long pants and layered long sleeved t-shirts. The area was buzzing and the setup was amazing. I failed to mention that this was the 2007 USAT Club National Championships, a race that I qualified for with my string of top 10 finishes. Okay, that is very untrue, ANYONE could sign up for it. Being a 'club' championship, I was automatically appointed the representative of Davenport, IA. Where was my ticker tape parade? No call from the mayor? Who is the mayor of Davenport, anyhow? Is it still Tom Hart? Terry Brandstadt? Aaron Burr? Lynn Allen? Jesse Ventura? Ugh, I'm confused. After nervously pacing around for 45 minutes, I finally headed to the beach.

The prerace meeting was unlike any I've ever experienced and certainly one that was very humbling. After the usual race rules and instructions, it was brought to all of our attention that at that very race site, in that very lake in June, the unthinkable happened: an athlete died in the race. The story was recapped, the race was dedicated in his memory, and the deceased athlete's father gave a talk. Many eyes were wet, the race director's voice cracked, and all I could think of was what was going through my mom's head. RIP, Kevin Hunt.

The Swim: It was a typical mass start, a sea of arms and legs. And the sea was rough that day, folks! One thing I distinctly recall was that the water felt very warm after standing in the cold air in skimpy shorts for so long (and yes, ladies, I looked darn good in them!). After performing my invented "Elbow Stroke" to ward off people swimming into me, my gamesmanship allowed me some open water to find a rhythm. I felt very strong in the swim, not ever pushing myself to the point of exhaustion. After making two left turns around the big orange buoys, the shore came quickly and I was out of the water and jogging about a 1/4 mile UPHILL to my bike. Hills would be the theme of the race. When I finally reached the transition area, I thought about what I told my mom before the race, about not trying to go as fast as I could, just to have fun. Easier said than done, but you have to have a plan, right?

The Bike: I hopped on my trusted steed, a red Felt F-85, silently admiring my degreasing job on the chain, derailleurs, and gears. Image is everything, people! :-) Right from the get-go, the course was up and down. Inside the confines of the resort (the 1st five miles), short and brutally steep hills got my legs warmed up burning real quick. I was sure I was not going to set any personal speed records that day. Instead I decided on taking the race in, talking and exchanging quick jokes with my fellow riders (as they passed me). Allow me to trail off on a quick tangent. In triathlons, there is a term called 'fish'. This is given to someone who is a quick swimmer, who is then quickly overtaken on the bike by superior riders. Yes, I am a fish. I rarely get an opportunity to pass anyone on the bike. I suppose I've been called worse! Once the route got out onto the county roads, it was a bit faster going. The hills, for the most part, were rolling hills and I was able to maintain a decent pace (for a fish). A 50 year old man and I decided to see how many times we could pass each other. Each time I passed him or he passed me, he would solemnly mutter, "Good work, brother." Shoot, if he only knew my brother! As the course wound back into the resort, more of the brutal, strength-sapping hills greeted me. What a coarse and vulgar welcome. I made my way towards the transition area and smiled at my parents, scared to death of the upcoming run.

The Run: Allow me to directly quote the website's course description: "This is a hilly course - it is up or down pretty much the whole time. It is a beautiful course, all inside the resort, with plenty of shaded sections, but the elevation changes do make it challenging. This course also has a good deal of packed gravel." And let's not forget the description listed on trifind.com, "The run course is indeed challenging, and very fitting for a National Championship." That description and my running abilities go together like oil and water. I actually did a few weeks hill training to prepare, and thankfully I did. It's true I don't consider myself a runner, and I have no interest in ever being labeled as one. That doesn't mean I haven't run many challenging race courses like The Bix 7 course, The Turkey Trot course, a 10K in a Burlington Triathlon, or even doing laps on Utah Ave between Locust St and Hwy 61. I can tell you now that this stands right there with them, maybe even a bit tougher. Not just hills, but BIG hills. The race description didn't lie, there were no flat parts. However, I had a few things going for me. The weather was perfect, no sun, no wind, low 60's. I had done the training and was ready. And most importantly, I didn't care about my time and I was actually having the most fun I've ever had at a race.

I didn't know any competitors, so my usually dormant and non-existent competitiveness that inexplicably rears its ugly head in 'friendly' competition was nowhere to be seen. I took care to use small and choppy strides on the uphills and downhills, thereby saving my knees and my lungs. I noticed a 33 year old chap in red passed me very slowly at the start of the run, and I kept him in my sights. After saying to myself, "This HAS to be the last hill" about 10-15 times, the volunteers told me that I had just finished the last one, and The Red Chap was still in my sights. The competitive spirit reared it's ugly grill, and I started turning over the pace, reeling him in. About 200 yards from the finish, Red was about 25 yards ahead of me and started throwing up while running. My window was open, and I kicked with all I had. I got him and held him off as he realized that I was the one he passed at the start. We won't talk about the 57 year old guy who came out of nowhere and passed BOTH of us in the finishing chute.

Somehow I ran the whole thing and I wasn't even close to taking a walk break. I'm not sure I even know how that happened! You get lucky sometimes. After donning a cheesy medal and ribbon (Olympics, you are not), I grabbed a Coke and a burger, loaded up my gear, and headed for home. Results here if you're interested. My season is over!!

End of Year Reflections: Maybe it wasn't my fastest season, but it was certainly the most rewarding. Raising over $2,500 dollars for RMHC of Eastern Iowa is so much better than any race related result I could have obtained. It truly gave my training and racing a new purpose, and I honestly thought about it often. I never would have guessed that it would have taken the time and effort it did in the early going, but it was a labor of love and something that I enjoyed. I am definitely going to do something again next season, so you can all be expected to be bugged by me again.

I'd like to give a BIG thanks to my mom who helped me turn this idea into a reality. Thanks mom!

Many thanks to all of you who donated money to this cause. I hate being bugged by junk mail as much as the next guy, but you guys all came through in a big way. THANK YOU!!

Thanks to all of you who came out to watch, cheer, and poke fun at me. It's true, a guy with a jiggly belly like myself can do this. I'd encourage you all to try a race for yourself.

Thanks to (Ironman finisher) Jen Foley and all of the gang in Fortune and Glory and the Moline YMCA crowd. It makes it so much easier to train when you're around hard workers like yourselves. And you let me dream and have a front row seat to see what it is like to be fast.

Thanks to The Shafenator for being my part-time training partner and host of the greatest post-race party in the history of mankind. You might be the only guy who hits the Snooze Button more than I do, but we're always (mostly) prepared to toe the line at West Lake.

I'm sure I should have thanked other people specifically as well, and I'm sorry if I forgot you. Please come on out next year and watch the action. Like our motto states in Fortune and Glory:

This is what we do.

.

Eagle Creek Triathlon Recap

Indianapolis, IN - Eagle Creek Park (8-25-07)
500 yard swim, 10 mile bike, 5K run

Prerace:
Its important to note that I was doing this race with three good friends, two of whom (Scott and Jackie) were competing in their first ever triathlon. Matt and I drove up to Indy to stay with the newlyweds, and as to be expected, there was a lot of nervous energy the night before the race. It made me think back to my first Triathlon Eve, laying in a hotel bed in Baraboo, WI, unable to sleep or stop thinking about the race looming the next morning. It can be an uneasy and harrowing time, but one that you will never forget. It will never be that exciting again.

As we all got into our cars to drive to the race, it began to rain. What started as a few drops slowly progressed to a drizzle and so on. We got to the park plenty early, rolling in at about 6:30 for the 8:00am race. For those of you thinking of doing a triathlon, I can't stress enough how helpful it is to get to the race as early as possible. The last thing you want to do before your first race is to be rushed through things. The first one, in retrospect, is more of a mental obstacle than a physical one. I tried to be as helpful as I could to Scott and Jackie without crossing into the "overbearing" territory. Again, I look back to my first one and vividly remember wishing I had someone to talk to or to show me the ropes. Oh well. As the race began to get closer, the rain picked up more and more, finally reaching a full-fledged shower. It would be my first ever race in the rain.

Swim:
Eagle Creek Reservoir is what I call a "swimmer's lake". In a matter of 5-10 yards you go from standing in knee deep water to over your head, no running allowed. In what was the typical mass start, I was again caught in a sea of arms and legs, but this time managed to avoid being kicked. You take your small victories where you can! After about 75 yards of chaos, I found some open water and got into a rhythm that I was comfortable with. The lake water was a perfect temperature (no wetsuits allowed! Ha!!) to swim in. My only complaint was the grime that accumulated in my beard - not really all that pleasant. I came out of the lake in about 10 minutes even, bettering my time from last year by 10 seconds. It was going good, even if I do resemble Swamp Thing in the picture below. Sorry, being photogenic was not at the top of my priorities at this particular time!

Bike:
I have to admit, I was a bit winded getting onto the bike. It took awhile to get my heart rate down and settle into a rhythm. At this point it seemed like it was pouring. I decided to race sans shirt because I knew it would be drenched and heavy within minutes. As a result, I could feel the raindrops hitting my chest and arms by the slight stinging sensation. The best part about the rain was that it washed the lake film off of my skin and out of my beard (I may have to rethink racing with a beard). The bad part was that the first and last parts of the race were through the park, which was full of hills that wound around and down hills that screamed around blind corners. Not wanting to go down on the slick asphalt, I took the corners conservatively although still came close to going down on two occasions. It's a scary feeling.

Out of the park and on the city road, the sheer amount of standing water on the road hindered our speed, and I could tell I was having to work harder to keep my pace. About 3/4 of the way through the bike course I heard "Hey good looking!" It was Scott flying past me. I tried to stay with him and actually did for a bit, getting sprayed in the face by the water and grit flying off his back wheel (I had to wipe my glasses about every 2 minutes, but it was better than no glasses). Once we entered the park, we went up a series of hills and I let Scott go, I had no chance of staying with him. I actually got to see all three of our group out on the course which was awesome. After a few scary turns (your brakes take a bit of time to work when it's wet), I saw the end of the course and was glad to get out of my biking shoes which were logged with water something fierce. I did manage to better my bike time from last year, which was great considering the conditions. I banged out an 18.3mph average.
Run:
After pouring out about 2-3 cups of water from my running shoes, I hit the trail to a consistent beat of squish, squish, squish. I saw some friends when I was leaving the transition area, which always provides a quick shot of confidence and energy. It really does help. Once out onto the run course, my knee really started to ache, and I took a few breathers. I do remember thinking how much better it was to run in the rain instead of the oppressive heat that I was humbled by in my last race. About 1/2 mile from the turnaround, I saw Scott pressing on to what would be a great finish, especially for a first timer. Thankfully the last half of the run is either flat or slightly downhill, so I tried to coast as much as I could. Once I saw the sign that had an arrow pointing to the beach I knew I was close to home so I sprinted for all it was worth. It is important to realize that my "sprint" is very much the same as a decent runner's "normal" pace. Hey, whatever. Even with a few walk breaks, I averaged 9-1/2 minute miles, which was good for a 3 minute improvement over last year. Booyah! I call this picture "Hurts So Good". What an awful face.

You can find all of the results here. You'll have to scroll down a ways to see my name, but I am pretty stoked that I finished 198th out of 571, good for top half. Again, you take your victories where you can get them. This race really is a great course, especially considering the shorter distances and being mainly flat terrain, perfect for your first race. Scott and Jackie did outstanding for their first race and Matt turned in a great performance as well. One more race to go: Devil's Challenge in mid-September, the site of my first ever triathlon!

Thanks for reading and thanks for all of the help, it means a lot to me! I'll leave you with a picture of "Team Iowa". (R to L) Jackie Thompson, Swamp Thing, Matt Roll, Scott Thompson

Oh, and we are now over the $2,000 goal. So awesome!

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Big Creek Triathlon Recap

Polk City, IA - Big Creek State Park (8-12-07)
1500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bike, 10 kilometer run

Prerace:
Not much time to get ready for this one. I had to work until 2:00pm and then rode straight to Des Moines for Sunday morning's race. Much like last year, I was too busy/lazy/proud to check into a hotel room. I actually did find one hotel in Ankeny, and the only room they had was a luxury suite at $165 a night. After a quick "no thanks" I decided to load up dad's cargo van with a mattress and sheet and try my hand at being a Gypsy. After scouting places to stay, I chose Walmart over the interstate rest areas and my previous employer, Moehl Millwork. In retrospect, it wasn't all that bad. I covered the windows with shirts and towels, laid down at 9:00 and didn't get to sleep until 11:30, sweating in the stifling heat. This would be a bad omen.

Up at 5:30 and headed to the race site listening to The Allman Brothers to wake me up. I got to the park at 6:00 and the transition area was already half full. I guess I'll have to keep getting there earlier, which at this rate will have me there at midnight next time. Why do people have to be so serious? Other than that frustration, the organization was top notch. This really is one of the best run races I've ever done. Yes, I did this last year.

Swim:
The swim is in a reservoir and with the hot temperatures we've had lately, the water was quite warm: 84 degrees. This means no wetsuits, which is fine by me because I never wear one. I had a sly smile on my face hearing the groans of people who wanted to wear one. You see, they make you more buoyant, and thus, faster. Now it was all a level playing field. I was in the second wave to start (males 20-29), so 5 minutes after the Elite Wave took off, we were next. This was a wave start, and not a time-trial start like my last race. It meant that the whole wave runs in at once. It's a bit frustrating and can leave you in a panic. About 2 minutes into the swim, I was reminded of the harsh realities of swimming around 75 or so other guys; a kick to the face will do that to you. After things settled down and a pecking order was established, I got into a nice rhythm and was basically alone for almost 3/4 of a mile. The route was bit different this year, a rectangular course as opposed to a triangular one, which meant the water got deeper quicker, and we got to avoid most of the weeds. I got out of the water with a time of 31 minutes and 5 seconds. Not too bad! The best part was that you didn't notice the increasing air temp while you were in the water.

Bike:
I really tried to improve on this aspect of the race. Doing a few days of RAGBRAI helped tremendously as well as a few local rides at a hard pace. When I hopped onto my trusty steed during the race, I could tell my legs were in good shape. Normally I don't push too hard at the beginning, and I followed that plan again. There is nothing worse than having 5 miles to go and having nothing left. It's a truly awful feeling. Fortunately, that didn't happen here. After 6 or 7 miles, I knew my legs were good, and I decided to push it a bit. At the turnaround, I found that I had been riding with a tailwind. Now, the tables turned and the legs really started to burn. All you can do is grin and bear it, because you know everyone else is feeling the same. After gritting that out, the wind was no longer and issue, and it was fairly smooth sailing to the end. I went through my entire water bottle of Gatorade, which I never do. Even though you always have air blowing on you throughout the bike, I could tell that it was getting really hot. I finished the bike in 1 hour and 21 minutes, good for an average of 18.5 miles per hour, a personal best.

The Run:
I don't need to tell you how much I loathe running...but, I loathe running! Even after going so fast on the bike (at least by my standards!), my legs still felt great. With the absence of the wind in my face, I now started to sweat pretty heavily. The first mile marker came and I drank a full cup of water and dumped another on my head. I knew this was going to be tough. My legs and lungs felt as good as could be expected, but I really started to get hot. So hot, in fact, that I had to break down and walk. There was no shade to be had anywhere since the sun was directly overhead. The trees which lined either side of the road were useless in blocking the sun, but they did manage to block something out: the breeze. I've run quite a few times in hot, humid weather and I actually have enjoyed it, much more so than the cold. Today, it just didn't agree with me. Heat, sun, asphalt and sweat were too much for me. I managed to run for 3/4 of a mile at a time and then would have to walk again. I hated doing it, but it was the only way to finish. It was almost an "out of body" running experience. My legs were moving but I couldn't feel them. I was just praying to God that I wouldn't have a Julie Anne Moss moment and mess myself. In what were the longest 6.2 miles of my life, I finally crossed the finish line in a poor time of 1 hour and 16 minutes, only averaging 12 minute miles, which I suppose was so bad considering the amount of walking I did. As I crossed the finish line, I saw some people in ambulances, so it appears I wasn't the only one struggling. As a volunteer removed my timing chip, and paramedic took a look at my eyes and noticed I wasn't sweating. Apparently that is bad and is a sign of dehydration. He dumped a few gallons of water on me and said I could get an IV if I wanted. Me and needles aren't good buddies.

Postrace:
I grabbed some much needed shade and water, then a bagel with peanut butter. I started to feel better and I ran into a buddy of mine, Matt Davison, electrician and multisport wonder. I asked him how he did, and in his always modest way, he told me he did pretty well. What he neglected to say was that he got second in his age group, which is no small feat, especially given the conditions. All in all, it wasn't what I expected. I was happy with my swim time, I was thrilled with the bike, and needless to say, the run was not good. Maybe next year I can finally meet my goal of under 3 hours. Final time: 3 hours, 11 minutes and 50 seconds, 238 out of 309 people.

Next up, Eagle Creek Triathlon on August 25th

Thanks for reading and thanks for your moral and monetary support. As of today, all money received, not counting pledges, is $1,937.00!!! That is AWESOME!!!

An Update

It's been almost a month since I last checked in. Things have been going well, and I'm trying to take advantage of some non-racing time to recuperate. Although now that my next race is nearing one month away, I'm slowly upping my mileage to prepare for the Olympic Distance. Okay, enough of that talk, it's literally wearing me out just writing about it.

The fundraiser is going fantastic. Just today I received a check that has put the total at $1,500. That figure takes into account all of the received money and does not include the pledges that will come after the season (hopefully). It looks like we have a pretty good shot at hitting the $2,000 goal. Thank you all so much for your support of The Ronald McDonald House. It really is inspiring for everyone and especially me as I think about it all the time during training.

Next up is Big Creek on August 12th. As always, if anyone wants to come and make fun of me, you're more than welcome. Take care and I'll be back with another update in a few weeks. Thanks again!

QC Triathlon Recap

West Lake Park - Davenport, IA
600 yard swim, 15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run

Prerace:
I had to pick up a rookie first thing, and to his credit, he was ready to Roll at precisely 5:30, just as planned. It's always nice to start things off on the right foot. The great thing about this race is that it's in Davenport. No more 6 hour drives, staying in hotels or being disturbed by cops at 4:00am when you're sleeping in the back of a van. No sir, there is something to be said for sleeping in your own bed. The rookie and I went out west of town to park at the third member of our tri-club, Fortune & Glory. All three of us rode our bikes a grueling one-half mile to the park and got our bodies marked and our transition areas set up. There's always a few SNAFU's. One of us forgot our bike shoes, I didn't bring a phone, and I forgot to bring a Gatorade. After a stranger allowed us some phone usage, all things were righted. It has taken me 11 triathlons to learn this: it is a good idea to use the bathroom BEFORE you get to the race. Finding 25 minutes to stand in line can be a logistical nightmare. Made it with time to spare. Crisis's spared thus far: 2.

The Swim:
The QC Triathlon employed a new starting concept this year, one that I had never had the pleasure of experiencing: a time trial start. This works by people lining up by there estimated swim time, with the fastest going first. People would leave one person at a time, every 3 seconds, from the first person to the last. They had various times posted on chairs and we all organized ourselves accordingly. I figured (generously) that I would do the swim in about 10 minutes flat, so logically I stood right at the sign marked "10 minutes and under". Duh, right? After watching the Elites seemingly swim on top of the water, I was suddenly dangerously close to beginning. I turned and asked the guy next to me what he anticipated for his time. He said "around nine". Panic time. I stood there waving people by until finally I figured it was now or never. I leapt in like it was my job and started after it. The lake was actually quite warm, I want to say in the low 80's, which is unheard of this time of year. If I had my druthers, I'd have it in the mid-70's, but I guess 82 is better than 62. I tried to keep an even pace throughout, and it was nice not to be kicked or grabbed at the start of the race for once. The only part I dislike is the long, uphill run that starts after you leave the lake, and it counts as your time. My official swim time: 10:50.

The Bike:
Going into the race, my buddy and I who did the race last year knew this would be a better bike portion today. Gone was the stiff wind from the south that created havoc at the bike turnaround. 4 miles of gentle incline into a stiff breeze is no picnic, let me tell you. Race day conditions were such that wind was no factor. When I got on my bike to leave, a racer in front of me committed a cardinal sin. He left his bike geared on the small rings, which means it's VERY hard to pedal at a slow speed. He learned the hard way when he snapped his pedals in and then fell to the pavement right in front of me. I narrowly avoided running over his arm. And you thought triathlons were tame? Shame on you. After leaving the park and getting on the main roads, I was resigned to my fate as a slightly above-average swimmer: all of the powerful cyclists "reel in the fish" and blow by me with a seemingly effortless pedal stroke. I just keep telling myself, "Ride YOUR race. Ride YOUR race." The legs were getting a good workout and I managed to better my bike time from last year, all with a grimace on my face. (I have no idea that I do this, but everyone that I know comments on this. It must be like sticking out your tongue when you hammer a nail or play basketball?) My official bike time: 50:56 with a 17.7mph average. Darn you, 18.0! Why can I never achieve you?!?!

The Run:
I'll say it again: if running were my job, I'd gladly take the unemployment. Total and utter exhaustion + heat and humidity = Nick struggling. The first 3/4 of a mile are "cross country", meaning all on grass or through the woods. In the open air it wasn't so bad, but entering the forest was like running in a sauna. It would have been so easy to walk in the woods. It was hot, the air was stale and humid, there was no one that could see you. One of my main goals beyond finishing is to not walk. Somehow I fought through the panting and oxygen debt to get out of the woods in one piece and on my feet running. It was a bit better out in the open air, and I actually got a little protection from the oppressive sun when a few clouds came by. The QC Triathlon has a great feature on the run: water stations with ice cold sponges. These are truly lifesavers, the gift that keeps on giving. They got me to the finish line, albeit two minutes slower than last year. My official run time: 31:19

My overall time was 1:36:17, you can view all of the results here. Even though it was a bit slower than last year, I still had a blast and can't wait to do it again next year. Thanks to everyone who came out to cheer us all on and thanks to all of you for the calls, emails, and text messages. They all help, we all can attest to that! Stay tuned, I'll get some pictures posted soon, and I'll have the amount of money raised so far. Thank you all VERY much for all your help!

Nick Swanson

P.S. A big "hurrah" to my swim coach, Jen Foley, for taking first place by a nail-biting TWO seconds. Way to go, Jen!! I heard she attributed the success to our Triathlon Club, Fortune and Glory, but I cannot confirm that as of yet. I guess you could say we're just a champion mill. We crank them out one after another...as long as it's Jen every time!

Here's a nice write-up courtesy of The Quad City Times. They even have some video posted. Somehow I managed to elude to the throng of reporters and photographers.

Next up: Big Creek Triathlon in August. Keep checking back at the progress.

Pigman Race Recap

Pleasant Creek State Park - Palo, IA
550 yard swim, 15.5 mile bike, 3.1 mile run

Prerace:
The 5:00am drive up there worried me as we drove into ominous clouds the whole way. After heading north on I-380, it seemed that all the dark clouds were hovering over Cedar Rapids. I've never competed in a triathlon that had rain as an element to deal with, and I sure as heck didn't want to start that today. Luckily, by the time we reached Palo, the clouds had broken up and it looked like it would be a rain-free race. We pulled into the race site at 6:30 to find that the parking lot was already full, so they directed us into a field.

The race didn't start until 7:30, and there was a race meeting at 7:15. I swear time moves at warp speed when you're setting up your transition area, getting a stretch in, and making one last bathroom trip to get rid of prerace jitters. It was 7:15 before I knew it, and I made my way down to the beach with "503" donned on both arms and both calves. You may not be able to tell from the pictures, but when you have super skinny arms and legs, your race numbers look HUGE! I was in the "Male 25-29" age group and we were the 8th wave to go, and that allowed me some time to warm up in the lake. It also allowed for the ever-present prerace nerves to creep into my system.


The Swim:

"10 second warning for Heat 8 - Males 25-29, take your marks, get set, GO!" After hearing that it sent me dashing into the water with about 45 other guys hell-bent on having a good swim. As is par for the course, the first 150 yards were a free-for-all. I was kicked, grabbed, ran into - just like everyone else is in the Sea of Arms and Legs that is the swim. I managed to get on the inside of the out-and-back swim course and found some room to work. I reached the halfway buoy and turned around to head back to shore. The lake was a perfect temperature to swim in: not freezing cold, but just cool enough that you don't worry about overheating. I swam my heart out until finally my hand hit the sandy bottom, and I wobbly ran out of the lake. I saw my mom, dad, and uncle cheering me on which is always encouraging. I'd have loved to stop and chat, but I was in the middle of a race, and I'm sure with my heavy breathing/panting I would not have been the best conversationalist. (9:02 swim time)


The Bike:

After putting my shirt, helmet, shoes and specs on, I headed off on my two wheels. The day was quite pleasant for riding and racing: low 60's, overcast, little to no wind. I took it easy leaving the park, trying to get my heartrate and breathing back under control. Once that was accomplished after about 1 mile, I tried to settle into a comfortable, yet challenging pace. I would say 2/3 of the course is flat, so on those areas I tried to keep a consistent speed. On the big descents I took short breathers and allowed gravity to do the work. Going up the hills was slow going, but I managed to do pretty well, and it helped that there were only two big hills. I managed to do the same route as last year one minute faster. (52:48 - 17.7mph)


The Run:

After switching shoes and losing the helmet, it was off to do some running, or slow jogging, depending on if you're a glass-is-half-full type of person or not. For those who've never tried an hour of hard biking and then immediately running, you may not understand the unique feeling you get. Uh, you're legs don't work so well, they only want to act like spaghetti with lead at the bottom. I make no secret to anyone who asks or listens that running is not something I like or am good at. I treat it more an unavoidable, necessary evil. Where most people take pride on how fast they can do a course, I take pride in not walking at all. This course is not exactly an easy run either. There are no flat sections, only rolling hills, but for some reason it seemed more uphill than downhill. Curiously, it must be the same route that my grandparents walked to school. Hmm, I'll have to ask them. As I sprinted down the finishing stretch, I experienced an eerie sensation that I usually get at the end of races: tunnel vision that is hazy around the edges, and lack of productive breaths. The finish line feels really good to cross. Somehow I did this run a minute faster than last year. (31:58 run time)

Overall I had a two minute improvement from last year, so I'll chalk this up as a success. My overall time was 1:38:58, which includes my transition (times between the 3 events) times as well. Thanks for reading!

- Nick

P.S. I wanted to say thanks again to all of you who called or emailed me to wish me good luck. Every bit helps, that's for sure!

Welcome!

Hello! Hopefully you've made your way here via my emails or by a letter I sent you. Thank you very much for stopping by and I hope you continue to check this page out and see the progress of my triathlon season, but more importantly, the progress of the fundraiser! Tomorrow is the big day -- the first race of the season in Palo, IA for The Pigman Sprint Triathlon. I have posted the links on the side of the page (to your right) so you can see when and where they are. Stop on out if you get a chance, IT'S FREE TO WATCH. Thanks again for stopping by!

- Nick