Summer race update!

Wow! It’s been a bit since I wrote a report for you all. Sorry about that! It’s been a busy summer with training, coaching athletes, and coaching youth triathletes at my local YMCA summer triathlon camp. I had over 35 kids come out for camp this summer. Each camp is 3 weeks long and at the end of the 3^rd week they get to compete in a real triathlon. It was a pretty cool experience for them, and they can all call themselves triathletes now! Always fun to progress the sport I love.

Anyway, I’ve been training all summer long. Things have been coming along pretty well, although I haven’t posted a result that I am really that proud of yet. But I think that is right around the corner! The main reason being is my coach has really been gradual with my training, working on a ton of base work and holding back the intense workouts until lately. Mainly, we didn’t want to make the mistake that most athletes make in training top hard too soon, and then not being able to peak for the end of the year races.

I have two, possibly three, half ironman distance races left this year. I’ve decided to focus more on this distance, as it seems to be my best. But I’ve used some sprints, Olympics, and even a short 7k race to work on my fitness and racing skills.

Things are really starting to pick up, and I can feel my fitness coming around. I’m very excited about upcoming races and seeing what I can do. I promise to keep you more up-to-date after those races happen! But for now, here are some short recaps on the races since my last post.

I’ll start with my latest races and work my way back. This past Saturday I competed in a local 7k road race. It was pretty hilly for Indiana! The whole purpose of the race was to work on my run speed, and make a solid workout out of it. I took 4^th overall and turned in a pretty solid time. I was happy with the way I raced. I started out pretty easy and let some people go by me. Then I slowly picked up my speed and started picking people off left and right. One other thing I wanted to work on was my pacing. This has been a little bit of a problem for me this year in triathlons. But something I know I can fix, so it was good to put a well-paced race together.

Before that, on August fourth, was the Columbus Olympic Triathlon. This race was only about an hour away, so I was excited to race something close by. This was also the first triathlon I ever did a few years back. Well, I raced the sprint then, but pretty much the same race. Anyway, I had a solid swim, which started in a time trail fashion, running from the beach into the lake. I’m not really sure what place I came out of the water. It was difficult with the time trail start, and then they had the sprint race going on at the same time as the Olympic, with the sprint swim course cutting over and finishing in the same place as the Olympic course.  Anyway, I was out on the bike quick; I had a hard time getting my feet in my shoes while riding, but just relaxed and tried to just be patient. This I one part of the race I sometimes start out too hard on (referring back to my pacing problems.) Once I settled in, I started moving along well.  I got passed my a few people, but they were all doing the sprint race. Once I made the turn for the Olympic turn off , I thought I was on my own. I didn’t see anyone around. I ended up catching the only person around who was up the road a little bit. The course had some very tricky hills that ended in sharp right -hand turns that went right back up another hill. You had to slow down or you would end up in the ditch, so it made the climbs a little tough, as you couldn’t carry your speed into them. (There were actually a few bad crashes later in the day but I didn’t see them.) Now I’m on the road all by myself, knowing that there are people chasing me. I rode all the way back in 1^st and had a pretty good lead going into the run. I had a very good idea of who I had to beat and knew I just needed to stay out front or make it a very close finish and I could win, dud to the time differences. Well, that all went out the window. I started out quick, but felt like I was not pushing too hard, nothing I shouldn’t be able to maintain. But only a half-mile into the run, I could tell something wasn’t right. I started feeling sick pretty much all over. I was able to hold onto the lead all the way to mile 2.5 but saw 1^st and eventually 2^nd slowly run by me. By this time, I was just trying not to walk the last few miles. My body was going numb, arms were tingling, I felt like I was going to throw up and pass out all at the same time. My only guess is it was an electrolyte problem with the humidly being abnormally high that day. I had hydrated well and taken electrolyte drinks on the bike, but the run course did not have any, just water. Not really sure if that was it, I have never felt like that before, and never again since then. Sometimes the body just isn’t ready to go, and I just didn’t have it that day.

I was able to hold onto 3^rd place overall, which was cool to be back on the podium for the first time this year, but I was still pretty disappointed because I knew I could have won and had a solid time if I would have been able to run anywhere near my normal 10k pace. Either way, it was another learning experience and a fun race close to home, and family cheering me on. (I have the best family!!!)

Before that was Muncie 70.3, which was changed to a 1 mile swim, 30 mile bike, and 10k run due to record temperatures. I think it was 107 degrees and over 115 heat index. I was pretty bummed about the change the night before but after racing in it, it was a good decision to change the course. Someone would have surly died during the race in that heat. Not to mention all the volunteers and kids that help during the race. I was excited to make this my first half of the year; as I mentioned early, I think this is my best distance. But the shortened course proved to not be in my favor. My swim was OK, bike was solid, with a 25 mph average and the course was fast, even though they made use do two loops instead of just sending us out and then back. Having to make four 180-degree turn-arounds with 3,000 people on the course isn’t that most fun thing to do. Anyway, out on the run in the nasty heat I just wasn’t moving too fast. I finished in the top 100, counting the pros, but that isn’t anything to be proud of for me. Probably the most positive thing I took from the race was being re-motivated to do some other halves later in the year that I hadn’t planned on. But now I think that’s really what I should be doing.

Thanks for all the support! It really helps keep me going. Special thanks to my sponsors, who really help me be at my best, week in and week out. To my wife and daughter, who light up my world, and without, this wouldn’t be possible. To my parents and family that support me in so many ways, and most of all to my Lord and Savior through whom all things are possible.