Off Season Update

Well the off season is always tough as I have to battle weight gain, illness, injury and dedication issues. This year has definitely been no different. I have fought two colds already one being pretty severe, a slightly pulled hamstring and late night Viking losses that cause me to miss my morning workout. Overall though this off season has been much better than last year. Last year I was battling a new breathing problem that was eventually diagnosed as asthma. I didn't seem to get back into my groove until almost April.

This year I came up with a new game plan. Since I'm doing Wisconsin IM I decided to keep a 12 mile running base. My goal was to keep a rather large cardio base and also keep the excess pounds off. It would also help motivate me to eat healthier and stay focused. So far so good. I have been hovering around 185 lbs instead of 195 last year. I also feel much better cardiovascularly than at this point last year. Goal attained.

I start ramping up my training on the 1st of the year so my relaxed period is almost over. Another good thing to come out of this strategy is it will make the transition from off season to preseason much easier. I will be purchasing a bike trainer this week and also want to get in a swim lesson from Duane Dobko in the next week or two as well. I'm taking a bit of a risk with this strategy with not letting my body rest as much as in the past but if this theory works it could mean being nominated for most improved two years in a row. Only time will tell at this point.

Hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas or Holiday season and the next year is a great one.

Finally Over

Saturday I raced the Monster Dash Half Marathon for my last race of the year (as of now). As great as Big Woods was I just didn't feel like I ran my best race and didn't have as much fun as I had hoped. I did a few things different to include leaving the Ipod at home, dressing so I wouldn't overheat and most importantly, threw on some face paint for the occasion. I LOVE theme races where you get to see a lot of people having fun. This one was definitely no different.

I hit the portajohn first and saw Cathy Yndestad walking by. Cathy is one of if not the fastest amateur triathletes in the country, not to mention super nice. I saw here again at the start line and chatted for a minute. Cathy was wearing a Wonder Woman costume and definitely fit in with the crowd and ended up taking ninth overall for the females. Awesome job!

I started off more conservatively than last time with a 6:05 first mile. I was shooting for a 6:15 but felt very good with the pace and didn't adjust for mile two. Last race I came out way too hard with a 5:49 first mile and was feeling the effects by mile four. I did start to feel warm at mile 4-5 and took off my head band and gloves. The all black outfit I wore to go with my zombie face worked perfect. I was the first person through in the half marathon with any sort of costume so a lot of people were shouting Go Zombie! It was awesome. The coolest part was my makeup smudged just a little from the sweat and actually made it look even spookier. I was amazed it even stayed on the whole race much less improve.

Since the ten milers didn't have to run Lake Calhoun I had to run threw about 2000 people and had no idea what place I was in. I knew I was around 10th but there was no way to tell for sure. I was hoping for a top 15 finish at the start of the race and it was looking good at the halfway point to achieve my goal. I then picked off a couple of Halfers between mile 8 and 11 and I started to realize that I may actually crack the top 10.

I saw Steve Stenzel was in around third for the ten miler and yelled a go Steve. Steve rights an awesome blog called Steve in a Speedo, Gross. I gave Cathy Yndestad a thumbs up on the way back. Then I started to feel like my legs were just not moving as fast as they were earlier. I didn't mind as I was enjoying the race and no one was passing me so I just kept the comfortable pace.

With About 3/4 of a mile left a guy came up from behind at a pretty good pace to pass me. It reminded me all to well of the Minnetonka race were I was passed by Josh Blankenheim and legged out by 1 second. I was able to get in behind him and kicked to stay with him. My legs felt good and was able to keep his pace. I actually felt surprisingly comfortable and thought if he had made his move too early I may be able to stay in his draft and make a move late. I could feel him trying to drop me but I had plenty left in the tank and my confidence said I could do this. Just when I expected it he started his last push and I made my move. At first it was pretty even and then I found that extra gear I didn't have at Minnetonka. I managed to leg this one out by 2 seconds and take 9th overall. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw 1:22:16. I love an exciting finish even if I come up short. Luckily I came out on top this time. I definitely would have to rank this race up there with Baxter as one of my best races of the year.

My ever supportive mom braved the cold one more time and was there with a huge smile on her face to greet me at the finish. She told me she thought around 8th and later found out that it was in fact 9th. I would have been thrilled with top 15 but top ten, awesome!

After the race I met a friend who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle for the 5K. It was his first race and has only been running for a couple of weeks. I've been telling him about setting goals and thought this would be a perfect race for him to set an initial goal. He would then have something to set a goal against for his next race. He told me he was hoping for 30 min but had been sick a few days prior and didn't know if that was feasible. I went over the basics with him before the start as to be a few rows back in a 5K because most people go out way too fast, pace yourself and don't worry about anyone but you. We started a little ways back so we wouldn't get trampled and away we went. My friend was able to talk a little during the race and I felt like he could have gone much faster. We came in at a very respectable 29 min and had a minute to spare for his goal time. His next goal is going to be 26 min and I don't think he will have any problems with that. It's good to see your friend putting themselves out there and trying something new for their own benefit. It's even better to feel apart of helping them reach their goals.

Big Woods Half Marathon

I had a blast at my first running race since January of 2007 last Saturday. I ran it with two freinds from college. One was his first race... ever and he did the half and the other won the 5K. I was extremely excited for both. I managed to come in sixth and was very satisfied as it was a very difficult course. I also overdressed causing me to overheat some. I don't know how but it seemed like ten degrees warmer on the course than I thought it was. Chalk that one up to experience. I will definitely dress down for the Monster dash next Saturday. It will be my last race of the year and I'm having trouble fighting back the sweets until then. Hopefully I won't have any trouble shaving some time off with a much easier and faster course.

Tuesday I read that I was cheated in Tri MN News for Athlete of the year. I must say Mario Minelli's comments were a huge compliment and I got a warm and fuzzy reading the article. However as much as I would like to disagree with the Midwest Multisport Committee I believe they made the right decision. Next year I will hopefully be able to do a couple of more competitive races to showcase my speed against the "Top Dogs". If I improve like I have been I could make a bid for Athlete of the Year next year.

As I've blogged earlier I am thrilled with getting a most improved nomination. To be honest I think it is more of an honor than Athlete of the year. To be most improved I believe you need to have an incredible amount of self discipline and sacrifice. Few people are able to make large improvements in short period of time. I don't want to take away from athlete of the year but that can be achieved through years of small improvements. I'm just amazed that I made such a splash this year that someone stood up for me and said "hey, what about this guy?" I was truly flattered.

Most Improved?

I seem to have been nominated for Most Improved Triathlete for the Midwest Multi Sports Awards. I am honored to be considered. I have worked extremely hard this last year and even had to overcome a nasty case of some sort of asthma. I guess I'm just glad someone besides my family has noticed my hard work. No doubt I have improved but Devon Palmer, Patrick Parish and Matt Payne are the other nominees.

Devon was fast last year but is out of his mind fast this year. I have little doubt he will be the Athlete of the Year. Patrick was the runner up for the rookie of the year last year and ran cross county at Duke. Although beyond probably the fastest runner Patrick has developed some serious swim and biking ability. Matt and I were very comparable last year. In fact there were a few races where only a couple of seconds separated us . Only this year he started the season with three wins to include one over me by nearly five minutes on a short course. Matt has gained ridiculous speed on the run and has continued to improve on the bike.

Fortunately the second half of my season was even better than the first. I don't know what happened but I almost out of nowhere found another level on my bike and shaved a good 10 seconds off my run split to include some improvements in the pool. I'm glad I'm not voting on this one. I definitely believe I am the outsider on this one but am humbled for even being considered. I'm as anxious as anyone to see how this one comes out.

Cannon Falls Duathlon

Well my first duathlon was a success. I was definitely the favorite going in and knew as long as I had a solid race and did not take any chances I should come away as the winner. Even though I increased my mileage the week before the race in prep for a half marathon in a couple of weeks.

I felt good off the bat and came into T1 right behind the leader who was on a team. I did not leave my shoes clipped in as the path we started off on was narrow and I did not know if anyone would come out of T1 with me. Again, this was the smart decision and made no difference in the end. I took the lead over the team cyclist a little over a mile into the bike but never felt like I could get into a groove or put any real power into my pedals. The course had a lot of sharper corners that were not swept so I took my time so I wouldn't wipe out around them. Again, race smart stupid. I came into T2 with about a two minute lead and had a great run to finish things up. I even felt like I could've put a little more into the 3 mile run but wanted to pace myself to see what kind of a pace I might be able to comfortably do for my half marathon. My 6:04 pace would be a bit ambitious but 6:10 is definitely a good goal to shoot for.

Super Mario Minelli came in a little over three minutes behind me and also had a great race. I read on his blog that he only puts in about half the training time per week I do. I must say he was no slouch and if he can do that on only 7 hours of training a week I'm glad he doesn't put in 14.

My dad was in town for this race and I was excited he got to see me get a win. Pops lives in Missouri so he doesn't get to see me race very often, I was glad he was there for such a nice day and a well run race. The ever smiling Randy Fulton was also there and helped out cheering me on. Randy owns and runs Vacation Sports and is one hell of a nice guy.

Next up is the Big Woods Half Marathon. I am looking forward to my first road running race since my marathon in Iraq in 2007.

My First Duathlon

I plan on hitting up the Cannon Falls Duathlon this weekend. I had such a good season I don't want it to end. This will be my first duathlon and I'm a little excited to see how it goes. It is a short 14 mile bike course but a 1.75 mile run to start and another 3 miles to finish.

Last year I finished up the season and fell off the wagon eating everything in sight. As much as I loved gaining 15 pounds in a month and 20 pounds overall in the off season I want to try to maintain my weight this year. I think the best way to do this is to add some races in the fall that I consider to be fun races and won't put much pressure on. That being said I take every race seriously and have a hard time holding back if I have a race coming. I also plan on adding the Big Woods Half Marathon on the 17th. I haven't decided if I will add anything else.

Last week I signed up for Wisconsin Ironman. This will be my first attempt at an Ironman. My hope is to qualify for Kona but just finishing is a serious accomplishment. My mentor Jeremy Sartain was unable to finish this year due to illness but immediately signed up again for next year. I am super stoked to be doing the race with him next year. If you haven't followed his story Jeremy is a former professional cyclist who was making a breakthrough in triathlons only to have a serious motorcycle accident last year. Defying all odds Jeremy came back this year to have a great season and is only getting faster. Jeremy is an inspiration to many people including myself and to be there when he gets another Kona slot will be awesome.

Half Ironman

As always found myself questioning myself before the race. Did I taper enough? Did I eat enough or too much? Did I train too much or not enough? Only this time if one of those answers was wrong it could mean more than having a bad race. It could determine if I finish the race.

After getting to the race site with little time to warm up last year I decided to stay in a hotel closer to Square Lake this year. It payed off as I had just enough time to prep this year only to forget to take my inhaler. With about ten minutes before my wave was supposed to hit the water I realized I needed to take a hit from both my prescription inhalers. I talked to Randy (the race director) and asked how long to the start he said about ten minutes. I asked if I had enough time to run up to my car and he said he would stall if he needed to. Luckily he didn't need to stall as I got back fast but the race did end up starting a little late.

As I hit the water I felt pretty good and was able to keep the swimmers within a reasonable distance. I wasn't able to catch a draft like last year but I still shaved a minute and a half off my time and had the 13th fastest swim overall. Not too shabby. My first transition was good and I took my time getting into my shoes so I could avoid any disasters. I made what would prove to be a crucial mistake early in the bike as I accidentally used a gel pack from my jersey that I had planned I to use for the run instead of one I had taped to my top tube. I hit the bike a little too hard at first but not bad. I overtook second place (Jose Rolsales) at mile 10. Jose got sick and had to call it quits after the first loop. I knew I may not catch Rhett on the bike but I hammered away as best I could without overdoing it and managed to just catch a glimpse of him as he was making a left turn just before making a right into the transition area. It gave me a little bit of hope as I believed I was a faster runner. As I got into transition Rhett was just leaving and had about a 30 second lead. I decide to take a chance and not grab the extra gel I had used up out of my bag thinking I could survive without it. While the decision probably didn't make the difference in beating Rhett it almost made the difference in finishing.

Leaving T2 I felt great and maybe a little over ambitious as I made up the 30 second gap in the first mile. As I caught up to Rhett I decided to draft off him and save some energy knowing there was still 12 miles ahead of us. As I starting nipping his heals he asked. "Is that you back there Steve"? I replied yes and he began chatting with me. I found this a bit peculiar but I enjoyed the conversation. I haven't been in this situation before and Rhett has been around for a while and probably had many conversations like this.

I had trouble getting the water or Gatorade in the first four miles because I was right behind Rhett and the volunteers were a little discombobulated. At mile four Rhett started to push the pace. I decided to let him go as I believed he would fade late. It didn't take long for him to slow down. Problem was, I was slowing down too and probably a little more. At mile seven I was questioning a walk run strategy as the heat was getting to me. I remember bonking in Iraq and knew if I did I would go from second to dead last. I decided to push through it and managed to keep Rhett just within two minutes and cross the line at 4:15:24. Third place was ten minutes behind me so I did have time to spare if I had needed it. However, I am not one to give up to be comfortable. I want to push myself to my absolute limit every time.

After the race I immediately went in the lake to cool off. I was numb similar to post marathon Iraq and knew I needed electrolytes and to cool down fast. It took about 15 minutes in the water and 30 minutes total for me to recover. Then I started to be able to talk with people coherently and met some awesome people. Bop Powers is one of ht oldest triathletes you will find. I hate to use the word old because I believe he is 85 years young. Bob was in the Marine Corp for WWII and Korea. Bob is a fascinating guy and maybe one of the nicest guys I have met. I enjoyed sharing stories with him for a good 15 minutes. I also talked with Rhett and Dan Fredricks about how awful the run was. Then Jose came over to me and told me how he had gotten sick on the bike and had to call it quits. I know he was disappointed but you could tell he was happy that he came out of the water first. Everyone I talked with was so nice. I have yet to meet anyone I didn't like in this sport. This sport seems to bring out the best in people. Maybe it's because most triathletes aren't trying to beat anyone, they are just trying to push themselves farther than they have ever gone before. It is a bond we share and a camaraderie that is hard to find.

This was my last triathlon of the season but I plan on doing a couple of duathlons and a half marathon. We'll see what happens though. Either way it has been an amazing season for me and hope I can continue to improve even more next year.

Square Lake

Well it all comes down to Square Lake Half. I was hoping that Square Lake would be my first victory last year and was looking like it was going to be until I had an unfortunate bike accident. I was leading the race when I was coming up on the last place competitor. When I said on your left she "panicked" and went to the left so I went right. When she realized I said on your left she dove back right and cut me off. I was having a fantastic race and would have had around a 10 min lead off the bike if I would have continued at the pace I was going. But the past is past and I have managed to put it behind me with two wins this season. I would still like to have a little redemption and complete my first Half Ironman.

Earlier this year Jeremy Sartain tipped me off that Dan Arlandson was going to be at Square Lake as well. Dan is a stud and barring a flat or not putting everything into it he should have no problem taking this one. I also saw Rhett Bonner on the list who is the fastest 45-49 year old in the country. Rhett is in fantastic shape this year and will be fighting for second with myself and last years winner Chris Leiferman. I believe this will prove to be a very exciting race with 2-4 place up for grabs.

I have been training for this race now for two years and feel fantastic. That being said I don't know what is going to happen. Am I going to bring my A game like at Baxter? I believe the key to my success will actually be in the water rather than on the bike. I need to find a good rhythm early but not tire out. I plan on holding back on the bike some so that I can run like I did at Waseca. If I run like I did at Waseca I will consider the day a success. I don't know how my legs are going to react after biking for 54 hard miles. In training they have always come through but training and racing are two different beasts. All in all I think I can break 4:10 if conditions are right. I just need to race my own race and not worry about anyone else. Same as any other race.

Sounds like a standard Half Ironman plan but sticking to it is always the tough part. What will the weather be like? How will the swim go? Will someone push me or will I be pushing someone which will take me out of my game plan? All I can tell you is I'm looking forward to pushing myself father than I have gone in a triathlon.

Shocked!

I knew I had a shot at the course record and also knew I may have to get it to beat a very game Greg Rhodes. I was shocked when I saw my time of 1:14:21 smashing the course record by 2:36. My goal was to keep Greg less than three minutes ahead of me on the swim and pedal and run like hell to catch up. With Lifetime's huge learning experience mixed with Jeremy Sartain's knowledge and coaching it was a recipe for success. Waseca was a big confidence boost but winning last week really helped me relax. All in all the stars seem to align just perfectly.

I got a good nights sleep the night before the race and got to the transition area with plenty of time to set up, warm up and stretch prior to the race. I was in the second wave which started three minutes after the 29 and under guys. As soon as I hit the water I knew I had something special going on. I got a fast arm rotation right away and hit my body position perfectly. I ended up with my best swim of the summer and kept Greg within two minutes. I put on my shoes in transition so I didn't have to worry about putting them on on the bike and crashing into someone else trying to do the same. This also allowed me to put more power into the bike sooner. The strategy played out huge as there were quite a few people around me struggling to put on there shoes. I easily maneuvered around them and hammered the pedals. I knew I was going fast but I don't ride with a computer so I had no idea how fast I was riding.

At around mile 12 I thought I might be in the lead but had a hard time believing that I had made up all that time between not only Greg but also the first wave. When I hit the transition area I realized I was in fact in front and by a descent margin. I put everything I had in to the run knowing that nothing is for certain until you cross the finish line.

When I started to see the finish line and couldn't see anyone in my rear view mirror I knew I had it. When I saw 1:17:21 (really a 1:14:21 because I started three minutes behind the first wave) when I crossed the line I couldn't believe it. I had smashed the old course record. A record I might add set by a super fast Dennis Dane who the day before took 2nd in his age group and Nationals. He is even faster now than when he set the record in 2007 but it was still an impressive record.

I didn't see my splits until I got home later that afternoon but almost couldn't believe what I saw. I came out of the water fifth overall and had my best swim of the summer. My run was also fantastic with a 5:45 mile split. What blew me away was my 26.9 mph average on the bike. I have never even come close to 26 mph before. I knew I was flying but had no idea I could do that. From what I can tell Jeremy Sartain had the bike course split record in 2006 with an impressive 25.3 mph. Jeremy is a former pro cyclist and my mentor. I'm guessing conditions weren't right or he was training through the race because he is faster than that but regardless I still smashed the old mark.

The best part for me was that both my fiance Kelly and mother made the trip with me to cheer me on. My grandmother and great uncle Wayne who live in Brainard also came to cheer me on. I actually hadn't planned on doing this race when I made up my schedule but my grandmother talked about how she wanted to see me race. She is in her 90s but might as well be 70. She can walk and drive just fine and has the mind and charisma of a 30 year old. She is so cute and loved getting out to see a fun race.

Favored Again

Jerry has for the second week in a row picked me as the favorite for the Baxter Triathlon this weekend. I'm certainly glad to get a win out of the way so I hopefully won't be so nervous.. This weekend especially as Greg Rhodes will be there who is coming off of a great race at Brewhouse a few weeks ago and is going to give me a run for my money. Training is going great but I try not to run races back to back very often and don't know how my legs will react this weekend. The last time I did back to back weekends was with the Minnetonka Tri followed by Waconia the next weekend. I did well at both races but did feel a little sluggish at Waconia even though my times say otherwise and could well have been the brutal wind. The difference now is that I am in great Half Ironman shape and feel like my body is ready for the challenge. I've also tapered again this week so I don't find myself over training like I did for Lifetime. The wild card is if my friend and teammate Matt Payne shows up. If he does he will definitely be favored but is coming off a ridiculously tough Pigman Half Ironman last weekend. As usual I believe I need a little extra help to beat him and that may be enough to do it. However, it may not.

Not Again!!!

Well I was the favorite for the first time this weekend at the Young Life Triathlon in Detroit Lakes. I have hoped to win a few other times only to have a big namer show up and/or get turned the wrong way not to mention the crash at Square Lake last year. Which was probably my best other chance to win I've had so far.
The day started out perfect as I had plenty of time to set up and warm up. Even though I didn't sleep well the night before ( I rarely do) I felt pretty good but still nervous. I saw Brett Sinn, the guy Jerry had pegged to give me the most trouble. We got to chatting and had a few laughs to loosen up the atmosphere. Brett, like every other triathlete I have met is super nice. He is no joke and can put together a good race so I knew that it would not be easy.
As planned I got off to a good start with a solid swim that seemed to be a few hundred meters too long. There were also far too few buoys to mark the course especially on the way back. I came out of the water in fifth but including the woman who started in a later wave was 8th overall on the swim. My transition was good and I got off to a good start and soon had the leader in sight. I went around turn and came up to an intersection where a car was coming from my right and another was coming at me and about to make a left infront of me. I got on my brakes in case they pulled in front of me and as I went through the intersection noticed the orange paint on the side of the road. I had a pretty good idea I missed a turn but there was no one at the intersection so I kept going. Soon after I came up on another volunteer and I knew I had missed the turn and cut off the peninsula. I thought "oh my god, not again." I turned around and hammered it like I have never hammered it before. I came up on the turn that I had missed and a volunteer was there this time. He had been sitting in a chair and couldn't see me because he was behind the car that was coming from my right. I knew at this point I had to play catch up and started picking people off. The second lap was a bit scary as I was passing a lot of the sprint course people. On a tight stretch next to a busy highway there was a girl who was taking up the whole shoulder. I yelled on your right and she did exactly what I was hoping she wouldn't do. Just like at Square Lake she moved to her left. I hit the brakes. She heard me and moved back to the right. She said " you said left." I frustratedly told her "on your left and stay to your right." I may have come off like an asshole but I am riding a very expensive bike and get frustrated with newbies that don't understand basic riding edict. I caught up to Brett at about mile 16. Brett's strength is definitely his running so I had been hoping to make up time on the swim and bike. So much for that. I did manage to open about a minute gap on him before the end of the bike and was a little over 30 seconds ahead of Jim Graif who had a great swim and bike but couldn't put it together on the run. I don't know how I found the speed but I ran the fastest 10k I have ever run at 36:52 at 5:56 mile splits. After the turn around I met Brett about a minute in coming the other way and thought I had a chance. I kept looking over my shoulder but Brett never came. Brett fortunately didn't have his best race and couldn't put it together on the run. As I was coming up to the finish line my ever supportive mother was cheering and yelling "you're going to win!, you're going to win!" I was so relieved when I crossed the finish line knowing that I had finally done what I've dreamed about for the past few years. Win a competitive race. Granted this wasn't Lifetime or Waconia but still a descent race. I was even more satisfied being that I had to overcome an additional 1.2 miles on the bike to do it. I waited for Brett to come in and congratulate him.
Christina Roberts was the female winner who also swims at the Edina LA Fitness. She is a serious up and comer and will be a force once she gets a new bike and learns how to truly train for triathlons. Christina pulled off a minor upset beating Christel Kippenhan for the woman's overall win.
When it was all said and done even with the long swim and the wrong turn I set a personal record for both the Olympic distance and 10k. I also managed to set a course record by over six minutes. I would have to say it was the best race I have had so far.
Thanks again to my mother. She was great and as always very supportive. It just isn't the same when no one is there to cheer you on. Next week is the Baxter Tri and I am looking forward to having Kelly, my mother and grandmother there to support me. My grandmother is in her nineties but might as well be in her seventies. This will be the first time for her seeing me race and I hope I can come away with another great performance.

Not a Gimme

Jerry Macneil has posted on Tri MN news that I am supposed to win on Saturday at Detroit Lakes. Brent Sinn is supposed to be the one to give me the most trouble, but I don't know if Jerry knows how much trouble Brent has given me in the past. Last year I was hoping to win at Mankato until I showed up to the race only to see Curt Wood. at that point I was hoping to take home second. Unfortunately I was in second nearing the end of the bike leg when there was no one directing me to take a left at a corner. A police officer was holding traffic so as I passed through the intersection he told me left. I don't know how much time it took to stop and turn around and get back up to speed but Brent and Mark Carey ended up taking second and third by about 30 seconds. At worst it would have made for a very exciting last quarter mile, something I know all too much about this year. At best I edge both of them out. A few weeks later I again over trained for Lifetime and ended up second overall in the age divisions with a 2:08. Brent came in a minute ahead of me. Yes I did beat Brent this year but as Jerry said neither of us had our best races. Earlier this year Josh Blankenheim beat me in a sprint to the finish at Minnetonka. Josh is a guy I have consistently beat in the past with time to spare. This just shows that nothing is for sure in any sport, especially this one. I may win this weekend but Brent will definitely make me earn it.

Training for Detroit Lakes

After the learning at Lifetime the Waseca triathlon was just what the doctor ordered for my confidence. I seem to have regained that extra gear was missing on the bike. Last night I went over to Jeremy Sartain's house for a custom bike fit. I have not had a good one yet for my new P3C. I have been fooling with the seat position to try to find more power. After Lifetime I knew where it wasn't supposed to be and moved the seat back. As suspected I actually had it dialed in about perfect. Jeremy just raised the seat a couple of millimeters and it was like a light went off and said there it is.
Besides the bike I seem to be improving at both the run and swim. Jeremy gave me some tips on better swim training and I have shaved about ten seconds off my 200 meter in the past month. That is a drastic improvement as it had taken me nearly a year to shave off the last five seconds.
This weekend is the Young Life Triathlon in Detroit Lakes. I'm hoping that this could be my first win but we'll have to wait and see. Every time I think this could be the one someone who is faster shows up and has a great day or I have a bad one. Unfortunately Kelly has plans to go out with her friends on Friday night and won't make the trip. She has been on her surgery rotation and pulling 80-90 hour weeks for the past month and a half. I don't force her to come to my tris and she needs some time to un wined. I will miss her cheering for me but my ever supportive mother will make the trip with me again. We'll see how the three hour car ride and sharing a hotel room will work this time. I think we both learned how to deal with each other better at Waseca and I am more mentally prepared for a long trip with her. The key is to keep relaxed which helps keep her relaxed. When I get frustrated if something goes wrong she tends to compound the issue with a thousand questions. I just hope it goes as good or better than Waseca.

Waseca Triathlon

I was a little sketchy going into the race on Sunday. I had no idea what to expect as this would hopefully be the first time I would finish anything longer than an Olympic distance. Not to mention how I had to take a step back and reevaluate my race preparation entirely after Lifetime.
Unfortunately one of friends had baby shower that morning and Kelly needed to get back on track with her surgery studying. Luckily my ever supportive mother made the trip down to cheer me on. I must admit she is a trooper. I think we all get frustrated with our parents but that is multiplied by ten for me the day before a race. Especially when I need to travel and spend the night in the same hotel room with them . My mother put up with my short fuse and was a crucial part in my outstanding performance. During every transition she would run to where I was at and tell me where I was compared to everyone else. She was so cute as she would cheer me on out of the water and off the bike and then run to catch up to me in transition. She was a key part of my success.
I knew Dan was the favorite and to catch him I would have to hope for some sort of miracle to happen. Instead of trying to keep up with him on the bike I decided to keep a steady pace but was careful not to hammer it and cash myself for the run. I knew this would put me in a good position to have a good run and hopefully catch who I thought was going to be Bret Lovass on the end of the bike or run course. What I didn't know was their was a wild card named Doug Davis who would eventually be a serious challenge.
Here's how it unfolded. Doug was a little ahead of Bret on the bike when Doug was chased by three dogs. When Bret came to get up the hill the three dogs were all in the middle of the road waiting for him. Instead of trying to blast through them and risk getting bit Bret turned around to notify a sheriff who was directing traffic at the last intersection. While on his way back I was passing him and he yelled something at me. I couldn't make out what he was saying so I figured he flatted out. Luckily the dogs were gone when I got up the hill.
I felt fantastic on the bike and know I could have put more into it but wanted to see how my legs were going to react to a near 9 mile run after the bike. The result was one of the best runs I've ever had. My mom yelled I was a light year behind Dan but second place was only about 2 minutes ahead. Sure two minutes sounds easy to her but that is not a small gap. Luckily I found my stride right away instead of a couple of miles in like I was planning. At mile 4 I saw Doug about 200 meters in front of me and I knew I had him, but he would not go without a fight. He noticed me at the halfway mark and did all he could to keep the gap but I caught him between mile five and six. When I came up on him he sounded gassed so instead of recharging my batteries and catching a draft I decided to pass. I hoped this would either cause him to drop or gas out trying to keep up. After I passed I could hear his footsteps and was waiting for them to drop back...but they didn't. They just kept hanging in there. They would fall back gradually but not nearly as fast as I was hoping. I started checking how far back he was with about a mile and a half left. Doug was still there about two hundred meters back. I had enough gas in the tank just in case he tried to make a move but I would rather not have to use it. In the end he didn't have enough to make the move and I finished feeling great and felt like I could have done another lap around the lake. Doug finished about 40 seconds behind me and was able to easily take third.
After the race I met Dan Cohen and Doug Davis who are both on the Gear West team. Dan is a monster and it was great to finally get a chance to shake his hand after a race. Doug is also an ultra nice guy and we ended up taking a cool down lap (4.4 mile cool down lap) around the lake. I told Doug he is one tough SOB for pushing me after I passed him. Doug said he wasn't going to give me second and certainly did that. I hope to race with Doug again and I will certainly know his name the next time he pops up on the participants list.

Uncharted Territory

This weekend is the Waseka 1/3rd Ironman. When I first saw this event I thought it would be a great opportunity to get my first win. It plays to my strengths of cycling and running and is longer than an Olympic but shorter than a Half. Unfortunately when the participants list came out Dan Cohen's name was the only other Elite on the list. Now Bret Lovaas has also entered along with a couple of other names I am not as familiar with. Bret is no joke but is more of a swim/cyclist specialist but can still put together a pretty good run. He is a serious threat but if I put together a good race I should be able to out split him on the bike and run. Dan on the hand by the numbers should be an even tougher challenge. He actually has faster bike and swim split and our run splits are very comparable. My swim however, has improved even more since Lifetime. I had a terrible swim there but had been putting together some very good splits in the pool. I have since changed my training again and have gotten even faster. I am hoping to come out of the water close to Dan and hoping he hits the bike too hard so I can catch him on the run. Bret will no doubt come out of the water first but I can hopefully catch him on the bike. He beat me at Minnetonka earlier this year on a short course but I was not far behind him and closed the distance on the run. I believe Bret and I will be very close to each other but I think I am going to have to hope for Dan to have a bad day for me to be able to catch him.
Then there is the doubt in the back of my mind from Lifetime. Am I burned out already? Did I push to hard to fast or not hard enough on the swim? What went wrong in the week leading up to the race? Not to mention the fact that I have never completed a race longer than an Olympic before. I was in the lead at the Square Lake Half last year only to be involved in a bike accident an was unable to finish. There is the potential that I could have another bad day and get smoked like I did Lifetime. The good news is I don't think this will happen. I have done a much better job of preparation for this race and feel like I won't burn out like I did a few weeks ago. Now all I can do is toe the line and wait for the horn to find out.

Training & Ironman Slot

Well it's back to training as usual. The hardest part for me right now is speculation as to what went wrong at Lifetime. I have a pretty good idea of what I think it was but the question always lingers in the back of my mind. What if it was something else? What if I peeked too early/ What if training for a Half Ironman while still staying in shape for a possible Ironman slot has made me slower? A lot of what ifs. I am however, trying to get my hands on a Wisconsin Ironman slot in the hopes of qualifying for Kona next year. Jeremy Sartain is doing his best to see what he can do but I've already been turned down by one company who has extra slots and time is running short. As for now I will have to treat it like I'm not going so I can focus on my last four races. All of which I may have a chance to win. I do however feel like I am back in good form. Last weekend I got in a nice 70 mile bike ride and readjusted my bike seat again and seemed to have gained more power. I also went on a roughly 18 mile run on Sunday and felt good enough on Monday to get a recovery bike ride in. I also continue to improve at a rather fast rate in the pool. Now I just need to transfer that to the race like I did at Waconia and Minnetonka.

Lack Luster Performance at Lifetime

I've had better races than Saturday, that's for sure. But I'm no way disappointed with a nearly two minute improvement over last year. However, I am wondering what went wrong. If I run as well I as I was hoping I should have come in about 11th at 2:02. Teammates Matt Payne and Patrick Parich did not disappoint with outstanding races and 7th and 8th place finishes.

I don't know exactly why I had an off day but I have an idea that it wasn't just one thing. It started with an unexpected wake up call at 4 am when my fiances alarm woke me up. God bless her heart she is doing her medical rotations and had been up for nearly two days straight on three hours of sleep and forgot to turn off her alarm. I have been there and don't blame her. When you are that tired your mind isn't right. I guess it was just fate for me not to do well from the begging. I also believe that I didn't fully recover from my 70 mile bike ride last Friday and 17 mile run last Saturday. I don't believe I carbed up enough or got enough fluids in me on Friday as well. The equation added up to a less than peak performance. During the race I made the mistake of staying behind the pack in the swim and trying to pick up the scraps. I was afraid I would get thrashed again like at Waconia and wanted to work into the swim. I ended up with a Dallas like swim instead of battling like I did at Waconia and ending up in front of the field. I guess the if I am going to have a bad race I would prefer it to be this one as I had tenth place to look forward to at best and would rather take 26th now than 2nd in a race I could win. The good part is there was a lot to learn from this race. I also screwed around with my seat Friday and moved it up a little. Result was I wore out my hip flexors and quads and ran like crap. I won't change what is working again the day before the race.

Next up is Waseca. It is the first year for this odd distance 1/3 Ironman race and should play to my strengths of cycling and running. The Brewhouse is going on the same day and will draw a lot of the big dogs so I may have a chance at my first victory. I will be sure to employ a lot of the learning points from this race.

Happy 4th!!!

The only thing that beats a three day weekend is a four day weekend. My company gave us Friday off so Kelly and I went down to her Aunt and Uncle's place for a family weekend just between Red Wing and Lake City. It is great down their and I love getting a little R&R in on their front porch. The extra day off came at the perfect time to fit my training schedule as well. Lifetime is next Saturday and that means I like to take the Sunday prior off. Instead of doing a long run on Saturday and a Long bike on Sunday I switched it up a little bit. Instead I did a long bike on Friday and had a long run on Saturday. I love running through Lake City and Saturday was no different. I ran so much that my calves are still a little soar. Other than that I had what I believe to be my best training week of the season so far. It couldn't have come at a better time either. Lifetime is a huge race and I have pegged it as my peak race this year. Last year I over trained and went into it a little fatigued and soar. This year it looks like I will be able to go into it at 100%.
Saturday night Kelly and I came back so we could watch the fireworks at Lake Cornelia in Edina. They usually have an incredible display and they did not disappoint this year. We went to bed at 11:30 which was way past my bedtime but it was worth it. There is something special about the fourth. It seems to bring everyone out of their house and allow us all to be 10 again.

Legged Out Again

The wind was brutal for the second year in a row at Waconia this weekend. I knew the swim was going to suck but had no idea of the carnage that was about to take place. At the start I got close to Brian Bich to try to draft off him as long as I could. That lasted about ten seconds as I soon found myself in a near fist fight with the rest of the field. My goggles got knocked off, I got smacked, kicked, scratched. It was awesome! I haven't felt that alive in a long time. I was swimming over people and people were swimming over me. Somehow I managed a great swim and came out of the water in 8th place. I had a much improved T1 and decided to put my shoes on in transition instead of trying to fight the wind while putting them on in the bike. I was right behind Matt Payne out of T1 and was able to stay a few hundred meters behind him. As he came up on Patrick Parish I looked down and when I looked up there was only Patrick. I thought, holly shit Matt went off course! It was my opportunity to get a little distance on Matt before the run. Then just as I was about to pass Patrick I tried to go to my small ring on a hill and my chain fell off. It took me about thirty seconds I'm guessing, but it was just enough for Matt to catch back up. A minute later he passed me just as I was coming up on Patrick again. Once I got around Patrick, Matt and I, being careful not to draft, flip flopped a few times then Matt took the lead for good. I kept him with in a few hundred meters for the rest of the bike but he had about 15 seconds on me coming into T2. I had another much improved T2 and managed Matt from gaining any ground on me. The first mile of the run was brutal and Matt just kept gaining ground. I new Patrick would be coming for me eventually and at the turn around both him and Brooks Gossinger looked like they might be able to catch me. Then it happened again. Patrick caught me with about a quarter mile to go. Patrick ran at Duke University and we are both on the TCMC team so I know him and know I am not going to keep up with him. Although I am not one to give up and I new Brooks was coming so I gave it my all but Patrick took me by about five seconds. I did manage to keep Brooks at bay and take fifth in another fantastic race.
Being my fourth top five finish of the season in some tough races people are starting to notice me. After the race race Matt Payne, Patrick Parish, Chris Frykman and I were about to do a cool down run around the course again and Jerry Mcneil stopped us. Jerry is a local legend that announces at most of the big races and wrights a blog called Tri Minnesota News that I follow religiously. Jerry, with a big grin, said he was becoming a fan of mine. A fan, I'm starting to gain fans? I know my friends and family are fans but to have him as a fan is awesome. Hopefully I will give him more to cheer for in the future and maybe gain some more fans.
Last year I really only had two races that I though went well, Brewhouse and Buffalo, At very race something seemed to go wrong or I just didn't do as well as I hoped. For some reason this year I feel much more relaxed and when my chain falls off I still feel amazed that I could come in fifth at The Best of the Midwest Tri. I guess being relaxed maybe just what the doctor ordered. I'm going to take this weekend off from racing to focus on training for Lifetime on the 11th. Hopefully I will give Jerry something to write about.

Injury

Well, the season is already starting to wear on me. Monday I decided against my better judgment to go for a nice relaxed recovery run on tired legs. As soon as I got to the end of my driveway I contemplated turning around but decided to push through it and get in an easy seven miler. At mile six I felt a pull or tear in the back of my knee to the inside. I already have a torn meniscus and partially torn ACL in that knee and have to do physical therapy every week to keep from making the injury worse. I don't think this has caused any major damage and it hasn't effected my training much this week. Luckily it was at the end of the run and I was able to get off it before it became a problem. There is no swelling and very little pain so far. It just seems to be a little tight in that region and doesn't seem to effect my running or biking. Waconia is this weekend and I will give it a rest tomorrow and a light go through on Saturday. Hopefully it will be fine by then. I did have a physical theropy appointment this week with Toni D at Minnesota Sports Theropy. Toni has been my Physical Therapist since I got back form Iraq and was properly diagnosed with my knee injury. Toni is an avid marathoner herself so she understands the dynamics of my condition. She also doesn't believe it to be a serious injury. Now I just have to watch it to make sure I don't turn it into one.

Exciting Finish

It was close to a perfect morning for the Lake Minnetonka Tri Saturday morning. I felt good but had no idea how I was going to place against a pretty stacked field. I was hoping for a top five but had no idea that I was going to have to battle for second place in what ended up being one of the most exciting finishes I've had. The race started out well as I had a much better swim than a few weeks ago at Buffalo. My first transition was a bit sloppy but could have been worse. I did not have my shoes clipped in as I didn't have far to run and wanted to be able to drive as much power into the bike as fast as possible. The bike felt good but not great. I think I need to adjust my seat position a little bit. Jeremy Sartain eeked me out by three seconds to have the fastest bike split. Jeremy is a former Pro Cyclist and MN Tri Series Champion in 2007. Early last year he had a devastating motorcycle crash. He is just now coming back and is improving on a daily basis. It won't be long before he regains full form again. I have been taking some bike clinics from him and joined his Twin Cities Multi Sport Club. Jeremy has been a huge part of my improvements this year and I'm sure I will continue to learn from him. My second transition was very sloppy as I had trouble getting my race number on and my shoes seemed to be more elusive than normal, I definitely need to work on my transitions as they were the reason I was legging out for second place instead of first. Mike Williams was right behind me off the bike and managed to have a lightning fast transition and was in front of me out of T2. I hoped he would make the mistake of running too hard too fast and stayed behind him for the first half mile. Then he started to fade and I made my move to regain the third position. Just before the turn around I passed Jeremy who told me I could catch Brett who was with in sight. At the turn I knew I could catch him but that would be up to him. All I could do is keeping racing at my pace and hope he fizzled. I did notice a fast runner on the way back and thought he might be able to catch up but forgot about him until about a quarter mile left. It was Josh Blankenheim. He is a faster runner than I am but I have beaten him at both Buffalo this year and Brewhouse last year. I stayed on him after he passed me to see if he kicked too early. I then made my own mistake by trying to pass back too early. We came off the path onto the final 100 meter stretch right next to each other but this was Josh's day as his 16:06 5k was just one second too fast for me. I talked to Josh, who is an awesome guy, and some of the other guys after the race. I like that fact that I am starting to get noticed. I also love meeting legends like Tony Schiller, Brett Lovaas and Jeremy hoping that one day someone will look at me like I look at them. I took third but felt so good about my performance I may as well have won the race. Hell, I ran the fastest 5K I have ever run Triathlon or road race. I was 8 seconds off the old course record and the fourth fastest time ever on that course. Funny because Kelly asked me how I thought I could do and I told here I thought around 1:04. She asked what the course record was and I told her 1:03:47. She thought I was being a little too optimistic. It is not the first time someone has doubted me in my life, nor will it be the last but in my opinion that is what drives a true competitor. If no one doubted what other people could do this would be a very boring world. After the race Kelly came over and gave me a big kiss too congratulate me. I wanted to tell her I told you so but trying to impress her is what drives me. Telling her I told you so may keep her from doubting me in the future. We have a fantastic relationship in which we have no problem telling each other they may need to be more realistic. Most of the time that is the correct statement. I'm just glad this time it wasn't.

Week Before Lake Minnetonka

This will be the first time for me at the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon. Last year I did Mankato instead because I went to college and still have a lot of friends down there. Unfortunately it was such a poorly run race that I decided to go with LMT this year. I am also stoked because I believe I have improved even more since Buffalo. Although I don't think that I can catch Brett if he is there this weekend. In looking at past race results it looks to me like this is Brett Lovaas's race. Brett had a fantastic race last weekend at Liberty and looks unbeatable going into this weekend. I am hoping to shave some time off of my swim so I can at least keep him in striking distance if I have a great day and he happens to be soar after last Saturday.
In the mean time my fiance Kelly has her first and most difficult round of medical boards today. I am super stoked that she won't be studying all day and we can start spending some more quality time together. On top of that she is having her eyes fixed tomorrow so she will no longer have to wear contacts. Apparently she may be somewhat blind over the next couple of days so I get to take care of her.

Improvement at Buffalo

Last year Buffalo was my first triathlon since my deployment to Iraq. I had no idea what to expect and was blown away with my time of 2:05:53. This year was a different story. Last year I raced in the age divisions and was an USAT All American, 30-34 Regional Champion and Toyota Cup 30-34 Champion. I will say there is a lot more pressure when you expect to be faster. I have worked hard on my swim in the off season and revamped my run form and changed my training after Albert Lea. Not to mention the weapons Pat from Grand Performance Bike gave me the day before the race.
The temperature was about 48 degrees when I arrived at the transition area and it was still trying to rain off and on. The wind was picking up and I knew the race was going to suck. I never thought I would get in 66 degree water to keep warm but that is exactly what I did. I saw Jeremy in the water before the race started and thanked him for sending me to Grand Performance. Then before I knew it I was on the beach waiting to hear the horn. When it sounded I decided not to go all out right off the bat and work into my groove. I don't know how much the strategy payed off but I came out of the water at 23:37 which was a minute slower than last year. However, I was 50th out of the water last year and managed to come out at 30th this year. The swimming portion is not easily measured and I'm guessing the course may have been a little short last year. Prior to the race I had made the decision to wear arm warmers and gloves on the bike. It cost me an extra 1:30 but hoped it would help keep me at least moderately comfortable on the bike course. I then got on my knew stallion and started to pedal. I knew I was gaining ground but I don't have a computer so I had no idea how fast I was going. The wind was bad but I was able to push through it. Even though I had the extra gear on when I came to dismount I was still numb and as I got off the bike it slipped though my glove and fell over. My feet were so numb I had trouble stopping and running back to get it. I then stripped off the gloves and managed to get my shoes on with relative ease. I didn't know it but I was in fourth off the bike. John Balabuck caught up to me at the first mile and I knew there was no catching him. I remember the hill at the middle of the run course last year and how bad it sucked. This year I breezed up it passing Joe Langel on the way and felt good at the turn around. I then saw a very fast looking Patrick Parish and realized that he was gaining ground fast. He caught me at mile four and never looked back. After that I knew there was no one who had enough time to catch me. I crossed the finish line 5th overall. While I was ecstatic with a new PR of 2:05:16 I was stunned to see I had the fastest bike split by three seconds over Matt Payne and broke the 1:00:00 barrier with a 59:58. I will admit that Terrenzo Bozzone did not try hard but that's his loss. I also set a new run PR with a 37:36 run time and was ninth overall in that category.
Minnetonka is up next in two weeks and I am hoping to see what I can do there. It has a longer swim portion but I can hopefully gain some ground on the bike with my new found speed.

Saturday Before Buffalo

Two weeks ago I had been dominated by Matt Payne at Albert Lea. Matt has improved greatly this year but I was not satisfied with my race and even though I was turned the wrong way on the bike course I couldn't put my finger on how he could embarrass me by almost five minutes on a sprint course. Saturday morning I learned how when I realized my front tire was not holding air for more than a few hours. Apparently I was racing on a front tire with I'm guessing around 60PSI. I was wondering why it seemed so sluggish on the course. Frantic as I know it can take a day or two for the glue to dry on a tubular I went to Penn Cycle to see what could be done. I love my boys at Penn but there was nothing they could do so I called Jeremy Sartain. He told me to bring it down to Grand Performance and they would hook me up. On the way there I picked up some carbon brakes from another bike shop as the ones I had ordered at Penn nearly three weeks ago had not come in. When I got to Grand a young man named Pat helped me out and said he new what it was and how to fix it. Apparently the valve on Tofu tires are notorious for this and he used an old Samari technique to fix it. He told me that since I already had some glue on the rim and I was putting 130 PSI in the tire that as long as I didn't hit the corners too hard I would be fine. Then Pat looked at my cassette and told me that I would be able to go faster with a 11-32 cassette. "please explain" I said. I know I am pretty fast on the bike but I know nothing about bikes and gears. I just get on and go fast. Pat explained that it was like having a sixth gear in my car. Going down hill and having the wind at my back I would be able to gain another gear. "So your telling me all this time the guys I've been competing with have had another gear"? I asked. Without hesitation I had him throw on the new cassette and another bike tech put on the new brakes. I thanked Pat and told him he is a Michael Angelo of the bike, which he is, and walked out of Grand Performance with a huge smile on my face. Hopefully Matt doesn't know about the 11-32 but Pat helped me regain my dignity on Sunday by only loosing to Matt by a respectable four minutes on a longer course rather than nearly five on a short course.

Pre Buffalo

So Buffalo is on Sunday and the weather looks to be crappy. I don't like racing in the heat but I hate racing in the cold. Albert Lea managed to warm up just in time for the race but the swim was frigid. At least the water should be a little warmer even though the bike ride should be a little brisk. As for training I am starting to feel like I believe I should. My breathing issue is around 95% and I am getting faster while retaining energy. I also have done some tweaking to my run stride and adjusted my seat height on my bike. I thought I was in good shape for Albert Lea but the father I get from it the better I am feeling. Hopefully that will make for a better performance than getting owned by almost five minutes in a sprint.

Training for Buffalo

Well Memorial day weekend is in the rear view mirror. As most do this one went by way to fast. Late last season my fiance moved in with her two cats. Unfortunately I soon found out that they give allergy induced asthma and made it tough to train in the winter months. Lately my breathing issue has been clearing up as we have been able to open the house up and get rid of the cat dander and I have been spending more time outdoors. Albert Lea it cleared up just in time for the race as we stayed in a cat free hotel room the night prior. I am still using the inhalers but feel close to 100% again.
Buffalo is in a little less than two weeks and I want to be close to peak by then. I have been getting in some fantastic training since Albert Lea and I am cutting time in every discipline. Buffalo was my first race last year and will be one of just a few races that I am repeating. Last year I had a great race at just under 2:06 but feel I can shave a lot of time from that this year. This week I was hoping to concentrate on the bike portion but unfortunately my schedule is not going to allow as much time on the road as I would like. Damn those early morning meetings where everyone eats donuts and drinks there $7 latte grandes. All meetings are good for is testing my will power against the hunger beast.

Albert Lea Triathlon

Well the first race of the season is now over. Thank god, because I was dreading the 58 deg water. It actually wasn't that bad after I went numb in a minute or two. Albert Lea was very well done and has one of the more beautiful run courses I've been on. The bike course was also nice and allowed me to try out the new ride. After my crash last year at Square Lake the woman who was involved was very generous and did pay for the damage. I then threw in a little of my own money in and pieced together my new ax, a P3C with Sram components and ceramic bearings to go along with a 909 rear disc. I was very anxious to try it out. Unfortunately I had a flash back to Mankato last year, only this time a volunteer was making a gesture to take a right when we should have been going straight. I partially blame myself as my fiance and I drove the course the night prior and new the route so I was puzzled when he pointed us in that direction. I should know better than to follow the guy in front of me over my gut instinct but human nature is to follow and I payed the price for it. I still managed the second fastest bike split behind a dominant Matt Payne who I talked with after the race. Matt is the raining Tri MN Champion and an ultra nice guy. It was good to finally meet him as we had raced a few times last year but never met. In the end the detour I took made no difference as he had a fantastic race and dominated me by nearly five minutes. I figure the detour only cost me a minute to a minute and a half. It was still a great race and would recommend it to anyone, especially someone who is trying out the sport. Just don't let the cold water ruin your race. Next up is Buffalo and I am hoping to redeem myself against Matt there. Although it looks like Matt is going to be tough to beat this year if he continues to perform like he did at Albert Lea.