I am an IRONMAN!

What an amazing weekend! The anticipation for this race was huge as I have been wanting to accomplish completing an IM since I started this sport in 2005. Kelly and I drove over to Madison on Friday and got the ball rolling with registration. Madison is one of the coolest towns I have ever been to. I had the pleasure of partying there for a few weeks after high school before I left for basic training. The town is electric with fun and there is never a dull moment.

Registration was a madhouse. It went rather smoothly though and before I knew it I had been weighed and was on my way. I remember 2008 the year I got back from Iraq and how intimidating everyone was even though I was racing really well. Since then I have not been as intimidated until I saw the people doing this race. They all look ridiculously fast, everyone has a high end bike and it is hard to find an ounce of body fat to spare.

After registration I went for a dip in Lake Monona in front of the Terrace. I was told the water was about 75 so I didn't wear a wetsuit. The wind was up and the water was very rough. I still got in a good swim and felt like a few people might have though I was crazy to be without a wetsuit. As I got in the water someone behind me said "he's crazy" in a soft voice to her son. Yes, yes I am. Later that night I learned the water was actually 68 degrees. No wonder I felt a little chilly for the rest of the evening.

Kelly and I stayed at a friend of mine's house just off campus. Katie had done the Ironman last year and rides the course on a regular basis. I leaned on her for information all weekend. Saturday morning I awoke to red cups littering her lawn and I though how wonderful it would be to be back in college again. Katie and I went for a quick spin on a route that is rarely traveled by cars. On our way back there was some crap in the road so I went around it when a truck came barreling up from behind and laid on it's horn. Since the speed limit was 25 and we were doing about that not to mention we had the right of way I felt the need to give him the old your number one sign. We exchanged some pleasantries as he flew by and I asked him to stop and get out of his truck. Of course he didn't have the balls and kept driving. It was Wisconsin's first football game and I'm betting he was a bit under the sauce already. After that we went and turned in our bikes and transition bags and I went for another quick swim. This time I used my sleeveless suit and the water was perfect.

Katie's boyfriend happened to get a flat while riding out of town so we decided to pick him up and drive the course. Katie showed me the false flats, tough downhill turns and when to let loose and when to stay calm. Without this info it may have been a really rough race. Then it was dinner time and then a little Anchorman to calm the mood.

I actually got one of he best nights of sleep I have ever had that night and woke up feeling great. We headed down to the start and got our bikes ready. I noticed my front tire had lost some pressure so I took it to the mechanics to see if there was anything they could do. They explained that the tire I was using would loose 20-30 PSI in 24 hours and it was nothing to worry about. Problem was when I got back to my bike the end of the skewer was missing. Luckily I found it but the spring was gone. I went back to the mechanics and the had a spare spring. Thank god because I would have worried about that the entire ride.

It was then time to head down to the swim start. It seemed like forever waiting for the cannon to go off. Then it happened. With a loud boom 2,500 people started flailing for position. I stayed on the outside toward the front to keep from getting trampled. I went out perfect and got in a good rhythm. I used the swimming in close quarters technique Duane taught me and it worked like a charm. I felt like I was hardly using any energy and yet was making good progress. At about 3/4 threw I started hitting it a little harder and before I knew it I was running up the helix to transition. I looked at my watch and saw 1:07 for the swim. I was hoping for between 1:05 and 1:10. I felt fresh and very happy with how the swim went. I breezed through transition and before I knew it I was pedaling away.

The first 30 miles or so were a blood bath. At the first aid station I was struggling to get my water bottle in its cage when a guy passed me with a few choice words. I explained in some choice words back that I was just trying to get my water bottle in. A little later I passed him and told him all he needed to do was say something nice like on your left I would get out of his way. I was amazed at how someone could get so upset over a few seconds that could easily be made up in a 112 mile race. I then realized it was nothing to get bent out of shape about and I decided to apologize for my comments. We actually formed a bit of a friendship as I could tell he was a strong cyclist and everyone else around was either pushing to hard too early or using us draft off of. Eventually we dropped them and a little while after that I dropped my knew friend and I started picking people off.

After the first loop I knew I was doing well as I felt great and it had really thinned out. In fact there was hardly anyone around. I then came up on Cathy Yndestad and gave her a big CATHY! as I passed. She was looking good and gave me a big grin and a Go Steve as I passed. I then picked up a couple of guys just before the hilly section. They then found themselves getting dusted on the hills. On the hills I was feeling amazing and people said things like "now that's the way to do it" and simply "wow". I didn't even stand the first loop and then put a little more power in on the second. I felt as if it was almost too easy and never felt fatigued.

As I finished my second loop and started back I was all alone. I held back some to reserve energy and took down my Heed and took an Enduralyte to prepare for the run. I got out of my shoes and headed back up the helix. As I came in Kelly and my mom told me I was in fourth. The way things were going I thought they meant fourth amateur. I was really in about 12th and was fourth in my age group. Non the less I new I was in good shape.

I started the run feeling great but knew not to push hard. I kept a nice easy pace and was feeling great. Then I started to make a few bad decisions. First I decided I was doing so well to walk through the aid stations to conserve energy. In doing that I took some of the Endurance Powerade drink they had. This was a big mistake. I had not trained with this and soon after I started to feel bloated. I pressed on though and was still feeling good. At about mile eleven I made a bathroom stop that was actually a false alarm. I was still feeling good though and I was in perfect shape at the turn around with 1:45 left to come in at 9:50. Then at about mile 15 my stomach started feeling really heavy and yet I was still thirsty and getting low on energy. I had to take a needed bathroom stop and got back into the groove. Soon after that I started to slow down again so I tried some coke as I knew I had to try something to get back into shape. It felt like jet fuel for a few miles but then I started to slow down again. My stomach felt so full that I couldn't take anymore soda. On top of the the soda was not defizzed so it caused me to have to take another bathroom break.

At about mile 21 Todd Langraff passed me with a friendly tap on the back. I gave him a get that Kona slot as he passed. At that point I knew I was going to have to change my goal from making Kona to something else. My stomach was full but I felt like I needed more fluid. At about mile 21 I decided I needed to concentrate on finishing and decided to walk. While walking I met another guy named Joe that was on his first lap. We talked for a couple of minutes and gave a little encouragement. Joe then said he needed to get going and starting jogging away. I then started thinking that I didn't want to walk to the finish line. I made a decision that I wanted to come in before 10:30 and in order to do this I would need a walk run strategy. The strategy I came up with was simple. Run as far as I could then walk some and repeat. Then I started to shuffle my feet. Before long the feet were moving pretty good and my stomach was feeling less uncomfortable. Before I knew it I was clipping along at a good pace.

With about a half mile to go I was feeling great again and I came up on another guy in my age division. We were at the bottom of Capital Hill and I seemed to be in better shape than him. I made a goal to beat this guy. I felt very strong going up the hill and glanced back to see he was in no shape to make a move on me. As I passed the shoot at the turn around there were a few thousand people that went crazy for me. It is a feeling unlike any I have ever had. There were some kids wanting to slap some high fives and I was more than happy to oblige them. When I heard my name called out and that I was an Ironman I felt a rush of accomplishment go through me. It was a culmination of not just an amazing race but years of training and nearly a year pf preparation. I looked up and saw my time of 10:13:54. It wasn't a 9:50 and Kona slot but it might as well have been. I strangely was not disappointed at all that I didn't make my goal. In fact there was actually a little relief as I would not have to fork over another $650 and sacrifice for another year of training. With a baby on the way both time and money will be at a premium and I would rather not have the stress of Kona on my shoulders. Kona will come but it will have to wait a few years.

Ironman Wisconsin

The time has come. I have had many firsts in my life. Most of which led to more difficult firsts. Unless I decide to run an ultra marathon (highly unlikely with my bum knee) this will probably be the last first when it comes to testing my limits of endurance sports. Because of the hilly and difficult bike route Wisconsin Ironman is regarded as one of the toughest triathlons around. This is in addition to a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 making this a very difficult first to tackle.

I have absolutely no idea how this is going to turn out. I have been plagued with injuries all year as well as more than likely having an iron deficiency since June. I have tapered the past few weeks and feel much more rested and like my legs are ready to explode. However when I go on light runs to keep them up to speed the legs feel like they have forgotten what to do.

My goal for this is simple.... finish. After that the goal is to get a Kona slot. By my calculations if I come in at 9:50 or better I should get a slot. If I come in at that time and don't get a slot I will feel like I did all I could. Although I do have a few other fun goals. I want to be the fastest combat vet. Unfortunately this is nearly impossible to track but I'm betting this is an achievable goal. I would also like to be the fastest person from Minnesota. If it weren't for Todd Landgraff I would say this would be very possible. Unfortunately my knew found friend and arch nemesis will be there and has a wicked fast run split that will be tough to fend off. Regardless I hope we get to enjoy a trip to Kona together. That would be awesome!

In order to go for a 9:50 I have set some goals for pace. First I need to swim around a 1:05 and feel fresh. A month ago I was very worried about this but with another lesson from Duane Dobko I seem to have found my old stroke and feel very comfortable in the water again. I know I have thought this a few times this year but I know feel it more than ever. I seem to be skimming the water rather than fighting through it. Next I need to do around 22 mph on the bike. This is more than possible as I have been doing roughly 20.5 on my long training rides on my heavier bike with about 6 1/2 pounds of water to go a long with it. The question is can I keep that pace and still keep enough in my legs to run a marathon afterwards. Not only run it but run it in roughly an 8 min pace. I think this is very possible but I have no idea if it will happen.

The wild card is my nutrition. I should have done more research a few months ago as I found out I need to consume roughly 300 calories an hour. In order to do that I need to fire down three Gus' an hour. In training I have been doing 2 at most. I don't know if my gut will be able to handle the increase or not. If it does I will be in good shape.

I'm looking forward to the trip with my wife. Kelly has been extremely busy this summer with her rotations and has only been able to come to a couple of races. Also making the trip will be my new sister and brother in law and step father in law and as always my mom. It will be great to have all that support and I'm sure I will need it on the run.

This has been a tough road. Injuries, exercise induced asthma, time away from friends and family, insane long training days and weeks along with all the fatigue that goes with it. When I added up the numbers I was amazed. Since I started keeping records on Jan 15th I have run 790 miles in 99.15 hours, biked 2,928.1 miles in 136.75 hours and swam 332,150 yards in 129 hours. For a grand total of 364.9 hours trained. This equates to 15.2 days of straight training. Hopefully all this will add up to me becoming an Ironman on Sunday.

Blown Away!

Well, Detroit Lakes down WIM to go. Saturday was the much anticipated rematch of Sam Janicki and I. In the end it wasn't much of a rematch as much as it was more of an ass whooping.

Friday night I got in to register and volunteered to set up a fake transition area and help new athletes learn more about what to expect on race day. I had a great time helping people and answering questions. People seemed to be very interested in what info I had to offer and I really hope it helped out. I also saw Sam and we stopped to chat for a few minutes. This sport is full of great people and Sam is no different. Sam is a youngster compared to me at the age of 24 so if I call him a kid, please forgive me. Sam is a hoot and I really enjoyed getting to know him better.

Saturday morning started as all race mornings do. Sleep was moderate to good and I got to transition right when I like to with plenty of time to relax warm up and stretch. Before I knew it the race was about to start and the butterflies began to fly again. I knew I needed a great swim to have a shot at beating Sam to go along with a strong bike and a great run to finish. I asked my mom to tell me how far back I was when I came out of the water. I started strong and didn't hammer it like I typically do to try to save a little energy for the second half. Just after the first buoy I caught a draft off of two guys and realized that we were a three man chase pack behind Sam. Unfortunately Sam was way ahead of us. After the first turn the sun was right in our face and the glare made it nearly impossible to see what few buoys there were. I came out of the water in fourth and believe I was second out of T1. The swim was not as good as I was hoping for but compared to other times it was pretty good. As I ran by my mom she yelled four and a half minutes. I let out a little grown as I knew I was going to need help to catch Sam.

I got on the bike and started to push. I again started slower than I have lately to find a rhythm and save some energy for the last 20 miles. I felt strong and really started to feel it on the second lap. Unfortunately Sam never came into sight. That is until I was about a half mile from T2 when I saw him sprinting the other direction on the run course. I thought to myself there is no way that kid can keep that pace in the heat. I dismounted and picked a good start pace that felt very strong. Last year I had 5:55 splits on this course and I needed at least that to catch Sam and that would only happen if hew blew up. The run was extremely hot but I still felt strong coming up to mile 2ish. A short time later I saw Sam coming the opposite direction on his way back. As he was coming up I let him know he was having an incredible race. After Sam blew by me I started wondering how far I was from the turn around. After what seemed to be an eternity it finally came. I know I was a ways back but still had it in my mind that I wanted to break the 2 hour barrier. With as strong as I was feeling I though this was very possible. As I came up to the finish Sam was there cheering me on and looking like he hadn't even raced. As I crossed I immediately grabbed water and Powerade and started to rehydrate. When I saw that my time was nearly 2:04 I was a little surprised but not as surprised as when I talked with Sam and he said he went 1:55. 1:55! Holy Crap that is fast! Especially on a legit Olympic course. In fact the swim is even a little long. Granted the it is a fast course it is still 25 mile bike and 6.2 mile run. I don't care how flat it is 1:55 is blazing.

Sam and I talked a while as he was waiting for his girlfriend to come in. On top of being super fast Sam is super modest and very easy going. I think this kid is a legit contender to go pro very soon. Who knows maybe as soon as next year. I want to see him race against some tougher guys at larger events like Nationals, Dallas, Lifetime or Waconia but my feeling is he will do just fine. In fact I wouldn't doubt it if he wins. All the kid has done this year is win and set course records. This weekend he will probably destroy my record I set at Baxter last year. Mind you this is a record that was held by a very speedy Dennis Dane before myself. I though this record would stand for a while as there are not many guys out there that can break it. In fact maybe five in the state last year could have put in that kind of a race and they all tend to do larger races. Now comes a new era of Triathlon to our state with the likes of Sam, Patrick Parish and Dan Hedgecock. D1 athletes that decide to push themselves beyond the limits of their own sports and try triathlons. I've got some training to do.

IM Training and DL Preview

Wisconsin is less than a month away. My volume is huge right now and all three disciplines have shown huge improvements since Chisago. I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that I believe I have been anemic for some time and have started taking an Iron supplement. Since then I have been able to go over 90 miles on the bike three times when before I was struggling to do 75. I believe I am actually ahead of schedule for the race. Now I just need to hit my nutrition and hydration.

Well, the Young Life Triathlon in Detroit Lakes is on tap for this weekend. I picked this race for a few of reasons. This was my first triathlon win in my career and I have a weird felling of loyalty to it for that reason. DL also falls on a Saturday and fit into my training schedule pretty well for IM Wisconsin. I also missed a turn last year and want to see how fast I can go on this course. This was the race that started to set me apart last year when I started racing really fast. I'm hoping that will continue.

As far as I know Sam Janicki will be the toughest challenge there. Sam destroyed me at Land Between Lakes Tri in May this year. I don't feel like I raced to my potential there but that would have made little difference as there is no way I believe I could've shaved two minutes off my time. It may have at least made the results look a little more respectable. Sam is having a great season and will undoubtedly win the Tri MN Series unless someone off the radar button hooks him. Which I seriously doubt.

I am in by far the best shape of my life right now, which is part of the problem. My Ironman Training volume is way up and after my longest training day yet consisting of a 104 mile bike ride followed up with a 17 mile run last Saturday. This has left me quite sore and on the edge of injury. I am following my standard race week tapering schedule but I'm not sure that I will be fully recovered by Saturday. Regardless as much as I want to beat Sam (I'm sure he wants to beat me too) I am focusing on a sub 2:00:00 race. If I can do that it will be a victory regardless of place. Last year I came in at 2:04 and change. I'm guessing that you can shave about 3 min off from the wrong turn and the swim was treacherous last year with a pretty good wind and only three buoys to mark the course. If the course is properly marked and the correct distance it could save me an additional 2-3 min. Since my run still has not developed like it did at the end of last season I may need it. Although my main concern is staying healthy and if I feel like I am about to pull something I will not hesitate to call it a day. I don't think that will be an issue.

Anemic?

Ever since Liberty I have not felt myself , been lacking in power on the bike and struggled on the run. After Chisago I started having chest pains when I would run for the first 10-15 minutes of my run. I've had that happen before but in the past it would go away within a minute or two and only for one day. This has been happening since Chisago.

Being that I have a fourth year med student as a wife who is scared to death of something called hypertrophy I didn't want to take any chances. I went in to see my family practice doc last week to see what he thought. At first he was thinking it was still the asthma bothering me. Since my breathing has been fine lately I steered him in a different direction. Doc then gave me an EKG and a chest X-ray. Besides the fact that my resting heart rate is 38 everything was fine. My Doc then came up with a theory that I may have some cartilage damaged between my ribs. Possible, but I again thought this was unlikely. Why would the pain go away? I then asked for a Heart Stress Echo. My wife thought this was the best way to see if my ticker was tocking correctly.

I went in for the test last Thursday wondering what it was going to be like. I was told that I was going to be on a stationary bike and they would be doing an ultrasound on my heart while I worked out. When I arrived I saw a type of bike, only I would be lying down while pedaling so they could do the ultra sound. There were three fun nurses who were administering the test and seemed to really enjoy their job. One explained that they were going to need to get my heart rate up to 161 in order to get a "good test result". I then told them that this would be a while. They explained that only one person had ever almost beaten the bike and they had atropine to get my heart rate up if they needed it.

I started pedaling at 50 watts. They quickly realized this would in fact be a while. Every two minutes they bumped it up 50 watts until they finally reached the max of 275 for about 15 minutes. Problem was I was still only in the 140s. The girls were astounded and started to get a little panicked. They did not think they would need the atropine so they didn't have an IV in. Then they had to give me an IV mid test. The nurse first gave me .5 milligrams which had little to no effect. She then decided to administer 2 milligrams which is the most she was allowed to give me. This still only got me up to 155. At this point there was nothing they could do but finish the test with a little lower than the desired heart rate of 161. I now have the distinguished title of being the only person ever to beat the bike at the Methodist Hospital.

The good news is that the test was normal. So what the hell is going on? I'm guessing that I'm either short on Potassium or Iron. I started taking Iron pills and got back on my multivitamin about ten days ago and have been feeling better by the day. My strength is back and I've been putting in two of my longest runs and bike rides I've ever done back to back on Saturday and Sunday the last two weeks. The better part is they have even felt rather easy, in fact easier than some of my 70 mile rides from earlier this year.

I did get a blood test done today and we'll find out what the results are but I'm guessing that I will show up on the low end normal for Iron levels. This will point to me being anemic for who knows how long. I'm sure I've been anemic in the past few seasons as well. All in all though I seem to be back on track. Swim times are back were they should be. Bike volume is way up, sprint times are down and my run is feeling more solid than it ever has. I have also added my Physical Therapy back into my training regiment and I feel stronger than ever. Hopefully this adds up to success in my last two races as I've felt like the season has been a bit of a let down since after my win at Minnetonka.

I must stay focused on the prize of Wisconsin IM though. Sam Janicki will be at Detroint lakes and I would love to defend my honor as much as he would like to prove that he can beat me again. Still, I must focus on the ultimate goal right now. To be honest I believe if I stay on track for WI then I should be in peak shape for Detroit lakes. If Sam beats me he beats me. Lord knows the kid is fast and has proven to be faster than me before. I just hope it will be an exiting race for LuAnn and the Young Life crew.

A New Arch Nemesis

In 2008 Matt Payne and I formed a friendly feud. Without even knowing each other we seemed to post nearly the exact same times in every race. That year I only got the best of Matt once at Mankato sprint. What isn't posted in the results is that Matt raced a Half IM the weekend prior. I'll take my single victory regardless. Since then Matt has been improving even faster than myself and has gone on to be one of the premier triathletes in the state if not country. Now I have found a new nice guy to hate.

Todd Landgraff has been dinking around in triathlons for a few years but has never taken them too seriously... until now. Todd's times while always fast but were nothing spectacular except for his run. Come to find out this speedy runner used to run for the U of M. This year Todd has gotten serious in a big way. Wisconsin Ironman is his motivation and there is no doubt that Todd is possibly the most improved athlete in the state this year. At Liberty Half in June I bested Todd by nearly five minutes (before a penalty). Yesterday was a different story.

I started the day with a later than normal wake up and ended up getting to the race a good 30 mins than I would normally like. Since it was a half I wasn't concerned since most of the warming up is done on the course. The water was posted at 76 deg however it was more like 83. This pissed me off a little because I had brought my sleeveless wet suit in case the water was warm. I wore my full sleeve because of the information and posted on the swim. Luckily I didn't push it too hard and was able to recover on the bike in the first 15 miles. I moved my seat post up a mm to see if that could help me run better off the bike. It didn't hurt me too bad but I'm going to move it back down. The bike felt good but was much longer and hillier than I heard it was. Apparently they changed the course and therefore making it a legit half IM.

I came off the bike in 4th and soon got passed by the Pro Justin Henkel who must have had something go wrong in the water as his swim was four minutes slower than mine. It was hot and I knew Todd was coming for me. I was in fifth and the last money spot for the race is fifth. I won't lie, $250 is a great motivator but I didn't want to blow up like I did at Square Lake last year against Rhett Bonner. There was a loop at the turn around for the course that was about 3/4 of a mile around. I just caught a glimpse of someone who looked to be at nearly a dead sprint going into the loop as I was coming out. I knew in the back of my head that it was probably Todd but all I could do was worry about me at this point. I kept checking my rear on the way back and never saw Todd. With about a half mile left a checked for the last time and didn't see him and thought I was good to go. Then it happened.

All of a sudden With about a quarter mile left I heard someone coming up hard from behind. When I turned Todd passed me like I was going backwards. As he passed I let out a friendly"you bastard." I tried to kick with him but could only hang on for about 150 yards. Todd kept the jets on and ended up gapping me by over 22 seconds in the last 250 yards of the race.

At the finish we congratulated each other and went down to the lake for a cool down. Todd is ultra nice and he said he was sorry for taking the $250 from me. My response was. "Why? That is what racing is all about." I would do it to him and I expect him to do it to me. There is no hard feelings and I'm not happy he passed me but not mad at anyone who finishes ahead of me. What I am concerned about is that Todd is in my age division and we are both going to be fighting for a spot to Kona at Wisconsin IM. I hoping that we both can get a slot and the way we both have been racing that is entirely possible. However, as much as I like Todd I want that slot. I just pray I can stay ahead of him at Madison.

Chisago or Bust

This will be my second Half IM this year and will also be another great test for where I'm at in my Ironman training. Liberty may have been my best race so far in my eyes. Buffalo and Minnetonka were great but punching out a 1:28 half marathon after a good bike and swim was very nice. It was by far my best run of the year and I'm hoping to improve on that Sunday.

Chisago does pay out to fifth place and I'm hoping to grab some more loot. Kelly is all over using the prize money for a crib for our bundle of joy coming in December. There are a few problems though. First is David Thompson. David will take first by a rather large margin as long as he doesn't flat out. Devon Palmer is signed up for the short course and I fear he will join the long distance race. Devon did race at Racine last weekend and I'm hoping he is still recovering. I believe we are similar on the bike and run but he will dominate me in the water. Next is Josh Riff. Josh is racing fantastic this year and took me by 4:30 at Liberty (before the penalty) but I feel like the gap may be closer this race. Matt Payne will also be there. Matt is also racing great but told me he has not been training for distance this year. For some reason I don't think that will make much of a difference. Matt is a beast and should do just fine. Hopefully no one else shows up that I am not aware of.

I'm hoping to have worked out the crimps from my last two races. I really believe that nutrition played the larger role in my lack luster performances at Waconia and Lifetime. I've been eating better the last couple of weeks and have actually put on a couple of pounds. I feel much better and my workouts are also improving because of it. My swimming really took off but I'm not 100% confident in it just yet. The run is what is looking the best right now. I'm putting down training times that are a little faster than my best workouts at the peek of last season. Hopefully that translates into a solid race and a little pocket money to go along with it.

If everyone I fear shows up and races there best I could take 5th. Although with Devon racing a half last weekend, Matt possible not at 100% long distance form and my improved nutrition plan anything is possible.

Am I Becoming a One Trick Poney?

This week I've been back pedaling a little trying to figure out why my run and swim seem to be going backwards even though my training times are getting faster. On Tuesday I had a revelation. Lately I have adjusted my diet to attempt to keep my weight down. Every now and again I get hit by the hunger beast and have an uncontrollable urge to stuff as much as I can in my pie hole. Tuesday night was such a night. After eating a less than satisfying dinner I hit up some ice cream. I finished what I would call a sample size serving (others would call it a meal) and made my way to the next tub and couldn't put it down. After that I ate a few other things to include a bowl of cereal, some peanuts and a few things I have since forgotten. Wednesday morning I went for my usual bike ride and felt awesome. In fact I felt awesome all day. I even had an awesome swim session. Last night the same. I was not as hungry but I did not hold back only to have one of the best sprint sessions this morning.

I'm hoping that this will help me get back into the form I was in at Buffalo, Liberty and Minnetonka. To be honest, as great of a race as I had at Minnetonka I was starting to feel fatigued and felt I could have run a faster race. Waconia and Lifetime though were both disappointments. Especially because they were my two races where I faced some of the best competition in Minnesota if not the country. Hopefully I can have a strong showing at Chisago, dominate Detroit lakes and place well at Wisconsin. All of which will be tough knowing that the competition will not be week at any of those races.

On Board!

Well, once again Lifetime lives up to it's reputation for being a tough race for me. The water temp was at 82 degrees which made it a non legal wet suit swim. This killed me right off the bat. I am not a very good swimmer and the wet suit helps me more than it does the swimmers. This caused me about a minute gap on the field. To go along with the lack of wet suit I just didn't swim like I was hoping to. Once out of the water I noticed that I had one of the last bikes left in transition. All I could do is hope that I wasn't far behind and pedal like hell. At about mile 5 I started passing guys who were just a bit slower than me. I did open up a gap but they seemed to be forming a pack and in what I could tell was a somewhat legal draft pack they caught up to me. I towed the pack till about mile 18 were it started to become a battle. Guys kept passing me and each other to try to break free, myself included. The course is narrow and is quite technical making it difficult to really be able to make a break for it. In the end I got off the bike with about 8 other guys. Most of whom should by me a beer for pulling the load for most of the way. I don't know if it helped or hurt my time as I felt impeded at points while other times the pack I'm sure helped me. As a consolation I did manage to take the fastest bike split from Patrick Parish by less than three seconds.

Once off the bike I once again never seemed to get a good rhythm. I think the heat played a huge factor and looking back I need to adjust my race nutrition plan as well as my day prior intake plan. I did chase down a few guys while a couple passed me. Overall I was satisfied with the performance more or less only because of the bike split. It did give me a second gut check in as many races. The good take away was I seem to have figured out my lack of power on the bike at Waconia only to have a lack luster run. I guess it's back to the drawing board.

Next race is going to be Chisago Half IM. I need to take away the lessons learned from the warm race conditions and implement a better nutrition plan. Chisago will be a great test to see where I am in the IM training plan. My bike and swim volume is right where I want them but I need to work on my run big time. I've started adding some more mileage the last few weeks so we'll see how that works out.

Not Lifetime Again!

Yes, I am determined to nail this course. However, this has eluded me know two out of three times. The third/first time it was my fourth ever triathlon and surviving the 95 deg heat was the goal that day. Now I am in a whole other caliber of field.

Last year I made a disastrous rookie mistake in moving my seat forward the night before the race. This caused me to have a bad bike split and wore out my hip flexors resulting in a terrible run. That was by far the worst race I have had to date and I did not get my seat positioned corrected until I took it to Jeremy Sartain after Waseca. The year prior to that I raced in the age groups and had a terrible swim and not so good run. Will this year be any different?

Waconia was a great race for me as I now know what I need to focus on. I also had a lesson with Duane Dobko who helped straighten out my stroke the best he could in one lesson. I have been shaving pretty significant times in the water since. I also have focused on my bike power since Waconia. All this while being able to increase my running mileage since my calf seems to be healed. Problem is, with all that said Lifetime just seems to have it out for me. Last year I believe if I had my best race I could I would have placed around 12th or 13th. This year I am hoping for top ten. Funny thing is it could go either way on that. At this point all I can do is show up and find out.

My prediction. Swim between 21:30 and 22:30. Bike around 58-59 and run around 37-38. If I can hit two of those three numbers and not be less than a minute off the other I will consider it a huge race for me.

Not there....Yet

While I wouldn't call Waconia a bad race I certainly wouldn't call it my best either. The field was stacked and I was hoping to come in 8th and that is exactly where I came in. I started off with a decent swim but got caught behind some slower swimmers in the beginning and did not get to let loose until about 300 yards in. I came out of the water with Josh Blankenheim and Brooks Gossinger but felt I could've shaved at least 15 seconds off the swim. As I hit the bike I new I had a lot of time to make up but for some reason I just never felt like I could get in the groove and get any power. I don't know if it was the heat or if just wasn't my day but I had to settle for a mediocre bike split.

The surprise was my run. I had been battling a calf strain for about two weeks. I rested it for Minnetonka only to re injure it at the end of the race and the compounded it by doing a cool down run. I needed to get in some mileage last week and a good speed session in as I felt like I don't yet have my top gear like I did last year. While I did get in a speed session it was done very gingerly and at a lower intensity and I decided to keep the mileage down for one more week just to be sure. I wasn't expecting a good run because of this only to have one of the better feeling runs I've had this year. I came off the bike a good minute behind the next guy and as I got off the bike the legs actually felt pretty good. I started turning them over and chewing into the gap. I ended up passing Rhett Bonner, John Shelp, Curt Wood and Brett Lovaas was not far off. My split was slow but so was everyone else's. I felt great at the finish and felt as if I could've kept that pace for a 10k if not even faster. Monday the calf was fine, I wasn't even soar from the race and was able to run 7.5 that morning.

Brett Lovaas did get a little redemption from Minnetonka by beating me this week by about 18 seconds. I feel like there may be a little bit of a friendly rivalry brewing. Brett is a serious competitor and has been one of the guys I've thought of as one of the best. I look forward to racing with him again. I did exact a little redemption myself on Rhett Boner. Rhett is one of the nicest guys I've met yet in this sport. We shared an epic battle at Square Lake last year where Rhett came out the victor in a death race battle in miserably hot conditions. Rhett is not in as good of shape as he was last year and I caught him just past the turn around at mile two. After the race I went up to him and gave a friendly fist pump in the air to say I got this one. I believe I am now 1-2 against Rhett. I look forward to racing with Rhett every time as there is definitely a friendly rivalry between us.

As always I need to learn from this race. I didn't feel like I got 100% out of me and I need to adjust somethings in order to be ready for Lifetime. It was my fourth race in as many weeks to include a Half Ironman. I don't think this had a huge effect as I did have a great race at Minnetonka last week but you have to wonder. Regardless I need to work on my power on the bike and being able to push myself to the next level like I did at Buffalo. I also need to take lessons learned on the run and implement what went right.

Swimming has always been my achilles heal and I have not felt like my stroke has been right for some time. I took some lessons from Duane Dobke over the winter and was swimming like a champ but somewhere along the line my stroke fell apart. Monday night I got in a session with Duane and he confirmed what I had feared. My stroke was awful again. Duane got me to raise my elbows more and Tuesday morning I shaved 5-6 seconds off each set of 200s. Hopefully I can even improve on my form more in the next two weeks.

Waconia Triathlon

Last year I place fifth here and if it wasn't for a chain slip on the bike I would have nabbed 4th. This year is going to be a bit different though. There are at least 13 serious Elites this year in one of the most stacked races I have ever seen. I am racing good right now but I'm coming off of a very heavy month with Buffalo Olympic, Liberty Half (still pissed about the penalty) and somehow managed to win at Minnetonka Sprint. While the legs feel good I have been battling an achilles injury and have not gotten in the volume of running I would like at this point. Still I have managed to turn in decent run splits.

This weekend I will need something special or lucky to happen for me to place better than 9th. On the start list is Devon P, Matt P, Patrick P, Alex H, Bian B, Kevin O, Dan C, Curt W, Brett L, Rhett B, Josh B and Brooks G that I can think of. I guess I am hoping to beat out at least one person that I have yet to beat out. I would be ecstatic to beat out Brian, Kevin, Dan, or Curt. All four are guys who I have looked up to and thought of as unbeatable since I started this sport in 2005. Not that I don't want to beat Matt, Patrick or Alex but the odds are they are the front runners and the four fore mentioned are hopefully not in peak form. We'll see what happens come Sunday.

Minnetonka Recap

Saturday was exactly what I was hoping for. I knew last year I suffered from some sloppy transitions, especially T2. This year I practiced my transitions with more focus the day before. I also did a lot of visualization on how I wanted the the transitions to go so when they came up I could mentally prepare myself on the way to the zone. My first transition was only slightly faster than last year but I got my race number belt on and left my shoes in the clips. The mount went good and I had a slight bit of trouble getting into the shoes but all in all I was satisfied. Brett had some trouble with his mount missing his saddle twice and ejecting his water bottle and having to go back for it. I don't know if it made the difference in the race but it would have mad for a very exciting finish if he nails it. My second Transition was only 1 second slower than Brett and felt very smooth. It was a full 18 seconds faster than last year and was time that could have made the difference if Brett lands on his saddle on the first try.

I was also extremely pleased with my swim. It was slower than last year but so was everyone else's. I came out third behind a supersonic swimmer Thad Ingersoll and Brett. Erik Henderson passed me on the bike for a few seconds while I was getting on my shoes but as soon as I got them on I started hammering. I saw Brett passing Thad at about mile 5 and did not gain much ground until about mile nine when I started to real Brett in. I made the pass for first with about 3-4 miles left in the bike and came into transition with about a 15 sec lead. I knew I could outrun Brett as long as didn't burn out in the first half mile. Last year I paced of of Michael Williams for the first quarter mile and it proved to work rather well. This year I was on my own and felt good but not great. At the turn I had about a 30 sec lead and for some reason the back half felt a lot easier than the front. I definitely did not have much in the tank at the finish but enough to have a great race and take first by 49 sec.

This is one of my favorite races as it short and close to the cities allowing more of my friends and family to cheer me on. This year my old roommates and close friends Mike and Andrea Moonen came with their son Asher along with my new step father in law, sister in law, her fiance and my ever supportive mother. It was great that they got to see me get a win.

After the race Josh Blankenheim, Tony Schiller and I went on a recovery run together. Tony Schiller is a former pro who has been around forever. He was one of the top distance pros in the world in the late 80s and early 90s not to mention his incredible resume as an AG athlete. Tony won this race two years ago as a young 50 year old and went on to win Worlds that year in his age division. I never turn down a chance to rub shoulders with someone like Tony. Tony's experience and tips are some of the best training tools you can put in your tool box. I asked Tony if he saw anything I could improve on and he told me that I looked like I was bouncing a bit when I was running and showed me how I can correct it Great tip! To go along with being a star in the sport he has to be one of the most approachable guys I've met in the sport. As soon as he crossed the finish line at Minnetonka last year he asked who I was. Always a great compliment when someone you look up to wants to know who you are. Tony and I also shared some stories and even got to talk military for a time. Tony's brother is in the Navy and close to getting his own ship. A very impressive feat. I look forward to racing with Tony in the future and will try to put his tips into practice.

Next Level?

This weekend will be another great test to see how much I've improved and how far I've come. The Minnetonka triathlon has been dominated by Brett Lovaas for a number of years. There is no doubt he has this course dialed in every time. Although Brett has not been putting up the numbers he used to and I am racing fantastic right now. This could be a good shot to move up to the next level.

I remember just a few years ago looking at results and seeing big names like Brett and Dan Cohen, amazed at how fast they were/are. Saturday I have my best shot so far at proving that I belong amongst these super studs. The question is will I be able to put out another great race? Because that is exactly what it will take. Not to put out excuses but Liberty Half took a lot out of me last weekend and I ended up pushing it too soon and tweaking my Achilles earlier in the week. I expect it should be good to race on by Saturday but will it keep me from performing at my best. The time off may even help. We'll have to wait and see.

Last year I was held up by some sloppy transitions and ended up getting legged out for second by Josh Blankenheim by 1 lousy second. This year Josh will be back and so will Brett. Josh really put on a great race a few weeks ago at Buffalo and seems to be improving as much as I am. I'm not going to make any overall predictions but I'm guessing it's going to be Josh, Brett and myself battling it out for the podium spots.

Penalty?

I have always looked at the penalty portion of the results and felt sorrow for the people who got tagged with, more than likely, unwarranted penalties. I'm not sure I agree with how the USAT handles penalizing participants. I understand that rules are in place in order to keep a level playing field and to keep people safe however. Is this sport not supposed to be fun? Are we not supposed to go as fast as we possibly can as long as we don't draft?

Here is my beef. I was hit up with a 4:00 penalty this weekend. Not that I dispute that I may have crossed over a double line but I would like to know the circumstances of why. I'm sure I didn't due it maliciously or with total disregard for my own or the safety of others. Quite the contrary. I'm guessing that I crossed the line in order to A. pass someone safely or B. take a corner safely.

As for A. You might say that going into oncoming traffic in order to pass someone is dangerous. Is it? I would have to argue that it is less dangerous. Anyone who has ridden a bike during a race should know that passing someone (especially if you are a faster cyclist) takes only a couple of seconds. If there is no car in sight that should give you more than enough time to safely pass them. The alternative is to say on your left or hit the brakes and wait until there is a passing zone. If you say "on your left" you risk a serious accident. Not everyone is hip to that saying or is a quick thinker. I myself said this in a race a few years ago and had the person "panic" and go hard left. Luckily I gave them plenty of warning and started to go around them to the right only to have them dart back across and taking me out. Since then I have almost been involved in at least one other accident of similar circumstances and try not to use "on your left" unless absolutely necessary.

As for my cornering argument here me out. First, all corners should be controlled by volunteers so traffic should not be an issue. If it is, then you should be paying attention and see the car coming and avoid the wide turn. Second, most corners are not swept. Taking these corners at speed with a sharp turn can easily cause someone to wipe out. It is much safer to take a wider turn so that the apex is much more of a straight line in case there is loose gravel on the corner. Third, everyone who is competitive in these races takes wide turns. It is an extreme disadvantage to call a penalty on only one or two. If you are going to enforce the rules you must do it on all competitors not just one. Now I will have to worry about this call for he rest of my career while other racers do not, causing an unfair advantage not only in that race but in future races.

Since I hate people who complain and offer no suggestions on how to fix the problem I offer some ideas in order to improve the above situations. Let me first state that officiating should be subjective. A police officer has the right to intemperate whether a law was justifiably broken. This should also be the case in USAT races. Questions should be asked when making a call. What were the circumstances surrounding the violation? Did the violation cause someone to gain an unfair advantage? Did the violation put anyone in immediate danger or did it actually make the situation safer? Was the situation under control? To name a few questions that should be asked in the mind of the official when handing out a penalty. As for the corners I offer one simple solution... road cones. The should be two cones at every intersection. One to mark where the turn starts and the other to mark where the turn ends. If the racer misses either of these cones and the official feels that they made the turn with disregard for the cones then the penalty should be enforced but only if there are the resources to enforce this on everyone.

I can't tell you how elated I was with one of my best races I've ever had only to find out later that day that I was docked 4 min for a traffic violation. I don't want anyone else to have to experience the same disappointment of having that taken away on paper. Sure I know I had a great race but seeing it in the results is the same as accusing me of cheating. Triathlon is a sport that is supposed to be fun, not over officiated. Many of the people who compete in this sport dedicate 10 or more hours a week to training and thousands of dollars in gear. In my opinion you better have a very good reason to give someone a penalty who has that type of dedication to a sport that they have pay to do. I have never met anyone that I felt was, would or did, intentionally break the rules. Is there a problem with giving a warning? Most people don't even know they are doing something wrong. Not because they don't know the rules but because the official may have a different point of view.


Let them race! Let them Race!

Awesome Race at Liberty Half with Mediocre Result

I went into this race know that Josh Riff would probably be my toughest competition. Josh did not disappoint. I came out of the water next to a friend Micah Turman and ahead of Josh. This maybe the first time I have ever been ahead of my chief competition out of the water. Josh tracked me down about mile 6 on the bike, passed me and then slowed down a little. I then passed him back to see what he would do. Matt Payne told me that I would not be able to ride away from Josh and this scenario quickly became apparent as Josh then passed me back. I then formed a strategy of staying just out of drafting range for the first roughly 22 miles of the bike. Then I planned on putting a little steam into it and then back off a little to see what he would do. If he let me go I could put a little time on him before the run but my legs would surely suffer. If he caught back up I figured I could play a little cat and mouse on the second lap by passing him on the downhills and flats and make him work hard to catch me on the hills. Hopefully I could wear out his legs for the run. Josh is a fast runner and would surely out split me by a large margin if I didn't make him work on the bike. Sure enough josh came charging back and then slowed down again. I let him feel me on his back until about 3o miles in and I started my first charge. I managed to put a pretty good gap on him and saw him working hard to catch back up. When he did I let him go for a few minutes and then passed again with the same result. Each time we would have a short pleasant conversation about the battle that was taking place. As we got deeper into the race I started pushing it more and more. The strategy worked perfect as we came in off the bike together. Now it was time to find out if the strategy actually worked.

Unfortunately Josh's run was not affected by my attempt to tire his legs. I, on the other hand took the first half at a nice easy pace in order to run into my legs. A great lesson learned with my battle with Rhett Boner last year at square lake. Josh had about a 3-4 minute lead on me at the turn. As I made the turn I knew that the only thing I could go for was to beat 4:20 as Jerry at MN Tri News said that Josh would be the only one who could accomplish this. All of a sudden my legs started firing and I felt fantastic.

I picked up the pace and turned it on. Behind me was speedy Todd Landgraff, Todd is a former runner at the U of Minnesota and I knew he would have a ridiculous run split. Luckily I had about 8:30 at the turn on him and I knew as long as I didn't bonk I would have second wrapped up.

As the miles kept ticking off I kept felling better and better and increasing the speed. At the 10 mile mark I needed a sub 19 5k to make the 4:20. A feat I thought impossible for me. Although the legs felt good and there was a large wood chip down hill at the end that would allow me to run finish very fast. As I came up on the finish line I hit 4:20:40 and felt awesome. I may not have beaten 4:20 but I certainly proved that I was capable of it.

After the race I got to chat more with Josh Riff. This was Josh's first win and he was super excited. We chatted about the battle on the bike and how he was afraid I would catch him on the run. Little did he know that I didn't have a prayer but it still made for a very exciting race. I hope to see Josh on the course again as he was an awesome competitor and an ultra nice guy.

About five minutes after me Todd cam in. I have seen his name on many results pages before but never met him. I talked with him for a while about his awesome improvement this year. Todd is going to be racing at WI Ironman and the training is brining him to the next level. Todd's father was also there as well was my mother. The four of us hung out at the awards, shared some stories and had some laughs. Just a few more friends that this sport has helped me make. Congratulations to both Josh and Todd on an awesome race.

As I was on cloud nine all the way home I made calls to the wife and father to tell them about the race. Later that afternoon I checked the results to see I got hi with a 4:00 traffic penalty. My first response was, you have to be kidding me. Apparently I crossed over a double line on the course somewhere. I'll save my thoughts for my next blog as I think this deserves an entire section.

Eye on the Prize

A good and wise friend had a great quote a few weeks ago. "It's not the marathon that is the reward. It's the training it takes to complete the marathon." I need to remember that the goal this year is strictly Wisconsin Ironman. This weekend is my first big training test towards that goal. Not that I am calling the Liberty Half Ironman training, it's not. It's a race just like any other, I don't train through races...ever. I don't believe in not putting 100% into something. Saturday will be no different. While the main goal is to try to get my pacing down for longer distances my second goal is to beat out one tough opponent. Josh Riff came on the scene last year and immediately established himself as one of the best distance guys in the state. Last year he took second with a serious time of 4:17. While I am optimistic that it is possible for me to beat him I am also realistic that it is not probable. Josh was solid last year and showed only a slight weakness in his swim. I know the feeling. This year he has shown some serious improvement on at least the bike and I expect to see improvement in the water as well. So as my back up goal I am shooting for a 4:20. Last year I hit a 4:15 at Square Lake and got a little overambitious on the run causing me to hit the wall pretty hard. Jerry Macneil also posted that Josh is the only one in the race who can can take down a 4:20 this. I would like to prove him wrong. Sorry Jerry.

Better Lucky Than Good Somedays

Sunday was the much anticipated Buffalo Triathlon for two reasons. One, I was really looking forward to watching Matt Payne and Patrick Parish battle for the first time this year. Two, I was hoping to regain my honor back from the new kid on the block Sam Janicki. Here is how the race went down.

With a new wet suit and a few more lessons under my belt I hit the water with a little more confidence this year. I new I was about tenth coming out of the water and felt very good. I had a good but not lightening transition and hit the bike course. I know I should try to lay off the first few miles to let my legs get in the groove but that is just not me. I hit it hard right off the bat and pounded the pedals as hard as I could. I knew I was going to have to smoke the bike to catch up to Sam, Matt and Patrick. Sure enough about 10 miles in I passed Patrick, but not with as much of a speed difference as last year. The scary thing is Patrick has been riding a 58 cm frame and should be riding at most a 54 cm. A few more miles up I came across someone walking his bike back to the last corner. It was Sam Janicki. Then another guy on the other side who happened to be Matt Payne. Unfortunately both of them happened to flat out on the same corner. I immediately started doing math in my head. I figured Sam, Josh Blankenheim and myself were going to battle for fourth behind the Pro Chris Legh, Matt and Patrick. All of a sudden I realized that as long as I could hold off Josh on the run I could earn a nice $250 paycheck for this one.

I kept hammering away and passed my good buddy Jose Rosales. We shared some words of encouragement as I passed and at that point I knew I was in the lead for the amateurs. About 20 miles in I ran out of HEED (my energy drink) and had to make a decision. Keep hammering or pull back a little and play it safe. There is great reward for those who risk more so I kept hammering. As I came into T2 I got caught behind some short coursers, got impatient and yelled GO! GO! GO! My mom was also yelling for them to get out of the way in a panicked mother tone of voice. Sorry to who ever I yelled at. I was in the heat of the moment and want them to know that is not my typical demeanor. Whom ever it was seemed to know my name and apologized as I got around him and I did get to reply with a "no problem" and no harm was done.

I had another decent transition and off to the run course. I knew Patrick would be coming for me and Josh behind him. Sure enough about 2 miles in Patrick caught me. Usually Patrick passes me like I am going backwards but for some reason he got about a 50 yard lead and then I hung in with him. I thought either he was holding back since he knew he had it and wanted to save a little gas for the end or... maybe he was hurt or cramping. Sure enough I saw him grabbing his side and thought, maybe I got a shot at this.

Coming up to the turn around I saw this younger girl huffing and puffing the other direction. I thought who the hell was that? I just figured it was an age grouper who accidentally took the short bike course. She was moving pretty good though and I didn't even know if I had enough gas to pass her. As I hit the turn around I was hoping to have a big gap before I saw Josh and then there he was. I had a gap but it was not as much as I would've hoped and he was moving pretty good. We went back down the hill and then took a turn into a neighborhood for another quick out and back. When I was turning right onto the main street taking us back to the finish line I knew I was a about a mile and a half out and Josh was just turning right into the neighborhood for his out and back. I figured I had a least a two minute lead and should be able to hold Josh off.

As I got to the finish line I heard Jerry say I was second and I had PR'd. I though he meant second amateur and looked at my time of 2:00:32 seconds. I had no idea what to expect for a time but low 2 hours was on th high end of what I was hoping for. After I finished someone told me that Chris Legh was hurt and only did the swim and bike. The girl I saw on the course was his teammate. That meant I was now $500 richer instead of $250. A very nice payday. Not to mention I was only about a minute and a half from Patrick. I feat I was very pleased with.

Buffalo certainly didn't turn out like I had planned or anyone would have thought. I was hoping to regain my honor against Sam and Matt and Patrick should have battled for first and second. It may have not been how I would liked the circumstances to have turned out. Believe me, I don't like to win by default, but as my dad says. "Son, that's why they run the race." It is indeed. If everyone came in when they were supposed to and there were no variables like blown tires or missing turns there would be no point in competing. My hats off to Sam and Matt. That was a really tough break and they both handled it very well. Sam is fresh in the game and I would have blown my top when I was starting out. I had one of my lesser moments at Mankato a few years ago when I missed a turn/no one was there to direct me in the right direction and it may have dropped me from 2nd to 4th. Luckily Sam has a long and very promising career ahead of him and will have plenty more races.

Honeymoon in Switzerland

Kelly and I decided to hit Switzerland for our honeymoon. Initially we were pushing for Italy but the plane tickets were much cheaper into Zurich and Rick Steve's said Switzerland was the bomb. First up was three days in Luzern. Luzern has a really cool part of town called "Old Town" were there are tons of overpriced shops and really cool architecture. Kelly and I quickly found out that Europe was not a cheap place as we forked out nearly $30 US dollars for lunch at McDonalds. We also quickly found out that morning sickness (Kelly's prego by the way) would play a big part in our trip. Kelly was craving chicken McNuggets but once she took her first bite she went running to the bathroom to spew chunks for about five minutes. Reason number 23 not to go to McDonalds for me. They also have some ridiculous burgers over there. So ridiculous that I can't even remember them. I believe one was a burger with a chicken patty on it. Who would have thunk it?

One thing Kelly and I noticed in Luzern was that there were very few overweight people. If anyone can tell why this is please comment. I believe that it is because restaurants are two to three times more expensive over there. That or everyone seems to ride a bike or walk. I saw very few runners though.

Since hotel prices are no joke over there and my retirement plan of winning the Powerball has yet to come to fruition Kelly and I stayed in a converted jail that is now a hotel. Sounded fun when we booked it but probably the least romantic place we could've stayed. We made the best of it though, the price was right and we were close to all the action.

In the morning I went for a run around town. Running on vacation is always an adventure. Goal #1 don't get lost. This was made easy by me eventually running in a figure eight pattern. It did have some great hills and got my legs moving. Goal #2 scope out the town. This was pretty easy and I did find some cool places for Kelly and I to visit. The bonus was that Kelly doesn't feel well in the morning, hence the morning sickness, so she doesn't get going until 9 o"clockish. Perfect for me to get in a little training on our vaca.

The best part of Lucern was a walk we went on. It required a boat ride and a very sketchy rail/cable car ride up a very steep mountain. We then spent the afternoon on a breathtaking off the beaten path adventure. Once past the main tourist area we only saw a couple of other hikers. Then we had a lovely lunch overlooking the area from an incredibly amazing view from our table. Another kicker about the German part of Switzerland is if you don't each lunch or dinner at there designated times (I don't know what they are as we rarely hit them) hello sandwich because that is all they will offer. Just as well for me as the price was right and I brought my own supply of Cliff and granola bars.

Next up was Gimmewald. We were both super stoked for this part of the trip because Rick Steve's rated it as one of his top three places to visit. I would have to agree. The town has about 75 people and there is only one or two small cars that reach speeds of up to 150 KPH as they scream by you on there 75 meter drive from the local Hostel Bar. Everyone in town seems to have a room for rent or own a hotel and the views are amazing.

The next day after a morning run we planned to go up to Murren where they had a pool where I could get in a quick swim and mountain bikes to rent. When we got up there both the pool and mountain bike shop were closed....bummer. So we went down to Interlochen to catch a boat ride. Unfortunately the boat gods were not on our side this day either. No more boats were leaving for the day. I don't know if the Swiss just don't like to work past 4 pm or what but Kelly and I were reduced to another gorgeous walk along the shore of the lake next to the city.

The last stop on our trip was Lugano. Lugano was in the Italian region and we were greeted with temps in the 80s which was a nice change from Gimmewald and Luzern where it was in the 50s. There was a lake a block from our hotel to go along with an gorgeous outdoor 50 meter lap pool. I was like a kid in a candy store. The next day we went to the Belenzone Castles or Castle as we only made it to one. This was by far the coolest day we had on our honeymoon and if you have yet to see a real life middle ages castle I highly recommend you see one. This thing was hunourmous! I felt like I was Link in the Adventures of Zelda video game. We took tons of video and photos and hopefully I can get some posted.

After that we had one day in Zurich before our flight home. We hit the town and walked along the river and ate some of the most overpriced Mexican food ever. It was awesome, maybe the best Mexican food I've ever had, but still overpriced. Especially if you throw in the terrible service and the 45 minutes it took to get our food after we ordered it. What do you expect when it takes them 15 minutes to bring you a $5 bottle of water. I guess customer service over there is even worse than here. That or they just don't like Americans. Either way they can survive because it's all tourists and there is no repeat business anyway.

The flight home was way worse than coming over has we had to fight to stay awake. Kelly also was not feeling well which only made things worse. Kelly and I had a great time but we were definitely glad to be sleeping in our own bed. Despite Kelly's raging hormones from being pregnant as well as traveling together for eight days we still managed to get through it without wanting an annulment.

Hitched

Well, its finally over. The anchor has been dropped and I am off the market. Kelly and I tied the knot on the 15th. If you haven't heard our story I'll give a quick recap. Kelly and I grew up down the street from each other. Our families are friends and I have been friends with her father ever since he would let me have a beer with him when I was 17. Kelly is a little over four years younger than I am so we never thought of dating for obvious reasons growing up. Kelly went to college at Gustavus in St. Peter and I went to MN State down the road in Mankato. Other than me giving her a lift to her dorms once we still never considered dating.

As time went by I got heavily involved in triathlons and she went on to Medical School. Between working full time, training and having all married friends I was out of options in the dating scene. Kelly was under the same gun with all her studying and time commitments with school. Somehow we both got on Eharmony about the same time and were matched up on her second day and my second week. Kelly didn't show picture on her profile so I had no idea it was the Kelly from down the street but I did like her profile so I asked to see a picture. When I "nudged" her for a picture Kelly nearly fell of her chair. At first she thought giving me a chance would be weird but thankfully her stepmother told her that she was a fool if she didn't give me a chance because I was such a nice guy. Then one evening I got a call from her father Pete. We made some small talk and then he passed the phone to Kelly. I knew something was up and sure enough Kelly informed me that we had been matched up on Eharmony. We went through the match process and started dating. I new after just two dates that this was someone that I could definitely see being my wife. A year later we were engaged and two years later we are now married.

The week of the wedding started out cold with endless bouts of rain but the weather turned perfect just in time for the big day. Kelly did a fantastic job with planning and everything went off without a hitch. So much so that I don't even have any good stories about close calls.

The wedding day actually started as any usual Saturday as I had to get some mileage in before the honeymoon and with the Liberty Half Ironman only a month away. I hit the lakes for a 13 mile run and then had to pack for the honeymoon. After that it was off to mow the lawn as it was already long and would not get mowed again until we got back on the 24th. Kelly was not excited about me cramming everything in at the last minute but in the end everything worked out perfect and I go to the hotel to get ready right on time.

On the way to the hotel I stopped of at the tux shop with one of my groomsman to pick up his tux and my jacket that they had to resize. According to their sizing I apparently lost 35 lbs since they measured me in February. While there I realized that I had forgot black socks or any socks for that matter. Fortunately the good people at the Wedding Shoppe were willing to sell me the finest pair of socks five dollars can buy and off we went.

First it was picture time. Holy crap! I though our engagement pictures took a long time. I haven't had perma grin like that since I bonked in a Marathon in Iraq and all my muscles seized up making me look like the crippled joker. Our photographer was a woman named Chloe and her husband. They are the awesomest photographers ever! Totally fun to work with. We got so into the pictures we were almost late to our own wedding. Luckily we knew that they wouldn't start without us.

The ceremony went off without a hitch. Kelly and I had both the reception and ceremony at Black Bear Crossings on Como Lake. Incredible place and they were super awesome to work with and had by far the best wedding food I have ever had.

Then it was time to let it all hang out on the dance floor. I will say I am not a huge dancer but get a couple of drinks in me and things can get interesting. Even after the long day I was able to dig deep and relinquish any self respect I had and bust a move ... or two. I haven't seen such disregard for a dance floor since that kid tried a front flip on dancing with the stars and landed on his face. Below is a picture of myself and my long time friend and now father in law dancing. He actually paid $1 to do it. Later I even had to busted out the electric slide. Everyone was into it and we had a blast.

Once the night was done Kelly and I headed back to the hotel were we immediately fell into a deep coma. Wake up was at 6:45 as I still had a little packing to do and there was still present opening to be done. Then onto the airport at 11:00 for our flight to Switzerland. If I have one piece of advice to give you for jet lag it is called Dramamine. I slept nearly the whole flight there and then used it again for the first two nights. Awesome stuff.

Good Result at Alexandria

Last Saturday officially kicked off the tri season for me with the Chain of Lakes Triathlon. This was a short course with a 600 yard pool swim, 12.5 mile bike and 2.8 mile run. If the weather was better I was hoping to take a crack at Matt Payne's course record last year. I don't think I have my swim down enough yet but I might have been able to make up the difference on the bike. Instead I was greeted with 25-30 mph sustained winds and 40-50 mph gusts. The temp was also in the low 50s and I was not feeling motivated.

Before the race I believed that my toughest competition was going to be Ross Weinzierl. I met Ross before the race and we immediately hit it off. Ross is an ultra nice guy and I enjoyed hanging with him before and after the race. I knew if I didn't hit the swim he could jump all over me and we ended up being in the same lane so we could race close to each other.

The pool swim made me nervous as I am not very efficient at flip turns and have only done a circle swim once. I don't like swimming in cramped pool lanes and this was going to be even worse than I am use to. I was shooting to come out of the water at 9 min which is what I can do consistently during training. The week prior I went down to Mankato and did a swim seminar with the MSU coach and his staff. They really did a great job breaking things down for me and totally revamped my stroke. I have been using Duane Dobko who has shown great results as well but I seem to have fallen off what he has taught me lately. The problem was when I went to train with the new stroke the next day I nearly drown. I was not use to it and still needed practice. Luckily I was able to get it somewhat by the end of my session but still did not have a warm and fuzzy. I felt strong at the end of the swim in Alex and felt if I had a week to build my confidence I could have shaved 30 seconds or so. No matter as I hit my goal time.

I did take a little extra time putting on arm warmers, gloves and a breezer to keep me warm. I was almost too warm but felt strong on the bike regardless of the wind. I may have been in my small ring for a short time but probably wouldn't have effected my time due to the wind and I was still near max output. I did wait too long to get out of my shoes and didn't get to stand for very long on my pedals to get the legs ready for the run. It was apparent that I still have a few winter cobwebs in need to dust off.

The run felt good on the verge of great. I started off slow as I was working against the wind and my legs were still a little sluggish from the bike. All of a sudden I realized I was getting a little complacent with my pace and started picking up my knees. As soon as I did the stride felt great and I was moving. At the turn around on the run I came across Ross. He gave my a friendly high five and we both gave each other a "nice work". I always worry about being caught from behind and Ross was moving pretty good. For some reason it always looks like everyone else is moving faster than me on the return. In the end I was able to hold off Ross by about a minute and a half. Ross certainly didn't go without a fight. Ross is young and only going to get faster.

After the race Ross and I went for a cool down run and shared horror stories of the bike portion. I personally have never raced in such horrid winds before. When we got back I will admit I was expecting to see my name at the top of the results only to find someone named Sam Janicki above me. Who the F*&% was Sam Janicki? Whoever he is destroyed me by over two minutes. Most of that was on the swim but I only took him by 10 seconds on the bike and he took me by 19 seconds on the run. I unfortunately didn't get to meet or congratulate him on his performance. After doing a little research I found, as far as I can find, that he has only done two other triathlons. At Buffalo last year he placed 129th and at the Collegiate National Championships he placed 68th. Neither performance would show that he was even close to capable of such an outstanding race. If this was no fluke this kid is going to be the next Devon Palmer or Sam Hauck. I look forward to meeting him at Buffalo and hopefully will be able to keep up a little better.