Well my beloved New York Yankees are out of the playoffs ( cusses to self as he hears dead Red Sox fan uncles laughing and giving each other high fives from across the rift.) Which now leaves me more time to train and study. I believe that their playoff failure this year was not due ( as Steinbrenner seems to think) to Joe Torre's incompetence ( come on under his leadership the team cut a 7 game defecit to win the Wild Card and nearly snatched the divison from the Sox who once lead by 14 games), Player Cold streaks ( Jeter, Mr. Clutch was cold, Abreu cold, Wang, looked more like sum ting Wong....although Peittite, Rivera, A-Rod?, Damon and Caberra proved to be clutch and worth the money spent, they could not carry the team. ) No my fellow Yankee Fans ( or smart Alec Sox fans or Indians Fans reading and preparing to rub salt in the wound.) The Yankees loss was due to my cocky Remark...." And the Red Sox still suck " made to one neoprene free Sox fan when it seemed they were on the verge to losing the division to the then Red Hot Yanks. So Joe Torre if you can read this as you empty your desk, please forgive me.
R.D.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
Monday, October 8, 2007
The Empire Strikes Back!
Last night I was ready to write my angry rant on how stupid Steinbrenner would be for firing Joe torre as well as my post of the Top-10 reasons the (ugh) Cleveland Indians would beat the (double ugh and fist shake of rage) Boston Red Sox. Then came the inning The Yanks were trailing 3-1 ( clemens well...I think he should stay retired for good. shit the bed and gave up 3 runs) Phil Hughes was pitching in relief and working on a gem. And Brian Westbrook for Cleveland was just un hittable. The Yankees innings up to this point were predictable...lead off man gets on. Second guy strikes out...third guy grounds into double play...Cleveland gets up and adds a run to the lead..In the Indians duguout you could probably hear the following statements "Is it warm in Boston?" Or "hey Skip who we starting against Beckett?" Or Kenny Lofton Spouting " I wonder if I should put my AL pennant ring on my lucky neck chain?" Jason ( overpaid and overrated ) Giambi grounded out. Then came A-rod ( who earlier in the game broke his playoff cold streak) got a single then the unthinkable happended...Westbrook walked Matsui. Johnny "Jesus/Judas" Damon came to the plate he worked the count full I cringled waiting for the dreaded double play ball. Instead he lifted a high fly on to right center ( where Trot Nixon had launched one earlier...damn what is it with all these 04 Red Sox jumping ship?) a Three run Homer and a 2 run yankees lead...there was no turning back. A couple innings later the Yanks got back to back hits for the first time in this series and Robbinson Cano launched one to Nixon, who proceeded to let the ball roll toward the wall and let 3 runs score . Joba came on to relieve Hughes ( who should be offered a lifetime contract for his " Hey Steinbrenner you see these strain marks on my back that's from when I came in in the 3rd and carried your ass.) and gave up an rbi to Trot Nixon then from there on it was Good night as Mo Rivera shut down the Tribe's bats allowing the Yankees to survive for another day. Final score 8-4
Top 10 reasons the winners of this sereis will beat the Red Sox
(1-5 are for the Tribe 6-10 for the Yanks)
1. His name is Kenny Lofton.
2. Sabathia
3. Carmona
4. We just beat the Best hitting team in Baseball!
5. Revenge for Giving You guys Ortiz and Rameriez
6. Momentum Shift ( think the crap you guys pulled from game 4 on in the 2004 ALCS isn't pay back a bitch!)
7. Hey Red Sox Meet Joba!
8. A-Rod finally Learned to hit in the Playoffs ( MVP...MVP...)
9 Jeter= Clutch
10. Johnny Damon curse?
Top 10 reasons the winners of this sereis will beat the Red Sox
(1-5 are for the Tribe 6-10 for the Yanks)
1. His name is Kenny Lofton.
2. Sabathia
3. Carmona
4. We just beat the Best hitting team in Baseball!
5. Revenge for Giving You guys Ortiz and Rameriez
6. Momentum Shift ( think the crap you guys pulled from game 4 on in the 2004 ALCS isn't pay back a bitch!)
7. Hey Red Sox Meet Joba!
8. A-Rod finally Learned to hit in the Playoffs ( MVP...MVP...)
9 Jeter= Clutch
10. Johnny Damon curse?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
12 miles....in 2 hours.....
well that's the the approximate distance I got off of gmap pedometer as the site was in the "shit the bed phase" when I tried to process my route. I got it in in about 2 hours ( just coasting under the barrier with a minute to spare.) so ten minute mile pace..part of me is now glad I might have to work Hartford Marathon Weekend. My knee is tight from Central's wonderful indoor concrete track..and now I'm left scrambling for the treadmill ( I'm glad my mom became a fitness nut.) as my training tool when those sub zero training days roll around so I'm not nursing a knee injury in the Ironman ( alla Country Music Marathon when two valuable weeks of training were lost because I was limping due to the track's unforgiving surface.and swimming does not prep your legs for the unforgiving nature of the beast...even the half doesn't do the full justice.) Last night I nearly fell off my bike trainer ( and no Jodi it was not When the Indians rallied. I was at my pool workout that I showed up for just in time and did not learn of my Yanks demise until I walked in the door.) due to the uneven nature of my living room floor. ( my idea of watch the game and ride was cut short.) There was a somber note to my run. 3 teens were killed on East St. Rt. 322 on Thursday morning ( driving home from breakfast after a water main closed the high school.) I normally run past where the crash occurred ( dodging speeding cars as they blow by the Farmingbury Country Club and East St. Eatery )and today I noticed the memorial of photos and flowers at the side of the road where the teens' car came to rest after a violent collision. The ironic thing was three houses down from the crash site a couple was celebrating the birth of their son...life and death on the same stretch of highway....it almost has that circle of life kind of vibe. The humidity and heat played a little bit of a factor ( I completely consumed 3 of the 4 eight ounce bottles of water on my fuel belt ) especially running up the hill on Todd rd. But car wrecks and humidity aside I managed to get my longest run since the half in and now must kick up the bike phase ( to take advantage of the good weather while it lasts.) So that's it in a nutshell nothing too new and exciting Leave some love or hate...or a donation to the War on ALS.
R.D.
R.D.
I Think I'm losing it.
Yes that's right I only rested for one week and have slowly stated getting my self back into bitch stomping shape but yet I feel completely out of shape...not just the awkward in a speedo brief out of shape....not the "I'm jealous about the six pack abs the guy I just schooled has "out of shape...I mean the Chris Farley sitting on the couch watching baseball with chips and a six pack/John Belushi Breakfast of Champions out of shape. Maybe it's my training mentality of "of you aren't running x miles a week, biking x days a week and swim x^100yards a practice at least y days a week you will suddenly turn into a slow, wheezing out of shape sumo wrestler overnight, combined with stress at work , school, home, trying to get my travel to NZ finalized and paid for, I've gone from feeling like a blood thirsty animal at Park City, to a slightly less ferocious beast at the 
Nutmeg Half, to the slow fat kid getting dropped by 40 year olds on a group ride.jpg)
Nutmeg Half, to the slow fat kid getting dropped by 40 year olds on a group ride(this photo is of me Freshman year at Fordham killing my lungs and liver simultaneously ...I have since stop puffing on the Cancer sticks but I think the damage has been done so if I'm looking for a transplant in about 60 years you can wave this picture in my face and tell me to piss off.)
Well Today I have a nice 10 miler on hand to try to get my legs back into diesel ass- kicking hot fire shape, and maybe a 10 to 20 mile ride on tap ...I'll see how the run goes and what errands I get into. Expect another post on how the run went and/or ride and possibly a meditative and inspirational wrap up of the 2007 tri season and well as a preview of the Magical Mystery Tour for 08.
Sunday night/Monday's post expect one of two things either a cuss fest on how much I hate the Cleveland Indians and hope they get sued by some tribe out west and are forced to change their name to the Cleveland Native Americans,yet despite all this I hope they kick Boston's ass. or a Boo-yah we ain't dead post glorifying the Managerial Skillz that Killz of Joe Torre.
Well gotta run.
R.D.
Friday, October 5, 2007
It's October and I'm a Yankee Fan ( which means I'm cussing out somebody and this year it's the Indians)
Well up until I walked in the door and found out my beloved New York Yankees lost ( again! seriously I'm wondering if they're going to become the 2000's version of the Red Sox and not win another playoff game let alone World Series until 2086...shudder.) I had a nice meditative baseball free post planned now the Cleveland Indians have wrecked that (oh by the way...you're welcome for getting Kenny Lofton back.) and the Angels seem to be proving that the Yankees are the only team they know how to beat..and the Red Sox well The Evil Empire is the only team that has their name and number and the tribe is making quick work of them. So if/ but most likely when the Yanks lose Sunday night I can expect Steinbrener to attempt to go on yet another spending spree to buy washed up big name talent..hopefully Brian Cashman will sit the boss down and tell him that it's not big name Talent that wins ball games and will have him bump up some minor leaugers with promise...and lop some dead weight off the roster...Giambi....Matsui ( sorry Godzilla we need results and not just against that team from Beantown) ....Mussina ( sorry moose but you just can't start anymore..unless it's against Wakefield.(which either means it will be a pitcher's duel or home run derby.) Indeed I found the perfect way for the Yanks to win on Sunday Bump the entire roster ( except for Milkey Cabrera, Joba Chamberlain, Hughes, and maybe Jeter and possibly Petitte) back down to the minor leagues and raise AAA Columbus, cause I guarantee you those guys will play with more heart than some of the overpaid slobs in the game right now. Alright that's my rant on my Yankees Playoff performance or lack thereof. The other thing that boggles me is all the curse breaking that's been going on seriously the Red Sox won in 04 ( their last was in 1918) The White Sox won in 05 ( their last was in 1917) The Tigers and the Cardinals played in 06 and the Cards won for the first time since 1982 which leads me to my bold yet most likely dead wrong prediction:
Cubs Vs. Indians anyone.
The Tribe hasn't won since 1948 and the Cubs ( who are in the same spot as the Yankees 1 game away from going home and cleaning out the lockers for the winter.) well they were cold when the Red Sox took them out in 1918 and they haven't been to the big dance since 1945 and they haven't won since 1908....so who's up for a good ol' curse bashing fest...
unless of course the stars realign and the Yankees resume their winning ways of old...in which case I would gladly welcome a re-match of the 1927 World series Cubs vs. Yankees ( I would love to see Cabrera give the middle finger to Cubs fans Babe Ruth style by "calling his shot" and sending a deep one to the bleachers. )...and of course being a Yankee fan I would welcome the same result...after all somebody's got to be cursed and it better not be them.
Yes that is a replica Lou Gehrig Jersey While I'm talking about baseball and my favorite team I might as well shamelessly plug for the war on ALS. Gehrig was a great player whose career and life were cut tragically short by the terrible disease and I ask ( even if you are an irate Cubs, Indians, Angels, ( shiver) Boston( double shiver) fan ) please click on the link and donate to the War on ALS. Anything given to the cause, even if it just a buck...will help to find a cure or at the very least treatment.
Ok that's enough baseball/fundraising/ranting/ pissing off Red Sox, Cubs and Indians fans for me.
R.D.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
The day form Hell !
Well today in one word SUCKED! I was cussed out on the teller line, was late for class because my drawer was over for some odd reason? ( can I pack the away the difference ...please I really need it.) I was having a high stress binge due to lack of funds, loan denial and oh yeah a credit card payment that was due to day but just did not want to go through. To cap it all off my mother's philopshy of "visualize positive results and they will happen" ..um well let's just say that's been working in an opposite direction for me more of like I visualize positive things and get....crap....I try to the converse visualize crap and get.... more crap...at least in my method i'm prepared for what's coming.... Alright I know my little juvenille tieraid is misplaced. I'm not starving, no one's going to die or was going to die if I couldn't pay my bill ( unless some old ex-gestapo dude took over the bank my card's at then, then my vision of a whole line of cubicle dewellers getting cap because " God damn it it was your reponsiblity to make sure a 22 year old punk ass from Wolcott CT paid his credit card staement!" might come to furuition) The lady in the car who called my names I dare not repeat..( let's just say she thinks I'm shorter than I really am and have a better sex life than I actual do.) That whole positive Krama thing...well i won't toss it out as complete crap just yet, but it's slowly inching it's way toward the open waste basket. My withdrawl letter for IM New Zealand has not been written yet, although over the last two weeks I've been tempted more than once to start it and cut my losses, yet for some odd reason part of me still thinks I can pull this off. so we'll see. My cutoff date to withdrawl is December 11. ( I figure by the time my letter gets there it would be close to the Jan. 16 or 17th cutoff date for a refund.) So as of right now I'm still heading to New Zealand...otherwise my ass will be gracing the shores of Kona or louisville Kentucky next year...although trying to qualify at Eagleman is like trying to win the Daytona 500 in a rusted out 1968 GTO...not impossible but really tough. well after nearly passing out in Computer Class I'm off to the indoor track to get in 3-4 miles and then the pool for an "easy" 3k. on one good note I was able to get my payment through...so maybe in 30 years when I payoff my debts I will be able to buy my own place. So all in all It's been down.....it's been up, then it's come crashing down at 6o mph with no brakes, then its picked up again...all I know is I'd better get that work out in before the gym expoldes of something...because it has just been that kind of day.
R.D.
R.D.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Nutmeg State Half Iron Recap.
Well it was a long hard day at the office Sunday., but I survived. My legs are in somewhat good shape, but my lower back feels like Muhammad Ali has been throwing punches on my synoptic nerve. Here's how it all went down.
Pre race: 3 hours of sleep is not recommended
After a late night on Saturday ( took Bjoern up to preview the course, the pre race meeting the Olive Garden carb binge followed by the oh shit I haven't packed any of my crap for the race tomorrow so I was up until 1 in the morning getting my shit together mad dash.) I woke up promptly at 4:30 then rolled over until 4:45....I got up shaved my face ( those of you who saw the bike course post know why and I would need all the speed possible ), showered and put on a mix of body glide and degree. Woke up Chrissy, Then packed a cooler full of water, snapple, beer ( for the post race HEAT gathering, sadly after this one no one was in the mood for a brew so I wasted $1.25 on ice and cooler space for nothing...although the Miller Lite was nice and cold when I woke up from my post race hibernation last night.) We made our usual cumby's dunkin donuts run. ( for ice, Gatorade ( I wasn't taking any chances at this one) coca-cola ( for Chris while spectating and for my stomach after this shin-dig), coffee, a bagel ( I wasn't chancing it with laxatives...I mean Clif Bars.) and then it was off to Waramaug ..about a hour later than I wanted . We we arrived we were directed to park at the the same random field as we were for the Nutmeg State Sprint except this time we could ride down route 45. I looked at my watch it was 6:30 and the swim started at 7am. I grabbed my crap...pumped up my tires and descended down route 45 helmetless with no regard for my life..( Christina said she was tired and was going to try to nap..can't blame her I was running on 3 hours sleep. ) I made it down to transition found Bjoern ( who decided he was going to go sans wet suit on this one..he hates the long sleeves, says it puts pressure on his shoulder...to each his own.) I found my slot on the rack ( grateful they had given out packets the night before. ) Hastily set up transition and ran to body marking my wet suit flung over my shoulders and swim gear in hand...it was 6:50. I got into body marking and luckily it was a short line. I was marked up and pulled on my wetsuit at water's edge. It was 6:58 and I threw on my cap and goggles as Mandy's voice came over the loudspeaker that they were delaying the start. ( apparently they had a storm the night before and it blew several of the buoys off course.) Relieved I walked into the water and did a quick warm up. I found Bjoern and directed him over to far end of the swim start ( start wide cut in.) He took up his position at about mid pack and I lined up at the front with Max and the elites. John Hirsch ( the MC) got on the mic. " Are you guys ready to take on the toughest Tri Course in New England!" After a somewhat subdued Yeah! from most of us. They started blaring disturbed's "get down with the sickness" as we began the count down to wave1's ( the Men's wave women, relay, and aquabike were wave 2) start.
The Swim: "Glare shouldn't be a problem."
10..9...8...7...6...5..4..3..2..1..the air horn sounded and we were off into the water. Since we started in the lake in an area that was about waist deep I didn't really have to run much. I dove in and began to charge toward the inside. It was quite a psyche up when we swam past the first buoy and I only saw two white caps ( age groupers Max and and some other dude.) and 3 red ( elites) in front of me. I held on to the leaders as we swam past the next three orange buoys and made the right turn at the first green one. that's when the glare kicked up. As soon as I passed the buoy I found my self staring directly into the sun. I swam about 10 more strokes blind before asking the dude in the kayak were the next buoy was He pointed me toward the orange turn buoy at which I turned left and tried to sight the green return buoys back to the beach. I got the first one no problem and then found my self again staring directly into the sun. I saw a white swim cap about 200 meter ahead and followed it. passing three more green buoys before I could hear John's voice on the loud speaker and see nothing but trees, lake and blinding white light. I decide to aim for the sun and go until I hit land ..or drowned one of the two..apparently god must have been reading my thoughts a a cloud suddenly blocked the sun and I had a clear view of the beach...I started running toward the shore hearing John blast into the microphone...something about "He's doing Ironman New Zealand in March...He's a force to be reckoned ..." I started to stagger toward the wrong side of the beach When John blared " No Dude this way"and " Max is only about 2 minutes ahead." motioning toward my left. I ran up the stairs through the start/finish timing mat my wetsuit half off and just pulling off my cap and goggles. Total Swim time: 25:43 not my greatest performance but pretty damn good. 5th fastest swim split of the day.
T1:Spooty computer!
I pulled my wetsuit off crammed two Gu's into my rear pocket and threw on the helmet and sunglasses. I ran the bike out stopping at the edge of transition to reset my bike computer. After getting passed by one guy from Tri Fitness as I struggled to slip my feet into my shoes as I mounted the Bitch Stomper it was off for 56 miles of "bliss". total T1:2:59
The Bike: Race or Death March?
From the day after my practice ride until the moment I hit T2 my strategies for the bike were the following
1) SURVIVE!
2) Go out conservative save the legs for the run
3) Do not dismount and walk your bike up the hill unless absolutely necessary.
4) Hydrate! Hydrate! HYDRATE!
The climb up 45 wasn't too bad. I coasted down the descent on College farms road. and took on the monster on Angvine Rd. ( getting passed by one guy on a road bike. and whispering to myself "is this all you got you bitch!") I descended down Town Hill Rd. Hitting the brakes only when approaching turns yet I was still caught and passed by three guys, one dude on a guru and two cervelo punks. The two Cervelo dudes nearly missed the turn on to Cemetery rd. and then they over shot the turn on to Rt. 45 at the Warren town Green, yet the turned at the stop light allowing them to coast down a small hill in a pace line as I hammered it out on the flatter race route. watching helplessly as they stormed passed. When we turned on to Melius Rd. It became quite apparent I was in too high of a gear and yet another cyclist stormed past. I managed to eek out of this section on giving up 3 spots before the descent back onto Route 45 ( and the HEAT chick With the cowbell directing traffic.)When we got onto brick School Rd. I hit my favorite part of the course and was subsequently able to pass two riders on the rolling terrain, yet the fact that time trial bikes are not made for climbing and my inability to choose the right gear coming off of a fast descent on to a semi steep hill , made my repasses short lived. After dilly-dialling on this lovely rolling portion of the course it was on to Rt. 341. Two Mount Southington-esque climbs were wedged between two flat some what down hill sections. I tried to get aero on the flats but a nasty little crosswind kept forcing me back into the bullhorns to control the wily Bitch Stomper. Also after being passed by 3 guys on the first of the 341 climbs I had a Near Death Experience (NDE) In the form of a Honda Accord hooking a U- turn..She saw the first three cyclists didn't she know there were more behind....oh well...to make a long story short I descended down the little descent ( the one right after the steep grade sign...) with reckless abandon ( only going into the bullhorns when I felt the wind pushing me toward the Yellow Line. ) The frightening descent was not so bad when I took it at speed. Although I had to brake for the sharp left hander at the bottom..the more frightening thing was I had to feather the brakes through out the curve ( which I was taking at 30 mph.) making me feel rather unsteady on the bike. I was passed by three more people and then caught by a group of 3 shoreline sharks as we hit the flat /false flat section up to camp flat rd. After a short bout of minor climbs and descents we made the sharp left onto Geer Mtn. Now the first Part of Geer Mtn. ain't bad. It's fairly flat and passes a small pond a nice house with a white picket fence and duck crossing sign...when we looked ahead and saw the trees rising we knew what was in store..." well this is it." we said to one another as we attacked the first climb. The guys from Shoreline sprinted ahead getting out of the saddle and powering up the smaller of the Geer Mtn. Climbs. I held back getting up only when necessary then sitting right back down to conserve energy for the big one. We turned the corner and hit a small flat section before making the turn on to the climb. Again the Sharks attacked I stayed in the saddle until half way up and then made the turn onto where the rest of the climb showed its ugly head. Out of the saddle and pushing the lowest gear I made systematic spurts riding out of the saddle and pushing and then when near the top sitting back down then getting back out of the saddle to make a final push up the steepest part of the grade. I watched as the over anxious sharks dismounted and walked their bikes up . One guy struggle to clip back in cussing out his pedals. My lead over the 3 sharks was short lived as they flew by on the descent and then the subsequent little burners after ward...my legs weren't shot but my back was feeling the Heat of a lot of out of the saddle efforts. We passed Ken's aid station as we made the set up descent/minor climb toward Anderson. My bottles were only half empty so I didn't take on new ones. on Anderson I pushed into the highest gears and let the bike coast down the first hill On the big hill I started to feather the brakes as I made the sharp right then left. On the third hill I feathered to set up for the inside line on the sharp Upper Kent Hollow turn. Again I was passed by 2 or three riders. On upper Kent Hollow the hills hit hard and often and culminated with a nasty little burner to get back onto Rte.341...then it was time to do it again, but thankfully the race directors cut the descent on 341 and another shot on Geer Mtn. out of the second loop. For this my legs were grateful. As we approached Warren for the Second loop i noticed I was too close to the guy in front of my so I had to drop back as we approached a group of spectators including the head referee on one of the several little climbs on 341. We approached warren Town Center and took a left at the stop light down a slight little hill and then the quick sudden little up hill on Melius Rd. Sadly I had kept my bike in my high gear and and I watched helplessly as two more competitors went flying by. I finally got to a portion of the road where I could down shift and tried to take off in pursuit of the spots I had lost. Yet sadly the soul was strong but the soles were weak...two more guys got me on the up hill I was plummeting down the overall like a stone..... I regained some hope as I got around two guys on the Flat Rocks to 45 descent. Yet I was re passed once again on Brick School ( Shout out to HEAT chick with Cow Bell best traffic director all day.) As we got to 341 and then the short little climb to South Rd. The cross winds were reeking hell on my descent ( robbing me of speed ) and forced me to ascend with very little momentum. I saw one of the dudes in front and dis mount to pee on a short fast down hill section after a tight left turn. Then watched him going flying past about a mile down the road. We approached Ken's Aid station for the second time. I ditched my Empty Gatorade Bottle and hit the brakes to slow down to grab a new one. The bike got side ways sending me into the bullhorns and past the first 3 volunteers but quick thinking by the last volunteerr with Gatorade, a shaky hand off and securing of the bottle of electrolytes, and a quick shout to Ken, " is it in the cage?" Ken replied "you got it Bob, Watch out for the left hander." I descended down the hill and through the tight little hair pin. I turned left on to Anderson and was feathering the brakes allowing two more guys by and one old dude ( injury to pride) on a Cervelo ( insult to injury) by,as I woed up for the " if you don't brake you will find yourself going over a guardrail at 50 mph and on a gunnery ride to the hospital" left hander. As me and the old evil bike riding dude approached the tight left on the Upper Kent Hollow we were greeted by a lack of volunteers at the intersection and an E-class and a quattro making their way up the hill. as soon as the German steel rumbled past. I made my only successful repass of the bike leg, out breaking old cervelo guy and hammering away on the relatively flat part of the road. When I got to the burner I saw the two other guys, serpenting their way up zig-zaging up the hill to try to keep some momentum. I kick the bitch stomper into the lowest gear...gritted my teeth and felt my back and quads scream out in pain as I slowly ascended the beast. When I got to the top exhausted and hypoxic I muttered under my breath...."Upper Kent Hollow you have been bitch stomped." Getting back onto 341 was no piece of cake, the little rollers continued to sap much needed energy and the cross winds on the unlettered sections of road made getting aero a death wish. When i reached Warren town Center I kicked into the highest gear and descended down to the Cornfield full aero and with no regard for my life, at the Corn Field I took the hill I descended earlier in the morning and attacked it Pedaling full bore full areo in high gear, braking only for the turn back toward the beach club. I slid out of my shoes as I slowed for the turn and rode the last 10 feet to the dismount line both bare feet on one pedal....sexiest dismount of my life I hopped off the bike and hobbled into transition Total Bike time: 3:35.30 ( my time for the Patriot half was 3:02 for 60 miles on a flat course so yes the elevation gain of nearly 6600 feet ( or so according to Max's sexy equipment) did take its toll.)
T2: OW My BACK!
I placed my bike back on the rack and took off the helmet. My lower back was killing me . I tried to reach down for an extra Gu and I thought I would rip something. I bent back wards trying to stretch out from being hunched over the bull horns for nearly 4 hours. I managed to pick up my shoes and put them on while standing , followed by my visor and I strapped on ( man that sounds dirty..) my race belt as I shuffled out of T2 after 2:38 of pain.
Run: My Name is Macca Bitches!/ or The go HEAT Run!
As I hobbled out of T2 my mind was sending messages to my legs to "stop this madness!" Me never being one to interpret my body's signals to preserve itself or listen to conventional wisdom Continued out on course at a slower than normal pace approaching the first aid station just before the first mile marker in about 8:00. I saw Max fly by in pursuit of the race leader and shouted out a little encouragement as I began to settle into my " not exactly full blown sprint, yet not really loafing it either." pace. on the run they had us do this weird " lollipop" or loop of a Cull Du sac they would have us do it twice a lap so on the first loop through I grabbed a Gatorade endurance at the first aid station. on the lollipop.( ironically 200 feet from the first but we had to make the turn.) It was powdery but my body needed electrolytes I hadn't gotten to drink from the bottle Ken gave me on the bike. We made the approach out to the turn around and I began to reel in a couple of guys. One of the shore line guys was cramping at the turn around. I gave him some encouragement. He replied " I'm not giving up but there's a good chance I'll drop dead." My reply was " Well then I'm going to have to pick up your corpse and carry it with me." Man isn't it amazing what endorphins can do. As I made my way back to the lollipop I saw Mike heading toward the turn around. We mutually greeted eachother with a high five and a "Go HEAT!" I went through the lollipop grabbing another gatorade and two waters ( one which found itself being doused over My head. ) I ran back out to finish my loop of the "lollipop" and again greeted Mike, the Miro who was closing in on him fast. As I made my way back toward the Transition turn around I saw Sean and he too was met with the same encouragement. I made my way back to the first aid station begining my second loop I grabbed a water and a rasberry hammer gel ( yes I had my Gu but the Rasberry Hammer Gel has never given me ills on a long run. ). I once again saw Max and shouted out to him I was met with a" go Rob! " as I began my next to last tour of the lollipop. As I ran out othe turn /aid station section I grabbed a handful of pretzels and more water, surprised by yhte fact that I did not have to pee. As I chugged down the cup of Water I had nightmares of collasping at the line Julie Moss / Chris Leigh style. As I ran back down on to North Shore rd. I watched as the battle between Mike and Miro heat up ( no pun intended) I ran down to the turn around taking more Water and Gatorade passing the increasing lap traffic as I did. As I made the turn around i saw Bjoern running in full long sleeves and long pants.( he explained later that his tri suit leggings were cutting off circulation...any one looking for a Christmas gift for Bjoern Size Large Louis Garineau Tri Shorts.) ..I shouted out some encouragement to him As I ran past. As I made my way back toward the lollipop I notcied on guy rolling up the pant on his tri suit and ..um..er...well relieving him self along the road...I have to admit despite it's ..well ...exhibitionist approach it does beat wetting the chamois of your tri shorts. Another guy stopped and started to relieve his bladder into the lake. I ran past Mike again and gave him some encouragement as I entered the lollipop. I took water and gatorade from both stations this was the last fuel stop. I pushed out on to the flat section and began final approach back to the finish line slightly kicking up my pace. And older guy I had been sort of battling with the entire way managed to get around me at the last aid station as we both went through taking on nothing. I stared to lose the old Dude as Sean came past. " half mile to go man! "" he shouted out as he went past. I kicked up a little more but the gatorade and water started to slosh in my stomach. I looked back there was no body my age that was really close. I kicked up to a comfortable-uncomfortable pace. I made the turn in as Michelle ( a member of Cen Tri and Bjoern's "American Mom" ) Jim and Karen cheered me in. Christina was sitting on the wall at the other side of Transition and cheered as I ran past. I made a dart for the finish line and crossed it pumping my fist in the air for the last 150 meters. I didn't care where I finished at that moment, I didn't care about time I survived. and I was going to get my Gatorade, finisher's towel ...and complementary Massage for my aching back. I heard Karen call out " Rob Good Job you broke six hours!"All In all heres's the tail of the tape for this section. Run Split: 1:52:53 44th fastest of the day Ovearll time 5:59.43 broke the six hour barrier with 17 seconds to spare.
Post Race: The Short Version.
I went back toward the finish to wait for Bjoern but as I tried to strech I realized I needed something to loosen up my back. I went over to Michelle who congratulated me and gave me back my street shoes ( I had handed them to her in Transition before the start because Chrissy was still up at the car. ) I told Chrissy I was getting a rub down. She replied she was heading back to the car. I could get into other post race details, but for length's sake and the fact that it has taken me 3 nights to get this down I won't. Short version is I won my age group Bjoern was second ( 40 min. back running in cold weather gear to boot.) and some kid from south Boston snatched up the final podium slot. So all in all it was a good day. A nice long finish to a nice long season. i don't know what's instore for me next. I decided to take a rest week ( maybe getting a couple hundred yards in the pool here or there). I have a lot of reflection to do and a lot of Prep work as well Ironman New Zealand is only 5 months away.. and the winter is closing in. The one final up note I finally made good on my promise to win my age group at an endure it multisport event. Ken I'm buying this jersey from you because I've been unbeatable with it. That's all for now.
The Hypoxic/Endorphine high/ writing this blog two days late triathlete.
R.D.
Pre race: 3 hours of sleep is not recommended
After a late night on Saturday ( took Bjoern up to preview the course, the pre race meeting the Olive Garden carb binge followed by the oh shit I haven't packed any of my crap for the race tomorrow so I was up until 1 in the morning getting my shit together mad dash.) I woke up promptly at 4:30 then rolled over until 4:45....I got up shaved my face ( those of you who saw the bike course post know why and I would need all the speed possible ), showered and put on a mix of body glide and degree. Woke up Chrissy, Then packed a cooler full of water, snapple, beer ( for the post race HEAT gathering, sadly after this one no one was in the mood for a brew so I wasted $1.25 on ice and cooler space for nothing...although the Miller Lite was nice and cold when I woke up from my post race hibernation last night.) We made our usual cumby's dunkin donuts run. ( for ice, Gatorade ( I wasn't taking any chances at this one) coca-cola ( for Chris while spectating and for my stomach after this shin-dig), coffee, a bagel ( I wasn't chancing it with laxatives...I mean Clif Bars.) and then it was off to Waramaug ..about a hour later than I wanted . We we arrived we were directed to park at the the same random field as we were for the Nutmeg State Sprint except this time we could ride down route 45. I looked at my watch it was 6:30 and the swim started at 7am. I grabbed my crap...pumped up my tires and descended down route 45 helmetless with no regard for my life..( Christina said she was tired and was going to try to nap..can't blame her I was running on 3 hours sleep. ) I made it down to transition found Bjoern ( who decided he was going to go sans wet suit on this one..he hates the long sleeves, says it puts pressure on his shoulder...to each his own.) I found my slot on the rack ( grateful they had given out packets the night before. ) Hastily set up transition and ran to body marking my wet suit flung over my shoulders and swim gear in hand...it was 6:50. I got into body marking and luckily it was a short line. I was marked up and pulled on my wetsuit at water's edge. It was 6:58 and I threw on my cap and goggles as Mandy's voice came over the loudspeaker that they were delaying the start. ( apparently they had a storm the night before and it blew several of the buoys off course.) Relieved I walked into the water and did a quick warm up. I found Bjoern and directed him over to far end of the swim start ( start wide cut in.) He took up his position at about mid pack and I lined up at the front with Max and the elites. John Hirsch ( the MC) got on the mic. " Are you guys ready to take on the toughest Tri Course in New England!" After a somewhat subdued Yeah! from most of us. They started blaring disturbed's "get down with the sickness" as we began the count down to wave1's ( the Men's wave women, relay, and aquabike were wave 2) start.
The Swim: "Glare shouldn't be a problem."
10..9...8...7...6...5..4..3..2..1..the air horn sounded and we were off into the water. Since we started in the lake in an area that was about waist deep I didn't really have to run much. I dove in and began to charge toward the inside. It was quite a psyche up when we swam past the first buoy and I only saw two white caps ( age groupers Max and and some other dude.) and 3 red ( elites) in front of me. I held on to the leaders as we swam past the next three orange buoys and made the right turn at the first green one. that's when the glare kicked up. As soon as I passed the buoy I found my self staring directly into the sun. I swam about 10 more strokes blind before asking the dude in the kayak were the next buoy was He pointed me toward the orange turn buoy at which I turned left and tried to sight the green return buoys back to the beach. I got the first one no problem and then found my self again staring directly into the sun. I saw a white swim cap about 200 meter ahead and followed it. passing three more green buoys before I could hear John's voice on the loud speaker and see nothing but trees, lake and blinding white light. I decide to aim for the sun and go until I hit land ..or drowned one of the two..apparently god must have been reading my thoughts a a cloud suddenly blocked the sun and I had a clear view of the beach...I started running toward the shore hearing John blast into the microphone...something about "He's doing Ironman New Zealand in March...He's a force to be reckoned ..." I started to stagger toward the wrong side of the beach When John blared " No Dude this way"and " Max is only about 2 minutes ahead." motioning toward my left. I ran up the stairs through the start/finish timing mat my wetsuit half off and just pulling off my cap and goggles. Total Swim time: 25:43 not my greatest performance but pretty damn good. 5th fastest swim split of the day.
T1:Spooty computer!
I pulled my wetsuit off crammed two Gu's into my rear pocket and threw on the helmet and sunglasses. I ran the bike out stopping at the edge of transition to reset my bike computer. After getting passed by one guy from Tri Fitness as I struggled to slip my feet into my shoes as I mounted the Bitch Stomper it was off for 56 miles of "bliss". total T1:2:59
The Bike: Race or Death March?
From the day after my practice ride until the moment I hit T2 my strategies for the bike were the following
1) SURVIVE!
2) Go out conservative save the legs for the run
3) Do not dismount and walk your bike up the hill unless absolutely necessary.
4) Hydrate! Hydrate! HYDRATE!
The climb up 45 wasn't too bad. I coasted down the descent on College farms road. and took on the monster on Angvine Rd. ( getting passed by one guy on a road bike. and whispering to myself "is this all you got you bitch!") I descended down Town Hill Rd. Hitting the brakes only when approaching turns yet I was still caught and passed by three guys, one dude on a guru and two cervelo punks. The two Cervelo dudes nearly missed the turn on to Cemetery rd. and then they over shot the turn on to Rt. 45 at the Warren town Green, yet the turned at the stop light allowing them to coast down a small hill in a pace line as I hammered it out on the flatter race route. watching helplessly as they stormed passed. When we turned on to Melius Rd. It became quite apparent I was in too high of a gear and yet another cyclist stormed past. I managed to eek out of this section on giving up 3 spots before the descent back onto Route 45 ( and the HEAT chick With the cowbell directing traffic.)When we got onto brick School Rd. I hit my favorite part of the course and was subsequently able to pass two riders on the rolling terrain, yet the fact that time trial bikes are not made for climbing and my inability to choose the right gear coming off of a fast descent on to a semi steep hill , made my repasses short lived. After dilly-dialling on this lovely rolling portion of the course it was on to Rt. 341. Two Mount Southington-esque climbs were wedged between two flat some what down hill sections. I tried to get aero on the flats but a nasty little crosswind kept forcing me back into the bullhorns to control the wily Bitch Stomper. Also after being passed by 3 guys on the first of the 341 climbs I had a Near Death Experience (NDE) In the form of a Honda Accord hooking a U- turn..She saw the first three cyclists didn't she know there were more behind....oh well...to make a long story short I descended down the little descent ( the one right after the steep grade sign...) with reckless abandon ( only going into the bullhorns when I felt the wind pushing me toward the Yellow Line. ) The frightening descent was not so bad when I took it at speed. Although I had to brake for the sharp left hander at the bottom..the more frightening thing was I had to feather the brakes through out the curve ( which I was taking at 30 mph.) making me feel rather unsteady on the bike. I was passed by three more people and then caught by a group of 3 shoreline sharks as we hit the flat /false flat section up to camp flat rd. After a short bout of minor climbs and descents we made the sharp left onto Geer Mtn. Now the first Part of Geer Mtn. ain't bad. It's fairly flat and passes a small pond a nice house with a white picket fence and duck crossing sign...when we looked ahead and saw the trees rising we knew what was in store..." well this is it." we said to one another as we attacked the first climb. The guys from Shoreline sprinted ahead getting out of the saddle and powering up the smaller of the Geer Mtn. Climbs. I held back getting up only when necessary then sitting right back down to conserve energy for the big one. We turned the corner and hit a small flat section before making the turn on to the climb. Again the Sharks attacked I stayed in the saddle until half way up and then made the turn onto where the rest of the climb showed its ugly head. Out of the saddle and pushing the lowest gear I made systematic spurts riding out of the saddle and pushing and then when near the top sitting back down then getting back out of the saddle to make a final push up the steepest part of the grade. I watched as the over anxious sharks dismounted and walked their bikes up . One guy struggle to clip back in cussing out his pedals. My lead over the 3 sharks was short lived as they flew by on the descent and then the subsequent little burners after ward...my legs weren't shot but my back was feeling the Heat of a lot of out of the saddle efforts. We passed Ken's aid station as we made the set up descent/minor climb toward Anderson. My bottles were only half empty so I didn't take on new ones. on Anderson I pushed into the highest gears and let the bike coast down the first hill On the big hill I started to feather the brakes as I made the sharp right then left. On the third hill I feathered to set up for the inside line on the sharp Upper Kent Hollow turn. Again I was passed by 2 or three riders. On upper Kent Hollow the hills hit hard and often and culminated with a nasty little burner to get back onto Rte.341...then it was time to do it again, but thankfully the race directors cut the descent on 341 and another shot on Geer Mtn. out of the second loop. For this my legs were grateful. As we approached Warren for the Second loop i noticed I was too close to the guy in front of my so I had to drop back as we approached a group of spectators including the head referee on one of the several little climbs on 341. We approached warren Town Center and took a left at the stop light down a slight little hill and then the quick sudden little up hill on Melius Rd. Sadly I had kept my bike in my high gear and and I watched helplessly as two more competitors went flying by. I finally got to a portion of the road where I could down shift and tried to take off in pursuit of the spots I had lost. Yet sadly the soul was strong but the soles were weak...two more guys got me on the up hill I was plummeting down the overall like a stone..... I regained some hope as I got around two guys on the Flat Rocks to 45 descent. Yet I was re passed once again on Brick School ( Shout out to HEAT chick with Cow Bell best traffic director all day.) As we got to 341 and then the short little climb to South Rd. The cross winds were reeking hell on my descent ( robbing me of speed ) and forced me to ascend with very little momentum. I saw one of the dudes in front and dis mount to pee on a short fast down hill section after a tight left turn. Then watched him going flying past about a mile down the road. We approached Ken's Aid station for the second time. I ditched my Empty Gatorade Bottle and hit the brakes to slow down to grab a new one. The bike got side ways sending me into the bullhorns and past the first 3 volunteers but quick thinking by the last volunteerr with Gatorade, a shaky hand off and securing of the bottle of electrolytes, and a quick shout to Ken, " is it in the cage?" Ken replied "you got it Bob, Watch out for the left hander." I descended down the hill and through the tight little hair pin. I turned left on to Anderson and was feathering the brakes allowing two more guys by and one old dude ( injury to pride) on a Cervelo ( insult to injury) by,as I woed up for the " if you don't brake you will find yourself going over a guardrail at 50 mph and on a gunnery ride to the hospital" left hander. As me and the old evil bike riding dude approached the tight left on the Upper Kent Hollow we were greeted by a lack of volunteers at the intersection and an E-class and a quattro making their way up the hill. as soon as the German steel rumbled past. I made my only successful repass of the bike leg, out breaking old cervelo guy and hammering away on the relatively flat part of the road. When I got to the burner I saw the two other guys, serpenting their way up zig-zaging up the hill to try to keep some momentum. I kick the bitch stomper into the lowest gear...gritted my teeth and felt my back and quads scream out in pain as I slowly ascended the beast. When I got to the top exhausted and hypoxic I muttered under my breath...."Upper Kent Hollow you have been bitch stomped." Getting back onto 341 was no piece of cake, the little rollers continued to sap much needed energy and the cross winds on the unlettered sections of road made getting aero a death wish. When i reached Warren town Center I kicked into the highest gear and descended down to the Cornfield full aero and with no regard for my life, at the Corn Field I took the hill I descended earlier in the morning and attacked it Pedaling full bore full areo in high gear, braking only for the turn back toward the beach club. I slid out of my shoes as I slowed for the turn and rode the last 10 feet to the dismount line both bare feet on one pedal....sexiest dismount of my life I hopped off the bike and hobbled into transition Total Bike time: 3:35.30 ( my time for the Patriot half was 3:02 for 60 miles on a flat course so yes the elevation gain of nearly 6600 feet ( or so according to Max's sexy equipment) did take its toll.)
T2: OW My BACK!
I placed my bike back on the rack and took off the helmet. My lower back was killing me . I tried to reach down for an extra Gu and I thought I would rip something. I bent back wards trying to stretch out from being hunched over the bull horns for nearly 4 hours. I managed to pick up my shoes and put them on while standing , followed by my visor and I strapped on ( man that sounds dirty..) my race belt as I shuffled out of T2 after 2:38 of pain.
Run: My Name is Macca Bitches!/ or The go HEAT Run!
As I hobbled out of T2 my mind was sending messages to my legs to "stop this madness!" Me never being one to interpret my body's signals to preserve itself or listen to conventional wisdom Continued out on course at a slower than normal pace approaching the first aid station just before the first mile marker in about 8:00. I saw Max fly by in pursuit of the race leader and shouted out a little encouragement as I began to settle into my " not exactly full blown sprint, yet not really loafing it either." pace. on the run they had us do this weird " lollipop" or loop of a Cull Du sac they would have us do it twice a lap so on the first loop through I grabbed a Gatorade endurance at the first aid station. on the lollipop.( ironically 200 feet from the first but we had to make the turn.) It was powdery but my body needed electrolytes I hadn't gotten to drink from the bottle Ken gave me on the bike. We made the approach out to the turn around and I began to reel in a couple of guys. One of the shore line guys was cramping at the turn around. I gave him some encouragement. He replied " I'm not giving up but there's a good chance I'll drop dead." My reply was " Well then I'm going to have to pick up your corpse and carry it with me." Man isn't it amazing what endorphins can do. As I made my way back to the lollipop I saw Mike heading toward the turn around. We mutually greeted eachother with a high five and a "Go HEAT!" I went through the lollipop grabbing another gatorade and two waters ( one which found itself being doused over My head. ) I ran back out to finish my loop of the "lollipop" and again greeted Mike, the Miro who was closing in on him fast. As I made my way back toward the Transition turn around I saw Sean and he too was met with the same encouragement. I made my way back to the first aid station begining my second loop I grabbed a water and a rasberry hammer gel ( yes I had my Gu but the Rasberry Hammer Gel has never given me ills on a long run. ). I once again saw Max and shouted out to him I was met with a" go Rob! " as I began my next to last tour of the lollipop. As I ran out othe turn /aid station section I grabbed a handful of pretzels and more water, surprised by yhte fact that I did not have to pee. As I chugged down the cup of Water I had nightmares of collasping at the line Julie Moss / Chris Leigh style. As I ran back down on to North Shore rd. I watched as the battle between Mike and Miro heat up ( no pun intended) I ran down to the turn around taking more Water and Gatorade passing the increasing lap traffic as I did. As I made the turn around i saw Bjoern running in full long sleeves and long pants.( he explained later that his tri suit leggings were cutting off circulation...any one looking for a Christmas gift for Bjoern Size Large Louis Garineau Tri Shorts.) ..I shouted out some encouragement to him As I ran past. As I made my way back toward the lollipop I notcied on guy rolling up the pant on his tri suit and ..um..er...well relieving him self along the road...I have to admit despite it's ..well ...exhibitionist approach it does beat wetting the chamois of your tri shorts. Another guy stopped and started to relieve his bladder into the lake. I ran past Mike again and gave him some encouragement as I entered the lollipop. I took water and gatorade from both stations this was the last fuel stop. I pushed out on to the flat section and began final approach back to the finish line slightly kicking up my pace. And older guy I had been sort of battling with the entire way managed to get around me at the last aid station as we both went through taking on nothing. I stared to lose the old Dude as Sean came past. " half mile to go man! "" he shouted out as he went past. I kicked up a little more but the gatorade and water started to slosh in my stomach. I looked back there was no body my age that was really close. I kicked up to a comfortable-uncomfortable pace. I made the turn in as Michelle ( a member of Cen Tri and Bjoern's "American Mom" ) Jim and Karen cheered me in. Christina was sitting on the wall at the other side of Transition and cheered as I ran past. I made a dart for the finish line and crossed it pumping my fist in the air for the last 150 meters. I didn't care where I finished at that moment, I didn't care about time I survived. and I was going to get my Gatorade, finisher's towel ...and complementary Massage for my aching back. I heard Karen call out " Rob Good Job you broke six hours!"All In all heres's the tail of the tape for this section. Run Split: 1:52:53 44th fastest of the day Ovearll time 5:59.43 broke the six hour barrier with 17 seconds to spare.
Post Race: The Short Version.
I went back toward the finish to wait for Bjoern but as I tried to strech I realized I needed something to loosen up my back. I went over to Michelle who congratulated me and gave me back my street shoes ( I had handed them to her in Transition before the start because Chrissy was still up at the car. ) I told Chrissy I was getting a rub down. She replied she was heading back to the car. I could get into other post race details, but for length's sake and the fact that it has taken me 3 nights to get this down I won't. Short version is I won my age group Bjoern was second ( 40 min. back running in cold weather gear to boot.) and some kid from south Boston snatched up the final podium slot. So all in all it was a good day. A nice long finish to a nice long season. i don't know what's instore for me next. I decided to take a rest week ( maybe getting a couple hundred yards in the pool here or there). I have a lot of reflection to do and a lot of Prep work as well Ironman New Zealand is only 5 months away.. and the winter is closing in. The one final up note I finally made good on my promise to win my age group at an endure it multisport event. Ken I'm buying this jersey from you because I've been unbeatable with it. That's all for now.
The Hypoxic/Endorphine high/ writing this blog two days late triathlete.
R.D.
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