sailnfast

SFWC...Finally!

2010-05-03T21:37:00.000-07:00

Sub. Five. Wildflower. Club.

Four little words that have been the focus of my 2010 triathlon season. Of course there really isn't such a club, but it's a magic barrier that I've been gunning for since my first Wildflower Long Course race three years ago. I've gone sub-5 at Ironman California 70.3, but Wildflower is different because it's such a tough course that just gets harder as the day unfolds. That said, it epitomizes everything that is great about the amazing sport of triathlon...lots of competitive racing, wonderful people, the amazing venue of Lake San Antonio surrounded by Central California wineries, and a special ambiance that is driven by the fact that the vast majority of athletes (along with their friends and families) camp out under the stars.

I drove to the race with my good friend Scott, his wife Jackie, and their son Ryan. With three bikes, camping gear, and all of our triathlon gear we barely fit everything into the SUV, but with some careful packing we got it all in there somehow. Thankfully, our good friends (and fellow Long Beachers) Craig and Barbara saved us a primo camp site in Redondo Vista near LA Tri Club headquarters, so that made life much easier and we were able to setup camp in no time.

Though the nights were really cold (in the low-40's), race morning warmed up nicely and it was absolutely beautiful as we ate breakfast and made our way to transition. I was racing in the 35 - 39 age group for the first time and was in the first wave start (yes, I'm 34 but USAT rules state that I race 35 - 39 because at the end of the year I'll be 35...if you don't think that makes sense neither do I).

The transition at Wildflower is ginormous (real word, click if you don't believe me) as there are over 7,000 athletes competing in the three different races (long course, mountain bike sprint, and Olympic) over the weekend. Thankfully, each rack is individually labeled with one's bib number so this makes it easy to find a spot.

Alright, let's get to the race...

Swim: 31:46 (1:38/100m)

After a short warm up swim I seeded myself on the inside near the front. The swim to the first buoy was really congested, but afterwards I found some clean water and just settled into a rhythm. At the half-way mark I found some fast feet and the guy I was following was swimming on a great line back to the swim exit, so I hung onto him all the way back to the boat ramp which definitely saved some energy for the long bike and run ahead.

T1: 3:01

A little slow, but it was still chilly so I put my socks on before the bike instead of waiting to do it prior to the run.

Bike: 2:47:02 (20.1 mph)

I love the Wildflower bike. After a steep climb out of transition, it's mostly rolling hills until mile 40 when you approach a 5 -6 mile sustained climb before descending back towards transition. It's a course that really favors consistency and using a power meter really helps ensure that you keep your effort in check. Here's the details from my PowerTap:

Duration: 2:47:02

Work: 2170 kJ

TSS: 183.4 (intensity factor 0.812)

Norm Power: 226

VI: 1.05

Pw:HR: n/a

Pa:HR: n/a

Distance: 55.331 mi

Min Max Avg

Power: 0 797 217 watts

Cadence: 35 182 84 rpm

Speed: 2.2 48.5 19.9 mph

Pace 1:14 26:49 3:01 min/mi

For the first time in a few months my position felt great on the bike and I was able to ride in the aero position no problem for everything but the steepest climbs.

I had a couple of snafus during the bike: First, at mile 10 when I hit a large pothole that forced the nose of my saddle down about an inch. I rode with it like that for a couple of miles, but figured out that wasn't going to work so at the top of the next little climb I hopped off the bike and used my hand to hammer the saddle back to level where thankfully it stayed for the rest of the race. Second, was that my Garmin 310xt (normally a great device) froze up. I reset it multiple times, but I couldn't get it to work and finally gave up. This wasn't such a big deal for the bike as I still had my bike computer, but it was going to be a big loss on the run since it was the device that provides me with my pace and splits.

I also want to give a shout out to the race director and course marshals as they were out in full force keeping everyone honest on the bike and doing their best to minimize drafting. I like the 3 bike length rule and definitely used it to my advantage while staying within the rules.

T2: 1:05

Fastest T2 in my entire age group, as it should be (for once)!

Run: 1:36:55 (7:23/mile)

So after training with my Garmin for the past 10mos it's not working on the run so my only option is to run by feel. I started out feeling ok and ran with a couple of guys who were probably running 6:30's. I quickly realized I couldn't hold this pace and slowed a bit, but really began to hurt at mile 3. I felt like my legs were going to cramp at any moment (though they never did) so settled into a slower pace on the hills, but still tried to push the downhills. I took my time at the aid stations to make sure I took in sufficient calories and even started taking my SaltStick caps to prevent any cramping due to electrolyte or sodium depletion. I suffered good through mile 7 1/2, but as I entered the campground I asked a spectator for the time on his wrist and started doing the math in my head. I knew when I started so based on my rough calculation I had about 43 minutes to run the final 5.6 miles. I still had a shot at going sub-5. After thinking I was out of the game early on in the run, this re-energized me and I really pushed the pace the final half of the race.

Coming down Lynch Hill I didn't know if I was going to make it, but I was running downhill about as fast as I could without falling on my face. I passed 3 or 4 other guys on my way to the finishing shoot and as I entered the shoot, turned the corner, and hit the carpet I could see the clock read 4:59:36! Twenty-four seconds to go so I gave it everything I had and made it across the line only eleven seconds under my goal of five hours!

Definitely too close for comfort in my book, but I was elated with the result and more than anything just glad to be done! I treated myself to a Birthday Cake ice cream waffle cone and a couple of cold beers which truly hit the spot!

I finished 17th in the Men's 35 - 39 age group (out of 262 athletes) and 64th overall (out of 1800+ athletes).

After relaxing in the grass and listening to the bands, we took in some real food at the LA Tri Club Dinner which is always a first-class affair and a great way to end yet another amazing weekend at Wildflower. I'm already looking forward to next year!

Ironman California 70.3...First HIM of the Season Done!

2010-03-27T18:11:00.001-07:00

You've got to wonder how the race is going to go when you run into problems first thing in the morning. As I was ready to head out the door to transition around 6am for the 2010 Ironman California 70.3 I realized that my rear tire was flat. Not low, flat (I had pumped it up the night before). Given my start time of 7:03am I was a little concerned. I quickly wheeled the bike into the hotel hallway to avoid waking my girls up and pulled the wheel. The valve extender appeared to be leaking, so I took it off resealed it, pumped it up, reinstalled the wheel, and thought I was good to go. With Kyra's help I got on my way and made the short ride to transition.

After readying my transition area I noticed that the rear tire was not holding air as it should...grrrrr. Thirty minutes to go-time and my tire is jacked. I thought about just riding it this way, but opted to err on the side of caution, grabbing my bike and taking it to the bike mechanic tent. One of the tech's quickly pulled the wheel and put on a new tire and valve extender. Thankfully it seemed to hold and I was on my way 15-minutes before my start. After re-racking my bike I donned my wetsuit and headed for the swim start hoping I'd return to a tire that was still holding air.

Despite this little pre-race snafu the rest of my day went incredibly well considering that I haven't had the best month of training leading up to race day and had a rough week of business travel this past week.

Swim: 31:49 (1:40/100m)

I read an article a few days ago about swimming wider around the course in order to avoid the congestion that always ensues at the buoys. I've thought about this before, but thought I'd try to proactively apply it in this race. I started wide right and stayed away from most of the chaos. I didn't have any feet to draft behind, but given my time I think it worked out pretty well as it was one of my best HIM swims and I've been swimming very little lately.

T1: 4:01

I put on socks and checked my rear tire, but this is just wasted time. Should have been much quicker.

Bike: 2:36:51 (21.42 mph)

My plan for the bike was to push it more than I have in recent races. I estimated my FTP at 280 (I haven't tested lately, but that's probably a little high if I'm honest with myself) and that in order to ride a 2:38 I'd need to average 230 watts. I didn't ride as consistent (VI = 1.05) as I should have as I chased some guys at times in order to stay in the mix and keep things interesting, but my normalized average was 228 (close to my goal of 230) so all in all I was pretty happy with my ride and it was a HIM bike PR. Here's the details from my Powertap:

Entire workout (217 watts):

Duration: 2:38:46

Work: 2067 kJ

TSS: 182.5 (intensity factor 0.83)

Norm Power: 228

VI: 1.05

Distance: 56.578 mi

Min Max Avg

Power: 0 610 217 watts

Cadence: 31 212 87 rpm

Speed: 2.2 44.9 21.4 mph

T2: 1:35

Run: 1:36:51 (7:23/mile)

Starting out on the run I didn't feel so great. My pace was okay, but my legs were tight and felt like they could cramp at any moment. This feeling didn't go away until well into the half marathon. At mile 4 I ran into a guy from San Francisco who was running a good pace. We chatted and stayed together for 5+ miles which really kept my mind off of the pain that was going through my legs. I was hoping to run under a 1:35 given my recent 1:24 at the Surf City Half Marathon, but just didn't have it in me down the stretch. Here a link to my run splits from my Garmin: http://connect.garmin.com/splits/28200595.

So all in all it was a good race on a beautiful day in Oceanside. It was great to have Kyra and Liya on the course cheering me on. It's a long day for them and I really appreciate their support of all my training and racing.

Next up Wildflower Long Course on May 1st...need to put in lots of work over the next 4-weeks to get that sub-5 I've been chasing there for a couple of years now!

Run For Haiti!

2010-01-15T21:27:00.000-08:00

You can't turn on the television or pick up a newspaper without hearing about the horrible situation in Haiti. The poorest country in the Western Hemisphere now faces an incredible challenge having been struck by a 7.0 earthquake. These people need our help and fast.

I'm trying to raise $2500 for the people of Haiti through a small grass roots effort called Run For Haiti. This Sunday, January 17th, I will run 1 mile for every $100 donated. To learn more and donate to this worthy cause please go to: http://firstgiving.com/fredruns

Thanks!

Fred

Bye Bye 2009, Hello 2010!

2009-12-31T16:28:00.000-08:00

So if 2009 is gone, that means it's 2010? Really!? Wow, it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating the passing of 1999 and the new millennium...hard to believe another decade has gone by. Whew!

Reflecting on 2009 I'm reminded of how blessed I am to have my health and the wonderful family that supports me in all that I do. For me, the year was filled with great memories too numerous too mention, but a few of the highlights include: watching Liya develop into the little girl that she is (at only 27 months...gulp!), completing Ironman Canada with Kyra, Liya, and my mom and dad cheering me on, and spending a long beautiful week with my girls in Hawaii. Great memories of a really good year!

Triathlon has been my "fix" for the past six years and it's also become the subject of most of this blog. It's my opportunity to get outdoors, push myself physically, and spend time with friends. Kyra can't believe I don't run or bike with my iPod, but I also find the long runs and rides a great time to mentally unwind or work through life's challenges. I'm just so fortunate that my family allows me to do what I do.

For the past couple of years I've been keeping a training log and while I don't go back and look at my workouts much during the year, I like to take a peek at what I've done at the conclusion of each year. This year's totals are below.

Swim: 138,404yds 44.50hrs

Bike: 4,539.2mi 246.31hrs

Run: 1,041.4mi 130.42hrs

Total: 5,659.3mi 422.05hrs

I'm not doing an Ironman in 2010, but am hoping to put in more miles on the bike in the new year. So far the race schedule is shaping up as follows: Surf City Half Marathon, Ironman California 70.3, Wildflower Long Course, Centurion California 25mi time trial + 100mi bike race, and Magic Mountain Man Half Ironman Triathlon. Throw in a couple of long weekend training camps and it should be a fun long season of California racing in 2010!

Ironman Canada Race Report (2nd IM, 1st Bike Crash)

2009-09-06T16:26:00.000-07:00

Pre-Race:

Leading up to this race my training had gone quite well. Having raced the distance once before I knew I was ready and now just needed to execute. I was excited to finally be doing Ironman Canada, a race I'd heard so much about.

After almost missing our flight out of LAX (it's a long story...), Kyra, Liya, and I finally arrived into Kelowna Thursday afternoon. We waited a few hours for my parents to arrive and then the five of us made the beautiful drive south to Penticton.That night we met up with some of the other Endurance Nation athletes doing the race. It was fun to put some faces to names and also get some advice from those that had done the race in prior years.

I was amazed at how "busy" Friday and Saturday seemed leading up to race day...trying to get in a few workouts, picking up the bike, registering, dropping off gear bags, attending the mandatory athlete meeting, among other things took a lot of time and coordination, but by Saturday afternoon I was off my feet relaxing and feeling good.

Not surprisingly, I slept terribly the night before the race. At 2:15am I awoke for breakfast: two packets of instant oatmeal w/milk, banana, PBJ, and 16oz of Gatorade Endurance. I went back to bed, but didn't sleep much before my alarm went off at 4:15am.

I normally only do 3 to 4 races a year, so any race morning is always filled with lots of emotion and excitement for me, but particularly Ironman. It's the culmination of almost a year of hard work which requires sacrificing time away from my family and it's also my opportunity to push myself to the limit to see what I can really do...not against others, but against the goals I've set for myself. I truly love this aspect of triathlon and it makes all the long workouts 100% worth it!

After getting my transitions setup, I went into the changing tent and just mentally reviewed my day and tried to chill as much as possible. About 30mins prior to the start I warmed-up in the 70 degree water and then watched the pros start.

Swim: 1:02:56 (1:40/100m, 43rd in AG)

I decided to seed myself in the middle (left to right) and front for the swim start. I thought if I had a really good race I could swim close to 1hr flat and thought that this seeding would give me clear water yet avoid the really fast guys who would be going straight up the buoy line.

My strategy worked out really well. I was surprised by how tame the entire swim was (I've since learned it was the largest mass swim start in Ironman history with 2600+ athletes starting all at once), but particularly during the first leg. Maybe I just expected it to be a complete washing machine, but it wasn't, at least not for me. The one hiccup that I did encounter was that my new Aquasphere Vista goggles started fogging big time half-way through the swim. This combined with sighting into the sun on the way back basically rendered me blind, so I just followed the masses and somehow landed back on the beach. I've never done anything more than spit in my goggles in the past, but this wasn't working on these guys.

T1: 4:34

Wetsuit strippers were awesome, I made a quick change into my bike gear and hit the road.

Bike: 5:45:45 (19.4mph, 79th in AG)

My goal for the bike was to ride my watts and keep my power in check on the climbs even if I felt I could ride harder. It was going to be a long day and following this plan would allow me to have a good run.

At mile 10 of the bike it happened. I've been saying "it's not a matter of if, but when" and it finally happened...in a race...in an Ironman race. After making a left on McLean Creek Road, I hit the first aid station and grabbed a bottle of Gatorade. As I was riding away with another rider on my right, I hear some guy yell "on your left" and all of a sudden he rams into me from the left side. I've gone over what happened a hundred times and what transpired still isn't completely clear, but I think our handlebars got tangled up and as he pulled back left I went down hard on my left side.

For several seconds I just laid there in complete shock as other riders rode around and past me. Only 10 miles into my Ironman bike I was laying on the ground, bleeding from my ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, and back. After peeling myself off the rough pavement, a nurse from the aid station ran up and started treating my worst wound, on my elbow. While she was doing this, another one of the awesome volunteers looked over my bike, which besides some road rash itself was still in good working order. About five minutes later I was on my way, but wasn't the happiest camper. I was really bummed. How could this happen? Why now? Fighting back tears, I told myself that it could have been much worse and that I was just extremely fortunate to be out here doing what I'm doing on this beautiful course. From that point forward I honestly didn't notice my injuries and can't (or won't) say they impacted my race in any real way.

After making my way over McLean Creek the next 30miles were pretty straightforward until Richter Pass. I just settled in and watched the hammer heads go by me. Yellow Lake was incredible as it reminded me of the famous Alpe d'Huez climb during the TdF with hundreds of fans (several in constumes and even more drinking cold Canadian beer!) lining the road leading to the summit. About a 1/4 mile from the summit my family was waiting and they went crazy upon seeing me. The way my 2 year old daughter's face lit up when actually seeing me (my wife said that she'd been yelling "Go Daddy!" to every racer that went by) was just priceless. And so was the descent!

I stayed on the watts and passed a ton of folks on the way back to Penticton which was a real rush. I hit 47mph on the descent which is definitely the fastest I've ever gone in a race.

Looking at my PowerTap numbers afterwards I probably could have pushed it more on the bike. I was shooting for a TSS of 300. So given my actual TSS of 268.5, I theoretically left 31.5 points on the table but given my run I'm not so sure using all of those points would have been in my best interest.

Bike by the Numbers:

Entire workout (173 watts):

Duration: 5:44:16 (5:47:16)

Work: 3567 kJ

TSS: 268.5 (intensity factor 0.685)

Norm Power: 181

VI: 1.05

Pw:HR: 3.43%

Pa:HR: 4.81%

Distance: 111.528 mi

Min Max Avg

Power: 0 497 173 watts

Heart Rate: 118 164 146 bpm

Cadence: 31 203 86 rpm

Speed: 2.5 47.2 19.5 mph

Pace 1:16 24:08 3:05 min/mi

T2: 4:39

Dried my feet, put on socks, and out I went.

Run: 3:50:48 (8:48min/mi, 24th in AG)

I followed the EN pacing guidance and kept my first 6miles to right around an 8:30 pace. I felt good and thought I could continue to bring down my pace during the rest of the run. The course was just stunning in it's beauty and I found a few other athletes to pace off of on the way out which was a big help. That said, I was surprised by the extent of the hills and how much they took out of me. At the turn around I showed a half mary split of 1:50 on my Garmin and at this point thought I could hold onto this and run close to a 3:40 marathon.

I settled into a 8:30 pace on the way back, but at mile 18 started to hurt. Thinking it might be due to a lack of calories or even dehydration (I'd been in the sun all day long and the forecast was for the high-80's), I started walking aid stations to make sure I was taking in enough nutrition. The last 3 - 4 miles of the marathon were tough, as they almost always are.

With a mile to go I saw my family and they went crazy which was great motivation to start the kick for the finish. After a quick kiss for my wife and daughter I headed for the finisher's chute, savoring the moment, remembering all that went into this day, and finally crossing the line an Ironman again.

Summary:

I finished in 10:48:41, 38th out of 220 in my age group and top 10% overall. This was a 6min PR over the Full Vineman I did last year and IMC is known to be a more difficult course. While I had really hoped to have a better marathon, I just didn't have the mojo down the stretch.

It is what it is and overall I'm very happy with my day. I had a great time racing a beautiful course with amazing volunteers and those closest to me supporting and sharing in the experience.

The Road to Ironman Canada - Bib #467

2009-08-18T22:35:00.000-07:00

According to that little counter on the upper right of the page it's just a little over 11 days until Ironman Canada (IMC)! Bib numbers went up today and I'm number 467. You can follow my progress on race day (Sunday, August 30th) via ironmanlive.com.

It's hard to believe it's been 363 days since I registered for this race, so it's been a long time coming and I'm ready! Since the beginning of this year I've logged 3,100 miles (168hrs) cycling, 738 miles (92hrs) running and 110,100yds (36hrs) swimming. That equates to just a little over 9hrs per week YTD and it's obviously been more like 12 - 15hrs/week the past few months during my ramp-up to IMC. And that doesn't include drive time to the pool, stretching after workouts, or any of the other activities required to just get out there and train. It's a selfish endeavor, there's no way around it, but that's what it takes to prepare to compete on race day.

Beyond my training the ones who have sacrificed the most are my family. Kyra and Liya have allowed me to spend many early mornings at the pool and a good part of our weekends getting in my 6+ hour bike rides. In doing so they've allowed me to chase my dreams and see just how hard and far I can push this body that God gave me. I couldn't do this without them and I'm so blessed for all of their support and encouragement along the way.

This will be my second iron distance race and without a doubt the biggest (in terms of both participants and stature) I've ever done. IMC is one of the grand daddies of all Ironman events (many folks think it's the most beautiful IM course in the world) and has been held an amazing 27 years in a row. IMC's home is the small town of Penticton, British Columbia about 165miles east of Vancouver and 165miles north northwest of Spokane, Washington.

It's located in the Okanagan Valley known for it's pristine lakes, fruit orchards, and increasingly it's vineyards.

So it'll be a beautiful place to race and hang with the fam. We'll spend a few days after the race in the region before heading to Vancouver for a couple of nights. My parents will also be joining us so it'll be a blast to have the extended fam in tow for the entire trip.

As far as expectations for race day, I really just want to experience the magic of this legendary race, take it all in, and leave everything I've got out on the course. If I do that I will be happy. And I wouldn't complain a bit if I finished in under 10:30 hours!

Wildflower Long Course Race Report

2009-05-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Avia Wildflower Long Course Triathlon is one of two “A” races for me this year (the other being Ironman Canada on August 30th). It’s known to be one of the tougher half-iron distance courses in the country due to a lot of climbing on the bike and also on the run which is mostly on trails. Leading up to this race I felt like I had a good off-season and looking back at my training log for January thru April, my training volumes (based on distance) were up by 22% on the bike, 55% on the run, and down by 15% on the swim vs. the same period in 2008. Overall I spent about 8% more time training this year vs. last. Between considerable work travel and all the other priorities in my life I averaged 8.4 training hours/week.

I used Ironman 70.3 California as a prep race and had a good day considering I had my first flat ever in a race. Based on this performance, if I improved my times similarly at WF I’d go somewhere around a 5:03, but my goal was to go sub-5 so I knew I had my work cut out for me.

I left for Lake San Antonio with two training buddies, Andy and Jeff, on Thursday around noon to avoid making the 5hr drive on Friday, the day before the race. We arrived at our campsite early evening and got settled.

We woke up early on Friday morning planning to go for a swim, but upon checking out the lake the algae was so bad we decided we’d greet the water for the first time on race morning. We registered and then hung around the expo checking out the vendors, listening to some live music, and just relaxing between intermittent showers throughout the day. That evening we headed down to Coach Rich’s RV where he and a few friends had a grill waiting for our meat and pasta. After dinner we headed back to our campsite to pack our transition bags, get our bikes ready, and get a good night’s sleep.

Race day morning we around 6am, lathered ourselves in sunscreen, double-checked our pre-race check lists, and headed down to the monster transition area. My buddy Andy and I were both only three spots apart in transition so we walked the bike in/out and run in/out to make sure we could find our way amidst what has to be one of the largest transition areas in all of triathlon.

Contrary to what the forecast had said all week long, it looked like it was going to be perfect racing conditions.

Swim: 31:12 (1:37/100m)
Given significantly less swim volume than the prior year and knowing that I’m still not in peak swim shape, I was just hoping to go close to a 31 flat. The swim was pretty uneventful. I found some fast feet to draft off for the first half of the out and back course, but lost ‘em at the turn.

T1: 2:32
Upon exiting the swim there’s a decent little climb up the boat ramp to transition. I slipped on my shoes, put on my helmet, grabbed my nutrition, and was off.

Bike: 2:50:09 (19.75mph)
My goal for the bike was just to sit at 85% or 225 watts which meant taking it easy on the climbs and pushing the downhills and flats. Unfortunately, the bike didn’t start so well for me. The first part of the course is fairly technical as it winds up the hill above Lake San Antonio. I knew this and should have taken it easy on this part of the course, but I didn’t. Stupid mistake. My speed combined with less than clean roads (no doubt because of the showers the past few days) caused me to crash about a ½ mile into the bike. I was coming around a tight right-hand turn when my rear wheel started to fishtail. I tried to recover, but there was debris on the road and I lost it and rammed into the inside embankment. Fortunately, I was fine (just minor scrapes on my shoulder and arm). After a quick inspection of my bike to make sure everything was working, I got back on and went to work.
If you look at my power numbers, I rode the bike almost exactly to my plan:

Entire workout (214 watts):
Duration: 2:51:54
Work: 2204 kJ
TSS: 207.6 (intensity factor 0.852)
Norm Power: 226
VI: 1.05
Pw:HR: -2.35%
Pa:HR: 1.76%
Distance: 55.4 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 529 214 watts
Heart Rate: 112 178 155 bpm
Cadence: 33 244 81 rpm
Speed: 2.4 47.7 19.4 mph

However, after the first 30 or so miles I started to feel a lot of tension in my hips and just never felt as strong as I did on my long training rides. I was out of the saddle stretching a lot more than usual and just never felt great. I’m not sure what happened, but my guess is I just didn’t incorporate enough climbing into my training. It also appears that my average cadence was quite low so I probably need to work at spinning at a higher cadence.

T2: 1:37
I was a little worried about getting out of my shoes on the steep descent into transition, but did so a couple of hundred yards before crossing the dismount line without any issues. I bolted into transition, put on my running shoes, grabbed my visor and nutrition, and was off.

Run: 1:36:42 (7:23min/mile)
Despite (or maybe because of) my bike, I had one of my best runs ever. The course is relentless and just keeps throwing punches just when you think you’re going to get a reprieve. I started out feeling strong, but around mile 3 or 4, I was hurting and walked a few of the very steep hills. I also started to get some leg cramps, but kept taking my nutrition including SaltStick capsules and this seemed to help greatly. I didn’t start to do the math on whether or not I could get in under 5hrs until about mile 9 of the run. At that point I needed to run the final 4.1 miles in under 32 minutes. I knew I could do this and stayed under this pace until mile 12. I was taking my splits at each of the mile markers and mile 12 had to have been almost 2 miles long. I thought I only needed to run the last 1.1 miles under 12 minutes to come in under 5hrs, but I gave it everything I had and it seemed like eternity before I saw the finish line. When I finally did it was too late. 5:02:14.

While I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t go sub-5, I cut almost 20 minutes off of my overall time from last year (over 13 minutes on the run alone). That and I had an absolute blast during the weekend. After the race I had a beer with Coach Rich and replaced all of those calories and carbs at the LA Tri Club dinner which is always amazing.

This is such a fabulous event and one I hope to compete in for years to come (hopefully going sub-5 next year)! I’m sore as I’ve ever been after a race, so it’s time to take a couple of weeks off before getting back onto my Endurance Nation training plan to prepare for Ironman Canada.

Ironman 70.3 California Race Report

2009-04-07T21:35:00.000-07:00

After 5 previous attempts on 4 different courses, I finally went sub-5 in a HIM...barely, but I'll still take it: 4:59:33! That's a HIM PR for me and almost 15 minutes faster than last year on the same course.

This race was a "B" race for me and as such I only tapered for one week going into it as I wanted to get in a solid training weekend the week prior.

Swim: 32:18 (1:42/100m)
A little faster than I expected given I'm just getting back into swim shape.

T1: 3:28

Bike: 2:46:42 (20.2 mph)
First time racing with power and it was awesome! I chatted with Rich on Friday at the expo and he suggested I target 82 - 83% of FTP or 219w. I mostly just sat on this number and tried to stay under FTP on the hills. IF was .852 so a little harder than plan. Right after I went by Coach Rich who was chillin' at the side of the road on the moto at mile 44, I had my first flat in a race. The front just popped out of nowhere. I only had one tube, so was extra cautious which cost me 5:13 (note to self to practice doing this FAST!). Needless to say I took some of my frustration out on the road as I headed back into transition.
Duration: 2:41:29 (2:46:17)
Work: 2109 kJ
TSS: 195.1 (intensity factor 0.852)
Norm Power: 226
VI: 1.04
Pw:HR: -4.59%
Pa:HR: 3.66%
Distance: 56.242 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 762 218 watts
Heart Rate: 116 180 159 bpm
Cadence: 36 188 84 rpm
Speed: 3.1 40.5 21.0 mph
Pace 1:29 19:19 2:52 min/mi

T2: 1:58

Run: 1:35:07 (7:15/mile)
Leaving transition, I did the math in my head and knew I'd have to fully empty the tanks and have my best HIM run ever to get in under 5hrs. I felt strong so set out on a 7:00 pace which was fine until the sand...not only was it hard to run on, but the lanes were narrow so it was difficult to get around slower folks. I got into a rhythm and was motivated by the fact I was passing lots of peeps and getting some shout outs from fellow LA Tri Clubbers. I also ran into fellow Endurance Nation teammate Steve Cramer who was looking good on his second lap. Around mile 8 my quad started to cramp. I didn't want to stop and stretch so instead exaggerated my run movement in order to actively stretch my quad. This and a banana or two seemed to put the cramp at bay, but was a concern for the rest of the race. At mile 10 I really began to suffer. My watch read 4:36 and I wasn't sure if I had 3 sub-8 minute miles left in me.
My grandfather passed away on Wednesday and instead of flying back to Ohio for his funeral I was doing this race, just as he would have wanted. As such, I dug as deep as I ever have and just kicked it to the finish line hoping it'd be enough. After I crossed the line I checked my watch.

I made it...barely, but I made it. Sub-5 hours baby!

Christmas Morning 2008

2009-01-03T23:17:00.000-08:00

We really enjoyed Christmas this year because Liya is starting to "get it", at least as much as any 15-month old can!

While both Liya's visits with Santa was greeted with screams of terror, she enjoyed most everything else including her gifts, "Frosty", the Christmas tree and ornaments, and of course the wrapping paper and bows. Below is a video of Liya first seeing her gifts under the tree on Christmas morning:

And here are some photos from the big morning...

IMC 2009 Countdown Begins!

2009-01-03T22:56:00.001-08:00

Get this widget!

Thanksgiving & Santa Barbara Trip

2008-12-22T21:46:00.000-08:00

Nothin' like a Thanksgiving blog post in late December, but as they say better late than never. We had a great Thanksgiving in large part because my good friend Heng Teoh spent the week with us. Liya loves Heng and we had a good time hanging out in Long Beach and then heading up to Carpinteria to spend Thanksgiving with Kyra's family.

Due to traffic we took the scenic route north out of LA via PCH (which also happens to be considerably longer). Once we arrived we were treated to a feast of wonderful food.

Since we drove all the way up to Carpinteria we figured we might as well stick around and spend the night in Santa Barbara since Kyra and I had never been there together and Heng hadn't either. After a good night's sleep in our hotel (even Liya slept through the night) we spent Friday taking in the Spanish Colonial architecture and strolling the many boutiques that line State Street.

After our fill of shopping we picked up some sandwiches and headed to Chase Palm Park (located right across the street from the beach) for a picnic lunch.Afterwards, we hit the playground and slide that Liya just loved to go up and down, up and down, up and down... It was a great trip that made for a fun family Thanksgiving getaway.

Update, Thoughts on Fatherhood, and Belated Halloween Photos

2008-11-25T22:12:00.000-08:00

Long time since any blog action. I never thought I'd say this, but this crazy social networking website called Facebook,that I never thought would be worthwhile is actually pretty slick for sharing updates, photos, etc so it might make this blog thing obsolete in the coming months...we'll just have to see :)

Liya continues to be an absolutely amazing child who has brought such joy to Kyra and I. Her personality shines through more and more every single day. She can be feisty when she doesn't her way or something doesn't work the way it did the day before (like when we finally installed child safety locks on the kitchen cabinets and she couldn't figure out how to open them), she has a tender heart (as evidenced by her big hugs and cute open mouth kisses), and she loves to tease (like when she pretends to want to go to Grandpa Watari only to pull back at the last minute as she let's out those adorable little giggles).

I never thought fatherhood could be such a rewarding experience. Of course I'll probably be singing a different tune when she's 13 or 16, but we'll cross that bridge when we get there!

What's a post without some pics, so besides the one above, below are some ones from Halloween. The neat part is Liya is actually starting to "get it"!

Family Photos at the Beach

2008-09-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday evening Kyra's cousin Darrell took some family photos of the three of us in Seal Beach, just down PCH from where we live. He's only shared a few of them with us, but they all look awesome.

Darrell is a professional photographer and you can view his website by going to www.darrellmiho.com. He's a great guy and has even offered to come to Kona to photograph the Ironman World Championships if, or rather when, I qualify!

Don't Let Your Dreams Be Dreams - My Ironman Race Report

2008-08-05T00:38:00.000-07:00

Jack Johnson sings a song I've always liked called "Don't Let Your Dreams Be Dreams". Inspirational words that explain why I wanted to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and then run a 26.2 mile marathon. Why just dream about doing something? Why not actually go do it?!

And so I signed up for the Full Vineman, put a plan in place, surrounded myself with a supportive team (my wife and daughter, good competitive training buddies, and some qualified coaches from Endurance Nation), and trained my butt off for 6+ months. What follows is my take on how rewarding "not letting your dreams be dreams" can be.

Overall Results: 10:54:24, 3rd AG, 14th OA
Going into my first ironman distance race, this past weekend my only goal was to finish though I hoped that with a good day I could go sub-12 hours. To my surprise I somehow put all the pieces together, managed to pace myself on the bike, nailed my nutrition, and had a great day on a tough course in very hot conditions.

The Swim: 60:05, 9th AG, 37th OA
Things didn’t start so well. On my way to the swim start, I dropped my goggles on the beach somewhere, but didn’t notice them missing until I was about to cross the timing mat and enter the water. Fortunately, a fellow athlete found them and was waving at me when I turned around with a blank stare on my face as I was trying to figure out how in the hell I was going to swim 2.4 miles without goggles! Disaster #1 averted. Goggles secured, I hopped into the beautiful Russian River which winds through Sonoma wine country and joined my wave just as they started promptly at 6:45AM. After working my way through the chaos that always ensues at the start I settled into a nice comfortable pace. At just over half-way I took a peek at my watch and saw 32 minutes and change which was where I had hoped to be. The 2nd lap seemed to go faster and as I exited the swim I saw 59:XX on the clock. My actual time was a good six minutes faster than my previous best at this distance and most importantly I felt fresh and ready to getirdun!

T1: 5:37
My T1 was slow. I wasn’t prepared for the wetsuit strippers on exit, so this was a bit confusing as they instructed me to “stand still” as they pulled my sleeves off, then “sit down” as they pulled the suit off my legs. I could probably have done it faster myself, but whatever my suit was off and I was heading to find my bike. The transition area was a combination of stone and dirt so my feet were loaded with sand and dirt when I arrived at my bike. As such, it took me a couple of minutes to wipe them off and put on my cycling shoes. I then drank some Gatorade, threw down a couple of Cliff Shot Blocks, and donned my helmet and arm coolers. I then stuffed all my extra gear into my backpack and ran over to hand it to my wife who was waiting about 20 yards away with Liya our 10 month old daughter. After having my wetsuit stolen out of transition at Wildflower, I figured doing this was a small time sacrifice in the scheme of things. After a quick kiss and hug, I headed out of transition ready for the 112 mile ride…or so I thought.

The Bike: 5:49:01, 10th AG, 42nd OA

As I hopped on my bike and began peddling I quickly noticed my rear wheel was rubbing on something. I checked the rear brake…nada. Then I saw that the rear wheel was rubbing the frame. I’d heard of this happening before on P2Cs, but it’s never happened to me and it wasn’t this way when I did my final mechanical check prior to heading out for the swim?! I thought I could just move the skewer back in the dropouts and it would hold, but after several attempts at this I wasn’t having any luck. Remembering that a bike tech support station was located at the top of the hill about 30 yards away, I ran my bike up to one of the techs who quickly pulled the skewer back, jammed it shut and told me to get on my way. Praying that his fix would work, I told him I owed him a cold one and finally headed out on the bike. Disaster #2 averted.

My last bike race rehearsal didn’t go as well as I had planned, so I was hoping that “game day” would be different. Per my Endurance Nation training plan and coaching advice, my plan was to ride easy for the first 90 minutes and then settle into a steady pace I could hold for the rest of the ride. The first 90 minutes seemed like eternity as I was frequently passed by other athletes pushing bigger gears, climbing out of the saddle, and basically just working hard than they probably should have been this early in the race. I knew my time would come if I just stuck to the plan. I focused on my nutrition and religiously took in a Gu, 16 ounces of Gatorade Endurance, and 2 Salt Stick caplets every 45 minutes or as needed. I’d occasionally pick-up a bottle of water to change it up and also to douse myself with as I noticed that it was getting much hotter than the 86 degree high that was forecasted. At mile 66 I came across my friend Keith Dodson who was having a good day on the bike. We rode together and chatted for a few miles before I decided to press on. At mile 85 I started to see some of those eager beavers that passed me early on, but this time I was comfortably passing them. It looked like my bike pacing strategy was paying off.

I don’t remember much about the last 25 or so miles. I was so tired of being on that bike I was actually looking forward to running for a change. Coming into T2 I checked my watch and saw that I had done the 112 miles in less than 6 hours. Even though I exceeded my target heart rate slightly I felt good, but was still concerned that I might have committed the cardinal Endurance Nation sin of going out too fast on the bike only to blow-up on the run.

T2: 3:22
So after almost 7 hours, I put on my running shoes, sorted out my run nutrition, and headed out to run only my second marathon ever.

The Run: 3:56:17, 4th AG, 15th OA
The path exiting the transition area out of Windsor was lined with spectators and everyone was cheering loudly, “Go LA Tri” (I was wearing my club jersey) which was a big motivator and something I’d look forward to each time on the three loop run course. I didn’t have a chance to scope out the run course in advance, but had heard that it was hilly…and it was. Living and training near the beach I run almost exclusively on pancake flat so this was going to be a challenge. And the heat continued to soar with a reported heat index over 100 degrees and an actual high of 96. Fortunately, the locals along the run course were out in force blaring music and hosing us down which made a huge difference. The aid station volunteers were also simply amazing…not only were they encouraging us along, they were always ready with a smorgasbord of hydration and food options, even ice (which I continuously put down the front and back of my jersey to keep cool).

I ran the first 8.7 mile loop at about a 9 minute pace to make sure my stomach was feeling okay and to get a sense for how much my legs might have left down the stretch. After the first few miles I started taking in water and Gu every three miles or so along with 2 Salt Stick caplets. The second loop I did my best to pick up the pace to about an 8:30, but after a few miles in the intense heat with little shade, my right calf began to tighten up. I did a quick stretch on the side of the road and while the pain didn’t go away, it didn’t get worse and I just hoped it would hold out for the remainder of the run. Sometime during the second loop I went to grab my bottle of salt tabs from my jersey pocket and they were gone. Somehow they had spilled in my pocket and melted away. On such a hot day these were critical to continuing the solid pace I had established and I wasn’t sure that I could continue without them. To my relief the next aid station had a big bottle of salt tabs out for the taking. I grabbed a handful and went on my way. Disaster #3 averted.

I think one of the keys to my being able to run through the heat was seeking out other athletes who were running a similar pace or even slightly faster and running with them, chatting them up, and working off their energy. At the beginning of my third and final lap I came upon a woman who was running a very determined pace (and I later found out was the women’s overall winner). I introduced myself and we chatted for awhile. With about 4.5 miles to go I started thinking about my time for really the first time all day and realized that I had a good shot at going sub-11 hours if I could finish the race off strong. My running partner confirmed that my watch wasn’t lying to me so on I summoned all the energy I could on the next downhill and pushed it with all I had left.

Coming around the turn into the finish chute I saw the clock and knew that I was going to finish my first IM in less than 11 hours! I found my family and gave them a big hug before crossing the tape. I was an Ironman!

Final Assessment
The best thing about this entire race, even beyond finishing far better than I ever dreamed possible, was that I honestly enjoyed it from start to finish. I enjoyed it because I was prepared from a fitness perspective, but also because even though this was my first time at the distance, EN prepared me to execute on game day. I had a few things happen that could have derailed my day, but I did my best to just focus on the job at hand. Clearly my transitions need work and I’ve got lots of room to improve on the run and the bike, but for my first IM…I’ll take it!

Ironman!!!

2008-08-02T23:01:00.001-07:00

In tough conditions at the 2008 Full Vineman consisting of 100+ degree heat index and 20+ mph winds, I had an awesome Ironman debut finishing in 10 hours 54 minutes which was good enough for 14th overall (out of 453 athletes) and 3rd in the Mens 30 - 34 age group. My goal for the race was just to finish and I thought if I really put it together I could go sub-12 hours. What a shock to find myself 4.5 miles from the finish looking at going sub-11! I really dialed in my pacing strategy, particularly on the bike, and nailed my nutrition which kept me in the hunt down the stretch.

A huge thanks goes out to my beautiful wife and daughter for putting up with 6-months of early mornings and lots of long training days. I couldn't have done it without their support. I also want to send a shout out to the guys at Endurance Nation who's guidance I used to prepare for this race and all my "virtual friends" at Slowtwitch for all their sound advice over the past 4 years.

More to come, but first some rest!

Ironman Training...4 Weeks 'Til Race Day!

2008-07-07T22:33:00.000-07:00

On August 2nd I'll be attempting my first Ironman triathlon. The 19th Annual Full Vineman, located in Sonoma County, California (wine country!) is one of the longest running iron-distance races in the country. I've been training exclusively for this race since early May (after completing the Wildflower Half Ironman). To date my training has been going fairly well thanks to the guidance of Endurance Nation, my online coaching service that provides my training plan. Last week I was on vacation in Michigan visiting my parents and had some quality time to hit the training hard. It was my biggest training week yet with 9 workouts totaling 17 hours and 46 minutes of total training time:

Swim 1:31 (5310.87 m)
Bike 12:57 (230.4 miles)
Run 3:10 (21.8 miles)

I've been fortunate to remain injury free and have a wife that supports my crazy addiction to this amazing sport that allows average Joes like myself to see how far they can go. So in less than 4 weeks the rubber will meet the road and we'll see what happens.

Stay tuned!

Grandma H's 87th Birthday

2008-07-02T11:36:00.000-07:00

After a long day of travel from LA we finally arrived at Coldwater Lake, MI early Saturday morning for a week long visit with my parents. The first item on the agenda was Grandma H's 87th birthday party which my mom was hosting.

It was great to see grandma, aunts and uncles, cousins, second cousins and so on (this family just keeps growing and its been awhile since we've seen them). Everyone was thrilled to finally see Liya and I enjoyed jet skiing and playing in the water with the kids. Below are some photos from the big day.

Escape From Alcatraz Race Report

2008-06-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

Wow! Alcatraz is simply an incredible race in one of the most beautiful and scenic urban venues anywhere. While San Francisco is known for it's cold summers and foggy mornings, the weather for the 2008 Accenture Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon couldn't have been better--mid-70's, lots of sunshine, and clear blue skies!

Kyra, Liya, and I all stayed with Kyra's sister and brother in-law Mike in their beautiful condo in Pacific Heights. Between all my tri-gear and the baby stuff we totally took over their place (thanks guys)!

I awoke early on race day and rode the short 1.5 miles to the transition area to setup my gear. After getting everything situated, I boarded one of the many buses and we headed to the Embarcadero where all 1500+ athletes boarded the San Francisco Belle for the ride out to Alcatraz. After some maneuvering to ensure the boat was in the proper position, the pros started and then all of the age groupers followed like lemmings jumping off a cliff! With the strong 3.5 mph current, by the time you jumped in the water you were instantly 10 feet or so from the side of the boat.

The swim was amazing and very fast with the current pulling us along through the choppy water. I pushed it on the bike (HR was over 85% a lot) and was worried about overdoing it, but probably could have gone out harder had I known the course better. The bike course was beautiful as it went past the Golden Gate bridge, past Baker Beach, and into Golden Gate Park.
I had a stomach cramp during the first couple miles of the run and even walked for a bit to try and work it out. It finally went away as I approached the first climb...not sure if it was the Cytomax which I wasn't used to or what as I haven't had a stitch like that in a long time. The infamous sand ladder was a long steep climb up a sand dune lined with telephone poles linked together with rope. There is a wire railing along both sides of the ladder that you can use to pull yourself up as you go. It was fairly crowded when I approached so I just walked up it along with most of the other athletes. The rest of the run had incredibly scenic views and some fast downhills where I really got rolling. I felt good at the end and finished strong amidst a cheering crowd of spectators.I finished in 2:41:42 which was good enough for 34th place (top 20%) out of 203 athletes in the Men's 30 - 34 age group. I'd highly recommend this race to anyone and hope to do it again in the future!

Liya's Crawling!!!

2008-05-12T22:03:00.000-07:00

Little Liya started crawling this weekend! Now she's starting to crawl all over...time to child-proof the house!

Avia Wildflower Long Course 2008

2008-05-07T22:40:00.000-07:00

What an awesome weekend! I participated in my first Wildflower triathlon this past weekend and had an absolute blast...I only wish I had more time to just hang out and take it all in. Wildflower is a legendary triathlon event that features over 7,500 athletes and combines three races (a half-iron , Olympic , and mountain bike sprint ) with camping, music, and a festival-like atmosphere.
I headed up to the event with my friends Seth and Anne. We got up there early afternoon on Friday, registered, checked out the expo, and went for a quick swim in Lake San Antonio. Friday night was chill just hanging out and chatting with other campers. The campground was crowded by Friday evening, but not as noisy as I expected.
As for my race, I was happy with my results. I was hoping for a sub 5:30 performance and went 5:21. I had a decent swim just staying in the middle of my wave. The bike was very tough right from the start. At mile 2 there is a long steep climb to get out of the park and my hr was still sky high from the swim. My bike computer wasn't working, so I just settled into a comfortable hr and went with it. I passed quite a few people, but also had a few minor mechanical issues (dropped a chain and my front hub kept squealing) that I had to stop for which probably cost me a few minutes. I finished the bike in 2:54. Of course the run was hilly as well and running on trails was something I didn't do much of in training. I almost rolled my left ankle on an early descent so was very careful with each step afterwards. There were parts of the run that I walked up because they were so steep and I'd only lose a few feet to the guy ahead of me that tried to jog it. I was pleased with my run of 1:50 given the course.
It's very scenic course that passes Central California vineyards, lakes, and lots of hills. All the climbing make it very tough at times, but they also provide a great opportunity to really push the downhills which I enjoy doing.

I'm planning on taking it easy this week as I recover before I get back on the horse in prep for Vineman...my first full Ironman in early August!

Grandma Meets Liya

2008-04-21T21:35:00.001-07:00

After much waiting and anticipation the weekend of our big trip to Phoenix to visit Grandma Gilbert arrived. After bailing from work on Thursday afternoon, we loaded up the car and headed out of the city in an attempt to miss most of the evening traffic. Our plan went fairly well, but the 91-West was horrible (as usual) and we lost about 40-minutes sitting in stop and go traffic because we were too cheap to take the toll road (and didn't think traffic would be so bad so early in the day). Lesson learned.

We stopped once to refuel and once for dinner at McDonalds (a very rare occasion for this health-conscious family). The 383-mile drive took us right at 7-hours including both stops. Liya was a roadtrip champ, sleeping and playing most of the trip. Upon our arrival we were greeted by Grandma who was ecstatic to see her first and only grandchild. Liya seemed equally excited to be out of the car and see Grandma for the first time.We also got together with Uncle Matt and Aunt Beth for dinner several nights. Fortunately, Liya was in a great mood the entire visit. Everyone who saw her had to squeeze her chubby legs and ask all about her. Liya almost always greeted these inquisitive faces with smiles and her excited kicking.

We had a wonderful time visiting Grandma, Matt, and Beth and can't wait to see them again soon. Though after another 7-hour drive home...we'll look into flying next time!

First Race of '08...Ironman California 70.3

2008-04-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Ironman California 70.3 was my first triathlon of 2008. A huge thank you to my friends and family for supporting my fund raising efforts for CAF's Operation Rebound. With their contribution I was able to meet my goal and raise over $1,500 to help troops permanently injured in Iraq and Afghanistan. In total 61 Ironman California 70.3 participants raised over $168k for Operation Rebound!

The Friday before the race I had the opportunity to go to the Operation Rebound pre-race luncheon and not only meet many of the wounded soldiers who would compete with me on race day, but hear their emotional stories of injury, fear, and ultimately recovery through the help of CA. It was very a very inspiring experience that would continue on race day as several of the injured troops blew by me on the bike and run! Here's a story from the OC Register about Evan Morgan, one of the guy's I met that has benefited from Operation Rebound.

As for my race, despite the forecast it turned out to be a beautiful sunny day in Oceanside. I started in the third wave and had a good swim in the rolling waves of Oceanside Harbor. After a quick transition I headed out on the bike. The first 30 miles were mostly rolling hills, but the last 26 had a couple of major climbs. In addition to the climbs, the wind picked up during the second half of the bike and we faced a headwind back into transition.

Onto the run...the two loop course is very flat and right along the beach. It was a beautiful scene and I had one of my better runs averaging just under 8 minute miles for the half marathon. When it was all said and done, I cut 18 minutes off last year's time to finish in 5hrs 15mins. I had hoped to go closer to 5hrs, but need to work on my bike if that's going to happen anytime soon!

Liya's First Easter

2008-03-24T15:53:00.000-07:00

This was Liya's first Easter. Even though she didn't know what was going on we were quite excited to get her all dressed up and take her to church and then to my in-laws for lunch and an Easter egg hunt. What follows are some photos from the big day...

CAF's Operation Rebound California

2008-02-22T21:42:00.000-08:00

On March 29th I'll be competing in my first race of the season, the Ford Ironman 70.3 California. The grueling (and cold!) 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and 13.1 mile run take place in the Camp Pendleton Marine base in Oceanside, CA.

I've decided to use this race to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an organization that raises money to help people with physical disabilites pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and athletics. CAF’s mission is clear: give those with the desire to live active, competitive lifestyles every opportunity to compete in the sports they love.

CAF’s Operation Rebound program is helping troops permanently injured in Iraq and Afghanistan get back in the game – and back into life. Each of the CAF military team members has experienced the healing power of sports. Now, they want to make sure their brothers- and sisters-in- arms have access to the same opportunities.

By making a donation towards my fundraising goal you will directly help a challenged athlete in need. Click here to make a donation to Operation Rebound and thank you for your support!

My New Ride!

2008-02-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

I haven't had a chance to post photos of my new ride...a 2008 58cm Cervelo P2C Dura Ace. She came from the great guys at Bike Authority located in Broadview Heights, OH (outside of Cleveland). They were awesome to deal with and took excellent care of me throughout the entire process. I can't recommend you check them out enough if you're in the market for a high-end road or tri bike. I feel so lucky to do what I love on such a nice bike! Here are the full specs:

Shimano Dura Ace 7800 Crank, Ders, Pedals
Zero Gravity Ti Brakes
Easton Vistas (Training)
Hed 3 Clinchers/Renn 575 Disc (Racing)
Michelin Pro Race 2 tires
Hed Vantage Eight Aerobar w/Carbon s-bends
Tektro Carbon Brake Levers
Ritchey WCS Stem
Selle San Marco Aspide Saddle
Profile Design Kages
Fizik Microtex Bar Tape
Custom Carbon Hydrotail
And of course the custom sailnfast graphic below the seatpost!

Now I just need to continue to work on building an engine worthy of such a nice ride!

Soggy Surf City Half Mary (But Still a PR!)

2008-02-06T09:49:00.000-08:00

I awoke early this past Super Bowl Sunday to the sound of raindrops falling on the roof...uh oh. I've never really raced in the rain before, but there's a first time for everything. I signed up for the Surf City Half Marathon to force me to work on my run fitness and ultimately improve my run times for tri season. I was in for a very wet and windy race!

It was really pouring at the start of the race and within the first five minutes my shoes were as soggy as a wet sponge. Fortunately, the wind was at my back and the poncho I was wearing kept me mostly dry and somewhat warm for the first 8 miles or so. I paced off of my friend Scott since I knew he planned to average 8-minute miles for the first-half of the race with the intent to negative split the second-half. This plan worked well, but at mile 8 we turned south for the long straight run back to the finish and the wind was head on! I dumped the poncho and did some quick math in my head...if I pushed it the last four miles I had a very good shot at going sub 1:40:00 which was my stretch goal. I contemplated this decision for a mile or so, wondering when my soggy feet were going to start blistering and how long my legs would hold out, but decided it was worth a shot. At mile 9 I picked up the pace to around 7:20ish and felt pretty good. I held this for the last 4 miles or so and down the home stretch was motivated by the marathon winner passing me by right before I came into the finisher's chute.

My official time was 1:40:03...three tiny seconds short of my stretch goal. Nonetheless, I was quite happy with my performance as it was a Personal Record for me, averaging 7:38 over the 13.1 mile course in very crappy conditions.

I was shivering uncontrollably after the race, but fortunately my friends Anne and Seth live near the finish and invited us back to relax in their hot tub! I've never enjoyed a hot tub so much in my life!

Holidays in Mammoth

2008-01-05T23:08:00.000-08:00

Kyra and I decided it would be nice to get out of LA for a few days over the holidays, so we headed to her family's condo in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Mammoth is a small mountain town located east of Yosemite National Park.

We were a little concerned about the long 5-hour drive with Liya, but she was a trooper and just slept most of the time (lucky her!). We just relaxed and walked around the town on our first day there.

The Town of Mammoth Lakes sits at an altitude of 7,800 feet and the surrounding mountains rise to elevations exceeding 12,000 feet which makes for great skiing and snowboarding! On the second day we decided to hit the slopes at Mammoth Mountain which is the local ski resort only steps from the condo. I went snowboarding in the morning and then headed back to the condo at noon to watch Liya while Ky headed up the mountain in the afternoon. Overall, the conditions were better than we expected given the limited snowfall and it was nice to get in some runs prior to our Park City Trip in early February!

Liya enjoyed the sites and sounds of a new place and even being bundled up to go out in the cold.

We had a great time and only wish we could have stayed longer!

Saturday Palos Verdes Ride

2007-11-24T11:24:00.000-08:00

Most Saturdays I wake up around 6AM to make the 25 minute drive north to the Palos Verdes Peninsula where a group of LA Tri Club members meet at Malaga Cove. At 7:30AM we leave for a 22 mile loop (and normally more) around beautiful Palos Verdes. Normally there are 8 - 10 riders, but this morning there were just five us. The ride started out very cold as my car thermometer was reading just 48 degrees, but it quickly warmed to the low-60's and I had to shed some layers to keep from overheating. It was a clear sunny day so I decided to bring the camera along and shoot some photos along the route.

As part of the route we ride along the Pacific Ocean and pass the Trump National Golf Club which is a beautiful course right along the coast.

Its a truly a beautiful ride and the camaraderie and breathtaking views (not to mention the exercise) are a great way to start any weekend .

Our Little Chubster

2007-11-21T21:02:00.000-08:00

So we've always known that Liya was a good eater. She feeds about six times a day and is very efficient at it. Well at her eight week checkup the doctor informed us that she's in the 75 percentile for height (she's quite tall) and...the 95 percentile for weight (she's a chubby little baby). Of course the doctor said this was a good thing and is characteristic of breast-fed babies. We think its absolutely adorable and are so thankful that she's healthy. Here's a photo of our little chubster!

The Ryan Hall Story - Olympic Hopeful

2007-11-10T12:28:00.000-08:00

I first heard about Ryan Hall a few months ago in a Runner's World article where he spoke about breaking the long-standing American Half Marathon record in a blistering 59 minutes 43 seconds.

It was obvious from the article that Ryan was not only one of the fastest distance runners in the world, but also a stand-up guy in all respects.

The day before the New York City Marathon, November 3, 2007, the Olympic Marathon Trials were held in Central Park and Ryan broke away at 16 miles, running the second half in 1:02:45 to cross the line in a stunning 2:09:02 and win the race, qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China.

Ryan, 25, lives and trains in Mammoth Lakes, CA (where Kyra's family has a condo).

Below is a very inspirational video about Ryan's faith and motivation for running. Its one of the more powerful messages I've seen lately and will definitely stay with me for a long time (and the run splits aren't too bad either)! Enjoy!

Excursion to Laguna Beach

2007-10-22T16:49:00.000-07:00

While my parents were in town we took several little side-trips or excursions to not-so-far-away destinations that Kyra and I had been to in the passed and enjoyed. One such trip involved a drive down the Pacific coast to a village known for its scenic views, million-dollar real estate, and arts and crafts: Laguna Beach. The day couldn't have been nicer as the sun combined with a light breeze made for a beautiful day.

We strolled along the beach (mom

even collected a few sea shells), self-guided ourselves on a tour of the sheik and trendy beach front hotel and resort, the Montage, and just enjoyed the day together.

We had dinner at a great little place on Forest Avenue in downtown called Pomodoro. They had great food and good-sized portions as well.

Grandpa & Grandma Meet Liya

2007-10-09T22:50:00.000-07:00

My parents arrived this week from Michigan. Liya is their first grandchild and as you might expect they were a little more than excited to meet our little cutie pie. Liya seems to love my mom and of course my mom has an amazing knack for calming Liya which is so beautiful to see in action.

Here's a photo of them with Liya. And one of my mom working her magic!

Liya Ren Gilbert

2007-10-03T23:28:00.001-07:00

Liya Ren Gilbert was born on September 7, 2007 to the proudest parents in the world. Here are a handful of photos from her first few days in her new world.

Mom and I preparing to leave St. Joseph's hospital

Liya just chillin'

Relaxing in the papasan!

Visiting with Grandpa and Grandma Watari

Liya and Kyra at home

First time...

2007-10-03T22:25:00.001-07:00

First time blogging. I'm not sure what to expect as this is all new to me, but for whatever reason I thought it would be interesting to chronicle, here on the web, the ups, downs, and everyday happenings of my life.

I feel so blessed to be living this life. I have an amazing beautiful loving wife, a cute healthy new daughter, and am fortunate that I can strike a balance between work and life.

Triathlon is my personal outlet. It provides a forum for my competitive spirit, motivates me to stay in shape, and has allowed me to meet some great people over the past several years.

Stay tuned for more...