Lavaman 09

I was STILL in Hawaii for the 09 edition of the Lavaman triathlon. I really had no interest in doing the race and defending my title, as I lacked serious motivation to really get back into training. Workouts were very relaxed up until Saturday a week before the race so I had no intention of racing. Lance Watson's Lifesport team was in town doing a HUGE training block that some how gave me some motivation to get going. Also, one of the greatest triathletes and a favorite of mine, Chris McCormack was racing! Something about the Cs....Cameron Brown, Chris Lieto, and Chris McCormack are my favorites.

I did three key sessions in the swim, bike, and run to see if I could be competitive and i received a green light in all disciplines. I now think the whole purpose of IMNZ was to bank some mega miles in legs with extreme focus. Consistency has been key and I can see lots of progression with all my biking data, and run splits from my log book.

RACE DAY


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It started yesterday morning at 7:30am at A-Bay 25 miles north of Kona. I still can't believe this, but it was a wetsuit legal swim!! Once the gun went off, John Flanagan (beat Potts at cleawater) gaped our group of McCormack, Marr, local swimming star Garrett, Karlin, and myself by about a minute. The run up to T1 brought the race very close. Marr and Macca where right there. I fumbled getting into my bike shoes and marr and macca were gone! I rode my numbers the entire bike and eventually caught Marr and Flanagan with about 10 miles to go. Macca was flying and was about 2 minutes up the rode. I tried desperately to drop the boys in my pack, but it was no go. It would come down to a running race.

Rolling into T2, we put some time into Flanagan and it was another Marr-Cotter battle at Lavaman. I was worried when I couldn't drop Marr during the first mile of the run. Marr is training for Ironman China, so I figured I had more speed. Look out for Marr to put in a great performance in China. Eventually I was slowly able to pull away to claim first loser behind McCormick! Many people have taken that title with him in the field. I can brag about one thing. I out split Macca in the run by 30seconds!***** First results had me running faster then Chris. Latest results have him out splitting me. So I was not able to outsplit McCormack.

Thanks to all the help I receive from my support crew. You really have to check out K-Swiss shoes. I love'em to death.
I have been using a colostrum product from New Zealand for a while now and really like it. When I picked up Macca from the airport with his Biestmilch realty TV crew with him, I bartered a pound of Kona coffee for a month of Biestmilch colostrum. Pretty good stuff.


HUGE HUGE HUGE thanks to Race Director Gerry Rott and her assistant, Lindsay Cotter for putting on a fantastic race. I lived in the same home as these two ladies in the weeks leading up to this race. Remember to always thank the RD as they put up with lot of BS from us athletes in the process of making the race you enter in as safe as possible. Maybe you don't receive your medal or shirt on that day (they'll be in the mail soon) but at least you crossed the line in good health and had one hell of a good burger and beer at the beach party and awards post race!

So sign up for Lavaman 2010. The race that has attracted names like: Chris McCormack, Tim Marr, Brent Poulson, Lisa Mensick (olympic athlete), Katya Meyers, Bree Wee, Heather Gollnick, Luis de l Torre, and Simon Whitfield. AND REGISTER EARLY!

Kick start

I'm back and ready to put in much better performances for the rest of the season. Racing this weekend in Hawaii and really looking forward to it. The hard workouts started today and I was not looking forward to feeling the burn again. Once I start, I'm on, and it is a challenge that I have beat.

The main set in the swim was on a 90 second send off, 50yard REC. 8x100 on 1:08, 7x100on 1:07. You get the idea now that it goes down to 1. Solid set and I cracked sub 00 for the first time in a while! 57 low.

Bike was 2.5hr with the main set being 5x9min at boarder line v02

Run was 8 miles with 2x2.5 at 5:20 pace.

Feels good to get through the day.

Ouch!

The trip to NZL turned out to be a holiday. I currently feel as I wasted 3 months of my life and let down my wife and sponsors.

I came in feeling great. Swim was so easy and I was pumped to see Terenzo and Cameron on my left and right the entire swim. Once my feet touched the ground I went into a mad dash up the beach to get ahead of everyone to have an advantage. When i reached to pull my wetsuit cord it would not budge. I started to panic some and kept running with the pack. Pulling and pulling the entire way up nothing. I arrived into T1 and figured the suit strippers would get the suit off. NOPE. 2 minutes to get the suit off. The boys were gone and I was pissed. I chased hard and kept them at bay at 2:10 the first 90km. Then my legs came lose and I slowly begain slowing down.

Once on the run i felt solid and ran my way back into the top 10 and then the bike caught up to me and I cracked. Tough lesson to learn for a trip so far away.

The town of Taupo was amazing. The course was so spectator friendly and support was on every yard of the course. I will be back next year.

I will take this Ironman training as a solid base for 09 and look to have the break through race I so desperately want.

GO TIME!

Well the last phase of my training was done in Auckland, New Zealand with Cameron Brown. Feel well and rested and I think the training I have logged the past six weeks should position me well in the race...fingers crossed nothing mechanical happens.

Hope to represent the shield (k-swiss)well tomorrow.

Report to follow Sunday or monday if things go well :) if not, give me a week.