Smok'n!

http://www.lafayettefitness.org/Results/2009TGATOR1OVERALL.HTM

 

This past weekend I PR’d in every area as for triathlon.  It was a good weekend with a great group of people from my club www.batonrougetri.com

23 mph average on the bike . . . Not bad for a fat boy!

 

But, this coming weekend is what matters.

 

IM New Orleans 70.3.  Sunday.  April 5^th.

 

Wish me luck!!!!

OOOOOO, so soft and smooth.

Flying mount didn't go over so well!  But the flying dismount ROCKED!

The reason those people are staring is because the earth shook while I ran by!  They had no choice!

Macho Macho Man!

What a fun group!

Changed Man - Ironman Florida Video

This video is pretty goofy, but it made me tear up a bit, not because of my tribute to Queen by William Hung from American Idol!!!

Enjoy my goofiness - Be Brilliant today!

Warhawk Triathlon

Warhawk Triathlon – 400yrd swim – 11 mile bike – 3 mile run

 

What a weekend.

 

I started off leaving Baton Rouge in pouring down rain.  I stopped at Wallyworld and picked up a cheap tarp and bungee cords to try and protect the bikes as much a possible.  I took the WAR PEGASUS and my comfy road bike.  I did this because the BRtri club was having a camping ride weekend Sat night and ride Sunday and I wanted to ride my comfy Roubaix on Sunday.

 

I arrived in Monroe Louisiana in the pouring cold rain, picked up my race packet and headed to the hotel to check in.  It was about 7pm.

 

Here is where the yick started.

 

My card was declined.  But I have money in my account I say . . . I call the bank.  It is Friday after hours – All I can do is report it stolen at this time . . . Grrrrrr.

 

Hotel says sorry and I say Crap.

 

BUT!!!!!!  Luckily, as I mentioned above, the club was having a CAMPING ride event and I had my camping gear – which consists of:

 

Air mattress and big gigantic Ford Excursion!!!!!!

 

All was well until the temp dropped below 41 degrees and I hadn’t brought my sleeping bag and the toes were numb and the teeth were a chattering!

 

I finally fell asleep only to wake and about 4 am in a complete convulsion as a result of my freezing body. 

 

I decide I am not going to get anymore sleep and sit in the front seat and start the truck for some heat.

 

I realize about 200 yards into the swim that I am tired.

 

But, I am out of the water with a little energy and headed into my favorite part of the race – The bike.  But this course would turn out to be one I am not the biggest fan of.  But that only means I need to get better at something . . .

 

There were 7 90 degree turns and then the turn around on the way out on the bike course and 8 90 degree turns on the way back in and this was only an 11 mile ride.  I hate this because I am still a big boy and it takes a lot to get my girth going once I slow down.  I were not so happy, but I still had the 11 overall fastest time at 20.4 mph.

 

The run SUCKED for me today.  I felt so strong, but I guess I sucked.  I averaged 10 minute miles.  I am very disappointed in that, but I will get better. 

 

I ran the course back wards and cheered for everyone as they ran into the finish.  I want to do this more and more because I remember how lonely it is out there all alone, last on the course . . .

 

After the race I went to a local place my buddy Bamaboy recommended and had a roast beef sandwich.  Yum

 

http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?pubID=3&rsID=75724

1st Race of 2009 . . .

First Race of the season.

 

T-Gator Du – A short 2 mile run 10 mile bike and 2 mile run.

 

It was brrrrrrr cold and OH SO - W-I-N-D-Y! 

 

My goal was sub 1:10.  Last year I completed this same race in 1:23.  I figured my run might be able to handle sub 10 minute miles and my bike could pull off a 23mph split.  The transitions are figured into the bike so my goal was to get in and out of each transition in about 1:30sec.

 

A friend I’ve made over the years loaned me gloves just as the run was about to begin, I think he noticed I was shivering.  His wife is a MONSTER racer.  She won her age group at Kona last year (Peggy Yetman).  Chris, Peggy and their children support all the local races and to watch her race is awesome.

 

I felt great on the first mile and decided to pick it up a bit, but I didn’t want to hurt my bike power so I pulled back a bit..  My surgery scar area was hurting but going numb quickly.

 

As I came into T-1 I took off the glows to get my cycling shoes on . . . those gloves wouldn’t go back on for the life of me!  Needless to say the bike was miserable with my hands completely freezing. 

 

On the way out the wind was pounding me from all directions – EXCEPT FROM BEHIND!!! (Whoa - that sounded bad!) – I was hammering and struggling to hold 20mph.  I came to the turn around and thought to myself that I couldn’t hold that level of exertion for much longer.

 

As I was making the turn I realized two things.  1.  It is a tight turn on a disc wheel.  I almost flew off the bike.  2.  The wind almost set me down too.

 

I wasn’t a half mile into the return on the out and back and I was pushing 29mph and not killing myself to do so . . . Holy crap! 

 

I moved past a couple fellow club members with my “woo hoo” and began picking up more speed.  At one point I was at a HR of 145ish and blowing by at 30mph.  The wind at my back was NICE.

 

I tried my first flying dismount in a race . . . I will be practicing more before I do that again.  Very close to a complete crash and burn.

 

I couldn’t tie my shoes in T-2!!!!!  My hands were a reddish purple!!!  I managed to get them tied, but it took a little bit.

 

I was off.  There were only about 5 or 6 bikes in transition when I came in – Those were the 5 minute mile runners from the first 2 miles and the mac daddy John Fell who I am sure will qualify for Kona soon.  www.fulltriathlonracing.blogspot.com

 

I was about a half mile into the second run when a few folks began to pass me and then the onslaught of those leaving me in the dust began at about mile one.

 

I came into the finish with a dude sprinting by me at the end, which sucked, but I finished 50^th out or 107 racers.  FOR ME THAT IS REMARKABLE!!

 

I finished in 1:05!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  18 minutes faster than last year and 5 minutes under my goal!

 

I was pretty much the slower of all the runners BUT I did do sub 9 minute average for the combined 4 miles!!!!

 

My bike spilt was the 11^th fastest out of the 107 racers (and considering I am pretty slow in transition I probably had a much faster time that what showed on paper – I know my split was 23.8mph on my garmin)

 

All in all I had a great day with good friends – Bryan and Jeff, while visiting with others I consider my tri friends, John, the Bear family, and the Yetman’s.

 

This is a great sport with GREAT people.

 

Next race – Opelousas Du March 28^th!