Baselining Bike Fitness: Church Creek TT + Eagleman Bike Relay
I raced in the Church Creek 40k Time Trial (TT) on Saturday then did the 56-mile bike leg of Eagleman for the She Does Tri relay team on Sunday. I wanted to baseline my bike fitness so that I can answer this single question: “Is my fitness ‘good enough’ for me to be ready to compete in Vineman Full (Ironman distance) on August 1?” My results from the weekend: Church Creek TT: 0:59:27 (25.2 mph) for 9th out of 21 in Masters Men 35+ Category Eagleman Bike: 2:22:26 (23.7 mph) for 2nd out of 10 in Mixed (M/F) Relay Category The short answer is “Yes.” My...
Read MoreSo How Does One Gain Entry into Ironman Hawaii?
For those who are unfamiliar with how to gain entry into the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, here’s a brief summary of how it works: An athlete either has to: Be a celebrity, Win a slot in the Ironman Lottery or Earn a qualifying slot at another Ironman race. The Ironman Lottery Program offers the chance to win one of 150 slots for citizens of the United States or 50 slots to international competitors for a $35 fee. You can improve your chances by paying an additional $50 to join the the Ironman Passport Club. I imagine that Ironman makes a significant amount of money off...
Read MoreDealing with “Stuff” on Race Day
I recently wrote an article that appeared on USA Triathlon’s website about the stuff” that always seems to occur during training and racing whether it’s a flat tire, choppy swim conditions, a dropped water bottle or oppressive heat on the run. 6x Ironman Hawaii champion Dave Scott’s advice for race day: “Be in the moment.” I received an email from Russ Preble (Age Group 75-79) who read the article and shared two of his experiences with “stuff” on race day and how he dealt with it: Am taking you at your word and writing about two instances of...
Read MoreMountains of Misery: I Wish I Had a 27 on My Back Wheel
I really wish I had used a 12-27 tooth cassette on my back wheel on Sunday instead of the 11-23 I used. Bill Goodrum and I rode down to Blacksburg on Saturday When Bill had told me a few weeks ago that he was doing the ride, I asked if I could come along. I’ve always wanted to do Mountains of Misery but have conflicts in the past like Triple-T. I had already decided not to do Triple-T this year so my weekend was open and I wanted a challenge. The Mountains of Misery Double Metric Century is 200 kilometers or 125 miles, with over 13,000′ of climbing including a finish with a 5...
Read MoreForeclosure Looming: Managing the Stress
“What is to give light must endure burning.” - Viktor Frankl On Tuesday, I received a notice from my mortgage company’s attorney saying that the mortgage company is moving forward with foreclosure on my townhouse in Reston. There is still a chance that my mortgage company will modify my loan as I requested back in February, but the decision is still pending. According to the attorney I spoke with, the mortgage company has up until the day of foreclosure to make a decision. Assuming the mortgage company decides to do nothing, I have approximately 1 month until actual...
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