Season 1 - The Final Chapter (Setup Invitational Championship)

What a great way to close the season. I qualified for the season ending championship and I was really excited to do it. I even invited my Dad down to see the race. The weird thing was hardly anyone signed up. I should have known from looking at last year's race roster; but I just thought.... tag the race with "championship" and everyone would be there. I only had nine guys in my class, I predicted I would beat four and four would be me. Only Pat and Dawn from the YMCA tri club participated; Richard Puckett, Mark Kauffman, Lucky, Tommy, Johnny "The Taxman" and Margo Pitts either did not race enough races to qualify or did not want to get out bed.

By the time race morning got here, I was starting to appreciate why no one was racing - Race season is over! It feels over. You know how they wait two weeks for the superbowl and it ends up in Febuary and by the time gameday final arrives, you're like - who cares, pass the salsa, well that is the way it felt for this race. The season was already over. But I was racing so I focused on doing the best I could. I pre-biked the course three times in the weeks leading up to the race, one time at race pace. I rented a disc wheel for $170. I have been told that the race wheels can save you up to 2 minutes. In fact it saved me over 2 minutes, WOW! might be worth the $2400 - Not! (I am going to buy race wheels for next season anyway).

By the time race day arrived, I had all 8 of my age group competitors memorized including their projected times (relative to mine) which I color coded, printed and laminated so I could tape them to my handle bars. Now, I know that I will take a lot of crap for doing this (especially from Margo) but going into the race with this information actually makes the race more interesting and fun for me.

Of the guys that were there, the one I wanted to race the most was Ken Younts who beat me out for Endurance Series champion in the last race of the season (while I was off doing a half ironman). Now, I had beaten Ken at Riverwood but Ken beat me at White Lake and he has been on a roll ever since. Ken's wife is an elite women triathlon so he has free coaching and probably a little extra "domestic motivation" (a.ka. pride) to get after it.

The race was right near my house at Beaver Dam Lake which is beatiful and the weather was perfect. I swam great, really smooth did not have any anxiety, I had a great rhythm. I got out of the water in 21:32 which sounds really fast compared to my 1500 swim time at Pinehurst which was 29:22 but comparing swims is like comparing apples and orange because the courses are never the same distances. One thing I have learned is 1500 meters is not always 1500 meters and this course was really short.

I got on the bike and I started to crank up the Diesel. I passed two of the other eight age groupers in the first mile on the way out of the park. I waved to my Dad and to my wife and kids. and then I started to bust it. My plan was to ride the bike as hard as I could and hope to build a big lead. I kept the RPMs high 95+ up the hills 88+ down the hills. I passed a few cyldesdales (given that these guys can out swim me they should probably be called "Orcas") and then as the miles went by I started to see the Athenas, these healthy ladies started 14 minutes ahead of me. But I did not see many others.... I started to get nervous. I only run Heart rate and Cadance on the bike computer because the average speed and speed was messing up my head. I felt like I was racing well but where were the other age group competitors? where was Ken? Finally around mile 15, I passed two more of my age groupers but by mile twenty there was no sight of Ken and I knew I was in trouble.

I finished the bike strong at 22.8 miles per hour and a time of 1:08:22. I am hoping that this is a top 5 time, at least a top ten.... it would have been last year. I started the run and I knew it was not going to be pleasent. I was used up. I started slow 7:39 and 7:33 miles and then I started to work it out. My heart rate was too high, in the 160s, so I said screw the heart rate and I just dig it out. I saw Ken at the turn around and knew that he was going to beat me...badly. I had a hard time tracking the other age grouper competitors because I could not see all the numbers and I left my laminated cheat-cheat back on my bike. Between mile 3 and 4, I thought I was going down the tubes, I felt like my legs might cramp and I felt the Diesel shutting down, I ran a 7:41. BUT thats when my friends and family stepped in! My wife and kids were cheering - "Dig it Out". My Dad was riding along side me and encouraging me (in a constructive manner!). and my friends Timmy "The Bullet" and Gary "G-zip" where screaming - "Don't leave it out here!". So I sucked it up.

100 yards ahead of me was someone who I thought was third in my age group. I locked in my radar and started to cut down the distance. I closed with a 7:24 mile and 6:56 mile. With 20 yards to go, I came up behind my target rested for 2 or 3 seconds and then dropped the hammer.

DIESEL TIP - when you pass someone in a race especially at end, do it with authority. You want to already be accelerated when you pass them and you want to be going fast enough to break their will....you want to crush their spirit.

I beat the guy but it turned out he was not the third place guy in my group so I ended up in fourth, Not bad. My run time was 44:47 which was faster than Pinehurst even though I was in more pain. My overall time was 2:18:23. Oh, and Ken Younts, won the age group with a 2:12...destroyed me.

Based on my expectations, the season was a HUGE success. I did much better then I hope I would at the beginning of the season.

• I finished 10th in NC series
• I finished 2nd in the Endurance series
• Raced 15 times
• Did the Duke Half Ironman

But these accomplishments are not what made the season great. It was the new friends I made and the time spent with my existing friends. I enjoyed hanging with YMCA tri group and training with friends Gary, Tim and Big Mac.

Well where do we go from here.... I am not sure what I will "tri" to accomplish next season but whatever it is, I plan to blog about it. Many people have told me how much they have enjoyed reading about me and I certainly love to talk about me so it makes sense keep a race journal of the Diesel's sophomore season..... Thanks to everyone who was part of this experience.

- The Diesel

The Showdown (Pinehurst Olympic Distance)

Well Pinehurst was the big showdown, Mark Kauffmen, Richard Puckett, and Mark "Lucky" Luckinbill were all there.

It was my first Olympic (or International) distance race and I had modest expectations. The swim is only 400 meters shorter (1500 meters total) than a Half, while the Bike is only 8 miles longer (24.8 miles) then a Sprint and, honestly, I do not need the extra 5k (10k total).

But even with distances that do not play to my biking strength I still had a good solid performace.

I started a bit shakey in the water. I was not swimming straight. My mind (or the wind) wanted to turn me, so I had to keep lifting my head to site my line, I felt really constricted in the wet suit and I could not find my rhythm. I started to get some anxiety and two or three times I had to pull up and breast stroke. I guess that I had such a positive swim in the Half that I expected this swim to be easy and when it wasn't, I freaked out. I even swore this would be my last race...ever. I was able to collect myself and pull it together. I still had problems tracking but after I turned the first of the two markers I was able to get into a rhythm and swim home strong. I was out of the water in 28:40 and at the mats, which were a ways up the hill, in 29 minutes and something seconds.

The Bike course really did not suit me. The hills were not steep but they were long enough that I could not use the Diesel Power to keep things rolling. In a few places I really had to grind, so I did. In the end I had a strong ride. I rode just under 23 mph (depends on how exact the distance was). At around mile 15 I caught Mark Kauffmen and encouragingly told him that I would see him on the run (which I did) and then with a mile or two left I caught Lucky who started in the wave three minutes ahead of me. I ruled neither of these guys out because of their running ability.

I made a quick tranistion (without socks) and was passed by Lucky before I even hit the transition exit mat. He wished me luck and then slowly disappeared ahead of me. Only a few miles later Richard Puckett offered me a high five on his way by and then Mark Kauffman followed. Mark was quickly out sight but I managed to keep in site of Richard and at Mile 5 I passed him back. He offered some encouragement and I stepped up the pace. I was very happy with run. I average 7:29 and did it with negative mile splits: 7:26, 7:54, 7:22, 7:39, 7:16, 7:00. This means I closed the last 5k in 22:37 which is not two much slower then my 5K time in a sprint. I really felt solid and in control during the run. I still want to get better. I would like to run sub 7's next year. But it was a strong run for where I am right now. Oh yeah, and without socks I got some really bad blisters.

In the end, it was close. Mark beat everyone. Lucky made up the 3 minutes and beat Richard and I. I held off richard to claim the bronze. I should see Richard and Mark again at the invitational.

When the results were posted I finished 78 overall man out of 474. I was 12 in my class. I finished the season 10 in my age group for the series. Here is the NCTS final series standings

Half way there (Duke Half Ironman)

I raced the Duke Half Ironman..... YES!

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I had a good race. I could have had a great race. I came out of the water in less than 40 minutes. I had to swim through big waves for 1.2 Miles. I rode the 56 miles at 21.5 mph and never dropped the hammer.... But the run.... I had legs cramps the WHOLE way - 13.1 miles, 1:58 minutes of running on legs that were having cramp spasms. It was mentally draining. I still finished in 5hrs and 21 min. I was 11/43 in my age group and 70th/286 in overall men.
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I feel I have a much better understanding how to race the "long course" and how I need to train to improve in the distance events. I am, relatively, better in the sprints, particularly those with long bikes and short runs and short swims. I can really hammer the ride if I know I only need to hold it together for 5K. But I have to be much more conservative on the Bike when I have to follow it with almost 2 hours of running. I still finished 31/286 on the bike even with a relaxed effort.

But with some training, maybe, just maybe.... the big distances could become my thing. I had I couple twinges of real pain (other than the cramps) but I really did not have a lot of wear and tear. My legs are sore with DOMS (delayed onset musle soreness) but I think I did not hurt myself which was my big worry about the big distances. I am still not sure I can handle the training load without getting hurt, but maybe.

I figure I better add a Diesel Tip - you need to make sure you have electrolytles. I thought they were in my mix (Sustained Energy from Hammer Gel). If you are running the long course make sure you have water, energy and the electrolytes!

I have to admit, the rumors are true, I did shave my legs. I figured if I was going to spend $150 renting race wheels that I might as well shave the legs too and squeeze out another half second. BTW, shaving your legs is a lot of work. I recommend the pink ladys bic.

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I enjoyed the nature of the long race, it seemed like an odyessy. The time and distance were so long that you were able to "lose yourself" in the event. It was not always about the next mile marker. Believe it or not, even with the waves and getting smacked pretty good in the head, the swim was my favorite part. I felt like I could do another loop easy (Iron Distances)

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Well that begs the question doesn't it.... Am I going to do the other half too, the big dance, the true test, the ultimate, the one and only - IRONMAN?

Sorry, but I do not know yet. But If I do I will announce it right here on the Diesel Chronicals....Stay tuned.

If you would like to read a great ironman race report check out this blog by "Lucky" http://www.luckytri.blogspot.com/

If I ever do a triathlon. Two big reasons will be my friends Margo and Lucky.

Margo because she has reminded to me that you can do ANYTHING you put your mind to and Lucky because he showed me that doing an Ironman can actually be FUN as well as rewarding.

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Last thing, I got bounce from first place in the Endurance Triathlon Series final standing. While I was off doing the Duke Half, Ken Younts had a great race and swap positions with me. Ken is a great competitor and he earned the Endurace Title. Congratulations Ken - Diesel

The Puckett spanks The Diesel - Lake Norman 2007

The good news and the bad news...

First the bad news, Richard Puckett finally beat me. I knew it was coming. He has been closing on me all year. His bike is getting faster and he has spanked me on the run in the last few races. Congratulations to Richard, he had a great race.

The good news, well I had a good race too. And thats what the sport is really about - your personal performance, not your competitors. I swam in 17+ minutes but it was a long 750M course and most times were a minute slower then other races. I had my strongest bike this season with a 13 overall rank on the Bike and and average speed of close to 24mph. I had the power tap on and it registered 250Watts for the 17 miles. My run was not one for the record books probably because of the effort that went into the Bike.

I finshed 7th in my class and 46 overall and I earned some valuable points.

So what happens next, well I registered for the Duke Half Ironman on 9/16. This is going to be a tough race. I have to be honest I am worried about the wear and tear given the distance but I am in good shape and I figure I need to take advantage of my conditioning and attempt the long course.

Oh yeah, after getting spanked by The Puckett, I have decided to hire a coach.

My buddy G-Zip brings home the hardware....too (UNC Wellness supersprint)

Not only did the Diesel bring home the hardware for 3rd place in the masters (7th overall), my buddy G-Zip finished third in his age group. I take a great deal of satisfaction from this accomplishement because I am the one who was responsbile for introducing "zip" to multisport. It was only a short few monthes ago that he took over 7 minutes to transition between events... and now, not only are his transitions competitive, but he is spanking me in the water and on the runs. Results

Aside from G-Zip's success, the race was exciting. Richard Puckett, who has been closing in on the Diesel, went out 30 seconds ahead of the Diesel in the Pool. The Diesel closed 13 seconds in the pool and then finished off the next 17 seconds in the first mile of the bike. Given my ride of 22+ mph on a hilly course with a power output north of 260 watts, I never thought I would see Mr. Puckett again, but he greeted me in T2 with "Nice Ride Diesel" which freaked me out because I knew that guy could run so I did what I could to hold him off to the last 400 yards. He passed me and made up 13 seconds but it was not enough and I ended up with a 17 second victory. Very rarely do you get to race head to head in a pool start. We both had a blast.

I was 7th overall and in striking distance of the leaders so this meant that I got some good points for the series. There are two more races in the Endurace series so I have to hope that my scores are good enough to keep me in first. Series Standings

Your in the Diesel's house now (Mission Man Sprint)

The Diesel is back on the podium with a 2nd place age group finish and 23rd overall (results)

The mission man is an Endurace Series race (Development Series) but a popular race all the same. I clocked a 15:27 swim for the 750m but the distance was long and so the time was better then it seems, certainly better then the Tri latta race (+17min).

As usual, the race hinged on a strong bike ride (13 overall and 1st in age group). I even manage to beat Tony Kobet on the bike by 8 seconds. Tony is one of my closet competitors. I had to avenge my lose to him at the Triangle race. Tony is a great guy and I love racing him, he beat me by 1 second in the first race of the season. That 1 second has provide ample motivation in other races this season.

I think my swim strategy worked well. I went out kind of easy and slowly picked up the pace. This allowed my some control over my effort and I was able to remain effcient. I really focused on my kick. (DIESEL TIP) Mike Beaman from Inside-Out Sports suggested that I might be dragging and dropping my legs. It would explain why I am so much faster in my wetsuit. You need to kick enough to keep the body level.

Anyway, it feels good to race at my potential.

It is not always about how you finish (Triangle Triathlon)

I had high hopes for the triangle triathlon. It was a big race with over 1000 people. The race was really not suited for me. The ride was only 13 miles and hilly so it did not give me the chance to make up for my swim. I got out of the water in about 15 minutes which was a minute slower than I had hoped but still better then my 17+minute swim at Tri Latta.

I thought I had a great bike but I was not watching the telemetry (power monitor, bike computer, heart rate, GPS - all the gizmo I am wired up to) and my time was slower then I had planned by over two and half minutes. Almost a minute of the time was the result of a fouled up bike mount. I started with the shoes already on the bike but I pedaled through before I got my left foot in the shoe. The shoe jammed on the ground under the petal and knock me off the bike, I remounted only to realized I had knocked the chain off too.

I finished the race with a slow run run on a short fast course. Not my best race but all the same It was great to be racing. And I must say, my comrades that came to the race to cheer from the YMCA TRI Club (Lucky, Margo, Tommy, and the Taxman) were awesome.

Good News... Bad News (Tri Latta Sprint)

The Good News: After two subpar bike performances. I promised I would take it easy on the swim and hammer the bike. I did. I rode the 17 miles in 43:18, thats 23.55 mph. I have never ridden so fast. I was 2:18 off the leader. I was the 21 fastest bike but I was only 18 seconds out of 14th. I passed hundreds of people. I had the Diesel humming and I handed out a lot "spankings".

The Bad News: My relaxed swim was so slow that I am still trying to figure how I could have swum so slow. I would have gone faster if I breaststroked... seriously. I felt like I was swimming great but at the turn around I saw some purple caps from the clydesdale class that started 3 minutes behind me. I even so some people pass my doing the breast stroke... I can not figure it out. I was taking easy but not that easy. I finshed swim with a 17:23. So much for taking it easy.

The race was fun and in the end I finshed 6th in my age group. I caught Mark Kauffman from the YMCA TRI club during the Bike but he ran me down and finished 5th. It is great to race head to head.

I am headed to the pool. I am going to swim everyday until I figure it out. It is all about pace. If I can figure out how to swim more competitively it will take my game to the next level.

Maybe its my nickname... Diesels are not known for their swimming. Maybe I just need a new handle....

An Emotional Challenge (Woodlake Sprint)

I added woodlake sprint into my schedule because it fit nicely between the siz weeks that seperated white lake and tri latta races. Also, it was not a points race so I figured I could go and just enjoy racing.... but it was a tough race.

The swim was a wetsuit legal 600Y swim. I stayed relax and swam well, freestyle the whole way (no breast stroke). This was the first time I freestyled the whole open water swim. My time was not super (10:50) but it was an improvement. I got out of the water with a few people that usally beat me. Diesel Tip - When you swim in the open water RELAX. If you push to hard, even a little to hard, you will ruin the rest of your swim. There can be a lot of anxiety in the water. RELAX during the swim.

Unfortunately, after the swim things got tough. Maybe I was tired from "really" swimming. But I could not get the bike up to speed. People that I usally beat by minutes on the bike were passing me, the women that I passed in the water were passing me back. It was a tough first 6 miles. Finally the lights came on and I was able to crank it up. I passed most of the people that had passed me but I had lost a lot of ground. I really depend on the bike to put me of front and with the rough start it was not going to be my day. I had an OK run but I did not clock segment splits. I hope the next race goes a little better.

Results: 31/217 overall and 7th in age Group.

Reality Check (White Lake Sprint)

Results: Overall Men and Age Group

Highlights:
49 out 342 men overall
37 fastest men's bike
42 fastest men's run (20:06 for a 5K)
10th in age group 40 - 44

I was expecting big things. I bought a wetsuit and it drastically improved my swim times. What I did not plan on were the waves and they punished me. I was hoping for a 14:30 swim and I end up with a 16:30 swim. Even Worse, I got out of the water and I was tired so I started the bike slow.

It was a two 7 mile bike course, the first lap was 22 mph and after I recovered from the swim I was able to average over 24 mph on the second loop. If there was a positive (and there always is) I clocked in a 20:07 in the 5K run which is a great time. I was hoping for a 21:00 run so I smashed that goal. But without the Bike time to strengthen my performance I was relegated to 10th place in my class which is not the top 5 that I was hoping for. I think that splits will show that the swim cost me a top five and bike cost me a top three.





You can see from the splits the first lap (red) was way slower then second (blue)

On a personal level, I was happy that even though I did not have a great result I had a great time. I was also thrilled by the support - Margo, Rosemary, Mike Beaman and many others were there cheering for me. Stacey Richardson (Elite Female Winner) even offered some on course advise as she zipped past me on the bike. She said "Diesel Tip" - You got to have the RPM up high. Running in a high gear especially after the swim is too tiring. GEAR IT LOW AND GO.

I am going to take a few weeks off from racing. The next NC Series (points) race is in 6 weeks,

the Tri Latta race. I will probably race one time in between. In the meantime, I will be practicing my swimming and trying to get out into the open water.

Six Seconds.... (Riverwood Sprint)

Overall Male Results and Age Group Results


Six seconds... thats how much I lost by. I was the second fastest masters. I feel good about the race, I wish my run was faster but I nailed my bike. But when you lose by six seconds, you spend your time wondering...What if.

If it was a wave start and I had lost in a stride for stride battle that would be different but with the TT start you just do not know....I mean there had to be six seconds out there: maybe I should have run faster in the transition, maybe aero wheels, what if I swum just six seconds faster. WHAT IF I HAD SHAVED!

Moving on (sort of). It was a fun race. Well run. The race was part of the development series so the competition was not so stiff. I finished 7th overall (preliminary). One highlight was that I beat Tony Kobet, who beat me by 1 second at the MAP race, by almost 3 minutes. I am interested in seeing the splits because Tony is a strong biker and I am hoping the splits show that I improved in the Bike.

I had hoped to finish between 1:02 and 1:03 and I had a 1:02:30. Little slower on the run which was hilly and a little faster on the bike (22.9 mph) then I expected.

The best part, though, was being their with my friends. There were 5 friends who did the race and 4 lived in my neighborhood. It is great to share the experience.

Overall Male Results:
http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_results&id=607

Age Group Results:
http://www.setupevents.com/files/RiverwoodAGM.07.html

Addiction (Finish Strong Sprint)

Last weekend's race was great and not for the obvious reasons.

When my alarm rang at 6:45am I was determined to stay in bed. I could hear the rain thrashing the roof and I was extra tired from being woken up by the thunder through the night.

I felt that the rain and cold provided enough "justification" for me to bag the race. So I rolled over and.... just laid there. I could not go back to sleep.... and I knew why. I had to race. No matter how bad I wanted NOT to race. I had to.....I think I am additicted!

. So I got and made the 15 minute trip to Wakefield to race. The race was a small race, less then a hundred people and it was short - 200Y swim, 11M Bike and 2.7M rune. But it was well run and I had a blast. Maybe not my best performance but I finished 5th overall and won my age group. Two pros, a women and man (Stacy and Dustin) finished 1 and 2 and humbled me with their times. Dustin beat me by 7 minutes and Stacy 4 minutes which is a lot for 54 minute race.

I guess the thing that most impressed me was that Dustin and Stacy went back out on their bikes in the rain to cheer every last racer home. It made me feel good about the sport and the people who represent it.

The rain held off and I had a fun race. I did lock up the bike coming into the transition area and slide for 10 - 20 feet but I did not go down. I felt great that I got out of bed, braved the elements and gave 100%.

Results: http://www.active.com/results/viewresults.cfm?e_id=1418347

On the Podium (Azalea Sprint Triathlon)

Overall Men Results and Age Group Results

I expected big things at the Azeala race. I had my first race (MAP) under my belt and the Azalea is a short swim (300 yards). I did not feel great but I dug it and had a good time and great place. 3rd in the Age group.

On the advice of Mike Beaman (Bike fitting Guru at InsideOut sports), I tried something different. The pool was several hundred yards from the transition area and the bike was cut back to 10 miles so... "DIESEL TIP" - I rode my bike in my running sneakers (race flats) so that I could run faster from the pool to the bike and to cut down on the time for one shoe change. Mike's tip probably got me the podium but my calves felt like they were going to cramp up during the first mile of the run.

I also got to see my swim which was video taped. It is clear that I am going out too fast and suffering to bring it home. I was as impressed by how good I looked at the start, as I was with how good I did NOT look at the finish.

Even though I placed well, I think I could have had a stronger race. The award for the 3rd place was a GREAT sweatshirt. I have some fun races coming up but the next NC series race is White Lake and I will have my first open water swim of the year.

As for the standing, after Azalea I had the 8th highest average score in the age group

Check out this cool video

Diesel Awards (Sportsplex Super Sprint)

The Sportsplex Supersprint was a great race. I finished 3rd Overall. It was a hilly bike and I had a strong ride. My run pace was 6:23 for 2 miles, for me that's flying. For more details see the Overall Mens Results.

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The best part of the race was that 5 of my neighbors and friends did the race with me. In the honor I bestowed some "special awards" on them based on their participation.

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(NOTE: after the awards were given and the results posted, Tim Giresi was stripped of the "Gary Zuckerman award for Deliberate Transitions" and it was re-award to Gary who spent 7:40 in transitions which was more then anyone else. It was longer then his swim segment! For everyone else a triathlon is Swim Bike Run. For Gary, it is Dress & Groom, Bike, Run. Rumor is that he hid a towel in the pool so he could towel off before going outside and that he bought clogs so he would not have to be barefoot on the cold pavement).

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“Diesel Awards – Sportsplex Super Sprint 2007”

Outstanding Performance by a First Timer – Paul Barth
Despite renting a bike yesterday, he was the top place among Chatsworth newbies beating Tim by 4 seconds. Tim, the slight burning sensation in your left buttock is from the spanking that Paul gave you. Note to Tim: get in the pool or Paul will own your right cheek at Riverwood.

Outstanding Effort – Tim Giresi (pool swim)
There will be no debate on this, I was there. I witnessed it. Tim put out more effort in the 250M of pool swim than most Ironmen do in 140.6 miles. He really sucked it up, gutted it out and then rode himself back into the race.

Exceeded Expectations – Gary Zuckerman
We were all a little worried about Gary and the cold. I thought he might get hypothermia in the parking lot. By race time, more then a “Ground Swell” of people thought Gary had bailed and was hiding the car. He came out and kicked ass. After the race he declared “this was the greatest thing that I ever experienced that did not involve my penis.” His closing sprint was inspired. (Note: I reserve the right to revoke this award if it turns out Gary beat me in the run).

Gary Zuckerman Award for Most Deliberate (slow) Transition – Tim Giresi
You might think it would be fairer to wait for the transition times to be published before giving this award but I had to actually watch Tim’s swim to bike transition and it was painful for me so I am giving him the award (and what fun would it really be to give Gary an award named in his honor). Gary is the runner up for running the wrong way and falling off his bike.

Biggest Cheerleader – Dave “The Diesel” Babson
I cheered myself silly for all of you. I thought of creative, obnoxious and insulting ways to motivate you. Kudos to me.

My First Race (MAP Sprint)

I was one of the lucky ones. I was online at 11:30pm and was able to get into the MAP race. I cannot believe how popular these races are. This race filled up, 500+ spots, in a few hours.

It was my first race after months of training and dieting. I was anxietious to see how I would rank; to see how much I improved over last year when I did a few races for fun.

I drove down to the race the night before with my pal, "Big Mac". I was very organized and brought every piece of triathlon equipment that I owned. I have a triathlon crate that I load my gear into (this is a pretty good idea). When we got to the hotel, I heard a few, ohs and ahs, from the other triathletes when I rolled the brand new Cervelo P3C (My Bike) through the lobby. Although, it made me I little nervous that I might not be bike worthy.

After a big pasta dinner and a decent night sleep, Big mac and I got to the race site set up our transition site and drove the course. "DIESEL TIP" - I highly recommend to all triathletes - "Drive or Bike the course ahead of time". In the transition area, I got a few more comments on the Bike. Particularly snide were the comments "Hey that bike looks new, have your ridden it?". It was OK, I made a mental note of their numbers.

Big Mac went off on the swim 9:30 minutes ahead of me and because he is a better swim he had a at least a 10 minute jump on me on the Bike.... would it last? could I catch him? I love the challenge...

My swim seemed long. I was patient but I must say I was please to get out of the water. I paced myself well on the Bike and slowly brought up the intensity. I think it is important not to ramp up to quickly after a transition, you need to shake of the last segment and build up. If you go anerobic to soon, you will pay all the way home. I had the P3C cranking and was holding to around 23 mph.... not too bad. I passed the guy that commented on the "newest" of my Bike and gave him some encouragement :-) . He acknowledge my effort with a "nice ride"... and I was gone. On mile 11, on the horizon, I spotted "Big Mac" cranking away at 60 rpms in the upright position. As I passed him I tried to offer him motivation by exclaiming "You just got spanked by The Diesel" but by then I think his quads hurts worse then the spanking so he did not step up to the challenge of chasing me home.

I did not preview the run course and it cost me 6th place. It was a weird path along the side of the highway and then a strange short dirt road uphill that was slippery. After that you spiraled into the finish area which was cool because people were cheering for . If I had known the course I would have pushed harder and I would not have lost 6th place by a rounding error. My friend and fellow triathlete, "Margo", was there to greet me. First thing asked was "How did you do?" but before I could answer she asked the real question "Did you beat me?". I love triathletes. It is a place where people with OCD (Over Competitive Disorder) can go and feel at home.

Here are the highlights of the results:

I was 70th out of 332 in Overall Men

I was 7th 40-44 Men (a rounding error out of 6th)

I was 27 fastest overall Bike 2:47 out of first.

Here is a link to overall results:

http://www.setupevents.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=event_results&id=541

Here is a link to age group results

http://www.setupevents.com/files/MAPMRes.htm

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