Ryan Giuliano's Triathlon Blog

Galena Tri RR

2011-05-24T14:27:00.004-05:00

This past weekend I was pretty excited about going out to Galena (land of hills), IL for the Galena Triathlon. I planned this race in conjunction with work as I talked to the race director and partnering retail store about setting up PowerBar for the Post race party. I did this race last year, and to say the least, it was the beginning of an awful year. My front derailleur snapped last year and forced me to stay in the little ring for the entire bike course. This made the downhills pretty pointless and made for a very frustrating day.

So this year, I made sure all was working with the bike and felt confident that a good day was ahead. I packed up the car Friday evening with the bike, race gear, and whole PowerBar set up. I woke up around 3:30am and began the day by filling water jugs of PowerBar restore for the triathletes post race. Restore is my go-to drink for post events as it is the right blend of carbs, protein, electrolytes, and fluid to promote rapid recovery.

I took off from the house around 3:55 and sipped on my cappuccino for the 2 hour drive. I also loaded up on some PowerBar gel blasts (raspberry is my favorite!) and water. Upon arriving, I picked up my race material, dropped my bike and bike gear off in T2 and then hopped back into the car for a 30 min drive over to T1/finish area. After getting all of my race gear ready, I unloaded the car and set up the PowerBar tent, tables, banners, and drinks so that it would be all set to go once the race was complete. From there it was a quick 30 min trip BACK over to the swim start as this is a point to point race. Luckily, coach Sharone of Well-Fit was able to give me a lift over to the race start area.

The weather seemed pretty perfect with a cool breeze and slight clouds, but you could tell the clouds were going to bring some rain at some point. I took my bike out for a quick spin and to make sure all was working well and then parked it back into transition. One mistake was that I forgot to calibrate the Quarq powermeter so my numbers were slightly off. Its as simple as pedaling backwards 4 times! I'll have to make sure to remember this for the next one.

From there is was getting the wetsuit on for the chilly 60 degree temp water and waiting for the start.

While waiting, I found my grandparents who came to watch / support me. It was great to see them as they don't get many opportunities to come and see me race.

I lined up at the front as I knew I could hang with the lead swimmers. I didn't have many pre-race nerves, rather I was pretty confident that I could pull out some fast splits. My body was well rested from workouts and itching to go hard.

With the 10 second countdown, I put my head down, told myself to go hard and never doubt my abilities. The gun went out and I sprinted into the water trying to get in front of the large 100 person swim start. After about 30 seconds of redlining, I realized I was not focusing on form at all and was running out of breathe pretty quickly. I had a pretty bad panic attack from not being able to take in enough air. It scared me as I thought I may have to stop, but I was unable to due to the whole group of swimming right behind me. I knew if I stopped I would be clobbered and pushed under. So I kept pushing and tried to relax. I slowed the pace down and after the first turn buoy I was back to normal and feeling ok, but pretty tired from the quick start.

Three swimmers pulled away and I lead the next group of swimmers the rest of the swim. The front swimmer had about 30 seconds on me by the time we exited, which I was ok with as I progressively get stronger throughout the three disciplines.

Coming out of the water in 4th

I had a quick T1 and actually hopped on my bike about 10 seconds back of the leader. I was unsure of who was up front, but my it my focus to catch him and never look back. The start of the bike is a pretty large hill, which definitely wakes the legs up! I got to the top and then put my feet into the shoes. I realized that when I did this, the leader was pulling pretty far ahead. I didn't worry though as I knew once I was in and pedaling full strength I could catch him.

After going pretty strong, I kept an eye on my Power and realized it wasn't very high. I thought this was due to the downhills and not being able to get it too high. During the race I never even though about how I didn't calibrate it! I was catching up to the leader, but very slowly. I was surprised with how strong of a biker he was. Around 6 miles, I caught him and realized it was Mike Lavery (a PowerBar athlete) from Madison, WI. He is an exceptional triathlete and strong cyclist as well. We exchanged kind words (him telling me he was hoping for another mechanical! haha). I made it a mission to keep riding strong and get as much distance as I could.

Unfortunetely, around mile 8 Mike came back past me. We hit the biggest hill of the course and I did all I could to stay right on him. I used a lot of energy going up the large hill, and once we got to the top, he gapped me quite a bit. He pulled ahead by about 20 seconds as my legs were getting their energy back from the power zapping hill. I got back into a groove and kept the gap around 20-30 seconds all the way into the bike finish. I even hit 57 mph on the large downhill back into town! It was a pretty scary moment as my bike was doing the speed wobble and I was trying to turn. I just missed hitting a cone and cleared the turn. Phew..

I blasted through transition again and made up about 10 seconds on Mike. He was just in front of me and I turned the speed on..

I caught Mike about a minute into the run. This was at the point where we run up the largest hill of the course. I didn't think I was going very fast up it and even thought that Mike may catch back up to me from my lack of uphill speed. But once at the top, I started to push the pace and carried the momentum through the rest of the run. The course was all up and down, but nothing too major besides the first big hill. At mile 3, I started to feel really good and decided to push the last 1.3 miles as hard as I could. I knew I had the win locked up at that point, but wanted to have a solid run split.

Based on the time, my last mile was around 4:40. I felt great and pushed it all the way into the line. My finish time was 1:15:00...a full 8.5 minutes faster than last year.

I was pretty excited about how things went and look forward to the rest of the season. After the race I manned the PowerBar tent and even was able to show off the new Gel flavors - Berry Blast and Kona Punch. There were HUGE positive comments on both of these which is a good sign. I personally used both in the race and couldn't have been more pleased. So start looking for those at your local shop soon! If the shop doesn't have em...just make sure you talk to the manger and request it!!

The post race was good once the sun came out. I kept busy at the both and talked to a lot of athletes. I tore down, loaded the car, and then was back off to Schaumburg. Overall it was a long day, but definitely a fun one.

Nothing big is planned for a while. I hope to race at Muncie 70.3 in July, so it will be a large bike training block until then as well as working a bunch of events on the weekends. So make sure to stop by if you see me and try out some product!

Thanks for checking in....

rg

Planet X!

2011-05-20T18:35:00.001-05:00

Yea!

New bikes rock :)

Thanks Planet X, Profile Design, SRAM, Quarq, and Selle SMP!!

Also...just weighed the road bike and it tips in at 14 lbs!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Quick Post

2011-04-11T12:09:00.003-05:00

First just wanted to give a glimpse of the new ride! Looks awesome thanks to Planet-X, Profile Design, Quarq, Sram, and Selle SMP.

May be getting some new wheels for racing as well, but waiting for confirmation. I'll post an update as soon as I hear. I'm still dialing in the position, but right now it feels pretty good.

In other news, this past weekend was super busy with work. Lots of events going on with the nice weather coming around. On Friday I was over at Village Cycle Sports Spring Sale. They had TONS of bike on sale...not to mention a great deal of 50% off on on PowerBar gels, bars, and gel blasts. Seemed like we sold through quite a bit of it! I sampled some product and talked to customers as they came through. Their sale was from Friday-Sunday with each day getting nicer and nicer!

On Saturday I went over to Sammy's Bike shop in St. Charles and helped out at their in store event. Sammy just re-did his whole shop and it looks awesome. Reps from Sram, Zipp, Colnago, Cervelo, Sigma, and PowerBar were there. I set up a nice tent with products for athletes to try out. The whole group met at 8am to do a long bike ride. Since I was working, I was up at 4am to load the car and prepare all of the PowerBar goodies. I made a recovery drink in a large 10 gallon cooler, loaded up on recovery bars, gels, gel blasts, and protein bites. Threw all of that in the car along with my bike and was off.

Once everything was set up at Sammys, I decided to jump in the ride. I loaded up my bike pockets with Gels (over 50!) and carried them along. The group split after about 10 miles and then the hammer started to drop. I was thinking that the group would take it easy the whole day, but nope....there were multiple attacks off the front. I didn't realize this at first and when I looked ahead, the front group was way up the road. I took off trying to catch them and really made up some good ground. With good fortune, the group slowed to wait for everyone so I was able to rejoin. I was ready for this the next few times attacks were made...and even made a few on my own :) Each time we stopped, I offered the group some PowerBar gels, which were a huge hit. I ended the ride with only two of the original 50 left, with me not taking any! I was hurting, but would rather have the other individuals use them as I have the benefit of being overwhelmed with gels on a daily basis.

The ride really pushed me which was a good thing...and also bad. Bad because I was planning on running the Shamrock Shuffle 8k the following day. My legs were pretty tired when we finished, so I knew I would be hurting the following day. Overall, we rode for a total of 3 hrs.

Once back at the shop, I sampled the recovery drink and handed out PowerBar water bottles to the riders. Everyone loved the drink as well (I went through 10 gallons!). I myself overindulged in it all while also eating two PowerBar recovery bars. The rest of the evening was a lot of fun talking to athletes and listening to Olympian Shelia Tourmina talk about her journey in sport. I ended up working for over 11 hours that day, so overall it was pretty tiring!

The next morning, I was up early to go downtown for the Shamrock Shuffle. As usual, my family got a late start and we we rushing to get through the crowds. There are 40,000 runners in the race...so definitely a big mess. When rushing through the crowds, my little brother got separated from my dad. Jacqui and I were going to the elite start line, so he was supposed to stay with my dad and run with him. When I looked back, my little bro Alex was tagging along. I panicked because there was not much time. I told Jacqui to go to the start and get ready for the race while I search for my dad. I was never able to find him...so I left Alex with a family friend and took off for the start line. I checked my bag, ran through the crowds, and made it to the line with a few minutes to spare. Jacqui was a mess because of the whole rushed situation. Neither of us warmed up so it was a jump right into the race.

I actually felt good at the start and went out in a 4:50. I was sitting well right around 15th place, but could tell that 4:50 was too much for me with no warm up (and having tired legs from the day before). I kept pushing and started to pass a few runners and moved up into 12th at the 5k mark. Mile two was a 5:01 and Mile 3 was a 5:10. So I was slowing and really starting to hurt. Once a few runners passed me, I sucked it up and went with them. The next mile was a 5:00 and I passed 4 miles in 19:59. I knew I had to run all out in order to break my goal of 25:00....but there is a tough hill right at about 4.7 miles. I ran as hard as I could and sprinted to the line...but watched as it ticked at 25:00. My official time was 25:02...so my last mile was just over 5:00. I was glad to push hard and not keep slowing down after the 3 mile. I know that with being fresh, having a warm up (and not shocking my body with a hard first mile), I would be under 25.

Next up is Du Nationals at the end of April. I am taking time off of work so I should be rested and ready to go. I'm really excited about that race as it is my goal race of the year. I know with a good taper and rest from not working, I will be eager to race and ready to roll. Overall, it was a good weekend which ended on a pretty cool note. After the run, I went over to the White Sox game and was honored to throw out the first pitch. It was a bit wild, but still a neat experience.

Home Team Charity

2011-04-04T15:09:00.001-05:00

As another update...I ran a 10k yesterday with the plan to take it easy (while trying to win). The winner of the race gets to throw out the opening pitch to the White Sox game while also getting tickets to a Bulls and Blackhawks game with VIP treatment. Not a bad prize! So I got to the race and went out with the lone leader. The first mile was a 5:10...which was a surprise. I honestly felt like I was jogging. I stuck right behind the leader hitting each mile in about 5:15-5:20. It was awesome running with no effort and knowing I would have a huge kick. At mile 5, I was at 26:15. I took off to open a lead and ran mile 5-6 in 4:48. I cruised it in to finish first with a time of 32:15. The course was slightly long at 6.3 miles as well. I know that I can be 30:xx in an open 10k. I have been waiting a while to feel like this (running quickly without the struggle!). The past few years, I would really have trouble holding a 5:15 pace, but not anymore!

Powerman Alabama Race Report

2011-04-03T14:12:00.005-05:00

Sorry for the delay! I've been busy with work and organizing my life, but wanted to give a recap of my first race of the season. I decided to open the 2011 racing year with a race I've done two other times: Powerman Alabama. This race is put on by Team-Magic and they do a great job. I wanted to do this race because it was the Duathlon Long Course National Championships...not to mention there is a pretty good prize purse involved with $1000 going to the winner. I've never had a good race with my first one me getting a penalty on the bike (a very strange stagger rule that is involved with Powerman Elite races) and the other one me barely finishing and being hooked up on an IV once crossing the line (not to mention I finished almost last). This past winter, I switched focus and was tired of having the past few years flop on me. The 2010 season was more than disappointing. I constantly raced just trying to have a good performance and didn't focus on my training. Additionally, I had too many mechanicals on the bike to count. Starting in January, I started to ramp up my training and made it a goal to bike and run 6 days a week. My running increased from about 20 miles/week to over 55. So that was quite a jump. Another change was focusing on dropping my weight. If you've been reading my blog, you've seen the changes over the last 3 months (dropping over 15 lbs). The last change was deciding to get a coach to really focus my efforts on key races this year. I went to Sharone Aharone out of Well-Fit in Chicago. He has been writing all of my workouts and making sure each day I'm getting the right amount of intensities and durations. Ok, so onto the race. I'm going to jump right into it and start with: -Race morning: I woke up and had a usual pre-race meal of mainly carbs. At the race site, I jogged around a bit and felt a little sluggish. My calves were a bit sore from the weekend before where I ran a hard effort on a hilly course. It left me feeling sore for longer than I wanted, but it wasn't bad enough to fray my effort. This race started off with a 1ok run (6.2 miles), 60k bike (38 miles), and 10k run to finish. I was expecting the race to go out hard with some quick athletes such as Dereck Treadwell and David Thompson. Last year, I wasn't able to keep up with Treadwell and stuggled to hold onto Thompson. This year, I felt that with my improved running and weight, I would be able to run faster at a lower effort. In regards to the run course, there was one big change from the previous year...Around mile 3 of the run, we had to run 1.5 mile uphill coming to an 8% grade. Once at the top, we turned around and came right back down. It really ate the legs up and made for a difficult race. When the gun went off, I felt great and went out hard. My goal was to run comfortable, but try to get a lead and see how long I could hold on. Around mile two of the first run, I opened up a lead and was able to hold onto it. Once we started to hit the hills I really opened it up and got away from everyone in the field. I finished up the first 10k in 32:37 which was very surprising. I was expecting to be closer to 34:30 with the difficulty of the course. It was a good sign because I wasn't labored at all and still ran a faster time than the previous year while it being a harder course! Into the transition, I went as quick as possible. I wanted to make sure I took advantage of every second I could get. I ended up having the fastest transition! On the bike, this year I am riding a Quarq powermeter. I watched my watts right from the start. Sharone told me to go a little under my FTP and hold it. I kept my power pretty solid and low on the first loop of the 3. With the turnarounds, I was able to gauge where I was at in comparison to the competition. I honestly just wanted to not get caught by Treadwell and Thompson. I am used to being gobbled up right away. I was just happy to make it through the first lap holding onto 1st place. Once I started lap 2, I felt like I could pick the pace up a bit. I increased my power and kept taking in fluids and gels. I stuck with PowerBar Perform for fluids and PowerBar Rasberry Creme/Straw-Banana/Green Apple Gels. I was taking in a gel each 30 mins and drinking constantly. I noticed that the guys behind weren't really gaining on me, but rather, I was pulling ahead. It was a nice feeling staying up front! Onto the third loop, I was able to cut my efforts down and save some energy for the last run. In T2, I made sure to hurry and was able to get a time check to see how far up I was. I had over a 3 min lead and knew I could relax for the final 10k. There is nothing quite like leading a race and knowing you've won it with about 40 mins to go! I just enjoyed the run and tackled the hills the best I could. I was very surprised to see that I ran 35 mins on that hard of a course at the end. The victory gave me my first Powerman win and a great confidence booster to the year. I feel faster, more fit, and stronger than I ever have. I look forward to using this fitness and rolling it into my next big race of the race which will be Short Course Du Nationals in Arizona (end of April). *nice side note is that I had the same bike split as Joerie Vansteelant from the past year's race. He is the World Champ!! So that is definitely encouraging :)

Starting the Season Right

2011-03-30T09:57:00.004-05:00

Powerman Alabama Winner!

Weekend

2011-03-21T16:03:00.002-05:00

So this past weekend was the March Madness 1/2 marathon. This is one of my favorite kick-off season races and was the winner the past 3 years. I had plans on racing, but have other priorities now. I love the race particularly because it tests you in many ways. You need to stay relaxed in the first few miles because after about half way through, the hills really start to add up. Then they keep hitting you one after another. This year, I was fortunate enough to go out, set up a PowerBar table, and sample a GREAT recovery drink. I had Team Elite member, Russ Kuryk, out to help me as we whipped out the blenders and made drink after drink for a few hours. The runners really enjoyed the drink and hopefully aided in their recovery!

Here is a picture of Russ hard at work:

In terms of the race, I was really excited to watch the other half Jacqui as she was planning on seeing where she was at in terms of fitness. She has done this race the past 3 years as well and finished in 7th, 4th, and 3rd. This year, her focus is strictly running...so we were excited to see what that would bring. And to say the least...she absolutely dominated. Jacqui ended up winning to complete her progression and ran a new PR of 1:24....simply amazing. Now don't forget, this is on I would say the hardest 1/2 marathon course in the Midwest. The wind was howling..and not to mention the rain coming down pretty hard right from the gun. She still went out there and pulled off a PR. I really think she is in shape to put herself in contention for a breakthrough marathon this year! So congrats to her :)

In other news, not much is going on. I am continuing to train hard and feeling very fit. The weight has leveled out, so I'm looking to stay right in the 130-134 range. Maybe get a touch lighter for the key races, but other than that, I feel fit and leaner than I have any other racing season. I continue to keep busy with work...as seen from this past weekend at the half, and really enjoy interacting with athletes on a daily basis.

I'm looking forward to a down week in training as the past three have really beaten me up, but it will only make me stronger come race time. Can't wait to see the weather turn for good over here...but looks like many 30 degree days on on there way starting tomorrow, ugh. Time to keep riding the trainer!

2011-03-14T15:06:00.006-05:00

Haha...in spirit of St. Paddys Day I came across this photo from a few years ago:

This was taken from the Shamrock Shuffle. The very talented and FAST Lukas V. is trailing...but eventually got me at the end.

I think if he were to race this year he'd smash the field. Good luck to him and keep tearing it up!

New Speed

2011-03-12T11:57:00.001-06:00

Not sure what happened to my other post, but anyways I wanted to repost photos of my new ride. I am waiting on the arrival of components but once those are in it'll be built up and I'll post a few more pics.

Anyways here is a glimpse of what I'll be rolling on this year:

Thanks Planet-X for all your support and USPro Tri for setting up this great partnership!

Looks pretty aero and fast to me!

Weight Updates

2011-03-09T09:01:00.003-06:00

So the weight has been stayin' pretty steady the last 1.5 weeks. Not losing, but not really gaining. I think it is getting pretty hard to lose much more weight, so I think I have found where I should be. I am hoping to drop those last few pesky pounds but am not going to cut drastically. Just have to take my time and keep trying to get healthy meals in/staying away from those empty calories. I still have time before the season really begins. Overall, I'm pretty happy where I am at..going from 148 down to 133.

I'll keep the weight loss tracker at the top of the page, but keep in mind I am not hoping on the scale every day. I try to get on it around 1-2 x per week.

I will also have to do a write-up of what has been going on lately...importantly the overall results of the indoor tri season as well as my 1st FTP test of the year!!

Thanks for checking in

Training Grounds

2011-02-26T16:47:00.002-06:00

I just took a quick video (with my sweet new iPod touch that Nestle gave to its employees). It was pretty neat snapping a video and sending it straight to youtube. Anyways the video is to show my new set-up of where I train. I was riding the computrainer without any computer hookup until today. I finally got a little section set aside to ride courses and do workouts. It works perfectly for brick / combination workouts of switching between the bike and run.....now I only need a treadmill that goes over 12 mph! As a side note...I know I sound verrrrry excited in the video, I tried to show how excited I was about my setup :) (sarcasm). Maybe in another video I'll bring up the excitement factor a notch.

So check it out..maybe I'll start posting a few more videos here or there. I'll be setting up PowerBar at the final indoor triathlon of the MITCS series tomorrow. I'll attempt to capture some video/pictures...as we all know those are much more exciting than reading plain ole text.

Indoor Competitions

2011-02-22T19:30:00.003-06:00

Back from the warm sunny days of FL...and back to the cold, windy, dark days of Chicago. I was just in Naples, FL for a few days for a business trip. Although not outside much, it was nice to see the sun and be able to walk outside with less than 6 layers on. I was able to get outside on my last day there and get an 11 mile run in. I ran on the beach along the Gulf of Mexico...I think I could get used to doing that!

Anyways, I'm back home now which also means back to work! The season is starting to pick up with lots of events and in-store meetings. I really enjoy making it over to run/bike shops, setting up, and getting the word out there on PowerBar products (9 times out of 10 the product does the talking!). Being back home, it also means back to getting in the daily workouts and making sure that I'm eating healthy/getting enough sleep.

This past weekend I was able to make it over to University of Chicago for an afternoon indoor track meet. I entered the 1 mile run just to get some speed in and see what I could do. It has been a LONG time since I ran a mile race indoors. I was in the 2nd heat out of 3...so I wasn't going to be with the fastest runners, but I was ok with that since I was unsure of what I could do. I got a quick warm up in, did some strides, and then hit the starting line. All I wanted to do was make sure that the first few laps (of 8) were easy and smooth. From what I remember, I think the first 400 was around 64.5 seconds. I was in the lead right from the gun with a few guys right off my back. Through the 800 I was at 2:10 and feeling really comfortable. It was at this point that I was starting to break away from the other runners. I kept trying to push myself as I was racing myself and the clock. It would've been nice to have some company in front of me to keep the pace up as in the last 400 I slowed a bit and came across the line in 4:22. I was happy with the time and think sub 4:20 would have been achieved if I was racing against some competition. It got me really motivated because my speed is coming back and I am feeling pretty fit to start the season off.

In terms of the weight loss goal...things are going well. I haven't been able to get on my wi-fi scale much..so that is why there aren't too many recordings, but just today I was 135.9 (down 13 lbs from Jan!!). Yesterday I was at 134 so definitely looking good right now. I want to make sure that the weight comes off in a healthy way so that I'm not losing too much strength. But so far, I'm feeling good and will lay low on the weight / starting getting some more healthy calories in to maintain.

The season is right around the corner and I couldnt' be more excited. Thanks for checking in and keep up the training!

Warmth

2011-02-12T17:33:00.004-06:00

So tomorrow will be indoor tri number 2 of the year. I will be there setting up a PowerBar table to sample product/talk about nutrition to the athletes, but also jump in the race and see what I can do. I am hoping for a decent bike (tough to do on the indoor gym bike) and run a solid 15 min. Straight from the race, I'll be packing up the car and off to Naples, FL for the National Sales Meeting for Nestle. I look forward to meeting up with my work colleagues and getting out of the bitter cold. Although...these past few days it is starting to warm up. And by warm up it is above 30! So things are looking good. In terms of the weight loss goal, I hit a new low of the year at 136 (which is lighter than I've been in over 2 years). I still have a few weeks to get it down, so I'm looking forward to seeing the low 130's!

In other news....I will once again be racing for the USPro Tri Team for the 2011 season. We have a stacked team full of very successful athletes. We have some great sponsors and I'm proud to say I'll be aboard the Planet X Exocet Tri bike as well as the ProCarbon Sl road bike. Hopefully the road bike will get some use in Spain (hoping to qualify for Du Worlds for the US). In addition, we will be rolling Planet X race wheels, Profile Design cockpits/wetsuits, and custom Champ-Sys tri gear. I'm looking forward to a great year and can't wait to get things rolling!

New Design

2011-02-09T09:19:00.003-06:00

So if anyone still visits this website...

You noticed that I've changed things around a little bit. To start, at the top you will see a graph. The graph is from my Withings Wi-Fi scale..this thing is awesome. It connects wirelessly through my home wi-fi signal. Everytime I step on it, it transmits my vital stats to an online account. Then it puts up a graph with points of everytime I've weighed in. I figure putting up this graph, I will be a little more determined to get the weight off and into top shape. The heaviest I was dated back to early January when I was at a whopping 148 lbs. Granted, that was right after I got off a week long cruise, but still no excuse to ever be that heavy. The past few days I've been at 138 so it is a good start. I'm going to continue to have that chart up at the top as a constant reminder of how I'm doing. Maybe once I hit my goal weight I'll take it down as then there will be no point. It will just (hopefully) be a flat line of steady weight.

I also changed some colors, the design, and layout of the blog. Hopefully I'll keep up with this as I have always enjoyed going back and reading about the adventures. I am also hoping that I will get a race schedule up soon. I'm in the midst of plotting out races. There won't be as many this year. I'll be at events every weekend though so keep an eye out for me and pick up some samples.

Now time get to work!

2011 Season Approaching!

2011-02-07T22:07:00.003-06:00

Yes...finally.

As an addict of racing (which is a downfall of mine) the 2011 racing season will be starting soon! ...well actually I already did an indoor tri last weekend, but the outdoor season will kick off soon. I have very lofty goals this year and have a lot of confidence in reaching them. I'll state it hear that my main goal this year is to make the US team for duathlon worlds as an elite. I'm hoping that with a big run focus this winter I'll be able to be right in the mix after the first run, hang tough on the bike, then finish with a strong final run. I already noticed improvements last weekend with the indoor tri. It consisted of a 10 min swim, 20 min bike, and 15 min run. The total distance was added up to determine the results. The swim was so so, the bike was brutal (favors a larger rider as it is done on a stationary gym bike), and then the run is on a 200 meter track. I ended up running 5 flat pace for a total of 3 miles on the track at the end. It was a good confidence booster knowing I can run that hard. In comparison, I did this same race 2 years ago and was only able to get 2.75 miles on the run. So overall it was a success. As for the end results, I ended up in 2nd to David Walford. He is absolutely amazing on the bike and tears everyone apart. As mentioned, being on the smaller side, it is hard to ride at a high number on the gym bike. Hats off to David though as he really goes after it and rides strong. Hopefully I'll be able to cut into his lead at the next indoor tri event.

In terms of other races, I'm looking forward to the March Madness 1/2 Marathon in Mid-March to test out where I'm at. Based on my training, I think a sub 1:09 is possible (and would be a new PR!). I know it is not much of a PR course, but after logging quite a few miles, I think it is a possibility. I've been running with some of the Fast Track running team and it has helped a lot getting some harder efforts in.

Nutriton: I'm really focusing on better nutrition this year. My weight is dropping (while Watts on the bike go up). I think that being about 10 lbs lighter than last season can bring some faster splits. I bulked up a TON in December (went up to 148 lbs!! yikes) and felt that I needed to turn things around. I've been using the Withings wi-fi scale for the past month and have dropped 10 lbs so far to 138. I am hoping to drop another 6-10 in the next month to start the season off lean and light.

In terms of sponsorship, I'll be racing again this year as a member of the USPro Tri Team. It is a great group of athletes with an awesome team director. Our sponsors are very generous and take care of everything we need. I'll post the full details of the sponsors soon once everything is finalized along with my 2011 race schedule.

Work is going awesome as a nutrition tech rep for PowerBar. If you need any nutritional advice for your training, send over a message and I'll make sure to get you some answers. I've learned a ton working for the company in terms of fueling properly before, during, and after events. I've even practiced what I've been preaching and think even more improvements will be seen.

I'll try to keep up with some posts this year. I always say I will and then fall off. I think last year really got to me with all of the disappointments. I've never had a year so full of bike issues (flats, bad adjustments) and sicknesses. I am hoping that this will be a year to remember!

PowerBar Protein Plus

2010-11-02T16:03:00.003-05:00

Now that the off season is right around the corner (or may even have started for some), many people will hit the weights, indoor bikes, or treadmills in preparation for the upcoming season.

I wanted to write a quick update about one of my favorite PowerBar products that I plan to use during the off season. It's called Protein Plus Powder and it comes in Vanilla and Chocolate. Basically this powder can be mixed with milk or water (or even add it with your smoothies!) to add 20 grams of protein. Now the protein used is a Tri-Source blend which means that three forms of protein are used : Soy, Whey, and Casein. All of these proteins are absorbed at different rates - slow, medium, and fast. What that means to you is that the protein will start being absorbed right away ANNNND last a long time too!

I have been taking the protein plus powder throughout the day when I need a snack to hold me over. It is nice that the calories are under 200 per serving, so you don't have to worry about packing in the calories if you are trying to watch your intake.

I highly recommend this product...and best yet....go onto PowerBar.com and order a canister for only $9.95 and use FREESHIP to get free shipping!

Happy off season training...as for me, I'm preparing for a HUGE next year. I can't wait and the training has already begun :)

Photo Time!

2010-04-14T14:27:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the out of order photos...but I struggled to organize them. Anyways, the photos are from the March Madness 1/2 Marathon that I did a few weeks ago. Overall, it was a great race and my third time winning the race overall. There are 1000 runners and the race sells out very quickly. This year the was fastest ever and was sold out in under 5 hours. So you basically had to be sitting on the computer ready to sign up!

Jacqui's dad is a big part of this race due to the fact that his running club, the Hillstriders, put the race on each year. It's basically a year long project and a TON of work. I have only heard positive things about this year and how well it is run.....and I would definitely agree. Not to mention..this race is one of the hardest out there. Hills in Illinois you think? Think again. Each hill even has its own name! I think throughout the race there are over 10 and those last few from miles 10-13 are very exhausting.

My race strategy was to basically go out with the leaders and hold it. I wasn't sure what the level of competition would be, but knew I'd be able to hold 5:20 per mile on this course if needed. Welllll, the gun went off and immediately a group formed. It was much slower than I had anticipated. I stuck to my word though and sat in the pack. We ended up through the mile in 6 flat. Sure it felt nice to be running that pace, but I needed to break off. I opened it up a little bit and from there on never looked back. I settled into a comfortable pace and hit the following splits thanks to my new Garmin FR60 watch:

Mile 1- 6:00
Mile 2- 5:09
Mile 3- 5:08
Mile 4- 5:25
Mile 5- 5:23
Mile 6- 5:34
Mile 7- 5:40
Mile 8- 5:27
Mile 9- 5:14
Mile 10- 5:42 (big hill!)
Mile 11- 5:41
Mile 12- 5:43
Mile 13- 5:31

Overall- 1:12
Avg HR- 175

So as you can see, the last few splits were slow. That is where allll the hills are. Its tough to run even pace on the course, but I was happy with my performance and knew that I could've gone harder if need to be. I was battling a cold and struggled to breathe throughout the race so didn't want to push all out. I also had the Powerman Alabama race the weekend after and needed to get ready for it.

Jacqui also ran the race and did awesome. Since we starting dating, we both have done this race. The first year she ran 1:30. The second year she ran 1:28. This year she went 1:26. So solid improvement from year to year. She also ended up placing third overall for the women! It's awesome to see the progress that she is making....especially with her busy teaching/coaching/part time job schedule that she has!!! I couldn't be more proud!

SO here are the pics from the race:

2010!

2010-04-07T16:29:00.002-05:00

Real quick post here....but I just wanted to put in a quick update about my 2010 season and supporters.

Things shaped up really well as I was working out a few details with companies late in the year. Just when I least expected it, Ryan Bates, of the USPro Tri Team sent me a message stating that there was an opening to be part of the team. I have been wanting to be part of this team for a while now as it is a close knit group of top elite triathletes. I immediately signed on with the team and can't wait to race with these guys.

My season got off to a rough start for the team as I participated in Powerman Alabama as part of the US Pro Duathlon National Championships. A week before the race I came down with a sickness that lingered for quite some time and took its toll on me during the race. I barely was able to finish and was immediately in the med tent hooked up to an IV. Still managed to hang tough through the race and finish 10th, but definitely not the finish I was expecting/hoped for.

I know my fitness is in a good place right now and will make some huge leaps soon. I will post a race recap of not only Powerman AL, but also the March Madness 1/2 Marathon that I was able to win for a 3rd straight year.

Next up is a small but highly competitive 5k this weekend. First big race will be the FL 70.3 where I'll toe the line with top Pros from around the world!!

Take a look at the right hand side of the page for all my great sponsors for 2010. I'll be posting pics of all my gear soon. I was definitely hooked up and can't wait to put it all to great use.

Thanks again to all the support of USPro Tri! Check our team page out at www.usprotri.com to learn more about the team and what we are up to!

First Multi-Sport Race of the Season

2010-03-02T11:42:00.007-06:00

This past weekend I went out to the warm and sunny ....errrr cold and wet.... state of Arizona. I decided that the Desert Classic Du would be a good season opener because there is always a good field of competitors, and it would give me a chance to finally get outside and run/bike.

I ended up taking off on Friday evening. Flight wasn't too bad which is always nice. We left on time and had one stop in Kansas City. Ended up arriving in Phoenix at a little past 8. My dad had called to say that my bike arrived so that is always reassuring. Instead of carrying it out onto the plane with me, I shipped it out Tuesday afternoon. At the airport, I hopped a shuttle over to the rental car building. Now that I'm 25 I can rent cars without any extra fees! So this was my first time renting a car, which was exciting, yet a little nerve wrecking. I opted out of any insurance so that I could pay the least amount possible. Ended up being 90 bucks for the whole weekend, so that was nice. I was given a brand new car too! 2010 Ford Focus with 500 miles on it.

From the airport it was about an hour drive over to my dad's cousin's house (Kathy). The whole family was extremely generous and nice. Really felt welcome from the moment I walked in the door. They gave me a key to the house and said to make it my home. Hopefully I wasn't too much of a bother for the weekend! Since it was so late when I got there, we all sat down for a little bit and then I headed off to sleep.

It was nice to sleep in the next day for a bit. I wanted to leave the house by 10 because I had a lot of running around to do. I knew it would be a busy day and wasn't even sure what time I'd get back at night! First thing, I took my unpacked bike in its box over to the UPS store to see how much it would cost to ship back to Chicago. I was told it would be $133. No way was I going to do that. I decided that since it was so much I would just bring it on the plane with me since 1)its cheaper and 2)I'd have my bike with me at all times. Only problem is that its a big pain to carry that box around the airport. I then put my bike together in the parking lot. You wouldn't believe how many people stopped and asked me how to get some place or where something was. Just had to keep saying I'm from outta town. I got the bike together and darn..the end piece to my wheel easy release fell off in the box and went missing.

So I drove down to a bike shop and it took almost an hour! They were very generous and gave me the piece at no charge. I also pumped the wheels up so that I could ride the bike course when I got there. The shop was close to Mesa though so I swung by the Cubs practice facility. Got there around 12:30 and darn! They were just finishing up. Caught a glimpse of Geo Soto though. Tried to get his autograph but he was in a hurry and said to come back tomorrow, haha. I then made my way over to the bike course to pick up my packet and then practice a little bit.

While driving over..I noticed the sun was out and take a look at the temp!

It soon went up to 72 and I was lovin' it! Made it over to the course and put together this trusty stead:

My initial workout was going to be ride 30 mins and run 20. I got onto the bike and remembered the bike course from doing this race 2 years ago. Its really simple, just out and back with not many turns. I was cruising along and just soaking in the warm weather, being outside, and seeing the mountains in the background. Before I knew it, I was at the 10.5 mile turnaround point and heading back. I rode the whole 21 mile course and it felt like nothing. Got back to the car and was heating up so I ran in just my shorts and a tank. Wow, why can't it be like that back in Chicago?! I ran the 2nd run course of 2.7 miles. I remembered that the 2nd run course was a lot more difficult and that a few guys went off course 2 years ago. I wanted to make sure I knew where I was going and to see how tough it was. Did some strides and then felt ready to go!

I left the race park and went in search of some food. I wanted to stop for a gatorade so I saw a Safeway grocery store on the way back, and while inside there was a salad bar screaming my name. Perfect, a two in one stop. All of my needs for the race along with a delicious dinner!

I relaxed at the store for a while and ate there and then went in search of a wireless hotspot. I brought my laptop along so that I would be able to work on a few things. Two years ago, my dad and I stayed at Fort McDowell Casino Resort, so that's where I went. They had free wireless internet there, so I was able to get a little work done...along with losing 20 bucks in the casino. Darn. Although...I did win a free pair of Brooks Glycerins while on the internet. Those should be coming soon. ...just one of the perks of working at a running shoe retail store.

Finished with all of that and it was time to head back to my homestay for the weekend. By the time I got back it was really late. I just showered and then prepared all of my goods for the next morning. Weather forecast called for rain and cold!

Race Morning:

Woke up and it was raining pretty hard. Nothing I could really do about that. Got over to the race course pretty early and ended up sitting in the car for close to an hour waiting for the rain to die down. Time was running short so I just bundled up and took my gear over to the transition area. Mens field was pretty good with a few guys like Chris Foster and Ben Hoffman so I knew I had my work cut out for me. Training has been going well, but not riding outside for a few months and running on a treadmill are a little different!

After racking my bike and warming up, I came back to see that two pro women's bikes were next to mine. Michelle Jones and Sam McGlone! Michelle's is sweeeeeet. I need a custom job like that :)

I opted to run in just a one piece uniform along with arm warmers. I had gloves on for the first run but then took them off in transition since I thought I was too warm (bad idea).

First run went out fast! Chris Foster took off in what seemed like a sprint and nobody was near him. I slowly moved up throughout the first run. Started in about 7th and finished in 4th right on the heels of Matt Sheeks. I had a great first transition and caught Matt and the 2nd place at the time guy immediately. Matt and I then went on to ride together the whole time. Ben Hoffman flew by my on a downhill. I should've put more of an effort in to stay with him, but now will learn from my mistakes. I finished the bike in 4th. Matt pulled a little ahead in the final two miles. My hands had gone completely numb and I couldn't feel anything. I was worried about falling off the bike and took it easy. Into transition..couldn't get my helmet off. My hands had no feeling and I was about to ask a volunteer to get my helmet for me!

Onto the run I caught up to Matt and we basically ran the whole way together. He gapped me around mile two, and that is when I started to coast. 5th was too far back and Matt was the stronger runner. He actually came very close to catching Ben Hoffman at the finish. I should've put in a stronger run but it will come around in time.

Here are a few pics of the run course:

The picture below is the hill we run up and back down in the second run:

Overall, I took 4th place pro and came away with a little money. Enough to cover the cost so that is good. My time was 3 minutes faster than when I did it 2 years ago...so another plus. With a little more continued training, I should be ready to go for Powerman Alabama at the end of the month.

The rest of the day I relaxed and had an AMAZING dinner at the house. I need to learn to cook like that! Watched some TV and then was time to get ready for home.

Overall, a really fun weekend. A special thanks for the hospitality of my dad's cousin Kathy and her husband. It was really appreciated and worked out perfectly for me. Now its time to get back to training and get ready for the next one!

I know one thing...I'll definitely miss the mountain view while drivin'

A New Year

2010-01-25T10:46:00.005-06:00

And welcome back to the blogging community! Lots has been going on and deals are in the works for the upcoming season. One big announcement that I'll just go ahead and say it....

I'm racing Pro this year!!!

After placing 3rd overall at both Memphis in May and the Chicago Triathlons, I was able to secure my place and qualify to race as a Professional triathlete. I am mainly planning on racing the half ironman distance this season as it favors a weaker swimmer. This is not to say that I haven't been working on the swim. As of late, I have been focusing on getting into the pool 6 times a week and really putting an effort into form and speed. Before, I was hopping into the pool and swimming just to get yards/meters in. Now I am focusing on getting my speed up and holding it with good form. Hopefully the efforts pay off. I have already noticed that my 100 meter time has dropped, which is always a good sign this early in the season.

In terms of biking and running, its looking very promising. Mid December I set a new marathon personal best with a time of 2:32. I was very excited about this time (although I was shooting for sub 2:30), but the course was difficult and wore me out near the end. Maybe next time I will have to choose a flat course! After the marathon, I took a little time off to recharge and focus on the upcoming season. Jacqui and I purchased a Computrainer, which is an amazing training tool. Its not cheap though! We have been focusing on riding courses and workouts tailored to increase our power and improve bike splits for the season. This past weekend I also jumped in two indoor Time Trial bike races. I was able to post fairly decent times considering I rode two hours before the race. I will hopefully hop into a few more indoor time trials and see how my fitness increases.

So things are looking very good for this year. I do have some very other exciting news in terms of sponsors. I will post this in another post because its so big it deserves its own! But basically I will be all set with everything I need to put up solid results this year. My main webpage of http://www.rybread.com/ should be updated in the near future. I will have new sponsors, new photos, race results, and and 2010 race schedule up. The race schedule is still in the works, but is almost finalized. My first multisport event of the year will be Powerman Alabama which takes place just outside of Birmingham. This race is the Elite Duathlon National Championships. The race distance is a little longer of 10k run, 60k bike, 10k run. I think it will be a tough challenge, but based on how training is going, I will definitely be ready. I am also planning on racing the March Madness Half Marathon. I have my 1/2 Marathon PR on this course, so I'm looking to run hard and have it be a good tune up for the season. Other than that, my race calender is being worked out, but should be ready soon.

And one last note...I've been getting a bit of media attention as of late! I was featured on the cover of the Chicago Triathlon Expo handout/webpage, check it out!

And then just yesterday as I was browsing the LifteTime Fitness Tri website, I was featured in the slideshow of photos on the main page! If you want to see it go to http://www.ltftriathlon.com/ . Or just check on the screen shot I saved to my computer:

So that's about it for now. I will keep everyone updated on this season. I am planning on getting a new waterproof/shockproof camera to capture everything that happens this year. I'm really excited about making my Pro Debut and now that I have a looooooot of work to do!

Contest!

2009-04-21T16:27:00.002-05:00

So my girlfriend Jacqui needs your help....

She entered a contest called "Believe in the Run" which is sponsored by Nike. She used a story about how she ran her first marathon (Chicago 2007) with both of her parents. It was a really neat story because she comes from a running family and before the marathon, all of her training went down the drain as she came up with an injury. Being the determined person that she is, she still decided to do the marathon with barely any training. Her dad ran most of the race with her before the heat really kicked in and he was forced to stop. Jacqui said she would keep going and this was where her mom jumped in and ended up finishing the race with her. From that moment, Jacqui's mom started running again and now competes in races (5ks-10ks). It was really neat to see how a family bonded together and did what they love to do together. Please take a second of yours to vote for her!!

http://www.brickfish.com/Pages/PhotosAlbums/PhotoView.aspx?picid=837724_37864679&=PPIMEMAIL_PPIMEMAIL&isep=1&pbapi=2234345&pbvi=71025833

Some Pics from the Race!

2009-04-14T18:52:00.006-05:00

Just wanted to share a few pictures from this past weekends race. Overall, it was a great race, and I would definitely go back next year!

To start the photos off...I wanted to put a few sequenced slides in. The story behind it is that my dad decided that he was going to sprint all out into the finish of the 5k. Apparently everyone in the stands was laughing at him because he was making crazy head movements and running as fast as he could just to beat the kid in front of him. Check it out..

The sprint to the finish:

Good form of leaning forward to get across first:

Annnnnd...success. Well, actually I am not sure who's chip registered first:

The start of the half marathon, I ran alone most of the way.

I was freeeeeezing. Next time I'd go with long sleeves and gloves. You could tell by my red nose and face that I was a little chilled...

Pretty cool shot of me coming into the stadium for the finish with the JumboTron in the background. What a perfect day!

Annnnd finished. Too bad I made a wrong turn during the race or maybe I would've been able to get a new half marathon PR. I'll save it for the Palos Half coming up in a few weeks:

The start of Jacqui's Half marathon journey:

Lookin' smooth and strong!

Still flyin'!

My crazy brother Jerry running the half. He made it through just fine and wasn't even that sore the next day! This pic is from the News Gazette!

Alex comin' into the finish of the 5k..he's so little

And Jason finished just ahead of him. They are both running a youth mile next weekend so that will be fun to watch!

And that is about it. I will try to update a lil more frequently. The season is starting to kick into full grind so there will be many more race updates! Hope everyone's training has been going well!

Back to the ole Runnin' Grounds

2009-04-13T19:11:00.002-05:00

It's always fun headin' back to the alma mater..most people head back in order to join up with old friends, see the old sites and sounds, and reminisce on the great times had. I was fortunate enough to do all of the above....AND run in the first annual Illinois Half Marathon!

Over this past Easter weekends, I went on down to Champaign-Urbana to race in the first ever Illinois Marathon/Half Marathon. The day before the race, my plan was to run with Jacqui and help her run a new PR for the half marathon. We were both given free race entries for meeting the elite time requirements, and I was also given a free hotel room to stay in the night before. I really felt like an elite athlete with all of the special attention! The week before the race, my work schedule was a little mixed up and it ended up that I was on schedule to work Friday all day (until 9 pm). I told Jacqui to go ahead and drive down to the race with her mom while I worked and I would just head down there as soon as I was off work. Being on my feet running around helping customers really wore me out, but mid-way through that Friday Jacqui had let me know that I was seeded 2nd out of 10 of the 'elite' runners. My competitive side got me thinking that maybe I should actually do the race considering the first three overall finishers won a decent amount of money. Well after thinking about my race plan during work, I decided that I would go out with my normal race pace and see what place I would be sitting in.

Once off of work (9:30 pm) I went home, packed my bags, and hit the road for a 2.5 hour drive down south. Luckily, my dad, brothers, and brother's fiance all waited for me so I had a group to drive down with. My dad did the driving so it allowed me to rest and sleep a little bit during the drive. We ended up checking into the hotel around 1am, and I was welcomed to an AMAZING surprise in my room. Jacqui and her mom had checked into my hotel room during the day and put streamers, candy, pre race snacks/drinks, and our race packets in the room. It really was amazing, and feel so grateful to have such an amazing girlfriend in my life!! I ended up hoppin' in bed and trying to sleep a little bit before the 6:45 am wake up call.

Race morning, Jacqui and her mom stopped at the hotel and we walked over to the race start. My dad, brothers Jason and Alex, and Jacqui's mom did the 5k while Jacqui, my brother Jerry (who only ran 2! yes 2! miles between the Chicago marathon and this half), and myself all did the half marathon. We did a little warm-up, some strides,and then stood on the line to wait for the race to start. I wasn't very nervous and had mixed emotions on what to do for the race. I told Jacqui to race her pace and then off we went.

The first mile...I had a feeling top 3 would be manageable. I had completely forgotten my watch, so I did not know any mile splits/times. There were mile markers, but no clocks or timers! After about the first mile, I was sitting in third place with the top two (one being super Chicago area runner Jeff Jonaitis, aka JJ) a little bit in front of me. I listened to my body and went through the first few miles at a comfortable clip. It was really great going through all of the areas that I had run in for my college years. An extra bonus was hearing the cheering of my name by family/friends/students! At around mile 6, somehow I caught the two leaders and tried to stay tight with them. One of the runners seemed to be struggling a little bit and eventually fell off pace to leave just me and JJ up front. There was a clock a little past the six mile mark (which leads me to believe it was the 10k marker) and when I went past it read 31:40. Wow, that is movin'! I was still feeling great and pushed the new few mile until I couldn't hang on to Jonaitis anymore around mile 9.5. I was getting ready to just finish up the race and claim my 2nd place until the unexpected came along. Just past 10.5 miles I saw the lead bike coming towards me. He yelled, "turn around, you were supposed to turn back there!" I freaked out a little bit and was very confused. I saw JJ coming towards me, so I turned around and followed the biker. By the time I got back to the turn, the third place runner had made the correct turn and was now in the lead. I was pretty upset which made me start running hard in order to reclaim my position. Once I passed the leader, I was in first place! I knew JJ would be coming up fast and as expected, he flew by at mile 12. I was able to jog the last mile in and take up the sounds and sights. It really was awesome coming into the stadium to finish up the race right on the 50 yard line. My time was 1:11:50 or so..but with the extra half mile due to the mixed up course, I think my time would have been closer to 1:09 or under. So overall...a good race for me. Ran right around 5:15 each mile and felt strong.

Along with the 2nd place finish I was awarded a $400 dollar check! Pretty excited about that considering the hotel and race entry were paid for! As for Jacqui..her race went perfectly! She ended up at 1:25 (6:30 per mile!) and a new PR by 3 minutes. What makes it even more impressive is that she had PR'ed by 3 minutes in the first half marathon this year a few weeks before. So overall...that is 6 minutes off her best half marathon since last year! I can honestly say that it has been more exciting seeing the improvements that she has been making than my racing. I think that she is going to start turning some heads and making people worried about racing her in the next year!

My brother Jerry also had a good race and finished just under 2 hours. How can anybody do that!?! No running and jump in last second to run 13 miles...not normal. My dad, Jason, Alex, and Jacqui's mom all did well in the 5k and really enjoyed the day. The weather and course were perfect...no complaints at all!

After the race, I was able to get a massage at the Mettler Center (where Jacqui and I worked while at school). Then we all went out to Alexander's Steakhouse to eat some of the best steaks around. That is honestly one of my favorite restaurants anywhere.

Overall, it was an exciting and fun weekend. Jacqui's mom, Jacqui, and I all drove together over to Henry, IL (very small town) for Jacqui's side of the family to celebrate Easter the following day.

Now it is back to the training grind for me. Next race will be: "The Race That's Good for Life" 5k on Sunday. Just gonna treat it was a hard effort and hopefully test my speed out..pretty exciting! I'll try to keep everyone updated on what's going on...and also I'll post some pics from the race as soon as I get them!

Lots of News!

2009-04-08T10:26:00.003-05:00

I know, I'm sorry..it has been entirely too long since I updated my blog. I was in a spell of very busy times and have not been able to hop on here too much to say what has been going on!

To start things off with my poor excuses for not updating, I'd like to say that I'm a working man now. I picked up a job at Dick Pond Athletics over in Schaumburg and have been putting in a good amount of hours these past few weeks. Being thrown in there, I was not sure what to expect. From all of my experiences so far, I can say this job is amazing. On a daily basis, I am able to interact with others that are looking mainly for a shoe that they can be active in (walk, run, do gardening..you name it). It has just been nice helping others find a shoe that works for them and see their face when they step into the right shoe. The staff over at Dick Pond is also great and everyone works well together. I highly encourage everyone out there to stop by sometime and see firsthand what top quality service Dick Pond has to offer. And don't forget, the prices are unbeatable!

So other than picking up a few hours here and there, I'm back to the grind of training. It has been great not having to worry about my IT band in a while. All winter I was weary of going out for a run of 2 mile in fear that the pain would come back. But nope..I am able to run long, do workouts, and just be on my feet doing what I love the most. I do have to admit, I need to get back to my strengthening excercises a little bit more. Those are what helped me get healthy..and now I need to keep doing them to stay that way.

In terms of the running, I was able to do a few road races these past few weekends. The first one was the March Madness 1/2 Marathon. I went into the race scared about the distance (and hills) because I didn't run more than 11 miles in the past 3 months going into it. I was mainly doing 4 milers just to get my legs moving and not aggrevate the IT. At the same time, I wanted to win the race since I did in the previous year. I went out pretty easy and held 5:30's most of the way until around mile 7 when I took off. There was a group of three guys running with my and I decided it was time to put on the burners to get rid of them. I ran a 4:58 mile around mile 8 and lost all of them. I then pulled back and coasted the last few miles in 5:30's for the overall win in 1:12. Not a bad time considering I was able to take it easy. I wore my new Polar Heart Rate monitor watch and it was great. i was able to keep my HR in check and make sure I didn't push too hard. Jacqui also did great at the race as she got a new 1/2 marathon PB of 1:28! Her training has come a long way since last year and it is unbelievable how fast she is getting. I feel that this is going to be an amazing year for her.

After the 1/2 was Shamrock Shuffle 8k. Wow..what a disaster. The snow came pouring down all night/morning which made for a miserable race. We got going from my house a little bit too late and were rushed to get over to the starting line. After running through slush, ice, snow, water...Jacqui and I were at the start line freezing cold with no warmup or stretching. I knew it wasn't gonna be a good one. We both wanted to perform though because Dick Pond Athletics has a team put together. I went out hard and tried to hold my pace but ended up finished in high 25s. Not the best time, but not too bad either. I think with some speed work starting up (and nicer weather!) my time for the 8k will be mid 24's. So we will see how that goes.

Other than those races, the training in the pool and on the bike have gone well. I am continuing to swim with Well-Fit and Sharone each Tuesday/Thursday morning of the week. Its rough getting out of bed at 4:50 those days, but I know that it is only going to help me. This year will hopefully show some time dropped in the water..I am excited to see how that goes. On the bike, the power is increasing at a good rate. I keep monitoring my PowerMeter and can see that the power has gone up a good amount. Attaining sub 1 hour bike rides on any course should be doable this year!

Lastly, I want to thank the great sponsors that have stepped up this year for me. It really helps having the support to make it through this sport!

-Well Fit Triathlon and Training
Providing me with the coaching by Sharone Aharon

-Dick Pond Athletics
Saucony shoes, apparel, team support

-TriSports.com
The support they give to athletes is amazing! Use RGIUL-S at your checkout to save 10% on your order!!

-ZYM
A great drink that tastes good and provides the essential electrolytes

-PowerBar
Best nutrition..hands down it is the greatest (I LOVE triple threat bars!)

-Leopard Cycles
For their continued help of setting me up on the best frames out there

Post from iPhone!

2009-03-07T21:26:00.002-06:00

Soooo it's crazy what you can do from a phone these days! Trainig is good..indoor tri tomorrow I'll keep ya posted

Back on the Road.

2009-03-03T16:07:00.018-06:00

Well.. last time I attempted my Tabata intervals, my PowerTap decided to bonk out on me and give a 'zero' reading so I was unable to save the results from that session. So today I decided it has been a while and I would test my power again. The PowerTap was up and running, but the question was...were my legs. I've been back on the road again running a decent amount after being injured near the end of last season. I broke through this weekend with a good 10.5 mile run on the hilly roads of the Cary March Madness 1/2 Marathon course. (I'll be doing that race on March 15th!). Other than that 'longer' run, I've been consistantly running 4-5 miles and doing a lil bit of speed work here and there. From my indoor tris, I've been able to hold 5min/mile fairly easily for 3 miles..so my speed is doing ok, I just need to work on my endurance. So with the increased milage from running, my legs have been a little bit heavier than usual.

Back to my workout..I warmed up for a good 30 mins with a few short burts to 'wake' the legs up and then hit it hard. While warming up, I was easily able to hit over 1000 watts for each of the short burts...ok, maybe not easily..but in comparision to other days when I was not able to. My first interval I hit a new all time high wattage: 1,064 watts! That is 17.16 watts/kg for me. According to Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen's Power Chart...this type of power would classify me into the range of a Cat 1 rider. Here is a chart for comparison or to use to measure yourself up:

On the rest of the intervals..I did fairly well and was higher than all previous sessions. The only downfall was my last interval. I was hoping to hit over 800 watts, but my legs were just trashed. I don't know if it is because I went so hard on the first ones or my legs were just not feelin it, but I felt as if I could barely crank anything out.

All in all, the workout was yet again a success. It has been 2 months since I first starting doing these workouts..sorta just for fun and another way to analyze my data on the PowerTap..but also to see if I can make some increases in my VO2 max and max power. So as sort of an anniversary..I only compared my lastest data compared to my first time ever doing the workout. You can definitely see the improvements that have been made. You should give it a try if you want a little more suffering in your training..but make sure not to jump right into them..get into shape first and make sure your body can hold up. I don't want anyone getting injured on my account. So here is the chart:

Ups and Downs

2009-02-24T11:20:00.002-06:00

Well...I'm am at the grind..training hard and getting in some quality workouts. The swimming is coming along, and I'm definitely seeing some improvements. I also feel MUCH stronger than previous years on the bike and my running is still my strongest. I tried doing my Tabata intervals again this past week...I got through three of them, which numbers looking really good, but then it happened. The PowerTap decided to go out. I secretly think that it was because I was pushing so many watts...but in reality it was something else. I tried to get it going again, but then found it to be that the trainer was too tight on the rear triangle of my bike. By then it had been 10 minutes since my last interval, so I scratched the tabatas for the week. For the first three here were my numbers : 1054 watts (yes! a new all time high), 863 watts, 855 watts. So the numbers were good and I was feeling strong, but as with all technology, you can't always trust it. I will try the workout again soon so I'll let everyone know how that goes.

In other terms, I did my longest run of 6.5 miles just the other day. I have been sticking to shorter run as of late and will slowly increase the milage as time progresses. I think last season I focused on too much long running and eventually my running hit a plateau. I would like to keep increasing speed and improve as the season progresses.

For swimming...I hit a new point in my life. I swam this morning...........and I actually LIKED it! Sure I am not swimming ridiculous amounts of 8000 yds per day like other pros, but I am purely working on my stroke and getting the fundamentals in. I think that this was a problem with past seasons too. I would only just go to the pool to get in lots of yards and not work on drills/what my stroke should be like. I think that this is a problem with many first time swimmers. We figure that the best way to improve is to just keep swimming until we get a little faster. In reality, with swimming you should work out the flaws and develop a smooth and powerful/efficient stroke. I am slowly getting that and have been getting some help weekly from Well-Fit's head coach Sharone. Each time, I get helpful advice on what to work on and that is what I do for the remainder of the week. I am very excited to test out my swimming once the season begins and see some improvements. If I can drop 2.5 minutes from my 1500 meter swim (which is very realistic), I will be placing consistantly in the top 5, if not 3, overall in each olympic triathlon that I do. And that is not including my biking or running. I think that this will be a breakthrough season which will show my potential as a top triathlete.

Other than training...I am playing the waiting game to see if any schoools let me in for their physical therapy program. I also signed up to become a certified USA Triathlon Coach which I will be doing in May of this year. So things are heading in the right direction!

Well, now its off for an outdoor (yes OUTDOOR) run since the temps are cooperating today..gotta take advantage of that. Check back soon for some more updates!

TABATA INTERVALS #5

2009-02-10T15:45:00.002-06:00

I know you all are dying to know how my next set of tabata intervals went....well here it is: (click on the chart to see a full size)

Noticable points to make: My first interval was lower than last time (940 watts vs. 1020). For this set, I was riding my trainer on soft thick carpet. I noticed that as I did the first interval, my bike and trainer were rocking A LOT. I think this was because the carpet was so soft and the trainer was sinking in and moving around a lot. This probably made a slight difference compared to a harder ground with less movement going on. Although the first interval was a little low, my 2nd-6th intervals were great. I was able to almost hit over 800 for all of them! I felt that I was able to put out a good amount of power without the same fatigue that I had in the previous sessions. I unfortunetely did not wear my heart rate monitor and therefore did not know what my max was for the workout. I could tell though that it took a lot less out of me compared to previous sessions. I think its a great indication that my power and overall fitness is improving. Hopefully I will be able to start to hit over 1000 watts for the first 1-3 intervals and get the last three into the 800-900 range. This should be attainable if the trend keeps going the way it has been! For the whole workout today I warmed up for 30 minutes with a few short hard efforts, did the tabata intervals, and finished off the ride with 1.5 hours of smooth riding at 210 watts. I felt great during the workout and got in a total of 2 hours on the trainer.

Another plus was that for the last 1.5 hours I was able to play 'ToeJam and Earl' with my bro Jason on the wii. Anyone remember that game? It was originally for Sega Genesis. But anyways, it took my mind off of the riding and made the time go quickly. Only bad part was that we both died and the game ended prematurely. Maybe next time.

Well, now I'm off to get in a solid run and try to start boosting my run milage now. Keep trainin'!

-Bread

New Layout

2009-02-07T18:54:00.013-06:00

So as you all can see, I changed things up a little bit on the blog. I was just going for a new change and look. You can also see that on the right hand side there is a list of my 2009 sponsors:

Leopard Cycles

TriSports.com (save 10% on your next order with the code: RGIUL-S)

TrainingBible Coaching

Dick Pond Athletics (Saucony)

ZYM Electrolyte Drink

Well-Fit Elite Triathlon Team

PowerBar

I am waiting on a few more pending sponsorships, but I believe that with the lineup that I currently have, I will be ready to rock and roll this season. From the new Saucony racing flats/training shoes, Saucony running gear, Leopard racing bike, Nurtrition from PowerBar and ZYM, training from Well-Fit and TrainingBible, and gear from TriSports.com...I will be set to go. I will have a picture of all my gear lined up once I have it all in.

In other news, I began my training with Well-Fit Triathlon and Training. I swim every Monday night with Sharone and several members of the Elite team working on form and drills. I have already noticed an improvement in my swimming and have continued to swim 5-6 days of the week (which is a big improvement for me). I will continue to add distance and swim sessions and time progresses. I do not want to jump right in and start swimming 9 sessions a week (it'd be stupid and I'd just get hurt). So I have been doing around 2800-3500 meters each session and is a good start. I'll keep everyone posted on the swim improvements.

For biking, I have been riding a lot more than in past years. I love my Powermeter and it has definitely improved my knowledge on the bike. I know exactly how hard to go on recovery rides along with the intense rides. Speaking of hard rides..here is my 4th Tabata interval session:

Looking at the newest entry into the Tabata Intervals...I broke into the 1000's for wattage! It was nice to see the improvement once again on this set. The rest of the intervals also increased..and one thing very notable is that last (6th) interval was higher than my 1st one on my initial test day! So there are definite improvements being made. I have taken 1.5 weeks off of Tabatas but will be performing the test again sometime this week. I have a feeling I will see some more improvements.

Also in the cycling news, I participated in a 'Galena Time Trial' effort at the Well-Fit training center last weekend. I went into the time trial with the mindset that I would just push hard, but not all out. I knew from my training that I could manage an effort of 270 watts for an hour. The Galena Triathlon course is one brutal test of strength and endurance. There isn't really a flat section on the course, but it definitely is a power boosting course. I made sure to start the time trial nice and easy (around 230 watts) so that I could get stronger as I went through it. I had a fun time on the computrainer and ended up with the fastest time of the day and an average of over 270 watts. My total ride was only 42 minutes, so I can definitely go harder. It was a good effort, but not a maximal one. I am aiming for a 300 watt average in my 40k races this year...so we shall see how that plays out. I think that with the continued riding and tough workouts, I will be there before I know it.

As for running..I haven't been on top of it too much. My running has always been my strength and therefore I have concentrated on my 'weak' disciplines this winter. I am only averaging about 20 miles a week, but I still feel that I have some speed and endurace. I race a 15 min effort last weekend and got 3 miles in (so 5min/mile). It was a nice effort and was on a small 150 meter track at the end of an indoor triathlon. So my legs were trashed from the bike..but I still managed to pull that time out. Once the season starts to roll around, I will start running more and focus on some speed.

Well, I will update again soon. Check back and I should have some more info on the upcoming season. Make sure to check out my main page: http://www.rybread.com/ for more info. I should continue to update it with my schedule, about me section, and pictures!

Special Thanks

2009-01-17T13:29:00.012-06:00

To start this posting...I want to send a special thanks out to my sponsors!

Leopard Cycles

http://www.leopardcycles.com/

Leopard has been very generous to me and really helped jumpstart my triathlon and duathlon success with the bikes that they produce. My road bike, a Leopard CL1, was provided to me by the great guys over in California. I'm in the process up swapping out components to upgrade my Leopard right now. After taking the components off, I can't believe how light this frame is! Take a look at this thing, only 1 finger needed!!

Roy Grant over at Leopard was extremely generous and really stepped ahead of many other bike companies and put me on board as one of the few Leopard Cycles sponsored riders. This bike is like no other. The folks over at Leopard create an amazingly light, fast, responsive, and overall top notch bike at an incredible price. I will be posting a complete bike review on this ride so check back to see what this bike is all about. In the meantime..check out the bikes at www.leopardcycles.com . I guarantee you will find your dream bike and best yet...you can get custom colors for whatever suits you best. Top quality service along with top quality bikes makes Leopard a can't miss bike supplier.

And to make your mouth drool a little bit...take a look at Leopard's new TT bike. I guarantee you will think this thing is sharp!

TrainingBible Coaching

http://www.trainingbible.com/

For the past few seasons Adam Zucco has been training me to reach my full potential. Everyone over at TrainingBible is well knowledged, smart, and very easy to communicate with. Adam's been a great coach and supplied me with a lot of knowledge in regards to the sport. Having a coach has helped me keep on track with training and stay motivated. There are days when I wake up and don't want to do a thing, but knowing that there is someone out there looking over my training and is able to see what I'm doing makes me get out there. A lot of my success over these past few years is from the work of Adam. I really can't thank him enough for all that he has done for me. If you're ever in need of a top notch coach who has a main goal of helping you improve..check out the website and get a hold of one of the coaches. They will definitely do everything and anything for you. Thanks for everthing Zucco.

PowerBar

http://www.powerbar.com/

Everything from recovery shakes, drinks, gels, clothing..you name it. I teamed up with PowerBar at the beginning of the 2008 season and loved every second of it. They have really been a huge help with my nutrition and their products are simply the best. I love getting my shipments of gels and bars every once in a while along with the clothing to train in. I'm looking forward to another season on board with them. If anyone ever needs a few samples..let me know!!

Dick Pond Athletics

www.dickpondathletics.com

I hopped onto the Dick Pond Racing team early in 2008. Their shoes and clothing are unbeatable. From the knowledgeable staff, group training runs, unbeatable prices, and endless racks of shoes to suit your foot, Dick Pond is easily the best around. After joining the team, they have supplied me with a lot of great products. I love just going over to the store to walk around and check out the new gear. I will be representing Dick Pond once again this season for my road races and possibly the addition of some tri related gear. Thanks again DP!

And last but not least...I'd like to welcome the addition of a few sponsors for the 2009 season!

I will update on them in the next post!!!

Tabata Intervals...

2009-01-14T20:15:00.002-06:00

After getting my PowerTap...I decided I was required to do a few tests to measure my progress. I have been hearing that the latest craze involves doing all out efforts of 20 seconds followed by a mere 10 second rest repeated for a total of 6 intervals. Do the math on this HIGHLY INTENSE workout and see how long it should take. Yup, thats right..only 3, yes 3!, minutes. I can guarantee that this 3 minute workout will take A LOT out of you. I like to warm up for about 25-35 minutes with a few hard efforts to make my legs wake up and prepare for the hard interval work and then go right into it. The first time I tried to do this workout, I stopped after the 2nd interval. I said there was no way that I could finish. Well..the next day I felt ashamed of myself and hopped back onto the bike and forced myself through the set. As you can see, the first time I did it my numbers were low. I was dying, gasping for air, just pushing the pedals in hope that a really high power number would pop up onto my computer. Well..those numbers were really weak and I was pretty bummed about how terrible of a cyclist I was. I figured if I tried to do the workout another time a few days later I could do better...and I did. I read about this workout and the more you do it...the better you will get. So I decided that I would try to do the workout every week or so to see where I am at. I can easily insert it into any normal ride..although it does take a lot out of me. I did the workout for a third time just today...and success...more improvement. Hopefully I will be able to get my later interval watt numbers a little higher in time! But for now..here are my results and improvements....

End of a Great Year

2009-01-09T12:32:00.002-06:00

2008 In Review…

30 races from February - December

15 1st place overall finishes

9 different states raced in (Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Virginia, Tennessee, and Missouri)

3 different countries raced in (USA, Belgium, Italy)

3 new PR’s ( 1:09 ½ marathon, 1:58 Olympic Tri, 4:19 Half Ironman)

….so as you can see the 2008 racing season was full of success and A LOT of traveling. 2008 was first of all a breakthrough season in terms of racing triathlons. For the past few season, I have stuck to duathlons because of the great success that I experienced. I raced on a few elite world championship teams and figured that it was my sport. After doing a few tris’s..I realized that those were my true passion. The challenge of learning and improving in three areas never ceases. There are always days when I tell myself how much better I can be with hard work, dedication, support, and an itch to learn all aspects of the three disciplines. This past year I feel that I learned a great deal about the sport. First and foremost…I have a lot of work to do in the pool in order to become what I want to be. Looking at results from each triathlon that I participated in ranging from the small to large...the swim is what is holding me back from making it to the next level. I was able to consistently place in the top 10 for the major triathlons (Hyvee, Chicago, Lifetime, Collegitate Nationals) while still giving up 5-6 minutes to the leaders on the swim. Sure...I do not expect to become as good as them in the water in a few days, but I do realize that in time, with continued training and direction, I will be able to reduce my swim split. And in return that will cut down the barrier that is holding me back from becoming a consistent top 3 overall…if not overall…finisher in each Olympic distance triathlon that I enter.

As most people do during the new year, I made a resolution to start swimming greater distances and more frequently. For the upcoming season, I will have the support of Well-Fit Triathlon to guide me in the right direction and will give me a group of individuals to push and make improvements in the water. My goal by February is to start swimming 7-9 times per week while cutting back on the running/biking. Don’t get me wrong, I still plan to concentrate on the run and bike, but not as much as in previous years. My run was on par or even better than many of the top professional in the sport. When racing the same course (Chicago, LifeTime) my run 10k split was faster than over 50 percent of the professional racing. I plan to get a little faster with more concentration on speed work. On the bike, my splits have continued to drop. I have noticed this winter that my cycling has developed even more with many hours spent in the saddle. The last part is to bring my swimming to an even playing field with the run and bike.

And that is about it for now. I will update very soon with my new and exciting sponsors for the 2009 season along with a race schedule which is just about finalized!

Good luck with getting through this winter months, stay warm…

-bread

Sleeeeeek!

2008-12-10T14:25:00.001-06:00

Leopards new and amazing TT1 tri specific bike... watch out for this bike!!

Keiser M3 Spin Bike!

2008-12-01T18:36:00.004-06:00

Being out with injuries has always been one of my least favorite things. Training has been an outlet to get away from the stresses of the day, and when that is taken away, I just sit and mop around. These past few weeks I've had some troubles that have forced me to put training on the shelf. First, I have had an IT band injury. Leading up to the Ironman 70.3 World Champs, I was unable to run due to the extreme pain in my knee after running for more than 10 minutes. I got through the race and then put running on hold for a solid three weeks. I tried running the other day (Thanksgiving turkey trot), but was forced to drop out and walk after two miles. It was very frustrating. I took Friday off and the knee felt fine again. The only time that I experience pain is when I am running. Welll, on Saturday morning, I had to put the pain on the side for 15 minutes while participating in my hometown's Schaumburg 1st indoor triathlon. The event consisted of a 10 minute swim, 15 minute spin ride, and a 15 minute run. The race was part of a 3 race series titled the, "Midwest Indoor Sprint Triathlon" series (MIST). This was the 2nd race of the three, with the first being in Bartlett and the last in Hoffman Estates. I found out about the race series while surfing the web one day and thought it would be a lot of fun. The first race in Bartlett was a lot of fun. That was before the injuries and when I was still in good shape from the end of the season. In that first race I was able to "outrun" the treadmill since it had a max speed of only 12mph (5 min/mile) for the 15 minutes. So in that first race I was able to get 3 mile in for the 15 minutes. I also wound up the overall winner by covering the most distance in the times provided.

Another reason I decided to enter the 3 race series was because the overall winner (best combined 2 races of the three) would win a: Keiser M3 Indoor Spin bike, valued at $1300.

Take a look at this beauty:

It features: RPM (Revolutions Per Minute) Power Output Displays in Watts (currently generating) and Kilo Calories (Total for the ride) Heart Rate (Polar compatible) Pedaling Time Gear (Resistance) (1 to 24 gears) Trip Distance

Yes you read that: WATTS! A great tool for training and a great tool to go along with my newly purchased PowerTap.

I had a feeling that even though I took 15 straight days off, I would be able to pull off a win for the Schaumburg indoor tri. I took off 15 days with not running, biking, or swimming because not only my IT band injury, but also a severe pain under my rib cage. I think it was a pulled or bruised ab muscle because I had trouble bending over or breathing hard. The pain was very severe and I figured the only way for it to heal was to not put any stress on it (no breathing hard and hence no working out). I started to bike a few days before the tri because the pain in my stomach had finally went away (thank goodness!). The thing with these indoor tri's is that it is either won or lost on the bike. The way to get the most distance on the bike is to put it on the least resistance and pedal as fast as you can. You do not need to put out any watts at all...you just need to spin those pedals as fast as you can.

Well, back to the race...my girlfriend Jacqui and I both registered for this race in order to try and each win a bike. She placed third for the 1st tri in Bartlett. She didn't know the trick to the spin bike, but now she does and it showed during the Schaumburg tri. The overall series winners for men and women both get the bike :) In the pool, Jacqui and I were in the same wave and same lane. The swim isn't too important because you cannot get too far or fall too far behind anybody . All you have to do is swim a couple laps and you'll be fine as long as you get movin on th ebike. I ended up getting the 2nd most laps for the tri while Jacqui wasn't too far behind. Onto the bike, I knew I had to pedal as fast as I could because my run wasn't going to be very strong and I was thining I might not even be able to run much at all if my knee acts up. I set the resistance to the lowest setting and hammered for 15 minutes. It was pure pain. After about 2 minutes, my heart was pounding and I was breathing hard. I started to worry that I would not be able to hold the pace the whole 15 minutes. My wattage reading was 33 watts! Haha, that is nothing at all, but I can guarantee my rpm's were over 140. I ended the ride with 12.9 miles, which is not very accurate. That would be about 55 mph. But oh well..it is the same for everybody. This is why it is very important to ride as fast as you can because the most distance is made on the bike. To the run, I set the treadmill on 11.5 mph and took off running. My legs were dead after about 7 minutes and I knew I couldn't hold my pace. My running fitness was just too low. I put it down to 10 mph for 1.5 mins then put it back up to 11 for the remainder of the run to get a total distance of 2.7 miles. A lil less than at Bartless, but the good news was: NO KNEE PAIN! So that is what I was most excited about.

I ended up winning the tri overall with a distance .3 miles further than the Bartlett one! And that was after taking all that time off! Jacqui also ended up winning overall putting her in contention to win the overall series if she can pull off another win at the Hoffman Estates indoor tri in January. She knows what to do now and will have a good shot and taking the bike home.

As for me, I will be anxiously waiting my new Keiser M3 spin bike to go next to the treadmill in the basement. I will soon have my own fitness gym full of equipment for these harsh winters!

Here is a little clip of the win from the weekend:

Look what I found.

2008-11-29T11:15:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago I ran in a small 5k since there was some prize money involved. I wasn't sure if there would be a bunch of good runners there since it wasn't a too well known race, but I figured I might as well show up and see what happens. I ended up winning the race (and was able to coast in the last mile!) even though the winds were howling (hugeeee gusting winds). I took home the 200 dollar winning prize and completely forgot that there was a photographer that took my name. Well, I ended up searching for the photo, and this is what I found!.....

In other news, I competed in an indoor triathlon today to try and win a Keiser indoor bike. I will give more details later..so check back soon!

For now..its off to completing my grad school applications, sounds like fun huh?

This is what happens when you run into a tree..

2008-11-22T11:31:00.004-06:00

So yesterday..I'm over at the physical therapist office observing, and I get a call that my little bro Jason was injured at school. I run home, only to get stuck behind a big car accident, and it takes forever. I am late getting home and miss my other brother Alex getting home from school. He is all confused since nobody was home and goes over to the neighbors house. When I finally got home, we both drive over to the hospital to see this...

I guess Jason was playing football during recess and was pushed into a tree when running full speed. He hit it pretty hard and ended up knocked out on the ground. My aunt picked him up from school and brought him over to the ER so that he could get some CAT scans to make sure nothing was damaged. Luckily, there were no fractures, breaks, or bruises (to the brain). So now he is just in the recover process. Get well soon little bro.

Clearwater 70.3 Ironman World Championships!

2008-11-14T14:55:00.005-06:00

Annnnnd I'm back.

Well the season has finally come to a close with the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. Sure there will be a few small races here and there like the Schaumburg Indoor Tri and the XC Challenge and a Turkey Trot, but nothing major. I ended the season on a semi-good note with my race over in Clearwater, FL.

A few weeks before the race, I had it in my mindset that I was not going to do this race just because I have never like the half-ironman distance. I had competed in three of them previously and struggled through all of them. But after getting involved with Gatorade and participating in a cycling study, I was forced to train hard on the bike once per week. I went in every Friday for 6 straight weeks and rode on a computrainer at 225 watts for 2 straight hours, then was allowed a 2 minute rest and followed that up with a 20k all out time trial. Let me say it was not fun. But as I continued going through each trial over at the Gatorade lab, I felt a little stronger and could feel that 2 hours was not that long of a bike ride. Jacqui convinced me that it would be a fun little get away to go do the race. She had school off on the Monday and Tuesday after the race so we figured we could go down for the race and then spend a little time out of the cold Chicago weather. It ended up being a great decision to race!

So leading up to the race, I felt like I was in pretty decent shape. I had two big problems though. One was that my swimming had been slacking. I was previously preparing for the Duathlon World Championships in Italy so swimming took the backseat for a while so that I could focus on my running and cycling. I tried to head over to the pool each day for the two weeks leading up to the race and that helped out a bit. The other BIG problem was that I was having severe IT band problems. What I am talking about is the illiotibial band. It runs along the side of your hip and connects down onto your knee. Well each time I tried to run, I was experiencing deep pain on the side of my knee. There were moments when I would barely walk after a short run. So two weeks prior to the Clearwater race, I had one run under my belt. And this run was down over at the Gatorade lab where I ran for 35 minutes and then a 35 min 10k. It hurt a lot to get through that run and there were many times when I almost stopped and said I could go no longer because the pain was so bad. I felt fine running a 35 min 10k..just the pain in the knee was very intense. So after that Gatorade experience, I was barely able to even bend my knee at all. I had serious doubts that I would be able to finish the 1/2 marathon at the end of the race that I had in a couple of days.

I just took the rest of the days off leading up to Clearwater in terms of running. I made sure to get some solid bike rides and swims in, but not impace on my knee at all. My flight took off on Thursday before the race and I arrived in Florida near the end of the day. My best friend John let me use his parent's condo which was situated right along the Gulf of Mexico! Very nice and very appreciated. It was about 10 miles away from the race site, which worked out because there was a trolley service that road up and down the main road to get me from the condo to the race area whenever needed. The first night I just got some food and watched a little tv to relax.

The next morning, I woke up and took the trolley down to the race site in order to get a morning swim in. I saw a few friends and hit the Gulf of Mexico up for a short swim. Wow, the salt was so strong and was making my tongue tingle! The water was about 75 degrees so wetsuits were allowed (Yesssss!). I only swam for about 15 minutes because I didn't want to tire myself out too much and still had a long day ahead of me. I checked in, got all of my bags, and checked out the expo before heading down the road to pick up my bike. I shipped my bike down to Clearwater because the airline was charging 150 dollars each way! I shipped it down to FL for only 30 dollars..so that worked out well! The only thing I was worried about was that my bike would be cracked or damaged from UPS.

I was lucky and nothing was wrong with the bike! I put it all together and gave it a test spin down the road. For a warm up ride I rode from the condo down to the race area and a little more for a total of 15 miles and then checked my bike into transition. Just looking at all of the bikes and shapely athletes was making me worried. There was a lot of good competition at this race! I sometimes wondered if I even belonged! I got everything taken care of and decided to should test out my run to see how well my knee would hold up.....bad idea.

I took off running down the road and was feeling great. No pain what-so-ever. Welllllll, you knew it was coming. After about 10 minutes of pain free running, it hit me. I barely could move and bend my knee and had to hobble back walking to the condo. I was very frustrated and made me even more nervous for the day coming up. I made sure to rub my IT band out and just rest it up for the big day. Back to the condo, I ate some delicious stuffed spinach and mushroom pizza..yummmmm. What a good pre race meal. I relaxed for the night and hit the sack with a lot of nerves running through my body.

Race day! I woke up pretty early and took the 1st trolley down to the race site. The first trolley was at 5:35 and it takes about 25 minutes to get down the road. Well the body marking and transition area closed at 6:30 am so I had to move! I sat there in the dark, pin drop quiet early darkness waiting for the stinkin' trolley to show up. 5:36, 5:37, 5:40...where was the trolley! I was about 2 seconds away from jumping in the middle of the street in front of a car demanding that they take me down to the race site. Well, the trolley slowly came rolling along while I stood there with a 180 beats/min heart rate sweating all over the place. The trolley took his time getting down there and by the time I arrived at the race area it was 6:15. I had 15 minutes to get my body marked, pump my tires, fix my rear wheel, and get my water bottles all in place. 6:31...I'm finished. I was the last one in the transition area and felt a huge sense of relief! I now had 1.5 hours until my wave went off. Figures...the last wave.

I watched the pro men and women take off, swim super fast times, and make their ways onto the bike course. I walked around a bit, ate some food, talked to some friends, and got the wetsuit in place. I was definitely ready to take off. My wave was the largest full of testosterone filled men aged 18-29. It was about 160 people, but wasn't too bad since I have been in much more crowded starts. The cannon was shot and I took off running from the beach into the ocean. I swallowed a few gulps of the salt water...that'll make you want to throw up. But then I found my groove and settled into a pace. I couldn't really find anybody's feet to follow so most of the swim I was off on my own. It was a straight out and back course..which I had trouble with because I was swerving side to side. My 1.2 mile swim time was 30 mins even ( my fastest 1/2 ironman swim). It might've been a little short since everyone had fast times.

Onto the bike...I was feeling strong and ready to roll. I quickly settled into a pace and was rolling along at about 25.5 mph for the first hour. Nothing too eventful was going on. I was switching back and forth with another athlete in my age group until I caught a group of about 30 men and women. Wow...cheating in a world championship event...I wonder how they feel about themselves. Well I go storming by this group of athletes at about 28 mph and what do you know...the leader hops right onto the bike of my wheel and has me pull them along. I can honestly say I have never been as mad as I was during a race before. So I am sitting there pulling them along at about 26 mph and then they decide I am going too slow and pull around to go in front of me. Well obviously they were drafting off of me, which makes it seem that 26 mph is easy. So as soon as they go around me the pace drops significantly. We are back down to 23 mph because the fool in front cannot go any faster. So I get frustrated and pull right back around to the front of the pack and try to hammer it hard. I am going 29 mph this time and what do you know..they grab onto my wheel once again and have me pull them along for another free speed ride. I was pushing hard and spending so much energy to try and get away from these people. I am serious, there were women in the late 40's sitting right on the wheels of these men. How can you race like that!? Not saying that these women cant ride this fast...but please. Ok maybe I am. Looking at the results, there were 40 year old women with faster bike splits than the PRO women!!! So of course I settled back into my 25 mph comfort and the group is having me pull them along until its too easy because they are drafting off of me. So the same thing happens...the go around and slow down because the leader of this draft-fest isn't strong enough to go faster than 22 mph in the front. Wow...I was so upset. I even dropped back out of the group to give myself space to ride my speed, but I would easily catch right back to the group, pass them, and have them grab onto my wheel again. I ended up stuck going back and forth to the front of this group until the bike ride ended. I was very tired because of my constant accelerations trying to break this group. I did not see ONE draft marshall out on the course and became very upset. I heard that there was a lot of drafting in this race, but I never expected it to be THIS bad. Sorry for complaining, but it seriously ruined the race for me. I would have been much faster on the bike if I did not have to deal with being passed constantly to end up slowing me down and then forcing myself to use tons of energy just to try and get away from the group. My bike split was an average of just under 25 mph..I should've been closer to 26 if I was able to race my own race w/out being slowed down by others.

Ok..enough of the bike. I hopped off and went straight into the changing tent. In my bag I had put 3 ibruprofen so that I could take them going into the run and hopefully take the pain away in my knee. I changed into my shoes, took the medicine, and off I went runnin'. I felt fine and was excited to not be on the bike with the cheaters. I noticed I was running a little hard and just wanted to enjoy the day. It was nice, sunny, and much better weather than what was back up in Chicago. My first few miles I averaged 6:30 pace. Sure that is slow for me, but I was being cautious b/c of my knee. To my surprise the knee felt fine and I was able to enjoy the run pain free! There was a very large bridge (~1.5 miles long) that we had to go up and over 4...yes FOUR times.

It was a very difficult bridge to go over especially when tired. I made sure to take in gatorade and water at the aid stops, but I was still feeling exhausted and had to walk through many of them. I took some coke at about mile 5.5 and noticed an improvement. From that point on I didn't have to walk anymore and could shuffle along. I started to pass many racers which gave me a huge sense of excitement. I was out there doing the thing I loved and didn't have to worry about the pain in my knee. I sprinted through the finish line after shuffling the last 12.8 miles to see that I had gotten a new half ironman PR by 14 minutes. My final time was 4 hours and 19 minutes. Sure I would've liked to swim, bike, and run faster...but I had a great time swimming, abt 1/2 the bike, and all of the run. I finished and still had energy which showed that I could've gone faster, but my training with the running leading up to the race was very limited. It made me think that I can do 1/2 Ironmans just fine and with continued training I will continue to improve.

Although I had a great time racing the 70.3 distance...I am still going to stick with the olympic distance tri's. They are my favorite distance to race since I am more speed oriented. I look forward to the long winter ahead to improve my fitness and surprise some people once next season rolls along.

The rest of the trip was amazing. Fun, sun, relaxation, amazing food, and a wonderful/best friend to spend it with. I layed on the beach most of the time, did some fun waverunner rental, and went to some great restaurants. I definitely didn't want to leave once it was all over, but we all have to get back to reality at some point. For now its back to the training and getting prepared for next season. I'm excited to see what happens in these next few months!

Make sure to check back as I will try to update how my training is going!

The long awaited....and LONGGGG trip to Europe Post...enjoy!!

2008-09-06T21:52:00.002-05:00

Day 1:
For the first day of our trip we left for the airport around 1:30 to catch our 4:30 flight into Philadelphia. I was a little hungry so I ate some McDonalds...yummmm. Two chicken snack wraps and the spot was hit. I do admit, I like McDonalds but rarely have it due to the fact that it is awful for you. On the plane we were set to go...but due to bad weather over in Philly, we were forced to sit on the runway for 1.5 hours. This was really bad news because our flight going from Philly to Brussels was going to leave at 8:35pm. Right before take off they announced we would be landing in Philly around 8:40. OH NO! Now what? Well the flight was fully of worries and questions wondering if we would be able to catch the flight to Belgium. Sidenote...on the plane they now charge even for drinks! First charging to check on bags, now charging for drinks (and no snacks!)..whats next? Charge for the bathroom and carry on luggage? Its really getting to the point that everyone is bringing larger sized carry on items and nobody is able to fit their bags on the plane in the overhead compartments! Well when landing, the time was 8:30. Butttt we were stuck pulling in. I called my mom on the phone and sadly she had announced the flight had taken off already to Belgium. I was very disappointed with US Airways and definitely would not recommend them to anyone. There were many international flyers that missed their flights because ours was late and they could not hold the connecting flights for a few extra minutes..oh well. In Philly there were lines everywhere with people trying to make new arrangements since they missed their flights. After standing forever in a line that wasn't moving, Jacqui went over to the US Airways flight going into London and got us booked on it with a connection from London going to Brussels. So we sat around in Philly for 2 hours and hopped the short 7 hour flight into London. On that plane there were two meals..one of chicken with salsa and rice, a bun, chocolate cake dessert, and a mini caesar salad. Pretty good!! Everyone had their own little mini tv's so I watched an episode of The Office before falling asleep. I woke up and breakfast was being served...just a little danish. I took it and put it in my bag for later. I slept most of the flight which was good because it was about 11 am when arriving in London their time. Also, on the flight we were emergency aisle which meant that we had tooooons of legroom. Pretty close to comparable to first class! I was able to spread my legs out completely without touching anything!! Hopefully we can get that on the way home :)
In London, we had a short layover before catching the flight to Brussels. The flight gave little mini cans of coke (which I love). I slept that whole flight from being tired of all the traveling. Into Brussels the nitemares began. I go over to the bag pick up and of course...my bike and my bag are not there. I wait a while to see if it shows up like it did in Hungary, but nope. So Jacqui and I go over to the bag service line (which is forever long) and end up waiting there for over an hour. Wellll once we got to the front the lady says we have to go to the other airline service desk. The problem was that when we were in Philly we took a new flight and ended up coming in on a British airways flight. So we had to go to their line. Welll, their line was also forever long. After waiting another 1+ hour in that line, the lady could barely understand any english and had us fill out a luggage form. I didn't really care at that point and just wanted to get out of the airport because I had been traveling for way too long, and I was exhausted! So we left the airport and hopped onto a train into the city of Brussels. I had booked a cheap hotel for the night and figured it should be in the middle of the city since we were going to explore a little. But since we got there so late, we just grabbed a taxi from the train and went straight to the hotel. The taxi ripped us off since he didnt take us to the right place. We probably didn't even need a taxi from the train but he figured we were from out of country and could get some extra money out of us.
We checked into the hotel and it was a little dinker. It was fine for us because all we needed to do was sleep and get on their time schedule. We did end up walking around the city to find a place to eat. It was very scary since there were lots of strange people walking around, making noises, and I just wanted to get out of there and into my hotel. We ate at a little Italian restaurant which ended up being really good. I didn't understand any of the menu except for pizza or spaghetti so I went with the pizza and Jacqui did the same. The funny part was that the waiter put the order in and 10 minutes later he opened a drawer in the closet and the pizzas were sitting there! It was like a little magic closet! The pizza was really good and finally a good meal after eating junk for 24 hours. Back to the hotel, we watched a little tv and fell asleep.
The next day we woke up at had breakfast at the free continental buffet at the hotel. Basically it consisted of breads, fruit, and then a ham/cheese platter. I stuck with some bread and coffee. It was more of a chocolate coffee and was ok. I'd rather stick with the normal flavor! After that we packed up our bags and walked over to the train station to catch a train back to the airport to see if my bike and bags showed up. This time we walked about 400 meters or less and ended up at the train station. This is the distance that the taxi driver charged us 10 euros for (about 17 us dollars) the day before! We definitely got ripped off and he was probably just driving in circles making it look like our hotel was far away so that he could get more money! Onto the train we had a quick 10 min trip and were back at the airport. We walked into the arrivals hall and had to sneak past a security guard since they don't let people go into that area. Jacqui stood in the line for baggage service while I walked around the airport looking for my bags. To my surprise (and relief!) I saw my little black bag sitting on the floor randomly. I walked around the corner and there was my bike! I was so relieved that they both showed up! I scooped the bags up and walked over to get Jacqui and get outta that stinkin airport where I spent wayyyy too many hours the day before. We hopped another train to head over to the town of Geel where the race was being held. We actually had to take three trains first leading into the city of Antwerp and then into Geel. It was about 1.5 hours of train trips so a little long but not too bad because if gave me time to write down everything that has been going on!
Into Geel we walked off of the train and had no clue where to go. Luckily a Team USA member saw us looking lost and pointed us in the right direction. It was a short trip down the main street and we were at the team hotel (where we didn't stay at). I put my bike together and threw my bike box into a storage there. After getting that all settled I went over to the registration and got all my numbers and event t-shirt. I met the Team USA elite coordinator where I got my warmups, shirt, and shorts..pretty nice stuff! Before the meetings and briefings Jacqui and I went to a little restaurant to get a quick meal in. We had no clue what anything was on the menu again and had trouble talking to the waitress. There was a picture of a sandwich and we just pointed at it and said two. The sandwiches ended up being alright (just fulllll of mayo, which I can't stand). So I ate around it and figured I would eat something later on. After eating, I had a quick elite briefing, and a short team USA meeting to go over some aspects of the race.
I was pretty tired after all that moving around, so Jacqui and I went back to the team hotel where I stored my bike and we called a taxi over. I figured we were about 6 miles away and it would cost many 10 euros or so to get to the hotel. Welllll, we got ripped off again and it ended up costing 25 euros (over 30 dollars!). I was pretty upset about this because the driver got lost and still charged us for it. I decided I was not going to take a taxi ever again!! The car was pretty neat though because the GPS was built into the car. He pushed a button and it came out of the dashboard. I took a picture of that for sure. Finally after getting to the hotel we checked in went for a 30 minute run to loosen up the legs and get a little workout after not doing any sort of exercise besides walking and lugging bags around forever. The hotel was actually really nice and not too bad of a price. It had a pool, tennis courts, breakfast area, and internet (finally!). We really enjoyed being able to get back on a computer! We took quick showers and then went out to eat at a restaurant about 400 meters down the road. It was a pretty neat place and yet again...we didn't understand the menu. Jacqui ordered some pasta carbonara and I got a caprese salad (mainly because I knew what it was). I was picturing a carbonara pasta to have just a white or red sauce..but nope. She got her plate and it was full of bacon and noodles and a creamy sauce. It actually ending up tasting pretty good! Jacqui also ordered some fries which we split because the Team USA travel agent, Deepak, said that Belgium is known for their fries, beer, and chocolate. Those were really good with a little salt on them. Being the poor kids that we are, we didn't get any ketchup because they charge extra! Just like if you order a water, they charge for that too! I will definitely enjoy my free tap water at restaurants when I go back home. After dinner, we walked back to the hotel in the pitch black and checked into a bus system so that we wouldn't have to pay for another taxi in the morning. Back at the hotel Jacqui and I spent some time on the computer uploading some picutes, writing emails, and just surfing the web. Then it was off to sleeeeep.
Well in the middle of the night we had a rude awakening. All of a sudden there were loud screams, bangs, and splashes! There were a couple drunken men outside that decided they wanted to go swimming and starting yelling, clapping, and jumping really hard on the diving board going into the pool. Our room was facing the pool and the back door opening up right to the pool area. Jacqui woke up and freaked out because she thought something was happening. So everytime she gets scared, it starts to freak me out too. So I ran over to the back door and made sure it was locked before going back into bed. In the morning, we were both so tired that we didn't even wake up to our alarms! Good thing the race was later in the afternoon (1:20 pm start). I was going to get up around 8:30 in order to get a little run in and some breakfast..but that didn't happen. I woke up again to a freaked out Jacqui because she saw what time it was. I saw it was still so early and everything would be fine. We went downstairs to have our European breakfast of breads with jams, chocolate spread, butter, and honey along with some coffee and ham/cheese plate again. I just stuck with a bunch of bread and coffee. This coffee was much better than the last hotel for sure. Went back to the room and packed all my gear for the big race! We figured out the bus system and walked on the first bus no problem and didn't even pay :) Onto the next bus we didn't pay again until 1 stop before the one were getting off at. Two scary lookin Euro dudes walked in looking all professional and started asking everyone for their passes. Well they got to Jacqui and I and were just sorta stared at them. I was pretty scared. I just said the hotel told us to take the bus into town. He spoke a little english and said we have to pay to use the bus. So at our stop we paid 5 euros for the trip (still better than the 25 we paid for the taxi!!).

Once at the race sight I got my bike all together and headed over to the transition area. Wow, there were some fasssst looking bikes and fask lookin dudes. And then there is me..some young kid from a Chicago suburb. I got all my pre race stuff done and felt ready to go for the race.
The race started at 1:20 and my plan was to take it out slow because last year I went too hard and ended up struggling. So I stuck to my plan and it worked perfectly! The first run was 4 loops of 4.5k which totaled 18 kilometers (a little over 11 miles). I was at 5:20 pace or so and was in a great group of guys. By the last last of the run, I moved to the front of my pack and was sitting in 6th place overall! I wasn't even tired and was excited how the race was playing out. Of course I didn't have anything to drink or eat on the first run which may have been a poor choice by me later in the race.
Onto the bike, I was feeling strong and ready fly. The bike course was four loops of 18k. It ended up being just about 45 miles long. From transition a few of the guys in my run pack fell off and lost our pack which had around 10 guys. I was in the last spot of the group of 10 since they all went past me right from the start of the bike. It almost seemed as if they were all drafting off of eachother because everyone was pretty tightly bunched. We were clipping along around 28 mph average!! The only problem was that it was pretty windy in many areas but we still went through those in 24 mph. During the hard streches we would average over 30! I got through the first loop great and took in a bunch of liquid with carbo pro. Onto the second loop the pack split into two and I was at the tail end of the second group, I was still in top 10 contention overall and felt like it was going to be my day. At the end of the second loop I started to feel very lightheaded and my vision was blurred. I was unsure of what to do because it felt like I was going to pass out. I ended up losing the pack on the 3rd loop and become very frustrated. I was tired, but not tired to the point that I would be unable to keep up. I lost the pack and started going around 22 mph and struggled to keep the legs going. At this point I just wanted to stop and say I'm done. I continued to feel that I was going to fall over because I couldn't see straight and I felt very weak. On the last lap a few more guys passed me in groups of 4-5 at a time. It was very frustrating to see because of how well I had been doing. I finally finished up the bike and forced myself to start running.
On the run I felt alright during the first loop but my legs didn't want to cooperate. The run was 2 loops of 4.5 k, which was the same course as the first run. After the first loop I made it another 1 k before I had to start walking. My body was shutting down and didn't want to go anymore. I forced myself to start running again, but a few minutes later I had to stop. I walked into the water station, ate a banana and chugged a lot of water. Wow did that help! I started running again and got my pace up quickly! It was a little too late though because I was already way back and the race was just about over. I got to the finish line and just felt relieved that it was done and over with. I ate and drank in the food tent, grabbed my finisher medal, and looked at the results. I ended up placing 35th overall. The age group racers also competed with the elites but started 2 minutes back. So I guess 35th in the world isn't too bad? I was still disappointed and want to keep improving over the years.
After the race I packed up the bike and hit the showers at a little school in town. There was only freeeeezing water and of course I had forgotten a towel. Well after my shower, I went to open the door and it was locked! I couldn't get out of the shower stall. It was definitely awful. I spent a whole trying to get the door open and nothing was working. Finally I waited until nobody was in the shower area and had to climb over the top which was really high! I jumped down and basically slipped landing right on my butt. Not fun!! After showering, Jacqui and I went out to eat to a restaurant in the market area. This was where the finish line was, and it was a really neat place. There were lots of shops and restaurants in a circle shaped area. At the restaurant, I got a pasta with breads while Jacqui got grilled chicken and fries. The waiter was really good and helped us with alll of the items on the menu because we couldn't understand it. He was good at english because he was a server in the US for a while. After the dinner we went on over to the host hotel, looked at some results, and then went back over to the bus stop to back to our hotel. We had to wait a while but it was still cheaper than the taxi! We didn't even have to pay for that bus ride :) At the first stop we saw a little snack place and got a strawberry and vanilla mixed cone which ended up being really good. We walked the rest of the way back to the hotel since it was only about a 20 min walk. At the hotel we checked out since we would be leaving early in the morning and asked for some breakfast items since it wouldn't start before we left. We packed our bags up with just putting items in a backpack to bring around the rest of Europe while putting stuff we wouldn't need anymore in my check in bag which we would store at the airport with my bike case while being gone. After that it was bed time since we had an early morning the next day!
Jacqui made sure we set a bunch of alarms for this morning because we had a train to catch to Paris at 11:15. So we got up a little before 6, got ready and went downstairs to grab our breakfast on the run. We did the same 20 minute walk over to the bus stop to go back into the race site to pick up my bike. We got the bike and went over to the train station to catch a few trains to make it into the Brussels airport. This was a big pain because I was lugging my bike case in and out of trains all morning. We had to take 3 different trains just to get to the airport :( We checked the bag and bike at the airport and felt relieved to just have our backpacks now to lug around. It was reallllly nice. Onto the train again to get over to another station to catch the train to Paris!! We ended up being early to the Brussels train station where our Paris train was going which was very nice. The station was huge and basically the size of an airport!! There were lots of little shops where Jacqui finally got her Belgian chocolate that she was wanting to try. We also picked up some drinks and candy for the train ride :) Onto the train we had assigned seating and luckily we got seats next to eachother even tho we had different seats. The train ride wasn't too exciting. Just sat and typed most of what has been going on. It was nice and short..only about an hour. Once getting into the Paris train station, it was crazy though!
Into the Paris Station du Nord (North Station), we had no clue what to do. Nothing was planned, we just figured we could walk around and figure things out. So we left the station and of course had crazy people begging for money and following us around because we were the tourists with big backpacks on. One lady even followed us for a few blocks and asked us for money again. It was quite annoying. So after not having a clue on where to go, we went back into the train station and looked around for ways to get into the main city area. After looking for a while, we figured out the train station and hopped on a train that was going to Notre Dame, where our bike tour was scheduled to meet. We were pretty early getting into the town so we walked around looking for a place to stay. The streets and alleys were really neat! Tons of shops, restaurants and other vendors with plenty of tourists walking around. After looking at a bunch of different hotels, we finally found a nice one right in the city for 70 euros for the night. It was actually reallllly nice and the guy at the front helped us a lot. He gave us directions and little maps to get around.
So after settling into the hotel, we stopped to grab a little snack (yummm the sandwiches were soo good, and cheap!). We found the bike tour meeting place (just outside of Notre Dame church), and went into a garage to grab our bikes. The bike tour was Bike About Tours based in Paris. They did an awesome job and it was a lot of fun. Definitely a highlight of the trip so far. The tour was for 3.5 hours and was only 25 euros a person. The tour was neat because they took us to places that normally aren't visited when going to Paris. Most people go to see th e Eiffel Tower and museums but instead we were riding the bikes through little alleys and different passageways leading to many neat areas of the city. For example, we saw one of the most expensive restaurants in the world (over 1100 euros for a meal!!), cannonballs stuck in buildings from peasants revolting against the rich, houses that cost over 11 milllion dollars to live in!, the Louvre museum, and soooo many more neat places. I took a bunch of pictures during the tour while riding the bike. It was definitely a lot of fun.
After the bike tour, Jacqui and I went back on over to the hotel. We took showers and got ready for dinner and a boat tour the was scheduled for the night. We were so indecisive with where to go to dinner because there were soooo many places. Almost every restaurant had a menu that featured three courses. So Jacqui ordered mussels, steak, and ice cream. I wasn't too hungry and just got a salad (but it had lots of potatoes, avocados, corn, and other random things in it). Overall, it wasn't that great of a restaurant and most of the small vendors selling food on the sides of the roads had much better fast sandwiches and such. So after being a little disappointed, we went over to the boat tour area to catch the boat. We made it by only 5 minutes!! It was really chilly and of course I had forgotten to bring my jacket. The boat was fun since it took us down the river past many of the monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Musee d'Orsey, Louvre Museum, and many others. The bike tour was a lot more fun, but it was still a really neat experience. By the time the tour was over, it was really late and we just wanted to go to bed. Back at the hotel, we did some late planning to figure out our next day and then hit the hay.
Tuesday!! Welllll, we had planned on getting up semi-early to go run and see some more places, but instead, we didnt' wake up to the alarms and slept til just about 10. Oops. We must have been so tired because we slept right through all the alarms. So we still went for a run and went to the Eiffel Tower. It was a little over 3 miles away from the hotel so it was a decent run. We got there, took some pictures, stood underneath it, and then ran back. It was so crowded with lines everywhere to go up into the tower. I was fine with just seeing it and taking a picture by it. Plus we didnt' have to pay anything for that. Getting back, we took some quick showers, loaded up the backpacks and checked out of the hotel. We wanted to see a few more things before leaving so we went to Les Halles (the halls)..which was an underground shopping mall. They basically had many of the stores that we have so nothing too exciting. But it was neat because the mall was underneat the ground. We didn't spend too much time there and then went off to explore a little more. The bike tour guide recommended to go to a little island to get some ice cream...so of course that is what we did. We stopped at a little cafe to give our backs a rest and wow! ...the cafe was such a rip off. Just for two scoops of ice cream it was 10 euros (about 16 dollars!!!). I was not happy about that..so we didnt' order anything. The waiter had brought us bread and little nuts, but we didn't eat any of it and took off running once he went into the back. So we walked a little down the street and found another ice cream place and it was a much better price of 3 euros. I was really happy about that and my rasberry mixed with strawberry was AMAZING. Yumm, I could eat that everyday. Jac got a cherry vanilla scoop and a caramel scoop..good, but definitely not as good as mine :)

It was getting a little late, so we had to head over to the train station. But on the way there, we hit up a few stores where Jac got a sweeet new Paris shirt and a new watch. The prices were good so those were nice little souvies. I stopped and got a banana, sugar, and butter crepe which wasn't as great as I had hoped because it was already pre-made. Those are much much much better when made fresh. But still good nonetheless. I also stopped and got a little tomato and mozzarella panini sandwich..yummmmm. We then made our way over to a train station to make it over to the bus stop. We needed to catch a bus that would take us to the airport since we had a flight to catch to Pisa. So that was just about the whole trip to Paris. It was short but I think we packed a lot into the time that we had there! It was a lot of fun and I would definitely go back.
Our bus ride was about an hour long and it took us right to the airport where our Ryanair plane was taking off from. Unfortunetely I forgot about my contact solution and had to empty it out because of the liquid rule on planes. I then tried to check my bag but they charged 20 euros for that. I just decided that getting rid of my solution and putting some of it into a smaller container was the better option. While waiting for the flight, I picked up some delicious candy and ate it while waiting for the flight. I also had time to write a little more about my trip! And on a side note..the european travelers have no concept of lines. I was waiting in line and they just cut right in front of you..it gets quite annoying, but oh well. I thought Americans were the rude ones? Ok, so now I'm on the plane and getting to take off. Off to Italy!!!
Ahhhh...Pisa! Well we arrived in Pisa just fine. The plane was a little late and we had arrived around 9pm. Instead of staying in Pisa for the night we decided we would go over to Florence since they were selling bus tickets and it was about an hour ride. We had a room booked in Florence right on the river for the following night, but we figured we could go over there and see if they had a room for us to use tonight too. The hotels that we booked were all very cheap..50 euros or lessss! Hostels cost about 25 euros a person, so we were getting good deals. So anyways, we went and bought a ticket and realized that we got train tickets into Florence which wouldn't leave for another 1.5 hours. We didn't want to leave that late and then saw there were buses leaving so Jacqui went and got out tickets switched out for bus tickets. It ended up working well since the buses left right when we got on. So we sat on the bus and I ate some gatorade drink mix because I was sooo thirsty and hungry. I felt like I didn't eat much all day. All the walking around we did makes me tired and hungry!! So eating that packet of gatorade mix wasn't tooo great, but it still tasted great having something in my mouth. Jacqui wrote in her journal and I sat there most of the ride.
Into Florence..we had that new area scary-ness again. Whenever we pull into a new city I am so turned around and unsure of where to go. I don't like to whip out my map because then its pretty obvious we are tourists (not that the huge backpacks don't give it away or anything :) ). So we just started walked down a street in the darkness and hoped that we could find our way. All of a sudden we were standing in front of a HUGEEEE old church called the Duomo. IT was magnificent. Lots of people were still outside wandering around with their maps and such so I didn't feel as bad anymore. We took a main street and it was full of gelaterias (YUMMM ice cream!!!). I was in heaven! We continued to walk down and saw lots of street vendors, restaurants, and people just enjoying night. It really was a neat little town! We made it down to the river and found the hotel fairly quickly. Into the hotel, we had to climb a bunch of stairs and then finally found the hotel desk. We asked if we could check in (it was around 10:30 at this point). He said they were completely full and then proceeded to call a bunch of hotels and said they were all full...just great. He gave us a map and said his friend could set us up with a nice room and breakfast but was unsure if there was any space still available. So we took a map, went out onto the streets and then walked checking every hotel we could see. There are about a million hotels everywhere so we figured it wouldnt' be very hard...wellll we were wrong. We went into probably 30 hotels and every one of them said they were full. I was so tired, hungry, and just wanted to be in a hotel. We did find one hotel that had two single rooms for 55 euros a night, but that was pretty pricey. So we said no and kept going. Then we finally found a place that was 80 euros a night. It looked reallllly nice but I still didn't want to pay that much to just sleep in a room. A few hotels down and YESSSSSSS...one room left for 48 euros. We gladly took the room, and it ended up being just fine. It was realllly hot in the room due to no A/c, but oh well, it was a room. The guy was really nice and got us everything we needed and showed us where we could eat. So by the time we got all settled we made our way outside to find some food. It was past midnight at this time and to our luck, nothing was open...........except for McDonalds. Great...just great, first meal in Italy..guess: McDonalds.. Haha. It ended up being just fine and tasted great because I was so hungry. Plus the price tag was good too :) I got some chicken nuggets, fries, diet coke, and small mcflurry. What a healthy meal huh? haha, it was still so good, and my mood brightened up from that. It was not very happy walking around with my super heavy backpack for 1.5 hours looking for a hotel in the heat. After eating a great opening meal in Italy, we went back to the hotel, went on the internet for a little and hit the sack for the night.
Up in the morning at 7:45 to get over to the museo d'accademia. This is where the statue of David is (the original!). I read in a travel book that the line gets really long for this museum so we wanted to get there at 8:15 when it opened to avoid the longer lines in the day. So we got to the museum and it just looked like a normal door in the side of a building..weird. Paid 10 euros to get in and BAM! The statue was huge. It was really amazing and worth the 10 euros just to see that. No pictures were allowed, but I HAD to have a pic of the statue. We took a quick snapshot and then another one with Jacqui in it. We walked around the museum for a while looking at amazing paintings and sculptures from Michaelangelo. Very neat stuff. My legs and stomach were getting angry so we left the museum to get our stuff from the hotel and head over to the other one to check in. Lugging the backpack around isn't as easy as it seems. I don't know how mine weights so much because I dont have many clothes in there. Ive been wearing the same khaki shorts everyday, haha. Just change the shirt and I'm set. And I'm not working out much because all the walking wears me out! So there aren't really any workout clothes in there either! Maybe its the computer that weights it down, I dunno. So we packed up and went out into the heat. My travel book, and other friends, had recommended a restaurant called Il Latina. It gets crowded so Jac and I thought it would be best to go over there early to avoid the mass of people. Welllll, there is this strange thing that Europeans do in August. They all leave for vacation for almost the whole month. The restaurant was closed for a few weeks..so we were not able to go in. OH well, off to look for another restaurant. Whenever we look for something, we can't see to find it!! No restaurants, not gelato, nothing. We got a little frustrated because the backpacks are not fun to carry in the 90 degree weather! Into a main plaza, we sat down to have a little something to eat. We both got some pizzas which ended up being pretty good. We were stuffed. Then proceeded to get some gelato (you will see me talk about gelato a lot)...its my favorite ice cream ever and is all homemade. There are mounds and mounds of it almost in every shop that you walk past :) Its so hard to say no to it.
Went over to the hotel and finally got rid of the bags. They said our room wasn't ready but we still were able to leave our bags in the hotel. We hit the streets and wanted to find some neat things to look at. I took out my book and we wandered the streets for a while. It is so neat all the little alleys and curving streets that end up taking you into huge open areas full of statues, churches, and areas that have been around for such a long time. Sometimes I have to remind myself that these areas are as old as they are. How can a place so old look so clean? Its really amazing. One adventure that we had was going up to Piazza Michaelangelo. I saw in my travel book that the view is hard to beat..so I figured it would be a good place to go. Jacqui and I had to climb up big hills and lots of steps before we got up to the top. Wow, we were tired after that and of course..a gelato shop at the top :) I got a blackberry and rasberry combo..yum yum. At the top, the view was amazing looking down on the main town of Florence. We took some awesome pictures but of course those dont do any justice at all to what we were looking at. Got some souvies and made our way back into the town. On the way back, there was a store selling hugeeee bottles of water for only .60 euro. So that was the best deal I think we have ever found. I took a quick mental note to come back for that deal steal. Looked at a bunch of more museums that just tower over everything else and then went on an adventure to find Florence's best gelato. My book mentioned it in my book so we made our way over there. Welll, that happened to be closed too due to the August vacation...but my book mentioned another place that is a rival for the best. This one was open (it was called perche no?). Wow, it was amazing. Definitely did not disapoint. I got a peach and watermelon mix while Jacqui got the chocolate with rasberry. Hers was soooooo good. Wow, I will have dreams about that ice cream. I think I could come to Italy just to get gelato..is that bad? Haha, so after gelato number 3 of the day we made our way back to the hotel to get a little rest..we had walked around forever!
Jacqui uploaded some pictures and we rested for a while. I watched a little of the Olympics since I haven't been able to see much. They do talk a lot about Michael Phelps here though and how amazing he is. I showered and got ready for dinner..then it was off to wander more streets. I did forget to mention that there is a main bridge in Florence (the oldest one) called Ponte Vecchio. It has buildings hanging off the edge of it so it almost doesn't even seem like a bridge when walking across. Just looks like another streets. The buildings aren't held up by much (so it seems), but we took a bunch of pictures of this. The buildings are mostly gold and jewelery stores so nothing much of interest to us, but still really neat. Ok, so off to dinner we went. I didn't want to eat in some restaurant that was full of people in the main area. I wanted to go down some alley and find a tiny place to just get some good homemade pasta. I found just the place I was lookin for. It was a neat little place with a strange waiter. He was trying to be funny and such, but I just thought he was pretty annoying. I ordered some gnocchi and Jac ordered veci (pasta with meat). We decided that since we were in Italy, we needed wine to go with it. The waiter of course gave us the most expensive glass (not much of 4 euros, but still). It wasn't good at all. I couldn't drink it. We tried to order a sweet white wine, but he said we couldn't since it was a dessert wine :( I didn't want him to see that I didn't drink it so I started to pour it out on my plate and then soaking it up with my napkin until it was gone :). Jacqui finished hers and was quite proud...but I didn't have to endure the pain of drinking it, haha. The food was pretty good, still think my dad and grandpas are better! And what do you have to do after eating dinner...get gelato. Yup that is right, 4th time of the day. We found a cheap gelato shop..so I got a tropical and grape while Jac got the cheesecake. Yummmm again. Def not as great as the previous place, but still good. We walked around, took some pictures with statues, and then went back to the hotel to get ready for the next day. We needed to plan our trip to ROme. I ended up finding a good lookin hotel by the train station so I booked that. Looked up some train schedules into Rome and we were set!
Up in the morning, we had planned on going running...but still tired. I seriously feel like all of this walking is taking a lot out of me. We had walked for manyyyy hours the day before in Florence, along with backpacks for some of it. Its as hard as running and working out! We wanted to catch an 8:50 train into Rome, so up at 7:58 to get ready. Our cheap hotel had free breakfast which was great! What a good hotel...free internet, free breakfast, nice room, nice bathroom, and only 22 euros a person!! Sheesh, why cant all hotels be like that? I had a bowl of muesli along with some bread n honey. I also had some orange juice..but it is red! Red orange juice is pretty popular and is seen all over. I think its even more common than orange orange juice. We scrambled to get our stuff and basically hauled over to the train station. We bought the tickets to Rome and made it onto the train with only about 3 minutes to spare. It would be no big deal if we missed it since there are trains leaving all the time. We just would have to wait for a while for the next one. The train to Rome wasn't too bad. It was really quick and only took about an hour. I relaxed and took a little nap and before I knew it, we were in the Rome train station. Off the train, and wow! The train station is huge. These train stations are basically like airports with shops and restaurants all over. I was very excited to hit the streets and see what Rome was like. It was hard to believe I was going to be walking in areas from the BC time!! Right off the bat, we found our hotel since it was only about 400 meters or less from the train station. It was hard to see since it wasn't advertised that it was a hotel. I just saw the little buzzer to get into the building. We had to go up 4 flights (over 100 stairs) to get to the hotel. There were only 4 rooms in this little place..but wow it was nice! The hotel operator, Tommosso, was really nice. Since our room wasn't ready, he let us store our backpacks and gave us a map to get around the city. He gave us a quick preview of the room and then we were set. Down onto the streets we made it our first priority to head over to the colloseum. This is basically an arena where the gladiators battled and thousands of people came to watch them come away with a victory..or die in battle. Pretty crazy show if you ask me ! The line outside was pretty long but Jac and I didn't mind too much since it was one of the things we wanted to do. There were fake gladiators standing outside that people could take pictures with (for a fee), so we just looked at them. We had to wait over an hour before getting inside. The only problem was that the temperature was BOILING! Around 95 degrees in the hot hot sun...that takes a toll on me for sure. We got into the colloseum and looked around for a while. Its amazing how the structure is still standing and all of the history behind it. I read that it took slaves over 18 years to haul the huge stones 15 kilometers (almost 10 miles) thru the hot summers over to the area so that it could be built! I started to think that they must've been in amazing shape after doing that for a while. So anyways, the colosseum was really neat and definitely a must see place. After leaving, Jacqui and I were starting to get hungry/tired/thirsty, but we were right next to the Palatine hill. This was basically an area full of sacred land and building set up on a hill. Wow..walking up this hill in the sun was making me exhausted. We walked around the hill for a while, went in the Palatine museum, and then decided it was time to go find some food. We got a recommendation to go eat in a small restaurant in Trastevere (a town in Rome). So we grabbed the map and headed over there. After walking for a while, we found the restaurant but unfortunetely it was closed until 7:30 pm. We were starving and needed something to eat bad! We went into a little cafe and poor Jacqui took something out of her purse and nutella (a chocolate spread) fell out onto her WHITE skirt :( Chocolate on a skirt is badddd news. We left the cafe since they barely had anything and went to a restaurant right next door. Jac got some bruschetta type thing, while I got a panzerotti. It was soo small and didn't fill either of us up...so what better way to cure that than getting some gelato! We both got some and realized it was a much better price than in Florence.

Jacqui and I then made our way back to the hotel since we wanted to get ready for dinner. Being in the sun and walking around all day is tough! While on the way back, I stopped at a little fruit stand and got 2 peaches...guess how much? 4 euros!! That is about 6 dollars. What a jip. I wasn't too happy about that..but at least they tasted amazing. Jacqui climbed a huge set of stairs because I said I should get a picture of her at the top. So after that, we made it back to the hotel to actually see what our room was like. Wow....the room looked like a little room out of ikea. There was a flat screen tv, big bed, laptop to use, and the bathroom had a shower with massagers! What a steal for 60 euros a night (30 per person). We also got coupons to have breakfast the next morning in a little cafe outside of the hotel. We spent some time on the computer and then got ready for the night. Jacqui got allll dressed up in a white dress that she had bought during the day. It was a great deal and looked really nice on her. When she bought it, the store owner also gave her some earring for free, haha. They were little drangonflys..who knows if she'll wear um. So after showerin and getting set, we went on over back to the restaurant we scooped out earlier (taverna trelussa). On the way over, we were pretty hungry and decided a gelato stop was necessary. We only got one and shared it since we were gonna have some dinner soon. Once at the restaurant, they were already a little crowded outside and seemed like a good place to eat. We ordered some prishutta (spelling?) which is a thinly sliced italian meat. It was very salty and peppery..but really good. We also had twoooo big baskets of bread with olive oil and cheese. After the appetizers, I had the ravioli and Jacqui had a type of spaghetti. Their ravioli was supposedly the meal to get and they had won a few awards for it. Wow..it was really good! There wasn't a traditional red sauce..instead it was an orange-ish sauce. According to Jacqui, it tasted like spaghettios. Realllll nice, we go to a nice restaurant and get homemade italian food, and it is compared to spaghettios. I guess now all I have to do to cook a nice meal back at home is heat up a can of the chef boy r deeee and its high quality italian food..and a lot cheaper too! haha. I think that both of the pastas were really good although it was a little pricey. Oh well, my amazing gf took care of the bill :)
After dinner we walked around for a little before stopping into Micky D's for a Coke light (europe's version of diet coke). At McDonald's they give you a big drink for a good price (as we learned in Florence). After gulping that down, Jacqui and I went down to the river and walked along that for a while. There were lots of little carnival type games, stores, restaurants, and bars all set up along the water. It was really neat and many people just walked or sat along the river. It was all lit up and looked really nice. Jacqui ordered a small gelato while walking down the river which I tasted, but just was too full to eat any. It was getting a little late by then, so we decided to walk on back to the hotel (another 2 miles or so). Welllll, on the way back, going past all the gelato shops makes me weak. I gave in and tried a green apple mixed with lemon gelato. Yumm, it ws a good one. So that was 3 gelatos for the day for me..pretty good :) I also stopped to get a few drinks since I was really thirsty in the hoooot weather. At the hotel, I took a quick shower since I was all sweaty from walkin, lookin on the computer for a little, and hit the bed. Jacqui stayed up longer looking up stuff and planning the next day out since we'd be leaving for Pisa in the later afternoon.
In the morning, Jacqui and I went for a short run since we hadn't been doing too much besides all the walking (which is a ton if you ask me!). My legs actually felt really good, and I could have gone longer, but we were short on time and had places to go and things to see. A quick shower and then it was off to get our free breakfast. On that note...I may have found a few extra breakfast tickets at the hotel...which meant we both got two meals :) The breakfast was a cappaccino, crissont, and a juice. So we got 4 of each of those as our breakfast. It actually was really good! The crissont was chocolate chip and plain which we saved for later in the day. After breakfast, we decided we would want to go on over to the Vatican to check it out. It was a really long walk (I'd say about a 50 min walk), but walking allows you to see many things on the way! We stopped in a few shops, got some souvies, and then made our way to the Vatican. Once close, I took a picture on the bridge with Saint Angelo's castle in the background. It was really massive and very neat to see. At the vatican, there were sooo many people. It was a big open circle area with statues around the top and St. Peter's in the middle. We waited in a quick 30 min line before getting right at the entrance. Wellllll, we didn't know there was a dress code to go in. Jacqui was wearing shorts and a tank top..but apparently girls needed to wear pants and a shirt with sleeves. I was ok in shorts and a polo shirt, so Jacqui said to go in while she waited outside. I felt really bad because I like experiencing everything together, but she said to just go in and take pictures so she coudl see. So I went into the church and down below, I got to see St. Peter's tomb. It was magnificent! I took a few quick pictures, then went into the actual church up above and wow! It truly was a sight to see. Pictures can't do any justice to what was in there. Once back outside, I met up with Jacqui and we made our way around the walls of the Vatican to see if we could go into the museum or find another gelato shop that was recommended to us. Wellll, the walk was really long and it took us forever to make our way around it. When we made it around, we saw the museum and saw it was closed. I guess certain days the museum was closed and today happened to be one of those. I guess there is some sort of Italian holiday that was being celebrated where many people get the day off. Oh well...so then just down the street we saw the gelato shop we had been looking for...and it was also closed. Oh well, there were many other things to see and do besides museums and gelato. We hit up a few shops where Jacqui got some souvies for her family, then went on our way over to Plaza Navona. On our way there, we stopped and got a quick gelato which was very good, then found the Plaza. There were lots of little artists, restaurants, and shops in the Plaza. Really neat..but pretty crowded. So what do you know...there was another gelato shop that was recommended, and wow! The place was called Blue Ice and definitely had one of the best. I had a mango, melon, and rasberry flavor while Jacqui had a cherry vanilla type. After chowing those bad boys down, we saw a restaurant that had a recommended dessert. I wasn't much in the mood to have it, but Jacqui was..so she ordered it and of course I ended up trying it. I think it was one of my favorite desserts ever...seriously. IT was a little chocolate sponge looking thing with ice cream whip topping. Wow...sooo good. We got in trouble for bringing our gelato in that restaurant since it wasn't from them..but oh well..we did end up ordering something from them.
After all those desserts, I was sick to my stomach. We walked a little of the ways down, saw the Pantheon (which is a dome shaped temple built in AD 125. It is one of the best preserved buildings in Rome). We got a quick diet coke at a Mcdonalds outside of the Pantheon, then went over to the Trevi fountain. This was a really neat fountain that had millions of people. Everyone was just sitting around the fountain and by the water. Pretty neat, but too crowded. Jacqui's camera was dying of battery so we looked in a bunch of shops but they charge about 50 euros for a new battery. She forgot the battery charger at home :( So we didn't get a new battery. By that time, it was close to 3 and we needed to get back to the hotel, get our bags, and make it over to the train station for a 3:45 train to Pisa. We hurried on back, got the train tickets, and made it with about 10 minutes to spare. Pretty good timing! On the train, there was a REALLY annoying couple sitting right behind Jacqui that were arguing for almost an hour straight yelling very loudly in another language. Not to be mean, but they smelled awful, were very rude, and were just unpleasnt to be around. The guy continued to make noise most of the trip with loud duct tape and pounding on his luggage to try and fix it. OH well..I guess there are just some rude people out there. Jacqui and I wrote a bunch about the trip to recap and relaxed for the 3 hour train trip into Pisa. Next up is the leaning tower of pisa!! We still don't have a hotel booked so finding one might be a little tricky :( ...hopefully it is not as bad as it was in Florence where all the places are sold out. I guess we will see.

After at loooong delay with the train, we got into Pisa late at night. We purposely left early so that we would arrive in Pisa early to get some pics with the Leaning Tower, find a hotel, and go out to eat...but nope. The train was sooo delayed that we got into town really late. First things first, we rushed to find our way to the Tower. After a long walk, we finally found it. I must say, it really is a neat thing to see! We took a few pics, then walked around looking for a hotel to stay at. Of course..every hotel seemed to be sold out. FInally, we found one...but the owner spoke NO english at all. So after trying to point and make signals with our hands, we got a room. It was quite a funny experience. After getting all checked in, Jac and I went to a little restaurant since we were starving. I had a pretty good pizza while Jacqui had a good seafood mixture dish. We walked around a little, got one last gelato and hit the hay for the night since we had an early morning. Woke up early, then the traveling began. We took a few trains and to get over to Brussels airport where my bike and bag were safely stored. We stayed the night in Brussels (actually Charleroi), ate at Pizza Hut and spent most of the day in the hotel not doing much. It was nice in a way to relax for once after such a busy trip. The next day we trained over to the airport, picked up my bike and bag, bought a few last minute gifts, and sat a while since our flight was once again delayed. After finally getting on the plane, we traveled for a LONGGG time and ended up back in town. What a great great great trip that I would definitely go on in a eartbeat. I hope you enjoyed reading about the trip :)

Hy-Vee Du..errrr Tri

2008-06-26T16:42:00.009-05:00

Swim? Yes....No.....Yes.....No.

Jeez, so this past weekend I raced in the Hy-Vee International Triathlon. Leading up to the race I was all ready to have a fun triathlon and test out where I was in terms of swimming. Olympic distance tri's are my main focus for the next few years so its nice to see where I've come along. Well about 1.5 weeks before the race the race directors decided that the swim would be cancelled due to heavy flooding and high bacteria levels in the water. As much as I wanted to see where I was with the swimming aspect involved...I was PSYCHED to have a duathlon! I figured that I would be extremely hard to beat in the race with the way my cycling has been going. My run has been a little weaker due to a nagging ankle injury after Duathlon Nationals, but I've been getting stronger and stronger each week. So leading up to the race I was beaming just thinking about the race. Since the swim was cancelled, my little brothers (Jason-10 and Alex-7) wanted in. They (like me) cannot swim too well. We are working on that right now...but they have been running 5ks constantly lately and getting pretty good at them! So as soon as it was changed into a duathlon both my lil bros registered for the race.

Wellll...as many know, the race was changed back into a tri a few days before the event. I give so much credit to the race directors for getting everything organized and changed on such short notice. It was a magnificent venue and everything seemed to run perfectly.

So I drove out to Des Moines, Iowa on Friday afternoon with my dad, lil bros, and Jacqui. Jacqui was doing her first Olympic distance tri ever!!! We got into town and thanks to a great friend and teammate, Jimmy Becker, we had a home to stay at. We watched a movie and hit the hay for the night to get ready for the kid's race the next day. Luckily the kids race stayed as a duathlon so both my brothers were able to participate. We got them all ready in the morning and set up for their races. First up was little Alex. He was racing in the 8 year old division and there were 60 total racers! The gun went off and they all went flying! The race distance was a 200 meter run, 1.5 k bike, 200 meter run. He came into transition around 5th place and thanks to a speedy transition came out on the bike in 2nd! Unfortunetely on the bike turnaround, another racer went down and Alex moved out of the way and went down too. Around 10 racers passed him just from that mishap, but he still plugged away and finished up the 2nd run finishing in 9th place. It was really exciting and fun to watch.

Gina, my dads friends daugher, went next. Unfortunetely for her, swimming is her strongest in the three event race. She still went out hard and hung in there tough with a bunch of the other girls. She raced in the 10-11 year old division and did the distance of 600 meter run, 1.5k bike, 600 meter run. Gina passed a bunch of girls on the bike due to being a great cyclist, and managed to come away with an 8th place out of around 55 girls!

Jason went last in the 10 year old division. He did the same distance as Gina and had around 60 boys in the race. I tell you..there were so many kids racing! I think there were around 500 total!! Looks like the future in triathlon sure is bright! Anyways, Jason went out just like we told him and sat back a little. He was in around 5th and made a move almost catching the first runner coming into transition. Jason didn't have such a great bike rack spot since it was all the way on the end making him run more than everyone else. Onto the bike he had to play catch up and ended up catching the leader!! He had a great bike split and was in contention to win the race. But again, because of the bad transition spot, a few guys passed him in the transition and got a gap on him. For the last run Jason repassed a few runners to come away with 4th place! He just missed out on a podium finish!!

The most important thing was that they all had so much fun and are begging to sign them up for another race! It was definitely a highlight of the weekend watching them race and be excited to be out there. Next up we have to work on the swimming so that they don't end up like their big brother and get crushed in the swim at every race!!

Here are a few pics from their races:

Alex, Jason, and Gina Pre-Race

Lil Alex tearin up the bike course

Finishin' strong!

Gina finishing like a champ

First run comin up the hill strong!

Jas tearin' up the bike!

Jason comin up into transition

So that was a really fun and exciting day! The rest of the day I got my packet, did a little workout, and got my bike all set up in transition for the big race the next day.

Race morning I woke up and wow was I tired! 3:30 am wakeup is not my idea of sleepin in. I basically rolled outta bed, got my race gear ready and went over to the T2 in order to put my running shoes and race belt out. (There were two transition areas which was a little bit of a pain). Over at the swim Jacqui and I set up our bike area and put on the wetsuits to get ready for the big day ahead of us!

Gettin the numbers on!

Into the water...I was still basically asleep. I really wasn't in the mood to start racing. It was strange because usually I am all fired up and excited to have a fun day. I think it was the lack of sleep and long day before out in the sun cheering and watching all of the kids races. The swim was pretty uneventful. I got a position to the far right and had a straight shot to the first buoy. Let me tell you...the water was pretty bad. I could not even see my hand right in front of my face in this water. It seemed pretty dirty..but I guess clean enough to put on a race! I was a little tired near the end of the swim but came out of the water in 22:50. It ended up being the 45th fastest swim split out of the 1000 racers..so not too bad. I had a good transition and hopped onto my bike. I pumped hard from the start and set my eyes up ahead on Mark Harms (the eventual race winner). I was gaining ground on him and was motivated..but just didnt' seem to have the bike legs that I was used to this year so far. I have been so comfortable on my bike in every race and felt a lot of power with each pedal stroke. Well not this race...I was huffing and breathing hard just to keep going. I was still doing ok and told myself to keep pushing. After around 5 miles, things started to go wrong. I switched gears and oops...there goes my chain. I had to come to a complete stop, unclip, put the chain back on, and then off I went. Mark Harms was long gone and a bunch of racers that I previously had passed were also way up ahead. I was very disappointed and took off charging. I still felt very dead for the next 12 miles or so and then tragedy again. My bottle flopped out in front of a usat official. I did not want to risk a 2 min littering penalty, so I stopped agian, picked up the bottle, and went off on my way again. I can tell you that it is definitely not fun going from 25+ mph to a complete stop to get off and then start going again. I was not happy and just plugged away the rest of the bike. My bike split was just over 1:02 which was 24 mph avg. I had the 19th fastest bike split.

Transition two was blazing (fastest out of everyone). I kept thinking that all I wanted to do was get off my bike and start running. Well..I started running and felt great. My goal was to just catch up to a bunch of other racers and get into a decent position. It didn't feel like I was running too fast but I was still making ground on the leaders. I think I started the run in around 13th place. At the finish, I was 5th place and ended with the fastest run split out everyone in 33:00 (5:20 pace). I should be a little faster and it showed because as I crossed the line I was thinking thats it? I just couldn't come to push myself like usual. Because of the wave starts, I ended up with a 7th place overall finish in a time of 2:00:09. I would've been nice to break 2 hours and come in top 3..but oh well. It was a rough day and I still was able to finish in the top.

As for Jacqui..she did a great job in her first Olympic tri. The swim was her fastest yet out of all the training days that we've done, she averaged 18.4 mph on the bike, and ran 7:00 pace for the 10k. She finished as 9th in her age division and I was really proud of her finish! Whats even better is that as soon as the race was over she checked to see if the Lifetime Fitness triathlon was still open so that she could register! Sooo we both will be racing there in a few weeks. I think she has a bright future in the sport of triathlon with more training! She already is training hard and will see huge improvements in the next race!!!

Well that is about it for the race recap (look at that..less than a week and I have the race report up! )

Rest of Disney Trip!

2008-06-17T13:37:00.006-05:00

So after the Florida 70.3 race...it was time for some fun! I mean, we are in DisneyWorld, why should we just head back home? Later that night my girlfriend Jacqui flew into Orlando from Mississippi because she was at a wedding so I picked her up and we headed out for the night.

The next day was fulllll of adventure. We coudln't decide which park we wanted to tackle since there were so many great things at each one so we ended up thinking that waking up early and going to three parks in one day would be the best option. We started off with Epcot, then went to Hollywood Studios, and finished it all off with none other than Magic Kingdom. The best part about all of this was that the parks were empty! We were able to get on all of the rides and adventures pretty quickly which allowed us to navigate through the parks pretty easily. If you go to Disney anytime after the end of May...watch out. There are people everywhere and you'd be lucky to get a few rides done at just one park. So from now on...no more Disney after mid May! It was so much more relaxing being able to walk through a park without squeezing through the crowds and having my head stuffed under a sweaty man's armpit!

Here are a few pics from the parks:

The next day we headed over to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure. It was really nice because a few years back I went there with my mom and little brothers and won free tickets to come back! I entered a Fear Factor Live challenge and ended up winning, so I had 4 free park tickets which ended up coming in handy for the day! Since we had free park tickets, we ended up buying a Fast Pass card which allowed us to go to the front of all the rides...wow what a deal! We were able to just walk up to any ride and not wait in line at all. The day was a lot of fun...and definitely one of the highlights was when John and Jacqui decided to try out the Fear Factor Live experience themselves. We showed up a little late so they were unable to sign up for the show itself, but they were able to get into the eating contest. So for this wonderful contest, they both had to eat a cupfull of blended up crickets, worms, ants, spoiled milk, dirt, sea creatures...gosh, you name it. But you know what...they both did it and beat the other team to walk away with a woooondeful prize of: a cup! Haha, all they got was a little cup that said they ate a bug. I guess the experience is what the true prize is! So that capped off our day there..

The next day was spent driving up to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Since we drove to Florida, we decided the best thing would be to get the most out of it. We stopped off in Mrytle Beach (where it happend to be biker week)...and no, not little bikes like I ride..the real bikes (Harleys n such). They were everywhere and took over the roads. It was pretty neat to see though. So we all went out to the beach, did a little body boarding, ate some gooood food and called it a night. The next day we spent a lot of time laying out at the ocean, playing frisbee, and just relaxing. It couldn't have been a better trip to celebrate graduation.

Some Major Updates!

2008-06-10T22:27:00.007-05:00

Ok...I know I know...I always start my blogs off with saying that I'm sorry for not posting in so long. I just get busy and have other things that I need to get done such as playing with the little brothers, training, eating, cleaning, you know..the usual. So I'd like to start a series of race reports since I've been doing a bunch of that lately. The first one that I will start off with is my trip to Florida for the FL 70.3 triathlon. This was a race that my best friend John Atch and I have been wanting to do ever since we first learned about it 4 years ago when we just happened to be in Florida for vacation while the race was being held. We always said that we were going to do the race someday...so what a better time to do it right after graduation! So I graduated from University of Illinois (no big deal or anything..I was ready to be done), and left a few days later for a pretty long trip. John and I wanted to make a long trip out of it since he'd be busy over the summer and couldn't really go on any other vacations for a while. Driving there seemed to be the best option because of flight prices and lugging the bike on the plane..which is just a pain. We had the time so driving it was. We also were able to make a trip out of it by visiting a few places on the way there and on the way back..so it worked out perfectly!

So we drove out on a Wednesday night and made a stop at Daytona beach for some surfing and fun. It was neat driving right up onto the beach and parking! It was my first time surfing...so needless to say there was a lot of falling (good thing there were no injuries!). We then ate at a fun little wings restaurant where I manged to have my phone fall out of my pocket while using the restroom and land directly in the toilet..yea really nice :( So I was phoneless for the trip but thanks to John he was always willing to lend me his (thanks sooo much!).

We drove into Orlando after dinner and decided to check out the night life scene. We were pretty tired and needed a quick rest so we slept in the car in the parking lot and were pleasantly woken by a cop car shining his lights directly in our car. We were unsure of what to do so we drove off and parked someplace else to try and catch some more sleep. .......and again, we were woken by a pair of cops on little scooters tapping on the window. They asked what we were up to and John replied, "we are just really tired and don't want to drive being tired so we are going to take a little nap and then finish the drive to Orlando." .....wellll guess what, we were in Orlando. I'm pretty sure the cops thought that we we drinking or something because we were so out of it! They recommended buying some energy drinks since they work so well, haha. So no trouble caused! We walked around for a bit and then decided it was time to sleep for real. Wellll, we didn't really plan the trip too well and didn't have a room to sleep in for the night. Being the cheap college grads that we are, we pulled into the lot of our hotel and moved all of our equipment and bikes to the front seat of the van. We put the bike egg cartons on the floor and slept on the floor. Check out our nice sleeping arrangements:

So yea..two guys in the back of a van...it sure was a lovely wake up when I could hear people saying, "hey look there are two guys sleeping in the back of that van!" ...and yes that is a towel used as a pillow.

That next day, John and I decided that we need to go pick up our packet info and look around the race scene. We got all of that taken care of and went back to the hotel so that we could check in and bring all the gear and finally clean out the van. Wellllll, we look at our reservations and realized that it wasnt for another day that we could check in. Wonderful.. now what? Sleep in the van again? No way.

We decided that the best option would be to drive for 1.5 hours over to Clearwater and stay in John's parent's condo. His dad was there for the week anyways and needed some company so we went over there to visit him and actually have a bed to sleep in 2 nights before the race. It ended up being the best decision since we were able to actually shower, have a bed, and get some actual food from a restaurant instead of donuts and powerbars. We ended up sleeping for a reallllly long time that night. The next day we finally checked into the hotel and went over to the race sight for a pre-race bike and then bike check in. Here are some pics from that:

Ok, so we finished with everything, then went out to dinner for a pre race pizza meal. Back at the hotel I couldn't fall asleep at all. I was up til 1 am and I needed to be up at 3am. I wasn't too worried though because I have been used to racing on little to no sleep. The only thing that I was worried about was my lack of training leading up to the race. I came down with a bad flu before leaving making me not able to work out for 4 days straight. I also had an ankle injury 2.5 weeks out of the race making me unable to run at all. I ran a total of 6 miles in those two weeks. I was pretty happy that my ankle was feeling better by the time the race came up, but was unsure on how fast I would be able to go.

Race morning was a blast. John and I were pumped and ready to just have a fun race. Of course we would like to have good races, but having fun while we were out there was more important.

So the swim...it was a beach start, my first one ever! I decided that I have quick speed and I could sprint out and get ahead of everyone if I was fast enough. Then I would not have to deal with the crowds, pushing, and pulling. It ended up being perfect. I was actually in the lead..but not for long and my swimming weakness was shown. I still felt great in the water and went along at my normal speed without using too much energy. I finished the swim in right around 33 minutes..yikes. I need to get that down under 30 realllllly soon.

Onto the bike, I felt good right away. I started hammering early and was hoping that I could hold my pace for most of the bike. In previous half ironmans I died near the end because I always go out too hard. I was averaged right around 24.5 mph and felt great the whole ride. It even started to rain for a little while out on the course. With about 7 miles left...it hit me. I was tired and just wanted to be done. I strolled into transition and ended up averaged 24.0 mph according to my computer, but the results showed slower since the bike course was over a mile long!

I started the run feeling ok, but wow. I was really out of running shape. I felt slow and tired the whole run. It was a 3 loop course...and very boring. Not much of anything going on and most of it was in the grass! I had to walk after my first loop because I was not feeling good at all and almost just wanted to drop out. I kept taking in liquids and putting sponges on my neck, but nothing was working. I just plugged through the run really wanting everything to just be over. It was the most unpleasant thing ever. I seriously was unsure if my body was going to be able to make it through the race. I ended up running a 1:33 or so which is very terrible for me. I should definitely be under a 1:20 with my leg speed and 1:09 open 1/2 marathon. But the lack of running leading up to the race put me in a bad position. Even after the race for a few weeks it was very hard for me to run without being fatigued. (Luckfully it is coming back now with no injury!). That is the most important thing.

I ended up placing third in my age group...right off of 1st! Darn...but I qualified for the 70.3 world championships in Clearwater and I will for sure be tearing it up there. I know that I should be around a 4:10 70.3 triathlete with the training that I do. We will see what happens though when I race in November! I am pretty excited about it and will be training for a bunch of races leading up to it.

Thats about it for the race..I'll update more about my trip and other races that I've been doing over the next few days! So there will be a lot of stories, just make sure you check back!!!

In the meantime, keep training!

-Bread

Race Reports!! Starting with Collegiate Nationals!

2008-05-01T17:44:00.009-05:00

Hey all,

So its been a while I know :) But school is finally starting to wrap up and then I'll be finished with my Undergrad here at the University of Illinois! Soooo much has been going on and the racing season is finally in full gear. Racing is the part of the sport that I love the most. I get to go out there and give it my all and feel the excitement/satisfaction of finishing. Sure there are days when I'm down on myself for having a bad race, but having that one race that comes along when everything goes perfectly is definitely worth it!

So I'm sure you're wondering what has been going on. Well to start, a few weekends ago I ran in the Christie Clinic 5k here at my school. I wasn't expecting much competition so I was just using it as a nice training day. Wellll, the morning of the race, the weather through everyone in for a loop. It starting snowing and had howling winds coming from every direction. I still ended up winning the race in a time of 15:30 all by myself. It was nice to get a nice little hard effort in without pushing all out. I also got myself a spot in the local newspaper which is always fun!

Here is the starting line with my dad(in black), little bro Alex (the little guy), Jacqui (my gf that took 2nd overall), and me:

So that was a fun little race, but nothin compared to a triathlon! The next weekend was a big race that I had been excited about for a reallllly long time. Throughout all the years here at my school, I have been wanting to compete at collegiate triathlon nationals, but there has never been much of a team organization. Well this year was a little different. The U of I team actually has a little leadership and its been a lot of fun having some guys that are willing to race and have some fun. Ever since the start of the school year this race was talked about with my team. We planned on going to this race and having a good showing for our debut. I can successfully say that it was a success!

The U of I team ended up sending 9 athletes to the race, 7 guys and 2 girls. You need at least three athletes to count for scoring and getting a team place, so our guys team go a finish while the girls did not. We drove down to Tuscaloosa, AL on a Thursday night and drove through the whoooooooooooole night. Having three cars and only 5 that were able to drive the rental vans meant that I was driving much of the night. I got buy with my Monster energy drinks. Those have seriously saved me so many times when driving while tired. I definitely recommend the Orange Monster drink to anyone out there. It has a fruity taste and gets you all fired up!

We got into Tuscaloosa early in the morning, got a little of the course tested out, swam, and had a little to eat over at good ole Subway. I realized that my front tire was losing a lot of air over time and got pretty worried about it. I called up my dad, and being the savior that he is, he went to the store back in Chicago, picked up a new tire and some glue for me. He was flying into AL later that night, so I was just going to glue my tire on in the morning.

The rest of the night was just relaxing and getting all the race preparations done. I went to bed around 10pm but woke up at midnight because my dad finally arrived. So there I am trying to stretch out a tubular tire at 12:30 in the morning the night before a race. I finally got the tire on and glued thanks to Tufo tape at around 1. I also had ordered a set of wheel covers to convert my rear Zipp 808 into a disc. They were shipped to my Chicago address instead of here at school, so my dad brought those along too. I was trying to set that up on my bike at about 2 in the morning. Around 2:30, I finally hopped back into bed only to wake up to my alarm at 4:15. Wonderful...1 hour of sleep 2 nights before the race and only 3 hours the night before. I definitely wasn't expecting my body to be too well rested!

So race morning, I tested out my sweet new ride with the disc cover and tire. Everything seemed dialed in and right. I had a good amount of time just to make sure everything was set up right in transition and seemed ready to go. I put on my new BlueSeventy Helix wetsuit thanks to a recent sponsorship with them and headed over to the start line. I was in the first wave since I was the number one guy from my team. There were a lot of people in my wave! I was a little scared because these were all of the best athletes and most likely better swimmers than me. I got a nice little spot next to my best friend John from the Northern Illinois Tri team. The gun went off and WOW. I started to panic. I thought my swimming was ready, but I haven't done too many tris in the past with mass starts. I was being pushed around, dunked, hit, pulled, you name it. I started to panic and could not catch my breath. I had to stop and let some of the swimmers go by so that I could try to relax which ended up saving me. Once I had a little opening, I found a little groove and got myself back into the race. I almost thought that I was going to have to drop out of the race for a second! Well after finding out that I was going to be ok, I started swimming a little faster and passed a few people that were ahead of me..definitely a good feeling! I finished up the swim with a good amount of energy..only problem was that I was 4.5 minutes back of the leaders! Yikes! My swim time for the 1500 meters was 22:45.

Into transition and onto the bike! I immediately felt at ease on the bike. My dad yelled out that I was in 51st place or so coming out of the water. Soooo I had a lot of catching up to do. I started passing a few people near the start of my ride, and as the ride went along, I was passing more and more. I felt really strong and made every effort to keep pushing to go faster. My legs started to cramp up a litle bit, but I took in some fluids with Carbo-Pro and immediately they felt better. The only problem that scared me was that my cassette came loose! I heard this jingling noise around the second lap of the 2 loop course. I wasn't sure what it was at the time, but after the race I had to check it out. I didn't tighten my cassette all the way from the previous night while installing the disc cover. I guess that shows ya how tired I was! The bike course was pretty challenging with some slow long grades. I was surprised with how well I handled all of the hills considering I never ride on any. It must be from the constant riding in 30 mph+ winds of Champaign, IL!!! For the ride, nobody passed me, and I finished with a bike split of 59:51 for the 40k. It was just over 25 mph avg and the 5th fastest split of all the riders.

Finally to my specialty! I zipped through the 2nd transition and endedup having the fastest 2nd transition out of every triathlete! I started running pretty hard but my feet were completely numb still from the water. (The water was sooo cold!) When I started the run, I was in around 30th place so I had some ground to make up. The course was very difficult since it had three very large uphill sections. There were points when I was almost walking up them! I still put it into race and cruise mode. One by one I was passing athletes...actually there were a few times when I passed multiple athletes at once :) I didn't feel like I was going very fast, but I guess that is for me. Coming from a running background definitely helps as I can run faster than most other athletes. Near the end, I was just dead tired and ready to be done. I crossed the line in 1:59:02 for my third ever Olympic distance tri. My first two were 2:16 and 2:18...so quite a difference. For the run, I had the second fastest split (2nd to Kevin Collington..a pro triathlete) with a time of 34:30. It was a tough course and I know that I should be 32 and change, but I'll take it for the day considering I only got about 5 hours of total sleep for the last two nights combined.

Overall, I was happy with my performance. I ended up finishing 5th overall. So I passed a lot of people on that run! (...and it shows how bad I was hurting to pass them). The guys team ended up with a 25th place finish so it was a decent showing in our debut. Its a little sad that I only got to do this race once...but once I go to grad school I will definitely be back gunning for that overall win :)

Here is me with the tri team prez Jimmy followed by a team shot as we watched the Olympic trials (which I will be in soon :) )....

So that about caps it up. It was a fun little trip, and I definitely caught up on sleep the next day! ...and by that I mean I went to work at 4:30 am on Monday came back at 7:30, fell asleep til 3! Oh well for going to class on Monday!

Up next...I'll post a race report from Elite Duathlon Nationals which I raced in this past weekend. I should have the report up this weekend...once I get some pictures so that I can post them on there!

In the meantime, check out my main website at www.rybread.com Its in the process of being changed so there will be some updates on there! Thanks for readin and hope you enjoyed, please leave a comment!!!!!

-bread

March Madness 1/2 Marathon Race Report!!!!

2008-03-24T13:00:00.003-05:00

So on March 16th, I was back up in the Chicago suburbs for my Spring Break. To start it off, I ran in the March Madness half marathon in Cary, IL. Most people in the Chicagoland area know this race very well and attracts many runners. Typically is sells out soon after registration opens and caps out at 1000 runners. The course is also known to be very hilly and difficult for those that do not train on hills. So going into the race, I was not sure how well I would do considering I train on flat roads and never get much hill work in. I was also unsure of my fitness level at the time since I haven't done too many highly intense workouts or races to guage where I am at. So before the race, I decided that it would be best to take it out easy and just run with the lead group. I had seen that in the past few years, the winners have been around 1:14, which I knew would be a time I could do, but was not sure what effect the hills would have on me.

So race morning came, and I went over to the course with my girlfriend, Jacqui. Her dad is the president of the running club that puts on this race, so I had a lot of insight of what the course had to offer even though I never have ran it before. We warmed up for about a mile or so in order to get an idea of what the weather was like and what to wear. Luckfully this year was really nice out. It was a little cold but the wind was low and there was no snow! If you live around the Chicago area, you know that we were just hit with a big snow storm a few days ago..so having anything above 30 degrees with no snow/rain/wind is a NICE day! I decided to just go with a short sleeve shirt, running shorts, arm warmers, and gloves. It ended up feeling perfect.

The race went out, and I was actually a little surprised. Nobody was willing to push the pace at all. I felt like I was almost at a slow jog but I kept telling myself that there will be big hills in the later stages of the race. At about 1/2 mile, I decided it was going too slow. I picked up my speed a little bit and nobody went with me. My first mile ended up being 5:30 exactly. After getting a little lead, I picked up my speed a little bit and dropped into the low 5's/high 4's for my new miles just to get a comfortable lead on the runner's behind me. My best friend, John, was out on the course with his bike and would give me updates throughout the race telling me how big my lead was. I was glad to see that it kept growing throughout the miles. At around the 7 mile mark, I noticed that i was going around 5:20 pace. I was still feeling fresh and thought to myself that I could push the pace a little more to see what kind of time I could run. So the last few miles I dropped my miles to low 5's and cruised it all the way into the finish line for a win in a total time of 1:09:32. It ended up being an average of 5:16 per mile. I was happy with the performance since it showed that I was able to hold a faster pace throughout a longer race. In years past I was unable to hold my pace. I was able to run that fast, but would fade out later in the race. But for this one, I was able to increase my speed and get faster/stronger while tackling some very large hills in the later stages of the race. Most hills were around 7-11 miles, so that is when a lot of runners would struggle. But I was able to actually get faster! So overall it was a great race. Jacqui ended up placing 6th overall for the females in 1:32 which was a great time for her. She'll be racing in the St. Louis Marathon in 2 weeks, so it'll be fun to see how that goes. I plan on racing the 5k the day before the marathon and then running a little more than half of the race with her the next day. It'll be nice to get some speed work in with that 5k since I have Collegiate Nats and Du Nats coming up back to back weekends. I'm going to need to have a lot of speed for Du Nats since that is the Elite Worlds Qualifier for the championships in Italy. I plan on getting into the top group on the first run, holding my own on the bike, and powering in the last run to place top 3 overall for the Pros. I think my running speed will be ready by then with a few hard workouts these next few weeks.

So that is about it for my race recap. I'd like to send out a special thanks to Adam Zucco and Trainingbible.com for helping me race to my full potential these past few years, Powerbar for supplying me with the nutrition not only before but also after my races, and Jeff Aubert and the Hillstriders running club for putting on such a great race!

Check back soon, I'll post a recap of the Shamrock Shuffle 8k which I will be running on this coming Sunday!

-Bread

Desert Classic Du!

2008-02-28T10:13:00.003-06:00

Wow,

Its been a while, and I'm extremely sorry. But there is good news...and that is the racing season has begun!!! Now that I'm back to racing, I will be doing my usual race updates as the season goes on...so make sure you check back. I will also be reconstructing my main page at: http://www.rybread.com/ So make sure you keep checking back for new pictures, layout, and race schedule!

Ok, so what has been happening. Well this past weekend I flew out to Phoenix, AZ with my dad. I cant sait it enough, but he seriously is my biggest supporter, and I would not able to do all these races without his help. So thank you, it really means a lot to me.

We flew out Friday morning and got into Phoenix around noon. Unfortunetely my bike did not show up so there were worries that it may have gotten stolen or lost. That would just be wonderful right? So most Friday was spent worrying and calling the airport to see if the bike showed up yet. I got in a short easy run of 7 miles at 5:45 min/mile pace and felt ready to go. I really wanted to ride my bike a little bit because I havent been able to in the middle of the snow/coldness of Chicago. Late at night, my bike showed up somehow. It was too late by then to test it out so I decided to just wait til the next day.

On Saturday my dad and I went over to the Chicago Cubs spring training baseball practice. Let me tell you...we are HUGE Cubs fans, so it was awesome to be able to go watch them practice a little bit. We even went behind the fence waiting for them to hit some home run balls over. Wow, it was nuts back there. People were diving in the streets and fighting just to get their hands on one of these. Luckfully because of being fast, my dad and I were able to sprint to the balls and get some to bring back as souviners! I did walk away with a cut knee and hand due to being pushed and stepped on in the street when I dove for a ball! Dont worry though, nothing serious.

We then went and registered for the race, and I practiced a little bit on the course. The rest of the day was spent walking around the town, going to a street festival, and catching up with some of my dad's relatives.

Race day came and I was pretty nervous. The field was stacked with over 20 male Professionals including the 2004 Triathlon Olympic Gold Medalist. Canada's whole Olympic team was there too, so that in itself was intimidating. Not to mention the fastest cyclists in the sport! So the first run went out blazing. This was because there was about 800 meters of open road before we went onto a winding single track desert course. I positioned myself well and got into 4th place right with the leaders. We came through the first run right under 5 min pace for the 3.5 miles. After transition, I was sitting in 6th place right behind the leaders.

I struggled a bit on the bike at the start. I couldnt find a good groove and people were passing me right away. I think its from the lack of riding quality miles outside...but it will come along soon enough. After about 6 miles, I started to feel better and was hanging strong in 9th place overall. The last 6 miles of the 21 mile course were tough! It was 3 miles of a steady incline. Then it was all rough chipped surface for the last 3. I struggled on the last 3 miles and came into transition in 12th place.

I figured since 7th was not too far ahead, I could maybe get myself into the money. I took off running and felt ok, but lost my balance on a sharp turn and hit a cactus hard! Needles stuck into my leg and it immediately locked up. From there on, I just jogged the rest of the way, still pushing, but not as fast as I am capable of running. I ended up only passing two guys to finish 10th overall. I am not disappointed with my finish, but not satisfied. I know I have a lot more work to do. But if you look at who I was competing against, these are some of the world's best athletes. I do feel honored to be racing against them at such a young age and cant wait to continue my progress.

Other than that, I am now back at school just trying to finish up the school year strong along with getting all my training in. I am happy to announce I have a new sponsor for the next two years...and that is Powerbar! They are going to supply me with all my nutritional needs, and cant wait to expand in relations with them.

But that is about it, check back soon because I plan on writing more about upcoming races which include:

-my first road cycling race this weekend!

-the March Madness half marathon in mid-march

-the Shamrock shuffle 8k

-the St. Louis 5k

Until then, keep training and have a great 2008!

-Bread

Updates!!

2008-01-12T09:59:00.000-06:00

Alright, sooooo its been a while, but I do have a good reason why I didnt update in just over a month. Sure I had lots of time because of being home for a few weeks now due to being on winter break, but I have not had much time to sit around. I went on a family cruise, did a ton of workouts, and of course was busy with the holiday season.

So of course I will start with an update about racing because that is usually all that I write about. So last weekend I ran in the S-no-w Fun Run out in Lake Geneva, WI. It was a 5 mile race held in the afternoon, and had some good competition for a fun run! I think a lot of runners go because of the fun after race party that this race puts on. Going into the race, I was a little nervous because I knew I would have to put together a solid race in order to win based on previous years results. I havent been doing too much speed work, mainly just getting in long miles of 10-14 milers at a slow pace. Or my runs consisted on running at an incline at a quick but not fast pace. Sooo, I figured I would not have too much speed work. Well the start was fast considering it was a steep downhill start. I went out conservatively, but still put myself into a decent position. By the first mile, I had moved up into the lead position. I with two others. Everyone else had dropped off the pace. I knew it was going to be tough for me to win because by the half way mark, my breathing had increased and my legs were burning. At three miles, one of the runners put in a big surge and I could not match it. So he pulled up ahead about 10 meters. The second place runner and myself continued to push eachother until about the 4.5 mile mark. At this point, there was a long hill and by the time I reached the top, I was wondering if I would have anything for the finish. Surprisingly, I was able to push hard the last half mile and make a slight gap with the third place runner. So I finished 2nd place overall about 15 seconds back of the winner. Finish time was 25:30 (5:06 pace). It was alright considering the lack of speed work and with pretty decent hills. Give me a few months and I should be dropping my time a lot more. I already have started to get some speed in with doing a 3 mile time trial yesterday. I went 14:52 by myself on a windy and cold day.

After the race, a pretty fun awards ceremony was held! The awards given out were for each age..so I got a medal for the 23 year old age group. One of the highlights was watching the dance competition after the race. Next year I'm entering for sure and plan on winning. Just wait!

But that is about it for racing. I have just been training to get in the miles and plan on having a great season this coming year. My race schedule is just about complete....so I'll post that as soon as that is finished up with.

I also plan on redoing my main webpace at www.rybread.com so check that out within the next 2 weeks or so. Should be pretty good!

-bread

XC Challenge

2007-12-07T01:23:00.000-06:00

Well, its gettttttin really busy over here at the University. Finals are just around the corner since they start up on Monday. I will have finals Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday. So in just over one week I'll be headin back to the suburbs for winter break. Its much needed, and I seriously cannot wait until this semester is over. For future students...try to avoid taking chemistry and physics at the same time, its definitely not fun. So this coming weekend I'll be sitting inside studying and doing a few workouts.

Enough about school....this last weekend I made a quick trip back home to participate in the Cross Country Challenge in Gilberts, IL. The race is a european styled cross country course that includes very steep hills, knee deep water, trees to climb over, mounds of mud and manure, and lots of bushes to run through which cut up your legs if you're not wearing long pants. I have done this race two times in the past and never really placed well so I was looking to come home with the win this time. Training is going well, and I felt that I was in shape to actually win overall. My problem usually is that I'm not a very good cross country runner. I am good on flat roads and pavement, but when grass, water, and hills are involved....my body refuses to go fast.

Well this was not the case this time. As my best friend John Atch and I were lounging around in the registration barn, the head race director announced 15 minutes until the start of the race. The start line is about 1 mile away, so we decided to start jogging over for a warm up. 90% of the runners were already waiting over at the start line, but we figured we had time to get over there...I mean 15 minutes to do a mile? Well, needless to say, as we neared the start line, the gun went off!! I could see all the runners taking off way ahead of me. I went into panic mode and took off in a mad dash to catch up. It took me about 40 seconds just to get to the start line! So basically everyone had a 40 second head start. My heart rate was through the roof as I was dodging in and out of the 800 runners trying to make my way to the front. The thing with this race is that if you want to place high up, you have to be up front. There are many single tracks were pacing the runner in front of you is very hard to do. I swear my first mile was 4:40 or so and this included very steep hillls, uneven ground, and swampy water ground which my foot sunk into the ground shin deep. By around 2 miles I actually caught the two leaders (one of which was my sophomore year college roommate Kacey Carr!!) He transferred after that year to Olivet Nazerene and currently runs cross country and track there. He's a 2:27 marathoner so he is pretty decent I would say.

So when I caught the leaders...I was breathin pretty hard and was out of gas. I managed to hold my own and stay with them until the final 1/4 mile where I just had nothing. Sprinting the first mile took a lot out of me so I ended up in third place overall out of the 800 runners. It was a pretty good day, but there was still a feeling a disappointment that I was unable to come away with the win. If I had made it to the start line on time it may have been a different story, but I cannot use that as an excuse. I had the chance to run away with the win but I was conservative when running with the leaders. I could have been a little more aggressive, but now I know. Every race is a learning opportunity.

On the plus side, from my 3rd place, I won a free pair of any Brooks shoe that I want. I just have to make a quick stop over to the shoe store and pick them out. But now since that race is over...I am not really sure what will be next for racing. I have planned the Desert Classic Duathlon in Arizona at the end of February, but I am not sure if I will do any races before that. I may do a few small road races to keep my speed up, but we'll see.

Training is going well and I think this coming season will be my best yet. I'm really healthy, feeling strong, and have a lot of motivation. I am actually swimming actual workouts and doing 4000+ yards when goin to the pool! I used to only do about 1500 yards, and now I can do that for a warmup. My speed is still slow in the pool, but I can go a lot longer. Once my endurance is up, I will focus on some speed. Does anybody know of a swimmer that would be willing to help me out? I really need some help in the water to look at my form. I do not want to keep swimming if I am doing many things incorrectly. So if anyone out there that reads this is willing to spend a day or few days during the next month or on any weekend to help me out...I'd be extremely grateful.

Alright, well I have to get to bed to be ready for a good day of training and studying tomorrow. Keep checkin' back as I'm sure to update on training and/or any other stories!

-Bread

Turkey Break!

2007-11-27T14:28:00.000-06:00

Wow, what a much needed break from school! Things over here are getting pretty hectic because the end of the semester is right around the corner. Professors just love to give one last exam before finals! I just dont understand that sometimes. But I'm used it now from being here for so long. There are only two more weeks of regular class and then one week of finals. This semester has gone so fast, I don't know where all the time went! Its a little sad to think that after next semester I'll be leaving this school forever. Then its time to move onto bigger and better things (grad school and training my butt off). As of right now I am planning on taking next year off of school to concentrate on training and let my brain rest for a while before I start grad school up. I still do not know where I want to go to grad school so I figure it can be a good chance to check out some schools with the year off. So I'm looking forward to a great year full of training and racing. Hopefully I'll be able to get a better idea of what my potential can be in the sport with all of my time dedicated to training.

Speaking of training, I'm amping up the volume! This winter my coach, Adam Zucco, of TrainingBible is helping me build up a large base this winter. Being my third year in the sport, I have never built up a big base during the winter months. Last winter I was very sick and unable to work out for about 2 months. But this is a new year! I dont think I've been in such a good position as of this time in many years. I am healthy, feeling good, and really motivated to have a great season next year.....I have even been swimming 4 days a week!! Past winters I would not swim once and wait until the pools would open outdoors to start swimming. So watch out, my swimming is going to be on a much better level next season!! But basically I've been doing a lot of long slow runs (10-20 miles) at around 6:40 pace keeping it nice and loose. Then there are a few short quick runs in each week in order to keep my leg speed up. On the bike I've been doing a couple long rides of 2-3 hours each week. I'm sure I'll be riding a little more in time. And the weather has been so awful lately (rain and cold) that I'm forced to ride inside. I guess I could be a crazy and try to ride outside, but I prefer to get a good sweat in and not freeze my legs off outside.

As for race updates, I did run a short 2 mile race on Thanksgiving morning. My family usually does this every year, and I havent been able to due to injuries or sickness in the past few years, so I gave it a go this year. I ended up taking second in 9:42, which is pretty disappointing and slow, but I have not been doing any real speed training, and I'm still getting back into shape. The two weeks that I took off pretty much put me in a big hole..and I blame myself. I should have been watching what I ate...but what fun is that. Needless to say I weighed myself 1.5 weeks ago and I was 14 lbs over what I should be at, haha. Its crazy how fast I can put on weight if I want. But I have a good friend now that is working with me and the plan is to take the weight off slowly by watching what we eat and doing our scheduled workouts. So basically I was carrying a lot of extra weight in the race...but no worries because I'm watching, and I have 10 lbs to go until I'm one lean machine!

Alright, that is about it for now. I have to get going to class, but I'll try to update on some other soon. I've got more stories! So check back soon!

-Bread

Crank That!

2007-11-11T14:56:00.000-06:00

Alright...so this weekend I was required to drive back up to the Chicago suburbs in order to take the GRE for a second time. I wanted to see if I could get a better score in order to "impress" grad schools, and it was successful! I bettered my score by 150 points from the last time that I took it. So hopefully now I will have a better chance getting into the grad school of my choice.

But anyways, I came home on Friday afternoon after my last class. I was talking about the latest craze of Soulja Boy's "Crank That" dance, and my 9 year old little brother Jason wanted to learn it. So later that night I took a little time out of my studying and viola! 30 minutes later and Jason was a master at Soulja Boy's dance. I highly recommend this dance to all. First, its just fun, and second, its a pretty good workout once you do it about 100 times in a row. So watch the video, learn, the dance, get the song, and dance your heart out.

Enjoy!

Been a while....

2007-11-06T21:18:00.000-06:00

Hey all,

So its been a while since my last update, but I decided I should make a little appearance to say what has been going on lately. First off.....I just finished up with a 2 week break from all workouts. It was really tough to do, and I actually laced up my running shoes a few times ready to go outside for a run, but then I had to convince myself that my body needs to rest in order to get ready for the winter training months. But I made it through the two weeks, and I just started up again with a few 45 minute runs the past 2 days. It felt absolutely amazing to get out and actually run. All I was doing was sitting on my butt eating junk food for two weeks. I probably gained about 10 pounds from the ice cream, candy, doughnuts, you name it! It was awesome doing that for a few days until I was feeling sick laying in bed from all the junk. I'm surprised I felt so good on my runs considering all the extra weight I'm carrying around. I'm not worried though, I am back to eating normally and now exercising so the weight should come off pretty quickly.

Other than that, this past weekend I headed out to Peoria, IL with the University of Illinois Triathlon Club team. We went to watch the high school state xc meet and then went over to a team building skills course. It was a lot of fun since I got to know the team a little better. I never really had a chance to meet any of them because I was always racing every weekend and was never around. It is a good group of people though and hopefully we'll be able to train together in order to get ready for Collegiate Nationals come April. It will be the first time that we send a team to nationals and I think that we can do a pretty decent job if we can train well and help eachother out these next few months.

Hmmmm...what else. School is going alright. I really need a break though so Thanksgiving and winter break are much needed. Its going to get really hectic with finals and end other end of the semester projects coming up. I am going to have to really be organized and set a schedule up for me to get everything in. Being a student and training for triathlons is not an easy task! But I wouldnt trade it for anything. Next semester is going to be great though considering I am done with class on Thursday at 9 am and then have no class on Fridays. So basically I will have a very long weekend each week. Its going to be needed since I will be doing a few early season races out of town. I'll need to leave on a Friday in order to get to the races. Speaking of which I put together a tentative schedule for next season. I wont be racing as much, but I think that when I do race, I'll be well prepared and ready to roll. Here is a look at the schedule:

February 24th- Desert Classic Duathlon - 3.5 mile run/21 mile bike/2.7 milerun (Arizona)

April 20th- USAT Collegiate Triathlon National Championships - InternationalTri (Alabama)

April 26th - Du Nationals (Virginia)

Early May race: Any suggestions???

May 20th - Florida 1/2 Ironman

June 22nd- Hy-Vee Triathlon - International Triathlon (Iowa)

July 12th - Lifetime Fitness Triathlon - International Triathlon Distance(Minnesota)

Late July/Early August race: Any suggestions??

August 24th- Chicago Triathlon - International Triathlon Distance (Illinois)

September 28th- Duathlon World Championships - International distance(Italy)

Nov - 1/2 Ironman World Champs (Florida) *If I qualify

And thats it! So if you have any suggestions for the races that I left open..please let me know!

Thats about all, I'll update soon. I'm taking the GRE this weekend for grad school so wish me luck.

To close out, here are some pics from Du Worlds...

Long Course Duathlon Worlds

2007-10-24T20:16:00.001-05:00

Welllll...

You always have your good days and bad days. Unfortunetely once in a while you have those bad days ON RACE DAY! I was feeling great coming into the Long Course World Championships...workouts went very well, rest was being taken, and proper nutrition was put into place before this race. Even with all of my efforts, the race was a disappointment. I'll go into detail about the race:

The first run of 15k (9.3 miles) was 2 loops of 7.5k. The top Pros always take off flying, and I wasn't going to make the mistake that I have made at previous world championships by trying to go with the leaders. I stayed back but put myself into a good position within the first 800 meters. After that, for the strangest reason, I had nothing. My body basically shut down and was refusing to move. I kept telling my body to move and stay with the guys that I was running with. I knew that I was able to run with these guys because I typically run with most of the people up front with no problem. But there I was struggling to maintain a stinkin 5:25 pace...ridiculous! I was planning on running the first lap conservatively in 5:20 pace and then pick it up from there, but that definitely wasn't going to happen. I have taken notice that many pros just stop the race right then and there if they know its not their day. A few of them just started walking and dropped out of the race on the first run. Man o man was I jealous of them. I reallllllllllllly wanted to just stop and call it quits..but then I think I would feel like a failure. If I am able to finish a race, then I am going to. The only reason I would not is if I had a serious injury or mechanical issue. Since this wasn't happening, I was going to finish. Sure its pretty embarassing to be one of the last to finish..but heck, I'm doing the race to finish as best as I can. If its a bad day, I wont finish high...but if I'm feeling good, watch out. So all in all, I came into the last run in about 30th out of the 45 male Pros. I knew from the first mile that it wasn't going to be my day.

Onto the bike, I had nothing. The course was very technical and consisted of 4 19k loops. On that first loop I had no power and watched as a few more Pros come flying by me. I was spinning by bike and it was difficult! I just don't understand how days like this happen! But anyways, I came flying down a hill resting up by not pedaling and my water bottles flew out of my cages as I hit a monster bump. So much for nutrition! But seeing as I was not going to finish high..I took my time on the next few laps to stop and pick up my water bottles. I stopped every lap, stretched, and took in fluids. I was so drained of energy that I wasn't even sure if I could finish the race! Many of the racers complained that the course was awful with the rough roads, constant turns, and huge potholes, but I just enjoyed the scenery as I pedaled along. The course was really neat with all the bridges, ponds, and parks. I'm sure I would've have a different mind set if I was actually racing hard and feeling good. I know a bunch of people ended up getting flats due to the awful road surface conditions. (In my mind I was actually hoping for a flat so that I could just stop!! But to my "luck" there were no flats for me.) There were actually times that I was going to stick a sharp rock into my tire just to stop, but I couldn't bring myself to do something like that! Anyways, I finished up the bike loops somehow and made my was off to the last run.

I just trotted along at a 7:10 pace, haha and finished up the race. It was quite embarassing to finish with such a slow time, but I was out there and I feel that it takes a lot more heart to stick it out through the end to finish a race then just to call it quits when you're not feeling your best. I think it will make me stronger in the long run because I can push through the times that I'm struggling. All in all, it was a disappointing race..but there are plenty of races to come (well not this year), and I know that I have much more potential than I showed in this past race. I'd also like to shout out a big congrats to Aksel Nielsen who finished 5th overall in the Pro race. He is from Denmark, and I finished right behind him at Powerman Ohio 3 weeks ago. He gave me a lot of info and support, which is always nice. I just wish I was able to finish right behind him again!!

Lastly, big thanks to my dad for coming with to all my races this year. Its great having someone like him who is there to support me with all of my athletic events and who cares as much as I do about my racing. Without him I wouldn't be able to do any of the races that I've done this year.

Well that is it for this race report. I have a bunch of studying to do for a big Chemistry exam tomorrow! Man I wish I was not in school anymore and could focus on other things! I'll make sure to update during these next few cold winter months even if I'm not racing, so make sure to keep checking back!

LC Worlds Week!

2007-10-16T22:49:00.000-05:00

So the countdown and taper has begun! In just 3 days I will be boarding the plane wheeling my bike case through the mad rush crowd of O'Hare airport. I'm nervous, yet excited about what is to come. The race: Long Course Duathlon World Championships includes two simple worlds that frighten me- Long Course. Me...coming from a short distance background has to put my body through the pain of competing for close to 4 hours. In high school my specialty was the 800 meter run. So what did that race take me to do... 1:54 (back then). No, not 1 hour 54 minutes....1 minute and 54 seconds! But that is where my life has taken me as of now. I couldn't be more proud to represent my country in the Pro race. I've worked really hard this past year and think that some great things are to come. I have a lot of confidence in myself that all my hard work will pay off. My running is continuing to improve (finally can run under 14:40 for a 5k!) and my cycling has improved dramatically (when I'm having a good day). I just pray that all my work comes together for Long Course Worlds so that I can have a good showing. It is a little disappointing that the U23 division was taken out of consideration for this race. I felt that I was in good contention to become a U23 World Champion, but due to authority problems, I found out today that there will no longer be a U23 division. I am racing with all the other Professional from around the world, which I have no problem with because I know that I can compete with many of them. My age compared to most of them is much younger, but you know what, it just shows that I have a lot of potential for improvement in many years to come.

Sadly, after LC Du Worlds, my focus will be switched over to the triathlon scene. Don't get me wrong, I will still be racing in a few Du's each year (Worlds and Nats), but my ultimate goal is to start racing on the ITU Triathlon Series. With continued work on my swim and the great help of my coach, Adam Zucco of TrainingBible.com, I know that I can achieve this goal. I'm still debating on moving out to Colorado next year once I graduate...anyone have any opinions??? I think it will be a good move, but being away from family, not knowing anybody, and not having a job all worry me a little. But we will see what happens!

Other than that, I will post a race update once I race on Sunday with pictures as usual. Good luck to everyone racing and finish up the season on one last good note!

Hillllllllllls!

2007-10-05T10:21:00.000-05:00

Powerman Ohio Race Recap:

Alright...so this one took me almost a week to get up...but I have solid excuses. Being a college student while training is not an easy thing to do! I made it back from Ohio on Sunday night, passed out in bed, woke up to drive back to Champaign, have class alll day, then take a big Physics exam at night! Add in trying to get a few quick workouts, and I have no time to sit down at the computer for more than 2 minutes. But now that the week is just about up..I have a little time to write down what happened over in the "flat" state of Ohio.

My dad and I took off on the road on Saturaday morning to begin our suppose to be 5.5 hour drive over to Lucas, Ohio. Due to bad traffic and a missed turn, the drive ended up taking close to 8 hours. This was no good because I had a Pro mandatory meeting that I needed to catch. Well it ended up that I missed the meeting because of our detour through lower Indiana, but it worked out because the race director was great and took me through a personal one on one meeting. I rode a little bit and didn't think the bike course was too bad...it wasn't until I decided to run a few miles of the course that I started to get scared. Basically the run course starts off with a steep downhill followed by over a mile of straight uphill climbing with varying inclines of 8-11 percent grades. Well being from the Chicago area...all I have to deal with is wind. I get tired going up the slight incline of my driveway! So the fact that I had to race up these huge hills scared me just a tad.

Well after freaking myself out, my dad and I headed out to eat at a little local restaurant. The food was excellent (veggie lasagna) mmmmmmm. So after stuffing my face with good food, I headed over to the main highway to find a place to stay. Hampton Suites made a mistake on which rooms they had available so my dad and I ended up staying in a huggge suite for a cheap price...excellent! Two huge beds full of pillows and jumbo sized comforters....let me tell you it was amazing. So the night consisted of getting my gear ready and lounging around in bed while watching some college football.

Race Day:

In the morning, I took a new approach of actually eating some solid food. I typically stick with something really small, but this time I actually had some toast, french toast, and coffee. I started to regret the decision when it wouldn't settle in my stomach right before the race. But it all worked out because once the gun went off, I was in complete race mode. The Pro men's field had a lot of talent in those of Joerie Vansteelant (top athlete from Belgium), Tom Jeffrey (US National Champ), Aksel Nielsen (top athlete from Denmark), Michael Boehmer, Ryan French, and Kevin Smith. I try not to worry about other competitors and just focus on my race.

As usual in the pro race, the front went out fast. Joerie took off and I basically never saw him again. I ran with Tom Jeffrey for a while until the hills starting kicking in. I backed off a little bit because I was already feeling a little tired. I usually can tell if I'm going to have a good race by how I feel at the start. I didn't think I was going to have a good day! Near the halfway turn around of the first 8k run, there was another huge hill! I couldn't believe this run course. I have done plenty of hills in my life, but not this many while trying to race a long distance event. I came into T1 in 3rd place out of the pros with a 5:26 pace for the opening 8k. I typically will run under 5 minute pace for opening runs...so this shows that this was a tough course.

Two pics of me runnin' all alone finishing up the first 8k...

Onto the bike...I was drained! The first run took a lot out of me, and I was in no mood to ride hard for 1.5 hours. I did my best to get some power out of my legs, but it just wasn't happening. I rode alone for the first 10 miles until Aksel Nielsen from Denmark came rolling along. Once he passed me I did my best to just ride with him. Not drafting but keeping my distance and stagger rule. I pushed on the cranks and was able to hold my distance with him. The roads were junk out there because of the chip and gravel..so it was hard to get a decent speed going. At about mile 13, a huge hill came into place which slowed speeds down to 8 mph. I turned the cranks and slowly got through it. At the top of the hill though my legs didn't want to move anymore! After a quick drink and mental toughness, I told myself to keep going and stay with Aksel. We made it through the first loop and onto the 2nd of the 36 mile ride. I actually started to feel better and passed Aksel. I tried to make a move but he stayed right with me. The second loop was actually easier for me and I ended up having a faster 2nd lap than 1st...so thats a plus! I still felt that I didn't have my usual power that I have been having on my training rides. I'll be rested up though when Long Course Du Worlds comes along on the 21st this month.

Alright...so going into the last run I realllly wanted to get into the 3rd place spot and hold it. I was running with Aksel, but once the hills started, I had nothing. It felt like I was walking up these hills and basically just wanted to stop right there on the course and walk back to lay down in the grass. But of course would I really do that?! No way, I just shuffled along up the hills and basically enjoyed my 4th place position. I knew I didn't have enough energy to catch 3rd and 4th was about 4 minutes back, so I plugged along through the last 8k with no real goal other than finishing in my position. I made it through the last run with a 5:59 pace (slowwwwwwwww!). But overall, it was a good day and a decent race. I just wish I had the energy and power that I typically have. I did have a hard training week so that may have been the cause.

I ended the day in 4th place overall for the pros. It was good progress from my first Powerman race which was in Alabama this year.

Up next for me is the Long Course Duathlon World Championships in Richmond, VA on Oct. 21st. I will be racing in the U23 division for one last time. My goal is to place Top 3 in the U23 division. In the short course duathlon world championships I placed 5th for U23...so I'm looking for some improvement.

I was going to run the Chicago Marathon on Sunday, but due to needing some time to recover and getting some solide workouts in...I opted to pass this weekend. I really love the Chicago Marathon, but right now my priority is to place well at LC Du Worlds.

*Last note..thanks to my dad for driving me out to all these races. Its been great having somebody to go with and having somebody that supports me so much. I wouldn't be able to do it without him!

Major Updates

2007-09-18T21:14:00.001-05:00

Soooo...I'm such a slacker. I haven't been updating nearly enough. I don't know what but I just have been busy and put off updating this site. Hopefully I'll get a little better now that I am pretty settled in at school and have everything under control.

Alright, to start off I will give recap of my latest race.

This past weekend I drove up to Canada with my dad and grandpa for the Pan American/Canadian Nationals Duathlon Championships. This race was scheduled earlier to be in Cali, Columbia..but due to organization issues, the race was cancelled. I found out about the re-scheduled race last week. So I registered, told my dad to get ready for a long drive, and we were off.

The trip started out by leaving Thursday morning pretty early. We decided that since it was in the area, we would stop by Batavia, New York to visit my dad's aunt Loretta and his cousin Jeff. It took about 8 hours to drive over there. I've never been over there before and it's been about 30 years since my dad has been there, so it was a good stop. We had a great dinner loaded with carbs and protein. I was pretty tired after that, so I sat on the couch and ended up falling asleep.

The next morning, we had a quick breakfast and loaded up the car once again. We drove up to Niagara Falls on the Candian side and it was awesome! I've never been there before so it was a good stop. I can't believe people actually would hop into a barrel and go over the falls! Are these people crazy?! I mean, I can imagine doing something like skydiving and bungee jumping where your odds of living are pretty good....but going over the falls??? What would be going through these people's minds while heading down the river to go over? "Well here it goes.." Haha. So here are some pics by the falls....

So after the fall, we took off and headed up to Parry Sound, Ontario. Overall, the drive wasn't too bad at all. With all the stops and visits, we were able to relax and not spend too much time in the car. Once there, I had a Pro athlete meeting which was the same old garbage as usual...get off the bike before dismount line, drug testing, course overview...blah, blah, blah. Just a waste of time but its mandatory I guess. I did a little workout on the course. It was freeeeeeezing cold, windy, and raining. I just rode for about 30 mins and did a 15 min jog.

Once finished with that, we had to find a hotel. Just down the street was a little bed and breakfast that seemed pretty good. It was an older couple, Lena and Henry. They were more than welcoming. We stayed in their basement for the night, helped out with some of there yardwork (haha), and just talked. For dinner we went to a little log cabin restaurant. Let me mind you...we were in the middle of nowhere! All it was was forest, lakes, more forest, and a few houses. So once it turned dark, it was pitch black! The restaurant was more than good, pasta and apple pie..mmm. We went back, played a game of yahtzee, watched the cubs on the computer, and then went off to bed.

Race morning...

Got up...put all the race gear together, and went upstairs for breakfast. Lena made everything homemade! Little biscuits, breads, jams, and anything you could ask for. It was great! I had a little toast with jam, biscuit, and some coffee. Went over to the race site and it was once again freezing! 45 degrees, windy, and cold. I set the bike up, did a warmup jog, and was ready to go.

The start was pretty slow. Nobody wanted to take the lead which was disappointing. So I took off a little and lead the entire first run. I didnt want to push too hard or else I might have lost the pack and would have to ride alone. So I just coasted and lead my group of 4 into the first transition. My 10k time was 31:30 which was moving, but I definitely could have gone faster. And guess what, it was a true 10k. I mapped it out and it was exactly 6.2 miles. So not too bad of an opening time considering I wasn't going as fast as I can go.

I had a pretty slow transition...I really need to work on that. So coming out onto the bike, I was in 3rd position. The four of us weren't working together very well for the first 2 laps of the 6 loop bike. Nobody was pushing too hard therefore the pack behind us was gaining. After three laps, the group behind was 6 riders deep. I knew we were going to get caught so the group all together just basically coasted until the pack caught us. It was on the beginning of the 4th loop that our pack turned into 10. Once this group caught us, they gave up working hard. I didn't mind this very much because I was just conserving energy for the final run. I pulled a few times just to get things going a little bit. Once near transition, a few guys took off a little and went into transition a little in front of me. I had a quick transition and took off for the last run in 2nd place.

Grant Burwash was leading about 3 seconds ahead. I did a quick few steps and was right next to him. I've raced Grant before and knew that if I pushed hard enough he would not be able to hang on. The last run was 2 loops of 2.5 k. For the first loop I stayed on Grant's side. Once I had regained the numbness in my feet, I felt good. I heard Grant breathing harder and thats when I took off. Once up one of the hills, I accelerated down and broke him. From there on, I enjoyed the race course and took it into the finish line representing the USA well. I finished with a 15:22 5k, which is decent but could have been faster if I was being pushed on the last lap. It was my first pro victory which was a great feeling! Thanks to my support crew of my dad and grandpa for being there to cheer me on, drive lots of the long miles, and support me with my athletic events!

Full results can be found on : http://www.swyft.ca/

There are some pretty sweet pictures on there too!

But that is about it for the Pan American Champs.

Other than that I raced 2 weeks ago doing a few local road races. Nothing major. But I really gotta get going to do some homework. I will write again soon when I have some time. Please keep checking back!

-Gee

Some more pics from Racine

2007-08-19T13:03:00.000-05:00

Results Link

2007-08-15T19:44:00.000-05:00

Link to the LZ Tri Results!

http://results.active.com/uploads/txt/46757.txt

I will tri to add photos if I can get them from the race director!

Success!

2007-08-14T21:50:00.000-05:00

Well.........

I'm glad to say that I'm seeing improvement! On August 5th I took a short drive over to the Lake Zurich Triathlon in terrible weather. I was worried the race might be cancelled due to the heavy storms and big bouts of lightening, but after a brief delay and a shortened swim, the race was on.

Going into the race, I was a little worried due to being in South Carolina for the previous weekend. I was unable to swim and bike as much as I wanted and felt that I might not be able to race up to my capabilities. Little did I know that the trip might have given me some needed rest :-) .

The swim was shortened to 400 meters due to the late start (which suited me being a weaker swimmer), but my summer long swimming payed off as I pulled off the 9th fastest swim out of all the racers! I was ecstatic getting out of the water and hearing that I was low 5's for the 400. This was so surprising because I started near the back of the racers and it was a staggered start. Three racers went off into the swim every 2 seconds or so. So by the time I was in the water, it was a sea of swimmers. I managed to find little holes between the swimmers and pull off a fast swim. My transition was a little slow, but I managed to hop onto the bike and took off charging.

I was worried with the tire pressure in my tires because of the slick roads, but once I was riding, everything clicked into place. I looked down at my bike computer and said, "this thing must be broken." It was reading 31 mph, so I figured that it was in kilometers per hour or something and started to hit the buttons. I soon found out that I was actually riding that fast. My first 5 miles I was blazing and averaged 30 mph! I continued to power through the bike and was thinking that I must have a tail wind and everyone is going this fast. I didn't understand how I could be going that fast. I soon found out that I was right behind the leaders of the race even with the later start! With all my momentum flowing, I transitioned quickly and took off running. Overall for the bike I averaged 26.1 mph. That is the fastest I have averaged out of all my tris so far!

The run was alright for me. I felt like I was not going very fast, and I do not run with a watch, so I was unsure of how fast I was actually running. I just settled into a pace and jogged my way through the run. I need to figure out a way to fix the blisters that I keep getting. If anyone out there knows of a good product to use to prevent blisters let me know! I have tried using all sorts of bandaids, but they all end up falling off by the end of the swim or while I am transitioning shoes. But back to the run....I finished it up and ended up having a 33:50 or so run (5:26 pace), which was surprising to me. I thought that I was going a little slower than that, but once I finished my dad told me that I for sure won the race. It was an amazing feeling knowing that I had won a decent "olympic" distance triathlon. I wish the swim was full length so that I could have seen how fast my 1500 would have been. But it is alright, I still enjoyed the race and had a great time out there. Olympic distance is what I am going to concentrate on and hopefully will get into the ITU style racing in 2 years or so. I just need to get my swim time down and I think I can hang right in there with some of the top guys. I have been racing professional ITU style duathlons and can hold my own against some of the top in the world, but I would like to get into the triathlons. Hopefully with my continuation of swimming 6 days a week, my swim times will drop and I can be right up there!

Also, another note...triathletes are some of the greatest people out there. I continually meet some of the nicest people I have ever met at races. Everyone is always offering advice or words or encouragement. It is just an amazing sport that makes me smile everytime I think about it. I don't know what I would be doing if I had never gotten involved in this sport. Yes, it is an extremely large time commitment with many sacrifices and early to bed/early to rise type days, but I wouldn't trade it for anything.

Another side note about Lake Zurich. Three years ago I race in this same exact race. I was not even able to place in my age group! And now....three years later, I won it overall! It just shows that if you are committed to something and put all of your heart into something that you love, you can succeed at whatever you want to succeed in. Thanks for all the support from my family (especially my dad) and sponsors for helping me in this sport! Without them I would never get where I am today!

Well, its time for bed for me for another long day of training tomorrow. My next race will be the Cornfest 10k on August 18th. I'd like to run low 31 minutes, but we shall see what happens. I will definitely let everyone know how it goes! Check back soon, I will right an update about my recent camping/training camp up in Dodgeville, WI!

LZ Tri

2007-08-13T22:54:00.000-05:00

Just got back from camping up in Dodgeville, WI. I'll update about my Lake Zurich Triathlon, training, and other stories tomorrow afternoon so check back!!

Hilton Head, S.C.

2007-08-02T09:13:00.000-05:00

So for the past few days I was out at Hilton Head Island in South Carolina. My aunt and uncle own a timeshare out there and invited me along for a short little trip. All I can say is that it is amazing out there. I was able to get up in the mornings, go for a run along the beach, swim in the ocean, and spend time with people that mean a lot to me. I also had the opportunity to golf at a private course, Wexford Plantation, which was beautiful. There was a downpour of rain the night before, which left the course a little wet and dried the bunkers out, but it was still an amazing course. Too bad I only play golf once a year these days and shot awful. There were a few good shots here and there, but there is plenty of room for improvement.

So I just want to say thanks to my Aunt and Uncle for having me out there for a few days of their vacation. I had a great time and hopefully they enjoy the rest of their trip.

As for racing, my next event will be the Lake Zurich Tri on Sunday, Aug. 5th. I raced this one a few years ago and was awful! So hopefully this year will be a little different of a story. Check back soon and I'll give an update on the race!

Race Updates...Sorry it took so long!

2007-07-26T14:41:00.000-05:00

Alright....so first I must apologize for the long time with no responses. Its been pretty busy around here this summer, but I will definitely start to update at least once a week from now on. So to start with, I am going to give a recap of my most recent race: Spirit of Racine Half Ironman. Going into the race, I was a little nervous about the distance. I knew that I was in shape to finish, but I was not sure on how fast I would be able to go. I had been swimming consistantly for over a month, but due to some repairs in my training grounds for the bike, I had not ridden very much. I did however pick up a sweet new ride: a Scott Plasma Pro. So that was pretty exciting to finally get a chance to test it out on the roads.

The adventure for the race started out with a short 70 mile drive up to Racine, Wisconsin on Saturday the 21st. My dad drove as my two little brothers and I played Mario Party 8 in the backseat of the car for the whole ride. We got up to Racine, I picked up my race numbers, checked in my bike, and went over to the lake to get a little test swim in. I started to swim out into the lake, and I froze. The waves were smackin' me in the face, the water was freezing, and it seemed like forver just to reach the first buoy! I was definitely not used to the open water after swimming in a lap pool everyday. My mind started racing just trying to imagine what it would be like swimming congested with many other races in the choppy waters. My swimming to begin with isnt that great! After calming myself down a little, I swam about 500 meters just fine and called it a day.

My friend John Atchison and I at the start goofing around.

We ended up driving back at night just so I could sleep in my own bed. I figured it would be cheaper to drive home than to just go stay at a hotel. Only downfall was waking up at 3:40 am to drive back out to the race sight. My best friend John Atchison (up and coming triathlete) came out to support me along with my dad. At the race site, I had to fix a few problems on my bike, make some final adjustments, and I was set. Everyone headed over to the start line (a 1.2 mile walk down the beach) and before I knew it I was off swimming. To my luck, the water was still and it felt great swimming out in the open lake! I started in the elite wave and was actually holding my own ground swimming right with most of the competitors. This was a great sign of relief because I am definitely not a swimmer with no background whatsoever. I just started swimming seriously this past month hitting the pool 6 days a week. I only got kicked around a little on the swim, but I managed to not panic and continue to swim. I exited in 33 minutes, whipped off my wetsuit, and was off to the bike. This swim was 20 minutes faster than my last half-ironman that I competed in 3 years ago! So it was nice to see some improvements there.

Off to the bike, I took off. I was feeling good and averaging over 24 mph, until I died. My seat was slanted downwards, which put me in a very uncomfortable position, and riding a brand new bike and I never rode more than a mile on took its tolls. Once at mile 30 of the 56 mile bike, I was dead. Everyone that I had passed earlier came flyin' by me as I struggled to hold 20 mph. There were even moments when I was unsure if I could complete the race. I guess I had gone out too hard. I just chugged through the bike and eventually came into transition. I took my time and started out for the 13.1 mile run.

Once running, I was feeling ok. I averaged 6:35 pace for the half marathon, which is pretty slow for me, but considering that I could barely move off the bike, it was decent. I was definitely not in shape to race a half-ironman all out. I think that in time, with more training and miles under my belt, I can take much much more time off. I finished 49th out to the 1500+ competitors. Hopefully within a year or two, I can start cracking into the top 10. As of right now though, my focus is going to be on Olympic distance triathlons, so swimming is my main goal. I would like to continue to see improvements in that area, since that is where I can take the most time off.

Finish! Overall time: 4:34

...............and spent!

Next...update on the John Kurtz (Not Quite a) 5k

So on July 15th, I took a short drive over to Bensenville to compete in the John Kurtz 5k. This small race offered great prize money of $500 for first, $400 for second, and $325 for third. I knew that with a good amount of money involved, so decent competition would show up. When I showed up, I was right. My friend Jason Bill (a recent U of Illinois grad and top runner for the school) was there, Charlie Kern (York H.S. coach), and a number of other top runners from the area. My goal at the start line was to just somehow place top 3 to get my share of money.

John Atch and I stretching before the race.

The race was set up a little differently than most. It was a 3 loop course with each lap being around .9 of a mile. The start line was set back, but it was not enough to make up for the distance lost on each lap. So overall, the race ended up being around 2.85 miles. At the gun, I took it off a little slow. Looking at the picture below, you can see I am nowhere to be seen. I have been taking this approach a little more lately because I do not like sprinting off the gun just to tire myself out. I like to slowly catch up and then settle into my pace.

After the first loop, I came through the mile in a blazing 4:35. I was sitting nicely in 2nd place, just a few seconds behind first place runner Jason Bill, but third place was right on my heels. I was feeling great and thought I would possibly have a shot at taking the whole race.

After coming through the second lap and going through the 2 mile in 9:20, the pace and heat started to kick in. I had bridged the gap and was running with Jason, but around 2.25 miles, I backed off the pace. It was a stupid mental letdown and it cost me. I was soon passed by Charlie Kern, who was on a mission to catch Jason. I did not make a move as he passed me and just watched as he slowly pulled away. As the finish line approached, I just jogged it in since 4th place was about 35 seconds back and I did not need to push any more than I needed to. I crossed the line in 13:48, which was 4:50 pace for the 5k.

I was pleased overall with my run and gladly took my 325 dollar payday. With a little more speedwork, I believe I can dip into the mid 14's for my 5ks. It was nice to finally have some speed again after not racing so well in some other local 5ks.

The podium: 1st Jason Bill, 2nd Charlie Kern, 3rd Me

Quick Worlds Article and Results Page

2007-06-01T15:04:00.002-05:00

Here are the results from the U23 division at the Duathlon World Championships. I was so close to a top 3 finish!!!

http://cch.m42.hu/eredmenyek/flist.php?EventId=Gyor07DAd&Categories=UM

Just click the link and it should take you there.

Also, here is a news recap from USA Triathlons website:

http://www.usatriathlon.com/sitecore/content/News/2007/May/052107_SC_Duathlon_Worlds_Results.aspx

Apple Duathlon Recap

2007-06-01T14:28:00.000-05:00

So this past weekend I was a little uneasy about racing due to it being just one week after I went all out at the World Championships. My body was still recovering, and I did not want to have a poor performance after making the long drive of 7 hours out to Sartell, Minnesota. I made sure that I rested during the week and did a few easy workouts in order to get ready for this race. I knew some really good talent would be there including USA Team members David Thompson and Tom Jeffrey. Both of these guys are true role models. I definitely look up to them and admire the talent that they both have. Last year they were both ranked ahead of me in the Duathlon World Rankings, so I knew I would have my work cut out for me. Then there is also a large group of guys from Minnesota that are very talented in multi-sport. So overall, I just wanted to have a solid race and not embarass myself.

To start the trip, my dad and I started our drive out to Sartell late on Friday night. Due to his work schedule and the heavy traffic that clogs up I-90, we left the household at around 7pm. Last year we left at around 3:30 and got caught up in the traffic averaged 20 mph (I go faster on my bike!). So we did not want that to happen again and left later. The only downfall was that when we arrived in Sartell, it was 2:30 in the morning. We got to our little hotel for the night and the check-in receptionist had no clue what to do. It was her first night on the job and we come strolling in during the middle of the night. She gave us a key to a room not knowing if anybody was in there! So we snuck up to the room, opening the door quietly and peeked in. Phew! Nobody was in there. That would have been a nice surprise having somebody walk into your room in the middle of the night at a tiny hotel. But it worked out just fine. We hopped into bed to sleep for about 3 hours, then woke up to get over to the race site.

The Apple Duathlon is a great race if anybody is looking to do a short first duathlon. Everybody is nice, and the checkin goes very smoothly. My dad and I checked in, set up our bikes, and went over to the start line for the gun.

The first run went out a little slow. I just hung back because right after 200 meters of the start is a steep uphill that lasts for about a minute. I just made sure to maintain pace and stay with the leaders. After the hill, I took off a little bit to get to an early lead. I knew that Thompson and Jeffery would eat me up on the bike course because they are extremely talented riders. I came through the first 5k in 15:26, a pretty fast time, but I felt fine and had lots of energy left.

In transition, I had trouble buckling my helment so both Thompson and Jeffrey caught me. We all exited the first transition at about the same time. The picture above shows the start of the bike course with us three leaders. Jeffrey is in front, Thompson is on the left, and I'm on the right. The start of the course was up the hill that we had to run up. I just pedaled easy and slipped into my cycling shoes.

The bike course is pretty flat with a few rollers. The only problem was the wind! The bike was 20.8 miles long with the first half with the wind and the second half against it. I was averaging around 29 mph on the first half and then died! The wind really tires you out when there is such a long stretch into it. On that long stretch a few guys passed me, and I went into transition in about 7th place. I passed one guy while running through the transition, and two more going up the hill for the second run loop. The second run was the same as the first.

So within 2 minutes of the second run I was in 4th place. Thompson and Jeffrey were too far ahead because of their cycling skills, but I could see 3rd way ahead. I was unsure if I coud catch him because of the distance ahead he was. I just concentrated on running with good form and hopefully I could catch up. By the 2nd mile, he was just in front of me. I knew that if I put a surge in I would recapture my 3rd place position. At 2.5 miles I took over and cruised into the finish line. My second 5k was 16:26, which is really good considering my tiredness from the past week.

I ended up having the fastest run splits for both the first and second runs. It was nice to see that I could actually have a good second split especially with such good competition. My bike split was not that great (23.8 mph avg), but it was ok considering the lack of cycling that I have done over the winter.

I improved by 2 minutes of my last years time which was also nice to see. I hope that I can continue to improve my cycling with more training.

Here is a link to the results:

http://www.pigmantri.com/jmsracing/results07/appledu07b.html

Next up is a triathlon at Lake Mills in Wisconsin. It is a pretty large event with about 800 competitors. Hopefully I can break into the top 3 with a strong bike and run since my swimming is lacking right now.

-the bread

2007-05-22T13:36:00.000-05:00

Well, the big race is over. I had a great time on this trip and documented each day. So here is a description of my trip out of the country:

Day 1’s: Tuesday/Wednesday May 15th/16th -Traveling to HungaryWell, I’m almost in Hungary. As of right now, I am in a minivan driving to the city of Gyor. This traveling is awful!! Its been 24 hours since I left home, and I am not even at my hotel yet. The first flight was about 8 hours long, but luck fully I slept four hours. There were individual TVs for each seat and you could choose movies, music, or games. So that was entertaining for a little while. On the plane we had two meals. The first one was a dinner of ravioli with meatballs, salad, and a little brownie cake and then breakfast a few hours later was some yogurt and bread.

The food wasn’t too bad considering it was on a plane. When we arrived in Stockholm, we had no clue where to go. We had a 7 hour layover which was terrible. I was so tired and thrown off because of the time change. It was 7:30 am when we arrived there and I felt dead because typically it is 12:30 am at home. So my uncle and I sat in a little café area and I fell asleep on a chair. Eventually I put two chairs together and slept for a little curled up in a ball. After the layover, we took a plane into Vienna. That flight was only 2 hours, so it wasn’t too bad. When we arrived, things started to go wrong. First off, my bike case didn’t show up. I was really nervous that I wouldn’t have my bike for the race and would have to borrow somebody else’s. Then my airport transfer to the hotel didn’t show up. It is hard to communicate with anybody so it just made things even more difficult. Eventually, we found a travel director who said we could get a ride with him, and while we were waiting for the van to pick us up, my bike came! I was really relieved, but I’m still nervous about the rest of the trip. Hopefully our hotel has our reservation and that the hotel isn’t too far away from the race site. But overall, this trip has been looooooong. I just want to be at the race site, in my hotel, with everything going smoothly. But we shall see. I will write more once I find some more updates.Oh and on a side note…the cans of Coke are soooo fun. They are little mini cans and their diet coke is called coke light. It is pretty tasty I must say. Now at the hotel! Whew, this is crazy. The front desk will not let me bring my bike into the room because of the “rug.” I guess my bike will ruin their carpet? I am not quite sure, but he made me put it in their garage. I hope it is safe sitting in there! The hotel itself is nice. We have individual sleeping bag type blankets which is strange and there are only about 14 rooms in the entire hotel. But now its off to bed to get a loooong rest.
Picture of a view from our hotel:

Day 2: Thursday May 17th-Exploring GyorWhat a day! To begin, we woke up at around noon. I was actually up at 7 or so because our neighbors were making some noises of pleasure if you know what I mean. After laying in a bed for a while, we took showers and got ready for the day. We went downstairs to the lobby to ask for directions on how to get to the main city area. She spoke a little English and said, “Why weren’t you at breakfast? I was waiting for you.” We were shocked because in the US if you’re late for something especially a breakfast buffet at a hotel, you will not be waited for. So my uncle and I felt pretty bad because she seemed very sad that we did not show up. We made our way to the city which was about a 3 mile hike down the highway. I registered for the race which was a huge mess because the people do not speak English and required payments for the hotel, airport transfers, and race registration before you got your race numbers. I was confused because we did not even have an airport transfer and they were trying to charge me for it. After working everything out, we got a deal of 200 Euros for the transfers and hotel, which is around 300 US dollars, not bad! Once that headache was over, it was time to venture off and find some food. The main city of Gyor is really neat.

There are little roads with shops and restaurants on the both sides. We sat down at one restaurant and decided to leave after seeing pigeon and goose liver on the menu. We ended up eating some Pizza Hut just because it was the only thing we knew would taste ok. Ordering is pretty tough at restaurants. We basically just would point at what we would want. After lunch, I went for a quick jog back to the hotel, grabbed my bike, and rode around for a little. There was an elite team meeting, then I rode for 30 more minutes around the town. Dinner time! My uncle and I went to the Team USA dinner over at their hotel. It is a really nice hotel which would be nice to stay in, but our price worked out much better. There were Hungarian dancers that did a little dance for us. It was pretty neat. I will post a video of the dancers so be sure to check that out. They served salad and almond crusted chicken with a raspberry jello dessert for the dinner. One thing I cant stand here is the water. I guess they like “bubbly” water. It is carbonated and does not taste good at all. Other than that they sell bottled water which is either carbonated or full of zinc, magnesium, and calcium. It tastes awful. I am better off drinking water out of the sink. Overall, the dinner was good. Once that was over, I stored my bike at the team USA hotel just so its not in the garage at our hotel and so that I do not have to bring it back down to the race site later tomorrow. At night we walked around the town for a little. There was a grocery store to buy some drinks and snacks. So after picking some things up, we walked all the way back to the hotel. It was a good, but tiring day. We need to make sure we are up for breakfast or else we might get yelled at again. But now its off to bed, I’ll update tomorrow!

Day 3: May 18th-Race PreparationsWell today was really nice. Everything went smoothly and there were no mix ups or confusions. We woke up at around 8 am, got ready, and went down to breakfast. We did not want the girl at the front desk to be sad and wait for us today. The breakfast consisted of cereals, breads, and yogurt. The cereal was strange and stale tasting, but oh well, its not something strange like pigeon stuffed with cheese. After breakfast we ventured off to figure out the bus system. It worked out quite nicely.

I wish that we knew about the bus system yesterday because it is fairly easy to figure out. The bus stops 10 meters down from our hotel and drives right over to the race site in about 10 minutes. When we got to the race site, I picked up my bike and rode the course to see how it is. I am pretty nervous because there are a lot of 180 degree turn around areas. The pros are going to be flying and taking off after each of these. I felt pretty good which is a good sign though. I noticed my cleat on my shoe was chipped and luck fully the Team USA mechanic had a spare and was able to change it for me. I tested it out and it works very well.After the workout, it was time for some food. Instead of trying something crazy and new, we opted for McDonalds. It is interesting that they do not have super size meals here in Hungary. And if you notice, there are not many overweight people like there are in the United States. Maybe we should cut back on the large portion sizes? The only downfall is that most of the people here smoke. It is almost as if they all do. But the McDonalds had a nice little mozzarella ball salad, which filled me up quite nicely. Once we finished lunch, we sat around outside and enjoyed the weather. At 4 oclock, I had a meeting on the course and race tomorrow. I think I know everything that I need to know except for the transition. I will watch the women’s race tomorrow and see how they handle it so that I know. I’m starting to get a little nervous about the race because there are about 85 pros racing! That is a large field, and each one of them is very good! But enough about the worrying. I am a strong athlete and can hold my own in any size field or strength. The team parade was after the meeting. It was very long.

Takahashi Nakata and me during the parade:

I opted to sit down and rest my legs once the opening ceremonies took place. The performances were good, but too long. The performances included many dancers and an acrobat group. It was funny because they played an American rap song really loud on the speakers and the “F” word was repeated over and over. I do not think they know what it means or else I don’t think they would have played that, especially at an opening ceremony. There was spaghetti and pastries for the dinner. The spaghetti was in big tubs and was definitely overcooked, but oh well. What can you ask for when they are serving 1000 athletes and many other guests? My uncle and I walked back early to try and find our bus. My uncle does have a new name though, he is called “Pet.” This is because when ordering an internet card, they asked for his name and he said Pat. But the lady wrote down Pet and called him that. So now I have an uncle Pet. And to go along with his Hungarian name, I am Rygn. We fit in Hungary quite well now. We know the bus systems and some basic language. But for now, I think it is time to get ready for the big race tomorrow. I will race at 5pm (10 am Chicago time). I only pray that things go smoothly tomorrow. I just want a solid race that I will not be disappointed about. After the race, I will make sure to post a full race update (that is unless I crash and am in the hospital). But lets not think about that! I will write tomorrow. Wish me luck…-bread

Day 4: May 18th-Race Day!!!!Well, the day is finally here. Today is the day that I get to prove myself and show the world how good I am in the sport. To start the day, Pet and I went down for breakfast. The hotel workers here at our hotel are extremely nice. It is such a change from when we arrived. We did not know what to expect and were on our guard at all times. But all the people here are very nice. After breakfast, I packed my bags and took the bus into town. Pet and I got there around 11 am. I made some last minute adjustments on the bike, rode a little bit, and then put it into the transition area. I watched a little bit of the junior race and decided just to go lay down instead of worrying about racing. It ended up being a good idea because I was able to concentrate on other things and not freak myself out. I did watch a little of the women’s elite race. Vanessa Fernandez of Portugal won, which was expected. Her first run was 32 minutes, which scared me because that is a really fast time for an opening 10k. Little did I know that the first run was about 1.5 minutes short. Before the race, I made sure that I had enough water and nutrition set up for the race. In previous years I have either dropped a water bottle or ran out of liquid to take in during the race. The distance of this race is hard to explain. It is similar to racing a marathon I would say. So I put two water bottles on my bike and had two Gu packets stored in transition. After getting my nutrition set up, I went for a jog, did some strides, and went over to the starting area. I surprisingly was not very nervous. I figured that there is no reason to be worried. I can just go as hard as I can go. If things don’t work out, then oh well. I will always have more races to prove myself. The starting line was very crowded! It was a single lane of a street with 70 men fighting for a position. I was put into the back because of my high number, which sort of stunk, but I do not really like starting in the front anyways.

City Hall of Gyor : The starting line

THE START!The gun went off and wow. Every guy was flying on the first run. I sat back a little bit just to make sure that I did not make the same mistake of previous years of going out too fast and dying.

The first run was 4 loops of 2500 meters to total 6000 (10k). On the second lap I positioned myself quite nicely and moved up throughout the rest of the run. By the third lap I was running strong and bridged up to the runners consisting of Joeri Vansteelant (ranked 1st in the world!) and his fellow Belgian athlete and U23 competitor Bart Aernouts. I knew that I was doing well since I have never been running with them for the first 10k. They are usually 30 seconds ahead of me. The only problem was that I was pretty tired finishing the first 10k. I guess my time was 29:30, and the course was definitely short. I would say it is about 1.5 minutes short. My transition was awful! I could not get my shoe off and lost the pack that I worked so hard to stay with. So the start of the bike I was all alone.

THE BIKE!
To start, I lost the pack that I had ran with.

So I pedaled easy and let the new group catch me. I rode with them for basically 2 minutes, and then tragedy set it. A racer from possibly Greece?, I am not sure pinched me hard on a hard and crashed right into me. I flew off of my bike, rolled on the ground and into the median which was dirt and flowers. It happened so fast that I did not know what had happened. I hopped up onto my feet, scrambled for my water bottles, hopped on my bike, but my chain fell off. I put the chain back on, and took off as fast as I could. My heart rate was flying at that point because I was in panic mode. I thought my race was over with for sure. I rode hard and caught a pack, but then I was spent. My legs starting to cramp up badly so I took in a bunch of fluid. Kevin Danahy and Tyler Stanfield, both from the US helped me out a bunch on the bike telling me to stick in the back of the pack and spin easy to make the cramps go away. I was definitely hurting. The cramps wouldn’t go away, and then I started to throw up because I took so much liquid in. So I was struggling to hang onto the back of the pack, throwing up, with burns on my shoulder and knee. What a race this was turning out to be!! The cramps finally went away on the 4th lap of the 6 loop bike course.

Our pack eventually caught 2 groups in front of us and it ended up being 40 racers big!! It was crazy making 180 degree turns with that many people. At this point I knew I was in contention of getting a spot on the podium (top 3) for the U23 division. On the last lap, I cramped bad again but hung on going into the last transition.

LAST RUN!!I took off running, and I was spent. My whole body was in pain from the fall and from cramping. It seemed almost as if I was in slow motion. The team USA coach was telling me that I was in position to take 2nd or 3rd if I could run hard and hang in there. I definitely was pumped because of my uncle Pet cheering and going crazy for me. The only problem is that my body did not want to go. I concentrated on running smooth on the first lap, and eventually the cramping got so bad that my hands were locking up. It was scary, but I needed to just finish. The second lap of the 2 lap course, I started to feel better. I passed a few guys that had passed me earlier, and I ran with Kevin Danahy. He dragged me along to the finish and it was over! I was disappointed, yet satisfied with my performance.

I ended up finishing 5th place in the U23 division. It was definitely an improvement from 11th place last year, but not what I wanted with being top 3. If I had not crashed, I think I wouldn’t have wasted as much energy worrying and killing myself to get back into a pack. And I also need to figure out the nutrition problem. If I had not cramped, I know that I would have been top 3 for sure.On a side note, going into the last run, I was tied with the top finisher in the U23 division. If I had a strong run with no cramping, there would have been a great chance at winning. But I cannot live in a world of would haves and could haves. I am going to concentrate on figuring out my nutrition and continue to get stronger in the sport. I know that I am capable of placing very high in this race overall if not winning in years to come. I am just going to concentrate on improving and taking each race one at a time. I want to really thank my Uncle for being there for me and cheering me on. It was great to have him there and take my mind off of the race with all the jokes we had out here in Gyor.

POST RACE

After all was done, I showered up, cleaned my wounds, and sat down for a while. We ate some chicken with rice for dinner and relaxed for the night. I hung out with the junior elite team. They were fun to talk to since I did not have a chance to really to much at the beginning of the trip. We took a taxi back to the hotel since it was late by the time we were heading back.

Day 5: May 18th-Vienna

In the morning, Pet and I went down to breakfast. We gave our hotel front desk worker 10,000 Forint for helping us the whole trip. She was shocked! It was about 54 US dollars. She kept trying to give it back saying it was too much money and thought we did not know how much it really was. She was great though each day helping us figure out buses, getting our transfer to Vienna set up, and having breakfast each morning. After eating, Pet and I went to take the bus to the town, but the bus flew by us not stopping. Our hotel was really nice and packed our suitcases into their car and drove us there. It was great being in our hotel. It was perfect, away from the race site a little, and had the best staff. We watched the age group racers a little bit, then waited for the transfer to Vienna. I do not think this guy was very happy though. He was upset about something and did not like us. So he put the heat on in the van. I think it was 95 degrees in the car for the whole hour trip to Vienna. I was sweating profusely! We looked up how to say “too hot” in our Hungarian book, but he ignored us and ate a candy bar instead. It was a relief to get out of that van. The best part was when he said goodbye, he said "hello" instead and shook our hands.
We then took a taxi over to our Marriott hotel in Vienna. It was basically a 5 star resort. The city itself it beautiful. There are huge old buildings and little streets with shops and cafes. We walked around the city for a while, ate at a little Vienna restaurant, and then got some gelato at an ice cream shop. It was amazing!!!

It was too bad that we did not get to see more here. Mostly every place was closed due to it being a Sunday evening. After walking around, we hopped into the hot tub at the hotel, relaxed, and had some chili. I am stuffed! Too much food in such a short amount of time. Overall, the day went really quickly. Tomorrow is not going to be a fun day traveling back to the States. We start with a 2 hour flight to Copenhagen, Denmark, then have a 5 hour delay, and then take a long flight back to Chicago. Hopefully the day goes quickly. But I have to get to bed soon because I have to get up at 4:30 am to catch a taxi over to the airport for the 7:30 am flight. I think that is all about the travels to Hungary though. I hope you have enjoyed reading!

Last note to my uncle Pet,I really want to thank you for all that you have done for me. It was an amazing trip, and I do not think I could have made it on my own if you were not here. It was awesome having you there by my side each day cracking jokes (mud pie, cigars, competitors, David, korsumum, toilet plates, Pet and Rygn Gizlan, and many others). It really helped take my mind off of the race and do better. I had such a great time on the whole trip and you have helped out greatly. I would have struggled on my own in the foreign country…maybe not have even made it over to the race itself! So thanks for being there for me. I hope that you can come to some more, and I hope that you had as great of a time that I did.

-your Hungarian brother, Rygn

Day 6: May 21st-Travel day and reflectionsWell, we woke up at 4:30 am to get to our flight. I am sitting in the airport right now in Vienna, Austria. While sitting here, I decided to write about the toilet system in Hungary. It is very nice with how it works out here. First off, there are two buttons. One big button is for when something large is in the toilet….say after eating a big meal. The other button is for when one drinks too much and must let it out. It saves water and seems to work out quite nicely. The next part is the topic of the “plate.” The plate is a great invention. Do you ever sit down and let one go and feel the water splashing back up? Well if you do and can’t stand it, move out to Hungary. They have a little shelf or “plate” that is positioned right under where you sit. The plate is slightly tilted down so that it runs into the water near the front of the toilet hole. So when you sit down to go, you basically let it out onto a plate, and when you flush, the water pushes whatever came out down into the water below and down the drains. Now, this advance in technology does have its downfall. This downfall is the dreaded skid marks. Since the solid (or liquid in some cases) plops right onto the plate, there is no water for it to sit in. When you flush the toilet, the water cannot remove all the solid and push it down into the water area. Therefore, there are constant skid marks. The Hungarians solved this by placing scrub brushes next to the toilets, but nobody seems to use them. I am sure if everyone did, the brushes would stink the place up, so I guess that is good. But overall, I think I prefer this toilet setup system. There is never the dreaded water splash back!Well, my battery is about to die. We board the plane very soon, so now its off to Copenhagen Denmark for a 5 hour layover.

Off to Hungary

2007-05-15T00:56:00.000-05:00

Well....

The time has arrived. Tomorrow afternoon I will be leaving for Gyor, Hungary for the World Duathlon Championships. There will be about 60 of the world's best duathletes competing against each other.....and I will be one of them. The USA is sending 5 athletes to compete in the event. My goal this year is to place in the top 3 for the U23 category. What this means is that there is a special division of elite athletes that are under 23 years old. It allows them to compete for a world championship since they are younger than the typical professional athlete. It also gives them experience at the professional level.

I will make sure to update the blog with pictures and stories about my travels and the race itself. My Uncle Peter is coming along with me. I am sure we will have some great stories to tell by the time we arrive back in the states. Wish me luck and check back frequently for new stories!

-bread

Law Day Duathlon

2007-05-15T00:46:00.000-05:00

May 5th, 2007

Show me the Money!
-Law Day Duathlon (2 mile run, 14 mile bike, 2 mile run)

Well, the stomach pains are slowly disappearing! This is a good sign because the Duathlon World Championships are right around the corner. I definitely need to be ready for that one. Well this weekend I took a chance and drove up to Rockford to race in the Law Day Duathlon. The 125 dollars to the winner sparked my interest in this race too. I know its not much money considering all the expenses I have, but with barely anybody willing to help out sponsorship-wise this season, I am going to struggle getting by. A side note: I do want to thank all my current sponsors who have helped out - Village Tavern and Grill, Elk Grove Police Dept., Cerama-Lab, The Rabe Family, The Kingsmill Family, My own family, My Grandma and Grandpa Larson, and The Ryan Family for putting my name out there. It really means a lot, no matter what amount. This sport is extremely expensive and time consuming. Without the help of these people, I would not be racing at all this season.

Ok, back to the race. I drove home for the weekend and up to Rockford with my dad. He is my race supporter going to all the races that I do. It is amazing to have somebody like him willing to do all the things that he does for me. It was a bonus that he was racing in the duathlon too! We woke up early Saturday morning, drove to the race, signed up, and get all our equipment ready. I did a little warmup and my stomach felt good. I did this race a few years ago and placed second because of my weak biking at the time. I knew that I should be able to win if my stomach were to hold up. At the start, I felt a little nervous because I had the same expectations as the previous week in Sullivan, and I did not want the same results. The gun went off, and I made sure to make an impression. I took the lead and never looked back. By the 1/2 mile I was all alone and then decided to coast into the first transition. My two mile time was just under 10 minutes, not too fast, but not too slow. I took off on the bike and this little course has some rollers! It was a three loop course so I was hoping to keep my lead by the third lap. Well going into the second lap I was passed! I was a little worried because I did not want to give up my lead and not be able to catch back up on the last run. On the third lap I was passed again! I need to work on my cycling a little more.

So going into the last run, I was sitting in third place. I had a fast transition and passed the 2nd place guy within seconds of the last run. I was running quickly and my stomach didnt hurt! This was another main goal of the race. I wanted to see if my stomach would hold up. If it didnt, I was going to have to get some more tests done. By the 1 mile mark, I took the lead again. I did not have to work very hard on the last mile and just saved my energy. I coasted into the win with a time of 58:20 with a second 2 mile time of 10:30. Overall, it was a great race because I had no pain and also got a little bonus of 125 dollars. It will help out with the shipping of my bike out to Hungary in just 2 weeks!

My dad ended up doing well. He enjoyed the course and it was really nice to have him there competing alongside me. I will have to get him registered for a few more races this summer so that he gets involved too! Well, next up is the World Championships in Hungary. I will take a bunch of pictures and write some details about the trip while I'm out there. So make sure you check back. I will be leaving on May 14th, racing on the 19th, and flying home on the 21st.

One last thing! I wanted to congratulate my little bro, Jason, for running a 6:56 mile for his school. He is in third grade, just turned 9 years old, and is beating all the times I ever ran. Keep up the good work dude, you're amazing!

Sullivan Triathlon

2007-05-15T00:39:00.000-05:00

April 29th, 2007

"That should be an easy win"
-Sullivan Triathlon (400 meter swim, 14 mile bike, 5k run)

This phrase was put into my mind when going out to Sullivan, IL for my first triathlon of the season. Being a professional duathlete going up against some local triathletes should be a breeze of a win. Well, this was not the case. Going out to Sullivan, a 45 minute drive from my U of I school, I was expected by many to win the race. The truth is that I actually was expecting to win the race too with a solid effort.

I drove out to the race with my dad and dog, Roxy in the wonderful 80 degree weather. It was sunny, warm, and quite a contrast from the Powerman Alabama weather two weeks ago. It is beyond belief how the weather has been changing so rapidly these past few weeks! At the race site, I swam a few laps, set up my equipment, and was ready to go.

The swim was in an indoor pool of 400 meters. Each swimmer started individually with a 10 second gap between each one. The race director seeded each swimmer by an estimated 400 swim time, so I was the 33rd starter for the race with a 6:15 estimation. Well, after watching the first few swimmers in the pool, I knew I would have to have a pretty amazing race if I was going to win. With my weak swimming background (swimming for a few weeks with no technique), I knew I would have to have a good bike and an amazing run in order to pull it off. The first swimmers completed the swim in a time of around 4:40. It made me realize how much work I need to put into the pool if I'm going to be successful in the sport. I finished my swim in a time of 6:28. Not too bad considering I have no clue how to do flip turns and must stop at the wall each time and then push off to go to the next lap. I recall swimming 7:30s a year ago for my 400s, so my time has dropped some, but not nearly enough.

After a quick transition, I hopped onto my bike and was off. This is were the problems arose. The previous week or so I was experiencing some stomach problems. It felt as if there was a knot tied in my intestines. Well with each pedal stroke, I was exerting some strong pressure on my middle stomach and it hurt! I forced myself to concentrate on the bike and just produce a fast smooth cadence without putting to much power into the stroke in order to minimize the pain. I figured I might still have a chance to win the race because with a strong run, I can come back. Well, the rest of the bike didn't go too well considering I lost a lot of ground to the front leaders.

Another quick transition led me to the final run of the day. I took off and ouch! My stomach tightened, and I knew the race was over. I barely ran for 100 yards and I was walking. I have never not finished a race, and I wasn't going to let a small sprint triathlon be the first one after all the training I do! I took off running and the pain got worse! It started to creep into my back so that my whole midsection was a tightened up mess. I figured out that in order to not have to walk, I just had to jog and not push myself at all. I was running 6:20 miles, the slowest I have ever gone. I should easily be at around 5:10 pace. I finished up the race and found out I was 5th overall. It was quite disappointing knowing that I had such a poor performance in a small local race. My main concern was not about the race though, it was about my grueling stomach. There was something seriously wrong and I needed to get it checked out. I decided to make an appointment to see what was wrong.

Test results came back....I'm dehydrated, have low blood sugar, and have a gastrointestinal virus. The virus goes away in three weeks, so basically I have about one more week and it should be gone. I sure hope so because this is not a good way to lead up to the Duathlon World Championships. I will keep everyone updated with more news and updates on the season. Check back!

-the bread

Heritage 10k

2007-05-15T00:37:00.000-05:00

Sunday, April 22nd OSF Heritage 10k Run in Rockford This past weekend I decided to drive up to Rockford, IL in order to race in 10k. I had a busy training week of high intensity and long intervals, so my body was not up to running very hard. The race was set to start at 1 oclock in the afternoon, which is a strange starting time for a race. The temperature was HOT and WINDY! This weather in the midwest sure is crazy, one day it is 30 degrees and the next it is 80! Well it was around 80 degrees, sunny, with 22 mph winds for the start of the race. While warming up, I realized that my body really didnt want to race all out. I was barely able to do a stride without getting tired. So going into the race, I decided that the best option was to start out slowly and stay with the leaders until the end and see what I had left. This was disappointing because going into the race, I really wanted to get a good feel of how it feels to start a race out fast. The Duathlon World Championships are coming up soon, and the first run is a 10k so I thought it would be a good gauge of what is to be expected. The race started, and to my surprise, nobody wanted to take it out hard. My mind and body went into race mode, and I took off. I went through the first mile in 4:49 with nobody else near me. This was a good sign becuase I did not feel that I was running very hard. After the third mile, which I went through in 15 flat, the wind picked up. The course took a turn and the wind was almost impossible to run through. This was when I started to get tired. There was no competition even close to me, which made it mentally taxing to push myself through the rest of the race. I backed off and decided that I would just finish in a decent time and save my energy for the upcoming training week. I finished the 10k in 33:04, more than a minute ahead of the next finisher. I think that with a non-windy day and a taper, I will be at 30:15 or below. This is exciting because I know that I will need to run that fast for my opening 10k at the world championships which are in 3 weeks. Its nice to see that even after being sick through the winter months and not working out for 4 straight weeks, I am back to where I should be. I just need to focus on my bike strength and this season looks to be very promising. Up next weekend is a small local triathlon in Sullivan, IL. The race is about 40 miles away from my school, which is nice because I will not have to drive very far like I usually do. I'm excited to see how my swimming is coming along, even though it is only a 400 meter swim. I plan on focusing on using the race as a quick speed workout and pushing myself on the bike to use it as a gauge on how to pace myself throughout the longer races. Check back in a few days to see how my training is going and to see the results of upcoming races! -rybread also, if you want to check it out, I was featured in the Rockford newspaper on my win at the Heritage 10k.

http://www.rrstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070423/SPORTS/104230035