Accenture 2007

I almost did not compete this year due to power outtage for several days amongst other issues. I wanted my kids to compete in the Mcdonalds kids triathlon but because we had no power and flooding we put everything on hold. Power finally came on Saturday morning around 2AM. I could hear the sump pump going for hours. Then after we get a clean up cure in to clean my wife lays a bomb on me. She had gone to the doctor Friday and needs to go to the hospital. I tell her we should have gone Friday but she did not want to leave the family with all the issues going on. Finally I take her to the hospital and it is around 7pm. My wife tells me I should go and compete at the Accenture Tri Sunday. I tell her I should stick around for the kids. She tells me they will be fine if they need to they can go to my brohters home. He lives a couple of blocks away. I decide around 9pm to do the race. I get my gear, put air in the tires and off to bed.

I can't l;eep so I get out of bed around 3am, I eat get ready and leave my home around 3:30. I arrive downtown around 3:55 am and find a parking lot. I did not realize that you can park for free on Sundays. I grew up in the city and worked downtown for a while I should know this stuff. Anyway I paid $14 to park and find another Triathlete from Oak Park. She is early to, she did not know where transition is and wanted to make sure she had plenty of time. I walk with her to the transition since I know where to go and then we spilt up. I had to go to the trouble tent. Last night I noticed I my packet number was different than my number on my bag. I ask the staff there and they want to give me a new number and timming chip. I tell them no, since there is no way of testing the chipp. They say i should be fine.

I see Jim Q at transition, he is wave one and I am in wave five so we are close. I walk over to the swim area and I spot a SCTC jersey. Its Christina and her friend, she is excited and we start to chatt. I ask what time it is and she tells me its 6am. Yikes my wave starts at 6:15M. I run into the wave line up and we are next. I put on my cap amd goggles, we jump in and the water is freezing. I was not prepared for the cold and I start to freak out. next thing I know I hear the horn, but I need to start my watch. I think I hit my watch but later find out I did not. 50 meters in I can't see a darn thing. I sprayed my goggles with the anit fog spray. I have used it before but it does not work this time. I think because of the cold and my warm body. Of cours my form goes all out but I think I catch up to some of wave 4 then later I see some of wave 3. Then I remember this is the race of the newbies and the people that can't swim.
I had put my slippers on the end of the swim so I put them on and off I go. Get my bike and don't put on socks for a first in this season. I had my bike in a low gear and I put my feet on top of my shoes after I get past the little hill I put my feet in my shoes. I feel good and pedal as hard as I can I was only passed by 4 guys this race. Usuallt its about 10 guys and some ladies. I catch up to alot of people and feel good. Off the bike and T2, I put on the socks since I do not want blisters. I run but I am out of breath I need to slow down. I wore my HRM but have not looked at it since my timer was never on. I get tot he first water station and I stop and drink and off I go. I finally get in a groove, but I start chatting a young lady around mile 1. We are both about the same pace and we talk a little. Then mile 2 marker and I have to shift inot a higher gear. I start to redline but I keep going and then i sprint in. I go find my time at the tent and find out I was 2 minutes slower than last year. I guess all the HIM training has made me slower. On one good note my bike was faster by 2 minutes. Must be the new tri bike(tina). Started at 6:15 and ended at 7:41. I called my kids and they put their order in for McDonalds breakfast and I was home by 9am.
Time for marathon training, I better not get injured like last year. I will take it easy with the speed workouts, that what got me into trouble last year along with to many miles to quick.

Tri Masters

Well last year my kids competed in their first triathlon. It was the McDonalds kids triathlon at foster beach. I was not impressed with the race. First the adults get to race first, so the kids have to wait till all the adults are off the course. This could take all day with some of the slow pokes we seen. Anyway around 10 am they finally started, it was about time since we were there around 7am. This year we decided to try the Tri- Masters triathlon for kids on 63rd and LSD. The start was delayed for about 30 min. but then they began with the adult race. Then the kids. So the kids finally started around 8:35am. This was better than last year I guess.

I forgot to warn my kids last year about all the kicking and slapping in the swim leg. So this year I told them to get in the back like I do. We convinced our 12 year old nephew to compete and he was about the 10th kid out of the water. He is taller and more aggressive than my kids so he did not have a problem pushing the small kids out of his way. My kids caught up to him in the transition area and my son that was almost last out of the water was pretty quick out of T1. They took about 17 min. on the 4.5 mile bike course with their mountain bikes. Then off to the run, my son Teo was still ahead of my nephew and my other son by about 1 min. On the run my son Teo kicked it up a notch and ended up 14th and my other son was 16th. My nephew ran out of steam on the run and had to walk most of the run leg. I tried to get my kids to train but they do not like any type of structured training. They say its to much like school. Overall they had fun and now they would like to enroll in the Mcdonalds kids Tri at the end of the month.

Racine

Finally have time to write in the blog. I did however create a race report on BT. One of my tri-mate had a cancellation for her hotel so she offered a room. At first I said naw I will catch a ride with my other nutty buddy (Big D). Then my wife said I would be better rested if I had spent the night. I told her okay you talked me into it. I had to drop of the bike the day before anyway. I though she would have a problem with me staying in the same room with a young lady. She was cool with it. All I had to do was wear my flannel PJ's. Thats not fair since I like to sleep in the nude. Anyways back to the race, we woke up about 4am, but i did not get much sleep. i think I slept 2-3 hours tops, I would have been better off at home. At home I can relax in my own bad and my wife can read me a bedtime story so I can fall asleep. I take a nasty dump then Kelly takes a nasty dump. We fuel up with bananas and bagels, Kelly eats her cereal with soy milk. Then we get to the transition before 5am. We walk around chatting about the race and how much fun it will be. Finally it opens and we get marked and we put our stuff by our bikes. We get into the chipp line but no one is moving. I go and ask the guy at the table if they will open up on time. He tells me to get back in line and they will open when they are ready. Other words Fuck-off. So I get back in line and they finally start passing the chipps out. I find my nutty buddy Big D. We take a pix with the SCTC. Big D and I go for a small warm up run and then we go for a little warm up swim. Then the race begins, wave after wave until its my turn. I stick in the back so I don't get hit but have waited to long to draft anyone dang. I am playing catch up and do so but the main pack is gone. I finish my swim around 44min but by the time my chip hits the mat its about 46. T1= 1:35 Thats okay I was saving energy for the bike. My shoes are on the bike and I jump on. I ride a little before I slip into the shoes. I start to hammer away and it feels good with the new bike fit. I am passing people but I am also being passed. I catch up to Kelly and then Linda. I was only averaging 18:5mph. Oh well ,work to be done for next year. My neck started to hurt around 2 hours from the aggressive bike fit. My coach warned about that. I kept my heart rate at a decent place around zone 3 sometimes 4, but for most I was at a good place and felt strong. Drank alot of fluids and took a lot of endurolytes along with tumms. I did not however eat any gels which may have been my downfall for nutrition. My coach recommended a liquid nutrition for me but that may not have been good enough. Bike 3:02 T2 / 2:01
On the run I started nice and easy and keeping my HR low zone 3. I felt ok until there was a hill to climb which I did not want to take any chances and decided to walk. Not far from there I felt a cramp creeping up and I took another endurolyte along with a gel. The run was better than Rockman but still cramping during the run. I know I can do better on the run so I really need to fine tune the nutrition part of my HIM races. Run 2:23