Age Group Nats and first bad race of 2007

Before i get to the race i will recap what i have done in the last 72 hours. my compatriots decided to drive 3 hours to Eugene, Oregon to see some Pre's (Steve Prefontaines) monuments and history. we went to Hayward field which is where Pre was racing back in the day and is home to some very memorable events. we also went to the monument where he died, literally the very same rock he crashed into and passed away. anytime you see something like that it is pretty emotional and especially when he was so young, talented and had so much to give. we also went and toured around U of O and the campus is pretty quintessential UNIVERSITY life.

we spent yesterday dealing with race stuff and the new ride was decked out and ready to race and i was feeling very good and confident. i ate really well yestereday and everything went staus quo on the race AM. i had good calories and a big coffee as always. McDonalds actually has great coffee but no soymilk. go figure. then warmup went really well and i felt very springs and primed. the gun goes off and we can't see any buoys as the sun is reflecting off the lake so bad that i am zig zagging around. this is horrible. i felt really out of place as i see the pack taking off in one way. i could hit the gas hard and feel confident but can't see where to go. we make the turn and head back to land and i start picking people off and heading home. things are better now until my googles get water in them. this never happens to me and i just usually push the accelerator the whole way. now i have to stop twice and take the water out. i get out of the water in 23:00 which considering the mayhem is not too bad. i transitioned OK and went off on the bike. all is good and i am doing OK but not great. the bike is hilly and beautiful. we are going up and down and my Ergomo is telling me that i am doing fine and holding .95-.96 IF at 255 watts. that is fine and i am feeling good. on the second and last loop my stomach starts cramping. BADDDDDDD. this never happens in an Olympic.
i actually peed on the bike which is something i have never done except in half full IM's. so my power went down in the last 10 miles and then the run.
i couldn't run like i wanted to and my legs felt like a race horse in the start gate. they wanted to go but the stomach said NO.
so i went for an easy jog for 10K. no kidding. an easy 9 minute mile jog. wasn't too bad actually and i thought about this blog and other stuff out there. i must say the view and scenery here in Oregon is great. i really love the NE and the weather was so perfect. so i jogged and cheered people on and finished. no DNF's. i hate them so i tack this up to an easy aerobic training day.
i will go so hard in 2 weeks at the next race though.
funny thing: i am not upset at all. i am lucky to be here racing and have enjoyed hanging out with friends and goofing around.
tomorrow i head back to E and baby Blu. thanks for readin!!

good day all,

well i am off to portland, oregon tomorrow for the USAT Short Course National Champs. it is a bitter sweet trip for me as back in january i wanted this to be my big race for 07 but with so much travel i bagged the idea. now last week i got a call from USAT office and they wanted me to go to head up a meeting there. i chair a commission that is part of the Board of Directors so now i am going after all and racing. here's how it works out: if i place in the top 16 in my age division i make the Team USA and get to go to the World Champs in Germany in August.

NOW, i have never raced a Nationals race but i think i might be able to pull this off. we'll see. i am fit now and have been racing well.

i am hard at work with all the divisions of BZ and our new project, Advanced Performance LLC, a state of the art training and testing center for athletes. More on this later.

MY GIRLS ARE ABOVE.

COFFEE TODAY: Verona (again)

Finally....

there are a lot of finally's to wirte baout.
finally i broke 19:00 in a 5k in the Bahamas 2 weeks ago. i we nt 18:49 and it hurt bad but only for the last 2 minutes. my pacer travis did awesome and he's a great guy. it has helped my run out and i feel really good on the run!!

finally... i got my new caliente pimped out the way i want with the following:
ergomo power meter
ergomo carbon cranks
hed straight aero bars
q rings
zero gravity brakes
pro lite triple threat wheels
it is super sweet and fast.

finally i broke 5:00 in the 1/4 mile swim in trilogy. i exited the water in 4:34 with my athelte jeremy hot on my heels. man has he come a long way

finally....erinne is training consistently again and it is going to show later in the year. i'm happy she is happy.

baby blu is doing well and growing up fast. it is correct when people say they are like weeds.

well more in a few days. i won't go too long.
coffe today: Starbucks Verona Blend- you can't go wrong!

A bit technical

So the seminars in Clermont went well and the group i was presenting to were very mellow and interested in what i had to say. in the past i have had soem groups that were a bit more raucous so this made for some good presenting.

the race in melbourne went really well even though i did ot have race wheels on and just got the new bike the day before. the ride of the caliente is superb and being more forward by one degree over the kalibur is definitely an advantage. my friends lotte and eddie won overall and it was great as my other friends travis and his wife sara raced as well so we had a bug crew. icame in 10th overall and felt strong the whole way. how bout that, i ain't complaining!!

our athletes are really getting better and better and working with a power meter (PM) makes it much easier for the coach/athlete relationship. the PM is basically a tool that shows the work being doen at a given time so if the athlete can put up a number you want as a coach it is something they can see as more tangible then acheiving a certain HR. anyway, i like it and the athletes seem to do as well.

today: Double Lavazza Espresso with a splash of Soy Creamer