Tri for a Cause

July 19, 2014

The Tri for a Cause began in 2011 as a fundraiser for the Masonic Cancer Clinic of Minnesota.  The race director set forth on a mission to bring awareness & donations while tackling an Ironman race, then continued the mission by starting this race.  I have raced here since it's inaugural event & hope to keep doing so as long as I am able!

I decided that I would not take any time off of my training leading into this event.  I would continue to train and incorporate this race into my daily goals.  This meant that I had a hard interval swim & 2+ hr bike ride the day before.  My goals for the race were to 1) Have Fun, 2) Similar to last week, Swim relaxed, Bike hard, Run with anything I had left, 3) Support the LAMS in our attempt to maintain the title of Tri Team Champions.


Race morning was a little windy, but otherwise a beautiful morning!  I arrived early enough to grab a prime transition spot.  I typically leave the front row racks to the best of the best.  Today, I decided I was going to be front row!  I picked a spot opposite Michelle Andres hoping some of her magic would wear off on me!

The first heat was Men 39 & Under.  I lined up to the left of the field shooting for a straight line out to the corner buoy.  Unfortunately for me, as we got going I was sighting off the second turn buoy (diagonal instead of straight)! I also forgot to start my watch until half way through the swim.  When I hit the buoy line, I course corrected & grabbed a set of feet.  After about 100 yards in the draft, I felt like I was pushing too hard, so let the feet go & held my own pace. After the turn back toward the beach, I was closing on a swimmer in front of me.  I decided to push my pace a little to close the gap.  Back in a draft position!  This time, I was at a comfortable pace.  As we got closer to shore, I made a move to pass.  I swam until I couldn't swim any more, popped up beside the guy I was swimming with & ran for transition.

I had a few fumbles in transition due to the rear mount cages I have on gearing up toward IM (opted not to take them off for this race just to put them back on right away)!  I was still out quickly & was the first person on the road.  It took Casey Miller around 2 miles to pass me (on his way to the victory).  When he went around, I had a 28 mph average cooking on my computer (having a tail wind didn't hurt)!  Downside with the tailwind, you "get to" have a headwind too!  When we turned back into the wind, I just put my head down & pushed (& kept count of those who caught me).  Plan was to hammer hard, but try to keep a high turnover on the hills.  With just a couple miles left, Mike McConkey scared the daylights out of me!  He came flying by me like I was standing still!  What actually caught me off guard was his quick shout out to me as he came around.  I had just looked back going around a couple corners & there was nobody there...then out of nowhere....

Back into transition, I opted not to flying dismount with the rear cages on as I had only tried a couple times in practice.  Quick transition without issues.  As I came out of the transition area, a teammate yelled that I was # 7.  Really??? Wow!  A quick high five to my son and time to see what was left in the legs.  My first mile I clicked off a 7:50 mile...then came the cavalry!  A quick shot of the new Chocolate Peanut Butter GU & some water at Mile 1 that hit the spot & kept me turning over.  There were some fast runners out there & I am not one of them! I was able to hold about an 8:20 pace for the rest of the run.  Not my best run, but far from my worst!  As I rounded the softball field toward the finish, I could see my family waiting.  I had promised my son earlier in the week that he could run the finish chute with me if he was there & ready to go.  As I came around the corner, he reached up & grabbed my hand as he(we) sprinted toward the line.  The smile on his face was priceless!


It was fun to see some of the local 1st timers come across the line feeling accomplished!  No matter how many races I have done, that spark in the eye of a first time triathlete reminds me of why I love this sport! The teamwork & camaraderie of the LAMS group, along with the whole MN Tri family, is truly amazing.

As the results rolled in, I just about fell over when I was listed as the fastest swim time of the day!  Me? Really?  The last 2.5 years of pool work have been paying off!  I ended up finishing 24th overall/22nd Male/6th Age Group.  This race also incorporates the Tri Team Championship into the results.  Points are accumulated for the first 3 overall and top 5 in each age group.  Lakes Area Multisport was able to maintain the title!  The concept of this event is fantastic, but the story of the trophy is AMAZING! If you can fit this event into your race schedule, please try to make it out!
                                           
                                                Great Venue, Great Cause, Great Charity!

Then the story of training toward an Ironman race (see above comment about training through this race).  Later in the afternoon, I hoped back on the bike for an "easy" 56 mile ride.  There were no volunteers.  There were no aid stations. There were no directions of where to go.  It was just me, my bike, the stuff I carried with, & the open road....

Enjoy the journey!

Graniteman Clearwater

July 12, 2014

A consistent race on my race calendar, I was back at the Graniteman Clearwater for another go.  Having not raced since Liberty (just over a month ago), I had to round up all of my gear that had been drying since that soggy race.  As I was preparing my stuff, I noticed that they had pushed the race back an hour this year. Yeah, I got to sleep in!

It is always fun to start your day seeing familiar faces in the transition area.  I got to catch up with a few people.  During race check in, a band was placed around our wrists.  The event staff tried to keep everyone without the band our of the transition area.  Thank you for protecting my gear!

I knew going in that they had reversed the bike course (clockwise), but in the brief learned that it was about a mile shorter.  The swim & run were unchanged.  My goal was to have a relaxed swim, hammer the bike, and survive the run.

The swim was a mixed gender Age Group start.  I positioned myself front & center right next to Casey Miller from Baxter (another LAMS member & the eventual winner).  I told him to grab onto my toes & hang onto the draft.  We were off!  Somehow I got pushed around off the start (Thanks Dave for the practice on our Wednesday night swims).  I took a foot to the face in the initial rush.  Looking for clear water, I veered left & placed the buoys on my right side (they were down the center of the swim lane).  I knew I was out fast!  I saw one group of arms in front of me, one to my right, & clear water.  I figured  I would be in the second group across the line.  Perfect! I kept my pace steady & relaxed.  Unfortunately, I didn't hit the correct buttons on my watch, so had no data until 1+miles into the bike.

As I came out of the water, there was a huge cheer from the crowd!  When I heard my Dad yelling that I was #2, I understood why!  Casey came flying by on the way to transition.  He had been the one next to me throughout the swim.  We both transitioned quickly, hit the road, & he lit the afterburners.  That was the last I saw of him until the run course!

The roads were great for the bike.  I was passed by a few on the road, but for the most part, I held my own.  In the big picture of things, the bike was uneventful.

I had a quick T2 and headed out on the trail run.  The first mile is slightly uphill on a trail around the lake, but I knew that going in, so didn't feel so bad when my legs felt like logs! The second mile is on asphalt going down a hill & up the other side to turn around and go the other direction back to the trail.  Then the last mile is back (slightly downhill) on the trail.  The return trip was a little more congested as the trail is narrow with two way traffic.  Across the line with no issues!

Overall, a descent race.  I ended up 45th Overall/37th M/7th Age Group with 20th overall in the swim/17th Male 3rd in my age group (Casey crossed the timing mat ahead of me).  It felt good to be back racing a tri!

Zorbaz Gull Lake Challenge/ Peter Johnson Memorial Swim Race

June 14, 2014

Just one week post 70.3 race, I find myself toeing the start line again!  For those who know me well, I have never been a swimmer.  I have always floated like a rock!(**see times below**)  I am not a swimmer turned triathlete, but quite the opposite!  This was going to be my first ever open water swim race (not attached to any other events).  My expectations?  To finish the 2.4 mile course & gain some confidence in the distance swim looking toward Wisconsin!  I am a triathlete treading on a swimmer's turf. I just wanted to finish with a respectable time!

This was the first year of this event.  A year before, an avid local swimmer (& father of a high school classmate) had died in the Gull River when he suffered a heart attack, his boat capsized, & he was able to get his grandchild to the safety of the shore.  Proceeds were to benefit the local high school swim teams.  I was happy to participate!

The way the rest of the year has gone, it should be no surprise that is was cool & raining on race morning! The 06:30 race start was not pleasant (my alarm had to go off way too early), but it was nice to roll out of bed and not have very far to drive to the race site!

After the race brief, we headed to the water.  Water temps had cooled off during the week.  It was definitely brisk when I jumped in!  We lined up & were off through the channels of Lake Margaret on our way toward Zorbaz on Gull.  It was a typical swim start with a washing machine like first few hundred as people got sorted out.  Once things settled down, I settled into my pace and just focused buoy to buoy.  They had yellow markers every 1/2 mile on the course that helped me figure out how far along I actually was.  I had hoped to grab onto a set of feet & hold on as long as I could, but quickly found myself on my own (there were a couple around me, but nobody to draft off of).  The one time I did find a set of feet, it was unexpected.... and came as a heel struck my goggle dead center.  We were both okay & pushed toward the finish!

Before I knew it, I was under the bridge & approaching the funnel of buoys to the finish!  I crossed the line, climbed the steps to the pier, & found some LAMS teammates that had done the 1 mile race.  I felt good.  Was I tired?  I just swam 2.4 miles, so yes, but I felt like I needed to hop on the bike & go (and was ready for it)!  The plan was to take the race at IM pace & be comfortable with my pace (not push it).

My time?  1:02:08 (I was hoping for 1:05:00).  I felt like I met my goals for the race!  After I got changed & cheered on a few others, it was on to check the results.  I ended up 8th overall, 5th Male, and 1st in my Age Group!  Definitely not where I expected to be, but I feel like I am in great shape for the IM swim!

After the race, I stuck around for a awesome breakfast buffet & Bloody Mary bar provided by the event sponsors.  This was a great event & will be keeping this one in mind for future race calendars!

**To support this statement, here are a few previous results:
2008 Lakes Country Triathlon 1/2 Mile Swim: 29:06 (3:38/100 yds)
2010 Young Life Triathlon Olympic Distance 1.5 km (0.93 miles) Swim: 45:08 (2:44/100 yds)
2012 CanAm Games 1500 Meter Swim (1650 yards) 27:09.26  (1:39/ 100 yds)
2012 CanAm Games 800 Meter Swim (1000 yards) 16:16.96 (1:49/100 yds)
2014 Gull Lake Challange 2.4 Mile Swim (1:28/100 yds)

Liberty 70.3

June 7, 2013

I did this race in 2013 as a "test" of the longer distance events.  More specifically, could I handle thinking about Ironman.  In 2013 I had many things go "wrong" with my race plan, but learned a lot!  I was going into this race planning to take 45 minutes out of my previous attempt.  If I had "my day", I was shooting for 1 hour or more!

When you wake up in the morning to cold, thunderstorms & hail on race morning, it is tempting to roll over & go back to sleep.  Not me (on this day)!  I was hoping the storms would roll through & we would have a great day to race.  Well, the storms didn't just "roll through", but we did race!

Freezing before the swim start!  Photo by Ellen Thomes 

I was on site at Lake Rebecca Park Reserve shortly after the transition areas were opened.  I was a little surprised to see so many people there!  A year earlier, there was hardly anyone there that early!  I quickly claimed my spot in transition, found some familiar faces & walked through my transitions.  We found some large puddles to be avoided, but nothing too bad (yet).

Swim Start (I'm in the sleeveless wetsuit on the right)
Photo by Ellen Thomes

    As I was getting ready to head down to start my       swim warm up, they announced that another cell was to the west.  We were going to get wet. There would be lightning. The race was being delayed 30 minutes.  We all headed for shelter, but I was surprised at the number of people that packed up & left!

After a few more delays, we got underway about an hour after the scheduled start.  I was afraid that they were going to shorten the distances, but they kept the course. Things were wet.  It was cold!  The Transition Area was muddy.  Some roads were flooded (but the water had receded).  But we were still on!!!


We got wet on the swim, go figure!  My heat started 1 minute behind the Elite heat.  It was a good feeling to start passing those guys by the third buoy!  Nothing too exciting happened in the water.  I flooded one of my goggles early in the swim, but I decided to just go with it.  I had a good swim.

Photo by Ellen Thomes

Photo by Ellen Thomes

Running into transition was interesting as the added water had created a muddy mess. I got changed quickly & onto the bike.  While things started fast and feeling great, the tables turned quickly!  A little over 10 miles in, as I turned onto a road to the south I found a large change in road height due to construction.  A couple guys just in front of my flatted right there.  Just when I thought that I had made it through fine... about a mile later while going down a hill my front wheel began to shake & I heard the hiss.... My first flat during a race.  Thank you to the Waconia Ambulance crew for stopping to check on me as I was working on the tire!  I changed things fairly quickly, but I definitely got cold in that change!  The rest of the bike was wet, cold, & windy.  I was able to nail my nutrition with GU Energy Gels, flat Coke, GU Roctane Drink, and water this year!  Racing without GI issues makes for a much happier race!  I felt like I kept things (aside from the flat) right where I needed to be throughout the bike.

Photo by Ellen Thomes

As I rolled back into the park, my family (who said that they were not coming if it was raining) was waiting.  Talk about a mental boost!  I quickly transitioned to my run gear & headed out on course.  Right as the transition area met the paved trail, a lake had formed.  I felt like a kid splashing through puddles!  The first half of the run felt good.  We got to run on a gravel road (aka mud)  for the middle couple miles.  My pace slowed as I looked for "solid" ground to run on.  When I got back to the asphalt trail, I just couldn't get my pace back.  I was running hard, but trying to keep within my limits.  Cresting the hill to the finish was a great sight!  A few dedicated fans were lining the trail.  I gave my son a high five just before crossing the line!

After the race, I was shot!  My legs did not want to move.  It felt GREAT!  Thanks to my LAMS teammates & families, I got dry clothes & food!  I finished in 05:51:26...just 8 minutes slower than my original goal.  All things considered, I am happy with that!  Would I do it again?  Do you really have to ask?

Fellow LAMS 70.3 participants post race.
Photo by Ellen Thomes

Training Underway

Before I knew it, winter has disappeared & the triathlon season is upon us!

In March & April, I jumped into a couple of indoor tri's at the YMCA.  It was great to have the push in my training from others.  I participated in the "Long Course" events that consisted of a 20 minute swim, 60 minute bike, & 40 minute run. Results were tabulated on mileage covered.  Thank you Kris & all of the volunteers for putting on such a great event!  I strongly encourage everyone to give one a try!

In the off season, I have worked hard on my base training to get my body ready to work hard through this summer.  The last full week of April marked the first week of my 20 week training plan.  To end my first "official" week of triathlon training, I finished with my first race of the season.

On April 26th, I returned to Morris, MN for the 30th Annual Tinman Triathlon.  This is the first year they added a sprint distance (had they done that while I was in college, I may have started my addiction much sooner).  I entered into to Olympic Distance.  We were greeted by cooler temps (mid 30's overnight) and a "slight breeze" (25 mph gusting to mid 30's) straight out of the east.  I had a great swim (4th fastest OA) with a relaxed pace.  The bike was a bear!  9 miles straight east, 9 miles straight west.  I set my watch to see my HR and cadence only on the out leg.  Good thing, as I would have been very discouraged watching my speed!  On the way out, I took in my nutrition of GU Chomps and GU Brew.  Despite the temps, I knew I was loosing fluids fast!  On the way home, I was flying as fast as my tired legs could go (averaged 28 mph!). The run was a nice new course to accommodate the sprint course.  I really didn't start running until March, so I was happy holding my pace.  I found a new love when I took a shot of GU Salted Caramel at the half way point.  Boy, did that hit the spot!  Overall, this was a slower time for me than 2013, but the only place I lost time was on the bike.  You can't fight Mother Nature & everyone is fighting the same conditions! 13th OA

2014 UMM Tinman Triathlon 

One week later I was back at it in the Chain of Lakes Triathlon in Alexandria, MN.  Time to work on some speed! This was my first race of the season with some of my LAMS teammates.  It was great to have the group out there pushing each other!  I had another fast relaxed swim (8th fastest OA).  Again, there was wind on the bike, but it was a mere 18 mph this week!  About 5 miles in, One of the people in the heat ahead of mine had crashed entering onto the bike trail portion of the ride.  Ambulances present & cleanup happening along with the warning to be careful!  At about the 9 mile mark, we turned directly into the wind.  Again, the focus was on cadence & heart rate.  Again, not my best bike, but I was still happy with my time.  The run was a different story!  I knew this was a short run (2.8 miles).  All of my running to this point was low HR, steady speed.  Time to shake things up!  I ran my fastest run splits in any triathlon I have done!  Course PR!  It was a great day! 19th OA.

The next week was the first "Hard" week of my training plan.  It was tiring, but I can feel progress. I am welcoming this week of recovery, but am also ready to start round number 2.  I have a few weeks off from competition.  My next adventure is at my return to the Liberty Triathlon 70.3.  I am looking to tackle this course & make huge strides over my finish there last year!  I have still not tested the open water yet this year, but at least the water is open!

Enjoy the journey!

A New Chapter

This winter has already had its ups & downs in my training.  It has been one of the best snow winters in quite a awhile, but it has also been one of the coldest.  I have been relegated to indoor training for the majority of my training sessions.

My biathlon training has taken a back seat to make way for my road toward Ironman WI.  I have tried to race when I can, but fell during a biathlon race in December & created a few days of unscheduled rest.  I was able to jump back into racing in February for the National Guard Central Region Biathlon Series.  I am trying to figure out when the last race I did without my coldest waxes on my skis!  With my focus elsewhere, my shooting has suffered this season due to lack of dry fire or range time!


January saw the final preps on the 40th Annual Lumberjack Jaunt Nordic Ski Race on February 2.  This was my 13th year as a race director for this event.  It was also my final one.  After the race, I resigned my post & am handing the reigns over to the next generation in the race.  Thank you to all who helped me with this adventure over the years.  I am looking forward to taking a few steps back & being back on the "other side" of this winter tradition!

Although my "official" Ironman training does not start for another month, I have still been working hard on my base training.  A typical week has seen 3-5 hours in the pool, 5+ hours on the bike trainer, & 1-3 hours running.  Add in some strength training & other training sessions. The hardest part right now has been working on my road map toward September.  My race plan will take off in early April.  My first check point is a 70.3 (Half Iron Distance) race in June.

Thank you for following along on my journey!

The Journey Begins

I am starting this blog to detail my journey & share my story with friends & family that I do not get to see on a regular basis.

My "story" begins on September 7, 2009 while working on a home improvement project.  During the project, a circular saw was being used to make a cut above my head as I held a door in place.  After the cut was made, the saw was lowered & came in contact with my arm.  Fortunately, the power was off & the guard covered MOST of the blade.  Unfortunately, the small portion not covered made a cut down to the bone & took out the extensor tendons in my right (dominant) arm.  The remainder of my day consisted of a helicopter ride to North Memorial's Level 1 Trauma Center, a few hours in surgery, and a lot of worry about what I would be able to do with this injury.  To this point, I had competed in six sprint triathlons over the preceding three summers.  When I came out of surgery, I told my family that 2010 would include five.

It took me about 3.5 months of occupational therapy & hard work to be able to return to work.  Needless to say, my biathlon season was "shot" by then!  I was, however, able to make my first triathlon of the year at the Chain of Lakes Triathlon in May.  That summer I completed six races!

Fast forward a few years to 2012.  After a good year of racing for me with many strong improvements, my triathlon season came to an end.  It was a couple of weeks later when I watched teammate Michelle Andres work her way to shattering the amateur course record at Ironman Wisconsin that I started to get inspired.  If she could put that effort in & have such a dominating performance, I could at least race it. (No dreams of a course record here!)  As I tracked her online that day, I knew that 2014 would be close to the 5 year anniversary of my injury (plus or minus a few days).




In 2013, I saw many more improvements in my racing.  I secretly carried a goal into my first 70.3 distance race.  This was my litmus test.  After that race, my fate of doing the IM distance was sealed.  I took the trip over to Wisconsin in September with multiple Lakes Area Multisport (LAMS) teammates to volunteer on the course & cheer on two of our own racing.  The atmosphere was intoxicating!  I cheered for Sara Carlson as she set out on an amazing 4th place AG finish in her first IM race.  I also cheered on Jarrod McKinney who 11 months earlier struggled to swim 25 yards in the pool next to me.  His smile crossing the finish line was contagious!  The morning after the race, I stood in line to secure my spot in the 2014 event.  It was almost eerie when the confirmation came in.  I would be racing ON the five year anniversary of my injury!

After some recovery time, I have started to work on my base training leading into this journey.  I invite you to follow along as I  tackle the challenge that lies ahead.

Thanks!

Josh