Irondean - One more Iron Madman

It's offical - We've migrated to irondean.com

2010-08-09T11:23:00.000-07:00

To follow along with the new irondean.com visit our new site at:
Dean Sakihama's fitness training and lifestyle blog

Resetting and rebuilding

2008-08-16T22:45:00.000-07:00

What the F! I spent all this time training, travelled far and wide to find terrain, and climate suitable for preparing myself for what was (possibly) one of the signature moments of my life, the long course, and now... What's going on?

A multitude of things occurred throughout your day or days leading up to the race, and for wahtever reason you day ranged from a glorious demonstration of how proper training/preparation/nautural ability to the worst you've felt for an entire day and finding fault with having paid for the opportuinity to hav e done so.

It's possible to fall at both ends of the spectrum at the same time and several places within throughout the experience.

I probably wasn't there for your day (sorry about that), but I wanted to say that I'm proud of you. Too much can be made of a finishing time. Time is a relative mark in our human abilty for understanding the world. It matters not in the slightest to the satisfaction to committing to a distance and pushing through the discomfort that is a race. You may have set a time to finish by or a total time to complete the race in, but it was made in a vaccum. It came from a perfect world of controllable training sessions and the rosy lenses of the best case scenario. On race day all that gets chucked out the window and you rely on everything that you can squeeze from your body on that one day. Be proud of what you've accomplished. I'm proud of you.

But now what?

Long course race preparation requires an amount of sacrifice that sane people don't really inderstand. You've done that. You have given what was possible and some that wasn't. Your body needs rest, but more than that your mind deserves rest. It's been your brain that saw the date on the calendar and pushed your body towards it. It was your mind that held everything together at the peak of training.

Take now to reconnect with your life. Sleep! Call or see people you had to push to the side. Sleep! Make good on your promise to your boss or life partner to do that thing you said you'd do right after ironman. Sleep!

Try not to think about the next race or event. When you're ready your brain will know where to fong your running shoes.

I've been off for a little more than 90 days, it's my biggest true layoff from training in close to five years. In that time I've been going to concerts at the hollywood bowl, worked on my relationship with the greatest woman to have ever come in to my life, retaken up cooking for fun, and enjoyed long walks with a golden retriever puppy.

Life is yours to live. The next thing will come. For now rest, handle the chaos that comes from a new span of free time in your life that resembles the loss of a part time job. Remember what you used to do with that time, and think about whether or not to reintroduce those things in to your life again.

Every second counts and they are yours for you to do with them what makes you happy.

Here for you as always.
-irondean

Lake Placid Update

2008-07-20T16:16:00.000-07:00

Just got back from Strawberry Fields where LA Tri had a great day.

But on with the news. Running time in Lake Placid is 12 hours and 15 mins. It's raining, and has been raining all day long. Kevin and Christy are out on the run, and according the live athlete tracker have yet to split on the marathon. I'd say that they're about a half hour away from finishing the first half of the marathon. Mark "Irondad" Cook is out on the run and put away the first half of the marathon in a tidy two and a half hours. Look for him to finish in the 14 hour range.

Depending on what minute you check the weather in Placid it's either raining or just cloudy. We're seeing temps around 65 degrees with 80%+ humidity.

I'll check in later
-dean

Video Post : Who Wants to be An IRONMAN?! Ironman Cd'A Swim Start

2008-07-01T09:51:00.000-07:00

Just a quick moment before the race start

A day of 43 posts

2008-06-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

I went back and counted my posts from Ironman day. The answer is 43.

A necessary revision

2008-06-25T11:08:00.000-07:00

In the heat of the moment I posted here the winning time to Ironman Cd'A by a pro this year at right about 8 hours even... (See here)

It should be noted again for the record that that was unoffical "dean" time, and here's why. I started my watch at the sound of the cannon during the age group start, a full forty minutes or so later than the pro start. Thusly I must correct my previous post and say that in right about 8 hours and 40 minutes the first pro crossed the finish line. Still badass? Absolutely.

A weather update for the weekend (Ironman Cd'A, 2008)

2008-06-25T11:01:00.000-07:00

According to the Weather Underground (Click here for the report)
Windspeed for June 22nd, 2008 was as follows:
Average: 12 mph
Gusts: 18 mph

So for those of you who believe you witnessed wind on the course, believe it. There was some wind on that course.

It's 1am... Duh, that's all I have left

2008-06-23T01:08:00.000-07:00

So here's where we are. Everyone is still standing, the race is over, t-shirts and medals have been passed out and it's now 1 am. If you've ever done/trained for one of these things you know one inescapable truth. What is it you ask? Simply put, when you're done you're hungry... duh. Me? Not this time, but everyone else absolutely.

What's open at 1am in the outskirts of Coeur d'Alene?... A Mc... yup. one of those. And that's where they went. Probably got a shake too.

Dean's short recap of the experience goes a little like this:
A calm mostly perfect looking morning in Cd'A sent a few clouds and a robust sustained wind through the town of Hayden (where the hills were). Dean wrote as much as he could about everything that he was seeing and hearing, not to mention texting updates to family and friends, and family of friends who where here in town unable to read the blog from the street.

Weather is one thing on a long list of things that are not in your control. You have control over yourself. Not water temperature, not cloudy nor rainy days, not the slow ass guy at Dennys that forgot your pancakes, just yourself... That's why we train/practice.

The unpredictable causes us to adapt and change. Some days it produces uncommon results both large and small, good and not so good. Today it produced all of these in both amounts. At the end of the day though we have finishers, whether you finished all or pieces, we have finishers. Each person putting themselves through as much of the day as they have control over, and adapting as best they can to the rest.

Perhaps this ramble is longer than I meant it to be, and perhaps it's because I'm tired. It's not the brief piece it was supposed to be.

So I'll close with this, from a coach of mine. It was a good day, no one drowned.

Peace. Good night.
-dean

glowsticking

2008-06-22T21:59:00.001-07:00

Just had to close with this picture.

From here to midnight

2008-06-22T21:52:00.001-07:00

Hi folks. Looks like from here til midnight I'll be walking up and the course. So I'm not sure how much more posting I'll get done. From here on in, I can say with more than a little experience that its a grind to the finish for anyone still moving forward @ this time of night.

Before I sign off I'd like to thank my Treo 700w,my APC usb charger that has kept my phone up, verizon with the data connection, and of course all of you for following along.

Please comment if you can and let them all hear you. Today has been phenomenonal, incredible, and as unforgettable as always.

Thanks also to the volunteers and goodnight.

Cord finishes

2008-06-22T18:58:00.001-07:00

Unoffical time is 11:55

Blast from this ironteam's past.

2008-06-22T18:53:00.001-07:00

This event has had a convergence of campaign managers. Amy Graavengard just passed me on her way to mile 15. She said she might still be cold from the swim. Maria saw Jessica. And I saw Jayme who has been working with 2XU.

Interesting is all I'm saying.

Pitstop #2ish

2008-06-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

Rules for spectators continue.
-stay fueled. Nothing ruins a day faster than dehydration and/or grumpiness brought on by a severe case of low blood sugar.

Dean's example...
620pm - Coeur d'Alene Brewing company (just to stay consistant.)
Burger, medium, cheddar & bacon. Accompanying is a vanilla bourbon stout. So far everything is excellent.

(Cord should be finishing in the next 30 mins. Should be exciting.)

Reindeer games

2008-06-22T18:20:00.001-07:00

So theres this huge endurance event in town. Gatorade & powerbar are in town. On a front lawn I joined in a quick round of pong... Beer pong.

Relief

2008-06-22T16:56:00.001-07:00

It's 10 to five and I just saw Karen with Laurie and Kevin @ mile 109. They're gonna make it on to the run.

Sixty little minutes

2008-06-22T16:37:00.001-07:00

That's all that remains in the bike portion of our day. I think we still have four out on the course. I shudder to think what the wind was like on the backside of the course.

In case I haven't mentioned it

2008-06-22T16:21:00.001-07:00

In case I haven't mentioned it, the race is over. 1st pro crossed right around 8 hours even. I wasn't at the line so I'll have to find out later who it was.

109 miles

2008-06-22T15:44:00.002-07:00

I've plopped myself down less than three miles from the bike finish. I remember being at this oint last year on my bike and knowing almost down to te second how long it'd take me to be off my bike. The look on the faces of the oncoming cyclists tell me that we all share that feeling.

The attached video is of the stretch I'm sitting at.
-dean

New @ mile 109

2008-06-22T15:44:00.001-07:00

Raul passed me just now at dean's unofficial mile 109

I've started walking

2008-06-22T15:14:00.001-07:00

In search of teammembers I've started walking the bike coursw in reverse. The turn out in the residential areas has been huge.

So far I think almost everyone is still out on the bike. Cord and a few LATC folks have transitioned to the run. I'll keep you posted.

-dean

And now a word from our sponsor...

2008-06-22T14:52:00.001-07:00

For 100 years (only about 30 active between prohibition) the Coeur d'Alene Brewing company has been brewing beer here in town. Today its seeing its share of the over 10,000 people and fans of the race.

So far I've had the Honeymoon Wheat, the Strawberry wheat, and the centennial pale ale. If the bar stays open long enough tonight I'll try them all (all 12 locally brewed beers on tap)

Have I mentioned that I'm looking for sponsorship? (no not an AA sponsorship)

Reorting as news comes in

2008-06-22T14:39:00.001-07:00

Sounds like the wind is picking up outside of town. Reports have the wind projected to 10-11 mph. I hate wind. I'd rather do Latigo with only my big chain ring than face a headwind. (I might need to rethink the analogy but you see what I'm talking about.)

I hate wind.

Runners on the course

2008-06-22T14:28:00.001-07:00

Just heard from Paul, he saw christina cord on the course. Roughly a 6hr bike ride. Way to go!

Pro update 2nd run lap

2008-06-22T13:50:00.001-07:00

Bib#2 ''Tom'' is in 1st place on the 2nd lap run (mile14 or so) heading out to the lake road. 2nd place is likely over a mile behind.

Karen on her second lap

2008-06-22T13:38:00.001-07:00

I just saw Karen chasing down Christy at the 68 mile mark.

Pro half done w marathon

2008-06-22T13:37:00.001-07:00

Michael Lovato (or whoever is bib#3) is running second 5-7 mins behind first on dean's unofficial clock at the 12 mile mark.

Pro update

2008-06-22T13:29:00.000-07:00

At just past mile 2 heather is the 2nd place pro woman. Shes headed out to the run and is looking strong.

Cowbell good

2008-06-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

Lesson 1 for spectators. Bring noisemakers. It saves the hands and voice.

I just saw kevin at mile 56 (probably 60 by now) and Raul @ mile 68. Everyone is looking strong. I'm expecting to see Christy pass me in about 20-30 mins. What a beautiful day.

(Lesson 2 would be bring sunscreen and cash, definitely cash.)

One lap down

2008-06-22T11:14:00.001-07:00

Unofficial time for christina is right around or under 3hrs for lap one.

Just to stop and take it all in.

2008-06-22T11:02:00.000-07:00

A look from in front of the Cd'A resort out towards the lake. LOVE IT!!!

A look out at northwest blvd and lakeside dr.

2008-06-22T10:57:00.001-07:00

This corner sees every cyclist for times; out and back for each loop.

Off for a ride.

2008-06-22T10:29:00.001-07:00

The team is out on their ride. I'm off to lunch. Should have an update in an hour or two.

On the bike

2008-06-22T09:49:00.001-07:00

I don't have my bike yet, but I'd guess that karen is a little ove 20 miles out on the course.Christina is probably pretty far in to Hayden at or around 30 miles.

Welcoming in the last official swim course finishers

2008-06-22T09:26:00.001-07:00

At 2 hours 19 mins and 40 seconds the last official swimmer makes their way to t1. For everyone who follows, it will be an ''I'm sorry'' and maybe we'll see them next year.

Unofficial swim times

2008-06-22T09:24:00.001-07:00

Cord 111
Megan 115
Karen 130
Christy 137
Laurie 140
Raul 140
Trish 155
Kevin 158

A smoking swim

2008-06-22T08:14:00.000-07:00

Christina Cord is out of the water in a smoking one hour and eleven minutes (dean time)

Swim start video

2008-06-22T07:52:00.000-07:00

Not sure how much you'll be able to see. I got this started a few seconds after the cannon went off.

Anf the 1st age grouper just finished the swim in 47 or 48 mins. Holy crap.

Weather update

2008-06-22T07:50:00.001-07:00

Hopefully the weather hasn't changed. The clouds have just rolled in on the swim.

Holy crap

2008-06-22T07:27:00.001-07:00

1st age groupers man and women just rounded the corner of the 1st swim lap. 30s faster than the pros. Just awesome.

Pro's done with the swim

2008-06-22T07:22:00.001-07:00

In just under an hour the first five pros are out of the water on their way to T1.

Laurie all set

2008-06-22T06:39:00.001-07:00

Here she is. All ready to go.

There's Raul

2008-06-22T06:36:00.001-07:00

Raul, ready for the day.

Pros to start in a minute

2008-06-22T06:26:00.001-07:00

The lake looks beautiful after a short rain last night. The pros are warming up. We should hear the gun any second.

Oh look there's Christina Cord!!

2008-06-22T06:07:00.000-07:00

Karen all good

2008-06-22T06:06:00.001-07:00

Just checked Karen in to the bike transition. Tons of people around. You can really feel the prerace ironman energy running through this place.

I'm getting goosebumps and I'm not even racing.

Ironman Coeur d'Alene - Athlete tracking

2008-06-22T04:15:00.001-07:00

Here's a cool feature for the race.
Up-to-date tracking of athletes throughout the day. If you're anything like me you'll be hitting refresh throughout the day.
http://ironman.com/events/ironman/coeurdalene?show=tracker

Karen #1801
Trish #2212
Laurie #2010
Raul #1584
Kevin #1452
Christy #2163
Christina #1862

It's 4am. Do you know where your breakfast is?

2008-06-22T04:01:00.000-07:00

With the race start just three short hours away, most of the team is up. The day's first calories, some coffee, and last minute prep are the order of the morning. (And yes, it's still very dark outside.)

Field testing.

2008-06-21T20:36:00.000-07:00

Just checking to see if I can post from the field tomorrow.

Live tracking available tomorrow at ironmanlive.com

Karen #1801
Trish #2212
Laurie #2010
Raul #1584
Kevin #1452
Christy #2163
Christina #1862

Peace everyone and goodnight.
-dean

IM C'dA 2008 - What Dean's Bike Would Look Like

2008-06-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Let's say hypothetically that I was to go out and "look" at a new bike... Here's what it might look like...

IM C'dA 2008 - Here we go

2008-06-21T20:03:00.000-07:00

It's Saturday night and the work has been done. Workouts completed. Nutrition dialed in. Bags and bikes to transition. Practice swims nailed. It's 630pm and dinner has been take care of. As of now we're T-minus eleven hours to the starting cannon and we're down to last minute prep. Think, night before any major workout. Mixing bottles and getting in a good nap.

This is my third trip to Idaho, and every year the town seems to grow a little bigger. Thankfully the race distance remains the same 140.6 miles. Weather tomorrow looks pretty good. The paper this morning projected that tomorrow would have a high of 75 degrees and not be raining. Not bad considering that it snowed here less than ten days ago.

The good news is that it felt like the lake was warmer today than it was yesterday. I have to say that I'm a little bummed that I'm not racing. For reasons that are all my own, it's good that I'm not, but that competitive part of my brain still objects; softly.

This is my first year as a spectator at an iron distance event and I expect it to be killer. I have the advantage of having completed the course twice so I know where everyone will be and where the best burgers are.

Heart Rate Monitors : The Beginning

2008-01-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

Hello out there in the land of multisports. Today, and for the next few posts I'm going to be talking about what may, after a good pair of running shoes, be the single greatest piece of gear to have in your arsenal. It is the heart rate monitor. Many make them, some are better than others, and here I'm going to do my best to write objectively about a few of them.

Let's get a few things out of the way first. A heart rate monitor is a device which, through the use of a piece of diagnostic equipment, be it a chest strap, finger clamp, wrist strap, just to name a few, can read one's pulse and transmit the useful information to the interested party. Short answer for us is something that can tell us how hard we're working and display it in a manner that is easy to read at a glance.

There is a point of diminishing returns on adding gear to our kit. It is the point at which the bulk, or added features, reduce our enjoyment of our activity. For everyone this is a very different point. Some people (perhaps myself included) would want to know every wheel turn on the bike, correlate that to a series of heart beats, and then extract the effect of the force on the chain to determine how hard I need to be running after T2. For others the intrusion of a wrist watch detracts from the simple pleasure of running. So I leave that completely up to you. Know that your choice is right, because it's right for you.

That having been said, let's talk about heart rate monitors. I'm sure that you've heard by now that, and if you haven't allow me, during training your ability to work withing specific zones (ranges of beats/minute) allow you to train more efficiently over the long term than any other piece of gear.

I will be talking about heart rate monitors from the perspective of a multisport athlete as opposed to a general fitness athlete. I believe that the best way to track someone's actual heart rate is to put a strap around their chest where the heart is.

While there are many brands of devices that do this, I'll be looking at the following:

Polar

Timex

Suunto

Garmin

...and perhaps a few others as they come up in discussion.

Stay tuned for the next episode.
-dean

Again, again, to Base Training

2008-01-18T13:07:00.000-08:00

Fitness Journal was kind enough to provide me with my latest distance so far through this period of my base training. It's been 358 miles in riding, running, and swimming and I feel great.

Check out my latest map.

Triathlete Magazine talks about odd running form in triathletes

2008-01-08T10:16:00.000-08:00

In an interesting observation, Matt Russ, in an article written for Triathlete magazine , talks about why triathletes as a group seem to have a different running form than runners. The reason for this, as cited by Russ, is that triathletes swim, and there for have a more developed upper body, in particular shoulder muscles that change the way the upper body moves thus affecting our running form.

http://www.triathletemag.com/Departments/Training/2007/Why_do_triathletes_run_funny_.htm

A wet and rainy Wednesday

2007-12-19T09:51:00.000-08:00

Hello. Today's post is sponored by the letter "R".
- R is for rain, and rest, and recovery. It's also for respect.

On this rainy day I'd like to point out that in this writer's opinion, the greatest task that each endurance athlete has to undertake is the practice of staying injury free. Nothing, well almost nothing, will ruin the most well-planned, best-intended, training schedule than an injury, especially one that could have been prevented.

Over the long course, a training plan is divided up in to periods. Each period has a particular goal, be that base building, or strength training, or peak building. Within each period there's a rest. Rest is necessary to allow the body to recover from whatever you were training it to do.

Even within a set, say a track session, rest is built in. Respect it. If your prescribed set is 400 @ (name your pace), followed by 1200 @ (name your pace), with a (X:XX) rest in between, respect the rest interval just as you would your pace interval. IT'S NECESSARY.

What's that you say, you have an easy week on your schedule? Then, TAKE IT EASY!!! Rest, recover, SLEEP.

That's all I got. See you next time. Anyone out there want to sponsor this blog? I think I'm running out of letters in the alphabet.

I'm an irongeek

2007-12-01T14:51:00.000-08:00

Here I am, in the afternoon post workout, errands all done and I'm watching the 2007 Ironman World Championships from Kona this past October on NBC. From Chris McCormack powering his way through the run to win his first Ironman to the final age-grouper to finish at midnight they are champions every last one of them.

Stolen lines, ironically the two letters that you have to remove from impossible to make it so, are I and M; IM as in Ironman.

have a good afternoon. -dean

'Tis a beautiful Friday

2007-11-16T11:56:00.001-08:00

For whatever reason I decided to walk to work today. I got an early start, bought a cup of coffee and a bagel from a local coffee shop and made my walk down by the beach and up an urban river trail to work, which is pretty much right off the trail.

It reminded me of something that gets left out more often than we should let it. The world moves pretty fast and this is mostly out of our own design, not so much that of the world. We cut up our days in to work, sustain (eat, sleet), recreat(ion). Recreation time is time that we use to re-create who we are, waking rest and recharging. This is usually the first thing to go when we get busy and overwhelmed. Commuting edges it's way in to this time as well. To that end we drive as fast as we can to cut down on the perceived time lost between the activities that we participate in. This becomes the norm and our lives are hurried merely as a matter of course. We hurry from one place to another, from one appointment to another, from one person to another, a hurried attempt to get it all in before we miss the next thing on the calendar.

I'm guilty of this too. I freely admit to being an over-scheduled volunteer-itis afflicted adult. Which makes what I did this morning all the more valuable.

I got to slow down. I got to slow down to the ambulatory pace of a human being. I was able to allow my body, mind, and all of my senses to experience life and the world around me as they were designed to, as opposed to how they were conditioned.

I thought about how much more I was able to see, much like riding my bike over, around, and the same streets that I drive on, how much more I noticed of my surroundings.

Long story short, it was a three and a half mile urban hike. Good coffee, ocean breeze, and I got in to work awake, calm, and somehow a little more prepared for the hell that Friday would be. I'm taking a break now to write this post, hoping somehow that the same peace of the morning will enter my afternoon.

Just how far do we train here anyway?

2007-11-15T14:26:00.000-08:00

One of the most significant collective stats that my friend Doron shared with me my after our first ironman was just how much distance we had covered in training. He used a number that I can barely fathom at this point, and wondered if we had been on the same training plan.

This year I want to see how far I end up traveling on my "trip" to ironman. To that end I've been logging my workouts in a personal workout log as well as the one that we are given access to through the teamintraining ironteam.

There's even a nifty map that shows how far I would have gone across the country.

Swimming - Study through Youtube

2007-11-09T17:07:00.000-08:00

If you're going to study swimming from videos you really can't get better than youtube for good free stuff. And if you're going to look for technique I say watch some professionals.
The first few here are of Ian Thorpe.

What I like here in this video of Ian Thorpe is the clear shot of the catch (the hand entering the water), and how much of his arm you can see pulling his body through the water. Note the bend in the elbow and the shape of the arm motion through the pull. (Above & Below)

2006 Commonweath games trial (200m)(Below)
Time 830 - Action Starts at 3:10
Check it out, the arms aren't moving especially fast, it's all pull power, form in each catch, pull, and overall body positioning. Smooth.

Kicking too (Below):

Freestyle swim video from the 2004 Olympic games

Just for fun: Men's World Record 4x200 Freestyle

Link to this Blog Post Swimming - Study through Youtube

Tri Saturdays - Just a ride in the park

2007-11-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

I love Saturdays. Friends of mine sleep in or do brunch or even go skydiving. Me? Well me and mine go out for bike rides. Yup, you heard me bike rides. For the two races that the Los Angeles Chapter of Team in Training "IronteaminTraining" participants will have either seven or almost ten full months of training to tackle the Wildflower Long Course (a half iron distance triathlon) and/or Vineman (a full iron distance triathlon). Today's mission was simple, ride as a team for the first time. So with a little parking lot assessment of equipment, and bike handling ability the team set out on a short hour/hour-and-a-half~ish ride around Griffith Park from the Los Angeles Zoo.

After an easy five mile warm up the lead pack upped the ante and the group spread out over the 17-mile course.

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1430246

If you were there this weekend it was great to see you. No worries about anything at all we have months (and I mean MONTHS) of training to go. If you weren't there you missed yet another opportunity to join us at Portos Bakery and my favorite part of almost any training day, lunch.

In the words of one of my coaches, it was a good practice; Nobody drowned. Next week it's off to Santa Monica for some Westside riding. See you then -dean

(link to this blog post - tri-saturdays-just-ride-in-park)

2007/2008 Ironteam - first practice

2007-10-26T11:31:00.000-07:00

It's a new year, a new season, and a whole new race. This year Team in Training has decided to field a team of athletes for both the Wildflower long course, a half iron distance, as well as Vineman a full iron course, and have both groups train on the same team.

Wildflower (2008 link not posted at the time of writing) an annual favorite of triathletes is a race to aspire to. Just think, a lake swim, hilly ride, and an awesome run through beautiful central California (Lake San Antonio, CA just up from the 101 freeway from Paso Robles).

Vineman is a full iron distance race in beautiful Sonoma, California. (Think wine country, and you'll get the idea.

At the first practice we took to the pools and as always there's a great mix of people. Some who've been swimming for years with graceful effortless strokes and people who have just now taken up the sport. Have no fear however, my first year we had a guy (some of you out there know him) who couldn't swim a stroke, and still finished the swim well under the cut-off time just from coming to practice and hitting all of his workouts (and a little extra tutoring).

Tomorrow we will have our first team run. Should be fun. We're about 40 strong as a group and that'll give everyone someone else to run with as the season progresses.

On the whole we're a lucky group. We live in an area that affords us the ability to train year-round, have enough loony people to train with, have a group of great coaches, and will raise a significant amount of money to fight cancer and fund patient services. I feel proud to be here.

Thanks for reading, drop me a note if you feel so inclined.
-dean
(link to this blog post: 2007/2008 Ironteam - first practice)

New starts at odd times

2007-10-23T14:29:00.000-07:00

Let's take a look at what's going on for me this year in the world of endurance sports. I'm probably not a beginner anymore, though there's still tons to learn. I've completed a handful of half marathons, a half iron distance triathlon, a couple olympic/international distance triathlons, two full iron distance triathlons, and there still seems to be room for more. In the world of triathlon we're coming to the end of the racing season with many locations having held or are nearing their championship event. For me and several friends of mine we're starting true base training in prepartion of another "going long" season.

For me this will be a focused year, trying to get the most out of training and the least amount of skating that I've done. And by skating I mean going through the motions without purpose. Laying this out there today, I'm not going to qualify for the big race in Hawaii, not this year, and probably not this decade. But this year is for reaching down and seeing what I'm capable of doing. Setting new PRs at all my distances and having fun while that happens.

I'm also helping out with Team in Training again this year as a mentor. We'll be going to Vineman in Sonoma, a full iron distance race as well has taking many to Wildflower for the long course, a half iron distance race. I look forward to introducing them to you as the season progresses.

I'm also working with the LA Tri Club to increase the club's presence at local races to support our member athletes from beginners to elites, and to recruit new members.

Oh yeah, then there's working, dating, and sleeping that has to get done between all the training, eating, and recovering that is already planned. So like I said last year, I send my apologies in advance.

-dean

Racing and whatnot

2007-09-10T10:49:00.000-07:00

There really is something to racing. Whether it's your career as a pro, your gift as an elite, or your passion as an age grouper, racing is a test you abilities on your chosen course. Some people are absolute monsters racing every weekend in some cases and prospering in the standings. I marvel at their fortitude and bow to such commitment. This of course is coming from someone who for the past two years has taken an ironman finish in late June as the end of his season. This year I hope to add just one more race (maybe two) to my schedule by taking on the Long Beach Marathon. A sub four finish would be dreamy, but it won't happen this year. I'm honestly hoping for twenty six 10 to 11 minute miles which puts me at just under four hours. Or in a more optimistic perspective, a new PR, dropping my old time by over an hour. Time will tell if there's enough juice left in my tank to train for this one. I'll let you know how it goes.
-dean

Oh Canada! Ironman Day in Penticton, B.C. Canada

2007-08-26T21:10:00.000-07:00

So it's August 26th, 2007. And what would be better than watching good friends finish Ironman? Here we are, we've been watching off and on all day, but now I'm glued to my computer watching the streaming video from Penticton. I'm doing was anyone who knows this distance would be. I'm counting minutes, hours, transition minutes and trying to figure out who's finishing first, and how far from now it'll all happen. Go Kevin & Christy!!! (In no particular order)

-dean

Ahhh... The off-.. err PRE-Season

2007-08-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

It's August. I took almost a full month off. That is to say that I took a month off from training for triathlons. I've been to concerts at the Hollywood Bowl, camping, hung out in Hawaii, catching up with friends and family, and every now and then napping. All those things that I apologized for here: ("Apologies in Advance") I seem to have made up for in the last forty or so days.

I've sat on my road bike two or three times for a little less than an hour. I've been running. I even put a goal out in front of me, but my body wasn't ready to get back to it... Until now. It's back to training for me.

I've taken to helping out with the LA Tri Club as the Race Day Support Coordinator. The LA Tri Club has had over 4000 members join in the past six or seven years. I know this because I'm member number three thousand eight hundred something something... If it wasn't written down on a card I probably wouldn't be able to come up with it. Here's the point. When you're training it's nice to have support out there. Whether that be a running partner (Thanks Karen), a riding group, or a group of crazies to charge the surf with at 6am, it's good to know where to find people. LA Tri Club has a massive calendar of member led workouts in addition to a list of clinics and social events throughout the year. If you're a triathlete in the LA/Valley/OC area this is the place to be. The Race Day Support crew that I coordinate is all about bringing that kind of support that we have for workouts, out to the races for our members.

We're looking to support around ten local races throughout the calendar year and we always welcome your help. If you're a member of LA Tri Club come and join us through the club RSVPs. If you're not a member, What are you waiting for?? Join UP! Coming out the race anyway? Come see us at the LA Tri Club tent.

See you at the races!
-dean

Friends of mine in print

2007-08-14T22:04:00.001-07:00

If you look at this month's issue of Triathlete Magazine you will see that Janus took out an ad that spans several pages in the magazine in order to recognize participants in their ironman fundraising program. If you look at the top you'll see my friend Doron who raised over $40,000. I'm equally impressed with each of my teammates who raised funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, all of whom trained with me this past year. Kudos all around.

Race Day Footage from the 2007 Ironman Coeur d'Alene Swim Start

2007-07-16T17:40:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone,
As evidence of the start of the day I've posted video of the 2007 Ironman Coeur d'Alene swim start. This is REAL footage broadcast on local television in Coeur d'Alene and shot live on the morning of June 24th.

It is in fact not my imagination or my memory messing with me. The water was a little rough. See the video below (and the one below that):

Look at the flag on the beach almost dead center in the frame:

The importance of a little eye contact

2007-07-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

I've taken to riding my bike to work. With only a handful of rainy days in the last 12 months why not. Luckily I live in Southern California where the weather is forgiving enough nearly year round and my job is flexible enough dress code wise where this is possible. Unluckily people around me, and I mean on the road, seem to be paying less and less attention to the ROAD!!

I'm not certain what the issue is. Driving is fun. It is the transference of a little change in the angle of your foot/heel, to raw horsepower and speed, or drop in speed depending on what your needs are. Perhaps the problem is that cars are just too big, or that there's too much to look at and be entertained by inside the car. Regardless the power and convenience of this powered conveyance is being taken for granted.

As a rider, and now a riding commuter, I have come to one universal truth. It is this: No matter how well I train myself to ride, nor how RIGHT I am in the right of way, when struck by a quarter to a half ton of aluminum, steel, and plastic, that RIGHT of way doesn't mean anything. Nothing that is but an overall loss in the ability to walk, talk, and possibly breathe. I'm not ok with that. But making sure that that doesn't happen is on me.

I have been freed from my car and the shackles of big petroleum companies for my work week. I have been liberated, one might say. And eternal vigilance is the price of liberty. It's now on me to watch and make sure that I am safe. To that end a little eye contact is important.

What good is eye contact you might ask? A little eye contact can tell you what a driver is going to do, or better yet what they're not seeing, most importantly you. Riding in traffic is made safer by knowing as much about your fellow commuters as you can. Are they even looking at you? Have they noticed that you too are making that left turn? Are they sleeping?

Looking in to a driver's eyes can make them aware of you. At the very least it causes 99% of people a second thought, which still might be two more thoughts than you would have gotten before. It's harder to hit something that has looked in to your soul BWAHHAHAHAHAHA. I jest, but I'm not kidding. Try it sometime. Walk across the street, at an intersection, look at the driver that was looking left at the cross traffic, notice that they don't see you, then find their eyes. What do you see? Is it shock that you were there, disgust that you're holding them up, disappointment that they can no longer run you over innocently (in the "shoot, he saw me, now I HAVE TO stop and wait" tone)?

Tour de Fr... Denver?

2007-07-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

Hello out there. I got an email from one of my coaches and it looks like he's out to ride the Tour de France... but in Denver & LA, minus car support and while working.

http://tourdedenver07.blogspot.com/

Quoted from Coach Gareth Thomas:

With the Tour de France just around the corner, i thought I'd share
my latest mad thought with you......

I am going to attempt my very own "Tour de Denver (and LA)" to
coincide with the stages or this years Tour de France. I figured that
perhaps i can do a third of the length of the tour rides on the same
days with similar profiles to the Tour stages. Near my home in
Colorado I have access to some major climbs and time trial courses so
I figured I could find HC style climbs and routes to match what our
Tour heroes will be doing each day. On my work days in Los Angeles I
can ride the computrainer courses in my office. Of course there are a
few considerations...

1. the altitude in colorado starts higher than the finishes of the
hardest stages of the TDF!
2. it is often above 95 degrees most days now
3. i'll have to do most of it "solo"
4. I have to work and travel during it all

i have no idea if this is going to be an "easy" task or impossibly
hard. No one day is longer than 45 miles but there are many days back
to back and the intensity is going to be way hard.

Anyway, I am going to track my progress on a blog - it should throw
out some interesting info along the way. I'll be riding with an SRM
powermeter so I will provide data from each days ride. I'll be
getting somewhat regular massage and chiro along the way. I am going
to do weight and % fat pre and post Tour and also i am going to lab
test with lactate and VO2 pre & post. So if anyone is interested in

1. also following my stage plan
2. following my progress
3. giving me some encouragement
4. joining me on a ride or 2

then please visit my Blog and let me know what your thoughts are....

http://tourdedenver07.blogspot.com

Watch out Lance, here I come!!

Gareth Thomas
--

Should be a kick. Give it a look and shout out some support would you!

Race Report : 2007 Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Bike

2007-07-02T01:06:00.000-07:00

This year in Coeur d'Alene marked the first year of an all new bike course. There are a number of reasons that I have heard for this, but they don't really matter to me. The old course took riders out to the Idaho/Washington state line with a fair amount of climbing and had pieces of the ride that in retrospect felt like unnecessary filler. There was a long piece past mile 35/85 (or so) that followed the centenial trail along the highway and caused riders to hit a decent headwind.

The new course took us out of Coeur d'Alene and in to the town of Hayden. This year's course was quite a bit harder. Though in looking at my polar altitude data from last year and comparing it to this year, it seems like there 4300 feet of climbing (30 miles or so) and last years course had 4600 feet of climbing over the same distance. Though there was 300 fewer feet of climbing I'd say that this course was harder, if only in my mind. I'd say that last year had the climbing over a shorter distance forcing riders this year to climb for a longer period of time.

The biggest change was that the course was far prettier than last year. To the uninitiated this might sound petty, but over a seven hour period having great stuff to look at makes the time that much better. The rolling hills were beautiful, and the long line of riders looked like ants climbing over them.

For me I had the opportunity to talk to several people over the ride. (Most of them were passing me). It was by all accounts, despite being difficult perhaps, a great ride. The weather we had was wonderful, mid 60's to low 70's with a small headwind for most of the ride and a longer stronger headwind right near the end of the ride. If they keep the course the way that it was and you intend to ride this race next year, I'd recommend longer sustained climbing as a large part of your training.

End result, last year 7:50~ish, this year 7:20 (and that's with 12 minutes worth of bathroom stops because of the cold weather and hydration planned for a warmer day).

Race Report : 2007 Ironman Coeur d'Alene : Swim

2007-06-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

A year ago I was here in Coeur d'Alene it was summer. The air was warm and the humidity a little higher than anything I'd had trained in. Race day last year brought (see last year's race report here) high temperatures and an introduction to one of the most beautiful courses that I've ever seen.

This year the course brought early spring-like conditions with air temperatures in the low 50's to low 70's, and a 8-12 mile per hour headwind. Of course the more observant amongst my readers will ask, "How can there be a headwind the whole way?" I ask the same thing.

The lake wasn't the smooth glassy surface that I remembered from the year before. Instead we were greeted with an uneven wind chop that produced 1-2 foot white caps depending on the day and time. Conditions were such that as of the race start the swim became optional, with those who wished, an opportunity to work the day as a duathalon beginning the bike at 9:30am. For those of you out there who know me, this wasn't an option worth considering. I didn't come all this way just to bike and run. For those of you who don't here's a little background. I've been around water for a good bit of my life and would tell just about anyone that I'm a fair swimmer. However in open water conditions with a mass of people around me that are kicking and clawing their way forward, I experience a little more anxiety than I'm used to. As a result my swims are a little slower than my pool times would reflect. This time around, the messy conditions did a fair job of seeding the field, pushing those unused to ocean swimming around the course. Many of my team reported finding huge pockets of open water. I was not one of them. I seemed to follow several swimmers who were having a rough time. At almost every chance I had to pass some one would swim cross and close out my path.

That being said I was remarkably more comfortable in the water and despite the water conditions and traffic I finished the swim four minutes faster than last year.

I hear that back in LA while we were in the water rumors were circulating that the swim was cancelled. Rest assured it was not. Though close to 35 people opted out.

Stay tuned, more reports to come.

Touchdown! Home at last!

2007-06-26T21:36:00.001-07:00

Yup this ironman is in the books. I'm back in Los Angeles now and I know I still owe you a recap. Stay tuned. -dean

http://irondean.blogspot.com

In the works

2007-06-26T08:39:00.000-07:00

I'm working on my race report now. I'm just trying to work all the lactic acid out of my quads. More on this to come. In the meantime congrats to all my Ironteammates. You were awesome out there! I met some new friends on the road too. Congrats to everyone! You are all now IRONMEN (IRONWOMEN too). Much love goes out to Mike Riley, the voice of ironman, as well for once again for sending us out and calling us all in straight up to midnight.

Those words...

2007-06-22T21:30:00.001-07:00

I remember this. Sitting at the race banquet, siping my gatorade and watching the inspirational videos. I missed this place. It's more than the town, though I love it. It's more than the distance. It's the whole event, the stories, the lead-up, and my team in training Coeur d'Alene Ironman Team. Most are ironman first timers and are a joy to have spent time with, and have trained with all this weekend.

Love you guys. I'll see you on the course on Sunday. Stay focused, remember all the training, enjoy the day. It's a single moment that takes eight months, and one 17 hour day to create. And when it's all said and done, you'll hear, ''YOU ARE AN I-....'' nah, you'll hear it just fine when you all cross the finish line.

-dean
http://irondean.blogspot.com

Iroman Coeur d'Alene - Anything is possible

2007-06-22T20:14:00.001-07:00

Anything is possible. That's the theme of what I'm calling my sport. For me over the past three years my journey has netted me four new personal records in endurance sports, what I'm hoping will be my second healthy Ironman start, new friends, and a smoother healthier lifestyle.

In taking a moment, there are a number of groups that have made getting here easier if not making the notion of all of this possible in the first place.

First, as should be, are my family. Yes, that solid group of people who desite calling this crazy have put up with slowly returned phone calls & emails, dinners cut short due to exhaustion, and a smaller amount of time in general.

The same could be said for my friends.

I'm not not formally sponsored but I've made some friends along the way. Special thanks go to Motortabs. After trying several available hydration options, Motortabs with the remainder of my carbohydrate needs filled by Carbopro and Powerbars, have been the best practice and race day nutrition for me

Awaiting the beginning...

2007-06-22T18:11:00.000-07:00

Ahh Friday the last sane day to get a real light workout in. This morning was a light swim, a bike ride over 11 miles of the run course, and a lovely drive through Idaho in to Hayden on the all new Ironman Coeur d'Alene bike course.

The swim at 7am was cool with a strong wind chop over the water. It was my first swim in the lake since last year and it's just how I remember it. The fresh water is pristine and the amount of pre race anxiety in the ait was so strong I'd swear some peole were racing already.

The whole scene is insane. But in a good way.

I'm standing in line waiting for the athlete meeting and dinner. The line is CRAZY!!!

http://irondean.blogspot.com

Fun and games with the team

2007-06-21T09:45:00.001-07:00

There's nothing like having an Alaska Airlines pilot congratulate you on your flight. Yes, I managed to find my seat, put my bag away and yes, sit for the flight with a seatbelt on. More than that is what really was worth noting. My team raised over $
112,000 for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. On top of all that they still managed to train for ironman.

Kudos.

What? You want to help? We still need donations. You can click on any of the links on the right for my teammates to donate. Everything is tax deductable.

-dean

http://irondean.blogspot.com

Lights, camera, inaction

2007-06-21T05:54:00.001-07:00

Yup... 430am... And the only light I can see of any kind is on the ceiling of the lobby at LAX. Almost saw a fight at the ticket counter. Some couple that was standing in the wrong line for check in.

Travel is stressful enough without packing for a vacation and a race. Translation: watch for the ring side perspectrive and commentary in a future post.

-dean

http://irondean.blogspot.com

AND WE'RE OFF!!

2007-06-21T03:52:00.000-07:00

Here we go. It's a little before 4am and we're on our way to the airport. Usually I think anything this early is unholy. Who am I kidding? It is unholy. Next stop LAX.

http://irondean.blogspot.com

11pm - Do you know where your sanity is?

2007-06-20T23:03:00.000-07:00

I'm getting on a plane in six or seven hours to fly to Seattle to then fly to Spokane to then get in a car or a shuttle to ride for another hour in to Idaho where my race weekend will begin. A year ago I was sitting in my apartment in Long Beach, my bags weren't packed, my brain heavily in denial over where I was going and what was about to happen. I tell people at work that I'm going on vacation, but this is hardly a vacation from their perspective.

I'm leaving the state for a couple of days. I'm staying in a hotel in a resort town. I'm travelling with friends. We'll see the sights, eat good food, and enjoy each other's company. All true. It's a Holiday inn express in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, a picturesque town on a lake in Idaho. I've trained the whole year with a fantastic group of athletes and we're going together to Idaho. Ironman is in our future, but that's not until Sunday. We'll drive the bike course and see the hills and the long straight aways in our future.

To be honest it'll be an experience not to be missed. I can only hope that it means as much to them as it has to me. A chance to return to a course that pushed me to test myself and my desire to get what I wanted. I don't think that I wanted any thing more in my life than to finish that course that day. Nothing was going to stand in my way, nothing was going to keep me from that finish line. I'd worked for nine months, given up my weekends, and my nights to train my body to accept distance, pain, and the joys of a hard day's work. At the end of it all it was a joy; A joy to walk through the airport. A joy to walk the expo. A joy to see my teammates on the out and back stretches as we passed one another. Training for ironman was worth every minute.

And now here I am again. Five hours from having to be in a cab on my way to the airport all over again. I feel ready. Though I'm not sure I know what that really is yet. It takes time to know what that means. I feel better than I did last year. Stronger. Leaner. Smarter. I want it just as much.

It's ok. I'll sleep tomorrow and Friday night. I'll see the things that make me happy. Wake up in a new place. Swim in a lake. Ride in the mountains. Run near a beach. It'll be a vacation. A vacation called the 2007 Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene. An adventure. I'm ready.

G'night.
-dean

Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2006 Swim Start

2007-06-11T10:12:00.001-07:00

I know that you all want to see this. The first thing that you'll see is a pan of the crowd and of the water. Then there's a shot of the pro's coming out of the water. Just after that goes the cannon. And you'll see the rest.

For fun, see the training film:
The original post is here: http://irondean.blogspot.com/2007/04/how-does-one-practice-for-swim-start.html
And I've reposted the video below:

A quick recap

2007-05-24T09:53:00.000-07:00

It's Ju.. err May. We're so close that it might as well be June. This will be my 45th post of the year. All in all not bad, that's 9-10 posts a month, 2-3 posts per week. It's been a kick for me to write for all of you. Thanks for following us so far and taking any possible learnings from the missteps that I've made thus far in my training.

Here's a little of what I've learned:
- Training = Hard Work
- Ironman training = INSANELY HARD WORK
- Workouts are best done in all conditions to prepare the body and mind for anything.
- Training for the long course is made better/easier when working with others.
- EVERYTHING tastes better after 100 miles on a bike.
- NOTHING feels better after a marathon than a nap.
- When in doubt, Go team
- For some reason this is fun.

The day nears

2007-05-18T10:59:00.001-07:00

I'm starting to get that pre race feeling. The buttterfly-like nervous in the pit of my stomach. Race day must be coming. It's not for another five weeks, but all I see in front of me on my calendar is Ironman Coeur d'Alene. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that there are other things on my calendar, but this is all I'm seeing. Peace, dean.

http://irondean.blogspot.com

A pause

2007-05-15T06:30:00.001-07:00

In my rush to get things done it would seem that I've glossed over my audience. So to my readers. Do you have any questions? -dean

http://irondean.blogspot.com

Cruising the coonejo

2007-05-12T16:36:00.001-07:00

Today the ironteam did a century ride in thousand oaks, ca. Put on by the Conejo Valley cycling club, this challenging ride featured several distances for the casual 25 mile, to the 100 mile course with over 6000 feet of climbing.
It was my first long workout in close to six weeks and had to call it quits at seventy miles. For the first time even Ipulled a DNF.

More to come on this event later.
-dean

http://irondean.blogspot.com

2007 Wildflower Recap

2007-05-09T18:32:00.000-07:00

Yes I know what you're thinking, a recap? From a guy that didn't even race? Yup! That's me. I was out there supporting my team. Which team is that you may ask? Well that's the Los Angeles Team in Training Ironteam, the very one bound for Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho in June.

The very best news about training with a group of people on their way to an early summer ironman race is that Wildflower is a tune-up race. YEAH! You heard me, a tune-up race! (Again, not that I did it.) We, that is to say the team, had a great day out there. Good race day decisions made by all. Everyone approached the day knowing that they couldn't kill themselves out there, after all there's a race to do in six or seven weeks. hint hint. That having been said, there was no slacking out there. (Just ask someone about the famous naked aid station or the streakers that ran through camp Saturday night after the race.)

To quote coach Paul, "It was a good day. No one drowned." It's funny, he says that after run practice too. And why shouldn't that be the measure of a good day? With so many participants and waves that the start of the race stretched over an hour and half with each wave separated by five minutes it's a great thing that no one drowned. Everyone I saw from our ironteam group emerged from the water on fairly fresh legs bounding up towards transition. Collectively I'm sure that the concensus was "Thank God I'm out of that. Now all I have to do is ride."

The team looked strong with Gregorio, Chris, Heather, Raul, Maria, Trish, and Laurie moving with excellent pacing through the field. The day was long, but everyone came through just fine.

For anyone not having experienced Wildflower, even from the vantage point of a spectator, Wildflower is a spectacle and a sight to be seen. Talk to any group of triathletes and you're bound to hear that Wildflower is the Woodstock of triathlon. With many races today taking place in or near sizable cities or towns, hotels and motels are the common lodging of choice. With Wildflower, taking place in the scenic locale of Lake San Antonio, and the nearest populated area being close to an hour away by car, camping is the way to go. (Or an RV if you're so inclined.)

On Thursday the bulk of races start to arrive. Many carry tents to setup for friends, color tape to rope off sections and get ready to put their flag in the sand for race weekend. Come Friday and you'll still find a spot on the ground to stake your tent. Get there too late and you might not. By the time all is said and done the ground is covered in tents, RVs, parked cars, campfires, and athletes either relaxing before their race or celebrating a finsih. I grew up camping in that same campground and the long hot days of July and August are no where near as crowded as this past weekend was.

Saturday morning starts early with the long course athletes going in first and then the sprint athletes, which includes a youth division. Sunday is all olympic distance athletes. I was fortunate to have been able to volunteer on Saturday. Wildflower is actually run by students at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Volunteers are pooled from each of the campus groups and the race was well supported throughout. I actually found myself out of a job before 930am. So I went with Karen, one of my ironteammates, to the swim exit to try and spot our teammates coming out of the water.

Now a moment for this: Triathlon is a hard sport to watch. It really is. Think about it. Football, football (soccer), tennis, baseball, even nascar, these are all sports that occur on closed grounds for the most part where the objective or source of the action occurs in one place, more or less, for the duration of the event. Triathlon, marathon running, cycle road races, these are sports where athletes goal is survival first, then to thrive over distance and time. Where an hour covers several miles of work. For spectators this blows! Of course if the race took place on a track or in a small loop it would be the worst race in the world, but then, to watch a race means that one has to be in one place to spot their athlete for the 30 seconds tops, as they zip by on the bike, a minute or two as they pass on the run, and forget about the swim. Anyone who can spot and honestly keep track of a swimmer from a 2000 person mass start to the finish of the race from shore deserves a finisher's medal too, but dip this one in gold or something. When you see them you were standing or sitting in one point not longer than a couple of feet in a race that lasts 70.3 or 140.6 miles. Maybe they'll be back on the second loop or when they come in to finish, but that's it. Unless you hoof it cross course to see them at another point in the race.

From an athlete's perspective, there's little that I've seen on the course that lifts my spirit than a familiar face and the sound of someone calling my name cheering me on. Not even a cup full of ice at mile 20 of an Ironman marathon lifts my spirits like that. Better still is that familiar face in a bar or restaurant after the race with an ice cold pint. But that's neither here nor there. We could run the race without support. It would be harder and less fun, but it could be done. If you know an endurance athlete and want to support them go to a race. It's hard and trust me the vast majority of the day will blow, you'll do a lot of waiting around, but for a couple of minutes and more miles than you will know you will carry your athlete's spirits.

For some, race season doesn't start until Wildflower race weekend, which comprises of a long course (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run aka half ironman distance), a mountain bike sprint, and an olympic race. For others this is the race for which they've trained the entire year. From the crudest point of view a race is just a race. But Wildflower is battle, bragging rights, and a rite of passage in this tribe of athletes. Completion can be seen in the same vein as winning, a finish, any finish is a victory and something of which to be proud.

So, Go Team! Be proud.

Technology check for Wildflower event weekend

2007-05-03T15:15:00.001-07:00

Hello there. This is a test post for race day coverage. This post was sent from my trusty Palm Treo 700W. I'm looking forward to seeing my teammates take on this half iron distance course. Go Wildflower!! Go Team!!

http://irondean.blogspot.com

Absense makes the heart grow fonder..?

2007-05-02T18:53:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of mock conversations with higher powers. Hello, my name is Dean and I'm an injured athlete. Or I WAS an injured athlete. In March, I ran a race. It was the ironman California, a.k.a.. California 70.3, California half. For me it was a great day.

I learned a lot about where I was in my training and how I was setup to run Sometimes you have to sit down and reflect. Unfortunately for me I have to get injured or sick (or both) to slow down long enough to do so.

So here I am sitting down. OK, so it's in a bar but so what. Let's take the good news first. Good times were had by myself and my iron teammates. My swim pace minus a little open water panic was smooth and steady, on pace to beat my 2006 Ironman Coeur d'Alene swim by close to ten minutes. I finished the race upright and smiling, meaning I didn't over extend myself.

Now the not so good. I got tired near the end and lost my form. After losing my running form I stressed a tendon in my foot and could barely walk on it without wincing. I took three weeks off and now am finally back to training, and putting in some long mileage.

Therein lies the good news. In getting in my first new miles of the post injury period I realized something about myself that made me smile.

I missed it.

Three weeks off had cleared out my mid season burnout and focused me. My brain was, is telling me that I want to run. I can't wait to get on my bike. I want to move. I want the distance. And so with six and a half weeks to go.. Bring it. It's time to train again and I can't wait. Let's get going! (and someone bring me some motortabs!) -ds

http://irondean.blogspot.com

Begging forgivness from the Tri-Gods

2007-05-01T17:25:00.000-07:00

If the training of an athlete for an event was under the supervision of god, like in Greek times, and the actions of an athlete answerable to that god, this is what my most recent prayer would have looked like.

Dean: Hear me oh great god of triathlon, one who speeds transitions, suppresses the head wind, and calms the currents of the open water swim.

god of triathlon (GOT): Greetings athlete. What brings you to me today?

D: Forgive me for I have sinned (for lack of a better phrase) in my training.
GOT: How have you sinned?
D: I allowed my bike to fall in to disarray and somehow damage it to an unrideable state.
GOT: Equipment is sacred. You must not allow yourself to err in this way. Without gear we cannot complete the distances we strive for.
D: Yes, I have erred. I will endeavour to be more mindful of my equipment. There is more.
GOT: What else then?
D: I'm in the last phase of my training for my next Ironman race, Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho. Without my bike, I have not been able to ride for three weeks. Please forgive me.
GOT: That is what base training is for you idiot. Nonetheless you're probably fine and thus easily forgiven. Besides you've been injured too haven't you?
D: *GASP* How did you know?
GOT: Do you question my omnipresence?
D: Oh, right. See everything, hear everything. Slipped my mind. Got it.
GOT: The rest probably did you a lot of good. Tell me, do you now want to run?
D: Oh yeah!
GOT: Do you want to go out and ride?
D: You better believe it.
GOT: Did you want to do these things three weeks ago?
D: Not nearly as much as I want to now.
GOT: Then you're most definately better for having been off for a few weeks. No skimping on the training now that you're six weeks from taper.
D: This I can do. Is there anything else?
GOT: No, and stop stealing my lines.
D: *Ahem* Thank you for listening, it stills the demons of doubt that haunt me. Amen.
GOT: And while you're at it go chase down an ironman PR why don't you!
D: You got it... Amen.
GOT: Don't forget the hydration or the salts!
D: Um... Amen.
GOT: Get some rest!
D: Umm.. Really, got to get back to work now, so... Amen?...
GOT: .....
D: Hello?... Amen?... Hello?
GOT: Yes, I heard you. Your sins have been forgiven. Get back to work.
D: Amen.

A day on the path

2007-04-20T14:31:00.000-07:00

Of the trends in triathlon, one of the best in my opinion is the opportunity for triathletes to train on the grounds of an event site and under the instruction of coaches and event staff. Large triathlons such as the Jamba Juice Wildflower Triathlon plan on hosting several training camps for interested athletes (training camps).

The opportunity for newcomers and experienced athletes alike is tremendous. If you're planning on attending a long course event, for the first time especially, I'd recommend attending a training camp if such a thing is offered by the event organizers.

For Team in Training athletes for whom Wildflower is an opportunity, a training weekend is often one of the options included in the benefits for fundraising athletes.

How does one practice for a swim start?

2007-04-10T18:20:00.000-07:00

I was wondering what I'd write about today and then out of no where comes an email from my teammate Trish. A triathlon swim start is a harrowing experience. An ironman one is probably more so. All that energy and anxiety on the shore...

Needless to say, if only I'd had this kind of training prior to my first ironman I would have been set. Thanks Trish!

And to everyone else, TRAIN ON!

Amazing Finish

2007-04-09T12:18:00.000-07:00

A week ago at Ironman California the winner, Andy Potts, finished the 70.3 mile course in 3:59:59 unofficial time. Even though there were wave starts that started me over an hour behind him, let's face some facts. The very idea that professional athletes can finish the course in this amount of time merely cements the idea that I, yes, me, will never go pro. As a matter of perspective, I was still on my way out on the bike as this man was finishing the RACE!!! A serious congratulations are in order.

The fifth professional male finisher was just five minutes behind. I stand in awe.
Ironman California 70.3

Volunteerism

2007-04-03T23:05:00.000-07:00

After having completed two major races in my life now, and several smaller ones I feel the pressing need to come back to a subject that has always been very personal to me. Volunteers. A volunteer is one who gives to the event for the sake of being there. Sure some are there for the t-shirt and others are there to support a loved one. In supporting friends one is bound to help others and that is noble, and besides you get a free t-shirt.

I volunteered my first race in March of 2006 at the Ironman California in Oceanside, CA, the same race that I did this past weekend. It was a different place to be. You get up just as early as an athlete, some earlier than others, and go out on to the course. But your mission is different. The lines are in the same places, but your job is to keep the machine of the event on track. Keep it moving so that others, your brethren or not, can do what they came out to do, whether that be hammering the course in to submission or surviving the day with a finish.

Hand to hand volunteers pass out water, Gatorade, bananas, cold sponges, and ice to competitors facing down the day. Hands of volunteers point the way down blocked off city streets and around dirt trails. Hands of volunteers catch finishers who have crossed the finish line and who have left everything, sometimes more than they should have, out on the course and direct them to medical to assist in their recovery. There are times when volunteers are the only voices we hear cheering us on, offering the little encouragement we need to keep moving. Volunteers are everywhere on the course, their hands, their voices are invaluable.

No event in this sport can exist without the work of volunteers. Endurance sports are endeavors of a personal nature. For most, the journey is long, and victory is in the finishing. There’s no money in it, even for professionals really. It’s not like basketball or golf where there’s television time or huge sponsors beyond those that fuel us (Gatorade, Powerbar, etc.), and they already have us.

Events have staff some paid, but most not. Volunteers are the cogs in the machine. A race director or sponsorship director might arrange to have eight thousand gallons of Gatorade delivered to the race site but volunteers are the ones who are passing it out to the athletes. The course may be laid out on paper, but a volunteer will walk the road, rechalking where the lines get fuzzy.

When you cover the course on your day, take a moment on your way to your PR and thank a volunteer. They made your day possible.

Just a few of my thoughts, take ‘em or leave ‘em. -dean

The 2007 Ironman California - 70.3

2007-04-02T12:17:00.000-07:00

A tremendous season opener. The Ford Ironman California 70.3, a mouthful of syllables and no shortage of meaning. Ironman 70.3 races are distances formally known as "half ironman" races. Don't let the "half" fool you it's a race not to be taken lightly. For many present this was not only their first race of the season, but also their first at this distance.

In previous years this race was two weeks earlier and more often than not race day brought cold water, rainy weather, and slick asphalt. This year on March 31st the race was held to bright blue sunny skies, and a swim nearly five full degrees warmer than last year. For Southern Californians this is the closest race at any ironman distance.

Ahh the swim, a 1.2 mile loop through the boat bay. I'm usually pretty anxious to get in the water. Not so much because I like swimming, though I do, but more because I can't wait for it to be over. In most places I'm perfectly comfortable in the water, but in the open with that may people around me, the irrational part of my brain takes over and starts to freak me out. I say irrational because this year and last year I've trained at double this distance and am fine when I get out of the water. For the next race I need to know how hard and/or how fast I can go and still go out and have a good day. I was in the 18th wave, starting over an hour after the first group of professionals. Basically I watched the first pro, Andy Potts, finish his swim in 22:35 (according to the preliminary results), before I had gotten in to my wetsuit and staged in the starting chute.

Getting out of the water the charming water scenes of Oceanside, CA give way to Camp Pendleton and the hills that lay ahead. I've been on base once, and that was a much shorter ride. This ride had us riding on roads that had markings pointing out artillery ranges and signs that notified you not to proceed ahead of a particular point due to falling ordinance... The most striking notice was a crossing for, yes, tanks. A freakin' tank crossing sign. How was I NOT going to notice a 50-60 ton piece of fighting machine crossing the road?

A scant three hours and twenty minutes later it's on to the run. The run for me has always, and I mean always, been the hardest part of the day. There's nothing but road in front of you and only your legs to cover it. We ran on the strand in Oceanside from the Marina past the pier. If I haven't said it before I'll say it now, it was a beautiful day.

Final for me on the day was a 6:32. I dropped an equivalent six minutes on my swim from Ironman last year, and hopefully something equally significant on my bike and run. For me, keeping that pace for Ironman would be phenomenal. I know today that I benefit from a great training program, a year's worth of base training, the support of a fantastic team (Go Team), and the luck of having such a beautiful day on the course.

Special thanks go out to my Ironteammates, Matt (who had the fastest time on the course for our team at 5:50, go and donate to his team in training campaign if you can), Jen (who beat me by two minutes), Christy (whose persistence on the run continues to inspire and drive me), Karen (whose experience on the bike and run mirrored in many ways my '06 Ironman Coeur d'Alene experience), and to Kevin (whose experience in racing helped us all, and who went back on to the course after finishing the race himself, to find and run with Karen as she finished her race).

I was powered by Lemon-lime Motortabs, Vanilla Crisp Powerbars, Enduralytes by Hammer Nutrition, and despite a little cramping in my calves due to an overall lack of flexibility, had a fantastic day. Success is due in no small part to training, but equally to nutrition. I can't thank the fine people at Motortabs, Hammer Nutrition and Powerbar enough for bringing fine products to market and continuing to improve as endurance sports progressively evolve.

Ironman California 70.3 2007 : Off to the races

2007-03-30T10:28:00.000-07:00

I'm signing off for the weekend. I'll be out at the Ironman California 70.3 doing my best not to die. That's right folks, a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike ride, and a 13.1 mile run.

All kidding aside, it'll be a blast. Seven of my teammates from my team in training ironteam will be there and we'll be cheering each other on as we pass through transition and then on through the finishers chute and on to glory.

Stay tuned for a race report on Monday. Thanks for reading.
-dean

Humor : Dating a Triathlete...

2007-03-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

Original source unknown, but still funny.

When dating a triathlete please note the following translations to commonly heard answers to first date style questions...

"I am an outdoors type of person."
Really means: I train in any type of weather. If it's raining, snowing, 90 degrees w/100 percent humidity, or winds gusting at 30 mph. I don't want to hear any complaints because I will still train in it and you're just a big wuss for complaining about it.

"I enjoy riding my bike."
Really means: with or w/o aero bars, alone or in a peleton, I don't care. If you can't do a spur of the moment 30 miler then you're not my type. I will let you draft, but if you can't hang and I drop you - I will see you later. I am a capable mechanic, but don't expect me to change your flats or tune your bike. You need to learn that on your own.

"I enjoy jogging."
Really means: Let's run hills until we puke. I have just as many shoes as you only mine are better because they are functional and all look the same.

"I enjoy dining out."
Really means: I enjoy eating out, in or anywhere else I can find food. Don't be shy because with the amount of food I eat, you can have that main entree instead of a salad and you will still look as though you eat like a rabbit in comparison. Don't get your limbs too close though as I may take a bite out of you. Most importantly don't expect any taste off my plate unless you can bring something to the party like more food. Eventually though if your not burning 4,000 calories a day your going to plump up and have a terrible complex due to watching me eat deserts and not gain any weight. Friends and family will eventually decide not to dine with us anymore due to my horrid table manners. Oh, and don't ask me any questions during breakfast, Mid Morning Lunch, Lunch, Afternoon lunch, dinner or Recovery Dinner as it does not lend to efficient food intake.

"I enjoy quiet walks on the beach."
Really means: Walks on the beach warming up into an 8 mile run and then plunging myself in the ocean for a 2 miler. If you get in my way you're going to find out what mass start is and let me assure you that you don't want to find out.

"I find fulfillment in charitable work."
Really means: If I am not racing, I am volunteering and I expect you to be there along side me as I stand out in 90 degree weather for 8 hours handing out sports drink to cyclists going 20 mph. Just stick the ol' arm out there and hope it doesn't get taken off.

"I enjoy sharing quiet moments together."
Really means: It's taper time. Just back off because I am strategizing and in a pissy mood because I am worried about my "A" race and can't workout.

"I am an active person."
Really means: Aside from my 40 hour job, and the 8 mandatory hours of sleep a night. 10 hours a week are devoted to me during the off-season and 20 during race season leaving us 4 hours. 2 of which are spent inhaling food and you not talking to me, so let's make the best of the 2 hours we will spend together on average each day. If you are a licensed message therapist or doctor this would make the most optimal use of our time together. Nutritionist is also acceptable, but I probably already know just as much as you.

"I enjoy road trips and leisurely drives."
Really means: You have your choice of Wisconsin, Idaho, Florida, California, Arizona, and Canada, but don't expect to do much site seeing. If I get enough support from you we might be able to include Hawaii in there.

"I enjoy site seeing."
Really means: Lets grab a mountain bike and get our HR's up to 90%. There's plenty of time to look around on the descent as trees and bushes whiz by you at 40 mph.

"I like stimulating conversation."
Really means: while we are running, we can talk about food. Then we can talk about how we decided what to wear on this run based on the temperature at start time versus the temperature at the time we expect to finish, how horribly out of shape we are, how many miles we did last week, and how many we will do this week and next week. Then we can talk about food.

"I enjoy relaxing soaks in the tub."
Really Means: I'm going to stop on the way home and buy two bags of ice, throw them in the tub with some water, and sit in this torture chamber for 30 minutes.

"I'm interested in photography"
Really Means: My camera is permanently perched a tripod in front of my trainer. I obsess over taking photos of my bike position and analyzing them to get the perfect setup.

"I'm into in technology"
Really Means: My HRM and bike computer are my best friends. Until you can give me some hard data that can improve my training, don't bother trying to buddy up to me. You could one day break into the top three if I find you as entertaining on long runs and rides as my mp3 player.

Humor: Once Upon a Time I Feared the Treadmill

2007-03-21T18:32:00.000-07:00

I once thought that this would most certainly happen to me... Thankfully, or not, I'm still waiting for the first time this happens to me. I can wait...

Tuesday Swims

2007-03-20T21:53:00.000-07:00

I really do enjoy the Tuesday swims with the team. Sure my stomach complains when I get to workouts that it would much rather have my butt in a chair with a sandwich and a drink of some sort, but it is the one time during the work week when I can count on seeing most of my team. Here's what I like about my Team in Training Ironteam:
- Everyone is training for the same event.
- Everyone is raising money to fight cancer.
- Everyone is training to be ready for the same event.
- When the workout is all said and definitely done, we go eat.

Today was no different really. I showed up to practice and it was threatening to rain on us. But once you're there and dressed, there's really no other option than getting in and doing the workout. (There is another option but don't tell that to my grumbling stomach.)

Today we worked on active recovery, or resting in motion. Makes sense, the impulse after a difficult effort is to come to a stop, recover your breath, take in some fluid, and bring the heart rate down. This is what the body would like, trust me. Instead, following a hard effort we reduced pace kept moving. Very effective in making the body more efficient.

Love it.

Wave Starts

2007-03-20T14:25:00.000-07:00

2007 Ford Ironman 70.3 California

Well it's upon us and the waves have been determined. I was hoping that I'd be in an earlier wave but it looks like I'm in the back. Yep, there's nothing like standing in line waiting to get in to the water at the end of winter. The professional athletes will be completely done with the swim and will have been done for close to 40 minutes before I get in the water to start my day.

------------

Wave Starts / Cap Colors

3-minutes between same age-groups and 4-minutes between differing age-groups

Wave No#	Time	Division	Color of cap
1	6:40	Pro M	Yellow
2	6:43	Pro W	Silver
3	6:50	M 40-44	Dark Blue
4	6:53	M 40-44	White
5	6:57	M 30-34	Purple
6	7:00	M 30-34	Neon Green
7	7:03	M 30-34	Red
8	7:07	M 35-39	Light Blue
9	7:10	M 35-39	Dark Green
10	7:13	M 35-39	Pink
11	7:17	M 18-24 / M 50-54	Dark Blue
12	7:21	M 55 + / W 40-44	White
13	7:25	W 18-24 / W 45+	Purple
14	7:29	W 25-29	Neon Green
15	7:33	W 35-39	Red
16	7:37	W 30-34	Light Blue
17	7:41	M 45-49	Dark Green
18	7:45	M 25-29	Pink
19	7:48	M 25-29	Dark Blue

Yep.... Oh well. See ya. -dean

Over the hump part II

2007-03-16T13:06:00.000-07:00

For the past two or three weeks I've been in a funk, a training funk. If you had to give it a clinical name it would probably be training fatigue. In looking back over the my training history I found that I'd been more or less in long course training mode for the last 18-months with little or no break. That's a long time. A part of me had lost the spring that usually comes with working out and being on the road. There are still workouts on the calendar both in the things to do column and in the training recorded column. But the stuff that I've done has been really half-hearted, and that's the truth.

To this we add a second major pain, that of my mind against my body. My brain just says, "C'mon it's just a 45-minute run, real low effort." My body on the other hand says, "Hey! Leave me alone and let me just sit on the couch and play a little Madden '07 on the 360. I need a day/week/month off!" For the most part the body wins, but not without stressing out the mind. The mind sees every workout not done as an unraveling of everything that has been accomplished, every goal achieved, and a floating backward from the next sets of milestones.

Here's the hard part. Sit down. Breath in. Breath out. Blink. Repeat. Repeat until the voices are silent. Now think, Training Fatigue. And now ask, do you feel like doing this anymore?...

For me that answer is yes. So like most addicts we deal. I got between my own body and mind and we agreed that we wouldn't quit, everything just had to be dialed back for a few weeks. Maintain less than half the mid-week workouts, and dial back the intensity of the weekend workouts unless I felt good. And with a 2400 yd swim last night as a short sprint workout I feel like I'm back. I got out of the water with my shoulders screaming, and heart pumping, but invigorated from the activity. I might have even mentioned that I felt great, and that I missed the workouts.

One more week of building, two key weekend workouts, and then I have a gate race. The California 70.3 for me is a test, a barometer to see whether or not this has been worth it for me. I think that it has been even if my times are horrendous. I feel like a healthier person. I feel faster than I was last year. I feel that despite my time off so far this year I've been more fastidious to the program than I've ever been to a training program in my life.

I know that there is more in me. I know that my body needed the rest. I know that I love the distances... I know that there is more in me. I know that I'm ready for it.

Small Shops

2007-03-10T15:01:00.000-08:00

In any large city you're bound to find a chain store that'll sell you your whole bike setup from helmet & jersey to tri-specific equipment ranging from aerobars and aerobottles to rear mounted hydration gear like the xlab flatwing. More often than not it's a one-stop shop with great deals and loyalty programs. Don't get me wrong they probably even have a discount deal with the local tri/cycle club in the community. I love 'em, have their card and get their discounts and many times they are my first stop.

On the other hand there are the smaller local shops. Many times these are powered by enthusiasts, and independant of chainstore responsibilities. Despite their lower buying power, these shops often have items that you won't find in some of the larger stores which cater to the masses. Many of these shops cater to a particular manufacturer or handle small runs of clothing.
Recently I found a Team Discovery Jersey for $40 instead of the usual $85 or $90 on the sale rack. The combination of a clothing blowout and lack of foot traffic to the store granted me this huge savings. (Love it!)

Visit the small shops. Support the locals. There are deals to be had.