http://www.asiorders.com/go.asp?31024999

Pictures from the Tri are here!

Wow Tom, you look great!  Those arms and legs look strong!

Congratulations.

Thanks Eileen…
As you can see from the pics...I had a GREAT time and enjoyed every moment....

What an experience!!

You look amazing, Tom!

Bree

Thanks Bree....
your so sweet!

Now for this itzy bitzy 5K tomorrow!!!!

It’s COLD here in Carlsbad...only 58 degrees right now.... (I know, for all you notherners, that is WARM! right?)

tomorrow race time is 7:05 am..... temp expected 53.... GREAT running weather!

I’ll post my upcoming Triathlon here too:

May 18th -

My next tri is a sprint tri, so I’m going to concentrate on speed for the next 6 weeks. 

The race is the Encinitas Sprint Triathlon ( http://encinitasrace.com/triathlon/ ), which is a 750 meter (.47 Miles)swim 20K (12.43 Miles) bike and a 5K(3.1 Miles) run.  All very fast-as the name implies.....every part should be a SPRINT!

I am going to really practice my transitions......swim to bike-removing my wetsuit, putting on my bike shoes, helmet and glasses and Goooooo! Then the bike to run, rack Fuji (she’s excited about the race too!), take off my bike shoes, slip on my running shoes, running hat, and GOOOOO.....You can shave minutes off your total time, and it’s the fastest way to get a better time, without having to be more fit!

A little history… this was my first ‘real’ triathlon I ever did last year.  I had done the Tinsel Tri in December ‘06, but that was a ‘backwards’ tri, with the run first, then the bike, and ending up in a pool to fisish.

The Encinitas tri starts in the ocean, and I had swam the course a couple of times before the race, the last time a couple of days before the race.  It was flat as a pancake, with no waves at all....
Just because the gods were playing havoc with the racers on the day of the race, the swells were up and there was a very strong current..... by the time my heat went off, we were sprinting over 50 yards up the beach, so the current would be compensated for....

This was also the race that I had flat tires ....ended up LAST in my age group.....

So....... I do expect a ‘PR’ (personal record).....and I’m triple checking my tires before the race!!!!

OFF WE GO@!

Yay! You’ll do amazing, I’m sure of it. Hope your tires stay inflated!

Bree

I spent half the winter on the arctic coast.  58 degrees is not warm, its tropical.

Good luck on your next tri.

Countdown to my sprint....

9 more days!

I’m so jealous!

Bree

I thought I would put this here too (on 100 days as well)

Sunday

Race day! http://www.encinitasrace.com/triathlon/index.html

I rarely get colds, so when I felt a sore throat on Thursday, I started increasing the dosage of Vitamin C and other antioxidants. Friday I was couphing and sneezing, but felt ‘ok’ other wise....  Woke up on Saturday morning early with the nagging sore throat and a slight fever.... but I have a RACE tomorrow I said to myself.... so I kept hydrating, eating healthy and trying to ignore the symptoms.... 

Went to bed early, but it was HOT in So California on Saturday night, so I did not fall asleep until about 11:00...woke up at 1:30, hot and stuffy… put some Aleeve in me and tried to fall asleep.... (had to get up early for the race!) seemed like forever to fall asleep, thinking about the race and all......

When I woke up, I was feeling a little better. After a quick breakfast, I packed my stuff into my friends car, at 5:30 and we were off!

It was a warm morning, and I was feeling a little better each hour… (my wave was not scheduled to go off until 7:50- even though we had to be at the race earlier to set up our bike in the transition area) I was excited, but tried to settle myself.  I went for a short run, got into my wetsuit and went out into the surf for a short swim.......

There were about 60 people in my heat, and I got to talk to a lot of them in the transition areas, setting up our bikes.  There were a number of REALLY good athletes, who had REALLY nice bikes, and they were seasoned… been to at least 50 tri’s......... Wow, talk about feeling intiminated!  but I was ready to run MY race!

Finally I got to take off on the swim… It looked like soooo many green caps passed me(the color of my wave)....during the swim… I did a quick transition to by bike and off I went!  I passed a bunch of people, and was not passed by anyone except one towards the end.....I told myself “this is a RACE” and caught him, and passed him (only to be caught just as we entered the transition to the run

the run is not my best part, and this is where I really fell a back in time.... but ended up 8th overall in my age group. My friend who is 4 years my junior (he’s 48) finished 2 hours and 18 seconds ahead of me (I told him I get a minute for every year older I am...... so I guess I ‘won’ LOL) The race is a 750 K swim 20 K Bike and 5K run I finished it in 1 hour eighteen minutes and 17 seconds - a PR!@)

So one year ago, I did this race , got a flat tire and ended last in my age group....  so it’s a PR (personal record) for me!

Now, on to train for the Carlsbad Tri (my ‘A’ race of the year)...... I’ll take this week easy...... then ramp it up for the July 8th race! (and another one two weeks later…

This is just to much fun!  The energy level, the excitement, the adrenalin - Wow… I recommend trying a tri to ANYONE! 
there are sooo many distances....and you just have to challenge yourself .....

That’s amazing, Tom! Well done, you’re still my hero.

Bree

750 K swim.. WOW Tom THAT is IMPRESSIVE!!!  LOL (joking) ... 750 m maybe?  You did an awesome job… I’ve never done that long of a triathalon so you’ve certainly got me beat.  (Did a Kayak, Run, Swim when I was a teenager at camp, but I’m positive the distances were shorter! I think I came 3rd of maybe 10 competitors.)

Great job, Tom!

thanks Bree, Catherine....
Yeah, did the 750K in only 13 minutes too! LOL The swim was 750 meters in the ocean ( one town up from where David Martin, the triatlete who was killed by the shark was..... ) Open water swimming is sooo much different than the pool, but very fun.........caught a little wave going in too!