The Joys of Beet Juice! Product Review: Biotta Juices

Let me start this post by saying that never in a billion gazillion years did I ever think I would be writing about beet juice.  Never ever ever.

First off - as a child - I hated beets.  Hell, as an ADULT - I HATED beets.  Couldn't stand them and generally just avoided them.  Nothing ruined a salad (or anything else) like a random beet.

However, as a triathlete - I'm consistently looking for any (legal) edge I can find - and when I came across Biotta Juices (who is a sponsor for the Big Sexy Racing Triathlon Team that I'm a part of) - I was incredibly intrigued at some of the claims being made in regards to the benefit of beet juice.  So I figured I'd give it a try.

Consider me a beet convert.

Now - I preface anything I'm about to say with the following:  I'm no rocket surgeon.  A lot of the stuff on the internet goes into an incredible amount of detail of how beets and beet juices can benefit you and such.  So I'll break it down in the simplest way possible based on my understanding:  Beets have a very high concentration of dietary nitrates in them which result in a lower energy burn during endurance events.  This basically means that you can go longer on the same amount of energy.  That means more endurance.  It gets much more involved than that - but that's the basic gist of it.

On top of that - beets are just generally healthy for you anyway.  Lots of benefits outside of endurance related stuff include tons of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that's just generally good for your day to day health.

So how have I been using it?  Well, I've been drinking about 1/2 a bottle of Biotta Beet juice daily and have noticed significant improvements in my mood and feelings post training.  I'm dead in the middle of training for one of my "A Races" - so I'm putting in quite a bit of training.  I've found that I generally feel less tired and exhausted day in and day out - which is a gigantic plus for my family as I've become less irritable.  The change was enough that my wife has noticed it and commented on it - and now I have a beet juice requirement each morning.

I've also made steady gains in performance at a quicker rate (which is due to more training with is partially due to the beet juice) this season.  That's the main kicker.  Performance increases are what the game of triathlon is all about, and Biotta has certainly helped me with that.

So the natural question is:  Why use Biotta?

It's for more than the immune system!

Nutritional mumbo jumbo.

Simple:  It's easy and convenient.  It can be found at your local Whole Foods, and it's convenient and easy to drink without taking up a ton of space in the refrigerator.   You don't have to actually do anything except for pop the top of the bottle, pour it, and drink up.

Originally, my wife wanted to try using our juicer to make "our own" beet juice.  The problem with that is that it's messy (the beets WILL stain your juicer) and (somewhat) time consuming.  With my schedule packed the way it currently is - I simply don't have the time to "juice" beets.  What would inevitably happen is that I would just avoid it altogether and stop doing it.

That's where Biotta shines, it's easy, relatively inexpensive, and accessible.

Pop the top, pour, and go.

Qualitat!

Now - the cons of beet juice?  Well, the taste is something that has to be acquired.  Unless you love beets (and while I realize that a lot of people do - I certainly wasn't one of them) - it'll take some getting used to.  Personally, I went straight to it and just downed it until I was used to it - but I've heard from friends that they mix it with other fruit juices (which doesn't effect the concentration of the juice or the benefits you get from it).

The other downside is that it will turn your urine and your poop red (or even purple).  It's completely harmless, but it does happen.  I'll save you the gruesome details, but I woke my wife up in the middle of the night when I thought something seriously went wrong in the bathroom.
This video does a great job of summing it up:

Other than that - it's a great juice and you should really head to your local Whole Foods and pick up a bottle or check them out at Biotta Juices.  To top it off, they have lots of other juices which are pretty good as well  I'm partial to their Breuss Vegetable juice - (which has beets, by the way) and their mango juice is absolutely delicious.

Ignore the stuffed monkey and concentrate on the juice.  Mmmmmmmm delicious!

My dog wanting to get in on the Biotta action.

Race Report: Los Angeles River Fun Run 5k, A Runner's Circle Ambassadorship, AND A SHOE GIVEAWAY!!!!!!

During my lunch breaks, I often will hammer out 6 to 10 miles on the Los Angeles River Bike/Run Path - which is right by my work.  It's a lot easier than running the streets (mainly due to lunch time traffic) and is more scenic and enjoyable as well.  It's become my daily route, more or less.  Some days - I'll even bring my bike and ride up and down the path to get my workout in.

When I got connected with A Runner's Circle (more on that later) - they mentioned a 5k race that they do that was put on in the exact area of my daily route.  To me, this seemed like a no brainer to enter - so I did.

The La River Fun Run 5k is a really great event that A Runner's Circle puts on.  It's basically an out and back on the LA River bike path - but crosses over to the other side right before the finish.  This makes it a fairly unique race and pretty fun and easy to run for any level of runner.  To top that off - the mini-expo that A Runner's Circle sets up right next to their store is outstanding.  There's a pretty good selection of vendors, lots of stuff for kids to do, and a 1k kid's fun run that they do an outstanding job of putting on.  For a race of this size - it's easily one of the classiest 5ks I've ever been a part of.

I decided to do this race with my son for a variety of reasons - chief among them that my wife was working that day and that he actually seems to enjoy going on runs with me in the stroller.  It makes it a hair difficult (having to pack up and do 10x the logistical work in order to bring him to a race), but it's worth it in the end.  Plus it would be a chance for him to get out and have some fun doing something new.

My son in the stroller with an old bib from a previous race that I hadn't removed until the last minute.

Fellow A Runner's Circle ambassador Deo and I before the race start.

On to the race specifics:

Setting up at the start line.

I managed to get (somewhat) towards the front of the line - which I was hoping to do just to avoid other problems with other runners.  One of the many woes of running with a stroller is that, if you're one of the faster runners, you will inevitably be bumping into people, running them over, etc.  There are only two ways around that - run ahead of those people so that you're never in each other's way - or slow down so that you're running behind them.  I was really hoping to get out ahead of everyone from the get go - which would allow me to be "clear" of other runners and if anyone was faster than me, I'd be able to move to the side for them to easily pass rather than have to weave between contestants on a stroller.

You can see I managed to get right to the front of the start....

...but when the horn sounded, I was instantly surrounded by people who scooted in front of me and I fell back.

Alas, it was not to be.  I managed to get to the start line in the front group (which was grouped as "People finishing in under 20 minutes") - but was just behind the first row of people, and was surrounded by the next row.

Wasn't a big deal, except I found myself jogging and weaving between people on the first 1/4 mile or so of the race.  This put me at a 9:30 or so pace (just guesstimating - but a lot of the people starting out at that time were NOT going at a sub 20 minute 5k pace).  I managed to clear the pack and get "open" without any issues (except someone who ran into my stroller by accident, but everyone was ok thankfully).  Once out in the open, I was able to close the distance pretty well by running at my normal 5k pace.

Pulling ahead once I broke free from the pack.

I managed to pull solidly in third place - with both the second and first place runners well in my sights - but, once again, the woes of pushing a stroller in a race struck again.  This time it was in the form of the bridge you had to cross - which had bollards on each end of it that created an opening that was too narrow for me to get through.  This required me (with a bit of help from the volunteers) to hoist my stroller up and over the bollards onto the bridge, and then do the same on the other side (without any help).  Unfortunately, while I was doing the heavy lifting, my competition was passing me by.

Coming back on the return leg right before the bridge.  Notice how there's no one behind me - that lead disappeared when I had to stop to get the stroller up and over the posts onto the bridge.

Once across the bridge, I was unable to catch all of the people that passed me (I managed to catch one) and had no hopes of catching the people in front.  I finished in 4th place with a 18:38 time - which isn't bad considering everything.  We got our medal at the finish line (which is actually a really cool little medal) and headed over to the mini-expo.

Crossing the finish line.

Time aside, the best thing about the race was that my son was incredibly well behaved in the stroller and seemed to have a blast.  I've taken him on training runs (up and above 15 miles) and he usually just sleeps through those.  On this run (albeit it was a lot shorter and faster), he was talking and "ga-gaing" the whole way.  Which, for me, was pretty awesome.

More awesome for Bruce, however, was all of the fun stuff they had available for kids to do.  From air balloons, to different balls to throw and kick, to a soccer net, to fun little obstacles - there was a lot for little ones to enjoy after the race.  Bruce, of course, decided that while all of that was fine and dandy - he wanted to play with two random sticks he found on the ground and pet a puppy that another contestant brought to the race.

Of course, his favorite toy/activity is two dirty sticks he found on the ground.

He played with the soccer ball too!

Crawling through an obstacle tunnel.

The puppy that Bruce was petting.  He did NOT want to let the puppy go.

With Derek - one of the founders/owners of A Runner's Circle after the finish.  Bruce obviously wasn't in the mood to be held by a stranger - but it made for a good picture anyway!

All in all, a great race put on by a fantastic running store and filled with an outstanding community.  Couldn't ask for more than this.

A pretty sweet medal and a nice T Shirt for a well run 5k.

On another related note, I was recently selected to be an Ambassador for A Runner's Circle (the aforementioned store who put on the great race).  This is a huge honor for me, as it took a lot of work to put together but also was a great avenue to meet a lot of people in the Los Angeles (and beyond) running community.

The voting process was pretty straight forward - and if you're reading this blog, you likely have already spoken to me when it was going on.  Aside from some light drama (apparently there was some cheating going on in the voting process and some confusion with votes), it was really fun campaigning for this ambassador spot.  I swear, sometimes I felt like the freakin' President with the way I was talking to people.

Ambassador group shot with Joe and Derek (owners) and the other ambassadors.

Regardless, all the hard work paid off and I'm proud to be a 2014 Ambassador for the A Runner's Circle store.  Aside from all of the goodies that they have for ambassadors (some of which I'm able to take advantage of, some that I'm not able to take advantage of), the real reward in being an ambassador is being able to help represent such a great running community and store.

A bit of information on A Runner's Circle:  They started in 2006 and have blossomed to truly become a one stop shop for anything that involves running (be it your run of the mill casual 5k, an ultra-marathon in the hilliest of mountains, or a marathon on the tail end of an Ironman).  They have a friendly and supportive staff of knowledgeable people who actually care about running and can help you advance your running in whatever direction you're looking to advance it in.

More than just a store with a healthy selection in any form of running gear you might need, A Runner's Circle is also a backbone of the Los Angeles, Ca running community.  They have several programs - from their run club, to their running school, to their tri team, to their community fun runs, to their pacing programs, etc - that really bring the running community together in a way that no other store is able to.  Their ambassador program is a part of that, and I'm extremely proud to take on the responsibility of helping A Runner's Circle succeed in that goal.

At the Ambassador Meet and Greet Dinner with Nadia and Myrna - two very awesome and accomplished runners.

For the Ambassadors (myself and 5 other people selected from different regions throughout Los Angeles), they held a fun run / dinner in honor of the 2014 Ambassadors.  The dinner was awesome and really fun.  It was great to meet everyone and hopefully we can all compete in races in the future representing the Red Army!

Now for the fun stuff.  I owe it all to you guys for helping vote me in - so I'm going to give something back.  I'm going to put on a contest to give away a free pair of shoes from any shoe that A Runner's Circle carries.  Easy as that - if they carry the make and model of shoe you want - you get it.  Here's how it will work:  This giveaway will be open to anyone out there who is reading this.  I'll randomly pick a person who follows the criteria below as the winner.  If you win and you're local - meet me at the store (we'll snap some pictures for the blog) and you'll get whatever pair of running shoes you want.  If you're not local - I'll ship the shoes to you on my dime (free to you - assuming continental US - if you're international let me know and we'll work something out).  Since I'm a Skora ambassador and A Runner's Circle does not carry Skora (YET!) - I will offer up the option of providing the winner with a pair of Skora Fits in place of the shoes from A Runner's Circle.

Sound good?  Great!  Now, what do I want from you in return?  Nothing (except something, but they're all minor!) - since you've already given me tons of support.

My son watches a cartoon show called Special Agent Oso - and that's how we will be doing this contest.  IN THREE SPECIAL STEPS! (Anyone with a child under the age of 5 is singing this song in their heads right now)

Unfortunately Oso, you don't qualify to get the shoes for running on your treadmill.

STEP 1:  Follow me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/chiizulamb (or add me, if you want to be friendly) and Twitter https://twitter.com/BLambTriathlete (I'm not bothersome - I promise).

STEP 2:  "Like" A Runner's Circle https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Runners-Circle/147284635310744 and Skora Running https://www.facebook.com/skorarunning on Facebook.

STEP 3: Comment below saying you've done the above and leave a couple of words about what you would do with the shoes (doesn't have to be a heartfelt address - just something more than "I WANT SHOES").

That's it!  Easy peezy!  If I get enough entries, I may give away both a pair of Skoras and a pair of shoes from A Runner's Circle - but we'll see how many entries we get.  I will be checking to make sure everyone who comments followed the instructions, so be sure to follow steps 1 through 3.

I'll give it until the end of the month (until the Special Olympics World Games Half Marathon on June 1st) and select a winner then.  Anyone is eligible to enter except those related to me (since -  you know - I don't want any foul play).  So enter it and win!

With that said - May looks to be a (somewhat) busy month for me as (outside of this 5k) I'll be tacking two Triathlons (the XTerra Off Road Triathlon and the Special Olympics World Games Endurance Weekend Triathlon - both put on by Renegade Race Series) and two Half Marathons ( the Laguna Hills Memorial Day Half Marathon and the Special Olympics World Games Endurance Weekend Half Marathon - also put on by Renegade).  So it's a pretty busy month for me racing wise - especially considering that the Special Olympics Triathlon and Half Marathon are back to back!

Product Review: X-1 Audio Interval Swim Solution

As anyone who knows me or has read this blog knows - I'm not the world's greatest swimmer.  Granted, I have hordes of people that comes up to me on a daily basis and tell me I have the body of a Michael Phelps or a Ryan Lochte - that I'm just as ripped as they are (haha, in my dreams?) - but I definitely can't swim like either.

So what does that mean?  I have to train.  And I have to train long, and hard.  The problem - for me, at least - is that training in a pool going back and forth over and over again can get a little repetitive and, frankly, pretty boring.  I realize that there is a ton of stuff you can (and should) do to alleviate that boredom - but no matter how many drills I do, how varied they are - I always end up getting bored.  And don't get me started on long sets - I often find myself thinking about all sorts of dumb stuff (i.e. If you drilled a hole through the earth and were able to jump in and be unaffected by any external force - would you fall right out of the other side, or get stuck in the middle due to gravity?).

That kind of boredom, for me, takes away from the swimming experience.  One solution that I've found is the X-1 Interval System, which is a waterproof headphone system that allows you to listen to music while swimming.  In addition to providing the sound of music to you while underwater, it does so without impeding your stroke (i.e. - you don't have your player on your arm getting tussled with the headphone cables, etc like with some other systems).  This system attaches to your goggles and sits on the back of your head while you swim.  That sounds like it would be uncomfortable

So....how does it work?  How does it sound?  How did you like it?  In a nutshell - I loved it and I think this is an outstanding system.  I use it all the time.  But I'll get more into that a bit later.

Let's take a look at the actual system itself:

The interior of the X-1 Interval

The X-1 Interval is basically a plastic case which houses a 4th generation iPod Shuffle.  They've come out with so many variations of the iPod Shuffle - you have to be sure that you get the right one that fits.

Here's the correct iPod to get:

4th Generation iPod Shuffle

These can be had for ~$50 brand new - but you see them going for as low as $15 used on some auction sites (which is where I purchased mine).

The outside of the X-1 Interval system

As you can see in the pictures, the X-1 Interval has buttons that will work the iPod Shuffle while keeping it completely dry and away from water.  Simply charge it up, plug it in, and seal it in.

The plug on the interior where the iPod goes.

Plugging it in is simple and holds the iPod securely.

Once sealed in, you then have to set the straps on the device.  Which is an extremely easy process.  All you do is weave the straps of your goggles into the two slits, and set it so that they are centered on the device.

Putting the straps of your goggles onto the X-1 Interval

Once strapped in, all you have to do is throw them on your head - press play - and jump in the water!  Easy as pie!

The X-1 Interval system in use.

The system fits on the back of your head when you swim and doesn't impede your swimming at all.  Word to the wise - make sure to loosen up your goggles a hair in order to get the proper fit.  I tend to pull the headphone wires tight to the cap and place my goggle straps over the wire to hold it in place - which prevents any chance of it moving around too much during my swim.

Another picture with the X-1 system in use.  As you can see, it's hardly noticeable.

The audio quality - as with all of the X-1 headphones - is crisp and clear.  I have never had any issues with the headphones or system at all while underwater.  I'd highly recommend it!

View of the system with goggles attached.

In addition to swimming, I've used the system for jogging as well.  I still prefer the traditional armband/music player holster approach for running applications - but the X-1 system works just as well paired with a visor or headlamp for running as it does with goggles for swimming.

The X-1 Interval outside of the water.

So to sum it up:  The system is extremely well thought out and perfect way to make long swim sets easier to deal with.  You might get a couple of weird looks in the pool - but you're there to train, not win a fashion contest!

Also - please note:  It's important to be aware of what's going on around you - even in an environment or setting as controlled as an indoor pool.  Please be sure to have the volume set to an appropriate level so that you have the ability to respond and react to different situations around you.  

You can get your X-1 Interval or any of X-1's great products on their website by clicking here. X-1 Audio.com.  Use code BRYANLAMB20 to save 20% off your purchase.

Race Report: Leadman Marquee 125

So Leadman was my first "big" race of the year and one that I put a ton of time and effort into preparing for. This is the "other Leadman" compared to the one I did in Bend, OR and I was very interested on the new challenge.  To top it off, it's only about 5 1/2 hours of a drive from where I live - which makes it a perfect "long weekend" type race.  I was really excited to do this race and signed up as soon as registration opened for it.

The swim course of the Tri Marquee.

The goal of the race was simple:  Finish within the 5:15 time slot to qualify for a belt buckle.  Since I finished the Leadman in Bend, OR in 5:08 - I figured that this would be a cakewalk.  You know, since the Leadman in Bend, OR was done at sub-freezing temperatures climbing up mountains of hills, etc etc.  A mostly flat course in Arizona at temperatures similar to what I train in everyday?  EASY PEEZY.

With my belt buckle from the Bend, OR race when dropping off my bike in transition.

Or so I thought.  This turned out to be a much more challenging race for me, but we'll get more into that later.

With that said - on to the race report!

PRE RACE:

Our trip started the Friday before the race.  We rented a Ford Flex (which is a great vehicle, and is on our "short list" (along with the Explorer and Chevy Traverse) for our next car purchase in August) and packed in the three of us (my wife, our son, and I), my in laws, and all of our stuff with plenty of room to spare.  My wife was gracious enough to drive the whole way so I got to sit comfortably in the car the whole trip while we cruised across the eastern California landscape.

In the car.  I was apparently very confused while taking this selfie.

The trip wasn't too bad and we made it without any major events.  We arrived at the house we were renting and met with my brother in law (who was also doing the race) and the rest of the family who were staying in the house.  Our Saturday agenda was basically spend the morning going to a Botanical Gardens and then dropping the family off at the wave pool / water park while my brother in law and I went to pick up our packets, drop off our bikes and get ready for transition.

Brucie at the Botanical Gardens the day before the race.

The whole packet pick up process for the race was about as seamless as it could be.  Arrive to the site, pick up your packet, attend a course meeting, get your bike checked in, and you're good to go!  One great thing about the bike check in was that they "tagged" your bike so that no one would "accidentally" leave with the wrong bike out of transition.  Pretty good security measure in my opinion.

The transition area was pretty big, but really secure and extremely well done.

Transition craziness.

All racked up in transition.

 After we dropped off the bikes and walked through the vendor tents, etc - we headed out to pick up the family and grab some dinner (pizza from the Magic Mushroom and Rita's for dessert).  

We got to the race the morning of with no real problems or issues and got everything unpacked for the triathlon.  The one small (and it's a very minor one) complaint that I had was that the transition area, while large, was packed pretty tight.  Nowhere near as tight as some triathlons, but people were stacking bags on top of one another "off to the side" after everything was unloaded.  Not a huge deal, but having the racks spaced out just a few feet more would have made things a lot easier imo.

With that said, I got everything ready - got my wetsuit on - and was ready to go.

Me and my brother in law at the transition area before the swim.

THE SWIM:

Now, it goes without saying that my swim is BY FAR my weakest leg in triathlon.  It's still a work in progress and I've made some decent strides with it - but I still have a long ways to go.  With that said, I was aiming for a sub 50 minute performance for this swim (basically anything under a 2:00/100m pace and I would have been thrilled).  Due to the length of the swim, I was competing solely against the clock and myself - not against anyone else.

Map of the swim course.

The swim is a 2500 meter swim that goes under two overpasses in Tempe Town Lake.  It's a pretty scenic course and is easily viewable for people who are there to cheer the athletes on.  The course was extremely well manned (it seemed like there was a kayak there every time I sighted) and the Tri Marquee staff did a great job in keeping it from becoming too crowded at any point.

The swim start was somewhat awkward, as you passed through a timing mat, jumped in the water, and waded out to the first buoy.  Then they hit the horn and off you went.

Hopping into the drink to begin the swim.

I stayed off to the side of the mass start on the swim - my intentions were to fully avoid the pack and "swim my swim" - fully knowing that I wouldn't be competing with anyone else.

The swim felt good for the most part, and I felt like I kept the pace I was trying to keep.  I did make a mistake on the swim and take a right hand turn (I drifted on the inside of the buoy and just made a stupid mistake).  A guy on a kayak caught me to tell me that I went the wrong way and I turned around and got back on course.

No idea where this was on the course, but I'm trudging right along.

As I turned the last buoy I was feeling decent, not great, and hopped out of the water.   I was passed by several people in waves that went out after mine, and knew I had a ton of catching up to do.  But that was expected.

As I darted to transition, the wetsuit strippers seemed busy with other people, so I didn't bother and decided just to skip them and undo it myself as I ran to transition.

Skipping the strippers because I knew I was strapped for time.

Ended up with a 57:00 swim - which is a pretty disappointing time.  I haven't had a chance to review the swim file yet - so I don't know if my wrong turn is to blame for the additional 7 minutes over my goal time or if I just wasn't swimming straight.  Probably a combination of them both.

I got through transition pretty easily and felt pretty decent once I got on the bike.

THE BIKE:

Getting onto the bike, I was a bit behind on my pace - but figured I would be ok to finish in time for a belt buckle if I kept up with my original plan - which was to push about 21.5 mph for all four laps.

The bike course is one of the only complaints I had about this race.  One of the best things about the Leadman in Bend, OR was that the bike course was something truly epic - it looked like you were riding through the set of Lord of the Rings at times.  

The bike course at the Tri Marquee was a multi-lap course with a convoluted mix of twists and turns.  This wasn't completely bad - as those twists and turns made it a very technical course at times and that presents a unique challenge.  The bigger problem was that the course was shared with people competing in three different events (Leadman, the Olympic distance race, and the Sprint distance race).  This meant the course got clogged up a bunch with people blocking other people from passing or just getting in the way in general (i.e. a sprint athlete doing their first triathlon riding at a 12 mph pace zig-zagging through the middle of the road).  The course was closed to traffic - and wide enough in most areas where this didn't present too many safety issues - but it was somewhat of a nightmare for the people who were actually racing.

You can get an idea of how convoluted things could get on this course.

I found that while I was able to push my speed and power pretty good in the straight-away parts of the ride, I was failing to keep my required speed.  This was mainly because I would slow down quite a bit on the turns and the paths leading up to them (mostly due to congestion from other riders), so I found myself with a lap average of less than 21 mph for the first three laps.

Doesn't do a great job, but you get the idea of how people were basically ignoring the "blocking" rule.

The fourth lap is when I did some basic math and figured that any chance at all I would have to qualify for the belt buckle would come either from absolutely destroying the run or buying myself as much time as I could on the final lap and still running very well.  I decided on the latter, and started burning matches on the 4th lap (which was now mostly clear of people from the other races since their bike length was shorter).

On the bike with my Big Sexy Racing Champion Systems Apex suit.  This was the 4th lap, and I was in a bit of pain trying to play catch up (hence the facial expression).

I hit it hard once the fourth lap started and really didn't let up until I came back around.  My legs were hurting and I was really feeling it - almost akin to how a time trial would feel for me.  I was passing a multitude of people (most of whom were probably starting to fade on their bike a bit - as it was kind of mind numbing to be doing laps the way we were).  In any case, I finished the 4th lap just over 25 mph - which included the delays at the turns.

T2 went well although I couldn't get my foot out of my left shoe, so I had to unclip.  It didn't slow me down too much and I got my bike racked and threw on my run shoes and off I went.

THE RUN:

The run for Leadman is an 8 mile loop run that goes on roads for two miles, across a bridge, and then up into the Papago, alongside the canal, and then back into town.  It's a challenging run with a variety of terrain and some truly epic views.  It truly embodies what the spirit of Leadman is meant to be in my mind.

The Papago right as you start up the hill.

The run course - which was a truly great course and something that makes me want to do this race again.

As I was heading out of transition, I hit the lap button on my watch and saw that I had 1:09:00 to finish.  8 miles in an hour and nine minutes?  No problem WHATSOEVER.  That's basically my "easy jog" pace, right?  Right?

Well.  Wrong.

I need to preface what I'm about to say by explaining that I've never bonked in a race or blown up.  Not once.  I've had times where I was tired, where my legs felt weird, and when I felt I didn't have much left - but I've never flat out hit a wall.

Well, that happened here.  Nothing that had to do with nutrition or anything like that, but my legs just stopped working about 2 miles into the race (right when the trail running started).  My first two miles I took it easy (thinking I had a ton of time) and ran hard but not all out at a 7:00 minute per mile pace.  However, almost as soon as I crossed the bridge and passed the first aid station, my legs just stopped working.  Even before I got to the first hill, I was reduced to a painful walk.

So this is what it feels like to overcook on the bike and blow up on the run.  It was a weird feeling, and - like I said - something I've never felt before.  I figured I would give it two minutes of walking and see how I felt.  Staring at my watch the entire time, as soon as it hit 1:50 I decided to take off into a light jog.

No go.  Wasn't happening.  It was at that point that I made the choice to just push through the pain in my legs and do a weird hobble/limp type jog.  I did this through the trails and right at the beginning of the canal, and my pace was around 10:30 minutes per mile.

I was starting to get dismayed because I knew making it under 5:15:00 wasn't going to happen for me.

Then, all of a sudden, it was like my legs got a second a burst of wind.  Not a full burst, mind you - I still wasn't able to run as I normally could, but I was able to push myself and get just under 7:45 minutes per mile just before the turnaround.

The problem with this was that it was playing mind games with my head.  I knew if I pushed it and possibly got some luck, I would be able to make my time across the finish line.  So that's what I did - I pushed it as best I could.

Hobbling on the run right after getting off of the path.

I did manage to pick up the pace once I got off the trails and began the journey back into town.  I felt motivated to get to the finish line, and being able to see the tents from the expo and the transition area when coming across the bridge helped with that.  Also, competitors in front of me provided motivation and pacing ("Just go faster than them!" is what I kept thinking) which helped spur me along.

The finish chute at this event was absolutely outstanding.  Very similar to an Ironman finishing line where people are cheering for you and the place is packed.  Really well done by the race organizers on that aspect.

As I came down the finish line, I had no idea what the clock said - only that I had missed the time by a over a minute according to my watch.  Regardless, I was happy to finish and knew that I gave it my best effort - so I could hang my hat on that and be pleased.

5:15:47.   47 fucking seconds.

47 fucking seconds.  I missed the belt buckle by 47 seconds.  That was heart crushing - but I left it all on the course.  Short of going back in time and working solely on my swim - there wasn't much I could do better to bring that time down.  That's not to say I'm not capable of a much faster time - I absolutely am.  But on this day, on this race, with where I was currently at, I raced as hard as I could and I could be proud of that.

What I probably shouldn't be proud of is this picture.  I have no idea why I'm growling and about to bow up at the camera guy.  

As soon as I finished, my wife and son were waiting outside the chute for me and I gave my son my medal and gave my wife a kiss.  I was super disappointed and let her know and she told me not to worry because they were giving away free teriyaki bowls to the finishers.  I can't put into words how much I love this woman.  haha

Finished and done - and in decent spirits because I was expecting free teriyaki.

Although the teriyaki was great, I was still exhausted.  I burnt all of my matches on the bike and pushed myself harder on the run than I ever have (even though it was probably one of the slowest runs I've ever done).  I was absolutely exhausted - so I took a nap in the shade while we waited for my brother in law to finish.

Just absolutely beat after the race.

Couple of notes:  My brother in law finished in 6:23:47 - which is about where he wanted to be.  This was kind of his "revenge" over what happened at Leadman, OR for him (he had a really rough time on the bike with multiple flats).  I'm super proud of him, as he put together a great race.

Also of note:  My teammate from BSR put together an awesome race - and finished 3rd in her age group with a time of just over 5 hours - which qualified her for the belt buckle.  She started in a heat or two after me and passed me on the swim, but I managed to get ahead of her on the bike and she almost caught me again on the run.  She's super fast, a great teammate, and a real inspiration!

BSR was represented well in this triathlon.

With all that said, I ended up 6th in my age group, and top 50 overall.  I was pretty happy with that, although I know I have the potential to race better in the future.  And believe me - I will.  I plan to do this race next year and expect to be quite a bit faster on swim improvements alone.

However, what made me even happier was an email I received from the folks at Lifetime about the race.  Basically, they determined that I was actually sub 5:15:00 in the race.  When they were handing out belt buckles at the award ceremony (and I was long gone by that point), they called my name but skimmed over because I wasn't there.  As it turns out, my swim split was never recorded, and because my timing chip didn't register right - it screwed up the rest of my splits on their system.  Also - they started the clock as people went into the water (clock started a hair soon) - so they estimated me to be in the 5:14:00 range.  Whatever the actual time was - I was close enough on the bubble that they gave me the benefit of the doubt and let me have the buckle.  

This turned what was a disappointing weekend into an instant success.

So I'm obviously pleased about it.  If they say I earned, I earned it - and I'll take it and wear it with pride.  I know next year I'll be back to leave no doubt on the table, and I'll be taking aim at a spot on the podium as well.

So with that, the race was a success - and I'll leave you with a picture of me with my two greatest inspirations being a little goofy at our post race dinner.

My son must think his parents are insane - although judging from that smile, he's a little goofy himself.