tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76202030948779307472024-03-12T19:03:32.913-07:00Running for my FatherIt all started with one marathon for his dad. Now a 2x Ironman the adventure continues.cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-20768413126733054032014-01-22T11:29:00.001-08:002014-01-22T11:29:34.676-08:00Houston 2014, Sub-4!After completing 2 Ironman training cycles over the year I wouldn't call my experience training for Houston "hard." I would like to think of it as "smart!" I ran roughly every other day, which included a tempo run, interval workout and a long run. All the markers were there, and I was pretty sure I could break 4....<br />
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I started off a little fast, 8:50ish for the first several miles. There was a lot of weaving in and out as many runners in the half were running too fast, then too slow, etc. I finally settled in and the knees began to ache at about mile 8. I stopped for 5-10 seconds to put my velcro brace on, but immediately took it off as it seemingly made it worse.<br />
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By mile 10 my overall average pace had dropped to right around 8:55 or so - right on target. I did, however notice that my garmin would register the mile markers well before the mile markers actually came. This was a result of my early race zig zagging mostly. It was about a 20 second margin at that point.<br />
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I cruised through the halfway point well, focused on keeping my pace and nutrition/salt and made it to the upper teens without issue. While I had slowed to around a 9:05 pace or so I was still plugging away. Even as I started to feel serious pain (in the knees, and over all) into 19 and 20 I was still able to sustain this pace.<br />
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At mile 21, however my body started to crack. I could not push myself beneath a 9:20 pace. And the mile markers were now well off from my garmin - perhaps a minute! I went into crisis management mode and focused on keeping my feet moving and trying to push as much as I could without cracking (or cramping!) further. The goal was still possible, but 1 walk break or severe cramp and it'd be over.<br />
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I kept this attitude through 22, 23 and even 24. Those were the hardest 4 miles I've experienced...ever. The pain was immense, but I brought my thoughts back to my father - where I was running was so significant. And the sights were familiar - I remembered running through these same spots six years ago in my first marathon journey.<br />
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At mile 24 some jackass shouted to us all "great job everybody - you're just over 4 hour pace!" OK, not a jackass, but this is not what I wanted to hear! I knew he was going off gun time, not chip time, and I was pretty sure I had about 6 minutes off the gun, but I wasn't sure. (!) But I couldn't go any harder - my body had set a ceiling on my pace and I just couldn't get it to move faster!<br />
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I vowed at mile 25 I would dig as deep as I possibly could and race it hard in. For all I knew I was right on the line of being a few seconds over or under as I couldn't trust my garmin. I wasn't even sure if the clock was right on the garmin, since I had a time discrepancy with it in a previous race! So all I could do is dig deep inside myself and try to pull out something special. This was Houston afterall. I've wanted this for a VERY long time.<br />
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I did mile 25 in 8:31 - by far my fastest mile of the day, picking up a minute on my slowest, mile 24. As I rounded the final corner I waved to my cheering mom and saw the finish line 300 meters away. I covered the last bit at 8:17 pace - sprinting for every last second.<br />
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As I crossed the line I had the most underwhelming finish of my career, I had no energy to even raise my arms - I held up my little sign that I had in my pocket the whole day. It's been on my dresser since June - and I've seen it every day. I wasn't 100% sure I did it until my mom texted me my official finish time a few minutes later. 3:58:35. I did do it. By the skin of my teeth. This was not an easy one. I've always known the 4 hour mark is on the fringe of what my body is physically capable of. And I've always felt I've underachieved at the marathon distance. Now I've proven it to myself. I am a sub-4 hour marathoner!<br />
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Despite an "average" race day I was able to muscle something special. This one was all heart and now I can "retire" from the marathon distance a happy man. Yes, I said it. Marathon - there's just one race left to conquer in June - in Africa of all places, and #10. (12 if you count Ironman.) But then we're done. Finished. I like halfs and even 10ks, but you my friend are too long and hard on my body. You see I want to be running as late in life as possible and I fear that if I stay with you and your brutal training I won't be able to.<br />
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Thank you, Houston. You've given me a lot in the last 6 years.<br />
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<br />cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-48279245231888709082014-01-03T08:55:00.000-08:002014-01-03T08:55:04.745-08:002 Weeks till Houston v3.0As I near my 11th marathon (9th if you don't count the Ironmans) I'm naturally becoming pretty reflective of my past and my journey in endurance sports over 6 years ago.<br />
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2013 was a great year, aside from losing my beloved pooch Henry and a few other things. But when I decided to do Houston one last time in June, I knew the sub-4 hour mark was the goal. It's the rock that has not been unturned for me - the elusive goal that I have not yet accomplished, yet I know I'm capable of.<br />
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I ran NYC with my dear friend and made a little video:<br />
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And I ran a 1:46:55 half marathon at Santa to Sea in Camarillo.<br />
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If my achy knee cooperates, I'll be in the 3:50s on January 19th. I really can't wait!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-25752700991563592492013-09-07T17:29:00.000-07:002013-10-15T17:30:14.848-07:00Henry Chowmix (1998-2013) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">While it may seem strange to some, this might resemble a (long form) obituary.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">Today we had to say goodbye to our beloved dog, Henry. I was 19, and a sophomore at USC when I was walking to choir rehearsal. Noti</span><span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; text-align: left;">cing a small dog following me (and always looking for an excuse to ditch choir) I took him in, against dorm rules of course. My roommates panicked, and early the next morning I took the small dog I somewhat randomly called "Henry" to the LA City Dog Shelter off Crenshaw.<br /><br />I couldn't stop thinking about my new friend, so against my better judgment I ventured into the somewhat sketchy neighborhood to visit on multiple occasions. On my 3rd or 4th visit a very disgruntled worker mentioned they'd be putting him down in a few days if he didn't find a home. Shocked (as they don't do that in Santa Barbara where I'm from) and panicked I called my parents and explained to them how cute this little guy was. I would adopt him, take him up North, where if they didn't want him we would put him at the Santa Barbara Humane Society. My dad and I had found a dog named Emma that previous summer - so they were quite reluctant as they already had her and a wonderful dog named Maude - they didn't want to have 3 dogs. But that door had been slightly opened and I knew I could further manipulate!<br /><br />After getting him fixed I drove him up one weekend and my mom's eyes adopted him from me on site. While Henry, quite mischievous (and sometimes destructive) he won over my dad in time, and he eventually looked at my dad as his master. I was more of a brother - the one who would play rough with him on weekends when I'd come up to visit.<br /><br />A year later I would meet my eventual wife, Julia. A few months into our relationship we drove up to Camarillo to meet my parents for lunch. I didn't even need to ask for them to bring my boy since he would surely wreak havoc on the house if left alone too long. As we pulled up I don't even think I made formal introductions to Julia and my mom and dad before running up to Henry and suffocating him with love.<br /><br />As my relationship with Julia progressed, so did my friendship with Henry. Julia, my parents and I took him on 4 occasions to a place in the Sierras called Shaver Lake, where he had the time of his life tooling around on a patio boat, chasing ducks and playing in the water (albeit seldom going in above the knees.)<br /><br />In 2005 we moved into our house. The year was filled with DIY improvements and my parents were down nearly every weekend. After much begging, my parents finally let me keep Henry for a week.<br /><br />Sadly, my dad would have his stroke in early 2006. We took Henry off my mom's hands as he was a lot to handle. He's been with us ever since.<br /><br />In 2007 my dad would pass and I would lean on Henry immensely. Just look at Henry and feel a little bit better. Hug on him and feel better yet. But my dad's death hit Henry hard as well. He developed a "stress spot," a small bald around near his butt that would eventually fill back in. This wasn't his only health issue - he had a cancerous tumor removed off his leg that year. He also had a major escape that summer that involved jumping THROUGH the front window. (This, after jumping the backyard fence in 2006.) Thankfully our neighbor Bob took him in as we rushed home to retrieve him. We decided to seek professional attention and started to work with a behaviorist at VCA and his anxiety issues began to improve.<br /><br />We would take our first solo trip with Henry that fall on a healing trip in Yosemite. After that trip's success we took Henry on an epic adventure in 2008 - circumnavigating most of the Western USA visiting National Parks along the way. He was the ultimate traveling dog. Driving up to 10 hours a day for 4 weeks he would patiently sit in the back seat in his bed next to the cooler. He would see all of the natural wonders along our side.<br /><br />In 2009 I did my first triathlon - he was there to greet me at the finish line. And in 2010, he would return to his original mama at "summer camp" with now grandma Karen and grand-dad Michael (my mom's partner) while we traveled overseas.<br /><br />In 2011 we embraced our ever-present inner-cheese and threw him a "Barkmitzvah" for his 13th birthday. That same year he made another epic escape, this time opening that same front window with his paw! This time, however we had it caught on camera, depicted in our Henry video!<br /><br />We often referred to him as our little "Peter Pan." We took countless trips up to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo, where he would make friends with my mom and Michael's dogs. Over Thanksgiving in 2012 we would take a decent hike (4 miles) in Berkeley with family. Impressive for a 14 year old dog.<br /><br />We would take him to a dog friendly lodge in Yosemite that Christmas, and throw him a 15th birthday party on February 9th. (My dad gave Henry his birthday since he didn't know the exact date.)<br /><br />As if a switch was flipped, he would start to develop mild arthritis that spring. And in April, his kidney values became slightly elevated - we treated only with food. We began to get him acupuncture with the wonderful Dr. Gina for the arthritis and kidneys.<br /><br />Henry's walks would become shorter and slower, but he would still often be seen running around the house and barking obsessively when we returned home after an outing. He became slightly less playful overall but still major spatts of puppydom.<br /><br />In August, a routine check of his abdomen by our wonderful vet Lisa Silberstein produced evidence of a tumor near his adrenal gland - cancer. After much thought we decided invasive surgery was not an option for a dog of his age and we wouldn't want to put him through that. We decided to put him on a cancer med called Paladia and hope we'd have him at least through his sweet sixteen.<br /><br />As a fairly major heatwave hit, Henry's energy level declined. Also, wondering if he was experiencing side effects from the cancer meds we took him in. The findings were unexpected - his kidneys were failing. He was kept two nights and blasted with fluids in an attempt to flush the built up toxins from his system. While the creatanine number dropped slightly his lethargy was too telling.<br /><br />By the time we brought Henry home this morning it was overwhelmingly obvious that it was the old boy's time. We were able to have him do his favorite thing - drink from the fountain, we fed him a steak and we cuddled for hours in his dog beg under the redwood tree in dappled shade. Both Julia, my mom and I had a tremendously difficult time saying goodbye to our little buddy today. We've all cried gallons. A testament to how much love that guy brought out of us.<br /><br />Henry Chowmix. I thank you for being you, and always bringing out the best in all of us. May you be frolicking in the heavens above with papa Eric, Maude, Emma, George, Peanut and Bella. I miss you uncontrollably and know that the grieving process will not be linear. There are too many things to mention that I'll miss about my little guy, but most of all his incredibly sweet face and unique personality.<br /><br />The following is an excerpt from Henry Scott Holland's "Death is Nothing" which was read yesterday at my grandmother's service yesterday by my dad's brother.<br /><br />Death is nothing at all. It does not count. I have only slipped away into the next room. Nothing has happened. Everything remains exactly as it was. I am I, and you are you, and the old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged….One brief moment and all will be as it was before. How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again!<br /><br />We will miss you, my boy. See you on the other side.<br /><br />P.S. Thanks again to the staff at VCA West LA and especially Dr Lisa Silberstein, Dr Gina Kwong and also Dr Chretin and Dr Yoshimoto for their support of our dear Henry.</span><br />
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I haven't blogged much the past several years. I've typically reserved posts lately for milestones, like races and other life events - not so much training. But tonight, as I went on my last longer run before the NYC Marathon I decided it was time to get this off my chest.</div>
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When my mom had breast cancer in 2003 my dad was in pieces. I remember being there for him and like to think I contributed to him holding it together as my mom went through her chemo. The other person who helped him get through this time was none other than Lance Armstrong. My dad wasn't the fittest guy alive. He had slightly high cholesterol and starting riding the stationary bike before work that summer. In July 2003 Lance was pursuing his 5th Tour title --- my dad would wake up before the sun, turn on the tour, and before he left for his day would proudly tell my mom that he "rode with Lance." Lance was more than just an incredible athlete --- he truly represented hope for my dad. Hope - that my mom would live out a healthy life and that the cancer and chemo wouldn't suck the life out of her permanently.</div>
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While I of course knew who Lance was - I hadn't yet discovered my passion for cycling. I was at the beginning stage of my music career and at the time was incredibly obsessed with hockey. But I loved that my dad had found an outlet and somebody to inspire him. Thankfully, my mom - after long months of chemo and a double mastectomy would make a full recovery. And now that it's been several years we can call her "cured."</div>
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In an ironic twist my dad would suffer a massive stroke on January 24, 2006. Later that year we discovered the stroke had been caused by a Gliobastoma - an extremely aggressive brain tumor. He died on January 14, 2007.</div>
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Later that year I found a way to deal with my grief more productively than just moping my way through life. I found running by way of the Dean Karnazes film I was hired to score. Even though my dad was already gone, my new running obsession was "hope" for me the same way Lance was for my dad. After my 4th marathon in early 2009 I decided it was time to buy a bike. It wasn't long before I started being "Lance obsessed." I was lucky enough to do a massive charity ride with him in Los Angeles and saw him speak. And that year I was able to see his "Comeback 2.0." I saw him race the Tour of CA (and took the picture above!) You could have easily called me a junkie. He really hooked me on cycling, despite having missed the boat the first time around.</div>
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As I evolved as an endurance athlete I of course noticed the negative stigma in some circles that has surrounded Lance for years. Whether it's doping allegations or personal ones, it's been a hot topic for some time. But I find that this sort of attitude follows any public figure - haters are gonna hate. I had largely written it off - Lance was a hero to me.</div>
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The allegations of doping first really heated up two years ago - right as I was training for my first Ironman. I was troubled - but it was silly Floyd Landis making the accusations - a cyclist who was pretty easy to write off. A year later, when Tyler Hamilton came forward, that was harder. When it was rumored that Hincapie also came forward and testified I was pretty devastated and desperate for answers.</div>
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I bought and read the book "From Lance to Landis." It was so one sided that it almost felt biased, but although it was incredibly troubling, I still held out hope. I thought if there's even the slightest of possibilities that Lance is clean, I could hold out "hope." That is after all what he's represented to me and my dad all these years. His letter in August to USADA and his fans was convincing and heartfelt - and I somehow could see where he was coming from - I wore my Livestrong hat in defiance. </div>
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And here we are today. Even after 1,000 pages of USADA accusations (no, I haven't read it all) - after his sponsors running for the hills - after him leaving the charity he found - I'm still conflicted. <br />
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My brain knows Lance doped. The evidence seems insurmountable. <br />
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He hasn't came out in anger that his tour titles will likely be formally stripped in the coming weeks, that his sponsors have left him or that he was basically forced to resign from his own charity! All that is really left to do is confess. He's already been labeled the "disgraced cyclist," but he can't bring himself to do it.</div>
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So he doped. Lance Armstrong doped. I've got to convince my heart that it's true - and that all is ok in the world. He's human. Even if he "bullied" other athletes as the reports suggest - we all make bad choices - at least he's used his fame to do good for the thousands of families his foundation has supported. Hell, he supported my family just being him (well him and likely EPO) but especially because we didn't know it at the time, he provided the support we needed when we needed it. </div>
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It does no good for me to feel "cheated" as a fan. It was a tainted era. And there's no justice as it seems any of the runner ups were also doped up. It's sad that cycling went through its dark days and that we've got to have a fall guy. But when Lance dominated the sports biggest race for 7 years, how could he not be the fall guy? Sure, maybe he was the best doper too, but he was definitely the best cyclist.</div>
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<span style="color: black;">Bryan Farhy, the leader of the Fireflies ride, summed it up for me on Facebook today "</span>I don't care that Lance took drugs. He's done a hell of lot more good in this world than I have." </div>
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Couldn't have said it better myself. </div>
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So….Thanks for helping us when we needed you, Lance. You really did make a big difference for my dad and me.</div>
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EDIT/UPDATE: Well, oh well.<br />
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cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-85980692895159870032012-08-21T14:22:00.000-07:002012-08-21T14:22:08.766-07:00The Making of Gorilla-Bam, my bamboo ride!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sawing off one piece at a time:</div>
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Geometry traced, tacked together. </div>
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Mitered joints, first wrap of hemp. </div>
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Mock build, rear triangle way skewed....</div>
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Starting over, kinda.</div>
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DIY jig.</div>
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Tacking together again.</div>
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Epoxying the joints.</div>
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Epoxy mixed with bamboo dust.</div>
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How I made the dust. </div>
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Tight fit. Yay.</div>
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2nd time's a charm. </div>
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One of 10 rolls of electrical tape. </div>
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Some of the hemp.</div>
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The frame in it's glory.</div>
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Second build, and it rides!</div>
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Added more hemp, and gorilla face. </div>
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Completed bike, chain.</div>
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Completed bike, BELT! And 2 speed hub. </div>
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Some closeups:</div>
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The gorilla carving I bought in Rwanda.</div>
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Vinyl lettering...the water cage is made by Organic Bikes.</div>
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Gates Center Track. Made with grunts! (Gorilla reference)</div>
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My dropout mod to accommodate the belt. Basically an aluminum plate. There's a small part I machined with a file (I don't have a mill!) that supports the dropout where I cut it out.</div>
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The frame I'd guess cost only about $350 to make - bamboo, hemp and epoxy. The entire build would add another $300 or so. I love the way it rides, except for a little too much flex on the front end. But this isn't a long distance bike, nor a descending one. The belt is ultra smooth and the choice of 2 gears is really nice too. </div>
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This project was a huge undertaking. I'd guess 60 hours or more, and a whole lot of frustration. But perseverance is a good thing! The other thing: not as green as you'd think....I went through a whole box of latex gloves (100 pair!) and at least 10 rolls of electrical tape! That's a lot of waste.</div>
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And if I ever do this again, I'll likely look at getting (or making) a proper bike building jig!</div>
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Main supplies:</div>
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Bamboo: http://bamboohabitat.com (I used Madake)</div>
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Hemp: I can't remember. How ironic.</div>
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Epoxy: https://www.entropyresins.com/ (Super CLR - Slow Cure..rocks!)</div>
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Drivetrain, etc: http://www.universalcycles.com</div>
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cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-57499364747626144112012-08-21T13:56:00.001-07:002012-08-21T13:56:22.878-07:00Long HiatusSo quick recap of the last several months, I did the hardest event of my life in the Solvang Double Century in March - <a href="http://app.strava.com/activities/5768879">http://app.strava.com/activities/5768879</a>. Harder than an Ironman IMHO. Especially with the 30 miles of extreme headwind between miles 130 and 160. Yikes. Definitely a day I'd like to forget.<br />
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Since I've done very little formally, doing a lot of riding and running intermittently, interrupted by a 3 week long safari in Africa with my wife! Made a little video here:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/aP-hymcCjn4?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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Next up for me is a lot of riding, as I'll be doing the Fireflies West ride in a few weeks! It goes from SF to LA in 6 days. Should be amazing.<br />
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After that I'll be running the world in NYC on November 4th with my good friend Rodney.<br />
<br />
Finally, my bamboo ride is complete....look for a post on that soon!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-43986257690091669172011-12-20T08:14:00.000-08:002011-12-20T08:42:37.239-08:00Post IM 13.1sAbout 6 weeks ago I had the privilege to run with my dear friend Rodney and his wife Joelle as she took on her first 13.1 at the LA Rock n' Roll. Rodney is the guy who saved me from the top of Mount San Gorgonio 3 years back - great guy to say the least! <br />
<br />
http://runningformyfather.blogspot.com/2008/11/gut-check-and-news.html<br />
<br />
Anyway, I've got a free entry to this year's LA 13.1 - get in touch if you want it! I'll be there too, going nice and slow...<br />
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<br /></div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-62304765262386299702011-10-11T21:09:00.000-07:002011-10-17T22:32:49.653-07:00The Ironman World Championships: Best Day Ever<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First off – if you want to read and see pics, continue. If you have 8 minutes, check out this video I shot on race day. I carried my GoPro along with me and cut it into a pretty neat little piece. Watch it in HD with the sound up if you can.</b><br />
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<object class="BLOGGER-youtube-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="http://i.ytimg.com/vi/O_wk8E9Qe6s/0.jpg" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/O_wk8E9Qe6s?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" />
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<embed width="320" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/O_wk8E9Qe6s?version=3&f=user_uploads&c=google-webdrive-0&app=youtube_gdata" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"></embed></object></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE SHORT VERSION<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This is a bit of a novella….so in short I had an amazingly
epic day! It was wonderful not caring
about time and just taking in the day and celebrating the unthinkable distance completed
at the finish. I feel as though I’ve
come full circle in honoring my father through endurance sports and I couldn’t
be more grateful for the opportunity to complete the most famous race in
triathlon. Thank you, Ironman Lottery. Hawaii was a special place for my dad and I –
I really felt his presence the whole trip, and especially on race day (and race
night!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">My Dad and I having fun in one of our
many Hawaii trips together.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE ROAD TO KONA<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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The journey that was Ironman Kona really wraps up my 4 year
journey that started when my father passed away in 2007. That year, just a month before my first
marathon in early 2008, I somehow found the NBC special on Ironman Hawaii. In particular, during the 2007 special a man
named Scott Rigsby and his determination, not to mention his carbon fiber legs,
made an enormous impression on me. That
spirit that lies in each of the athletes is indeed infectious. The seed was planted then, and would slowly
grow over the course of a few years. Ironman
was insane to me at that time (it actually still is when I think about
it!) Running a marathon was my Everest then
– then the bar got raised to the Ironman.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufMP-uy99_acK7-ih2iGbiQSliC3qR3mbn6bHxmhoLlEY0xkYabLSHeDCIHaX3YTGlR4vKB_EV2XDaZXxCXmwCmJqLGkTP3suxRen8TEw8CfcsEbbn89wDwBxmhxS31_IIbNDsPuVzOkc/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiufMP-uy99_acK7-ih2iGbiQSliC3qR3mbn6bHxmhoLlEY0xkYabLSHeDCIHaX3YTGlR4vKB_EV2XDaZXxCXmwCmJqLGkTP3suxRen8TEw8CfcsEbbn89wDwBxmhxS31_IIbNDsPuVzOkc/s400/2.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">I had the privilege of meeting Scott in
Kona.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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Kona was always my “it” race. The famed finish of Ali’i Drive, my family’s
history in Hawaii, the list goes on. Knowing
how difficult to get in though, I quickly made the decision to realize my
Ironman dreams last year in France. And
what a day that was. I was basically
fulfilled. I made a deal with Julia that
I would start entering the Kona lottery, and if and when I ever got in, that
would be my next Ironman for awhile.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My journey to this point is actually summarized quite nicely
in an article written by Don Norcross on Ironman.com:<o:p></o:p></div>
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http://ironman.com/events/ironman/worldchampionship/kona2011/kona-preview-doing-kona-for-dad
class<o:p></o:p></div>
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Enough of the backstory – onto the juicy race details!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE WEEK<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I arrived last Sunday and was busy with the normal pre-race
week tasks, as well as some unusual ones, such as an interview with NBC! I tried to lay low as much as possible, but
it’s very tough as the excitement in town basically builds to a chorus
throughout the week. I swam most days, even
seeing my first ever Manta Ray on Thursday!
I also made several trips to the famous coffee boat. And Julia and I enjoyed taking part in the
“Underpants Run.” Don’t worry, no pics
of that! After the bike check in on
Friday, I retired to the room with some takeout pasta and basically rested up
as much as possible.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">I somehow managed to be right behind
Chrissie Wellington at check in!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBfNi8HPdN6LZkceZaTPkZdfbieeqOu4iV_uooczoniJGfS59i_prrdloko0jMrJiFE9Z2KD1xT7fyyIPJpFEAiTDyzCBNZPDgmaWfuK2bs_fcrNbeBKBCtwIb-tdLWwwRo7l8bgcqwtc/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBfNi8HPdN6LZkceZaTPkZdfbieeqOu4iV_uooczoniJGfS59i_prrdloko0jMrJiFE9Z2KD1xT7fyyIPJpFEAiTDyzCBNZPDgmaWfuK2bs_fcrNbeBKBCtwIb-tdLWwwRo7l8bgcqwtc/s400/4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">My ride was ready to go!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">RACE DAY<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I woke up Saturday at 4:00 AM and tried to consume as much
food as I possibly could. I then walked
over alone to body marking and to load up my bike with the necessary
nutrition. As I made the walk past the
finish line around the host hotel there was music gently coming through the
PA. Enya. It was such an interesting and amazing
choice. I remember being introduced to
Enya by my dad when I was a kid and sick with viral meningitis as a kid. Love her or hate her, there’s a very calming
effect to her music. In this context it
actually felt “anticipatory.” Amazing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU3PcY6E7EiANOfl2pQkYGZHYfEm6zXfes8MSpV6GW1ww_00t_QBkukeWvT0KKckQe4xch6lSONf7nIr9cVP-6uDw8PC1rpc-lpxvUpR_2VnNB50CPNjxVo6JnPHDXNjTGQ5VehSOaW2j/s1600/5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirU3PcY6E7EiANOfl2pQkYGZHYfEm6zXfes8MSpV6GW1ww_00t_QBkukeWvT0KKckQe4xch6lSONf7nIr9cVP-6uDw8PC1rpc-lpxvUpR_2VnNB50CPNjxVo6JnPHDXNjTGQ5VehSOaW2j/s400/5.jpg" width="298" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">All marked up.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After I was finished pumping up my bike tires and loading it
with fluids I headed back to the hotel (just a short walk away) and hung out
with Julia and my mom for a bit. At 6 AM
I headed back to the start and got ready to go into the water. The pros had just headed out and it was our
turn to fill the bay with a mass of people.
Getting into that water was so exciting.
The nerves were amazing – there was electricity in the air. As I ventured in I was pulled aside by NBC
where they asked me to describe what I was feeling. I can honestly say I have no recollection of
what I told them - I was so freaked out and so excited at the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HSiY8CVkJfggM0caUBjIiY2XTO4FAdr6QDmI3Ro65gj4Rg-xVmoVszC1jO85ULakvNVM2nNcnSXX9Qnz6E0k-_JhPszHowJdQFAKlIGFx3PxFs-uGo16Tq5Otxtyf6uyRm-Q3EkPXI2z/s1600/6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0HSiY8CVkJfggM0caUBjIiY2XTO4FAdr6QDmI3Ro65gj4Rg-xVmoVszC1jO85ULakvNVM2nNcnSXX9Qnz6E0k-_JhPszHowJdQFAKlIGFx3PxFs-uGo16Tq5Otxtyf6uyRm-Q3EkPXI2z/s400/6.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">I was most definitely nervous but couldn't ask for a more supportive wife!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuvuU4td8zZADINZn38meZSH3t39rmvtNEsBeu0GNOsc9FuhwnQwUdW26tukecb5KgNSF51DZffV2bCRaBwpj2G5jBjC9DNfzlxAW1Nl7BqiXqAixe_4NTsQ2agzp6OSKEifXYa2LUDZI/s1600/7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkuvuU4td8zZADINZn38meZSH3t39rmvtNEsBeu0GNOsc9FuhwnQwUdW26tukecb5KgNSF51DZffV2bCRaBwpj2G5jBjC9DNfzlxAW1Nl7BqiXqAixe_4NTsQ2agzp6OSKEifXYa2LUDZI/s400/7.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="298" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 9pt;">Kissing mama goodbye for now.<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE SWIM<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I lined up in the middle of the pack – I wanted that mass
start experience! </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvV_3yOz19yN_d-wfgXCgcRhxnAMn8HpbdWQJa2i92qXrZ1a8VBYYjWaIY486KaNJpS17CP_8ahyphenhyphenCBemASUKG74vB-gHZ9YCTGOEJCWN5giD0zWVKJHJMowrhjBKXT_qK3D9Izpgqd01xG/s1600/8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvV_3yOz19yN_d-wfgXCgcRhxnAMn8HpbdWQJa2i92qXrZ1a8VBYYjWaIY486KaNJpS17CP_8ahyphenhyphenCBemASUKG74vB-gHZ9YCTGOEJCWN5giD0zWVKJHJMowrhjBKXT_qK3D9Izpgqd01xG/s400/8.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>A</b></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b> shot from my GoPro before the canon.</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_UfetrGkf4tj4VyS9vJStHjL9rSU_stDRZfsQJ4zE54RwsYGF04AVsDepZOecyMsIX8Q5a_kZf-07Q_WpsZIy9yWkyEhJL88Bqrxav7de0dlPQep3z_lOVVmY-4Jt9YZJhiJnt7ZfFps/s1600/9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr_UfetrGkf4tj4VyS9vJStHjL9rSU_stDRZfsQJ4zE54RwsYGF04AVsDepZOecyMsIX8Q5a_kZf-07Q_WpsZIy9yWkyEhJL88Bqrxav7de0dlPQep3z_lOVVmY-4Jt9YZJhiJnt7ZfFps/s400/9.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Treading water for 15 minutes was a good warm up!</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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The canon went off and
the nerves turned into energy….we were off.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn88byosRS_vL3n8MMReZDDBI8RPTmVIx5BstRxlq7K5xgvnSzQZM0UL3KBRB0RKdyTJeD7bpsB_k0KAh19YBn2VUWLjuIQWMmzOtoSHWLWHRIML-d-hVGDWkDhUQfO1z7pHgSDvxfryd/s1600/10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZn88byosRS_vL3n8MMReZDDBI8RPTmVIx5BstRxlq7K5xgvnSzQZM0UL3KBRB0RKdyTJeD7bpsB_k0KAh19YBn2VUWLjuIQWMmzOtoSHWLWHRIML-d-hVGDWkDhUQfO1z7pHgSDvxfryd/s400/10.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgeT9LMmzKJc-nYRDsHNRONDsRG62IUpNMrz1k_7Omn8z3jJ0qbdJCjky7Yefrl8_7vw2MCCcDhkBmFSh_a-KJtBMQPsLXPpOZpeuoPV3mkXfXg3YueErRMtDSxxwJa3JV5ZfXVpts3Fe/s1600/11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgeT9LMmzKJc-nYRDsHNRONDsRG62IUpNMrz1k_7Omn8z3jJ0qbdJCjky7Yefrl8_7vw2MCCcDhkBmFSh_a-KJtBMQPsLXPpOZpeuoPV3mkXfXg3YueErRMtDSxxwJa3JV5ZfXVpts3Fe/s400/11.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The mass swim start was somehow anti-climactic. At my previous Ironman in France last year I
had people grabbing me, trying to swim over me…here it was a much bigger area
and therefore more spread out. And usually
I’m a middle of the pack swimmer, but here, the World Championships, the field
is balanced differently – there are fewer average swimmers – so I had plenty of
room. I got myself into a rhythm, taking
my time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFCFD1JHr2cFEZQerakglGAgqKCL7onP3lathTKvw6QwJaPWlV_bFhiDKP6c66JGt7ZP7mteTfwn2HBSzDYRGKrpeJy9_HUblditDQ_V2TKXGPZIC2vQ5G0EZkYQ_LBH_pIP5l0R0yK9d/s1600/12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikFCFD1JHr2cFEZQerakglGAgqKCL7onP3lathTKvw6QwJaPWlV_bFhiDKP6c66JGt7ZP7mteTfwn2HBSzDYRGKrpeJy9_HUblditDQ_V2TKXGPZIC2vQ5G0EZkYQ_LBH_pIP5l0R0yK9d/s400/12.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">That's me swimming from the chest mount!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I indeed carried my GoPro Video Camera on all three legs and
thoroughly enjoyed taking some video along the way. It definitely slowed me down, but since I
wasn’t here for time I didn’t care! I
even stopped and treaded water several times to try and get some above water
shots as well as shots of me swimming using the “GoPro Chesty Strap.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was literally smiling the entire swim and even shouted out
at random times under the water “I’m doing Ironman Kona!” I was so pumped and thrilled. Shortly after the turn around I was minding
my own business and a pair of dolphins and a baby swam underneath me! It was incredible. I was screaming! I stopped and watched them swim by. They were clearly on a mission going the
opposite direction. About 3 minutes
later I found my own swimming rhythm back.
Then the cavalry rocketed by! At
least a dozen spinner (dolphins) or more!
It was epic! I was going
ape-sh*t. What a dream. I had seen a manta ray earlier in the week on
a swim and am marveled that I could be in a race and be able to see
DOLPHINS! My day was already awesome and
I was only an hour into it!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioDVLWIyUG1ZDWyE_1PNVc06rNqxZBKvQM1ybDlf1gPd1dKWM0EvtztVPQnD5OkdHnKjz53hUcOijz6ViXEzoN9m1lDts8sXIuLL5CXepyjItHIVXcL9VIUmafLA_nJybK0yEo9H9bi1l/s1600/13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgioDVLWIyUG1ZDWyE_1PNVc06rNqxZBKvQM1ybDlf1gPd1dKWM0EvtztVPQnD5OkdHnKjz53hUcOijz6ViXEzoN9m1lDts8sXIuLL5CXepyjItHIVXcL9VIUmafLA_nJybK0yEo9H9bi1l/s400/13.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">You can barely make them out on the upper left. </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">They were much more exciting and clear in person!</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As I approached the Kona Pier I reflected back on my
swim. In training, I can’t tell you what
a bear getting to my swim workouts are.
Since it’s the one “gimme” out of the three sports I tend to miss a lot
of swims and my races seldom suffer somehow.
But this swim was special. It
might as well have been snorkeling! I
hopped out of the water and got under the hoses, rinsed off, took a few gulps,
and got into my bike shoes. Before I
knew it, bike in hand, I headed for the bike mount line.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzJwRNsKMkWCoRz8a0JqKaM1CrxaVB1SIT4lx2ekfrXk0FvlR5dFjk5hVJdaUWCGnxYfEjfHFsyFt7ERuoO9qPzy9JMoat3QQJZMmJYHCkD0MgDcV5hB9V8GBY26Mun3lbX7SQBEax8um/s1600/14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzJwRNsKMkWCoRz8a0JqKaM1CrxaVB1SIT4lx2ekfrXk0FvlR5dFjk5hVJdaUWCGnxYfEjfHFsyFt7ERuoO9qPzy9JMoat3QQJZMmJYHCkD0MgDcV5hB9V8GBY26Mun3lbX7SQBEax8um/s400/14.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="265" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The swim exit.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE BIKE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I hopped on and headed up Palani. An uphill right out of transition, it was
easy to spot Julia, wearing her “Ironmate” shirt and my mom with her “Ironmom”
shirt – my own personal cheering section.
They were as excited as I was! I
screamed at them, gave them the “hang loose” sign and carried on. Through the two loops through town (one out
and back that included a nice little climb) it was tough to get my heart rate
down – and I’m pretty sure it was mostly raw emotion, as I was not (yet!)
working hard. As I turned onto the
famous Queen K I took some deep breaths and tried to settle in.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lHMzPSL9ngycspsetfHl8z_iU7mbXSTZa4ik-smk1Ix5DB6-f03S3FJiIKH6UkWJ39mWZNB2V0u3gK3yf-yd_699EiywzYeP3anAoVkUtuQxQzQ2b6bLTZDDIVbNG2xXxyOjaz5siqEt/s1600/15.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7lHMzPSL9ngycspsetfHl8z_iU7mbXSTZa4ik-smk1Ix5DB6-f03S3FJiIKH6UkWJ39mWZNB2V0u3gK3yf-yd_699EiywzYeP3anAoVkUtuQxQzQ2b6bLTZDDIVbNG2xXxyOjaz5siqEt/s400/15.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Flashin' the "hang loose" to my wife and mom.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The Queen K is the long section of the course that goes all
the way out to the small town of Hawi, some 55 miles away. It’s by no means flat as it undulates its way
there with several fairly substantial rolling hills. My plan was to take it easy, and enjoy the
day. I seldom looked down at my Garmin,
and when I did I would try and mostly eye my heart rate and cadence, but
definitely snuck a peak at speed too. I
was going a little slower than I did in training, but it felt right so I stuck
to that same effort. I also really tried
to focus on hydration, downing the sports drink like crazy. That along with the salt tablets was really
working for me.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was in an interesting place in the pack. Being a lottery winner I was with some men
who were a much older than me and also some women my mom’s age! It was amazing riding with the best of the
world – despite the fact they had like 30 years on me!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJWHP1RSzu-OrpFPmBdiDDe2a7xm6HPpxGxZCufAmxrUz65ykhwuse1g8BkQdychaSWSAlSDdW9_uQ56eUvWSSlNYS60bEzbwOoD_hxDnC3lqoj4vPzwn4Vzzu9bOUoak1rHAKS1rtMGI/s1600/16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvJWHP1RSzu-OrpFPmBdiDDe2a7xm6HPpxGxZCufAmxrUz65ykhwuse1g8BkQdychaSWSAlSDdW9_uQ56eUvWSSlNYS60bEzbwOoD_hxDnC3lqoj4vPzwn4Vzzu9bOUoak1rHAKS1rtMGI/s400/16.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Long stretches of nothin' but lava.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Somewhere between 30 and 40 miles a convertible pulled up
beside me – the NBC crew! So bizarre
being the focus like that. They
basically interviewed me while on the bike and I did my best to give them what
they wanted. It was a trip! During the interview I got a glimpse of the
first pros on their way back to town. Amazing
to see the race develop in front of me!
It was hard to make out their faces, but it was amazing to see their
concentration as they battled each other through the cross winds.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWR9G78FHXJNwB45wAUZ__cto-lJDLOyDMLj0aDEbfcBL8ejSCqjQ0IvsEYYwam3OXnn5lzBWJl6qNfUXufw8QtXlim2Q1igU9TGf1lnCLKcmWb2qJZi-MmUJFa5h5E5Yb8Ya34Wzgkexx/s1600/17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWR9G78FHXJNwB45wAUZ__cto-lJDLOyDMLj0aDEbfcBL8ejSCqjQ0IvsEYYwam3OXnn5lzBWJl6qNfUXufw8QtXlim2Q1igU9TGf1lnCLKcmWb2qJZi-MmUJFa5h5E5Yb8Ya34Wzgkexx/s400/17.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I barely got out of the saddle. This was for the lens!</span></b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It was starting to get hot.
And windy. From what I hear the
wind was less this year than normal….but man it was tough! Climbing into Hawi the wind was completely in
your face with the occasional side gust.
It was impossible to hydrate during this time for fear of being blown
over. It was also a hot wind….so it
didn’t even cool me down! I was really
starting to be effected by the Kona sun.
The climb went on forever but I finally made the turn around. Shortly after I got more salt tablets and
gels out of my “special needs bag.” I
also peed – which was a good sign for hydration. I spent some time switching my GoPro camera
around for different angles and was on my way.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The decent out of Hawi was intense and exhilarating. I probably averaged about 35mph for that
section, although it was a bit scary with the crosswind. Sometimes it would really come out of
nowhere! There was obviously no way to
take in nutrition under these circumstances so I pulled over a few times to
change the camera, eat and drink.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhG8K9fYdQlHu-qtZGjPTyQOcEHTo9jq9ZaO5A3ti1B2RqPYPnPy87X3VPmNDcxJuLEu-6ZesVD9QI79nUlwPbSlERzfpK3Vw9gID66OrLQ6q6xWfk4kUARSSUWWTl3AMAvTkCow1cjuw/s1600/18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlhG8K9fYdQlHu-qtZGjPTyQOcEHTo9jq9ZaO5A3ti1B2RqPYPnPy87X3VPmNDcxJuLEu-6ZesVD9QI79nUlwPbSlERzfpK3Vw9gID66OrLQ6q6xWfk4kUARSSUWWTl3AMAvTkCow1cjuw/s400/18.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Still happy despite the pain.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Finally making it back to the coast the wind was really
picking up. I had heard about this
section being particularly grueling. By
the time I hit mile 85 I was pretty cooked.
Hot. I would grab water from a
station and basically pour it all over myself.
I even tried stopping and having the volunteers shower me down but the
relief was short lived. One thing helped
a little more than others though: Coke.
I’m a big Dr Pepper fan, but nothing beats Coke on a bike or run. It’s AMAZING.
I didn’t have much on the bike, but just enough to get that twinkle in
my eyes back.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxsBCgyesOvUf_7KPHxS6dxcfMQQ_z7HaP5E843tPe9DRP_T4AgPgydjO1MbtCBeyo8s5UX4zZwEOkYN98SewV0BsH4p2pjLo5BtMWT-gX6nk8ONZHuW2-Rr7nbnErXLOhxENT9kt6e5M/s1600/19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxsBCgyesOvUf_7KPHxS6dxcfMQQ_z7HaP5E843tPe9DRP_T4AgPgydjO1MbtCBeyo8s5UX4zZwEOkYN98SewV0BsH4p2pjLo5BtMWT-gX6nk8ONZHuW2-Rr7nbnErXLOhxENT9kt6e5M/s400/19.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">As far as I came to being unhappy the whole day.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Shortly before mile 90 I had something special to stop
for. Earlier in the week my mom and I
had driven the bike course. When we saw
the word “Ironman” spelled out in corral on the lava rock with a huge space
below and more corral in a pile nearby we went to work. It now read “Ironman 4 Eric.” I stopped, paid tribute to my dad and was on
my way back to town.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HcGSTOscGag?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A little timelapse of my mom and I with the lavarock.</span></b></div>
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As I passed the airport I was a bit out of my mind. I saw two goats on the site of the road and
had to ask a cop at the next intersection if they had goats on the islands – I
thought I was hallucinating! Luckily he
nodded his head, “yes, they do have goats.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Before I knew it I was turned back onto Palani and was again
greeted by my Ironmate and Ironmom. I
headed into transition hot, but so ready to get off that bike! I sure love the bike in general, but 112
miles in and out of the “aero position” and through wind, heat and hills is no
easy task – going for a nice little jog in paradise sounded like a good idea.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1r5Vx51SQ8ARsaNExSs5tcQVvvYXPXebwjOSaIiDJk4BuO2e2ZfUmKt187iQH5ialzqntUR1BsrQo6XREHZDJxAQlqoy5egXMHSJ1L_Un3wmoIdvPwmmhCt5LHsz_A0gXE37GbH_I_Pbc/s1600/20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1r5Vx51SQ8ARsaNExSs5tcQVvvYXPXebwjOSaIiDJk4BuO2e2ZfUmKt187iQH5ialzqntUR1BsrQo6XREHZDJxAQlqoy5egXMHSJ1L_Un3wmoIdvPwmmhCt5LHsz_A0gXE37GbH_I_Pbc/s400/20.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="298" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Julia about to cheer me in off the bike.</b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE RUN<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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I took my time in T2.
A volunteer got me a cold towel to wipe my salty face down as he had the
thrill of applying more sunblock to my shoulders. Before long I was up out of the comfy chair
and off to tackle a marathon run. This is
crazy. Just 3 and a half years ago a
marathon was my Everest and now I was starting the 26.2 mile run after over 8
hours of swimming and cycling.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbVdy6UWa-sM6I8JBuZFsvLRx0KQVZcErlucMxjpupxNA-K9rWF4Infq_tNI5ApV3Pee_nmXIhbzCagl8ZSmhLzHN0nnbpUQpSWOXwDfVcSiafVOAgc6DONDB_9xs9P2p8cvP8MOY6ZAs/s1600/21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYbVdy6UWa-sM6I8JBuZFsvLRx0KQVZcErlucMxjpupxNA-K9rWF4Infq_tNI5ApV3Pee_nmXIhbzCagl8ZSmhLzHN0nnbpUQpSWOXwDfVcSiafVOAgc6DONDB_9xs9P2p8cvP8MOY6ZAs/s400/21.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="298" /></a></span></b></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Excited to see the family after a 7 hour hiatus.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I made my way up back up Palani I had my GoPro on a
telescoping pole. I saw Julia and my mom
and even stopped for a hug. Julia even
ended up running with me for a short bit.
As I turned down Ali’i Drive for the first long loop through town I
began to realize how tired I was. But
this is Ironman. Ironman Kona! Of course I was tired, the key for me was to
keep moving. And that I did. I tried to just walk the aid stations, which
is something I more or less kept to. I
ate some pretzels, coke and banana – but that was about all I could
handle. I talked to people, tried to
encourage those around me and tried to feed off the crowd. (Obviously) I’m a chatter box. I love interaction, especially in this
atmosphere. The spectators were
amazing. I loved egging them on and
seeing their reaction to my little GoPro camera. People loved it! Especially the other athletes – people could
not believe I brought it along….but why not?!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm2PiNVjWQc1R39N4Tm7W_jsCMOtsn50AFm2W-xzUnp992mPfJQkl1ho___FGb-YEVGtmXeYMZ0-b1owyTIqf6cy4gZBeJYxQstlonnJyoFb1Zl7SPQkP7OqFgOccIFgq5c9Q28dwYqDe/s1600/22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVm2PiNVjWQc1R39N4Tm7W_jsCMOtsn50AFm2W-xzUnp992mPfJQkl1ho___FGb-YEVGtmXeYMZ0-b1owyTIqf6cy4gZBeJYxQstlonnJyoFb1Zl7SPQkP7OqFgOccIFgq5c9Q28dwYqDe/s400/22.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="265" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Yes it looked strange, but the video is gonna be sweet!</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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Shortly after the turnaround at about 6 miles I had my first
major problem of the race. It must have
been the heat, but my stomach turned. I’ll
spare any details, but for a short time I was worried I might be reduced to
walking the rest of the race.
Fortunately I was still able to maintain my slow jog but had to make
several more “stops” throughout the race.
Certainly not ideal, but I managed to remain positive the whole time,
and was partially excited and intrigued by the idea of running into the night.
(In France my race ended right as the sun was going down, so I didn’t get the
full nighttime experience!)<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisr3SxkAzEYWbdZCr0I8fFgh9FrvEzVq7S2hWQRKNM53sUZqiXZOunk3PIpbute1sc_Unf0PIWf1kqGme6wi8EvKr8Jz39Ob7mjHdd1N4iXcLG7SAfup0ee-uvprJKkDAkVOvew9sde_y8/s1600/23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisr3SxkAzEYWbdZCr0I8fFgh9FrvEzVq7S2hWQRKNM53sUZqiXZOunk3PIpbute1sc_Unf0PIWf1kqGme6wi8EvKr8Jz39Ob7mjHdd1N4iXcLG7SAfup0ee-uvprJKkDAkVOvew9sde_y8/s400/23.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="290" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Yup, still happy even though my stomach wasn't.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I passed Julia and my mom again at mile 10 or so I was
both excited and sad to have just 16 miles to go. This was the ultimate for me, to take part in
this race. And I was only three or so
hours from completion – in the blink of an eye it would be over! As I said goodbye to them for the last time
before the finish I ran up Palani – the steepest section of the course. The athletes going the opposite way instantly
excited me – they were about to finish!
I went pretty crazy screaming and high fiving them – trying to egg them
on. I think I was more excited than they
were about their finish! This was a
really nice moment for me, but I quickly realized how fast I was tearing up
this hill! My hip started to tighten
up…big mistake! I got way too emotional
way too early and thus pushed it way too hard.
I didn’t panic – I just gave myself a nice little walk break so I could
recover and started to jog again once the terrain leveled out.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWMr_X50LbgpBtLnB3mEkDL5cBSwTYi18w50LZJgU9hO46g4LIrsPLtBlUpiGgbaRRs-9qTSRbfGsThUENbjA7AfPsq0K6HaD_kKuxI2PiHJ4aUWN_J7tAjT2ZsVfKW7cxoi9xxMrQf3J/s1600/24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitWMr_X50LbgpBtLnB3mEkDL5cBSwTYi18w50LZJgU9hO46g4LIrsPLtBlUpiGgbaRRs-9qTSRbfGsThUENbjA7AfPsq0K6HaD_kKuxI2PiHJ4aUWN_J7tAjT2ZsVfKW7cxoi9xxMrQf3J/s400/24.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>High fiving a dude less than 1 mile out!</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I jogged on the Queen K the sun was setting over the
ocean. It was beautiful. The next aid station had chicken broth. I thought given my stomach trouble that that
would be a very good idea. I also had
some pretzels, coke and water. As sun
went down quickly it was dark before I knew it.
I now had a glow stick thing around my neck. The darkness was eerie at first, but quickly
became dreamy. A long line of driven
people were making their way back into town to finish their race. Meanwhile, those of us slower ones were
running <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">out</i> of town so we could loop
back and finish ours. All so we could
experience the Kona Ironman by being in it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZglrq-RJ9kcvfv4xXW5OHjs11y55YA26SZe9p1BbqwM2nZtmTBFTugK9B5rtDq64nV1sklbSw-XGXRfkUascQt42mdn-KZ78wl1Rx8vmB-DCq9RBnXKb-HKW4aq1QCi8P9LxwynyBl1uY/s1600/25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZglrq-RJ9kcvfv4xXW5OHjs11y55YA26SZe9p1BbqwM2nZtmTBFTugK9B5rtDq64nV1sklbSw-XGXRfkUascQt42mdn-KZ78wl1Rx8vmB-DCq9RBnXKb-HKW4aq1QCi8P9LxwynyBl1uY/s400/25.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></b></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The sun went down quick!</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXx6bZVxDGeIuNWgeEbyVY-uFAv106uuKI5YFfaWPqy5aqibLWz-qDNFACqp5d8TPJIZe1MLCYxQ8DX5K0Hl1uESGopyzTFhiFtAVl_QkJ40eD9sDTSv6YTX0TXV5ErRoMm7TXSmZHyMt/s1600/26.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaXx6bZVxDGeIuNWgeEbyVY-uFAv106uuKI5YFfaWPqy5aqibLWz-qDNFACqp5d8TPJIZe1MLCYxQ8DX5K0Hl1uESGopyzTFhiFtAVl_QkJ40eD9sDTSv6YTX0TXV5ErRoMm7TXSmZHyMt/s400/26.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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It was pretty quiet out on there on the Queen K. There were some street lights, but a lot of
silence between the aid stations. One
aid station in particular was really rocking it out. Awesome music, dancing, basically
hilarious. The volunteers of this race
made the race. They were incredible –
the best! It definitely helped. But it seemed like a really slow grind for me. I was oddly ok with this. I was not even eager to finish – it was all
part of the experience. I can honestly
say this was the first time in a long distance race where I was content to be
out there experiencing the pain and fatigue of racing – I was not eager to end
it. Part of me wanted it to last
forever. I made the left turn for the
energy lab –it looked pitch black.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ohUycQVedjQiqpeUlJ7G3tJuPuDye655EHzMsCBG8a5gATiKHCM8iLGIUXXTp-HxjgrgY0h8Wx0QQ6fQ9ISxephj2YvZQGFQo6kqo7ZBNugRK2w5TD-D0tfLk9X8JWeflzXz_QMHt9uG/s1600/27.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7ohUycQVedjQiqpeUlJ7G3tJuPuDye655EHzMsCBG8a5gATiKHCM8iLGIUXXTp-HxjgrgY0h8Wx0QQ6fQ9ISxephj2YvZQGFQo6kqo7ZBNugRK2w5TD-D0tfLk9X8JWeflzXz_QMHt9uG/s400/27.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Turning into the energy lab.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I ran into the darkness it seemed to get quieter and
tranquil. It was so spiritual! It was easy to gate out the pain and
stiffness in my legs and focus on my breath, the crickets. There were long stretches of darkness and
there would be a bright event light at the end of the road – a sort of beacon
that I’d run towards. It would cast
shadows of the runners just ahead of me and the ones running towards me - on
their way home. Once I’d pass the light
my shadow would be cast in front of me.
It was exceptional. The state of
mind after 125 miles sure makes you appreciate the little things in life. I made the turnaround and high fived a few
locals – I was on my way back home.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGGD1P_HHVUFMU95-tXMt4lOBFyos3seHErIZMeBXpqNnFGEKKrEuP-4OcxAPU0ma8R7eGtHqWHBsPPC8pVhn1-bNyq7HOETWpSTXCMHVh-A1inVpicLZMpqzGTe3krZTV6nkWTwTZ9_/s1600/28.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNGGD1P_HHVUFMU95-tXMt4lOBFyos3seHErIZMeBXpqNnFGEKKrEuP-4OcxAPU0ma8R7eGtHqWHBsPPC8pVhn1-bNyq7HOETWpSTXCMHVh-A1inVpicLZMpqzGTe3krZTV6nkWTwTZ9_/s400/28.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">My eyes saw just slightly more detail than this.</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWgn9I8YUAnoVMopTb1QWnFuK5NtQGf3GaPQd9ylZDIcYK0cAhttq-afvaYjqdH4WrsaUZFDED4fPyC8s8EvpqW7H_StrRDY4ICBvo8Oz2rSQY03ayFnmmoLCXx8SQ7oYVdQzribbMPvu/s1600/29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcWgn9I8YUAnoVMopTb1QWnFuK5NtQGf3GaPQd9ylZDIcYK0cAhttq-afvaYjqdH4WrsaUZFDED4fPyC8s8EvpqW7H_StrRDY4ICBvo8Oz2rSQY03ayFnmmoLCXx8SQ7oYVdQzribbMPvu/s400/29.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And it was blinding when you got there!</span></b></div>
<br />
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I visited the second “special needs” stop where I picked up
the last of my salt tabs and somehow managed to down a gel. Still feeling ok I kept jogging until I hit
the “Ford Motivational Mile” somewhere around mile 18 or 19. As I passed over the mat the big screen read
“C. Westheimer You Are Great.” I smiled,
high fived the two volunteers who were dancing feverishly and carried on.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjXsG2UJcrmPyKMJwl1BoVpX7KaDnyLLFPTsaP57UdqZ_B_xP7k6_zjc9xUltOHo6gnu04z68dp3HNVV-LgZyH5m4VLuIlelpMfhcZTgdO1UU7SAAlY5HDO-2Ng9J6VUBE2eWcVjFznL-/s1600/30.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvjXsG2UJcrmPyKMJwl1BoVpX7KaDnyLLFPTsaP57UdqZ_B_xP7k6_zjc9xUltOHo6gnu04z68dp3HNVV-LgZyH5m4VLuIlelpMfhcZTgdO1UU7SAAlY5HDO-2Ng9J6VUBE2eWcVjFznL-/s400/30.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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Back on the Queen K I tried to settle into a rhythm. It was a funny duality. I was within striking distance, but still had
a ways to go, and much of it was a false flat going uphill into town before the
final decent on Palani. I maintained a
slow run, allowing myself to walk at the aid station and continue walking until
I had finished eating and drinking. This
worked out well, despite yet another bathroom stop at around mile 21.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFJPBD1lk_PCTnbKzNhkUNrT0POmLVSs6SYpmR6tS5HMENSLht6W0IYGscOka1F5gI0n0pagcYos1v7CZ97KwbJxZ8msU2fC3liyGeBRGCXHNihQKOHxxOtkicDBJkkG3OJh3JQwlqNuH/s1600/31.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUFJPBD1lk_PCTnbKzNhkUNrT0POmLVSs6SYpmR6tS5HMENSLht6W0IYGscOka1F5gI0n0pagcYos1v7CZ97KwbJxZ8msU2fC3liyGeBRGCXHNihQKOHxxOtkicDBJkkG3OJh3JQwlqNuH/s400/31.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="298" /></a></div>
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</div>
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</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Julia and mom patiently waiting.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<br />
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These last miles were something else. Here I was, having covered 135 miles since
dawn, running into the night. This
certainly did not happen in my first Ironman!
Night on Queen K was perhaps the best and most unique part of the
race. As I made my way closer to town I
started to allow myself to celebrate. I
was within 3 miles and I knew the last mile would basically not even count, so
I really wanted to savor those last two.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I was running that last bit I wanted to pay special
tribute to my inspiration – the man who I model myself after. He’s inside me and will always be with
me. My dad was the best father I could
have ever asked for. We had plans that
would never be realized. We had dozens of
more trips to Hawaii where we’d snorkel, boogie board and argue about where to
park the car (long story.) He was my
best friend and I could feel him with me.
This is why I keep doing this.
When you peel the layers of the onion away – me in my rawest place –
he’s so deeply a part of me I feel like he might as well be running right next
to me – egging me on, cheering for me. I
was getting so excited to finish soon, but I also a bit sad that this day – the
day I had dreamed of since 2007 was now coming to a close.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As my heart was filled with emotion and my eyes a bit teary,
at about mile 24, I saw a bird fly by the street lamp – it was perfectly
illuminated. I quickly remembered that
there were Owls on the island. I’m quite
“raptor obsessed,” largely due to the many connections with my dad and birds of
prey. I scream out “OWL!”
uncontrollably. Unbelievable. I’ve never been able to make one out so
clearly. As if to cheer me on the Owl
circled back towards me for one broad loop, not quite over my head before
disappearing into the darkness. “Thanks,
Dad.”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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With that lift I proceeded towards town. I could hear the announcer, the “Voice of
Ironman,” Mike Riley, in the distance now.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I turned down Palani towards the mile 25 marker I allowed
myself to rejoice. I was basically going
nuts already. I was high fiving
everybody in site – especially the kids.
I took the downhill way too fast, letting my emotions get the best of me
once again. I was screaming out “THIS IS
AMAZING…” “I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS!” It was
a rush. By the time I hit the bottom of
the hill I had just a few blocks to go before I made the final turn down Ali’I
Drive. I quickly realized how exhausted
I was from the downhill celebration!
Opps! Since the street was not so
crowded with spectators that I could celebrate with I decided to walk a few
steps so I could recuperate before the REAL celebration!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">THE FINISH<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I made the final turn down Ali’i I was smiling and
rejoicing uncontrollably. I was yelling
to the crowds, “Can I get a Hell Ya?!”
And they’d give me one! I made my
way through the sea of people, high fiving and screaming. A quarter mile later (which felt like the
quickest 400 meters ever) I was in the finish chute. 100 yards of pure bliss. I had it all to myself. I was running back and forth, spinning around,
jumping up and down, basically going nuts.
The crowd was also going crazy, smiling, cheering - it was amazing. Towards the end of the chute I saw my
Ironmate and Ironmom. I ran over to them
and basically gave them the biggest hug ever.
They were screaming in my ears so loud that they distorted in stereo – that
probably took a year out of my hearing!
But all for good! Mike Riley was
announcing my name and exclaimed, “Some are just happier than others!”<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcruKaYJ1hjPpUwVHMrbEXLjHoz5q_5Zcm8OsO4Nf_fkx35Pk8uumVEqc5Nd9mlslvQ-cXv0n4B5xfC6zh9OAg7aX5TzS2enQPBdUDNvdc-Wg34dXI_L-WRvkdeY0EPAUAVgUP19tsOg9/s1600/32.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAcruKaYJ1hjPpUwVHMrbEXLjHoz5q_5Zcm8OsO4Nf_fkx35Pk8uumVEqc5Nd9mlslvQ-cXv0n4B5xfC6zh9OAg7aX5TzS2enQPBdUDNvdc-Wg34dXI_L-WRvkdeY0EPAUAVgUP19tsOg9/s400/32.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryPdvMFIl_CQRIumMhHvAPiKSjpmpirLYTrJA50tjWnWflUoDxVeUkzDH16NyzobORuPcGfxiE408ePeMRXKt0-icQrSQZg6Rt8pDKu0XlDCu4QC7x_278iX31_r4WAG3lPfRMOHUlCvj/s1600/33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgryPdvMFIl_CQRIumMhHvAPiKSjpmpirLYTrJA50tjWnWflUoDxVeUkzDH16NyzobORuPcGfxiE408ePeMRXKt0-icQrSQZg6Rt8pDKu0XlDCu4QC7x_278iX31_r4WAG3lPfRMOHUlCvj/s400/33.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg945vNRCb9WcBPNk_OM8SoNbjT8lLl24mNp3BYOxt3VDkDtRwV2pxmkje8Vi4GpuIdu7XM1h5UsBFVEGsyqDE4bPvgGqPgC7XuuczZBUuM6GVQ9yacw7oXQlCH71LQGgPDh4p-a5hGzjv4/s1600/34.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg945vNRCb9WcBPNk_OM8SoNbjT8lLl24mNp3BYOxt3VDkDtRwV2pxmkje8Vi4GpuIdu7XM1h5UsBFVEGsyqDE4bPvgGqPgC7XuuczZBUuM6GVQ9yacw7oXQlCH71LQGgPDh4p-a5hGzjv4/s400/34.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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As I made my way up the ramp, I was still going nuts – I
couldn’t believe it! And then I realized
that there were no fewer than 3 video cameras pointed at me, just feet away. Wow.
This was crazy. I was still
screaming uncontrollably. I certainly
was happy! I pointed at the icon of my
dad on my jersey for the camera and exclaimed, “It’s all for this guy!” I calmed a bit. Then as if to continue the celebration after
the brief lull a volunteer and I started randomly high fiving, one hand after
the other. Hilarious. Finally, after what must have been a five
minute celebration (but felt like 5 seconds!) the NBC producer took me back
over to the pier for my “post race interview.”
He basically said “go” and I dished out my raw emotion.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu_ayctg26HQwAV0dE2dh-CydCZd9bIhWl66uWaBWvySVwEskdK71lVwhftHHhqJLpi3wb26-_L3qCbuLbFsutci9UUgUGMDamBavHiqznjsdqvKiQXHROLwqPJgqtDRBA009TW00g1mh/s1600/35.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpu_ayctg26HQwAV0dE2dh-CydCZd9bIhWl66uWaBWvySVwEskdK71lVwhftHHhqJLpi3wb26-_L3qCbuLbFsutci9UUgUGMDamBavHiqznjsdqvKiQXHROLwqPJgqtDRBA009TW00g1mh/s400/35.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHChApR-LcROOFA6Gw4DY_lRx8n3Uw2uFbTTQZSiUlnkzNLPwe-o2D3QqYeEUOQ_enGJBfZrQN9oAwp5lc3uE-OECNyOJDdESwxYLTHE6PrFE4q50FCgmSsHTIai0m1qKJi_YWR3EfqYNe/s1600/36.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHChApR-LcROOFA6Gw4DY_lRx8n3Uw2uFbTTQZSiUlnkzNLPwe-o2D3QqYeEUOQ_enGJBfZrQN9oAwp5lc3uE-OECNyOJDdESwxYLTHE6PrFE4q50FCgmSsHTIai0m1qKJi_YWR3EfqYNe/s400/36.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLaNTcAzzC-6h6LPvg3ivsWrRhYSwcS_VhsmCNMJaKOzPAYO9xun1bTYvl_wZ2fnZ9cz8z1ZgA4mxEyJNDen_Q5JQER6QN0nwUr7J4pao2SdN4mFUCBBBg87yArZpQ0pOV9hyphenhyphenFSdMGXvl/s1600/37.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWLaNTcAzzC-6h6LPvg3ivsWrRhYSwcS_VhsmCNMJaKOzPAYO9xun1bTYvl_wZ2fnZ9cz8z1ZgA4mxEyJNDen_Q5JQER6QN0nwUr7J4pao2SdN4mFUCBBBg87yArZpQ0pOV9hyphenhyphenFSdMGXvl/s400/37.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">POST RACE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After my interview I met up with Julia and my mom and was
still absolutely ecstatic. We walked
over to the tent where I picked up my medal and shirt. Before long I was downing slices of
pizza. Mediocre pizza never tasted so
good! After a bit I picked up my bike
and transition bags and went back to our humble hotel room. I took a brief shower before making my way
back to the finish line – I wanted to experience Ali’i Drive on the other side.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-gLTSK4m8sXneCuGqovNIMThYBe20mlRHiIkE3d1uCeStzyrpPd7ChwNTdpzL3Ex8yGryjngIeFvCrp11b2OsNPZdLaNqfwY22O2qc1wUh73OaiHGcZQ2ReEBRtm1728O_HBuQ5Mn6zp/s1600/38.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-gLTSK4m8sXneCuGqovNIMThYBe20mlRHiIkE3d1uCeStzyrpPd7ChwNTdpzL3Ex8yGryjngIeFvCrp11b2OsNPZdLaNqfwY22O2qc1wUh73OaiHGcZQ2ReEBRtm1728O_HBuQ5Mn6zp/s400/38.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="297" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiolUD7uOU2UEBSaR4RFrfePbpdo0_aXnMz1IPaIUCyErva_BJSAjUxb_Gxon2lfE_shfIydxdhNM6LUJLzJIDGkmqEuobRv_EDj7K-UWUGPEgYVtDG_ZuTDvyCJa5eC7vmL6diCe3kKOb/s1600/39.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiolUD7uOU2UEBSaR4RFrfePbpdo0_aXnMz1IPaIUCyErva_BJSAjUxb_Gxon2lfE_shfIydxdhNM6LUJLzJIDGkmqEuobRv_EDj7K-UWUGPEgYVtDG_ZuTDvyCJa5eC7vmL6diCe3kKOb/s400/39.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="266" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyuJlUCpDZ-_n1EiJVHG8f211Gfa42Jf0PQ52-J78ThS3aqTjUH93zYyuxUoFI2nQzu5BQTcUVt83pJVbAbvYQAoECXmBJN7KM2ao9v6fZS_3amw-oywe-Fjk4f9qYyvi-BWkNRqcrtI1/s1600/40.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyuJlUCpDZ-_n1EiJVHG8f211Gfa42Jf0PQ52-J78ThS3aqTjUH93zYyuxUoFI2nQzu5BQTcUVt83pJVbAbvYQAoECXmBJN7KM2ao9v6fZS_3amw-oywe-Fjk4f9qYyvi-BWkNRqcrtI1/s400/40.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The vibe was electric.
The chute was lined to the teeth with rabid spectators beating their
thunder sticks to the music. There was
such an anticipatory feeling the later the evening got. I stuck my hand out trying to remind
finishers to celebrate in the chute. It
worked on some, but others were just too focused on that line.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
One person that was particularly amazing to see finish and
cheer for was none other than Scott Rigsby - perhaps the first initial seed
that got my mind thinking “Ironman” years ago.
Now I got to cheer him in.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It got more and more exciting the closer it got to
midnight. Mike Riley is a master of the
microphone and I can only say that the only thing that tops cheering for people
on Ali’i Drive is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">being</i> cheered in by
the people on Ali’i Drive. I’m so happy
I got to experience both in one night.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCUZ5K_qZRcPE0d32hdWEkiNj14BLdsc2kg1vdcrqbmlpdamE5skf8WE8pCCgd5A5rOMd0NBIfnRRycA1vQg0ry2-ZNJQ59_duzWtKiH0yjtbsfYvvPRQH17sCl2IclCaVzzr8D91cpDr/s1600/41.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVCUZ5K_qZRcPE0d32hdWEkiNj14BLdsc2kg1vdcrqbmlpdamE5skf8WE8pCCgd5A5rOMd0NBIfnRRycA1vQg0ry2-ZNJQ59_duzWtKiH0yjtbsfYvvPRQH17sCl2IclCaVzzr8D91cpDr/s400/41.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="297" /></a></div>
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<o:p><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Can you say "bling?"</span></b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></b></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJawLD2eBWESi-i0CVYKc66_SgU5wOVZqyR2XqHmciMpnwEmk4FUUvoSzMkd9YAXdwbQKzrDuJq4QVWUt8JzAM_8jJeGHTpqmY9LDFU7cDmiMrGARkCmc7dagi3gxR9OWyAEePLiK80acN/s1600/42.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJawLD2eBWESi-i0CVYKc66_SgU5wOVZqyR2XqHmciMpnwEmk4FUUvoSzMkd9YAXdwbQKzrDuJq4QVWUt8JzAM_8jJeGHTpqmY9LDFU7cDmiMrGARkCmc7dagi3gxR9OWyAEePLiK80acN/s400/42.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The next day I got to see the message my mom and wife wrote on Ali'i.</span></b></o:p></div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">EPILOGUE<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From a training standpoint I had anything but a perfect race,
every one of my three splits being significantly slower than what my training
told me I could do. Yet I could not
imagine a more perfect race! I operated
perfectly within my means on that day and pushed myself by going the distance,
not by driving myself into the ground. The
conscious decision to take this race as it was – a gift – was perhaps the best
decision I’ve made since being involved in running and triathlons. I smiled nearly the whole day and filmed over
3 hours of footage (video coming soon.)
I stayed positive and enjoyed the experience 95% of the time. And with that finish – that makes up that 5%
and more! This was a race that truly was
not about time – it was about heart. For
that, my dad would be proud.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHGuxTB0CS7xeWIWv4GEOZDsEDc2mBp-Mvfh35Di7_aK8HA78XbsfhjN7Ko0F0Gu_9HS8lex9oP5a2NXOGi-dU4axW37waKnIQDRkCFCkGFd5QamtmNKcjopL1ymarbUwYhQZPJyl5JJV/s1600/43.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHGuxTB0CS7xeWIWv4GEOZDsEDc2mBp-Mvfh35Di7_aK8HA78XbsfhjN7Ko0F0Gu_9HS8lex9oP5a2NXOGi-dU4axW37waKnIQDRkCFCkGFd5QamtmNKcjopL1ymarbUwYhQZPJyl5JJV/s400/43.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Visit my new social networking site for endurance athletes, ironcure.org - and tweet with #ironcure if you're training or racing for somebody (or yourself) with an incurable disease.</div>
</div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-44620135193981115662011-08-29T23:01:00.000-07:002011-08-29T23:01:33.083-07:00SB Tri RR & Thoughts 4 KonaMy last race before my biggest event ever was the Santa Barbara Long Course Tri. Instead of my typical race report, this will be a more pep-talky journal entry for me to look back to whenever I slip these final 6 weeks before October 8th - Kona. This will be as honest I can, and generally would be a private text doc I might write for myself to refer to, but since I've got this blog set up, why not?<br />
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In short, SB did not go as I planned - after a very aggressive swim and bike (which I should mention I didn't even post "good" times) I suffered through the run so badly that 10 miles felt like an Ironman marathon. This made me go haywire mentally during the race, and for a bit after, but then the very valuable (and some quite obvious) epiphanies hit me.<br />
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Here we go, in 3rd person no less.<br />
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<i>• Remember how/why you got involved in the sport. You do this to honor your father. Honoring him is not necessarily going fast. It's not even just doing your best, it's enjoying the journey. Efforts should be judged by the whole, not just the finish time.</i><br />
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<i>• Even though you look "the part" with your sexy tri-bike, race wheels and aero helmet you're a little different a lot of the typical "tri people." While you train hard and work hard, you are out there to have fun and self fulfillment. While chasing PR's and time is ok sometimes, the motivation for Kona needs to be to take in as much of this once in a lifetime experience as possible. The worst case scenario would be to be disappointed in your performance in Kona or not even finish trying to be too bold and go fast.</i><br />
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<i>• Relating to the above...take it all in. If you REALLY want to do another Ironman someday for time you'll have any number of races to choose from...except Kona. This is the race to go slow and try to milk every second. It's an Ironman - there's no way to not "push" yourself like mad. 140.6 is a long way to go - slow or fast. Going slow will enable you to take it in and avoid disappointment.</i><br />
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<i>• Also similar, throw those time goals away! Sub 12 = Magic Day, Sub 13 = Great Day, etc. As long as you finish in under 17 hours it's an A+ effort, a magic day - it's KONA! The cutoff is your new time goal. It's just too long a long day to have a "ticking clock," and you know you're trained to not even be near the cutoff time barring anything crazy, so enjoy the once in a lifetime opportunity without worrying about a PR, etc.</i><br />
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There's of course more to all of this, but I thought I'd get the most important stuff out. In all of this endurance sports stuff it's very easy to get caught up in numbers - and I love that part of it. I will probably continue to train with my Garmin but the numbers are not going to relate as much to my Kona performance now. It will be what it will be.<br />
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In the spirit of all of this I just order a GoPro HD Hero to document the race. I have no bad memories carrying a camera in my first marathon, just the great memories, so that should add a great dimension to the race. Just a few weeks to go...I'm scared, but quite excited with my new lease on life!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-7385643846742552152011-08-16T11:16:00.000-07:002011-08-16T11:16:11.827-07:00Vineman Full Aquabike RRWhat was going to be my "big race" of the season became a "tune up" or "test" race once I got into Kona. I would be swimming 2.4 miles in the Russian River in Sonoma County, followed by a 112 bike ride through California Wine Country. Basically an Ironman without the run.<br />
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It was an early wakeup call (4:20 AM) as we were staying an hour (!) from the start. As we finally arrived I thanked Julia for putting up with these races and she promptly went back to bed (in the parked car.) I made my way to the transition area. It was strange not bringing my running gear!<br />
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I decided to swim sans wetsuit since the water was a pleasant 72 degrees - warmer than the air! Even though this would be a bit slower since the wetsuit makes you much faster with the added buoyancy, I wanted the experience of swimming this far in open water without one. The swim start was hectic as always - people spend way too much energy fighting. I was relaxed and let the field sort itself out a bit and tried my best to get into a groove. About halfway to the turnaround it was bizarre - the water level went down to about three feet - so people decided to start walking! Here I am swimming and there are people towering over walking at around the same speed. I decided against this tactic, as it was clearly swimmable and I wanted the full experience - and the training. After another loop I got out of the water to a 1:18 swim split - which I felt very happy about.<br />
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I got on my bike and set out on the bike course - which started off with a few technical turns. This was tough as there was almost no opportunity to pass other riders at this point. When I finally hit open road I was eager to put the hammer down. I really wanted to break 6 hours on the bike - which is holding an average speed of around 18.7 mph for 112 miles. The course was undulating with some rollers - a totally "aero" course. I had my crazy aero helmet on and was cruising at 20+. It was a little tough deciding who to pass since all of us age groupers "pulse" our speed - we go a little hard then back off, etc. But I felt pretty good overall about my pacing. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOLfD9RG-ayxQuqnAafB52gc3soVpkSxl6k2VdI2S-JcDuZvrgDr4qfyM9b2703IhStjFhXS0GhFEWRBugJSASeUVxKlfPdtlTyyntWIIOvoDcFBiWE9cFNu-9k-Py18krU9dy_czs2KX/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-16+at+11.13.00+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcOLfD9RG-ayxQuqnAafB52gc3soVpkSxl6k2VdI2S-JcDuZvrgDr4qfyM9b2703IhStjFhXS0GhFEWRBugJSASeUVxKlfPdtlTyyntWIIOvoDcFBiWE9cFNu-9k-Py18krU9dy_czs2KX/s320/Screen+shot+2011-08-16+at+11.13.00+AM.png" width="213" /></a></div><br />
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I've gotta say I had a bit of trouble getting comfortable after the first loop. 56 miles is a long way, and to ride right by the finish to do it again is not easy! By mile 80 or so I was feeling real miserable. My nutrition and hydration were good - as was my heart rate....but my back especially was really seizing up! I've been trying a new saddle to address some other problems, and I'm not sure if that was the issue. The last 20 miles I pretty much gave up. I just couldn't do aero anymore. It was really frustrating seeing my average speed drop from 19.4 to 19.3 to 19.2 and so forth. And my legs still had energy to burn! But my back really felt bad. I also didn't want to "bury" myself for a relatively unimportant race. Julia and I were on vacation - I couldn't be bed ridden! So I really pulled back, and finally finished at around 6:02. Oh well!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wKMir2cD67NUMAqkwEs7kGVNH2i5a2yuXMUJKfitjPUaQgemsLfwelnTHzWpqbTLJ-Tk9-FR6DJZGZ0gHR3kHW9j0wmGQ5Dp4dLoFKp5-O4fDVksJaflatpbrBDnueQAt3dKLQWOxVcc/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-08-16+at+11.13.42+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3wKMir2cD67NUMAqkwEs7kGVNH2i5a2yuXMUJKfitjPUaQgemsLfwelnTHzWpqbTLJ-Tk9-FR6DJZGZ0gHR3kHW9j0wmGQ5Dp4dLoFKp5-O4fDVksJaflatpbrBDnueQAt3dKLQWOxVcc/s320/Screen+shot+2011-08-16+at+11.13.42+AM.png" width="211" /></a></div><br />
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As I got off my bike I could feel how bad my back really was. I could barely walk! I basically collapsed in the first piece of shade I could find. Julia came and met me, and after a bit of rest I got a massage and was able to get it loose enough to start stretching. It's still tight and sore, but I think I averted a major crisis by not pushing through it another 30 miles. I'm glad a sat up, got out of aero and put my goal on the shelf.<br />
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I still came in at sub 7:30 (7:26 was my time) and that's what I was hoping to do. And barely having sore legs the next day...well that's a good sign! I'm in great shape for Kona. If it weren't for the spasms it woulda been a perfect day!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-49303947887567425182011-07-27T09:06:00.000-07:002011-07-27T09:17:57.657-07:00Tour de France 2011<div style="text-align: left;">I was thrilled to compose a new theme for this year's Tour de France on Versus. It was an extremely exciting Tour that came down to the wire. Without further adieu, the links! Please "like" my website...thanks much!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<script src="http://connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1"></script><fb:like href="www.codywestheimer.com" layout="button_count" width="80"></fb:like><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>The Playlist for my "Tour Toolbox"</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="http://codywestheimer.com/?play=tour">http://codywestheimer.com/?play=tour</a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>The Main Titles on Versus/NBC</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/7CN2c4qA7xs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>The Recap/End Credits on Versus/NBC</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><u>A Cool Collection of Tour Inspired Art by Rob Ijbema set to my Tour Theme.</u></b></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-65437296844520210732011-06-30T21:31:00.000-07:002011-06-30T21:31:46.785-07:002 Big Announcements, 1 Race ReportTraining has been going well. But first, some killer news...earlier this week I finished writing the theme music for the Tour de France! That's right, my tunes will be featured daily on Versus starting this Saturday. Check out my "real" website to find out more. www.codywestheimer.com<br />
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Pretty excited about this gig!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatGx9pX2YSSwaBbN274AGWqJzurVB667B11IMPsgkmtXavZMJtx6Lfp1pzpmyDn8S_h-OEfQkwCL3uxVPHCnIYUIu1tkqL94Yu6nrqsFRsq1OPwWXcZZ9XDneSHCwlktuCAuVzmiUkO8H/s1600/konafinish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatGx9pX2YSSwaBbN274AGWqJzurVB667B11IMPsgkmtXavZMJtx6Lfp1pzpmyDn8S_h-OEfQkwCL3uxVPHCnIYUIu1tkqL94Yu6nrqsFRsq1OPwWXcZZ9XDneSHCwlktuCAuVzmiUkO8H/s320/konafinish.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Secondly, I think I eluded in my short Wildflower Race Report, but I got in the Kona lottery! This means on October 8th I'll be going for my second Ironman on sacred ground. I'll write more about this later, but this one is VERY personal as Hawaii was very much THE SPOT for my dad and I. And we were in Kona about 2 months before his stroke - our last vacation together. I haven't been back since. Should be amazing.<br />
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Finally, I raced this last weekend, the "Breath of Life" Olympic distance in Ventura. I had a crazy swim - 23 minutes! (Pretty sure the course was short...) The bike was rocking it at 22 mph or so until I flatted! No! Then to realize I had the wrong size valve stem for my race wheels...yada yada. 14 minutes later I rode back at speed and put down a solid 51 minute run - by far my strongest run off the bike in shorter course racing (I still consider my Ironman - which was over a year ago my best.) All in all a good race, would have been a sub 2:35 effort but instead I settled for a 2:47 or so. Oh well!<br />
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Next up is the Vineman Full Aquabike at the end of July. It's basically an Ironman without the run. I'll be testing things like what it's like to ride 112 miles in an aero helmet in hear, nutrition, etc. Just about 3 months out! I should also mention I'm working with a great dude from Carmichael Training Systems - David Forkner. Super nice guy - thanks Jason Koop (my friend from the UltraMarathon Man movie I scored) for the hookup. More soon!<br />
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Oh, and some pics from last Sunday's race...<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7cmB4oOE84g43Q8CAEr5ZlC0N5_Go4efG7yI-918mQI-8uiEYCQSCIxdLKscpei19AXhwXp8MA806XxjYhMYNp69286aEmboWlhlsVH7En2r23lmMt-gekSbtleoMf6fft8-5mimdmM_/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7cmB4oOE84g43Q8CAEr5ZlC0N5_Go4efG7yI-918mQI-8uiEYCQSCIxdLKscpei19AXhwXp8MA806XxjYhMYNp69286aEmboWlhlsVH7En2r23lmMt-gekSbtleoMf6fft8-5mimdmM_/s320/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.49+AM.png" width="214" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoEXJOpot1BkpbPVm-BIE5haQ6woIGXbLbhVAGiGRt7GzmJftbW4J_G6xSrdGgptuIwD2aiV3Sk-w4qGY9zjTdQfM0oLvYy33TTfzXqUwBypFAfbZ9rYhIcTdUaw-NZh_vgB8-lEhO0Uw/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoEXJOpot1BkpbPVm-BIE5haQ6woIGXbLbhVAGiGRt7GzmJftbW4J_G6xSrdGgptuIwD2aiV3Sk-w4qGY9zjTdQfM0oLvYy33TTfzXqUwBypFAfbZ9rYhIcTdUaw-NZh_vgB8-lEhO0Uw/s320/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.54+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div><a 1em;"="" 1em;="" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7cmB4oOE84g43Q8CAEr5ZlC0N5_Go4efG7yI-918mQI-8uiEYCQSCIxdLKscpei19AXhwXp8MA806XxjYhMYNp69286aEmboWlhlsVH7En2r23lmMt-gekSbtleoMf6fft8-5mimdmM_/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.49+AM.png" imageanchor="1" margin-bottom:="" margin-right:=""></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoEXJOpot1BkpbPVm-BIE5haQ6woIGXbLbhVAGiGRt7GzmJftbW4J_G6xSrdGgptuIwD2aiV3Sk-w4qGY9zjTdQfM0oLvYy33TTfzXqUwBypFAfbZ9rYhIcTdUaw-NZh_vgB8-lEhO0Uw/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoEXJOpot1BkpbPVm-BIE5haQ6woIGXbLbhVAGiGRt7GzmJftbW4J_G6xSrdGgptuIwD2aiV3Sk-w4qGY9zjTdQfM0oLvYy33TTfzXqUwBypFAfbZ9rYhIcTdUaw-NZh_vgB8-lEhO0Uw/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
</a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoEXJOpot1BkpbPVm-BIE5haQ6woIGXbLbhVAGiGRt7GzmJftbW4J_G6xSrdGgptuIwD2aiV3Sk-w4qGY9zjTdQfM0oLvYy33TTfzXqUwBypFAfbZ9rYhIcTdUaw-NZh_vgB8-lEhO0Uw/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqoEXJOpot1BkpbPVm-BIE5haQ6woIGXbLbhVAGiGRt7GzmJftbW4J_G6xSrdGgptuIwD2aiV3Sk-w4qGY9zjTdQfM0oLvYy33TTfzXqUwBypFAfbZ9rYhIcTdUaw-NZh_vgB8-lEhO0Uw/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-06-30+at+8.00.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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After a sleepless night camping at Lake San Antonio coughing and blowing my nose (in my tent with the air bed that flatted) I woke up and took to the water for a shockingly decent swim (considering I've barely swam the last month.) I mounted the bike and as soon as I hit the first little climb knew this was gonna be one long day. Sheesh. The moment I started to work the pedals I would start coughing uncontrollably. The only way I was going to be able to continue was to go easy the whole way --- REALLY EASY. It was endless, the wind was terrible and I got hot in my Aero helmet on my flashy bike watching people on cheap road bikes go by me. Very humbling. The only really happy moment on the bike was when I saw a bald eagle (yes!) perched in a tree right before the infamous climb, Nasty Grade.<br />
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I finally got of the bike and as if being sick wasn't enough my back seized up. I was reduced to a measly shuffle, then walking, then coughing. I ended up walking 80% of the run and it took forever. I ended up crossing in about 90 minutes past my time goal, but alas it was not my day. I am proud I finished as this one was likely the hardest race I've ever done given how I felt. The big news is that with the finish under my belt I officially "validated" my entry into Kona! Yes, if you haven't heard, I got in the Ironman Lottery and will be doing the World Championships in October! The road to Kona begins in a week after several days of much needed rest! For you, dad. We're going back to the big island. That was really the only thing that kept me from dropping out yesterday.cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-45130393503048052622011-04-18T21:54:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:54:49.741-07:00LA Marathon (LATE) Race ReportWell it was already like 20 days ago, but I like to make sure I log these events in some (shoddy) way! So long story short, I registered for the LA Marathon about 15 hours before the start. Totally impulsive. I had participated in an intense training camp at Wildflower the previous weekend and logged nearly an Ironman distance of bike and run in 4 days. I had several friends running so I thought "why not?" After talking to a several friends I decided to go for it. Crazy, indeed.<br />
<br />
Got to the start at about 5:15 and it literally started raining as I got out of the cab with my friends Richard and Ann.<br />
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Oy. 2+ hours later I was crossing the start line about 10 minutes after the gun. I forgot my Garmin, which I had been debating anyway. So the first few miles were fun and relatively dry. I was going nice and easy and my usual talking to anybody around me who would participate. Going through downtown the rain REALLY started coming down. It was awesome. Totally crazy.<br />
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I was clicking off the miles and really enjoying this one - more so than my other marathons/races where I'm going against the clock. With no Garmin and many of the mile markers unclear I was really going completely by feel. The route was awesome - a little bit of everything. WAY better than the 2 different routes I've done in the previous 2 times I've ran LA.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkoKQq9zu1lkCqL9HvrwvYFOXtX39f2j7BzpkMOExCgmQ7uYMdqL5RifwleFtIwwmoy5EGCOIUtvA3pBIcKglLwiGpVZa5wkfQipfkYnrYtP2ZyePwVeIiUU1Wa4Ay2BfpGgLOxS1td6d/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-04-07+at+11.25.59+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKkoKQq9zu1lkCqL9HvrwvYFOXtX39f2j7BzpkMOExCgmQ7uYMdqL5RifwleFtIwwmoy5EGCOIUtvA3pBIcKglLwiGpVZa5wkfQipfkYnrYtP2ZyePwVeIiUU1Wa4Ay2BfpGgLOxS1td6d/s320/Screen+shot+2011-04-07+at+11.25.59+PM.png" width="211" /></a></div><br />
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I had fans in Julia and Henry braving the rain and meeting me at mile 18. It was great to see them. Julia was very surprised how calm I was and how I was pretty sure I might even PR! From mile 20 on it was basically downhill, and with my 2+ year old PR of 4:28 I was just ahead of the 4:30 pace group, and I had seen them cross the start way before me - so I had time on them! We said our goodbyes and I was on my way.<br />
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I've gotta say with those conditions I was extremely grateful to the volunteers and spectators. They had easily as hard a job as we (the runners) did! At mile 20 I picked up my good friend Jessica as she wanted to run the last 6 with me. She even told me she was "somewhat disappointed" to see how well I was doing! I kinda agree - you shouldn't be able to register the day before a marathon with no long runs in your legs and trot to the finish?! She wanted me to learn my lesson I guess! But I was going strong, and with just a few miles left I was excited to make the descent into Santa Monica. I also saw my friends Eric and his wife Paige. We all trained for our Ironmans together and they're great people. Picking up the pace, we finally rounded the final corner at mile 25 and it was like a monsoon hit us. I swear the wind was blowing 30 mph. Crazy. I crossed the line, being out kicked by some big hulky guy at the pointless sprint. I'd later find out that I did a 4:20! 8 minutes off my PR!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieuIa4jJmqFlxlwODUFukm1eP7ay3MLHgI5zvCJrt7Fz_hh_Ikq-CK0ouKKAYKaUGfecYnlbIeHUzhrmRwys1QKZX8DFn5_PzaRnqXGDO-gxVL_N5prR-V1aZ4Xjy11_h7yTrlbRFyvuC/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-04-07+at+11.29.21+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieuIa4jJmqFlxlwODUFukm1eP7ay3MLHgI5zvCJrt7Fz_hh_Ikq-CK0ouKKAYKaUGfecYnlbIeHUzhrmRwys1QKZX8DFn5_PzaRnqXGDO-gxVL_N5prR-V1aZ4Xjy11_h7yTrlbRFyvuC/s320/Screen+shot+2011-04-07+at+11.29.21+PM.png" width="211" /></a></div><br />
What happened after was a 3 hour affair trying to get a ride out of the chilly Santa Monica back home. It was actually pretty horrible, but that's how things go sometimes. I was so cold it took hours to warm up. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkIHiXxTzLkI9sCGRH6GyPiTX2CpRDP9AG4eKxfjTfTv18uiAL61Q0-KyFAmwBWbtOoYy83l-sE2oY_FacHmx-etOZowyo31Ndc9Nh-BsgmFQfayP9K-4Mik1STuRoVgSYMmLUEcvr8oX/s1600/Screen+shot+2011-04-18+at+9.54.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSkIHiXxTzLkI9sCGRH6GyPiTX2CpRDP9AG4eKxfjTfTv18uiAL61Q0-KyFAmwBWbtOoYy83l-sE2oY_FacHmx-etOZowyo31Ndc9Nh-BsgmFQfayP9K-4Mik1STuRoVgSYMmLUEcvr8oX/s320/Screen+shot+2011-04-18+at+9.54.16+PM.png" width="210" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div>But in the end I'll remember an incredibly fun, cool and impulsive day!<br />
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<span id="goog_811912429"></span><span id="goog_811912430"></span>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-81787354270592450792011-01-18T00:00:00.000-08:002011-01-18T00:00:40.888-08:00New Year, New RacesSo I've started 2011 well, working hard professionally and physically. Last week I had my first week of structured training since last June (pre-Ironman.)<br />
<br />
It was my first trip back to the pool and surprisingly felt pretty good! Anyway...<br />
<br />
1) I did a 20k time trial on my new bike last weekend out in Piru. I did a 34 or so minute ride --- and I was hoping for 30! Oh well. It was windy...but I still got first in my age group! (Out of......three.....) I look forward to improving on this soon.<br />
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2) Last Sunday I ran the LA 13.1 for fun. It was actually a blast having zero pressure. I basically just chilled out and ran with my friend Jess. She wasn't feeling so hot, so during one of our breaks I decided to jump in and volunteer at an aid station. I yelled "water, water, water" as fast as I could. It was pretty goofy and included skipping (as in the gait, or style of moving, not bypassing) the finish. I want to carry a penny whistle next time so I can play a jig at the same time. Scary thing is that I'm serious!<br />
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Anyway, I've got tunnel vision to Wildflower Long Course (70.3) on May 1. Why do I always pick the hard races? There are many easier courses for my first 70.3. Oh well!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-56708352498982709962010-12-06T21:08:00.000-08:002010-12-06T21:09:24.620-08:00SB Ride and 13.1 Los AngelesSo I did my 2nd longest ride on T-day. From LA at dawn to mom's house North of Santa Barbara at about 3pm. The windiest ride of my life! I almost got blown off the bike at one point! It was in my face for about 50% of the time - at my side for about 40% and at my back (which was awesome) for maybe 10%. But it was a great day, and I even had time (and energy!) to hike to Ellwood (where my dad is) at sunset. Then I ate probably 2000 calories worth of food. A good day. <br />
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I took this pic at the start:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB3aCq_MQHhonHGsaBRsCXT3vqqmHAZUetJolEpCgbrwXPtoiidwq_Bp8NxzhGQrtPxoM4-pFQ9AeuSvR4bLVekj7hOHEUxwOifwbv0BlYkwiSveSXwMjmhu94nLhz9QGTHgXdMmtaoY6/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYB3aCq_MQHhonHGsaBRsCXT3vqqmHAZUetJolEpCgbrwXPtoiidwq_Bp8NxzhGQrtPxoM4-pFQ9AeuSvR4bLVekj7hOHEUxwOifwbv0BlYkwiSveSXwMjmhu94nLhz9QGTHgXdMmtaoY6/s320/photo.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
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And this pic about halfway up:<br />
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And this pic (with the good camera, multiple exposures fused together) at Ellwood:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5xJ78U9veh_OiotYh5LExJVWVWJ5YGWiFSY0rkaCZpC6qrqVIg6f1roUSUXWqPIOMhqXIBq72cftr2jyKaELlZqfI7ABhMA7mNY8Np8Dy3SyfL5ajDs1tFmTJrY7WVtpJonwW6m5Uj4E/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-12-06+at+8.46.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5xJ78U9veh_OiotYh5LExJVWVWJ5YGWiFSY0rkaCZpC6qrqVIg6f1roUSUXWqPIOMhqXIBq72cftr2jyKaELlZqfI7ABhMA7mNY8Np8Dy3SyfL5ajDs1tFmTJrY7WVtpJonwW6m5Uj4E/s400/Screen+shot+2010-12-06+at+8.46.07+PM.png" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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Just like last year, I'll be running in the 13.1 Los Angeles. <br />
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http://www.131marathon.com/<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHbXRUzgVSQ7KGV1ESBaMzGPMSavk3j9UVkUhvcgxm8my368yDLSjks9YTma0yA5yPTqp3Cux1MK2cdaI4UO2NHpZhZV1GiCDr65FiG6x2HMS_mM0z7Liug2Vywx-xgRUcmwyQGgUaLJw/s1600/Los+Angeles+HomePage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOHbXRUzgVSQ7KGV1ESBaMzGPMSavk3j9UVkUhvcgxm8my368yDLSjks9YTma0yA5yPTqp3Cux1MK2cdaI4UO2NHpZhZV1GiCDr65FiG6x2HMS_mM0z7Liug2Vywx-xgRUcmwyQGgUaLJw/s1600/Los+Angeles+HomePage.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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I probably won't be going fast, as I've been recovering from some minor knee issues. I'm much better now and am starting to run regularly again. And just like last year, I've got a free entry to give away! So first person who responds here and wants it....it's all yours. Good luck and see you there!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-73054358579863839412010-11-18T22:09:00.000-08:002010-11-18T22:09:17.969-08:00Long Time? I'm back to blogging. Oh goody.Wow it's been a long time...<br />
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I guess I've taken a hiatus on structured training, structured goals and blogging. It sure is nice to have my life back after 9 months of hard training and a long European vacation! But I can't complain.<br />
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I've done no racing since the big day and have started to plan my 2011 season. I'm already contemplating another Ironman for 2012, but next year is all about one main goal and two main races.<br />
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The Goal:<br />
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I want to fly on the bike. I feel like I have some untapped potential riding and I really love it. I hesitate to say I enjoy parts of it more than running, but it's a close one. I think with some hard work (I've learned to be pretty good at working hard!) I can make huge improvements on the bike. I'm hoping my run doesn't suffer too much as a result, but I've been taking time off that anyway due to some knee issues. (No big deal, just playing it safe for now...)<br />
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The Races:<br />
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Wildflower Half Ironman on May 1. I've never done a half (ironically) and this one is tough. I guess I like it tough...I'm not sure on time yet, but I'd love to break 2 hours on the run (pretty ambitious for me - it's hilly, as is the bike) and MAYBE, just MAYBE sub 6 hour finish.<br />
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Vineman Full Aquabike on July 30. This is an intriguing idea....an Ironman...but without the run! This will allow me to go all out on the bike. I gotta say I'm pretty excited about this idea.<br />
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The Bikes:<br />
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So...I now have 3 bikes. You can definitely say I'm addicted. I have my road bike, my commuter bike (a single speed I use around town on errands and stuff) and the newest addition, my Look 576 Tri-Bike. It's AMAZING! I love this thing. Fun stuff.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20J4XFIDGd7JdtGsJn2U3IyqcU2DUkAq-T1xI9qComK9O0RLAx8c1t8H4bSwGf_JHRNTeZongDO6VA9ozvQpcC5KgPE44lAEAA9ll5KdeOxiO9jpMUHKbqSpLl8ITzIOsn_ybcFi9lCKO/s1600/37933_444667275921_561300921_5496696_6823162_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh20J4XFIDGd7JdtGsJn2U3IyqcU2DUkAq-T1xI9qComK9O0RLAx8c1t8H4bSwGf_JHRNTeZongDO6VA9ozvQpcC5KgPE44lAEAA9ll5KdeOxiO9jpMUHKbqSpLl8ITzIOsn_ybcFi9lCKO/s320/37933_444667275921_561300921_5496696_6823162_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The Plan:<br />
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I'm cycling from my house in LA to mom's house in Northern SB on Thanksgiving, in part to avoid the car ride with the inlaws. It's 115 miles and I plan on starting at about 6am. Should be epic and I'll sure earn my Turkey! I start training for Wildflower in December and I'm excited to have a bit more structure then. I'll have some other races along the way, including the LA 13.1 (more on that on the next post) in January and a reverse sprint triathlon in February. <br />
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I'm also toying with the idea of doing a road race or two on the bike but must say I'm a little scared of crashing. (gulp)<br />
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We'll see!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-19993319934909858312010-07-05T11:58:00.000-07:002010-07-05T12:27:36.126-07:00Ironman France - In Photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHx4vdN3DLRM_nV3rxX6MulwcpA8zWbyrhkJw1kGe9c2K9XUMsVpoOIBD-j7P_S-zXXDtehzLt_MFKetgfekVWsFpLojvvzXsy6WGchyphenhyphen5-eZcK8ioYXKqO0qzn2mq2KcIdAgYKplh0dqXH/s1600/P1000708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHx4vdN3DLRM_nV3rxX6MulwcpA8zWbyrhkJw1kGe9c2K9XUMsVpoOIBD-j7P_S-zXXDtehzLt_MFKetgfekVWsFpLojvvzXsy6WGchyphenhyphen5-eZcK8ioYXKqO0qzn2mq2KcIdAgYKplh0dqXH/s400/P1000708.jpg" width="400" /> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">happy but nervous</span></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3PNbs4074OzevSK3xby_XaphJSoE1qch6NXD2uWCvaqCbMGEBETVbUvL4EXWriSIBAheKCXaiyDr8Mq-dWaNo7764iHMQb2sxBYo0kU2CmkOzJyojCgkHuOq6oW-xWJRUqUJAGjDyrOE/s1600/P1000709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3PNbs4074OzevSK3xby_XaphJSoE1qch6NXD2uWCvaqCbMGEBETVbUvL4EXWriSIBAheKCXaiyDr8Mq-dWaNo7764iHMQb2sxBYo0kU2CmkOzJyojCgkHuOq6oW-xWJRUqUJAGjDyrOE/s1600/P1000709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3PNbs4074OzevSK3xby_XaphJSoE1qch6NXD2uWCvaqCbMGEBETVbUvL4EXWriSIBAheKCXaiyDr8Mq-dWaNo7764iHMQb2sxBYo0kU2CmkOzJyojCgkHuOq6oW-xWJRUqUJAGjDyrOE/s400/P1000709.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">just nervous!</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ6WQA6fPec0K0MOpYEE_ZdcsTOdv7biH5UzdxOJHg82ejCyLUmcG8VVZt5VDXyXKXuqEw6S7X4BD1rNY9U2FlKpjfR2nlse7AiiMtOnrivnKlRm2xW7z2Nu7rUd62lYlapIs7GtdIHf_/s1600/20x30-IMGA0805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ6WQA6fPec0K0MOpYEE_ZdcsTOdv7biH5UzdxOJHg82ejCyLUmcG8VVZt5VDXyXKXuqEw6S7X4BD1rNY9U2FlKpjfR2nlse7AiiMtOnrivnKlRm2xW7z2Nu7rUd62lYlapIs7GtdIHf_/s1600/20x30-IMGA0805.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAZ6WQA6fPec0K0MOpYEE_ZdcsTOdv7biH5UzdxOJHg82ejCyLUmcG8VVZt5VDXyXKXuqEw6S7X4BD1rNY9U2FlKpjfR2nlse7AiiMtOnrivnKlRm2xW7z2Nu7rUd62lYlapIs7GtdIHf_/s400/20x30-IMGA0805.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">finished the swim!</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxjhcKhHJkckvswf8HCgjPAdtX1SihK2iwG5uRt5war06FcF3XpVXjaIGm9dk-SLw86XMqqYM_xso1MfWnP-IJxEcjBeq48dGaUNRtHVow8MR9SddIyQ49aLhIGeoHJcCohjwwShwowYP/s1600/20x30-IMGA0806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxjhcKhHJkckvswf8HCgjPAdtX1SihK2iwG5uRt5war06FcF3XpVXjaIGm9dk-SLw86XMqqYM_xso1MfWnP-IJxEcjBeq48dGaUNRtHVow8MR9SddIyQ49aLhIGeoHJcCohjwwShwowYP/s1600/20x30-IMGA0806.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsxjhcKhHJkckvswf8HCgjPAdtX1SihK2iwG5uRt5war06FcF3XpVXjaIGm9dk-SLw86XMqqYM_xso1MfWnP-IJxEcjBeq48dGaUNRtHVow8MR9SddIyQ49aLhIGeoHJcCohjwwShwowYP/s400/20x30-IMGA0806.jpg" width="266" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">hell ya! 1:17+</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ZIm1HGYIm-TqcUHoN_hdGTQDEoqbe_HHogIi_Ni1tsW16aPEfVg_vxhDgxSd8NbSyznNz1GYmHlF9PEBiP9H6uoC64bPQAckqA-TlNav4gwBhZ4SflE_AjCMd9BYWbHUUmw1a6d_Zet/s1600/P1000751_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ZIm1HGYIm-TqcUHoN_hdGTQDEoqbe_HHogIi_Ni1tsW16aPEfVg_vxhDgxSd8NbSyznNz1GYmHlF9PEBiP9H6uoC64bPQAckqA-TlNav4gwBhZ4SflE_AjCMd9BYWbHUUmw1a6d_Zet/s1600/P1000751_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4ZIm1HGYIm-TqcUHoN_hdGTQDEoqbe_HHogIi_Ni1tsW16aPEfVg_vxhDgxSd8NbSyznNz1GYmHlF9PEBiP9H6uoC64bPQAckqA-TlNav4gwBhZ4SflE_AjCMd9BYWbHUUmw1a6d_Zet/s400/P1000751_2.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">my first trip through the finish line</span></span></span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaUFClVsIdWu9lL2dP6q-drf0_trhXCuLkLb5FcxBPu2BQ-pJ6vEY1oSAQH36VgvEwDVsPQgR6AB5CCUCWx4aYBnvGroGDw7i6IwjXL9QJpJd2WrGKiMV8VHZMURA_nZqVNEDh8wx-fy6/s1600/P1000759.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoaUFClVsIdWu9lL2dP6q-drf0_trhXCuLkLb5FcxBPu2BQ-pJ6vEY1oSAQH36VgvEwDVsPQgR6AB5CCUCWx4aYBnvGroGDw7i6IwjXL9QJpJd2WrGKiMV8VHZMURA_nZqVNEDh8wx-fy6/s400/P1000759.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Heading out on the bike.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl10xMkyEkgGielsdAulyp-t9PDwgQNRuCxa7LN5t1JVrAeAgmem2dox94GPKenWjDgAjw8sS7bmPBIi5cId6HCwkzT-O_88Z7Ctq1O6Tr9SSZWfIP28ois8GWBJEtq8Yg0m6LkI0sIEUc/s1600/20x30-IMFI0250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl10xMkyEkgGielsdAulyp-t9PDwgQNRuCxa7LN5t1JVrAeAgmem2dox94GPKenWjDgAjw8sS7bmPBIi5cId6HCwkzT-O_88Z7Ctq1O6Tr9SSZWfIP28ois8GWBJEtq8Yg0m6LkI0sIEUc/s400/20x30-IMFI0250.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">the middle of the 12 mile climb</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFx9QOycrSAsVY0hd8GNzQRnYYRLA3pezCfa_ysGxskqG_jVOLERqWS3-Vxyvzy7ZomXAE9-DDHmfVzWiezB8l9ir9Wg6KBBtLBENXYdduDbLxqWmwhUZpLUlcxonU3QpZAnSqT24RlEWh/s1600/20x30-IMFI0252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFx9QOycrSAsVY0hd8GNzQRnYYRLA3pezCfa_ysGxskqG_jVOLERqWS3-Vxyvzy7ZomXAE9-DDHmfVzWiezB8l9ir9Wg6KBBtLBENXYdduDbLxqWmwhUZpLUlcxonU3QpZAnSqT24RlEWh/s400/20x30-IMFI0252.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">but still smiling</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMh269aJ-lN7Yu7V7LY4zWo2suVKM7GjE5mcyUSd1nDuYBlek6GBtBgPLeGlqq-qUL_79LmVpjNjWI5xSONK1vS4Ew9dKo_n0FKj7mrecgNgEudEgB4FHyJHFWjKmMZk_PnrP8W3mmFtn/s1600/20x30-IMFG4551.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIMh269aJ-lN7Yu7V7LY4zWo2suVKM7GjE5mcyUSd1nDuYBlek6GBtBgPLeGlqq-qUL_79LmVpjNjWI5xSONK1vS4Ew9dKo_n0FKj7mrecgNgEudEgB4FHyJHFWjKmMZk_PnrP8W3mmFtn/s400/20x30-IMFG4551.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">steep!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwyDIze3fgh19LyOuPGwD0QntBm0FnZI3e6Ww6eNQGNmXp0VQDx0Bp3CaDqAVZT8SB1SidbWNTQKQZxM361b1yTTSvohyphenhyphenWC2C9MKG4ML0Kayyryj3Nr3YlF1DIMp-6_HEXuGOSSPA6weO/s1600/20x30-IMFG4552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwyDIze3fgh19LyOuPGwD0QntBm0FnZI3e6Ww6eNQGNmXp0VQDx0Bp3CaDqAVZT8SB1SidbWNTQKQZxM361b1yTTSvohyphenhyphenWC2C9MKG4ML0Kayyryj3Nr3YlF1DIMp-6_HEXuGOSSPA6weO/s400/20x30-IMFG4552.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">but still smiling</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xldXzW8C8xtAfiMBVOIgi31lSAQinS1nBxbgz86UX-LZM08lOO_1wEwVKi5zbHECBYXOm84AWcRxNineXkzdmWnwMvZlpc-Rud_eQEyEe4VxvPSBsknZrkNnBwhdMzf_BC2R3FuWJFZm/s1600/20x30-IMFX2801.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-xldXzW8C8xtAfiMBVOIgi31lSAQinS1nBxbgz86UX-LZM08lOO_1wEwVKi5zbHECBYXOm84AWcRxNineXkzdmWnwMvZlpc-Rud_eQEyEe4VxvPSBsknZrkNnBwhdMzf_BC2R3FuWJFZm/s400/20x30-IMFX2801.jpg" width="400" /> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">finishing the bike...</span></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbraBZy4zyg3B4e8QlK_8WEZ4lwVROElLSBAOSbShe7SiijBbyCZucEjU7Q7oRaU-cbqfqY22bYh4QIpxVo_50txuCUX_yxM8gARJjGtfaa7ulIDowUwwAgSlXsR8AIt0hbJR38swkVIyW/s1600/20x30-IMFK1503.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbraBZy4zyg3B4e8QlK_8WEZ4lwVROElLSBAOSbShe7SiijBbyCZucEjU7Q7oRaU-cbqfqY22bYh4QIpxVo_50txuCUX_yxM8gARJjGtfaa7ulIDowUwwAgSlXsR8AIt0hbJR38swkVIyW/s400/20x30-IMFK1503.jpg" width="267" /> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">happy to give my ass a rest after 7:30...</span></span></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black; font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIviIk10wwdt7g47kIaCSj5ifb5tBIMmPqfXpoNAdFbgp483_gwpeg9f6a7cI-qG-v1Ce1Rwv1XoaBjQeh7GxM0oKHCFteedxpostS7f9ofSk4b2KvwrUU7t-Eq8LzmLyfmQi1HLXf8kVe/s1600/P1000838_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIviIk10wwdt7g47kIaCSj5ifb5tBIMmPqfXpoNAdFbgp483_gwpeg9f6a7cI-qG-v1Ce1Rwv1XoaBjQeh7GxM0oKHCFteedxpostS7f9ofSk4b2KvwrUU7t-Eq8LzmLyfmQi1HLXf8kVe/s400/P1000838_2.jpg" width="293" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">happy to see julia (who is taking the pic)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN4CRVR4uE6y70nPv3lbWuNuu7ZnuvH8qwqHQw1U-0VpJm2JUE2THJISJESW8PiZDlwhx3yXx3vrxo9T33aFxItXWth2d57b58PDcewq7E6_yx0J6FNaN1zeIZhjc6QoxG_FbL_rwut6l/s1600/P1000840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuN4CRVR4uE6y70nPv3lbWuNuu7ZnuvH8qwqHQw1U-0VpJm2JUE2THJISJESW8PiZDlwhx3yXx3vrxo9T33aFxItXWth2d57b58PDcewq7E6_yx0J6FNaN1zeIZhjc6QoxG_FbL_rwut6l/s400/P1000840.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">finishing the 1st of 4 loops</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vKe3SginA8QjL8UifpFR-ETRsiaECF-oyTK9UZOFh5ZQTexgkEZkarUT-Hdc6_29QDdKOS-o-TC8Rhb4gkDGHCtJdRN81SmceyO03HAEk4KzWv8p9f-QK2W1sdbNzf4s1ft22gX4QED7/s1600/20x30-IMFB0180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6vKe3SginA8QjL8UifpFR-ETRsiaECF-oyTK9UZOFh5ZQTexgkEZkarUT-Hdc6_29QDdKOS-o-TC8Rhb4gkDGHCtJdRN81SmceyO03HAEk4KzWv8p9f-QK2W1sdbNzf4s1ft22gX4QED7/s400/20x30-IMFB0180.jpg" width="268" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">cooling off. it was worth the silver...</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ayXAVAxsYFWDEB6K0-NakEw8n2LDHJVh4i2pftXRFnIXm3CGMQiPHMmNdcOTmWUH4Fb7N9jQ_uk1GlCXxooeznLTshEfjvxJCfqtmagifoYAB7u_XEwLvjmV5_RyTRGA5MXvr5_-TDCz/s1600/P1000855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7ayXAVAxsYFWDEB6K0-NakEw8n2LDHJVh4i2pftXRFnIXm3CGMQiPHMmNdcOTmWUH4Fb7N9jQ_uk1GlCXxooeznLTshEfjvxJCfqtmagifoYAB7u_XEwLvjmV5_RyTRGA5MXvr5_-TDCz/s400/P1000855.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">halfway through the run (2 laps down, 2 to go!)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h0hHOTHZkwFQaWHVrxPwYq4stSjxj67o9Q3l3fy7gjcT0vbYEZQB-0509dUI3oL0UdtsygwbtFl2ncWbkw9S2pHb2U9sp_UCv5acS89LlIxax7Um3mMCT3f4t-8OaALNhEAb8u9JqV27/s1600/20x30-IMFP1235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h0hHOTHZkwFQaWHVrxPwYq4stSjxj67o9Q3l3fy7gjcT0vbYEZQB-0509dUI3oL0UdtsygwbtFl2ncWbkw9S2pHb2U9sp_UCv5acS89LlIxax7Um3mMCT3f4t-8OaALNhEAb8u9JqV27/s1600/20x30-IMFP1235.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0h0hHOTHZkwFQaWHVrxPwYq4stSjxj67o9Q3l3fy7gjcT0vbYEZQB-0509dUI3oL0UdtsygwbtFl2ncWbkw9S2pHb2U9sp_UCv5acS89LlIxax7Um3mMCT3f4t-8OaALNhEAb8u9JqV27/s400/20x30-IMFP1235.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">elated.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MnKW6b0WKgB1OLF_50t8CFptITNhtqhcpSjHqmDYaqttJVFP9NzU63H2HTeY146uZBZU2XUIrzA4mht2PLRv4fZ9egV4XTrbAo9QuWNKkWmTFU_YuURvGE2QNcThmGVRuPkm-DtTCwo0/s1600/20x30-IMFP1236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2MnKW6b0WKgB1OLF_50t8CFptITNhtqhcpSjHqmDYaqttJVFP9NzU63H2HTeY146uZBZU2XUIrzA4mht2PLRv4fZ9egV4XTrbAo9QuWNKkWmTFU_YuURvGE2QNcThmGVRuPkm-DtTCwo0/s400/20x30-IMFP1236.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">can't believe it...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DoOtxqQtKn76wJknNKozVBPuKUOcxikeIq8eVdI_37hSLmH8u2L5sj2tgmmWurFU3cq0adZ4apL2ULKaUDv5Rw_27Awao_OmHqimQBAyQuGaxW_JgwXgTfJzGQJhIaR9_phbZ7RavodH/s1600/20x30-IMFP1237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7DoOtxqQtKn76wJknNKozVBPuKUOcxikeIq8eVdI_37hSLmH8u2L5sj2tgmmWurFU3cq0adZ4apL2ULKaUDv5Rw_27Awao_OmHqimQBAyQuGaxW_JgwXgTfJzGQJhIaR9_phbZ7RavodH/s400/20x30-IMFP1237.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0inb13RWBR8DVLF2fe45H293XFcqdkeS-WgkvUi3Ni1OdycYhmOdwXvEFlKTmm3wTKZ_E57IC_5qGNXWtas1QqOrgc81vD1dL5zkev_KBtTViLDNzFl5i7XDmNCUGOK02LNQtsOjqlvU/s1600/20x30-IMFP1240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic0inb13RWBR8DVLF2fe45H293XFcqdkeS-WgkvUi3Ni1OdycYhmOdwXvEFlKTmm3wTKZ_E57IC_5qGNXWtas1QqOrgc81vD1dL5zkev_KBtTViLDNzFl5i7XDmNCUGOK02LNQtsOjqlvU/s400/20x30-IMFP1240.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">IS THIS HAPPENING?!?!?!?!?!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fts1OJdWWnqAcHvNHZf8FgqSlJPWuVsehhYMbiaNvSCrvJMAd9oTc7ZwwBPLXgcBKcAofcmeUbEHI5BjTbUiWngEawNSTHPeQ0_GoVKtUpaGSGd-89SdMWFNdozIABSryvnIo7h8f_c-/s1600/20x30-IMFP1241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6fts1OJdWWnqAcHvNHZf8FgqSlJPWuVsehhYMbiaNvSCrvJMAd9oTc7ZwwBPLXgcBKcAofcmeUbEHI5BjTbUiWngEawNSTHPeQ0_GoVKtUpaGSGd-89SdMWFNdozIABSryvnIo7h8f_c-/s400/20x30-IMFP1241.jpg" width="400" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">can i get a HELL YA?!?!?!?!?!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuYzEiteted49OK6HtLlz49jQ5Drxdyf4L1wPsNKcMYd9mXl9TqAExITWL7hFMcthZ0y8N7rvkvIpdbF3oPfUsTXu-BDJYCl6swIa-BR-6kbrAfk_8iWIcT27nmaB6Xs-kPXFevBLdnV7/s1600/20x30-IMFT1796.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSuYzEiteted49OK6HtLlz49jQ5Drxdyf4L1wPsNKcMYd9mXl9TqAExITWL7hFMcthZ0y8N7rvkvIpdbF3oPfUsTXu-BDJYCl6swIa-BR-6kbrAfk_8iWIcT27nmaB6Xs-kPXFevBLdnV7/s400/20x30-IMFT1796.jpg" width="267" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">BAM!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wT1S4sFVp7ZVKK-4ptODSMAPtFvShS32dDljLGHz4lZqNQW-tARVDiVQP0pmb9JgU0pJxZdg2NAGjxzTepSkilsxNayb1_p-rhqNS81nQJ5LhSDYMGSwD_trg6o9YcKQ57LYPPWvoK6c/s1600/20x30-IMFT1794.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wT1S4sFVp7ZVKK-4ptODSMAPtFvShS32dDljLGHz4lZqNQW-tARVDiVQP0pmb9JgU0pJxZdg2NAGjxzTepSkilsxNayb1_p-rhqNS81nQJ5LhSDYMGSwD_trg6o9YcKQ57LYPPWvoK6c/s400/20x30-IMFT1794.jpg" width="267" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">yay.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmls3vzYBlNimKlJSW2xGJF1x5xl_T0F5dOnBRzchvA3wE6sl0LP_zcnT-EL78EWXah0mtK6IZZSsrae9ElDAtOLpiUz_83j7riU-OG1fc778hm_3K_gwAC25RQGdRBag65AiS-NFlYQm/s1600/20x30-IMFE0781.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmmls3vzYBlNimKlJSW2xGJF1x5xl_T0F5dOnBRzchvA3wE6sl0LP_zcnT-EL78EWXah0mtK6IZZSsrae9ElDAtOLpiUz_83j7riU-OG1fc778hm_3K_gwAC25RQGdRBag65AiS-NFlYQm/s640/20x30-IMFE0781.jpg" width="428" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">it was worth EVERY second of pain. :)</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dgepcZsiKz92RlW3JOlp4DUw9rOZLV0bhR6t2lLZX0d14OQ_k8yJ7ku0M1JPB17l1NX2uS3wrALAVQdROauY29MVrsEN6BYuB8yQqhxW1OR8AwzGQgkebVdS8Wbt4K5806OinCMSoGux/s1600/20x30-IMFA0929.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5dgepcZsiKz92RlW3JOlp4DUw9rOZLV0bhR6t2lLZX0d14OQ_k8yJ7ku0M1JPB17l1NX2uS3wrALAVQdROauY29MVrsEN6BYuB8yQqhxW1OR8AwzGQgkebVdS8Wbt4K5806OinCMSoGux/s400/20x30-IMFA0929.jpg" width="268" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">disbelief</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41UTheclEAEAbW8bj_-G8WiIi6-L3JrooSxgGhLbE_VX0m7GMB8fg3Qg95PhXbghzu-XB_DqVV7HnpUD3IadV4nbom9Wlpjfq0BovCthRMaXSoHOQrickYZwNTO7pCWnYwR0gPzoKSc1f/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41UTheclEAEAbW8bj_-G8WiIi6-L3JrooSxgGhLbE_VX0m7GMB8fg3Qg95PhXbghzu-XB_DqVV7HnpUD3IadV4nbom9Wlpjfq0BovCthRMaXSoHOQrickYZwNTO7pCWnYwR0gPzoKSc1f/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41UTheclEAEAbW8bj_-G8WiIi6-L3JrooSxgGhLbE_VX0m7GMB8fg3Qg95PhXbghzu-XB_DqVV7HnpUD3IadV4nbom9Wlpjfq0BovCthRMaXSoHOQrickYZwNTO7pCWnYwR0gPzoKSc1f/s400/photo.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">exhaustion ensues.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div><br />
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</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRK3CqJq21XrppSpWevaJDNxtqZ4n8ooGnWPbkOCEXsBAvf6zksUuhDHLPr3-xpWC0W4_ErhMbdLfovU8AzHGCxBnkxVSHx3Ik_1q76CW8oaoH5khXeMd3Ic1dHXo0H_UjSqvBlVpIq0EE/s1600/photo_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRK3CqJq21XrppSpWevaJDNxtqZ4n8ooGnWPbkOCEXsBAvf6zksUuhDHLPr3-xpWC0W4_ErhMbdLfovU8AzHGCxBnkxVSHx3Ik_1q76CW8oaoH5khXeMd3Ic1dHXo0H_UjSqvBlVpIq0EE/s400/photo_2.jpg" width="300" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">ew.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-73696189978590176512010-06-29T14:07:00.000-07:002010-06-29T14:26:17.248-07:00Ironman France - An Amazing Race<div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Short Story...</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It was an incredible day. Everything went near perfect, and I finished about as strong as I could have ever wanted. The swim was incredible and crazy. The bike course was as challenging (and epic) a ride as I've ever done. My run especially surprised me, and although I had to really push, I was able to hang on for a sub 14 hour finish. I'm elated and feel oh so happy and satisfied. I just can't wait to see the finish photos. I went ape sh*t! :)</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The (VERY) Long Story....</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Prologue:</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">We arrived in Nice last Monday after a long, arduous flight on Luftansa. The 747 is clearly not designed for a 6'4" guy who flies coach. Oh well, we made it through and took a taxi to the small town Villa Franche. It's only about 5 miles from Nice, but it's very different. Our friend Ted recommended we stay there as it's much quieter and quant than Nice, which strangely reminds me of San Francisco. After a 15 minute stroll into town we quickly realized that nearly all of the restaurants serve pizza and pasta....PERFCT! After assembling my bike on Tuesday I took an easy ride through Saint Jean Cap Farret, where I later learned that Lance Armstrong has a home. Legs felt heavy, but it was cool riding in France - the drivers seem quite aggressive, so I was very nervous, but they were surprisingly respectful once I was riding. Way better than in LA!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 18px;"><br />
</span></span></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvPZlhgl31bJkamMO_jv3JdIvyieTeEgdueGu_FKPv04P86DpREiLFumKc6kgCP87aZ6X-TjzYqx31cvq_3MPfuQ24sm9fLjguGxNrivdVO94kg6JDmJUPnpKX_EHOZ3yWC-wjgCatDgy/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvPZlhgl31bJkamMO_jv3JdIvyieTeEgdueGu_FKPv04P86DpREiLFumKc6kgCP87aZ6X-TjzYqx31cvq_3MPfuQ24sm9fLjguGxNrivdVO94kg6JDmJUPnpKX_EHOZ3yWC-wjgCatDgy/s320/photo.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">After a few more low keyish days (that all involved much walking...which made me nervous) we decided to rent a car and drive in the mountains. It was epic, but also stressful as I'm not used to driving on such small roads, and it's been awhile since I drove stick! On Thursday we met up with our friend Pam at registration. It was so exciting getting my bibs, bags and complimentary backpack. They even gave us a bracelet that we would wear all weekend. (And Julia got a VIP bracelet!) I also bought some apparel, but quickly decided to lock it up in the backpack until after the race....I didn't want to jinx it! It was a little strange for me to see all these other athletes. Intimidating really. There's a certain intensity that goes along with this sort of thing and these dudes looked so fit and ripped. I'm not competing with anybody but myself, but I don't really know many people back home who look the part like this. And I had a strong feeling they all had the goods to back it up.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKostGPVmZdAAASbvjD4aVIii7dAP1ywXvAANgpBbCdIlfsLWYq3mlPgVA9eRcLPuEF70ouSyFDYtTuoLo2-wufnyhJKbmQfBL9BGfZoJ3vEs0J_of1fxoSzzLK1h4nLFXv59apwv2n_L/s1600/P1000445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTKostGPVmZdAAASbvjD4aVIii7dAP1ywXvAANgpBbCdIlfsLWYq3mlPgVA9eRcLPuEF70ouSyFDYtTuoLo2-wufnyhJKbmQfBL9BGfZoJ3vEs0J_of1fxoSzzLK1h4nLFXv59apwv2n_L/s320/P1000445.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKS98Q93caIdywrR7YlIevzHkmD5jsoL6zzIoyErR3wnlkky-ROxw0iyZg1TAuB4OzxYS8wrYm7DNr_r-BSOMRuqC8No9rzZViZw5ixT77WXBVKzxGCNb3QNB9J_HoxB1s7LA_aUdQeUT_/s1600/P1000471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKS98Q93caIdywrR7YlIevzHkmD5jsoL6zzIoyErR3wnlkky-ROxw0iyZg1TAuB4OzxYS8wrYm7DNr_r-BSOMRuqC8No9rzZViZw5ixT77WXBVKzxGCNb3QNB9J_HoxB1s7LA_aUdQeUT_/s320/P1000471.jpg" /></a><br />
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</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Pam introduced us to her friend Marc, a Scotsman, who is about as hardcore as they come. This 20 year old dude has a marathon PR of 3:11, and that's the first 26 in a 56 mile run! He's planning on doing a TRIPLE Ironman next year. Insane. Very funny, humble and cool guy. We jaunted back up into the Alps with the car and began driving the bike course. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoX8S7GQg9rbllaj7akMnTnQxZnjicbWBKVryg0iHQ5rK00uLUl8DhYyUcNlRXdqtdfYZd4x8xgZbmORFtHMOVepHziv-Xh7E4TGnp7IT1xkH7wdty46Ez6FNn77k3MJPwMVghOUjVzzp/s1600/P1000481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoX8S7GQg9rbllaj7akMnTnQxZnjicbWBKVryg0iHQ5rK00uLUl8DhYyUcNlRXdqtdfYZd4x8xgZbmORFtHMOVepHziv-Xh7E4TGnp7IT1xkH7wdty46Ez6FNn77k3MJPwMVghOUjVzzp/s320/P1000481.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Unfortunately we missed seeing the very first climb. I was told it was short, but VERY steep (like 15% for about 500 meters.) Continuing up, I realized that many of the sections marked "flat" on the map were in fact gentle up hills....great! We stopped at many small towns en route. It was delightful. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuLBkBRPK7QPC9VH-QDcUxAim6hw4e-YPOglEE32KBwtegBKWdr12_-meTiOmKCVY4O_71WeQyhfL4R4f42oO4hfgVTgPQ9Cbanw252gyhPBUhPbrK9_w_a6yQ5LcvDcdt31HvMEwqGwT/s1600/P1000493.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuLBkBRPK7QPC9VH-QDcUxAim6hw4e-YPOglEE32KBwtegBKWdr12_-meTiOmKCVY4O_71WeQyhfL4R4f42oO4hfgVTgPQ9Cbanw252gyhPBUhPbrK9_w_a6yQ5LcvDcdt31HvMEwqGwT/s320/P1000493.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">About 30 miles in we approached the major climb everybody talks about the "Col de l'Ecre," it was very long, but manageable. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHbamuZCulxegyBPOcBoW9DvpXCmNnDj0YD2J5SjSTzEPxf3hprncdL7vw80_DH24Jt6ObWPBDm3utKu1wlBcba32qd6n-k3zLj9Hu3b_MNJz5lSmjiAlXtO4eCA6JuFtIB8WxlnVqaGh/s1600/P1000557.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHbamuZCulxegyBPOcBoW9DvpXCmNnDj0YD2J5SjSTzEPxf3hprncdL7vw80_DH24Jt6ObWPBDm3utKu1wlBcba32qd6n-k3zLj9Hu3b_MNJz5lSmjiAlXtO4eCA6JuFtIB8WxlnVqaGh/s320/P1000557.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The car ride seemed to go on forever, the descents seeming harder than anything I could have imagined. So many turns! Probably hundreds, including several hairpins. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGWhyXuqr3D6zRdDQ5sVkRx0XlYdmGxFWg2FWq3G9y57gfTtMv6Bu2VYHAfOcPMPn-0VY7Yys4BYz35TGYuqzDYldBmjDC2hAEjE6X76Ze5V973wozHVzQAoP1CWOAQmZBRgm4w9dBrOc/s1600/P1000552.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVGWhyXuqr3D6zRdDQ5sVkRx0XlYdmGxFWg2FWq3G9y57gfTtMv6Bu2VYHAfOcPMPn-0VY7Yys4BYz35TGYuqzDYldBmjDC2hAEjE6X76Ze5V973wozHVzQAoP1CWOAQmZBRgm4w9dBrOc/s320/P1000552.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Not like SoCal... Making our way back into Nice I was having trouble imagining how I would make it through the course unscathed. It was going to be an interesting day. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">We'd go back to Nice each day - and it proved to be quite a hike whether via train or bus, 5 miles isn't far but it turned out to be difficult being that far away. On Saturday we took the train with my bike to check it in. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgME3nwM-IHDE5XuhFrwlNz0Ci0ZGHTyy7X6FpHpSIi8H16LPoZVSM28VfJX1pPK3oVSS0E7b1rJ4XLgEZ0fGakO6Xn7K2ZrYot3iGkqA51GPbj3FyWSgSq4JWwz0XT_Ad8hzv0P3lEyjPV/s1600/P1000652.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgME3nwM-IHDE5XuhFrwlNz0Ci0ZGHTyy7X6FpHpSIi8H16LPoZVSM28VfJX1pPK3oVSS0E7b1rJ4XLgEZ0fGakO6Xn7K2ZrYot3iGkqA51GPbj3FyWSgSq4JWwz0XT_Ad8hzv0P3lEyjPV/s320/P1000652.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I was so nervous giving the staff all of my items, my bike, my bike bag (which contained all my bike items) and my run bag. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySzZ7UPziDz9ShmMRNc16t0STG_Le5fx-WPM8eqeGlcfAdhvAidVYeUjBUlSo7FLwFqxpmILDuflct-tHd66t9zH5b3x-3wJFc57zRSPRKbEQefiCl8XhtNoAlvy8Qe1zpI2wXnsu_YMf/s1600/P1000671.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySzZ7UPziDz9ShmMRNc16t0STG_Le5fx-WPM8eqeGlcfAdhvAidVYeUjBUlSo7FLwFqxpmILDuflct-tHd66t9zH5b3x-3wJFc57zRSPRKbEQefiCl8XhtNoAlvy8Qe1zpI2wXnsu_YMf/s320/P1000671.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">That night, upon our return to Villa Franche we had pasta at what would turn out to be our favorite place. I was SO nervous in the few days leading up. Each time I'd think about it my stomach would go through my throat. I think I was way more nervous for the Ironamn than I was the night before my first marathon two years ago. I was able to get a little sleep thankfully, which was a nice escape from the anxiety and nervousness.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrneqd7hWR2X64kvQcNou5KVnwMpxGo2eyNGAUC8T6li3DjOeMVAcFX06Xot-aTwrCq-XlIwY3Rui19NhMSSJSVPcPdnDFxGb-rEslCtOnEVIyy-6hGIhGLlG1vF8D5Rk7bESIKfUxnjj/s1600/P1000680.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIrneqd7hWR2X64kvQcNou5KVnwMpxGo2eyNGAUC8T6li3DjOeMVAcFX06Xot-aTwrCq-XlIwY3Rui19NhMSSJSVPcPdnDFxGb-rEslCtOnEVIyy-6hGIhGLlG1vF8D5Rk7bESIKfUxnjj/s320/P1000680.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Morning:</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The alarm woke me up at 3:20 AM. Here I was, just a few hours before the start of what has been 9 months coming. I ate my TJ's Pop Tarts that I packed over, had some Dr Pepper (in the absence of coffee) and got my things ready. By 4:30 we were in a taxi headed for Nice. We got there pretty early, I loaded up my bike then realized I had a bit of time on my hands. I chatted with Julia about my nerves, my excitement. I decided I was more nervous about the swim than I realized! I had never done a mass start, all of my previous races have been wave starts - this was going to be epic! By 6:00 I Julia one last hug and kiss and headed down to the beach. I was so excited. Here I was. I'd been waiting months for this morning to arrive!!!</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb7WH5LZ5V9iRN7MtaM864o3aVLc1GDI-Bj763AP6BPfYgxL8gTQWMzZVkXaP5Qae8iLFSF5P1K1Crkd2VlavKmKRuwFNd2x_R5qyeTlmbDB0StYq4zZO8GmaX8q741Oz_1u2qAvBAxxM/s1600/P1000708.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb7WH5LZ5V9iRN7MtaM864o3aVLc1GDI-Bj763AP6BPfYgxL8gTQWMzZVkXaP5Qae8iLFSF5P1K1Crkd2VlavKmKRuwFNd2x_R5qyeTlmbDB0StYq4zZO8GmaX8q741Oz_1u2qAvBAxxM/s320/P1000708.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Swim:</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The shore was rocky, so I decided to sit down and wait until a few minutes before. I couldn't get in the water to warm up, so I figured I might as well just conserve energy. I even peed in my wetsuit while I was sitting there, I know, gross. With 2 minutes to go I stood up, wished others luck and started to focus on the day I was about to embark on.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi_ckArb8BTOseDWtwDHlDFYfbJTJUR3ixwt-rh1eHZU9BVmJr5DamPNiLEXA1vgiQFyZHPIsP4S8suO_guBcTDyLgh6y68pDr5UeCgUsaMchpzwxH3pDdFr20gCqVK_fYfu3BP3SBURB/s1600/P1000709.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIi_ckArb8BTOseDWtwDHlDFYfbJTJUR3ixwt-rh1eHZU9BVmJr5DamPNiLEXA1vgiQFyZHPIsP4S8suO_guBcTDyLgh6y68pDr5UeCgUsaMchpzwxH3pDdFr20gCqVK_fYfu3BP3SBURB/s320/P1000709.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaepyuYEJDTrBAeqWZIjmpo5OUrqEkZjsUzPUmrlDeEj_Ll9BvDq_2GRLG0_dqqUL5twbIPFyw96t9GNmAa1UahVhaKLrceIY2nkWqbg-ztF3bMqSFGTH-klucUl3FX9g9mZw__t718eN/s1600/P1000713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJaepyuYEJDTrBAeqWZIjmpo5OUrqEkZjsUzPUmrlDeEj_Ll9BvDq_2GRLG0_dqqUL5twbIPFyw96t9GNmAa1UahVhaKLrceIY2nkWqbg-ztF3bMqSFGTH-klucUl3FX9g9mZw__t718eN/s320/P1000713.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The gun startled me when it went off, I might have even been in mid conversation with a British man! I made my way in to the water, careful to to hurt my feet on the rocks. By the time I was up to my knees I dove in and started swimming. It was a madhouse. There were bodies everywhere. No escaping. I couldn't even put my head in it was so crowded. Funny thing was - with my head out of the water - I had a full on grin! I was delighted to be in this insane environment. I got kicked, somebody kept on grabbing my toes -- it was everyone for themselves out there! About 10-15 minutes into the swim it calmed down just a bit and I got into a groove. It was impossible to draft, the second you would get lined up somebody else would cut you off. By the first buoy, which was 1 km off shore it became a giant clusterf*ck once again. Mayhem. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GHviPPRdn-Kf3t2AsllpZ2_2WH07oGnY32Ap5hNnVqpydihA0SN7ZKav6lfRRv7CgyFQSK9GW2-Ppob3Iw3ZTVMVLNHXTxkOv_LEq3odDdhBn3qs8rXREB_b_N_nfpsLhF3CpL1QE9hk/s1600/P1000728.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0GHviPPRdn-Kf3t2AsllpZ2_2WH07oGnY32Ap5hNnVqpydihA0SN7ZKav6lfRRv7CgyFQSK9GW2-Ppob3Iw3ZTVMVLNHXTxkOv_LEq3odDdhBn3qs8rXREB_b_N_nfpsLhF3CpL1QE9hk/s320/P1000728.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As we round the next buoy and turned into shore I saw a very errie sight - there were 3 or 4 swim caps floating around in the water about 10 feet down. Of course they were just ripped off, but it was strange how they just floated all together....and it was there that the pack seemed to split - and by that I mean going somewhat different directions - but I didn't realize that until it was too late. It was so hard to spot the buoys or the shore with all of the turbulence. Soon I realized that we were indeed headed for the wrong beach! I had to essentially fight with everybody and switch my direction. I got back on track and spotted the beach where we'd get out for the first loop. Approaching the <i>correct</i> beach it became quite frenetic. The battle for position never ended and while it was amusing at first I quickly wanted to just find a lane where I could get into a groove. Exiting the water was cool - they had volunteers literally pulling us out. After a few feet of jogging we were back in for the second (and shorter) loop. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVua_i-7Ym-YdoVTPWRhNTZKpY2ui1tG9MwM9FljgQ5oA1ieB4noIMPfel2KnHiNLu0ixp9tYJn2cpEh09XcWnIY_aZutRJ2-RnBzzcmpvCCI_JlbTzFPG7hHcJmo52-7-WgjR1qCo5u_/s1600/P1000736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZVua_i-7Ym-YdoVTPWRhNTZKpY2ui1tG9MwM9FljgQ5oA1ieB4noIMPfel2KnHiNLu0ixp9tYJn2cpEh09XcWnIY_aZutRJ2-RnBzzcmpvCCI_JlbTzFPG7hHcJmo52-7-WgjR1qCo5u_/s320/P1000736.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">This loop went by very quickly. I was able to pickup my pace a bit, which felt great. I finally found my groove. At the last buoy there was some dope frog kicking quite aggressively - as if to say "give me room!" After a near miss to the front of my face I grabbed his leg and out of frustration squeezed a bit. Possibly unsportsmanlike, but he did go back to a regular kick after that. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Approaching the swim exit was awesome. I had made it through the 2.4 mile washing machine. I ran under the showers and up the hill towards transition. The jog to the changing area took us under the finish line and Julia was right there cheering like crazy. It was so great seeing her looking so happy and proud. Upon seeing the clock, I was right on track with my swim time.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYT9igsjBHOBRG-jr-qqTDV_4q9PMfnCo0Tu-DVinMnAsCarA4hb01IwG1hxCPLCZxLIZslTBweVr_u274yscS7fGDSooNrFHsjHMBEd_iSNp0phsrLJQPHxM8kd9zwwEhke2ovI6orYC/s1600/P1000751_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYT9igsjBHOBRG-jr-qqTDV_4q9PMfnCo0Tu-DVinMnAsCarA4hb01IwG1hxCPLCZxLIZslTBweVr_u274yscS7fGDSooNrFHsjHMBEd_iSNp0phsrLJQPHxM8kd9zwwEhke2ovI6orYC/s320/P1000751_2.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I grabbed my bike bag and headed for the changing tent. I did a full change of clothing, put on my sunscreen as fast as possible, etc. After that it was a long jog with my cleated bike shoes to retrieve my bike. I got it and hopped on. I saw Julia again, smiled and was off to start my 112 mile ride. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_Sse5AdWZSwKoFYL1I6aKbRlv1mVkoDrjeGRyoGll6Rr734aajSOAJPfCJB7G9FCW4_DVvbmwMTniP4m5STX5PoAk8COGRXyGTWIVuD41qGUKhHyj-aVwnS25Sh2erFI2dVMAnTDXV4m/s1600/P1000752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy_Sse5AdWZSwKoFYL1I6aKbRlv1mVkoDrjeGRyoGll6Rr734aajSOAJPfCJB7G9FCW4_DVvbmwMTniP4m5STX5PoAk8COGRXyGTWIVuD41qGUKhHyj-aVwnS25Sh2erFI2dVMAnTDXV4m/s320/P1000752.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Bike:</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The bike course took us along the main promenade where I quickly focused on drinking my energy drink of choice, Perpetuam Cafe Latte. (Yes, it has caffeine!) I was shocked to see on my Garmin Watch that my heart rate was in the mid 150s - a bit too high! Excitement? The swim? After seeing that I became quite cautious and decided to go out even easier than I had planned. (The plan was to take EVERYTHING easy!) </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWCHwcr6rDZBtDkjR3B8S1CZ6dGSWgsBNdKwE3FzZqkWtN-ISqf9URkAqfRgY9sAZyRYRmk-uuOBh8I34eiwWAU9qWs5B3T_i_UtPR6ANCXsjAZzfqGb3vVqmyrrsYhvvZmZ98_ZKGRbs/s1600/P1000759_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWCHwcr6rDZBtDkjR3B8S1CZ6dGSWgsBNdKwE3FzZqkWtN-ISqf9URkAqfRgY9sAZyRYRmk-uuOBh8I34eiwWAU9qWs5B3T_i_UtPR6ANCXsjAZzfqGb3vVqmyrrsYhvvZmZ98_ZKGRbs/s320/P1000759_2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">About 20 minutes later the heart showed signed of slowing and I started to relax. I took on some Hammer Gel and more drink. About 10 miles in I reached for my water bottle, and my race bracelet caught on my rear brake cable that runs along the frame! My rear wheel completely locked up and my bike began to fishtail! Thankfully I was able to stay upright and there was nobody beside me, but this could have been disastrous. People cautiously passed me after this, as it most of looked like I randomly lost control from behind me. Speaking of, since I'm a halfway decent swimmer, I'm used to getting passed on the bike and run like crazy. I just had to focus on my own race.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Soon we turned a corner and there was that bitch of a climb - the steep one. It was funny hearing all the bikes around me shift in unison. I stayed seated, reminding myself not to start the climb too quickly. The whole town had come out to cheer us on and it was so great to hear "Allez Cody!" It truly helped me get to the top. A few minutes of pain later I was at the top and relieved. My heart rate sure spiked, although that was unavoidable. I concentrated on recovering and taking it easy - I knew the toughest climb was yet to come! </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">During the flat section a media motorcycle was closely following a slower cyclist. Unfortunately the road was narrow and they were nearly blocking all of it. I somehow made it in front, but these two incredibly fit German guys came up fast behind them and were screaming something at the top of their lungs at the motorcycle. It sounded just like that generic angry German voice I so often imitate! I was cracking up inside. To top things off, as they passed me, one of them looks over to me with a slight grin and yells "Fack!" - with a slight bit of humor, embarrassment and camaraderie. Hilarious. I had tiny photos taped onto my aerobars (My dad, Julia, Henry, Mom and Michael) and I couldn't help to look at my dad's face and have a giggle with him.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The next several miles were largely uneventful. Some false flat uphills, some gentle descents. The race was wonderfully organized, as there was police at every intersection. The aid stations were great - I continued taking on fluids and nutrition. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Before I knew it I was starting up the big climb...the "Col d'Acre." This was the big one I've trained so had for. After driving it I wasn't as scared as I thought I'd be. It's about 21k (13 miles) and 1k of elevation gain - somewhat gentle grades, but HOT. No shade and unrelenting. I got into a great rhythm and even had some quick conversations with others. It was so cool being here in the French Alps doing my Ironman. All the names that passed by! (Yes, I was largely being passed by everybody it seemed!) "Laurent" "Jean Michel" "Benoit" "Gilla" I could go on and on!</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">About 2/3 of the way to the top I was really feeling it. One thing that worried me throughout the week prior to the race was the fact that going up the two flights of stairs at our hotel made me slightly out of breath....Was it jetlag? Did I taper correctly? The normal doubts I supposed. I was debating stopping for a few minutes to collect myself. As I did on nearly all of my training rides, I decided to try and press through. And press through I did! There was a traffic jam at the aid station that forced me to momentarily unclip, but other than that I just kept on chugging along. I summited and there was the "special needs" station, where my supplies were stored. I switched out my water bottles, got some more nutrition and was on my way in under a minute. A nice gentle decent ensued and I was in one of the most beautiful parts of the course, surrounded by meadows. Despite the beauty around me I had a very unpleasant feeling in my stomach. I've had acid reflux on and off for years now, and sometimes can get a bit nauseous from it. It's usually nothing to worry about, but the last thing I felt like doing was eating - and I sure needed to if I wanted to have a strong day. Calorie intake is key! I grabbed a bottle of water at the next station and poured it over me and took a few sips. I decided I might be better off trying to chase a gel shot with water and see if I could stomach it. I could - in small amounts. I even took a bit of my oat bar, squeezed a bit of gel and followed with water. Improvisation. It seemed to be working. I was diligent about my salt, taking tablets whenever I felt my stomach would accept it. Instead of going by time I went strictly by feel, giving my body what I thought it wanted and would take.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Just over halfway on the bike we had been decending on the bike for sometime. It would have been great fun, but I just could not get comfortable. My shoulders were so tight and I felt like my neck was spasming. This was present at the start of the bike as well, but I had no hard work (ie climbing) to take my mind off it now. I'm sure it was due to the swim - they were the same muscles. I tried to endure the discomfort, tried shifting my position repeatedly. Somehow I just zoned out to it, accepting it. The next aid station had a nice surprise. It wasn't a Dr Pepper, but it was the next best thing: Coke! I grabbed a bottle and it was the best sip all day! Pure bliss. That would set up the rest of my race in a way.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">More beautiful country side would pass and we'd go through small villages with the residents cheering us on, some more enthusiastic than others. From time to time I would ham it up and wave, or put my hands up as if to say "cheer for me!" It sometimes worked - and it was exciting when it did.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">We reached another climb. I must admit outside of that really steep 500 meters and the famous "Col D'Acre" I didn't really take any of the climbs very seriously in my mental preparation. Not that I could've done anything differently had I, this next climb thoroughly bit me in the ass. It started off as I remembered it - a little steep....fine. It kept going until this little picnic area....fine. I drove the course, I knew it. Then it kept going and kept going. When the f*ck would I reach the top? One thing that kept me going was in this forested area there was a long haired guy with a horn. He would go "toot toot toot." Approaching him, I noticed that everybody ahead of me was basically ignoring him - and I could tell he was getting discouraged by the fact the the "toots" were getting further and further apart. I needed a distraction. He "tooted" and I went "toot." He went "toot toot," I did the same. This went on for a few minuted, as even though I was long gone, the switchback took me right over him again - and at least it was shady!</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">After reaching the top we had a bit of downhill. There were a few hairpin turns that were more exciting than scary, then we would take a right for a quick out and back loop. It was undulating terrain, but this part felt effortless. Hands down the best I felt on the bike the whole ride. On my way back to the main road I hit a small pothole, and a few seconds later realized that my back wheel had gone flat!!!! Damn it! Just as I got in the groove. I pulled over and quickly went to work. The tire was hot and thus easy to take off. I checked it, replaced the tube, filled it with my C02 cartridge (which they strangely called "oxygen" over here) and was on my way. I was cautious for the first bit, as I've had issues with multiple flats before. Thankfully it did seem to be just a pinch flat and I was ready to decent carefully and efficiently.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">There was one more little climb that didn't phase me and I continued to take in as much nutrition as I felt I could handle - but I was careful not to overdue it knowing how fussy my stomach felt. I was essentially force feeding myself the gel, chasing with water, then taking a salt tab and a big sip of soda as often as possible. I knew I would need the energy for the run.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The decent was fantastic. I must admit I was nervous, and somehow my rear brake was squelling every time I engaged it - so that added an element of caution - a good thing. My goal was to <i>make it</i> not go as fast as possible. Halfway down the downhill this dude comes screaming past a bunch of us. Reckless. It wasn't 10-15 seconds later that his bike skidded out on a turn and he toppled down about 30 feet in front of my. We were probably going over 25mph and I overreacted. I squeezed too hard on the brakes and began to loose it. Somehow I managed to stay upright. Another cyclist pulled over to help the man who crashed and I pulled over for a second just to regain my composure. A few seconds later I carried on and as I passed the next intersection I told the police officer to get help - I think he understood. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">That crash was in my head the rest of the ride down - I wanted to make up a bit of time, but I wanted to finish in one piece more. I was careful took my time - but most of all enjoyed the twisting and turning decent. About 7 hours into the ride I had had it. My ass was sore, I was irritable and ready to get off. It was a long 10 or so miles of flat before we'd transition to the run - and it was windy! And of course it was the wind in the face. I tried to relax, but it was impossible to find a groove. I finally felt like I might have to pee, so I got off and found a bush. It was bright yellow and painful. Not good. I had went before the race in the wetsuit, and in transition to the bike, but not for the last 7 hours. And I had been drinking tons! I decided to drink as much Coke and water as I could in the next 15 minutes, as I didn't want to arrive to the run with a full stomach (in my experience that leads to big time stomach issues for me.) </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As I made the turn at the airport I became very excited and petrified at the same time. I had completed the first two legs of the race in one piece....but now I was going to run a marathon?! This just seemed insane! I quickly pushed those thoughts away and focused on how excited I was to get off my bike. The last 3 miles paralleled the run course, it was exciting to see where I'd soon be.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I handed my bike off to the volunteer, careful to grab my Garmin as I'd need it's feedback on the marathon. I grabbed my run bag and headed to the changing tent. Soon I was off, jogging out of transition.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Run:</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I started the run, and just like so many of my long bike rides (which I'd follow with a 15-30 minute run) felt pretty good! I knew I've had a tendency to embrace that good feeling and go out hard. Not here. I immediately slowed and watched my heart rate carefully. I had stopped monitoring it on the bike - the climb was what it was and I went strictly by "perceived exertion." On the run though, it's easy to talk yourself out of running and into walking - I wanted the direct feedback from my body. About 5 minutes into the first loop I heard "CODY!!!!!" Julia. She was SO excited. I got chills. I hadn't seen her for nearly 8 hours! What a trooper she'd been. While she was curious how I was, I was curious how she was! Was she bored to pieces? Did she go to the beach? Did she have a good tour of Nice? She was delighted to see me, and for me it was just a huge lift knowing I'd see her quite frequently from now on.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QbZVMlnu7L-68YfUQXAwFghq3TDnjdEXtBaxl99-t_yxptRRD4WlHL_Ye683JxROv3h2M7GAMZD78FXEtyf_uFJEZTcESZLuVIZ1isez57YNQPIG-NKNlw3sOg5s3KD4Em05Rrc5jLsp/s1600/P1000838_2_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0QbZVMlnu7L-68YfUQXAwFghq3TDnjdEXtBaxl99-t_yxptRRD4WlHL_Ye683JxROv3h2M7GAMZD78FXEtyf_uFJEZTcESZLuVIZ1isez57YNQPIG-NKNlw3sOg5s3KD4Em05Rrc5jLsp/s320/P1000838_2_2.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">As I headed West towards the airport I approached my first aid station. The plan was to walk each station, which spanned 50 meters or so. They had showers and I couldn't resist cooling off and walking through. I tried to stratal the puddle as soaking my shoes would mean trouble this early in the run. I grabbed a cup of water, a cup of Coke and a piece of banana. This would prove to be my ritual (with Salt Tabs added whenever I felt I could keep them down.) At the turnaround I realized I was 1/8 through the final leg, and every time I passed over one of those timing mats I was "phoning home" to my friends and family back home - most of who would be enjoying their morning coffee.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Heading back towards the start I realized how huge this bay in Nice really is. 3.25 miles is a long way! But thinking about 4 loops of 6.5 is sure easier than one 26.2! For the first half mile after the turnaround you can't see much - the runners going the other way are divided by trees and there is no line of site to the bay, but after the aid station you'd get a glimpse of the finish area way off in the distance. I'd be staring at it for the final 3 laps, my mouth watering.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It was interesting being on the course with so many athletes of different levels. It wasn't as obvious as you'd think, people were constantly being passed, taking walking breaks. The only way to tell where somebody was in their race was by the number of bracelets they had on. As I completed my first loop I got a black hair band to put around my wrist. I noticed other athletes with blue and white ones as well - they were closer to finishing than I was, but I'd soon be there as well.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I saw Julia again and was so excited! Her cheer was energizing and I naturally (and dangerously) picked up my pace. The excitement of passing by the finish line (it was actually somewhat screened off from the course) surged my adrenaline as well. Going out for my second loop I started strategizing. Time has never "officially" been a goal for me. Finishing was. But in the back of my mind breaking 14 hours would be an A+ day. I would keep my mind busy by running the numbers. I knew that if I could average an 11/mile overall I could do it - with even a little time to spare. I let my heart rate creep up into the mid 150s, keeping 160 as a barrier I would not cross. The only calories I was taking in was Coke and a bite of banana here and there - to go above 160 would be suicide. I also knew the results of this race were somewhat predetermined by the hard work I put into my training....Coach Rom would say "trust your training" and he was right. My best move was to keep it slow and steady and hope it would all work out (hopefully no cramps or bonking.)</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">One thing I did in these long laps of 6.5 miles (well, 3.25 each way) was think of a special person each direction - fond memories of those people (and one dog) who would inspire me to keep going. I thought about May, my grandmother who recently passed, George, my good friend who passed 3 years ago and of course my father - who this is really all about. I also thought about the living. Julia. My Mom. And Henry! I even thought about myself - what I've put myself through to get here and why it was so important to me to keep moving - and how proud I would be if I could hang on. This was a truly helpful tool.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Finishing the second loop I saw my own personal cheerleader again. Awesome. I told her I'd see her just once more before the finish. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF8c-Cc4CWDw7tftK57C9RK6ARJdwUhYox-nXCAjSwiQVO4vfXTzl0YH1im2oVAZpZYKou2PS623Wje0jZZ5CjOsjWTfasEJ56IbIhYkBTg6Cvk-kUBph-G-wwLWV8dcjp_PXVutUOI5j/s1600/P1000855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF8c-Cc4CWDw7tftK57C9RK6ARJdwUhYox-nXCAjSwiQVO4vfXTzl0YH1im2oVAZpZYKou2PS623Wje0jZZ5CjOsjWTfasEJ56IbIhYkBTg6Cvk-kUBph-G-wwLWV8dcjp_PXVutUOI5j/s320/P1000855.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
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</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I convinced myself that this, the 3rd loop was really the <i>last loop</i>. Heading back out I felt ok despite a little "side stich," but halfway to the airport (the turnaround) I started to become extremely fatigued. There was a big traffic jam on the street due to the event, and I distracted myself by trying to get the drivers to honk for us. After a dozen failed attempts I finally gave up. I guess they were too pissed that we were hogging their roads. I did wave at some German tourists in a bus - and they waved back!</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">At the turnaround I had a decision to make. I had lost my salt tablets. They were all stuck together and I couldn't get them out of the bottle. With about 10 miles to go, should I risk not taking in any more salt, or should I spend valuable time going to the "special needs" aid station - my prepacked bag of personal items. (Which included salt tablets and advil among other things.) As I approached the aid station I did the math and figured I had about 3 minutes of padding to break 14 hours if I could maintain the same 11 min/mile average. I decided it would be a quick decision. If it was streamlined and would take under a minute I would do it - a cramp due to lack of salt would be much more costly than the little time it took me to retrieve my bag. As I approached the station I yelled to the volunteer "644" "644!" He was a bit surprised, but got the message and found my bag immediately. He held it open for me and I grabbed the ziploc bag that was thankfully right at the top. My miracle mineral - salt - was back in play. Relieved, I continued back toward the start for my final loop.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The last half of the third loop going into the first half of the fourth was by far the most challenging for me. I was exhausted. My legs were still moving though, despite a mild cramp below my right hip. I was also sleepy. By that, I mean SLEEPY! I couldn't wake up, despite the gallons of Coke I must have been drinking! I went under one of those showers and doused my face in water - that helped. I was hurting though, and even though my final loop was upon me, I wondered if I could hang on to finish in under 14 hours. I had seen multiple bodies (carnage) along the course. Guys who had clearly pushed it too hard. One dude was really scary, completely passed out, eyes rolled back, and the medic couldn't even get him to wake up. It was eerie hearing the ambulance a few minutes later. Being in position for an A+ day was great, but I wondered if I push it too much if I might end up in the hospital instead of the finish line. I decided I had no choice but to just keep running and carefully watch my heart rate - NOT my pace. From time to time I would check my pace (I had my Garmin set up with different screens, so I could toggle various views) and would be relieved to see 10:45, 10:58, etc. I was on track. I retrieved my final bracelet, which was white, and headed out for the last loop!</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">At the final turn around I overheard some spectator tell his friend "You've got to enjoy that finish - that's what it's all about." That couldn't be more true. I've thought long and hard about the magic of that last 100 meters. Once I passed the airport I could see the finish wayyyy off in the distance - about 3 miles. I could see the flash of cameras going off. It was still light, but getting to be magic hour. Beautiful. My pace picked up a bit. It took all of my discipline to walk the next aid station, as the magnetic pull of the line was very strong. The second to last mile lingered --- I hurt. I replayed my song "Letting Go," which I wrote for my dad in my film in my head. It powered me through.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Before I knew it I was about a mile out. This is where it got really fun. I started waving to the spectators, some of them were quite enthusiatic, some were not so much, but I had not a care in the world. I knew this was in the bag - and I was pretty sure I made up time and had 14 hours in the bag.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Closer and closer I got. Tears of joy flowed down my cheek...I began high fiving the spectators lining the route. I approached the finish chute. Here I was. 9 months in the making. I rocketed passed the volunteer checking the bracelets and she was yelling "bib number?" I was too distracted, but quickly realized that she needed to tell the announcer. Oh well! I was too busy screaming at the top of my lungs! I was high fiving people, doing 180s - even a little dance pumping my fists in the air. I yelled "wee wee wee!" (Yes, Yes, Yes!) I was lucky to seemingly have the last 100 meters to myself - I thought I saw somebody approaching, but they must have wisely waited patiently. The announcer was yelling "Cody Cody Cody!" Since he didn't know my last name or where I was from he held the mic up to my mouth - I yelled "I'M AN IRONMAN!" He took it back, then I realized I had momentarily forgetten what I really wanted to say....I grabbed it back and yelled "JUE SUIS IRONMAN!" The crowd erupted! I walked across that line and there was Julia waiting for me.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">The Epilogue:</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I'm truly the happiest man in the world as I write this. All the blood, sweat and tears were worth it for that 2 minutes of absolute bliss. This finish was absoluletly more insane than my first marathon - which I guess is what I've been seeking. In the minutes following the race I laid down just passed the line with an enormous grin. Incredible. I did it. I still don't know how. I'm SO elated. Not only a finish - but a strong one, shattering my unofficial goal time. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LEz_plh_ceymgYfQkolUpJnuCRrmqOHYowj5WBMnnHNz8O7LwgwYMnKOs28g1eGnVvDUlN-Ns2Lnun5BjDES2n34BwEQJEBnyleilimPtaT5A9ZS7w57FSmPs6ked0lXaUvDYbV6T7rM/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0LEz_plh_ceymgYfQkolUpJnuCRrmqOHYowj5WBMnnHNz8O7LwgwYMnKOs28g1eGnVvDUlN-Ns2Lnun5BjDES2n34BwEQJEBnyleilimPtaT5A9ZS7w57FSmPs6ked0lXaUvDYbV6T7rM/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">My nutrition sure doesn't look good on paper, but it sure seemed to work! And I refused to let that flat tire be the obstacle that got in my way from breaking 14. I made the expensive call to my mom, talked to her for 59 seconds and decided to try and get myself up.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIXX_VSowkzYG8_J5wrQhHrwfH3T4b6jqhgtoRjY6kN88gm2TZMceShGtxqz-tA84skYW9WNIWd_kVTJn-gTpJinUsEgCJNmMlFDpttw2DH4wJV8iQMbI1NrxI09jVyLWHr4jN1WRupZS/s1600/P1000858.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFIXX_VSowkzYG8_J5wrQhHrwfH3T4b6jqhgtoRjY6kN88gm2TZMceShGtxqz-tA84skYW9WNIWd_kVTJn-gTpJinUsEgCJNmMlFDpttw2DH4wJV8iQMbI1NrxI09jVyLWHr4jN1WRupZS/s320/P1000858.jpg" /></a></div><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I was dizzy. Julia and I had already discussed months ago that I might have an IV post race to help recovery and to rehydrate. After informing the oh so cheering French doc that I had barely peed all day, he gladly gave me what he called an "infusion." Julia was asked to leave the medical tent and I began to chat it up with my neighbors. Some were happy, some not so much. A man a few beds down was puking violently, another was trembling beyond belief. I felt awful for them. Somehow I made it through unscathed - except for a very painful blister on my right foot.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_i54mF5_-ectjZyeZZCJ73GDmVecHbNAZN5jyw4eSNavviIVpqLKYY4JzIAOjUT7yAyBLPfPKLomRUDmXgumd8XQZl8VfeONfejY6rMsts_fBCiQJUFvanJzcAtF7ArUSaXajwhj0DJR/s1600/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_i54mF5_-ectjZyeZZCJ73GDmVecHbNAZN5jyw4eSNavviIVpqLKYY4JzIAOjUT7yAyBLPfPKLomRUDmXgumd8XQZl8VfeONfejY6rMsts_fBCiQJUFvanJzcAtF7ArUSaXajwhj0DJR/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">After the IV I got a short massage, some food (including delicious vegatable soup) and then Julia and I watched the fireworks after the last official finisher. It was too amazing. I retrieved my bike and bags and limped around Nice with Julia trying to catch a taxi home. It wouldn't be for another 2 hours that we'd be in bed - it was that much of an ordeal. We thought we might be stuck in Nice for the evening - or worse walking the 5 miles home! Thankfully Julia pleaded with an off duty cab driver and we got home. </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 22.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The experience couldn't have been greater and I'm so happy that it all played out this way. I'm not thinking ahead about what's next - I want to enjoy the achievement for now - and enjoy Europe! I encourage anybody who has the intrigue about this type of event to go for it. It's worth all of the hard work and you'll come out the other side mentally and physically stronger.<br />
<br />
Lastly I wanted to thank my training partners/friends Jessica (who served as my IronMentor) Eric (who shares the same name as my dad) and Ryan (who always climbs in his big chainring.) Also Pam, Sam, Semira, Roxanne, Rom, Marci, Marvin, Willis and all of the other great friends in the LA Triclub. But most of all my cheerleaders - Julia, Mom, Henry and of course my dad - who is forever my inspiration.</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">P.S.</span></b></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">I'll post the official race photos as soon as I get them....and hopefully there will be a video of my finish as well! </div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">Lastly, here are my splits:</div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorYFtSxk8M8EhrRJZZOIeVed8_kwf78TPGOz_oMMPANA_CeuQGgq4IKt0wgaL1TfNwN9_e1-32DnAV7ywfEdKyjypFTff7z_9kPzIIIa14XIEgcZi00RGufqaeclwVZ32MDlNF__yEBz3/s1600/Picture+1.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjorYFtSxk8M8EhrRJZZOIeVed8_kwf78TPGOz_oMMPANA_CeuQGgq4IKt0wgaL1TfNwN9_e1-32DnAV7ywfEdKyjypFTff7z_9kPzIIIa14XIEgcZi00RGufqaeclwVZ32MDlNF__yEBz3/s640/Picture+1.png" width="484" /></a></div><div style="font: 18.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-1958817330938431202010-04-24T19:10:00.000-07:002010-04-24T19:10:02.091-07:00T-Minus 2 MonthsIt's been awhile since I updated the blog, and in a few days it'll be 2 months to my Ironman! But honestly....I'm so fried.<br />
<br />
This training has been intense and unrelenting. I've been improving steadily though --- but at this point I just want to cross that finish line!<br />
<br />
Without going into too many details my current "build" weeks have around 20 hours of training. It's been quite the balancing act with my wife, work and friends. But it has been going well and I'm sure I can endure a few more months of this mayhem.<br />
<br />
I have a few events coming up.<br />
<br />
5/1 Piru 40k Time Trial<br />
5/8 Cruisin the Conejo Century<br />
5/16 Bonelli Triathlon (kinda Oly Dist.)<br />
6/1 Piru 40k Time Trial<br />
<br />
Excited about all these in addition to the epic rides that I usually do on Saturdays. Today I climbed Latigo, Piuma, Sheryn and Old Topanga. Ugh! Total ride time was 6 hr, 82 miles and about 6,300 feet of gain. Then a quick transition run with Henry.<br />
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I've been soooo drowsy since and there's no way I'm doing any work today!<br />
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I should also mention I've started to work on my debut solo album. I've got about 4 of the tracks with rough drafts and I hope to do more tracks in the coming months as long as the "real work" gives me time to!<br />
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More soon....we'll see if I can type after the Time Trial next weekend.cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-38138976664694818422010-03-28T21:12:00.000-07:002010-03-28T21:12:24.572-07:00Lake Lopez Triathlon Race Report (And Cool Camping Pics)Lake Lopez is near San Luis Obispo, and for a few summers when I was a kid we were up there all the time for my dad to go windsurfing and for us kids to enjoy the lake. Very sentimental place. I camped with my good buddy Alex and my mom and her boyfriend, Michael. Julia, sadly was on a show - next time! Anyway, I'll keep this brief.<br />
<br />
My goal was to (hopefully) PR and possibly go sub 2:40. But I did not do my homework on the course and decided to "do well" in the field (like top 5 age group?) would be great. Since it's a small race I knew that might be possible. <br />
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Woke up early - freezing. Air was in the 40s. Let's swim in a lake? WTF am I doing here? Shockingly the water was warmer than the air.<br />
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Swim: Good clip. Towards the front of my wave start. Could not spot the buoys or beach in the last quarter due to sun glare. Lost at least 30 seconds getting in line.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw0uxNRWfA8J0yRv_C3EB2hKG6UAW4cT6bPcQdh7y45xj7ok2PYxJKmWrWDBRwtraIwNdeNZdC2DaLvI79cM6_rcag9JuXkF5YsZyaGzD4LxkfWK34gQJry0sPOFe9MsAwt9JteXdQ0Oi/s1600/IMG_0020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw0uxNRWfA8J0yRv_C3EB2hKG6UAW4cT6bPcQdh7y45xj7ok2PYxJKmWrWDBRwtraIwNdeNZdC2DaLvI79cM6_rcag9JuXkF5YsZyaGzD4LxkfWK34gQJry0sPOFe9MsAwt9JteXdQ0Oi/s320/IMG_0020.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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T1: Not feeling your feet makes getting into the bike shoes tough.<br />
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Bike: Tail wind. HEAD WIND + HILLS. Long long rollers and false flats with the course culminating at mile 19 with a CRAZY hill. We're talking 16% grade I'm told. Dudes in $5000 bikes WALKING their bikes up. It took all I had to make it to the top, then it was mostly downhill back. I flew, but still only averaged about 18mph on this tough windy course.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzYyON7oQFFMV1aaVLx3OBAjO3fYvK0VkIfY2kPleIvJ2hPWAUUXnSiF4UNejiTDEsGN_3PVL7wduvQTP_QBRRfWa2J1chiEJxiUP3y3xI6UvUfzPob5_1ZkBSLiaSytZPvCSYc9GzoJM/s1600/IMG_0032_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyzYyON7oQFFMV1aaVLx3OBAjO3fYvK0VkIfY2kPleIvJ2hPWAUUXnSiF4UNejiTDEsGN_3PVL7wduvQTP_QBRRfWa2J1chiEJxiUP3y3xI6UvUfzPob5_1ZkBSLiaSytZPvCSYc9GzoJM/s320/IMG_0032_2.jpg" /></a></div><br />
T2: Problem with my shoe, but oh well - only lost 15-20 sec.<br />
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Run: A chore. Man it was tough getting into a groove. Rolling hills again and a long false flat until the turnaround. Paced it well and tried to push the pace the last few. But it was tough work!<br />
<br />
Final time: 2:47...bummer! BUT....good for 5th in my division! (Although I think there were only about 10+ in the division!!!)<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJhzpuVp_eJWQgsKrwN6oIUCRV3qItwBeSaIkutZtB6K2uKoSejrLh1tcQi5hI68twjV6420wwxGReRDEMX-j32r1unqBSNS5tboXJrM3Ky67LLsTHFJmVvBZMdyM1CdjasoApMIacKlH/s1600/IMG_0019.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggJhzpuVp_eJWQgsKrwN6oIUCRV3qItwBeSaIkutZtB6K2uKoSejrLh1tcQi5hI68twjV6420wwxGReRDEMX-j32r1unqBSNS5tboXJrM3Ky67LLsTHFJmVvBZMdyM1CdjasoApMIacKlH/s320/IMG_0019.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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It sure felt great to soak in the lake afterwards. Did another brick (bike/run) today (Sunday) and had TWO blowouts. My tire is totally gashed and I'm lucky I didn't have to walk back! After I patched the tube I ended up literally putting a few dollar bills in between the tube and the tire! Can't remember where I heard that trick, but it worked for me!<br />
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Camping at this cool spot was a blast. Great weekend.<br />
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Here are some cool pics I took last night:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxujOQGAOXH9v4Ja2WgShZEQLRIAw6h_S9vT_w9HTwrCqdoMgLvs4bC6-3HEfJ0l-CKwCvCwKIflf-iSWhWI9zfXrEoyiznqkYffGukmqBIZG-76V86l_my7a1iNGfmiuWijQzcfktnrxo/s1600/IMG_0055.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxujOQGAOXH9v4Ja2WgShZEQLRIAw6h_S9vT_w9HTwrCqdoMgLvs4bC6-3HEfJ0l-CKwCvCwKIflf-iSWhWI9zfXrEoyiznqkYffGukmqBIZG-76V86l_my7a1iNGfmiuWijQzcfktnrxo/s320/IMG_0055.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKDVmVM7vSx38ERIygsi3i38rJuQE2x_8UtLzAZvsMwKSBK1g9zU_oznujMfd_89vMQcWeqCzgB-IFl2qfsO8na9rGUke14x1CoFXzPFECTojt0mGgZW9l5BkmnlRy7mKrXGeITodQ_aB/s1600/IMG_0068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKDVmVM7vSx38ERIygsi3i38rJuQE2x_8UtLzAZvsMwKSBK1g9zU_oznujMfd_89vMQcWeqCzgB-IFl2qfsO8na9rGUke14x1CoFXzPFECTojt0mGgZW9l5BkmnlRy7mKrXGeITodQ_aB/s320/IMG_0068.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTKDVmVM7vSx38ERIygsi3i38rJuQE2x_8UtLzAZvsMwKSBK1g9zU_oznujMfd_89vMQcWeqCzgB-IFl2qfsO8na9rGUke14x1CoFXzPFECTojt0mGgZW9l5BkmnlRy7mKrXGeITodQ_aB/s1600/IMG_0068.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCx1e3qO0CMVS1Tx7m2N829-mzEKdM3CUxpAzJU7GO5EJCugUz7FvwIQb3HakLcJI9F0cwBCzbOAbsOOv-MpJVnqtS2xxPJ-pPS0Ymz4Oh4osYg-rbCXI3HkY6jVKRaVdDxCg4vRkUMUh/s1600/IMG_0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCx1e3qO0CMVS1Tx7m2N829-mzEKdM3CUxpAzJU7GO5EJCugUz7FvwIQb3HakLcJI9F0cwBCzbOAbsOOv-MpJVnqtS2xxPJ-pPS0Ymz4Oh4osYg-rbCXI3HkY6jVKRaVdDxCg4vRkUMUh/s320/IMG_0059.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikCx1e3qO0CMVS1Tx7m2N829-mzEKdM3CUxpAzJU7GO5EJCugUz7FvwIQb3HakLcJI9F0cwBCzbOAbsOOv-MpJVnqtS2xxPJ-pPS0Ymz4Oh4osYg-rbCXI3HkY6jVKRaVdDxCg4vRkUMUh/s1600/IMG_0059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgO6PRtcTlnJ0G5k2W5Ib_GMNwPlZk_Du9ACPvctl0vOF5YGDwCXPCQUpTRPi7_HEBO4dbSBQjVNeQwMg3lWeYayS7vq8ZrQGm0rImCcnbI2i2IUqIT8mvMZBIkqpG_9jtsltTPOZyhGz/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgO6PRtcTlnJ0G5k2W5Ib_GMNwPlZk_Du9ACPvctl0vOF5YGDwCXPCQUpTRPi7_HEBO4dbSBQjVNeQwMg3lWeYayS7vq8ZrQGm0rImCcnbI2i2IUqIT8mvMZBIkqpG_9jtsltTPOZyhGz/s320/IMG_0066.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUgO6PRtcTlnJ0G5k2W5Ib_GMNwPlZk_Du9ACPvctl0vOF5YGDwCXPCQUpTRPi7_HEBO4dbSBQjVNeQwMg3lWeYayS7vq8ZrQGm0rImCcnbI2i2IUqIT8mvMZBIkqpG_9jtsltTPOZyhGz/s1600/IMG_0066.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvjG7mZs7GFAIBvZq_Npxv78nq9dDyJPJnnJFi20foTUaavmI22KwARrWZkxFBXR5rbcSDKuRxR3wlvSqnIE2jOX-rt-8U5UTktCZSn0Wrrcs32GMdyhPJD4nLHLAu8tir-481uJuG5bT/s1600/IMG_0044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvjG7mZs7GFAIBvZq_Npxv78nq9dDyJPJnnJFi20foTUaavmI22KwARrWZkxFBXR5rbcSDKuRxR3wlvSqnIE2jOX-rt-8U5UTktCZSn0Wrrcs32GMdyhPJD4nLHLAu8tir-481uJuG5bT/s320/IMG_0044.jpg" /></a></div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-79548444041102834972010-03-22T23:05:00.000-07:002010-03-22T23:06:34.614-07:00The LA Marathon Experience<div style="text-align: left;">What a day! (Well, yesterday...)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I woke up at about 4 AM to ride with a few friends from the Westside to the start at Dodger Stadium on the dark streets of LA. The sunrise once we arrived was stunning.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatNqlI0IN9Kxv-azQ4kjC6LbuSSyYw0b0gjgF9HHJHJl3o6cvLTKo2tdwmep4_YEBt24VvBV_EcmiwKmpVEMX_pPVYlWfYH3JlEhvlJ0ZX8tY9AxUiu3_eww4JdsO5doC4xlpYXhdm4AT/s1600-h/IMG_0011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiatNqlI0IN9Kxv-azQ4kjC6LbuSSyYw0b0gjgF9HHJHJl3o6cvLTKo2tdwmep4_YEBt24VvBV_EcmiwKmpVEMX_pPVYlWfYH3JlEhvlJ0ZX8tY9AxUiu3_eww4JdsO5doC4xlpYXhdm4AT/s320/IMG_0011.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I went out with the LA TriClub as a "pace timer." On our bikes we basically leap-frogged the elite athletes and called their times into the media. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Talk about a bird's eye view. For several miles we would tail the field of elite men by mere feet! It was amazing.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We were caught on TV quite a bit! (This newscaster got a lot of sun...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZidqnu3myos6RYw49JT33gnx3hhNChxA88qzNCdsfbfjMiWW4IzYcRqZdv8SHmJ0GjBsoiy488Chnal991VtmQ_DD4P_3kzFfqrbt9K1XthV6vULB6rYjVug7WWCrrxqEa7g1bHscQc_W/s1600-h/photo_5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZidqnu3myos6RYw49JT33gnx3hhNChxA88qzNCdsfbfjMiWW4IzYcRqZdv8SHmJ0GjBsoiy488Chnal991VtmQ_DD4P_3kzFfqrbt9K1XthV6vULB6rYjVug7WWCrrxqEa7g1bHscQc_W/s320/photo_5.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">After the race I did a sequence of timelapses. I got some killer vantage points with my Media Pass (long story!)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10341069&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10341069&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=ffffff&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">All in all an incredible day and I'm proud of my friends who all had a killer time on such a great course. (LA FINALLY got it right!) Great job runners!</div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-17916646553962664332010-03-14T12:18:00.000-07:002010-03-14T12:18:08.845-07:00Solvang Century Race (Ride) ReportIt's been a crazy week of training....a peak week, and since my injured IT Band has been recovery nicely a lot more intensity has been thrown in. The highlight was my first 100 mile ride --- the Solvang Century. I stayed up at my mom's house, about 30 minutes from the small Danish town of Solvang. After waking up at 5:15 I suited up and headed Northeast. I saw a small red fox run across the road as I neared the start, that definitely woke this nature lover up! The first thing I noticed was the insane wind. It's not often that you look at a forecast and it has ARROWS (representing wind) as the icon (usually sun, clouds, etc...) They had predicted 20-30 mph winds all day....Yikes.<br />
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I started slightly after 7 AM and worked my way through the farm land. From time to time massive "pelotons" would streak by at 20 mph and then get promptly broken up at the sight of a roller. It was really fun spending some time in these large groups of 40+ cyclists. It certainly helped with the wind! I ended up meeting up with another LA Tri member, Chris Bird at around mile 30 --- we stuck together for 15 or so miles before I went off on my own. At times I was powering through the crazy wind by myself, at times I was leading pacelines. Rarely could I find a group that wasn't riding too fast or too slow. It's ok, all that wind certainly made the trek rougher, which was the point of the day!<br />
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Somewhere in all of the insane beauty the course offered we were halted as cattle crossed the road! So witty dude yelled "cow up!" I laughed.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3tr4po0WcckTJdWvtMxCmcrXX68m8ARXvb2C3ghFOomWcUY7cbis4sRdJ_LCQxNcXcFebVLCfKrHoC878D5K_dPB2i9HSEtNFoKbMHpwQmsNtP4Kg0GYI7IGBHo2JjUBs7ONDF7LOMfq/s1600-h/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3tr4po0WcckTJdWvtMxCmcrXX68m8ARXvb2C3ghFOomWcUY7cbis4sRdJ_LCQxNcXcFebVLCfKrHoC878D5K_dPB2i9HSEtNFoKbMHpwQmsNtP4Kg0GYI7IGBHo2JjUBs7ONDF7LOMfq/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">My coach, Rom had told me to really push hard the last 30 miles, which included the hardest rollers on the course (and also the most tired legs.) I took this to heart, and despite hitting "mini walls" at miles 60 and 80 was able to push through, passing hordes of people who went out too hard. The last 10 miles I was finally on the right side of the wind and flew into town at 30+ mph. If it weren't for the crazy rough road this would have been the best part of the day. The last bit of the course was the same as the SB Wine Country Half Marathon - so I got to avenge the two hills that cost me those 2/10 of a second that had me go just over 1:50 last May! Cruising in I noticed that the finish was 1 miles short by my count. I wanted those triple digits! So I road up a half mile, turned around and called my first 100 miler complete in about 6:08. Very happy with a 16 mph average on the windiest day I've ever ridden in. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Although I was totally spent, I was oddly energized. Despite thinking on the course "and I'm planning on running a marathon after this?" I can actually begin to wrap my head around the idea. Training is working...but I'm still freaking bloody tired! But my spirits are definitely lifted by my most recent purchase at the expo....a Dr Pepper cycling jersey! I think I'll have to wear this in my big race...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdN-MXHlIyU-tC8q9XUj6queXqvgsU5v7itJFPh3Ip6vuWZpdFpVJldIFj27MiXA1WiWPhfnktbq_3GxCTjdomTjAQsgCbwal4MA04cX3AA0MC43jvvTpB_apx0YciebH12F-CRRw3az6/s1600-h/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqdN-MXHlIyU-tC8q9XUj6queXqvgsU5v7itJFPh3Ip6vuWZpdFpVJldIFj27MiXA1WiWPhfnktbq_3GxCTjdomTjAQsgCbwal4MA04cX3AA0MC43jvvTpB_apx0YciebH12F-CRRw3az6/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-3070949577954610552010-03-02T09:20:00.000-08:002010-03-02T09:20:30.342-08:004 Months to Go<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">It's been awhile since my last blog update, and for good reason. I've been busy, but also injured! Thankfully I'm on the upside, but the IT Band issue never got better. Despite still swimming and cycling through it, my run has suffered. I've still been putting in light miles, but I started physical therapy, will get orthotics for my running shoes and will be back at 100% VERY soon.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The bike has improved drastically. Two weeks ago I was in Santa Barbara for the week premiering my piece "The Remarkable Farkle McBride" for over 3,000 school kids. It couldn't have gone better and we're looking at planning a family concert for the public in the fall. With any luck it'll also go to other orchestras. Exciting! </div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZCvmcG8Cc8X3RuvI8PRsKGUGWAet6u71wwsBvR-1ckTSeO0uDcK5sfvq48lN9oK4SO7ZjPB5afcXtg8K8zd7v078jqce4iLAn5JLQyycRtxgCY04vyoh6X95aN1MEQy5X2zW1QgaTcfk/s1600-h/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3ZCvmcG8Cc8X3RuvI8PRsKGUGWAet6u71wwsBvR-1ckTSeO0uDcK5sfvq48lN9oK4SO7ZjPB5afcXtg8K8zd7v078jqce4iLAn5JLQyycRtxgCY04vyoh6X95aN1MEQy5X2zW1QgaTcfk/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Orchestra</span></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhND5Je-QgpXlWHRpbzjhDtf4vwZkQ8JnDmJK7k21eUy0SEu0OY7UssaYDac_kZUv4KR0-N157gOnQnz6GmuC4czXmrgk_e4_A2PjQ0jgXMr1zuvvAiXVvtCWKP4XRBtXV9C96CXHU44Z/s1600-h/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhND5Je-QgpXlWHRpbzjhDtf4vwZkQ8JnDmJK7k21eUy0SEu0OY7UssaYDac_kZUv4KR0-N157gOnQnz6GmuC4czXmrgk_e4_A2PjQ0jgXMr1zuvvAiXVvtCWKP4XRBtXV9C96CXHU44Z/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>The Kids</b></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">During my stay I went on an EPIC ride. I made it up the famed Gibraltar Road, despite having to catch my breath (and legs) 4 times. I netted about 4,600 feet of gain in just 45 miles. Killer. The climbs have continued, as this last weekend I set a Latigo PR of about 57 minutes without standing up out of the seat. Me and the crew added Piuma as well which was 5 miles of pure hell. STEEP. But I'm feeling more and more confident with my climbing - netted about 5,200 feet of gain in 75 miles. France has 5,900 in 112 miles - so I'm very close!</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9gn1IOX3FxmYt-y6pSgq9ZaL5SUX_3M-6JZEwZWOBhMHG5-GKofX123SEbrlTGzdkbjNqXqCZkVxbrixep8PXNqilFd3v142XTVkkegWHvvqtb6iSnUz6qHZArIigKfQsSV6z4IYtjbj/s1600-h/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW9gn1IOX3FxmYt-y6pSgq9ZaL5SUX_3M-6JZEwZWOBhMHG5-GKofX123SEbrlTGzdkbjNqXqCZkVxbrixep8PXNqilFd3v142XTVkkegWHvvqtb6iSnUz6qHZArIigKfQsSV6z4IYtjbj/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Top of Gibraltar Road, Santa Barbara</span></b></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLiNSGPv90IEIO4-CJoX0HVNz_iJDS7FpnObOqVsNYiCD69HRJDnh6YmhXzkWgBpNEZBs95BfS0AtWvxkf0B6fqzPdp7Zoze7SFLqnTa1Qp2_tQ-Mxrr8_E7f2BeBE2-7-IL8IVGOYskw/s1600-h/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYLiNSGPv90IEIO4-CJoX0HVNz_iJDS7FpnObOqVsNYiCD69HRJDnh6YmhXzkWgBpNEZBs95BfS0AtWvxkf0B6fqzPdp7Zoze7SFLqnTa1Qp2_tQ-Mxrr8_E7f2BeBE2-7-IL8IVGOYskw/s320/photo.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b>Top of Latigo Canyon, stretching and waiting for my friends.</b></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">The bike fit I just got from Nate Loyal is phenomenal. Great guy too - actually saw him randomly TWICE on my long ride. Descending Las Flores (very steep) a motorcycle pulls up beside me and the dude says "How ya doing buddy? It's Nate!" Too funny. He's asking me how the fit is, etc. Awesome.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">So I'm in PT, stretching a TON and getting better and stronger. Can't complain. Less than 4 months out, except for the run (which is coming back!) I'm feeling right on track.</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">*** If you'd like to hear a highlight reel of the orchestra piece drop me a line and I'll forward you the link! ***</div>cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7620203094877930747.post-25618614797718338552010-01-30T23:04:00.000-08:002010-01-30T23:04:38.925-08:00Bike Mileage PR and IT IssuesQuick blog today. I've been dealing with some IT band issues ever since my big build two weeks ago. It's definitely getting better, but is definitely holding back my training a bit. A few random items of note:<br />
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• My mom turned 60 today. Yay Mom!<br />
• My orchestra piece for the SB Symphony is complete. Phew.<br />
• Only 147 Days Until IM France, but who's counting?<br />
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Other than that, I took a great ride up PCH with my great friend Eric. We made it all the way to Big Rock (about 40 miles North of Santa Monica) for a huge mileage PR - logging 83 miles in about 5 hours of riding. My big complaint about Eric (I can him Ewik) is he's way too serious:<br />
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And we managed to get dropped (no surprise there) by the BMC Pro Team! Eric and I both had the same idea of sprinting to try and keep up with them for a minute at what must be their recovery pace. We both redlined and descended back into reality very quickly. See how far away they are by the time I got the camera phone out?! (That's their van following.)<br />
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Then we saw this:<br />
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A great day with another ride (climb) tomorrow since I'm sidelined from any running for another day or so. But on the upside the swim is really coming along. I did a 50 meter sprint in sub :40 the other day. I'm told that's not too horrible. At least I have a trace of natural ability in one of the three disciplines! :)<br />
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Till next time!cody@codywestheimer.comhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17001131020788314496noreply@blogger.com3