CRASH REPORT!

Today I had a scheduled 72 mile ride and 5 mile run. I was feeling really good today. 60 miles in to my ride I was heading eastbound on Portola just before Jeffrey when I collided with a recreational cyclist who was slowing to turn right on to the bike trail. So frustrating because  it was totally my fault and could have been avoided if I had just looked up. I basically was hammering with my head down. I saw two riders in the distance but had gauged based on speed I wouldn't overtake them as quickly as I did. They both slowed down to just a few miles per hour. I looked up on impact. I was totally shocked. The rider I hit barely fell as he was only going a few miles per hour and heavier than me. I went flying as I was going 18-20 MPH. His damage thankfully, only one minor abrasion and his bike was totally fine. I hit my head, elbow, and hip. I was on the ground trying to understand what just happened. For a few seconds I saw my Ironman come to an end. They both wanted to help me up but I told them to just let me lay here for a moment while I assessed things. I finally got up and they helped me with my bike. Surprisingly the only damage was a wobble in my rear wheel. I apologized profusely for not paying attention and they were both very understanding. Of course I was the only one with a cracked helmet and bleeding. Every bike racer has crashed at some point so once I was certain I was good to go I got back on my bike to see how I really felt. My head was fine, my elbow and hip were hurting as well as my right knee. Although my right knee had no road rash I think I strained it as my right foot un-clipped from the pedal during the crash. I'm so thankful I was able to finish my final 12 miles including the climb to the end of Portola and even managed a slow three mile run.

Now that I've showered, taken Ibuprofin and my wonderful wife has cleaned my wounds, I feel very fortunate. My elbow should be fine for swimming. I'm mostly concerned about my knee and hip. I have a scheduled 20 mile run tomorrow. My knee is actually hurting more than anything else now but I'm icing and keeping it elevated.

 This could have been a real disaster and it was all due to my foolishness of not watching the road in front of me. I'm so thankful that no one was hurt more seriously. Please pray that I will overcome these injuries quickly and they don't hinder my final weeks of race prep.

One more take away from this...ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET!

SILICON VALLEY LONG COURSE RACE REPORT

Three weeks before this race I received notice that the swim venue was changing due to water quality conditions at Almaden Park and the swim would be moved to Uvas Reservoir roughly 20 miles south of the original swim course. This would mean there would be two transitions for this event instead of the original plan for one. I’ve only done one other race with two transitions and it’s not my preference. It just adds to the stress because now you need to make sure you have exactly what you need for the bike and run at two separate locations. I was grateful though that the organizers cared enough about my health that they didn’t want me swimming in polluted water. Logistically two separate transitions are hard on the race promoter as well.

After a seven hour drive my wife Liz and I arrived at T1 to drop off my bike and scout out the new swim venue. It was interesting because we would actually swim around a long peninsula with a large hill. I can’t recall ever doing a swim where you cannot see the start or finish once you’re in the water. The other thing I noticed was that the water level seemed low and the distance from the point of exiting the swim to transition was maybe 200 meters on dirt and brush. It would not be pleasant for this tenderfoot. After the bike drop we drove half of the bike course towards T2 at Almaden Park and then to my cousins house in San Jose where we were warmly welcomed and treated like first class clients at the Ritz Carlton.

THE SWIM

No wonder I swim slow

I arrived a little later than I normally like to before a race and was still trying to sort out what I needed. This had more to do with two transitions than poor planning. Once I had everything set up it was time to get my wetsuit on and head towards the water. Unfortunately I was headed in the wrong direction. What I thought was the swim entry was actually the swim exit! We were swimming the opposite direction than what I had envisioned the day before. This may not seem like a big deal but when swimming is your weakness it’s very important for me to do visualization of what my swim looks like days before the race. I hurried down to the water and asked the race official how much time I had…”Ninety seconds!” he said. It was just enough time for me to get in the water and swim to the start line. At least the water was warm. The gun sounded and my swim was off. I started swimming and was actually staying with my group at first and then started to fade. I just didn’t feel strong during my swim like I did at Wildflower. I don’t know if it was being disoriented and rushed to get to the start but I just was not feeling like I had power in my stroke. It just didn’t feel like my day. I reached the boat ramp and for me there is nothing like getting your feet back on solid ground.

SWIM TIME: 49:58

WILDFLOWER LONG COURSE RACE REPORT

Race Headquarters

I decided to put this race on my calendar this year because of its reputation of being one of the toughest half iron distance races around. The U.S. Championship course will be much more difficult than Ironman Arizona and I wanted to compete in this race to get a feel for where I'm at in my training and where my weaknesses are. Some say the Wildflower long course is nearly as difficult as a full Ironman. The 56 mile bike has 5,345 feet of elevation gain and the 13.1 mile run has over 2,000 feet of elevation gain. In comparison the U.S. Ironman Championship course will have 3,900 feet of elevation gain in its 112 miles and 2,100 feet of elevation gain for its 26.2 mile run. As you can see the Wildflower course is not for someone who doesn't like hills.

 The carrot for this race was chasing my wife Liz's course time of 6:35:43. Looking at her splits I felt I could beat her swim and bike times. The key would be gaining enough of an advantage in those disciplines to beat her run time of 2:10:27 which I was fairly confident I could do based on my recent training.  
Before I get in to my race report let me tell you that the Wildflower Triathlon is a must attend event. The venue is beautiful, the race celebrating its 30th anniversary is very well organized. It totally lives up to its reputation as the Woodstock of triathlons with over 30,000 people attending, live music, excellent food vendors with reasonable prices, tri related sports vendors and even activities for children. Nearly everyone camps or brings an RV. Even some of the Pros have been known to sleep in a tent during the weekend. It's the perfect place for a beginner or serious triathlete to race and if you bring the entire family and they will all be guaranteed a good time. The only time you may be disappointed with is your finishing time if you under estimate the difficulty of this course.

THE SWIM 1.2 Miles

First off, let me tell you that Lake San Antonio has the best tasting water I've ever swam in...and did I mention warm? This is only my 9^th triathlon and only my second in the past 18 months. Although I’m more confident than I used to be, I still get butterflies. I told my wife Liz when I stop getting nervous about triathlons, that’s when I need to start doing something else. After setting up my transition I walked down to the boat ramp to prepare for my wave start. The lake was calm and peaceful with the exception of the athletes who had already started swimming.

Swim start

 It looked like the perfect morning on Lake San Antonio. After the wave started ahead of us we all had a chance to get in to the water for a quick swim before our start. The water was a comfortable 68 degrees and with the warm sun on a black wet suit it felt refreshing to get in to the lake. Back on the boat ramp we all waited for our wave start. As usual I hang toward the back of our group to stay out of the “real” swimmers way. The gun sounded and I casually stroll in to the water knowing I'm one of the slowest in the group. As I started my swim aiming for the first buoy of the rectangular course I was feeling calm and started my slow and steady stroke. At the first buoy I noticed that I was still with other swimmers in my wave and there were actually a number of people behind me. This is good! Right turn and I seemed to be sighting well as I swam a perfect line parallel to the shore. I was still getting hit and kicked occasionally by a few swimmers, another good sign that I'm at least hanging with others. Feeling more confident than ever during a swim I started pushing my pace and noticed I was catching stragglers from the wave in front. To me this was a great feeling and just boosted my confidence to swim harder. As I made my way around the final buoy I noticed I had taken a bad line and was now about 100 meters off line from what everyone else was swimming. In my haste to swim harder I sighted poorly. Lesson learned. I corrected and was in a nice groove when about 200 meters from the boat ramp my left calf cramped. Not bad but enough I had to stop, stretch it out and then swim timidly to the finish. I got out of the water looked at my watch and was so happy. I just had my fastest 1.2 mile swim and that was with a cramp and bad sighting.

Liz's Time: 54:19

Goal Time: 45:00

Actual Time: 44:01

WHY ANOTHER IRONMAN?

There is no doubt competing in an Ironman can be self serving. The months of dedication and commitment to training doesn't exactly make it an instant gratification kind of thing, but the structure you have to commit to with the goal of training up your body to complete this event can take it's toll on your family, job and social life if you're not careful. For me justification comes by making my Ironman about something bigger than just me. For 2012 that something is raising money for the Alzheimer's Association and dedicating this Ironman to my uncle Ron Clarke and others who suffer from this disease. And to all of the family and caregivers who need support, strength and patience assisting loved ones.

Uncle Ron. Christmas 2010

After Ironman Arizona I had no doubt that I would do another Ironman some day. It was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life. I just didn't plan for it to be in 2012. When WTC announced they would hold an inaugural Ironman U.S. Championship in New York City I had thoughts that it would be an amazing experience to race in New York but doing an Ironman in 2012 was just not something my wife and I planned on in 2012. A few months later I received an e-mail that the Ironman organization (WTC) was partnering with several charities and non profits for the Ironman U.S. Championship. One of the organizations was the Alzheimer's Association. I immediately thought of my uncle and how I could race for him. The Alzheimer's Association required that I submit an application to them telling them why I should be selected to race on their team, my experience in fundraising and my race resume. If selected I would be given an entry in to the race, coaching and clothing. I really didn't think I had a chance of being selected. Three weeks later I received an e-mail. I was sitting in Starbucks with my wife Liz..."Oh no...Ohh my gosh" What's wrong? she asked. I read the e-mail to her. "Congratulations, you've been selected to participate in the Ironman U.S. Championship with Athletes to End Alzheimer's team"

My requirement for being on the team is to raise $5,000.00 in support of the Alzheimer's Association. I know raising $5,000.00 seems like a daunting task but I'm trusting in God and feel led by Him to begin this new journey.
Please help those who are suffering by making a tax deductible contribution to the Alzheimer's Association. Just click on the button above.

Check back or subscribe to my blog and follow me on this Ironman journey that takes me to the Big Apple as I race for others battling Alzheimer's. 

UNDER CONTRUCTION! - A new look and a new journey.

It's been some time since I've posted on my blog. It's now under reconstruction as I start a new journey that takes me to New York City for the first time while raising money to fight the battle against a horrible disease called Alzheimer's. 

I didn't do a single triathlon in 2011. Not due to any health issues or the experience I had finishing my first Ironman, but because I was focused on another endurance event I participated in called Race Across America or RAAM.

Check back for updates on my next journey as I prepare for the Ironman U.S. Championship in New York with the goal of raising $5,000 for the Alzheimer's Association.

HOMES OF HOPE HOUSE BUILD

prov·i·dence - "The doctrine of divine providence, therefore had reference to that preservation, care and government which God exercises over all things He has created, in order that they may accomplish the ends for which they were created." ISBE

Alejandro, Aracelis, Hernan

 I can't help but look back to the night of October 11th 2008 in Kona Hawaii where the dream of doing an Ironman began and how it would all culminate in the building of a house for a wonderful family in Mexico this past weekend. When I started my  Ironman journey it was important to me that it wasn't just self serving or that this whole idea of becoming an "Ironman" didn't take precedence over family, ministry, or friends. I will never forget the words of my counselor/teacher Ron Davis, "Greg, what makes you think God can't use this Ironman for his glory?" As it turns out God did use it in the most amazing way. Thanks to the generous donations of my supporters I raised nearly $4,000.00 through the Janus Ironman Charity Challenge to build a home for a family that was so deserving. This family, Alejandro, Aracelis and their son Hernan operate an orphanage for over 30 children in Tijuana including 18 infants and toddlers three of which have special needs. This family lived at the orphanage which meant they had no time for themselves. They were so grateful to have a place of refuge where they can now re-energize themselves for the daily struggles of running an orphanage in Baja Mexico. This also frees up space so the orphanage can take in more children. It was such a privilege to build a home for this family who makes sacrifices daily to meet the basic needs of little ones who are were not seeing those needs being met. Some of these children have been abandoned by their mother or father, some are children born to a drug addicted mother, others have seen their father leave and the mother forced to finding work can no longer care for her child or children. It's all a bit overwhelming to hear from Aracelis about the struggles and anger that these children are trying to cope with and escape.

Raising the wall

The house build itself was nothing short of miraculous.Unlike previous years of rain, this year we had perfect build weather with sunny skies and temps. in the low 70's. We also had a very strong team with plenty of building experience. It didn't hurt having kids from the orphanage help with the painting! With God's grace we finished building the home by noon on Sunday. Amazing! I have to say that without a doubt this was the nicest house we have ever built.

If you want to build like an Ironman you've got to eat like one!

Hernan and Aracelis

Hernan and his amigos

Truss this!

To my generous sponsors, I want you to know that Alejandro and Aracelis are so deserving of your gift and they so appreciate what you have sacrificed for them. They are so loving, so caring and willing to give of themselves every day for the well being of the orphans. Through your support of this family you have helped indirectly to make the lives of each and every orphan that they care for just a little better.

You want it cut in centimeters?

Thank you for supporting my Ironman Homes of Hope quest and impacting the lives of so many in such a wonderful way. This wonderful journey and God's providence in all things has touched me so deeply and forever changed me...I hope you feel the same. To use the words of Aracelis and Alejandro, "Que Dios bendiga sus vida grandemente" "May God bless your life greatly"

The Team

New bedroom

Kids helping paint

Dining room table

I want to share some unedited video with all of you. These are two very powerful clips that you must watch. One is the dedication of the house with Aracelis and Alejandro thanking us. The other is an interview with Aracelis asking her about the orphanage. The last video was taken at the orphanage with the infants. Please watch and enjoy the videos below. 

IRONMAN RECOVERY

 "The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it."

It's hard to believe that four weeks have passed since I finished my first Ironman.

I wanted to document for anyone doing an Ironman what the recovery process looked like for me these past four weeks. This is probably a boring post unless you're considering an Ironman but I wanted to share my experience and hopefully help another "Ironman Rookie". Most of what I did was recommend by coaches and athletes with the exception of my morning after bike ride. While most recommend a swim or walking the day after an Ironman, for me an easy bike ride is the best recovery activity. I believe that because of my bike the morning after Ironman I had minimal stiffness during the 5 1/2 hour drive home. Oh and if you have compression socks or compression tights...use them! I recommend as do others with more experience than me that you resist beginning any hard training until at least three weeks after your Ironman finish.
BTW - If you are wondering why I haven't done any recovery swims...you haven't been reading my blog! :-)

Immediately after you cross the finish line and get your picture taken I strongly recommend the following:

1. Keep walking for 15 to 20 minutes. Don't sit down or lay down...unless you must. (If you have to lay down be sure to elevate your legs.)

After my finish line picture I did laps for 15 minutes around the food and massage tent to keep things from locking up I started feeling light headed like I might faint. I finally sat down for fear I would faint. My wife grabbed a coke for me and once I drank it I felt much better. I 'm sure my blood sugar was depleted. I saw countless people coming in after me exhibiting the same symptoms. Some were transported. For me the coke seemed to do the trick and brought me back to life.

2. After you have cooled down walking get some food and drink.

The cold coke I drank made me shiver uncontrollably even with my space blanket so next I grabbed cup after cup of hot chicken broth before I moved on to french fries, and then pizza.

3. Get your massage.

Don't pass up on your free message. This may be the most important part of your recovery. I felt a little embarrassed because I know I reeked horribly.

 WEEK 1

MONDAY The day after Ironman - After getting a solid eight hours of sleep I woke up this morning determined to get in my short recovery bike ride of maybe 10 miles. As soon as I stood up out of bed and tried to walk every muscle and tendon below my waist begin to seize. My wife gave me a worried look thinking I was going to fall over. I took a quick inventory, my achilles that had bothered me all thru training did not want to function. Both knees that I have had few problems with were stiff and sore. My right hip and IT band were sore and stiff. I somehow managed to hobble to the coffee maker knowing that a cup of coffee often cures all that ails. As long as I kept moving things seemed to get better. I manged to get in a nine mile bike at a 13 MPH pace. I felt pretty good except for the very sore knees when I stood on the pedals to start at an intersection.. I received some strange looks by other athletes as I was riding by them at our hotel. I'm sure they figured I DNF'd since that would be the only reason someone would be on their bike today. After a shower I put on my compression socks for the drive home. My wife drove the first half back to SoCal while I napped and then I felt so good I drove the second half home. We did stop twice to stretch and do some walking. My feeling is the bike did me good especially before the long drive. I was stiff but moving well all day.

TUESDAY - Today there is no doubt I've been hit with a severe cold including night sweats last night. I did walk 1.5 miles to keep loose and get some green tea. The walk felt good and I was moving almost normally with the exception of getting out of bed in the morning. I'm pounding down OJ and vitamins hoping to get better. It's obvious that this illness is a result of my depleted body. I've been thru this before after a Half Ironman.

WEDNESDAY - I'm feeling terrible today. Not because I did an Ironman three days ago but because of this cold virus. My body is actually feeling pretty good with free range of movement. I'm just tired. If it wasn't for being sick I would have done a very short easy ride today. Instead I went grocery shopping for 45 minutes and was exhausted.

THURSDAY - Can we cancel Thanksgiving? Total rest day today and thank God for my awesome cousin Eric and his wife Tammy who prepared most of the meal today.

FRIDAY - Finally feeling better. Walked 1.5 miles today with my daughter to get green tea. My body is wanting physical activity which is a good sign. The only thing bothering me is my calf that cramped on race day.

SATURDAY -  Did an easy small chain ring spin for 13 miles today. My right calf is still tight. and my legs were unusually tired for such an easy ride. Still fighting a cold. I'm not sure if my body is tired form the Ironman the cold or both.

WEEK 2

TUESDAY - Today I did my 18 mile bike training route that includes a 1.5 mile 5% percent grade. Even though I felt great I only averaged 15 MPH on a course that I usually average 18-19 MPH on. When I returned home I still had a tiredness that seemed incongruent with the workout I just did. This is typical at this stage of recovery from an Ironman.

SATURDAY - My wife and I did a 16 mile ride today with some speed...only because my wife likes to race me! For the first time I felt like I had some speed on the bike two weeks after Ironman. I actually felt energized after this ride like I normally would but I can feel my body is still not ready for a hard workout.

SUNDAY - Two weeks to the day after Ironman Arizona I did my first run. Many coaches say this is the earliest you should run after an Ironman and it should be easy and short. I originally planned on doing seven miles but decided to change my route to make it four miles and I'm glad I did. My legs felt great and I intentionally ran an easy pace (9:20 min. mi.) but after my "easy" run my legs felt tired the rest of the day.

WEEK 3

MON. - THURS. - I decided to take a no workout approach to these days. I'm mostly over the cold virus I've been battling and I'm feeling rested. I thought about doing a workout or two but it's cold and dark and I figure my body can use the rest to fully recover from the virus. Besides I'm enjoying the idea of relaxing at home at night without the pressure of trying to fit in a prescribed workout after work.

FRIDAY - Did my second Post Ironman run of four miles while staying below 75% of my MHR. I ran a 9:02 pace and felt great. I wanted to run faster but figured I would save energy for tomorrows bike.

SATURDAY - Today I did my first "race pace" group ride post Ironman of 41 miles. I was a little nervous to test my legs on this ride because it is known as a very fast and tough ride at times. During the flat sprint section of the ride I had a hard time staying on a wheel once it got to 30 MPH but  overall I rode surprisingly well. I couldn't stay with the leaders but I didn't get dropped either. I feel like I could resume normal training on the bike at this point.

SUNDAY - I did what was supposed to be an easy 4 mile run with my wife Liz but as it turned out the last two miles my HR was up to 85% as we ran a 8 minute mile.  When I told her my goal was to keep my HR below 75% she just smiled and said she was letting me set the pace...hmmm. This was the first time since IMAZ training  that I've worked out for three consecutive days. It was a hard run but I felt good with no pain of any kind.

WEEK 4

This should be the week that my body is fully recovered from Ironman. As you can see I've done very little as far as workouts go. Most of it is I just felt the need for rest but it's also the end of the year and the off season for bike racing as well as triathlons so I'm not really motivated to push myself.

MON. - WEDS. - No work out scheduled

THURSDAY - Today I did my 18 mile bike training route that includes a 1.5 mile 5% percent grade. After averaging 15MPH in week two I averaged 17 MPH this time. My legs are recovered and coming back.

 SUNDAY - It's been raining since Friday so no bike for me and I'm not motivated to get on the trainer so I did a 5 mile run in the rain. My legs felt good and although I can tell my fitness is down, I pushed the pace a little and ending up running the same pace as last Sunday with my wife at a lower HR. I felt no residual soreness or effects from Ironman Arizona and if it were spring time I would be going back in to full training mode.