A Good Cause

Sarah and I will be participating in the MS150 bike ride this coming September to benefit the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. It consists of two consecutive days of bike rides (rides not races) totaling 150 miles which we will do with a team of folks from the Seattle area, some of whom we know well and some of whom we will know much better before this is all over (most of whom are S&W employees). The rides will be held up in the Bellingham/Anacortes area. It is an individual ride...so no team riding entries will be allowed. In the spirit of raising awareness for MS we are also trying to raise funds to help with research, developing new treatment possibilities, and helping all those people and their families, who are living with MS everyday. Support of any kind would be much appreciated and put to good use by the National MS Society. We will update our blog with some photos from the event... Sarah just realized that it will be a "challenging" course.. should be interesting.

If you would like to make a monetary pledge via credit card you can follow this link: http://bikewas.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_WAS_ePledge

If you feel that your resources are better suited to be used in a volunteer capacity, visit the following link to help out in a volunteer capacity: http://bikewas.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_WAS_Volunteer

Even if you don't have the time or the money to donate for this MS event, please consider looking into other events and opportunities that you can help make a difference in the fight against MS. More info can be found here: http://was.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=WAS_homepage

IMCDA 2008 Race Report - Part 3 - After the Cannon

So this is the final installment of my Ironman race report. The cannon sounded and I found myself with my goggles in hand as people began pouring into the water. I quickly strapped them on and headed in. The butterflies were pretty insane at this point. I hit the water in the middle of the pack with about 2000 of my closest friends. The water was cold but had warmed up a bit over the past few days (just a bit shy of 60 degrees). The first lap felt like a water polo match, I actually thought of Michael Hill a few times because I knew he was big into water polo and that he would have a field day picking these people off. I got kicked in the face once (directly on my right goggle lens actually) but luckily it did not knock my goggles off or cause me to pop a contact lens out of my eye...both would have sucked. I headed to the beach at the end of my first lap...35 minutes, faster than expected but also probably running on adrenaline. Back in for a second lap. My neck started feeling a bit sore from all the sighting but didn't think much about that until later in the race. Second lap, more of the same but the full body contact tapered off a bit as people spread out a bit. Never had more than about 10 strokes of open water though because people collapsed on openings pretty agressively. Out of the water in 1:13:49 and feeling good about that.

I run up to the transition area and run into a semi circle of shuckers. They tell you to lay down on your back and they basically shuck your wetsuit off of you...much like shucking an ear of corn. Then I get my bike gear on and head over to the sunscreen gals. A lady wearing "lunchlady gloves" offers to dunk you from head to toe in sunscreen, when she looks at the back of my neck she exclaims "EEEWWWW... I don't think you want sunscreen on that honey!" I realize that the sore neck while swimming was actually my wetsuit rubbing my neck completely raw in a spot about the size od a silver dollar. I figure I will be in tears later when the sweat hits that spot. I go pick up my bike and head out the gates. T1 - 7:25. Not my best transition by any means but I guess I'm not too worried about it. Tear out of the transition area fuled entirely by adrenaline still. Bike feels surprisingly light, fast, and easy to maintain 20 mph (this is the foreshadowing part of the story). First loop felt really strong averaging somewhere around 17-18 mph, which was good given a 25 mile stretch of consistent climbing and descending some decent rollers. By the end of the first loop I was starting to feel the effects of going out a bit too fast. I think my nutrition plan of eating a LOT of calories and hoping to digest as many as possible was backfiring as well. I guess I never read the article that said if you try to over eat calorie-wise it often leads to digestive distress. Well that began to happen on the second loop, so the aid stations every 10 miles became my friend. Still kept trying to pound down the calories (on the order of 400 per hour) but eventually my stomach told my mind to just STOP EATING for a while. I was worried that not having the calories would hurt me on the run but I wasn't going to force myself to eat...I could always slow down on the run and eat some food if needed. The only thing I kept consuming after that was my Accelerade and salt tablets...occasional Gu. Second lap was a bit painful, between the GI issues, generally getting tired, and my nerves about not eating enough calories I slowed way down. Beautiful course though and great community support. Lots of folks at the end of their driveway BBQ-ing and offering free beer to any racers who wanted one...tempting but it was Miller Light, not my label of choice. Off the bike (and thankful for that) in 7:12:51 (15.5 mph - slower than I had hoped for). An 8:03 T2 was again slower than predicted but well worth it as they had ice cold towels for everyone and I came out of there feeling great again.

I head out of T2 feeling stronger than expected. I see Kristine, Sarah, Matt and Claire as I head out on the run course. I finally learned my lesson and controlled my pace coming out of T2. I keep pounding the salt tablets and give Gu another shot. That backfires and I am back into the throes of GI distress. 26 long miles of GI distress. Fortunately the aid stations were located about once every mile so it wasn't too bad but I did have to stop at every one of them. Walking through the aid stations was a big benefit as well. I gave up on eating synthetic food and started in on orange slices, pretzels, and cookies (you know...real food). I was offered chicken broth several times but not even 13+ hours of exercise can make that sound appetizing. The real heartbreaker is when you head back into town at the 13 mile mark and a guy with a mega-phone says, "If you are finishing move to the left side of the road, if you have another loop, stay to the right." Seeing people move left and head for the finish line was painful. I asked the guy what it would take to let me slip over there. He replied with a straight face, "One dollar in cash right now...do you happen to have that on you right now?" Knowing the answer before he asked the question, he smiled and laughed and I trudged on. I began speeding up for the last 4 miles or so and was running about 8 minute miles for the last 2. I finally started feeling better GI-wise around the 24 mile mark. That was a great note to be finishing the race on. I ran down the street towards the finishing chute and crossed the line after seeing Kristine, Riley, Justin, and Sarah on the sidelines cheering. Total run time 4:56:54.

I crossed the line as the sun was setting in a total time of 13:39:01 and posed for the camera...WHAT A DAY! Great course! Bad nutrition plan! Lots of lessons learned! Can't wait for next year!

I Ate like a mad-man for about 4 days afterward, kind of that "I can afford that" eating philosophy. The soreness in my legs was pretty well gone by about Wednesday, much thanks (I think) to a post-race ice bath. I had an awesome time and can't wait for next year.

IMCDA 2008 Race Report - Part 2 - Toeing The Line

This is the second part of my race report for Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2008. This part focuses on everything from the start of race weekend through "Toeing The Line" (or the moment before the canon goes off to start the race).

After a 5 hour drive from our home in Seattle, WA we arrived in Coeur d'Alene, ID and pulled into the driveway of the home that we rented. Sarah, Madison, and I piled out of the car to explore our new surroundings. Matt and Claire would be in later that evening and Kristine, Justin, Riley, and Boulder would follow on Friday night. It was going to be perfect, 3 bedroom house with a fenced in backyard for the dogs...all of the comforts of home and a kitchen so we could cook most of our own meals. So we arrive and walk around the house, it was nice, but something was missing...can't quite put my finger on it...the missing item was the 3rd bedroom. Oh crap! I wasn't too keen on sleeping on the couch the night before the race so we kept searching. There must have been 5 couches in that house and we tore the cushions from each one looking for the fold out bed...no such luck. Finally Sarah opened a closet door and it turned out to be a stairwell to the attic. A large bedroom had been drywalled into the attic...it was rustic but had lots of room to spread out, which is what I needed with all the crap I brought. So we took the wierd attic bedroom and got settled in. Matt and Claire arrived late that night and was promptly welcomed by a tired/confused/growling Madison...very ferocious, let me tell you.

In the morning we headed over to the lake for a quick 10 minute dip/equipment check. There were a lot of folks doing a full swim lap (1.2 miles) or more which kind of surprised me, but I stuck to my plan and just tried to get accimatized to the water temps. Nice little swim and the water wasn't too bad (maybe 58 degrees) with a full wetsuit, a neoprene swim cap, and neoprene swim socks. Got out dried off and went to register. The registration tent was in what would soon be the transition area (both T1 and T2) and right across the way was a very large outdoor expo type of setup with just about everything available for sale. Forget your bike? No problem, just buy a new Cervelo P3C. Forget your wheels? No problem, we've got those too. Bike mechanics were crawling all over that place and eager to assist you or sell you something. You get a flat tire in a place like that and they would be on you in a flash.

Took it easy and made a quick grocery/costco trip before making some dinner. Then off to the athlete's meeting where they warned us about the sharp turns, cold water, and other things that can catch you by surprise. Back to the house for a beer to relax while the rest of the crew indulged in Margaritas. Kristine, Justin, Riley, and Boulder showed up later that evening like a tornado. But we got the dogs into the fenced in backyard and let them blow off some steam. Riley was sleepy and wasn't real sure about anyone at that point...especially Matt...but he had potential so she kept her eye on him. We hung out for a bit and then turned in. In the morning I had to twist Justin's arm to go out with his brand new Trek Madone to ride the upper loop of the bike course (about 36 miles) to scout it out for me. I went to get my bike checked in and racked and drop off my T1 and T2 bags. Starting to get more jittery now but more excited than nervous. Just trying to stay loose. Headed back drove the bike course to get a feel for what it was going to be like. Went back and downloaded with Justin to compare what I saw versus what he felt like. After that there was a sign making party inside and some relaxing on the deck with some sports drink outside (let the hydration kick into a higher gear). We all had dinner together, did a small amount of race spectator location planning etc...and then off to bed. Just try to get some sleep, just get some sleep! Actually went right to sleep...no problem. I was amazed.

Up a little bit before 5am, get dressed for the day and head down for some breakfast. Kristine comes up out of the basement...no bedroom down there...must have crashed on the couch so she didn't wake Riley when we got up. Toast with PB&J, and Instant Breakfast, and a Banana. Pack the rest up and head to the start line around 5:30. Now pretty nervous. Pump up the tires on the bike, drop off the bike and run special needs bags (the bags that you get halfway through each of those legs that you can put whatever into them), and back to the area where the early morning crew (Sarah, Kristine, Claire, and Matt) set up to watch the swim. Start putting on my wesuit at about 6:15. At 6:25 the pros start...looks intense at the swim start but then again there are only about 50 of them total in the race as compared to 2100 of the rest of us schmucks set to go off at 7:00. Finish getting wetsuit on say goodbye to the early morning crew and head over to the beach. The plan is that everyone lines up on this beach and a canon goes off...the rest is supposed to be part blender part WWF wrestling match. So I get my swim caps on and get my goggles defogged. Don't want them on my head until the 10 second countdown because my hot head tends to fog up goggles. VERY nervous now. Try to bounce around and stretch to stay loose and keep my mind off the nerves. Chat and laugh nervously with one woman next to me....BANG.

That was it, didn't see it coming, the start really snuck up on me but thats probably for the best. Suddenly I snap out of it and see the person in front of me start moving toward the water. I did it. I made it to the start of the Ironman without major injury or illness. I spent 8 months baking the cake, now I am ready for the icing. I feel great and I am ready to go. I toed the line...and then lifted my left foot toward the water.

...mental note for next time: place the T1 and T2 bags inside a garbage bag with the opening facing down just in case it rains overnight

IMCDA 2008 Race Report - Part 1 - Training

As most of you know by now, I entered into and successfully finished the Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene triathlon, which was held on June 22, 2008. For those who don't know what that is...it is a long distance triathlon consisting of...you guessed it...three events: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a 26.2 mile run (in that order). I know this race report is a little bit tardy but better late than never, right? First of all let me say what an extremely superb experience the whole thing was! I would totally recommend it to anyone...if not to complete for yourself, then at least to attend a nearby event to witness the whole thing. If you have one of these in or near your hometown, I strongly encourage you to go check it out. Part 1 of this race report is about "Training" or in other words, everything before race weekend.

Before I get into it here, I would like to take a minute to make a special note. This whole thing would not have been possible without the unconditional love and support that Sarah provided me with from day one. I am sure that my training wore on her in ways not to dissimilar to how it wore on me but she rarely let it show and always maintained a positive and inspirational attitude to help keep me going. She was my running partner, my swim coach, my nutritionist (i.e. "Are you eating again???"), my sounding board (who remained attentive even though I suspect that she doesn't care about gear ratios and aerodynamics nearly as much as I do), and my life partner. Without the better half of Team Upsall present for every step along the way, this would have been way...WAY more difficult. I hope that someday I can repay your support in some way, shape, or form. Thank you Sarah!

I committed to and entered the race almost a year ago, as is typical of the Ford Ironman races since they sell out within days (and sometimes hours) of the finish of the current years race. There are only 6 of them held in North America every year - Coeur d'Alene; Madison; Penticton, BC; Lake Placid; Arizona; and Florida. While there are probably hundreds of Iron-distance races held in the US every year, the Ford Ironman races are REALLY well organized and put on by a full-time staff of seriously anal-retentive race planners.

Seeing as how I committed to the race in about August, I had plenty of time to train myself to complete the race. I began doing some base training immediately but that was fairly relaxed and not necessarily triathlon specific (i.e. could have also included hiking, snowshoeing, marathon home improvement sessions, and/or beer drinking...never to early to start carbo-loading right?). I didn't get into the real guts of my training program until we got back from our trip to Vietnam in early November. While on that vacation I built myself an 8 month training plan based on the guidelines and tips set forth in Joe Friel's book "The Triathlete's Training Bible". From there, a steady progression of (mostly) endurance and (some) speed workouts for each sport in combination with systematic rest periods began slowly preparing my body to physically and mentally deal with the workout that would come on race day. My weekly training hours ranged from the single digits (during base and rest weeks) up to about 18-19 (during the end of my base phase training). I did most of my bike and swim training in the mornings before work and the run training fell after work typically. Long runs and rides were stuff for weekends, obviously, and eating...well I pretty much ate and drank what I wanted, when I wanted. Sarah helped keep me in a somewhat nutritional realm (at least in the same book that the food pyramid is printed in) but I would be lying if I said I didn't occasionally hoark down a half dozen Krispy Kremes on "Doughnut Friday" or three pieces of birthday cake (guys like me are the real reason why Milton never gets a piece of birthday cake - Office Space reference) at the office from time to time. I think that during much of the early training, she was put off by how much I ate while maintaining my body weight.

It is commonly recommended for first-timers not to run a marathon during their Ironman training, because that alone breaks down the body and requires enough recovery that you could set your training back several weeks and greatly increase your risk of injury. So with that said, the marathon leg of the event on race day was the longest run I have ever completed. In fact, race day also marked my longest ever swim and my longest ever bike ride as well...lots of firsts that day.

After all the tough training came a 3 week taper, where you decrease your training volume in order to let your body heal, strengthen, and get prepared for the race. It is a strange feeling going into a race of this distance knowing that your last long swim, bike, or run were over three weeks ago. The first week feels like a rest week...great...but then the next two weeks you start to feel lethargic as you start getting less of your exercise fix. In some sense, I felt like my body was going through withdrawal and I definitely felt like I was losing fitness. But I read a lot of articles in books and magazines, written by people with a lot more Ironman experience than I, that warned of these symptoms and said that you had to trust in your body and let it heal properly before the race. They say that during your taper, you are better off not working out at all for the whole three weeks than trying to get one last 100 mile training ride under your belt. During the taper I continued to eat a lot in order to fuel up my body. Sarah appeared more or less numb to my caloric intake by this point.

All that was left to do was pack up, hit the road, and get 'er done...