Blue Mountain Triathlon
Monticello, Utah
March 1st
This Winter/Spring triathlon was my first race of the season. The race consisted of a 4 mile skate ski, 35 mile bike, and a 6 mile run. The race finished near Canyonlands National Park. Because of our very cold and snowy winter in Durango, Colorado, my cycling training was very limited. The ski leg was uphill for the first 2 miles which meant max heart rate from the gun. The next challenge was the last 10 miles on the bike into a tough headwind. Heading into the 6 mile run, I was hoping to make up some ground and improve my overall place. Starting on the run my quadriceps felt like they were ready to cramp. So I back off my pace some to keep from cramping. Then I employed the “Galloway Method” of taking walking breaks every so often. Olympic marathoner Jeff Galloway instructs runners to take walking breaks in marathons to give their muscles and tendons a needed rest. Using this method has allowed many runners to take significant time off their best marathon times. Despite taking walking breaks, I was able to pass 6 competitors and finish 6th overall with an overall time of 2 hours 27 minutes. If I hadn’t had leg problems, I would not have used the walking breaks and run 3 minutes faster for 6 miles. The bike portion of the race zapped my legs. After the finish I learned that my training partner had won the race. He took the lead in the last mile of the race. We spent the winter running together on cold (sometimes single digits temps) snow packed roads. After the race my family and I went camping at Canyonlands National Park. Our boys Sean – 4 and Noah- 2 loved hiking on the Slick Rock. My legs were sore for a couple days after that tough race.
Tri the Rim Triathlon
Durango, Colorado
April 13
This sprint triathlon takes place at Fort Lewis College on the mesa overlooking the city of Durango with snow capped 13,000′ peaks in the distance. We started with a 500 yard pool swim, then a 12 mile bike leg, concluding with a 3 mile run that had segments of single track trails. My usual finishing place is in the top five, with a second place in 2006. Presently I only compete in two triathlons a year and both of those are in Durango. In preparation for the swim, I do 12 swim workouts over 3 weeks. If I had the time to do more swim training, I could lower my time by at least a minute. I tried not to swim too fast at the beginning. That is a danger in triathlons. People get very excited at the start and expend too much energy. After the swim we ran to the transition area to put on bike shoes and helmet. Starting out the bike segment I was next to a friend of mine. She has raced professionally as a road racer and on mountain bikes. We used each other to go faster. This was not a draft-legal race, but we pushed each other during segments of the course. She is a better bike handler and I was stronger on the uphill segments. During the 3 mile run I felt ok but not great. At times I had some muscle tightness in my chest. That held me back for a while. For large sections of the run no other runners were in sight, meaning that I didn’t have a carrot ahead of me to catch. When you work to catch someone ahead of you, making the pass gives one a confidence lift. I finished in 1 hour 3 minutes and in 9th place. I knew before the race that a top three finish would be very difficult. While standing in line during registration, two college triathlon teams showed up (Air Force Academy and Colorado State University.) I very much enjoyed racing with many local friends in this annual triathlon. I won the over-50 age group and received a dinner for two at a restaurant next to our train station (Durango-Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad). My next races will be Memorial Day weekend – first a 47 mile hilly bike race (Iron Horse Bicycle Classic) – then, a 5k running race the next day.
Narrow Gauge 5K
Durango, CO
May 25
On this Memorial Day weekend race, I wore my bright red Running Hope race shirt for the first time. This is one of my favorite running races. The last mile and a half is a gradual downhill. I plan not to run the first half of the race too fast, so that I have the energy to fly down the hill. It was on the downhill that I passed two high school and one college runner to win the race last year.
Because 5k races start fast, it is very important to get a very good warmup. Stretching and easy running are good, but getting your heart rate is more important. I run four fast 200 meter sprints on a track if possible. These sprints get my heart rate up to levels that I will see in the race. When the gun goes off, my body is ready to comfortably run at a high heart rate. Because I practised this in my warm up, my body isn’t surprised and I can run hard more comfortably.
On this day my 200’s were fast and comfortable, eventhough my left leg had been sore for a number of weeks. From the start of the race I had trouble following a group of 10 runners. I was patient and slowly started passing runners that had gone out too fast. I was ready to launch myself during the downhill. For a mile and a half of the race my goal was to catch a local 7th grader that ran a 5:23 mile this spring. I know him well as has attended a number of running camps that I conduct during the Summer. I moved into 5th place when I flew past him on the downhill.For this race, I ran hard and smart, but I wish the first half of the race was faster. I need to do more long runs and hills before my next race on July 4th in Jackson, Wyoming. This 10k is a race that I ran every year when I lived there for 7 years. Remember for fast races, get your heart rate up 30-45 minutes before the gun goes off.Also every race is about being smart and being brave. Finding the right balance is the challenge and at times a mystery.
Happy Running and Racing
River Run For Orphans
Durango, Colorado
Sept. 20
I am leading a group to organize a new race in Durango. The goal is to raise money to sponsor specific orphan children in a specific place. The runners will be able to see pictures of the children and their village. Pray that this run will impact our community and the lives of children that don’t have a family. www.riverrunfororphans.com
