As is typical with riding the Cycleops PowerBeam Pro, there is general an ebb and flow of positive energy.  Today, while churning out some quality intervals, I decided to take note of some of own inner monologue.

It went something like this:

“Wonder how I’m going to feel today?”

“Wow, Amanda is really ramping up the speed on the treadmill this morning!”

“Dang, I am feeling pretty good; heart rate seems low, power seems high.”

“Shit, I am really crushing this workout!”

“Whoa, I really wish I was racing next weekend.”

“I would totally kill it if I were heading to Panama!”

“Pretty sure nobody could hold my wheel if I were there.”

“Maybe should have put the space heater on low; I’m getting really hot in here.”

” ‘Give back my heart, chip kicker red neck woman; take those boots and walk out of my life.’ I love that song.”

“I wonder if anyone else listens to Lyle Lovett on the trainer?”

“Crap, I’m really drenched.”

“And I’m getting pretty tired.”

“In fact, someone better get me another towel… ”

“But I’m the only one here – when did Amanda finish running.”

“Need food; I’m done.”

“Get me off of this damn trainer.”

As you can see, there are ups and downs.  And  now I had better fuel up a bit.

JEFF IRVIN @JeffIrvin.

His guess of 5.2 pounds was just shy of the exact amount: 5.4 lbs.

Pre race weight photo, after eating a large breakfast (bagel, almond butter, banana, 1/4 of a cookie, stale energy bar, large glass of water, one bottle of EFS:

(Sorry it’s upside down and sorry the toes are unsightly.)

The temperature at the start of my run was 68 degrees, slightly overcast. But we are in Boulder, so it feels a lot warmer!

(video – click on photo)

During the run, I drank every bit of it:

In all bottles, the total: 104 ounces of pure water. In both flasks, the total: 600 calories of EFS Liquid Shot + 3 oz of water (10 oz total).

I drank one bottle every 4 miles, with the first one lasting 5.5 miles.  The total run time was 2:15, with an average pace of 6:18 per mile (21.25 miles). The workout was 5K wu, 11K at tempo, 5k regroup, 11k at tempo, 2+k cool down.

The temperature at the finish of my run was 73 degrees (12:05PM), with sunny skies.

The post-run weigh-in shows that I am down, despite consuming 114 total ounces of fluid (water + liquid shot).

This means that I lost 5.4 lbs during the course of the run, and Jeff guessed 5.2 lbs.

What does it all mean, despite that Jeff has won himself a bunch of fun freebies?

To me the greatest lesson to share with you all is that despite the seemingly cool conditions, my sweat rate is remains very high.

Converting from ounces to pounds, I took in an average of 3.167 pounds of fluid per hour. My net loss was 5.4, or 2.4 pounds per hour average.  So, we can say that combining the 3.167 (I took in) with the 2.4 (I lost), my sweat rate per hour is 5.567 pounds per hour.  This is right in line with the numbers we discovered during my lab tests a few years ago. However, the lab tests were in extreme “Kona” conditions (85 degrees with 80% + humidity).

So what you hopefully take home is this: your sweat rate is your sweat rate in most conditions. There is little variation, so figure out how much you are losing per hour, and aim to replace that fluid. For best results, combine the pure water with an electrolyte drink or shot like EFS.  This helps you absorb the fluid, and it will keep you in system in electrolyte balance – something that is key to successful endurance training and racing!

To those of you who thought I would not lose weight, you obviously haven’t seen me sweat!

Thanks for playing!

A rule of thumb I tend to live by is that hurting is OK, but harming is not.  This means that it’s fine to feel a bit of pain during the comeback, but the pain must go away (or at the very least stay the same) after the run.  Harming is when the pain you feel gets worse or persists all day long after the rehab run.

After my two runs, my assessment was that the muscle was loosening up, and there was notable improvement.  Fortunately for me, I have access to some amazing physical therapists in Austin (as well as in Boulder!), so they were able to confirm that the muscle strain was showing great improvement.  It was not just my own wishful thinking.

Day three of run comeback involved a 44-minute run – four blocks of 11 minutes with the corresponding 1-minute walk break.  The calf continued to pass the test.

Day four (yesterday) involved a bit of deep tissue work and ART.  I chose to swim and bike as my only training activities (in addition to my gym routine), so the calf got a break from running.  At the end of my long ride – later in the evening – I noticed that there was some new swelling/ fluid build-up on the tibia (near the injured Posterior Tibialis).  This pocket was not tender, but seemed to be a new addition.  I assumed it was a result of the manual therapy I had received that morning, so I iced for ten minutes.

Knowing that I had an hour run planned for today, I made sure I had covered every base, in terms of recovery. Another fortunate thing for me is that our Trakkers-Rev3 Racing Team has sponsorship by an amazing company, straight out of the medical industry: Recovery Pump.  Their products are designed to aid medical patients regain normal lymphatic flow and veinous return, when their bodies are not working properly.  These pneumatic compression boots are literal lifesavers to a great many people.  We athletes tend to need these same aids in our recovery, so the Recovery Pump has crossed over to our sport, and we are all the fortunate recipients of this crossover.

For an hour last night, as I tended to my computer work and rehydrating, I sat in my Recovery Pump boots.  Upon exiting the session, my “lump” of fluid, including any other (noticeable) fluid build-up was flushed completely gone.  Rare are the times when we can see visual proof that a product is working at it is touted to function.  We often are left to guess if what we did was helpful, coincidental, or purely an exercise in futility.  This is not to say those processes aren’t useful, but guessing tends to limit our confidence.

I am happy to say that Recovery Pump proved to me that it is a highly effective and useful tool to aid in recovery – from an injury, from a hard workout, or even from a hard day of standing around on our feet (we’ve all been there: wondering why we are so wrecked from attending a concert, for example).  Recovery Pump helped me wind down from a long training day, and it helped me heal up from a week-old injury.

While I am not back to full-speed yet, I am well on my way to getting there.  As I ended yesterday on the couch in a pair of “puffy boots”, I’m starting my day today in that same fashion.  Recovery Pump boots are also a great way to get the blood flowing in preparation for a training session.

Run comeback, here we go!

After a solid month of training in January – which I spent consistently plugging away from Lovato Home Base, Boulder version – I plunged into a month of travel and commitments: HRTC Training Weekend in Houston, REV3 Tri Costa Rica (camp, clinic, commentary, announcing, etc.), followed by the Solvang Triathlon Camps weeklong training stint in CA. Interspersed therein I flew back and forth from the ATX to the BCO, and later drove back to Texas via Albuquerque. My past four weeks have been… busy.

Although my training has been quite good, it’s gone in mini-blocks for the past four weeks. Logging four to five days in a row broken by a few days of work/ coaching/ travel/ etc. has made for a lack of true consistency. The only streak I have managed to keep alive is my new-found commitment to logging back-to-back swim week (after week, after week, after week).

And now that I am in Austin, I am starting my training AGAIN!

Starting again really just means that I am moving into a phase of training that will be characterized by a new set of markers; I’ll be doing more race-specific workouts, and I’ll be more consistently tied to my need for day-to-day recovery, and proper in-session fueling. And for this reason, I am writing this blog update: it becomes increasingly more important to tend to the details of nutrition.

Although each of us has a different set of circumstances that lead us to when and why we ramp up our spring training, I am still seeing many athletes in a similar spot: motivated and ready to train. So I am taking a moment to make a few suggestions – to you and to myself!

First off, allow your body’s needs to evolve as your training progresses. In other words, pay attention to the fact that you will need different quantities and different varieties of breakfast when entering your period of consistent training. Starting out you will find yourself immensely hungry after each training session. You may find that a 90-min ride creates an appetite that normally correlates to a 3-hour ride. Be ready for that ramped up hunger, and prepare yourself by introducing a new recovery tool: Ultragen. Especially in your early weeks, the body is fighting hard to adapt to the increased training load – it’s stressed out, and needs to be treated well. I find that one or two bottles of Ultragen per day, timed within 30 minutes of a training session, aids in recovery, keeps me from getting sick, and it encourages me to make wise choices for refueling (rather than returning famished from a hard workout, pillaging the kitchen cupboards like a crazed gorilla in search of any suitable morsel of food – we’ve all done it!). Start the habit now: an Ultragen a day is what keeps the doctor away! (Note: apples need not be offended nor miffed, we still love you.)

Next, pay very close attention to hydration. Nearly all of us starts the day a touch behind on fluids. We each tend to lose two to three pounds per night of water weight, and with that deficit we can start our day at a huge disadvantage. My suggestion first thing in the morning – even before that precious cup of Joe – is to down 16oz of water. Do it, your body will thank you (but you may find yourself needing a few more trips to the John).

A third way to help your body adjust to its increased consistency of training is to begin using your fluid replacement drink outside of training sessions. A quality sports drink like EFS will do the best job of meeting your fluid and amino acids needs, and of keeping your electrolytes in balance. Mixing up some EFS for those in-between moments will help your body level out and find its equilibrium between sessions (work sessions, training sessions, or family sessions). Carry that bottle with you like you do at the expo during race week – start forming good habits now, and get that body ready to handle your efforts. Fluid replacement drinks are not just for workouts anymore.

Finally, this transition from winter training to consistent load is a great time to eliminate your lazy habits. Give yourself a drop-dead date to start tending to the little things. For many folks this means taking your vitamins daily instead of every other third Tuesday. Build the vitamins into your morning routine: a good way to do this is to pop the pills with that initial glass of water you just started drinking first thing in the morning. It works – water AND Mult-V in the tank before your oatmeal, toast, coffee, eggs, or donut.

Lastly, in reference to that last breakfast mention, try to cut out a few of the junk food regulars. It’s OK to eat these things on occasion, but notching back on the donuts a bit, and replacing them with your odd piece of fruit might be just the trick to get your system running smoothly, and to aid in dropping those final few lbs that are hanging around from the holiday weight-gain. Just think about it.

And with that, I must return to training. It’s nearly noon, and I’ve just finished my second breakie, which included a bottle of EFS, a Multi-V or three, and a large apple (see, I follow my own advice).

Onward and upward!

Friday April 9

8:30 AM Group Swim at Barton Springs – Knock the dust off your wetsuit and come take a swim with some of the best in the sport. (Meet at Barton Springs, bring cash for entry!)

6:00-8:00PM, Happy hour for ALL to attend – Come meet the Trakkers Pro Team, drink beer, eat catered food, kick back and listen to some live music! (Meet at J & A’s.)

Pro Team includes Michael Lovato, Amanda Lovato, Richie Cunningham, Dede Griesbauer, Brian Fleischmann, Mary Beth Ellis, Jacqui Gordon, and Carole Sharpless.

Saturday April 10

8:30 AM Group ride from J & A’s – 30 Mile Hilly Loop, presented by First Endurance ANYONE welcome – Free First Endurance product provided pre- and post-ride.
First Endurance nutrition talk immediately following the ride: learn the ins and outs of fueling and recovery. Breakfast tacos & coffee compliments of First Endurance.

12:00 PM- 4:00 PM – Trakkers Pro Team & Jack & Adam’s Season Kick-Off

Catered food from Whole Foods – fruit, sandwiches, and more, compliments of Team Trakkers and J & A’s.

Trakkers device test run and demo set to view at J & A’s.
High Five Events, Rev 3 Events, Trakkers, Saucony, First Endurance, and more will be on site with product samples and displays.

Lots of Free stuff to be given away!

4:30 PM Group Run from J & A’s – Take a jog around Town Lake. 4 and 7 mile loops available. – Pros split off for photos on Auditorium Shores

Sunday April 11

8:00AM Optional Capitol 10,000 event.
8:00AM -12:00PM Pro athletes receive Retul Bike Fits with Zane Castro
12:00: Trakkers product talk and wrap-up.

We’ve moved my blog over here, and with the relocation I have decided that I’m going to make weekly updates. This is my “new site” resolution. Let’s see if it sticks.

Topic of the blog: Put the same thing in, get the same thing out.

What does that mean? Well, in this case, it means that I am mixing things up a bit this year, with the plan of mixing things up differently in October. I have been very happy with my consecutive top-ten finishes in Hawaii; however, my aim is to finish higher. I have, therefore, changed what I am putting in, so I can change what I am getting out.

This year I chose not to race an Ironman in the spring/ early summer. I chose to train differently, under the guidance of Cliff English. And I chose to get faster and more competitive at the 70.3 distance. And finally, I chose to do a training camp in Kona.

Skipping over the details of my first few choices, I will now jump to my final choice listed here: the camp. To sum things up, I had an incredibly productive time on the Big Island; I trained long, hard hours alone, and I pushed myself on the race course in a way I not previously done in training. I feel that the time spent this August will lay a great foundation for my Ironman build next month, as well as for my race in October.

Details and photos found their way to my Twitter account, and various stories and recaps may surface in my now weekly blogs. Let’s see if I can do it!

This morning, while the coffee was brewing and the day was just waking up, I took Luna and Blue to do their morning business. It was while I was on that walk that it occurred to me how good our life is, and how its simplicity has made it even better. We left a house full of stuff back in Colorado, and we now have a half-full 750 square foot apartment, two dogs, two bikes, a small kitchen full of food, and, of course, each other. And we could not be happier.

I’m posting a few photos of just how great the simple life can be. These first couple are from our drive down to Austin. The Subaru was packed full, but the dogs managed to stay comfortable. Blue even had his own bed in our Lubbock hotel room. Next up is a shot of my favorite cabinet: the First Endurance stash. And finally, we have a post-ride shot of Amanda and her dog pack. These three sure know how to relax. Special thanks to Saucony for outfitting us with the perfect futon cover.

We will probably end up getting cable TV this next week, so our life might have a few more distractions, but it will be every bit as simple… and great.

Our visit began at the end of last week, after we happily escaped the freezing cold of Boulder. Boarding the plane on Friday (after a treacherous and icy drive to DIA), the temperature gauge on our iPhones read a whopping ONE degree. Deplaning in Arizona, we were greeted by sunny and blue skies, and an invitation to change into short pants. There really was a written invitation at baggage claim, imploring us to take off our long pants. We obliged.

We made our way to Cliff’s and Sam’s place, and were immediately greeted by a charming new addition to their household: Maximus Oscar de McEnglish, who had recently undergone an obligatory surgery, and was, therefore, required to wear a piece of compromising headgear. As true dog lovers, Amanda and I found Max to be adorable and, as mentioned above, charming.

The next order of business was to acquaint ourselves with Tucson and its training opportunities. We followed our directions across town to find the Catalina pool, one of Tucson’s numerous outdoor pools. After a short dip in the water, we moved on to our next most important task of the visit: eating. The trip through Whole Foods proved to be a successful one, as we (naturally) purchased enough food to feed a small army. We returned to the West Side, rested ourselves, fed ourselves, and commenced laughter and story telling with our gracious hosts, Sam and Cliff.

The racing portion of our adventure got underway on Sunday. Part one began at approximately 5:30AM when we zoomed out of the driveway, and put pedal to metal en route to the northern-most part of town, which was to be the starting point of the Tucson Half Marathon. As I had long since chickened out of participation in the race, my sole duty became serving as sherpa for the day, and my primary task was to deliver Amanda to the start line on time. I take my speeding seriously, and I must proudly note that I won the race: we arrived promptly (not always a given when this vato is involved).

Amanda’s race got underway at a brisk (but not cold!) 7:00AM. Video documentation of said race will soon make its way to this blog. Amanda raced a strong and smart race, and as her report gives in full detail, she won the mother scratcher.

Next up on our agenda was to continue our path of eating, training, eating, training, laughing, sleeping, drinking wine (and consequently, telling lies), eating, training, and eating. We enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, and evidence of this enjoyment presents itself here:

Our climb up Mt. Lemmon.

Mr Lovato finds his way to the front.

Athlete and Coach jockey for position.

Amanda places Cliff in a spot of bother.

This is what you see when you are in a spot of bother.

Another glimpse from the lenses of a bonk.

Amanda pushes past the saguaro to confidently take the lead.

Hallelujah, was this the stolen Bumble Bar at 6000Feet?

Just before Cliff set a punishing pace on the descent.

More food: dinner at El Charro

Doug Friman and Paul Thomas join us for a Feast.

About to have some full bellies.

We are pleased to report that we achieved all of our goals while in Arizona. We thoroughly enjoyed the fabulous training that Tucson had to offer; we ate more than our fair share of treats, Mexican food, and sushi; we loved getting to know Cliff and Sam; we became addicted to their potent and delicious home-brewed espresso; and we managed to warm our bones and gain inspiration during the final month of our down-time and holiday season.

You see, folks are always telling me to get out of town this time of year. Get to Austin to suffer through some hot conditions; get to San Diego to do the Hawaii build in warmth, with about 100 of my closest (German) friends; or get to Hawaii early to acclimate. I typically respond by saying that September weather in Boulder is unbeatable. We have cool mornings, and perfect days. The sun is almost always out, and the winds are variable. Riding in the mountains this time of year is very close to heaven. Running the high trails is a quick way to finding that perfect run we all love to have. And the weather is mild enough that recovery is just about perfect. My theory that too much hot training will beat you up like nothing else. My nine years of training down in Austin told me that dehydration can be the normal way of life, if not managed very carefully.

Now, as I am supposed to be heading up to Magnolia Road to enjoy one of the aforementioned runs in the Soft Mountain Air, I am looking out the window to see an absolute downpour of rain. It’s not snowing here, as the temperature is in the upper 40s. However, it may well be snowing up at 8500+ feet, where my run is supposed to take place. Oh crap. I guess I should not have talked so much smack about our good weather. We are now faced with two of those inevitable Fall days (and it’s not even officially Fall yet!), where the conditions are better suited to watching movies.

It is now time to rifle through my winter clothes drawers, in search of a couple water proof, wind resistant pieces of clothing. I had better dig deep, as this is going to be one of those days. I hear they have days like this, even in Australia.

Somehow it’s now May, we’re back in Boulder, and I am faced with providing a summary of events, so as not to skip over everything that has happened since my last post.

After Ironman Arizona, I got to enjoy a couple more weeks down in Austin. Amanda and I had a really great time there, and the final weeks were spent soaking up the final bits of sea level breathing before returning to oxygen-starved Boulder.

At the end of my stay in Texas, I enjoyed another great throwback weekend with my good friend, Todd Gerlach, aka the Gerlachness Monster, or the Buffalo. We spotted an opportunity on the race calendar to bring back a few memories out on the West Texas Plains.

Although the name has changed from Strutters to Striders, Jack and Ester Weiss’ Ironhead Production long course duathlon has not changed a bit. It seemed like only yesterday when Jon Hill, Todd and others of the Austin crew were heading out to San Angelo for the first time.

Returning to Sanangelo, as it’s spoken, was a blast. The scene of my first overal victory in a multisport event, the race’s famous dirt road from hell was every bit as challenging as it was in the mid-nineties.

After the race, the dogs and I headed North and West to Albuquerque for a few days with my mom (and their grandma). We stayed there for three days, which gave us enough time to catch up with Mom, train a bit, and eat a good dose of New Mexico Green Chile.

I got comfy in Boulder for two nights after the Albuquerque stay. My next engagement was with the Multisports.com Ironman Coeur d’Alene camp up in Idaho. I love these camps as they are a great way to train the race course, hang out with a fun group of athletes, and to share a bit of knowledge and experience with thirty or so folks training for next month’s race. Plus, it’s always fun to laugh at Paul Huddle’s jokes, and to catch up with Paula Newby.

Two more nights in Boulder were followed by a trip to St. Croix for the 70.3 race. This is one of the greatest races around, and it’s in great part because of the relationship we have formed down there with our host family. The Isherwoods have been kind enough to take us into their home for six of the last eight years. We love the challenge of the race course, the level of competition, and certainly, the hospitality of our family away from home!

Both Amanda and I had strong showings in the race. We each managed a PR for that event, and we found that our training has gotten us to a good early-season level of fitness. To share the gory details of the race report right now would be time consuming, so I’ll promise to post those thoughts at a slightly later time.

After STX, Amanda and I returned to Boulder for good. Although she is currently out of town, we’re both really here now. Really. We had a great spring/ winter in Austin, and now we’re back in BCO for the duration. It’s finally stopped snowing (sorry to all of our Colorado buddies who suffered through it all), and the temps are starting to warm right up.

I’m about five weeks away from my next big race: Ironman Coeur d’Alene. I could not be more excited to return to one of my favorite race venues. I’m feeling fit and motivated to have a strong day.

Phew! I feel I can take a breath now. I hate to leave out the scintillating details of all the goings on, but I can now get back up to speed with current updates. Or is that what I say every time???

Thanks for checking in!

I’m almost strong. But I’m not quite there yet.

Since getting the flu, I have found new meaning in the term: I’ve fallen and I can’t get up. Although I did not trip and fall; nor did I crash my bike and fall; nor did I even fall off the top bunk; I fell, and I fell hard! I fell flat on my back and I have been worthless ever since. I feel like I got flattened. Like a pancake.

The past couple days, I’ve been getting back out there for some exercise. Amanda has been kind enough to ride and run with me a few times, right up to the point when she dropped me. And she’s been kind enough to come back for me… so she can drop me again. She better watch out. I’m almost strong again.

The other day I realized just how weak I had become when I couldn’t even finish a proper meal. I was just too tired to do so. I seemed to have a decent enough appetite, but I just couldn’t make myself keep chewing. I was worn out.

I have finally gotten somewhat used to making it up the stairs without needing a couch break at the top. Now that I have conquered that task, I’m setting my sights on putting together a good combo workout. My plan tomorrow is to wake up, climb the stairs without a break at the top, eat a full breakfast, then to ride my bike without getting dropped by Amanda. I am almost strong today, so I think I can do it tomorrow.

Once I’m back to being strong, I’ll focus on getting back in shape. Just before I fell flat on my back, I felt like I had actually begun to get in shape. Almost in shape.

Amanda and I have established a great routine, and we’re starting to feel like we’re finally getting in shape! If Fred doesn’t get tired of us inhabiting Casa Coogan, we just might be here until mid-March.

Last week I traveled to Nashville to participate in the USAT Southeast Regional Expo. It was a really great event hosted by Kathleen Johnston, a studly age group triathlete, amongst other things. I loved seeing a new city; I had an absolute blast with Shelby and the rest of my new Nashville buddies; and I thoroughly enjoyed giving a talk at the expo.

Just after the event, I flew back to Boulder to check in on things.

While being back in Boulder I had the time to think about our visit to Austin. I was only there for four full days, but I packed a lot in that time. By the end of the last day, I was on the phone talking to Amanda. I had really been missing her and the dogs, especially being in our empty house without them. As we were getting off the phone, I told Amanda that I could not wait to go home. I caught myself, then corrected: I couldn’t wait to get back to Austin, I meant.

After living in Austin for over nine years, and after establishing the great friendships that I did, I will always think of Austin as a second home, no matter where I am living. But at that very moment in time I was at home… in Boulder… where my house is and where many of my possessions are. But I had the distinct feeling that I as about to be going home to Austin.

At that moment, it became very evident to me why people say that home is where the heart is. As much as I like Boulder, and as much as I like Austin, it became clear that for me, home is where Amanda and Luna and Blue are waiting for me. I really just don’t feel at home unless I am with my wife and doggies.

And it’s good to be home.

Let’s see if I can sum up the last two weeks and a half weeks…

Amanda and I have been having an absolute blast here in Austin. We’ve been doing some great training, we’ve been hanging out with all of our good friends, and we’ve been enjoying the great weather.

Our routine seems to have evolved into getting up very early in the morning. I think I’ve seen the 5:00 o’clock hour more this past couple weeks, and I have to admit that I like it. We’ve been joining the UT masters at 6:30 some days; we’ve been doing runs at Town Lake other mornings; and we’ve been visiting numerous of Austin’s great coffee shops and restaurants on other mornings.

Normally I come to Austin in mid-February, so I’m in a bit better shape when I arrive. My typical Austin trip is centered around logging a bunch of bike miles in prep for an early Ironman. This time around it’s a bit different. We showed up here out of shape, and anxious to get going with the training.

Since being here we’ve come to realize that we really like getting in shape at sea level. It’s not quite as painful as it is in Boulder! It’s coming along nicely, and I feel that I’ve already made some noticeable gains.

Today was one of a few three-sport days we’ve had. The UT pool is closed, so we made it over to one of Austin’s gems: Stacy Pool. It’s free and it’s 100ft in length. Notching 100 yds in just three laps makes the yardage add up much more quickly!

Next up was a nice run around Town Lake. Richie Cunningham is in town, in order to escape the cold Boston winter, so he joined me for the ten-mile loop. It was a bit cooler today, which made for perfect running weather. We ticked away at a comfortable pace chatting about pretty much anything under the sun. I haven’t had too many run partners lately, so it was nice to have that company for a change.

My final session was an easy spin with Amanda through some of Austin’s great neighborhoods. There are very few flat parts of town, so this ride, like most, was a bit hilly. It feels great to be at sea level, especially when on those climbs!

I’m not making any promises, but I will do my best to keep up those updates.

Thanks for checking in!

We joined with three others to do an hour+ of exercises cooked up by Dave’s masochistic mind. Amanda and I have been hitting the gym, and even doing some yoga, so most of the session was moderately manageable. Just barely manageable, I should say.

However, near the end of the class, the group suggested we do Mel’s push up pyramid. My pecks will never be the same. Thansk, Mel. And thanks to the rest of you for egging me on.

Here is the drill, for those of you who would like to play along at home:
1. Do one push up.
2. Stand up, turn 180 degrees to face the other direction.
3. Drop down and do two push ups.
4. Stand up, turn 180 degrees to face the original direction.
5. Drop down and do three push ups.
6. Stand up, turn 180 degrees, to face the other direction.
7. Drop down and do four push ups.

At this point, you have done ten push ups. Continue this pattern, adding one push up per change in directions… until you fail: push ups to failure. My pecks will never be the same.

At the start of the pyramid, the others said getting up to 12 (1-12) would be 78 total push ups. They said that was the max they’d done. They then challenged me to go up to 15 (1-15), which would be 120 push ups. This would earn a free ice cream. (From whom?)

I can never resist a good challenge or dare. My pecks will never be the same. I did all 120 of them; I quivered and shook at the end; I pushed up past my limits, past my comfort; and I did win the ice cream.

Now I’m too sore to move.

As I managed a few posts prior to the race, I’ll try not to dwell on the details of my pre-race experience. To sum it up, the week and a half prior to the event went very smoothly. Amanda and I established a great routine of getting up early every day, going to bed early every night, and eating very well for each meal. I’d say the preparation was perfect.

Race morning was a continuation of a smooth and stress-free week. I got up very early, in fact, I managed to get going on my warm up run before 4:00AM. Back to the condo, I enjoyed a hefty breakfast and a delicious cup of coffee.

For the first time in recent memory (or maybe the first time ever!), I was walking out of transition (with the bike set, tires pumped and body marked) by 5:15AM. How was I this well prepared?! We had arranged with my Stephanie and Huggy Bear Hays to show up at their hotel room at the Kona Seaside at around six o’clock. As we were knocking on the door at 5:20, it seemed we were well ahead of schedule. They had graciously offered us to use their room as a “holding cell” prior to the race. It’s nice to have this place to settle down, to be a bit calm, and to apply all of the necessary race lubes… in private.

After donning the incredible blueseventy pointzero3 skinsuit (with long legs!), and applying ample amounts of Aquaphor, Vaseline, and Body Glide, I made my way down to the start. I think I was the third person in the water, as I always like to have as long a warm up as possible. It was 6:25 when I pushed off, and I immediately knew I was going to have a good swim.

Just prior to the start, I bumped into Cam Brown, who was one of the few folks I had deemed worthy of towing me through the swim. I cannot think of a recent race where he has not been in the front pack, so he seemed like a good choice. I lost his feet last year, so this time around, I made sure to stick close in the opening 500 meters.

The swim was incredibly comfortable for me, and I credit this to the hard swim build I did in the month of September. However, I must also attribute it to the fact that we had, once again, been dropped from the leaders. As I cruised along, content to be with Cam and other contenders, I once again lost contact with the front guys, who ultimately formed the main bike group. Next year I will have to swim more aggressively, as it’s absolutely key that I exit the water in close contact with these guys. Sorry, Cam, you are no longer my go-to swim guy!

Once through transition and out onto the bike course, I took notice of who was around me. The split to the leaders was just over a minute, and Normann, Sindballe, Vanhoenacker, and many more were nearby. Things looked very promising. I opted to really press that first five miles to see if I could bridge up to the leaders. Learning from last year’s mistakes, I notched back the efforts when I realized the gap was not closing. Rather than blow myself up early on, I settled into a nice rhythm with three or four riders.

For much of the first thirty miles, I followed a very conservative strategy. My new goal was to ride with Timo Bracht (last year’s number 11) and Cam Brown (last year’s number until we got to Hawi. At that point, I’d reassess, and begin to really race the bike. Somewhere around thirty miles into the ride, Torbjorn Sindballe and Marino Vanhoenacker gradually pulled away from our trio. Knowing that Sindballe would likely have the top bike split of the day, I chose to remain patient and to stay where I was.

Vanhoenacker’s strategy proved to be brilliant, as he allowed Torbjorn to drag him all the way up to the front group, at which point he joined them, as the strong Dane pulled away. Later on in the ride, Vanhoenacker made a break from the group to enter T2 in third.

As I approached Hawi, I watched as a trio of speedo-clad riders came by my fairly quickly. I did not recognize them, but figured I’d likely see them about forty miles down the road… as the pace looked pretty aggressive to me. Timo left me with that chase trio, and Cam Brown seemed to be dropping further and further back.

I went through the turnaround in Hawi solo, and prepared myself for my weakest section of the race. For some reason, I always struggle in this race from mile 65 to about 72. I have learned to anticipate the lull, so it does not come as a shock when it hits.

Regrouping in the section, I waited to see if any of the weaker swimmers would come through to give me a boost. It never ceases to amaze me how much easier it is (mentally and physically) to ride with one or more guys. To be solo on the lava fields can be punishing.

Just as I was expecting, I was overtaken by a strong athlete who had experienced a rough swim: Rutger Beke. He is a guy who, like me, has experience racing the bike solo, only to run his way up the ranks. Unlike me, he has managed some top-five finishes with that tactic, so I was very glad to have his company.

Passing through the town of Kawaihae–at mile 78 of the race–there is a nearly-two-mile-long climb back to the Queen K. It can be a tough section of the bike, but it’s a part I’ve always considered one of my best segments. I come alive at this point, and I know that the ensuing thirty+ miles are often my best.

I re-passed Rutger, and began my assault on the final thirty miles. On the really windy years, that final bit can really punish those who have gone out too hard. The headwinds can make you unsure as to whether you are going up or down a hill. It’s not uncommon to be out of the saddle and gearing down to descend!

We were faced with a moderate amount of wind on our return trip. Folks would be hurting, but there would be no major blow-ups.

Rutger and I exchanged the lead a handful of times, as he seemed to own me on the down hills, while I had a bit of an advantage on the climbs. We managed to keep a great tempo over the closing miles, and I felt great coming back to town.

As always, we picked up a few of the riders who were spit out the back of the main group, as well as two of the unknown speedo guys. Entering T2, I was anxious to start the marathon with one of the sport’s toughest runners: Beke.

Within the first mile, I was already losing ground. I took a slow transition, and lost two or three spots before the run began. My goal was to take the first ten miles very conservatively, as history has told me that Alii Drive can be stiflingly hot and humid. Many a runner has cooked himself early, only to find the tank empty out on the Queen K. I wanted to be ready to pick those guys up on the fin
al eight miles of the run.

I think anyone who’s raced Kona more than once would agree that this year’s trip up and down Alii was uncharacteristically mild. We seemed to have strangely dry air (for Hawaii), and there was even a slight breeze. Although there was not a cloud in the sky, and it was plenty hot, the day was not serving up the brutal conditions it has in the past.

Once out on the Highway, I began to close in on the top ten. In 2003 I remember how much harder the fight was inside that top ten, and I tried to brace myself for those battles. As I approached twelfth place–Tom Evans–I got ready to have him match my move. As I went by, he seemed to let me go… then I heard his footsteps. He came right up on my shoulder, and I assumed he was preparing to run with me. At that point he said, “Lovato, my wife says it’s OK if you beat me because I’m still better looking.” Ha! I love it. Tom’s the type of guy who has no problem talking a little trash right in the midst of a race. You gotta love that.

Further down the road, I got word I was catching the tenth and ninth place guys. Knowing that the race would truly begin when I hit that eighteen mile mark, I was excited to already be in the money. I felt so relaxed and so controlled up to this point. I felt that the pace was very manageable, and with the exception of the climb up Pay and Save hill, I was running every mile between 6:15 and 6:30 pace. With ten miles to go, I was imagining myself reaching that top five before we got back to town.

Assessing the competition as they left the Energy Lab, I knew that McCormack and Alexander were out out reach. They looked very strong, and they looked to be racing one another solely, something that surely pushed them to the race best run splits. Next up was Torbjorn and Deboom. They had a comfortable margin on me, but they did not look to be untouchable. Following them were Lieto, Vanhoenacker and Eneko Llanos. These guys all looked well within my range, as did the former champ, Luc VanLierde. I made the turn, grabbed my special needs, and proceeded to turn up the pace.

After nearly eight hours of racing, I was finally allowing myself to let it all hang out. I had patiently waited to that point, the point at which I’d really go for it. I made my way out of the Energy Lab, and received a split that I had closed on VanLierde. I was really moving, and thoughts of a smokin final 10K were on my mind.

As I turned back onto the Highway, I really ramped it up. For about a mile I was still holding strong. With a 20-mile split of 2:09, I was still under 6:30 average. I figured I’d be finishing around 2:50-2:51, unless I ended up in a tight battle, at which point I thought I could squeeze out a bit more.

Somewhere around 21 miles, my pace faltered. I was experiencing some serious downward pressure, and the focus shifted from maintaining pace to squeezing cheeks. I’ll try to refrain from sharing the graphics and gore, but let’s just say I became completely satisfied to hold seven-minute pace over the closing five miles.

The battle I was looking to fight UP the road became a battle I was looking not to fight BEHIND me. There are always athletes waiting to pick up the pieces should you come undone, and I was determined to maintain my placing.

I did my best to keep the pace alive, but the distraction of the turtle’s head was too great. I settled in to enjoy my jaunt down Alii. My mom handed me an American flag, and I crossed the line all smiles.

I was ecstatic to be back in the top ten, and to have executed almost exactly as I had hoped to do; I was very pleased with my performance. As with every race, I’ll take home a few valuable lessons. I’m confident that I’ll be moving further up the podium next year.

Finally I am posting a couple photos of the new Javelin Lugano. This bike is one fast machine, and I look forward to putting it to the test out on the Queen K next weekend. The next photo is from me at the start of my Energy Lab run.

Yesterday morning Amanda and I went out to the Energy Lab so I could do my last longer run before the race. It’s become a bit of a tradition to start the run out there, finishing in town, normally at the Jamba Juice. This time around, Amanda left me out there and then drove to town where she parked the car. She also had a long run on tap, so her plan was to start at Jamba, meeting me midway to pass off the car key.

I did an initial out-and-back inside the Energy Lab before hitting the Queen K. This part of the race is often considered the hardest part, as the wind from the highway is no longer cooling you off. For some reason, I tend to like this part of the run. It’s always hard; and it gives you a look at your competition behind and in front of you.

I was very happy at how easy it was to run along at my race pace. It’s so nice coming down from altitude, as the efforts, even in a much hotter environment, seem so much more moderate. The fact that I’m in the middle of a taper adds to the ease at which I was running along. Either way, it was a great run.

With a couple miles to go, I spotted Amanda on the other side of the highway. I crossed over, and we did an exchange of the car key mid-stride. We continued in our respective directions, Amanda toward the Energy Lab, and I toward town.

After finishing up I sucked down a delicious Jamba Juice and headed back to the condo to have some more food.

Amanda showed up about an hour later, and after she fueled up, we went out for a short spin. The crowds are starting to grow out there on the course, and unfortunately there were a few too many foreign athletes riding their bikes like idiots. It’s tough to see folks disobeying traffic laws and pissing off the locals, especially considering we already feel a bit of resentment from them regarding our invasion of their island. All we can do is to do our best to extend a few courtesies while we’re out there, and hope to keep the peace!

Today has been a nice, mellow day. We got up early and headed down to the Pier for a nice swim. I felt really good in the ocean, and feel like I’m right on track to establishing my swim rhythm. I really find that it’s important for me to spend as much time as possible in the ocean prior to race day.

After the swim we made it out for another short spin. Amanda is a bit tired from her long day of running yesterday—twenty miles—and I am all about resting! I capped off the afternoon with a massage.
It’s now the official start of race week, so we should see a huge influx of athletes arriving. It’s about to get a bit crazy out there. I’ll try to find some entertaining photo subjects to keep everyone amused.

Before I move on to today’s report, I have to point out the two highlights from yesterday. Highlight number one happened when I was enjoying my first ocean swim of the trip. There weren’t too many folks out there, as I had gone out a bit later in the morning. It was just about 10:00AM, and most of the crowds tend to show up around 7:00 or so. I was not too far out, in fact, I was just about to turn around, when I picked up my head just in time to see a dolphin flipping out of the water. I plunged my head back under to look for the rest of the group. Sure enough, just off to the left, there were about six or eight more dolphins, in two little groups. In the fist small group, there was a tiny one swimming very close to the others. It was definitely the cutest little baby dolphin I’ve ever seen. I watched them for as long as I could see them, then turned back. What a cool sight!

Highlight number two was picking up Amanda at the airport. Ever since our first trip here back in 1999, I have enjoyed surprising her at the airport in various rental cars. We do occasionally travel together, but it seems there have been many more times when we arrive separately. That first time, I showed up in my friend Doug’s Cadillac. This time around, I rolled up in my super cool convertible. But the true highlight is that I now have Amanda here with me!

Today started early, as I got up just in time to drop Amanda off at the pool for the Kona Aquatics Masters swim. She needs to keep her swim workouts going, so we planned on her joining the group a few times. I headed off to the ocean, as I am trying to get as many swims as possible out there. I really found that it helped me last year, so I’m staying away from the pool.

Once the swimming was done for both of us, we packed up the car and headed out to Hawi. Amanda was going to do a hill run out there, as sometimes it’s nice to get a break from running up and down Alii Drive. I was going to do a longer ride, back to town. Every year we head out there to do some sort of Hawi ride. It’s a great part of the island, as it’s very lush and green. Plus, it’s typically the part of the bike ride where the cross winds can be the most brutal.

Normally we’ll do an out-and-back, incorporating both the climb to Hawi and the descent. But this time around, I decided to try something a bit different: a point-to-point. I had never done this before, and I must say that it was quite enjoyable. I did get blown around quite a bit on the first 12 miles or so from Hawi. It was one of those days up there! It’s been a few years since we really got knocked around at Ironman Hawaii, and I have a feeling this is going to be one of those rough years.

After finishing up the ride, I did a quick transition run from the condo. By this time it was about one o’clock, so the temps were warming right up. It’s always nice to do a few runs right smack in the middle of the day, just like on race day. I felt incredible out there running, and I did my best to just cruise along, saving it all for next weekend.

That’s it for now; thanks for checking in!