Oh Lance You Genetic Freak!

So Lance Armstrong has jumped to long distance tri racing at age 40. He has season race plan with Panama 70.3, Texas 70.3, Florida 70.3, Hawaii 70.3 and Ironman France on the menu with the goal of getting enough Pro points to race the Big Dance in Hawaii. Forums like Slowtwitch predict him placing 5th to 10th. So Lance flies in on his private jet with this rocket of a bike to have a go at the first 70.3 of the season.

He made the lead pack of the swim and headed out with uberbiker Chris Lieto.

Lance pushed pace on the bike but stayed within himself to start the run in 2nd. Early into the run he passed Lieto to take the lead! He ran well despite being a little on the 'heavy' side.

He led the race right up to the last mile when superrunner Bevan Docherty passed him for the win. His 3:50.54 posting for HIM is spectacular.

Oh Lance you have stirred up the triathlon world - stay injury-free and we can enjoy the antics!

Cheers!

Ever Have One of Those Days?

The beauty of perspective - for all the self-pity there will ALWAYS be someone worse off than you. For perspective I offer you the following pics:

Now that's true!!!!

Have a GREAT day! Cheers!

Stuperbowl!!

So the Superbowl, one of the greatest events on Earth, played out after a way-too-long hype period. Aside from a lot of huge men grappling with each other - the game wasn't bad.

There was a lot of this! He may be thinking but it usually is a result of a defensive or offensive coordinator giving instruction.

There were aches and pains...

Tom Brady did a lot of this - unfortunately his receivers did not get the memo that they had to catch the pass!

Perhaps this may be why! I originally thought this was a funny pic but I now think it's disturbing.

That's a man baby! I think Madonna covered up the arms and legs due to the maniless of her appendages.

Enough said!

Yoda just tells it like it is! So small yet always so wise.

Cheers!

Excellence Through Rivalry

Every now and then significant events in sport come about through tense rivalries between athletes at the top of their game. Take Dave Scott and Mark Allen in triathlon. Dave Scott owned Hawaii Ironman with 6 wins - for a few of those he ran Mark Allen down on the marathon. Mark Allen for his 7th attempt at Hawaii put in some epic training - he theorized that if he was going to race 8+ hours he needed to train on occasion for that long of a period and then slightly more. He also decided to mark Dave the entire race. As it turned out Mark followed Dave on the swim, the bike and 24 miles of the marathon without the two of them speaking a word. On the last hill heading back into Kona Mark pulled away from Dave and went on to win his first World Championship. Both Dave and Mark knocked 20 minutes off the previous Ironman record time - including both running under 2:40 for the marathon. This race was in 1989 and no one has run faster there since. These two great athletes pushed each other to new heights.

Lance Armstrong vs Jan Ulrich. For most of Lance's Tour de France wins Jan Ulrich placed 2nd. They marked each other, were both strong in the mountains and were amongst the best in the time-trial. To outperform Jan, Lance made famous his reconnaisance rides on the key mountain stages beforehand, usually in crappy springtime weather, so he would know every turn and where to best attack Ulrich during the Tour. His attention to detail became his key to victory.

Most recently the men's Australian Open final between Djokovic and Nadal was absolutely incredible. These guys battled for almost 6 hours with incredible athleticism and no-quit attitude. Djokovic prevailed but Nadal almost had it. This was the finest sporting performance I've seen in a while and likely to repeat as both these players enter their prime - should be fun.

I don't exactly have a rivalry with anyone but I generally enjoy when someone doubts me or tries to play mind games. These tactics always have the opposite effect and fuels my effort to have a good performance. The negative mind game attempts are welcomed cause it motivates me to do more. The ironic thing is that person doing it has not quite figured out how ineffective it is and, stubbornly, keeps working on it. I hope they never stop cause it definitely works for me. Here's hoping you find you're own fuel for the fire!

Cheers!

Embrace the Journey

The best part of triathlon is the signup. By signing up for a race, whether it's a sprint race or an Ironman, the commitment is made. Finishing the race is rewarding but, for me, the journey to the start line is what makes it worthwhile. 

Before I can race 2.4 miles in the water, I have 

to do many laps in the pool. I must admit I got a little dizzy with all the flip turns in this pool!

I must also commit to many miles in the saddle. The mountain may seem high but you take it one step at a time.

It's also important to reflect on the day's events. Here's Beast telling me I should ride harder next time and to get a Cervelo!

Take me to your aero leader!

Cheers!

Freakin Cold - What Happened to Global Warming!

Alright I shouldn't be whining since the roads have been dry and the temperatures mild this winter so far but this past weekend I wasn't into getting out for my long run with this cold spell. I opted, wimpily, to do a 90 minute hard trainer ride with the Beast while watching the sci-fi classic Blade Runner. I am going to try to run today as it is supposed to warm up. I may have to wear some extra "garments" to protect vital areas.

The other motivation is simple - jump on the scale and that will motivate me to HTFU!

No shite Sherlock!! Anyway I need to get out cause my first race will be in Hawaii. They have a free race series called Peaman where people show up and do a half-mile swim followed by 3.9 mile run. It's real grassroots and there's no T-shirt or post race meal - just show up and have a blast - love it!

I would like to give a huge lovely shout-out to my better half Sara who turned 36 this past weekend! She is getting more lovely with every year and I am a better man for capitalizing on a weak moment when she decided to stay with me (gents this is blatant kissing up - a ploy that works 99% of the time and results in significant race signups!) Happy Birthday Sara!!

Chop Wood, Carry Water

"Houston, we have a dork siting!" There's a phrase used by Simon Whitfield and a lot of the tri community out west in Victoria - "chop wood, carry water." The phrase signifies that consistent daily work, over time, will take you to where you want to be. Since the holidays ended I am doing just that. I'm going on vacation in early March and I'd like to be 7 lbs lighter for the trip. The only way to do it is eat right and exercise consistently - no real big secret there! With this in mind I want to run 4-5 times per week and ride 3 times per week. Since I'm not riding outside that means spending quality time on the trainer in my Dungeon of Excellence!

My scottish friends call me "Leggy McChunky" and that's no yolk (look in the background)

I've got the sweat platform in place.

The old Cannondale Road bike locked into the cyclops trainer.

And fluids to keep me hydrated.

Today I got a hilly 10k run in - the weather was damp and cool but still dry - awesome!

The road to excellence is long and lonely but the journey is worth it - dork philosophy.

Take me to your leader!

Basking in the glory of a job well done! Hilly 10k complete in 50 minutes. Another workout in the bank - I can feel the poundage melting off. Why do I crave a beer?!

Cheers!