IMFL

I love this picture maybe the most of all of them

We finished.  I'll give a more complete report later, but thanks to everyone who tracked us online, watched the finish line camera, sent us these awesome screen shots, posted on FB, texted me, emailed, and prayed for us yesterday.  It might have been the toughest think I've ever done.  

I was so happy to get back to my hotel last night and get a hot shower.  My feet are covered with blisters...an awesome souvenir that will remind me of this race for probably another week.  But I'm glad I did it.  I'm glad it's over and that I don't have to worry about doing this anytime soon.

Here are a few more screen shots from the live finish cam last night.  Troy, Matthias, and Lance--I couldn't ask for better brothers!  You are so awesome for sending these so quickly!  I love them!  Ray Ray, thanks for your Instagram post.  I loved that one too!

Photographic evidence that I did finish the race!

World's Best Training Partner!

So glad it's over!

Bedraggled...Not Bedazzled

Soaked!

My brother and I decided to go for a short training run tonight.  As we started out, we had a few rain drops.  But by the first mile, it was raining.  By the second mile, it was pouring cats and dogs!  I don't know if I've ever run in the rain where it was raining that hard for that long.

There were literally rivers of water draining off of parking lots onto the sidewalk.  We tried dodging puddles in a futile attempt to keep our shoes dry.  I wasn't too worried until my brother reminded me that wet shoes, socks, and feet could contribute to blisters.  And that's about the last thing that we want a day and a half before the Big Race.  

We ended up doing 5 miles and it may have been the most memorable 5 miler of my life. By the time we rolled in to the hotel at the end of the run, we were soaked.  My brother said that we might as well have jumped in the pool.  He was right.  I think that the fact that we were so wet should therefore qualify as a swim workout too!  :-)

It's supposed to rain tomorrow too and then the storm is supposed to blow itself out leaving clear skies, mild winds, and low humidity for the race on Saturday.  In other words, it should be perfect conditions.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A Mere 3 Seconds

"He Ain't Heavy" -- My Brother and I in Last Year's Race (2011)

I did a 5k race yesterday morning.  Not just any 5k race--it was my hometown race--the Encinitas 5k.  I did this race last year with my brother (see above) and set a PR in the race.  My time was 22:23 (a 7:13 pace per mile).

I was really happy with my time.  Going into the race, I had no idea what time I could expect.  I told my brother that I was hoping to do an 8 minute mile pace.  My brother had other ideas--he wanted to run faster.  When the race started last year, I dropped back and just tried to keep my brother in my sights.

I felt like I had a chance to keep up with him through the race and I came close.  I finished 33 seconds behind him (I ran a 22:23 (a PR for me) and he ran a 21:50) and I was really happy with that time.  It was funny though because after the race, my brother told me that he was ticked the whole race because he kept trying to run away from me (because he thought I was going to be running slow) and couldn't!

Faces in the Crowd -- Can You find Me?  -- Last Year's Race (2011) 

This year was different.  I kept trying to get my brother to run with me, but his knee has been bothering him and he didn't think he could do it.

I drove down to Encinitas yesterday morning by myself.  I hoped that my parents might come or that my brother might, but I wasn't sure if they would.  About 5 minutes before the race started, my brother showed up and I was excited to see him even though he had decided not to run.  Even though I had to race by myself, I was anxious to see how I would do.

The gun went off and I took about 10 seconds to work myself to the starting line amidst the throngs of other runners and get started.  I felt good starting, but quickly found myself dodging a pack of what seemed like 10 or 11 year old kids running chaotically in front of me.  I had no choice but to kick in the afterburners and get around them because I didn't want to risk tripping them or myself.

Once I got past them, I found a little bit of open road and realized that I was running fast (at least for me).  It was exhilarating.  For some reason, I found myself remembering the following quote from Eric Liddel in the movie "Chariots of Fire."

Hopefully I didn't look this funny while I was running....

"I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast.

And when I run I feel His pleasure."

I know that I'm not "fast" but I felt fast (at least at that point) and it felt really good to be able to be out there running.  It is really weird to explain, but I feel like I've had some spiritual experiences while running, in particular, and I felt like this was one of them.  I went on to clock the first mile in 6:28 which was a great time for me (last year my first mile in this race was 6:46).

I did make one mistake, however, in that I decided to run wearing a compression shirt under my running shirt.  I hadn't done this before and the nervousness and excitement of the start of the race coupled with my faster-than-normal pace and the compression fitting of the shirt had me feel like I was hyperventilating.  It was not a pleasant sensation.  I had to force myself to calm down and breathe.  I would feel like that dang shirt was constricting me for the rest of the race--making it harder to breathe.  I think that will be the last time that I ever wear a compression shirt in a race!

About half way through the race, I spotted my dad walking up and I was really excited to see him.  I tried hard to maintain a good pace through the race, but it was difficult to tell how well I was doing--especially because there were no mile markers for miles 2 and 3.  I knew approximately where they were supposed to have been because I had scoped out the course, but I wasn't sure.

Louie Zamperini - the hero of "Unbroken"

I passed my brother standing on the sidelines with about a half mile to go in the race.  He would later tell me that he thought that I looked "more substantial" than the rest of the runners with whom I was running at that point.  I know that the really fast runners tend to be very, very lean, but my brother might as well have been trying to compliment me by telling me that I was basically the "Fastest Fat Guy" in the race.  Gee, thx!

Somehow, I dug deep to find a finishing kick for the final stretch of the race.  I couldn't tell how far I had to go, but I thought it would be close if I wanted to beat my time from last year.  I crossed the finish line and I still didn't know for sure.  It wasn't until I checked the final results that I learned that my final time was 22:20, meaning that I beat last year's time by a mere 3 seconds!

Anyway, I'm glad that I did the race and I realized that I need to keep practicing if I want to get better.  I don't know exactly when my next race will be, but I'll be looking forward to it.  Dad and S., thanks so much for coming down to cheer me on!  I love you both!  (And Scott, if any of your pictures turned out, I'll be sure to update this post with them!)

Ironman California 70.3 - March 31, 2012

Team Skil

Two years ago, I followed my brother as he finished the run portion of his Half Ironman.  About a week ago, we started and finished the race together.  I've always wanted to finish a triathlon side-by-side with my brother.  It was an amazing feeling and I'm really lucky to have him as my brother and best friend.

My brother...2010

We've done several triathlons together since.  But usually we start at different times and so we have never been able to finish a race together.

The Ironman California race is in Oceanside, California...practically in our backyard.  So it's an easy one for us to do.

Besides my brother, I also have a group of friends that usually do the race each year.  It is always better to do a race when you have someone to train with and run with.

The Swim - 1.2 Miles in the Murky Oceanside Harbor
Our swim wave kicked off 10 minutes after the professionals at 6:50 a.m.  The water in the harbor was 58 degrees.  Luckily with my wetsuit, it didn't feel all that bad.  My brother and I floated at to the start line.  The gun sounded and we were off.

I lost sight of my brother after about 2 seconds.  Everybody looks the same in the water, so all you can do is swim your hardest.  I tried my best not to gag several times as I took in harbor water while breathing.  I also tried my best to swim as straight as possible, but it's anyone's guess as to how successful I was at that.

Swimming in a triathlon can be a little like a controlled riot at times.  I've heard of people getting kicked in the face and having their goggles ripped off their head in the frantic frenzy that ensues.  Several times during this race, I had someone behind me come right over top of me and take my legs out for a moment.  I tried to fight off panic as I felt myself sinking.  Then I got clear and kept going.

At one point, I felt like one swimmer literally tackled me by the legs in the water.  I sank further than usual and when I came up, I was pretty fired up.  As he swam past me, I seriously resisted the urge to clock him.

I hit the turnaround point at 21:26 and was feeling pretty good about myself and my swim.  Then, as we turned, we started getting rocked from some very large swells from an offshore storm.  The swells were especially bad here because we were at the mouth of the harbor and there was little sheltering us from the swells.

My brother came out first...I was about 6.5 minutes later...
(Apparently, I was swimming with my eyes closed...maybe that's why I was so slow!)

One change from last year was that the volunteers did not help us strip off our wetsuits as we exited the water this year.  It was much appreciated last year!  It can be a little tough to unzip yourself when your arms are tired and your hands are numb!

T1: Rumbling, Bumbling, and Stumbling Through a Costume Change
The next stage of the triathlon is the first transition or T1.  This is where you shed your wetsuit, get your bike gear on, and get back on the road.

The first thing I noticed when I got to my bike on the rack in T1 was that my brother's bike was gone.  I felt like it took forever to get my wetsuit off, but on my socks, bike shoes, helmet, sunglasses, and then pack up all my wet gear.

Team Skil Exits T1 and Prepare to Mount Up

The Bike Ride - A 56 Mile, Rainy Tour of Scenic Camp Pendleton
The weather was cold and rainy.  That didn't matter very much in the water.  But now it did.  I saw a sign during the bike ride proclaiming that the air temperature was a balmy 48 degrees!  Yikes!

The first 24 miles or so of the course are fairly flat and parallel the coast and I-5 as the bikers leave Oceanside and head north into Camp Pendleton.  I got off to a fairly good start.  I caught my first glance of my brother at about mile 10 or so as the course looped back.  I figured I was probably 10 minutes back.

Our jerseys are pretty distinctive on the course which makes it nice for us to see each other and cheer each other on.  I tried to keep up a good pace and was trying to beat last years average pace for the first 24 miles. Last year, I averaged 19.1 mph on this stretch and I was trying to beat that this year.

Let's face it...this form is not going to get me in the Tour de France!

Unfortunately, I soon met my first obstacle.  I couldn't find a pit stop in T1 so I had to get on the bike without heeding the call of nature.  I was determined to through the first stretch without having to stop, but I soon realized that I might not be able to and further I worried that I wouldn't be able to find a pit stip when I needed to stop.

I skidded to a stop at a convenient bathroom along a stretch of San Onofre State Park.  It seemed like the longest 2-3 minutes of my life. After exiting and getting back on the road, I realized that my speed had actually gone up from 20-21 mph to about 28!

I exited the first stretch on Cristianitos Road in San Clemente.  I checked my average speed for the first 24 miles--19.6 mph!  I felt good about that improvement from last years 19.1 and continued on my way.

The next significant part was Mile 28.  The Hill.  Last year, I had to jump off my bike to avoid an accident in front of me.  The Hill as so steep that I couldn't get back on until the top of the hill.  This year was different.  I tried to avoid tipsy cyclists and was able to power to the top.

At Mile 41 I was starting to feel a bit of fatigue and was wondering why I wasn't seeing anybody on the course even though I felt like I was making good time, despite the rain and sloppy weather conditions.  It was a little disheartening.  Just then, I caught a flash of red, white, and blue up ahead!  It was my brother!  The thought of seeing him on the course gave me a second wind out there.

I finally caught up to him at Mile 43 on a short downhill.  As I passed him, I tried to encourage him by yelling: "Only 12 more miles!"  I think I was actually trying to encourage myself as well!

I can smell the finish of the bike portion...

Last year, I remember at about Mile 50 thinking that I wasn't sure that I had a half marathon left in my legs, but somehow I managed to finish.  This year, I felt a lot more confidence as I pushed through the final miles on the bike.

As I hit the Strand, I looked at my watch and realized that I was going to finish the bike in a little over 3 hours.  Deep in my heart, I had been secretly hoping to do the bike in about 3 hours.  (Last year was 3 hrs 26 minutes).  I got more than a little emotional as I cruised down the Strand toward the second transition (T2).  I was glad that I had sunglasses on.  If people had been able to see me, they might have thought that I was in physical agony or that I was happy that the bike was over.

In truth, I was feeling overwhelmed with the realization that I was going to be able to finish and that I would hit my goal time.  That was a huge deal for me.  I had had nightmares about this race all winter.  My nightmare was not that I wouldn't finish--my nightmare was that I was going to do finish, but have a slower time than last year.  I was so grateful that my bike finish virtually guaranteed that I would meet my goals for this race.  It was a brief, personal moment, but I was grateful for it.

I swear I'm going faster than it looks...

T2: An Unexpected Delay
T2 is generally pretty short.  You rack your bike, ditch your helmet, put on a hat, put on your running shoes, and go.  I didn't stumble through this (like I had in T1) and I started heading for the gate to start the run.  Right before the run start was a bank of Biffy's.  As luck would have it, all were occupied!

I never thought that I would have to wait to make use of the facilities, but after my experience on the bike, I wanted to make sure I was really ready to run.  It didn't take that long for a spot to open up, but it felt like an eternity!

The Run: The 13.1 Mile Dash(???) to the Finish
I started the run plagued by cramps in my lower back.  I really need to spend more time on the bike so that the transition from bike to run is a little easier.  It really took about 6 miles for those cramps to loosen up a bit.

My brother attacked the run.

Even with the cramps, I felt like I was making pretty good time.  I don't have a fancy GPS triathlon watch (yet), but by my calculation, I was able to keep up a sub 10-minute mile pace for the first 11 or 12 miles.  I had visions in my own mind of

That didn't happen!  I knew that my brother was behind me, but I wasn't sure how close he was.  Turns out he was close and as I slowed down, he caught up to me with literally about half a mile to go (or less).  This time, it was his turn to encourage me and we entered the finish chute together and finished side by side!  =o)

It was really cool to hear the emcee at the finish line announce our names together and then also announce that we were brothers!

Team Skil finishes in 6:21:57

All in all, I was thrilled with my race.  But for the last mile of the run, I really felt like I exceeded my expectations and did better than I could have expected to do.  My goal was to go sub 06:30 and I did that.  In fact, both my brother and myself set personal records for the race.

Here is how this year's race compared to last years for me:

2011
Swim: 49:47
T1: 9:04
Bike: 3:26:49 (16.25 mph avg)
T2: 4:09
Run: 2:29:19 (11:23 pace per mile)
Total: 06:59:08

2012

Swim: 46:52
T1: 8:23
Bike: 3:06:31 (18.01 mph avg)
T2: 3:53
Run: 2:16:18 (10:24 pace per mile)
Total: 06:21:57


I don't operate under any delusions that I'm fast out there.  In fact, there were over 1300 people that were faster than I was on that day.  But I was excited that I was able to improve in every single stage of the race.  And the best part is that I know I can do even better next year!

I'm celebrating the fact that I'm done!

Special thanks go to our cheering section, who even brought signs.  Mom, J., Nicole, and the kids, you guys were awesome!  (and I promise to post a pic of the signs once I get them!)

Happy Birthday, Little Bro!

Pumpkinman 2011 - Crossing the Finish Line

My younger brother celebrated a birthday this past week.  My sister gave him an awesome tribute on her blog.  I agree with everything she said, but wanted to add a couple of thoughts in tribute to one of the greatest men that I know.

The title of this post is actually a bit of a joke, because he hasn't actually been my "little" brother since the day I got home from my mission.  I remember getting off the plane and seeing this huge behemoth standing there that I barely recognized.  

My younger brother was no longer my "little" brother.  He had grown many inches while I was away and had obviously been putting in a lot of time in the weight room!

That first night back from my mission, my brother and I went down to the Stake Center to play a little basketball.  We played a game of one-on-one.  He gave me the ball to start the game.  I took two dribbles and pulled up for my patented mid-range jumper.  Then something happened that had never happened before...my "little" brother promptly blocked my shot!  

It was a nice slice of humble pie to receive and deep down I was really proud of him for having grown (literally) and developed so much.  (And not just as a basketball player either...)

As I recall, however, I went on to win that one-on-one game, but I've always looked up to him ever since.  And not just because he's now taller than I am.

He introduced me to triathlons

I'll always be grateful to him for getting on my case about getting regular exercise.  He is the reason I started doing triathlons.  And someday, I hope we get to finish a full Ironman together.  I'll need to really up my game to keep up with him though!

One anecdote about my brother.  He has always been really smart.  I remember as a kid we had a brain teaser game where you had to align this puzzle up in a certain way so that everything matched a series of numbers and shapes.  I was probably 8-10 at the time.  My brother would have been 5-7 years old.  I remember solving the puzzle and being so proud of myself because it was difficult and took some time to analyze and put together properly.

I remember giving it to my brother and he solved it in just a few minutes.  I remember being silently impressed and I've never forgotten that experience.

One of my brother's most impressive qualities, however, is that he has always had a heart of gold.  I remember talking with my mom about that one time when I was a young boy.  I've always wanted to be able to naturally care about people and be as generous as he always has been.  It's a wonderful gift to have a brother like him.  I'm blessed to have him not only as my brother but also as one of my best friends.

Happy Birthday, Little Bro!  I look forward to celebrating many more with you!