Power Meters Oct 2

With and engineering degree I was destined to become a tech geek when technology arrived in the running and cycling world. Now I have a dilemma.

Yesterday I did a planned Functional Threshold test on the bike. This is something I should have done out here on my last two visits but did not. After a long warm up I did a 20 min test up a long hill at the end of Alii Dr. I forgot to run the calibration test before hand. The results were very surprising. In Boulder, at 5,000-6,000 ft my FT was just shy of 260 watts, yesterday it registered 293. I checked the calibration on the coast back down and the watts registered zero, a good sign. This morning I did a full Torque te

st and found 1 in-lb. Don’t know if this is significant but am going to do a 5 min retest up the same hill today to see if there is a difference.

Either way I think my power output is up and I am going to make some adjustments to my race plan. I may do another full test on Monday.

Today is move day from our rental unit to our timeshare closer to Kona, so this entry is short.

Ingrid Oct 3

Two years ago I dragged Ingrid out here for the 6^th time. Dragged is probably not the right word, she loves it out here, but she does put up with a lot when I am preparing for an IM. It’s a good thing this place is magic and we both love it so much. There is no way she would put up with my antics in any other place.

This year she is back with me and as many of you know not as healthy as she once was. She still loves this place but it is hard on her. She has been doing very well considering. Sleeping without oxygen is much more comfortable and she is sleeping much better. She seems to have a bit more energy than at altitude but does still run out of steam quickly. The hard part is communicating or rather not being too good at it. For someone who used to be able to hold three conversations at once in her very busy office

(I have watched her do this) having trouble focused on one conversation is very fr

ustrating and exhausting. And, we are in situations like this a lot out here.

Ingrid has always needed a bit of a push to try new things and places but I have been lucky that at the end of the day she has enjoyed most of passions or at least the side effects such as visiting Hawaii. This has included flying, skiing, sailing and now following me to Triathlons. I am a lucky stiff and thanks to her I am feeling lucky about the race in a week. It’s a very nice feeling, thanx Inka.

Kukio Blue Water Swim Oct 4

I did this race three years ago. If any of you get out here for the weekend before IronMan

Google this and sign up. The swim takes you out into Blue Water. For those not nautical this is water that is deep enough to not suffer from land born pollution and is deep blue. Swimming in it is magic and the sights magnificent. Divers will know what I am talking about. Today I missed the best sights, a small pod of dolphins, but there was about ten of them somewhere near me.

When I did this race in 06 there were less than 100 people in it, it is now over 230. Ages ranged from 7, yes seven, to 78. A 74 year old partially paralyzed on one side, he had trouble getting over the rocks to the beach were we started, did the swim in 40 min, an13 year old had one of the fastest times of 24 min, amazing.

I missed the friends that were around me from NY last time but we had a good time. Met some nice folks from the island and California. Food was great as last time and I was 5 min faster than 06, Yahoo!

Friends Oct 5

Good to have some, even it some of them are competitors. But the friends I am thinking about are not over here with me this year. When I raced here the first time in 2001 there were 11 members of the Long Island Triathlon community with me. Over the years there has always been several of those original gang coming back. As one good friend put it on the phone the other day “the competition is getting better and better” The bar is certainly being raised yearly but I suspect the economy has something to do with it as well. Those of you who have jobs are fighting hard to keep them and those that don’t are not spending their money on expensive trips. My SWAG, (Scientific Wild Ass Guess) is that it costs over $5,000 for one person to qualify and race in Kona and that just getting and staying at the location and paying for entry fees.

And of course there are our new friends in Colorado. Several are with us which is great but there are two VIP friends who are not, Barry and Jodee Siff. The last two times out here Jodee and Barry were in the Tower at the start line giving us an thumbs up. In 2006 somehow several LI friends found each other on the beach before the start and I found Mary Ellen hanging onto a surfboard at the start line.

I will also miss finding you on the bike and run. Typical of me was getting left behind in the water, passing a bunch of friends on the bike and getting passed myself on the run. I used to gage how well I had done in the swim by when I would pass Nancy Lipira on the bike and then how well the run was going when she passed me on the run. It was not until 2006 that I had learned enough about pacing not to pass Nancy on the Bike but find her on the run. Sadly that year Nancy was not having a great run day and my hope, when I caught here at about mile 13 that we would finish together did not work out.

I did have some great company in 2003; I think that was the year, when I was near and with Tom Waldrop (one of my big rivals in my AG) from Hawi to almost the finish of the race. That was the most fun IM ever for me Tom.

I will miss the mental push from Dave Schneider. He uncorked a sum 4-hour marathon in his first IM passing me at about mile 22 (his swimming sucks but he tells me he is working on this for real this winter). When he has been out here the specter of a near 8 min miler has pushed me to the finish line.

I have learned a bunch from all of you and do honestly think I have worked out the pacing game for IM. The weather can always be counted on to throw curves at you out here so

we shall see if I can adapt.

Friday – One more day

Not much time for Blogging the last few days. Ingrid's sister arrived Wednesday evening ready for some warm weather, it was heading to the first snow day in Boulder when she left.

Met a colleague from an Inside Triathlon article yesterday.

Desiree is unfortunately not racing this year. She lost her mum a few months ago which must have messed up her training. I think she will be back someday somehow. It was nice to be recognized.

It seems a long time since I qualified for this race back at Buffalo Springs. I was revisiting that race in my mind yesterday as I chatted with a couple from London. It is a small world. Amy Brooks (Swain) works for RTE, Ireland’s National Radio and Television Company. So does my cousin Tim Thurston who has a weekly radio show. Amy is going to surprise Tim if she can with a picture she took at the Welcome/Carbo dinner last night.

When I got up this morning I immediately went thru a physical check on my way to the toilet. Right calf (very tight after a bad cramp I got swimming on Monday) feels great. Minor back discomfort was not to be found. Plantar issues almost gone, nothing to worry about. Pulse a nice low 40. In short I think I am ready. Now all I need to do is stay relaxed today and get ready.

My mind is not working too well right now for blogging, I am fussing about what is left to do today, so will come back when all is done.