Part 2: T1 and The Bike: Lake Placid Race Report

If you missed my pre race and swim report, go HERE.

T1: 9:29
Coming out of the water I immediately had my wetsuit stripped, then it was time to begin the looooooooong run to the oval.

However! This looooooong run has you running through the most EPIC crowd of people lined 5 deep behind the barriers.

You feel like a FREAKING rockstar!

I entered the transition tent in the utter chaos state. CHAOS people! I volunteered here last year, and I recall there being a slow trickle of people, and then BAM, the deluge swarmed  us. I soon learned what it was like to be overrun by a horde of triathlon zombies.

This time? I was the zombie invader!

I found an open chair, plopped the bag down on it, did my thing, and got the heck outa there as fast as I could.

Before I knew it, it was time to bike!

I found this picture of me in some random IMLP-er's facebook album!

The Bike: 6:06:09
My biggest fear at the start was some yahoo taking me out in the first 30 seconds, where it is all windy and downhill. This did not happen. Phew!

And off I went onto the course...

Because I finished the swim in the time I did, I entered the course at its thickest. There were people everywhere. I was being passed; I was passing. I even somehow passed Emily without knowing it!

Now it was time to swallow my pride and spin........EASY! My coach walked us through this first section, which is all uphill for about 8 miles. "Find your rhythm!" He drilled this into us. "If you can find your rhythm now, you can carry it through the entire bike." So I spun.

And again because I was with the hordes of people, I was worried the first big downhill would have been packed and crazy.

It wasn't!

And it turned out to be one of the easiest descents of that hill. I was calm and relaxed and I let gravity do the work.

As soon as I got onto the flats of route 9N, super stud Ironman, Peter Wickman blew past me. He was looking great and would up with a 10:23 that day and 7th in our age group for his first Ironman! Go Peter!

From here it was autopilot.....until mile 44-ish.

Why mile 44-ish? Well my bike broke!!!! To be exact, my front derailleur broke. And what is worse, I didn't know it yet!

So at mile 44-ish is when the road pitches upwards for the last 12 miles. I needed to shift from my big ring to the small ring in the front. Except stupid me, I did it too fast and the chain got hung. As I was slowing because I could no longer pedal, I frantically was changing every gear I had to force the chain. It worked. I got into the small ring and continued up the hills. A guy behind me witness my debacle and commented, "Nice save!" I felt proud of myself.

But the damage was done. And I didn't know it :(

I quickly learned of this mini disaster when I hit a flat section by the gorge and attempted to switch back to the big ring. I felt like Han Solo starting up the hyperdrive and it was a total EPIC FUCKING FAIL.

Panic set in and I immediately thought of the flats of route 9N on the eastern side of the course. I had a LOT of flat fast riding to do on the 2nd loop and no big ring to crank it! SHIIIIIIIIIIITTTTTTT!!!!!!

My head was spinning but I immediately thought of the positive instead of the negative. So I was stuck in my small gear. Its a lot better than being stuck in the big ring!!! Fortunately I didn't really need it for the rest of the first loop since most of the climbing was still ahead of me.

I finished the first loop by stopping to see my family, which I told to be at the bottom of our road. It really helped me laugh it off and get my mind off of the matter.

This video totally cracks me up. My oldest brother was filming, while you can hear my older brother screaming at me, "Keep going!!!........you are losing TIME!"

Just down the road I quickly stopped off at special needs for loop #2, got some more vasoline "down there," chugged a generic Ensure, refilled liquids, and grabbed more food and I was off!

And I quickly realized it sucked to small ring flats and downhills. I figured that my big ring was a no go so I never attempted to try to use it.

Well, by the time I hit 9N on the flats, I was spinning like crazy and burning up my legs. There was no way I could keep up this effort to maintain my speed. I was going to ruin my run with this! So I just grabbed that lever and yanked. And the gear took! I was back in action!

I remained in the big ring until the climb up to Wilmington. Cya later big ring! Nice having you!

This section of the road has a lot of ups and downs, where you want to be able to switch between the small and big ring. I couldn't get it back into the big ring, so I got into a game of yo-yo with this poor girl. I would pass her on a climb, and she would fly by me on the downhill. I felt so bad that I actually apologized to her and explained my predicament. She understood and was cool with it. Phew! Triathletes are so nice :)

Meanwhile my frustration for not having the big ring was growing because there was another good sized section of flats up ahead. Two hills before this section, I had had it again and started wresting with the gears. The big ring took again, and out of fear of never getting it again, I big ringed the last two hills to Wilmington and I was set till the section where I originally broke the derailleur.

Then it was autopilot of climbing back to base.

Despite the mechanical, I did the first loop of the bike in 2:58, and the second loop in 3:08.

What I did right for this bike:
I got the fluids in. I think I went through 10 or 11 sports bottles of 50% water, 50% perform. This helped me stay cool and not thirsty. I also got the food down. Pacing took care of itself when I lost my big ring, however, spinning at such a high cadence did do more harm than good in the long run.

Also, biking this course 6 times in training helped build my confidence for the downhill, and getting to know the course better. I now know where every climb and flat is. I love this course!

What I should have done better for this bike:
This is a bit of foreshadowing for the run, but I should have been taking in electrolyte pills. Yes, I was getting in electrolytes through the perform, but it wasn't enough, I would soon learn on the run.

Also, I should not have been a knucklehead and switched gears too quickly! Doh!

Regarding nutrition, I should have eaten all solids on the first loop, then switched to all gels on the 2nd loop. This would allow time for the solids to get through my system so that by the time I hit the run, my stomach would be clear of any solids. I run better after taking in gels.

What got it done:
Riding lots. I owe this to my coach. He pushed me on the bike, especially by getting those long rides in. His training camp especially pushed my confidence levels to new heights. Remember how I drove up Whiteface the day before the race? During camp, we BIKED up that mountain! He put it perfectly with, "What I am putting you guys through will make race day seem easy."

Now that I look back on it, he was totally right! That 75 SUPER hilly ride we did that day made this 112 seems like cake with yummy frosting.

Stay tuned for T2 and The Run!

Part 1: Pre Race and Swim: Lake Placid Race Report

I'll be honest, it took a loooooong time for this race to "hit me." I never got the chills or that "oh shit" moment until the night before. I think it was due to having 11 other family members show up and needing to entertain them. This kept me mentally busy and helped me not concentrate on the race. I would highly recommend this for you future first time Ironman-ers!

So what did we do?

We saw a gorge

We shot some guns

My biggest brother. He got 8/10 targets

Did some training swims with some blogging buddies

Ran into some more blogging buddies on the street

We went on a train

I hung out some more KICKASS bloggers at the welcome dinner

We drove up Whiteface

That is Lake Placid

And we celebrated my mom's birthday.

Happy Birthday Mom!

 The cupcakes were UH-MAZING! Thanks Mandy for the the recommendation!

THEN I went for a quick walk, chatted with my coach, and THEN it hit me finally.

I was about to do an Ironman!

Morning of:
Because I rented a house on Mirror Lake Drive at the run turnaround, it was an easy walk past the special needs drop off on my way to the Oval for transition. I saw Emily @ Sweat Once A Day on the way. Body marking was quick. I got all of my food into the transition bags and liquids onto the bike. I could tell I could immediately go into panic mode at any moment for any reason, but I knew what I was doing and just stayed calm. I had plenty of time to get into the water!

On the beach, DROG happened to walk right past me, so it was cool to calm the nerves with someone I knew. The water was warm due to the heatwave that enveloped the entire east coast. So warm in fact that if you wanted a Kona slot or AG award, wetsuits were illegal! This was the first time in Placid's history that it was a wetsuit optional swim.

Thats my backside. Perfect 10, right? hahahahahahaha!

The Swim: 1:10:51
I wore the wetsuit. Yeah, it was a bit warm, but I trained for this race wearing a wetsuit and I knew this race would always involve a wetsuit.

So! I lined up far to the right and about 7-10 rows back. It was a good place to start. Maybe it was a tad too far to the right, but the contact for the most of the swim was nothing too too bad. If I even attempted to get near the buoy line, I could see the carnage, so I stayed just to the right of them all.

Funny note, the water temp was kinda nice behind the start line. As soon as you pass the start line, the water temp jumped about 10 degrees! Wanna know why? Well, I am not gonna tell. I think you can figure that part out ;)

Coming out of the first loop, I saw my family, actually stopped and treaded water and waved to them all. They saw me too! It wasn't hard to see them. My family rocks! They made the most AWESOME T-shirts!!! Check these out!

Front & Back

Getting out of the water for loop #2 I was slow. I was hot. The water temp + wetsuit was starting to take a toll. I think it was doing that on everyone. So I trudged on.

Then I got a side stitch. Son of A!!!!! It freaking hurt but I just swam through it. Boy that hurt.....

Near the end of the out on loop #2, I got onto the buoy line! It was great. I really calmed down and had a smooth stroke for the first time all swim. It also took my mind off of that side stitch. After rounding the turn for the final leg home, I figured I would just stay on it. WRONG. People who just slap the water were all around me suddenly, so I drifted back right.

As we all came to the finish of the swim, naturally all of the swim lines started to condense. Out of the entire 2.4 miles, the MOST amount of contact I had was in this last 200 meters. Its like everyone started sprinting and panicking  and kicking HARD all at once! I was like, "You have 10+ more hours out there!" So I tried to get to the right, but I couldn't. I was locked into this sea of crazy people and got nailed in the chin twice in the last 2 minutes of the swim. WTF?!?!

It wasn't anything I anticipated, but I survived and you know what? That was physically the EASIEST 2.4 mile swim! I was mentally and physically prepared for that swim more than I ever thought I was.

What I did right for this swim:
Every Friday was a 4000 yard swim. They sucked, mentally more than physically. Ok, physically they sucked too, but knowing that you can swim 4000 yards (not straight!) was a huge mental boost. Actually, starting off the swim with a 2000 yard straight warmup, building to race pace (which isn't fast!) really helped by knocking off 50% of the swim. Then spending the last 2000 yards doing intervals and descending/ascending sets really puts the hurt on, but man do those sets really put money in the bank!

What I should have done better for this swim:
More intervals, but at higher intensity. I won't lie, I had more swimming speed in January and February, then in April. From there, I went flat and actually lost speed. However! My endurance continued to creep up, but I never regained that "sharpness" that I had last winter, and in April. I honestly think I should have taken swimming rest weeks.

In January, my 100 times were getting down to 1:25/100 without even blinking. Heck, I went 14:47 for a 1000 yard TT. Now? Hitting 1:30/100 on an all out 100 is a dream come true! Just don't freak out if some of your speed gets sacrificied for endurance. Also, the accumulated fatigue from the massive volumes of biking and running sap your mojo in the pool as well.


What got it done:
I aimed for a 1:10 swim split, and I got that 1:10 swim split. My training got me there and I was happy with that time! For reference, I swam on average about 30,000 yards/month. A 1:10 isn't a blazing fast swim, and I am not a natural born swimmer, but this kind of volume got me there. In my case, my swim was 1/12th of my day! Was my swim training 1/12th of my overall training? No, but you have to remember that coming out of the swim fresh, which is what I did, only helps on the bike and later on in the run because you haven't blown it all in the first hour of the race.

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for T1 and the bike!

Who Is An Ironman?

Jon Campbell...

28 Years Old...

White Plains, New York...

For the first time in your life...

YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!

-Mike Reilly (The Voice of Ironman)

I got the finisher's shoot to myself and those were the words I heard. Out of all of the things I wanted that day, I wanted to hear those words from that man, Mike Reilly.

More to come!

Surprise! I am blogging while racing an IRONMAN!! Video included....

First, WATCH!



Did I just say, "Sweatings?" Yeah, I think I did! Hahahahaha! New word? Eh, no....haha

This is me at the start of my first triathlon, the SBR Sprint in Harriman State Park on June 1st, 2008.

To the finish of my latest triathlon

I went from almost dead LAST in my age group to dead FIRST in my age group in a span of 4 seasons. Took me a bit to get there, but I got there and am excited to embark on the last distance unknown to me, the Ironman.

I have met some amazing people:

To burning myself:

To being bit by a dog:

To turning into a zombie:

It has been fun, and it will continue into the future. Thank you for following!

Happy Training!

The Official How to Track or Stalk Jon @ Lake Placid Post

Wanna follow my progress this Sunday while I attempt my first Ironman at Lake Placid?

Since joining twitter, I guess I upped the dosage of social networking another notch. However! Socal networking is the best way to keep track of people racing, especially if someone is giving up to the second updates.

My entire family will be with me at Placid, and I plan to hand over my facebook and twitter accounts to them (gasp!) and have them do more thorough updates WITH pictures and possibly video.

So here are Five ways to track me this Sunday:

#1: In Person
Are you spectating? Or racing? If you see a 5'7" guy on a Blue P2 Cervelo with Zipp Wheels who looks like this:

I am the short guy in the middle

You have found me. The kit pictured above is the same kit I will be using.

#2 Ironman Live
http://ironmanlive.com

either enter my bib #, 918, or look up by name: Leonard Campbell

I am racing in the 25-29 age group.

Waaaaaaaaiiiiiiitttt a sec? Who the heck is Leonard Campbell? Its my legal name. I go by my middle name, Jon. Fun fact! I share the same initials with probably the most significant historical figure in the past 2000 years. Sorry, but I ain't the second coming.

#3: Twitter
Definitely the fastest way to get up to the moment info when my family sees me and hopefully gets a photo of me.
http://twitter.com/#!/vrljc

#4: Facebook
A bit apprehensive about posting this, but I hope most people who follow this blog are legit. If you are, friend me. Don't be offended if I don't answer your request by race day. Gonna be busy!

#5: The Mystery Connection
Somehow you will hear from me. That is all I am going to say.

Hope you will be able to follow me! I understand most of you are training for you own big races and will most likely be out for a 6 hour workout that day. No worries! I will be out there for 12 :)

Coming to Grips with What is Possible @ Lake Placid

I don't want this post to sound like I am selling myself short, but I would rather go into Lake Placid with a conservative plan rather than an unrealistic plan. I am heading into unknown territory here!

People asked me a year ago what I thought I would do @ Lake Placid. I told them, "I will let you know three weeks before the race."

Sorry for the major cliffhanger folks! But I didn't know then. How could anyone 52 weeks out?

But I think I do now.

As long as I cross that finish line, I am PR-ing this distance.

Ok, now that that is out of the way, what should I expect? Based upon my training and where I am now (less than two weeks out), here are some predictions:

I first need to mention that I am purposefully forgetting that I have gone a 5:03:xx in a HIM. It was a flat course and it does NOT count! The "take your best HIM time, multiply it by 2 and add an hour" formula just got thrown out the window. The "you will finish when you finish" formula has been enabled


Swim: 1:10+
In training: I did the full 2.4 mile swim 3 weeks ago in 1:10. I did this on my own with no draft. I also followed the buoy line and didn't need to site (which I think saves time). I also ran into three different people and was interrupted.

On race day: Following the buoy line? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Not gonna get near that mayhem! Hopefully on the second loop it will stretch out enough to get on it. Not gonna worry if I don't. I am also not gonna gun it and swim at any sort of high intensity. The swim could be as little as 1/12th of my day. Its NOT worth the energy! I still have a LOT of biking and running to do.


Bike: 6:15-6:30+
In training: I have done this course in hot conditions, windy conditions (from both North and South Directions) and in cold and wet conditions. Other than a tornado and snow, I think I have my bases covered in riding this course in the most extreme conditions.

I have done a single loop in 3 hours flat. I have done two loops in 6:15. I have also done two loops in 6:38. For some reason 6 hours on this course seems to be some standard to break. Did you know that riding 112 miles in 6 hours flat is an 18.67 mph average? So I have averaged 20mph in training on a couple 100 milers. BIG F-ING DEAL. Did I have to run a marathon afterwards? NOPE? Was the terrain super hilly? NOPE! Does this mean I should try to maintain 20 mph for Lake Placid? HELL NO!

On race day: First Loop: My easiest gear is still too hard. My easiest gear is still too hard. My easiest gear is still too hard. This applies specifically the first 8.5 miles of climbing out of town. Gonna be fun watching how many people buzz by me standing up on this first section. It will also be fun buzzing by them on the 2nd loop as their gas tanks reach the big ole "E".

The Placid bike course is one to be respected. Its surely does not have the steepest climbs, but it has the additive effect that bites hard. Its a neat course that somehow hides 6,000 feet of climbing. You also have to remember that there is a 26.2 mile run to be done!

I train with power on the bike, and based upon my last few long ride, putting a cap at 170 watts on the flats will hold me back, yet still allow some speed. On the climbs, its all about RPE. This is holding 40 less watts than my HIM wattage, which is 210. Swallowing my pride with this one! I may have lost some top end speed on the bike this season, but I surely sacrificed it to go long (except for the Ridgefield Sprint where I won my AG. THAT was fun!).

Run: 4:00-4:30+
The biggest unknown. I have swam 2.4. I have Biked 112. I have never ran a marathon. Does this really matter? Not really. My coach explained to me that his first ever Marathon was at Kona and that his longest run prior was only an 18 miler (of course I am still wondering if he is human).

In training: The longest I have ever run is barely over 19 miles, and that took me 2:45:00 to do. I run best in cold weather (I think everyone does). Placid could be hot and muggy to downright cold and rainy. For the run especially, I wouldn't mind a little drizzle and cold.

On race day: My run training is there and I am ready to run a Marathon! I would rather bike a 6:30 and run a 4 hour marathon than bike a 6:00 and run a 4:30 marathon. Is it a pride issue? I think its more of a "my feet hurt" issue. 30 extra minutes on the bike is not that big of a deal compared to an extra 30 minutes of pounding pavement.

What will get me here? A) Pacing the bike. B) eating properly and C) getting fluids down. The bike is the #1 thing that will make or break this run. I hope it makes it.

Transitions: 10-15 minutes for both.
Its a bit of a run from Mirror Lake to the Olympic Oval. Then you gotta get your bag, get your bike gear on, pack your swim gear. Get your bike, run across the oval to the bike out. I am just exhausted thinking about it!

For the bike to run transition, I might need to take a moment and just sit down and recollect my brain. At this point I will be 7+ hours into the race. My brain might be on Mars or Jupiter.

Total Finish Time Estimate:

11:35 - 12:25+

Oh great, even my most conservative time has me freaking out!

Brilliant! The Ice Cream Aid Station. An open letter to WTC.

Gotta give credit to Kevin @ IronmanByThirty's tweet:

 So I responded with:

And the idea was born. So I am writing a letter to the World Triathlon Corporation (WTC).......not really.

Dear WTC,


Triathlete bloggers are the coolest people EVAR! Nuff said. So you should listen to us :)


Since Ironman Wisconsin takes place in the dairy capital of the US, there should be one or more ice cream aid stations on the run course. This will not only get easy calories into the athletes but it will also cool the internal cores of the athletes in case of hot and humid temperatures. This idea has been seconded by Kevin @ IronmanByThirty, thirded by Emily @ SpeedLaces, and fourthed by Katie @ "Tri"ingForPro. I think this is large enough of a population sample to show that NO triathletes are Lactose Intolerant.


Thank you for considering this awesome idea.


-The coolest people to walk the face of this earth.

Besides, who wants a finish line picture with a face like this?

(source)

 

 

 

 

Happy Training!

Ironman will warp your "Perspective" on distance (and your brain)

I have probably written this post about a dozen times, usually every time I conquer or PR a new distance. For example, I still remark at the first time I ever ran three miles without stopping, then 4, then 5, then 6 (and I thought my arms were going to fall off!) and up to my first 13.1. 13.1 used to be a MONUMENTAL distance that involved taper, mental readiness, and dread. I used to get SO worked up over the distance!

That has all changed now.

I posted on my facebook page on Saturday:

I blame my coach! He sent me a voice mail the other night saying, "So I am gonna have you ride only 4 hours this Saturday. Don't worry, its gonna be a walk in park for you."

I just shook my head and said to myself, "Well, no shit! You dragged us up 230 hilly miles in 3 days only 2 weeks ago! Anything less than 5 hours is gonna be a short day!"

And you know what? He was right! 4 hours on the bike breezed by and that was the fastest (mental time) 30 min brick run I have ever done. Couldn't believe how quickly the time went by!

Oh and speaking of that run, it was a successful one.

I have been struggling with the brick runs lately, and I have figured it out. I wasn't drinking enough fluids on the bike when it was really hot out. I always drink ever 5 minutes, which is pretty often, but when you only take medium sized sips, that is still NOT enough liquid. So my thirst was quenched, but I was still going negative. This time I forced a lot more liquid into me by taking bigger sips. It worked and my stomach didn't revolt. If conditions are hot at Placid, I NEED to get 20oz/hour in, OR ELSE. I also held back on the effort level on the bike by one notch; this will be my Ironman pace.

Of course on Sunday during a short 90 min easy ride, I started going loopy. Somehow I bonked? I was thinking up some funny shit (at least I thought so).

Then I proceeded to sleep the day away. My body was TIRED. I have read a lot about the time during the Ironman taper that your body feels like it is going backwards. Boy I have felt it, especially in the pool. I haven't any consistent swims in a LONG time. Also on the run, there is this underlying dull feeling (could also be the Fumidity). Fortunately I have been told to just gut it out and that it is just your body absorbing the months and months of hard training. Come race day I should hopefully have that snap back......I just can't blow it in the first 45 minutes of the bike ;)

This morning was a "short" 1:50:00 run. I knocked off 12.5 miles . How is 12.5 miles short?!?!?! Mentally it was another quick run.Yes, training for an Ironman has warped everything.

Time to shoot an email to my coach for the next week of training. Curious to see what I will be doing!

Look forward to my next post. It will be a fun one :)

Fumidity: What Is It?

FUCKING HUMIDITY

That's what it is.

It's annoying
It's gross
It smells like wet dog
It's my Kryptonite
It drives me insane
It can cause 3.5 pounds of sweat loss in 60 mins of moderate running
It allows you to ring out your running jersey (gross)
It makes you feel like you can jump and swim through the thick air
It makes you say, "I am running through a marshmallow."
It makes 66 degrees feel like 666 degrees
It makes you go from super human, to super slug
It even has been known to make grown men in Texas cry (yep! I went there!)

It makes me look this bad:

4 hour ride + 2 hour brick run + 85 degrees + 90% fumidity = disaster that day.

 It makes me look forward to Fall and cooler temperatures.

Stay cool and stay hydrated!

My Turn to Chime in on the Tour De France

Ok, all of the cool kids are posting about the Tour de France. So MY TURN!

I started road cycling in high school in 1999. This is also the first year that Lance Armstrong won the Tour De France. Perfect timing, right?

And from here on out I was hooked on the Tour.

In 2003, I got the opportunity to spend an entire summer in southern France, in Lacoste in the Petite Luberon region of Provence. Yep, it WAS great!

The Tour came pretty close, but we still had to drive a bit to see a few stages. The first stage we saw was on the epic and historic L'Alpe D'Huez. I hiked up to the third switchback (there are about 21 of them?) and staked a spot. It was HOT that day. And at 4-5PM when the riders finally hit the base, it was still hot. So not only had they ridden 100+ miles of MOUNTAINS that day, but they were still sprinting up this climb! EPIC!

Can anyone recognize the two riders? That is me clapping in the blue jersey.

George Hincapie is on the left. He is riding his 16th or 17th tour this year! The infamous Floyd Landis is on the right.

(edit: Thanks to Jason @ CookTrainEatRace for pointing this out. Notice they are NOT wearing helmets? I totally forgot about this! I think the rule was no helmets required on an uphill finish? It was cool at the bottom of the hill. The pros would take off their helmets and throw them into the crowds. Talk about rats (spectators) fighting over a freaking helmet.)

This was also the first time I saw Lance Armstrong in person (I later saw him on the Champs Elysees and at the 2004 and 2005 Tour de Georgias). You can tell when Lance is approaching, because the helicopters start hovering overhead.

He emerged from a shadow of a tree and looked like he was sculpted out of stone. He was freaking ripped and dark. Haven't ever seen a white guy with such a tan before! Even on an 8-9% grade, the lead riders went by in a flash. That day the main group included Iban Mayo, Jan Ullrich, Tyler Hamilton, Richard Virenque, and Lance and many other former greats. Interesting that everyone listed has been busted or implicated in doping scandals...

So this is the era that "grew up" with in cycling: The late 90's early 2000's "class" of riders. I knew them ALL. Which races they won, which teams they had been on, who they were riding for, etc.

In this year's tour? I believe only George Hincapie and maybe Thor Hushvod are the only remaining riders that I can think of personally (I am sure there are many others who rode in 2003) who are still riding.

It's a different "class" now. Alberto Contador has taken over the roll as the "boss" and Mark Cavendish is the sprinter to be feared. I guess I now feel a great disconnect from these riders (possibly because I am older than them!) but also because those "older" riders were what I first learned.

So my predictions for this year's yellow and green jersey winners? It will probably be another showdown between the Schleck brothers and Contador. Cadel Evans will shoot some fireworks, but will falter in the mountains. Cavendish, Thor, Phillipe Gilbert, and possibly Tyler Farrar will duke it out for the Green jersey.

I think Contador will pull it out in the end. He can time trial if he needs extra time. The Schleck brothers can't.

19 + 19 + Pigs = ???

Maybe you can solve the riddle? 

P.S. There is NO answer.

I had (I think) my last big weekend of training. Am I tapering right now? Eh, who cares. My body still feels fresh and ready to rock it. My brain wishes it were 50 degrees outside everyday. 

P.S. The heat is killing me and it is not even that hot out...

Soooooooo, Saturday I drop kicked a 102 miler in 5:10:00 while nuking my legs to the point that running was just a funny joke played on ME.

I had another bad brick run......sigh.....

Yes, it was between 88 and 92 degrees outside, but I won't be blaming the heat here. My problem? Went too hard on the bike with the heat (even though it felt great) and I didn't drink enough liquids. Oh wait, I did just blame the heat. I should have drank 100-120 oz of liquids and I only got down 90. Did I mention I didn't pace the bike correctly for the hot conditions? The good news is that I got enough food in me. I wasn't hungry and I had the energy, I was just dehydrated and the legs were shot.

Lesson learned!

And I'm praying for 65 degrees and overcast skies on race day...and a tailwind in all directions.

Then on Sunday it rained. And it was glorious. It was freaking humid out, but not feeling like the ant under the magnifying glass was a nice change for once.

Then I needed a mental break from the training. I blew off an OWS and headed north to Poughkeepsie. We saw pigs and goats!

  

Heh, triathlon relay team?

Their goat cheese is UHmazing!

And then we went to the William Morse estate. He invented Morse Code and the telegraph machine.

Finally we rounded off the evening with dinner RIGHT on the Hudson.

On Monday I attempted my longest run ever, a 19 mile or 2:45:00 run. Big fail. Apparently the cheese I ate the day before won. Nuff said. Got 35 mins of running and had to stop. So I walked home, slept all day and hydrated and got my stomach back to normal.

Tuesday I won.

Nuff said

That was the most solid long run I have ever done. Just kept it consistent with pace and effort the entire time. Whats another 7.13 miles? Oh brother....I will find out in 19 days!