tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1781263569720300382024-02-19T14:21:19.464-08:00Endurance Athlete: Wes AndersonWes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-69863645380013769632016-06-01T10:10:00.002-07:002018-08-10T11:15:25.194-07:00Marathon Madness!A couple weekends ago I embarked on another mountain bike racing excursion. I'm both loving and hating the feeling of doing races outside of my usual triathlon comfort zone. Loving the new experiences and fun dirt offers but hating the learning curve! One of my season goals for this year was to sign up for several mountain bike races to improve my bike handling skills and race tactics for some upcoming Xterra racing I'd like to do. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZih31I-hcJmTAKk1VMZpR1IRCEiBwo0k5WROS-uOatEIL1FjQ6k5p43IEHHGhzmiTs3DWdvI1lJvK5skSLYmS9VURufARoZzGhpw_9H9zmKVxd3EZjco3-bkm_XMXsx21rR8A9ZxDsuXY/s1600/13243846_1788735654693972_1401265855938821402_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZih31I-hcJmTAKk1VMZpR1IRCEiBwo0k5WROS-uOatEIL1FjQ6k5p43IEHHGhzmiTs3DWdvI1lJvK5skSLYmS9VURufARoZzGhpw_9H9zmKVxd3EZjco3-bkm_XMXsx21rR8A9ZxDsuXY/s400/13243846_1788735654693972_1401265855938821402_o.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: Broken Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
This weekend I was waffling on wether to drive to Alabama for an Xterra race or race a more local Mountain bike marathon. My training is still far from where it needs to be so I decided to not drive 12 hours to get my butt kicked but instead to drive about 1.5 hours for a butt kicking! So I headed to Solon Iowa for the <a href="http://www.icorrmtb.org/?p=1517" target="_blank">Sugar Cubed IMBCS Marathon</a>. I had no idea what to expect with a mountain bike race this long but was pretty sure it was going to hurt! The race format was basically how many laps can you get in on a 4 hour time limit. Each lap was 12 miles long riding on all the Sugar Bottom mountain bike trails backwards. <br />
<br />
<b>RACE RECAP:</b><br />
My plan going in was to just ride the first loop, race the second loop, and then see if I had anything left for a third lap. Well that plan went out the window as soon as the race started! I went out with the lead group of about 15-20 guys sitting right at the back of the pack for the first turn into the start of the single track. I quickly got sucked into racing that first lap. I remember looking down at my heart rate monitor and seeing I was about 15 beats higher than I planned on being. I kept thinking to myself, what in the hell are these guys doing there is no way they are going to push this pace for 4 hours!<br />
<br />
The first lap was an absolute blast and was very rewarding in the sense I felt in the mix of the race. I was passing and getting passed, working turns and climbs, just having a lot of fun! I came through the first lap with about 5 other guys sitting around 10-15th place. The second lap was excruciating! About 15 minutes into the lap I wiped out in a corner, when I popped up my left hamstring locked up with a bone rattling cramp. I hopped (more like crawled) back onto my bike but couldn't get the cramp to release, so I soft pedaled until it worked itself out. Then I got out of the saddle to climb a hill and both my inner thighs locked up. Back to soft pedaling.... I was having that mental conversation with myself wondering how and the hell am I going to bike another 8 miles back to the start... should I call it a day and find a short cut back??? But what if I get lost and end up having to bike more miles!?!? In the end I decided to just ride it easy back to the finish line and hope I get there in one piece. The last couple miles things seemed to calm down a little and I was able to pick it back up a little with the ever constant threat of a cramp at each hill. I finished out the second lap and called it a day at about 2 hours and 50 minutes. I literally crawled back to the truck, turned the AC on, and just laid there for like 45 minutes. I was pooped!<br />
<br />
<b>TAKEWAYS:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>I would have had a better race and placing had I followed my race plan going in, but I did get a lot of technical and tactical race experience pushing it that first that lap that I don't think I would have got otherwise.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Mountain biking is no joke! I hurt for seriously like 3 days after the race. It hurt to type emails, that's how much of a wreck I was. </li>
</ul>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sugar bottom is a great mountain bike course! There is a little of everything out there and is just a lot of fun to ride. <a href="http://www.icorrmtb.org/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">ICORR</a><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 16px;">and</span><span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/Goosetown-Racing-204841488525/" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 16px; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: all 0.15s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Goosetown Racing</a><span style="font-size: 16px;">, led by Race Director Mike Frasier, put together a great race!</span></span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zdCpRN8bqxh4o3qmwg57Duvu69t2F8pmF6n8LR4coBM7ZKW6Ht631W3NX4xuscj2NhFzKg1IzFu5Oo55KZU5ICfCa3HtsC780Ozcym6yuDKBPMApSHanqDw7j4WLeAUV-xS6FX97LHk6/s1600/13267760_1174125612606161_4179640936007677418_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2zdCpRN8bqxh4o3qmwg57Duvu69t2F8pmF6n8LR4coBM7ZKW6Ht631W3NX4xuscj2NhFzKg1IzFu5Oo55KZU5ICfCa3HtsC780Ozcym6yuDKBPMApSHanqDw7j4WLeAUV-xS6FX97LHk6/s320/13267760_1174125612606161_4179640936007677418_n.jpg" width="320" /></a><b>SHOUT OUT: </b>It was great seeing fellow <a href="http://freeflightbikes.com/" target="_blank">Free Flight</a> racers out there shredding as well. Way to go Kyle, Jennie, Chris, and Matt!<br />
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-17261694141764412512016-04-28T08:40:00.001-07:002016-04-28T08:40:28.926-07:00Spring Photos!<b><span style="font-size: large;">This Spring has been full of adventure and fun, in large part due to my two favorite girls!</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmCtsYmtpP-npUcCtYl5Ns7fDn2oEMqEYlSlR27t8JJDf4UYbN7yRsTwZa2djpdrTHVJwEqoJdK4Z9iB8UDm6g093BmKdxP_4VH2gjPxgZi2jR3z0jLMLKILiJUTvjJkV0i040UBbmK8_/s1600/IMG_2883.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvmCtsYmtpP-npUcCtYl5Ns7fDn2oEMqEYlSlR27t8JJDf4UYbN7yRsTwZa2djpdrTHVJwEqoJdK4Z9iB8UDm6g093BmKdxP_4VH2gjPxgZi2jR3z0jLMLKILiJUTvjJkV0i040UBbmK8_/s320/IMG_2883.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">We have all gotten in some much needed training........</span></b><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinTpkglvThzH4LY1G1f1kKaZL5HQ4WYjK0BMZAsleqGw3PG2hpTsIhecfsLmU06MuE6hUmI8InQ2SN5Hte9wuejiNZin06cNTb4SxQsO1fa73iTBf_gYn3UAyAmxosYESB1_N68EjwA4aj/s320/IMG_1387.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="240" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Start them young!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNly2hHyUdtzlHPV8pxwNoUFHQGRGF6-2xUSWIlKjpRJ6DslESSFGFHUljRQVtfHrGaMiaE1IuGVoL_iPZiQZY8IpLJvw1bVOWF3mxfa8s3SHJIeiZpofenMkcOOmUZByUwo8vp4nnKh-7/s1600/IMG_4743.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNly2hHyUdtzlHPV8pxwNoUFHQGRGF6-2xUSWIlKjpRJ6DslESSFGFHUljRQVtfHrGaMiaE1IuGVoL_iPZiQZY8IpLJvw1bVOWF3mxfa8s3SHJIeiZpofenMkcOOmUZByUwo8vp4nnKh-7/s200/IMG_4743.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yoga anyone?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiu3v43-dgFyp0AEzAdzT6izo6EoPB4LpGpYeWWfipawYXk1ddFcV0YkE0ctkCNkk-e7mHvmdJyLyQoKIUl7wu75W-Exohj4riOnrCaTh3D3zQT4FrCGmKWExUq2a_Hwbake3_arJanq_/s1600/IMG_2410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwiu3v43-dgFyp0AEzAdzT6izo6EoPB4LpGpYeWWfipawYXk1ddFcV0YkE0ctkCNkk-e7mHvmdJyLyQoKIUl7wu75W-Exohj4riOnrCaTh3D3zQT4FrCGmKWExUq2a_Hwbake3_arJanq_/s320/IMG_2410.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A run at Horseshoe Canyon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">A little travel........</span></b><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs2WRXkdEMN80Z2MWOSS6DX72U5K5cYb4wQSvLrfYyKpE36y3Ss8oGrsJzJAxavxgvrAeJI4H1ALPc2dIZJ9jCL3dvKMtQQwsT8MqxMebi5hPpSM4QxF6OGPDG6fT4Grr4-xyg33VIe9w/s1600/IMG_0553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPs2WRXkdEMN80Z2MWOSS6DX72U5K5cYb4wQSvLrfYyKpE36y3Ss8oGrsJzJAxavxgvrAeJI4H1ALPc2dIZJ9jCL3dvKMtQQwsT8MqxMebi5hPpSM4QxF6OGPDG6fT4Grr4-xyg33VIe9w/s320/IMG_0553.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flying back from Texas 70.3, quick stop in Chicago!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>And of course some racing!</b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvR6EW9jgLbR-wvfkP8gIpY1CMOir_NZbHtUIjRm6XQU0EcX1UAWWMBmd6VoUP0_8xN7HbSPDW5qMQmiErCPYhEHAgIwjRFLvH_27P9ZUTBGGfAe9G15TE7mXfghfGDYdlo_6FkOBWEe8/s200/IMG_0754.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="166" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CAT 2 30-39 MTB race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OCqYRvRa3zjG_7u9NY_2dqPKgq_nA89kb46QMi4ZI0kUrCeF3mdHV4w3wduu0E7fUqrs25DTseN3dRH3bHc1JU1KOcusw3r-rd-fi0lUV4qNlsadUolNL7DgI_BA5ksPGHgn8IDETN5b/s1600/13055142_1777974712436733_759584902441659687_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8OCqYRvRa3zjG_7u9NY_2dqPKgq_nA89kb46QMi4ZI0kUrCeF3mdHV4w3wduu0E7fUqrs25DTseN3dRH3bHc1JU1KOcusw3r-rd-fi0lUV4qNlsadUolNL7DgI_BA5ksPGHgn8IDETN5b/s320/13055142_1777974712436733_759584902441659687_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love the berms at Illiniwek Forest Preserve</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvvR6EW9jgLbR-wvfkP8gIpY1CMOir_NZbHtUIjRm6XQU0EcX1UAWWMBmd6VoUP0_8xN7HbSPDW5qMQmiErCPYhEHAgIwjRFLvH_27P9ZUTBGGfAe9G15TE7mXfghfGDYdlo_6FkOBWEe8/s1600/IMG_0754.JPG" imageanchor="1"> </a></div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-8614682730748662802015-04-23T14:44:00.001-07:002015-04-23T14:52:44.601-07:00My Mountain Bike Race Debut: Illiniwek Abermination<br />
<span style="font-family: "Calibri",sans-serif; font-size: 16pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr8SBc9LM-kfiqwOGtayScO0rmjfPUDjqX7awQiUSvtT_mEfVn6bXEb_b6FjVhOqMsIDbsj8_es4vYWduAgx_EeUk8EtMx3HPbQrNlxO1CBVb_hpyDp7ccqwzSR_IZ_sdfwk8Q5nxaYFA/s1600/IlliniwekPhoto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqr8SBc9LM-kfiqwOGtayScO0rmjfPUDjqX7awQiUSvtT_mEfVn6bXEb_b6FjVhOqMsIDbsj8_es4vYWduAgx_EeUk8EtMx3HPbQrNlxO1CBVb_hpyDp7ccqwzSR_IZ_sdfwk8Q5nxaYFA/s1600/IlliniwekPhoto.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">photo courtesy of <span class="entity _4v1s" data-fulltext="Eric Roccasecca" data-group="all" data-icon="null" data-select="group" data-si="true" data-text="Eric Roccasecca" data-type="ent:user" data-uid="100000690606821">Eric Roccasecca</span></span><span data-si="true"></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>My first Mountain bike race is in the books, and all I can say is it was a blast! Since making the decision to do some Xterra Triathlons this year I thought it would be smart to try out some mountain bike racing this Spring to help me learn how to race in the dirt. So Erin and I traveled to the Illiniwek Forest Preserve this past weekend for the first of the <a href="http://imbcs.org/" target="_blank">Iowa Mountain Bike Championship Series</a> races, the Illiniwek Abermination. The race was a lot fun and definitely learned a thing or two. A quick shout out to the Race Director, volunteers, and Race Officials that worked this race, it was very well run and I highly recommend it to all my fellow triathletes!<br />
<br />
This being my first mountain bike race I made quite a few rookie mistakes. Some of the mistakes I knew better but made them anyways and other mistakes were a little bit of a surprise. I thought I’d document my top 5 mistakes so that those thinking about doing their first race can learn from my mistakes without replicating them. So here they are:<br />
<br />
<strong>MISTAKE #1: Showing up too late.</strong><br />
My race start time was 10:45. In my world I thought I would show up an hour early, pickup my race number, and pre-ride a lap of the course as my warmup. As I arrived they announced there was only another 10 minutes left for the sports division to pick up their race number. This let me know right away I had miscalculated my get ready time. I didn’t realize we would be sitting in the start corral for 20-25 minutes. This mistake would compound to cause several others. <strong> ALWAYS ALLOW FOR MORE TIME THAN YOU THINK YOU’LL NEED.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>MISTAKE #2: No pre-ride.</strong><br />
I had every intention to pre-ride the course as my warmup, but do to mistake number 1 very little warmup happened and definitely no pre-ride. Lesson learned, you definitely want to pre-ride the course, it makes things like passing, climbing, cornering, descending, and every other action you will be required to do while racing much easier! <strong> ALWAYS PRE-RIDE THE COURSE.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>MISTAKE #3: Equipment check.</strong><br />
Again thanks to mistake number one I had less than ideal time to run through my bike that morning. I had cleaned it up the night before but forgot to torque spec all the important bike parts that night. One of the first hard corner we raced into I caught my tire hard causing my handle bars to turn but my wheel and fork didn’t and BAM! I was down for my first crash. I hopped back up and started pedaling right away only to find that my handle bars were out of alignment. I pulled over and got my handle bars squared away letting what seemed like another 50 riders by me before I could get going again. Later in the ride I realized as a result of the spill my saddle was pretty dang crooked too. <strong> ALWAYS CHECK EQUIPMENT TO ENSURE ITS 100% BEFORE RIDING.</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>MISTAKE #4: Race start.</strong><br />
I decided to race the Sports Category, which is a category higher than the novice where most beginners start. I chose to do this because I have a limited number of races before my first Xterra and I wanted to the extra distance and exposure to more riders while racing that the sports category offered. I’ve been logging quite a few rides over the last month on my bike and was confident my handling was there but because this was my first race I chose to line up in the back of the group when we started. This wasn’t really a mistake, as a beginner this is where I should have started, but it does make the rest of the race a little more challenging. I was at the back of the pack and spent much of the race stuck behind riders looking for an opportunity to pass, on a 95% single track course that’s much harder to do than I thought. For future races I’ll be a little more aggressive at the start and try to secure a good position up front. <strong> HAVE A RACE START STRATEGY!</strong><br />
<strong></strong><br />
<strong>MISTAKE #5: Crashing!</strong><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmopVhWMc8u-l0b5m35017Lj26t7sK7tJZASFKeJnI5sMXDwKouDN7G5xogpakxa08dERUkc4AexkAHO74KMOpXH1iN-NXz6WW6GIm3V4Y8Y38DeJ7j4jq40ASTvAsSoHf4V6z8xrPjk0/s1600/illiniwek+scratch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAmopVhWMc8u-l0b5m35017Lj26t7sK7tJZASFKeJnI5sMXDwKouDN7G5xogpakxa08dERUkc4AexkAHO74KMOpXH1iN-NXz6WW6GIm3V4Y8Y38DeJ7j4jq40ASTvAsSoHf4V6z8xrPjk0/s1600/illiniwek+scratch.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
So I wiped out about 5 times throughout the race (I apologize now for any racers I held up as a result!) Nothing serious but I believe I definitely lost more time with these slips than I made up pushing some sections of the course. Most of my wipes came as a result of my rear wheel sliding out on dried leaves. I have now learned that those harmless looking dry leaves in the corners are the enemy, stay away from fallen leaves! I also learned that biker versus tree always ends with the tree winning that fight (see picture for reference).<strong> AVOID CRASHING AND YOU’LL BE FASTER :)</strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I hope these lessons of a first time mountain biker help you as I’m sure they will help me in the future. On the day I ended 17th out 55 riders in the Sports Category, results can be found <a href="http://www.qcforc.org/races/aberm/2015/results/Sport%20Men.htm">here</a>, while the place wasn't high the experience was awesome and much needed.<br />
<br />
After the race Erin and I headed into Le Claire for some Mexican food with friends Justin and Jen who were at the race too. We all (except very pregnant Erin) enjoyed some Mexican beers and had fun sharing war stories. Big congrats to Justin for winning the whole damn Sports race! <br />
<br />
<br />
For those that have thought about racing a mountain bike but have been intimidated, just sign up for one and give it a go, you won't regret it and I guarantee you have some great stories to share!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNL17hbrkkGBg2oBMMVSk8pJwo0XN3V52c0PoF6zN31k5OAkOYK-AgDnN4F-51YK73w8uvh-7ENz2Pr13CBtbdTAe-hwne54QAV6gAgkeYPzF8OA0FiCOC2uBR5IsVhJTuKzYej9lekJC/s1600/Illiniwek+Wooden+Berm.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNL17hbrkkGBg2oBMMVSk8pJwo0XN3V52c0PoF6zN31k5OAkOYK-AgDnN4F-51YK73w8uvh-7ENz2Pr13CBtbdTAe-hwne54QAV6gAgkeYPzF8OA0FiCOC2uBR5IsVhJTuKzYej9lekJC/s1600/Illiniwek+Wooden+Berm.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo courtesy of Eric Roccasecca</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-5FywkgMONho%2FVTlhErFa4LI%2FAAAAAAAAAvw%2FhvOZvxF6-Xw%2Fs1600%2FIlliniwek%252BWooden%252BBerm.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUNL17hbrkkGBg2oBMMVSk8pJwo0XN3V52c0PoF6zN31k5OAkOYK-AgDnN4F-51YK73w8uvh-7ENz2Pr13CBtbdTAe-hwne54QAV6gAgkeYPzF8OA0FiCOC2uBR5IsVhJTuKzYej9lekJC/s1600/Illiniwek+Wooden+Berm.jpg" -->Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-11234487071337225462015-04-01T14:43:00.000-07:002015-04-01T14:43:01.089-07:00Race Season is coming fast!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2kcj9-p05jkmCoFTGkL_CWw4b1HzbbQz0xRM9ZwpN608ywyqibaZFUoQsS8UD4Jw3FLGszTR6kFquohK9dDLIMHCtyeG8ILQZXhFg1XpWLk1RsJnz0xV_2zR1xkrDVbSw7EzNGWj7P6j/s1600/BabyA-Transistion.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE2kcj9-p05jkmCoFTGkL_CWw4b1HzbbQz0xRM9ZwpN608ywyqibaZFUoQsS8UD4Jw3FLGszTR6kFquohK9dDLIMHCtyeG8ILQZXhFg1XpWLk1RsJnz0xV_2zR1xkrDVbSw7EzNGWj7P6j/s1600/BabyA-Transistion.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
I have rode my bike outside three days in a row, a great sign Spring is here, and with that the start of a new race season. This season is going to be unlike any other and has me excited for just that reason. For those that don't know Erin and I are expecting a little girl to arrive in a few weeks. We are both thrilled to turn the page on a new chapter in our lives and DIVE into parenting. I knew all those years on the swim team diving blocks would pay off! Since this is our first child and I really don't know what I'm getting myself into I've decided to approach this season much less structure than in the past. Those that know me well know that I prefer a lot of structure in my training and spend a lot of time planning, training, and racing, so this will be quite a change for me! I'm a big believer that change is good, it often challenges us and so I look forward to the challenge. <br />
<br />
With less structure this year it's going to give me the opportunity to try some new things that I've been wanting to do. I'm planning on jumping in on more local races, and actually racing more often and training a little less. Here are a few of the races and adventures I'm planning to date: <br />
<br />
<strong>Triathlons:</strong> <a href="http://www.pigmantri.com/races/pigman-sprint/" target="_blank"> Pigman Sprint</a> and <a href="http://www.qctriathlon.com/" target="_blank">Quad Cities Triathlon</a> are both local races that I've done in the past, I'm looking forward to kicking the Triathlon Season off with them. The Dubuque Triathlon Club always has good attendance at these races which will make for a great time! I will add more triathlons as training falls into place this Summer and am hoping to fine a few good Olympic distance races to throw on the schedule.<br />
<br />
<strong>Xterras: </strong> Xterras are an off road triathlon that involves mountain biking and trail running. I'm really looking forward to racing some dirt races this year! I've already signed up for <a href="http://www.elkhartlakemultisports.com/Triathlon_and_MultiSport_Events/XTERRA_Dairyland.htm" target="_blank">Xterra Dairyland</a> at the end of June and have about 3 or 4 others I'm eyeing as well.<br />
<br />
<strong>Mountain Biking:</strong> If I'm going to race Xterra I better improve my mountain biking skills. What better way to do that then race! I've added three mountain bike races from the <a href="http://imbcs.org/" target="_blank">Iowa Mountain Bike Championship Series</a> which should be a great time.<br />
<br />
<strong>Trail Running:</strong> I just signed up for the <a href="http://driftlessdirt.blogspot.fr/p/mines-of-spain-trail-races.html" target="_blank">Mines of Spain Trail Race</a>, a great local race that's quickly becoming one of the best in the Midwest!<br />
<br />
<br />
As far as Pro races are concerned, I'm back to the drawing board. Initially I was planning on racing the Lifetime Fitness Series with races in Austin, Minneapolis, and Chicago. Lifetime recently announced they were cutting the prize money and Pro races from their series. Unfortunately this leaves very few Pro Short Course races in the country. I might look at adding some Challenge or Ironman 70.3 races to the schedule late Summer and Fall so stay tuned for that announcement.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_fc5j5plwHh3ypvXmyQ3VFSAPkrEdM4eE0LaPcsth8oO5ppARwPIanYgeFeZ2ezSS8UedNRvQZRYi6VLfzJH-EbyXyrUw4qa2U_sOfRbN0TLUZsys5m8kv_Yed43UALuFrFe5Qlas721/s1600/DBQtriClub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_fc5j5plwHh3ypvXmyQ3VFSAPkrEdM4eE0LaPcsth8oO5ppARwPIanYgeFeZ2ezSS8UedNRvQZRYi6VLfzJH-EbyXyrUw4qa2U_sOfRbN0TLUZsys5m8kv_Yed43UALuFrFe5Qlas721/s1600/DBQtriClub.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to throw this picture in. Dubuque Triathlon Club surprised Erin and <br />
I with a baby shower, Pam Connolly
had this awesome cake made!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-19931357271031251552015-02-25T10:30:00.001-08:002015-02-25T16:04:26.497-08:00Super Fly!This past Fall I started adding mountain biking more and more to my cycling diet and decided it was time to put a new bike in my arsenal. The learning curve for mountain bikes is steep with variables like bike weight, suspension, tire selection, wheel size, and gearing needing figured out. Thankfully I had Brian at my local bike shop "<a href="http://freeflightbikes.com/" target="_blank">Free Flight</a>" to lean on for help. So after lots of research I pulled the trigger on a Trek Super Fly 9.8 SL. By the time I decided to buy the bike I only got about 3 rides in before the snow came. Needless to say I've been itching to get back outside and break the bike in properly! I figured while waiting for the temperatures to rise and snow to disappear I'd write an "initial impressions" blog.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmCFhUSJVGInMCG4mzhEfYgee8ZhCS5joEkb1Gz_fMvbg44OqA3W5FX5WlIOFPaOukY-v_kBCv_n_xYKRDP4CELK0p-kQgpkXgSa7msiOAReGVMuPIyUcvNsPNPDXua9j-0Kp0cxl-F-g/s1600/SuperFly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxmCFhUSJVGInMCG4mzhEfYgee8ZhCS5joEkb1Gz_fMvbg44OqA3W5FX5WlIOFPaOukY-v_kBCv_n_xYKRDP4CELK0p-kQgpkXgSa7msiOAReGVMuPIyUcvNsPNPDXua9j-0Kp0cxl-F-g/s1600/SuperFly.jpg" height="240" title="" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Post ride pic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong></strong></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><strong>T</strong></span><span style="font-size: large;"><strong>he Build, </strong></span><span style="font-size: small;">The Super Fly came stock with the following:</span><br />
<strong>Frameset: </strong>OCLV Mountain Carbon, removable Carbon Armor, E2 fully integrated tapered head tube, BB95, internal control routing, Micro Truss, balanced post mount, Closed Convert dropouts, G2 Geometry<br />
<div class="column first">
<strong>Front suspension: </strong>Fox Performance Series 32 Float, CTD (climb-trail-descend) remote-ready FIT damper, rebound, E2 tapered steerer, 15QR thru axle, custom G2 Geometry w/51mm offset, 100mm travel</div>
<div class="section">
<strong>Wheels: </strong>DT Swiss X1700 w/tubeless tape & valves, 142x12 rear, 15mm front</div>
<div class="section">
<strong>Drivetrain:</strong></div>
<div class="section">
- Shifters - SRAM X1, 11 speed</div>
<div class="section">
- Rear derailleur - SRAM X01 Carbon, Type 2</div>
<div class="section">
- Crank - SRAM X1 1400 X-Sync, 32T</div>
<div class="section">
- Cassette - SRAM XG-1180 10-42, 11 speed</div>
<div class="section">
- Chain - SRAM PC-1130</div>
<div class="section">
<strong>Components:</strong></div>
<div class="section">
- Saddle - Bontrager Evoke RXL, hollow Ti rails</div>
<div class="section">
- Seatpost - Bontrager Carbon, 2-bolt head, 27.2mm, 8mm offset</div>
<div class="section">
- Handlebar - Bontrager Race X Lite Carbon Low Riser, 31.8mm, 5mm rise</div>
<div class="section">
- Stem - Bontrager Race X Lite, 31.8mm, 7 degree</div>
<div class="section">
- Headset - FSA IS-2, E2, alloy cartridge</div>
<div class="section">
- Brakeset - Shimano Deore XT hydraulic disc</div>
<div class="section">
</div>
<div class="section">
<strong>Must have features: Knowing that I'd end up wanting to race this thing I had a few features I was specifically looking for:</strong></div>
<ol>
<li><div class="section">
Light Weight: I didn't want weight holding me back on climbs.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="section">
Full Suspension: I plan on racing a few Xterras, I wanted one bike that could do it all from a suspension aspect and I also thought that full suspension would be a little more forgiving on the body allowing me to run faster off the bike.</div>
</li>
<li><div class="section">
Tubeless: I wanted to have the ability to run low tire pressure without worrying about a pinch flat so a tubeless setup was important to me. </div>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="section">
On first impression the 3 features above were all a great call. I ride at FDR park in Dubuque which can be pretty technical. I love the full suspension for descending. The 29 inch wheels lets me roll over anything and the full suspension allows me to not feel the effects of rolling over everything! The weight was a big change. My previous Mountain bike weighed over 30 pounds, this bike came in at 23lbs. It feels a ton more responsive on climbs and I feel like the weight reduction gives me another gear for climbing. The tubeless tires just give me more options for the terrain I'm riding on any given day. When I'm in loose sand or muck and can drop the tire pressure and get more traction, the additional grip makes a big difference in turns and the speed I can carry through those turns.</div>
<div class="section">
</div>
<div class="section">
<strong>Surprises!</strong></div>
<div class="section">
There are a couple other neat features included on this bike that I didn't necessarily know if I wanted but I can tell already are really nice to have.</div>
<ol>
<li><div class="section">
1 x11: The Super Fly came with 1 x11 meaning there is 1 chain ring up front and the cassette has a 11 cogs on it. I wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not. Initially I'm loving it! First it makes the bike lighter, with one less shifter, derailleur, and chain ring. But it also simplifies shifting, which for me just makes the riding that much more enjoyable. </div>
</li>
<li><div class="section">
Remote Lockout: If you are on varying terrain that goes up and down often this is a really nice feature. It allows you to lock out the front, rear, or both suspensions with just a push of a button on the handle bars. I'm not having to search for my front or rear shock lockout while worrying about handling the bike and the trail ahead.</div>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="section">
SO, needless to say I'm excited to get out there for another ride!!! I've been searching for local mountain bike races and Xterras and once I get a few more miles and a race under my belt I'll post and update. Feel free to post comments or ask questions.</div>
<div class="section">
</div>
<div class="section">
Happy Training!</div>
<div class="section">
</div>
<div class="section">
Wes</div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-82874565988376443832014-04-23T06:02:00.000-07:002014-04-23T11:33:49.654-07:002014 Season Kick Off!Saying I had some uncertainty going into my first races of 2014 is a bit of an understatement. Let me set the stage.... <br />
We moved to Dubuque in August of 2013 and I finished my first Ironman (IM Lake Tahoe) in September. After this race I took a lot of time off and came back to training pretty unfit at the end of January. It has been 5 years since I last trained in an Iowa winter and the first time as a Professional Triathlete. I decided it would be smart to turn to the experts at QT2 and Coach John Spinney to take care of my training plan this year. I also partnered with Free Flight Bikes in Dubuque,and they set me up on a new bike, a Trek Speed Concept. So if I was to sum my offseason up as a math equation it might look something like this: <br />
Extended offseason + new coach + different training + new nutrition plan + new bike + Iowa winter = I’ve got no idea what the results of my first race of the season will be! To further complicate things I chose to do back to back 70.3 races to open the season. Here is a quick recap of those races. <br />
<br />
<strong>Ironman Texas 70.3:</strong> <br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBg2pOSYiD3dv8ebbZCrHm2mtEFkyblg03p0SGMVjqquhFSw-x4_-t0MkzhoFAFKAEKlmxqZAu0Zy3EsM09C8yF9zQo3ZUkbbPlnonGhPBasZbE6mO-mOsdqCDt0Xnd2JP915x3bcFdnt/s1600/wesrunTexas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfBg2pOSYiD3dv8ebbZCrHm2mtEFkyblg03p0SGMVjqquhFSw-x4_-t0MkzhoFAFKAEKlmxqZAu0Zy3EsM09C8yF9zQo3ZUkbbPlnonGhPBasZbE6mO-mOsdqCDt0Xnd2JP915x3bcFdnt/s1600/wesrunTexas.jpg" height="320" width="157" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the run!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I’ve raced in Galveston two previous times and had a pretty good idea of what I was getting myself into. Last year I had a good result recording a personal best up to that point with a time of 4:06. A good friend and fellow Pro Triathlete Mark Saroni was nice enough to pick me up from the Houston airport and haul me around for the weekend, this made life easy. Thanks Mark! The race plan going in was to swim like hell to stay in a pack, bike a steady power wattage and run a consistent pace all while nailing my nutrition plan. In the swim I settled into a pace that was probably too comfortable but I was in a large pack of guys and would have done more damage than good trying to swim up to the next pack. Once out of the water and on the bike things went well. This was just my 4th ride outside this year, so I didn’t know what to expect. I ended with my fastest bike split of ever for a 70.3, averaging around 25.6 mph with a 2:10:50 bike split (Thanks Free Flight!) all while executing my pacing and nutrition plan. The run was my big question mark last year, I never felt like I ran well off the bike and was excited to see if all those treadmill miles would pay off. Well they did! I never faded and clicked off 5:50 miles without a problem. At the end of the day I broke 4 hours for the first time in a half ironman and finished as the 18th pro in a deep field. I was hoping for a higher finish but I can’t control who and how many guys show up at a particular race so I’m happy with the result. Big Congrats to Richie Cunningham on the men’s win and Sofie Goos for the women’s win. <br />
<br />
<strong>Ironman New Orleans 70.3:</strong><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M5SvX98FN73GwviOO1u9LPaHEnBPDOHoxsdcz52etQyTotez77E7hqnbytAAl3fDe9OMWMUWjFlDWf-gnqBiWA09fl6pFsdcae0KgWObBKT4ZHhzsmCf35QXb5VTLsCR8R6zE0hWsmFK/s1600/NOLA+Trip.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-M5SvX98FN73GwviOO1u9LPaHEnBPDOHoxsdcz52etQyTotez77E7hqnbytAAl3fDe9OMWMUWjFlDWf-gnqBiWA09fl6pFsdcae0KgWObBKT4ZHhzsmCf35QXb5VTLsCR8R6zE0hWsmFK/s1600/NOLA+Trip.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlos, Rachel, and I on our way to the Big Easy!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After racing Texas I had a quick 7 day turn around before New Orleans 70.3, the biggest question would be whether or not I had enough time to recover before the race. I had a great week in between the two races visiting friends in San Antonio and was excited to see many of them racing with me in New Orleans. After racing well at Texas I had <br />
more confidence going into this race and was excited to give it a go. I had a poor swim start not ready for the start and missed the pack I was hoping to swim in. I settled into a pack of about 8 swimmers again feeling I was going just a little too easy but not wanting to risk swimming overly hard to make it to the next pack. I came out of the water in 14th place. Once on the bike I initially had to jockey for position but by mile 5 I felt strong and settled into a good rhythm. Around 28 miles into the bike we had our first turnaround and I could see I was about 45 seconds down of the pack I wanted to be in that included 6-12th places, I was 13th. I remained patient and just focused on reeling guys in. Around mile 40 I reached the back of that pack which had now blown up to move into 12th place.I spent the remainder of the bike picking up guys, and excited that I was feeling really strong on the bike. By the end of the bike I came into T2 in 7th place, the highest place I’ve ever been in coming off the bike in a large Pro race. Unfortunately, it became pretty apparent that this was going to be a rough run. I took my first mile out at a 5:45 pace but could tell the legs were tight with cramps threatening and backed it off a touch. Shortly after my right hamstring completely locked up in a cramp and I was at a complete stop trying to get the cramp to release so I could bend my leg. I lost a good minute until I could get the cramp to release and get moving again. Shortly after two guys came by bumping me back to 9th place, right there I set a goal to finish top 10 and just try to make each mile slightly faster than the previous. Around mile 7 good friend Robbie “Irish Flash” Wade came by to bump me into 10th but also encouraging me to pick it up. I did manage to pick it up a bit and reel in one more guy to move back into 9th before the finish. Reflecting back on the race I’m pretty happy. It was my highest Ironman 70.3 Pro finish to date and was a good result coming off a hard race the week prior. It leaves me hungry as I was in a position off the bike to finish higher and that in itself gives me more confidence as I prep for my next race. Congrats to Andy Potts and Lauren Barnett for their overall wins in New Orleans. <br />
<br />
If interested in a good read I was one of several Pros and Coaches featured in a recently released book called, <strong>"FROM THE MOUTH OF THE PROS – The best advice from pro triathletes & elite coaches".</strong> The book is a collection of advice and tips from a large number of professional triathletes and elite coaches with some of the biggest names in the sport including current and past world champions, Olympians, Ironman, ITU champions and many more. It is currently available as an ebook on kindle, here is the link: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JSXK48I">http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JSXK48I</a> <br />
<br />
As always, I can’t thank my Sponsors enough for helping me get to this point in training and racing. Please consider supporting these sponsors as they have been incredibly great to me and are outstanding ambassadors for the sport. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.freeflightbikes.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://www.freeflightbikes.com/" border="0" closure_lm_139732="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz-ksajG-VdMEl_DIO2QHbpUUtNYeRzJHUVoQZlENfZymrF4JZygDcKC39BRILvi0jmMisSWxuVDD4MsF85nPDBJDhMrmUyWee-DNzounRAGjmK9LBokhD7e4ViQEYdaW4GIJ65ohxTNZ/s200/FREEFLIGHTLOGOCOLOR2009.jpg" eua="true" height="34" width="200" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://signaturehealthandfitness.com/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="http://signaturehealthandfitness.com/" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH7RTp_pmVD6Fly3PGkNmp_2MQWCd2ORw6PXiepD7DFMHeFmQe-2nDGaOHoLXZB9by9O066mZKEJFYRA8_4XAJLdNAnNAjNX7wa-gOC5IDuo5GXy2tiltGmKQqanjlL3oUY8dc6rrzcLhX/s200/SignatureNew_Logo.jpg" height="92" width="200" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.snapple.com/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="snapple" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/snapple.png" height="108" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.qt2systems.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img border="0" closure_lm_474094="null" cua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAIrXgIXDTQRZHmcv9S_rxkD_3o4T2uW2fVe9PRvXNFdt7v_PNoIGDzDW8RQsQin1pdZ8EaquvKDwU2TnH39BdKxuZAaSiK3rG97pv194XvqHu6yYRINxoIGuPaWl5vfJR8QVptVI4pnsy/s1600/QT2logo.png" height="188" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="xterra" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/xterra.jpg" height="108" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/index.php" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" target="_blank"><img alt="rudy" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/rudyprojectracing-a.jpg" height="108" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgpSLd3TxXSsqsSv0TQEj2madfH4MG_oFTOUGHiqnr4GMno3q64PBIJvtMLUkzKgU-d5dSKF6oOz_BtjAX2WdNT9EHOEkZeWdvE9ZQaVDHmSRT2ZjM4zLH4EERL4dNmPrNHBNEnr5I3Nn/s1600/lg_logo.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgpSLd3TxXSsqsSv0TQEj2madfH4MG_oFTOUGHiqnr4GMno3q64PBIJvtMLUkzKgU-d5dSKF6oOz_BtjAX2WdNT9EHOEkZeWdvE9ZQaVDHmSRT2ZjM4zLH4EERL4dNmPrNHBNEnr5I3Nn/s200/lg_logo.gif" eea="true" height="65" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.hedcycling.com/" style="clear: right; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="hed" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/hed.jpg" height="108" width="200" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Thanks for reading, next up, Pigman Sprint June 1st.</div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OXJZbJCMYpnGdr6grGCVAIdr-wtGWSu-57-rLWr068-5jmtL5fRWpGjnl5baXY_RPIxRiy4Z2JdBA8XR24rIHd62Zb0CIT91WtjH3kbJae5zN0P8XJ2J5PpNQ1e6CEKvSpdhoi31-UUz/s1600/NOLA+Hotdog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9OXJZbJCMYpnGdr6grGCVAIdr-wtGWSu-57-rLWr068-5jmtL5fRWpGjnl5baXY_RPIxRiy4Z2JdBA8XR24rIHd62Zb0CIT91WtjH3kbJae5zN0P8XJ2J5PpNQ1e6CEKvSpdhoi31-UUz/s1600/NOLA+Hotdog.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nothing beats a post race hotdog and beer!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk9-owdSQD5my5zJ1IOmYd7rQI-AltFNHy230bObp1577c1VV8_AXF6fk3TgdU9b2dx9gLpFbtjnFJZBXtXAEnZ0q1tr4Wo1bXHlofxBdUJSQENSWtKpv7VgTYj8dD7rEL-9gMnycWGGi/s1600/NOLAFun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbk9-owdSQD5my5zJ1IOmYd7rQI-AltFNHy230bObp1577c1VV8_AXF6fk3TgdU9b2dx9gLpFbtjnFJZBXtXAEnZ0q1tr4Wo1bXHlofxBdUJSQENSWtKpv7VgTYj8dD7rEL-9gMnycWGGi/s1600/NOLAFun.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shenanigans with friends on Bourbon Street!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-90335322593243907932014-02-27T08:20:00.000-08:002014-02-27T12:41:04.417-08:002014 Race Schedule and Update!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJKZbzspOo4RmIZbvbLJBEs1Qu39WS67Y7wrE2eXMKp11xqEz0MCrgDs2uh_BQkQekhGJJ8Qm9N2FQBXF_D3lpbtDZQbGnhyphenhyphenIIvd_l8_3SwKc3Smlz9kDAgv14XuU7izdqxcbRG12p3xj/s1600/XCskiwVespa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_728315="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBJKZbzspOo4RmIZbvbLJBEs1Qu39WS67Y7wrE2eXMKp11xqEz0MCrgDs2uh_BQkQekhGJJ8Qm9N2FQBXF_D3lpbtDZQbGnhyphenhyphenIIvd_l8_3SwKc3Smlz9kDAgv14XuU7izdqxcbRG12p3xj/s1600/XCskiwVespa.jpg" height="320" ita="true" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I sit here trying to survive another Iowa day with something like the 40<sup>th</sup> day of temperatures below zero I thought it would be a good idea to remind myself that my race season will be here before I know it, stay focused!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">First a quick update as I’ve got a lot of exciting things happening already this year and a lot to look forward to.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My recent move to Iowa has brought new opportunities and given myself a chance to refocus and work with some great people. Here are a few quick updates with more details to come in futures blogs. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>SNAPPLE: </u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m very excited to be racing on the <a href="http://www.snappletriteam.com/" target="_blank">SnappIe Tri Team</a> for the 3<sup>rd</sup> season, what a great group of athletes to be a part of, if I can keep pace with the guys and gals on this team, 2014 is going to be a great year! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>LOCAL SPONSORS:</u></b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anytime I can work with a local business I jump at the opportunity. There’s something about being able to walk into a local establishment and chat with owners, employees, and customers that really makes you feel like part of the community. I recently had the great pleasure of adding <a href="http://freeflightbikes.com/" target="_blank">Free Flight Bike & Ski</a> and <a href="http://signaturehealthandfitness.com/" target="_blank">Signature Health & Fitness</a> to my list of sponsors and supporters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I truly think these two businesses are the best in the area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brian at Free Flight has a staff that is very customer service oriented and they know how to wrench on bikes! Pat and Jill have welcomed me into the Signature Family and this beautiful gym has provided me with access to top notch equipment to help me get <strong>STRONG</strong> for the 2014 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>COACHING:</u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After a few years of self coaching I made the decision to work with a coach this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wanted a fresh look at my training, someone to bounce ideas off of and really the ability to just focus on executing workouts and not sweating the details. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So after a lot of research, I’ve turned to the guys at <a href="http://www.qt2systems.com/" target="_blank">QT2</a> and Coach John Spinney.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being partnered with QT2 has not only provided me with a great coach but also given me access to a lot of outstanding resources including: camps, webinars, dieticians, sponsors, and many more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m a month in today and things are really starting to hum along, I think time will show I’m very lucky to have QT2 in my corner!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>LOCAL TRAINING:</u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Last, I’d like to give a quick shout out to a few of the local clubs that have helped given me motivation this winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The guys and gals at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/388766654525172/" target="_blank">Driftless Dirt</a> a local trail running club have been just awesome and got me <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">OUTSIDE</b> for some solid trail running this December and January.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The <a href="http://www.facebook.com/#!/dbqtri" target="_blank">Dubuque Area Triathlon Club</a> has really started to wet my appetite for training and racing this spring and it looks like I’m going to have a lot great training partners to keep me motivated this Spring and Summer. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both have Facebook pages make sure to look them up if you’re getting ready for an upcoming triathlon or running race, you’ll have great people to train with.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>RACE SCHEDULE:</u></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Okay, here is the tentative race schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m really focusing in on the 70.3 distance this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made great gains on the 70.3 Pro circuit last year and am hoping to capitalize on that experience this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll most likely be adding a few local races for fun as things progress this season.</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDMltDzuskcLpdiIn3AJ_fLHJ4bauJq2CmmjN_Ewj1KbAoQYm9EUZoQCC7zFJCoepHVp4JfhfEUrvAq3NVN-qG1AgMjlP4U96W0cgB6C52aLg7OVkeeCNE2-Ci0W02pWtZ12sv0v4FeZC/s1600/14schedule.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" closure_lm_781735="null" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpDMltDzuskcLpdiIn3AJ_fLHJ4bauJq2CmmjN_Ewj1KbAoQYm9EUZoQCC7zFJCoepHVp4JfhfEUrvAq3NVN-qG1AgMjlP4U96W0cgB6C52aLg7OVkeeCNE2-Ci0W02pWtZ12sv0v4FeZC/s1600/14schedule.png" height="308" ita="true" width="640" /></a></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="mso-no-proof: yes;"></span></div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-91500780545619470392013-07-30T12:27:00.001-07:002013-07-30T18:59:35.652-07:00The Big Move!<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscuhAtVYAJ3IAznItN0xcudgjb_TAdovtfv0BhHmInMgs4McDT3hImZvqOMcllKOmp8_wtTKqZKa-8eeYFhha-9Ug67-PCvtitGFVMbcily9Q4B0wdT8xxslVutM1NUsTRxe_PLyaUlpl/s1600/Moving+Truck.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjscuhAtVYAJ3IAznItN0xcudgjb_TAdovtfv0BhHmInMgs4McDT3hImZvqOMcllKOmp8_wtTKqZKa-8eeYFhha-9Ug67-PCvtitGFVMbcily9Q4B0wdT8xxslVutM1NUsTRxe_PLyaUlpl/s320/Moving+Truck.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
As the headline suggest I recently went through a move and unfortunately I'm not talking about a "big move" to the top of the 70.3 Pro rankings :) but fortunately I am talking about a move closer to family! This last week Erin and I packed everything we owned in a Penske truck and made a 20 hour drive north to Dubuque, Iowa. So in the spirit of change I thought I'd do a couple Top Ten lists. The Top Ten things I'll miss about San Antonio (with pictures) and the Top Ten things I'm looking forward to in Dubuque, listed in no particular order :)</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>SAN ANTONIO TOP 10</b></span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<b>1) Warpathers:</b> This winter a group of friends got together to help motivate each other to train for upcoming spring races. The results were some of the best winter/spring training I've had with just aweome people! Thanks Warpathers (Sean, Melissa, Brian, Katie, Robbie, Carlos, Apryl, Ron, Tiffany, Mark, Jess, Chris, Lorena, you will be missed!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsameAciFwJIxmUQ3pbqlQOYzMOLvEx20bR6l-cRPQ5T4YF2uXFvA6jp3wuESRH2NuoylPaDawQ3jCkP3CxgKSwFTQYRaxEp3SsDZZw1tpVO9sRjSY0p5Ol2_WZfNsB7aThbpLJt4BFeQ/s1600/Warpathers1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZsameAciFwJIxmUQ3pbqlQOYzMOLvEx20bR6l-cRPQ5T4YF2uXFvA6jp3wuESRH2NuoylPaDawQ3jCkP3CxgKSwFTQYRaxEp3SsDZZw1tpVO9sRjSY0p5Ol2_WZfNsB7aThbpLJt4BFeQ/s320/Warpathers1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Katie, Brian, and Apryl representing the Warpathers at IM Texas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27gvqIEXKgBoUbHkiaURb2idO59vXiBLP1lqJQ1_L5-LdpWzpfbSuRW8OUoxmJh62NU1VXWVonjXowJgJIUJRxoAMqsiMEByoJ5Apy94uOxmdArmWJ4c-k38darHWuRL29so93KrZFl4b/s1600/Warpathers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj27gvqIEXKgBoUbHkiaURb2idO59vXiBLP1lqJQ1_L5-LdpWzpfbSuRW8OUoxmJh62NU1VXWVonjXowJgJIUJRxoAMqsiMEByoJ5Apy94uOxmdArmWJ4c-k38darHWuRL29so93KrZFl4b/s320/Warpathers2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carlos, Sean, and Melissa tearing it up at a local Jack and Adams Race</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBIq7D_Jub9Iy07iKNNv2tLuENjCRjOPm0fHZ0NIjslwARQNuWbj6-AMHMlp6WUV29KITirXk0zfEsp-9oPVqWNCk7mDiOwIhwlkHZByGZ5K2a9HdfVcNVAedG16IlEJKh37bByecNBFJ/s1600/MOST.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOBIq7D_Jub9Iy07iKNNv2tLuENjCRjOPm0fHZ0NIjslwARQNuWbj6-AMHMlp6WUV29KITirXk0zfEsp-9oPVqWNCk7mDiOwIhwlkHZByGZ5K2a9HdfVcNVAedG16IlEJKh37bByecNBFJ/s320/MOST.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Several Warpathers joined Masters to work on our swim, Thanks Coach Susan and MOST swimmers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>2) Winter Biking:</b> San Antonio has got to be one of the best places for winter riding in North America. The weather is just great. I'm already planning this winter's training camp. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodL737HmX5tJA0EkCJ5zcHv3j0-NPrzUdWyXYVrYApRCEFYUYuz5TyCV_rcY7xBHF3XynsbUgXedrtrJCeia1-7_AYiuBIahh2uN-zI5ndP6tLX2UdMruR-KmvkwP7bdV7Nvyp90kaEXy/s1600/WinterRide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjodL737HmX5tJA0EkCJ5zcHv3j0-NPrzUdWyXYVrYApRCEFYUYuz5TyCV_rcY7xBHF3XynsbUgXedrtrJCeia1-7_AYiuBIahh2uN-zI5ndP6tLX2UdMruR-KmvkwP7bdV7Nvyp90kaEXy/s400/WinterRide.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mid Ride at a hill Country Overlook</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZYN_5p9bMSHr5rOt3JTphyKQjCGkNXskJUaDb5MMdL3LSv29faFa-W_NbdaxRSVb-SuLwQ6ly_LPE5e3DiNC8WlnjAwNHD1mjunwkib9CV8vtCrIpguCP5nELjjk9z8Wba6tnPkW0nFe/s1600/Winter+Riding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCZYN_5p9bMSHr5rOt3JTphyKQjCGkNXskJUaDb5MMdL3LSv29faFa-W_NbdaxRSVb-SuLwQ6ly_LPE5e3DiNC8WlnjAwNHD1mjunwkib9CV8vtCrIpguCP5nELjjk9z8Wba6tnPkW0nFe/s320/Winter+Riding.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Winter Coffee Rides!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<b>3) Mexican Food:</b> By far the best I've ever had! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIniHQku5-5b-cqmz12n11_vgR35IJ2iYMWC9Mz6bbEBpdYX1bZlLtIfdjMUbclB0YmuvX9EKy0kBy76a0lPt1UM7ctcwZfBUi63lr34ScAqF6pfJeCyUiT3QdhxeglsEmlHr6c04P8mj2/s1600/MexicanFood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIniHQku5-5b-cqmz12n11_vgR35IJ2iYMWC9Mz6bbEBpdYX1bZlLtIfdjMUbclB0YmuvX9EKy0kBy76a0lPt1UM7ctcwZfBUi63lr34ScAqF6pfJeCyUiT3QdhxeglsEmlHr6c04P8mj2/s320/MexicanFood.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Feasting at Costa Pacifica!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>4) Hollywood Park:</b> A super neighborhood to live in filled with great: running, riding, homes, landscaping, wildlife, and neighbors (Neal and Shirley, Mike and Grace, you will be missed!)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlk0A112gs9KPhrnWCsEvuziYdlmfMzd1mJwdDzxOLXAxDDLd1krI2F2hiiiVvT72e7AQmkudmxtXcbr17AVogDOIRU1hLceaIrh4Q_q6XV2jcuE4rOMKA_cqG3PBabBQa8dbhDxwWbkpn/s1600/Hollywood.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlk0A112gs9KPhrnWCsEvuziYdlmfMzd1mJwdDzxOLXAxDDLd1krI2F2hiiiVvT72e7AQmkudmxtXcbr17AVogDOIRU1hLceaIrh4Q_q6XV2jcuE4rOMKA_cqG3PBabBQa8dbhDxwWbkpn/s320/Hollywood.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Hollywood Park</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>5) Music:</b> It amazes me that you can go to one of the several Dance Halls in the area and see big name country artists almost any night of the week.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihy6NYKtC3ZK0jIG9R1JU8VlfjDfBdRa3c5lRA2Q-7dfyA8lkjli0UMRbQp50XEzuyCdVuVOGONzo6G65IoZsj7ZxjBlBRvSvtAAHi7mYV6CzvRxDVOvVjaQkO1dRcANpzdnQpP96YM7kS/s1600/Gary+Allen.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihy6NYKtC3ZK0jIG9R1JU8VlfjDfBdRa3c5lRA2Q-7dfyA8lkjli0UMRbQp50XEzuyCdVuVOGONzo6G65IoZsj7ZxjBlBRvSvtAAHi7mYV6CzvRxDVOvVjaQkO1dRcANpzdnQpP96YM7kS/s320/Gary+Allen.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gary Allen live at John T. Floore Country Store</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>6) The People:</b> One of San Antonio's best features is the great people. I've made several life long friends and they will all be missed!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhPDAECZa2AJI8J7TO7eQev4nCkfvmO06AQq_MTtvFwsoYNc9w9rbB87tpgSlB9P8oQUbCncvGS41NLUFZIbGCTP7VWLmsvhCtRZ3WeXC4ekWMnaYYw6tL6xk7YqNBbzgWxa1z8jJ-9aw/s1600/SA+People.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkhPDAECZa2AJI8J7TO7eQev4nCkfvmO06AQq_MTtvFwsoYNc9w9rbB87tpgSlB9P8oQUbCncvGS41NLUFZIbGCTP7VWLmsvhCtRZ3WeXC4ekWMnaYYw6tL6xk7YqNBbzgWxa1z8jJ-9aw/s320/SA+People.jpg" width="238" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Celebrating Erin's Birthday withfriends!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<b>7) Ammenities: </b>Shopping, Food, History, Music, Entertainment; you name it San Antonio has it!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSvEJAxDK75VuhYl5t1qH-R__Hw1NUThE5TONH88XoFIfyCaQFkw-dZ1iYFFbe3v6on7VzMMBczWrz0UgPZKwXbLqFH_i3uB__iKIzJMYtnxAznKFWjTTlahzI201QvhKMVFrCrplttfg/s1600/SA2.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfSvEJAxDK75VuhYl5t1qH-R__Hw1NUThE5TONH88XoFIfyCaQFkw-dZ1iYFFbe3v6on7VzMMBczWrz0UgPZKwXbLqFH_i3uB__iKIzJMYtnxAznKFWjTTlahzI201QvhKMVFrCrplttfg/s400/SA2.png" width="262" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>8) Races:</b> A race every weekend with great race venues. I earned my Pro Card while racing in Texas!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oiO_P3jb2kcwI_PA3DPu_GbjfddD0bc8Sg7OghI-TJn4hNAXJvhv8RezEZzZylh2UFHLzMoxDpnOLk0vfIQMrsBZDEIeO3WvzTDkf0LUdZyFeZkrJGRCD3yVgt5_lTPPlyPEgRYOS07t/s1600/HoustonTriPodium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1oiO_P3jb2kcwI_PA3DPu_GbjfddD0bc8Sg7OghI-TJn4hNAXJvhv8RezEZzZylh2UFHLzMoxDpnOLk0vfIQMrsBZDEIeO3WvzTDkf0LUdZyFeZkrJGRCD3yVgt5_lTPPlyPEgRYOS07t/s320/HoustonTriPodium.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Collecting a check for the win at Houston Tri and the overall TX3 Series win!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>9) Diversity:</b> San Antonio is really a melting pot of different cultures with strong Spanish, Mexican and German heritage. Today people from all over the world with very different backgrounds call San Antonio their home!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2wj9nRyBoJODNaqDX02yedbGDpPSJ949tFkuJ1zjNz-ClRb66djtG3sZCmto2zlTyfmmlwDP7BfkTnTYKg6320W0ebEKgB_NizzbQiNJXA2n6JI5uMM1nykgLShgn6qAwzjNZ-XwEVvb/s1600/SanAntonioDiversity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg2wj9nRyBoJODNaqDX02yedbGDpPSJ949tFkuJ1zjNz-ClRb66djtG3sZCmto2zlTyfmmlwDP7BfkTnTYKg6320W0ebEKgB_NizzbQiNJXA2n6JI5uMM1nykgLShgn6qAwzjNZ-XwEVvb/s320/SanAntonioDiversity.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of my closest SA friends. Carlos from Mexico and Robbie from Ireland</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>10) Our Home:</b> Erin and I bought our first house in San Antonio. It was just perfect for us and will be tough to replace.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M2qPC_sMSu1YNzIQb1WVwK17HYlitgz52CyIqaWjZYqTLDm5WcPLdCqxB4kMO801scKKstrAhaY5bBL6BSofZrFIy7kaDzN-4kNHPx358Ie4DXkArnHTpQhti9hGd_NOcRoRuuOy764H/s1600/SAHouse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1M2qPC_sMSu1YNzIQb1WVwK17HYlitgz52CyIqaWjZYqTLDm5WcPLdCqxB4kMO801scKKstrAhaY5bBL6BSofZrFIy7kaDzN-4kNHPx358Ie4DXkArnHTpQhti9hGd_NOcRoRuuOy764H/s320/SAHouse.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front of our house this spring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">DUBUQUE TOP 10</span></b><br />
lots of fun to come!</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUmV-tqqfEPr2_mnNAcr7XHWDw-VoW4P91KdsXAwt2hOZxOesUEtFxPusdVjtvqUbAy0lFc8Cuvr9TDNYsiGdqpE-a8NA3IUtn7mWbsmmQ3FqrxazMgzSod5CQUXDaNNVgpPjHIG8lGYi/s1600/Dubuque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" dba="true" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyUmV-tqqfEPr2_mnNAcr7XHWDw-VoW4P91KdsXAwt2hOZxOesUEtFxPusdVjtvqUbAy0lFc8Cuvr9TDNYsiGdqpE-a8NA3IUtn7mWbsmmQ3FqrxazMgzSod5CQUXDaNNVgpPjHIG8lGYi/s320/Dubuque.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A picture of the Mississippi River from Dubuque.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>1) Family:</b> It is going to be great to be so close to our family!<br />
<br />
<b>2) Cycling:</b> The bluffs around the Mississippi are just amazing to bike on, plenty of hills!<br />
<br />
<b>3) Camping:</b> We love camping and there is a plethora of camp sites in the tri-state area.<br />
<br />
<b>4) Skiing: </b> We've missed being able to cross country ski throughout the winter and it looks like Dubuque has some great Cross Country skiing and even some downhill.<br />
<br />
<b>5) Racing:</b> A myriad of great triathlon racing throughout the tri state area!<br />
<br />
<b>6) Traffic:</b> There is none!<br />
<br />
<b>7) Views: </b> The scenery is just breathtaking!<br />
<br />
<b>8) Sweet Corn:</b> Just had some last night, nothing beats Iowa sweet corn!<br />
<br />
<b>9) Change: </b> We are looking forward to the excitement of being in a new place and meeting new people!<br />
<br />
<b>10) The Seasons:</b> Iowa scenery changes so much throughout the year. Looking forward to Fall leaves, Winter snow, Spring plantings, and the green Summer!<br />
<br />
So for now it is so long San Antonio thanks for all you have given the Andersons and a hello to Dubuque we are looking forward to new adventures!Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-56648146717551342322013-05-01T11:59:00.000-07:002013-05-01T12:06:14.030-07:00New Orleans 70.3 Race Recap<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFe23fSii3TpwgA0pr9qEQ3zqoE_4oHaI-3fbMPMBz-cMiqSwatyfxWHAvHysNUFPOq5cTDzsWBZ0qgv_nFIKhRqaJwNNzP3QTwlPCMkKU-_j4eGILFj5W95i6HimffpQ6E-InKk90wSSr/s1600/NOLA+pic+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" lua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFe23fSii3TpwgA0pr9qEQ3zqoE_4oHaI-3fbMPMBz-cMiqSwatyfxWHAvHysNUFPOq5cTDzsWBZ0qgv_nFIKhRqaJwNNzP3QTwlPCMkKU-_j4eGILFj5W95i6HimffpQ6E-InKk90wSSr/s320/NOLA+pic+1.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">I love 4am wakeups, not!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
I<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> have mixed feelings about New Orleans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I seem to never race great there but always seem to have fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided I wanted one more crack at 70.3 before switching over to short course for a few months and New Orleans is within driving distance and I was hoping to capitalize on some fitness gains from Texas 70.3 just two weeks earlier. The last two races San Juan 70.3 and Texas 70.3 were good races but I didn’t put it all together.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mostly because some lower leg issues have forced me to cut way back on my running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I really feel I can swim 26:00ish, bike 2:13ish, and then run 1:18ish with transition times that puts me right at 4 hours total.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sub 4 hours would be an awesome race for me. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Spoiler alert! I didn’t break 4 hours in New Orleans</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">L</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> but let’s talk about the race anyways.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I took off on Friday after work with training pals Carlos Miranda and Robbie Wade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We decided to drive about 5 hours crash for some sleep and then finish the drive the next morning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did get awesome sleep and by 12 o’clock on Saturday we were in the Big Easy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went through all the normal pre race hoopla to get ready for the next day; pro meeting, pre-race workout, hotel check in, bike prep, etc.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had two new equipment changes for this race I was excited to try out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My </span><a href="http://www.mizunousa.com/running/products/mizuno-mens-wave-ronin-5"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Mizuno Wave Ronin 5’s</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> had arrived a couple weeks earlier and I received my </span><a href="http://www.hedcycling.com/jet/default.asp?content=Disc"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">HED Jet Disc</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and </span><a href="http://www.hedcycling.com/jet/default.asp?content=7_Express"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">HED Jet 7</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> wheels the week before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well lets just say they both rocked!
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<td style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0W2cYoPEkCeOOlIioh6ZbZ_65-ucsXqdifQUVsip7x4dZkB6WngPlXv8AGml2kHdWkjVMRw4lSXSlmCukP5ErcryDAykDAjYnK92M8b3e0I7BKaXjUOEVbDDDGNUyx4zt5vh540ob5np/s1600/NOLApic2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" lua="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd0W2cYoPEkCeOOlIioh6ZbZ_65-ucsXqdifQUVsip7x4dZkB6WngPlXv8AGml2kHdWkjVMRw4lSXSlmCukP5ErcryDAykDAjYnK92M8b3e0I7BKaXjUOEVbDDDGNUyx4zt5vh540ob5np/s320/NOLApic2.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></div>
</tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Transition set up and ready to roll!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So here is the race report.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After setting up my equipment in transition I headed over to the swim start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was a little nervous about the swim as it was being held in a small harbor.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They were having us swim an “M” shaped course and I thought sighting was going to be a challenge (read last year’s NOLA 5150 experience </span><a href="http://wesandersontri.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> to find out why).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well my swim start was a disaster; the race official false started us with about 75% taking off early and 25% sitting there wondering what the heck was going on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately I was in the 25% and had to play catch up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I made it to the 3<sup>rd</sup> pack but missed the 2<sup>nd</sup> pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose to swim comfortably in the 3<sup>rd</sup> pack vs. try over work myself to maybe make it to the second pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came out of the water with 4-5 other guys in around 26:20 not a bad swim but not as good as my Texas 70.3 swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was into Transition in 16<sup>th<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></sup>Place.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I made good work in transition and came out with the 3<sup>rd</sup> pack on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy to have guys to work with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately the pack I was in didn’t work well together and it was showing in my bike splits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At mile 30 I decided to push hard and see if I could separate myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a good push and broke away from the other guys and made up some good time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came off the bike in 12<sup>th</sup> place but now for the real test, the run.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was anxious to see how my run would hold up, I knew New Orleans was a pretty fast course and was hoping that would help with my lack of run conditioning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was to go out at 6 minute miles and work the times down after the first few miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first mile I came through at 6:05, every mile after that I settled between 6:15 and 6:25. By mile 2-3 I had a few guys roll past me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I never faded but never really got going.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up running a 1:22 well above what I’m capable of running but about 2 minutes faster than Texas 70.3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately I had 3 guys moving much faster than me go by between mile 10 and 11.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up in 18<sup>th</sup> place on the day with a 4:04:41, a new personal record for the 70.3 distance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m happy I went and raced, I’ve got even more racing experience to add to my race bag and some valuable lessons learned.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Highlight of the trip, after the race me and few other guys caught the event bus back to the transition area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of those guys was runner-up on the day Trevor Wuertle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Super nice guy saw me drooling over his beer and shared it with me, mmmm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For a hilarious recap of his race check it out </span><a href="http://www.teamwurtele.com/blog/item/143-trevors-new-orleans-703-race-report-in-less-than-81-seconds"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">here</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> you won’t regret </span><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Up next I’ll be blogging about the Kemah Triathlon I competed in this past weekend!</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"></span></span></div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-64045367114354793452013-04-10T15:00:00.001-07:002013-04-10T15:00:28.800-07:00Ironman Texas 70.3 Race Report!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wow! I just finished up a whirlwind trip to Galveston to race Ironman Texas 70.3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a great race and only four and half hours down the road from San Antonio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a ton of friends there which made it feel like a home town race! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So first I want to thank all my peeps for cheering like crazy while I was out there, you make these races fly by whether or not I’m flying by ;) </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCXh0ncGcJgcYLdnL_53VW1162DpuTSOZkiSR8tsXq2FFziZX1lfrd7ZgDSlKMEASipEW1Jtm-9B8aBy_xQxgMTUm_HkrFxdgrLDcVHj-PejeBbWI5feInV0yfgbH5JPYfPZfLu70a6sk/s1600/Texas70.3_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" bua="true" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCXh0ncGcJgcYLdnL_53VW1162DpuTSOZkiSR8tsXq2FFziZX1lfrd7ZgDSlKMEASipEW1Jtm-9B8aBy_xQxgMTUm_HkrFxdgrLDcVHj-PejeBbWI5feInV0yfgbH5JPYfPZfLu70a6sk/s320/Texas70.3_2.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Three weeks prior to Texas 70.3 I raced San Juan 70.3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned a lot at San Juan, made some adjustments to my training and was excited to see if training was going in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Race morning I woke up bright and early, ate breakfast, and headed over to transition about 5:30 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was nervous and excited; there were about 40 pros on the start list that would be fighting it out for their share of the $15,000 purse and 500 70.3 worlds’ points.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I got everything set up in transition grabbed my </span><a href="http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Xterra Wetsuit</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> and headed over to the swim start to warm-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">After a short warm-up we lined up for the male pro start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you want a good laugh watch the beginning of an in-water start for the Pro men and woman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It basically consists of one side of the line inching forward then the other side moving forward until we are about ten meters past the start line and officials are screaming at us to back up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We back up and then repeat the process for the next 3-5 minutes leading up to the gun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually we got semi lined up and we were off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At San Juan I was in the second swim pack for the first 400 meters until I dropped off and was swimming by myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal for this race was to stay with the second pack longer than 400 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Race officials had the buoys laid out every 100 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I did my best to attach myself to the swim pack and hang on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Before I knew it I was at 400 meters and still in the pack, YES! About 300 meters later I was still hanging on and felt in rhythm, YES!! At about 1200 meters I was still in the pack and determined to hang on the entire swim, YES!!! Well I’m glad to report I exited the swim for the first time ever in the second pack of a Pro field. A big thanks to Susan Ingraham my masters swim coach and Xterra Wetsuits for your great products! My swim Time was 25:30 a new 1.2 mile PR.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I ran through transition I took too much time and missed the pack heading out on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Note to self: practice transitions and include different variables! No worries, I hopped on my Guru (bike), settled into a rhythm, and started plowing away.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 2 miles in a guy rode up on me, He went by quick and I decided to let him go, checking my watts on my power meter he was pushing harder than I wanted to play that early on in the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Another mile down the road I made my first pass and was feeling pretty good.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s basically how it went for the bike leg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d ride about 5-10 miles and a rider would go by and a few miles later I’d pass someone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the start of the run at San Juan my legs were fried, so I planned to take it a little easier the back half of the bike to allow myself to feel a little fresher at the start of the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished the bike in 2:13:43 averaging a little over 25 miles per hour. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Once in T2, I slipped on my shoes grabbed a couple of </span><a href="http://www.clifbar.com/"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">cliff shots</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, and was out on the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My legs didn’t feel fresh but were in much better shape than the start of run at San Juan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The plan was to go out conservative the first 3 miles and then drop the pace to about 5:45-50 after the first couple miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first four miles went as planned; I hovered right around the 6:00 per mile pace and was feeling solid.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By about mile 5 my pace had dropped 30 seconds but the effort felt the same. I just didn’t have the conditioning in my legs yet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent the rest of the run fueling and just trying not to fall apart.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to hold it together and crossed the finish line in 17<sup>th</sup> place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran a 1:23:19 averaging 6:19 miles, a ways off my sub 1:20 goal but much improved from San Juan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall time was 4:06:47 and new half Ironman PR for me! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reflecting back on the race I’m very happy with the result.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was far from perfect but was definitely a step in the right direction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The season is just beginning and I’m looking forward to the challenges ahead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next up is Ironman New Orleans 70.3 on April 21<sup>st</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got two weeks to work out a few more kinks and look forward to performing in the Big Easy!</span></div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-56192548927133508992013-03-28T14:38:00.000-07:002013-03-28T14:38:05.784-07:00San Juan 70.3 Race Report<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/894872_748097894670_496820572_o.jpg?dl=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn1/894872_748097894670_496820572_o.jpg?dl=1" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the many great things about the sport of triathlon are the challenges that come with training/racing and the process of adjusting your training/racing to meet these challenges.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This year I decided to challenge myself by putting an early season half Ironman on my schedule and thus forcing myself to focus my training a little earlier and increase training volume over last year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to make it a fun race, something epic, so I signed up for San Juan 70.3!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This past weekend I made my way to Puerto Rico feeling good about my training and excited to be back racing after five months off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following is a quick recap of my trip.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carlos, Robbie and I arrived at the San Antonio Airport on Friday at 4:50 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After some research we decided flying with our bikes would be the most reasonable way to get them to San Juan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real challenge was hauling the big boxes around with our other luggage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looked ridiculous, but after some extended time getting through security we made the flight depart time and arrived in San Juan on schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kudos to Carlos for negotiating some great bike transportation costs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first night we settled into our hotel and relaxed, recovering from a day of travel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Saturday was all about race preparation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We scouted the course and worked in a short bike and swim on course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next was the pro meeting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ironman.com had the following to say about the Men’s pro field:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third edition of the Jeep IRONMAN 70.3 San Juan features a stacked professional field of 50 men and 24 women competing on Sunday. In the men’s race, defending champion Tim O’Donnell is also in for a tough race. Former IRONMAN world champion Farris Al-Sultan, Richie Cunningham, Max Kriat, Andrew Starykowicz, Dirk Bockel, Michael Lovato, Bert Jammaer, Paul Mathews and Matty Reed along with a host of others are in San Juan to try to dethrone the two-time champ. </span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The pro meeting revealed that the majority of the start list showed up and I had my work cut out if I was going to earn any points to qualify for 70.3 Worlds.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After the pro meeting it was off to packet pickup and then pre race prep. We found a nice little local restaurant to eat at and then it was off to bed- nervous as all get out! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4:30 came early the next day and I was up and off to transition. There are a few perks to racing pro and being able to avoid mandatory bike turn in is one of them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s great to be able to ride your bike to T1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After setting up in T1 and double checking my setup I walked to the swim start to begin my warm-up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thirty minutes and the boom of a cannon later we were off in a washtub start to swim 1.2 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This winter I joined Masters of South Texas (MOST) a local swim team coached by Susan Ingraham.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Susan has been great, whipping my form into shape!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I doubled my time spent in the pool and was excited to see if it had paid off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first 400 meters went great, I lined up to the far left just behind Faris Al-Sultan and prepped for a crazy start.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was able to stay in the pack the first 400 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can remember thinking, this is great just stay on their feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About 2 seconds after that thought I popped my head up to sight and saw I had slipped back 10 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I put in a good surge to try and latch back on but it was too late, the pack was gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The remainder of the swim I was by myself, behind the first two packs but ahead of the 3<sup>rd</sup> pack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I exited the water I looked down to see a time of 27:30, my goal time was 28:00 minutes. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was disappointed I fell off the pack that ended up swimming 1-1:30 faster than me but excited to have swum under my goal time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The run from swim exit to T1 was long, about 500 meters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes for an interesting dynamic because it causes your heart rate to be sky high at the beginning of the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My goal for the bike leg was sub-2:15. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bike training has been great this year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve been training Tuesday and Thursday morning with a group of friends aka “The Warpathers”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The consistency this has brought to training has been great, not to mention all the fun we have!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bike went as planned, and I hit my goal watts on my power meter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only downside was I spent almost the entire ride biking by myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did pass a few guys but never reached the pack in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All the racers did get the kitchen sink thrown at us with a mix of rain, wind, and hot weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We even had the occasional two foot iguana on course to dodge around!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished the bike in 2:12:06 about 3 minutes under goal pace.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My plan for the run was to start conservative and then finish strong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it was going to be a tough run course and thought a lot of people would be blowing up on the second of two loops. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By starting conservative I hoped to be chasing those unfortunate souls down. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The goal was to run sub 1:20.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well lets just say by mile one I was adjusting that goal from 1:20 to 1:30.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Straight away on the run I was having problems with cramping and by mile 3 my entire quad had locked up!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as I was grabbing my quad and groining in pain the medical truck drives up and asks if I need a lift?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My answer was, “Hell No” and I forced myself to get back to running.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had to put aside my pride and desire to run people down and just focus on putting one foot in front of the other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I did manage to negative split my run although I was about a minute per mile off goal pace finishing with a 1:29:28. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Overall I’m pleased with my race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the first race of the season and I PR’d my 70.3 time finishing with a 4:13:29 and finished as the 26<sup>th</sup> Male Pro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I learned a ton, know what I need to work on, and am hungry for my next race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve set the next challenge and have adjusted my plan to achieve it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Galveston 70.3 coming up on April 7<sup>th </sup>and I need to get my run put together! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Post race I got to kick back, relax, and enjoy some great Puerto Rican culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve got to thank my travel companions Robbie Wade and Carlos Miranda for putting up with me for 4 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both had outstanding races and are on their way to triathlon glory this year!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading and keep Tri-ing!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wes Anderson</span></div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-61407656715412786622012-12-06T14:21:00.000-08:002012-12-21T09:31:58.483-08:00Season Finish!<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRjacqSzmP17ajHwbQkHwY9hYGu3PuJcI_miuHXE3uZ9tYNapDcbqS-Zg03A2rUPhWqke_wz2WsycOzg2viEHgd-LJ9is8bD1oC1nnioyTVDMeoTrtqMCn65tRaA3kmSe-QrLPQder-d1/s1600/HoustonTriPhoto1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqRjacqSzmP17ajHwbQkHwY9hYGu3PuJcI_miuHXE3uZ9tYNapDcbqS-Zg03A2rUPhWqke_wz2WsycOzg2viEHgd-LJ9is8bD1oC1nnioyTVDMeoTrtqMCn65tRaA3kmSe-QrLPQder-d1/s320/HoustonTriPhoto1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">OK, the following is a much overdue race report and season recap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>August and September are challenging months in South Texas!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Growing up in Iowa the winters are long and seem to never end.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well in San Antonio you get the opposite; wonderful winter training but a brutally long hot summer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the time August rolls around you are well into 3-4 months of hot and the end is not in site.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The challenge for a South Texas triathlete is making the last couple months count.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ll give myself an award for improvement as this summer I finished much better than last summer but I still have a ways to go!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After racing in the TX3 Series last year and being impressed by both the race quality and great competition I put the entire series on my calendar in 2012. The series consist of three races, two Olympics and a Sprint sandwiched in between.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was pleased with my 5<sup>th</sup> place showing at Kemah (</span><a href="http://www.wesandersontri.blogspot.com/2012/05/kemah-race-report.html"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">race report here</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) the first race and even more thrilled with my win at the second race Bridgeland Tri. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bridgeland was especially satisfying because I was battling the entire race. From the swim to the bike and into the run I was in the mix with a group of 4-5 guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were throwing punches back and forth the entire race (figuratively, though the swim was rough<span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Arial; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Arial; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J</span></span>) with guys covering and countering.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally once off the bike and onto the run I put in a good surge the first mile gapping the other guys and giving me enough breathing room to hold on for the win and fastest run prime! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mid-September I added a last minute race, Trifecta Triathlon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race was hosted at the beautiful Possum Kingdom Lake about 90 minutes west of Dallas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race director put up a great first year pro prize purse so myself with two other pros from San Antonio (Mark Saroni and Robbie Wade) headed to Possum Kingdom to battle it out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well needless to say I was a little off this day and Snapple teammate </span><a href="http://robbiewade1.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Robbie Wade</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> was red-hot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Robbie and I swam together the entire swim and then headed out on the bike to chase down race leader Peter Mallet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter’s an excellent Pro racing out of Austin by way of New Hampshire. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the turn-around of the bike Robbie and I had caught Peter and now the three of us were challenging for the lead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We broke away from Peter then Robbie broke me the last few miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The run was brutal; I was fighting cramps and checking my watch the entire time, complete survival!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In the end I was able to hold off Peter and a hard charging </span><a href="http://www.willrace4food.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Mark Saroni</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, for second place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San Antonio pros swept the podium (Robbie 1<sup>st</sup>, Me 2<sup>nd</sup>, and Mark 3<sup>rd</sup>).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We all headed home happy with money in the pockets!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fast forward two weeks and I was in East Texas for the Houston Triathlon and TX3 series finale.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two other pros and I were all within striking distance of each other for the series win making this race very interesting.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mother Nature showed up on the night before the race in the form of heavy rains and athletes showed up that morning to find out the bike had been cancelled due to wet conditions. This was a tough call by the race director but the correct call for athlete safety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Cancelling the bike added some stress to my race strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking down the list of starting athletes, I was looking for guys that had a strong swim and run combo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not having the bike leg to make up for any lost time from the swim (my weakest leg) concerned me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew Peter Mallet was going to be one of the favorites to watch as he has a fast swim and closes well on the run. In the end I pulled out a great race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I swam where I normally do coming out of the water with 4-5 guys in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the guys I chased down within the first mile however Peter was really making me work.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I caught him around mile 5 and slowly put enough of a gap in too cross the finish line the winner! </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">At the end of the day I won the race with the fastest run prime, took the overall series win, and a nice cash purse.</span>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-23428439522382668562012-07-20T10:09:00.003-07:002012-12-21T09:32:25.748-08:00Riding Dirty!<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On a whim I decide to try an Xterra race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those not familiar with Xterra, it’s an off-road triathlon where your triathlon bike is replaced with a mountain bike and you swap your racing flats for trail shoes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why do an Xterra?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why not!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve heard great things about the group of people it attracts and that the races are a real blast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve also heard they are extremely challenging races and not to be taken lightly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Race Revolutions host a series of Xterra races in Texas and Magnolia Hill Xterra was touted as a great beginner’s course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race sounded perfect, I can count on one hand how many times I’ve rode a mountain bike in the last 6 months and if I counted all the fingers on both hands you have pretty close to the total number of times I’ve rode a mountain bike in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To say I’m a novice would be an understatement so a beginner’s course was a little comforting!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uRaBLrGkEn5jfm-pnEl5-hxEXVFSc8AJ29SLpbN8iHQb679j3rCQTRRhr4SxM8sHukl4iedFgmWMQL0CH5duuVgqikPi-8CmG0ixMfAG-kLoz2eT1whrbfSUhUYj8RBFP5vvHWUHHXQv/s1600/xterra+ranch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_uRaBLrGkEn5jfm-pnEl5-hxEXVFSc8AJ29SLpbN8iHQb679j3rCQTRRhr4SxM8sHukl4iedFgmWMQL0CH5duuVgqikPi-8CmG0ixMfAG-kLoz2eT1whrbfSUhUYj8RBFP5vvHWUHHXQv/s320/xterra+ranch.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Picture of Race Site</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They say misery loves company so I talked my wife Erin and friend Sean Blasko into coming along.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They both have even less experience on a mountain bike than I do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Saturday morning we made the drive towards College Station to a ranch called Magnolia Hill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This area of Texas is just awesome and the ranch was great with lots of timber surrounding a nice little lake. We went to packet pickup where they were handing out beer with your race number (loving Xterra already!). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looked like rain was about to be pouring down so we all grabbed our bikes for a quick pre-ride.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The pe-ride was horrible!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What we thought was going to be nice rolling paths through the woods ended up being just the opposite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The trail was winding with corners full of sand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were these little wooden bridges you had to ride across and plenty of ups and downs, the race organizers were nice enough to put skull and crossbones signs on the extra dangerous sections! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To top it off we were getting rained on turning sand into muck, falling off our bikes and wiping out at every corner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were all laughing hysterically after the pre-ride, lets just say it wasn’t the beginners course we had imagined.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Magnolia Hill is kind of out in the middle of nowhere but we found a great little country inn to stay at.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We ended up finding a little Mexican dive to eat at that night, we all agreed in hindsight that wasn’t the best choice!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next morning we got up at 6:30 threw down some breakfast and headed to the race sight for a 9 am start (another reason I love Xterra, late start!).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was feeling weird that morning, this race almost felt like I was doing my first triathlon again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are just enough variables between Xterra and road triathlon that I had to rethink race strategy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For example in transition I’d normally have my shoes pre-clipped into my bike pedals.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’d run into transition, grab my bike, run out, execute a flying mount and be off pedaling saving precious seconds by not having to stop to put bike shoes on. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Xterra though there is no nice smooth and straight road to allow you to slip your feet in your shoes while pedaling. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I opted to leave my shoes on the ground and put them on then mount the bike to pedal. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I headed over to the swim start did a quick warm-up and lined up for the race to begin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few minutes later we were off swimming.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was first to the first turn buoy and settled into a pace excited that I was leading the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About half way to the next buoy I was swimming side by side with two other guys that were about 10 feet to my right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided to tuck in behind the lead guy and enjoy his draft for the rest of the swim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I exited the water second and over took the guy in front running up to the beach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was great to get on my bike first as I knew that any lead I had would be quickly swallowed up on the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my haste to get out of transition I forgot that my shoes weren’t mounted to my pedals (like a road triathlon) and ran towards the mount line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I was about to hop on my bike I realized there was no shoes there, I turn around grabbed my shoes and then excited Transition (see beginners mistake!). </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The bike was a three loop course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spent the first loop working very hard to keep my lead and also spent a great deal of time falling off my bike!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem being my bike handling skills were not able to keep up with the speed I was moving the bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The more I rode the more I was learning and picking up tricks as I went along the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to make it through the first loop in first place but was immediately passed starting the second loop by 2 guys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I watched them pass me I was in awe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They made it look so easy, they were hardly pedaling! They seemed to be just floating over the ground one with their bikes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was stomping on the ground fighting my bike!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By the end of the second lap I was burnt up and tired of falling of my bike. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was covered in rain, sweat, mud and even a little blood!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>By this point I had been passed by several more guys and decided to just enjoy the rest of the bike and make sure I didn’t kill myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was having problems with the shifting on my bike (probably due to the massive amounts of mud) and the chain kept dropping to the small ring on the front. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Apparently I spent the race with a death grip on my handlebars and wore out my hands and forearms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one point my chain dropped again, I took my thumb and pushed the shift lever to bring the chain back up and nothing happened.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I laughed out loud; my hands were so tired that I didn’t have the strength to push the shifter. I resorted to using the palm of my hand and chest to wedge the shifter forward when needing to shift.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t remember once during a road triathlon my hands being tired!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up coming off the bike in 9<sup>th</sup> place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I made it through transition without any problems and then headed out on the run.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The run was a two loop course totaling 4 miles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It partially cut across a field and partially ran on a sand loop around the lake with a fifteen foot sand cliff that you had to crawl up thrown in for good measure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I managed to run myself back into 3<sup>rd</sup> place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The finish line greeted us with cold beer and cookies!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I grabbed a beer and then headed back out on the course to cheer Erin and Sean on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-WoWuARFRF-le4O2UH1UIESimYBbc9oVC-OceBOjzaYpam36gybILQaOYoXcv6iSbVwPubqtusiMoIXQb7p1FqkJP6FgHAG6mKGXoUufGyBeP9c8pzvWxHuomTaggxr5C7N6LwLACC2_/s1600/xterra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" hda="true" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio-WoWuARFRF-le4O2UH1UIESimYBbc9oVC-OceBOjzaYpam36gybILQaOYoXcv6iSbVwPubqtusiMoIXQb7p1FqkJP6FgHAG6mKGXoUufGyBeP9c8pzvWxHuomTaggxr5C7N6LwLACC2_/s320/xterra.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After the Race, we all survived!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I was super proud of Erin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mountain biking on these trails was way out of her comfort zone but she finished the race with a big smile!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ride home was a blast with all of us sharing our own war stories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight this was probably a good beginner’s course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sand and turns made for tough steering but also helped control our speed and gave us something soft to fall on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were no ledges to drop off and no rocky rough terrain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m so glad I went and did this race and recommend everyone get out and try an Xterra you’ll have a blast and a ton of good stories to tell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you live in Texas check out Race Revolutions races at </span><a href="http://www.racerevolutions.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.racerevolutions.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The race organizers Joel and Will I met for the first time at this race and they really go out of their way to make athletes feel welcomed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wes </span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-57560319487032614712012-06-29T14:39:00.000-07:002012-12-21T09:33:35.861-08:00June Race Recap. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOq96gnW3N3j6vSFayorcyhNtSWS4fAqDhksv9TkVTxzrZ_UrLgOVFJqeWMoUsRYY6b3c1hlWcRZJ_qBKm6h2Q31O4fDk8hZlCT25_5Mo2Qy6-F7zX3IYYpvSjt5yaNjrhXCp10cvtf8X/s1600/NOLA+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOq96gnW3N3j6vSFayorcyhNtSWS4fAqDhksv9TkVTxzrZ_UrLgOVFJqeWMoUsRYY6b3c1hlWcRZJ_qBKm6h2Q31O4fDk8hZlCT25_5Mo2Qy6-F7zX3IYYpvSjt5yaNjrhXCp10cvtf8X/s320/NOLA+pic.jpg" vca="true" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Heading out of T1 at NOLA 5150</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It has been a busy last thirty days with lots of training and a few races. My short term training goals for the last month were to build more speed work into my training without producing injury and get into the season full swing with lots of racing. Mission accomplished! In terms of racing I raced three of the last five weekends and experienced a few ups and downs along the way. Ups and downs are part of the process and without them we wouldn’t see improvement. Here is a recap of my races. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First in the chute was Capital of Texas tri. This was the first big race of the season with a stacked field including many past Olympians from all over the world! It is a real mental challenge going into a race like this. Even on my best day firing on all cylinders I can't touch many of these guys (yet!). It is however an amazing opportunity to learn from the best in the business first hand. I spent the majority of the race swimming by myself but kept a steady pace resulting in a solid improvement in my open water swim time. The bike leg is technical which makes it a challenge to get in a groove. Anytime you add hills, 180 degree turns, loops, and about 2000 athletes on a course it makes for both a mental and physical beating. The week leading up to this race I rode routes similar to what I expected to find here and it paid off with solid bike. Once off the bike I had a little bit of a challenge with cramping in the quads. I had to "run" a thin line between pushing hard enough to keep the pace up but not too hard that my quadriceps would lock up. In the end I finished 19th pro in just over an hour and fifty-eight minutes. This was a personal best time for me and overall I was pretty happy with how the race played out. Congrats to Hunter Kemper for the overall win.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next weekend I jumped into a local Triathlon in San Antonio, the Tri Pearl. A few of my training partners were doing this race and most of the top triathletes in San Antonio were there. I was excited to race as I felt like I'd been making solid fitness gains in the last few weeks. It was a 400 meter pool swim, 15 mile bike and 5k run. The pool swim went well and the bike went better until the end when I got routed of course and lost a minute or two getting myself back on course. I was first onto the run course with Snapple teammate Robbie Wade hot on my heels. Well the run was a little bit of a disaster, not clearly marked and short on volunteers. Robbie and I both went off course. I ended up with the overall win but the race would have been much closer if we both would have stayed on course, too bad I was looking forward to a sprint finish!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past weekend my wife and I packed up and headed to New Orleans for the NOLA 5150 race. This is one of the qualifiers for the Hyvee championship race. I was pretty excited and more confident then I've been in a longtime going into this race. Training was spot on prior to this race and I just felt really fit. New Orleans is a fun place to visit so Erin and I were looking forward to the mini vacation. About 15 pros started the race with a couple big names like Conrad Stoltz, David Thompson, and Chris Foster on the roster. Swimming has always been my Achilles heel in triathlon. I'm a solid swimmer and improving but still a long ways off the pace I need to maintain contact with the lead pro pack. My goal going into this race was to hold onto the pack as long as I could. Maintaining contact in the swim is key because it allows you to benefit from drafting. Also, getting on the bike with guys around you is a huge advantage for pacing. During the swim I held with the pack for about the first 300 of 1500 meters and then slipped off. No problem I'll maintain pace and come out of the water in decent shape right? Wrong! I managed to go off course on the swim setting me even farther behind. The bike was a two lap course. I spent the entire first lap deflated and just wanting to give up. I was ready to take my toys and go home! Well on the second lap I told myself I've finished every race I've entered and wasn't going to be that guy that walked off the course just because he had a off day. I decided to look at the rest of the race as a good training day. So I picked it up and actually caught a couple guys on the run. I ended up finishing in 11th place, discouraged but not defeated. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Next up is the Texas State Team Time Trial Championships this weekend! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading,</span><br />
<br />
<br />
WesWes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-48108833162471296752012-05-02T07:33:00.000-07:002012-12-21T09:34:07.524-08:00Kemah Race Report!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This past weekend I headed to Kemah, TX for my first triathlon of the season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kemah is a neat little coast town 25 minutes Southeast of Houston.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was the race I made my pro debut at last year and I was excited to head back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Onurmark runs this event; <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Aaron Palaian </span>and his staff do an excellent job of producing races and I highly recommend you check them out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">On Saturday morning pro triathlete Peter Mallet and I headed to Kemah for packet pickup and to scout the course.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a pretty uneventful day just the normal prepping for the race.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reviewing the start list for the Pro/Elite amateur race it confirmed that this was going to be a competitive race with some established pros, up and coming pros and some of Texas’ top amateurs toeing the line.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllLMFv2XtYwDn2_70-_-Phyf2ZzfVL9-_0TbQYH839286sOENvdrF8LpTyqN21eSPUy2kTzaAX0mh41hYrsez6IzOiFpy3rT0tXxoJI9COEvIh8zMeqYVb6Ir8wd53K-OK14LofVijkM5/s1600/Kemahswim.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="215" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhllLMFv2XtYwDn2_70-_-Phyf2ZzfVL9-_0TbQYH839286sOENvdrF8LpTyqN21eSPUy2kTzaAX0mh41hYrsez6IzOiFpy3rT0tXxoJI9COEvIh8zMeqYVb6Ir8wd53K-OK14LofVijkM5/s320/Kemahswim.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sunday morning came early as I rolled out of bed at 4 am. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Peter, Snapple Teammate Robbie Wade and I made our way to the race site and started getting set up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of the unique things about this race is that everyone is loaded up on a paddle boat, taken a mile out to sea and then dive in to swim back.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">About 7am The Pro men and woman were lined up on the boat deck and before we knew it the washing machine start typical of triathlons was underway.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was a lot of kicking, smacking and bumping the first 200 meters off the race as we all jockeyed for position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What made this swim especially challenging was the large waves we had to deal with.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This makes navigating a straight line and sighting difficult, not to mention really tests your swim endurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I came out the water much slower than I was hoping for as 12<sup>th</sup> male with 4 or 5 pro woman in front of me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a smooth transition and was off on the bike.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Kemah is named for the Native American word meaning “wind in my face.” And the city definitely lived up to its’ name on Sunday!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bike course was an “L” shape with the long section being 10 miles out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a strong “wind in my face” the entire ride out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I decided pre-race I’d push the way out in the wind and then enjoy the tail wind back to transition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was passing riders at a pretty good clip and finished the bike sitting in 6<sup>th</sup> place one spot out of money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">As I headed out of Transition I passed Pro Justin Daerr to put me in 5<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was happy with the first 3 miles of the run as I opened up a small lead on Justin and closed down on 4<sup>th</sup> place Grant Glauser. Just after mile 3 I passed Grant to ease into 4<sup>th</sup>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now I was just focusing on maintaining pace and enjoying the pain. The last 2 .5 miles took us up over the causeway and back giving us two a nice challenging climbs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Justin closed in on me and passed at mile 4 opening up a gap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I responded as we headed back up the causeway to close and started running on his hip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The last hill took it out of me and I fell back in the last half mile to cross the finish line 5<sup>th</sup>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyOMzzCrfsZM6kbHML2qS3k_70aYYuCXmcF38LXgoYKANoFmkBgNarsBkI7aur1iChIrqbGeXsjnr-61Wq1KW3hj8OkSP1lh6Cn2DePfTT-7zMtzOiG-BzcOfv0mFonKFTteNgA7tUIFL/s1600/Kemah+Podium2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="226" mea="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyOMzzCrfsZM6kbHML2qS3k_70aYYuCXmcF38LXgoYKANoFmkBgNarsBkI7aur1iChIrqbGeXsjnr-61Wq1KW3hj8OkSP1lh6Cn2DePfTT-7zMtzOiG-BzcOfv0mFonKFTteNgA7tUIFL/s320/Kemah+Podium2.jpg" style="cursor: move;" unselectable="on" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Overall, I was pretty happy with the day’s performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was out front racing for the podium and finished on it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was pure joy to be competing again and I am even more excited for Capital of Texas Triathlon coming up in 4 weeks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Congrats to Barrett Brandon for the overall male win and Sarah Gray for the overall female win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Shout out to Snapple teammate Robbie Wade <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(<a href="http://www.robbiewade1.blogspot.com/">http://www.robbiewade1.blogspot.com/</a>)</i> for a 6<sup>th</sup> overall finish and winning the run prime with a crazy fast 10K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Congrats to fellow San Antonio triathlete Mark Saroni <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">(</i><cite><span lang="EN" style="color: #666666; font-style: normal; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><a href="http://www.willrace4food.blogspot.com/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">www.willrace4food.blogspot.com</i></a>)</span></cite><span lang="EN"> </span>who made his pro debut on Sunday!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<img height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFyOMzzCrfsZM6kbHML2qS3k_70aYYuCXmcF38LXgoYKANoFmkBgNarsBkI7aur1iChIrqbGeXsjnr-61Wq1KW3hj8OkSP1lh6Cn2DePfTT-7zMtzOiG-BzcOfv0mFonKFTteNgA7tUIFL/s320/Kemah+Podium2.jpg" style="filter: alpha(opacity=30); left: 107px; mozopacity: 0.3; opacity: 0.3; position: absolute; top: 1016px; visibility: hidden;" width="96" />Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-66179925504185499862012-04-25T11:23:00.000-07:002012-12-21T09:34:30.858-08:00Race Rehearsal<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUhtBTIXO1B6j6R-FpxUUWHdPd9pE5lyzAS7UG9JYoemp5LS1k-1HM_R565nI76oAoAnOG-vOkCvm6iNtq6g6sfFpMXtbf9bG6aTk4HljZP-uU56s_NlEX0KnnUH4MbCmrNvC9DoM4sMn/s1600/Snapple+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="228" oda="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJUhtBTIXO1B6j6R-FpxUUWHdPd9pE5lyzAS7UG9JYoemp5LS1k-1HM_R565nI76oAoAnOG-vOkCvm6iNtq6g6sfFpMXtbf9bG6aTk4HljZP-uU56s_NlEX0KnnUH4MbCmrNvC9DoM4sMn/s320/Snapple+photo.jpg" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Every year at the beginning of the season I do a couple race rehearsals to prep for the real deal. Sometimes I use an early season local race or sometimes it's just me out at a lake. This year I headed to Boerne Lake (Texas Hill Country) and did a practice sprint triathlon. I swam about 750 meters, biked 10 miles and ran 2.5 off the bike. The goal was to complete each segment at Olympic Race pace. This is a great way to get a feel of race effort with all three disciplines combined, try out any new race gear and hit transitions at speed. The goal being to shake off the rust and make sure things go smooth race day. </span></div>
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">New Gear: I had 3 new pieces of race equipment I was excited to test out thanks to Xterra Wetsuits, Rudy Project, and Champion Systems. I tested my Xterra Vendetta Wetsuit (</span><a href="http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">), My Rudy Project Wingspan TT aero helmet (</span><a href="http://www.e-rudy.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">www.e-rudy.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) and my Snapple Champion System race suit (</span><a href="http://www.champ-sys.com/"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">http://www.champ-sys.com/</span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Video: This year I had my wife Erin video me running through my start and transitions. This is a great way to review what you're actually doing versus what you think you are doing and will let you see areas to trim easy seconds off the clock. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Take aways: I was very happy with my new gear. The Wingspan TT is a great fit, with enough room to quickly put the helmet on but tight enough to maximize aero dynamic performance. Another thing I like about this helmet is wind tunnel testing has shown it to be just as fast with the tail up. This makes the helmet very versatile allowing you to position your head in a way that's both comfortable and aero! The Vendetta wetsuit fit tight but wasn't restrictive (exactly what I what in a wetsuit). The wetsuit I swam in last year had a habit of filling the sleeves up and trapping water causing my arms to feel super heavy by the end of the swim, no such problem here! This year I'll be racing my short course Tris in Champion System's Evolution Elite Tri Suit. I was excited about this suit because its form fitting, made with sleek materials and has no pockets making for a very fast suit but I was concerned about it not containing a pad for comfort. The suit fit like a glove and was surprisingly comfortable on the bike, I'll have no concerns riding in it for 40 kilometers! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Reviewing the video I saw a few areas of improvement needed. I need to make sure I'm familiar with gear placement. I did an extra bounce from one side of the bike to the other that cost time. I need to decide on placement of my GPS as I use it for both the bike and run to read heart rate and power but I don't like to swim in it, this caused more fumbling than I would like on the bike course.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">First race of the season is The Kemah Triathlon this Sunday, April 29th. With a very solid Pro start list and some cash to race for I'm excited to see how it goes. Stay tuned for the race report!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wes</span>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-32244892252933091632012-03-28T19:38:00.000-07:002012-03-28T19:38:25.205-07:00Base to Build (Building that engine!)<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Courier New";
panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:modern;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";
mso-ascii-font-family:Arial;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Arial;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Courier New";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6S2YWctDCfwFfm1Y3yqLMWnM-stEzOeEKyqtZUNfwP8lh5kpS9-Z2mYS5Hf70of5EZTkC6AJNSGdkgo_9bocLkHiUh3Vmas9cONTQk993wQhrFhbeqkGYCkY_gDAFbChseDF6ykFev3v/s1600/engine-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6S2YWctDCfwFfm1Y3yqLMWnM-stEzOeEKyqtZUNfwP8lh5kpS9-Z2mYS5Hf70of5EZTkC6AJNSGdkgo_9bocLkHiUh3Vmas9cONTQk993wQhrFhbeqkGYCkY_gDAFbChseDF6ykFev3v/s320/engine-1.jpg" width="320" /></a>Base training is that cycle in a triathlete’s program where
he or she sets the foundation for the season to come, what you do during this
phase helps build the engine and keep you injury free for the rest of the
season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’re logging long
aerobic (easy) miles, hitting the weights for sport specific gains and working
the heck out of technique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Each
year I learn more and more how important it can be to set up a solid base.
Build is that phase where I start to get excited, when you start adding threshold
training intervals gearing the body up to race. <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The key to this phase is to become more efficient (faster) at a certain
distance or go further in a certain time period. This is usually done by adding
‘interval’ training to your workouts.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">Well I was hoping
to write this blog about 5 weeks ago but as fate would have it I got an upper
respiratory infection which set my training back over a month.</span> I’m back
on track now; I spent an extra month in base training and have officially made
the transition to build!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I love to
race and often use local races for race pace efforts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I started this weekend with the Beethoven 5K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This 5 and 10K was put on to support
Youth Orchestra’s of San Antonio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I took the overall win for the 5k.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Snapple was well represented with Mr. Robbie Wade winning the 10K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It felt great to be racing again and
I’m looking forward to a few more blowout sessions be for my season opener,
Kemah Triathlon, on 29 April. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Hope everyone’s training is on track and best of luck as you
start racing!</div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-58558908495481370702012-02-05T14:19:00.000-08:002012-03-22T08:09:45.787-07:002012 update!<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Courier New";
panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:modern;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 2 1 2 1 8 4 8 7 8;
mso-font-charset:2;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 65536 0 -2147483648 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Georgia;
panose-1:2 4 5 2 5 4 5 2 3 3;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
p
{margin-top:7.5pt;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:11.25pt;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:548759393;
mso-list-template-ids:1676078462;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:;
mso-level-tab-stop:.5in;
mso-level-number-position:left;
text-indent:-.25in;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Symbol;}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://www.snapple.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="snapple" height="108px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/snapple.png" style="background-color: orange;" width="200px" /></a><br />
<br />
My last Blog (<a href="http://wesandersontri.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-recap.html" style="color: orange;">http://wesandersontri.blogspot.com/2012/01/2011-recap.html</a>) I mentioned I would be expanding my “team” for 2012. Well, I’m very excited to announce that I’ll be racing on Snapple’s National team (<a href="http://www.snappletriteam.com/" style="color: orange;">http://www.snappletriteam.com/</a> ). Snapple has both an elite team (National Team) and a club team (DC Tri/Snapple Team) made up professional triathletes, elite amateurs, and everyday warriors. The team is going to present me with a great opportunity to race with some of the best athletes in the country and be supported by top notch sponsors. I want to thank Team Manager Bart Forsyth and Snapple for the opportunity to race and represent an outstanding Company and Team. Here is a list of the National team members and sponsors we’ll be supported by (click on their name to read more about these awesome athletes). </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">SNAPPLE NATIONAL TEAM:</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/wes-anderson">Wes Anderson</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <span style="color: orange;"></span><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/seeley-gutierrez">Seeley Gutierrez</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/chris-glibert">Chris Glibert</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/nathan-birdsall">Nathan Birdsall</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/barry-lewis">Barry Lewis</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/kristie-timmer">Kristie Timmer</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/morgan-chaffin">Morgan Chaffin</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"><span style="color: orange;"> </span><span style="color: orange;"> </span><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/stephanie-liles-weyant">Stephanie Liles-Weyant</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/dave-slavinski">Dave Slavinski</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/gregory-close">Gregory Close</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/lucas-mccollum">Lucas McCollum</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/holly-ann-geldhauser">Holly Ann Geldhauser</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/caitlin-dorgan">Caitlin Dorgan</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/robbie-wade">Robbie Wade</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/erik-reitinger">Erik Reitinger</a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/rick-fesler">Rick Fesler</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/chris-nocera">Chris Nocera</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/chris-ganter">Chris Ganter</a></span> <span lang="EN-GB"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: orange; color: blue; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 6pt 0.5in;">
<span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/maggie-finley">Maggie Finley</a></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: orange;"> <a href="http://snappletriteam.com/athlete-blogs/national-team/matias-palavecino">Matias Palavecino</a></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 18pt; line-height: 115%;">SPONSORS:</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/snapple.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="snapple" border="0" height="108px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/snapple.png" width="200px" /></a><a href="http://www.superfeet.com/" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img alt="super-feet" height="33px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/superfeet.jpg" width="200px" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/kswiss_shield_logo.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/kswiss_shield_logo.png" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; text-align: center;" /></a><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/rudyprojectracing-a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="rudy" border="0" height="155px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/rudyprojectracing-a.jpg" style="display: block;" width="285px" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/kswiss_shield_logo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div align="center">
<table border="0" cellpadding="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="mso-cellspacing: 1.5pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 100%;"><tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;"><td style="padding-bottom: 0.75pt; padding-left: 0.75pt; padding-right: 0.75pt; padding-top: 0.75pt;"><a href="http://www.hedcycling.com/" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"></a><br />
<a href="http://www.snapple.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.hedcycling.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img alt="hed" height="108px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/hed.jpg" width="200px" /></a><a href="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/xterra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="xterra" border="0" height="108px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/xterra.jpg" width="200px" /></a><a href="http://www.hedcycling.com/" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.sweatvac.com/" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><img alt="sweatvac" height="73px" src="http://snappletriteam.com/images/stories/sponsors/sweatvac.jpg" width="200px" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://www.xterrawetsuits.com/" target="_blank"></a><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin: 0in 0in 6pt -27pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 9pt; line-height: 135%;"><span style="color: #d1b401;"></span></span></div>
</td><td style="padding-bottom: 0.75pt; padding-left: 0.75pt; padding-right: 0.75pt; padding-top: 0.75pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin: 7.5pt 0in 11.25pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding-bottom: 0.75pt; padding-left: 0.75pt; padding-right: 0.75pt; padding-top: 0.75pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 135%;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 135%;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 9pt; line-height: 135%;"></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin-bottom: 6pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td><td style="padding-bottom: 0.75pt; padding-left: 0.75pt; padding-right: 0.75pt; padding-top: 0.75pt;"><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 135%; margin: 7.5pt 0in 11.25pt; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-25694786366351343922012-01-29T20:21:00.000-08:002012-01-29T20:21:38.703-08:002011 Recap!<div class="MsoNormal">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Courier New";
panose-1:2 7 3 9 2 2 5 2 4 4;
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:modern;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Wingdings;
panose-1:5 2 1 2 1 8 4 8 7 8;
mso-font-charset:2;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:0 0 65536 0 -2147483648 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-parent:"";
margin-top:0in;
margin-right:0in;
margin-bottom:10.0pt;
margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
cite
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
color:#0E774A;
font-style:normal;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
/* List Definitions */
@list l0
{mso-list-id:209002004;
mso-list-type:hybrid;
mso-list-template-ids:-869370410 -1408203206 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693 67698689 67698691 67698693;}
@list l0:level1
{mso-level-start-at:0;
mso-level-number-format:bullet;
mso-level-text:-;
mso-level-tab-stop:none;
mso-level-number-position:left;
margin-left:.75in;
text-indent:-.25in;
font-family:Calibri;
mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
ol
{margin-bottom:0in;}
ul
{margin-bottom:0in;}
-->
</style>
What an exciting 2011 season!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m very proud of my first season as a pro and am already
looking forward to the 2012 season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This year was filled with highlights, lessons learned, and most
importantly a lot of fun.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Below
I’ll hit some of the highlights.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
First I would like to thank my family, friends, and
supporters for all the help you’ve provided me this season.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even though it is an individual sport,
it is most definitely a team effort, without my team around me I wouldn’t have
been successful! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlZKeSU9JSkIQeJSCPaLUHEadwWgLFfC836UAL8v5kWYJh5Cn2PIBFCIF5y7DUF82eTBdeOY5EQ_86evIWqbCKL3GNpEo7k6DryRmE0RYhbN8iYG8HRldeO5lV9Hjx99pzPJTDSk_xSqF/s1600/Hiking.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvlZKeSU9JSkIQeJSCPaLUHEadwWgLFfC836UAL8v5kWYJh5Cn2PIBFCIF5y7DUF82eTBdeOY5EQ_86evIWqbCKL3GNpEo7k6DryRmE0RYhbN8iYG8HRldeO5lV9Hjx99pzPJTDSk_xSqF/s320/Hiking.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>As many of you know this is a very time
committed sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I dedicated
substantially more time this year than previous and my wonderful wife Erin was
very patient with me as I set out to achieve goals and she sacrificed much to
allow me to play, thank you Erin!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I started working with Coach Zane Castro this
year and developed a great relationship with someone that is as committed to my
success as I am, probably couldn’t have made it through the year without him
and definitely not have seen the gains I did this year, thanks Zane!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I had some great training partners this year
that helped to keep me motivated and the sport fun, thanks Robbie, Sean, Carlos,
the Wednesday Tri-sition Area run group and many more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I was lucky enough to partner with Trisition Area
again this year and had a blast doing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Marco and Lorena run a first class business that focuses on the sport
and helping progress it in San Antonio.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I received support from them on numerous occasions be it in the form of
help getting me the gear I need to race and train on or just listening and
providing guidance on ways to approach this crazy sport as a professional.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can’t thank them enough for their
help.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>I would like to also give a shout out to the
fitness club, Spectrum at Rogers Ranch, and their GM Paul Schoenberg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I benefitted from a great partnership
between Spectrum and Tri-sition area, not only by having a fabulous facility to
train in but by being associated with a fitness club that supports the triathlon
community, if any of you had a chance to watch the Tri to be spooky Kids triathlon
at Spectrum this fall you know what I’m talking about.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So to all my team members’ Thank you so much and I am
looking forward to our future endeavors.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now onto the season recap.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nathan White, a great guy from Iowa and fellow professional
triathlete (<cite><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">www.<b>nathanwhitetri</b>.com)</span></cite>
has a Carmichael training systems ad running in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Triathlete</i> magazine right now.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Part of the caption reads, “I knew after my first triathlon
that someday I hoped to turn pro.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
I didn’t know was how much I still had to learn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About training.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>About racing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>About how to
succeed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Eventually I made it, and
guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It got even harder…” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This really sums up the year.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few years ago I set the goal to
become a professional triathlete.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I worked hard and last year I accomplished that goal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well this year guess what?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>IT GOT EVEN HARDER!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Qualifying to race as a professional
and actually toeing the line to compete are two very different things.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I raced 10 events this year with 5 having
a strictly pro field, 3 having an Elite amateur race and 2 local open
races.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those 5 Pro races showed me
that I have a lot of hard work to do to become a top tier professional but
those 5 other races showed me I belong in the professional field.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ended up with; <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>two 1<sup>st</sup>, one 2<sup>nd</sup>,
one 3<sup>rd</sup>, two 6<sup>th</sup>, a 12<sup>th</sup>, a 19<sup>th</sup>,
a 20<sup>th</sup> and a 25<sup>th </sup>for overall finishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I finished ever race I entered though
not always in top form and not once did I finish as the last pro. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Some of my highlights of the season were;</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>A few local wins, especially enjoyed Marble falls Tri</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.75in; text-indent: -0.25in;">
- Running down guys at New Orleans 70.3 after a
hard bonk on the bike and the post race celebration with Carlos and Erin.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A
40 kilometer Time trial PR at the Texas state TT championships, winning the CAT
5 title.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then rocking the Team TT
championships the next day with Robbie, Mark and Chris.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Getting a “big check” at the Bridgeland
Triathlon. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>A 10K PR in the Captex triathlon</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>The underwear run in Kona!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Epic training rides with Robbie Wade.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>And a lot of fun just being outside putting the
work in.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now that I’ve officially closed the book on the 2011 season
I’m looking forward to 2012.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With
training already under way please stay tuned for some announcements in regards
to the expansion of my “team” in the form of sponsors and my tentative race
schedule.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for reading!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-46862263680808657992011-09-09T12:46:00.000-07:002011-09-09T12:49:19.015-07:00Avia Austin Race Report<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5650449042055864882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 229px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimvz1dm8IQhs9RSbW2JExCroxU_sfvkLg3kny691LbHgXOBONT2y2C_GRn_NtRN_CXBQZfGpJGYZvWhWoPFi7LoDce8ynKbvjuKibzYDlUvCtGKPAo9KJxeIT7nnGW6r3YH8f1oRjh7ADP/s320/AviaAustin11.jpg" border="0" />This Labor Day I got the chance to race the Avia Austin Race. I was excited to race as I recently had a good training block and was ready to burn a good race. I raced this event last year and was excited to see gains I made this year reflected in times. I knew this would be a competitive race as Austin harbors a ton of Pro triathletes and the Race was offering about $5000 to draw a lot of them out. <br /><div><br />Erin and I took off Sunday afternoon for Austin. We took care of the usual pre-race stuff and I got a chance to sit down with my coach Zane Castro to go over the race plan. After that Erin and I were off to dinner with training partner Robbie Wade (robbiewade1.blogspot.com) and his fiancée Heather. We even got to see the legendary bats of Austin (literally thousands of bats flying out from under a bridge). Then I prepped the bike for racing and I headed to bed.<br />Monday morning started off with temperatures a little cooler than normal which was most definitely welcomed with all the heat we’ve been having. I knew in this race it was going to be important for me to get out quick as there were several guys in the race I could out swim but they have killer closing runs. I had a solid swim and came out of the water around 9th in around 22 minutes with over 30 guys in the Elite/Open wave. The fastest swimmers were 3 minute in front of me so I knew I had my work cut out. </div><br /><div><br />I made it through transition smoothly and was out on the bike. The bike was a three loop course with hills and plenty of turns. This course definitely makes it a challenge to settle into a rhythm. I passed around 4 people on the bike and ended up finishing in just over an hour and improving my position. </div><br /><div><br />Out on the run it took me a mile to really get into rhythm. The course had a couple out and backs which I like, it gives you the opportunity to gauge where your competition is. By mile two of the run I had passed two guys in front of me but by mile four running studs Robbie Wade and Joe Thorne closed on me and went by. I tried to respond but didn’t have it in the legs. A little over a half mile before the finish there is an out and back and at the turn around I could see Derek Yorek was closing on me fast. I picked it up a notch and waited for him to catch me. He passed me with about a ¼ mile to go and I made my move to latch on. I kept stride with him to the finish but he had a little more in the tank then me. He out kicked me to finish about five feet in front. </div><br /><div><br />When the dust had settled it turned out 3 guys in front of me accidently went off course and were disqualified This bumped me up to 6th place which made Derek’s out kicking me at the end sting a little more because 5th place was the last money spot. Overall I was happy with my performance. I still thinking I’m just starting to scratch the surface on what I’m capable of doing. A big shout out to James Bonney for the overall win, Robbie for finishing in the money (4th) and D’ Ann Arthur for taking the overall women’s title. D’ Ann is another one of Zane’s athletes and is having a heck of a year! </div><br /><div><br />Congrats to all the Trisition Area Troopers out there (Orissa, Brian, Carlos, Luis, Vish, Charanya, Bonni, Raul, Matt, and many more)! I saw a ton of Orange and had a blast cheering everyone on.</div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-12037849714685140482011-08-24T09:28:00.000-07:002011-08-24T09:35:48.334-07:00Race Reports!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kr7osG7Szn0pobjPWtsVto9RHA4cnLIvAivaJLuKemOw8LXs5ezhVepawcx-h7Kcx_MHIAm30lG1tj2NHBbRwiGqUWMLBs35IpH7v1-v9qOALX61FttNq0lwDOjAEIN9dqvXSpEaKtMH/s1600/crit3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5644461570991621602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kr7osG7Szn0pobjPWtsVto9RHA4cnLIvAivaJLuKemOw8LXs5ezhVepawcx-h7Kcx_MHIAm30lG1tj2NHBbRwiGqUWMLBs35IpH7v1-v9qOALX61FttNq0lwDOjAEIN9dqvXSpEaKtMH/s320/crit3.jpg" border="0" /></a>Hello Everyone! I’ve got a little catching up to do since my last blog so bear with me J The last month has been great with several races that I’ve gotten the chance to play at! I’ll break down the races and give you a quick recap.
<br />
<br /><strong>Marble Falls Triathlon- July 17th-</strong> This triathlon took place on a scenic and challenging course through the Texas hill country area surrounding the city of Marble Falls. One of my Tristion Area Race Team members, Orlando Gonzales, raved about this tri last year. Orlando’s brother, Mario, is the race director and does a heck of a job putting on a race. The race had a nice small town feel to it, but was professionally run. The race draws some pretty talented triathletes from both Austin and San Antonio due to its location. I got a good warm-up in and headed down for the swim start. It was a triangle swim, with the long side of the swim headed into the sun, which always makes sighting a challenge! I worked my way through the start of the swim pack and came out at the lead with about 2 other guys. I moved to the front in Transition and hopped on the bike to head out for a nice hilly ride. I managed to get back to T2 in 1st. On the run leg I struggled a little but held pace and crossed the finish line first. The race format had men age 39 and under starting first and men 40 and older starting a few minutes behind. This is a mental challenge as even when leading the race you are not sure if you’re winning. I waited at the finish for the 3 minute time difference and officially won; up and coming triathlete Mark Saroni took 2nd place with one of Austin’s local studs, Paul Terranova, rounding out the podium. Erin had a great race taking 4th overall and Trisition Area Team mates Amy McGrath (2nd overall), Chris Rulon (8th Overall), Orlando Gonzales (1st in his AG), and Phil Johnson (3rd in his AG). Here’s the link to an article in the local newspaper <a href="http://www.highlandernews.com/news_article.php?article_id=657">http://www.highlandernews.com/news_article.php?article_id=657</a> . The race website is <a href="http://www.marblefallstri.com/">http://www.marblefallstri.com/</a> definitely check it out next year!
<br />
<br /><strong>The Steubing Ranch crit- July 23rd-</strong> I’ve been wanting to do some road races for quite some time now and finally pulled the trigger a few weeks ago. Road racing is a completely different animal than racing the bike leg of non-drafting triathlon. Bike World hosts a crit every other Tuesday. I decided to give it a go. Those that don’t know a criterium is a circuit race where you complete a small loop several times until the bell lap which you race out for the win. I raced the Category 4/5 race which is 30 minutes long. My plan going in was to sit back a little at the beginning and get a feel for how guys are racing and practice some handling and then open up at the end. I ended up pulling quite a bit of the race and then with about 6 laps left I got into a small breakaway with 4 other guys. We kept the pressure on and with 2 laps to go it was just me and another guy left. On the back stretch of the loop there is an S-curve that shoots you into the 200 meters to the finish. Coming out of the S-curve I took the inside line and hammered winning the race. I had a lot of fun and really enjoyed this format of racing. I’m thinking I’ll be doing a few more crits before the year is over.
<br />
<br /><strong>Texas State Time Trial Championships- July 30th-31st-</strong> I’ve been wanting a good test to see where my cycling fitness is at this year, the Texas State Time trial Championships were only 40 miles south of San Antonio this year and offered a great opportunity for a time trial test. It’s a two-day event and I decided to race the 40K individual time trial on Saturday and then the 40K team time trial on Sunday. I was excited about the team race, as I had a good crew of guys to be racing with. On Saturday morning I made the drive to Lytle and saw something I haven’t seen in about 3 months, rain! It was a light rain, just enough to make turns while racing interesting. Luckily there were only two turns and a turn around on the course. I started 4th in the CAT 5 division. The plan was to take it out at a couple beats below my threshold and then let it go on the way back. I passed the 3 guys in front of me before the Turn around and then let it go for the return. We had some good wind on the way out but the tail wind felt great on the way back. I ended up winning the CAT 5 division with a 56:12 averaging 26.5 mph. Best of all my average power was up about 10 watts since the last time I tested showing training is paying off.
<br />On Sunday Chris Rulon, Mark Saroni, Robbie Wade, and I got together for the team time trial. Mark is a CAT 3 racer so this was going to allow the other 3 “triathletes” riding with him to race CAT 3. All of us usually have a pretty strong bike leg in triathlons so I thought we might have a shot for the win if we could figure out the technique of rotating cyclist around to maximize the aerodynamic advantage. The rules allow you to finish with only 3 riders. The plan was to stay together on the way out and then pick it up on the way back. If someone couldn’t keep pace on the way back that was fine, they would just hold on as long as possible and then fall off and we would finish with three. We lined up and had a good start getting tucked behind each other pretty quickly. About a mile in I was at the lead about to rotate back when I heard Mark yell “Robbie flatted!” This was a major bummer; Robbie was probably our strongest cyclist and now we only had 3 to rotate the work load for the remaining 95% of the race. We did a good job adapting our game plan and still got a pretty solid effort in. We ended up finishing in 6th place for the CAT 3 division with a time of 54:09 averaging 27.5 mph. The kicker was we were only 46 seconds out of 2nd place! All in all it was a fun weekend!
<br />
<br />Next up Bridgeland Triathlon!
<br />Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-89505956358289414042011-07-07T14:32:00.000-07:002011-07-07T15:00:09.683-07:00Captex and Kansas 70.3 Race Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKOXtWYmKDq6DKgu0EAtT8fnFyowG8fGh8wjLpm9hY3IndHaH1GaGZRfDO9Rb6MbEkzUXMm_lbulGzF_1VVpkp7dClXcvNPunhwvngkvx9n_qpGi65SwX-IILQGvBBLqX-CYaBaoaS7mx/s1600/Robbie+and+Potts+at+Captex.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626733365460938194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKOXtWYmKDq6DKgu0EAtT8fnFyowG8fGh8wjLpm9hY3IndHaH1GaGZRfDO9Rb6MbEkzUXMm_lbulGzF_1VVpkp7dClXcvNPunhwvngkvx9n_qpGi65SwX-IILQGvBBLqX-CYaBaoaS7mx/s320/Robbie+and+Potts+at+Captex.jpg" border="0" /></a> I’ve got two recent races to catch everyone up on, Capital of Texas Tri (31 May) and Kansas 70.3 (12 June). <br /><div><br /><div><br />I was excited for Captex being it was located in my backyard, Austin Texas. This race was added to the Lifetime Fitness Series. The $50,000 prize purse this year brought in some of the best competition. I was looking forward to racing head to head with guys like Hunter Kemper, Andy Potts, and Matty Reed. Unfortunately the swim portion was a little bit of a mess. About half way through the Pro men’s swim we had a race support show up on a jet ski and route us in the wrong direction. Everyone followed the jet ski except Andy Potts who kept going on course. The long story short Potts came out of the water with a 2:30 lead and everyone else was chasing. I had a great start to the swim hanging on the lead pack longer than normally but after the chaos I fell off pace. Once out on the bike I struggled to get into a rhythm and fell further behind. My run came around nicely though and ended up with a 10K PR. I ended up 20th out of 22 Pro men for the day. Lessons learned, always follow Andy Potts on the swim because he is probably going the right directionJ. It was great to see all the Trisition Area Orange out there and a big thanks to Marco and Lorena for having the TA tent and some beer ready for us afterwards! Congrats to Andy Potts on his win, the guy is red hot this year. </div><br /><div><br />For the Kansas race this was my second 70.3 of the season and I was excited to race. I had a little bit of adversity the month leading up fighting off injury and a chest cold the week before. This race was going to give me a good feel of where my current fitness is at and help me build into the second half of the season. Friend and pro triathlete Robbie Wade (robbiewade1.blogspot.com) rode up to Kansas with me, I was glad to have him along as 12 hours is a long drive by yourself. We got to the race site Saturday around noon and got a pre race brick in to warm up the legs. Once warmed up we hit the pro the meeting and then off to get some food and rest before the race. The weather man was predicting thunderstorms the morning of the race so I went to bed hoping for clear skies. </div><br /><div><br />Luckily it stormed through the night but pretty much cleared off for the morning. I got a little warmup in threw the wetsuit on and headed over to the start line for the swim. There was plenty of wind that morning and it showed in the chop on the water. Before I knew it we were off and fighting for position. I lost contact with the lead group pretty quickly and found myself with a couple other guys chasing. The swim was an out and back rectangle. I lead the 3 man group I was in to the first turn and then decided to drop back and draft a little. I noticed we were drifting off course pretty far and actually cutting the first Buoy. I kept waiting for the lead guy to pull right to go towards the other turn buoy. I decided to cut the group and head for the turn buoy by myself. Once I hit that buoy it was back to shore. The lead female pro Leanda Cave caught me with about 300 meters to go and there were two other gals on my feet the rest of the way.<br /></div><br /><div>I was happy to be out of the rough water and back on dry land. I grabbed my bike and was off chasing. Within the first two miles Jared Milam went by me followed shortly by Chrissie Wellington. I dug a little deeper and then shortly after went by Jared and Chrissie and then was off racing. By mile 5 I had caught Leanda Cave and kept moving. I knew there was a couple fast bike/run guys behind me in Robbie Wade and Matt Russell, this kept me motivated to keep riding hard. I spent most the bike going back and forth with Leanda (very impressive biker) and Jared. I came off the bike feeling pretty good and excited to try and run down some people.<br /></div><br /><div>The plan was running 6 minute miles from the start to mile 10 and then try to pick it up the last 3.2 miles. Initially on the run I was having some cramping issues but was able to keep my 6 minute pace. By mile two I was feeling good and things were looking up. Mile three went fine and then by mile four I started to fade. I didn’t blow up all at once but gradually my pace got slower. This was probably due to the fact that I had almost no running in the 4 weeks leading up to the race resting my shin splints/calves. When all was said and done I finished 19th out of 24 pro men and was enjoying some food and a massage. My time of 4:17:37 was a little disappointing but once my run is up and going again I think this will take care of itself. Robbie finished the day 17th and we both headed back to Texas that night. Overall was a good race to build off of. Now I’m in the middle of a solid training block with August-October being chucked full of races. I’m looking forward to doing a couple of local races this July. </div></div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-50475399655284248202011-04-20T14:09:00.000-07:002011-04-21T09:05:48.018-07:00Not so Easy in the Big Easy<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEd4fpxHY9MJWPh73PU7eAfUXOmr502f1OHGQGwd0jV2He_OIpFlLwXjZ19p-oyR5MvRu0xktZxURBnSthEenwp99-bEzAr3S1QoA97NXMPmJ4mdeViVjqc2AK-9EgNR6bGOqlwzssKQH/s1600/NewOrleansBike.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5598066971340693346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 213px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBEd4fpxHY9MJWPh73PU7eAfUXOmr502f1OHGQGwd0jV2He_OIpFlLwXjZ19p-oyR5MvRu0xktZxURBnSthEenwp99-bEzAr3S1QoA97NXMPmJ4mdeViVjqc2AK-9EgNR6bGOqlwzssKQH/s320/NewOrleansBike.JPG" border="0" /></a> I was super excited for New Orleans 70.3. This race had a stacked pro field with over 30 competing. This year I’m trying to get a feel for where my strengths are and at what distance in triathlon. New Orleans was my first 70.3 of the season and gave my Coach and me great feedback on where I’m at. Friend and fellow triathlete Carlos Miranda decided last minute to race and joined Erin and I for the 8.5 hour trek on I-10. We left Friday after work and drove straight through finding a hotel on Bourbon St. to put us up for the night until we could move to the race hotel the next day. It was pretty hilarious trying to navigate at Midnight through the small New Orleans side streets to find our hotel. If you haven’t been to Bourbon Street before it’s party central for New Orleans and Friday night it was hopping. We got some strange looks unloading Tri Bikes and had some even stranger conversations with party goers in the elevator ride up to our room.<br /><br />Saturday morning we all got up and headed over to the race course for a 45 minute bike. The wind was pretty wild and the water was wilder with monster waves. After the bike we got some food and headed over to packet pickup. I hit the Pro meeting at 3 pm, it was pretty cool to see 50 pro men and women sitting in the room, it really showed just how deep the field was. Saturday we caught some good food at Dragos in the Hilton and settled down for the night. My wife Erin’s Birthday was Saturday but we decided to celebrate Sunday after the race.<br />Sunday morning we got up bright and early to head over to transition and get prepped for the race. I started to get my bike settled in and things set up when an announcement came over the loud speaker. Due to high winds the swim portion was going to be cancelled for the race! This immediately created a buzz among the Pros and different athletes were lobbying for how they felt the race should be adjusted. First we were all going to line up to do a time trial start with 3 seconds between, then we were going to run the outskirts of the transition area and grab our bikes for a mass start, and finally they put it to a vote. The vote ended with us doing a time trial start with 30 seconds between us to help break up any packs. I conversed with my coach, Zane Castro, about the change and how this might adjust my race plan. While swimming is not my strongest leg I was disappointed not to swim. I was looking forward to seeing my overall time and comparing with last year for improvements. I also need more swim starts to work on this leg and pack swimming.<br /><br />After I warmed up I grabbed my bike and headed over to the start where they were calling off our names to line up. I started 9th of 31 men just behind fellow University of Iowa graduate TJ Tollakson. They sounded the start and we were off one rider every 30 seconds. When it was my turn to go I executed a flying mount brought my bike up to speed and was off in good shape. The plan was to take the first half of the bike conservative and then work the second half hard. With 25 mph winds I didn’t want to burn up right away. Things were going to plan; I held my position until about mile 5 when Massimo Cigana of Italy went by. That’s how it went for the first half of the bike, about every 4-5 miles someone went by. Mile 22 I passed Bryan Rhodes and kept pace until mile 28. At mile 28 I kicked it up a notch and passed John Flanagan. I was pass halfway and started to work the bike a little harder. No one came by the next 10 miles which I took as a good sign things were going in the right direction. About mile 40 my legs got heavy and HR dropped, I was zapped. The next 16 miles I spent fueling for energy and getting passed as I had fallen off pace. I worked to keep my head in the game knowing this is a long race and a lot can change.<br />Transition went well enough and I was off running. Within the first half mile my left quad was tightening and I was fighting off a cramp. I ran by Cesar Valera and just did my best to keep my pace up. With the exception of the nagging quad the run didn’t go too bad. I held it together and passed a couple more guys before the finish and was closing fast on two more before I ran out of real estate. I finished with a 1:19:06 run and 3:41:17 overall time, this put me 25th out of 31 pro men. A big congrats to Sebastian Kienle of Germany, the man was an animal on the day winning a race full of former Ironman and Ironman 70.3 champs. Erin had a pretty good day finishing 7th in her age-group and averaging 22 mph on the bike! Carlos also did very well, he did two 70.3s on back to back weekends dropping about 16 minutes off the bike/run he did the previous weekend at Galveston.<br /><br />The post race party was good and later that night we had a blast celebrating Erin’s Birthday. We had some great New Orleans Cajun food, a little gambling at Harrah’s, a few drinks, and caught some live Jazz. What a night! Now I’m looking forward to a solid 5 week training block to get prepped for Cap Tex in Austin. Thanks for reading!Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-64104625929199239652011-04-06T12:06:00.000-07:002011-04-06T12:15:00.307-07:00Kemah Race Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcEYvfLrjpvBdGryb5Ym3QfNtUKUwiOKkG5DzLNXzekUIWbUc_8v8o0uItkS2qxqhKUmxRcDt_211qSk8XdIOam7C55vexV_F2GCJkR4SNBG6YaLhUDrvlLBMIm8K2N9Fe2gRLsWJ43bo/s1600/Capture.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5592550662069231394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 260px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcEYvfLrjpvBdGryb5Ym3QfNtUKUwiOKkG5DzLNXzekUIWbUc_8v8o0uItkS2qxqhKUmxRcDt_211qSk8XdIOam7C55vexV_F2GCJkR4SNBG6YaLhUDrvlLBMIm8K2N9Fe2gRLsWJ43bo/s320/Capture.JPG" border="0" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqLcBWMq_qtfz1KkYpAfHP0PLTrg8b9zeQsAhVgaN9zdRkoFmwhwwPFssy1V_4vbv_btbbQ1xcEtwByjsg05JPgH5aTj7v9qoPbcOfmCmpUjYwbdnHNj7ubh3d9atQirFCkz6ojwda942/s1600/KemahRacenumber.jpg"></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7NJqhuR0nK2M-X2GFDMqL5duo0b5TRMwAjseit6zUiz1rQllQS2oTZadE8JVPlLz2Mqhen47OTcORt-jmfniyFuAF8jYWxtvO6r2xpYhP46uy6wHhQN1TIIxTG7-I4AF_4fsgFBuNToPr/s1600/photo.JPG"></a><br /><div>First off I want to congratulate the Onurmark Productions for an outstanding race. I’m not sure I can say I’ve been to a better run race. The Staff kept everyone very informed in the weeks leading up to the race and the race plan was very well thought out and executed. The race definitely had a big time feel to it. Now onto the race report!</div><br /><div>Erin and I arrived in Kemah Saturday and started preparations for the next day’s race. I thought preparation went well. I got a little surprise at the Pro meeting. As I found out that with the new wetsuit rules USAT established we wouldn’t be allowed to use our wetsuits like the age-groupers. This was a bummer as I don’t own a swim skin and my race uniform is definitely not ideal for swimming (i.e. big parachute pocket on the back). </div><br /><div>This was my first race against the big boys and there were a lot of them. Names like 2-time Ironman World Champ Tim Deboom, 70.3 world champ Terenzo Bozzone, Ironman champ and worlds runner-up Chris Lieto, Andrew Yoder, Brian Fleischman, and many more talented triathletes toed the line. I wasn’t too happy with the end result for the day but learned many valuable things along the way to put in my toolbox. All in all for my first race I’ll take it. Here is the blow by blow.</div><br /><div>I woke up at 3:45 am, with a night of surprisingly good sleep. Erin and I got ready and ate our traditional oatmeal and peanut butter breakfast. We then made the short walk from our hotel to the transition. I started running through my pre-race ritual of checking equipment and warming-up. Then Erin and I headed over to the Paddle boat for a nice mile ride out. We ended up sitting on the boat for a little over an hour, any warm up I had definitely was gone. They got the boat into place and then all the pro men lined up for a dive start. I couldn’t help but chuckle to myself as I watched all the men around me piss themselves prior to the start (apparently 90 minutes without a bathroom while your drinking water like crazy is a little much). </div><br /><div>They signaled the start and we were in the water battling. First 100 meters went well I was in the mix of the pack and feeling good. There was quite a bit of chop in the water, decent sized waves, and a strong side current that made it difficult to swim straight and sight. I over corrected on my sighting and fell of the hip of the guy next to me. Next thing I know I’m heading to the right and the pack is to the left. I had a split second to make a decision on whether to chase the pack or continue right to the Buoys. I decided to continue right (mistake #1). I got out of the water in a little over 24 minutes on a swim that was about 150-200 meters longer than the planned 1500 meters. </div><br /><div>I ran into the first transition to see only two bikes left, with one of them being mine. I knew I had my work cut out for me, so I grabbed my bike and was off with a smooth transition. During the last part of the swim 2 Pro women had past me, I caught then within the first 2 miles off the bike and then started the lonely ride of trying to work my way back up to the main pack. Shortly into the bike I looked down at my computer for a Heart Rate check to realize I forgot to wear my HR strap (mistake #2). This really messed with my bike plan as I wanted to redline most the way on the bike but not over. To top it off I my computer wasn’t reading speed either. So I focused on keeping my cadence fairly high and pushing what I thought was an appropriate pace. By mile 3 I hit a nasty seam in the road and lost my water bottle (mistake #3). I got to ride the other twenty-one miles without fluids. I was watching my watch as I saw other pros on the course and with the exception of the first few it seemed like I was maintaining pace but not gaining. The last few miles of the bike I had the wind to my back and really pushed this section averaging about 31 mph. I rolled into T2 with a 58:40 bike averaging 25.4 mph. </div><br /><div>After a smooth transition I was off on the run. The first couple miles I just tried to keep my head down and pace up. I came through the first 5K with a 17:45 including a short wrong turn (mistake #4). Right at the 5K mark I caught Pro Dan MacKenzie. I made sure to put in a good surge when I passed to minimize any chance of him latching onto me for the last 5k. At about the 4 mile mark I caught Matt Russell out of the corner of my eye, he looked to be running pretty good. I set myself up mentally for a battle the last couple miles. About the time Matt was closing on me I made another wrong turn (I missed the turnaround, mistake #5) and he yelled at me to bring me back on course. I turned around and tried to close the 10 seconds he just put into me. The last 1.5 mile was over and back on a bridge connecting an island to Kemah. The long uphill fried my legs and a good chase for Matt never materialized. I coasted in the last half mile making sure Dan didn’t close back in on me.</div><br /><div>My end result was 12th out of 13 Pros that finished, in a time of 2:01:24. I definitely know I have a better race in me than that and as you can see I have a few mistakes I need to fix for next race, but that’s all part of the process. Andrew Yoder had an outstanding race taking the overall win with Terenzo Bozzone, Chris Lieto rounding out the top three. Only twelve more days until New Orleans 70.3 race and I’ve got a lot of work to do yet. My goal for this race is to improve off of Kemah. The field will be just as tough and much deeper with 40 Pros slotted to race this event and a nice race purse of $50,000. I’m looking forward to seeing how I stack up in the longer distance event. Until then, I'm wishing everyone luck in their own adventures.</div></div></div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-178126356972030038.post-75659106622458276262011-03-16T14:27:00.000-07:002011-03-16T14:32:43.672-07:00Blue Norther' Duathlon Race Report<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc-Adb1VgDRNyAZWk-Urpqu5ryYFyNTGN7xskOofTO1rsNEpXOKsLWkxWMRtUEwyJlYTvTrAS15riYYhibSZofwWnR7Dwmgk9aQdYQCfn7AwVS9zOjquzW926yeGPn9TgbcvuasIAJM6M/s1600/BlueNorther.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5584793064113974546" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 239px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIc-Adb1VgDRNyAZWk-Urpqu5ryYFyNTGN7xskOofTO1rsNEpXOKsLWkxWMRtUEwyJlYTvTrAS15riYYhibSZofwWnR7Dwmgk9aQdYQCfn7AwVS9zOjquzW926yeGPn9TgbcvuasIAJM6M/s320/BlueNorther.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div>This last weekend I had the pleasure of doing my first duathlon of the season. My wife always asks why I don’t race more duathlons as I have more of a background in running (not enough as you'll read below) than cycling and swimming, but to me there is something about doing all three events that peaks my interest more. With that said duathlons are challenging and push the legs to a new level! I was using the Blue Norther Du as my preseason tune up before I race TX3 Kemah. It’s always great to knock some of that early season multi-sport rust off before the real deal. The Blue Norther was a 5K run, 14.4 mile bike, and a 5K run. </div><div></div><div>The race was just 45 minutes down the road in Seguin and usually pretty competitive, drawing some local pros from Austin. Erin and I woke up at 5:30 am, loaded the bike (pictured), ate breakfast and got on the road. I love the atmosphere of smaller local races. You show up rack your bike and get to chatting with familiar faces. After setting up my gear and getting a good feel for the layout of the transition area, it was off for a quick ride on the bike and then a 1.5 mile warm-up jog. During the warm-up I replayed the game plan in my head. 16:45 first 5k, zone 4-5a on the bike, and everything I had left on the run. </div><div><br />Before I knew it we were toeing the line waiting for the start. Within the first quarter mile the lead pack had narrowed down to about 10 of us. At the half mile mark I did a pace check and we were running about a 4:55/mile clip and 10 was now 7. Knowing this was much faster than the 5:24 pace I had planned for the first 5K, I eased off the pace and let a gap form. The 5K was a two loop and after the first I was sitting in 7th place and thinking to myself dang I haven’t ran with this many fast guys in a long time. At the Austin Half Mararthon last month I finished 9th overall out of 10,500 and here I’m sitting 7th out of 150. Towards the end of the 2nd loop I caught Antonio De Silva a pro from Brazil and headed into T1 sitting in 6th. </div><div><br />After a smooth T1 I was off on my bike and chasing like crazy. Within the first 3-4 miles I had raced myself into 2nd place and setting my sites on 1st. It seemed like I was gaining ground on the hills and then loosing it on the descents. I rolled into transition in 2nd place. Racked my bike and decided to give it my best on foot. The last 5k was pretty uneventful. 1st place put another 40 seconds on me and I had enough of a gap on Antonio I didn’t have to kill the pace the last two miles. After the race I shook hands with the winner who turned out to be Matt Russel, pro triathlete and 2009 Elite USAT Duathlon champ. Matt’s a very talented triathlete/duathlete and hats off to him on an outstanding race. He recently moved to Austin and I am looking forward to more races in the future. </div><div><br />I’d like to thank the Seguin Sunrise Lions for hosting a great race and wanted to give a shout out to my Tri-Sition Area teammates; Chris Rulon 1st Masters, My wife Erin 3rd overall, Ron Mortenson 3rd 25-29, and Orlando Gonzales 1st 50-54. We ended up winning the friendly team competition between Austin Tricyclists, Tri Solers, Tri Amigos and us in a very close contest. I’m hoping that we continue these team competitions and expand on them in the future as it adds another great dimension to the sport. Way to go team! </div>Wes Andersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06410749738281191595noreply@blogger.com2