we were drinking beers and chatting it up with the guy in the saucony shirt....recognize him???? 

ahhhh a beer well earned 

post race venue with music, food and vendor booths 

sea of bikes 

post race with super stud Bruce my brother in arms 

post race picking up the bike 

race mowhawk!!!! 

the swim venue, you could see tiny markers but they had really big ones they were going to put out later....it goes out to the left to the point and all across the horizon and then back in on the right.....water temp was 65 degrees, it was about 80 degrees outside. 

oh there is my bike.......ol PB 

Matt Lieto's bike....nice bike, he has the course record 

bike racks in the forest this is the T1 my bike is just right of that big tree in the middle.....see it???? 

some folks just had their bikes shuttled up to T1 but we drove 

Moonpie 

packet pick up....I am a japanese tourist 

at the finish line, but Bruce is a day early!!! 

packed up and headed to the T1....up in the mountains 

And his buddy "PE" 

"PB" 

Jetpack wisdom taped to my toptube!!!! 

ready for race day 

24 hours

at this time tomorrow I will be on my way to the swim.....longest swim I have ever done. I got a few little swims in this week during taper and feel pretty good about it. The swim is my race. I have gone from not being able to swim the legth of a pool 6 months ago to facing a 1.2 mile open water swim in the morning. I feel pretty good about it but to say I was not nervous would be a lie. once on the bike and on to the run the race is just a matter of one pedal stroe and one foot in front of the other but I will finish. I got a ton of help from lots of people and it is all appreciated. let the 24 hour countdown START!!!!!!

Final week taper

So I am on my final 7 day countdown, rode 20 miles yesterday bit really was just a commute o work and some errand and back, nothing hard at all, did a easy 1000 meters in the pool today, total slacker pace enjoying the half of the 50 meter pool that was in the sunshine and hating the other half in the shade. ( they are taking the winter cover off but not quite done yet)

I think nothing much tomorrow, maybe an easy run on trails near the house. Nothing on Monday. Then easy swim Tuesday and then maybe a ride on Wed. When I am in portland for a day for work on Thursday maybe nothing...Then maybe nothing on Friday and then go for it race day on Sat!!! Yeah that all sounds good.

I feel almost over with it, seems like the training started over 6 months agao and I am in the " lets jusr get this over with" mode....in the past that has meant easy nerves and the mental game says...you are ready, just go do it...so that is a good sign in my book

two weeks and counting

Been doing some bike training on the course and feeling pretty good about it.....big climbs should be fun.

Got SNOW????

Opoen water Swim

did 2/3 mile open water swim today with Bruce and Gary. Good confidence builder, the wetsuit worked like a dream. a step closer.....................

3 week plan

now we are getting down to brass tacks ( not sure what that really means though) Sat. will do the course on the tt bike as the road has been plowed. then we also are planning a open water swim at twin lakes where there is a good beach with a 1/3 mile across the lake for laps so I can practice sighting and swimming in the wetsuit.

SS

Single speed race in Bend last week, good training race with hills.

24 day countdown

24 day countdown, Well I ran this week, I rode this week and had two hard swim workouts so feel like I did what needed to be done. I must say I have thrown out the scheduke and just doing something different each day. I figure a hard week next week which will include a single speed bike race on Sat. and that will be hard...20 miles uphill singletrack and no gears....so then the rest of the week keep pushing andthen wind down for a solid two week taper. maybe I will take my slow dog for a run during the taper since you have to drag her after mile 2.