BRADLEY PIGAGE

A little about our team...

2011-07-23T19:09:00.001-04:00

http://imjonser.blogspot.com/2011/07/operation-rio-de-janeiro-5th-world_19.html

This is off Scott Jones' blog. Scott is our Team Captain here for the games and has truly inspired me these past few weeks. Take a look.

Last day of rest

2011-07-23T06:58:00.002-04:00

It's 8am and raining here in Rio, and 26.5 hours away from race time. Tomorrows weather is looking skeptical with chances of rain throughout the day. Today will remind me of days when I was a kid where I was forced to stay inside because of bad weather, but left me rejuvenated for the next day. I've always been a sunshine guy but have adapted to all kinds of race conditions. This morning I opted to stay in doors instead of go get on my bike or take a jog. I'm usually not used to this race style. I'm either working all day on my feet the day before or having to walk around a race site standing in line for packet pickup. It's very nice to have the opportunity to just lay around all day. And lay around I shall. With the exception of walking about 100 ft to the chow hall and grabbing a meal or two. Maybe even throw in some yoga sometime today. It's going to be sad to leave Rio. It's been a nice home these past couple weeks. I do feel a bit of home sickness come every so often but it's been an amazing trip. I've made some great friends that I'll never forget.

Last Thursday we took another trip to Copacabana Beach for our athlete briefing and to get a first hand look at the course. The swim was perfect water temp hovering around 71 degrees which as of right now is not wetsuit legal. It has to be below 68 for it to be. (ITU rules). But with the recent rain an cooler weather, I think it's going to come down to race morning to make the final determination. Either way I'm comfortable racing in both conditions. The bike course is 8 loops of 4.8k which when it ends will be a little short but because of the turns and intersections around the beach, this was the safest route. The run course is right back on the side road running adjacent to the bike course and will be 4 loops. Its all very flat and very fast. The only challenges i see with the bike course are the many u turns we will be taking and depending on the size of the pack at those times I just have to make sure I stay right side up and not eat some concrete! The great part about this course is the multiple loop format so I will get to see where all my competitors are the whole time.

So far there are a lot of big name pros racing. I've seen a lot of ITU world cup racers as well as the new Ironman world record holder are here. No biggie;) I feel totally calm and relaxed about tomorrow and am just going to race my race and see what happens. I have tactics in my head but come time, anything goes. Just going to go really hard on the swim, really hard on the bike, and really hard on the run and leave everything out there!

Well that's it for now! Thanks again for all the support!

Update from Brasil!

2011-07-19T17:10:00.002-04:00

So a week has gone by now in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro and so far this has been one amazing trip. I have been having the best time with my teammates and even getting to meet some great athletes from all the other countries. Training has been going better than ever but I guess thats a given when you have all the time during the day for your workouts and rest. I feel ready to go for this next weekend and I´m super excited. Here is a recap of the week so far:

The Christ Memorial- One of the most spectacular views I have ever seen. If you don´t know, the memorial sits on one of Rio´s tallest mountain top and looks over the city. It was built with the purpose to spiritually protect the city from above. To get up there is only about 24 american dollars which buys you a ticket for a train that runs up the mountain. Just the views from the train were breathtaking. Once you get up to the top, you take an elevator and then another couple escalaters till you are at the memorial. I took some great photos which I will share when I get back. Most amazing was there is a small chapel in the back of the memorial where you can go sit down. Im not a very religious person but it was amazing just being in there.

Copacabana Beach- On the 17th we took a trip over to the beach to check out what would be the site of our race. Copacabana is probably the most touristy beach in Rio. It was also the site of where the Beach Volleyball games were being played. We hung out on the beach and ended up going for a nice open water swim followed by a beach run. Might I add that I wore a speedo for most of the time on the beach! haha. Its just what you do around there. Everyone does it. So why not? When in Rome... I ended up heading over to the volleyball venue where I caught a bit of the USA vs. Brazil match. It was a good game but Brazil ended up with the win. The roads where we are going to be riding look perfect. Our course is right up and down the beach 8 laps. Im pretty sure there are going to be a lot of people watching! It was packed down there! We ended the beach trip at this amazing little restuarant. Although it was difficult at first to read the menu, we ended up finally getting the waitor to bring us the English Version! But what the waitor didn´t tell us was that the dinner entries were actually servings for two. So we were pretty surprised when we got our food. I ordered the chicken parmesian and it pretty much was the size of a whole dinner plate! Then there was another plate full of mashed potatos. So much food!!! But we were so hungry at the time that it all went down pretty easy with the exception of some mashed potatos. Anyway, to recap the beach. It was amazing. We get to go down there again to swim and run some of the course on Thursday. So excited!

So other than those two attractions there hasn´t been much else going on. We might go tomorrow to a place called Sugar Loaf. Its a mountain top that you take a cable car up to that is supposed to have some more amazing views. It all depends on the weather though. Today got a little cloudy and I think tomorrow might be the same. So we´ll see.

So far my Portuguese is coming along pretty well. Ok, Im lying. I wish they spoke spanish here. I´d get by a lot better. I only know how to say- Good day, thank you, excuse me, and good night. Thank you is a very common word around here. The Brazilian volunteers have been amazing. Whatever we need, we get. From food, bus travel, laundry, and entertainment. Each bus ride we take is police escorted through the streets of Rio so you really feel pretty special. All the people walking in the streets wave at the bus as you drive by. Its awesome. There are signs and banners everywhere for the Military World Games. Its pretty huge for this city. And Im still so excited to be apart of it. The Brazilians have really put on a great venue. Everyday something else shocks us. The opening ceremonies were nothing I have ever seen. They put so much time and effort into making it one of the best moments of my life. Walking into a giant stadium filled with over 4500 people cheering is pretty spectacular and emotional. Watching the torch being lit, I felt like an Olympian! And guess who they had light the torch??! PELE!! I couldn´t believe it! So awesome!

I really could keep going on about all that is happening here. It really is an experience of a lifetime and I feel very proud to be walking around in the Red, White, and Blue. As of right now, Im super excited to race. I will probably get a little nervous once it gets closer but thats the nature of the game. I´ll race strong knowing I will have my country colors behind me the whole way.

Once again, thank you to everybody for all the support since I´ve been out here. Its really motivating me! Its great having so many friends and family members behind me. I wouldn´t be here if it wasn´t for you guys. Thank you!!

Annapolis Training Camp

2011-07-10T16:19:00.002-04:00

So far this training camp has been pretty amazing. I've had more quality workouts in the past two days then I think I've had in the past month. I have a feeling I'm going to come back in pretty good shape! So yesterday was our first full day of training and Derek and I started it off with an 8 mile run around the Navy support center. Which happens to be where the cross country course is located. We ran part of the course and it was brutal! There was this one climb that you're pretty much on your toes the entire way up and your heartrate is flying. Made it through the run with a total of just over 8 miles. Good run! We also ended up swimming that day around noon at the Naval Academy pool. It's my far the nicest pool I have ever swam in. Then we ended the day with a ride to downtown and grabbing a scrumptious sandwich at The Big Cheese:)

Today has been pretty similar. Swim in the morning, then ended up riding for just over 2 hrs followed by a 3 mile transition run. Oh and we also got one of the best massage therepists to work on sone of the team. Hes worked the past 3 olympics and is pretty legit! I'm feeling pretty darn good actually. I can't wait to see what the next couple weeks brings. It's been an amazing time in Annapolis so far. This place has it all for me. As of right now we leave tuesday afternoon and start our journey to Brazil. So another hard day of training tomorrow then it's travel time:) so stoked!!

2011-07-10T15:48:00.000-04:00

So my trip began this morning bright and early after an amazing night with friends at one of my favorite restaurants in Kemah called Bakkhus. I have some amazing supportive friends and it was great getting to spend my last night in town with them.

So a little about my trip so far... My first connecting flight I flew next to a young girl who it was her first time ever on a plane. If I had to guess, she was probably around 15 or 16. I first met her at the gate when she asked if she was in the right place. Then proceeded to ask me when security would give her back her laptop that she had to take out of her bag... I became wide eyed. "they Uhhh, don't hold on to your laptop. They just ask you to take it out for security purposes." I've never seen anyone run so fast back to security. Haha. Poor girl. Well, I also had the pleasure of sitting next to her on the plane. Lucky me:) the girl was freaking out. Thought she was going to grab my arm on more than one occasion. I literally had to walk her through the steps of landing and tell her that everything was normal. Good times.

So now I write this on my way to Baltimore where I will meet the rest of the team at the USO. Then from there we're all hopping in a rental van and making our way to Annapolis! Hopefully first making a stop at what Derek Oskutis says is the best pizza place ever! Going to be epic!! Tomorrow's details are uncertain for now. I imagine we will probably swim sometime in the morning then probably get a run or ride in with the team. I can't wait to train with such amazing athletes these next few weeks before the race. The motivation is high!! Thanks again for everybody's support and I will keep updating as my trip goes on!

Military World Games!!

2011-07-04T19:58:00.004-04:00

So this friday I leave for one heck of a triathlon trip... Rio De Janiero, Brazil for the Military World Games. I can't believe its already here. Ever since I qualified back in April I have been looking forward to this moment. It was a goal of mine all last year to qualify and if you guys remember I placed 6th at Nationals to round out the last position for Team USA. I can't tell you how honored I am to represent the best country in the World and to wear the Red, White, and Blue. When I first started Triathlon 6 years ago, I never thought I would be where I am today. I thought I was just going out to get a workout in. And it soon turned into a lifestyle where I lived and breathed the swim, bike, and run. With all lifestyles though, we have our ups and downs. I've put together some amazing races as well as been so dissapointed in some performances. But thats life right? I believe it. All I can do is remind myself why I love this sport and why I have stayed with it for this long. And now I embark on such an adventure as the Military World Games, which if anyone didn't know, is like the Olympics for the Military. And I couldn't have done it without the support of everyone out there. So thank you!! I know I am not good at all with updated this blog, but if you want to follow my journey, I am going to try to update every couple days of my 3 weeks away. I leave this friday the 8th and will fly to Annapolis for a training camp with the US Team. Then we fly out on the 12th and head to Rio De Janiero. Our race is on the 24th and then we will be back on the 26th (my birthday!) Well once again, thank you for all the support! I look forward to keeping you guys in the loop on this amazing trip!

Nice Guys Finish Last...

2011-06-12T16:16:00.002-04:00

So this year so far has been pretty rough... To say the least. And not just with triathlon. Everyday I am thankful for what I have and what I've accomplished. I wouldn't be able to do what I do if it wasn't for my health and well-being and all my friends and family who have motivated me and inspired me to be who I am.

But recently I did something that I never thought I would ever do. I didn't finish a triathlon. And more importantly, a triathlon held on memorial day. I can't tell you how upset I am with myself. I let the mental aspect of everything get to me that day and I pulled off the course limping and complaining about a hamstring cramp. Its inexcusable. I feel like I let down a lot of people that day. Hanging out after the race nearly killed me. Everybody who knew me was coming up to me asking me how I did and I had to tell them that I didn't finish. It was horrible. My head was just not in the game. Which is scary because I've always been the one who can lock it in when the time comes. So what happened? I'm not sure. But it has had me doing a lot of thinking. Thinking about how I've let everything going on in my life affect me enough to not finish something I love so much.

I've lately been feeling pretty incomplete and emotionally drained. I've felt like this before at one time but I used triathlon as a source to forget about shit. Now I'm finding it harder and harder to make it out the door for a workout because I have other things on my mind. I need to find that spark again. The one that puts a smile on your face every time you get on your bike, or put your running shoes on. Its been there, and it can come back. I just don't know when...

Balancing work and racing and throwing in a race report.

2011-02-03T22:07:00.004-05:00

For some its a harder task than others. I consider my job pretty nice most of the time for training. I really can't complain. Being a Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer I get time each morning, operations depending, to work out. I know what you're thinking... That must be nice! Well, it is. Im not going to lie. Haha. But as you know, being in the military you really have to be flexible. Take for instance a couple weeks ago. Sunday morning I was to race the 2011 "Frost yer Fanny" duathlon near Katy, TX. I just had to complete my 24 hour Coast Guard duty the previous day. I had a coworker lined up to come in a little bit early just so I could make the hour drive up to Katy to make sure I had enough time to get ready for the race. Recently my duty days have been pretty relaxing. Not too much action. Maybe a training flight here or there, but no Search and Rescue cases. Needless to say I was hoping for another quiet night that night. But just as I was about to lay my head to rest, the alarm sounds, and 20 minutes later we were in the air looking for 3 fishermen who had ran aground and were showing early signs of hypothermia. The time is around 12 oclock and Im thinking in the back of my head "man, this race is going to suck tomorrow." Well, our crew went to work, and we ended up rescuing the 3 men. The time was now around 2:30 as we headed back home and landed safely. I went straight to bed knowing that my alarm was going to go off in about an hour and 45 minutes...

The whole way up to the race site the next morning, I thought about turning around. But I kept saying to myself "its only a small duathlon!!! I can nap later!" I got to the race site and after setting up transition I went out for a warmup ride and run. I actually felt pretty good, surprisingly! The race went 'ok'. I took off on a really nice pace for the first leg averaging just over 5:20 miles. Came into transition 2nd but left out on the bike 1st and ending up leading for the majority of the race until the last 2 miles of the 15 mile course when I was caught by a group of 3. I was still confindent about my run heading back into transition until the dreaded happened! As I was slipping my foot back into my shoe, my whole right quad cramped up bad. I tried to shake it out jogging out of transition but was soon caught by the 3 runners. It was really hard for me because cardio wise, I was feeling so good, but everytime I really tried to pick up the pace, my legs just wanted to cramp. I settled for 4th overall and at first I was a little dissapointed just because I really wanted that top spot. But then it all goes back to this whole topic of balancing work and sport. I was more happy that I was up late that night helping in the rescue of those 3 men than any top finish in any race. Just shows how much I love what I do for a living and I wouldn't change it for the world.

Racing for a Cause with Team RWB

2011-01-22T13:04:00.006-05:00

I am very excited to announce that I will be working with Team Red, White, and Blue. An organization that makes a difference in transforming the way wounded veterans are reintegrated into society when they return from combat and exit their position in the Active Duty force or National Guard. When I got the email from a good Navy buddy of mine a few weeks ago talking a little about the Team, I knew I wanted to be apart of it. Even though I am in the Coast Guard, I understand what its like to serve your country, and I strongly believe in what Team RWB's vision is toward those who have served and are serving now. I recommend you visit their site at www.teamrwb.com and take a look around. You will be immpressed. I will also be setting up a fundraising page very soon for those who would like to take part in that! Thanks a lot and have a great day!

Goodbye 2010, Hello New Year.

2011-01-15T17:05:00.003-05:00

So as we make closure to yet another wonderful year I want to take moment to look back at some good moments of 2010 and to anounce some changes in 2011. This past year had its up's and down's for sure. From crossing the finish line first at the 30th annual Rivercities Triathlon and having Ironman Legend Dave Scott present me with one heck of an award, to falling behind at Age Group Nationals to finish a very disapointing 10th in my age group. But it was no unsuccessful year to say the least. I racked up 7 overall wins and more podium finishes on top of that. A top 10 finish yet again at Military National Championship with a very tough pro field. Runner/Triathlete news' Athlete of the Month for July. Two months later getting a surprised cover shot on the same magazine after 3 wins in 3 weekends. I'd say this was a pretty successfull season! And I really couldn't do it all without the support of everyone out there. For my friends, family, and coworkers, and sponsors, thank you for all you have done. So whats in store for me for next year? Well to start off I will be working with a lot of new sponsors and I couldn't be happier. Shama Cycles out of Houston will be my shop of choice for years to come. Shama cycles specializes in the production of high end custom Guru bikes. These bikes are sick! You won't find two alike out on the road. The also carry all the supplies I need to race at the top of my game. Im extremely excited to work with Philip and to wear the Shama colors! I also will be working with a little with Kswiss this next year. If you haven't tried a Kswiss shoe on yet, I suggest you try them. I have had so much luck with many styles of their shoes since I've started wearing them. My shoes of choice this year will be the K-ruuz and the Blade Light Run. Check out Kswiss.com for all their gear and shoes. Probably the biggest change for me next year will be my two new rigs. Working will Shama and GURU I was recently custom fitted for two new GURU bikes. I will be riding the CR.901 TT bike, and the Photon road bike. I am unbelievable excited about these 2 new rides. My TT bike should be in anytime and I can't wait to have it built up! Along with riding a new GURU I will get the pleasure of outfitting it with wheels and aerobars from HED. Such a top quality brand, I am really excited to try out their Corsair Bars and the Stinger Wheels. Finally, Im very proud to announce that I will continue my relationship with Rudy Project this year and hopefully many years to come. I flew last year to many top bike splits wearing my Wingspan Helmet and my Exowind Glasses. I can't wait to try out more of what they have to offer. Well, thats about it for changes coming up. Stay tuned for more posts on training, racing, and I guess life. Take care...

I scored a triathlon hat trick

2010-08-12T21:07:00.003-04:00

Yeah I don't know if there is an actually name for it but this past weekend I crossed the finish line first for the 3rd consecutive time in 3 weeks. Starting off with the Tri Waco Olympic, then River Cities Sprint in Shreveport, LA, and ending with Bridgeland Sprint in Cypress, TX. I feel better than ever coming up to my main focus which is Age Group Nationals in Tuscaloosa, AL in September. My run form finally is showing improvement even in this heat, and my bike seems off the charts to some. I don't want to bore anybody with breakdowns of each of the races so I'll just touch on the lastest in Bridgeland which, to this date, might have been the finest perfomance I have ever put out. The Bridgeland Triathlon is put on by Onurmark Productions. The same people who put on the Gateway to the Bay Tri in Kemah, TX earlier this year. The race went flawless for me.

Starting the swim I knew I had to stay on swimming stud Eric von Dohlen's feet. Eric is one of my teamates on the "Dots" and is known for his super fast swimming. We had talked before the race that he was going to lead me out. He hammered the swim and I stayed a good distance from him benefiting the draft zone as we came 1 2 into the transition with about a 30 gap from the rest of the field. Just what I wanted. We got on the bike at the same time and after getting my feet secured, I was off. My bike has been feeling really good lately and it showed as I rounded the course and back into transition averaging about 28mph. Taking off on the run I felt suprisingly good even after a hard bike. The run course was a little longer than a 5k at 3.5 which didn't upset me at the time since I was still feeling at my best. I crossed the finish line in 59:10 breaking the course record by 2 minutes and some change and the only person going under an hour for the day.

I feel really good about these results. Especially after Bridgeland, my confidence is right where it needs to be heading into some hard training ahead. Next race you ask??? You may find me on the start line at the Clear Lake Olympic Tri on the 28th of August. I'll leave it at that.

Ahhhhhhh!!!!!

2010-07-03T22:51:00.003-04:00

Dear Rain Gods,

Please stop making it rain. I promise to be good and train hard and stop eating like crap if you do. Seriously! Its been horrible since we've been getting the bands of hurricane alex that made landfall in Mexico not too long ago. I can only take so many trainer rides and treadmill runs. And my arm is finally healed and I am ready to get back to full training in the pool on monday. I am really looking forward to it. I have big races in August that I am started to feel nervous about if I don't get my training in. Out for a long run in the morning rain or shine. And looking forward to getting a long ride in on Monday since I have the day off. Ok, just thought I would bitch about the weather before I went to bed. Hope everybody is having a great holiday weekend. Happy 4th of July!!!!!

Racing in the "Zone" Is it all that good?

2010-06-28T10:50:00.002-04:00

This weekend was the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Tri, and although I had a pretty good day, I want to touch on a subject of being in the "zone". Now, I know 99% of the time racing in the Zone is a good thing. I can't argue with that. Racing in the zone sometimes hides how bad it hurts out there. You zone out heart rate, breathing, all your surroundings, people cheering your name (sorry) etc.. But what happens if your too much in the zone? Is this a common thing? Well, it happened to me this race. This was my 3rd time racing on this course, and while following the lead biker out on the run course, he decided to go straight instead of down this one sidwalk to take you on the second half of the run. I should have ignored his moves. Instead I was in that "Zone" and just kept trucking. Concentrating on nothing but the pedal strokes of the shinny new Specialized he was on. Not worrying about breathing, heart rate, or the fact that I am following some dude on a different journey. Thankfully I soon awoke from the yelling and screaming and had realized what just happened. Oh crap. Thanks a lot man! Thankfully, like I said, I had a good race so I had some cusion time to spare. I took the overall win just over a minute from my last years time. And I definitely learned from all of this. I shouldn't go to races and assume everybody else knows where they are going, or else this is going to happen again. This is #2 race in a row that I listened or followed other people into wrong directions on the run. Last race I was told to turn right at some cones and it ended up taking me around the whole parking lot where everybody from the race was parked and then taking me through the finish line backwards. Oh well. Thank you Andy Stewart for putting on the race this race. Im super glad I got to race it despite having the surgery on my arm last week. It was nice meeting and talking to many familiar faces out there as well. Hope to see you all next year!

Things are looking up!

2010-06-20T19:09:00.002-04:00

So Im starting to feel positive about racing this upcoming weekend in Sugar Land, TX. I've been spinning on the trainer for the last two days and this morning I made it outside for a 50 minute run. I also got my hands on to some waterproof Band-Aids thanks to my buddy John and they work pretty awesome. Im thinking they just might do the trick to keep out most of the water in the all forgiving 300 meter swim. Also by next Sunday the wound should hopefully be really close to being closed. I will probably still be out of the pool all week but I don't think that will matter too much. So it looks like I might be able to defend my title this year after all. I'll keep all of you updated if anything else changes. Take care.

Unfortunate Events

2010-06-18T18:08:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I had to have I guess what you call an emergency surgery to my upper forearm. About a week in a half prior I had what started out as a small bug bite/pimple/ingrown hair. Im still not sure what it was. Well during that time I did what any guy would do and start picking at it trying to pop it and get whatever gross stuff in there well... out. Something I've done a thousand times before. Well, last wednesday or thursday I had a swimmer flight for work. Pretty much a flight where us as rescue swimmers go out and get to do our thing in the water. Im thinking because of the water quality here around the Houston Ship Channel that I got a lot of bacteria in my "open wound" and made it worse. So throughout the weekend it got worse and more painful till I went to the doctor on wednesday. They gave me just some antibiotics and told me to be patient and it will eventually go away. Well I went home and woke up the day only to see that it got much worse and that my arm around the area and down my forearm had started to swell up. So I went in again the next day and the doctor decided to operate on it right there. With a few numbing shots they were underway. The abscess was a lot deeper than expected so they had to cut pretty deep but they did get it all out. They didn't stitch it up but did stuff it with this type of string gauze. I guess with operations like this they heal from the inside out and if they stitch it up right away there is a good chance of another abscess forming from the bacteria again.

So as of right now, Im lost. They told me I shouldn't be swimming which is obvious but Im not sure about the running and biking. I really don't want sweat to infect the area so I don't know what to do. Im upset because I was really making improvements on my running and swimming. I was supposed to race the Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Triathlon next weekend which as of right now, Im not sure is going to happen. Im trying to look at the positives about this and get some rest in. I'll probably give it about a week off and then start on the treadmill or trainer and see how that goes. I appreciate all the concerns and comments from everybody. It could of been a lot worse if I had waited longer so I'm glad I took care of it when I did. I'll keep everybody posted on new updates. This resting thing is going to be tough!!!

Settling for 2nd... Again

2010-06-14T23:23:00.002-04:00

This past weekend I raced in the Sylvan Beach Tri near Baytown, TX. It was a longer distance sprint with a 1000yd swim, 18mile bike, and a 5mile run. The swim was another rough one with a lot of wind chop. I lead most of the swim until about the last 200yds where I was passed by the two who were on my feet. One of the those guys... Dean King. The guy I have placed 2nd to in two other races already. It was a total repeat from the CB&I Tri in the Woodlands about a month ago. We got on the bike about the same time. I tried my hardest to put a gap on him but made it no where. We pulled into T2 together and he ran past me about a half a mile into the run. Only this time my running is coming along a little better so I at least got to watch him the whole race. So I settled for 2nd overall again which don't get me wrong.. isn't a bad thing!@! But I have to figure out how to run to be able to challenge him. Overall I was pretty happy about my race. My run went rather well despite the very hot and humid conditions, and my swim is coming along as well. Next stop is the first race I did last year when I moved to Houston. The Memorial Hermann Sugar Land Triathlon put on by Race Director Andy Stewart. This is a top quality race and I am very excited to try and defend my title there.

Military Nationals

2010-06-14T23:01:00.004-04:00

So I got the opportunity to race as apart of the NAVY Triathlon Team again this year for the Armed Forces National Championship. (The Coast Guard doesn't have a team...) The week was amazing. I arrived in Los Angeles on wednesday and got picked up and taken about an hour north to Naval Base Ventura County in Pt. Mugu, CA. The race itself was on Saturday so the days before we stayed pretty busy with team meetings and training. I definitely had goals I wanted to achieve. I wanted to better my time from last year. I wanted to better my 9th place overall last year, and I wanted to give it my all on the bike considering it was draft legal. Last year I felt I half assed it waiting for guys in my pack to take their pulls. This year I was determined to drop anyone who couldn't hang. Selfish I know.. but hey. its a race.

The swim was super rough. I drank lots of cold sea water during the two lap 1500 meters. The water temp was about 56 degrees. brrrr. I didn't feel like I had a good swim. There were some people that got out of the water before me that I knew I was faster than so that kind of motivated me on the bike. Once on the bike I knew I had to make up time. I passed a lot of stragglers to make it up to a chase pack that I wanted to be in. One of the guys was Armys world class athlete Darin Shearer. I stayed with him and another Air force guy and we made our way up to another group that I was happy to see. We still were about 3 minutes down from the leaders. Once on the run, Darin and another Army guy took off. There was no way I could run with them so I stayed with another Air Force guy. We played cat and mouse for a bit until I started to feel pretty good at the end and dropped him. I did PR on the 10K with a 35:14 so I was really happy with that. I bettered my time from last years 1:56 to a 1:52, but I was still 9th overall... There was just a lot of fast guys this year. Overall I am very pleased with my result and I can't wait for next year where I have the chance to qualify for the world military games in Brazil if I can place top 6. Got to represent the Coast Guard!!!

CB&I Triathlon

2010-05-05T22:00:00.003-04:00

So this past weekend I traveled up to the Woodlands, TX for what was one of the biggest sprint triathlons I have ever done. The CB&I Triathlon put on by race director William Fowlkes. It was a really well put on race in a great area. The race itself went pretty good for as short as it was.

The Swim... 500 meters or so. Water temp 76 degrees. I chose to stupidly wear a full lenth wetsuit which I wanted to rip off about a 100 meters into it. It was so hot. Good thing it was only a 500 and not longer. I ended up leading the swim all the way til the end when I started dying because of the heat and got passed by Tri stud Dean King. We ended up putting about 20 seconds or so on the rest of the field which was good enough for our breakaway.

The Bike... 15 miles. I reeeaaallly pushed it hard on the bike. For those who don't know Dean. Hes a runner. And a fast one. I knew I had to drop him on the bike to have any chance of winning this race. I've ridden against him in the past and put a lot of time on him on the bike. But this day wasn't the case. He must have eatin his Wheaties or something that morning because I couldn't drop him at all. We ended up averaging about 27 or so. So coming into transition with him I knew I was going to settle for 2nd. I beat him out of transition but it wasn't til about 1/2 a mile into it that he made his pass on me. Then I just watched him run away. haha. Oh well. I was very happy with my bike split, so I just held tight on the run and had fun with the day.

Overall I was pleased with my race. I just have to figure out how to run with the big boys and I'll be good. Soon enough.

Lonestar Olympic Du

2010-04-28T11:37:00.007-04:00

So rough winds on race morning forced the race director to make the decision to cancel the 1500m swim. Instead we lined up 3 seconds apart and went off in a Time Trial start from the bike. Why they didn't do a full duathlon, I have no idea, but it worked it guess.

So the bike... I took off. Pretty fast. I think I averaged like 29 with a tailwind on the out section and maybe like 23 or 24 on the way back in. I kind of had to remind myself that I had to run afterward because I was riding like I was in a Time Trial. I ended up riding a 58 something. Could of maybe gone faster but I slowed down halfway through so I didn't blow up. It was good enough for the fastest bike split which is always an acomplishment.

I took off on the run not really knowing what position I was in because of the time trial start. I just knew I had to run fast! The last mile I felt really bad and ended up throwing up all over myself running down the finishing chute. It was pretty imbarrassing considering I had a lot of people watching! haha. oh well. So it turns out I ran like a 37 flat. I need to bring that down if I want to have any chance agaist the runners in this sport. I ended up 2nd overall just 11 seconds shy of first place!!!!!!! I really wish I had known I was that close. I think I could of definitely pushed myself but then again if the other guy knew I was around, he would of ran faster too. So you never know. Overall I was very happy with the result considering the big race.

3 more days till Galveston...

2010-04-21T10:24:00.002-04:00

Well, I decided last minute to race the Lonestar Olympic tri in Galveston this weekend and see if I can do a little better than how I did at Gateway. Kind of bummed at the weather report as its calling for 60 percent chance of thunderstorms??? WTF? I guess we can't have perfect weather for every race. Training has been going rather well. I did my last track workout yesterday and ran faster than expected not even really pushing. I guess thats a good sign. Tonight I have my last hard bike then its rest... Also trying to kick this cough that I've had since the day after Gateway. Hasn't been affecting my training but its just annoying. Oh well. Well, I'll keep you all updated after the race and whats coming up next. Take care!

Gateway to the Bay Tri

2010-04-12T10:37:00.002-04:00

I raced for first time this season on Sunday for the Gateway to the Bay Tri here in Kemah, TX. Its probably one of the closest races to home I'll ever be at. It took like 8 minutes to get to the race which was a nice change. Toed the line with Andy Potts (he and Matty Reed did a relay to benifit the Jenny's Light foundation). Swam with Potts for hmmmm about 10 feet. then watched him sail away. The swim was rough. I got carried away from a current and ended up way left with a lot of other people. I was 4th out of the water from the Invitational wave but had like 2:30 minutes down from the leaders which sucked. Didn't do too much damage on the bike. Took a spill coming around a wet corner. That didn't feel all too well but got up pretty quick and ended up with the 4th fastest bike of just over an hour for 40K. Had a pretty decent run being early in the season and coming off some injuries a month back. Ran I think a 36:50 which gives me hope that I will be in the 35's in no time. I rounded out the podium taking 3rd overall but felt humbled by the two pros who finished like 6 and 8 minutes ahead of me. Oh well. I had a blast. It was great weather, great company, and we had a killer cookout at our place after the race which made for a great day.

Maybe I'll start Using this again...Maybe.

2010-04-08T14:36:00.002-04:00

Yeah yeah yeah, I don't really post on this anymore. But a lot of people are asking if will update at least for a little bit. Ok... Its 2010. I live in League City, TX now about a 25 minute drive south of Houston. I like it here especially in this time of season. When I moved here last summer it was pretty brutal. I had a good season last year with the exceptions of some poor results on some big races. Thats the story of my life though. I can really turn on the heat in some local races but throw it all away when it matters. Im still having fun doing it so thats cool. If I sat here and typed everything that has happened between now and the last time I posted I would be here for awhile so I will save you the reading. Main points... I race my first race this sunday right here in Kemah, TX for the Gateway to Bay Tri which is a qualifier for the Escape from Alcatraz Tri in San Francisco. Should be fun. I feel in shape but definitely not peaking which is ok. And like I said, I will try to post more often now that I have a computer to do so. Ok, bye for now.

Triangle Triathlon in Raleigh, NC

2008-07-17T09:29:00.008-04:00

This is a race I have done for the past 3 years in a row. Not only is it because of a nice venue, but because my brother and his wife live in the Raleigh area and it is always great to have them come watch me race. Being right in the middle of all the triathlon madness that comes out of Inside Out Sports in Cary, it tends to get some pretty stiff competition. Although this year I don't think there were quite as much Elite's racing than the past years it still brought some amazing athletes.

The swim takes place right in Lake Crabtree which I guess has been known for their dirty waters. I had a friend that lived in the area I was begging him to race but he kept refusing stating that he would never get in that water. Yikes! I also kept hearing the other locals at the start warning people to keep their mouths closed! Well regardless of how dirty the water was, the swim started. I ended up 11 out of the water not too far behind the leaders.

Onto the bike I knew I had to bridge that gap to the leader so I immediately began hammering. I chose to ride my rode bike this year with some mini aero bars (ITU Style) because i remember it being a pretty hilly course. I never seemed to be able to get into a good zone last year on the TT bike. Now that I look back I know I could of been faster on the TT bike but hey, what can you do? I moved up to second position on the bike after playing cat and mouse a little bit with the 3rd place guy, but I just couldn't catch the leader. I came off the bike about 15 to 20 seconds down to him.

The run started off shaky. I pushed it pretty hard on the bike trying to move up positions and it left me a little fatigued for the run. I slowly started seeing the leader push away and I could sense being caught by the 3rd place guy whom i passed later in the bike. It wasn't until the second loop of the run where I really started feeling good. By this time I was sitting comfortable in 3rd place but still didn't want to loose much time to the leaders. I pushed it hard to the finish with a 5k time of 17:29, good enough for a podium spot. I felt really good after the race which made me happy. These past few races I have been feeling like crud. I think the long rides and runs have been helping out a lot.

Overall I was pretty pleased with the performance. I bettered my position from a 10th place last year which made me happy. I got to hang out with some friends of mine in Raleigh and most of all got to spend time with my brother and his wife. After a quick stop a Moe's Southwest Grill for a Triple Lindy, I was on my way back home.

Outer Banks Triathlon... I mean Duathlon

2008-04-27T21:38:00.003-04:00

Hey everybody! Im finally sitting down to write some race reports. Im actually still recovering from the Outer Banks Duathlon this last weekend. I really tore myself up out there. Once upon a time it was supposed to be a triathlon but it got changed to a Duathlon when they tested the water and found high amounts of sewage crap. Nice I know. The gross thing is is that I know I have swam in worse stuff before but what can you do. Oh well. So! About the race. It took place right in downtown Manteo, NC which is on the Outer Banks. REALLY nice area as it is the place my fiance and I have chosen for our wedding coming up in May. Anyway the distances ended up being a 5k, 26 mile bike, and then a 10k. A lot of running! More than I was prepared for early in this season. The 5k went suprisingly well as I hung with a speedster who after race stated he was trying to wear me out because he knew I was a fast cyclist. Well I ended up running my fastest 5k ever with a 16:49 and it felt great. Getting on the bike I was sitting in third behind the speedster and a relay team biker from the team actually named "Lets Beat Brad"... Thanks Robert. I felt really good on the bike and quickly moved into the lead. I cranked the whole entire 26 miles which ended up being a little longer as my odometer read close to 27. I put a pretty good gap on the rest of field going into the 10k which I definitely needed cause I absolutly died on the run. Maybe it was from riding really hard or just the extra miles of running but my quads really started to hurt. I finished the race in 2:03:( I really wanted to go under 2, especially with the long bike. The second place individual came in at 2:09. Oh and the team "lets beat brad" changed their name to "let brad win" as they came in at about 2:06.

Overall I was pleased with the race. I just wish I would have had the run training to being able to hold strong for the remaining 10k. I have a lot of work to do before Vancouver so I am excited to get into some hard training this month. I'll keep you guys updated.

The Pain Train!

2008-04-21T20:09:00.004-04:00

Hello again everybody and thanks for checking in. I've had a lot of good comments and congratulations made to me lately and I just wanted to personally thank everybody. I've made a lot of good friends in this sport and I hope to meet a lot more.

So i just recently got back from Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania, VA this weekend. I chose this race mostly to work the expo with the Final Kick crew, but along with working also came the opportunity to race the Sprint on Sunday. The weekend started early on Friday morning. We met up with the crew at the shop around 7 and we all drove up together to set up our booth for the expo starting that day. I was mostly working the bike shop doing tune ups but really only had a few bike come through. So the day was pretty easy with the exception of standing around in the hot sun all day. The sun definitley takes a beating on you after awhile. We packed up after 7 and headed for our Bed and Breakfast after stopping for a quick bite to eat. So heres the funny part. The Bed and Breakfast we stayed at was called "The Whistle Inn". We got there so late and I was so tired that it really didn't click till the lady told us right before we went to bed that there might be a train or two that we may hear in the middle of the night. Well that 1 or 2 turned into about 10 that night. I swear it was like a bad dream everytime one started coming. the tracks were litterly right outside the door at an intersection that didn't have guards so the train had to constently blow its whistle coming down the tracks. Needless to say I didn't get a lot of sleep that night. Saturday was the day of the Half Ironman so we didn't have to be at the site till about 2. That day was a little cooler so it wasn't that bad. My objective was to pretty much stay as much off my feet so I wouldn't tire myself out. Well that doesn't always go as planned. I did my best but still felt pretty tired at the end of the day.

Sunday...Race Day Weather... POURING RAIN! Everything was just miserable. But I knew I was there to race so I tried to get my head in the game. After getting my very cold warmup in I was ready to go... Or so I thought.

The Swim started out horrible. It was a running start into the lake. I knew i wasn't going to be the lead guy by any means but I didn't think I was going to absulutely die 100 meters in. The swim training has not been where I have wanted it to be these past couple weeks and it really showed. I ended up mid pack at 11:47. T1 went pretty smooth as I passed a couple guys right off getting on the bike.

Now, my cycling has been the one thing early this season that has been working very well for me. I know when I am going to have a good bike day. But for some reason, my power was just not there. Every up hill i faced, I felt like I was going backward. I just didn't have it. Well despite that, I caught up to the leaders and soon moved into first about half way through the bike. Coming into T2 I was hurting. Not so like my usual style of riding. I knew it was to be a tough run. Especially when I saw the second place guy at the time come into T2 as I was leaving.

Heading out on the run there is a big hill to climb right off the bat. Once i reached the top I started hearing the footsteps of Colorado pro, Billy Edwards as he was booking. I gave it all I could to pick up the pace once he caught me. The last bit of the run was a downhill portion so I held my position very well and settled for second overall.

Overall I am very pleased with my results. I gave all I could give despite how I was feeling and I am proud of that. Mad props go out to everyone who stayed in the race even with how the weather turned out. Oh and for David Orton for showing all of us off by doing both the Half and the Sprint the day after. Thats nuts! Well, thanks again for everybody stopping by and taking their time to read about my race. And to the Final Kick crew who made it a great weekend! Thanks again! Next stop for me is the OBX Duathlon next weekend. You guys take care and I'll talk to you soon!

A Strong Showing

2008-04-14T12:27:00.003-04:00

Had a couple of races this weekend. Saturday Kicked off the Conquer the Canal 20k time trial. The course is a very fast out and back section on Old 17 highway in Chesapeake, VA. Representing G.S. Kitty Hawk Cycling Team, I took top honors in the Cat 5 Division with a time of 28:55. The course was a little long as I read 12.82 on my odometer. My average was 26.5 mph. Overall a pretty good day and I am very happy with the results.

Sunday I raced the Langley Speedway Crit in Hampton VA. It took place small stock car track which was pretty sweet. Lots of space to manuever and good for a Cat 5 race as some people are still working on their bike skills. Didn't have any teamates in this race but worked well with some others including some guys from FAT FROGS and COASTAL RACING. Tried some 3 to 4 man breakaways to try and lap the field but it turned out to be harder than we thought. So I sat in the pack for the remaining few laps and made a sprint to the finish to take 2nd place. Overall I am very pleased with this race. I definitely could of kicked it in sprint mode a lot sooner than I did at the finish and try to find a better gear as I seemed to be grinding to hard. After the race the we all went out to IHOP to grab the newest dish. The "Tour De French Toast" Excellent ending to a great weekend. Pictures are soon to come for the Crit on Sunday. Christen (my fiance) was out there snapping some great pics from the sidelines. Talk to you all soon!

A weekend of racing

2008-04-10T21:42:00.002-04:00

Im getting pretty excited for the upcoming weekend. Saturday I will be racing the Conquer the Canal Time Trial which is 12 mile TT right up the road in Chesapeake. I really hope that this TT goes a lot better than the Dismal Dash TT a few weeks ago, where I fell apart in the last couple miles of the windy 25 mile course. Sunday will be my second Criterium ever at the Langley Speedway Crit. These races are so much different than Triathlons. Last race I was out in front for a good portion of the race and really wore myself out. Then I got pushed off the side of the road on the final sprint and ended up 8th. Not bad for my first showing but I definetely want to improve. So I plan on riding a lot smarter this time.

I plan on taking the day off tomorrow after two hard workouts today. A tempo run around lunch, then a hard group ride with my cycling team in the evening. I didn't really feel up to par during these workouts but I blame myself as I didn't really drink a lot throughout the day. Sometimes I just get so busy at work that I don't remember to stay hydrated. A lot of the hard sprints I could feel my calfs starting to cramp real bad. So with some rest tomorrow and some good stretching I should be ready to go by Saturday. I'll post the results as they come in. Take care...

Introduction

2008-04-08T21:36:00.003-04:00

This is my first post to my new blog. I finally got on the bandwagon at last. In this blog I will write about my life as an aspiring professional athlete. I will keep you guys posted on race results, race reports, training, and the most important thing... rest.

So far the the 08 triathlon season has kicked off to a great start. I raced the Smithfield Sprint which is the first race of the Setupevents Virginia Triathlon Series on March 29th. I can't complain as I topped the field by over 3 minutes. A big thanks to my fiance and her parents for their awesome support out on the course.

Next race brings me to Lake Anna State Park where I will go against a strong field of elites in the Kinetic Sprint. This is a qualifier for the Best of the US, but since I am not a resident of Virginia I am not eligible to be selected. I will keep you guys posted as soon as it all goes down. Take Care...