IM Wisconsin, last year, talking to self, while just starting on the bike:

"Self, its gonna get pretty warm out here today...I feel pretty good...maybe hit the first loop hard while its cool and then take it easy on the second loop, instead of the pre-race strategy of going easy on the first lap...yeah, that's the ticket."

Talking to self at the 85 mile mark, struggling up one of the hills:

"I am an idiot."

Spot

---

___________________________________________________
Taco cat spelled backwards is....taco cat.

"I am an idiot."

actually laughed out loud. i think it's because i have said the same thing to myself on a few occasions.

---

---

Tim

In my first HIM, flying past people on the bike thinking this is easy....... Its as if I forgot about the 13mile run.

Suffice it to say my legs didin't forget.

At Ultraman Canada last year when I was getting into the water I loaded 2 bottles of gatorade into my support kayak. Yup 1200 mL of liquid for a 10km swim in a wetsuit in relatively warm Skaha lake. I felt pretty good getting out of the water after 3 hours 45 minutes but I was laying by the side of the road 20 minutes later trying to get over stomach cramps on the bike. Then I spent the following six hours on the bike alternating between huge cramps in my legs, neck, arms and stomach and puking. What a fun fun day that was ;)

---

===============
Proud member of the MSF (Maple Syrup Mafia)

I never make dumb mid-race decisions. I do my stupid shit early in the race. To wit:

• In my first marathon, on a 30-degree day, I figured I didn't have to fuel up as much because it was cold, and besides, days before I'd read about the elites only drinking once or twice during a marathon. So I ran a 1:36 first half and didn't take a drop of fluid until mile 9. Oops. Needless to say, I didn't keep that pace up. Finished, but it sucked.

• Always seems to be running where I screw up. In a half-marathon, I started out running with the guy carrying the "1:30" sign because I wanted to break 1:30. Did the first mile in 6:59 or thereabouts. Too slow, I thought. Gotta bank some time early. I took off and ran 6:50s for the next nine miles. That's because the wheels came off at 10 and I jogged it in for a 1:31:25. Probably loused up my fueling, too. Again.

---

-------------------------------------------
"The hero is someone in continual opposition to the status quo. The hero is always becoming himself." Jos� Ortega y Gasset.

"The enthusiasm (absorbing or controlling possession of the mind by any interest or pursuit) is needed before breaking the milestone and not after." Sergio Escutia, on Lukas Verzbicas' subdued reaction to breaking 4 minutes in the mile.

i've tried that strategy several times. it always seems to make sense. it never seems to work.

IMWI 2008: On a great pace for first half of bike, rode it in 2:35-2:40 and felt good. Then it started getting harder, started getting passed by people I'd passed earlier, HR started to skyrocket, went for a good 30 minutes or more burying myself trying to figure out what was going on. Thought I was bonking, started eating everything in sight at aid stations, no luck. Was struggling/dying to hold 17-18 mph in a HR zone waaaay to high. Then, at the top of one of the hills after making a hard turn onto a new road my front tire almost rolls off rim and I realize that it's almost flat/out of air and apparently has a slow leak. Explained why I was having such difficulty as there could have only been about 40-50 psi in it. Got off bike disgusted with myself for not catching this earlier, mad that it was my 3rd flat in a race that year (different tires, different wheels, just bad luck I guess), threw my Hed 60 front wheel down against the road and the PSI's were just enough in the wheel to bounce it over a ditch and into a corn field about 10'.

Sat for 5 minutes thinking I was done, then came to my senses, hopped the ditch, fell, got covered in dirt, found my wheel, fixed flat and then buried myself trying to make up for all the time I'd lost.

Needless to say my run was less than spectacular after all that.

---

______________________

Dude I think that was me!! And trying to run anyone and everyone down in the first 3-4 miles of the run was my stupid mid-race decision. My pace just slowed.... and slowed.... and slowed.... until i could barely hold 7's down the hill between the 10th and 11th mile. Third place passed me like I was standing still as soon as we reached the flat, and I eventually dropped to 6th.

In hindsight, I definitely should have calmed down in that first section. Lesson learned.

Great race by the way. And taking that extra 30sec to put socks on is always worth it dude, as I am sure you would agree. Hell, Chris Martin was well up the road anyways. He's sick!

Musselman is a great race and I'll be back next year for sure.

Good luck with the rest of your season.

were you riding an white/red Argon? if so that was me on the blue Orbea Ordu.

---

---

Tim

Deciding to forgo all nutrition and stick with water on my first 25k race (2:15). "Why am I so dizzy?"

---

king of the road says you move too slow
KING OF THE ROAD SAYS YOU MOVE TOO SLOW

No, I must be confused about where we came into T2. I was riding a Valdora PHX with no aero helmet and a poor position. But I do recall when you went by me on the bike leg. Somewhere around mile 20 I believe. I went by on the run shortly after the choice between hillside or steps, which was sheer brutality.

yeah those steps were a bad choice..... i was hoping it would give me a break between climbing, that didn't really work out as planned.

i over heated something fierce on that swim with a wetsuit on. lost a few minutes and started my day out on the wrong side of "the line". took me a solid 30miles before i started to feel any good on the bike.

good runnin' out there, i was in survival mode just after those steps!

---

---

Tim

Yeah I think I was the only one who decided to go with the speed suit on that swim. The water was definitely warm, but as soon as we reached that inlet, it was HOT.

Solid race even though things didn't click for you.

Was it those downhill sections that sealed the deal on your blisters? That's when my feet started to get shredded -- even with my fave socks on... Sunday was my first time doing Musselman and hadn't previewed the run course... I guess I need to toughen my feet up. Even so, really liked the course and the variety of terrain. Will be looking forward to going back next year!!

i think the downhills didn't do me well. but i was in the hunt for every bit of water to dump on my head i could find, so i am sure things started before that. i had a couple stones in my shoes just for an added bonus!

i think i am going to look into some Zoots or something as an alternative.

---

---

Tim

Xterra in a heavy downpour with course covered in standing water.

Got to T2, took off bike shoes and socks were absolutely caked with mud. Couldn't see sock. Figured it would be better to put clean feet in to running shoes, so pulled off the socks to run sockless. Had to drain lots of blood out afterwards.

A few years ago in March my new wife and I decide to do a 1/2 Mary. I had not been training much because of a full tri schedule the previous year and was taking a much needed winter beer break. My new wife on the other hand is training for Western States 100. So in talks on the rided to the race about where we want to finish, I tell her "oh lets do this in 1:45" (in my hopes to impress her with my runnin skillz).

1st Mile is a 7:01 and she looks at me and says "this is pretty fast no?" and I say nah... we got this. 2nd mile 7:20, again she says "we need to slow down" and I say nah.... it is all good. 3rd mile I drop her as she says "I am going to just finish at my own pace" and I say ok see ya at the finish line.

Mile 8 she comes up to me as I am struggling hard... she turns around and runs backwards telling em to pick it up pick it up... and I flip her off and tell her to go on with out me I am toast. She says no we will finish together like we said. I told her fine you just run up a head and dont bother me anymore because I am grumpy...

Yea I ran a 2:15 half.... It was a long quiet car ride back to the house

I seem to repeat my worst MID-RACE decision every time, which is to "keep going."

---

******************************************
Have Fun ** Tri Hard ** Be Kind
******************************************

I know, me too. But it's pretty easy when you are "almost there" and "looking good!"

---

"Wow, are you a triathlete?"
If spoken by a non-swimmer, that's a compliment. When spoken by a swimmer.... -glitch
My wife's blog http://www.hostilewit.com

Mile 90 or so aide station in first IM. As I rolled up a volunteer was delivering 1/4 pounders to the crew and after mentioning how good they looked he offered me one. I took it and ate it, onions included. It was the gift that kept on giving. Next year same spot, same scenario, and I passed saying that I tried that the previous year it had not turned out so well. Girl next to me who over heard the conversation said, "So your the one."

End of the bike last race I did... went to take my shoes off on the bike, having done this a bunch of times in the past but with different shoes. Took longer to get my right foot out of the shoe, and lost enough momentum from the delay that I reflexively started to pedal again.... without having my foot on top of the shoe yet. Shoe clips pavement, and gets ejected. Turned around and retrieved the shoe from a helpful spectator. Finished the remainder of the bike in shame, holding my shoe, and ran into T2 with one shoe on. Never really felt like a jackass on the bike before but I felt pretty stupid then.

To add insult to injury, there was a race photographer hanging out at the last turn before T2 that got a picture of me holding said shoe, fortunately the number isn't visible so its safely in the lost and found.

---

---------------------------------------------------------
All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us. ~Gandalf

"Oh, I didn't need that bottle..."

"I don't need to know the course, the officials will have people on the course to show me where to go..."

"I can blow through this aid station without grabbing anything..."

"This descent is cool- I can do it in my aerobars..."

"Ugh.. this hurts. I think I'll back off."

---

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Stupid decisions half way through a race?

How about "Things are going well, I think I'll sign up for next years race!"

(BTW, a friend did the same thing as you, in T2 of IMNZ bunch of years ago. I think he still walks with a limp from the damage he did to his feet that day!)

---

TriDork

"Happiness is a myth. All you can hope for is to get laid once in a while, drunk once in a while and to eat chocolate every day"

When I get tired at races I always think this, "Man I am beat. If I pick up the pace I can push through it." It never works.

---

customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

i know spectators (sp?) mean well when they say those things.... but man i hate hearing them! i would rather someone say "you look like Crap! but you are doing better than the guy behind you!"

---

---

Tim