What a fabulous weekend but first, thank you so much for all of you that read my post titled My Head Injury. I didn't quite know what to expect and yet again I under estimated the compassion and understanding of bloggers.
First the fun stuff then the race report.
Rocky Point, Mexico is about a four hour drive south of Phoenix. Mistress and I left Mighty Mo with our parents and had an adult weekend with two other couples we like very much. The resort is brand new, still in their first year, it is Las Palomas. Wendy set us up to stay in one of the penthouse rooms which conveniently had its own elevator outside the door. The penthouse was 4,000 sq. ft inside with 3 bed/3bath and everything else you could imagine plus a 2,000 balcony area with full view of the pools below and ocean ahead. There was a fire pit and full bbq and food prep area.
Most of the weekend for me was spent in the penthouse or on the balcony drinking beer and having fun with the other people staying there. Friday night most of the other team mates in town came up for a tour and some food so we entertained until about 11 pm. Mistress and I did go out for a swim in the ocean Friday evening and she loved it. She was a varsity miler on a PAC-10 swim team and though she hasn't swum much since Mo was born she is so natural in the water. She became so child like out there and youthful it was great. Each day we all drove into town and bought shrimp for meals and did shopping for trinkets. The wifes all had a great time going through stores and Jeff and I lamented that based on our status as business owners we could no longer buy the gross and crude tourist shirts that are so fun to read but not so fashionable to wear as an adult.
All right! The race.
I had a great race. I haven't looked at any of my official numbers but my watch and my thinking is that I PR'd by a few minutes at least. Easily my best race swim yet. The race was pushed back an hour due to low tide so we got to sleep in. Nice. The entire event was very laid back. Tons of security, easily the most I have ever seen, but the flip side was that Mistress walked through transition with me, walked almost all the way to the swim start with me on the beach.
Tide dropped 23 feet. What was to have been a in water start was a stumble over coral to the start buoy then walk a bit further out to get some room. Once the race started I swam well, Florida Ironman cured me of any fear in open water. I came a bit off line along the long backside of the 1000 meter course but overall I moved cleanly through the water. I had to stop swimming at 23 min. and then proceeded to stumble and fall over the coral again, then run up the beach and up some stairs to the timing mats, 450 meters total race officials say and 5 minutes on my watch, to reach T1. That blew.
What was really great was that I beat Hardcore Mike and Big John out of the water by a few minutes. At Ironman AZ when I was sick they both beat me. I had to relieve myself and we all came out of T1 within few minutes of each other and all I cared about was putting as much distance between them as I could.
I felt awesome on the bike. Just very smooth. I honestly do not think I was past by more than 1 or 2 people who started behind me but I pasted at least a hundred on the 24 mile 3 loop hilly course. Those that past me were already on the course. This race is known for its 1st time race factor and it was evident on the bike. I was yelling 'Left' every couple of seconds. I yelled 'Right' a few time and even a 'Middle' once or twice. People were weaving all over the place. People were falling over pedaling up the hardest incline, people were crying because they couldn't change their tires. Saw a few walking their bikes up the hills. I was able to keep an eye on Mike at the three turnaround per loop and I'd be damned if he wasn't staying sorta close. I kept putting some distance on him but not enough for me to not be pissed he was having a great ride too. Mike kept me racing scared the whole time and I love my team mate and training partner for bringing that out of me.
My T2 was fast. I was outta there I had to put distance between Mike and I and felt stiff. I looked at my first mile of the 10k and saw a 8:29 split but it felt like 11:00. The course was a double out and back so I was able to congratulate Jeff aka The Machine and Andy in front of me and see Mike and John and other team mates behind me plus "The Millions (And Millions) of fans at Rocky Pt." I don't think ten minutes went by in the race that someone wasn't calling out my name with encouragement. I got passed quite a bit on the run but it was okay, not nearly as much as I passed other on the bike or still on the run. I was happy out there.
Coming back to the finish was a 500 meter run along the beach. When I say along the beach I mean the soft sand that is impossible to run in unless you over exaggerate your stride and arm swing. The finish shoot was a 100 yards long between rows of shaded beach chairs with people screaming on either side, very much in the Tour de France style of people cheering on the course. I saw a shadow behind me and sprinted for dear life hoping no one passed me that close to the finish line but it turns out it was someone standing on the course. It made for a dramatic and fast finish line for me.
Well my race season is officially over. "Thank you for coming, remember the 11 o'clock show is not the same as the 7 o'clock show. Try the veal." Nothing left on the calender officially until 2008.
Today I start my 'off-season' strength building phase, but more of that this week.
First the fun stuff then the race report.
Rocky Point, Mexico is about a four hour drive south of Phoenix. Mistress and I left Mighty Mo with our parents and had an adult weekend with two other couples we like very much. The resort is brand new, still in their first year, it is Las Palomas. Wendy set us up to stay in one of the penthouse rooms which conveniently had its own elevator outside the door. The penthouse was 4,000 sq. ft inside with 3 bed/3bath and everything else you could imagine plus a 2,000 balcony area with full view of the pools below and ocean ahead. There was a fire pit and full bbq and food prep area.
Most of the weekend for me was spent in the penthouse or on the balcony drinking beer and having fun with the other people staying there. Friday night most of the other team mates in town came up for a tour and some food so we entertained until about 11 pm. Mistress and I did go out for a swim in the ocean Friday evening and she loved it. She was a varsity miler on a PAC-10 swim team and though she hasn't swum much since Mo was born she is so natural in the water. She became so child like out there and youthful it was great. Each day we all drove into town and bought shrimp for meals and did shopping for trinkets. The wifes all had a great time going through stores and Jeff and I lamented that based on our status as business owners we could no longer buy the gross and crude tourist shirts that are so fun to read but not so fashionable to wear as an adult.
All right! The race.
I had a great race. I haven't looked at any of my official numbers but my watch and my thinking is that I PR'd by a few minutes at least. Easily my best race swim yet. The race was pushed back an hour due to low tide so we got to sleep in. Nice. The entire event was very laid back. Tons of security, easily the most I have ever seen, but the flip side was that Mistress walked through transition with me, walked almost all the way to the swim start with me on the beach.
Tide dropped 23 feet. What was to have been a in water start was a stumble over coral to the start buoy then walk a bit further out to get some room. Once the race started I swam well, Florida Ironman cured me of any fear in open water. I came a bit off line along the long backside of the 1000 meter course but overall I moved cleanly through the water. I had to stop swimming at 23 min. and then proceeded to stumble and fall over the coral again, then run up the beach and up some stairs to the timing mats, 450 meters total race officials say and 5 minutes on my watch, to reach T1. That blew.
What was really great was that I beat Hardcore Mike and Big John out of the water by a few minutes. At Ironman AZ when I was sick they both beat me. I had to relieve myself and we all came out of T1 within few minutes of each other and all I cared about was putting as much distance between them as I could.
I felt awesome on the bike. Just very smooth. I honestly do not think I was past by more than 1 or 2 people who started behind me but I pasted at least a hundred on the 24 mile 3 loop hilly course. Those that past me were already on the course. This race is known for its 1st time race factor and it was evident on the bike. I was yelling 'Left' every couple of seconds. I yelled 'Right' a few time and even a 'Middle' once or twice. People were weaving all over the place. People were falling over pedaling up the hardest incline, people were crying because they couldn't change their tires. Saw a few walking their bikes up the hills. I was able to keep an eye on Mike at the three turnaround per loop and I'd be damned if he wasn't staying sorta close. I kept putting some distance on him but not enough for me to not be pissed he was having a great ride too. Mike kept me racing scared the whole time and I love my team mate and training partner for bringing that out of me.
My T2 was fast. I was outta there I had to put distance between Mike and I and felt stiff. I looked at my first mile of the 10k and saw a 8:29 split but it felt like 11:00. The course was a double out and back so I was able to congratulate Jeff aka The Machine and Andy in front of me and see Mike and John and other team mates behind me plus "The Millions (And Millions) of fans at Rocky Pt." I don't think ten minutes went by in the race that someone wasn't calling out my name with encouragement. I got passed quite a bit on the run but it was okay, not nearly as much as I passed other on the bike or still on the run. I was happy out there.
Coming back to the finish was a 500 meter run along the beach. When I say along the beach I mean the soft sand that is impossible to run in unless you over exaggerate your stride and arm swing. The finish shoot was a 100 yards long between rows of shaded beach chairs with people screaming on either side, very much in the Tour de France style of people cheering on the course. I saw a shadow behind me and sprinted for dear life hoping no one passed me that close to the finish line but it turns out it was someone standing on the course. It made for a dramatic and fast finish line for me.
Well my race season is officially over. "Thank you for coming, remember the 11 o'clock show is not the same as the 7 o'clock show. Try the veal." Nothing left on the calender officially until 2008.
Today I start my 'off-season' strength building phase, but more of that this week.
11 comments:
Congratulations on having a great vacation and a great run. That sort of sounds like plan!
I'm glad you got to end your race season on a high note!
It sounds like you had a well deserved combination of a terrific vacation and a great race. Your images of the penthouse were very vivid as well.
Congratulations.
It's about time you have an off season. Let's make this a true, honest-to-goodness OFF season. Like no exercise for two weeks. Eat ice cream, drink beer, drink more beer. Than watch t.v. shows with Mo.
After two weeks, you can do some light cross training. You know, drink beer with your other hand, switch from ice cream to cookies.
Use the time to relax and NO exercise.
Glad you had a great time. It sounds like it was a blast.
You, Tri-Daddy and I all need to talk before major '08 plans are laid. We need we can run together.
Well done, Comm. I'm glad you had an enjoyable race and a relaxing weekend, you deserve it.
I agree with Iron Pol, take a break from training!
awesome vaca comms - nice start to a big rest...enjoy it!
Always nice to end the season with a great race under your belt- congrats!!
What a fabulous way to finish the season, Comm's!
Sounds like you and Mistress found a great way to start your off season. Ended with a great race and good times with friends. You guys really are Big Shotters with that penthouse!!! ;)
Good use of that training fitness.
Business owners can not buy gross and crude tourist shirts? I didn't get the memo! Nobody tells me anything!
Congrats on your finish!!! Thanks for all the support, and just to let you know that I am winging just as much support back at you! It will be nice to wind down and focus on various types of training without having to worry about any specific type of racing.
Murtha...
Nice season wrap up- only would have been better if you were racing WF!
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