Snapple Tri Team

I have some great news to share this week (aside from crossing the finish line of Ironman Louisville super happy!) — High Cloud’s newly-launched Cloud of Hope project has been a huge success! The purpose of this project is to provide loans to single mothers and underprivileged women here in the U.S. and around the world so that they can start their own business. In this case, we have been working with a group of women in the village of Guaduas in central Colombia South America to establish fish farms.

The pictures below show how our High Cloud women have learned this amazing skill of fish farming. One of the pictures in particular show how our women first raise the Alevin fish (which are newly born fish) in tanks so that they can feed them and then once they are bigger they release them into a natural pool where the fish can swim in their own environment and ecosystem. Then people from the town can go and buy fish like tilapia, catfish, cod, etc. It is awesome how much High Cloud’s funds are making a big difference in the lives of the community and these pictures are a testament of that. Thank you so much for making this possible!

This Cloud of Hope project has been led by our most amazing High Clouders Javier (which is a professional in animal breeding and production and he is also an Agronomist) and Lavi which is an Environmental Engineer.

These are really cute High Cloud Alevins (newly born fish!)

I am also excited to let you know about my second Ironman experience.  IM Louisville was simply AMAZING!

Pics with our great friends and Arturo, Palmira and Luis.

Pics with our great friends and Luis, Palmira and Arturo are above. This was Luis 68th Ironman — He has done every single Ironman in the world!! Arturo is also our great friend and Race Director of IM 70.3 Puerto Rico

Time to Start: The start itself is really cool with Hot Air balloons and the official trumpeter of the Kentucky Derby launching the start. You get in line by the dock and start talking, sharing your race jitters with other athletes, going to the WC a thousand times and meeting people from all over the world.

Swim like a fish: The swim is a time trial start which means that we jump in the water one by one. You swim 0.7 miles against current out the channel and around Towhead island and then you turn left and swim 1.7 miles with current to downtown passing two bridges. It was an easy swim; I focused on long strokes and tried to find a pair of nice feet that I could hook to. I sighted every 6 strokes and took one buoy out at a time.

Bike like you are chasing your dreams! The bike was technical and adventurous! We had some long/steep climbs (the biggest one is at mile 23ish), and then you just get into a rhythm of going up, up, up and a little down (constantly changing gears) and then up and up again for 112 miles), it is a whole adventure! The only flat parts are the first and last 10 miles. The bike course is very scenic with beautiful horses everywhere (BTW, horses are my favorite animals – Equestrian riding was my sport before I got bit by the Tri bug) but the roads are a bit rough and uneven in some parts (I had a flat at mile 45ish but it took me about 10 minutes to fix it which is a big bonus taking in consideration my “super primitive/flingstons era” mechanic skills J).

Run Forrest Run! The marathon course is completely flat besides two little inclines (at mile 7 and 18 when you go down underneath a bridge and then a little up) but the course is wide open, extremely hot, humid and has no shade. It really makes you appreciate all of the blessings that you have in life  (family, friends, the High Cloud communities and their challenges, work, health, etc).

The race was going beautifully until I developed really bad blood blisters on the bottom of my feet at the very beginning of the marathon (My socks were very wet from pouring water on myself to stay cool). I also got a tummy ache (not sure what it was, maybe the water and all of the things that I ate). So the Marathon was painful the whole way with blisters and tummy ache, going to the bathroom non-stop! But I kept smiling and a positive attitude the whole way and I was fulfilled and happy to know that I still had energy with me (that I had paced myself very well on the bike)

Guys, What an amazing day! I loved every part of it, even though I couldn’t run my normal pace. The race itself was simply amazing: organization, support, incredible finish line, Louisville hospitality, etc! It is a very hot/fun hilly race but I would totally recommend it. The finish line was really SPECTACULAR, with thousands of people cheering you on and calling your name! There is something very special about going beyond your comfort zone and enduring a challenge for so long. This is why these events are a great opportunity to learn more about ourselves. It is an incredible feeling when you cross that finish line! Definitely Do it!

Thanks so much to our Team and Sponsors: Snapple, Spiuk, Under Armour, Accelerade and Try Chips (for keeping my energy up), Nuun, Dicks Sporting Goods, among many others! And BIG THANKS to our parents, Matt, Dave O, Arturo, Ed, Luis and a huge crew of fiends for making this journey and my life so AMAZING!

“It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat.” Teddy Roosevelt

Have a great holiday weekend, hugs and see you at the International Peace Half Marathon on September 11th and Nations Triathlon on September 12th! We need volunteers for both events so please contact us at:

http://www.highcloud.org/contact

Adriana Anderson

This September 11, support the High Cloud Foundation in a unique new race.  The International Peace Half Marathon will be held:

Saturday, September 11, 2010 – 8:00 am

At the C&O Canal Towpath from Potomac Street NW from Georgetown, Washington DC

to Lock 7 and back

Host hotel • Key Bridge Marriott, 1401 Lee Highway, Arlington VA 22209 (703-524-6400) one mile from start (special rate by August 14)

Pre-Race • Packet pick-up • Georgetown Running Company, 3401 M Street, Washington DC (703-337-8626) Friday, September 10, 2-6 PM

Race Day • Packet pick-up on-site • 1015 33^rd Street NW, Washington DC, Saturday, September 11, 6:45-7:45 AM • No race-day registration

• Race will be held in memory of the victims of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, we ring a memorial bell 184 times at 7:45 AM.  Tax Deductible entry benefits the High Cloud Foundation.
• Course:  Flat, fast, 100% unpaved gravel, scenic views of the Potomac River – starts 250 meters east of Milestone 1
• Water/Aid stations at Milestones 3, 5, and 7, assisted by Capital Area Runners andDC Capital Striders
• Course will be USATF-certified • Presented by the team that brought you Cloud Snapple Half Marathon
• Compete with the area’s top international athletes • Medals for all finishers  • Limited to the first 250 entrants

Post-race • International music & refreshments • Awards to state & nation teams • You are automatically on your state’s or nation’s team, top 3 count

Awards

• $1,000 in prizes • $250 for 1^st • $150 for 2^nd • $100 for 3^rd • M/F
• Commemorative t-shirt and medals for all finishers
• Gift certificates from Georgetown Running Company for top 3 finishers by 10-year age-group M/F

Benefits

• High Cloud Foundation’s international and domestic programs

Register online at Active.com:

http://www.active.com/framed/event_detail.cfm?CHECKSSO=0&EVENT_ID=1870106

The race is filling up FAST, so register soon.

Bart

WASHINGTON, D.C., September 1, 2010 – Team Snapple is pleased to announce that it is currently accepting applications for its 2011 squad. The Team is comprised of top-flight professional and amateur athletes dedicated to promoting the multi-sport lifestyle.

While not all 2011 sponsorship agreements are in place, members of the 2010 team received:

• Champion Systems apparel including tri kits, cycling kits, cycling jackets, arm warmers, leg warmers, and vests.
• Xterra Vendetta Wetsuits
• Spiuk helmets, shoes, and eyewear
• Running shoes from The Running Company
• Discounts on service, fittings, and products from Elite Bicycles
• Snapple LYTeWater and Snapple Antioxidant Water
• Accelerade, Endurox, and Accel Gel
• Headsweats Visors
• Pro Discounts and additional product from sponsors

2011 athletes will be required to race and train in team apparel and with team gear. In 2010, athletes wore Champion Systems apparel; helmets (cycling and TT), shoes, and eyewear from Spiuk; and Xterra wetsuits. While additional apparel and gear is available at discounted prices, athletes are not required to make any purchases.

Before joining, athletes must agree to race and train in sponsor’s apparel and gear and to make periodic posts on the Team’s blog and calendar. Depending on their location, athletes may be asked to participate in 1 or 2 clinics or events during the year.

Interested athletes should email the below information to snappletriteam@gmail.com by October 5, 2010. Finalists should expect a brief phone interview in October.

Additional information is available at www.snappletriteam.com.

Name:

Email:

Address:

Phone number:

Current Sponsors (we accommodate existing sponsorship if possible):

Top 5 results in past 3 years:

Tentative 2011 Race Schedule:

Goals for 2011 Season:

Club and Team Affiliations:

Do you hold an official position in any of these organizations?

Multisport Accomplishments (e.g., USAT All American, Kona qualifier, etc.):

Do you currently maintain a blog?

If you were to race on Team Snapple, are you willing to write on the Team’s blog?

Why do you want to be a part of Team Snapple?

TEAM SNAPPLE 2010 ROSTER:

Adriana Anderson
Chip Berry
Hilary Cairns
Greg Close
Katie Davison
Dirk De Heer
Zack Desmond
Rick Fesler
Bart Forsyth
Chris Ganter
Holly Geldhauser
Jim Hallberg
Angela Kidd
Adrianne Kroepsch
Stephanie Liles
Christopher Martin
Cheryl McMurray
Lucas McCollum
Ashley McWilliams
Matias Palavecino
Ted Waugh
Sean Ward
Todd Wiley

The Brooks Calvacade of Curiosities is coming to the Georgetown Running Company.  September 11 from 9 AM until 3PM.  Start by running High Cloud’s International Peace Half Marathon and then head to GRC to check out the Brooks bus.  A Perfect Day!!

RUN HAPPY: CALVACADE OF CURIOSITIES

Witness the extravaganza of a one-of-a-kind double decker bus transform itself into an 18’ tall exciting and interactive display showcasing Brooks latest running technologies.  Free gait analysis, product trial and try to walk on water in our BrooksDNA demonstration.  Every visitor will receive a free gift and be entered to win a trip for two to a 2011 Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon event of their choice!

SEPTEMBER 11,2010

9:00am – 3:00pm

Don’t miss

Last weekend, I raced the Cannonman Triathlon (Half Iron-distance) and for the first time, on a new Razor Carbon made by Elite Bicycles in Philadelphia, PA. David Greenfield and his staff at Elite had spent a lot of time making sure my bike fit was as good as it could be down to the smallest detail — both for comfort and to maximize cycling performance. It’s clear to me that they love their bikes. I was really pleased with the power transfer and smooth quality of the ride — good enough for second fastest bike split and second place overall. I definitely want to say thanks to the people at Elite.

***DISTANCE***

Swim: .62 miles
Bike: 17.5 miles
Run: 3.3 miles

***RESULTS***

Overall
Age Group

Overall: 1:36:20, 8th female overall, 4th amateur overall
Swim: 15:51
T1: 1:24
Bike: 53:45
T2: 1:17
Run: 26:06

***PRE-RACE***

Iron Girl…always my favorite race of the year! This year would be EXTRA special because my Dad and Ginger would be coming to visit and watch. My Dad’s 1st triathlon! YIKES…this made me more nervous and excited! So he is either going to think I am more or less crazy

I told my Dad we needed to be there for my start my 6:40am. He looked stunned…and he still did not know that meant leaving before 5am. buhh. He and Ginger were great sports about it and were in bed by 9pm, while Sarah, Matias, and I were pretty wired and did not head to bed till after 10pm. ehh what is another early morning.

I was up and feeling pretty stellar the next morning…aside from my usual bathroom issues (if anyone has any recommendations for keeping out the of the bathroom pre-race…I’d be interested in any suggestions…not involving Imodium please). We all arrived at Centennial Park in good time. Set up transitions and headed to the lake…arrived just in time for my wave to go into the water.

***RACE***

SWIM – Starting in the pro/elite wave…always exciting! echhkk. water felt gross. They said 87…but I am not sure it was quite that warm! We were off. Two flew off the front pretty quickly. I stayed in the second pack of 3…my friends Ally, Underdonk, and I. Everyone else dropped behind. I stayed with them and pulled closer as we neared the finish. The 3 of us were coming into the finish together and ran out Ally, me, Underdonk into T1.

T1 – Working on becoming a T1 specialist. Really been focusing and practicing this one. Solid.

BIKE – Off on Bananas. It was raining. Bananas was getting dirty. oh well. I had passed Ally in transition and was 3rd onto bike. It was quiet for a bit. Then someone flew by. Legs were feeling decent…but nothing special. I knew the course pretty well…good thing…a few turns had not been marked yet and some of the cops were not yet out of their cars. BUHAHA. About 8 miles in and about the turn around at the school my legs were starting to feel a bit more warmed up so I tried to bust it heading in. I have felt that I have been pretty conservative on the bike my last few races…anxiousness and saving up for the run. I have not had my game face on. Pushed it in and off the bike in 7th.

T2 – Still raining. Dad, Ginger, Matias, and Sarah were all there and very excited to see me coming in! I ran into transition and fell down the hill. It was steep, wet and muddy…and trying to focus on all the people still coming out of the water. With over 2000 competitors ladies would still be starting when I was finishing.

RUN – My form was actually starting to feel like I had a real running form and I was not just trying to get through it. I tried to keep a fast cadence. I could see a girl about 100 yards behind me. She would most likely catch me. bust. I looked behind me several times in the 1st mile…maybe she would not pass me. Then at about 1.5 miles there another girl coming up. junk. it hurt…but not bad. 2 miles to go….I tried to pick it up. 1 mile to go…she seemed to keep coming nearer. I again picked up my pace to as fast as I could. I was huffing and puffing. .5 to go and I BUSTED it all the way to the finish. She never got me.

***POST-RACE***

My Dad and Ginger seemed so proud! Dad was as excited as me! YEAH!!! And my hips were not hurting…I was not as sore as usual. Something was changing. huh.

Up Next: Reston Triathlon, September 12, 2010

Valdosta Olympic Triathlon

Getting ready for Kona has kept me busy most weekends. I hadn’t done a triathlon since May. Wow, that is unusual for me during tri season. I will normally cram as many races as possible in the short season. With a couple setbacks, because of my silly mountain bike accidents, and the long ironman training weekends, I had to put my beloved short course tris on hold. Well, until this past weekend.
Valdosta Triathlon has always been a fun, laid back, country triathlon. About 200 competitors, there’s no pressure and it’s all about getting a great workout and enjoying the day. This year, Valdosta Triathlon decided to not only have the sprint triathlon that they’ve had for the last 3 years, but added an olympic distance. Since this weekend was my “easy” training weekend, I decided to see if my body remembered how to race. Valdosta Triathlon is definitely a good runner’s race, with their extra long run distance in their sprint and also this year’s olympic distance. If you think you are going to do a 3.1 mile run, think again! It’s more like a 4 mile run. And if you are planning on a 10k run, too bad for you! It was more like 6.7 miles.
The swim is in a really pretty lake, although is was more like a hot tub, with a temp in the 90′s. Honestly, it didn’t bother me, since my swim pace is not fast enough to build a sweat. The positive thing about the swim is that I’m getting darn good at sighting this year. I was the girl that would be zig zaging all over the swim course. Now, I see the buyou and swim straight for it. Why prolong my worst event?!? As predicted, I came out of the water 3rd female and 15th overall. Oh well.
Zipped through transition. Got on my girlie Planet X bike and Hawk Racing wheels, which I adore. It was hammer time! Nice somewhat flat bike course (in the country.) Ended up passing both leading girls before getting on the run. Brook Pace, one of my good training buddies, was one of the super fast swimmer girls and great cyclist I had to work to catch. I ended up with the fastest bike times for the gals and the 3rd fastest bike time overall. Glad to know all my ironman training on the bike is paying off.
Now for the run. My favorite and one of my strengths. I took off on the run, felt great, on track for a fabulous run time. Got to the last two miles of the run and my Achilles seized up. Where in the world did this come from?!? No warning and my awesome Spira running flats had never given me any issues before. I stopped and stretched as much as I could. I knew Brook was probably not too far behind me. I started running again. Pain still there and making its way up my calf. Stopped and stretched again. All I could do at this point was limp the last two miles. I prayed that my fast running earlier gave me enough of a lead to keep my placing. Sure enough I did it. That was the longest 2 miles, especially on that run course, and took the win. I was 1st Woman Overall and 3rd Overall. I surely hope I made Team Snapple proud an I do hope my Achilles heals fast, because my Kona Ironman is 1.5 months away and I have several big training weekends ahead.
Thank you, Valdosta Tri, for the great race and beautiful watch I won. Look forward to next year.

Hi guys,

So sorry for not sending an update earlier!  Life is lovely in general!  I have been sick with a cold for almost 2 weeks, (headache, stomach ache, etc) but today I feel better.

Just to do a quick recap of the last news from our High Cloud children in Peru:

First of all, I would like to say that Gabe, Isaac and Julissa have been doing a tremendous job this summer working with our kids in Lima. Last week, they took our High Cloud children (ages 3-5), teachers and two parents on a “Cultural Day Trip”. The children visited several cultural museums in Lima, Peru including the Reserve Bank of Peru.  This was a very big opportunity for them as they never get a chance to get out of school and visit the city. Thanks so much for helping us to provide them with these cultural/educational trips!

In terms of training, I haven’t been able go outside and play because I am trying to get well so have been focusing on cycling and running. When you are sick, you’re sick! No question about it. So, on Saturday, I finally started to feel better and we decided to do the Eat the Peach Challenge century with our friends who love to climb hills. It was a beautiful and challenging ride with many ups and downs and a great peach ice cream at the finish! Thanks to our friends Alan and Ben for keeping us entertained during those climbs. The weather was perfect! High Clouder Jen crushed the hilly course and conquered the hills!

After the ride, we refueled our bodies with a ton of Try Chips! Like Jerry and Tim (their founders say: “To fuel your efforts you need real food”) and that’s exactly what Try Chips is! They are the best 100% natural snack.   I would totally recommend them as a pre, during and post race nutrition! I will be telling you more about them for sure as I am one of their number 1 biggest fans!

On Sunday, since I had not run for a long time, I ended up running 16 miles on the treadmill. That was pure agony but freed my mind and I started thinking about the future:  some of our High cloud programs, our kids, our main necessities at every school, our big wish list and of course the last three miles I thought about the Ironman that I have coming up next week!  Your mind is a powerful tool that allows you to visualize your wishes and make them a reality. So, next time you are running in the treadmill, try to let your mind fly and I will assure you the time will go much faster (especially if you don’t have any TV or music with you)

So, given that I have been quite sick, I thought that I would share with you my grandma’s tips on what to eat when you have a cold/flu:

1. Chicken soup with some veggies
2. Honey with milk and a bit of aguardiente
3. A cup of sugarcane with lemon (you can buy sugar cane at Wholefoods or Trader Joe’s)
4. Kiwis and Oranges (full of vitamin C!)
5. Take Alive and Emergen C (to give you vitamins, minerals and boost your immunity!)
6. Get an onion, make some small cuts but keep it whole, leave it overnight in a covered bowl and the next day drink the juice – yum!  Great way to clean your throat…and you get to brag about it forever.  Make sure to get some gum afterwards!

All of the above have natural anti-inflammatory ingredients that help you in alleviating allergies, colds, etc.

Now, I leave you with the quote of this week:  “The trick is not to make the butterflies in your stomach go away, but to make them fly in formation.”

Also, guys something amazing happened last week!  After we sent the video of PeasantMan, an amazing friend and Member of High Clouds Board of Advisors donated $500 to the High Cloud children!  This is the reason why we continue with our educational programs.

Guys, I am getting really excited about IM Louisville! I will be blogging about it next week when I fly to Kentucky!

Cheers and Besos!

Adriana Anderson

Luray International

***DISTANCE***

Swim: 1500 meters
Bike: 41K
Run: 10K

***RESULTS***

Results

Overall: 2:41:04, 3rd female overall (listed as 4th but 2nd place DQed for only doing 1 loop of the bike course…OOPS), 1st in age group
Swim: 24:09
T1: 1:26
Bike: 1:22:52
T2: 1:11
Run: 51:28

***PRE-RACE***

Going into the Luray Double weekend…I was not sure how the races would go but was really just looking forward to the weekend…spending some quality time with Sarah, seeing lots of great friends, and hanging out in Luray all weekend…always a good time. I don’t think I had run more than 5 miles since last September so all the running I would have to do this weekend worried e a bit. But if I had to pull out of the Olympic after 3 miles I was fine with that. I had more potential in the Sprint and I was more concerned with Iron Girl, coming up next weekend.

Sarah and I left Reston for Luray Friday about 2pm. Got there in no time…headed to packet pick-up and were off to find the cabin we had rented for the weekend. First bust…the Versa could not get up the rather HUGE hill leading up to our cabin. I decided to gun it and we ended up stuck half way up the hill. nice. We just left it there. BUHAHA.

Pretty uneventful rest of the evening. Sarah and I arrived at Lake Arrowhead with too much time the next morning. I don’t like too much time at the site pre-race. I usually just end up going to the bathroom over and over and over again.

***RACE***

SWIM – I was in the second wave (women 35 & under). water temp = 84 degrees. NO wetsuits allowed. And we were off. Pulled ahead with a few others. And then it thinned out. I felt kindof crummy. Felt like swimming was taking a lot of effort…would be a long race this way. I noticed Shelly right ahead of me…so I tagged along. The course was a pac-man shape…so somewhat hard to navigate. Shelly did an awesome job with that. Neared the shore and busted it in. I ran out right behind her and caught her coming into T1.

T1 – Been working on my T1. Been aiming for fastest T1 time. 3rd place today. not too shabby. I headed out of transition as 2nd female.

BIKE – Off on BANANAS. I had forgotten that this course was a bit challenging. I loved climbing though. A few miles…I still felt crummy…just could not get the game face on…though I continued to bust it. About 5 miles in I passed the lead female. Sweet. That was always a huge confidence booster. Miles 10-15 a huge head wind hit. guhhhh. And then I realized we looped this part of the course 2 times. Treid to keep a quick cadence and not trash my legs. On the second loop I was starting to feel a bit more warmed up…and finally was on the home stretch…hit the last big hill. I felt tired and really unsure if I should even attempt the run. The hips were feeling a bit strained and I could feel the tight hamstring that always nagged me (anyone who has any advice on a tight or constantly pulled hamstring please contact me). Should I just call it quits? hang with Sarah (who had done the swim/bike portion and would be stopping due to a knee injury…but high five to her for getting out there and having fun), prep for the Sprint tomorrow which I probably had more potential in, rest for Iron Girl next weekend? SUCK IT UP I would. 1st female of the bike. mehhhh.

T2 – Quickly transitioned into the Newts and was off.

RUN – Well OK. If the hip strain/tight hamstring did not hurt much more than now than I would be OK…but that was not usually the case. Course was 2 loops…I could pull out half way if need be. Mile 1 or so a lady passed me. BUST. She was moving. At least I could keep a smile on my face. 1st loop turn around Shelly was gaining and shortly caught me. I kept her just ahead…I could do this. She seemed to slow so I caught up and ran with her a bit and then towards the end of the 1st loop I pulled away. The hip pain was going away?! But my legs were freakin sore…guess that is what happens when you have not run too much. I was going to do the 2nd loop or bust. Rounding into the 2nd loop another lady passed. OK I was in 3rd. I began to quicken my pace. Feeling pretty strong…best I had felt all day! Made it to the turn around and pushed all the way to the finish…no one passed me Came across the line in 3rd with hopes that none of the later wave of women were faster. Results were in and I had come in 4th! Later to find out that the woman who finished 2nd in the results had only done 1 loop of the bike course…so I had finished in 3rd and qualified for Best of the US! good day.

***POST-RACE***

I was ecstatic…first time to finish the Luray International distance EVER! geez. Maybe it just took me about 3 miles to warm up? Sarah and I decided to celebrate and hit up a winery that had just opened in Luray called Wisteria. Headed home where we grilled some eats, drank some more wine, and hot tubbed. I felt wasted and passed out before 9pm.

Luray Sprint

***DISTANCE***

Swim: 750 meters
Bike: 17 miles
Run: 5K

***RESULTS***

Results

Overall: 1:32:57, 4th female overall, 1st in age group
Swim: 12:17
T1: 1:21
Bike: 53:13
T2: 1:10
Run: 24:57

***PRE-RACE***

It was like groundhog day. Up and out to Lake Arrowhead to race again. My only real worry was the serious blisters I had gotten yesterday during the run. Did some minor surgery the night before and should be good to go.

***RACE***

SWIM – Off again in wave 2 (35 & under ladies). Swim felt a bit stronger today. A few of us took the lead. Toward the end another woman and I battled it in. I may have been 3 or 4 out of the water.

T1 – Passed most of them in transition. Perfect practice makes perfect.

BIKE – Off on BANANAS and passed the lead female on the first climb. and within the first 5 miles a lady blew by me. I felt stronger than yesterday. I think yesterday had helped warm me up. I never feel good on my bike until after some solid riding (maybe running was the same?). Held my position for the rest of the

T2 – Uneventful transition and I was off and running. OHHH blisters.

RUN – 2nd female going into the run. Karolina caught me in the 1st mile…she was CRUSHING it. That girl is ready for Louisville! Only 3 miles I told myself…hold it together. At the turn around I saw Krista closing in on me quickly. I tried to keep my pace and maybe pick it up. She caught me with about 1 mile to go. I tried to keep with her, watched her cadence and form and tried to model it. It was working. I tried to slowly catch up…ran with her for a bit…and pulled away. About .5 miles to go I gave it ALL that I had. Came across the line 3rd female. Again would have to await the final results. An older woman had gotten both Karolina and I…putting me in 4th overall. Not too shabby!

***POST-RACE***

OK. That was the most I have run in a long time. Almost feel I could do a half right now. April I could not run 1 mile. WHAT THE BEEP. I have changed some things since then. In April when I was diagnosed with LOW iron I started a liquid iron supplement called Floradix. I now call it miracle in a bottle. I have also probably tripled my daily protein intake. The problem has always been that I eat what I want. And what I want really has no protein. So I had been experimenting to find something with a lot of protein that I preferred over foods with no protein…and I have FINALLY found it! ARCTIC ZERO…oh wow. With 16 grams of protein and 150 calories a pint…you can eat the whole pint in one sitting! no joke…It is like a frozen protein shake that tastes like heaven. One or two of these a day for the past few months…something feels different.

Huge thanks to David and Krista for another awesome Luray weekend! It was great to see so many friends and familiar faces out there on the course. And big Congrats to teammate Dirk De Heer on his Olympic finish!

Up Next: Iron Girl, August 22, 2010

Previously Boulder 5430 Half Ironman, this race was no different than years past. I was excited motivated and I predicted a very fast race. The fast part came to a screeching halt during a very hot run. I started in the 12th and final wave, so the good news is I would have people to reel in all day long. At the start of the swim the announcer asked who is going to lead this swim. I enthusiastically waved my hand but it was a joke. I never considerd myself a fast swimmer, But with the Sweet Xterra Vendetta and some hard winter work, I was turning into a different athlete. As the gun went off, I attacked hard and fast and realized my turn over wasnt slowing down. I bumped into countless other athletes from multiple waves ahead but I kept going strong. I exited out of the water in 26:39. Now you might question the validity of the swim course but based on what the swimmers are capable of, this was right on. In comparison, I exited among the times of several other pro men and had the exact same time as Tim Deboom. I flew through transition and boarded my trusty steed. I built quickly into a fast and powerful rythm. Here comes mistake #1. The pro men were starting their second lap as I was starting my first. I saw Richie Cunningham and we played back and forth for a while and I decided to put in a short strong effort to drop him. It didnt work but none the less I rolled on and we played cat and mouse for about 20 more miles. Then a pack of 5 pro’s rolled by, 1 guy seemingly doing the work and 4 others not working as hard but also just outside of draft zone. After they passed I realized I was reeling them back in and instead of being caught in the middle I kept going past them, then they would all pass me again. what? Mistake #2,  I put in a very strong move for about 20 seconds to try to gain some distance, and yet they passed again, I sat up let them get some distance on me before I continued my race.  I started my second lap alone and kept moving through the field but some of the very high efforts were playing catch up. My 26.8mph Average for the first 30 miles was evaporating and I just wanted to hold on. I headed back to T2 with a 26.1mph average, an improvement by 4 minutes on this bike course for 2:08. I headed out of T2 with a full water bottle and a gel flask. My thirst was unquenchable and my legs were not my usual running legs. (seat height adjustment on Thursday?) I found a rhythm after about 3 miles it lasted for about 4-5 miles and then painfully and tiredly I trudged on. It was a death jog with a run time of 1:30 compared to last years 1:24. I finished in 408:48 for 13th Overall. I finished to the same exact second as last year, How is that possible. My run didnt show up and it cost me dearly. I know what I am capable of, what my training indicated. A PR in the swim and the bike was negated by a painful, fatigue induced run. This will be fixed.

Half Max Nationals October 2nd Myrtle Beach

Jim Hallberg-Longmont CO