Baowolf's Beginner Banquet -Sorry all tables are full no room.. (Page 31)

Hello Everyone! I have been MIA, but only online. I have been getting my workouts in and staying very busy. This weekend is IM CDA and I am a volunteer for four different stations. I am body marking, wetsuit peeling, on the bike course directing traffic and, finally, catching the athletes at the finish line. I am really excited and think it will get me pumped up. Plus I get four new shirts!

Karen-Hoping you owned the swim on your race and did as well as you wanted to do.

Lisa-I agree with everyone. When I read what your doing I am impressed and inspired. I actually think of you from time to time when I am tired or being lazy. I watched a friends kids all day this last week and was tired; everyday would be tough. You are awesome!!!!!!

Ceril-I cheered very loudly when I read about your loss of body fat. That is a huge, awesome, wonderful and amazing accomplishment. I am so happy for you!!!!!! What a different life you are enjoying now.

Steve-I also get a kick out of your rest weeks numbers. When I grow up I want to be like you

Marcus-Good choice on passing school. Seems a bit more important than a sprint tri. I hope all your finals go well.

In swim class last week I learned to not pull my forward arm until my back arm is at least past my shoulder. That has been helpful because I had been wondering about when to pull and push. I am still having a hard time putting it all together and I feel I get worse from my first few laps to the last. I am trying to think of a million things at make them all work together and when I get really caught up in it I forget to breathe. It kinda makes me laugh when I do that. Then I gasp for air. Anyway, I am gonna post my workout for the week sometime today.

Great job my fellow tri-athletes. I appreciate you all!!

Go Karen....hope the ocean is treating you well!  Let us know how it went. 

Hey Samantha, good to see you!  Way to go keeping up the workouts.  Volunteering sounds like it's going to be lots of fun, and dang that's a lot of shirts.  I guess I always figured volunteers would only do one or two stations, but it seems like moving around is more the norm.  Should be really neat to get a feel for what goes on at each one.

Wow Ceril, the changes you have made are awesome!  And seeing them happen over several months really shows your commitment to it being a lifestyle change.  Very cool!  It's so easy to get discouraged because seeing changes can take time, so remeasuring like that is a great thing to do. I tend to have to hold my tongue when friends tell me about the latest quick fix diet they are going on with no plan to bump up their activity level.  Some have good short term success, but then put it right back on. 

Steve, so is it Vineman you are doing?  Your description is really great, though does not particularly make me think I'd like to do one.  I'm curious as to why you target an ironman vs. say 70.3 or shorter races?  Did you decide that was a goal early on in your fitness journey, or only after you got stronger in the shorter events and needed a new challenge?

Did my first group ride this morning, and had a great time!  My friend bailed on me...OK, she got stuck working late in another city so I guess I'll cut her some slack.  Anyway, I was the ONLY girl there, but the guys made me feel welcome so it was all good.  I went with the C group, and we averaged 15 miles per hour over about 25 miles, which was comfortable for me and I feel like I could have kept going a while longer.  Learned a few things about hill climbing, and I'm glad my cadence sensor is on the way.  I plan to make it a regular thing on Saturday mornings.     

Good work on the physical improvements Ceril!  I'm also with Karen that that description of the Ironman length races sounds... interesting   I think I will still try for one sometime in the future though.

Karen your C rides have to be way better than mine because I went and did a C ride with the TCBC (Twin Cities Bicycle Club) and it was a 23 mile ride at an average pace of 11.5 mph, with one medium sized hill... I sort of knew what I was getting into by going with the slower crowd to start my intro into group riding but.  Yeah I think I need to up the pace and distance a little.  I was planning on getting in several more rides this weekend but I got a call this morning, literally 2 minutes before my alarm went off for my cycling plans, that I had to come into work and work the whole weekend.  Plus this is the weekend before finals when I am supposed to be studying, ugggggh!  I will ride into work tomorrow though and get in a good 16 miles each way!

I hope you all have a great weekend!

Marcus

Yes the Vineman. 

I tend to set goals that are beyond me, that take a really long time to actualize and then I put my head down and work at it until I get there.  The longer races, marathon, IM, etc. take everything you have and you have to train at them for 6 months + to do them right.  There is a point in a marathon if you are pushing hard and in IM where whatever reserves you have are gone, the training only gets you so far and then it is faith, determination and mental toughness that caries you through.  There is a sense of having completed the impossible.  Some may poohoo the grandure of completing an IM, but there are few things in life that match it.  I started triathlon training partially as a challenge, but also as a calling of sorts.  I do not know yet how God will work through me in my training/racing to reach out to others.  Perhaps this is part of it.  But I am open to his guidance and hopefully my body holds together long enough to meet more of my long term goals.  If not, oh well, it is the journey that is important.  It is not my responsibilty to win a race.  It is my responsibility to train hard, race hard and make good choices along the way.  If I do well that is great.  If I dnf that is fine too.  It is commiting to a course of action where the outcome is not really the goal.  It ends a chapter, but it is the devotion day in and day out....

There are days like today where you fall off a ladder on a pile of paint cans and tweak your ankle, your garage door opener gets all locked up with its cables and everything the kids do gets on your last nerve.  But tomorrow I will walk, jog, or run if I can, go to church, take the kids fishing maybe catch something, maybe not.  We are going fishing, catching fish is just a nice thing that may happen.  

When I started I wanted to do an a irnoman, I just didn't dare to say it out loud for the first year or so.  I wane philosophical when I am down, and you asked for some pontification so there ya have it.  For me the journey is just starting and I will ride it until I can't anymore.     

Steve, sounds like you had a rough day.  I know how that goes.

I'm back in the motions again.  I had a 3 day off period due to lack of time and somebody to watch the kids.  I could have gotten in a ride yesterday morning but made excuses not to.  This morning I would have normally swam but instead I ran.  I lied to myself and said i didn't have time (pool doesn't open until 5:00 and I wanted to be getting ready for work at 5:30) so I ran instead.  Tomorrow will be my bike/run brick as usual.  What I'm getting at is I am guilty of training what I like, and ignoring what I don't.  I haven't swam in over a week now.  It will probably be Wednesday morning when I do make it to the pool.  Looking back on my June numbers so far, I have biked only 4 seconds longer than I have ran.  I feel my bike times should be at least 30% higher than my run time.  I gotta slow down the running and get back into my routine.

Carol, sounds like a good group ride.  That's a good training distance for your Oly also.

Marcus, 11.5 mph?  How did you stay balanced on the bike at that speed?

So did I overlook the race report somebody owes us from this weekend?

I am back. I have mixed feelings about my race this past weekend. Seems every good is balanced out with a negtive. I am trying to focus on the "good". The swim: Race director said water temp was 81*F no way! But it was OK none the less. I tried to stay out of other's way as the previous weekend's race I was bumped, hit, goggles knock off a tad...but in so doing, I ended up too far out on the back stretch of the rectangle. When I noticed no one was near me (genious I am at sighting!), I realized I went out too far to the right. I still never felt comfortable enough to bilteral breathe. But the good news, my split was 2 out of 6 in my age group! GO figure! My T1 time bites. 2:25. I didn't multi task, thought too much ..blah.  The bike: I felt good, didn't push too much, tad bit of a wind. My pace was almost exactly what I've been doing 18.0 ish mph. Good pace, but put me 5/6 in AG. T2 was better 1:06, but slow when I look at other's times. The run: was a loop on the beach, my turf. That is where I train when I can. I got a PR on the 5K! 25.09 which is an 8:23 pace! I still don't believe it, as my Garmin wasn't showing that. How can that be? But...that was only good enough to get me into 5/6 in AG again. Total time for the mini sprint (1/4 swim, 8 bike 5K run) was 1:07:48. I ended up 5/6 in AG and 86/138 overall. The 1st and 2nd place women in my AG I sorta know and they are in their nth year of IM's and doing tri series as well.  They travel all around.  Of course...And the 1st place is also my yoga instructor, perfect.

But I keep reminding myself I didn't do it to get on the podeum. Last year's race...there was only one woman in my AG, of course. Growing sport, my luck. My husband was talking to one woman whom he used to work with, she does IMs (Doesn't everyone? Seems I am surrounded by them! No offense Steve.) Anyway, she trains swimmers for tris and offered to work with me this fall when she has more time- for free. Cool, won't help me with this season, but I am not stopping after my first season! So I guess all is good.

Carol and Marcus- You about have me convinced I need to revisit my LBS and see when they have group rides. I want to get my pace to where I can hold a 20+ pace.

Ceril- Congrats on your body fat loss and lower bp! You are one of our group's stars! I'll go back to my teacher drawer at school and get a gold star for you!*  insert gold star here  *

Steve- WOW, that is all I can say...wow. You should save all these inspirational soap box "talks" you give us, and write a book, seriously- save them. In a few years... who knows? I am reading Joe Friel'S Triathlete's Training Bible and rereading Tom Holland's The Marathon Method and they both remind me of you. Very inspirational, motivational, and you are gaining in your experiences that you share with other's. Just a little seed planted...

So with two races in the past two weekends I've not gotten in my long runs nor my long bike rides. Should I just pick up with my usual training this week, or try to get in a long bike & run?

Happy Monday! -Karen

Troy- OMG! What a great narration! So sorry about the swim, but we ALL know what you went through! We ALL go through it. That is exactly why I did another tri this weekend, because the OWS in a race is sooooooo different than any training. Glad you didn't give up right there! Also, injured on the run! Really?! Hope you are OK now. Your run time is super! Congrats triathlete!

My miserable race report is available for your viewing amusement: http://beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=258147

-Karen

Great job Karen and Troy.  You guys rock.  I love this sport or this multi sport.  It is great that we can all compete on the same playing field.  We get to see the pro even if its just for a few minutes in passing but we see them on the same playing field pretty much at the same time with us.  Definitely gives you something to shoot for.  

Hi all, and happy Monday!

Karen -- Very nice race!  I'll go ahead and admit it...I'm jealous of your bike times.  Hey, and you even picked up a swim instructor...way to go!  You do have some serious competition in your AG.  I did the same thing in my last swim...stayed back too much and then felt kind of alone trying to find my way.  Wouldn't it be nice to have some sort of swim GPS that would have different beeps for being on course vs. veering off so we could just swim and not worry about all that sighting nonsense?

Troy -- Wow, what a race!  And you are FAST!  We are land animals and this swimming stuff definitely takes some getting used to.  Sounds like you recovered well and persevered.  Way to go!

Marcus -- Sorry work got in the way of training .  But triathlon does not pay the bills, does it?  Sorry, the bike ride was slow.  Sounds like you need to be in the B group for sure.  I felt that way about mine a little bit....that I could have gone a bit farther/faster, but I'm sure I'll have a chance.

Dennis -- I hear you on lying to yourself to do what you like rather than what you need to work on.  I feel the same way.  It's just so much easier to fit in a run, and it's most familiar.  But I guess part of the point of this is to leave our comfort zones.

Steve -- Really enjoyed your last post....except for the ladder/paint cans debacle.  Ouch!  Hope there isn't any lasting damage.  I like that you are about the journey, and being open to what God might do through that to reach others as well as teach us in the process. 

Think I'm ready to ramp the training back up this week.  Still getting rid of the remnants of the crud, but my energy level is back.  Had a very rocky run yesterday due to blood sugar issues, but a good swim/lift day today and going to pick my bike up so's I can ride tomorrow.  My husband took my FIL to have an in depth driving/cognitive test today, and praying that will settle the driving issue for him so we can all move on with whatever the new reality is.

Thanks all, I still have a lot of swimming to learn.  I got recruited for another tri in Pewaukee in a few weeks.  This one, the swim is parellel to the beach and only a quarter mile, so I am sure it will be a lot easier.

Daughter took this picture with her i-touch. I cannot wait to see a bike pix:

(Triboy.jpg)

Karen and Troy - Wow!  Awesome job!  I think we're all our own worst critics - and with triathlons, I guess we're always trying to improve, because there will always be some way to improve!  So amazed by you guys right now.  I'm so nervous about my first race in a month, but trying to get a mindset that I'll just be there to enjoy myself since I know that I'm nowhere near competitive at this point.  Trying not to beat myself up over that and be proud that I can even consider completing a triathlon, however short.

Today's training is being interrupted by work and the fact that my poor 12 year old daughter is getting braces today.  Hoping to still make it to part of my swim class and do a short jog/walk on the dreadmill at the gym.

Carol - great job on the group ride - that totally scares me!

Took a very, very, slow bike ride with my family this weekend - my 9 year old son got a new bike that he wasn't used to riding and he's not very coordinated so we rode very very slow - I was surprised that when we got back my knees were very unhappy.  Finally broke down and got pedals and shoes for my bike, which I've decided FINALLY just to put slicks on and next year (when I'm still going strong! ) I'll upgrade.  Getting everything ready this week for vacation next week - already told the family that it'll be a training week for me since we'll be on the lake.

Stupid race question - do you really need a number belt or chip strap thingies?  

Nope, safety pins work for attaching the number to your clothes but they can make some pretty nasty holes after a few races in the expensive tech fabrics...  I went with the 8 dollar belt option.

All you racers this weekend did great and overcame some pretty entertaining stuff, at least by the narration of it.  I was supposed to race on Sunday but withdrew, before paying, to take care of my homework and it was definaitely a good thing since work called me and took up my whole weekend.  Well finals are soon and then I have a whole 4 days before my next semester begins.  Haha, I love summer break! 

Nice skull and cross-bones T-Roy!

You have sure been on the ball here recently with these speeches here Steve!  Keep up the inspiration.

Marcus

Just wow you guys are rocking the stage.  Troy, nearly 22 mph on the bike and then 7 mpm pace on the run passing a pro.   Seriously nice work there.  Man from a 9:55 marathon pace to 7s for anything half mary and shorter is amazing work. 

Karen... 18 mph on the bike 8:23 mpm on the run.  Very nice. 

You all realize that you have gone from admiring sports folks on TV to being those sports folks people admire.  Wow you are comparing yourselves to pros and folks who have completed multiple IM's.  That is awsome.  Remember though that if you compare yourself to the top 1-2 percentile and fall a bit short... that is expected.  They have been doing this for many years.  It is fun to be competitive and to compare, but do give yourself room to enjoy your personal accomplishments.  Going from 10 mpm to 7s, going from the couch to 18 mph on the bike.  Even completing one of these things puts you out of the understanding of 95 percent of the world.  Have goals, have really high goals, work towards those goals. 

But DO NOT EVER beat yourself up for not having a PR ever time you race or for not beating someone who has been at this 10 more years than you have.  We need to balance our Type A personality and our competitiveness with the enormity of the thing.  If I compare my bking to Lance Armstrong ... I will likely feel worse about myself.  If I look at my own progression in biking over the years, I will be mildly encouraged. 

So awsome job, we have some really good speed in this group.  Those of you who are still in the 11 mpm or even 14 mpm run catagory... don't worry.  We all progress at our own rate.  You will get better.  For those of you who are getting really fast, there is a danger of getting frustrated when you hit a plateau and giving up.  Some plateaus take years to work past and then one day something clicks and you can improve some more.  Just remember to not lose the FUN in Triathlon. 

So, the ankle is reasonably ok.  On Sunday I did a warm up mile to test things out and then did 11 miles at a 7:50 mpm pace.  There was a little discomfort but nothing functinally problematic.  Today's 34 mile bike ride was at 18.3 mph (less wind than usual) so I can bike as well with slight discomfort here and there.  So back on track more or less.  And we caught 1 trout.  Not great but, enough for fish dinner for two young fishermen.    

I looked back over my training from the very beginning and I have biked 12,250 ish miles on my bike now.  So my bike costs roughly $0.12 per mile at this point.  When I get it down to $0.05 per mile I can consider getting a new one... maybe.   Hrm running shoes cost me roughly $0.14 per mile.   Oh well yard work and then my longest swim of the year.  Keep up the good work!

And remember... put the TRI top on before you start the swim and ... don't try funky bike mounts or dismounts untill you have practiced them 100 times successfully!

And what is up with folks using 5 hour energy during races?  This makes no sense to me whatsoever.  I want my HR to be low relative to my physical effort.... makes me able to go farther at the same pace.  If I take something that makes my HR higher at the same intensity, I can't go as far at the same physical effort.  It can also screw up your stomach and mess with other things like how your body deals with moving stuff through your system and out.  This will obviously be more important for longer races, but I just do not understand the idea behind it. 

Good news: I will have even more time to train.  Bad news: my triathlon budget just went down.  Main contact at my main client threw me under the bus.  After a server glitch a month or so ago, they apparently set up my e-mail addy wrong on their global address book, and were appparently down on me because I wasn't responding to e-mails I never received.  Never even bothered to ask me, just broadcast to everyone that the work would move to somoene in house since I was so unresponsive.  Basically confirmed some suspicions I've had for a while.  My real boss knows the deal and is pretty steamed, but not a lot we can do about it since they are the customer.  I've asked to transition off what's left of the account, which probably means little to no work since business is slow.  Think I'll go for a bike ride!  Good thing I already and have two more races prepaid for this year.  Hmmm...and what was it I said about training not paying the bills?...kind of prophetic!

Marcus-Perhaps you've already said, but how much longer doyou have to take classes, and what degree? Schooling definitely comes first.

Samantha-How'd the volunteering for the CDA gothispast weekend? Hope you had fun and learned a few tricks along the way- if so, do share!

Carol-Thanks about the copliment onmy bike times, seriously I wish it ws faster. It is a tad discouraging whensomeone flies past you in a race. Just something for me to work on. I loved your GPS swim idea! lol

Troy-Great pix your daughter took. Don't take this wrong, but you have nice calves. It is obvious you are an athlete and should be very proud of that.

Ceril-You have come a long way, you self acclaimed ex-couch potato! I hope you are proud of your accomplishments. You will be fine on your first race, remember to smile when you cross the finish line!

Ceril- about the belt and ankle strap.  I have both.  My belt,I bought at a half mary expo a year ago cost was about $12- it has a zipper pouch that will carry my iPhone and GU.  I like it better than just an elastic belt with no pocket to carry things.  I use it when I run and ride, as I always have my phone with me and I don't like the arm straps, I had one, chaffed me. As for the ankle strap:  I bought one at my first tri- expo again. It was only $5.  I wanted it instead of the plastic straps they were giving out.  You know like what you wear in the hospital, or if you go to the fair and get an arm band? I felt that might cut into me. But it is not a necessity they give you something at the race to wear if they use chips at all.  If you had to choose, I'd say get the belt- don't want holes in those expensive tri/running shirts. Besides, if you use the safety pins on your clothes, the underside could rub you and cause problems.

-Karen

I am also known as t-bone.  And a lot of my avatars are the skull and crossbone.  I even have a tatoo of one on my back (it winks) :lol:

Thanks Karen for the compliment.  No worries, i wouldn't take it the wrong way. .  We should be comfy telling others that they look great, that means they are doing something right and most likely good for them - positive energy.

As for the 5hr energy, I am trying to nix it.  But phycologically it helps me.  And I only take a sip of it, not the entire bottle (there was some left in the bottle when I finished the race and I dumped it).  So I am weening it a bit.  I promise not to use it at Pewaukee.  Doc orders right Bao

Marcus, school is important, but there is always time for exercise.  Make yourself an hourly schedule (like something you see in your outlook calendar).  Schedule your classes, meals, sleep, etc and you will be surprised how much time you actually do have.  I used exercise as a "review session" right after reading or classes when studying for my actuarial exams.  You will be shocked at how much you retain in the review when your heart rate and blood flow increase.  Goog luck!

I am making up my Marathon training soon, as it is 19 weeks out.  An 18 week program and trying the Hanson Bros "Less (mileage) is More" approach.   Check it out at Runners World.  My max mileage is 16 miles!

I always wanted to make up a quote about this, but cannot play with words too well (Math geek):  "When I cross a finish line, it reminds me that I need to start something again".

Steve - Glad you were able to continue your running plan despite the ladder and paint can mishap. I am also really glad you were not really hurt!

Troy - your race narration was so much fun to read and really allowed me to visualize what you were doing and going through. Thanks for the details; your experience helps me know more about what to expect, or at least be prepared for. I am glad you did well even with the swimming being challenging. Your numbers are excellent! And your calves are ripped

Karen - you are rockin the ocean swims.

Carol, Dennis, Marcus - the groups rides sound appealing and I think I am gonna look at finding one around here. I am so slow and could really use the extra push. The spin class pushes me, but I know there is nothing that compares to actual road experience. Great job you guys!

Marcus - Please do tell us about your schooling. It sounds intense and who's idea was it for you to have a 4 day summer? I thought Troy had a great idea for you to schedule in workouts. I do know, however, how difficult time management is, but I want you to do well in your races

Ironman CDA was AWESOME!!!! Seven years ago I sat in the bleachers watching people come across the finish line as tears of joy and inspiration rolled down my cheeks. I was so moved and my friend turned to me and said, "it makes you want to do one, doesn't it?" I said, "yes it does!" I have been traveling the path of that desire ever since. It has been so slow, but slowly my lifestyle is changing and Sunday was just a strong reminder to me of where I want to be in the next few years. I loved being out there. I loved seeing the athletes and knowing, on a small scale, what it took for them to get to the starting line. I was there at the beginning and caught many of the athletes as they crossed the finish line. It was an emotionally charged day for me and I left fulfilled and utterly exhausted.

Take aways:

-when swimming in really cold water: 50+degrees wear any and every piece of gear they will allow.

-Thank the volunteers and let them know I appreciate them and their encouragement.

-Show up early and get everything set up so I am not running around 10 minutes before the race starts.

-Be prepared in my heart and attitude for the potential of being a dnf. (40 people were unable to complete the swim before the cut-off. The water was sooo cold).

-Know what pace I need to maintain for each leg and work to maintain it.

-Have clothing for different weather conditions.

That's all I can think of right now. The hard part is realizing what I learned applies to an IM and things are quit different in smaller races.

Swim class is so awesome. Today we practiced sculling and kicking. He talks about the need for kicking in tri-swimming, but it is no where near as much as regular swimmers. I am seeing some sweet improvements in my ability to move myself down the lane.

Life is good and I am enjoying this journey!

My friend did CdA and said the cold water was humbling.  He said he got so cold at points he couldn't move his legs and barely could turn his arms over.  He puked a little on the second lap of the swim from it.  The worst part was that during T1 his hands were totally numb and slowed his transition down from 2 minutes to over 6 minutes.  He said the cold was unbearable.  He's been training in 90+ weather so he was not ready for it at all.

Get on that group ride thing.  Once you find them in your area you might be surprised how many there are going on.

Congrats Karen and Troy on your races last weekend!

Bike questions: 
1.  My seat post keeps sliding down as I ride.  Any tips for keeping it up?  It's tightly clamped, so I'm not sure why it keeps slipping down.

2.  Tips for putting the front wheel on so that it doesn't come loose in the middle of my ride, but not so tight that the brakes rub?  Do I need to take it to a bike store for an adjustment, or am I the problem? 

Lots of good discussion.  Wow 1 am already.  Funny how a 10 mile run and 35 mile bike can kill your evening when you get out of work at 8pm. 

Sorry to hear about the job issue.  Customer entitelment is a huge problem and really sucks.  Personally if someone gives good service to me I am loyal and will let them know.  If there is a problem, I will politely let them know, perhaps they can fix it. 

So the minimal training plans for marathons and HIM or IM are against my philosophy.  You can complete a marathon, HIM or IM on a minimal training plan... but you need to realize that your time will be slow and you may spend time walking.  If you are cool with that or have time constraints it is a way to go.  Just know that you will have to really cut your pace down if your weekly miles peak below 50 miles per week and your long run is 16 or less.  This is my bias, so definately go with what you think is best for you.  My philosophy is to get to the starting line ready to race the event.  That said completing a marathon even if you walk the entire thing is still a big accomplishment.

I hope that my statements above have not scared folks off from HIM, IM or marathons.  The sense of accomplishment of any of them is amazing.  I just don't like to encourage people to blindly go in undertrained and have a misserable day.  For my first IM I ran the entire marathon and kicked the last 6 miles.  I was chatting with a guy at the start of the first IM, he beat me out of the water by 10 minutes, biked 45 minutes faster than me and walked the last half of the marathon costing him 4 hours.  He undertrained the run and biked too fast for his training.

So my advice will always go in with a little higher mileage than a little lower mileage.  But real life can get in the way and people have different goals than I have.  My other biases are to build slow to lower the risk of injury.  Injury sucks.  My second IM was 8 weeks after a calf pull from trying to climb a steep hill to fast.... rip.  I walked my 20 miles a week and was able to build a run/jog to a long of 10 miles.  I was able to run the entire marathon of the IM that day as well, but it was slower and though I still kicked the last 6 miles, it was not that much of a kick. 

My build slow, steady, change your lifestyle to support the race distance you like and stay healthy enough to see improvemen philosophy is what I have learned over the past 4 years.  The younger you are, more naturally tallented and genetically resilient you are, the more you can cheat on this and get away with it.  Being son number 3 I have learned that you put in twice the hours, push twice as hard and eventually you can pull ahead. 

Oh, I would take the bike to the bike shop and have them work out the bugs.  They will be able to do it quickly without stripping anything.  They may find a crack in a nut head or something that they can replace for a couple bucks and save you replacing an overcranked bracket. 

Last year CDA was cool 59F water, but it was the 2 foot wind rollers blowing you off course that frustrated me.  I mean they were fun to surf down wind, but up wind they blew me way wide more than once.  Lots of hills on the bike too.  The road was in really good condition though and I will probalby go back some day. 

Sorry didn't mean to single you out on the 5 hour energy.  I just worry that folks use those on longer events and develop all kinds of stomach and other issues. 

Oh sleep here I come.