TRI PHX Fitness Lifestyle Coaching – Road Races – Triathlons – Events

50k with Karno

50k with Dean Karnazes (center)

According to Kristen: "A marathon just wasn't enough of a challenge for Brett, so he decided to run farther".

Bravado aside, that really wasn't the case. I'm not even a "good" marathoner yet, and still need some serious work to get anywhere near my 3:30 goal. Heck, I still haven't broken 4:00 yet. This was going to be the year that I went under 3:59:59 and erased the mistake of a 11-minute average for the final 3 miles of OBX to finish at 4:05... but something much cooler came along.

When I realized Karno was coming to town, I knew I had to seize this opportunity to run with him. When Dean was doing his "50 in 50", I hadn't gotten into marathons yet and missed that opportunity... I wasn't going to let this chance pass.

PF Chang's Rock 'N Roll Marathon is a huge event; with the full and half marathons combined (not to mention the 150 ultra runners) '10 was the largest running event in the USA.

This year, my goal was to break 4:00 and sneak up on 3:40 or so. I felt pretty confident & strong overall even though I hadn't run much since Ironman AZ 6 weeks earlier. I'd done a handful of tempo runs from 6-12 miles and a knocked out 20 two weeks before race day. I can't say I trained hard, but I figured my full-body workout routine would make up for the "rest" I'd given my legs after IMAZ.

I drove down to the start with my buddy Brian Cook who was shooting to break 3:30 and possibly go as low as a BQ 3:15:59. Parking was pretty easy to come by; the 50k started an hour before the marathon. Aside from Brian's Honda showing "0" miles to go before empty and being stopped by an officer for going the wrong way on a one-way street (it was closed, and we were going 5 mph) it was non-eventful. Free, easy parking is a bonus but the real win is the line of port-o-johns with no line right at the edge of our parking lot. The 50k runners had a VIP area pre-start, but I hung out with Brian and ate/drank and got ready. He accompanied me over to the start and we got a chance to meet Dean and get an autograph. He's in phenomenal shape and is shorter than I expected. I've read a couple things that were a little critical of him (Born To Run and a few articles online) and I will tell you that he's a pleasant, nice guy. Pre-start and during the first 4.6 mile loops he was chatty and friendly with those around him. He was there to have fun and be social, and he succeeded. I walked away with a positive attitude towards him, 'nuffsaid.

The aforementioned 4.8 miles was a series of 5 loops from the start and out about 3/4 miles. Yes, it was boring - but I had fun chatting with a guy "Dave" from Ontario. He came all the way down for a warm winter marathon and was a perfect pacesetter for the "ultra" part of the day.

After about 40 minutes of running, the ultra runners had about 20 minutes to kill before the 26.2 start. We had a little VIP warming tent with space heaters, mylar blankets and Cytomax. The one thing that kinda sucked was that the port-o-johns were 100' away and all too visible to the half-marathoners that were starting one block South of us. The line for the 3 bathrooms was 50-deep and 6-wide; there was no way I'd make it through the line before the marathon start. The half-marathoners weren't in a rush - their event didn't start for over an hour.

One thing that seemed like it would be pretty cool about running the ultra was the Corral #1 start - it's almost like an All Access VIP pass that allowed us to cut to the very front of the line and mingle with the elite runners. Unfortunately, it also meant that the first mile was going to be "run like hell or get run over by thousands of faster runners". My buddy Brian was literally dead-center of the first row so he was easy to find - but I knew that I could only hang with him for a few hundred yards or the next 40k or so would be pretty ugly. I made it about 50 feet from the start and was reading the back of his shirt "Keep Me on Pace to Boston". He literally took off like a shot and made the turn North onto 7th and that was the last I saw of him.*

While I may have survived the initial onslaught of runners, I had to deal with about 2 HOURS of runners passing me - that really irked me. It wasn't that I cared about being passed (I've gotten over that) it was the feeling that I was in everyone else's way or somewhere I didn't belong. I kept reminding myself that I had already logged about 5 more miles than any of these fresh legs bounding past me, but the truth was I just never felt comfortable. Most races it takes me 3-4 miles to get in a groove, this time it wasn't until mile 30.5 that I felt "good".

I've run the PF Chang's Rock 'N Roll Marathon 3 times and trained on the course a handful of times; I know the parts that I hate all too well. Mile 15 through the park is where the pain starts and the rest of the race is usually just "embracing the suck". I was actually pretty pleased that with the extra 4.8 miles I was hitting this area at about 20 and didn't feel as bad as I had last year. Of course it didn't hurt that I was going so slow - I still hadn't found anything that even resembled my normal pace. Speaking of slow, I had a basic goal of keeping my 50k time under 5:05 which was my Ironman AZ run split.

At about mile marker 21, I saw the 4:00 pace group rumble past and started reevaluating my goal. I attempted to latch onto the 4:10 group... then the 4:15 group and finally the 4:20 before I realized that I just didn't have anything in the tank. My hips were on fire and my legs were getting heavier each step I took. I finally convinced myself that running for 5 minutes and walking for 1 would be the best way to tackle the last few miles. While I wasn't thrilled with the prospect of a 4:30+ marathon, I didn't finish in pain, and I was really looking forward to placing my commemorative 50k medal around my neck... and got a note and an apology instead.

I found out earlier in the morning that they opened the registration from 50 participants to 150 - and apparently they didn't get any more medals. The note I was handed said we could expect our medals in the mail in 4-6 weeks. So, after all that effort I walked away empty-handed and pretty disappointed. Even the slowest race is made a little brighter by a medal and a "congratulations"... a red slip of paper and an apology clearly didn't have the same morale-lifting effect.

*Brian ended up shattering his initial goal of 3:30, but missed his BQ by a little bit. He went out a little too fast and at one point was 10-15 minutes ahead of his projected finish time and it caught up with him in the late miles.

The Ironman Bike – Life, Death & Hope

Ironman AZ '09

There are two stories behind the bike I rode at Ironman AZ 2009; one that's known to many and one that up until now was only known to those very close to me.
While trying to figure out a good way to raise funds for The Prostate Cancer Foundation, my buddy & co-worker Jack Harbaugh popped his head in my office. During our conversation I mentioned putting the names of friends & family that have battled cancer. Jack's family has been touched far too often by this dreaded disease, and his sister was days away from getting the great news that she had beaten her recent battle with breast cancer.
Sadly, it didn't take long for me to put together a list of friends & family that have battled cancer. Some names are in honor of those who are battling for their lives, some have won, and some names are in memory of those who were taken from us. I was able to raise $1600 through Athletes For A Cure for The Prostate Cancer Foundation through the generous donations of my friends & family. Here's the full list:

• Nelson DeAngelo
• Jan Bodyk
• Art Beaumont
• George Walick
• Carol Gregor
• Shawn Garcia
• Leo Plante
• Dorothy Peter
• Mike Yuchunas
• Tricia Harbaugh
• Jack Markin
• Tom Ross
• Sharon Grady
• Frank Casarella, Sr.

My uncle Leo Plante passed away the night I was installing the names on the bike.

While that might be an inspirational story by itself, there was another layer to the title of this post: Life, Death & Hope.

You may notice I don't call this bike "My Bike" - while I do own it, I know it belongs to another triathlete who died in a car wreck just before Christmas in '08. (names witheld for privacy) His wife was too broken up to see his bike hanging in the garage every day, and asked some of her co-workers to help her find a new home for his bike. Through a series of events, this Guru Cron'alu came into my life, and I sold off my own bike to purchase it. I felt from day 1 that this bike was special; and I promised myself that I would do something its previous owner would have loved to do - finish an Ironman.

Ironman AZ Transition

On race day there were several times when my energy level was fading and I drew inspiration from the names of those who have had a REAL battle on their hands; Nelson DeAngelo fought off prostate cancer, Carol Gregor is battling pancreatic cancer, Shawn Garcia fought cancer through grade school and was taken way too young. I also knew that I had a promise to keep the real owner of this bike, and there was nothing that would stop me... even my own bad luck & stupidity.

Flat tires are relatively common with 2400 racers biking 112 miles in the desert; and smart racer makes sure to have plenty of tubes and air to get them through the event. When my rear tire started thumping on the stem at mile 60, I was very zen about the whole thing... I figured I'd take my time and change it - no need to rush. I ran through the normal procedure for swapping out a new tube and got the bike back together within a few minutes... and then I realized the stem on my tube was too short for my rim - I couldn't put air in the tire. With the help of a race volunteer; I was back rolling about 40 minutes later.

While I was waiting for help, I had only one fear: "I might not finish this race". I was initially upset for selfish reasons - I wouldn't be able to call myself an Ironman - and then I centered on the promise that I had to fulfill. It was right about that time my helper appeared out of the blue and fixed my tube. I'm not claiming anything supernatural happened, but I'm really glad for the outcome.

Guru & Me

Tonight, I am writing this as I am stripping the stickers off the bike in order to sell it. I know I'm only removing the decals, the names will remain with this bike forever.

CrossBall – A NEW Fitness Game!

Working on your core is B O R I N G. Crunches? Puh-lease. Planks? Yawn. Swiss Ball? Snore-fest.
@jason_warner & I believe in "making workouts fun" (see video) and want to get a full-body workout in as little time as possible.
Enter CrossBall: 2 guys, a medecine ball and a lot of fun.
Below are the rules & gameplay, while we've refined it over the last few games it's still a bit of a work in progress. Feel free to give some feedback (@triphx on Twitter or triphx@me.com) Work your core, have some fun and compete to win!

CrossBall Field

Ironman AZ – A Dip in Tempe Town Lake…

Ironman AZ (Steve Poirot photo)

I like Tempe, AZ - I really do. As a college town/tourist destination it's one of my favorite places to bring visitors and for events (SOMA, Nathan Tri, Pat's Run, PF Chang's Rock 'N Roll Marathon, etc.) The atmosphere in Tempe is wonderful for athletic events - ASU has such a lively sports scene and there are always spectators for any race I've done there. Tempe Town Lake is a pretty backdrop to the downtown Tempe area, and Town Lake park is a great place to watch the boats float by.

Swimming in Tempe Town Lake is another thing altogether.

I've done plenty of tris over the years, and each one has a swim that I mentally rank on water quality. I don't think I've every really rated the best & worst until now... here goes:

The BEST swim courses:

1. Litchfield Hills Olympic Triathlon - Litchfield, CT. Drinking quality water in spring-fed lake. Gorgeous!
2. Blue Water Triathlon - AZ/CA Border. Crystal-clear Colorado River & swim is with current.
3. Tribal Sprint Triathlon - Lake Pleasant, AZ. Amazing scenery, nice course
4. Ridgefield Triathlon - Ridgefield, CT. Nice, wide swim lanes & clean water. Beach exit means sandy feet at T1.
5. Timberman Triathlon, Lake Winnipesaukee, NH. Gorgeous lake, friendly course layout close to shore & shallow. (my first tri!)

The WORST swim courses:

1. NYC Triathlon, New York, NY. Hudson river. Yuck. Water is disgusting, floating debris (shopping cart, watermelon, plastic bags, etc.) Just a hideous place to have a swim. Water quality abysmal, actually stains swimsuits and exiting swimmers have a "grime line" across their faces.
2. Bassman Half Iron Triathlon, Absegami Lake, Bass River State Park, NJ. Man-made lake that is only open to swimmers during the event. The water is shallow and the whole swim is spent with weeds wrapping around arms & legs. The visual is even worse - all the stumps of the trees the cut down sprawl below you in the murkiness and look like giant creepy spiders. It's a positive that you can stand at any time during the swim - until you run into someone who is standing in a swim lane catching their breath. It is also a very strange sensation to drag your hands on the bottom during a stroke. After the race, police officers forced people out of the water that were trying to cool off. I reiterate - they don't allow swimming in this lake except for the event. The beach is actually fenced off. It seemed like they were hiding something. Also google Absegami Lake, NJ and read the Sasquatch stories.
3. Long Island Sound, Bridgeport, CT. I've done about a dozen tris in Long Island Sound up & down the CT coast, and some of my favorite events take place in the dark, salty water (Hammerfest, SoBe). The Park City Mossman takes place in one of my least favorite stretches. In '07, the tide was so low that some buoys were actually on dry land. We were forced (allowed?) to run/walk between the swim segments. During some of the "runs" your feet got stuck in some muck. Yuck.
4. Tempe Town Lake (SOMA, Nathan, PBR, Ironman AZ, etc.) While I characterize the water as "not that bad" it is very murky and you can barely see your hand in front of your face. What's worse - you can barely see the foot that's about to hit your nose. I love Tempe, and will continue to do events in Tempe Town Lake - but I need to admit that it's not an altogether pleasant swimming experience.
5. Winding Trails Tri, Newington, CT. (a 10-race series on Tuesday nights) The water itself isn't all that bad, it is average fresh water lake quality. The reason this race makes the list isn't because of the long weeds in the deep area (creepy when you first touch 'em) it is because of the tiny swim lanes. Here's the math: .25 mile swim with (2) 90º turns in swim lanes about 20 feet wide + 100-200 swimmers in a mass start = a washing machine like no other. While Ironman may be 2200 more people at once, Tempe Town Lake is massive and people are also not all-out sprinting the 2.4 miles. In Winding Trails it is a 110% sprint to the first corner with limbs a-flailing. I'm pretty sure I got pummeled by one of my best friends at one race (thanks Erik).

So, what is it like to hop into 60º water and slap/punch/pull & kick 2400 people? Actually - it's not that bad at all. Most Ironman entrants (1800 first-timers in '09) seemed to understand that we're all in this together and swimming over other competitors wouldn't help anyone. Yes, the water was really, really cold. This was not the coldest water I've been in (Hammerfest '08), but there was nothing that could be called "pleasant" about the water temps. The amazing part about the chilly water was that only 60 days earlier during Nathan Tempe Triathlon the water was almost 20º warmer and wetsuits weren't legal. What a difference a couple dozen cold desert nights can make. I was thrilled to wear my long-sleeve Xterra Vortex2 wetsuit. That wetsuit is comfy, buoyant and warm. It is probably a fast wetsuit on a decent swimmer... but I am pretty slow. I was pretty pleased with my 1:32 swim split, only 2 minutes off the mark I'd mentally set for myself.

Up next: It's not the swim that hurts... it's the turns!

Ironman AZ Recap – Part I (What/Who Got Me Here)

A little housekeeping is in order prior to writing the recap of Ironman AZ '09.
First off, if it wasn't for Newton Running I would not have been able to participate in this race. As you may know, Ironman sells out in about a half hour ('10 sold out in 25 minutes) and I wasn't even considering doing an Ironman when the date to register in person came & went in '08. Imagine my surprise when I found out on Twitter (via @sirisaac) on August 2nd that I won free entry courtesy of Newton Running! The thrill of the victory was soon followed by the reality of training for an Ironman in 3 months. In honor of Newton Running getting me in the Ironman, I decided to make a statement about my love for their shoes by getting their logo "N" tattooed on my ankle at the same time I got my M-Dot tattoo.

I also would be remiss if I didn't take the time to mention the sacrifices my family had to put up with during my training. My wife Kristen (@vivistewmom) dealt with my crazy training schedule that required me to be up and out of the house for swimming or running sessions at 6am every weekday and my long runs & bike rides on the weekends that forced me to be up before the sun as well. I missed a lot of quality family time on the weekends with 3-hour runs and 4-5 mile bike rides. Even when I was able to make it home, I was a little worn out from all the energy expended. I also don't want to gloss over what a tough week it was leading up to IMAZ with my "taper/temper" and the nervous energy, lack of sleep and moodiness. When I don't exercise, I am miserable, the butterflies of an impending 140.6 surely didn't help. The weekend of a big race (Marathons, 70.3, IM) is also shot - Saturday involves expo, registration, bike drop-off and other preparations that chew up the whole day. With a 13+ hour event like Ironman, all of Sunday is gone too.

I left my house at 5am and returned home at 11pm - that's a long day "at work". I also was able to lean on a great training partner, Jason, (@jason_warner) for my mid-day "boot camp" workouts. I firmly believe that my success at Ironman was largely due to the strengthening of my core from the daily misery of our lunchtime training regimen. Another big thanks to Jase for coming to Tempe with Kristen and Vivi to watch me finish and drive my car home. After 13:38 of torture and 5000 calories burned I was in no condition to drive a standard transmission FJ Cruiser the 45 minutes home.

Last, but surely not least, I need to thank Laryssa (@RysAZ)  for being there when I needed a friend most - right before the start of the swim. Laryssa is a co-worker of mine and volunteers every year for IMAZ as a wetsuit stripper. She came to Tempe about an hour early to see if she could catch up with me before the start. As luck would have it, in a sea of 2400 racers and 1000+ volunteers, Laryssa was directly in front of me when I was at the height of my nervousness. I may not have looked like a basket case on the outside as I was trying to keep it together - inside I was a mess of butterflies & self-doubt. Prior to seeing her, my confidence level was at a 3 out of 10. With Laryssa's calm demeanor and knowledge of the even I was able to boost my confidence up to a 7. I can't begin to relate how much of a help she was in my completion of the Ironman.

Next up - A dip in Tempe Town Lake (with 2400 of my closest friends)

Ultra Marathon with Karno!

Do you have a "Bucket List"? Since I've "started my life over" from 2000, I've had a short list of things I wanted to do (in no particular order):

1. Skydive [Check] (w/Mikey D in '06)
2. Race a Triathlon [Check] (NYC w/ESPN Tri Team in '06)
3. Run a Marathon [Check] (OBX w/Erik, Mandy & Jeff in '07)
4. Drive cross-country [Check] (CT to AZ w/Kristen '08)
5. Complete an Ironman [Check] (IM AZ '09)
6. Run an Ultra Marathon
7. Run The Great Wall Marathon
8. Complete 50 Marathons in 50 States

#7 will probably have to wait until some financial windfall happens... I'm not holding my breath. #8 is going to take a while; I only have (4) states checked off my list of (50).

#6 just fell into my lap! Not only will I be running an Ultra Marathon right here in Phoenix on January 17, I will be running it alongside DEAN KARNAZES - The Ultramarathon Man!

Karno is an idol of mine; I have his autograph on my desk in my office and have read his books, blog, etc. I'm one of the extremely fortunate 50 to have signed up immediately for the Inaugural Rock ‘n’ Roll Ultra 50k.

The race format is pretty straightforward, we run 4.8 miles BEFORE the start of the marathon with Dean, then meet up at the #1 corral and start the marathon at 7:40.

Aside from Ragnar Relay Del Sol when I ran 37.5 miles over the course of 24 hours I've never run over 26.2 miles and this would be my first real "Ultra". I'll get to notch my first one alongside someone I admire, and also do my best to raise funds for The Prostate Cancer Foundation.

Dean is a supporter of the Prostate Cancer Foundation, and I'm proud to be involved with them through Athletes For A Cure. I successfully raised over $1600 while training & racing Ironman Arizona, and I will continue the fundraising through PF Chang's Rock 'N Roll Ultra 50k to reach my goal of $2500.

You can help! Please pass this link around to any or all of your friends via email, Twitter or Facebook.

Donate Here: http://athletes.kintera.org/other/triphx

From the Fat Kid to an Ironman

I bit off a LOT with the title "From the Fat Kid to an Ironman", and I hope to do 30-something years of my life justice with this post. I guess the only way I can pull this off is to give an overview and save the real substance for my book. (Note: There IS no book, it just felt cool to say that my life's story might even remotely make for an interesting read worth publishing. Alas, it's not.)

• I was a lazy, fat kid.
• I became a lazy, fat adult who smoked up to 2 packs a day.
• I didn't care about my relationships, my job or my health... then
• I found the love of my life (Kristen).
• I found the passion of my life (running & triathlon).
• Today, I'm an Ironman.

In tomorrow's post: Part I, Booey the Bubble-butt

Vibram FiveFingers – Real World Use & Review

Vibram Five Fingers' (VFF) definitely get attention; expect funny looks & questions when you wear 'em in public. I've been wearing a pair of KSO's for about 4 months and have had people shout out questions as I jog by on a path like "What are on your feet?" or "Do they work?". I was stopped on a trail run/hike/climb the other day several different times. One dad wanted to show his kids my "funny feet", another tired runner asked me: "Don't those hurt?" as he huffed past. About halfway up Camelback Mountain, another Five Finger wearer from Colorado caught up to me and we compared notes. Ray (I think that was his name) wears his for flatter trail runs with less rocks & climbs back home and was upset he didn't bring them for this trip to Phoenix. He and I talked about different uses and how great they were for almost everything... and I got an idea: Test the Vibram Five Fingers in every situation I can think of. Here's the list that I came up with:

1. Running/Walking/Trekking on grass, pavement & man-made trails
2. Sprint drills & cross-training on grass
3. Mountain Climbing, Bouldering & rough trekking
4. Rock climbing (man-made 30' wall)
5. Swimming ('Splash & Dash' style)
6. Walking, Driving & daily wear (at the office and on the weekends)
7. In the gym (and backpack to/from gym)
8. On a mountain bike & trainer

1. & 2. I run and train barefoot as often as possible, so the KSO's are a perfect fit into my daily routine. Most days I like the feeling of the grass between my toes, and switching to the KSO's might take away that sensation but it gives a little more grip and protection to my toes. Sprinting on the grass can be a little harsh on the toes as most AZ grass is a hearty, rough blade. The extra grip really makes a difference starting and stopping over bare feet.
On pavement & man-made trails the VFF's are far superior to bare feet for me. As a forefoot runner I can get away with 1-2 miles of barefoot on asphalt, but with the hot AZ sun crossing asphalt is unbearable. The KSO's make running "barefoot" tolerable. The thin rubber gives a tiny bit of cushioning, and I have also experimented with Injinji toe socks on longer runs with success. That combination works well for me, but may cause unneeded bulk between toes for others. I found it a little snug, but comfy and most importantly I could still feel the road under my feet. (Some studies have shown that with excessive cushioning on your feet you actually land harder as your body tries to "feel" the ground). The biggest reason that the VFF's are a welcome addition to barefoot-style running is the protection you get from small rocks & sharp objects. NOTE: most of the protection is to your forefoot (the pads) toe tips and heel - there is almost no protection at all for landing on a rock in your instep. The sole may protect you from a cut, but you will seriously feel anything that hits you in the arch. (see 3.) The VFF's are great overall for Running/Walking/Trekking on grass, pavement & man-made trails - Grade: A

3. My KSO's felt right at home during the ascent of Camelback Mountain, a relatively difficult climb/hike & bouldering "trail" in Phoenix. The trail starts off with about 1/4 mile of man-made steps with railroad ties and smallish boulders to climb. I used this as a warm-up to remind me where to step with the KSO's (toes & forefoot) as there's very little protection on the arch. Shortly before the 1/2 mile mark there is a steep climb on a jagged rock face featuring a metal handrail for novices. I took the steepest path and found excellent traction on my toes on the rock face and in crevasses -- this is really where I felt these shoes performed well on this trip. After that ascent, the trail turns very rocky for the next 3/4 mile. The VFF's really did well if I was cautious with my steps, and I had to be more deliberate than I would normally be with trail shoes. There was no point during the ascent where I winced in pain for stepping on a rock with my arch, the story was a little different on the way down. Obviously, you treat a descent different than a climb, and I was surprised at how much more difficult it is to go slow and land on my forefoot each step. Twice during the descent I yelped when landing on a rock in the midfoot, but no real damage was done. I had a very tough time going slow, and I found I had to be extremely careful to keep my footing each time I landed on only 1/3 of my foot. Gravity also forced the seams of the toe pockets back into my foot and that was a little less than comfy. Overall, I think they performed really well and are good for slow climbs - but I'd never use them for a run over this type of terrain. Grade: B (Ascent: A, Descent: C)

4. My lovely wife works at our community climbing wall on Saturdays, so I decided to give the VFF's a try. After all, they resemble rock climbing shoes albeit with individual toes. They should work great, right?
About 3 footholds into the 30' wall I realized the benefit of traditional rock shoes - because the toes are contained together you have a more stable platform across the shoe. My toes were too weak to hold my weight individually and there were times where I had to rush to change position because I felt my toes giving out. For a fast climb these shoes are probably great as I flew up the wall. For a slow & methodical climb they are ill-suited for the average weak-toed person. For the amount of time I trail barefoot I was a little surprised that my toes were so weak. I was also uncomfortable any time I tried to use my midfoot to support my weight as I surveyed my next handhold as the thin rubber on the instep did little to cushion the handholds. I climbed and descended the wall twice (it was auto belay, so I got more of a workout by climbing down as much as I could) and my feet were as tired as my forearms. I was surprised the VFF's didn't work well, and won't use them for rock climbing again. Grade: C-

5. KSO's float - that's really cool for a few reasons: they are excellent for pretty much anything in the water (kayaking, light canyoneering, jetskiing, etc.) and they are also really cool for a "Splash & Dash" (swim, then run). My community pool is about .75 mile from my house and I like to jog down and get a swim in. One day I was goofing off and jumped in with my KSO's on and was very impressed with how good they felt during a 1000 meter swim. Since then I've done it a handful of times and had a blast. There are actual Splash & Dash events in Tempe, but I have yet to make it to one. I guess I should ask ahead of time if KSO's are allowed. Grade: A-

6. & 7. If you don't mind people asking you questions (or snickering) about your feet, then there's no place that VFF's can't go. I wear mine to the office on occasion and my co-workers have gotten used to my "monkey feet". My training partner @jason_warner has a pair in black that really do resemble monkey feet. They are great in the gym as they force you to use your leg muscles and core for balance more than trainers - AND they can't throw you out of the gym for being barefoot. VFF's are great in the backpack - they are so light and take up so little space that they are the perfect back-up shoes if you forget your gym shoes or if someone steals your trainers at the gym while you're int he shower (happened to me) . I would also recommend carrying them on in a backpack or bag when on a long bike ride. They are a great break for your feet when you get to your location and even a great emergency shoe if you flat or your bike breaks. It's really hard to walk the last 10 miles home in bike shoes. Grade: A

8. While the VFF's provide none of the platform of a road bike shoe, they are a decent choice for the bike trainer and good for a quick ride on a bike - depending on how aggressive the pedal teeth are. I had to swap out my mtb platform pedals for a set of baskets due to comfort. I wouldn't ride all day with these shoes as there's no padding on your feet. I ended ip pedaling with the ball of my feet which is not optimal - but a great calf workout. If you're throwing on a pair of shoes to ride to the market then the VFF's will work. Anything more than a couple miles and I'd rather wear trainers or bike shoes. Grade: C

A note on wear & tear: I've worn my Vibram Five Finger KSO's for training & running a bunch over the last few months (even on 120º asphalt) and they haven't shown any sign of wear at all. Sure, they don't look brand new but there isn't any discernible wear on the soles (even the toes) and no frayed seams, etc. I'm pretty impressed with how they hold up.

During my conversation with Ray on Camelback Mountain he said he wondered how they'd hold up over rough terrain. I guess the answer is "pretty darn good so far".

Ironman Tune-Up (Wake-Up?) @ Nathan Tempe Triathlon

Sunday 9/27 was the second year I've raced in the Nathan Tempe Urban Triathlon in Tempe AZ. The race is put on by Red Rock Co., a very polished event company. Of all the races I've done, they are one of the most professional and organized events I've participated in.

My time last year was 3:04, but I sincerely didn't "push it" to hit any time goal. I've broken 3:00 plenty of time for Oly's, so I was more interested in seeing how Jason & Ilia did. I was very impressed with both of them for their first time at that distance.

This year, I was pretty positive I'd smash the 3:00 mark by at least 15-20 minutes as my training for IM AZ has been great so far. I've done more swimming & biking training than ever over the last month, so I should see improvement in both those areas. I figured 2:45 was easily within reach.

One big change for this year was the lack of any race teammates. Jason separated his sternum in a rugby game and hasn't been able to train for the last 3 weeks while it heals. I had gotten so used to having several teammates at each race when I was back in CT with the ESPN Tri Team and I took it for granted how much more fun it is to have friends at the start & finish as well as passing during the race. Without that, I felt a little selfish dragging Kristen & Vivi 45 minutes South two days in a row (bike drop-off on Saturday).

The swim was non-wetsuit legal, so I proudly donned my Xterra Speedsuit over my tri suit. It was surprisingly comfortable as it stretches far more than a wetsuit. The 0.02 speed suit is also very slick in the water, I was clearly a lot faster than I'd been last year without it. My biggest problem is swimming straight. No matter how much faster I was cutting through the water -- when you zig-zag, you make the swim longer. The swim portion may have been 1500 meters, but I am positive I stretched it to 2000 (no joke). I am actually embarrassed by how poorly my orienteering was in the water, and am thankful to the lifeguards on kayaks to keeping me on the course. I now realize how much stronger my pull is with my right arm, and how far I veer off-course to the right if I don't compensate. Since this swim course turned to the left, I was constantly VERY far from the buoys and swimming hundreds of extra meters. Getting out of the Xterra Speedsuit is a breeze; it pops right off when you pull your arm through. I was seriously impressed by how comfortable and fast this thin membrane was and how I never felt short of breath or tight in the chest. Swim grade: C-

Both T1 & T2 were around 2:10, so those are as fast as ever. I actually feel like I "took my time" in transition, so no problems there.

This was my first tri on my Guru Chron'alu tri bike, and I think it performed really well. I felt fast and comfortable for 25 miles, so that's all that really matters. I never really "hammered" on the bike, I wanted to find a speed and cadence that was sustainable for 112 miles and mentally pictured myself on the IM AZ course. Bike grade: B+

One of the best parts about coming into T2 after a good bike portion was that my legs felt fresh for the run. I was actually looking forward to a sub-50:00 10k and felt like it was within reach... until I started getting nauseous right as I was leaving T2. I don't know where it came from (GU?) but it seemed to happen right after gulping some warm Gatorade that had been in the sun in transition. This was to be one of my worst runs during a tri ever. I've had plenty where my legs were dead and even crampy - but never been sick like this before. The first 2 miles all I thought about was quitting and walking back to the start. Miles 2-3 I was scoping out a place to throw up and walk back or see if I felt good enough afterwards to continue. At mile 3 I met up with a guy named Kevin and we talked for a bit about what would be the best option. He wondered if I would be dehydrated after vomiting and have to pull out anyway, so I had to think about that.

Before I knew it, we'd hit the halfway point and were done with the first lap. I looked to find Kristen & Vivi thinking I may just stop and ask her advice, but I couldn't make her out in the cheering crowd. I started lap 2 with the grim determination to suck it up and finish. At the next aid station, I all but came to a halt and downed some water and splashed some over my head. I jokingly spiked my hair into a mohawk and figured I'd at least make myself laugh for the next couple miles. Maybe laughter IS the best medicine, because I began to feel a little better by mile 4. My nausea was gone, but I still felt queasy. Shortly after that, I sparked a conversation with another guy who was wearing Newton Running shoes (they were EVERYWHERE during the race, I estimated 40%+ of the athletes were wearing them this season) and we chatted until about the mile 5 marker when I suddenly came back to life. Once the queasiness left my stomach, I was able to run the last 1.2 in about a sub-8:00. I caught & passed the guy Kevin I talked to during the first lap. (He was very cool about it)
Me: "Hey Kevin, how's it going?"
Kevin: "Great... HEEEEY Brett, how you feeling?"
"Good, the sickness passed"
"Well, now I'm sick because you're passing me!"
We both chuckled and I sprinted towards the final turn where I had a surprise waiting for me.
Kristen was waiting for me and held out Vivi for me to carry her (yes, I slowed down) across the finish line. It was a wonderful finish with my little girl waving her hands to the cheering crowd. Run grade: Miles 1-5 D-, Miles 5-6.2 B+, Finish A+

Wrap-up: My time was about a minute faster than last year, but still over 3:00. I left a LOT of time out on the course during the swim and the first 5 miles of the run. The positive thing that I can take away from this experience was that no matter how horrible I feel if you take it one mile at a time you can handle it. The negative take-away is that I feel like I'm losing my passion for the sport of triathlon. Racing without teammates is boring and selfish and I am planning on taking some time away from tris after I'm done with IM AZ. We'll see how that goes.