neurosis of a triathlete (ironman cozumel eve)

Like Dustin Hoffman in Rain Main, I find myself walking around mumbling numbers –  sleepless and restless, thinking about numbers. What are the target numbers, what’s a stretch goal, what is an optimistic number? Can I swim in average time or am I going to be the last 10% again? Is the condition good to do an amazing fast time on the bike or will the wind damping any numbers there? Run training has ranged from 6:40-8:30 long runs. What pace should I do in Cozumel’s humid and hot conditions – after a 112 mile bike? What time should I get up the morning of the race day? How many calories should I consume – day before, breakfast, during the bike and run? How about electrolytes? What about frogs? I like frogs. Number, number, numbers.

The Scene

El Cozumeleno resort is situated at the northern part of the island. Its classic Mediterranean architecture is dressed in peach tones and pastel stucco of the Caribbean. It sits on top of its own private and well-manicured beach. The northern beaches are very rocky and El Cozumeleno’s beach probably being the least rocky of any near-by resorts. No matter what, the palm tree lined beach with the warm turquois water can’t be beat. Although showing its age (probably dating back to the 80s), El Cozumeleno is pretty amazingly well kept. A legion of staff keeps this place humming all day, from cleaning to preparing for meals to hosting to entertainment. With an all-inclusive, a drink, snack, or meal is at your whim. Everyone is amazingly friendly and helpful. It’s roughly a three-mile walk to downtown Cozumel or an 80 peso ($7 US) taxi ride. From what I can tell, this is probably the best option (amenities, beach, and location) of the race host hotels, which is on the run race course.

Downtown Cozumel also has a bit of past prime feel, but more authentic then say Cancun or Playa de Carmen -- just on the other side of the water. The streets facing the sea are lined with restaurants, bars, jewelry, Cuban cigar, and souvenir shops all designed to attract the cruise ship passengers. Although vocal, the hawkers of goods are not as aggressive as their counterparts in Playa de Carmen. Booze flow freely here and is extremely affordable. It is a key ingredient to the lively atmosphere at places like Senior Frog or Margaritaville. For a more genuine Mexican experience, walk back a few blocks to where the locals live.

Ironman Cozumel is a clear boost to the local economy and the locals will tell you it’s important. More importantly, they celebrate the event as though it is a national holiday. Everything gets a fresh coat of paint and decorations go up. Energy begins to build at the center of town as all the preparation for the races begins a few days before the race. People are genuinely supportive of the athletes. I’ve arrived a week before the race and every bike and run I did was met with claps and cheer as I went by with shouts of “Ironman.” With only a day to go, I can’t even imagine what it’s going to be like with the majority of the island descending on downtown Cozumel.

The Numbers

Less than 24 hours now. I’m feeling dazed from several days of sleeplessness (less than 4hrs of sleep each night) trying to force myself to the “Ironman time” with no success – last chance to bring this together tonight (or totally be in a bad state). In my current haze, even the neurosis of numbers begins to wane. So what are my goals? Truly, I would like to set a new personal best time for an Ironman and at each leg. How that would break down is something like this, including transitions:

• Swim – 1:30
• Bike – 5:40
• Run – 4:50

Now on to the final gear check and check-in.

training to be a super hero (road to ironman cozumel)

My nieces and nephew decided one day to do an intervention and asked me why I always wear super skin tight clothes.  Are you trying to be a super hero or something?  I looked into their inquisitive eyes and answered with a resounding yes.  Ages ranging from 5 to 10, I get rolling eyes from the girls and a very energetic challenge from the 5 year old boy to demonstrate my abilities.  Apparently, demonstrating I can out run a 5 year old wasn’t sufficient for him.  Even though, I made it definitive.

Fast forward, I find myself as a mild manner product owner for an amazingly awesome social entertainment site by day (http://live.xbox.com/AvatarEditor/ even if I say so myself) and a super hero in training by night.  The journey for super powers so far has been unsuccessful.  I found it difficult to create a radioactive spider (all squashed by my wife), find a government program for super soldiers, or search Ebay for super hero gear (at least nothing in my price range).  So I reflected inwards and meditated on the great teachings of George Lucas -- still nothing.

Disheartened, this was the year to admit to the kids I didn’t have super powers.  Then there were some glimmers of hope.  In April, after a couple of years of no progress, there was a new personal best at 1:36 for the Race of the Roses half-marathon.  A glimmer.  Stagnant on the bike and not looking to see any improvement on long course triathlon races, I clocked a sub-2:30 for 56 miles (Ocean Shores Half-Iron Triathlon) with pace of near 23 mph (with winds blowing 15+ mph).  With a personal best half-iron run, I took the win in my small age group.  A glimmer.  Then a fateful decision in late July, I will do Grand Columbian Iron-Distance triathlon in September and Ironman Cozumel in November.  From zero to two iron distance races in 4 months.

I was discovering my inner force (thanks George).  Training was going well, even with only 6 weeks to prepare for the Grand Columbian race. I was knocking out the fastest training runs and rides in two years.  Then 4 days before the race, I started to come down with a cold.  Things looked hopeless the day before the race with headaches and congestion, making it hard to breathe.  The weather too wasn’t going to cooperate with winds constant at 20+ with gust upwards of 40 mph.  Even so, I made a go of it.  With only 50 people racing at that distance, it was unique to be able to know where you were within the group.  It was a fun game of counting.  Here’s how my race went: came out of the water in 43rd after a 2.4 mile swim, I had 112 miles of biking and progressed up to 18th, after 10 miles of the run I was 8th overall and tracking all the leaders on the two loops out and back, at mile 12 I was thinking of who ahead would blow up and allow me to continue to progress up the ranks, at mile 15-18 I blew up and was doing the zombie walk from sleepiness (sleeping only 3 hrs the night before), after heavy doses of cola I started running at mile 18 and finish 13th overall after the marathon.  In the end, it was one of my most fun races, even if it’s not my fastest.

With less than 8 weeks between races, including recovery and taper, what would Ironman Cozumel look like?  Unfortunately, I came out of Grand Columbian with a knee injury and my rush to start training again resulted in an ankle injury as well.  Now with two weeks remaining, my knee and ankle are still injured and slowly mending.  Of course, I had to significantly reduce my run and bike volume to allow my injuries to recover, which will make doing an Ironman more challenging.  At least, I had time to get some swim coaching (from Ben Bigglestone from VO2 Multisport), hoping to offset the reduced run and bike training.  With some tweaks to my technique, in training I noted some of the fastest continuous 100 yard times.  A glimmer.  So with only two weeks left until Ironman Cozumel, will the glimmers of strength within win or will the injuries and race conditions prevail.  Oh the drama -- stay tuned.

In the end, I hope I can show my nieces and nephew that everyone has super powers deep inside.  So if you wonder where I’ve been, why I’ve not blogged.  I’ve been training to be a super hero.

definition: super powers – going beyond what you believe is possible.

good on ya mate (new zealand southern alps with pedaltours)

For those comic book fans, you don’t have to create a ray that bends time and space or duplicate people or worlds to create an alternate reality. All you have to do is jump on a plane and head to New Zealand. New Zealand is reminiscent of a Bizzaro world to our own (here in the States), mostly the same but quirkily different.

There are the basics such as their summer is our winter, they drive on the left side of the road, and even the water spirals in the opposite direction. If you dive deeper, you will find even more abnormalities. Customs officers who greet you with a smile and a story when you enter the country to the hotel staff that wants to strike up a conversation about where you are from to the smiley moms and kids at the park that always say hi. That’s some strange stuff. It’s one of those places you still feel comfortable leaving your doors unlock and where police officers, although austere, still don’t carry guns. Weird. A country where the sheep population almost outnumber the people and a country so stunning, even on the rainiest days the veil of rain and clouds cannot diminish its beauty. A true Bizzaro world and the reason we came to this alternate reality.

Select full screen to get the best experience.



The Expedition

We had 3 weeks’ time to explore New Zealand both the north and south island. We started with the north island and down time in Auckland to acclimate to the summer weather, culture, and language (yes, it’s English), but also to discover a bit about the north island lifestyle. Then head to the south island to cycle (and hike) the high passes of the Southern Alps, guided by Pedaltours, a New Zealand cycling guide service.

The tour of the Southern Alps is made for cycling enthusiast (with daily rides of 40 to 95 miles with some challenging climbs), especially cyclists who enjoy beautiful scenery and gourmet local foods.

Tip: Train and be fit enough to ride some of the most amazing routes you can imagine. Riding in the shuttle is not fun and if you want a bus tour, there are other cheaper options.

The Cast

Traveling is about the people as much as it is about everything else. Most of Pedaltours’ customers are from the States, which was true for our group as well. We had 4 Americans, 2 Brits, and our New Zealand guide. The trip is on the more expensive side, so it attracts a more affluent group, which you can translate as older. The median age would be around 50 and Isabella and I being the youngest of the group. With enthusiast cyclists, age really doesn’t matter.

The biggest expectation difference in our group was probably the divide between casual socials and cycling focus adventure versus the formal intellectual interactions and plush daily comforts. In the end our guide, Bill, was able to bridge the gap to keep the tour interesting for everyone.

The guide sets the tone for the group and Bill is a good guy to have on this tour. He’s a well-seasoned guide and has ample knowledge of the area, history, and culture. Bill is personable, always willing to joke and tell stories. He is also forthright and calls out issues for the group that sometime can make you squirm in discomfort until you get to understand that’s his style. He is the young travelling backpacker (at heart) still looking for an adventure and you get to see the experience through those eyes, which is great.

Tip: Each group is going to be different. Come with the willingness to get to know people and leave personal baggage (strong personal beliefs) a home.

The Adventure

The adventure is in the not knowing. Not knowing how challenging the climbs are, what you would see, or who you would meet are all parts of it, but sometimes the wrong turn or adverse weather is also what makes the adventure exciting and fun.

The window of our trip was just bad in terms of weather. We had a low pressure system that created typhoon like weather. We had torrential rainfall for multiple days and in one of the wettest area we had something like 44 cm (about 17 inches) in one day which led to epic flooding, but the consolation was that it was warm and manageable as long as you don’t mind being wet. When the rain subsided a little, we had epic winds that were constantly blowing above 25 mph and gusts that were fearsome when you were descending some of the long steep descents. In the first week, the wind was mostly at our backs, but when we change direction to head back up north, they were suppressive. For me, it was great fun and good training for my offseason.

I rode most of the course, except for the areas deemed to be hazardous to attempt (floods or landslide risk), and covered nearly 700 miles (around 1100 km) on the bike. Most days you can do many thousands of feet of climbing and I wanted to do them all. Porter’s Pass was around 3000 feet (930 m) in one climb, which was probably the biggest, but there were many that rival that as well. You can get your heart pumping in the climbing or on the amazing descents. There is no better way to see the New Zealand countryside and mountain ranges except on the bike.

Farming still plays a prominent role in New Zealand. No matter what size farm you run, you can still make a reasonable living on a farm. In the final days of the tour, you get to stay on a farm and talk to the farmers about their way of life. You get a voyeuristic view in to someone else's life and a much deeper appreciation for New Zealand and its lifestyle.

Check out http://www.pedaltours.co.nz/southern-alps-15-days/ for the details of each day. When it wasn’t raining, I quickly pulled out one of 4 cameras we brought with us on the trip (none waterproof). At the beginning is a montage of photos and videos of our 15-day adventure, giving you a glimpse of what we saw each day of the trip.

Tip: You have to have that adventurer's spirit or else this is not the trip for you. 

Tip: Bring good rain and wind gear no matter when you go. The rainforest rains around 5 meters a year, so expect it to rain when you are there.

Tip: For 3 weeks after Christmas, New Zealanders go on holiday and the single-lane highways are super busy with buses and campervans. Pedaltours will likely avoid this time for tours, but we did experience that traffic as our trips ends a few days after Christmas.

Tip: If you like crispy bacon, New Zealand is not where you are going to find it. In most restaurants and cafes, the bacon is more flavorful than the one we have back in the States.

Tip: Try the flat white coffee, which has a more refine foam then cappuccinos and lattes with generally more milk. It’s something unlikely to get outside of New Zealand and worth trying. Generally coffee in New Zealand lacks the caffeine punch of its counterpart here in the States or Europe. You may need an extra cup.

Tip: Letting the ingredient shine often means little seasoning. Generally New Zealand cuisine lacks a bit of salt. You can always add it. For bold flavors, pastas are generally a good choice.

Tip: Although, not part of the tour. New Zealand’s best degustation menu can be found at Pescatore in Christchurch. Probably one of the best 9-course meals we’ve ever had anywhere and we love food. There were great complex flavors and techniques rarely used except on Iron Chef. The wine pairing also gives you a good tour of the country’s wine regions. It’s not cheap, but worth the outing, if you enjoy food.

Tip: Don’t say trash, use rubbish. Rubbish is used extensively in conversation as well, which as you may guess is a negative term.

The Final Word

This is a must do cycling tour if you are a cycling enthusiast and want to see some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, meet great people, and enjoy a variety of cuisine. The measure of a great trips are the memories (which we have many) and how homesick you are at the end (we were not at all ready to go home). It was an amazing trip. Probably the only drawback of this trip is the cost and it being out of reach for a younger clientele.

In the end, who lives in the Bizzaro world is hard to discern, is it us in the State and Europe or the New Zealanders. One thing is for sure, New Zealand is beautiful, peaceful, and its people are friendly and welcoming.