Saipan, the aftermath

It's never a good sign when you wake up and it's raining, and it looks like it has been raining all night.  Mother Nature had decided to show who's the boss and the perfect riding conditions were now out the window.  As I set my transition, it kept raining and I was even a bit cold.... The swim was waiting for us and with the current, i would have to make sure I was heading the right way.  After the first buoy the current was carrying us away towards the second one at a fast pace.  At one point my good friend Al was next to me, not sure if he was trying to knock me out but ultimately I think he got behind me and drafted me. After the second turn, the water was shallow enough for me to dolphin dive and I realized that I was going faster than people trying to swim.  After two laps I was out of the water and on to my bike, still greated by rain.  As I exited the first off road section onto the road I took the curve and my wheels went under me. The result was a 10 foot slide on my right side, clipped in my pedals and fast approaching a concrete wall with my head.  Luckily enough I stopped and after dealing my chain ( pro Olivier Marceau suffered the same faith as me 30 second or so before but had a broken chain refraining him from continuing)I got back up but missed a turn, which cause me to have to turn around and lose valuable time. 

 Then came the second crash into a technical section with the result of a broken spoke on my rear wheel.  I was starting to wonder if my run of bad luck would finally stop!  It took me a while but I finally caught up to what I thought was the front of the field for age grouper and after passing the last guy, I thought I was in command.  On the back side of Tapachou I even caught up to a Korean pro in one of the tricky section. I finished the bike bang up and didn't know how much gap I had created with my field so now wasn't the time to take a break.  I headed on the run, happy with my first mile time, which would decrease once in the jungle. The footing was treacherous and very slippery but I manage a good run, rain helping to cool off the conditions.  I crossed the finish in 3:23 happy to find out that I was the first age grouper to cross the line and knowing I had just punched my ticket for Maui.  As for the usual suspects, Al had a great race despite the conditions and he finished first in his age group, also good for a ticket to Maui.  Allison ,who was in great shape coming into this race and battled today's adversities like a season veteran was also able to earn a slot for Maui.  Last but not least, legendary GL Brown came through at the finish and earn his slot.  

As for me those last two weeks of racing and training were very successful with two top finish this early in the season, I couldn't be happier.  Congrats to all the racers today who fought a hard battles in harsh conditions and let's not forget the volunteers who did an amazing job. Happy Trails! 

Carpe Diem

Scouting report: Saipan run course

The run is always special here in Saipan.  First it is hot, no two ways about it, secondly it's challenging as you run over jagged rocks, coral and the like but lastly you get to run through a cave tha was used during WWII, anf that folks, you just don't get that anywhere.  So yesterday  Al, Daz who's a pro from England and myself decided to run the course.  Just like the bike course, I thought that the run course was well flagged.  I also remembered very quickly that there is a lot of climbing on that run.  As well, you need gloves to deal with "death valley".  Now,  we have named that section a few years back as it's very treacherous to go down.  Think dry creek bed, going down hill with drops, jagged rocks and coral.  That's also where you will encounter the cave section, which is lit by candle light on race day.  The race course was dry yesterday and probably in the best shape I have seen these past years.  Runners beware, once your out of the jungle, you're still not out of the woods as a very hot beach run will be waiting for you.

I went out today and rode the first half of the bike course with Al, it was still in very good shape ( the course that is although Al is doing great as well) So race day is almost upon us, stay tuned for the post race report, until then happy trails !

Carpe Diem

What to do the week before a race

I was asked to write this blog for XTERRA Island to help first timers getting ready the week before their race.  I'm happy to oblige and give some pointers from the trial and errors that I have encountered along the way.  If you are traveling a long distance to a race, try to get there at least a week prior in order to acclimate to the new location and adjust to the time change.  This is something I try to do as often as I can.  Another suggestion for race week is if you're going to do any long training sessions, do it earlier in the week.  This will give your body time to recover before the race. It is also a good idea to pre-ride bike course, especially for an off road triathlon.  This is probably one of the most important tips I can give to a new triathlete. If the course is long and you do not want to tax your body or have time, you can always break it down into sorter sections to ride/run during the week.  It is important to know the course route, what the terrain is like, where the important shift changes are and what obstacles you might find in technical sections.  Generally, if I can't ride a technical section during my pre ride, I likely will get off my bike and run it.  When you preview the run course, it is good to assess where you can push yourself and where you may need to slow down.  Every run course is different and one of my favorite is the Guam course.  For this course it's important to preview the run especially if you' ve never run down waterfalls.  Its a little difficult to try and figure it out on race day! In regards to the swim portion of the race, I try to swim a few times during the week.  This can be done in a pool or an open water swim, such as the ocean. 

So let me leave you with an example of my preparation This week for Xterra Saipan.  I took a off day Monday due to racing Tagaman on Sunday and I pushed my body pretty hard. If haven't race the previous weekend, Thursday is usually a good day to take as a rest day.  On Tuesday, I rode the whole bike course with pro triathlete Ben Allen.  It was a great opportunity for me to learn from him and he promised he'd take it easy.  Then on Wednesday I ran the majority of the course (all the off road section) which I followed with an open water swim.  As for my plan on Thursday,  I will probably ride half the course to relook at some of the trickier sections. The day before the race which in this instance is Friday, I always keep things light. I will typically do a 30 minute bike (easy spin), 15 minute run and a 15 minute swim earlier in the day.  Then I try to stay off my feet and out of the heat as much as I can.  During this time you can think about your goals or setting some realistic goals for the race.  It's important to remember to have fun and enjoy the day.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem 

Scouting report, Bike course

I was fortunate enough to have pro Ben Allen from Australia to ore ride the course with yesterday.  After a cup of coffe at our local hang out we were off. Good friend and local Kimiko was also along for the ride although she would leave us half as she wasn't planning on riding the whole thing. Saipan was hit by a tropical storm roughly two weeks ago but the outstanding job from the volunteers made the bike course well marked and rideable.  It was also nice to be able to chat and ride with Ben and get a few tips.  I think that's why Xterra races are so great, you can actually ride and talk with most of the pros. The first half of the course was quite smooth and after a quick stop for cold drinks, it was time to assault Mt. Tapachou.  The road up is usually rough but this year they are in the process of paving so the road was flatten and sand had been placed over which made the climb, shall war say more manageable.  We were greated by GL and Allison at the top, as they had employed a better mean to get up there.  After a few photos, Ben and I were off heading down hill.  The downhill path was a bit more dense with foliage but with saw Bobby and her crew doing some clearing, which should make this perfect for race day.  Even the deep muddy rut laced with coral were for the most part rideable.  Overall, the bike course as it stands is in good shape and well marked, but as we all know, it could all change come race day.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Tagaman Olympic Tri, when the stars aligns

Today was the Tagaman 70.3 and Olympuc distance in Saipan.  I opted for the Olympic distance for a few reasons.  16 hour time change is not the easiest to get used to in short notice.  30 degree weather in 93 percent humidity is great but I didn't want to wreck my body as I have Xterra 6 days from now. I was fortunate to have my good friend GL driving to the start of the race at the God awful time of 5 am.  The races starts at first light to try to take advantage of  cooler temperatures.  Swim is 1500 meters and it was mass start.  Tide was fairly low but I was still able to swim for the most part. NOw I'm not the fastest swimmer but I think I was holding a pretty straight line as I saw a beautiful blue star fish on my two passes. As I exited the water I had a respectable 28 min swim, now the real work would start.  Unaware of my position I forged on the bike, slowly passing a few people. As I was approaching the turnaround, I could see only two riders ahead of me, placing me in third overall. After the turn around it was time to turn the heat on and me and my trusted steed forged on, passing the second place rider in short order.  I caught up to the lead rider and decided to push and see how he would respond.  I passed him but he stayed hot on the trail, even in my draft which not allowed.  On the other hand, I had a motorcycle escorting me as the lead racer and I thought that was pretty special as this doesn't happen very often.  I came in transition just over an hour and after a quick change, I was out on the run with my motorcycle ahead of me.  I wasn't deceiving myself as I knew that the racer I had past would get to me at some point.  By mile two I had been past and looking at his speed, there was no way I could even hang on to it so I kept my pace.  At the 5 km mark, which the turn around for us, he kept going, for some reason he had missed the 180 degree turn. He was too far for me to let him know so I started the journey back, fully prepared to let him pass me for the win as he deserved it.  I never saw him, I think he ran so far that he probably didn't want to come back.  Can't say that I blame him.  My lead motorcycle was back and after a quick glance behind me, I couldn't see anyone close. I ended up crossing the line in  a respectable time of 2:22, good enough for first place overall with the usual suspects waiting for me as they had opted not to race.  Very happy with the race overall under some very hot conditions with not a cloud in the sky.  A big thank you to the owner of Brabu Pharmacy here in Saipan who loaned me his road bike and to Nick for his bars. Stay tuned for tails from the trails as I will be back in the saddle Tuesday to pre ride the XTERRA course.  Happy trails!
Carpe Diem

Where it all started......

5 years ago I landed in Saipan, was lucky to merge the Moores and Browns, survived swimming in a tsunami, than went on to survive nuclear meltdown in Japan while vacationing.  Fast forward five years later, I'm with the Moores and Browns but I hope no calamity will follow us.  After 27 hours of traveling we arrived late last night, GL will arrive tonight.  I'm racing the Tagaman, Olympic distance on the road this weekend and will race XTERRA next weekend. Went for a very short run to pick up my loaner road bike from the owner of the Brabu pharmacy, which I can't thank enough and also went swimming.  I put my Mtb together and as I was tightning the screw for my seat post collar, it broke in half. This mean it will be another trip to the bike shop......  The weather is great and tomorrow I will go for a lite ride to make sure my noble steed is in good running order.  So stay tuned for more adventures.  Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

The fast approaching season

It's been a while since I have done a post.  The off season coupled with the winter almost makes me hibernate for a while.  The start of the season is fast approaching for me, as in about two weeks I will be heading over to Saipan, one of my favorite racing destination for an Olympic triathlon followed by Xterra Saipan.  Nothing beat the sun, beach, warm weather and the atmosphere.  It also means that I get to the the usual suspects and make new friends.  Sadly I will not be able to continue on to do Xterra Guam this year as the races are two weeks apart. If you ever have a chance, I highly recommend both of them.  Some other races on the program will included Xterra South East Championship, Victoria, Boise, Quebec and hopefully Maui.  I also plan to squeezes a mountain bike race and maybe a fondo.  So I have been training hard and hope that it will pay off.  I have also started taking some great vitamins from USANA.  People always ask me why I take vitamins I usually answer the following: I take vitamins so my body can perform at his best, recover faster, boost my immune system so I don't get sick.  Finally, even  eating right, the reality is that farming practice today doesn't yield the same that 50 years ago.  I have been very happy with my choice to the point that I am now distributing USANA .  So if you're curious or are interested in vitamins, check it out at www.fortier.usana.com I'd be happy to help you.  The beauty is that USANA distribute in many countries around the world.  Stay tuned for more blogs as the season ramps up, hope to see you along the way.  Happy Trails!

Carpe Diem