| History |
| I started running in January of 2004 to get in shape. I had gained too much weight and felt terrible. I was able to run my first 5K 3 months later. 2 years later and 50 lbs lighter, I have continued to push for greater goals and have run 5 marathons and I am training for an Iron distance triathlon now. Everyday I wake up with a positive attitude towards life, training and my future. |
| Marathons Completed |
Arizona RockNRoll 2007
Salt Lake City Marathon 2006
Steamboat Marathon 2005
Boulder Backroads 2005
Las Vegas Marathon 2005 |
| Why do I Tri? |
| Should be why do I want to Tri? I want to see just how far I can push myself. With everyday I am in the best shape of my life. And I'm never going back!!!! |
| Sponsors |
Elite Family Fitness-Canon City
BB's Tanning and Massage
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| Scheduled Races |
Littlefoot Triathlon
Bolder Boulder 10K
Highland Ranch Sprint
Boulder Long Triathlon
Redman Iron Distance
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I Don’t Wanna Stop
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| Bolder Boulder Race Report |
| May 30, 2007 |
 Bolder Boulder 2007 has come and gone. It was a record breaking year for the race, with over 50,000 participants. Could this be the largest 10K run in the world or what!!!!! I attended the race with a few friends and family. The atmosphere race day was electrically charged. Everyone was smiling and getting ready to have fun. It is so great to see so many people in the race - people that, just like you and me, are trying to be healthy and fit. The Bolder Boulder is a 10K like no other. There are a lot of participants that run the Bolder for a great PR. The event is run in waves with the first waves all requiring a qualifying run time from somewhere else. These participants run fast and hard, some reaching their PR some not. Times of 30 minutes are not out of the ordinary for the fastest of the runners in wave A. Those in the farther waves run for fun. The farther back you are the harder it is to run all out. There are just too many people to run through, zigging and zagging from person to person.  The route is lined with local bands and attractions. There is the Blues Brothers, Elvis, the Belly Dancers and the Slip and Slide. Ordinary locals in their front yard with food and water, cheering everyone on. Running with costumed super heroes, men in kilts and Marines in formation keeps the race interesting. Their is always something to look at during the Bolder Boulder and if you have not done it yet then plan on it for next year. Our Tri Club put 4 people in the race. Everyone did very well and enjoyed themselves. We have yet to get out times for the Bolder Boulder. The race timing is having a technical problems with the server and soon should be up and running. Afterward we enjoyed the festivities at Folsum Field for Memorial Day. There were skydivers and an Air Force Flyover prior to the professional elite race. Alan Culpepper held on to 4th place With the Moroccan runner coming in just under 30 minutes for the win.  This was a very successful year for the Bolder Boulder. Boulder Colorado is one of the most beautiful, friendly, and healthy cities in America. So, Hooray for another wonderful year. And I hope to see everyone again next year and let's make it even bigger. I will post our times as soon as I am able to access them. For now it is back to training and racing. CIAO
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posted by Mondo @ 8:07 AM   |
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| Hump Day |
| May 23, 2007 |
It's going to one of those dreary days today. The weather is suppose to be cold and rainy all day. Well - we have had some great weather up to now so I can't complain. No-one listens anyway. I got in the pool again this morning. I figured I would get in a usual workout. Warm up, drills, kick, some intervals, cool down and leave. Well-------
Did you ever notice, that when you are in the pool and alone everything is fine. You swim at a comfortable pace, concentrate on form and make it from end to end. But wait - let's throw in another swimmer in the lane next to you.
Let's start by making that swimmer in the lane next to you a poor, slow swimmer. What happens to your swimming? Well for me I don't tend to go much faster than when I am alone. However I do tend to concentrate on my form more so that I look better in the water. Yes this is a little vain but what the heck. If I am going to do this triathlon stuff I might as well make it look good.
Next let's change to a proficient swimmer. Maybe a little faster than you are. What happens to your workout? Well for me - and this happened this morning - I ended up trying to catch up to him and match his pace. I was pushing past my normal speed, getting a little sloppy and actually getting slower as time went on. Why is it that egos are so strong? It is good to push harder and try to stay up with faster swimmers. I felt good that I was able to keep up for as long as I did. I even learned a little from watching him.
Anyway - It looks like I will be running in the rain today. My friends look at me like I am crazy. but hey - maybe I am in a way. I need to run, bike and swim in adverse weather conditions. Otherwise, come tri day, if the weather is foul it will not be as big a shock to my system. Tonight I'm back in the pool again. Not too much swimming, more coaching. CIAO ! |
| posted by Mondo @ 12:48 PM |
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| Big Swim |
| May 22, 2007 |
Back in the water Monday morning. I'm feeling pretty good, however my legs are a little sore from my bike on Sunday. That's OK - I won't be using them as much in the pool.
I scheduled a long swim for the morning. With a 300 warm-up and cool-down. For my interval set I wanted to get in a total of 1800 yards.
At first, after getting in the pool, I got my warm up done and felt pretty good. I figured on doing 9x200 intervals to get to my total yardage for the day. After starting my first interval I started thinking to my self. I said, Self - why no do 700 yards straight and time it. So off I went. After doing the 700 yards I took a look at my watch and it showed 11:22. Now that is more like it. I knew that the swim at Morrison was an abnormality. I really can swim a lot faster.
I did a second set of 700 and fininished off the day with a 400 and a 100 yard. Cool down felt great. I felt like I accomplished something. I felt strong again. Keep rocking and keep training. CIAO! |
| posted by Mondo @ 3:59 PM |
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| Awesome Ride |
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The weather Sunday was awesome. I was down in town about 8 am and looking forward to another ride down the rode. I wanted to push a little harder today, I'm still working off the energy from last Sundays Tri.
Mark and Mary showed up by 8:30am. Mark is quite the cyclist and I have only been with him on one ride so far. He is a tall 6-2 or so and has those long legs for running and cycling. I wasn't sure how fast he wanted to ride but I found out pretty quickly after we left.
We left Mary to ride by herself and planned on going out about 15 miles or so. I needed to be back in town reasonable early. Marc quickly took the lead and pushed the pace to around 22-23 mph. I wasn't even warmed up yet. I tucked in behind him and paced myself well. I pulled in front for a while with him drafting on me. His height makes it harder on him to draft off of my bike - worse yet is that I am on 650's and he is on 700's, that puts him up another couple inches.
I noticed that my bike was considerably faster that his road bike on downhills and straights at the same pedal stroke.
We turned at the 16 mile mark and headed back. There was a slight headwind and we worked harder on the way back to town. The hills really burned on the way back - but that could be because we we pushing so hard. My quads were toast by the time the last hill came up.
All in all the ride was pretty awesome. It was nice to have someone to push with. I have been training by myself for too long and really enjoy getting my butt wooped once and awhile. |
| posted by Mondo @ 3:47 PM |
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| Race Report |
| May 14, 2007 |
Little Foot Triathlon
The Little Foot Triathlon was held on Sunday. There were about 200 participants in this years event. The weather was real nice with a low in the morning of about 60 degrees. The water temperature was 58 degrees.
After spending the night in my car waiting for the gates to open to the park, I pulled into the parking area and started getting ready. I was surprisingly calm for the first triathlon of the year. I felt that my training had prepared me for this event.
After getting my timing chip and body marking I got my transition area set up. With the water temperatures as cold as they were I brought my full wetsuit to swim. I noticed that some were wearing long-john wetsuits and 2 brave souls were only wearing bathing suits. Once I got in the water I was happy that I had my long sleeve wetsuit - the water was really frickin cold. I dunked my head under and felt my breath go away. My face was so cold I could not move my lips right.
The coldness of the water had a bigger effect on me than I thought. Once our wave started I started swimming and felt that I could not get my breath. This same thing happened last year in Steamboat and I have no explanation for it. I was once again forced to swim side stroke off and on for the first 200 yards. Every time I tried to get into rhythm I felt that I could not breath right and would go back to side stroke. After the first 200 yards I finally got my rhythm and could swim well. I did get blown off course for the final stretch and ended up to the right of the finish by about 100 feet. I was very happy to be out of the water and into transition.
The bike segment was a whole lot better. I did not get a chance to check out the course so for the first lap I did not push real hard. The 2nd and 3rd laps were awesome. I passed quite a few other riders. I was out of the saddle on the hills and in aero for everything else. The total ride took 49:15 for 15 miles. Not my fastest but there were some hills to deal with. I think I could have pushed harder and I need to do that - I tend to hold back and that is something I need to work on.
T1 went very quickly - even though I had to tie my shoes. Since yesterday I stopped in at the shoe store and got my elastic laces. The run was fairly good. Once again I should have pushed harder. I could not feel my feet until the half way point. It really is weird running and not being able to feel your feet. The run was mostly uphill for the first half, Enough to slow me down. I was able to stretch out my stride on the way back down and finish with a pretty good time.
I learned a lot from the first tri of the year and will have to adjust my training to progress. I need to get in the open water more - I am not sure if the temperature of the water affected me or if this is some kind of anxiety. Last year at Prospect Lake I had no problems with the swim. Then at Steamboat Springs I had the same thing happened to me. I feels like my chest is tight and I cannot get any air. But after about 200 yards I feel better and can swim without any problems. So I need to get in the OPEN water more. My bike is pretty good but I do need to push harder without holding back - same goes for the run. I do need to start getting more brick workouts in.
I finished at 1:36:46. My age group 40-44 was real competitive. I finished 13th out of 17. But if you look at the 35-40 group I would have finished 6th out of 16. I guess I should feel lucky since about 12-14 people were fished out by the boat. I really do think the water temperatures had a lot to do with it. But I will find somewhere and someone to swim with open water. When I get this fixed I will then be close to placing in my age group. In a pool I have no problems going fast and finishing strong. |
| posted by Mondo @ 8:30 AM |
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| Must Swim Faster |
| May 09, 2007 |
Back in the pool - thinking about the open water swim on Sunday. Trying to stay focused.
In the lane, water is a little warm this morning.
Time for warm up - steady, straight, feeling tight.
Up the lane slowly - checking form, doing good. Breath right, breath left.
300 yards warm up done. Feeling better - loosened up. Standing in the shallow end thinking about Sunday.
Time for drills - arm lead, head down. Relaxed, rotating the body, pointing the belly button. Blow out completely, suck in quick. Keep the head down, legs up high. Swimming downhill. Underskate, Double and Triple. Relax. Breath.
Intervals - Today time trial - 1000 yards. Nervous, thinking about Sunday.
Start TT - long form, strong stroke, hold the water, pull through with the body. Feel the water on the surface of my hands and arms. Feels good. Throw in a good kick. 100 done, still strong. Feeling good, form , form, form. Pull, pull, pull. Breath right, then left. 300 done, still strong. 50 build/ 50 decend. 500 done. How is my time? No time to look - keep swimming.
600 down and still going good. Breathing a little harder now, try to regulate and breath out completely. Mind starting to wander again. Pull it back in and focus. Focus on form - high elbow catch, steep angle in, reach for the other side, pull through. Focus, Focus.
800 down - getting tired now, can' stop. MUST go faster. Have to finish strong. 900 done, push harder for last 100, push harder, legs cramping, shake it off keep swimming harder. last 50 - spint to the finish. DONE !!!!!!!!!
1000 yards 15:35
Time for 100 of kick drills - pretty tired. Cool Down 300 yards. REady for coffee and the rest of the morning off. How great is this sport !!!!!! |
| posted by Mondo @ 10:27 AM |
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| Weird Weather |
| May 08, 2007 |
Is it just me or is the weather really getting to be weird?
On Sunday it was a typical Spring day - the morning started out clear as a bell - temps were a little low around 44 degrees with a slight gentle breeze. I left on a ride up to Red Canyon and back with a few friends from the Tri-Club. The ride is about 28-30 miles with lot's of hills on the way out and a nice ride on the way back. the ride out was great with most of us shedding jackets about half way because of overheating. After turning around the wind hit us squarely and the coats went back on.
Wind, now there is a force of nature that is really started to get on my nerves. I know, everyone tells me that the wind will help me to build muscles quicker. Adds to the training, adversity builds stamina, blah, blah, blah. I don't really give a sh**. I can't stand the wind. No matter what direction I am headed, the wind is always there in my face. This morning the weather man stated that there was not wind predicted for today. So what did I have on the way back from Pueblo - that's right - WIND!!!!!! Is there any particular qualifications for weather man or is it really just a guessing game.
Anyway - Sunday's ride was great. It is nice to be riding with other people now. Riding completely by myself can get real boring. So after the ride I headed home - the weather remained OK for most of the day. then about 7:00pm it starts snowing. It did not let up until we had 18" on the ground. That's right 18 fricken inches of snow by morning. that shot my training for the day since I could not get to the pool. What a lousy way to start the week for training.
Today I got in about 30 miles. The speed was pretty good going out. Actually I was wondering why my speed was so high on the way out. I averaged 22.5 mph up to the half way mark. I found out quickly when I turned around and was faced with, yes you got it, a strong headwind. I am not one to complain but for the love of God, could I have one ride without wind. I pushed the speed anyhow on the way back and ended up averaging 19mph, not bad considering the wind. |
| posted by Mondo @ 11:36 AM |
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| Transition Zones |
| May 03, 2007 |
Last night I held an informal class on Transition Zones. I have spent some time practicing my own area but never really sat down to write out how I do it or what I'm thinking. So last night I was able to explain the transitions but fumbled with it. So today I am writing down my thoughts on transitions.
Pre-Race preparation is the hardest for new people to figure out. It is an individually formulated setup. Everyone has a different way of setting up there little area of transition. Some of the key points to remember - Keep it as simple as possible, limit the clutter, be very organized and anal about your transition area. I use my transition set-up as a meditation time. I try to zone out as I go through my transitions in my head.
Finding your spot to set up a transition area is very important. Transition areas are set up as open racking or racked by groups. Regardless, get there early and find an area that is easy to find from the point of view of the exit from the swim. Look for landmarks that will help you find your bike as you exit the swim. Look for trees, signs, port-a -potties, trash cans. Anything that will point towards your bike when you are tired from the swim and not thinking straight. After finding that special spot of yours it is time for set-up.
I like to lay out a large towel next to my bike. This serves 2 purposes; 1- it helps to dry off you feet, 2- it marks your private boundaries, giving you a small space all your own. Set-up your bike equipment so that it is easily accessible and in the order that you will put it on. Your helmet should be upside down on your handlebars with the straps out, gloves and sunglasses inside and ready. Water bottles and food that you plan on carrying should be mounted on the bike, bike computer cleared and ready. Bike shoes can be mounted already or open on the towel for quick entry. Have a separate water bottle and towel ready for washing the dirt off of your feet before you put socks on. If you plan on eating something after getting on the bike - pre tear open the package so that you can have it in your mouth while running with your bike to the Mount line.
Next to your bike gear - have your running gear ready. Shoes with laces untied, race number belt or running shirt with number already pinned, water bottle for running, hat, watch, whatever you need for the run laid out so that the T2 will go smoothly. Wearing a Tri-Suit cuts down on your transition times as does the race-belt.
Practice, practice, practice. As you run up after the swim, strip the top half of your wetsuit off, pull the rest off when you get to your area. Baby Oil or PAM helps this process. For the first few times - take your time and get it right. You have one shot to get it right and move to the next event or screw it up and half to take even more time. So relax, take a deep breath and go through the process in your head. Coming in from the bike, stand up in your pedals and stretch about 1/4 mile out. Reach down and loosen up your bike shoes before dismounting. If you feel confident - practice pulling each foot out of the bike shoes while riding. When you get to the dismount area, just swing your foot over and run in your sock or bare feet back to your transition area. Not only area you out of your shoes already, but you will be able to run faster without the cleats.
Only practice and races will make this process smoother. Transition times will affect the shorter sprint races more than the longer races. But if you take it slow and easy your transition will be smooth, without complications. BE METHODICAL!!!!!! |
| posted by Mondo @ 3:06 PM |
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| I'm Back |
| May 01, 2007 |
Hey, how is everyone doing?
Sorry for the absence, my life has been a circus lately and I was needed as the Clown.
Let me get things caught up to date --->>>
Last week was a pretty good training week. After completing the 50 mile bike ride last week I felt real good. On Monday I got in around 2600 yards in the pool. Felt good and feel that my stroke pattern is getting better with each swim. I got in a 5 mile run on Monday afternoon with 8x30sec fartleks. Tuesday was a terrible snow day as you read in my last blog so training was limited to 40 minutes on the trainer and 4 hours of shoveling. What Fun Eh!
Wednesday believe it or not was pretty nice outside. I got in a good swim in the morning - mainly working on technique and sprints - I was back in the water with the Tri Club in the evening for more yardage. I got in another 5 mile steady run that felt good. Thursday I was back on the road and did hillwork for 10 miles. The total ride was about 1:15:00. There was a fair amount of wind so the ride was that much more challenging. Friday was in the pool again - I got in about 2000 yards again - following my training schedule. The swim felt particularly good on Friday - After work I ran 6 miles and that really felt good.
Sunday I got in a long ride again. I left town with the Tri Club but they were only doing 40 miles. I finished with 56 miles - the amount for the Half-Iron. There was again a fair amount of wind and it was pretty hot outside. The ride felt good and I did a 10 minute run-off afterwards.
Monday 4/30, I took the morning off from swimming. I was pretty dehydrated, weak, tired. I hydrated real good during the day and completed a 5 mile run in the evening. The run felt pretty good, I was a little sore but tolerable. I kept thinking about how I would feel during the half-iron and pushed myself harder.
Today - feeling great. Got in another hard bike uphill. Total time was 1:10:00, pushed up the 8 mile hill harder today. Felt my legs burning, cramping. Pushed harder, pedal evenly - up out of the saddle - pushing harder. Felt great. Here is where it gets weird - I felt a different vibration coming from my rear wheel. Pulling over and looking at the wheel there was plenty of air but the tire was no longer tracking even - it was like someone had stuffed it with a sock - lumpy. I took it off and looked on the inside and found that the Kevlar braid was coming loose. Looks like I wore out a set of tires. Time to go tire shopping again. :-)
Tomorrow I will be back in the pool. I will need to swim hard and long in the morning. I need to make up for the day off. For now, until tomorrow - CIAO
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| posted by Mondo @ 4:24 PM |
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| About Me |
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Name: John Maynard
Home: Canon City, Colorado, United States
About Me: In 2008 I completed a full Ironman. Since that time I have continued to keep myself in a decent shape with running and hiking. As the years have rolled on so has my midsection. With my 50th birthday behind me I have embarked on another journey in life. This journey will take me into my next decade in the best shape of my entire life. It's time to kick life into overdrive.
See my complete profile
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