Vertical Man's Resurrection

And so it begins. The long, slow slog, the base building, the dark, cold, early morning workouts, the Boot Camps, the "I forget how many 25's this is!" laps in the pool, the carefully-watched calories and carbs, the fun, the fear and the blood, sweat and tears.

All for Ironman Coeur d'Alene, 2013!

Yeah, I know 2013 is 2 years off. I've been slacking a LONG time and it's gonna take at least that to do enough penance. Time to get off my ass, get back to training, back to blogging, ranting and maybe some raving. Deal with it.

And I'm starting a triathlon business, called, unexpectedly, "Life Is A Tri." Some cool gear and triathlon-themed stuff. Stay tuned and keep those Visa cards handy.

Galena Triathlon 2011

Registration opens in a few days for the 16th annual Galena (IL) Triathlon and Duathlon. Scheduled for May 21, 2011, the race through the hills of northwest Illinois is one of my favorites.

Don't be fooled by the relatively short distances (660-yard swim, 17.4 mile bike and 4.3 mile run.) Galena's hilly bike and run courses are tougher than many Olympic-distance races. Add to that the chilly (OK, icy) lake temperatures and you have a great test of your early-season conditioning.

Other Galena-related posts...

Fleeting & Random Galena Impressions.

A 2005 Race Report.

Ironman 70.3 Muncie

The Muncie (IN) Endurathon becomes Ironman 70.3 Muncie, debuting on July 9, 2011. Registration opens today on www.ironmanmuncie.com.

Sunday Triathlon Mashup

Avoiding injury, from the NY Times:

"One lesson — that less is more — has come through loud and clear. At the coaching certification clinics run by USA Triathlon, instructors drive home the point that while there are benefits to doing 10 to 12 workouts a week, maybe triathletes don’t need to run as far some days, that a day off is more than good for the soul, and that putting more time on the bike and in the pool can make up for one day fewer spent running."

"Athletic greediness" is how Paula Newby-Fraser describes triathletes' tendency to overtrain. Good term for it.

And here's a possible addition to my 2010 calendar: the Iron Star Triathlon, November 7, 2010, in Conroe, TX. A half-IM distance race, it's an easy drive from my winter training headquarters.

Triathlon Comes To Omaha, August 2010

From the Omaha World-Herald: Omaha announces an August 2010 Olympic-distance triathlon. Though I'm not sure about the Carter Lake swim, the bike route goes RIGHT BY my loft. I've ridden the so-called 'airport loop' so many times I could ride it in my sleep...and probably have.

I'll probably be doing Steelhead and Chicago next August, but a side trip to Omaha and a post-race dinner at la Buvette might be a nice "recovery" weekend.

More here from WOWT-TV.

Cedar Point (OH) To Host 2010 Ironman-Length Triathlon

From Cleveland.com:

"Next fall, newly founded race presenter Revolution3 will stage both full and half Ironman-length triathlons from Cedar Point amusement park, starting from Sandusky peninsula and fanning out into Erie county.

"At stake for professionals is a prize purse worth $150,000, a sum rarely seen outside the branded Ironman series. Amateur competitors are likely to be lured by distinctive family-friendly features, including special access to the park and high-tech athlete tracking.

"'It's just an amazing venue,' said Heather Gollnick, Revolution3's director of marketing and a competitive long-course triathlete. 'Everything you need is there on site. People can literally walk out the door from the hotel onto the beach.' "

Sounds like a great race venue...a Lake Erie swim, flat (though probably windy) bike and run courses, close to the Great Suburban Outback. Hmmm. Registration opens in August or September, 2009. Time to get busy!

Triathlon EDF Alpe D'Huez

Here's a race for all you Lance Armstrong fans desperate to find out how you'd fare on one of the Tour's fabled climbs: the EDF Alpe D'Huez long-course triathlon, scheduled for July 29, 2009.

Maybe next year for me. First, I need to return to Wisconsin and finish the Horribly Hilly Hundreds' long course. And maybe spend a month training at Tri-Mom's house in western Colorado. Work to do... Work to do...

See You In Phoenix, January, 2010

Phoenix...January... Tri-Daughter #4...sounds great! I think I'll sign up for the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n Roll Arizona 1/2 marathon. All part of my journey to (a) kick things up a notch, and (b) get the Ironman monkey off my back in 2011.

I wussed out on IMWI back in 2006 and don't plan on doing that again. Plus, 2011 puts me in a whole new age group, a cohort I refer to as "The Mean Old Codger Farts."

Hey, I think I'll have a new race jersey made up with that as a logo.