Well, I went for it and attempted Timberman 70.3 even tho I'm recovering from shingles. Here are the links to the reports.
[url]http://mooseman08.blogspot.com/2011/08/going-into-703-with-extreme-taper...
[url]http://mooseman08.blogspot.com/2011/08/matts-race-report-timberman-2011....
Here is the link to the photos I took.
[url]http://www.flickr.com/photos/catmarlson/sets/72157627500832736/[/url]
Way to go Matt! Can't wait
Way to go Matt! Can't wait to read the report. Are you doing Mooseman next yet?
Did you know there is a half-iron-ish distance race in Lake Mascoma? That's definitely on the potential list for next year.
Hey Stephen, Mooseman and
Hey Stephen,
Mooseman and Timberman are hard for me to pass up. Although the new Rev3 over at Old Orchard Beach has caught our eye.
Check out the pictures, I tried to get pictures of all the folks I saw from your Tri Club.
My wife's report will be posted to our blog eventually. It was her first 70.3 and she had a great day. I think she beat her expectations of herself by an hour.
"she beat her expectations
"she beat her expectations of herself by an hour"
How I love the old days of stepping up to new distances and seeing such big improvements or other wonderful surprises. It's like being a kid age group swimmer again. It just kills me when my little ones come up and tell me how they dropped five seconds on a fify yard event.
Great RR. Wish you would
Great RR. Wish you would have had a better race day but it sounds like the day was well spent anyway. Great pics too.
A coworker of mine recently
A coworker of mine recently went thru shingles - it sounded miserable. You're a stud for doing your race in that condition!
Congrats to your wife on her PR too!
One thing I forgot to
One thing I forgot to mention in my report. As I was walking my bike back to the car. I kept hearing a rubbing sound on the back wheel. Turns out one of the set screws for my rear wheel moved out of position and the tire was rubbing. I know everything was square at the beginning of the ride because I always spin both front and back when it's in the rack and check brake placement as well. (especially if it's an overnight bike check in)
Initially I didn't think much of it. Now that I'm back home I've looked again and there is actually a bit of a a wear pattern on the sidewall of that tire. (wow) I'm kind of glad that it happened on a race day where I had low expectations. I guess I'm going to have to try some locktite to see if that will solve the problem of those screws moving out of position.
I wouldn't wish shingles on anyone. The nerve that was/is giving me the most grief is the one that wraps from the base of my shoulder blade around to the bottom of my pectoral. Having all those muscles cramp on me every night just gave me the worst muscle ache. I wanted a massage so badly but with all the blisters, that wasn't an option.
At the finish line of Timberman, I ran into a friend of a friend who is an elite AG racer. He finished in under 4:23:00. I mentioned to him that I had to drop out because of lost training due to the shingles. I was surprised to hear that he had, had them a couple years ago. Maybe it's not so uncommon for people that are fit, but pushing themselves a bit too hard. (and likely, not enough rest).
Favorite picture of the day. My wife with her Chrissie autographed Finisher's medal. That was my personal goal for the year. I'm glad she was able to have that moment and I'm glad to have taken the picture. (You will have to wait for her report to see that picture) (and yes, I'm somewhat jealous)
Here is the link to my
Here is the link to my wife's report.
[url]http://mooseman08.blogspot.com/2011/09/2011-timberman-703-step-toward-my...
I'm impressed you even
I'm impressed you even attempted this after dealing with the shingles. Nevertheless, you came through it with a terrific attitude that will hopefully carry you forward to your next race in better health! I loved your photos of your wife and her race report too.
Thank you. Even tho' I never
Thank you. Even tho' I never got to cash in on all that training, I definitely learned a few things this year that I can use going forward. (tracking how much sleep I'm getting may be near the top of the list)
Currently I'm attempting to get in shape for the NYC marathon. I'm stunned at how much fitness has been lost. Both Muscular and HR. It will be interesting to see if I make it to the starting line. If nothing else, it's helping me stay focused on my health and fitness.