Click HERE for pictures. A direct link to the video HERE.

Click on the picture to go to the full gallery.

The whole family had a great time. The kids played their hearts out for several hours and Navy (predictably) conked out in the car on the way home.

Here is a link to the full album: http://fredrikeriksson.smugmug.com/2010/July-2010-Oswald-West-State/12861120_JWBie#928283708_49PGf

Last night, Trek and I prepared some homemade pop-tarts that we put in the freezer. This morning, all we had to do was turn on the oven and let them bake for 30 minutes. They turned out great. Better than I had expected.

Before game two (Spain vs Paraguay) I managed to squeeze in a strength session and a solid 4-mile run. Over brunch, I watched Spain make it 3 out of 4 for Europe in the semi-finals. Way to go!

For dinner, I wanted to try a pan fried sole recipe from Bon Appetit magazine, so the whole family went to Costco to pick up some cheap fish. Unfortunately, it didn’t turn out to my liking. It was OK, but I believe the product was deficient. The kids got the best pieces and cleaned their plates in no time, to rave reviews.

Before going to Costco, we managed a quick stop at Ross, where I landed a pair of super-cheap 10 oz cocktail shakers. I’m not much of a liquor guy but have always wanted to try my hands on mixed drinks. Xan was my test subject as I prepared my first pair of Lemon Drops. She said hers (the gray one below) was tasty. I tried it and agree, so I don’t think she’s saying that just to make me feel good.

This was a Blackberry vodka mix. For mine, I added a teaspoon of chopped strawberries to the shaker and look at the difference it made.

Three adults and two kids left Beaverton last Friday morning for a trip that took us east through the Columbia River Gorge and then north into Washington. Lots of interesting scenery along the way.

Yakima itself is a nice little town but what struck us most was the number of closed shops and empty buildings.

It was COLD when we left Yakima and even colder when we arrived in Ellensburg – 25 degrees F! I was starting to get seriously worried because I never train in shorts in cold weather like that. It turned out it wasn’t much of a problem. I kept my extra layers on until the last minute and warmed up quickly on the course.

Approximately 530 runners had signed up for the race and it was a mass start with no timing chip. I was somewhere in the middle and a bit surprised at how crowded it felt. There wasn’t enough room to break free without elbowing people so I decided to take it easy and use the first mile as a nice warm-up, figuring I could make up for it later (which never happened).

Holland’s goal (and mine) it to get you to the starting line injury free and properly rested. Check. I felt great.

My time goal was to break 3:20 by pacing myself carefully for the first 20 miles and then crank it up at mile 20 (figuring I would have some juice left by then). Under no circumstances did I want to run a positive split.

As my GPS beeped off the first mile, I slowed down to a walk for ten seconds and sipped some Powerade from my FuelBelt. I continued this practice every mile for the first half of the race. Two of my bottles were pre-mixed with GU gel, and I took in the equivalent of one gel pack every four miles.

Because of the slower pace and cool weather, my fluid intake was a bit on the high side and I was forced to use the restroom at mile 11. I didn’t want to waste the time but had no desire to be uncomfortable for another fifteen miles. It was well worth it and I my bladder said “thank you.”

My plan had been to minimize the time loss going up and turn on the afterburners on the way down. When the road leveled out at the top I realized it wouldn’t turn out that way. I’m not sure why, but my quads were completely cramped up and it felt like someone drove nails into them for every step I took. This was a surprise but I’ve developed a theory: Going up a long hill you work your hamstrings and calves very hard and my thighs were probably idle for too long after having run 20+ miles and got all stiff.

After a mile of funny-looking downhill running the quads started to warm up again. At mile 25 I splashed some cold water in my face and cranked it up for a strong finish. Crossing the goal line was a great feeling and a validation of my training plan. The clock read 3:21:45 and I was 100% OK with that.

One of my NOR PAC colleagues, Don, has been on my case for years to join up and I finally gave in this year. I thought it would be a good way to finish the racing season, since I did my last triathlon last weekend.

I underestimated how difficult it would be. Surprisingly, my legs felt strong through all three legs, but the sleep deprivation was brutal. It was like having a severe jet-lag while racing at the same time.

Would I do it again? Absolutely.

Thanks to the guys and gals in Van 1. It was a pleasure spending 27 sweaty and grimy hours with you in that Chevy.

I was too tired to use the camera much, but here are some pictures:

It was a cool feeling to race in a city, and for all you doubters out there: No, I am still not throwing up or showing any signs of E. Coli after swimming in the Willamette.

-Enormous, beautiful beaches
-Ice cold water, which means small crowds (in most places)
-Consistently 30 degrees cooler weather than Portland

The last part is the most important, as most of Oregon (including Portland) saw record-high temperatures this week. Watching the daily weather reports on TV made the vacation even more enjoyable.

Here are some pictures:

The weather was not optimal for a fast race. It was overcast and 60-something the whole time and I felt stiff on the bike. Comfortable running temperature, though.

A brief race report below the pictures.

Swim – 14:15 – 50th Place
Had secret hopes of breaking 14 minutes but was very pleased with 14:15, which put me in 50th place overall.

T1 – ?
The reason why I don’t have an official time is that I lost my timing chip during a fall on the way up to the transition area. Fortunately, my trusted Timex watch still works, so I was able to keep time myself.

Bike – Right around 34:00 (unofficial) – 5th or 6th Place
Didn’t feel great and held back a bit, trying to save some for the run. Still improved by about half a minute from last year.

T2 – ?

Run – 19:02 (unofficial) – 2nd Place
My best triathlon run ever. Felt OK coming out of T2 and really hit my stride at the 2 km mark. The final kilometer was awesome and I chased down a couple of competitors.

Final Time: 1:11:10 (official) – 4th Overall and 1st in my age group (35-39)!

Off to Portugal tomorrow. Will try to squeeze in a few runs but otherwise take it easy for a week between business appointments.

I finished in 2:13:31. 37th overall (out of 444) and 6th of 47 in my age group. Not only am I very happy with the result, I’m flabbergasted that the swim leg is what made it possible. Here’s how it went down (some pictures mixed in):

Arrived early to set up my transition area and get in a good warm-up. Sipped some GU2 and felt good.

Swim – 1500 m – 27:40 – 181st Place

This is still my weakness and based on pool times I thought 30 minutes was an aggressive goal. If figured if I hit dry land with a time like that, the 2:15 finish was within reach.

Triathlon swim starts are alway chaotic and something always goes wrong. My goal to pace myself to allow for bi-lateral breathing went out the window after ten strokes. So it was right-side breathing on every other stroke. I can’t say that it was easy, but I felt in control throughout and never reverted to breaststroke, which was a first!

I have no way of determining my time when I swim but was sure I had passed 30 minutes when I rounded the last buoy and headed for the beach. Imagine my surprise when I stepped ashore and my Timex showed 27:40. That’s when I realized this could be a really good Olympic debut.

T1 – 2:27

Not much to say. I got rid of the wetsuit and was off with my bike. Didn’t waste too much time.

Bike – 40 km – 1:00:35 – 22nd Place

My strongest leg of the day. I decided to go hard from the start and never slowed down. I might have pushed it a tad too hard because the legs were VERY tight at the end. But it’s the longest part of the race, so this is where you can make up some serious time. I passed a lot of competitors and moved up to 51st place overall. Solid performance.

T2 – 1:46

As soon as I got off the bike, I realized the run would be tough. My legs were not in good shape. To add insult to injury, I must have looked like a headless chicken trying to find my transition area. Maybe there’s a leg-brain connection that causes your brain to short-circuit…

Finally, some helpful spectator pointed out that I was getting warm and I spotted my towel.

A weak transition, but it didn’t really affect my overall position.

Run – 10 km – 41:02 – 33rd Place

This is my strongest discipline and I fully expected to break 40 minutes without much trouble. That’s why 41:02 was the biggest disappointment of the day. My legs were heavy getting off the bike and I never found the speed or the form I’m used to.

Two lessons:

1) Maybe hold back the last 500 yards on the bike and start stretching the calves and hamstrings.
2) Do more bike-run transitions in training.

Finally, I’d like to point out the members of my “support” group who came out to cheer me on. It really does make a difference to have familiar faces and voices shout encouragement as you struggle with the pain and transition from one event to the next.

Xan, the kids, and my two brothers-in-law made up the family contingent. Navy came with cowbell in hand.

Sven and Marcus were there (Sven, I look forward to racing WITH you at Hagg Lake).

Last, but not least, Lisa and Jeff. Without them, I wouldn’t have all these cool pictures (Xan took some, but she has to kids to look after). You guys are awesome and make every race more enjoyable.