The Road to Ironman Switzerland

Mile 141...

2004-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

Quick summary...

I finished ! I spent a little longer than expected out there, but it's ok.

Running down the finishers chute at an Ironman race is an experience like no other. The pain in your body and your emotions of finishing a 140.6 mile race comes together to send chills down your back. On top of that, there are thousands of screaming fans, music being blasted, fireworks shot in the sky, and the announcer yelling your name.

Will I do it again? Yes.

More details later. Back to bed I go.

Live Race Coverage

2004-07-24T01:54:00.000-07:00

There will be live race coverage of Ironman Switzerland.
http://vnews.ironmanlive.com/
Click on IM Switzerland logo.

Coverage starts at Saturday 10pm pacific time. I expect to finish around 10am Sunday pacific time.

There are links for pictures, updates, live audio and video, and realtime athlete status.

I'm Athlete # 616.

2004-07-24T01:34:00.000-07:00

Saturday here... day before the race...20 hours to race time. Getting nervous, as is everyone else. Why? It's an Ironman race... and a LOT of things can go wrong... Your bike can fail. Some things such as a flat tire you can fix... other things you have to wait for a bike mechanic to arrive. Your body can fail from not eating enough, from eating too much, from dehydration, from hyponatremia, lack of required electrolyte and sodium, your stomach can shut down during the bike and leave you feeling bonked during the run... You can get injured during the run since 26.2 miles is a lot of stress on the body...

Trying not to think of those things right now. I've put in a good half year of dedication and it will hopefull pay off. The countless bowls of pasta, hundreds of thousands of calories eaten, the hard training with every stroke, every revolution, and every stride bringing me here. It has been a lot of work and I'm fortunate to have everything work out and remain injury free during this time.

I got a good 45 minute massage yesterday. I am off to look for a haircut this afternoon, and then watch some of the shorter races taking place here in the city this afternoon. I also have to check in my bike (leave it racked at the race start). I plan to fuel up by eating a huge (really huge) lunch and a moderate dinner, and be in bed by 8pm. Waking up at 4am on race day to fuel up more again.

2004-07-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

Haven't been updating this as I should have.
Anyway, it has been really fun here the past few days. Wednesday everyone else arrived and we've had a good group here putting in some light training. We also went to the race expo to pick up our goodie bag and race numbers. They were still setting it up so nothing much going on there. We did a little swim and had a welcome dinner which ended a little short. Everyone was jetlagged and needed sleep.

Thursday morning we biked the major part of the bike course. Leading up to this, Greg had been saying the "Beast" climb is steep, but I didn't think it was so bad. I felt pretty strong going up because I had fresh legs, but come race day after the 2.4 mile swim, I'm not too sure. The names of the climbs are "the Beast", "the Egg (edge)", and "Heartbreak Hill". I havent seen Heartbreak yet. After the bike ride we took the train to the northern part of Switzerland... to almost the border of Germany... and visited a mideval town. It has been tourist renovated but the majority of the old town is still here. Getting off the train, we walked over a bridge which used to be the bridge entrance to the town. We also had the chance to hike up a mountain to a castle. On the way home.. long story short... we got lost and we were all starving since we did not get a chance to eat any lunch in the castle town.

Friday we managed to get in a swim near the swim start on race day. The water in the lake is really clear. Then we went back to the expo. One of the Holtons damaged his tire and was desperately trying to find a replacement. Otherwise his race is over already. The expo was really getting underway and the atmosphere is exciting. All the vendors were almost setup, the music was being blasted, and all athletes were arriving. It's amazing how fit and in shape some of these people are. Later Friday was the race welcome dinner. There was really good food and entertainment, including highlights of previous Ironman Switzerland races.

The weather here has been changing. Usually during the night when I am sleeping, there is rain and thunderstorms. It has showered once or twice also in the mornings but nothing heavy. Race temperature on race day should be a cool 80 degrees expected.

the rest of day 2

2004-07-21T13:30:00.000-07:00

Nitetime here. The rest of today was tiring. The bike ride was really fun and I felt strong. The part we biked was climb #2. Going up and down the mountains, you can see the entire Lake Zurich, as well as most of the farmland and little town. Coming down the hill at around 40mph with the view is breathtaking. Another cool thing about Zurich is that there are little roads that are closed to cars but open only to bikes, people, and trains. We biked along the lake on a road closed to cars. This was another fun part weaving around trees and people.

After the bike ride, we visited more parts of the city, mainly another main tourist section and another part of the lake. We walked in and out of some stores and looked for food. I've come to realiye that things here in Zurich really are more pricey.

I did another swim in the lake and felt really good. The lake is crystal clear and people say they bottle the lake water home and drink it sometimes. During my swim it started to rain for a while. Nothing major though.

The upcoming days will be rest day. All this walking isn't good and my legs need rest. Wednesday everyone else arrives and we will be having dinner. Thursday the expo at Ironman Switzerland opens and we will be picking up our race packets. I've never been to an actual Ironman sponsored expo, but heard they are huge with lots of vendors and entertainment. Thursday will also be a guided full tour of the bike course which I plan on doing as my last training event. Friday there is a welcome part. Saturday there is a shorter race here in town and I will be watching that. It is also bike checkin day. And then Sunday is race day. It's coming up really soon and I am getting nervous.

Off to bed I go. In a rush ... there is another user waiting to use the computer.

And great job to Lance at the Tour de France. He has taken the lead. Well deserved.

day 2 - morning

2004-07-20T23:58:00.000-07:00

Just had breakfast. Greg and I are going to bike part of the bike couse soon. There are 3 major climbs on the course. The first is about a mile and pretty steep. The second is about 3 miles but not as steep. The last is short and very steep. The part I'll be doing is the 2nd part, which is followed by a major downhill. Greg said he managed to go 50mph going down the hill.

Afterwards we are going to the other tourist part of the city, followed by a boat ride tour of the area.

I'm feeling a lot better now after sleeping. I hope to have fun biking part of the course today. Tomorrow we will be biking the 3rd climb of the course. Then to wrap up my training, Thursday I will bike the entire course with all 3 climbs together.

The weather is still good here in Zurich. There are some clouds. It gets hot at times but nothing compared to Davis.

Zurich day 1

2004-07-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

My flight here to Zurich was ok. From Sacramento to Washington, I was really tired since I did not sleep last nite. I managed to get in two hours which was a start. To make it worse, the in-flight movie was Gigli... After getting to Washington, I had to run through the terminal to hop on the plane to Zurich since I was already delayed and the other plane was boarding already. This flight was a lot better. The plane was pretty empty, so I had an entire row of seats to myself. It made sleeping a lot easier. I had a chance to talk to a lady from Zurich who told me about life there in general. I also met a person from UCD. He works in the UCD Vet center and was off to watch the Tour de France.

At the Zurich airport, my tour guide Greg, who is also competing in IM Switzerland, picked me up. My bag and bike made it in one piece luckily. We were off to the hotel by train, which runs everywhere in the city. The train ride was very scenic and the city is really clean in general.

After arriving at the hotel and checking in, my first concern was to put my bike together. This was easier than I though, but took a little longer than expected because of the little things I had to do. I had to readjust and recalibrate my bike computer, assemble my rear water bottle holder, get my positioning correct, etc...

Afterwards, we decided to wander around the city. We walked along the main downtown area and also around the big Lake Zurich, which is where most of the race will be centered around. Zurich itself is really cool. The drivers are really nice and always give pedestrians the right of way, and are not annoyed by the bikers on the road. With Zurich being the financial capital of the world, every other car was a BMW or an Audi, or some other expensive euro car.

After the walking tour, we went for a little swim. I still haven't slept that much and hadn't taken a nap. I thought I would be ok though. I got into the lake and felt really tired. After putting in a few strokes, I felt my heart rate shoot straight up. Maybe this was a bad idea afterall. I still managed to get in 10 minutes to loosen my muscles, and then headed back to the hotel to take a nap. Greg woke me up an hour later and asked if I wanted to go biking. Bad idea #2... I felt tired on the bike, and the place we rode was alongside traffic and with rolling hills. Our planned 40-mile ride turned into a much shorter ride. The downhills were scary. I was grouchy and did not feel like doing anything. We headed back to the hotel, had dinner at 7-ish, and I fell asleep.

It's morning now. I'm headed to breakfast and then figure out what to do today. Will write again when I have a chance.

2004-07-18T14:05:00.000-07:00

@ Washington Dulles airport. Leaving for Zurich now. UA flight #936.

2004-07-18T08:12:00.000-07:00

I don't like the Sac airport. Small and lines are too long/slow. Thanks Elaine for ride to airport. Boarding plane UA #180 now.

Leaving Davis

2004-07-18T04:24:00.000-07:00

It's 4:30am. My flight leaves in a little over 3 hours. I am packed and ready to go. Sorry for all the people I didn't get a chance to say goodbye to. It feels as if I am leaving a lot undone behind. Today has been extremely busy and I have not had a chance to call or email the people I wanted. Hope you all understand.

This journal has oficially gone live as of now. I made the text easier to read by lightening the background image and put up some links. I hope to update this with every chance I get. I'll be checking emails too if you need to reach me.

2004-07-17T04:11:00.000-07:00

4:11 AM and I'm still awake. Easy to pick up bad habits again since I'm not on my strict schedule anymore. =(

Goodnite.

2004-07-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

The bike has been packed !

Thanks to Tony, I got another set of wheels. These wheels are much lighter and better for climbing up the hills. It is typically not a good idea to use new gear on race day, but I didn't have that many options. I hope to get in one or two loops to test the wheel prior to the race.

Recovery Day

2004-07-16T17:48:00.000-07:00

I am still feeling the effects of my long run yesterday. It was a real confidence booster running in the heat. I had only wished I had done that run earlier in the week because it takes a while to recover from it.

I woke up this morning sore and tired. Ate some breakfast and went to a sushi buffet for lunch. The last few times I went to this place, I ate a lot. However this time I did not have an appetite. I was afraid of gaining weight since I am in my rest phase and will not be doing any heavy workouts until I arrive. I have a feeling I gained a pound in Reno from all the food I ate. Maybe that weight broke the wheel spokes during my ride yesterday?

I fell asleep after I got home from lunch, which made me glad I did not eat too much at the buffet. Then I really would have gained weight.

I've been checking the weather in Zurich the upcoming week and I'm not quite sure what to pack. Scattered showers, thunderstorms, some winds, a few hot days... No major storms though, which is good news. I better get going. Back to packing.

Come back for more updates.

Planned 80 mile bike, 14 mile run.

2004-07-15T21:46:00.000-07:00

Today was unevenful. I was planning on doing a 80-mile bike ride, followed by a 14 mile run. At mile 45 when I approached the hills, the wheels I was training on and planning on bringing to Switzerland failed. A spoke somehow broke. It made a loud popping sound. When I heard it, I was guessing the tire popped, or the spoke broke. I was hoping it wouldn't be the spoke, but my luck... it was. Because of the missing spoke, the wheel would not turn straight.

Without a phone or the know-how of how to fix this problem, I was stranded in Vacaville. I was also right in front of someone's house, so I decided to walk over and see if I could borrow a phone. Fortunately, he, Chuck, was very understanding and a mountain biker himself. I called Tony at work and luckily he was there and was able to drive over to pick me up. Going back to Davis was stressful. I am now without a set of race wheels that I was comfortable with. Those wheels are cool because it is light so it is good for climbing hills. They are also tubulars, so it is good for turning when going downhill. On the bright side, I am glad this happened here and not in Switzerland during the actual race. Now I have to figure out what to do about my wheel situation. After Tony dropped me off at home, I discovered I had a rear flat tire. Two punctures in it that I am not sure how it happened. Great...

With the first part of my workout down the drain, I decided to complete the 2nd part of my workout... the 14 mile run. I started my run at 1:30pm when it was 90 degrees outside. The run was really good. I ran a new route that had a good mixture of sun and shade, and also had water fountains and bathrooms. It was a good strong run. I'm not sure how much I ended up running. I could not judge my pace because the heat affected me at parts. I ran for 3 hours.

This will be my last long post until Europe. I'll be busy packing and figuring out my wheel situation.

I'm Exhausted

2004-07-14T22:21:00.000-07:00

My training sessions are too long.

Whatever I do now will not help me.

My diet has not been on track.

I don't think I'm not getting enough sleep.

I'm feeling weak.

Signs of overtraining are showing up. I woke up at 10am today, ate, surfed around the internet, ate some more, and took a long nap. I've been tired, worn out, and can't focus on anything.

I almost ditched my workout today. When I woke up at 6pm from my nap, I talked to my friend Connie. She was really encouraging and motivating, and I decided to go out and suck it up and complete my workout. By then, it was 7pm already. I went to the pool and did a really good swim, followed by a really strong and fast 6 mile run. I've done that run numerous times and today was my fastest time ever.

Back in Davis

2004-07-13T22:01:00.000-07:00

The past few days in Reno have been great! I arrived on Thursday and have been having a great time training, hanging out with family, and pigging out. Some of the things I did:

Miniature golf – I won too =)
Went on a 180-foot free-fall bungee swing with Vic
Ate 10 plates of food at Reno Hilton buffet
Rode a seadoo at 35mph around Donner Lake.
Went on one of the best and most scenic 70-mile bike ride ever with my Vic’s coworker Jackie. Started at Donner Lake, did a out and back to Lake Tahoe, then climbed up Donner Summit (1,000 feet!) then to Cisco Grove, and back to Donner Lake. Around 3,000 feet of climbing overall. Very good workout. Coming down Donner Summit at 35mph was priceless.
Ate a 12-inch sandwich from Port of Subs
Played with Aden. He's 18-months old. Showed him how to ride a bike. =)
Went swimming with Aden

I've been resting today and will be wrapping up my training in the upcoming days. I also have to start packing. The weather in Switzerland is unsettled right now. Rain and thunderstorms in the forecast the upcoming week, with 80-degree highs and 50-degree lows. I also borrowed a bike travel case from Sinclair and will be figuring out how to get my bike in it.

Tips from Sinclair: “If you don’t pee twice on the bike, you’re not hydrated enough.”
Encouraging words from Sinclair: “If you quit, I’m never talking to you again.”

In Reno / Training at Donner & Tahoe

2004-07-09T12:12:00.000-07:00

I’m here in Reno relaxing and squeezing in some training sessions. Reno has an elevation of 4,500 feet, compared to Davis’ 80 feet. I got here last nite and am staying at my cousin Vickie’s new house. It’s really big and they’ve been putting a lot of work into it. Her son Aden is really cute too. He’s 18 months and I’ve had lots of fun playing with him.

Will write again later. Trying to stay off my feet. I have some training the next 3 days and I really hope the altitude will not affect me too severely.

Relaxing after the Long Ride

2004-07-07T23:42:00.000-07:00

The past few days have been relaxing. Not having to go to work in the afternoon has given me a lot of free time to catch up on errands I’ve been avoiding, such as cleaning my room, getting my passport and travel documents ready, job hunting, and catching up with friends. I miss working, but I put down 15 hours on my timesheet so I can come in this month or next to tie up loose ends or help out.

I’ve been spending the past nights watching movies and cooking with Elaine. She has been outeating me recently. I also hung out at Tony’s house and finally got a chance to watch the Tour de France. The USPS team did a 40-ish mile time-trial ride in a little over an hour in rain and wind. We also weighed different sets of wheels to figure out what would be best in Switzerland. Then the bike got a cleaning, a tuning, and some upgraded lighter parts.

Training has been going light. After my long ride last Sunday, I did not want to see my bike ever again. My left shin was also hurting a bit, either from flag football or from my July 4^th ride. However I did a short run and it has felt alright.

Time for bed. I have a long swim planned tomorrow.

Independence Day Weekend

2004-07-05T11:50:00.001-07:00

I celebrated Independence Day by going on a long solo bike ride. I felt I needed another long ride to keep my aerobic base strong and also work on my nutrition. I also wasn’t too confident of the Switzerland bike course after looking at the profile map on the website. However my friend Sinclair sent me a profile map of a ride I usually do around here in Davis and surprisingly everything from the mileage, to the altitude, to the climbing is very similar.

I woke up early morning and started my 120-mile bike ride at 9:30am. It was a little late but I thought I would be ok. The weather was great; there was no wind, which is strange for Davis. The first 60-mile loop went great. However, the heat really affected me during the 2^nd loop. It was 1:30pm by mile 80 and I was almost out of water already. I knew it was only going to get worse since Davis reaches its peak temperature at around 3pm and I still had the hills to ride through. To make a long story short, I finished my 120-mile bike ride in pain. I bonked severely starting at mile 105. I had food I really didn’t want to eat, my Cytomax sports drink was warm and tasted moldy, and I had no energy gels. The ride wasn’t really a confidence booster. I plan to do one more long 120-ride before leaving, but I plan to do it early morning.

I woke up this morning and my entire body was pretty sore. After some stretching and a shower, I was feeling a lot better. I’m meeting a friend for lunch at a sushi buffet now. Will update this when I have a chance.

Busy Day in San Francisco

2004-07-03T23:09:00.000-07:00

Did a short 22 mile bike ride in the morning. I have come to realize and accept the fact that the wind never dies down in Davis and the surrounding areas. It's not a single direction wind either. Maybe sometimes it is. Most of time however it's a swirling wind. On the same stretch of road, you can have tailwind, headwind, and sidewind. I'm not complaining though. It makes you stronger, both mentally and physically. For short rides I don't mind. For long rides over 80 miles, it really makes you sore the next day.

After the morning workout I was off to San Francisco. I really should check the weather next time I head to San Francisco. Davis was 90 degrees and the high in SF was 65. I got pretty cold at nite when the fog kicked in and I was wearing shorts and a t-shirt.

I got a lot of things done in SF. I went grocery shopping and stocked up; I have been out of food the past few days and it has been hurting me. Also saw my dentist who at the end of my checkup gave me a stick of prescription toothpaste after I told him how much sports drink I drink during training.

Now back in Davis, off to bed I go. I have a rest day tomorrow and a heavy bike day on Sunday.

My Last Day of Work

2004-07-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was my last day of work at Chemistry. It was both happy and sad. Happy that I can focus on training and get personal things done, such as job hunting, packing to move out of the apartment in August, and other random errands. It was sad that I won't have a chance to see many of the people there that I've met over the past three and a half years.

I was taken out to a sushi-buffet in downtown Davis on my last day. However it's not technically my last day. I'm going back to work later today to clean up my area and finish up my final project. I promised I would get it done and I am volunteering my time to keep that promise. I still have around 15 hours I put on my timesheet in case I have to go back in August to train the new student worker.

This morning I went on a really good run with Elaine. I ran from my apartment to meet Elaine at her house, and then we ran to the arboretum, around it, and back. It was a solid 10 mile run for me which was strange because something usually goes wrong when I do morning runs.

Time to eat my recovery meal and clean up my room. My relatives from Reno are on their way to San Francisco and Yosemite, and are spending the night at my place.