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Vance

Kona Coach's Race Report Part 1

Wow, it's almost overwhelming to think of all the things that happened yesterday. It was one of the biggest emotional roller-coaster days of my life, but luckily, the highs were so incredible it is hard to sit and tell someone about them without becoming emotional.

Emotion was a huge part of the day. It was always a large part of my racing, and it continues to manifest itself on race day, even as a coach.

Got to the race-site with my athlete Scott, and helped all my athletes get everything set. After that, started walking to the start area and I called my wife around 5:30 AM. She asked me how it was going. Seemed like a typical enough question. I thought about it, and before I could say anything, I just started to cry. There I was walking thru a crowd of people, phone to my ear, and I’m starting to sob. I had to pull over to a corner and lean over to gather myself. It didn’t work. I cried harder, and all the while I couldn’t speak to Orlanda. She was still on the phone, hearing me breathe, and asking me, “What’s wrong?” I think she thought I was about to tell her some very bad news. But there was no bad news to tell her. In fact, everything was perfect. It was hard to imagine how long I had worked with my 3 athletes to get them there, healthy and prepared for the task of the day.

I also knew, rightly or wrongly, that I would be judged by what my athletes do that day. I think I also was dealing with a few of my own demons from leaving the sport, and here I was back on the island. I was prepared for a very long day, and it was a lot to handle and come to grips with at that moment. Orlanda understood. She has seen it all with me. Our conversation was brief, because I knew if I kept talking with her I would continue crying. Brian Long, longtime president of the Tri Club of San Diego, and good friend, saw me crying as well, and he helped me get my composure back.

Found the family and friends of my athlete Adam, and watched the start. It was quite a site to see. I never got to really see the pageantry of the event when I was racing. I was so focused on being race ready. It really has become a spectacle.

After the start we headed onto Palani, the big hill out of town, where all the athletes cross a few times early in the bike. I waited there with the family and friends of all my athletes, tracking and speaking with them as they came up the climb. First was Adam, with a great swim of 56 minutes, then Scott at 1:08, (not so great for him), and then Matt Hoover at 1:38, (FANTASTIC!)

The three athletes had astounding experiences. I knew Scott had a chance to go Top 10 in his age group, 30-34, and Adam I just wanted to have a solid race of all three. I had no idea where it would place him, but his confidence needed a boost from a solid race. Matt Hoover, The Biggest Loser winner, had a simple goal of “just finish.”

I had a plan to ride a bike during the run, checking on Scott and Adam at certain points in the race, riding up the road ahead. I couldn’t find a bike to rent or borrow, so I just went to Walmart and bought one. It was a good call, but a busted pedal late in the night made things interesting!

I had calculated that right about the time Adam and Scott would finish, Matt would probably just be starting the run. It’s amazing how it worked out almost exactly like that! I think it was 5 minutes from the time I saw Adam cross until Matt was walking on Kuikini.

Scott had an amazing day. 9:29 and 8th in 30-34 Men, amazing. He rebounded so well from his poor swim to ride strong all day and run well of the bike. He was one of the few athletes whose speeds got faster as the race went on. He followed the wattage plan, and ran according to the plan all the way. He struggled a bit on the Queen K for the run, coming back from the Energy Lab, but held on well enough to still pass a few more guys and finish with a smile on his face.

Adam had an incredible race, almost perfectly pacing his run. His best finish here ever, his fastest Ironman run ever, and nearly breaking 10 hours, with 10:04. I knew when he was so close to Scott in the Energy Lab, that he was going to hold on for a great race. He was so close with 2 miles to go, but he was just left to a shuffle and holding on. I was telling him all sorts of things, just to try and get him to go a little faster.

When he knew he wasn’t going to make it, he told me he was just going to enjoy Alii Drive. I followed him down and watched him cross the line on the big screen. I was really proud of him. 4 weeks after nutritional mistakes in Wisconsin lead to a meltdown on the run, he put it together and held on for the best Ironman performance of his career.

As if the day wasn’t long enough with their races, here came Matt Hoover off the bike. It was the start of something which I will never forget. It was truly one of the most inspirational and heart breaking things I have ever witnessed. I will share that in Part 2, tomorrow.

Coach Vance

Change and Future

When I first came to the sport of triathlon, B+L was there. I met Scott Rittschof, then owner, thru my good friend and teammate/roommate at Nebraska, Tony Smith. Tony had moved to San Diego for a change of scene, and we were once again roommates, (and trained together enough to be called teammates again!)

Tony is always a well liked guy, and in the past I have described him as "The least lazy person I have ever met", (the guy is ALWAYS doing stuff!) I also have called him, "the most mechanically-inclined person I have ever met." He now works for Ironman, and it was great to catch-up with him again at Ironman Wisconsin this past weekend. (Good news to those who know him, he's coming back to San Diego soon!)

Tony was well liked by Rittschof right away, and therefore Rittschof liked me. (It's funny how when you begin to surround yourself with quality people, that group grows rather well).

I was just an up-and-comer, and with every result and every season, B+L supported me even more. I was a devoted follower and believer in the shop, and probably even more importantly, in the people who were a part of the shop.

The famous Dan Rock actually gave me a bike of his to ride for a while, while I experimented with triathlon. Who could have guessed how far things have come?

Thru some ownership changes at B+L, the same good vibe among the staff toward me was always there, and the opening of a second store brought much of the same with the new staff. They always supported me, and new staff always embraced me, unconditionally.

This morning, I sent an email to a number of members of the B+L staff, thanking them for their devoted support over the years. I had to break the news that the new ownership has chosen not to support me in my endeavors at the level I need to continue to grow the sport, such as my coaching, and my TriJuniors Team. Therefore, a change was needed for my future.

I am now officially on board with Nytro, and I'm very excited to work with an owner who has shown a commitment and excitement level for working with me! I know great things are in store for the sport, the triathlon community of San Diego, and even beyond San Diego.

I will always have a great place in my heart for the people associated with B+L, a famous store. Change is a part of life, and I'm pretty excited about this change. Stay tuned for more!

Vance

Little League World Champions - Park View Little League, Chula Vista

Wow, what a great weekend.

Local Chula Vista team wins the Little League World Series, in a hard fought game! I've really enjoyed watching them go thru the series and pull out some amazing performances and games, in the face of some incredible pressure for 12 and 13 year olds. Over 32,000 fans at the game, (big for a Padres game!) Vice-President Joe Biden, and millions watching on tv.


They have really accomplished something special, the likes of which they probably will never realize until many years down the road.


What's been more amazing to me is how this group of a dozen or so 12-13 year olds have brought this city, and county, together. Everyone is talking about it, excited about it, watching it. Bars are packed and showing it on all the screens. The sense of pride this city has shown is incredible.

A few people have said this team has been able to do what the Padres and Chargers haven't for so many years, win a world title. But I think this is even more significant than that. These kids truly represent San Diego! This isn't a bunch of athletes who were drafted and moved here, signed big free-agent contracts, were traded to play here or anything like that. These kids live here. They have lived here for most of their lives. All their families are here. They are San Diego.

There isn't a management that's about to trade one of them, and they move off, shifting their allegiances. We know they aren't in it for the money, they play for love of the game. And that is one of the things we all respect.

It's been great to watch. Congrats to the kids, and to the coaches, Ramirez and Castro. They did an outstanding job.

As a coach myself, I had a great weekend as well. My athlete Scott Iott won his age group at the Chicago Triathlon, (the biggest race in the world), and Kebby Holden qualified for Kona at Ironman Louisville. It was a great weekend!

The Improbable

I saw something amazing today, and though it was related to Tiger Woods, it wasn't just because he lost for the first time after holding the lead heading the final round. Make no mistake, Tiger Woods is one of the most dominant and formidable champions of not just our time, but of all-time.

What was so amazing was the person who beat him. Y.E. Yang became the first Asian-born golfer to EVER win a major golf championship. And he beat the greatest golfer of all-time to do it. He beat him doing something which was deemed impossible, beating Tiger on the final day when he started with the lead. Brilliant, that's the best words I can describe.

I like Tiger. He has taught sport so much about the power of the mind. But I always like to see an unlikely challenger, a David, to come out and challenge Goliath. I've been there, as the David, and it's something I continue to find a strong emotional connection with.

I mentioned a few posts back watching Tin Cup, and how that movie provided a great quote. When a reporter asked Kevin Costner if he knew how low the odds or probability was of a shot he attempted which cost him the championship, he said basically, "Do you think I'd even be here if I cared about the odds?" I again find myself going back to it, in many facets of my life.

I was born an adopted child, who the doctors initially thought wouldn't live past 18, due to complications at birth. Later, doctors told my parents I would never qualify for the military, due to some of these complications. It was as though my physical abilities were not going to be good enough.

I was considered a troubled child while growing up with ADHD, and plenty of other issues and problems, and yet I have reached some of the pinnacles of the sports of running, cycling and triathlon. I was a bench rider in high school for football, and cut from the basketball team. It wasn't until the urging from my dad that I tried distance running at the end of my sophomore year. Three All-State finishes later, I walked on at Nebraska, and later earned a full-scholarship. I was a part of a program which won a number of Big 12 Championships, an NCAA runner-up in track, was a roommate of an Olympic Semi-Finalist in the 1500, and competed in the NCAA Championships. I graduated and became a school teacher and coach. Talk about improbable.

I left teaching about 5-6 years later because my passion was to be involved in the sport and make my living from my passions. I now successfully make a living off my passions and knowledge. When I think about it, it's rather improbable that I ever reached anywhere close to what I have.

It's been an amazingly long road, with an incredible amount of hard work. Many hours, days, weeks, months and years spent focusing on training and performance. Just as many studying to learn the things which provided me to where I am now. How many sacrifices I made, I could never fathom or even count.

I may not be THE best at anything, but does that really matter? Isn't being the best more about doing everything you can do to do your best? Isn't it about overcoming insurmountable odds?

Is Y.E. Yang the best in the world? Maybe for a day. Well, maybe until the next tournament. I don't know. But what I do know, is what I felt when I watched him sink that final putt, yell in glory, raise his entire golf bag in the air, and sob as he embraced his wife. I couldn't help but shed a tear, and know what his sacrifice was like, what odds were stacked against him. I'd be lying if I said I knew who he was before the tournament started, but when I saw him and his emotion, I felt like I knew much more about him than I ever expected to.

Vance

Performance, It's the Name of the Game

Gotta love it when a cyclist has fly-girls...



Vance

How to descend a mountain in the Tour de France

Awesome video of Fabian Cancellara's descent during Stage 7 of the 2009 Tour de France, after making a bike change and having to catch up to the peleton. This is how you descend a mountain!



Vance