Checking in with some news...

Well, I am definitely overdue on a post, and there is plenty of news to report. I will not give away all the news in one post, as there needs to be a reason for readers to check back in!

The first announcement of news is I am entered and training for Ironman Wisconsin on September 9th. I am excited about this race, as I have heard amazing things about the community and it's support of the event, as well as how cool Madison is. I haven't been to Madison in years, and I am looking forward to it!

The obvious question most people are asking right now is, "What about Kona?" Well, I am still going to Kona. Yes, I know they are 5 weeks apart, but after Coeur d'Alene, it was clear I needed to get another good Ironman performance to secure things for me next year, with regard to sponsorship, and Wisconsin provides a chance to possibly WIN an Ironman race in the US. The possibility of winning Kona, or even cracking the top 10 this October, are much tougher accomplishments. If I can get another podium at Ironman Wisconsin, that is a great accomplishment for 2007!

I will be in the water at Kona, but I will treat this year's race as an entirely fun, and learning experience, with the hopes of coming back in 2008, (hopefully after earning my 2008 slot at Wisconsin), ready to make a charge for the top 10.

My training is coming along, as this past weekend was:

Saturday - 100 mile ride, with the Swami's long loop, and then a 5 mile run off the bike, which turned out to be more of a death march! I've been limiting calories, and it was hot as heck this past weekend!

Sunday - Solana Beach Sprint Triathlon, (400 meter - 9 mile - 3 mile). Finished 3rd, but couldn't have been more than 5 seconds out of 1st. It was a close finish, so not bad for an Ironman guy coming off Saturday! After the race, went for a longer run of 90 mins. Did I mention it was hot as heck this weekend???

So that is the first bit of news for now. More big announcements to follow soon! Train safe!

Vance - 2007 NFA

Free swim/beach entry seminar and clinic tomorrow!

Sunday is the Carlsbad Triathlon, and I won't be participating. If it still had prize money, I would definitely be on that start line! But instead, I now use it as an opportunity to help out and participate in a different way. It also helps for people to see my coaching ability firsthand.

Here's the post I made on the San Diego Tri Club's message board:

If you are competing and picking up your race packet, stop by at the following times to hear club members Steve Tally and Jim Vance speak on topics which will help your race.

10:30 AM - at the Ficus Tree Stage at the expo
Steve Tally - Triathlon Prep Seminar

Steve will be discussing various topics, from transitions and set-up, how to make sure you have avoid problems in the race, to answering any questions you may have.


11:45 AM - at the Ficus Tree Stage at the expo
Jim Vance - Swim/Beach Entry Seminar

Jim will be discussing the swim course, and key information on how to handle rough surf, get thru the swim, and ease fears.


2:00 PM - Carlsbad Beach, Tower 36
Jim Vance - Swim/Beach Entry Clinic

This is where Jim will be teaching the skills he discussed in the seminar, for handling surf and waves. This clinic will be located 400 yards north of Tamarack Ave, at Tower 36 on the beach.


All these clinics are free to the public. Come out and learn, and enjoy yourself. You don't have to be entered in the event to enjoy the seminars and clinics.

Hope to see you all there!

If you're struggling with surf entries, come to this event. If you've heard good things about my swim clinics, but haven't been able to make it to one, come out and get a brief session to see what they entail.

Vance - 2007 NFA

July 1st, a special date...

July 1st is a special date to me. First off, it's my boy JT's birthday, so happy birthday JT! I know you'll love the gift a bunch of threw in together for, a new pair of Mavic Cross Max SLR disc mountain bike wheels!

JT is one of the Navy Seal boys, and we all threw in together, with some other friends of his as well. He loves his Specialized Epic, and riding it. It'll be good to do some long MTB rides together when he begins his training for Ironman Florida. (By long, I mean 6-8 hours on the mountain bike! YEAH BABY!)

JT is doing the RAGBRAI soon, which stands for the Register's Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. Long name, for what could just be the Tour de Iowa. It will take him about a week to ride across with this big event. He's from Iowa originally, so it's a type of homecoming.

JT is doing the event to raise money for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation. The Special Operations Warrior Foundation (SOWF) provides college scholarship grants, based on need, along with financial aid and educational counseling to the children of Special Operations personnel who were killed in an operational mission or training accident.

If you would like to help donate to JT's cause, here's the site to help him:
http://www.firstgiving.com/jttumilson

Happy birthday JT, and I hope you enjoy the event!

The other significance of July 1 is that it's the anniversary of my arrival to San Diego. I arrived in San Diego on July 1, 2001. It's been 6 years here, and boy, have things in my life changed. I was exposed to the sport of triathlon when I got here, found my wife, and live a life which is tough to beat. I get to enjoy the lifestyle of training and fitness, the beach, sun and ocean, all year long.

July 1 feels almost like a birthday to me, or a rebirth, because life really changed for the better when I arrived here.

Vance - 2007 NFA

Sadly wonderful...

"Wow!" That was my wife's reaction when we pulled up to La Jolla Cove last night. I had heard from one of my clients there was going to be a memorial swim, (so to speak), for Jim McCann, at the usual Friday night club swim. It hadn't been advertised, or communicated on the tri club board, so I thought it was just going to be a small thing, but boy were we mistaken.

I figured I would show up and swim easy with some people, my first activity since the race. We pulled up, and the grassy area was PACKED with people. I had never seen it this crowded on a general Friday evening. I almost wondered if there was another event going on. But no, this was the underground, memorial event.

Some people said a few things, and then lead the memorial swim, with a wreath to send out in the water. We swam out to the 1/4 mile buoy, nearly 200 people strong, and formed a circle. We had a moment of silence, and ironically, in that silence there were a few seals howling about a 100 yards away from us. It was rather symbolic. Otherwise, we just floated there, looking at the wreath, feeling the waves push us up and down. I had a few memories and images of Jim float thru my mind.

In typical Bob Babbit style, he also lead a moment of NOISE, knowing Jim would have been more about having fun and making noise being the water, enjoying ourselves.

Afterward, I swam to the 1/2 mile buoy with some folks, then back to the Cove, for a mile total. I put some warm clothes on, and headed for the food table. It was quite busy. So many people.

It was a very odd evening. Everyone enjoying each other's company, talking, discussing races. I was approached by so many people about my race last weekend, and wanting to hear more about the bee sting, it was almost funny. There we were, enjoying the sport and the social, life-style aspects of it which Jim wanted to share so badly with everyone, and yet we all seemed to have this sad energy about us. We love our sport, the people, the social gatherings and functions, but sadly it took the death of someone we all loved to recognize that even more.

It was sadly wonderful. Everyone smiling and laughing, while dealing with this tragedy. It may be this way for awhile, but that's the healing process I guess.

I had some discussions with Babbit, and told him I don't envy the person who takes over for Jim as President of the Tri Club. Only because he gave soo much of himself, and made it work so well. He was selfless, and ran nearly everything himself. He did so much on his own to make it run so well, and have the growth that it did. It will be hard to match his commitment level. He was truly a special person in that sense.

I gave Dee Dee a hug as I was leaving, and gave her my best. She's such a strong soul.

Sadly, it was a wonderful evening.

Vance - 2007 NFA

Ironman Coeur d'Alene 2007 Race Report

This was the toughest race of my life. It wasn’t because of the strength of the field, which was very strong, or the weather, which was quite windy, but the circumstances which I fought. I learned a lot about myself.

If you’ve been reading my blog, you’ve followed my discussion of the new book, Lone Survivor, by my friend Marcus Luttrell. Marcus, his twin brother Morgan, my top support-crew guy JT, and a few other guys I am close with, are all Navy Seals, (Marcus actually just retired). In a way, I’ve kind of been adopted by the Navy Seal family. Marcus was the only Seal to survive the deadliest day in Navy Seal history 2 years ago in Afghanistan. His book recounts the events which killed 19 of his friends and teammates, and his incredible story of survival against all odds. It also details the training he went thru, and how the Navy Seal training is designed to see how badly you want it, and who will quit. They push you to the limits, then further.

A part of the book which really helped me in the race was where the instructors are explaining what it takes to become a Navy Seal… “the body can take damn near anything. It’s the mind that needs training…Can you cope with that kind of unfairness, that much of a setback? And still come back with your jaw set, still determined, swearing to God you will never quit? That’s what we’re looking for.”

“Don’t let your thoughts run away with you, don’t start planning to bail out because you’re worried about the future and how much you can take. Don’t look ahead to the pain. Just get through now.”

It was a tough week leading up to this race, with the surprise death of my friend, Jim McCann on Wednesday. I found out Thursday, and I took it hard. I was being tested before the race even started. The words in Marcus’ book would ring in my head throughout the race, and help me to the finish, as the tests would continue.

Up at 0400, and out for an easy 15 min jog, everything felt great. Back in for breakfast and final prep, with my first cups of coffee in weeks. Off to the race, and everything was looking great.

The water was choppy and rough with the wind, but nothing different than what we had seen all week leading up to the race. I was ready. At the start line I had Lovato on my left, and Victor Zymetsev on my right. I knew the swim would be lead out by Bryan Rhodes, Luke McKenzie, and Tom Evans. I decided it would be best to stick with the chase pack, as I didn’t want to end up being strung out away from Luke and Tom, swimming solo. I needed a good draft, and think for the long haul. I also wanted to use Zymetsev’s experience to help me. He had won 5 Ironman titles, and beaten Tom the year before by pacing his efforts just right. I felt it was best to key off him and use his experience to help me.

The race starts with the cannon, and we’re off. I am right where I want to be, next to Lovato and a few others. End of lap one, and Greg Welch tells me I’m 90 secs off first, Rhodes. I figure perfect, I just need to hold pace on the second lap, as 3 mins is fine if that’s the gap.

2nd lap I settle perfectly onto a quick age-grouper’s feet, with Jasper Blake on my feet, and come out 3 mins down, 7th, perfect! Victor had made a little surge on me late, but I felt it was best to wait it out. I head out of T2 chasing Jasper and Victor. Glance at my watch for swim time, 54 mins and change. Not great, but I realize I’m right in the mix, and I feel good.

Out of T1, and my wife tells me about 4 mins to 1st, and I’m in 7th. I begin the road through town, and man there are a lot of people out! I pass Jasper about 5 miles in, get out to the turnaround and see Rhodes leading, followed by Evans, McKenzie, Victor, and Fabio Carvahlo. We get back into town, and Paulo and Johnathon Caron give me a bike split of 3:45. I get to the long straight away and my wife tells me 3:30, so they’re coming back. I overtake Carvahlo, and do a few time checks on Victor, and see I’m closing in on him. I just wanted to use him to keep the pace honest and work together legally. I knew he didn’t really know who I was, so that would probably play to my advantage. The gap closed to 15 seconds as we hit the first descent, just before the 25 mile marker.

I dug into the turns, riding in the aerobars thru the blind corners, speeds near 45 mph. I could feel the wind begin to open my jersey just a bit. Suddenly, I feel what seems like a stab wound, right to my chest! “Ughhhhh!” I realized right away, bee sting. I sat-up out of the aerobars, hit the brakes, and lifted the jersey. I reached in and pulled out the stinger. I was cursing out loud, “I can’t believe this happened again!” Wildflower was a similar instance, but that happened in my right arm.

I pass by the 25 mile marker, and see the split, 1:01:33. I’m on a pretty good pace, but not killing myself by any means. I begin to wonder, what does this bee sting mean? What happens now? I know I’m allergic, but to what degree will it affect me in the race? What can I do to stop it, or prevent it from effecting me? I decided I would just continue to race, stick to my plans and see if it affected me. I hoped I had pulled out the stinger before it could really release much venom into me. (After the race, the sting area would form a 3rd nipple on my chest!)

By now, Victor had put another 30 seconds between us, while I dealt with the bee, and I was solo. Over the course of the first loop, the gap to the leaders would fluctuate between 2:30 and 3:50. If it was a hilly section, the gap grew. If it was flat, I brought them back.

I come back into town, and see the lead group. Victor has nearly caught them, and has passed Rhodes. Right about now, I’m struggling a little, and feeling a little weak. By the time I get back out at the turnaround, Evans has made a move, and I’m losing time. Lovato is catching me, and I’m wondering what’s happening.

Mile 76, and Lovato catches me. He turns and looks at me, and says, “Are you okay?” It was clear I was going backwards, and I’m looking pale. A little later, Jasper Blake has caught and passed me. I am trying to assess the problem, and realize it’s not nutrition, I’m stuggling to breathe deeply and get going hard again. I decide to focus on filling up on water and hydrating, fearing the sting has effected my hydration levels.

I drop all the way to 9th, and begin wondering how far down I will plummet. I think about dropping out, realizing the bad luck has come, and perhaps this isn’t my day. I remembered what I said about Jim McCann’s death in my blog, and how I had to give my best. Dropping out certainly would not be my best. I thought again about my situation, and saw that I was still in the top 10, a fair showing for sure. I needed to soldier on, as the race was far from over.

At mile 90, I began to get things back under control, as my hydrating plan seemed to be paying dividends. I moved back into 8th, and pushed for T2. Bike split of 5:00:19, struggling.

I come in to T2, a few minutes down on Jasper, and quickly get changed and off. The crowd is very large, and cheers can be heard as I leave the transition. I start off gingerly, and see where I’m at. I get to mile 1 and it’s about 6:42. Feeling better, I decide it’s time to start winding it up. I get moving back thru the crowd, and picking up the pace.

I begin to find the quick rhythm I want, and suddenly, I’m having a lot of trouble breathing. I’m suddenly an asthmatic, but I’m not an asthmatic! The lungs will not allow me to take a deep breath, and my diaphragm is spazzing. I almost become a little panic stricken, and wonder what the hell is going on, as I’ve never felt this way in all my years of running! This was the second mile, so how in the hell was I going to run a marathon? (It wasn’t until after the race when talking with a few doctors that I find out bee stings attack the respiratory system, and the symptoms I was displaying very normal for an allergic reaction. They were amazed I finished, much less how well! Come to think of it, so am I!)

I slow down to catch my breath and see Heather Fuhr and Paula Newby-Fraser. I tell them I need medical, and they say it’s right there. I look over and realize they mean I have to stop racing and step off the course to the medical tent. I couldn’t do it. I had to keep pushing and racing. I couldn’t quit, my body would have to give-in before my mind.

I slowed down and just tried to find the fastest rhythm I could, without suffering the breathing issues. I check the split for the next mile, 6:24. I do the math in my head, and realize this is still sub-3 hours for the marathon, and if I can hold it, I’ll still do well. Next mile was 6:22. This 6:20-6:30 pace continued until about mile 17, when I started to struggle, and couldn’t breathe again. I had told Jonathon Caron to radio medical of the situation at about mile 4, and was worried I might collapse out there, from the reaction to the sting. I wanted them to know what was going on if I suddenly passed out. I honestly had no idea what to expect, and I was truly scared.

Come the second lap, my left quad and IT band were tightening up badly, and I didn’t know if I would make it even another step, much less another mile or to the finish. At the final turnaround I do a time check, and I’ve lost some time on the guys in front of me, but I’ve got a big gap to 9th. I realize all I have to focus on is finishing at this point. All I could think of was Marcus’ book, “Just get through now”!

I look up the road at a target, trying to get to it, before choosing another. One foot in front of the other, trying to make my breathing as relaxed as I could. Every step so painful in my leg, and painful in chest. I was on sheer willpower, (and coke, cookies and water from the aid stations!)

I hit mile 25 and begin to realize I’m really going to make it. I come near the corner to turn down Sherman to the finish, and people are congratulating me, and I wince out a smile, almost incredulous it’s really about to end.

I round the final turn and hear a HUGE roar down the street, as it’s lined with people 3-4 deep! Two police cyclists are waiting to escort me down the final 5 blocks. I am in such pain, disappointed about the circumstances, but emotionally charged that I made it thru the worst, and scariest race experience of my life.

I come to the finish area arch, slow to a walk, and I’m in tears. I don’t know if it’s from the pain, fear, or realization that I had suffered thru and made it. I’m overwhelmed with the emotion of a top 8 finish, despite facing challenges greater than just the distance itself. I walk thru the tunnel of people, giving high fives, and break the tape, 9:06:40. I had run 3:08:09 for the marathon, in a suffer-fest of pain, breathing issues, fear and doubt.

I cross the line and my wonderful wife Orlanda is right there to give me a hug. I could not believe I had made it. It had looked so horrific and impossible. I learned so much of myself and how I am capable of amazing things if I truly keep my mind strong.

Thanks Marcus for your words in the book. Thanks Jim McCann, for helping me to make a promise to do my best.

Coffee

Mmmmmm, COFFEE! First time I've had it in 2 weeks. It's 4:45 AM here, leaving for the race shortly. Did an easy jog, and felt great. Hope it's a sign of things to come!

Ready to race...

Vance 2007 NFA

Game on...

The race is in about 12 hours. Headed to bed soon, but wanted to post a special thanks to everyone who has emailed, text messaged, called, etc, wishing me good luck. I appreciate all the support.

I got my new custom suit from Zoot today, and it's HOT! Check out the photos tomorrow, as I don't have time to upload them here.

Tune in tomorrow and watch the race...I will do my best to make it exciting.

Vance - 2007 NFA