Only a Spectator for Once

Last weekend I found myself in an unusual role. I was simply watching others compete. And by others I mean specifically my partner Roy and my Team New York Aquatics friends. IGLA 2008, the International Gay and Lesbian Aquatics Championship in Washingon DC was once again a great event. This is a fun event every year and I have in the past participated. This time around, I was more than happy to simply watch and walk around the pool area with our daughter. Sorry to say: I am simply not fast enough in the swim right now to compete well there.

Chicago Lakefront Running

Early last week I had to jet off to Chicago for a few business meetings. Of course I packed my running shoes and hoped for good weather (meaning not too hot and humid) and some spare time to enjoy a few miles along the wonderful running track along the Chicago Lake front.
I cannot think of many urban running tracks I had the pleasure to run that compares. And I got lucky. Not only did I find the time for a late afternoon 1 hour + run on my first day from my hotel near the Loop going north towards North Beach, but then had the pleasure of another hour long run the following morning going the other direction, past Soldiers Field being joined by the Austrian Consul General, not only a pleasant running companion, but also an accomplished sub 3 hour marathon runner.

Keuka Lake Triathlon

We arrived in Keuka Lake after over 7 hours of traveling from New York, including a couple of longer breaks to break up the drive. The heat was already getting intense and I knew the race would be a tough one. Once we arrived at Keuka Lake College, Roy was less than amused at our spartan dorm accommodations. It has been a long time since I last stayed at a college dorm room. No let me rephrase that: I had never stayed at a college dorm room before. Seminaries, camps, farmhouses yes, but a college dorm was a new experience for me. Well, we had a great view, but no air condition. Luckily for me, I was still able to get a good night's sleep.

Already by 7.15 am it felt hot and muggy, but pre-race preparation went just fine. I got into the lake a bit early to try out my new full length wetsuit for the first time, and it felt just fine. Roy and Kiera postioned themselves near T 1 and the race went off, on time.

Just as always, my swim started out slow but I felt stronger as the swim progressed. Fairly soon I was able to pick up the first group of swimmers from the previous wave, so I knew I was doing just fine. I could only see a few yellow colored swimcaps from my wave ahead of me. At T 1 my good feeling about the swim was confirmed, most bikes where still in their place. Running with my bike out of transition, Roy was cheering me on and Kiera was wondering what exactly her Papa was up to.

Turns out I actually felt better during the bike portion than I really was. About midway through the wonderfully scenic bike ride, a long sustained uphill climb took its toll. Several riders past me with ease, still I felt comfortable. The last eight miles of the bike portion where both downhill and aided by a nice tailwind. So I felt almost rested heading into T 2 and headed out into the run. That's where trouble began.

At first my legs felt just fine, but quickly the heat and humidity took their toll. Typically I am able to pick up quite a few runners at this stage, but not this time around. After only two miles I felt the need to walk a few steps, just to cool down. From now on it was damage control, conserve some energy and finish.

2.45.30, hardly a great time, but overall I am quite pleased with my performance. It was a challenging course under difficult conditions. Finishing 9th out of 23 in my age group I missed a qualifying spot for the national championship. Now it's six weeks until the New York City triathlon, time to build on a solid early season base.

Almost Ready for Keuka Lake

Not sure if its excitement or, more likely, nervous anticipation, but I do almost feel ready for this season's first race, the Keuka Lake Intermediate Distance Triathlon this Sunday. Not that I have trained all that much really, but this will be my first multi-sport race in 256 days, meaning over 8 months. The Keuka Lake Triathlon this year is also be the Northeast Regional Championship, which means, I could theoretically qualify for the Age Group Nationals by finishing in the top 3rd of my age group. No idea how realistic this is, but based on last season's race results, this seems entirely possible.

So, two more days and I will find out. Am I still training too little, am I up to the task, is my bike a bit faster now with the new wheels (I doubt its me being faster here), is swimming for the first time in a full sleeve wetsuit comfy, yada yada yada?

Oh, before I forget, Keuka Lake is a 300 mile drive from New York City, in the Finger Lakes Region of the state.

New Wheels

OK, today I finally did it. I fit my beloved Cervelo P2C with a new set of wheels, namely the Hed Jet 60 C2. I pretty much had planned to spend some money on some new wheels in time for this year's race season. But cost clearly was one factor in my purchase decision, steering me away from the Zipp wheels that seem to be every one's choice these days. Everyone willing to spend the big bucks I guess. Not that the Hed Jet purchase was not painful, but there seems to be agreement that the Cervelo comes with a pretty basic set of wheels and that an upgrade would make a significant difference. Well, I sure hope so.

Training at the Emperors Gardens

Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, the former summer residence of the imperial family, is considered one of the most beautiful baroque palaces in Europe. The Habsburgs resided here the better part of the year in numerous rooms for the large imperial family in addition to representational rooms. Emperor Franz Joseph, who later married the enchanting Sisi and reigned from 1848 to 1916, was born here in 1830. Around 1838, the Schönbrunnerbad was first mentioned in a letter from Franz Josef to his brother Maximilian. Today, it is quite likely one of the most stunning settings for a public pool featuring a splendid 50m sized pool. For those not used to working out in a 50 meter pool, this comes close to an open water swim :)

It was not the first time that I was able to swim at this amazing pool last week while on business in Vienna, but it always fascinates me to walk up the stairs from the amazing gardens to the pool setting in the baroque gardens. While in Vienna, there is just no better spot to swim, or run in fact, as the garden is also one of the cities most favorite running spots.