Triburon

WORLDS!

2009-03-05T09:26:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone!

It's been a few weeks since I posted here, but in that time, I QUALIFIED FOR WORLDS! I'll probably be going to Concord, North Carolina for the competition in late September. I qualified at the Desert Classic Duathlon, which was a challenging course and featured a challenging field. I plan on at least a top-10 finish at worlds.

Additionally, I will start a small foray into the world of track cycling soon to see if it's worth pursuing (no pun intended). My buddy Sherwood has recommended that I try out the 1000m time trial (kilo), and the 4000m pursuit. I'm very excited for this.

I've started lifting weights in hopes of increasing climbing abilities, time trialing abilities, and to reduce the risk of injury. When I start swimming again in October, hopefully I'll have a strong core to work with.

And finally, this weekend is the UBC tri, in which I will be participating as part of a relay team. My swimmer is a national collegiate champion, and my runner can run as fast as I can. This should be incredible!

That's all for now. Come back later to hear about how the relay goes, if I'm actually gonna take the Worlds invite, etc!

Blog Revival!

2009-02-17T21:00:00.000-08:00

Well it's time I revived this baby.

1. Sugoi Brand Champions!

I've renewed my contract with Sugoi, so I'll be wearing the thunderbird again in 09! I've completed my kit with a long-sleeve skinsuit that I'll use to rocket towards victory in time trials and TRACK CYCLING!

2. TRACK CYCLING!

I went to the velodrome on friday with the tri club, and fell in LOVE. The velodrome is the greatest thing I've ever discovered in sport. It's the most enjoyable form of cycling by far. It's fast. It's fun. You have people cheering you on. It's the greatest, and I'm going to pursue this as much as I can. I already have a track bike, so this makes it all the much easier.

3. Duathlon!

Desert Classic Duathlon is coming up this weekend. I got first in my age group last year, but I'm in the 20-24 AG this year, so it'll be tougher to get that worlds qualification. I've been focusing on a lot of speed work recently, so hopefully that'll pay off. I'm looking for a sub-18 first leg, sub-56 bike leg, and sub-17 last leg. We'll see!!! Regardless it'll be a great trip, and the weather forecast is amazing! I'll get to try out a lot of new gear on this course, so that should be cool.

4. Tri Team

I'm officially starting an official UBC Triathlon Team for the more competitive triathletes at the school. First step: recruit members, Second step: Find coach(es), Third step: get uniforms, sponsors, and win races!!!

So that's all for now. More updates later when I don't have a bed time to fulfill!!!

I know, I know, I've been neglecting my poor little blog...

2008-07-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, it's been awhile, and I can't remember where I was at when I blogged last, so here's what's new:

-Biking is really, really strong. I've been doing some climbing (which is very very easy at 6'1 and 143 lbs.) and time-trial practice, and I'm seeing some maaaaad results!
-Swimming is going almost as well. I'm feeling great in the water, I'm very confident, and my times keep dropping. I'm learning more and more what swimming is all about, and I've been getting a great feel for the water. The other night, I was able to swim the entire length of the pool on one breath (dolphin kicking about a foot from the floor. primal as hell). I can also now make it across the pool in 9-10 strokes, so that's a sign of improvement.
-Running. Well, I'll be able to run in alaska (high high intensity, on account of the sea levelness), so I haven't been running here. I've been focusing on biking and somewhat on swimming, seeing as I won't be doing it for two weeks starting in two days.
-Other training: haven't really been doing anything. My core is getting strong just from my biking (it's not supposed to happen, but it sure as hell feels like it!) and my swimming (definitely feels like it...and looks like it). I've been losing weight but feeling stronger, so I think my bfp is dropping, which explains my recent breakthrough in climbing ability.
-Nutrition: it wasn't so good a few days/weeks ago. I was eating way way more than I was burning, but now I've had much more self-control and have started eating somewhere in the same ballpark as the amount I've been using.

so yeah, things are going well. looking for a podium finish in colorado springs. my goals for that are:
sub-10 minute swim
sub-45 second t1
sub-29 minute bike
sub-45 second t2
sub-18 minute run

this will result in a 58:30 if I did my mind-math right. it'd be revolutionary as far as my race times go, but I think I can do it. The bike is draft legal, which helps (a lot) and my running is hopefully gonna benefit from that. My swimming is just surging forward, so I'm feeling pretty good about the whole thing.

And oh yeah, these are the things I'm prolly gonna buy before colorado springs:
-Oval R900 Aergo Handlebars
-Oval A712 Stem Faceplate aerobar mount
-Oval R700
-Polar CS600 Power Meter
-Profile Chrono Aero Bottle/Cage

And after that:
-Oval A710 base bar
-Oval A700 extension (single bend. maybe)
-Sram TT shifters (or dura ace bar-end shifters)
-Sram TT brake levers (or vision brake levers)
-Cabling and junk

Deuces Wild!

2008-06-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

Okay, 12th overall, first in the AG.

So it started off with a FREEZING cold swim (54 ish) in a sleeveless wetsuit. The start was brutal, and there was a lot of wrestling in the water as the pack got pinched because we had to swim around this little out-jutting of land to get to the first buoy. Apparently seth and steve were on either side of me for all 400 meters to the first buoy (I didn't know this, but they could see me, as I was the only one without sleeves, haha). We rounded the buoy, and steve took off (hella strong swimmer). The next 600 was pretty good. I just thought about this one girl the entire time to take my mind off my swim stroke (when I don't think about my stroke, I go faster). I was also trading drafts with this one guy, who turned out to be seth (I found all this out after the race). We rounded the second buoy, and I left seth in my wake and just hauled for the last 500. I came out of the water around 25, and had a fairly slow transition (I had to put socks on cuz my feet were absolutely numb after the swim, and they always freeze on the bike.

I got out on the bike and started catching people. I had gotten a fitting the day before, so I was incredibly comfortable the whole way. My new wheels felt (and sounded) amazing, and I held a 30 mph average for the first ten miles. Around mile 3, seth passed me going about 40 ish (uphill. he set the bike course record that day). That was semi-disheartening, but I just tried to catch him the entire way, and that led to me passing about 8 more people. I got my nutrition and hydration on the bike down, so I always had power at my disposal. I was a little slow on this hill that was a mile long and into an 18mph headwind, but that's expected, haha.

So I came in off the bike, had a snappy-as-hell transition, and got on the run like it'd stolen my wallet. I was holding 6:20s for the first three miles, dropped to 6:40s for the next two, and then my "10k fade" came about around the 5-mile sign, and I ended up dropping to 7:15 ish. There were two guys in front of me that I just couldn't get ahead of, lest I chunder everywhere and risk looking ridiculous and adding time, but I would've pulled it together if I knew that would've gotten me in top-10! They were old, anyways, so they had the long-distance endurance. But I came in at about 2:16 ish, which I'm pretty damn happy with! My bike ended up being a 1:06 and chance, and my run was a 41:40, which was the 8th fastest of the day. There were over 200 competitors, and the field was incredibly stacked. Seth got 4th overall, and set the bike course record like I said before, and steve got 9th. It was a good day for the albuquerque crew!

4 days till show low!

2008-05-27T23:30:00.000-07:00

Okay...updates:

swim:
I practice swimming. Not as much as I should, but deuces is a wetsuit swim, so I'm not toooo worried about it (I do quite well in wetsuit swims).

bike:
my legs aren't broken! I got x-rays today at dad's work, and there was a good 3.5 minutes of panic when my dad read an abnormality right where my pain is, but we x-rayed the other knee, and noticed that the same thing was on the other knee, so it's just some genetic thing. I'm going for physio tomorrow, so hopefully they'll tell me what's up. I went on a nice ride a few days ago, and I'm still feeling strong. I'm going for 1:05 at deuces.

run:
running's good. I feel good once again. that 17:47 at jay benson inspired great confidence in me. I've been doing some 9-10ks near the gym before swim workouts, so those are hopefully doing good things.

other:
well, I've been feeling pretty good recently. I get lots of recovery since I'm not obsessed with being the greatest triathlete ever to walk the planet, and I think this is beneficial. we'll see this weekend. it's going to be a great reality check.

4 weeks of injury...

2008-05-18T17:32:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I'm on my 4th week of being injured, and it SUCKS. I can't bike, and I'm really sad :(
But whatever. Updates:

Swimming:
Haven't swam due to neck/back/nose sun burn issues. Hopefully I'll be able to start tomorrow and do that intense stuff I was doing last week.

Biking:
Tried mountain biking. Knee was okay, but road biking is still out. I'm depressed. I totally fucked up and took my good vittoria tire off my front wheel when I meant to take the crappy tire off my back wheel (it was eaaaarly in the morning! give me a break!) So I've spent the better part of 3 hours total dealing with that, and I still have a lot more work to do on it. I may be getting a 50mm front stinger from my coach soon, so I'll have to deal with more tubular crap :(. But I love tubies!

Running:
I like running again. I'm gonna try it here in a couple minutes. My knee isn't as bothered by it.

Other:
I lifted weights yesterday morning and got pretty intense. I'm gonna start integrating weights into my training more just to build up my core and swimming muscles (and to get jacked! which was one of two goals my friends and I set for ourselves this summer. the other being to get tan, which I did a little overboard on :s

So yeah, Deuces in two weeks, milkman a week after that, and then I'll prolly take the rest of the summer off except for a few big races later on (after alaska).

Injury sucks, but it may be a blessing in disguise...

2008-05-15T23:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I've been injured for a good 3 weeks. I had a race on sunday, but it didn't go so well due to altitude crappiness and a hurt knee. I also cramped halfway through the bike, and then again in the pool, so my time was royally f'ed. I count it as a practice race.

So, I've only been on two rides, a handful of runs, and a TON of swimming since I got back. My swim is definitely improving. I plan on going all-out once my injury is over, and I also plan on STRETCHING STRETCHING STRETCHING and some yoga to prevent further injury. Deuces is in two weeks, so I gotta get my act together. I'm planning on really hammering my run and swim, and working a little bit on endurance on the bike, so there'll be more run volume, much more swim volume, and lsd (ish) on the bike. I'm also going to incorporate some abs/core and yoga into my schedule.

That's all for now. I put a computer on my bike, and got some AMAZING new skewers for my race wheels. And...that's about it! More to come...

Exciting News!

2008-05-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Okay, most exciting news needs to come first, so I'm switching up the order a bit for today:

Cycling Gear:
I GOT RACING WHEELS! Hed stinger 90s. They're deep, light, and look amazing! I really can't wait to race on them. I got a great deal on them, which doesn't hurt! This weekend, I went to a bike swap and picked up a 172.5 crankset (compact, but whatever), an ISM Adamo saddle (my boys worship me for my decision. after all, I'll need children to show my trophies to!)

Swimming:
I've been feeling really fast and comfortable in the water recently. I'm really looking forward to swimming a TON this summer. My dad's gonna try to critique my form from a book he's reading. We'll let him try. I'm also going to find a real coach.

Cycling:
Well, my bike's sick as hell, but my knee's been acting up, so I'm gonna rest my ass off in hopes that it feels 100% better by Jay Benson. I've gained some weight, so climbing's a bit harder on me, but my descents are skull-shattering.

SCHOOL'S ALMOST DONE updates

2008-04-27T19:07:00.000-07:00

Racing:
Well, I'm down to between 8 and 12 races this summer. 4-7 in New Mexico, 2 in Arizona, 1 in Colorado, 1 in BC, and perhaps one in Portland (Pan American Cup/AG Nationals)

Running:
I love running once again. It hurts a bit more than it used to, but I'll get used to it again.

Biking:
Still love it. Hopefully going to be doing A LOT more of it in Albuquerque. I hope to be getting some 404s and a zipp disc soon. If not, Hed 3 clinchers and Rolf vigors and a Renn disc.

Swimming:
I love swimming! I can't wait to swim outside every day this summer! It's going to be incredible. I plan on 7-10 swims per week.

Other:
Not too much going on. I'm going to be training like nobody's business this summer, and hopefully see some remarkable results!

Quick update before swim practice

2008-04-25T07:48:00.000-07:00

Before my 5000 meters this morning, I figured I'd post some updates:

Swimming:
Haven't been swimming as much as I should. The back injury a few days ago messed me up a bit, but I'm back on track now, as you can see by my opening line.

Biking:
I packed my bike up only to unpack it because I missed it. I'm hoping to get a few rides in before going home.

Running:
I found this AMAZING new trail a few days ago, but unfortunately I don't have much time to run on it before I go back to the desert. I'm quite pleased with my running abilities these days.

Gear:
I'm gonna get an ISM adamo saddle, ultegra SL 172.5 mm crankset, and hopefully a set of Hed 3 clinchers. If I'm really lucky, I'll get zipp 404 tubulars and a zipp disc and not have to worry about getting new wheels for many years, but we'll see.

Races:
I've decided to forgo texan races this summer, and only travel to important races. This is part of my sustainability campaign that I'm launching this summer. The low race volume will also allow me to train more and have fewer high-performance races as opposed to a lot of races in which I may be off-peak, untapered, sore, etc. I've decided to be mature about my race schedule (finally! haha. I'm glad I've seen the light).

Off to swim practice!

Season-opening updates!

2008-04-22T13:38:00.000-07:00

Well, the season's only a couple weeks away! And there's a few new things happening, so I figure I should share them with the world:

1. TT bike
So I decided it would be wise for me to get a dedicated TT bike to minimize drag, and to reduce the hassle of putting aerobars on my bike, flipping the seat around (ROYAL pain in the ass), and the other preparations I make to my Cervelo Soloist before a TT to make it race-worthy. It would also give me the chance to get some of the benefits of carbon, and to have pure tri-bars on my bike to further reduce drag. All elite triathletes have a road bike and a TT bike (possibly more), so I figure this is the way to go.

2. Wheels
I'm probably going to go with a pair of Hed 3s this summer. I figure they're some of the best wheels for the money, considering their drag coefficient, somewhat low weight, and their reputed "bombproof" quality. I may run a Renn 575 disc in the back, and might get a pair of Rolf Vigors for road racing. My coach can get a deal on them, apparently, and they beat the 303s in the windtunnel.
Alternatively, I could run Zipp 404s, and these would suffice for tts and road races. Cons: can't use em in crits, not as aero as the hed 3's, and they're more expensive. Pros: they're zipp (implicitly awesome), they're light (ish). we'll see.

3. Running
Well i ran my first 10k in about a year, and pulled off a 36:26, which is a 2-minute pr. So I became motivated to start running again! I'm really gonna start adjusting my running-to-biking training ratio from about 1:6 (time dependent), to 1:1 or 3:2 or so. I should be faster than I am, but my legs are in the process of converting to pure cycling legs, so I need to stop this.

4. Swimming
Well I screwed up my back pretty good moving a box onto a shelf in my dorm room. It was some of the worst agony I've ever felt, and I collapsed to the ground and nearly blacked out. I eventually wriggled to my desk, got my phone, called the doctor/dad and was told it was going to get better, but I couldn't swim for a few days. So my swimming will suffer, but I need to let my back rest. I'm feeling 95% better today (the next day) so I may be hitting the pool quite soon. I plan on swimming 8-10 times per week this summer to get up to the level of other life-long swimmers.

5. Biking
Better than ever. Been getting some long rides in. Having tendonitis issues in my knee from fixed cleats (red shimanos. don't get em). And my hip's been threatening to dislocate after getting off my bike after a long ride, but this clears up after an hour or so. I'm quite confident in my cycling abilities and hope for some bike primes this summer.

6. Road Cycling
So I've become fascinated with road cycling and plan on pursuing it this summer. I'll be doing a tuesday night crit seris, so that should be fun and interesting.

7. Alaska training
This will be very exciting. Running through the forest, cycling along freshly-paved, very low traffic roads, and swimming in the ocean and up-river. Should be quite effective going into the Junior nationals.

that's all for now! I have calculus to study!!!

Say hello to my new sponsors!

2008-01-26T10:25:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, this is just a shout out to NUUN and Sugoi, both of whom I'll be representing this season on my tour.

NUUN-
This electrolyte replacement formula is that secret weapon I use to keep my quads, hams, and calves working pain-free. They come in little tubes of 12 tablets, and you just drop a tablet into 16 ounces or so of water, it fizzes for a couple minutes, and then it stops and you have a great-tasting electrolyte-replacement drink that won't upset your stomach with excess sugars or anything like that (you can still add energy drink to it if you need carb replacement, too, which allows a lot of versatility in your refueling method). There's even a cola flavored one that has caffeine in it and everything (caffeine actually can make a significant difference at the end of the race).
Anyways, I'm very proud to be representing NUUN this season. I used the supplements last season during every race and frankly wouldn't feel comfortable without it in one of my bottles.

Sugoi-
My first triathlon outfit ever was a red and black sugoi 2-piece suit, and let's just say first impressions were amazing. I'm proud to be a part of Sugoi's Brand Champion program, as it'll give me the opportunity to represent my favorite, Vancouverite company. I'll be wearing the thunderbird Sugoi RS tri suit this year. Pictures to come.

I'm back!

2008-01-20T13:50:00.001-08:00

Well, after a rather relaxing vacation, I'm back. So I'm just gonna throw all my updates out there in no particular order, seeing as that would best reflect the lack of order in my life right now, haha.

-Well there's just a little over a month left before my first race of the season. The Desert Classic Duathlon in Phoenix, AZ will be my kick-off race, and I have absolutely no expectations for it. I don't know what my times could possibly look like at that altitude, and I don't know what to expect from the course. I'll be in Albuquerque for 8 days before the race, where I'll be doing some very intense altitude running and biking. This should pay off as long as I get a perfect taper in closer to the race. It's a qualifier for worlds in Italy in September, so hopefully I'll do well enough to get there.

-In addition to the Duathlon, I registered for the UBC triathlon. It'll be Olympic distance, and I'm going to try to win it. It's only two weeks after the duathlon, so I'm going to try to double-peak for both races. We'll see how my strategy works out. It's not that important of a race, but to do well would be a good kick-off to triathlon season.

-My biking abilities are finally starting to see some serious results. At about 95% effort, I can hold 300 watts for 20 minutes, which has been a goal of mine for over a year. I'm going to try to get that number up to 350-400 by the end of the season. I've decided to also start adding time as well as intensity to workouts in anticipation of some long-course half-irons and ironmans this year.

-My running fitness is coming back. I had to take a break because I didn't have shoes and got sick, so I'm trying to make as big of a comeback as possible given the amount of time I have before Phoenix. Hopefully the altitude training in New Mexico will boost my fitness. This summer will also allow me to get some good running practice in. I've also mainly been working on my core strength, because I feel like I haven't had that in the past and it's damaged my times.

-I found a way I can get into Ironman Canada, which is a blessing because registering involves waiting in line at the actual event the year before, which I was unable to do this year. My plan is to qualify at the Florida 70.3 by placing well. This will be difficult because I'm in the most talented age group for half-iron (18-24. no 16-19 in long course, unfortunately). Hopefully I'll catch a lucky break, though!

-I'm close to finalizing my race schedule for next year. This is what it's looking like:

Focus Race Semi-Focus Race Half-Iron Normal Race Potential Race

2/24- Desert Classic Duathlon (registered)
Phoenix, AZ. Short Course. Qualifier for nationals. I plan on qualifying in my age group.
3/9- UBC Triathlon
Vancouver, BC. Olympic. This will be one of my focus races due to it's isolation and spacing from other events.
4/27- Atomic Man Duathlon
White Rock, NM. I may not be able to attend due to final exams.
5/4- Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City, OK ITU Worlds AG qualifier.
5/11- Jay Benson Triathlon
Albuquerque, NM. Reverse sprint. May be a focus race depending upon how I feel closer to the race.
5/18- Florida 70.3
Orlando, FL. To qualify for Ironman Canada.
5/25- Cap Tex Tri
Austin, TX. Olympic. AG Nationals Qualifier.
6/1- Deuces Wild Triathlon
Show Low, AZ. Olympic. Qualifier for nationals.
6/7- ITU World Championships
Vancouver, BC. Sprint. Only if I qualify somewhere.
6/22- 5th Annual JCC Offroad Triathlon
Albuquerque, NM. Reverse Sprint. Most likely a focus race, seeing as I need "revenge" on this race.
6/29- ITU Calgary Pan American Cup
Calgary, AB. Olympic. Good experience.
8/9- ITU Junior Elite Nationals
Colorado Springs, CO. Sprint. Junior Elite nationals. I NEED revenge on this race from last year. Major focus race. Goal: top 3
8/16- Los Alamos Triathlon
Los Alamos, NM. Messed-up sprint (b, s, r). Seeking revenge on this race. Goal: first. Semi-focus race (off peak from nationals, but I may be able to pull a double-peak).
9/1- Vancouver Triathlon
Vancouver, BC. I'm seeking revenge on this race. Olympic (maybe sprint). I plan on winning this. Low altitude should help!
9/20- USAT Nationals
Portland, OR. Sprint. I'll attend if I have the means of getting there.

And perhaps worlds in either Duathlon or Triathlon.

-I finally picked up my first sponsor: Nuun electrolyte tablets. It's cool, because I actually use this stuff, and it's saved me countless times from cramping and stuff.

I'll keep everyone updated as more news develops!

Wow

2007-12-11T08:46:00.003-08:00

So I just checked my resting heart rate for the first time in a few months. 45 bpm. Surprised me!

random updates

2007-12-08T17:21:00.001-08:00

Well, just to give you some updates:

I'm just starting to move into my high-intensity training period in anticipation of the duathlon in February. I'm hoping for really good results there.

I've been spending what little time I have between studying for finals and training on trying to make my own liqueur. Not much success. My only result so far is a type of spiced vodka and a type of spiced rum, both of which have proven to turn my tongue numb while tasting as nasty as something possibly could.

I've decided I may want to minor in business or something. So I'm going to try to find some way to take some business classes somewhere, considering I won't have much time to do so with my engineering program.

I'm now planning on competing at the itu competition in Oklahoma City in hopes of earning one of the spots for the ITU Sprint Age-Group worlds in Vancouver. I won't be on the Junior Elite team cuz I didn't get started early enough, but hopefully I'll be able to go to worlds as an age-grouper. Plus, worlds is in my (new) hometown!

I'm now very motivated to go to medical school. And this motivates me to try to qualify for the olympics. They might seem unrelated, but the olympics might be that thing that sets me apart from other applicants.

YAY!

2007-11-27T22:43:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I didn't go to a doctor, but I'm fairly certain that I don't have a stress fracture after all. The pain went away, and with the help of my doctor-father, realized that the pain was occurring right at the junction of muscle and tibia. Therefore, the pain was probably shin splints (a toll taken after running that 26k a few weeks ago). So I'm back into running again after a 2-week sabbatical. Very exciting!

Also began lifting weights to augment my swimming development. Good times.

Random problems with the world

2007-11-22T11:52:00.000-08:00

Aight, I in no way support the use of drugs (of any kind...unless you need them to be healthy), but seriously, to punish someone for using them is, in layman's terms, fuckin bullshit. Why do we have to say "hey, you don't care about your body, so we're gonna punish you for it!" Where's the logic there? Putting people in jail for using cocaine and stuff isn't helping them, it's screwing them up! Imagine you were caught with a crack pipe (you need your crack!) and you were just put in jail, tried, and sent to prison. Do you honestly think you're gonna be better off when you come outta there? Yeah, it's totally f'ed.

And now, my plan for a healthier America:

Outlaw "unhealthy" foods. These include things with ridiculous amounts of sugar and fat (and artificial replacements for such.

This might seem like, "duh, Barry. you're not a smart person", but in fact it's a very complicated process that follows from this action that would cause a chain reaction, ultimately ending up in healthier people.
Okay, so I'm sure most people that have walked into a whole foods or other health-food store have noticed that healthy food is a helluva lot more expensive than crap food that you can find in convenience stores and other random grocery stores. My theory is that because there isn't enough demand for food that doesn't taste as good as doritos and chef boyardee (well, in my opinion, whole foods versions taste MUCH better), the companies that produce these healthy alternatives are forced to keep their operations small. Now, I'm not that micro-economically savvy, but I know that smaller operations (essentially yielding lower numbers of products) have higher costs/unit, therefore they must charge the consumer more per unit. Furthermore, since their number of sales are lower, their profit per unit must also be higher, so prices go even higher. This results in unhealthy (but popular) foods to cost less, and it's a vicious cycle, because since prices are lower, consumers buy even MORE unhealthy food as opposed to healthy food, worsening the problem.
If health-food companies had a monopoly on the food market, they would be able to charge less for their food because their sales would be higher, and sales would increase even more because the food would be cheaper!
The whole thing about being able to charge as much as they want since they control the market would be eliminated by the Barry Claman Anti-Health-Food-Cartel Board. Chairman of the board would be me (I'd work out a lot more if said board were created as to be more intimidating), and I would enforce my anti-cartel laws by kicking down the doors of boardrooms full of the cartellers, and banishing them with the Stick of health and justice!!! (which I still have to build...out of carbon fiber).

Yeah, still gotta work on the last part. but I think it's a very reasonable plan. as long as the lobbyists didn't...oh, wait, forgot about the lobbyists. nevermind, then.

Indoor training, here I come! (and potential race calendar)

2007-11-20T16:59:00.000-08:00

Well, I just got my new indoor trainer, which gives me power, speed, cadence, etc., so now I don't have to risk injury on slick roads outside! Saweet!

Here's my potential race schedule! I obviously won't be able to do every single one, but I'm gonna do as many as I can!

Color code: Focus Race Semi-Focus Race Half-Iron Normal Race Potential Race

2/24- Desert Classic Duathlon
Phoenix, AZ. Short Course. Qualifier for nationals. I plan on qualifying in my age group.
3/9- UBC Triathlon
Vancouver, BC. Olympic. This will be one of my focus races due to it's isolation and spacing from other events.
4/27- Atomic Man Duathlon OR Duathlon Nationals
White Rock, NM for Atomic Man, Richmond, VA for Nationals. If I qualify for Nationals, I will compete there. If finals eclipse this date and I do not compete at nationals, I will not compete in the Atomic Man.
5/4- Paloma Triathlon
Rocky Point, MX. Olympic. Not a focus race.
5/11- Jay Benson Triathlon
Albuquerque, NM. Reverse sprint. May be a focus race depending upon how I feel closer to the race.
5/18- Tempe International Triathlon
Tempe, AZ. Olympic. May be a focus race if Jay Benson is not.
6/1- Deuces Wild Triathlon
Show Low, AZ. Olympic. Focus race. Qualifier for nationals.
6/15- 5430 Sprint
Boulder, CO. Sprint. Basic Race.
6/22- 5th Annual JCC Offroad Triathlon
Albuquerque, NM. Reverse Sprint. Most likely a focus race, seeing as I need "revenge" on this race.
6/29- Buffalo Springs Half Ironman
Buffalo Springs, TX. First Half Ironman. No expectations other than how well I can train for it.
7/20- Boulder Peak Triathlon
Boulder, CO. Qualifier for nationals. May have to skip race if I spend an extended amount of time at my cabin in Alaska. If I qualify at Deuces, this will not be a big deal.
8/9- ITU Junior Elite Nationals
Colorado Springs, CO. Sprint. Junior Elite nationals. I NEED revenge on this race from last year. Major focus race. Goal: top 3
8/16- Los Alamos Triathlon
Los Alamos, NM. Messed-up sprint (b, s, r). Seeking revenge on this race. Goal: first. Semi-focus race (off peak from nationals, but I may be able to pull a double-peak).
8/24- Steamboat Triathlon
Steamboat, CO. If I decide to go on vacation to Colorado, I will compete in this. Otherwise, it's a bit excessive.
9/1- Vancouver Triathlon
Vancouver, BC. I'm seeking revenge on this race. Olympic (maybe sprint). I plan on winning this. Low altitude should help!
9/14- Subaru Pacific Spirit International Half-Iron
Vancouver, BC. Should be fun! May be a finale for the season if I don't go to Duathlon Worlds in spain later in the month.

And perhaps worlds in either Duathlon or Triathlon.

Barry might have a stress fracture!

2007-11-17T02:06:00.001-08:00

Okay, so you know that 26k training run I did about exactly a week ago? Well my leg's been hurting an awful lot recently, so I'm going to go with the worst cause possible and say it's a stress fracture. Haven't had it checked out yet, but idk. I wouldn't doubt it.

Remembrance Day Update

2007-11-12T10:42:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, I got my first taste of half-iron training. I ran 26k in about 88 minutes. Painful.

Depending upon how well I do at the Desert Classic duathlon in Phoenix this February, I'll be going to Richmond, VA in April. And depending upon how well I do there, I might qualify for the world championships in Italy! So yeah, I'm prolly not gonna gear my season towards that unless I do exceptionally well in Phoenix.

Still looking for sponsorships

Barry's Kinda Rockin' in School!

2007-11-06T10:10:00.001-08:00

Sweet! So here are the midterms I've gotten back so far:
-Apsci: 53+30/100=83% which is the second highest grade I've seen anyone get on it
-Physics: 22/30=73% which is 5% above the class average (still needs to be scaled)
-Chem: 31/37=84% which is the second highest grade I've seen out of about 40

I've just gotta keep rolling with this momentum!

First Focus Race: Desert Classic Duathlon

2007-11-06T10:05:00.000-08:00

So I have my first race of the season in Phoenix on February 22nd. It's a short-course duathlon, in which many top-level athletes participate. I plan on trying very hard to do well at this one, because it could qualify me for duathlon worlds (which would be awesome!). I'll also be able to gauge my performance and fitness level against some of the world's best multisport athletes. This is the first of a few focus races this season.

Early Off-Season Training

2007-11-06T09:56:00.000-08:00

So my early off-season training has been semi-intense, but hey, if I'm feeling good, why stop?

Swimming:
5 times a week, with 200-400m warmup, 10x50 on 1 minute, 4x200 on 4 minutes, 5x50 full-on sprint with 2 minutes rest, and 300 cool-down.

Running:
3 times a week: 7.5 miles at 6:00-6:30 pace (with a set of 3 intervals, one minute on, one minute off)
2 times a week: 9-12 miles at 6:10 pace

Biking:
(once my trainer gets here) 5 times a week: 20-minute power test at max power.
2 times a week: 16k time trial simulation
1-2 times a week: 50-70k long ride outside

Diet:
Vegetarian all the way! Lots of rice, tofu, pasta, olive oil, and pb&j sandwiches!

This is gonna help me more than new equipment!

Shopping list

2007-11-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

Hokay, so now that I have racing experience, I've realized a few key domains of my equipment that need revamping. So, here are some things I'm planning on getting that'll drop my times:

-Hed H3C wheelset (1490)
-Vision Aero Basebar (70)
-Oval Stem-mounted Aerobar clamps (110)
-Dura Ace Shifters (80)
-Vision Brake Levers (90)
-San Marco Aspide tri saddle (130)
-Xlab Flatwing (40)
-Tri Shoes (100-ish)

hopefully this stuff will allow me to compete with those who already use this stuff!

Revelations for next season

2007-11-05T10:06:00.000-08:00

So I've had a few very exciting revelations for the 2008 season:
-I've decided to donate all of my winnings to the World Wildlife Fund of Canada to help protect the pacific northwest, which I now call home.
-I'm going to apply for sponsorships from the following companies:

Sugoi
Rudy Project
Athlete's Edge
Sportz Outdoor
Nuun

So hopefully I can get some of my racing subsidized next season, seeing as I won't have any income from wins.
-I've decided to start a juniors-only team in Albuquerque next season, aimed at getting more youth involved in this great sport.
-I have 16 races planned for next season, which is twice as many as last season. These include Sprints, Olympics, Half Ironmans, and Duathlons. Hopefully I'll be able to identify my strongest distance this way.

Welcome!

2007-11-04T18:54:00.001-08:00

Okay, so I wasn't liking my last blog concept, so I've started a new one.

For the 2008 triathlon season, I have big plans. And this site is where you'll hear about all of them and what becomes of them. Enjoy!