Dark Matter

Don't NFL teams have minions to take care of some such things?

Maybe it's just me but all the talk of McVey planning to get Woods involved seems like a trap tonight? No choice but to roll with him now that Calvin is out. Signed, Semi-Jaded FBGuy

@SteelCurtain Way to crush it! One of my favorite humans on Stava. So awesome to follow your training and then see you execute to perfection!!1! On to Boston

Holy ####...Raahm with a Baaahhhm!

Trade to the Kamara owner? I have them both....too soon to cut bait unless your starters are injured imo.

Same here, GB....I do the work, draft well and then the season starts and its an underwhelming steaming pile of 🙂Best wishes for a big time turn up!

I have a road bike (Trek Domane) that I installed tri bars on. It's so fn heavy but it's a solid ride and I'm comfortable on it. No bento box, just two water bottles one with Gatorade the other with Tailwind & water. I ran out of Gatorade and ditched it during bottle exchange for straight water around mile 30. I was more intentional in transition. No fiddle farting around this time. I had my food(1 Crustable/2 Wafer) already packed in my bike jersey with (2)Goo taped to my tube....no socks, no gloves. I wear compression socks for the run so I put them on under my wetsuit and wore them on the bike. Worked out well because it was really pretty cold to start the bike and having my legs covered was a bonus. I also wore my flip belt and had my salt tablets and Ibuprofen in separate pockets and took 1 salt tablet and 3 Ibuprofen just after the bike turnaround. I drank 1Hotshot in T2 to help avoid cramping. They had potato chips on the run along with Redbull & Coke starting at the mile 4 water stop. I think I chowed the chips at mile 8 and washed them down with the Coke thinking it was GatoradeI think if someone offered me a shot of Jagermeister, I would have done that too! I could be quicker if I could find a tri jersey/singlet but I haven't had any luck. I'm an XL in normal clothes, XXX in tri gear Still looking to find the right kit and I know.....the clock is ticking.

Thanks! This week: Swim 2-3 hrs/5-6K yds, Bike 5-7 hrs/90-100 miles, Run 5-6 hrs/30-40 miles Next week: Swim 2.5-3.5 hrs/6-7K yds, Bike 6-8hrs/100-110miles, Run 6-7 hrs/40-50 miles 3rd week: Swim 4-5 hrs/8-10kyds, Bike 8-10 hrs/110-120miles, Run 7-8 hrs/50-60 miles In lieu of running long next weekend, I've been asked to be part of a relay team (La Jolla Cove Relay). 5 person team, each person swims a mile and then rotates around then swim another mile. Swimming in the ocean>pool and it's not even close.

I'm so swamped with work & IM training that I have hardly been able to keep up with this thread let alone post in it. Just want to say you (& some of your kids) are truly inspiring and I can not wait to see how everyone does in your upcoming events! Last Sunday was the half ironman in Santa Cruz, CA. This was my second triathlon and first Ironman sponsored race in preparation for Ironman California on 10/24/21. I had no real time goal in mind, just completing it and improving on transition efficiency were my main focus. The course is really incredible it set along the coast of California almost the entire route with the 1.2 mile swim around the Santa Cruz Wharf. There were 1700 participants lined up on a cool, foggy morning standing in the sand, waiting for the cannon to go off. It was awesome. Santa Cruz IM70.3 (6:32:12) 1.2 mile swim (45:24): I lined up with the 40-45 minute group figuring that was a conservative enough time with just enough cushion and hopefully not get swam over. I was wrong. They sent 5 at a time off every 5 seconds and before I reached he first bouy I felt like I was back playing high school hockey. WTF?! I was kicked in the head & right thigh, arms and legs grabbed and held, rolled over and cut off and I was getting pissed. I finally moved to the outside (something I should have done from the start) and got into some clean water. It was foggy enough that made sighting difficult so I just followed the crowd trying to find a good rhythm which for some reason was difficult to do. I finished pretty much on schedule and ran/walked to transition which was .4 miles from the beach. Just enough time for the fog & sea water to clear from the brain and jump on the bike. 56 mile bike (3:17:57): This is such a great ride and you can tell the difference from Ironman sponsored races from local ones. Traffic was controlled the entire way out PCH and back. There is nothing like the peaceful sound of the ocean in the morning....until a freight train of tri bikes comes flying past! We had the whole place to ourselves and it was fantastic. I think I could have pushed a little harder on this knowing what I know now but I was happy with my pace and my legs felt great as I entered T2. I was in & out of transition quickly but had to take a quick leak before heading out on the run. 13.1 mile run (2:10:23) The run route followed the bike route for the first 4 miles then turns into Wilder Ranch State Park. It was basically a trail run through the park on fire road that wound along the cliffs above the ocean. I really did want to stop a spell and take it all in but hey, we're racing here so I pushed on. I followed my HM routine and walked through the water stops sipping Gatorade and tossing water over my head for the whole race. For some reason I took some potato chips and mistakenly drank some Coke at mile 8, by mile 10 I was getting a side stitch and quad cramps were whispering at me. I guess this was the wall I heard talk about. Fortunately, this is were you turn to head home and I was able to work my way through it by just not thinking about it and focusing on my incredible surroundings & the people cheering along the way to the finish. Transitions/Hydration/Fueling: I wanted to improve here and I did. Thanks @El Floppofor the suggestions to my previous triathlon. I sweat....alot and I am always concerned about hydration. I think I may have overdone it here as I felt a little "sloshy" towards the end of the run and I have no idea why I decided to try out potato chips when I never eat them even if I'm not racing. Seemed like a good idea at the time but I think it led to the cramping and later, sour stomach. So that's it...sorry if TLDR but I want to get this documented as part of my Ironman journey. The next 3 weeks I ramp up my mileage in all 3 disciplines then taper the last 2 weeks. My body has been pretty good this week with the exception of Monday but that had more to do with an 8 hour drive home the day after the race. I found a great airfare for my wife & I so we will be flying up to Sacramento and shipping the bike ahead. I was going to rent a tri bike up there but after consulting with my coach it will be better to use the bike I've been training with for the big race and not make such a big change going into the IM. Tri Bike envy runs deep in me right now...... Have a great weekend Ya'll enjoy your training, we are fortunate & blessed to do the things we love to do! Cheers!1

Here's to a speedy recovery, Gus. Just switched him into my lineup this AM over Mixon.....sigh.

Santa Barbara Triathlon 8/24/2021 https://raceday.enmotive.com/#/events/2021-santa-barbara-triathlon/results BIB 154 Finally popped my Triathlon Cherry and completed this, the first of 3 triathlons in 2 months. 1 mile Swim: Ocean swim with pretty big swells and a lot of movement. Also, it was pretty foggy so sighting the buoys was tricky. If you follow me on Strava you can see my lines weren't exactly....straightI was in the last wave of age groupers, right behind us was the start of the relay (super fast swimmers). I thought I was going to get swam over but I was actually getting some great draft and ended up out of the water 10minutes ahead of my goal. The swim cap they give out for the race did not fit (big head) so I was fidgeting with it and my goggles came off at one point. Will need to get that figured out. Time=37:03 34 mile Bike: This was an "open" course meaning in & around traffic. The organizers did a nice job of having volunteers and CHP stationed at the busiest intersections so I did not have to stop. It was a very technical course with 1,900' elevation gain, a lot of turns and they saved the biggest, longest hill for last. My coach advised me to be patient on the bike because of this and I'm glad I listened to him as I passed whole lotta folks going up that hill. The last 3 miles was a pretty nice decent back into town and my legs felt really good so I ripped it home pretty good...no flying dismounts for this guy as I eased into transition feeling ready to run. Time=1:59:50 (goal 2hr.) 10 mile Run: This is a pretty straight forward 5 mile out and back along the Santa Barbara boardwalk with a gradual up hill on the way out. Weather could not have been better for race day...low clouds and a cool 65 degrees. I most always feel really good coming off the bike and this was no exception. My goal was to average 10min/miles but I came in a little "hot" with 8:50 pace and my heart rate a comfortable 135 so I just went with it. I slowed a little towards the end but that was more walking thru water stops, chatting up the volunteers and just really enjoying the time & place. Time 1:31:43 (goal 1:40:00) Transitions: I've taken the mindset that I am not really racing for time, just to complete the events but man, I need to tighten up my transitions. I have no idea how someone comes out of the ocean, runs through a maze of bikes and humanity, gets out of a wetsuit, into riding gear and out on the road in less than a minute but there were those that did it. I lolly gagged around, getting my food ready, fiddle farting around trying to find my gloves and flip belt, lost my timing chip just to name a few of the blunders. I vow to get better at this aspect for the next "race," the Santa Cruz IM 70.3 in on 9/12/21.

https://bigislandnow.com/2021/08/19/ironman-world-championship-postponed/ Ironman WC pushed back to February 2022 Mrs. DM and I are headed to Santa Cruz for a little 70.3 recon this weekend. We found a local coach that is going to show us the in's & out's of ocean swimming and shepard us around the wharf (swim course). I had a some open water swim anxiety the first go round but I have been able to overcome that with more swimming and a different wet suit. Unless events start getting cancelled, we are on track for the Santa Barbara Triathlon in 8 days.... Best to All in your training! Stay Safe!🤗

Yes on the coach. Ida crushed myself already if not for him. We connect Strava to Training Tilt so he can monitor our progress then have weekly Zooms to review, get advice & encouragement or a kick in the ###. SB Tri 1mile Ocean swim, 34 mile bike, 10 mile run then 15 days later (9/12) is Santa Cruz Half Ironman (another ocean swim). Yeah, it's an ambitious schedule but I like the training and will continue to train for multi-sport events going forward. The light suddenly clicked on in regards to swimming (TY lava shorts). Where once it was a struggle to go 2 lengths of the pool, I am able to swim as far as I need to non-stop. I'm no @JAAin the water but I'm comfortable at least and found that I really enjoy the ZEN moments of a swim when they come around. Need to get some more open water swims in but they are coming soon. We have an Olympic & Half IM length practice sessions coming up on the calendar as well a number of increasingly longer bikes with run after's. The nutrition/hydration balance is a mix of PB&J, Tailwind, Gels, Honey Stingers & Waffles & water. I've been working on different mixes of each and still need to fine tune that. Have a great week!

Full IM…https://www.ironman.com/im-california-course There was no “not stopping” in my case. She went down right in front of me and was really in pain. She couldn’t even communicate what was wrong at first. I was a Navy corpsman that has performed EMS so there’s that too. There were 4 of us (2 men/2 women) that stopped and a few more that ran on once they knew she was being tended to. The whole incident took about 5 minutes from the time she went down, assessing the situation, getting her to shade and wait for the medics to arrive. As it turned out, I would not have broke 2hrs. anyway but even if it was going to be close, I still had to stop.

San Diego Half Marathon 7/18/2021: This is a training run as part of the build up to Ironman California October 24, 2021 that my wife and I are attempting together. This was our first organized race since prior to the pandemic and it was so awesome to get that pumped up feeling and great energy you get when running in these events. Back 2 Racing.....HELL YEAH! Mile 1-4: We settled in with the 2:20 wave, my wife felt comfortable with that pace. My goal is normally 2:00 but this is a training race and the idea is to learn, not get hurt and have maximum fun. By San Diego standards it was already hot & humid so going out slow was fine by me. The start/finish is downtown in the Gaslamp District near the Convention Center and then heads along Harbor Blvd around Seaport Village out past the airport. Thousands of people enjoying the run, the views, the fellowship of running together again was just so awesome, I had a #### eating grin the whole time and we got thru mile 4 right on schedule. Mile 5-7: This was kind of a boring section that takes you around the airport, past the old Navy/Marine recruit depot. Always a little nostalgic for me as I landed here in 1985 as a 21 year old, looking for a fresh start in the Navy. It was the best decision I made at that point in my life and doing so really changed the trajectory of my life for the better. My wife was starting to get a little uncomfortable as she was hot and feeling like she was holding me up. We have an agreement that if she tells me to take off, I do it. I paused a little just to confirm as it was heating up and I wanted to make sure she was ok, she assured me she was good to go so I gave her a kiss and headed out at my own pace. I sped up a little bit (9:30ish), but knew that I needed to conserve energy, not overheat and prepare for the beast that lie ahead. Mile 8-11: I had read the course elevation map and noticed the significant hill at mile 8. I told myself that no matter how steep it got or how tired I was, I would run up these hills. The old Mike Tyson saying comes to mind, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in he mouth," nevermore has this adage come into play for me. There was a guy on the road that held up a sign with temps & humidity's that were scratched out and updated starting at 72 degrees and 75% humidity, it also said "PERFECT" It was 82 and 85% when I passed thru, PERFECT! I did the best I could and gutted out the first of a series of smaller hills but then I hit Washington St. and it was all over. I power walked and ran, power walked and ran with all of the other walkers going up that nasty hill. Only two people passed me, one was a guy that looked a little like @SFBayDuck, big ### grin on his face and a middle aged lady that looked very strong and up to the task. We would meet at the top of the hill.... Mile 12-13.1: Thankfully, water, hoses, gatorade, iced towels awaited us at the top. Volunteers are so great at these races!! After walking though the water stop I picked it up again thinking I had a chance to make 2 hours if I really hoofed it. What goes up has to go down and it did in the SD Half. The last 1.5 miles is all down hill starting in Hillcrest, then adjacent to Balboa Park, Bankers Hill into downtown to the finish under the Gaslamp District sign. I felt really strong and was ready to attack the downhill when just in front of me that same lady that passed me going up the hill, fell flat on her face, screaming in pain! A couple of us stopped to help her. It appeared that she had twisted her knee and could not get up unassisted. Another guy and myself carried her into the shade and called for medical support. They were on the scene in less than a minute...kudo's to those awesome people! 2:00 was now off the table but I picked up the pace and ran to downtown San Diego feeling super strong and dare I say, fast between 8-9 min/miles to finish the run. My wife came in 12 minutes later and I was able to get some good pics of her crossing the line looking incredible! 2:14:57 avg 10:18mi Next Up: Santa Barbara Triathlon 8/28/21 for my first official Tri.