June 2007 Archives

First off, the best news: We raised over $175,600 for CMCS and CCS, giving us 2nd place in the Janus Charity Challenge Competition and $8,000 additional bonus for the schools. Praise the Lord!! First place went to a gentlemen who raised over $500,000 for a non-profit organization called Rotoplast that helps people in third world countries with plastic surgery for various birth defects.

Regarding the race, it went quite well - especially considering the rough conditions. Temperature was perfect - in the 40's in the morning, warming up into the 50's and 60's on the bike, and topping off in the 70's for the run. Perfect. However, the wind was pretty tough. In the morning, the waves were so choppy and the conditions on the lake so rough that they gave the option for athletes to skip the swim and turn the race into a duathlon if they wanted. Few athletes took the option, but about 100 didn't finish or start the swim. The wind was coming right into our faces, and we had 3-4' waves to deal with. It was the roughest swim I've ever done.

Also, here is one other note on the swim that really demonstrates the Ironman spirit and what the race is really about. About 200 yards into the swim, it was sheer chaos as usual. Over 2000 athletes all starting at once - it is pretty rough with just all the bodies together, not to mention the big waves swallowing all of us. They told us in the beginning that if we were struggling, we should take off our swim cap and wave it in the air and a kayaker will come and get you. Well, about 200 yards in, I saw a swimmer waving his cap in the air, in a rather panicked state. I noticed that two other swimmers had already stopped their race to help out, and felt I needed to as well. So I swam over to the struggling swimmer and the three of us held him up while we called for help. We kept shouting for a kayak, but they couldn't see us in the midst of all the bodies and waves. I spotted a kayak on the other side of the mass of swimmers and started swimming across the swimmers to get the kayak. About half way there, another kayaker spotted the swimmer. I swam back and we made sure the swimmer was taken care of before continuing on. We probably lost 4 minutes off our time, but I think it really shows what Ironman is all about. When any of us sees another competitor struggling, we put aside our own personal goals and do the right thing. What other sport can you say that about? I was so grateful for the two that were already helping the man and glad I could be part of it as well.

Considering the rough conditions and the time and energy lost to help the drowning swimmer, I was pleased with my swim time of 1:19, in 883rd place. I'm typically placed mid-pack on the swim, so this was my best ranking so far in the swim - in the top third - even though my time was slower than usual. Incidentally, I talked with several people afterwards and all said this was the toughest swim they've ever had. One guy I met said he typically swims this course in around an hour and it took him an extra 20 minutes in these conditions. Many of us got blown off course because it was tough to spot the buoys with all the waves.

On to the bike... The bike course was different than past years. Much hillier! It was my toughest bike course yet. Although Lake Placid (2006 Ironman) hills were higher than this course, they were much more gradual and had longer climbs folllowed by longer downhills. This course had unending rolling hills on the back 40 miles of each loop. Up and down all the time. Most of the climbs were less than half a mile, but some were a little longer. As soon as we'd get to the top, we'd go back down and there would be another hill to climb. I made the first lap of the bike in 2:50, but slowed on my second lap to 3:04, coming in in 5:54 total, around a 19 mph average. I was happy to break 6 hours on the 112 mile course considering the wind and the hills. I also managed to pick up a few places in the race, moving up from 883rd after the swim to 447th after the bike. I was pleased with the bike, although my legs and stomach were starting to feel it pretty good in the last 30 miles, especially as we headed back into town for the last 21 miles into the wind.

I transitioned from the bike to the run in under 3 minutes and was off. Surprisingly, I felt great on the run. Since I hadn't eaten anything for the last 30 miles on the bike, I started getting in some calories on the run, drinking a couple sips of cola at nearly every mile aid station. I ran the first half marathon in 1:40, and felt great. But by mile 17 I was hurting and knew I wouldn't hold the same pace for the rest of the race. I had developed blisters in both feet and my right show was soaked in blood by that time. I decided to slow my pace a bit and finish strong, as I did not want to have to walk any of the marathon. The strategy worked, as I kept running and ended up with a 3:40 marathon, picking up another 200 places in the race and finishing 240th overall out of 2200 athletes in 11:03:53. It was my best finish yet, so I was pleased, especially considering the conditions on the swim and bike. Perhaps if I wouldn't have stopped to help the drowning swimmer in the beginning I could have cracked 11 hours, but I think I did the right thing :-)

The best part of the race was my amazing fan support which included my wonderful wife, Heather, as well as both of our kids - Michael and Maddie! My mom and dad were also there, as was Tenae Zondervan, our kids' favorite babysitter who came along to help out. Also, Roger and Bud Bonnema rode their motorcycles out and even volunteered at an aid station on the bike! I was SO grateful to all of the fan support! Maddie even got to run with me through the finish line.

Thanks to everyone who supported the schools through this effort. We were so blessed by your generous donations to both schools. Your gifts will change lives by allowing many kids to receive a Christ-centered education.

Thanks again to everyone who supported us in prayer and supported the schools. As always, this race is about God and giving Him the glory. I am just happy that he allowed me the strength to finish this race strong, and am so blessed to be able to compete in these events. As my jersey states on the back in the picture, "To God be the Glory!".

Mike

Race results available at http://www.ironmancda.com I was number 667.

Here is a picture of Maddie running through the finish with me.

Sunday, June 24th, 2007 - Coeur d'Alene, ID, 7:00am

For the full results to Ironman Coeur d'Alene visit www.ironmancda.com

Read Mike's article, "Tri-athlete Training for Body and Soul" in the June /July issue of Faith and Fitness

Here are a few snapshots from the article. Mike shares how he got started in triathlons:

“A sprint triathlon? What’s that?” I asked my spotter, Curt, after we finished our set on the bench. “Oh, it’s just a shorter distance triathlon,” he replied. “You swim around a quarter-mile, then bike anywhere from 10 – 15 miles, and run 3 – 4 miles. I’ve been racing them for about 3 years now. It’s a blast. You should give it a try!” As he headed down to the pool and I to the basketball court, I thought it sounded kind of fun. Too bad I couldn’t swim.

As the summer went on, I kept running into Curt. Every time I saw him, I thought about the sprint triathlon. I knew I had to give it a shot. On July 15, 2000, I asked Curt if there were any races coming up in the fall. He said the only one left that summer was on August 4 in Duluth, MN. Perfect. That gave me 3 weeks to learn how to swim!

The race consisted of a 600-yard swim, followed by a 10.5-mile bike and a 2.5-mile run. I had a fairly solid running base, but had to dust off my old mountain bike and quickly learn how to swim. But it was just a 600-yard swim. In golf terms, all I had to do was swim to my tee shot and back. How hard could that be? Stupid question. My first time in the pool, I didn’t even make it to the other wall – just 25 yards away – without resting on the side of the pool! The next 2 weeks consisted of crash course swimming lessons and some time on the rusty mountain bike. By August 4, I could successfully swim 600 yards without stopping (albeit a mix between the crawl and the backstroke). I’d be just fine as long as the swim course was truly 600 yards and the lake water fairly calm.

As my wife and I pulled up to the race in the early morning, I felt a bit out of place. My soccer shorts and tee shirt didn’t seem to match the spandex attire of the rest of the racers, and a trade between my car and one of their bikes would have resulted in me still throwing in a thousand bucks. What was I doing here?

He addresses how to balance training and life:

How could I justify spending 12 hours per week training? And that was the bare minimum, according to all the triathlon-training articles I had read. My priorities were very clear: Faith, Family, Others, and Self – in that order. How could triathlon fit into that mix?

He offers 5 keys from triathlon that can be applied to your spiritual and phyiscal training:

1. Set a goal. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:26 that he does not “run like a man running aimlessly… or fight like a man beating the air”.


2. Aim high. Ephesians 3:20 says “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work in us…”


3. Give God the Glory! Ephesians 3:21 completes the verse quoted above by saying that God’s power is at work in us so that he may be glorified “in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations.”


4. Discipline. It may take discipline, but any goal worth accomplishing requires discipline.


5. Rest. Rest is something that God incorporated into his creation, demonstrating this to us by resting on the 7th day... Your body needs rest, and God built it into his creation.

And he explains how the Janus Charity Challenge has made all the difference:

The Janus Charity Challenge became the key that would transform this self-serving sport of mine into something that would serve a greater purpose. In the last 4 Ironman triathlons, we’ve been able to raise over $573,000 for various non-profit organizations such as my local Christian school and crisis pregnancy center, and have received additional bonuses from Janus totaling $32,000. Over $600,000 raised for these non-profits! Praise God!

The fund-raising is a tool to draw others to the sport and communicate to them what really drives me: My passion for Jesus Christ and what he has done for me.

Read the complete article at www.faithandfitness.net

A half ironman triathlon isn't typically recommended just 2 weeks away from an "A" race Ironman. I like to do a half 4-5 weeks out, but 2 weeks is pretty close. However, my good friend Webb was racing the Liberty Half in Independence, MN, as was Jon DeGroot from Sioux Falls, SD. So, I wanted to race as well. Also, I raced it last year and enjoyed it, and wanted to get the feel for racing again before Coeur d'Alene on June 24, so I decided to go for it, but treat it like a long training day.

The conditions were pretty good. Temps got up to mid-80's by the afternoon, but overall it was nice. It was breezy on the hilly bike course, which slowed some times a bit.

Webb and I started in the first wave - 35 - 39 men. Per USAT rules, since I turn 35 this year, I race in the 35 - 39 age group. Jon DeGroot started 2 waves or 10 minutes back, as a young 26-year old!

I exited the water just a half minute ahead of Webb, but he beat me out of the transition, as I couldn't get out of my wetsuit! We passed each other a bit in the first 10 miles, and then I slowly pulled away. My new Felt B2 felt great, but I was going fairly easy as it was just a long training day for me. 42 miles into my race, I was passed by Jon DeGroot, even though he started 10 minutes back! He ended up out-splitting me on the bike by around 11 minutes or so, but paid for it on the run. My bike average was 20.2 mph, around 2 minutes faster than last year inspite of the wind and my training pace. I was OK with that. Jon averaged just over 21 mph, and Webb around 19.

On to the run. I felt pretty good on the run, inspite of the fact that I had slipped a disc in my lower back earlier that week. Just 2 days before the race I could hardly run at all. Praise the Lord for the good feeling on race day! Thanks also to Jon DeGroot for the public prayer at the swim start :-)

I passed Jon in the first mile of the run. He was hurting a bit, and the temps were climbing, making for a tough run. I felt pretty good and ran the first half in around 44 minutes. However, I slowed a bit after mile 9, and ended up with a 1:32 run split, or 7:04/mile pace. I finished 18th overall out of 225, in 4:58. It felt good to break 5 hours, and I felt ready for Coeur d'Alene. Jon and Webb both struggled on the run, but finished in one piece around a half hour later.

Praise be to God for my back and overall health. It felt good to break 5 hours before Coeur d'Alene, and I'm looking forward to the big day!

Results at http://onlineraceresults.com/race/view_race.php?race_id=4812

Well, after my disappointing DNF at Ironman Arizona, I was pumped and ready to roll into training for Coeur d'Alene. Unfortunately, the timing wasn't the greatest, as I was just starting a new job as Engineering Manager at Nova-Tech Engineering. I started shortly after returning from Arizona.

That meant I had to be somewhat creative in my training. A new job always places extra demands on one's schedule, as there is a learning curve and a lot of transitional demands. Also, I had a lot to wrap up from my previous job. So, it was time to get efficient. The best way to get in my bike miles without sacrificing too much time was to commute to work - around 20 - 21 miles each way, depending on the route I took. I did this 4 - 5 days / week from the end of April to mid-June. This was a good way to get in 200 miles/week on the bike! I typically left my house between 4:30 and 5:00 a.m. (my LED bike lights were crucial!), and would get to work in about an hour to 1:10. I then would try to get in a lunch-hour workout, often consisting of a 2.2 mile run to the YMCA, followed by a short swim of 1500 m, and a 3.2 mile run back if I took the long route. I would then bike home around 4:45 or 5:00 p.m. This worked out great, as I typically could get in around 15 hours training during the week, a couple hours on Saturday, and a short workout on Sunday, or take the day off.

So, I was able to get in some decent bike miles, but the long rides were lacking. Also, my swim training was minimal - often just 2 days/week, and no long swims. Running was also a bit down - maybe 30 - 34 miles/week.

I did manage to get in a couple century rides, and that was good. I averaged around 14 - 17 hours/week for the month of May. Not quite ideal, but pretty decent considering my new job and the changes associated with that.