Pictures from the Coolangatta Gold

A big thanks to HarvPix for these. 

"Na, na, na...See, Mine Has That Extra 'Bum-Dum' in it...it's Different."

So in the course of athletic and fitness oriented adventures, most of us will - at some point - encounter the dreaded "I" word.  Injury.  There are many different opinions and theories about what constitutes a 'true' injury.  

The fact-of-the-matter is this = Pain is pain.  And pain (in whatever form) is a signal from your body informing you that something is not right.  In fact something is Wrong.  Anyone whose been an athlete in any competitive venture has "played through pain".  Whether the reasonning was "for the good of the team", or strictly machismo, we (I am comfortable saying) are all guilty of it.

However, as we 'mature' through our lives, our bodies become more suceptable and less rapid in healing injuries.  It's time to listen to your body.  If it hurts - something is wrong.  Figure out what it is.  And FIX IT!  If you have experienced, or are experiencing, pain, then it is time to check in with the body.

A pre-read understanding:  There is a difference between pain and discomfort.  Discomfort is as it says, an uncomfortable feeling in the body.  This is ok, because, when your body is not at rest, it is not "comfortable".  Pain, is a specific sensation "felt" by the individual.  I say "felt" because in reality, 'pain' is what the brain interperets the signals from the body as.  These specific signals are sent from the body to inform the brain that something is wrong with the body, the environment the body is in, or what the body is doing.

My Rules of Thumb for Determining "Hurt v. Injury"

Rule of 5's.....5 Minutes, 5 Hours, 5 Days

If you experience pain during an exercise or workout, back-off.

If, after 5 Minutes of Rest,  the pain subsides, you'll probably be ok.  Reassess what you are doing - technique, intensity, etc., and reattempt what you were doing.

If it does Not subsude, your workout is OVER.  Your body has told you to back off.

If the pain goes away after 5 Hours, jump back into it the next day.

If the pain does not subside after 5 Hours, CANCEL your next day's workout.  Let your body rest and heal.  Ease back into your workouts after a day's rest.

If you are experiencing pain after  5 Days, it's time to get checked out by a doctor.  You may  have sustained an injury of some kind; and you need to be evaluated.

So after all of that the question should arise: "So, all I do is sit and wait?".  No.  R.I.C.E.

Rest. Ice. Compression. Elevation.  (I add an additional "A" to this) Anti-Inflammatory.

If you feel pain.  Rest.  Back off.  If it persists past that 5 minute mark (and into that 5 hour mark), Ice the affected area until it is numb (MAX 15 minutes).  If it is at an extremity - wrist, ankle, knee - wrap the area with gentle compression (ACE Bandage), and elevate it above the heart (MAX 15 min).

If PAIN persists past that 5 Hour mark, after utilizing RICE, you may start to think about starting to use an anti-inflammatory.

VERY IMPORTANT: CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN BEFORE STARTING ANY EXTENSIVE USAGE OF MEDICATIONS.  AND ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS ON THE MEDICATIONS' BOTTLE.

You may want to look at your nutrition at this point as well.  Make sure you are maintaining a balanced diet.  You can also add some foods to your diet that have anti-inflammatory affects.  Berries and Citrus fruits are high in anti-oxidents which also have an anti-inflammatory effect.  Then there is S.M.A.S.H.  Salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines, and herring.  All of these fish are high in Omeg-3 Fatty Acids, which have anti-inflammatory effects on the body.

So what does all of this mean?  Listen to your body.  Take care of your body - And your body will take care of you.

If you are in doubt about what is wrong with your body, see your doctor.

So if you're having trouble remembering all of this, break it down... rule of 5's, and

(r)Ice (r)Ice baby, Bum-dum dum dum diddy-dum-dum.

Ah, To Get a New Jersey...Just Stay Away From the Turnpike

Getting back into the fitness realm after a big event, and a good-sized break, can be a trying exercise in and of itself. But cross training is the key. Do something that is far away from what you were training for. If it was swimming, go run. If it was running, go swim. Go play soccer, basketball, softball, dodgeball - anything!

After thoroughly burning myself out last year around this time, I've been very careful not to let myself get crazy and go straight back into the training regimen I had before the Coolangatta Gold. But, well....I don't really know how to go at things in moderation; kind of an all-or-nothing type of person. So, after two-plus weeks off from anything resembling formal training, I decided to jump back in with two feet....both legs....torsoe...arms and head. A couple of Saturdays ago I decided to take a trip up to I. Martin Imports to see my friend Jaime (hi-may) - on my Bicycle!

I had chatted with Jaime previously about coming up to the shop. Jaime had helped my sister get fitted on her bike before her triathlon debut last month, and had given me some pointers on my riding technique, and I wanted to give him and the shop a bit of a shout out. I asked him if he had a jersey, or t-shirt, with i. martin blasted on it that I could sport while riding.

It's about a 25mile trip, one way, up to I. Martin in Beverly Hills, so I should have started early in the day. Nawp. A little sleep-in, some Watermans on the face, and I was out the door at around 1pm. A couple hours later and I was there. If you haven't had the opportunity, and you have any inclination to 2-wheeled adventures, I highly recommend a trip up (I also recommend a car, Figueroa gets pretty hectic). A treasure trove of wheeled-glory, 3-and-a-half rooms of any kind of bike you want or need. And, once in a while you see some recognizable people.

There was a movie...they made a couple of them...about these guys on boats....they dressed kinda funny....ummm...pirates?...Yeah, Pirates of the Caribbean! That's it! Mr. Orlando Bloom stopped by to pick-up a full suspension mountain bike to make use of the Santa Monica Mountain trails.

It was an interesting break in the day, but I was losing daylight and needed to bite the bullet and head back out. I picked up some nutrition and supplements, and looked for a jersey. Jaime pointed me to the back wall and told me to try one on (cycling gear is sized for little euro-guys, so you can't buy stuff without trying it on based on size). I threw the Sunkist Orange long-sleeved jersey on. Zipped it up. Wiggled around. Arms over the head. A few shadow-box punches. Yeah, it fit alright.

Then I heard a fantastic thing. "The jersey's yours, don't worry about it". A sponsor? A Sponsored rider? Me? EPIC!!! (I guess that means I have to start getting more rides in).

I rode home floating - elated from the experience - with only one hiccup along the way - La Brea Blvd. If you've never driven over the hill on La Brea, as it goes along side Kenneth Hahn Park, then you know what I'm talking about - there were no big gears used on this climb. But, after a 10minute ascent, it was 37mph descent on the other side. Its fun when you keep pace with, or pass, cars in traffic.

A 50mile round trip and I was back home. Just a nice little Saturday to break it back in. I was rooted on Sunday. Maybe next week I'll do a ROOT Ride.

For the Swimming Community

I graduated from Arizona State University in 2006 with a BA degree in Sociology and Education. My unofficial program of study, however, was swimming. As a member of the ASU Men's Swimming and Diving Team I endured countless hours of torture and pain - regularly receiving beatings from my teammates. However, these experiences of pain and suffering culminated in personal best performances in and out of the pool. I am a Sun Devil, and always will be. It is part of who I am.

So it goes without saying that when the ASU Athletic Director, Lisa Love, and the Athletic Department (ICA), announced that the Men's Swimming Team would be cut (without warning), I felt as though my heart had been ripped from my chest and beat upon with a bat by a guy named Guido.

But the Team would not be done away with so easily.

A foundation was started, and through continuous fundraising and educational efforts, the team was reinstated. However, funds still need to be raised to maintain OUR reinstatement.

On November 22nd at the Scottsdale Plaza Hotel, the Sun Devil Swimming Association will host the First Annual ASU Swimming Gala Dinner. The event will feature key note speaker Jason Lezak, and other prominent swimming personalities.

Please go to http://www.saveasuswimming.com/ for More information

The Coolangatta Gold Part VI, Works of Art

"There's gonna be heaps of people at Burleigh when you get off the board. They're gonna be cheering and tellin' ya ta pick it up. You're gonna wan'ta take off like a greyhound toward Miami. DO NOT SPRINT! Back OFF! Even if you think you're going too slow - build into this thing. You've made it this far, don't blow out your legs in the first kilometer of a 10km run. DON'T SPRINT!"

Again, Phil Clayton's words reverberated in my mind. I trotted into the transition area, grabbed my sunnies, gels, bloks, and water from BJ, and made my way back down toward the waterline - which was a much shorter trek than anyone would have liked. Ahead of me sat Miami headland, the only geographic interruption between Burleigh and Surfers, a quick stairmaster set before continuing on to the remaining 9km.

Up the winding walk-path. Bear right. Switchback to the left. Repeat. Waiting at the top was an event volunteer, red shirt ablaze under the high-hanging sun, signaling to another volunteer at the bottom of the other side of the hill to hold any pedestrian traffic. A concrete staircase, not wide enough to walk side-by-side with another person, weaved its way down the north side of Miami Hill. I was greeted at the base of the stairs with a few smiles from those who had been held up by the volunteers - a constant reminder of the thorough warmth of this place.

Back into the sand and back into rhythm. There would be no hard pack for this run. The tide had pushed up high enough so that the only straight-line run would be run in a mixture of soft sand and the upper fringe of semi-firm pack. a lower-leg killer. But this was it. Nothing left to save for.

I continued to "build" into the run, using the widely spaced lifeguard towers as short-distance visual targets; allowing me to focus on what was immediately in front of me - not getting lost in how far away the Q-1 Tower(and the finish) was. Each tower gave me a different point of technique for my mind to focus on. Head up. Shoulders back. Bring the knees up a bit. Add a little to the kick. Check back in with the shoulders, down and back. Breath. With every Surf Club that came, my stride opened a little more.

I had my handlers scheduled to meet me twice during this run. At the first stop, Mike and BJ gave me a small package of jelly beans, and a small bottle of flattened, and watered-down, coke. I still had half a package of energy/electrolyte bloks tucked in the side of my suit - giving me constant small doses of electrolytes. The jelly beans and coke - instant bursts of sugars, and caffeine (gives caffeine "kick", but also lessens perception of pain and delays fatigue onset).



As I progressed along the course, I tried to familiarize myself with the surroundings, looking for landmarks or buildings that I recognized from workouts I had done when I last trained at Kurrawa. Surfers Paradise is full of Tall buildings; apartments, hotels, offices, etc.. The farther away, however, the more scarce these tall buildings become. Two Apartment buildings jutted into the sky well away from the Surfer's skyline. A broad, yellow, vertical line ran the height of one of the buildings, visually separating the ocean-viewing apartments from the backside. It was set just inland of Kurrawa. Almost home.

There is a strange sensation that is "felt" when you push the body beyond pain. All athletes know the, all-to-familiar, "burn" in their muscles from the release and build up of lactic acid. And, any athlete who has had the misfortune of suffering an impingement injury also know the "piercing" pain associated with it. Maybe it is simply a tool utilized by my brain, unconsciously, to prevent some unknown (to me) consequence. But in the midst of the final leg of a 46.65km race, there was no real Pain - but "Hot" sensations flashing around my body.

As I approached my home club of Kurrawa, I could see some of my teammates shuffling around on their lifesaving patrols. Before I reached the drink station in front of the club, a voice cut through the monotonous, melodic, soundtrack of the surf and breeze. (In a very thick Welsh accent) "Com'on team America!!!" If my smile had faded, it was instantly renewed into an ear-to-ear grin. It was Jimmy, one of my flatmates from last season. He was a sprinter & flagger from Wales, and was working his patrol hours. Not un-like-minded with myself he shouted some abuse into my ear and gave me the "gitty-up" slap as I ran past. This was quickly followed by about one or two, dozen, cups of cold water being heaved at me by my clubmates (Thanks Pete). Laughter ensued. I gave them a shout back and, refreshed from the cold-shock, turned up the rate.

Three figures came into sight. They had passed me earlier and I had now moved back up to them. Broady Surf Club blurred beside me - and the first man with it. I looked for him to make an effort to hang on - nothing. Two more to go - at least. The white tents of the Start/Finish area became recognizable, and I was now into full stride - no turning back or turning off.

Northcliffe. A singlet in front of me. Next to me. Gone. No more water. No gels. Just the finish. And one more White TYR singlet (a relay runner). The gap continued to shrink in the final 500meters. Sweat, for the first time in the race, began to roll past my eyes, and fall off my lips - their salty taste a reward for my efforts. A grin cemented itself on my face.

With 100meters to go, the sand turned soft, feet buried completely on every stride. The turnover went up. The speed went down. The gap shrunk to 15meters as we ran uphill to the finish. A final push. There would not be a last-second rundown in Prefontaine fashion. The white singlet would hold me off. But there was no spoiling this moment.

Crossing the finish line - 5-hours 4-minutes and 46.65km later - its was done. The 2008 NIB Coolangatta Gold had claimed its share of victims - but I was not of that stock. My body and mind had carried me the distance. To my surprise, my legs felt as though they could have gone another 10km - although, I was very glad it was done. A gorgeous finisher's medal was placed around my neck, followed by two volunteers pouring cold water over my back. Mike and BJ were there. Jeff was there. Hugs, thank yous, congratulations were exchanged.

The finish area had the buzzing atmosphere of a NASCAR Finish, a dance party in the sand, a University Graduation, all under a clear Sapphire-blue sky in Surfer's Paradise Australia. (try piecing that one together in your head). Phil McGibbon was providing interviews and commentary with a local radio DJ from Hot Tomato. They Pulled me aside, and asked me what it was like being the only American to participate in this Iconic event.

I shouted out the event sponsors, gave thanks for the opportunity to come down and race with the best, and said that I was stoked to take part in such an Iconic and Historic event. Then the DJ asked if I would return for next year's Gold. After a slight dramatic pause, a simple yes exited my mouth.



This was my appetizer. My first hit. I was hooked. A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they’re capable of understanding.

~Steve Prefontaine

This was not my masterpiece, but, rather, my first brushstrokes in seeking something bigger than myself. There will be more.

No race of this magnitude can be pursued - let alone completed -without an immense amount of support. First, I must thank my creator.
Then the list begins:
My Family who have always supported me in everything I have ever done.
NIB, TYR, Jeep, and all the race sponsors for putting on an amazing event.
Kurrawa Surf Club: Phil Clayton, Pete Milburn, Syb and Jess.
My Handlers - BJ and Mike, you guys rock!
The Janes Bro's.
Hayley and your crew.
All the boys & girls at the embassies.
Pete Stirling and Macon Brock @ Watermans Sunscreen.
Erin Howarth and John Boes @ TYR.
Mark @ Dolphin Surfcraft.
Surf Lifesaving Australia and Surf Lifesaving Queensland.
The South Bay Surf Club.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department Lifeguards
And everyone that I have ever raced with, or trained with, or talked with...you have all had an impact on me and my journey.

Thank you.


What will your Masterpiece Be?

The Coolangatta Gold Part V

Banana, gels and fluids still on there way down to my stomach, I powered out through the surf. A quick shift back. A few hard strokes. Pop the nose. Power over the top. Repeated a few times and I was out the back. Feeling surprisingly fresh, I paddled from my knees out and around the turn can.

There were a few boards sloughing to the inside about 1000 metres ahead. The Vic was dead-ahead 50 metres in front. Gamble the inside? Aim the straight-shot across Burleigh Head? Race the Vic? Anyone who has interacted with me at or around any competition should know the answer this. Gamble? Gambling is a gamble (but it can be fun). Racing, though, racing is always fun - No matter how much it hurts. Besides, what is pain? Just your body telling you you're alive.

(Or that maybe it's your body telling you you shouldn't be doing what you're doing right now - but if I cared what my body thought, I probably wouldn't have started this race, nor many others that I've done. And where's the fun in that?)

Up on the knees. Down on the belly. Up on the knees. Down on the belly. Rhythm keeps the train running on the tracks. Lose rhythm at a critical juncture, and watch the wheels come off faster than a "Hot Wheels" under a sledge hammer.

"Two up-two down" was a drill I had done many times in training throughout the year. Spending two-minutes up on your knees at race-pace, then dropping to your belly for two-minutes backing off the pace - but never stopping throughout the workout. My legs would be on fire during the "up". Then, a brief reprieve while prone paddling. But this was not training. And my legs were not what were on fire.

As I crossed the halfway mark of the paddle, I had built a substantial gap between myself and the Victorian. There were no more rabbits to hunt down. Just me, my board, and the water. And then there appeared a train of 4 guys closing in from behind with blinding efficiency. White, Blue, White, Gold.

Son of a Bitch! Not this again.

As they came within earshot I heard a surprising, yet-comforting voice. "I'll be up there in a sec Micah. Just jump in behind - We'll getcha there". DEAN! You Champion. Dean is another member of Kurrawa Surf Club, and I had spent more than a few hours training with him last season. He was on a relay, and, fresh, was powering through the paddle. Onto the wash I went, behind Dean and another paddler, with the Victorian in tow behind.

On my knees I could take a few strokes, sit up, breath, and then continue. However, like I said, this was not training, and my legs were not what were burning. I would drop down to my belly to give my legs a rest, only to be forced to spin my arms as fast as I could to keep pace with the train. Oxyacetylene welding torches had been ignited in my shoulders and traps, and seemed to be burning through my muscles and out my back. I was going flat-out while prone - and still falling off the pace. Back up to my knees, a few quick hard strokes and I was back on. Sit up, breath, keep paddling.

Why don't you just stay on your knees if that keeps you on the wash? Knee-paddling, even at a reduced effort, takes a heavy toll on the legs - the 10km run was still to come. So here we go again. My mind flashed back to the ski leg. I shuttered. "Time to grind" I told myself. As one of my best friends and training partners says: "Put your head down - and PADDLE!"

I held onto their wash for as long as I could, but fell off definitively with about 1km left to go. We paddled around Burleigh Head, a beautiful Emerald-colored headland. A virtual mini-rainforest, Burleigh displayed the great diversity of nature and climate in Australia; posing its green canopy against the shifting sands and breakers.

The Victorian now beside me, and more White relay singlets in chase, we headed for the final turn can - a white vinyl cone 3metres high, not to be confused with the red one 100metres beyond it. He went toward the red. I left-shouldered the white and headed toward shore with a White singlet to either side. Come on waves - gimme some love. A little push. Fall off the back. Breath. Kick it up. Nose scraping across the glass of my board. Pop pop pop. Onto a wave. Staying on my knees, pushing on the deck, shifting my weight forward, I crossed the gutter and was into the wave. Back down to my belly, the wave crashed down behind me - its whitewash providing welcome cooling as it enveloped my legs.

Onto wobbly legs I hopped off my board and into the final run: A 10km Grinder back to Surfer's Paradise.

High Tide Was Upon Us.

The Coolangatta Gold Part IV, Who Knew?

Small steps. Give the Hamstrings time before opening it up. Anyone who has ever run after swimming understands the difficulty in making this transition. Being in a horizontal position (swim) allows for wider distribution of lactic acid in the blood stream throughout the body, and a subsequently greater efficiency in the breakdown of it. Moving from that position to a run concentrates gravity's effect on blood - pushing it down into the legs, AND, with all the lactate that is in it.

Small strides carried me for the first few hundred meters. Then the strides opened up, and the speed increased with them. A single Gold TYR singlet in front of me, a bullseye emblazoned on its back, I went to work.

While racing and competition are things that I take seriously, they are not life-and-death matters. Words from a modern comedy-classic movie, Van Wilder, strike a grounding chord. "You can't take life too seriously....You'll never make it out alive." A smile was never far from my face as I was constantly reminded of the beauty around me. Small children and adults clapped as every competitor ran past. Nippers handing out water at support stations held out hands for hi-fives - I happily obliged them.

Shoes. He had shoes on. The waterlines reminisced of an old wooden roller coaster's silhouette: winding up and down in a rhythm known only to the waves that formed it. I was barefoot. No need to concern myself with waterlines and the incoming tide. Shoes? I saw his tracks weave an almost identical zig-zag to the waterline. Energy wasted. Keep everything moving forward - no wasted movements. This is especially true in settings like this. The bullseye grew larger.

Before half-way through the run "Shoes" had been dropped from the pace, and a new yellow target appeared. Open it up a little bit more. The board would be next, but I could prone paddle sections of it to rest my legs. As we approached a headland, I wondered how farther past it the run would end into the board.

I was slightly startled when I saw BJ (one of my amazing handlers) waiting for me with nutrition and water. Had I already run 4km? That can't be it, I thought to myself. It was. Half a banana, 2 gels, cup of water, cup of electrolyte drink - less than 30 seconds. The final seconds of my second run. In those last 30seconds I was close enough to the singlet in front of me to hear an inaudible name, and that he was from Victoria.
(Who knew swimmers could run: Run split time 4km @ 14m 31s)

I was not the only one shocked with my run. My board met me en route to the water, freshly off the trailer. A quick laugh, a high-step, and a skim and was underway. The aforementioned young man was half-way out to the turn can. God I love a challenge.

The Coolangatta Gold Part III, Handicap Control

Now, more than 2 hours into the race, the sun was high in the sky, radiation beating down on anything left in the open. Cool patches of water acted like intermittent sprinklers, helping to gradually bring down my body's temperature.

Get to the draft, I told myself, but don't spend it too early. There was still plenty of time to lose control and let the race get away from me. Focus.

Many people, after the race, said that the swim was their least favorite part of the event. Not because of the physical aspect of it, but because of the "Mind F@*#" that plagues many people. Looking down through crystal clear water, shadows from clouds or other objects are easily visible. Shadows, however, can be easily bent by the mind to resemble images of notorious fear. Add to this elixir idle time for the brain, and a front page picture of a 2.3metre Great White Shark from yesterday's paper, and the mind can play daunting tricks on you. (A juvenile great white shark was caught in the drum lines on Friday afternoon at Mermaid Beach.)

The space between the stand-up and myself was shrinking with surprising speed. A splash from someone's kick became visible behind me. Now past the stand-up and its respective swimmer, I scanned for a new target, a new draft. Two swimmers, 5 metres between them, swam side by side. Close the Gap. The splash behind me was now coming up on my left with frustrating speed. The sight of a White singlet gave slight piece of mind.

The relays were starting to catch up. Every category had its own colored singlet: Open Men, Gold; Open Women, Red; Masters Men, Blue; Relay Teams, White; and so on.

As we made our way past the first tall can, a 3-meter-high inflated vinyl cone, the first white singlet began pulling me along. One third of the swim now behind me, I worked the draft until I felt him up the pace. Another White singlet was moving up as well. Onto his wash. We worked past a few more swimmers before I fell off of his pace as well - but not before we passed the next tall can. Two-Thirds down. Let it roll. Hop-scotching my way from wash to wash (even passing a white jersey that had passed me earlier), I made my way to the final turn can. A left shoulder turn and in to shore.

Please be a wave. Any break is a welcome one. A small push, a burst of speed through the gutter, fall off the back. come-onnnnn, gimme somethin'! Another burst; a Quick breath in. Down the face I slid, briefly over-joyed by the small comforts of bodysurfing. Head back down; stroking the right arm, then the left and back to a streamline - not wanting to lose the wave and have to swim the rest of the way in.

3.5 km of swimming behind me, it was time to get back onto the legs. A water bottle's rinse. Some quick nutrition through the transition. Sunglasses and TYR Singlet back on, and I was into the "short run" - 4km.

The Coolangatta Gold Part II

The sun was steadily climbing higher to our left as the light wind angled steadily into our faces. keep sipping fluids - even if you are not thirsty.



Fifteen minutes into the ski I began sipping my electrolyte drink from my pack. Five minutes later, I was questioning my pre-race meal. Nausea started to creep in in subtle doses; not enough to vomit - but enough to make me want to. This made for a difficult time in staying on top of hydrating when not thirsty.



Racing in any competition of any distance requires particular mental states. The longer the race - the more paramount the state. In a race of this distance a poor mental state, or simply the loss of focus, can literally end your race. It is a culminating effect of training, and just living, that we learn how to cope with different situations. We form mental models* from trial and error, and use these to move through future events in a (hopefully) successful manner.



Compartmentalizing nausea and increments of pain, I focused on simply following the wash of a ski in front of me. This is where my fears of preparation rung alarmingly true. I jumped onto the wash in front of me, focusing on good ski technique - drive from the leg, twist through the core, hands eye-level. i managed to stay in a train of 10 or so skis for a few minutes before they pulled away, and the gap, where I once was located, had closed without me. I would then grind for a few minutes until another small group moved up to me, and I would jump on their wash - only to be dropped again a few minutes later.



When we hit Burleigh Head (~10k from Surfers) we rounded a can to our left and continued Southeast toward Coolangatta. I gauged this to be approximately halfway and noted the time on my watch, 0750. (I would later fall prey to this false assumption). At this point I had managed to line up on someone's wash who I felt I could hold onto for a while.



A sip here. Some nausea there. A knot in my left Glute, that felt like sitting on a golf ball, started to form. At the 1-hour-45 mark I began looking for a turn can at the end of the ski leg. Scanning the horizon I found what I wanted - a white 3meter high buoy, red shirts of the event on shore. Rejuvenated by the thought of getting off the ski, we closed in on the can - only to turn left and continue to some foreign point that I couldn't fathom. My mental model had fallen apart at the seams, and my mental state went, in the words of one of my Welsh teammates: "Down da shittah!" I was gutted. Gapped and dropped again.



I closed in on a surfboat I had seen earlier. They were dressed in the white singlets of the relay teams. As I settled into pace next to them, the noise of their oars cracking rhythmically in the locks provided a comfortable distraction to my ears, one boatie shouted over to me, "you're doin' a'right mate. Keep it up. Just a bit more to go."

Mentally gutted - get me off this F*%#ing ski, were the words that came to mind. Finally, the red final turn can came into sight. Thank you God! Rounding the can and heading to shore, a wave was the only thing I had on my mind.

Onto a wave. Off of the ski. Into the first of three (progressively longer) runs. Into the water for the 3.5km swim.

Already around the can on the swim was a man with a standup paddle-boarder for a paddler - A TARGET.

*Note: The concpets of "Mental Models" and their nature were taken from works by Lawrence Gonzales

The Coolangatta Gold Part One

The Morning started off at about 0400am. Too nervous that i would oversleep an alarm if i went back to bed, I begin preparing for the days' torture test that was to come. A couple bites of protein bar, gatorade, banana, water.

Suit. Goggles. TYR Singlet. Watermans Sunscreen. Gels. CamelPak. Everything was set.

We left for Surfer's Paradise for the race. At 0530 in the morning, the streets near the beach already started to hum with the traffic of competitors, officials and support crew. The venue was up and waiting - Sponsors' banners rippling in the southerly breeze that began to rise.

A light warm up, numbers stamped onto both arms and legs, and it was time to GO.

As we lined up our craft, music began to creap out of the PA while Phil McGibbon announced our names. A long list of accomplished Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans, and one stupid American.

When they said the race would start at 7am sharp, they meant AT 7am. The Ski's were being handled by the handlers at the water's edge, while we waited - for what seemed an hour. It has been said that in times of great preasure we fall back into our most natural (primal) state of being. So, with music in the background, and adrenaline starting to creep in, my feet started moving. A high step here and a twist there, and the mood started to lighten up - even if only for myself, for a brief moment.

A call to the line. The starter with gun raised in the middle of the lineup.

The feelings of unpreparedness had all but vanished. Yet, there was no shaking this feeling of an unknown... !!!CRACK!!!

It seems slightly odd that 56 men would start out a 46.65km race with a flat-out sprint into the water to jump onto their skis. But that is exactly what we did. Into knee-deep water, ski's awaited. A jump-start on the run and we were away in, what I would reflect upon later as, probably my cleanest start to date.
Drive the legs, relax the arms. Don't want to blow your arms at the start of a 23km ski.
The words of Phil rang loud and clear in my head as we rounded the first can and headed south towards Coolangatta.

The Day Before the Gold

Less than 24 hours before the race and things started to come together. After having Friday off from any training, muscles were itching to do something. We headed down to the Club to have a light run-through session.

One of the adventures of travelling and couch hopping is transportation - or lack thereof. So, being at the mercy of other people's schedules, I got to the club a good couple of hours before i needed to be there. NOTE: The more idle time on your hands before a big event, the more time you have to think about it, the more likely you are to sit and watch your nerves run out of control - Not Recommended.

Nerves started to show, and I had to fight with all my might to keep from going outwardly crazy with a debilitating mix of nerve, excitement, fear, hope, and adrenaline.

Before our last session Phil [Clayton] had the five of us (Mike & Dan Janes, Mark from RSA, and myself) sit down around a table, upstairs at the club. He handed out a small packet of paper which outlined the race. We went over where our handlers should be, and - more importantly - what they should be giving us along the way. 1 Gel here, 2 there, only water here. A gameplan was absolutely essential to one's finishing the race successfully.

As we went down to the water's edge with our gear, Mark, the gentleman from South Africa, told Phil he was going to sit this one out; save it for the race. Reality was, he was knackered earlier in the week from 2 sessions, and did want to risk it before Sunday's race - Working on an oil rig doesn't allow for absolute training for an event like this.

We did a brief Ironman session and began preparing our gear for Sunday, applying decals and stickers to boards and ski's. Then he headed to the event briefing, to relearn everything we already knew about the race.

The Countdown begins.

Leading up

In the days leading up to the NIB Coolangatta Gold I joined a small group of individuals also preparing for the torture test. Like in other sports' training programs, this final week was designed as a taper. And while The Boys (Nick & Dan Janes) and Hayley (Bateup) had been putting in serious work for the past 4 months, I could not help but wonder how my improv training along the way would stack up.

The first workout with the Kurrawa team was a running session on the grass-track at Pizzy-park. I was pleasantly surpised to see how my running fitness stacked up in comparison. Six 400's flat out on 2min's per. A true fitness test - give it a try the next time your at the track and see how you hold out. The next test came with the first evening session at Kurrawa beach.

A mellow, true taper-like, ski session had us in and out of the water in less than an hour. Things were seeming to look ok.

A mix of speed and active recovery sessions in the pool, on the run, and in the ocean, continued through the week. Throughout the sessions, I could only wonder, while looking at the others' form and my own, how would my fitness - more importantly, how would my mind - hold up.

The Gold

It is Wednesday midday here on the Gold Coast of Australia (3rd full day) and I am still adjusting my sleeping patterns, but things are good. In 4 days i will be competing in the Coolangatta Gold. Big deal, whats that? The Gold is a lifesaving Ironman spanning the length of the Gold Coast, twice. Totaling over 46 and a half kilometers, this race has seen the best of the best struggle to conquer it. And so, here I sit, a lone American in a field of national and world title winners, looking to conquer this race, and test my own limits with a bat-to-the-head type of litmus test.

Training since i have arrived has gone well thus far, but, I am constantly reminded of how far behind we are as a country in training and organization of sport. Nevertheless, I am trying to absorb as much as possible, and incorporate these last minute sessions into my base for Sunday's endeavour.

With new adventures come new toys. A new ski and board have been waiting here for me--the board is phenominal, havent had a ski session yet--so a thank you is due to Mark and Wally and the crew at DOLPHIN surfcraft. Also on the sheet were some good luck tokens from my boys at WATERMANS Sunscreen, so thank you Pete and Macon; and some discounted threads from TYR thanks to Erin Howarth.

Things are looking ok for sunday's race. Weather should be fine with light southerly winds building up throughout the race. The tide, however, is doing any of us any favors. With a high tide scheduled for 1130am, the 10k run to the finish is looking like it will be all soft sand. The first 4k run earlier in the race might have a chance of running hard pack with shoes, but we'll see.

more to come...

In the meantime/ Back to Japan

So, things have been a bit hectic between work and training for the Coolangatta Gold, and thus, i have not had the extra time to write as much as i would have liked to. But, since i have a free moment i will try to knock a few of these things out.

A quick throwback to the Japan trip:

on our last night in Japan (the evening immediately following the competition) we had the absolutely amazing privilege of witnessing nature in one of its rawest forms. As the sun set and darkness settled over the sand, a group of small lights could be seen gathering in one spot on the beach. Locals and visitors were gathering around a cordoned off area (about 5'x5') where two months earlier a sea turtle had laid her eggs.

At approximately 8:30 in the evening, the sand started to shift. A hole formed, out of which the first endangered sea turtle emerged. Not to be left alone, the first turtle was quickly joined by 150 (+/-) of his siblings. As they made their way toward the water's edge many would become disoriented and wander off course. We gently raised sand near the turtles to help guide them back on-course. The question was posed, 'why not simply pick up the turtles and carry them to the water?'. The answer is that, the infant turtles need the journey across the sand to build up strength for the swim to come; carrying them to the water would only allow them drown. So we helped to guide them to the water. I took special attention to one little guy whom i named Turbo. His progress was made in bursts of speed and rest. Brian joined in helping guide Turbo to the water.

While there is no way of knowing how many of Turbo's siblings will survive their journey, it was a blessing nonetheless for all of us to bear witness to the start of their trials of life.

Thank You's From the Sun

As a Lifeguard and a Surf Lifesaving Competitor there are a few things i have learned over the years about the sun. Namely that the Sun is evil. Unless you protect yourself the sun will Literally cook you from the outside in, and back out again. My choice of lifestyles gives me the opportunity to help people of all sorts enjoy my playground (the beach) and all that comes with it.

However, part of this existence requires a substantial amount of exposure to the sun. Whilst some sun exposure is good and even necessary to the body, I routinely exceed that line of benefit. This is where being "SunSmart" comes into play.

Being SunSmart is more than just slopping on some corner store sunscreen and hitting the surf. Educate yourself as to what is in sunscreens that makes them effective. Learn about the Sun and what the different "rays" it emits do. At the bottom of this post are web addresses of places to get information from. Don't take my word for it, research it yourself.

SunSmart = Slop Slip Slap Wrap

Slop on Quality sunscreen of AT LEAST UPF//SPF 15 or higher.
Slip on a shirt or an article of clothing to cover up with. Darker colours are better, but any is better than none.
Slap on a hat to help protect your face, lips and eyes.
Wrap on a pair of sunglasses that block out UV light.

Then throw up that EZup canopy, and enjoy the day.

I use Watermans Applied Science Sunscreen, and swear by it. At the USLA Lifeguard National Championships in August, a gruelling 3-day-all-day-in-the-sun competition, I applied Watermans on in the morning, reapply the face stick a couple times, and that was it. in and out of the water all day, racing - running swimming, paddling, everything you can imagine, and never got burned.

So, Thank You Watermans!

Not everyone can use the same products, so, get out there and try them out. If I'm around i have no problem sharing my screen; though, it may require an exchange of a little cabana action.

So get SunSmart, Get covered, and Get Out There!!!

Life is short, Don't live it in the shadows.

http://www.skincancer.org/
http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/
http://www.watermanssunscreen.com/

Sanyo Bussan 2008, Round 1......GO!!!

The Sanyo Bussan International Lifesaving Cup 2008

After a whirlwind trip into Japan, and getting settled into the hotel – a circa 1975 resort-style hotel with traditional Japanese living arrangements in the rooms – Team USA started to buckle down for what would be an amazing competition with five other teams from four other countries. Host country, Japan, entered two teams into the one day contest: their National Team, and their Under 22 years old B Team. Australia brought a strong contingent, as always, in the form of a U-21 High Performance Development Squad; Do not be fooled by the U-21 label, members included Elizbeth Pluimers, 2008 Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Series Champion, and Jacob Lollback, 2007 Coolangatta Gold U19 Champion. South Africa and Great Britain followed suit in bringing young, but very strong contingents. Both Great Britain and the two Japan teams were in top racing form as both fellow Northern Hemisphere countries were still training for their respective upcoming National Lifesaving Championships.

Team USA got to work on Friday (9/5) morning at Onjuku Beach. Training sessions kicked off with a bang when half the team, while dolphining out, got hit by jellyfish. The sharp sting, not dissimilar to that of a blue bottle, instantly brought our heads out of the water as we made our way out to sea. After the initial shock wore off, we continued our “acclimation session” with some wading drills, rescue race and board-rescue run-throughs, and swim and board starts & finishes. Surf was miniscule by any standard – 1ft and inconsistent.

After a light lunch some of the team ventured off into town to have a look around.
The townspeople in Onjuku were very welcoming to their language-challenged guests – one elderly woman actually invited the team into her home in spite of language barriers, and not even knowing who we were. Hospitality of our hosts continued to shine throughout the weekend. Constant smiles and head-nods of respect greeted us wherever we went. The effort and work done by Sanyo Bussan, the Japan Lifesaving Association (JLA), Seibu Travel Japan, Hotel New Hawaii and its staff, and our translators made this an unforgettable experience.

We had a second short training session in the afternoon to tryout surfskis. Ski’s were provided by the JLA and its members, and were sorted out between the teams on Saturday after teams had a chance to demo them. Surf had 6inch wind chop added to it.

Saturday (9/6) saw us having final tune ups for Sunday’s competition. Surf continued to be dismal. Run relay exchanges, flag starts, and last minute craft time were worked out before the Event Briefing, and again before the Welcome Dinner at the hotel. Teams were introduced and issued their respective racing singlets. Rules were reviewed and questions answered. A small break, and then on to the Welcome Dinner. The food was AMAZING – Fresh sashimi and sushi alongside local delicacies which we will not attempt to pronounce. After a great dinner, some laughs, and a bit of team v. team Karaoke, we broke for team meetings and sleep.

Sunday (9/7) morning, teams awoke to see Lake Pacific at Onjuku Beach, Japan. Whatever surf there was seemed to have disappeared altogether, and in its place competitors were greeted with a minefield of marble-sized jellyfish. From knee-deep water to the apex turn cans, there was no escaping their presence or effect. All part of the competition.
A venue setup that would rival that of Aussie titles was setup in the center of the beach. The “Jumbo-Tron” video screen set immediately north of the stage – an elevated platform slightly larger a volleyball court with a double-tiered awards podium at its center – flared images of competitors warming up into the morning haze. No less than four elevated Camera installments, two mobile cameras for interviews and on-the-sand coverage, cameras on an IRB and a PWC, and a helicopter circling over the water course.

After a filmed-for-television opening ceremony, competition began with the women’s Rescue Race. Second to the cans, Kristen Purdy gave the US a fighting shot at a top spot. Rescuer Tracey Crothers made her way around the cans and, Purdy with a quick clip-in into the tube, headed towards shore in a fight for 2nd place – 4 teams wide, but could not keep pace with the field. Runners Caroline Marani, and Tandis Morgan pulled Purdy up the beach for a 6th place finish.

The men hit the water next, led off by Dustin McLarty. Rescuer Pat Cary was into the water first, followed by Australia and Japan close behind. Clipped in and halfway home, Team USA found itself in a dead heat, three wide, coming into the final meters before the pull up the beach. A last minute push drove Japan A into the lead, giving them the gold, while USA and Australia fought for the Silver. Into the pull up the beach, with Garrett Thibodeau and Micah Carlson on the line, Team USA found itself a bit unlucky with deeper water and had to settle for the Bronze.
The Rescue Board Rescue Race came next. Again, Purdy found herself playing the role of “Victim(V)” racing out to the swim cans, and again coming through with a swim that gave “Rescuer(R)” Tandis Morgan second shot at getting to the turn cans. The ladies left the cans even for second, but were just edged out for the Silver at the line and Morgan and Purdy had to settle for Bronze.

Looking to improve their result from the rescue race, McLarty(V) and Murphy(R) hit the water in their respective legs at a red-hot pace. Rounding the turn can tied for second with Great Britain, USA again found itself on the lesser side of luck as GB got a run that created the gap to seal second. The US Men would Bronze again.

Surf Teams is a mixed teams surf race in which four members from each team (2 male & 2 female) all start together and complete a 400 meter swim course, Cross Country style scoring follows at the finish. Despite valiant efforts by Crothers, Purdy, Cary, and McLarty, the US would come out a shocking 4th place.

Medal Ceremonies commenced during the first break in the action, recognizing the achievements in the first three events on the main stage.

Out of the water and onto the sand – Beach Flags and the Beach Sprint Relay were up next.
Beach Specialists Emily Ward and Caroline Marani took to the Beach Flags Arena with speed on the brain. Both ladies advanced through the early rounds with relative ease. Ward broke at the start of one of the later rounds and was thus disqualified from continuing. She would retain her valuable points however, and be noted as the 6th place finisher. Marani would be edged out in the following round, earning 5th place.

Beach Specialist Garrett Thibodeau and all-arounder Micah Carlson would represent Team USA’s Men in the Beach Flags Arena. A lucky first round flag kept Carlson in the game, while Thibodeau advanced in expected fashion. Subsequent rounds saw Carlson run with the field with surprising speed, helping eliminate much of the field, and finishing in a respectable 8th place. Meanwhile, Thibodeau worked his way through the field, fighting off opposing teams’ attempts at blocking him out. Making the final three Thibodeau faced two members of the Japanese Team – Tatsuya Honda, a seasoned International Flagger, and Motoshi Kitaya, a standalone flagger in his own right. Thibodeau was eliminated by Honda, the eventual Champion, but earned himself a valuable third place finish. Another Bronze? We will take it!

Onto the sprint track – A true challenge for all of the teams as they found themselves having to mix water-specialized athletes into the relay. Team USA’s Women made an impressive showing as Marani and Purdy put the team in a solid third place at the halfway mark. Then, showing amazing closing speed, Morgan ran down the field giving Ward a solid shot at Gold. In what looked like a dead heat for the last 50 meters, Australia would pull away in the final 10 meters – 2nd&3rd a photo finish. Team USA would win a breakthrough Silver, South Africa the Bronze.
The men found an equal challenge on their plate. Led by Thibodeau and Murphy, the Men quickly moved into the front 3. After a very safe exchange, Carlson moved back into a running tie for first with South Africa. Cary took the final leg, but could not hold off South Africa or Australia who had Beach Specialists waiting in the gates. South Africa 1, Australia 2, USA 3.

Medal Ceremonies commenced during the second & final break in the action, recognizing the achievements in the previous two events on the main stage.

The final events would be the greatest tests for the competitors. The Oceanman (Ironman), and the Oceanman Relay (Taplin Relay). The order was drawn the previous day at the event briefing. Ski Swim Board.

The afternoon brought an on/across-shore wind that kicked up good 7 inch runners that angled the course from north to south.

The Oceanwoman saw fierce competition as Great Britain set a blistering pace from the start of the ski leg. Morgan held strong, and kept the US in fighting position going into the swim. However, the legs of Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain Ironwoman Champion Elizbeth Pluimers, would kick in during the swim and board leg, leaving the field behind her to fight for second. The race would end with Australia 1st, Great Britain 2nd, Japan B 3rd. USA would settle for 10 points in 6th place.

In the Men’s Oceanman Brian Murphy hit the ski start and was pulled immediately into fourth, riding the wash of Australia and Japan; Great Britain set out like a rabbit. Murphy would fight his way to an even third out of the swim, and entered the board leg wash riding in second place. He was gaining on Great Britain as the approached the shore but due to a one stroke differential he just missed getting his board onto a little wave to the beach. Great Britain got over the wave leaving Murphy to seal up the Bronze with a final run.

The Oceanman relay, better known here as the Taplin relay, consisted of one ski paddler, one swimmer, one board paddler, and one runner. The strength of Australia’s Women’s Team was such that their winning Ocean woman / Ironwoman didn’t even race in their relay. The US women, Morgan, Purdy, Crothers, and Ward, pushed the limits of their counterparts – hitting the water on the board leg in a dead heat for 3rd – but fell short, finishing just out of the medals in a respectable 4th.

After a full day of racing Murphy finally hit the wall just before the apex can of the ski course. But he climbed over said wall and forced his way out of the water in a close 5th position. McLarty then took to the water with a fury – moving across the water like a Jesus-lizard – walking past competitors. McLarty exited the water in 2nd immediately behind Australia, but losing some ground on the transition run-up to the exchange, tagged Carlson in third position. Carlson hammered out, and chased down the wash of Great Britain’s Nick Thomas. As the three top teams headed back towards land, Australia pulled away, but Carlson pulled even and to the inside of Thomas. The final tag exchange saw Thibodeau with a 2 step advantage that he would not concede, but would actually increase across the line – Silver for Team USA.

In the closing ceremonies, to put it in the words of our amazing MC, “Everyone is wondering, who will come ooooout on TOP?!”

As expected by most, Team Australia laid claim to the overall Championship (252 points). Then things got tight. Japan and USA. Japan (220 points) would narrowly edge Team USA (208 points) for 2nd place – giving America the Bronze. This was no small feat – this was the first overall point team podium appearance for the US in international competition in recent history.

A thank you to all of the Competitors:
TEAM USA
Emily Ward, Caroline Marani, Tracey Crothers,
Tandis Morgan, Kristen Purdy
Garrett Thibodeau, Pat Cary, Dustin McLarty,
Brian Murphy, Micah Carlson

Team USA Manager-Coach Jay Butki.

You have all represented yourselves and your country well. CONGRATULATIONS!!!

No Team or individual makes it without support. A special thank you goes to Bob and Sharon Thibodeau and Mrs. Cyndee Purdy for traveling with the team, and being a support crew for the US team.

Thank you to all the JLA Officials and Referees and to our Liason’s and hosts Mrs. Chi Aizawa, Tomomi Nishijima, Aiko Sato, and Aya Asakawa (our US Team translator).
Huge “Thank You’s” to:
SANYO BUSSAN,
Noboru Ro, Director of Sanyo Hanbai Co. LTD.,
President Tsutomu Komine and the Japan Lifesaving Association,
CITY OF ONJUKU, JAPAN,
PATAGONIA,
RAINBOW SANDALS,
HOTEL NEW HAWAII,
USLA,
Waterman’s Sunscreen,
and especially Mr. Darrell Brown from United Airlines at LAX for the three seat upgrades to Japan !




....and then, there were the Sea Turtles.....