Espen Kateraas

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2010 Everyone!

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 04:57:00 +0000

Hard to believe, but '09 came and went....It was a tough one for many of us, myself included. I'm not going to make projections or resolutions for 2010. I have a good feeling and I know what I have to do. Happy New Year everyone! I will see you all at the races.

In sports wherever you may find yourself,
Espen

My favorite band....

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 05:44:00 +0000

'Blue October'....Check it out but be forewarned; explicit/serious lyrics:

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAvIvDyxrAY

Catalina Triathlon 2009

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 02:24:00 +0000

So my good friend Gregg Arth (59 years young, going on 21!) convinced me to do the Catalina Sprint Triathlon today. As per usual with these events, an early riser was called for. For this one, however, we had to take the ferry from Long Beach at 6:15AM. That meant we had to get our bones out of bed by 4AM...In reality, this was the true test of the day :) What was more impressive was that his friend Anne got up to cheer us along at 3:30!!! Man, why didn't I pick Golf instead of Triathlons.

The ride out to Catalina was smooth. Quite a few other brave soles had decided to do this late season wake-up call. I'd say about 500 in total. As with most sprints, this one would be over fast so I didn't really worry much about nutrition etc. Got to Catalina around 7;30AM, picked up our race bag and waited around for the clock to hit 9AM when the 'Elites' went off. To my great surprise, none other than IM World Champion from Australia - Chris McCormack - was there as well. A legend of recent Triathlon and super nice man, Chris made it all the more exciting as we all lined up on the sandy beaches of Avalon.

This was only my 3rd triathlon of 2009 (due to my collar bone/scapula injuries of 2008 and 2009), so I have not been able to do much swimming at all. Nevertheless, a little closet training with 'Coach Bee' at the 'JSerra' high school pool has given a little 'umpf' to my late season strokes.

I got off to a good start and off we went. I couldn't believe how fast the first buoy in less than 4 minutes. Then took a sharp right and headed for the second one to complete the 'top end' of a 'narrow rectangle' that brought us back to the shoreline. I finished the swim in 9 mins 14 seconds and I believe 5th in line.

McCormack was first in from the swim in 7:41 - about 1 min 27 secs ahead of me. My T1 was slow since my bike was racked way off in the sand pit. His nicely positioned on asphalt in T1. It took my a full 56 seconds to get out of there compared to Macca's 29...But, as we took of on the ride - a 3 loop hilly course around Avalon - I cut my deficit to Macca by about 1 minute. He rode the bike course in about 27:32 against my 26:27. My biking legs clearly paying some dividends after all...:) But again my T2 transition suffered compared to Macca's. I spent 31 seconds against his 17.5 seconds....which means I was now about 1 minute behind him going into the run.

So as I tried to kick the 'turbo-charge' in, I could see the back of the great Australian tri-legend in his blue about 1/4 mile up the road. I think I gained a little at first but then it was, literally, all 'down hill' from there. In the end, Macca ended up beating my Nordic 'cojones' by 2 minutes 40 seconds. But hey, that was good enough for the 'best amateur' of the day in a total time of 56:33 against Macca's 53:53. I was quite happy with that and, I have to admit, it was cool to be up there on that podium with Chris McCormack later on. He's 35 and I'm 40 so he better be a few minutes ahead of me, no...?

Indeed, Chris McCormac (like his fellow Aussie Cris Leigh) is a great athlete. So is his coach and VP of Marketing Scott Fairchild of San Diego, by the way. I spoke to him at length after the race. What's more, however, Chris McCormack is what I would call 'a very nice person.' I will probably never replicate Macca's physical talent but he showed me something today that i will replicate: putting two small photos of his beloved children on each side of his handlebars as motivation and, perhaps, as a reminder of what is more important in life; our kids. I will put a little photo of my darling Tuva-Helene on my handle bars from now on.

PS: my friend Gregg Arth finished to in his age group. Heck, he would have finished top in the +44 age group as well. What a stud he is. Just goes to show you long people can enjoy their fitness if they really 'tri!'

Final results from Cataline are here: http://www.j-chipusa.com/results.php?eventid=2886&p=

And here's a weblink to a cool video of the race that Scott Fairchild kindly sent me: http://gallery.me.com/fairchildmg/100281

Until next time (probably the Dana Point Thanksgiving Turkey Trot 10k for me),
Espen

Long Beach Half Marathon / Kona

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:41:00 +0000

First off, I have to give it to my good friend and loyal US Nationals room-mate, Doug Clark (of Morristown, NJ) who won the 40-44 age group in the IronMan World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, this past weekend. He did it in an impressive 9 hrs and 22 minutes. Nobody deserved this win more than Doug this year. He trained so hard, raced so well throughout the season by wining the US National Championships in Tuscaloosa, AL, the EagleMan in MD and by getting 2nd place (beat by merely 3 seconds on the finish line) at the World Age Grouper Championships in Australia. Doug is a class act all around. A dedicated husband and dad that inspire us all! I look forward to raining and racing with (and against!) Doug in 2010. Hopefully, we'll both be at Kona in 2011 to give Lance A. a good run for the money :)

Secondly, I ran the Long Beach Half Marathon this past weekend. It was a local race here in Southern California with more than 10,000 participants. I haven't done much run training but figured it was good to 'just do it' to get my clunker bicycle legs moving. I wanted to run a sub 1:23 on this relatively flat course. As it turns out, the organizers didn't measure the distance correctly (13.1 miles) and we ended up running closer to 13.5 miles (according to many friends who ran with GPS devices). At any rate, I felt pretty good although I started out slightly too fast, running a 5:44 first mile. I ended up averaging 6:09/mile pace and crossed the finish line (with female runner no. 1) in 1hr 20 mins 32 seconds. That result gave me 6th place in the 40-44 age group and 443 overall. Here's a photo that appeared in the local Long Beach newspaper today:

http://lang.presstelegram.com/photos/photos.html#id=861677&num=38

Given the slightly longer than expected distance, I should have broken 1:18 on this course. I guess I'll have to prove that ambition in a few more weeks when I'm planning to run another half here in CA. Perhaps I'll see some of you there!

In sports,
Espen

LA Triathlon 2009

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:31:00 +0000

Finally got out there again to do my second triathlon of 2009; the LA Triathlon at Venice Beach. I hadn't done this one before and it was a fun race although the 'surf' took most people by surprise and quite a few never made it out to the first buoy on the swim. I started in the Elite wave of 28 guys. It was a beach start as we had to dive through the 10 ft surf crashing towards us...It was quite unnerving and at one point towards the end I lost my goggles and was wondering if I had taken my last breath...really....The surf got out of control and, to be honest, it was not at all safe to be ought there. Anyways, I made it through somewhere in the middle of the pack. Jumped on my bike and rode a strong 24 miler (second fastest split of the day). It was windy but luckily not too hot and I felt good. My run was OK (with two big hills in-between) and I finished 8th in the group with 2:10 and change. I'm happy with that given how poor my swim was due to the collar bone/shoulder injuries from this and last year. I'm looking forward to improving my swim in the off-season (again!) so I can make up more time on the swim next year!

In sports,
Espen :)

US Debt Clock

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Came across this scary little 'clock' continuously calculation our national debt.....How about restraint on government spending, Folks....? Unreal.

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Finally Healthy Again

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Hi all! It's been way too long since I posted and I do apologize. The reason: two broken collar bones, two scapula breaks and a torn rotator cuff.... Additionally, I moved to Florida for 4 months OR SO to help restructure a company there. The good news is that I am finally getting back to 'normal' and am about to start a more routine life again. My swim form is at complete 'rock bottom' but that only means I can only do one thing; IMPROVE. So, I'm off to sweet California to rejoin my family again in a week or two. Cannot wait to hook back up with cycling and triathlon friends there. Florida was good but I soon realized I don't really belong there. BTW: I did my first Triathlon of 2009 this past weekend in Tuscaloos, AL. My swim was extremely poor (lost too much muscle in my upper body since March and virtually no swimming possible) but I still managed too 'crawl' to a 25th place in the 40-44 age group. Hopefully, that will get me into the US World Team so I can represent in Hungary in September of next year. I look forward to focusing more on Triathlons in the next months and have even signed up to do the LA Triathlon in October. See you all out there at the races! Train safe and enjoy! Espen :)

Slowly Recovering

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:41:00 +0000

Hi all! It's been 11 days since I re-broke my collar bone and scapula. Things are improving, although always too slowly. I haven't been on the bike outdoors yet but have had some good indoor sessions on my spin bike.

My cat scan was forwarded to my DC doctor who called me today with some not so promising news....He said that my Scapula break is more severe than first thought and he wants me to see an Orthopedic surgeon out here in CA....Hopefully, I don't need surgery...Will keep you all posted. Cheers for now and be safe out there.

In sports,
Espen

Another accident....

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 15:59:00 +0000

Hi all! It's been a while since I last was on and I do apologize.

2009 started good but I took an unexpected detour when I broke open my collar bone and scapula injury this past Sunday in the Jeff's Cup 1/2/3 race in Virginia....Things were going so well for me and then....two guys went down in front of me and I landed square on my left shoulder again....I knew immediately that my collar bone was toast for the 4th time....! I could feel the damn thing moving and clicking...Hard to stay positive when stuff like that happens so early in the season...I was off to a really good start showing unusual strength on the bike....This is another 6-8 week set-back and I'm just hoping I'll still be able to race competitively this year....I've hit the asphalt 3 times in the last 6 months so I'm hoping this was it for a while....Unbelievable but as I always say; 'it's a humbling sport.' The other motivation is of course that Lance is out with his broken collar bone as well....I guess we'll both be on the trainer for the next few weeks....Be well and stay safe out there....the road is harder than your bones, skin and skull for sure....

In sports and see you all soon!
Espen :)

Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to All

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Wed, 24 Dec 2008 23:10:00 +0000

Dear friends,

It is hard to believe that 2008 has more or less come and gone. Indeed, time seems to fly faster as we age and we are once again reminded to cherish each and every day to its fullest.

As I close the chapter on 2008, one part of me wants to admit that it was a tougher year than I had hoped for when I so boldly predicted 2008 would be a great year. Indeed, there may be many reasons to be negative on 2008; the global economy in shambles, jobs being lost, families forced to relocate and on and on. But for me, the glass is always half full - despite a dismal triathlon season which ended in my collar bone and shoulder break on Sept. 10th in Washington DC. It's all healed now and I'm starting to swim again next week :)

As I sit here in Southern California (where I just relocated with my little family), it is yet again time to look ahead with optimism and confidence. No regrets for 2008 or years passed. It's time to look to the future and be grateful for all we have despite the challenges many of us faced during 2008. As I always say; there are only 3 important things in life: 1) your health (physical and mental. Because if you lose it, it's gone forever), 2) your family (because if you lose it, it's gone forever) and 3) your job (but that isn't really that important because if you lose it, you WILL always find another one. It's kind of like a ball; it'll keep bouncing back at you).

I wish you all the best for 2009 and a joyful Christmas season. I appreciate all of you, my friends, wherever you may be on the planet. Stay well and stay in touch during 2009. It will be the year when we all made a positive difference! Let me know if you ever plan to visit Southern California. This is a little 'Paradise' on Earth and our door is always open.

In sports & a Blessed Christmas to all!
Espen

FALL UPDATE 2008

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 00:26:00 +0000

....I'm back! Sorry folks, but I haven't been able to type properly in the last 6 weeks. Most of you know already but for those who don't; I had a bad bike accident on September 10th here in Washington DC. I broke my left Clavicle (color bone) and fractured my Scapula (shoulder blade) and was badly beaten up in many other places on the left side of my body.

It sounds bad but it could have been so much worse. Not just for me but also for the young lady (Carly) who I accidentally hit while we were both out training. She was running and I was on my bike. It was a horrible ordeal for both of us and our families but we are all OK now. I cannot tell you how worried I was about Carly's recovery since she had to spend almost 1 week in the hospital. She had a broken collar bone and a massive concussion with trauma to her head. I thank God and all of you who prayed for Carly that she is now back to running with her husband (Dave) again. She and Dave are wonderful people and even though I would have preferred not to have met them under these circumstances, I feel blessed and thankful to now call them friends. As the saying goes; there's a silver lining in every situation.

Needless to say, I've had to put triathlon and training on the sideline for a while. I was supposed to perform the Olympic distance age grouper Championships in Oregon on Sept. 21st, Team Nationals in Las Vegas on October 16 and IronMan Florida on November 1st. With my arm still extremely weak from the accident, I have had to cancel each race and accept that the 2008 season didn't turn out to be what I had wished. Nevertheless, I am slowly recovering and I am now focused on doing well in 2009.

On the personal front, I will be based out of California as of the month of October and only travel to DC as business (and racing) requires. This way, I can devote more of my time to the family and my little daughter Tuva-Helene who turns 4 on October 28. I will (hopefully) also be able to take advantage of the warmer climate to build back my swim and bike strength. While it will be somewhat challenging to balance work, family and sports in,I remain very positive and look forward to meeting you all at the races next year.

Please be safe when you are out there running, riding or swimming. Always err on the side of caution - especially when on your bike and when running in busy areas. Never(!) bike without a helmet. And never accept to bike with anyone who doesn't wear a helmet either.

In sports,
Espen

Late Summer Update and Long Distance Worlds

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 06:44:00 +0000

Dear all!

First off, my apologies for not having written in so long....It's been a hectic summer on all fronts. July and August both flew by and I simply cannot believe we're headed into the fall already....

I am typing this note from Copenhagen where I'm finishing off the last day of my 1 month stay over here in 'old Europe.' I am staying with my good friend 'Happy' from Ghana and his family. No joke. That is his name and he is a great man. Happy and his family have have been so kind to let me spend two nights here on my way to/from Holland and the Long Distance Triathlon World Championships that I just completed. More on that in a few.

I first came over on August 3rd for work and then went to Norway where I met my family and to spend two weeks in my motherland. It was nice to see everyone again in my home town of Grimstad. I also took my little girl Tuva and my wife Jean to see the great 'Lysefjord' off the city of Stavanger where I have good friends from 20 years back. We went to the well-knwon 'Preacher's Chair' - one of the most frequently visited tourist sites of Norway - to indulge in what I think is one of the nicest spost Mother Nature gave Norway. Check this weblink out for an idea of what I'm talking about: http://www.norphoto.com/r/eng3499.php

As always, I brought my bike, wet suit and running equipment with me home. It is amazing how much 'stuff' one can accumulate being a triathlete. And travelling with everything never seems to become less of a challenge. For this trip, though, I had bought a smaller bike case and was only charged once for 'excess' baggage. By the way, it really bothers me that 'active folks' like us need to pay extra for travelling on airlines when others who clearly carry more (body) 'mass' don't pay a dime more....what gives....? Anyways, I'm planning on changing that soon. Stay tuned on that front.

I didn't get to train as much as I had wanted while in Norway since I tried to prioritize my family. Nevertheless, I had some good trips on old 'terrain' and was able to get a few quality swims and runs in. My biking took a 'hit' but since that's my strong point of the three, I figured it was best to focus on the run and the swim. I come from a town in Norway that offers great swimming possibilities right off the coast but also in fresh water lakes nearby. The problem is, nobody else really swims outdoors so I had to depend on a few trusted friends to accompany m by either Kayak or a boat when testing the water. My good friend and name brother (Espen Skalleberg, aka 'Big E'), was kind enough to come along a few times. My other great friend, Nils Petter, joined me on my runs.

I got burnt really bad by jelly fish on two swim occasions but otherwise, it was just amazing to swim there. My new 'BlueSeventy' suit felt great and I think my swimming has improved slightly. By the way, the best 'treatment' I've come across for Jelly Fish burns is pure Alo Vera ointment. It really works.

Like I said, my training wasn't ideal in preparing for the Long Distance World Championshps in Almere, Holland. In fact, I first thought this distance was a 70.3 (half IronMan). To my surprise, it turns out it was close to a 4.4km swim, a 120km bike ride and a 30km run.....I knew I didn't have the long bike and run base to do this race but I wanted to do it as preparation for IronMan Florida which is coming up on November 1st. Looking back, I'm glad I did it because it was a true 'suffer fest' for me on the run. I have two months to prepare myself for Florida now and I need to get more long bricks in to be able to sustain myseslf on the run....I then need to learn the magic of 'two weeks' taper before entering long events....One just cannot 'wing it' with these long races....

I qualified for Worlds at the Kinetic Half in Virginia earlier this year and it made a lot of sense to do it since I was in Europe on vacation anyway. This was my 4th time representing TEAM USA at Worlds and I always enjoy that tremendously. Everyone is so great and the support crew in a class of its own. Kudos to Jeff and Amanda who helped us out over there in Holland!

Back to the race.....I have to admit, I wasn't a happy camper on the run as my stomac cramped up and I couldn't seem to take in enough air. While my legs felt fine, I was simply going on 'empty' with way too little energy left from a hard bike ride. I needed more 'salt' so I will have to try to fine tune how much I need for Florida...I'm always worried about taking in too much salt since I've learnt that the hard way (salt crystal converted to kidney stone, leading to DVT in my leg in the Mexico Huatulco IronMan in 2003)....

There were 100 starters in the group (35-39) and I think 5 or so of us where from the USA. I finally ended up 28th (2nd from the US) and was NOT too happy with that. In hindsight, though, it was good training and I know what I have to do to be better prepared for IM Florida....I'm hoping I'll have the time to put in proper training.....This was the longest swim I've ever done (1hr 23 minutes) in rough waters. I got kicked in the chin really bad in the first 50 meters by some 'foreign elbow' that found its way to me....it was a hard 'hit' and I still cannot close my mouth on the right side properely. That set me back a little bit 'mentally' but I reminded myself to 'relax' and simply get through the swim with as much spare energy as I could. It seemed to work as I came out of the water in 23rd place.

The bike leg started out ok and I felt good. I finished the 120km in 3hrs 14 mins which was good for the 11th fastest split and 15th place in the race. Then the run....long story short, I spent 2 hrs 45 minutes getting those 30km behind me.....I learnt a lot about what 'not to do' and, like I said, I hope those lessons will serve me well in Florida. As I always say, this is indeed a humbling sport.....And yes, I did ask myself why I keep doing them when I saw the spectators cheering us by....they seemed to have so much more fun than I did that day....:) But as always, it was all worth it in the end and I'm now looking forward to the US Nationals in Oregon in three weeks :)

Finally, I want to thank everyone of you out there who help support me in my triathlon life. As I have said before, it's part who I am but I couldn't have done it if it weren't for the endless mental support you all give me.

Be well and I'll see you at the races!
Espen

How to combat Jet Lag

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:19:00 +0000

So I landed from my 8hr flight from Copenhagen to Dulles, VA. I had 3 1/2 days of 'nothing' in my legs, felt lathargic and generally non-interested in anything physical. Then I called up my friend Mark Sommers (World class cyclist, President at DC Velo and one of the best trademark attorneys there is) and asked if he was doing the GreenBelt training series that evening. He said: "Heck yeah! You should, too!It's the best remedy for jet lag!"

So I drove home, unpacked my bags and 3 hrs after I landed at Dulles, I found myself chasing Mark and the other 'crazies' in the cat A race at Greenbelt :) The amazing thing was I placed 5th and I'm actully 14th in the general standings so far this year. Here's the link to the site where results and other information is kept. For anyone in the DC region who loves cycling and wants to improve on the bike, check it out (thriatletes included - but no aero setups please. These guys are 'roadies' :)

http://www.route1velo.com/GreenbeltResults.asp

In sports,
Espen

Territorial Setback…

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 20:14:00 +0000

Territorial Setback…

Altitude: 39,000 ft (11,887 meters). Speed: 548 mph (883km/h). Air space: Canada. Destination: Washington, DC.

So here I am again, collecting more bonus points from SAS coming home from Denmark again. It’s been another one of those gut wrenching 3-day trips with little or no sleep, bad food, lots of coffee and no exercise…..Every time I do one of these trips, I feel like writing USA Triathlon to ask them to institute a special ‘handicap’ for travelling amateur athletes like me… Not sure what is worse right now, the jet lag or the screaming toddler two rows up from me….I swear it is almost as a annoying as getting a flat 5km into the ride of an important triathlon….

But that this is exactly what happened to me last Sunday at the Philadelphia Triathlon…..I got through the swim, jumped on my brand new Jamis T1 Carbon bike, found a great rhythm and then ‘pooooooof’- my front tire just petered out……I couldn’t believe it but so it went. I was looking for a ‘spare’ wheel or new tubular I could put on but unfortunately very few people bring that kind of ‘spare parts’ in a short Olympic Distance race….I guess I wasn’t meant to finish that one so I walked (bare foot) back to T1, packed my bag, checked out of the hotel and headed south on I-95 to DC……I haven’t even bothered to look at what my swim time was. It was one of those races where I thought: ‘perhaps I really wasn’t meant to complete this race….” I had just gotten through two 3 days of an upset stomach and had fueled up on both Pepto-Bismol (over the counter medicine for diarrhea), Pedialyte (electrolyte replacement for kids), driven to New York City to pick up my new bikes from Jamis, tried to re-energize myself with all kinds of nutritional supplements and drinks along the way, and – not to forget - I had seen the hatch back locking ‘handle’ of my Toyota Sequoia ‘freeze’ from the outside while all three bikes + everything else needed for the triathlon was inaccessible from the outside……I was, luckily, able to get to it all from the side doors but it was a pain in the neck to do……I tried not to let this get to me (so much to be grateful for otherwise) but I had just spent $300.00 to replace the damn thing 3 weeks ago….hopefully, the guys at Alexandria Toyota in VA will help me get the lock replaced a second(!) time tomorrow….

Anyways, the bottom-line was that I didn’t feel 100% fresh that day. Besides, I had to rush out of there to catch my flight to Copenhagen from Dulles Airport later that afternoon…..I did manage to get a 30 minute run workout just as I arrived DC to burn off some of the steam, though…..That felt pretty good and I did convince myself to sign up for this triathlon again next year since it really is a wonderful course – particularly the bike which has 4 nice hills in it and would be perfect for a guy like me.

Since my last update (Canada), I haven’t been able to do a lot of swimming or running. The time I’ve had to spare has gone to complete a couple of bike races locally. One was an individual TT at Church Creek, Maryland, on June 15 (it was windy and hot and I placed 6th in the 30+ category. I was not happy with that but blame it on insufficient bike training before the race, the hot weather and wind. I also did the Wilmington, DE, state criterium championships on Sunday June 16th where I placed 8th in the 30+ category as well as the Greenbelt June 19th training series where I placed 7th in the A category. I was pleased with both of those performances and have become convinced that I can actually hang with some of the best riders in the DC region if I get sufficient miles in the legs between races (that remains a challenge given my current work). I’ve also made a lot of nice new friends from the broader DC biking scene and I enjoy that a lot. Finally, I need to mention that I did my first evening swim at the outdoor pool at Haines Point with my the ‘master’s swim guys from DC. They’re all such nice people (and great swimmers) and I will try to swim with them as much as I can this summer.

So, despite the disappointing outcome of Philadelphia, I’m now looking forward to NYC triathlon on July 20th. It will be the 3rd time I do that race. The swim is relatively ‘short’ (in time given the strong current down the Hudson River), the bike is fast (out and back going north, then south on West Highway) with the final run of 10k in Central Park. I’ll be doing the 35-39 age group category for Team Full Throttle and look forward to bringing home a decent performance there – barring any more unexpected incidents like flat tires or an upset stomach that – invariably – come with the territory in the sport of triathlon. I am also contemplating participating in the World’s Triathlon Championships in the Half Ironman distance for Team USA which takes place in Holland on September 1st. I will have been in Norway before hand on vacation so that could be just perfect timing to do another half this year. Will keep you all posted on that one.

Until next time – in sports,
Espen

Age Group Worlds 2008, Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:57:00 +0000

Greetings from "Uptown Espresso" in West Seattle, WA. It's at the intersection between Edmunds St. and California Avenue. They have the best darn coffee in the world here! Plus free wireless access, mellow music and big tables with the latest news fit for print to read.

I just arrived my old college stamping grounds here in the beautiful Northwest; Seattle, WA. I usually call this 'Paradise City.' Lots of old memories from 1988/90 that come back when I am here (I did my college degree at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma Washington, back then). Then only problem with this place....it rains to much! Other than that, it's a pretty cool place still. I'm waiting for my flight back to Long Beach, CA, where I'll get to spend the evening with my daughter before I head back East to the Capitol of the Free World again.

Oh, yeah, almost forgot. I did my 3rd Age Grouper Triathlon World Championships in Vancouver, Canada, yesterday. I drove up there on Friday from Seattle - only a 3 hr ride or so - so that explains why I am here now.

I wish I could say this was a great race but, we actually ended up doing a Duathlon instead of a Triathlon.....The water temperature in the Vancouver bay, the white caps and the wind, made them cancel the swim portion for most of us (they let the older classes go but then got worried when one of the support 'vessels' cap sized.....). In short, it was a poorly organized event (sorry Canada!) from A to Z. Perhaps, I was spoiled from the Lausanne and Hamburg experiences - even the local US races are so much more organized.....Oh well, better luck next time - but I doubt Worlds will be back in Canada any time soon. As one former US Olympian said in his frustration when he realized the swim had been canceled and replaced by a 3km run: "If they [referring to the older age groupers] cannot make this swim, they should not be here in the first place....." I couldn't agree more. It was the World Championships for Goodness' sakes!"

I couldn't remember last time I did a Duathlon....I think it was Brandywine back in 2003....I actually won that one....While my swim isn't the best leg, I have improved quite a bit this year...cutting some 3 minutes off my time from previous years. My bike is till my strongest while my run hasn't improved much at all....Anyways, here's how it all went down.

We were 101 athletes at the start line of the run. I think a total of 13 US athletes were there. My friend Chris John Thomas from Connecticut included. He's such a quality guy all-around and this year, his form is unreal! I used to be able to keep up with him (actually beat him in Hamburg) but those days seem to be over...I'll be doing NYC Triathlon on July 20th with him and hope I can get a little closer then...:)

I covered the first run in 7 minutes and 40 seconds. That was good for 14th place, 32 seconds behind the leader.

I made up four spots on the first bike lap, which I covered in 9 minutes, 7 seconds, 43 seconds behind the leader.

We were doing an 'up and down' course which I would call quite demanding for most Triathletes. In retrospect, I probably should have used my 'road bicycle' with clip-on bars and not my Jamis Trilogy, with the extreme aero setup and disc wheel. My seat actually came lose due to the bumpy road and I had to force it back up with my right hand on every lap....note to self: 'make sure to tighten the seat post a little extra if the bike course is hilly and bumpy.....'

I don't quite understand why the organizers had to put the course on a 4 lap circuit with age groupers of all kinds literally all over the map. It's very dangerous and not very spectator friendly after all. But hey, this is what they did.

After the second bike lap I was in 7th place, about 1 minute behind the leader. The third bike lap put me back in 8th place, about 1:30 behind and at the end of the 4th lap I was in 12th place with a T2 exit for the run in 14th place, 3 minutes and 4 seconds behind leader.

I didn't feel all that good on the bike yesterday....Not quite sure why but I didn't have the normal 'push' - at least not relative to the other guys from the US. I normally bike stronger than most of them.

My first run lap put me back another 2 slots to 15th place with a cumulative time of 1:12:27, some +3 minutes and 44 seconds behind the leader. My second run lap put me back another slot to 16th and I knew I wasn't having a stellar day....My stomach started cramping and I just didn't have enough energy to 'push through.' I lost another 11(!) spots on the last lap and ended up in 27th place. I guess that still leaves me in the top 1/3 of the starting athletes but I honestly do think I would have fared better had we had a real triathlon and not the duathlon we did have....But, it was a darn good work-out and I can look forward to doing better at US Nationals in Oregon in September. My hope is to qualify for Worlds in Australia next year. I will have my new Jamis bike by then (all carbon :) so that will hopefully help a minute or two on the bike....

While this World Championships wasn't what I had hoped it to be, it was REALLY a lot of fun to see all my Team USA buddies again. Since I came in late and had to leave early, I didn't get to see all of them this time. Even more reason for me to get back in focus so I can join the team again next year. By the way, I'll be 'aging up' to the 40-44 year age group then.....Let's hope I can still age gracefully like good California red wine and get even better with a few more years on my back...;)

OK, time for another 'Uptown Espresso' and then back to SeaTac Airport. Then, God willing, I'll be able to hug my little Gem daugher, Tuva-Helene, when I'm back in Southern California later this afternoon. Yeah, that's what it's really all about. Oh, and the sun just came out here in Seattle...."Paradise City" - just like I remember it.

Be well, folks. See you at the races soon!

In sports,
Espen

First Win of 2008

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Tue, 20 May 2008 13:25:00 +0000

First Win of 2008, Columbia Triathlon – Maryland, USA, May 18.2008

It’s been exactly 20 days since I last posted anything on my blog. And guess what, I’m yet again typing this note from 37,000 ft above the ocean – the Atlantic Ocean this time. Crammed in ’17-E’ and ‘Economy Extra’ on SAS flight XXX to Copenhagen. Everyone else’s asleep while I’m sitting here fighting muscle soreness and general fatigue from the Columbia Maryland triathlon that took place yesterday. And yes(!) I won the damn thing! First win of 2008 under my belt and I’m hoping that performance bodes well for the upcoming World Championships in Canada on June 7th. My time was 2:09 something on a fairly hilly course that took us over the beautiful farmland of Columbia County – about 45 minutes north of Washington, DC. I beat my old record by about 3 minutes, which I was happy about. It’s a classy race (I first did it in 2005) with top world talent in attendance (Chris Lieto won the pro-category with Chris McCormac (2007 Hawaiian IronMan Champion in 3rd place). I forget who took the 3rd slot. Full race results are on the following link:

http://www.championchiptiming.com/Home/tabid/60/Default.aspx?EventID=213

My ‘claim to fame’ was that I had one of the faster bike splits – only +2 minutes slower than Macca’s. I guess “Good Ole’ Steamer” still has some power left in them Nordic trunks. The strange thing was that I actually didn’t feel good on the bike. I had raced the weekend before at Bear Mountain, New York, with my old bike team from up there (Westwood Velo). I also did the Greenbelt, Maryland, training series on Wednesday evening with the speed demons from DC Velo. I was on the ‘rivet’ for 10 of the 16 laps with some of the stronger guys on the local DC bike circuit…..Anyways, both races took quite a bit out of me (got caught by the main field with little left to go in both….argh,,,!) and I really had not recovered fully for Columbia.

But hey, no excuses! I obviously wasn’t suffering as much as the other guys and managed to do a 23.3 mph on a fairly undulated course. My swim surprised me with 21:22 and my run (also hilly) was a strong `39 something….I have to give it to ‘Vigorito,’ the race organizer of both Columbia and EagleMan, who does such a tremendous job organizing these two world class races! He’s a super nice guy and also a staunch advocate of the BlazeMan foundation (see my sponsored link for details on the Blazeman Foundatioin!). I know ‘Vigo’ from having done EagleMan in the Chesapeake Bay quite a few times over the years. Last year, he let me in since I screwed up at St. Croix by running the wrong way (Vigo felt sorry for me and let me do EagleMan to make up for that miss and I ended up doing a 4:16 and PR!) This year, he let me into Columbia because EagleMan (which I had originally signed up for) falls on the same dates as Worlds in Canada where I will be competing for Team USA for the 3rd year in a row.

Anyways, as Chris Lieto said when he received his 1st prize at Columbia: “Find a reason to race other than for your own purpose! Triathlons are so much more rewarding when you race for a cause.”

So, Columbia Triathlon 2008 was a success for me. While I didn’t really enjoy getting up at 4am to meet up at Adrian’s house (mayor of DC), it didn’t take me long to get in the mood with so many positively inclined personalities around. Omar, Chuck, Michelle, Adrian, Jason, Shawn and all the other guys who faithfully show up to enjoy the sport of running and triathlon with Adrian at the helm. As I have said so many times: ‘the world would be so much better off if more people enjoyed an active life style through sports!’ Adrian truly is an inspirational leader in that sense. We need more ‘Adrians’ around the world! By the way, I’m working a separate project to help change that but more on that some other time….

Back to my flight towards Europe at 37,000 ft above Greenland,,,.

Like I said earlier, I’m crammed in the middle seat up here…..blocked in by a snoring Swede on the right, a nice sleeping Indian lady on the left…Welcome to the Global Economy (Class!) of sardine flying humans! The good news is that I’m wearing my ‘skins’ to help prevent my blood from pooling in my legs. Trying to stay hydrated with water so my blood doesn’t thicken and cause me another DVT (Deep Vein Thrombosis)…..Which reminds me, I probably ought to tell you guys my story from the Huatulco Half IronMan in Mexico 2003…..

Most people – endurance athletes in particular – have no idea that we are actually more prone to getting them due to our low circulatory blood flow as a result of a low resting heart (bradycardia) rate and a tendency to be dehydrated (thicker blood) from racing…As a result, the blood gets ‘syrup’ like in the veins and can cause clots that later dislodge and get stuck in the longs (pulmonary embolism). They can then travel to the brain to cause a stroke and, way too often, premature death in a person…..Yeah, I actually had one of those DVTs once and ended up spending a full week in the Ridgewood Valley Hospital in New Jersey. In fact, they probably saved my life for discovering it. I had done the Huatulco Half IronMan in Mexico in May of 2003. Due to the extreme heat there, I was convinced by a friend from Atlanta, Georgia, to consume salt tablets…..Back then, they weren’t too common among Triathletes (nowadays, people take ‘electrolyte’ and salt/sodium replacements quite regularly in longer races). I was a total novice at the time and consumed way too many on the 56 mile bike ride. The temperature was like 104 degrees Fahrenheit and extremely humid. I ate like 15 tablets in the span of 2 ½ hrs on the bike….my stomach bloated up and my body was barely perspiring. I didn’t think much of it then but all the salt in my stomach acted as a ‘sponge’ by sucking up all the water in my larger organs…..The result was an extremely bloated stomach (I walked most of the run wondering what the heck was wrong) and a pair of kidneys that went completely haywire from trying to process all the salt…..In fact, I gave myself a ‘kidney stone’ by means of excessive salt, i.e. my kidneys were trying to process salt ‘crystals’…..a very painful experience I don’t wish upon anybody…..Long story short, I ended up in the hospital a week later with all kinds of intravenous catheters hooked up to my body….on heparin blood thinners followed by 3 months of ‘Coumadin’ – also known as ‘rat poison’ because it’s actually used as a rodent killer…..During this time, I came to realize I could indeed pressure myself over the ‘physical limit….’ I also realized that ‘fit’ is NOT synonymous with ‘healthy…..’ – something us Type A Triathletes tend to forget way too often…..So, on that note, may I remind everyone that we are indeed not ‘invincible’ to injury and that ‘more’ is oftentimes not ‘better’ when it comes to training……

Man, I am starting to develop a severe allergic reaction to international travel…..Really, what can be worse for a Type-A personality desperately trying to lead an exemplary active and healthy life style…..Oh well, I have always been the ‘ambitious’ kind so I guess that is nothing new. My only solace right now, is that my good friend Doug Reimer (US ranked Duathlete and international traveler ‘extraordinaire’) is stuck in a French hotel relegated to the ‘life cycle’ machine to get his 1 hr workouts in…. . That will be me in a few hours when I arrive at the Copenhagen airport, red eyed and fatigued….not so much from yesterday’s race but from the fact that I have yet again exposed my body clock to the geographical difference of ‘time……’ At least I’m not in Dubai this time – only 6 hour time difference to adjust to between DC and Denmark….a slow run after 6 hrs of rest when I arrive ought to do the trick…..Yep, I never go anywhere without them Nikes in my bag….

That’s all for now, folks. Next report post-Worlds in Vancouver, Canada….9 hr time difference from Copenhagen….Oh my, the world really has become my Oyster…Oh, and did I tell you how much I miss my little daughter Tuva-Helene Yanli who’s sleeping in California right now….I love her so much….that’s all he wrote for now, my friends 

Later’On – in sports,
Espen(USA)

2 x IronMan – 2 x Around the World in 5 weeks…..

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:46:00 +0000

It seems as if the only time I have time to update my blog these days is from 35,000 ft above the Pacific Ocean on Thai Airways…. Yet again, I’m struggling to keep my body clock in sync, wondering what the heck happened to it and why I’m treating the world as if it were my front yard sand box. I’m headed back to ‘Paradise City’ from a crazy 8 day tour of the Middle East....second time in less than five weeks with two IronMans inbetwenn...

Having let my friend and Mayor of Washington DC, Adrian Fenty (photo in the gallery portion of my website), convince me to compete at the Kinetic Half IronMan in Virginia on April 20th, I jumped another United flight to Munich on Sunday the 21st. By the way, I am starting to love United Airlines! They’re treating me extremely nicely these days…. I even got a beautiful bottle of Argentinean red wine before I disembarked. Don’t ask me what I did to deserve that but I must have had an impact on somebody…..Like I said, I’ve always been treated nicely by the staff of United Airlines. Rock on, United. Now all you need to do is stop charging Triathletes and Cyclists and arm and a leg for bringing their bike on trips (whatever happened to the US Cycling Voucher Program…? Got to bring that back, please)...

While I am always glad to feel the wheels of the air plan touch down, I have never been a big fan of Germany – especially the Munich airport (it’s a damn nightmare to transfer there. Whatever happened to German efficiency…?) Anyways, I spent 8(!) useless hours waiting for my flight on Emirates to Dubai while in Munich. I wasn’t’ able to sleep but took a shower in the frequent travelers’ lounge, which was quite refreshing. I then caught the Emirates flight to Dubai where I arrived the morning of April 22nd – a grueling 36 hours since I parked my car at Dulles and literally ran to the gate. Thanks again to my friends at United for ushering my through the ‘privileged line’. I felt very special, indeed....:) Anyways, after all that, I hit the sack at the SAS Radisson Hotel, Media City, around 3:30am local time. The scary thing is, the staff there actually calls me by my first name now….

No, I didn’t look forward to the 8:30AM breakfast meeting 5 hours later. As the wake-up-call chimed in what seemed like ‘minutes’ later, I admittedly wondered where the hell I found myself this time…..to be honest, I spoke to myself that morning….questions about ‘why’ I do this and ‘what’ is the point, really….? But in a strange way, I downed a bottle of water and off I went into the Arab street with my Rudy Projects on. Yeah! My future’s so damn bright; I got to wear them shades wherever I go. You hear that, Rudy Project? I’m promoting you all over the damn place – and I know that bald head of mine really does the trick to attract the right attention….

I’ve always liked challenges, and this trip was no different. I doubt many of the other age groupers from the Kinetic Half in Virginia less than 48 hrs later would volunteer for this second ‘recovery’ ride…If nothing else, I felt good about that, and even though I knew this trip would be pretty hectic (I went to Pakistan, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Thailand as well), I knew the prize at the finish line would be all worth it; seeing my wife Jean and our precious little daughter Tuva-Helene Yanli again as I wake up in Long Beach, CA, the morning of April 30th. That right there is why I work so hard - pure and simple.

I don’t know how many ‘miles’ I’ve covered this year - both off and on the bike –but I sure as heck wiped out any ‘carbon credits’ I may have earned the first 4 months of 2008. The good news is I’m still lagging way behind Al Gore. That might change once I start flying the private jet around, though.

Anyways, most of my friends probably think I’m completely ‘nuts’ doing all this. My family likely more so, but I guess I’ve ‘come home to roost’ – this is who I am; a crazy Type A Triathlete finding joy and mental challenge in keeping health, family, sport and family in a delicate balance without pushing the envelope too far. But nothing is without sacrifice and I really couldn’t do this unless I knew it wasn’t going to last. In fact, I don’t think I could do this unless I had such a strong physical and mental base to do it from. Again, thanks to Triathlon and leading and active life style. But, there’s simply no way it’s sustainable at this rate and I’ve learned to ‘listen to my body’ before it’s too late. Right now, I know I need to slow down a notch if I want to stay sane, happy and, importantly, competitive on 2008 the triathlon circuit. The Kinetic Half probably was a little ‘too much’ but I wanted to catch one last ½ before this long trip (my conscience felt better about it) and the Cherry Blossom 10-miler from the middle of April has given me a fairly good foundation for the longer distance stuff. While I felt good in both races, I only finished 4th in my age group in Virginia and 13th overall. Unfortunately, I had stomach issues on the run and figure I easily lost 12 minutes to 4(!) unexpected stops at the ‘bathroom.’ Other than that, I had a great bike and my swim has indeed improved this year (I swam the 1.2 miles in 31 mins). So no excuses! The Kinetic Half was all good fun – especially since I spent it with my newfound triathlon friends from Washington DC. Now, it’s time to do some ‘shorter’ competitions and enjoy a few bike races during the spring with my friends from DC Velo – in-between a few more trips to Europe and the Middle East, of course…..

I’ve got the Age Grouper World Championships coming up in Vancouver in about 5 weeks. I find that hard to believe but it’s time to fine tune the Olympic Distance ‘clock’ to make sure I’m ready to kick butt in Canada – my third Worlds for Team USA (as a Norwegian citizen mind you!) Yeah, I know that sounds strange but you don’t have to be a US citizen to compete for the US Team. Permanent residency is sufficient. I’ve got one ‘trial’ race on May 18th to test my form on; the Columbia Triathlon in Maryland, USA. I’ve done that race once before (I think it was in 2005 and I actually won my age group then) but I injured my right Achilles tendon to the point my season was cut short by about 6 months. I don’t plan on repeating that this year. As I said, experience comes with age and I’ve had to learn to ‘listen to my body’ – both mentally and physically. As the saying goes: “old is gold.” Let’s hope that stays true for my performance in Columbia and Vancouver (and beyond because I"m not hanging up the bike in a looong time yet).

So there’s a quick update for you all. I look forward to sharing more as the 2008 season ramps up. I haven’t gotten my new Jamis Carbon T1 bike yet but I’m told I should have it by the end of May, early June. Hopefully in time for Worlds on June 5th. Take care for now and see you at the races – or at some airport between here and Abu Dhabi 

PS: my condolences go to the family and friends of the Triathlete in San Diego who was taken out by the Great White last week. At least he went doing something he loved. I think it will be hard not to think of for those of us who plan on doing Oceanside again next year…..

In sports,
Espen

California Half Iron '08

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 14:42:00 +0000

It's 7:40AM on March 30th and I'm licking my wounds from yesterday's first Half IronMan of the year; the California Half IronMan 2008. Man, I'm really sore....

As always, this race is probably one of the toughest 70.3 races out there with so many elite athletes (pros and age groupers) wanting to get their season off to a got start. This year was no exception. There were 380 guys in the 35-39 age group...No doubt about it, it's just getting tougher and tougher to compete at a high level in the age grouper events (hard to believe but this is my last year in this group....hoping the 40-44 group will be a little 'easier' but I'm not holding my breath on that front :)

I placed 14th in my group with a total time of 4 hrs and 46 minutes. My swim was good for me (31 minutes 11 seconds in 59 degree water and two leg cramps along the way - the first sign to me I wasn't 'quite with it'), my bike was 2 hours and 38 minutes with an average speed of just over 21.2 mph (I felt 'weak' the whole ride and was struggling to fight the windy conditions) and my run was 1 hour 31 minutes (I finally 'kicked' the jet leg around mile 8 and felt strong to the finish). Luckily, my hip-flexer injury didn't bother me too much but I am still not back to normal on that front.

It was the 6th time I did this race (done it since they started the Half IronMan distance) and, admittedly, I had high expectations for a good performance earlier in the year. Trouble was, I literally traveled around the world to get to the starting line this year. I had to go on a business trip to Dubai on the 19th of March and didn't return (to LA) until the evening of the 27th. Needless to say, my body was slightly 'off' from the jet leg and having breathed recirculated 'cabin crap oxygen' and eaten bad plan 'food' during the +30-hour trip from Dubai via Bangkok to LA, I was clearly not at the top of my game for this one....I hadn't been on my bike for 12 straight days - let alone my Tri-bike which I had not been on since I did the Florida IronMan in November of '07....). But hey, no excuses. I knew my body was off but I still wanted to complete the race. After all, it's all about having fun in this sport - even if you're not always 100% on top of your game.

I had shipped out my bike from DC ahead of time with my friends from the 'Bike Sherpa' (www.bikesherpa.com). These guys are awesome and I can highly recommend using their service to sanctioned events around the country and the world. They don't cover all races (at least not yet) but for the traveling 'business triathlete' like me, you cannot beat their services. I don't have my new Jamis T1 carbon frame yet so I used my 'old' bike (Jamis Trilolgy) from last year for this race. I'm looking forward to riding the new Jamis T1 since it'll be much lighter (carbon) and stiffer than the Trilogy.

Since I flew in from Dubai on the 27th, I had to register for the race and pick on my bike on the 28th in Oceanside. Luckily for me, I have family here in Long Beach, CA, so I was able to get around the trouble of finding a hotel and travel with my bike box. I drove to/from Oceanside on the 28th and again on race day (early morning as well as after the race). Unfortunately (or luckily), I discovered that the threads on my bike shoes were all but gone the day before the race so I had to hustle back to Long Beach to get my 'road bike' shoes instead. Lesson: always keep a second pair of bike shoes close by...

Like I said, this was a relatively good start to the '08 season for me - all things considered. While my business travel schedule isn't getting any less (off to Copenhagen on April 6th and Dubai again on the 20th...), I have to stay disciplined and stay focused on trying to manage a healthy balance between family, work and sports in the next few months. My next triathlon will be 'Columbia' on May 18th. This is an Olympic distance race so I don't have to worry too much about getting a lot of 'miles' in. This race will hopefully prep me for Worlds in Vancouver (also an Olympic) on June 5 - 8. I will also do New York City Triathlon in July (for Team Jamis Full Throttle Endurance) as well as the US National Championships (Olympic) in Oregon on Sept. 20th and the Nationals Team Event in Las Vegas on October 20th (with Team Jamis Full Throttle Endurance).

Other then that, I'm scheduled for IronMan Florida again in November and will also do some bike racing in-between if/when my schedule permits. I intend to keep you all posted here on my blog as the season moves on.

OK, folks, that's all for now. I wish you all a great spring and I hope to see you at the races! Happy training.

In sports,
Espen(USA:)

DC Velo Training Camp 2008

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:05:00 +0000

Hi all! I know it's been a while but I'm juggling lots of things at the moment. I'm off to Dubai tomorrow for the company...For those of you that don't know, I am now also covering the 'Middle East' area for Bavarian Nordic's Commercial Affairs...that will be interesting....but no real training in the desert I don't think....Will try to bring some running shoes because I'll be doing the California Half IronMan two days after I'm back....Not ideal preparation but hey, I'm going to try to have fun and hopefully I won't be too jet lagged....

Here's a link to a recent training camp I did with the DC Velo bicycle team. 400 miles in 4 days in the beautiful north western part of the Great Commonwealth of Virginia. It was a blast and those guys are such a nice bunch.

http://homepage.mac.com/rsmcki/PhotoAlbum41.html

Later'On and I'll report back from Dubai and/or California.

In sports,
Espen

Another trip to/from Long Beach, CA

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:24:00 +0000

Greetings from 35,000 ft above – somewhere over the Rocky Mountains bound for the Capitol of the Free World once again.

Yep, another few days on the ‘left coast’ are behind me. It was Chinese New Year this past weekend and I just realized that my positive projections for a great 2008 may be at odds with the Chinese ‘Year of the Rat’…, unless of course ‘rats’ bring good luck somehow….I’ll revisit that question once we reach the mid-year point at the end of June.

It’s been a few days since I last posted. Things continue to be busy both at work and privately and it’s hard to find quality training time in-between meetings, travel and family commitments. I’m still not well from my thigh injury and I’m not even close to logging the running and biking miles I need. That said, my swim has improved and I do feel as if I’m more ‘fluid’ in the water. I’ve been focusing on simple ‘drills’ to make me more streamlined and efficient. I haven’t joined the DC master’s swim work-outs quite yet but plan on doing so starting this week. I’m also trying to make a point out of getting my legs back in order on the bike and will join the boys at Hanes Point for the lunch rides at least once per week going forward. On top of that I am hoping to join my friend Roger Aspholm from New Jersey to do a week-long bike training camp in Tucson, Arizona, the first week of March. If anyone wants to join in, please let me know by sending me an e-mail (espen@espenusa.com). It’s an ‘all-inclusive’ camp inclusive of food, accommodation and Roger’s personal training advice for $900.00. The only extra would be the air fare. I’ve been there with Roger and the Westwood Cycle team before. It’s a great location to train and Mt. Lemon is simply an unbelievable location for anyone who wants to improve their pre-season cycle conditioning.

In sports,
Espen

26 down – 339 days to go…..

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 27 Jan 2008 02:04:00 +0000

Man, those 22 first days of January really just flew by. It’s hard to put the first 3 weeks of ‘08 in perspective since we still have such a long way to go….. But hopefully, the first few days of the year aren’t a good proxy for the remainder – particularly on the work front, which has consumed me in more ways than one since I returned from California over the holidays.

And yes, I must admit to having asked why I left the Golden State in the first place - almost 8 years ago now…..So much easier to keep physically active for me out West. But no worries, as the triathlon race season is fast approaching, I feel that little tickle in my stomach and legs once more. I love that feeling. Makes me feel so alive and reminds me of how much I truly am looking forward to racing this year  First scheduled race is the Oceanside ½ IronMan on March 29th….Let’s see, that’s only 77 days from now….Time for me to get back in the saddle - despite the fact that I am writing this note from my 3rd Jet Blue flight this year, will be heading back to Copenhagen tomorrow and will have to draw the cobweb from my bike’s handlebars when I get home…..

Damn……I didn’t get to finish my sentence above until after I actually went and came back from Denmark…..I’m exhausted…..I was only there for 3 days…..total sleep of only 10 hrs or so…..some rest off and on in the plane and then about 5 hrs each day there….the worst kind of thing for ‘routine athletic Type A’ personalities like me…this international travels really seem to be taking a toll on me as I get older….I don’t mind going back and forth within the US. But these long-haul international flights are really getting old. I lost count long ago as to how many times I’ve been over the Atlantic…It’s been more than 20 years since I left Norway…..Oh well, I am not complaining. It’s what puts food on the table and I am grateful to be of service to others – not just on the sports front – but on the side of creating societal ‘value’ as well. That’s why I like to work in the health care industry after all. There will be more international trips coming up that are work related, I’m sure. That will make 2008 particularly tough for me since it will be hard to find periods of qualitative training time. But somehow, I know I will because that’s the other half of being a serious age grouper triathlete; finding the balance between work and play and never let either one take a dominant role in your life.

So on that, note, I’ll finish this blog by saying tomorrow’s a new day. There’s a lot for me to be grateful for, I have no regrets of past actions – just of those things I have not yet done.

Going for a good ole’ swim tomorrow and then a steady run to test my ‘groin pull’….yeah, that thing is still bothering me…..Got to listen to my body and also remind myself we’re still in January…..it’s 35 Fahrenheit here in DC and 2008 will be a long race season for me…..I hope.

In sports,
Espen

Orange County, CA, Half Marathon Race Report

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 01:34:00 +0000

So I decided to do that Half Marathon out here in Southern California after all. I'm going back to DC tomorrow so I figured it was a good way to say 'so long for now' by pounding the Christmas legs on the asphalt road around Fashion Island and Jamoboree Road.

The gun went off at 7:30AM so I had to get up around 5AM to make sure I was all awake. Borrowed my sister-in-law's car. poored two cups of coffee down my neck and headed about 30 mins south to where the race was located (around Fashion Island for those of you who know So-Cal well). It is always impressive to see how well some of these races are organized. It was a relatively large race since the combined it with the OC Marathon. I think there were around 15,000 runners there this morning.

I was feeling quite indifferent at the start line (had to elbow my way through to about the 15th layer, which was ok by me) since I had no real expectations of this race (other than to finish and have a good time while working off some of the holiday 'fat'). The temperature was in the mid-60s I guess so no arm warmers or leggings necessary.

The first mile was a gradual uphill and I felt a little heavey in the 'bones.' I had promised myself to take it easy and 'listen' to my body - particularly that hip/groin injury I've been struggling with lately. I did my first mile in 6:35 and was quite surprised I seemingly had to expend that much energy at such a slow pace. Later, some runners mentioned it was a 'long' mile - something that always throws you off and makes it hard to run on 'feel.' Anyways, the 2nd mile seemd more accurately measured and I covered it in 6:03. I had set myself a 'goal' of running the full distance (13.1 miles or 22km) in about 1 hr 23 minutes.

The third mile was a flat to a gradually downward slope and I covered it in 5:50 with no real effort. I felt as if I was about to find my 'groove' and I was happy to be back around the 6-minute mile pace. The 4th mile was pretty flat (5:57) with mile 5 slithgly down-hill again (5:46). I knew this was a tad fast but felt good in my hip and otherwise. I did mile 6 (slightly up-hill) in 6:18 and crossed the 10k (6 mile) mark in 37:49.

I didn't bring any 'gu' or drinks and made sure to drink (water) at every station (about every other mile, I guess). Aid stations were not at every mile but given the weather that was ok. Mile 7 was 'more of the flat same' and I covered that in exactly the same time as mile 6, i.e. 6:18. Mile 8 was slightly flatter and I covered that in 6:11. At this point I was a little concerned with my hip/groin muscle strain at this point and tried to focus on not 'pounding' too much by reducing my stride length without losing too much speed.

I found a comfortable pace and did mile 9 in 6:19. Mile 10 was 'twisty' with a few up/down over-passes that took a toll on both energy and time. I did it in 6:39. Mile 11 was more of the same and I 'only' managed to squeeze out a 6:43 without pushing too much. Mile 12 was fairly flat in 6:13. From there to the 'finish' line (1.1 mile) took me 6:52 for a total finishing time of 1:22:24.

I was happy with that. Ended up 6th in the age group of 240 runners. My leg is aching a little bit and I've tried to gently stretch and massage it. Hoping it won't bo to sore for my flight back to DC tomorrow and that it improves from here. I'd like to do the Caeser Rodney Half in Delaware again this year and beat my time of 1:22:11.

That's it for now folks. Hope you are all well and that you're getting into the 2008'groove!'

NOTE: my good friend Mark Sommers (President and founder of DC Velo) was hit by a car on New Years Eve while biking in Key West, FL. Remarkably, he is doing well despite having broken his neck(!) and a few other minor issues with his arm and knee. We expect to see Mark back on the bike in a couple of months unless his condition worsens (we'll know more about his prognosis in the next few days). Please help send positive energy and prayers to Mark so he can make a full and healthy recover. And, make sure to please be careful when you go on your bike rides everyone!

In sports,
Espen

I like the look of 2008.....

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:26:00 +0000

Hey everyone! Sorry about being 'absent' for a few days.....It's the 3rd of January 2008 and I just determined that I like the look of 2008.....It's got great 'Feng Shui' and that's important to me....

For those of you who don't know, Feng-Sui (pronounced in Enlgish as "fung shway") is an ancient Chinese practice of placement and arrangment of space to achieve harmony with the environment. It litearlly translates into 'wind-water.' Very appropriate as I'm writing this note from another one of my 'secret' global hang-outs...."Bogart's Coffee Shop," Seal Beach, California......with the subtle but well-known tune of Rolling Stones' "Miss You" in the background....Man, I love that song:

"I've been holding out so long -
I've been sleeping all alone -
Lord I miss you...
I've been hanging on the phone-
I've been sleeping all alone-
I want to kiss you"

No, I haven't gone crazy and left my fundamentals behind.....and I haven't gone 'Chinese' despite my marital affiliation and 'Chinorian' daughter...... :) I just happened to like the 'harmony' of 2008.....and this is going to be a great year.....I just 'feel' it......And, importantly, you've got to
'b e l i e v e' to make things happen.....I'm looking forward to making lots of things happen in 2008....and there it is again......that 'magical number'.....2 0 0 8......did you guys notice that the sum of 2008 equals 10 (2 + 0 + 0 + 8 = 10)? I found this very interesting link online which quotes the following about the number 10:

"....ten implies completeness of order, nothing lacking and nothing over. It signifies that the cycle is complete and that everything is in its proper order. Thus ten represents the perfection of divine order....."

Let's hope 2008 will get us all closer to 'proper order.......'

Link: http://www.vic.australis.com.au/hazz/number010.html

So, here's to a successful, joyful and prosperous 2008, everyone!

Oh, and by the way, I signed up to do the Orange County Half Marathon this Sunday. My right upper hip is still bothering me but it's slowly getting better.....Back to the Capitol of the Free World - Washington DC - next week......The 2008 party's just about to get started.....

Later'On (and don't let your new year resolutions for an active and healthy life style dwindle!)
Espen

A run some weights and a swim...

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:38:00 +0000

Did my first long run for 2 weeks yesterday. 1 1/2 hours along Pacific Coast Highway - out and back from Naples, Long Beach. It is a an all-flat course with just a slight elevation over the bridge after Seal Beach. I felt good endurance wise but must have pulled something in my upper right thigh when stretching at the gym or when I did the leg raises the other day......i felt quite a bit of soreness towards the end of my run....and even more so this morning....quite tender and need a massage real bad.....oh well........my season is still a few months off so less impact swimming will hopefully do the trick.

Continued my 'winter weights' at a local gym and feel much stronger already. It's amazing how quickly I can build upper body muscle mass in just 4 trips to the gym....trying to build my left side so I can swim faster.....Don't want too much 'bulk,' however, as I need to stay lean on the bike....Speaking of swimming, I did about 30 minutes in the Rose Bowl pool 2 hrs ago. Great place to swim if you're ever in or around Pasadena, CA. Good 'energy' around that whole area if you ask me.... And if you have a bike, you can do a marvelous climb up Mt. Wilson for a beautiful view in all directions....I did that when I was here back in March of this year with my buddy Troy from Westwood Cycle....It's worth the trip if you ever want to explore the beauty of LA county...most people have no idea that LA is more than the 5 lanes in each direction at the I-5, the 605 and the 210 free ways.....man, there are a lot of cars out here....too much if you ask me....

Later'On....
Espen

Life's a Beach....

noreply@blogger.com (ESPENUSA) — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:05:00 +0000

...especially in southern California...

Finally made it to 'la-la-Land' on an uneventful Jet Blue flight to Long Beach Airport. I watched the “Deer Hunter” with Robert De Niro and Christopher Walken on my notebook on the way over. Quite paradoxical, that I was 'forced' to listen to Cindy Sheehan's anti-war rhetoric as I embarked the plane.....Yeah, she happened to be on the same flight and was making a vociferous (and very annoying) point out of exercising her first amendment right while yapping away on her cell phone.....Don't get me wrong; I empathize the loss of her son who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq.....On the other hand, I loath the way she so publicly discredits those who still serve to lead, to protect and to keep us free from harm.......

On a more positive note, it is great being back in the Golden State! I still nourish many a memory from when I lived and worked here back in the late 90s....Wildflower and Alcatraz triathlons fondly come to mind......but more on that some other time.

I felt like royalty when I spotted my beautiful little daughter (all 2 1/2 feet of her!) standing at the entry gate with a huge sign that said: "Welcome, Pappa - We missed you....!!" And when she ran towards me with open arms yelling: "Pappa! Pappa!" - nothing in this whole world could have mattered more to me.....Right then and there it felt great to be alive.....

Today was Thursday December 20th.....and another day in the life of 'espenUSA' without any strenuous physical exercise. To be honest, I just didn't feel like sweating today. Instead, I went for a long, fresh walk with my daughter Tuva-Helene Yanli on Seal Beach.....It was windy and fresh there.....a few kites were flying high and I just rejuvenated my senses in the presence of my child.

But tomorrow is a day for rejuvenation of both body and soul. I'm planning to go for a long run around mid-day. It'll be the first one in more than 1 1/2 week.....Looking forward to seing the Pacific from the coastline. Yeah, life's a beach - especially here in beautiful southern California.....

Later'On folks. I hope this note finds you relaxed and well as Christmas is soon upon us.

In sports,
Espen