GPS Tracking for Sunday

For interested parties...I'll be wearing a GPS unit on Sunday to aid family/friends in finding me on the course. The information is below. I'll only have it for the bike and the run, obviously since underwater GPS technology has not reached the masses yet. It is supposed to update every 30 seconds or so.

The details:
From web or smartphone...
www.trackmyathlete.com/vemap.aspx?name=256367

From handheld PDA/Blackberry...
www.trackmyatlete.com/pda.aspx?name=256367

Also, if there's any problem...you can goto www.myathletegps.com and in the top right corner of the page there is a link that takes you to the tracking site, where you can manually find the event.

Today is packet pickup, bike work and mech checkout spin, and athlete meeting.
Tomorrow is swim course practice, bike/bag drop, and checking in the hotel.
Sunday is game on.

Anticipation and a Forced Taper

I find myself only a few days out from my first Ironman, and the anticipation is overwhelming. Luckily, my schedule is too, at least until Friday. I’m trying to pick up extra hours at work in preparation for the long race weekend and at the same time my next wave of MBA classes start this week. For the fall, I have class T, W, and Th nights…I may or may not survive. At least I won’t have to worry about IM training. I may find myself more concerned about being able to train at all. The good news is I’m pretty excited about the classes themselves. I tend to enjoy learning, so that’s a nice bonus for nerds like me when it comes to approaching the school environment.

That being said, the busyness may be a blessing in disguise. It has essentially forced me to taper since I can’t fit workouts in edgewise unless they are extremely short. Since I get antsy when I’m inactive, I would certainly be at risk to go overdo the last week of the taper. So far, this has been prevented by my life schedule. Along with keeping my workout volume down, my schedule has diverted my focus away from the race. This is good, since I am already starting to feel anxious, but in a good butterflies in the stomach sort of way. I’m not sure I’ve felt this level of excitement so far out from race day since maybe my first sprint triathlon. It’s fun being back on the newbie side of the fence again after spending a few years as the “experienced veteran”, so to speak.

As far as the race goes, weather looks to be hot, as expected…but nothing I haven’t trained in. Humidity looks surprisingly low though, so we can keep our fingers crossed that holds up. My pacing goals are essentially unchanged, but I can see myself finishing anywhere in a broad range (from 10:30 if everything is perfect to 12:30 if the wheels really start to fall off). I know I’ll be pleased to have completed the race no matter the time, but I’d be lying if I said that 12+ would leave me a little disappointed. Either way, I wanted to get a pre-race post out, although this is much less detailed than my normal race plan layout.

As a quick additional note…I am going to be using a GPS system so my family and friends can track me on the course. I will try and post the link to the page that tracks me if I remember to do so before the race.

A Few Nuggets More

Some of the zoo pictures from the previous post didn’t make it, so here’s some bonus zoo photos:

Intense looking lizard

Slithering snake

Otter doing barrel rolls underwater 

Monkeys cuddling

 

There was a bug exhibit, too.  Eww.

The Skyfari!

Polar bear taking a nap

Zebras eating lunch

 

Happy panda!

Panda up in the tree taking a nap

Silly monkey

San Diego Day 5 Report – The SD Zoo, and the sun sets on our vacation

We saved our trip to the famous SD zoo for Monday, our last full day, for a variety of reasons.  It was a must-do item on our list and a stop Susan seemed the most excited about, so it would be a good finale.  Also, we had hoped that because it was Monday, the crowds would be down some.  We knew it would still be best to get an early start, so we grabbed a quick breakfast at the hotel and took off.  We arrived at the zoo a little before 10 (it opens at 9) and it was already pretty busy.  Luckily, we had bought the 2 trip pass at the Wild Animal Kingdom, so were able to bypass the ticketing lines.

As expected, the zoo was massive.  We checked out a couple areas near the front gate straight away, then used the map to figure out our plan of attack.  We had high hopes of conquering the entire zoo in one trip.  After taking the advice of others, we next took the skyfari (gondola) to the top of the park and started working our way back.  As with the Animal Park, there are literally hundreds of awesome pictures taken by Susan, so we’ll just let them do the talking for a bit…

Tiger posing for his picture

 

Little Monkey sneaking a snack

 

Crazy flamingos

 

Swinging monkey

 

A couple of crocs

Pretty bird and contemplative orangutan

 

The little guy just could not figure out how to get food out of the sack hanging above him – he got in it eventually

Mr. Bear and Mr. Lion

 

These camels moved in unison.. it was crazy!

 

Snow Leopard taking a nap

 

Baby catching a ride

 

Rhino taking a swim

Grisly Bear and Koala Bear

GIANT turtle

By 4 PM, we were at the gate and had succeeded in seeing basically everything the zoo had (with the exception of the shows).  I used a pen to mark our routes on the map, and we managed to cover almost every path in it’s entirety.  According to my Forerunner, which was hanging from a belt-loop all day, we walked about 4 miles in total.

My thoughts on the zoo are that it is definitely a must-see attraction and all that it was hyped up to be.  The sheer variety of animals to be seen is impressive, but it’s also well designed to walk-through without having to backtrack much and offers pretty reasonably priced, quality food as well.  Yes, it’s crowded, but you have to expect that.  All that said, Susan and I agreed that we think for repeated visits, or for travelling with kids, the Wild Animal Park is a little better because it is less crowded and doesn’t require as much walking.  Also, it is unique with the more natural scenery and safari-like atmosphere.  At the end of the day, the San Diego Zoo still resembles most other zoos, just on a larger scale.

After returning to the hotel feeling victorious, we quickly realized that while we had conquered the zoo, the battle had taken its toll…we were beat.  Luckily it was still mid-afternoon, so we had a chance to relax a couple hours at the hotel before heading out for our final dinner.  The plan was to head to La Jolla, but this time to take a more upscale approach and go clean and well dressed.  We attempted to grab a last-minute reservation, but were too late, so we would just have to try the walk-in route.  We got to La Jolla around 7 and went straight to George’s Ocean Terrace to put our names in, the wait was long, but that gave us plenty of time to walk down to the cove and watch the sunset.  George’s seated us at around 8:30 and we had a pretty sensational final dining experience, which we had expected given the reviews.  It’s pricey, but for 5-star quality food served on a rooftop overlooking the La Jolla cove, that’s to be expected.  The dinner was a perfect wrap-up to the trip.

Tomorrow, we don’t fly out until mid-day, but that really only gives us time to take care of “business” aspects of travelling.  So, essentially this is the end of the trip.  That said, it’s only fitting to finish the post with views of the sun setting at La Jolla.

Sunset through the trees

The two of us in front of the sunset

Some kayakers at sundown

Bird flying at dusk

La Jolla at sundown

Stay Classy, San Diego!

San Diego Day 4 Report – A day at the beach, sort of

With a more leisurely day planned, I had a window to get a pretty solid ride in, so was up early to take advantage.  The fog seemed a little heavier this morning and it was chilly, but nothing too severe to effect the ride.  I made my way through Old Town to the Pacific Hwy and then north through Mission Bay before getting sidetracked by signs for Mt Soledad.  I climbed up through residential streets with increasingly less visibility as the fog thickened and my glasses steamed up as well.  After a few wrong turns I finally made it to the memorial at the top.  I had heard the view was spectacular from here, so was ready for my reward…

And that’s what I got, a wall of fog.  Oh well, it’s about the journey, I guess.

At least I was able to sort of take in the memorial itself before returning down the hill.  Once the descent was done, I retraced my route so as not to get lost and made my way back to the hotel. 

After I grabbed the wife, we went in search for a new coffee shop for breakfast.  We found a local chain called “The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf” that was quite delicious.  They offered made to order oatmeal and fruit & yogurt parfaits, pastries, and a variety of coffee and tea drinks.  After a leisurely breakfast, we headed toward the beach.

         

We arrived at Pacific Beach among a swarm of people.  After realizing we didn’t have any towels to lay on and that the sun was hiding behind the clouds, we decided that relaxing at the beach may not be the best option.  We called the audible, rented a cruiser bike for the wife (I brought my rental in the car) and rode the 4-mile route to La Jolla.  From there we locked up the bikes and walked around looking for a place for lunch.  We found another local chain, SmashBurger, and the wife got her fried pickles fix.  We walked down to the cove where a band was playing for the “Concert by the Sea” series. 

We kept walking until we reach the bird rock with lots and lots of birds and some sea lions.  Despite the loud noises the people were making, the sea lions were just lounging around not more than 100 yards from where people were swimming.

We grabbed some gelato, did some window shopping, and headed back to Pacific Beach.  We walked along the shoreline down to Mission Beach.  People were really partying at the bars there which was somewhat surprising because it was a Sunday evening.  We stopped by a bar for a few drinks (and the Bengal’s pre-season game) before heading back to the hotel.

A friend had recommended a restaurant in North Park which boasted locally grown, organic food and a unique, fresh menu, so we decided to give it a go.  The atmosphere was nice, although the menu was a presented in a bit of an over the top “hip” fashion and the prices were higher than I was expecting.  The yellowtail I ordered was just okay, but the summer squash gratin served with it was delicious and unique.  Overall, the restaurant was worth checking out, but I’m in no hurry to return, mostly since I couldn’t afford to eat there on a regular basis.

We were night owls this evening, out until around 10:30, because we like to party.  Tomorrow is the last full day of the vacation and we are taking on the zoo.

San Diego Day 3 Report – Wild Animals and Walking

The 3rd morning of our vacation did not start like the others as I decided to forego my bike ride and sleep in a little longer.  Hey, it’s a recovery week and the first week of the taper, right?  Anyways, we had plans that required us to get going a little earlier than usual, so we were both out of bed and on the road heading north by 8:30.  Today’s main activity was the San Diego Wild Animal Park.  It’s associated with the zoo and is basically the zoo meets a nature preserve.  The animal enclosures are larger and there are areas where the non-predatory animals are cohabitating in the same areas, giving the viewer a more safari like experience.  Susan captured more great pictures than I can describe through our morning at the park, so I will not even attempt to.  Enjoy…

Going in the morning had distinct advantages, since we were able to ride the safari tram before there was a line built up, and we were able to be on our way out when the crowds seemed to be peaking.  Also, we were able to park within walking distance of the gate.  Not to be overlooked on the trip to the park was the scenery in the surrounding area.  The mountainous desert-like terrain and hillside vineyards were pretty spectacular. 

After leaving the park, we were famished, but our next planned attraction was Torrey Pines State Preserve, so we had to drive a bit before getting to Del Mar for some food.  The traffic on the 101 was pretty high, especially near Del Mar, but I was continually amazed by the number of cyclists along the road.  We eventually parked in Del Mar and walked the main drag a bit before stopping at Americana for lunch.  It was a trendy cafe, and the food was pretty good although maybe a bit overpriced for lunch fare.  After dining, we walked down to the beach and watched some people surfing, although the waves were less than impressive for it.  Then we returned to the car to get to Torrey Pines.

The State Reserve was only a couple miles south of our lunch spot.  We drove up to the top of the hill and then check out the trails.  The best way to describe Torrey Pines is a lush dessert over-looking the ocean.  We hiked a few miles around the park to a couple overlooks including Yucca Point and Red Butte. 

The two of us along the trails

 

Cliff with the Pacific

 

A little lizard also travelling on the trail

 

The landscape consisted of mostly sand, cacti, and rock – this is at Yucca Point

 

Some cacti along the route

View up to Red Butte

After making our way back to the car, we drove back to the hotel with tentative dinner plans with some fellow Cincinnatians.  Since those plans fell through, we ended up relaxing at the hotel for a bit before catching dinner near our hotel at a Hawaiian themed restaurant.  We noticed drones of Chargers’ fan in the area which prompted us to discover that the Chargers Stadium was mere blocks away from where we were.  With their first pre-season game playing tonight, fans were obviously excited for the game.  After stuffing ourselves with pub grub, we made it back to our hotel just in time for Transformers 2 on HBO.

Today, we really got to experience the Southern California micro-climates.  Leaving sunny San Diego in the morning, we headed to the arid heat of Escondido area, then to the fog-covered chilly breezes of Del Mar and Torrey Pines.  Quite the variety!