Peer Pressure

This is Tanner posting today about how peer pressure can lead you to do things you may not initially want to do, for example, a triathlon. My neighbors deny any promptings to convince me to race a tri, but they have taken me on bike rides that just happen to be part of a tri course, or invited me to go on a run or go swim. The ultimate proding convinced me to finnaly sucome to the pressure when my former scout master called and asked for some information and was simutaneously registering me online.

Because of all thease o so suttle proptings I participated in the Alta Canyon triathlon on Saturday. While all of you were just starting your journey into the pain abyss to validate that very awsome sticker you put on you car, I was fighting for survival in a lifeguard attended pool just wating to rock the bike and stagger in on the run. They staged us by the pool by how fast we tell our selfs we can swim, they had signs for 5,6,7,8,10,and 15 minuet swims, I was serching for the non-existant 30+ minuet sign. I started the swim very close to the back of the pack and am told I was in the last 5 still in the pool. How very encouraging it was to reach the staging area and find hardly any bikes still there, except for ones that had already finnished the all to short bike leg and started on the run. I had to walk my bike out of the staging area and attempt my cross mounting skills while soaking wet and in road shoes, it was mind blowing. When I started the bike I smilled to my-self because this is my element I was no longer floundering in a kiddie pool I was reeling people in sprinting up hills and bombing the descent. Much to my dismay it was only 9 miles and 27 minutes long. After passing and gapping my trash-talking friend by about 10 minuets it was time to visit the pain cave called running(runners are crazy!!). I should mention that the longest I had ever ran before this was only 2 miles when in fact I was running a 5K or 3.1miles. I caught my other friend on the run while I was running 8 minute miles which I view as very impresive and a personal best. At last I came to the finnish which reminded me of a cross race because it was on grass, this cheered me up consideribly.

I ended up finnishing 56th overall out of a field of 148, 3rd in my age group, posting the 7th fastest bike time overall, and fastest bike time in my age group. My overall time came in at an hour and 13 mins, a 16 min swim, 27 min bike, and 25 min run. I probally will do more and am thinking about Spudman. Enjoy thease awsome pics my dad took while rocking the cross bike on the sidewalk.

I hope you enjoyed this out of order montoage of tri pics, hope you noticed me out of the saddle attacking the hill on the bike, cheating death (barley) in the swim, and running with my stylish cycling hat. In the pic to the right the kid on the right in orange is my friend who's parents are hardcore tri-geeks, and the girl on the left is Mike Sohm's (from Porcupine) little sister.

This is now Daren. T-man was impressive as a Tri-geek. I was proud of his effort and surprised with his ability to run. I even thought about doing one. If you didn't have to swim or run, it would all be good. Aaron Jordin also completed his first Tri at Yuba Lake. In typcial AJ fashion, he won. He was in the back 1/3 after the swim but crushed the bike to take the overall lead. He then hung on during the run for an impressive win. It would be nice to have a big engine.

I took advantage of the great weather and rode the MTB from Mill D in Big C up to the Crest, over to Millcreek, down to the parking lot then back up to Dog Lake and down to Mill D. On the drive up, I noticed Bart G. riding up the canyon. He caught me about Solitude and we road together all the way to the Millcreek parking lot. He was kind to me on the climbs and we ripped the down. As Chrispy would say, Bart has "mad bikin skills". Bart rode a high line on the spine that I'd never seen. I followed but hestitated and had to walk. (Check out the top picture on Fox's blog to see the line Bart rode http://www.bikehusla.blogspot.com/). It's not hard to see how Bart scored a top 10 at Pro Nationals this year. I haven't been feeling well, so the effort to keep up with Bart wrecked me. I pretty much spent the last 24 hours in bed or in the bathroom. Hopefully, I'll be better tomorrow. Threshold intervals await this week as cross season is looming.

Finally, contgrats to the family crew that made it through another LoToJa. That's a really long way to ride a bike and I'm impressed you can do it each year. Good job.