Racing, racing, and more racing

Hard to believe school will be starting back up here in about a week and a half. Teachers go back a few days next week to get things situated...although I've been in a bit this summer already just getting things planned for the year. A friend of mine from Gaylord is going to be joining our team...Ben Tarbutton. He's a really nice guy and will be good for our students. With Ben's running experience I'm hoping he's willing to get back rolling with his training as I know he was kind of taking it easy the last year or so after college. He's run low 15s for 5k so is definitely legit.

Well, I wouldn't normally recommend racing 5 weeks in a row, but it was a lot of fun and there's no way to push yourself in training as you do in a race. After Mackinaw, I jumped in the Black Bear 100 mile ride. It follows the historic Ausable canoe race. The ride isn't truly a race, but it's chipped timed and the majority of people race it trying for their best time. I cam 4th, but was only 2 minutes behind a pro mtn. biker from Michigan. I would have beaten him if I hadn't stopped a couple of times for a friend, but hey he would have done it for me and was cramping so it was all good. We rode the 100 miles in 4:04 or so. The heat and humidity were rediciulous that day with temps being in the 90s. That wouldn't me anything special when we were in VA Beach, but here we don't see those temps very often. My friend, Ben McMurray, who I was riding with raced in Kona last year and he said it was at least as hot as Kona if not hotter. Good to know!

The next weekend I went down to Lansing for their Olympic distance race. It was a non wetsuit swim...not my specialty, so I had a little time to make up on the bike. I came into t2 about 4 minutes up and then extended that lead on the run. I knew with racing this many weeks in a row I needed to shut it down on the run to save some for the enxt 2 weekends.

Two weekends ago we had a whirlwind of a weekend. We had a memorial service for Rachel's uncle, and then her family was all up so we were hanging out with them most of the weekend. Saturday night my cousin was getting married so we went to her reception for a couple of hours. Made it home by about 11 for a 5AM wake up call the next morning to head up to Petoskey for their tri. I was very happy with this race...likely my best of the summer so far. I led from the gun and crushed all 3 disciplines, closing with a 36:20 10k off the bike...a PR by 40 sec. or so. This was based on my Garmin too so the course was legit (actually long by .2 so I was 37:20 for 6.4 miles, which equates to the 36:20). Afterwards we had a birthday party for my nephew Brody and Rachel had a baby shower with her sister who is due in September. Let's just say we were exahusted come Sunday night and we slept in Monday (7AM...what we call sleeping in these days with Kennedy).

I wasn't 100% on whether or not I'd race last weekend in Ludington. The racing was starting to catch up with me and I felt flat all week. It's a challenge to stay motivated for all these races sometimes. I committed to winning the series that 3 disciplines puts on...our state's biggest tri company. If you win, you get to do their races in the series every year from then on for free. Well worth it with the cost of races these days! All the racing was worth it as I am first in the series and may not even have to do the last race of the series to win it. I got 2nd at the ludington race. Richard Swor, a pro who used to live in MI, but now live in N. Carolina was there and he waxed me pretty good. To my defense I was racing at more of my 70.3 pace than Olympic as the power was just there. Anyone who has ever raced this much knows what the feeling is like. I gave my best effort on the day, but I really would like to race that guy when I'm fresh as I think I could at least have gotten off the bike with him or even in front of him. He's a very good runner so likely still would have beaten me, but it would have been a lot closer. Oh well...he also only does short course racing so that's his specialty. What can I say...I hate to lose.

So I finally have a few weeks to get back into some solid training before my last big tri of the year...Muskoka 70.3. I think the course is really going to suit me...cool weather and HILLY with a freshwater wetsuit swim.

On a side note, big props to Ryan hamilton who has had a breakout season finishing near the top in all the local tris and a great day at Racine 70.3. Big things to come for this guy if he sticks to it. Also...good luck to Rob Swartz in Chicago this weekend for the Olympic.

I'm excited to get back into the school routine, but sad to see summer about done. I'll enjoy these next couple of weeks the best I can!

Thanks for reading!