Week-end

What a FULL week of training... Not only did I finally get my longest running volume for a week ever @ 34miles but I finally got my road bike built up and let it roll...

I have wanted to do a century for a while and although it looks like such a long distance I know that pace is everything. Starting slow and finishing strong would be key. My goal was to do one by the end of the year but this week it all just fell into place.

I was feeling pretty motivated after getting my road bike finally put together... Keevin picked it up for me in San Diego on Monday, I rode it around the block on Tuesday...did some little adjustments and then put 141.7 miles on it Wednesday. Yes, I love it! Under 14lbs and equipped with the best stuff from the Raston EC90 components and Power Cordz laced up the SRAM gear....those Power Cordz are soo smooth and they look awesome with the carbon!

It is amazing how much faster the miles pass on the road. I managed to double my previous longest ride and the miles just rolled along and it was not as bad as I thought BUT I went very slooow for the entire ride. Just pleased to get a ride like that in and finally got over my longer ride fears...


The training for the week just stepped up another notch when I went on the Swami's ride with Sean on Saturday. WOW!! Real road riding and super fun! Sean continues to be super encouraging and we even added another loop through San Diego after the group ride with a brutal climb up Mount Soledad . Check out the after ride pancake!!

So much for the 10% rule!! My mileage just blew up this week. Longest running week ever and my longest ride and second longest ride ever. NICE!


Finishing up the weekend was the icing on the cake. Marius BDAY cake! We rode into El Moro for a camp out and Birthday celebration for Marius on his 21st Birthday. Amazing views of the moon and a long night of fun with friends. Perfect.

Multisport Day - Finding another loop...

Well we managed to get a multiday in the books... Not very organized but I still remember the pot-luck and talking on the warm ground in the parking lot when it was all over with....

A fun day and plenty of inspiration from everyone who made it out....Even if we didn't get to paddle, run, ride, eat with everyone.

Here are some picture from the day

Running to NINE Trails

Long story short... I have never had high volume and I dont think that it is "needed" to do an ultra but with my races checked off for the year it is time to start running myself up for the Santa Barbara Nine Trails in just a month or two away.

Fear can be a good thing and holding back the running volume has kept me injury free for the year so far but I am learning a lot more has to do with the intensity. Time to focus on the LSD(long slow distance) for a while...

Looking at my running miles is pretty disheartening but I know I have been hitting it pretty hard as far as intensity. . . I have also been mixing it up quite a bid with paddles, swims, etc so I am hoping to swap some of that time/fitness now to running. Simple goals to a simple plan that can be executed.

(weekly running mileage from the last few months)

I had a good week and I am planning on getting three runs a week min and reaching over that 20 miles a week mark that has been illusive all year. Today I hit my max mileage @ Aliso with some repeats up Meadows and the miles came much faster than I thought. PACE is so key and I learned a little something from Tiffany about the all important walking breaks. Today I got in 4 laps and am hoping to build to about 7 in the two weeks before the 9 trails race.

The "volume or bust" certainly worked for me at SLO and the BOD so hopefully I dont bust before 9 trails(or at nine trails!). I really miss getting out on foot on the trails which is why I signed up in the first place so I am looking forward to getting time hiking and LSD running with some friends again! Just in time for the cold weather!

Bonelli Olympic Distance Tritahlon Results

No rain and near perfect conditions, we would start our day in the dark just minutes away from Bonelli park getting some early breakfast from Moniques parents house. The Bonelli Olympic Distance would be my third race at this distance and the 2nd ride on my new B2. I was stoked and felt ready to race.


Without too much of a warmup we headed out to the water to start our day with a 1.5K swim...Actually, I think it was closer to a mile and felt soooo looooong. I managed to stay with the lead pack until the first buoy and then started fading back. I finally got onto some feet as we reached the far side of the lake and pulled through the weeds in the shallow water along the shore. What a long swim! My arms for the first time started going numb near the end of the swim and I am still not sure what that was from. I thought that I was pretty far behind exiting the water but I managed to hold on to a 5th place spot and it was a quick T1 onto the bike.



The 40K bike
Three laps around Bonnelli park and the airport and I was loving my bike! I probably should have had more miles on it but I just got it back on Wednesday of this week after getting fit so I had about 9miles on it before the race. Not the best but I made some adjustments as I rode and felt solid on it. So fast and smooth. The hills did not feel bad at all and I was able to stay seated for all the climbs conserving my energy for the run.

The second and third laps were plastered with the sprint triathlon group and it was a crazy passing game. I saw Monique ripping around and I was so stoked to see her little bunz pushing up the hills. She is getting fast and she is so cute!

Into T2 and besides one of the volunteer putting their bike sideways in front of my bike rack the transition was pretty smooth. Heading out I heard a few people say that I was forth overall and I was stoked!

10K run
The run, the truth, the last push. For me it is the judgment of how I held up so far and pacing although after the California Multisport series the race felt much shorter than ever before. Ending with the run is MUCH easier than starting with the run and at just over 2hr there was not as much of a need to hold back. I gave it to the bridge (about 1mile) before I passed any condition of how the run would play out and just as I reached the end of it I saw the next runner up. My running usually sucks and I am usually just waiting for someone to run me down but things have slowly been changing. . .

I took my time and got the pass at about mile 2.5 and then pulled away to keep out of sight. So much of that slow passing on the run is mental and just as I rounded the corner I looked back and saw the same guy getting passed by someone else. Was I next? My mind shifted from focus on catching the #2 spot to getting run down. It sucks. It makes me run so much slower. Inefficient. I held on until the out and back (about mile 4) and I ran with Ryan for a while before I told him to catch that #1 spot! He looked strong and pulled away with ease. I started looking at the next runner behind me again and started running scared again. Ahhg... I saw another guy gaining on me and looked back about every 10 steps. Whats wrong with me? he he he... I got to the 2nd to last hill and could hear the footsteps behind me. Downhill to an aid station and one more hill to the finish with less than 2 miles to go so I told myself I would not look back until the I reached the top of the last hill. I let it rip down to the aid station and sprinted up the last hill way over LT. Feeling beat but after one look back there was nobody in sight. I ran the last mile in a recovery and then was back to finish strong and looking back I had put about 5min on the next guy. I think he had a stop at the aid station between the hills and I managed to get over my shoulder looks...hopefully.

Third place overall and I got a #1 for my age group 10min up from the #2 spot. Stoked!



Monique took 5th in her age group and even if it was her second ever Olympic distance she showed a huge improvement. She is ready to go long!



Official Results:
http://results.eternaltiming.com/event/BON2008
Race: Bonelli Olympic Triathlon (226)
Age: 32
Hometown: Huntington Beach
Full Results: Overall Full Course
Time: 2:19:42.490
Overall Rank: 3
Male Rank: 2
M30-34 Rank: 1

California Multisport - S.L.O Race Report

It is always the races and places that go above and beyond my expectation that are hard to write about. . . Maybe it is because I am afraid to forget the details, my writing will not do it justice or it is just that it cannot be put into words. . . I think it is a bit of each and the California Multisport races are in that category for sure. Expectations are exceeded at every race by the staff and venue lineup. The best of any race I have done to date.

The San Luis Obispo race is over and concludes the first (hopefully of many) series of California Multisport races. This was not as "destructive" to me as the Big Bear race but proved to be a fast and fun course! You would never imagine all of that technical single track in the local hills!

Starting things off

The race started with about a 5.5 mile run of mixed single track, dirt roads and lots of climbing. Typical Xterra/CalMultisport mountain run with Sully and local Pro Triathlete Chris Stehula setting a blistering pace. Two laps up and over a mountain and I was loosing places but keeping "my" pace. Such a lesson learned from Big Bear!! I felt pretty good on the fist lap and eased into the second lap without going into the red zone.

Kim leading the pack on the downhills

I probably could have picked up the pace but running into the transition of the boat section I felt smooth and ready to paddle. I think I was around 7/8th place and confident of my position. The goal of the run was not to blow up!

finishing up lap two at a steady pace

Joe Friel always says something about "working on your limiters" and for me paddling was so new that it was my obvious limiter. Not only paddling itself but a new boat too so it became the focus of my recent training. . . and it worked!! Paddling ended up becoming my strength for this race! In training I was aiming for frequency and the volume was just an end result from the frequency but I almost tripled the volume I had going into the first two Multisport events. . . first race in the Mako6 and after working out all of the kinks it felt pretty fast. Hitting the water felt natural and being rested from the run let me dig deep with every scoop. Two laps and about 5 miles on the water.

Karen cheering on racers! The best Race Directors ever!

I passed a few people within the first few hundred yards and by lap two I was a few minutes behind Sully in second place. Nice!

My goal was just to stay as close I as I could to Sully and try to put some time on the guys behind me. Time to finish strong and HAMMER on the bike!

Tiffany in transition from boat to bike

Getting out of the water I had Karen giving me info about Sully being about 3min up from me and Monique telling me that Fred Watson was right behind me on the paddle. Running up to transition I was just seconds ahead of Fred who ended up posting the fastest paddle for the day. Paul was on the speakers and all I remember was him saying "you gotta make this transition all business Slater"! I slapped on my shoes, grabbed my helmet and started putting pressure on the pedals.

The bike climbed up a long road and then started a single track route back and forth around Cerro San Mountain. As I reached to of the first climb I looked back over my shoulder to see...no body in sight. What? Another look and I saw two riders just heading out of the trees from the transition and starting to make their way up the climb. I had plenty of time and the presure from behind was off... Now I could focus on keeping a gap and giving it all that I had left. Feeling the strongest on the bike than anything else I thought I would lay it down and then I made the biggest mistake of the race. I got lost...

GPS outline from the course

I had a big gap, pressure off, closest race I have been to Sully and my strongest discipline with a very well marked course I and turned off, headed down a big hill and rode to a parking lot and stopped. Time felt like it was standing still and all I could think about was "is this really happening?". I knew I made a wrong turn but just kept going down the hill... Was my body making the decisions or my mind? Was I cracking under pressure or just lame? I got over it and started climbing back to the course.... I was still racing and I felt good so "here we go" I remember saying out loud... Maybe I was needing a gu?

As I started my climb up to the course I saw a few other riders cresting the first hill where I made a wrong turn. Clearly I was the only one who took the downhill route but I soon joined and passed a few riders. Reaching a volunteer at one turn I discovered I was in 5 or 6th place. Hey, thats racing I said and tried to catch the next guy. A few turns, lots of rocks and a few riders later I had passed the volunteer again and found myself back in second place. Stoked! One more big climb to the top but by now I was spent. I had my gu explode all over my hand and mouth and another gu flask melt down my bike. I was loosing it fast and just fighting with my sticky hand on the bar... Focus! It is crazy how the little things can get in the way when you are fatigued... On the last major climb I had Chris Stehula ride up to me on a climb...Standing and cranking like he was on his single speed. Nice work I said to him and he disappeared out of site.

I made up some ground and manged to come around by the time we got to the front of the mountain again. I saw Chris pushing his bike up a steep hill and thought I could catch him but found myself walking the same hill. Hike A Bike! Little did I know it was all downhill to the finish from there but I ended up making another wrong turn and following the run course back to the finish line. . . Again, the course was marked clearly but I guess my body just wanted some extra credit. I think I surprised everyone when I rode through the finish backwards! I was stoked to finish and still grab 3rd for the podium.

gu explosion!

Sully takes the race and the series - Undefeated!

just made the podium

The BEST friend,supporter,teammate,wife

Monique rollin' it up

Until next time around....

Mountain Of Gold

Day after the last California Multisport race of the year and we are enjoying the Northern California coast... We headed out to Montana De Oro (Mountain of Gold) for some easy trails and beautiful views. Perfect recovery ride and the best time with Monique exploring the area. I'm so glad we decided to stay an extra day and take our time getting back... We rode some local trails and checked out the amazing coastline. The pictures just don't do it justice.

Monique, the coast & the "Moro Bay Rock" back in the fog

Wheres the surf?

I know...I have problems but I love that bike ;-)

After some shopping, eating and driving we met up with Chuck in Santa Barbara for an open water swim and some more food. Good thing we had our wetsuits with us because that water was COLD!!! It took us swimming the length of about two buoys to get numb enough to put our faces in the water. COLD. A quick swim and a long hidden sunset followed as we ate at a restaurant along the shore and watched the locals run about. Perfect ending to another day.

Getting Fast for S L O

I have never stuck to a training plan more than I have in the last few weeks... Consistency in my training, adding volume like never before and not falling into my "limiters" like racing too much or not stretching, not sleeping enough. The plan is really working its way around and I actually feel it...

The last time that I took a look at my training my biggest weakness was VOLUME. For the first time I have actually started ramping my volume on a consistent basis and I feel great!! Here is what the last few weeks looked like for me. AWESOME!!


Before the last California Multisport race Paul had asked me if I feel "fast"... Sure I said not knowing what that really meant at the time. I alway feel "fast" I guess but I had no idea. It was normal fast just like my normal training. I don't want to get ahead of myself but my training is ahead of the curve and my pace is way "better" than it has ever been in the three years that I have been training. Better by speed, better by quality, better by a new standard. I feel fast ;-)

Today I just got back from my first run over 14 miles since our Stinson Beach run last November... Volume in mileage and I still felt solid to push a good pace on the way back after a few thousand feet of climbing. Stoked that I am feeling strong, injury free and more motivated than ever.


Now it is time to start tuning down the volume and getting my focus on San Luis Obispo for the final California Multisport race of the year with a focus on getting fast for SLO

Google earth shots from the course - FOCUS ;-)

Looks like an incredible course and venue ahead. We have the weekend and Monday off to enjoy with some friends up there and I am so looking forward to it.