I'm half war through my four weekend in a row event schedule. First it was Bay To Breakers. You can check out my blog on that if you like. This past weekend Miss Adrienne and I did the 12K version of the Armed Forces Half Marathon. Our goal was 1:30 and we came in at 1:27. We had the opportunity to be bused into the Concord Navel Weapons Base. The run wound it way through the paved part of the base and we were warned at the start wondering off the path was a Federal offense, we didn't. From there it let out onto one of the main roads leading into downtown Concord. The run started at 7 A.M. and we were blessed with perfect temps. for a run. This was the first year of the 12K so it wasn't overly crowded. There was 2 water stations which was enough but I would recommend one more if possible next year. That being said I do plan on doing it again next year since its in my backyard. I couldn't think of a better way to spend Sunday morning of Memorial Day weekend than running in an event staged by the military. The participation medal (I chuckle every time I say that) was  Coast Guard themed with a ship on the medal and Coast Guard Colors adorning the strap. As I join the 21st century I will soon be able to post pictures. As I mentioned in the first sentence of this blog I am 2 of 4. This weekend is the Herbalife 24 Las Angeles Triathlon, the West Coast Regional for USA Triathlon. I'll blog on that next week. Then off to San Francisco for the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. I do my best to enjoy the process, but honestly my mind wants to wander past the swim leg of Alcatraz. I'm not afraid but just I believe naturally apprehensive. As for this week a little swim off Venice beach and bike through Downtown and a run from L.A. Live to USC, 2 laps. I'll let you know how it went next week, Shawn

So, this last Sunday I ran in the Bay to Breakers in San Francisco. As described, it is a 12k run from the Embarcadero at the base of the bay bridge to the North Beach part of Ocean Beach. I ran with my regular running partner my Cuz Jodi and newcomer to my circle but not to running Miss Adrian.  The night before the event was storming and the weather reports were calling for thunderstorms around the time of the run. Both running partners were still in. As usual the anticipation kept me up and I only got 4 ½ of sleep. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. before my 5:00 alarm. We got to BART on time for the first train at 6:15. On Bart both ladies were not happy about the forecast and I assured them it was not going to rain. We got to the City and headed to our corral (D) out of A-H the 11-12 min mile pace. Our goal was 2 hours. That included the bonus 3k along the beach for a total of 15k. As per tradition the tortilla shells were flying through the air, but I only got nailed on the back of the neck with a wet slimy tortilla once. As promised by me it was not raining and by the start of the run and for the remainder of the run the Sun graced us with its presence. Again as per tradition the was plenty of alcohol ( again I have been sober 2 years) but that did not bother me although I was intent on finishing before them. According to my running mates they counted 26 naked men and I counted 2 naked women. The run itself was beautiful, through the City and Golden gate park. We finished at 2:00:06 but that counted the time we stopped at the extra distance turn around to offload rain clothes to Adrian’s husband Tim. It was a great run and I broke personal best thresholds for best 1k,5k and 10k. The event was well organized and put on, I’m sure challenging to accommodate 40 runners. If your looking for a fun destination run or are local I recommend adding this one to the must do once list. Happy Trails, Shawn

I was reading the top 10 list of questions people have about Triathlon so I thought I would answer a few. First I must establish context, the answers I am about to give are for age groupers and weekend warriors of which I am one. This advice is not for Pro, Elite, are those determined to win their age group. #1. do you need a wetsuit? Use of a wetsuit is optional in all events and not allowed if ruled by the race referee according to water temperature. I recommend if allowed in your event you take advantage and use one as it helps with buoyancy and warm is better than cold. My last try the water was 67 degrees so I went with a sleeveless that improves range of motion and opens up breathing a little bit. #2. Do you need a special bike for Triathlon? I have a Tri bike better known as TT bikes for Time Trial as they are very aerodynamic and built for speed. Do to that and rider position T.T. bikes are less stable and frowned upon on group rides. I have both and used my T.T. Bike in my last Tri and will the rest of the year except for Escape From Alcatraz which is a hillier more technical coarse so I will be using my road bike. For occasional tri studs I just recommend a good road bike as you will probally get more bang for your buck. Draft legal Triathlon is gaining popularity and T.T. bikes are not allowed, just road bikes. #3. Combing 2 questions, do you need a tri suit and do you change clothes? It is best to wear something under your wetsuit. A tri specialized suit is good because you can wear it  under your wetsuit and straight through the bike and run. Otherwise I have worn a speedo or speedo shorts and after the swim either put on bike pants or shorts which include a padded chamois or just wear the speedo the whole way and risk a little groin chafing. This is the point where you determine how bad you want it and are you really going to improve your finish adding a layer or 2? Then preferably a zip up jersey as pulling a jersey on a wet body is difficult.#4. Do you wear socks? I can tell you my last event I didn't and ended up with open wounds on my heels. But I did take 40 min. off my time from last year, LOL. It is hard however again to put socks on wet feet. I hope this answers a few questions let me know if you have any more. Shawn