Cranberry Olympic Report & WC Preview

Somehow summer is nearly over, and that means school is about to start up once again. As a teacher, I love my summer vacation, but I do look forward to going back to another year with new students, which always brings new challenges to conquer.

As summer has come to an end, I did one final race before school begins. Back in 2010, my first year doing triathlons, I raced my first Olympic distance race, the Cranberry Olympic. This year this race was the New England Club Championships, and I decided to do it along with many Northeast Multisport teammates. In 2010 I finished the race in 2:19 and couldn't comprehend how anyone could go faster than that. My splits were somewhere around 26, 1:07 and 43 plus transition times.

Going into this race I was prioritizing training for the 70.3 WC three weeks later, so I essentially did regular training through Thursday, then some easier stuff on Friday and Saturday. I was hoping to go under 2:05, which would be an Olympic PR. I have really only done a handful of Olympic races over the years, so my 2:09 PR was pretty 'soft.'

I arrived at the race a bit before 5:30 and had plenty of time to set up transition, get in a warmup run, and then get into the water for a few hundred yards before the start. I was racing in the Elite wave, partially due to having open roads on the bike, but also having hopes of making the overall podium.

I knew I'd be well back out of the water, and with a few former college swimmers I was down 4-5 minutes on the top few guys, including Michael Emmons. My friend Colin Cook was racing in M35-39, but I knew he would probably end up a few minutes faster than me. Robert Hollinger was also racing, and he has been first amateur at several 70.3 races. I was hoping I could beat Michael and take 3rd.

In the end, a guy 13 years younger than me ended up running nearly 35 flat in the run to sneak ahead of me on the overall podium by 5 seconds. It was probably a good thing though, because it meant I could head home much earlier than sticking around for awards.

Overall, I'd say my swim was what I expected (course was only .8 miles), bike was solid, and run was pretty good. I was only around 5 sec/mile slower on the run than in sprints earlier in the season, so I'll take it. At 2:02 the time was a nice PR. The bike course is 26.2 miles, so it makes up for the short swim.

Looking forward, I have just under two weeks until the 70.3 World Champs in Chattanooga. I have no expectations of coming close to the front of the field, but I still hope to have a solid race. The swim is in a river, and a portion is against the current. The swim waves are roughly every ten minutes with a rolling start for each AG, which is a different approach. It will be non-wetsuit, so I'd think a time in the 33-35 min range, while not fast, would be what I expect. The bike has a good climb in the early miles, than is pretty fast for the remainder. Best Bike Split has me somewhere around 2:18-2:19 for the ride. I'm hoping to have a better run than at Eagleman - close to 1:30 would be solid considering my run fitness, the heat & humidity, and the hilly course.

In terms of training, I've been pretty consistent since Eagleman in early June. Other than two days directly after the race, I've only taken one day off, and that was due to a long travel day to California for a wedding in late July. I've been able to get in long rides most weeks in the 2:30-3:15 range and long runs of around 13-17 miles each week. I'm looking forward to putting it all out there on race day!

Always On The Go! (well, almost)

This summer has so far been a real whirlwind. We have spent more time away from home, but things are starting to settle down before the start of the school year. Here's a breakdown of where we've gone since our trip to Nova Scotia:
- Three nights near Tanglewood in the Berkshires
- Trip to Nantucket for triathlon & visit with the parents
- Long weekend in NH to visit Storyland with friends
- Three day trip to Truckee, California for a wedding
- Four nights in Southwest Harbor, ME

One thing I've gotten very good at is packing up our car! Traveling is nice, but it's also really nice to be able to sleep in your own bed. With all of the travel, trying to fit in training has been a little tricky, but I've been able to get it done for the most part.

In Mid July we headed to Nantucket to visit the folks and for me to do the Nantucket Triathlon. I think this was my fifth time racing on home soil, and I was hoping to better my 3rd OA position from last year. Knowing that Beau Garufi was racing meant I was going for 2nd place. He's a former D1 swimmer, and there's no getting around that!

The weather wasn't exactly ideal - there was a bit of wind (headwind on the 2nd half of bike) and quite a lot of rain. The rain definitely slowed things down on the bike course. My power was pretty comparable to last year - around 315-320 watts - but my time was a minute slower due to taking things more carefully with slick roads. Coming off the bike I was about three minutes behind Beau, and knew there was no way of catching him. I was pretty much in no-man's-land, and tried to get the legs turning over. It was to no avail, as I haven't done that much running faster than 6:00 pace, with the focus on the 70.3 distance. I was able to average around a 6:15 pace, and it was good enough for another 3rd OA at the end of the day. One good take away was having quick transitions compared to the other top folks.

Consistent pacing on the bike - damn wind and rain!

Pretty even splits on the run.

OA Podium

Clean setup on the bike. 

At the end of July we headed west for a wedding in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Our college friend Tom was getting married in Truckee, and we were bravely taking along 'little one,' AKA Hannah. This was actually her fourth plane trip, but the longest one thus far. Overall, she did OK on the plane, but I did end up walking a lot with her in the aisles! The return flight was a red-eye on which she slept maybe 2/3 of the time. We, on the other hand, got very little sleep. I just can't seem to get comfortable in a seated position on a plane.

The wedding was great, although we were a bit thrown for a loop when we found out that the dress code was 'mountain formal.' WTF is that???? Ties were discouraged, and Katie attempted to dress me well for the event. It was awesome to see so many college friends. It seems that the only time we see many of these friends is at weddings, but those are getting fewer and fewer.

I got in a nice 14 mile run the morning after the wedding, going around Donner Lake twice. The altitude definitely impacted things, and my pace & HR were definitely off of 'normal' a bit. On Sunday we drove back to SF, but the traffic was pretty horrendous! It took well over five hours to get into the city, and we managed to have a short visit with my sister-in-law, before getting to the airport.

A few days after getting home we were again off! This time there was no plane involved, but a rather long drive to Mount Desert Isle, ME. Along the way we stopped off at Bates, where Katie and I both went to college. It had been five years since we'd been back, and quite a few new buildings had popped up during our hiatus. It was the first time on campus for both Jackson and Hannah. It was a good 'break up' spot, as Hannah wouldn't have survived the five hours straight in the car. Bates is almost the halfway point, so it worked out well. One thing that we wanted to do was get out to see the new boathouse for the crew team, but that will have to wait until our next visit. 

We were able to get in a short hike, and Jackson found a great place to throw stones in the water, one of his favorite activities! The weather was cooler than in the Boston area, which is always a nice change. 

I got in a few rides while were there. I always love getting out early, and my rides were pretty free of vehicles. I've found that I like doing bike intervals on Sergeant Drive and longer rides going into the park on the Park Loop Road. I also got in a swim at Echo Lake, and there was a nesting loon right near the beach where I began my swim.

Right after getting home from Maine we went into Boston for our first 'Sox game of the year. It was a great game and Jackson had a fun time, although waiting in line for 40 minutes to get a balloon 'Wally' wasn't so awesome.

The next few weeks before school begins include an Olympic race on August 20th and another visit to Nantucket to visit my parents for a few nights. I'm then headed to Tennessee for the 70.3 WC on September 8th. Fitness isn't what it was last summer, but I still hope to put together a decent showing.

Going Back Home

This is the view from the deck of my parents house looking out over Margaree Harbour (Canadian spelling) in Cape Breton. My Dad bought this 30 acre farm there in 1970 after staying in the house, which was a bed and breakfast at the time, and offering to buy it because of the amazing location. I was born in Sydney, which is a two hour drive away, and my parents lived in this house year-round for eleven years, my Dad painting and my Mom weaving and making textiles. They were a part of the hippie generation, partially getting away from the Vietnam War, and going back to the land. They had cows, sheep, chickens, and a huge garden. I spent every summer here as a kid, and have so many fond memories of the place. My Dad taught me how to fly fish for salmon here, and we could often see the salmon jumping in the harbour on their way up the river. My summer days were spent outside from sunrise to sunset, which is nearly 10 pm with the time change, playing with other kids. We had no TV and didn't need it! We built forts in the woods, created our own games, and I had an amazing summer childhood.

It had been five years since we'd been back to Margaree. My brother got married here in 2012 and we hadn't planned on taking so long to get back. My Mom has been back every summer, but my Dad hasn't made it since the summer of 2013. Needless to say, it was a very sentimental trip, and it was sad to leave. However, the house had a few drawbacks (well, really a lot!). The house is 100 years old this year, is full of lead paint, has only one bathroom, and two sets of rickety stairs. Having a 9-month old who wants to crawl everywhere meant Katie or I had to be super vigilant at all times. We tried to get out of the house to do some things, but there isn't a ton to do in the direct vicinity that is of interest to 4 year old Jackson.

Backing up a bit, after the Eagleman race in Maryland I had to go back to school for one more day. A few days later we headed to Nantucket for Father's Day weekend. It was nice to see my Mom, Dad and Grandmother. I got in a longer ride and run there, but the run legs weren't quite back yet.

Two days after getting home we were off for four nights in Stowe, Vermont, staying at a time share that Katie's parents have at the Trapp Family Lodge. During our stay, Katie had her birthday. I gave her a new pair of trail running shoes, and Hannah really liked the box (and Cliff Bloks too). We managed to get out and play a little mini golf. Jackson had a hard time following the rules and just wanted to whack the ball as hard as possible!

I hoped to do more riding in Stowe, but the weather didn't cooperate, and I only got in one ride. I went from the Stowe side up and over Smuggler's Notch. I didn't exactly have the proper gearing on my tri bike (53/39 w/an 11-25 cassette). It was still a fun ride and had some nice views on the climb.

Katie and I were able to get out on some rented mountain bikes for two hours one afternoon. It was a great ride and the weather was perfect. We managed to get lost a few times on the trails around the Trapp Family Lodge, but eventually found our way back. The ride makes me want to get a mountain bike and explore some of the local trails around our home. The time share had two pools, a 20-yard indoor one and a 25-yard outdoor one. I swam each morning and got in a bit over 10k yards while there. 

We returned from Vermont on Friday and on Sunday I did a local sprint race. I really hadn't done much specific training in between Eagleman and this race, and didn't know quite what to expect. I had registered in the Elite Wave, which had eight folks in it. The RD made the decision to start the elite racers in the 3rd wave, trying to spread things out. This made for a very tricky bike ride, as there were tons of folks who had no f-ing clue what they were doing. I know I'd probably be last out of the water from the elites, and that was the case. I had hoped to be no more than a minute down, but it was a bit more than that.

Before the race I debated with myself which shoes to wear - the modified Giro ACC's or my Shimano TR9's. I knew the TR9's were much easier to get into, but the Giro's were more aero. I chose to go with the Giro ACC, but was never able to get my left foot in. I ended up spending the first two miles trying to get my foot in, then decided to f-it and rode the remainder of the bike course with my foot on the shoe. I probably wasted close to a minute of riding time (coasting) trying to get the shoe on. Hindsight is 20-20, but the TR9's would have been a better choice. I've since adjusted the lacing on the ACC's so they are easier to get into.

As I said before, being started in the 3rd wave, and with the 1st wave comprised of complete newbies, the ride was quite harrowing. It was only a 12.5 mile ride, but I probably screamed 'on your left' 50 or more times. How hard is it to ride on the right???? Anyway.....rant over. I had hoped to be around 320 watts for the bike leg, but only averaging 250 for the first two miles led to an AP of 302 and a NP of 317. The last 10 miles were right around 320 watts and 27 mph. 

Coming off the bike and into transition, I could just see the bright green helmet of one of the other elite racers at our racks. He ended up having a sprint to finish 2nd OA. I was really in no-mans land, being nearly a minute behind the other elite racers in front of me. I had hoped to run around a 6:00 pace, but ended up at 6:11 for the race, and finished 5th overall out of a bit over 800 racers. It was a fun race, but I wish I had executed the bike a bit better and had a stronger run. The swim is what is holding me back a bit, but I'd really need a strong focus, and with two little ones that isn't going to happen. What usually seems to happen is that my swim comes around during the season - last year I ended up with a 31 flat swim at Pumpkinman. Hopefully this will happen again this year.

After driving home from the race we had a few more days at our house before heading off to Cape Breton for the week. My Mom arrived on Tuesday, and on Wednesday morning we got up early to drive to Logan Airport. The flight to Halifax is relatively short, at just over an hour. Once there, we got a rental car - well van actually. It was a pimped out Chrysler Pacifica with dual rear screens and tons of techno gizmos. Jackson wanted to 'watch something,' as he puts it, but the screens didn't get used. After a four hour ride, we finally made it to our family house around 4 PM. I won't bore with too many more details about our time in Cape Breton, but will add captions to a few pics.

I managed to get to the beach twice to try to swim. Both days were windy and wavy and the troops (Katie, Jackson, and Hannah) weren't all that happy. I ended up with only 600 or so yards or body surfing and floundering in the surf. 

On July 1st, Canada Day, we visited some friends of my parents. We managed to find a few Canadian themed objects for a Canada Day selfie. 

Our barn, which is in relatively good condition, once housed many animals. My brother is going to spend around five weeks here this summer trying to restore my Dad's 30 foot schooner, which is in the barn (part sticking out).

We went on a nearly 6 mile hike in the Cape Breton Highlands National Park. In the past we've seen lots of moose, but all we saw was their crap! Jackson was a pretty good trooper, but I ended up carrying him on my shoulders for nearly half the time. I managed to get in 77 miles of hilly running during our week, including a nice 18.5 mile loop up and down the Margaree River.

We had a mini get away during our vacation, driving a bit over two hours to Louisbourg, and staying in a hotel nearby. Louisbourg is a French fort that was taken twice by the British (then retaken by the French) in the years leading to the American Revolution. It has been restored and has period actors. Jackson really liked all of the cannons around the fort but wasn't so sure about the soldiers.

Hannah didn't actually have her on airplane seat on the way home, but she liked it!

This is the summer of being on the go. In two more days we are headed to the Berkshire's for four nights, and then we'll be going back to Nantucket in a week to visit the folks and race in the Nantucket Triathlon. I finished 3rd OA last year, and hope to better that placing this year. After that we have a bit of time at home before going to California at the end of the month for a wedding. Somehow I hope to get in 12-15 hours of training a week to be in decent shape for races in August and September.

Eagleman 70.3 Report and Thoughts

My primary goal heading into Eagleman was to secure a spot to the World Champs in Chattanooga in September, and I was able to meet that goal. However, my run seemed to let me down and I ran much slower than what I though would be my 'worst case scenario.' I knew my fitness wasn't quite as good for this race as it was at the end of last summer, but I felt with a decent run I'd be able to get close to the low 4:20's mark. Here are my splits, courtesy of sportstats.ca, the timing company for IM. They do an infinitely better job of updating splits during races than the ironman website!!

I began with what I feel was a pretty good swim considering how little swimming I did since last season. For a majority of the months from September - February I swam once a week. In March and April I tried to add in a second swim on some weeks, and by mid May I was able to get into Walden Pond to do a few open water swims prior to race day. The swim ended up with a time of just over 34 minutes, three minutes slower than my 70.3 swim PR, but about what I expected. I feel like I sighted well and swam the buoy line, and I'm not sure of the accuracy of the 2400 yds my Garmin (in swim cap) gave me. The new Zoot Wikiwiki felt great as well! Regardless, I was out of the water and ready to hammer on the bike.

The run into transition was maybe 200 yards, and I took advantage of the strippers. My only regret is that I had no tip for their fine service! Into T2 and I put on my helmet, stashed my flat kit in my rear pocket, and was off. I was hoping for a bit quicker transition, but looking at others in the AG, it wasn't that slow.

Based on training, I felt that targeting the low 270's for watts was the goal, but I wanted to ease into it a bit, knowing my HR is always high for the first 10-15 miles of the bike. After getting out of town I began to settle into my watts, trying to hold the best position possible, and passing tons of folks in the process. As can be seen below, I was pretty consistent in terms of speed and wattage range.

Somewhere just before the 34 mile mark I managed to drop my concentrated bottle of Infinit as I was taking it out of the cage. Being my only nutrition, I quickly stopped to retrieve it. In the process of restarting I rushed and managed to drop my chain. This whole fiasco, which seemed to take about an hour, only cost me a minute or so. However, I knew I had been on pace for a ride of right around 2:10. As you can see below, I had a peak power of a bit over 550 watts in trying to get back up to speed. I knew it was unwise to try getting that wasted time back, so I again settled into my wattage range and cruised by many folks.

I've heard that Eagleman is a flat race, and the profile below the map does it justice. There were a handful of virtually flat bridges scattered throughout the Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge that accounted for about 100 total feet of elevation. For the most part, the road surface was good, but there were definitely some bumpy sections that killed the speed. Any road hazards were clearly marked with spray paint, which was great!

In terms of gear for race day, I feel like I'm always trying to add a thing or two each season to get a better position. Last year I added in the new Giro helmet, and this year I added in the Giro shoes with elastic laces. The pics below are poor screen shots, but I feel I've got a pretty decent position. I really tried to shrug the shoulders and tuck the arms in right against my water bottle. After loosing some nutrition via my rear bottle holder I went to a X-Lab Gorilla that is zip-tied in, and it worked great. The new Team Zoot kit was great. I'm not all that psyched about the fit of the two-piece suit I have, especially the top in regards to wrinkles and a bit low neckline that sometimes grabs air. However, I was able to have the fastest amateur bike split on lower than goal wattage. On the back end of the course there were some sections where I was fighting a head wind and really trying to get as narrow as possible to maximize my watts.

Coming into T2 I knew I wasn't going to go under 2:10, which was a bit frustrating. The last little bit of the race is a slight downhill into T2. I came in at my 'normal' speed, taking my right foot over the saddle and planning on running with the bike, my left foot hitting the ground first. However, this didn't exactly happen correctly. My best guess is that when my left foot hit the ground it was a bit behind my center of gravity, because I did a complete somersault, managing to not hit my head, and having my bike mimic my acrobatics. A bit scraped up, but not injured, I quickly jumped up, grabbed my bike and a shoe that had popped off, and ran into transition. This fiasco, coupled with my bottle drop definitely hurt my chances of a sub 2:10 ride, but I knew I was still in a good position. 

Unaware, I was actually 1st in my AG after the bike coming into T2, having been 41st after the swim. I had decided to throw on a running singlet and run with a nutrition belt. The belt has two small bottles, one of which had three gels, and the other had eight salt taps dissolved in water. I actually felt pretty good heading out on the run, but made a very concerted effort to take it easy and target a pace in the 7:00-7:10 range and a HR under 160. I ran 1:29 at Florida 70.3 last spring - it only got to around 80 that day, but it was a hilly course. The forecast for Eagleman was to get into the low 90's. However, I feel the real difference was that the run at Eagleman is nearly all exposed and the radiant heat coming off the pavement makes it feel much hotter. 

I made it to around mile three with a HR of just under 160, and was still feeling good. However, somewhere between there and mile five I began to 'feel' the heat. It is a bit hard to explain the feeling, but my pace began to drop and my HR began to rise. The effort got more intense, and I made a point to take the aid stations slow and take in lots of fluids. I was in the 2nd wave of my AG, and around the 5-6 mile mark I was passed by someone from the wave that was 4 minutes in front of me. As the miles ticked by slower and slower there seemed to be nothing I could do to even try to maintain the pace of the previous mile. I was passed by another two fellow AG-ers, but could only watch them run away from me. Talking to others after the race who were from New England or other colder areas, it was agreed that training for the heat is damn hard if you don't have consistent heat to train in! Seems like a no-brainer, but without heat to train in, I melted. The 70.3 WC in Tennessee should be warm in September, but I will make a point of getting in lots of training during hot and humid conditions over the summer.

Nearing the finish, trying to speed up to 7:30 pace felt like closer to 5:00 pace. Finally crossing the finish line, I still felt like I probably had a WC slot, but with the two waves for the AG it was unknown. I found some shade and chatted for a while with other racers. I had a chance to talk with Eric Wheeler about his race. I also got a chance to meet Mike Gadzinski, and guy who's owned Eagleman, and who has inspired me to get faster in the sport. 

Eventually, we were allowed back into transition. I was able to grab my phone and see that I'd come 4th in the M35-39 AG. Not what I was looking for, but I probably didn't have a shot at 1st in the AG. Without the bike mishaps, slightly quicker transitions, and a run that was 4-5 min faster I could have been 2nd. However, hindsight is always great to speculate about, but I'm not Hermione Granger with a time turner (Harry Potter reference), so it ain't happening!

Looking forward, the school year is done today! We have quite a bit of traveling planned, including time in Stowe, VT, a week long trip to Cape Breton, visiting the folks on Nantucket, and a wedding at the end of July near Lake Tahoe in Trukee, CA. Sprinkled in there are two sprint races and an Olympic. I hope that training can be consistent and that I have a strong showing at the WC in Chattanooga. My goal for that race is to be pleased with my effort and execute against a strong field of racers. 

Eagleman Approacheth

I'm now 11 days out from Eagleman, which has been the focus of my training over the past five months. Starting in January, I slowly built the monthly volume from 40 hours to 66 hours. The basic structure of my training stayed very consistent, but I simply increased the duration and intensity of key workouts. I haven't taken a full day off since February - I've found that I do better with active recovery instead of complete rest. 

My basic week has gone as follows:

Monday - recovery run of 7-9 miles

Tuesday - 70.3 focus bike - lots of 80-85% work (1-1.5 hrs) & occasionally a swim

Wednesday - intervals on treadmill or at track (9-12 miles total) & easy bike in May

Thursday - soul crushing intervals on the bike at FTP or higher (1-2 hrs), swim

Friday - easy bike and run

Saturday - long bike w/lots of 70.3 focus (2-3.25 hrs), short run

Sunday - easy swim, long run (12-17 miles)

Heading into Eagleman, I feel like my fitness is good, but not quite where it was in the middle of last summer. However, if I have a good day I feel that a 70.3 PR could happen, which would mean going under 4:21.

I have a series of goals for the race, which are ranked in order of priority.

1) Qualify for the 70.3 WC - this should have happened at Timberman last summer, but a flat ruined that chance - I'll probably need to place in the top 6-7 in my AG based on 75 slots

2) Set a 70.3 PR - this is doable if I have a decent swim and execute a solid run in the heat - the bike should set me up well for doing this

3) Win my AG - this is of course highly dependent on the competition within the AG, but it's been a goal of mine for a while to accomplish this

I've picked up a few 'toys' for the season, chief among them a new pair of shoes. Taking ideas from Thomas Gerlach and others, I modified a pair of Giro shoes to hopefully be a bit more aero and save a bit of time on the bike. I also recently got a Garmin 735XT, which I really like. My first run was a track workout, which can be seen below. Switching between sports is much easier than on my old 910XT, and the size and feel of the watch is much better than the 910. It won't save me any time, but it's less clunky than previous watches I've worn (305, 310, and 910). 

Having a second child has been awesome, but with minimal training for most of the fall, my weight had crept up to close to 180 - YIKES! Starting in February, I made it a goal to eat healthier and focus on quality caloric intake. Over three months I was able to drop around 10 pounds, and I hope to be around 166-167 on race day for Eagleman. Weight was measured at roughly the same time prior to morning workouts.

Another new 'toy' that I acquired was a wetsuit. I actually was growing to like my Roka Maverick Elite that I used last season, but, without meaning too, I found a new Zoot Wikiwiki for 75% off the sticker price. I couldn't not buy it at that price, so I now have a sweet suit to go along with my Team Zoot kit. I've gotten in three OWS in it thus far, and feel like there will be a growth period with the suit. I love the shoulder flexibility, and have been messing with the neck closure to minimize water getting in the suit and minimize chafing on the neck. 

In getting ready for Eagleman I've done a bit of heat/humidity work. Using our basement bathroom with the shower on I've done some rides at HIM effort using HR as my guide. It's amazing how not using fans and upping the heat/humidity causes the body to heat up and power drops dramatically. Below are two screen shots from rides during the same week. Both have the same HR, but power is a bit different. I've seen around a 20% power reduction without using fans and in the bathroom - this is around 70-80 watts!

Below is my final block of training heading into Eagleman. Nearly all of the workouts were done in the early AM hours - swimming being the exception. That is really the only way I can get the workouts in with two little ones! Sleep has obviously taken a hit by getting up so early to fit things in. I also spend time with Katie once the little ones are in bed. That means that when I get seven hours of sleep it's a miracle. Most nights are closer to six hours. Definitely not ideal, but I feel like I'm getting decent recovery. 

A recent workout I did makes me feel good about having a strong bike ride at Eagleman. The main set was 6x (6' @ FTP with 1' recovery around 60%). While hard, it felt doable and it may be a workout I extend to 8x over the summer. My goal time for a bike split at Eagleman is close to 2:10. 

We recently visited my folks, who live on Nantucket. My Dad isn't doing very well, and is pretty much bed-ridden, so it can be a bit depressing at times. He has a combination of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, which means maneuvering and memory are shot. At times he can provide a bit of comic relief with the random things he says. It was nice to see my grandmother who also lives there. She is going to be 99 in October, and Hannah just turned eight months old. Quite a range of ages! 

I hope that my next post will be a positive report about executing a good race at Eagleman!