Los Angeles Half Marathon

This was a great race. The weather was perfect. My legs killed me by mile 12 and I am quit sure that the 3 hours on the computrainer yesterday with multiple grades of 10% - to 15% did not help.

Was not too unhappy with my time compared to Long Beach in October - I was only about 30 seconds slower and Long Beach was a totally flat course done after an 80 mile ride on the Saturday before. So conditions were similar.

The run was a loop and not too crowded, unlike Long Beach. Was around Bonelli Park and the views were nice. The run was hilly and flat - but not too much hill.

Bill, Piper, Bob and I did the race. It was an Inaugural Race so Piper HAD to be there even though he just done Ironman Cozumel 2 weeks ago!!

I would do this again. It was a good training day.

Miami Half Ironman

This was my 4th Half Ironman this year.

The weather was perfect except for the wind on the bike when it was not blowing in your favor! Which was most of the time!

This race was extremely well supported and very different from any other Half we have done because of the Zoo “flavor”

There were concerns about the temp in the lake being too warm for wetsuits. Got there on race day and they posted the lake temp as 77.9 - .1 degree away from being a no wet suit swim! Whew……..that was luck in my favor!

The swim was 2 loops, and once out of the water there was about a ¼ mile run to my rack which was the last rack before you went out of transition – that was nice!

My swim I thought would be around 48 minutes – my best ever – boy was I surprised when I came out in 54 minutes --- ugh!!!! What does that mean for me? More time in the cold pool at the Rose Bowl Sunday afternoons with Barry!

Because of the long run back to my bike, I had left a pair of running shoes by the swim exit to run back the ¼ mile to the bike. Oh... and they did have wet suit strippers!

My transition was s l o w, but got on the bike and started on the ride. My gluts were on fire! Was kicking during the swim more than I usually do because that is what we have been practicing in the “Sunday at the RB with Barry”. Guess I got MUCH more work to do to get those muscles ready for action!

The bike course was all flat – with wind – the tail wind was the BOMB! The cross wind was merely annoying and the headwind was 11 to 13 mph!

The bike went by fast...

Also, let me make a note on the weather, although there were winds there was also a cloud cover so it made for an ideal temp from the time we arrived in the morning at 5:45 through the race!

Then came the run – I think I was 2:43 or something equally horrifying! Needless to say I will be working on my swim and run in the off season. I have been doing a faster time since training with Mackel so I now need to get my endurance dialed in!

The highlights of the run were running through the zoo (twice). None of the animals were caged so you would be running and look up and there was an elephant or a monkey or a 300lb turtle - that was very cool!

The aid stations were extremely well stocked with Hammer gels, water, Gatorade, bananas and oranges and ICE! And they gave out great goodies:

In looking at this race - I ask myself what could I have done better with? Well, it is not like I know better, but there is this thing called recovery and going into a race well rested.

Yeah...don’t quite have that aspect of this sport down yet!

But all in all, this was a great race and I would definitely do it again. It is a good race to bring kids to because of the zoo factor.

This was a good race to end the year with. However, as I got on the plane after driving though the various road blocks set up for the 70.3 World Championship in Clearwater...I can not help but want to be here next year for the World Championship with SOME of YOU reading this report!

I placed 2nd in my age group in Miami Man!

Swim:54:14; T1 5:21; Bike 3:05:31; T2 4:00; Run 2:43:47
Overall Time 6:52:53.

Malibu Sprint Video

Here I am in transtiton from swim to bike! Enjoy!

Long Beach Half Marathon

This race was crowded.

I personally did good until about mile 8 - then it was kind of downhill from there.

Between the 75 miles on the bike the day before - waking up with sore legs - I did not expect anything out of this race except a training day. And it was a good tough training day! So, mission accomplished for me!

It was a great course if the crowds had been a bit less.

I too was in pot-o-potty limbo and got off a wave late - Bob got off 2 waves late and Bill was 3 waves back.

Had we been in the correct wave it might have been a little less of a climb over the sea of people.


11078 Lynda Neuman F 55-59
Half Marathon Start: Gun 6:59:45 Chip 7:08:04
Splits: 10 Km Finish O'All Sex Div
Times: 58:51 2:05:45 2809 986 16
Pace: 9:29 9:36

I would do this race again. However - I would be much more attentive to getting in the correct wave start!

Day 2 - Nautica Sprint Triathlon

Day 2 – The Sprint

Well, not sure what idiots felt they needed to talk loudly in the hall from 12:30 am to 2am.......but it put a bit of a dent in the sleep for the race day.

Despite the noise, when I got up I did not feel like I had raced the day before – a good sign!

Got down to the beach about the same time as the day before - but there were a massive amount of people – 1200 for the Olympic and over 3000 for the Sprint plus all the noise that comes along with the celebs – took some time to park.

Another PERFECT morning weather wise. Made our way through the masses and found Barry who was doing a relay. He got to go back into the ocean for day 2 of the waves.

I thought they might be a little calmer – in MY dreams!! They were worst than the day before – in fact – half the pro field missed the buoy and had to swim back so they could go around it.

My wave was one of the last, so I got to walk around and watch everyone including the pros start and come out of the water.

Gun went off – it seemed like it took forever to get out over the waves – they were high!

Got done with the swim – came into transition and there is Barry Spielberg Plaga with a camera – got to my area and there is still Barry Spielberg Plaga with the movie camera!!! Bar – if I look fat in any of those movie pictures – consider this your notice in writing that you do not have permission to publish!!!! I will kill you!!!

Moving along.....after being shouted to by Bar to get my wet suit off faster while being filmed – I was out of transition and on the bike – felt as good as I did the day before – not 1 person passed me in 18 miles – that was a first!

Off the bike and since I was at the far end of transition and it was a LONG area – I stepped aside and took off my bike shoes so I could run to my area.

Got my shoes and felt like I think Sue Owen feels like when she runs – at least she always looks relaxed and in good form! That's right – I do aspire to greater heights in my running- and in my universe – those greater heights have a name! Dr Owen!

Got on the run – did not feel like I had tired legs – or 'raced on the day before legs'. Was doing great. Had my metronome on both days – which really helped keep me focused and on my pace.

The last mile – Mackel appreared out of nowhere on his bike, in the parking lot shouting words of what I needed to be concentrating on! I was on a roll and having Steve ride in and out of the parking lots as I was coming down the home stretch was the best of all worlds!

Finished: Swim - 23:45 Bike - 57:21 Run - 36:57
Second in Age Group!

All in all, this was a great weekend! Why would you want to do 2 races in one weekend? Because you "think" you can. Why do I push myself to do weekends like this? Because I grew up in this sport under Rich Strauss. He taught me to survive when I did not think I could.

You never questioned Coach Rich - you just did what he said - I did not know any better. But he did not care what I thought I could do - or if I complained. He had no tolerance for "I can't".

Because of Strauss, I can do things I never thought possible. I sign up for things knowing that no matter what, I have no choice but to get to the end. He made me strong and he made me unreasonable.

I would never be where I am today with out him.

Day One – Nautica Olympic

Day One – Olympic
Perfect morning. Overcast – no wind, about 70 degrees at 5 am or at least it felt like that.

Barry and Bob arrived about 5 minutes after we did so we were all able to walk in together – ah the magic of finding each other in the dark!

Transition was easy and we saw a bunch of other PTCers (Pasadena Tri Club) which was way cool. Transition closed at 6:30AM sharp and they are pretty definite about the area being closed. The national anthem was sung by our own fellow PTCer Kristin - what a voice ! That was a treat to start off the race.

The waves last year were a non-issue. This year they were not that at all! In fact the waves going out were big and the swim was rough once you out there.

As an aside---I had an ocean swim in Manhattan Beach the week before that was so bad I had to have a surfer help me in – it was not a good day for me – followed by an equally disastrous 2 hour run.. The swim did raise my level of confront and ability to deal with the ocean to new heights however – so when I saw the waves in Malibu – it really did not even phase me – that was nice!

Got done with the swim – into transition - got on the bike and I felt like I was on fire. I have never been in a race where I felt that strong and ready to roll. The bike was a lot of passing people and moving on down the line!

Off the bike and onto the run. My legs did not hurt or need any time to adjust to getting on the run. The 6 miles just moved along.

I will have to say that I have been training with Steve Mackel once a week for about 4 months – what a difference that has made for me. I have never got off my bike and just rolled through a 6 mi run and ended up with a 9:14 pace – just does not happen! THANKS Steve!!!!!!

Time – 3:00:57 Swim - 38:38 Bike - 1:18:14 Run - 57:05
Second in Age Group!

Piper and I meet up – went back to the hotel – trying to have a total rest day for the remainder of the day............went to dinner – at 3:45 at a great Italian Restaurant across the street – we drove the car across the street – hey – we were trying to rest!! Got up from dinner after 2 hours and could barely walk out of the restaurant. The waiters knew we were racing the next day and had some concerns about our fitness...........silly men!!!

They had also had people in the restaurant from all over, including Australia for the race – they asked where we were from..............they were not too impressed when we said – Glendale California!!!

Nautica Malibu Triathlons

Last year David Piper, Sue Owen and I did Heartbreak Ridge Half Marathon and the next day we did the Malibu Sprint Triathlon. That was challenging.

Somewhere after that – in a moment of great ideas, someone came up with the idea of – why not do the Malibu races back to back? Seemed reasonable. I like the Nautica Races - they are very well supported and set up. Check it out: Nautica Malibu Triathlon

So this year, Piper and I registered for both – booked a hotel in Calabassas so we could get a good night sleep Friday and Sat and not have to drive far to the race in the morning.

Individual Race Reports coming - very soon!