When six of us made the decision last October to do Vineman we thought that we had set out on a journey that would ultimately conclude at some finish line in Santa Rosa, California. What we learned was that this experience was much more than that. It really was about cultivating friendships, and becoming skilled at balancing work, training and family. Vineman was a spectacular journey…about new found friends and enriched friendships, the support of our fellow runners and triathletes and the understanding of our families. The six of us loved every minute of this adventure. Here is our story…

THE BIG DECISION I sat down to lunch at Remy's with my two training partners last October to select our first 1/2 Ironman race. It is important to point out that we were looking for a destination race, an event that we could make into a vacation. Given that parameter, we quickly eliminated Muncie, Indiana and set our sights on the Vineman 1/2 in Santa Rosa California. A trip to the California wine country in August would provide us with all the motivation we would require to get through the 2005 season and would give us a venue that could also be enjoyed by our spouses.		"The Boys Decide Vineman 2005"
Once our decision to race Vineman was made we began recruiting other participants. We immediately found three members of our Saturday morning running group that were up for the challenge. A team competition soon formed pitting the three of us against the three of them in a Mano A Mano showdown. I suddenly found myself training with five Type A, compulsive athletes that were all determined to complete their first half ironman. Much hard training and good-natured trash talking ensued. I was in heaven.		"St. Louis Training Team Logo"

TRAVEL TO SAN FRANCISCO Let me start my actual race report by saying that Vineman presents many logistical challenges. The main bike shop, NorCal, requests that bikes be shipped to them two weeks prior to the race to ensure that they are put together by race day. Add in that UPS wants an entire week to get your bike from St. Louis to California and you are looking at three weeks leading up to the race without a bike. We made the decision to bring our bikes with us, which, led to even more logistical problems. Hindsight is a perfect science and I can tell you that I will ship my bike via UPS for my next out of town race and utilize a few spinning classes to bridge the training gaps. The constant breaking down and putting together of the bike proved too time consuming for a "vacation."		"Bike Disassembly @ Big Shark"

The race is one hour and fifteen minutes north of San Francisco in Santa Rosa. Our group of six racers and three spouses utilized three different airlines and two different airports to get all of us into the Bay Area on the Friday before the race. Those that flew into SFO were rewarded with the experience of meeting Tim and Nicole DeBoom at the National Rent A Car check out counter. This was our first indication that we had entered into a "Big Time" race. With all due respect to the local triathlon scene, I have not encountered Tim or Nicole at the RecPlex and or the South County Y sprints. We chatted for a few minutes with our triathlon idols and then were off to check out the City By The Bay.		"Strass, Tim De Boom & Tommy"
Despite the various travel itineraries employed by our group, everyone made it on time and was able to rendezvous at Ghirardelli Square for a quick lunch before heading north. There is something very special about San Francisco. The City by the Bay provides spectacular scenery and you truly feel lucky to be in this part of California. We walked around the wharf and marveled at how difficult the Escape From Alcatraz triathlon must be. The brutal description of the 1.5 mile swim employed in Peter Sauer's race report seemed all too real as we gazed out at THE ROCK. Luckily we were here for Vineman. We scooted across the fabulous Golden Gate Bridge and headed up to Santa Rosa.		"The Rock"

SANTA ROSA We checked into the Hyatt Vineyard Inn (the official race hotel) and began the process of unpacking and assembling our bikes. It was immediately apparent that we were in a different world. We weren't in Kansas anymore. The athletes that were checking in came to play. Their bikes were more expensive then the cars that they were being unloaded from. It was like I had stepped out of a page of Inside Triathlon. If you did not have an Ironman Finisher shirt then you were in the minority. I have read about fabulous races like Wildflower, Ralph's, Timberman and Kona and these people had actually done them - they all sported the tee shirts to prove it. Most importantly, every athlete (both male and female) had shaved his or her legs - this was standard operating procedure at this level. We chatted with Nicole DeBoom about her new clothing line, got something to eat and then retired for the night. Saturday was going to be jammed packed with pre-race activities.		"The Boys & Nicole DeBoom"
First thing Saturday morning we hopped on our bikes and rode them to the bike shop for a quick inspection. It was then off to the Russian River to check out the swim course. The river was located about 30 minutes away. Friends of ours that had completed Ironman Wisconsin last year recommended doing a quick swim the day before just to calm your nerves. We headed their advice and jumped in the river to get a sense of the water. With a short swim under our belts and our confidence flying high we drove back to the hotel and went through packet pick up. It is worth noting that we bagged driving the bike route since we were short on time.		"Beth, Bob & Lynn Get Wet In The Russian River"

Vineman sports two different transition areas. Therefore, it was necessary for us to pack a bag full of our run gear, which we had to drive out to deposit at T2, which was located at a high school a half hour away. I triple checked my bag before heading out to T2. This is the stuff that anxiety dreams are made of - not having your shoes during a race. I have had that dream before but was determined for it not to become a reality.		"Bag Drop @ Windsor High School"
After dropping our bags in a field we paced back and forth committing to memory where we left our stuff. Another anxiety dream - not finding your gear in the transition area - loomed in the back of my mind. Exhausted from the day's events, we headed back to the Hilton for some carbo-loading and relaxation. I don't know if it was due to the fact that we swam earlier in the day or because I was entered into a race where I would get obviously smoked by the fierce competition but I felt very calm at dinner. This was a drastic departure from how I felt at Memphis In May earlier in the season. I truly believed that I was well trained and would get through this race - I felt good.		"Looking Calm @ The Pre-Race Dinner"

RACE DAY The alarm went off at 4am. I went through my race day rituals (bathroom, protein, bathroom etc) and headed down to the lobby. My nerves were in check. The weather was cool as we headed up to the Russian River. In Northern California it is very common to experience significant temperature swings in a given day. We had obsessed about the race day details for months and therefore had packed all of the necessary clothes for a multitude of weather possibilities. The swim takes place in the Russian River with depths of four to seven feet. It is possible to stand along the route. The course is out and back through a dammed portion of the river. The current is so mild that you cannot tell whether you are swimming with or against it. The water temperature was a perfect 72 degrees. It was chilly at the start of the swim but you warmed quickly. We set up all of our gear in T1 and congregated on the beach to watch Tim DeBoom and Peter Reid head out for their one on one competition. They were followed by groups of 75-150 swimmers. It took me 40 minutes to swim the 1.2 miles.		"Exiting The Swim"
I struggled to get my sleeveless wetsuit off and had a longer than expected transition. I had warmed enough on the swim that I decided to go with a sleeveless top for the bike. I bagged up all of my gear and tossed my backpack to my wife as I said goodbye to the Russian River and headed out to conquer the 56-mile bike course. The route is the prettiest I have ever ridden. Rolling hills with some technically challenging curves and bends but nothing too severe. There was one major climb at mile 45 (minor for us since we had trained out at HWY T in St. Albans) but other than that it was phenomenal scenery all the way including dozens of vineyards and wineries. It just doesn't get any better than this. I had an acute sense that there is a miniscule percentage of the population that gets to ever enjoy a day like this. You truly feel lucky to be alive when riding this course.		"Getting Aero On The Bike "

I cruised into T2 after riding for 3:15:15. A much needed stop at the portapotty and I was out on the run. Temps had risen and were now in the mid 80s. A quick check of my watch at the three-mile marker told me that I was running faster than I had anticipated. I kept pushing harder and harder and much to my surprise, my body responded by accepting what I was asking of it. My goal for this race was 6:30:00. Ongoing calculations told me that if I could keep my pace I had a shot of breaking 6:00:00. I was doing great. Each mile marker equaled another time check - I was going to shatter my goal. The run is an out and back course that goes through a private vineyard at the six-mile marker. How cool is this? My pace was still strong but I was going to need a solid push to get me home. I was in unchartered territory never having run this distance after such a long bike ride but I was holding up well. I hit the wall at mile 10. I have heard about this phenomenon but now it was actually happening to me. I was struggling. I did about a 12-minute mile and blew any shot of getting in less than six hours. I picked back up from 11 to 13 in order to finish at 6:04:22 - well under my original goal.		"Vineyard Run"

This was a fantastic race and easily the most scenic triathlon I have every done. It was also the most serious. With 30 Kona spots up for grabs these athletes were not screwing around. I started in an early wave and was passed on the bike by at least 300 people. That is not an exaggeration! This race report could easily be titled "On Your Left In California." Two transition areas made crowd support a challenge. You are pretty much out there for the 70.3 miles on your own which is common with longer distances. The competitors were not all that supportive of each other. At home it is not uncommon to hear "you are doing great, keep it up" from someone who is passing you - out there all I heard was "on your left."		"Finished!"

Vineman was a terrific journey. A chance to compete in a big time race with big time athletes. A chance to train smart and to train hard. And most importantly a chance to make new friends, enrich friendships and feed off of the support of family, fellow runners and triathletes. While the adventure has ended, the journey continues…

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Vineman 2005 St. Louis Training Team: Bob, TPR, Pep, Strass, Beth & Lynn