Another Season

[les welch]

I ran the Tyto and gutted both Brian and my bear's that night. The following morning I caped and deboned my bear on the same blade. I switched blades and caped and deboned Brians bear and am still using that blade. Very happy with these knives.

 

[les welch]

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[les welch]

Brian and his bear.


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[les welch]

I will add a few more pics of the fishing and other things around camp to finish this portion up. Won't get to it for a couple of weeks though. Gone for the rest of this week and off to Montana next week to Big Sky. Have a few other things to update here I will get to soon.

 

[les welch]

A lot of you know that I like to participate in triathlon. If we are not connected on IG or FB you may not know about my last race. Boulder Ironman. Here is my race recap, long, but a new experience for me.

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]fail·ure ˈfālyər/[/FONT]
[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]noun[/FONT]
[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]lack of success.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]What does failure mean to you? How do you define it? Do you let it define you? All serious questions, as we can interpret things so differently within our own perspectives.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Boulder Ironman race report, well swim report, or lack thereof swim, report [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]This past Sunday was the start of my 6th Ironman, my 3rd time participating in the Boulder, CO event. I like the venue, dislike the heat and altitude, but love the state. CO is like my second home. I have some seriously great friends there and I always appreciate the hospitality and time you are all willing to give up when I make the trips out there. Sam and Becky 's is my 2nd home[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]I was pretty excited, to say the least, about this race. Throughout the day there was going to be the opportunity to meet a bunch of new friends, mark another notch on the legacy tour, and just enjoy my fellow participants.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]The morning started out well, everything going according to schedule. Even managed to see Kristen and Kylie during bike nutrition drop off. As the time neared Kylie and I progressed towards the rolling start. As the pro gun went off I asked Kylie to help zip my wetsuit up, as I couldn't get the zipper to come up, which is unusual as I can usually do this solo. Although I have put many miles on in this wetsuit, I hadn't swam in it since last October during IM Louisville, which was the same time I started a new gym routine that would prepare me for the mountains and the Train to Hunt / Fit 4 the Hunt competitions that I would be focusing on this year. When Kylie struggled to get the zipper up it had me a little concerned, and I knew what had happened. My lean muscle percentages had climbed, and this wetsuit was stretching like a Johnsonville on the grill. I've always preferred sleeveless because I feel they are less constricting on my shoulders. I swung shoulders around and felt I had full ROM, so I felt good about it. After dozens of competitions, multiple Ironman's, and knowing what I wanted to do for this race I was really comfortable. Calm and Peaceful. I knew what needed to be done, and I was ready to get to work. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]As I crossed the timing mat and my time started I knew I needed to start out slow, and then slow down. The altitude is definitely noticeable for me, on the swim. I seeded myself correctly and was off. Stroke felt good, it all felt good, for 100m, then I could feel the HR starting to climb. Looking at my watch I was already in the 150's, which is over my normal HR for any swim. By the time I hit 300m's I was already in the 180's. Normal HR for a 10k run, but not a 2.4 mile swim. I assumed it was the altitude getting me. I slowed down, but couldn't breathe at the 350m mark. I switched into a side stroke. This allowed me to keep moving, but keep a constant flow of air into my lungs. I figured it might take a few hundred yards to settle in, and then I could get back to work. I figured wrong, it would not come down. At the first turn I knew it wasn't the altitude, but the wetsuit. It was way to tight on my chest and it was constricting me down. I couldn't get in the full breaths. Even though I was constantly breathing with head out of the water, my HR was sustaining high 180's. At the first turn I heard a kayaker say "you are almost half way". Running the math in my head, that meant I had about 20 minutes to spare to finish on time. At the 1:10 mark I knew I still wasn't half way, but I didn't know what I could do. My kayaker, Kim, was 4' away. She was amazing. Always smiling, asking if I needed anything, telling me I had this and I was going to do it. Wonderfully positive person, although I knew mathematically at the rate I could move and what I had for time it wasn't possible.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]As I made the second turn I had 32 minutes left. At the 2 hour mark I knew the only way I could get in was to front crawl. On the average day I can do 1000m in 20 minutes. Today I had done about 3000m in 2 hours, and I had 20 minutes to do the last 1000m. Even with today's common core math, that doesn't add up. I switched to front crawl. I went 25m and was 100% gassed. I literally could not breathe. I raised my hand and said "Kim, I need the kayak". She asked if was done, I told her "no way, there's 20 minutes left, I just can't breathe". She said If I couldn't breathe they would have to call medical over and give me a ride in. I told her no, it wasn't physical, it was just the wetsuit was too tight. She said take it off. Well that had went through my mind way before mile 1 was even completed. However Ironman is VERY particular. You can not leave equipment or get outside help. There is no way I could get the wetsuit off in the water without help and even if I did, I couldn't just leave it. Not only would it be illegal, but unethical. She emphathatically said YES, you can take it off. It's legal if you have equipment problems to get help from race support. That's all I needed to hear. She pulled the zipper and I shrugged it off the shoulders. It's hard enough to get out of a wetsuit by yourself standing on dry land. Ever try it while dog paddling in 40' of water?? I'm assuming I looked like a Monkey humping a football. After a few minutes of messing around it was off, goggles were readjusted, and calves were cramping because of the way I was trying to kick/pull the suit off after two hours of sidestroke. Wow, talk about some major deviation from the race plan. 1000 meters to go and 14 minutes to get there. It was go time. When I pushed off from that kayak it was on. Front crawl was smooth, bilateral breathing was on. Every 6th stroke I would see Kim out my left side, urging me the whole way. The whole way she was telling me I had it, to go. In my heart I knew I would make the final cut swim time with minutes to spare, but didn't think I would make my 2:20 personal time. Every stroke brought me closer to shore, and I wanted to look at my watch in the worst way to see where I was. I knew that it wouldn't help so I kept had down and pulled for everything I had along with kicking like a machine. Another of the kayakers was yelling at me not to kick, if your legs are cramping DON'T KICK she kept yelling. Cramp or not I needed every second and had to fight for it. That last 1000m in was FUN. I felt like Michael Phelps looks. It felt amazing to swim and go like I should.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]As my feet finally hit the blacktop of the exit, people were screaming, volunteers were hollering at and trying to drag me up to the timing mat, telling me I had to hurry. Little did they know I had saw the 2:23 number on my watch as my feet were put down and I stood up. I knew there wasn't a reason for me to hurry. I had come up 3 minutes short because of a major equipment oversight on my part. As I made the bend to T1 a gentlemen, Mr. Ed Pike, gave me a hug and said some words to me. Even right now I have no idea what he said. I was already in another place trying to process what happened. As I grabbed my T1 bag my plan was to get changed and hit the bike. I knew I still wouldn't get an official time, but I would easily make up a few hours on the bike and run each, and likely still finish 3-4 hours before the time cut off. At that point a volunteer grabbed me and said I couldn't enter T1, my day was over. Although I pleaded with them to let me on bike and let me have a chance to make the bike cut-off's they said no. This is one issue I have with Ironman, there are certain gray areas which aren't hard lines. It's been done before, I wanted on that bike. That feeling, failure/call it what you will, is hard to explain. If you don't understand what drives us to do what we do (whatever that is), you might not understand why we feel like this. You probably just think, oh well, big deal. Just go to the next one, or go have a beer, whatever. It's bigger than that, it's deeper. Again, I don't know how to explain it. In short, it's hard to process. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]I sat around for about 20 minutes pondering. Had Hunter, Marcus, Mc Crowell, and Mandy, to run things through with so that was good. The bus ride back to town sucked. Got showered up and got some lunch. Then we made our way back out to the res to wait for Tracy and Kylie to get back in off the bike. Got to see them come in, and give them a little encouragement. As they headed out for the marathon, we headed back to town to find the Base Performance tent. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]From 4-10 pm we handed salt and rocketfuel. Gave fist bumps, hugs, and motivation. Got to see Aaron Pendergraft, Tracy Nelson, Kylie Martin Waller, Natalie McManamon, Diana Leroux-Woolf, Kristen Adams Cummins, and a whole host of others I am forgetting and tons of new friends I met on the course that day.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]fail·ure. [/FONT]
[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]In the end I personally don't feel like a failure. I feel this particular race was a failure for the intended outcome. The day as a whole, although not what I had hoped for, turned out to be a success in many ways and unintentionally became one of my favorite "race" days ever. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]I got to meet some great people, see some amazing competitors, learn a little about myself, and do some things that I really enjoyed. That definitely shouldn't be called a failure. I realize I'm lucky that I get to wake up each day and partake in the things I love. Not everyone is as fortunate. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Matt and Lauralee put on an amazing "event" at every one of these Ironman events. If you get the chance, you should seriously go out and help at one of the events on course. Seriously it could be life changing. LJ and Janelle it was good to see you out there. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Tracy. T, congrats on the legacy!! For those of you who don't know what Legacy is. When we talk about this, it's the age groupers way to punch a ticket to Kona. The Super Bowl of Ironman. It requires 12 completed Ironman's!! You're an inspiration, proud of you, and glad to be there to see it.[/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]In finishing, my post last Sunday wasn't looking for pity. It was mainly to tell those who were following along that I was ok. In these events, when the tracker stops, people start going nuts thinking of what happened. Thank You everyone who has reached out and does support me, although not needed, very much noted and appreciated. [/FONT]

[FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]Ironman isn't a life or death thing to me. I enjoy pushing myself to my limits, and beyond. Seeing what I can do physically, and more importantly, mentally. I do this for me, no one else. I'm as competitive AF! I'm not in competition with you though, or those behind or ahead of me. I'm only competing with myself. When you pass me, I'll be the first to congratulate you. When I finish ahead of you, I'll be the first to come back and pick you up or be waiting for you at the finish line. In the grand scheme of things we are but a piece of sand in a sand box the size of a desert. Smile, laugh, love, live big, and enjoy your journey, because you don't know when its going to end.
[/FONT][FONT=wf_segoe-ui_normal]
[/FONT]

 

[les welch]

Today's workout for me 6 rounds
10 Sandbag Burpee Cleans
10 Over the shoulder Sandbags
50 Crunches
25 Lunges
25 pushups
40 Controlled Leg Raises
15 Monster Tractor tire flips
15 Sandbag Bicep Curls
400m sprint

 

[Btaylor]

Today's workout for me 6 rounds
10 Sandbag Burpee Cleans
10 Over the shoulder Sandbags
50 Crunches
25 Lunges
25 pushups
40 Controlled Leg Raises
15 Monster Tractor tire flips
15 Sandbag Bicep Curls
400m sprint

Time?

 

[les welch]

Time?

43 minutes

 

[Btaylor]

43 minutes

Figured it would be something stupid like that...GREAT JOB!!

Yesterday was 100 pullups, 100 pushups and 100 box jumps. Knocked it out in 23 minutes and felt good about it til I read your post. LOL
Started cutting back on gym time some and doing more weighted hikes and stairs. Been running 50# sandbag for hikes on a couple of different 4 mile routes that are mostly flat with a few short steep hills for general conditioning to the pack weight. Pairing that with a half hour on stairs with a 70# pack. Bout to switch neighborhoods to one that is up or down, no flat at all and has a nice 5 mile loop to it. Take that up till go time is the plan.

 

[les welch]

Figured it would be something stupid like that...GREAT JOB!!

Yesterday was 100 pullups, 100 pushups and 100 box jumps. Knocked it out in 23 minutes and felt good about it til I read your post. LOL
Started cutting back on gym time some and doing more weighted hikes and stairs. Been running 50# sandbag for hikes on a couple of different 4 mile routes that are mostly flat with a few short steep hills for general conditioning to the pack weight. Pairing that with a half hour on stairs with a 70# pack. Bout to switch neighborhoods to one that is up or down, no flat at all and has a nice 5 mile loop to it. Take that up till go time is the plan.

It's all about each and every one of us conquering as individuals, which I know you understand.

Use that 23 minutes as your bench mark and run that program once a month. Fuel similarly, note how you feel before, during, and after the workout. Revisit next years thread come mid July and see how you are doing for time then.

I'm doing the same thing on cutting back that gym time. It's going to more pack workouts and "safer" exercise. Need to be ready for the mountains. Strong AND healthy.

Good job my man, keep it up.

 

[les welch]

Packed and ready to hit the airport. Headed to Bozeman and then Big Sky. If anyone is shooting Big Sky TAC look me up.

 

[11boo]

My wallow is waiting.

 

[les welch]

Hanging with the cool peeps in Big Sky.


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[MtnHunter]

My wallow is waiting.

View attachment 75814

I'm drooling over here!

 

[les welch]

It’s heeeeeeere


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[Btaylor]

So how much crap will it hold?

 

[Justin Crossley]

Les' OnX review is live. Check it out!

OnX Hunt Map Review

 

[les welch]

Just landed in Houston for the Texas Trophy Hunters Extravaganza. If anyone is around hit me up at the Sitka booth.


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[marcel909]

Good luck with everything Les.

 

[les welch]

Review started on these. Should be fun.


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