PERSONAL BESTS!!!

Wow!

I did not know that on Sunday at Alum Creek I was going to have my best ever Olympic Distance race. The Fat Rabbit Racing International Triathlon had the set up that I've been waiting for to have my fastest splits ever.

The weather was great on Sunday. It was nice and cool and that helped me a great deal while being out there doing the swim, bike, and run. Also, I had the extra motivation of having my parents in town for a second race so I was racing very much inspired that day. I was very pleased to keep my swim pace very consistent and I came out of the water feeling very good. I think that the coffee I drank before the race during my preparation had something to do with how I was feeling. So, out of the water I was looking forward to wear the newest addition to my gear. The Kronos Helmet from my good friends at DPMSports (http://www.spiukusa.com/) was a treat.

I don't know if it really made me faster but I sure felt like I was flying out there as I thought I was slicing through the air on my bike (more pictures of the helmet and it's special decoration to follow). Did I have the fastest bike split out there? Not at all but it was fast and a ton of fun for me. During the run, thanks to the reduced heat, I was keeping a blistering pace for me. I could see people ahead of me and I was picking them up one by one. We had a two loop run course and generally in courses like that on the second lap I tend to slow down some but on Sunday I was feeling very good and kept up my pace. Maybe the training that I am doing with my runs has improved my performance during race time. I guess that only time will tell when I get to race on hot conditions to see how I keep up.

So, here are my splits if you care to know:

SWIM (1500 yds) = 23:22

BIKE (25 Miles, ~ 24.1) = 1:07:41

RUN (6.2 Miles) = 45:48

OVERALL = 2:20:47 (24th place overall) and 6th place in the 30-34 age group.

So, I am very happy with my performance and I am looking forward to do some long distance training for my next challenge in Muncie, IN.

Don't forget that all of my efforts doing these triathlons is to get NATT's name out there and hopefully peak your interest about the dangers about blood clots and blood clotting disorders and possibly inspire you to help this worthy organization with a donation that could match the number of miles I am racing this summer. Here is a breakdown for your if you are interested...

$0.05 per Mile x 300 Miles = $15.00

$0.10 per Mile x 300 Miles = $30.00

$0.25 per Mile x 300 Miles = $75.00

Please contact me if you are interested in making a donation.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Fat Rabbit Racing International Triathlon PRE-RACE AUCTION

Well, here we are again closing in on another race date so it is time for another PRE-RACE AUCTION.

The offerings in this auction are very cool and you should definitely take advantage for your persoanl satisfaction and for the chance to help an organization that is doing great good creating awareness about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.
So, here are the goods...


** A LARGE NATT Racing Jersey (Estimated value $75.00)
** 2 Boxes of Hammer Gels (Chocolate and Banana flavors - Estimated value $15.00 per box)
** 2 Hutchinson TOP SPEED Road Racing Tires (Estimated value $30.00 per tire)
** 40 NATT Wristbands to give out to anyone you know willing to support our cause (@ $3.00 per wristband estimated value $120.00)

The initial bid the Clot Buster is requesting for this package is $100.00

As always all of the profits from this auction will be giving to NATT in your behalf. So, think about it! Since I did not get around to post this PRE-RACE AUCTION until now you will have time all the way until Sunday night at 11PM to place your bid. Please place your bid either through the comments section of this blog or through an email to polka40@hotmail.com

Good solid training this week, I believe. I hope to swim tomorrow and take Saturday off to rest before the race on Sunday. Am I going to be able to continue my streak of top three finishes within the 30-34 age group? Stay tuned for the results on Sunday...

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Cincinnati International Triathlon - Thursday and I am still recovering...

Sort of...Let me tell you that the course at this race was not flat by any means. You can read a very nice summary about the bike course race experience at Brad Culp's blog within the Triathlete Magazine webiste. Having to 3 laps of this bike course was simply something I was not ready for. Of course I have every excuse in the world for my slow times but it does not matter, I still took 3rd place in my "new" agre group 30-34.

Needless to say I was surprised about that result because during the third lap of the bike I was starting to feel extremely fatigued from the efforts that weekend. I did not help my cause when I did about 10 hours worth of yard work on Saturday and I did not get to bed until much later than I wanted because of my parents arriving into town and the need to pick them up at the airport and drive all the way to Harrison, OH from Columbus about 2 hours all together.

Let me tell you that as tired as I was off the bike it was SO COOL to see my parents on the sidelines along with my Mother and Father in law. It was very nice to have them all there giving me that extra lift to stay with it. I loved my Mom yelling at me that I it looked as if I was just taking a stroll in the park with her sarcastic tone of voice that just made me laugh and almost choke on the gel I was taking in at the time. The run went much better than I thought and I was able to clock a very respectable time.

All things considered it was a great race and one I would love to do again sometime. Now that I know course a little better I guess that I can prepare better for it.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Cincinnati International Triathlon - Here we go!

Taking it easy today so that I can be ready for Sunday's race in Cicinnati. I am very much looking forward to it. I've been wanting to race in Cincinnati for a long time now and finally I get the chance to do it.

This will be the second (actually third) race of the summer for the Clot Buster in his quest to reach the 300 Mile mark for the summer.

If you would be interested in heling NATT continue it's mission to educate and create awareness about blood clots and blood clotting disorders any contribution that you could match for every mile that I race could help the organization tremendously. For example here is a very simple breakdown for you:

$0.05 per Mile x 300 Miles = $15.00
$0.10 per Mile x 300 Miles = $30.00
$0.25 per Mile x 300 Miles = $75.00

If any of the options above is something you would consider please write the checkout to "NATT" and send an email to the Clot Buster so that he can give you his address. Every contribution is important to help keep NATT on track with its mission.

I hope that taking it easy tomorrow will help me to fight this fatigue I am carrying with me today. A good night of sleep should do the trick as it was a long week for me at work and on the training side of things. I am very excited to be racing in my new Mizuno shoes. I was having some heal problems last week and I decided that the shoes were causing the pain. Thanks to the wisdom of Andy Hobson at Front Runner I think that I found a nice pair of shoes that quickly are becoming my favorite. Let's see how they perform during racing conditions.

Well, with another PRE-RACE auction behind me I am looking forward to the race. Stay posted as I will have some more cool stuff up for auction the week before the race.

To all a GOOD WEEKEND!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

Cincinnati International Triathlon - PRE RACE AUCTION

Second race of the season (acutally third because last weekend I raced two races in one day...) second pre-race auction in preparation for the Cincinnati International Triathlon.

This time around ANYONE interested in a LARGE SIZE Clot Buster Jersey will have the chance to bid and possible score one of the coolest jerseys around...

I don't want to brag too much but during the last bid I got a person interested in the jersey from Okinawa, Japan. Soon enough the Clot Busyer colors will be flying high in Japan believe it or not!

But this time around I am not just offering the nice Verge-race cut jersey I am also offering to you the goods you can see in the picture below...

That is correct you will get the chance to score two boxes of Hammer Gel energy gels (Chocolate & Banana Flavors), along with that a Hammer Gel flask, and finally an Aqua Sphere SEAL set of goggles which are red to go along with your new Clot Buster jersey!

All of these goods can be yours at the starting bid of $60.00. This is great opportunity for you to get some additional gear for the season and at the same time donate money towards a great organization that will put this money to good use in educating people about blood clots and blood clotting disorders.

If you would like to make a bid please do it either through the comments section of the blog or just shoot me an email at polka40@hotmail.com. The auction will be open until midnight on friday so don't miss out in a chance to have your very own Clot Buster Jersey and some extra goods!

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster

What or who is your inspiration?

That is a question I think about a lot when I am out there either trianing or racing. I wonder a little bit more about this question during races when I see all this focused people going at it.


For me the inspiration comes from the polka-dots. I am sure you wondering how that is. Well, very simply I think about all of the polka-dots that I wear and how to me they represent someone either volunteering their time to NATT or someone who is going through all of the treatment required to stay ahead of those blood clots that could flare at any moment. I think a lot about how their life has changed due the clot and how it is possible for me to spread the word about the potential dangers from blood clots. All with the goal that people would become aware and be in the lookout for the particular signs that indicate the presence of a potential blood clot.


Hard to believe that my racing season is already here in full swing. The training is going well and things are falling in place to keep at it hard the rest of the upcoming races. Next up I get to visit the city of CINCINNATI, OH for the Cincinnati International Triathlon and Sports Festival next weekend.

PLEASE KEEP IN MIND ... $0.10 x 300Miles = $ 30.00 for NATT!!!

Don't miss the opportunity to contribute to this organization that is doing great good. If you would like more information about how to donate please drop me a line.

Thanks for reading,

The Clot Buster