david criswell

It's been two months since my last posting here, but my absence has been for a good reason. Work has been a crazy flash for the past two month and I was fortunate enough to attend the USA Pro Cycling Challenge from the perspective of a sponsor.

TrainingPeaks made a major splash as the official race analysis software which included seven days of expo space in seven beautiful locations throughout Colorado, two wrapped vehicles that were part of the race caravan and more cool experiences than I could describe in a reasonable length blog post.

So, rather than write a 5,000 word blog post, I'll let the pictures and video give some some small insight into what an incredible week it was that capped off a couple of months of preparation.

One of the highlights to the week was an impromptu interview I gave while in Vail.

I wasn't planning on doing a race report for Bolder Boulder but I was motivated after reading a friend and co-worker's report. Reading Melissa's report reminded me that it was more than just a 10k race, but a unique experience I was fortunate to participate in with around 55,000 other runners.

Before the experience I was very skeptical of how the organizers were going to get that many people through a 6 mile course without it feeling too crowded and like I couldn't set my own pace (not that I was setting any records after an unplanned two week break from training). Well, apparently after putting this race on for 32 years they learned a few things and for the most part everything about the race was a smooth experience.

Registration

The organization and logistics started with the registration process. Like many large races the start is separated into waves based on expected pace.  The first smart thing the race organizers did was require proof of pace - not something I had seen before in a 10k race.  The qualifying race to prove your pace had to be within a year, or, you could qualify for a wave by running on a treadmill at the Bolder Boulder store, a retail storefront that served as a pick up point for race packets and merchandise.

The second cool thing about registration was the option to donate your race t-shirt to charity.  As my wife will attest, I have more race shirts than I can use, so I thought this was a great idea to help benefit charity.

Pre-Race

Boulder is a good size city but there is no way for 55,000 runners and their spectators to park within walking distance to the start or finish. There looked to be a thorough shuttle system going and I saw many people biking to the start (hey this is Boulder after all!). However, I was fortunate to have a friend who live a few miles from race start so I made the not so brilliant decision to park there and run to the start.  The problem was it wasn't the couple of miles I expected, it was 4 miles.

In between the four mile run to the start and the start of the 6 mile race I still had to pick up my race packet (note to self - sign up for pre-race day packet pickup for future races).  It took about 40 minutes in line to get my race packet, leaving me about six minutes to put on my number and timing chip, run to the start before my wave started.  Standing in line for 40 minutes after a four mile warm up made for a rough first mile.

Race Time

The actual race experience was fantastic. It had everything from live music, to belly dancers, to neighborhood residents cranking tunes, to Colorado University students drinking beer (and offering it to any runner who would partake) and the slip 'n slide that seemed to be the hit of the runners! The finish was a CU's Folsom Field, a 53,000 seat stadium for the football team, which was already packed with people when I finished, and only got fuller as more racers finished and made their way to the stands to meet family and friends.

Post Race

After the race I met up with co-workers from TrainingPeaks who had also done the race and took in the spectacle of the experience.  One of most memorable moments was watching a group of Marines come running in formation with the front two holding a US and Marine Corps flag (remember the race was on Memorial Day).

As more and more people saw the tight formation dresssed in green running through the chaos the cheers started building until just before the finish when the Marines stopped and did several pushups, still in formation. At that point the crowd eruped and it gave me the chills.

Thankfully I didn't have to run back to my friends house as they were kind enough to come pick me up and I enjoyed a beer and veggie burger at the afternoon barbcue.  One thing I'll change about next year is to stay to watch the men's and women's pro race (four of the top five men finished in under 30 minutes!), see the military jets fly over at Noon and see the parachutist drop into the stadium.

Oh, and find a way to pick up my race packet before race day.

The following is a letter I wrote to my almost teenage Son to give him some perspective on what he as an individual could choose to take away from the situation. It is a letter I revisit myself frequently because it contains many foundational beliefs I hope to have for the rest of my life.

One of the ways I hope to stay connected with you in the coming year besides phone and video is by email.  I'll have more time to write while I'm in Colorado and want to continue passing along what lessons I can even though we may be physically separated.

The first thing I want to do is give you some perspective on why we decided to make this move. I consider my two most important jobs to be 1. the best husband and 2. the best father I can which has made deciding on this move one of the most difficult decisions I've ever had to consider. I sometimes still question whether being away from you and Mom is the best move for our family but we believe with all the information we have it's the right thing to do.

You may be tired of hearing me say this but I'll tell you again that we all have a choice as to how we react to this (and any) situation. I want to share my perspective on the lessons I'm choosing to learn from this in hopes it helps you choose how to react to it.

Made a decision and go full out - While talking to my Dad about this move, one of the things he said to me that helped clarify things is that we'll never have all the information we need to make the decision. But, once a decision is made, go for it. Now that we've made this decision, let's take full advantage of it. Make new friends, explore new places, try new things.

Step outside of your comfort zone - Your Mom and I have lived in the same area (NH or Massachusetts) for our entire lives. Moving outside of this area is going to make all of us uncomfortable at times. To some that may be a bad thing but trust us when we tell you that in the long run it will be a great thing. Remember the voicemail that Grandpa left you from the top of the mountain in Colorado? What I remember from it is he told you to persevere through the apprehension and anxiety because on the other side are incredible opportunities. I say the bigger the anxiety the bigger the opportunities!

Pursue your passions - One of the biggest things I hope as a Dad you learn from all this is what I'm trying to do by leading by example - pursuing a passion. If you can find something that you are passionate about doing every day, it won't seem like work. I see this kind of passion in you with basketball (and even video games!). I feel so strongly about this opportunity at Peaksware that it has led to lots of difficult decisions being made about our move. But in the end, the goal is that both Mom and I can be doing something we love and believe in, while also doing the best thing for the one thing that we both love more than anything else, you.

Don't settle - I can guarantee you that if you can learn how to expect more of yourself than anyone else, you'll have an incredibly happy and fulfilling life. I know it is a hard thing to get in the habit of doing, especially at 12 (almost 13!) but I promise you the rewards are well worth the effort. Mom and I are so persistent in communicating this to you because of how much we love you and want you to have a happy and fulfilling life.

It doesn't matter where we are as long as we do it together - Even though we'll be separated for chunks of time over the next year, and then in a new place for all of us, we are doing it as a family.  Thankfully, technology makes the world a smaller place and I know we'll find a way to stay connected despite the distance. Being part of the family means communicating and helping each other when there are tough times. There will be tough times over the next year as well as incredibly happy times. Make sure you are communicating to us about all of them and I promise to do the same with you and Mom.

I love you kiddo.

Dad

A week after having a small stroke I was back in the hospital (this time a scheduled appointment versus an ER visit!) for a follow up test known as a Transesophogial Echocardiogram (aka TEE). The goal of the test is to get a better view of the Patent Formamen Ovale (PFO) in my heart and determine if

• Should I have it closed - much of what I've been told is that the research doesn't show a decreased chance of additional strokes whether a PFO is closed or not.
• Is it something more than a PFO
• The regular Echocardiogram showed the right side of my heart may be bigger than the left. The TEE would give a better look if this was actually the case, and if so, why.

The TEE is an outpatient procedure that involves putting a camera down your throat to get a picture from the back/side of your heart. I had a TEE done several years ago when my PFO was first diagnosed but I must have blocked from the experience from my memory because reading the authorization form and all of dangers was freaking me out a little. Just before the procedure was to begin the Tech came in and sprayed a numbing agent on my throat while we waited for the Cardiologist to arrive.

The Tech was a Colorado native so we had a short chat about some of his favorite hiking and mountain biking spots. Thankfully he did most of the talking because I was having a hard time swallowing, much less talking, as my throat started to numb. Thankfully my family had made the trip from NH because as much as I tried to remember what was going on around me, once the sedative was put into my IV, I was out. I needed my wife to fill me in with what the Doctor said after it was all over.

After the sedative started the procedure only took about 20 minutes. Once it was over I slept for about an hour after which I was finally allowed to eat. It was about 1:30 at this point and my last meal was 9:30 the previous evening. I couldn't tell if the food was any good, just that I was finally able to eat.After eating and more sleeping the nurse took me on a couple of loops around the hospital ward to make sure the sedative had worn off, and I was released.

The results: it is a PFO, and the concern about the enlarged atrium size ended up being consistent with the PFO. The answer that I don't have yet is whether or not to have the PFO closed. There are still more conversations to have and research to do before making that decision. Thankfully it is not an invasive procedure but it is not a decision I'm taking lightly.

In the meantime, other than no weights, there are no physical restrictions and I got out for a short run the next day. I plan on ramping back up slowly and if I decide to have it closed figure out what races to do based on how long the recovery time is. Lots to decide in the coming days....

A diagram one of the doctors drew to explain my diagnosis.The Weekend started out normal

I spent Friday night at the gym doing a weight workout and then went to the grocery store to pick up some food for the weekend and following week. The workout consisted of a mix of upper and lower body sets, nothing too tough, but it was a challenging workout.

Which is why when I started to get a weak feeling in my left arm I didn't think too much about it. Often after a weight workout my arms feel weak and fatigued for a little while. Though I thought it was a little weird that the weakness was just on my left side.

As I left the grocery store the left side of my face and tongue started to feel like they were coming off a shot of novacane. That is when I started to get a little worried. As I drove out of the grocery store parking lot I realized that some of the fingers on my left hand felt numb and I started to feel a little foggy.

At this point I was freaking out a little and decided to head to the hospital. Given that my family is 2,000 miles away, I was admittedly pretty nervous about being home if things kept moving the way the were. Thankfully the hospital is just a couple of miles away, and I remember as I explained to the recepeptionist why I was there, that I was having a hard time verbalizing what I was feeling.

Stroke Alert

I was shuffled into triage after which the true gravity of the situation set in when the doctor who examined me and asked a few questions said, "...We're going to do a stroke alert...". That sounded really bad to me.

For everyone else in the ER that statement triggered a very comprehensive set of events that filled up my room with more people than I can remember and led to lots poking, prodding, tests, and questions. All of this eventually led to being admitted to the hospital which entailed being woken up every few hours to check vital signs and an MRI of my neck and head at 6am the next morning (thankfully the MRI tech had a choice of music on the headphones and I was able to relax to some Dave Matthews).

The resulting diagnosis from all of this madness was a Transient Ischemic Attack possibly contributed to by a Patent Foramen Ovale. Or in plain English, stroke-like symptoms possibly caused by a small clot passing through a small flap in my heart that never properly closed at birth and going into my brain. YIKES!

By Saturday afternoon I was feeling good and was sent home with instructions to see a Neurologist in a week, take an aspirin every day, and call if there are any other symptoms. Unfortunately, I would be calling.

The Return

Saturday night was pretty typical outside of the challenging conversations with my wife and son who are 2,000 miles away. We obviously wanted to be together but flying on short notice is not cheap. On the one hand, I was feeling good and spending several hundred dollars wasn't all that appealing. On the other hand, we learned that a TIA can be a pre-cursor to other TIA's or something more serious in some cases.

Sunday morning came and soon after I got up the symptoms came back, though not as bad this time. I REALLY didn't want to go back to the hospital. But, after calling the doctor he thought it would be best to move up the time table of seeing a Neurologist and also see a Cardiologist about the PFO. Not what I wanted to hear. So, I called my wife and headed back to the hospital.

The next two days consisted of two more days in the hospital in a department with people who probably averaged 2x my age (not very comforting!), meeting with a Neurologist and Cardiologist, my family flying to Colorado, getting my blood pressure taken every 3 hours and measuring my liquid input (and output via a plastic jug!)

The End Result

The resulting diagnosis is simlar to the first, except that technically a TIA doesn't leave any damage, so because of the two small areas on my MRI indicating damage, the diagnosis is 2 small strokes, likely caused by the PFO. It was scary when they told me and it's scary to write about now.

Now the decision is whether or not to close the PFO. Further heart tests will provide more information on how to proceed with that decision.

Some things I learned (which I already knew, but this situation highlighted) are I have an incredible network of family and friends, a very thoughful and understanding group of co-workers, great cholesterol levels, and a resting heart rate of about 50.

All in all, I'm a pretty lucky guy.

After two weeks living apart from my family we've had the chance to test out different ways of staying connected before they make the move out to Colorado.

Skype

This is the obvious one but we actually haven't used Skype since the westward move. We did use it during a trip to Germany last fall when I went to Eurobike and it did the job, though my internet connection in Germany made the video quality poor at times. We haven't used it recently only because video chat is available in platforms that we are already in - primarily Gmail and XBox.

Google Video Chat

We are definitely a Google household and regularly use Docs, Calendar, Reader, Photos, Videos, Maps, Gmail and Chat (it's actually a little scary to think about how much information we have on Google servers!). Since we have video capability in both Colorado and New Hampshire, and we are in Gmail so much, its just easier to request a video chat right from Gmail rather than open up Skype.

XBox Kinect Video Chat

Not only is XBox Kinect a blast to play games on, it also has the ability to do video chat. There is a cool feature that automatically follows you around the room. However, we've found that the auto feature is tough to manage when there are two or more people in the room.  Still, the video and audio quality are great and the larger coverage area (vs a web cam) has allowed me to do some great things like see my son's school projects when he holds them up to the Kinect unit.

XBox Live Gaming

I've been able to play NBA Live 2010 against my Son from 2,000 miles away and talk over our headsets at the same time. Of course he kicks my butt every time but I'm slowly getting better. Next on the game list is Call of Duty so I can be further humiliated by him!

Smart Phone

Colorado is an incredibly beautiful place and as I explore new places we are able to easily share pictures and video in real-time.

Social Networks

My friends and family are able to see what I'm doing on a regular basis through the sharing I do on Facebook and Twitter.  Whether it is my Foursquare check-ins or cool stuff going on at Peaksware, the information i share frequently becomes the topic of conversation on phone and video calls.

Being apart from my family is no fun - but the technology we are leveraging is making 2,000 miles seem a little bit closer.

Any other ideas for tools to use?

It's been a little more than a week since I moved to Colorado and I've thoroughly wiped myself out.  After not having the time to get regular workouts because of work and commuting I've been making up for lost time. In the past week I've done 3 runs, 2 bike rides and 1 swim. I even shot some hoops (which I also haven't done in a long time!) I'm now thoroughly wiped out and it feels great! Unfortunately I had forgotten the fulfillment I get from regular training and ending the weekend completely spent.

The first week of work was spectacular! Peaksware is filled with an incredibly passionate and authentic group of people who all seem to thrive as much as I do on either swimming, biking, running or all three! It's no wonder TrainingPeaks is so successful - I guess that is what happens when you put a bunch of passionate and driven athletes together and get them working on products that help other athletes be their best!

Colorado is everything I thought it might be. It is a beautiful part of the country filled with people who love the outdoors. During a two hour ride on Saturday I must have seen 150 other cyclists, and even more throughout the rest of the day while I was getting errands done throughout the day.

As week 2 starts the lesson I've learned is that I don't need to catch up on my training all in one week! Besides, going from living at sea level to living at 5,400 ft above sea level necessitates that I take several weeks to acclimate!

Stay tuned!

I don't remember exactly when it started.

On some New Year's Day morning several years ago I woke up and decided to run. The distance happened to be 10 miles, which at the time was a stretch for my athletic endurance.  Since that day, every year, on New Year's Day I'm compelled to run 10 miles.

Some years the 10 miles has felt like 20 while other years (typically when I'm in the midst of training for a marathon or Ironman) the 10 miles was a cakewalk. I tend do some pretty deep thinking when I run (like most runners I suspect), so combining the stillness of a holiday morning plus the mindset of starting a new year - the contemplative thoughts get pretty active.

I've tried to figure out why I'm so compelled to run on New Year's Day, even more than my normal desire to run. I think the reasons have changed over the years as my age brings new perspective and depending on what happens to be going on in my life. However, I think the underlying drive though is a desire to shock the system on a day that has such symbolic meaning for new beginnings.

Even if I'm not in a place where I feel like I need to have a "new beginning", I find value in pushing my body out of it's comfort zone for a while. Over the year's I've had moments of such clarity while running that I've come to expect that if I head out for a run with some problem or challenge on my mind, that by the end of the run a solution will have made itself clear to me.

I've read or heard two people I admire very much tell stories of how a run, outside of their comfort zone, brought clarity to their lives in an otherwise challenging time. One was Tony Robbins at an event I heard him speak at, and the other was Dean Karnazes in his book Ultramarathon Man. Early on, this brought some validation to pushing myself on a New Year's Day run. Now, it's so ingrained in my annual routine that I don't give it a second thought no matter what shape I'm in.

By running on New Year's Day, maybe I'm expecting (or hoping) for that clarity of thought that Tony and Dean experienced as I contemplate how I want to craft the upcoming year of my life. Whatever the reason, I always feel better when I get back versus when I left; I've run off any extra calories I might have consumed the night before; and I feel ready to face the new year with optimism.

By the way, this year's run will feel more like 20 miles than a cakewalk.

Photo courtesy Austin Yellow BikeI've been fortunate during my time in the bike industry to be exposed to some great organizations that help promote cycling and that use cycling as a tool to further other worthy causes. No matter whether you ride a bike to commute, race, do errands, get healthy or as part of a a multi-sport event, you'll likely benefit by getting involved with one of the organizations below through either your volunteer efforts, your donations, or both.

People For Bikes: People for Bikes is spearheading a petition to help policy makers, media and the public know how important cycling is to our health, our environment and our culture. Sign the pledge and help bring them closer to their goal. If you are in an organization that is part of the cycling community then consider joining Bikes Belong, People for Bikes sister organization.

Bikes Not Bombs: Bikes Not Bombs uses cycling to help promote community development and alternative transportation in both the US and internationally. Programs include preparing and shipping used bikes (about 6,000 annually!) to people in countries where a bike can mean the difference between getting to work or going hungry, to helping local children earn a bike through confidence building and awareness activities.

Rails to Trails: Rails to Trails is leading efforts to transform America's unused rail lines into trails for recreational use.  A great example of recycling in a unique way!

League of American Bicyclists: As their tagline says: "Working for a Bicycle Friendly America". Some of their top initatives include Safe Routes to School and National Bike Month.

Alliance for Biking and Walking: The Alliance for Biking and Walking is a "coalition of grassroots bicycle and pedestrian advocacy organizations." and has assembled a huge selection of resources in their online library to help you promote cycling where you live.

 Livestrong: Livestrong is the organization founded by Lance Armstrong to support cancer prevention, finding a cure for cancer and providing a support network for those with cancer. The network of cycling related events that help raise money for this organization continues to grow.

In addition to these national organizations there are countless other local efforts going on in towns and cities in both the US and abroad. What are the other organizations are you involved with?

Posted by Alan Green, Software Engineer

In the next week, we’ll be making some highly requested changes to Google Reader. First, we’re going to introduce a brand new design (like many of Google’s other products) that we hope you love. Second, we’re going to bring Reader and Google+ closer together, so you can share the best of your feeds with just the right circles.

As a result of these changes, we also think it's important to clean things up a bit. Many of Reader's social features will soon be available via Google+, so in a week's time we'll be retiring things like friending, following and shared link blogs inside of Reader.

We think the end result is better than what's available today, and you can sign up for Google+ right now to start prepping Reader-specific circles. We recognize, however, that some of you may feel like the product is no longer for you. That's why we will also be extending Reader's subscription export feature to include the following items. Your data belongs to you, after all, and we want to make sure you can take it with you.

• Your subscriptions
• Your shared items
• Your friends
• Your likes
• Your starred items

A Note from Fatty: Before I get to Dustin’s race report (I guarantee it’s a must-read, and you may want to have some tissues handy), I want to remind you: today is the last day you can donate in the Tour de Pink contest, where you can win a $10,000 Giant TCR road bike, complete with Shimano Dura-Ace Di2. Or a fantastic set of top-of-the-line wheels. Or a GoPro HD camera. Or a lot more. So go donate now, already.

A Note About Who’s Riding for Team Fatty in the Tour de Pink: I’ve asked Heather S to represent Team Fatty at the Tour de Pink. Here’s a little about who she is, in her own words:

In the beginning of 2010 my husband Erik and I were learning how to be parents of 2 after Genevieve’s arrival in August 2009. In May 2010 we celebrated my 31st birthday. In July 2010, I participated in the San Luis Obispo Triathlon for the 2nd time and beat my goal time. In July 2010 we celebrated Annabelle’s 3rd birthday. In August 2010 we celebrated Genevieve’s 1st birthday. In September 2010, I was diagnosed with invasive breast cancer.

While there is a lot of cancer in my family history, I certainly did not expect to get breast cancer at 31 years old. Breast cancer is for women older than me – women who have already had a chance to watch their kids grow up, celebrated their 40th and probably 50th birthdays, and maybe even be grandmothers! Right? Apparently not.

After my diagnosis I got right to the research – in true Heather fashion. What is this cancer? What is the absolute best way to kill this beast? Just as importantly: were there other young people out there like me who had to face this challenge?

That’s when I found the Young Survivors Coalition (YSC). This organization has a website where an amazing community of young women (diagnosed at <40 years old) gather to support each other. We laugh, cry, celebrate, mourn, question, teach and learn from each other. Aside from the priceless support, this is the place I got the best information; the most up to date information out there. Hundreds of women with similar breast cancers researching and sharing information from their doctors, etc. Can you imagine the wealth of knowledge?

YSC holds a special place in my heart because I can’t imagine going through all of the ups and downs of diagnosis, treatment, surgeries and now the struggle and blessing that is survivorship without this community. Cancer diagnosis and treatment can be lonely, alienating and depressing – but I knew I could (and still can) always turn to my YSC sisters for someone who totally “gets it.” I hope YSC can provide this opportunity to young women for years and years to come.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine a better representative for Team Fatty at the Tour de Pink. Heather (and her husband Erik, who’s going to ride with her) has promised to take a lot of pictures and will send us a ride report when she gets back.

And I’m thinking maybe Team Fatty needs to have a larger presence at the Tour de Pink next year.

Good luck, Heather!

Kona Ironman: Dustin’s Race Report

I first want to start with a thanks and an apology. I want to thank you all for your support and fundraising support. Michelle dreamed big and all of you helped me and her friends and co-workers deliver in a huge way. I want to thank you for the support.

What I want to apologize for is taking so damn long to finish. I read that a few of you stayed up until I finished … I’m kind of speechless on what to say about that. All I can say is thank you for caring that much. I’m humbled. For those who posted to the comments, thanks for making me laugh and smile.

Getting Ready

Okay … Race Day! I got to bed later than I wanted. Like 11pm. I woke up at 4:30am, ate a PB&J sandwich, tested my blood sugar, and sat on the balcony looking down at the Swim start. As I sat there I was surprisingly calm. Just very focused on what I needed to do.

Jump to 5:30am. I ate a banana, tested my blood sugar again, and went down to do the thing I hate most for a triathlon: Take off my shirt and get numbered up on my arm.

So this is the World Championships and the majority of people got to come here through being incredibly fit and qualifying because they are incredibly fast. So why do I hate getting numbered? Well I’m overweight and just about 98% of everyone else needs to eat more. I feel intimidated. Not that I’m trying to win, but when my time is that of people over twice my age and they have six packs, well … I’m a little insecure.

After getting numbered I went up to my room to test my blood sugar again; my sugars were stable.

I grabbed the most important thing of the day: an urn of Michelle’s ashes and placed it under the swim skin at the small of my back.

I went down to my bike and pumped my tires up to 110. The heat of the day would bring them up to around 120 when I was on the bike.

From there I walked over to the swim start and got ready. I saw my friend Holly and she helped apply the Tri Slide to help me avoid rashes. Right before stepping down in the water, I applied even more … I did not want a rash in my pits!

It’s about 6:50 now. I saw the woman is responsible for letting me in the race to fulfill my promise and much much more. I went up to say thank you and then started out to where everyone was wading in the water to start the day.

The Swim

BOOM!!!! The canon hits you like shockwave and we are off. I opted to start at the back to avoid from what I heard was the roughest Ironman start around. Well, either I wasn’t far enough back or it is that rough, because people are climbing over me, I got kicked in the face, elbowed in the face and then I said ok, I’m going to be a bit more aggressive and use my size to my advantage. I started swimming elbows wide and thrashing around like a hooked Marlin. It worked; people were staying away from me now.

I have this problem: I don’t swim in a straight line. But the benefit of that is about a little over halfway, a giant school of spinner dolphins swam right underneath me. I thought of Michelle and how she loved dolphins.

Then that awesome thought was soon replaced with a burning in my left arm pit. I think the tri slide wore off because it was Michelle telling me to get my ass focused again. Then I thought of AK chick and how funny it was she called me David and thought I worked for SRAM.

So I finish the swim, washed off and changed, and made sure I had the urn. I checked my blood sugars and I’m at 58–a little low. So I eat a banana and grab some Perform before getting onto the bike.

Well, finding my bike wasn’t difficult at all. There weren’t many bikes left.

The bike started great for the first 50 miles, I felt good, I saw on their way back that Craig Alexander was right with Lieto on the bike and at that point on the bike course I knew Crowie would win!

I started the climb up to Hawi. It was ok at first but then with about 5+ miles to go the winds picked up and picked up a ton. At this point I noticed a major problem. The only bolts I did not check to see to make sure they were tight, came loose.

My friggin right cleat!

This is bad because this is the side I have issues with my knee. I didn’t want to clip out because I was afraid of breaking bolts or losing them so I let it slide around the rest of the ride.

Anyways, I get to Hawi. Winds are blowing and I get my special needs bag. I stop to pick what I want and check my blood sugar. This was the fourth time I stopped to check my blood sugar; it was spot on at 100.

Once I started pedaling again, I thought of Zac_in_ak. Michelle had this saying she wanted people to know … it was “If you want to do something, do it before it’s too late”. I had this painted on my top tube to remember.

And I wanted you Zac to know to do what you want and don’t let Diabetes prevent you from doing a tri.

I’m now about 20 miles to go, headwinds are fierce and surface temperature was reportedly around 135 degrees. all I know is it was hot, headwinds suck and pedaling with a loose cleat is not great for pedaling efficiencies.

I caught a second wind (maybe it was a third or fourth wind) with 5 miles to go and was feeling good. I went into transition about 4:10 in the afternoon. I opted to use the PT in transition to help me release the tension/pain in my right knee. Transition time is not great but I need to do what I need to do. I test my blood sugar again and it’s spot on (I was absolutely amazed I was on track with my blood sugars.)

I make sure I move the urn of Michelle’s ashes into my running short pocket.

Marathon

So this is the part of the race I feared most. I am not a runner! Luckily you are moving slower and around a lot more enthusiastic people cheering you on. This takes away from the pain.

That is, it takes away from the pain until mile ten when you get onto the Queen K and for me its nighttime and no one is around. I know I have to push it because the later and later it gets, I know my math has been wrong.

I was expecting to finish around 11pm. So I’m at about mile eleven and I’m in pain … bad pain. The entire ball of my feet on both sides are blistered. Someone had suggested I take an orange peel and stick it under the sock over the blisters to soften the pain. It seemed to work a little.

I’ve now made it through the energy lab and I was running a little and walking a lot. I have about 6 miles to go and I know I have to run a lot now because my math sucks or my blisters are slowing me down too much.

I ran a lot. More than I ever have. Okay, maybe it was more of a shuffle but I’ll call it a run. It’s 1.2 miles to go, It’s 11:25p.m. and I know I’m going to make it. I pulled the urn out of my shorts and ran with it in my hand the last 1.2 miles.

Coming into the final .2 miles is an experience I’ll never forget. Friends and people I don’t know there for me and everybody cheering you on like crazy. The final 100 meters or so were a blur … but spectacular. As I ran up the ramp I tripped but caught myself and held Michelle’s ashes up in triumph. It was her, my friends and you guys that gave me all the motivation I needed.

After I was greeted by friends and Crowie. Then these older ladies walked me to the after race area. But I made them take me to the water where the morning started with the swim. I took off my shoes and socks and walked down the steps to the water. They were asking me to come back but they didn’t understand I had important business to attend to. I went into the water, opened the urn and sent Michelle’s ashes into the water.

At this point, the weight and pressure of the promise were lifted and I was now done with the race.

After

So it’s three days later. I have some serious issues with my feet. They are bruised and blistered and I can’t really walk.

But although I finished with people over twice my age, I’m proud of what I’ve done. I had never before this day swam over 1.4 miles, rode over a 100 miles or run/walk over 13.1 miles.

Thank you all for your support and love! Thank you for sharing in my experience and thank you for being an excellent group of individuals. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. People like me can arrange products to give away, Elden has the soap box, but without all of you we have nothing!

Mahalo!

~Dustin

The question of where Mark Cavendish will ride in the coming season remains open. Team Sky have admitted that while they have an oral agreement with the world champion, nothing has yet been signed. Meanwhile, Patrick Lefevere has denied recent rumours that Cavendish will join the new Omega Pharma-Quick Step team.

“It is quite complicated,” Dave Brailsford, Sky general manager, admitted to De Telegraaf.  According to the Dutch newspaper, Cavendish signed up with the Wasserman management company in early September, and since winning the world title, “the new management is seeking to financially exploit the rainbow jersey.”

Brailsford is also the Performance Director for British Cycling, and thus responsible for the national team. He has indicated that the British team would do everything possible to help Cavendish win in the London Olympics next year, but that “it would be bitter” if Cavendish was “in the colours of a foreign team.”

The difficulties seems to be that of personal versus team sponsorship. Cavendish has a personal deal with Nike, while Sky's kit is supplied by Adidas, and Cavendish prefers a Specialized bike but Sky has a contract with Pinarello.

The bike question was at the root of the latest rumour suggesting Cavendish would ride for the new Omega Pharma-Quick Step team next year, which will be on Specialized bikes, but team manager Patrick Lefevere has firmly denied the story.

"This season I have not yet exchanged three words with Cavendish. I have negotiated with his friend and teammate Bernhard Eisel,” Lefevere told Het Nieuwsblad. “He was quite clear to me and said: 'Sorry, but Mark needs to go to Sky for many reasons and I am going along. We have now been signed.' So, to my knowledge Cavendish is no longer free.”

This article was originally published on Cyclingews.com.

The Bing search engine significantly outperformed Google, Yahoo and AOL in terms of month-over-month and year-over-year US core search share and query volume growth in August 2011, according to Compete data. In terms of core search market share, Bing held 15% in August. This figure was up 8% from 13.9% in July 2011 and up 28% [...]

The onset of fall brings many things, cooler temps, changing leaves and the wrap up of racing season for most triathletes.  But for some it also means Kona is right around the corner.  The Ironman World Championships is known for its grueling conditions, relentless heat and winds.  We asked coaches for tips on preparing for the Ironman World Championships (even if you're not racing next weekend, these are still some great training tips to try to work in to your schedule) on October 8, 2011:

Google Analytics, the immensely popular suite of tools that Google offers to help webmasters track their site traffic, is getting a big boost this week: the service has launched a real-time dashboard that updates with user events as they happen.

That’s a big deal, as it brings Google more in line with popular real-time analytics products like Chartbeat, which allows you to track things like how many people are currently on your site, and how much traffic each individual article has gotten in the last few minutes. Prior to today’s launch of real-time, Google Analytics reports typically had a delay window upwards of three hours (and often longer), which meant this kind of tracking wasn’t possible.

In its blog post announcing the news, Google highlights how you can now use Analytics to gauge the impact of various social channels, like Twitter and Facebook — and you’ll be able to quickly tell if your custom analytics query is working as intended, without having to wait 24 hours to see the results. In order to see the new Real-Time feature you’ll need to activate the ‘New Version’ link in Analytics, which is in the upper-right hand corner of the screen.

In addition to Real-Time, today the Analytics team has also announced a premium tier for enterprise companies who want more support (and datapoints tracked) than Google offers with its free service. Google says that for an unspecified price, companies will be able to get phone support, SLA guarantees, and increased data limits.

Facebook’s blockbuster announcements last week have already gotten marketers to rethink how they will use the platform, but what about their brand pages?

Facebook hasn’t said anything specific about how the likes of Coca-Cola or McDonald’s might take advantage of the new design, though it looks like those, too, will change radically. “Consistency in both functionality and appearance is really important to Facebook,” a Facebook rep tells Mashable, “so we hope to make Pages more consistent with the new Timeline in the future.”

How will brands update their look on Facebook? No one’s gone public yet, but we asked some advertising and design pros to take a whack at it. Thanks to Skinny, Big Spaceship; Ryan Kennedy, senior art director for Mammoth Advertising; and McCann Digital in Israel for their hard work in creating these mockups.

Editor’s Note: The gallery below shows what some of these pages could look like. None of these brands have actually signed off on these designs.

Burberry

From New York agency Skinny.

Harley-Davidson

From Skinny.

Kanye West

From Skinny.

The New York Yankees

From Skinny.

McDonald's

From Skinny.

Coca-Cola

From Ryan Kennedy.

RedBull

From Ryan Kennedy.

Mercedes

From Skinny.

The Muppets

From Ryan Kennedy.

Big Spaceship

The New York-based digital agency reimagines its own Facebook presence.

Skinny

Skinny reimagines its own Facebook Page.

McCann Digital

The Israeli digital ad agency experiments with its own Facebook look.

More About: brands, Facebook, facebook pages, features, Marketing, Social Media

The program, Facebook Marketing Solutions, which includes a partnership with the National Federation of Independent Business and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, will roll out over the next few months. In early 2012, Facebook will give each qualified business at least $50 of free advertising on Facebook.

The social network also promises free resources and information on how to market your business on Facebook. The company is sending its reps out to meet with small business owners in person. Since Facebook has a self-service ad platform that’s actually geared more to small advertisers than large ones, the program seems to be about building awareness, especially since 64% of small businesses think social media is unnecessary. The company took a similar approach to wooing the advertising industry in April with Facebook Studio, which also offers free resources, though there’s no free advertising component.

Image courtesy of Flickr, EvinDC

More About: Advertising, Facebook, Small Business

“This makes me happy on a lot of levels,” tweets Facebook Product manager Sam Lessin, about this Mad Men homage to Facebook’s recently unveiled profile Timeline. Aside from founding (and selling) Drop.io to Facebook, Lessin was primarily responsible for the look and feel of Facebook Timeline, and has a right to be happy, after all, it could have ended up looking like this.

Says the video’s creator Eric Leist in his explainer notes, “The most compelling elements of Facebook’s Timeline are the ones that made Kodak’s Carousel [what Draper is pitching in the original scene, below] popular. Reminiscing is a social activity. It always has been, and now Facebook is bringing that activity online.”

Oddly enough, the juxtaposition of Draper’s dramatic monologue and the newness of the Timeline’s design gives the parody the overall feel of an Apple commercial. Technology is a glittering lure, indeed.

Via: @Lessin

Facebook has their sights locked on mobile. We know that. This afternoon at GigaOm’s Mobilize conference, Facebook Mobile Chief Erick Tseng touched on just how crucial mobile is to them — and more importantly, how crucial it will be.

Just how crucial are we talking about? Within 1-2 years, Tseng sees Facebook becoming as much of a mobile company as it is a desktop/web company.

“It’s interesting that if you take a look at our top line of growth, we’re getting to the point that the countries we’re getting into now are ones that don’t really use computers at all. The predominant ways people are connecting in Africa, in India, is through their mobile devices. As Mark touched on a few days ago, we now have over 350 million mobile users. Within another year or two, we’ll be a mobile company, with 1/2 mobile users.”

It’s kind of funny to think that Facebook might not already think of themselves as a predominantly mobile company. They’re already the most popular app on nearly every smartphone platform, are deeply integrated into countless Android devices, and 43% of their active user base of 800 million is using mobile on a regular basis. What else can they really hope for? Oh, thats right: to take over the mobile world with a development platform of their very own.

Oh, and as for that iPad app:

“Yeah.. the iPad app. The iPad is great. It’s a fantastic device.. (pause).. but nothing to announce at this point. If you want to get the Facebook fix, there are a number of [iPad] apps that weren’t developed by us.”

At our Mobilize conference on Monday, the two U.S. carriers who don’t currently offer the iPhone — Sprint and T-Mobile — were asked whether they’d be offering the iPhone 5. And they gave very different answers. Looking at those answers, it’s fairly easy to surmise which is and isn’t going to be carrying the iPhone refresh, which is expected to arrive in the next month.

T-Mobile USA Chief Marketing Officer Cole Brodman, talking with Om Malik about the iPhone, said, “We’d love to have the iPhone whenever Apple makes that available.” He also said, “the ball is in Apple’s court” and his company is “waiting for that phone call.”

Translation: No, T-Mobile is not going to be carrying the next iPhone, which is likely to be announced in a few weeks.

Compare that to what Sprint said. Stacey Higginbotham asked Stephen Bye, Sprint’s CTO, the same question. His response? “I’m not in a position to comment on that.”

That’s definitely not a “no.” He’s certainly in a position to know the answer, so his choice to go with a “no comment” is either meant to keep up the mystery, or avoid getting into trouble with Apple before the big reveal. It’s also very similar to what Sprint’s CEO Dan Hesse did last week at another conference, when he refused to deny reports that his company would be offering the iPhone very soon.

Couldn’t make it to Mobilize 2011? Watch the live stream and follow our live blogging of the event as it unfolds.

Related research and analysis from GigaOM Pro:
Subscriber content. Sign up for a free trial.

• U.S. Wireless Data Market: Q4 and Year-End 2008
• Mobile payments: forecasts, technologies and opportunities
• Mobile Q2: Smartphone growth surges; iPad’s rule continues

Facebook has filed to establish FB PAC, a political action committee intended to “give [Facebook's] employees a way to make their voice heard in the political process,” presumably over and above voting and contributing independently to campaigns and other PACs.

The company has spent about a million dollars lobbying over the last three years, according to Senate records and documented by OpenSecrets, with the sum spent increasing every year. For comparison, Microsoft spent around $9m per year through its own PAC at its peak, though that number has gone down to about a third of that now. Establishing a PAC will enable Facebook to make direct contributions to candidates and parties, and if it chooses, spend unlimited sums bankrolling secondary efforts like independent ad campaigns.

We can’t be too sure exactly who or what FB PAC will support, but its spending so far has been significantly concentrated in industry-related issues such as internet privacy, foreign regulations on internet access, and of course weighing in on copyright questions, which would directly affect its business. You can read their official spending report here (PDF). The theoretical spending cap for PACs is several million dollars ($5000 per candidate per race and some miscellaneous allowances), so there’s plenty of room for them to grow into.

Let’s not let partisan politics creep into this too much. Forming a PAC is mainly just another way for Facebook to make its presence felt in American politics, a natural tendency in large organizations. Participating in public politics can be a polarizing choice, though, and it may be that Facebook, being as it is a conglomeration of many differing political groups and philosophies, may have some fancy footwork to do in the future to keep its campaign contributions from riling its user base.

So far they have only filed the paperwork and formalized their intentions. FBPAC.us and FBPAC.org are registered but empty as of this writing.

Note: Microsoft reports and tracks its contributions and lobbying expenses differently from OpenSecrets. I chose the latter’s numbers for consistency purposes.