Hy-Vee Tri in Des Moines, Iowa

Well, I finally am getting around to writing about Hy-Vee, and I should have done this last week, during my down week. I was finally able to take a few days off, so I just stayed away from all of it. Going into, Hy-Vee I was trying to keep things rolling after worlds in Vancouver. Looking back I may have gone to hard heading into the race. The week before I rode 3 hours on wed, ran 12 on thurs, 8x800 on the track fri, 3 hours sat, 13 mile run sun and all these were the main sets with swimming and a little biking and running as well. This is not to brag just putting my stuff down and even I looking at it wonder “what was I thinking?” This is the joy of sports, to live and learn, it is never ending as Tiger said how may more fore-forever, that’s what we have. So I fly up on Friday, which is just a typical travel day and then Saturday was another typical pre-race day. I didn’t feel great but I have been doing this for a bit now and know that sat doesn’t matter how I feel but block it out and race hard Sunday. Hy-Vee is one of the most well run if not the most well run race I have ever been apart of, going into the race up until thurs was going to be a duathlon, because of the floods in Iowa, but the bacterial count was down and we were able to swim. They were able to pull it off as well as an elite race. Race day now, I swam ok and panicked a bit going into the first buoy, but regrouped and kept pressing. Then on to the bike, a lot like Memphis just a bit worse, and guys were flying by me like I was sitting still. It was a long and rough day, going into the run I knew I was in trouble. I was passed by a 34 year old on the bike who started 3 minutes back and I knew I was in trouble. I have had some great run workouts and I am in great run shape, so I thought it would come around and it never did. So I finished 3rd, I know what your thinking, geez Eric, is 3rd not good enough, well no it is not, I want to win every time out and I learned a valuable lesson. I can take a little time off instead training so hard going into the race. So took some down time last week and started back today ready to roll. I will be racing in Chattanooga on the 13th of July. This is for a spot in a race called Best of the US in October, in Arizona. We shall see how it goes, I am loving watching the Olympic trials, people I have run with, people who I have helped coached, and others I admire and hope in 4 years I will be representing the US in London like they are. The sponsorship front, I am a blessed and humbled individual, so many people are helping and believe in the Dream to all those and I need to ask before I publish names, but YOU know who you are and from the depth of my soul. THANK YOU, I could not do it with out you. Till we meet again Dream!!!

Bell likes ring of 'World Champion'

Sorry for the delay I don't have any excuses....It has been one amazing ride, the news-sentinel article is another great article to check out. Also congrats to my good friend Amy Midis, who is going to Kona to race in Ironman World Championships. I am one blessed individual, people have been coming out of the woodworks to congratulate me and it has been very overwhelming and I feel so blessed. I also am considered a non-profit now with the Knoxville Sports Center and will be raising money to help my dream of 2012. I am meeting with one of my new sponsors tomorrow who will be joining with me in my pursuit, they are Blalock Construction and I welcome and them and am thankful for Jo and Sid and their willingness to join my team. I article below does a much better job than I could in explaining how it went down in chilly Vancouver, B.C.

June 8, 2008 -- For the first time in the 20-year history of the International Triathlon Union’s Olympic distance age group World Championship, 55-degree water and a nasty, five-foot wind chop forced race directors to cancel the swim for two-thirds of the field. With multiple timing difficulties engendered by switching to a duathlon format in mid-race and placing all 1,702 competitors on a three kilometers short of 40km four-loop bike and a two-and-one-half loop run, all results and designated age-group winners were provisional.
ITU World Championship technical delegates and the race director, in consultation with the race medical director, made the decision to cancel the swim after the women’s 45-49 and 50-54 age group waves had started. At that point, 672 competitors started the swim, and 1,030 – all women 55-plus all male competitors –were switched to a duathlon format of 3km run, a 37-kilometer bike and a 10km run.
With race officials citing safety concerns, many U.S. veteran age-group competitors grumbled that the water temperatures were no colder than a typical swim at the Pacific Grove Triathlon, the water no rougher than many a triathlon at Oceanside. But in combination with high winds and air temperatures dipping into the mid-50s at race time, many competitors were pulled out of the moiling gray waters shivering with hypothermia. In fact the numbers of rescue workers in boats and kayaks, and lifeguards on surfboards were kept busy by the numbers of triathletes requiring rescue.
Before the race, the race medical director cut back the point-to-point swim at English Beach from the standard 1500 meters to 1100 meters to avoid placing athletes in waters near 12 degrees Celsius (about 55 degrees Fahrenheit) for more than 30 minutes. With raging currents driving swimmers toward shore, swimmers actually had to fight through much of the original distance just to stay on course.
As rough as conditions were Saturday, they were much milder than the torture suffered by contestants in Thursday’s Junior World Championships. On that day, the ill effects of equally cold and turbulent water were amplified by freezing rain that local meteorologists labeled the “coldest June day in 50 years” in Vancouver. Several junior worlds competitors, with freezing fingers unable to unbuckle, completed the final run with their bike helmets on.
This leaves the USA’s Eric Bell, 28, the likely men’s overall winner in 1:37:58. If his overall time stands up under expected extensive review, he has extended a string of US men taking the overall ITU age group World Championship title to three. Bell follows in the footsteps of Marc-Bonnet-Eymard’s 2006 overall title in Lausanne and Ben Collins’ overall win last year in Hamburg.
Bell, 28, a former University of Tennessee runner with a 5k PR of 14:18, is in just his third season as a triathlete. This year he placed second overall amateur at St. Anthony’s and was one of the top finishers at a race for promising elite competitors held at Tuscaloosa Alabama the day after the second 2008 US Olympic Trials.

Now I am on to Hy-Vee this weekend where floods have casued race directors to cancel the swim. I will give a race report after. My idol Tiger Woods, wow, maybe I can work on my mental game to be a tough as he is. Somnium Magnus!!!!

World Champs

Well hello everyone, I am in Vancouver B.C. Wow this city is amazing and this week has been amazing as well, so much is happening and I am one blessed individual, my Dreams are coming true!!! I race on Sat at 12:15 est. and will be giving a race report asap. I ask you to think, if you could do one thing today and know that you would not fail what would it be...then do it, cause there is no word such as failure, just learning. This past week some sponsors have come forward and I can't tell you how blessed and thankful I am. My board of directors Andrew Huck, Dr. David Forsberg, and Jon Lawler, words cannot express how I feel and am so thankful you three are in my life.

Two of my good friends are racing at Eagleman 70.3 and trying to get their Kona spots this weekend, tear it up Amy and Scott.

Here is a link to the recent news paper article. Check it out if you wish.
www.knoxnews.com/news/2008/jun/04/
bell-to-take-on-triathlons-best/

Remeber if you don't dream big what is the use in dreaming.
Eric