Get to the starting line healthy...

...that is the piece of advice I have gotten from two of my friends who have run marathons before. Make sure you are recovered and healthy when you hit the starting line on race day, because if you aren't nothing else matters.

That is the issue I have been dealing with for the past 6 weeks. I have been having a problem with my hip. Doctors call it snap hip. It is common in runners, triathletes and dancers. The crappy part is that there is really nothing you can do it about it. You just manage it. You stretch, take ibuprofen, and ice it. Sometimes you even have to give it some rest. Which to this point I haven't.

I went out for my last long run the other day. A 20 miler. I needed to get the miles in as I am three weeks out from race day. The run started well, and I was feeling good. Then it happened around mile 7. My hip tightened up pretty good. I kept running trying to push through it, when around mile 10 I finally had a decision to make. Either push through it, but risk being laid up for a few weeks afterwards, or trust the training plan I have followed to this point, cut the run short, and listen to the advice that I had gotten and make sure I make it to race day healthy.

So that is where I am at. I decided to take a break from running over the holiday weekend, hoping for the hip issue to calm down a little. In fact this week I might supplement some of my running with some biking just to keep the pounding of the joints to a minimum.

Another thing I realized is that since I have started racing almost two years ago, I have never had what you would call an off-season. My first winter break from Tri season was filled with two half marathons, leading into a race season with races almost every month, that started and ended with a half ironman. Then this winter break I have been training for a marathon. At some point this next year I am going to have to schedule some time where I take a break and let my body recover.

Especially if I plan on making it to the starting line of Ironman Texas healthy.

One step closer...

This week I was able to take one step closer to the anticipated Odie Ironman debut. I am officially registered to be a volunteer at Ironman Texas 2012.

For those of you that do not know, Ironman races fill up fast. Really fast and early. Registration for the races open one year in advance of race day and can sell out within hours. Case in point, Ironman Australia registration opened this week for the race being held one year from now. The race sold out in record time...a whopping 1 hour and 9 minutes for the event to filled to capacity.

Now one may say, just register for another race. Well its not always that easy. There are only 8 Ironman races a year in North America. And only another 7 internationally. So its not like there are an abundance of opportunities.

There is a way however to make sure you are able to get registered for your chance to hear Mike Reilly yell those four words as you cross the finish line "...you are an Ironman!". You register to be a volunteer at a race. They allow volunteers to sign up for the following years race first before registration is open to the general public. So in a way its kind of like being back in grade school when you tried to cut the line. But here they actually encourage it!

So that brings me to this week. You all know my goal of completing Ironman Texas 2013. Well this week volunteer registration opened up and I made sure to reserve my spot as a volunteer. As trivial as it may sound it was actually exciting to get registered as a volunteer. Knowing I am officially one step closer to hearing those four words....

45 days....

...thats what I have till the Houston Marathon.

Am I excited.....nope.

Am I nervous....nope.

I am pretty much at a point where it is what it is at this point. I have said before, I have never had a burning desire to run a marathon. It has never been a "bucket list" item of mine. If it wasn't for the Ironman I probably would have gone my whole life without doing one.

Now I am sure as the days gets a little closer I will start to get anxious, maybe even a little nervous. But at this point, its pretty anti-climatic for me.

Training is going ok. I know I have 6 weeks, and probably need to get 3 more long runs in of 15 miles or more. Last week I ended up putting in 27 miles total between all my runs, and next week, I am shooting to put in 30 or more. And some point in the next 6 weeks will come the dreaded 20 mile training run. But at this point, everything is what it is.

Maybe to get pumped up I need to figure out a costume to wear on race day....

What I am thankful for...

For the last two and a half weeks I am sure many of you, just like myself has gotten the privilege to be inundated with everyone on Facebook broadcasting to the world what they are thankful for. Some people think we may all sleep better at night knowing they are thankful for mac and cheese, or they truly do believe their life would be that much more terrible if chocolate ice cream wasn't part of their weekly routine. But to each his own I guess...

With this week being Thanksgiving I figured I would do my part at making an attempt of getting into the holiday spirit, so I have come up with my own list of things I am thankful for...

1) Body Glide - anyone who has ever had chaffed nipples will know what I am talking about

2) Padded cycling shorts- try riding more than 20 miles without them and your ass will hurt more than the last time you showered with Jerry Sandusky (too soon?)

3) Texas weather- I love being able to train year round

4) The Tri-sition area- I bought my bike there and they have taken care of me since day 1. Best shop in Texas!

5) Hot chicks in spandex shorts- how else do you think I have learned to run faster? 

6) Advil

7) Vodka- for when the Advil doesn't work

8) Whiskey- for when the Vodka doesn't work

9) Did I say hot chicks in spandex shorts? 

10) Finally, I am thankful for all my friends and family who have supported me this whole time. I would have never made it this far without them!

With that being said I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving. 

Hopefully you enjoy it as much and he did....

Oilman Half Ironman

There is nothing better than going out with a bang, and that is what I felt like I accomplished this last weekend. Finishing the season strong with a new personal best.

This last Sunday was the Oilman Half Ironman triathlon in Conroe, TX. It was my second half ironman of the year, and my last triathlon of the season. I was excited for this race for many reason. I love racing, I was anxious to see how much I have improved since April when I did my first Half Ironman, and finally one of my great friends Jarod was coming down and doing the race as well.

Race morning went pretty much the same as usual. Up at 4:30, showered, got some breakfast in me, and grabbed my gear and headed towards transition to get all set up. The weather was shaping up for a gorgeous race day with forecasted high right around 80 and mostly cloudy all day.

Jarod and I got everything all set up in transition, and before we knew it the announcer made it known it was time to head down to the swim start. So we pulled on our wetsuits and made our way down to listen to the final pre-race instructions and get ready to start our 70.3 mile day.

The swim start was typical with  arms and elbows flying everywhere. At one point in the early stages of the swim I took a hard kick to the face. It was hard enough that I actually thought they broke my goggles as my right eye was completely flooded with water. Luckily enough it wasnt and even though it took me a few seconds to drain the water and get re situated, I was able to stay in a pretty good rhythm.

1.2 mile swim time- 43:53      Half Ironman Galveston- 48:45     Improvement- 3 minutes 52 seconds

After getting out of the water I felt really good getting on the bike. It wasn't too warm or sunny and it was perfect conditions for riding. This course was actually one of the most awesome rides I have ever done as well. Not only from a pace aspect, but the scenery involved. The first 20 miles of the course was through the forest and so there were lots of curves and great scenery to check out. It definitely helped take your mind off the fact you were in the middle of a 56 mile ride. Other than the scenery there was nothing too exciting that happened. This was definitely a tougher course than Galveston in the fact there were rolling hills the entire time, and you had some wind to fight at different parts of the course.

56 mile bike time- 3:06:54   pace 18.6 mph       Half Ironman Galveston- 3:15:40  pace 17.17 mph

Improvement- 8 minutes 46 seconds   1.43mph faster


Now it was time for the moment of truth. I had spent most of the summer concentrating on my run. I would still put ample time into swimming and biking, but my run is what I thought had come along the most. I was anxious to see how my body would handle it this time around and what kind of improvement I had. Coming into the race I tried not to put too much into a specific finishing time goal. All I said is I wanted to finish faster than I did the first one considering this was a harder course. Coming off the bike and looking at my watch I knew if I pushed myself on the run I could finish in under 6 hours and 30 minutes, which before the race I would have never thought possible. So as I grabbed my hat and pulled on my shoes all I could think about was finishing strong.

I ran non stop for the first 5 miles holding down a sub 10 minute pace. I still felt good, but knew that even though I was almost halfway done with the run I still had quite a ways to go and didn't want to blow myself up. I decided at that point I would run until the water stations, and then use that opportunity to walk a little to let myself rehydrate a little better. That system worked really well for me going through the second half of the race.

With about 3 miles my body started giving me hints that maybe I should lay off the gatorade for a while. I don't take in a ton of gatorade even when I am training so on race day by taking it way more than I usually do it started have a adverse reaction with my body. At that point I decided only water from then on, which definitely helped my system settle down. However at about mile 12 I could feel my energy crashing hard. I hadn't taken in any calories in the last 30 minutes and I could tell. Luckily there was one last water station about 1/2 mile from the finish. I downed a cup of water and a cup of gatorade and kept pushing through all the way to the finish.

13.1 mile run- 2:28:42   pace 11:21 minute/mile    Half Ironman Galveston- 2:53:17  pace- 13:13 minute/mile

Improvement 24 minutes 35 seconds  1:52 minute/mile faster


Overall time including transition- 6:26:22     Half Ironman Galveston- 7:07:20 

Improvement- 40 minutes 58 seconds

So I finished the season strong with a new personal best. I feel like I have come a long way in the last 6 months and finally have some numbers to show for it. Don't get me wrong I still have lots of room for improvement, but this is definitely a start to help keep me motivated.

I need to give a big shout out to a few people. First off my buddy Jarod. He is the one that got me started in the whole triathlon scene, and I have loved every minute of it. He has been my defacto coach and it was an awesome time being able to race with him!

I also need to give a shout out to Kerr and DJ! They were our support crew cheering us on the whole day. I know I have said it before but I can't put into words how much it helps having someone there cheering you on. It definitely helps you find another gear when you think you are about out of gas. So thank you again guys!

Well this ends the triathlon season until 2012. This month I do get to take the next step towards Ironman Texas though as volunteer registration opens up. By volunteering for the 2012 race I will get first dibs to sign up for my spot in Ironman Texas 2013. I can't wait!

Now for the next few months I will continue to swim, but put more focus into my running as I have just over two months till the Houston Marathon!!

Feel like a kid waiting for X-mas

Race week always feels weird to me....

This Saturday I am doing my second Half Ironman of the year. 70.3 miles- 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run....and a partridge in a pear tree.

The last few months my race schedule was put together with the sole purpose of building me into this race. A slow build through the summer months, transitioning me into a pretty busy September and October slate of races, and now here we are. Race week.

Which brings me back to my first point....race week always feels weird to me...

First off you have the anticipation that builds, almost like a kid in the week leading up to X-mas. You know what is coming, and as each day passes you get more and more excited, and the week just seems like it takes forever. Most people will say just go about your normal routine and it will be here before you know it, BUT that brings me to point #2....

During race week you don't get to go through your normal routine. Its all about tapering and making sure you are fully rested for race day. Up to this point you have you have been pushing your body through intense workouts to make sure you are ready for race day. You have been doing swim sprints till you can barely move your arms. Riding hills until your legs feel like they are on fire. And of course running farther than some people drive in a day. And then all of a sudden you aren't...

You are supposed to go from pushing yourself through workouts to just going through the motions anywhere from 25%-50% of the intensity or distance that you normally would. It feels weird, it feels like you are slacking, it actually is harder to do the lower intensity workouts than it is to let you body go with what it has been getting used to. No matter how many races I have done, it still always feels wrong to me.

So just like a kid on Xmas I try not to look at the calendar. I will try not to think about the race. I try not to count the days, or even the hours until I know I will be jumping into the water. I will just go about my normal routine, and try to make myself sleep the night before. Because to me waking up on race day feels the same as a kid waking up on Xmas morning.

Texas MedClinic Half Marathon.......and a tower of beer!!

This last Saturday was another race day. I have to admit this one snuck up on me a little. I had been concentrating so much on the last two triathlons I did and doing shorter distance speed work, that before I knew it, it was race week. I was running the Texas MedClinic Half Marathon, and I hadn't done a run longer than 6.5 miles in a couple months. I wasn't too worried I just knew I wasn't going to be able to run it at the pace I would have normally hoped for.

I originally signed up for this race because it is 4 weeks out from my next Half Ironman and I figured it would be a good measuring stick of where my legs were at this point in my training. Although with the lack of long runs leading up to it, I knew I would just have to take it a little conservatively.

The race for the most part was pretty uneventful. The temperature wasn't hot, but it wasn't exactly cool either. It was decently muggy which made us sweat enough to wish they had set up the water stations a little better than they did. Normally in a race that distance you see them every mile. This one was about every 2 -2.5 miles.

I definitely could have used the extra water stations. The race was going well all things considering. I hit the halfway point in under an hour, and I was on pace to finish in between 2:00 and 2:05. About mile 11 the humidity caught up with me, or more specifically with my calves. Of course they started cramping up on me to the point where every couple hundred yards I had to stop and stretch them out because they were locked up. But in the end I was still able to finish this race in 2:10:30, and just under the 10 minute/mile pace I was shooting for.

It definitely gave me a little more confidence heading in to the Half Ironman in a few weeks, even though I know I still have plenty of work to do over the next few weeks.

All things considered I it was a successful race, so I thought in celebration I would treat myself to something special.....

Winding down or gearing up?

That is the question, and that is what I am trying to figure out. I can't decide if my race season and training season is starting to wind down, or just starting to gear up. Maybe a little bit of both? It is definitely up for interpretation to say the least.

One could say that I am finally winding down my 2011 race season. I am running a half marathon this weekend on Saturday, and then once that is done I am officially 4 weeks out from my second Half Ironman triathlon of the year. The Half Ironman should be my last major race of 2011. Its been a year full of races that have seen me complete in the vicinity of 15-20 races consisting of triathlons, running races, half marathons and half Ironmans.

But at the same time one could argue that my race reason is just starting to gear up. After these next two races in the next 4 weeks, I get 8 weeks to finish off my marathon training, and kick off the 2012 race season with the Houston Marathon on Jan 15. Once that is done, I have 10 weeks to turn my focus backs towards triathlons as I will be doing the Galveston Half Ironman again on April 1, 2012. Once that is done I will have another 8 weeks to fine tune things and try to improve heading into the Kansas Half Ironman in June. And that just puts me into the halfway point of the year, not even including the races I will be doing later in 2012 helping me build into Ironman Texas in May 2013.

So like I said its up for interpretation, I could either be winding down or gearing up. Either way its going to be one fun ride...

Houston Triathlon

Its bound to happen. It does to everyone. You think you are ready to go and you feel awesome, and then BAM something knocks you back to earth. Like I said it happens to everyone, and it happened to me this last weekend.

Sunday was the Houston Triathlon. I was feeling pretty confident going into the race because of the recent good showing I had up in Austin a couple weeks prior. I thought for sure after coming so close to the 3 hour mark I would have no problem kicking it up just a half a notch and finish under it this time around. Maybe that was my problem. Maybe I was a little too over confident. And because of that I made some mistakes. Some dumb mistakes that I know better. Albeit mistakes that are easily correctable, but still mistakes nonetheless. I will come back to those in a minute.

The Houston Triathlon has two unique elements to its course. The first one was that the swim course was a two loop course. That is not very unique itself but this one required you to get out of the water after the first loop, run back to the swim start, jump back in and head out for your second loop. It throws you off a little because a big element to the swim portion is getting into a rhythm, and obviously having to get out of the water halfway through effects that.

The other unique element is that the transition area was quite a distance from the swim exit. Normally we are talking maybe 50 yards or so at a normal race. This race is was easily 3-4 city blocks away. Logistically it was the best way to set it up, but of course it contributed to some added time that was going to need to be made up if I was going to break 3 hours.

In a nutshell the race started off as to be expected. I felt pretty good with my swim the whole time. The interruption in the middle was different, but nothing terrible. I made it out of the water in about what I was expecting and made the long jog to transition.

The bike was a pretty simple and flat two loop course around the area, 12.5 miles each loop. About 4 miles of each loop was directly into a headwind which was not fun, but it definitely could have been worse. I actually rocked the bike though. In fact I think this was one of the best bike rides I have ever had. I smoked through the bike course faster than I have ever ridden before and hit transition right on pace to break the 3 hour mark.

By the time I was hitting the run course it was extremely hot. Houston hit record high temperatures on Sunday, and you could tell. It took its toll on everyone. The first mile into the run I was running a little faster than I needed to, and then when I hit mile two things started going downhill and fast. My pace kept slowing, and the faster I tried to run the slower I would actually go. By mile 3 the heat and the effort I put into the bike started taking it toll and causing my legs to cramp up. Long story short, it was by far the worse run I have ever had in a race. The only consolation I have is that I wasn't the only one hurting. With the weather conditions the way they were the run course looked like a battlefield. Tons of people were cramping, walking, stretching, hobbling. You name it they were doing it. I did eventually finish although not near as fast as I was hoping.

 
So needless to say it was a learning experience. Like I said I made some mistakes, but I learned from them. They are easily correctable.

#1 Nutrition- The night before I did not eat my normal pasta dinner, nor eat much for breakfast that morning. I was feeling very confident, and maybe a little too overconfident and thought I could get by without. I could definitely tell heading into the run I could have used some more energy after the effort I put into the bike. Like I said easily correctable.

#2 Pacing- Pacing is key for triathlons. Go out too fast and you leave nothing in the tank for the finish. That is exactly what happened to me. I got excited on the bike and the adrenaline was flowing a little too fast. I had an awesome bike split but it cost me in the run. Even though I probably would not have made it under 3 hours by slowing down on the bike, I would have left something in my legs to finish the run better than what I did.

I would say the other factor here is weather, but I have no control over that. I can only play with the hand that is dealt to me. I just need to know that in hot conditions, mistake #1 and mistake #2 become even more crucial.

With all that being said, overall I am not too disappointed. It was a learning experience and that is exactly what I am going to do. I have just over a month before my next half Ironman triathlon. It will give me some time to work on some longer bike rides and longer runs. I can play with the nutrition and pacing a little bit to figure out a good combination that works for me and head into that race feeling confident.....hopefully not over confident though.

P.S.- I have to throw a huge shout out to two of my friends that made it out to support; JP, and Dr. Kerr!!! You guys rock!! Thanks for cheering me on, it was greatly appreciated!! Next time we will get you on the front page of the paper again!

Pre-race taper

Well race week is upon me again. This weekend I am eastbound and down to Houston to participate in the Houston Triathlon! That means its time to start tapering down the workouts for the next few days to make sure I am rested up to rock it out on Sunday.

Sometimes for me the hardest part is the taper. I am so used of going, going, and going, that when it comes time to tone down the workouts or as in the case this morning, cut them out completely it definitely makes me feel out of sync. But I also know I need to make sure I am rested up that way I can give my best effort. 

So it will be light workouts for the rest of the week so I can make sure I am on my A game come Sunday. Maybe this time I can break the 3 hour mark after coming so close in Austin a couple weeks ago! 

Of course, I was able to scout the competition to see what I am going to be up against. As you can see, this guy is going to be tough to beat!!

Austin Triathlon

Ahhh labor day. A day off work, a day spent grilling out with friends and family, or out on the boat enjoying the lake. Or if you are like me or one of the other 1024 Olympic distance triathletes in Austin today, its a day where you get up before dawn so you can swim 1 mile, bike 25, and run 6.2. I know, sounds relaxing doesn't it?

I was very excited for today. The Austin Triathlon was the first triathlon that I did last year. I can now officially say I have been a triathlete for a year, and honestly what a year it has been. The Austin Triathlon will always be a special race for this simple fact. Last year I did the sprint distance: 1/2 mile swim, 17 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. With already having a half Ironman under my belt, and currently training for a second, I figured the step up to the Olympic distance would fit very well into my training plan. 

Even though I was doing the Olympic distance this year I was still very anxious to compare my splits from last year and see how much improvement there has been. Many of you know I have put in a lot of work over the past year, and it would be interesting to see just how far I have come, and also see just how far I need to go to get to where I want to be. 

Thankfully last night we finally had a break from the heat when a cool front came through. It was about 70 degrees this morning before race time, and it felt amazing. Even though it was still going to warm up some once the sun broke, it still wasn't going to be as hot at the 106 we had just yesterday.

Spoiler alert: I had a GREAT race! I wasn't exactly sure what to expect considering my last race I crashed on the bike. But needless to say there were no after affects and I don't think, all things considering, I could have asked for a better race

Swim: With the drought and the incredible heat wave we have been having in Texas, it caused the water temps to be warm enough that wetsuits were not allowed. Its kind of bittersweet, wetsuits do give you an advantage and you can swim faster in them, but at the same time it is nice enjoying the water and swimming without them as well. I think all the open water swimming I have been doing lately has paid off. I didn't have any sighting problems, kept a good pace and overall had a good swim. My time for the mile swim was 38:12, giving me a 2:33 minute/100 meter pace. Not quite as fast as I had hoped, but considering it was without a wetsuit I will take it. In comparison to last year with a wetsuit I swam a 2:38 minute/100 meter pace for a distance half as long. So there has definitely been some improvement. 

Bike: The Austin bike course has a few moderate hills to it that definitely makes it a little challenging in spots. Today though there was another added element. WIND! It was windy on the bike course. Now the bike course does wind around a couple different directions, so you had the advantage of the wind at your back at a couple spots, but others you were going straight into it.

Most of my training has been in the hill country, and even though my legs hate it at the time it definitely paid off today. Even with the hills and the wind I had an AWESOME bike ride. I didn't crash which is always a plus, but overall I just felt really good on the bike. And it definitely showed when I compared my times to last year. This year I average 18.4 miles per hour on the bike for the 25 mile ride for a total time of 1:20:53. Last year I only road 17 miles, and I only averaged 14.5 miles per hour for a total time of 1:09:12. Definitely lots of improvement there. Its funny because in comparison, the bike is probably what I spent the least amount of time working on compared to the swim and the run, but I guess the work I have been doing sure has been paying off. 

Run: For those of you that don't do triathlons the run portion of it can be quite the experience. I have seen pros that rock the swim and the bike completely implode on the run. There is definitely an element of pacing that needs to be considered. You ride too fast on the bike and you don't leave anything left in your legs. So really once you get off that bike you never quite know what your going to get. You could get a good set of legs to rock out on, or you could end up running on cooked spaghetti legs. My run today was as good as I could have asked for. I felt good pretty much the whole time. I started to bonk with about a half mile left in the run, but was close enough to finish I could dig down and finish strong. I ended up rocking the 6.2 mile run in 56:06 for a 9:03 minute/mile pace which I was very happy with. I was shooting for anything less than a 10 minute/mile pace, and beat that pretty comfortably. In comparison to last year. 3.1 miles in 37:05 for a 11.58 minute/mile pace. So once again I shaved some time off there. 

Overall with transition time my total time for the race was 3:01:15. I honestly never thought I would have been closed enough to actually have a shot to break 3 hours, so I am kind of bummed I was so close and didn't get it done, but at the same time it gives me something to shoot for next race. 

As the Austin Triathlon is in the books this is just the start of my busy race season for the next few months. I have the Houston Triathlon (Olympic distance) in 3 weeks. Then 3 weeks after that I have the Texas Med Clinic half marathon. A month after that I have the Oilman Half Ironman Triathlon. And then I have two months to finish up my marathon training for the Houston Marathon on January 15! Then it is a nice short 2 1/2 turnaround time until Triathlon season fires up again with the Galveston Half Ironman on April 1. 

Thanks to everyone who sent good luck wishes. They definitely paid off! Here is to a great Labor day for everyone, I think I am going to enjoy the rest of mine with my legs in the air and a drink in my hand!

(that's what she said....)

Hitting the open water...

As many of you know I swim quite a bit as part of my new lifestyle. Of the three disciplines in triathlon it is definitely the one I work the most at. I am part of a masters class that swims three mornings a week at 5am. We have about 5 or 6 of us that regularly show up, and we have a coach that puts us through a workout. The workout is done at an indoor pool which definitely has it advantages, but also its disadvantages.

It is nice because it is a controlled environment, so you can always get your workout in regardless of the weather conditions. You are the only one at the pool at the time so you don't have to worry about crossing paths with other people. And it is much easier to keep track of exactly the distances you swam. On the other hand though, swimming back and forth for 50 meters at a time can become very repetitive and boring. With nothing to look at but the line on the bottom of the pool it definitely takes more concentration to stay focused and not let your mind wander. In fact I haven't concentrated so hard on a following a straight line since the last time I got pulled over driving home from the bar, but I digress....

Well my pool that I go to had originally been scheduled to be closed down for two weeks for yearly maintenance. That wasn't going to be a huge deal because I was going to be out of town part of the time, and I still had my weekend group training sessions out at the lake. Well we are about to go into 4 weeks of it being closed and we still don't have a date when class is going to start back up again. While most people would bitch and moan, I have taken it as a chance to work more on my open water swimming.

Although most of the same form and mechanics are the same, open water swimming vs pool swimming is a completely different animal. You have to worry about sighting to make sure you go in a straight line. The more you zig zag, you are just adding more length onto your distance. You also have to worry about the conditions. Is it cloudy? Is it sunny? Are you swimming straight into the sun? Is it windy? All things which can effect how you handle the swim.

But at the same time open water swimming can be some of the most peaceful swimming you can have. I have been getting out to the lake before sunrise so I can hit the water the minute it gets light enough. Most days I am the only person out there that early, and there is nothing more serene then looking out along the glass like lake as you walk into the water.

Soon enough my pool will be open again, and it will be back to the hamster style workouts of swimming laps. Don't get me wrong those are great workouts, and I wouldn't be where I am today without them, but in the meantime I am definitely going to take advantage of the early morning lake swims as long as I can. Cause on some mornings there is nothing better than hitting the open water....

Back in the saddle again....

So to say my training routine had a wrench thrown into it would be an understatement. After the bike crash it took me a few days before I could run semi-comfortably. My pool that I train at is closed for two weeks for yearly maintenance. Then add in a almost week long trip back home to Nebraska where mass quantities of alcohol were consumed, and its safe to say I had been itching to get back into my normal routine.

There routine isnt quite there yet since the pool is still closed hindering my swim workouts, but I was able to focus on some running lately, and yesterday I was able to finally get back out on the bike for the first time since taking a spill.

I got out early enough before the heat started to set in, and it was actually a gorgeous morning for it. Lately I have been doing a lot of hill work when I go out on the bike, and considering the was my first time in a couple weeks back in the saddle I wanted to ease into it a little bit. I ended up taking a little flatter route, and I could definitely tell the hill training has been paying off. I wasnt pushing myself too hard but still cruising at a pretty good clip. I even came up on another group ride and ended up passing them about half way through my ride. Rocked 25 miles in just under 1 hour and 25 minutes, so I was pretty pleased.

One of the best parts about this weekend though was out at the lake this morning. I went out to get a swim in, and as I was getting ready to get in the water another guy showed up. We started chatting about swimming, and racing and such, and come to find out not only has he completed multiple Ironman races including Ironman Texas, his lottery number was picked for the Ironman World Championship in Kona in October and he is gearing up for that.

It was amazing being able to pick his brain about Ironman racing, and what it takes to complete the races and the training involved. Not only had he done Ironman Texas, but he did it two weeks after completing Ironman St George. When he does Kona in October it will be 6 Ironman races total, with 3 of them being this year alone. Needless to say I couldnt stop asking questions trying to soak up as much information as I could. I was like a sponge. But it was amazing.

Talking with him really gets me even more pumped for Ironman Texas. In a way it makes me wish I was signed up for the 2012 race. I have the itch to do it, and each day it gets a little worse. But talking with my buddy Jarod this morning who is also doing the race, it probably is for the best we wait. We definitely want to make sure we are properly trained and are able to give that race our best effort. I have to keep telling myself, that I have been doing races for less than a year. I really need to not only build a base of training, but a base of race experience. But all that will come in time with some patience.

In the mean time though, I guess I will have to keep dealing with the itch!

Comic Relief...

When I started this blog I said it was going to be a compilation of many things including humor. As I look back at my past posts I see it has carried a fairly serious theme up to this point. So for your weekend enjoyment I am adding in some comic relief. Hopefully some of these will give you a chuckle or two. Enjoy and have a great weekend!!

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I was running a marathon real slowly. In fact I started out in last place. The guy just in front of me was taunting me “how does it feel to be in last place?” I said “you tell me”, and I dropped out.

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Some sports take a ball….Triathlon takes two

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You know you’re a cyclist when your legs are only tan to mid thigh

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You know you’re a runner when you know how many miles are on your shoes and not on your car

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“Swimming is not a sport. Swimming is a way to keep from drowning.” – George Carlin

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You know you’re a triathlete/runner when 6:30 am is sleeping in.

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You know you’re a triathlete when you have a $4000 bike strapped on top of your $2000 car.

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A man was out jogging in the forest one day when a frog called out to him and said, “IF you kiss me I’ll turn into a beautiful princess.”

He bent over, picked up the frog, and put it in his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, “If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful pricess, I will tell everyone how smart and brave you are and how you are my hero.”

The man took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it, and returned it to his pocket.

The frog spoke up again and said, “If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I’ll stay with you for a year and do ANYTHING you want.”

Again the man took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it, and put it back in his pocket.

Finally the frog asked, “What’s the matter? I’ve told you I’m a beautiful princess, that I’ll stay with you for a year and do anything you want. Why wont you kiss me?”

The man replied, “Look, I’m a triathlete, I don’t have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog is cool!”

Texan Triathlon

I was hoping for a better race recap of today's race, but alas that wasn't in the cards. Still wanted to give everyone an update though. I am not sure if its possible for a person to have their best and worst race all in the same day but I think I might have accomplished that...

This morning I had the Tiny Texan Triathlon. It was just a simple sprint distance race. 1/2 mile swim 15 mile bike 3.1 mile run. I was very excited for this race for two reasons. 1) Its been over 2 months since I did my last triathlon, and I was definitely ready to get back at it. 2) I was looking at the results for my age group from last year, and I figured with a good showing from me and if things went right I might actually be able to finish in the top 3.

Race morning started out as any other. I got my gear loaded up and headed out to the race site. I was feeling pretty good and pretty anxious and I was definitely ready to try and put in a top 3 performance. I got my transition area set up and jammed out to my ipod. Finally it was time to make our way down to the water and get this party started.

The swim for the most part was uneventful. Just a regular open water swim. I felt like I swam decent, although was a little disappointed in my time once I hit shore. I did the 800m swim right at about 20 minutes. I was hoping to be able to do it in about 18, but I figured I could still make time up on the bike course. I made my way up to transition and grabbed my bike. It was definitely the fastest transition I had ever had, and things were setting up good.

The bike started off awesome. I got into my groove I worked the gears well on the hills and I had a great cadence going. I started picking people off one by one moving my way up through the pack. Some of these people had all the expensive gear, aero helmets, even Ironman tattoos, and I was passing them. I was on pace for my goal to place in my age group and I was feeling awesome. Then it happened....

There are two things every triathlete deals with at one point or another. Flat tires, and crashing on the bike. I have dealt with my share of flat tires before, but today was the day for me to experience my first crash. I came up to a corner towards the end of the bike, and I must have been pushing the pace a little too fast cause as soon as I started turning my bike came out from under me and down I went.

I landed on my elbow and my hip, and I landed hard. I collected myself and thought I might be able to salvage my race. I hadnt been passed by a single person the entire time so if I could get rolling on the bike again I still had a shot. I threw the chain back on my bike and jumped on, but from the first pedal I knew it wasnt going to happen. With every pedal pain shot from my hip down to my ankle. My whole left side was on fire. I couldn't get down into aero position because of the pain in my elbow and arm. I knew at the point my race was over.

I pulled off to side and sat down just to collect my breath and let some of the pain subside. I eventually got back on my bike and slowly rode the rest of the way back to the transition area. I took my timing chip off and handed it to a marshal telling them my race was over.

It was frustrating on many levels. For the first time I was seriously in a position to place in a race and I let it slip from me....literally. It is definitely nice knowing to even be in that position is an accomplishment, however it would have been nicer to actually cash in on it.

As far as my injuries they aren't bad at all. My elbow is scraped up some and my hip is still pretty swollen, but they are nothing that is going to shelf me for too long. In fact I am still planning on being in the pool in the morning. If anything my ego is hurt more than my body. Maybe hurt is the wrong word, but definitely deflated.  Of course that is probably still because it just happened a few hours ago.

I am sure tomorrow I will wake up and still be sore, but at least look back and use it as motivation to keep pushing. I have several races over the next few months building into my half Ironman in November. I am not sure I will be in any position to place in any of the next few, but in the grand scheme of things placing isnt the goal, Ironman Texas is. Like my buddy Jarod told me, better the crash happened today then during a major race I had spent months training for.

Recovery Day

Recovery days. They are probably the most important day in your weekly training schedule. Most people think that they become faster or stronger during there workouts. However that is not the case. You get faster and stronger when your body is repairing itself and recovering from the workouts your put it through. That is why the recovery day is just as important, if not more important, than that 50 mile bike ride you think you need to do today. 

Its easy to sit here and write that but I must admit it is still something I struggle with. I still have a burning desire to get faster, and stronger, and lighter. So even I fall into that same trap of a mindset where I feel like I need to be doing something....anything...all the time to see constant improvement. Even though I know in my head that is not the case, I find it a constant struggle sometime to actually follow through and do NOTHING for a day and let my body recuperate. 

But that is what I did today. Oh believe me, I set the alarm for 7 am this morning with the idea of getting up for a run. But when I got up this morning I had to convince myself it was OK to take the day off and rest. I have a race coming up next weekend and I want to make sure I am not too worn down to put forth my best effort. 

So no matter how hard it was, this is where I spent a lot of time today....

Group Training = AWESOME

Up until this point almost all the training I have done has been on my own, except for a few runs every now and then with my running buddy Chris. Now while there are definitely some advantages to training on your own it also comes with its own disadvantages.

It is definitely nice to be on your own schedule and go whenever it works for you without having to schedule around others.You also don't have to worry about being held back by people that aren't to your talent level, and you also don't have to worry about holding people back that are way past your talent level. But when you are by yourself it is a lot tougher mentally to keep pushing through the lows you go through on days you just aren't feeling it. Its a lot easier to talk yourself into cutting your training short if things are feeling too hard that day. It is definitely a bigger mental challenge on your own.

The triathlon shop I go to here in San Antonio is in one word AWESOME! The Tri-Sition Area has taken care of me from day one. They aren't just looking at trying to get you to spend money with them, but are looking to help you become a better triathlete. I have seen for a while now they offer FREE training groups several times a week. They do runs on Wed nights, and bike rides on Thurs nights. And then on Saturday morning they do Triathlon training groups out at Boerne lake which includes an open water swim, bike ride and run.

Now I have always wanted to try and make it out to join them on Saturday mornings but conflicting schedules have prevented me from being able to. Finally last week it worked out that I would be able to make it out. I had a pretty big training week last week so come Saturday I just wanted to get in a open water swim but not do any biking or running. Needless to say after I was done with the swim I was regretting not bringing my bike with me. It was AWESOME training with people with the same lifestyle. They have been through the same highs and lows you have been through. Been through the plateaus, and reached new personal records. There was definitely an instant feeling of camaraderie among everyone.

Needless to say this morning I didn't make the same mistake as I did last week. I loaded up my bike at 6am along with my swim and run gear and headed out to the lake raring to go. Once again the workout was awesome! Nothing crazy as far as distances. 1 mile open water swim 17 mile hill country bike ride and a short 1.5 mile run to shake out the legs, but it was FUN. Yes I said FUN!. I have always had fun with most of my training, but group training definitely takes it to a whole other level.

Now most people probably won't and even can't understand what I am talking about, and that is understandable. I never understood it either until I was on the inside instead of looking in from the outside. But after being on the inside, I don't ever want to leave. In fact all I keep asking myself right now, is it next Saturday morning yet.....

Freedom Day 4 Miler

I normally don't get excited for 4 mile runs. At this point those runs have become pretty standard to me. In fact most of my runs are no less than 4 miles. But today was different. I was signed up for the Freedom Day 4 miler and I was excited to run this race.

I ran this race last year. It was the second race I had ever run. At this point last year I had only been running for about a month, so running a hilly 4 mile course was a little intimidating. After being at it for a year I had been anxiously awaiting a good measuring stick for my progress. This race was going to be it. It was the exact same course, on the exact same day, and when we started this morning the conditions were pretty much identical to what they were last year. This was going to be a true barometer of my progress and I was anxious to see how far I have come.

Last year I ran the course in 50 minutes and 34 seconds. That is averaging over a 12.5 minute mile. It was hilly, challenging, and I even had to walk at one point last year. But this year was different. This year my goal was to run it in 35 minutes. I have been trying to work on my speed lately, so to be able to shave 15 minutes off my total time from last year was a huge goal of mine and one I was gunning for.

I gotta say it was a great race, and I felt great the whole time. There was one point around mile 3 where I didn't know if I was going to be able to hold the pace and make it under 35 minutes but I powered through and crossed the finish line at an official time of 33 minutes 25 seconds. That is an 8 minute 21 second/mile pace and over 4 minutes a mile faster than what I ran it last year.

I know I am never going to be about to hold that pace when I run the Houston Marathon, but being able to run the shorter distances that fast should give me a good base to be able to hold a sub 10 minute mile pace. I am not sure if I will be able to, but I still have 6 months to try and get my body worked up to that point.

Even though I know I have a lot of work to do in the next six months, its definitely been fun to be able to take a minute and look back and see exactly how far I have come in the last year!

Happy Independence Day everyone!!

Battling the runs...

....and no, I am not talking about where at mile 9 of a run and inside your lower intestines feel like the cast of Riverdance is performing, and you now can't be so certain that isnt sweat just running down the back of your legs.

Let me be clear, I have never been a fan of running. In fact before I started doing triathlons, it was probably in my top 5 least favorite things to do. Even now with how much running I have done, and the number of miles I have logged it still isn't exactly enjoyable, it has just become more tolerable. I will make no illusions that running a marathon has never been a goal of mine. Never once had I ever thought growing up, "Gee, I would like to cross that off my bucket list". And in fact if its wasn't for the Ironman, I probably would never do one. I am sure I could have always just said screw it, and let my first marathon be during the Ironman. But then of course I probably would have ended up in the fetal position around mile 130 of the 140.6 mile race sucking my thumb and needing my shorts changed.

But I digress....

Since running has never been a passion of mine, I find this is the one part of my training I struggle the most with when it comes to motivation. I have absolutely no problem getting up at 4am three days a week for my swim workouts. And I absolutely look forward to my 30-40 mile bikes rides. But running on the other hand, I struggle with it. There are days I can get up early and go knock out a 6 mile run before 8am, and feel incredible. And there are days when even the thought of running a mile makes me roll back over and want to go back to sleep.

Case in point, this morning I had scheduled a 8 mile run. Had the alarm set for 5:30, so I could be up and on the trail by 6, and be done with my run before 8. Needless to say, that little invention of the snooze has become my best friend, and my worst enemy all at the same time. As you probably can guess, I wasnt on the trail by 6. I was lucky to make it there by 8, and didnt get all 8 miles in.

As a side note, for all of you that don't know, I live in South Texas, so by 8am that sun is out and that temperature is rising pretty quickly. Which makes the motivation to grind out that run even less.

But I guess for now, this is my cross to bear. I will keep working at it. Keep trying to push myself to get up early and log the miles. Cause the last thing I want to do during my marathon and Ironman is battle the runs.....both kinds.

The journey begins...

....well actually the journey began a little over a year ago, but when I started I was not quite sure of what I was getting myself into, or the addiction that was going to materialize from it.

Let me give you just a brief little background:

- I used to be fat

- Now I am not as fat

Alright I know that doesn't explain too much so lets try this again:

-April 2010, weighing 281 pounds made a lifestyle change

-June 2011, weighed in at 180 pounds with bigger goals on the horizon. 

I am not going to bore you with the details, but diet and exercise(alot) was all it took to drop the weight of a small Chinese man,. No surgeries, no reality show, no supplements.

I am going to steal a quote from one of my good friends. I will use an alias as to protect his identity, so let just call him "Fisch". He once wrote "The second type of marathoners are doing so for a sense of dignity and accomplishment.  These are the guys and gals who spent most of their lives face down in a casserole dish filled with Cheetos, fudge, mayonnaise and Mountain Dew.  Then, one day the Second Chance Fairy came along and granted them the motivation to become obsessive fitness freaks" 

I guess that is what you could consider me. Now although I do triathlons instead of marathons, the basic principle is there. 

But that is not what this blog is about. This is about my (insane) journey to complete the World Toughest one day endurance event. The Ironman Triathlon. For those of you that don't know the Ironman is one badass race. It is the longest of the triathlon distances. 2.4 mile swim. 112 mile bike, 26.2 mile run. All back to back to back with no breaks. You have to complete everything in under 17 hours to be considered a official finisher. So you know, pretty much an average day for most people! 

Ever since I have completed my very first triathlon I have set my sites on the Ironman. I knew it was/is going to be a long tedious journey to say the least, but one I was committed to making. I have made some great strides in the last year, but I know I still have a LOT of work to do.

Ironman Texas 2013 is the goal

So this blog is your blog to. It will be anything from stories along the way to anything you want to hear. It will be a combination of humor, insight, and maybe even a touch of insanity. Its basically my tale of going from a fatass to a badass! 

So I guess it time for that next step. The last leg of the Ironman is running a full marathon. So I figured I better try my hand(or should I say legs) at one of those before I have to do it after swimming 2.4 miles, and riding 112 miles. I just found out this weekend my lottery number was selected for the Houston Marathon! So the coundown begins. 

So I guess I will fully fall into Fisch's second type of marathon runner when it is all said and done with. But lets just thank god I didn't fall into his category for the first type of marathoners. I will spare the details but let just say, "protein farts" and "pooping themselves" was referenced.