left.right.repeat

Hello 2012

2012-01-28T13:50:00.001-06:00

I ran a 15k a couple of weeks ago called Bold in the Cold - great day - slow run. Deb PR'd the half marathon on her way to the Cowtown full marathon (her first) in February.

Then today we decided to run the Texas Half.

Half marathon - well....it got done. You have all heard of a PR or PB - that's a personal record or a personal best. Mine was a PW - personal worst. I wasn't expecting a PR but I wasn't expecting what I got either. I am not really trained right now so that is one reason/excuse. I stopped 3 times to pee - thought of y'all every time and I stopped 3-4 times to stretch. My hip flexors/psoas were acting up. There is some ART - Active Release Therapy in my future.

It was also a tougher course than I expected and really windy.

Takeaway - not every race is going to be a great race / PR. Some days are just goin to be tough - and then we get it done. We are also smart and don't hurt ourselves. We also start re-evaluating our goals/plans for the day. Today became about encouraging others. Today became about picking up people who seemed to be hurting. ( I am beginning to think this may be my calling - I LOVE getting people to the finish line - especially their first.). Today became about others - maybe it should have been that way all along.

Happy weekend everybody.

Once Upon a Time

2011-12-03T20:01:00.002-06:00

Once upon a time, in 1982, a young man watched Wide World of Sports and saw a woman named Julie Moss lose control of her faculties on a road in Hawaii just a few yards from the finish line of the Ironman World Championships. She finished, she staggered, fell, walked, crawled, cried, refused help and she finished. The young man wondered why anyone would want to do that - no matter how cool it seemed. How unbelievable it was that a human could do all that in one day - a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and then a 26.2 mile run - and live to tell about it. Once a year, from that time, that young man watched the Ironman World Championships and was awed by the athletes that conquered "the toughest day in endurance sports."

And then one day it happened, the offhand comment by a stranger in a locker room planted a seed, that germinated and was harvested at a micro sprint triathlon a few months later. One thing led to another and then in 2009, I completed my first Ironman in Arizona. It has consumed me. I think of Ironman every day. Last year, I completed Ironman Florida - another 140.6 mile journey in less than 17 hours. I cannot begin to describe what the finish line feels like - if you have done it, you know you can't put it into words, and if you haven't done it, well, you wouldn't understand anyway.

Two weeks ago, I once again found myself in Tempe, AZ, a few days from starting my third Ironman. This one would be different. Due to a new job in July and a relocation in September, my training was almost non-existent. Not a good thing and certainly not recommended. You hear people talking about training 20-30 hours a week and you realize that you have hardly trained that much in total (not really but it was almost that bad). I knew what to expect, I have total respect for Ironman and I knew it was going to be a rough day. But I was going to give it a shot - I was going to work through the day and if I ran out of time - well, I would just have to deal with that. I didn't know how I would feel about it, but I knew disappointment would be an understatement. In the few days leading up to the race I attempted to stay calm, I knew I couldn't afford to expend any energy in any non-productive ways. There were four of use from the "You Are An Ironman" book there as well as Jacques Steinberg, the author, we did a panel on Friday afternoon that was a blast and then signed books in the merchandise tent for a few hours on Friday and a short time on Saturday.

And then I was awake at 2am on Sunday morning eating. Yep, breakfast at 2am, and not because you have been out partying - my party was on Sunday. So it was sports drink, banana and peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Then back to bed and awake again at 4:45. Shower, dress, grab the final checklist and stuff and off we go. Body marking, airing the tires, filling the bottles all went well and then it was over the the little tree for Mark and I to meet up with Debbie and Mark's wife and daughter. Shortly thereafter, we squeezed ourselves into our wetsuits, kissed the girls goodbye and began to make our way to the swim start area. I wanted to get in the water in time to easily get out to the start area without rushing but I also didn't want to get in too early as the water was COLD. The report was low 50 degrees water. I believe the report.

BOOM! Off go the pros and then very quickly thereafter, BOOM!!! and we are swimming. Mark and I were right together at the start and that would be one of the few times I saw him that day. It was on....work the swim....bumping....smacking....hitting....getting hit....minor kicks...down the first leg I go. All the "washing machine" stuff is real, but it has never really been that bad for me. I am a pretty slow swimmer so maybe I am just behind it all very quickly and never really feel it, but there are a lot of people around and that can be a bit unnerving at first. Halfway through the swim I checked my watch and was pleased. Just a couple of minutes slower than the last two years. Just keep working and keep your heart rate down. The second half of the swim was long and uneventful and I think they kept moving the bridge further and further away from me. Finally I turn toward the steps and grind my way across Tempe Town Lake to be pulled from the lake by a great volunteer. I cannot say enough for the volunteers all day - and half the night - they were all great. Got the wetsuit stripped off and headed to the changing tent, pretty cold.

Changed clothes, had a great volunteer helping - it was steamy in the tent but I was still pretty cold. Headed out to get my bike, got rubbed down with some sunscreen, there's my bike - okay, let's see how this part goes. A quick aside here, the winds had been light all week - beautiful, Ironman weather really, but we had seen forecasts as low as 3 mph for the wind up to 34 mph for the wind. It seemed even the meteorologists didn't know what was coming. Out through the technical part in town I go, headed for the Beeline and whatever wind awaited. The wind actually was blowing in town (not a good sign in my experience) and when I got out to the Beeline Highway, the wind was in my face. I got up to the turnaround and came flying back down the slight hill with the wind back toward town feeling good about my ride so far but bad about my gut. Nausea is not a good thing on an Ironman day. Stomach squawking, gut spasms...shut up and ride. Nothing you can do about it...get through it. Making the turn around in town to start the second bike loop, I knew what was coming. The second loop is a tough mental loop. Gone is the excitement of loop one and the relief and exhilaration of loop 3 is a long way away...shut up and ride. Positive thoughts. Heading out of town I realize the wind is blowing harder, and from a different direction - we are going to climb out with the wind, and come back to town with the wind in our face, negating the slight downhill on the way back to town...shut up and ride. Made it to the turnaround in pretty good shape but the ride back to town was just tough. Very tough. Control the mind. There are a lot fewer people out here now, the neck and shoulders hurt, the seat hurts, the legs hurt...shut up and ride. I get back to the turn at the transition area and it takes EVERYTHING I have to turn that bike around and head back out. I know Ray is volunteering out on the Beeline at an aid station so maybe I will get to see him this loop, shouldn't be too much traffic. The wind is the same direction and a bit harder but not that bad - hey, there's Ray. He tells me later I did not look good, hey, I know that. I FINALLY get to the turnaround and head back to town, elated to be headed in but I know time is beginning to be a factor. I will make the bike cutoff but I am worrying about how much I will be able to run. I do NOT feel well. Shut up and ride...see how it goes. On the way back, Ray yells at me "are you alright, buddy?" My response, "I don't know." I get off the Beeline and then it seems to take forEVER to get through town. I make the turn onto Rio Salado, there is like, no one still out here - everyone is on the run - well, almost everyone...hey, Mike Reilly is calling someone an Ironman...I still have a marathon to run. Shut up and run...

I reach the dismount line, get off the bike, get my land legs back, give my bike to a great volunteer and go over to pick up my bike to run bag...there sure aren't many bags left - makes mine really easy to find. Jacques walks up and asks how I am, I say sick, he says "you don't look very good", "I don't feel very good" - he comes into the tent with me and we talk a few minutes as I change. I am beginning to feel a bit better...he takes my picture...and asks me if I am going to go out on the marathon...oh, yeah...I don't know what will happen, I don't know if I can run but I am doing this race in honor of Lyman, who is battling ALS, and I am also carrying a bead for Team Beads of Courage - for a kid who is undergoing cancer treatment - I cannot just quit - I will not just quit - I may run out of time but I will be moving when it happens.

Out I go, it is 10 minutes until 5, I have just over 7 hours - I start doing math and start walking. I am feeling better...what...yeah, I am feeling better. At the 1/2 mile mark is an aid station, I take in a few calories and a bit of water and I feel like I can run. Take it easy cowboy - a bit at a time here - run a bit, walk a bit, see how it goes. Then I am to the bridge, coming back on the other side of the lake...and out on the second part of the first loop. About 2:10 for the first loop...I am looking better on time, keep moving like that on the second loop and you will be able to walk the whole third loop if necessary. Go.... First part of the second loop goes well - hey look, there's Ray - we move together for a few minutes, laugh about how I looked on the bike and he tells me "you got this" - I know he is lying - I still have a lot of work to do and I am trying to put time in the bank for the third loop but the second part of this loop is tough...I am about 1/2 way through the marathon - it feels like I am further along but I am not, shut up and run...this loop will end and then you are on the last loop. Get it done. I grind through the rest of loop two. Mark is getting close to finishing...he is going to finish well under his goal. I feel good - happy for him and thinking I am in pretty good shape.

As I near the end of loop two, I come to the place where the volunteer says, left to finish, right for loops 1, 2 or 3....this is my last time to be forced to go right. I tell him I will see him in a couple of hours. He'll be here. I catch up with two ladies talking about the time, they are worried, it is their first Ironman, they are slowing, I tell them, "come with me, we will get there"...I am confident in my math and my pace. As long as nothing goes really wrong on this loop...shut up and move....we walk, we jog a bit to stretch our legs and we walk some more. We talk, one lady lost her husband to cancer 5 years ago, she needed something to fill her time...I thought a dog would have been an easier alternative but we talked about what he would be telling her right now....emotional...cool...we keep moving...coming over the bridge toward the park I see Debbie....ah, it has been too long..."how are you?" "It's going to be late, but I will make it, and then I am going to medical." We turn out of the park and head out for the last 5.5 miles...we are going to make this. We overtake another lady who joins our parade and I ask the ladies what their finish line celebration is going to be...they all say "we are finishing together" and I explain we are not...we are going one at a time...so they can OWN their finish line...not share it with anyone...it is THEIRS. I will cross last...I am going to roll the Blazeman Warrior roll and I also want to watch each of them become an Ironman. We grind through the back side, most of the party is over back there, people are cleaning up, time is waning, a few hard core volunteers still congratulate us and give us treats. I love volunteers...thanks to all. We see several people headed out to the back part of the loop and one of the ladies says "are they going to make it?" and the reality hits that the rest of these people have very little if any chance of finishing inside the limit. We move...and head over the bridge, about a mile from the finish. "Bryan, is it okay if I get emotional now?" as tears are rolling down her face. "yes"...this is one of the really cool moments of my life, watching this happen. We approach the cut off to the finish, I stop and hug the volunteer, the young man returns the hug. I explain we are going to veer left, go through the parking lot, a few steps on the street and a left turn into the finishing chute....slow down....SLOW DOWN....OWN IT....ENJOY....take it in - you will NEVER have another first Ironman finish line. I watch as each is proclaimed an Ironman...my smile is huge....fist bump for Mike Reilly...and then THE ROLL....a moment I have thought of for a year. I even got off the ground unaided. A great hug from Deb, then Bob and Mary Ann Blais were there and then Jacques was there - it's been quite a journey my friend. Pictures were taken and then I saw her, a newly forged Ironman, tears in her eyes, "I will never forget you." Me either.

New Beginnings

2011-09-17T12:28:00.001-05:00

Dateline 9.16.2011
It's been a while since I fired up a post here but I thought today would be a good day to post.

Today, Sherpa Deb and I are on our way to NY for the launch weekend of the You Are An Ironman book. This is the multi-year project of Jacques Steinberg that I have been involved with since 2008. It has been a very interesting process, watching a book from its true infancy, through each stage of life. Seeing it, holding it, reading it has been an experience I will never forget.

Reading the stories of the other 5 athletes in the book kept me glued to the book and I laughed and fought alongside them on tough training days. Not knowing it when we were training but certainly appreciating their company on those long rides when I thought I was alone.

A special thanks to Jacques, who marshaled all of us into some sort of information transmitter, to get him the necessary material to tell, what in my opinion, is a very cool story - actually five very cool stories - and mine (but who knows if anyone other than my mom and me will think that part of the book is cool?)

Also, several of you have been along for the journey so you know many of the tales in the book already but I want to say thanks for riding along. You have made my ride much more enjoyable.

See you at the finish line,
Bryan

Happy Holidays to All

2010-12-18T17:29:00.001-06:00

Happy Holidays everybody....I'll be back soon.

See you at the finish line...

IMFL 2010 Race Report

2010-11-08T20:47:00.001-06:00

Florida RR
So on Saturday November 6, I found myself on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico with about 2500 of my crazy friends getting ready to embark on a king sized journey. The air temperature is high thirties or low forties and we are about to go for a swim. See I told you they were crazy. But first a little background on the trip.

Debbie and I arrived in The Sunshine State on Wednesday with rain, scattered thunderstorms, wind, low temperatures and forecasts of more to come. My plan on Wednesday was to drive the bike course, get through athlete check in and do a quick ride to be sure all was in order. It rained all day on Wednesday including the time I waited outside in a reasonable line to take care of athlete check in, I correctly thought the lines would be much longer on Thursday as those lines would include new arrivals and those folks who had sense enough to stay out of the rain, i got checked in, picked up my bike also in the rain and made a quick pass through the expo deciding to save the ride for Thursday.

Thursday dawned, okay you couldn't see the sun due to the cloud cover but I just know it was there, with some light rain. My bike was dry and ready for a check ride. Deb drove out a few miles ahead of me and I rode about three miles before it started to rain pretty hard. I really had wanted to ride a bit more of the course but it just was not to be at that time. Did I mention it was windy and cool? About noon on Thursday I saw blue sky for the first time. There wasn't much but it was there. So on went the wetsuit and out to the Gulf I went for a swim. There were about a half dozen or so people in the water and it felt really good. The water was in the low 70s so warmer than the air by a bit. I got out of the water and went for a very easy run and then my onsite prep work was complete.

I took Friday completely off. Friday morning the cold front had arrived complete with "angry ocean", big wind, and cold. Hmmmm, uh, Sunshine State? I looked out the window and saw several folks headed out to swim - I am sure just to get a feel for it and get their minds right in case that was the hand we were dealt. I decided to deal with it Saturday if necessary. The talk on Friday was swimming was tough with big current and waves. The weather guys were predicting the coldest day in Panama City this year for Saturday and the locals were worried about plants and trees. I went to bed early.

I woke up at 2am to eat and had actually slept pretty well. After eating I stared at the ceiling a bit but also got a bit more sleep before I was up for good about 4:15. Left to walk to transition at about 5 and breezed right through body marking. The volunteers were great here, I had two working on me at once. Shoulders marked, thighs marked, calf aged and "Believe" on one forearm and "Execute" on the other. I then rolled my bike over for air. There were three people ahead of me so as I got closer I loosened my valves. The rear core flew off at about 100 miles an hour. Of course there was zero chance of finding it in the dark so I moved to the bike tech tent for a new valve extension. No waiting, valve core replaced, tire aired, disaster averted. I went into the hotel to find somewhere warm to sit down. That was such great idea over the next several minutes the entire population of the United States wandered in with me. There was no one by the swim start and no one seemed to be in a hurry to get down there. We finally had to suit up and go. I stopped by the VIP viewing area to tell Debbie and Taylour bye and stubbed my toe going up the stairs - great - a stubbed frozen digit. I said my goodbyes and was actually one of the early ones across the swim mat. I stood in the water to keep my feet warmer until they made us get out. During the National Anthem i looked around to take in the whole scene, tons of people, spectators and athletes, anxious faces, music, nervous adjusting of goggles, shouts of encouragement. Then BOOM - it was time to go. A whole bunch of people moving into the water at once, deeper, deeper, a bit further, now swim. I ran aground on bodies, okay, slide off and swim again. Big right to left current, stay to the right and let the current carry you over to the buoys. Big kick to the left side of the face, no blood, no foul, swim on. Arms flailing, legs flying, multiple body blocks, there have been less physical UFC fights. It was a tough start to the first lap - but as always, it clears up and you can get in a rhythm and get your swim on. Beautiful clear water and some interesting wildlife to look at, oh that's the orange turn buoy. Make a left turn and let the current help you, now turn back to shore and stay inside as much as you can so the current doesn't carry you down the beach. The last few yards of the swim loop were really much colder water, noticeably so. Out of the water, across the mat, look, there's Debbie and Taylour, halfway done, a quick drink and then follow the line back into the water. Much less contact on the second loop. I have heard the water on the second loop is usually rougher but I didn't really notice a difference. Make the turns and bring it home. A pretty even split and an okay swim overall for me. Wetsuit stripped and then through the hanging hoses for a rinse. Could it be colder?

Into T1, just methodically got dressed and moved on out. I went with a compression top, jersey and arm warmers and kept them all on the entire bike ride. Many wore more, many wore less, but I think I was dressed just right for me. I had taken in some salt water on the swim so I went with just water to try to dilute that and the possible effects for the first 15 miles or so before I started hitting the calories. I didn't feel sick but I didn't feel great either so I just took it easy on the ride and tried to get in some water. Out 79 to 20 was uneventful but the calories were just not going down and I was getting further and further behind on my eating plan. I hear Rich in my head sayIng less is better so I am okay with it, just aware. Look at that sign, i think it is indicating bears in the are, that's interesting. About mile 30-35 the leader goes by at mile 80-85, now in a word, that kinda sucks..I have a long way to go. By the way the wind is picking up and it seems to have been on my nose in both directions. I make the turn to go south and it is not only a nice road, it is downwind...ahhhh...speed. And then it ends, we turn again onto 388 and there's the wind - really how can it be in my face again? Taking it past =================, the road turns to crap. There are cracks every where and your junk is bouncing. There are water bottles, tubes, CO2 cartridges, a Thanksgiving turkey, all manner of fodder scattered on the road. Pay attention here, dodge the stuff, try to find a smooth spot and it is about here that it feels i have slowed to a crawl and the distance isn't moving on my power meter. Just ride through it, the feeling will subside, moods oscillate all day, let's ride. There's the turnaround. Head back, bumps continue. Wind in my face out, wind in my face back, perfect. Turn right onto ======. Guess what, yep, wind in my face. Three miles and then back onto 20. Now this is interesting, not only is the wind in my face but those look like hills.....NO......NO.......NO.......Florida is pancake flat. Folks, if your pancakes look like that, don't call me for breakfast. Shut Up And Ride, you baby. Mmmmmm, my left Achilles seems to be tightening up - monitor that. Stop at the aid station and stretch at mile 70 or so, mount up and let's get this done. Feeling pretty good at this point. Make the turn at highway 79 expecting a tailwind, nope. But it is not too bad, just no help either. Turn to the Steelfield Dump, wind across me, turnaround, wind across on the way back too. Drop back onto 79, take it back into town, turn on the Beach Road and get blown around as the wind channels through the buildings, be alert here, almost done, don't let anything bad happen now. Look at the calm water in the Gulf, and the breeze in onshore now instead of offshore as it was this morning. At least that explains some of the bike course wind. Bear to the right on Thomas and woohoo there's the dismount line. Thank you, marvelous people for taking my bike. I head to transition.

I feel okay now but I am concerned about my lack of calories. I have taken in less than half of what I expected. I stretch a bit, change into dry comfortable clothes and prepare for what I know will be a long marathon. As I come out of T2 i ask a volunteer to tell Debbie (who was volunteering at the finish line) that I was heading out on the run. This was the only volunteer to let me down - he didn't get word to Debbie - but I believe he tried and was just unable to find her. I worked my run/walk strategy through the first few miles keeping my pace in check and monitoring my Achilles and other ever-present-by-this-point aches, but nothing seemed critical. I got to the park before dark so I got to see the park in the daylight which was good as I had heard it was dark and lonely later in the evening. I was intrigued by the Don't Feed The Wildlife sign until I came upon the alligator sign. A guy beside me said, "don't worry, they move really slow in the cold". HELLO, have you checked my pace. I am moving really slow too. Out of the park and back toward the turnaround I go. Happy to see lights and a few people. Back onto Surf drive - this is a party - and then veer onto Thomas to get down to the turnaround. I would really like to go to the right but i have another lap So out I go, less runners, oh yeah, it's getting late, keep up the pace - you are fine. I can tell I am slowing but only minimally at this point, Achilles is not happy, stomach is not happy, head and heart team up to tell them to Shut Up. I am struggling at the entrance to the park, there are not many other runners, I am wondering just how fast IS a cold alligator, but I keep moving, running a bit, walking more. There's the Ford Inspiration Station - look, there's my name, Debbie says, "hurry up". I laugh and run a bit. About 6.5 miles to go. Let's get this done. You know the next 6 miles, they hurt, period. It hurts to walk, it hurts to run, it just hurts. I run as I can, my Achilles screams, I walk - over and over. Then I see the turn to Surf. This will be over soon. I stop to get a rock out of my shoe that I have enjoyed for about 12 miles. Don't ask why I waited until now. I couldn't tell you, but I am thinking I don't want that rock in my shoe at the finish line. It made sense at the time. I make the two little curves onto Thomas and can see the Alvin's Island that leads to the finish chute. I am beginning to run a bit. Hey, nothing really hurts. There's the finish. Listen to the crowd. High fives on both sides of the chute. I hear I am an Ironman for the second time. Wow, this finish line is heavEN.

Debbie and Taylour catch me. A great moment to share with my wife and daughter. Debbie puts my medal around my neck. An unforgettable moment. Off to food and massage. What a day.

Retrospectively, I had a tough day, no excuses. Just a tough day. Some things didn't work out the way I planned. Having an execution plan is important. Being able to adapt and improvise intelligently is critical.

The Austin Triathlon 2010

2010-09-06T17:21:00.002-05:00

Quick race report.

We started as a late age group- old men. Water felt great and swim was uneventful. I thought I was going really slowly but I did have an ok time for me. Right in line with most Oly swims. I came out of the water and on the run to T1 it started to rain.

I mean RAIN.

It poured through the first 17 miles of the bike so I was very very careful. Several bodies on the streets really make you think. My goal is to stay upright this year. I found myself with a death grip on the aerobars a couple of times and had to remind myself to relax or I would tense myself into going down. There is a long gradual hill you do 3 times and I let it go to 30 but that was IT. Usually that is a 35-36 mph flight for a short while. I dialed the bike way back to stay rubber side down but it didn't cost me that much.

The run was pretty good the sun came out and it got hot and humid. Got er done and then ate a bit. Took a while to cool down - had a great shower and Deb and I headed home.

After about a 90 minute drive I put up the bike, rinsed the wetsuit and took a 15 minute nap. if you ever find yourself in Austin on Labor Day you should do this race.

See you at the finish line.

A Magic Moment

2010-06-27T13:41:00.001-05:00

Eating last night at a table adjacent to a group of four including one fella who looked just like Santa Claus. Watched a couple of young boys, obviously big and little brother walk over scared with dad watching from afar to talk to "Santa". The dude was way cool to them, asked about school and summer and stuff and told them to be good.

From the look on the face of the little one, he probably didn't sleep last night and already has a lock on his presentation for "what I did on summer break".

Very, very cool. I am glad to have shared in that moment.

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Goodbye my friend

2010-06-22T13:19:00.001-05:00

Last night I said goodbye to a great friend. A friend who was only with me a short time, just a couple of years, but had a profound impact in my life. My friend was with me on many long bike rides, the first time I rode outside in twenty five years or so my friend was there. My first triathlon, my friend was there, the first time I rode fifty miles, my friend was there. As you can tell, a great, great friend. Not my biggest fan, that would be Sherpa Deb, but certainly a training partner extraordinaire.

With that said, you can imagine my emotion when I pulled into a parking lot last night and took my bike out of the truck to show to it's new prospective owner. I was sad for just moments as I saw the sparkle in his eyes as he admired the shape, the form, the look. He actually whispered, "I have been looking for you for months." He climbed on and rode around the parking lot over and over and I knew my friend was moving on to another chapter of life. New roads, new friends, new training.

It was time to share my friend, I mean, I was up to four bikes and I am certain I can only ride three at a time. So to my friend I say, "what a long strange trip it's been". And to Chris, "Oh the places you'll go."

Enjoy, it's been a great ride. See you at the finish line.

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8 days

2010-06-12T20:18:00.001-05:00

8 days to Ironman Florida training plan start.

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Breakfast with an Angel

2010-04-24T14:27:00.002-05:00

Had an opportunity yesterday to have breakfast with John Foley. Yes, he is an Angel, a former Blue Angel that is....what a great story. Another fun fact about John is that he flew in the movie Top Gun. Really great guy.

Race Report from The America's Run

2010-04-11T19:30:00.002-05:00

I ran the America's Run Half Marathon today - it started at Cowboy Stadium and went by the Ballpark at Arlington, Six Flags and then through some neighborhoods around Arlington, TX. My brother and I ran it together. Stride for stride - just cruising the 13.1. It was a great day - cloudy and in the 60s - just a touch of humidity. A note to the race organizers (I am sure they are reading this....LOL) - you need a few more aid stations - the ones you had were great but in the event today had been one of those 80+ degree days, you need more stations....I am sure this will be taken care of by next year. A great first effort. Finishing on the HUGE screen in the stadium was very cool.

Troy Aikman walked right by me prior to the start and we said "hey" to each other. I doubt he recognized me....LOL....it was his first half marathon. Debbie took a picture of him after he finished.

It was a strange day - they imploded Texas Stadium at 7am - right before we started. We watched the stadium destruction on the big screen at the new stadium. It seemed like cheating on your girlfriend or something....

We drove by the old stadium site on our way to the airport...it was surreal looking at that site, where that legendary stadium stood for over 30 years. Many memories there...we celebrated state championships in that stadium with my nephew. We watched many Thanksgiving day Cowboy games as well as many Cowboy games. Tom Landry coached there. It is like a great friend who transcended my childhood, college years, early adulthood and maturity is gone. That is really weird -- talking that way about a stadium....

Hope you are all doing well....it certainly sounds like it. Keep to the plan....

See you at the finish line.

America's Run

2010-04-11T14:15:00.000-05:00

Today was the inaugural Americas Run. Based at the new Cowboys Stadium, it was a very cool run. 13.1 flat miles and you finished at the 50 yard line with video of your finish playing on what has the be the most famous tv in the world. I had never seen myself that BIG.

Oddly, the old Texas Stadium was imploded this morning. We got to watch it come down on the big screen at Cowboy Stadium. Kinda seemed like you were cheating - being at the new stadium when the implosion occured. I am sure we will see it many times but I thought the old stadium collapsed on herself with class and dignity.

It rally was strange driving by the intersection of 114, 183 and Loop 12 on the was to the airport this afternoon.

What a day....see you at the finish line.

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Where you been?

2010-04-04T19:59:00.002-05:00

This is the longest I have gone without blogging since I started this thing. Can't believe it has been months. I had a great ride this weekend on my new Guru road bike. It is suh-weet. I can't wait to ride again. I cannot believe how great that bike feels.

I had an awesome Retul fit last weekend from Wes at TriSition Area in San Antonio. This was a meticulous fit - fit for a king....thanks Wes, for a great fit and a fun time. Your new frame is pretty killer....can't wait to see the build up.

Worked on the schedule for the year today - wow, it could be a really busy one if all of this comes together.

Next up, America's Run - half marathon in Dallas - you finish on the floor of Cowboy Stadium - shown on the big screen....can't wait to see myself that big.

See you at the finish line.

Happy New Year

2010-01-01T08:55:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year to my blog. I endeavor to be here more in 2010. Wrap up of 2009 coming later today.

See you at the finish line.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A month off

2009-12-27T20:35:00.002-06:00

Well, it's been a month since I have posted....go figure....it's been a month since I have done a lot of stuff.....

I have ridden (once and a couple of laps in a parking lot), I have run (a 5k supporting juvenile arthritis in support of a friend's daughter). That's about it. I have a half marathon in 2 weeks with Serpa Deb....she has a long training run tomorrow...I should run too.....oh well.

I also am going to post more on here this next year....

See you at the finish line.

My Ridiculously Long IMAZ 2009 Race Report

2009-11-27T20:15:00.001-06:00

Ironman Arizona 2009 Race Report

What a year!!! Bear with me as this will be long – hey, it’s a long race. We start the year with my first full marathon, announcement of a corporate merger, our daughter’s college graduation and subsequent job search and relocation. Then it was a Half Ironman that rained the ENTIRE race, a bike crash the next weekend, after three weeks of limited training I got a staph infection that lasted another three weeks. In the interim I was interviewing to keep my job, took a new role with the firm and started traveling again. Then it was an attack of the back on my long ride on Halloween (I rode again that Sunday and then could hardly walk on Monday) and if that wasn't enough, I got sick a couple of weeks before my race. So, I went to Arizona coughing and wondering if my back would let me race. Now, finally, the setup is complete.

Although it was my first Ironman, since Deb and I had gone out and volunteered last year, I had a good idea how the week would play out. Here's my week in review....

Wednesday evening arrival complete with all bags. Relax and early to bed.

Thursday - up early, and over to the race site. We had lunch with a friend who provided us a parking card for the building garage at the race site. This was HUGE as we never worried about parking (nor did we have to pay for parking!!!). Thanks Jim!!! After lunch there was a short line at athlete registration so I rolled in, signed all the releases, got my numbers, swim cap, etc and was on my way. Then we made our way down to Tri-Bike Transport and picked up my bike. I, personally, don’t understand why anyone would not use Tri-Bike Transport. For about the same cost as putting your bike box on a plane, they drive your bike, fully assembled, across the country, insured and deliver to you at the race site. After your race, you return your bike (across a sidewalk from transition in Arizona) and they drive it back to your home bike shop. In my book, that’s a deal. Debbie and I then drove our to the Beeline Highway as I wanted to do a short ride on Thursday afternoon to shake down the bike and be sure all was right. The bike was perfect and the ride was nice. Warm with very little wind – the same forecast for race day. I rode the section that is on the profile as “more of a climb”. Dinner with the Endurance Nation folks (it was awesome to put some faces with the postings online) and then to bed early.

Friday dawned cool and crisp. A perfect day for a swim. I arrived at the Gatorade swim and climbed into the wetsuit trying to prepare for the cold water mentally. After a few minutes of procrastination, as well as meeting a few folks from the book, I walked to the stairs, walked down them, said “what the heck” and dove in the water. Holy Toledo that is COLD water. Breathe, remember to Breathe. Level out the body, reach, catch, recover, roll to air, the sooner you are swimming the sooner you will relax and warm up a bit. Breathe. I had never had my forehead hurt from the temperature of the water. My feet were not numb, I couldn’t feel them. Needless to say, I had never been swimming in water this cold. I swam about 30 minutes or so and actually got used to the water and felt it wouldn’t be a problem on race day. Out of the water, dried off, changed to some running gear and went for a short 20 minute run with Jacques and then it was about time for the 4 Keys Endurance Nation talk. It was great to reinforce the 4 Keys again and to get Rich and Patrick’s tips for race management and execution. I spent the afternoon getting my bike ready and going over my list (again). I also began to lay out some of my transition and special needs stuff to give me a head start on Saturday morning. Late afternoon Debbie and I went over to the race site and I got a massage for my lower back pain. This was a stroke of genius as it really helped my back. Then we moved down to the location of the Athlete’s Banquet so we would be sure she could get a ticket. If you are going to go to the banquet, pre-pay for your guest tickets (athletes don’t need a ticket, your wristband gets you in).

The banquet was great – Mike Reilly did a great job as emcee and he gave us quite a few interesting facts, including recognizing the people who lost the most weight in training (I think three lost more than 100 pounds), he also recognized the first timers, there were 1300 or so, and he introduced the Ford Everyday Ironman Hero, Rudy Garcia-Tolson. His goal: to become the first bilateral above-knee amputee to complete an Ironman. He had not completed the bike portion in Kona and was in Arizona for this second attempt. Oh by the way, Rudy is 21, he made the decision at 5 that he wanted his defective legs amputated so he could get on with his life. Google Rudy and read his story. You will be motivated. He is an amazing young man. After the dinner, Paul Huddle, the race director, conducted the competitor meeting and then it was off to bed.

Saturday, the goal is to sleep in as this would be the last opportunity for a decent night of sleep until Monday night. I was so fortunate. I slept very well every night including Saturday night which I didn’t expect. Saturday morning Debbie had a volunteer meeting so while she went to the meeting, I visited the Active Release Therapy specialists for some more work on my lower back as well as my hip flexors and watched some folks freezing in the practice swim. After her meeting, we ate a big lunch and then went back to the hotel to finish my transition bags. I had the stuff all laid out on top of the bags so I read the list and Debbie loaded the stuff in the bags to be sure I didn’t miss anything. I was short a race belt and had to improvise but it all worked out fine. I turned in my transition bags and racked my bike – at this point I realized race time was upon us. Then we headed to the airport to pick up my brother, Bruce who was coming in for the race. After collecting him, Debbie took Bruce on a tour of the expo area while I got another quick massage. I could get used to this. I think Bruce was most amazed by the sea of bikes and the total amount of money sitting on those racks. Then it was off to a quick dinner and back to the hotel to lie in bed and stare at the ceiling. My goal was to fill all my drink bottles, set out my clothes and finalize my race morning list so I didn’t have to think at all on Sunday, just do. I was in bed at 8pm as I had hoped.

Sunday morning – 2am. Up for breakfast – an Uncrustable, some Infinit and a banana. Then back to bed. Up again at 4am. A quick shower, dress, a few more calories – Cheerios, Infinit, banana and Diet Coke. Wrote “BELIEVE” on my left arm with a picture of a man in a box to remind me to race my race, no one else’s and wrote “EXECUTE” on my right arm. We left for the race at 5am. We were fortunate to be able to park in VIP parking thanks to the Janus Investments people. These folks were absolutely wonderful to us all week and especially to Bruce and Debbie on race day. We were parked mere steps from transition and I just worked through my list. First, air tires. Then fill aero bottle, put other bottles on bike, fill bento box. get body marked, put run bottle in bike to run bag, drop off special needs bags and then get to a quiet spot to calm down and talk with Debbie and Bruce for a while before the ice bath. I was surprised that I was very calm. I started to insert myself into my wetsuit about 6:20 and while I was doing that, Debbie and Bruce had to leave to go board the boat from which they got to watch the swim start. I told them bye and continued to adjust the wetsuit. I got all set and then Brian Massey from EN wandered by so I had someone I knew to hang with prior to the start – that was great instead of listening to all those voices inside my head. As we were moving toward the water’s edge, there was some commotion to our right, two men were carrying Rudy down to the water for the swim – all of the competitors clapped and showed their admiration for this young man’s courage. Before dawn we were on the dock and then I was in the water…..SHOWTIME!!!

The Swim

As the sky began to lighten all 2500 of us were anxiously awaiting the starting cannon in the cold water of Tempe Town Lake. After the practice swim, I had a good idea what to expect. Cold. However on race morning the adrenaline was coursing through my veins and it didn't seem as cold. I took a few strokes and then breast stroked under the bridge and hung onto a paddle board for a few minutes. Mike Reilly asked who was going to became an Ironman and my hand went up in the air. Listening to the National Anthem while bobbing in cold water was a new experience and very emotional. And then the cannon fired. I was swimming. Everyone talks about the washing machine effect and I must have missed it. I seemed to be in a great spot, a bubble of water around me and I just swam, and swam, and swam. A few times I was jostled or bumped but it was much more similar to a big wave start than a 2500 person all-in start. I took a minor kick to the left ear and at one point found my wrist between two kicking legs. I got it out of there quickly as I was afraid of getting my wrist snapped by a vigorous kick. So much time in a sensory deprived environment gives one many varied thoughts like, there is our firm’s office in Tempe, I wonder if Bruce and Debbie are cold on the boat, there is the ASU Sun Devil football stadium, this part of the swim feels uphill, I wonder how many strokes I have taken, wow the sun is bright, did they move the bridge, oh, here it is and look there’s the turn buoy – halfway there, check the time. I was at the turnaround in about 40 minutes which was a little fast for me so I took it easier on the way back. The swim back was really uneventful, I sighted pretty easily and just kept moving. My body did it's best to stay warm throughout the swim and I was very fortunate in that regard. Seeing some hypothermic folks at the end made me very thankful. Several were shaking uncontrollably. The stairs out of the water are a unique exit device. The trick is to swim onto the lower steps, not to reach up to the handrails and try to pull yourself out. Volunteers were very helpful and there were a lot of them. I carefully moved off the stairs and into the wetsuit stripping area, hands pulling down my wetsuit and then I was on my back on Astroturf and my wetsuit was off my legs. I rose and started the walk to the Changing Tent. I had decided not to run here as the few minutes would not impact my overall time. Stay in control. I saw Bruce and Debbie, again in a preferred, non-public location due to the Janus VIP treatment. They were hanging out with pro Michael Lovato who was not racing and he was very kind to Debbie with all kind of reassurances and assistance in trying to find me. By the way, Michael has several top three finishes in Kona at the World Championships as well as Ironman victories at Cour d’Alene and Arizona – how cool is that? I am convinced that would not happen in any other sport.

Transition

Nothing can prepare you for the pandemonium of the tent in transition. My plan was to be smooth and take my time but not dawdle. When you look at my time you may think I grilled a steak or baked a pie in the first transition but my hands were cold and it took a while before I could operate my fingers to dress. My plan was to dress for comfort so it was a complete costume change. Bike shorts and jersey, socks, cycle shoes, arm warmers, helmet and sunglasses, then out of the tent to go get my bike – stop – get some sunscreen – now go. I had an awesome rack near the pros with my low bib number so I was very close to the bike exit. I went down the entire length of the bike racks, got my bike, moved to the mount line and got on. It was cool too that I got to see Bruce and Debbie at the exit.

The Bike

As I rode out Rio Salado, I saw Seth – Seth is one of the book guys who is undergoing cancer treatment and has a very tough time with cold. He was shaking like crazy. I talked to him for a couple of seconds as I went by – it wasn’t long until he warmed up and passed me like I was standing still. The bike is three out and back rides with each loop totaling a little over 37 miles, so I looked at it as 6 x 18.5 mile rides. You ride an “in town” section with several turns and then you get to the Beeline Highway for a long stretch out of town. It is usually windy on the Beeline. 2009 was no exception. Forget the forecast of very light winds – the Beeline was cooking. As I rode the outbound first loop I was looking at my wattage vs my speed and I really put my faith in Endurance Nation and said “I’m going to do it like you said”. I saw some low digits on that first leg. At the turnaround of Lap 1, I heard Bruce yelling for me (Debbie had already lost her voice), so I told them to meet me at the Port-o-Lets and took a quick break and talked to them for a few seconds. Then it was back into town – screaming fast downwind. Total first lap was dead on my predicted time. All three laps were between 15 and 16 miles per hour, even though the wind had shifted and the Beeline was different the second and third time around. The third lap had really thinned out and there was some carnage out there. I saw several folks stopped along the side of the road, bent over, stretching or puking, or just laying flat on their back on the shoulder of the road. It was on this loop that I saw Rudy for the first time since the swim start. He was pedaling out the Beeline as I was heading back to town. Go Rudy Go. My plan on the bike had been to execute with conservation of resources in mind. As I approached the ending sections of the bike I felt very good about how I had ridden. The emotional swings are very interesting and deserve some mention. At some point during all three disciplines, I felt a marked shift of emotions. There were numerous, very positive moments. There were also, from time to time, dark places. The darkest were on the bike for me, I really expected them more on the run but I think I stayed focused on relentless forward movement and didn’t let many negative vibes through. While I was focused on smaller chunks of the ride, there are times when you realize you still have 40 or 50 or 60 miles to go and that is a long way and you can never totally forget that a marathon awaits you at the completion of your ride. All through the bike I felt I was consuming ample calories. Looking back, I think I was short by several hundred calories. My strategy was sound and I feel it was spot on, I just didn’t execute to the best of my ability. I wanted to be on the run between 4 and 4:30 and that was accomplished. The bike is ending as my mind begins to think about 26.2 miles to run – don’t think that way. One step at a time.

Transition

Easy pick up of the bag and into the tent I go. I feel good, better than expected. I get in the tent, change clothes and realize it is time to get after it. Again there were numerous helpful volunteers and they were helping everyone tirelessly. A small drink of water and then out to get sun screened. Across the timing mat and I am on the run. As I check the time I begin to feel that if not goes catastrophically wrong I should make it but I don’t want to take anything for granted as a lot can happen and probably will over the next seven and a half hours.

The Run

The run is three loops. But it is really six. There is a 3.5-4 mile loop and a 4.5-5 mile loop that when combined make up one loop of 8.5-9 miles. I really wanted to run at least half way through the marathon using a run/walk method and I started out pretty conservatively as planned. After the first sub-loop, I realized I had started a bit hot so I slowed on the second part of the first full loop. There is a hill (and it seemed really big) about halfway through the second sub-loop that I planned to walk each time I got there. It is the only hill on the run. As I started to run the second full loop I wanted to really be careful. I wasn’t able to take in many calories and my stomach was doing weird things so I went even more conservative. I took it really easy on the second full loop and upon reflection think it was a good decision. The third full loop began with me feeling good (notwithstanding the weird stomach) and ready to get this done. I was running a bit more – if you can call it that – and walking faster when I was walking. I was beginning to let my head and my heart start to think about the finish line and hearing Mike Reilly call my name. It was a very emotional time as I knew I had only 2-2:30 hours left and would finish with plenty of time to spare barring anything really crazy. As I started the last section, I KNEW I would be an Ironman that day. I KNEW nothing could stop me. I KNEW I would crawl if I had too. Every section I ran I knew that would be the last time I would run that section. I told all the volunteers they wouldn’t get to cheer for me any more that night. I was almost back to the bridge for the last crossing when I looked up and saw Rudy – moving doggedly through the night. I stopped and applauded. I am amazed at this young man. I knew he would make it – I could see it in his eyes. Then I realized I was in the last mile….it is amazing how much better I felt realizing that….the legs had energy….the posture got better….I was able to run more. I passed some people….I was going home. I saw Debbie and Bruce about a quarter of a mile from the finish and told them I would be there soon…they took off to the finish line to meet me. I had to go around a corner, through a parking lot, turn left and then I would be in the finishing chute. Oh my….here it comes….

The Finish

I talked to a guy walking as I passed him as I wanted to be sure if he was going to run I was going to wait. I wanted him to have his finish line and I wanted mine as well. He told me to go ahead as he was going to be awhile. A few more steps and then I was turning left into bright lights, jam packed stands, people going nuts jumping up and down and screaming, I was high fiving people to the left and right of the chute like I was winning the thing instead of being a back of the packer but hey, it is MY finish line. Then I hear, Bryan Reece, San Antonio, Texas…..YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!!!! About that time, I hear Bruce screaming at me from the VIP tent and I high fived him steps from the finish line. Then I was across. Right into the arms of my amazing wife, waiting for me, supporting me, being the incredible partner she is – Sherpa Deb. Words absolutely could never describe the feelings. The emotions crashing into you at the speed of light, the absolute lack of pain at that moment, the insane love for those who got you to this point, the intense desire to share this feeling which cannot be shared. One very cool thing happened right here. Debbie had me look to the side and there was Brian Massey who had come back to the finish and we got to celebrate each other's finish. That was awesome. Then you move through the finish area, getting your finisher’s hat and shirt, your medal, your chip removed and have some pictures taken. Then you move to medical if necessary, go get some food and/or get a quick massage. I did all three – medical for no other reason than to get my blood pressure checked (it was normal) and let them tell me I was fine. Signed up for a massage and got a piece of pizza. I was on a massage table before I could eat the pizza and wow, it felt good to lie down. While I was laying there Mike announced Rudy was coming in. The crowd went nuts. Rudy was an Ironman. Stud.

The Wrap

As I lay in bed Sunday night I tried to reflect on the journey that got me here. What a long, strange trip it has been. Where did it start? It all started with Julie Moss and her collapse in Hawaii in 1982. I saw it on Wide World of Sports and was amazed by this thing called Ironman. I could NEVER understand it but it was cool. I have watched the World Championships year after year and never had an inkling that I might be capable of completing this challenge. It all started then, I just didn’t know it. Then a medical issue in January of 2007 pushed the process along and a conversation with a guy in the locker room one Saturday in June, 2007 germinated the seed. I remember after my first triathlon in August of 2007 telling people I would NEVER do a Half Ironman, much less an Ironman – those people are crazy. Then after doing an Olympic in May of 2008, I thought a Half Ironman was possibly achievable. After completing Longhorn 70.3 in October of 2008, Debbie and I went to Arizona to volunteer and for me to sign up. What had begun 27 years ago now had a clock on it. What a journey….what a year.

A couple of words of thanks – thanks Rich and Patrick and all my EN teammates. Also, thanks again to the Janus Investments people, sponsors of the Janus Charity Challenge and wonderful organizers of a great VIP experience for Debbie and Bruce. To each of you reading this, thanks. You have all played a role in this journey. Finally, thanks to all the volunteers – there couldn’t be a race without you.

Three Things I Learned – check that…..Four Things I Learned

Never limit yourself. The only limits on you are those you place on yourself.

Believe. I believe, with faith, you can accomplish your goal. Whatever it is.

Execution is the key. There is a supply of resources, use them wisely.

NO ONE DOES THIS ALONE. It may be an individual sport but no one does it alone. It takes the love, support, and reassurance of family, friends and even strangers. I prove this by simply asking any competitor, “who isn’t bolstered by the clapping of a volunteer in the middle of no where on the bike course, who doesn’t feel at least a little better when you roll through an aid station and strangers are yelling for you, who isn’t jazzed when a small hand reaches up for a high five?” If none of that gets to you I don’t know if you are human.

I know there are so many more things I learned – some are not yet revealed I am sure, I do know the journey continues….

If this is the end, it is the front end….

Ironman Arizona Recovery

2009-11-24T21:30:00.002-06:00

We just got home and I wanted to say I am really sorry I didn't post much from AZ. Typing on my iphone is still a challenge for me.

There is so much to share. I am going to get a RR together but I can assure you it will be long....very long.....just like the race.

I felt good yesterday and feel really good today. Very little pain or stiffness today after initially getting out of bed. I am fully in support of compression wear as I think it helped recovery a lot. I think it is kinda geeky to race in but afterward I am a big fan. I wore 2XU compression pants to sleep in on Sunday and last night about 2:30 my calves told me I should have worn compression again so I got up and put on 2XU compression socks. Calves were happy and I went back to sleep. After walking around a bit this morning I have felt very good. I am surprised. It is amazing what the body can withstand and then rejuvenate.

Folks, that was the most incredibly accomplishment of my life. As I talked to a friend as she was getting ready to register I told her I was jealous of her. She has her finish line to look forward to....mine was now a memory. But a precious memory it is. And there is another finish line to look forward to - it just won't be my first Ironman.

RR coming soon. Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Time for me to be a little less selfish for a few days.

Wow!!! Mission Accomplished

2009-11-23T18:26:00.001-06:00

Can't begin to describe the feeling of the finish line but will try later. Have a great day.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Hello from arizona

2009-11-19T18:33:00.000-06:00

A great day. All checked in. Bike ride today. Swim and run tomorrow.
The water is cold. Weather predicted to be about perfect. I am bib 122
if you want to follow me at ironman.com.

Pray for me. See you at the finish line.

Sent from my iPhone

Bib numbers and fear.....

2009-11-09T19:55:00.002-06:00

Bib numbers are up and the fear is beginning to really assert itself. I am bib 122 if you want to follow at Ironman Live....

I am 12 days from the start.....

What a long strange trip it has been....

See you at the finish line.

The hay is in the barn....

2009-11-08T15:45:00.003-06:00

Well, as they say, "the hay is in the barn". The work is done. All that can be accomplished for Ironman Arizona has been banked. For the next two weeks, it is take care of myself, don't do stupid stuff, don't get hurt, try to stay healthy, etc.

I had to cut today's race rehearsal short due to some really bad thunderstorms this morning. I really wanted to get the work in but the slippery streets and crazy drivers did not warrant the risk.

I have a plan for execution at Arizona, I will work through the day and get the job done. The missed workouts, the missed family time, the missed sleep - it will all just have to work together to get me through 140.6 miles. I am not expecting any age group records but it will be a PR for me as it is my first. I want to enjoy the day as much as possible and just finish (I keep telling myself there are no time goals for this one except to finish in less than 17 hours).

From work issues, to stock market issues, to a corporate merger, to consolidation of offices, to new positions and work responsibilities, to bike crashes, to staph infections, to messed up backs.....the road to Ironman is paved with life. Please send good vibes my way and may God smile upon me November 22 as we work our way through the day.

See you at the finish line.

Backwards....

2009-11-05T20:50:00.002-06:00

Well, it seems I have moved from one nagging injury to another this whole year. My back has hurt all week but it is much much better today than it has been throughout the week. I am hoping tonight will be a comfortable night of sleep and a healthy feeling back in the morning. I have my last race rehearsal this weekend. Hopefully it will go well.

See you at the finish line.

Oh my aching back...

2009-11-01T19:29:00.002-06:00

Woke up this morning with some lower back pain.....rode and ran this morning....slowly and gingerly....didn't really hurt too bad except for a few times....when I finished it really started to act up. Doing the ice and ibuprophen thing to try to get past this...whatever it might be....go away...I have no time for this.

Hopefully this is just a bit of discomfort after yesterday's long stuff.

See you at the finish line.

Three weeks to go....

2009-10-31T20:06:00.000-05:00

Long ride today....finished with a flat....about 200 yards from the house....I was actually going to ride another 4-5 miles but the flat ended the ride....got my third new tire in two days.....I had new rubber put on the ride this week and the flat split the side of the tire....I don't know whether I hit something or not but the tri shop replaced the tire for free.....I paid for the tube.....good deal if you ask me......so it was just shy of 5 hours on the bike followed with a 30 minute run.....tomorrow is a 2 hour ride with a thirty minute run.....I have one long bike left next weekend with a brick run after and I am DONE>...I cannot believe it.....thanks to all of you for being along for the trip.....

See you at the finish line.

First Race Rehearsal Complete

2009-10-25T19:16:00.001-05:00

Considering a corporate merger, new job at the firm, bike crash a month ago, staph infection for the last three weeks (new prescription on Friday before swim), travel last week taking me out of town and sleep cycle...enough of the excuses.....here goes:

Swim - I took it easy as I have not swam much since the bike crash (been doing the band thing) but was able to swim 3100-3400 in 1:15....missed a couple of laps on my swim but I don't know exactly how many...I was mainly shooting for the 1:15 swim. Felt great getting out of the pool. Not fast by any measure but got it done. The mental thing was much easier than I imagined.

Because of sleep deprivation I slept in a bit on Saturday morning and started the ride/run a little later than I wanted. Here are the ride stats:
Entire workout (126 watts):
Duration: 5:35:32 (5:46:52)
Work: 2536 kJ
TSS: 259.4 (intensity factor 0.681)
Norm Power: 150
VI: 1.19
Pw:HR: 22.86%
Pa:HR: 25.82%
Distance: 85.224 mi
Min Max Avg
Power: 0 604 126 watts
Heart Rate: 81 151 133 bpm
Cadence: 31 196 74 rpm
Speed: 2.2 37.2 15.3 mph
Pace 1:37 26:49 3:56 min/mi
Crank Torque: 0 1276 147 lb-in

Felt good on the ride and good getting off the bike although I think I was a little deficient in water intake....more on that below.

The run was 11:28 pace for 50 minutes resulting in 4.38 miles. That pace is a little faster than my EP but I felt fine. I was glad when I was done...

Nutrition: I think I was right on with 2.5 2 hour bottles of Infinit consumed on the bike which was about 1400 calories plus an Uncrustable at 210 calories. I also took in about 100 ounces of water - I was somewhat dehydrated when I finished and I think I was slack on water intake - I think I should have consumed about 36 ounces more water. On the run I took in about 100 calories of Infinit and 10 ounces of water. Probably needed a little more water here too.

Any advice/thoughts would be appreciated.

See you at the finish line.

Long Swim Race Rehearsal Tonight

2009-10-23T21:19:00.003-05:00

Longest continuous swim ever for me tonight at one hour and fifteen minutes. I covered somewhere between 3100 and 3400 yards. I know I missed a lap or two but I don't know exactly how many. I now have two more long swims left before we swim in Tempe Town Lake.....

Less than a month to go.

Now it's off to rest up for a LONG ride and run brick tomorrow. Five and a half hour ride followed up with a 50 minute run. Should be an interesting Saturday morning.

See you at the finish line.

Three more long rides

2009-10-20T20:04:00.002-05:00

I rode long on Sunday - 4 and a half hours....the sit bones were happy to get off that saddle....It was 70 miles and actually a lot of fun...I was ready to get off my bike but I really enjoyed the ride and felt good.

This weekend is my first race rehearsal. A 5.5 hour ride followed by a one hour run. That should be interesting. I am thinking it will be somewhere in the 85-90 mile range....mmmmmm.

The arm feels good. There is still a little fluid on the arm but bit by bit it seems to be getting much better. Tomorrow ends the antibiotic treatment.

The days on the calendar continue to fall away as I approach November 22....it seemed the days went by much more slowly when that timer was at 100 or 200 days....they seem to go by as minutes now instead of 24 hour periods.

The race execution plan seems to be coming together...more on this later.

See you at the finish line.

35 days....oh my

2009-10-17T19:14:00.002-05:00

The little counter on the right is at 35 days....where did all the time go. I was in Connecticut this week for a LONG meeting. We went long and hard every day. I got a little training work in this week but not as much as I should have. No more excuses. We are getting too close. Just gotta get the work done.

The medical seems to all be cleared up finally. I have a few more days of pills to go and will diligently take the entire course. I do NOT want that stuff back...ever. But it is gone. I am looking forward to a long ride tomorrow and then next week is prep for a race rehearsal next weekend. It will be the first of two. Hopefully everything will be dialed in and work well but now is the time to find out.

The bike is going in for a tune and some new rubber this week as well so I can break it in before AZ. Most everything else is ready to roll. Let's hope so.

The anxiety begins to build.....

See you at the finish line.

Some Nasty @%&*#!

2009-10-11T09:56:00.003-05:00

I don't know exactly what it looks like in there but there is some nasty @&^$!) growing in my arm....but the battle is on. Yesterday I was a short way into my ride, my left arm was bothering me a bit but it was bearable and then I realized it was swelling. I turned around, got home and looked at the underside of my arm. I had a pretty nice divot that mirrored the pad on my aerobar. Now I am no medical professional, but I play a doctor on TV (that is a totally inside family joke that some day I may explain) so I knew that was NOT normal. Deb looked at it and we both agreed that we needed to seek medical attention.

Well, it seems the "minor" infection I had from the recent road rash took steroids or something....the doc says it is either a staph or strep infection he thinks. He said he did not think it was MRSA but we should know after about 48 hours on the antibiotics. So I started a course of 10 days worth of pills yesterday. It doesn't hurt as much today but it is still full of fluid. I just hope by the end of today it feels better.

So it seems I will be running a lot this week. At this time, I cannot put my arm in an aerobar - no way, no how - and I don't want to get in a public pool with this stuff so, it will be a running week. Oh well, I need that the most anyway.

See you at the finish line.

Minor setback

2009-10-10T15:58:00.002-05:00

Had to cut today's ride short due to pain in my left arm. Learned after a visit with the doc that the infection is pretty bad. Got Antibiotics and should be better in a few days.

The rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated

2009-10-08T20:53:00.002-05:00

Got a call today from my friend Jacques wondering if I was okay. Sorry I haven't posted since the wreck. I am healed pretty well. Still fighting a bit of infection - let me tell you - the road is not a sanitary place....and just when you think you have scrubbed enough in the shower....scrub some more....infection is bad juju....

Long run tonight....two hours and 20 minutes after a full day of work is a tough run...then I come home and look at stinking little countdown widget and see 44 days and go OMG!!! I should go run some more. Follow the plan - follow the plan - follow the plan.

The time in Arizona is rapidly approaching and the plans are beginning to come together. All travel has been arranged for months. Last equipment purchases (including a new helmet after the crash) are being completed. Only a few weekends remain.

By the way, Giro has a crash replacement program....with a generous discount.

Also, I have to say WOW!!! to GARMIN...I crushed my 310XT - it was about the 5-7 time out for it and it was smashed. I will post a pic later. Well, get this, I emailed Garmin and they said something to the effect of, well, we are sorry but we can't warranty it but we have a $99 repair policy. So, into a box it went and about 7 business days later a box appeared...with a BRAND SPANKING NEW 310XT....GARMIN, I LOVE YOU!!! If you are going to buy a GPS enabled heart rate/power/timing training device, you should buy a GARMIN. These folks ROCK!!! (I was not compensated in any way for that endorsement).

Have a great training weekend and we will meet at the finish line.

La Vernia Hammerfest

2009-09-19T19:32:00.000-05:00

Well folks, I went down today....took a corner about 200 yards from the end of the 65 mile ride of the La Vernia Hammerfest and hit some gravel...nasty stop....so it's time for a new helmet - actually I was wearing a new one (my birthday present next weekend) and now it is cracked....my Garmin 310 shattered.....no longer waterproof.....and taking inventory of the road rash...knee, calf, hip, forearm, elbow and shoulder.....after 45 minutes in the ambulance they had me cleaned up, my shorts cut off (although I maintained some amount of modesty), checked out my head (the hardest part of my body) and then I was sent on my way.....do not have concussion symptons in the past 8 hours so I am feeling pretty good about the head. The shower was !#^*($#ing ridiculous....OMG that hurt....finally got it all numb and was able to wash it out.....then some Neosporin and some dressings....wow....this crap hurts.... So I am bagging the run tomorrow, I will see how I feel when I wake up and then go for a short run at least.....it could have very easily been much, much worse.....

See you at the finish line.

PrairieMan = SoggyMan

2009-09-14T13:16:00.002-05:00

My half iron distance tune up race on the way to Ironman Arizona - PrairieMan in Grand Prairie, Texas near Dallas.

Let's just say I am still wet....it rained for three days before the race...a four and a half hour drive to Dallas took Debbie and I 7 hours due to the rain. It rained all day Friday and Saturday as we were running errands trying to find some rain gear to use as we didn't really plan for rain on Sunday - the forecast was for a 20-30% chance of rain. The hour by hour forecast showed the rain in the afternoon and evening. Well, they lied. It was raining at 4:30 when I woke up, raining at 5:30 when I arrived at the race site, rained for the WHOLE race - hard enough during parts that reminded me of hurricanes, tropical storms and tsunamis, you could actually feel the rain during the swim. The swim felt LONG - my time was 51 minutes. There were white caps and big waves throughout - really we started in pretty flat water and about three minutes into the swim I thought a power boat was going back and forth in front of me. The waves were that big. I thought they would be a big help after we turned the corner but they were actually quartering you so they were pushing you further out into the lake so you had to swim back in to fight their effect. There was some feel of body surfing which would have been good if it had been in the right direction. Did I mention it was still raining? T1 was pretty slow - about 4:20. The bike was treacherous with flooded streets and HUGE puddles - when someone passed you - you virtually drowned in the spray off their back tires....while it didn't happen much (ha-ha) it was wet....they cut the bike short in the pre-race meeting due to the conditions - they said they didn't want people to try for a PR or for people to take chances on the bike - I saw several people down and almost went down three times myself....once really close - my back tire was sliding right and left and I really don't know how I saved it - I think it was just luck and instinct - there was NO time to think. As I finished the third loop of the bike, I actually was thrilled to be going to the run - I was very tense the entire bike. The bike was 42 miles according to them...just under 44 according to Mr. Garmin. Bike time was 2:26 for a 17.2 avg speed assuming 42 miles. Extrapolating to a 56 miles ride would have been about 3:15. T2 - Did I mention it was still raining??? EVERYTHING WAS WET - my cycle shoes were full of water, my socks were soaked, I looked like a drowned rat - How about this? When you bent your head down on the bike, water had collected in the air vent holes, trapped against your scalp and it just ran out all over you, it was like you dumped a glass of water on your head. I had kept my run shoes in a plastic bag so they went on dry...that lasted about 4 seconds....I had another pair of dry socks in a zip lock bag....again they were dry for about 4 seconds....grabbed the hat and off I went...T2 was 3:07. I wanted to try to run a good half marathon - I usually fry myself on the bike as some of you know, and then just survive the run....well yesterday was a bit different. I ended up running a 2:25 half marathon....just 10 minutes off my half marathon personal best. I felt GREAT....used Galloway's run/walk method as always and was running past people in the last three miles. I didn't know how the run would go as my longest recent run has been 1:40....it went better than I could have thought....I was actually calculating and running scenarios through my head throughout the run trying to get to an eleven minute pace...I ran 11:06 pace....dangit....by the way, the last two miles were in a monsoon. Yes, it was still raining. By the way, less than a quarter of a mile into the run you ran through a puddle/river that was 4-5 inches deep and about 15 yards wide...splash...splash....splash...and your dry socks and shoes were full of water and weighed a lot more. Then, so you could continue the fun, for the next 1/2 to 3/4 of a mile there were several more unavoidable big puddles, then you came out of the park and on to the dam to run about 3.5 miles additionally out across the dam and back and then you got to do the three miles in the park again....complete with puddles....with new additional puddles and depth as ---- all together now --- it was STILL raining.

As I was walking to the truck dreaming of being dry, a person walking by Debbie and I asked if it was my most miserable day in triathlon - after thinking a bit I told her it was actually a pretty good day...yeah, it was wet, yeah, it was trying, yeah, it was mental, yeah, it would have been easy to quit or not start....but that is not what we do. We deal with what comes - and we adapt and improvise. We realize transition times are not so important that we can't use ziplock bags for a moment of dry sock feeling. We realize that we are fortunate that not EVERYONE in the world thinks we are crazy for wanting to play in the rain. We also realize how important those around us are in a new way.

Debbie was there - all day - she stood soaked to the bone - she was outside from 5:30 until almost 9 for the pre-race stuff, the swim and T1...then she sat in the car, tried to sleep, read a magazine and was back outside as I left the park on the run (she missed me coming in on the bike as we didn't think I would ride that quickly given the circumstances), went back to the car for about 1:45 and then came out to get wet and watch me finish. She was a trooper yesterday and in addition to Sherpa Deb duties had to deal with a lot of wet crap to try to get home.

I would like to say that there were about 100 spectators or so there yesterday (that is a wild guess but there weren't many). Each of those people deserve applause. They did NOT have fun. Also, there were volunteers who stood in the rain to hand out water and Gatorade Endurance - I tried to thank as many as I could but I would like to go on record saying a BIG THANK YOU to each of them. To the race organizers, they did a great job with what they were dealt. It was a well run race and I would do it again, hopefully dry but I would do it again.

Overall time was 5:51 - I was very pleased. Adding in the additional bike time would have been about 6:36 or so....that would have been a PR for me by a long shot. I felt great about the time and also about the recovery so far. I feel pretty good today, will be back in the gym tomorrow.

See you at the finish line.

Labor Day Olympic Distance Triathlon

2009-09-09T21:36:00.003-05:00

The Avia Austin Triathlon was held on Labor Day. This is an Olympic distance triathlon run by the folks at Jack and Adam's Bike Shop in Austin, TX. It is a GREAT race to say the least. Very organized, nice expo, cool technical t-shirts, a race hat and a water bottle (but no medal - I guess they think we all have enough and I have found I wear a hat a lot more often than a medal).

Time was 3:09....treating everything now as training and only training....pacing in line with IMAZ pacing....really try not to overcook the bike so I have something left for the run....swim was 35-36, bike was 1:15-1:20, run was 1:00-1:05 with about 6 mins in two transitions...there was quite a bit of distance in and out of transition....there were over 2500 participants...it was really cool....Here's the brief report....swim was a cruise...caught a little draft and hung on it for a while - focused on form a bit, counted strokes, etc....really pleased with the "straightness" of my swim. Worked through T1 - it is so dry here that the little bit of water on your feet and the dirt made for nasty mud in the bike shoes....with rocks and all sorts of other stuff. Rolled out on the bike - focused on pacing and nutrition (these were the absolute needs of the day - practice for Arizona). Rode what I thought was a smart race which was actually pretty fast (for me). Rocketed through T2 and out on the run - legs felt really good (well done on the bike power consumption) but I had overdone the calories - I took in about a half a bottle too much which is 150 excess calories - doesn't sound like much but I think with the volume of liquid it filled me pretty full. After a couple of miles the stomach felt better....I was not hungry through the race after about 1/3 of a bottle on the run. Run was good - had a fun finish with another guy in my age group - I passed him with about 1/4 of a mile to go and held him off. I finished ahead by 10 seconds - that was a fun way to end the race. I was also very pleased with the lack of recovery time needed. I felt great Monday afternoon and after a day off Tuesday was ready to train again today.

Now it's on to Prairieman half iron distance this Sunday. For the record, I don't think 70.3 miles under your own power should ever be referred to as HALF of anything.

See you at the finish line.

Lollygagging before a long ride

2009-09-05T20:38:00.002-05:00

I was late out the door this morning due to stalling before a long ride.

Big brick today of 4 hour ride - about 63 miles and then a 2.5 mile run....ooooohhhh that run was FUN....this IM plan is pretty cool but also intense. The ride today had 2 x 15 min intervals at a Z4-5 effort. While that doesn't sound like much when you know you have ridden over an hour and will have 2 more hours after the intervals, it really makes you think.

Wildlife today included a deer running across the road about 15 yards in front of me and then jumping a barbed wire fence - this was very very cool. Second wildlife sighting was a snake cruising across the road - I hit his tail and then carefully looked at my wheels to be sure he wasn't up in the spokes....I saw him too late to totally avoid him. Then there was all manner of road kill - deer, possum, skunk and even a stalking buzzard (big sucker too) looking for something to eat. Dr. Seuss had it right - Oh, the places you'll go.

Now the taper is on for the Austin Triathlon on Monday. It should be an interesting day with the fatigue in my legs.....

I also took advantage of the end of summer sale at Performance Bicycle today and got a great deal on a Giro Ionos helmet. I hope it is as cool as I think it will be. There are a lot of vents and I hope the air flow is big to keep my melon cool.

See you at the finish line.

A whole new workout world

2009-08-31T21:02:00.003-05:00

Well, the 12 week build is on. Day one was a long swim set and an interval run. Tomorrow is a long swim set and easy run. It is two workouts a day for me for the forseeable future.

All encouragement is welcome.

See you at the finish line.

12 weeks....

2009-08-30T20:45:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow begins the 12 week push to Ironman Arizona. The volumes continue to rise. The work builds. It should be an interesting three months.

Three hour bike ride yesterday with a run today (today's run was in 97 degree heat). Note to self: run early, don't be stoooopid.

See you at the finish line.

Jacques' first visit to San Antonio

2009-08-20T21:08:00.002-05:00

I had the pleasure today to host Jacques on his visit to San Antonio. He is a NY Times reporter who is writing a book on first timers attempting to climb the Ironman hill in Arizona in November. Debbie and I met him last year in Tempe and he came out today to spend a day with us. We rode a spin class this morning...he said it was quite different from the NY spin experience. He was blown away by the utter coolness of our Lifetime Fitness club, and then we rolled around the countryside in the car while we talked about my triathlon journey. There are some who would say I got to talk about my favorite subject, me. We covered a lot of miles looking at country roads I run and ride as I train. It seemed to surprise him that Texas was not flat....everyone thinks it is I guess. I also drove him by the Alamo - everyone needs to see the Alamo during their life. Then at his request, Debbie and I took him to a favorite Mexican food dive....his friend from Houston had told him that he had to eat a puffy taco.....he got to eat two....

So Jacques, if you are reading this, thanks for coming to visit - it was a great day and you are welcome anytime.

See you at the finish line.

70 miles....a lot of sweat

2009-08-15T20:31:00.003-05:00

Wow it was hot in Texas today. I rode with a group from Lifetime Fitness - every club across the US was supposed to do a metric century outdoor ride today. Our 62.5 mile ride was a little over. We rode 70 miles. It was wretched hot at the finish but it was a great group of people riding a great ride.

I will definitely ride the same route again - hopefully when it is a little cooler.

My next event is The Austin Triathlon on Labor Day. This is a great event. If you haven't ever done this one and you can - DO IT!!! The folks at Jack and Adam's put it on and they rock. It is a very well run, fun triathlon in a great (fast) city.

See you at the finish line.

Long run....and an iphone

2009-08-09T19:45:00.002-05:00

Had a nice 8 mile run this morning. Laid in bed longer than I should have and paid for it in the heat. At least it wasn't a billion degrees when I finished...it was only about 80 million degrees. Man this has been a hot summer in San Antonio. We have set a record for continuous days over 100 with no end in sight. Hopefully we can get some rain soon. I have dust in my front yard that I used to call grass - the lawn guy still bills me for mowing it.....what is he mowing???? We can only water every other week for about a minute and then that's it. It will be amazing if my grass comes back....hopefully about thirty more days of this heat.

Got an iPhone yesterday - finally broke down - I was a late adopter on the ipod - it changed my life....a late adopter on Tivo - it changed my life....and I am thinking the iPhone may be the next gadget that is too cool for school. This little thing is amazing. That test post from yesterday came from my iPhone after about 2 hours of ownership. It is that user friendly. Pretty doggone cool. Let me know your favorite ap.

See you at the finish line.

Test too

2009-08-08T21:38:00.001-05:00

Testing mobile

Sent from my iPhone

New fit....

2009-08-08T21:29:00.002-05:00

Got Retul-ed this afternoon. What a cool system, you are connected to many sensors and a computer taking continuous measurements. Very very cool. We moved some stuff around...raised seat and lowered bars a bit. Also a great visual way to see how your technique rolls. You can see how consistent you are pretty quickly.

Also scored a new set of Blue Seventy goggles.....

Long run in the morning...

See you at the finish line.

Back to the Grind

2009-07-26T21:04:00.002-05:00

We arrived back from sunny Florida last night to be greeted by HOT Texas. Wow, it is hot here right now. Off the beach and back to work tomorrow.

Also, now the real work begins for Ironman Arizona. I think all year I have been looking at November saying, it is SO far away. Well, folks, the counter today is below 120 days. It's really time to get to work. The training is really getting ready to ramp up.

If anybody wants to ride or run sometime, just let me know.

See you at the finish line.

A little humor...

2009-07-11T20:14:00.003-05:00

Saw this somewhere a while back. I still think it is funny and I hope you do too.

The Top 10 Ways to tell an energy bar from a dog turd...
1. Energy bars cost about $2. Dog turds are free.
2. Energy bars have shiny wrappers. Dog turds don't.
3. A fly will eat a dog turd. I've never seen a fly eat an energy bar.
4. Dog turds get slippery when wet.
5. Energy bars come in many delicious flavours. Dog turds only come in 1.
6. Energy bars hold their shape in a jersey pocket much better than dog turds.
7. Dog turds won't damage a lawn mower blade. The jury is still out on energy bars.
8. You won't find an energy bar sitting on the ground in the park.
9. Dog turds are made of naturally occurring substances.
10. Dog turds are biodegradable.

Hope you enjoyed....see you at the finish line.

Happy Birthday USA

2009-07-02T21:20:00.002-05:00

As we celebrate this weekend with long bikes, long runs, long swims and the like. We really appreciate all the service of the fine folks in all the armed forces and remember especially all those currently serving away from their families. Thanks for your service and all you do.

God bless America!!!

Training Day

2009-06-27T20:45:00.002-05:00

Good day of training today with an 8 mile run and a hour and twenty minutes of riding. Tomorrow is a long ride - looking at a couple of hours.

Heard about Ironman Coeur d Alene from a friend of mine today. He had a good race in very difficult conditions. A lot of rain and wind on the run. Chop on the swim and wind on the ride. But Marco perservered and he is once again, an Ironman. Congratulations, Ironman Marco.

Also, I have celebrated the completion of a Half Ironman with a friend from Boston. Marianne just finished 70.3 miles under her own power in the last week. What an accomplishment - wait to go Marianne. Next year....Ironman. You go girl!

I stand amazed at what men and women can do when they strike a goal - create a plan - and execute on that plan. I am really looking forward to Arizona....but much work to be done between now and then. About 147 days of work.....thanks for all your support.

See you at the finish line.

Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T16:23:00.002-05:00

Good day to all the dads out there. I hope all your Father's Day dreams come true.

A big training weekend. Started on Friday with a long swim, 2000 continuous and then a few hundred more for fun. Then on to Saturday morning with cycle (spin) class. It was anaerobic intervals so a great workout. We also had a substitute teacher who was certfying instructors so she was killing us all. Then I rode for another 30 minutes and wrapped it up with another hour of intervals with our normal instructor for the 10am class. All total - about 2 hours and 45 minutes of intervals and my legs are toast and my bike it sitting in a big puddle of sweat. Then today I woke up and hit the road for a run....it was about 80 degrees at the start so not too bad but it was terribly humid and windy. In other words, a tough 8 miles on tired legs. Glad to finish.

Congratulations go out to Marianne who finished her first Half Ironman yesterday up in the northeastern US - great job!!! Another friend is getting ready to be a guide for a blind triathlete at a race in Canada. Check out his site if you want to donate to the cancer hospital they are racing for....http://pmhf3.akaraisin.com/pledge/Participant/Home.aspx?seid=2094&mid=9&pid=131467&se=1

Again, happy Father's Day and good luck to all our friends at Ironman Coeur d Alene.

See you at the finish line.

Early Morning Training

2009-06-17T20:37:00.002-05:00

Got up early this morning and hit the 5:30 spin class. Really felt good to get to work and know after work I could go straight home. Can roll right by the gym after work....sweet. However, I think I may do it again tomorrow. A little sleepy during the day but I liked getting it done early.

A Swedding

2009-06-16T20:05:00.002-05:00

That is not a typo....if you were in Ft Worth, TX over this past weekend, you know what a swedding is....it is an outdoor matrimonial event held from 6:30pm until midnight in a sweltering, oven like swamp of humidity. To say I was drenched with sweat within 2 minutes would NOT be an exaggeration. It was probably the nastiest humid night I have EVER felt in my life.

It was dubbed a "swedding" by the groom, the next morning at the outdoor brunch. His words were "thanks for coming to my swedding". Note to self: think twice before attending outdoor weddings in June in Texas. Man it was hot but it was a beautiful wedding.

Now it is back to training...

See you at the finish line.

Big Training Weekend....and a new agent

2009-06-07T15:33:00.002-05:00

A big weekend of training. Not really a big one on the plan but I really had a fun weekend. Friday night I went and swam after work - not really long but pretty intense for almost 30 minutes and then rushed upstairs at the gym to a Pilates class. I really need some core work so this is one way I will get it and it is mentally much easier for me than weights. Saturday morning it was up early to get to spin class - it was "hills" so it could be as tough as you wanted it and then I went ahead and rode the 30 minutes between classes and rode the second class as well - all told it was 2 hours 55 minutes of riding so it was a good ride. Then capped the weekend today with a hour and 15 minute run. I feel really good especially considering the humidity and decent wind this morning. The temp was okay but the air was thick.

The new agent - the spin instructor yesterday announced to the class that I was doing Ironman AZ this year and raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. She even passed out the cards I had made to make people aware and to give them the website address to donate. (If you need it, just let me know....hint...hint...or if you want some cards to pass out just let me know). So "D" - you are my new agent...thanks for the announcement and all of your encouragement. Hopefully I will get some new readers as a result of your efforts. As you all know, I am compiling a list of people currently battling cancer as well as a list of those who have lost the battle to carry with me on race day. If you have a friend or loved one who has dealt with this disease, I would love to have them along for inspiration - their battle has been a lot more difficult than mine. Please send their names to left.right.repeat@gmail.com and I will add them to the list. I would be honored.

Also, if you are reading this, feel free to tell everyone you know about it.

See you at the finish line.

LiveStrong - first goal

2009-06-03T20:46:00.001-05:00

Today, I went over $1000 in fundraising for the Lance Armstrong Foundation in conjunction with Ironman Arizona. Hopefully I will make my goal of $5000. If you are interested in helping out just let me know and I will send you a link.

See you at the finish line.

Pics from Tour de Cure

2009-05-31T19:52:00.002-05:00

Tour de Cure 2009

2009-05-31T15:19:00.002-05:00

A beautiful two days of riding in Texas. The weather was just about perfect yesterday and today. Not much wind. High 60s overnight, in the low 70s at the start and finishing each day between 80-85 degrees. Don't get me wrong, it was well into the 90s yesterday afternoon at the party/lunch but I was off the roads and out of the direct sun.

This was one very well done ride. A tip of the helmet to the organizing crew. You all did a great job. One of the best marked courses I have ever ridden. Many rest areas, very well stocked. Great volunteers - they even cheered as you finished.

As you probably know, this is a charity ride for diabetes and I have a good friend in Canada who is diabetic and one of my spin instructors is diabetic as well. I was thrilled to ride with my spin instructor and her husband yesterday....maybe next year FreddyBeachPete can come down too. I will definitely do the ride again next year.

We are very fortunate to have the hill country to ride through on a regular basis. From San Antonio to Austin is some great riding on lightly traffic'd roads for the most part. The organizers did a great job finding us some great roads to ride on both days.

Overnight is in San Marcos at Texas State....we grabbed a hotel room as my dorm days are fond memories and that is where I am trying to keep them. Got to have dinner with mom instead of the dinner party associated with the ride so that was great too.

Tomorrow starts week 2 of the Ironman Arizona training plan. The journey continues. See you at the finish line.

This is week one

2009-05-29T21:16:00.002-05:00

This is week one of Ironman Arizona training. I can't believe the plan has begun. I started my training plan with the CapTexTri Olympic on Monday. A long 50 mile ride tomorrow for Tour de Cure with another ride on Sunday of probably 25 since I have some family duties...it's my daughter's birthday.

By the way....SHE GOT A JOB....SHE GOT A JOB....SHE GOT A JOB....she is gainfully employed full time as of 3 weeks from now. I am very proud of her and looking forward to watching this next step in her life.

So, it is up early tomorrow for the Tour de Cure and then up early again on Sunday for the second part of the ride.

More to follow....and as always, see you at the finish line.

Deja Vu all over again...timewise

2009-05-25T16:56:00.000-05:00

CapTexTri done today....Olympic distance....three thousand did either Oly, Sprint or MyFirstTri. This year's time was 15 seconds faster than last years with light training. I really felt undertrained going into this one but I got through it. I pr'd the swim, rode almost the same ride as last year (even with a course change with a couple of short but very steep hills) and then a warming run. It was about 85 degrees when we finished so much cooler than last year and much less humid. I feel very good right now. A little sleepy from the 4am wakeup but okay regardless. Getting ready to run an errand at Lowe's and then grab some dinner.

Tapering

2009-05-22T19:46:00.002-05:00

Tapering for the CapTexTri....well, you really have to train to taper. My training has not been really structured so far this year but that is about to change. Monday really kicks off my season....more to come on that subject.

Planning to swim tonight but the pool was closed due to lightning. An hour and forty five minute spin class in the morning, then off on Sunday and race Monday. Should be a fun weekend.

I said this last year but if you have never done the CapTexTri, it is one you should try to get to sometime. It is a great race, in a great city. I just wish we raced on Sunday to have Monday as a recovery day but apparently it is easier to close the streets on Monday.

See you at the finish line.

Graduation Day

2009-05-10T14:27:00.002-05:00

Yesterday was graduation day for my daughter. It was a wonderful day with grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins. We all had a celebratory lunch and then Debbie and I packed Taylour up and she came home to "job-seeking central".

I am back to training after a nice Mother's Day with my mom, wife and daughter. What a great day.

I am 2 weeks and one day away from CapTexTri and I am not really well trained yet. I have taken it pretty easy so I don't overdo it before Ironman Arizona and get burned out. I am just planning to enjoy the day....I know I will pay on the run.

IM plan starts Memorial Day - the same day as CapTexTri.

Happy Mother's Day.
See you at the finish line.

Watching Swimmers

2009-05-03T21:12:00.002-05:00

Watching others....I try to realize their mistakes but focus on the really good form swimmers, subconsciously I hope their effortless swimming burns into my brain so that I can be more fluid. I swam this morning early and was finishing up as another guy was in the pool...I watched him struggle and struggle and realized it was silly to sit and watch him. He came to a stop - yes a stop - to breathe, and then tried to get himself going. I really wanted to recommend that he get a lesson or two but didn't think it was my place. I am not a great swimmer as we all know but I looked like Ryan Lochte compared to him....made me smile....notice I didn't say Michael Phelps....he's a pothead....LOL!

I went to pilates class tonight with Debbie and I think the old abs will be sore tomorrow...I really need to work on my core and maybe this is the way to try to consistently do it.

Have a great week and I will see you at the finish line.

May 2....one week to graduation

2009-05-02T20:40:00.003-05:00

My daughter graduates from college in one week.....I cannot believe it.....it seems like only yesterday we dropped her off at college and next week she graduates.

Wow....

There is absolutely nothing I would change about her college experience....she made some mistakes.....haven't we all.....but those shape her and make her into the amazing young woman she is....

Of course, I am probably a bit biased.....just a bit....

See you at the finish line.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T21:28:00.002-05:00

Had a great week of training. I am really ready to get it ramped up again. I have intentionally kept this spring pretty light so I don't burn out prior to November 22. That is still a long way off.

Looks like next weekend I am going to run the Fiesta 10k on Saturday and then follow it with the Fiesta Wildflower ride on Sunday. For those of you unaware, Fiesta is just another of San Antonio's excuses to have a BIG party. And a big party it is, it runs a couple of weeks with parades, fancy balls, an oyster bake, parties all over the city, The River Parade, The Battle of Flowers Parade and another parade I can't remember the name of right now. If you work downtown, you dread the next few weeks because it can get crazy traffic.

There is even a run on one of the parade routes before the parade....I think it is about a 5k - I am planning to try to run it just to say I ran a parade route....sounded like a good idea and something fun....maybe there will be crowds along the way.

Fun 3 hours of workout yesterday and a 50 minute run today after a swim/bike brick on Friday. Trying to figure out what I want to do tomorrow.

I am looking at buying a new seat for my road bike from www.cobbcycling.com. There policies look awesome with a 6 month money back guarantee....I have also been very pleased with the response to several email questions. I will keep you all posted.

See you at the finish line.

CapTexTri not too far off....

2009-04-07T20:01:00.002-05:00

Just about 7 weeks to Cap Tex Tri - one of the biggest and best in the state of Texas. If you are close to Austin or can get there, this is definitely a great tri to do. It is on Memorial Day and is run right in downtown Austin. A great triathlon.

I have been swimming quite a bit lately and riding some as well as doing some spin classes. I have kept the running pretty light trying to let the hips/gluts loosen up before I start putting bigger mileage on them again.

My daughter had her next to last college golf tournament yesterday and today - they finished second. I can't believe she is 4 weeks from graduation. Just the other day she was......oh wait, that's a dad thing.

Shortly I will be beginning the IM training plan for IMAZ. I have friends doing IMCdA and they are all over long rides while I am doing almost nothing....I feel bad but I don't think they are going to worry about me during my long rides/runs in Sept/Oct.

Can't wait for the season to get rolling....I am doing the Fiesta Wildflower ride next weekend in San Antonio. Another well done event if you are in the area.

See you at the finish line.

I'm back....

2009-03-25T21:14:00.002-05:00

It has been a while since I have posted....several weeks actually. Seems the world has gotten in the way. I will be back regularly to update with a minimum of brief posts and some longer stories as they apply.

I have also noticed we are getting some more regular podcasts posted lately....you can tell the season is on the way.

Here's a few of the podcasts I frequent....you should check them out too:
Tacboy and Bigun
Zen and the Art of Triathlon
The Age Grouper
Tri Talk
Running at the center of the universe
Average Bloke Triathlon
Tri the Mango
Imultisport radio

if you have some others, let me know in a comment....always looking for something new to listen to.....

out

Windy Cowtown

2009-03-01T19:42:00.002-06:00

We went to Ft Worth for The 2009 Cowtown Marathon this weekend. My brother was running his first marathon and I wanted to be there to be supportive. I had planned to run with him from time to time throughout the day and was able to do that as planned.

I had laid out a logistic plan with turn by turn directions for my wife and daughter so they could drop me off at one spot and pick me up at another and then we would shuttle ahead a couple of miles to await his arrival. This worked really well except for once and it is how we went around the course.

The start was at 7:30am which sounded great...temps supposed to be in the upper thirties....well, they were in the lower thirties and the wind was HOWLING...blowing about 15-20 with some gusts over 30....it was pretty well brutal. It was supposed to climb to the 50s in temperature but I don't think it ever got there - if it did, it was overshadowed by the wind. At one point, we almost stopped - okay, we weren't running that fast but still - we almost stopped.

His nutrition plan worked very well, he was slightly dehydrated about mile 22 or 23 but he took some more water and really didn't seem to suffer any. The last mile or so into downtown was downwind so that was really nice. I had been cold all day and it seemed warmer running with the wind.

A great finish line for him. A wonderful achievement. His first half in November and a full mary in February. Congratulations to him.

It was a surprise, he didn't know we were coming. We decided to catch him about mile 3 and I was planning to run about a mile and a half with him that time (more on that in a minute). So we are standing out in the cold wind watching these folks run by with my wife and daughter wearing out a cowbell and yelling their guts out. They were having fun....so then we see Bruce approaching and I started to cross out into the field (it was a relatively small marathon crowd wise) to join up with him for a while....so he tells me he was running along thinking wow, that is really cool that someone got up early on a cold Saturday to come out here and ring a cowbell and yell for people and ooooh, the neighbors may not like how loud that cowbell is this early and look at that, that guy is going to get in big trouble running out of the crowd like that....hey he looks like my brother, holy crap, that is my brother - so when he got over that shock, then he realized that was his sister in law and niece ringing that silly bell - needless to say, he was very surprised.

So I ran with him about thirteen and a half miles around mile 3, 8, 12, 17, and 21 to the finish...each run from one to two and half miles up to 22 and then I ran with him the rest of the way peeling off right before the finishing chute.

It was a great day even with the wind. I had a nice run too.

Sounds a little fishy

2009-02-21T20:33:00.002-06:00

I got back in the pool this week. For the first time since October. I don't really want to say that I know that much about swimming but I swam 1500 meters today in a time that was only one minute slower than my 1500 meter time last year. So, I guess for me, my swim is always about the same no matter how much swimming I do - I think I will continue to swim but not stress about working that much on my time. It confirms my theory that so little time is spent in the water relatively speaking, that it is not worth the investment to speed up when you are not a gifted and talented swimmer.

As I have said many times, my swim speed is "on". I am either swimming or not...that is it. I think to open my swim time and improve it dramatically would take a LOT of time and effort. It seems that the time would be much better spent on the bike and/or the run.

Strangely enough, last year I realized just how much I liked the long swims. They really let me disassociate and zone out and go.

I also ran 6 miles today. My longest run in a month. I have been a bit of a slug since the marathon....but I have been riding and going to spin class.

See you at the finish line.

Riding Weekend....

2009-02-16T19:18:00.002-06:00

It was a great holiday weekend. A couple of great rides and a wonderful Sunday off. It was my first Sunday off from trianing in quite some time. What a nice break.

I am beginning to ramp up the short work for the CapTexTri on Memorial Day in May. If you are anywhere close to Texas and you have never done this race, do yourself a favor and go register right now.....stop reading....go register....it is a big, well-run event. You should be there.

Planning the calendar for the year is taking some work since there are a lot of LONG workouts for an IM. I love to do events.....you know, someone else carrying the water is cool.

In case you are unaware, I am doing the Janus Charity Challenge during IMAZ raising money for the Lance Armstrong Foundation - one of my employees is going through chemo, my mom is a survivor and my dad, father in law and mother in law all died of cancer. Additionally, I am going to carry a list of names of cancer survivors and victims with me during Ironman Arizona - they will help get me through 140.6. If any of you have names of anyone you would like to add to the list, please email me at left.right.repeat@gmail.com.

Finally, if you are compelled to make a donation and would like the link to my site, it is http://januscharitychallenge.kintera.org/az09/reece

Thanks for considering a donation....see you at the finish line,
Bryan

San Antonio Stock Show Stampede

2009-02-07T19:30:00.002-06:00

Ran the San Antonio Stock Show Stampede this morning. A warm, humid morning for a 4 mile fund-raising run. The proceeds go to provide scholarships for kids affiliated with the rodeo. They have given $87 million for college tuition over the years and the goal this year is over $8,000,000. The run was pretty simple, no fancy aid stations - just water at one and water and gatorade at the other. A cowboy breakfast after the run and what made it complete???? A cold Lone Star Beer!!! It was an early beer, even for me.

A new season...

2009-02-05T20:44:00.003-06:00

So, it's been a while since I posted anything, it's also been a while since I have done anything too. But I am ready....ready to kick up the activity and the season.

So it looks like the plan for the year goes like this....
1. Running several miles, from time to time, with my brother in his first marathon.
2. Lifetime indoor triathlon
3. CapTexTri - hopefully it is not as hot as last year
4. TriItInSpanish
5. Jack's Generic Tri
6. The Austin Triathlon
7. A Half Iron in here about this time
8. IMAZ....wooohoooo

I am sure I will stick another sprint or two in here and hopefully some organized rides.....I really like someone else to carry my water.

Looks like it will be a full season.

Two races already planned for 2010: Disney half marathon with Sherpa Deb...it will be her first half marathon. Also, the Texas Independence Relay...a 200 mile team relay in March. Should be a fun next 14 months or so....welcome aboard for the ride.

It will be mid-70s here all weekend with lows in the 60s, so it is outside runs and rides.....cool.

See you at the finish line.

Pics or it didn't happen...right?

2009-01-19T21:53:00.001-06:00

Finish Line...26.2

2009-01-19T19:45:00.002-06:00

Houston Marathon 2009....what a day...

Temperature was mid 60s before 6am with pretty high humidity - it is Houston you know - and it warmed up into the mid 70s. Pretty hot for me to be pounding concrete for 5.5 hours...well, 5:28 to be exact...

I woke up about 3:30, laid around until 4:45 or so and then finally got up to get the day started. A bagel, peanut butter and a gel started the day. The gel was apple cinnamon - my favorite, it tastes like apple pie - thanks, Hammer. We left the hotel about 5:45, Taylour ready to run the 1/2 and Mark, Ray and I ready (??) to run the full marathon....a first for all of us. As an aside here, the three of us talked at dinner on Saturday night, I asked if they were nervous, they both said yes and asked if I was, I said, "no not nervous, I am SCARED". We walked outside and quickly realized we would not need long sleeves or jackets or stocking caps or gloves, even standing around before the start...it was plenty warm.

National anthem, prayer, wheelchair start, elite start and then....SHOWTIME! Off we go - Mark and I started together but got separated within a couple of minutes - they did not really corral the start - it was one elite wave and then the rest. The first few miles were congested and difficult to get into a regular rhythm but the feeling of getting off to a cruising start was very good. My heart rate was low and under control...after the pre-race heart pounding acceleration prior to the start...once we got moving it settled down. The crowd was amazing - there were spectators ALL along the course - they spread out a little after the half runners turned back toward town - that was about mile 8 or 9 - I had been watching the returning 1/2 runners for Taylour but hadn't seen her - so when I got to the edge of the turnaround, I looked back and yelled Go Taylour as loud as I could - another runner asked me if I saw who I was yelling at - I replied no, but I know she was out there somewhere, either I missed her or she was still on her way to the turnaround but I was supporting her. The I realized I still had 18 or so miles to go...bummer, dude - that's a long way. There were bands along the way including a Blues Brothers act that was great, a spectator dressed up like Winnie the Pooh - he was old - that was a little disturbing...smile. There was also a banana (there is always a running banana, right?), Elvis impersonators, a freakin' HUGE Saint Bernard, an Old English Bulldog, a Minister blessing runners with Holy Water, two different bagpipers and a LOT of concrete.

The course was basically MinuteMaid Park start, go a little north, then west to Rice University, then through West University to the Galleria, along the Post Oak/Galleria area (can't believe they closed those roads), down through Tanglewood, and then through Memorial Park back to downtown.

I felt really good at the halfway point considering my hips had been giving me trouble since mile 3 or so, they were tightening up...seems to be an issue where the gluteous maximus attaches with the gluteous minimus....likely that I have too much gluteous maximus. I was running under a 12 minute pace at that time and felt pretty good about that. My pre-race goal was just to finish, but we all know that is crap, we try to come up with some estimate. I was hoping for 5:15 but would be pleased under 5:30. I am not a fast runner...at all. I hooked up with the 5:15 pace group about mile 18, I had actually been in front of them but was starting to fade. The miles from about 15 to about 18 seemed to go on FOREVER...I still felt good and the attitude was strong but I was slowing. When the pace group caught up, I decided to run with them for a while. They were doing a 5/1 run/walk strategy and they were great. Rick was one of the leaders, it was his 70th marathon...I told him at the end of the day, we would have 71 between us. He made sure I knew not to stress about time, just to finish. I carried the balloons on a stick (2 x 4-5 inch balloons on a 1/4 inch dowel) for about 5 minutes and thought I was carrying a bridge column...that thing was heavy...LOL! and it wasn't aero either. I got rid of it as soon as someone else said they would carry it....thanks, Julie (I think that was your name - if not, I apologize for forgetting).

Then the muscle behind my left knee began to assert itself. It had been nagging at me for a few miles but at about mile 20 it was not to be denied. It knotted up like a monkey's fist knot. It hurt if I walked, it hurt if I ran, it hurt if I stopped for a few seconds to rub it. I thought beer was about the only cure so the faster I got to beer the better, so I ran as much as I could. The grind through Memorial Park was beautiful, with great spectators who were shouting encouragement all the way but it was a grind. About mile 23, I cruised into a "Try our water" aid station and looked up to see Mark about 20 yards in front of me....so it looked like I would have a Partner In Pain (at least for a little while). We continuously did the math to try to make the 5:30 number. Running when we could, walking when we had to...and then there was BEER - like an oasis in the desert....over to the left....spectators handing out small cups of BEER...the elixir of all things....

Shortly after the beer, we spotted Mark's wife by the side of the road, it was not an alcohol induced hallucination, it really was Patty so she started walking with us and I had to run or my hips were going to lock up - about 10-15 stride up, Mark yells for me to wait, he had been getting cold so he was going to run too. We ran a while and looked over on the sidewalk to see Patty even with us...she had easily kept up as we ran. She came back onto the road with us and from there on she ran when we ran until we got almost to the finish line. We were running a block, walking a block at the end, unless there was a camera of course, in which case we ran for sure. I saw Debbie and Taylour right before the finish line so that was cool too. Crossing that line with Mark was really a special moment. We have done a lot of this endurance training "together" with him in Ft Worth and me in San Antonio so it was neat to cross the line together (Ray "The Rabbit" had finished earlier and was laying on the floor of the convention center relaxing at this time).

I really believe "it takes a village" to accomplish something like this....Thanks go to my wife for her support and understanding of long runs and painful legs, to my daughter who never laughed at "the old man" when he was going to do a triathlon or marathon - and congratulations to her on finishing her first half marathon during her senior year in college. She is quite an inspiration to me to have the discipline to train for an endurance event while in college..... Taylour, You Rock! To all the volunteers, there's no race without you - thank you for giving your time. Many of you gave a whole day and while I couldn't thank all of you, I did try to thank as many as possible. Spectators - WOW...whole neighborhoods were out in their front yards (maybe because they couldn't get their car out, but I am going with the idea they wanted to see me....smile). You all were great. If you yelled, "go Bryan" and I didn't acknowledge it, please forgive me...there were moments when I was in my own little cocoon of shock and awe...a pain cave if you will, and I just may have missed it, but you all took me on your shoulders and helped get me through 26.2 miles....actually 26.36 according to Garmin...but I got the medal....and some more beer.

What a day....I have already been asked, "will you do another?" - I don't know about a stand alone marathon, I know I will do another 26.2 at Ironman Arizona in November but that is for another day....today, it's about recovery.

Thanks again for coming along on this ride....

See you at the finish line.

Marathon Time

2009-01-16T20:30:00.003-06:00

Well, it is here. Finally.... Marathon time.

Race report to come....

My finish line awaits.

Less than a week...

2009-01-11T19:18:00.002-06:00

Next Sunday is my first marathon ever. I know it will be a long day. I did 6 miles today and was thinking the whole way about going long. It was a nice change of thought pattern for me. You see, I work for a major financial instition, in the brokerage arm and things have been really tough for a while. It's been that way for anyone in the financial services industry.

It has been great to have fitness and training as a distraction from the realities of stress of the real world. So for anyone out there with a lot of stress in their life......start training for some event and it will change your outlook.

Train for some event - I find I have to have something on the calendar or it is very easy to bag a workout quite regularly. If I have a finish line approaching, it seems much easier to stay disciplined. If you need encouragement, just let me know, I will ping you from time to time to keep you moving....remember, it is all about that first step out the door.

See you at the finish line...

Sayonara 2008

2009-01-01T11:08:00.004-06:00

What a long, strange trip it has been.

I have to say I am very pleased 2008 is officially in the books. It was a tough year professionally and personally. However, even though it was a tough year, it was also one that saw fitness remain in front of me regularly. I continued my streak of never arriving at a race over-trained. It seems every time I got close to one of my A races, I had some nagging injury or a cold or something. Regardless, I made it through every race I had planned so I am thankful for the accomplishment.

A quick review of the big 2008 deals for me...
~ Ran my first half marathon
~ Did my first Olympic triathlon
~ Did my first organized 43 mile bike ride
~ Did my first 70.3 triathlon

And....signed up for Ironman Arizona in November of 2009. Training starts soon, but first, there's a little issue of 26.2 miles of a marathon in a couple of weeks...16 days to be exact. What was I thinking?

Should be a fun 2009....see you at the finish line.

Six Cruising Miles With My Daughter

2008-12-28T19:22:00.002-06:00

Got one of those rare opportunities this morning to run with my daughter. She is a senior in college and is home for the holidays. Possibly her last extended vacation at our home. At least I hope she gets a job after graduation.... She is going to run her first half marathon in Houston in a few weeks while I am running my first marathon. This was her first long run after having her wisdom teeth out last week, we had run a couple of short runs but this one was her first long one in a while. It was so nice to run together, someone to talk to, someone to laugh with - just a great time. She has her last long run next weekend so we will see how that one goes...today was fine. I will run at least some of her long run with her next weekend so that will be some more "dad time".

Thanks for reading...I am going to try to be consistent in posting here so hopefully someone will find it interesting and/or useful.

See you at the finish line.

Loss of Memory Run and IMAZ widget

2008-12-25T15:28:00.002-06:00

Merry Christmas....

Had a great Christmas morning with the family and then early afternoon went for a short run....3.0 miles...just to open the Endurance Nation Holiday Challenge which is a run every day between Christmas and New Year's Day. Tip for everyone...don't eat tons of food before a run....I was actually slower than normal. There is no record though as the old Garmin was full from the long run last weekend and I hadn't downloaded it yet so no record of the run today.

Also, check out my way cool IMAZ widget...that is about the extent of my technological know how....but I thought it was cool.

Merry Christmas,
Bryan

Last Long Run Before Houston

2008-12-21T19:38:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I hit the road for a long run. The longest of my life - both in miles and in time. I was scheduled to do a 26 mile run but had already reduced it to 23 since I have really not run much (nothing over 6 miles) in just over a month. The Houston Marathon is the third weekend in January so this was my last long run. I know a lot of marathon training plans don't have you run over 20 miles but I am really glad to have run 23. I know I can gut it out for 3 more miles.

I have run progressive long runs of 14, 17, 20 and 23. It is really interesting that somewhere about 80% of the way into the run, give or take a little, the mental side begins to take control. There is no doubt the joints, legs, feet and hips are hurting by then but the old nugget between the ears begins to rule. At that point I have found you just have to get it done. I was really wondering how 23 was going to be as the 20 miler was very difficult for me. I really felt pretty good (relatively speaking) when I got to 20 miles. Don't get me wrong, I was ready to stop, but I felt pretty good.

Ran a couple of mean hills in the last 3.5 miles so they really hurt. More than normal. When I got home, I immediately forced myself into my pool to use it as an ice bath. After about 15-20 minutes of that, I iced my calves and quads and laid on the floor elevating my legs.

Today, I feel pretty good. A little stiff getting out of bed this morning but it passed really quickly. Other than my knees being a little creaky and my hips feeling like they have a little sandpaper in them, I feel good. If you haven't seen the "day after the marathon" videos on YouTube, you should check them out. I didn't look like that - for this I am glad.

The next 3 weeks are taper with 7 mile long runs each weekend.

Houston here we come.

IMAZ - ing

2008-12-11T21:46:00.004-06:00

From watching Julie Moss crawl and lose control of her body all the way to 12 midnight on November 23, 2008 (or the 24th depending on whether midnight is the beginning of the day or the end of the day), Ironman has always intrigued me. However, it has never been more personal that being a Finish Line Catcher from 8pm until midnight. What an experience!

We went to IMAZ this year to see the event and get the feel for an Ironman. I am like many of you I think.... a year or year and a half ago I said, no no no, I would never consider even a 1/2 Ironman...I could MAYBE see an Olympic distance but all that other stuff is for weird crazy people... I think my whole life has been a big old, "never say never" but you all know that was coming. This year on November 24, I was back at the race site, standing in line when registration for volunteers started at 6:30am....crazy....and then I did it...I registered. I am in for IMAZ 09 - oh my gosh.....what am I thinking? Well, it is like this, I can do this. I couldn't even think of something like this 18 months ago and now I feel like I can do it. I couldn't today, don't get me wrong, but building a plan, executing and going for it on race day will be an absolute blast. And really, not very many people can say they have done it and that means something to me. In my work, to be successful you have to do the things that others are just unwilling to do - I feel the same way about triathlon - we are willing to do things others are not willing to do. And we do it - daily.

I have been taking some time off, just running some trying to be ready for the Houston marathon (I think I will continue my streak of never being over-trained...LOL). I don't think it is going to be a good chip time at all but I will have fun...I always have fun and it will be my first marathon. Once that is over, it will be time to really begin to do some training.

Checking out Triscoop and Endurance Nation and BeginnerTriathlete, there are several of us doing IMAZ 09....it should be a blast. I look forward to being back in that finisher chute in November 09.

See you at the finish line.

Rock n Roll San Antonio

2008-12-10T20:52:00.002-06:00

Man, I have been slacking....sorry I haven't been here in a while. There is a lot to report on tonight.

First, let me cover the Rock n Roll San Antonio. It was a very, very well run, huge marathon. My hat's off to the fine folks who put this race on for the first time this year. The San Antonio marathon last year had 5000 participants...give or take a thousand. The Rock n Roll marketing machine was overlaid onto the marathon and about 30,000 folks toed the line on a cold November 16, 2008. It was, as I said, very well organized and so well run (by everyone but me....smile). I didn't have a great day but I did get to share in my brother's first half marathon and that was a treat.

I encourage all of you to take a look at a Rock n Roll event put on by Elite Racing...those folks know how to do this....they moved a LOT of people through the event very smoothly for the first year.....and the race bling is very cool...especially if you do multiple events.....if you do 6 of the 8 you get a super 6 medal which looks like the Superman S......very cool.

Then the weekend before Thanksgiving, it was off to Arizona....what's in Arizona you say???? Stay tuned, more to come.

See you at the finish line.

Pics or it didn't happen??? Longhorn 70.3

2008-10-12T18:10:00.003-05:00

d - o - n - e

2008-10-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

OK, here goes....the whole enchilada....

The day dawned after only a few hours sleep....really anxious prior to the race. Woke up about 2am and then really didn't go back to sleep. Ate a peanut butter and bagel, a banana and a bottle of Heed to sip on prior to the race. Got to the site, shuttled to the transition area (about a mile and a half - more on this later), got body marked and went in to set up transition. It seemed I have never done a triathlon before, I had no clue how to set up my area. I didn't bring my own pump as they assured us there would be several there. There were, but they were all different than mine and I thought I messed up my Presta valve on my front tire - there's another worry for the day. I was already stressed about being in wave 14 of 15. The national anthem was sung and the pros were off. I got to see them as they exited the water before I even started. I commented that would be the last time I would see them that day. It was finally my start.

Now, here is where I begin to do everything I had planned not to do. They had figured out a way to make it wetsuit legal so I wore the wetsuit (I think they dropped a block of ice into the lake and put the thermometer on the block of ice). I caught a draft and held it for a large part of the swim. It was a triangle and in no time I made the first left, swam what seemed to be a short time and was turning for home. Swim time - a remarkable 32 minutes and change.....faster than either Olympic swim (I have some reason to think it may have been short but others felt their time was pretty close to right). That means - I went out too hard. Heart rate was a little high but not too bad.

Walked to T1 and took my time - and then it was off to the bike. I had driven the bike course on Saturday so I knew I would need my hill game. Not really any excessively long climbs but some steep ones nonetheless. Did I mention it was also starting to get windy? And they kept coming and coming. There is a final hill on the course at 55.5 miles that is the longest, steepest climb of the course. That was nice. I went out too fast on the bike, kept telling myself I was working too hard but I could not bring down the effort. HR was still below AT but a little higher than I wanted, but I felt really pretty good. At about 35-40 miles, I really started to feel my neck and shoulders.....sit bones begin to talk to me too. At 50 miles or so, I made a deal with my bike that if it got me home, I would not sit on it for 2 weeks -- it brought me home and then....the run.....er....stumble.

T2 - pretty smooth - just took my time, made a pit stop and then off I went. Walked a little and then started to run a bit. I realized very quickly it was going to be a LONG stumble. I entered the world of math and began to do all the miles vs time calculations and knew I would finish unless I just died. I also knew it wasn't going to be pretty. I ran a little and then I would walk. A ton of the run was uphill and I walked virtually every uphill and tried to run some of the downs but I ended up walking somewhere in the neighborhood of 80% of the run. I think the effort on the bike cost me quite a bit of time on run. I really need to hang onto my plan - there's an understatement.

Here are the times:

Distance Long
Clock Time 7:22:19
Chip Time 7:22:19
Overall Place 1694 / 1929
Gender Place 1229 / 1313
Division Place 104 / 119
Swim 1 2Mi Rank 1134
Swim 1 2Mi Time 32:44
Swim 1 2Mi Pace 1:42/M
T1 Time 05:33
Bike 56Mi Rank 1594
Bike 56Mi Time 3:25:33
Bike 56Mi Pace 16.3mph
T2 Time 05:01
Run 13 1Mi Rank 1759
Run 13 1Mi Time 3:13:26
Run 13 1Mi Pace 14:46/M

I felt very good about my times up to the run. I felt I fell apart. Now for the excuses. At about mile 30 of the bike I really started to lose my stomach. I really couldn't get myself to take in calories. It was beginning to heat up (the high for the day was 94). By the stumble, it was just water and a few Endurolytes. My fueling strategy was to use Perpetuem on the bike - about 580 calories of which I probably drank 2/3s, I had also planned on a couple of gels to get me to about 760 calories over 3-3.5 hours. Also, sip on water with about a 18-20 ounce consumption per rest station - there were four and I would say I probably took in about 60 - 70 ounces of water through the whole ride. My plan on the run was a two hour bottle of Heed - about 400 calories with a gel or two if I preferred. Because my stomach was bothering me on the run, I took a gel at the end of the bike with some water. Other than that, I took a couple of swallows of the Heed but didn't feel I could drink more. On the second loop of the run, I tried some Gatorade Endurance and some flat Coke and even tried diluting the Gatorade with water but it still didn't sit really well. I was never really sick but my stomach seemed to be revolting or on the verge of revolt. Part of the run was on a trail that was very dry and dusty including a hill called Quadzilla - draw what inference you want from that name...it was worse in reality. I doubt very seriously I drank nearly enough water on the run now that I look at it but I was afraid I had consumed too much. There were probably 15 aid stations on the run and considering 4 ounces of water per aid station that would be 60 ounces of water in 3.25 hours. Probably somewhat short for me, especially in the heat. What a learning experience.

And then the glorious finish line.....OH MY GOD....what a beautiful site and to hear the announcer proclaim my official finish. A medal around my neck, a Ironman 70.3 finisher towel on my shoulders, a finisher's water bottle full of water and someone to take off my chip. I was DONE.

I had a few bites of burrito, ate some oranges, drank some really sweet water ice - like a slush and drank a Diet Coke. I was beginning to feel okay except for my legs and the bottoms of my feet - Oh, the bottoms of my feet.

The only really physical pain was my feet were on FIRE. The balls of my feet really hurt and my toes had irritated one another in the toe box of my shoes. Got to solve those two issues. Every step was a message of irritation to the brain. There are a lot of steps in a half marathon....although anything 13.1 miles should NOT be called half of anything.

So what did I learn. I have to get my fueling strategy SOLIDIFIED. I don't know if it was the heat, the protein, the lack of consumption, the lack of water or what but I have to get it down, period.

I also must STICK WITH MY PLAN - I went too hard on the swim and bike. I think 5 minutes more on the swim and 15-20 minutes more on the bike may have saved me 30-45 minutes on the run. Not a huge difference but I think I would have appreciated running a little more than I did. That said, there were a ton of uphills on the run and I probably still would have walked most of them.

Those are my big two things learned.

After I finished, I was looking for Ray - my friend from Dallas who also completed the race. He finished 3 minutes ahead of me and was in the medical tent when I finished. He ended up with an IV for fluids. He said it was a big bag and he felt pretty good after he got it.

Since I couldn't find Ray, Debbie and I walked to transition as I was ready to get out of the heat. I sat on the ground to pack up my stuff. I was tired. And I had to get my bike back to the car - a LONG mile and a half away with two uphills....crap. I seriously contemplated just leaving my bike. Hey, I could get another one. Someone else might really need this one. Maybe they would find me. In the end, I wheeled it over, met Debbie and we headed out on the march of death to the car. She thought about crossing the road and catching the bus to the car and I decided if she was going to do that I could ride my bike back to the car. I know I promised my bike that I would not ride it but I lied. Sorry bike. I haven't been on you since. By the way, when I got back to the parking lot, I couldn't find the car. It took about 5 minutes of riding to find it....it felt like another 56 miles. I got the bike loaded and then Ray showed up so we had to discuss the race laying in the back of his pick-up truck (we are in Texas you know so there had to be a truck in the story).

I was wondering if I was as dehydrated as Ray so when I got home I decided to weigh to see what the effect of the day was on weight. I had lost almost 10 pounds...that's too much - even for a big guy. I hit the water again to try to get the hydration in line as I realized I had not had a pit stop since 7:30 that morning other than the couple of ounces prior to the run...it had been twelve hours. I am still down about 5-6 pounds but the hydration level seems right now from everything I have read. This is another reason I know the fueling strategy is critical to on-going successful effort in this crazy sport.

Recovery - drove home - about a hour and a half, stopped an got a cheeseburger, fries and a chocolate shake. They all tasted great. Got home, took a shower, then soaked in a cool tub for a while (not an ice bath just cool water) and then iced my calves for a while and my hammies for a shorter time. I cramped a bit through the night as I changed positions but more like a pinched nerve than anything else. Mostly in my calves and arches of my feet. I kept drinking water through the night. Monday morning I woke up and really felt about 80% of normal. I was at work by 7:30 and had a pretty good day. I wasn't quite spot on but was pretty close I thought given what I had done the day before. Today I would say I was 97-98% and tonight feel I am back at 100%.

Several people have asked if I will do another...first response -- "not today" but I learned so much and in both my first efforts in earlier distances I have felt about the same. The second efforts have been better so I am sure I will do it again. I think it is really beginning to sink in that I just covered 70.3 miles under my own power. Good gosh that is a long way...

One week from right now....

2008-09-28T14:10:00.003-05:00

One week from right now I hope to be finished....or dang close to it. With the minor nagging issues I have had lately, I have abandoned all thoughts of trying to predict a goal time. I plan to cruise Longhorn 70.3 as best I can. I have not been able to ride nearly as much as I would have liked but I think I will be okay. I had a nice short ride on Friday (which happended to also be my 49th birthday), then I swam a mile and rode 90 minutes yesterday. Today was a hour and 15 minute run and that pretty well does it. I have a 3 sport short run through early this week and then it is just spin a little, swim a little, run a loosen up run and then SHOWTIME!!

It sure seemed further away when I signed up at the beginning of the year but it has finally arrived. I am going to do my best to enjoy the day. Goals -- finish with a smile on my face and don't puke....

Down to 2 weeks...

2008-09-20T15:41:00.000-05:00

Did a cool 10.25 mile run this morning since I couldn't do a long ride. Felt really good surprisingly. I will swim and run tomorrow and then the taper begins..... Of course the taper for a HIM is still a pretty tough training week in my book. I hope to be able to be back on the bike sometime this week.

Please start shooting the good karma this way.....70.3 miles is a LONG way......LOL! Two weeks from tomorrow....

No really....is this a new post....wow....

2008-09-17T21:00:00.001-05:00

And now for a little feel sorry for myself.... In addition to a absolutely horrid stock market - I am having a relapse of the infection that I suffered from 2.5 weeks ago. No bike per doctors orders until I go see him again on Monday. I had micro surgery yesterday and am recovering well. I am free to run and swim starting tomorrow. This really sucks. As strange as this might sound, I was really looking forward to this long week. I really like how a long workout makes me feel. So I am a little wigged out...imagine that....I feel I am fine fitness wise but my nugget (brain) is trying to undermine what confidence I have.

I do feel pretty good and honestly, I had no choice - there was no way I could get on a bike seat yesterday. I am also on some nuclear anti-biotics. The thought is I might have picked up some bacteria in an open water swim that is attacking me. The good news is that one of the anti-biotics supposedly makes you VIOLENTLY ill if mixed with alcohol....so I am likely to lose a few ounces over the next two weeks of medication. Also, with these meds, I am guessing that I won't get sick or suffer from another infection.

Pray for me......sTRIve.....17 days, 10 hours and counting

The Austin Triathlon

2008-09-01T15:34:00.002-05:00

Today was the second annual Austin Triathlon. There was a sprint and an Olympic. Following is my race report. This was my second Olympic, the first being CapTexTri. The courses are pretty similar as they are both held right in the middle of downtown Austin, TX, definitely a triathlon city.

It is currently about 3:30 Monday afternoon and my day was excellent. I feel great....I feel totally recovered which seems a little odd but I could use a short nap from the early wake up call.

Time is unofficial...off my watch...but I think I am around 3:02....was hoping for under 3 but I will take it....it was a non-wetsuit swim and I think my swim was the same as in May so I was very pleased with that - maybe that was my 1 or 2 minutes lost to no wetsuit....LOL...bike was average 19.5 mph unofficially and the run was about a 1:05, or 1:06. Again, it was a pretty hot day but did not seem to bother me like the one in May. It was almost the same course as the one in May so I think the comparison pleases me. I felt my nutrition was dialed in, which is why I feel very recovered now I am sure. So I got up, had a bagel and peanut butter and then a banana, followed by a little caffeine fix. Walked over to transition as it opened, got body marked and then set up my little area....it was clean, I am trying to cut down the clutter in all areas of my life. I then walked back up to the room to relax for a few minutes. Back down with plenty of time to spare (I HATE to be late anywhere). Shawn Colvin, a country musician from Austin sang the national anthem and the open wave was off. I was in the fifth wave so I got to stand around a little and then it was into the water with no wetsuit - the temp was 78 so it was wetsuit legal however I made the decision to go sans wetsuit in case my 70.3 is non-wetsuit, I wanted to be comfortable with the swim. No real contact, no bumper bodies, no amusement park ride at the beginning so I just swam. I am pleased with the swim, felt good getting out, HR a little high but okay.

The bike was interesting. There were a couple of tight turns and a couple of turnarounds and a few gradual grades and one hill, I hit it pretty hard and am very pleased with what Polar says was my pace - 3:05 per mile - I will look forward to checking it when the official chip times get posted. I passed several people on the 3 loops and got passed some.

And then there was the run --- ah, the run. I came out of T2 at about 1:56 or 57 and thought, hey, let's see what happens. I knew the bike took a little out of me but hey, I like to ride. Heat was building, sun was bright, it was a beautiful day - so it was just left, right, repeat.......I really would like to see the halfway split, I am pretty sure I may have run the second half faster than the first but I guess I will never know for sure as I didn't hit the lap function on my watch.

Great party after with massage, ART Active Release Therapy, pizza, beer, smoothies, ice cream, fruit, Famous Amos chocolate chip cookies, etc. Put the bike on the back of the truck, took a shower, checked out of the hotel and headed for home.

Approaching the highway, I-35, we saw it was blocked and empty. So, slowly moving with everyone else on the service road, I realized it was for President Bush to travel from Austin down to San Antonio to make an appearance. He met with hurricane volunteers and evacuees in Austin and then in San Antonio (I think he also came to watch me participate in The Austin Triathlon - ROFL). Then, here came all the police, ambulance, bomb truck looking vehicle and a bunch of black suburbans, some with the back windows open and some mean dudes looking out backwards, followed by several press vans and then more police. That was cool, then the highway re-opened and we were able to get out of some of the traffic.

I had hoped to break 3 hours today but it was a PR nonetheless and I feel really good about how I feel now. Next up, Longhorn 70.3!!!!

What a great Labor Day!

End of recovery week

2008-08-24T18:57:00.003-05:00

It has been a nice recovery week. Just cruising through some short workouts and really enjoying them. I ran 10k today and felt really good. Next week really ramps up some volume so it should be an interesting week. There is some rain predicted for the area so hopefully it holds off so I can do the long run and long ride outside. I would be very very bored on the treadmill.

Next weekend is the Austin Triathlon. It is on Monday in downtown Austin. Should be a great race. I am really looking forward to it.

Was planning to swim Gatormania on Saturday but it was raining when I rolled out of bed so I bagged it. I am wondering how it went.

See you at the finish line.

Long Brick Today

2008-08-16T19:10:00.001-05:00

Due to the Olympics, I have been sacrificing a little sleep to be a good American however I rolled out at 5:30 this morning to do it my workout before it got too hot. I had a great workout. One mile OWS, 1:50 minutes on the bike - about 30 miles with a LOT of hills and then a 20 minute trail run. The legs got to feel good after about 5 minutes and I felt very good after the run. I had a recovery drink and then ate a sandwich on the way home. I was able to do this with a tri shop here who has just started doing these Sat trainings at a local lake. So I have a chance every Sat to OW swim, bike, run or any combination thereof and any distance. They usually do an hour/an hour/and an hour but they are adjustable and met my schedule today without any problems. So here's the reason I share this with you, Debbie (Mrs. L.R.R) has been swimming since May (which incidentally is the first time she put her face in the water) and last night swam 1400 yards in a 200, a bunch of 100s and a few 50s. She went out with me this morning to try an OWS and follow with a short bike around the park and to run with me. The lake is 1/2 mile across - she swam ALL THE WAY across AND back. Her first OWS ever was 1 mile. I am so proud of her that I had to share that with you all. Now here's a funny, there was a lady at the lake promoting Gatormania - an OW race next weekend at the same lake. Debbie was like - I might want to do that. So who knows what we have created here. Thanks for listening and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

Jack's Generic Tri

2008-08-03T17:47:00.003-05:00

I raced (if you can call it that) the Jack's Generic Triathlon today. Jack's is the product of Jack and Adam's shop in Austin - a great tri and bike shop. Their place is actually where I bought my QR. This was also the first triathlon I ever saw last year, other than watching Ironman on TV. It was about a week before my first sprint and I wanted to see what the heck people did and how this whole thing worked in reality, not just reading about it on the web. They put on a heck of a party and I said last year that I would be back to race this year. So here's the report...

Alarm at 4am...ouch. Left the house a little before 5 for a 45 minute drive to the race site at the Texas Ski Ranch. I got my packet, race number and chip, got marked and moved into transition about 6. I was set up by about 6:30 with the race start at 8. My wave started at 8:20.

The water smelled horrible and tasted worse...we both know you can't help a little taste here and there. The swim went well for me, it was 500 meters (give or take) and I came out of the water in 10:40 - a pretty good time for me. I got kicked in the head at the beginning and then got kind of caught up in a pack that I couldn't seem to get out of...finally, mud under my feet and out of the water into T1. T1 was 2:35. I really simplified my trasition area today. I went minimalist and I really liked it. Very clean and simple. I should have been fast in transition....that's free speed.

Hit the bike with a bit of a higher heart rate than I wanted but my plan was to push the bike pretty hard and just see what happened on the run. There were quite a few rolling hills on the course and it was pretty windy and exposed in a couple of areas. The final mile or mile and a half are downhill so that was fun...I was up in the 30s realizing that at some point I would need to stop and get off that machine. A good dismount and cruise into T2. Speed on the bike averaged 18.6mph. T2 time was 1:28.

My legs felt really good leaving transition. I hit the road and really wanted to get done. I ran a 29:05 run which for me was a great time for a triathlon run. I am not fast...will never be accused of being fast....but maybe someday someone will say I am half-fast....

A great triathlon, a great party and a great group of people. This one will definitely be on the 2009 calendar.

Still here....going on vacation

2008-07-13T14:21:00.002-05:00

Wow, life gets in the way of the things we want to do.

Vacation coming up this week. Much training to do on vacation but it will be fun. We are headed to the beach. After I return, I am going to really work on the nutrition plan daily to try to drop a few more pounds prior to the HIM.

Workouts are going well. I did two bricks this weekend one a 2 hour ride with a 30 minute run and one a one hour run with a thirty minute run. I also had a long run this week of and hour and fifteen minutes and a lot of yards in the pool. Hopefully on vacation I will be able to get in some long OWS. I won't have the bike so it will be stationary bike, weights, pool/ocean and road/beach to run on....this should be a great week and a half. I am planning to get two good rides in before we leave mid-week.

See you at the finish line.

Less than 100 days

2008-06-29T20:11:00.002-05:00

Haven't posted much lately. Work has been nuts and I've been trying to train as much as possible. I looked at the counter today and it says I am less than 100 days from HIM.....wow. I am glad it is not sooner. I still have quite a bit of work to do. The last three days I have really had some good work though so I think I will be okay. I have been having some issues with motivation. I am sure we all go through it but it seems that Friday really seemed different. I did a 30 minute swim followed by a 30 minute run and it really felt good. I had a 2 hour ride on Saturday and followed it up with a one mile tranisition run to shock the legs. Really really felt good after the work. Today was a one hour run. It was a good run and I have felt great today as well. Fortunately I have not felt much tension in the left achilles this weekend. It has bothered me off and on for a couple of weeks and I have really laid off the running as much as I dared.

I am focused for the week. Several good workouts planned. Have a good week.

Tri It In Spanish Sprint

2008-06-14T20:04:00.000-05:00

Wow... My sprint today was like every race I have done this year....HOT! However the run was a grass trail with some shade....spotty but covered about 30% of the course. It was really nice. The bike was 15 miles of rolling hills...big wind today too - I didn't really notice it until the turnaround when the about four miles it was right on the nose and hard.

The swim was open water in a water ski lake that several people had seen a couple of snakes in this morning.....those people included my wife. I convinced myself they were harmless water snakes and since I was number 33 into the water, 32 people would have chased them away before I got in the water. Near the end of the swim there was some tall grass in the water that kind of grabbed at you. That was interesting.

The half mile ride out to the main road was on a very bumpy patched asphalt surface that was pretty rough. Once out on the road, the ride was very nice. The drive was uphill on the way out which obviously means downhill coming back in....doing 20+ bouncing around was pretty cool....and a bit nerve racking.

I hit T2 very close to a couple of other guys in my age group and I knew I needed to get after the run (my weakest event) to stay ahead of them. They were on my tail the whole way and ended up finishing within about 30 seconds and a minute. I was pretty jazzed that I didn't get run down. I thought I had done pretty well in my AG but there were some added this morning that didn't go in the swim with us. As soon as I have final placing and times I will post them

This was the first race for Tri-sition Area, a new tri shop in San Antonio and they did a marvelous job. The course was great, the race started on time (big deal with me), and they had plenty to eat and drink post race. If you ever are in Texas and have a chance to do one of their races I highly recommend it. For a small event they had great stuff. The t-shirt was a technical, dry fit shirt and the goodie bag included a latex swim cap, a pair of Yankz! and some Hammer gel (apple cinnamon - which IS the greatest gel flavor ever). This was a great first race.

Bike Fit

2008-06-08T20:27:00.003-05:00

Went for a pro bike fit yesterday. Wow, what an experience. The fitter and I spent almost three hours working on set up. This angle, that angle, this length, that length, pedal this, pedal that, how does this feel, how does that feel....

It just went on and on but when the position was dialed in, the feeling was really amazing. He told me I would know when we found the right spot - no matter what the angles, measurements, computer, manual, etc. said and he was right. And THEN we did more tweaking to be sure. What an experience. My fit ended with a test ride. After all I had heard about fits, I don't think anyone talked about a test ride. He said it was part of the deal...all that work had to result in a better ride. So a short test was in order. Man, it felt different. Much more powerful and comfortable.

All I can say is if you haven't done this yet, you should. I rode this morning (really couldn't wait to get on the bike to see how it felt) and then bricked into a run. Not real long, a 30 minute ride and 40 minute run but I can say my legs have never felt better coming off the bike. I will be anxious on a longer brick how it feels. I look forward to the next ride.

A Big Weekend

2008-06-01T18:52:00.002-05:00

What a weekend!

Friday night began with a mile swim...nice and easy in the outdoor pool at the club. IT was very hot last week and swim felt great. Nice and easy and worked right through it.

Saturday morning continued with the Real Ale Ride in Blanco. Blanco is in the HILL COUNTRY of Texas. It really is the HILL COUNTRY. The climbs in a 30 mile ride totalled over 1500 feet and there was one downhill where I clocked at 47.3 mph. The only time my bike has gone that fast is in the rack behind my truck. It was a tough, tough ride. Hot and windy. Why is it that most uphill are always into the wind?

Sunday morning was a new beginning. My daughter, wife and I all completed the Heart of Texas Sprint Triathlon in San Antonio. It was a great day and my daughter finished second in her age group. Everyone is well after the race.

The Heart of Texas Series is a set of 7 races throughout the summer that add distance to one of the three events every two weeks throughout the summer to the championship race. They are all held on the Fort Sam Houston Army Base in San Antonio so the course, while open, is very protected and there are numerous volunteers from the service. There were also at least two Intrepid Heroes as competitors. If you don't know, an Intrepid Hero is one who was injured in service and is re-habbing at Brook Army Medical Center here in San Antonio. Each swam, biked, and ran with a prosthetic leg. I will never be half as tough as those men. I have said before and I will say again, thank you for your service and your sacrifice.

CapTexTri 2008 Slideshow

2008-06-01T13:46:00.001-05:00

CapTexTri 2008

2008-05-25T19:36:00.002-05:00

Capitol of Texas Triathlon - one of the biggest Olympic distance events in Texas (according to the propaganda) was held in Austin on May 25, 2008. It was my first Olympic. We arrived in Austin yesterday about 1pm or so and spent about an hour in line to pick up my packet. We then attended the rules seminar and the race course seminar, checked in the bike, cruised the Expo and then decided it was time for dinner.

The alarm went off at 4:15 this morning. Ouch. We were staying about 20 minutes from the course and with 2500 participants, 1500 in the Olympic, 700 in the sprint and 300 in the First Tri, I wanted to get a good parking place so I wouldn't have to hike miles after the race. Yeah, yeah, I know...I am an athlete - walk....but I will have just covered about 30 miles under my own power and to save a few more footsteps would be nice. So we got over to the site and scored a very close spot to leave the vehicle. Got transition set up and then wetsuited up for the swim.

The Swim
When I walked out on the launch dock yesterday, it seemed they had put the turning buoys way to far down the lake....you could barely see them. Well, not to worry, they will move them into position by morning. Not really, see, this morning they were still two bridges away. Yes, two bridges -- note to self, watch the pilings when you go under the bridge. The pros went off pretty close to 7 and I was in the third wave (this ultimately turned out very good as it just kept getting hotter). So it was national anthem, pros in the water and before you know it I was bobbing in Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake) getting ready to swim about a mile. It would be my longest open water swim yet. The gun goes off and me and about 150 of my closest friends get after it...bumping, smacking, pushing, grabbing, none of it intentional, just part of the process. I think it is really pretty cool. Soon you are out of the washing machine and just stroking your way up the lake. I am fortunate to swim pretty straight so I don't have to sight all that much and before I knew it, I was looking at the turn buoy - make a right here and another right about 100 yards further up and head back toward the starting area, make the right at that turn buoy and then arms are grabbing you to help you stand up and get out of the water. One interesting tidbit, on the return trip my left hand contacted something really hard about 18-24 inches underwater. Looking down, I was pulling myself over a block of concrete, looked like some kind of footing or piling for an old bridge or dock or something. Let me tell you, it was startling.

T1
I had made the decision to walk the transitions ahead of time. As I moved into transition, they had us racked as far as physically possible from the bike out. No biggie, just more walking in my cycle shoes. I sat down to put on my cycle shoes and immediately got a cramp in my left hammy and calf. So I took some time and walked it out a little and massaged it some to try to make it feel better. Surprisingly, I never felt it again but it did slow down my transition.

Bike
The bike was a 4 lap ride. Yeah, 1500 Oly athletes on a 4 loop course....there WILL be drafting - no option. Someone said they had calculated that there was not arithmetic way that all those bikes could be in proper position on the course at one time. Needless to say, my third and fourth laps were really crowded. Less than 5 minutes into the ride, my Aero Bottle's velcro strap that holds it in the bracket came loose and out of the bracket. I almost lost the bottle and held it in with my left hand for a couple of minutes and then realized I was going to have to stop and fix it. Bummer, it cost me some time but I could not have held it the entire ride. That would have been miserable. The ride was really fast for me, over 19 miles per hour average. I also lost my little yellow bottle stopper thingy and also my electrolyte replacement pills so that really sucked as much fluid as I lost today. I paid for the lost of the electrolytes later and learned to have some spares in transition but they were gone today. All in all, even with the stop, this was a great ride for me.

T2
About 2/3 of the way into the ride, I knew I would have to make a pit stop in T2. So I racked the bike, grabbed the hat and race belt, changed shoes, made a pit stop and started on the 10k run in blistering sun.

The Run
At that time, I was at about 2 hours racing and I entertained some thought of a 3 hour Oly debut. Then my body reminded me it was about 1000 degrees with 250% humidity...it would be a slow run. It was a 2 lap run course with several aid stations. They added one or two yesterday due to the weather to the ones already planned. At one aid station, at Jack and Adam's Bike Shop, they were not only serving water and ice, they had the garden hose out and would hose you down as you ran by...that was great. Part of the run course also got you into downtown so you had a little shade from the buildings. The run was pretty grueling but all in all was uneventful, just hot and long.

So the final times were:
Swim 34:05
T1 5:51
Bike 1:17:50
T2 4:44
Run 1:13:19
Total 3:15:51

My take: I was slow in the transitions but with the cramp and the pit stop I guess I was okay. The run was painfully slow - I have always been slow but I think even with the conditions I could or should have gone faster. On the flip side, I was very pleased with my swim and bike.

I ended up toward the bottom of my age group which is fine, there are some very fast people in Austin and I was glad to be there and to play. I was ranked 833 overall out of approximately 1500 and I am cool with that too. I had originally said anything between 3:30 and 3:45 would have been okay with me. After the bike, I dreamed of 3:00 for about 8 seconds and then came back to reality. Looking at 3:15 seemed a little more reasonable so that became my target. All in all, I was really pleased with my time. There are always going to be those who are faster than me but I can honestly say I don't think there is anyone who enjoys the experience more. It hurts, sure, but I try to take in every moment and I encourage you to do the same. We really are lucky to be able to do this.

The event:
This is a very well run, large triathlon. It was a blast and I will definitely do it again. My compliments to the race director and all of his volunteers. After a rain out last year, they rallied beautifully to run an exceptional race today in spite of the conditions. It would have been nice to have a more spread out bike course, it got really crowded, but the urban nature of this event is really cool.

Time to go

2008-05-23T15:34:00.002-05:00

Times Up!
The training deposits are all in the bank and now it is off to showtime. The time is here to enjoy all the sweat. All the "why am I doing this?" questions. All the "I could so be doing something else" comments. The FINISH LINE awaits.

The FINISH LINE! You probably know the feeling - the chute and the banner comes into view and a smile appears inside if not on your face. You know you have done it...let's face it, you knew you could do it, there was no doubt...or was there...just a little...maybe???

There is not much in life that feels like a FINISH LINE. If you haven't felt it - go for it - 5k, 10k, sprint triathlon, whatever. Just go feel what a FINISH LINE means.

See you at the FINISH LINE!

Almost there...

2008-05-22T19:56:00.003-05:00

A great short run today but it was HOT! Mid-nineties...ouch. I hope Sunday is a little cooler when I finish. The only workout left is a 400 yard swim tomorrow. Almost not worth getting wet but I will....I really feel ready.

I look back to a year ago and am amazed at my willingness, or even excitement, to cover 32 miles, give or take, under my own power on Sunday. Then - 32 yards would have been a challenge. It is unbelievable what you can do. I have a friend who years ago shared the following quote - maybe it fits here: "The sight of the gallows focuses the mind."

Yesterday I received my XLAB Carbon Wing Hydration System from PowerTri.com. It is incredibly cool. I won't use it this weekend. I am following the nothing new on race day rule. But I can't wait to mount it on my bike. It looks aero in the cardboard box.

Happy Memorial Day Everyone! Please take a moment this weekend and remember the real meaning of Memorial Day and remember those for whom the day stands as a monument to their memory. My gratitude goes out to everyone who has served and all who have lost someone who has served. If you have lost someone who served, My thoughts are with you and I appreciate their sacrifice. If you served, Thanks for my freedom.

Let's Go!

2008-05-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

Last big brick today.

I AM READY!

Let's go race.

Did I do enough....

2008-05-16T20:51:00.002-05:00

Well, it's time. All those interesting thoughts, "did I do enough?", "why didn't I train more?", "why did I skip those workouts?", "I may die", "I think I should bike 25 miles and run 6 miles each day this week to be sure I can" and all the other things that we begin to doubt as an important event nears.

Don't get me wrong. I can taper - I love to taper - I am a professional taperer, I had 47 years of tapering practice - I can do it to perfection. But DOUBT rears its ugly head trying to interrupt my taper. Get behind me Satan. I have earned my taper. Even if I am hurting in the race (I am going to be okay, right?), I am proud of my taper and am going to exploit it to the max.

Please comment and tell me that you too, have these thoughts. Please reassure me that it is not just me. Please. Now. Thanks.

The Taper Begins....

2008-05-10T11:53:00.003-05:00

I got my workout plan from Coach Annie last night and was shocked. The email said "welcome to your taper". I really thought I had another tough week before the slave driver let up on me. She's not really a slave driver but she is tough. (I put that last sentence in just in case she reads this...maybe she won't take it out on me.)

So, long brick today - hour bike and 50 minute run...race simulation. The weather was pretty tough - over 80 degrees, 75% humidity and winds 18-20. I hope it is a kinder, gentler climate in 14 days.

Long swim last night. Swam 2000 non-stop for the first time ever. I felt really good at the end and could have gone longer. I am amazed. In June of 2007, my first swim "workout" was 37.5 yards. The shoulders were a little tired last night but I felt great this morning.

See you at the finish line.

Bike and Open Water Virgin Swim

2008-04-29T21:25:00.002-05:00

We were out of town this past weekend in Southlake, TX, which is where we moved to San Antonio from a few years ago. Two work associates and I had a great 24 mile ride on Saturday in some rolling hills of Tarrant County averaging about 17 miles an hour. Then after about a hour break it was into Lake Grapevine for my first open water swim with another work friend. It was really cool to train with two guys who are virtual training partners all the time and we got to work out together for real. I think, while triathlon is definitely a singular, sometimes lonely sport, training with someone from time to time really is great. Ray and Mark and I ran last year in Chicago on the shore of Lake Michigan, we ran the Austin Half Marathon together (sort of...us and 12000 friends...) and now have ridden and swam together too.

I think the tri community is really cohesive online and I really like the camaraderie. It is even a stronger bind when friends tri together. Urge your friends and/or family to join in. I cannot wait until June when my wife and our daughter complete their first sprint. What a deal!

I was interested in how the OWS would go. I really liked swimming in the lake. No line on the bottom of the pool didn't bother me. Not seeing very far didn't bother me, wondering what was swimming with me didn't bother me...I was pretty surprised. I thought there could be some issues, at least at some level. There really weren't. Now, that said, my next OWS could be freak out city but at least my first one is over. I don't have to ever do another first OWS.

Swim Milestone

2008-04-24T12:49:00.002-05:00

This week included a milestone swim for me.

I was to swim a mile non-stop. In June of last year when I started this journey, I couldn't hardly swim 25 yards non-stop and my first swim workout was a total of 37.5 yards. Yes, that said 37 point 5 yards. Halfway up that second length I stood up to avoid a drowning in our club pool. I had "played in the water" for years and loved it, but I had NEVER swam more than one length of a pool and that had been about 30 years ago.

So while I have swam many many laps since and some long swims - 1250 yards or so - I hadn't swam, swum, swimmed (I never know which to use) 1760 yards non-stop. I told myself I was going to swim 36 50s, with a 0 rest interval. That seemed a little more achievable.

I started the workout with a 5 minute warmup - which for me is a 250. Then after a couple of minutes of telling my brain I would be okay, off I went. I did my best to relax and just extend and enjoy the water. Each 50 moved my water bottle or ear plug holder closer to finish. I must explain....I CANNOT keep count of my laps. If I try, I miss laps, forget the number, or convince myself I am really, really tired and must stop so I designed a very high tech, dual purpose, water proof, lap counter and hydration receptacle. I simply place a water bottle on a designated 2x2 tile on the deck and slide it over one tile per lap. Hey, it's not sophisticated but it works for me. Well, 36 tiles looked like a long way to move that bottle so I placed it at tile 18 and then placed the little plastic deal that holds ear plugs on the row of tiles below it...presto, the swim didn't look as long. I glanced at the pace clock and said, ok, swim 10 minutes straight and see how you feel, then it became 15, then 20, then 5 more, at 33 and change I was at 1500 which is the CapTexTri distance and I knew I would be able to roll another 300 with no problem. I finished the 1800 yards at 39:40...not the fastest by far but I made it....with fewer difficulties than I could have imagined.

There is NO way I would have dreamed of swimming a mile one year ago. I say that to reinforce that YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU DECIDE YOU ARE GOING TO DO!

See you at the finish line,
B