The 30 Minute Window

I'm on the eve of my first HIM. Most of my packing will be completed tonight, but for the most part I'm ready. My race day nutrition has already been set aside. By itself on the kitchen counter, it doesn't look like much. Oatmeal, powders, a few pills, and some gels. The bike has been cleaned and greased. I have a new rear tire, one that allows for more psi thus leaving a smaller print on the road (=faster). I've added a saddle bag for my tube and CO2 cartridge. All equipment is dialed in as much as it can be. The engine is getting some much needed rest this week as well. I've refined it's fuel so it'll be performing at max capacity come Sunday. The engine has never felt better.
The only thing weighing on my mind right now is this thirty minute window. I'm referring to the time on the clock as I stroll across the finish line on Sunday. I've narrowed down my finishing times from best case scenario to worst case scenario, and they fit inside this thirty minute window. I know what I can do each discipline in, but how will I do come race day? I've pushed myself enough this year to know how I react to certain conditions and distances, but there's always the unknown. Now don't get me wrong, this thought isn't controlling my mindset right now, and I'm not stressing over it. My head is surprisingly clear. But, if you know me, which you probably don't, you'd know that I'm very goal oriented and competitive. Just finishing is not enough. A lack luster effort is unacceptable. I'm going to enjoy every second of this race on Sunday, but know that if I'm enjoying too much then I'm going to be disappointed when I cross that line.
I've got one more ride to do this afternoon before I call it quits on training for this race. My work is done. Due some great coaching, I have full confidence in my training and preparation. It's time for a victory lap. It's time to enjoy what I've worked so hard for. I'm ready.
Comments are turned off on this one. Thanks for reading. Race report coming.

Memorial Day Weekend

Lauren and I left out of Bham on Friday morning to meet up with her folks down in Perdido Key for the weekend. It's interesting, pretty much the whole way down we could smell the smoke coming over from Georgia from the forest fires in the southern portion of the state. It's eerie and just a testament of our dire need for some rain here in the South. These fires have been burning for several weeks now.
So far this weekend has been very productive training wise, but at the same time very relaxing. Saturday I met up with some cyclists from Mobile I've only met once before. I stumbled onto their Yahoo groups page and invited them over for a ride. It's amazing how communal cyclists are and how it brings people together. We did a 43 mile loop from Perdido Key down to Fort Morgan. The rest of the day was spent "recovering" by the pool and carefully hydrating with a mix of gatorade and beer.
We treated her family that night by cooking some fresh Talipia over orzo with squash and zucchini. Yum.
Sunday morning, big day. It was my last big brick before my first HIM next weekend. 35 miles on bike followed by an 11 mile run. I did the bike fairly easily. In typical fashion though, the first half of the ride is always fast and easy. The gulf produces and strong tailwind going west that enabled me to keep my speed around 24 the whole time. I wasn't encouraged though. I knew the numbers were inflated. I knew what awaited me at the turn around. It's just a characteristic of the beach that I've learned to live with. Booom! I made the turn and headed back into the wind that had been my friend for the first half. I struggled to keep my speed around 19 as searched for better aero positions which only proved to keep me from focusing on cadence. Nonetheless, it was over and time to run. I had completed this exact same brick two weeks ago down here, and I suffered due to lack of fluids and electrolytes. This time before heading out I took few electrolyte tablets and recruited Lauren to bring some fluids to me down the road. The result was running the 11 miles 5 minutes quicker than last time. Total time - 1:40 on the bike 35 miles and 1:30 on the run, 11 miles an 8:14 pace. Again, as before I really suffered the last couple of miles, but so much better than last time. Hopefully I can keep that pace next weekend.
So the rest of the day = lots of rest for me. Tomorrow is a much needed off day. So tonight, you can find me staying up a little later than normal. I'll be on the dock hoping to catch a few trout. Hope all is well. Happy Memorial Day weekend. Remember our Troops!

Favorite Product of the Month Award

From time to time I realize how much I appreciate a certain product. In the past, I’ve listed a few of my favorite things about triathlons, and at some point I need to make a list just of my favorite products. The product that is the recipient of this outpouring of love is none other than my Headsweats headband.

I know my wife has a smile on her face right at this very moment as she’s reading this because the story of me and this headband wasn’t always one filled with such amorous affection. You see I first met the Headsweats headband Christmas morning. Lauren had lovingly put one in my stocking. Being the loving and grateful husband that I am, I scoffed at the headband thinking I’d never need it or use it. Headband? Who wears a headband? Those went out of style with John McEnroe and leg warmers. With permission, I returned the headband to the bike shop.
Fast forward 4 months. – It’s hot. I’m a sweater. I find myself constantly having to wipe the sweat off of my face and my shades. My Tifosi’s become useless with sweat streaming down the lenses. It’s such a pain. Sometimes, I would just go without shades because the sweat was so bad. So I broke down and bought the headband again, and you know what? It worked like a charm. No more sweat in the eyes. No more stopping to clean my shades. I may look like a dork (which who actually looks cool in a cycling helmet?), but I can see. So my product of the month award goes to Headsweats headband. Oh and as for my wife, she was more than kind after she found out I bought another headband. She only told me ‘I told you so’ twice.

Thoughts and Perspective

The morning started out with an early morning ride in Irondale. Afterwards, I made my way over to the Y for a shower before going into the office. If you’re a gym regular, especially a regular in the morning, you end up seeing the same guys each morning in the locker room going through the same routine. I’ve discussed the weird habits and cultures of the men’s locker room so I’m not going to revisit that for now. That’s another post altogether. Well, after a few months of getting dressed within 5 feet of each other, you end up making friends or at least acquaintances with some of these guys. There is one regular in particular who’s well known in the running community. He’s probably 48 or so. He mentors runners new to the sport, teaches spin class (a hell of a spin class), and holds an annual 10K. He and his wife have already completed 3 or 4 marathons this year. The picture I’m trying to paint here is that running and fitness is a huge part of his life. We always have plenty to talk about, but it’s usually just bad mouthing others who leave their wet towels around or leave the area around the sinks in total disarray. Today, he was telling me about his recent trip to the doctor regarding his knee pain. As with any runner, especially an old one, this is a huge concern.
It turns out that with about a month off, whatever was causing the pain will have repaired itself enabling him to continue on. It’s a fairly happy ending, but for the last month or so, he’s had to face the possibility of having to hang up the running shoes. Forever. Forever.
That’s pretty mind numbing and life altering.
So, here’s the hypothetical situation: If you’re a fan of the show “Lost”, you’ll remember back to season two where a heart monitor was supposedly inserted into Sawyer’s chest by the “Others.” If Sawyer’s heart rate went up a brisk walking pace, then the monitor would cause Sawyer to have a heart attack. This was meant to keep Sawyer from trying to escape. Brilliant. Let’s say this is the situation so as to keep any of you with vivid imaginations from getting around this inability to exercise.
So what do you do? This life style that we’ve all come to enjoy has totally been taken away from us. While most of us may only train say 10 or so hours a week, we’re probably thinking about training or racing another 10 or 15 hours in a given week. We spend a lot, I know, a lot of our hard earned money funding our training and traveling to races. To say that Triathlons or running for others is a big part of our lives is probably a bit of an understatement. How would you react if it was all taken away? This is a sad and terrible situation, but a situation a lot of people face daily. What if one major part of your life was totally taken away from you? Do you react graciously by volunteering at future races or by helping others in the sport? Do you become a recluse and shut yourself off from this cruel cruel world? Now, I’m picking on Triathlons because in the grand scheme of things it’s a lot easier than say losing a job or a loved one, but you get the picture.
I started asking myself this question this morning. What would I do? I can’t answer that right now. I know without a doubt that I would be very angry and would feel like a total victim for a while. Most people would. Luckily, I know ultimately (and I hope that I would remember this, but if I didn’t I know my wife would remind me) that my life is not defined by my sport. It’s not why I’m here. My hope is not in this world or my accomplishments here. Praise God for that.
So I leave you with this thought: While given the chance, burn on and enjoy every minute of this life that God has given you, but don’t lose perspective of what really matters.

CarbonMan 2007 Race Report

The morning of the inaugural CarbonMan Triathlon started at 5:15 am. I kept my eyes closed as I ate two packets of Maple and Brown Sugar Oatmeal. It's important to keep the eyes closed if you plan on going back to bed which I did. I had little to pack and prepare for since I took the time to do so last night. I finally got up for good at 6:30. Took my acid zapper and went over my transition bag.

Lauren and I met Brent and his wife over at Oak Mountain Park at 7:30. It was sunny out, but the temp was still just below 60 degrees. I began to worry a bit about the temp of the water, but a quick check proved that it would be just fine. I set the race up to be a 400 meter swim, a 12.3 mile bike and a 3 mile run. If you're familiar with the Buster Britton race, we used the same course. Very short, but it would give me a chance to work on transition times and pushing myself in each leg without doing to much damage. Also, Brent has never competed in a Tri before, so this was a chance for him to get a small taste.

Swim: - Spotting was key in this section. There are some yellow pipes floating the length of the beach out in the water that I tried to stay close to but due to their arc I had to keep spotting ahead to stay on course. Say good-bye to those wonderful black stripes in the pool. They don't put them in the lake. Also, the distance for the swim ended up being 300 yards. Either that or I'm fast. I finished in 4:33. Things to work on: spotting, keeping my head down when not spotting, and finding a rhythm out of the gate rather than trying to sprint the entire distance.

T1: A short run from the beach to the parking lot was easy enough. Threw on the helmet, shades, and shoes. Crap! Forgot the sweatband. Start over. - I'd made the decision to put my shoes on then get on the bike as I don't have tri shoes and I'm not that swift on jumping on my bike on the go. It may not be as fast, but at least I kept the rubber side down. Total time: 1:40. Way too slow.

Bike: I was out of the gate full blast. Breathing was heavy, but legs felt good, for now. I hit the hills of Oak Mtn and I felt like I weighed 400 pounds. I just couldn't keep up my speed on the bike. This leg of the ride really wore me out. With about a mile to go before the turn around, I wondered if my back break was rubbing. I reached back and released my back brake just in case. I discovered later that it hadn't been rubbing,but mentally, it worked for me. I found my strength and took off. The aero position felt great. Despite a bad start, I finished the 12.3 miles in 34:57. A 21 mph average. Good, but not great. Things to work on - learning to drink from my aero bottle.

T2: I did go ahead and slip out of my shoes as I was riding in. Throw the leg over the bike and I was off and headed to the transition area. Threw on my shoes with the Yanks shoes strings and my trusty visor, and I was gone. Total time - 27 seconds. Booyah. Things to work on: 27 seconds are you kidding me? I couldn't have done it better.

Run: This was my best leg. I'm notorious for suffering through this portion. No today. I felt great the entire run. It was gorgeous out and I was feeling great. 3 miles in 20:27. A 6:48 pace. Wow.

Total time: 1:02:05.

So for me, today's race was incredibly beneficial in that it gave me a chance to throw the hammer down without all the worry and stress of an actual race. After about 2 seconds on pondering the question, I decided that there will indeed be a CarbonMan 2008. So set your calendars.

Looking forward to reading your race reports. I'll post a link to them on Monday. Thanks to everyone who participated.

DON'T BUY THE SHIRT!!!

Oh man! I hope I don't owe too many of you an apology or a refund. If you haven't bought it already, don't buy the CarbonMan T-shirt! I just received mine today and boy did I ever mess up. The logo is just about the size of the shirt itself! Oh man is it hideous. If you did buy it, I will be happy to pay you for this mistake. I'm going to cancel the link to the shirt. I guess I owe a big apology to all the race directors who I've knocked in the past for their t-shirts. It's harder than I thought. Maybe I should have spent a little more time on making shirt the logo wasn't astronomically huge! Anyway, big huge apology! I don't even know if I'll try again. Very embarrassing.

Now, what to do with this mistake of a shirt. Anyone need a rag for the car wash bucket?

Disappointed at 'Triathlete' Mag

Well, I just picked up this month's issue of Triathlete Magazine. Before I purchased it though, I sat there at the news rack contemplating my purchase. I didn't know if I could bring myself to buy this month's issue. I love, LOVE, the magazine. In fact, I love reading anything and everything I can about triathlons (thus the reason why I read so many of your wonderful blogs). But! This month's cover caused me to pause. If you haven't seen it, the cover is of a very attractive female triathlete, Maxine Brahns, in a swimsuit. While it's not an overly skimpy swimsuit, it puts me in the position of looking like a real perv when I go to purchase the magazine. At the very least they could do would be to include a bike in the picture! I decided against posting the cover on my blog, but if you must see it, here's a link.
Inside Triathlon's cover is even worse. When I heard about it initially, I was looking forward to buying it as I'm a fan of this particular athlete. After seeing it, I changed my mind. I never thought that it'd be quite as revealing as it turned out. Maybe it's due to the summer month's approaching, but it seems both magazines decided to do a swimsuit/sex issue. Come on, I don't want to read about that in a triathlon magazine. If I wanted to buy a magazine about swimsuits and sex, I'd buy the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue or an issue of Maxim Magazine.
Now, I've read some comments about this in "letters to the editor" in prior issues. I feel like I've heard both sides of the story, but for me, I don't buy magazines to see women in bathing suits. As it stands with this issue, I'll read the magazine from cover to cover as usual, but it won't be one of the ones that I proudly display on my coffee table. It sends the wrong message about who I am. Now, don't get me wrong. I don't live my life scared of what other people think of me, but I know how I want to be represented.
My suggestion to 'Triathlete' is to stick to the sport. Give us cutting edge info, nutrition suggestions, training plans, and race info, but leave the swimsuit and sex discussions to the other mags.

CarbonMan T-shirts Are Here!

Finally, finally, finally. Sorry, it's taken me so long to get this posted, but I have to admit, I'm not the most computer savvy. I've shopped my design to a few websites and finally found one that works out. It's not entirely the way I wanted it, but it's close, and I think it's pretty cool. Here's a sneak peek.



So, if you want to order one, click here. Feel free to choose a different type of shirt or color. Have fun with it. If you need to search for it on the site you can search for it in the public shops under "CarbonMan".



As for the weekend, it was incredible. I won't bore you with the details of all the delicious fish I ate or the time I spent basking in the Florida sun. I will tell you that I am 100% ready for my Half Ironman on June 3rd. Today, I suffered through 35 miles on the bike (avg 21 mph) and ran 11 miles (8:43 per mile - YUCK!). I write off my avg mile on the run to poor nutrition and lack of hydration. I carried a 20oz Gatorade with me on the run, and it wasn't enough. I found a few fountains in resorts along the way to dunk my head in to cool me off. So, June 3rd is only 3 weeks away, and I can't wait. I'm ready to be 1/2 an Ironman.

You're Going to Hate Me for This and an Update on Floyd

First off, I'm headed to the beach AGAIN this weekend. I must be living right huh? The opportunity presented itself so I'm off. Who can pass up a chance to train along the shores of the prettiest beaches in the States? (Continental States that is - sorry Crash) I've had a great week of training. Over the last three days I've put in 5300 yards in the pool, and my shoulders are feeling it. I'm out of the water until tomorrow. This morning was a 7 mile run which I completed in a quick 48:35. Don't know where that came from, but it was encouraging as my last few runs have all been after a ride in which my legs have felt so heavy. I was beginning to lose faith in my running. Let's hope I can build on this.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. Here's an update on our boy Floyd Landis:

From CNNSI -

Floyd Landis claims the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency's lead attorney approached his lawyer offering "the shortest suspension they'd ever given an athlete" if Landis provided information that implicated Lance Armstrong for doping.
Landis said he made the Armstrong allegations public Thursday not because he planned to use it as evidence when testimony begins Monday in his arbitration hearing, but to show the lengths USADA will go to in prosecuting athletes.
"It was offensive at best," Landis said during a teleconference from Los Angeles. "It speaks to the character of the prosecution."
The 2006 Tour de France champion said USADA general counsel Travis Tygart approached his attorney, Howard Jacobs, with a deal shortly after learning of Landis' positive doping test during the Tour.
He said Jacobs characterized the conversation as one in which USADA would offer a deal if Landis passed on information about seven-time Tour champion Armstrong "or information about someone more important than me."
Over the years, Armstrong has fought doping allegations that have never been proven.
As for what he told Jacobs when the attorney passed on the information: "I don't think that offer justified a response," Landis said.
Jacobs did not immediately return messages left at his office by The Associated Press, and Tygart held to USADA's restriction on commenting about ongoing cases.
"If Mr. Landis will waive the rule and allow me to comment, then I'll be happy to address his nonsense," Tygart said.
USADA has a history of reducing penalties for athletes who provide evidence of doping violations by other athletes, though asking for information about specific athletes is not allowed. Landis faces a two-year suspension and forfeiture of his title if his positive test is upheld.
Armstrong and Landis are former teammates who went through an unfriendly split in 2004, but Armstrong has publicly supported Landis and been an outspoken critic of the way anti-doping agencies do business.
"I believe in Floyd, I believe he hasn't had a fair shake," Armstrong said recently.
The Armstrong revelation was the latest in a string of allegations Landis has levied against USADA and anti-doping authorities as he puts the final touches on his defense.
Over the past several months, he has toured the country to drum up support and money for his defense. He says the leak of the positive doping test last July damaged his reputation, and he's not even sure a victory in arbitration will repair all that.

Looking for Clarity

*Religious post disclaimer - nothing tri-relation. Just me and my Crewd Thoughts*

There's a mountain in Alaska called Fairweather Mountain. To call it such is a cruel joke. The truth is the weather there is terrible. Throughout most of the year the peak cannot be seen due to fog, clouds, you name it. In fact, there are only 20 days out of the year that there's a clear view of the top. A total of 20 days of clarity a year. I feel that way a lot of times about several aspects of my life. I feel like there are only about 20 days out of the year in which my life, future, etc. are fairly clear. Now, in speaking of marriage, I have no doubts. Lauren has been an incredible addition to my life. I don't like to say "addition" because she's not being added to my life, but rather we've started a brand new life. Kind of a 1+1=1 type of situation.
In speaking of faith, I believe with all my heart that there is one God and that he sent his Son to redeem this world through His death. I believe he's revealed Himself through the bible, but I also believe that he reveals himself through His creation, us. I have no doubt that God loves me and has a plan for me. Example #1 - my wife. Where I struggle is in seeing this plan and having faith that it will see it's way through. I struggle with going to God with my problems. For the most part, I feel that I'm a self made man. I work hard, and I succeed at the office. I train hard, and I get faster. Actions = results. What I seem to acknowledge is God's hand in all of this. I'm quick to lose focus on why I'm here. A good example is a man who sees his role as being the one that pursues a career. Not so. A man's role is to provide for his family. Not a big difference in what he actually does, but in how he approaches his job. Now take this back to me. I could say that my role is to work hard, go to church, put food on the table. But I'd rather see my role as a servant to my God where I live my life as one who is forgiven therefore loving my wife, completing my work as requested, being forgiving, and loving others all in a way that brings glory to Him. But, I fail miserably at this. This clarity that I crave would make things so much easier. With clarity, I would see just how futile my best efforts are. With clarity, I would see just how much I need God daily rather than on Sunday's or Thursday morning bible studies. With clarity, I would actually believe and live like God is in control. So tonight, I pray for clarity and that God will help my unbelief.

Getty Up

Well, long time no post. Nothing too crazy to report. For the most part, I’ve been staying the course with my training. My distances are getting longer and longer. The really cool part about it all is that I can really tell a difference in my speed. This morning, as I promised I would, I set out to ride the Powerman course before work. As you will recall, the Powerman course is a hilly section of town. The course wore me out in the Duathlon earlier this year. Since posting a 19.4 mph avg during the race, I swore that I would ride the course at least once a month so I’d be better prepared for next year. Since then, I’ve ridden the course three times. I’ve been on it a lot more than due to incorporating it into other rides. So the first ride after the duathlon I avg 19.8. The second was 20.2. This morning, I killed it with a 20.6. I felt like it could have been a bit higher if traffic hadn’t stopped me 3 times, but I’ll take 20.6. Now, understand I didn’t have to run 5 miles first like I did in the race, but this is progress. I’ve found a few attack zones that aren’t as daunting as they may appear to the rider. Now I see why Lance rode so many sections of the Tour over and over during training.
Don’t forget!! May 19th is the Carbon Man Sprint Triathlon. I’m having to work out some kinks with the T-shirt design, but it’ll be up soon for ordering.
I’m back in the pool today for lunch. Gotta work on that tan you know?

Two Zappers and a good week

Well, it’s been another good week. Its good being an optimist isn’t it? It’s easy when it’s sunny out and not oppressively hot. The mosquitoes still haven’t emerged (not much anyway) so the back yard is still enjoyable. I keep threatening to my wife that this year is the year that I buy a bug zapper. She’s putting up a monstrous fight right now in hopes that we won’t live up the redneck stereo-type by having one on our deck. Despite its ability to reduce the population of those biting S.O.B.s, she won’t back down. I’m still hopeful.
This week has been productive. Good mileage on the road (bike and by foot) and quality swims in the pool. Tuesday night was the first time that I was able to keep up with the “A” riders on the weekly ride. They usually lose me on the flats, but not this week. Coach has me on Acid Zapper, and it’s the bomb. No more lactic acid burn during the rides. I’ve been able to push it a bit harder when it matter and maintain higher speeds. Now, I won’t credit it all to the Zapper because I’ve been working my butt off as well, but it has helped.
So today’s pre-work exercise consisted of high intensity intervals on a spin bike. Bloody hell, these wore me out! My quads are still feeling it. At lunch, I was back over at the gym in the pool for 8 x 100’s and 10 x 50’s. I was able to keep my 100’s around 1:31 and my 50’s around 38 seconds. Still no Michael Phelps, but I’m coming around. One thing of note regarding this pool, it’s an outside pool. Therefore the water bakes in the sun all morning. By the time lunch time rolls around it’s become quite hot. The water had to be around 90 degrees. As I was leaving, one poor soul had to do his laps in a wetsuit to practice for AL Gulf Coast in two weeks. You couldn’t have paid me to swim laps in that suit.
This weekend should be interesting. I’m bricking a swim/bike on Saturday and a bike/run on Sunday. My distances aren't as crazy as Zbuck's thankfully, but I’m still going to suffer. Big congrats to everyone on their times at the Country Music ½ Marathon. I’ve really enjoyed your reports and pics. Keep it up.