The Road Ahead

I really like this picture. While the nice curvy roads are fun in an enduro kind of way, there's nothing like getting out on the open road and just going. No thoughts, no worries. Just moving forward. I've enjoyed finding this moment during my last few runs when I can just zone out and concentrate on my breathing and on the sound of my feet. There's a peace there that's absent in the rest of my life right now. Like this picture, I'm looking ahead. There's nothing around me. No distractions. No phone calls. No emails. Just road.

I'm pacing. I'm pressing. I have a calling. It's to move.

Sparks 5K of Fury

A few months ago a couple of guys that I work with and I decided to challenge ourselves in a 5K trial. We all have different running back grounds and abilities. One guy is 36, 6'3" and weighs around 220. Slimish, but definitely not in shape. He started running last year for the first time and ran his first 5K in 28:10. The other guy is a natural athlete. He's quick but doesn't have strong endurance. He's completed 4 triathlons to date all at the sprint distance level. His 5K PR was 23:45. You know my story. Up to this point my 5K PR was 20:33. We decided to start training to better our times. The goal was to set a date and on that date we would meet up and try to beat our 5K PR. But that's not all, there was a catch. If you failed to best your PR, there was a catch. The first time we did it, we all bested our PRs. The first guy ran a 27:58. The second guy ran a 22:48 smashing his old PR, and I ran a 20:24. The penalty that time would have been to wear this funky purple shirt to the office. I was glad to see that one go by.

Yesterday we held the competition again. Same rules, but this time the penalty was to drink a Sparks Energy Lager directly following the run. Now, if you've never heard of a Sparks, let me tell you it's absolutely nasty. It's 16 ounces of pure foamy hell. It's 6% alcohol which I still haven't figured out why they add it to an energy drink. There was one little caveat. If you didn't puke after drinking the Sparks you had to run a lap of shame in hopes that this would encourage the reversal of said Sparks.

Everyone was nervous come race day. For weeks I've been at the track running 400s, 800s, and mile repeats. I knew where I had to keep my pace. I felt good about my chances, but you never know how it's going to go. The time I ran 20:24, I felt that I'd run my best. Luckily, yesterday I ran better. The track work paid off. I ran a 19:50. My first time official or not to go under 20 minutes. I dogged the last .1 so as not to ruin my chances of betting my time next go around. My fellow triathlete finished a few minutes behind me with a scream as he strained across the line. He'd beaten his time by 2 seconds. He was elated. Now for the big guy. I'd seen him walking a bit, but that was normal. He crossed the line at 28:09. He didn't beat his time. Sparks was in his future. We sat around him giggling like school girls while he downed the vile concoction. His belches and grimaces told the whole story. He downed all 16 ounces without puking, so there was only one thing left. The lap of shame. He said the Sparks was beginning to grow in his belly and it felt like a ton of bricks, but he ran the lap no less. He handled it like a man.

So what's up next? Well, the date hasn't been set, but the decision was made today that the next event will be called the Budweiser Clamato 5K of Fury. Yeah, Budweiser in all their wisdom has come up with a Beer with clam juice and tomato juice. I get shaky just thinking about it. I'm glad I dogged the last bit of that run because there's no way in hell I'm drinking that stuff.

Tailwinds....

I Have A Confession

First, man it's been a long time since I've posted. It hasn't been a planned hiatus, but I will admit content has been lacking. Maybe it stems from being a bit disenfranchised with triathlons. For a while, I couldn't read enough about racing, gear, and nutrition. I never missed a tri mag issue or a tri-related Internet article. Currently, I haven't read an article or listened to a tri-pod cast in over a month. I haven't had the desire. As for training, it's still limited to 5 hours a week. I've really missed not being able to compete in the usual races this year. I've refused to go out and put in a bad performance or one that I'm not at my best. 5 hours isn't enough. So what have I been doing? Other than working my butt off and traveling a good bit, I'm still in the pool, I'm still on my bike (some), and I'm still getting the miles in. Just not as much.
It's been a bit disappointing, but honestly the reason things are the way they are has been absolutely worth it. Lauren and I are still working on starting a family so that takes priority. Maybe more on that in the future.
I need to report though that my good friend Gary completed his first triathlon last month. It ws a sprint race just north of here. It was his second attempt to complete a triathlon as his first race ended prematurely with a flat tire. He put in a great time and had a blast. I don't think he's stopped smiling yet.
My confession? I raced too. It was a small enough race far enough away from home that I felt comfortable giving it a go. I hadn't put in many bricks so I had no idea how I'd do off the bike. My fears proved to be correct. Although, I had my best swim ever and was in 11th place OA coming off of the bike, I collapsed on the run. I finished up 22nd. Just a sign of not having enough training. The race was too heavy on the run side. I needed a few more miles on the bike to put more distance between myself and those that can just run faster than I could. It was fun, but it was such a reminder of how much I've lost.
So for now, I'll continue to train as I am able. I may pick up a few running races here and there, but nothing longer than a 10k. I hope every one's summer is going well. I look forward to catching up on your blogs and your season.

Tail winds....

Big Ole Nuthin

That's about all I've had to write about for the last few weeks. I've just been cruising along with workouts and work. Work, oh work has been horrendous. I won't bore you with the details nor will I give my mind a chance to rethink all the decisions made and projects not yet completed. I made a quick trip to Toronto which was nice, but I ate like a pig and drank a few Canadian ales. Alexander Keith's is top notch by the way.
I've spent the last month of Wednesdays going to the track to do some speed work. I've had days where I've felt good and some where I've struggled to finish. Over all, I am seeing improvement in my run splits which always makes it all feel worth while.
This past weekend, LKD and I headed to the beach for the 4th. I was able to get a run, a ride, and a DU in over the 4 day weekend. I took my TT bike this time and found it hard getting used to being in the aero position again. Guess, I've spent too much time being just a roadie. The homemade Du was short and intense. The plan was a 10 mile all out TT, a fast transition, then an all out 3 mile run. Beach riding is all about which way the wind is blowing. I conserved on the first half knowing the wind was at my back so by the time I made the turn, my extra effort to keep speed didn't hurt so bad. The run absolutely rocked. I felt strong and negative split the return. Guess that speed work is paying off.
Oh, can't believe I almost forgot! It's Tour season baby. I've been absolutely glued to the TV watching the Tour over the weekend. I'm recording them all so my lunches will be filled listening to Phil Ligget and Bob Roll and watch Team Columbia and Team Garmin Chipotle kick some French ass! Much like everyone else does, cause the French suck (despite their stage 3 performance).
Any way, off to bed, cause I'm friggin tired.
Tailwinds and Viva La Tour!

Tagged By A Noodle

Well, I've been tagged by a Noodle, a Tough Noodle at that. So check out her blog and read below the results of my five questions.
1- How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
Well, that would make me 23 and more interested in drinking beer and Disco Hell night than running. I really didn't get into running until I found myself having to go buy a pair of 36 inch waist pants. (I wear a size 31 now) That was enough to scare me into getting back into shape. Being stocky and possessing a severe case of cankles, running wasn't always quick, but my competitive side is a nasty one so improvement came quickly. Then as every other red-blooded insecure boy would do, I hit the weight room. I wanted to be thick and lift as much weight as necessary to impress the lady-folk. The result, a body that wasn't conducive to running, especially not triathlon. I quickly changed my focus and goals after seeing the results of dropping a few pounds. I started racing just below the clydesdale level (although I had hit a peak of 208 pounds). This past year I raced at 158. Right now I'm carrying a few more pounds, but I'm very happy where I am. Running has become a ritual and a much enjoyed aspect of my life. It enables me to clear my mind and helps me to go into the day a bit more focused already having felt like I've accomplished something.
2-What is your best and worst run/race experience?
This is and easy one. I've had some pretty bad runs which quickly come to mind. We won't touch on the ones which include the sudden need to go boom boom. That's another post. We'll focus on the ones where everything just fell apart. In 2006, I was racing the Heart O' Dixie Triathlon in Philadelphia, MS in JULY, in MISSISSIPPI. In JULY! Needless to say it was hot, and I was feeling every bit of the 95+ degree heat and 100% humidity. Both hamstrings started cramping just after the one mile mark. With 6 more miles to go, the rest would be a death march. I've never wanted to quit a race before in my life until that day. My wife followed me along to track my progress. The shame of having her see me struggle was killing me. I limped in, but thanks to the worst run of my life I posted my slowest time of the 4 years I'd competed in the race.
The best? Same race, 2007. I'd marked this day on my calendar that day I made it back home from the race in 2006. I went in better prepared and fully juiced on electrolytes. In 2006, I completed the 7 miles in 1:13:24. In 2007, I did it in 47:54 and finished third in my age group. It was a much better day.
3- Why do you run?
Well, some days it's because it's the only thing that will get me to the finish line of a triathlon. But mainly, it's because I have to. Don't read that to mean that I regret having to run. What I mean is that I have to run in the same way that I have to breathe. I love my wife not because she's beautiful or because of the things she does for me. I love her because my heart tells me I have no choice. It loves her for what she is. I run for everything that it is. It's a gift.
4- What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?
Best - To race fast, you have to train fast. Don't show up on race day expecting to find some special adrenalin based speed. You gotta pay for speed. It only comes with training.
5- Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
I read anything and everything I can get my hands on about Ancient Rome.
I sing in the shower, enjoy playing shooter style video games, and running makes me fart. That's why I run alone.

So let's tag some folks. Everyone racing CDA this weekend gets a break. So let's hear from my favorite Chattanoogan, Molly (who needs to break away from facebook), Dr. Tri Jack, and the newly crowned Ironman David. Let's hear it.

Tailwinds....

Changing Up the Game Plan (a bit)

You know that orange in the back of your fridge? You know, the one you've been saving. You can't wait to slice it up and suck down the juices, but there it sits. You know it's there. You still want it, but still it stays in there. Couped up. Slowly deteriorating. The once ripe luscious fruit will soon become a chilled moldy turd. That's how I feel right now. I'm wasting away.

Not being able to throw down the training hours that I'm used to has greatly put a cramp in my fitness. Since I have a cap of 5 hours of exercise per week, my workouts have been uninspired and unfocused. Yes, there is something to be said for taking it easy, relaxing, and enjoying the experience, BUT nothing trumps the competitive side that says "if you aren't improving, you're wasting your time." So with that said, I've decided to add some focus to my workouts with putting some set goals for each discipline. What I've done is to focus on my favorite distance race, the intermediate/Olympic , and set speed goals for each leg. To do so, I will be turning up the intensity of my work outs a bit and include periodical time trials to test my progress.

Here's how a typical week will look:

Monday - 1 hour run - 7 miles

Tuesday - Swim 4x500 at race pace - core exercises to follow

Wednesday - Track work - mix of 400s and 800s

Thursday - Swim - 10 x 50, 5 x 100, sprints on 1:00

Friday - Swim 45 minutes - easy - core exercises to follow

Saturday - 30 mile time trial on bike, brick 6 mile run.

Sunday - rest

So far the week has gone well. Tonight will be my third week of completing track work, and I've enjoyed seeing the improvements in my runs. Track work totally sucks, but it really pays off.

Hope every one's season is going well. A bit fist pump to everyone racing this weekend in CDA (Blink, Big-Un, Tac, Al, Tri-Guy,Momo). I look forward to tracking your race on Sunday.

Tailwinds.....

Weary

Over the last week, I've witnessed a couple of instances of people struggling with some really tough times and some simply struggling with the cards life has dealt them. For instance, there is a girl at our church who has been crippled with MS since birth. She's able to get around with a walker, but it leaves her exhausted. Getting dressed to go somewhere is a two hour ordeal. She lives a life that would leave most of us bent and in tears if we had to endure just one day of it.

Lauren and I visited a shelter for the homeless this weekend. Eighty plus homeless men and a handful of women crowded into an old fire house to get their one meal for the weekend. These are the real social rejects. No one looks them in the eye or much less offers a hello or a smile. They've long since felt human. They deal daily with the results of whatever led them to this path. (I myself recognize that we've all taken the wrong path in life, but some of us are lucky enough to have avoided any real consequences with lifelong implications).

Lastly, a friend lost her husband nearly one week ago today. He was in his mid 30's and died due to an epileptic seizure. She was there and tried to save him by performing mouth to mouth on him. I can't imagine the pain of watching a loved one die in your hands, nor the uncertainty of what tomorrow might bring. There are so many questions.

This world, this life, that we are in is a broken mess. We're in a constant battle. There will always be pain, hurt, misunderstandings, and loss. Why does it have to be like this? When will there be rest?
I ran across this last night, and I wanted to share it with you. It reminds us of the promise of the peace that awaits us. You can find rest in this.

From the Gadsby Hymnal:

Weary of earth, myself, and sin
Dear Jesus, set me free,
And to Thy glory take me in,
For there I long to be.

Let a poor laborer here below,
When from his toil set free;
To rest and peace eternal go;
For there I long to be.

Burdened, dejected and oppressed,
Ah! Whither shall I flee,
But to Thy arms for peace and rest?
For there I long to be.

Let a poor laborer here below,
When from his toil set free;
To rest and peace eternal go;
For there I long to be.

Empty, polluted, dark and vain,
Is all this world to me;
May I the better world obtain;
For there I long to be.

Let a poor laborer here below,
When from his toil set free;
To rest and peace eternal go;
For there I long to be.

XTERRA SOUTHEAST CHAMPIONSHIP

This weekend Xterra came to town and took over Oak Mtn State Park. I haven't picked up a mtn bike since discovering road racing so this was a bit of bitter sweet feeling watching some very talented riders do their thing out on the course. The weather was absolutely coooooking but gorgeous all in one.

In attendance were the two reigning world champions, Conrad Stoltz and Melanie McQuaid. I had a chance to talk to Stoltz for a bit and help him out with his X'd out logoe'd zoot skin suit. He said Zoot wasn't sponsoring him anymore so he wasn't advertising. Big mistake Zoot. Big mistake.

There were only around 150 participants in the race which is a huge disappointment because all I hear are rave reviews for our trails. Stoltz commented that this was one of his favorite venues. Nonetheless, once the gun went off the water was on fire as the participants of the mass start took off for the two lap swim.

After watching the pros come out of the water, we headed up to the infamous Blood Rock which is an extremely technical descent that tends to claim a few riders each year sending them home early. Watching the pros handle Blood Rock was just a reminder why their pros. It was like poetry. While watching, one rider did succumb to the Rock, but after a looksie with the paramedics he was back on his way.

Leaving T2, Stoltz was in 2nd and McQuaid was in the lead for the women. It was all working out as everyone thought it would. BUT, don't discount the Alabama heat! We heard a report that Dan Hugo was just seconds behind Stoltz with a kilometer to go. Wow. But Stoltz is a champion and turned it on and beat Hugo by 16 seconds across the line. During an interview with Hugo, he let everyone know that Stoltz wasn't just 16 seconds faster than him. He admitted that while on the course Stoltz had flatted, changed his tire and caught him. Wow. That must have cost him 3-4 minutes.

As for the woman's race, it wasn't Mel's day. Shonny Vanlandingham took the win in an amazing performance. McQuaid fought hard, but evidently had some troubles on the run and finished 7th. I hate that for her, but I am stoked that some other wonderful athletes were able to share in the spotlight.

Our fellow blogger, Jameson, was the first amateur to cross. The dude's an animal and nice guy. He had no reason to talk to me after the race as he was probably looking for the food tent, but he was an easy going guy that was willing to share in his excitement.

Big fist pump to the owner of our local bike shop, Faris Malki, for taking home 1st place in the duathlon. AND, there was a Tri Jack sighting! DV was doing his daily spin while tearing it up on the sport course.

All in all, great day. I loved being out there and watching it all. Even if it was off-road.

Tailwinds.

Helloooo Humidity!

Well, Spring is officially over in Birmingham. It was so short, I hardly even remember what it was like. The days of the 78 degree high are a thing of the past. Oh, times they are a changing. The past few weeks have been laced with intermittent thunder boomers and hard rains that have brought back our good ole friend Humidity to our fair town. It seems that with this onslaught any whisper that could be considered a breeze has left town on the first available bus. I know, I know, if I don't like it, move right? No chance.
The past few weeks have been good to me though. I've found a new route to run through town or at least rediscovered an old route to run. It's a 6 mile route that takes me along the ridge of Red Mtn with plenty of ups and downs. It's a little more intense of a run than what I've been running, but by doing it I hope to continue to work on my leg strength. As a result, I can already tell a big difference in my cycling. I took out for a 32 mile ride this weekend on the same loop that made me weep at my poor performance just a couple of months ago. This time, I could really feel a difference in my legs and the speed showed. My climbing isn't quite up to par, but I don't consider myself an embarrassment to the sport any more. Despite getting absolutely poured for about 10 minutes it was a great ride. My goal was to push the speed the entire time. The legs were there, and I loved it.
This weekend, I'm taking a few friends with me to Oak Mtn to do a little practice tri for Buster Britton. For BB, I'll be body marking and acting as a sherpa for my friend who is doing his first tri ever. I'm really excited about seeing him cross the finish line as this will more or less be a celebration of his transformation from a 230 pound couch potato to a 165 pound machine. Can't wait to post about his race and show you before and after pictures.
Take care everyone and tailwinds to all!

Taunting

About a month ago due to some shifting around the office, I lucked out and was promoted to an office with a window. Woo hoo! Instead of having just the life sucking halogen lights, I now have a full wall of natural light streaming in. Have you seen Joe vs. the Volcano where Joe describes the lighting at his job in the prosthetics clinic? It wasn't that bad, but I do feel like everything is in color now.

So this glorious window that I now have is attached to a building sitting in Homewood, AL which just so happens to be the cycling and endurance sport headquarters of our great city of Birmingham. All epic rides and runs leave from Homewood. This window just so happens to sit about 30 feet from a popular route taken by cyclist and runners heading out. At first, I thought this was kind of cool. I've seen different cycling teams heading out all geeked out in their matching outfits. I've watched Birmingham's top runner along with countless others doing hill repeats on this road. For a while, I enjoyed it, but now... now I think they are taunting me.

I mean, I'm sitting here working (for the most part) and they're 1. not working! 2. doing the very thing that I love to do and 3. shoving it in my face! What the heck? I mean what kind of job do these folks have that enable them to take off for a ride at 10 am on a Thursday? And where can I get an application? Seriously, let me in on your secret.

But this morning, my hopes are up because I'm heading to the beach today. I'm taking my bike and my running shoes. And there's no animosity for the cyclists that just flew past my window. I wish them well because it just started raining. hee hee hee.

Let's Talk Aerodynamics

I just finished listening to this great Podcast of an interview with some guys over at MIT regarding bikes and aerodynamics. What they had to say floored me. I knew that being aero mattered, but if you had asked me prior to listening to this I would have told you that power was more important if you wanted to be fast. Not so.

They said the typical triathlete creates about 6 lbs of drag on the bike. By using a wind tunnel they were able to look at different things that might help reduce this drag. High on my list would have been the ever coveted disk wheels. They are the sexiest item that you can add to your bike and you would probably be faster just for having them right? Well, they stated that having an aero helmet decreases drag 2 to 4 times as much as having disk wheels. What? So for a $200 investment I could be faster than using a $1800 wheel set? That's right mon frere. An aero helmet will reduce your drag coefficient by 1/2 a pound. That's nearly 10%. So over the course of a 40K (24.8 miles) the average triathlete will save 30 seconds to a full minute. I'm sold.

What about the aero drink? I think most people know this but the cylinder is the biggest enemy of aerodynamics. Having a bottle mounted on your down tube greatly increases the amount of drag you produce. Switching to a bottle mounted in your aero bars is not only an improvement, it's actually better than having nothing there at all. The bottle actually breaks up the wind and decreases the turbulence around the head stem thus reducing your drag. Who woulda thunk it?

They also discussed the straw coming out of the bottle. If you reduce the length of the straw by 10cm you can reduce the amount of drag on the straw by 1/10 of a pound.

How about the bent-o-box? It's been given the same kudos as the aero drink. It's actually a benefit to have a bent-o-box breaking up the wind coming off the stem of the bike as opposed to having nothing at all.

Lastly, body position. A lot of people try to improve their aerodynamics by buying a sleeker bike, but the bike only accounts for 15%-25% of wind drag. The rest is the triathlete's body. Spending a couple of hundred dollars on a bike fit will benefit you 3 times over what you could get out of spending a few thousand on the latest TT bike. You need a fit that is aero, but also comfortable so you are not having to get out of the aero position to stretch or relax your back. Staying in an aerodynamic position for the ride is key in reducing drag.

So stop eating beans and rice trying to save for the latest Zipp wheels. Go frugal and buy yourself a decent aero helmet and scorch the competition this season.

Tailwinds...

Bike Commuting

Alright, so everyone knows this is National Bike Month right? Which off the bat begs the question, when is National Swim or Run Month? Equal rights for all sports is what I say. Given that during National Bike Month people are urged to commute to work instead of driving, I'll pass on having National Swim Month for the simple fact there are no major or minor waterways close to my house or work. So this week, I was able to commute to work twice via the almighty Madone, including this morning. It hasn't been that difficult to do considering the distance from my front door to my office door is 2.16 miles. Yeah, I'm spoiled. I admit it, but it's the thought that counts right? I've designated these bike days as being swim days at the pool since I can just about see my gym's pool from my office window. I should probably just walk right, but alas that's less time on the bike.

So Wednesday on my way home from work, this dude pulls up beside me on his cross bike all decked out in appropriate riding gear while I'm dorking it up in dress pants, golf shirt and leather shoes. We talk for a bit, and I find out he's riding 26 miles to work each day. Every day. Suddenly, my 2.16 mile commute didn't seem that green and gas conscious after all. I applaud the guy, cause I couldn't do it. It's pretty easy in May, but come July and August it's gonna be down right nasty hot here.

So whatever your situation, give commuting on your bike a shot. Even if it's just one time or just down the street. I've enjoyed the heck out of it.

Why Do I always have to think of a title?

First things first, thanks for all of the kind words of encouragement and support. It's really cool to see how people who don't know each other can support one another. So, thanks.
Now, remember, I'm not dead so here's what I did this week. I've decided that I'm going to be the best gosh darned swimmer that I possibly can this year. I'm still only swimming three times a week, but they will be more focused swims. Monday will be a 1000 yard time trial, with easy swimming afterwards. Wednesday is drill and sprint day. Friday is long distance day. I swam 2 miles this past friday and I plan to add .1 mile each week until I'm swimming 3 miles each friday. It's all part of the Bfitbday.com challenge I have set up for November. If you haven't signed up for it, click on the icon to the right.
Running notes: I ran my fastest 5K ever Wednesday night at 20:24. I still can't seem to get under 20, but I'm going to be working on that. I've got a goal of two months to burn 25 seconds off my time. We'll see how that goes. Saturday was a solid 10.5 miler with a buddy of mine. It was absolutely gorgeous out.
And yes, I did find my way onto the bike today (Sunday). I soooo mourn the loss of my cycling abilities. It's so sad to suck wind on a course that I used to burn it up on. Oh well, it was good to get out.
And tonight, OMG, was the Josh Ritter concert at Bottletree. This guy is way too big of a name to play at such a small venue, but I'm so glad that he did. Bottletree isn't much bigger than most people's garage. It fits maybe 150 people in it jammed packed. Ritter absolutely brought it tonight. It was a great way to end a great week. Now, off to bed to dream of Zipp wheels, powerbars, and wetsuits.
Bullet sends tailwinds to you all...

A Word of Honesty and Hope

I'm sitting here in Perdido Key, FL where my wife and I have bolted away for a weekend at the beach. This place is a bit of a retreat for us as we shrug off our responsibilities back home, forget about work, and focus on family and relaxation. It's during this time that I typically get some dedicated training in whether it's a long ride or run or both even. Not this weekend, not now. Those weekends are usually followed by a lot of reading by the pool. This weekend I have brought with me the latest addition of Triathlete Magazine to read and some pod casts to listen to, but this weekend, I can't force myself to really get into to either. I think this weekend more than any I've had to really come to terms with what I've known to be inevitable all year. It hasn't really hurt up until this week because it hasn't really seemed a reality until now. I'm having to face the reality that I probably won't be racing this year. It's seems odd to even write that because I know that the season is long and anything is possible, but reality says otherwise.

The truth is that my wife and I have been trying to get pregnant for about a year now. All signs point to there being no real known reason as to why it hasn't happened. It just hasn't. We've met with a specialist who assures us that all of our 'levels" are fine, both mine and hers. My body is doing what it's supposed to as well is Lauren's. That's the mystery. There's nothing that we can't point to and say this is the reason. In speaking to the specialist about my training, we've asked her what she thought about me being on the bike and participating in my typical level of training. She advised that one and a half hours on the bike a week is acceptable as is no more than 5 hours of intense training per week. She said that while all of my levels are in the "good" range, studies have shown that spandex shorts and extensive training can result in a decreased count and viability for men due to heat and endorphin release. Please understand that I'm keeping this as "PG" rated as possible so information will be limited. So given this advice, we've decided to close all doors on what-ifs and error on the side of caution by following the doctor's advice. It wasn't a hard decision to make, but being limited to 5 hours of training per week doesn't exactly put me in a position to be in any type of shape for racing this year. For the most part, I'm just maintaining. I ride for fun rather than for speed. I run to keep the legs fresh rather than to hit a certain goal. The one thing I can do is swim as much as I want.

I am constantly struggling with this though. It kills me to read race reports and know that there's a local race that I'm going to have to miss. I look at my body and know that I'm not in prime condition and that I could do so much more. If you are a triathlete, you know the desire to push and to excel. It absolutely eats you up inside. So much of my enjoyment of this sport comes from the intensity of it all. People who know me keep asking when the next race will be. "I don't know", I tell them, "I haven't put anything on the calendar." I say this all the while knowing that just a 15 minute drive from where I am there's an Olympic distance race going on in Pensacola right now. Next week, the Alabama Gulf Coast HIM race is ten minutes down the road in the opposite direction. I should be there. I should be testing myself against the clock and my peers, but there are bigger things in life and things much more important than racing. It doesn't ease the pain though.

I can't complain too much as this whole procedure has been more taxing on my wife that it will ever be on me. I can't even start to go through the list of things that she's doing to improve our chances. She's changed her diet, given up caffeine, stopped working out, made countless visits to the doctor, read countless books and articles, and basically has given up her own goals for the sake of this one for our family. All I've got to do is give up racing, big wup. She's been the hero in this story. Our desire more than anything is to have a child. This is so much more important than any race or training schedule. I know this, and it's an easy decision to make, but I still struggle with this. I struggle with this daily.

We are a family of faith, or at least we attempt to be. We know that God has taken care of us in every aspect of life. We have no needs, and barely any wants. God will not abandon us in this area either. Faith is easier some days than others. We're not always strong, but we rest in the fact that God is faithful for us in spite of ourselves.

Thanks for reading this post. It's something I've wanted to write for sometime, but haven't been able to bring myself to do so as it's a very personal subject. But this is more of a way for me to come to terms with this and to get a few things off my chest.

Endurance Races in Dixie

This week is a huge week for the South in the world of endurance sports. While sometimes it feels as though the south gets overlooked for major races and events, we have the opportunity this week to showcase our cities to the endurance world. This past weekend in my very own state of Alabama, Olympic hopefuls made the trip to Tuscaloosa for 1 of 3 trials to determine who will represent the U.S. this year in Beijing. The course which closely mimics the course in Beijing for it's elevation changes and weather was a perfect spot for athletes to prove their medal. Matt Reed led the men's group while Julie Ertel brought home the gold in the women's group. Andy Pott's and Hunter Kemper who are both expected to make the team finished second and third to earn points as well.

Secondly, the world of cycling looks to Georgia this week as the Tour de Georgia begins it's trek from Tybee Island to Atlanta. The Tour will see the likes of Team CSC, Slipstream, Astana, High Road and the controversial Rock Racing team. In particular it will be interesting to see how the aging Tyler Hamilton will do in his first year with a pro team after his time off for bad behavior.

As for this endurance athlete, he'll be sitting by his phone waiting for Team High Road to call in case Big George Hincappie goes down and the team needs a replacement. Put me in coach! I'm ready to play!

Update on a Good Week

This week has been work focused if nothing else, but I have stayed true to my second love (Don't worry Lauren, you are my first) and kept my training strong and consistent. The highlight of the week so far has been my swimming. Things are really starting to come together for me in the pool. I don't know if it's the new goggles, the saline pool, or the warmer weather. Cause it sho nuff ain't the athlete. For whatever reason, I'm faster and my endurance has never been better. I knocked out a mile today in 28 minutes which I'm still thumping my chest about. Yeah, yeah, I know it's not that far, but considering my 1.2 miler in my two previous HIMs hovered around 40 minutes, I'm pretty freaking pleased with myself. I will have to give a bit of credit to the Blinkster for his innovative breathing pattern he mentioned. My endurance and speed have shot up considerable since getting more O2 in the system. Check out his blog which is linked on the right to read more about it.

A buddy of mine and I have started throwing around the idea of running an Ultra Relay this fall in the Blue Ridge Mountains. We'd have a team of 6 complete a 208 mile course from Grayson County, VA to Asheville, NC. We'll basically run a 10k segment, rest for 3 or 4 hours, then run another 10K. We'll each run 6 segments all around the 10k distance. Looking over the elevation changes in the route leaves me feeling a bit weak in the knees. It's crazy hilly. I'm mean like mountain goat hilly. Needless to say, if we choose to do it, tri's may have to take a back seat which will absolutely suck. Stay tuned for more on that.

Just for FUN: Let's take a quick test in learning to heed warnings. Don't look at this. You'll thank me.

Retreat to Guntersville State Park

Me lady and I took off to beautiful Lake Guntersville State Park this weekend for a leadership retreat with our church. The plan for the weekend was some good time spent with some peeps from the church and some time spent enjoying to great outdoors. So, of course I took my bike. I've spent a good bit of time riding in the Guntersville area for the AL state sprint championships and some other small local races, but I was looking forward to finding some new places to ride rather than the courses that I knew. I spun around the park for a while before I found this:

Sorry for the quality, but I don't have access to all the cool charts and graphs that grace these bloggy pages. This little ditty starts at 602 feet and climbs to 1134 feet in just over 2 miles. It's absolutely horrendous. I would like to tell you that I spent the better part of the afternoon doing hill repeats on this mutha but alas, I only ventured it once. And that was enough. I did do the back side descent, but that doesn't really count now does it. I exited the park for some sweet lake view rides through the tree covered back roads around the lake. It was a beautiful weekend and a beautiful ride.

Tailwinds.....

Keeping Austin Weird

This week I found myself in Austin, TX for work. It's my first trip to Austin, and I hope it's not my last. I have to thank Tri To Be Funny for her insight on a cool place to run down town. Austin has a lake (that looks like a river) that runs through downtown and has the coolest running trail along beside it. Thursday morning I took off for an early morning run down the trail with intentions on just enjoying the views and being outside. There were tons of people out running which in my eyes makes Austin that much cooler. I headed down a side trail and saw what appeared to be a guy urinating just off the trail. As I got closer, he wasn't urinating at all. He was "having relations" with a girl. Right there on the trail! WTH! I ran by quickly busting out laughing as the young couple quickly gathered up their clothes and sped off in their Firebird. It was 7:00 in the morning by the way. They were doing their best to keep Austin weird indeed.
The rest of the run was not as eventful, but itwas very enjoyable. I ran most of the trail and saw some wonderful sights. Looking to get out again today.
Tail winds....

XXXXXX BIKE PORN!!!!!!!!!!! XXXXXX

My site is going X rated for today and maybe for the next week. Here she is!

I picked up my new Trek Madone 5.2 Pro yesterday from Cahaba Cycles and believe it or not, it's freaking sweet! For the longest time I've wanted a regular road bike so I can try my hand at some road races so I've jumped in with both feet. I'm still keeping the Cervelo for Tri's so don't kick me out of the club just yet.

I put in my first ride on it this morning at the Vulcan Tri Club training race for the Powerman Du in a few weeks. Given that the course has some extended climbs I knew I wouldn't lose too much on not being aero. I was amazed at how well it handled. There's a big difference in turning on a tri bike and a roadie. Secondly, OMG it's freaking light. It weighs in at about 17lbs without water bottles and saddle bag. Given that, it climbs like a champ. Alberto Contador is a little less impressive to me now. Just kidding Albie. Here's the draw back though, since it's so light it doesn't descend that well. On my heavier Cervelo, I can usually push 44 on Cemetery Hill on the course. Today, it was all I could do to hit 39.5. It also felt like I needed one bigger gear for the down hill. My legs seemed to be on the verge of spinning out on the descent. Not so on the Cervelo. It always has plenty of pedal left. This doesn't concern me too much though as it'll more than make up for it on the climbs. I put in a much better bike time on the course this year than I did last which is surprising as my time on the bike has been limited so far this year. Overall, I really pleased with the bike. It's a gorgeous speed machine. I'm a lucky lucky boy.

Tail Winds.....

I'm So Freaking Slow!

I guess my focus the last few months has been more on getting the laps in rather than making sure that I kept up any resemblance of speed. My lap time in the pool right now is Pathetic. That's right, a capital "P." This morning I warmed up with a easy 500 then followed that with some breathing exercises. Then, I tried my hand at doing 50's on 1 minute. Last year, the goal was to keep my 50's under 35 seconds. This year, I'm struggling to keep them under 40. Oh, and they sucked too. I've gotta say though, I'm still loving the pool despite my slow times. This is totally different from my relationship with the pool last year. I've actually enjoyed it. Maybe it's because we're spending more time with each other now. Or maybe, it's because I haven't been working on speed like I should so it's been too easy. Probably a little of both.

Don't forget, big HUGE news coming in the next day or so. This blog is about to get X rated! Hint hint! (no, this doesn't mean I'm signing up for the Serbian Nude Sprint Triathlon)

Crewd Thoughts on a Tuesday

For the last couple of weeks the weather has been just absolutely gorgeous. Visually, it's still nice to look at, but for some reason the temps have dropped back down into the 50's with lows in the 30's. It's not what we'd call a typical Alabama March. I'm ready for some humidity already.
Training has been going quite well. The only problem is nutrition keeps getting in the way. I'll call that the Easter fat boy blues. Just like clock work, when family gets together, the over indulging begins. We spent the weekend in beautiful Mobile with LKD's family for Easter. I played a little golf and drank a lot of beer. Good beer mind you. The healthy kind right? God love it all. But the most disheartening thing of it all was the terrible urge to keep feeding my pie hole. Over and over all weekend. So this week my hopes are to return to a bit of normalcy with proper nutrition and limited beers.
Yesterday was a strength training session at the gym. I still notice a stark difference in strength in my left leg vs my right. Don't know if I've favored my right leg over the years, but it's considerably stronger. My hope over all is to continue with light weight and high weight sets to focus more on endurance strength rather than bulk strength.
This morning I made it to the pool to find that one of the heaters was out thus leaving the pool at a cool 78 degrees. I managed to throw down 3000 yards in a slow 53:36. Not race pace, but I just wanted to feel the distance and continue to build endurance.
This weekend is a training race for Powerman Alabama (8K run, 50K bike, 8K run). I'm looking forward to putting my training to the test a bit on a non-stressful event.
There's some big news coming down the pipeline in the next few days. More to come.

Tailwinds....

That First 10 Minutes

This morning I took off from the gym to run through the Tiny Kingdom just before 6 am. The plan was to do a slow(ish) run just to shake out the legs and log some miles. The gym sits midway up a small hill, so the first quarter mile is down hill. At the base of the hill you run along side the city Zoo for a bit before getting into the village and a residential area. Running in the dark allows your mind to create monsters in the shadows and every weird sound is an escaped baboon or spider monkey coming out to jump on you.
But it also allows you to focus more on how you're feeling and what your body is telling you. It's odd how the first 10 minutes of any exercise is usually the toughest for me. My body is waking up and sending out protests and propaganda to my brain trying to get me to stop. It's during this time that I am constantly fighting off thoughts of "you don't really want to do this, you don't need to do this, why don't you just turn around now, this is gonna suck!" I've found that if I can just get past these first 10 minutes my body will settle into a rhythm and my mind will start telling me how good this feels and how this is going to be a good day. Endorphins maybe?
True to form, around mile 2 this morning I found myself cruising along and enjoying the morning. Seeing the sun slowing rise through the trees is absolutely amazing. I finished the run wanting more, but needing to stop because of time. Everyone has to face work eventually.

Tailwinds....

Mid Week Update

Just a few numbers to throw at you. Monday was a recovery day of sorts after Sunday's long brick. Just a little time on elliptical machine and some weights. Tuesday was spent in the pool with a new PR for the mile in ~30 minutes. I'm slowing but surely trying to ramp up the distance and speed. I can still feel fatigue setting in during the last part of that swim. Wednesday started out just awful. I had a limited amount of time in the gym before work so I decided to get on the elliptical and keep the HR around 140 bpm. After 20 minutes I still couldn't get into my zone. My HR was still too low. I tried ramping up the speed and resistance, but at that point it was worthless. Still pissed off about the morning's workout, I took off after work for a 5 mile run and hit my second PR of the week with a 33:48. Maybe I am getting my speed back after all.
This morning I met Daniel at the Y at 5 am for a swim analysis. We video tapped our swim strokes so hopefully we can analyze it and see where we need to make the changes. We did a quick 1000 meters in 17:57 followed by 5 sets of 50 sprints and 3,5,7,5,3 breathing sets on 50's. It's short in yardage but a great workout.
I'm loving this time change by the way. It's now light until around 7! Bring on Spring!

Snow! In Birmingham?

Just for a quick second everyone, let's go back to my post from this past weekend. You know the one where I was at the beach, laying out at the pool, catching some rays, yada yada yada. It was awesome. Temps were in the 70's and you really couldn't have asked for a prettier day.
Well fast forward to this weekend back in Birmingham. The weekend was supposed to have started off with little local 5K that I do every year in hopes of setting a PR and defending my age group for the 3rd straight year (gotta love small races!). But instead, I woke to find that apparently all the planets aligned over night to allow for it to actually snow over night. Snow! In Birmingham! Now, please, let's take a step back and have a reality check. What we consider snow in Birmingham is not really what everyone may consider getting snow. There was enough to cover the ground mostly, but not really enough to build a snow man unless you recruited the snow from neighboring yards. The best part of getting any type of snow in Birmingham is that everything is closed and canceled and everyone goes a little crazy. The newscasters reportedly stayed up all night to report the storm's progress through the state. They had cameras on several interstates showing wrecks and slowed traffic due to the "terrible winter conditions." It's all pretty laughable. But this worst part is that my little local 5K was canceled by the police to avoid any injuries. Oh well. I crawled back into bed a talked Lauren into walking into downtown Homewood for breakfast. A much easier way to start the day.
I did get a good 7.5 mile run in later that day and followed it up with 20 minutes of swimming. The sun did poke it's head out so it actually turn out to be a beautiful day, but it was still a little frigid.
Today my training buddy, Daniel, and I met up for a ride and run. The wind gusts were fierce, but undeterred we put in a pretty descent ride of 30+ miles included some long steep climbs which really taxed out my quads. We followed that up with a 5 mile run through some fairly rolling neighborhoods which really put the hurt on my quads. We did our best to sprint the hills as we're both trying to regain that lost leg strength. A great workout and a great time. I know I'm going to feel it tomorrow.
Tailwinds...

I WILL.... (The Nutritional Version)

1. Swear off french fries, potato chips, other foods that come in a bag or from a restraunt with a mascot.

2. Eat protein and a healthy carb 30 minutes after my morning workout.

3. Drink 32 ounces of water before noon.

4. Swear off cokes and sweet tea except on the weekends (understand that in Southern lingo, "coke" means soda or pop, and also that giving up sweet tea is down right sacrilegious)

5. Stop eating when I've had enough rather than when I'm stuffed.

6. Start eating more salads for lunch.

7. Substitute more chicken and pork for beef.

8. Swear off all white bread.

9. Drink more during long rides and runs.

10. Continue to find ways to eat smarter.

A Quick Trip To The Beach

Well, this post is coming from the sunny beaches of Perdido Key, Florida. I'm lucky enough to have in-laws with a condo that sits just west of the IM Florida locale. Lauren and I took Friday off to make it down here in time to enjoy a longer weekend. The condo is just 4 hours south, but every second counts when you're losing valuable beach time.
Before we left town though, I wanted to make the most of my day off so I took the opportunity to get a small ride and a swim in. Coming home on the bike it was so nice to pass all of the bleary eyed coffee infused people heading in to the office. Man, work sooo gets in the way of good times out on the road. I cleaned up and headed over to a big moving sale the best little bike shop in the world was having. They had a lot of 07 stuff and winter gear marked 30-60% off so I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Boy did it pay off. I picked up an Ultegra rear cassette and a new odometer for 1/2 off, but the biggest deal of the day was a set of Dura Ace pedals for 60% off. I was stoked. Can't wait to bust them out.
We quickly left town there after and made it down to Perdido Key. Lunch was this awful trip to Arby's. I felt like crap the rest of the day which is just a reminder why I don't eat fast food. After ditching our digs, we headed down to the pool to enjoy a little sun and a view of Old River. Lauren and I have often pondered just how long we could live off of our savings and equity in our house if we were to move down here and become beach bums. It'd be fun giving it a shot.
This morning was absolutely gorgeous out. We were by the pool by 9:30, and I indulged in the sun by ditching my shirt for a little tanning. One hour later, I'm peering into the mirror and realizing that my once pasty white skin was now a distasteful pink. It's all a work in progress.
As always, I brought my running shoes so I did a quick 8 miler along beach road. It's so nice running of flat terrain! I will throw out a quick plug for some of our more popular bloggers out there who have started podcasting. I've started taking their podcasts with me on runs or while I'm at the gym. It's so much better than music for me right now. They do a great job, and best of all it's free. So check them out and give them a shot.
We spent lunch at our favorite little dive, Tacky Jacks, eating crawfish and grouper sandwiches. This little place is on the water so it gets a fierce wind blowing in which made it quite chilly since we were sitting in the shade. No worries, I'd rather be here than behind my desk.
After lunch we borrowed some bikes from a family friend and took off for a spin. My bike had to be a Walmart special. It was a Raleigh M-30 mountain bike with a seat that was as wide as my butt. It had shimano components, but none I'd never heard of. It had to have weighed 50 lbs. Nonetheless, it was great to ride along beside Lauren and enjoy the day. We took an excursion over to the exclusive Ono Island to see how the other half lives. On the way back, we stopped and took a stroll along the beach for a while. If we'd had some chairs I so could've taken a nap. The temps have stayed in the high 60's and low 70's so far. Spring is so close and I can't wait to enjoy more times like these.
We head home tomorrow. Back to life. Back to reality, or so the song goes. But not yet, not now. I'm going to relax here for a little while longer before heading down to watch the sunset.

New Moniker

I’ve been mulling this decision over in my head for the last few weeks. Maybe it’s the peer pressure of wanting to be just like the rest of you anonymous goofs out there, or it could be that I do become something outside of myself when I lace up for a race. Whatever the reason, I have decided to say good-bye to “Matt” and put him back in his place. From now on I will do my posts under the tag “Bullet.” I believe the moniker more aptly defines me as a triathlete rather than this Matt who so nicely blends in with society.

I’d like to give you a little comparison of Bullet and Matt so you can see why. Matt goes to work from 8-5, wears pressed shirts, and smiles when passing coworkers in the hall. Bullet gets up at 5 am to go work out, wears Pearl Izumi tri shorts, and smiles when passing the competition in a race. Matt shaves his face and keeps himself groomed. Bullet shaves his legs and grooms his bike. Matt is pleased at the end of the day if profits are up and customers are happy. Bullet is pleased at the end of the day if his times have dropped and the competition is crying. As you can see these two cannot co-exist on the same blog. Just like George Costanza flipping out over the mixing of Independent George and Relationship George, it’s time we separated the two. “A George divided against itself, Cannot Stand! “

So don’t be weirded out if you see the new name making comments on your posts. I’ll leave the big butt naked statue of Vulcan as my pic to help you make the connection. Matt still may show up from time to time as a guest to post on matters of faith or when something gets in his crawl about social justice or general bad behavior from the public.
But for the most part, this blog is about the pursuit of that finish line and will attempt to stay on that subject.

Thanks for reading and to all, Bullet sends tailwinds.

First Real Brick of 2008

My Bro Daniel, who needs a Tri nickname by the way, met me this morning just outside the Tiny Kingdom for a little early morning brickwork. The past two days have been just miserably rainy, and today was supposed to be dry and partly cloudy. Well, they got the cloudy part of that right. It was more along the lines of partly dry and cloudy. Oh, and it was freaking cold. The temperature when the Red Dragon rolled away from mi casa was a balmy 35 degrees. When I pulled into the parking lot, there were no lie, 10 or so other bikers and a larger number of runners getting ready to head out. It was a beautiful sight to see. It's so cool to see a community so into the sport.
Like a real man, Daniel was standing there helmet on without any leggings on. Looking around the parking lot you could see everyone bundled up like snowmen, but not Daniel. He's much tougher than I. At least he had on a thick pair of "hair pants" to help break the wind. Both of us had recognized that neither one of us were in shape enough to kill it on this ride so for the most part we took it easy and just got used to suffering again. So much of endurance has to do with being able to shut your mind off and suffer long enough to make it over a climb. And suffer we would. Both of our odometers are on the blink so there were no records kept of average speed which is probably a good thing.
There's nothing like being back on the bike again. The exhilaration of cresting a hill or spinning through neighborhoods really gets my blood going. I'm really looking forward to the time changing and the after work rides that provide challenging speeds and great camaraderie.
After the 30 mile loop, we had probably the slowest T time ever, but we put on some dry clothes for a 7 mile run. Both of our feet were frozen from the ride so it took a bit of jog hobbling before the feet felt normal again. I was really happy with the way my legs responded to the brick. They felt strong and didn't feel too awkward like they usually do for that first brick of the year. All in all, it was a great morning. Tonight, I'm celebrating with some boys in a little beer tasting event. We're all chipping in some new and different beers for everyone to try out. I'll give a good report if any of them tickle my fancy.
Tail winds....

Best News of 2008 Yet

Almost 2 years ago now, a good friend of mine decided to take control of his health and weight. "GJ" is about my age. At the time, he weighed in around 220 on a 5'9" frame. Growing up he always struggled with his weight. This left him feeling more like a wallflower than a player in the game. Knowing GJ has been one of the greatest pleasures in life. He is and always will be like a brother to me. He can be very animated and headstrong when he's passionate about something. This has lead to many successes in life, but also some very hilarious moments when he gets upset enough to write a scathing letter to ABC for interupting "The Mole" with Presidential election updates.
Back to the story.... so 2 years ago, GJ decided to start a work out program. He started with simply running on the weekends with the goal of completing his first 5K in the future. GJ completed his first 5K in 33 minutes. He set small goals including small rewards for reaching those goals. Slowly but surely his weight started dropping. In his next 5K he dropped 2 minutes off his time and kept getting closer to his goal of getting under 200 lbs. About the time that he hit that goal he hired a training to help him work on building muscle to replace the fat. Being a fan that prides himself in his style, GJ found himself having to treat himself to a new set of suits for work. He donated the others of course knowing that he'd never be big enough to wear them again.
GJ and I have met once a week for a chance to talk about God and faith as well as keep tabs on each others lives. It seemed each week he was coming in giving me a new weight goal that he'd hit. 190 was surpassed. 180 came and GJ was sure that he'd hit what would be his lowest point. The new trainer had him doing hill repeats and weights like a mad man. The weight was falling off him so quick and his body was actually showing some signs of a muscular build! He kept up with his running with a goal to get under 30 minutes. This past fall he finished in 27 and some change. GJ kept working and is now sitting at a svelt 165. Two weeks ago, GJ set out to hit a new PR on a 5k and tore off a 24:45! I was there to see him cross the finish line and was so proud to see him sprinting at the end to finish strong.
Now for the good part. While over coffee, GJ and I have discussed my training for triathlons over the last 4 years. So I felt like this was the oppropriate time and place for me to pitch my idea to him for competing in his first tri. He thought the idea was absurd at first. You could tell that he still saw himself as the 220 lb wallflower, but the more and more that I reminded him of what he'd already accomplished he became a little more confident and gave me a promise to think about it. The next day GJ confirmed via the almighty text message that he was on board and would compete in his first tri this June. Words can't say how excited I am for him. He's going to do a race that I normally do, but I have decided to drop it and instead run support for him and cheer him on. GJ has worked so hard to get to where he is today, and I am so happy to announce to the triathlon world that we have a new athlete amoung us. I can't wait until race day!

The Forge

This week, more than ever, I feel like I'm starting to put the pieces together for a strong season. Slowing but surely, I'm begining to chip away at the dross that this winter's off-season has left me with and create what I hope to be a finely tuned machine. While I'm still struggling to show any kind of speed in any of the 3 sports, I feel like the steps I'm taking are in the right direction. Overall I plan to go in with a stronger core and legs. If I learned anything while training for the marathon, it was the need to take better care of my body. That includes stretching, nutrition, and rest. I was telling a friend just yesterday that while training, I never experienced so many aches and pains in training for a Half Iron as I did training for a marathon. Considering the Half Iron takes me 2 hours longer to complete, that seems a bit off, but running can be really tough on the entire body.

This week, I'm going to be working on putting a little more speed into my game. My legs are too accustomed to running at a Mary pace, so things are going to have to change. This can only mean it's time for the dreaded hill repeats and sprint sessions. Neither of which I'm very fond of. Luckily, I live in a town full of great medium sized hills not too far from the house. The bad news is there are too many houses along the route which may lead to a few spectators seeing me lose my lunch after a few sprints. Lance Armstrong is notorious for being able to keep a stoic face on the toughest of climbs therefore not allowing his competition to tell whether or not he's struggling. I haven't quite developed that ability. My pain is usually clearly marked on my face with bright lights and neon arrows pointing at the tears and drool pouring down my chin.

No races are on the calendar just yet, just possibilities. So stayed tuned as the season unfolds.

Tail winds!

Swimming and an Award to Give Out

There’s definitely more spring in my step this week than in weeks past. Not that I’ve ever been a “the glass is half empty” kind of guy, but this week I can definitely tell that my mood has changed for the better. I can only attribute this to finally being able to focus on triathlons and training for the upcoming season.
In my last post, I discussed my shameful experience on the bike where I realized just how far I’ve dropped off since last season. So now let’s talk about the first leg of the sport. I’m talking about none other than my arch nemesis from last year, swimming. Maybe it was the long lay off or maybe it is that my interests have changed, but for whatever reason the hate that I felt toward knocking out the laps has been cast aside with yesterday’s news. Back are the feelings of true love come anew. Well, let’s not go that far. I still suck at it so we’re not all that cool with each other right now. Anyway, Monday morning I joined in with a Master’s class over at the Y at 5:30 in a.m. The workout of the day included a 300 warm up, 3 sets of 75 yards with a kick board, pyramid sets of 175, 250, 325, 400, then back down again, and finally 4 sets of 50 yard sprints. Yikes. This was way more yards than I was planning on doing, but oh, what a great work out! I can’t say that I ever really got after it like this on my own. I’m not sure if I’m going to be able to join this group for every work out, but finding a group like this would be a great benefit to my swimming.
Today, I was back in the pool for a little lunch time dip. I decided that today I would work on form. I keep reading that swim speed is 80% form and 20% strength and endurance. Form is definitely my biggest weakness right now and the area that could stand the most development. My head continues to stay too high in the water causing my legs to sink too deep. And as for my legs, my kicking blows chunks too. I can’t say that I exactly perfected my form today, but strides were taken. I even found time to work on the elusive flip turn that could very well elevate me out of the “noob” status in the pool.

As for the Award, Blink has been awarded the Endurance Performance of the Week Award(hence forth known as the E-POWA) for his outstanding showing at the Rocky Raccoon 50 miler in Texas this past weekend. Blink set a new record for his age group finishing 5th over all and finishing in 7:23:06. That's not 5th over all out of 25, that's 5th overall out of 142. The dude's a stud and an endurance inspiration to us all. Check out his race report. It's well worth reading. Great job Blink, and for your efforts I'm shipping you my Mercedes Marathon T from this weekend's race. I can't seem to allow myself to wear it since I didn't race.

That's all for now. Train hard, eat right.

The Race That Wasn't

Well, this past weekend was the Mercedes Marathon in B'ham. It would have been my first Mary, but due to a small family emergency I was unable to make it to the starting line. Instead, we spent the morning at the hospital seeing a family member. Big picture-everyone is ok, well, and good, and that's all that matters. Family is so much more important than any race so there was really no decision to be made at all regarding the race. On another good note, I didn't have to suffer for 3 plus hours. Woo hoo!

So where does that leave me now? Oh snap, right where I want to be. I'm so ready to become a Triathlete again. Training for the Mary was fun, but I just love the thrill of doing all three sports. So we're back to talking about triathlon stuff again.

So on that note, I did make it out mid day on Sunday for a ride. I needed to burn all these carbs I stored up for the race. It'd be a shame to let all that pure energy go to waste! The ride was the normal Tuesday night loop around town. It was absolutely gorgeous out with sunny skies and temps in the low to mid 60's. Where'd that come from? As for the ride, I'll revert back to my numerous excuses for a poor preformance such as a brake pad was rubbing, I had a head wind the whole time, or I had two flat tires. Whatever the reason, I sucked it up. The hills that I used to sprint to the top of left me sucking air and slobbering on myself. What happened to the cyclist from last year? Oh, he's hiding behind the extra sausage balls at Christmas and the late night runs to TCBY. (God bless TCBY) Yeah, so I've got my work cut out for me. It wouldn't be fun if it was easy right?

So this morning, I spent a little time in the weight room doing some cycling specific leg work outs that I've collected from my stack of endurance sport magazines. It wasn't pretty, but I'm on track.

And as for swimming? That was yesterday, but I'll save that for another post.

Tail winds!

Ash Wednesday

Today is Ash Wednesday so I'll take this chance to tell about my first experience with the religious holiday. It's one story, I'll never live down.

I grew up in small town Alabama where you were either a Baptist or a Methodist. The only diversity found in our town was between the Ford enthusiasts and the Chevy enthusiasts. There was no in between. As for me, I was too involved in baseball to care. So needless to say when I moved to Birmingham for college, the extent of my sheltered life was revealed on a daily basis.

I started working the front desk at the local YMCA during the school year to earn some extra money. One day in particular, a lady came in to the Y, and I greeted her while wearing my awful hot pick YMCA issued polo shirt. I noticed that she had some kind of smudge on her forehead. Knowing she was going into the locker room and not wanting to embarrass her, I didn't mention the smudge. I figured she would see it once she looked in the mirror. Ten minutes later another person came in with a smudge on their forehead. Again, I didn't mention it, but I was like "what the heck?" I thought something must be hanging down from the ceiling hitting people in the forehead! We've gotta put a stop to it! So I proceeded to tell the Y manager and all those around what I had discovered and my fears for others coming through the door.

I will tell you that my co-workers were kind in informing me of Ash Wednesday and the simple crosses Catholics and others wore to commemorate the day. It's a cool rite, and I think of this story on this day every year. If nothing else, it reminds me that I still don't know it all.

Open Letter to the &*%$ Who Brought Cake to the Office

Dear Insensitive Bastard who Brought Cake to the Office:

You're probably feeling pretty smug right now. Sitting there in your cubbie thinking you're the toast of the town. You think you've done your good deed for the day. For whatever reason, you stepped it up this weekend and decided to make a double chocolate cake to the office for everyone to enjoy. You insensitive piece of garbage. What were you thinking? Don't you know this is RACE week?? Don't you know that chocolate cake is not found anywhere on this week's diet plan? As a reknowned connoisseur of fine chocolate cakes and fine eats, I take high offense to your blatant disregard for my cravings and desires. I liken you to the types of individuals who sip margaritas while spectating an AA meeting. You probably would fit right in with those smug tanned triathletes living in San Diego as they talk about their chilly training rides in the 50's. Brrrrrrrrr! You'd probably find it easy to get along with the Paris Hilton's of the world, "Oh, damn, my diamond studded shoes are too tight." Get a grip Betty Crocker!

A Fortnight To Go

Ah, time is winding down, and the day for the big race is coming soon. We're T minus 2 weeks and counting before the Mercedes Marathon in Birmingham, AL. Yesterday, I went a little outside of my training regime and went a little bit longer than I was supposed to. My program had me scheduled for 16 miles, but it had been so long since I had gone 20 miles that I felt that I needed to get it in just to see how it felt. I decided against doing a big loop around town and either carrying with me or finding drinks and gels along the way. Instead, I chose a rolling five mile loop from my house. This enabled me to come to house, use the restroom, fuel up, and change a shirt from time to time instead. It worked beautifully. It felt so good to put on a dry shirt every five miles. It felt so good in fact, I've talked Lauren into meeting me every five miles or so of the race to give me a new shirt. Sounds silly, but mentally it does wonders for you. It's kind of like a transition of sorts.

Well, the 20 mile run went really well. I actually completed 20.4 after mapping it out in a time of 2:33 which is right on pace. Now whether or not I'll be able to keep the same pace up for the last 6 miles remains to be seen as I was struggling the last few miles. It's going to be a fight, but we'll see how it goes.

So now it's two weeks of easy tapering and healthy eating. My eating plan so far has gone well. I've cut down on carbs at night and am eating a little more protein to help my muscles recover.

Off subject a bit, but if you haven't already seen it, "Dan In Real Life" with Steve Carrel is AWESOME. Take your wife, girlfriend, whoever to go see this movie. Hilarious, but also feel good and cry a little too. I didn't cry of course as triathletes don't cry, but my wife did. So go see it and thank me later.

I'm out!

G.I. Distress

I've been a little off this week as it seems I've developed a bit of a stomach issue. Normally, I have an iron stomach that rarely seems any flashes of trouble this side of extra spicy hotwings or extra greasy food. This week for some reason, things just aren't right.
Good news though, it had zero effect on my 2nd swim of the year yesterday. Contrary to my former posts where I spewed forth my loathing of the pool, I've actually really enjoyed just getting in the pool and putting in some work. I can't tell you how far I went or what my average pace was. It didn't matter. All I wanted to do was get in and go. I loved ever minute of it. Sometimes it takes a little time off from something for you to realize how much you miss it.
This weekend, if all goes well, I have one final long'ish run before the marathon. Hopefully, with some stomach friendly foods over the next couple of days, I'll actually feel up to completing it.

Called Out

Yeah, I know. It's been like a million years since I've posted. For those that are still checking in, I apologize. There are a million excuses, none of which matter a hill of beans when it comes down to it. Thanks to Crash for calling me out and getting my butt in gear.
I have recognized one thing about blogging, especially Tri-blogging. It's a bit like an accountability group. I don't feel like I've been on top of my game as of late as it seems all of my local tri friends have settled in for the winter. I take that back. My good friend Daniel is keeping it strong. Again my apologies. So until the local yocals get their act together, I'm posting my victories and defeats in training on line for the world (all 4 of you) to see.
So what the heck has been going on eh? Work fo sho! Work has been sucking every bit of life out of me during the day. Luckily, I've been doing my workouts before work. My mornings start at 5:30 am for a trip over to the Y for a little pre-work exercise. I've drastically cut down the miles I'm running during the week to give my body some rest for my long run on the weekends. I'm currently 19 days out from my first Marathon on Feb 10th. I have just two long runs left then it's race time! I'm looking forward to it, but a little nervous at the same time. My original pace goal is out the window. It's going to be a bit slower I fear, but no worries. I'm in it for the experience.
During these last couple of weeks, I'm really starting to watch my nutrition a bit more and concentrate on being at race weight come Feb 10th. I have a little work today as the holidays were definitely celebrated here in B'ham.
More posts to come. I promise. Take care.