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.