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)