CarbonMan 2007 Race Report

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Total time: 1:02:05.

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

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

DON'T BUY THE SHIRT!!!

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

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

Disappointed at 'Triathlete' Mag

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

CarbonMan T-shirts Are Here!

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



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



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

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

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

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

From CNNSI -

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

Looking for Clarity

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

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

Getty Up

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

Two Zappers and a good week

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

Arch Mounted Cleats

There's an article in this month's issue of Inside Triathlon regarding a not new, but fairly novel idea of mounting your cleats on the arch of your shoe rather than on the ball of your foot. Sounds crazy right? The author tells of his initial hesitation, but admits he was blown away by the result. He said over the course of a ride, he was able to increase his watts to HR ratio by nine percent. Nine percent! Killer increase. Another benefit is with this set up, the cyclist uses his calf muscles less therefore saving them for the run. Initially, my thoughts are wouldn't this just be more taxing on the quads? For me, the muscle group I feel the weakest in during the run portion of a race or a brick is the quads. This may be in part to my inability to pedal through the rotation of the pedal stroke rather than just pounding the down stroke. In Birmingham, if you don't have any juice left in the quads, you're done. There are too many hills. That being said... 9% is hard to argue with.
So on to training: This weekend, Lauren and I went down to Perdido Key, FL to spend the weekend with her folks. Of course, I brought along my trusty Cervelo and running shoes. Between Perdido, Orange Beach, and Gulf Shores there's a nice smooth bike lane that stretches 17 miles along the shore. Even though you're almost guaranteed to face a wind from some direction, the ride is incredible. Saturday I hit the road for a hard 32 miles. I worked on what Coach calls intervals, but I've renamed "pulsing." Push it hard, then recover, repeat. I've found that over the course of the ride I'm able to keep a higher speed. It's a tool that I was supposed to use in my last tri but failed miserably. So for now, I continue to work on it.
Today, oh my goodness. I did 20 hard miles along the same course, then followed that up with an 8 mile run. The run was a battle the entire way. "Matt, just do 4." "Matt, why don't you walk a little." Mentally it was a dog fight, and I was exhausted. But I finished it in 61 minutes. So big deposit into the bank on that one.
Hope all is well.

A little humor for Friday

ALRIGHT! HERE IT IS!

So after much prodding, I've decided to let the cat out of the bag. No, I haven't won a lottery ticket to Kona. No, I haven't bought a new bike. I'm not that lucky. What I do have to offer you is the one thing we spend countless hours training for. A race. Not just any race, the first annual Carbon Man Triathlon on May 19th! I've had the Memphis in May Oly on the schedule since late last year. I've been training for it and had even located a wet suit for the swim. But, things are the way they are and our plans fell through, and I've had to drop the race. Devastated, I set out trying to replace the race. Unable to find another race close by, I decided what better way to replace it, than to create one? Now, let me explain. This is a race without borders. That means, it's not a race that's confined to Birmingham, AL. It's location is Every City, USA. We're talking NY, WA, OR, and even CA I'll even open it up to my friends north of the border. What's up Hosers?
So, here's how this is going to play out. On May 19th, gather your friends, training buddies, whoever and pick out a spot to hold YOUR race. You can do the swim in the pool, in a lake, or even in an ocean (Crash). Likewise, the bike can be completed on the road or on the trainer. Need I go on about the run? As for the distances, I'm only going to set a minimum. What would be the purpose of going easy? This is all in hopes of better preparing you for your race season. The minimum distances are as such, 400 m swim, 15 mi bike, and a 3 mi run. These are the distances that I will post on the t-shirt.
Oh that's right, there's going to be a t-shirt. If you read this mess I call a blog for any length of time, you've discovered that I have a certain disdain for race tees. I'm a pretty hard critique, so you know I've put some time and effort into these shirts. Cafepress.com is a great little site where you can create shirts and make them available on-line. The shirts are made to order, so once I make the link available, click it and buy the shirt. And yes, they are going to be sweeeeet!
So to the Birmingham and Alabama contingent, we'll be holding our version of the Carbon Man Triathlon out at Oak Mtn State park. I have already signed two guys up. My wife has offered to watch our stuff before and after transitions. I'll be in contact with each of you to make sure you're on board. To all my friends abroad, let's make it a huge event. I'll be looking for your race report.
That's it. I hope you weren't expecting too much. If you've found your site linked on this post, that means 1. I read your blog, 2. I think my friends should too, and 3. I'm putting extra heat on you to do this race!
T-shirt link soon to follow.

BIG HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT COMING

Give me a couple of days, and I'm going to throw one on ya. Stay tuned!

Training update:
Sunday 32 mile ride (1:40)/ 8 mile run (1:03)
Monday 2400 m swim (1600 in 26:24 & 8 X 100's on 1:33)
Tomorrow - Biking Powerman course - Booyah!

Frank Maples Reverse Sprint Tri

So today I completed the Frank Maples Memorial Triathlon. It's a reverse sprint tri up in the small town of Scottsboro, AL. The run was a short 2 miles with a 15 mile bike and a 200 m swim.

As I mentioned before, I drove up to Huntsville, AL last night and stayed with ZBuck who was also running the race as well. Let me just set the record straight. Buck has two photos of himself posted on his blog. They are of a round faced kid who doesn't look much like a triathlete. After meeting him last night, let me tell you the guy has been doing some work. He's slimmed down tremendously. He's down 20 pounds! It won't be long before he doesn't qualify for the Clydesdale division. More on that later, but make no bones about it. He's a triathlete, and he looks like one.

Being the consummate welcoming guy that Buck is, he brought along his trusted training partner, Z-man, for the race as well. We arrived around 6:30 for the 8 am start. The field of racers was rather small at around 80. The race itself is a no frills type of race. My race packet came with a note pad, a pen, a magnet from a local bank, a brochure about Scottsboro, and some Bio-freeze. You really have to appreciate the laid back atmosphere the event provided.

8:00 - the gun goes off. I'd already positioned myself around some of the guys that I knew I'd want to keep an eye on. To be competitive I knew I needed to keep them in sight. There were a couple of track stars out there that ran like their hair was on fire from the very start. I was able to stay within sight of them and keep up a pace that was comfortable. Coming into the first transition, I was in 10th place with a 12:00 time for the 2 miles.

Bike portion - I felt great from the start. The weather was perfect. The course was great too. Fairly flat with some steady climbs. I yo-yo'd back and forth with one guy for a while before taking him on a hill. I was in 9th. I kept my pace steady and attacked when I was able. Out of no where two cyclist came flying by me. Two, as in together, as in drafting. I was livid. An official came by on a motorcycle and watched them for a while then went on. I'm not sure if he gave them a penalty or not. I didn't lose sight of these guys, but they were losing me. I was now in 11th. About mile 9, three more came by. Together they caught the other two guys and they stayed in a pack about 45 seconds in front of me. I was able to catch one of them when he faltered and put him behind me. I rolled into the 2nd transition in 39 minutes. A 23 mph pace. 13th place.

Swim - The 200 m swim was being held in an 8 lane pool. Not the easiest to get into rhythm in but it didn't matter. My arms felt heavy and the water felt like jello. I'd forgotten to take off my tri-shirt which only proved to act like a parachute in the water. One guy past me on my slow drudge through the thick molasses. I had one guy on my tail as I made my way through lane 7. I had to kick it in. It mattered. I turned on the jets and left him on lane 8. I wanted to puke when I got out of the water, but I was done. 14th place and a time of 56:23. Not bad.

Buck wasn't too far behind me. Despite being slowed by two dog paddlers going side by side, he finished strong in just over 1 hour flat. A solid 26th place. As soon as he got out, he said we've gotta go find Z-man. He crashed!

Z-man had apparently crashed at the 2 mile mark. He took a turn too fast and his wheels went out from under him. Here are some picks:

Z-man's face, thumb, knees, back, and chest were all just one big ole' strawberry. He kept saying, "Man, my wife is going to be pissed!" Z-man took the pain about as well as I've seen anyone take it. He's got a rough road ahead of him for a few weeks.

Now here's the big news. ZBuck who competes as a Clydesdale finished 2nd in his age group. For whatever reason, they didn't add him to the Clydesdale division. If they had, he would have won it. He said he was more proud of beating those skinny 150 pound guys anyway. Here's the proud man and his hardware:
So, a good race overall. It was quick and easy. I learned a lot about myself and how to compete today. I would have like to have finished a little higher, but I'm taking away a good deal of knowledge on how to push myself and how to reel in my competitors.
Tomorrow's another big brick. 35 miles, then 8 mile run. Can't wait.

Be sure to check out ZBuck's account as well.

Don't Piss Him Off!

Look at this guy! Do you want to get in his way? Let me introduce Coach to you. He's an animal. You see that look on his face? He's struggling, but he's fighting. Do you have this in you? His focus is on his goal. This past week, his goal was a strong finish at the Whistlestop Duathlon. He did just that. 13th OA and 3rd in his age group. I won't tell you what age group that is as it might have some repercussions.

Other than providing me with daily training help, Coach has given me nutritional advice as well as thoughts on race strategy. I'm currently getting ready for tomorrow's Sprint Tri in Scottsboro, AL. Given the short distance of the race tomorrow, it'll more than likely be an all out, full throttle effort. After a talk with Coach today, I believe he's given me a key to being able to sustain that all out effort longer over the course of the race. It's going to be fun tomorrow to see where it all plays out at the end.

Also, I'm going up to Huntsville tonight to meet the man himself, ZBuck. Despite our frequent lauding of one another, I've never met my fellow blogger. He's doing the race tomorrow as well and will no doubt leave everybody wondering how a Clydesdale can move so fast. So game faces are on from now on. It's go time!

Time to move on and turn it up a notch

Powerman is over. Done. In the past. I've rested. I've stretched. And I've eaten like only a fat kid knows how. I'm ready to go again.

Other than this fine race T I'm sporting (good job Race Guy!), I'll take away a few lessons from this weekend. #1. It looks like I need to get on Acid Zapper. Apparently, it's the rage, and I've had my head in the dirt while everyone has been reaping the benefits. #2. My goal is to ride the Powerman course at least once a month to improve my time. And lastly #3. I'm ready to turn up the intensity in my training. I witnessed some spectacular athletic performances on Sunday. These guys were out of your mind good. I want to know what that feels like. I'm ready to join them and toe the line.

My next race is this Saturday. It's a small local Tri that's actually run in reverse. My man ZBUCK is in as well. I'm trying to talk a few of my fellow B'hamians into joining me (come on you know you want to!). That goes for everyone in our little Southeastern group of bloggers. If you're within driving distance of Scottsboro, AL come on down and let's have some fun.

Lastly, tell your friends, family etc that you love them today. There are families in VA and across the nation today dealing with the terrible tragedy that occurred at VA Tech. I will be praying for the families who lost loved ones and those that are recovering their injuries.

POWERMAN ALABAMA 2007

I just completed Powerman Alabama this morning. To say the least, I'm pretty exhausted and ready to do nothing but eat. I've got to make up for the 8 pounds I lost while racing. So here's the story.

The morning started at 4:15. Breakfast and coffee at 4:30. A quick check of the equipment, and off to the course around 6:00. The event was held in Irondale, Al just east of Bham. The course is mainly around a little community of homes and off a minor hwy. Upon arrival, cars were parked everywhere. There were a ton of participants. Not too many spectators. The weather was a blistery 40 something degrees with drizzling rain and 15-20 mph winds (per the weather channel). Everyone was decked out in their winter riding gear. It looked more like we were about to go skiing rather than compete in a Duathlon. Set up was easy, my mind seemed to be in the right place, and overall While at the starting line, everyone was shivering waiting in line for their wave. It can't be good to shiver as much as we did. I have to really feel for one guy. He had just exited a porta-potty, then turned around real quick and started looking around. He looked down into the toilet and said, "Aw man, I dropped my glove in the toilet!" He didn't retrieve it to say the least.

The first 8k was easy. I warmed up quickly and the legs felt good. I finished it in 34:02. Along the way, I found some ear warmers someone had dropped. I asked a few people about them as I passed them, but no one claimed them so I quickly put them on for the bike ride. I know I looked like a dork, but at that point, who cares?

I don't know what it is about this course, but it's always windy. The gusts are insane. It was all I could do to stay on my bike at times. There was a good long section in which the wind was actually at our back which helped, but didn't make up for having to face it on the way back. Overall, I felt fine on the bike. My right calf started cramping up on me on the first loop, so I started pounding my fluids, but it didn't help. By the second loop, both were cramping and I had to grit my teeth to keep it going. I finished the 53K course in 1:41 which is at 19.4 mph. This is slower than what I'd planned, but given the conditions I was happy with it.

Second 8K.- This is where the fun started. I somehow figured out a way to get my shoes on without bending over too much. Thanks Yankz laces! After the first few steps, I knew was I in for a tough time. Both feet were numb from the cold and I couldn't flex either calf. It took me 2 miles before I could run with a normal gait. This run was very humbling for me. I hurt so much and I just wanted it to be over. I started looking at my watch and calculating how slow I could run and still get under my goal. I had a little wiggle room, but not much. Mercifully, I found the finish line at 2:59:28. 32 seconds under my goal. Unofficially, I finished 79th OA, and 7th in my AG. Overall, very happy with the results. I'm glad they only hold this race once a year. I'm not looking forward to doing this again for a while. Yeah, I know pathetic right?

Afterwards, Lauren helped me round up my stuff. It's so good to have someone waiting for you at the finish line. I drag her to a lot of events, and she never complains. Thanks Babe.

A big shout out to my peeps from Team Transitions, Tracy, David, Dory, Mary Rebekah, and Daniel. They all did so well. I was impressed to see each of them with their chin up and braving the course. They all looked better than I did after the race. Looking forward to hanging out with you again soon.

I'm going to eat some ICE CREAM now!

Check out Tri Jack's report on the race as well.

Race Week

Well folks, this is race week and I find myself in sunny Bonita Springs, Fl on business. I've been here since Wednesday and will be returning tomorrow (Saturday) just in time to prepare for Sunday's race. It's hard to believe that race season is upon us. I'm really looking forward to seeing how I've progressed. This Sunday's race is Powerman Alabama and as I've mentioned before is a 8K,50K,8K duathlon. There is some nervous anticipation there, but overall I'm just glad to be racing. The field is going to be made up of some elite athletes so I'll only be competing against myself and the clock. No chance of a podium finish here, that's not what it's all about any way. The thrill of the start, the nervous twinge in your stomach, the exhiliration of the finish, and the sense of accomplishment are all tops with me.
I'm currently working on drinking as much water as possible. Being at a work convention, I've gotten a lot of odd stares carrying around a bottle of water the whole time and only picking at certain foods. Special diets and planned meals and drinks are all part of the method that WILL help me on Sunday.
So look for an update on Sunday regarding the race. My bike is cleaned up and all sparkly, the shoes are shined, the diet is tuned in and on track, and most importantly the mind is focused and optimistic. Good luck to everyone racing.

Good Friday and a pretty decent Saturday

It was good to see the end of this week. I spent Friday trying to catch up at the office after being gone, so by 5:00, I was out the door. Our church had a good Friday service that night and afterwards I met up with some friends at Surin West for a little Thai food and sushi. Can't say enough about that place. Oh, I did the unthinkable for lunch on Friday. We had a company lunch outing to Dreamland BBQ. You've heard me mention this place before. It has the best ribs I've ever put in my mouth. With a week to go before Powerman, Dreamland ribs is a big no no. Despite the catcalls and harassment I received from my co-workers, I was able to pass on the ribs and get a salad with grilled chicken. I even drank water instead of the blessed sweet tea. Wow, I was so proud of myself. I was the only one walking out of there not holding my stomach and feeling like crap.

Saturday - Big.Day. Very excited. Team Transitions (as ZBuck calls it) had scheduled a brick for 7 in the morning. I woke up around 5:30 to eat and get my stuff together. I made it over to Transitions just before 7 with the music rocking on the stereo. I was pumped. The problem was, no one else was there. Damn it. I'm going to have to do this alone. Not cool. Not fun. Nonetheless, I was there to train so I took off on my run. Did I mention it was freaking cold? 34 degrees was the temp with winds approaching downright ridiculous. Even though I had gloves on, my hands numbed up and swoll pretty quickly. I put in a quick three at my planned 7 minute per mile pace and practiced my transitions.
I took off on the bike to head over to the Powerman course. The wind, oh the wind was shocking. Somewhere along a straightaway my forehead froze to a point that it was painful. It was 6 miles to the course which was a perfect warm up before hitting the hills. I had just finished the first big hill and was heading down the other side, when I saw a familiar mug heading up. It was Coach. I spun my bike around and started sprinting up the hill trying to catch him. I caught up with him at the top where I found out the plan was to meet at the course rather than at Transitions. I headed off down the hill behind him where he took off and left me. Dude's been doing some work. He's not the same athlete he was the last time we rode together. He was an animal. With my legs still burning from that hill sprint, it was all I could do to keep him in sight.
I broke off from Coach back at the beginning of the course and decided to attack it again. It was a rough ride with the wind and cold, but it was well worth it. 37 miles of challenging hills and a stout wind is a good day for me.
Lauren and I went over to the Barber Motorsport Park to watch a Road Race. All Categories were represented, and it was a pretty tight event. It was exciting to watch, but at the same time tough to not be out there. Maybe next time. Hope everyone has a good Easter. Praise God there's a reason to celebrate tomorrow.

Stubbed toes and Mantras

One more day in Toronto! I’m heading home tomorrow. The trip has been interesting and tiring. I’m currently nursing a ripped up toe from stubbing it in the gym on Monday so running is tough right now. I nearly took all the skin off of the tip of my big toe so needless to say it’s kind of sensitive. But I’m tough, and I’ll survive.
Well seeing how I’m still traveling, I’ve had some time to read up on a few of my favorite periodicals, namely Runner’s World and Bicycling. A couple of articles have resonated with me. If you haven’t read RW yet, pick it up and read the article entitled “Choice Words.” It’s a piece discussing the conversations you have with yourself and the mantras you repeat to yourself while running or whatever.
I talk to myself constantly. Throughout my training I continue to give myself little psychological tests. I know that attitude has a lot to do with how I perform. I’ve seen it first hand, none so much as in the Frantic Frog Tri last year. I was able to create a mindset that I believe helped me put in my best time for a Sprint Tri to date.
So let’s start there. Do you have mantras that you use to get you through a hard session? Do you talk to yourself? Throw out some mental feelers? What seems to help?
After reading the article, I found one that I’m going to take with me for my next race. Before the Chicago Marathon, Deena Kastor’s coach said to her, “Today, define yourself.” You know, I’d like to make that my mantra each day of my life to tell you the truth. Some days I know I’ll wake up and hope that my crappy attitude doesn’t define me. I’ll hope that I just make it through the day, but most days will be days that I want to set myself aside from the rest by working a bit harder and pushing myself to my full potential not just as a Triathlete, but as a husband, employee, and friend.
So give it a shot. Find a mantra that works for you and use it to define yourself today.

O Canada - Why doth thou request my presence?

So hello from Toronto. It's not quite as sunny and bright as this picture would have you believe. In fact, it's nasty, rainy, and cold - more so than any Alabamian should have to endure.

I'm up here for work for a few days. Nonetheless, I am relentless in my pursuit to not miss out on training. I made it out on the road this morning before my flight left B'ham. It was actually a great ride. I went out to the Powerman course again to familiarize myself with the course. I want to know when to push it and when to sit back and small ring it. I'm feeling better about the race than I did previously. My brick on Sunday had a lot to do with that. Tomorrow, I'll be getting up a little earlier than I need to for a morning jog. We'll see what this town looks like from foot.

I did visit the CN Tower while I was here. I had dinner at the top which had an incredible view of the city and the "lake." Somehow I ended up sneaking into the Skydome where the Blue Jays play. I just walked around like I knew what I was doing. Off to bed now to rest up for more adventures. Stay tuned.

Uggh...

I'm sure this picture will get the point across as to what's going on with me right now. I went to the Lake yesterday and had a fish fry with my folks. Due to this triathlon crap, I'd cut fried foods out of my diet. Now apparently, the ole stomach doesn't approve when I have the occasional piece of fried fish followed by a crispy hush puppy. I'm glad it doesn't treat me this bad after beer.

Weekend workouts:

Sat: 5 mile run / 17 mile ride

Sun: 17 mile ride/ 8 mile run

A Dog With No Marbles

Recently I was out in my front yard doing a little yard work with Caesar, my dog. To be perfectly clear, I was working and Caesar was supervising and chasing bumble bees. While I was working, two ladies came by doing the power walk arm pump thing. One of them, a long legged blond with a strong Southern accent said, "Hey, is that your dawg?" I said, "Yes, maam it is." "Well, that dog has been gettin out of his fence and coming over in our yard to see my 'Missy' for a while," she proclaimed. "Are you sure it was my dog?" I asked. She said, "Oh yeah, he had that white stripe on his chest with the green collar." I was somewhat taken back. Caesar has always been good about staying in the fence. Admittedly, I've forgotten to shut the gate from time to time, but I've always found Caesar where I left him in the back yard. I began with my apologies when the long legged blond continued, "Yeah, he comes over quite a bit. Actually he got our Missy pregnant, and we had 6 pups. But that's alright, we sold 'em all and made some money." I looked over at Caesar who was suddenly sitting very still with his mouth closed and was oddly enough paying attention. As any good owner would do, I stood up to defend my dog's name. "I said certainly maam, I think you have the wrong dog. I really don't think it was my dog that impregnated your 'Missy'." She said, "Oh yes, I'm sure of it. But don't worry, I don't mind. But you might want to start keeping a better hold on him." Feeling a bit offended, I knew I had to end this. "Maam, as I stated and still maintain, it was not my dog. My dog doesn't have the marbles to impregnate your 'Missy'," I said trying to be polite. I could see that this confused her. She began to protest and go on that it was my dog,so I simply put, "Maam, what I'm trying to tell you is that my dog hasn't the equipment with which to impregnate your dog or any other dog for that matter. You see Caesar was neutered 7 1/2 years ago!" She suddenly turned very red and her friend started busting out laughing. They left giggling and apologizing for mistakenly accusing my dog. I looked over at Caesar who's mouth was now open as if he was smiling.

Anticipating A Coming Race

Wow, Powerman is just 17 days away. For those of you outside of Sweet Home Alabama, Powerman is the Southeast Regional USAT Championship. It features an 8K run, a 53K ride, then another 8K run. That's roughly 5, 34, and 5 miles. It's kind of daunting to think about in that it's a pretty tough course as well as it's fairly early in the year. But nonetheless, this is the time to shine, to suffer, and to soar.
In the coming two weeks I'm going to have to figure out how to get the necessary training in. This week and weekend should be fine, but next week I'll be in Toronto for three days. The following week I'll be back in Florida up until the day before the race. Luckily I'll be in a nicer hotel with a gym so I can get my miles in there. There won't be too much to do that week, but nutrition, 0h nutrition is going to be tough. So, nervous about that, but I think I can pull it off.
I finished reading "How Lance Does It" by Brad Kearns this weekend. To tell you the truth, I was expecting a bit more. I always enjoy reading about Mellow Johnny, but it did leave me wanting a bit. I was really hoping to catch the secret formula for conquering insurmountable odds. I was looking for the confirmed solution to leaving the competition in the dust. Instead, I got "you've got to the work." Which really is true. Not only that, but you've got to do the right work. Overall, I give the book a B -. It was a great reminder about working hard, staying positive, and focusing on goals. Maybe there are no secrets outside of that. Oh wait, I've got one. You can share it with your friends if you like. Have fun. If you're not having fun while training and racing. Quit. Go find something else to do. Do it with someone you love and care about. Do it to your fullest, and do it well.
Till next time my friends.

A Trip to Mobile and a new PR!

Well Kiddos, this has been a wild week. After spending Monday through Thursday in South Florida, I turned around and made a trip down to Mobile, AL to see Lauren's family. Mobile held their annual Azalea Trail Run 10k on Saturday. So I joined in with 3400 other participants ran the race. I knew by looking at the results from last year that there would be a lot of elite runners at this race. I knew I'd be lucky to be in the top 200. The Kenyans were out in force 9 or 10 men their fighting for the golden ticket. Now Mobile has just about the same weather as Birmingham, maybe a little warmer, but the big difference is the terrain. It's as flat as a pancake. Most of the races you'll run in B'ham find a way of going over Red Mountain which always slows you down. I knew I had a good chance of putting up a decent time, but was concerned because I'd been on the road all week and haven't been able to train. I'll be damned if all that training prior to this week didn't pay off. I started out a little fast, but found my groove and finished in 42:56, a 6:54 pace. A new PR for a 10K by 1 minute and 8 seconds. I kept telling myself to leave it all on the course. Don't have any regrets about pulling back, and I didn't. I felt like I gave it my all. Oh, and yes the race shirt is heinous.
Today, I was lucky enough to have found a Mobile Cyclist group heading out for a 34 miler at 6:15. It's cool to see how friendly cyclists and well all athletes are. There were a few Triathletes out there that I have some common races with this year. It'll be cool to catch up with them later.
Back to the grind again this week. So glad to be home and back to training. Later.

BAD AWKWARD T-SHIRTS

Alright, so I'm in Ft. Lauderdale right now and before you start saying "oh lucky you sap you", let me tell what's up. So, I'm here on business which means no beach time, no training, and no fun. I've been here since Monday morning and if all goes well I'll be heading home tomorrow. I made an attempt to get a swim in on Monday afternoon, but was thwarted at the local Y due to 2 year old swim lessons. I mean come on. These guys need to learn how to swim and all, but how can you take up the whole pool? The guard said that I could have a lane if I came back at 8:30 that night. Well, I passed. I needed to eat and who wants to get in the pool after it's been a bunch of two year olds' bathroom? I did manage to get a short run in yesterday, but that's been it. I've been stretched for time and just plain exhausted after being on the move all day. Hopefully, I'll get to come home tomorrow and see my lovely wife who I miss dearly. Now for the rant...
I've been thinking about this for a while. It seems that every time I go to pick up my race packet prior to an event, I reach inside to grab a size large of cotton disappointment. It's just another shirt that I'll never wear. What's up with these shirts? I remember back in college we'd rack our brains to come up with the coolest t-shirts designs for a fraternity party. We wanted a cool shirt that promoted our fraternity, but also one that the girls would want to wear. Now 98% of those shirts have worn out their welcome in the drawer due to holes in the arm pits and stains on the front. I've kept a few due to the memories they hold for me, well that I still think some of them look cool.
Now, back to these shirts. Just like fraternity parties are what you really join a fraternity for in the first place, these races are the reasons my training my butt off. For those of us who don't get to walk away with an over sized winner's check, these race shirts provide a cool keep sake of the event. Instead of a cool keep sake, we get this 4 holed mistake in print sporting colors no grown man should ever be seen wearing. I've walked away with a turquoise shirt depicting pastel figures swimming, biking, and running. There's a race not too far from home who's traditional tie-dyed shirts have been disgracing runner's backs for years. It's an incredible race. You'll not find a smoother run race, but damn, those are some ugly shirts. My favorites are the long sleeve shirts with writing down the sleeve. Come on! This style was popular back when Panama Jack was king, but no more!
So until the standards for race shirts are raised, I'll keep stuffing my boxes marked for Goodwill with another donation. I'm still hopeful for this year. I'm an optimist at heart and truly feel that I'll see a change this year. 2007. The year of the Race Shirt?

Have some bad shirts to post? Send me a pic and I'll put together a pictorial.

Goggles And An Update

During my last couple of swim workouts, I’ve had a leaking problem. No, I don’t pee in the pool (anymore). It’s my goggles that I’m referring to. I’ll be swimming along, head down, finger tip drag, exhale, exhale, when all of the sudden water will start leaking into my goggles. I end up having to close one eye until I get to the end of the lane and then stop to readjust. If this was just once during a workout I could live with it, but it’s happening way too often. I’m currently using Speedo goggles. I have two pair that I’ve switched out over the last two years. They’ve worked great up until recently. So now I’m in the market for a new pair, and I need some advice.
On all3sports.com they have several choices all within the $15-$25 range. I’m a gear head, and if I can get the newest, latest, coolest gear for $25, then I’m going to buy it. They have traditional goggles and more of a mask design to choose from. I’ve seen some of the top athletes at races use the mask, so I feel comfortable that they’re at least worth using. I wouldn’t mind trying a pair if they can guarantee a better seal around my eyes. There’s nothing worse than having to stop during a race to clear out your goggles. Advice Please!

As for training, it’s still going well. I find myself craving bike time. This past week was the first “Tuesday Night Ride” for the area cyclists. Now that the time has changed, there’s plenty of time to ride after work. It’s staying light enough to ride until almost 7. So with this “Tuesday Night Ride” there are two groups. The “A” group and the “B” group. You can figure out what they mean. I took off with the “A” group this week, something I wouldn’t have even considered last year. This group includes some seasoned riders with monstrous calves and huge lungs. Oh, and by the way, they can freaking fly. I found this out quickly. I stayed with them until about mile 14. The peleton of 50 or more riders was pushing speeds of 35 mph on the flats. It was all I could do to stay with them. Like I said, they dropped me around mile 14 on this scary ass hill. I finished up strong with some other riders who’d gotten dropped. Thankfully I wasn’t the only one. It was a challenging ride, and I look forward to seeing how far I can hang with them next time.

Two bricks on the schedule for this weekend. They are both going to be a little long, so I’m eating now in preparation. Hope all is well.

I Am That Guy

I am that guy that runs around the neighborhood in Tri-Shorts.
I am guy that's also wearing a bike jersey, because I just got off my bike.
I'm that guy in the office that smells a little like chlorine because I swam before work.
I'm that guy that is sweating a little in the afternoon because I ran hill repeats at lunch.
I'm that guy who brings cottage cheese and almonds to the office for snack.
I'm that guy drinking water instead of the blessed sweet tea at dinner.
I'm that guy that can't buy that latest flat screen TV or an XBOX 360 because I'm saving up for a new helmet and better rims.
I'm that guy that always has his bike in the back of his car.
I'm that guy who goes to the bathroom ten times a day because he's hydrating for a race.
I'm that guy at the pool with chain grease on his leg because I biked that morning.
I'm that guy drinking that weird powdery mix in the break room.

I'm also that guy negative splitting his miles in a race.
I'm also that guy passing you on the hills because I've done a thousand of them in the preseason.
I'm also that guy who's smiling and looking for more after the swim portion.
I'm also that guy with plenty in the tank after the bike portion.
I'm also that guy hitting his goals and making it all worth it.
I am a Triathlete. I am that guy.

A 5K, A Marked Man, and Lawn-More Repare

Today I ran the first 5K of the season. It may be the only one. I don't know. I had high hopes for today. I was planning on running sub 20 minutes for the first time. My previous PR for a 5K was 22:36, but I've been training my butt of so I knew I could do better. I stayed ahead of my pace for 2.5 miles of the race. After that I was just hanging on for dear life. Coach ran with me which I really appreciated. It gave me that little bit of encouragement and put a little pride on the line. There was no way I was going to give up in front of Coach. With about 3/10 of a mile left, Coach tells me he's toast and to go on. At that point I gave it a little extra, but really didn't have much left in the tank. I was feeling beat and was wearing it on my face. I knew I was close to finishing, but looking at my watch let me know that my goal was not going to be reached. I had a cleared road in front of me. No one close enough to catch so I kept my stride as I came within feet of the finish line. To my surprise, here comes coach wizzing past me like a freaking gazelle. DAMN IT! He was sandbagging! Coach is an incredible athlete, a gifted trainer, and now I know he's intelligent racer. He played like YoYo Ma on the violin. We both finished in 20:24, but he beat me. So here's my official notice to Coach. You are a marked man. I've got a bulls eye on you that won't be washed off for a while. Can't wait to race again. Thanks again for pushing me so hard. By the way, we finished 16th and 17th overall respectively and both won our age groups so I was happy about that.

After the race, I hopped on my bike for a ride. Powerman is just under a month away and the more I think about it, the more I think it's going to suck. It's a 5 mile run, a 34 mile ride, and another 5 mile run. I can see me killing myself to put up a good time in the first 5 miler and then having nothing left for the remaining portion. I'll have to pace myself.

So back to the ride. I took off through Irondale through this little community that sits next to a train track. So you can imagine, it's not the nicest of communities. I've ridden this road numerous times, but today I noticed something different. A little homemade sign out in front of this ram shackled house read "Lawn More Repare." I nearly laughed myself off the bike. I love this about small towns. Just a little sign that states we're not all perfect, but we're trying. I think I'll give him some business.

Tonight, I'll be sipping on a few beers, grilling some burgers, and hanging with some friends. It feels like spring outside, and it's absolutely gorgeous. I'm not going to miss enjoying it as long as I can. Happy Day Light Savings Eve to everyone. Tomorrow is the big day. Can't wait!

Good-bye to Ellis Porch

Our area lost an avid runner today. Ellis Porch died today after collapsing during a Half-Marathon run on Sunday. Here’s what the Birmingham News had to say about Porch in an article yesterday. Note: this article preceded his death:

Gerald McGwin Jr. has run many races against his friend Ellis Porch III, and Porch has won most of them.
Today, McGwin is hoping Porch wins one more race.
The 30-year-old Porch, one of Birmingham's fastest distance runners, collapsed while running the Seaside Half Marathon near Destin, Fla., on Sunday. He was airlifted to UAB Hospital, where he was in critical condition, according to a hospital spokeswoman.
Porch, of Meadow Brook, collapsed near the Mile 12 marker of 13.1-mile race. McGwin and other friends in the race administered CPR until paramedics arrived. Porch had no pulse and was not breathing, McGwin said.
"He has many more miles to run with us," McGwin said Monday. "He needs to come back from this and avenge the fact that I passed him in this race. That thought alone should be enough to get him through this."
Porch ran his third Boston Marathon a year ago and for the second time in a row he was the first Alabamian to complete the course. He did it in a personal-best time of two hours, 38 minutes and 11 seconds.
Following that race, McGwin called Porch "the big toe of our running group, the one we all aspire to be like."
"Ellis is a known entity in the running community," McGwin said Monday. "If he's not winning it, he's working pretty hard to come in second place."
McGwin and Porch had run the Seaside event several times and Porch won his age group there a year ago. The two had their sights on again making Boston their next race.
"We went to the Red Sox game every year the day before the marathon," McGwin said. "It was something we started a few years ago. He was looking forward to that."

I’m not sure if Porch had a history of heart disease in his family or not. It’s extremely scary to think that someone in such good of shape could still be subject to heart problems. Runner’s World did an article on this situation not too long ago. So, wake up call to everyone. Take the time to get checked out. Know your family history and take measures to lower your risk. I didn’t know Porch or his family, but my heart and my prayers go out to them.

New Jersey and other gross stuff

I'm sorry if I offended any mobsters with that heading. I meant that I wanted to write about my new cycling jersey not the state. As for the gross stuff, more on that in a bit.
So yeah, I got a new jersey today. I've been sporting two "Discovery Team" jerseys for a while. One is from the 2006 season and the other is a cheap replica of the Malliot Jaune of the Tour de France. Don't ask why I just bought Discovery Team jerseys. I ask myself that question a lot. I look like I'm quite the team enthusiest. So to remedy that I logged on to my favorite discount store "eBay" and found a cool jersey. Oh Lookie.

It has several sponsors listed on there that I have no idea what they make. With my luck, there are probably some that make VD creams, condoms, or female products. I'm taking my chances.

As for the other gross stuff, this morning I went on a 38 mile ride with some local guys. The ride takes us through some pretty rural areas south of Bham. I was leading the pace line when up ahead I see something in the road. It's large and triangular. I motion to everyone that there was something in the road, so we all slowed down a bit to take a look. It was deer's head with it's spine and a few ribs. I've never seen anything like it before. No body to be found. I don't know if someone it the deer and separated it's body from it's head or if it fell of the back of some meat processor's truck. We were all utterly grossed out.

So my apologies to the state of New Jersey. After today's experience, I don't want to wake up to find a deer's head in my bed.

Making Deposits

Every financial expert will tell you that you need to save money for retirement. Some say that you should save @ 10% or more of your salary for the future. "Live like no one else now, so that you can live like now one else in the future" is a phrase financial Guru Dave Ramsey likes to say. Making small deposits now will pay off down the road when you need it the most. I can get a little giddy when I start thinking about compounding interest and the like. Now, this isn't a post on financial planning or really anything about money. I have a friend who said that he was going to post periodically about finances and investments but that never panned out. What happened there? I guess he's been too busy losing weight like a mad man to worry about our financial situation.
Ok, back to my point. To be able to perform at your best come "game time" you're going to need to train your but off in the preseason. These are just like making little deposits into the Bank of Ironman. Do you want to insure that you'll be on top of your game when the gun goes off? Well, you need to train. You need to start making deposits. The Bank of Ironman promises a rate of return that exceeds all of it's competitors. You'll never see the First Couch Potato Bank matching it's performance. The Bank of Excuses can only offer you a toaster oven to make itself attractive. The only way to hit your goals is to start planning now. I have to remind myself of this all the time. I fight the lazy demons all the time. "Why are you getting up? It's 5:00 am! What? You're doing hill repeats after swimming 1500 meters?" They're all deposits. I'm looking forward to making a withdrawal this year and making it all worth it. Sounds real good doesn't it?
Don't give in to the urge to slop your way through the preseason. Pay your dues now. The Bank of Ironman is waiting. Train like no one else now so that you can race like no one else later.

A Change In Weather!

Wow, it’s good to be in the South right now. Despite a short band of thunderstorms that came through Saturday night, we’ve had unbelievable weather for the last week. The temps have stayed around the high 60’s low 70’s in the mid afternoon. Spring is coming, and yes I know it’s still February but we’re close. In fact, I was just reading the other day that Day Light Savings Time has been moved up by 3 weeks! That means in just about 2 weeks I’ll have time to bike after work again. This is huge. I’m lucky to live in a community that attracts a lot of cyclists. This is largely due to the great support of a local bike shop, Homewood Cycles that serves as a starting point for most rides. Every Tuesday night a big group of cyclists head out from the shop for a 28 mile loop. This shop is a mile from my house and work. So needless to say I’m pumped about the change in time and weather over the next few weeks.

So how’s my training going? Well, pretty good as a matter of fact. I set a new PR for a 5 mile run at 34:11. Don’t know why. I just felt good that day. I’ve been feeling really good on the bike as of late. Between two rides this weekend, I logged 58 miles. 28 of that was part of a brick on Saturday. I’m still not in love with swimming right now. I have the most room for improvement here. I really need to work on form when I fatigue and breathing. I’m doing a few exercises to help expand my lungs and improve my endurance which are freaking killing me right now.

A big congrats to Levi Leipheimer who won the Amgen Tour of California this weekend. Levi did the unthinkable by keeping the Yellow Jersey from the first stage to the end. This is a huge confidence booster for team Discovery. Last year’s ATOC champ, Floyd Landis, went on to win the Tour de France.

On another note, Jan Ullrich is calling it quits. The former Tour de France winner was Armstrong’s biggest rival during his stretch of seven wins finishing 2nd to Lance 4 of the 7 times. If Armstrong’s retirement was like Babe Ruth retiring, Ullrich’s would be like Ted Williams.

These are a few of my favorite things...

Cue the Sound of Music soundtrack. In light of the up coming season (of which I’m getting more and more excited about each day), I’d like to share with you a few of my favorite things I’ve discovered in Triathlons:

1.I love to bike! Man, I am jonesing right now for a good ride. Nothing beats the open air and pounding those pedals.

2. Favorite energy gel – GU Strawberry Kiwi. 15 before every 45 it says. It’s the perfect size. I like the Powergels, but they take too long to get down.

3. Favorite sports drink mix – It’s gotta be the Cytomax Cool Citrus – It’s a little on the sweet side, but its heads and shoulders above the rest in taste. Oh yeah and in performance it kicks. 190 mg of sodium, 95mg of potassium, and 35 carbs.

4. I love my new Zoot tri shorts – comfortable as “all get out.” Plenty of padding in all the right places and they even come with a couple of pouches so I can stow fav #2. Thanks to Jeff M. for suggesting these.

5. Favorite run - Red Eye 10K – I don’t get to do this one very often, but every Saturday morning a group of local runners meet up to run through one of the ritzier parts of Birmingham. The distance is perfect for me as well.

6. Favorite ride – Cahaba Cycles 38 miler – great distance with a great group of guys. This ride features tons of back roads which sadly will soon be over taken by suburban sprawl. For now, it’s a fast course with little to worry about other than keeping up.

7. Favorite swim – don’t have one yet. Sometimes I love the pool, sometimes I hate it. Kinda hate it right now. Oh, but I do love the swim portion of races.

8.Favorite post ride ritual – Every Saturday ride is followed up with one of Super Sam’s own Bacon, Egg, and Cheese sandwiches!

9. Favorite time of race day – Oh, this is great. Pre-race in the transition is so weird, but still so cool. There’s a lot of nervous energy out there and it’s cool to see how different people prepare.

10. Favorite portion of the race – This has to be T2 – For most, this is the fastest transition. You’re tired, legs are burning, but this is the last leg and it’s time to go.

11. Favorite Tri Read – I’ll read anything about techniques for improving my “game.” Whether its gear, nutrition, or training regimes, count me in. Can’t get enough.

12. Favorite stat after the race: I love them all. Bike splits, pace per mile,

13. Favorite feeling – PAIN – I love to suffer. It’s when I know that I’m pushing myself the hardest. I remind myself that 99% of America is sitting on the sofa while I’m busting my tail to obtain my goal.

14. Favorite benefit – Community – The fact that we’re all quirky enough to post blogs and have group runs and training sessions are simply too cool. It wouldn’t be half as fun without the community.

And I thought only beer makers made funny commerials...

Clif Bar one-up'd all the beer makers with this one. Hilarious.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3S0wu4Zbfk

Tagged - my, my, my

Well, I've been tagged by Mr. Fistfight himself so here goes:


1: Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever: My first Tri was an Oly in Philadelphia, Miss back in 2004. It was in July mind you. I received an invite from a client to join him in competing in the tri and being the adventurous and cocky guy that I am, I jumped at the chance. The triathlon is just one of the many events during a two week county fair for this rural area of Mississippi. All of the stereotypes that you can think of would probably be justly earned. I was at about mile 3 of the 7 mile run portion when my client’s father comes riding by in the back of a pick up truck. “Hey Matt, wanna bair?” he yelled. “No sir, I do not want a beer, but stay close. I may want a ride” was my response. He laughed as they took off down the road.

2: Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon: My most recent tri was the Frantic Frog Sprint Tri in Scottsboro, AL. It was the first time I had incorporated proper nutrition in to my pre-race preparation. It was also the first time I was able to complete the race with gas in the tank. I finished going all out. To date, it was my fastest time in a sprint and drove home the importance of nutrition.

3: What’s the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri? I’ve been lucky so far, but my near breakdown in last year’s Heart O’ Dixie Oly Tri was enough get me to start training harder and being better prepared for races. I totally during the run portion of the race and ended up walking more than I ran. I nearly pulled out of the race. This more than anything is the monkey that I need to get off my back this year.

4: What’s the most thrilling thing that’s happened to you in a tri? No podium finishes or high age group placements to speak of, so nothing dramatic to report. But what I’ve enjoyed most is seeing my wife at the end of the race and having her tell me how proud she is of me.

5: What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons? I’ve discovered that mental toughness plays a major role in endurance sports. It’s been a bumpy road, but I’ve learned how to manage my mood during a race by focusing on positive thoughts rather than the negative. I’ve also learned what I look like without chunky cheeks. Face cheeks that is.

6:What is The Big Goal that you’re working towards? My “A” race this year is the Rock N Roll ½ Ironman in Macon, GA. I’d much rather be doing a sexier race such as one in the 70.3 series, but this one fits in the schedule.

My turn to tag. Let's go with ZBuck, Jeff, and Neese

Mercedes Half Marathon

Well, today was the big day. My first 1/2 Marathon. My first race of the 2007 season which I've decided will be my breakout year. The morning started off with a 4:00 am wake up call for breakfast. Two packets of Oatmeal and a Snickers (Half) Marathon bar. Because of careful planning the night before, I was able to jump back in bed and sleep for another hour. My stuff was all ready to go so why stay awake?

Lauren and I arrived at the race site about 45 minutes prior to the start. It was 28 degrees out. For all the northerners out there, that's pretty cold to us Southerners. So don't start. I wore shorts, a long sleeve shirt, a visor, and my biking skull cap (which I lost along the course!). There were approximately 3000 racers of which 800 were slated for the full marathon. The Mercedes is known for it's hills. Here's an elevation chart so you can see what I was facing:

As the race started, I couldn't get over the joy I had of running with a pack of people. They were my kind of people. I felt at home. Maybe it's because I've been running alone for most of my training, but it was a really odd (but enjoyable) feeling.

To find my pace, I started looking for the first mile marker around 7 minutes. Didn't see it. 8 minutes. No where in sight. What the hell? So I sped up. I couldn't start off this slow. At about 9:30 I figured out why I didn't see it. I was running too fast and ran past it without noticing. After 2 miles I clocked in at a total time of 13:10. Wow, too fast. I was planning on staying around a 7:30-7:40 pace so I was a little taken back. I slowed the pace a little, but I kept seeing times well below my expectation. Mile 3 - 7:07, mile 4 - 7:14, mile 5 - 7:15. Still feeling really good. I kept telling myself to not over do it. Don't peak too soon. Ahead was the dreaded Greensprings Ave. It's mile 5-6 on the elevation chart. Over a mile it gains over 200 feet in elevation. It's like the hill that never ends. It got my attention, and I put in a slower 7:45 for mile 6. Mile 7 - 7:24, followed by another two miles of elevation changes where I put in two 7:45 miles. It was down hill (elevation-wise anyway) from there. I hammered down a bit and put in miles of 7:35, 7:34, 7:21, and 7:20. This left one mile to go. Still feeling good and my times were still dropping so I hit the gas. The course didn't mark mile thirteen so I didn't catch my last split, but I crossed the finish line at 1 hour and 36 minutes. Unofficially though. I was really pleased with my time. It turned out to be around a 7:19 pace and for me, that was well above my expectations.

Overall, it was a great experience and a great start to the year. I really needed this race to get started off on the right foot. There's a lot of vindication in doing well after working hard. So needless to say, I'm really looking forward to this year's season.

And I have to say thank you thank you thank you to my lovely wife who stuck it out in the cold and waited for me. If you knew how much she hates the cold, you'd know how big that is.

My Motivation

Everyone’s gone through it. Something bad happens during a race, and you never seem to recover. You might as well take it on to the house, because you’re done. Sometimes it’s your goggles filling up with water or a getting a flat on your bike. The typical response is to blow up. You’re pissed, and why not? You’ve worked really hard to get to where you are only to be held back by something out of your control. Or lets say you’re way off your expected pace. You’re not “feeling it” and you’ve realized you’re not going to put up the time you’d hoped. These events can all lead to you mentally breaking down and losing focus.
I’ve been worrying about this very thing all week. There’s a lot of anticipation building up for me in my first race of the season. I’ve worked hard and paid my dues. What happens if I tire? What happens when people start passing me? What happens when my expected time is starting to look like nothing more than a pipe dream?
Well, I ran across this video below and it reminded me of a story from “Every Second Counts” by the great Lance Armstrong. In 2003, Lance was going for his 5th straight Tour title. Throughout the tour Lance struggled mentally and physically to maintain the yellow jersey. Everyone was saying his was too old, too rich, or too American to win the coveted 5th title. Over the last couple of days, Jan Ullrich had begun taking big chunks out of his lead. With just three stages left, Ullrich was set to win it all. The press was having a field day with Lance’s demise. Ullrich’s team manager had made a snide comment to one of the Postal team’s staff about taking the Malliot Jaune after today’s stage. It was relayed to Lance who’d finally had enough. Lance told his teammates that the Tour was over. We will win it today.
At the foot of Luz Ardiden, the last major climb, Lance took off. Ullrich couldn’t keep up and Lance had dropped him by 20 seconds. Lance was literally breaking Ullrich when the unthinkable happened. As Lance passed the crowd, a young boy was waving his souvenir yellow Tour bag when it got caught in Lance’s front tire. Lance flipped over his handle bars and crashed. Ullrich took advantage and sped past to take the lead. A defiant Armstrong fixed his biked and took off like a mad man, screaming every profanity he could think of, and chased down Ullrich. What ensued would be one of the greatest recoveries ever in the Tour. Lance wound up winning the stage and putting Ullrich a full 1:07 behind him in the Tour thus virtually locking up the win. “How do you like me now! How do you f-in like me now?” shouted Armstrong to his teammates. Victorious! Check out the video clip. I’ll be thinking about this on Sunday during my race. I’m not giving up or giving in. This is my motivation.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RRJQoUVe2I

Protein+Protein+Protein = YUCK

I’m still following my coach’s guidelines for eating and such for this ½ Mary on Sunday. Tuesday, my directions were to eat soluble proteins and no carbs. I was actually looking forward to this. I mean who doesn’t love meat and protein smoothies? I started out the morning with a plate of Egg Beater eggs. High in protein and no carbs. No problem. Salt and Pepper to taste = delicious. Mid morning snack was an Apex Protein drink – 40g of protein with only 1g of carbs. Pretty good stuff. Lunch – more eggs and some ham. Getting kind of old. By the time my mid afternoon snack rolled around a headache had set in, and I was dragging. My snack was another delicious protein shake. Choked it down with a grimace. Finally dinner time rolled around, but my fridge was empty of all things protein! I had some Progresso Chicken and Rice soup – only a few carbs in there. I had to have some ham too as I was still hungry. The headache was getting worse and my energy level was still dropping. I felt like a wad of poo.
Needless to say, I probably could have set myself up with better choices to eat, but didn’t have a lot of notice on what to prepare for. Next time I’ll be better prepared. I know that I do need and crave carbs. Luckily today is a carb day. It’s still early and I’ve already had two bowls of cereal, Yo Crunch Yogurt, and some oatmeal. My headache is gone, and I’m feeling more energized.
Eating with a plan is still fairly new to me. This is only the second time I’ve prepared for a race this way. This first time was a huge success compared to my previous races. I know it’ll work out, but I’m not really looking forward to next time.

I'm off for a short 3 mile run to keep the legs fresh.

Weekend and Down Hill Problems

Well, it’s Half Mary week. This is the final week before my first Half Marathon on Sunday. I’m a little nervous about it, and I’m wondering just how I’ll do. This is my first race of the season as well, so there’s some anticipation there as well. I just received some diet instructions from my coach for the week and forwarded them over to my wife who by now is having a cow because she just went to the grocery store yesterday and stocked up on groceries for the week. Now we get to go back for more.

I did swim this morning, but that’s about it for the week except a few runs to keep the legs fresh. I hit a PR for the 1000 m at 16:31. Feeling good right now about my swim, but I still need to work on form and being fluid. I’m a bulldozer in the water.

The camping trip this weekend was a blast. Not as cold as I expected. I even stayed on my “diet” and stayed away from too many fatty foods. I packed several pieces of fruit to curb any cravings. We did however end our trip with breakfast at Cracker Barrel. You gotta live a little right?

I picked up with a buddy of mine, Justin, on Sunday afternoon for a ride with some of his friends. Justin raced for 7 years on the pro circuit and has calves the size of my thighs. The boy can move. Luckily, he took it easy on us. The guys we were riding with were a little more experienced than I was and were all riding road bikes while I was on my “Tri” bike. I ride a 04 Cervelo Dual. It’s been a great bike, but I’m learning that it was meant for going straight not for hair pin turns and the down hill. For one thing, I’m a big ole sissy when it comes to going down hills. I can stand about 37-38 mph, and then my back bone turns to yellow and cat whiskers start growing on my face. Roadies just blow me away. It has a lot to do with my nerves, but also a lot to do with my bike. Tri bikes have a higher center of gravity than typical road bikes which make it more susceptible to a speed wobble. This only sharpens the color of yellow on my back and the makes the whiskers on my face grow even longer. I may even throw out a “meow” or two.
Luckily, I’m climber and was able to catch up and pass these guys going up hills. Except for Justin who’s waiting for us at the top.

More on the ½ Mary latter this week.

Back in the Pool and Camping. What?

Well, I was back in the pool this morning for 2000 m. I didn't know how it'd go, but after pretty much taking the last two days off, I was anxious to push myself again. Here are the stats:

1000 m - 17:02

500 m - 7:52

300 m 4:46

200 m 3:02

Not too terribly bad. It wasn't my fastest 1000 m, but I was happy with the other times. I beat my previous week's 500 m by 22 seconds, the 300 m by 3 seconds, and the 200 m by 6 seconds. I'll take that.

As for the camping, I'm headed to the woods this weekend to "live deliberately" per Mr. Thoreau. Camping and hiking were my first big interest prior to this wonderful sport called Triathlon. Nothing too exciting, just some friends hanging around a campfire eating meat and being men. Both of the guys I'm going with are having a rough stretch around the house and desperately need some time away. I'm glad I can fill that need and be a little selfish by enjoying myself too.

By the way, I hate hate hate "office" coffee. It's not doing the trick this morning.

The Blahs

Do you ever get the blahs? "The Blahs" according to Webster's dictionary is the "lack of emotion or general excitement about training." It's true. I just looked it up. Right now, I'm just kind of bored with training and generally just not as excited about it as I usually am. It's not indicative of my life in general right now. Things are great. I just don't have the drive right now. I noticed it for the first time last Friday. I was in the pool for a relative easy session, but I found myself just wanting to get out, find a book, and read for a while instead. I had plenty of energy, but it just didn't interest me to keep doing laps. Yesterday, after work I had a five miler scheduled. I had planned to run with a group from the Trak Shak. There are always some elite runners there that let me tag along. These guys do a good job of pushing me to run a little faster. They were no where to be found. Was it too cold? It was 43 degrees per the Rover, not teeth chattering cold but chilly. So with no one to run with, I took it to the house. It just didn't interest me to run at that point by myself. This is disappointing, but as I'm typing this I think I need some more training partners. Maybe that will help. I think the community aspect of training with friends is key for me. Nothing gets me more excited than riding with a group on the weekends, but the thought of monotonous sessions alone at 6:30 in the morning is just beginning to wear on me. Sorry for the depressing posts, but what's a blog for anyway? Today, it's for hashing out a few thoughts.