On a recent trip to see family in Oklahoma, my little band of four merry travelers decided to break up the 450 mile trip with rest stops to allow my five year old daughter and 11 year old son some wiggle time.  This helps us decrease the monotony and greatly improves the mood of the minivan on the way down to Grandma’s house.

One such stop was at a new place for us to explore, a state park at Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri called Pa He Tsi (part of Grand Glaize Beach/Marina).  This is a pretty little cove with a playground and stream to explore.  We got out and set about rumbling around and looking at nature.  This is where a remarkable story begins.

My five year old daughter hopped out of the van clutching her ever faithful stuffed bear named “Beary”.  We walked and played and explored and after about 20 minutes decided to hop back in the van and head south.  About an hour and a half later, just outside of Springfield, my daughter asked a question that sent a chill through us all, “Mom?  Where is Beary?”

Just about all children have special toys.  The ones that give them comfort during stressful times and make them happy.  To her, this was Beary.  And in the next few moments, many sad revelations came to light for us.  A frantic search of the van revealed that Beary was, indeed, not with us.  My daughter then thought a little more and remembered that she had carefully placed him on a park bench to look at the boats while she played and had forgotten him in our haste to leave.  We knew that there was no way we could go back to get him at that point as it would have put the whole trip in jeopardy.  We also knew we needed to break this news to her.  As you can imagine, she didn’t take it well and her heartbreaking pleas made this old, gruff, surly dad want to cry.  Questions I couldn’t answer like “Who will take care of him?”, “Where will he live now?”, “What if they throw him away?”  I was nearly as devastated by the answers I had to give as she was to receive my awful and ill worded replies.  She was genuinely devastated and took full responsibility for the loss, which I admired in one so small.  But that didn’t make it any easier.

After much discussion, crying and heartfelt pleas during lunch, I decided to make one, last gasp effort to contact someone at the park.  I walked out of the restaurant and paced up and down the sidewalk chasing down the right number as if I was the one who had lost a family member.  Finally, I got the right number and actually got to talk to a someone with a pulse on the other end of the line.  Hastily, I explained my plight, but my secret cynicism could only be barely suppressed.  The person on the other end of the line, after getting a firm location, said he would drive over and take a look and then transferred me to another real person who said she understood but that they were very short staffed.  She would do what she could and took my number, just in case.

Do you know how hard it is to hide your doubts about humanity from a child?  To try to be optimistic when you doubt the outcome will be anything but bad.  Those big brown eyes just pierced me when I told her that the rangers were looking for Beary.  It was all I could do to keep my outside voice weakly positive, even when I had huge doubts inside.  We loaded up, all (including me) still on the verge of tears and drove on to Oklahoma.  My wife and I were secretly discussing a plan B when the most amazing thing to happen to me in a very long time happened.  The phone rang.

And on the other end of that phone was a very cheerful and positive human being.  His name was Ranger Dave Stark and he was calling with the best news I could possibly imagine.  It seems an APB had been placed on one wayward little brown bear named “Beary”.  All park personnel had been placed on high alert (yes, I’m embellishing a bit) and after a brief pursuit, Beary had been “captured” while enjoying the view of the marina.  And it got better!  Ranger Stark informed me that “Beary” would be part of the bear relocation program and would be boxed up and shipped back to us.  He should be there when we got back from our trip.

And he was.  Not only did he arrive safe and sound, but the staff at the park had a little fun with him.  They took a picture of him with Ranger Stark, sitting on his truck.  Ranger Stark included a very sweet note detailing the capture, inviting my daughter down to meet him and encouraging her to be a ranger someday.  There were also goodies such as a badge included in the package.  My cynical, doubting, black little heart grew three sizes that day.  And I will admit to feeling a little ashamed because I doubted this process would go well from start to finish.  I even doubted whether the box would indeed arrive after Ranger Stark told me it would.  That’s sad.  Shame on me.

We have made a thank you package for Ranger Stark and the staff at the park.  Lots of thank you’s, not just from my daughter, either.  Pictures, cookies, the whole bit.  And an addition to our holiday card list as well.

See, this isn’t just about a little girl losing a toy.  Or about a nice person finding it and returning it.  To me it is about what is, or appears to be sometimes, lacking anymore in society.  Truthfully, as you were reading this, didn’t you have those same adult doubts?  In a civilization that seems sometimes to be losing all civility, a simple act such as this is, unfortunately, remarkable.  However, in my opinion, it is absolutely essential to recognize anyone who goes above and beyond the call, regardless of whether it is to put your life on the line for someone else, or just to show care and compassion in daily execution of your job.

But the reason I submit this is to let as many people as I can know that great people exist and that we are all still capable of courtesy, understanding and appreciation.  We don’t just have to do great things to be great people.  Little things still mean very much and go a long way toward making things better.  Like a little bear to a little girl.

My heartfelt thanks to the staff at Grand Glaize, Pa He Tsi and Lake of the Ozarks, and especially to Ranger Dave Stark.  I know sometimes it seems that what you do doesn’t make much difference.  But just know that it does.  And we appreciate not only what you did for us, but what you do every day in service to the public.  Enjoy the cookies!

Note:  I have sent a copy of this to his commanding officer, several local papers and am planning on sending it to the state rep for his district as well as the local chamber of commerce.  If you can think of anyplace else I should send it, let me know.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

OK... Look.  I'm trying to live a healthy lifestyle (nice swim workout this morning... btw).  I work out six or seven days a week, sometimes twice a day.  I pay attention to what I eat and don't do anything stupid.  But two of my greatest loves in life are cooking and (my only vice) beer.  Yes, I drink occasionally, but "usually" (I'm looking at YOU Uwe...) just beer.  I love beer, not as a habit, but as a great beverage like a fine wine or good single malt.  I am VERY picky about my beer.  To the point that I actually started brewing my own back in the day.  It was awesome and I made MUCH better beer than I could ever buy, and WAY cheaper. 

I gave up my recipes along the way and eventually just got out of it, but I was always sad about that.  I had secretly hoped that someday I could start brewing again, along with doing more barbecue and smoked meats/veggies, etc.  When we moved to Missouri I thought about it some but got caught up in re-establishing my life and it got lost along the way.  But now, after nearly 4 years here, I began to think about it again.  Unfortunately, the Smoker I want is a little pricey so that will have to wait, but I found a friend who had switched from brewing to making mead and was selling his stuff.  I met him and bought just enough stuff to get back into single batch (5 gallons) brewing.  Nothing fancy, but I really did love brewing and having a batch or two around to share or knock the edge off a particularly hard workout seems a small price to pay in calories for the joy it gives me.

So, all that being said, things fell into place last weekend for me to start back into the homebrewing hobby.  A co-worker/friend had planted a kit he recieved but never brewed under my desk one day about a year ago.  I didn't even notice it for a month after he put it there, but I figured it would be a good, no cost, jump start back into brewing.  My only concern was that the yeast might be old and wouldn't be viable.  But I decided to give it a shot anyway. 

My lovely, darling, tolerant wife even indulged me with a Turkey Deep Fryer from Bass Pro.  Not to deep fry turkeys, but it is actually the perfect setup for brewing.  Since I am fermenting downstairs in my shop (good temperature control, like a cave) it didn't make any sense to cook the beer in my kitchen for two reasons.  First, carrying 5 gallons of pre beer in a glass bottle, down several dozen stairs is ludicrous, and second... beer stinks.  Making the house smell like the Bud plant was a sure way to make my return to the hobby "short term"...

This cooker, by the way, is a really great set up.  The cooker has a timer that can't go more than 20 minutes so you can't overcook the beer and it forces you to PAY ATTENTION and not wander off and ruin a batch.  Second, the cook pot is plenty tall enough to brew a batch without fear of spilling and there are metal supports on either side of the burner that hold the brew pot firmly in place so you don't need 3 hands while stirring or adding stuff.  That and it lets me brew on my lower deck by my shop, which has one of the better views in Columbia!

So to make a short story long, there is now a carboy full of a simple wheat beer happily bubbling away in my shop.  It should be ready just in time for Christmas!!  I might even try to get another batch of yummy, sweet, dark, spicy, VERY alcoholic, Christmas Barleywine rockin'.  I think if I get it going by Friday it will be ready by Christmas too!

No, I don't plan on drinking a lot.  One batch makes enough to fill a Cornelius keg (about 2 cases) and it usually lasts several months...  Unless friends are involved, then we can usually float one in an afternoon...  But just like making a good meal with fresh ingredients and good quality meats is a decadent pleasure, a GOOD brew now and then is an indulgence that I think I can afford.  Anybody wanna help me "test" it?

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

...and if we ever get another weekend like this last one... I'll do it again!

Yes, I'm sore. 

Yes, I'm tired.

No.  Not one regret.

After Saturday's euphoria settled in I just had to see if it would last one more day.  I packed up the bike and headed back to Rock Bridge for round two.  I decided to stop at another trailhead because the map made it look like there was a bigger loop I could hit that would join up with the ones I did yesterday.  But since I had never done this loop I decided to run it first.  What I found was another spectacular (albeit leaf obscured) trail that wound through the woods in Rock Bridge.  After several missed turns I managed to find my way back to the car.  I was tired, but satisfied that I could ride the vast majority of this trail.  The run was about 3 miles and although I was glad I did it to scout the trail, it took a lot out of me and I was tired when I got on the bike. 

Nevertheless, on a day so spectacular for November, they were going to have to drag me off the trail kicking and screaming...  I was here to play and I brought all my toys with me.  The ride was surreal.  I saw 5 people on the trail in an hour of riding.  I knew 4 of them.  I rode roughly 8 miles (no GPS so I'm not sure) of which, about 100 yards was hike-a-bike (less if I was a better rider!).  Really the essence of mountain biking.  Lots of ups, downs, bumps, mud, water, leaves, rocks, critters, even a couple of downed trees to navigate.  I went back down the trail I had run until it split and went off toward some of the trails I ran/rode yesterday.  Then I crawled back over those for a while, just exploring and trying to remember what mountain biking was supposed to feel like.  I would have bursts of getting it all right and climbing stuff I didn't think I could.  Followed immediately by nearly crashing due to lack of control or inattention to technique.  This will be the way of things for a while, which is cool.  It's all fun and exciting and new again.

I got back to the car completely exhausted, but happy.  Then I went home and made the first batch of beer I have attempted in 12 years.  Finished up the day with friends, Guinness and a game of Munchkin.  Next weekend is going to have to really be something special to beat this one.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

So much of this summer (that wasn't) has been about dealing with adverse weather conditions.  I had nearly forgotten what it was like to do a workout in nearly ideal conditions.  But as I read the weather forecast for the weekend I was stunned to see no rain and temperatures in the 70's... in November...?  Really?  I immediately got happy feet and started planning some workouts.

Yesterday, I headed over to Rock Bridge State Park.  This park is amazing for several reasons.  First, it's urban.  It is less than a mile outside of Columbia.  Second, it's beautiful.  Gorgeous scenery, caves, sink holes, creeks and ponds, huge trees and lots of trails for hiking, biking, running and general putzing around on.  Finally, it's well maintained.  Decent bathrooms, good parking, picnic tables and signs to help you find your way around the trails.

I had been threatening myself with a mountain bike ride there since I got the bike back together again and yesterday was the day for it!  After a quick stop at the bike shop to pick up a spare tube, I was on my way.  My thought was that since Mizzou was playing a home game, maybe the park wouldn't be so crowded (did I mention it's urban?).  No such luck.  It wasn't aweful, and I certainly don't ride fast enough to worry about crashing into anyone, but there were lots of people on the trail so I tried to be as cautious and polite as possible.

Several of the trails are 2 miles long or longer and most intersect so you can just jump from one trail to another and stay out in the park for quite a while.  I took off up one of the few trails I had actually been on before (hiking) and thus the adventure began.  Beautiful doesn't begin to describe it.  Great single and double track trails, all very much ridable.  A few slightly technical sections but nothing major.  Very little mud or water.  The only thing to worry about was that a lot of the trail was completely obscured by leaves!  Fun to ride through but hard to see what was under them.  In general, a nice, easy ride.

I went around one time (about a 3 mile loop)... then I went around again (about a 4 mile loop)... and then, yup... you guessed it... I went around again (another 3 miles)!  When I was done with the last loop, I rode in circles around the parking lot.  I was tired, but I REALLY didn't want to stop.  Finally, and very reluctantly, I got off the bike and put it away.  I put my shoes back on and it was then I realized I had grabbed my trail running shoes to wear...

...heh...

I only ran about a mile and a half (made a wrong turn and didn't realize it until I was back at the parking lot...) but it was awesome!  My legs were not tired and I was careful not to do anything stupid.  What a day...  I actually thought about going back around AGAIN... but decided that I was just tired enough that it wouldn't be prudent.  Besides, there was always tomorrow (which is today!!).

It is these types of workouts that keep me motivated.  I'm sure if I had been with someone else I would have just slowed them down because I was purposefully NOT going fast... I was just GOING.  And it was awesome.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Went for a mountain bike ride yesterday.  Back in the day (circa 1993...*cough*) I bought a GT Zaskar LE frame and then spent the next year (and entirely too much money) building it from scratch.  The only things I didn't do to it were press on the headset and build the wheels.  Other than that, I did all the work.  I then subsequently spent the better part of the next two years putting well over 5000 miles on it in the mountains around SoCal.  For all the ugliness that is SoCal, it's wilderness (yes, there is a substantial amount) is spectacular.  Then a horrific back injury took me off my bike and put me on the couch for nearly 10 years.  Through various attempts to get back in shape, my mountain bike mostly just sat there.  It was sad. 

When we moved to Missouri in 2006, I started running again to get in shape, and still the mountain bike sat.  Through another difficult injury in 2008 and into the launch of my triathlon career, it sat.  The only time I touched it was to pull the saddle and pedals off of it to put on my new cross bike as I tried to build it into a triathlon bike.

As the triathlon season came to a close in October, I began to make plans for offseason training.  One day while driving to work, I went by a familiar trail called Bear Creek that leads to a huge park.  The back side of that park has some really cool mountain biking trails on it (Rhett's Run).  I have run and walked these trails many times.  It all got me to thinking about that old mountain bike, now nearly 17 years old.

That weekend I pulled it down of the rack, took it downstairs and put it back together.  Surprisingly after all that time, a little oil and a few small tweaks were all that was needed to get everything working again.  It even shifted nicely (better than my new cross/triathlon bike!) after all that time.  I took it out and rode it around the yard a bit and it still seemed pretty sound.  Granted, the tech on it is still 17 years old.  Air/oil shock (Rock Shox Mag 21), XTR, cable brakes, etc.  But it worked.  I put out a call to the triathlon list to borrow a set of spd pedals (mine were not compatible and there are no cleats available for them anymore) and got several offers.  The next day the bike was complete and ready to rise from the ashes.

That was two weeks ago.  I have ridden the bike 4 times since then.  Once on a local trail and three times at Rhett's Run.  Several things became apparent on these rides.  First, this is still a SOLID bike.  Second, I do still love mountain biking.  Third, I have become very tentative in my old age and will need many more rides to find that comfort level I used to have with mountain biking.  And finally, I have found my offseason cross training.

Yes, I suck at mountain biking.  I miss shifts, miss turns and have forgotten everything about riding position, climbing, descents, etc.  I'm lucky to get out of the parking lot without falling.  But even with all that, it's awesome exercise, beautiful and tons of fun.  The bike, even though very sound, is still very old.  The shock doesn't rebound anymore and the brakes are sketchy.  Falling seems to hurt a lot more than it did 17 years ago.  Nevertheless, I'm pretty excited about getting back on my old bike again.  I don't pretend to think I will ever go as fast as I used to (back in the day I hit 52mph through the speed trap at Mammoth Mountain in California) but I don't care about that anymore.  It just feels good to get back on that bike and ride again.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

After many a week of soggy weather, Ma' Nature decided to give us a reprieve.  Starting on Halloween, the weather has been nothing short of spectacular.  I have been trying to cram as many outdoor workouts in as I could because I know it's bound to end all too soon.  Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your opinion of running) it has all been running miles.

I got 5 miles in on Halloween (new tradition, do something active on EVERY major holiday) in Oklahoma.  Then I got back to Columbia but the drive took it out of me and I missed my Monday morning swim session.  Tuesday was an awesome run under an early morning full moon on a tough, hilly, long course.  Missed ANOTHER swim session yesterday morning and then had a GREAT 8 mile run this morning under clear, chilly (30 degrees!) skies.

But as I sat outside in the sun at lunch with my family, I found myself in serious want of more.  A day like this should NOT be wasted and I've already pissed away my share of good ones, so I'm taking off an hour early and taking Frankenstein down to Rhett's Run for a little fat tire time.  I may not be completely in love with road bikes yet, but I do still love me some mountain biking.  So much so, in fact, that I'm thinking about doing the Xterra Eureka Springs race this year...  I've always wanted to do an Xterra or offroad triathlon and this one is close (relatively) so I just might have to put it on the list...!  The only problem is that I also want to run the Hospital Hill Half Marathon, which is the week before... crud.  I could definitely DO both...  I just don't know if I could AFFORD both... *sigh*

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Is it officially a sickness when you are disappointed the weather isn't crappy when you run?  I have learned more about running in foul weather in the last two years than in the other 40 combined.  It now takes a tornado warning, large hail or temperatures well below zero to keep me from my appointed run.  Thursday before last I damn near killed myself trying to get to a regularly scheduled run when EVERY road to and from my house was flooded.  And for what?  A bead?  The satisfaction of getting my run in?  A notch on the gun to brag about later?  Scars?  Physical therapy visits?  Why do I do this?

This morning I will admit to being slightly disappointed when I arrived for my run and not only was it NOT raining but the weather was (almost) perfect.  Fifty two degrees, bright stars shining.  The only thing to gripe about was a little wind.  I got in 5.6 miles at an ok pace but spent the entire time (that I should have been concentrating on pace, et al.) hoping that the lightning I saw on the horizon would get to us before the run was over.  That's sad.  We have had such crappy weather for so long that I am now frustrated by GOOD weather (he says as a deluge roars outside...).  I don't know what to wear.  I have nothing to bitch about (except my lack of fitness).  I'm miserable when I'm not miserable.

Demented...  That's what I really am...  I need a new hobby...  Anyone for cribbage?

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Two months filled with way more work than I could handle in an effort to train WAY too many people in WAY too short a time, plus get ready for Club Nationals, create material for two major conferences, try desperately to make some sort of progress towards finishing my cabinet doors and, oh by the way, I still have a family (I think... If they haven't disowned me by now... Or put my face on a milk carton...) have left me... hopefully understandably... tired.

So when, on one of the numerous travel dates I had in the last month, I noticed that my workmates were both sniffling and coughing, I knew it would only be a matter of time...  I entered into the last weekend of this extended trip with a conference.  I felt great for the first two days, but on the last day, I awoke to a tight chest and a scratchy throat.  Nothing like topping off two solid months of working my ass off... with H1N1...

...lovely.

So.  I took it home and gave it to my family.  Thereby solidifying my place as BEST.  DAD. NEVER...

*sigh*

All this meant that after piggy flu took its course on me for three days, I then had to make sure to take care of the family for another three days while they fought it.  Blessedly, it has been mild for all of us (comparatively) and has actually been about the same as any other flu we have gotten.  Still, the entire family getting the flu.... SUX!

As I started to mend I did manage to get out and run a bit this weekend and it gave me some time to plan.  I know I need goals or I tend to wander so here is what I've got.

Currently, I have 72 miles logged in the water this year.  I want to get to 100.  I need to swim 28 miles.  I have roughly 20 days to do this so I have to swim right at 2000 yards a session between now and December 31 to achieve this goal.

I want to run a sub 22 minute 5K at First Night on January 1.

I want to develop an offseason lifting program and use it from tonight until the end of February.

STRETCH!

Research a new triathlon bike

Run trails and mountain bike for cross training as weather allows.

To that end I have come up with a weightlifting program that will require me to go to the gym a couple of times per week to use equipment I don't have at home, but it is doable.  It is triathlon specific and focuses on core strength and working the muscles you neglect in triathlon training.

AND... FINALLY... I went for a trail run on Sunday.  The first one I have really been on.  It was a blast!

There is a mountain biking trail about 2 miles from my house.  It is awesome.  All single track, steep little ups and downs but all ridable/runnable.  Since I am still recovering from the flu, I decided to just go out for a little bit so I started on a trail that runs by the mountain biking course but is flat.  That allowed me to warm up a bit and get ready for the trails.  Once I hit the trail it was immediately apparent why people do trail runs.

The trail was narrow single track and it was almost completely obscured by leaves.  It had opened up and begun POURING on me on the main trail, but once I got into the deep woods, it let up, with only the occasional drip getting through the canopy.  The ground and leaves were wet and since the trail was obscured, the sum total made me SLOW DOWN.  Careful foot placement and far more lateral movement than I am used to also made me pay far more attention to the run than I usually do.  It was a conscious effort.  I had to think about nearly every foot placement.  Due to all the rain we have had, there were puddles, streams and mud in a lot of places.  This also made me focus more.  It was intense.  I don't remember ever running like this.  I ran about two miles of trails and then came back home for a total of about 4 miles.  The trail portion had to have been somewhere at or above 10 minute miles, but the workout was difficult.  I got lost a couple of times in the woods when I took a wrong turn and missed the trail.  Like I said, everything was covered in leaves.  It was beautiful...!

I can't overemphasize the importance of the words SLOW DOWN.  I was NOT worried about time, form, or any technique other than just survival.  Foot placement.  Power.  Effort.  I found myself breathing easy on the flats and downs.  No stress or strain at all.  I know that will change as I get more comfortable but it really felt awesome to be working out easy.

The one thing I thought I could do that I found nearly impossible was sightsee.  In order to place my feet confidently I had to give total attention to the 10 foot section of trail in front of me.  I could only glance up briefly to orient myself to the trail.  No watching wildlife, etc.  Trail running really makes you focus.

So I guess you could say I really liked it.  I am really slow and don't really care.  This is great cross training for a million reasons.  Time to get dirty!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Some weird people have a shoe fetish.  My obsession/pet peeve goes even further.  Shoe LACES.  Yes... he said shoe laces...  I mean... I'm not like... creepy, obsessed with them or anything.  I'm just really, REALLY... picky.

It all comes from a strong belief in having the right equipment.  My dad taught me that and I really believe it.  From hammers, to baseball gloves, to athletic shoes.  I have always believed in having the right gear for the job and getting the GOOD stuff, even if it means waiting until I can afford it.  And I rarely go back on that (and regret it every time I do). 

The most recent example of this was when I started running and started looking seriously at shoes.  Let's face it, shoes are the only real piece of equipment you need.  Getting good ones that last and fit right is critical. 

So then why do shoe companies put REALLY crappy shoe laces on $125 shoes?  Do they know how much it pisses me of when shoes don't stay tied even when I double knot them?  Do they know how hard it is for my fat butt to bend over to re-tie my shoes 8 miles into a run? 

So over the last two years of serious running I've gotten lots of opportunities to come up with solutions.  Asics shoes?  Just replace the laces.  They are crap.  Nike?  Fuggedaboudit.  Saucony?  ...yuck.  The only really good stock laces I have found are on high end New Balance shoes.  They look like crinkle cut fries (sorry, it was the best example I could think of).  When you tie them the crinkles keep them taught and they don't loosen up.  They just work.  I have had 4 pairs now and haven't had to re-tie my shoes once.

However, once I learned about Yankz and tried them out, I became big fan.  They are an elastic, bungy like lacing system that essentially turns your shoes into slip ons.  They are a pain in the butt to install, but worth it.  They also take a bit to get adjusted so they don't constrict too much, but once you get them adjusted they are awesome.  They are made for triathlons so you can slip your shoes on easier in transition, but if you want to eliminate all the hassle of laces, you can't beat them.

So I took my new shoes, with Yankz firmly attached, on a 10 mile run today.  A spectacular fall day!  Temps in the 60's, light wind, painfully blue skies and turning leaves.  It was special.  The trail was full. People, dogs (including one unbelievably cute 3 month old Bassett Hound pup), bikes, walkers, runners.  It's so rare that I run 10 miles anymore, but I just couldn't let this day go.  And as I discovered, 10 miles is still a long damn way.  I think it's further than it used to be...  I'm sore and very tired.  But it was worth it.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

I could never be a spin instructor.  I would kill people.  Either because of the frightening choices I make in music, the volume it must be played at to achieve full effect, or the fact that none of it is under 10,000 beats per minute!!!  Wanna bet?  Look up and listen to "Beast and The Harlot" by Avenged Sevenfold (A7X) or "All Nightmare Long" by Metallica on iTunes.  See if YOU could keep up with them.  I have an iPod full of stuff just like it and I get to listen to it all winter long.  If I'm not faster on the bike by next spring, I will either have given up or I'm dead because my heart blew up.  Good GAWD!  I need a little Manilow or some Cap'n and Tenille (yeah... that'll happen) to bring me down.  I don't purposefully choose hard rock or metal, I just prefer something that has a beat that pushes me.  I couldn't sing the lyrics (nor would you want me to...) of any of the songs on my playlist,  but they are fast and hard.  I need the drive.  I have to be careful not to run to the beat or I will actually slow down on slower songs (and destroy myself on the fast ones).  I don't run with music much because I like to hear what's going on around me, but when I do I'm always shot at the end of the run!  The other problem with running with music is that me wearing an iPod on a run is a dead sure guarantee that SOMEONE will want to talk to me ALL RUN LONG... *sigh*  So I mostly use my iPod on the wind trainer to break up the monotony.  My son says he can tell when I'm listening to a fast song because it sounds like the wind trainer is about to take off...!

So I've decided that I want to try trail running this fall for something different.  I even bought a new pair of trail shoes just for the occasion.  I have to admit I'm a little nervous.  My ankles are crap and many a running buddy has gone out on these trails only to return bloodied and broken (I'm looking at YOU, Dan).  Still, I at least want to try it a couple of times just to see how it goes.  I would really like to try an Xterra race next year for the heck of it so the cold and mud will be good training.  I'll let you know Sunday morning...!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

I mean... C'mon...  It was thundering, lots of lightning, rain, wind, 50 degree temps, DARK (except when the lightning lit up the trail)...  Who on earth runs in that crap.

...that would be... umm... me.

And, of course, 30 or 40 of my closest and most insane buddies and teammates from CMC.

To show how dissimilar my viewpoints are between running and other sports, I don't even want to get ON my bike if the wind is blowing over 10mph or it's over 80 degrees.  Yet I ran this morning IN THE MIDDLE of a thunderstorm...

Now, don't get me wrong.  I tried to talk myself out of it.  In bed, at the computer looking at the radar, on the drive to the trailhead, every second before I opened the car door, while I was waiting to start, in the first half mile, at the first turn, at the second mile... etc.  But I just couldn't say no.  I LIKE to run.  In ANY conditions.  I just wish I LIKED to do the other stuff as much.  I should WANT to ride.  God knows I NEED to.  But I will almost always drop my bike shoes and head out the door for a run.  I guess I'm just the most comfortable with that sport.

And this is not to say that I'm really that good at running.  I just enjoy it more than anything else.  In fact, of the three sports in triathlon I would have to say that my level of enjoyment rating is: 1.)Running, 2.)Swimming, 3.)Biking.  And yes, I know that this needs to change.  I'm just trying to figure out how.  I'm hoping that introducing mountain biking back into my training will bring back some of the joy and fun to riding that I used to have.  We'll see...!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Sunday was a beautiful day at Finger Lakes.  I fear there will not be many more like it this year and even with the 80+ degree temps, the water was pretty cool for a swim at the start. 

For the first time ever, I did an open water swim alone.  For whatever reasons, all of the people who said they would be there, weren't.  I debated bailing on the swim and just running, but I couldn't.  I really wanted the swim and know my open water days are numbered, so I put on my wetsuit and cap and went it alone (sorry Lise). 

There were demons in the water.  Not real ones, of course... But those of my own creation.  Shaped like crocodiles, Jaws, giant fish and dragons. I think Nessie even made an appearance.  For a 40+ year old man to have such thoughts is a bit embarrassing, but it was a fear I needed to face.  It's easy to rationalize and throw logic at these fears when you are standing on the shore looking out at them.  It's when you get in that the real fight begins.  I fought panic a couple of times, especially when I heard what sounded like large bubbles just to the left of me.  It was nothing.  Just my arm entering the water at not quite the same angle.  To help me focus, I really tried to concentrate on form.  While I was out there, it really didn't feel like it helped.  Funny thing is, I swam the distance a full minute faster...

I've never panicked in the water.  I've been uncomfortable quite a few times.  Either at my own accord or at the hands (and feet) of others.  But of the two, I think I would rather be crashing, banging and unintentionally high fiving a pack of triathletes, rather than swimming alone.  The sun was setting and the trees cast shadows that were cold and dark.  I knew where the shore was at all times since the lake is narrow, but all I wanted to do was get back to the car.

When I was done I felt silly and a bit ashamed.  The biggest real monster I saw was about a 2lb. bass.  Tasty... but not really all that scary.  This whole triathlon thing seems to be about me facing fears.  Fear of injury (correction: RE-injury), self doubt, fear of the water, fear of crashing.  And, whether fortunately or unfortunately, I seem to have confronted them all this year.  Next year I will push the boundaries a bit.  Longer distances, more challenging races, perhaps...

Once my heart rate came back down below 300 from my adrenaline filled walk on water, I decided to reward/punish myself with a longer run than usual.  The park was fairly empty and the weather was perfect.  After such a self-induced, heart pounding swim, the run seemed almost too mundane.  The leaves are just starting to turn in central Missouri and the forest is thinning with the season.  It was fun to see deeper into the woods.  The wind picked up for the first time (without the aid of a thunderstorm) this fall and the early turners were falling en masse.  I forgot about pace and technique and just ran.  The sun was warm but the wind was cool.  I was sad when it was over.  And I was tired...  I have such a long way to go...

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Last week went so fast I was really surprised to look up and see it was already Sunday!  Spent two days in Cape Girardeau teaching librarians at a BEAUTIFUL new public library and a great school library (Central High School).

My "Hidden Gem" series is an occasional post on great running spots in unexpected places.  This time I want to point out The Cape LaCroix Recreation Trail:

410 Kiwanis Drive
Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701

Since this is a college town I should have expected at least some trails, but in all the times I have been to Cape, I guess I just never had time to look.

The Cape LaCroix is an urban trail that runs for just short of 4.5 miles (one way) through the suburbs.  It is a well maintained blacktop trail with adequate potty stops and seating to take the occasional break in a shady, wooded spot if needed.  It is well marked with mile markers (yellow) and 1/10th markers (white) on the blacktop.  It goes in and out of parks, neighborhoods and business districts west of downtown.

My partner in crime and I ran about 4 miles of it and I was pleased with it's condition and location.  It feels safe and is always close to the real world if you need to jump off and re-establish contact.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

In December of last year...  I couldn't swim.  Oh I could splash and flounder about, but getting from one end of a pool to the other was an effort in convincing the lifeguards that I wasn't drowning or having a seizure.  But I learned that this race, The Redman Triathlon, was going to be the site of our club national championships.  Since I grew up in Oklahoma, this was a sign.  If I was ever going to actually "do" a triathlon... since I'm in a "triathlon" club...  This was the push.  So I signed up for a gym membership and this race on the same day.  January 5th was the first time I had ever done a real workout in the water.  My first "lap" in the water was right at 3 minutes for 50 yards.

Then there was the matter of my bike.  A cyclocross bike that I used to commute.  I knew it would be ludicrous to buy a triathlon specific bike (like buying a Ferrari for your first car).  I am a mountain biker from back in the day but I had never "raced" on the road.  I stuck some aero bars on it, scooted the seat as far forward as I could and called it good.

So of the 3 sports in triathlon, I was comfortable with one.  Running.  THAT, my friends, is what we call a "challenge".

Now let's fast forward to this race.  Through rides in the snow, drinking lots of pool and lake water trying to learn to swim, a bike crash and 4 other triathlons, I stood in the water at the starting line of Redman as a rookie with more questions still than answers.  Both overtrained and undertrained, with good nutrition and bad, feeling confident and terrified at the same time.  Then the horn went off.

First, an all out compliment.  Redman was VERY well organized and supported.  Through driving rain on the full and half Ironman course, to a race site that was, in a word, boglike (if that is a word), they put on a professional race with smiles and helpful people all around.  Also, props to TRI-OKC for providing the majority of the volunteer support as well.  Besides being a tough club with a lot of good athletes (congrats on your National Championship!!), they seemed to understand what it takes to make an event great and showed up in numbers.  It was great to see.

OK... Back to the starting line.

Swim:

Due to an unfortunate lake level rise overnight, the buoys drifted offline and the course had to be reset.  A minor 15 minute delay was all it took to reset the course from a square to a (sort of) olympic triangle.  The start was in the water, the course went counter clockwise and the first leg paralleled the shore about 20 yards from the beach.  This made it VERY shallow.  Since I breathe to the right I started as close to the buoys as possible.

My strategy was to focus on the things I have been working on.  Swim slowly and deliberately, finish every stroke, extend and glide, be smooth, relax.  If I do these things, I am faster.  The hard part is to zone out the hype and be calm at the start.  When the horn sounded, I let everyone go.  I knew that if I swam my race I would catch most of them.

The swim seemed long but I didn't care.  It felt good.  The funny thing about swimming faster is that it causes another problem.  When you don't swim "off the back", you are right in the middle of the scrum.  Within 20 strokes I caught up to the pack and then there were elbows and feet everywhere.  Finding a hole to swim in was a challenge.  I must have been swimming faster because people were drafting on ME.  THAT was a new experience...  Sighting the first buoy was easy because there was a huge power plant in the distance behind it.  It was very disconcerting, however, to be swimming and see people RUNNING in the water beside me (some even passing me).  I didn't know that was legal!  No matter.  I can't imagine running half of your swim would help your legs when you actually got to the real run portion of the race!

The real challenge for me came when we made the turn.  I could NOT sight the buoy.  All I could do was be a sheep and follow the flock, hoping the fast guys knew where they were going.  It worked.  I finally caught sight of the final turn buoy about 200 yards from it and I was right on track, if a little to the right of where I wanted to be.  During the whole back leg of the swim, I really tried to focus on swimming in the tube and gliding as much as possible.  Except for the occasional crash from my scrum mates, I was able to do this most of the leg.  Once I made the final turn and spotted the Red Bull arch, I had to smile a bit.  That felt good.

As I stood up in the water I checked my watch.  I was right at 17 minutes for the 820 yard swim.  Right where I wanted to be and MUCH faster than my last race.  Not fast, by any means, but average.  The fact that I came out of the water surrounded by people with my color swim cap, a few with the cap color of the wave AHEAD of me and only got passed by one from the wave behind me was all I needed.

I heard the cheers of my teammates as I ran up to transition.  I didn't look or wave, but it really helped.

T1

This transition area was well set up but for some reason it took me several times rehearsing my transition beforehand to actually feel comfortable with where my bike was.  Everybody kept moving my landmarks, so as I came in to transition I just kept reminding myself to go to the "M" rack and turn.  I ran right to my bike, stomped out of my wetsuit and then realized I had made a rookie mistake when I put my bike helmet on and it sat on top of my head like a beanie.  The headlock straps in the back had slid closed during all the jostling of travel and it took a second or two to get them adjusted out.  Also, my hands didn't seem to want to work so I couldn't get my swim cap off.  All of this maybe cost me 5-10 seconds so it was no big deal, but it was disturbing.  My T1 time was about 2 minutes.  Not bad with the run in and it was top 25% for speed, so it was OK.  I ran barefoot to the mount line and hopped on the bike.

Bike

Getting in my shoes on the bike went much better this time.  After reading some articles from professional athletes about getting in your shoes on the bike, I realized that my mistake from last time was just trying to do it too quickly.  I took my time, got up to speed and then got in.  It worked much better.

I just wish I had been able to train more on the bike.  My work schedule just didn't allow it.  I was hoping that my swim and run fitness would transfer to the bike but I knew better.  Biking will help your run.  But more running doesn't help you on the bike.  I could feel it even in the first 3 miles.  I could spin fine, but I couldn't hold it.  I could climb fine and, in fact, was where I did the majority of my passing (thank you Columbia hills!).  But on the flats (read: majority of the course) I just couldn't push a big gear (or spin a smaller one) as fast as I knew I should.  The course went out across the dam and turned into city streets.  It was mostly smooth, devoid of scenery or spectators, but well marked and supervised.  I was passed by course marshalls no less than 5 times in two laps of this 7 mile course.  I got passed 4 times and passed about 10 people.  There was little wind and it was mostly overcast and cool.  Perfect conditions.  Too bad I couldn't take advantage of them.  I had hoped to be over 21mph for this race, but I came in just a tic under 20.  Disappointing, but I can't say I didn't expect it. 

T2

I got out of my shoes with about 200 yards to go to the mount line and stepped off easily and trotted into the transition area.  My legs felt surprisingly good and, although tired, were not wobbly at all.  I attribute this to NOT KICKING on the swim thanks to the wetsuit.  Anyway, I found my spot quickly got out of my helmet and into my shoes and I was out in 1:20.  This was a GOOD transition for me. 

Run

MAN... Was I glad to be out on the run...!  I settled into a comfortable pace and then pushed it just a bit.  I ignored my legs for the first mile because they actually felt better than they said they did and just tried to focus on breathing and tracking down the guy in front of me.  And then the next one... and so on.  My only indication of pace was the fact that, other than one woman who I traded paint with a couple of times before she finally stepped on it and pulled away, all I did was steadily pass people the entire run.  There were no surprises from behind and when I made the final turn and heard our now really loud crew cheering for me I knew I was done.  My average for the 5K run was 7:50.  Decent.  Not great.  But decent.

My overall finish was 1:27:42.  I was 82nd overall and 11th in my age group out of 25.  I was disappointed I didn't score any points for the club, but I would have had to go 2:30 faster to catch 10th place, which I could have done if I had been better on the bike.  Kind of a felt like I let the club down a bit.  I don't think it would have mattered in the grand scheme of things because TRI-OKC beat us by 40 or 50 points, but still, it was a personal thing.  Being with the club was awesome.  What great people.  Long after most people had gone home we were still there cheering on the final competitors.  Didn't matter if they were on our team or not.  That was cool.

What's next?

I don't know...  No more triathlons this year.  This begins my "off" season.  I want to play and have fun now.  Maybe some mountain biking an trail running?  For sure I will keep running and swimming.  I need to come up with a training plan that lets me bike more.  The writing is on the wall for triathlons.  If you REALLY want to be faster, be better on the bike.  You spend the most time on the bike and even a one mile an hour improvement can shave minutes off your time.  I also want to stretch and lift this winter, just to change things up.

Whatever I decide, I know several things.  I love triathlons.  I love what they do to me, physically (lost 35 pounds this year!) and emotionally.  They challenge me to do things outside my comfort zone.  But all the time I'm out there, I feel so much better.  I love being a part of the club.  And finally, I really enjoy the variety.  Although running will always be my favorite sport of the three, the monotony got to me sometimes.  Now when I run I WANT to.  I look forward to it again.

Takeaways

These are my mental snapshots of the weekend and the event.

• I questioned myself about mid season.  I'm old... will I ever be able to improve...  Then I had the privilege of standing at the finish line and watching Rodney Adkinson from our club WIN the FULL IRONMAN distance at 47 years old.  I was humbled and a bit ashamed.  Great job Rodney.
• Two words: Red. Mud.
• Definition of toughness and heart-  Lisa Wells comes into this race with a back so painful she had to have a shot to numb it.  Then she crashes on the bike.  While I would have been done at that point.  She gets back on, finishes not only the bike but the RACE as well.  She broke her collarbone and will have surgery Thursday.  THAT is guts.
• Swimming the first leg of the course and looking up while breathing to see Ron Chapman RUNNING beside me in the water (and gaining).  Could have killed him (if it wasn't so funny).  I almost choked to death trying not to laugh.
• Beer for breakfast.
• So many great compliments from other competitors about the club.  The best one was "Man!  You guys are everywhere!"  ...that's right baby.  And proud of it.
• Cleaning up trash at the race site until 7:30pm with new friends from Edmond (who roped me into it while I was trying to pack up my stuff!).  I realized as I drug myself into a restaraunt at 8pm that I was still in my race gear and REALLY stinky.  But hey... at least my feet were red.
• Tony Rigdon in a green cape and Speedo.
• Uwe, that damn Jager still hurts.
• Going for a run at the race site Monday morning before I left in my CMC jersey and having someone recognize it and say thanks.  That was cool.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

If I had to rate my training for each of the three sports in triathlon in preparation for Club Nationals at Redman it would be as follows:

Swim: Good- Feel much better about the swim, the distance, and most importantly my stroke technique.

Bike: Poor- I'm strong, but didn't get nearly enough miles in.

Run: Good- But WAY overtrained.  I needed more speedwork and less mileage.

I did my final "check ride" swim last night at Finger Lakes.  I focused on lengthening my stroke and being as long in the water as possible.  I did not kick (wearing a wetsuit) and breathed in every 4 with a 2 or a 3 as I needed it to see who was around me.  I sighted every six unless I was alone and then I went up to 8 unless I was off course.  I was pulling to the right, which is normal.  I swam the distance in my fastest time to date, covering the 1100 yards in 19:30.  I felt strong, not tired and not winded at the end of it.  I ran 3 miles after at an easy pace and felt really good.

In comparison, I swam 500 yards at the Kansas 50 triathlon in 13:30.  This maps out to 2:42/100yards or just about 1.25 mph.  This was a horrible swim for me and I came out of the water 10 places from last in the mens division.

Yesterday's swim was 1100 yards in 19:30.  This comes out to 1:46/100yards (almost a minute faster per hundred) at 1.92 mph.  While this is still 30 seconds per hundred slower than the leaders will swim (more or less), I'm not worried about them.  What I want to do is come out of the water mid pack.  I can hold my own on the bike and run if I just don't start out nearly 8 minutes down out of the water!

So let's talk goals.  I really think I can do this race in under 1:20.  Looking at the numbers, if I do the swim in 15 minutes, which is a bit slower than the 1:46/100 listed above, do the bike in 40 minutes, which is a 21mph average, which I can definitely cover, and then run the 3 miles in 22 minutes (7:20 pace) that will put me at 1:17.  If I look to match my transition times from Kansas (the ONLY bright spot in that race), my T1 was 1:30 (long run to transition) and my T2 was :48.  That is 2:18 total trasition time.  This would put me across the line at 1:19 and change. 

I'm being conservative with my times in trying to set a realistic goal.  I'm pretty sure I can beat those bike and swim times, but anything under 1:20 would be a good result for me.

This is my taper week, if you will, for this triathlon.  I am taking today off, running easy tomorrow morning, spinning on the trainer tomorrow evening, swimming on Wednesday, riding Thursday evening and then heading down to Oklahoma on Friday! 

In all I think I am ready for this race.  I have no designs on doing anything other than having a good time and giving maximum effort in the race.  I've done as much as I could to get ready for it, given my work schedule.  So now there is nothing left to do but let it all hang out and see what happens.  One thing is for sure, I plan on leaving it all on the course.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Big day yesterday caught up with me this morning on my run!

I started out the day volunteering for the Heart of America Marathon here in Columbia.  It's a tiny little marathon by marathon standards but it was celebrating its 50th anniversary!  That makes it the fourth oldest marathon in the US.  It is so small for a couple of reasons.  First is the weather in Missouri on Labor Day (usually).  With temps in the 90s and humidity to match, that alone would scare all but the most adventuresome away.  But add to this a course that is arguably one of the top 5 toughest in the nation and you get the recipe for a 200 runner marathon.  BUT... If you can do this one, its a badge you can wear proudly forever.  This is a marathon in the true definition of the word. 

Unfortunately, I do not think that I will ever do another marathon.  Although my pelvis *seems* healed, all I have to do is run more than 10 miles and it hurts again.  That and I'm having a lot of fun doing triathlons and other stuff so the interest just isn't there.  I have to admit I felt the old tug to go long as I was watching my friends run past me at mile 24.  Although their faces betrayed the effort, I was still jealous and really wanted to be running myself.

So after 2 1/2 hours standing beside the road guiding cars and runners along the course, I headed out to Finger Lakes to do a practice triathlon in preparation for Club Nationals.  About 10 of us did an 1100 yard swim, rode about 13 miles and then ran 3 miles.  This is relatively accurate to the distances at Redman and I was pretty pleased with the result.  I swam 1100 in right at 20 minutes, rode the 13 miles at about 21.5mph and ran the 3 mile course in 22 minutes.  I'm good with that.  Because of the way the parking lots were set up (gravel, ruts and mud) we didn't have much of a chance to work on transitions but I should be able to come in just under 1:20.  That would be a great result for me.

Then I came home and played an hour or so of tennis with my son.  Not a big workout but still more than I should have done.  He likes it, though, so I wan to encourage it as much as I can. 

But the end result for me was just about complete exhaustion.  I crawled into bed and the alarm went off...  dammit...

Our run route this morning was one that I have been wanting to do for a while.  It involves a big hill that I like to run (is that sick...?) so I was going to do it, regardless.  Two steps onto the trail though, and I knew I had worked out hard yesterday...  I felt very sore and slow.  Like running through mud.  This route splits at about the 4 mile mark for runners choosing the longer routes.  As I ran the course, I did start feeling better but the big hill I was so looking forward to kind of kicked me in the gut.  When I got to the top my legs were burning and spent.  I thought maybe the big downhill on the other side would give me time to recover so I could do the long route (with two more big hills...) but I knew about half way down I was done.  I tucked my tail between my legs and turned off short and headed home.  I did manage to pick it up in the last mile quite a bit while trying to chase down a fellow runner, but that extra mile would have done me in for the week.  I'm glad I didn't run it.

The sad part of it all was that I knew this was just lack of endurance.  The heavy legs and soreness is just from not running as far as I used to.  My conditioning is fine.  In fact I was able to chat with another runner coming down the hill without any huffing and puffing at all.  It was just my legs that wouldn't go when I stepped on the gas.  I need more recovery time.  Tonight I'm just going to get the bike on the trainer and spin my legs out a bit.  I'm still tired...!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

I'm not quite in a full blown panic yet about my lack of bike preparation for Redman, but I'm close.  I have just found it extremely difficult to get in the miles I want to for this race.  My run mileage is fine, my swim mileage is really great.  But I would like to be around 75-100 miles per week for this race and I have only been able to manage 50 or so for the last month due to work, etc.  I've got one week of hard training left and then a week to taper before the race, so here is hoping I can get in some good bike miles this week.

Today I went out to Finger Lakes to swim.  I put in a desperation email to the club to beg for someone to swim with and did get a taker.  Otherwise I would not have gone.  We are not supposed to do open water swims alone, and I respect that.  When I got to the lake my partner wasn't there and I thought she might have flaked on me so I wandered across the street and began putting on my bike stuff.  Sure enough, as soon as I heard the click of my chinstrap, she pulled around the corner and into the parking lot.  So I took off my bike stuff and wandered back across the street to swim.

The water felt cold today for some reason.  It took us both a bit to get used to it, even in our wetsuits.  But the water was also clear and we were the only people in the lake, which was awesome.  I swam 1100 yards in 20:30.  Not quite the 2 miles an hour that I am shooting for as a goal, but definitely much faster.

My big focus today was to slow down.  I know it sounds weird, but I find the slower, smoother and longer my swim stroke, the faster I go.  Going out I really focused on breathing and sighting.  But coming back my entire focus was on being relaxed and long in the water.  Amazingly, but not surprisingly, I was a minute faster coming back, and that was with two pauses to find my partner.  And it all seemed easier.  Getting the whole "go faster by being smoother and slower" thing is difficult for me.  This is juxtaposed from the other two sports where if you want to go faster, you speed up or push harder.  But I got to the end of the swim feeling like I could turn around and do it again without a problem.

After taking off my wetsuit and a bit of a chat with my partner, I wandered back across the road again, pulled out my bike and went for a short ride.  only 7 miles and mostly just to get the feel for riding right after a swim again, but it felt good.  No lingering effects of the crash other than a sore spot on my forearm that does not like to rest on the aero bars...!

This week I'm all about the bike and swim.  Here's hoping it works!

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

What the hell is wrong with me?  Why can't I run easy?  I'm gonna hurt myself if I don't back off... But I put my running shoes on and my IQ drops 20 points... Which is almost down to negative numbers for me... almost...

The "goal" for today's run was an easy cruise.  Shake the legs out and get ready for a hard ride tonight.  I am a bit tired from all the extra workouts this week so I just wanted to glide through the morning run, maybe 5 miles or so, and then get ready for a hard ride tonight.

Then somebody said go...  I kind of blacked out... Woke up running ridiculously fast and trying to keep up with people that are WAY out of my league and ended up going almost seven miles.  Dumbass...

My time wasn't super fast because the run this morning was a fun, if a bit awkward one that we call the "Tiger Run".  It is a good luck run for the Missouri Tigers since they are starting their football season this weekend.  We do it a couple of times per year and it has us going past and "rubbing for luck" some of the famous campus landmarks, ringing the courthouse bell, and climbing up to touch the tiger statue on campus.  All of this is fun, but the footing is precarious and the crowd was big so it forced us to slow down.  This simply meant I ran faster in between landmarks.

Don't get me wrong.  It felt great!  For a moment.  But then I looked up the "training hill" at my next workout, a normally rocket fast interval workout on the bike (which I desperately need) THIS EVENING and started to really analyze how I feel.  I'm tired.  I'm hungry.  I'm having a lot of muscle twitching.  And I know what all this means.  Tonight is going to suck.

When my leg muscles get twitchy it means I'm low on fuel.  I call these "pre" cramps because I know when I feel them that if I don't eat EXACTLY the right things, I'm going to cramp up really bad on my next workout.  I'm trying to find my Endurolytes but I think I'm out.  I actually drank some homemade sports drink for BREAKFAST (Fauxtorade).  It's better for me and doesn't have all the sweet stuff in it that the commercial ones do, but I need a couple of gallons of it.  I may have to sneak out at lunch and eat a packet of Endurolytes or I'm doomed this evening...

...oh yeah... And then there is a big pool workout in the morning...

...maybe.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

With all this talk and work on my swim stroke over the last month I have been looking for some hard numbers to indicate whether I am making any progress.  After the disastrous 500 yard swim I had at the Kansas 50 (13:30!!) anything would have been an improvement.  But I really have been working hard.  Much harder with swimming than anything else.  This is not to become a world class swimmer, but more so that I am comfortable in the water and confident that, while I'm not going to come out of the water first, the water won't evaporate before I finish...

I also understand that wetsuits can be an incredible boost in performance.  Especially if your difficulty is with balance in the water or sinking legs.  So I still have a long way to go in respect to swimming without a wetsuit.  Still, most of the swims I do in triathlons ARE wetsuit legal so I need to be comfortable in a wetsuit as well.

So when some group members decided to get together and do an open water swim I tagged along just to see how I was doing.  The lake has a straight shot that is right at 400 yards point to point.  I figured it was time to find out how bad things were.  The group was seven or eight people, all of whom are experienced triathletes and decent swimmers.  A couple were MUCH faster than me.

As we took off I tried to just focus on me and my technique, only paying the most minimal attention to things outside my head like other swimmers and sighting.  Reach, glide, strong pull, recover.  Roll to breath, feel your body in the water, be flat, minimal kick.  Sounds like a lot?  It is, but it's getting easier.  That list was much longer last week.  So the first thing I noticed was that the other swimmers weren't pulling away.  I swam with the pack the entire time.  My tracking was straight except for one slight veer into another swimmer...  And I finished the 400 yard leg in 7:20.

!!

All with less percieved effort and fewer strokes.  Read that to mean "not tired".

You can't tell me that this is all coincidence or just a result of my wetsuit.  This actually would translate into a roughly 8:15 500 yard swim.  Over 5 minutes faster than I swam in Kansas.  I would even give up a minute for the wetsuit (didn't wear one in Kansas) but that is still over 4 minutes faster. And it was easier.  This alone would have put me in the top 25 finishers in Kansas.

OK... I get it.  Technique and form rule over power and cadence.  Getting that pull buoy was the best training aid I could have purchased.  It allowed me to stop worrying about my legs and focus on body position and balance in the water.  I don't have to think about my kick so I can focus on the muscle memory building of proper stroke technique.

You know... It's been a long time since I have had to worry about technique in any sport.  I have always been lucky enough to be good at most sports.  Finding something like swimming, that seems so easy and that others make look so easy, which presents such a big challenge to me has actually been good for me.  Instead of all power and muscle crunching like most sports I play, swimming forces you to do the little things right EVERY TIME (as my friend Jeff says, tongue firmly implanted in cheek, "Swimming is easy... Just find your perfect stroke and repeat it a million times...").  And it punishes you if you don't by slowing you down.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »

Yeah... OK.  So tonight I am going to the lake to swim but this morning it was all about running...

Slightly cool (48 degrees) and dry, no wind, and about 70 running buddies.  Perfect...  We were running a route that had a 5, 5.6 and 6.6 mile option and I decided to just see how I felt and decide after the first mile or so.

The run leaders always to out at a pace that allows everyone to warm up together, then scoot to the side of the trail and let the horses fly by.  However it seemed that the pack leaders were in no mood to move over this morning and were running at about an 8:30 pace(ish).  There was a time not too long ago where this would have been way too fast for me to warm up, but I guess I'm getting in a bit better shape because this seemed a bit slow for me today.

The other effect this has on our group runs is it tends to bunch us up and this morning the "bunch" was huge.  This was full on pack running in the dark.  You really had to check around you before you made a move and there was lots of elbow rubbing.  Great training for group road races but not the best for the mostly solo running you do in triathlons.

After about 2 miles the pack spread out (thanks to a road crossing) on the trail enough that you could move around a bit and so I began to stretch my legs.  Since it took that long to warm up, I had already passed the short run turn and was rapidly coming up on the middle run turn.  Even though I don't really need it I decided to go the long distance because I was feeling surprisingly good...!!  I was also running with people that are usually much faster than me and I wanted to live the dream as long as I could...!  ...heh.

The route comes out of the mostly flat trail and then goes up a minor hill, down a BIG hill, and then back up the other side of it.  It's flat after that for a mile or so and then finishes on another BIG downhill.

I found myself settling in about half way down the first big hill behind two guys that must have been taking it easy on a taper for an upcoming marathon because they are usually WAY faster than me.  But I was happy to not be running completely alone and they were still running slightly faster than I usually do so I decided to try to hang with them UP the big hill on the course.  As they chatted along up the hill, I wheezed behind them but made it to the top at about the same distance behind them as I started.  They gradually increased the speed on the flat at the top and so did I.  I got within talking distance for about 20 yards (not that I could talk at that point...) and then they accelerated away down the last big hill and finished about 15 seconds ahead of me.

I have no illusions of being able to run with them in three weeks after they have recovered from their marathon this weekend, but it was fun while it lasted.  I ended up with a 7:39 average pace for 6.6mi and if you take out the warm up mile it was right at 7:30.  Pretty good result considering I really didn't even want to run the whole distance when I started!  I think the best part of this run was going up the big hill.  I really didn't feel like I lost anything and managed to maintain my pace all the way up.  I did kind of crap out right at the end, but not too bad, considering I was working a little harder than usual.  I would really love to be able to run 3 X 7:30 or better at Nationals.  That would be a good result for me.

Permalink | Leave a comment  »