My Tri Report

Sorry this is late I just didn't have a chance until now.

Two hours, Nine Minutes and 15 seconds. Oh yeah ! Wahoo!

I loved the swim, endured the bike and suffered through the run but loved the experince after crossing the finish line! Thanks to everyone for the huge amount of support over the last year.

So Race day morning we got up around 6:00 and I had a champions breakfast of 4 peices of toast and jam and a couple cups of coffee (to get things moving in the right direction). Then after checking my gear and loading both sets into the car we set out to the park. I was very excited and so we met Kathy and Jason in the parking lot and they appeared as their usual calm selves. Me I was flinching and twitching with nervous energy but did manage to put my run transition stuff in the right location 148. I some how drew the same number I had when I did the Chum Run earlier this year. Must be fate and a good omen.
We placed our gear met up with Molly and Sarah and all pilled into the Sarah shuttle heading for the Goss Lake transition area. We witnessed Sarah bs her way past the sherriff's officer proving that if you "act like you should be here, most likely you will get in.". Really what is proves if you have a bus people let you go anywhere. In fact they ask you "what's going on".
Back to the race, at the transition area there are a lot of things to work do. I had the bike checked by the helpful volunteers from Half Link Bike shop our great local bike shop. I was nervous they were going to say "oh this part right here needs to be fixed I wouldn't ride it". That was just one of my neurotic little compulsive freak out fears. In fact I had several of those already by this time. I do that a little when I really want something I get a fear that something will go wrong and so I focus on some stupid thing. On my wedding day I was worried because this lady was putting reserved on the parking spaces for our reception and I started to yell at her when she said. "Nick! this is for your wedding I am a friend of Amanda's mom." SO what happens is I forget the marriage license which is what I was supposed to be doing in the first place. You probabaly thinking poor poor Amanda she has had to endure this trait of mine for 11+ years now. We have been together longer but while we were dating I kept that one out of her view.
Anyway enough about that this day I was excited and so I hung my bike and they wrote my number on my leg and my arm. I thought out loud "Why on both do you expect I am going to come out of the swim without one or the other?" They also ask you your age and write that on the other calf, "hmmm is this to begin medical triage in case I am out of it? I had to stop those thoughts and spend some time visualizing my success. So we handed in our bags and I had a minor freak out while the volunteer walked all over the area before setting mine down.
Okay pre race meeting is led by this guy using a mega phone but still managing to not talk loud enough for people 30 feet away to hear. I really don't understand people not speaking loudly at these type of events. I want to smack these people upside the head and say "Whada ya thinking". Just my internal agro going off again and so instead I walk closer so I can hear.  It feels very exciting to be in the cowd of wet suits and knowing that I am about to be a part of this. Hmph heavy sigh try to relax. Okay time to warm up in the water. Yeah I don't have to hold my pee any longer I can go warm up from the inside of my wet suit. In the water making bubbles, "sorry fishies" but hey you all pee in this lake too. Do fish pee? store that question for later.
So in the water and face down I start to get myself adjusted to the water temperature. I usually need a couple minutes of breathing to get used to it and breath normally. I am used to relaxing in the water so it helps my nerves to get in and take some leisurly strokes. I look up at the beach and the 250 people on the small public beach make the shore look packed. Very cool to be here actually doing what I have spent so many hours training for. "Everyone not in the first wave out of the water" I make my way to the start staying to the rear and outside so I don't have people bumping me. "Start! Go." I here someone say and I wathc the pack begin to swim away. Sort of a none glorious beginning I think. My first few strokes are relaxed but the first three times I try to get breath I swallow water. "I am going to drink half the lake at this rate". I calmly focus on my form and then site and start to find a treeline or point I can sight on. "I can see the bouy so I decide to use the bouy". Novel concept and I am swimming the first leg remembering what Brian told me. "Just use the first leg as a warm up". I feel good and my swim is relaxed and my sighting good. Passing the first bouy I spend a little time worrying about how close I might be and if there are other swimmers around me. I regain my focus by thinking again about my form and swimming from the belly button not pulling with the arms. Soon I am at the second bouy and I remember to stay relaxed and stay long keep my stroke length long and my breathing easy. Heading into shore I feel in rythm and I think I passed a guy. I think I only passed two or three other swimmers but I think how fun this is to be actually in the race. I swim until my hand touches the ground and then stand up. Climbing out of the water I shout Ha HA as I run up the hill to my first transition.
The transition is a jarbled mess, wet suit off shorts on, shirt on, ear plugs out, goggles off, one glove on, shoes on, swim cap off, swim stuff in the bag, helment on and clipped, water pack on, last glove on, towel in the bag and hand it to the volunteer lady.  I somehow manage to get everything on and that is a surprise, I grab my bike and run to the transition area. Hoping on the bike I pedal out of the lake and up the first hill to Traverse.
At this point it is a mental down turn because I know my bike is not good and I expect to get passed by almost everyone I know in the next hour. I ride up Lone lake really not getting my breath back yet but in my head hearing footsteps. I ride as hard as I can but still get passed by many. I make it to the Saratoga hill before seeing anyone I know, charge into the hill and then climb climb climb. I love the couple with the Cow Bell on the side of the road. Being the polite athlete I am I find myself saying thank you to anyone cheering on the side of the road. Maybe that shows I am a rookie but I feel guilty to go bye without saying anything.
Oh my this hill is a beast. Struggling up it finally I head down the other side eating my blocks on the way. I push knowing that I am not using very good form and I need to relax my back or I will be hurting something feirce soon.
I keep getting passed by ones and two's and I think I am probably the last guy to reach the Church. Still hearing the wheels of the ladies behind me I begin the gruelling part (part one) of the ride which is the slow climb out of Langley on Brooks hill road. I count leg stokes to try to not think and just ride. 100 on the left leg then 100 on the right, 100 more and then I am coming to the sign makers sign. At this point I try to shift up as the downhill part comes but I fight with my chain and derailer for while before I can get it up into the high sprocket on the front. Going down the hill I get to 47 KM/hour which is not my fastest but as I turn I see the sherriff and remember not to cross the yellow line on Andreason. Streching my back on the bike I pass the Arndts and get a shout of encouragement. I turn the corner for the next gruelling portion (part two) which is the long climb up Lone lake road. "I am sure I will get passed here on this road" I tell myself trying to prepare for it. "This is my race and I need to relax my back and use my legs more or else I will be wasted for the run". I peddal on and Jason passes me before the Putney woods parking lot. Next Kristen passes bye looking fresh and happy. "I am glad to see them and I doubt I look that way at the moment". I get passed by more men and a couple more women on the rest of the climb. Racing down towards Saratoga I try to get low and aerodynamic and rest my legs a little, I think I get up to 51 km/hour on this stretch. I can no longer see Jason or Kristen when I turn onto Saratoga and prepare for the 2nd dance with the beast. "I need more COW BELL!" Sure enough the couple rings it again as I slowly climb this hill. I see a girl walking her bike up and I resist my brain saying "Hey that looks like a better way you dumb ass".
Climb climb climb I am barely moving and Aaron whips on bye on the way up. Finally I reach the peak very winded and very spent. I watch him race away looking energetic but I glide down the hill grateful to have made it this far without getting passed by Amanda and Kathy and Steph and Molly and Sarah members of S.W.I.M. (South Whidbey Iron Momma's). I am also very glad the crux of the Bike ride is over. I pedal on and this time see the fallen rider when I pass the church. Through town I get passed by another 4-6 people and I am very tire turning up Maxwelton. It is crazy how good some of these people are. I can see the lead runners on the run course on the other side of the street. Man that is fast to be over two miles into the run by now.
Riding the last part of the bike is mentally hard because I am very tired and yet I know I sneak little rest periods in while on the bike. The run doesn't allow for that. I use Molly's advice of standing up riding the last half mile so my legs will transition better to the run. Some guy asked me if I had mechanical problems as he road by. I mumbled "No I just like it this way" as he races ahead. Pulling into the park I unclip and see family cheering me on. I wave to the boys as I race my bike to my spot. Switching shorts and my shirt and my shoes I keeping moving.
The HILL is here! Oh very tired I take baby steps all the way up past the skate park barely able to keep moving but afraid if I stop I will not be able to start again. Up into the woods I pass a guy who passed me on the bike but now is walking up the hill, I think in my head "So long buddy from the looks of you this is going to be the last pass." That was the only person I think I passed on the entire run.
Out of the park and onto Langley road I am struggling now trying to think about breathing and form but tired all over. Molly passed me here and she looked really fresh and chatty as she quickly left me behind. I know I am not running fast and I no longer care, I wish I had left my water pack back at the transition area cause there is water on the course and I don't need tjhe weight. As the road turns into chip seal Val passes me looking way to full of energy and soon she is gone as well. I can only think of "when is this going to be over?" at this point. I ran this course a week ago and it wasn't his hard. I tell myself I did Sun Mountain I can do this! Even on the nice sloopping downhill it si a challenge to keep my feet moving keep falling forward. Turning onto Maxwelton I try to grab a cup of water from one of the volunteers to pour on my head but I fumble it and almost fall over. This last part of the race is hell, I just want to stop. "I am afraid if I stop to walk here I would not ever be able to run afgain so I keep going. I also expect the other S.W.I.M. ladies are closing in on me now and if the y catch me walking they will not let me forget it all year. As I come closer to the littel incline I am not sure Ican make it up there so I try counting steps to occupy my mind. I understand now the thought Amanda has mentioned she gets in the middle of a Triathlon of "Why am I doing this?"I use Candice's trick of telling myself how great my left leg feels. "Feel how strong that left leg is!" I wish I could be done now. I tell myself once again I did Sun Mountain I can do this! Using as much of my arms as I can I slowly climb the last rise and now it is nothing but flat, a couple more people pass me here. People direct me into the park saying something and now I am too tired to say thanks. Turning into the park I am so tired I am not even excited I am just trudging onward hoping this ends soon.
As I get to the parking lot I think "last chance to catch Amanda's time from last year". I lean forward more and really give it everything I have for the last 100 yards. Smiling that it is over I cross the line at 2:09

Whew, hmmmmmm, I'm happily exhuasted.

I just did my Personel Best :)

I did what I said I would do a year ago, I kept my word.



Now where are my doughnuts .......

Itching to go.

Well here is a run down from the last week of training.

Tuesday 50 minutes on the bike and 10 minutes on the run,
Wednesday the L.U.S.T. (Langley Ultra Short Triathlon) mock triathlon (a one third mile swim, 10 mile bike, 1.2 mile run) great experience to practice the excitment of a group of swimmers and the strangeness of transitions.
Thursday Rest ? I can't remember now.
Friday Rest ?  We went car shopping that night.
Saturday 30 minutes swim in Goss Lake.
Sunday Bike /Run Brick (20 mile bike and a 4 mile run)
Monday 30 minute swim in Goss Lake.

Tuesday will be a rest day.
Wednesday I think I will do a short 20 minutes swim in the pool. Then soak in the hot tub a bit.
Thursday rest Maybe practice tranistions at home (bike to run)
Friday rest
Saturday - Triathlon Day. The Big Kahuna

I am getting more excited and more nervous. Am I ready? Yes I am!
All I have now to do is make my checklist for the day of the race.

The Swim list
1. Wetsuit
2. Goggles
3. Ear Plugs
4. Glide
5. Swim Cap
6. Small Towel

The Bike list
1. Bike
2. Shoes
3. Jersey
4. Bike shorts
4. Load 2 opened packs of shot blocks in the Jersey
5. Camelback filled with Nuun
6. Gloves
7. Helment
8. Sunglasses

The Run list
1. Shoes
2. Small white cotton running socks
3. White and red running Shirt with number attached

Mental walk through ( I know it is probably boring to read but you have come with me this far so just keep reading) It's all about me remember.

Monday today - Call ahead and confirm I am registered. Oh I would hate to get there and have them say "Who are you? We don't have you listed." I did that this morning and I am listed.
Also printed packet on Triathlon information so I know the rules.
Question? It says Obey all traffic laws? What if I am going supper fast and it is faster than the speed limit?

Friday pick up race packet between 2 and 6 pm. Attach number to the bike and to Race day shirt for running. Load box of all race gear so I am not looking for anything in the morning.
Saturday
Wake up at 6:00 am
Eat some toast with Jam and some juice & drink Coffee. Critical race day Poop to stay light weight and not carry any excess luggage.
6:45 Verify check list items in the box and box in the car. Load the bikes and then leave the house.

7:00 Arrive at park
Place the running stuff at the park leaving by my number Nike Free shoes, white cotton socks, white and red shirt with number attached.
Spy out where your transition spot is from the dismount location, place stuff far enough from the fence that so you can lean the bike up.

Meet Sarah and the bus with the rest of the gear and the bikes.
7:30 leave the park.
7:45 arrive at the lake with swim and bike equipment.
8:00 Check in and rack our bikes and load bike gear in the bag they provide. 
Locate where they place the bag and spy out waht it looks like from the waters edge.

Get swim cap and attach ankle chip provided by the race cordinators
8:30 Required Pre Race meeting.

9:00 am Race starts in the water 4 waves spaced 4 minutes apart. (Not sure if they will have an old slow man's division).

Wahooo.

So that was Monday

TOnight is Friday and I can't possibly sit still enough to write.

I am soooo excited. Oh yeah had two Odwalla drinks today and gave my self the runs as a nice good luck buddy pre race warm up. "1 Rule" Don't do anything new on race day. Rule 1.5 "Or the day before"

Nick

The neighbors you meet living in the country

Sitting here on the steps of Quest field thinking I have10 days of training left.
Maybe 8 or so more workouts with nothing to intense scheduled. It is so close now and seems sort of unreal. Hard to believe only one more weekend before I put all my hard work to the test and see what I am capable of.
I watch a couple people walk the steps and remember when I used to do that same walking. I think this week and next I need to be vigilant and go to sleep on time so my body is well rested.


Yesterday I was impressed after Kathy and Amanda described the 40+ mile hill ride in the 80+ degree heat we were having. They pretty much rode every challenging hill on the south island except Swede Hill Road. As always the South Whidbey Iron Mommas set the bar high. Turns out they are not so good with cutting things. The rule should be for any S.W.I.M. member about to do an event, No sharp objects.



I headed out to get a brick of my own in. Today would be a run and a swim because I did a 20 mile ride early Friday morning. I prefer exercising in the morning instead of later in the day. O well some days you don’t get to choose and you just have to follow Whinny the Pooh’s advice, and “make the best of it”. I headed into the woods and ran my 5 mile trail loop but it went slowly today probably because of the heat. The trails felt familiar and welcoming like old friends on a Sunday afternoon. It was a nice run even though my plantar wart was hurting some. I froze it a couple days ago so hopefully it is dead and this discomfort is just the pain of that freezing. It was a constant irritant and annoyance on the entire bike ride on Friday. I may taper off my running over these last 10 days so I give my body more chance to heal that part before the big day. At this level of discomfort it would not hamper me but it would take some of the enjoyment out of it.



Finishing the run I headed over to Goss Lake for a quick swim and whoa I was not ready for the collection of “critters” at the lake. Usually there are not too many people and they appear to be relatively normal. Not this time, this time it was like a Jerry Springer show covering the public beach, whispers of “You don’t know me” and “whateva I do what I want” floating in the air. AS I changed into my wetsuit I was looking around trying to find the banjo player. She found me, darn it darn it darn it. I have this automatic tracking that tends to pull the looniest critters out a crowd right to me. I hate it and I have no way to control it or turn it off. So this "critter" (I am borrowing this term from Jason H.) comes at me from the water, half crawfish half the lady from throw momma from the train and wants to know if I am going to swim under water with my wetsuit. I squint into the sun so I don’t have to see her 3 toothy smile and I try to be polite telling her I am just swimming across the lake. Her smart brother-husband proves how he was born to be comic by first telling me “I don’t need a wet suit”. (Oh really I just thought these 45 other people and the sweat all over my body (I had just completed a 5 mile run) in the lake were tricking me). Then in case I missed that funny he tries again by asking if I am going to “swim down to the glacier in the bottom”. What am I supposed to respond with? I have done it again I have inexplicably drawn the crazy people out of the crowd and to myself in some strange way making them want to interact with me. My wetsuit sticks on my legs. Please God why on this beach of 45 people do I have these two wanting me as their new best friend in the 6 minutes it takes me to put on my suit. “Hey I once swimmed the lake in overalls and a t shirt” my little Umpa mud-guppy says. Finally I get the legs up. I think her cross eyed brother-husband is distracted trying to catch mosquitoes on his tongue. “Yeah for fidee bucks! It was hard but I did it”. One arm in, “See that house over there with the pointy top”. I swear to God I am not making this up these are her conversational pieces verbatim. Second arm in, almost free.

“I swimmed from there to here in overalls and a t-shirt for fifty bucks. And it was worth it.” I was very very frightened of hearing next ”I’d do anything for 50 bucks.” I wish I was faster and already in the middle of the lake. Finally I zipped up and slipped my goggles on and swam straight out as fast as I could squeezing my eyes shut for the first 50 yards so I didn’t see any “dooky” I expect would have come from her.
I don’t have anything against crazy people or critters lower on the evolutionary ladder like “carnies” except what I think is a healthy fear/respect for them. I like them when they are OVER THERE, under sedation or in a cage. Someone should convince them they have special talents and they could go on the road putting on shows of their special talents. The ones without any real talent could paint their faces to look silly and see how many of their friend could fit in a really small car or phone booth. This is why you should trust your instincts and realize your childhood fear of clowns is a healthy fear.

So collect them all and put them in one place with a bright movable banner and they could move from town to town sharing their “special talents” with everyone. Someone already did this and his name was Barnam and Bailey. Please encourage him to do it again when you see him next.
I am somehow drawing these freaks to me. I don’t know how or why but remember growing up there was always one friend who got caught. For me and my friends that was Johnny, he always was the one who got caught. Me I guess I am the one who gets the crazies. In some strange chemical way I manage to get the attention of the mentally unstable or evolutionally challenged whenever I am within some invisible proximity.
Free at last I relished this swim and thought about not returning but it was a long walk half way around the lake and I had already done my run for the day. The swim turned out to be a very productive swim. I did notice my right shoulder (actually both but the right more) stiff and it was hard to determine if it was the suit not on all the way. This morning it is clear it was my shoulder.

I swam the 2/3 of a mile and felt glad the swim is the first event because while it was refreshing to get into the lake after the run it was also more difficult.

I don't chew pretty.

If you asking how does this title and subject relate to my transformation then all I can say is they both come from the warm dark places in my mind.  I would guess the extra soft spots.
I was thinking on the train the other day about self realization. These transformation from Couch Potato to Triathlete have brought to my mind many self realizaions.
Things like, "I can run more than a mile!" ; "I can swim 10 laps in the pool!"
"I can get shin splints!", "I can make my nipples bleed!",
"I can run for two and half hours straight!" "I can swim across the lake!"
"I can chafe my crotch so bad I walk like a cowboy!"
"I can ride the Saratoga hill, twice!", "I can learn to run and swim!"

One of my first self realizations I can remember is when I became honest with myself  about what I look like when I chew gum. The cold direct self honesty of admitting "I don't chew pretty" and I wish I could was a freeing experience.
So when you are chawing on a peice of gum and you think you look like the "Ice Man" in Top Gun all cool and sure of yourself; but in reality you look like a crotchety old grandpa with some over done pot roast stuck in his dentures. That is the part of self realizing that is not so fun.
Damn I really wanted to look cool doing that! Okay, so I am not ever gonna look cool doing that.
Another form of self realizing is when you go for a run on the beach for 5 miles and admit that is was sort of "eh, not all that".
"I actually prefer running the trails in the woods somewhere". Saturday we were on vacation on the Oregon coast and so I went out for an hour run on the pristine beach. The setting doesn't get much closer to picture perfect (well with a reduction of the 20 mile hour head wind it would be perfect). Sun is out with a BREEZE (15 - 20 mph) at my back, the emerald ocean waves breaking on my right, two story sand dunes on my left and no one but the tampax lady running at me. I (dodge Ms. T. with my swim move) and begin my run staying on the hard packed sand because I am not trying to regain my heavy weight title. I am not Rocky and I don't have an Apollo creed to help me get back my eye of the tiger. Anyway I am running and while it is kind of nice to have a completely flat path with no visible obstructions as far as the eye can see it is also sort of boring. I sort of feel like I should be going "Ah" or having some magical self realization as I run this beatiful beach. "Nope" didn't happen for me. All I got was an up close and personnel visit from some ones great Dane.
Nothing like a big wet slobbery Great Dane lopping towards you with no where to run to help facilitate self realizations.
I did appreciate being alive after the great dane mouthed me a little and decided I was not his chew toy. His owner smiled and says "He doesn't bite". I thought to myself "Great. Does he Trample?" Those dogs are big and if the just wanted to jump and play over the top of you for a while you would feel it the next day.
So I realized I prefer running in the trails of the woods over running on the picturesque beach. As I turned around and ran into the BREEZE I appreciated it more and more. It was hard to tell how hard I was working becuase all the sweat just blew away and it seemed like I was barely moving across the picture. I did enjoy the run but not as much as I expected too.
I think I also realize I don't run pretty either. Some runners look all natural and effortless and smooth as the cruise down the road, trail, or beach, and then there are others who...well not so much. I belong to the not so much group. I think it is safe to say most people would probably categorize me as "He don't bike pretty or swim pretty either". At least not as smooth and cool as I think I look when I am doing these things. That's okay if in my internal camera inside my head I look cooler or sleeker or faster than I actually am.

It just might be that self delusion of how I think I look that keeps me going long enough to finish. So in my head watching me for you is like watching Michael Phelps transform into Lance Armstrong into the Usain Bolt,(You know the olympic sprinter)  well I don't know any famous distance runners (note to self: examine this concept more later).
Some self delusion is good for the soul. It may be that self deulsion is all we have left to hold onto when we are out there trying to swim across a lake or peddle up the final hill or run the last mile.
Self delusion has been used many times for the positive in the history of me and the history of everybody.
Self delusion may be just the concept that we all depend upon to complete these crazy transformations. Start with a large mouth, insert leg, chew vigorously for 9 minutes or until soft. Add a couple pinches of Self realization mixed with two cupfulls of self delusion and a pound of desire. Simmer on med high for 364 days. Remove from heat, garnish with a wetsuit, swim cap, a road bike and some colorfull running shoe laces.
It may be that Batman is just a man with an over active sense of self delusion.
Don't judege me if I am wearing a Batman cape and Superman under roos on race day.  Just smile and nod your head in understanding that I am out smarting myself.

Today's song is "The Grand Illusion" by Styx

Welcome to the Grand illusion

Come on in and see what's happening

Pay the price, get your tickets for the show
The stage is set, the band starts playing
Suddenly your heart is pounding
Wishing secretly you were a star.
But don't be fooled by the radio
The TV or the magazines
They show you photographs of how your life should be
But they're just someone else's fantasy

So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because you never win the game
Just remember that it's a Grand illusion
And deep inside we're all the same.
We're all the same...
So if you think your life is complete confusion
Because your neighbors got it made
Just remember that it's a Grand illusion
And deep inside we're all the same.
We're all the same...
America spells competition, join us in our blind ambition
Get yourself a brand new motor car
Someday soon we'll stop to ponder what on Earth's this spell we're under
We made the grade and still we wonder who the hell we are.

Oh! No I'm Not.

This morning I was up at 5:00 and drove to Goss Lake and started my bike ride of the Tri loop. It was a very nice morning and I felt good even thru the first climb. The Saratoga hill known as "the beast" was still a punch in the chest but I stayed on the bike and slowly p - e -d -d -l -e -d to the top. Thenbe's  when I was rounding the church I slipped behind a pack of real bike riders. This is where I answered the question of are you a cyclist. The ugly truth is Oh No I am Not. As I tried to stay with them focusing on how effortlessly and rapidly they were spinning their legs I knew I still have work to do. A lot of work to do in this sport. I had them in sight for about a half mile to a mile and then I lost them on the down hill. after turning on Andreason I did catch sight of them and I passed them at Goss Lake rd. They stopped due to one persons mechanical difficulty and thankfully I went straight. I can tell I am not yet a cyclist because I still peddal instead of spin and that is enough to seperate the real vs the wanna be's

Biking is my weakest at this time and I am okay with that. I will probably not get it dialed in before the race and I am okay with that. I finished the ride which on my catseye was 18 miles (twice around the loop and back to Goss Lake) in one hour and thirty minutes. This was slower than Amanda and my ride when I first did this route.

Next up was my swim and this was the first time I swam by myself. That was a little freaky and I had some head games going on for the first part of it. I would say I did however learn that if I counted strokes I could give my imagination a break while my logical side worked and thus be less freaked out.
As I have these ridiculous and yet vivid fear of dead people coming up out of the lake to grab me and drag me to a watery death I am reminded of the insanity of it. It reminds me of how I was on my honeymoon in Hawaii snorkling when I saw a sea turtle swimming away from me and paniced and swam away fast as I could. I have always been as scarred as a little school girl in the water.
So in order to stop my insane fears I am taking a two pronged approach. 1. think happy thoughts and 2. count my strokes which is more effective.
I also think I need to get in the lake more often to familiarize myself with the surroundings. Just keep going back like a glutten for punishment. Well the swim or atleast the last 15 minutes was a nice swim and the water was surprisingly warm.

So feeling like a super hero having completed all this befoe 8:00 am I decided to take it a little farther and see if my body could hold up enough to do a 4 mile run in the afternoon. YOu know what? Not only did it hold up but I ran 4 miles in 38.21 minutes which is the best I can remember. I now know I can do all 3 events in one day and survive.

That is a big boost of confidence for this ex couch potato.
I am feeling more and more confident about this Triathlon and getting excited to put my best effort on the line.

So following that on Sunday I rested.
Monday I did a mile swim and that felt good. The pool is differnet than the lake and I need to try to lake route without stopping and count my strokes so I have an idea on how often I need to sight. In my head I have this idea that I should be sighting about once every 50 strokes so I want to test that theory. I need to remember that wanting to go fast and trying hard is forcing it with swimming. Relaxed efficient movement that might feel slower is actually faster swimming.
Tuesday I did the spin bike for 60 minutes followed by a 10 minute run to let my legs experience the transition. A stationary bike is easier than actually riding a bike.
Wednesday I ran 5 miles along the waterfront of Seattle. The minimalistic shoes I wear (Nike Free 3.0) make running on Concrete even more tiring on the feet. Looking forward to trying some running on the beach soon.

Today's song is dedicated to my "voice of self doubt"
Tom Petty "Don't Come around here no more"
Give it up stop.

6am in Deer Lake

So Tuesday I rested and Wednesday I had a crappy swim workout. By crappy I mean I didn't feel like my muscles remembered how to do anything write and my breathing was distracting. All of the body parts were moving on their own so I had no rythm.

This morning I went out to Deer Lake for a swim with the Masters swimmers who are all welcoming and nice people. My instructions were just to shop up at this driveway at 6:00am and stay to the right. So I did and I met Krista and Jeff. If you want to be a masters swimmer then your should name yourself Kristin or Krista or Christina or some variant. No one confirmed this but I think it makes you more boyant. Maybe I will change my name to Chris? Naw to late in life for that.

Anyway change into the wet suits and you could not ask for a more beautiful morning, calm lake with the sun coming up just over the trees. About 60 degrees and no wind. I get my intructions to swim across the lake to the yellow house just left of the sun. Krista points out the two other swimmers already out there and reminds me to keep an eye out for each other. I hear the instruction but I am not really sure what to do with it? As we head out about 150 yards off the shore I am quickly out paced and on my own.
I think this is freaking me out this morning "I should just go back and try again another day."
No I will stay. No I will probably drown and they can tell me wife what happened. NO stop. Just relax and you can't drown in a wet suit.
Stop thinking about sharks and Jason from Friday the 13th. Just focus on your stroke and pushing your armpits down on each glide. Focus on swimming from the core and  letting your head swivel on its axis.
Okay back to relaxed swimming.
Trying to sight the house from the water level all I can see is the Sun and it is HUGE and bright.
Swimming in the open water is amazing and wonderful but I get these minor panic moments where I say "You don't belong out here" or "You are in the middle of a Lake." Then I have to talk myself down of the panic ledge. On the swim into the sun I had to do that about 6 times. The foriegnness of this water and the newness of swimming across lakes and with no one to watch over me together all add to my anxiety.
The masters swimmers are sort of watching, at least enough to tell Amanda "we stopped seeing him somewhere over there". That is not going to happen that is just stupid talk in my head/
I started counting my strokes and I found this is another way I can stop "freaking out". I managed to get past the pointing of wanting to turn back, past the point of wanting to scream out help help for no reason. I am in a wet suit for pete's sake. My panic sense doesn't care that I don't sink at all in a wet suit. My panic sense just wants to panic.
I make it to the far side to the dock at Krista's parents house (see note on names above) and now we head back. On the way back I focus on my form and count my strokes and try not to think about how far it is. I did better on the way back and I did learn that my tendancy is to swim "Wide Right" which is a good thing to know about yourself. I only had about 3 small panic moments (and those were minor ones) on the way back which is an improvement.
Climbing out of the water I am happy to have completed a mile swim before 7:00am and to have completed my first swim in Deer Lake. I think it will get better and easier as I get more used to open water. I intend on going every Thursday morning for July and maybe into August.

The race is getting closer we are at 30 days now. 30 days of training left and then we test out all this work.

Goals
1. Remain injury free.
2. Complete the Triathalon
3. Shooting for 20 minute swim, 60 minute Bike and 40 minute run.

Song for the day is "Oh Happy Day" and "When Dove's Cry" as seen on the Romeo and Juliet Soundtrack. I like that acapala style of singing. Good Acapala rocks. A band called NOTA is my favorite.

"Just to see"

It was a solid training weekend being a holiday weekend and very busy busy busy. Saturday Aunt Katie watched the kids so Amanda and Scott went running with me. We met at the Saratoga entrance and it was an hour run in the woods (5-6 miles) followed by a 15 Kilometer bike ride. I am using Kilometers because the cool gadget on my bike that list how far I have come is only in kilometers.


Being the smart guy that I am I threw out the instructions (instructions? who needs instructions) so now I can't figure out how to switch it to miles. I am remembering now that I am not so much the smart guy as much as the smart-ass guy. Doh! Anyway if you want to convert it to miles it's like multiply it by .6. That is more math stuff, that us smartass guys usually leave to the smart guys when we can. It's not that I can't do math in my head, I could. It is more that I am saving my brain pathways that would be doing that for more important stuff that might be coming soon. I am a planner, and I plan on using my brain later. So I have plenty of free pathways without traffic jams.

On Sunday the 4th it was too busy to get any exercise in, unless I count the 45 times little man rode his bike up and down shore ave. My 4 year old, well I have two now so I better clarify. My youngest or newest 4 year old is totally in love with his new bike. So in love with it he rides down the street mumbling or whispering" me love my new bike" or "me love my blue bike" it is hard to tell. If you have ever seen the sitcom "on ABC called "The Middle" he reminds me of brick the youngest son when he repeats himself. I think he is trying to put more milage on that thing than most Tour De France racers do. He went for a ride with me and then with his cousin Ally and then his cousin Brian and then his Uncle Andrew and then with Grandma and then his mom and then back to Daddy some more. He would probably still be riding if we had let him.



So Monday (thanks to more family babysitting) we swam Goss the lake at the coldest part of the day. This was not suppossed to be a "just to see" what it would be like to walk around with numb feet for awhile. This was a make the most of having a babysitter. That is why we had to swim without waiting to see if the day would get better. Or in my case to for a mile in 30 minutes and then ran the 4 miles of what will be the tri's running course. Amanda and talked about what a benefit we normnally get because we usually run a 5 mile loop by our house. Our loop includes either a half mile horrible hill called Heggenes Hill or a long slow mile climb on Dear Lake road. The Triathlon course is a lot easier because after you get off the bike and up the first hill it is either level or gradual the rest of the way. So it was during this run that we were talking about Amanda competing in a half Iron Man this fall. This is when the subject of "Just to see" came up. Which is this nefarious answer to the question which sometimes you ask yourself. "Why am I wanting to do this" It may range anywhere betweeen an internally whispered dialoge or all the way to an external exclamation in rage, "why am I doing this?"

The nefarious answer is: "Just to see" if I can do it.

What? Oh okay.

Now wait a second. When you think a little farther along that question you begin to comtemplate the horrible truth. This leads to much self doubt about if you love yourself or not because the idea you would accept that answer so readliy is proof you need therapy.

Nefarious defined is "utterly immoral or wicked" for us here in this rant it is enough to say NOT GOOD.

"Just to see" If I can do the race leads to much suffering and toil.

Think if we used same logic with what we eat? "I am not sure if this plant will make me puke or give me frequent and excessive discharging of the bowels producing thin watery feces, usually as a symptom of gastrointestinal upset or infection." But I am going to eat it "Just to see". Would our friends really let us continue on that path? The next time you are hanging out with people whom you consider your friends ask them "just to see" if they would punch you in the neck because you want to find out if you can take a punch like that and still breath normally? I mean is that not the same thing as someone saying I am going to do a half Iron Man "just to see" if I can. Consider for a moment if you can't do the event. Your bound for a nefarious destination then. At the bottom of a lake? , or on the side of the road in a ditch mangled together with a heap of metal? Or stumbling and blithering along like an idiot savant on the side of a highway somewhere reminding people why it is not safe to pick up hitchhikers.

Ask me again why I am doing the Triathlon and I will smile and say "Just to See"

Day of Recovery

So I read my last post and it didn’t make sense to me so I am pretty sure it would not make a lot of sense to anyone else reading it. What happens is I sometimes think a thought and half write it out and half think it when another thought comes along and like a derailed freight train the first thought is gone while the second goes on and on (like my sentences). That is not bad grammar it is my unique literary style.


The point I was saying about mental change in strategy is that when I started I could do something every day; or 6 out of 7 days. That is okay when you are walking stairs for 45 minutes. Or if you run 1 mile. Or swim for 25 minutes. At the time it was more a need to build momentum so my body not used to being “in motion” would stay “in motion”.

Losing that momentum is much less of a risk now. Now that my something’s have grown to a run of 5-10 miles, or a bike of 20 miles and or a swim of a mile and a half, I need to re-think the schedule so I don’t “over train” and injure myself. As more experienced people than me have informed me that “over training” causes a lot of injuries and most novices do not allow enough rest time for their bodies to recover. This seems like it would be easy but I am finding it is not. With the Triathlon only 40 days away and looming I am desperately trying to be as ready as I can be.

Wow 40 days left means I have been in training for 325 days so far. Sheeze that’s a lot.

Today I am resting because my back is sore and I want to be gentle on myself. Actually I would like to train but I need to be patient and let my body recover. It is harder to be patient now that I can do more exercise, but I will work on it. I did really get a lot out of the open water swim clinic the Masters swimmers put on last Sunday. I was able to get a little practice swimming in a group and sighting and some other tips. South Whidbey is a great community and a great place to train with the trails and roads and lakes all around. This adventure started being attractive to me when I saw how much of the a community event the Triathlon was last year. I was standing at the finish line waiting for my incredible wife when something hard hit me in the head, then I was rubbing my head seeing stars and watching her finish when a thought came to me….wait a second……. He he he
Have a great day.

Todays motivational music selection “Momma said Knock you Out” LL Cool J.

My magic number is 26 minutes

Saturday (6/26) Amanda and I did a Brick which started with the Bike route on the Triathlon. I had not done it before and so I had no time to base my level on. Now I do and the time is One hour and 26 minutes. Meaning to make my goal I need to reduce my ride time by 26 minutes. If I can do that then I can get my Bike to be only and hour. I am going to need to work hard on the bike to make that much up. The hill on a Saratoga is a like a solid punch in the chest. No way to deflect it just have to meet and tackle it head on. Amanada calls it the BEAST and I would say that is a good name for it.

So after the bike we did a run around Goss lake which has no flat spots. Despite the hills I felt good and I used the short run to try out my new Nike 3.0 shoes. They are Wolf Grey so my shoes run faster than yours. I don't run faster but my shoes do. That is about as stupid as the "My kid did blah blah blah" bumper stickers. I am going to make one up for later in life when I can boast " My kid moved out last week and he is a fully functional well adjusted contributing to society and happy human being". That us worth bragging about.
People nowadays don't even know how to brag right. It used to be "American made = the best", but that was when we did make shit that was the best. Cars and houses that lasted. National Parks and sky scrapers that had quality to them. The inbreds today just say "America is the BEST" and expect it to be true because they say it. Sorry but it doens't work like that.

Enough ranting.
My mental strategy is evolving as the days get shorter. I am starting to get ahead of my body and want times and training amounts more than I can physically do. This weekend is a good example, I was going to rest after the 16.5 miles trail run last week. That turned into a Brick on Saturday and a mile and half swim in Goss lake on Sunday. I feel tired and sore but it is a good sore.

More later and today's song is going to be. "O O Child things are gonna get easier" sorry don't know the name of that . I am also grateful the people on South Whidbey are so generous and nice people to share their experiences and knowledge.

44 days to go

I only have 44 days to go and while I am technically still on a rest week I did go swimming yesterday. Today I am a little sore but overall I think I will be back in full training next week.

In my swim yesterday I did a half mile in 21 minutes. I need to shave 3 minutes off that.

Then I need to complete the ride in 1 hour (which so far nobody believes I can do). I am not sure how much work this will be because I have never done that ride before. So I need to test that out by doing the ride and seeing how long it takes me to complete it soon.

Also I will need to improve my running to where I can do a 10 minutes mile because right now I am at 11:30. This I expect may improve as I quit focusing on running so far and I work on running the miles faster. I also need to practice running after getting off the bike.

My Triathlon goals are;
1. injury free
2. finish the event
3. complete it in 2 hours.
4. Be asked to speak about my life at some graduation and get paid $578,000.00 in one lump sum the same week as the Triathlon.

So the 4th one I threw in for the Universe to grant it too me when it has nothing else to do. Sort of some light work for my Higher Power.

Anyway I am still basking in my good feelings about last weekends 16,7 mile run. The unofficial results came out today and I made the list. I am 7th from the bottom which is better than I expected. I thought I would be 4th from the bottom.

I am tired of training and I look forwad thinking it will be nice to have the mental break after August 8th when I can not "think"about the next event.

In the betweeen time I need to work on strengthening my core. Sounds like situps are in my future. I hate situps but I don't know a better way to strengthen my core muscles. I have tried pullin....No just klidding I can't go there; and it doesn't help core muscles anyway, or so I have read. I will have to use my "Tower of Power" home gym thingamabobby that I picked up at a garage sale 4 years ago. IT is a frame that allows you to do pull ups and dips and other crap that makes you POWERFUL. I want to be POWERFUL if it will help me run faster, especially fast enough to run a 10 minute mile. It has been in the Garage for 3 years so I think it has had time to aclimate to my house. Now I will actually get the $10.00 out of it that I put into it. I have to move the treadmill out onto the lawn to make room but no matter. Having a treadmill on the lawn is not that different from a refrigirator, or a 78 Oldsmobile. Whidbey has it fair share of those growing weeds.

On deck for this weekend is an Outdoor Swim Clinic put on by Whidbey Parks and Rec where they teach people how to swim in groups, swim around bouys (I think I might be able to handle that one), sight using the horizon and determine distance in the Open water. It is cool we have such good resources on Whidbey Island.


Take Care my faithful 13 and I will talk too you next week.

Sun Mt. my BESTEST ever

Father's day and my first 25K.
(I am a published poet and now you know it).

This was a great time and the most physically demanding thing I have ever done. I was ready for it, barely. He he he


The weekend was great despite the fact I was nervous the entire 2 days before. Friday night I had difficulty sleeping even though I was tired. Saturday I was fluctuating between “jumpy” and distracted to the point of zoned out and then Saturday night I slept somewhat better. I was very excited and yet nervous as I was running a race with Jason and Candice and Seth and these are “experienced” runners in my book. I am still a “wanna be” runner.

I mean when I compare myself to them I would say (and everyone else would agree) they are several levels above where I am at. I know I shouldn’t compare myself; but I still do, as I wonder what my future might look like and wonder how far I would have to go to get there.

Back to the day of, so we are going and I am mentally preparing for the idea that I might be the LAST runner to make it across the finish. This race is only in the 2nd year and not really a mainstream run so most of the runners know what they are getting into and are prepared. Very few weak gazelles in this pack. In fact I may be doing something that is just going to serve as an example to the universe of what a young runner should not try to do. Preparing to be last is not as easy as it seems, no one plans to be last and I sort of know why. In order to meet my goals which are to be : 1. Injury free 2. Finish the course and 3. Finish under 4 hours I needed to think about what being last would look like. At the start everyone would be ahead of me so I would just hang back and maybe even make sure I was last so I wouldn’t have to wonder. I could be certain I was in last place. Then if by a miracle I passed anyone I would know how I was no longer in back. Backwards logic ? Yes, but still effective.

Race day warm up standing around talking as the rain starts to fall I feel like a pretender and a little like “What am I doing here?” Molly is taking pre race photos and saying “why don’t you smile” I want to say back “because I am about to try to run 15 miles” but I stick with “I am too nervous.” As the pack forms for the start I drift to the rear while Jason and Candice and Seth mingle in the front middle. In front of me I notice this guy in the pack waiting at the starting line shakes his legs and his calves and I am think “Damn those calves are huge and his thighs are monstrous as well. He is only about 5’6’’ but his legs look like a body builder and They stand out here in a group of good legs, in a pack of legs that are all in good shape. This is not compared to the average American leg, this is a leg compared to the average long distance runner. I decide he is juiced or has a genetic malfunction but either way I make a mental note not to Indian wrestle with him.

Go! and we are off, all 60 people (the 50K and the 25K start as one big group). I went pee three times in the last half an hour and still I have to pee as we head down the first trail. The pack of gazelle’s forming a loose herd. I migrate to the rear of the pack looking down so I don’t trip and stay there for about the first half mile. Then I pause to pee again and let the entire herd go ahead. My natural gazelle instincts are screaming “not safe! Stay with the pack! There are Lion’s and Tiger‘s and Bear’s in the woods! (Not sure that Bears eat gazelle’s?)

Anyway I take care of business as the very last gazelle is coming up the trail. I know now that I am 2nd to last and I am okay with that. I run the first mile right behind these two older ladies who then pause so I can pass them. I think they more wanted me and my heavy breathing off their tail. The first couple miles I am going at a slow pace but breathing heavy and I think it may be the altitude. I begin to sound a lot like Darth Vader. I keep repeating things to myself like “This is my race, and I am just trying to finish” or “save something for after the Aid station” or “Everyone has to walk some” The Aid station is at mile 8 and not quite at the top of the run.

The trail is beautiful as it meanders alongside some lake for the first couple miles and then we turn in and the climbing begins. The next few minutes is a series of little climbs mixed together with gradual climbs that look easier but are not. I am still imitating Darth Vader here and running so slow I can walk faster. I pass a girl in pink and now I know I am third from the end. I also wonder/hope I will not learn what it will feel like if she passes me back later. I see this guy in a black rain coat ahead of me practicing the Chi running technique of going uphill by turning your feet. It reminds me to pay attention to my own form and I am about 50 yards behind him I think man he is going slow. But I can’t find the energy to close the gap. I work at catching him for awhile getting within 20 yards at one turn and then I recognize I am really getting winded. I need to slow myself and save something for after the Aid station. Save something for the last 7 miles. Off goes the little mouse (I never see him again so maybe the alligator or Bear ate the “almost last” gazelle and left the last gazelle’s for weaker slower alligators).

The thought comes into my head “What am I doing here” about the 45 minute mark. I know I haven’t run 5 miles yet and I am sucking wind. I know it takes me an hour to run 5 miles in Saratoga woods and that is at Sea level. I am speculating I need to make it to the Aid station by the 2 hour mark if I want to make it in under 4 hours. Well I bust open my first pack of energy blocks and begin fueling my high performance body. He he he It doesn’t feel like a high performance body but that is what the package says. After a refuel I am in the high meadows where the run looks out over the Methow Valley and the sun peaks out a little. I get a little warm and taste of what it would be like if it was not raining. I am not sure I could make this on a 90 degree day. This upper rolling hill is really like running my own training run because I am so far behind everyone else I only get glimpses once or twice. I tell my self I am not interested who is behind me or how close that I am running my race. The urge is too strong and the force in my is weak. Like Darth Vader I give in to my desires and I peak behind me. Girl in pink with the two water bottles is about 40 yards behind me. I tell myself it doesn’t matter if I am 4th to last or 5th to last. I develop this idea of “Bottom 6” and I let grow on me. I am going to make the bottom 6 and that sounds great. Right now the Aid station sounds like a dream and I turn to the next set of hills. These rises are no fun at all. 50 yards up dog leg left 50 yards up dog leg left 100 yards up sharp left 50 yards up. Seems like forever and I am wondering again as I pass the 90 minute mark “why did I do this?” Then I tell myself your just going through the normal 90 minute motivational slump that happens to me every run longer than 90 minutes.

It is like this inner demon lives in a corner of my brain and comes out sometimes to tell me “Really, stop doing this it is never going to matter” and all sorts of other bad me talk. I sometimes get frustrated that I still have to deal with him every long run. It’s like “Enough already I know I am not stopping!” go away. So I focus again on my form and trudge on up the hills from hell. On the 4th or 5th hill I come across Mr. “Tanked” this guy is going so slow he doesn’t look like he will make the aid station. I think that would have been me if I had tried to run with the herd out of the gate. I never saw him finish so I imagine the Bears and alligators divided him up. A peak behind me 100 yards later show the pink water bottle girl still within 100 yards of me.

The AID Station YIPPEE ! That means 8 miles down and it is exactly 2 hours into the race. Now I can push it a little more. I know the topography map I studied before hand shows the crest of the run is about the 10 mile mark and it is mostly down hill or flat after that. At the aid station someone says only 6.7 miles to go. I drink 3 cups of vitamin water but don’t fill up my hydro pack. MISTAKE and I will regret it later. Each some potato chips in between gasps of breaths. At this point the 50 milers are joining the trail so it really makes one feel like a genetically defective gazelle with these people running by.

Heading out of the station is on a gravel road with only a slight incline so I am running happy. About a mile into the slight incline the arrow points to the right bank of the road. I look up at this trail and I am like? “What fuckin mountain goat designed this shit”. I think well I can see past the first 50 feet so maybe it levels off. After scrambling up with hands and feet and thighs on FIRE, I discover it continues up the goat fucker trail continues up and to make matters worse the 50 milers are starting to pass me every couple minutes now. I know we have to be near the top because this is the highest mountain around and I can see in all directions. Then I hit the ridge and it is flat for about 30 feet until like a sick stomach dropping roller coaster it descends. Heading down at about a 12% grade diving into the depths of hell! The trail is a snake like v in the ground made by water run off so one edge slope in and the other edge slopes in and your lower legs burn real fast. That ½ mile of down hill really made me suffer. Before we hit the bottom I had cramps in both calves and an aching Achilles on my right. Finally it bottoms out and now I am wondering if I will make it. I attempt to run up the next hills and I cannot run without cramping, so I switch to walking and burning my thighs up. About 20 minutes later brings me to the top of the last major climb and I am weary. I eat up another energy snack called “Sharkies” and prepare for the bears to step out and mangle me to a bloody pulp. I almost wish for it.

I enter the trail called “Pete’s Dragon” which I know from the girls report the day before is a nice easy trail. Another 50 miler passes me and she smiles saying ”It is all about falling downhill”. I think that is another Chi running quote and so I focus again on my form and let gravity increase my pace. I really start falling down Pete’s Dragon and make some decent time. I imagine I make decent time but I am not really sure. I do know the legs are not cramping as much on this stretch. I think “My left leg feels great!” over and over again. This helps me ignore the other aches my body is reporting. Mostly in my back and shin and thighs and shoulders and feet.

Reaching the section I know I have been on before I stumble/run praying for the rain to open up and the Gods answer my prayer. It begins raining a lot and I like it because it helps me cool off. Funny how the entire decent down my lungs have been no trouble, just my muscle parts having the issues. I get almost run over by another 50 miler and a short while later he comes back asking “Is this the right way” I think “Hey JACKASS your in front remember!” I yell back “It is the way I am going”. He turns around and runs ahead again. “What does he just enjoy passing people twice?”.

Oh the tiredness is really seeping into me now and I am struggling to keep my grip on reality. I think I saw the Bear Alligator cross breed that crazy scientist from Winthrop developed and then released to track how they prey upon week gazelle’s lost in the local forest. I call her the “Bearigator”. Of course she is female every example of nature where the mate and then eat the partner it is the male getting eaten. So it males sense if these two cross bred the female would be the only one alive. I drink the last of my water here and I know I have a couple miles left so I wish. I mean I really wish I had filled up more at the Aid station.

I somehow continue running trying to remember what form I should be focused on. “a good lean” or “Loose lower body” or “level pelvis” or “knees down ankles up”. As I round a bend I hear voices and I see picnic tables and it looks like a clearing getting ready for a party. Wah…….wait what the arrow points right? That is more than horrible at this point. I hate everyone now. A false finish line is the cruelest of jokes. I hobble on, very deflated. The trail has turned into this nice flat wide pine needle laden track that would normally be a joy to run on. I am the troll from under the bridge in that fairy tale and if I saw the Bearigator now I would punch him in the throat.

This is not the lowest I get on this day, shortly after that the two old ladies I passed in mile 1 pass me back and I stick too them for about a half mile. I can’t manage to find the energy to keep up with their pace. My thighs are really hurting and my calves cramp every couple of minutes. I tried stopping to remove a rock in my shoe and as soon as I took the shoe off BAD IDEA FOOT CRAMP. OW o wow ow don’t try that at home. We are at like 3 hours 30 minutes now and I know I am well beyond anything I trained to do. My body is sore and my water is empty and I don’t think this insanity will ever end. Next the two ladies have stopped to ask “Is this right way” Again I think “Hey dumbass you are in front”. I must have a sign on my back saying “Ask for directions”. I reply my new mantra. “It’s the way I am going” they say “oh your not who we thought you were. We thought you were one of the 50 milers”. I laugh at that one. “No I just look like a 50 miler”.

So my two ladies leave me to be eaten by the Bearigator and race on. I give chase but I don’t have much left anymore and coming out of the woods to another road I see the end. But first one more little hill I am walking up when Jason and Seth who have been back so long they are on their 3rd beers come beside me and run with me the last 50 yards.

MASS cheers from friends and family and I stumble across the line with cramps in both legs and very very happy tired look on my face. 3 hours 52 minutes of trail running.walking,stumbling. For a total of 16.7 miles. My longest run ever.

Thanks for all the support from my friends and family I would never had made this without all of you. My success is "our success".

Damn it Body Do What I SAY!

So yesterday I asked my Body to do what I say and what I said was. “I want to swim 24 laps and then give blood (everyone should donate blood you may need it back some day) and then several hours (4 hours) later run 4 miles.
“Swim, hmm fine, Give Blood, sigh okay, run 4 miles Pah! Not gonna do that”. Is what my body said back to me? So I can think I am going to do some amount of training but being patient with me and listening to my body is a skill I have not fully developed yet. As a result I have lots of aches and sore spots this morning. Last night I had lots of frustration not being able to run like I wanted.

The first mile I was struggling with an ache in my back and feeling like my form was a mess. Bad form causing my left knee to feel pressure and my right ankle feels like it needs to crack. It is just my body loosening up I will take it easy and I bet by mile two it will feel warm and better.

Mile 2 not feeling better, my Chi Running form is still a mess as I am trying to lean on my abdominal muscles (I think I was born without them) and my back hurts now. I should probably have listened to the blood people who said no exercise today. “Pah! What do they know!” I’m Iron…well not Iron I know Iron men and Iron women and I know Half Iron people too. I’m more like led man. Yeah LEAD because Lead is a base metal nad the definition of that is : the term 'base metal' is used informally to refer to a metal that oxidizes or corrodes relatively easily” That is most definitely me, I corrode easily.

I am striving to become a Ferrous metal: The term "ferrous" is derived from the Latin word meaning "containing iron". This can include pure iron, such as wrought iron, or an alloy such as steel. I just like it because it is a word that looks like Ferocious.

Where was I? Oh yeah mile 2-3 should have been the easy part of the run and I couldn’t keep my heart rate down in the aerobic range and my body was not playing nice any longer. I hurt in my back and down my right leg, I tried in vain to relax and loosen my sacrum area. I did much more walking than I have in a long time and I grew more frustrated at the struggle which is counterproductive. Sort of like smacking your head to get rid of a bad idea, no future in negative self talk.

So I limped on home through mile 4 just trying to run 100 yards at a time and struggling with that. Aaargh. Some days I guess it is better to listen to advice and listen to your body. I am sometimes a slow learner, painfully slow.

Hey Nick when it hurts maybe you should stop doing that. Doh!

Back in the Pool a tribute

You wil do what I say when I say
"BACK IN THE POOL (tribute to Metallica and DISPOSABLE  HEROES)"

Bodies fill the lanes I see, hungry swimmers end

No one to play sucker now, no one to pretend
Flailing blind through waves and froth, bred to follow all
Victim of what said should be, a servant 'til I fall

Potato boy, made of clay, now, an empty shell
forty one, silly son but he served us well
Bred to swim, not to care, do just as we say
Wallowing here, watery death, he?s yours to take away

Back in the pool, you will do what I say, when I say
Back in the pool, you will die when I say, you must die
Back in the pool, you dumbass
You servant, you land man

Barking of other swimmers ire, does nothing to me now
Swallowing mouth fulls of H2O, get used to it somehow
More a man, more laps you make, glory seeker trends
Bodies fill the lakes I see, the stupidity never ends

Potato boy, made of clay, now, an empty shell
Forty one, silly son but he served us well
Bred to sink, not to float, do just as we say
Wallowing here, watery death, he?s yours to take away

Back in the Pool, you will do what I say, when I say
Back in the Pool, you will swim when I say, you must swim
Back in the Pool, you deadweight
You servant, you land man

Why, am I swimming?
SWIM, have no fear
SINK, Useless trying
Hell, hell is here

Why, am I trying?
Swim, have no fear
SINK, endless trying
Hell, hell is here

I was born for swimming
Wife planned out before my birth, nothing could I say
Had no chance to see myself, molded day by day
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done
Left to swim with only fear, alone I have the runs

Potato boy, made of clay, now, an empty shell
Forty one, silly son but he served us well
Bred to swim, not to care, do just as we say
Wallowing here, watery death, he?s yours to take away

Back in the Pool, you will do what I say, when I say

Back in the Pool, you will swim when I say, you must swim
Back in the Pool, you carcus
You servant, you land man

Back in the Pool
Back in the Pool
Back in the Pool
Back in the Pool

I have to say I love this song and the memories it brings back. Alsa I could not stay a "Beavis" forever. I had to grow up, cut my hair, and quit smoking someday. I guess it is not bad being a non-smoker but I still think about it now and again. It is pretty cool being able to swim a half mile and call that a "average to weak workout".

Smile Pretty.

Are Shin Splints Inspirational?

Okay so now I have had them I don’t need to have them anymore. They can go away anytime. While I love the local trail’s I have 15 minutes from my house, the trail running is almost never on flat ground. This makes it a challenge to maintain good Chi Running form. This last two hour run I had to really focus on loosening my legs and a back while keeping good form. It felt better than the first two hour run. I was mostly trying to keep the achy shin splint and achy back from hurting more as I ran. When I have the form correct I don’t have these problems but having it correct is easier said than done.


I increased my running time and added trail running versus road running. This is the direct reason why I am experiencing pain at this point. The problem is my inpatient mind wanting to write checks my slow body is not prepared for. This is not following the practice of gradual progress that my mentor prescribed. So listening to my body last week meant resting and it looks like listening to my body this week will also mean resting. Then next weekend I will try a road run so I can really focus on my form. This is a mental challenge.

One of the mental challenges is when I have to take several days in a row off. I feel like I lose my momentum and the questions changes from “When am I going to exercise today?” to “Am I going to exercise today?” and that is not how I want the questions to be. I want to ask myself “When” not “If”. If is bad and when is good.



Another thing about having shin splints is that they inform me where I need to focus in my form practice. Per the Chi Running book if you relax your feet and ankles and keep your lean correctly you can eliminate shin splints. They inspire me to work on holding better form. Of course I am inspired by many strange things. I am inspired when I hear ordinary people doing extraordinary things. I am not inspired by suffering, anyone can do that.



I will never be at the top of this running game; but, if I can be in the game it would be enough for me. If I can compete and finish as a triathlete on August 7th then I will meet my goal I set a year before. My goals are changing and evolving as I am transforming from Couch Potato. I think I am driven more now, I ran five miles plus with some sort of ache for the last 4 runs I have done. What that means too me is that I don’t want to stop anymore. I am not really looking to sit down A.S.A.P. anymore. I recognize there is as much a shift in my head to become a triathelete as there is a shift in my body.

I am grateful that I have scrubbed my brain clean enough to allow myself the ability to evolve into this new person. Into this young athlete trapped in a 40 year olds body. So many people I know don’t seem to give themselves the freedom to change into something they have not been before.



And YET I still have not swum the lake. I have swum the distance (twice the distance in fact) but mentally swimming the lake is the final question mark. That is a bit freaky even talking about it. Swum does not look like a real word!

I am still a work in progress. Fatherhood reminds me I am far from finished and I have more work to do on myself almost every day.

Hey whats up

Hey what’s up? I didn’t quit training I just forgot to write for awhile. I have been running and in fact I made the foolish decision to run a longer race. That has required me to up my training runs and to really focus on running more than the other two.


The longer race is called Sun Mountain 25K which = 15 miles. That will be on Father’s Day so I really don’t have time to waste.

I have never run 15 miles and this will be a trail run in heat with a mountain in the way. It proves my “stupidity of three” theory. Which if something is stupid do it 3 times? Wait I think that’s a rule of comedy not stupidity. Doh! Seriously I am just following Seth who says I can do it. Because he did it last year so he is proving the misery loves company idea. Especially in running, that is how I got out here in the first place.
So once I realized the most I have run is 5 miles and the race will be 3 times that I decided to switch my training goals from miles to time. I predict it will take me 3 hours + running to complete the 15 miles. SO last week I started increasing my time on my runs from 60 – 70 minutes to 90 minutes. Then last weekend I did my first 120 minutes. Ohhh that smarts! I still feel that one and it is Thursday. At this point in time I cannot imagine running for 3 hours. I am scared to think how I will feel during that.

During the two hour run I really wanted to stop. I was no longer enjoying it after 90 minutes and really did not think I could make it. But I did make it. Like a phoenix shooting out of the flames. No that is not the analogy I would use. More like a Cockroach crawling out of the rubble. At any rate this week I did my first short run on Monday which was 60 minutes and I hope I did another 60 minutes today. Ran today at lunch and my back is still buggin. I know I can run through it but I need to figure out what I am doing wrong.
It feels good to know I ran 10 miles and I ran for 2 hours straight but I think it will feel better after I forget how it felt. I have described this place before but I am currently in the “prove it” place. I did the 120 minutes once and so the next time I need to “prove it” to myself that I can do it again. It is a strange way my brain works, inside my head is a cold dark place. My training schedule is to run a couple short runs during the week and one long run going from 120 to 140 to 160 to 180 and then ease off the two weeks before the real deal.
I can’t simulate the heat I am going to face or the Mountain elevation gain but Oh well. I think it is safe to quote Armegeddon “The scariest environment imaginable.”
Swimming is doing okay but I am frustrated at not making much progress. I mean I still have a challenge when I breathe because it throws my rhythm off and causes me to be very inefficient. I feel like I have not made any progress in the pool in awhile.
Biking is on hold until I can get my clip in shoes. One more paycheck and I should be able to get them. I will put more into the biking after the Sun Mt. run

It is surprising how much of this is a mental challenge while I am running. I hit this point of self doubt on every run where the voice in my head is telling me all sorts of excuses and crazy stuff. Fighting off that doubt is this little voice of "Yes I can." Funny because most of the time 90% I complete every run I set out to do. I never thought I would run a mile and half and I did it. Inever thought I would run the Heggenes hill and I did it. I never thought I could run 5 miles and I did it. Hell I did more than that at lunch today. Still even with all these little victories I have to have the same discussion every run.

"I can stop in a minute"
"Your not even half way you probably won't make it."
"You've done this before you don't need to do it again."
"You hate this and have done a lot so you should stop."

This usually goes on about the 3-4 mile mark and can last awhile. Even when you tell yourself you can't do it. Nobody says you have to listen.

Well now that I am running much farther I get a whole new experience.
I have met the monster who lives behind all this self doubt. He a comes out of his cave about the 90 mark and this time he is serious. After 100 minutes he doesn't go away he stays with you. Dancing with the beast and soon, real soon I need to learn to become friends with the beast because we have a ways to go yet. Miles to go before I sleep.
Talk to you soon.

Run, Run, Swim

Friday Night I ran a quick mile and half because it was all I had time for. It felt strange running late in the day and I realized I have not run that late (5:30) for awhile.

Sunday the 5 mile day I got up at 6:00 and set out to a beautiful morning. I ran the opposite my normal route which is an easy down slope from mile 1 to 3 and then a “crazy ass” hill from mile 4 to 4.5. (Crazy ass means any fool out there running up this hill must be a crazy ass). This run was disappointing because I could never “feel” my hips relaxing enough to really let my swivel power me. A friend of mine whose been running longer described it well when he said you have to get out there long enough for your body to say “Oh Okay I guess there is no getting out of this so I will relax and do this running thing.”

For me that point is currently somewhere between 3 miles to never. I have felt that “body acceptance” about 3 or 4 times so far. My friend says it gets closer to the beginning the more you run. Of course this is the same friend who is telling me I should run a 15 mile trail run at altitude. Why am I so gullible? I have agreed to run that trail run. Because it is my personality to say “Hey if I think I might have bit off more than I can chew, then the natural solution is to take two more bites and prove it!”


Back to the Sunday run. I really wanted to feel that swivel when my hips relax and let go. When you get that feeling it is MAGICAL. It feels similar to doing your fastest walk in front of a life guard at the pool while your running. It is a great feeling because you really feel you’re the entire “Chi Running” concept in action. Your feet are just getting picked up and your lean is helping you fall forward allowing gravity and your nature core swivel power you onward. It is as close to effortless as I have been so far. I really want to get that feeling back. I could hang on to that feeling I think I could run a long long way. The problem is I can make myself do it, It only comes when I am able to relax my ankles, knees, hips, low back, shoulders, neck. Trying to make your body move in a specific way for me is not successful for anything other than back ache or shoulder ache or Achilles ache.



Today’s Swim was a lot of playing around. I went at it without much enthusiasm but once I got in the pool it turned out very nice. I am now reading the book “Triathalon Swimming Made Easy from the Total Immersion” website. I began today with some of the balance exercises. These are really simple but it revealed that I still need to work on Balance. One exciting thing I realized is that my swimming is pretty efficient. I can do the 25 meters length in around 18 strokes. That is a pace with no heavy breathing and while the other swimmers on either side of me are doing the same length in 22 strokes. They are both faster than me and I expect they know what they are doing because they look like decent swimmers. I have no real idea what I look like as I churn through my self-taught practice lengths.

Anyway the balance drills helped me understand why breathing has been really difficult lately. I have not had balance and that creates a very inefficient body struggling to stay alive. If I had balance I would not have my survival instincts kicking in. I painfully went through the drills. I say painfully because my vainty gets in the way and I don’t want to look foolish in the pool. Is that silly or what? I can hardly swim and I feel like I should be embarrassed because I am slowing going down the lane and not racing up and down the pool. But if I am going to do this by the book (which is a better way then by myself) then I need to get back to balance drills. This is the foundation, I need to build a good foundation. Then speed will come later (so the book says). So after I did the balance drills for 3 or 4 lengths I began swimming a little and wow I noticed a difference right away. I a real difference in the way I breath and how much more I could relax my head into the water. On a couple lengths I realized how much resistence having my big fat melon out of position creates. It was a nice work out and I look forward to my real teacher provided lesson Thursday night.

156 training days left.

Wed Mar 3rd
I only have 156 training days until the day of the event. ACK ! I haven’t learned to ride a bike yet. I am two thirds the way there because I have learned to swim ½ mile (maybe not well but I can do it) and I have learned to run 4 miles (maybe not well but I can do it) and those are two of the three sports. Next up is the BIKE part but first let’s recap. Last Weekend was a “prove it” weekend I had to prove I could run 5 miles again. See I did it once the first time it was very exciting and rewarding. Then in some ways it is easier the first time because it is setting personnel best and you are not sure you can make it but when you do you get all chipper. So it is the 2nd and 3rd times when you have to run the same distance without the glory that are tough. Those are what I call the “Prove it” runs for myself. Prove it was not a fluke, prove the bar is raised and you didn’t just clip it with your but like a high jumper. This last weekend I proved it on Sat and Sun when I ran 5 miles each day. Then on Tuesday I ran another 4.7 which leads to another point. There are no “gimme’s” in running. Every tenth of a mile counts you don’t get to run 4.7 and call it 5 miles. No no MR. if you don’t run it you didn’t run it so no counting it. This is no pus pus golf or horseshoes where almost is good enough to get some points. You don’t run almost to the finish line and then say I would have made it in another 2 minutes.

You don’t get to stop the clock until you cross that line.

I want to give this shout of congrats to my old stair walking friend Andy who completed his last day of training. Nice work and if you can do that at your age I can do this at mine. Just kidding he he he. Wahoo!

My next race is going to be the “Beat the Bridge” in May. My cousin who is a mad skills marathon woman and could fit right in with the SWIM posse. (SWIM = South Whidbey Iron Momma’s). This race is another 8K charity race. I think calling it an 8K is a neat trick, I think it means 8 people were killed trying to run this far the last time they did it. See that’s how you know how dangerous the event is. Someone may try to tell you it stands for kilometers Pah! Hell we all know that isn’t true. It is politically correct maybe to call it kilometers but when you are out there running it you know what it really means.

Heck I am a team player so I will play along. Now that I am a runner I will live the lie. Why not, everyone is doing it how else did I end up here.

Using Kilometers fools new runners such as me into not really understanding how far it is. This 8K description also makes it sound farther when I talk about it afterwards. My oh my! I just checked out the race map and the course is very close to my old high school so I recognize the neighborhood. As I run I will see all the places we used to smoke during high school. What a shitty time High school was. The race is for Juvenile Diabetes Research so I will be asking people if they have an extra $5.00 to give it up for research. I am not running for nothing.

So anyway back to the bike, I am in need of some serious bike skills. Lots of people have told me (by that I mean a lot of people told Amanda and she told me) the biking is the part that is underestimated and plays a big part in your over all time. It also is the hardest part of the course because it has the big holes hills and you have to go up them twice, (just like our parents did walking in the snow to school). I will be prepared and I will ride like a land shark. Ah HA that’s it; if I have a silly costume on as I ride others will laugh and point at me. Maybe they will slap my back and try to push me in the midst of their guffawing. This would mean I had to pedal less and I get everyone to push me a little just because I dressed up like a land shark and rode a girl’s cruiser bike with streamers off the hand grips. Best idea I have had in awhile, because Amanda already has a purple girl’s cruiser bike I just need to add the streamers and maybe a red flag. I could attach a Shark fin to my helmet. Maybe I could also attach one to my wet suit so when I am swimming in the lake people would move out of the way as I glided up to them. I would be the “Shark of Goss Lake”. This merits some further thought.

Swimming today worked me I am soooo tired and I think I tweaked my back. Bummer

Look what I can do !

Personnel Best
Sunday I had to take advantage of that wonderful weather and run in the sun. I have taken the last 3 days off just to rest my back which has been sore for the past 2 weeks. That is difficult to do, at least for my psyche. Taking time off of any kind feels like slowing down (because it is slowing down) and I get really impatient because I am afraid of coming to a complete stop (me as a couch potato is a complete stop). It is much easier staying active and it is like those laws of physics “Bodies in motion tend to stay in motion; Bodies at rest tend to stay at rest.” O well I was C physics student so maybe that is not the exact quote but you get the idea. It can be frustrating when I don’t exactly know how I made my back sore. So I am not even sure if skipping running or skipping swimming or just sleeping funny will help improve it. I suspect that I am carrying more weight than is beneficial. Coach me is telling workout me that it would be easier if you lost another 11 pounds. I am currently 211 and I think it would help if I could shed another 11 pounds. I am not doing this to lose weight so I have not paid much attention to the fact that I now eat a little more. I will admit I might eat more like a hobbit nowadays. I have 3 breakfasts (I plan on working out today) and lunch (I work out first) and a snack for the way home (I worked out earlier) and dinner (for the kids regular dinners are important to building strong family values) and desert and late night snack or 2nd desert around 9:30 right before I go to sleep.

“I like to eat, I like to eat, apples and banaynays”

I plan on improving my choices and mixing in more vegetables and fruit not in that particular order. In the book I just finished the author talks about having Salad for breakfast and that just sounds insane to me. Breakfast is my favorite meal and should be loaded with Butter and Sugar no matter what the delivery system. Pancakes, Waffles, Cinnamon Rolls, Cap’N Crunch Cereal with butter on top. Who cares as long as it is fried? Yum Yum. This brings up a pet peeve of mine. The importance of eating your meals in the proper order (except Breakfast which can be eaten at any time). My wife, is a wonderful woman, however she often goes straight to ordering lunch before she has had the breakfast and it disturbs me very very much. I live with it but jeez she must have something wrong with her when she can order a sandwich at 11:00 am without having her breakfast yet. Just plain WACKO.

However if I do manage to lose 11 pounds it will make me lighter and therefore less tired when I run. Oh yeah speaking of running, I ran my personnel best today. 5.2 miles nonstop. Oh yes I did! I broke the 5 mile barrier WOW is all I can say. Wow? No what I said was OW. I felt that one. I have a couple of friends who are stepping up their training and inspiring me to start raising my own limits. I have raised the running with that one. In the middle of the 5 miles is a slow gradual 2 mile rise just enough that you wouldn’t notice it much when you drove in a car but enough to make it really suck when you’re running it. I was most happy with handling that sharp pain I get below my ankle on the inside of my foot. I felt it on the uphill (like I usually do) and I just focused on relaxing my ankles. Completely relaxing my legs and staying with that focus made the sharp pain go away and allowed me to finish the entire run. I have been feeling that for the last month or so when I run uphell (oops I mean uphill). If anyone knows what that is let me know so I can treat it better. All I am doing for it now is relaxing my ankles and feet when I run. I ran 5 miles straight. Wow I can hardly believe I ran that far. I think reading that book Born to Run was very inspiring and reading it really helped me have faith that I could finish 5 miles There is something powerful in leaving the house and saying I will run back here to this point without stopping no matter how slow I am going.



If I can run 5 straight miles I think I can call myself a runner now. Good thing I am married to a sexy super jock that runs twice my amount the same day and keeps me humble. Well

Learning to swim Do - Over

I have 169 days until the start of the Triathlon

• 14,601,600 seconds

• 243,360 minutes

• 4056 hours

• 24 weeks (rounded down)

So I had better get to work. I just re-read some of the Total Immersion (by Terry Laughlin) book and realized I have been swimming harder and not smarter. I am suffering from the challenge of lifting my head when I breathe. This is not my only challenge just the most obviously detrimental one. This results in dropping my legs and negatating my forward momentum. So after reading the beginning drills again, I decided to focus on them now that I have learned to swim a half mile the hard way.

I would call it back to basics but since I never really had any basics I will call this back to the buoy. The buoy is all about balance and water balance is hard to learn I struggled the first time I tried to learn it. It is sort of like a place in your chest that you push into the water so your hips pop up. I learned it a little when I started but mostly just while I was face down. In the Total Immersion swimming form you spend most of your time swimming on your side so you need to learn to balance on all 4 sides.

Today I picked it up faster and was able to (at times) balance on all 4 sides. This work is hard to do because it doesn’t look like you are doing much in the water. I noticed how it is also a challenge to not care what others in the pool think of what I am doing or how fast I am going or what I look like while doing it. This was a theme in the Chi Running book as well. Being willing to work on your form despite what others might think of you.

So my swimming form needs more work and I am attending to it. I think my form in all 3 areas needs more work. It is also hard to resist the “mileage” = quality mentality that I picked up a little. I thought if I went 20 laps then I must be getting better each time. But really that is just practicing bad form each time. So I need to discipline myself. Follow the expert’s advice. Follow the known method for improving your form and I will be rewarded with swimming easier and more effective. Speed comes after form. Chi running says the same thing, first form, then distance, and then speed. It is funny how I want the instant gratification even in my exercising. I want to run real fast and real far right now. I want to swim real far and real fast right now. Yeah so? So does everyone. So these experts have a proven way to learn that it is time for me to shut up and listen. Just because I can form an opinion on a topic does not mean I should speak about it. Even when I am talking to myself, no especially when I am talking to myself.

Running weekend

Friday I did the Linda Lane run which is about 3 miles with a decent (200 yards at 15 % slope) hill in the middle. Probably still show how I am rookie by being impressed with a 3 mile run. Yeah I’m a Rookie. Then Saturday I did a small 1.5 run to tire out my dog “Lulu”. Sunday I ran 4 miles on Heggenes Rd. but had to walk the last 3 blocks of the hill. I managed to run up the 1st block but for those of you who have never been on it let me describe it. Start with a beautiful country road straight out of a Budweiser commercial complete with horses on the right side and cows and dogs on the left. Then take a mile of that road and angle it about 16 %, toss in 3 corners and a nice pretty almost tree tunnel and there you have it. A picture perfect Sunday drive in the country road. Now get out of the car Mr. Pretty face and run that damn hill. Not so pretty or picturesque from your tennis shoes is it? No, in fact it is an ugly hill from my current perspective. Pretty horses and cows leave pretty smelly droppings which when you are sucking wind hard very UN avoidable. Making it worse is that my wife used to run it regularly and now it is smaller and shorter than the hills she has graduated to. Arrgh ! Now I have to learn to run this thing and get it done at least once so I can say I did. It is not so easy because it doesn’t come up until 3 miles into the 5 mile run. This is going to take some Baby steps.

My February goals have completely fallen apart in that I have not recorded what I eat every day and I have not done any Yoga but I have managed to keep exercising 6 out of 7 days. So one out of four is not bad.



I watched an Oprah show about Diabetes and it was amazing how much sugar we eat annually. Dr Oz was showing that Americans eat in total about 120 pounds of sugar each year. And about 40 pounds of sugar every year more now than when our parents were walking up hill both ways to school. Waow is all I can say. I also saw on “The Biggest Loser” this famous chef saying if you want to sweeten things you caramelize them to bring out their natural sugars. Caramelized doughnuts might taste pretty good. Seriously one doughnut had on average 13 teaspoons of sugar. That makes me sad and I am trying to forget that fact as fast as I can. Where is that good old American denial when I need it? Doh !

What is life without doughnuts? No life at all that’s what! Maple Bars probably have 17 or 18 teaspoons of sugar. But wait! Maple is natural so then Maple Bars are natural and that must mean they are good for you. There it is my friends. Justification for while the maple Bar is better than any other doughnut. Take that to the bank of “WhyMeAssGettinBigger” and stick it. I love my denial, it is a very ancient soul.



I swam today and did my 1000 yards and it felt stronger than ever before. I did not need to roll on my back and play gasping for breath as much as I usually do. I may not need those water wings with Lightning Bolts on them for race day.

Day 184 – Something felt right.

February I have yet to do any Yoga so that is still a goal I need to work towards. Spinning class is not sounding very attractive too me right now.

I ran last Sunday 3 miles with a friend who has not run in a long time and he did really well. He went farther and longer in a quick time (we did 3 miles in 35 minutes) than I could have done when I started. Nice going Brian you really know how to punish yourself. When I started I really sucked in the beginning, I mean like I would run 100 yards and then walk. I sort of still suck now but because I have been here the whole time I have a hard time seeing it. I have come a long way and completing the Triathlon seems like something I can actually do. I mean I realize I am not ready yet (I have a lot of training left to do) but I no longer see it as impossible task. Just a really really difficult one. This mostly has to do with I no longer think I am going to drown in the lake.


So Report Card:
Sunday 3 mile Run,
Monday Ran for 50 minutes with Donnie (estimate about 4+ miles)
Tuesday Swim for an hour.
Wed hide behind getting a lot done at work to avoid going to spinning class.
Thursday Swim for an hour.
Friday – Planning on a run.
Today I was swimming and at one point well into the swim I realized things had been going smooth for the entire lap. For about a length and half I forgot what I was doing and concentrated on breathing with only one eye out of the water and I found my pace. Wow I would like to find that place every time I swim. I need to go read “Total Immersion” again and improve my form.

The problem is I have been reading “ChiRunning” and focusing on improving my running so that I can continue injury free. I will have a harder time remembering what I have read if I read both books at the same time. I want to complete my training for this Triathlon without injury to slow me down. I can only focus on so much Loop and Lift at one time. I think it is the hardest in the pool but I like the pool the best.
Swimming is a challenge but I am seeing improvement and it doesn’t make me as sore. I get tired all over but it is a gentler tired compared to running or spinning. I like the feeling of swimming now, it is really nice to slide into the water heading into that first 200 warm up. Letting my body just remember how to move best in the water. I really can let go of the rest of my day. Today was a great example of that, I crammed to complete a top issues document on the way into work. Handled email and other small issues for the first 45 minutes, then into a meeting at 7:30 am then right after that I had to conduct a high risk stress filled 90 minute window of work. Then I raced up to the pool to have more time swimming. Once I slipped into the water and down the first 25 yards all of that sort of melted away. NICE.


I was talking with Donnie about how if you want to find the time in a busy schedule you just find the time to exercise. Once you make it a priority or make the Decision. A definition I once read somewhere “To Decide = to cut off all other choices”. I have decided to train today and so I find the time in my schedule.


“Always there with the free advice. Just another Day” John Cougar Mellancamp