The Fitness Torch

Tri If You Dare

2011-06-20T16:43:00.000-07:00

Last year on a Friday night at the community pool in mid-June, Isaac asked the purpose of all those newly assembled fences and metal structures (bike racks) in the parking lot. We told him about the kids' triathlon that would take place 2 days later. He did a quick personal inventory:

1. I'm 5 (the youngest eligible age)

2. I can run

3. I can bike

4. I can swim

came to a typically confident conclusion:

I can WIN!

He asked to enter, and a few minutes later snagged one of the last 2 spots. Mom and Dad invested time in packet pick-up, sprucing up the bike, and early morning bike and helmet placement in "transition" and body numbering. Isaac had so much fun running, biking, swimming and winning (he "placed" in his division) with his peers, that this summer his lobbying to participate began much sooner.

Unlike some 6 year olds, he hadn't grown into a larger bike yet, and Grandma wondered if he would feel as happy after this triathlon, since Isaac - or his team - comes in first in all his imaginary competitions, and placing second in one's first real triathlon sets the real-life achievement pretty high to top.

Four waves of older runners with longer distances to cover started before the 5-6 year old boys and girls. After some warm up stretches and basic instruction in pacing themselves and bike riding/passing etiquette, they were OFF!

Jockeying for position

Finishing up the run, headed into "T-1" (first transition), to secure helmet and hop on bike (with 16" wheels :-)

Slowing down at the end of the bike to take the sharp corner and smile at Dad and Grandma.

Drop the bike and helmet in transition (T-2) and run with all your might to overtake

and pass the runner just ahead of you on the way to the pool. After witnessing that effort, Grandma wonders if you have any strength left for the swim.

Just...a little...farther...gasp

A quick look back at "the competition" before exiting the pool.

OK, now to the FINISH LINE!

(What fun to see 2 small arms raised high in triumph of achievement as he reaches the end :-)

After several worried minutes of searching for his family, endorphin enriched triathlete is happy to show his medal and share his story.

Waiting to hear the results of the races and the winner of the bike give-away.

Boy, its hot out here. I wish the lifeguards would let me play in the splash pad.

Another "glory story" to fuel a young boy's imagination in the coming year.

Training for a century ride

2010-08-08T14:24:00.000-07:00

Kyle and I have been ramping up to do the hilly hundred in October. As we do longer training rides, we begin to realize that 100 miles is no short distance. 45.3 today

"Trail Tails 2" aka "Life at Bicycle Speed"

2010-06-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Biking along the Pinellas trail never gets old - it seems there is always something new to see, even though most of my miles are logged on a 10-11 mile stretch between St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

One recent day I spent 15-20 minutes tracking the movement of a dolphin in the bayou, watching his sleek body rise from the surface of the water in a gentle arc and immediately submerge again. I kept trying to catch him/her on my phone camera, but unable to detect a discernible pattern in his movements, I found it impossible to guess where he would next rise from the water and I never succeeded in positioning my camera lens within a chain link diamond in time to snap the photo before the dolphin submerged. I have a dozen photos of "empty" background to go with my memory.

A week or two later I braked to a stop at that same spot to see if the large pelican standing on the front of a small fishing boat was alive or just a whimsical "hood ornament". As the boat pulled closer, I saw it was indeed a real live pelican, hitching a ride with a crab fisherman, hoping for a handout from one of the man's many buckets. The fisherman directed his boat in numerous looping circles, reaching into the water to tug on crab lines while the pelican stayed at his post, adjusting his feet for balance and occasionally flapping his wings for a small circle flight around the boat before settling on the bow once again.

It reminded me of the children's story, "Come Again, Pelican" by Don Freeman, which my boys had enjoyed so much that I tracked down and purchased a worn out copy of the then out-of-print and out-of-library-circulation book to read to my grandsons.

This week I saw a man in a viking mask and shorts running toward me - he had a long red beard and a helmet that reflected the bright summer sun. "You just never know the craziness you'll see", I thought. When he finally got close enough, I saw that the thick red beard was real, the ends tied in a knot 4-6 inches below the chin, but the "helmet" had morphed into a incredibly reflective bald head.

Sights like these are hard to catch when you are going at car speed, and far enough away from home that I would never see them walking or running. Perhaps that partly explains my love affair with the bike.

If anyone out there is still reading this blog since Sam has been too busy with family life to post, I would like hear what are your favorite trails, rivers, etc. and some memorable sights from your neck of the woods.

Back on the Trail Again

2010-04-11T13:18:00.000-07:00

Kyle's comment to me yesterday, "You know....running's addictive!"

Oh, yes it is...and how thankful I am to be able to partake. After far too many weeks /months of no running due to injuries and URI's I couldn't seem to shake, I was THRILLED to have an overcast (read cool) morning to start back. Just run/walk intervals, but boy did it feel good.

And whether I walk or run, there is always something that catches my eye or pulls my heart to thanksgiving. Here a double crested cormorant drying its wings in Walsingham Park.

I'd like to know what tasty morsel this armadillo was after. It never did pull its head out of the hole and scurry for coverage even though I stood just a few feet from it with my phone camera clicking away. Also Walsingham Park. I use the treadmill and elliptical when time, joint and training constraints dictate, but it just doesn't come close to the JOY of walking and running outside.

Triathlon for Kate Clark

2009-08-02T18:48:00.001-07:00

August 2, 2009

Dear Family and Friends,

On May 29th 2009 I received some sad news from my family. My cousin Kate had been involved in a freak accident resulting in a severe spinal cord injury. That Friday Kate was volunteering at her son’s school supervising kids during recess. As she passed under the slide a boy jumped off the slide and landed on Kate’s head. After arriving at the hospital the doctors diagnosed a severe spinal cord injury at C4, the very same injury of Christopher Reeves. Kate was paralyzed. That same night Kate endured 5 hours of surgery. Immediately following her surgery doctors could not fully determine Kate’s prognosis. Only time would tell how much mobility and function Kate would regain.

Kate’s story is unfolding as a miracle. I myself am in awe of God’s faithfulness in this situation. The very next day after surgery Kate experienced a “heavy sensation” in all four of her limbs. She was also able to sit and stand twice with assistance from her physical therapists. Kate was progressing so well that she was moved to a rehab hospital one week after the accident (a week sooner than expected). Through the power of prayer, determination on Kate’s part and wonderful therapy, Kate is now able to walk unassisted after only 1 month! Kate still has many small and gross motor skills she is working diligently to regain. Her spirit and faith is strong.

I write asking for you to become a part of Kate’s story. Kate is married with 2 young children. Due to Kate’s injury her family does not have her income to help with family expenses. On July 14th Kate was discharged from the rehab hospital because insurance would no longer cover her stay. Kate’s doctors and therapist have said she will require about one more year of outpatient therapy. Her insurance does not cover outpatient therapy or the medicine she needs to keep the nerve pain under control.

Since Kate’s accident I have offered each time I run, bike and swim as an intercessory for Kate; praying that she too will one day again enjoy those same activities with her family. Now I would like to take one more step in helping Kate. I will be competing in my second triathlon on August 22nd to raise money on Kate’s behalf . I hope that you will be a part of Kate’s journey toward healing by sponsoring me. If you would like to sponsor me please send checks to Kate’s church. Her church has set up a foundation for Kate to receive tax-deductible donations to help cover her medical costs.

Please send checks with “Triathlon for Kate Clark” in the memo portion to:

Church of the Servant 
3835 Burton SE Grand Rapids, MI 49546
616-956-7611

In Thanksgiving for God’s Goodness,
Michelle Cullum

New & Improved ?

2009-01-31T03:51:00.000-08:00

I was somewhat surprised by how much my focus and determination for achieving my 2008 health and fitness goals increased when I posted them online for others to see. I thought of them numerous times throughout the year, spurred myself on by the thoughts of the end of year public "report card" and mentally checked off each item that was a single accomplishment as I did it.

more water.....Grade: B I do great as long as I'm training
regular flossing....Grade: B+ huge improvement - buying a metal dental pick helps
regular vitamins.....Grade: C some improvement but still missing too many days
more raw veggies.....Grade: B, more veggies (cooked & raw) .....Grade: A
learning to use bike shoes/clipless pedals.....Grade: C I learned just in the nick of time - I had only 2 days of practice in December before I pulled/tore a muscle which has kept me off the bike for over a month, but those 2 days were enough to fall in a laughing heap on the road when I lost my balance trying to get my foot out of the pedal.
swimming......Grade: A - not for speed, but for consistency of training until the pool closed for the season
triathlon.....Grade: A - for training, completing and enjoying 2 sprints

Strange that even though posting the goals publicly was such a good thing for me last year, I haven't settled on any fitness goals for this year, other than to continue to improve in each of the above, and if my schedule and body cooperate, to complete an Olympic distance triathlon.

I would like to hear what health and fitness goals some of the rest of you are setting into motion for yourself for this year/season of your life....mental, emotional, and spiritual fitness count also, so young'uns and not so young'uns, please sign on to post or comment.

2008 Turkey Trot Notes

2008-12-01T04:04:00.000-08:00

This second year of The Cullum Family participating in the St. Petersburg Times Turkey Trot in Clearwater saw a few changes, all of them good:

The commemorative race shirts were made out of dri-fit material, so we can actually use them for running this coming year! They are BRIGHT blue with a cartoon turkey so loud you can easily spot us if we should get lost in the wilderness. Perhaps Michelle will add a photo of the kids in their shirts.
Amber, now a Cullum, was visiting with Sam for the week, and also ran - hooray!
Michelle and Prema did the 5k rather than the 1 mile they ran last year. Michelle, of course, ran a 5k as part of her sprint triathlon in October, but this was the first time Prema had completed 3.2 miles!
David probably had the hardest workout, walking the 5k while pushing Eli in the double stroller and carrying Isaac (who wasn't feeling well) on his shoulders for most of the trot.
Sandy bettered her 2007 time by almost 5 minutes - yaay!
There were even more bands/instrumental ensembles of all varieties along the race route than last year - definitely a fun part of the race.
We all headed to Kyle & Michelle's after the run for a great post-race breakfast of pancakes and omelets.

This was the 30th year of our local turkey trot. I ran the 10k once when the boys were pre-schoolers and puked at the finish line. These past two years have definitely been more fun :-) and worth scheduling into our family celebrations of giving thanks.

The Great Pumpkin

2008-10-29T12:39:00.000-07:00

My family devours pumpkin pies and pumpkin rolls at holidays and I don't think I've ever refused pumpkin cheese cake when it was available, so I've been experimenting with lowly canned pumpkin (yes, the grocery stores stock it year-round) and have five "extra nutrition" recipes to share. The spice proportions in these recipes have a lot of flexibility, so have fun experimenting.

A 1/2 cup serving of the cooked, canned pumpkin has only 40 calories and .5 gram of fat. It's 9 grams of carbs are divided between 5 grams of dietary fiber and only 4 grams of sugar, making it very low on the glycemic index. It has 2 grams of protein and provides 300%! of the daily recommended value of vitamin A (80% as beta carotene) It's good stuff!

Regular use of these recipes should help you painlessly, economically increase your veggie intake. I get feedback from Kyle and Michelle's family, but I'd really like to hear what you think if you try any of them.

Pumpkin Pancakes

2 cups of "complete" pancake mix (I used Krusteaz Buttermilk, which has no trans fats and a decent amount of protein)
1/2 cup vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 cup flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed)
1/2 cup wheatgerm (sold in glass jars on the "baking aisle")
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/4- 2 1/2 cups of water
1 small can (15 oz) of pumpkin
2-4 teaspoons (total) of your choice of "pumpkin pie spices" - cinnamon, ginger, cloves, nutmeg, or pumpkin pie spice (I've made these with just cinnamon and they are good)

The ground flaxseed and wheatgerm raise the fiber and protein content of the pancake mix to slow down the body's absorbption of the simple carbs/sugar, allowing it to release less insulin and cortisol in your system than it would have to if you ate regular pancakes (a very good thing). They also provide a nutty crunch, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin E and additional folic acid (a B vitamin). Store both of these in your fridge so the oils in them don't go rancid. If you don't have ground flaxseed or wheatgerm, use quick or old-fashioned oatmeal instead.

Just like plain pancakes, you want to mix the ingredients just until they are all blended - they'll be tough and rubbery if you mix too much.

This recipe makes thick pancakes that take a bit longer to cook (360-375 degrees on greased griddle) Just like traditional pancakes, add more water if the mixture is too thick to cook all the way through without burning.

Try serving these with heated, no-added sugar applesauce or pureed pears, instead of syrup. Yummm. I've been using these as a side dish for our community meal, but they would make a great "breakfast supper" when the fridge is empty and payday is still a couple days away.

Pumpkin Protein Shake (Individual Adult 16 oz Portion)

1 cup milk or soymilk
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1 scoop (1/4-1/3 cup) vanilla whey protein powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
2-4 ice cubes
optional: sweetener of your choice
(Again, with the spices, use what you have and prefer. I made a shake this morning with 1/4 tsp. ginger, 1/4 tsp allspice, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg and 1/2 tsp cinnamon - delicious - ground cloves would taste good also. )
Blend till smooth

Pumpkin Shake (Family style and quantity)

1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
1 cup milk, your choice
1 cup of non-fat yogurt (plain or vanilla)
1 cup vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
(If you don't have yogurt, use more milk or ice cream, if you don't have ice cream, use more milk along with some ice cubes)
2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp cinnamon
sweetener of your choice, to taste ( I used 2 T Splenda, which seemed a bit too sweet for the adults, but the boys liked this protein shake better than the one I make with strawberries and bananas - perhaps because I used considerably less protein powder, proportionately)
Blend till smooth, makes 4-5 cups

Pumpkin Soup

I love rich, cream filled pumpkin soup baked and served in the pumpkin shell. Here's a quick and easy lighter version, which I adapted from Bobby Flay's recipe on http://www.foodnetwork.com/.

2 - 1 qt. boxes of chicken or vegetable stock (see note below)
2 - 15 oz cans of pureed pumpkin
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
(Or substitute 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice for all the above)
1-2 Tbs. honey
1 cup of light sour cream (or milk or 1/2 & 1/2)
Optional: Roasted pumpkin seeds or croutons for garnish

Mix everything but the sour cream and pumpkin seeds/crouton in a pasta/soup pot and cook for 20-30 minutes (lid on) - time to allow the flavors to blend, at a low enough temp to keep it from boiling. Just before serving, stir in the sour cream, then garnish if you desire. This recipe makes about 12 cups, and is easily cut in half.

Stock Note: Make your own vegetable stock by chopping/slicing into small pieces and sauteeing 2-3 celery stalks, 1-2 carrots, 1 large onion, and 2 cloves of garlic, then boiling in 8 cups of water or chicken broth for about 20 minutes. You can either strain the veggies and remove or better yet, puree them in the blender with a bit of the stock, and add back into the soup for added thickness and taste. I used the store bought chicken stock, and added the sauteed and blended veggies back into the soup when I added the pumpkin.

Crock Pot Note: This soup would work well in a crock pot, and should only need 2-4 hours on low or 1.5 - 2 hours on high, provided your stock is already prepared.

Pumpkin Pie Power Oatmeal

Add 1/4 - 1/2 cup pureed canned pumpkin, 1/2 - 1 scoop protein powder, 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or a combo of allspice, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg), and additional cinnamon to taste for each serving of quick or old fashioned oats, before cooking. Throw in some ground flaxseed and/or wheat germ for extra nutrition and nutty taste, sweeten and enjoy.

First Cyclocross Ride

2008-10-16T13:14:00.001-07:00

So I've known about this thing called Cyclocross for a long time. It's a variation of road and off-road riding (but mostly off-road). The frames are essentially road frames with knobby tires and less air pressure. So last night, I borrowed a friend's new cross bike and met up for the local ride at the park. I was told it would be a suffer-fest, but it wasn't too bad. I'm sure it will be worse at other times. The excitement and adrenaline keeps you going. There's nothing quite like riding down steep slopes and having to make sharp turns, knowing all the while that if you miss the turn or take it too fast, you end up in the lake. Lots and lots of fun! It's pretty similar to riding motorcycles with all the bouncing and adrenaline rising as you do things you're not totally sure are possible. I've got the bike for about 4 weeks and I intend to ride the crap out of it.

In other news, I'm looking forward to next spring already. Fall is fast upon us, and it is very nice, but winter weighs heavy on the former Floridian's Mind. Below is a picture from my autumn ride home tuesday night.

Tri Celebration - It Takes A Family

2008-10-13T09:16:00.000-07:00

We did it!

Sam coaching Michelle through a slipped chain at the bike start

Sandy speaking sternly to her bike to "stay on the rack!" as she heads out to run.

Sandy, heading out on the run: "Dang, I had a good bike!"

Eli: "Am I big enough yet?"

Michelle, in pro fashion, fastening her number belt as she heads out for the run.

David and Isaac, sportin' their "do's"

The bro's and "rayhawks"

Sam and Amber sporting milk mustaches like pros

Sam & Sandy (contorting her body to keep her hand-me-down mustache on)

Isaac, PIC (pilot in command), after the race, with Prema and Michelle .

The amount of kids rides at Cypress Gardens was wonderful.

Note to Wisconsin family: I milked the cow!"

Our fans, Kyle, Mom, & Prema.

Oh, the fun of spinning and jerking!

You gotta click on this one to see the ham action:-)

Eli and Michelle enjoying our last ride of the afternoon. The adults were bushed, but the kids were energizer bunnies. As we turned from the merry-go-round to leave the park, Isaac was saying, "Just one more ride..."

The Publix Family Fitness Weekend at Cypress Gardens was a whirlwind of activity for our family, but even with all the craziness most of us had plenty of moments of laughter and fun to mix in with the fatigue.

Michelle and I:

started the race with nerves and questions (both:-),
swam with enjoyment (both) and speed! (Michelle),
biked with power (both),
ran & walked with delight (the garden part) and determination (the parking lot laps) and
finished with smiles (both) and sweat (me).

We both achieved our primary goal (to finish!) and our secondary goal (Michelle: to have fun, me: to better my St. Leo time) and were happy with our times. We both hope to race again and are already discussing how to get faster - the guys are already shopping for a light road bike for Michelle.

We learned that:

Eli gets a powerful second wind about 9:00 pm in hotel rooms,
Prema loves to ride roller coasters and "scary" rides,
Isaac sings songs to entertain himself during lengthy drives strapped in his car seat,
Amber has a powerful sweet tooth and tackles Sudoku puzzles with a vengeance,
Sandy needs another person to point out the swim markers since she can't actually see them from the shore without her glasses
Michelle swims fast
David can be relaxed and flexible when he leaves his weekend bag in Largo
Sandy's Mom keeps a cheerful, positive attitude even when she's bone tired,
David, Kyle, and Sam, love us immensely and support us with much practical help and encouraging words.

Well, that last one, especially, we already knew, but reminders are always welcomed.

Thank You:

Sam and Amber for flying down to be with us and cheer us on....and to entertain the kids, get our bikes in race condition, take all these photos and shuttle David to the airport, etc. Your presence and help was much appreciated.

Mom for spending your birthday weekend to watch us race and enduring our noise and craziness with good humor and flexibility.
David and Kyle for supporting and encouraging us and for spending much money, time, and energy to help us accomplish the things we want to do.

GO, RAYS!

Then and Now

2008-10-08T04:28:00.000-07:00

It's been 5 months of continued training since my first triathlon, and I'm looking forward to the Cypress Gardens sprint triathlon coming up this weekend for several reasons:

It's an assessment opportunity to see what my months of training have yielded, particularly the Total Immersion swim drills I've worked on for months.

Michelle will be completing her first triathlon. I have run and biked with her on occasion and watched her swim and tackle many other difficult things and I am excited over how well she's going to do - the girl has an immense amount of drive and determination.

Sam and Amber are coming to have fun and celebrate with us, even though Sam is still recovering from his knee injury and won't be racing. I am really looking forward to laughing with them.

I suspected a few weeks ago that I was on the edge of over-training, and even though I tried to dial it back a few notches, I'm afraid I didn't dial it back enough soon enough and slipped over that fine line into the domain of over-trained. So I've cut back even more on my workouts these past two weeks and am hoping that resting these next two days will be enough to put power in my pedaling and spring in my step on the run course.

A few months ago my challenge was to see how much better I could do than my first race. That I would improve was simply my baseline assumption. Lately I've struggled so much with my workouts that that assumption has vanished. But, I am still looking forward to the race as a simple test with objective results without any perception mixed in.

When I began to think that I might not improve over my previous performance, I asked myself if all these hours of training this summer have been worth it if I did not get faster. That answer is a resounding YES! Five years ago, I didn't think I'd ever run a mile again and now I run 12+ miles a week and ENJOY most of those miles. I absolutely LOVE the freedom of hopping on my bike and riding to the beach for a swim or on the Pinellas trail to one end of the county or the other. And SWIMMING! What began as a surprisingly difficult aerobic challenge in May has become an absolute joy for me over these months of swimming outdoors at my community pool. I've gained more muscle, lost a couple more inches, and left stress I carried in my body at the pool and on the trail.

Oh, yes, it has been worth it. And no matter how I perform on Saturday, I will be signing up for another triathlon soon.

Power Protein Balls

2008-09-13T14:50:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with my vanilla and chocolate whey protein powder, looking for tasty, easy, economical ways to incorporate it into our diets. I adopted a recipe that Michelle and the kids used to make some great no-bake "power balls" to come up with this recipe that I thought good enough to take to the gym with me for taste testing ...everyone that tried one declared them delicious, and I promised I'd post the recipe. These are waaay healthier than the "chocolate no-bakes" I made for years, I think they will help me kick my evening ice cream habit, and Amber might even find them a suitable substitute for her beloved "buckeyes". Here's the recipe:

Mix well together in large bowl:

1 cup old fashioned oats/oatmeal

2 scoops chocolate whey protein powder (1/2 to 2/3 cup) (I use EAS)

1/4 cup ground flax seed (for the fiber and omega 3's)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp cocoa powder (I prefer Hershey's special dark)

1/4 cup raisins (or other dried fruit of your choice)

1/4 cup honey

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

Form into 1" balls. Makes 20.

If you find the mixture too dry to form balls that stay together, add more peanut butter. Brands differ a bit in the amount of oil they contain.

Based on this recipe and 20 balls, each power ball has:

102 calories

5 grams fat (no trans, all healthy fats in peanut butter and flax)

5 grams protein

1.5 grams fiber

5 grams sugar (honey & raisins)

10 grams carbs

I tried doubling the flax seed to increase the fiber and decrease the sugar proportionately, adding additional peanut butter, cocoa and cinnamon, but they were a little too dry and didn't taste as good, although the Cullum kids still devoured them.

I've been experimenting with some protein pumpkin pancakes and will post the best recipe soon.

I like mixing a scoop of the vanilla with plain non-fat yogurt and ground flax seed to have over fresh berries and fruit.....yumm....

Or throw in a scoop of either flavor along with cinnamon (and ground flax seed!) to a serving of old fashioned oatmeal for another quick tasty breakfast that will hold you for hours longer than the oatmeal alone.

Note: If you haven't purchased whey protein powder before, you might think I'm out of my mind for calling it economical, but one serving of the EAS brand, which supplies 23 grams of very lean protein, works out to about 30-35 cents a serving.

Fitness Joy

2008-09-07T13:28:00.000-07:00

Pool swims were nixed several days last week because of storms, so late afternoon on Labor Day, I biked to the beach for an open water swim to see if all my hours of drag-reduction swim drills had netted me anything.

I was surprised to find I had the water all to myself. A few people were grabbing the remaining rays of afternoon, but most, apparently had figured their holiday was over. Gustov had supplied a stronger than usual undertow close to the shore, but once I got beyond the line of cresting waves, the water felt incredibly calm. I swam parallel the shore for awhile, basking in the sun, the salt, and the silent rhythm of the waves, before trudging through the sand to shower, slide my feet in my shoes, and start home. I couldn't help but give thanks for the privilege of living in such a beautiful place where I can bike to the beach in 15 minutes to swim in the glorious Gulf.

After Sam posted some pics from his rides, I figured I'd share some from some of my recent beach rides. Enjoy.

The view west from the top of Sand Key Bridge.

Avian picnic inside Sand Key Park

One of the Art Deco mansions (yes?, Steve) on, where else?, Belleair Beach.

Transport along the intercoastal , from the Ulmerton/Walsingham bridge.

Belleair Beach, of course....one of my favorite venues for viewing Christmas lights.

I like that I was able to frame the Clearwater Causeway Bridge with the Sand Key Bridge in this view from the northern end of Sand Key Park, but what I especially like are the feathered party crashers.

"The heavens declare the glory of God..."

I was so involved in watching what I thought were manatees, ( the dark spots a few feet out from the boat) tease the boaters and swimmers, that I missed the very best shots. I'll have to do some research on that incident. Dolphins, I've seen plenty of times in this particular area, but I wasn't aware of manatees showing up here before. Their size and color made me go with manatees - along with the fact that they didn't breach the water the way dolphins usually do, but when I look at this photo I'm not sure. This is the intercoastal side of the Sand Key Bridge.

Tri Indy RR - DNS

2008-08-17T08:35:00.000-07:00

That's Did. Not. Start. I've had better days.

I stayed in Louisville last night with Mike and Katy (thanks guys). I had to get up early and drive to Indy at about 4 am. No worries, I got some coffee, cruised on up and arrived in plenty of time at around 6 am. Check in and body marking was a breeze. Then I got my transition area set up and walked back to the car. After some body-glide application, the last thing to do before walking to the swim start was put the keys away. I crouched down to slide them out of sight and felt and heard a familiar click. This happened in January. I tried to stay calm as I stood up, hoping I could get whatever it is that goes awry to go back to right before the race. Trying to relax and stretch it didn't work. A bounce home test was also negative.

Hence, I had to gimp over to Transition, get my bike and turn in my timing chip. The drive home sucked and it was painful. The knee still hasn't come back to normal. Last time it took about a day and a half with some PT, so I'm going to keep stretching it out and working on it, just hoping for the best. Frustrating day.

The weather is great and climbing is getting better.

2008-08-14T20:14:00.000-07:00

You see that big dip and then 300+ ft of climbing (really steep climbing)? That's called Ford-Hampton road. And it hurts. I haven't ever breathed that hard on a bike. Though it should make Indy feel extremely flat. Only like max 30 ft of elev gain on any single hill and there aren't too many. Looking forward to it.

Race Time!

2008-08-12T05:54:00.001-07:00

So...it's been a long time coming (per the norm), but it's time now to do a bit of racing. I had been planning on doing the Tri Fall Creek Falls in Pikeville, TN, but it was a bit more expensive and the INDY race seemed like a better idea for travel and logistics.

A few things I'm excited about going into this race include
1. The canal swim through downtown (see picture below) and getting back in my wetsuit.
2. Testing some swim fitness just to see how I'm doing.
3. Working on that dreaded T1 that I have (Shoes on bike, running start and hammer).
4. Seeing how much I can push on the bike and still run well (no speed guarantees or goals besides go hard.
5. Suffering through the run and pushing as hard as I can for the last 5k.

The weather is looking good in Indianapolis on Sunday. I tend to do well with cloudy weather and cooler temperatures.

The excitement is back and I'm looking forward to it.

Morning Ride Pictures

2008-07-25T07:36:00.001-07:00

Some days, I just fail to understand why people drive so much around here.

Sandy's Shakes

2008-07-22T08:45:00.000-07:00

This post is to answer a request for a shake receipe. The items above are the ingredients I use for the "Pink Protein Smoothie" - recipe below.

This picture is for convincing Isaac that ground flaxseed can come in many different packages, not just the yellow bag. We can even grind our own seeds if we want to.

The Pink Protein Smoothie:

3/4 - 1 cup of soy (or cow) milk

3/4 - 1 cup non-fat plain yogurt (I use fruit flavored if I haven't enough real fruit, but prefer plain)

1 scoop (abt 1/4 c)EAS whey protein powder (Vanilla)

(Sam's Club and probably Wal-Mart carries it - per serving its a very economical way of getting lean whey protein in lots of every day dishes)

1 - 1 1/2 cup frozen sliced strawberries (sliced are easier to blend than whole)

1 banana (frozen or room temp)

1-2 T ground flax seed (for the omega 3's and fiber)

4-6 ice cubes

I usually add 1 Tbls Carlson's lemon flavored fish oil for the Omega 3 oils - it adds to smoothness and doesn't taste fishy at all.

It seems easier to blend if I put the soy milk in first, then layer the fruit, protein and flax with the yogurt and ice. This will make 3-5 cups of DELICIOUS protein & calcium packed smoothie, with good amounts of Omega 3, potassium and vitamin C.

If you leave some of this in the fridge for a few hours, it will turn brownish because of the banana, but it still tastes great -- good to throw in a couple drops of red food color before blending leftovers for the kids.

Mocha Protein Shake

1 cup cold leftover coffee (the stronger, the better)

1/2 -1 cup soy (or cow) milk

1 scoop chocolate protein powder

2-4 ice cubes

opttional: 1/2-1 tsp cocoa powder (NOT hot chocolate mix)

My first experiment with a peanut butter flavored protein shake was not worth repeating (I used coffee in the liquid), but I imagine 1 cup of milk or yogurt with 1 scoop of protein powder (either vanilla or chocolate) and 2 Tbls peanut butter along with some ice cubes would taste good. Anybody got a good peanut butter combo?

Note to those looking to swim better: Swim outside

2008-07-21T11:39:00.001-07:00

Why? Let's break it down, shall we? First, you have the sun which does wonders for your desire to swim that extra 500m when increasing yardage versus the mind numbingly dull fluorescent lights of the globo-gym pool. Second, you can swim 50m lengths, instead of laps, which adds to the interest factor, and is more long-course/open-water specific training. (Did I already mention the sunshine?) Third, you can bring people with you even if they don't share your love for a long swim (read: they can swim and then chill out and read by the pool). Fourth, you can see cool stuff by the pool like the Luna moth pictured above.

Finally, it's summer and winter looms with fierce dread. Brrr. Get outside!

Anybody else think about this?

2008-07-18T04:57:00.001-07:00

When I get done with a ride, especially if the ride is TO work, I take a quick look in the mirror to make sure I am presentable. First I do this...

And then I think, "That's odd. Why does my head look like that? There's no way I can go into work looking like this."

"I look like, like, like, ummmm.....This!"

Oh well, what to do?

Show of hands

2008-07-15T17:09:00.000-07:00

How many here think that most people out there have one of the following run through their head when they see you riding your bike to work:
1. That person must have been a drunk driver who got their license taken away or
2. That person must be poor and not able to afford car/insurance/gas

?????

i think i get this vibe a lot...maybe its because i look like a wanker and not a cool biker

Below are pics of new fixed gear.

Come with Us...

2008-07-11T04:54:00.000-07:00

So, here at The Torch, we're always seeking to promote healthy, physically active lifestyles. With that spirit in mind, Steve and myself adopted the idea of having team posting on Buckeye Outdoors. Some of you already use this site to log workouts, walks, hikes, gym visits, etc. It's very easy to use, and if you'd like (just let me know), I can add your workout in a widget to the side (see Steve's to the right). So if you'd like, sign up on buckeyeoutdoors, and then go find the Team "Torch de Fitness." You will need to request permission to join the team, but don't worry. I will give it.

So get off the fence.....

And come join us....

A Bit of a Breakthrough

2008-07-10T07:43:00.001-07:00

So a typical ride for me over the past two months has been one of two types: 1) Group ride with a couple guys who ride competitively (Sam hangs for as long as possible until getting wrecked, usually during difficult efforts) or 2) Solo ride of some sort.

All rides have been in road configuration sans aero bars. Well, yesterday things began to look up. We were planning to do a brick (for those that don't know, that's a bike followed by a run). The plan was to ride easy beginning and end, but in the middle include 5x(4-min effort w/2-min rest interval). Thus, the tri configuration was set up prior to the ride. I honestly forgot how much I like being in the aerobars with some skeletal support as opposed to musculature support of the road configuration. So effort number 1, we stay pretty even most of the way, with the training partner getting ahead at the end of the interval. Breakthrough came in interval 2, we had done about 2 minutes, and I was about 20 feet behind when we slowed, turned right and started going uphill. From somewhere (perhaps the suffering of all the previous rides) I found some power to go past the training partner (who is light and usually trounces me on hills) and continue accelerating on the hill. Closed out the interval feeling like a champ and held on in front. The next two we stayed pretty even, and he trounced me on the fifth with his endurance. But all the same. It was good to remember (by feeling) that I can throw down a little on the bike when I want to.

I think there's just something about being aero from which I get more power (ahh, the joys of fitness).

(is this a sweet looking bike or what?)

The run off the bike was a bit tough as the legs were feeling gelatinous near the end of the ride, but a planned upon fast first mile was cut by 15 seconds (probably due to group workout nature) and the following 2.8 miles were hard but good.

Lesson for today: keep going, keep mixing it up and don't overdo it. The breakthroughs will come.

Photos courtesy of velonews.com

KY in the Summer (gotta love it)

2008-07-09T06:07:00.000-07:00

This will be your encouraging post for the week/month/quarter. It's hard not to appreciate being outside this time of year, even if one lives in a highly urban area. Regardless, it's better than laying on a couch, and it's exceedingly more interesting. So even if it's a walk, go enjoy your life and slow it down with getting out of the building.

These are some pics from the ride home yesterday afternoon. I did beat the storm home.

Kid you not, there were some 7-8' tall corn stalks just a little further down the road...

On tap for today is a brick with the fellas and maybe a few minutes of Tour de France coverage after.

Ride your A$$

2008-07-06T10:33:00.001-07:00

These are some pictures from our ride yesterday. We needed to get out and move after the Fourth's Feast and a hard run at the 10-k.

A quick 10-k recap: I haven't been doing too much speed work, and was not as well-trained as last year. Hence, there were no PR expectations. That's Rodes city next March. Get ready. Mike and I had a little too much fun the night before hanging out and staying up late playing Madden. It was a good time. The next morning we all got out the door a little late (Katy, Mike, Amber, and myself) due to some bowel testing. There was a nice line at the port-o-lets and we all tested their hospitality prior to the race.

Mike and Amber both PR'd and had good races. Katy finished strong, but I'll let her tell you about it. I went out at about 7+min/mi pace and the HR was skyrocketing. I figured it wasn't a PR kind of day as earlier determined, so I went for a good tempo run and finished in 43:02. It was a good time. The weather was overcast and rainy, and pretty cool for July.

The 1st annual SAMBER Independence day cookout was a success with a lot of people coming over for inside out burgers and cornhole. Fun was had by all. Hopefully we'll get some pictures up on the other blog soon.

My riding buddy Jeff and I went out for a nice 45 mile ride saturday morning. Paris is lovely in the summer!

After that, came home and got some lunch and then Amber and I went for a 15-miler. She's getting stronger. About 1+ mph faster than the last ride. We stopped for a quick visit with a local farm inhabitant.

Take Care of your Ride

2008-07-01T04:54:00.001-07:00

This is one of those articles where the author (preacher) needs to hear the message he's sending out. It is for such a reason that the author writes. It is very important (relative to bike world, not in respect to the numerous other actually important things in life) to take care of one's bike. Considering the amount of time and energy expended on it by those training, 15 minutes of care once a week is pretty well spent. It is in this vein that the author endeavors to inspire the readers to at least wipe down their bikes, clean and re-lube the chains and inspect their bikes from time to time. The author is by no means a bike mechanic, or even good at upkeep, but here are some resources (Thanks Bikesport Michigan and Google) for enjoying riding and your bike a bit more:

Maintenance Schedule
Preventative Maintenance
Pre-Race Tune-up
Keeping your bike out of the shop
Daily/Per ride inspection
Fixing a Flat

Before you get too worried and start running out to the store, remember that the people writing these articles run bike shops; hence they want your business (which is not a bad thing). Resist the urge to part with loads of cash. If you have something you don't understand on your bike, break out the internets. Google and youTube have countless resources for bike repair, maintenance, tune-up, weird little clicky noises, etc.

Enjoy the Ride.

Getting Trashed (No, not like that)

2008-06-26T04:58:00.000-07:00

You'll have to ask Amber if I looked like this when I got back from my ride last night, but I can assure you this is how I felt. I decided I'd ride with the fellas after commuting to and from work. Maybe not the best idea, but a good way to grind out some endurance nonetheless. I tried to take it easy on my work commutes, and still ended up averaging right around 18+ mph. In retrospect, I should be setting my MHR a little lower when I know I have a long day, just to stay fresher longer.

So everything was going great and we were cruising along (rather quickly, I might add) when I hear a shewwwww coming from my tires. Thankfully, I had realized I'd forgotten a spare tube on my commute and with my luck riding with the fellas (numerous mechanical/bike issues), I wanted to have it just in case.

Jeff and Casey were contending for county line and bridge sprints throughout the four counties we rode in yesterday. I usually attempt to do this when I'm fresh, but I just let them go today. I believe the score was Jeff 4, Casey 3, with Jeff pulling out a nice acceleration to take the last sprint.

Anyhow, around mile 55, Sam popped. The 20+ mph pace became too much and climbing became a thing of pain. We returned to Lexington (around mile 75), and I was a little scared I was going to pass out on my bike. For the first time since training for my half last year, I just wanted to lay down on the side of the road and take a nap. No questions asked. After I split off to head home, I decided I need to stop and infuse my body with some sugar. 44 oz. real sprite anyone? I got a couple of powerades as well, just to make sure I could ride the last mile home.

I was pretty much a zombie the rest of the evening, and thankfully my wife is pretty awesome, as she rubbed my legs for me (while reminding me that she didn't feel bad for me because I decided to ride "a billion miles" :D )

The main point is this: when you're riding off the back of the pack as much as I was yesterday, you have two choices. You can quit, pack it in, pull out the cell phone and get a ride (which is not always a bad decision), or you can fight the voice inside that's calling you stupid for trying to do more than you have before, for trying to keep up with people who are "better" than you, etc., etc., etc. I think everybody has it. You hear it often when people are worried about not feeling in control during a workout. I've learned from riding with these two ,who have much better fitness than myself, that simply accepting where you're at and not worrying about it is key to success. If you constantly beat yourself down about not being fast enough, bla bla bla, you'll never have the motivation to get out and do it the next day. Just know that in whatever area you might be working, playing, you're out there extending yourself, and it's a good deal better than sitting on the bench. I would also advise riding with some people who are weaker than you on a semi-regular basis to keep self-confidence high.

By the way, a link to an article about the pool in the last post can be found here.

In A Perfect World...

2008-06-24T06:32:00.000-07:00

Every town would have one of these:

Even if it was only two lap lanes wide...

No more worries about flip-turns or open turns, and imagine how many people could share a lane...

Forced (by) Gas furnace

2008-06-20T12:50:00.000-07:00

It seems like this happens regularly now, but the spring months are often tough for me to get consistent training in. Subsequently, it is the first day of Summer, and I just had the first good week in a long time. Saturday and Sunday are still available, and I've gotten in two runs, a swim, and 3 bikes. Riding the bike is becoming a bit more desirable now that fuel costs are growing. Both Amber and myself are embracing this a bit more. My goal is to grow into commuting an average of 2-3x/week and carpooling the other days. I have a nice 16-18 mi trip (depending on route) each way. It's good and hilly, so it forces fitness in pretty well.

I'm currently trying to set up a little race schedule and a training schedule that's realistic for every week. I also need to get off my arse and go to master's swimming. The wife seems to be warming up to the idea.

The author realizes this isn't much of a post, but starting to write again is kind of like recovery. Just a little bit at a time before you get back into full swing. I'm saving better stuff for later.

St. Leo Tri-umph

2008-06-14T12:04:00.000-07:00

WOW- what a way to celebrate my 53rd birthday! I stayed calm and stuck with my game plan, passed at least one person in each portion of the race, AND finished each segment of the race faster than I had in training this past month!

I had hoped, if all went well, to come in under 2:30, with my "absolute best case scenario" sitting about 2:10. My official time was 1:38:11 - yaaay! I know that is slow to the young bucks, but I am thrilled with it!

Notes from a first-time tri-er:

David endured a couple weeks of listening to me ruminate on how I would handle the race challenges and spent a sleep-deprived night on a too-soft mattress, but still good naturedly rode the bike course with me on Memorial Day and chauffered me back and forth to the race site this weekend and cheered me on at transition and the finish. Thanks, David.

Pre-race intake: water, gatorade, black tea, banana, kashi bar, allergy med, glucosamine chondroitin for the joints and ginseng (to help maintain energy for the duration and lessen muscle soreness after).

Our "first-timers" bike rack was right next to the transition entrance, so finding my bike was cake - that and the fact that very few bikes were left by the time I arrived from the swim - a fact my beloved had pointed out to me one time I was obsessing about being able to find my bike without my glasses on.

The comraderie of the "first-timers" group of men around me while we waited for our swim wave to start was great - talk of how much training we'd had in preparation, which race segment gave us the most concern (swim) and which the most pleasure (bike), along with encouragement, smiles, and well-wishing.

My warm-up swim informed me that SEEING the red triangular balloon course markers would be a challenge with tinted goggles replacing my "coke-bottle glasses". Thankfully the sun had come up enough by the time my wave entered the water, that I was able to stay reasonably on course except for the last leg where I wasted some strokes getting back on course.

Checked my watch coming up the long hill after exiting the swim - 19:30 hooray!

Running barefoot over parking lot - not fun but not as bad as I'd anticipated.

My transition to bike? slower than 3 people who came in after me :-)

Having biked the bike course 2 weeks ago helped alot in knowing where I could take advantage of those downhills and where I couldn't, but I was surprised a bit how much I struggled to keep a steady pace. I passed 4 women on the bike portion, 2 early on, and two in the last mile or two.

My watch said 1 hour 4 minutes when I dismounted, which put my bike about 40 minutes for 10 miles

The run was mostly on grass or dirt paths, which was great for me, but it was also very hilly - not so great for me. I hadn't been able to work in any steep incline work on the treadmill in prep as I had hoped. I had to walk alot of intervals.

Just a few runners finished behind me, but that didn't mar my elation one bit as I chugged up the final hill to the finish chute at the top and looked at my watch.

Post-race photo op with a giant inflated cow, picnic of delicious chocolate milk, turkey wrap, and fruit, and a VERY satisfied ride back to the hotel to shower and head home.

Sweat and Swimming

2008-06-11T09:40:00.000-07:00

SWEAT

While menopausal sweat that wakens me at 11:30 and 1:00 and 1:20 and 2:40 and 3:30 and 4:00 and 4:30 (yep, 6 times a night is about right) is NOT a thing to feel good about, watching my sweat drip onto my bicycle pedaling legs or onto the mat when I'm doing push-ups is an mmmm....mmmm.....GOOD feeling of achievement.

Living here in Florida we learn to develop a higher tolerance for and appreciation of sweat. Since we're going to be doing it anytime we're outside in the summer for more than about 10 minutes, we might as well get our money's worth and sweat a bucketful while we're running so we can feel good when we're peeling off and wringing out our running shorts & shirts. Its the price we pay for the sunshine instead of gloomy grey and year round warmth instead of biting cold winters.

SWIMMING
Today I swam 40 laps/1000 yards/909 meters without stopping at the pool - my 14th swim work-out in prep for my first triathlon this weekend. I had to know that I could swim for 600 meters (the lenght in the sprint tri) plus a good bit more to accomodate a zig zag or outer perimeter course on race day. I expect to do 25-50% of the swim on my back, trying to avoid collisions and swim along a relatively expedient course. Survival with enough energy to do the bike and run is my goal for this one. Even today, after this many swim sessions, I had to fight back moments of panic once or twice when I felt I couldn't ta.ke in enough air in the first 200 yards. But I did, I kept swimming and can now see myself completing a half mile swim in the future.

Breaking It Down Brings a Question

2008-06-03T11:11:00.000-07:00

This first part is minutae probably no one but me finds interesting. The question is at the end.

As part of my mental preparation for this first triathlon, I have tried to break down into manageable bits all the parts of the challenge I know to be new to me, and experience or simulate them as much as possible before the race, so I can hopefully sleep better the night before the race and thoroughly enjoy the event. So here are some of my "little bits of NEW".

David and I rode the St. Leo bicycle course on Memorial Day morning. No blazing speed, but now I know I don't need to fear the hills -riding the overpasses on the Pinellas trail have been decent prep. Making the 90 degree turns at a high speed at the bottom of at least one of those hills is a challenge that will have to wait until race day.

I've learned to shift into and out of the largest/greatest resistance front sprocket - something I had no need/desire for until I wanted to maximize the "flying-down-the-hill" energy.

I've practiced riding most of my 15 mile prep bike course using the low hand grips on this first road bike I've ever owned.

I've practiced drinking while pedaling - another thing I hadn't done at all on this bike prior to tri training.

I got and have been wearing a pair of swim goggles to swim laps.

I did an open water swim with Kyle in the Gulf of Mexico, staying in a depth where I had to swim or tread water for about 50 minutes. While the salt water made for a great bouyancy I won't have on race day, the wave swells made breathing air instead of water a challenge - I shouldn't panic at the beginning of the swim now when flailing feet and arms make the water churn. Thanks, Kyle and Michelle!

I also want to wear a cap for at least one of my swims and run later in the morning than I've been going, so I can give a "you've already done this, you can do it today" response to any negative self talk complaining about the heat and sun when I'm running. I also want to do one or two days of swim/bike/run in the order I'll be facing them.

So here's my question for the experienced triathletes, posed as I pushed the pedals on the return portion of my ride this morning, bypassing the bathroom in favor of an accurate time assessment: Have you ever peed while pedaling (after checking aft traffic, of course)? Did you regret it?

photo c.1997 Whetstone Photography Paul Jarrio 864-647-6500 (my first whitewater rafting experience)

St. Leo, Here I Come

2008-05-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

Publix sponsors a series of Family Fitness Weekends across Florida, I've signed up to make the St. Leo Sprint Triathlon the weekend of June 14-15 my first triathlon, and I can already feel the nerves....

On the morning of Sam and Amber's wedding day, brother-in-law, Michael, found me on the treadmill at the hotel and we started talking fitness and triathlons - he and Dudley did at least one together years ago. Mike tells me the Cypress Gardens Triathlon is a great course for beginners because the swim portion has a rope along the entire distance. Since I hadn't been in the pool yet this season I appreciated that kind of thinking. So I check it out online and find it's a fall event around Sam's birthday....hmm...perhaps a family get-together?....

But then I notice the St. Leo event - not too far from home and a great way to celebrate turning 53 on the 13th - learning to do new things is supposed to help keep your brain young, and signing up for an event will get me in the pool - one of my fitness goals for the year. The downside is that its so soon and after 32+ years of almost no swimming (playing with the kids in the gulf or a pool doesn't count) I haven't been in the pool yet or transitioned to using my bike shoes and clips yet.

So a week ago I ran a 5k, swam laps (with many rests) totalling over 600 meters at the Seminole pool and, since the bike course description reads "hills, hills, and more hills" did a 15 mile bike ride on the only hills I have close by - the overpasses of the "south" portion of the Pinellas trail. A repeat of the bike along with a shorter run and swim the next day, a real rest day on Sunday, complete with pajamas and lots of sitting, and I plunked down the cash for registration.

I'm hoping to ride some of those Pasco County hills this holiday weekend because I am worried about my ability to push through 10 miles of them - I am definitely a flatlander. On the swimming, I've found that if I do a lap on my back after a lap of freestyle, I can recover enough to do another freestyle lap without a rest in-between, but I'm fighting toe cramps during every swim and trying to figure out how to stay on course if I have to swim 400 meters on my back. Surviving the swim with enough left to bike and run is my goal, not speed - if I am able to finish the sprint in 2.5 hours or less (it was in the 90's while I biked yesterday) I will be happy.

I'm doing reasonably well these past couple weeks working in about 3-4 runs , 3 swims, 3 bike rides and a little more rest per week. I'm keeping my mid-week weight workout, but dropping my weekend session in favor of the increased cardio. I'm hoping to work in a high incline session on the treadmill, a couple more pilates sessions to help my abs for swimming, and a "thrashing" session in the pool these next 2 weeks. I'm eating more bananas and spinach and walking around on tip toe to help with the toe cramps, and trying to find solutions to questions like: Since I won't be wearing my contacts (the meds I take for allergies dry my eyes out too much) will I be able to find my way to my bike without my glasses (hmm, steal the bright orange flag from the kiddie cruiser?) or should I try to find some goggles that can be worn over my glasses.

David teased me about my "anxiety" level yesterday as he was printing a bike course map for me so I can ride it this weekend. All I can say is, now I understand how the pre-triathlon prep that seems somewhat obsessive to non-participating friends and family members seems to be simply common sense to the one trying to prepare for the challenge.

The photo above is from a 5k race the summer of 1983, if I'm reading the shirt correctly. It was my 3rd 5k race, and my last until the turkey trot in 2007. Notice how enthusiastic my shirtless sons are to pose with sweat-drenched mom.

Defensive Cycling

2008-05-23T06:29:00.001-07:00

Since the above happened to me about 5 weeks ago, I figured I'd post a PSA for all those beginning to ride in traffic or who still fear it. You have good reason. Dan Empfield wrote a good article regarding safety on the bike. Don't forget to remember how it should be isn't how it is. And how it is has a lot to do with whether you're safe or not. Enjoy

Who likes Climbing?

2008-04-28T09:25:00.000-07:00

I do. It hurts like crap, especially when you're a bigger guy, but the fitness gains are remarkable (at least they have been in the past). Yesterday was a good ride. Beautiful day in the bluegrass, and we took it down the the river for some climbs at Clay's Ferry, T-burg Hill, and the climb up from Hall's on the river. There were some other tough ones in there too. I'm looking forward to doing this ride more. Only next time, I'll be throwing on the 12-27 cassette instead of the 11-23. If you don't know what that means, just e-mail me before you have to do any serious climbing, because you should know.

Is this mating season?

2008-04-08T04:56:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was a perfect morning for me to enjoy my first ever full 6 mile loop run (still with some walk intervals) in Walsingham Park. Lots of strong rain Sunday which should have pulled the pollen from the oak trees and piled it into soggy masses on the ground , allowing me to breath easier than I have in weeks, and I did not totally "thrash myself" in my weight workout and rollerblading over the weekend. The overcast sky and early morning fog hanging over the lake makes running the path a visual delight.

So I've gone around the lake once, done the "front loop", gone past the dog park, and have just entered the narrow stretch of park between the fence next to the Warhawk youth baseball complex and the lake when I hear the LOUDEST, deepest alligator bellow/moan I have EVER heard, in all my years in Florida. RIGHT next to the running path - like 6 feet or less from the sound of it.

Immediately I go on full alert, moving closer to the fence, doing a rapid IFR scan through my fogged over glasses of the bank, the lake, the water plants, the man walking, in front of me, the bank, the lake, the bank the lake, listening intently for any rustling that will signal a gator moving out of the water, picturing other Florida women who've had gator encounters of the "too close" variety. I pick up my pace, looking back towward the sound the entire time. I spot two bumpy roughly rectangular protrusions, about 26-30" long, very close to one another, and incredibly close to the bank. Is that the source? If it is two of them, they seem too small to make the incredibly deep sound that put me on instant alert.

I slow down when I pass the older man with earphones to ask if he heard it. He definitely did. He admits to fear and visually searching, without success, for what he is certain, from the sound, was a very large gator, much larger than the protrusions I describe. hmmm

So, anyway, I enjoy the rest of the return loop, happy with what I'm accomplishing when I catch up to a dog-walking acquaintance from the past and mention the incongruity of the huge gator sounds coupled with the comparatively small to medium heads I think I spotted. Too small? "Not if it's mating season," she shouts as I run ahead.

"Not if it's mating season?!" Who knew?

PS: I grabbed my camera when I got home and headed back to the park to take a picture for the blog. I intended to photograph the exact spot. 50-75 yards before I reached it, a pair of knobby eye sockets protruded from the surface, about 10-15 from the bank. I moved a bit - just a bit- closer and started zooming in so the non-Floridians could get a good look. The gator spooked and submerged, the wave action seemed to indicate movement towards the shore, and I stepped back, turned around and headed out. There will be other photo ops. Of that I'm sure. One day, last fall, I came within 3-4 feet of tripping over a baby gator OUTSIDE the park fence, right next to the sidewalk I take every time I take the "back route" to the park.

PPS/PSS: If you've never read Peter Jenkins' account of nightime gator hunting with some bayou natives in Louisiana, you've missed out on some good stuff. Find it in "Walk Across America".

Hammering out Fitness

2008-04-06T19:44:00.001-07:00

Cycling in the spring is one of the greater passions of mine. Beautiful days filled with 60+ mile rides is a good afternoon.

So today we had a bit of deja vu. We had a guy come out who had not been riding since the winter. We were supposed to get in a somewhat easy 50+ mile ride, but somebody forgot to tell one person. This singular person started leading out at about 5 miles and we hammered in a pace line for about 10 miles. We put at least a half mile into the poor guy who hadn't been riding. Why deja vu you ask? Because that was me two and a half weeks ago. Getting dropped really builds some fitness.

Yesterday was a 6 mile effort with some 1/2 mile intervals mixed in in the second half of the run. What's the point? Building base fitness is a great thing. It helps to be ready, but when you can't be ready, it's good to go ahead and thrash yourself a little bit every once in a while. First, it does actually build fitness. Second, it's great motivation to put in some training to get up to a level commensurate with your abilities. So if you need to get ready quick. Crush it a little bit. Just don't be stupid.

Rebel Man

2008-03-31T16:24:00.000-07:00

Something like 6 or 8 weeks ago, I decided to put to rest all my excuses about not doing a triathlon, and sign up for the one that seemed most easily accomplished. Saturday the race came, but before I get into the actual race report, I’ve asked Sam to write a little introduction for me. This story (Sam loves to rag on me about it, for good reason), describes me almost perfectly.

The shortest tempo run ever

Let’s set the scene, shall we? Memorial Day weekend 2007. I flew up to Rochester, NY with my parents for the wedding of a cousin (Steve’s younger sister).

I went and hung out with Steve and Liz (Steve’s wife) for some coffee. Steve and I discussed getting in a little fun run the next morning before Steve had to fulfill family duties.

We decided to meet at a location on the Erie Canal trail. Pretty idyllic day: little cloudy, about 65-70 degrees F. I tell Steve before we start I’m thinking of doing about 5, and if he needs to turn back and just get in 3 before heading home, I’m cool with that. We discuss pace, deciding on about 8 min miles or thereabouts.

So we start going, and I look down at my Garmin to check the pace and we’re running about 7:40/mile. I think to myself “ah it’s a little fast, but it’ll calm down. Steve hasn’t been running much.” I also comment to Steve, “We’re going a little below 8’s right now, how you feeling?” “I feel great!” Says Steve. Over the next 5 minutes and approximately ¾ of a mile, Steve continues to lower the pace down to the fastest at about 6:20/mile. Mind you, I’d been training for a half ironman and doing speedwork, so it wasn’t really a big deal for me, I was just enjoying the fun, thinking “This won’t last long, right? Or maybe it will. Steve did run track in high school.” At right around a mile, Steve turns and says “I gotta slow down. Something’s not right.”

We ran a mile and walked a mile that day. And Steve has yet to live it down. I had to work in a run the next night to stay on schedule. I also kid Steve pretty mercilessly whenever we talk. Just for reference, before his tri, I must have warned him at least 5 times to go out easy on the swim and see how he feels on the bike before beginning the hammerfest. With that said, I’ll turn it over to Steve.

Now that I look a little hard-headed—Sam’s pretty much right, in my defense, I’ll only add that I hadn’t run consistently in years, and the running I did came in pick-up/intramural games of frisbee, basketball, or football, places where my ability to run fast for short bursts comes in handy.

The Swim (400yds in a lap pool, time-trial start)

Swim Time- 8:29

As Sam has alluded to, I threw down way too hard to start the swim the swim. Within 100yds, I caught the two people in front of me….they caught me by the 300yd mark. Needless to say, I was going SLOW by that point, and couldn’t seem to get going again.

On my way outside, I must have looked pretty pitiful—my wife cheered me on by asking, “Are you going to make it?”

Just for the record, even with the added time of getting to the chip pads (50 yds away from the pool), I have no idea how I went so slow, while training I didn’t even warm-up/cool down that slow.

T1

T1 Time- 4:03

On my way out of the pool I decided to take my transition easy. I pretty much blew my race in the pool, and figured it best to simply make sure I got on the bike. I did no running through this transition—not exactly the best way to a speedy time, but I wanted to finish the race.

The Bike (supposed to be a 21k, apparently the organizers decided to make it a 22k)

Bike Time-45:45/17.3mph

I finally get on the bike (about 3-4 minutes after I thought I might), and my chain decides (for 3-5 miles) that it really wants to flip-flop between the big and small rings. I try changing gears (hitting all of them I think), and it just doesn’t want to stick. Not wanting to break the chain, I proceed at a very slow 14ish mph. Finally, as I was going up a hill, the chain stuck in the big ring!

All that said, I came in on the bike with about the time I expected, so no big surprises. I only passed a few people, and got passed by probably 6 or 8.

T2

T2 Time-1:43

A bit more respectable than T1—it helps to run….

The Run (supposed to be 5k, if you weren’t in the top 3, you were told the wrong directions, and it turned into a 4k)

Run Time-21:11/8:29/mile

The run felt good, but it was a bit slow, as I was shooting for 7:45-8/mile. Not much to say other than I had too much left at the finish.

Total Time-1:21:10, 88th overall (I don’t know how many), 20/27 AG

My goal time was to come in around 1:30, and I beat that, so I’m trying to convince myself to be happy about it. I’m unhappy because I came in with a lot of energy to spare, and feel like I could have used it on the bike or run. The good news is that I’ve got better direction now for my training. Now I know to really work on sustaining my speed.

I’m still excited about the triathlon, and can’t wait for the next race. Feel free to give me any training tips for the next go-round.

Papa John's 10 miler Race Report

2008-03-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

So I realize that I've become a fitness freak when I have racing traditions. This is my new one: a longer run to kick off the season and get me going. Last year it was a half mary pacing Mark, this year, a fun run with Mike at the 10-miler.

The other reason I know I'm a fitness freak is that I look at a race as training for something else. Seriously. I got to Lousville friday afternoon and was more excited about riding over to the stadium on the bike with Mike for packet pickup than I was for the race. I felt a little bad (and took a lot of crap) for pushing him a bit on the bike. There were some good hills and Mike was pretty exhausted by the time we got done with our ~23 miles. Sorry bud. We'll do it again next year and you'll be in shape.

It was a cold morning. High 30's. There was record attendance yet again for this event. Around 7500 people.

My plan was to go out along with mike pretty easy the first 3 miles until we got to Iriquois park. This is where the race begins. There were some solid hills out there. Nice long hills are really becoming something I enjoy more. But I especially enjoy it on the bike. The run, it's good, but not my favorite thing. However, I was killing it in the hills this day. I was able to have just a solid cadence, and I was passing people like gangbusters. After the first hill, I decided it was time to start pouring it on and let Mike run his own race and me mine. The last hill in Iriquois was pretty rough, but it felt good to have it over with and the downhill was a glorious break. I took in a gel before getting to the water station and then it was back to the stadium. Mostly a slight up grade and into the wind just a smidge. I was able to keep the cadence pretty high and at mile 9, just before the last hill ( a bridge over the RR), I started planning the finish. Halfway up the hill, some tall young dude caught me and went by me. He looked like a basketball player. I decided that with current conditions, I would use his apparent strength to my advantage. I slowed down a step and hopped in behind him. I'm so happy drafting is legal in running, because it just isn't fair that I used this poor sap the way I did. I was right on his heels and I'm sure he heard me, so he just kept pushing harder. I enjoyed it back there, just matching him step for step experiencing no wind. as we turned into the stadium at about a 1/4 mile to go, I pulled out around him and poured it on. I'm not sure how close he was, but I definitely wasn't letting him catch me.

It was a good finish. I went and got my chip taken off, grabbed a water and a powerade and went back to get Amber. I had done training runs with her, and we figured it would be fun to run in together. My knee and calves were hurting heading back. I saw mike coming in as I was going back out. Mike beat his time from two years ago by like 8 minutes. I found Amber around mile 8.5 (so I got in a half mary all told). She was running really well and ended up going sub 10-min miles for the whole thing. She had done the half mary last spring in over 11-min miles, so we were both pretty stoked; especially considering the amount of training she'd been doing. We've been pretty busy with weddings and moving and such lately.

Steve should have his first Tri race report up soon. Maybe we can get Mike on to do it too?

To Shave or Not to Shave?

2008-03-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

Is it worth it?

As a former swimmer, I am almost positive that shaving would get me fired up for Saturday's race. I'm pretty sure it won't make me any faster, as I'm doing the race in running shorts and shirt (Not that I'm convinced it would make me much faster anyway). Right now, I'm leaning toward breaking out the razor tonight....give me a reason not to.

My First Tri. The REBELMAN.

2008-03-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

You think its Iron-distance don’t you? No, I’m not that good, they’ve fooled you. It’s a (short) Sprint-distance (400m swim, 21k bike, 5k run), in Oxford, MS on Saturday. I’m all the things you’d expect from a tri newbie—nervous, excited, constantly crapping myself….

For something like a decade, I’ve been dreaming of doing a triathlon, always putting it off because of time and/or money. Now that it’s less than a week away, I am literally dreaming of triathlons. Last night, as I drifted to sleep, I was sitting in T2, trying in vain, to get my shoes on. They wouldn’t go on, it’s like someone switched them out with a smaller pair. They finally slipped on as Ella jolted me awake with a cry. Hopefully Saturday’s race goes better than it seems to in my sleep.

I’ve not finished the first race yet, and I’m already looking forward to my first Oly. This will be a good summer of racing….hopefully the move(s) don’t mess it up too much.

SMP

2008-03-24T18:35:00.000-07:00

Mixing in Yoga & Pilates

2008-03-24T07:33:00.000-07:00

After a year of consistent twice weekly weight training along with my cardio, I decided it was time to give yoga a try to see how much flexibility (aka injury resistance) I could gain through regular stretching. Increased flexibility is something I value much more at 52 than I did at 32.

This past year I didn't follow through in actually doing various pre-post running stretches I had found online, I hadn't found any TV shows or DVD's that focused solely on stretching(I have since located a title but haven't ordered the DVD), and I really felt I needed full body stretching to complement all the weight training I was doing. Whenever I talked with trainers about wanting to incorporate more stretching and flexibility work into my routines, they recommended a yoga class.

I had already tried the do-it-yourself-with DVD route but had apparently chosen DVD's not fully suited to giving this novice the detailed instruction and observation and feedback I needed to learn correct form. So I decided not to let the whoo-whoo spiritual emphasis get to me and to take some classes with an instructor two trainers I trust recommended. Though performing some of the poses was impossible for me and my range of flexibility was a world away from that of the instructor, at the end of my first hour class I knew this was something I had to keep doing - my entire body felt more stretched out and relaxed than it had felt for many months.

After a month of this once a week class, I discovered "Namaste Yoga", a half-hour show on Fit TV that was broadcast several times in each 24 hour period and began adding that stretching discipline to my day several days a week. I still cannot do some of the poses, but my performance of each pose is improving, my flexibility is gradually increasing, and I have found the emphasis on deep, focused breathing helpful in my weight training and cardio, in addition to its role in deepening the stretches I am able to do.

Then, a week and a half ago I took my first pilates/yoga fusion class, followed by a full hour of pilates the following week in addition to the combo class. Like the yoga, I'd been wanting to take a pilates class for sometime, but hadn't felt I was strong enough yet to keep up., having seen several classes in session. All I can say is WOW! These instructors have come up with beguiling ways of using resistance bands and large exercise balls to inflict torture on the novice student's core muscles group.

I am glad the classes are small - about 4-6 women - because I am struggling mightily to keep up, and on almost every exercise, the instructor is correcting my form faux-pas. I have become aware I adopted numerous "wrong-form" postures in my earlier years of exercising at home and aerobics classes that enabled me to keep up with the instructor and feel good about my achievement, but either didn't help the muscle groups for which they were intended, or courted injury.

All that said, I can see the yoga practice helping the pilates, and the pilates workout gradually producing more core strength needed to do the yoga poses, and both helping me to regain and hopefully maintain the flexibility I want for quality of life during this latter portion of my life.

So now, the next thing to add to my triathlon training mix is swimming - I believe our close outdoor community pools open up in April....on to the next adventure.

Working into Crossfit Shape

2008-02-13T06:35:00.000-08:00

Last night I did half of the workout pictured above, but mixed in some presses (95 lb) when I could no longer breath from the burpee pullups. I would recommend using gloves as I tore up my hands a bit. (Also, there's some questionable language in the last 15 sec of the video-please stop before then if you have kids around)

In the quest to build power with endurance, and to become a better athlete, with a more well-rounded approach to health - and also to make me a better, faster triathlete - and because it's just cool to crush yourself in workouts, I've decided to work towards being crossfit.

The reasons:

1) Crossfit's simplified approach: Their definition of Fitness and Health in 100 words:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports.

2) It is undeniable that pushing oneself to the limits increases fitness in a way that walking from machine to machine, doing a slow regimented workout does not. It changes the mind, and has the ability to alter one's composition in a way far more strongly than does the big box gym method.

3) I enjoy pushing my limits.

4) Look around the crossfit site. Watch some of the videos. This is an ethically viable system which doesn't require failing your customers in order to gain a profit.

5) They have cool shirts. One even says "Smoke you like cheap crack" on the back. Gotta love it.

Running in the snow/ice/wet trails

2008-02-12T05:08:00.000-08:00

So I decided last week that since it was February, I should probably start doing some training again. And since Febtober is usually the month we get more snow and ice than any other month here in KY, that it was time to construct the el cheapo saucony ice cleat. So I snagged about 50 6x3/8" sheet metal screws and drilled them into the bottoms of my shoes in much the same manner as you see pictured above (those aren't mine, but I liked his craftsmanship, and I think using his pattern on the asics is a good idea).

So last night, I was busy until about 8:30, but was hoping the snow and ice would keep coming, so I could give these pups a try. Mother Nature cooperated with continued snow, and halfway through my run (about 5 miles), it also began sleeting and icing. It hurt a bit on the face, but there's nothing like running in the snow. It's hard to beat.

How'd the el cheapos perform, you ask? Admirably, to say the least. I felt like I was running on an indoor track. Seriously. It wasn't much besides snow at the beginning, but at the end, the only track I left consisted of screw holes entering the ice, and I had great traction with zero slips. One suggestion though: if you're of the male persuasion, make sure you wear some form of insulation around the manhood, else (to borrow the phrase from moonpie), the tip of your bayonet might go numb.

I'm taking these babies camping with me this weekend too for a trail run. It should be muddy, so we'll see how they do. Happy running!

Crossfit

2008-02-07T14:25:00.001-08:00

After a lot of reading and approximately a month of thought, I'm convinced that Crossfit is an excellent way to stay in shape, especially if done consistently.

Managing the Eating

2008-01-21T10:50:00.000-08:00

The Picture above pretty much describes how I feel all the time now. It's difficult to transition back to normal healthy life after eating like a cow due to 3 and 4 hr rides regularly. But I'm getting closer. And in response to the goals question, mine are these:

1) High Nutrient-Calorie Ratio. I believe I often get out of whack because I eat the High Glycemic index foods first (or snack on them), and it changes my appetite. Snack on Fruits and Vegetables. Eat Fruits and Vegetables first during meals before eating the other stuff.

2) Portion Control (Especially on the Carbs). I like eating plates of pasta. My body has always done well with carbs and lots of them. But it does affect the way I feel. Not enough, and I feel totally drained without energy; too much, and I just want to sit on the couch and eat ice cream. Neither are good, healthy, or solid lifelong decisions. So I'm going to try to figure out what a reasonable serving size is, and limit my intake to just that. Only eat these at meals, thus snacking on?...produce.

But someday, I will find a burrito like the one pictured above, and I will straight dominate it.

Braggin': An Ode to Trainers & Encouragers

2008-01-10T18:59:00.000-08:00

Ever seen that television commercial for Celebrity (I think) Cruise Lines? The one where the viewer sees a 50+ lady step out onto a raised platform in front of a theatre curtain, thanking all her supporters - her personal trainer and husband for helping her get where she is....and then a waiter with a loaded serving tray slips past her to wait on the diners in the cruise ship dining room? That's me. I want to brag on myself and my EXCELLENT trainers and thank my encouragers.

The plan was to weigh in and measure my body at the one year mark of my weight and cardio training, but a visit to the doctor for my yearly GYN exam prompted us to move the assessment forward by a month. Somehow I had missed the 6 and 9 month assessments, and I hadn't been weighing myself because I had gained, not lost weight in the first four months. I knew I was building muscle and gaining endurance and I'd dropped a dress size by the 9 month mark, so I wasn't all that worried about the weight - I thought it would come down eventually if I stayed consistent in my training and made moderate adjustments in my already relatively healthy eating habits.

So after a year here's the data:

I've lost 18 pounds! (those highly discouraging menopausal pounds)

My blood pressure has gone from 120/80 to 100/68

My body fat percentage has dropped from 37.5% to 30%!

Inches lost:

Shoulders: 3

Chest: 2.5

Waist: 7.5

Hips: 5.5

Upper Thigh: .5

Calf : .5

Arm: .5

So Thank you, Julie (pictured below) for getting me started with your bouncy hair and personality, your inspiringly fit booty- oops- body, your creative, just-hard-enough workouts that were perfect for my overweight, out-of-shape body and psyche, your positive outlook and counsel and your continuing encouragement.

THANK YOU, LYNN! (pictured at the top with me and on her fitness modeling comp card below). You pack a LOT of power to propel others to fitness in your incredibly strong, albeit, tiny body. Your workouts for me (coupled with my panting and groans) have been hard enough to elicit frequent sympathy comments from other women working out, hard enough to keep me dreading (just a little!) the planks or medicine ball sprints or squatting chest rows (or whatever exercise set is the current hardest) and and hard enough to make me look forward to the incredible sense of achievement and empowerment I know I will feel at the end of the workout.

You have proven to me, that even though the workouts you design for me are hard, they are always just within my reach. They have enough creativity and variety to keep me guessing about what I'll be doing and looking forward to what I'll be learning for use in workouts I do on my own. Thank you for your friendship, your consistently excellent training, your nutrition counsel and your continual commendation and encouragement - comments you've made have fueled me for weeks!

I'm hoping you guys are still with me after seeing these pictures of Julie and Lynn because I have two more thank yous. Thank you, Sam for inspiring me with your life and your encouragement and thank you, David, for continuing, throughout 32 years of marriage (even my 185 lb. pregnancy and my "don't mess with me, buster" menopausal personality) to grab my butt, make all those silly invitations to love-making, and to make me - no other thing or person - your turn-on. Here's to many more years of choosing life together.

2008 Health and Fitness Goals, Anyone?

2008-01-01T08:06:00.000-08:00

I've never been one to get all hepped up about New Years' Resolutions, but I figured as long as I was ruminating on my fitness goals for this coming year, I might as well post them so others can check on my progress every now and then. I think I might finally, at 52, have enough wisdom / humility to value accountability to those who really care about me. So, in light of the fact that I've made great strides getting back on a "choose life and fitness" track in 2007, here are the actions I'm going to focus on implementing in 2008:

1. Water, water, everywhere, and Sandy gets her fill.

Enough of the dehydration that's been too much a part of my 2007. I proved that carrying the water bottles everywhere isn't enough. For starters, I'm numbering 6 1-liter water bottles to fill and drink each day.

2. This is the floss that followed the brush that brushed the teeth that Sandy has.

All you young'uns will think it ridiculous that this needs to be one of my goals at 52, but trust me, it does. In the thick of my despair two years ago, I went through way too many consecutive days without even brushing, and I've always struggled with daily flossing. I've been improving throughout this past year, but now it's time to make it a daily habit.

3. Sandy be nimble, Sandy be quick, to take your vitamins without a slip.

Only David knows just how dismal my performance has been on this. I figure I will have met my '08 goal if I take all my supplements 3-4 days a week.

4. Four and twenty veggies waiting on my plate, to be eaten in the raw, not baked in a pie...

More fresh, raw fruits and veggies for me in '08. I've always been a salad lover, but all the health/fitness specialists I've been reading/listening to tell me I need to consume more to have the quality of life I want to have in my 80's and 90's. I do, indeed, plan to be one of those positive, feisty centenarians in whom others still find enjoyment.

5. Sandy had some bike shoe clips that she learned how to use...

My family gave me a road bike for my birthday this past June. I and my butt have gotten used to the new riding posture (I've always had upright cruisers and trail bikes) and I am becoming comfortable with shifting the drive chain from one sprocket wheel to another. Now its time to learn to use those toe clips.

6. By the shore of sunny Seminole, by the shining big pool water...

So now that I'm officially a City of Seminole resident, and a proud holder of an "already paid for it with my taxes" rec center card, I have no real excuse other than conflicting commitments and schedules to keep me from entering the pool on a regular basis once it opens again. Here's to adding swimming as a regular part of my fitness routine in '08.

7. Sandy biked and ran the hills having swam through the water..

My first triathlon in 2008, Inshallah.

OK, those are mine. What are yours?

Going for it.

2007-12-07T06:57:00.000-08:00

"The ultimate is not to win, but to reach within the depths of your capabilities and to compete against yourself to the greatest extent possible. When you do that, you have dignity. You have the pride. You can walk about with character and pride no matter in what place you happen to finish." -Billy Mills

Credit to Phedippidations for the quote. He did a podcast on running legend Billy Mills. I have to say, this is one of the truer statements I've heard regarding pushing oneself. It was originally intended for athletics (and I totally agree with it), but it works for a lot of sectors of life. I encourage you to push yourself to safely push yourself to your limits, and never to quit. Because, as it was made popular by the Ironman videos..."You can quit, but nobody cares, and you'll always know."

Seasonal Clif Bars!?!

2007-12-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Allow me to say.....Yes! I haven't had one yet, but I'll bet they're good.

Baby Steps

2007-12-04T06:05:00.000-08:00

I'm glad that Sam designated this "collaborative effort" blog as a place to celebrate our victories, both large and small. In a few months I hope to celebrate Elis's first steps, but today I am celebrating my 40 minute run (jog) yesterday morning with no more than 2 minutes walking total! And that in the middle of fighting a cold, which for me, is a discouraging mental hurdle. And - I can honestly say I enjoyed the entire run. Something good is happening in my body - hooray!

In case you were curious about Cyclocross...

2007-11-24T15:58:00.001-08:00

MiamiMan Pics, You want it, you got it

2007-11-15T04:15:00.000-08:00

Crystal Clear Larry and Penny Thompson Lake

Sam Stooging in T1

Sam running with Jose (Jose hung for about a mile and then ran into the bushes, not sure what he did there)

Coming into the finish (ecstatic to be almost done)

Amber's abstract triathlon photo (pretty cool, I think)

Mark and Sam struggling to stand up and look human

The momster

Amber and I celebrating

Miami Man ½ Iron Race Report

2007-11-14T06:50:00.000-08:00

This was the “A” Race for the year. A lot of training and a lot of work went into preparing for this event. I wasn’t outwardly worried about the race, but I think it had me a little stressed out over the last few weeks leading up to it. I had a small eye twitch for multiple weeks that is now gone. Weird, huh? Maybe I put too much pressure on myself, but I hadn’t really made any stated official goals as far as time or place for the race, so it didn’t make sense. But I’m pretty sure this was the answer. By the way, this report might not be nearly as long and extensive as others, but at least I’m writing it. I’m not sure what it is, but I have no desire to write this stuff at the end of the year. It was the same with Chicago last year. I don’t feel nearly as burnt out mentally as after the marathon though. Anyhow, let’s get down to the nitty gritty

Pre-race

Did a short easy ride with some bursts along with my brother on Friday. I followed that up with a quick 2 mile run around race pace, attempting to stay aerobic. Saturday consisted of a leisurely drive down to Miami with a contingent. It was fun; we stopped at Cracker Barrel, went to the Harley Store, ran the kids at a rest area, and had a good time. We went straight to the park when I got down there to check in, do packet pick-up, check in the bike in transition, see Mark, and hopefully get in a short swim in the wetsuit. Got checked in pretty easily, the volunteers were doing a good job, I weighed in at 192.2 lbs which I thought was a little high. Hehe. So the one big disappointment of this day was that they closed the swim an hour earlier than what they had said, so we didn’t get to swim. It was too bad, because this was a very nice lake. Cool water, very clear, quite refreshing.

We ate dinner at Outback that night, where I consumed a large quantity of food. I wasn’t too worried about it, as it was about 5-6 pm when I ate, and the next meal was race morning. Hung out with Amber and the family a little bit, picked up some oatmeal and bananas for breakfast the next morning, met with Mark to discuss the race and departure time.

Race Morning: Standard getting ready stuff. Glorious 2 cups of coffee and the outfall it precipitates. Mmmm.

Swim: 1.2 miles, 37:14, (1:46/100 yd)

I was really happy with the swim. I felt like I went too hard the first lap, but relaxed on the second and felt like it went a lot faster. I’m really beginning to enjoy the swim in these races a lot more. I’m hoping to swim quite a bit this winter and get a good deal faster. If you want a nice swim though, you should do races at this venue.

T1: Long Run into T1, I used the wetsuit strippers, and it was great. (4:22)

Bike: ~54 miles, 2:32:08, 21.3 mph

This course was FLAT! It was so great. It was super easy. I stayed aerobic the whole time. There were a few wankers who were illegally drafting, and I just don’t understand these people. They make absolutely no sense. Do you really enjoy your “victory?” Whatever, I didn’t let ‘em bother me. They’re gonna do they’re thing.

My favorite part was when people would slow down on some of the “hills.” By hill I mean a 100-ft section where the road tilted slightly up at approximately 0.25% grade to get over a canal.

Coming into T2 was pretty cool with all the people out there cheering. These kinds of things make me want to do Roth or IM Wisconsin, the classic races with huge crowds.

T2: Had to throw on the socks, shoes, hat and grab some more e-caps, but forgot to grab my race belt and number. I also stopped at the port-a-potty on the way out of T2. The pee was only slightly yellow, so I was pretty pleased with the 5 bottles of fluid on the bike. (3:23)

Run: 13.1 miles, 1:40:22, (7:40/mile)

The run course was great, and I didn’t start hurting until the second loop. Running through the zoo and partially on dirt/grass trails was cool. I caught Mark long before I expected to. I was thinking mile 10, and I caught up around mile 3, we chatted for a bit and then I pressed on. I really did feel great on the run. Got to see my whole cheering club twice on the run (at two different spots). All in all a great race.

4:57:29, 41st overall, 2nd in 25-29 AG.

There were some rumors about this race being a qualifier for the USAT national championships, and potentially the world championships at this distance, but I have yet to figure out if this is really the case. If anyone reading this knows for sure, please help me figure this out. I’m not saying it’s going to happen for sure, but I’d like to at least know what’s possible before making the decision.

All in all, a great season finale. Now for some other things, some good time with people who are important to me, some holiday parties, and some rest. I’m currently beginning to do some life brainstorming about goals, life as a story, personal legacy, purposes, values, etc., so hopefully in the next couple of months that will become more apparent. Thanks to all the people who supported me this year in Triathlon. Especially Amber, who made numerous sacrifices of time and energy to support my hobby.

SAMIAMMIAMIMAN

2007-11-13T06:39:00.000-08:00

If I remember correctly, Dr. Seuss had a "Sam I am" theme in one of his books, and some of Sam's high school friends and teammates called him that periodically to express teasing affection and admiration when a helmet bump or back slap wouldn't do.

So even though I'm probably breaking all tri-geek etiquette rules, I want to say how great it was to see SamIamMiamiMan cruising by in the Miamiman triathlon Sunday and looking strong, focused and happy (except for the last few miles :-) and achieving the goals he's trained for so diligently these many months. David, Kyle & Michelle and their three kids cheered him on as he passed through the Miami Metro Zoo on foot, while Amber and I anchored his cheer squad for his swim start, bike transitions and his great finish. Hopefully we'll be able to post a few pics soon for the fan club.

Sam, we, your family appreciate all the ways you have encouraged us to choose life and health these past couple years. We love you and celebrate your great race, SAMIAMMIAMIMAN!

Let's Roll

2007-11-03T19:48:00.000-07:00

I sometimes forget how mental all sports are. However, this is especially true for endurance sports. While many people close to me would probably say I never stop thinking and talking about it, but I sometimes do. Anyway, it's good to know that there's at least one thing that can be controlled when it comes to races, as well as life: How will you react? This is especially important for people who weren't given the best genes, don't have all the best experience or natural speed or anything like that. Grinding is what I like to call it. When it looks bad, so what. If you're hurting, get going. If it's hot, whatever...

I say all that to say this: nothing really looks bad and I'm ready for Miami. But I don't know what race day holds. Fair weather, a storm, wind, severe heat, cramps, flat tire. Whatever. No matter what on sunday, I'm settling in and sticking it to that Miami course. Man, I love this crap!

So AN Ohio State University is once again ranked #1...

2007-10-27T10:21:00.001-07:00

And I'd just like to remind them who they are...

If you were pissed last weekend....

2007-10-19T07:14:00.000-07:00

That you didn't really get to watch any of the IM world championships from Kona, then I have your solution. You can find the full video from ironmanlive here.

Sam's mobile

2007-10-18T08:22:00.001-07:00

What is that? You ask. It's a bike rack for the top of my car. I received some great birthday gifts yesterday from Amber that I'm pretty excited about using. Now I can travel with my bike without putting down the back seat and all that mess. The other nice part is that the racks allow for all kinds of different stuff, such as an extra cargo box, or skis, whatever. Awesome!

New object of bike lust...

2007-10-17T10:53:00.000-07:00

I don't currently possess the funds or the willingness to spend that amount of funds on this bike, but it sure is nice. Maybe someday...Maybe not...whatever.

Tom Demerly from Bikesport Michigan wrote a great review . Check it out. The integrated fork seems to be a good idea.

Chicago Marathon (Sam's a-hole moment)

2007-10-08T10:54:00.000-07:00

I'd like to start by saying it's a crying shame what happened yesterday. People shouldn't be dying at these events. But it's going to happen when people have health issues (known or not) and choose to run. You know that little voice inside your head that automatically speaks (silently if you have a filter)? The voice inside is brutally honest, and I have to say speaks from the heart with no concern for how people feel. I have to say before I start, I honestly don't care either way if someone wants to run a marathon to say they did it or for whatever reason. If they want to do it and choose health, good for them. I'm happy you're working at it. That's a whole heck of a lot more important than qualifying for Boston. However.....

My unfiltered mind has a couple of questions.

(1) What kind of weather were these people "training" in all summer to prepare for this marathon? I ran Chicago last year and I suffered through a lot of brutal heat. I know from my training runs that it probably would have added 15-30 mins to my overall time. But that's it. No more. My theory (supported by a lot of personal experience) is that many people don't train and aren't in anywhere near good enough shape to try to cover 26.2 miles in a morning.

(2) If you can't get past halfway by 4 hours, what are you doing trying to run a marathon? That's OVER an 18 min/mile pace! That's 3.2 mph. Most people can and do comfortably walk at this pace touring the Mag. Mile. Seriously people. It's an effing marathon! Not the dog Park.

(3) How you gonna disrespect a marathon? The thing is named for someone who died upon completing a mammoth feat. I speak from experience (and I ran sub 3:30) when I say I trained with fear. I knew I was going to do it, but there was a little bit in the back of my head that said "26.2 miles is a long way to run!" I don't think I'm alone in this. This is the PSA portion of the questions. If you don't run, you need a year to train. If you do run and haven't run a marathon, you need 4 months minimum to really train for a marathon. These people who write training programs say these things for a reason. The body needs time to make adaptations.

(4) It was hot all week and the weather was predicted. If you know you're running slow, you should be prepared for the eventuality that aid stations might not be that helpful. Why weren't you? 'Nuff said about that. You're solely responsible for your safety. Paying $100 doesn't mean someone else takes on the burden of your personal health assessment. (Granted, this same logic applies to the people running the race. This article is in no way an excuse for your shameful performance this weekend if what the reports say are true).

I really write this article to say this. It's ok to not do big stuff like this. Your health and life are more important than this stuff. But if you want to do it, really get ready so race day is a celebration and maybe a time challenge, but certainly not the time when you answer the question "is this really possible?" Follow the training programs and get ready. Let's not have people dying and gettting hurt over things that don't matter.

I write all this and say i sure hope the evil karma doesn't come get me in Miami. It probably will and I'll have a bad day because of this. But you know what? I'm ready. 65-mile ride yesterday at 18+ mph for 3:30 in 93 degree 60% humidity weather. If the bad comes, I'll drink some water, suck it up, and curse the heat.

Painful to see.

2007-10-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

I might have to qualify for this thing sometime.
My question: why not use more bridges to break up the pack? Well, it's gonna be fast.

If I were going to dope...

2007-09-27T09:13:00.001-07:00

I'd talk to this guy. Fabian Cancellara defended his world championship Time Trial crown by 52 seconds over a 44.9-km course. wow.

You might be taking yourself too seriously...

2007-09-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

If you're 70, and you're cheating at triathlons. Seriously? Seriously.

Triathlon growing in Lexington

2007-09-25T06:33:00.001-07:00

Lexington is finally growing up a little bit. The Tri for Sight is now second in size (in KY) only to IM KY. Not bad.

Tri for Sight Pictures

2007-09-24T04:13:00.001-07:00

Dave (one of my bosses) and Myself Looking alert and sessy before the swim.

Dude who wouldn't let me pass him for the last 250m. Little frustrating, but oh well.

Me in T2 wasting time on the watch. I don't think I've ever come back to that empty of a rack.

Coming in on the run. Man that was painful

Getting my award (a piece of glassware)

Cheesin' at the finish line

Tri for Sight Race Report

2007-09-23T13:55:00.000-07:00

So one of the goals I had set for this year was to podium at a race. I thought this would push me to train harder and work for some goals. That said, let's get on this race report, shall we?

I wasn't quite as strict with the diet this week. I had already put in 90+ miles on the bike prior to the race. I drank beer on friday, I ate pork and beef at the company picnic on saturday. I just didn't care. I told a couple friends friday night that I was either going to podium or blow up on the run. Saturday night, I had a splitting headache. I think it was due to large stressors in my environment the past few days. Dealing with the fallout of getting run off the road on thursday afternoon during my long run, having to call 911 for a guy having a stroke or heart attack at my company golf scramble, etc could have both contributed to it. Thankfully, I have a great girlfriend who took care of me and helped me get ready last night while I was laying on the couch, hurtin'.

7 am races are early, so I got up at 5 still with a bit of a headache. I popped an Excedrin Migraine, drank some coffee, a diet coke, and ate some cereal. I was ready.

Swim: 800m, 14:29 (1:47/100m)

It was a pool swim, and I felt really good. Passed about 3 or 4 people, was passed by one. these times seem long to me, but everybody's times are slow. Maybe I need to swim more. 500 yds this week is a bit thin.

T1: Long run from the pool to the Community College included: 4:14

Bike: 18+ miles, 49:55 (21.6 mph)

I didn't feel all that great on the bike today, and apparently I need to take a class on gear shifting. I threw my chain again. It's a pretty hilly course, but fun day out there regardless. Guy I know caught me at the end of the bike, and I knew I was going to have to hammer the run if I was going to beat him.

T2: nothing much to tell other than dropping my bike into my leg and gaining a nasty cut. 1:01

Run: 4 miles, 25:04, (6:16/mile)

I didn't know I was running this fast, but I was trying to hold true to my blow up/podium promise. It hurt, but I kept passing people and finished pretty strong. I beat my friend on the run by 2:30. Beat him overall by 12 seconds. whew!

Overall: 1:34:41, 7th overall (out of about 300 I think) 1st/23 in AG.

One guy in AG actually beat me, but he won the overall and is trying to qualify for nationals. Dude's fast. So I got the AG trophy (pics later). Needless to say I'm pretty stoked.

The Trail Beckons

2007-09-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

On mornings like this, the gym doesn't have a chance to win the toss - I've been away from my beloved Pinellas Trail for over two weeks - and the overcast sky and cooler air brought on by whatever tropical storm is out there right now makes a convincing assertion that summer may actually be coming to an end.

I'd been biking our rails-to-trail for many years before I realized that trail cyclists considered it one of the best "urban" trails in the country. Kyle and Sam were young homeschooling tykes when we first hopped on our bikes to ride the very first completed sections in the middle of our long thumb-shaped Pinellas county. Now it's 34-36 miles end to end with several off-shoot spurs, it connects a bunch of city and county parks, and travels through a wide spectrum of commercial and residential neighborhoods from the housing projects to upper class Belleair with "white trash" and retiree mobile home parks and scores of middle class neighborhoods in between.

I can take the Gulfport spur near the southern end to eat lunch on a rooftop overlooking the Gulf of Mexico or watch the swing dancers at the pavillion, then cross the inter-coastal in the section pictured above, then much farther north, paralell the Gulf again in Dunedin, Crystal Beach and Tarpon Springs, smelling the briny air across the mangroves, even when I can't see it. You can bike for breakfast, lunch or dinner in downtowns made for day-trippers (Gulfport, Dunedin, and Tarpon), and the food is so good at some of these places, that it will take you quite a few bike trips to sample them all.

On my relatively short ride south this overcast Saturday morning, I mostly passed or was passed by other "serious" cyclers (road bikes with helmets, bike shorts, tops, and shoe clips) riding in small groups, with relatively few walkers, runners and skaters. I also encountered a tyke on one of his first rides without training wheels being coached by Grandpa and Grandma who crashed into the fence pictured above just after I passed, a couple of homeless dudes with bikes having a chat by one of the overpasses - a pretty regular occurrence in certain sections of the trail, an assistant cook heading to work with a dangling cigarette, an orange Fanta, and a serious hangover clouding his face, and the best part of my coffee break: a blue/black crow who strutted around the Starbucks patio like a gun-totin' outlaw, forcing the tiny wrens to safer ground.

I like passing commercial buildings sporting murals on several sections of the trail (St. Pete, Clearwater, Tarpon), a homeless dude who routinely reads the paper on a bench just over the fence from the swankiest neighborhood in the county, women who walk the trail barefoot in their Sunday suits and hats with high heels in hand on their way to the African Methodist Episcopal church, compact Mexicans on their way home from work, middle-schoolers clad in baggy blacks who clump together for identity and power, and cast-net fishermen hoping to snag supper from the Anclote River.

It's our trail, its my trail and I love it.

At least we're better than Mississippi, West VA, Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Tennessee

2007-09-21T07:10:00.001-07:00

This post is mainly meant to be a provocateur for Steve. State obesity rankings are in.

So my question is this: what's it like to be a vegetarian in the fattest state in the union?

It's baaack...A short photo essay

2007-09-20T04:14:00.001-07:00

So It's certainly mainstream, violent, and whatever derogatory moniker one would like to choose, but the author can't help feeling a little like the two in the photo below now that football season is back.

It's even more fun when it doesn't totally dominate your saturday or sunday. However it feels like this when your alma mater pulls an upset on a top ten rival.

And it's bound to happen at some point in February, the no football blues will come...

But take heart, because before you know it, Mike "Toast" McKenzie will be back with his ridiculous hair and being shown the back of numerous players' jersies on their respective ways to the endzone.

THE END.

More Music City Pics

2007-09-18T06:53:00.001-07:00

Exiting the swim

My supporters (minus 1) looking moderately confused

In T1 wasting time.

Rod and Myself Running step for step.

Me on the verge of puking but putting in the kick

Music City Triathlon Race Report

2007-09-17T07:25:00.001-07:00

This is the second Olympic Distance Race of the season and really the final prep race for Miami Man in November (I'm doing the local sprint this week, but I don't really think it qualifies due to its short distance).

The weekend began with the drive down to Nashville to stay with Amber's very hospitable family (A big Thanks to the Leslie's). Saturday, we went over to get registered since I signed up late and was on the waitlist. I was pretty sure I would get in, but didn't want to leave it to chance, so I showed up before they opened. I got in, got the right size t-shirt and a blue cap (you'll see below why this was so interesting-it did help the spectators find me though. I might try to do this in other races). Race Report Below: The pic below is me hangin' out before the race. I'm easy to find with my blue cap. If you look directly to the left of me, you'll see a guy who I think is related to Mr. Miyagi. Dude was whipping out some dojo stretches before the race and Steve and I shared a few good-natured laughs over it. Steve also gave me some swimming tips on streamlining my body in the water. Thanks brotha!
Swim: 1500 m (I think + run to transition, not sure) - 27:32.87 (1:50/100m)

I felt pretty good most of the swim. I also felt smoother in my stroke than I did a couple weeks ago. I still swam off course a little bit, but still an improvement. I'm hoping to keep getting better on the sighting. It'll come. I got out and my adoring fans were cheering me on the run to transition. It was pretty cool.

T1: 2:08.9 - No big deal. I ran out the wrong way at first and had to turn around. I just need to keep getting quicker.

Bike: 22.5 miles - 1:01:28.43 (21.96 mph)

The bike was really good. It was a hilly course, but most of the hills were shorter than the ones here in KY. Honestly, I just had one of those really good days where I felt like I had juice in my legs in almost every gear. At about mile 16, I thought a big climb was coming up and tried to gear into my small chainring. As I did this and threw the chain, I swore at myself for being an idiot. I had to slow down and stop to put it back on and lost probably a minute to minute and a half. In hindsight, this was a painful mistake. About 10 people I had passed in the last 5 minutes passed me when I stopped. I was pissed, but decided I was going to use it for motivation to track people down on the run. All in all good bike, but I need to not have mistakes like that

Run: 10k - 40:12.21 (6:29/mile) PR by 6 seconds for a 10k!

I got out of T2 and almost fell down on some uneven ground. Ran about a quarter mile and then went up a 1/2-mile switchback hill that was brutal. At the top, I fell back just a little bit of some skinny dude that looked to me like he was going to put together a good run. So I latched onto him a little bit to try to keep a good pace. After a while we got out to the dam and I was running next to another guy named Rod. It was an out and back and we ran over a dam and down a large hill that we had to come back up (also painful but we made it). On the back, Rod pulled me up one hill and said "hang on and get up here!" I'm grateful for that as I would not have had the run I did without him. As we were getting back to mile 5, I knew it was mostly downhill and I wanted to repay Rod for his help, so we started picking it up to try and catch dude in gray who was in Rod's AG. On the .5 mile steep downhill, I just let it rip striding out fully and going about 5min/mi pace. Rod yelled at me from behind "It's not even fair with those long legs you've got!" I told him my large arse was pushing me down the hill. At the bottom of the hill, I was hurting bad, but still had about .3 miles left. We had passed gray suit dude on the hill and all I wanted to do was beat him. We caught another old guy at mile 6, and I poured on almost all I had. At about 50 yards out, we went in through the fence (and my cousin Steve said he thought I would get kicked at the end), I decided I'd worked too hard to lose at the end, so I poured on everything else I had and finished strong in front of rod and old dude. We must've dusted gray suit dude (or he was demoralized by watching me stride past him like a bloated camel), because he wasn't in the video that Amber took.

Total Time: 2:14:06.25, 4/29 in AG, A really solid race for me. The real twist now as I look at the race results is if the guy ahead of me is really in 3rd place since he had a 2 min drafting penalty (cheater). If his penalty has yet to be assessed, I finished 3rd. Oh well. Good day regardless. I'm asking the RD if I'm reading the results correctly and will update when I find out.

Summary: I need to keep getting better on sighting in the water, keep speeding up my transitions, and not do stupid crap like throw chains on the bike. However, I do believe this HR training/base training really works. I feel so much better running at that speed now. It's uncanny. I'm really looking forward to lower volume, smooth pace base work this winter in hopes of really cranking it up for next spring at the Louisville Triple Crown and St. Anthony's.

I've attached some pics below of Amber and Myself after the race, and Steve messin' with my bike with me thinking I was leaning out of the picture.

So I Love Dogs, But

2007-09-12T20:04:00.001-07:00

Sometimes they get their comeuppance. I was riding today, and I heard a dog come up on me. I've learned in the past year that if you want to keep a dog out of your spokes, you have to scare them off and keep them away from your bike.

So without even thinking about it as the dog came up next to me on the right (running full speed), I let out a strong "HEY!"....I definitely scared his butt, because he tried to stop on a dime. I kid you not, he had so much momentum when he stopped that he literally somersaulted right next to me. I was a little worried at first that he was hurt, but then he got up and looked at me. I smiled to myself with a great sense of accomplishment. Today's Score: Sam 1, Dogs 0

Racing into Shape...or Something like it.

2007-09-12T11:50:00.001-07:00

So one way to work in some speed when you've been struggling to get the speed workouts in is to race frequently. I've got one this weekend, the Music City (1.5-K Swim, 40-K bike, 10-K run) and the Alcon Tri for Sight in Lexington (800-m swim, 18-mile bike, 4-mi run) next weekend.

One problem with the Music City: I signed up late and got put on the waitlist because the race is sold out. I should still get in according to race directors, so I'll be there. Look for the Race Report(s) coming up and then a little break for some ramp up to MiamiMan.

A Good Week

2007-09-04T09:23:00.000-07:00

The plan for the week was to recover quickly from the race the weekend before, then start putting in the miles on the bike. I didn't get any swimming in this week, but I'll fix that this week. The recovery ended up turning it into a bigger weekend. Friday involved just under 60 miles on the bike, Saturday had a 8+ mile really hilly run. Sunday was a ride up to the Blue Ridge Parkway for some more riding while those with me chilled at a waterfall picking blueberries (seriously). Suffice it to say, it was a long descent (about 3 miles) and steep from where I began. I did a couple of decent climbs going out and it was tough but fun. i took a picture on the way out, and below is what I look like without thinking about facial expression...

And this is what I look like 30 seconds later when I realize how horrid that first picture looked...

The final climb back to the beginning was a doozy. I'm not sure exactly of length and elevation because I forgot my Garmin. However, I was climbing for about 13-15 minutes in my granny gear. Good stuff. I got to the top and hiked in my bike shoes to a little overlook. Then I came back and hung out with my cool peeps (who gave me relatively no crap this weekend for all the training). We were going to eat at the BRP that night, and I told them about the overlook I found. So we ate turkey tacos/burritos on the side of the mountain. A look at the fare and the ambience is below.

We closed out a good ride home with some flowers in the hair (and a bike in the back :D )

Finding Inspiration

2007-08-31T03:44:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to say thanks to Sam - who couldn't resist breaking out a little Harry during the pre-race dinner - for letting the momster tag along for the Buck Creek International Triathlon last weekend. It helped me to see how the race actually worked - getting ones gear set up in the transitions, etc.

But I also appreciated men and women who were obviously - obviously - older and heavier than moi chugging past me - in swimsuits! - on that steep uphill out of the swim and steadily working to propel their bike down the road. KUDOS to all those people who were able to set aside all thoughts of "I'm not young, slim, fast, buff enough.." and just got out there and DID IT. Thank you, thank you. You spur me on.

for linking Kuota Kueen K

2007-08-30T09:57:00.000-07:00

Buck Creek International Pics

2007-08-29T03:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a few snapshots from the Buck Creek Triathlon this past weekend. Of course, most are featuring Sam, but I figured that would be ok with Sam's fans.

I'm a novice at posting pics, so please bear with any strange layouts.

First swim wave of the sprint distance. Looked to me like 3/4 of the athletes did that shorter distance.

This green cap /dark goggles/wet suit with yellow lightning bolts might be Sam.

The sun was in his eyes, the hill was steep, but Sam, I think, was happy to have the swim behind him.

Yes, it took Sam awhile to peel off the wetsuit, but I'm not sure if anyone else who wore a full length suit did it much faster. They were all unzipping on the way up the hill, except for one fellow who sat down as soon as he reached the start of the grass hill and pulled his suit off pretty quickly. Many didn't wear wetsuits - especially in the sprint division.

I realized, too late, that if you want to take reasonably centered photos of a specific person approaching and flying past you on a bike, knowing their face, body build, and clothing/gear colors are not enough - you simply must have either a spotter or a set of binoculars, preferably both, along with your digital camera. I didn't, so I have some nice pics of riders I don't know. The first time Sam passed, all I got was a backside shot of him pedaling away from me.

Water station two miles into the 10k run.

Sprint to finish

About 60 seconds after finishing the triathlon, Sam has a gracious smile for the momster who is bugging him for yet another mug shot.

Buck Creek International Triathlon

2007-08-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

(I do not as of yet have any pictures to post, but as soon as I get some, I'll slap 'em on here) The Buck Creek Triathlon was Sunday Morning. The Madre came up friday and we hung out friday night, and drove up saturday afternoon. There was a massive T-storm on our drive over to the park and I was excited at the prospect of an overcast day for a race.

Packet pick up was smooth, We did a little pre-race exercise at the hotel just to work out the kinks from traveling in the car, then it was off to dinner for some fish and a sweet potato, along with a salad...and some bread...and some of mom's salad...and some of her steak...I think I was done after that. Got back to the room and set up the bike and got all my stuff out and ready to go. Didn't sleep well at all, but that's typical the night before the race. I need to figure out a way to solve this.

I don't like showing up too early at races as I hate sitting around. That said, i was there at 6:40 and had almost two hours to get ready. Plenty of time. had the Garmin FR 305 all set up with Multi-sport function and ready to go. It was pretty warm, but they said the water was 76.5 F. I didn't buy it, but really wanted to give my wetsuit a shot at a race. Humor of the day: as the sprint race was getting ready to start, some dude walks up to the guy with the Megaphone...Dude with megaphone delays race start and asks if anybody has experience in popping shoulders back in place because dude would like his shoulder in correct position before starting his swim wave. Unreal.

After all the sprint waves, the 0-39 International distance wave (mine) was set to go. I was chatting with some dude before the start. He said he signed up elite and was hoping to go 2 hrs. He wasn't convinced though. He also said he thought the swim was a bit long. I had thought that the day before, but didn't really care as I was planning on going out easy on the swim and then pushing on the bike and run. My swim isn't exactly a strong point.

Swim, 1500 m + run up massive hill into transition: 32:36
I went out easy just like I had planned. The current was such that the out leg of the rectangle was tough and the back was easier. I gained on a lot of people on the back of the first lap, then lost a lot to them on the second lap. What happened was that I am not a very good open water swimmer, and I was all over the place. It's totally my fault, but I'll bet I swam at least an extra 200m if not more. I pushed a bit at the end and came out winded, thus going pretty slow up the hill to T1

T1: 2:23 :
No big news here other than my transitions need practice. I couldn't get that dang wetsuit off. Bike, 40k (23.7 miles) : 1:07:03, 21.2 mph I felt pretty good on the bike most of the time. It was rolling, but mostly flat. Definitely flatter than what I ride in KY most of the time. For the most part, people were riding a really clean race. Except for one guy, he was drafting everybody he could. It was ridiculous. I passed him on the second lap only to have him bridge the gap and draft me for 3 miles heading back to T2. I didn't want to waste energy on him out there, but I kind of wish I would have seen him after the race to let him know people know he's a rat fink putz.

T2: 1:38 :
No big deal still need to speed it up here.

Run, 10k, 44:50, (7:14/mile)
I had taken in a bottle of gatorade and two gels on the bike, which I thought was pretty good, but there was definitely some cramping going on during the run. It was pretty flat with the exception of a couple tough hills. I wanted to go a bit harder but just couldn't really on the second lap of the run. I came in feeling pretty good, all alone.

Total: 2:28:31, 6/12 in 25-29 AG, 21/90 total Int'l finishers.

I need to speed up the swim just a bit, and definitely get the sighting worked out. I need to keep improving bike fitness as it was definitely in better shape. And transitions, I think I could easilty take a minute off just by working on those. Other than that, nutrition needs to be figured out for the 1/2 in miami. Let me know if I missed anything.

Hmmmm?

2007-08-23T05:02:00.001-07:00

Am I scared of pink? No. I even sport it to work from time to time. But I'd like to say that Spencer Smith is in possession of a set.
Wow. Just. Wow....But I'd take that bike (even in pink) if they gave it to me. And I'd ride the crap out of it.

Oh ya...It's on!

2007-08-21T10:41:00.000-07:00

Here we go. Bring the jitters and the excitement. It's race week. The race is the Buck Creek International Triathlon. The course maps can be seen here. The race organizers describe the course as rolling to sometimes hilly, but from looking at it on Google Earth, and it being Ohio, It looks kind of flat to me. But we'll see.

I certainly pump the excitement as I write here, but the most difficult thing with all this stuff is staying relaxed around the race. So that's the focus for the week, especially friday through sunday. I'm looking forward to testing myself and pushing it this weekend. We're also hoping to be able to stop by IM Louisville on the way home as well. Should be gangbusters. If moonpie wants to make an appearance, he should bring it.

Motivation?

2007-08-13T14:08:00.000-07:00

Check out some George Sheehan quotes here.

Training For Life

2007-08-12T06:54:00.000-07:00

So why on earth would Sam invite a 52 year old woman to contribute to the fitness torch blog? I think mostly to encourage me, but perhaps also to share a little perspective from farther along the age spectrum. Not "the other end of the age spectrum" because I think I should have a good 20-25 years before I get to that point.

I've been a morning walker for much of my adult life, with fitness classes and running worked in for a couple years, and regular leisure biking for several multi-year periods. But at the time this photo was taken (Kayaker's Cove on Resurrection Bay south of Seward, Alaska) I was in a fitness slump that lasted over 2 years.

In the months previous, both my father-in-law and my father had died after slow physical declines and our son and daughter-in-law had returned from several years of volunteer service among the street people of Calcutta to live with my husband and me. They and their newborn lived in the guest room just vacated by a young friend who had lived with us for several months - for a few months while they saved for a home down-payment. We were in the midst of helping both sons move into their first homes - one in Kentucky and one in Florida - and we had just co-signed a loan for the purchase of a large office and warehouse space for our 30 year old business.

I was spending large amounts of mental energy trying to sort through major questions about the existence of God, the suffering in the world, and personal life purpose - questions I never expected to be wrestling again with at age 50. On top of all that I was trying to return to a 30 hour work week (with my husband as my boss :-) after 6-7 years out of the business and I was in the throes of a chaotic peri-menopause complete with sleepless nights, unbelievable hot flashes and night sweats and simmering and expressed anger the likes of which I had NEVER experienced.

It was a crazy, stress-filled time, and I coped by going back to bed after my husband left the house at 5:30 am- the only time I seemed to be able to sleep for two consecutive hours- and eating and drinking more - I was cooking for 4 or more adults most nights now and hoagies, pasta, rice, potatoes and ice cream made frequent appearances on my plate.

I slowly realized that I woud quickly become unable or unwilling to continue to help my husband and family if I did not get fit again. This past fall I finally started walking and biking again on a limited basis and then, since I had been following Sam's marathon training, I went to Chicago to cheer Sam on as he ran his first marathon with knees that had endured several major injuries and surgeries.

WOW. Watching over 40,000 runners of all ages stream past me was awe inspiring; and finally catching a glimpse of Sam at mile 20 and watching him cross the finish line brought a huge lump of joy and pride to my throat. He had disciplined himself intensely for many months to do something he didn't think he could do (and most "sensible" people didn't think he should do, given his knee history) and he had made his time goal.

At the end of January, after several months of walk/running, biking, and skating in fits and starts, I joined a women's gym and began weight training with a personal trainer once a week and other days on my own. It was just what I needed to fuel my "Can she do it? YES, she can!" engine. So for 6 months now, I have been weight training twice a week, doing some form of cardio 4-6 days a week and gradually feeling better physically and emotionally. Thanks to the exercise and progesterone cream, the hot flashes are no longer debilitating and I sleep much better at night. My weekend bike rides are increasing to pretty respectable distances, Sam has gotten me seriously thinking about my first triathalon, and I am thinking that running a marathon by the time I've finished my 55th year of life is a reasonable possibility.

But we need a little Contro-versy

2007-08-04T05:40:00.000-07:00

So there are numerous "reports" that aspartame, and sucralose and whatever other compounds people choose to use are poisons and are slowly killing them. Now, it's obvious that there are many things that people use or are subjected to that are technically "slowly killing them." For instance, drinking water that has been treated (depending on your location) has somewhere between 1 in 50 million to 1 in a billion chance of killing a person if one does the environmental engineering math (so many oz a day for 75 years, etc). We consider this an acceptable risk.

But it seems impossible to find information about these sweeteners that is truly substantiated and valid. I'm not saying I know what's going on with them, but I use them sometimes. If in fact, they are making me stupid, giving me headaches (which they don't for me), or slowing my metabolism, I'd like to discontinue the use. So does anyone have any good info on this stuff? I'd like to hear some reasoned opinions. Now as I say that, all us diet coke drinkers are gonna have to drink a caffeine free one and calm down before we get upset about the perceived perfection of our drug of choice. Seriously though, I wanna know what the deal is.

Le Tour de France

2007-07-27T07:16:00.000-07:00

I'm torn about all these dopers getting caught. Don't get me wrong, I think the tour would be much better au natural, but how much of the peloton is actually dope-less? I'd like to think that it's a high percentage, but if you are not competing without the EPO (or whatever it is), what other options do you have? It would take some pretty high morals to be clean if the majority of your peers are not, in fact, clean.

Also, how slow will the TDF be next year after they get all the dopers? Which brings me to my question of whether or not all the dopers can be caught. The testing seems like a fairly inexact science. For example, with Lance, his 'A' sample came up clean, but the 'B' sample had something in it. And sometimes, the 'A' sample will be positive, but the 'B' sample will be clean. I won't claim any sort of understanding behind the science, but it seems like a bit of a witch-hunt at times. That and I'm sure that there are some creative dopers that will figure out how to get around the testing.

Feeling Dirty

2007-07-21T11:04:00.001-07:00

So I've been wearing speedos underneath my longer shorts for a while now while swimming. The issue is that the longer shorts are starting to wear out and get really thin. I was in the midst of a swim this morning and the looseness of the material finally had me fed up. I stopped after a 100, and promptly whipped off the longer shorts, leaving me but a skimpy piece of material between myself and complete nakedness. I was a little uncomfortable at first, but I must say, after swimming a few hundred yards, it all became clear to me. It's friggin' awesome! who doesn't like feeling almost naked while swimming? I'm not gonna lie, I put the long shorts back on before walking into the locker room, but this could be the beginning of a trend. This is scary, I feel like I'm one of them now.

Is a Strict Diet Worthwhile?

2007-07-20T10:54:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about diet these past days. Mostly, I've been wondering if my fitness level would go up if I was on a diet I actually attempted to control what I eat. I currently assume that I can put pretty much anything into my mouth given the amount I'm working out. I know this is a bad assumption, but I do it anyway 'cause I like to eat! Currently, I'm an ovo-lacto vegetarian, which seems pretty good for me. I eat the occasional fish/seafood, and am considering throwing in other meats every so often for the protein.

My biggest concern is probably the way I eat after I get back from a long run--my body seems to be telling me to eat sugar, and I comply. My energy level is quickly up after an ice cream sandwich or two, and every so often a popsicle. What would be a more healthy option to get the energy levels up quickly and sustainably?

Is anyone very strict with what they eat? If so, when you got on the diet was there a noticeable change in energy level?

Also, wondering what everyone else is training for. I'm doing the Chicago Marathon at the beginning of October.

A tasty morsel...Sam is Scared (and kind of excited too)

2007-07-19T09:45:00.001-07:00

Take a look at week 6 of the 1/2 ironman training program I'm doing. Yeesh, that's between 14 and 14.5 hours of training in 6 days. I think you can do that math. I need to sleep a lot more than I currently am. Oh well, at least I'll be prepared, right?

sore butt

2007-07-19T06:17:00.000-07:00

I have ridden to and from work since tuesday afternoon, which is (4) 7.5 mile trips. My butt hurts, and it's not the butt meat, its the bones under there. and I've been wearing some biking shorts too. so what can be done about this?

Encouragement, Collaboration, and Diplomacy

2007-07-19T05:15:00.003-07:00

In an effort to make this less about me, and more about working together for balance, I've decided to invite some other people to participate in this blog.

This was, in fact, the original intent. There were supposed to be 2 authors, preparing for a marathon and talking about how the journey of fitness has mimicked, influenced, or informed their lives. That didn't happen, but the other author has been re-invited to take part.

There aren't really any rules, so to speak, other than keep it clean, and encourage each other.

We currently have on the list of invitees to author a wide spectrum of abilities, goals, and purposes in exercise. At least two people are training for marathons, one for a half-ironman, some are simply trying to be healthy, lose some weight, cope with the stresses of life, the stresses of chasing kids around...

If you'd like to participate, just post it in the comment section and we'll get back to you. For the other authors, if you'd like to update the look of the site with links and pictures, feel free. If you can't do it, let me know, and we'll figure out a way.

In the meantime, get to contributing!

Draft Legal IM?

2007-07-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Found this photo on xtri today. Footage is from IM Lake Placid. Seriously, people, I like drafting as much as the next guy on a group ride or when you're having a hard day, but a bit of self-respect might be warranted...

consistabred

2007-07-12T09:35:00.001-07:00

Working toward consistency. The base is not built by huge days or weekends, but by the slow grind. Consistency of effort, diligence, and rest.

The focus currently is a normal schedule, and especially ramping up the volume of sleep. I've been lucky to get 6 a night for the past couple of weeks. This must change.

The tentative race schedule for right now is as follows:

Aug 11, Lexington, KY: Midsummer's Night Run (5K road race - just for fun)

Aug 18, Georgetown, KY : Lame Duck Tryathlon (Shorty sprint)

Aug 26, Springfield, OH: Buck Creek International Tri (On the drive home, we will be stopping for a bit at IM Louisville to catch a bit of the vibe-it's gonna be sweet)

Sep 16, Nashville, TN: Music City Tri (Oly distance)

Sep 23, Lexington, KY: Tri for Sight (Sprint. The local tri is important and looking forward to it)

Nov. 11, Miami, FL: The big daddy, Miami Man 1/2 Iron distance.

Some of the sprints listed might not happen, but I'd like to do all of these. The two international are B races to lead up to Miami and be prepped, leaving the last 6 weeks to build race-specific 1/2 iron fitness.

The late-season race has got my schedule off from most, who are peaking right now. It's going to take some discipline to keep my head down and just train base for a few more weeks.

2007-07-08T21:55:00.000-07:00

Yes, this is what parts of KY look like as you ride past. A quilt on a barn might be a little cheesy, but it sure is nice to be able to get out of town and be quiet for a while: nothing but you, pastures, nature and a couple of wheels.

Weekly wrap-up: here we go...

Swim: 3000 yds (55:12)
Bike: 84.17 mi (4:33:00)
Run: 14.95 mi (1:55:48)

Total: 7 hrs, 23 min

Pretty easy week. I think I'm figuring out a little bit more how to train fully today but also keep the next day in mind. The focus right now is really on consistency. If I can continue to do moderate aerobic work, it should be possible to develop a solid aerobic engine. This in turn, theoretically, should enable speed work to be more effective and profitable relative to the current state.

I was motivated today as I was at about halfway through my 46 mile ride. The bluegrass cycling club
was out with a lot of beginners and they were lucky to be pushing 10-12 mph. They were circling and going back to pick up some people who were obviously struggling. More and more, I find myself appreciating people who get out and go for it even if they aren't going to look good doing it. Who cares, right? If somebody's got a problem with you being out there, or you feel like you're overweight, or don't know what you're doing....why not just get out there and ask somebody? Here's to you, people who overcome their fears to live their lives. Cheers

2007-07-07T23:02:00.000-07:00

Raising the roof:

Looking forward to a bit longer bike ride tomorrow. 2.5 hours aerobic. Should be good. All about the bike. I love it.

accidental slow week (wrap-up) and miami

2007-07-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

5:18 Total

Swim: 4000 yds (1:14)

Bike: 39.15 mi (2:28)

Run: 10.39 mi (1:24)

Lift: 0:35

Felt ok, but work and travel got in the way this last week. I'm stepping it back up this week, and hoping to get around 80-85 mi. on the bike. I need it.

I'm coming for you Miami. You better be ready. I know I will be.

Bluegrass 10K

2007-07-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

That's yours truly in the background (green shirt). In the midst of passing these yahoos on my way to a 41:55 10000 meter road race, they yelled to people on an overpass, "Hey rich people, don't spit on us!" Hence my smile.

Avg. HR: 179

It's an odd thing when the only person to truly keep one accountable is oneself. I have few measures against myself currently. I think I could have run this race faster had I done some speedwork and focused on it leading up to the race. However, doing all the aerobic work has kept me from that. Speedy road races will be the focus next march as I'm prepping for St. Anthony's in April.

Needing more of this...

2007-06-27T09:08:00.000-07:00

Man, I'm tired. So glad today is a rest day. The body needs to be doing better than the 6 hr/night I averaged over the last 8 days (all training days). I move that we insert a new 26 hr day. Or maybe just work 40-hr weeks (there's an idea).

Weekly Wrap-Up

2007-06-25T05:18:00.001-07:00

I'm going to try to start doing this partially to keep track, and partially to serve as accountability.

Lift: 2 sessions (~1:10)

Swim: 6500 yds (~2:00)

Bike: 78 mi. (~4:00)

Run: ~19 mi (2:50)

Total Training Time: 10 hours

The nice part is, I don't really feel all that shelled. I rather expected I would. However, I do need to get more sleep. Looks as if caffeine might have to take a back seat once again.

I'm noticing more and more how difficult it is to keep things in balance. This really has to be my free time when I'm not with friends/family if I'm going to do it. Oh well, I didn't miss the College World Series that much. It is funny how the importance of some things you used to care about fades away as you do things more important.

Time to wrap this up. I'd like to do a segment on the bike fit I got two weeks ago (forward seatpost, new angle, etc) and how I feel coming out of it, so look for that.

To close, I'll leave you a quote from Frank Shorter to get you fired up:

"You don't run 26 miles at 5 minutes a mile on good looks and a secret recipe."

Bugs and Money

2007-05-23T09:30:00.001-07:00

These little schmucks are forcing me to get rid of hard-earned cash. It's impossible to get a good training ride around here without riding around horse/cattle/tobacco farms. The aesthetic quality of the rides is wonderful. Eating bugs with my eyes is not. Every morning ride I do, it's as if there's some gravitational pull toward the middle of my eye. There's no good way to remove said bug from eye until reaching destination, finding a mirror, pulling back the skin around my eye, and digging out the now eye-juice saturated black lump of organic mass. Disgusting and painful. It usually takes half an hour to stop looking like an Eastern Kentucky Oxycontin dealer with my prolific red eyes.

The solution: of course, another pair of glasses to shield the eyes. But when it's barely light outside, it's difficult to use the shaded glasses. Aaahh, the savings dwindles by another $30-$40.

I wonder if I need to buy a bug-screen for my mouth to keep them out of there? Nah, I'll just eat 'em (involuntarily) or spit them out