Tri Celebration - It Takes A Family

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

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:

1. 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.


2. 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.


3. 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

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

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

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.

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!

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

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

Sandy's Shakes

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

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?

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

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...

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

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)

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$$

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

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.