Some people say....

....that I'm just not all there. With all this triathlon stuff and Ironman and Triple T and double this and brick that. I must be a little off center.

I'm fine with that. I've realized that perhaps I'm maybe only about "half" there. And this season is shaping up to be not half bad.

Okay enough of the crap....where am I going with this?

This season has become a season of half iron races.

Triple T culminated with a half iron on Sunday.

I am registered for the Muncie Endurathon on July 10.

Today I registered for the Rev3 Half Rev at Cedar Point, Sandusky, Ohio. Originally I was leaning towards the Full Rev, but recent discussions with Aimee made me realize that I won't be ready for the Full Rev in time. I can ramp up for a big effort in the Half Rev better.

My running is not up to par right now and I would probably injure myself trying to get up to marathon shape.

So Half Rev it is. Do you hear that Big Daddy Diesel? I'm committed.

Running the Half also allows me to watch a whole crap load of friends finish the Full Rev. I will finish the day as an IronFan cheering.

The season may involve a bunch of "halfs".......but Game is full On.

Triple T - Race #4

Okay...so it's time to put this Triple T thing to bed. It's been two weeks since the race and I really need to move on. *** I started this post on the 6th***

More races are coming up soon.

Qiuck recap....Friday Super Sprint, Saturday morning Oly and afternoon Oly. Sunday....Half Iron. The icing on top of a three layer triathlon cake.

The alarm went off at 5AM. The race start was scheduled for 7AM and I needed to get fueled up, equipment packed and set up in transition. I rolled out of bed and started drinking my first boost.

Part way through drinking my morning calories I wasn't feeling too good. My stomach was in a huge knot. I sat at the table and tried to understand what was happening and why.

Was I tired?

Was it nerves?

Was my body shutting down on me?

I thought I was going to puke. I felt like I needed to puke. Sat there pulling my knees to my chest thinking, "If I puke I'll probably be okay." I actually wanted to puke.

Aimee was trying to help me get going. She didn't say anything but she was right there with me wanting to help but not knowing how.

I crawled back into bed and curled up into a ball. What the hell was I going to do? Would I need to bag the fourth and final race of the weekend? Had I pushed it too hard earlier and I was seriously paying for it now?

As I laid there on the bed I asked Aimee to put some of my stuff together. All of my racing gear was already packed in the backpack. Aimee packed my nutrition into the cooler for me and packed a lunch for herself.

Thirty minutes elapsed while I laid on the bed. I forced myself to get up and try it again.

I felt better getting up the second time. Maybe I was forcing myself out of bed before my body was ready. I still needed to force myself to get dressed and into the car with all of the gear.

We made out way over to the event site and I got my transition area put together. Actually being at the race helped me calm down and get into the morning. Being around everyone else who was possibly in the same boat as I helped as well.

As we got closer to the start of the race I felt better and better. It was probably just taking my body a real long time to wake up and be ready to race again for 5+ hours.

Here we are ready for the fourth race of the weekend.



The swim start was the normal time trial and it felt good to finally be moving. Everyone was pretty mellow in the swim. I didn't have any contact except for this one person who was swimming on my right. We kept bumping into each other and I was sighting towards the turn buoy just fine. Apparently this person REALLY wanted to swim to the left. I finally slowed down and swam behind this person as they continued to swim left into the center of the loop.

I made it to T1 in 28:36. My 2:24 T1 was a little long this time because I decided to wear my compression socks for the bike and run. I know you aren't supposed to try anything new on race day but I figured what would different socks make with my run. If anything the compression would help the tired legs. I guess I ran the risk of getting blisters since I had only worn the socks as recovery.

Regardless I cruised out of T1 in 2:24 and hopped on my bike for the double loop course. I remembered certain portions of the course but also realized that it wasn't as steep as I had recalled from last year.

I tried to make sure I was keeping it steady and holding back from going to fast. This was a vicious double loop that would need to be respected. I got into a good rhythm and was gearing well. The hard part was recognizing the false flats and gearing down to make sure I wasn't trying to push too big of a gear.

The bike course is quite technical with switchback climbs AND descents. The climbing needed attention to maintain a good spin. I would get out of the saddle occasionally to change the muscles being used.

The downhills were fun but required some focus. Several of the turns were 180 degrees and I had to slow way down. But if the curves weren't too sharp I could be more aggressive. The sweeping turns were the best because you don't need to leave the aero bars and keep pedaling.

After one particular downhill section I was riding with (meaning near) two guys on a team and another solo rider. It's so easy to bunch up on the downhills. I didn't want to pass because I wouldn't pass them by too much and I had a hard time hanging far enough back.

Despite my best efforts to keep things under control, I still managed to create some excitement for my first loop.

After the downhill we can really hammer the flats with some sweeping curves. At one curve there is a small bridge in the middle of the curve. It's a crappy little bridge with a bad lip.....like to ground around the bridge has settled and cracked the pavement and created the lip.

The leading edge of the bridge was covered in orange paint from the race director. The only safe route was to the left at the outer edge of the curve. On a normal ride it would be no big deal. But at race speeds things change drastically.

The two teammates were in front of me and the solo guy behind me. I was WAAAAAYYYY too close to the guys in front of me. We made the approach to the bridge okay. Coming off the bridge though we hit some bumps hard.

The first rider ejected a water bottle.

The second rider rolled over the bottle and shot the top off.

I tried to avoid the bottle completely by veering to the left. Coming out of the turn I was already pretty far left and now by missing the bottle I was pushed further left.

My wheel hit the two inch gravel berm but I couldn't hold the line very long and I dropped into the small ditch next to the road. And I do mean small. It was maybe 3 - 4 inches deep 12 - 16 inches wide.

I dropped my left pedal down and coasted until I could get back on the road. I managed to ride back up to the road. I looked down at my left leg and saw it covered in grass. If you remember I had put on compression socks during T1. The knee high socks protected my leg from the grass in the ditch. The grass had burs on it that stuck to my sock and the grass came along for a ride.

I reached down and pulled the clump of grass of my sock and tossed it on the road. In hind site I couldn't believe I made it through that ordeal with out stopping or crashing. I was very lucky that the ditch was smooth and not full of rocks or holes. I could just see me flipping over the bars after burying my front wheel in a hole.

I caught up to the three guys I was riding with and we talked about what happened. The guy who was behind me saw it all. We agreed that I was very lucky.

The remainder of the first lap was non-eventful. I made it back to transition and exchanged my nutrition bottles for fresh ones. I waved at Aimee as I headed back out for loop two.

The second loop was a little slower but I was more cautious this time. Unfortunately I did see more accidents. I went by one crashed out guy so fast I had a hard time realizing what I saw. He missed a turn and went through a short grassy area. I think it was fresh because his back was very bloody from the road rash. But I think his Zipp front wheel was taco'ed. Is that even possible?

Shortly after that I went through the area where I rode the ditch. There were several cars and at least three riders on the side of the road dealing with injuries or other issues. It is definitely the most hazardous section of the bike route.

I stayed steady all the way into T2 and completed the bike in 3:07:30. In transition I put on my shoes, grabbed my hat and gels then moved to the run spending only 51 seconds in T2.



I had to make a potty stop outside of transition so any time I saved in transition was spent in the pisser. I hadn't peed during the bike. Usually I like to stay hydrated and pee at least once on the bike. I felt like peeing on the bike but it wasn't uncomfortable so I decided to keep it until I started the run.

I grabbed three of my gels and dropped the bag with the remaining three under the aid station table. I would get the remaining gels during the second lap of the run.

I was definitely becoming tapped out from the weekend. I had the energy to run but not as fast as I wanted to. The hills were beating me mentally already. On the steeper sections I would walk so that I could save myself for the second loop.

I stuck to my plan and was taking my gels when I wanted to.....every two miles and right before an aid station so I could get water to wash the gel down.

At the turn around I grabbed some water and went to get my gels. I looked under the table but didn't see my three gels. One of the volunteers must have picked it up. Perhaps it was in the garbage already.

I started to scan the assortment of Hammer Gels on the table for a flavor I wanted. As I went down the line I spotted my bag of gels. Someone had simply placed them on top of the table. I grabbed my bag and thanked the volunteers.

The gels had been sitting in the sun for about an hour an they were hot. They were also runny which made them easier to take. It was almost like drinking the gel.

On the second loop I had to really focus. I needed to keep moving forward at a decent pace, especially on the uphills. Often times this late in a race my mind starts loosing focus. I turn inwards and may not think straight. But this time I turned inward on purpose. I didn't want to be distracted by external factors. I just wanted to run the hills the best I could.

I buried my head into the hill and kept my eyes on the 5 - 6 feet in front of me. I didn't want to know how far away the top of the hill was. I didn't want to see anyone running past me, same direction or not.

It was working though. I was reaching the crest of the hills in what seemed to be a quicker time. Once I reached some flatter terrain I would increase my tempo and push to the next hill.

After I reached the turn-around I needed to conquer one more hill. I put a lot into that hill but once I reached the top of that hill I only had 2.5 miles to go.....and they would be primarily downhill.

Sure enough, when I reached the four mile marker my intensity increased to finish the race strong. I started hammering the downhills and passing anyone I could. As I exited the woods I was getting excited about crossing the finish line. I tried to keep my pace quick and look strong all the way to the finish line. I completed the run in 1:55:41.



I crossed the finish line spent....hot....tired....sore....elated. I was happy to have completed my second Triple-T. I received my medal and t-shirt from the volunteers.



Once I could move again I made my way over to the creek and cooled off with the other racers.



I grabbed some post-race food and cleaned up my transition area.



Aimee and I headed back to the campground to get cleaned up and more to eat.

I'm very happy with my results for the weekend. It's such a great event with wonderful people and a fantastic race director/company.

Below you will find my race times that led to my 53rd overall place and 10th in age group.

Total: 11:08:39 53 overall finish time

TTT - Race #1 - Super Sprint 24:06
TTT - Race #2 - Olympic AM 2:30:44
TTT - Race #3 - Olympic PM 2:38:43
TTT - Race #4 - Half Iron 5:35:04

I dropped my time by four minutes and was able to push through some hard times.

Most importantly I could not have done it without Aimee. She has supported me during so many races and this one was no different. It was a great weekend with her.

Triple T - Race #3

Back at the campsite we had a little bit to eat. We were both tired and decided to take a nap. About an hour. A little power nap to recharge the batteries.

I laid there and didn't fall asleep. My mind was still too wired from the morning race. Aimee got some sleep....me..no. I finally got up and started working on my bike. During the morning race I was struggling a little on the uphills. I knew my training leading up to the race had not included the hill training I had done in '09.

I did have a backup plan though. I packed Aimee's cassette from her bike which had a 27 on the high end. That would help me spin up the climbs and conserve my legs for the hard stuff.
I also did a quick cleaning job on the chain to make sure the bike would work smooth.

After Aimee woke up we put together my nutrition for the race and made our way to the race site.

In the parking lot I took a moment.

What the hell am I doing? Why do I continue to punish myself like this? Oh yeah...it's fun.

I looked around. No one else was moving that fast either. I finally pulled my bike out of the van and proceeded over to the transition area.

Yoda once again helped me get my area put together and he was ready to ride...and ride we would.


The afternoon Olympic race started with the bike. Then we would swim and run. It's an interesting little twist to the race. The time trial format sent us out two at a time and the two person teams could now ride together and draft. Solos were still not allowed to draft.

The bike was the same route as the morning race and was pretty uneventful. I was disappointed on the way out because of a slower rider ahead of me on the downhill. She was cautious but also had a car following behind her so I couldn't make a pass. It sucked but I couldn't do anything about it. On the way back I was able to bomb the downhills though and that was fun.

Back at transition I had to get my wetsuit on. I had sprayed it down with Suit Juice and also used plastic bags on my feet. both worked well and I was out of transition quickly. Running towards the beach I realized that I was still wearing my sunglasses. I set them down near one of the speaker stands. When I saw Aimee on the beach I told her where to pick them up.

The beach area reappeared for the afternoon race. It was amazing how the water had receded.



So I ran across the muddy beach and dove into the cold water. One thing about swimming after the bike ride is a potential for cramping in the legs. People had warned me about it but I didn't have the problem in '09. Boy was I in for a treat.

The colder water temperature forced all of the blood into my arms and upper body. It's a natural reaction for the body to keep the core warm. I could tell there would be problems during the first loop. I was using my legs are rudders as I curved around slower swimmers or the turn buoy. The inner quads of both legs would twinge on me then release.

As I headed to shore to complete the first loop we had to walk around the marker and start swimming again. When I stood up the quads started cramping on me. I got back in the water as soon as I could and rolled on my back and tried to pump my legs and killed the cramps. It wasn't working too well so I rolled over and just started swimming. The cramps did subside.

During the second loop I tried to kick more often to get some blood back into the legs. I thought I was doing well until I tried to stand up and walk. The cramps were stopping me in my tracks. I kept trying to move forward but the pain was excruciating.

Aimee got a great picture of me trying to massage my quads AND wincing in pain at the same time.



People told me to keep moving. I then heard Aimee yelling at me, "BABY STEPS....JUST TAKE BABY STEPS!!"

I did as she told me and by the time I had crossed the bridge my legs were doing much better. I stripped out of my wetsuit, put on my socks and shoes, grabbed my hat and gels and exited T2.

My afternoon run was similar to the morning run. My splits were good, I was moving well, taking my gels and drinking water. I didn't have my sunglasses with me because of my mistake during T1. Despite the tree cover there are a couple of exposed spots where the late afternoon sun was beating down on us.

This time I hit the 2 mile marker at 16:16....8 min/mile. About the same as the morning race.

3 = 8:15, half uphill and half downhill
4 = 8:30, another half/half with the hills, after mile 4 it's mainly downhill.
5 = 7:10
6 = 6:26
.5 = 3:59
Total run time 50:35 minutes.

Total race time 2:38:46. This was a little more in line with what I had raced last year. I was okay with slowing down a little bit more for the second race. I still had the half IM on Sunday.



Some more post race food, sitting in the cold water of the creek and then I cleaned up my transition area and we went back to the campground. I showered while Aimee prepared dinner for both of us. I prepped my nutrition and gear for Sunday then we hit the sack early.

One..more..race.

Would my game still be on?

We interrupt....

.....the Triple T race report series for this important message.

It's not often enough that I take the time to thank those that have served or are actively serving in the Armed Forces. I admit that I sometimes forget what it has taken for the United States to become what it is today. It may not be perfect but it's better than other places in the world.

My long ride Saturday morning, by myself, helped me remember the freedoms we have because of the protection and service of members in the Armed Forces.

Safe roads to travel by car or bike and the freedom to do so.


Clean drinking water and sanitary conditions


Religious freedom and the ability to memorialize loved ones.





I don't know that many veterans or active members of the military.

But to Jason, Dave, Ralph, Jimmy and everyone else......

Thank-you....you all have Game On.

Triple T - Race #2

Race #2 at the Triple T is an Olympic distance race. Not a big deal for most long course triathletes. It's over before you know it.

Really....I mean..how bad can a .92 mile swim, 25 mile bike and 6.5 mile run be? I have training days longer than the duration of this race.

However, this race is approximately 12 hours after the super sprint. Sleep is very important for keeping it together with this weekend. It's precious....valuable...crucial. But for Friday night it was also going to be scarce.

After the Friday race we went back to the campground, ate, showered and went to bed. I was sleeping soundly when I heard a knock on the door around 9:30PM. I stayed in bed because I wasn't sure if I truly heard the knock. The knock hit the door again so I asked who was there. My neighbor was letting me know that the park ranger had told him about a potential tornado touchdown about 30 miles from the campground. Wow that woke me up.

I was up now. We could see the lightening to the north. I was outside when the ranger drove through again and I talked with him. While we were talking a weather alert came across his radio about a tornado warning until 10:30PM. We only had to wait it out for another 45 minutes.

Aimee and I finally fell back asleep only to be woke up by the sound of rain coming down around 11:30. It was coming down very hard. We were glad not to be tent camping like some of the other racers near us.

Come morning I was feeling good. The temperature was around 60 and I knew it would be warming up as the day progressed. After I prepped for the race we drove over to the race site. I heard several people mention hearing sirens overnight, a power outage at the lodge and the reports of not one but two tornadoes.

The pre-race meeting presented two changes to the morning race course. The bike course originally designed for the morning race was not going to be used due to three trees laying across the road at different areas. No way to clean up the mess in time. Unfortunately we wouldn't be riding the morning course which is much nicer than the afternoon bike course.

The morning course goes through the Shawnee State Forest and is very pretty, when you have time to look around between gasping for air. We also didn't have to climb Thompson Road hill which is a brutally short but steep climb. The afternoon bike route is an out and back along County Road 125. It has two major climbs with very fast descents.

The run course would also be slightly altered for the rest of the weekend due to the muddy section we ran through on Friday. We would have destroyed it by Sunday so we ran on the road around the grassy area. It really didn't add too much to our distances.

So two changes for the day/weekend. No problem. As a triathlete we should be prepared to go with the flow, accept changes gracefully and make the most of the situation.

As Yoda was telling me in transition...."In tri..Do or Do Not". How can I argue with a Jedi Master?


After Yoda and I set up my transition area, I put on my wetsuit and walked over to the beach. Actually we walked over to where the beach used to be. The rain had brought the level of the lake up several feet. Our beach start was now moving up to the grass above the water line. The water was also muddier than Friday night.

I posed with Ben, Linda and Mark for race #2 picture.



So we lined up to for the time trial start of the swim. We had to run a little bit further in the water this time but once I dove in it was all....COLD!!!! The rain had dropped the temperature of the lake by several degrees. My arms and face were freezing. It wasn't such a shock that I couldn't swim. I got into my groove and knew my arms and face would get used to the cold. I would also be generating some heat to keep warm.

I settled into a great rhythm of three single breaths on one side then switching to the other side. I could sight to the sides and was sighting in front of me quite well. I was tracking pretty good. I would move in and out of cold and warm spots but just kept moving forward.

Here is Linda coming out of the water. The beach is flooded up to the sidewalk. The second picture is from Friday night just to give you an idea of the water levels.





I finished the swim in 24:43 and through T1 in 1:36. The bike was good and I managed to bomb the downhills with little traffic. I pushed the effort harder than last year because I wanted to cut some time off my splits. I came into T2 at 1:15:53 and exited 35 seconds later. I wanted to rip up the run course.



I started conservative, at least I thought so, and hit the 2 mile marker at 15:54....8 min/mile. After that I took mile splits but didn't look at my watch.

3 = 7:59, half uphill and half downhill
4 = 7:50, another half/half with the hills, after mile 4 it's mainly downhill.
5 = 6:42
6 = 5:57
.5 = 3:38
Total run time 48 minutes.

Total race time 2:30:44. I took 9 minutes off my time from last year. I didn't mean to take that much time off the clock.

This is my attempt to indicate that race number two was complete. I was too tired to raise my arm up all the way. This one hurt a little.


I grabbed some food and cooled off in the now colder creek. We didn't stick around too long because we needed to get back to the camp site and relax before race number 3 which started at 3PM.

More fun to follow.

Triple T - Race #1

Race #1 for the Triple T was on Friday evening at 5PM. Like who really races on a Friday night? Well, when you need to get in four races in three days you race when you can.

The Super Sprint race is a good warm-up for the weekend. After traveling a majority of the day, 5 hour drive, its nice to loosen up and shake out the skills for the rest of the weekend.

The distances are pretty short but we need to be done quickly.

A 250 yard swim, 5 mile bike and 1 mile run.

My goals for the weekend was to take some time off each race and get close to or under 11 hours cumulative time.

Once I got my transition area put together I made my way to the beach and met up with Ben, Mark and Linda. We took our pre-race picture.



I didn't wear a wetsuit for the short swim but some people did. The water was cold but not terrible. It would be a such a short swim.

I lined up for the time trial start and was ready to get the weekend rolling.

I charged into the water and dove right in. Here I am just before diving in.



I quickly got into a stroke pattern that had me breathing each stroke on the right side. My arms were cold but they were moving so much they quickly warmed up.

I was out of the water in 4 minutes and through T1 in just over 1 minute. I jumped on the bike and rode the 5 mile uphill/downhill course in 11:27. I felt great going uphill and kept a good strong pace.

Entering and exiting T2 in 32 seconds I was ready for a quick 1 mile run.

The run course took us over a grassy section that was very muddy. I stayed to the sides on the route to avoid the mud. This section was going to be a complete mess by the end of the weekend.

I finished the mile run in 6:32 and you can see the mud splatter on my legs. Some people had mud between their shoulder blades.

One of the creeks that feeds the lake is right at the finish line. People were settling in for some cold water therapy and to clean off the mud.


Overall I finished 66th in 24:06 and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

One down....three to go.

Triple T - Quick Review

Another Triple T is in the bag....just like I am. I knew what I was getting into. I had raced it last year. I wanted to improve my time and push it a bit farther.

And..I..did.

A quick recap of the four races.

Friday Super Sprint - 250 yard swim, 5 mile bike, 1 mile run.
24:09 finish time with a 6:32 mile.

Saturday Morning Olympic - .9 mile swim, 24 mile bike, 6.5 mile run
2:30:44 finish time with a 5:57 during mile 6
Time improvement of 9 minutes from prior year.

Saturday Afternoon Olympic - 24 mile bike, .9 mile swim, 6.5 mile run
2:38:46 finish time with a lot of OUCH

Sunday Half Iron - 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13 mile run
5:35:44 finish time with pain, walking and digging very deep. Add 5 minutes to last years time.

Here are two pictures that help sum up the weekend. Details explaining the pictures will hopefully follow soon.

Game On - With a Plan

"A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish."

During an office conference call today, the COO of the company was reviewing the past performance and future plans for 2010. He used the quote above to describe the company strategy for 2010.

I found it appropriate as I was getting ready for the American Triple T this weekend. I looked at my notebook and read the notes I had scribbled for each race.

What I would be wearing.

What I would be eating.

What I would do pre and post race.

There is no wishing about the outcome of this race, or should I say races. I have goals for my second showing at Triple T. All I need to do now is execute the plan.

Game On.

A Little Dash in Your Life

I read of a man who spoke at the funeral of a
friend.

He referred to the dates on her tombstone, from the
beginning - to the end.

He noted that first came her date of birth and spoke of
the next date with tears.

He said what mattered most of all was the dash between
those years.

(1900-1970)

For that dash represents all the time that she spent alive
on earth...

And now, only those who loved her know what that little
line is worth.

For it matters not, how much we own; the cars...the
house...the cash, What matters is how we live, and love, and how we spend our
dash.

So think about this long and hard... are there things
you'd like to change?

For you never know how much time is left, that can still
be rearranged.

If we could just slow down enough to consider what's true
and real, And always try to understand the way other people feel.

And be less quick to anger, and show appreciation more And
love the people in our lives like we've never loved before.

If we treat each other with respect, and more often wear a
smile...

Remembering that this special dash might only last a
little while.

So, when your eulogy's being read with your life's actions
to rehash...

Would you be proud of the things they say... about how you
spent your dash ?

Ironman St. George

Thanks for asking about Aimee's Ironman. I posted all my updates on Facebook and forgot about my blog.

The race went great. I am working on a spectator report which will be posted soon but here are her results.

Swim: 1:26:11
T1: 14:01
Bike: 7:51:26
T2: 6:01
Run: 5:36:19

Total 15:13:58

We now have a house full of Iron. I had no doubts she would cross the finish line.

More to follow.

Something to think about........

“I run so my goals in life will continue to get bigger instead of my belly.”

- Bill Kirby

What's Goin' On

Well in our household a whole lot. So much so that blogging has definitely taken a back seat to everything else.

Aimee has finally entered her taper period leading into Ironman St. George. You know race day is coming up when you see a number beside your name. Aimee's number is 391. Don't forget that you can follow her splits on race day at ironman.com.

I'm entering my final block of training for the American Triple T. How lucky am I that my last training weekend will be in St. George.

Besides training we have both been very busy with work. It is a good distraction from training but it can also be rather stressful.

I'm trying to be a good coach and team director for Aimee. I am getting everything organized so she doesn't have to worry about some of the details. She just needs to execute her race plan on a single day.

Once again......my time is limited so blogging and even reading blogs has not been happening lately. But I did want to just drop a quick note to everyone reading.

Game On

Bank of Ironman

It's been a while since I felt that I have made any deposits in the Bank of Ironman. Putting in those big efforts only to be withdrawn on race day and used to reach the finish line.

I have been enjoying watching Aimee make those deposits. She continues to make more deposits and has one more week of build before entering taper. This weekend has been no different.

Aimee took Friday afternoon off and ran three hours so that she wouldn't be fried on Easter Sunday. However, Friday was a record setting day in Cleveland. It reached 83 degrees on a nice sunny day. Having run all winter in the cold and even March was cooler temperatures, this sudden rise in temperature was a shock to the system.

Aimee ran the first 1.5 hours on her own. I saw her returning while I was still heading out on my run. For her second 1.5 hours our friend Christi joined her. Aimee was thankful for having Christi there. The heat was taking it toll on Aimee and if not for Christi she would have succumbed to walking.

My run was just as troublesome since I'm pretty sure I started the run on the dehydrated side. I also had some people helping me finish in the form of Mark (I can do anything for 20 minutes) and Eric B (Push the Mind......) and Halle (watching from above) and Tina (breast cancer survivor).

Somehow we both finished. We might have looked like hell afterward, but these were big deposits.

We made sure to recover Friday night in order to be ready for our ride Saturday morning. My teammate Mike agreed to meet us for a couple of loops of the Rev3 Cedar Point course. I had a 6 hour ride on Aimee's schedule.

The weather for the day was calling for some wind. Something along the lines of 15MPH with gust to 35. Greeeeaaaaattttt. Couldn't wait for the wind.

The first loop was pretty uneventful. The nice thing was the temperature. It was warmer than the 30 degrees we started in the week before. So at least we could drink and eat easily without wearing gloves.

Aimee and Mike

The second loop the wind started to pickup. The second half of the loop brings us back to the start by riding south several times and that is where the wind was coming from.

Aimee enjoying her ride

We were either riding into the wind or leaning against the wind when we were heading east or west. Aimee was leaning into the wind. I was getting tossed around with my Flashpoint 60's and the deep rims.

We made it back to the parking lot to refuel and head out for a shortened lap three. Each lap the wind was getting stronger. I was watching the weather to the west and I didn't like what I was seeing. We were struggling to maintain control of the bikes and the clouds were getting darker.

After about 15 minutes I pulled the plug on the ride. I made the call to turn around and go back to the car. I didn't want to be caught in any bad weather. It was a gamble that I didn't want to take.

At the end of the ride I saw this sign blowing in the wind.

We got back to the car and managed to finish 80 miles in 5 hours. Considering the wind I was happy with the results. We still got a 30 minute run in after the ride.

One thing I will say about Aimee is that she didn't hesitate during the ride. She handled everything that was tossed at her. To start the third loop she never said a word and wash ready to go. Getting back to the car she changed her shoes and was ready to run.

The physical and mental training she has been through will get her to the finish line on May 1.

Aimee definitely has her......Game..On

What is your option?

I received an e-mail from a friend. She attached this picture since we had just been talking about all things iron....Ironman things to be exact.

I guess what she is trying to say with that sign is that failure is not an option so don't even think about it. Many people claim that D..N..F do not exist in their vocabulary. It is a hard pill to swallow.

I have been fortunate to have only voluntarily DNF'ed from a race once. It was back when I was mountain biking and my head wasn't in the game. And when you are on one of the toughest courses in Ohio (Vultures Knob)....at night....your head better be in the game or else your head will be splattered on the ground.

Well I had gone over the handlebars twice that night and I withdrew before I killed myself.

I would live to race another day.

So while finishing is always the goal, sometimes one must take the easy way out and regroup to attack again.

So always keep your "options" open.

Game On.

Friday Photos - Week 12

3/19/10 - Peeling Bark.

We have a very nice birch tree in the back yard. I like how the bark peels back.


3/20/10 - Stuck Squirrel.

This is actually a baby squirrel who didn't know to NOT enter our yard which is patrolled by two dogs. He eventually came down overnight. Click on the picture for a different style.


3/21/10 - Toy Time.

Snickers grabs a toy from the basket and is quite content to play by himself.



3/22/10 - Breakfast of Champions.

Ever since they got rid of Wheaties Crunch I've gone back to an old standby.

THEY'RE GREAT!!



3/23/10 - Oh Christmas Tree

We bought an artificial tree for Christmas last year. The problem is that I don't know where to store the thing. It's big enough to put a body or two in. So for now it still sits in the living room.


3/24/10 - Nice.

It was such a nice day out. The dogs were roaming the yard. People running outside.


3/25/10 - Crap

A cold front moved through and started dumping snow on us. Hopefully it will be that last time.

How NOT to ride 80 miles.....

.... and still run well the next day.

That about sums up my weekend of training. First the details then you can see the results at the end of the post.

On Saturday I had a brilliant idea.
Aimee was going to meet her sister after massage and leave her car at the office. I would meet them later for dinner and pick up Aimee. Instead of worrying about getting the car after dinner I would plan my ride so that I finished at her office and pick up the car, the Pilot of course.

This sounded good and I would get outside for a ride. The weather called for an overnight low of 44. Awesome because then I could get a mid morning start and ride for around 4 hours.

Well the morning temps were more around 30 and I didn't want to bundle up that much since it was bound to get warmer as the day progressed. I hung out and got my stuff put together and waited until 10AM to head out. It was still a little brisk but I had a warm jacket, leg warmers, hand warmers tucked inside my toe covers, gloves and mittens and a beanie.

Sure I would be a little cold to start but I would warm up eventually. I also packed three bottles of fluid, two containing Perpetuem, a Clif Z-Bar, banana and a fruit smoothie PowerBar. I also packed money in case I needed it for more food or drink.

I headed south first which was nice because the winds were coming from the north across the lake. I was enjoying my ride. At one point during a hard effort I saw, caught up to and passed a golf cart on the road. Mind you I was in farm country so anything goes. It was fun zipping by the two kids and saying hi.

Eventually I had to head east and that meant going into the wind. I just geared down into the small chainring and spun it out. Things were going well. I was heading in the direction I wanted to go. I had made it to Medina with no problems. I felt that everything was going according the plan as I made my way towards the Metropark Reservation in Hinkley.

As I exited Medina my route headed northeast. I still had a bit of wind to contend with. It was only 9 miles to Hinkley but I could feel my energy starting to fade. My energy and the wind would come and go. I would feel strong but would soon feel zapped.

I didn't worry about the pace since I was still moving forward. The wind was still blowing and the damn temperature didn't seem to be getting any warmer. I was still comfortable but I could have used a better base layer up top.

Once I reached Hinkley I was 2 hours 13 minutes into my ride. I wasn't quite sure how long it would take me to get back. Only one way to tell. Full speed ahead. Well maybe 3/4 speed or half speed at times.

The rest of my ride would be almost directly north. Some of it would be west but it didn't help much. I was getting tired.

Eat, drink, spin.......eat, drink, spin.....eat, drink, spin.

I started to break up the remaining part of my ride into small segments. Make it to the next intersection. What is next? Oh yeah, make it to Wallace Lake. Oh good Cedar Point Road. Next marker Mastick golf course. Keep going.

A couple of times I found myself drifting away from the edge of the road. Partly due to the bad road conditions, partly because of my lack of focus. I just had to make it to the end of the park and climb one last hill.

Within one mile from said hill the inner thigh of my left leg started to cramp up BAD. I had to keep spinning from fear of simply falling over. I forced myself to breath through the cramp. I just hoped it wouldn't return while climbing the hill.

I made it to Aimee's office and the safety of the car. It took me another 2:15 to finish my ride. I had logged a total of 4.5 hours and 79 miles. As I emptied out my pockets I realized where I had failed.

On the seat in front of me was the banana, Z-Bar and half the PowerBar. Two bottles were completely empty and there was a little bit left in one Perpetuem bottle. I had completely ignored my nutritional needs. That was probably the worst bonk I have had to date. BIM Active says I burned up 3785 calories. I maybe consumed 800 calories on my ride. What a dumb mistake.

I still managed to get in a 15 minute run but it was a slow one. I made my way home and sat in a cold water bath for 20 minutes to help the legs recover. I was due for a long run the next day, Sunday. Time to HTFU.

I met Aimee, Becky and Kyle for dinner and we made it to bed before 9:30. Sunday morning arrived and we slept in. We didn't roll out until 8AM. We planned our day; running then grocery shopping. Meal plan was made for the week then we headed out for our run in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

I wanted some hills, as you can see below, and I found them. After a flat 3 mile warm-up I started with the hills. I was happy with how things were going. I was powering up the hills and recovering quickly once I reached the top of each one. When I reached the highest point of my run I reversed it and screamed down the Buckeye trial inside the Brecksville Metropark.

Once I made it back to the road I had the final rollers to attack and I was still moving well. Back onto a trail in the park I continued to push the pace all the way back to the parking lot. Of course most of the remaining mileage was downhill or flat resulting in the quick pace on the splits chart.

By the time I made it back to the car I was toast. Legs done. Stick a fork in them.

I walked to the Towpath trail and soon saw Aimee returning from her run. We both had good runs. I was happy my left thigh didn't cramp on me during the run. It only hurt when I tried to take off my shoes or put my sweat pants on.

After we got home from grocery shopping I took another cold water bath for 20 minutes. The legs really needed some relief. Other parts weren't happy with the cold water but it's a "small" price to pay.

Check out the information from BIM Active as I recorded the bike ride and run on my phone. There might have been a little bit of elevation on each day.

Remember, if you take food with you on a bike ride....EAT IT!!!!!

Game On

Saturday's Bonk-a-pottomus Bike Ride

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 875 ft Location: North Ridgeville, OH, Elev. Gain: -16 ft Date: 03/20/10 Up/Downhill: [+3530/-3546] Time: 02:30 PM Difficulty: 5.0 / 5.0 Weather: Mostly Cloudy 36 F temp; 79% humidity 36 F heat index; winds NE 13 mph Performance Distance: 79.14 miles Time: 4:34:30 Speed: 17.2 mph Pace: 3' 29 /mi Calories: 3785 Map Elevation (ft)

Posted from bimactive.com

Sunday's Most Awesome Hilly Trail/Road Run

Activity Route: -- Elev. Avg: 757 ft Location: Brecksville, OH, Elev. Gain: -6 ft Date: 03/21/10 Up/Downhill: [+1135/-1141] Time: 12:25 PM Difficulty: 3.8 / 5.0 Weather: Partly Cloudy 50 F temp; 58% humidity 50 F heat index; winds NNE 6 mph Performance Distance: 10.75 miles Time: 1:45:34 Speed: 6.1 mph Pace: 9' 49 /mi Calories: 1241 Elevation (ft) Pace (min/mile) Splits Mile Pace (min/mile) Speed (mph) Elevation Gain actual +/- avg actual +/- avg 1 8' 44 -1' 05 6.9 +0.7 -6 ft 2 8' 23 -1' 26 7.2 +1.0 -10 ft 3 9' 47 -0' 02 6.1 +0.0 +30 ft 4 14' 29 +4' 40 4.1 -2.0 +32 ft 5 12' 30 +2' 41 4.8 -1.3 +151 ft 6 9' 31 -0' 18 6.3 +0.2 -6 ft 7 11' 06 +1' 17 5.4 -0.7 +82 ft 8 10' 12 +0' 23 5.9 -0.2 -39 ft 9 8' 44 -1' 05 6.9 +0.8 -108 ft 10 6' 55 -2' 54 8.7 +2.5 -105 ft end 7' 31 -2' 18 8.0 +1.9 -26 ft Versus average of 9' 49 min/mile

Posted from bimactive.com

Friday Photos - Week 11

Sometimes I have more photos than I know what to do with. I can't quite find a favorite from a particular day. This week I have some special click-thru pics. When the words *clic-thru* appear, click on the picture and see the special secondary picture behind it......enjoy.

3/12/10 - I picked up some new running shoes. I went back to Mizuno Inspires. I happened to have some Yankz that matched the color scheme of the shoes. Unfortunately they are the color of a competing multi-sport team in the area. Oh well.



3/13/10 - Another working weekend. The guys I was working with had various NCAA tournaments on during the day. So we set up shop outside the computer room in this conference room with a nice TV.

3/14/10 - You should be accustomed by now to the morning picture from my hotel room when I travel for work.

*clic-thru*

3/15/10 - Dinner with family Monday night resulted in three bottles of wine being consumed.

3/16/10 - Snickers is 12.5 years old. He's been sleeping a lot lately. I hate to say it but most of the time I have to pause and make sure he's still breathing. He's a good boy.

*clic-thru*

3/17/10 - St. Patrick's Day. It's a non-event for us. But we did brave the surrounding neighborhoods for a quick bike ride. We avoided the roads due to the potential of intoxicated drivers.

*clic-thru*

3/18/10 - After my post yesterday I couldn't believe the toy I found in my Happy Meal from lunch. I must now follow the Force.

I have to offer two responses from yesterdays post.

MissFit Island: Fear is the path to the starting line. Fear leads to Fitness. Fitness leads to Confidence. Confidence leads to the finish line.

Big Daddy Diesel: Slow Yoda vs. New Yoda. Don't forget the "first" 3 movies Episodes 1 - 3 were a younger Yoda kicking some ass. The second set of movies, first to come out..Episodes 4 - 6, were an older Yoda by approximately 20 years. Luke was born at the end of Episode 3 and Episode 4 picks him up in his 20's. I'd be moving slow like Yoda too.

So to answer your question......Yoda kicks ass....no matter how young or old he is.

Game On