Bob Roll, Rocks Cleveland

Friday night Bob Roll made a special visit to local bike shop Century Cycles. CC won this special visit at the InterBike show in Las Vegas. The store was packed with people who gave Bob a fantastic welcome to Cleveland. Immediately he had us laughing histerically with his stories. I was laughing out loud with tears in my eyes. After sharing some stories Bob took some questions from the audience. This was like a free comedy show and actually much better than some pro comics.

I learned that Bob felt that each race he participated in SUCKED! He couldn't understand why everyone was going so fast. The peleton was all together and they were all going to the same place. As he would say in the peleton, "Who's the IDIOT up front going so fast!!"

Working with OLN provides Bob Roll with some of the best food on the Tour Day France, better than when he was a rider.

Riding in Italy is preferred to riding in France. In Italy they appreciate tourists and cyclists and way you to have a good time. In France they just want to treat you like crap, especially if you are American.

After approximately 1.5 hours he sat down to sign autographs. I had him sign my copy of Bobke II and also got a picture with Bob Roll himself.

Family & Friends Friday - My Parents

Where would we be without parents. I classify myself as very fortunate in regards to my parents. They were/are a big influence in my life. A recent message board post on the Cleveland Tri Club asked who was your greatest influence while growing up? Without hesitation I said my parents, also my HS track coach.

My Dad:

He is a very motivated and organized guy. His entire work career was with NASA, something like 38 years (launch vehicle project manager). I remember taking family trips to Cocoa Beach to watch some of his satellite launches from Cape Canaveral. Very cool having an inside track on historical flights that eventually reached the edge of our solar system.

Besides his work he keeps busy with many side "jobs". He was Scout Master (yes IronWil, a scout master) for both my brother and myself. He helped form the Westlake Soccer Association when soccer was in it's infancy for my home town and I was just getting started with the sport. He helps any way he can at church; maintenance, committees, etc. Even now he spends two days a week at Habitat for Humanity with his work crew. The man can't keep still, always wanting to help and always there when you need him.

The most amazing thing about my dad is his compassion for humanity. His acceptance of people is amazing. His tolerance nearly flawless. If he sees the need to help he will be the first one to offer assistance. I can honestly say that I have rarely heard him say anything negative about anyone. Even if he has, it doesn't stick out in my mind. I can only hope to eventually have the same attitude.

My Mom:

I've known my mom as a stay-at-home for my entire life. There was a time when she did work before my brother was born. Go figure she was a math major and also worked at NASA on some of the early computers they had. But for as long as I can remember she was usually there when I got home from school. She was active in her things as well: golf league, Garden Club, Womens Club, Library board, College Club, Investment Club, geneology, quilting,....mom type stuff. Of course she was usually stuck schleping me around for soccer, basketball and track. Oh yeah, and she was a Cub Scout Den Mother. The crap she had to put up with dealing with 8-10 boys at a time.

Now my mom is a tell it like it is type of person. Won't hesitate to ask the hard question or voice her opinion, a strong woman I would say. I got busted at school one year for writing something not nice about a teacher, not that I was a troublemaker. Anyways she went to bat for me because of her previous experience with the same teacher through my brother. I still was suspended for 3 days but I think she understood where I was coming from. And she had to do this while my dad was in Washington, D.C. for work. She has done alot for me.

Well my parents are enjoying their retirement years now. Traveling the world (China, Costa Rica, Alaska, Ireland, Germany) and spending winters anywhere but in Cleveland. They deserve it because of the hard work they put into their careers and family.

I'm excited that they will be at Lake Placid when I tackle IM USA. Every once in a while my mom will ask nervously about the race. How long will it take? Are you going to be ready? What type of training are you doing? My dad has seen me race more often and is probably more comfortable with my abilities. Either way I'm excited because they will see me tackle my biggest race to date.

My parents rock and I'm a lucky guy.

Game on.

Whatever it takes - Just Do It

This is how I needed to approach this morning's swim. Looking at the workout last night I mentioned to Aimee that I had a total of 3800 yards to swim. She looked at me, told me to suck it up and stop complaining. I wasn't complaining, I was making an observation about the yardage of my workout. What does she care anyways, she's in taper for her half marathon April 2nd.

So the alarm goes off at 4:50AM and I jump out of bed to get the day started. Pre workout meal consists of a high protein Boost and a small bagel with peanut butter. For the pool deck I have a bottle of Gatorade with Carbo-Pro added for calories.

I finished getting ready and was taking my bags downstairs when it hit me; I'm up at 5:00AM going to a pool to swim 38oo yards in preparation for Ironman USA, and I don't even think about it. I just do it. It's become such a part of my life and routine that it's essentially automatic. Cool.

At the pool:
Warm Up 800 - 15:50
Pull 2 x 400 yards- breathe 3,5,7,9 by 100
7:57 / 7:31 - I forgot to pull and just swam regular, usually got to 8 before needing a breath, sometimes 9. I really need to read my workouts better.
Swim 4 x 200 yards- all negative split
1:45 / 1:44
1:45 / 1:40
1:45 / 1:39
1:43 / 1:41
Swim 8 x 100 yards - all race pace - take 15 sec rest
1:32 / 1:36 / 1:35 / 1:33
1:55+20 yds (I really need to learn how to count) / 1:33 / 1:32 / 1:35
Swim 400 yards - hard - faster race pace
1:28 / 1:34 / 1:32 / 1:29
Cool down easy 200 yards - 6:32
3800 yards - total workout time 1:25:00

When I finished I looked at my watch as saw my total workout time. And you know what, the time just flew by. I didn't feel like I was in the water that long but my pruney hands showed differently. The pool wasn't crowded like the past three days. Monday crowded, Tuesday TriSaraTops got slapped, Wednesday I was told it was crowded, today not crowded. At one point TriSaraTops and I were to only "swimmers" in the pool, noodle lady was water walking along the wall. Tres bon.

New video posted today. I've been thinking about my bloggy friends (IronWil, TriSaraTops) and how they have been handling the Ides of March. Everyone is antsy to get outside, feeling pressures from all sorts of external forces and struggling with the demands of life for an Ironman triathlete. Looks like everyone is finding their peace with their own battles. But sometimes you feel like you are just going to "Just Lose It" which if handled in a controlled manner is a good thing.

So do whatever it takes, even if you have to just lose it and just do it.

Game on my friends, game on.

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Grilled Pizza

Aimee and I have been playing with pizza on the grill and have become quite proficient. We don't make our own dough, so we buy it from Trader Joe's.

The dough usually has to sit out for 30 minutes to rise or something like that.
After the 30 minutes I fire up the grill on low heat.
Take a piece of parchment paper and spray it with a light layer of olive oil.
Dump the dough on the parchment paper and start spreading it out. We use the bag it came in so the dough doesn't stick to our hands.
Form does not matter. Circle, square, rectangle, whatever shape you want go with it. We usually wind up with an oval more or less. The free form of the dough gives it some personality.
I place the parchment paper and dough on a cookie sheet to help carry it out to the grill.
At the grill I pour some more olive oil on the dough and spread it over the dough with a brush.
Now simply turn everything over straight onto the grill. The cookie sheet was only for carrying the dough out to the grill.
Slowly pull the parchment paper off the dough, the thin layer of oil will help it separate.

Don't leave to grill for very long. At a low heat the dough will only need between 5 - 8 minutes to cook. Check it at 5 minutes and be ready to flip.

Before you flip have the olive oil ready again. Spread a layer of oil on the top before flipping the dough.

On the cooked side you can now place your toppings. Go traditional or be adventurous. Lately we have done a wonderful white sauce pizza with Asiagio cheese, spinach, red onions, fake crabmeat, and garlic. Very yummy with a glass of red wine.

bon appetite

Two for Tuesday - Tri Gear for the Feet

Yankz

There are lots of shoe lace replacements out there for triathletes but I am sold on Yankz. Each time I buy a pair of new running shoes I put in some Yankz. Once I dial in the tension my feet are comfortable and I can just slip the shoes on and off. So don't waste time in T1 or T2, get some elastic laces for your shoes.

DeFeet Socks

These are some of the best and funnest socks around. I train and race in nothing but DeFeet socks. The thin layer let's me slip my foot into my shoes with no problems while also moving moisture away from my sweaty feet.

Short and sweet but that's how I like my transitions.

TfT, Game On.

G.D.M.F.S.O.B.

For those of you that can decipher the title and were affected by the blogger problems this past week, you know what I mean.

At first I thought it was my internet connection or perhaps a virus/spyware was impacting my laptop. But I could browse around the rest of the internet. I was surprised how pissed off I was getting because I couldn't post my blogs. I had two in draft already and I couldn't complete or post them. I want to keep on providing interesting reading for anyone who visits my blog and having a big gap is not a good thing.

So I am finally back on line. I have or will be backfilling my posts for the past week.

Kudos to the guys at Blogger for working hard to get the file servers fixed and operational. Being a computer guy myself I know what a pain those computers can be.

Game on!

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Beer Can Chicken

Oh this has become a family favorite. My daughter absolutely loves this recipe.

Beer Can Chicken
From: Weber's Big Book of Grilling
Here’s a technique that delivers great-tasting chicken and makes a lively conversation starter as well. We’ve used one of our special rubs, but you can sub in 2 to 3 tablespoons of your favorite one. Bottoms up!

For the rub:
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds
2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1 can (16 ounces) beer (tall boy)

To make the rub: In a small bowl combine the rub ingredients.

Remove and discard the neck, giblets, and any excess fat from the chicken. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly spray or brush all over with the vegetable oil and season, inside and out, with the rub. Open the beer can and pour off half of the beer. Set the half-full can on a flat surface and slide the chicken over the top so the can fits inside the cavity. Transfer the bird to the grill, keeping the can upright. Carefully balance the bird on its two legs and the can. Grill over Indirect Medium heat until the juices run clear and the internal temperature reaches 170°F in the breast and 180°F in the thickest part of the thigh, 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours. Wearing barbecue mitts, carefully remove the chicken and the can from the grill, being careful not to spill the beer – it will be hot. Let the chicken rest for about 10 minutes before lifting it from the can. Discard the beer. Cut the chicken into serving pieces. Serve warm.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Cook Comments:

• I use Miller Genuine Draft for the beer. You really don't taste the beer in the chicken, but if I have to drink half the can for the recipe I want to drink something I like.
• When applying the rub make sure you separate the skin from the meat and get some rub in there as well. If you don't eat the skin you will still have some of the rub on the meat.
• Try to close off the neck cavity. This will make sure the steam from the beer will stay in the chicken, otherwise it will just come out the neck.
• I'll try to post a picture when Blogger let's me.

Two for Tuesday - Book Review

Today's twosome is books. I'm always looking for some good reads for bedtime. Reading helps my mind relax before getting some rest.

Once a Runner by John L. Parker.

I think this book is a must read for all athletes. I read this one twice because there were some great moments I wanted to relive. My favorite quote from this book is "Trials of Miles, Miles of Trials". For me that single quote sums up my training, racing, and life. There is also a time when the main character does 20 quarter miles in a row. Complete body breakdown, but he came back very strong.

Iron Will: The Triathlete's Ultimate Challenge by Mike Plant

Iron Will was a disappointment for me. I stuggled through this book as the years went by reading about how Ironman, and triathlon, got started. The characters are popular with some age group stories thrown in.

While the history of Ironman Hawaii is important I was not expecting a history lesson from this book. I was hoping for more information about IM races all over the world. I think I will get that from a different book I recently acquired, Becoming an Ironman.

The link above has some reviews as well and I agree with some of them. I'm sure each person will react differently to this book. I borrowed it from my coach, glad I didn't buy it.

Feel free to suggest some books that you have enjoyed.

A nice double

It took some doing but I did make it outside for a small bike ride today. The rear wheel of my road bike has had a broken spoke since September. I didn't want to take my tri bike out because the rear wheel was glossy from all the miles on the trainer, too thin and prone to a puncture.

I did 2 hours on the trainer this morning since my coach gave me a specific workout to do. That "ride" went great and it didn't bother my hip. As the day progressed the weather got warmer and the lack of wind was a huge motivator for fixing my rear tire. So I managed to replace the spoke and true the wheel for a quick spin after dinner. It felt so good to get outside on the bike.

Since my leg started bothering me I haven't been able to run outside. I'm hoping to get on the bike outside at least once each week. It will be my main opportunity to get outside.

So I pretty much did a double workout today. 2 hours in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening. It was so worth it.

I know several other Miw-Westerners were able to get outside as well, IronWil, TriSaraTops and CurlySu. Spring is coming soon and this was a nice taste of what is yet to come.

Training injuries have relegated me to the elliptical machine at the Y. I started with 45 minutes on the elip., then tried a short run on the treadmill but only lasted 5 minutes. Finished with 30 minutes back on the elliptical. Now I did manage to listen to Get Your Geek On #8 during my workout. I'll have to listen to it again in case I missed anything. To cap off the workout I did some upper-body weight lifting.

At home we had some errands to run and clean-up in the house. Aimee asked me to clean-out the fridge. You know, throw out the old stuff. Well that turned into pulling the shelves out, tossing old food, essentially detailing the fridge. It's nice and clean now.

So the rest of today is left to do other chores and relax.

Tomorrow the temps will be around 50 but raining. So my 2 hour ride will be on the trainer. No problem, just have to decide what movie to watch.

Family and Friends Friday - Going to the Dogs

This installment will handle all of the individuals living in the house. The two crazy dogs are Snickers and Ruby. Both are Brittany's, a spaniel breed, and are very active, enjoy running, being outdoors and sleeping on our bed.

Snickers (male) will be 9 years old in October, he was born on Halloween (sometimes he seems a little obsessed). Called the runt of the litter, he is a solid 60-65 lbs. Breed standard is 35-40 lbs. so people are always asking us if he is a Brittany. He's very loving and gets excited when we put our running shoes on. Sometimes when I have my cycling gear on he thinks he can go along is a raring to go. Snickers loves to play ball in the yard and will play with anyone who comes into the yard; neighbor kids, family, service people.....anyone.

Ruby (female) we are not so sure of. We acquired ruby 1.5 years ago as a rescue from a local group. She is actually smaller than breed standard, 30-35 lbs. Her spastic nature keeps us entertained constantly with her excited little dance when she wants to go outside. She has learned how to run with us also. Her innocent little face can be misleading because if we leave the crates unlocked she will drag the bed out, up from the basement and into the family room where she will tear out the stuffing. If we don't crate them for a small outing we make sure the crate is locked.

The two of them will sometimes play tug together and run around the yard after birds and little critters, hey they are hunting dogs.

Next week more of Team IM Eric.





This picture is after a 1 mile Doggie Dash. Snickers and I took 1st overall.

Gone Daddy Gone

Lately my head has been spinning so much I feel like I've gone out of my mind. Well tonight I can relax, blow off some steam and enjoy seeing the Violent Femmes at the House of Blues, Cleveland.

I'll be there with Aimee, her sister, and two other female friends. My own little group of violent femmes.

Let me go out, like a blister in the sun...........

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Sea Bass

We grill at our house year 'round despite the cold winters. The taste and flavor of food cooked on the grill is something to enjoy all the time. But for those that don't grill, I'll do an indoor recipe next week.

Short on time and hungry, this may be the recipe for you. This recipe doesn't call for the fish to marinade, instead a simple to make paste gets brushed on, then you slap it on the grill. We had this the other night on a bed of mushroom pasta. Yummy.

Mediterranean Sea Bass
From: Weber's Big Book of Grilling

This recipe is all about Provence, and these are the ingredients that make the region’s food sing. Keep it simple and enjoy. (Suitable substitutes: red snapper, striped bass.)

For the paste:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme
2 teaspoons dried lavender
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

4 skinless Chilean sea bass fillets, about 6 ounces each and 1 inch thick
Lemon wedges (optional)

To make the paste:
In a small bowl whisk together the paste ingredients.

Spread the paste evenly on both sides of the fish fillets. Grill over Direct High heat until the flesh is opaque throughout and starting to flake, 5 to 7 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Serve warm and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

Did anyone try last weeks recipe? Let me know what you think.

New Video

I posted a new video from bolt but it doesn't autoplay for some reason. Check it out. It sets the mood for my weekend read.

Two for Tuesday - Buffet(t) Style

While swimming this morning in the pool I was flanked by two female sharks, one of which was TriSaraTops. I had fins to the left and fins to the right, so therein lies the inspiration for todays Two for Tuesday.

Jimmy Buffett:

• Born December 25, 1949
• Has a college degree in journalism
• Originally started his signing career as a country artist
• He has donated $500,000 to Hurricane Katrina relief so far

Buffet:

• A meal at which guests serve themselves from various dishes displayed on a table or sideboard
• the modern buffet was developed in France in the 18th century
• The "all you can eat" buffet has been ascribed to Herb Macdonald, a Las Vegas hotel manager who introduced the idea in 1946
• In the United States, HomeTown Buffet is a large buffet chain, and part of the larger Buffet Inc. corporation, and also owns "Old Country Buffet", "Country Buffet", and "Tahoe Joe's Famous Steakhouse".

I would imagine that most of us fun loving triathletes enjoy a good Buffett concert like everyone else. However, the last real buffet I ate at was in Las Vegas, juts because it was the thing to do.

Speaking of food, take two and read me in the morning. What's Cooking Wednesday is in draft.

Work, Eat, Sleep...x 4

Yep that was my weekend. Friday - Monday was work/eat/sleep, and even the eating part became optional.

I am a computer consultant for an IBM business partner in Ohio. I help customers migrate to newer hardware when they buy/lease new equipment. This equipment is pretty significant since it often supports very large companies, users and applications. I had to work at two customers this weekend, a hospital and a national distribution company. So this is how my weekend went, too bad I'm not giving you training details.

Friday:

• Work during the day with three different customers and a visit to Dr. Zak, ART.

Saturday:

• Wake up at 1:30AM, at hospital 2:30AM. Leave hospital 6:30AM. Work not injury.
• Sleep for two hours, get up at 10:00AM, shower, eat, arrive customer #2 12:00PM.
• Leave customer #2 at 11:30PM.

Sunday:

• Wake up at 7:00AM, eat, arrive back at customer #2 at 8:30AM.
• Leave customer #2 at 6:30PM
• Have dinner with Aimee, first real food all weekend, in fact almost only food on Sunday.

Monday:

• Back at customer #2 at 8:00AM for another 5 hours of work. Everything up and running things look great.
• I also got in another visit to Dr. Zak for my leg.
• Ran for the first time since my leg started to bother me, 4.2 miles.
• Decide not to run Shamrock Marathon on March 19.

Which is a good segue to answer my comment about my fitness last week. I've been struggling with a tight hipflexor, tfl, quad, hamstring...you name it, it's probably too tight. I wasn't sure if I was going to be ready by the 19th for the marathon. Dr. Zak was confident about getting me loosened up with enough sessions.

However, after my run this evening I didn't feel comfortable with my leg. I could still feel the tightness, not as bad as before, but it was still there. Aimee and I have talked about it often and she helped me decide the right thing to do. I also talked to Coach Angela and she supports my decision. She thinks it's the right thing to do and is glad I made this decision.

My primary focus this year is Ironman. Do I push through a marathon that may injure me more or bail and continue therapy on my leg? The answer is pretty obvious, rest and recover. The marathon was a distance I wanted under my belt before IM. It would have been nice to do a marathon by itself. I am sacrificing now for the greater good in July.

I have weird emotions about this.

A little bit of disappointment, I was looking forward to traveling to Virginia Beach and run my very first marathon.

A little bit of relief, no pressure to get better quick and worry about the consequences down the road.

A little bit humbled, my training was going good until the hip flared up. I have been sidelined. Not an easy pill to swallow for a competitive athlete.

I've also been reminded of the awesome support group I have around me. My wife was keeping me on an even keel showing her concern for my health, both physical and mental. Coach was trying her best to keep me in shape to run the marathon throughout the therapy and provided constant mental support. I couldn't ask for anything more from two of the most important women in my life right now.

So now I have to make the comparisons between my recent experiences and my Ironman journey. It's kind of expected with this blogging thing.

Like the kids from Southpark, I've learned something today (or over the weekend).

My marathon weekend of work has shown me that I have the mental toughness to handle Ironman. I hit alot of emotions during the weekend as I tried to make things work, regrouped, thought I was in over my head, persevered, tapped into some great support and triumphed in the end. A great sense of accomplishment when all was said and done.

The courage to do what is right by deciding to not run my marathon and save myself for IM. I hope to carry the right mental attitude into IM USA so that I may make the right decisions at crucial times during the day.

To continue to surround myself with a support system that will help me get through all of the training, work and life issues that will present themselves to me over the next 5 months.

Here's to beginning a new phase of my IM training.

Family and Friends Friday - Amanda

This is my daughter Amanda (the blonde not the gorilla). She's a high school student, teenager, creator of grey hairs (on my head), emotional roller coaster, good friend, average student, beautiful girl, snowboarder.......basically a normal teenage girl.

For those of you who have been through the girly teenage years, bless you for surviving. For those of you that have yet to experience these years, good luck.

Amanda is excited about watching me at IM USA. She's been to a couple of my past triathlons but still prefers the mountain bike scene. I think she may be impressed with the venue at Lake Placid.

Next year she will be starting vocational school, digital photography and design. She's excited about her next two years of school so I'm happy with that. I'm going to start having her do my pictures for the blog.

Are you Awake

I changed my video feed today. Nothing like a long day at work (drive 1.5 hours, all day meeting, drive home 1.5 hours) to just suck the energy out of you. Of course I was also up at 4:45AM in order to get a workout in at the Y, which semi-sucked.

But I think about all this crap I'm doing and the current state of my fitness (update coming on Monday) and I'm trying to remember why I am doing this at all. Then I remember one of my favorite pre-race songs, Godsmack/Awake.

The hard driving beat and the refrain, "I'm alive, ass still kickin". I'm training, exercising, working, breathing, eating, living, loving so I can feel alive. I feel alive when:

I feel my chest heaving up and down after a hard swim, bike or run session.
I feel the sweat seeping from my pours and dripping from my arms.
I feel a dull ache in my head from pouring myself into a project at work.
I taste the herbs and seasonings of my favorite meal.
I feel the tender touch of a loved one.
I get goosebumps as I step outside for a run on a cold single digit morning.
Rub my hands on the soft fur of my dogs.
AND
I will feel unbelievably alive and Ironman ass-kickin' when I cross that finish line.

Go out this weekend, wake up and be alive.

What's Cooking Wednesday - Chicken and Artichoke

It's sometimes hard to find recipes that you like as well as are good for you while training for triathlons. I want to share some of my favorite recipes that I love making. If you "tri" them let me know what you think.

Artichoke Stuffed Chicken Breasts

The active link above is for the original recipe from Weber.com.


Artichoke-Stuffed Chicken Breasts
From: Weber's Big Book of Grilling
A tasty departure from the ordinary. If flare-ups occur, finish these breasts over Indirect Medium heat.

For the stuffing:
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 jar (7 ounces) artichoke hearts
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
3 tablespoons minced sun-dried tomatoes (oil packed)
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh basil

4 large boneless chicken breast halves(with skin), about 8 ounces each
Extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

To make the stuffing: In a medium sauté pan combine the olive oil, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Set the pan over medium-high heat to warm the mixture for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain, rinse, and coarsely chop the artichokes and add along with the garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat. Add the goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil. Mix to evenly distribute the ingredients and allow to cool.

Rinse the chicken breasts under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap and, with a meat mallet or back of a small pan, pound to flatten to a thickness of about 1/4 inch. Place the breasts, skin side down, and spread each one with a quarter of the stuffing. Fold the breasts in half over the stuffing and use toothpicks to skewer the sides closed. Brush or spray both sides with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill the breasts over Direct Medium heat until the meat juices run clear and the cheese is melted, 8 to 12 minutes, turning once halfway through grilling time. Remove from the grill and carefully remove the toothpicks. Serve warm. Makes 4 servings.


Important notes/comments/changes:

I could never get the end result to look like the picture. They must use specially grown chickens that have mutant breast meat the flatten out perfectly so the fold thingy works. I finally said screw it. I use two flattened chicken breast that are the same size and just make a sandwich out of it. Place the stuffing between two flattened chicken breasts, forget about the toothpicks and use a large flat spatula to flip the chicken.

I can never find crumbled goat cheese. Usually the cheese is in a tube and when I try to crumble the cheese, it doesn't crumble. The pan is usually quite hot when the cheese goes in and it kind of melts and mixes in with the other ingrediants anyways. So when the chicken is on the grill, the cheese is already melted. I just watch the chicken to decide when everything is done, look for clear juices.

Never forget to spray/brush the chicken with oil before placing on the grill. This helps the chicken release from the grill when you want to flip it. The salt and pepper are very important as well, adds to the final flavor.

I get artichoke hearts that are in a flavored marinade. Adds to the overall flavor. So don't rinse the artichokes when you take them out of the jar.

Try this recipe out and let me know what you think. Yummy.

Who said that?

Can anyone tell me what great philosopher said;

It might have choked Artie but it ain't gonna choke................

Two for Tuesday #2

More useless information that you may find interesting.

Artichokes:
I'm sure you are wondering why I'm mentioning artichokes. You will find out tomorrow. For now learn a little about this vegetable.

• The artichoke is an edible thistle, brought to California by Italians in the 1800's.
• The state's first artichoke farm was planted near the Bay Area.
• A single medium artichoke has about 6gm of carbohydrates.
• Almost 100% of all artichokes in the U.S. are grown commercially in California.
• In 1949, Marilyn Monroe was crowned the first official California Artichoke Queen in Castroville, the self-proclaimed "artichoke capital of the world."

Don Knotts:

With the recent death of actor Don Knotts I rememer my favorite movie he starred in, The Incredible Mr. Limpet. I loved this movie as a kid and still enjoy it's goofy premise: Milquetoast Henry Limpet experiences his fondest wish and is transformed into a fish. As a talking fish he assists the US Navy in hunting German submarines during World War II.

As stupid as this movie was, it showed how Henry was able to rise to the occasion, fight his personal shortcomings and help the war effort.

Rent it and watch it with your kids.

Happy Birthday to........

Josh Groban
Chelsea Clinton
Rozonda "Chilli" Thomas
Mary Frann
Howard Hesseman
Ralph Nader
Elizabeth Taylor
Ariel Sharon
John Steinbeck
Marian Anderson
David Sarnoff
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

and

Me!

Unfortunately I still have to work, train, visit the Dr. for my hip, etc........Just another day in the life of Me!

Age is how you feel in your heart and mind. I'm about 21 right now, trying to keep my body around that age as well.

Oh Yeah Baby!!

I made it back in the pool today still suffering from a painful hip flexor. Saturday I was on the bike trainer for one hour then tried to run. The run only lasted 10 minutes since my glute and hamstring were still tight. So I tried to rest the leg and got some stuff done around the house. Aimee and I went to a neighbors house for a small party Saturday night, more to come on that later.

We slept in which was nice since we were out 'til midnight. So I ate some breakfast and headed to the Y for lap swim.

I felt rested and eager to get going. I think I had given my left arm enough rest from it's strain so I wanted to see how far it would go.

Boy did things flow. I was feeling strong and fast, first 100 yards 1:30. That was fast, back it off. But backing it off was still pretty fast. My 100 yard splits were never above 1:40, with most being around 1:35. My 1000 yard splits were 15:58, 16:04 and 15:46. So I did 3000 yards in 47:48, I was stoked. Finished that up with 200 yards cooldown.

Boy did that set me up for a good remainder of the day. At least my swim is on target and the bike is solid. Now I just need to get this hip under control and ready for the Shamrock Marathon March 19th. Two visits to Dr. Zak this week to help get it under control.

Family and Friends Friday - Andrew

This edition of FFF introduces my son Andrew. A freshman in college he has been doing well this first year with no major problems, at least none that have required my intervention. As a student of the College of Health and Human Services he is studying for a degree in Pre Physical Therapy. The major program is an additional three years for a doctorate degree.

Andrew ran cross country and track in high school which I enjoyed as much as he did. Once high school was done so was his running career, for now. His extra curricular activities now include beer pong and frequent visits from his girlfriend, oh the joys of college freedom.

I visited him for Dad's Weekend in January. We attended a basketball game, saw comedian Jeff Garlin, played beer pong and raquetball (not at the same time) and generally had a good time.

It's been fun watching him grow up and mature and look forward to what the future holds for him. I'm hoping he will be able to make it out to IM USA to watch me finish and possibly cross the finish line with me. He wants to work alot this summer and I will not force him to come out, he says he want to though.

Rubber Bands, Elmers Glue and ART

Sounds like a elementary school art class but that was actually what my Wednesday was all about.

Recap: Saturdays long run left me with a numb right leg and sore hip. This was during the last 30 minutes of my two hour run. The prior weeks two hour run was perfect. Being only four weeks out from the Shamrock Marathon I had to do something. My coach recommended seeing Dr. Zak to see what he could do to help.

I made an appointment with Dr. Tom Zak who is an ART Chiropractor. ART (Active Release Technique) uses a combination of specific pressure applied to the muscle while to patient/athlete performs a specific movement of the arm/leg/whatever that is part of the muscle being treated.

The first session was an evaluation/treatment. We talked about what was going on, what he thought was the problem, how the muscles are weakened and what he can do to help. He watched me run back and forth a couple of times and noticed a slight drag of my right leg, like I wasn't getting a full push from it since it was weak.

During his explanation of the muscles he used the example of rubber bands to describe the muscles. They lengthen and contract as we walk/run/bike/etc. Muscles should be nice and relaxed like a rubber band just sitting on the table. But over time the muscles experience small tears during exercise, especially during heavy training, and those tears cause scarring. If not treated the muscle fibers start to bind together and you start to feel the stiffness in the muscles. The binding together of the muscles he likened to pouring Elmers Glue on the rubber bands. The muscle fibers clump together and don't move as nicely. He also used comparisons like rough rope and bumpy stiff leather but I couldn't find any good pictures of that.

So after taking vitals and watching me run I got on the table. No massage therapists and chiropractors and any medical person amaze me with their knowledge of what is under the skin. Dr. Zak was digging his fingers deep into my body to apply the right pressure on the specific muscle he was working on. When he had a good feel for the muscle I then moved my leg, since that was what we were working on, as he told me. The idea is the I lengthen the muscle and it glides under the pressure he is applying. Kind of smoothing out the rough patches in the muscle. The way the quad comes up and attaches, he had his finger deep under my hip to find the connecting point.

On the backside he explained the reason for my numbness in the leg. The top of the hamstring attaches just under the glute and was inflamed. The inflamation was blocking a major artery that feeds the leg. It was also "pinching" a major nerve into the leg. Made sense and when he went to release it he found a tender spot right where he expected to find it.

This wa only one session. I have two next week that should help more. In the meantime I will be stretching and taking some downtime. I have a long run on Saturday that I will be cautious on and not push it. I'm going to stay close to home so that when the first sign of trouble appears I'm not far from home.

Move updates to follow next week.

Today I did manage to get some training in. My left arm was feeling okay to I decided to swim long and steady. 3000 yards was the goal. I managed 2400 before the arm told me to stop, and I did immediately so as not to make it worse. I was happy with holding a 1:45 pace the entire time and not feeling tired in the least.

For the evening I did one hour on the trainer in Zone 2 and felt great. The hip wasn't bothered by the high cadence, 90 - 100, and it was good to get a complete workout in for once.

Rest day tomorrow, except for stretching, then we will see what happens for the weekend.

Stay strong everyone.

Two for Tuesday #1

Bold has Who Knew Wednesday (WKW) and I'm doing Two for Tuesday. Little tidbits I'll share from all corners of the world.

HFP Racing:
Inside Triathlon has posted an awesome article on their website featuring HFP Racing. HFP is the premier race management team in Ohio and surrounding states. They had several races featured in the Inside Tri race edition, including the Spirit of Racine HIM, MedExpress HIM, Desoto Triple-T. The management team not only knows triathlon but often race in their own events. I did their Wheelie Fun tri/du series and took 2nd in my age group. If you have the opportunity to participate in one of their events I would encourage you to do it. Scott Erdman is very active in the Cleveland Tri Club this year bringing equipment to help run the indoor tri races.

Winter Olympics:
I get Frazz in my e-mail every morning. This comic is a must read for all triathletes, cyclists, and those young at heart. Today and yesterday Frazz has summed up my feelings for the Winter Olympics.

I love the cross country skiing and biathlon. Those sports are about as close as we get to running, I like the speed skating also. Where else do you see these athletes putting everything on the line and collapsing after crossing the finish line. The ability to control your breathing and heart rate during the biathlon shooting is amazing. I do not discount the athletic ability of any other athlete at the Winter Olympics but I can truly relate with the nordic skiers.

So there is my Two for Tuesday.

I need to be rebuilt

One weekend, two "injuries". A man barely able to train. We have the technology.

I feel like I need to be rebuilt like Steve Austin. On my long run the right leg seized up and the hip area was tender that night. Hip flexor? ITBS? Hopefully not serious.

After the swim clinic Sunday morning my left arm felt strained. The stroke recovery is what hurt the most. So I skipped my long swim this morning, would my bionic parts be waterproof? So maybe Al and I can get a discount rate at the Cleveland Clinic. Al can get a new heart instead of running through a battery of tests and I can replace my faulty 39 year old hip and shoulder, at least the muscles.

1 heart, 1 right hip with everything (tendons, muscles,fascia), 1 left shoulder (deltoid, tricep, bicep), can I get fries with that? Oh by the way, that's to go in accordance with the prophecy.

I'm in to see Dr. Zak Wednesday morning. I'll let you know how that goes. He is an Active Release Techniques (ART) Chiropractor. He can release my tight right leg.

Keep stretching those muscles. They do so much for you and need the extra attention.

Eric exits stage right, hobbling.......

Weekend Warriors

That is the only way to describe the people I know or saw training this weekend. With temperatures in the teens, single digits overnight, I saw some hardcore people out there running, warriors come out to plaaaaayyyyyyyyy.

On Saturday Aimee and I met my coach and her husband for our long runs. The car temp was showing around 11 degrees. I had 2:15 to do so Scott kept me company for 90 minutes. What an awesome run. We are both doing IM USA and he has 6 IMs under his belt, including Lake Placid twice. He has a wealth of information to share with me and is excited about my first IM. We hit the trails I did last weekend in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. It was so nice and we were protected from the slight wind by the trees. We made it back to the parking lot right at 90 minutes and I continued on to finish. Unfortunately I should have stopped with Scott. I only lasted another 30 minutes because my right leg started to cramp up on me. It's been tight for a while but this time it was bad. I don't think it was any of the trails we ran but it was hurting. Later in the evening my hip flexor was sore, I may have a touchy ITBS. Getting it checked early this week.

All said and done I put in 13.15 miles. So what does a midwest runner wear during a cold morning run.

Here is the run down:

• Nike compression shirt for a base layer.
• Nike long sleeve dry fit shirt.
• Fleece lined cycling jacket, low tech.
• Neoprene fronted cycling tights
• Defeet socks and Brooks Adrenaline trail shoes.
• Mizuno gloves and mittens
• Balaclava style hat
• Sunglasses for the snow glare.

It was a perfect outfit. I was very comfortable the entire time and didn't over heat or feel cold. Now if my hip will just co-operate and get better.

Sunday was a swim clinic that my coach held at the local fitness center. Angela was a collegiate swimmer and is an 8 time IM finisher. Last year she did IM MOO and IM FLA after having her first child in March. She's awesome.

Well the swim session started at 7:00Am for two hours. TriSaraTops was there and was looking good in the pool. I needed Angela to look at my swimming and pick it apart. I shared a lane with Scott (above) and Paula since we were about the same speed. Even Scott and Paula had good things to say and pointed out some areas for improvement.

In a nutshell Angela only had two things to comment on, head and leg position. I am relaxing my head too much and letting it drop so that I am submerging/diving under the water. I need to tip my head up just a little. My legs are splitting apart during my breathing stroke. This opens a gap, drops the legs and produces drag. Keeping the head in proper alignment and the legs close together creates a tube or tunnel that you travel through, reducing drag. I've learned to keep my legs close together during my kick. A good way to work on this is to make contact with your thighs, calves or ankles just slightly. That gap doesn't open up, except when I breath.

Wow. I'm very happy with my swim then. Angela said that she was being picky about my stroke but that is what I wanted to hear. I wanted to know that my swimming is solid and I only have slight things to work on. What's the next step up from shark?

It was great to see so many warriors in the pool this morning and I think everyone learned something about their swimming.

How was everyone elses weekend? Time to warm up tonight.

Family & Friends Fridays - Aimee

To give me something to blog I'm going to start submitting certain topics on certain days. Let's see how long this lasts.

So here is my first installment of Family & Friends Fridays. This is where I introduce those around me that I will classify as Team IMEric. Supportive family, training friends, neighbors, etc.

So of course number one has to be my wife Aimee. We've been married for 9 years and I see many more in the future. I don't doubt that we will hit 50 years together. We have so much in common and are able to share so many experiences together that this ride is so fun.

The picture explains why we go good together. Aimee has become quite an athlete herself over the years. It was her desire to start running that got me back into running. So far she is two marathons up on me, I have none, and has done every triathlon distance that I have done. In 2004 we both trained for the Great Buckeye Challenge Half IM. We shared some great training that summer. The picture is from 2005 when we raced at Buckeye Lake State Park. I was racing an Olympic distance triathlon series and she would do the sprint duathlon at each race. This one in particular was great because Aimee rode out on the course during my run to cheer me on. Afterwards she told me how she was passing two other women and one commented "there's a real runner", referring to Aimee. Aimee may not feel like an athlete but she is in my books. She has done alot in the past several years and I am proud of her.

For 2006 she wants to back off from her training to help me with my IM training. Of course backing off means a spring half-marathon and a fall full marathon. But she is still being the most supportive spouse I could have ever asked for. She really helped me weather the Perfect Storm recently.

I've said before and I say again, she is my IronMate.

Hotel Surprise

I had an overnight trip for work and was worried about my workouts. I was supposed to lift Wednesday night but opted to do that work Thursday morning. I wasn't quite sure what I was going to do but as I passed the exercise room I noticed some free weights. A set of dumbbells for me to use. Things were falling in place. So I got up early this morning and did my psuedo lisft session with much success. After I drove home I did a 1 hour ride with some cool variety:
15 minute warm-up
1:30 in aero with big gears/low RPM
1:30 standing with big gears/low RPM
1:30 high spin cadence, I was aove 100 RPM
1:30 easy recovery spin
This was repeated six times
Finish the hour.

It was definitely a good ride.

I had a couple people ask about my swimming and such. I am going to wait on that topic until Sunday afternoon. Sunday morning my coach is having a swim clinic for her athletes, she also had some open slots. This 2 hour session will be all about form, technique and drills. Really looking forward to it, so I will post an update about what she sees.

Rest day tomorrow. Aaaaahhhhhhhh..............

Hump day

Yes it's Wednesday and we are all that much closer to another weekend of workouts. I'm away from home for work recently and the workouts are a little lighter. But I started the week strong with a great lift on Monday and awesome swim on Tuesday morning. I had some great race pace intervals holding a 1:35 average pace for 100 yards. Everytime I have a good swim workout I am amazed that three years ago I was struggling with my swim. No control of breathing, bad form, etc. But working with various coaches and group swims with friends has really made a difference. I truly enjoy going to the pool and look forward to a hard workout.

OUCH!!!!!!!@#@$#&$^%$&*#)(#)(

I had a lifting session this evening and it went very well, EXCEPT WHEN I PINCHED MY LITTLE BABY FINGER UNDER A 40 POUND DUMBBELL WHILE RE-RACKING THAT STUPID THING.

Oh it hurt. Don't know if it is going to blacken on me or what.

Daddy got a boo-boo. Maybe my wife will kiss it for me, or give me a kiss to take my mind off it.

Happy Valentines Day everyone.

I Feel Loooooooovvvvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeeeeee

Misc. updates

Just wanted to make sure everyone is seeing my updates on my blog. I've added a link to my TrainingPeaks profile page. My coach has started us on TrainingPeaks for providing our workouts and entering workout results. Very cool website with lots of information. Still figuring things out and deciding what details to provide.

Winter Weekend Wonderland

Before I recap my weekend, I want to clarify that Yes, Bolder is an equal opportunity blogger. His pictures of a buff Michael Phelps and U2 (one of my wifes fav groups) were on his blog along with the previously mentioned hotties. I was by no means dissin' one of my favorite bloggers. Peace and love to my ubersexual triathlete friend.

Friday was a nice rest day to set me up for two long training sessions. Saturday I had a double run on the calendar. The morning session was 2 hours of flat to rolling terrain. Aimee and I started at Station Road in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. This is my favorite starting point for the valley because I always hit my ulitmate favorite Old Carriage Trail. After my first 50 minutes in Zone 2 I needed to pick up my pace to Zone 3 for 10 minutes then back into Zone 2 for 50 minutes, finish in Zone 3 for the final 10 minutes. The workout was perfect, except my HR monitor wants to record my HR at 240 for the first 10 minutes of my run, frustrating.

Regardless the run was awesome 12.8 miles on the best trail in the valley.

Coach follows the philosophy the runs over 2 hours break the body down too much. So she sets me up with a 30 minute run in the evening. This was a zone 2 run which I managed to to negative split by 30 seconds. 4 miles at a 7:30 split. I was on fire.

Pretty much went to bed watching the Olympics. Had to wait for some good skating to come on, 5000 meter speed skating. Those guys go fast. 5k in 6:14.
Chad Hedrick is amazing and it will be exciting to watch him skate 4 more events in the next two weeks.

Sunday morning I had a brick workout. 2 hours on the bike with 4 x 10 pushes in a big gear. After the ride, a 40 minute Zone 2 run with the final 10 minutes in Zone 3. Another perfect workout with me hitting almost everything on the mark.

So tired and sore legs to deal with but hopefully I can get a quick massage in on Tuesday. On a side note, the weather in Cleveland was low 20's all weekend. Had some snow to run in sunday morning. Thing is I love running outdoors. This cold weather is making me stronger and ready for anything once spring comes around.

I hope everyone elses weekend was a good one.

Fair is Fair

My wife has always told me to be fair with my e-mails. The women in my office are the minority and she feels bad for them, so she forwards me pictures that would be best appreciated by the ladies. With Bolders recent rash of hottie pictures I figured it would only be fair to post something for the ladies out there. They may not be tri hunkies but I hope it evens the playing field.

Now I may not be the ubersexual that Bolder is, but I have no problem posting this picture.

How about a recap of this weeks training, I haven't talk about triathlon all week.

Monday morning at the Y was 3000 yards straight at a good pace. Coming off some downtime I felt great holding a 1:40/100 yard pace. My fastest 1000 was 16:30.

Monday night I had a good lift session at the Y. I had to skip the lunges because my ankle was bothering me. After my lift I had a scheduled massage with the mistress of pain, Diane. She truly makes it hurt so good. My muscles really need to work she gives them. Turns out the ankle was tender from a tight muscle that runs up my calf. Go figure.

Tuesday was another swim session (3100 yards) and bike drills in the evening (8x1:00 single leg).

Wednesday was an off day due to committments and the perfect storm. So no lifting session that evening.

Thursday morning I skipped my swim because the stress from the prior days was workout enough. By the evening I was doing better and hit the treadmill for an interval workout (3x5:00 around marathon pace, 7:15s). I felt great coming off the treadmill. It's not the typical hard speed workout I was used to last year with my 10k training. This was the long haul endurance workout needed for a marathon or IM.

Friday is rest day. So here we are entering the weekend with a 2 hour run on Saturday and a Sunday Brick (2 hour ride/40 minute run).

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.

The Perfect Storm

So the perfect storm hit me last night as the trilogy came together; Family, Work, Training.

Family has been stressful as we deal with several issues that just puts that extra bit of pressure on a person.

Work is frustrating dealing with indecisive customers that leave you hanging trying to schedule your work.

Training was quickly breaking down the body as the intensity increases before tapering for the Shamrock Marathon.

I told IronWil the other day that I understood her wave theory as I felt like I was in the pipe of my own wave feeling the water on my back. Little did I know that this wave was being formed by the perfect storm and the triology would be surfing this wave down my back.

Aimee told me she was worried about me and the stress she saw. It's nice to have someone watching you for the warning signs. I told her I could feel it and wanted to talk about it later that night. After dinner, no TV, no laptop, no distractions.

I had taken my daughter to a counseling session where we each had time with her doctor and learned some things, at least I did. I had to take care of some business, and it had to be taken care of NOW.

After dinner, catfish nuggets (YUMMY), Aimee and I sat on the couch to talk. Aimee knew I had something to say. She knew I would eventually get it out. She knew to be patient with me.

Then the storm hit and the wave had me in it's current. All said and done I was scared. So much hit at the same time and it was out of control. I tried not to reveal it all, but I revealed everything. I wanted to be successful, but I was failing. The trilogy kept surfing me under the wave not letting me get a breath of air.

So what happens when the storm hits? You cry....hold....talk....listen....console....express your love, you support the one you love. Aimee did all of those things. I am grateful to have not only a wife but an Ironmate.

In the middle of this storm I realized that my family is the most important part of my life. With work it is hard to control other people so you have to go with the flow. Training helps keep you physically fit with some psychological benefits.

What did I really need to be scared of? Loosing my family is really the only thing. This Ironman part of my life will conclude on July 23rd. I may or may not do another. But I do know that I am not afraid of Ironman. He better be afraid of me. I will not reveal myself to him. I will swim, bike and run below his radar. Then all of a sudden during the last 100 yards, Ironman will see me and admit defeat.

The ones I love are what really matter. Aimee is already made of Iron as she helps me with the IM journey. My daughter Amanda is trying to forge herself into the Iron person she will become and will have my love supporting her forever. My son Andrew is at college becoming an Iron man in his own right as he continues to learn and grow.

All I know is that with my family and friends supporting me during this IM trek, I will have nothing to be scared of. I welcome the support everyone will provide and will return it twice fold.

Sidenote: Blogger Donkey Sucks. I had "saved" this post as a draft and the Blogger Donkey decided to not save the text. So I had to remember as much of the original as I could. I think the first version was better.

Have a good one people. And if you run into that perfect storm yourself, put up a flare because there are many of us that will toss out a line to help.

You have to laugh at the stupid stuff

Without a good sense of humor we run the risk of driving yourself nuts. Case in point: Aimee and I were at the store buying wings for the Superbowl Game. I gave her two options regarding flavors and she couldn't decide. At the time it was frustrating. I was getting a little irritated. Then we walked no more than 10 feet down the aisle and found a better deal and better flavors. How stupid was I getting POed just 10 seconds ago.

It's just one of those times when you look back and realize that a silly little thing like chicken wing flavors just isn't worth getting your underwear in a bunch over.

Remember to not sweat the small sh$t.

So I managed to get a good amount of rest in the past several days. I took full rest days on Wednesday and Friday. I also did an easy spin on Thursday, very easy, not even in one of my training zones.

My coach switched my long run to Saturday and brick to Sunday for the weekend. She wants me running on fresher legs until the Shamrock Marathon. The long run was 1:45 in some rainy weather. Nice 12.6 mile route.

Saturday to Sunday the weather in Cleveland got colder and the snow started to come down. My brick turned into a long trainer ride, 1:45, since I didn't want to run in the sloppy slush. I rented American Flyers since it was fresh on my mind from Buckeye Runner. I had never seen this movie and it made for a great ride.

Sleep is a good thing

So Aimee and I went to bed early last night. We both have been dragging pretty bad lately. I think it was lights out by 9:30 last night. Alarms didn't go off till 6:00AM. 8.5 hours of blissful sleep. Feeling better today and tomorrow is also a sleep in day. In bed early again tonight.

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

Pass it on

I left the office today and was stopped at a red light when a guy waiting for a bus whistled at me, pointed to his wrist, implying that he wanted to know the time.

I rolled down my window and gave him the time. A a smile and big thumbs up from him and I was on my way.

Amazing how such a simple task as telling someone the time made me feel good inside. He looked happy just getting an answer.

Pass it on people.

Hibernate like a bear

That's what I feel like I should be doing. Hibernating. The new HR zones are taking their toll on my body. I also did a hilly two hour run on Sunday that broke down my body pretty good. I need to stock up on sleep, but home and work are keeping me up.

Coach told me to take it easy, recovery week, so the body could absorb the intense training. No problem there. Monday evening lift was with lighter weights and no legs at all.

Tuesday morning swim went like this:

Up at 5:00, pool by 6:15. Warm up felt fine. Actually had a talk with the pool.
Eric: So where has everyone been?
Pool: Don't know. They don't line up like they used to. Haven't seen Sidestroke Jim in a long time.
E: I know what you mean. I've had the pool to myself alot lately.
P: I haven't seen TriSaraTops in a while.
E: She has been sick lately, Dr. told her to rest and get over a bronchial pneumonia bug.
P: Ouch. That must hurt. I know she has been training hard lately. She has a nice flip turn.
E: Sure does. Despite the will to train she has been listening to her blog friends and is taking it easy.
P: That's good. I'll be here for her when she is ready to come back. Not like I'm going anywhere.
P: Shouldn't you get started with your main sets?
E: Yup, chat in a bit.

I had 4 sets of 300, 200, 100 to get done. Last time I did this I had a great swim.

I was struggling this time. Bad form, no concentration, slow times, blah.

P: What are you doing?
E: Swimming.
P: Well you are not doing it very well. What's up?
E: I just don't have it today.
P: Well your 300 build got slower with each 100 and your negative 200 was actually a positive.
E: I know. The watch doesn't lie. Feeling a little tired. I'm going to stop, okay?
P: That's fine. I hate seeing you swim like that, kindof ugly. Get some rest then come back. You need a break. I don't want you ending up sick like Sara. I get bored just sitting here, and to tell you the truth, pool bobbers are boring. All they do is talk during class, oh but the things I could tell you about.........
E: I don't need to hear any of that. I'm out. See ya later.

So I just plain stopped. I wasn't going to waste my time with a poor workout. Mentally had to get away from it.

So I may have to hibernate for a little while. Lay off the computer while at home and get horizontal. My body is definitely talking to me as well.

So is my bed.....I hear it calling now.......but I'm at work........oh sweet slumber.....ZZZZZZZZZZZ

Toys make the training worth while

I have to share some of my new toys with everyone. The Creative Labs Zen Micro is a replacement for my Dell Jukebox that was stolen. This thing is so small and lightweight and holds 6GB of MP3. I've even downloaded Get Your Geek On from the Tri-Geek Kahuna and IronWil.

My new heart rate monitor is an early birthday present from my wife and her mom. I've always liked Timex products and this watch is very cool.

The feature/function is not going to let me down.

Had a long brick today, 2.5 hours in the saddle and a 30 minute run. I was originally worried about the ride with the new HR zones I have. Last time I needed to be in this zone it was hard to hold for 1 hour. However, I felt great this morning and the ride went well. The weather in Cleveland has been very mild and if I only had time to get things ready I would have ridden outside this morning. But work kept me busy on Friday and the morning was still a litle too cool for riding outside. My 30 minute run afterwards was great since I could wear shorts.

Now I only hope the rain isn't too bad for my long run Sunday morning, 2 hours. As long as I don't wind up sick like TriSaraTops.

Reconnecting

Are we all a bunch of busy people or what. All of the tri blogs I've been reading lately have a fairly recurring theme.......I'm so busy that I don't know how I will get everything done. Train, eat, work, eat, train, work, eat, , sleep.....repeat.

It's that rest of life that starts to suffer, especially when training for that impressive Ironman. The focus is so intent on the training for IM that life literally is placed on hold for the majority of us.

But what about the other people in our lives. What happens to them? Time is always found for kids younger than13. Teenagers tend to fend for themselves and the adult significant other in our lives should be able to cope with the extensive training. Notice how I said "tend to" and "should". They still need us. We need to stay connected to the loved ones in our lives.

No more "kiss, pat the butt, 'see ya after my run', what's for dinner, who are you. These are the people that are making it possible for us to pursue our IM dreams. We are all very grateful for the sacrifices they make for us.

I believe most of the bloggers that I am reading haven't lost touch completely. But when I read about the busy schedules and "life" calling, it makes me wonder. Are we connecting or disconnecting?

So I close with a challenge, Reconnect with those that matter most. Even if you have to schedule time for it, I feel it is important. Aimee and I have scheduled date night on our rest day. I can't wait. It may only be holding each other on the couch, but we will be connecting.

So while we rest from injuries, illness, or just taking it easy for a moment, make sure there is a dial tone and connect with that significant other, child, parent, etc. I'm sure a fresh perspective on life and tri's will come into focus and a calmness amid the chaos will prevail.

One ringy dingy, two ringy dingy.....I have to go, time to make another connection.

The voices keep saying.........

Blah blah blah....blah blah.....blah blah blah blah...........blah..........

I know I hear ya, kindof. There is just so much static in my head that it's been hard to concentrate all day.

blah blah blah blah.......BLAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH......blah blah blog......

Despite it all I have managed to have several meaningful calls with customers, made some things work, written a small program.

Bluh bluh blah.....bah humbug.....baa baa black sheep.....blah blah blah.........

I'm trying to write things down to keep myself organized but I'm being torn in to many ways to focus on any one thing.

Blah blah......run.....blah blah swim.....blah blah breath....blah eat blah.......

What are the voices trying to tell me. Seems like the a deficiency in the ability to focus has plague several others in the blogging world. Wil is suffering from a full schedule, Sara is oh so sick ( I miss her at the pool), and Su is still from long runs and freakish collisions with a sidewalk.

Blah? sidewalk......blah tired......blah blah puke.........

Everything from the neck down is feeling great. Had a massage last night that helps my knotty leg muscles unwind and was relaxing overall, thanks Diane.

Now I'm going to tell the voices to take a hike.

Empty Pools and Tables are Cool

First a flashback.....wo wo wo wo wo wo (think Waynes World)........

Monday turned out to be a pretty good training day. Swim in the morning for 2500 yards at an easy pace. When I got home to write down my splits they kept getting faster for each 500. I used the time to work on my stroke. Longer reaches, more gliding. I think I am becoming more efficient, imagine that.

Before dinner I was back at the Y for weight training and a core class. Typically the core class isn't that busy. This time was a different story. All of the stability balls were taken, alot of first timers. I was fine with that an did all of my work on the floor. It was a nice change from using an under-inflated ball. After class I finished my weight training.

Jump back to Tuesday morning. Back to the Y for my morning swim. Three trips to the Y in 24 hours, actually that is typical. I arrive late to swim on purpose, it's not as crowded. I try to start between 6:15 - 6:25, open swim ends at 7:45.

Well I walk into the lobby, where you can see the pool, and the only swimmer is getting out of the pool. THE ONLY SWIMMER. As in no one else was in the pool, just Dave the lifeguard in his chair. So I put my stuff in my locker and head up to the pool.

Dave is almost asleep in his chair. Not a ripple to be seen on the smooth pool surface. I get right to my workout. Unfortunately I only have the pool to myself for about 10 minutes. Not too bad. I have a "lane" all to myself. I say "lane" because they don't use actual lane lines, I'm right on top of a stripe though.

My workout has me feeling strong. Then more people come into the pool. I have a walrus(a rather large man) on one side and a sea otter(older man happily doing a semi-backstroke) on the other. Not too sound mean but I'm just being descriptive. I'm happy that they are in the pool for some exercise.

I'm really getting into my intervals now. 400 easy/hard, 400 build, 400 negative split, 400 race pace. I'm flying at the end despite the yardage and have 6 minutes for my final 400 at race pace. Awesome.

After my workout I putz around with my blog to get some tables to display correctly. Check out my race schedule in the sidebar. I have to do a shout out to Dan for helping me out. I got the table from Wil but missed some code. Thanks Dan.

Check ya out later.

I'm tired

Hard brick yesterday, 1:45 run this morning, still have a 30 minute run tonight. I'm tired. These new HR zones are one of those necessary evils. I know the zones are better than I had before, but my body needs to adjust to them. So I'll get some extra rest, feed the body and put my legs up.

I'm done. Good brainless TV to watch, I Love the 80's, oh yeah baby.

Happy Butt

Finally bought a new seat for my bike Friday. I've had my eye on the fizik Arione Tri for quite some time. The cover is nice and smooth and the sides flex and it's padded nicely. I slapped it on my bike and did my 2:30 brick this morning in comfort. The only hard part about the workout was the new HR zones I used. These zones are kickin' my butt. Until I get used to the extra workload I know I will be tired.

Long run tomorrow on some tired legs. We'll see how things go.

Everybody in the pool......

Friday morning but I have to think back several days to figure out where I am. A little bit of turmoil to deal with so the thoughts are pretty scattered. Except for the issues at home Wednesday was productive at work and strong at the Y (good weight training session).

Thursday morning was a 3400 yard workout. It looked hard on paper with 4 sets of 300,200,100, all close to race pace. Building endurance and speed in the water. As I got in the pool TriSaraTops told me the pool had only been open for 5 minutes because of a late guard. George (pool manager) had to come to the rescue. As I looked around I noticed the pool was full of sharks. Dave, Sara, 2 Team in Training athletes (one of which is an excellent swimmer) and another swimmer I don't know. I slipped in and started my warmup.

When I started my main workout I felt fast. My splits were showing it. To give you an idea this was my workout.

4 sets of 300, 200 100
Sets 1 & 3 build the 300, negative split the 200 and hard 100
Sets 2 & 4 all race effort with 15 seconds rest between

I set myself up for a hard workout as I started with a 1:37 for my first 100. What was I doing? I still had 2300 more yard to go. I was setting myself up for a workout that I thought would degrade over time. But while swimming with the other sharks I could feel the fin coming out. I didn't slow down. I actually got faster at times. I could feel the motivation and confidence building in the pool. I thought about gliding like a shark. I thought about being powerful like a shark. I enjoyed swimming with my shark friends, all of us at different levels but sharks none the less. My final set at race pace I held a 1:32 average per 100. My confidence for this long swim at IM is strengthening.

Late afternoon was my run workout. Being able to work from home at times does have its advantages. Shorts and a long sleeve shirt as another warm day graced Cleveland. I also had new heart rate zones to work with. The lactate threshold testing redefined my zones. I could feel a huge difference during my run. I'm confident these new zones will help me step it up. I know my test cost $150, but I highly recommend doing an LT test to find these zones. I'll provide updates as my workouts change.

Finally on quick note on the turmoil. The past 48 hours had provided a huge rollercoaster of emotions and I haven't been able to get off yet. Last night as I got ready for bed I've thought about what people have said about Ironman. How people often go through a wide range of emotions during a race. Am I getting a sample of what IM will be like compressed into 12-14 hours? I know my body will be strong, I hope the mind will be also.

Bragging Rights

Earlier this month CurlySu posted her award for an indoor triathlon. It's great hearing about the achievements of others. I commented that if you have done well, why not let everyone know.

So I received my award in the mail yesterday for my '05 tri season. I competed in the HFP Racing/Wheelie Fun Triathlon race series. This series consists of 7 tri/du races around Ohio where you can accumulate points. I was 2nd in the 35-39 age group. This award shows all the hard work I put in last year.

In August I'll post my finishers medal for IM USA and I expect everyone else to do the same thing.

Just Breath

What a busy weekend. So busy it flowed right into Monday, the busy part not the weekend.

Friday

• Work
• Funeral Service
• Lactate threshold testing

Saturday

• 2.5 hour brick starting at 5:30AM
• Drive to Ohio University for Dad's weekend
• Watch OU Men's B-Ball crush Central Michigan
• Dinner
• Comedy show, Jeff Garlin is very funny.
• Beer Pong competition
• In bed at 2:00AM, didn't realize I almost went 24 hours.

Sunday

• 2 hour run
• Raquetball with my son, Andrew
• Shopping at Wal-Mart and late lunch
• Drive home
• Get ready for Monday

Monday was a morning 3000 yard swim, work, then a meeting for the race team I am on, Snakebite Racing. I finally got home around 8:30 that evening. Then have a bite to eat, pack for the next round of workouts.

I can finally breath. I stretched it out a little longer this morning and bailed on my swim. Over tha past several years I have learned to listen to my body and relax when it tells me to. This past weekend was so packed I was drained mentally and physically. Stay in bed, cuddle with that warm body next to me (Aimee, not the dogs), don't rush to the Y, take your time getting to work.

It's worked. I do feel recharged. With everything that we all try to do in a day, week, weekend, etc.....sometimes we need to "Just Breath".

Take your time out there. Don't freak out about missing workouts. Sit with that special someone and don't miss out on the rest of life. This triathlon thing I love to do is my hobby, not my job. I am not a professional athlete. I put the pressure to perform on myself, but I have to remind myself to have fun with it also.

Just Breath

Call me Carrie

Not literally, just figuratively. My number one fan and supporter, my wife Aimee, was commenting on my blog last night. She said that the rhetorical questions at the end of Wednesday's blog reminded her of Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City.


So now I blog like a single thirty-something woman living in New York? Am I asking questions just to hear myself type? Should I go back to Aiden or search for Mr. Big? (Both of which are oh so hot according to my wife) When did triathlon become "the" sport?

There I go again with those rhetorical questions, when will I ever stop? Now.....stop it......cut it out.

Aw heck. I'm just having fun and Aimee makes the trip that much more enjoyable, I love you Aimee.

This afternoon I am getting my VO2 and Lactate threshold tested at my coaches house. I am pumped about this. This information will change my heart rate zones and hopefully take me up a notch in my training.

Saturday I'm visiting my son for dad's weekend at college so probably no blog unless it's audio.

I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. Get in those long rides and runs.

Now is when you are supposed to hum the song from Sex and the City.....do, da do, da doddle da do.........something like that.

That's more like it

So yesterday I was a mental waste land. But I managed to kick my own butt and get into the correct frame of mind. It worked today. My time spent at my customer was quite productive today. I went to the Y for core class and weight lifting after work and it felt good as well.

Starting to get back on track after a slight uncoupling from the IronTrain.

After finding Iron Wil on the web, a specific posting of hers has stuck with me, "I Think". I went as far as printing the post and I keep it in my IM binder for reference. How she relates life to her IM journey is remarkable. I have been making similar links as well. How hard is my workout today, how tough will it be to support my coworker loosing her husband. How boring will work be today, how lonely will that two hour run be Sunday morning.

So I'm a little confused right now. Do my everyday tasks help me endure my IM training or does my IM journey help me deal with my daily events. At this point in my life everything complements each other. Each fills an important part of my daily, weekly, monthly routine.

Oh but how sweet the feeling will be to cross that IM finish line. Nothing will stop us now.

Mental Apathy

After a nice swim in the pool I then went to work at a customer of mine. I'll be there all week working on a project. It's not the typical work I usually do so it's rather boring, mentally draining and not as fun as the technical work I usually do as a computer consultant. But the work needs to be done.

As I drove home I contemplated the rest of my evening. Aimee wasn't going to be home until 9:00PM after teaching Body Sculpting. I also wasn't very inspired to ride my bike for an easy hour. However, the ride was part of my training plan. Even the smallest details of the plan must be followed. Same goes for my work. Even though it may not always be "fun", work is called work for a reason.

After my ride I did feel a little more energized. Those endorphines were slowly pumping through my body. With a renewed vigor I made dinner and decided that I need to focus my efforts on the project at hand for my customer.

Interesting how many simularities there with the emotions and feelings that go into work and this IM journey.

Hang tough everyone.

Hurts so good

When most people think of a massage they think of a nice relaxing rub down. Very soothing. But for athletes a good sports massage is just like any other workout. Last night was my massage with Diane. She does such a good job that she has me wincing in pain trying to breath through the attention she gives my tight muscles.

If you haven't started getting massages on a regular basis please find a good massage therapist, one who understands the requirements of athletes. Diane is a triathlete herself and has many athletes as clients. The massage helps flush toxins from the muscles by promoting the flow of blood into the area.

Make sure you are stretching also. I still haven't learned the value of stretching enough. I have to get on my butt and lengthen those muscles.

Gotta run..............

What a weekend. I skipped a post yesterday, kindof a mental rest day from the blog. So Friday I rented three movies for the weekend. Aimee and I watched Wedding Crashers and enjoyed a relaxing evening on the couch.

Saturday morning I wastched movie number two, Mr. and Mrs. Smith, during my brick (2 hour ride, 30 minute run). A good action movie is always on tap for a long ride on the trainer. But then the run is always outside regardless of the weather.

Aimee and I relaxed again Saturday evening with a nice dinner and movie number three, 40 Year Old Virgin, again resting the body on the couch.

Wedding Crashers and Virgin are very funny movies and don't require too much thought. Smith was a decent action movie.

Sunday was nice because we slept in. At least as late as our dog Snickers would let us. Nothing like the sound of a dog puking the get you out of bed fast. It was 7:00AM anyways.

We were able to sleep in because we were running in a 10 mile race which didn't start until 2:00PM. How nice is that since we had to drive 2 hours to get there. As we drove west from Cleveland the weather started to clear and blue skies appeared. The only obstacle was the stiff wind from the southeast.

I was using this as a training run for my marathon. Coach said to keep my heart rate in low Zone C and see how I do. Low C felt great. I was keeping pace between 7:00 - 7:30/mile pace and very comfortable. I pushed the last 3 miles to push my legs while tired. I finished with a 1:12:27 for 10 miles. Very satisfied with the effort.

Hope everyone else had a good weekend as well.

Ahhhhhhhhh....rest day

Yup, it's a rest day today. No workout, no sweaty clothes, no getting up......aw man I do have to get up early. Every other Thursday my high school daughter (from first marriage) spends the night. So that means I still have to get up around 5:00AM to get ready and leave the house by 6:30AM and get her to school. It's a nice thought and I get to sleep in once in a while.

Time to ramble:

I was sharing my triathlon story, especially Ironman, with a business friend today and I couldn't help but see the look of disbelief on his face as I described the amount of training I put in, distance, time, money, etc. It wasn't a cocky "why are you doing it" disbelief, but a WOW I can't believe you are doing this, "it's so cool".

I shared with him a short story from two summers back. I just got back from a long ride, 40-50 miles, a neighbor was walking by and asked me how far I went. His comment, "You are a better man than I". That really made me think, am I? Of course not. Maybe when it comes to riding a bike for 50 miles, but not in other areas. He built his own deck on his house, I wouldn't even think of doing that. He earned his pilots license, I don't want to do that. In some ways he is "a better man than I".

The look from my business friend gave me the same feeling, did he think I was better than him because of what I like to do. I know he is a better golfer than I, but we are still basically the same human being, just with different interests.

Okay so what's my point. Point is that we all have different passions. Flying, cooking, triathlon, web design, music, etc, you get my drift. Everyone is so different in their interests and passions it sometimes blows my mind.

My triathlon life over the past four years has changed me so much. Triathlon has become a part of me, it's what I do. I enjoy it immensely. I'm in the best shape of my life. I have friends to share the trip with. But, recently I have noticed that triathlon has helped me open up my mind to different thought processes. Viewing the world in a different way. It's a good thing. Let me know if I'm off my rocker or not.

Look for more misc. ramblings to come. Maybe Friday is a good day to ramble since it's a rest day, obviously not for my mind.

Have a great weekend.

Too much information driving me insane

One of my favorite Police songs is Too Much Information. Sometimes you have so much going through your mind that you just don't know where to start. I feel that way as I try to decide what to talk about today. Quite a few interesting spottings and just general thoughts today that I will eventually share down the road.

Did a swim workout this morning. Now I swim at the Y and it's a lovely 20 yard pool with no lane lines. Everyone likes to swim in the morning and it can get crowded, similar to a triathlon swim start. The early crew would keep arriving earlier and earlier to make sure they get a spot in the pool. So I've started going just a little bit later. Today I had the pool all to myself for the last half of my workout, approx. 30 minutes by myself. What a productive workout.

I'm figuring out how to add links and photos and other cool stuff to the blog so look out. It will take time but I'll even get a cool header line Flatman.

Time to go to bed, rest day tomorrow then big on the weekend.

Treadmills are Fun

Of course that is what I have to tell myself when I am subjected to running indoors on one. However, treadmills are an important piece of training equipment. This evening I had to run one hour doing 8 x 3 minute repeats at marathon pace. So a treadmill makes sure you are at that pace. Also having a workout like that helps the time go by instead of a straight run.

Now I do my treadmill runs at the Y. And there is always plenty of people to watch. Not like people watching at a bar but still a wide variety of people to watch come in and out and start/end their workouts.

The TVs in front of the mice on treadmills were showing evening news programs and everyone was talking about the 12 miners in West Virginia that were accidentally reported alive. How terrible that must have been. Not only for the family and relatives of the miners but also the miners themselves. To be trapped so deep in the earth knowing that you may not make it out. Simply horrifying.

Missed a day already

So it's the third day of the new year and I've already missed a day on my blog. At least I didn't miss my morning workout. Did 2500 yards in the pool Monday morning before I had to drive my son back to college in southern Ohio. I didn't mind driving him down but it occupies so much of the day. When I got home around 6:30 I had a bite to eat them hopped on my bike for a 1 hour spin. Had to move my legs after so much driving.

Not being a big football fan I was surprised that I watched the entire Fiesta Bowl Monday night. OSU had a great game and was quite lucky at times.

Tuesday was a little bit of a struggle to get out of bed. I still made it to the Y for my morning swim. Little did I know it was going to be such a monster workout. I was in the water for 1.5 hours. I know I was tired but I felt very good when it was all done.

First day back at work after the holidays had me at two customers before going to a memorial service for my co-workers husband who died Dec. 30th. He was only 58 and left behind his wife and daughter. It was a great opportunity to show support for my co-worker and learn more about her husband. He will be missed by many people.

Happy New Year............

Wow what a way to start the new year. I managed to get alot accomplished today. I was supposed to meet some people for a long run but one couple had to cancel so no one else showed up.....Solo Run. I don't mind running alone but I was out there for two hours. Nice thing is that I can pick the route and I made best use of it. Cleveland has a great metropark system with some bridal and nature trails that are great for running. I enjoyed three loops that I usually don't get on except when I run by myself. The time went fast and I enjoyed the morning.

After the run I made my way home in time to get a quick bite to eat and put on my Speedo for the Cleveland Triathlon Club's Polar Plunge #3. I did this last year and had a blast. This year we had a huge crowd and I hope to post some pictures later. Lake Erie was a mild 36 degrees this year, at least there was no snow or ice.

After the dip, my wife and I started taking down the Christmas decorations and I installed my new satellite radio, it rocks.

I hope everyone had a safe New Years Eve/Day and hope 2006 is good for everyone.