Two for Tuesday - Quotable Quotes

I get a Page-a-Day Calendar e-mail everyday and I wanted to share two good ones:

“You will never ‘find’ time for anything. If you want time, you must make it.”
WRITER CHARLES BUXTON

How true is this for triathletes that strive for physical and mental well being. No matter what distance triathlon you intend to do, you must put in the time. Time which is already valuable and limited. I sometimes wonder myself where do I find the time to do everything. Unfortunately you cannot do everything and some tasks must fall by the wayside.


“My son, observe the postage stamp! Its usefulness depends upon its ability to stick to one thing until it gets there.”
HUMORIST HENRY WHEELER SHAW

I guess my one thing right now is Ironman. And I have no doubt that I have the ability to stick it out and cross that finish line. No matter what that one thing is, the work day, long training ride, track workout, hard swim intervals, stick to it and get it done.

Game On.

Adverse Conditions

The way to learn to react positively to adversity in races is to train and respond positively to those challenging conditions. Quoted from The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training.

Saturday morning weather along the North Coast of Ohio:
Temperature: 30 degrees
Wind: NNE 15-20 MPH gusting to 29MPH
Skies: Partly cloudy
Roads: Dry

The plan was to ride my bike to the start of the Spring Classic Half Marathon. I needed to get in 3 hours of riding and this was a good way to do it. Ride to the race, run my leg, ride back home. I was recruited to run a co-ed relay with some friends. Despite the cold weather I was bound and determined to ride outside, challenging conditions and all. I bundled up and hit the street with toe warmers in my booties and hand warmers in my gloves.

I was heading east before I could head south and the wind was stiff. Overall the bike ride was great. I anticipated the ride for 1:30 but it turned out to be 1:50 for 30 miles. I missed the start of the race but I was running second half anyways. I found Aimee's car, put away my bike and changed into new clothes for running. I found Dale and Aimee at the relay exchange and didn't have to wait too long for my relay partner Deb to come in. She was running with Gina, Dales relay partner, and Dale and I started off for our 6.55 mile run.

I was treating this as a good, fun run with Dale and an easy pace to see how the hip would respond. I felt very comfortable. After the first full mile we were holding an 8:15 pace. I was surprised since I was originally planning on a 9:00/mile pace. I decided to just go with how I felt and see what happens. I was pleasantly surprised that we kept that pace the entire time.

After the run I was going to ride my bike back home for the last hour of my planned training ride. Aimee was concerned that I would get too cold on the bike since I had already expended over 2.5 hours of energy already. Our group wanted to get some breakfast so I decided to join them.

I'm glad I went to breakfast. I hadn't seen Gina and Deb in a long time and I enjoy their company. The social aspect of my training day was just as important as the final hour on the bike, only warmer and it put food in my belly.

I did get my final hour in after dinner. Tomorrow I am part of a relay at the first duathlon of the year. Alot of friends and teammates will be there. I am only doing the bike to see how my race level is. Still looking to have some fun.

Spring is here and all I can say is.....Game On!

Family & Friends Friday - Father-In-Law

Oh yes father-in-laws. I've never had problems with f-i-l's. Always managed to get along with Tom and we share some common interests. We can talk computer systems with interest and he has even started cycling and running to keep healthy. I try to provide good input whenever he asks.

Last year he lost his wife to liver disease. It was a rough time for everyone since Susan was only 54 years old. It was hard seeing her in ICU as her body started to shutdown. Tom was good through it all and was by her side everyday hoping for the best. I visited with him whenever I could to provide support.

One of Tom's hobbies is photography. He went with us to Utah for Aimee's first marathon and took some pictures. He will be going to Lake Placid as part of Team IM Eric. I'm hoping that he will get some good photos of me during the race.

More about the freak of a sister-in-law to the left of Tom next week, Aimee is on the right.

Make the most of a situation

Tuesday I made last minute arrangements to do work at a customer in western Ohio. I like when I can visit customers that are within driving range because I can take my bike or other gear for training. I decided to take my bike this trip since I was going to be surrounded by country roads and the weather was forecasted around 50 degrees. I was also able to take advantage of a great setup that my customer has. The company bought the house of the founder and turned it into a guest house. I have a four bedroom century house all to myself tonight. It is a great setup and more comfortable than any hotel. I'm fortunate to be able to use it.

I drove out this morning and it turned into a long day. Didn't leave the office until 6:00PM but with the time change I was able to get in a 1.5 hour ride. This was an awesome ride. I needed to be in Zone 1-2 for recovery so I was able to enjoy the scenery.

On the way back I stopped by Casa Rodriguez for some take-out Mexican. I rode home with my bag of food and ate my dinner. Very yummy.

Thank-you Madam Pele:
For the winds in my face that reminded me to keep my exertion low.
For the winds at my back that helped me fly with little exertion.
For the riding partner as the setting sun cast a shadow of me on the fields.
For the sound of the wind rushing in one ear and out the other.
For the only other sound being the whir of my tires on the pavement.

I almost thought my day was not going to have a ride, but just when you think all is lost the Game is back on.

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

Marvelous Mini Meatloaves

This is a great variation on a old time favorite. For busy triathletes these little guys freeze great for easy heating up later.

Follow 3 simple steps:

PREHEAT oven to 375°F. Mix meat, stuffing mix, 1 cup water and the seasoning until well blended. Press evenly into 12 medium muffin cups sprayed with cooking spray; make an indentation in center of each with back of spoon.

SPOON 3/4 cup add-ins evenly into indentations in meatloaves.

BAKE 30 min. or until meatloaves are cooked through (160°F). Top evenly with 3/4 cup cheese; continue baking 5 min. or until cheese is melted. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Add-Ins:
Italian
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
spaghetti sauce
KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Fiesta
2 tsp. chili powder
TACO BELL HOME ORIGINALS Thick 'N Chunky Salsa
KRAFT Shredded Mexican Style Cheese

Mediterranean
1 tsp. dried oregano leaves
chopped roasted red peppers
ATHENOS Traditional Crumbled Feta Cheese

BarBQ
1 tsp. garlic powder
KRAFT or BULL'S-EYE Original Barbecue Sauce
KRAFT Shredded Cheddar Cheese

To reheat, thaw, reheat at 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Hit the link at the top for the original recipe.

Two for Tuesday - Training Gear

Swim Gear - Goggles

When I first started swimming for triathlon I was terrible. Aimee and I would go to the pool and I could barely swim a length without being out of breath. Part of what I felt was my problem was the goggles I was using. The standard small eye socket with the foam gaskets. I never felt comfortable. Then I bought the Aqua-Sphere Seal Mask. They were comfortable and allowed me to have a wide range of vision. I felt better in the water immediately. Since then I have progressed to even smaller racing goggles like the Tyr Socket Rockets.

I would highly recommend the Seal Mask for newbies or anyone else that needs more vision in the water or comfort around the eyes.

Bike Gear - Toe Warmers

I know the weather is getting nicer but there are still some cool days ahead of us, especially in the northern states. So I have broken out the toe warmers to place under my toe booties when I ride in the morning. My toes always get cold and I need the extra warmth, especially since my tri and road shoes are well vented with mesh.

Thank-you Madam Pele for the winds today while running. You breath kept me cool and challenged me to keep moving forward during my run.

Bear with me......

this may be a big post. I'm usually not about big posts......read my little post and move on to the next blog you want to read.

This past weekend Aimee and I went to Athens, OH for her spring half marathon. She had been training hard for this race and it all came together on race day. Perfect weather and her body was ready for action. I rode parts of the course and was able to take pictures during the race. At the end she finished with a 1:49:52. She had been struggling with breaking 1:50 and she did it and I am very proud of her.

Thanks goes to my massage therapists husband Rob for running with her for the first half of the race. It helped her stay focused and on pace.

When we got home that evening I went for a run to stretch the legs and it was also part of my workout schedule. I kept it easy since I pushed it on Saturday and things were tender. I ran a nice 9:00/mile pace and did 5.6 miles. That is the marathon pace I want for IM USA so I'm happy I can at least run that pace without pain. Things will come around, I just have to be patient. I have to keep reminding myself of that. My coach isn't worried because she knows I am a strong runner and will ramp up quickly.

My Monday morning swim was 4200 yards with 3 x 1000 yards decending in speed. Final 1000 was race pace. My 1000 splits were 16:56 - 16:15 - 15:30. I think 16:30 will be more of a race pace, I felt like I could have held that for a long time. I had set my watch alarm for 4:50AM since Aimee was going to be sleeping in. I was a little puzzled when her alarm went off before my watch. I thought I had slept through it, however I quickly realized that I had forgotten to set the watch ahead one hour. It was 5:45 now. I did a quick mental calculation and decided I could still do the workout and get to my customer at a decent time. It really didn't matter when I got to my customer anyways.

When I arrived at the Y there was only one person in the pool. When I hit the pool deck the water was calm. No one in the pool. I asked George the guard if it was light today and he said I was the fourth person in the pool. I had the pool to myself for about 5 minutes. That's when Marge got in the pool. I doubt that her name is Marge but she sure is large, so large she's like a barge. Now I usually don't make fun of people like that and I'm happy that she's even in the pool and being active. BUT IT SURE PISSES ME OFF WHEN I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF MY 3RD 1000 GOING AT RACE PACE AND SHE WALKS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME TO TALK TO A FRIEND!

I was approaching the wall and I notice her right in front of me talking to the lady that was swimming next to me. I pulled up short 2-3 yards and simply turned around to continue swimming. I thought of what I could have done, plow into her or just stand there and yell "Excuse me!!" I did neither. I brushed it off. Why burn precious energy being mad. That is the type of attitude that will see me through Ironman. But boy was I pissed.

I don't have a swim workout for Tuesday so I will be able to miss the masses in the water.

Finally, I have to share a picture of our team uniforms for 2006. In case you haven't visited my teams website, Snakebite Racing, this is what we will be wearing. These turned out so much cooler than we first thought. So I am going to pass on the Team Tri-Geek Dreams apparel because I have cool stuff of my own. If you are able to wear custom clothing like this please do so. The Cleveland Tri Club has cool stuff as well. Wearing a uniform makes you feel good about yourself and people will cheer for you even more by shouting out your team/club name.

Everyone go out there a get your Game On. Two for Tuesday tomorrow.

Winds of Change

Yes it's windy in Cleveland. Every spring the change of the seasons brings warm weather but also strong winds. I was determined to ride outside for my morning brick. Two hours was all I needed. The morning temperature was 50 degrees, but there was that stiff wind coming from the west. My neighbors flag was flying straight out. The ride still needed to be done and I didn't want to do it indoors.

I am a strong proponent of training in all weather and conditions. You never know what will happen on race day. Two years ago my wife and I started a long ride WHILE it was raining. Who starts riding when it's already raining, those that are preparing for their first Half IM. It turned out to be the best ride of the summer.

Back to today. I picked a route that would have me riding primarily south. To get to my southerly road I had to head west, directly into the teeth of the wind. I manage to spin through it knowing that on my return trip the wind will be at my back. Heading south I started to feel the wind from the side. I enjoy the wind. Today the wind is my training partner.

Heading into the wind I remember to keep the cadance high and not burn out my legs. The sudden, unexpected gusts of wind from the sides help improve my bike handling as I have to adjust my position as the wind tries to push me into the middle of the road.

I road 34 miles today for my two hour ride. Then I did a 30 minute run to complete the brick. It was a good training session.

The rest of the weekend is all about Aimee. We have traveled to southern Ohio for the Athens Half Marathon. We love coming down to Athens and walk about the campus of OU. We also visited with my son Andrew. Sunday morning is the half marathon. I will see her start and then ride my road bike to the turn-around point to see her make the return trip. I should be able to make it back before she finishes. I'm excited to go out on the course and see her run.

For Aimee, tomorrow it's Game On.

Family & Friends Friday - Bro

I have one sibling in my family, my brother Rob. Seven years older than I, we were never that close growing up being so far apart in age. I was the jock and he was the artist/performer. He participated in the band, choir, and theater. I did sports; baseball, basketball, soccer and track.

I always enjoyed hearing him sing or act. It provided a well rounded environment for me and I was proud of what he was doing. Since high school he has always had a great voice despite no formal training except in school. If American Idol had been around back then I'm sure he would have tried it. After college he started into community theater where he quickly made a name for himself as first a performer, then a director. The theater crowd is very different. Getting to know his friends has been very entertaining, with their off stage antics and dramatic flair for everyday life.

Even though he is not athletic in the sense of what I do, he exercises and stays in shape. For myself this blog is currently my creative release, and an occasional stab at Karaoke.

Rob is a corporate trainer for an international law firm headquartered in Cleveland. His work schedule has had him traveling around the world training different offices in the use of computer systems and applications. This summer he may be out of town during Ironman USA but he has contributed to my Janus Charity Challenge fund raising.

We are typical siblings. Growing up we called each other names. Fought occasionally but finally found ourselves on even ground when we both settled down with our lives. We are both very busy and find it hard to connect, but the time we do manage to get together for an occasional lunch or family gathering we have a great time.

How about some Triathlon stuff

Yes I originally started this blog because of triathlon. But I like to mix things up because even though triathlon is a big part of my life, there are other areas I like to share with my readers.

But today it is about triathlon. Where is my training lately? If you recall I had a dry spell with my running because of some tight muscles in the hip flexor, gluteous, ITB area. That sucked because I had to bail on my first marathon, Shamrock. It was a good call and I am getting back on my feet running. I've managed some runs between 45 minutes to 1 hour that have felt good at a comfortable pace without pain. Still trying to stretch when possible. Dr. Zak (ART specialist) says the muscle fibers are like leather and need to be broken up so the irritation goes away. Still working on that. He says things are much better than when we started.

During my repreive from running I focused on the bike and swim.

My cycling has always been solid and I feel great so far. I managed to go outdoors yesterday after work and was flying. Temp was about 56F, or 13C. A little nippy but it didn't bother me. Just being outside on the bike was great. All winter is has been hard deciding if the resistance on my trainer was too hard to simulate road riding. Right now I think the extra resistance has improved my leg strength so the open road feels fast at the same HR.

My swimming has been getting better each week. Little adjustments have helped greatly. TJ made a recommendation about how my left hand enters the water, I'm consistantly doing better with that. TriFrog had a good post about Swim golf or golf swimming or something like that. He helped me think more about my glide, extension and efficient swimming. So this morning I hit the pool for 4000 yards and nailed some race pace efforts. The negative 800, race pace 500 and hard effort 300 each had 100 yard times under 1:40, most under 1:35. Cool thing was that I really felt like I was putting forth a good effort while being efficient. My breathing didn't become labored until the 300 hard near the end, but those were all under 1:30/100 yds.

Mornings at the pool have been crazy lately. Tuesday and this morning were packed. This is 5:45AM people, and everyone wants to swim. Go figure. A four lane 20 yard pool and we are fitting 8 people in, without lane lines. But the spoils come to those with patience and persistance. TriSaraTops and I both started early, or as she says at dark:30 (it is getting lighter earlier, but not at 5:30). Anyways, by 6:15 Sara, noodle lady(Ruth) and I are the only ones in the pool. How nice is that?!?! No dodging people, no collisions, just open water. I can resume focusing on my swim stroke and being efficient.

Things are feeling good and the weather is getting warmer. Looking to get some good riding in this weekend.

Game on, the bike and in the water.

What's Cookin' Wednesday - PB&J

No I didn't let my daughter write todays post. And no you will not get gourmet meals each and every Wednesday. So let's get back to basics.

Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. You're in a rush, not enough time to grab something substantial. Yet you have bread, jelly of some sort and peanut butter. Fairly nutritious and yummy. I have often used the old stand by as breakfast after my morning swims during my drive to the office. Doesn't require refrigeration and if it gets smashed, who cares. Still pretty much tastes the same.

Didn't you listen to GYGO #10? IronWils coach even said a PB&J is a good item to eat during the bike. Easy to digest and yummy, what more do you want?

No I'm not going to tell you how to make a PB&J sandwich, but I will describe how I make a sandwich. I picked up this tip from a friend about 10 years ago and I still use it now.

I first put the peanut butter on both slices of bread. This provides a barrier between the bread and jelly. The extra moisture from the jelly is what makes the bread soggy, gross. So with the peanut butter on the bread and the jelly in between you have a sandwich that should stay firm and "dry" longer until you get around to eating it.

One other solution to quick and easy sandwiches is to use Goober. This stuff rocks. Peanut butter and grape jelly in the same jar. Scoop it out, spread it on the bread and you are all set.

Now if you are like Elvis you could skip the jelly and go with sliced bananas instead, I haven't tried that yet.

So next time you are making sandwiches for the little muchkins, make an extra one for youself and enjoy an old fashioned PB&J.

Now that is some good eats.

Two for Tuesday - Let's Get Mental

For some reason I had some trouble figuring out what to write about today. I was having a hard time focusing on a good topic, all of a sudden I realized it was staring me in the face.

There is so much in our lives that are dependant upon our mental focus and intensity. The Trilogy, as I call it, of Family, Work and Triathlon is always trying to pull us in several directions at once. With so much pressure it is easy to lose that focus and intensity in our daily lives. I've been reading The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training and thought I would share some thoughts about Focus and Intensity. This is just a brief overview of two chapters from the book. I haven't finished the book, but so far I would recommend it to anyone. I'll be reading it several times.

Intensity is one of the harder aspects of mental preparation to deal with. Everyone trains/races with a different level of intensity that works best for them. Some athletes are super serious while others are very relaxed before and during events. As different as the people are in the previous example, they may both finish a race at the same time and set a PR because they utilize the exact amount of intensity required for their personality. Determining your optimum intensity may take some time. Think about past training or racing and see if you can remember how you felt during a bad, good or great race. How did you feel going into the race? What happened during the race and how did you handle it? You also need to learn how to control your intensity and keep it at the right level through self-motivation or relaxation techniques.

Focus is often related to single items or events. People often "focus" by tuning out external distractions and burying themselves in the moment. But this chapter helped me realize that triathlon is about three sports and two transitions that require a different focus during each of the five segments of a race. Your triathlon focus allows you to perform well and block out those external distractions that can derail your attention. As you flow from one aspect of the race, or training, leave what's happened in the past. You can't change it and there are other things to focus on. The book mentions the four Ps of focus.

• Positive: Focus on positive things and avoid the negative that can impact your performance
• Process: Focus on what needs to be done during the race/training to meet your immediate goals
• Present: Focus on the present and forget the past, you can't change the past, but you can influence the future
• Progress: Make sure you are making progress toward whatever goal you have set in front of you

So there is your Two for Tuesday. Sorry it's late for the day but my "focus" was elsewhere.

So go out and get your Mental Game On.

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