Secret Identity Revealed

Several bloggers have talked about their secret alter ego as they train for Ironman races, or just train for triathlon period. I agree sometimes with the notion that beneath the calm exterior of the mild mannered: university professor, lawyer, teacher, mother, father, accountant, banker or business owner, there lies a triathlete waiting for the next early morning workout to begin under the cover of darkness. A person dedicated to the triathlon lifestyle. "Little do my neighbors know that I just rode 60 miles on my bike", says the resting triathlete with a smirk on his face.

But why do we keep it under wraps until race day, when we put on our lycra racing gear and swim/bike/run with 50-2000 of our closest friends for the day? Why not expose ourselves, not just our feet, to those we know and see on a daily basis and say, "Hey, I'm a triathlete and I Swim, Bike and Run because I think it's fun." I know, I have neighbors that don't get it either. They would rather drink beer, play poker, refurbish a car, tend the garden, watch NASCAR; and I have no problem with that. Different strokes for different folks, we just happen to love triathlon.

Okay, back to the secret identity. I admit that I am modest when talking about triathlon. Get me started and I can go for quite some time. But I don't go around tauting I'm a triathlete. If someone asks I will tell them. I also gauge the persons true interest. I have had several ask and then the eyes gloss over after I mention the three sports. And other times people have questions that I love to answer. So my secret identity is slowly revealed. And I use my secret identity to hopefully inspire someone to start walking, join the Y, quit smoking, dust off that old bike in the garage. Maybe they will say, "If he can do it, so can I." I have a dream. Not as eloquent as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr's dream, but a healthy one for those around me.

Well, today the outer covering of my secret identity was torn off. My fund raising for the Komen Foundation is moving forward and has gained momentum. More people are asking about my training and fund raising. I joined the Janus Charity Challenge because of the added challenge and the benefit I felt that I could bring to triathlon and the battle against breast cancer. I was working today at a customer that I enjoy going to. The people there are genuinely nice and good people to work with. Kelly provided me with one of my first donations. Mary Ann called me and wanted to give me a check for my fund raising. This was the first personal check handed to me. All of the other donations have been through the web site. That check in my hand made this fund raising thing even more real. Then Ron started asking questions about the fundraising and my training. A feeling of great personal satisfaction hit me today. I guess we all need that in our lives every now and then. But, I'm just a normal guy doing my best to help those around me. I'm no superman. I don't hide my identity, I'm a triathlete who has to work to support my love of the sport. Some people may never get "it", but even if just one person starts their day differently by deciding to do something to improve their health, maybe I was superman for a day (even though I may not know it).

Game On.

Mountaineer Race Report - Pre-Race

While writing my race report I have found that I get quite verbose. Of course this is my personal journal of the race and I like to get the details down for when I read them later.

Yet, I don't really like long blog posts. Write something of interest and move on. I feel this helps people do some reading and move on to another blog or surfing for bike porn. So I begin with my first installment for the Mountaineer Half Iron Distance Tri. I hope you enjoy it.

Let's get this party started.......

Aimee and I headed down to Morgantown, WV on Saturday the 24th. We left home around 11:30AM and had a nice drive down to Morgantown. We took turns driving so the other could nap. We had an active morning with Aimee running 10 miles in the early morning and a quick trip to the Brecksville Homedays Dog Jog. This was my “easy” morning run to turn the legs over. Snickers and I won the event last year and were there to see if we could defend our title without wasting too much energy. It’s interesting how I felt during the jog. Two guys were in front of me and I knew I wouldn’t be able to catch them because I’m not training for speed this year, it’s all about the Ironman. So this year Snickers pulled me through the two loop, one mile run. We had fun then had to get home and finally leave for Morgantown.

After we checked into our hotel room we hit the expo to get my race packet. We had to check in my bike Saturday night and I found a good spot on a rack. The transition area was on the first level of a parking garage which would provide cover from the elements on race day. I grabbed the end of a rack next to the garage wall. The chain link fence provided me with a spot to hang my transition bag from so that it was out of the way yet easily accessible if I needed anything.

We walked the transition and finish area to make sure I knew the flow for the race. Once I was happy with how things were going to work we made our way back to the hotel for some dinner. The hotel restaurant was not very busy. The weather outside was nice enough to eat on the patio overlooking the river. We picked a table between the common area where some wedding guests were sitting and the serving area. For the majority of our dinner we were alone enjoying each others company, watching some people swimming, running on the course and heading to transition. The menu for the restaurant looked great. Aimee had some mushroom stuffed ravioli in a seafood cream sauce. New to the menu was a create your own pasta meal. Pick your pasta, pick your sauce, pick some protein and also some sides. I went with penne pasta, marinara sauce, meatballs, salad and a glass of pinot noir. We finished out meal before the 6:30PM cutoff time coach had in the race plan.

After dinner we hopped in the car for a drive on the bike and run course. Scott Erdman who is the voice of HFP Racing and a CTC member had posted a bike course recap on the club message board. With that in hand we drove the course and were able to relate his version of the course to where we were on the course. The hills were nothing extreme and resembled some of the stuff I had been training on. We saw where the rough spots were and one nasty dip that I had trouble handling during the race, but more on that later.

The beginning of the run course is flat on a path the runs along the river so we focused on the second half of the two loop half marathon run, especially Devil’s Hill. Turning off the paved bike path and heading into town the run immediately starts to go up. The hill goes up to an intersecting street, is flat for 20 feet then climbs again. At the top of this second climb is a right turn and a gradual climb toward the campus of WVU. From here on in to the finish area the roads roll up and down, some rather sharply, with the final mile going all downhill.

We made our way back to the hotel to call it a night. I got the rest of my gear ready for morning, chatted with a couple of CTC members and finally turned off the TV. It was around 10:30PM when I finally settled down enough to fall asleep.

I'll try to post every day so you don't have to wait until August for my race report to end.

Truer words were never spoken...

....and I rely upon the writing talent of TriSaraTops to verbalize what we all feel. I usually can't get close to the prose she puts out so I have to direct you to her site to read about one of our friends who attempted IM CdA this past weekend.

http://trisaratopsimadventure.blogspot.com/2006/06/i-have-friend-who-is-ironman_27.html

She tells it like I feel it.

Thanks girl.....she's got game.

Two for Tuesday - Keeping Things Dry

Yes, TfT has returned because I actually thought of something helpful to post. Hang on, because things may get slippery when wet.

I raced the Mountaineer Half Iron Triathlon this past weekend and we got rained on. Starting with the second loop of the bike course we had a steady but never heavy rain. Everything was wet when I finished, except my bike. The transition area was under cover. More on the race when I complete the report. So I share these tips to keep things dry or help dry things out.

Newspaper
I had learned a ways back to stuff newspaper in my running shoes to help dry them out. I don't know what absorbing properties newspaper has but it works extremely well. Usually two "stuffings" of the shoes does the trick. I use this for both my running and bike shoes.

Swim Caps
When we arrived at Morgantown the truck in front of us had three bike in the bed with some colorful covers for the seats. I took a closer look to find out where this person got such cool seat covers.......old swim caps. Now why didn't I think of that. I have a whole bunch of swim caps from races that I never use otherwise. Yet I am taking it one step further.....cover the arm rests on the aero bars. Check out these pictures to see what I mean. Ignore the messy garage, my race number from Morgantown (116), you see part of my road and mountain bikes, but ignore the rest of the messy garage.
















Game on....check out my countdown timer----------->

Eve of Mountaineer Half Distance Tri

Aimee and I drove down to Morgantown today. It was a very nice day, great weather and all.

Our hotel room overlooks the Mon River and I can see the swim markers in the water. Drove the bike course and it shouldn't be a problem. The run course has one brutal uphill that I will try to get a picture of, they have called it Devil's Hill, think San Francisco.

Looking forward to a good day of racing. Hope to have a picture of the club members that have travelled from Cleveland for this race.

Picture Day

I found these pictures on the website of Eric Hodska. Eric was the coach who led us through our tri-camp weekend. Such a great guy to work with and alot of fun as you can tell from the pictures. I was on my fourth hill repeat to test for max run HR. I was the last to do the hill and he followed me up.....bastard. Also a good picture of me on the bike.

Half IM Taper

I"m kind of in taper for the MedExpress Mountaineer Half Iron Distance Tri at Morgantown, WV on Sunday. So today was a an easy Zone 1 ride on the bike. It was a nice day despite the winds from the south. So today I say, thank you Master Placid for providing the steady winds in my face and on my back to help me stay easy on my bike ride. I'm looking forward to meeting you in person on July 23rd.

Weekend Update - Sunday Long Run

Crap.....I had this in draft and forgot to post it. Another update from the weekend. Another huge deposit for Lake Placid.


So Sunday was Father's Day. What better way to enjoy the day than to go on a 2.5 hour run. Amanda had to be at work at 10:30AM so I kind of slept in and got ready to run. I dropped off Amanda at work then drove to Hinckley Reservation to run the bridal trails, Buckeye Trail and some hills. I took four Fuel Belt bottles and a flask of Hammer Gel for the run. I was anticipating stopping by the car once to refuel.

I was pleasantly surprised with how my legs were responding after a long day on Saturday. The bridal trails I was on were awesome. Not too hard and forgiving on my legs. I even took some walking trails that I had no clue where they went but that added to the adventure.

A majority of the trails seemed like they were heading uphill, so for quite a way. I was sipping on water every ten minutes when my countdown timer went off. At the 40 minute mark I started taking gel every 30 minutes. I operate best with water and gel on the run. The gas on the run has pretty much disappeared since dropping the gatorade from the run, again too many carbs.

I was going through a bottle per 40 minutes so I didn't need to worry about stopping back at the car. I ran on some of the best trails in the park. Very little traffic and wonderful surface. I was on actual road for maybe 2-3 miles tops.

I finished 30 seconds shy of 2.5 hours. This was a great confidence boost considering the trials and tribulations of the brick on Saturday.

So the entire weekend was great and I learned alot about my nutrition capabilities/needs. Of course this is exactly how it should be, learn during training so you don't make the mistake during a race.

Mountaineer and Ironman, look out.

Weekend update - Saturday Brick

Below is the e-mail I sent my coach about my training day on Saturday. All I can say is that my IM bank account is getting huge.

I started preparing for a 7 hour training day Friday night by putting together my nutritional needs since I would be supporting myself. I knew it was going to be hot and humid. I might need some extra energy. In each bottle of Endurance Gatorade I loaded three (3) scoops of Carbo-Pro. I had 6 bottles ready to go. I also pulled out several Clif bars. For the run I had a flask with Hammer Gel and two water bottles.

I started Sat. morning around 7:00AM. I started at Station Road and followed the parkway out to Bonnie Park, this was the end of the first hour. Just as I planned I headed back to the parking lot to refuel for the remaining four hours. I had completed two bottles of fluid and one Clif bar, took one pee from the bike.

I started the remainder of the ride on the Death Ride route. I continued to eat and drink at 10 minute intervals. At about 3.5 hours my insides started to rebel. Actually they started to get clogged. Fortunately I was able to recognize the warning signs due to the camp talk by Jennifer. I was over loaded with carbs. Things were sitting in my stomach and couldn't get processed. I immediately started changing my nutrition. I stopped eating and filled one of my water bottles with water. I did this at the bottom of Rt 303 at the Peninsula Trailhead. I continued on the ride with a heavy stomach trying to drink water to help digest the contents of my stomach.

When I hit the bottom of Steeles Corners I took the Bath Road connector to Riverview Road and continued the Death Ride skipping the entire southern portion of the route. I was at 4 hours to this point, maybe a little bit over.

I rejoined the route at Martin Road. Still my stomach was heavy with food and backed up. Loading the bottles with 3 scoops of Carbo-Pro was the killer for me. If I hadn't done that I would have been fine. At hour 5 I hit Oak Hill, which is always fun during a long ride. After I made it to the flats I had to force myself to pee again. I wasn't worried about not peeing because I knew I had fluid in my stomach. I wasn't sweating profusely but that was another release of fluids from the body. I hadn't peed since the 1.5 mark of the ride. So I went about 3.5 hours without peeing.

After coming back down Stine Road to Riverview I stopped that Boston Store to load up with more water as I had completely given up on the Gatorade. I skipped Boston Mills Road going west and went up Snowville instead. I made my way down and around Brecksville Reservation, however I skipped Meadow Dr. and I made it back to the parking lot right at 6 hours.

I transitioned to my running shoes, grabbed my Fuel Belt and headed out for the 45 minute run. I ran down to Old Carriage Trail where I practiced my hill walking to try and keep my HR lower than Zone 4. I was still feeling heavy in the stomach but was able to start burping to release the pressure. I couple of times I had to walk as a burp was building up. On my return trip to the parking lot I started to feel better. My HR wasn't quite Zone 3 but I was moving at a good pace.

Back at the car I was able to start cooling off the body with the ice water from my cooler. I poured the water on me in an attempt to cool and clean myself. I finally looked at my bike computer. For my 6 hour ride I had accumulated just over 102 miles. I finally broke the 3 digit barrier during a single day of training. The run was around 5.5 miles with the time between 45-50 minutes.

After dinner my daughter and I saw the movie Cars. This is another good animated movie. We both liked it alot. Even if you don't have kids, treat yourself to some fun.

Family & Friends Friday - Susan G Komen

In case you haven't paid close attention to my blog, and I mean reading my header or checking out my links, I am doing something special with my Ironman Training.

I have accepted the Janus Charity Challenge on behalf of the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I have chosen this charity because of the impact cancer has had on two people I know; Tina Hoban (fellow triathlete) and Chris Armstrong (co-worker of my wife, Aimee). Each has battled bravely through their cancer. Tina in fact is doing very well and is currently in training for Ironman Florida.

I hesitate making the request for donations but I have realized that this fund raising is bigger than I expected. I am simply relying upon the word getting out through my family and friends to visit my donation web site and help out.

Between my trilogy of family, work and training I don't have the time to do fund raising events and such. However, I am glad to report that so far I have donations o $2,115. My goal is $5,000.
I'm still working on getting more donations and this is the meaning of this post. If you feel inclined to donate to my charity please visit the Janus Charity website. Also, please forward this information to those you think may be interested in my charity.

http://www.januscharitychallenge.com/LP06/ericgibb

If you make a donation in honor or support of a person please let me know something about that person. I am collecting names to carry with me on July 23rd. Either post a message on my blog or e-mail me at eric_gibb@yahoo.com.

I'm pleased to announce my first Blogland donation. Flatman had sent out a request for a bike part and I so happened to have that part. I "sold" him that part for a fair price since it was just sitting around in a box anyways. But then I started to think about it. I would have given it to him. I wasn't doing anything with it. I don't sell things on E-Bay or anything like that.

So unbeknownst to Flatman, I have taken his check for the bike part and made a donation on his behalf to the Susan G Komen foundation. I hope you don't mind Flatman.

I know there are many of us raising funds for different charities. CurlySu was/is a part of Team In Training. So I understand if you have already made donations to other charities.

Regardless, thanks for reading and considering my charity.

Stop reading and start posting

I somehow find it easier to read 10 blogs each day than post something on my own blog. But there are so many good blogs out there to read and you want to keep up with what so-and-so is doing and how training is going for this dudette and blah blah blah.

So what have I done lately.

Monday was a 4200 yard swim that felt great considering it had been just over a week since my last swim. I did the workout in 1:20:00. I was encouraged by that since I was only 24 yards shy of 2.4 miles, some intervals were above race pace and there were the 30-60 second rest periods between intervals/sets.

Tuesday I did some bike intervals early in the morning. It was 45 degrees out when I started so I put on tights, toe booties, long sleeved jersey and had a great ride. I share the workout with you because my coach says it is supposed to help build the lactate threshold. There is some lactate build-up with a period of flushing.

These are 2 mile intervals broken up as follows:
1/2 mile big chain ring and whatever cog you need for a 55-65 RPM spin, aero position.
1/2 mile big chain ring and whatever cog you need for a 55-65 RPM spin, standing...think hill climbing.
1/2 mile small chain ring, spinning high RPM 90+, I was hitting 105PM
1/2 mile easy to recover for next 2 mile interval.

I repeated this 6 times. I know I'm getting stronger because I maxed out my cassette and was pushing 70-75 RPM in the big gears.

Wednesday night I did hill repeats....8x90 second. I need the hills due to the course at Lake Placid. Again I felt great and had a total run on 1 hour.

Tonight I meet up with some club members for an open water swim in Lake Erie.

Tomorrow will be a special Family and Friends Friday, please don't miss it.

Go get your game on.

Two for Tuesday - Training Food

TfT is back today because I actually have something to report/provide to everyone.

Gatorade Endurance
Yes that orange and yellow gold of endurance athletes. That drink of preference at triathlons, running and cycling events. Amazing how much advertising Gatorade is putting forth for a specialized sports drink. Yet as we all know we need to train for what is on course. But can it be more difficult to find it? I found a reliable source at our grocery retailer and they haven't let me down. But for the masses I share this little tidbit. A reliable source, Race promoter and director of the Greater Cleveland Triathlon (Mickey Ryzmik) says that Target is under "contract" to stock Endurance. I was successful at finding plenty of bottles on the shelves and the Target in North Olmsted. Do you hear me TriSaraTops and TriAl, TARGET in North Olmsted. So check out the shelves at your local store. Go to the link above for coupons and such from the website.

Go-Tarts!
New to the Pop-tarts line of products I find these little packages of goodness perfect for stashing in your jersey pocket for bike fuel. My only complaint is there seems to be extra "crust" around the filling which tends to be dry, so you need extra Gatorade Endurance to wash it down.....wait is this some ploy between the two products? Makes you wonder. Anyways I will have a couple of these Go-Tarts in my special needs bag during my IM bike.

Now go out and shop. Have a great day.

Special Two for Tuesday....on Friday

I can't believe I am posting again this morning but I have to get this one out. So this is my two a day for the week.

We received a new issue of Runner's World in the mail this week and I finally looked at the cover and index.

Cover: Lokelani McMichael, Bolder's personal hawt friend
Index: Get in Great Shape.....with triathlon

Well it's about time. I hope alot of my friends read this and realize the benefits of cross training and our beloved three sport discipline. You can't argue with an article that starts with...TRIATHLON IS HOT. Maybe not Hawt, but still hot.

One of my favorite t-shirts I've seen says....So you are a runner, is that all you do?

Now I'm not dissing my running friends. I love them all. I would just like to see them on the bike or swimming a little bit more, especially for recovery.

Oh....and the pictures of Loke are HAWT.

Yes, I'm still around......

....but just haven't had time to post like I want. My three regular posts have fallen by the wayside, Two for Tuesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday and Family and Friends Friday. I'll managed to get back on track someday. Let's see if I can review the past week now that the hardware problems at blogger seem to have been corrected.

Friday 6/2: First day of Tri Camp with Eric Hodska. Swam 4000 yards, rode 2 hours, trail ran and did hill repeat HR test, lunch, trail run, bike time trial HR test.

Saturday 6/3: Second day of Tri Camp. Ride 80 miles with 1 hour run afterwards. No lake swim because of choppiness of the lake.

Sunday 6/4: Last day of tri camp, 2 hour trail run on the Buckeye Trail. Swim 2000 yards of drills and underwater video-taping

Monday 6/5: Sicker than a dog day. Caught a stomach virus from my coaches little boy and it..laid..me..out. Diahrea and puking. Stiff muscles. Listless. All I could do was lay around the house and rest. So my rest day from the big weekend turned into a sick day.

Tuesday 6/6: Virus broke before midnight Monday so Tuesday I was able to catch-up on work and start to slowly eat again. No workout today as the stomach was still a little quezy.

Wednesday 6/7: Finally made it out of the house and to visit a customer. Good to get outside. My coach said to ride easy for 90 minutes. I didn't want to run to avoid jostling the stomach so ride was a great alternative. My fitness is starting to really show now. I got on my road bike and started to go. Once the legs got warmed up I took a nice ride out to Lorain and back. Tested out the newly paved road along the lake and I felt much better. I was holding 19-20 MPH using a 90-100RPM cadance and my HR barely made it to my zone 2. I was around 120 BPM....and this was after a two day rest from camp with a virus thrown in. Look out IM.

Thursday 6/8: Stomach still a little quezy at times but I'm out and about at customer sites and getting stuff done around the house. Got an e-mail from my coach telling me to slow down. This is a recovery week and she wants me to be totally rested and ready for the MedExpress Mountaineer Half IM Tri on June 25th. If I'm not feeling right I don't hesitate taking an extra day off. So today I skipped any workouts and cut the grass which is a nice 1 hour walk.

Friday 6/9: Family and Friends Friday has me going down to OU to pick up my son from school and bring him home for the summer. No workout today.

So much to talk about and never enough time. I hate to post after the fact but I'm sure some will come out, too good to not post.

Get some satisfaction from your weekend.

Weekend by the numbers....non-training edition

I started thinking about my Memorial day weekend and realized I did do more than just train. Actually Aimee did alot while I was training. So here are the non-training numbers......

Friday
2 - hours chatting with our neighbor, Kim
1 - boxes of Mac 'n Cheese for a quick dinner
8 - hours of sleep that night

Saturday
3 - miles Aimee ran before cheering her friends at a local running race
1 - garden completely prepared and planted by Aimee while I was riding my bike
2 - lobster tails cooked for dinner
1 - bottle of champagne used in preparing dinner and drinking during dinner
5 - tiki torches bought at Home Depot
8 - tiki torches planted in the ground and lit for a quiet evening on the back porch

Sunday
6 - miles Aimee ran with friends in Bay Village, I joined by riding my bike easy
45 - minutes I was able to lay down while......
60 - minutes it took my awesome wife to cut the grass, what a saint

Monday
3 - hours Aimee did gardening at her dad's
3 - number of burgers cooked for lunch
2 - number of bratwurst cooked for lunch

Wow.... it really shows how busy the weekend can get when training is mixed with life.

I'm fortunate to have a great IronMate that helps me during this monster training.

Cyclist for a day

Monday's bike ride was a struggle to start. Already I had two days of heavy training. 8.5 hours, 92 miles on the bike, 23 miles running. So Monday was a struggle to get going for my 2.5 hour ride.

My father-in-law lives in Newbury, OH. Aimee jokes that he lives near the border of Pennsylvania but it's not that bad. Actually this is out near DaisyDuc.

I picked my road bike for this ride to change things up and give the tri bike a rest. It was almost 30 minutes into my ride by the time my legs warmed up and I felt like riding.

Then a transformation happened. I wasn't a triathlete anymore, I was a cyclist. No brick run afterwards, no aero bottle, no aero bars......just sitting up and enjoying the view. I didn't have a planned route since I don't ride in this part of Ohio very often and not for this many miles. I had a general sense of the direction I wanted to take and went for it.

The details I'm providing are for DaisyDuc because it's her 'hood I was in. Once I hit the end of my first road I could turn left or right. I chose left because it would take me away from cities I knew. I didn't even realize I was heading east on Route 82....cool. Speed limit was 50MPH but traffic wasn't too bad, wide shoulder and I'm comfortable with traffic.

As I'm riding along enjoying the sights I see a sign for Camp Asbury. This is a United Methodist Camp & Retreat that I had been too when I was a kid, almost 30 years ago. I never knew where this place was. At that young age it could have been near Columbus. But here it is near Hiram. I turn off Rte. 82 and work my way back to the camp. When I reached camp, at the bottom of a hill, I stood in the parking lot trying to remember being there. The setting was very nice. The green trees, fields and lake looked like alot of fun. I did remember canoeing on the lake. It was a nice trip back in time.

Heading back up the hill I continued east and made my way to Garrettsville. I saw the oldest Giant Eagle sign I've ever seen. Giant Eagle is a grocery store chain and the sign looked to be an original.

In Garrettsville I headed north on Rte. 88. At this point I started seeing other cyclists. A large touring group was out for a country ride. I would pass, going in the opposite direction, clusters of 5-6 people at a time. I probably waved to a total of 30 people. It was great seeing them on the road enjoying the day.

I eventually passed the Hermann Pickle Farms. Pickle Farms???? I took a picture of the sign but it didn't come out very well.

I finally started getting into Amish country. Ohio has several areas that are widely populated by the Amish. Riding through them is interesting as you pass buggies, farmers plowing with horses and clothes drying on the line. The benefit is that Rte. 528 between Parkman and Middlefield has 6 foot wide shoulders for the buggies. This was great for me on the bike. I didn't have to deal with the buggies but the horse poop had to be avoided several times.

From Middlefield I finally headed back west towards Burton. This would be my last town before heading back to dad-in-laws. Burton is like the maple syrup capital of Ohio. They have festivals and other cool events in their little mountain top town. The road up to Burton was probably the biggest hill I climbed for the day.

Out of Burton I took a little road named Hotchkiss. This road was a beautiful way to finish my ride. Nice homes set back from the road and spread out from each other. The trees lining the road provided shade from both sides, I was in a tunnel of trees.

By the time I finally made it back to the house I had ridden 3 hours instead of the 2.5 prescribed by coach. But you know what, that didn't matter because I truly enjoyed being a cyclist for the day. The mental refresher I received from this ride hit the spot and it was a great way to end the weekend.

So Daisy, yes I was in Portage and Geauga counties. You are lucky to have such great terrain to ride in. Get TriSaraTops out there for some riding.

Get on the bike and ride.

Playing the numbers game......

Here are my numbers from my most recent workouts.......

Friday
4000 - number of yards swam during lunch
65 - number of minutes to swim said yardage
200 - lengths in a 20 yard pool to reach 4000 yards

Saturday
92 - miles on the bike
5 - hours to complete said ride
3 - fellow club members to share the ride with
7 - miles run after the bike ride
1 - hours to complete that run
2 - slices of pizza eaten after workout
6 - friends to share the pizza with after the workout, especially when you expected to be the last person in the parking lot.
4 - Time in the afternoon I finally made it back home having left at 7:00AM

Sunday
16 - miles run
10 - hills encountered
142 - minutes to complete run
4 - fuel belt bottles consumed
1 - great friend to share the run with, TriAl




Monday
54 - miles on the bike
3 - hours to complete said bike ride
2 - bottles of Gatorade and Carbo-Pro consumed
6 - Amish buggies seen
1 - Amish buggie passed
1 - Pickle Farm sign
2 - counties traveled in

adding everything up for deposit in the Ironman bank.....priceless

Bold, no receipt necessary.....the feeling in my muscles tells it all.

Been busy....

making deposits in the Bank of Ironman. Between training, work and home my world has been spinning. I'll get back on track with posting on the blog.

I hope everyone has been doing well out there.

Can you help a fellow out?

In case you didn't know Flatman has a new home. Same guy, different name. He's rebuilding so send him some love.

www.fl4tm4n.blogspot.com

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Road Food

I'm traveling for work this week so I don't have my favorite recipes available and I haven't had time to search the internet for recipes. So what do I do while on the road, try to eat healthy.

Nowadays breakfast at most hotels is provided. One of the perks to attract customers. The best part of breakfast where I am staying is the fresh fruit. Apples, bananas, oranges.....good choices.

I still manage to stay away from fast food, especially for lunch. Subway is usually a good option for lunch even though I try to limit the carbs and processed meats, turkey or chicken is preferred.

Dinner last night was the old stand-by, pizza. I also ordered a side salad. Except for the pepperoni on the pizza the meal was healthy. You have to get pepperoni on a pizza.

Short and simple today.

As Greyhound says, go play....recess is calling.

Two for Tuesday - Reflections

Today I take some time to reflect. I don't get retrospective very often so bear with me.

Ironman Travel Day

So yesterday was a travel day that sucked donkey balls. Cleveland to Detroit. Late leaving Cleveland, late getting off plane, miss connection by 15 minutes. The damn plane was still sitting at the gate but my seat was already awarded to someone else. The next flight wasn't until 10:14PM. It was noon when I missed my flight. Sitting on the plane feeling like I was going to miss the connector I was calm about it. Take the day as it comes. Why stress too much., that was until I was told that I may have to wait 10 hours before actually flying to my destination, which also required a 1.5 hour drive further north (my final destination was Sault Saint Marie, MI).

I called my travel agent and he helped get me on an earlier flight but a different airport. So luggage was a mystery as to where or when I would have it.

I'm not used to travel problems. I have been fortunate to have very few troubles when traveling. I finally got my luggage the next day, delivered to my hotel, whew.

So I get on a flight to northern Michigan, one of those turbo prop planes that seats 30. It was a bumpy ride. My stomach got a little quezzy. I have never had problems while flying.

Then my mind started to think about Ironman. I'm reading the book "Becoming an Ironman". The stories are incredible. Ranging from first timers, to DNFers, to the fast. I thought about my day. The emotions I endured. Keeping my emotions in check. Feeling my stomach turn over. If I can endure this day of travel I can endure Ironman. Bring it on.

I Don't Think Much
When I started this blogging thing I thought I would be able to release my inner writer. I always have random thoughts going through my mind but usually can't get them down. I bop from thought to thought. Even writing a blog post takes me too long because I get distracted.

But I've been finding it to my advantage lately. As my training bears down on IM USA I have a wierd calm around me. Confidence is high. The body is responding well to the training. I'm preparing every day in one way or another.

I read the posts from IronWil and TriSaraTops about their training and how they are dealing with the long training days. The mental trial and tribulations. Reaching their limits and pushing beyond to find new corners of their personae. I think it's the teacher in them that allows them to write so beautifully. A different part of the brain functions better than mine. I admire them for their talents and I know they will rock at IM Wisconsin.

I don't think at their level. Maybe it's a male thing. Do us males have a certain confidence and cockiness that makes us ignore what lies ahead. Perhaps it's stubborness that permits us to push forward beyond our limits.

I just had to ramble a little today. It's not as exciting at Sara and Wil but it's what I got.

Game On Everyone.

AARRGGHH!!!!!!

I feel a little bit better now. A little stressed out right now, and I rarely get stressed. Quick recap as I sit on hold.

Wednesday: Drive to customer in Columbus, work, Drive home.
Thursday: Drive to customer in Erie, PA, meeting, drive home.
Friday: Drive to customer in Akron, 5:00AM start time, office, home, tired......zzzzzzzzz
Saturday: Try to recover and do chores around the house, include clean tri bike.
Sunday: Powerman Ohio Du, leave house at 5:00AM, drive 1.25 hour, race, drive home....tired...zzzzzzz
Monday: Have travel day from hell going from Cleveland to Sault Sainte Marie, MI.

Only consolation is that last week was easy because of Powerman and now I'm semi-resting while in the UP for work. I did have a good day at Powerman. Still waiting for official results to be posted.

The biggest problem is that I don't have my luggage. I bought some stuff all Wal-Mart to tide me over but it's been a crappy day.

I feel like I've already been through Ironman. I've had to keep my emotions in check, not reveal myself and take it as it may all day. It's been a mental IM training day.

Two for Tuesday - Sunglasses and Tires

I had five hours on the bike this past weekend. That's alot of time to think of ideas for the blog. Problem is that by the time I finish the ride I'll be lucky if I remember two of them. So here are two that I remember.

Check Your Tires
Before I left for my ride I checked the surface of my tires. The front had some cracks, thanks to a bad habit of pumping them up to the max. I also found a sliver of glass in the tire. Fortunately my road and tri bike both have 700 wheels. so I switched out the front wheel and I was ready to go.

So check those tires before rides so you don't have problems during.

Eye protection/sunglasses
I always wear sunglasses when I ride. I have contacts so I want to avoid getting dirt, road spray or bugs in my eyes. I wear Rudy Project Ekynox SX with three different lenses; metallic blue, grey and yellow. I put the yellow lenses in for Sunday's ride because it was very overcast. The yellow lenses help intensify the surrounding light and provides a better view of your surroundings while still protecting your eyes. Rudy Project glasses can be expensive but I've had these going on three years. I also check Performance Bike for their glasses, they work pretty nice and also have clear lenses.

Keeping these two tips in mind will help make your riding more enjoyable so you can get your Game On.

Big Deposits at the Bank of Ironman

This past weekend was a busy one but very important for my IM training.

Friday is my typical rest day. I slept in a little and took a cold bath for my legs before taking a regular shower. I had to drive 3 hours in the afternoon to a customer for an evening migration. The work didn't last long and I was sleeping by 11:30PM. the next morning I just needed to check on the customer and drove home. I was back by 12:30PM. I still had to do my workout for the day.

Usually I have a long ride/run brick on Saturdays then a long run on Sunday....supposed to simulate running on tired legs. But with the weekend schedule I switched the two workouts around. I ran my 2 hours Sat. afternoon starting around 3:00PM. The weather was threatening the whole time but I never had any rain. I was feeling great running on "fresh" legs for once. I was in my target HR zones and had a nice rolling course. I'll have to introduce it to my Cleveland friends. All said and done I put in 16 miles again, same mileage as last week. I calculated my pace and I hit 7:45 average per mile. It was good going that fast but that will not be my run pace at Ironman, I'm hoping for 9's.

Back at home Aimee and I made some pizza on the grill and I prepared all my gear for the brick on Sunday. I went back to the CVNP for my Lake Placid training ride, aka the Death Ride. The workout plan called for 5 hours on the bike and a 45 minute run afterwards. This Death Ride is comprised of approximately 14 hills coming out of the valley with plenty of rollers in between each hill. These hills ranged from a short steep climb for 1 minute to a longer gradual climb that lasted 15 minutes. In between were rollers that usually lasted 20 minutes.

Of course some of the steeper climbs are later in the route on very tired legs. My first hill I knew it would be a long day as my legs were still tired from the 16 miles the day before. But the more I rode the better they felt. They started to loosen up and respond to the climbing. The best hills were in the middle portion of the ride. I did enjoy the entire ride and had some funny observations during the rides, usually involving farm animals and a slug.

As I finished the bike ride I rolled into the parking lot and mentally made myself ready for the run. I didn't look at my bike computer on purpose. I didn't want to know my stats until I was all done. The display on the computer shows RPMs and total time. It will be like that at Lake Placid also.

After a 5 minute transition I headed out for my run. This was the worst my legs have ever felt after a ride. Heavy and tough to move. I thought I would have to walk some but I pushed on. My first mile was 9:30, okay not bad. Then my legs started to respond to the new movement. My stride was short but quick. I made sure my upper body was relaxed and focused on pace and form. I kept it flat since I did a rolling course the day prior. When I made it back to the parking lot I had ran 5.5 miles.

Ride Stats: 86 miles in 5:05, 13 hills plus rollers. All combined 14+ hills.
Run Stats: 5.5 miles in 45:49, 8:20/mile pace. I'm skeptical on that but the GMAP and time don't lie. but I started at 9:30 for the first mile. The other 4 miles really changed the average.

Total workout time is 5:54:22.

Now if that isn't a big deposit in the Ironman bank I'm not sure what is. I talked to my coach today and she is excited because I am right where she wants me to be in the training. She knows the stuff I am riding now is harder than the Lake Placid bike course.

So after my workout I had to get home, ice bath the legs, shower, get dressed and go to my brothers for mother's day dinner. I'm glad he was cooking because I was fried, I'll have to post his seafood stew it was very good.

When Aimee and I got home I checked my training for the upcoming week and decided to skip the morning swim coach had for me. We went to bed early and slept in. I needed the rest after such a big weekend.

I hope everyone had a great weekend like I did.

I've been called out.....

....by Bolder in Boulder. I knew someone would call me out in response to my interview on GYGO #17. So here are the pictures that I sent to TriGeekKahuna and IronWil. Now don't judge me if you don't know me. I'm not some sick pervert that sends pictures of feet and legs to just anyone. When I heard GYGO #15 and how Kahuna wouldn't stop teasing Wil about her foot "issues" I had to step up, literally. I just have a sense of humor that is a little off kilter and I just couldn't resist.
When I first sent the pictures I wasn't sure if I freaked them out. I didn't hear any response until they called me, yes I was a surprised triathlete.

So Bolder, here is my shaved leg, where's yours?

Another 16 mile long run today. Felt great and riding long tomorrow, probably in the rain, oh well.

Keeping the Game On.

Quote of the Day

“In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.”

PHILOSOPHER FRIEDRICH WILHELM NIETZSCHE

If the rain keeps up I'm going to go play in the rain.

Go out and play....Game On.

Family and Friends Friday - Mother-in-Law

Some people paint an ugly picture when it comes to Mother-in-laws. I've never had any problems. I'm on my second one and still no problems. Sure they have their little quirks but doesn't everyone. Aimee's mom is no different than any other person and is a damn wonderful person.

Liz is the aquatics director at a local city's rec center. She has been teaching swim lessons, arthritis classes, water aerobics, life guarding, etc....for as long as I've known her. She knows what a crappy swimmer I started out as but has commented on how good I look when I swim.

Liz and her boyfriend Joe have been able to travel around the world and recently visited New Zealand where they hiked and went bungie jumping. We have been fortunate enough to join them on vacation and always have a great time. This picture was from the jeep tour of Aruba two years ago.

Liz and Joe will be at Lake Placid watching me put my body through the wringer.

Happy Mother's Day for all the lovely ladies out there. Tell the kids all you want for Mother's Day is a four hour block of time so you can ride your bike and train.

Enjoy getting your Game On.

Double Duty

I've been doing double workouts since the beginning of the year. So what difference does it make today that I mention that. Because I have to pay homage to Mistress Mirror and Master Placid.

Thank-you mistress for a good swim this morning. I felt strong and fluid as I swam next to TriSaraTops. My confidence is continuing to build as I approach IM USA. If you had told me three years ago that I would be swimming 4000 yard workouts with thinking twice I would have said, "Yuz crazy Alfalfa".

Thank-you Master P for the strength to perform my evening hill repeats with power and stamina. I know the hills will improve my running for the Lake Placid course.

Have you thanked the patriarchs/matriarchs of your triathlon course?

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Seafood Pasta

When it comes to meals I've found some great recipes that are quick and easy to make. Ironman training has made it mandatory to whip up meals like that. This one allows you to choose the main ingredient and pasta.

2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
1 cup dry white wine
1 package Knorr Vegetable Soup and Recipe Mix
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
seafood or choice, shrimp, scallops, white fish, fake seafood (crab/lobster), your choice.
pasta of choice, cooked and drained

Lightly saute the garlic in oil for 5 minutes. If you are using uncooked seafood you can cook your choice with the garlic. Remove the seafood and set aside.
Add water, wine, soup mix, oregano and dried red pepper in skillet. Stir constantly, bring to boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Return the seafood to the skillet and simmer 2 more minutes. When done spoon over your pasta of choice.

Enjoy with a glass of red wine, it's good for you.

Eat up, so you can get your Game On

Two for Tuesday - Hills

Cutting to the chase today so hang on.........

Tackling Up-Hills
Whether you are running or cycling hills, how you attack the upward slope, especially turns, can make or break your climbing. Often times people think that the best route through a turn is to hug the inside curve. That's not bad when you are on a flat surface. Once the road turns skyward the inside may be your worst choice.

The inside curve is often the point where the slope is the greatest, causing you to fight gravity even more. Try to outside corner instead, or at least move away from the corner. On a closed course you can use the entire road. The incline is usually more forgiving and you won't struggle up the steep corner.

Running the Down-Hills
Last year at a local du, Hinkley Buzzard Duathlon, I was running the downhills at a conservative pace. However there were several others that were charging down the hills and just blowing by me. That's when I knew I need to learn how to run downhill. You figure this would be easy since gravity is helping your down the hill. But more often that not you are subconsiously putting on the brakes. This braking action is counter to the downward momentum and puts a strain on your quads tiring them out too fast.

I read in Runner's World about running down the hills. In a nutshell it said to treat the downhill as a controlled fall. Let gravity help you move quickly, turning your legs over at a high rate and using your arms to keep your balance. Your body position should be perpendicular to the ground. I try to move my shoulders forward to keep the right position.

You will look and feel like you are about to fall over, but again subconsciously your body will compensate to prevent you from hitting the pavement.

Remember hills are out friends. Hills will make you both faster and stronger. Flat roads can't.

Game On

Holy Schmoly......

have I really not posted since last Wednesday? Sure as shit in the woods came from a bear. It's been hard to balance the Trilogy lately and find any time to post on the blog. I want to put up something worthwhile and meaningful but I can't sit still long enough to do that. I have missed two weekend recaps so I will summarize my summary with two words(or letters)............................F' in A.

Training has been treating me well. Weekend rides are between 4 and 4.5 hours usually lasting 70-75 miles. Runs after the rides have been surprisingly fresh. Long runs on Sunday have been postitive.

Last week was a recovery week. Lighter on the intensity so my body could absorb the training.

Saturday was a 4:45 brick which resulted in 71 miles on the bike and 6 miles running. Kick ass part was that I did the 6 miles in 45 minutes, and this was after the freakin' ride. I was pumped.

Sunday was even better. For those the understand the word Hinkley will understand what I'm talking about. Hinkley is the best hilly running routes in the area. The roads around the Cleveland Metropark provide 6, 8 and 10 mile loops. I started with the 6 mile loop expecting to do two loops for my 2 hour run. I was back at the parking lot in a perfect 48 minutes. where the hell did I pull 8 minute/mile from? So after a quick P2, I went back out on the 8 mile loop to see what I could do. I was feeling great. I made it back to the parking lot in 63 minutes.

Now I will say that each uphill has a downhill that improves your pace but damn I was moving and still feeling good. I still had 10 minutes to kill of my two hour run. So I head back out on the 6 mile loop to do one mile out and back. Damn, I kept getting faster, 15:22!!!!!!

All said and done 16 miles, 2 hours 6 minutes, 7:55 pace.

I"ve decided that I must pay homage to Master Placid, the patriarch of the IM USA bike/run course. I've been paying homage to Madame Pele but I'm not going to Kona, so Master P gets my thanks for providing me with the strength and speed to kick ass on the hills of Hinkley.

Enough rambling tonight. Two for Tuesday will probably be a late post tomorrow due to working out of town.

I'm feeling good, time for you to get your game on.

check out my countdown clock. IM USA is just over the next couple of rises.

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Let's Get This Party Started

In case you haven't noticed a recurring theme, I like to cook on the grill. Specifically my Weber grill using the recipes from the Big Book of Grilling. I've shared some great recipes that are mouth watering and delicious.

Many of the recipes call for a sauce or rub to be used. So today we talk about how to get things started properly for a great meal on the grill.

Rubs
I really enjoy taking a variety of herbs and spices, some fresh from the garden, and mixing together a flavorful rub. With most rubs you want to coat the food with the rub about 1 hour before cooking. This helps intensify the flavors when the food hits the grill. We try to make several rubs at once then store them for future use when needed. A zip lock bag or airtight container works great for storage. The following rub is very simple to make and is good for any food; steak, pork, chicken, even fish. A true all-purpose rub. Double the recipe to store some in reserve.

Southwestern Rub
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander (can also use cilantro)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

combine everything in a small bowl and rub on the meat or fish. refrigerate for 1 hour before grilling.

Sauces
When is comes to barbeque sauce there are plenty of bottles in the grocery store to choose from. Many interesting flavors, some national brands, some local brands. In the Cleveland area former Cleveland Browns defensive end Al "Bubba" Baker has his own sauce and opened up a restaurant. I've been there and the food is great.

Well, I like to make my own sauce and Weber has a recipe that is easy to make and tastes great on anything.

Weber Tangy Barbeque Sauce
1/2 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup catsup
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
Dash pepper

In a medium saucepan cook celery and onion in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Serve warm with grilled beef, pork, or chicken, or brush on meats during last 10 minutes of grilling time.
Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Get that food on the grill and enjoy.

Two for Tuesday - Bike Skills

According to Bolder, "It's all about the bike". So today's TfT is about the bike. I have spent many miles and hours on the bike recently, especially the hills. This past Friday I was OTR for 4.5 hours going up and down the hills of the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. While on the downhills I thought about skills required on the bike.

Skill #1 - Pedal Position
While coasting or riding downhill it is recommended to keep your pedals flat. This provides you with a stable platform for your feet without feeling off balance. You feet are also in the best position for when you want to navigate a turn. I've found that I am most comfortable with my left foot forward. Having my pedals level are very important when going down hill. Some of the hills I was hitting were fairly steep and the level cranks gave me better stability without getting pitched forward. Give it a try next time you are on the bike.

Skill #2 - Keep it Steady
Tri bikes are not necessarily designed for cornering, climbing or descending. The angles of the bike are much steeper which is great for when you are wanting to go fast in a straight line. Even descending can get a little hairy on a tri bike, I've almost crashed several times thinking I was on a road bike. To help keep the bike under control I clamp the top-tube between my knees. It's amazing how much extra control you can get on the bike by doing this. The extra stability helps prevent the bike from shaking.

So get on your bike and ride.

Quote of the Day

I think of this quote every May 1st. Please help me fill in the blank.

Hurray!! Hurray!!
It's the first of May,
Outdoor _______ begins today!

I'll get a more meaningful post out later today.

Family & Friends Friday - Coach Angela

Today I introduce you to my Tri Coach, Angela Forster. This is my third year of being coached by Angela. My wife and I started with her in 2004 when we trained for a half-iron distance tri (the 3 of us at the finish, Angela on the left). Last year she took me through an Olympic distance season where I raced in a series of races and she coached Aimee for the Columbus (Ohio) Marathon. This year she is putting me through the ringer with the IM training, but I'm loving it.

I first met Angela during swim clinics at the local fitness center. She would be the on-deck coach for a group of triathletes. It really helped my swimming. I liked her approach to the swim, which is what I needed the most work on. She was a collegiate swimmer at the University of Kentucky and is super fast in the water. She also has the knowledge and experience to coach. She has finished Ironman something like 8 times at Florida, Lake Placid, Wisconsin and Hawaii. In 2005 she had her first baby, then came back to race at IM Wisconsin (13:07) then followed that up with IM Florida (11:15). Both races she swam 57 minutes being out of the water as part of the top 100 people.

She is very knowledgable about recent training techniques and makes sure she is up to date with nutrition, heart rates, VO2, etc. She keeps learning so she can help her athletes become better.

Today we rode together. I was doing the 14 hill route and she wanted to see what the roads were like. She hosts a tri camp in the Cleveland area and was going to use the route for a training day. I was eager to show her the hills. I would power up the hills and wait for her to catch up, she hasn't had much time to train herself, but man she still looked good while riding. The bonus for me was that she could see me ride. She has done Lake Placid several times and knows the course very well. She knows how the hills that we were riding compared to the bike course at LP. Several times she commented on how strong I looked and that I would "tear up" the bike course.

It's great to hear that from your coach. The mental aspect of coaching is important as well and Angela tries her best to get that across to you. When I made the decision to back out of the Shamrock Marathon she supported me 100% and agreed that it was the best thing to do. She also trusts my judgement about how I feel and if I decide to skip a workout because of being tired or too busy. I pay attention to my body and won't push if the body says no.

Angela is excited about my IM debut. The training so far has been great and she puts together some awesome workouts. I keep on learning more about myself through this training.

Angela is a great coach and a wonderful friend. She is one of many special women in my life.

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Puddin'

Keeping things simple today, we all like simple.

As triathletes proper protein intake should be on the top of our nutritional list. I buy my protein powder supplement at GNC. Good flavors, mixes well and seems to work well for me. But drinking it straight or making the same shakes over and over can get boring.

So how about some protein pudding? Follow the directions on the box and add two scoops of protein powder. I would recommend preparing in a blender so the powder mixes well. Pour into bowls chill and serve.

Experiment with different flavors of pudding and protein powder.

You will feel like a kid again.

Two for Tuesday - Pain and Suffering

So what is a little pain and suffering during your triathlon training or racing? We have all experienced the dark side of triathlon. The endless yards and miles that seem to never end. The muscle cramps that pop out of nowhere due to dehydration or poor nutrition. How about that strained muscle when we tried to squeeze out one more interval during training? Or that insidious IT Band that protests about the overtraining with pins and needles.

In The Triathlete's Guide to Mental Training there is a chapter about Pain. The authors help to define pain, suffering and discomfort, yes I know I have thrown in a third term on TfT....deal with it, I'm trying to make a point.

Everyone has a different perception of what pain is and their threshold to said pain is just as unique. But I liked the definitions they use in this chapter because I feel they hold merit.

What are the differences between pain, suffering and discomfort? Pain is a general term to express the physical feeling we have and how we deal with it. The fear of pain may prevent us from doing that extra interval or pushing our legs to run 5 seconds faster. We know it will hurt and be painful all the way through to the end.

But are we suffering or experiencing discomfort? Pain is the common factor between the two. The differences lie in how we deal with the pain mentally. In the book the authors differentiate suffering and discomfort the following way.

Some people suffering through pain caused by a life threatening disease or physical ailment that may be severe, long lasting, life threatening and possibly not under their control. A cancer patient puking their guts out after chemo knowing there are more treatments to come. The police officer run over during a routine traffic stop that now has to learn to walk again because his leg and hip were crushed. These people SUFFER.

As triathletes, or athletes in general, we place our bodies in uncomfortable situations. We accept the discomfort of training and racing. But we really never suffer. We can control the discomfort. We can slow down, walk, or even stop. We can see the light at the end of the 8th track interval. We can see the top of the incline and are glad to have a downhill on the other side. We know that the finish line is the end of this particular race and the immediate pain and discomfort will stop.

I use this comparison during my training. I'm on the bike doing big gear pushes. I'm into the wind. It's cold out. My legs are burning with lactic acid. I am not comfortable. I can stop. The "pain" will go away. But I don't stop. As long as I am not doing anything to cause an injury I keep moving forward. I remember the story of Blazeman, the ALS Warrior Poet as he was featured during Kona 2005. He never gave up. I think of my friend Tina who is battling breast cancer. She has not given up. I am not suffering like they do. I am simply uncomfortable, so I keep moving forward and pursue my IM goals.

To make sure I remember what I am doing I am raising money through the Janus Charity Challenge. Yes you will hear more about that later. My charity is the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. I think of the many women that have had to suffer through their cancer. Some have won, some have lost. I train and race Ironman for them

My favorite inspirational quote is from Steve Prefontaine.

"To give less than your best is to sacrifice the gift"

I have an athletic gift that permits me to train and race triathlons, this year an Ironman. I am not going to give less than my best because I am experiencing a little discomfort. I will move forward in memory and honor of those that suffer.

Have you given your best today? Have you sacrificed your gift?

Do your best, expose your gift....Game On.

Breakthroughs, Recoveries and Insights

I hope everyone has me listed through bloglines so they weren't checking back to see a new post. I extended my mental recovery period into the weekend partly due to a hectic work day Friday and a bigmongous training day Saturday. Let see how far back I need to go in my training.

Tuesday was my next training day. I was pleasantly surprised that my coach didn't schedule a swim workout for Tuesday morning. Slept in a little and felt great in the morning. My evening workout was a one hour run. Now my running has been slowly getting better. As usual I decided to just go with what felt good. Feeling good this time meant a 7:45 pace. I was cruising by the 1 mile mark so I just went with it. I was in Zone 2 for the first time in months. After 25 minutes I backed off a little to recovery slightly, then I picked it up again. I finished in 43 minutes. Since I added some intensity to the run I felt vindicated to cut things short. Still trying to be smart about the recovery on the leg.

Wednesday brought out the bike. A 90 minute evening ride was on tap. I was working from home all beautiful day. The dogs loved it since they could be outside as well. Somewhere in the afternoon Ruby decided to break through the Invisible Fence and have a little adventure. She was gone for around 4 hours and got nice and dirty. Some nice people that live not too far away rounded her up into their fenced in yard. Her tags have Aimee's cell phone and our address. I didn't think I was going to get my ride in since she was gone. Around 5:30 the couple drove over to tell me they had Ruby. I followed them back to their house and retrieved my dirty dog.

I did finally get on my bike, thank goodness daylight sticks around longer. I rode to my mechanic to pick up my truck after service. This ride was to be a easy Zone 2 ride. I felt great on this ride. The heart rate was right where it needed to be. Average speed was between 19-20 MPH and I held a high cadance 95-100 RPM. What a great ride.

Thursday I was back in the pool. Another 4000 yard workout. I struggled early on with getting my body started. I felt a little sluggish. My form was on but my focus was a little askew as my splits were all over the place. Too fast, too slow, a build which increased in time instead of decrease. It was an insightful day to realize that you can loose focus even within the confines of a pool.

Thursday evening I had a 45 minute run. I didn't double check my workout and was positive that I should run 60 minutes. I had a movie to return to Hollywood Video so I ran it up there literally instead of using the car, in case people haven't noticed gas prices are up. Another awesome run for me. 8:23 pace through streets I have never run on before. So the new scenary was an added bonus.

Friday was a typical rest day and I managed to get a massage in from Di. She's great because she tries to fit me in whenever possible and this time it meant going to her house for my massage.

Saturday was a big brick. Total time scheduled was 4:45:00 bike/run brick. Again I rode out of the house because of gas prices and I wasn't disappointed. The day started with a dense fog alert in the Cleveland area. I put on a wind vest and arm warmers to fight any chill, yet I could take them off when things warmed up. I also put my blinky butt light of the bike for safety reasons. Fortunately there isn't much traffic at 7:30Am on a Saturday to deal with, but still the fog was thick. The Cleveland Metroparks is similar to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park as they are both in a valley created by the rivers that feed Lake Erie. So in the Metroparks you have to climb a hill to get out of the valley. This worked well as I needed to do some hill climbing to get ready for my next tour of the Death Ride route. I hit almost every hill, 16 in total when I was done. Now these hills are nothing compared to what Bolder has been riding, most only lasted 2-5 minutes but I take what I can.

My coach said the ride should be 3:30 - 4:00. I went for the 4 hours instead. I like riding my bike. I had fun. However, I couldn't wait to get off the bike, but not for the reason you think. I could have gone another hour. I couldn't wait for my run after the bike. I was feeling so good I wanted to get my running shoes on for the 45 minute run that was waiting for me. as I turned into my development I saw Aimee waiting for me in the driveway. She was going to join me on her bike while I ran. I was hoping she would be up for it as she already did a 1:40:00 run with her friends earlier, I saw them in the park.

My run was feeling good as well. We went 6.6 miles in 53 minutes. I was at a perfect 8 min/mile and I didn't even feel like I was pushing it that much. Total workout time was 5:04:00 with 73.65 miles of biking and 6.6 miles of running. Man I feel good.

Finally on Sunday I did a 90 minute run in the morning. Legs were a little tired but that's how coach wants it. You have to know how to run on tired legs in Ironman. Regardless I did 12 miles at an amazing 7:55 pace. I'm so happy my running is coming back around. Coach says I'll start getting some hill repeats soon. To finish out my weekend I have a 30 minute run that I will hit as soon as I post this.

I know that was alot of reading above but I needed to get the great news about my training posted, especially my run. My excitement level is high as I far within 90 days of IM USA.

Tomorrow I'll provide some deep thoughts. You have lots of time to think while on a 4 hour bike ride.

I hope everyone else had a weekend that allowed them to get their Game On.

Recovery Week - For the Mind

I've decided that my mind needs a small break from blogging. You know, 3-4 weeks heavy then a recovery week, it's called periodization.

So I leave you with my training recap from the weekend.

Saturday I had to stay close to home in the morning due to work committments. I finally made it to the Cuyahoga Valley National Park to get in my 3:35 brick. The CVNP is the best area in northeastern Ohio for hills. There is a ride route called the 14 hill ride; aka the Death Ride. Granted it's nothing like the mountains that Bolder has been riding in Colorado, but it's what we have available.

I did the northern portion of that route which allowed me to swing by the car and top off my water bottle. It was a glorious day. About 65 degrees F, slight wind, blue skies, plenty of sun.

I mapped the route and I have to do some final calculations for vertical gain but these climbs are short and steep. All said and done I rode for 3:10 and 56 miles. Not bad for a hilly route. After the ride I had a 35 minute run. I wasn't sure how I would feel with the hip. It took about 1 mile for the hamstrings to realize I was running. I pulled in 4 miles at 9:00 minute/mile pace. I was happy with my run as well. Things are feeling good and my confidence is returning in regards to my run.

Sunday morning I had a long run of 1:15. This is the longest I have run in a long time. My route put me at 8 miles. Before that I was up to around 7 miles. Slowly but surely I will get my run volume back up to speed. Easter dinner was at my parents house where we feasted like royalty. Later in the evening Aimee rode her bike while I got in another 4 miles.

Monday morning I swam 4000 yards. This was supposed to be a steady pace. Pace was around 3:25 per 200 yards. I was tired from the weekend and wasn't sure how I would fare. The last 600 yards were supposed to be race pace effort. I used some psych up techniques from my mental training book. It must have worked. I was surprised how I was able to increase my intensity. May last three 200's were 3:17 / 3:20 / 3:06. I couldn't believe the final 200 was that fast. I was happy to finish like that.

I finally saw my first sign of spring. No not the birds, bees, or flowers. Nor the short skirts or bare legs running. I'm talking about tan lines. My biker tan line is starting. I tried to take a picture but the line still isn't dark enough. I'll get a picture when it shows up better.

Have a good week everyone, I'll get my Game Back On this Friday.

Family & Friends Friday - Beyotch-in-Law

I say that lovingly about my sister-in-law, Becky. Just don't piss her off or else she will get beyotchy all up in your butt.

Aimee and her sister as like water and oil, respectively; and I'm not talking about water from a mud puddle and extra virgin olive oil. I'm talking black crude oil (Becky) and Aquafina bottled water (Aimee), at least that's how it was when I first met them 15 years ago. Both very precious but also very different.

Becky is 5 years younger than Aimee and followed quite a different path than her older sister.

Vocational school to get her beauticians license and cut hair for 5 years.
Attended Kent State for fashion merchandising while working.
Currently working as a buyer for DOTS clothing stores.

It's been weird watching her change during that time. I still can't believe the words coming out of her mouth when she starts talking cost, margins, inventory, fashion trends, and accounting. But she is very good at her job and works hard. She also plays as hard as she works.

These sisters do have some simularities.
They both like to ride their bikes: Aimee has a nice Bianchi road bike and Becky has a big Honda 750.
You don't want to piss them off: Even hell get's scared.
They love their pets; Sig, Snickers, and Ruby
They both have great husbands.

Becky is one of our biggest supporters for our athletics. Becky and her husband drove down to "watch" us compete in our first Half-Ironman distance event in 2004. They decorated our hotel room door with balloons and streamers. Becky will be at IM USA with an unlimited amount of energy to share with all of the competitors.

Becky makes our lives interesting and I wouldn't want her any other way. Variety is the spice of life and Becky is hot cheyenne pepper. The new video is dedicated to this Metallica fan and the song is for all of us triathletes who follow our own path.

Game On for the weekend.

Thank-you Madam Pele

for moving the severe thunderstorms through northern Ohio quickly
for providing sunlight after the clouds drifted away
for not cooling the temperature down after the rain
for providing a stiff wind in my face for my big gear intervals
for providing a stiff side wind that forced me to work on my bike handling skills while in the aero position
for providing a beautiful orange sunset as I rode my last few miles home.

I had a 90 minute workout on the bike last night. Watching the skies and doppler radar on the Weather channel I knew the storm would move through fast. I waited long enough that I never got rained on. However, I did have the road spray to deal with, mainly on my legs.

Big gear pushes went well especially with the stiff winds coming at me. Eight intervals when I only needed to do six.

I finished almost 32 miles of riding in 94 minutes. I was happy with that.

What's Cookin' Wednesday - Bacon Wrapped Salmon

I know some of you out there cringe about thinking of eating fish, but it's very good for you. Properly prepared fish shouldn't smell "fishy" or have bones in it. Salmon is a great fish for the grill or oven.

BACON-WRAPPED SALMON WITH WILTED SPINACH

Ingredients:
4 (5- to 6-oz) center-cut pieces skinless salmon fillet (about 1 1/2 inches thick)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 teaspoons whole-grain or coarse-grain mustard
4 bacon slices
2/3 cup sliced shallots (2 large)
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 oz baby spinach (16 cups packed), rinsed but not dried

Special equipment: 4 (10- to 12-inch) metal skewers

Preparation:
Preheat broiler and put broiler pan under broiler so that its rack is about 4 inches from heat.

Pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper, then spread curved sides with mustard. Lay 1 bacon slice lengthwise along top of each fillet, tucking ends of bacon under fillet (ends will not meet). Thread 1 skewer through length of each fillet, entering and exiting fish through bacon to secure it.

Arrange fish, bacon sides down, on preheated rack of broiler pan and broil 3 minutes, then turn over and broil until fish is just cooked through and bacon is crisp, 3 to 4 minutes more.

While salmon broils, cook shallots in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add spinach and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until spinach is just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve salmon with spinach.

Makes 4 servings.

Comments:
I use whatever mustard I have a taste for. I used French's Bold n' Spicy last time. Not much else to say because this recipe is so easy.

Food on!

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.