Being a stud

I want to ride my bike. I miss commuting to work. But it's winter. There's snow and ice on the road and sidewalks. So what do I do? Put studded tires on my bike! But I can't afford them. Their about 75 each. So let's make a pair! All I need is studs, liners and a couple of old tires. Now here's the funny part. I can't find a pair of old tires. No one has any. I'm tempted to used my existing ones, but I think Erica would not be happy if I scrapped my one pair of good tires. But I'm so tempted....

Stay tuned...

Winter Winter go away

I love winter. I'm a Yooper! I ski, snowmobile, snowshoe... But why do I dispise it so this year? I just don't seem to be able to warm up. I'm achy all the time. I'm not enjoying this season. I'm wondering if it's stress related or due to my lack of training or the fact that Erica has been in such pain lately. I just don't know. Regardless, I look forward to spring, being out on my bike, sun, warmth, sweating during a run, taking my girls to Dairy Queen! Where is summer?!!!

Ironman 2012??? We'll see

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to get to do the Whirlpool Ironman 70.3 this coming summer. They are SO expensive. This one event is as expensive as all of the events I ran this year!!! Grrrr! Saving my pennies with the hopes of getting in. But if I don't I won't fret about it. I'll be happy to run all the same races I ran this year. Perhaps if I save my $$ I can afford something else; like a family trip rather than a race.

New shoes

For the last several years I've ran on Asics and loved them. But this last pair just didn't work for me. They were the 2030's. I ended up with sore ankles, knees, calves...you name it. Time to move on, try something new. I went to Running Fit and worked with one of their sales people for over an hour trying on different kinds. Of all things I ended up with Saucony. They feel great! I've only run in them a few times, but they are amazing. They are the most expensive shoes I've over bought. Let's see how they last over the long run.

Update: 300 miles later these shoes are AWESOME!!!! Just wish there weren't so darn expensive!

Lacking drive to train

Lacking the drive. Yup, just not feeling it. When I do get to the gym I'm loving it. I feel good, strong and like I did earlier this summer. But getting to the gym is the hard part. I guess one reason is that I'm REALLY enjoying being home with the family. Another thing is that running hurts. Ever since the marathon I physically hurt after the run, be it a heel spur, sore knee...Grrrr! Not enjoying that part of getting old. I just got some new shoes so I'm hoping they will help.

Someday I'll figure out what it is inside me that I can tap into to keep the fire alive. But right now it eludes me. For now, it's new shoes. My Lord...I sound like a diva!

Ericas Surgery

My wife had surgery to fix a ruptured disc in her lower back. She's in recovery right now. The doctor said it went well. She'll be in the hospital for at least today. We're hoping to get her home tonight since it's going to snow like nuts tonight, but I'm not going to stress about that. I just want to make sure she's okay. She'll be on lots of drugs for a little while; just to help with the pain. Doctor said that she won't have any restrictions and recommended lots of short walks. Essentially, let pain be her guide. But I still try to keep her from going nuts with tons of activities. No lifting, no driving for a while, no surfing. It's the whole surfing thing that's going to driver her insane. That girl was meant to be on the beach!

Detroit Marathon is in the books!

Race start: 7:10 am

Arrive at 5:10 a.m.

Time: 3:57

Felt great until mile 22. things started to hurt. Last few miles were pure willpower.

Left knee REALLY hurts!

Got tunnel vision after race and had to rest for a while.

I quickly ate the banana and juice that was in the food bag they gave me at the end of the race. I also made sure to take one of the foil blankets they provided so I stayed warm. Note that it was only 57 degrees when I finished the race so getting a bad chill was a real possibility. I sat on the curb for about 15 minutes and then started to feel like I was tightening up. I got up and walked around for a bit and made my way to the gear check-in to pick up my bag. As soon as I got it I put on my sweats and a dry shirt and mixed up a batch of Recoverite. That stuff is awesome! 

Next was to get my medal picture taken. *smile* *click* yippee.

Then I went of to the line to get a message. LONG line, to heck with that. I just walked around for about 30 minutes taking in the event and all the happenings. Went over to the wearables tent and oggled the merchandise. Damn that stuff is expensive. I just couldn't bring myself to pay that much for a t-shirt. As I wondered around I took in Detroit. It was nice to see so many people downtown enjoying  themselves. I'd like to think the town is making progress to become a place people WANT to go to. I only had one regret for the day and that was that my family wasn't with me to enjoy the moment with me. Like I've said before. Nothing is worth enjoying if you can't share it with those you love. *sigh* Perhaps next year they will be able to join me.

Time is counting down

I did a short three mile run last night. I wasn't planning on going fast. Just an easy run. But I kept catching myself almost running. My legs just wanted to move! I liked it! I've never felt in such good shape. My body wants to always be like this. I just wish my head would stay in the game. Grrrr! Too much on the mind. Too much stress. Too little relief. I need to figure this out...after the marathon of course. hehe

Not much to add

This past week was an easy one as far as running is concerned. I'm really enjoying this taper down part of the training. The marathon is in 6 days and I'm ready for it! I can't wait to get this under my belt! This past week I've put in a couple of 4, 6 and an 8 mile runs. All of them felt good. The weather has been unusually warm for this time of year, but I'm not complaining. The forcast for this coming weekend isn't pretty. It's supposed to be VERY cold. Not looking forward to that part of it!

Still enjoying the taper

Haven't run more than 4 miles this week. It's amazing how easy that distance is! I'm liking this! I'm just hoping that I don't forget that I need to pace myself for the marathon. With these short runs it's too easy to start to go fast.

Weekend Wrap-up

Friday - Rest day! Love it!

Saturday - 4 miles fast. 31 minutes. Happy with the time. Ooooof! I hustled!

Sunday- 12 miles. Not bad, but body was not up for it. Muscles sore, joints stiff. But my energy levels were good so I just pushed through it. Glad I got it over with in the morning. It turned out to be a beautiful day! Worked on my daughters play structure the whole time. Almost done!

Zoom, 8 miles

I haven't had a run feel this good in a LONG time! And I made good time. I tried something different with my fueling and it worked pretty good. About 25 minutes before my run I drank about 20 oz. of Heed. I didn't carry anything with me on the run (more on that later). I didn't try to push myself, but focused on staying relaxed and maintain a steady pace. The result was that I felt like a million bucks the whole way and was ready to go again when I was done. Now, it must be noted that the temp was about 55 degrees and I wore my tights and tuque. I stayed warm, but didn't overheat. I think the tights helped with keeping my legs loose and my knees from stiffening up from the cold. I can only hope that the marathon has these same conditions!

First time back in gym

I wasn't able to hit the road today before it got dark so I headed to the gym. I haven't ran on a treadmill in months and I've forgotten how much I sweat in the gym. I was scheduled for 5 miles today so I figured I push it and try to get it over with quickly. I ran it in 40 minutes. Not too bad. I felt good the whole way, sweated my brains out and was home in good time. I may have to do this again just for good measure.

Monday xtraining

Does working on a playstructure count?

Got my daughter a tube slide for the play structure. Actually, I found it. During one of my runs I came across a couple of guys hauling it out to the side of the road. I asked them if they were throwing it away. They said yes and I could have it if I wanted it. Hell yeah! I sprinted back home, snagged my neighbor Jeff and his truck. Next thing I know, I got a big 'ol tube slide laying next to our play structure. Of course, I just planned on attaching it to the existing structure. NOT. After taking the measurements and I found the existing set-up would not work. So I designed a new platform that will attach to the existing one, just three feet higher.

I gathered up all my spare lumber laying around, one trip to Lowes, and a lot of late nights and the kids now have one very cool addition to the playset! Happy Days!

Didn't end well

Friday was a day of rest. No workout. And it felt great!

Saturday was 10 miles. I did it in the afternoon after mowing the lawn. Temp right around 68-70. The whole run felt great!

Sunday, same temp, spent the morning and early afternoon working on my daughters playstructure. Around 3 started my 20 mile run. Felt okay for most of it, but the last part started to struggle. My right shoulder hurt quite a bit. My knees and feet were a little sore. But that's to be expected. It's 20 miles! But afterwards, when I got home I started to feel bad. I was light headed and wanted to throw up. I layed down for about an hour, drank some water and ate a banana. Took a shower and layed back down. Erica brought me a energy bar and some watered down oj. I drank the oj and later the bar. around 9:30 I got up and made a peanut butter sandwich and a glass of milk. I was feeling pretty good by then. Erica was ready to give me hell for this and I can't blame her, but I just can't figure out why I felt this bad. I fueled right and didn't push my speed. No idea. But I got it down and it was my last one before the marathon. 

Hoofin it for 5 miles

Wednesday and Thursday were both 5 mile days for me. And on each occassion I pushed it. Not race pace, but I kept the HR up. Each day felt pretty good. The start was the most painful because nothing was warmed up yet, but after three miles I started to hit my stride and was able to kick it in. I like that part of the run. I just wish it started earlier and lasted longer. I really need to throttle that in on my long runs. Pacing myself at the beginning can be tough. I have my last 20 miler coming up this weekend and I want it to go well. 10 miles tomorrow and 20 on Sunday. The marathon is coming up quick!

Feel the burn!

I only wish I were referring to muscle strain and the feeling you get from a great workout. But no, this would be likened to the rush felt by a person standing at the front of a line of rioters facing police with tear gas and pepper spray. Let's start with my wifes garden. It's got the full contingency of veggies; lettus, zuchini, carrots, tomatoes, green beans, and jalepano peppers. For dinner I thought it would be tasty to chop one of the jalepanos and put it on my sandwich. I chopped it up, washed my hands right afterwards (these peppers are potent), had my sandwich (Yummers), washed the dishes. Later that night I, just before bed I took my shower ( saves time in the morning) and then we retired for the evening. Nice day. 

The next morning I got up. Washed my face, brushed my teeth, combed my hair and put in my contacts. That's when the gun began. I put that first contact in and I thought my eyes were going to bleed!!! There must have been some pepper still on my fingers and I put it in my eye. My eyes watered uncontrollablly, my sinus started to evacuate. And I still have one eye to go! It took 20 minutes for the burn to subside. Note to self, Erica chops peppers from now on.

A Good 10 Miles

My wife pointed out to me earlier today that I should do my 10 mile run today and my 5 mile run tomorrow since I have the time for 1.5 hours of daylight today that I won't have tomorrow. So off I went. And it felt great. Well, the last 5 miles felt great. The first 5 were spent warming up and loosening up.

Getting on the plane with my parachute

I haven't made the jump yet, but I atleast took the first step. I had an interview yesterday with a company outside the auto industry. A glass company. The interview went well. I suppose it would have went better if my contact lense hadn't fallen out the minute I walked in the door. Not a good way to start. I spoke briefly with the manager who gave me a quick rundown of the company and it's operation. I then met with two of their engineers who got into the nitty gritty of what they do and asked me a collection of questions. We had some good dialogue going. The manager then gave me a tour of their facility and showed me each step of the processes. After this I met the president who spoke to me in length about his business, his philosophy on it and how he approaches compensating people. He impressed me quite a bit with his drive and passion for what he does. He really seemed to thrive on it. I was also impressed by his hands-on approach to his job. He's in there just like everyone else. It was good to see.

Monday was a day of rest

I know I was supposed to cross-train today. I should have hit the weights or jumped on the bike. Hell, I could have push mowed the lawn. But I didn't do anything. I got home, ate dinner with my family, helped my daughter with her homework, cleaned up the kitchen, got my breakfast & lunch ready for Tuesday and sat down with my wife for a little while to veg infront of the tv. Heros season opener was on. We watched the pre-show and got teased with all the great episodes that will be on during the season, but we did not actually watch the episode. We resisted. So we got to bed early and got a good nights sleep. It felt great!

Today is 5 miles. No biggie. I look forward to it. It's supposed to be quite nice out today so this'll be fun. I hope to get my daughter onto her new bike today too. Let's hope this works out this time.

The Sunday 12

I had planned on running in the morning, but since I got very little sleep that evening I didn't bother. Sleep is too important. So I decided to get it done in the afternoon. The weather was perfect and I kept a pretty good pace. I worked on form and tried a could of new ways of running; some high kick back, lifting knees high, bounding off toes...mixed it up a bit. I think my legs appreciated the variety. No particular way of running changed my time, but I felt a lot better at the end of the run than I did Saturday. Gawd I felt miserable after that 17. Today though, much better.

Owww Owww f$@#*! OWWWW

I hit the road at exactly 6:00 A.M. 20 miles or bust! Had all my fuel set, cool weather, properly dressed. And away I went. Everything was good until 15 miles. Then my right knee started to hurt. I can normally just alter the way I run, but not this time. I even stopped to stretch it out, but nothing helped. I just trotted along stopping occassionally to walk off the pain. I have no idea what was going on, but it sucked! I decided to cut the run short and just get home. I put in 17 miles in 2.5 hours. Not a bad time, but still disappointed that I didn't get my whole run in. Perhaps next weekend will be better. (crosses fingers).

Go Go Gadget Dad!

Erica still not feeling well and can barely move. I make my way home a little early to help out. Mowing, cleaning, doing wash, running around, and rest. No workout tonight. I'm planning on 20 miles tomorrow so I want to take it easy today. Around 10:30 i call it quits. That's enough fun for one day. Work was okay. My client sent me a reference package to use. Much of it doesn't work with our application, but I can salvage the overall architecture. That's a good thing. I still have a bunch of ordering to do too, but let do some design first. Novel idea.

Just a simple run tonight

Hurried home and got dinner fixed, changed and off we went to dance class. Got the little one in her studio and I was off. Put in a good six miles. Felt fine the who way. No muscle or joint pain and having contacts was real nice! Got back to the studio, stretched and had my recovery drink. Yummers. Changed at the studio just so I could get out of my wet clothes just in time for the Peanut to exit class, buy a couple of tootsie rolls, and we were on our way home. We quickly got her into her pj's and finished her homework. Then it was up to bed with her. Tuckered out and tucked in she was done for the night. Me, I went downstairs, finished dishes, got lunch ready for the next day, prep'd the coffee, layed out breakfast and took a much needed shower. Erica was in bed watching Gone in Seconds (some great wrecks on that show). I headed back downstairs to make a little dinner. I hadn't eaten yet. Made a sandwich, glass of milk and went up stairs to watch the show too. About that time Erica's meds started to kick in and she was ready to crash. I was pretty wooped too and happy to join in on that affair. Good night.

Falling behind!

I've got to stay focused! Sooo much to do, so little time. Work, yard work, helping around the house, getting the little to dance class, cleaning, home projects, soooo much! Oh yeah! I'm training for a marathon too. No, wait, I haven't been doing too much of that lately. I have to get my 6 miles in tonight. No rest day tomorrow, another 6. I hope to get a 20 in on Saturday and then 12 on Sunday. I should be back on track then. Let's hope.

New eyes

Today is my first day wearing contacts at work. It's a trip. My left eye has been bugging me all day. I finally went out to my car (the lighting in here is terrible) and found that the contact was way to the inside of my eye. I tried to push it to the center only to have the darn thing pop out. Now I had to scramble and find someone with saline solution so I could wash it out and put it back in. Eventually I was able to get this done and it feels a lot better. Now I just have to stop rubbing my eyes. Everytime I do I can't see until they reallign themselves. Grrrr! Damn my bad vision.

Making the most of Dance

No, I do not dance. Short of taking a ballroom dance class with Erica a long time ago, I'm not twinkle toes. But Sarah on the otherhand is a very good dancer. She is wonderful. I really enjoy seeing her out there. And during her dance classes I am given 90 minutes to get a run in. Well, I run for half that; just 5 miles (Route). Yesterday I booked it! Did the run in just under 40 minutes. Felt good. Didn't even get through half my Heed. This made Sarah very happy since she loves the stuff!

We're back

from Kalahari Resort and not too soon. We had a great time, but we're all exhausted. Ooof! The girls never stopped! Our friend Mike and I were on the Flowrider entirely too much. It's such a blast! And me and girls were in the wavepool quite a bit. I was pulling them around on the tubes or carrying them into the deep end and riding the waves. It was soooo much fun! My sister and Erica seemed to have a good time too. It was good that they were able to just chit chat while the girls were occupied trying to drown me in the wavepool! haha

We also had some fabulous meals! Dinner was grilled salamon and steamed veggies with a side order of gin&tonic. Breakfast was a giant buffet that we could have grazed on for hours. But the girls had to get back out to the waterpark and we weren't about the stop them. It was also time for me to continue honing my skills on the Flowrider. Someday, perhaps, I'll be brave enough to try surfing on that thing.

I kinda feel bad

...about not running my 20 miles (route) today. But we're leaving for a short vacation around noon and after my last long run I was pretty toasted for the rest of the day. The wife was not going to have any of that! I needed every bit of energy I had to keep up with my daughter and niece at Kalahari waterpark. And it's raining too. Guess I'm just not up to getting soaked again, just for we leave. I'm brining my gear with me just in case I do fit in a run, but it's not likely. Last time we went to this place we were all exhausted when we got back. Let's hope that history repeats itself so I don't feel too bad about not running 20 miles.

Soggy bottom runner

It's been raining all day. I was scheduled for ten miles today, and ten miles I did. I waited until this afternoon in the hopes that this rain would disapate a little. It didn't. So I sloshed my way thru it. I actually felt good on the run. If I had prepared my fuel correctly I would have tried to get my 20 mile run out of the way. but I didn't. Oh well, tomorrow. Rainy and in the 70's will no wind. I'll take it. Kept me cool, but not chilled. Muscles felt good after 3 miles and was able to cruise pretty well. I'm hoping I feel this good tomorrow for the long run...I hope my shoes are dry too.

I love rest days

I worked at the office. Put in nine hours and called it quits. One of our vendors was having an open house. Great time. Food, drink, casino games and boatloads of prizes. Unfortunately for me this is a long run weekend so I could imbibe on the free spirits. AND, their food was so far from my dietary guidelines that I could only have a few samples. There wasn't a single veggie in the place, but if you wanted something fried!!! You ate like a king. I learned how to play craps and did pretty good. Came out a little ahead. This let me put my name in for some great prizes, but to not. I didn't win anything. But it was still a good time. No complaints. Nice way to spend a rest day.

I think I scare them

...or it's just repulsion. Since I take the little one to dance on Thursdays I get to sneak my run in while she's in the studio. I've got an 1.5 hours to workout. Fortunately the schedule has me only running 5 miles on Thursdays. I get my run done in about 40 minutes. This let's me stretch out and scarf down a post workout shake. Of course, I'm still a sweaty mess when I walk back into the studio and I most likely smell less than appealing. The girls and mom's all sorts give me a lot of room. I get those polite smiles that say "I know you're doing a good thing, but DAMN you stink." I try not to touch anything and will go back outside to cool down. I bring a change of clothes that I put on after most of the sweating is done and I'm mostly dry. Now I can sit down and relax while Sarah finishes her class. This is the part where I'm just hangin with the moms. It's a hoot. They'll never make me a part of the conversation and I think that's a good thing. All they seem to talk about this the diets they're on. I smile politely thinking "I know you're trying to do a good thing, but GET ON A TREADMILL!"

Ten Miles??? I don't need no stinkin Ten Miles

Okay, I bailed on the ten miles I was scheduled for. I admit it. I wimped out. I got 6.5 in and called it quits. But ya gotta cut me some slack here. It was my daughters birthday. I got home right after the run, changed clothes (sans shower...ewww!), jumped in the car and drive to Novi, picked up Olive Garden breadsticks and alfrado sauce, headed to Costco and picked up Mike's, protein, milk and yogurt (forgot to pick-up peanuts...damn it). Got home about 10 minutes after Erica and Sarah got home. We ate a great birthday meal, opened the remaining presents, and went to bed (sans shower again....2 x ewwww!). Ooooof! Okay, so I didn't run my 10 miles... you got an issue with that?

Happy Birthday Bubbles

I joke that my daughter is 7 going on 21. Well, today she turns 8. Where does the time go? She's becoming a little lady in right in front of me. She is gathering up every great attribute of her mother each and every day. Before I know it I'm going to have a woman in front of me. I wish I could slow time down just a little bit. Savor each day, each event, each triumph and tragedy. Share everything with her and help her grow...cuz that's what Daddies & Mommies do.

Easy runnings

Yesterday was just a five miler. The first two were pretty slow paced. As I headed out my neighbor, Jeff was just leaving to run his dog. His son Clay was with him too. The three of us, and Lucy, jogged for two miles with occassional stops for Lucy. At the two mile mark we parted ways and I finished my run. It was real nice out, sunny and in the high 60's. Leg's felt pretty good with just a touch of soreness still lingering from the 10 rainy miles the previous day. Not bad at all.

I'm supposed to run 10 tonight, but I have an appointment to get fitted for contact lenses tonight and then I have to head to Novi to pick up a few items. The main thing is stopping at Olive Garden to pick up bread sticks and alfrado sauce. Today is Bubbles 8th birthday. And she gets what she wants today!

Route: URL for this route is: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2251567

Worlds Toughest Athlete

Verus (the cable channel) is holding a contest for the worlds toughest athlete. They're in the final round and I just voted for Team Hoyt. If you're not familiar with them it's a father & son triathlon team. So what makes them special? Look here: Teamhoyt.com

To be an Ironman is one thing. To pull your son, who's in a boat, 2.4 miles, to bike 112 miles with your son in a seat attached to the front of your bike, to push your son in a wheelchair through a 26.2 mile marathon... That's Team Hoyt.

I beg you to vote for them. They deserve it.

Rain Rain Go Away

12 miles. That's all I wanted to run yesterday. There was a light drizzle and it was cool. Perfect. By mile 3 the rain was coming down steady and I was starting to get chilled. Finally at mile 6 I warmed up a bit and the muscles started to loosen up. I was able to pick up the pace and start to stride out a bit. But at mile 9 my joints started to ache and the temp was dropping and the rain was coming down harder. At mile 10 I was all fun'd out. I walked into my house achy and drenched. But I wasn't tired or winded. Grrrr! A good recovery meal and a nice hot shower and I was feeling better. Thankfully I feel good today. Ready for a nice run tonight. Let's hope the rain holds off for a little while.

2 x http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=2248008

Weekend wrap-up

What a gorgeous weekend! Saturday morning I had to work and the afternoon was filled with yardwork and helping a friend with his computer. Later we had friends and family over to celebrate Sarah's birthday. Good times were had by all! I was able to squeeze a quick run in later that evening, but had to cut it short by about a 1/2 mile due to darkness. It was still a good run though. No issues with the calves or ankles.

Sunday morning was cold and rainy. I headed out to watch the Michigan Multisport Championship. Those poor folks froze they buns off! I'm sure once they got moving they were fine, but beforehand, while they were waiting for their wave to start they just stood around shivering! I had hoped to see my friend Mike Muha run, but he wasn't able to due the previous week workload and not being able to train. Myself, I was able to get a run in later that day. I had planned on doing 12 miles, but at mile 1 I came across someone throughing away a perfectly good tube slide from their kids play structure. Their kids were grown and it wasn't wanted anymore. I asked the owners if I could take it and they said Sure. I sprinted home, snagged my neighbor Jeff with his truck, headed over there, loaded it up and hauled it back to the house where we sat it next to the play set. I then went and did my run. But because of time contraints I was only able to get another 4 miles in for a total of 6. Oh well, better than nothing I suppose. The rest of the evening was spent helping around the house and relaxing with the wife. It was a nice way to finish the weekend.

On the Big Lake

Lake Superior is just that...superior. It's huge, it's clear, it's insanely cold! Oh how I love it!

A New Bike

Have I ever mentioned that I have one of the greatest Brothers in the world! Steve, you are awesome. I love you!

I am now the proud owner of a carbon fiber road bike. It is beautiful. It is light. It is mine! Watch out world! Here I come!

Sarah's Success

She rode her bike all the way around the culdasack! Her pride was very apparent. She tries so hard to impress me. And she does all the time. She impresses me the most though when she gets up from falling down. It's not easy to do. Not everyone does it. But she can...can sometimes...she does. And I'm in awe of her! She is an amazing little girl!

Open Water Swimming

My first open water swim. Ryan Robinson and I went out to Orchard Lake for a short swim. I was going to try out my new wetsuit. I think that was a good call because then I saw that bottom drop away and saw the nothingness that was down there...well, let's just say, my reaction is less than ideal. I ended up on my back, hyperventilating, and utterly freaked out. Yup, that wetsuit provided me with the buoyancy I was needing at that moment.

Guess I need to work a little more on that whole open water thing.

My First Triathlon

I didn't know I could be this nervous. I wasn't this nervous at my wedding!

But when that gun went off I forgot about everything. There was no nervousness...just a rush. Swim! Swim fast! Stay on course. Get out of the water. Into T1. Find my bike while stripping off my wetsuit. Helmet on. Shoes on. Grab bike and off I go. Pedal fast. Don't draft. Off the bike. Into T2. Rack bike. Helmet and shoes off. Running shoes on. Legs feel like bricks! 3.1 miles. Super stiff. Feel VERY slow. Loosening up. Hear the crowds at the finish line. Sprinting now. There's the finish line! I'm almost there. I'm a triathlete!

He's a running madman

Last year I got a friend of mine to start running with me. Tony started running with much trepidation. But slowly he came to like it for all the same reasons most running love to hit the pavement; the exercise, the 'me time', the sense of accomplishment, being with friends that also enjoy it...and the list goes on. Tony has always been in good shape, but had never really been a big runner. At first his pace was a little slower than mine but still pretty good. Today, he has no problems keeping up, if not leading! His stride is refined, he's more confortable and relaxed. He's a runner. His HR is still through the roof (roughly 20BPM higher than mine), but that's just the way the man's body operates. There's no way I could function that way. I'd keel over in a second!

Last night he and I went for a six mile run. We kept a decent pace even though I would have slowed it down a little bit to nurse my left achiles. I know...'rub some dirt on it Nancy!' Regardless, it was great to run with him and afterwards, back at his place, we enjoyed a great meal the wives had prepared, imbibed on some damn good brew, and chewed the rag for a good long time. Quality times with quality friends. Life is good...and that's what it's all about.

I am MAN. Stare and be bewildered.

I saw this and had to share. Just too funny.

I try not to take messages too often for just this reason. I'm terrible at it. I can't wait until my daughter is a little older and her friends are calling. It's not going to be pretty. Oh, and when boys start calling. hehe... That'll be when the REAL fun begins. Mwhahahaha!!!

Motivation

It's too easy to say "It won't hurt to take just tonight off." And while it is true that quality recovery time is beneficial... it takes great descipline to stay on schedule, stay focused, keep with the program. But here's the funny part. If I don't stick with the program, if I start to lax on my workouts, I get depressed. I'm all bummed out, for no apparent reason. When I am working out hard and training my tail off, my mood is great! I'm happy, energetic and overall in a good mood! So, why do I even bother taking days off when I know I'll only regret it later? If anyone has any ideas I'll be glad to hear them. In the meantime, I'm going to focus on getting a good run in tonight...if it's not raining & thundering again.

Teaching her to ride a bike

I've been trying to teach my daughter to ride a bike. Oooof! That little girl can be SOOO stubborn! She can ride a bike. She's made it around the culdasack a number of times. But she had so little confidence in herself that if there is the slightest wobble she gives up right away. It can be quite frustrating because I know she can do it. 

I just recently bought her a new bike. One that is more her size. She outgrew her old one, and it was barely used. Oh well. The new one has six speeds, brakes on the handlebars (she didn't like the brakes where she had to press backwards on the pedals). She has yet to try this bike out. I'm hoping this weekend we can give it a go. There are times when she wants to ride her bike, but those are few and far between. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this weekend will be one of them. I look forward to when she can ride next to me while I go for my runs. I think that would be a lot of fun for both of us.

Ryanman 2008

First, the pictures in the slideshow are from this years Ryanman 70.3... enjoy.

This years installment of the Ryanman 70.3 was an event to be behold. Four of us did the swim portion. It was in a lake close to Ryan house. The day started beautifully, but the moment we hit the water it started to rain. Then it started to pour. I guess mother nature didn't think we were wet enough. After completing the swim we headed back to Ryan's house to start the bike. There was quite a group of us. Unfortunately, the rain resulted in some seriously wet roads. By the 17th mile we were all soaked and caked in dirt and road grime, but the rain was stopping and the sun was starting to peek through the clouds. On the way the main pack of riders started to pull away from me and John (fellow triathlete and friend). We knew the route so we were not too concerned. At mile 37 I look back and I see John headed in the other direction. I took a left, he took a right. What gives? I knew I was headed in the right direction so I continued by myself. I finally make it through the ride about 10 minutes behind the main pack. They're just leaving for the run. I had made the decision not to run due to a sore achiles. Wise choice I think. I stay put and cheer the runners on as they complete their four loops. The Ryanman ended with sunny skies, happy faces, and one hell of a good party. Next year I'm doing the whole thing!

P.S. I learned later John took a short cut. Wish I would have thought of that!

My Support

When I decided to change my lifestyle, to start doing triathlons I first gathered all the information I could on what would be involved. I wanted to get an idea of time requirements, nutritional needs, equipment, event and fuel cost. Once I had that all in hand I approached my wife and explained what I wanted to do. I told her that I wasn't going to start if I didn't have her support. I wanted this to be a family endeavor. She read through everything, she thought about it, we discussed it a bit and in the end she decided to support me. That was two years ago. And she's never faltered. It's awesome knowing that I have her support and blessings. And ya know what, she likes the results too! 

I love you Erica! Thank you!

Seen at a running store

T-shirt seen recently at a running store:

Marathoner's Check List

1. Carbo load.
2. Drink water.
3. Avoid embarrassing untimely bowel evacuation.
4. Refrain from sobbing breakdown at mile 21.
5. Feign lucidity at finish line.

Too Early

Since I took yesterday evening off I decided I'd make up for it by getting my run in this morning. I hit the pavement at 5:00 A.M. It was still very dark and the air was cool and crisp. Not too bad really. But WOW, there was a serious lack of energy. I couldn't really get into a rythm or loosen up. It may have been that it was so dark that I had a difficult time seeing the road and was being overly cautious. I think I'll reserve my morning runs for the weekend when I can go out a little later when the sun is just coming up. 

The silver lining in this is that I got the run in, felt good when I was done, and had a lot of energy when the day started at the office.... and it's pizza day so I won't feel too bad about having that extra slice. haha

The Ryanman

Sure, there's a 1/2 ironman length triathlon I do each year called the Ryanman. But the title here refers to the man that started it. Ryan Robinson. He's the man who inspired me to take up the multi-sport lifestyle. He's the master I try to keep up with on the long rides, on the open water swims, and during the winter runs when it's -4 degrees fahrenheit. From the sounds of it you'd think he's a sadist that only lives to workout, train and compete. But that's only half of what makes him 'The Ryanman'. He's also a good friend, a doding husband and father. He's showed me that this lifestyle is NOT one's life, but just a part of it. Finding the balance is harder than any workout will ever be. And he does it. To that I look to him as an inspiration. Don't sweat the small stuff, enjoy the training and competing, if it's not fun figure out how to make it fun. Then enjoy.

Thanks Brother! You are the RyanMan!

Quality Time

Tonight I'm skipping my workout. I was scheduled to run 5 miles and strength training afterwards. But I promised my wife I would watch a movie with her tonight. I'm going to enjoy tonight. I feel good that my priorities have swayed too far. I'll run in the morning.

Great Surprise

Friday I got a call from my wife telling me that a present had been left on our porch for me. It was from my friend and chiropractor. I've been egging him for a while for some type of sponsorship and I also did some computer for his office and at his house. I had started to lose hope that I would get anything for my efforts, but that didn't mean anything to me. Him and his wife a great friends and I'll always help them in any way I can. But the fact that they actually got me something was VERY cool. After work I rushed home to see what I got. There in the family room was this HUGE bag. Inside it was a complete set of bicycle tools with their own case!!! Every tool you can imagine is in this setup! I couldn't be more happy!

Soooo... To my friend Dr. Rich Sadowski and his wife Staci I say, Thank You!

I'll alway keep pushing people I know to Commerce Chiropractic Clinic!!! You guys do great work and it's a pleasure to help you in anyway I can.

1st Marathon Training

This past weekend I did my farthest run ever; 20 miles. I felt good most of the way, but at mile 13 my quads started to tighten up. Not a lot of fun. Also had an issue with a hot spot on my right foot. Not a big deal. Ran through it as soon as I determined that the hot spot was not a blister forming. My shoes are still relatively new so a little breaking in is not unexpected. Start the run at 6 A.M. The first lap of my 6.5 mile loop went well. It was still dark and cool. On the second lap it was a bit more light out and people started to make their way out onto the roads. Couldn't run in the middle of the street anymore where it's fairly level. On the last lap, the sun was out, the heat was starting to come on and the soreness was kicking in. Yup, it felt like 20 miles. Finished the run in just over 3 hours. No heel or ankle problems...YEAH! Got home, stretched, had a great breakfast, showered and took a little nap. Woke up in time for lunch. It was a great way to start the day!