I'm not really MIA

"I have not failed 700 times. I have not failed once. I have suceeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work." - Thomas Edison

It's been a couple of days since I have posted. It wasn't by design. It's not because I am devistated and hiding from everyone. It is because I have been swamped. I got back into KC at 3:00 Monday afternoon and was at work from 5 to 10 Monday night. Tuesday, after working 8 hours, I went for a swim and then took Shiner out to the dogpark before going back to work from 9 pm to 5 am. Yesterday, I slept, did some much needed housework, went to the gym and then off to play volleyball.

So yes, it has been a crazy week. And tomorrow, it doesn't get any better as my boss has been out of town this week and I am doing his job and my job and playing catch-up from being gone and will probably be staying late (again).

Even with all the chaos, I have been getting in some workouts. I swam 20 minutes and then ran trails for about a mile with Shiner at the dogpark. Yesterday, I ran a warm-up mile on the treadmill and did some weight training. Today, I did 4 miles of hill training. If things go well, I will hit the spinning class at the gym before work tomorrow.

I am absolutely amazed at how fast my body has bounced back.

It feels great!

Redman, Part 1

I have no idea where to begin. There are so many stories to tell. So many great experiences. This was one hell of a journey. A journey which ended 13.1 miles short of the goal. It had nothing to do with the swim. I loved it! I absolutely had a blast in the water. It ended not because I lacked the legs. My legs were doing great. It wasn't because I lacked the heart. Just finishing the bike ride in that f'ing wind proved that. It was because I didn't have the stomach. More specifically, I didn't have the contents in my stomach. These were deposited about 2.5 miles into the run. And then again about 8 miles later. I was 10 miles into the run at this point. I had no idea what was going on. But I knew my energy, my nutrition, was now deposited along the trails at Lake Hefner, left to be picked through by the birds and small mammals that call the lake home. I was feeling a little wobbly and fatigued. I knew I needed energy, fast. The next water stop, I grabbed a banana and some gatorade. No luck. The stomach was still churning.I walked the final three miles. A million thoughts going through my head, but only one that really made sense. "What an incredible experience." There was no doubt that I could have found it in me to walk the final 13.1 miles. It would have been a long, miserable walk in the dark. But at what expense? I don't know what would have happened had I walked those 13.1 miles. What I did know is that I had an incredible journey. I had an incredible day. I wasn't about going to ruin it with 13.1 miles of misery, walking around cold, tired, hungry and miserable in the dark. There will be other iron-distance races. There will be other chances to finish. I will be at that starting line again, remembering my experiences, learning from my mistakes. So, for now, I am stuck somewhere in the wonderful world of iron-purgatory-somewhere between 1/2 ironman and ironman. I can live with that.

oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plains..

so I made it safely to OKC last night. it was a fun drive. if you have ever driven directly into a 35 mph wind for 5 hours, you know what I mean. I arrived and spent last night w/ my sister and her family. my nephew kicked my butt in NCAA2007. I got up this morning at 5 am and ran almost 3 miles with my sister. we clipped along at a 9:30/mile pace. it was a little rainy and (surprise) windy. we ran faster than I normally run, but I managed to keep up. then it started really raining. and the wind blew more. there was open water swim in Lake Hefner (the lake we are swimming in saturday) scheduled from 7 until 9 am. so, ignoring the rain and wind, I headed up to the lake. the rain let up (some), but not the wind. I got to meet the race director and a few other participants while we stood next to the lake, watching someone walk out into the lake around 200 yards (it has been very dry in okc). everyone was super-friendly - typical of oklahomans. eventually, several other competitors and I decided to give the swim a try, in spite of the wind-blown white caps. I had trouble swimming in a straight line. I wasn't alone. I ended up swimming about 1/3 mile. all that is left to do is wait. rest. and wait some more.

My bike has a name!!!!!!

It took 5 months and I was getting worried that my bike would never have a name. I would simply be referring to her as "Really Fast Bike" for the rest of her useful life.

But this moring, going through the process of waking up, my mind just spinning thinking of all the things I had to get done before I head to OKC tomorrow morning, it hit me.

And I now know why I struggled with naming it. All along, I was looking for that right "human" name. Nothing seemed right. No single name captured the true spririt of the bike. No single name captured my feelings as I was riding her.

This morning, while lying in bed, I knew the what her name would be. None to soon as she makes her ironman triathlon debut Saturday. And it isn't a name, but an emotion.

The name captures the sum of all the experiences from the past 5 months of training.

From now on, my bike will no longer be referred to as "Really Fast Bike"

Today, she has a new name.

Determination

Four days of waiting, anticipating

Really, this is kind of strange.

I really don't have much to say.

Saturday is Redman.

It is my first triathlon and I'm going for it all.

Why mess around with the Sprint, Olympic, or 1/2 iron distance.

When I signed onto this crazy idea, my coach told me more than once that there is no shame in a 1/2 ironman. I am pretty sure he was trying to convince me to start simple. Build up my distances. Shoot for the full iron-distance once I get a race or two under my belt.

Sure. Most people work that way.

Only, I am not "most people".

I don't dangle my toe in the water to check the temperature before jumping in.

Nope.

I just jump in.

Once I make up my mind, there is no looking back.

There's no looking back!!!

A little burst of energy

OK, so I only had to run 6 miles today. Just six miles. And I had several routes to choose from.

From where the run started, I could have run east onto some rolling hills. I could have run west over some rolling hills. I could have run north up a steep, but relatively short incline. I could have run south up Mt Quivera into a 15-20 mph head-wind.

Of course, I chose to run up Mt. Quivera three times. Why wouldn't I? Really, isn't the purpose of training to train. Although one could also argue that the purpose of the Taper is to train easier...

But before I could run, I had make it to the 6AM run.

And to make it to the 6AM run, I had to wake up at 4:55.

And to wake up at 4:55, I had to set my alarm at 4:55.

Only I set my alarm for 5:55.

OOPS!!!!!! In 2 years of running, I have never been late to a team run, until this morning. I was just 15 minutes late, but snuck in the back side of the parking lot to avoid getting busted by Koach - not that it mattered because he noticed I was missing.

It wasn't the best way to kick off that last long run before Ironman.

But that extra sleep must have really helped. That, or the Thai food I had last night at 8:30.

I felt good.

No, I felt great.

Mile 1 (up the hill): 10:44
Mile 2 (down the hill): 9:21
Mile 3 (up the hill): 10:26
Mile 4 (down the hill): 9:53
Mile 5 (up the hill): 10:41
Mile 6 (down the hill): 8:11

Total time: 0:59:21.

And no, 8:11 on mile 6 isn't a misprint. I just took off down that hill and it felt great. It was the fastest mile I have run since, well, possibly, ever.

Really, I haven't really worried about speed this summer. Building endurance was my one and only objective. Plus, I was typically only running twice a week (one long run and one shorter run). It would have been hard to fit a good "speed work-out" routine into the schedule.

Not anymore. Speed workouts are coming - soon.

But honestly, an extra hour sleep didn't make me run faster.

I ran faster because I can run faster.

All that time on the bike and in the pool has made a difference.

So kids, my advice to you is this. Take that cross training seriously. Hit the gym. Lif those weights. Swim those laps. Ride that bike. That which does not kill you will make you a stronger, faster runner.

It might even make you an Ironman.

"Can't" is a 4-letter word

With a little effort, dedication, hard work, ingenuity, and a "can-do" attitude, anything is possible.

Years ago, my grandfather taught me one of life's most valuable lessons.

Growing up, Grandpa Charlie would challenge me with some seemingly impossible task. I would tell him "I can't".

That was the wrong thing to say.

He would always respond something like "Oh baloney, how do you know you can't do it if you aren't even willing to try!" Well, being the stubborn person I was (and still am), I would try whatever impossible task it was just to prove to him I couldn't do it. And low and behold, I was usually successful.

This episode repeated more times throughout my early years than a Seinfeld episode episode on TBS, with the same result practically every time. He was always right.

And even when I failed and tried the "see, I told you I couldn't do it" retort, He was already with his comeback. He challenged me to figure out what I did that kept me from success and make the changes. He would work through the problem with me, but would never just give me the answer or the solution. He taught me how to think for myself. He taught me how to turn my failures into successes. For this, I am eternally greatful.

I gradually learned never to say "I can't". With every problem, there lies a solution.

With a little effort, dedication, hard work, ingenuity, and, most importantly, a "can-do" attitude, anything is possible.

There is no doubt that at some point next Saturday I am going to go through numerous highs and lows. I have read that Ironman has numerous faces including pretty, ugly and downright evil. I am sure I will rotate through all three faces as the day goes on. I know I will spend more than a little time dealing with the ugly and evil sides.

While fighting past ugly and evil, I may mutter some things under my breath. You may hear an "f" bomb or two. There will be multiple "This sucks". I may even openly ask myself "What the hell was I thinking?"

But you won't hear the phrase "I can't".

I can do this.

I can, and will, conquer ugly and evil.

At the end of the day, I plan on dancing with pretty.

Much of this is directly because of the valuable lessons my grandfather taught me many years ago.

Can't is a 4-letter word.

My grandfather, the same man who, when I was 5, used Black Jack as a tool for teaching me addition and subtraction.

Seriously. Black Jack. And it worked too. If I had, say, a 5 and a 9, he would make me add them up and tell him what I had. He would then make me subtract what I had from 21 and tell him what card I needed before I could "hit" or "stay". For those of you with young kids, try it. It is so much more fun than flash cards. They get to play a game while studying. Better yet, give the kids some poker chips and when they lose all their chips, make them do some chore.

groundhogs day vs the cold belly

When the groundhog evolved from some primordial ooze, do you think that their furry little ancestors thought that in the future, milions of stupid Americans would hold their collective breath waiting for one particular groundhog to pop its head out of its hole and determine the fate of an entire country's weather based solely on whether or not it sees a shadow.

Newsflash to millions of stupid Americans.

Groundhogs are skittish animals. I imagine that scores of television cameras, dozens of wacky morning show DJs and hundreds of hyperactive school children will scare the bejesus out of the innocent fuzzball. Hell, I know that would scare the bejesus out of me

Ten to one odds say he scampers back into his hole, shadow or no shadow. Really, it is a poor prognasticator of the weather.

But do you want a real predictor of weather.

Are you sure.

Because I have one for you.

It has never failed.

What is it, you ask?

Well, simply put, it's my belly.

Many of you know that I will wear shorts while training practically all year. I am always one of the last two people out there wearing shorts as we head into the frigid winter months. Why? Because I absolutely hate wearing sweats, etc when I run. My legs just function better when bare. Plus, the legs generate enough heat once I get going. Oh, and when you have legs that look this good, they really shouldn't be covered any more than absolutely necessary.

Now my belly is a different story. When it does get cold, I always layer my shirts. The problem is that, while the long-sleeve shirts cover the belly, they are never long enough to stay tucked in while I run. So when it is cold, a draft always blows up the shirt, pelting the bottom half of the belly with cold air. When training in the cold, the region of the belly from my belly button to my shorts is always cool to the touch, but the rest of my core is always warm and cozy.

It must be a unique phenomenon. In fact, I may be the only one that experiences this. At least I have never heard any one else openly discuss it.

Regardless, this cold belly syndrome, or CBS for short, rarely happens before September 15. But when it does, the winters always seem longer and colder.

Well kids, this evening, after my 20 mile bike ride and 2 mile run, the belly was cold to the touch. This really surprised me because it wasn't all that cold out and the sun was shining.

But I can't ignore the signs. It is going to be a long cold winter.

Or at least that's what my gut is telling us!

keeping it in perspective

Sit down before fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every conceived notion, follow humbly wherever and whatever abysses nature leads, or you will learn nothing. - Thomas Huxley


I found myself listening to a sports psycologist the other morning on the radio. He was talking about how he was once worked with the US Olympic bicycle team, talking to them about the nerves that come along with competition. What he said went something like this.

You are going to find yourself out there, competing against the best of the best, in front of tens of thousands of people along the route and millions of people watching on TV. It's a huge stage. But you're simply riding your bike...just like you did when you were 10. Just go out and have fun. Everything else will fall into place.

Simply riding a bike. Something I have done for years. Just like swimming. Just like running. Practically everything I did when I was a kid involved one of those three things (and a ball, frisbee or racket). It was fun then.

And still is today.

tailgating sans the beer (not really)

Even in tailgating, I find myself on the healthy side of life. And it doesn't even suck that bad.

Todays' Chief tailgate menu included shrimp gumbo and cajun chicken sandwiches. Not the normal high-fat, high calorie selection normally found across the Arrowhead parking lot, but, damnit, I really do make the best cajun sandwiches this side of what's left of New Orleans.

I like it spicy. And I forget that some people can't handle the spice. Oops. But no one complained.

The gumbo was a new adventure which turned out tasty as well.

It is almost sad. I love the tailgate. Almost more than the game itself. And it kills me that I am finding joy in the healthy side of tailgating.

Sure, the sixer of Corona I put away in the 2.5 hours of tailgating b/f the Chief's game probably wasn't ideal 2 weeks before Ironman, but, hey, considering that this is the first time I have put away a six-pack in the past 4 months, well, it was inevitable. I have plenty of time to sober up.

sigh.

I miss beer.

Oh, and if anyone out there is interested in going to a Chief's game, let me know. It is going to be a long season.

Tired and Hungry

Yes, I konw, I haven't posted much this week.

Why?

Well, if I wasn't at work, I was working out.

If I wasn't at work or working out, I was eating.

If I wasn't at work, working out, or eating, I was sleeping.

And really, if I may have spent more time eating than working, working out, or sleeping.

So, as you can see, with such a hectic schedule, when was I supposed to find time to blog.

Seriously, I think I have eaten more this past week than any other week in my life.

And I still dropped 2 lbs.

My metabolism is definitely in high gear.

I think I have slept more than I have in any one week over the past several years as well. More than once, I planned on waking up early to get a swim in or simply head into work a little early. Never happened.

Evidently, that 100 mile bike ride on Monday really knocked me out. My legs, surprisingly weren't sore. They were definitely tired, though. It really felt like I have been walking around on marble pillars last week.

Today, it was supposed to be a 18 mile run, but it got knocked down to a 14 miler simply because my legs had not fully recovered. Hopefully the ice bath I took today and a day of rest tomorrow will finally get the legs back to normal.

It is a light week this week as taper is in full swing. This may be the first time I enjoy taper. I really think, physically, I will be as ready as I will ever be for Ironman.

But only if I give my body its much-deserved rest.

With that said, I am hitting the couch for a nap.

labor day...laboring!!!

Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.

Evidently, it is also a great day for a century ride.

I rolled out of bed at 4am to take another shot at the Liberty Delight bike ride (mapped out here as the KK hellride). Remember that. The 100 miles that took me from Liberty, Mo, to St Joseph to the Iowa border. The one that kicked my butt in 110+ degee weather. Yep, I got another shot at it today.

And this time, I did the butt kicking.

Well, saying I kicked its butt may be a bit of an exageration. But unlike last time, the weather was perfect. We rode 106 miles and I finished in around 6 hours 50 minutes. The course was still hilly. Yes, it still sucked. And if I ever ride that ride again, it will be too soon. On the positive side though, the ironman route is not very hilly and if I can knock out105 miles on that route, the 112 miles in 19 days should be a breeze!!!

But the 6-mile optional run after the ride.

Did you hear me, it was optional. And all hills.

Koach Karl should know better than give me options.

Had I not done the 50 mi bike, 10 mile run on Tuesday, swam thursday, biked friday, ran 16 on Saturdy and played 2.5 hours of tennis yesterday, my legs may have felt a little better. But they were totally shot.

So I optioned out.

Those 2.5 hours of tennis yesterday were probably to main culprit. It shouldn't have happened. It was a rest day. I knew I needed the rest. But it was an awesome day. And I never turn down a good tennis match.

Now when it came time to mow the yard yesterday... well, it was a rest day.