I may start blogging again...

So this blog may become active again.

It's been crossing my mind. Somewhat.

I also may triathlon again.

It's been crossing my mind. Somewhat.

If triathlon happens, I will blog again.

It's good for the accountability.

I just need to finalize my 2009 race schedule.

Stay tuned.

Todd and Margo

So Emily and I met at her school around 5 yesterday for a run. We were both decked out in our cool/cold weather running gear. And of course, as we are leaving the parking lot, some of the kids parents were pulling in to pick up their kids. That is when it really hit us.

Oh my god, we are Todd and Margo.

We laughed. It's funny because, in some ways, it's true.

So we ran our 5 miles with that image etched in our heads.

Up next, matching running gear from LL Bean.

The Highlight Reel

As of the last update, our superhero (that's me) was preparing for his second Iron-distance triathlon. Well on that particular day, the heat was my kryptonite. About 70 miles into the bikeride, my right leg stopped working. After some attempts to revive it, I decided spending the evening at my sisters house drinking beer and enjoying the time with my family. Or at least that is how I am remembering the event.

It really was miserable out there and ~20% of the field experienced the same heat-related issues that I did and if it were a matter of life or death, I would have pushed on. But it wasn't. And I wasn't in the mood for heat stroke or death on that particular Saturday in OKC

Which leads me never ending question of "What next?"

Surprisingly enough, it isn't a marathon nor a triathlon. Instead, I am running the Manchester Road Race, a 4.5 mile run in Manchester, CT on Thanksgiving morning with Emily and some of her siblings. Training for a hilly 4.5 mile run is so much different than training for marathons and triathlons.

Speed matters.

And so does hill training.

And I don't have 10 miles to get into my rythm.

It's not bad, really. And I am running sub 10 minute miles pretty much all the time. That feels good.

But I miss my longer runs. Every now and then, I crave a good 12-14 miles. And my next marathon is going to be flying pig in Cincinatti next April.

Followed by the Vineman 70.3 half-distance triathlon in Napa Valley in July. This was chosen after being told by several in my fan club that they needed an excuse to spend time in the wine country watching me sweat my ass off while they enjoy some of Napa Valleys finest selections of wine.

After that, who knows.

But after 8 marathons and 65% of an ironman (and all the training) in the past 12 months, I decided I needed some time to rest and focus on quality of training, not quantity.

So this blog may or may not see much action in the next couple months - unless I make it more about life and less about training.

Which, knowing what could be on the horizon in my life, could be more entertaining than anything training related.

And that starts this weekend, when my three male cousins are coming to KC for the Chiefs-Broncos game and a "guy's weekend".

And then the following weekend, my friends and I are turning a waterstop at the Gobbler Grind marathon into an old-fashion tailgate complete with fajitas and margaritas.

And then a trip to Connecticut with Emily to spend Thanksgiving with her family.

And then we are in December.

How the time flies...

I'm back

I don't mean to be a once-a-month blogger. It's just this summer has been chaotic - a good chaotic, but insane, none-the-less.

So I guess I should start by letting everyone know I am still on track for Redman. It's 17 days away and I am about as ready for it as I can be. Maybe it's because of what I learned last year. Perhaps it is the advice I am getting from the new coach. Maybe, I have just trained better. But regardless, short of serious injury, I will be crossing the finish line this year.

Oh, and I had a great August. Trying to balance work, training, a girlfriend and sleep was tricky. But I think I got through it pretty well. Fortunately, Emily was training for the Chicago marathon and our peak training somewhat overlapped so instead of me being the dead-beat "no honey, it's ok that you go out without me. Have fun" type boyfriend, we had many nights where we both just stayed in. While it was nice, I am ready to be able to have some crazy nights on the town with this girl and all my other friends I hace all but neglected this summer.

Hotter-n-Hell, the 100 mile bike ride I did at the end of August down in Texas was an amazing experience. I will be going back. Only next time, I want to do this ride as "the event" and not as a training ride. There is nothing like riding with 10,000 other cyclists and winding up turning a corner in the middle of a pelaton at 25+ mph.

But for now, my focus is on Redman.

Ugh.

And in 2.5 weeks, I get my life back!

Really, no one has chopped my arms off making it impossilbe for me to type

But I have been experiencing that "Crap, I forgot to update my blog again" syndrome.

I know.

I'm not the only one that is too busy for his own good.

Between work, training, firing my tri coach, changing training plans 11 weeks from the ironman, it's been pretty crazy.

Oh, did I mention I am dating someone?

I am like every other triathlete. I really need another day in my week. A day that no one else has. That mysterious 8th day. Otherwise, I will never get caught up. And unfortunately, blogging has taken a back seat to the rest of my life.

Oh well.

I can say I will do better. Or at least try. Still, I am having some difficulty finding words to describe training. Maybe it's because I feel like I am constantly repeating myself. Maybe it is because training is going well.

Anyway, I guess I can share this gem tonight. It's what I use for motiviation. I can't really pinpoint where it started. I mentioned previously that the 127.5 has become a motivator for me. Well, I have taken it one step further.

Any time I am struggling, like when I am running up hills on tired legs and I would give anything to start walking, I simply remind myself that "A 127.5 athlete would start walking now BUT that 140.6 athlete would bust his butt to make it to the top".

And it works.

So much of training for these endurance events is psycological. I have the physical base to successfully complete Redman this year. I now have to develop the mental toughness.

127.5

I had one of those moments today during my 1.5 mile swim.

Of course, I have moments all the time when I swim. That is what happens when I am alone with my thoughts for 30 minutes or longer with no other real distractions. But most of those moments are of the "here one minute-gone the next" sorts. They never stick.

Today was different.

It has been just over 9 months since I finished my 3/4 ironman (and 3 months until the rematch).

I realize that there isn't such a race as 3/4 ironman. It's a distance that no one can relate to. You don't get anything for completing 3/4 of an ironman. A sprint distance - yep. You get something. An olympic distance. Something. A 1/2 ironman, there is recognition. And the ironman, there is definitely something waiting for you at the finish line.

But when you swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 and run 13.1, all you get is the opportunity to explain, every time it comes up, that you are in some sort of purgatory between 1/2 and full ironman. And you have nothing else to show for it.

But at Redman last year, when I dropped out 13.1 miles into the run, I was emotionally and mentally done. My stomach wasn't cooperating. Up to that point, I had the time of my life. Calling it a day made sense.

I had no regrets then.

I still don't today.

It was my first triathlon of any distance and it was a great experience.

But something has been eating at me almost every day since Redman last year.

And it's a number.

127.5.

That is the distance I covered in OK last September.

It should have been 140.6. And no matter how much I know I made the right decision at the time, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about those last 13.1 miles.

And during my swim, it hit me today. It's not that I haven't been training. It's that I have been training without a real purpose. An inspiration. A motivation. Something that will push me when I am dragging. Something that will get me up the hill on the bike, knock out that last mile of the run, or battle through the aches and pains that come with the territory.

I now have my motivation, that something to push me when the going gets tough.

It's 127.5.

That may have been acceptable last year.

But this year, the only number that will matter is 140.6.

My name is Kevin and I am a Garmin-o-holic

Well, maybe the correct term is a recovering Garmin-o-holic.

Oh yes, I used to have that Garmin addiction.

Every run.

Whether it was one of those doesn't-really-count-because-it-is-just-three-miles run or a marathon and everyone in between.

I had to have my Garmin.

I felt naked without it.

And believe me, naked isn't a good look for me.

But then, something somewhat magical happened. I went to Nashville to run a marathon. I went to turn my Garmin on. It didn't work.

I was lost. I spent almost the entire 26.2 miles cursing because I had no idea what my pace was. I was running the first of two marathons that weekend so my pace, on one hand, was critical. But on the other hand, it really didn't matter. I swore up and down that I would have a functioning Garmin at the OKC marathon the following day.

And my Garmin was working on Sunday. Only I left it at my sisters house.

So I ran my second marathon in a row having no idea how fast I was running. But unlike Country Music, not having the Garmin in OKC really didn't phase me. It was like everything became clear. The marathon became about having fun. Not about how fast I ran that last mile. Of course, in OKC, they have these great flip signs that tell you your expected finish time based on your pace at every mile. And that is awesome. It saves you from having to do "marathon math" - which for you non-marathon runners, is about as accurate as a 4 year old attempting calculus.

But it was during the OKC marathon that I realized that not knowing your exact pace, exact time, and every mile split wasn't the end of the world.

Was it possible?

Could I cut the satellite?

Could I run without knowing whether that last mile was run at 10:10 or 10:03. Because there was a time when those 7 seconds would make or break my run. I wasn't using it for distance because, in general, I know practically every 3, 4, 6, and 8-mile route in KC. I only used it for run comparison.

So I tried it. I left the Garmin in the car once. And then again. And again.

I have been running more or less Garmin-free for the past 6-weeks.

I used it in San Diego but that's about it.

Every now and then, when no one is looking, I will strap it on for a 3 or 4-mile run. I even use it to monitor my heart rate during those runs.

I use it for my bike rides because it has a fancy bike mode. And that is nice.

But for most runs. I don't use it.

What's really funny is that people notice and even comment on the nakedness.

So I won't be able to tell you time or pace of most of my runs this summer. Nor will I be able to compare one run to another based on time, heartbeat, or pace.

But I can tell how the run felt. And that is what matters.

At some point, I will fall off the Garmin-free wagon. Some day, when I go back to marathon training and I want to set a PR, the addiction will return.

But for now, it is nice.

Admitting I had a problem was the first step.

I know there are others out there that share this addiction.

The question will you have the courage to step up and admit that you, too, are an addict. That you can't run without Garmin?

We can even start a "Garmin Anonymous" club if enough of you step forward.

Anyone know a good bar with cold beer that would be willing to host our meetings?

First round's on me!

San Diego...Rock and Roll and more

Yes, there was a marathon in San Diego last weekend.

Yes, I ran it.

And I ran slow.

And I didn't care?

It was my 5th marathon in 9 weeks and, lets face it, I am not Kenyan. My body isn't made to run forever. I finished in 5:34 or something like that. It was my second fastest marathon of the 5. That was good enough for me.

Because the real purpose of San Diego was to have fun. And it was a great weekend.

Friday was crazy. At times, I felt like a cross between a cruise director and the pied piper. Everyone, it seemed, was following me. Evidently, someone was spreading rumors that I actually knew what was going on. I didn't. But I sure faked it well.

From packet pick-up to a 3 mile run to dinner, dancing and drinks on Friday, there was never fewer than 15-20 people in my group. What I did, they did. And that included enjoying a few too many adult beverages. Did these people not realize they were supposed to be running a marathon in 30 hours and that you are not supposed to change anything about training before your big day (and that includes alcohol). Pictures of the night will be coming soon.

Saturday was devoted to re-hydration, rest and recovery.

The marathon itself was an incredible experience. I will have a complete race report, hopefully tomorrow.

But for now, I have little issue with sun-burn shoulders I need to attend to.

Life Lessons

I leave Friday morning for San Diego to run the Rock-N-Roll Marathon as a part of Team in Training. This will be my third marathon run with TNT, raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. My friends, family, co-workers and strangers have donated over $10,000 in the past four years further the mission of the LLS. For this, I am grateful. I can't thank them enough for their support.

But as I head off to San Diego, I think it might be better that, instead of one of my ramblings about training or running in the rain or girls or the other thousands of topics I waste your time with throughout the year, I would share with you the words of Kimberly Costa who lost her battle with leukemia in 2000 at the age of 19.

During her battle with this dreaded disease, she sat down and composed what she called "10 Life Lessons." Not only are her words a microcosm of what TNT has meant to me, but if we all lived our lives by her words, the world would be a better place. Here is what she wrote.

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Life Lesson number 10 is "Deal with life one day at a time." Sometimes when life gets crazy we feel like we'll never sort everything out. But if we just deal with everything one day and instant at a time, life just has a way of working through things. It also makes life's circumstances a little less overwhelming.

Life Lesson number 9 is more a word of advice. "Turn every life experience into a learning experience." The best way I have found to cope with hard times more easily is to become knowledgeable about what is going on and try to find a meaning to everything that happens. Trust me, there is always one.

Life Lesson number 8 is "Always look for the positive." No matter how bad life can get, there is always a positive to be found. If you focus on the positive aspects of life, the hard times are easier to get through. The power of positive thinking is amazing, and it works.

Life Lesson number 7 is another piece of advice. "Try to do at least one new thing everyday." Much too often, people get into a routine of doing the same thing everyday and their lives become boring. The new thing doesn't have to be big. It can be something really small like taking a different route to work, or trying a new kind of food. Make a wish list for yourself of new stuff you want to try. Some things can be small and others, big. Plan on completing one of those things each day and by the end of everyday your life will be much more full.

Life Lesson number 6 is "Be true to yourself". No matter what happens in your life if you are true to yourself and confident about who you are, you can overcome anything. Always stick to who you are and don't worry if people are going to accept you or not. If you are confident with yourself, it will show and the people who really matter will accept you for who you are, not for who you are not.

Life Lesson number 5 is "Touch as many lives as you can." Every time you meet someone new, you leave a little bit of yourself with them. They are affected by you. The more people you meet, the more complete both their and your lives are because of how you have been affected by each other. Think of the possibilities.

Life Lesson number 4 is "Enjoy the little things." Although the big accomplishments in life are important, sometimes it's the little things in life that are more enjoyable. The conversations with your best friend in the middle of the night, or a quiet moment somewhere peaceful where you are just able to think, can add up to be much more important and memorable than any big thing.

Life Lesson number 3 is "Don't sweat the small stuff." Many times in life, people begin getting concerned with petty things. What people forget is that in the long run, it doesn't matter what "he said" or what "she did." It's not worth your time to get worked up about anything small or petty.

Life Lesson number 2 is "Hold on to your friends." No matter what happens in your life, good or bad, your friends will be there for you. Whether it is a pat on the back or shoulder to cry on that you need, your friends are there for you always.

And the number one Life Lesson is "Make everyday count." Life is short and we never know how long we are gong to have. We must live live life to the fullest EVERYDAY. Everything we do should have a greater purpose. We should never throw any opportunities away.

Our lives will continue to be impacted by our friendships, generosity, compassion and spirit. As each of us works each day to be the person we want to be, remember my favorite quote from the Broadway play "Rent" - "No Day But Tomorrow."

This, that and other stuff

So I have been a little slow in my posting these days.

It's not my fault. Really, its not.

It's just everything going on around me consuming my time.

It's because I am increasing my ironman training while at the same time trying to taper for a marathon a week from today. How that is possible is beyond me and please don't ask how that is going.

It's because work is taking a lot out of me these days. Nothing too serious and for the first time in a long time, I finally feel somewhat caught up - so those extra hours paid off.

It's because I am spending a lot of time trying to get to know and figure out this yet-to-be-named-by-me new girl that has come into the picture. We spent a lot of time together this weekend meaning that either she really likes me, is completely sick of me right now, or, I'm guessing, a combination of both. All I will say for now is that we have only been going out for a couple of weeks and I have a good time when I am with her. We all know how much fun it is going into a relationship and yes, let's face it, this is distracting me from other, lesser obligations, like blogging about it. But that's how it has to be for now.

So let me get through a short work at week, knock out my 6th marathon in 9 weeks in San Diego and hopefully my life will return to a little normalcy.

I am gussing it won't.

Normalcy really doesn't exist in my life.

But we can hope.

Relentless for hill training

So I volunteered to help my coach out with his "Relentless for a Cure" 26 marathons in 26 days drive by running a marathon with him last Friday.

It was an interesting run. When I foun out that Koach Karl was running again, I knew it would be. We always have interesting conversations because we are both known for having opinions, some similar and some miles apart.

My "marathon" was run in Independence, MO, and consisted of three 7.2 mile loops followed by a 4.6 mile out and back.

The loop.

Um.

Hills.

All hills.

Well, not all hills.

The first 1.4 miles was flat or downhill.

Then, the hills started.

Up. Down. Up. Down.

I haven't downloaded the total elevation change yet, but I figure I the "uphill" portion represented about 14,000 feet of vertical rise, give or take a couple feet.

So we ran and walked and talked. The last 2-3 miles were tough. My legs felt extremely heavy and I knew I hadn't taken enough calories or hydrated well. That's ok, though, because the goal was to finish, not set a PR. Eventually, 6 hours and 8 minute later, we fiished the 26.2 mile run.

It was my third marathon in 21 days and my legs were letting me know this.

Today, just two days later, I managed a good 2-hours of pretty competitive doubles tennis and a 3 mile walk with my dog, Shiner, pain free. So no injuries. Just a tired body.

Tonight, I rewarded myself with a 12 oz medium rare fillet. baked potato and most of a bottle of the 2004 "Miles of Magic" Syrah that was made especially for the 2006 Disney Marathon . Yes, I know that is red wine and I don't drink red wine often. But it sounded good and tasted good and I have been saving it for a special occasion. I figured that three marathons in 3 weeks justified celebrating.

It may just be a rough day at work tomorrow.

Another day, another ride

Today I rode almost 20 miles.

It was a good ride.

Good weather.

Good route.

Good pace.

It will take me some time work my way back up to that 19-20 mph pace from last summers shorter rides. And I'm ok with that.

For now, I just want to get used to being in the saddle again. It's not so much how far or fast I go, but how long I keep my butt in the seat before it goes numb.

Today, I lasted just over an hour.

And yes, my last post was not to be taken literally. If there is any constant in life, it's that I'm not known for listening to the advice of anyone, from my parents to complete strangers.

I am stubborn.

I do things my way.

And my way is the right way.

Or at least I will challenge you to prove me wrong.

So there is no way I will be listening to some joker tell me about when I should and shouldn't ride my bike. If anything comes out of that conversation, it will be me setting out to prove him wrong.

Ride the wind

I have this theory that riding my bike on windy days is a good idea and will help me prepare for Redman.

Well, not even taking into account my body's lack of aerodynamic design, I was informed today that riding my bike in the wind isn't a good idea.

Evidently, my bike has issues with cross-winds.

Or so I was informed as I climbing up a hill at Shawnee Mission Park today.

I was on my third lap around the lake climbing up the dam (or damn, as some call it) hill and another (know-it-all-son-of-a-bitch) cyclist riding a Trek 5500 rode up beside me.

We started talking about my bike. One of the first things he said was to be careful riding my bike in the wind because crosswinds can create havok. He said he has the same bike and while riding it in a race a couple weeks ago, a gust caught the bike and pushed him three feet off course. And because he had problems riding an Equinox 7, so would I.

Only I have never had a problem with crosswinds.

Even on the windiest days - and I have ridden in my share of wind.

But he talked to me like I was a fool for taking my bike out on such a windy day (the wind was gusting at 25 mph).

Crap.

I don't know what I can do.

Do I sell my bike?

Do I switch back to my hybrid.

Do I not sign up for Redman.

Because it will be windy in OKC.

Why?

Why me?

Why now?

I just got used to riding my bike again.

I guess I will just put it back in the garage and surrender my triathlon dreams.

Damn!

Decision Time

"All my life, whenever it comes time to make a decision, I make it and forget about it" - Harry S Truman

I am always intrigued by what goes through peoples minds when making decisions. Over the past couple of weeks, I have been presented with intriguing descisions in the three main phases of my life: professional, personal and training.

Now, I am just waiting for the outcomes.

In my world, there are no bad decisions, just unanticipated events that provide new oppotunities. It's probably a result of how I look at life. Things are never as bad as they appear and everything just seems to work out.

So when I say that I have chosen to run a marathon this Friday in Independence, MO, as part of Relentless for a Cure, it should be no surpise that I am approaching this as an opportunity to help a great cause. It wasn't something I was planning on doing, but when the call came out for volunteers, I couldn't say no.

I had planned on limited running milage this month to give my body time to recover from CMM and OKC, focusing on swimming and biking. Still, I wanted to get one sort-of-long-run knocked out. This was going to be in the 14-16 mile range this weekend. So what is another 10 miles? I am going to treat this as a training run, so it is going to be slow and deliberate. If it takes me 5 1/2 hours, or even 6 hours, so what. It is for a great cause.

Even so, visions of injury are running through my head.

But why?

I feel better now than I have in a long time. I don't know what I am worried about. My calves haven't cramped in months. My Achilles is stronger than ever. My joints are pain free. I ran 7 miles Saturday at a steady 10:45 pace. There is nothing to worry about.

There is no looking back.

Only forward.

And this is how it should be once a decision is made.

It's not just all about the bike

It was a long time coming, but I decided it was finally time I go for a ride with determination.

Spin class is fine, but it doesn't beat the real thing.

So I packed up the bike and headed to the downtown Kansas City Airport because in Oklahoma, it isn't just about the bike.

It's about the bike and a 25 mph headwind.

Of all my downfalls last year in training, I think failing to wind train was my biggest mistake. I did plenty of hill training. I would have been fine if I could pedal balls-out for 2 minutes and have a 30 second recovery as I coast down the backside.

But that isn't an option with wind. The wind at Redman was nothing more than 56 mile energy drain. I wasn't prepared for that.

This year will be different. I will be ready for the wind.

Thus, I head to the windiest place in Kansas City - the downtown airport. It is a 3 1/2 mile loop where, if there is wind, you will feel it.

I wanted to accomplish two things today.

First, I wanted to re-position the seat. Last year, I rode with my bike seat at about a 45 degree angle. That just seemed to work for me. That, and it kept the boys from getting beaten up as I rode.

So I adjusted the seat, tilting it to a more "normal" angle, jumped on the seat and immediately thought how lucky I was that I wasn't intending on donating sperm or trying to impregnate some lucky girl any time soon.

Because in tilting the seat, it raised the overall seat by about an inch and, instead of rocking back into a sitting position upon mounting the bike, I, well, lets say, jabbed myself with the pointy part of the bike seat.

Oops.

I rapidly dismounted the bike and lowered the seat about 1 1/2 inch.

Much better.

My second goal was to maintain a cadence of 65-75 rpm and never stop peddling. I wasn't cared about overall speed today. That will come with time. I just wanted to pedal at a constant rate and give my quads a good workout.

It worked.

I rode 5 loops around the airport

My quads are still burning.

Moving Right Along

Movin' right along in search of good times and good news,

With good friends you can't lose,

This could become a habit!

Opportunity knocks once let's reach out and grab it (yeah!),

Together we'll nab it,We'll hitchhike (SWIM), bus (BIKE) or yellow cab it!(Cab it?) (RUN)

Movin' right along.

Footloose and fancy-free.

Getting there is half the fun; come share it with me.

Moving right along (doog-a-doon doog-a-doon).

We'll learn to share the load.

We don't need a map to keep this show on the road.

I can't say that I have been struggling trying to decide what to do for my big fall event because, deep down, I have known for for a long time what it would be.

But lately, I have been putting a lot of thought into it.

Training for and running back-to-back marathons was a great overall experience. I can't say that the entire experience was great. There were times I was questioning both my sanity and reasoning for wanting to do this. However, I didn't mind running long distances alone and my body, in general (and amazingly enough), held up well to all the pounding that came from the training.

In fact, since finishing the OKC marathon, my left Achilles has felt better than it has in forever.

Going into last weekend, I was still border-line on whether I wanted to run the Tahoe Triple or do Redman again. I kept telling myself that I would see how I felt after the double and, if I felt good, I would proceed with triple training this summer.

But who was I kidding.

There was a reason I was swimming between 2 and 3 miles a week since January.

I knew I wanted another shot at Redman.

I was 3/4 of the way to completing the Ironman last fall.

I walked away from last years race with only 13.1 miles of the run knowing there would be another chance, sooner than later.

I knew I would be back because I love the triathlon. I loved the swimming. The bike and I got along pretty good. Running long distances is second nature.

But most of all I loved it because of the training. I loved the focus required to train for an Ironman. I loved training with a purpose. I looked forward to the Sunday morning training sessions.

T.S. Elliot once said that "Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far they can go."

Last year, I could only go 127.5 miles.

This year, I will finish that last 13.1 miles.