catching up after weeks 2-3

The theme for this portion of my training: "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

The last two weeks have been focused on following my TriDot training schedule in an attempt to complete all workouts as written. I am 90% there...one thing no one tells you when you take on this challenge is how much time it takes away from you. It is extremely difficult to find the time to run for 2+ hours on a Wednesday and follow it up with a 6+ hour workout on Saturday morning. Does life get in the way of training, or does training get in the way of life? Both?

I was able to take some time away (4 days) from my bike, running shoes and goggles to make a trip to Lake Tahoe for some skiing with good friends from college. If you ski the way I ski, it is a workout in and of itself. Unfortunately, skiing with friends from college is also an exercise in sleep deprivation and liver function. For example:



"Bert" taking in 4oz of hydration off of a ski.

 

Tahoe was beautiful and a nice break from work and training.

nice red jacket...thanks Thomas

Needless to say, the time away made me miss my wife and my training. I find that I work harder on all aspects of my life after a brief sabbatical--its refreshing.

I am happy to report that I increased all of my tridots by several points during the assessment that I took right before vacation.

• Initial swim tridot: 37
• New swim tridot: 41
• Initial bike tridot: 36
• New bike tridot: 43
• Initial run tridot: 44
• New run tridot: 46

Basically, this marks improvement in each discipline which translates to harder (but still smarter)workouts ahead. Lower pace thresholds for each discipline, etc.

Another bit of news that I am excited about is the recent opportunity to apply for the Ironman Foundation - Newton Ambassador Triathlon Team. http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/02/ironman-foundation-newton-running-ambassador-triathlon-team.aspx#axzz2LvIOAvB9 I completed and submitted my application today to join this team for the 2013 race season...this is a huge opportunity, not just to be a part of Ironman and Newton's work with athletes, but to spread the word about triathlon in my community by telling my story. The mission of this race team is "to take on the challenge of transforming the sport of triathlon from a self-centered endeavor to one that benefits others as a member of a team of like-minded people. Team members can expect to touch the lives of others as they participate in the selfless act of serving others." Isn't that what we should always strive to do in our daily lives? What better way to accomplish this than by doing it through something that I am passionate about and truly enjoy doing. Just another part of my journey...

My race season has not changed thus far: IMTX 70.3- April 7, Kemah-April 28, IMTX 140.6- May 18, and I am contemplating doing several others, but have not committed just yet. Houston Oaks and Oilman Texas look interesting. Will reevaluate after IMTX in May.

Whatever you are training for or whatever goals you have set for 2013, keep working hard:
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." -Colossians 3:23

Week 1 of 14 complete.

Just finished the first week of a 14 week journey to Ironman Texas and have to say that all of the endorphins you get from setting the goal, signing up for the race and preparing for the first training session quickly ended after that first splash into the water for the Monday swim. It's at this point that the reality of what you have committed yourself to begins to slowly, painfully, set in. Not that week 1 was terribly difficult or pushed any limits, just knowing how big of a monster this race is and the time and physical commitments it is going to take from you.

Weekly Total Training: 10hrs 45min
Swim time: 2:35
Run time: 4:30
Bike time: 3:40

My bike time was limited by a couple of unfortunate events and should have been 2hrs longer. Had dehydration issues in the Houston Oaks race (100% my fault) and was part of a pretty nasty crash in which a rider (praying for John) was hospitalized after hitting my back tire and crashing. Lessons learned: don't have beer and Mexican food before a road race (emphasis on the beer) and don't ride in large drafting groups ever again.

On a more positive note, I benefited greatly from the bike fitting I did at Tad Hughes Custom Studio (http://www.tadhughescustom.com/). Stop reading and go there now. Not only do I feel much more aerodynamic, but there is an efficiency that I have never felt before. Better use of my quads and hips, and less pressure on my saddle and shoulders...I would highly recommend anyone who feels uncomfortable on the bike to make an appointment with Tad. Whether you have the MS150 coming up, you are training for triathlon season or you just generally hurt after riding through the neighborhood, Tad can fix you up properly! Note the difference below:

Also happy to report that I received nutritional sponsorships from Feed the Machine (http://www.feedthemachine.com/) and IgY Nutrition (http://www.igynutrition.com/) last week. Not a huge deal, but I am getting great nutritional products at very deep discounts. One lesson I have learned in this sport, nutrition is the 4th leg of the race and can extend or end your day on the course. I will make sure to post recommended products that I utilize, but I can tell you that FTM sells certain Hammer products, Nuun hydration and many other race day products that I truly believe in and have used extensively. IgY makes recovery proteins that keep you from diminishing muscle mass from extended periods of high physical activity. Check them out!

So many exciting things going on right now and I have never been happier/healthier in my entire life. We are given certain tools to accomplish goals for God on this earth, but sometimes those tools are not being used properly and must be fine-tuned. Spend time in prayer and scripture to make sure you are being the most efficient you can be in your life. What a difference it makes when you get tuned up!

Work hard this week.

Kelly

Heal, Refresh and Renew

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28

Heal.
There is truly no rest for the weary. Over the last two weeks I have found myself extraordinarily sore, tired and dealing with injuries to my feet and IT band stemming from the end of my first real triathlon "season" and recently completing the horrendous Houston marathon. Training is my out, my therapy and my exercise of self-control, and to be without is to be lost with no direction. Sometimes we put so much emphasis on accomplishing a task that we lose focus on the goal, i.e., too high a volume of one activity detracts from our ultimate purpose. God has a way of bringing us back to him...for me it was a trip to the orthopedic and a tendonitis diagnosis to refocus myself. I was not living in the moment (and enjoying) and it took a quick injury to help me remember how blessed I am to be able to do what I do.

Refresh.
Last week I was selected to try a new training program put together by the folks at TriDot (www.tridot.com) which will help me develop a custom training plan for Ironman Texas. More information to come, but as of now, I am excited to refresh my training with this tracking system. Also, I have decided to work with Tad Hughes Custom Fit (http://www.tadhughescustom.com/) to adjust my bike fit for the 2013 race season. I have a love/hate relationship with my bike right now....I love the bike but hate to ride it. It was abundantly apparent after Oilman's 70.3 that I am not properly fit to my bike, and after doing my homework on fit experts, am confident that Tad will fix me up. Will write a review afterwards.

Renew.
This morning I was able to have a long overdue breakfast with a dear friend and mentor. Dave has always been a proponent of "iron sharpening iron" and our discussions always bring up thought provoking ideas about family, business and most importantly, our spiritual paths as men and heads of our households. I left this morning feeling a renewed sense of purpose for my family and have some ideas on how to sharpen up to live better for them. Big thanks to Dave for taking the time to offer his wisdom.

Where do you find yourself right now in attaining your goals? Are you stuck on a task and missing the goal? Give up your burdens and heal. Refresh with a new idea or concept. Renew your path with someone who has been in your shoes.

Quick book recommendation: check out "The Divine Arsonist." I will not give away any more details, but it is a game changer on living in the moment and finding your true purpose. Give it a shot and see what you need to "burn" in your life.

Inspiration from an 8 year old

When was the last time you gave more than you received? Would you compete knowing you would always finish dead last?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouhURNLsnjo&feature=youtu.be

Chevron Houston Marathon Race Report

"Mental toughness is to physical as four is to one." This could not have summed up Sunday's race any more appropriately. Give credit to one of my favorite train wrecks, Bobby Knight, for that one.

The temperature in Houston on Friday before the race was a blustery 72 degrees and humidity was at my favorite 100% level. Climate remained status quo on Saturday and I was drenched in sweat after my last run before the marathon, a quick four miler through the neighborhood. By Sunday at 4am, temperatures had fallen to 38 degrees and the wind had shifted to blowing 10-20 out of the northwest. So what could make this worse? Rain? Great, give us rain...

Emily and I left the house at 530am on Sunday morning and were downtown by 550am. We made a quick trip to the George R. Brown convention center to warm up, not our muscles, our body temperatures. Since I was in the "A" corral for the marathon, I had to venture out earlier than she did as they closed this corral off at 640am. About 100m into my walk to the corral it began to sprinkle. Mind you, it is still 38-40 degrees outside. By the time I made it to the corral and found the 3:40 pace group, the sprinkle had turned into a full-fledged rain. Runners were huddling in together and the guys who were wearing hefty trash bags looked like geniuses. I, not being a genius, had planned the night before to wear a long-sleeved cotton shirt and a pair of old running shorts which could be pulled off and donated to the Red Cross clothing service for the homeless. I wanted to wear my triathlon suit underneath to simulate IMTX. This turned into a terrible idea, and it wasn't until mile 25 that I actually shed the outer layer. So I was soaked before the gun even went off, head to toe. I found out later that a very dear fried of ours was walking up and down the corral trying to find a dry spot, and stumbled upon a trash bag which she put on and ran the first mile with.  

A quick rundown of the course itself...running over the Quitman bridge(s) from mile 0 to mile 2 was brutal. The wind was up and the rain drops were begin launched at our faces as if someone were shooting them through a pellet gun. By the time we got to the Heights, crowd support began and the natural adrenaline picked up making running easier. Crossing over I10, Memorial and then Allen Parkway, I saw one of the best signs I had ever see in a race....a lady in her mid-40's with enormous (insert bodily appendages here) was jumping up and down holding a sign that read "I love a man who can FINISH." I laughed out loud along with 100 other runners in the pack we had formed. The straight away continued past the turnaround for the halfers and into West University. I was hoping to see the priest who splashes runners with holy water, and sure enough, he was there so I guess I am blessed for another year...the route then takes you up Weslayan to the US 59 frontage road at which point you will head north on Post Oak towards the Galleria. This stretch of the run was my albatross in 2011 where my quads locked up and I paced down to a brisk walk. I kept telling myself that this would not happen this year so I turned up the volume on my iPod, threw down some more Endurolytes and paced up all the way through Tanglewood. Phew, finally made it to Memorial Drive.

The last stretch of the run is a 7 mile straight-away into downtown Houston that takes you through Memorial Park. The large buildings are a mirage as they taunt you into thinking you are closer than you truly are and this is the point in the race where people realize they are in trouble. You begin to see people falling down, bending over to stretch, crying, running hunched over in agony...I even saw a Pace Crew member doubled over at mile 22. The real savior came at mile 23 when I approached the Miller 64 tour bus. I was hurting...my arms hurt, my head hurt, my feet were on fire and my hips were flipping me the bird. A girl literally walked out in front of me and handed me a mouthwash-sized cup and I drank it. It turned out to be beer, and it was perfect.

The last mile of this race is spectacular. Crowds line the street four deep to see runners come through so they can yell out the name on your bib. You feel like you are floating through them and there is no more pain, only relief and a sense of accomplishment. Your body is in bad shape having been depleted of all of its nutrients and performing the same task with redundancy for the last 3-4 hours. But you don't feel it. You feel nothing until you enter the convention center and stand in line to pick up your finisher shirt. Then it hits you, ouch.

10k split: 55:04 @ 8:52/mi pace
15k split: 1:22 @ 8:47/mi pace
Half: 1:55 @ 8:47/mi pace
30k split: 2:43 @ 8:47/mi pace
Finish: 3:56 @ 9:02/mi pace

I guess I am a man who can finish? Even if I had to slow down a little at the end...

What I learned from this race was how to properly hydrate and feed my body to avoid cramps. Water, Gatorade, Endurolytes, Hammer Gel and of course, beer. I also remembered a passage from the book I am currently reading titled, The Divine Arsonist where the author discusses stepping out of your body's past experiences in order to live with more passion in the present. It could not have been more appropriate for me in this race.

Next stop, Ironman Texas 70.3 (April 7) followed by Kemah olympic distance (April 28) and Ironman Texas 140.6 (May 18).

Chevron Houston Marathon

The Chevron Houston Marathon is now three days away, and as I look out my window from the 23rd floor my building, it's not overly motivating. It's been raining in Houston for the past two days and expected to persist through the weekend. As an integral part of training for Ironman Texas in May, I am doing this marathon, rain or shine.

26.2 miles is an extremely precise distance and is not a round number in the metric system or the standard system of measurement. History states that in 490 BC a dude named Pheidippides was so excited that the Greeks had defeated the Persians in the Battle of Marathon, that he ran non-stop, around a mountain, from the city of Marathon to the city of Athens. This was a 25 mile route with several excruciating inclines, one of which exceeded 3.1 miles in height. To honor this tale of endurance, the 1896 Olympics held in Athens featured a race which was mapped along the predicted same route that Pheidippides took. Here is a shot from the actual race:

Marathon running is a great example of how perfectly efficient the human body is in its rarest form. When trained to perform a function and when properly fueled, our bodies can achieve great things. Take Spyros and his buddies in the photo above...they don't run in the same Newton's that I use, don't have body glide applied to their bodies, don't have Hammer Gels taped to their wastes and I am pretty sure the guy in the middle is wearing a tailored dress shirt.

My point is that we were created with precision and perfection. The bounds by which we are held are only restricted by our minds and our perception of reality. The guys above ran 25 miles in sandals. With determination and faith, you can achieve anything.

With the rain and all of the chatter about the race on Sunday, it is going to be extremely difficult to get my mind wrapped around running. When my legs are giving out at mile 22 as we pass Memorial Park, I am going to think about this picture and the metaphor that it represents. Never give up, never look back and keep your mind focused on the goal.

Lose control

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body." 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

One of the hardest lessons for me to learn has been to give up control. I am an extreme Type A personality. I have never asked anyone for help and I enjoy doing things from my own free will and understanding. I guess that's why triathlon seemed such an interesting sport for me in the beginning. You are an individual and there are many long moments of solitude on the course. It's not until you find yourself in the middle of the ocean all alone, waves crashing over your head, breathing in water, that you come to realize a greater presence than yourself. No one is there to help you, everyone is racing for a goal. You truly are alone and you have lost control.

I believe God created us to serve a specific purpose in life and also that God is ultimately in control of our individual destinies. However, God gives us freedoms to choose and make mistakes. If we take control of our lives and lose the reliance of serving God's purpose, we are freight trains derailing and will inevitably crash. It takes a sobering moment such as finding yourself 500m from shore and all alone to realize that control can be taken back by God.

Over the last couple of years I have learned to give up control of things in my life and let God handle the details. My body is not mine and my destiny was pre-determined. How liberating it is to know that a connection to God means never having to worry about the minutia of day to day life.

Pray that God gives you the ability to lose control. Pray that God gives you the foresight to understand that all things happen for a reason. Work hard this week and get ready for race season. It begins for me on April 7!