Week three of training for IMTX (ironman texas) was great. Not so much for the quality of my training performances, but more for what I'm learning each time I go out. I am learning to listen to my body. In fact, I'm learning that your body will speak loud and clear when you're doing something it's not quite ready for. Each week I look ahead and plan what my training week should look like. I try to consider what days the family will be home and what the weather is looking like to get the best combination of workouts. I don't want my cycling days to get rained out and force me to run every day of the week. From experience, I know that's the best way to get an injury that may sideline me for a few weeks. Week 3 looked like this:
Mon- rest day - (felt so good, however, decided to introduce my shoulder to a few easy pool laps)
Tue- 1 hr run
Wed- track workout
1 mile warm up jog, 1min sprint, 1min walk, 2min sprint, 2min walk, 3min run, 3min walk,
3min run, 3min walk, 2min sprint, 2min walk, 1min sprint, 1min walk, 1 mile cool down jog.
Thurs- Brick/Core- 1hr bike @ 18-20mph, 15 min run, then Weights: arms, legs, abs, back
Fri - Easy run - 30 mins 10 min/mile pace
Sat- Long Bike Ride - 50 miles at 19-20 mph pace
Sun - 1 hr long run planned - started running and pulled the plug after 18 mins.
The week went so well as far as being able to do the workouts I wanted to do on the days I had planned to do them, I did not feel bad at all about cutting Sunday's long run short. In fact, I didn't have much of a choice. My legs were mush after Saturday's bike ride. I had difficulty putting one foot in front of the other the entire time. I thought I might be able to stretch the soreness out when I stopped at the 4 min mark. Then I thought I might start to loosen up after the 8 min mark. Then finally, after stopping to catch my breath two more times before I had even logged 20 mins on the road, I turned the corner and took it to the house.
Overall, this week was a success. Or, more accurately, I believe the last few weeks have been a success. The sheer quantity of miles and hours accomplished is what I am most pleased with. it tells me that I am doing something right. I would not have been able to complete a week like that last month.
Things I've learned: 2 bottles of fluid & 1/2 a cliff bar per hour worked well on a 2 1/2 hr ride, and core strengthening makes a big difference on a bike ride, leg strengthening makes the knees hurt less on a run.
Now go push yourself and learn something about your body. Fall is coming, you won't have the heat as an excuse for much longer.
Soulrider.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sunday, September 12, 2010
ironman and pit bulls
The second week of ironman training is now in the books and it gets packed away with quite the exclamation point. Today was to be my long run at the end of a very productive week that only saw one rest day. But instead of a 2-hour 12 miler, I had to settle for 9 miles in 1 1/2. The credit and blame for todays performance goes to my amazing new neighbors throughout the community. The reason I am able to pull off a long run without any hydration issues is the fact that I can stash a couple of water bottles in my mail box and loop back around by the house as soon as I need one. But who wants to carry a water bottle the whole time they're running? Not me. But I don't have to worry about that... whether trash day was yesterday, today, or tomorrow someone somewhere will have there trash cans at the corner. Hooray for no deed restrictions... (note the sarcasm.) But seriously, here's the bad part about training here. Today I was attacked by a loose pit bull. I saw him run into the street ahead of me and tried to stay behind. He turned around and saw me... stopped... and waited for me. I kept my pace and decided to assume the best about this innocent looking puppy. Maybe he was just taking in the sight of a 6'5" human running past him at such blazing fast speeds (again... sarcasm). The instant I passed him I see him out of the corner of my eye break into a sprint heard him bark like he just found his next meal. In a matter of two seconds the following thought process went through my head. One... "I'm going to die." Two... "He can run faster than me." Three... " I guess I better attack him." At that point I started barking and running toward the dog. He wasn't backing down. we got 6" away from each other ... both barking... before he finally backed off and ran away...
what away to end week two of training.
Here's the breakdown...
Monday - 2 hr bike ride
Tuesday - 1 hr run
Wednesday - rest day
Thursday - Strength training/Core workout & short fast run
Friday - 1 hr run
Saturday - 2 hr bike ride
Sunday - 1 & 1/2 hr run + a single canine fartlek (yes I just invented that)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
1 week down 35 to go
The thought of training for an Ironman can be a bit overwhelming. Eventually the soundtrack from last year's NBC coverage of Kona stops playing in your head and you actually have to lace up your shoes and go out for the first of your 100 or so upcoming hour-long training runs. The negative voice inside your head needs little encouragement, but nevertheless, continues to be fed. Whether it be through comparison with other more accomplished athletes who consistently perform better than you, non-athletes who insist that the distances you are attempting are unsafe (if not impossible), or setbacks when evaluating your own training expectations. I am quickly realizing the importance of racing your own personal race, and training accordingly.
One only need to visit slowtwitch.com and drop into the forum for a matter of minutes before getting a taste of training-geek-paradise. Anyone and everyone has an opinion about what YOU should be doing, and are more than willing to offer you their advise. If you have some serious questions, it's a great place to bounce some ideas around and hear some suggestions, but by no means should anyone automatically assume that what works for someone else will also work for them. At some point you must do the work for yourself and find out what will work for you. The good news is that there is a good little voice inside you as well, albeit much less boisterous at times than his evil twin, whispering a quiet truth.... "You CAN do it."
Here's a snapshot of the first week of training. I decided going up front that I did not want to miss out on my daughter being 3 yrs old, and I could not afford to miss out on sleep and have my job suffer, so my training needed to be the flexible variable in this IM equation. This was put to the test right at the beginning. My flexibility has never been an issue, or has it? The true test of an object's flexibility is the ability to bounce back. Otherwise the object is not really flexible is it? It's more malleable or pliable. So being willing to cancel my workouts for family events or other occasions is not the true test of my flexibility. The true test is my ability to re-arrange the rest of my week to achieve my training goals. My personal training goals for each week include 2 run days, 1 run/cross training/core strength day, two long multiple activity SBR workouts on the weekends. This would give me two rest days per week, which I have found that my larger frame responds quite well to when doing that much running. So what am I faced with the very first week of training? My favorite people in the world (my mom and dad) came into town on the very first day, and were able to spend two days with us. I am not going to miss out on quality family time like that for something as selfish in nature as Ironman. Nope, family comes first, and what an amazing time it was. My dad and I got to talk about the Bible, our faith in Christ, and all sorts of things more important (in the grand scheme of things) than triathlon. But nevertheless, I do have some training goals. If I am going to be truly flexible I needed to set a precedence in the first week of training and not simply cancel these two workouts, but fit them in somehow.
Day 1 Mon - rest
Day 2 Tue- rest
Day 3 Wed- 1 hour run
Day 4 Thur - Brick - 45 min bike - 15 min run
Day 5 Fri - 1 hour run
Day 6 Sat - 2 hr bike (40 miles) - 5 min run
Day 7 Sun - 30 min light run (easy day)
It was a little more difficult than i thought it would be to get motivated for each workout. I was a bit more sore than I expected. But it definitely started to prove itself worthwhile. On my two run days, i found out that i lose approximately 6 lbs. per hour running when it's hot and humid out at 10k pace. That's valuable information I did not know beforehand. This lets me know that I am on the high end as far as hydration needs are concerned in the IM. Gonna have to work on ways I can stayed fueled. This just might be the source of my cramping calf muscles.
Now go outside, exercise, and learn something about yourself, before it starts getting cold out there.
Soulrider
One only need to visit slowtwitch.com and drop into the forum for a matter of minutes before getting a taste of training-geek-paradise. Anyone and everyone has an opinion about what YOU should be doing, and are more than willing to offer you their advise. If you have some serious questions, it's a great place to bounce some ideas around and hear some suggestions, but by no means should anyone automatically assume that what works for someone else will also work for them. At some point you must do the work for yourself and find out what will work for you. The good news is that there is a good little voice inside you as well, albeit much less boisterous at times than his evil twin, whispering a quiet truth.... "You CAN do it."
Here's a snapshot of the first week of training. I decided going up front that I did not want to miss out on my daughter being 3 yrs old, and I could not afford to miss out on sleep and have my job suffer, so my training needed to be the flexible variable in this IM equation. This was put to the test right at the beginning. My flexibility has never been an issue, or has it? The true test of an object's flexibility is the ability to bounce back. Otherwise the object is not really flexible is it? It's more malleable or pliable. So being willing to cancel my workouts for family events or other occasions is not the true test of my flexibility. The true test is my ability to re-arrange the rest of my week to achieve my training goals. My personal training goals for each week include 2 run days, 1 run/cross training/core strength day, two long multiple activity SBR workouts on the weekends. This would give me two rest days per week, which I have found that my larger frame responds quite well to when doing that much running. So what am I faced with the very first week of training? My favorite people in the world (my mom and dad) came into town on the very first day, and were able to spend two days with us. I am not going to miss out on quality family time like that for something as selfish in nature as Ironman. Nope, family comes first, and what an amazing time it was. My dad and I got to talk about the Bible, our faith in Christ, and all sorts of things more important (in the grand scheme of things) than triathlon. But nevertheless, I do have some training goals. If I am going to be truly flexible I needed to set a precedence in the first week of training and not simply cancel these two workouts, but fit them in somehow.
Day 1 Mon - rest
Day 2 Tue- rest
Day 3 Wed- 1 hour run
Day 4 Thur - Brick - 45 min bike - 15 min run
Day 5 Fri - 1 hour run
Day 6 Sat - 2 hr bike (40 miles) - 5 min run
Day 7 Sun - 30 min light run (easy day)
It was a little more difficult than i thought it would be to get motivated for each workout. I was a bit more sore than I expected. But it definitely started to prove itself worthwhile. On my two run days, i found out that i lose approximately 6 lbs. per hour running when it's hot and humid out at 10k pace. That's valuable information I did not know beforehand. This lets me know that I am on the high end as far as hydration needs are concerned in the IM. Gonna have to work on ways I can stayed fueled. This just might be the source of my cramping calf muscles.
Now go outside, exercise, and learn something about yourself, before it starts getting cold out there.
Soulrider
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Ironman Training For The Type B Personality
It's getting close to commitment time. A typical ironman training schedule is about 36 weeks. So right now, I'm not beating myself up if I miss a workout, or if I have the fried rice instead of steamed with my triple delight and egg roll. Those that know me, know that I rarely beat myself up over that stuff anyway. But, things are going to have to change. Or are they?
I've been searching for a training program online that will fit me perfectly. I'm still searching.
The typical ironman-in-training may or may not have a job that requires 50+ hrs a week (like me), may or may not have a family (like me), and may or may not care if he finishes under 12 hrs with enough energy to skip across the finish line in the daylight (not like me). I am playing referree to an internal battle between my heart and my mind. The majority of the training programs out there are written by and intended for type "A" personalities who really enjoy counting their calories, logging their workouts, and monitoring their progress searching for "trends" that will help them alter their training, fueling, recovery etc. to maximize their performance on race day. These programs START at 12 hrs a week and move up to 16-18. Well, what if you truly just want to finish before the cutoff with a smile on your face and walk away with a great story you'll be able to tell the rest of your life. Where's the training program for that? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying one should not approach an ironman without a great deal of respect and seriousness. There is a lot at stake. You can really hurt yourself attempting one of these. And I believe I have an appropriate amount of respect for the sport to know what I'm getting into. This is not a decision I've made on a whim. I've been involved in the sport of triathlon for almost 5 years and while an ironman may be on my "bucket list", improved fitness is not. Fitness is more of a lifestyle commitment that I have to make every day. It's an investment in my future with my family. Besides, an Mdot tattoo just wouldn't look right if it got all fat and stretched out, HA!
I could stress over finding and committing to the right program a bit more, but that would take a bit of the fun out of the process. Coach K (of the Duke Blue Devils) says that champions aren't just passionate about competing, they are passionate about preparation. He's right. But I'm not trying to qualify for Kona. I might not ever do anything longer than Olympic distance tri from here on out... who knows? My point is this, unless I find a program that will allow me to train before 6:00am (I work construction) and after 8pm M-F (my daughter's bedtime) and squeeze in long bricks on the weekends, my daughter will be 4 by the time ironman TX comes around and I will completely miss out on her being 3... and I am quite enjoying her as a 3 yr old. And I'm sure my wife would like to see me every once in a while. I've had a bad habbit of letting my hobbies get in the way of what is truly important to me, and that's NOT a part of the plan this time around. Discipline (the character that every triathlete recognizes as a virtue) is primarily about improving the quality of your life, not mis-aligning your priorities so that your life and everything truly important in it begins to suffer.
So train, and train hard. But put it into perspective every once in a while.
I've been searching for a training program online that will fit me perfectly. I'm still searching.
The typical ironman-in-training may or may not have a job that requires 50+ hrs a week (like me), may or may not have a family (like me), and may or may not care if he finishes under 12 hrs with enough energy to skip across the finish line in the daylight (not like me). I am playing referree to an internal battle between my heart and my mind. The majority of the training programs out there are written by and intended for type "A" personalities who really enjoy counting their calories, logging their workouts, and monitoring their progress searching for "trends" that will help them alter their training, fueling, recovery etc. to maximize their performance on race day. These programs START at 12 hrs a week and move up to 16-18. Well, what if you truly just want to finish before the cutoff with a smile on your face and walk away with a great story you'll be able to tell the rest of your life. Where's the training program for that? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying one should not approach an ironman without a great deal of respect and seriousness. There is a lot at stake. You can really hurt yourself attempting one of these. And I believe I have an appropriate amount of respect for the sport to know what I'm getting into. This is not a decision I've made on a whim. I've been involved in the sport of triathlon for almost 5 years and while an ironman may be on my "bucket list", improved fitness is not. Fitness is more of a lifestyle commitment that I have to make every day. It's an investment in my future with my family. Besides, an Mdot tattoo just wouldn't look right if it got all fat and stretched out, HA!
I could stress over finding and committing to the right program a bit more, but that would take a bit of the fun out of the process. Coach K (of the Duke Blue Devils) says that champions aren't just passionate about competing, they are passionate about preparation. He's right. But I'm not trying to qualify for Kona. I might not ever do anything longer than Olympic distance tri from here on out... who knows? My point is this, unless I find a program that will allow me to train before 6:00am (I work construction) and after 8pm M-F (my daughter's bedtime) and squeeze in long bricks on the weekends, my daughter will be 4 by the time ironman TX comes around and I will completely miss out on her being 3... and I am quite enjoying her as a 3 yr old. And I'm sure my wife would like to see me every once in a while. I've had a bad habbit of letting my hobbies get in the way of what is truly important to me, and that's NOT a part of the plan this time around. Discipline (the character that every triathlete recognizes as a virtue) is primarily about improving the quality of your life, not mis-aligning your priorities so that your life and everything truly important in it begins to suffer.
So train, and train hard. But put it into perspective every once in a while.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Lessons Learned - Be Prepared!
It's been way too long since the last post... sorry about that. But, the only thing I really want to talk about is bike safety and I've been so worked up since the bike accident I probably would have lost my composure all together if I had decided to write about it before now.
If you've decided to ride a bike, you are assuming a bit of risk... period. Just like riding a motorcycle. It is legal to ride a bicycle, and there are laws that protect our rights as cyclists. However, 65% of all americans eat approximately three meals a week behind the wheel of a car while talking on the cell phone and driving with their knees (Don't research that statistic... I just made it up, but you get my point). People don't pay attention while they drive. I don't consider myself any different. If anything, this accident has made me aware of how fortunate I am as a driver to have gone so long without any serious incidents. I drive at least 3hrs a day for work and understand how easy it is to get comfortable while driving. Have you ever gone through a signal and not realized it was yellow... or worse... RED until you were already in the intersection. We've all been there. The scary thing about this realization is the fact that if you were to change any one of a few variables in the situations we face each and every day while driving... in the blink of an eye you could find yourself responsible for taking someones life, or even your own. Riding a bike comes with it's share of risks. The fact that most drivers are not looking for cyclists is the most important thing to understand. That way you don't go putting yourself in situations that make you vulnerable. The second most important thing to understand is that the motorists that do see you are not usually 'happy' to see you. You are usually going to be taking up "their" space in the road... going under the speed limit... or causing them to miss the next light because of your slow start and clipping in. So don't go doing anything that ticks them off even more. Just because nobody else is coming doesn't mean it's OK to roll through a red light. Traffic laws are there to protect us, so don't abuse them and give anybody reason to hate cyclists even more.
If you're being safe, smart, and courteous then you've done the best that you can do. Still... even if you have done all that (as is my case) people will still fail to see you, and may drive their cars into you. At that point, you just need to be prepared. Here are a few things that you need to know that will help you out.
1. Have good insurance. Most insurance carriers do not provide cycling insurance. However, a good unsurance company will cover the replacement of a bicycle under a homeowners policy at the cost of your deductible. This is usually not worth the hassle unless you just bought the bike of your dreams... like I did =(. Hopefully you will not have to use your insurance at all, assuming the wreck is not your fault, the drivers auto insurance should at minimum cover the price that you paid for all damaged equipment. If replacement cost ended up being more than what you paid, like mine did, don't hold your breath.
2. Call the cops. No matter how big, or small, the accident may have been. If there is any sort of bodily injury or damage to property the authorities should be notified and a report should be filled out. If you decide to file a claim with that motorist's insurance, even a day later, and there is no police report on file, the insurance will smell blood and end up claiming it was your fault and deny the claim... like mine did.
3. Write stuff down. If there are any witnesses, get names and phone numbers and ask them if they saw what happened. You might need to get ahold of some of those people later if the driver that hit you tries to claim that they didn't actually hit you... and say "it was the guy behind me that hit you"... like mine did.... =(.
4. Identify yourself. You need to get on the internet right now and buy a RoadID. This is a wristband that has your name and address and emergency contact information. You can customize these bracelets (or anklets) to carry even the most specific information... such as blood type. If you are rendered unable to speak for yourself, the RoadID will speak for you.
Nobody does an ironman, half, olympic, or even a sprint distance triathlon without doing a bit of training and preparation. Don't let your preparation fall short. Prepare for the unexpected. Protect the most valuable asset you have in this life... you. God has given you a great life, and other people don't always do the right thing. These tips will help you hold them accountable, and help you get the treatment you need if you find yourself in this situation.
And wear your stupid helmets people... geez, They're not that hot and uncomfortable!
If you've decided to ride a bike, you are assuming a bit of risk... period. Just like riding a motorcycle. It is legal to ride a bicycle, and there are laws that protect our rights as cyclists. However, 65% of all americans eat approximately three meals a week behind the wheel of a car while talking on the cell phone and driving with their knees (Don't research that statistic... I just made it up, but you get my point). People don't pay attention while they drive. I don't consider myself any different. If anything, this accident has made me aware of how fortunate I am as a driver to have gone so long without any serious incidents. I drive at least 3hrs a day for work and understand how easy it is to get comfortable while driving. Have you ever gone through a signal and not realized it was yellow... or worse... RED until you were already in the intersection. We've all been there. The scary thing about this realization is the fact that if you were to change any one of a few variables in the situations we face each and every day while driving... in the blink of an eye you could find yourself responsible for taking someones life, or even your own. Riding a bike comes with it's share of risks. The fact that most drivers are not looking for cyclists is the most important thing to understand. That way you don't go putting yourself in situations that make you vulnerable. The second most important thing to understand is that the motorists that do see you are not usually 'happy' to see you. You are usually going to be taking up "their" space in the road... going under the speed limit... or causing them to miss the next light because of your slow start and clipping in. So don't go doing anything that ticks them off even more. Just because nobody else is coming doesn't mean it's OK to roll through a red light. Traffic laws are there to protect us, so don't abuse them and give anybody reason to hate cyclists even more.
If you're being safe, smart, and courteous then you've done the best that you can do. Still... even if you have done all that (as is my case) people will still fail to see you, and may drive their cars into you. At that point, you just need to be prepared. Here are a few things that you need to know that will help you out.
1. Have good insurance. Most insurance carriers do not provide cycling insurance. However, a good unsurance company will cover the replacement of a bicycle under a homeowners policy at the cost of your deductible. This is usually not worth the hassle unless you just bought the bike of your dreams... like I did =(. Hopefully you will not have to use your insurance at all, assuming the wreck is not your fault, the drivers auto insurance should at minimum cover the price that you paid for all damaged equipment. If replacement cost ended up being more than what you paid, like mine did, don't hold your breath.
2. Call the cops. No matter how big, or small, the accident may have been. If there is any sort of bodily injury or damage to property the authorities should be notified and a report should be filled out. If you decide to file a claim with that motorist's insurance, even a day later, and there is no police report on file, the insurance will smell blood and end up claiming it was your fault and deny the claim... like mine did.
3. Write stuff down. If there are any witnesses, get names and phone numbers and ask them if they saw what happened. You might need to get ahold of some of those people later if the driver that hit you tries to claim that they didn't actually hit you... and say "it was the guy behind me that hit you"... like mine did.... =(.
4. Identify yourself. You need to get on the internet right now and buy a RoadID. This is a wristband that has your name and address and emergency contact information. You can customize these bracelets (or anklets) to carry even the most specific information... such as blood type. If you are rendered unable to speak for yourself, the RoadID will speak for you.
Nobody does an ironman, half, olympic, or even a sprint distance triathlon without doing a bit of training and preparation. Don't let your preparation fall short. Prepare for the unexpected. Protect the most valuable asset you have in this life... you. God has given you a great life, and other people don't always do the right thing. These tips will help you hold them accountable, and help you get the treatment you need if you find yourself in this situation.
And wear your stupid helmets people... geez, They're not that hot and uncomfortable!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Real men shave their legs
I should be writing a race review of the Sylvan Beach triathlon last weekend. Instead... bicycle safety. Last friday night, I headed out for a medium intensity brick workout. I had planned a fast paced 12-mile bike before a transition to a med paced 5 mile run. I didn't quite make it to the run. At mile 10 of the bike I approached an intersection, checked to make sure that it was clear, and then accelerated to make it through quickly. Little did I know, coming the opposite direction, a lady made the decision to try and beat out a yellow light. She made a quick left turn and managed to put herself directly in the path of my bike before I even knew what was going on. The most dangerous aspect of training for a triathlon is riding in the aero position. I need to spend a lot of time in the aero bars to simply get used to it. This is my first tri bike, and with a back surgery just 6 months ago, it is taking lots of practice and adjustments in spacing to find out how to be the most comfortable. The dangerous part about the aeros is your ability to react. When training, you don't have the benefit of a closed course like on race day, and when a driver gets careless your hands are nowhere near your breaks. By the time I saw the car, I knew I was going to hit it. Naturally, I swerved anyway, and was able to minimize the damage (namely staying alive). Instead of a direct impact with the side of her vehicle, my handlebars suffered the biggest punishment when they plunged into her tail-light. This wrenched my front fork, ripped the front tire off the wheel, and threw me over the back of the car into the middle of the intersection. So instead of the car stopping me in my tracks I was able to slowly decelerate on the pavement... hehe. But seriously, this was probably the main contributing factor for me walking away with zero broken bones. Instead, all of my clothing was ripped up pretty good, I separated my shoulder, got some pretty decent whiplash, plenty of road-rash, and a great little knot on the head. The helmet definitely saved my life, the tri-shorts and top absolutely minimized the amount of road rash, the gloves kept my hands from getting chewed up, and the fact that I had just shaved my arms, legs, shoulders... and well, just about everything, saved me loads of discomfort after the fact. When you have a particularly hairy disposition, such as myself, road rash is a fearsome enemy in the immediate days and weeks, post crash. Wound care is miserable when the adhesive tape is pulling out hundreds of hairs each time you change a bandage. And as the wound dries out and scabs start to form, you know your on the road to recovery. The funny thing about wounds.... the scabs seem to shrink as they heal, and this pulls out even more hair. So, you're fighting the hair pulling battle literally with every step, bend, lunge, and turn. So, If you're going to ride your bike, by all means... gear up, stay alert, and go to your bathroom right now and shave.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Races, Races, Races
This blog is well overdue. Memorial Day weekend was the 20th anniversary of the Captex Tri. WHAT A RACE!!!! This one is just plain fun, even if you're not participating. It takes place on Ladybird lake in downtown Austin. The water is clear enough to see the rocks as you swim just over the top of them (yes at times it did get pretty shallow... don't try to push off of them, some are sharp... cough cough... yes... guilty). The water temp was 68 deg. and I don't own a wetsuit... yet. Definitely an advantage on a swim like that. It was supposed to be a 1500m swim, but the word on the street says it may have been just a bit long. Just about everybody was posting longer times than they were expecting. I'm a pretty slow swimmer in the first place, but even I was surprised by my 38:50. I was expecting at least 35:00. But oh well, that's about the only thing that did not succeed to blow me away about the weekend. If you are a spectator, you can stand on the bridge and watch the swimmers pass underneath you, pass through transition and whoosh past you on that same bridge on their bikes, then walk over one block to catch an out and back section of the run. I have never seen a race this accessible to the fans. We ran a relay (in which I did the swimming) so I got to walk around a bit and check out the course as it was being run, and it was truely a good course. Slowtwich.com has a race review along with a nice image gallery in case you want to check it out. I saw Mr. Willie Fowlkes volunteering. He's the race director for the Woodlands CB&I triathlon. That was actually very exciting. The woodlands race is so well run, it's obvious that the director is taking some good notes from the best in the business. Hopefully the CB&I can begin to generate enough revenue to offer many of the perks that CapTex did. Zumtri.com gave a fabulous virtual race recap for all of the finihsers. Simply type in your bib number and even a comparison bib number of someone else and it placed tiny dots on a simulated race map that circled the course and let you relive the experience. I felt myself rooting for the dots on the screen as they neared the finish line, much like the old Dot Races on the video screen at the old Astros games.
This weekend is the Sylvan Beach Tri. Basically an Olympic distance. My first Salt water swim. I am anxious to see how that goes. Gotta get the bike ready. I have evidently already stretched out the rear derailleur cable after just a few rides. It is trying to switch gears by itself. I would love to make it down to Webster Bicycle to get the guys to tune it up before the race, but my week is so busy i don't think I am going to have time to make the hour & a half trek to drop it off and pick it up before the race on Sunday. If I can squeeze it in I will. Those guys know what they are doing and it would be worth it not to do it myself.
I made a comment that a friend of mine said he had actually heard is common among triathletes. Just about every race I enter, there is a moment when I ask myself why I do this. It's painful, it's not free, and it takes a lot of time. Then I look in the mirror and I see a guy that's lost 20 lbs since this winter, I sense the excitement building as the next race comes around, and I get a neat response via Twitter & Facebook from one of the many very accessible professional triathletes and the thought of quitting is a distant memory.
No go outside and sweat a little, It is good for you.
This weekend is the Sylvan Beach Tri. Basically an Olympic distance. My first Salt water swim. I am anxious to see how that goes. Gotta get the bike ready. I have evidently already stretched out the rear derailleur cable after just a few rides. It is trying to switch gears by itself. I would love to make it down to Webster Bicycle to get the guys to tune it up before the race, but my week is so busy i don't think I am going to have time to make the hour & a half trek to drop it off and pick it up before the race on Sunday. If I can squeeze it in I will. Those guys know what they are doing and it would be worth it not to do it myself.
I made a comment that a friend of mine said he had actually heard is common among triathletes. Just about every race I enter, there is a moment when I ask myself why I do this. It's painful, it's not free, and it takes a lot of time. Then I look in the mirror and I see a guy that's lost 20 lbs since this winter, I sense the excitement building as the next race comes around, and I get a neat response via Twitter & Facebook from one of the many very accessible professional triathletes and the thought of quitting is a distant memory.
No go outside and sweat a little, It is good for you.
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