Ironman Texas and You!!!

Ironman Texas is getting Closer every day and I couldn't be anymore excited. A couple of friends and family members have actually asked me how they could help me out during the race. After explaining that any on-course assistance would actually get me disqualified... I had an idea. Why not provide an opportunity for people to participate in the Ironman with me and change someone's life in the process. Every year, my wife and I volunteer at a summer camp that has changed the lives of literally hundreds of young people. I wouldn't miss it for the world. In fact, as soon as I finish Ironman Texas we will switch gears and go into full on camp-mode and start getting ready to minister to the hundreds of junior high and high school students that will be traveling to camp 220. Twotwenty.org is a non-profit organization that hosts youth groups from churches all over the southern United States and presents the gospel of Jesus Christ in an environment of worship and prayer. The kids come from all walks of life and many are unable to cover the complete cost of tuition but truly have a great desire to attend. If a kid wants to go to camp where they have the opportunity meet their savior and change their lives forever, they will not be turned away. That is where you can help. Your donations can help cover the cost of tuition for the dozens of kids each year that are unable to pay their way. I would like you to sponsor one or more of the 141 miles of my Ironman. I am running this Ironman for the glory of the Lord, and as a symbol of the well run race. Each mile represents an obstacle in this life and how with persistence and training; victory is a reality through Jesus Christ and it is available to each and every one of us, and each mile is an opportunity for you to get involved. Purchase one or more of the miles of the Ironman course I will be running on May 21st and not only will you be providing motivation for me as I run this epic race, you will be providing an opportunity for a young person to get the tools to run this race of life with passion and persistence.

I am offering three different levels of participation. Here is the break down.

Swim leg sponsorships (2 miles - two full sponsorships available - this represents 2 students)
Mile 1 - 2: 2 sponsorships available @ $290 each

Bike leg sponsorships (112 miles - 112 partial scholarships available @ $25 ea. - 10 students)
Mile 3 - 115 - 112 sponsorships available @ $25 each

Run leg sponsorships (26 miles - 26 partial scholarships available @ $145 ea. - 13 students)
Mile 116 - 141 - 26 sponsorships available @ $145 each

So visit Twotwenty.org and send in a donation with a note that says which miles you want to sponsor (first come first serve), and include an inspiring message for me to carry with me on race day. Feel free to contact me if you want more information on how to donate. I will post the list of sponsored miles right here on the blog.

Not Quite According to Plan

Finishing the Houston Marathon was just a landmark on my roadmap to IMTX. It was to be a celebration of the progress I've been making in my quest for weight-loss and fitness and a launching pad into phase two of my ironman training. Instead, it turned into quite a little battle in it's own right. Marathon training got interrupted four weeks before Thanksgiving when my appendix flared up and I couldn't run at all because of the pain... or a few weeks following the surgery once I finally got it taken out. That took me into Christmas and I officially had less than a month until the marathon. My goal of setting a pace quickly turned to "just finish". Believe it or not, I was making really good progress with my running partner. I was confident that I would have no problems finishing. I had cranked out several 12-14 mile training runs with no problem, and I wasn't having any issues with my joints. I had been struggling with some achilles tendinitis and decided to take the majority of the week prior to the marathon to rest and rehab before the run. I had no idea how much rest I would be getting. Two days after my best and last long-run, I came down with the Flu. I struggled through the fever for the rest of the day at the office on that Tuesday, and then spent the following Wednesday thru Friday in bed with a 102+ fever. Saturday I decided to venture out of the house and pick up my race packet and T-shirt. I had no expectations of running in the race. It was supposed to be rainy and cold the next day and I simply did not have the strength. But if there's one thing a pre-race sporting goods expo can do... it's pump you up. I decided to show up and support my buddy and maybe even jog a little bit with him before heading to the house. Well... like a jerk... I got caught up in the magic of race morning and toed the line with him. We approached the half marathon turn-around point and I told him I would see him at the house... no... I didn't pull out of the race... He went to the half marathon finish and I ignored all reason and headed out on the Full marathon course. No, I was not feeling in top form, and no, I had no idea what was in store for me after that. I am pleading temporary insanity brought on by a nice case of Flu-hangover for that decision. The endorphins were pumping, there was still a huge crowd, and I just kept thinking, it will be over before you know it. The first 20 miles I finished in 3:15... That was better than I had hoped for. I was moving right along. I figured I could start mixing in some walking at the aid stations and slow it down to a 10 minute mile pace and I would finish well ahead of my 4:30 goal. Not any sooner than I had made that plan... my gas light went on and I started running on empty. Every muscle in my body decided to cramp at the same time, I could see and feel my knees swelling, and my body wasn't responding to anything I was putting into it. I could not even manage so much as a shuffle. I could only walk. The most crowded portion of the race route, the home stretch, was lined with people cheering on the runners. That's when most people pick it up and jog it in... the pain was simply too much. I was starting to feel embarrassed, but I was scared that if I ignored this pain I may screw my knees up to where I would have to take the ironman of my calendar in May. I walked every inch of that last six miles and it took me two hours and ten minutes to do it. My finish time was 5:23... marathon fail. I got pwned. Here's the finish line video... I'm the big guy on the right side of the screen. I managed a sad little version of a jog in order to cross the line. So... now... three days later... I only have a slight limp from the soreness, and I have a LOT of work to do. I need to switch my focus to my biking and get in many hours of quality pool time. Here's a quick rundown of my training obstacles so far: tonsillectomy... back surgery... snake bite... hit by car while biking (separated shoulder and "near spinal cord contact in neck")... appendectomy... Flu... The worst has got to be behind me now... right?

Setting Your Sights a Little Higher

I had the best bike ride the other day. A buddy of mine came over and we set our trainers up in the playroom upstairs and watched "Breaking Away" for the 500th time. It was too cold, dark, and rainy to want to ride outside, and I have never had a ride end up being that much fun. It's always easier to train with a friend, and when you decide to do something out of the ordinary (like running in the extreme cold or rain) it really makes for a memorable event. Especially if you can get your mind off of competition for a while and just enjoy the moment.

I started receiving "Lava" magazine in the mail this year. It was a surprise to me... I didn't order it. But I am enjoying it. It is a large magazine distributed every two months. It has thicker pages and seemingly more "photography focused" articles than a lot of other magazines. I do subscribe to one magazine... "Triathlete". I am enjoying their new format and likewise their new focus on the "images" of triathlon. Everyone likes pictures of fancy bikes and underwater shots of an open-water swim start. If Lava is sending me their magazine because of my subscription to "triathlete" in hopes that I will fall in love... enough to start paying for it... then they are simply brilliant, because it just might work. It really does the job of getting me motivated for my workouts. In the words of Belle and Sebastian, "Stars of track and field you are... beautiful people." Triathlon is like no other sport in the world. Where else can you pay your fee, show up, and race the same course the pros are racing... possibly even get passed by one (if your course has multiple loops). As far as total fitness is concerned there are no better examples than those seen in the world of Triathlon.

But don't get too excited and go "all-in" just yet. This world has too much to offer and there is way too much to lose if your priorities are not straight. Many people have jumped head-first into triathlon and ruined jobs, marriages, and friendships in the process. If you are not being paid (or hope to get paid one day) to race triathlons, then you need a quick reality check... triathlon is a great hobby. Period. Your job... your family... your wife... and your relationship with God are the only things in this world that truly deserve your affection. I'm not saying you shouldn't drop a couple grand on a tri-bike if you have the means... but I am saying that maybe you should also have a bike that you can chain up down at the park while you're getting dizzy on the merry-go-round. If you simply don't have time to spend with the family because of your required mileage... something has to change, and if you can't find time to spend alone with God or at Church because you can't afford to miss that long ride. Then consider this... what are you trying to prove? What is so important about that next race? Can you step back and ask yourself if this verse... Jeremiah 9:23-24... applies to you? Can you say that about yourself? I think I've finally asked myself that question, and I didn't really like the answer... so that... my friends... is my personal training goal.

2010 Year-End Winter Survival Guide

It's the week between Christmas and New Years, and if you're not on vacation you're not getting much done at work, because everyone else is. So, what do you do? Well my friend. You've come to the right place. Here's my 2010 year end winter survival guide.

#1. TV - The stalwart of time wasting devices. Tried and true. New and improved. And now more accessible than ever. You can watch your favorite shows at home on your 50 inch-3D-HD-LED-TV at your convenience on your DVR or On-Demand. But what should you watch. If you're like me, you're sick and tired of the manufactured drama of "Reality TV", disgusted with the ever-lowering content standards of prime-time programming, and tired of sitting through hours of commercials only to be continually bombarded with product placements in the few positive programs that ARE out there... i.e. "The Biggest Looser" and "Extreme Home Makeover". Sometimes you just want to laugh without being shocked. If this is you then you need to check out Psych. A show about a couple gumshoes who masquerade as psychics while using their intellect to solve crimes on a contract basis for the Santa Barbara police department. Watch it and try not to laugh... and instead of product placements, see if you can find the randomly placed pineapple in each episode.

#2. Internet - you can use the Internet to watch TV, but I like to watch my TV on my TV... the old fashioned way. That way I can multitask and keep the TV running in the background while I use my bandwidth for some good old fashioned surfing. Every cyclist can appreciate the revolution that the Internet has brought to the cycling community. Internet based cycling shops are a dime a dozen and force your local bike shops to keep their prices reasonable in order to keep your business. I always recommend supporting your LBS. Where would we be without them? Can you remove and clean an Italian-threaded bottom bracket on that fancy bike of yours, and do you have the proper tools? Probably not, so visit your LBS today!!! That being said, if you just simply don't have the money to pay retail for your dream bike or bike parts, and you don't mind buying an item that's had a previous owner, you can save some serious coin online. Ebay is always a fun place to search. Check out this nice set of wheels. Good solid wheels... great for the person trying to save some cash and still have a nice quick ride with the flashy look of a carbon aero wheel. Here's a tip for buying on Ebay. look at the feedback score, you can see this guy only has one previous sale on Ebay. So, either he just isn't a big Ebay seller, or there's something fishy about the sale. You can see that he is located in NJ.. that's good... it's not a foreign country... and Ebay has certain rules and policies to protect buyers. So, if you've paid with Paypal and haven't obliged any "special" requests from the seller you can be relatively certain that he won't run off with your money without giving you the product he has advertised. Rule number one on high-priced items like this... ask a few questions so you know he's a regular guy selling his own wheels. If he doesn't know anything about them, they are probably stolen, and if he doesn't respond to your questions at all, don't pay him.... period. Craigslist is another fun way to look for cool bike stuff, but the quality and variety of things you find there are usually a little less... let's say... regulated. These are usually local sellers, and it resembles a neighborhood rummage sale more than it does an on-line store. And these transactions usually mean you will have to arrange to meet and pay the seller somehow in person. That is the safest way. If you send money to anonymous people you have just met on the Internet... then you deserve to be ripped off... because that's just not very smart. But you CAN find some great deals. Like the one-year-old Cycleops Fluid trainer I got for my birthday a few weeks ago for $200. I love it. And like your local rummage sale, it's the best place to go when you really don't have anything specific you need to buy. Because its times like that you will find items like this motorized bike. ( Disclaimer: these are real ads... so I'm not sure how long these links will stay active.)

#3. Creative Cross Training - use this time to do some creative working out that you wouldn't otherwise have the time or freedom to do. I am not a type A trainer. I do not find comfort in a schedule. I do not get satisfaction from establishing a routine and sticking to it. Whenever I get the chance to mix it up... I do. Last night I knew I needed to get in some cycling and running. Normally I would push to make it home early so I could squeeze in one or the other and then work the remainder of the workout in around dinner and kid's bedtime. But not yesterday. I pulled the bike and the trainer into the house so I could watch a movie with my wife while spinning for an hour or so, then as soon as the movie was dying down, the wife grabbed a book and started reading while I went running for an hour... at 11p.m. That was fun. It was pitch black, misting, cold, and not a car in sight. My buddy and I ran for over an hour... talking and praying as we ran. The novelty of running in the middle of the night made it fun. We have also been know to put on our old shoes and pull off a 6 mile run in the pouring rain. In the heat and humidity of Houston Texas, I have had some of my more memorable runs and best running splits when it's raining out. A few rainy runs a year are a must... in my opinion. If it's cold out, wear a good ventilated running rain jacket, you don't want to get sick.

So spend this week having fun and dreaming of what you want your life to look like this next year. And when you make your resolutions, do yourself a favor and consider resolving to make yourself available to God. If you consider yourself a good person who values truth above all else, then ask Him to reveal it to you... and then resolve to be honest with yourself. That's one prayer you can count on him answering... every time. The process of making things right in your life is hardly ever easy, but the finished product is worth it. So press on toward the mark of the high calling my friends!

Have a Wonderful New Year!!!!

Soulrider

It Hurts So Good!

Wow, after months of virtually zero activity, I am finally getting back after it, and boy is it painful. I am amazed at how much fitness one can loose in such a short period of time. Even more surprising is how much more time it seems to take to get it back than it does to lose it. I haven't completely rebuilt my bike after the accident (because wheels are quite expensive... in case you haven't heard) but it is functional, and even though it is getting cooler outside I've been able to jump right back into the saddle with my new trainer. I have a feeling this will end up being one of the best birthday gifts ever. When it's freezing outside and dark when I get off work I can still hop on my bike without giving it another thought. Better yet, no cars to worry about. The other night we were watching "The Biggest Loser" finale and I didn't want to miss it, or time with the family, because I needed to get in some time on the bike. So I wheeled the bike into the kitchen, laid down a towel, and sat on the bike instead of the couch. It was great. It's so quiet that it didn't even interfere with the show or any of our conversations. The biggest hurdle is going to be fitness. May 21st and the Ironman is just around the corner, and in exactly one month the marathon will be here. I don't doubt that I will be able to complete both of these events. Will it be tough? Yes. Will I walk a bunch... absolutely. But to keep things in perspective, whose asking me to do it? Nobody... that's right. So, the only thing I'm going to stress out about is how I can maximize my level of enjoyment while participating in these events.
There's that word again... perspective. I challenge you to think about that word for a while. Apply it to every situation of your life that you find stressful. In the grand scheme of things, how important are these things that we commit our selves to? The Bible tells us to cast all of our cares upon Christ because He cares for us. Do you believe that? Do you really believe that? If you do, then how does your life reflect that? The Bible also tells us to trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not unto your own understand but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Instead of being discouraged, or stressed, or upset, have hope in a savior that really does love you and has a great plan for your future.

The Waiting Game

After taking about a month off of training, you can probably imagine, I'm ready to get back at it. The Ironman is steadily drawing nearer and I'm not making any fitness progress sitting around the house. And right when I think it's about to get better... I start mixing in some quality 20 minute workouts and light strength training... then... I get yet another setback. I started having some strange stomache cramps with body aches and fever after my workouts. I stop working out... again... to make sure it's just a bug and give it time to pass. But it doesn't pass. So, two weeks later, I go to the doctor... again. This time the doctor sends me straight to the emergency room. Four hours later I'm changing into a surgical gown and getting prepped for surgery. Now... two weeks later (minus my appendix) I am about to crawl out of my skin. The doctor says I need to wait yet another couple of weeks before I start working out again. This is going to be brutal... I can't wait to feel the pain of training again.

Isaiah 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Teach me Lord to wait.

Are You Listening?

What do you do when you hear bad news? Do you dwell on it and let it affect your future? Does it make you want to fight even harder for what you want? What should you do? I think you have to find a healthy balance. You can't let your life and attitude be affected by things you can't control, and yet you must develop the skills of a good listener. History is filled with examples of leaders that pressed on in the face of adversity to accomplish many amazing things. Likewise, there are many examples of people who ignored the voice of reason and forged ahead... straight to their own destruction. This is the same in life and triathlon. God has a purpose for you and allows you to suffer trials so that you can be refined like gold being refined by the fire. His spirit, at the same time, is speaking to you. If you are not inclined to believe that, you might miss a blessing, or worse, plod headstrong into even more suffering. If you stop running the first time you get a stitch in your side, you're going to miss the fitness benefits that are gained when you push through the pain. And if you keep pushing through that strange little twinge in your knee run after run without giving it a rest, you might risk the possibility of not being able to run in the future. You must be able to listen.
I'm struggling right now with exactly that. I've set a goal of ironman texas on may21st. After being hit by that car during a training ride back in June, the doctor has told me to temporarily stop riding my bike and limit my running to a slow-paced 20 mins at a time. We don't exactly know why my hands go numb when I'm riding my bike, and apparently the doctor sees some lingering concussion symptoms even 5 months later. At what point do I decide that the ironman is no longer a realistic goal? I still have 6 1/2 months of training left , and I have already built my base level of fitness to a greater level than ever before. But... If I don't spend a TON of quality time on the bike over the winter, I will be in serious trouble come May. I guess I'll just wait and see... or... I guess I should say... hear.