I am IronMan

Well I am finally writing my race report. Sorry it has taken so long but I wanted to digest the experience before writing. Here we go:


We arrived in Cancun early Thursday afternoon and I was hoping to get to Cozumel in time to watch the Cowboys game. Unfortunately getting to Cancun was the easiest part of the trip. After our fun getting through customs we bought bus tickets to take us to the ferry that would take us to Cozumel. The lucky thing was the fact that we were the first stop. Along with me there were two other athletes with bikes that were getting on the bus and not too many other people. I thought to myself this won't be too bad. After a few minutes on the bus we pulled up to stop #2 that had a bunch of people with bikes. People were freaking out that their bikes and luggage wouldn't make it on the same bus and it was a big mess that was adding time to the hour that we already waited. Finally, after what seemed like forever the bus was heading to the ferry. Once we made it Playa Del Carmen we bought ferry tickets and were close to heading to Cozumel. The ferry was another nightmare. There were so many people and bike boxes. It took forever to get everyone loaded up. During our wait the weather starting turning worse and it got very windy. Once the ferry took off I knew we were in for a bumpy ride. The ferry was swaying all over the water and the 2 restrooms were filled with sea sick people. Unfortunately there were a number of bike boxes that were not very lucky as there were people vomiting all over them. It was so fun. I thought "I am going to be swimming in this water on Sunday?" This is fucking great! When we finally made to Cozumel the representative, Pedro, from the villa met us and we took a cab to our home for the next 7 days. The trip was rough and I missed the Cowboys game but the villa was awesome and it made up for all we went through to get there. After dinner it was off to bed and up early for what I thought would be a training swim.


Friday morning came quick and it was very windy outside so I decided not to head to the park for a practice swim. I decided to stay in, eat breakfast and put my bike together. After some trouble getting the saddle on I took the bike out for a ride and then it was off to packet pick-up. The packet pick-up was pretty easy and expo didn't have much but we picked a few things. During the expo we ran into Liz and John and we sat with them during the info meeting and then it was home for dinner and rest.


Saturday we woke up early and headed to the park for a practice swim. The weather was great and the water was perfect. You could see all the way to the bottom and it was smooth as glass. No choppy waves to fight. After the swim it was back to the villa for more rest and eating. Later that afternoon I rode my bike down to the start, racked my bike and my race bags. Then it was back home to eat and rest. I went to bed relatively early to get a little sleep before the big day.


3 am came early on Sunday. I was very nervous as I woke up. I get nervous before every race but this was different. This would take everything in me to finish. I got ready quick but I wasn't feeling that well. My nerves were preventing me from eating all that I needed. I just felt like I was going to hurl. I was thinking about my training and was it enough? I had a lot of doubts as I sat at the breakfast table. The cab driver came around 5am and we were off to the race start.


As I got to transition I was still nervous but settling down. I put air in my tires and walked around waiting for the race to start. Around 6:30 I made my way to the ramp that would lead me into the water and beginning of a journey that I would remember forever.



As I watched the professionals start I knew I would be okay and made my way into the water with John. The water was warm and there were no choppy waves. It was perfect. Before I knew it we were off. I felt good despite my shoulder. It was very crowded at first. I have never done a race with a mass start. About 300 meters in I was kicked in the face and my goggles popped off. It took several minutes to get them back on correctly. After about 20 minutes in the water the crowd spread out and we made the 1st of two turns. After the turn the swim was great. The current was behind us and I was swimming at decent pace. During this part of the swim there were a number of scuba divers in the water taking pictures and waving at the athletes. Before I knew it we were at the turnaround to make it to the dock. I looked at my watch and it showed 59 minutes. Many Ironman athletes would be disappointed but I was happy. I was where I wanted to be and felt like I could break 90 minutes which was my goal. As I swam into the dock we were against the current and it was slow but I was still moving well. As I exited the water I looked at my watch and it was at 1:29 and I was very happy as ran to the changing tent.

The changing tent was a new thing for me. I am used to having everything in transition. Two transition spots make that impossible. In the changing tent you see some unique things that I will not mention on this post. I will just say dudes are pretty disgusting and you can just use your imagination. After I put my helmet, shoes and glasses on it was off to my bike. Early on the bike I felt really good. I was averaging 22 to 23 mph and I was cruising. When I reached the other side of the island the wind picked up and I slowed way down. After the first loop (40 miles) I felt good except for a health issue I will mention later. As I reached the halfway point of the second loop I was getting very tired. The wind was really getting to me and I was fading. The one neat thing was spotting Norma and her parents towards the end of the loop with the cool signs she made. I needed that pick me up. The third loop was not much better but I knew I was going to make it. During the third loop I also getting angry. There were a lot of people drafting! I just hate when people don't follow the rules! As I reached the end of the last loop I realized it was the least of my worries. I rode an extra 1.7 miles because of course changes and I had 26.2 miles to run. But as I said, I knew I would make it.

When I reached T2 I handed my bike over to the volunteer and I went into the changing tent. The 2nd changing tent was even more disgusting. Someone sprayed so much sunscreen you could not even breath. Even more disgusting were the pot-o-cans. The athletes shit all over each of the cans and it was hard not to vomit. It was so disgusting. After pulling myself together I ran out of the tent and I spotted Norms. I was dragging and hurting but I started running. About 4 miles in I caught Liz and she was hurting bad as well. I talked with her for a moment and pressed on. The health issue that I had was causing me problems. I had a recurrence of a UTI that I had back in March. Needless to say I did not want to run. I kept going the best I could. At the end of loop 1 I spotted John and he looked fresh. I kept my run/walk through most of the second loop where I saw Norma. She had a margarita for me but I unfortunately couldn't drink it because I still had 8 miles to go. I was hurting and dragging but I pressed on. I have never hurt so much. I saw Liz at one point and she look tired and like she wanted to cry. I felt the same way. Norma walked with me for a little bit after I made the 2nd turnaround and then I told her I had to run. It was rough but I kept moving. As I reached mile 25 I started to pick up the pace. I knew I was going to cross the finish line running. When I saw the mile 26 marker I started sprinting. There were so many people cheering that I just had to. As I crossed the finish line I was filled with so much joy. I had done it! I am an IronMan! I saw Norma and I started crying. I was hurting so bad but was so happy. The final time was 13:25:03. It's right where I planned to be.

As I finish this post I have a few final comments. First, the people of Cozumel were awesome. The lined the streets during the bike and run portions of the race cheering all the way. When I was really down the spectators would yell "si se puede". (You can do it!). I really needed it. They were great and they made the race so enjoyable. I had a great time during my remaining days in Cozumel and I look forward to my next race in Cozumel.

Second, I have a number of people I want to thank. Sorry this is my Academy Award speech. I want to thank the folks at Bike Barn in The Village for my bike. I love that bike. She is the greatest. (Yes, my bike is a she, get over it!) I want to thank Johnny Zepeda at Tri on the Run and Raymond Cooper at Finish Strong for all they have done. They supply me with everything from shoes to bike tubes. They have been very supportive of me and TNT. Thanks for everything. I want to thank all my friends who have been so encouraging over the past year. It is so comforting to have the support of those close to you. I want to thank Jay Branson for loaning me the bike box. It worked great, thanks. I want thank John Vigil for doing the Rage Triathlon with me and for racing with me in Cozumel. You are a great friend. Coach Liz, what can I say? I have said this before but you have done so much for me that I can't even put it into words. I know you have heard this so many times but I would not be here if it wasn't for you. You are so awesome and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you have done for me.

Third, I want to thank my family for their patience, understanding and love. I sacrificed a lot to do this race and I appreciate their understanding in this journey. Thank you so much. I love you!

Lastly, I want to thank Norma. She sacrificed a lot over the past year. She drove SAG on all my long rides and runs and was photographer on the 9 triathlons I did this year. She never complained even when she sacrificed her own training. She just wanted me to do well and have a good race. She also organized all the travel for this race. Lord knows I couldn't do it. I am forever in your debt. I love you and thank you for everything you do and for taking care of me.

Well that's it. I have the Houston Marathon in January and then it's a little time off. I'm not sure what is next but I will make some decisions in the next couple months. I hope everyone has a great Christmas and I will update you soon.

Later Dudes!
(pictures will be posted tomorrow)

Runners are the New Cyclists

As I sit to write this post I am less than a week away from Ironman Cozumel and the anxiety of this big event is starting to hit me. I can't wait to get this race over with. My shoulder is still sore but I think I will be okay on race day even though I don't expect a fast swim time. Yesterday I did a 32 mile bike in the morning and then a 9 mile run in the evening. I know it was more than I should have done but it made me feel better. I did not swim over the weekend in order to give my shoulder extra time to rest. I do plan on swimming after work this afternoon.

When I started this whole endurance sport thing one thing was apparent to me early on. I thought runners were a respectful but intense group and I thought the triathletes were an easy going group that just wanted to see how far they could push themselves. Cyclists on the other hand have typically been very arrogant in my opinion. (Sorry to lump all cyclists together) I have seen so many cyclists who feel they are so much better than runners and triathletes. They think they are better than you because they have a $5000 bike who make a lot of money and that gives them an excuse to be a bunch of jerks. For example, I did a century ride earlier this year where a group oh U of H cyclists were riding 5 wide and nearly running cyclists going the other direction off the road. My favorite is the group of cyclists who get red with anger if a person on a tri bike comes within a mile of their draft line but would gladly draft of a person on a tri bike. I think you get the point. The last few times I have been running at Memorial Park I have noticed a growing trend. Runners are becoming jerks as well. I notice a lot of runners who run on the wrong side of the trail and then look at you as if you are the crazy person. My favorite is the group of runners who run anywhere from 3 to 5 people wide and will just not move in to let you get by. It doesn't matter if you are running towards them or trying to pass them. Last night as I was running there was a group of 3 runners moving towards me and they would not move over. One of the runners actually hit me and didn't even stop, slow down or apologize. I was as far to the right as I could be on the running loop and this guy still hit me. I have always seen people like this at the park but it seems there are more and more each time I go. I hope any runner that reads this thinks about the rules and general courtesy the next time they go running.

Sorry to ramble. I think this race is affecting my already angry mood. I'll be providing more frequent updates as I get closer to race day.

Later Dudes.

T-minus 8 Days

I am 8 days from Ironman Cozumel and I'm getting excited and nervous. I took 3 days off from training and it seems to have to done me some good. I just finished a slow 10 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run at Memorial Park. It's the first time I have been pain free in my back, hip and legs in weeks. It felt great. Unfortunately my shoulder is still bothering me. I am going to try and get a swim in tomorrow and then another short training on Sunday. The shoulder is not going to keep me from racing but I know it will slow me down in the water. At this point I just want to make it out of the water and onto my bike. I'm sure I'll be fine.

On another note I am starting my 3 season as a Triathlon Coach for Team in Training. I am looking forward to getting started again and I know it will be a fun season. We have 37 participants and I know we will get them all to race day!

Bye for now.

Iron Star Triathlon

Last Sunday I did the Iron Star Half-Ironman Triathlon in Conroe as a final tune-up prior to IM Cozumel. Overall it was a good race and I had a time 5:47:36. Not too bad considering the injuries I am dealing with.

I'm not going to bore you to death with same old race report so here is the condensed version. The swim was slow for me due to a shoulder injury that I am still nursing. It was very painful and it was difficult to swim. The bike course was challenging. There were a lot of hills and the headwind made it tough to keep top speed. I finished with an average of 19.8 mph on the bike. Not bad considering the back, hip and knee issues I have. Lastly, the run was pretty tough. My legs did not want cooperate. They pain was worse than anything that I could have imagined. I somehow made it through and only missed my PR by 6 minutes.

I feel ready for IM Cozumel despite my numerous injuries. My back feels a little better but my hip, knee and shoulder are still hurting very bad. My run last night was painful and slow but I made it. My shoulder has prevented me from swimming much since the race but I should be okay. I'm starting my taper and I am looking forward to this race being over.

Later Dudes

Reports of My Death Have Been Greatly Exaggerated

I have not felt much like writing lately. I have been very busy at work and of course with the training. I will be brief with this posting as well.

As I write this IM Cozumel is 34 days away and I do feel ready for the most part. My last triathlon was 2 weeks ago in Dallas and it was a very tough event. I won't go through all my normal race reporting but I will say it was very rainy and cold and I did not have my best day. The one neat thing about the even t was the fact that it was part of the Toyota Cup series and there were a lot of pros there.

This weekend was very productive from the training perspective. Saturday I put down an 86 mile ride on my bike followed by an 1800 meter open water swim at Twin Lakes. It was not my fastest ride but it was great to get out on a beautiful day. The swim was good as well. I have not put much open water time lately and so it was a much needed training. Earlier today I did the Houston Half Marathon and I set a PR with a time of 1:46:00. I felt good despite a little pain in my left Achilles tendon. This is the same injury I have been dealing with most of the year. The pain comes and goes but I seem to able to deal with it. After the race I was able to get back on the course and run 4 more miles with Norma as she finished her race.

The one disappointing thing about today was the fact that I did not do Longhorn. It is a race I love and one I have done the last two years. It was my first Half-Ironman and it is very special to me. I felt that I needed a longer training than Longhorn could give me and I wanted to save my money with IM Cozumel coming up. I do plan on racing Ironstar in a few weeks for my last tune-up.

I'll be providing more updates with the big race coming soon.

Prairieman Triathlon

Last Sunday was supposed to be my 2 Half-Iron of 2009. Due to the rain in Dallas that I decided to drop out of the race. I didn't feel it would be safe and I just felt it would be too much to risk with IM Cozumel coming up and with my other races this year. I was surprised that Jack Weiss kept the race going. He had to shorten the bike course because of the conditions and there was a lot of road construction to deal with. I hated to miss out on the race but I think it was the right thing to do. I did however get a 13 mile run in after we got back home.

The rest of the week sucked for training. I had a long week at work that included a day trip to Madisonville and a trip San Antonio for 2 days. This really didn't help. To make matters worse I have been fighting some stomach bug for the last few days. I did get a short swim in on Friday and a 10 mile run on Saturday but I seem to be paying for that now. If I feel up to it I am going to ride the spinning bike later today. I don't want to be too far away from the bathroom.

Yes, I am Crazy

This past week has been pretty light with the exception of swimming. I have been careful not to over do it. My training plan has spots where I pull back the mileage to allow my body to heal. With that said I have slow ride of 30 -40 miles followed by a short run and swim on Monday. I want to make sure I'm feeling good for Prairieman on the September 13th.

On the injury front my back is feeling much better but I still have a sore left calf. It only seems to affect me on my runs and its really more of an annoyance than anything else.

Lastly, As far the race schedule goes I am adding one more race to the schedule. I have decided to do the Las Vegas Triathlon September 27th. There are 3 distances at this event but I will be doing the Half-Iron. This will be cutting it close on recovery but I feel I need this for my IM Cozumel training. When I saw Ryan Taylor today I told him that I was going all in on the events and I want to see how far I can push my body. This may not be the most sane thinking but its what I want. I'll keep you posted. Hopefully I live through this.

Clear Lake International Triathlon and Other Training Notes

Saturday August 22nd I did my 2nd Olympic Triathlon of 2009. This was a pretty flat and fast race and I had a good day.

Norms and I just got to the race site right before transition closed. It was tough to get parked and we had to rush to get set up. As I made my way to the swim start I was still nervous but I knew I would be OK. When I was entering the water I kicked a rock with my left foot which put a small cut on my big toe but it didn't hurt too bad. A few minutes later I hit my left elbow on a rock which did hurt. As the swim started another racer grabbed my left leg and pulled my timing chip off. I put it back on but it fell off again which pissed me off. It was not the start that I was looking for. I ultimately swam with chip in my left hand which didn't help my already slow swimming. Despite swimming with the chip in my hand I had an OK swim time of 34:43. I'm sure I would have done much better if I had not had the chip in my hand.

As I got on my bike I felt pretty good. I got on the bike course only to find my computer not working. I didn't let it bother me but I would like to have had it. There was one big hill at the beginning of the ride but it was primarily flat. The ride was good until the Olympic riders merged with the Sprint group and then it got a little crowded. All in all it was a good bike course and I had great time of1:07:28 which was 22.1 mph average.

As I left transition on the run I was feeling good but I didn't know how I would finish. The temperature was starting to rise and as I reached mile 2 I was fading. I kept pressing and as I made the turnaround at mile 3 I saw Audree and I thought it was just a matter of time until she caught me. I kept going and and as I hit mile 4 I realized I was going to have a decent time. I knew that if I could pick up the pace I might actually set a PR. I was running the last 2 miles as fast as I could. I had nothing left but I pressed on. As I came down the home stretch I knew it was going to be close. My run time was 52:40 and I left it all on the course.

The final tally was 2:38:57 which was 43 seconds slower than my PR. That was tough to swallow but I'm still very happy with my time. I was looking to PR so it all worked out well.

Overall, my training is going well. I had a long run on Saturday and long ride on Sunday. I do have a couple of nagging injuries. I have a very sore calf and I have sore back but it has not stopped me from training. I feel like I'm on track for Cozumel.

My next race is the Prairieman Half Ironman in Dallas on September 13th. I may have an announcement on another race I might do in September. I will let you all know soon.

Sorry for the brief update but I have been super busy at work and I have not had much time to update this Blog. As a matter of fact I have to hurry because I have to go back to work. Later!

Training is still going well. I had a good weekend of training last weekend and I plan on getting in a long brick in this weekend. I am a little concerned about the next couple of weeks. I have a very tough work schedule that starts with a trip to Austin on Sunday and 2 weeks of meetings. In addition I have an Olympic Triathlon on the 22nd in Houston and a Half-Marathon in Dallas on the 23rd. I know it will be tough but I think I should be able to make it. Unfortunately this is real life when training for an Ironman.

TriWaco

On July 26th I participated in the 1st annual TriWaco. This was my 20th triathlon and my 5th of 2009. This is a race that featured both an Olympic and a Sprint distance. I signed up for the Olympic as I was needing the longer distance work. As I traveled to Waco on Saturday the 25th I was still feeling a little tired from my century ride from the weekend before but I felt like I was going to have a good race. The event location and hotel were great. We stayed at the host hotel which was the Waco Hilton. This worked out great as the transition area was right outside the hotel lobby doors. After packet pick-up which was also at the hotel I got a look at the swim course along with locating my spot in transition. Later in the evening we ate Deep Dish Pizza at a local Italian restaurant. It was really good although I wouldn't say it was good as that place in Chicago that I have eaten at a few times.

Race day was a little different than usual. I didn't need to wake up quite as early as I normally do for a race due to the fact that the race was so close. This was good because I had a difficult time falling asleep. The air conditioner in the room was noisy and it kept the room very cold. I couldn't seem to get the temperature right. When I woke up I had an upset stomach. I think it was the nerves and the food from the night before causing it. After changing and gathering my things I headed down to the transition area to get set up. As I walking through transition I located Geoff and Sarah who were also doing the race. (Geoff the Olympic and Sarah the Sprint) After chatting for a minute I went to set up my area. As I arrived to my rack I noticed that the one spot left was next to a guy who looked like he was moving in. He had so much stuff. I can not believe an Official didn't make him fix it. As I getting my bike into place he asked me if I needed him to move his stuff over. I said YES!!! Unfortunately, he didn't move anything. I think this might have been his first race. After I set up my transition area I try to eat a little and then I headed down to the swim start for the longest pre-race meeting ever.

After the meeting the race director shuffled the first wave (my wave) into the water for the start. I was still a little nervous but it goes away as soon as we get started. After the gun went off I started swimming and I felt good. As I went through the water I knew I wasn't going fast but I felt good. As I finishing up my swim I merged with a group of the Sprinters. It wasn't too bad but it did get crowded. As exited the water I was very disappointed to see my swim time was 43 minutes. This was my slowest Olympic swim yet. I have documented my swim troubles this year on every race update I have done but this very disappointing. I have spent so much time working on my swimming and I felt so good during this swim so I'm not sure what I did wrong. I really need to make time for Emmitt's class.

Once I got into transition I knew I had a lot of time to make up. As I got the bike course I still felt good. The first part of the bike I was averaging 22 or 23 mph. After a few miles however, the wind shifted and the hills kicked in. There was a point on the bike that I was probably averaging 17 mph and I was getting frustrated. As we made the turnaround I got a little tailwind and the hills were behind us and I was moving well again. I started averaging 24 to 25 mph and I was making up time. As I headed back into transition I still felt good but I knew I had a tough run ahead. My bike time was pretty good at 1:11:28 for an average of 21.2 mph. I think this might be my best bike time for an Olympic.

Now for the run. It started off pretty flat and fast and I still felt good. Early in the run I saw a 59 year old man pass me like I was standing still but I didn't care. The first couple miles of the run was relatively flat but the worst still to come. The hills at the middle of the run reminded me of the Longhorn Triathlon. I tried to run the hills fast but I couldn't. As I rounded mile 5 of the run I could hear Alex, Jessica and Norma yelling go LUKE! I think they could be heard back in Houston. As headed up the path that lead to finish line I tired but I knew I had decent race. My run time was OK with a time of 54:02.

My overall time was 2:53:59. It wasn't my fastest time but I think it is my second fastest for this distance. Geoff and Sarah both did great. They each placed second in their age group. Congrats to each of them. Overall it was a good race. Jack Weiss always puts on a good event. I would recommend this race to anyone.

The day after the race I got a head cold. I think the air conditioner in the hotel room might have caused this. I took Monday and Tuesday off as I recovered and as we traveled to Dallas and I got a short run in on Wednesday. I plan to get a long run and short ride in this weekend. Things are coming together.

Next up is the Clearlake International Triathlon in August. I'm looking forward to this event. It will be Tri #6 for the season.

Later Dudes!

Katy Flatlands

Last Sunday I did another first. I completed my first Century Ride during the Katy Flatlands. I have done a bunch of rides between 50 and 75 miles and my furthest ride last year of 83 miles but I have never made it over the 100 mile mark.

Sunday was supposed to be a little cooler and there was a 60% chance of rain. I was looking forward to a cooler ride but I had a feeling it was not going to happen. I left for the ride around 6am and it seems that was a little too late. Because of the amount of riders I didn't get on my bike until 7:30 because we couldn't get parked. At the beginning of the ride I got into it with a volunteer and a Ride Marshall. Because it was hard to get parked I and a number of other riders were not able to get started with the riders going 100 miles. The Marshall and the volunteer said we would have to wait until all of the 40 mile riders left before they would let us go. I made a stink about it and they eventually let us go before the 40 mile group.
As for the ride itself it wasn't too bad. There were only a few idiots on the ride and I didn't have any trouble with traffic. I had a decent ride time of 5:07 for 101.1 miles. The first 60 miles were much better for me. It was much cooler and I was averaging a little over 20 mph. The last 40 was tough. It was hot and the wind was picking up. Not to mention I was getting tired. The best part of the ride was having my personal S.A.G. for the ride. It was nice having Norma help me through the ride. It made doing the 100 miles much easier. I'm not sure if I will do this ride next year but I do recommend it.

Next up is the Waco Tri on Sunday. I'm looking forward to it but I am still a little tired from the ride. It will be my first Olympic of 2009.

Later

Kiwanis Kids Triathlon

Saturday was my time volunteering at a triathlon. I know what you are thinking, for someone who has done as many triathlons, bike rides and running events as i have he must have volunteered at least a few times. Well, I haven't sorry. But I decided to make up for lost time and man the bike turn around at the Kiwanis Kids Triathlon. I will say it would have been nice to be in the transition or run areas to see more of the run and finish line action but watching the bike turn around was pretty neat. The bike course was on Jones Rd and was out and back totaling a mile. The smaller kids 7-9 did one loop and the older kids 10-12 did 2 loops for 2 miles. The turnaround was funny because we had to slow kids down to make a sharp u-turn and many just couldn't. A number of kids ate it on the curb but they always jumped right up and kept going. If it would have been me that fell I'm sure that my attitude would not been so good. The bike portion went pretty fast and once we picked up all the cones off Jones Rd the race was over.

There were two kids I was pulling for during the race. First, was Joe a 10 year old first timer and the nephew of Sarah. This kid was flying on his Mongoose BMX and I think he had a blast.We have good pictures of him on the bike and one of him kissing his guns while on the swing set. He finished 3rd in his age group. And then there was Steven, Coach Liz's kid. This was not his first rodeo and he looked real strong on the bike. He actually had time to wave at me before he made his first turn around. I could tell on his second loop that he wanted to go faster but he couldn't due to the no passing rule. I'm not sure where Steven finished because I had to leave and they were still sorting through the awards. I'm sure he was close to the top of his age group.

It was a hot day but a fun one. It was neat watching all the little kids racing. They are pretty competitive and I'm sure they will beating me in a race sometime in the near future. I can't wait for next years race.

Feeling Much Better

I was off work last week and I was able to get in some good training. All told I put in 110 miles on the bike, 26 miles of running and 2100 meters in the pool. I was also able to lift weights 3 times. I originally planned to swim a bit more but it didn't fit into my plan the way I wanted it to. I'm going to dial back the distance this week to let my body recover from last week and then I will ramp it back up. I'm trying to be very careful about over training. I think that is was set me back in May and June.

I am still planning to do the Waco Triathlon at the end of the month and I will be riding the Katy Flatland on the 19th. I'm not sure what distance I will do but I would like to do the Century Ride. I'll see how I am feeling as date draws closer and make a decision at that time on the distance.

Ouch!!

I just wanted to provide a brief update on my training. I have not been able to do much work over the last week or so due to the fall I had at the Sylvan Beach Triathlon. My back, neck and hip are still very sore. This is preventing me from getting in the miles that I need to get ready for IM Cozumel. I went to the Chiropractor yesterday for an adjustment and I am hoping that it will allow me to get some training in this weekend. I plan to get a 40-50 mile ride on Saturday and 9 -10 mile run on Sunday if my aches and pains go away.

Sylvan Beach Triathlon

Sunday I did my second tri in two weeks. The Sylvan Beach Tri was a new race and it was a distance that I have not done before. It was 1K swim, 30K bike and an 8K run. It's not quite an Olympic but longer than a Sprint. This was a good race with one exception. Prior to the race I walked down to swim start with Norma and as were going down the ramp she slipped and I tried to catch her and then I slipped. As I pulled myself together I slipped again. When I slipped I hurt my back, shoulder and head. I'm still feeling the effects today. Next time I fall like that I should probably Walk Away and live to race another day.

As for the race itself I felt it was pretty well run. This was the first race that I have done that had a salt water swim so that was interesting. The water was warm but very choppy. To make matters worse my shoulder was very sore and I was having difficulty making it through the water. After a long swim I made it to shore and I hit the bike course. The course was relatively flat and I averaged 21 mph. The run was also flat but the temperature started to rise so I wanted to hurry so I pressed just a little. The final total was 2:03:49. I'm not sure if that was a good time but I felt pretty good about the race overall.

I am still feeling a little run down but I think I am coming through this funk I am in. I am still planning the Waco Triathlon next month and I feel like I have a better idea on how to better train leading up IM Cozumel.

Tejas Triathlon

Sunday I did the Tejas Triathlon in Sugar Land. This was just a sprint tri but it wore me the heck out. For whatever reason I was just not feeling it on Sunday. I had a time of 1:14:48 for a 600 yd swim, 11 mile bike and a 3 mile run. Just so I remain consistent I had another poor swim. My time was 15:15 for 600 yards :(. I think the swim might have been a little longer but I just couldn't get it going in the water. I also lost my timing chip about 5 seconds into the swim. I'm glad they float. Norma had it waiting for me at the swim exit. My bike time was good at a little over 30 minutes and I averaged around 23 mph on the bike. The run was mostly flat but by the time I got there I had nothing left. I think I've been training and working a little too much and it caught up to me on Sunday. The last couple days have me feeling Trashed and Scattered but I need to pull it together for the Sylvan Beach Tri this Sunday.

On another note, I had originally planned to do the Buffalo Springs 70.3 at the end of the month. After a lot of thought I have decided to pass on this event. I have not registered yet but there are still spots available if I change my mind. I know I could do this event today if need be but I want to make sure that I would do well. I'm not sure if that would be the case if I went there. It is a huge expense to sign up for the race, go to Lubbock and put myself in a hotel if you are not sure. I may change my mind but for now I plan to skip this race. After Sylvan Beach my plan is to do the Waco Olympic Tri in July but I will just play it by ear for now.

Later

The Silverlake Triathlon

Last Sunday I did the Silverlake Triathlon in Pearland. Overall, the race was uneventful. This was the third time I have done this race and out of all the races I have done I have done this one more than any other. Out of my three races here it was my second fastest. It was my fastest run but it was my slowest bike and slowest swim. My bike was only 4 seconds slower than my fastest time but it was still my slowest. My swim however was 1'15" slower than last year and it was my second race in a row with a poor swim time. Part of the issue at this race was that I had a guy behind me that kept grabbing my leg. I kicked him once but I couldn't shake him. I still felt that I should have had a better swim time due to the amount of time I have spent in the pool this year. I really need to get down to The Heart of the Matter with my swimming. It has always been my weakest part of triathlon but I made it less of a liability in 2008. The good news is that I have plenty of time to work on it prior to IM Cozumel.

Later

Nerd Alert, Nerd Alert

In the first of a couple non triathlon related posts I wanted to give a review of Wolverine and Star Trek. I'll be brief as to not give too much away.

Wolverine was a good movie but there was some cheesy points in the movie. First, the good stuff. The movie did a good job at explaining how Wolverine came to be and how he got his claws, etc.... The new characters that were introduced were cool. I particularly liked Deadpool and Gambit. I would have like to have seen Gambit in the first 3 X-Men movies.The scenes where Wolverine and Sabertooth were fighting back to back were lame but overall I thought the movie was good and I do recommend that you see it. For fans of comics I hope they keep making lots of these Superhero movies.

Star Trek was freaking awesome. I am a huge fan of Star Trek. I have seen all the movies more times than I can count. I've seen every episode of all the different Star Trek shows with the exception of DS9. I thought the story, the special effects and the casting were great. The movie portrayed the characters much differently than they have been done in the past. Karl Urban who plays McCoy sounded just like DeForrest Kelly and he even made a lot if the same facial expressions. Chris Pine who played Kirk was great and did not try to imitate William Shatner which was probably good. Zachary Quinto who plays Spock looked just like Nimoy and the cast brought an interesting take to Star Trek. This was a great story and I highly recommend this movie even if you were not a fan of the original series.

Bellville

Saturday I rode 70 miles out in Bellville with the TNT Cycle Team. They needed a a coach to fill in so I volunteered. I needed the miles so I ventured out. The first half of the ride was pretty easy but as we turned back the heat and the wind picked up. To make matters worse the hills were brutal. The team did well with the exception of rider who was having trouble with the heat. It was great to get out a get a long ride in.

As for the rest of my training everything seems to be going pretty well. I've kept the miles at a moderate level the last couple of weeks with the exception of the last ride. I have a couple of Sprints coming up and then I start to ramp up the mileage for my upcoming races leading up to IM Cozumel.

The Rage Triathlon

Last Saturday I competed in the Rage 1/2 Ironman in Las Vegas. This race was toughest freaking race ever. I am fairly certain that I will not do this race again. It was tough and very poorly run and it just frustrated me beyond belief.

I arrived in Vegas on Wednesday morning with my bike in tow going through the Airport and The Palazzo in a suit. It got a lot of reaction from my co-workers. I think many of them thought it was funny that I would come to Vegas to do a triathlon when you had an opportunity to eat and drink as much as you want. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday were filled with meetings so I was having a tough time resting. I didn't even get a chance to test my bike after I put it back together. On Friday, I ducked out a little early to go pick up my packet with Norma and Vigil. After we left packet pick-up we headed over to the race course to take a look at what we were up against. I have to say this did not get me excited. All I saw were mountains and hills. This made me a little nervous because I have done very little hill work. We park down near transition and walk up to the lake. The swim buoys were already out so we could see the swim course. It was hard to tell how cold the water was but the sign on the Ranger booth said 59 degrees when we arrived. This is much colder than I was hoping for. After we checked out the water we drove the bike course. Holy Shit!!! It was climb after climb. It just seemed unfair. I knew I would make it but my main concern was being able to run after. After we drove the course it was back into to town for some burgers and some shut eye.

Saturday 3am came early. I got up and ate my Capn' Crunch as I do before every race. I was real nervous and I was having a difficult time eating. After I ate I packed up and headed down to the car. It was funny going through the casino at 4am with my bike watching all the drunk chicks with no shoes on stagger along with a drink in their hand. Those who could remember probably thought I was strange. I mean how could someone go to Sin City and not be out all night partying. Anyway we packed up and headed out to Lake Mead. When we got there it was really cold out and I wasn't dressed for it. I set up my transition area and then sat in the car to stay warm. Around 5:50 am I put on my wetsuit and two swim caps and headed down to the chilly water. I think the water at this point was 58 according to another athlete so I was freaking a little bit. Once in the water I think my heart stopped. It felt like I was going to die. It was cold! I tried to do a little warm-up swim but it was tough. I stood in the back of the rest of the racers waiting for 6:10 am and the start of the race. The horn went off right time and we were off. I swam with my head out of the water for a few meters before putting my face down. It felt like pins and needles in my face. It was still a little dark out and I was having a difficult time seeing so my sighting left something to be desired. I kept swinging out far to the right on several parts of the swim and I was getting frustrated. The swim was already listed 1.60 miles so adding extra distance was not helpful. As I made the final turn towards the swim exit I ran into the first wave of the Sprint Group. Those idiots were all over the place. They kept grabbing my legs and I think I kicked one. As I was fighting the crowd I started to get cramps in both of my calves I was already having trouble with dry climate and I didn't need this. As I exited the swim I ran to my bike gathered myself and then the real fun began. Right as you exit transition you have a climb on the bike. I put my chain on the small ring and started make the climb out to the main road. I had to get off my saddle and when I did the chain stated jumping and slipping. It wouldn't stay in gear. I was pissed because I didn't test my bike and now I was paying for it. This is a rookie mistake not something a coach should do. I got to the top of the hill and the main road and started down. My bike was OK but the chain would still slip when I was climbing. It was just one climb and another and another. It was brutal. I didn't know if I would make it. I would be going 4 mph on one side of a hill and 40 mph on the other side. As I was riding along I noticed there were no timing mats along the way. This comes into play later on. So I'm chugging along its tough but I'm surviving and at mile 45 or so there is a kid near a Ranger station taking down numbers. This is how they got around the timing mats. The problem was they did this in a stupid place. As we were riding back there is a place at mile 50 where you can cut across the street and take 6 miles off the bike which a lot of people were doing. Fucking cheaters. I continued on up to top of the toughest hill with my quads cramping and burning and turned around at mile 53 to head back into transition. 3:03 for the bike. Not bad considering the course. One other note on the bike. I never let one person pass me. I was pretty happy about that. I took the longest T2 time ever at over 4 minutes. I was hurting and needed a minute before I ran 13 miles. I got out on the run feeling OK but tired. The run was a combination of trails and asphalt. Right before I hit mile 1 I got a bad cramp in my left hamstring. I thought great first the calves, then quads and the the hamstrings. I thought this is Bullshit! I tried to stretch it out but couldn't. I said the hell with it and ran anyway. I needed to finish this race and I wasn't letting anything stop me. The first 3 miles weren't too bad but right at mile 3 you could see what was ahead. You had to run up a hill which at this point looked like the side of a mountain. Actually I think was the side of a mountain. This part of the run was tough. The incline was brutal and the road was covered with big rocks. I motored up but was fading fast. As I ran to the turnaround it stayed flat for the most part. Along the run course there were several tunnels where builders of Hoover Dam would transport their materials through as they were building the Dam. This was great because it gave you some relief from the heat. This also where I saw runners ahead of me who I passed on the bike earlier. I was very frustrated by this. I just hate cheaters. Right before the turnaround you had to run down two long hills. One you were at the bottom you did a U-Turn and then it was back up the hills. I had to walk part of these hills I just had no strength left. I continued on just trying to finish. I knew I was close when I saw that very rocky hill I climbed earlier. It was down the hill and the rest I knew would be flat. As I rounded the final corner of the race the announcer gave me a shout out and then I ran as fast I could to the finish line. At the finish I got my medal which was much different than some of the other finishers. It was apparently a previous years medal. So the Sprint, Olympic and the cheaters received nice new medals and a lot of the 1/2 Iron finishers received old medals. To make matters worse they closed the massage tent down right after I finished. If I had a dog it probably would be run over. I came out a little Broken, Beat and Scarred but I finished. I won't do this race again but it was good training for IM Cozumel.

This week I'm back at it but doing light work. I need to work on a few things before Buffalo Springs in June. Next up however is the Silverlake Sprint in Pearland. This won't be nearly as difficult as Rage.

I want to thank Vigil for driving us around. It was a big help. I couldn't have done it without you. Thanks!

Later Dudes!

Katy Ram Challenge

This past Saturday I rode the Katy Ram Challenge. I didn't see any Ram's but there was plenty of challenge. The course was flat for the most part but the headwind was awful. I don't like headwind but it is even worse when its on the back half of the ride. I started the ride with Sklyer, Nikki, Jonathan, Brad and Norma. Skyler and Nikki dropped back early due to a problem that Skyler was having with his bike. The rest of us stayed together until the first rest stop. Brad, Jonathan and I motored through and were riding between 26-28 mph with that tailwind. We stopped at the second rest stop where we ran into Tom. After the brief rest Brad peeled off to do the 46 mile route and Jonathan and I kept going on the 62/74 mile route. When we reached the split for the 74 route we realized that it would be best to ride 62 miles. The crosswind was picking up and we knew we still had to face the headwind on the way back. Around mile 45 I started to fade. I was having a difficult time keeping up with Jonathan. We stopped at the last rest stop where we fueled up for the final 11 miles. It was 11 of the toughest miles I have rode. We were pedaling around 17 mph but it felt like we weren't even moving. Finally after almost 3 hours of riding we were near the finish. The total time of 3:02 for an official distance of 60.8 miles. My legs were dead but it was what I needed.

I capped my weekend with a 6 mile run on Sunday morning at Memorial. I was still tired from the ride the day before but it ended up being a good run. I'm not sure if I am ready for my race on Saturday but I guess I am as ready as I am going to get. I have a few short and light workouts this week but I am tapering. We will see how it goes.

The Lone Star Triathlon

This past weekend was the Lone Star Triathlon and it was an exciting weekend. 8 months of training came down to a tough race on Saturday.

We arrived in Galveston Saturday morning and after getting settled I went out on a short run on the actual race course to get myself more familiar with the route. It was hot and humid and the course was fast with lots if turns. After my run I gathered the team together for the safety meeting and then it was off to the swim start for a short swim. The water temperature seemed good and I think everyone felt better about the first leg of the race. After everyone was out of the water we headed back to the hotel for a short nap and then we met for the pasta party. The team looked great in their running shirts and it really showed our team unity. The pasta party started off with comments from the head of the South Texas TNT chapter and then I addressed the group. I was asked to speak about the race course, rules and what to be ready for. After my speech Johnny Romano's mother Julie spoke to the group about her experience with TNT and about our team's inspiration Johnny. I don't think their was a dry eye in the house. It was a touching story and we could not have asked for a better honored teammate in Johnny. When the pasta party adjourned we had a brief team meeting with some final instructions and some recognition. Norma made a really neat poster for each member of the team and the team bought me a super cool bike helmet. It is the same helmet that Lance Armstrong wears and I can not wait to wear it. Thanks for the gift team! After the meeting it was off to bed for some shut eye.

3:45 am on Sunday came quickly. I was tired and a little anxious for the team. We all met in the lobby and we headed down to transition for body marking and so everyone could set-up their transition area. Our team did not start until about 8:30 so when they finished setting up they headed back to the hotel for some rest. Everyone looked nervous as they headed down to the swim start and while they were waiting for their wave to get in the water. The race got a little behind but when it got started everyone looked good and I headed over to the swim out to watch everyone run into transition. Everyone looked good coming out of the water. There were a few surprises about swim times. Most of the team finished the swim faster than I anticipated and that was great. Coach Liz was out on the bike course at the turn around to keep an eye on the team for me so I could watch everyone leave onto the bike course. (Thanks Liz!) After the last swimmer was on the bike I went to grab my bike and headed onto the bike course. I rode out to the last bike aid station to watch the riders. I was there for about 30 minutes before I saw my first athlete. Jonathan flew by with his head down and I figured that I should head back because I knew a few more of the team would be coming by soon. I took a side road back to Moody Gardens and as I was riding the wind, which was already bad, really picked up. This worried me because quite a bit of my team had wave starts towards the end and I knew they would be riding through it. When I got to Moody Gardens I started getting updates from Liz. She said she saw everyone and had to help Nikki change a flat tire. Unfortunately Nikki got a another flat and crashed coming into transition. (She had a rough day). Heather was the last of my team to make it in off the bike. She was not feeling well but she wanted to keep going. I told her talk walk for a while and try to take in more fluids. I felt bad for her but I knew she would make it. I talked to most everyone when the entered the run course and they were hurting but moving. As everyone was running I moved all over the race course to keep an eye on everyone and cheer them on. They were all tired and dehydrated but they weren't going to quit. I had the opportunity to run in with a few of the team trying to keep them motivated to finish and that was a great experience for me. I am proud of each and every member of this team. They all finished the race and they all raised thousands of dollars for cancer research. It is a great accomplishment.

This post doesn't include everything that happened race day. There was so much going on its hard to write it all down. It was so enjoyable talking to families of the team and hearing how proud they were. I enjoyed talking with my tri friends and I was just happy to be part of the experience. It was nice seeing people who early season I had my doubts about finish and finish strong. It great to see those people who wanted to quit the team and those who wanted to do the shorter tri tough it out and finish. It was inspiring to see people like Norma who couldn't even swim two years ago finish her first half-ironman. I'm super proud of her! This was one of the most enjoyable experiences of my life and I look forward to next season. For now I'm focusing on my family and my race schedule. Good luck to all of my team in whatever comes your way. I know you will all do well. Bye for now and I will see you on the race course.

Bluebonnet Express, the Lone Star Team and my Vegas Trip

Sunday I rode the Bluebonnet Express. It was a pretty good ride overall but I didn't see too many Bluebonnets. Unfortunately, I just was not feeling it on Sunday and I cut my ride short. I only put in around 36 miles but it was still good training. I did follow that up with a 6 mile run at Memorial dodging all the people at the park who were there for the Art Festival. I will have to be creative on my training this weekend but I think I have a good plan.

Yesterday marked the final practice for the Lone Star Team. It is a bittersweet moment for me. One on side I will be glad to get some time back for myself but I have to say it will be tough to say goodbye because I have become very fond of them. I know a number of them want to keep training together and I really hope that we do. They are great bunch of people and I know they will all do great on Sunday. I will update everyone sometime on Sunday or Monday with a race report.

Last but certainly not least. I have two weeks until my first triathlon of the season. I am a little nervous because this race is going to be tough. The elevation gains on the bike and on the run look brutal and I am just hoping I have the legs for it. The other part that is going to be tough is that it is in Vegas. There are lots of bad influences in Vegas and most include my co-workers. I hope I didn't bite off more than I could chew with this one.

The Tour de Houston, Galveston and other fun stuff

I am really doing a crummy job updating this Blog lately. Sorry dudes!

First things first. It has been about a week and a half since I last visited the doctor. Everything seems to be O.K. I am feeling good and I am getting back into a nice routine with my workouts. Two weekends ago I ran 12 miles and followed that with a 43 mile ride in Galveston. (The headwind was brutal) I did a fairly long brick last Thursday and all seems back to normal. (Finally). I am happy to be getting back on track.

Last Sunday I rode the Tour de Houston. As some of you may remember I started this event last year but had to pull out 2 miles into the ride due to that bad crash Norma had on her bike which landed her in the hospital for 3 days. So as you can imagine I was a little anxious about this year's ride. The ride started around 7:20 and I was in the second wave to get started and everything was going good. It was a little cold but I knew it would soon be plenty warm. It didn't take long to start getting a little worried about this ride. There were around 5000 riders and the roads were a mess. Lots of pot holes and cracks made it very tough to stay in an aero position but I did my best. At mile 8 I hit a bump in the road very hard and I lost one of my water bottles.(My Longhorn 70.3 bottle =/). I was surprised I did not blow out a tire but I also knew it was only a matter of time before I got a flat. So true to form at mile 10 my back wheel went flat. I got the tire off and tube changed pretty quick but as I was inflating my tire my inflator broke. I wasn't sure what to do. A Ride Marshall helped me out and I was soon back on the road. I was making good time despite the road conditions and the amount of riders and I felt good on the bike.
There were a few spots where traffic control should have been better, specifically anywhere the Mobility Response Team was, but overall it was a decent ride and I finished the 70 mile route in 3:26:00, pretty good considering I have done very little long riding this year. After I finished the ride I ran a little under 6 miles and I'm feeling a whole lot better about my training.

The Lone Star half-iron team did its last long ride prior to race day. I took the team down to Galveston so they could ride the race route. The wind was not as bad as the day that I rode out there but it was still pretty rough. The team did well despite the fact that we had 5 flat tires on the route. The team has just three total practices prior to race day and I think people are tired. Attendance at practice has been down the last two weeks and I know many of them are anxious to get the race over with. I feel pretty good about everyone and their training and I am confident that they will all do well.

Take a Hike Ike

I am very behind on my updates so I cramming a lot into this entry. Sorry.

Last week most of the Lone Star Half-Iron team participated in the Take a Hike Ike Duathlon at Lake Houston. The race was supposed to be a triathlon but was changed to a duathlon because of the choppy conditions in the water. I think this worked out well because it was freezing and very windy out.

The race started out as a mass start and everything went well at the start. The first leg was a 5K run. Around 15 or 16 minutes into the race the first runners were making their way into transition. Jonathan was our first runner in followed closely by Jacob and Tom. Everyone looked real strong coming into T1. The one odd thing was all the trouble people had coming out of T1. People were falling, some wanted to mount their bike in transition but most had mounted their bike before the red line out of T1. The Lone Star team did a pretty good job with this but we have room for improvement.
The real fun however came when the riders came in from the 10.8 mile bike and were getting ready to begin the second 5K run. I have never seen so many people take off out of transition with their helmet still on. It was hilarious. It wasn't just new triathletes it was experienced ones as well. Runners were just throwing helmets all over the ground it was quite a sight. The second run portion went well and the team looked really good. I am very proud of each of them.



Here is the final tally for the Lone Star Half-Iron team. We had five people place in the top three. They were rewarded with a nice plaque. We also had another four people finish in 4th place. So it was great day for our team and they all did well. I can't wait to see them race on April 5th. I know they will all do well.


Okay now for the not so fun stuff. Two weeks ago I went to the doctor for a problem that I had going to the restroom. The doctor prescribed a powerful anti-biotic because she felt like I had a viral infection that was embedded in my Prostate. She also felt like it could be something more serious but I won't comment on that until I go back this week for further tests. The anti-biotic she gave me made me feel pretty crummy. I petty much felt like I was going to hurl 24/7 but it seemed to be curing my ailment so I toughed it out. So I'm feeling better in that department and then about a week ago I start developing flu like symptoms. Now how that happens when I'm on anti-biotics is a mystery to me. As the week went on I kept feeling worse. So on Wednesday night I went to the Urgent Care to see what is going inside my body. The doctor told me I did not have the flu but I had another viral infection but this was in my throat. He prescribed another anti-biotic and at this point I felt like I was going to die. I go through the rest of the week feeling pretty crappy but Saturday night I finally got a decent nights sleep and Sunday I started feeling better. I'm up and at my normal routine this morning despite feeling tired and still a little congested but I'm sure I will live. I have now missed 9 days of training the most in years and I'm looking forward to getting back after it. I'll cross my fingers on my physical and my tests this week.

My training is going Okay. I put in quite a bit of time in the water last week due to the various different injuries I have. I did however put in 2 short runs and a short bike ride. The runs were not too painful and the ride was good. The best part of last week was the swimming. I did two open water swims and in total put in almost 3000 meters. The water has been real cold but it has been great to get back in the open water.

Yesterday despite a very upset stomach I put in a 7 mile run at Memorial. It was the first pain free run I've had in weeks. My knee, hip and ankle feel much better and I think dialing back the mileage really helped. I'm hoping to start slowly increasing the mileage this week so I can stay on track.

Later

I have been pretty banged up the last couple of weeks and it is really affecting my sleep and my training. I have several nagging and a few painful injuries. First of all my lower back is in a lot of pain and my right hip keeps shifting and is causing me some knee pain. Also, my left ankle and Achilles tendon are very tender and lastly I am going in for an X-ray on Friday to see if I have a stress fracture in my right shin. Oh, and I have had a headache for about a week. Sound fun, right? So due to all of these injuries I have decided not to run the Cowtown Marathon and focus on my Half Ironman races for the time being. The swimming and biking do not seem to aggravate these injuries and I have enough of a running base that I should be ready for my first race in April.

One final update. My diet is back on schedule. I've lost about 8 pounds which puts me at 175 and heading in the right direction. I would like to get down to 170 by the end of the month and I really feel on track to hit my mark. I would like to be at my normal race weight of 165 by the end of March and 160 by the time hit I Cozumel in November. 160 had been a tough weight for me to hit. I have reached it a couple times over the last couple of years but I have not been able to maintain it. My fear is that I would have to take off a lot of muscle to reach that weight and that is not how I want to get there. I'll work on the details of the diet, perhaps with a Nutritionist, to get this all worked out.

The Gym

I haven't been to the gym to lift in over a week. I was supposed to go last Friday but I didn't make it. So last night I reverted back to the days when I primarily weight lifted and I hit the gym late in the evening. I must say things have changed a bit since my days of working out at 10 pm. Now, I like to throw around the "F" word as much as the next guy but even I was starting to feel uncomfortable. There were dudes having conversations from one end of the gym to the other saying "F" this and "F" that. It was strange.

The other thing that was funny about going so late to the gym was the way people were dressed. I like sunglasses as much as the next guy but in the gym at night. Whatever? The workout gear people wore was inappropriate and I must say the whole thing was just bizarre. I'm going to try and avoid the late night gym workouts from now on.

Frost Bike 50

Last Sunday I did the Frost Bike 50 that started up at Cy-Fair College. I did this ride last year but I only did the 45 mile route. This year I did the 55 mile route (actually came in at 52 miles). It was cold but it wasn't as bad as last year. The temperature never cracked 50 but it was good riding weather. The ride was pretty uneventful but it's one that I enjoy. After the ride I did a short run. I really need to start some bricks. I have not done one in a few months and my legs reminded me of it. I still feel pretty good about my training and things are all coming back together.

This week I have not done as much work due to work, my birthday and just being tired. Since Sunday I have done one short swim and I did an 11 mile run yesterday. Today I plan to swim and lift weights and then I plan on riding with the team tomorrow. The plan is 56 miles. Sunday I want to get in a long run but I'll see how I'm feeling.

The Houston Marathon

Sunday I ran the Houston Marathon. I finally had some good luck at this event. Before I get into the details of the race I want to thank my family for coming out and watching me run. Thank you Alex, Jessica and Mary. It meant a lot to have you out there.

Now for the race. I woke up a little before 4am and I started fueling up for the race. Shortly after I woke up I stepped awkwardly on my left foot and my ankle and my Achilles tendon became very sore and I of course was very worried. This soreness would present some problems during the race.

We arrived to the race around 5:45am and as usual I was nervous. I was stretching inside the convention center and I just couldn't get my ankle feeling right. Around 6:45 am I headed out to the start line where I ran into Skyler who was running his first marathon. A little after 7am we were off. Initially Skyler pulled ahead of me and about a mile in he slowed because he felt his pace was a little too quick.

My ankle and Achilles were sore throughout the race but the pain was manageable initially. Skyler kept running at a good pace and were on target through 9 miles. At mile 11 which was around Rice University we ran into Dave Vega and he ran with us for a little bit. Skyler and I kept trucking along and at the halfway point we pacing at a time of 4:15:00. This was right where I wanted to be.

As we continued on from miles 13 to 20 the pain kept increasing but we seemed to be keeping our pace. My Achilles at this point felt like it was going to snap but I wanted to keep going. I knew I was going to make it when I reached Woodway because I knew that it was a straight shot to the finish line. As Skyler and I reached Memorial Park which was around mile 20 the pain really became intense and I really wanted to stop and walk. Thank God Skyler was there because I probably would have. This is also the point where the runners start to fall apart.

During the run up Memorial and through the park there were bodies everywhere. The heat was starting to increase and I know the pain was unbearable for most of the runners. As we continued up Memorial I pointed up the road to the Michelob Ultra stand I could not wait to get there. I downed a beer and it was the greatest beer I think I have ever had. Skyler and I motored on and we ran into Liz who gave us some Motrin that would have to get us through the race. I asked her why we did these things? She reminded that I am an Ironman. I accepted it and moved on. A few minutes later Skyler asked me the same question and my answer was because we are stupid.(sorry I was hurting) We kept moving along through mile 22, 23 and 24 walking for a minute here and there. We saw Dave again around mile 24 along with Heather and the rest of Skyler's family. At mile 25 we were walking and we ran into Nikki and Jonathan who ran the Half Marathon. At this point we started running again and Jonathan ran the rest of the way with us. We really picked up the pace at this point and the pain was excruciating. Skyler pulled ahead of me as we sprinted in to the finish.

My time was 4:24:59 which was around 3 minutes better than my previous PR. I am very happy that ankle held up and that I was finally able to have a good day at this event. I also want to thank Skyler for running with me. I don't think I would have done as well without him there.

As proud as I am of my own achievement I want to say that I am even more proud of all of the athletes that I coach that finished the event. With that said I want to give credit to Liz for getting most of these athletes started with endurance events but I had the honor of taking them to the next level. Nikki Vardeman just completed her second half marathon since joining the Lone Star Team and Skyler Moss just completed his first marathon. The Vellecas finished their first half marathon and even though they trained with the marathon team and our team I am sure our multi-sport training helped. Nikki Frank and Ashley Hester set PR's and Crystal had a great day as well. A week ago Lori Ivanoff finished her first half marathon and it was her longest run to date. And of course it was Norma's first half-marathon and I am very proud of her and this great accomplishment. I know she had a few injuries and she was still able to make it to the finish line. Congratulations to all who finished the event.

This is the first event of my 2009 schedule. I have a busy year and I am hoping that my body will hold up. Sunday I am riding the Frost Bike 50 so hopefully it will be another productive day.

Oh my here we go!

So I am just a couple of days from the Houston Marathon and the start of my 2009 season. I feel like I am ready for the race but I wish my weight was a little lower. I'm still struggling with my holiday weight but I know I will be able to take it off over the next couple months. I am looking forward to the race on Sunday for a few reasons. The main reason is that I have not had much luck at the Houston Marathon and I want to turn it around. In 2007, Houston was my very first marathon and it was a disaster due to improper training, improper diet and the wrong shoes. In 2008 I had to drop to the half-marathon and ended up walking most of that due to a severe hip and calf injury. I have a sore back but I have been running with it for the past few weeks and it hasn't slowed me too much. With all that said I am hoping to at least match my time in San Antonio and come out injury free.

I'll will send my race report and hopefully a few pictures by Monday.

Later Dudes!

Rage 2009

No this is not another post about my anger management issues. This is going to be my first 1/2 Ironman of 2009. This is a race in Las Vegas in April. I am going to Vegas for a meeting and there happens to be a 1/2 Ironman the day after our meeting ends and I thought it would be a great start to my triathlon season. I am not sure if I will get a tune up race prior to Rage 2009 but I am sure I will be OK. This works out well in my training for my IM Cozumel race and it should force me to get my act together.

On another note my daughter informed me recently that she is ready to tackle triathlons. I've asked twice if she is serious and I will probably ask her one more time before I start training her. I think it would be awesome if she gets involved in the sport and it be great to able to spend more time with her. I am also hoping that my son will want to join us as well. So needless to say I am pretty excited about the prospect of the three crossing the finish line at the same race. Hopefully they won't beat me by too much.