tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80421383965238179262024-02-19T01:46:46.072-06:00IronLuke's BlogLuke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-4915995899919328212012-08-02T19:40:00.000-05:002012-08-02T19:40:03.765-05:00The Road TripI started my road trip on July 10th and hit the road with Alex to my Dad's place in La Luz, NM for a night. It was an easy drive and I was glad we made it there early in the day. <br />
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Day 2 we drove from La Luz to my Mom's place in Novato, CA which is about 20 miles north of San Fransisco. That was a grueling 18 hour drive but I'm glad we made it in 1 day. Day 3 was pretty much a rest day that involved watching Spider-Man with Alex and picking up Norma in Oakland. Day 4 Norma, Alex and I went to San Fransisco and bumped around Fisherman's Wharf and we finished the day with pizza at my favorite pizza place Round Table Pizza. It was soooooo good. Day 5 and 6 was super fun as Norma and I went to Napa to enjoy wine tasting. I never knew it would be so much fun. We also bought 2 cases of wine while we were there. Day 6 ended with my Mom cooking a massive feast for me and my brother's family. It was great to spend a few hours with Joel, Laura and my super sweet nieces Emily and Haley. Day 7 Norma and I went back to the Wharf for a little bit before she had to get back to the airport in San Fransisco. After I dropped Norma at the airport my mom and I took Alex to Sacramento to spend time with his other Grandmother. Day 8 my Mom and I went to Blue Lake, California where my Grandfather lives. He his almost 95 and it was really nice to see him and one of my uncles. That was super long day, Day 9 my mom and I went to Golden Gate park to take some pictures of the bridge. It was such a nice day. (Pics will be posted later). Day 10 and my last full day in California was non eventful. I went to Sacramento to get Alex. We was flying from Oakland to Houston that afternoon. The day ended with my Mom and I having dinner and enjoying some wine. My trip to California was very enjoyable and it was great to see everyone.<br />
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Day 11 was a tough day. I drove from Novato, CA to Salt Lake City, UT. This was a long boring drive. The day ended with me picking up Norma at the airport to enjoy the next 5 days of our road trip. Day 12 was a busy day. We started with a drive from Utah to Idaho. In Idaho we stopped at the Yellowstone Bear World, a drive- thru bear park. I initially didn't want to stop because we were on a schedule but I am glad we did. The animals walk right to the car and were able to get many great pictures. After we left Bear World we briefly drove through Montana where we entered Yellowstone Park. Shortly after entering the park we entered Wyoming. We spent most of the rest of the day at Yellowstone. The park is such a site. The wilderness, waterfalls, hot springs and of course the geysers we something else. The last site at the park was the Old Faithful geyser that blew her stack a little late but it was worth the wait. To finish out the day we drove to Cody, WY for the night. Day 13 we started early. We were driving to South Dakota. We hit Deadwood around noon. This is a town I have wanted to visit for a long time. Deadwood is probably most known for the place that Wild Bill Hickok was killed. We started our tour of Deadwood with lunch at the Gem. Anyone who watch the Deadwood TV show will know this place. After lunch we did a wine tasting and walked around the town. We ended the tour with a little gambling at Charlie Utter's Casino. We left Deadwood and went to Keystone where Mount Rushmore is. If you have never gone to Mount Rushmore you have to do it at least once. It is one of the neatest things I have ever seen. I could have probably stayed there all day. Pictures just don't do it justice. After leaving Mount Rushmore we went to the Crazy Horse memorial. This was neat but a major rip off. I wish we would have pulled off the side of the road to take pictures. After our brief stop there we drove to Ft. Collins, CO and began the trip back to my Dad's house. Day 14 we started to head back to my Dad's house but I did make a side track to Taos, NM where I was born. I wanted Norma to see Taos. I stopped by my Grandmother's house just to see how it looked and then we went to the Plaza for lunch and a little shopping. We then headed out on the road back to La Luz. <br />
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Day 15 I drove Norma around Alamogordo so she could see the town. (La Luz is outside of Alamogordo.) We had lunch in town, bought a few souvenirs and finished up with some wine tasting. My Step Sisters kids were spending the next few day with my Dad and Step mom. Day 16 we just relaxed. I had to take Norma to El Paso so she could fly back to Houston. The day ended with dinner, beer and a little TV. Day 17 I ran a few errands and then we we took the kids to the Elk's club to swim. My Dad and I enjoyed a few beers at the bar. (Ok I had more than a few). The day ended with me packing my stuff up and turning in early because I was driving home the next day. Day 18 was another long day of driving. It took me forever to get home. <br />
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After getting home I still did a few things. The next day I finally got to see my favorite Superhero in action. The Dark Knight Rises was super awesome and then I had lunch with my cousin Sonia and her daughter Erica on Sunday. After that I have just been relaxing. I have really enjoyed my sabbatical. and still have 2 1/2 weeks left until I go back to work.<br />
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I have one my short trip that I will update next week. I have nothing big on the race front but my endurance is finally coming back. I'm feeling much better and I hope to be racing again soon.<br />
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Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-45142956281672103582012-07-09T18:43:00.000-05:002012-08-02T18:44:17.035-05:00Sabbattical Weeks 3 and 4Nothing to report for weeks 3 and 4 of my sabbatical. I've been taking it easy and doing some light training. I will be going on a road trip tomorrow and I will get to see lots of family and many parts of the country. I'm excited to hit the road and I will give a wrap up after I get back into town.<br />
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Bye for now.Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-8531178122572138402012-06-27T11:52:00.001-05:002012-06-27T11:52:48.372-05:00Sabbatical Weeks 1 and 2The first 2 weeks of my sabbatical did not go quite as planned. I am glad to be relaxing at home but I had a few days of work that I hope will pay off for my career long term. The one real nice thing is that its given me a chance to focus on my health and my new diet from Dr. Krupka. I am feeling much better and I am finally starting to lose weight. I will be traveling around the 10th of July and coming back into town around the end of July. I will be visiting my mom in California and my Dad in New Mexico and will be experiencing much of the country as well. When I start to travel I will provide more updates and photos of my travels.<br />
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As for the endurance stuff I am scheduled to do the Vineman Triathlon in July. At this point I'm not sure if Vineman will happen. I have just recently been released to begin light endurance training in the last 10 days and have not done much yet. I hate to keep missing these races but my health and my injuries are the most important thing. I have so many setbacks that I'm nervous that I will have more if I ramp up my training too quickly. As for furture races I have the Disneyland 1/2 Marathon in September and a Sprint Tri in September that I'm already registered for. I'm not registering for anything else until I'm 100% better. This has been tough becuase there are things I want to sign up for but I just can't until I know I will be able to do the event. As always I'll keep you updated on my future races.<br />
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Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-14739964464744882092012-05-10T17:22:00.001-05:002012-05-10T17:22:33.986-05:002012 Ironman TexasWith just over a week until Ironman Texas I am leaning towards sitting the race out. I have been super busy at work and unable to train at all the last few weeks. I did compete in the HITS Olympic Triathlon two weeks ago and had a difficult time racing. I was supposed to race the Half-Iron the next day but I was very ill and could not go. In addition to my lack of training I have a bicep, neck and back injury (the same from last year) that is also making it difficult train even when I have time. I'll make my final decision on the race this weekend but I think it will be tough to do. Going forward I don't think many Iron distance races are in my future. I'm very focused on my career and I'm excited about my future prospects at work. I do plan on racing Vineman in July and I'm sure I will do some other races during my sabbatical which starts in mid-June. As for what is next I plan on racing Tejas in June. As always, I'll let everyone know.<br />
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Bye for now.Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-74274884962076336762012-04-02T13:23:00.005-05:002012-04-02T14:52:53.266-05:00Ironman 70.3 TexasAfter weeks of thought I decided to participate in Ironman 70.3 Texas yesterday. I knew going in that it would be my slowest 70.3 and it very much was. I did the race severely under trained in all 3 disciplines but I was tired of missing races due to injury and illness and I felt that I could gut it out. I didn't begin training for the event until March 12th and I felt it all day. Here is the race breakdown.<br /><br />Race morning was nerve racking for me. I was so nervous and I was wondering why I was doing this race. As I was getting set up in transition I had to keep reminding myself that this was just a day of training. I was not going for time, just finish. As I left transition and made my way to the the swim start I began calm down a bit and I started to visualize the start of the race. As I made my way over the bridge to where you have to jump in the water I knew I could finish the swim. I knew it would take a while but I knew I would finish. When the start horn went off I just went with a slow swim stroke. I didn't want to use too much energy in the swim. This was the part I was most concerned about. I have done very little swimming this year. In fact, I swam 3 times between March 12th and March 18th with the longest swim at 750 yards. I injured my right shoulder on March 18th at the Telfair triathlon and had to take 10 days out of the pool. I did get in a 2250 yard swim the Wednesday before the race and a 1500 yard swim the Friday before the race but that was it. But despite that I still felt like I could finish the race. As I hit the halfway part of swim I was really tired but I pressed on. I saw a lot of the swim waves that started after me fly by but I pressed on. As exited the water I was beat and I wondered if I could continue but I pressed on. My swim time was 57:56. This was by far my slowest time for a 70.3 swim but I didn't care. I was happy I finished.<br /><br />When I entered T1 I took my time. I wanted to get everything straight before I got on the bike. As I started riding I could tell the wind was in my future. The wind on the front half of the ride was really slowing me. This combined with my fatigue was making me cranky. I was getting past up by everyone early on. I kept thinking this should not be happening but this is just for training. It doesn't matter. The one neat part of the bike portion of the race came at the 8.5 mile mark when I saw Lance Armstrong fly by. He was leading the race and was close to finishing the bike course as I was starting my 56 mile bike experience. After he flew by I just trucked on wanting to get to the turn around so I could get some relief from the tailwind that awaited me. At the halfway point I was 1:41:45. I knew this was slow but the headwind really slowed me and I knew I could make up some time with the tailwind. On the way back in the tailwind definitely helped. I was starting to pass some of those people who passed me earlier in the race but I was really getting tired. As I came to the end of the bike portion I knew I could finish the race even if I had to walk the entire 13.1 mile run course. My second half of the bike was faster at 1:28:11 and a total of 3:09:56. It was my slowest bike time for a 70.3 but not bad considering my longest training ride was 51 miles which came the Sunday before the race.<br /><br />In T2 I was tired but as I said I knew I would finish. I started running right out of transition but it didn't last long. My legs were sore and I just couldn't keep any kind of running going. I saw Norma early on the run and she walked with me for a while. I needed the distraction from the pain. As I was running and walking my stomach became upset. I didn't workout my nutrition for the race properly and I was starting to pay for it. As I continued on I ran into Norma several more times. She was knack for getting around the race course. At any rate she walked with me several more times until I hit mile 11.5 and I decided to try and run the rest of the way without much success. I ended up finishing the run in 2:55:59. As before it was my slowest run for a 70.3. I still didn't mind. I finished and that is all that matters. My total time was 7:11:34. This is slower by 40 minutes from my previous slowest time. Considering my lack of training I will take it.<br /><br />In order to contradict myself I have decided to make a run at Ironman Texas. 3 weeks ago I thought this was not going to happen. Until lately I have put zero effort into getting ready for this race. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself. I know it will be tough to get ready but I'm going to try. If I miss the race due to an injury or illness that is one thing. I don't want to miss it due to a lack of effort. My training schedule is busy and I have a week of travel for business in April but I think I can get ready enough to at least finish the race. I'll keep everyone updated on my progress.<br /><br />Bye for now.Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-59954470132018739732012-03-18T13:31:00.002-05:002012-03-18T13:44:02.783-05:00Telfair TriathlonI haven't had much to report from my last post in January. My recovery has been most difficult and my training has been inconsistent at best. I'm still trying to keep moving forward with everything but it has been difficult. With that said I did my 1st triathlon in over 8 months. I did the 1st annual Telphair Triathlon in Sugar Land this morning and it was great to get back out on the race course. I don't have all the breakdown of times from each discipline but I finished the 500 meter swim, 12.6 mile bike and 5k run in around 1:25:00. I felt good, but tired and I am thankful that I was able to race.<br /><br />With all that has gone on with me over the past few months I am considering dropping out of my next few races. (Ironman 70.3 Texas and Ironman Texas). I have not made any final decisions yet but I am leaning that way with Ironman 70.3 Texas just 2 weeks away. My training is getting better but I want to do these right and not create further health issues or injuries. I'll make a decision shortly and I let everyone know. This is a tough decision and I need to get it right.<br /><br />Bye for now.Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-83809216517409525972012-01-13T13:59:00.002-06:002012-01-13T14:20:57.141-06:00Road To RecoveryAs sit I and write this post I am a little over 6 weeks from the throat and nose surgery that was supposed to correct several things and make me feel a whole lot better. I am just now starting to feel better after several set backs during my recovery. I am not sure if the surgery did what it was supposed to and because of that I have not been optimistic about my upcoming training and race schedule. With all that said I have a lot of work to do.<br /><br />While I've been recovering I completely lost control of what it means to be an endurance athlete. I have developed a lot of bad habits, mainly from not being able to train. I've put on a considerable amount of weight, which is not good considering I was already way off my race weight. I also developed some even crappier eating habits and I just got real lazy. It has just been in the last week that I feel like I am getting my mojo back and I'm finally starting to get some consistency back.<br /><br />As for upcoming events I am signed up for the Texas Independence Bike Tour at the end of January and a 5 mile run in February. As I start to get my endurance back I'll sign up for more, but I'm taking it slow for now.<br /><br />I want to thank all of you who sent me messages after my surgery. That really meant a lot to me. The surgery and the weeks after the surgery were much tougher than I thought they would be and there were times where I wasn't sure if I would ever be able to the endurance events that I love. I still have some recovering to do but I am committed to getting on the race course soon.<br /><br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-78574491856452473642011-11-10T15:25:00.003-06:002011-11-10T15:42:37.182-06:00Big NewsBefore the big news a quick update. It has been a little over a month since my last post. Since then my "health" issues have continued to burden me. My training has been inconsistent due to the health problems. I missed the 5150 race, where I had a free entry and Oilman due to my inability to train. With that said I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. With any luck I should be back to a "normal" schedule by mid December. I do plan to get back to some light to moderate training in the meantime. My body will dictate what I can and can not do.<br /><br />So for the big news. I am currently signed up for 3 big races in 2012. First up will be Ironman 70.3 Texas in April followed by Ironman Texas in May and Ironman 70.3 Vineman in July. Of these race I have only done Ironman Texas. I am looking forward to doing my 3rd Ironman and being 100% healthly for it. I have coached the IM 70.3 Texas race for the last 3 years and I am really looking forward to getting to actually race there. Lastly, I am super excited about the IM 70.3 Vineman race in Napa, CA. I have wanted to do this race for a long time. With any luck there will be wine on the route. At any rate these are 3 quality races and I am really looking forward to all of them.<br /><br />As for the remainder of 2012 I will have plenty of events to do. I have several things in mind but I am still in planning process. I will let everyone know as I finalize the 2012 schedule. I hope all is well with everyone and I'll see you at the start line.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-91285096309445971802011-10-02T15:37:00.002-05:002011-10-02T15:51:55.052-05:00Susan G. Komen 5KBefore I get into my update on the Susan G. Komen 5K, I want to provide a small training update.<br /><br />Training has been up and down. In the last 2 weeks I have done my longest brick and my longest swim since IMTX. Other than that training has been inconsistent. I have been working an extreme amount of hours and days the last two weeks and I have had 2 more allergic reactions where some part of my face swells up. (Don't laugh) The medication that I take for these reactions makes me very sleepy and gives me some pretty bad headaches. This typically derails my training for a few days, today being no exception. I am going to try and regroup with a brick after work tomorrow before departing for 3 days in Beaumont. I am hoping I can have a allergic reaction free week so I get my consistency back.<br /><br />As for the Susan G. Komen 5K I had a very slow run. This was my 1st 5K and I finished in 26'56". I wasn't going for time so I didn't really care what the time was. There is one thing to running only a 5K, you are done early. This was very nice compared to the long running and triathlon events I typically do. Overall the event was nice and will probably do the event again.<br /><br />I still haven't made any decisions on my next few events. I really want that consistency with my health and training before I pay for anymore events. I see my allergist later this week so hopefully she can give me another treatment that will help me. I hope to have something posted in the next couple weeks on what is next for me.<br /><br />Have a good week.<br /><br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-36724433868024538292011-09-17T15:16:00.003-05:002011-09-17T15:38:32.237-05:00I'm BackHello All,<br /><br />I have not updated by Blog since February 1, 2011. Wow, I can't believe it's been that long! Since I last updated everyone I completed 6 triathlons including my 2nd Ironman. Needless to say my Ironman did not go as planned due to a number of injuries and lack of proper training. This was also compounded by being way off my race weight. Since my Ironman my neck, back and shoulder have healed up and I have started training again. I spent most of the summer in the weight room with my son and I have started my running and cycling regiment over the last few weeks. The one odd thing that I have been dealing with over the last 6 weeks is this mystery illness that has been making different parts of parts of my face swell up. One of my doctors feels its related to a bacteria named H-Pylori but the medication has not seemed to helped. It hasn't slowed me down too much but it does force me to alter my training calendar from time to time. I'm hoping to get to the bottom of the illness soon.<br /><br />As I look at the remainder of 2011 I have a few events I am signed up for. I have the Susan Komen 5k on October 1st, The Oilman 1/2 Ironman on November 6th and the BCS Marathon on December 11th. I don't feel pressure to do these events but I really want to. My main focus is to get 100% healthy, get back to race weight and re-install a consistent training system. If I am not ready I will not race. I have done too many races in the last few years when I am not ready and it has added to a lot of frustration in my life. Going forward I am not sure what events I am going to do. I have a lot events I would like to do but I really need to make sure I get the items I mentioned earlier in place. I will do a better job updating everyone going forward. I was very frustrated earlier in the year and I just felt like I would be filling this Blog with negativity. I hope everyone is doing well and I will update everyone again very soon.<br /><br />Bye for now.Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-6359418523386616942011-02-01T17:37:00.002-06:002011-02-01T17:47:33.274-06:002011 to DateJanuary was a busy month as I completed several endurance events. I did the Goofy Challenge on the 8th and 9th where I had a personal best marathon, I rode the Frost Bike 50 which was 56 miles but who is counting on the 23rd and on the 30th I achieved another PR at the Houston Marathon. I am not going to provide a detailed race report but I will say all of the events went well overall and I had a lot of fun. As for the IronMan training, things are going well and I am definitely on track for May. I have several more events between now and May 21st starting with the Mardi Gras Marathon in Galveston on February 20th. I am not sure how much I will be updating the blog until the big race so be patient with me. You can always follow me on Twitter @IronManLuke where I will try to give updates on my training progress. I'll see you on the road.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-80017413975802832702010-11-30T09:13:00.005-06:002010-11-30T09:35:15.635-06:00IronMan Cozumel 2009 and 2010Last weekend was the one year anniversary of my first IronMan. It was in Cozumel and it was one of the most exciting things I have ever been a part of. As I was getting updates on Lauren, Laura and Johnny who were doing the 2nd annual event I couldn't help but be a little jealous. It was such an accomplishment for me to finish that race and I really wanted to be there racing it again. I first want to say that I am very proud of Lauren and Laura for finishing their 1st IronMan event. They have both been good friends to me and I'm really excited for them. As for Johnny, he had a tough day having to stop racing due to an illness. I know this sucks for him but anyone who knows Johnny, knows he will be back stronger than ever.<br /><br />I just wanted put a few thoughts down regarding the event. I really loved this event and I hope to do it again in the future. As for me, the training is moving along well. I am very excited for 2011 and what the new race season will bring.<br /><br />Later Dudes!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-15844080839538013932010-11-29T12:51:00.002-06:002010-11-29T13:46:40.642-06:00Turkey Trot 2010On Thanksgiving I did my first Turkey Trot. I did this run in Dallas and it was a lot of fun. The run consisted of 2 distances a 5k and a 8 mile run. I chose the 8 mile run. Here are the run details:<br /><br />When I woke up to head to downtown Dallas I was not sure what to wear for the run. It wasn't super cold but it was supposed to get colder as morning went on. I decided to bring warm and cool weather gear and I would decide before the race started. When we arrived downtown my decision on what to wear was not any easier so I ended up in shorts and a running jacket. This ended up being a good decision. It was windy and cold and I felt just right with what I wore.<br /><br />The start line was a little bit of a mess. There were non-timed runners mixed with the timed runners and knew I did not want run through the people that were not going for time. Norma and I started making our way through the crowd and eventually made it towards the front of the pack. As we waited for the race to start we saw that we were standing next to a kid in a Gumby suit that was stretching and was looking to run a fast race. I thought to myself just don't let Gumby beat you. As the race got underway Gumby took off and I thought so much for not letting Gumby beat you. I just hope he was only running the 5k.<br /><br />As the run started I was a little sore and the wind and cold were getting to me. I felt like I was running in place but I had a decent pace going. As I reached mile 1 I was looking forward to a an aid station because I needed some fluids. Unfortunately there was no aid station in sight. I kept going as I felt pretty good overall and I knew I could go another mile. At mile 2 there was an aid station but there was only water and I was hoping for some Gatorade. Nevertheless, I motored on keeping a decent pace. I wasn't sure if I could maintain my pace without the Gatorade but I was determined. As the turnoff for the 5k approached I thought about cutting my run short but thought better of it and kept on. As I reached the halfway point of the run there was a boy, probably 8 or 9, who asked me what run route we were on. I told him that we are on the 8 mile route. He threw his hands up in the air in disgust. It seems he missed the turn for the 5k and he really was not prepared for the 8 mile run. Two men running near me told the boy he was their hero and that he could run with them. They took off and I never saw them again. I'm glad I don't get bothered by little kids kicking my but in these events anymore. As I made my way to the aid stations at mile 4 and 6 I was disappointed to find they were stocked with only water. I knew this was as good as its going to get. I was regretting not buying some Gatorade prior to the run but I knew I would make it. The last few miles were tough because a couple of overpasses that I was not prepared for but I held it together. Overall, I felt pretty good for the event and the final for the 8 miles was 1:07:23. Not too bad for my 1st road race since the 2009 Houston Half Marathon.<br /><br />After the race I finally found some Gatorade. I refueled and headed back onto the course to find Norma. I found her about a mile from the finish and she was moving well. I ran the last of the race with her and this allowed me clock in 10 miles for the day. I had a great time and I thought this was a good event that I would definitely do this race again in the future.<br /><br />After not doing any cycling or running events in 2010 I found a way to do one of each in a 5 day period. Not too bad.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-54720035991128798382010-11-27T17:13:00.003-06:002010-11-27T17:35:57.251-06:00Red White and BikeLast Sunday I did the Red, White and Bike in Hockley. It was my first organized bike ride in over a year. This was a ride that benefited the children of Purple Heart recipients. The proceeds provide bicycles to these children. As for the ride it was a tough one. The route was hilly and it was a very windy one. I rode the 40 mile route with my tri team and I had a great time. I didn't ride for speed (at least for the most part) I just rode to get the miles in. One a great note due to the the tri team having 20 riders we were able to have a bike dedicated to a child in the team's name. I want to thank Lori Ivanoff for organizing everyone to do this event. This is a great cause and it was a lot of fun!<br /><br />Sorry for the short post. Pictures will follow.<br /><br />Bye for now!<br /><br />http://www.redwhiteandbike.org/Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-13163539989471977052010-11-08T09:31:00.002-06:002010-11-08T09:57:36.455-06:002010 Trail Run to Benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma SocietyOn Sunday November 7, 2010 I ran the 2010 Trail Run to Benefit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. This was a fund-raiser for those of us running in one of the TNT events in January. It was 3.85 mile trail run through the Memorial Park Mountain Bike Trails. I have never done trail running but I had a blast. It was tough running and I was very sore after but I definitely want to try my hand at a trail run in the future. Here are the run details:<br /><br />We started the run near the Picnic Loop and made our way to the Mountain Bike Trail. After a brief run through the trail we exited along Memorial Blvd and then we had to complete an obstacle. It was easy, just a quick run across some 2 X 4's. At this time I was in 5th place and I was feeling good. We then re-entered the trail and weaved through the woods. It was fun but not the fastest running. After about 2.9 miles of tough running we exited the trails and we had another obstacle. This time we had to run through tires and then crawl through some tubing. This was little tougher because the tubing moved as you crawled through it. After making it through I made it to the aid station where one of the runners ahead of me dropped out. This put me in 4th. We then ran back onto the trails near the baseball fields for the last portion of the race. The trails were basically the same and we exited close to the bridge that crosses Memorial. This is where the 3rd and final obstacle was. For this challenge we had to Army crawl under a tarp and then run through some more tires and then it was a straight shot back to the finish line. At this point I was tied for 3rd. As we made it towards the finish I turned up the speed and finished 3rd overall. This was obviously a very small event with a little over 30 runners. With that said I was still excited to finish 3rd overall. It was my 1st podium finish ever. After the run, I put in another 7 miles of running. It was slow and I was hurting but I needed the miles.<br /><br />The training is still going well and I hope to get a few more runs and rides in this week. I feel like I am getting closer to being ready for the Goofy Challenge and the Houston Marathon. I'm looking forward to both.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-12228571174603365642010-11-03T08:22:00.002-05:002010-11-03T08:48:51.574-05:00The Triathlon Season is OverI know I haven't put a post up in a while due to nothing really to report. I have made a tough decision to end my triathlon season at 6 races. I had planned to do Iron Star on November 7th but I think my time would be better spent on a fund-raiser that I have going on that morning and I'm just not sure what I would get out of this race. I know I could complete it but I definitely don't feel like I normally do going into a race of this distance. When I do long course racing I need to be in top shape physically and mentally and I definitely don't feel that way now. With all that said 6 triathlons is a good number. It is the earliest I have ended my multi-sport season since 2005 but I stuck to something I promised myself, take it easy in 2010. I have done no running events and no cycling events to date and my triathlons consisted of 3 Sprints and 3 Olympics. All in all not a bad triathlon season.<br /><br />So what's next? I do have two big running events in January. I have the Goofy Challenge (please donate to my fund-raising) and I have the Houston Marathon. I also have the big race of 2011, IronMan Texas in May. That is the big focus for now. I know I will be back at it with a number of long course races in addition to IMTX in 2011.<br /><br />Lastly, I am saying that I'm not feeling up to doing a half-ironman but I have been training. My running is going very well and the cycling and swimming is not too bad. It just doesn't feel right at this time. I will be updating my blog a little more frequently with my training updates and you never know I might sneak in a running or cycling event before the end of the year.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-12660572353938785132010-09-25T16:10:00.004-05:002010-09-25T16:24:44.557-05:00Training and Other NotesI have not had much going on since Clear Lake at the end of August. I've been training a lot and my endurance level seems to finally be getting back to normal but that's about it. Now, I just need to get race weight. I am not signed up for anymore races this year but I am sure I will do at least one more. As of today I am still considering Longhorn 70.3, Firethorne Sprint and Iron Star Half-Iron. Iron Star is the only one that I am pretty sure I will do. Its a cheap race for a Half-Iron and I like the event. I'll figure it out soon.<br /><br />As for my coaching duties, I am very encouraged about my team. We are only 2 official practices in but they look good so far. We have a short brick coming up next Saturday and I am excited to see what the team can do. This should be a good event for those doing Firethorne next month.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-45532713234642192052010-09-08T20:46:00.001-05:002010-09-08T21:07:42.094-05:00Bridgeland Triathlon and Clear Lake International TriathlonWell its been a little over a month since my last post and I have completed 2 more triathlons during that time bringing my 2010 total to 6. They haven't been my best performances but I finished and that is what counts. Here is a brief recap of both races.<br /><br />On August 8th I did the Bridgeland Triathlon in Cypress. It was a Sprint Race (50n0 meter swim, 14 mile bike and a 3.5 mile run). For the most part the race was uneventful. I was in the second wave and I started off well. About 250 meters into the swim I swallowed a nasty mouthful of water and I actually had to come to a complete stop until I could get all the water I swallowed out of my system. After a few minutes of not moving I finished my swim and moved on to the bike. The bike was very flat and very fast and I averaged over 22 mph on the ride. The run was the same, flat and fast and I averaged 8:20 per mile. Not my fastest run time for a Sprint but it will do. My finishing time was 1:24:16. Overall a good race and I'm sure I'll race it again.<br /><br />My second race of August was in Clear Lake on the 28th. This is the 3rd time I have done this race and its one of my favorite events. I started in the last wave for the Olympic which is rare for me but what can you do. I felt really good during the swim despite my slow swim time. I'm not sure what happened but again I felt good in the water. The bike course was mostly flat with the exception of the Kemah Bridge which I struggled getting over because my legs were dead. There was some headwind but it didn't effect me too much. My bike time for the 40 k ride was 1:11:13 which was 20.94 mph. Last year I averaged 22.9 mph but I was also in the middle of my Ironman training and I was much better prepared. The run was the same course, flat and fast. I finished my run in 53:55 which was an 8:40 pace. Not as fast as last year but not too bad. My finishing time was 2:49:15 which is about 10 minutes slower than last year. The good news is that it was my 3rd fastest at the Olympic distance.<br /><br />My training is going well but I am not signed up for anything else this year. I'm not sure what is next but I'll keep everyone posted.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-11999936091630305912010-07-31T22:02:00.002-05:002010-07-31T22:16:01.270-05:00Memorial Herman Ironman 70.3 TexasToday was the unofficial start to the TNT Memorial Herman Ironman 70.3 training season. We had a short practice this morning (1 mile timed run) followed by a shoe clinic at Finish Strong Sports. So far it looks like we have 25 people and hopefully a few more. I am very excited with my new group and I know we will have a great season. We will have one more unofficial practice and a few clinics before we get started with the tough work at the end of September. In the meantime I will put my coaching duties aside and will train with Memorial marathon group to get ready for the Goofy Challenge in January.<br /><br />I also signed up for the Clearlake International Triathlon this week. I went ahead and signed up for the Olympic distance because my training is going well. So, I will race twice in the month of August. Beyond that I have a few races in mind but nothing concrete at this point. I hope to have some definite answers over the next few weeks. For now I am planning to focus on my training.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-1700260863387518962010-07-23T10:27:00.003-05:002010-07-23T10:35:40.065-05:00Training UpdateWell, my training has not gone as planned. I am recovering from a back and neck injury. I injured my self about a month ago and I am just starting to get to where I feel like I can train as normal. My main issue is my neck but its slowly getting better. I am hoping to ramp up my mileage over the next month and get back into a routine.<br /><br />As for racing, I have done nothing since the Silverlake Triathlon in mid May and I still have a few weeks before the Bridgeland Triathlon on August 8th. Even though my training has been light I feel I can do this Sprint race with little difficulty. I do also plan to race at the Clearlake International Triathlon at the end of August. I have done this race twice and I really enjoy it. I am trying to decide on the Sprint or the Olympic. My body says do the Sprint but my brain says do the Olympic. I'll make a decision in the next day or so.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-4836797009441953132010-06-28T11:49:00.004-05:002010-06-28T12:07:09.523-05:00Exciting NewsI wanted to let everyone know that I have signed up for 2 exciting events in 2011. For my 1st event I have signed up to do another fund-raising event for Team in Training. I will be raising $4500 for Disney Marathon's Goofy Challenge on January 8th and 9th. This consists of a Half-Marathon on Day 1 and a full Marathon on Day 2. I am also planning to run the 5k January 7th. This should be a very exciting event and I am looking forward to participating with TNT again. Please help me raise me by making a tax deductible donation to fight blood cancers. You can use the link on my page to donate.<br /><br />For my 2nd event I will be competing in IronMan Texas. This event will be on May 21, 2011 right here in The Woodlands. This will be my 2nd IronMan and I am very excited that I will be doing the event here in Texas.<br /><br /><br />Please check back for updates on my training and fund-raising efforts.<br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-89849735886180529962010-06-02T16:08:00.002-05:002010-06-02T16:25:33.777-05:00Silverlake Triathlon Part 4Before I give a recap on Silverlake I wanted to add something to my last post. At Gateway I had the pleasure of meeting Andy Potts and Matty Reed. They were competing in a relay for charity and they stuck around for a meet and greet with the athletes and fans. It was a super cool experience and I was able to get my picture with them.<br /><br />As for Silverlake this was my 4th time racing there. I have done this race more than any other and its one of my favorite events. Its a short Sprint race but always well done and they added a finishers medal for 2010.<br /><br />The swim course was the same and it happened to be wetsuit legal. The swim was nothing exciting and I finished in 9'52" which was my second fastest at this race. I was little tired coming out of the water but overall I felt good. The bike course was new for 2010. It was still flat and fast but with less turns which made it even faster. Because of this I had my fastest bike time of 28'09" which was 21.3 mph. By the time I made it into T2 I was starting to loose energy. The beginning of my run was good but I started to fade quickly. If not for a slower run I might have set a PR for this course. My run time was 23'50" which was a 7'57" pace and my second slowest time at this race. Overall my time was 1:05:31 which was 3rd fastest for this event. All of my times are relatively close in time so I was satisfied with the day.<br /><br />As for my next race I have 2 in mind but I have signed up for neither. I am looking at the Sylvan Beach Triathlon and Buffalo Springs Lake Triathlon. I am not sure if I will do one, both or neither race. I will let you know. <br /><br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-254775015020022592010-05-15T20:09:00.003-05:002010-05-15T20:38:18.549-05:00Gateway to the Bay and Lone Star TriathlonsI know these race reports are way over due but I wanted to give an update prior to the Silverlake Triathlon tomorrow.<br /><br />On April 10 and 11th I did my first back to back triathlons. April 10th was the Sprint (500 meter swim, 12.5 mile bike and 5 K run). On April 11th was the Olympic (1500 meter swim, 24.9 mile bike and 10 K run). The Sprint race was a non event with the exception of the swim which was very choppy and a bad cold that I was nursing. It wasn't my best swim but I was happy considering the choppy conditions. The bike was a one loop course the started with Kemah bridge. It was tough making it over both sides with little momentum but that was the toughest part. The rest was flat and fast and I averaged a little under 20 mph for the bike. Not my fastest but not bad considering my training. On a side note I received my first penalty ever for passing in a no pass zone. The run was flat and went through the Kemah Boardwalk area. Overall it was a good race and I finished in 1:21:59 without the penalty.<br /><br />The Olympic was a little more challenging. The swim started with being taken a mile off shore on a boat dropped off to swim back. The water was not as choppy as the day before but it was still challenging. You would think this would be easy? Just swim in a straight line and make it to shore. The problem is it is a long shore and you have to exit in a specific place. To make matters worse there were only 3 marker buoys. I rely heavily on these buoys to guide me because I have poor vision and I have a difficult time swimming in a straight line without them. Needless to say it was by far my worst Olympic distance swim ever. After I exited the water and got on my bike I felt better. The bike course was the same but it was 2 laps. Overall, I has happy with my bike but again not my fastest. The run course was different than the day before but it was still flat. Unfortunately, my bad cold and the long swim took my energy away and it just was not my day. I finished with my 2nd slowest Olympic ever. My two Olympic races this year have been very slow but I have several upcoming opportunities to improve.<br /><br />Lastly, I wanted to provide a brief note about the Lone Star Triathlon. I coached 18 people to compete in the Olympic Triathlon and 4 people in the Half-Ironman Triathlon. They all did a great job and I was proud of them all. I hope they all enjoyed the event and I hope they all return for a future event with Team N' Training.<br /><br />Tomorrow May 16th I am racing in the Silverlake Triathlon for the 4th time. I have not done any other race more than 2 times. It is one of my favorite races and I am hoping the weather cooperates. I'll let you know how it goes.<br /><br /><br />Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-67412394197155453692010-04-02T18:14:00.004-05:002010-04-04T22:29:15.924-05:00Champions Triathlon<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvBkiRi4i0OXY2SFhvKYbX9XizBIUsjsYZWvUWeRVvIuQUMBi-zLZ_qJy9BKP35o4x3DaUl8JL3yaSm2zmOT5z745kP35FgjIqJZXJw0l2Upsbwnxdu4hIZlhTGDJtyW8d2WroniHtlRF/s1600/Champions+Tri+014.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvvBkiRi4i0OXY2SFhvKYbX9XizBIUsjsYZWvUWeRVvIuQUMBi-zLZ_qJy9BKP35o4x3DaUl8JL3yaSm2zmOT5z745kP35FgjIqJZXJw0l2Upsbwnxdu4hIZlhTGDJtyW8d2WroniHtlRF/s400/Champions+Tri+014.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456356848816851954" border="0" /></a>Last Saturday I did my first Triathlon of 2010 by completing the Olympic distance at the Champions Triathlon in Austin. This also marked my 25th triathlon since becoming a triathlete in 2005. I am very proud of this milestone and I look forward to many more races. Now for the race report:<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySrEdri8mAIxcvJ2SCoYYiOr4WRFYAHfL1RGcXjrWQCvFz4TQBZ7jhWha_rD6LZauRstTB14xfrCrAr4dOAkHmXTbI-zg76Ebavw0IM-M4fZZ46JleI5BWpgZXkeNn0BHg0IQg9ISKmWw/s1600/Champions+Tri+004.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySrEdri8mAIxcvJ2SCoYYiOr4WRFYAHfL1RGcXjrWQCvFz4TQBZ7jhWha_rD6LZauRstTB14xfrCrAr4dOAkHmXTbI-zg76Ebavw0IM-M4fZZ46JleI5BWpgZXkeNn0BHg0IQg9ISKmWw/s400/Champions+Tri+004.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456356613729261922" border="0" /></a>Saturday morning I woke up around 6 am to get ready and eat some breakfast in the hotel. I had a waffle and some orange juice that did not settle well with me and would prove troublesome during the race. As we drove to the race my stomach was upset and I thought it was just nerves but the feeling wouldn't go away. I was determined to race anyway. After body marking, bike racking and transition set-up it was down to the swim start.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRITCvEd3DJqU4-B7zWFVxojymntuObQNnYRtfI-80kOlrJi65lWEjB6pMbHcbVZhwg3fIT7zQL0QAr8RVR-x_yEk8vc_JN-rNKI4h-dLG0gPCpE57AJ2tzybEgCZvh5vpC_nP0kcGyW03/s1600/Champions+Tri+027.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRITCvEd3DJqU4-B7zWFVxojymntuObQNnYRtfI-80kOlrJi65lWEjB6pMbHcbVZhwg3fIT7zQL0QAr8RVR-x_yEk8vc_JN-rNKI4h-dLG0gPCpE57AJ2tzybEgCZvh5vpC_nP0kcGyW03/s400/Champions+Tri+027.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456357081295360322" border="0" /></a>As I waited for the race to start I felt like throwing up and I tried to hold it in. Unfortunately as soon as I entered the water for the start I started to hurl. I felt awful but I started the race anyway. The water was not too cold but it was very choppy. This was not helping my stomach and I had to keep stopping to let my stomach settle. After one of my longest Olympic swim times ever I made it to T1 and set off for a slightly longer than normal bike course. A typical Olympic distance triathlon is a little under 25 miles. This event had the bike at a little over 26 miles.<br />As I started the bike I was happy to have a tailwind to give me a little time to get settled. The tailwind didn't last long and it was hills and headwind for a little over half the loop. The bike course was two 13.1 mile loops so I knew I would have to deal with all the challenges twice. It took about 11 miles but I started to feel a little better. My legs were hurting but I pressed on. The bike kicked my butt however I was able to average 18.4 mph on the bike. Not too bad considering my lack of training time leading up to the race. After a challenging ride I headed to transition to prepare for the 10k run.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9vZOUpO6zCAo9GE9p3iWLNF82hwR3v6qY2-Lj9Xm0EBqzhdGQqi6Xqg_UgeN3T0Sg4-3ZZS9n5ql2BoVRoUzrnQrEG1BnNzhRat64UmOGpPm8C1qwKI74Ni8nUlokRWz3YGNJJ6kAUbk/s1600/Champions+Tri+033.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX9vZOUpO6zCAo9GE9p3iWLNF82hwR3v6qY2-Lj9Xm0EBqzhdGQqi6Xqg_UgeN3T0Sg4-3ZZS9n5ql2BoVRoUzrnQrEG1BnNzhRat64UmOGpPm8C1qwKI74Ni8nUlokRWz3YGNJJ6kAUbk/s400/Champions+Tri+033.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456357631890936466" border="0" /></a>The run started off OK but my energy was fading. The run consisted of 2 loops around Lake Pflugerville. It was flat but not as fast I would have liked. After my 1st loop I was starting to get sick to my stomach again and I had to walk for the first time at a race of this distance. I was disappointed but I had to walk or bad things were going to happen. After all was said and done I finished in 3:05:29. This was my slowest Olympic but I was just happy to finish.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rf8a1c48OwrSf9LoaWXAj-YTU2HuKjAOI6OkMqcbevOLY9Kqq44BL2K6dllziGLTCDCBCscxN8NsASSzr0LXHa-e_EQVBlL_AlU5Y90sWrjPMXyg-swMEENczF1avsdZ_ggFvl6itQps/s1600/Champions+Tri+036.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rf8a1c48OwrSf9LoaWXAj-YTU2HuKjAOI6OkMqcbevOLY9Kqq44BL2K6dllziGLTCDCBCscxN8NsASSzr0LXHa-e_EQVBlL_AlU5Y90sWrjPMXyg-swMEENczF1avsdZ_ggFvl6itQps/s400/Champions+Tri+036.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456357934224093122" border="0" /></a>One other race note. Several members of my Lone Star team did the event as well. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkWWpP0q3vWMNOLR09affKvbPTDUrevS-salsPMBNQAOHmNbl4-7nIj5Zim8WPD36ivlNp0Hl3Uzj2ok2wud-Lwuo1-IxZqkAEe4jIVufLMJe5PLQJ3TJYobZyPQeXZUj2z3iS5rUHEzB/s1600/Champions+Tri+028.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdkWWpP0q3vWMNOLR09affKvbPTDUrevS-salsPMBNQAOHmNbl4-7nIj5Zim8WPD36ivlNp0Hl3Uzj2ok2wud-Lwuo1-IxZqkAEe4jIVufLMJe5PLQJ3TJYobZyPQeXZUj2z3iS5rUHEzB/s400/Champions+Tri+028.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456359451952578626" border="0" /></a>Lori, Jessica and Norma competed in the Sprint race and Mindi competed in the Olympic. Norma and Jessica finished top 6 in their age groups and Lori earned a podium spot finishing 2nd in her age group. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IS2gAeRLKJ6TSshzlXVlBZkd2nKRis4O-eUOA5w-HzQ41EwPSfDQIoSEKSq0ZyQsmM41Z0T-1z8ytuGN51E8obxgTXVQkkEyFAiZI6Xp29RGi7tHDkaQeNq1E9Zs5mULYQgJ180kJAUF/s1600/Champions+Tri+049.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IS2gAeRLKJ6TSshzlXVlBZkd2nKRis4O-eUOA5w-HzQ41EwPSfDQIoSEKSq0ZyQsmM41Z0T-1z8ytuGN51E8obxgTXVQkkEyFAiZI6Xp29RGi7tHDkaQeNq1E9Zs5mULYQgJ180kJAUF/s400/Champions+Tri+049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456358391477806482" border="0" /></a>Mindi in her first ever triathlon finished 6th in her age group. They all did a great job and I am proud of them all.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqdfwzEqa0xc47uXPyztFGmUZkotpjIqQi8ppW_J5DD-wD09j49eO74X5Jhwo4qAg1gyM1fRsDB36zjiZIv9FGWGhO3yS_94HY4xED6wBWLLt-TIzSxHOngOgjY1j8NzLC8pRA70TO0pV/s1600/Champions+Tri+055.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzqdfwzEqa0xc47uXPyztFGmUZkotpjIqQi8ppW_J5DD-wD09j49eO74X5Jhwo4qAg1gyM1fRsDB36zjiZIv9FGWGhO3yS_94HY4xED6wBWLLt-TIzSxHOngOgjY1j8NzLC8pRA70TO0pV/s400/Champions+Tri+055.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456358954436547122" border="0" /></a>For my next races I am competing in the Gateway to the Bay Triathlon in Kemah on April 10th and 11th. I am racing the Sprint and the Olympic distances and I suspect I will have a much better outing. I have never done back to back races before so I am not sure how it will go but I am excited about the challenge.<br /><br />Lastly, I received some great news last week. I gained a sponsorship from PowerBar and I am now a member of PowerBar Team Elite. I am very excited and honored to be a member of this team. I will have more details to come on this sponsorship in the weeks to come.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQF31UqMQlKNACr_P15d5N0GFgUTvk5uEZ1mk_xWRrURyaMSt4jY8iaTuubSo8i5eJ8AK8QLtRHuJCYLpf7NUg0G8m9KfwZeyzyjRj4OXwmGjKPO3pXV5JV4UmbvNV71RS9wjAH8My0tQ/s1600/PB+Team+Elite+logo.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 179px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQF31UqMQlKNACr_P15d5N0GFgUTvk5uEZ1mk_xWRrURyaMSt4jY8iaTuubSo8i5eJ8AK8QLtRHuJCYLpf7NUg0G8m9KfwZeyzyjRj4OXwmGjKPO3pXV5JV4UmbvNV71RS9wjAH8My0tQ/s400/PB+Team+Elite+logo.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456361125869369234" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwQdcmXlun3Kz2cnRhw9xkpsG02J1gatzsaEPpovAHPEG8K1FycO64f9p6F1iC6VPAVn_pX0cUKwZdoV0Rk8n3UM5YdXsUwShN1MjDrXo-1-_Zdzdli4eC_7dav1vvVgziUMd5_hgzuAH/s1600/PBTE+Tri+top.jpg"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 142px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXwQdcmXlun3Kz2cnRhw9xkpsG02J1gatzsaEPpovAHPEG8K1FycO64f9p6F1iC6VPAVn_pX0cUKwZdoV0Rk8n3UM5YdXsUwShN1MjDrXo-1-_Zdzdli4eC_7dav1vvVgziUMd5_hgzuAH/s400/PBTE+Tri+top.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5456361406229659842" border="0" /></a>Bye for now!Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8042138396523817926.post-66529572012913409052010-02-15T20:55:00.003-06:002010-02-15T21:22:54.872-06:00Lone Star Triathlon Team and Other NotesWe are about 2 1/2 months away from the Lone Star Triathlon and this season has been filled with lots of ups and downs. Let me start by saying that I love this team but we have had a number of obstacles that have prevented this team from clicking. The main obstacle has been the weather. The weather this year has been rough. The rain, snow and the cold has prevented many of the team from coming out to practice on a regular basis. As a coach these practices are important because it is my only opportunity to help each athlete. I am hoping the weather starts cooperating because I know with a little help we can have a well oiled machine with this group. Fortunately we have time to get people ready for this event. I'm confident that it will get better.<br /><br />I know I said I would not sign up for anything until March 1st but I had an opportunity to participate in the Texas Independence Relay and this was such a unique opportunity so I didn't want to pass it up. This is a relay run from Gonzales to the San Jacinto Monument. The run is a total of 203.2 miles. I am not sure about my portion of the relay but it looks like I will run 4 legs. I feel I will be up for the challenge.<br /><br />A few weeks ago I received the Garmin 310XT for my birthday and I love it! Thanks Norma! It has really helped me with my training and if I get lost the GPS will lead me back to where I started. I look forward to using it at the T.I.R.<br /><br />Lastly, I still have not made concrete decisions about the triathlon schedule for 2010 but I have a few races in mind. One race that I will not do is Ironman Louisville. It looks like it is sold out and only has Ironman Foundation spots available. I will probably list a tentative race schedule in a few weeks. I will let you all know.<br /><br />Bye for now.Luke Valdezhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14852056415228407164noreply@blogger.com2