I've never been a big fan of the holidays. I seem to eat and drink way too much, put on too much weight and I just get lazy. Well I definitely am meeting two of the three screens. I have been eating and drinking too much and I am getting fat. The one good thing that is that I have still been training. The Houston Marathon is a little less than three weeks away so I just couldn't sit on the couch. My hope is to be a few pounds lighter for the race but I know I will not be at my normal race weight.
This week I plan to start riding and swimming more and basically settling back into my normal routine. In addition to the marathon I have my first ride of the season at the end of January. I have a pretty aggressive 2009 season planned and I need to get going now so I don't fall behind.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Dave Scott and Chicago
Well it seems I have time for two posts in one week. WOW!
Last Friday I traveled with Jay to California to go through the TNT Triathlon Tier 1 certification with Dave Scott. The actual certification was on Saturday and Sunday and it was packed with a lot of information. At one point I thought my head might explode. On Saturday we talked about expectations of a coach, running position and bike fitting. I particularly got a lot out of the running portion of the clinic. It was nice to have someone give you feedback on your running style and to give feedback as well. I think it should help me with my own participants. During the run portion of the clinic we actually got to run with Dave Scott and that was very cool as well. On Sunday the fun really got going. We started off with a little dip in the outdoor pool. It was heated but still cold. We swam around 2000 meters and it really helped my own technique and it gave me some things that I have already brought back to my team. After the swim clinic we went through nutrition in detail. Every endurance athlete knows how important nutrition is and I definitely picked up some information that will be useful. After lunch we did a strength training clinic that kicked my ass. Anyone who knows me knows I love to lift weights and I think I am pretty strong. We weren't even using weights and it really wore me out. I guess I have more work to do. At the end of the clinic I received my certificate took a picture with Dave and Jay and we headed to the airport only to find out that our flight back was delayed by an hour. But wait it only gets better.
Due to my crazy schedule I had another trip planned right after my trip to the Bay Area. I arrived in Houston around 1:30 am and got home around 2:30 only to have enough time to shower sleep for an hour and head back to the airport so I could catch a 7 am flight to Chicago. Needless to say I was dead. I managed to get myself to Chicago O.K. but around 4 pm my very exciting meeting almost put me to sleep. After my meeting it was off to dinner and then finally to bed around 9 pm. The next day we were supposed to get snow in the afternoon and I had a 9 mile run scheduled after my meeting. The weather did just as it was supposed to and it snowed and snowed. I still did my run but it was challenging. I stepped through some ice early in my run and my feet were very wet and cold but I pressed on. I finished my run in 1'22" and I felt pretty good. I would have kept going but I was meeting my friend Steven for dinner. On Wednesday I headed back to H-Town only to find the snow travelled back with me. It was neat to see the snow in Houston. I actually think it was colder here.
Last Friday I traveled with Jay to California to go through the TNT Triathlon Tier 1 certification with Dave Scott. The actual certification was on Saturday and Sunday and it was packed with a lot of information. At one point I thought my head might explode. On Saturday we talked about expectations of a coach, running position and bike fitting. I particularly got a lot out of the running portion of the clinic. It was nice to have someone give you feedback on your running style and to give feedback as well. I think it should help me with my own participants. During the run portion of the clinic we actually got to run with Dave Scott and that was very cool as well. On Sunday the fun really got going. We started off with a little dip in the outdoor pool. It was heated but still cold. We swam around 2000 meters and it really helped my own technique and it gave me some things that I have already brought back to my team. After the swim clinic we went through nutrition in detail. Every endurance athlete knows how important nutrition is and I definitely picked up some information that will be useful. After lunch we did a strength training clinic that kicked my ass. Anyone who knows me knows I love to lift weights and I think I am pretty strong. We weren't even using weights and it really wore me out. I guess I have more work to do. At the end of the clinic I received my certificate took a picture with Dave and Jay and we headed to the airport only to find out that our flight back was delayed by an hour. But wait it only gets better.
Due to my crazy schedule I had another trip planned right after my trip to the Bay Area. I arrived in Houston around 1:30 am and got home around 2:30 only to have enough time to shower sleep for an hour and head back to the airport so I could catch a 7 am flight to Chicago. Needless to say I was dead. I managed to get myself to Chicago O.K. but around 4 pm my very exciting meeting almost put me to sleep. After my meeting it was off to dinner and then finally to bed around 9 pm. The next day we were supposed to get snow in the afternoon and I had a 9 mile run scheduled after my meeting. The weather did just as it was supposed to and it snowed and snowed. I still did my run but it was challenging. I stepped through some ice early in my run and my feet were very wet and cold but I pressed on. I finished my run in 1'22" and I felt pretty good. I would have kept going but I was meeting my friend Steven for dinner. On Wednesday I headed back to H-Town only to find the snow travelled back with me. It was neat to see the snow in Houston. I actually think it was colder here.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Long Road Out of Eden
I had the incredible opportunity to see the Eagles last week at the Toyota Center. This was the show I was supposed go to in September but our friend IKE got in the way of that. This was a very different scene from the Metallica concert a few weeks ago and was probably a good thing. The Eagles have always been known for their great harmonies, their song writing and their ability as musicians and they did not disappoint on this night. They opened up with 4 songs of the new album "Long Road Out of Eden" before getting into a long set with the classics. They did something I have never seen before and that was they put an intermission halfway through the set. After the break they performed a few more songs off the new album and then it was back to classics. The total time was around 3 hours and they were good for every second of it.This was definitely one of the best shows I have been to. As I was sitting in the audience I was thinking about what great performers they were and how I had forgotten what a great guitar player Joe Walsh is. If you get a chance to see them it is well worth the money.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Ironman Cozumel
I meant to do this post on Saturday but I never got around to it. Saturday marked the one year countdown to Ironman Cozumel. I am still very excited to be competing in this event. I have already began preparing my plan for next year and I think its going to be a great event. I still would like to an Ironman event prior to Cozumel but I am not sure if that will be possible. We shall see.
I did make one decision this weekend and that was to skip the Dallas Marathon. I have done so many events this year and a lot of them have been out of town. I don't mind traveling but it does take me away from the kids and it has just been costing me so much money. I also think I am starting to experience a little burn out and I think I need a break from competitive events. I will still keep training as I am signed up for the Houston Marathon and I want have good day on January 18th.
I did make one decision this weekend and that was to skip the Dallas Marathon. I have done so many events this year and a lot of them have been out of town. I don't mind traveling but it does take me away from the kids and it has just been costing me so much money. I also think I am starting to experience a little burn out and I think I need a break from competitive events. I will still keep training as I am signed up for the Houston Marathon and I want have good day on January 18th.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Death Magnetic
On Thursday I went to see Metallica at the Toyota Center. I have had the opportunity to see Metallica one other time in 1991 in Oakland, CA at a festival called Day on the Green. It was festival with 4 bands that included the then unknown Soundgarden.
I was very excited about seeing one of my favorite bands and they did not disappoint. We did not make it for the opening act and it didn't matter to me because I never heard of them and their name escapes me now. We were in the mosh area not more than 10 feet from the stage. There was a little bit of moshing going on and needless to say my anger management issues kicked in and I had to set a few youngsters straight. :)
The set was a little over two hours. Most of the set was between the new album "Death Magnetic" and the "Black" album. I know you have to promote the new stuff and you have to play the stuff off the best selling album but I would have loved to have heard a few more of "And Justice for All" or any of their earlier records. It was a great show and I'm glad I had the opportunity to see them.
Monday, November 17, 2008
San Antonio Marathon
Yesterday I ran the San Antonio Marathon and although I did not have the race I was hoping for I did finish and I should be back at it in a few days. Before I get into the details of the race I wanted to share my feelings on the pre and post race activities.
We arrived in San Antonio around 1:30 and you could see that it was total chaos around the Alamo Dome. There were a lot of roads blocked off and while I was trying to find a detour I found myself stuck in the downtown area and it just sucked. After 45 minutes I finally found some parking down the street from the dome. After we were yelled by a cop for crossing the street we finally made it inside for packet pick-up. This might have been one of the biggest disasters ever. They had a very small area set up for the pick up. It was so small that the lines were merging together. You could barely wade you way through the bodies. After getting my packet and arguing with the lady that was giving out the race shirts I made my way through the expo which was also a disaster. You could barely move or look at anything. Why they only had part of the dome open and set up things the way they did is really bizarre. The post race set up was just as stupid. For some reason we parked at the AT&T Center and were bussed over to the downtown area and then finished the race at the Alamo Dome only to have to wait in freaking line for hours to get back to your car might be the stupidest thing. We took a taxi just so we didn't have to wait. At the finish there wasn't much food and it seemed they were charging for the beer. Most races it is free. They also wanted you to pay for the finishers shirt. The Rock N' Roll people should call the event people from the Houston Marathon and ask them how to do a marathon.
Now for the race itself. (sorry about the complaining) When we got to the start it was very cold. I had a lot of debate over what to wear and I did not choose wisely. I wore thermal tights, a sleeveless shell, a thermal shirt and a long sleeve running shirt at the start. ( I am a sissy in the cold). I began running the race with Jarntip, Kyle and Crystal. When we got started I felt good and quickly pulled ahead of the other 3. I quickly got hot and had to start stripping off layers eventually throwing my thermal shirt away but I was stuck with the rest. I wish I would have just worn shorts and a running shirt. Around mile 4 I had to pee very bad so I stopped at a Port-O-Can. Shortly after I was back on the road and I took a Power Bar Gel and I had some stomach problems about 2 minutes later. I don't know what was in it but it did not settle well with me. I kept running at a decent pace despite my stomach but I had to stop around mile 6 to use the restroom. After I got back on the road I still wasn't feeling well and stopped at mile 10 and again at mile 13. All during this time I kept a good pace but I felt it taking its toll on me. I couldn't take any Cytomax as it seemed to aggravate my stomach and I really needed some energy. At mile 14 my stomach was still bothering me but I was through the worst as far my stomach goes. I kept going well until mile 19 and then things got really tough.
My right knee starting causing me a lot of pain and I had to slow way down and eventually walk. I starting running again for a while and then walking and finally stopping to stretch until mile 23. That is when Crystal caught me walking. We walked together for about half a mile and then I just started running despite all the pain I was in. I pulled ahead of her and I was just trying to block out the pain. I wanted to stop and walk but I wanted to finish even more so I picked up the pace even more. I finally managed to get to the finish line and came in with a time of 4:27:41. This was my second marathon and it was a PR for me. I'm happy that I finished but I felt like I would come in closer to 4 hours based on my training. I am going back to the drawing board to tweak my training and I need to figure out why the gel made me sick. My next event is the Houston Marathon in January but I may do the Dallas Marathon in December if its still open. 
I am pretty sure I will not do this race again at least not next year. It is two weeks before Ironman Cozumel and I don't want to take the chance of an injury. If the event gets straightened out then maybe I will do but it will take a lot of convincing to make me want to do this race. The course itself was good and it was nice seeing all my peeps from H-Town it was everything else that sucked.
We arrived in San Antonio around 1:30 and you could see that it was total chaos around the Alamo Dome. There were a lot of roads blocked off and while I was trying to find a detour I found myself stuck in the downtown area and it just sucked. After 45 minutes I finally found some parking down the street from the dome. After we were yelled by a cop for crossing the street we finally made it inside for packet pick-up. This might have been one of the biggest disasters ever. They had a very small area set up for the pick up. It was so small that the lines were merging together. You could barely wade you way through the bodies. After getting my packet and arguing with the lady that was giving out the race shirts I made my way through the expo which was also a disaster. You could barely move or look at anything. Why they only had part of the dome open and set up things the way they did is really bizarre. The post race set up was just as stupid. For some reason we parked at the AT&T Center and were bussed over to the downtown area and then finished the race at the Alamo Dome only to have to wait in freaking line for hours to get back to your car might be the stupidest thing. We took a taxi just so we didn't have to wait. At the finish there wasn't much food and it seemed they were charging for the beer. Most races it is free. They also wanted you to pay for the finishers shirt. The Rock N' Roll people should call the event people from the Houston Marathon and ask them how to do a marathon.
Now for the race itself. (sorry about the complaining) When we got to the start it was very cold. I had a lot of debate over what to wear and I did not choose wisely. I wore thermal tights, a sleeveless shell, a thermal shirt and a long sleeve running shirt at the start. ( I am a sissy in the cold). I began running the race with Jarntip, Kyle and Crystal. When we got started I felt good and quickly pulled ahead of the other 3. I quickly got hot and had to start stripping off layers eventually throwing my thermal shirt away but I was stuck with the rest. I wish I would have just worn shorts and a running shirt. Around mile 4 I had to pee very bad so I stopped at a Port-O-Can. Shortly after I was back on the road and I took a Power Bar Gel and I had some stomach problems about 2 minutes later. I don't know what was in it but it did not settle well with me. I kept running at a decent pace despite my stomach but I had to stop around mile 6 to use the restroom. After I got back on the road I still wasn't feeling well and stopped at mile 10 and again at mile 13. All during this time I kept a good pace but I felt it taking its toll on me. I couldn't take any Cytomax as it seemed to aggravate my stomach and I really needed some energy. At mile 14 my stomach was still bothering me but I was through the worst as far my stomach goes. I kept going well until mile 19 and then things got really tough.
My right knee starting causing me a lot of pain and I had to slow way down and eventually walk. I starting running again for a while and then walking and finally stopping to stretch until mile 23. That is when Crystal caught me walking. We walked together for about half a mile and then I just started running despite all the pain I was in. I pulled ahead of her and I was just trying to block out the pain. I wanted to stop and walk but I wanted to finish even more so I picked up the pace even more. I finally managed to get to the finish line and came in with a time of 4:27:41. This was my second marathon and it was a PR for me. I'm happy that I finished but I felt like I would come in closer to 4 hours based on my training. I am going back to the drawing board to tweak my training and I need to figure out why the gel made me sick. My next event is the Houston Marathon in January but I may do the Dallas Marathon in December if its still open. 
I am pretty sure I will not do this race again at least not next year. It is two weeks before Ironman Cozumel and I don't want to take the chance of an injury. If the event gets straightened out then maybe I will do but it will take a lot of convincing to make me want to do this race. The course itself was good and it was nice seeing all my peeps from H-Town it was everything else that sucked.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Seattle
I was in Seattle last week and I must say it 
is a beautiful city. I see why the people there love it so much. It did rain every day but it didn't seem to bother anyone in the city like it does here in Houston. If we had that amount of rain in Houston I think the city would shut down. (Just kidding) I didn't get to do too much site seeing but we did head down to Pike Place Market. Its the place you see on TV where they throw the fish from person to person before they wrap it up and give to you. It was kind of neat. At the market we also visited the first Starbucks and a kick ass Clam Chowder joint. We also ate at Pegasus Pizza in Alki (a suburb of Seattle) with Mark Vega and his girlfriend. (Mark is Dave Vega's brother) The pizza was awesome and so was the company. I hope to go back to Seattle someday. It reminds me of Austin and San Francisco combined together.
When I travel I always try and workout. I didn't do as good of a job with this is Seattle.
I did run on Friday morning at Discovery Park. The park was very nice and very hilly. My goal was to get a 10 mile run in but I strained by left calf early in my run. I was only able to get 5 miles and I have been limping around since then. I have done two runs since Friday. I did a 5 mile run on Tuesday and 9 mile run today. My calf is still very sore but I think I will be O.K. for the marathon on Sunday. Even if I'm not I'm still running. I may have to crawl to the finish but I am going to finish.
is a beautiful city. I see why the people there love it so much. It did rain every day but it didn't seem to bother anyone in the city like it does here in Houston. If we had that amount of rain in Houston I think the city would shut down. (Just kidding) I didn't get to do too much site seeing but we did head down to Pike Place Market. Its the place you see on TV where they throw the fish from person to person before they wrap it up and give to you. It was kind of neat. At the market we also visited the first Starbucks and a kick ass Clam Chowder joint. We also ate at Pegasus Pizza in Alki (a suburb of Seattle) with Mark Vega and his girlfriend. (Mark is Dave Vega's brother) The pizza was awesome and so was the company. I hope to go back to Seattle someday. It reminds me of Austin and San Francisco combined together.
When I travel I always try and workout. I didn't do as good of a job with this is Seattle.
I did run on Friday morning at Discovery Park. The park was very nice and very hilly. My goal was to get a 10 mile run in but I strained by left calf early in my run. I was only able to get 5 miles and I have been limping around since then. I have done two runs since Friday. I did a 5 mile run on Tuesday and 9 mile run today. My calf is still very sore but I think I will be O.K. for the marathon on Sunday. Even if I'm not I'm still running. I may have to crawl to the finish but I am going to finish.
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