Journey to Ironman Month in Review: February 2007

The days: worked out 17/28 days

193 days until race day.

This month's totals.

Swim: 10150 yards
Bike: 190 mostly phantom trainer "miles"
Run: 27.1 all hard fought winter Wisconsin outdoor miles (except 4.5 Michigan miles)

22 hours total.

Review:

I would have sworn I was ramping up running.. but then taking stock in the short month, horrid weather, and just plain busy-ness.. I suppose it wasn't as banner as I had thought. I normally consider myself someone who is not prone to the whims of the elements. Ice on the side walk is a different story though. As weather improves, I will need to get diligent about taking my run to my lunch hour.

Training highlights would of course be swimming entirely new distances (probably in my life), a 2 hour mountain bike ride in very low temps and on fluffy snow with some killa mountain biker crew.. Though, for all I know they headed for a hot chocolate, as they got away quick and I didn't see them until later. Bike trainer and a Superbowl the next day. Say what you will about the trainer, but it's better than no trainer and a bag of chips + super bowl.

Last/not least, the detractors aka excuses. On-call has begun. So go easy on me. I am doing more training on-call than I normally do (usually nothing). Never mind the "bug" mentioned in a previous entry. Also a couple of 7 hour bouts in the car to and from a funeral was necessary. I would say more about what a tough woman the world lost, but that's family stuff.

Next month: The training plan I bought starts. No going back now. It happens to coincide with the new DST laws that the country passed. Thankyouverymuch govt.. Just when morning daylight rides would be almost possible, let's move it up an hour.

Mantra's.. . This is my year. Game on!

346

Let's see how far I get. Or, see if you can guess when I start making up stuff...

1. Because it's there.
2. Because it's my year.
   
3. Julie Moss footage. I really don't know what year I watched an early version of the Ironman broadcast, but I do know it was early. It made some kind of impression on me.
   
4. Eat like an Ironman.
5. I like training long. Race day is just the whipped cream on the ice cream.
6. I wanted to run a marathon. This way I won't get a "It took how long" look.
7. For the T-shirt.
8. I volunteered in 2002. I wanted to take back something.
9. You've done a triathlon. Was it an Ironman?
10. Get it out of my system so I can aspire try other fun stuff like 24 hour mountain bike races.. Or maybe just regular old mountain bike races.
11. Build mad-crazy base for the CX season.
12. I'm too slow to be "just a cyclist".
13. An excuse to have (another) cool bike.
14. I can't say I'm one with nature road riding. I do think there is a spiritual aspect to longer runs and rides.
15. Playing wall tag in between following the black line is often therapeutic.
16. You can't fake it. You either do it, or not.
17. For the days that the flavor of the day is: tiramisu.
    
18. For the days that the flavor of the day is: grasshopper fudge.
19. For the days that the flavor of the day contains : chocolate
20. For the days that the flavor of the day contains : cheese cake
21. For the days that the flavor of the day contains: mint
22. For the days that the flavor of the day contains : fudge
23. For the days that the flavor of the day is : almost any flavor without nuts.
24. For the days in any month that has a flavor of the day which is : with nuts, but the sunday of the month is without nuts.
    
25. Keep at it long enough, I just might learn to swim, bike or run.
26. Gives me something to blog.
27. Procrastination... I have a separate lifetime goal that involves writing/recording an album of music on my own.
28. Because "she" said I wouldn't do a triathlon. She's long since eaten the words proudly, but why let up now?
29. Set an example. (like for the marathoners at work).
30. Never know when your car will break down. This way I'll have the skills o run or bike to work.
31. Killer abs (I can hope, right?)
32. So I can look back to the one workout per day times fondly.
33. Because I'm no longer a contender at the burrito eating competitions.
34. Billiards halls are smoke filled here. Though, a Romine's is pretty clear.
    
35. It's good to have goals.
36. Rebellion. "Ma, 2000 other people signed up." "Well if 2000 other people were going to jump in the lake would you?" ... ahem. 'Nuff said.
37. I'm just crazy enough to think that the discipline I get from doing Ironman might spill into other pieces of my life.
38. For my kids. Who's kids wouldn't want to stay up until midnight?
39. For my wife. See #31 about abs. Haha. Maybe so I can live longer and she can see my smiling face an extra few years.
40. What else am I going to do with the extra 11 - 17 hours per week?
41. It's easy to get inspired by folks like the Hoyt's.
    
42. Because unless you're at mile 90 of an Ironman on a 55 or 95 degree day, "the beast" really isn't that bad of a hill.
43. Because I already got 140.6 engraved on my ipod nano as a goal.
44. Sometimes inspiration can be "local".
45. Or even, actually local inspiration.
46. So, I can hook up with my peeps from online before the race.
47. Because there is a "Burritos as big as your head" restaurant in Madison.
48. I started triathlons in 2001... So I can get it over with and move on.
49. Four halves does not make two fulls, or even one for that matter.
50. Everyone is doing it. Shoot one guy at work has a brother that did it. Another guy at work knows a guy who's signed up. Most of the folks online seem to have done it. That's pretty near everyone.
51. Because she doesn't believe I'll only do one. (see potato chip syndrome)
52. Beats surfing websites with naked people on them.. oh wait, what are those pros wearing anyway?
53. Walking the dogs in the morning leaves me needing more workout.
54. To hear "JWM You are an Ironman!"
55. Two other people in my village are doing it.
56. Inspire some "regular folks" that think Ironman is only for elite athletes. I'll show 'em.
    
57. Because I'd rather do 6 hours on the bike than 6 hours in a golf cart.
58. It's already paid in full.
59. Release. So I don't totally crack. I wasted some hate on a trivial matter today. I don't need that. Turns out, I didn't workout today either.
    
60. It beats the mall.
61. Basement indoor training gives me time to catch up on some old movies, or "The Simpsons" dvd's.
    
62. I need more sleep. This way I'll be forced to get it.
63. Cost justification : Fixed gear bike as a training tool (OK so you don't have to be signed up for Ironman to do that)
64. Cost justification : Road bike as a training tool.
65. Cost justification : Gotta have a sweet tri-bike.
66. Because my singing is horrid.
    
67. Cost justification : Mountain bike to keep training fun.
68. Cost justification : Roof rack for car..
69. Cost justification : nutritionist.
70. Cost justification : swim coach.
71. Winter riding gear.
    
72. Cost justification : run coach.
73. Nothing like a quiet bike ride.
    
74. Cost justification : bike coach.
75. You can sign up for Ironman and train for it. In a year you are done and have that in your pocket. Or you can not sign up, and you won't have it in your pocket.
    
76. Cost justification : message therapist.
77. Cost justification : scouting week in Hawaii (I'm just seeing if any of you are still reading)
78. Cost justification : Triathlon training camp.
79. One hour in a pro triathlete's endless pool. and horrid video evidence to prove it.
    
80. Julia Childs' cinnamon rolls from Alterra Coffee Shop at the Lake.
81. Because my 6th grade teacher said I would never be more than a C student. She gave me straight B's.
82. When else am I going to get 3 nights in a hotel with peace and quiet?
83. Because I'm not taking my pager with on race day.
84. The same reason I drank tequila in my early 20's.. That "What are you nuts? But why?" look.
85. Because you can't take life too seriously.
    
86. Because at some point on the bike, I will hear "It's a beautiful day." surge through my brain. Can you hear it?
87. It's a great excuse to finally put some "real" swim yardage down.
88. Run frequency is a requirement this year.. Or it will be a walk-a-thon. In the past I didn't feel quiet so compelled.
89. That 1/2 will hopefully look more like a race next year.
90. It's now or never for making weight.
91. For the tattoo? (nah)
92. To run through Camp Randall.
93. "Verona’s festival last year alone attracted over 20,000 people and was likened to the “Tour de France”."
94. But please don't paint my name on the road. CHALK!
    
95. Because I don't have cable TV.
96. Because doing Ironman qualifies one to give online advice to folks 3 times faster than me.
97. Because we all die.
    
98. Because I have 8GB of tunes to get through on my Nano.
99. Who doesn't want mad crazy training totals?
100. So the occasional latte won't make a sizable dent in my calorie input to output ratio.
101. What else would I blog about?
102. Because Tri-teacher did it.
103. Because Bill will.
104. Because I won't catch R. Tool Shedmeister in a bike race. I'll just assume he can't run.
     
105. Because MC is done with it.
106. Because I've been telling TTN I'm gonna sign up for six years now. (no sir, I didn't sign up the missus w/o her knowledge).
     
107. Because when Dre' says you need to lift your heel more and lean forward a bit from 1000 miles away, dang it he's right! How does he do that?
108. Because my neighbors were going to sign up for turning 50.. Instead they are heading to France. Suckers!
109. Because when my four year old daughter watches Ironman on the streaming web video and the 1025th finisher crosses the line.. She says "Another winner! Yay!"
110. Because she asks to ride her bike when there is 2 feet of snow. And she still has training wheels.
111. Because when I don't train due to excuses like oncall, I find myself up at 11pm writing a list of 300 reasons to do ironman.
112. Because listing 346 reasons would be crazier than just doing it.
113. Because I'm selfish.
114. Because of you.
115. Because Rachel ended up in a recorded band. Thanks for the cookies.
116. Because keeping millions of dollars safe is stressful work.
117. Skim best friend and a see-roll to go for Roy.
118. Because once a month I have a beer, if I need it or not..
119. I believe everything in moderation. The reason I train for Ironman is my list of "everything" is quiet long.
120. Frazz would do it.
121. I've been to Moab to ride slick rock (long ago). I need a safe way to maintain base until I go back.
122. Because it just wouldn't be as challenging if my kids weren't in there first year of school, aka petrie dish.
123. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the Swim store.
124. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
125. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
126. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
127. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
128. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
129. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
130. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
131. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
132. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
133. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
134. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
135. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the LBS.
136. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the Rodiez.
     
137. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the Athlete's foot.
138. Who doesn't want to spend more time at the Nike outlet store.
     
139. To start writing a list which makes me think I should do run store web design.
     
140. Because one does not need more reasons than miles.
     
141. 140.6 seems like such a good number. So much more alluring than a mere 26.2.
     
142. I should have known I would do something like this by the time I hit 4th grade. Someone brought tootsie roll pops to school, and I spent the day counting licks. 714. I've since heard many other accounts with much smaller numbers.
     
143. Because most days I get up before 7 am and don't even stay up until midnight.. Ironman or not.
     
144. Everyone looks better in the pool. Or a wetsuit for that matter.. Now getting out all soggy after 2.4 miles is a different story.
     
145. Because a double Ironman is too far.
     
146. Because of Dad.
147. One forty seven. 199 less than 346.. but that would just be silly.

I quit the list. Back to the real focus.

Ante Up

Or, "Reason # 347 to sign up for Ironman".

I hit the pool this morning to test the waters on my new plan. It's a few weeks before I have to start my plan, but I wanted to feel ready. Without giving the workout away for free, here's the rough draft.

Warm up 500m of swim, pull and kick.
1100m drills.
700m of "testing out the drills on real swimming".
200m of cool down swimming.

All very do-able. I was just outside 1 hour 10 minutes for the entire workout. Yikes! I guess I have some work to do.

Here's where the ante up comes in. I recall, in high school five page papers were like a death sentence, or just plain pulling teeth. Then, in my first week at college, I was asked to write a paper or two. The new minimum standard was five or more pages in length. For some reason, once I hit week one in college, five page papers were cake. Just do it.

Last year, I bet I didn't swim 2500m in any given day all year. Not even on race day did I hit those totals. This year it's my "first" workout. Welcome to Ironman.

So, if you're reading this and thinking 2500m is too far to swim... Or whatever you have in your life that is too hard. Just sign up for Ironman. It won't seem like such a big deal any more. Or, just do it.

The Week in Review - a bug

Half the house showed evidence of a stomach bug. I felt evidence of one, but thus far have not materialized evidence of said bug. Today, after taking 3 days off working out, I dared the bug to do some mojo on me. I ran 7 miles. Near the end I felt as if said bug my set forth upon me and take me up on the dare. In the end, I made it through the run. I further pushed my luck with "the bug" by eating a sizable dinner. Shortly, I will partake in some frozen custard from yesterday. If that doesn't torque the bug into some kind of unhappiness, then I will take it swimming in the morning.

Other than that, I looked ahead at my homework on the training schedule.. I have some work to do. My first swim is on the order of 2500 meters. I've been swimming on average 1000 meters. I don't think it will kill me to get to 2500. All the same, I better get cracking. Monday was 1500, no problem. Wednesday was a fast 1000 (ran short on time).. And Friday, well I was off waiting for the bug.

And while I don't enjoy the latest bug visitor. I did get a big dose of "my daughter still needs me". I can be grateful for that.

TSOTD 3

Quick and easy story. But it's a lesson for y'allz.

This shirt is from my very first cyclocross race. You don't get the shirt unless you pay the man. It's good, cheap fun. Do what I did. Go see the race the year before. Then absolutely declare you will never do that. The next thing you know you are looking at 45-60 minutes of lactic threshold testing in the form of a race. In the immortal words of Ferris, "If you have the means, I highly recommend it." (paraphrased, I'm sure).

It was a Halloween race and many a folks wore some sweet and crazy getups.

Also note, this is actually a decent looking shirt. No thanks to my photography laziness, it's not a great picture.

Inverted Run?

Quick entry then off to the showers and sleepy time.

Most of my "shorter" runs start with some sort of HR red line while my body says "What!?!?!?! Are we running again?" Then eventually my perceived effort comes down and I fall into a decent pace. Today, I needed a run. I also knew I didn't feel like I should be pegging anything HR, RPE, or any other TLA. So, I slowed it way up at the beginning whereby I avoided that spike. Then, like magic, I eventually fell into a nice pace. My overall pace came up a bit slower (but not tons), possibly explained by the slippery snow. I should try this "new fangled" pacing scheme again!

Oh and have I ever been so happy to see 22 degrees F? Never. It was beautiful.

Mantra: It's my year.
OH, It's SO my year.

TSOTD 2

That's right. Day 2 of my little T-shirt thingy. I'm going to do an easy one today. A very memorable race day T-shirt.

First, I have done all four Spirit of Racine Triathlons held thus far. 2005 was number 3, and my hope for really bringing it home after such improvement in 2004. I did abundant winter training. I was out biking in 15-20 degrees temps on my fixed gear. I paid. By the time the weather hit 50s-60s I was out of tights and in just my bike shorts.

Guess what? Race day was the first really hot day of the year. It was easily 20 degrees up the scale from what I had trained in all year. I tried to enjoy the swim, knowing what was coming. On top of the heat, the bike was on the windy side. I pulled in better trained, but right on time to my 2004 bike split. And worse for wear. I saw my wife and kids there. They were heading for a swim in the lake and I was taking my own dang transition time. I knew it was not going to be fun. But I paid to have this day and I was going to have it. Local residents and spectators with hoses saved me out there. I couldn't have finished without them. I had taken for granted the blissful race day conditions of 2004. When I finally hopped into the car after the finish, the thermometer read 100. I later heard a high of 98. And about the only thing I could hang onto was that I finished, as it appeared that about 1/3 of the entrants did not. By default, I had nearly made middle of the pack !!

Here's where the T-shirt really comes in. The next day I was at my favorite local coffee shop. I spied the yellow version of the shirt. The yellow one (I was sure) was for volunteers. So, I said to the woman wearing it "You volunteered? Thanks!!". Luckily she did volunteer. At first she gave me some runaround about "didn't she look like she could do the race?" I only saw yellow == volunteer. I swear. Lesson, thank all the volunteers. But do check they are volunteers! I'm certain she could tell I did the race, as I was barely walking.

That's TSOTD 2. Expect plenty more race shirts (probably half a stack from Racine), among other kinds.

TSOTD 1

Tee Shirt Of The Day, Day 1. I thought of this odd little reason to post when "we" decided to rearrange our upstairs. It has been noted to me that I have 75-100 T-shirts, most of which are unfit to wear. Most have some (albeit small) story or memory associated with them. I'm not promising to keep up with this.. but in case more of my T-shirts are "lost" X-files style in the wash, I can still have the memories.
This particular shirt has a small but important story. Blood Donation day is coming up again soon at work. Once I got this shirt for donating. The last time I donated blood, I subsequently became as ill as I have been in my adult life. Hard down horizontal for one week. Without more details, that experience has left me a bit gun shy. As blood donation day gets nearer, I am acutely aware of any sniffle or hunger pain. Twelve days to go until my next "test". I don't consider myself a hypochondriac. I better get some sleep.
Come on the rest of you all.. Get out there and roll up your sleeves. We've got work to do.

For more information see the Red Cross.

Please Someone Tell Me...

When folks think of new laws like one which would ban Ipods while crossing the street, they have but first thought that maybe the drivers shouldn't be on their cell phones either. Aren't there laws about stopping for pedestrians in crosswalks? Is it now OK to hit someone if they have headphones on?

Yet another "driving is a right" indicator. If you are a pedestrian, you already know you have to look. Please be careful out there.

Bike Junkie, v2

How'd I get here?

The journey started on a training wheeled, banana seated, "girls" bike from some family friends. We will skip the trifles before that about big wheels. Mom would tell a tale when I came home from school after realizing (way too late) that all the other kids had long since removed their training wheels. "Your Dad will be home in a little while?".. "No Mom, I want the training wheels off now." Hopefully, I was more respectful to my Mom than that. I wasn't normally very outspoken. By the time the day was done, I'm sure I skinned a knee or two. Low and behold I lived. I learned to ride. Bike Junkie was born.

From there I upgraded to a 100 dollar, (probably 100 pound) smallest 10 speed made by Schwinn. Oh how I loved that bike. I raced my big brother. I ran it into the back of a parked car while trying to learn to shift. It took quite a beating for me.

Once that bike got small (It lasted years), I upgraded to a full sized model. Beacon Coronet as I recall, was the name of this new big bike. Dark blue. I rode it all over town. Down to the beach. Half way to some older girl's house when I got a flat and carried it home.. (must have been a sign).

My Dad had a powder blue Viscount. Eventually I inherited that for a while to ride around school.

Then, mountain biking was becoming somewhat more popular. I got a larger than life (22" frame) , rigid frame/fork, Giant Iguana. I took that to some local trails with the gang. A time or two around there and I was done.. My buddy let me ride his newer, lighter, smaller, specialized stump jumper. It was then clear to me that I was not experiencing anywhere near the same ride as he was. And his easy ascent on certain climbs became less of a mystery. A search for better equipment was a must.

Who knows how much time past, but I eventually found a very slightly used Giant ATX 780 with double butted steel frame and Rock Shox Mag21. In the early years that bike saw Sedona, Moab/Slickrock, Marquette Michigan, and Mackinac Island. All those great destinations thanks to my lovely wife. I still have that bike today. In more recent years, it's seen a single (what was I thinking?) WORS race, and much child pulling duty around town. And of course the other day, I did try to follow some tracks in the snow made by some folks who know more about how to mountain bike than I ever forgot.

I must have been frequenting a bike store or two once in a while (I never could stay away from them, even when I didn't need a bike or bike stuff). I vaguely recall seeing triathlon bicycles and thinking I should figure out what sport you have to do to need one. Of course, at the time it was just shy of a day dream.

Onward to my first "road bike". The previous ones I considered "10 speeds", if that makes much sense. GT made a nice (cheap) ZR4000 that I picked up. My wife got the steel one. I tossed on some clip-less pedals and was ready to rock. Add to that my first triathlon book, fuel in the form of a healthy amount of skepticism from my wife, some run shoes, a gym membership, and I was ready to go.

Skip ahead past a year or so of triathlons. I'm in it for the haul.. I was (am) slow, had (have) tons of room for improvement, and loving it. Time for a wicked fast triathlon bike (or at least a triathlon bike that's not stupid expensive).. At the time, Cervelo made the One as a triathlon bike (now it looks like a road bike with clip-ons). It was a reasonable price and got me aerodynamic! It never hurts to have additional bikes too.

A year or two on that, and I was ready for some upgrading. A "set of new components" for my road bike soon became a new bike. I think the paint is chipping or I have a crack or something.. I headed down to a recommended LBS and got a GREAT deal on an all Reynolds 853 steel frame made by Schwinn (see 1st bike). I ended up using the wheels and brakes from that GT and built up the Schwinn with Ultegra components. What fun! I probably didn't end up saving much cash once I bought tools and "learned" a few things, but I got to build the bike. That's my current "road bike".

Still there is a quest for more.. I had a hankering for something different. Something simple. Maybe something a bit cooler than I am. So I started looking into a reasonable fixed gear bike. Then I saw another. Then I started really noticing them all over. Some had flavor. Some were from Cali. Then there was a local option. It turns out when I was getting fixed gear fever, the local bike store guys were just talking about that Milwaukee One fixed gear bike. The were trying out a few different things.. and while Langsters were cheaper, these were the local boys putting together something sweet. I'll cut out the parts about my sleepless nights and all the whining... Fast forward to my birthday that year.. Mom and my wife went together to go big for my b-day.. Woo Hoo! I love riding that thing. I know I had tons of miles on it in the first 2-3 months I owned it, and my birthday is in December in Wisconsin. See rule #1, buying bike stuff only helps you if you ride. If you ride more, it was worth the money.

Since then, I turned the fixed gear into even yet another bike. I picked up some Panaracer Crossblasters and flipped over the rear wheel to the freewheel side. Then, I twice got brave and raced CX races on it. When I asked for gear advice, some guy told me he had no problems racing in 42x16. Of course everyone else at the race seemed to think I was nuts and were looking for my insane tree trunk legs.. Oh well, ride what you brung. Note to future slow single speed CX racers.. Don't ask for gearing advice from people that are faster than you. R. Tool Shed, I take full responsibility for asking and accepting the answer. This notion probably also applies to all those "What cassette should I use for Ironman Wisconsin?" posters too. In defense of said advisor, if I had been going fast enough to keep up, it probably was the proper gear.

Now what better excuse can I have to lust after a decent geared CX bike for next year?? The saga continues.. Oh the memories.

My long drawn out post wouldn't be a long drawn out JWM post without a list. Here are a few reasons to be a bike junkie...

1. Because they are mechanically simple.. try fixing your car without a computer if it was made in the last decade.
2. Quiet please. That ride in the snow the other day just accentuated the fact. There is nothing like a quiet bike ride.
3. Bikes are "cheap". Sure nothing is free. But if your idol is Lance (if), you can ride exactly what he rides for $5000. Yeah, it's real money, but compare to those who has a NASCAR idol. See also planes, trains, or yachts. It's cheap transportation. OK, runners can stay quiet right now.
   
4. My Grandpa biked. My Dad biked. I bike.
   

If you made it this far.. Thanks for listening!

Bike Junkie?

So, a guy gets into a sport (triathlon) it's a way to get another bike.
So, a guy goes mountain biking in 5 degrees and snow and he wants a single speed mountain bike.
So, a guy manages to get his entire backside handed to him in the two CX races he's been near or in. As a result, he thinks maybe a new shiny bike on a hook in the basement would be fun.

Who doesn't?

I say, it's okay to buy them (so long as the children are warm and fed). But you gotta do the miles first. I have the triathlon bike. Let's get Ironman done, then lust for the next one. Sure it's easy to get swept up. Gotta stay focused.

Tag the Blog

OK Tri-teacher. Game on. Please don't check my spelling.

Well, I don't consider myself much of a TAG type person when it comes to things like blogs and email. If you're reading this and want to be TAGGED, consider yourself TAGGED. If you don't want to be TAGGED, by all means carry on and read / comment as normal.

Oh, except you bbieberitz. You are so tagged. That's what you get for admitting subscribing to this blog.

1. Describe a memory from your first triathlon ever.
2. Describe a memory from your most recent triathlon.
3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?
4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?
5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?
6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

Let's get to it.

1. My first triathlon.

My first year of triathlon, I signed up for the Wisconsin Triathlon Series races. Lake Mills being the first race. I remember very little. So I'll keep it somewhat short on truth, and make up a few things to beef it out.

The wetsuit. I decided to be a big man and go frugal style, sans wetsuit. At the last minute my wonderful mother stepped in and bought me a wetsuit. She didn't want her baby freezing in the water I suppose. Anyway, thanks Mom! Because it brings me to first race memory number 1. I got in the water before the race just to get the feel. I froze. I couldn't swim. Wait no. I couldn't breathe. I was going to die. Sell my bike, I won't need it. .. .. .. Calm down. Just float in the wetsuit. It won't let you sink. You're not going to die. Now breathe. Breathe! OK, better. Now, swim like you did in the pool. See, it'll be fine. My advice for prospective triathletes, get in the water ahead of the gun going off and talk yourself through the swim.

I lived. My memory gets fuzzy after that. I recall a heat on the run I hadn't really run in before. More because I probably did my run training at night. This was not much shade, and sunny. I'm not sure it was really that hot. But it was hot to me. I walked more than once. It was hard. But I must have had a blast, because I did the next one. Oh and the food at the witriseries races is almost worth the price of the race alone.

2. My most recent triathlon

Spirit of Racine 2006. Getting out of the water in a 1/2 Iron distance race and not feeling sapped going into the bike. WoooHOOOO!!! Mission accomplished on the swim. Taking the bike medium easy and hitting about 10 minutes under my next best bike time. And NOT have 100 degree weather on the run (like in 2005) ! Keeping the smackdown alive by staying in front of Bill (barely). All in all, just having a darn good time of it.


3. What's the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to you in a tri?

Wow, tough one. Say the first thing that comes to you.... Running out of t2 at Elkhart Lake Triathlon with my bike helmet on.. Or the pics from that race (or a previous time I did it) which I would have labeled "the running stance".

I have a better story that was more embarrassing for someone else... Spirit of Racine (maybe the first one in 2003). I was coming out of t2 and went to hit the porta-let. Well now, if you're a female pro, and you're done with your race when I have to run into the t2 porta-let, you should lock the door. Initially I got yelled at. I quickly shut the door as I realized what was going on in my haze. As I went for a different stall I heard, "SORRY!". Apparently she realized her error. Anyway, I was not scarred for life. Hopefully neither was she.

4. What's the most thrilling thing that's happened to you in a tri?

Again we're relying on my unreliable memory. I love the quiet getting ready of the morning. Walking the beach to the start. All the nervous energy. Trying to stay calm. We're all in this alone, but together at the same time. Race morning can be so great and such a knot twist all at once. That is a thrill.

Also, a few years ago at devil's lake tri (sprint distance) I did my best to go hard on the run. It was fast as I can or bust. Toss my cookies at the finish line if I must (I didn't). And pulled off my first sub 9 minute mile in a tri 5k. That was a pretty dang big thrill. My swim had also been a serious PR. Ironically, my bike was over 20 minutes off my projected time. There were rubbing brakes, rainy weather, and serious hills to account for my error. Turns out my "projected" time was closer to the winner's bike time. Error in my judgement more than performance.

5. What is something you discovered about yourself by doing triathlons?

• If I don't workout, I will be huge, jittery, and generally unhappy.
  
• I've learned how much simply changing perspective can change your limits.
  

6. What is The Big Goal that you're working towards?

If this is the first time you read my blog.. My big goal for this year is to complete Ironman Wisconsin. I may yet change my mantra weekly.. Right now it's, "This is my year!"


With my homework out of the way. Time to hit the hay. 5:15 the alarm goes off. The dogs will walk. The pool will wait for me bright, crisp, and early.

Shaking off the "Trainer Blues"

It took all my biking clothes and then some, but today was a BLAST!

In spite of my best efforts to sabotage my setup so I couldn't ride in single digit temperatures, I made it to a trail ride. I was egged on by the appearance of former Ironman, single speed mountain biker from DC. I even hauled out my mountain bike, which hasn't seen any real action in years. Well, it went from 0-60 on the action meter right off!

Weather.com warned, we might be in for the "coldest temps in a decade". I got many "looks" when I answered the question "what are you doing this weekend?" at work.

Big shout out to Cliff for providing some tasty treats for the ride. They didn't have to give me free stuff to convince me.. but I'll take it.

For the curious...

• Titanwear tri-short #1
• Target store plastic bag
• Titanwear tri-short #2
• Smartwool bike socks
• Big ole winter socks (grey w/ the red top)
• Specialized mountain bike shoes
• Trek winter shoe covers
• Lakefront Marathon long sleeve wicking shirt as a base
• long sleeve warm tight shirt (think active long underwear)
  
• Harpoon IPA bike jersey (for karma)
• Pearl Izumi balaclava
• Tifosi eye wear
• Thin 99 cent one size fits all gloves
• Big thick super warm bike gloves
• Pearl Izumi winter bike clothes reviewed late last year (tights and jacket)
  
• Last but not least an illuminted ugly bright blue wind breaking type bike jacket on top of all that.

Lessons:

• If you're bothering to go mountain biking in the dead of winter w/ a bunch of folks that are twice as fast as you (on their single speeds).. And if you're also bothering to bring your Garmin Forerunner, then by all means have the good sense to press start in the parking lot. That way you have a good chance that the rescue team will know in which direction to drag the body. Turns out, I found it again on my own.
  
• Not all dog owners will be completely inconvenienced by all bikers... One woman was cheering us all on. (note there weren't many folks out, much less cheering). Try to be respectful.
  
• Man that was fun! (get the point) Training should sometimes be just plain fun. Forget the HRM number/graphs etc.. Or bring it.. but put tape over it. For what it's worth, I had no time to look at any numbers or watches with my death grip on the handle bars!
  
• If you're going to weigh your bike down with a Gatorade bottle, drink within the first 20 - 30 minutes.. otherwise it will be frozen. For that matter, it might be frozen even after the 30 minute car ride, 30 minutes inside at home, then 15 minutes on top of the radiator while showering, and only drinkable after an additional minute in the microwave. That's frozen! Alternatively, I suppose you could bring a spoon for your Gatorade flavored squishee.
  
• 5 degrees and sweet packed snow single-track vs the trainer.. Think about it.
  
• Not a lesson, but I wonder. Is bike lust wrong?
  

After all that, if you're not amped to go biking in the winter.. Well, consider that Arrowhead endurance race was much farther north and started this weekend. Yikes!! Mad crazy props to all those folks.

Journey to Ironman Month in Review: January 2007

The days: worked out 22/31 days (12 of last 13 days)

209 days until race day.

Swim: 13450 yards
Bike: 124.2 mostly phantom trainer "miles"
Run: 45.53 mostly hard fought winter Wisconsin outdoor miles

The last 10 days or so, I've been trying out the frequency and character of my purchased ironman plan that starts in March... So far so good.. Sleep will be key. I'm not at all discouraged by an 8 hour week. Seems like a similar week would have not been impossible last year, but harder. Perhaps in the face of 11-17 hours / week, 8 just doesn't phase me.

I'm putting one toe in the water on the 5th/3rd 25k run in Grand Rapids.. We'll see how training toward that goes.. But right now, it looks good. My currently long run is only an hour. I don't think increasing it to 90 minutes will be difficult.. After that, we'll see.

Weather.com is predicting "possibly the lowest temperatures in a decade". Anyone want to ride? Bring your heat.

Feb 1.. slept in.. oops !

Good News / Bad News...

As if someone's actually reading this, the bad news is..... I haven't been posting.

The good news is...

I' been trainin'. The wife even asked if I was gettin' dehydrated or somethin' cause I looked lighter. Sho' 'nuff, it isn't less fat..... yet.

Discipline. Tough word for me, but I gotta do it. Night y'all.

Taking A Break

Even if you're working 16 hours on a Sunday (many of them wee hours), you have to get your fun in! Here's jwm taking a break at the local snow bump. (BTW that's the coat). Pay no attention to last year's running shoes.

As for the rest of the week, I'm trying to make my training look more like the first week of my training plan. I'm doing this in character and frequency, if not volume.

26 Weeks

Get out the Credit Card. Click. (Iron Distance '07, Intermediate, Hilly Bike Plan). My March - September workouts are all planned out now. Now I have 2 months to sit in and get ready for the big load. I might be slightly out of my league, but it looks doable.
Some say "race day easy compared to the training". I never believed that, until I saw this plan! Anxiety aside, I trust Rich and Crucible to get me where I'm going.

Can you tell I'm excited?

14.

Am I getting old? Because I do not recall 14 degrees F ever feeling this cold. I went to walk the dogs this morning, the thermometer read "14". I got out the "I don't want to be cold" coat today. It's like wearing the sun. I really think I wouldn't have wanted to ride my bike out in this today. Could be the warm winter we have is making me soft.. Maybe if I look at the "bright side", I'm preparing for a hot summer..

UPDATED

I am a whimp.. There were a couple guys windsurfing in L. Michigan this morning shortly after I blogged this. Carry on.

Grumble Grumble Grumble..

Went to my LBS today to pickup my ordered bike rack. I did so because my wife called me. She said they called. And when they called they said, "it's in." Apparently that wasn't specific enough, because when I went there they could only track down 2/3 of the parts I asked for. The other one will be there in a day or so. OK, great. Glad I drove past and came in so I could find out that I'll have to come back anyway. Why wasn't this an item I got online anyway? Because I like to support my LBS's.. and normally they are cool and I'm happy. But then I try to go out of my way for something that would almost certainly be easier to get online (maybe even cheaper)... and what happens?

All in all, no biggie.. I just can't drive my bike somewhere to ride it yet. Where am I going anyway?

Rant over, life is really fine.. I can't complain at all.

Run Music

Another short but more frequent blog entry (like my workouts lately)..

If you haven't tried RHCP for your run music, give it a go. The funky nature provides a light, fluffy-ness to the run. You pick your feet up. Yet the beats tend to be fast enough to keep you pounding. Mind you, skip the "I Could Have Lied" type tunes (or at least save them for post run). Small disclaimer, the lyrics might not be for everyone.

(onto more sleep) Anyone want to do some rollers spotting in the AM?

Back In The Swing..

Quickie blurb..

So long ago I was doing two workouts per day (July-ish). Well, it's the new year and the beginning of you know what. Morning swims and noon runs are great. I really miss that from last year. If you haven't tried it, and you have the means. I highly recommend it. Never mind the unseasonably warm January weather, and my time off from work. Woot!

Hit the showers!

Milestones

My Ipod Nano with Nike+ hit 100 miles today on my 10k run. When I got back to home base, I connected and sent data into the mothership. Subsequently, I was transferred to a website that spits data back at me in pretty colors. It called my run a funny name. I wondered why, then I noticed my total went above 100 miles. Woot! That probably means I can get free shoelaces somewhere, right?
On the same day, I tried out my new shoes. Yes, I got some New Balance 767's. I went into the local running store just for another pair of my Saucony Hurricane 7's. Guess what. They had 8's and not 7's. The 8's didn't fit like the 7's. Undeterred, I asked about other shoes. Turns out I saved a good 35 singles (140 quarters for those of you who are of the vending machine spending style) on the NB 767's. Yes, I'm aware some of you savvy Internet types might be inclined to send me links where I can find more 7's. But, I've never really had a problem w/ the NB shoes. So, I gave it a whirl.
As exciting as that little paragraph is there.. Point is, I ran 10 k in new shoes. The felt great. Seems I've been running 3-5 milers for some extended time now. So, 10k was a bit of a bump up. But fun no less.
Top that off with the fact that it's my first two-a-day in some time too.. Shoot I may have to sleep in until 6:15 AM before I walk the dogs and ride my bike.

The happy ending here is I feel like Ironman training is getting a start. YAY!

ZAP!

There it is January 1st. Like hitting the reset button on your calendar. I don't feel much different. But it's '07, the year of the Ironman. Who knows what else this year will bring. Kids will turn 5 this year. Travel? Yes! Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves with predictions.

Now, for the stuff I think I know... In accordance with the Ironman training, and just general improvement. I'm fashioning new rules. A few are restatements of what I have long thought anyway.. Here goes.

1. 25 is the new 15. The goal here is to make 25 miles a short ride. This will mean getting up earlier for my Tuesday / Thursday rides.
   
2. Run at lunch.. It's either that or eat. Why not? It breaks up the day and every 30 minute run helps my frequency and overall miles without necessarily killing me. This is also the only way I'll see 4 or more runs per week.
   
3. Stick with what worked last year on the swim. Consistency (3x per week) and drills. I never got fast, but if I can get out of the water after 2.4 feeling fresh, it's a win for me.
4. Rollers and trainers don't move. Thus they are not subject to rule number one. The alternate wording to this rule is "30-60 minutes on the trainer or rollers is better than none".
5. See previous blog entry for notes on "what is my goal?" in regards to my weight and eating. My confidence is so-so. But if I'm going to do it, then January 1 is the time.
6. In the midst of all these "easy" to write down fitness related goals. I'd like to do this all more efficiently/effectively. So, I can make more time for friends and family.
7. Here's one I should add to the list.. but I know better. "Go to bed earlier, and get more sleep."

At that, I'll cut this entry short.

Resolutions.

As you may have read, I've got an Ironman coming up in September. So, it's getting toward go time here. I'm looking at a 9.5 month journey. Ironman or bust. At minimum, if I'm gonna lose some weight it needs to be very soon. Secondly, it's time to ramp up some workout frequency, if nothing else. Third, thank goodness I finally got a gym membership. I can start hitting their pool bright and early. All I need is a local 5k to start a baseline (a.k.a run an LT test). Then I'm set.
More on the weight. This would be weight loss plan # 587 of 2006 (or maybe plan #1 of '07). I'm ramping up already, but I can see it's going to be a tough battle. Basic premise is I can't do the 1/2 way "don't deny yourself stuff" weight loss plans. I'm going to have to go whole hog on each item I eat. The questions before I eat will be:

1. What is in this food?
2. Why am I eating it?
3. How much am I going to eat?
4. Does it help me get to my goal?
5. If I keep asking these questions will I forget about this table of free chocolates sitting behind me at work while everyone else is off the entire week? (OK, maybe I won't ask that every time).
   

At this point I'm not expecting miracles. I'm not giving up ice cream again. I'll just want some serious moderation on the frozen dairy treat, and zero to VERY LITTLE other "bad food". I'm gonna have to up the H2O intake somewhat. Then we'll go from there.

Last but not least, once in a blue friggin' moon I gotta hit a group ride. No? It's about time to pickup my bike roof rack from the LBS. Then I will be able to drive my bike somewhere so as I could ride it in alternate locations away from home.

See you next year.

Merry Christmas!

What a fun morning with the kids! One more day and I'm not on-call for work anymore.. Back to my normally scheduled workouts and mayhem. Merry Christmas!

Grateful

One too many or one too few sake' (or saki) makes me reflect...

I have every reason to be grateful for the life I lead. Taking vacation to ride my bike. Spending time with my children on a daily basis. I'm grateful for a wonderful family. An understanding wife. I'm grateful for my good neighbors. I'm grateful for a good job that I enjoy. I'm grateful I've managed to make some wonderful friends in life (even online). Grateful for my brother and his family visiting from a far off land. Here is an open "thank you" for the life I have.

We miss you Dad.

Equipment Review -- Pearl Izumi Winter Cycling Getup

In celebration of me getting older, I decided to fork out some cash on winter cycling clothes. I've been doing it on the cheap for enough years (see blog entry from a few weeks back). So, here are the "results" after a week or so of riding this stuff outside.

I rode outside about 5 times in the new "getup". I rode in 18 degree weather, and plenty of 32-38 degree weather.

Without further ado, here is the new equipment list:

Pearl Izumi Gavia Jacket:



The number one thing about this Gavia jacket is it's warm but not bulky. I'm used to winter riding in clothes that act as resistance training against the wind. The jacket stretches to fit tightly. It doesn't bulk out or flap around at all. It has wind protection in the front and vents where you need them. Underneath, I have a standard cycling jersey and a long sleeve base layer for really cold days. The only thing I regret about this jacket is I didn't get one sooner. I have been eyeing up jackets like this for a few winters. Dang!

Pearl Izumi AmFIB Tight:


I went in looking for the jacket, and got carried away. This brings me to the pants. I'm normally fine with regular bike tights. When it's really cold, I need some extra wind stopper in the nether regions. As it turns out, the LBS had some wind stopper equipped pants. They keep my legs warmer than I think I really need them to, but I'm not hot in them. Warm legs does help the blood flow in the area I'm really concerned about. They provide more of an even protection than I was looking for. I really wanted super wind stopping power in the crotch, and regular leg protection. End result though, I'm plenty warm in these. I would wear them on the coldest of days without fear. I do wear regular bike shorts underneath. I have yet to get really rained on in cold weather, but these feel like they would hold up very well in such a situation (crossing fingers).

Pearl Izumi Cyclone Glove:

I would like to say I went three for three on the Pearl Izumi clothing. But, I think I made a mistake on this one. To no fault of the manufacturer, I just chose a glove that isn't as warm as I need it to be. It fits great. I just need something with a bit more weight to it. I wanted to get by with a thinner, more lightweight, but still warm glove. Well folks, here is no place to skimp on weight. I suspect these would be great gloves in 45 degree weather for me. So, I'll be sticking with my older, poofier gloves on cold days.

In addition to the great stuff from the manufacturer, I really have to give a thumbs up to the local LBS here. Wheel and Sprocket was very knowledgeable and helpful. Bike clothing online can be cheap, but I had excellent help from the LBS. I feel I couldn't have gotten that online without at least a few returns. (EDIT) I went out today in about 40 degrees F. I went meduim hard effort, enough to stay fairly warm. These gloves were perfect for that!

Last, but not least. If your out on your winter ride without a stack of Cliff bars, consider stopping by the local Great Harvest Bread Company for a little snack. MMMMMMmmmm.

Enough shilling for one day. For what it's worth, I am not sponsored by anyone. Nor did I receive money or goods for this review.

RaNdOm NeWs FrOm ThE pAsT WeEk Or So..

First, I made it... I hit my birthday party without more than 2 spoonfuls of delicious frozen milk treat. And even since then Kopps has been gumming up their flavors with good for you things like nuts and turtles.. So, while I've had the stuff since.. I haven't been piling it on like I useta.. Mission accomplished.

Secondly, balance. It's been off kilter whilest I look for a brand new car. I found said car. And if I can give any advice to those looking for new cars out there.. Figure out what you want then just go get it.. Enough with all the Interent research/quotes/emails to dealers and such... And don't let them sell you the true-coat. Turns out I'm very happy with my new black civic sedan from David Hobbs. Shameless plug.. but there was no kickback for that link. Glad it's over.

I'm takin' the week off.. who's riding? I need something to slap me back into routine... Didn't I sign up for some Ironman or something like that next year? Someone remind me in April.

Keeping up the post count...

Bill did it. Veeg started it.. For fun I'm going to go through it.

01. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
02. Swam with wild dolphins
03. Climbed a mountain (down)
04. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
05. Been inside the Great Pyramid
06. Held a tarantula
07. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
08. Said “I love you” and meant it
09. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa.
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer (Are there people who DON'T do this?)
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk.
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe.
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Played touch football
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured an ancient site
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played Dungeons & Dragons for more than 6 hours straight (though we didn't know what we were doing)
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an “expert”.. No but I was SOOOOO close when someone hacked the UWM email system back in college.. Feet from the camera, didn't get asked.
83. Got flowers for no reason
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Kissed on the first date
89. Gone to Thailand
90. Bought a house
91. Been in a combat zone
92. Buried one/both of your parents
93. Been on a cruise ship
94. Spoken more than one language fluently well enough to have a decent conversation
95. Performed in Rocky Horror
96. Raised children (in progress)
97. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (yes, but not all at one time)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane (assuming MS Flight Sim doesn't count).
109. Touched a stingray
110. Broken someone’s heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a facial part pierced other than your ears
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad
135. Selected one “important” author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language (I can't find the floppy it was on for my C64 though) :)
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident (I'd guess I didn't actually cause it... I waved at them. 3 minutes later they crashed)
150. Saved someone’s life
151. Finished a marathon

Short and Sweet

Back from whatever horrid germs were holding me back. Cutting out frozen dairy treat products thus far has been successful. And I'm back on the training plan to the tune of about 1 hour per day. Slow but sure. The ice cream cravings are nowhere near gone. Currently will power is up 7-zilch though.

Happy Turkey Day! Hug your family.

GO time!

I hereby annouce to those within readership of this post, I will consume no frozen diary treats for a trial period of not less than 18 days. If I get that far, I'll splurge for my birthday.

Ironman Wisconsin or bust.

Thank you for your support**. How'd that link get in there?

** Anyone catching JWM in an act of indescretion related to the subject matter of this post before the end of the aforementioned 18 days is hearby granted the right to shame me into tossing the creamy frozen diary product into the garbage. Worse yet, take a bite.. I'll toss it for sure. If you do so after the 18 days is up... Well, just don't.

Winter Biking in Wisconsin (and other northern spots)

I might not be the fastest tri-head on the pavement, but I can tell you how to have a good time over the winter. If you don't grab your bike on any or every given Saturday throughout the winter and regardless of weather, you're missing out. You can ride your trainer or rollers every other day of the week if you wish. Once in a while you need to unhook and get some fresh (even if freezing) air. Here's how I do it.
First, no excuses. "But it's too cold". I don't want to hear it. All sorts of folks ski, snowboard, run, climb mountains, and the like in weather way worse than you're already not going out in. We'll make a clothing list below. I consider it imperative that you keep at least 4 things warm. Head(ears), hands, feet, and what's under your shorts.
Second, winter riding is about being prepared. If you're not organized, it will take you three times as long to suit up as it will to actually ride. Prepare, and you'll be more likely to repeat the process next weekend.
Third, it's nice to keep your legs in shape with your bike stapled to the trainer, but there's no substitute for outdoors.

Let's make a shopping list. For your head:

• Balaclava - If you're riding in the cold, I consider this a lightweight must have. It fits under your helmet just fine. Keeps those ears warm.
• Shades. Something to protect your eyes when it's sleeting. Note, you probably want clear lenses too, because it's often dark in the winter months.
• If you're hardcore and go out when there are negative numbers on the temp scales, try ski goggles.
• I recommend a helmet in all months. Frozen pavement is hard.
  

For your feet:

• Smart wool or your favorite warmest socks (maybe even 2 pair).
• Is it wet/snowy/rainy ? Dry equals warm. Get some of those high zoot $50 boots to cover your shoes. Short on the extra fifty? Sandwich bags over your socks will do in a pinch.
• Mountain bike shoes. If it's slippery or icky out, you don't want to be walking around in shoes that feel like ice skates in dry weather. Exception to this rule, I went out yesterday in 40 and rain/sleet. It wasn't slippery out, and my mountain bike shoes happen to hold significantly more water than the road shoes.

For your hands: I have three different glove configurations, depending on how cold it is.

• Regular fingerless cycling gloves.
• Add those one-size fits all, 99 cent, Walgreen's gloves under the cycling gloves.
• If it's really, really cold I have some winter cycling gloves that don't look much different than those big puffy winter gloves that you wore as a kid. Only difference, the ones I had as a kid were neon green.
• I have also been told good cross country ski gloves work great, but I found the cycling gloves cheaper than the ski gloves. I'm hear that's abnormal. Your mileage may vary.
  

For your nether regions:

• Caveats, I'm not sure I have this one totally nailed down (based on experience). I have no clue if it's much different for women, I'm guessing not.
• Layers is good. I often hear (in summer) you don't want to wear underwear or 2 pair of shorts, etc.. In winter, you want at least one cycling short layer and some good tights. I say "good tights", because I have a good pair and a cruddy pair. It's worth the extra 20-30 dollars to get some that don't ride down and have a draw string in them. The "goodness" factor may be more about material than anything. Let's just say the "not-good" ones can ride down your legs and get caught on your seat during an otherwise decent cyclo-cross dismount.
• These two layers may not suffice. Think extra underwear (thermal). And/or windscreen type shorts that could go between the tights and the bike shorts.

The rest:

• Once you have the four key parts covered, you just need a decent base layer and something to cover. Here are a few notes.
• You can buy cycling specific winter gear. It's great, but you will pay for it.
• As it gets colder, here's the order I add to my upper body. Bike jersey, athletic thermal underwear (long sleeve), jacket or vest. And on really cold or wet days, I'll toss a sweatshirt under the jacket.
• I used to wear just bike shorts in anything pretty much over 50F (for sure over 60F). I have heard from folks smarter than I, that you need to keep your knees warm in weather like that to avoid injury. Those folks said, "something on your knee" for anything under 70F. Something would be either bike tights, or knee warmers.
  
• As usual, watch for anything baggy that might catch on your bike (or a race spectator with a big fingered #1 glove).
• Don't forget to stay hydrated, this might mean putting a camel back on your list so your water doesn't freeze.
• Check the weather before you leave... If you leave covered for 20F and the temps drop significantly, it's more than annoying. It's dangerous.
• Put any pager/cell/lifeline you might have in a sandwich bag. Dry cell is a happy cell.

End notes. Winter riding is one of those things some people never do and don't know what they are missing. I'm not saying you should go out riding 20mph on an inch of ice for your first winter ride. Just consider, folks have done much crazier things than ride in 20 degree weather. Some of my most memorable rides, are in a pile of snow. I may have only covered 4-6 miles on my mountain bike in a hour, but it counted tenfold toward my general bike-ed-ness. Just get out there, even if it's only long enough to shake that "stuck on the trainer" feeling.

Good luck. See you in the spring. For more reference, from way crazier folks than I, see Icebike.org

Nice Job Lance!

Lance Armstrong's first marathon came in under 3 hours. And he managned to beat Brenn Jones while doing it. I don't have a 3 hour marathon in me. I know this, because I see 21 minute 5k split after 21 minute 5k split in the results.

My new plan would have to include something like :

1. Run a single 25 minute 5k
2. Run a single 24 minute 5k
3. Run a single 23 minute 5k
4. Run a single 22 minute 5k
5. Run a single 21 minute 5k
6. Run a single 20 minute 5k
7. Run 2 21 minute 5k's back to back.
8. etc.
9. Contemplate new steps to get to 3 hour marathon.
   

Point being, 3 hours might be easy for someone. But it's no joke.

Mind you, let's not be to quick and miss mentioning the winners of the NYC Marathon:

Top Women 2006 (Finish)
1. Jelena Prokopcuka (LAT) 2:25:05
2. Tatiana Hladyr (UKR) 2:26:05
3. Catherine Ndereba (KEN) 2:26:58

Top Men 2006 (Finish)
1. M. Gomes dos Santos (BRA) 2:09:58
2. Stephen Kiogora (KEN) 2:10:06
3. Paul Tergat (KEN) 2:10:10

And while you sit and attempt to fathom 26.2 miles in 2:10, like I can't. Remember the first 5k was in 15:40, and the 10k mark was at 31 minutes.. And, they keep going. Incredible.

Nice job to all who started, suffered, and finished the NYC Marathon!

Vows (a fall update)

Oh how quickly I rescind my recent vow. Let's recap from my last blog entry.

"But dang it, as sure as I type this blog I vow to race a minimum of ONE of these and show my face and get lapped, shelled, dropped, spit out the back at the 2nd turn.. Laughing all the way."

Here I am after two weeks of no working out whatsoever, 2/3 of my "possible" CX races are past. And I'm still hacking up 2/3rds of my lung. For the squeemish, I decided not to provide the "proof" photo of my green oozing eye. Suffice to say, Doc loaded me up with sufficient drugs to kill all bacteria known to man, and maybe a few extra. Sorry folks, no Cyclocross race report this year.

I will have to plan for 2007, take a month off after Ironman Wisconsin. Then utilize my wicked year long base building to leg up and "nearly keep up" with the beginner CX racers. Place your bets now!

Cyclocross

It's cold. It's rainy. It's fast. It's drooling, white spot seeing, wheezing craziness.. Laughing all the way. It's what a triathlete needs post-season. Especially one stuck in the neverending quest of going longer.

A few rules...

1. Try to keep up.
2. Watch your tights on the dismount.
3. Remount, best I can figure, is a jump in the air while your feet race your butt to the bike. Pray your feet win.
4. 30, 40, or 50 minutes max queue, the X number of laps. If you still aren't getting asked if you're racing or not, you're doing pretty good.
5. If you wear your HRM, it will think it was stolen.
   
6. Head for beer/reward.

I did this cyclocross thing last year.. Much to my amusement. And have/had high hopes of hitting it again.. All the regular excuses pop up.. Birthday's, anniversary's, work, etc etc.. But dang it, as sure as I type this blog I vow to race a minimum of ONE of these and show my face and get lapped, shelled, dropped, spit out the back at the 2nd turn.. Laughing all the way.

If you too are a triathlete and haven't been exposed to the wreckless sillyness of CX.. Drag your bike out there.. or at least go watch (take a camera).. but beware my experience. One year I watched, I said "NO WAY!". The following year I was out there getting lapped like a dog, laughing all the way.

Marathons are for fast runners.

Marathons are only for fast people.. Everyone else should just donate their entry fee to a good cause and call it a day. http://www.slate.com/id/2149867/?GT1=8592 And real bikers must ride bikes that have more than one gear, and the ability to coast. http://www.sfbg.com/entry.php?entry_id=1734#cmt
I grow weary of the hate speech in articles like these. They only exist to get hits (and here I am providing links). I'm here to say, "If you want to run a slow marathon. Go for it!" If you want to ride a bike, or a fixed gear bike, DO IT! Whatever turns your crank, gets your attention and gets you movin. GO! Buy a dog and walk it. Run your first 5k. Do a hand stand. Claw you way to your first 16 hour 59 minute Ironman finish time. Let the nay-sayers be left behind, content in their misery.

Sigh of Relief

It was a tough day out there at Ironman Wisconsin yesterday. Windy, low 60's temperature, and raining. That didn't stop me from fretting about signup this morning. The past five years, I've watched, read about, and followed countless triathletes who've found themselves toeing the line at Ironman Wisconsin. Now, I'm as ready as I'll ever be.
The Iroman journey has started a bit stressfully though.. First, find out when signup is. Be home. From there, it's much like trying to get tickets to a U2 concert online.. Only there are only 2000 tickets, and they are much more non-transferrable. Rumor is "the show" sold out in 75 minutes. In between the kids first day of pre-K and a doctor's appointment for my wife, I managed to throw down almost 500 dollaros on the opportunity to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run a marathon on the same day.
Once registration was confirmed, I sighed in relief. Now all I have to do is kick back and relax... Sometime between now and then, I'll put in the training miles which will hopefully bring me across the finish line. See ya there!

This Is It.

After a pause in blogging.. Here I am. Sorry to the vast sea of fans that religiously read my blog.

The goal was to finish Racine my way, whatever that meant. This year I did that. I had a "good" race. While my swim was not fast, I managed to get out of the water feeling well and ready to go on the bike. I cut 10+ minutes off the bike. And for the second time in 4 tries, I "ran" the entire run (minus aid stations).
Fast forward to September.... This coming weekend is the 5th Ironman Wisconsin . Since 2002 (when I volunteered), I have had this race "on my radar". I wanted to go in with some idea what I'm in for. So, I decided to do the Racine 1/2 until "I got it right". That did not mean "fast" or "winning" or anything.. But, I think I have some idea what time I have to train and what I can put into Ironman training. See paragraph one. Send me a link to this post in one year! That said, I'll be on active.com come Monday morning clicking the submit button. The start of one wild ride.

Taper time...

Get some sleep. Don't train too much. Stay focused on race day. Got all your stuff? Where's your checklist? Bike ready? Why am I so jittery? Salt tablets or no? What are my goals? What's the weather going to be like? Last year was a record high. Just relax, and race!

All loaded up..

This is it.. Tomorrow is my pre-race checkup. I've got the car all loaded and I head to Racine to do one final long bike / run. And this time it's on the course. I had planned this much earlier in the year, but life is life. And racin' is racin'. Anywho, I'm hoping this goes off well so I can sit back on race day and soak up the "au jus" that is competition. After tomorrow, it's a few decent swims (hopefully), and slowly backing down to taper.. Last week I managed 11:36 in training time. That is not much for many, but I'm certain it's my all time long week. So, what's written is written and now the waiting begins.

See you in the papers.

Birds...

40 minutes into my two hour run this morning, a bird attacked me. Attacked is loosely used to mean, it was attempting to land on my head. Then it proceeded to freak out when I wasn't it's nest. The remaining 80 minutes of my run were uneasy when other birds were in sight. Next time my foul friend, I'll be ready for you. I needed a Hitchcock music theme in my mp3 player.

Be careful out there.

Making Virtual More Like Reality Everyday

I'm not sure I want my computer virtual desktop to look more like my real desktop. Could be it would digitally reveal too much about me. That can't be good. That said, I was bumping around and found this BumpTop desktop prototype. Go check out the video. Neato stuff. That is all.

The Price of Freedom

Mini bike pump $18. Two extra Cartridges $7. One spare tube $5. Old patch kit and tire levers, written off already. Fixing a flat 20 miles out, and continuing away from home... Priceless.
Today, I picked up a messenger bag which is too cool for me. But it will be more than capable as a vessel to carry my work supplies to and from work. Next up, more commuting on the bike. Less gas, starting in the morning. More on this later.

Out for a movie...

After a rather extensive effort to take the kids to see "Cars", we came home empty handed. We showed up 15 minutes prior to 1:00 PM showtime only to be next in line when they found out it was sold out. So, off to the Fox Bay Cinema Grill for the 1:45 show. We arrive there in time to learn they had a power outage in the theater, next show 4:15 PM.. All that driving and nothing to show for it.
Home for the kids nap time, will try again a different day. My system might go into shock if I saw a real live movie in a theater anyway.

A wonderful carry-out dinner from Buca's. Sure, I over indulged slightly, but Father's days are finite.

About 7:40 PM I lament over my lack of movie viewing for the day. Seconds to spare, my wife mentions "Inconvenient Truth" plays at 8:00 PM local and says "Off you go!" Sure, it's a lecture. Yes, many will not want to hear it. But, please go see it and make up your own mind. If nothing else, I get to bike to work more.

MACC Fund Trek 100 Ride

Saturday was the MACC Fund Trek 100. What a beautiful day. 100 kilometers (63 miles) on the fixed gear went great. Only in the last 5-8 miles did my legs get a bit heavy.. (100 miles would have been bit of a stretch). Downhills are much worse than up. There was one "not so cool" uphill near the end, but really it was hardly worth mentioning (just the worst one of the day). I passed droves of riders that were taking it easy on early uphills (rollers). I was suprised that I saw no other fixed wheels, but I heard rumors of a few fixed gears on the 37 miler.. Could be I just didn't notice.. In that same vein, I got tons of stares/kudos/props/whatnot from folks noting the fixed gear bike (little did they know, it's not much harder than a "normal" bike). Fun was had by me and all.
Of course, I made the most of each and every aid station. Tons of great food. Of note was the Culver's frozen custard, Famous Dave's bread pudding w/ praline/pecan sauce, and Starbuck's.
The weather could not have been much better. Perhaps if it had been hotter, then I maybe wouldn't have forgotten sunscreen. Doh!
Volunteers on this ride were second to none. It is tough stuff hearing some of the kids stories. They are amazing. Greg Lemond was there, reportedly Tim Deboom and Bob Roll too, but I didn't see Tim or Bob. All around I give this ride and charity a huge thumbs up.

And a grand "Thank You!" to all those who sponsored me on the ride. 

Pool closed..

For me it's nothing like an outbreak of something at the pool. It's just standard "end of sememster" closing. Let's gve the folks who run the place a chance to catch their breath. For that matter, it's very affordable compared to any gym membership I've seen. I'll take my week off. Maybe I can ride and run some extra. Swimming as of today is in a good spot. I hope a week off can do me some good on it.
It's time to start ramping up the training for Racine. I hope those close to me can bear with me here.

Can I Please Just Ride My Bicycle?

According to this article , there is a $56 dollar fine for "operating a bicycle without a license" in Milwaukee. Now then, let's travel to the City of Milwaukee Bicycle License Application Page , " If you live in the City of Milwaukee and you want to register your bicycle, please go to your nearest library or police station and ask for a Bicycle License tag." That, to me, reads as if a bicycle license is a nice thing you can get if you so desire. I dug a bit further to the FAQ section.. There we find Section 102 2 of the Milwaukee Code of Ordinances which states:

"102 2. License Required. It shall be unlawful for any resident of the city to operate or use a bicycle, operated alone or in part by muscular power, upon any of the streets, alleys or public highways of the city without first obtaining from the city a license therefor, and unless said bicycle is properly registered and a license sticker is affixed to the frame of such bicycle."

Now I'm clear as mud here. It appears one only needs to have a license IF one lives in the City of Milwaukee. To add to that, if you try to actually activate your license you will get a message "Note: This bicycle license registration is only for City of Milwaukee residents. If you are not a City of Milwaukee resident, please do not fill this form out." Very clear, non-milwaukee residents just don't need one. Right?

It does appear that there's a history here. Please tell me the Milwaukee Police are better than drumming up "bicycle license" tickets to make quotas and scare cyclists from riding their bikes in a bike friendly city.

Critical mass groups do seem to have their share of these kinds of stories surrounding their non-events. I have not been to one of these rides. But is it their legend or their actions that are getting them in trouble?

I would like to see cyclists and motorists get along. That means both groups knowing the rules and abiding by them. Is that all that much to ask for?

No one needs to save me....

See Friday's post. Here's to better days after 2.3 hours on the bike and no pages from work, I'm off and running again. Phew. Hope it keeps up.

A good lesson..

Just because you and your friends can't read it, doesn't mean your friendly neighborhood FBI can't read it. I often hear about "encrypted" things as if that's some magic word that means those things can't be read by any. Well here is one example of a guy for whom that assumption didn't work out so well. That article has a few days on it, but it stuck in my head enough to show up in my view.

Ouch.. It was going so well.

So far, my triathlon season started off with a bang. I bought an 18 week 1/2 Iron plan from Rich Strauss and was off and rocking. A minor break for a trip to Disney World , then I was off and running. I felt great. Hit all my workouts. A few were 5 minutes short, and a few were 5 minutes long. All in all, a couple of banner weeks. Waiting for the crash (it was going too well)... Here it is.. On-call week, mind you not all that bad work-wise. But a few ill-timed pages put my off 2/3rds of my swims. I've put in less then 1/2 the hours I'm supposed to have for the week. And my diet want's to compensate... I hate to sound doom and gloom, but I want to log what is hopefully a low point. Here's to better times. If you don't hear from me by Tuesday, bring a bike over and throw me onto it and push me out the door. It's just one week, right?

Back on track.

No pics today. I did do what seems like an easy week. I did not miss workouts. I managed to swim, bike and run each three times. Throat is not soar. Life is good. Tomorrow I head of to St. Paul for work. So, I'll immediately be changing my purchased training plan to "run short and often" until thursday. Short and sweet, catch y'all on the flip side.