I realized after I hit "Publish" yesterday that my post may have sounded like I was denigrating two people groups: 1) Real Triathletes 2) New Year's Resoluters.

In fact, I am not.

As to number 2, see a post by the Steve in a Speedo guy. I believe I linked to that last year, but like he said in his post this year, it's worth repeating. The article basically talks about how we have the opportunity to help some folks accomplish some goals. That's what we're all on this Earth for anyways, aren't we?

As to number 1, well, I wish I did all of those things I accused triathletes of doing. However, if you're just getting into the sport or don't think of yourself as athletic, don't think you won't be able to enjoy a race just because you're not a super athlete. I've had fun at each and every race, but haven't come close to winning.

There are some very competitive people that race, but most of the community is pretty supportive. I've passed folks and been passed by folks who said "Good job!" as we went by each other. I don't normally say anything because I'm too worn out to speak and run at the same time.

It occurs to me, though, that I'm not a great evangelist for the sport; I haven't convinced even one person to run in a race. Maybe that just proves that triathlon has to choose you, and not the other way around.

OK, enough for now. Thanks for reading.

This Is It

So I walked into my closet today and wondered why it smelled like a dive locker. Then I saw the wetsuit hanging up that I rented. Yes, I rented a wetsuit and I hope it works for me. I'm a little nervous; it feels a little tight. It's a long sleeved one, and the shoulders feel constricted. My hope is that if there's resistance straightening my arms, then there'll be a snap back effect when I pull.

If you haven't heard, the Branson 70.3 is Sunday. I will be there. I'm bib number 335. I've seen a link on other Ironman races where you can track the racers by name or bib, but I don't see it up yet on the Branson site, or esle I'm just blind.

I will test my wetsuit in the pool tomorrow. I'll do just a few laps to see how it goes. It'll probably look strange swimming in an indoor pool with a wetsuit, but most of the folks there know I'm racing, so maybe they'll understand.

Until afterwards...

One Week to Go

The other day I saw this on my bike ride:

I'm not a herpetologist, but I'm pretty sure that is an anaconda. I was riding along and ran over what I thought was a stick, but then the stick moved. I thought, "I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the staff became a serpent," or something like that. I thought that was rather odd, but then I observed other cyclists riding over staffs and making them snakes, so it didn't seem like such a big deal, but then my snake ate all of the other snakes.

I did shepherd the snake off of the trail so that he/she (I'm not a herpetologist) didn't get hit by another bike.

One more week before I'm in Branson getting checked in for the 70.3. Am I ready to get this done? Yes, I am. It's not that I'm tired of training or anxious about doing it. It's more that I feel ready to do it and don't want spend any more time waiting around. Now, when I say "ready" I don't mean ready to win or be competitive with the good racers. I just mean that I feel like I'm at a place where I can finish it. I've blogged before about how I'm in it to finish it. Finishing is the best I can hope for. Finishing, and not coming in last. Surely I can beat at least one person. Oh great, I just amped up the pressure.

Speaking of taking a break from training, I will immediately cease all swimming related activities for a good little while after I get out of the water next Sunday. Last year I ran my last tri of the year in July, and then didn't swim again until February. I know I ought to train in the wet stuff year round, but I'm so lazy. In '10 I swam from March to July. In '11 I've been swimming since February, and I'm ready for a break.

I did rent a wetsuit for Sunday's race. I hope it arrives so that I can get in at least one practice swim wearing it before I wear it to race.

I also hope my left knee doesn't decide to hassle me during the race. It's still a little angry about our run on Monday. It'll be fine, right? From what I understand I should be tapering down now. I never feel like my training is so intense that I need to taper, but taper I will. The Boy and I will take the canoe out today and explore a local river. No training and hopefully no swimming today.

70.3* Weekend

This weekend I completed a 70.3*.

OK, no, the Branson 70.3 is not until September 18, and I did not complete my 70.3* all in one day.

Here's what I did. On Friday morning I got up, went to the pool and swam 1.2 miles. It was not an impressive swim, but I did it, and it took me 53 minutes and 2 seconds. It's not a great time, but it is better than the last time I swam a mile.

On Saturday, day two of 70.3* weekend, we went to El Dorado Springs to visit the in-laws. So my wife dropped me off in Collins, and I headed toward Wheatland on Hwy 54. At Wheatland I turned around and rode the rest of the way in to El Do. Here's where my asterisk comes in. From Collins it's 24 miles to El Do, according to the highway sign. So I rode 16 miles east, which takes you just beyond Wheatland. Riding back to the starting point would be 32 miles, and the 24 into El Do makes a 56 mile bike ride. When I arrived at my in-law's place, though, my Garmin read 54.73 miles.

Given that I was totally out of gas at this point, I called it good. I like riding Hwy 54 into El Do because there's a good number of hills, and there is a nice wide shoulder on the rode, and the rode is not that busy, but someday I'm going to ride it when it's not 100 degrees Fahrenheit outside, which it was. I got sunburned, and I love the biker tan. Bike shorts make for a very clear and delineated tan line on your legs.

Sunday was spent chillaxing with family. I'm not at all equating that with an endurance sport, I'm just saying that's what we did. Actually, we've been celebrating my son's b-day all weekend as well, so I indulged in a cake made out of ice cream sandwiches.

Monday morning I rolled out of bed feeling fine, ready to put the cap on the 70.3*. When I looked at the thermometer I praised our Lord and Savior for the wonderful blessing He bestowed upon me. The temp read 55 degrees F. I didn't know the thermometer went that low anymore. By the time I started running the temp was 59 degrees and it felt great. I basically did a couple of 4.5 mile loops so I could pick up Powerade at my garage as I went by. The last leg ended up being a 3.88 mile out and back. I did the half marathon in 1 hour and 56 minutes.

I felt great on the run energy wise, but I developed a little tendinitis in my left knee, and another little pain in my left hip. I think I'll be OK. Will just need a little rest. I did a half marathon a couple three weeks ago and finished in 2:06 feeling kind of pooped, but no pain. This time I have pain, but otherwise felt fine.

Thirteen more days to go when I have to roll it all into one. Let's do this.

*70.3 was actually only a 69.03.

The Branson 70.3 is this month! I can't remember exactly when I signed up, but it was months ago. If you look at the official website and review the participants, you'll see my name. That means I have to do it. There's no getting out of it now.

It is not hard to believe that the time is close. It seems like I've been waiting and training for eternity. I'm convinced that the best triathletes in the business are very patient. Of all the attributes that you might assign to a top notch racer, you cannot leave off patience. Sure, there is physical ability, strength, endurance, tactics, nutrition and whatever else you need to win, but don't forget about the ability to train hour after hour, day after day without quitting.

I'm not saying I have that ability. Not at all. So far that has been my biggest weakness. Not that I haven't been faithfully training. I've been pretty consistent, but nothing on the order that will win me the gold. For instance, I'll go out in the evening and ride for an hour or so. That'll give me 18 or 20 miles on the Katy Trail. Or when I run I'll do 5, 6, 7 miles. Not exactly a marathon. Then there's the swimming. Swimming, how dost I hate thee?! It's not that I hate swimming per se, it's that I have to do it on some one else's time, so that means dragging out of bed at 5:30 to swim before work. I'll usually get 1100 to 1500 or so yards in per swim. (Don't worry, I have actually swam 1.2 miles, but more on that tomorrow, maybe.)

At some point during a workout I start having this conversation with myself.

"OK, we've been doing this for a half hour, forty-five minutes, can't we do something else."

"No, I'm sorry, we have a few more laps/miles to go."

"But I'm bored!"

"Well, that's too bad."

"Let's go home!"

"Do you want to finish this 70.3 or not?

"Yes, I guess."

"Then keep swimming/running."

I think I've had that conversation with my kids as well.

So I believe the best racers must posses the patience (and discipline) to stay with their training, even when their "A" race is months away. If we expect to run today and then run faster/lose weight/have more energy tomorrow, then we are kidding ourselves. It's going to take day after day, sometimes monotonous work in the heat of the day or in the freezing cold of winter before we see any results.

Hey, I'm going to make a DVD and sell that on an infomercial! Work out day after day for months on end and mind your diet and you'll get in shape and lose weight! It's that easy!

Branson Mountain Man

There's a new rule at my house; if when I get up in the morning and step on the scale it reads 150 or less, I can eat whatever I want that day. That's a pretty sweet diet plan. I may market that. Eat whatever you want, assuming you're swimming, riding, or running every day, and sometimes two in one day. Otherwise, lay off the carbs and the sugars.

When you're laying off the carbs, that's when you realize how good they taste. Especially cake. I will freebase that stuff when I'm jonesing some icing, which is a very inconvenient way to ingest it, but you don't think straight when you're carb-deprived.

Last Saturday I arose at 3:30AM and got out of the house at 4:00AM. I headed out into a heavy thunderstorm with rain so hard I couldn't see to drive. Why would I do that? It was the day of the Branson Mountain Man Triathlon. I never thought I'd wear a pair of bike shorts in Branson, MO, but now I have and that's all there is to it.

I met up with my friend Micah who is an excellent racer, but given that this was a short pool swim, I knew I had a lot better chance of competing. If you're not familiar with the pool swim, don't worry, I wasn't either until this tri. We jumped in, swam down and back the first lane, ducked under the rope, down and back the second lane, and so on. It was an interval start and so we all lined up according to our expected pace. I duly took my place toward the back. How'd the swim go? 400 yards, 9:02. Ugh.

The bike was 15 miles, 15 hilly miles. Here's a pic of me riding up one of the hills:

Pretty steep. I got done in 58:18.

Run. 5K. 24:46. There were some pretty steep inclines on the run as well. I probably don't have to tell you that Branson is really only known for the hills. There's not much else to do there.

The reason I wanted to do this tri is because the bike route covered a portion of the route we'll use next month at the 70.3. It's a four lane highway, the Ozark Mountain Highroad, that they close down for the half Ironman.

Anywho, total time at the Mountain Man Tri for me was 1:32:49. I finished 29th out of 62. Didn't place in my age group. However, the one bright spot for me is that my run was the 11th fastest time. I'll take that.

My High Point Today

When at the highest point on the Katy Trail you are at the staggering altitude of 955 feet above sea level. I know that because I rode there and back again, a biker's tale. It's a 44 mile round trip and it took me 2 hours and 50 minutes. I didn't exactly burn it up, but I did meet up with some dwarves and fought a dragon.



I take my high points seriously


I feel a lot like Bilbo sometimes. "I want to see mountains, Frodo!" I'm sure Bilbo would not be satisfied with 955 feet, but it's the best I had today. I live in a part of the country that is not exactly known for its peaks. I blogged a few weeks ago about making it to the top of Taum Sauk here in Missouri and could hardly breathe at 1,772 feet. I spent a good portion of my life in eastern Kansas, and so I know Kansas gets a bad rap for being flat, but Kansas' high point is 4,039 towering feet. Missouri is short by comparison.

The sun was up this morning when I started, of course, it was 7:30 AM by then. When I got out of my truck to get my bike, I vowed to get a new bike jersey. Whose idea was it to make these things out of polyester? The air was as thick as a quilt, and all of a sudden my shirt felt like plastic against my skin. I have other shirts that are more comfortable in this muggy weather, but they don't have those handy-dandy pockets in the back. I'm going to sew cargo pockets onto the side of my bike shorts. Maybe that'll catch on.

Despite the oppressive humidity today, the trail was crowded this morning, relatively. I'm convinced that ninjas used road bikes to sneak up behind people. It's amazing how close you can get to a couple of yacking cyclists before they realize you're there. I always give them a chance to acknowledge me and move over, but they never do, so I have to give them a, "On your left," and then they act all startled and sometimes, quite frankly, indignant, that they have to move over to let someone through. Oh well, they're still not half as bad as the folks who insist on walking in the running lane at the community center. Don't get me started on those people.



It's all down hill from here. Heading East.

Then there's the squirrels. When it comes to making decisions in a high pressure situation, I believe the squirrels have the first step nailed. The first thing to do in a stressful situation, like if you think you may be eaten by something, is to stop, remain still, and assess the situation. That's exactly what I see the squirrels doing when I ride up on them. Their next step, however, seems less thought out. It's always the same--run like hell!



Heading West.

OK, I've rambled long enough. I'm sorry I didn't carry that LOTR theme all the way through. You'll have to find my post about how I keep losing my wedding rings for that. I'll take the time to confess that I did not swim this week, and I have a 70.3 in like seven weeks. I need a kick in the pants.