I used to like shoe shopping

I decided to go shoe shopping on Tuesday for a new pair of cross trainers since my schedule states that I should be in the gym lifting weights.  All I really have is running shoes. Based upon some recommendations from Jen I started my quest. We think that some of the foot issues I have are from trying to weight lift and do lateral movements in my running shoes.  Thus we wanted something with more stability.  She was awesome, giving me a list of 5 shoes..all of them in Badger Red (or close to it).  How hard is is to find cross trainers?  Well apparently very hard.  I called a number of running shoe places and they did not carry cross trainers at all. Then I went to Kohl's, DSW, Sports Authority, Famous Footwear, Off Broadway.....and they either did not have any at all or one's that did not fit correctly.

I finally stopped at Dick's and found a pair of Reebok Real Flex transitions.

They only had a size 14..and the damn things fit.  How did my feet get so huge?  They must be spreading from the weight they have had to support over the years.  Anyway, the whole purchasing experience made me feel less than stellar and a little long in the tooth.  First of all a little 20 year old sales girl bounds over to help.  She saw me staring at the wall of shoes and asked if I was looking for walking shoes?  What the heck!!  Where did that assumption come from?  It may have been the fact that I have not shaved my head again thus the grey was showing..or the fact that I had to put reading glasses on to try and find the sku numbers on the price tags..but do I really look that old/out of shape?

I explained to her I was looking for specific styles of cross trainers.  She then picked out a pair of all white tennis shoes. (Yeah..I just wrote "tennis" shoes).  I then tried to explain to her that I was going to actually "cross train"..you know..run..weight lift..etc.  So she finally picked up a pair of crossfit shoes and proceeded to tell me about crossfit.  I told her that I knew what crossfit was and had actually done it for a few months.  Apparently this did not register..or more likely she didn't believe me and continued her explanation. 

So I tried the the crossfit shoes on as well as the Real Flex.. I was torn because they were so different but both fit very well..so I decided to call Jen to see what she recommended.  I took out my phone to call and ended up going through 5 screens on my smart phone just to find the phone app.  The salesgirl than said..."My dad had to dumb down his phone so he could figure out how to operate it."  At that point I did not know whether to laugh or beat her with a shoe box.  Fortunately for her this was the only place in town that had the shoes I needed..so I refrained from the beating. 

I paid for my purchase and saw a good looking woman my age coming to the door as I was exiting.  She stopped and held the door open for me..I thanked her..wondering why she held the door open..and she said.."no problem sir."    I would have stopped to ask her why she said that..but was late for my optometrist appointment.  The good news is that my bifocals are too strong and thus the new prescription was actually weakened.  The bad news is that I wear bifocals.

After the eye doctor appointment I headed home sat on  the davenport, grabbed the clicker...and turned on the t.v..  Of course Kristine had it tuned to the Hallmark channel and the first thing I see is Murder She Wrote.  Obviously the Universe is trying to tell me something.  Maybe its..use your shoes boy and get off the davenport!!  

New Coach for Team Abekat Anarchy

OK..So I won't do the Rev 3 adventure race in Wyoming.  I would have to make it my "A" race and also try to get another 24 hour race in before July.  However it is obviously something that I need to put on my bucket list and I have no excuses for not training for it.  Being in Golden I have places to rock climb, mountain bike, and paddle within 30 minutes of the house, 

So I am still trying to figure out what to do as far as races.  There are a number of variables I am still waiting on to determine what I am going to do.  Depending on those variables I may target St. George Utah 70.3 in early May 2013 or Rev 3 Knoxville at the same time as my big early season race.  Both would be destination races but something that could be done in a long weekend.  The nice thing about the Rev 3 race is that I would have a choice between the Olympic and Half distances depending on training.

Speaking of training, I jacked up my foot again about a week ago.  Same tendon issues I had when I started weight training about a month ago.  Thus I have not been running but lifting instead.  I am actually liking the lifting and am hoping to see some strength gains soon. I know.. I will probably be burned at the stake for heresy...but I think my Newtons may be part of the issue.  Going to run in something other than the Newtons and see how that works out.

My diet has been "OK". Lots of room for improvement..but better than it used to be. The goal for this week is very simple.  Clean breakfast..either eggs with veggies or a smoothie with spinach and protein.  Clean lunch..sandwich with veggies or salad with protein.  Simple.  Let's see if I can do it for five days.  (OH Crap..I forgot abut Halloween..)

Speaking of training, my wife has been doing awesome.  I don't think she has missed a day of scheduled training in 5 weeks.  Saturday she got up early and braved the cold to get an outdoor ride in on her bike.  Sunday she got out of a warm bed to go to her running club.

K in the morning before her run..too happy.

I wish I had her dedication to getting up in the morning on her day off and getting her exercise in.  I am beginning to think she may just want to get up and out of the house while I am still sleeping and thus not have to deal with me in the morning...but that can't possibly be true.

And another big announcement. I am no longer being coached by Sonja Weick. She did an awesome job for me last year..especially with all of the injuries I had.  However, she has decided to cut the number of athletes she has down.  Thus I have entered into an unholy alliance with Maine Jen...Yes...That girl...

Jen and I click on a number of levels and she is not afraid to call me up and kick my ass in regard to training, nutrition or letting my hair get too long.  She is also one of the few people in this world tat appreciates my sense of humor.  And although I kid around a lot about her she is an amazing athlete and has made HUGE strides in the last few years getting to where she is at.  We also have decided to do Cedar Point together...ok.... We will start the race together and she will finish 3 hours before me...but at least we will be at the same venue.  And heck..I may be able to convince her to be my adventure race buddy in the future.  So Jen is now an official member and coach of team Abekat Anarchy!  I'll still b seeking advice from the people in the know about nutrition and swimming and a hundred other things..and I see 2013 as my breakout year.  (And maybe the year I am actually in the 100s again.)

Now if she would just stop calling my beloved University of Wisconsin peeps "Beavers".

Hope everyone has a great week!! And to all my friends on the east coast..including Connecticut, Maine and Jersey Jens and their families...please stay safe and dry!!

REV 3 Adventure Race - Wyoming

I was just looking at races to fill next years schedule and came upon this on the Rev 3 website.The Cowboy Tough Adventure Race.  Check this out..3.5 days of adventure racing through beautiful Wyoming.  It includes paddling, mountain biking, trekking and other various skills. It starts on July 18 and goes through the July 21st.

I know..I already have Rev 3 Cedar Point as my "A" race next year..but an adventure race!! It is also a team event (2 or 4 person) which would be awesome.  However, I would have to find somebody dumb enough to do it with me.  That person would also need to be able to stand the sight and sound of me for 3.5  days..so that leaves my wife out.  I'm wondering what Jen Small is doing that weekend?  And I would have to get a ton of mountain bike riding in..something I have forgotten how to do since I started this triathlon stuff.

Doesn't this look much more fun then being in aero position?

Of course, if I did find someone to sign up with me the pressure on me to train would be that much greater since I would not want to let them down...and I would have a reason to buy the new 29er I have been looking at.

Gary Fisher Superfly..woo hoo!!

I already know that Rev 3 puts on a great race, Wyoming is a very drivable distance for us, and the date is perfect..being about 7 weeks before the Full Rev in September.  I'm going to have to think about this. 

An adventure race is definitely on my bucket list of things to do.  And I only have a limited amount of time to do one.  Yep..I am already wearing bifocals as of last year and my depth perception is totally gone.  Mountain biking takes on a whole new feel when you have no clue how far the drop off in front of you actually is. 

If any of my friends out there wants to do this race..even if it is without me..let me know and maybe I could help set you up with transportation, lodging, support etc..

Hope everyone is having a safe halloween weekend..  And stay away from that candy!!! I don't know which I love more..kit kats, almond joy or peanut butter cups.

From Fat To Finish Line

 Hello Everyone! I hope you are all enjoying this fall weather, the beautiful colors (In Colorado it is "color" yellow) and college football.  This is a great time to run and bike..except for the fact it is too dark out once I get home from work to do either.

As most of you know I met some people while I was in Maine doing my race that are producing a documentary film based on twelve people who have lost a bunch of weight and are now poised to do a Ragnar Relay from Miami to Key West together in January of this year.  The running relay is over 200 miles in two days.  The film introduces you to the people running, discusses their stories dealing with weight loss and will follow their race.

The main people behind the film..Angela and Jen (New Jersey Jen)..are wonderful people.  Further, My friend Jen(Maine Jen) from milesmusclesmommyhood.com is one of the featured people.  New Jersey Jen is also in the film and you can find out more about her and her weight loss journey HERE.

Below are pictures of some of the runners from competitions that they just did today.  By the way..A HUGE shout out to Maine Jen who competed her first marathon today in 4:15..awesome job Jen..Especially considering that a few short years ago she was not at what we would call a healthy weight.

The long and the short of it is that I can relate to the people in the film and the struggles that they went through and continue to go through to live healthy lives.  The team captain is even a Badger from the great state of Wisconsin.

The film is looking for contributions to make it a reality. Most of the preliminary work and interviews have been completed but there is a long way to go to complete the project.  The film originally looked for funding on kickstarter but the goal was not met and so the film did not get any of the contributions and none of the contributors were charged.They have now changed their funding to the link I have below..and they will get the contributions whether or not their goal is met.  So I am asking that if any of you have a few dollars to spare to think about contributing to the film. Of course if you contribute you will get perks and rewards depending on the size of the contribution. Everything from t-shirts to a DVD of the movie with special extras to an Executive Producer Credit if you come up with the big bucks.

Click on this link for more information..From Fat To Finish Line.    

 Click Here to Contribute!

Of course..everyone is waiting until the last minute to contribute so please make your contributions within the next 48 hours if you are going to do so.

Although the film will be incredibly inspirational..the real reason to support it is that my daughter may have a cameo appearance.  I think they will be pretty good at cutting my ugly mug out so you do not have to worry about that.  Also, just think about what it is going to be like for these people to be stuck in a van with Jen from milesmusclesmommyhood for two straight days during the race in order to complete the film.  Now that is devotion to a cause.

Thanks..and email me directly or post a comment if you have any questions regarding the film.

The best FREE apps.

A few posts ago I promised helpful hints for getting healthy.  Here is more of a review rather than a hint.  When people begin to get serious about getting healthy, training or losing weight they tend to want to log where they have been and plan on where they are going.  Thus I have a list of my favorite FREE websites and applications for doing just that.  I have tried all of these apps, even though I didn't remember doing so on some of them. I was surprised when I went to check out dailymile to find I already had my profile setup and my last logged workout on it was a 13.1 mile run on the treadmill..(What the heck was I thinking)  So one lesson to take away from my experience is once you find an application you like stick with it so you have everything in one place.

BEST CALORIE COUNTING WEBSTIE AND APP

The first is MY FITNESS PAL.com  This is a free site and application which you can use to track your food and calorie intake as well as fitness activities.  The search feature and food database is one of the best I have seen. Further, you can download the app on your Iphone or android and it loads a bar code reader which you can use on food packaging to get all of the data you need.

The site allows you to set a calorie goal and lets you know if you are over or under it for the day.  Further, you can track your weight, follow friends and become active in the community on the site.  Again this is a wonderful site and application if you are into calorie counting.

BEST BEGINNER TRIATHLETE SITE AND BEST FREE TRAINING LOG

If you are more concerned with actual triathlon training then tracking calories the web site www.beginnertriathlete.com is for you.  Like all of these sites, it is free and geared towards those who want to train and compete in triathlons.  It has a very active forum and community.  The forums range from triing for weight loss to a forum especially for Clydes and Athenas. There are also forums for Iron distance races.  No question is too dumb and the people who are active on it make newcomers feel welcome..(unlike the douche bags who populate www.slowtwitch.com).  I found this site about 7 years ago and my data from then is still online..amazingly I am about the same weight as I was 7 years ago.  One of the nice features of the site is the free training log.  It tracks all of your triathlon related data as well as strength training and other activities. You can also track your nutrition and leave comments or notes.  The settings also allow others in the community to look at your blog and leave comments and inspirations.  As far as free training logs are concerned I find this to be the best. You are even able to download data from your garmin or other devices.  If you want to pay for a membership you will have access to a number of training plans from sprint to Iron distance.  The free site has a few training plans available also.  I am starting to log onto this site more often again.  The site does have a free app for your phone.

BEST MAPPING/TRACKING MAP

I downloaded www.mapmyride.com one day when I was out for a ride and forgot my garmin.  The application downloaded to my android and off I went.  I was pleasantly surprised to find a very accurate reading for my speed, distance and elevation as well as the route I rode.  Like all of these applications the one drawback is the battery drain on your phone if you go for a longer ride or run.  However, for a free application it rocks.  I also just checked out their website and they have added a number or items such as nutrion logging, weight tracking, workout records, etc...  One of the features I use a lot on the website is to find new routes near my house. I can see the route on the map as well as elevation gains and the speeds of those who have done the route before.  There is also a brand new feature which allows you to immediately download your workout to Facebook and annoy all of your friends with your bragging about doing a 10 mile bike ride..

Although my favorite application is Mapmyride..a lot of my friends are using www.strava.com.  I am guessing because Strava ran a ton of commercials during the Tour de France and my friends in Colorado are a bunch of lemmings.  Strava does basically the same things as mapmyride.  However, one cool thing it does do is allow you to download your garmin or other gps to their site.  You can still use their app on your phone but this other option works great for those of us who are attached to our garmins..literally.  One crappy thing it does..at least for me..is tell you how you rank on a particular route.  You are 2,556 out of 2,557 people who have done this route.  Like I need confirmation that I am slow. I guess if you are faster then this might be a cool thing to boost your ego.


BEST SIMPLE RUN/BIKE LOG

The www.dailymile.com is a very simple way to log your miles whether they be running, biking or misc. It is very simple to use and very simple to share your workout on facebook.  I think the biggest attraction of Daily Mile is how easy it is to keep track and comment on friend's activities.  Another plus is seeing how many of your friends are actually on Daily Mile.


COOLEST NEW APP I WON'T EVER USE BECAUSE I HATE  IPHONES.

RUN METER  First of all this app costs 4.99 and has additional small costs to add voices to it. It is also only for Iphones.  Basically it is a Strava or Mapmyride type application that you do not need a web site for.  Everything is self contained on the iphone.  What makes it cool..you can program the phone to talk to you on your runs giving you distance, pace, etc.  Further, you can program it to give friends updates of where you are on a course during a race so they have real time access to how you are doing.  Also, if a friend posts a message on facebook the phone will actually tell you what the message is.  This could be either good or bad depending on what kind of friends you have. Right Angela? ANARCHY, ANARCHY, ANARCHY!

 TRAINING UPDATE..As most of yo know I was in Wisconsin over the weekend. I somehow put on 8 pounds in 4 days.  It may have been the fried cheese curds or kringle or fish fry or may just be water weight from the humidity.  Anyway - here are some pics...(Also my daughter got to go to her first Badger game..and actually booed our QB for throwing an interception..even though no one else was.)

Farmer's Market outside Capitol

Ron Dayne!!

Little Chlly

45 .... and a poll question!!

So I turned 45 very recently and it made me feel a little old and out of shape..Fortunately I found a lot of old pictures and realized that I just get better looking with age. However, I am concerned that 45 may be the tipping point when things start to go downhill fast.  I notice that within the last year my head may actually be getting rounder..(as if a sphere could get rounder) or possibly flattening like the the picture on the lemonheads box (mmm. lemonheads).  And when the heck did the lemonheads get friends?  They don't need friends and they don't want friends..and I sure as heck don't want to be picking out the lemonheads from the "friends" in the bag.  Anyway I digress.

I am also concerned that every picture of me lately has a pair of sunglasses attached to my head.  I think i am subconsciously concerned with the lines that have appeared around my eyes in the last year.. I definitely look younger and more hip with them on and they are definitely cheaper than surgery.  Unless I give in to Jared and Ryan at Kompetitive Edge who are still trying to talk me into a pair of Oakley Jaw Bones.  Ryan almost had me sold when he told me he could get them custom designed  Wisconsin colors and possibly even get them as bifocals.  I just can't spend that much on sunglasses when I lose a pair ever 2-3 days.  

So here is my progression from fat kid to skinny guy to hunk in the last 45 years  (I have left out the photos that actually show my girth as a child and in the brief period between 25 and 43 years of age. No one really needs to see that)

I almost fainted trying to hold my stomach in while K took the picture,,Notice the color coordination though.

OK..the last photo from Saturday shows I may have slid to "chunk" instead of "hunk"  but for the most part I am getting better looking.  Thus I  really should not be feeling bad about turning 45.  I'll just focus on getting healthier, leaner and stronger and let the rest take care of itself.  I'm sure I'll continue to be vain but at least I am not doing anything as pathetic as hanging out with old people to make me feel young.  By the way here are some photos of our ride on Saturday from Idaho Springs to Georgetown. Kristine and I went with our friends Doreen and Ted...It was a great ride..easy climb up to Georgetown where we ate breakfast and a fast descent back down to Idaho Springs..Doreen even saved us money at breakfast with her senior discount.

The crew..FYI I just had a short sleeve jersey on and was hot..I have no idea why these people are dressed for winter

Kristine and Doreen..I have no idea what they are doing..Some kind of whack gang sign..

On the way back to Idaho Springs.

As for actual triathlon news.  I hit the gym a few times last week and hoisted some iron.  Luckily I lift weights at the rec center at lunch time.  Thus there are only three or four old guys there and I don't have to lighten the weights much after they are done using them. I am definitely a lot less sore after using the weights than I was after my initial session of a couple of weeks ago.  I even got a run in and made it 4 miles without puking..I so hate running.. and I really hate not running..... But I really really hate trying to get into running shape again...ugh.

After checking with my significant other the "A" race next year is going to be REV 3 Cedar Point. I am planning on the 140.6.    I picked the race partly because of the course and average temperature..in a large part because I enjoyed the Rev 3 race in Maine so much and the last factor was Jen Small told me to.

Oh..and please feel free to put in the comments section..hair..or no hair..and to take the poll at the very top of the page.    There seems to be a running debate about which way I look better.  Obviously I am concerned about this and making the public happy.

Later Gators..