How my new triathlon toys are fairing.

Hello all of you out there in cyberspace!  I hope the last two months have been good to you.  Ironman Wisconsin is slowly creeping up on me..and I am slowly getting back into shape.  March was a terrible month of training..or should I say - not training.  I kept coming down with one cold after another which kept me from getting any sort of consistency going.  There were about three weeks where I was lucky to get in any decent workouts.  For example, I did a very slow 5 mile run and my heart rate was at 154 bpm doing a 14:00 pace...yeah that sucked.  I would check my resting heart rate and it would be 65 bpm.. I am normally in the low 50s or high 40s. Talk about depressing.  However, the calendar has changed and the so has the weather. My heart rate is pretty much back where it should be and I am looking forward to getting in some great outdoor workouts...unfortunately the change in weather also means higher temps and dealing with my little hydration issues.

So where am I in my training?  I am ahead of myself in all categories compared with this time last year.  Not any faster..but in better shape then I was at this time last year.  With that being said I am still way behind where I want to be.  The weight is still an issue.  I have been stressing out for the last month over work, family, being sick etc... And I ended up eating my comfort foods.  Needless to say I am at 230 again.  Obviously the sooner this number comes down the better. I really notice the weight when I run.  I went for a 9 mile run yesterday and although my heart rate was fine for the very slow pace I was going, I could feel the fatigue in the muscles.I am going to pay more attention to calories in vs. calories out his month.

I have gotten some new toys this year and have finally gotten a chance to try them out. My favorite out of all of them is the Nathan Endurance Hydration pack.  I love this thing.

 For running it sits higher on my back and does not jostle around like my camelbak. (Although for mountain biking there is nothing like my 3 liter camelbak that I can pack a sherpa in)  It has just enough room for everything  need.  Some gels, keys, mp3 player...etc.  I was concerned about it fitting me since it is made for ultra runners - but it fits really good..Not Great since I pretty much have every strap at its limit...but really good.  I would recommend this for anyone doing long runs and in need of hydration.  The 2 liters is enough for me on a 2 hour plus run.  I even used it today on a short bike ride.  The only thing I do not care for is the placement of the bite valve when not in use. I like the camelbak where it is on the shoulder and not across the chest.  However this is a very small issue.

I also got my Garmin 910xt..which I thought I would love but I have found some frustrating issues.  First the thing I love most is that it will count my laps in the pool..as well as give a good indication of stroke count etc..  I don't lose track of the laps..I don't have to remember to hit a lap button every length..it is awesome in the pool.  Now the things I do not like.  1. It seems to take longer to find satellites then my old 305.  2.  I think it may be too accurate at times.. What I mean by this is that I will look at it for my pace while I am running and it will jump all over the place in a matter of 5 seconds..14:32..10:12..12:34.. I am not really getting a good "pace" while I am looking at it.  The 305 on the other hand seems to kind of just give me my round about pace number..which is what I am looking for.  Now when I get home and load the data on the computer both of the units are very accurate. Lastly..I think the damn thing has too many functions..I guess they are great if you know how to use them..but I think I will need to take a class.

I switched back to my Newton running shoes as well as got my wife a pair.   They are pricy little devils but they are also keeping my knees in good shape.  I am hoping that they will provide the same miracle for my wife's back.  I have about 150 miles on the new pair and they just feel good.  The only problem I have had is when I run on terrain that is not very level.  Then there are times that they just don't feel right.  I have attached a video below which describes the Newtons.  At first I thought it was a lot of bunk. However, the fact that I am an overweight runner doing ten mile runs on a knee with a hunk of bone and cartilage missing makes me a believer in their methods if not their shoe.

Also..one last shout out to my friends and compatriots who are keeping me motivated. My Coach Sonja Wieck took 3rd in her division at the Ironman 70.3 Texas today. My fellow Go Sonja athlete Audra also took 3rd in her division at Ironman 70.3 Texas qualifying for the 70.3 world championships.

Take care everyone. 

Slowly getting accustomed to 2012

As I stated in my last post 2012 is bringing on changes and new challenges.  The one that has affected us the most is my wife going back to work. She has been at home with my daughter for the last three years. She absolutely loves her new job as a concierge at  a boutique orthopedic hospital in the Denver area.  However, she now gets up at 4:30 a.m. on most days which has really thrown my sleep schedule out of whack both in the morning as well as the evening since I am now trying to get to bed before my normal 11 or 12 at night.  I am also now in charge of getting our daughter off to school every morning. Because of the new job Laila has started going to a Catholic preschool. She LOVES school and I actually enjoy being responsible for her in the mornings.. It gets my butt out of bed, gets me eating breakfast every morning and allows Laila and me some time to discuss the major issues in the world as well as catch up on Dinosaur Train.  However, the new routine has screwed with my training schedule a bit. Last year I would stop at the gym a few nights a week and then head home. Now I feel like we need to spend more family time together before everyone goes to bed. Thus I head right home after work.  I think the answer will be more late night workouts after everyone has gone to bed as well as more lunch time workouts.

Another change this year is that I have a new coach. Last year I was with Suzanne from Steel City Endurance.  Suzanne was phenomenal.  My improvement on the swim was nothing short of miraculous. I wold recommend her as a triathlon, swim or cycling coach to anyone who asks.  The one drawback is that she lives in Pittsburgh and is a Steeler's fan.  It was really hard for me making the change since I consider Suzanne a friend and not just a coach.

This year I decided to go with Sonja of Go Sonja Endurance Coaching.  The main reason is that Sonja is local and can provide me with a lot of great information as to local routes, group activities, races etc. She also has a ton of practical experience since she is an accomplished triathlete who yet again qualified for Kona this year and is looking to break the 10 hour mark.   She also has a number of athletes that are going to participate in IM Wisconsin so I am hoping the group motivation will help with my training.

 I have no idea why Sonja has accepted me as an athlete. She limits the number she takes on and it appears to me that all of them are highly dedicated, fairly intense, focused and nutritionally sound.  In fact a recent post on the team web page was discussing recipes for kale..yes kale...and not even deep fried. Heck, one of her athletes is scheduled to do 30 Ironman distance races..THIS YEAR.  And then there is me.  I am definitely the kid sitting at the back of the room throwing spit balls and cramming for tests. Hopefully Sonja has a lot of patience.  I know that the practical knowledge I gain from her is going to mesh well with everything I learned from Suzanne last year.

I have already met a few new people in the  Denver Triathlon community.  I had a bike fit done by  Scott Geffre of Fit and Tri.  Scott was able to look at my current bike and fit, take some measurements and tell me what make and model triathlon bikes will fit me. (I am hoping to get one in the near future but it is definitely a want and not a need).  Funny thing is Scott remembered me from a bike he sold me 8 or 10 years ago as well as through mutual friends.

Scott does his fittings at Kompetitive Edge in Denver.  If you remember Kompetitive Edge is the shop that sponsors my coach as well as my friends Christy and Doreen.  I had not been there before and was expecting the elitist attitude that one finds at tri stores in Colorado..especially those stores that can cater to the elite athletes in the area.  I was pleasantly surprised that the owner Jared and manager Ryan are great down to earth guys that understood the needs of a fat undertrained triathlete like myself as well as the elites.  I definitely recommend checking Kompetitive Edge out if you are in the Denver area or on the web at www.kompetitiveedge.com.

As far as training is going..it has been very hit or miss.  My nutrition has also been horrendous. However, I think my family and I are coping with and embracing the new changes and challenges that this year has offered.  Further, Sonja has answered my plea for help as far as motivation and nutrition with some great advice that I have already put into practice.  Lastly, my daughter Laila is keeping me on track..telling me when I have had too much sugar or fat during the day.  Seriously, I have no idea where she gets it from.  We stopped at an Arbys to get something to drink and I asked her if she wanted a shake..she responded she had already had a slush the day before at lunch and that it would be best that she have a water because she didn't want too much sugar.  Really??

Lastly..a shout out to my sister Rebecca and her husband Erick who had a baby boy...Aiden Michael on January 13th.  It is wonderful having another nephew and this makes ten cousins for Laila.

What makes Aiden Michael's birth even more special is that he was born on the same day as my younger brother Michael, who we lost to a drunk driver 5 years ago.  Mike is on the far left of the picture below along with my brother Ben and me; and with his son Finn below.

Our family has always loved sports but Mike was the true athlete.  He was a great football player, softball player and exceptional mountain biker.  I think part of the reason I took up this triathlon gig was to get back into athletics and enjoy sports like our family did when we were young.

I hope everyone's 2012 is looking bright and off to a good start.

Hello 2012!!

I can't complain about the whole of 2011.  I completed my first half ironman and competed in IM Wisconsin. I also lost 45 pounds.  The Packers won the Superbowl and I met a lot of new friends.  However, the last two weeks of 2011 kicked my butt and I am glad we are in 2012.

My Christmas vacation started with my flight back to Wisconsin, where I went immediately from General Mitchell Airport to the hospital to meet my Dad and family at the ICU. My mother had gone into a deep comatose state and the doctors did not think she was going to come out.  I volunteered to spend the night in the room with her so the others could go home and sleep.  Of course, Christmas Eve morning my father came back into the ICU and my mother heard his voice and immediately started talking to him..what the hell?  Another miraculous recovery by my mother.  Christmas Eve was kind of a blur after that. I had been up for 36 hours straight and ended up falling asleep and missing the evening parties.  We were able to spend Christmas with my family at the hospital since my mother had been moved to a regular room the next day.  Also was able to spend time with my wife's family.  The in-laws even bought me the Nathan Hydration Vest I had been wanting.  I spent the rest of the week visiting family and spending time at the hospital.  A fairly stressful week but I was able to spend time with family.  My mother's illness even had the unintended consequence of bringing my brother and his wife to Wisconsin for Christmas.


My wife, daughter and I began to drive back to Colorado on the 30th and entered Colorado on the 31st.  The winds were horrific. In fact we saw signs that said the highway was closed to high profile vehicles.  Apparently one semi truck driver could not read since as we started to pass him the back wheels of his rig came off the ground.  I slowed down just in time to watch his whole rig flip over.  Once the truck stopped I parked our car and ran to the truck..which took some doing in the wind. I got covered in diesel fuel as I tried to get to the cab to see if the driver was ok. He was moving and finally got up. Unfortunately he could not get out because the winds were so strong he could not open his door. I climbed on the rig and propped the door open so he could get himself and his stuff out.  I looked down and there was some guy on his cell phone down below but he would not come closer to help the driver down or grab any gear.  Some people are just worthless. I guess he just wanted to see what was happening.  Luckily the police and fire showed up within minutes and they were able to get traffic moving within 15 minutes.  When we started moving my four year old daughter said.. "He did a damn good job flipping that truck" My wife and I couldn't even scold her we were laughing so hard.

When we got home three hours later we pulled up to the front of the house and saw our gutter hanging off as well as the soffit and pieces of roof.  Ugh.  Once inside we found a mirror shattered on the hardwood floor with glass pieces everywhere.  I went to the computer to look up my insurance and the unit would not power up. Needless to say we did not celebrate New Year's Eve, we were just ready for 2011 to be over with.

However 2012 did start well. I flew out in the morning to meet my brother and his wife in California for the Rose Bowl.  Even though our beloved Badgers did not win it was a great game and we met a lot of cool people, hung out with old friends and enjoyed the weather for three days.

2012 is now in full swing.  My wife started a new job and my training has officially begun.  One thing I learned the last two weeks of 2011 is that you need to make some time for yourself to relieve stress. Whether it be everyday stress or from chaotic events.  I did not work out and dealt with the stress by finding comfort in my favorite foods in Wisconsin. This of course has resulted in me getting up to 225 lbs again.  (Last year at this time I was 245...so I am still ahead of the game.)  My first swim of the year was yesterday at lunch. I looked for every reason in the world not to go.  I did end up going and felt so much better.  My first trainer ride was this evening and my first run is tomorrow.  It really is amazing how once you start the training and good eating habits that they start to snowball and you look forward to the next workout instead of dreading it.  I am also looking forward to getting back together with my training buddies who I have not seen in a month or two.

2012 Race Schedule

I have finally figured out a preliminary race schedule for 2012.  In 2011 I only did three races including Ironman Wisconsin.  The plan this year is to put more races on the docket thus forcing me to get in shape earlier in the year to avoid embarrassment.  Embarrassment is a big motivator and so is whopping up on specific individuals. (You know who you are)

The first couple races of the year will be in January and February.  The Chilly Cheek Duathlon series takes place rain, snow or shine and encompasses four miles of running and ten miles of biking.  It is early in the season and hopefully will provide me a little incentive to work on my running.  I will also need to be ready to ride either my mountain bike or road bike depending on conditions.  I am hoping to convince a few people to join me in these races.

In April I have scheduled the Platte River Half Marathon.  I have never run a stand alone half marathon so this should be a good indicator of my early season fitness.  I have also heard from a number of people that this is a great race.

On May 5 is the Spartan Race.  This is a five mile obstacle course at Fort Carson military base.  This race concerns me a little since it is going to require some strength and agility.  I plan on hitting some weights and doing some crossfit the first few months of the year to hopefully get me ready for the race. I do not want to muscle up but would love to improve my upper body strength. I am also trying to get a team from my work or friends together to compete.  The Barking Dog Duathlon is a 5k/30k/5k race which I did last year and is scheduled for May 12. I really enjoyed the race because of the friendly atmosphere.  I came in 3rd place in the Clydesdale division of the sprint last year. Hopefully I will not qualify for that division in 2012.  I believe this will also be my wife's first race of the season.

June 9 is the first major race of the year with Kansas 70.3.  The plan is for a group of us to do this race.  It will be fun racing and beating the people I train with. (Yes Doreen..you are my motivator)  June 24 is Xterra Curt Gowdy in Wyoming.  The Xterra is an off road race which includes mountain biking and trail running.  I was very hesitant to put this race on the schedule because Kansas is only two weeks prior.  I am going to have to get some mountain bike riding in early in the season which will take away from my road bike.  I actually think this will be beneficial.  I tend to get my heart rate in the red zone a lot easier mountain biking then on my road bike.  I plan on using the mountain bike training to get my "intervals" in. My friend Christy has also promised to help me get ready for this race since she will also be competing.

In July my race will be either Racine 70.3 on July 15 or the Door County Half-Ironman on July 22.  Racine is my hometown and I did the race last year and loved it.  It would be great to race the course again and gauge my fitness.  However, I have heard great things about Door County and it would be nice to visit that part of Wisconsin.  I guess this decision will be based upon which week works best for vacation.

The last race I have scheduled is September 9, 2012..Ironman Wisconsin.  I have a goal time in mind for this year. I will share that at a later date.  There are numerous other races in Colorado this year and I may do a sprint or olympic in early August or even the end of July.  There is another Xterra Race near my home on August 4, 2012, Xterra Indian Peaks.  Also, the new HITS race series is in Colorado the end of July which includes all distances of races. 

Overall I think my race schedule is solid. I am really looking forward to racing with people I know and sharing the experience.  I am also looking forward to scheduling my wife's races this year. She has taken an interest in the sport and plans on doing a few sprints and possibly an olympic this year.  I am also looking forward to getting some miles on my mountain bike. I totally neglected it last year.  If there are any other races that you recommend or have input on the races I have scheduled please let me know.  Hope everyone's Christmas season is going well.

Also make sure that you tell all your friends and family how much you care about them at this time of the season as well as all year long.  As I write this my mother is again in ICU in Wisconsin fighting the complications of her cancer and the stroke she had 20 years ago.  I will be leaving for Wisconsin shortly to be with her and the rest of my family to celebrate Christmas.  Remember the true reason this season is great and that the memories you make and share with loved ones are far more precious and everlasting then any gifts.