Monday, July 14, 2008

Birthday Weekend

Blog readers – sorry I haven’t posted in a while.

No not mine, Angela's birthday was July 13th.

Most times people are know to celebrate a little excessive for their birthday and get sick the next day (if you know what I mean?) well that is not our style but we do try to take it over the top every now and again. Angela's birthday was on Sunday but our festivities began on Thursday. After work, we went to the Washington Nationals game. We scored totally awesome tickets and we had 4 seats directly behind home plate! It was a great game that went into overtime and we were able to share the experience with 2 other friends.

On Friday our celebration continued with dinner with some more friends at Gordon Biersch, a chain restraunt that just opened in the area. We have been there several times and our past experiences have been really good, but Friday's dinner (for everyone) was just okay. That might be our last time there?

On Saturday, Angela went with a friend to a Jaycee party and I went out to test drive the boat. I had just completed several repairs on the boat and wanted to give it a run before the rest of the summer. A went boating with a friend of mine at work, the boat ran great and we had a good time.

On Sunday, we had dinner with Angela’s family in DC before the show. The show we all were seeing was Momma Mia! We saw this show a couple of years ago and Angela loved so, we went back. Again, it was a great show.

Finally, on Monday the birthday celebration was over. Wow, I need a brake from all this celebrating. LOL

Now about my training – Since I haven’t posted in such a long time you readers out there probably think I have been resting on my past accomplishments. Well, let me set the record straight….I have been working out. My main focus has been my run training. I have a been training for a ½ marathon (13.1 miles) in September. The training has been progressing really well. My run times during the run portion of my triathlon were a 10 min/mile. Now, I am running 8:45ish min/mile with no problem. My coach of the running club is a triathlete as well and invited me to bike and swim with a group of her friends. I join them for their weekly bike ride but have not gotten the courage to join them for the swim. But I have been swimming on my own. So, in summary I am still working out most days of the week and trying to stay in shape.

Thursday, June 12, 2008

50 Years!

WOW, is that a long time! Try to imagine what was going on in the world 50 years ago? I did a quick search and here is a short list:

In 1958….
U.S Mail postage was 3 cents
Credit Cards were born (yuck!)
NASA was created
Michael Jackson was born (who knew the impact he would have?)

Over the past 2 weeks, Angela and I have been honored to be invited to, not one, but two 50th wedding anniversaries. Both of these celebrations were friend's parents....oddly our social circles don' t include many individuals that are even close to achieving this type of goal.

The first 50th anniversary party was held at the Washington Nationals Ball Park. I know what you are thinking; many groups often attend ballgames and sit in the nosebleed seats. Well, not this group. Apparently we have a friend that travels in high society. Our friends family (who are REALLY nice people) are friends with the owners of the Nationals. So, the celebration was held in the owner's box at the National Ballpark. That place is AMAZING! It is a double suite directly behind home base, where we ate and drank like kings all night. Unfortunately the game was rained out that night, but everyone had a great time regardless. The couple even had their wedding song played in the stadium and their picture on the Jumbotron. Very cool!

The second 50th anniversary party was a little lower key but everyone still had great time. The event was held at one of the son's house not too far from Gaithersburg. Again, the food drinks, and people were amazing!

Attending both of these events really inspires me. Angela and I are "only" ten years into our wedding vows. As I reflect back over those years and moments we shared during that time, they still seem fresh, living in the forefront of my memory. It gives me hope, that maybe; just maybe if we work real hard, surround ourselves with good family and friends, and get a little luck alone the way we might be one of the few to celebrate such a momentous occasion.

In closing, no matter where you are in this journey called life, stop and take time to love, laugh, and enjoy because it happens so fast!


....And now back to your regular scheduled programming....

Wow, what happened there? I must have blacked out? Anyway, no time to rest and not being one to rest on my previous accomplishments the day after I returned from my successes in the triathlon world I began training for my next event, a Half Marathon. I joined a local running club help me with this accomplishment. We meet twice a week, Wednesday’s are our speed workouts (I really need some speed!) and Saturday’s we work on increasing our distance. I really like the group. They are really fun people and several of them are triathletes as well. I will keep you posted on my progress.

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Cap Tex Race Report

Arriving in Austin and Pre-Race Stuff One word: HOT! A couple of weeks ago I visited my mom in Texas so I knew it was going to be hot. We (Angela and I) landed on Thursday, stepped off the plane and it was 98 degrees. That is kind of like a smack you in the face and take your breath away kind of hot. The entire trip the heat was just relentless, very uncomfortable, physically draining, and mentally debilitating. This is why I immediately began focusing on hydration. I drank SO much water and Gatorade I thought I was float down the river. Thursday and Friday the family lounged around Mom’s house and played around in her new pool. Friday night we all went out to an all you can eat BBQ, called the Salt Lick. Yummy! We’ve been there before and love it every time.

Saturday was a pretty full day. I checked in to the hotel where the Team in Training team was staying. Met up with the team to go for a short run midday. I thought it would be better for me to check out the race course and acclimate under less stressful conditions….i.e. walking around outside. I walked part of the bike course for about 20 minutes, after which I was drenched in sweat. Afterwards, the team met up again to walk to the bike shop about a mile away (yup, still in the heat) to pick up our bikes that had been driven down for us, and then we rode them back to the hotel. Saturday was another busy day. We got up to ride over to Barton Springs (a really great swimming area – natural pool) to do our practice open water swim. It was already warm in the morning, so putting on the wet suit was not a lot of fun. But once we got in the water, it was all worth it. (How can it be so hot outside, and the water be SO COLD??) Since I missed the last training with the team, this was my first (and only) open water swim before the race. It went well, I felt strong, and it calmed my nerves a bit knowing that swimming in open water wasn’t too difficult.

In the afternoon we picked up our race packet (bid number, timing chip, etc). This process sucked. The lines were way too long, took too much time, and very frustrating. Unlike other races, where people are encouraged to pick up their race packets in “waves” or groups of people this race was more of a free-for-all.
After the expo, we had to go put our bikes into the transition area. An easy enough task, but still kind of interesting. Normally, (this is my first race, but I have watched others) each athlete has numbered space (like a parking space) to place their bike and all their racing needs/stuff. Oh no, not the case here. This was again a free-for-all. Athletes were allowed to just throw their stuff anywhere, but space was limited so it became a problem. I was more concerned about losing my bike within the masses. Remember there are about 1500 athletes so; I was more focused on placing my bike in a place where I could easily find it. My bike tends to stick out a little bit (because it is red) so that wasn’t too much of an issue; I just counted how many rows it was from the end (9th row in my case) and knew I would have to remember that. It worked out. Our coaches warned us that due to the extreme heat bike tires were likely to expand and pop! I heard it did happen to some athletes. To reduce the likeliness of this happening, we reduced the air pressure in the tires to pump them up again on race day. With all this preparation I was beginning to feel the moment.

Soon after, we all went to the TNT pasta party. The pasta party was in a different hotel then where we were staying, but TNT arranged buses to take us there. However, my family was being difficult. Several of them went out during the day (borrowing Mom’s car) and they ran late, but since the people at the house didn’t have a car they couldn’t go anywhere. URGH! Not the stress I need before the race. Anyway, some of my family showed up about 30 minutes late, we embarrassing walked into the banquet, found a table and sat down. I pretty much just wanted to put a bag over my head and hide. About another 20 minutes later the rest of my family showed up. Talk about ruining the moment. I just had to think, just stay positive and move on. The banquet was nice. The speaker talked about all the great things the monies we raised were supporting. BTW, we raised over $900,000 from this race alone to support the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s programs. ROCK ON!! The guest speaker was an author, motivational speaker, and cancer survivor…Meg Brown. Great speaker and she ran the triathlon the next day.

After the meeting, I went up to the room to make sure everything was ready to take to my transition area. My roomie and I kept reading our list to each other, making sure neither was forgetting anything. Thanks, Rich! And then I went to bed. No surprise, I didn't sleep well that night either.Race Day! Alarm sounded promptly at 4:00am. UGH! I am a morning person, but this is crazy. I was stressing out because I didn’t know if I had everything I needed or not! I gathered my stuff and went down to the hotel lobby to meet the team, hoping I didn’t forget anything. We all went over to the transition area, where we first got our bodies marked. Kind of weird in an “about to go into battle sort of way”. People writing numbers, age, event, etc. on your legs and arms. And others taking pictures of it. Then over to my transition area where I set everything up. Everyone talks about the transition area and how important it is for a good race. Ooops, I forgot to practice this aspect of the race. It was a little nerve-racking: people were talking about how they moved things around a few inches to make it more efficient – shaving seconds off of their time. Meanwhile, I am thinking an extra 10 seconds is not going to bother me one bit.

I have found on numerous occasions that triathletes for the most part are really friendly people. I couldn’t find which teammate had the bike pump to re-inflate my tires and another person let me borrow his bike pump to make sure my tires were ready. VERY COOL. We didn't have a ton of time before they closed off the transition area, so as they were announcing that it was time to go, it was so hot and my start time wasn’t for another hour so I decided not to put on my wetsuit yet. It turned out to be a good decision. Somehow the race was almost an hour behind schedule so I would have been sweating in the wetsuit almost two hours.

Once I got to the waiting area, most of the team was grouped up by the lake, so I easily found them. Coach Noah told everyone that they should get into the water before their start to get used to it a bit before they start their swim. But the only way to get in without being in the way was to climb over some rocks. Several people already cut their hands or stubbed their toes – I elected not to get in. Plus it was still 1.5 hours until I had to swim.

While I was waiting by the water’s edge somehow Angela found me in the crowds. It was so nice to see her. Talking to her calmed my nerves and also gave me a reminder of exactly why I there. Thanks, Angela. As I mentioned before, the race was running way behind schedule so later my brother came over to say hi as well. It was nice to talk to him and distracted me for a few minutes….I needed that because just before that I thought I was going to throw up. Everything that I trained for was about to take place and I wasn’t sure I was ready.
THE SWIMWaiting for the start of the swim was very nerve-racking for me. It was what they call a deep water swim start. You jump in the water and tread water until the gun goes off to start the race. As were walking on the dock, my family was right there. Screaming, shouting, cheering me on – it was a great feeling. The guy behind me said, “Your family is the loudest here.” I replied with, “Yeah, it feels good to have that kind of support.”

Once I was in the water, I don’t know if I was in a zone or what but I didn’t hear one cheer, no one around me, nothing except my breathing. There is a lot of banging around that happens in the swim start so I wanted to be in the back of the pack to limit the physical nature of the swim. Then, BANG the start gun fired. Here we go!

I wanted to start the swim off slow and easy, pace myself, to ensure that I finish the event. Before I knew it, I was passing people. At the halfway point, I started seeing people in the wave that started before me and I was catching up to them. Then out of nowhere, BAM! I hit something. In the middle of that lake there was a huge rock about 3 feet below the surface and smashed my hand into it. Luckily, I just keep going. I think it was all adrenalin. Not too far from finish I picked up the pace even more and finished strong. They had volunteers at the swim exit to help people out of the water. The exit was awesome. They had a ton of volunteers on both sides of the ramp, many in the (cold) water. As I approached the ramp, I reached my hand out, and they nearly lifted me up the river bank, handing me off as they worked me up. Simply incredible. Thanks to the volunteers!!Truthfully, the swim was great! I honestly enjoyed it. As I was lifting my head up to see where I was (it's called "sighting") I realized that I need to work on that. Swimming under the bridges kind of freaked me out. I couldn’t stop thinking I was going to swim into the concrete and knock myself out. So, I know that slowed my down a little.
The swim was basically three turns: swim up, turn right to the other side of the lake, turn back down, and turn to the finish. I handled the turns well, I think. I was actually very close to the buoys each time, and there were few people around me. Overall, I loved the swim! It was not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be, and it was over before I knew it. (That's not to say it was easy. I was definitely tired when I was done!)

Swim Goal: 30- 40 minutes.
Actual Time: 34:36. WOO HOO!! I was really worried about this phase of the event. Done and on to the next section.

TRANSITION I: Swim to BikeAs I came out of the water and headed to my bike, I was very disoriented. I tried to jog but that wasn’t happening, I was too dizzy. So I walked. My legs were rubbery from suddenly being upright after 40 minutes of being horizontal. I got my wetsuit off down to my waist pretty easily, and started to walk to my bike. I found my bike no problem and ripped off my wetsuit.

Transition I Goal: Didn't set one. Just don’t be the one to forget your helmet! Actual time: 5:15THE BIKEThe bike route consisted of four loops. Not ideal, but not terrible either. (It does allow for great spectator support.) The course was fairly flat with one long gradual hill.Loop 1: I tried to take it easy on the first loop. "Don't start out too fast, and just get to know the route” – I can hear the coaches shouting in my mind. But I did get a good feel for the course before it got too crowded, and I am grateful for that. I quickly learned where the hills where, how quickly all of the turns came, and how the one really downhill stretch had a strong head wind. Ugh!My biggest downfall was that I did not know how long each loop took or how fast I was going (via my bike computer). Several weeks ago I purchased a new bike computer but had yet to master the functions. During the race I didn’t think it was a big deal, but reviewing my times I see it was. During the second loop my stomach began bothering me. I was feeling nauseous. I have read that happens sometimes during a race when you drink too much Gatorade. Hoping that was the problem I began drinking only water. By the third loop my stomach was feeling better and I picked up the pace.

The loop ends with the U Turn. A lot of people there, but you really can't enjoy the support, because you're trying really hard not to crash into them. I saw Coach Noah call out my name (Thanks, Noah!!) and my entire family cheering me on. Prior to the race I was worried that with all the excitement of the race I would lose count of my bike laps so I asked my family to count for me. Every time I rode by they would yell out which loop number I was on…..thanks, guys.
Last Loop: No doubt about it, I'm tired. The hills are hard, and it seems to take forever to get up them, but once they're over, I feel a new sense of optimism and try to take the relatively flat part hard as fast as I can. The route is really crowded now, but it goes well, and it is a great feeling knowing I am almost done on the bike. It was about then, when I realized that “Hey, I am going to finish this thing.” I was overcome with emotion. I can’t explain why, but as I reflected back with thoughts of Angela’s dark and difficult times in the hospital I just started crying on the bike. Good thing I had on sunglasses.Bike Goal: 1:30:00. Actual time: 1:15:51. WOO HOO!!TRANSITION IIIt was a long run with the bike to get to my spot of the transition area. Everything was going to plan, when I could hear the coaches in my head saying “Don’t forget to put on your race belt for the run.” If you don’t have the race belt it is a penalty. When I get to my transition area I don’t see my belt. I knew I packed it, but where could it be. I open my back pack, empty it out on the ground, and finally find it. Put it on, put on my shoes, and on to the run. Later, I realized I had forgotten to put on sunscreen.
Transition II Goal: Again, didn’t have one. Actual time: 4:00.THE RUNThe run was a 2 loop course, each loop was 3.1 miles.

Yes, it was hot outside, like LAVA HOT. I was pretty tired from the bike but I had completed two awesome parts of the triathlon, and it was time for my slow portion of the race. I knew I was a very slow runner – but not snail slow. Put it this way, if they were walking I wasn’t passing them.

Throughout the run course there were many aid stations (water, ice, and Gatorade). While I was committed to not walking the course, I did allow myself to walk through the aid stations. At each one I took as much water and ice as I could.
Loop I: Just like the bike, I wanted to take the first loop nice and easy and see how the course was. For the most part it was completely flat. About 1.5 miles into the run I saw my entire family cheering me on (thanks, guys!). I needed the encouragement.

Loop II: I was really beginning to feel the full effects of the Texas heat. By now it was later in the day, the clouds had cleared, it was full sun and the heat was in full effect. Remember earlier when I said I forgot the sunscreen – this is when I realized it.

By now my little brother knew the course and waited for me ahead of the rest of my family and was able to run with me for a few minutes. Man, did that ease my mind. I was just beginning to wonder whether I could continue running the entire distance without stopping. Just talking with him inspired me to make sure I finish strong. Thanks, Bro!!

Shortly after running with my brother is where I met up with one of my teammates. The heat was really getting to him and he mentioned he was about to give up and walk. I told him that I wouldn’t allow it and I slowed the pace down (but still ran) to allow him to recover. After several minutes, he was finally able to find some energy again and before he knew it, he was running again. I lagged behind and cheered him on. After the race he thanked me for “saving him” on the run course. It was really nice knowing that I was able to help a teammate out.
Run Goal: Under one hour. Actual time: 1:04:47. The heat was just TOO much!Almost immediately after crossing the finish line, my entire family was there giving me hugs and kisses. I took a few minutes to celebrate with them, rehydrate, have some pizza, and get a short massage. Then, I felt well enough to go to back to the course and cheer the rest of the team in. So my first triathlon was completed in 3:09:32. For sure, it was an incredible experience, But none of it would have been possible without the support of so many people: Coaches Jenni, Megan, Mel, and Noah; my Team Captain Tricia; Lindsay in the TNT office; Carly as the staff person in Austin; everyone who donated to my fundraising; the entire tri team for all of the support and motivation for six months, my friends for your motivation and support; my great family for your encouragement on the course; and last but not least, to Angela who showed me what determination REALLY meant.

Thanks to everyone, and GO TEAM!!

Michael - a newbie triathlete

Friday, May 16, 2008

Nervous??

Yeck yay.

The last few days have been very anxious for me.

For starters, Angela scheduled her 9 month post-chemo CT scan yesterday. Those days ALWAYS make me nervous. We both get nervous, loose a little sleep, and hope for the best. But, her test results were still NEGATIVE, and the doctors even used a word we try to avoid...."remission". The doctors said, "everything looks great on your scan and your are in remission". WOW - awesome news. We celebrated by going to a local pizza and pasta place in Gaitherburg. It is not really,really great food but it reminds us of good times in the past because we used to go there when we worked together. As an added bonus Angela did a little shopping.

The other reason I am anxious is because my triathlon is a little more than a week away. YIKES! I have been training hard for months and hope that is enough to get me to cross the finish line.

My training schedule is in "taper" mode, meaning I just do little, light workouts. But my legs are more sore now then they have been for the past 6 months. Oh well, they say you get this way before a race. They say you start to begin feeling like this is sore, that is not right, etc. Maybe there is some truth to that?

Also, today I have to drop off my bike at the Team in Training offices so they can ship it to Texas. Wow, does that really make you feel the event is nearing.

Weather - In Maryland the weather has been cool and rainy. However in Texas the weather has been hot, like in the 90's already. Hope this doesn't hurt me too much during the race. Will need to drink lots of water and gatorade.

This weekend is packed full of activities for me. Tonight is a local high school's "after prom party". A school party were we serve food and drinks to the high school kids to keep them for parties elsewhere and possibly getting into trouble. The party lasts from 10pm - 5am....that's right all night! Then on Saturday I am missing my TNT Bon Voyage workout/party to see a friend's graduation. He has completed his Master Degree. Robert you rock! Then on Sunday a another triathlete friend and I are going to watch a big local triathlon race. Watching these athletes should really get me excited for my race.

Thanks for reading.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

Personal Record 14.99 seconds

This weekend I actually trained with the Team in Training group. They are a great group of athletes and coaches, but my schedule is a polar opposite of theirs. And since I don't need that extra of dose of motivation to train, I usually skip the group workouts and do my own thing. Plus I am a "middle of the pack" kind of person, so I don't get a lot of attention for the coaches anyway...they are busy with the people that are still struggling with getting through the event.

This week the group trained in VA, about 1 hour from my house. Since the triathlon is getting close I wanted to make a concerted effort to bond with my team. When I got there, the coaches stated this was going to be the hardest workout we had all season, and I thought to myself I should have stayed home. We biked for just over 2 hours, completed 32 miles of hard riding filled with challenging hills, then followed by a 30 minute run. I thought my legs where going to give out at any moment. But I made it!

Afterwards, the team organized a picnic. I had a great time talking to different coaches & athletes. As I was talking to everyone, I noticed that my legs felt fine, no aches, pains, soreness. I thought Man, I need to pushed myself harder.

Yesterday, I had another swim lesson with my coach. He always kicks my butt, then as I am gasping for air, holding on to the edge of the pool, he telling me remember keep the elbow high, etc, etc. It is amazing how you can focus on these instructions while you feel you are seconds away from death. At the end of many, many drills he said last drill....two 25 yard sprints. I am going to time you - so push hard. My first lap, was 18.04 seconds. The coach said not bad, now we are going to do one more lap. My next lap was 14.99 seconds - a record time for me! Rather than the coach being happy for me, he said you didn't push hard enough on the first lap, so we need to do it again. UGH!!!! He was right - I guess because my third lap was 16.xx seconds. These times are pretty good (for me) after a hard 1500 yard workout. I am very happy with the progress of my swim.

Lastly, now that I am feeling better about my swimming. I am going to spend the next two weeks focusing on the run. I can easily complete the distance on the run, but I am so SLOW. During my run last night, I ran for 45 minutes and never felt good. My rhythm was off, times were slow, and felt goofy footed during the entire run. I will work on that.

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Weekend - Texas Style

WARNING - LONG POST AGAIN

As most of you know from recent posts, I went to Texas this past weekend because several weeks ago, my Mom called me asking if I would come to Texas to help her boyfriend work on constructing a massive deck that surrounds her new pool in the backyard. Of course, I am always up for a construction project, so off to Texas I went.

I arrived in Austin late Friday night, unpacked, and was excited to get going Saturday morning. Her boyfriend (also named Michael) had to work until 4:30am in the morning on Friday night to meet his deadline on another construction project. So, he was a little slow waking up on Saturday, understandable. But we still put in a few hours, dug post holes, poured concrete, etc, etc and we stopped around 4PM because we needed some more material and I didn't want to kill him. We cleaned up, went to Home Depot, went out and had a nice dinner at a local restaurant, rented a movie and called it a night. Sunday morning I was awaken by a nasty thunderstorm at 7am, I said I guess we won't be getting an early start today? Around 8am I rolled out of bed and checked the weather, "rain until noon today". When mom woke up, we headed out to run some errands and scope out the triathlon course that I will be running REAL SOON! Nice course, didn't seem too bad. Got back to Mom's around 1pm and Michael was still too tired from yesterday to work today. So, the remainder of Sunday was shot. When I woke up on Monday morning and I was motivated to put in at least a few hours of work, by myself if I had to. After all, Mom paid all this money to fly me down there I hadn't done much work. I began working (and eventually got help) and before I had to catch my flight home we were able to finish framing a 16x16 area of the deck.

The flight home was terrible! I had to take a puddle jumper from Houston to Dulles (no not Dallas, Dulles - a 2.5 hour flight. That was the worst flight I have ever been on. Bouncy, bumpy, loud, ugh! But I made it home safe and sound.

Also, while I was in TX, I did mange to workout on Sunday (since I wasn't constructing anything) I worked out at a local gym. I told them that I was in town and considering relocating to the area and they game me a week pass. Really nice gym and they are open 24 hours. Pretty cool. So Sunday night I went for a swim. During my swim, I meet 2 Ironman finishers! WOW, talk about intimidating. But like most triathletes that I have meet, they were really nice. One guy even took a few minutes to help me with my swimming. Good people.

A couple of posts ago, I mentioned that I had taken the CISSP exam and was worried about the results. Worry no more, I PASSED! YAY! I found out yesterday that I had passed that horrid exam. I am so glad because I didn't want to sit through another 6 hour exam.

I the midst of everything else going on, I still have been training hard. The training sessions are getting much longer and more difficult to fit in my schedule. But with only a month to go and CISSP the exam behind me I am not letting up now. My swimming is getting a little better. I actually have 2 swim coaches...one cheap one expensive. This allows me to gain the news skills I need from the expensive coach and work on strength and endurance with the other coach. I am improving, so I hope it really pays off over the next couple of weeks.

Thanks for reading,
Michael

Monday, April 28, 2008

Wetsuit


Mike's in Texas this weekend helping his mom build a gazebo in her backyard, so this is Angela posting. He asked me to post a picture of him in his new Team in Training wetsuit. You would think he wouldn't need it in Texas in May, but the water is still pretty cold. The air won't be, but the water will be!

Does he look like a triathlete now?

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Bike Porn


People in the biking community call it Bike Porn when you post a picture of your new bike.
I actually purchased this bike a few months ago and forgot to post a picture.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Swim like a fish? LONG POST

So much has happened since I last posted (WARNING THIS IS A LONG POST).


First I appolgize for not posting in such a long time but there wasn't much going on - just logging the miles, one after another after another after another...you get the idea.


But recently there has been quite a bit of activity. One example, I got my wetsuit. It is black with the Team in Training logo on the front - VERY COOL! I tried it on and while I wouldn't say it was slimming but I was able to squeeeeeze my big butt into it. Wetsuits are supposed to fit tight, but holy cow. It was like someone painting this thing on and let it dry.


Speaking of swimming, I have taken a new approach to improving my swimming skills. A months weeks ago I hired a personal swim coach. I only took one lesson with him because I didn't feel that I got much from the lesson and there didn't seem like a lot of coaching happening, just seemed like the coach liked to talk and got the "opportunity" to pay for it. I didn't know if it was the coach or the student. Either way, I was really gun shy about hiring another swim coach. Based on a recommendation I read from another triathlon website I gave a different coach a try.

WOW! What a difference. This coach was a no-nonsense guy. We met, hello my name is Kevin, we got in the pool and he said, "show me your skills". What? Oh, you want me to swim ok. I swam a few laps and we went directly into correcting my (many) faults and reinforcing them with several different drills. The lesson was fast paced, I learned a lot, and he was able to make several immediate improvements. I thought man, I wish I found this guy months ago, oh well. That was Saturday. On Sunday, I wanted to continue practicing the drills he showed me so after my grueling 6 hour exam (see below), I needed to vent. So, I went to the pool and swam slow, very controlled laps using the drills I learned yesterday. I liked him so much I am going to schedule another session on Wednesday.


More on the training front, Sunday night Angela and I went to a triathlete team meeting. The team is called Team Z (http://www.triteamz.com/). They are a group of triathletes that train, race, and socialize together led by Coach Ed. Coach Ed is a former Team in Training triathlon coach that went off and started his own training program at the request of about 20 of his (now)clients. He has raced many races including IronMan Lake Placid but now mainly focuses on the group training aspects of his clients. His program is like a gym membership, where you pay a monthly fee and train with the group and receive coaching instructions during the training. I am still on the fence on whether or not to join but either way it seemed like a great program.



The past week or so has really been tough on me. Several weeks ago I signed up for the CISSP exam. It is a 250 question, 6 hour, mind boggling exam that makes you wonder why anyone would subject themselves this torture. The answer is, no sane person would but there is a Government requirement - so on with the test. I have been studying for sometime but really needed to make a big push to properly prepare myself. The test itself is so obscure that even the people that pass leave the exam wondering if they passed or not! So, whether I passed or failed at least I tried. I won't know the results for about 2 weeks.

UPDATE -
Last night I had my second swim lesson. Man, he kicked my butt! The coach said we are going to warm up, hold your breath, swim the length of the pool underwater, using only your legs. WHAT?! To my amazement I was able to do this, again, and again, and again. Our warm up ended up being swimming 10 laps of this. My lungs were on fire! I was starting to think this coach was just trying to practice his CPR skills. Thankfully I didn't need them, but there were a few moments that I wasn't so sure. From there we did several drills and ended with another good practice.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Oh what a feeling...

Last night was a brick workout. For those dedicated blog readers you know from previous posts that a brick workout is where 2 disciplines are practiced back to back. Last night it was a swim and run. I jumped in the pool, knocked out my laps (slow as usual), quickly changed, rehydrated with some Gatorade, and hit the road to start my run.

At first, the run was slow and painful. My left calf was causing me some pain early in the run but I decided to try to work through it. Because you never know what can happen during a race. As my run continued, I passed mile 3 the pain in my calf began to subside (but still there) and I began to hit a comfortable stride. I cruised through the next 3 miles or so without much difficulty.

As I was finishing up my last 3 miles, the sun was setting, and I began to think. No, I was not thinking about gasping for the next breath of air, or tripping over a pebble on the road because I can't lift my foot to take another step. No, I was thinking of the fact that I had been training for nearly 2 hours straight and I was still feeling....strong. Yes, strong! Strong in the since that I still had a lot more power remaining, good rhythm, and enjoying my workout. Then my thoughts began to shift into thinking, "What makes an athlete well, for lack of a better word, an athlete?" When is a person who runs become a runner? Is it when they complete their first race?, first 10K?, or a marathon? And in my case, if I finish my triathlon, does that make me a Triathlete? Oh, the things that one considers while putting one foot in front of another. :)

A volleyball league that Angela and I play in (separate teams) started last night. After my 2 hour workout I thought it would be a good idea to play another hour of volleyball. Angela's team played first, I started training early so I could watch/coach/cheer Angela's team. They played well, especially Angela who has not played volleyball in over a year. You go GIRL! Afterwards, I my team played. We played well also.

The big question is How do I feel today? I actually feel pretty good, a little tired (we didn't go to bed until midnight) but not too sore yet....it might come later....then you will hear me say OH, WHAT A FEELING!

Have a good weekend.

Monday, April 7, 2008

One Year!

Yesterday, was the day the changed my life forever. It was the day that Angela and I received the news that she had cancer. The imaged is burned in my memory forever and I still get chills when I think of the doctor telling Angela "You have lymphoma."

And rather than celebrating the anniversary in sadness, a toast, or other traditional methods. No, not us. We wanted to celebrate in way that showed Angela's strength, determination, courage, and perseverance. Therefore, yesterday we ran the 2008 Cherry Blossom 5K / 10 Mile race. The course weaved through the beautiful tidal basin in Washington, DC where there are hundreds of Cherry Blossoms trees that tourist flock too every year. Angela has never run a race before and has spent the last 2 months training for this event. She finished in the top 1/3 of all the 5K'ers - that is awesome for her first event. While she was running her 5k, I ran the 10 mile event. I have never run that far before and pleased to say I completed the race without walking. A big thanks to Sandy (a friend that we meet in Metro on the way down) "pulled" me across the finish line.

So, CONGRATS to Angela for kicking Priscilla’s (cancer) butt and starting this new year with a new attitude and new outlook on life!

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

Back into it

Last month, I blogged about how I fell off the training bus and rebounded. After the quick course correction, I am now pleagued with a nagging back injury. Nothing REAL serious but a deep, lower back pain that makes it difficult to walk sometimes...let alone run. This problem started about 3 weeks ago and I thought I "wrenched" it during one of my construction projects. After about a week it went away. Then it came back. I went to the chiropractor, rested, and tried to easy back into training but no awail.

However, even with my back problem I have been training most days. During the days I am able to train, I feel good. Sometimes the next day isn't so good, but that is normal?

Angela and I have our first race together in 2 weeks - the Cherry Blossom 5K/10Miler on April 6th. To my knowledge this is Angela's 1st race ever! She is such a trooper! She signed up for the 5K (while I run the 10 miles - seems fair?) has been walk/run training nearly everyday and seems to like it. I know she will finish without an issue and I only wonder what I have started?

I am tweaking my training program over the next 2 weeks to focus more on the run. I started yesterday and it took alot for me to run 5 miles. This weekend I hope to run 7 miles, if I am able to accomplish that, I MIGHT be able to finish the race. Or, my 10 mile race might end up the same way Angela is training....a run/walk scenario.

Tonight is my swimming day. So, I will be in the pool swimming countless laps - well at least 72 anyway. Then I have a volleyball game at 8PM. I can almost feel the pain when I wake up tomorrow.

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

We did it! - $4200 raised

According to my the count down timer on my blog I have 82 days left until my race. With that I still have many long, hard training days that lie ahead. However, the one thing that I won't have to worry about any more is raising money.

Because....WE DID IT! We raised over $4200 and counting.

Thanks to every ones hard work, dedication, and generosity we were able to raise a lot of money for a great cause.

This past weekend Angela attended a Jaycee Convention as she normally does. It is basically a weekend full of seminars, meetings, and a whole lot of drinking. This weekend she had special permission to offer a fundraising campaign that I thought of. It was called "Rub for $1" where volunteers donate their time and people pay a $1 per minute for a chair massage. Thanks to the volunteers (Blair, Nancy, Jeff, & Ron A.), Angela, and everyone that participated over $200 was raised.

Additionally, The Maryland Crab Corp., the non-profit organization of the Maryland Jaycees made a large donation of $250 this past weekend.

And, we still have several events in the works. Everyone is asking me about when my next poker night is (yes I need to schedule that), Angela and Melissa have a jewelry party scheduled this weekend, and my Mom has a 3rd poker party scheduled in Texas. So, we have more money on the way.

There were SO many people that helped me achieve this goal. Thanks to all who donated volunteered, submitted ideas, or otherwise supported this cause. Also, there were many individuals that provided invaluable assistance other than money. Many people, let me borrow bikes, bike gear, wetsuits. Others provide instruction, inspiration, and in depth knowledge of past triathlon experiences. And other general "household" help that my training has negatively impacted. Without every ones help I wouldn't be where I am today. THANKS!!!

Friday, February 29, 2008

Back on the training bus

It has been a couple of weeks since I have updated my blog and I apologize to all 2 of the readers out there. Rest assured, I have been training.

After I fell of my training program a couple of weeks ago I was determined to get things back on track as soon as possible. I will have to admit it was difficult to get back in the gym, just knowing the amount of pain that would follow! And I was right. Another big ouch for last week.

This week was MUCH better. It was another "recovery week" (light training) and it allowed me to continue training without as much pain. This week I ran 8 miles, swam 2 miles, and biked 11 miles. I like the fact that I can say I did it without too much difficulty. Last night was a brick workout, a workout where you workout 2 different disciplines one after another. So, in the bitter cold, I ran to the pool (20 minutes) and swam a mile (1 hour). It was a "nice" workout but I don't like training in the cold. Brrr!

The next big news is that my fundraising is going extremely well. Thus far, I have received 80% of my goal. Thanks for everyone's VERY generous support. I still have to raise another $800 to reach my $4200 goal but I am hoping for another good fundraising weekend and I will tell everyone what it was and how it went next week.

That's it for now.

Friday, February 15, 2008

A week off?

Well, it finally happened....after going months without missing a training day (not one!) then I missed my first one, then another, and another. When it was all said and done I missed an entire week of training!

Sure, I had lots of excuses, it got really busy at work and had to work late regularly this week, I am in the midst of 2 construction projects - a kitchen remodel for me and finish a wet bar for a friend, frigid weather & ice storms, car accident, and totally stressed out because Angela (wife) was having her 6 month post-chemo CT scan this week. (see her results at http://amvictory.blogspot.com) In reality those items should be background noise (except the CT scan) and normalcy of daily life. But for some reason I let these excuses prohibit me from training. To compound matters, I would expect to feel rested after a week off from training. However that is not the case, rather I fell even more tired, exhausted and afraid. Afraid of getting back in the gym and see how much ground I have lost in my training.

"Will someone else's life be brighter tomorrow because of what you have done today?" - William Arthur Ward

With that I say farewell. Farewell to excuses that prevent me from training and hello to a clearer vision of what I need to accomplish. Today is a new day and I will make it special!

Friday, February 1, 2008

Inspiration equals Motivation

By now everyone that knows me, knows I am racing in a triathlon...it is consuming. If I am not talking about it, then I am training, if I am not training I am trying to raise money, if not fundraising then I am preparing for it (nutrition, bike maintenance, researching techniques). Needless to say the triathlon has been consuming a lot of my time. But I love it. I like learning new things, pushing myself both physically and emotionally (do you know how boring it is run on a treadmill for an hour, then immediately get an on stationary bike??) and of course knowing it is for a GREAT cause.

With all that being said, I try to limit myself for talking about it too much. I don’t want to bore people with the same old discussion topic. Oddly enough, there has been one side effect of my training that I didn't expect. I was talking with Angela (wife) the other day about several different friends (that don't know each other) and how all of a sudden they are becoming more active. Several friends have started doing various activities ranging from dusting off their old bikes, to walking the dog longer, going to the gym, a boating friend wants to take up wakeboarding (because I started 2 years ago) and one friend even signed up for a triathlon (you go Sandy!). Yeah, I know it is that time of year where people try to "start the new year off right", work towards fulfilling their New Year's resolution, etc, etc. But, I can't help but fell particularly responsible for this movement.....and DAM it feels good! To know I have a positive impact on my friends, family, and colleagues at work motivates me even more to keep pushing!

Last Saturday Angela and I attended the Team in Training annual group picnic. It was the first indoor picnic I have ever attended, but yeah what the yeck right? I forgot what time it started so we were late. But we got to hear participant’s stories about why they are training, who they were training for, and how it impacted both their lives. It was AMAZING! Afterwards, we hung out and talked to several coaches, participants, and survivors. At the picnic I finally meet someone (she is actually a TNT coach, although not mine) who lives near us. Most participants live in northern Virginia. Anyway, she invited me to swim with her and one other person on Sunday where she offers coaching and instruction. EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR! Sundays are an "optional" swim for us but I always try to swim anyway because I feel I really need to work on my swim.


Training stuff: This week is a "recovery week" i.e., light workout
  • Saturday - Bailed on the group bike ride. It was 34 degrees outside and there was still a lot of ice on the trails. No thanks, I will ride the stationary bike.
  • Sunday - instructional swimming 90 minutes
  • Monday - Weights and 30 minute run
  • Tuesday - Weights, 30 minute run, and a 60 minute swim
  • Wednesday - Weights and 30 minute bike
  • Thursday - VERY SORE! 70 minute swim only
  • Friday - DAY OFF

Thanks for reading.

Friday, January 25, 2008

TGIF

Thank God Its Friday!

I am found when one trains this hard a person really looks forward to the small victory's. The most regular small victory I celebrate is Friday. While, most celebrate Friday because it represents 2 days off from work, school, or whatever becomes their weekly grind. Personally, I find Friday a reason to celebrate for a totally different, but equally appreciable reason.....it is my ONE day of rest from training. ahhhhh.

Don't get me wrong, I love training, working out, and feeling good about myself. But it is tiring; actually it is exhausting to be more accurate. No one can attest to this more than Angela. Poor thing. I have never been what some refer to as a morning person (unless you count the days when I used to stay up all night and go to bed in morning). However, lately I can't help but notice it has been more difficult for Angela to get me out of bed in morning. I am just so exhausted every morning.

I was discussing my triathlon with a work college and he mentioned that I should set some goals for my race. Originally, I had A goal - to finish. Now that I am 2 months into my training he convinced me to redefine my goals. Over the weekend I will ponder this topic and post my new goals next week.

My fundraising campaign is going extremely well. The support from family and friends has been inspiring. THANKS EVERYONE!! As of this morning, I have completed 26% of my goal. As with every other type A personality I want to keep the momentum going and achieve my goal as soon as possible so I can focus on my training. What, doesn't everybody think like that?

Training since last post-
Monday - weight training at lunch and bike 60 minutes in the evening
Tuesday - Swim training 60 minutes
Wednesday - weight training at lunch and bike 35 minutes in the evening
Thursday - Ran 50 minutes, ie 5 miles. I pushed too hard - know my ankle hurts.
Thursday evening - FIRST MISSED WORKOUT. UGH! I had to fix a plumbing problem.
Friday - OFF (YAY)
FIRST MISSED WORKOUT.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Ante up!

The past weekend was a multifaceted poker event. What does that mean? On Friday, I hosted some friends at my house for a fundraising poker night. Donations would be collected before each round of play and go towards my Team in Training fundraising goal of $4200. On Friday, because of very generous donations I raised over $400! $50 was donated from a friend’s mom and the rest was donated via Poker. Then on Saturday, my mom hosted a similar event at the American Legion in Austin, TX. She was able to generate more than $200. Half of that is donated back to the American Legion (another great organization) and the other half is donated to my Team in Training goal. So, $500 raised in one weekend! How awesome is that?! Thanks to everyone for their help and support.

Also, last week I was supposed to meet with a friend of mine so she can help me with my swim stroke. However, we had to cancel because of a snow storm. So we rescheduled for tonight. Of course, it is supposed to snow again today. I am beginning to wonder if there is a connection. It has not started snowing yet, so I will just keep my fingers crossed.

Otherwise, back to training.

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Poker Anyone?

This Friday I am hosting a poker/visitation fundraiser night.

Everyone probably has heard of a Poker night. A typical poker game, except prior to each hand played, each player will make a .25 donation. I played a game with this format in Texas over the holiday and had a blast. Everyone should have fun and raise some money for a great cause. Obviously, the donations will be going towards my Team in Training fundraising requirements.

The visitation was just an excuse to allow people to come to the house and distract Angela from all the money I will be losing. It sounded like a good idea at the time.

On a totally different subject, my favorite TV show is on tonight....The Biggest Loser. I just love that show!

Ok, here is the business (training)

Saturday - 20 mile group bike ride. First of the season at it was awesome.
Sunday - A quick swim workout
Monday - 35 minute run; 1 hour volleyball in the evening
Tuesday - Strength/Core workout and swimming in the evening.

Talk to everyone soon.

Friday, January 11, 2008

As all my "peeps" know all my training is for a cause; to raise monies for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

The power is often under estimated on the magnitude a group of people with a common goal can be. This was illustrated to me via an email today. The email stated the Washington DC Area Team in Training program raised over $157,000 for their spring training races. Even more amazing is the spring races only consist of 5 races and most of those races are just starting their fundraising program. As an example, I am just kicking off my fundraising campaign.

Through a list of family and friends my movement is going to consist of a multi-faceted, multi-state, approach. I have several ideas that are taking place and hope to raise thousands of dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society. If you have any ideas on fundraising ideas or would like to help me in my endeavor – let me know. I more money we raise – the quicker we can find a cure.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Oh, the pain!

I am pleased to announce that I made it through another week of training.

My training plan focuses on time rather than miles but according to my math I have swam, bike, and ran a total of 36 heart pumping miles since last week! And boy do I feel it. And, my training schedule has me running, biking, and swimming 36 more miles before Sunday.

Tuesdays are my swim coached swim practice with my Team in Training group. It is never a good sign when the coach starts out the practice session stating "If you haven't been swimming over the holiday break or this is your first practice, then this is going to hurt!" About then is when it hit me, oh boy what did I get myself into? We swam just over 1 mile in the pool; performing various swimming drills and speeds. By time I road home (the pool is in DC) I was so sore. I could only think it is usually WORSE the following day!

Angela prompted rubbed Tiger Bomb (like Ben Gay – but way hotter) on my shoulders and back. The she got a massager thingy for xmas so I thought no better time then the present, right? Massage = ahhhhhhhhh. Then I slept with the heating pad on my back. Amazingly, that combo worked. I woke up the next morning (groggy as usually) but there was NO PAIN. YAY!!

Wednesday – after felling better from my massage therapy (Thanks Angela!) I was feeling good and was able to complete my nearly 1 hour bike ride without too much difficulty. Riding the bike for so long creates soreness, not so much from any muscle but rather from the back-side if you know what I mean? If not, dust off that old mountain bike, remove the seat, replace it with Tupperware bowl, wrap a ripped piece of cloth around it, then ride the bike for an hour. Let me know where your soreness is.

Today, I am supposed to do my “brick” workout. A brick in triathlon terms is where you perform 2 disciplines back-to-back in the same workout. Say what? These people are truly crazy! The 2 disciplines today are swim/run. However, since I don’t belong to a gym (that has a pool and exercise equipment) so I am going to have split the workouts between afternoon and evening. I know it is not the same as a brick workout but it will have to do.

Mo MONEY! – As everyone knows I have to raise $4200 for this raise. I have finalized a donation letter that I will be sending out to family and friends. I will also be hosting several poker/game nights to raise money. Additionally, I have been brainstorming with several friends with different ways to raise money and I think we have some pretty cool stuff in the works. Stay tuned for more details.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Training Update

I realized that I haven't included any of my workouts in my posts. I will attempt to include them in future posts.

A rest/recovery week is recommended after every 4-5 weeks of training, which means my workouts are a little shorter and easier to give my body a break. YEAH RIGHT! This week is my scheduled "rest" week and a nice way to bring in the New Year. Here are my workouts for this week;

Monday: Run 35 mins
Tuesday: New Years (rest)
Wednesday: Run 35 mins @ lunch, bike 30 mins @ home
Thursday: bike 45 (easy pace)

Other good news, I have contacted a friend that has been competing in Triathlons for years and she has agreed to help me with my training! Her knowledge will undoubtedly help me on race day.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

2007 Farewell

As I was considering what to write about in this post I was originally thinking there was little to be thankful for in 2007. After all, 2007 was a year of loss! I was still sorting out my feelings regarding losing my Grandmother (Cancer) in late 2006, Angela was diagnosed with Lymphoma in April, and several other close friends were diagnosed with cancer as well. Not a good year by most accounts.

But as I reflect, I realize (in my most sentimental moments) that I thankful for the most precious and intangible of things; spending time with my family, friends, and loved ones. Aside from Angela kicking Priscilla’s (she named her tumor Priscilla) butt spending time with everyone that is SO close to us was I will remember most about 2007.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! May 2008 bring joy, happiness, and good health to all!