training an endurance geek.

Run!

Wed, 02 Jan 2013 08:54:02 -0800

Reposting from a friend who found this jewel. This is just priceless! I’ve been on both sides of this perspective.. and let me tell you that a kind word, smile, fist bump or thumbs up can make all the difference in the world. I definitely don’t pass up the opportunity to offer them up whenever I can!

Did you have piriformis surgery? Lynn Salinger

Sun, 16 Dec 2012 13:14:43 -0800

I was never a candidate for piriformis surgery.. in so much as my sciatic nerve wasn’t aggravated by the piriformis. I still deal with chronic pain when sitting on hard/uncomfortable surfaces for much longer than 20 minutes, but my issue seems to be the saccro-coccygeal joint (where the sacrum and the coccyx join).

"Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world..."

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:04:29 -0800

““Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.””

- Howard Thurman

2013: A continuation of b'dassery

Thu, 06 Dec 2012 12:57:00 -0800

It’s that time of year, again, to reflect on the past and set into motion plans for the future.. I don’t like to spend too much time doing either, because I don’t want to miss out on what is going on right now! We’ll save that philosophy for another post.

2012 was another year of ratcheting up my fitness and reinventing myself, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the progress.

My weight has kept pretty much stable for over a year, but I continue to have thoughts of losing that last 10-12 pounds and breaking into the 199 realm.. I have the body fat to do so, but I’m not all fired up to put in the extra effort. I feel happier and healthier than ever, so why mess with a good thing? I set my marathon PR in Eugene, OR.. 3:58:x. I’ll take that! My wife, our friend, and I did a trail marathon in Bend, and it was brrruuttall.. that makes for good stories! We ran several half marathons, and shorter distance events and had fun throughout! My overall “cruising pace” has dropped to between 8:50-9:00/mi, and I continue to train in the MAF zone as much as possible. I swam 2.4 miles a couple times, rode 100+ miles a couple of times, and ran 26.2 miles a couple of times.. and one time I did all three on the same day! :D Ironman Arizona was awesome, I finished in 13:26:x and felt like I gave it 100%. Coming from a guy who just over two years ago was 325lbs and eating the most unhealthy foods known to man.. 2012 was b’dass!

2013 will be a continuation of the theme. More endurance sports, and more clean food eating. Ironman Couer D’Alene is in late June, possibly a 50k in Europe during the summer, and I’m going to run another 50 mile Ultramarathon in late October. I’ve got some half marathons sprinkled throughout, and some sprint triathlons to re-do and try for better times this coming year.. I’m toying with the idea of shooting for a PR on the marathon (that could be a tall order for me) followed by a PR on the 50 mile distance 20 days later (this should be ‘relatively’ easy because my 50 mile time is soft).

…but, like I mentioned, I really should just focus on the moment and enjoying what is going on right now! December is a month of Bootcamp with Amy Krahn. Wendie and I drag our asses out of bed, make the 30 minute drive into Corvallis, and throw down intense circuit, cardio, weights, and kickboxing at 5:30a.. it can be hard to get started, but the feeling for the rest of the day is remarkable! Tomorrow is kickboxing, and I’m psyched.

Life is good.

Habits

Tue, 27 Nov 2012 08:58:00 -0800

I got back on the treadmill this morning, after giving my legs a little break after IMAZ. It felt good to work up a sweat and get my heart beating. About midway through my 5k, I saw a dude mount a mill to my left. This guy was me a few years back.. I imagine he’s pushing 280-300. He set his pace and started to run.. I noticed out of my peripheral vision that he ran with a mid-foot strike and relaxed posture and by the time he was done he had ran for a full 30 minutes before stopping. I had, and took, the opportunity to offer a “way to kill that run, dude” at the paper towel dispenser afterwards and he smiled with a thanks. I hope to run across him again at the gym!

This reminded me of my struggles establishing a habit, and the rewards that I’ve come to enjoy as the habit becomes a ritual. Habits can be hard to establish as your ritual, something that is ingrained in what you do and doesn’t seem to take as much effort as it did at first. I think the most difficult part for me was the inevitable setbacks and failures along the way. In the distant past, one setback or failed day would cause me enough grief to give up on myself. I wasn’t prepared to expect complications in my daily routine, and even if the circumstance was beyond my control I would wear the failure like a sign around my neck and stop trying. The first 3 or 4 weeks of establishing a habit are particularly difficult for me, and it takes a great deal of energy and reminding in order to execute. I have to be especially kind to myself and forgiving when I forget or if I knowingly fail.

I think the most trans-formative habit that I’ve established in the past 3 years has been to take up running, and it seemed to be relatively easy to establish because I had a plan. I had a structured set of milestones and metrics to measure my progress for 9 weeks. There was a sense of excitement for me as I reached each milestone, it was something completely new to me, and I came into the venture thinking that all I had to commit was 9 weeks and if it didn’t work out then I wouldn’t consider it a failure.. it would have been something that just wasn’t for me. My plan was the Couch to 5K program.. a 9 week routine, that by the end of it, took me 12 weeks to complete. By week 3 or 4 it was already fun and something that I looked forward to doing. My weight was dropping off, it was easier for me to continue eating healthy foods, and I learned that running could be something that I enjoy. By week 6 or 7 I ran my first 5k race which benefited the “Girls on the Run” non-profit. I was already hooked and the thought of “failure” was absent from my mind.

I had setbacks along the way, but instead focused on adjusting my schedule and getting my next run as soon as possible. As it turns out, running gives me time to clear my head, and it’s meditative in a way that I wasn’t really expecting. When I am full of energy, and my mind and body feel good, it’s easier to establish and maintain other habits as well. I’m far from perfect, and that’s perfectly okay; but when I make time to get out in the forest, on the street, or even the treadmill for a run I know I’m going to come away from it feeling alive and vibrant. Life is good!

Sickness

Mon, 26 Nov 2012 07:21:04 -0800

Sick people suck. I’m not sure where I got this from, but it seriously hammered me yesterday morning. Standing at the Subway counter getting some breakfast sandwiches, I all of the sudden felt nauseous and a little dizzy..

I spent most of the day sweating, rolling uncomfortably on the couch, and body feeling like it was hit by a truck. Saltines and Diet 7Up was the basic diet yesterday.. I did manage some oranges and Emergen-C later in the evening though..

My body is still feeling wrecked but at least I’m not dizzy or feeling like I could puke.. what the heck was that all about. ugh.

140.6 miles, becoming an Ironman.

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 18:11:00 -0800

I am an Ironman. On 11/18 I spent 13:26:52 swimming, biking, and running in circles in Tempe, AZ!

Pre-race

Almost two months ago I overdid some weight training and it left me with some issues in my right glutes, hamstrings, and finally the calf. The glute and hamstring felt like they recovered very quickly, but the soleus kept bothering me enough to know that it wasn’t 100%. I had managed to adjust my training plan and continue to hit my goals for the bike and swim but my running was cut back severely. During the days leading up to the race I had been feeling like my body was rested and strong, but in the back of my mind I didn’t have full confidence in my right calf. By about two weeks prior to race day, I had managed to build back up to a 10 mile run with no pain or delayed recovery. While I would have liked to have more mileage on my running legs by this point, I was really pleased with my overall fitness. I love to run. I have a good foundation of running under my belt, and so I had to trust that I could put together a 26.2 mile run when it mattered the most.

Wednesday, four days prior to the Ironman, I flew down to Arizona to acclimate to the weather and to give myself some time to check out the course and mentally prepare for the day ahead. I had a great time staying the first couple days with my family, Justyn and Liz and getting to meet their five month old son Cash.. what a happy and handsome little guy!

For a first timer Ironman, the coordination of getting prepared for the event is quite a task in itself! Along with planning a run and bike preview of the course, athlete registration, the practice swim, and the mandatory pre-race meeting means I was going to need to plan on being at the Ironman Village each day from Thursday until the race on Sunday. I shipped my bike to the race using the TriBike Transport service and I was really pleased with not having to pack, unpack, put together, and handle my bike through a flight to and from home. I think the $300 expense for transportation was well worth it, and I highly recommend them to anyone who is flying to their Ironman race location.

Thursday morning I make my way down to Tempe and breeze through the athlete registration signing a few liability waivers, verifying my information, getting my swim cap and bib number packet, backpack, timing chip, and out the back side of the tent I was officially in the race. Wow, that was painless! I spent a little time walking through the vendor booths in the village, checking out the official merchandise tent and making some purchases for memorabilia. Clothing is expensive, but its my first Ironman and a couple more benjamins on gear is well worth it!

As I walk around the transition area and down to the shoreline of the “lake”, the magnitude of Ironman is really sinking in.. I’ve not really let myself consider, or been in the right spot to fully appreciate, the challenge that lies ahead. Could I finish this thing? What if I cramp? What if my stomach fails me? What if this, what if that, do I belong here, have I been faking this the whole time? The truth of the matter is, I knew I could swim the distance, I knew I could bike the distance, and I’ve run marathons and further before.. but I’ve never done them all in the same day, with a clock ticking away. I have a lot of people pulling for me, I want to make my friends and family proud, I want to feel like I’ve given 100%, and most importantly I did not want to let my wife down.. Ironman Triathlon is a team sport, there are many sacrifices and compromises made along the way by both Wendie and I. Regardless of how hard I might try to “fit the training in”, it has affected us both and we’ve both grown and changed for the better over the past year. I found a shaded spot in the grass along side the swim start, and tears are running down my face as I try to breath deeply and relax.. I’ve held this in my body for too long, I’ve told myself that I trust in my training and mental toughness to get it done on the day it matters the most, but I can’t keep this inside any longer and I need to be relaxed on race day. A matter of moments later, Wendie calls my cell, she knew where I was at.. I couldn’t really talk at first and just tried to breath deeply and let the tension go. We chatted a little bit as Wen reminded me of my training and the races that have led up to this, I can and will finish this strong. Wow, that is exactly the call I needed and just the right time.. and I can’t tell you how relieved I was afterwards. I felt a load was lifted off of my shoulders and my confidence was renewed! I stopped wondering about the “what ifs” and starting thinking about what fun I could be having in this experience and troubleshooting along the way with whatever my body does.

Swim 2.4 Miles (1:39:35)

The night before IMAZ I slept really well, only having tossed and turned once that had me awake for about 30 minutes in the middle of the night. I woke up 15 minutes before my alarm, and felt as fresh as I do any other morning with my typical 6-7 hours of sleep. My swim gear was packed and ready, and so my plan was to eat some granola, take a hot shower, and relax while my Team Gum support crew readied themselves. I spent a little time laying on the bed breathing deep and easy while listening to a few songs that I would keep with me throughout the day. As I’m breathing I can feel tension release throughout my body, and there are no butterflies or nervous muscle twitches.. this is going to be an awesome day.

Race day in Ironman Village is the calm before the storm. Athletes are fidgeting, checking their bikes, chatting with each other, and lubing their body as they force themselves into the wetsuit. Everyone I chatted with was friendly, but you can see the seriousness and intensity in their eyes and they no doubt saw that in me. My special needs gear bags are dropped along with some final well wishes, hugs and kisses from Wen, Kari, and my mom. With about 15 minutes to the start of the race I was standing in the midst of about two thousand people who are all headed toward the water to jump in. At about 6:57am I find my spot and jump into the water, and as I return to the surface I feel a sense of peace and calm in my body and mind. The water is a little chilly, I’d guess about 60f, but its plenty warmer than I’ve swam in twice during the past 3 weeks. I swim my way to my starting spot and tread water as I listen to be breath and feel the water in my suit warm up to my body temperature. I’m wearing ear plugs on the swim, but I can hear Mike Reilly on the sound system pumping up the crowd and the athletes as the start approaches.

KA-BOOM. The cannon goes off, it’s time to get to work. I’m positioned just behind the middle of the pack and toward the outside edge so as to avoid the washing machine effect of the mass swim start. The first 500 yards of swimming I do very easily as I’m scoping out the spectators along the bank.. I bump into a few swimmers and a few bump into me, but the contact was never very serious. I’m not a strong swimmer, but I started a little too far back because I find that I’m regularly spotting my line on the course as well as how to pass the athletes ahead of me. The swim at IMAZ is a single loop in Tempe Town lake, which is basically a concrete canal that has an inflatable dam to contain the water in this area.. The water isn’t the cleanest, but it turned out to be not as bad as I thought. As I approach the turn around buoy, the crowd of swimmers condense and we get some more contact.. I’m pretty sure I kicked someone in the face as they swam up over my leg, but it was a very gentle kick.. I promise. The group seems to spread out again as we are heading back toward the swim exit. At about 1.75 miles I start to feel like my legs are just ever so slightly twinging and I need to keep my feet flexed just right to keep them from cramping every so often. By just about mile 2, flexing my feet doesn’t work as the outside of my ankles and my shin muscles start to cramp.. this is the moment I was most concerned about, how in the heck do you release cramps in the middle of the water. At the pool I can stand up and the cramps release after a few moments, but this is a freakin’ lake. I swim over to a support kayak and grab hold of the nose and let my legs relax and float down toward the opposite end of the kayak. The volunteer tells me that if I need to exit the water I will be disqualified and that he cannot help me but wishes he could. He suggested I try to rub the cramps but bending my leg only causes them to tighten.. yay, this is going to be fun. I won’t lie, there was a moment that I had the thought that this could be the end of my day. As fast as it entered my mind, I just let it go.. I told myself that I have plenty of time to wait this cramp out..but I would not be leaving the water unless it was with the other athletes at the swim exit or if the time ran out. After about 30 seconds or so my right leg relaxes and I feel the cramps release.. It took another minute or more for the left leg to release, and that feeling was so wonderful. I kept repeating to myself to swim with my arms and keep moving forward. At the water exit, volunteers grab your hand and help pull you up onto the stairs while asking if you’re alright and need any help while they unzip the back of your suit. I’m directed toward the wet suit strippers and helped down to lay on the ground.. a moment later, my suit is peeled off in one ridiculously quick pull.

I jog my way from the swim exit to the changing tent.. I’m in jammer swim trunks, so basically I’m about 90% naked running a couple hundred yards through a mass of spectators cheering. This is just surreal. I grab my bike gear bag and enter the mens changing tent which is quite warm and humid and packed with athletes changing into their biking clothes. It took me a little longer than I expected to get all of my gear on and to get properly lubed, but I wanted to make sure I wasn’t forgetting anything that would make the bike ride unnecessarily uncomfortable.. if you’ve ridden a bike for several hours at a time, you know what I mean.

Bike 112 Miles (6:18:09)

The bike course in Ironman Arizona makes its way from the Ironman Village transition area out to the Beeline Highway as it zig zags its way through Tempe. The course has a very gradual incline, climbing around 350ft, out the Beeline Highway for about 12 miles to the turnaround point. There are two noticable climbs separated by a short flatish area at the tail end of the route, and this is typically where you also get to fight the wind one way or another if there is any.

Lap 1 : I grab my bike from the transition zone and make my way about a hundred yards to the race course to mount my bike. About a quarter mile down the road, I hear Wendie yell out along with cheering from Team Gum, my support crew of friends and family who have come out to cheer me on and watch Ironman all day. On course today, Team Gum consists of my wife Wendie, our cousins Justyn and Liz, my mom, and our friends Kari, Mike, and Denise. I flash a smile and a “woooohooo” as I get down to business and make my way out of Tempe to the Beeline Highway. I’m immediately reminded of my buddy Joe V., and the long distance cycling secret weapon I’ve got stored onboard, as I snack on half a Snickers bar for some quick and easy calories. The wind seems fairly calm at first but definitely picks up on the highway.. climbing into the wind, oh that’s fun! I’m feeling like I’m working my legs a little more than I’d like, but I know that the way back to Tempe should be very fast and much easier, and so I continue to pedal into the wind. Before long I find the turn around point, and with the wind at my back I gear down and enjoy a few miles of more than 25mph downhill with a tailwind and I’ve been passing athletes along the way.

Lap 2 : On my way out for lap 2, I stop for a minute to chat with Team Gum and let everyone know how the morning has been going. I felt like I went too hard on the first lap, I had lost a couple of minutes to cramps in the swim, but I feel good and my spirits are high. Two more laps to go and I’ll be ready to run a marathon! I’ve been taking water, two electrolyte “Succeed” tablets, Heed, and a gel product called EFS to the tune of about 40 oz of water per hour, and 700 calories to keep my energy stores topped up. My stomach seems to be doing fine with it and I’m sweating about as much as I would expect. My heart rate is low, but the wind gusts every now and then causing me to work a little harder than I had hoped. In the grand scheme of things, the day is going very well for me and as the saying goes, I’m “making hay while the sun is shining”. The climb up Beeline Highway seems easier, my average pace is sitting at about 17 mph, and I make it up the turn around passing quite a few people. As I turn around, it seemed like maybe the wind had changed.. the return back to town and downhill seems a little harder than the first lap! In any case, I make my stop around mile 70 to the “Bike Special Needs” to refuel with Heed and finish off the other half of my Snickers. My body is feeling great and I’m working at probably about 75% of my max effort. As I make my way back to town, I look down and see that this lap took me right around 2 hours.. a good 15 to 20 minutes faster than lap 1! Sitting up in the saddle, I’m totally stoked and yelling “I’m doing an Ironman!!” as I pass by Team Gum to finish off lap 2.

Lap 3 : At the beginning of lap 3, I make another stop for a minute to chat with Team Gum and everyone was real positive and encouraging me to keep up the pace! I’m starting to feel the effects of the first two laps and wasn’t sure if I had another two hour lap in my legs. My food and drink was going down well, the wind was variable but definitely causing me to keep working hard. The mental aspect of being on the final lap was palpable, I knew the course very well by this point and could push harder in some stretches knowing that I would have an easier recovery stretch of road ahead. As I was leaving town, maybe two or three miles down the road from my support crew, my hip adductors on both legs started to twinge and cramp. I stood evenly on my pedals and stretched for a moment to release the cramps, only to find them return when I sat back on the saddle. This continued for a couple of minutes as I slowed my pace a little bit.. The final time I sat on my saddle and the cramps did not return, as silly as it seems, I made a deal with my legs. If they would stop trying to cramp, I would give them a full week off without any serious workouts after we finished this thing. My spirit was soaring as I passed mile 80, 90, 100, and make my way into town for the final time. I look down at my Garmin and see that my third lap is even a couple minutes faster than my second! Cowbells, and cheering is all I hear as I cruise by my team heading toward the bike dismount. All I have to do now is run a marathon!

Run 26.2 Miles (4:59:17)

The run course in Ironman Arizona makes its way from the Ironman Village transition area along the banks of Tempe Town lake, crossing bridges back and forth in figure 8. This run course is not flat, there are a surprising number of short hills involved with climbing up to each bridge, as well as a couple of hills on east side of Tempe Town lake.. Although each of the hills are fairly short, they feel progressively more difficult with each of the three laps.

As I enter the changing tent, the first thing I notice is an athelete motionless and staring like a zombie into the distant canvas wall. This guy was not in a good place, that part was immediately clear. As I empty my gear bag onto the ground and begin to change I strike up a conversation with the man. “How are you doing man?” is met with a short and low, “Not so good, I’m feeling really nausious.” I continue to change into my running gear and this guy still hasn’t really budged as he’s waved off a volunteer offering food. I mention that he needs to get some salt into his body, and that he needs to keep moving and he’ll start to feel better.. but the look in his eyes seems empty and worried. He tells me he’s been sitting in the changing tent for 10 minutes and his stomach feels bad, as he waves off another volunteer offering help. As I’m finished changing and collecting my gear, I look him in the eyes and tell him that he needs to eat some food, he needs to get salt in his body, and that he should get up and get moving to feel better before his legs start to give him problems… he nods, looks back toward the opposite end of the tent, and I’m on my way. I have to run my own race, but you can’t help but try and lift someone up in that situation just as I’m sure he would for me. I pass by the volunteers who slather me with sunscreen, and I start to run my marathon.

Lap 1 : My legs feel strange. The bike to run transition is a sensation that is hard to explain.. its as if I can’t really feel my legs, yet they are also made out of jelly. Knowing that this will pass after 10 or 15 minutes I set out on a comfortable pace of about 9:30/mi. The first mile ticks by as spectators are hooting and hollering words of encouragement to me and the other athletes making our way through a marathon. By the second mile, I’m starting to climb up and over the first bridge as my hip adductors lock up to remind me that they are still right there.. I walk, and then I stop for a moment as I stretch my legs and recall the deal I struck up almost two hours ago. I remind myself to relax and enjoy the day, I’ve got more than enough time to finish the Ironman even if I had to walk the marathon. My adductors release, and I’m back to running.. A few minutes pass as I hear that recognizable southern drawl, “Hey, Josh I found you”. Looking to my side I see a smile on the face of the athlete I met in the changing tent! “My name is James, but my mom calls me Jimmy when she’s upset with me. I’m feeling a lot better but my stomach is still upset.” This just seems too surreal, and I tell James that I’m so glad to see him. We chat a little bit and share some stories as the next 5 or 6 miles pass by. At each aid station, I slow to a walk and take in sports drink, water, and wet sponges to cool my body. The temperature seems to be at its peak in the upper 70’s and I’m sweating quite a bit. Between each aid station on the first lap I run as fast as I can without causing my legs to twinge or cramp, and I walk through each aid station. I’m paying close attention to staying in a relaxed running posture and taking note of where the hills are at. I tell James to keep moving and that he’s going to finish this Ironman as I stop for a moment to say hi to Wendie and rest of the team. I’m keeping a smile on my face and moving forward as best I can, but I tell them that my legs aren’t cooperating as I would have liked. I’m encouraged to keep being strong as I tell Wendie I love her and I start trotting down the path.

Lap 2 : I knew the second lap was going to be as much of a mental drain as it would be physical. I continue to take my EFS gel, eat Succeed capsules, and take sports drink and water as I walk through each of the aid stations. The hills are feeling steeper, but I continue to run every one of them. The sun is setting, and I’m ready to change into a dry shirt and get rid of my sunglasses. At the “Run Special Needs” location I eat a half of a Snickers bar, change into my “Team Gum” technical shirt, ditch my sunglasses, and continue along my way. The course is lined with spectators with all kinds of funny signage, the race volunteers are attentive to whatever you need.. there is water, sponges, cola, pretzels, oranges, chicken broth, sports drink, and Gu brand snacks. Midway through the second lap, I start to take sports drink and two colas instead of water.. The taste of cola is magical at this point, it tastes like the nectar of the gods. I’ve avoided drinking it too early in the day, but my body is feeling spent and I’m ready to take whatever help I can get to keep it running toward the finish line. Slowing to a walk at each aid station is as painful as it is to start running at the end of the aid station.. running up the hills is a tightrope act of shortening my stride so as to keep my hip adductors from twinging, yet I maintain the pace I started with a couple of hours ago. I approach Team Gum as my buddy Mike jogs alongside me for a moment, “This feels so filthy, Mike.” is met with a poignant, “It’s supposed to feel filthy, that’s why you’re doing it.”.. That’s Mike for you, he’s a solid dude and simply knew what needed to be said. At first I glanced at him with a bit of despair and just let it pass, “Thanks so much for being out here Mike, I really appreciate it.” as I continue to run. My attitude is positive but I’m becoming less chatty as my body is feeling wrecked, and I’m looking the part no doubt.. Team Gum roots me on and tells me to keep it up! The energy and uplifting I get from all of my friends and family every time I pass by is totally awesome and I always feel better as I pull away from them. As I’m passing by, Wendie tells me I look great, to keep it up, and the next time she’s going to see me is in the finishing chute! One more lap to go!

Lap 3 : I catch up with James again, and he seems to be doing fine, his posture seems relaxed and he’s plugging away at the miles. He’s told me earlier in the run that he DNF’d Ironman Arizona in 2008 and he was here to settle the score. I ask how he’s feeling now and he tells me that his nausea is coming and going but he’s feeling confident about finishing this race. It’s cool to meet people in this sort of circumstance, you know what they are going through and there is a genuine shared hope for the best for each other. At the end of the first aid station on this lap I start to run and I look back to see James is still walking, I have no doubt he’s going to be a finisher today but I’ve got to focus on doing so myself. (As it turns out, James M. finished in 14:40 to settle his score with IMAZ!) My legs are heavy and my body is in pain.. my attitude is good, but I feel mentally fatigued as well. I’m focusing on running from one aid station to the next, drinking sports drink and two colas, and repeating this as the miles tick by. By mile 20 I feel a boost knowing that I’ve got 10k left.. and so with each passing aid station and each mile I keep moving forward. While I run, I’m passing a lot of people who are walking.. every so often I hear another athlete wish me good luck and that I’m looking good. Soon enough I’m going to become an Ironman. The closer to the finishing line I get, the more spectators are lining the path partying and cheering on athletes. I smell barbeque and watch people dance in crazy costumes to techno music as I pass by. The energy is wild, and it totally distracts me from the deep pain and discomfort I’m feeling.. my quads are trashed, pads of my feet are sore, and yet my hip adductors feel fine. These last few minutes of the Ironman are totally surreal as I round the final corner and I’m told I have 200 yards to go.. I’m looking for the Green on Black “Team Gum” shirts, but I don’t see them. 100 yards to go, the music is loud and the cheering is insanity. 50 yards to go. There’s my wife Wendie, I see my group of “Team Gum” and time seems to slip by ever so slowly. I give a high five to Wendie as I pass by, and a step from the finish line I can’t help but let loose a roar with all of the energy bottled inside. I don’t feel like I have anything left to give today.. there are no tears, just a sense of relief, pride, happiness, and shock. The finishers zone of Ironman is ridiculous. Every athlete is held steady by a volunteer as they get thier medals, finishers shirt and hat, and a picture. In the distance I see athletes stretching and celebrating with thier family, athletes are laying on massage tables and in the medical tent with IV’s connected. Everyone is congratulating eachother as we make our way through a line to get food.. a slice of cheese pizza looks good and is plenty for me right now. It’s time to join my wife, friends, and family for some pictures and to chat a little bit about the day. On this day, despite my frayed mind and sore body, I am an Ironman.

Special Thanks

I could write a list of people the length of my arm along with how they have motivated, inspired, or supported me along the way.. I am truly blessed to have such awesome friends and family to share this experience with! Throughout the day of the Ironman I had dozens of people checking on on Facebook, Twitter, and texting with Wendie and the rest of Team Gum down in Arizona.. I thought a lot about all of the energy and well wishing that was heading my way throughout the day, from all of you, and it absolutely was a force that helped me to keep moving forward and to focus on the finish line. Of the many folks that have contributed in one way or another to making my first Ironman such a success, I owe a debt of gratitude (and much more);

Kari, you’ve quickly become a part of the family and we’ve had a lot of great memories ranging all the way from my first marathon, your and Wendie’s first marathon, my first ultra and now Ironman. Wen and I love you and are lucky to have you in our lives!

Joe Y., you’re responsible for making Ironman a possibility in my mind, and that started at the Albany Tri for Life as a Relay team! You inspired me to give Ironman a try, somehow making the concept seem possible to a guy who didn’t know how to really swim freestyle a year ago.. and you’ve been involved throughout! I appreciate the gear, the encouragement, and just being someone that I can bounce questions off of for the past year! We’re looking forward to hanging out with you and the rest of Team Yenchik at Ironman Coeur D’Alene in June.. it’s going to be off the hook!

Joe V., sir, I can’t thank you enough for the training rides and those chilly open water swims.. I’d be remiss to not mention your lovely wife Lisa as well, as you’ve adjusted your own schedule and coordinated plans such that we could train together on some of the most time consuming and grueling distances. Peach of a Century with you and Kathy.. oh man, that was quite an introduction to the Century distance riding, and although those dang “rolling hills” seemed endless, it was a lot of fun! The Snickers on the bike is truly epic! :) I’m looking forward to trying to keep up with you on the bike and in the water as we train for IMCDA in June! I have no doubt at all that you’re going to crush your first Ironman, and I gotta say.. all of the training and the long day of the event is well worth the time and effort (and that is a huge understatement!)

Amy K., this past year was transformative both physically and mentally having you push me to give 100% in Bootcamp and the many Saturday STAR Fitness sessions. Your energy and attitude is every bit as infectious as your workouts are! I’ve literately never been as physically fit as I am now, and I know for sure that I never get as good of a workout as I do when I’m in your classes. I’m a real lucky guy to have gotten hooked on your classes through Wendie.. Wen and I have met a LOT of very cool people through Bootcamp and continue to enjoy those friendships both inside and out of class! Its a surprise to me that I really came to enjoy kickboxing as much as I do.. even though my rhythm is sketchy at times. :) Wen and I look forward to many more sweat soaked gym towels and aching muscles before even the sun comes up! Cheers to you and your family!!

And most of all;

Wendie, I could write a book.. but the truth of the matter is that there would be no ending because we are still writing new chapters. We both know where it started and how its been progressing through the past 12 years! We continue to grow together and learn from each other, and I am forever indebted to you for your love, support, inspiration, patience, understanding, and for being the best wife and friend a person could have! You’ve been by my side during the ups and the downs, you’ve been my rock when I was in the most need and you never gave up on me when I was going through the most painful and trying times! We make a killer team, honey! Who would have thought, so long ago, that we would be where we are at right now.. it’s a journey that I am having the most fun and success with because I have you by my side! Ironman is just the most recent example but it sure has tested us both, and I can’t thank you enough for making it all possible, its been an experience that is truly priceless! I love you so much! XOXOX

Its more of a training "guide" than a "schedule"..

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 12:14:29 -0700

.. ya, so I was reflecting on my Ironman training “schedule” when it occurred to me that its really become more of a guide than anything. A couple weeks back I went retardedly overboard into beast-mode in a weight lifting sesh, followed that by a run, and spent the following 3 days feeling like my legs took on a massive attack.

One thing led to another and I calf cramped..

At first my glute and hamstring (right side, if you’re wondering) were fairly beaten up.. got that sorted out after a few days. And now I’ve got an achilles that was over-cooked (again, right side) that is jjuuussssttt about sorted out as well.

So back to my epiphany.. I had this overly detailed schedule that had some 15 to 20 mile runs mixed in with bikes and swims. I’ve done well with hitting my bike goals having done two 100 milers and feeling confident on how to pace them. I’ve swum (swam, swimmed, swi219421ed?) 2.4 miles a couple times, done some open water (most recently in damn cold water) and generally stick to 1.2 mile swims a couple times a week.

The running.. not as much as I would have liked.

Ironman Arizona is, what, 24 days away.. there is no time for me to build up to a 20 mile run. I’ll be lucky to build up to 10 or maybe a 13.1.. but you know what, none of that really matters.

What matters is that I respect my body and give it what it needs to heal, so if that means I don’t get to run a whole bunch or need to take a few extra recovery days every so often. So be it. I feel like I’m mentally and physically dialed for Ironman.. I love to run and I’m not afraid of “going there” when I need to.. so I’ll save that for 11/18.

Kona Tomorrow!

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 08:39:25 -0700

YAY! My (not real) money is on Crowie and Rinny!

http://kona.ironman.com/

40 days

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 10:11:52 -0700

Forty days until Ironman Arizona! For the past two weeks I’ve been training through a sore calf, hamstring, and glute.. I’ve taken some extra rest days and cut back the intensity of my training to allow for recovery. I had my final 100 mile bike yesterday and felt like I was 100% throughout.. I woke up this morning and swam 2000 yards with no issues feeling great. I’m going to ease back into the running this week and see if I can’t build up to a solid effort 10 - 15 mile run over the next three weeks while maintaining my bike and swim fitness. It just seems unreal that IMAZ is so close.. it’s gonna be fun!

Step Out Diabetes

Wed, 19 Sep 2012 08:48:33 -0700

Step Out Diabetes:

Help me raise money for the awareness and research of diabetes! My wife and I are walking 6 miles in support of this fund raiser and every dollar you have to spare to this cause is a great help!

Sharpening the spear

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 07:19:00 -0700

Back in February I started to get serious about building up my triathlon fitness. I had a couple sprint’s and a half-iron distance sprinkled in between some half marathons and a couple full marathons (in which I PR’d a 3:58). The schedule, as I saw it, was just about the right mix and intensity to keep me interested and driving toward the goal of a full Ironman in November.

Building a base of fitness on the bicycle and in the pool has been somewhat challenging for me. I love to run, and I’d almost always rather just go pound out miles in the forest, on the pavement, around a track, or on the treadmill. I’ve slowly become more comfortable on the bike and in the pool, and I’m starting to really enjoy these two sports for the variety and challenge they pose.

Base building is necessary to build up both the body and mind for when the intensity is on the rise. On the other hand, more often than not I was left wondering, “what more can I get out myself if I was to push a little harder or a little further”. I have to reel myself in at times.. I do not want to find myself on the sideline with an injury because I’ve went too far over that imaginary line.

..and now comes the time when I’m sharpening the spear. For the past month I’ve been mixing in intervals, longer tempo runs, or just pushing my heart rate higher. I’ve got 68 days until Ironman Arizona, when I get to put myself to the test. I’m fully confident I can finish 140.6 miles of triathlon, but I’m also interested in exploring my own mental and physical limits in the process.

As I sit here taking a rest day, I’m reminding myself that recovery and tending to the aches and pains are every bit as important as intervals… and so I can continue to sharpen the spear. :)

Hello there, I'm not dead yet!

Wed, 29 Aug 2012 14:38:30 -0700

No, actually I’m not dead… I’m 81 days away from my first Ironman, and I’m training.. on the regular.

Find me on the Facebook, Runkeeper, my geek-project blog, or whatev.

runningwithguts: I realize you may be kidding because you’re...

Tue, 24 Jan 2012 02:08:10 -0800

runningwithguts:

I realize you may be kidding because you’re referring to a dream, but I must point out that I am not by any means naturally athletic. You can call me an athlete if you wish (weird), but it has definitely not come to me naturally.

I am terrible at organized sports, I’m a slow and uncoordinated runner, and I’m relatively weak. I’m not trying to be negative or self-deprecating, but it’s for the most part true. I realize we all have our moments, but I’ll likely never be the girl that can place in her age group at races, the MVP of any team, or particularly good at lifting or CrossFit (at least by “normal” standards). I don’t build muscle quickly, and my strength is slow to improve. My average running pace has gotten faster, but only by about a minute or so over the past year.

While I am incredibly happy with where the past year has brought me (I RAN A MARATHON), the rate of my improvements may be enough to discourage some people. Having put in so much time and effort into training, I could see how it may be frustrating not to see tangible and quantitative improvements all the time, but that’s okay with me. Mostly because I’m incredibly stubborn. And I’m pretty sure you’re mistaking my stubbornness for natural athleticism.

What I lack in natural ability, I make up for with my mental toughness (read: STUBBORN*) and high pain tolerance. I just don’t really believe in stopping. This transfers incredibly well for distance running and CrossFitting, where you just don’t stop until you’re done. I don’t care how long it takes me, all I really care about is finishing what I started.

What’s the point of racing to be a bad ass anyway.. enjoy the journey! I won’t be in the lead pack, but a vast majority of people won’t work as hard as I do.

Re-programming the body: 1st Half Marathon in the books

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 19:43:16 -0800

Re-programming the body: 1st Half Marathon in the books:

halejr23:

So, what did I learn? You can train but you will still be shocked! Why? Well, thats easy. If you are the normal runner you always want to go faster. That catches up to you in the last 3-4 miles. I TRIED to keep a steady slow pace for the first 8-9 miles but failed.
BUT! I kept plugging away and…

Fun times in AZ!

"In your hopelessness is the only hope, and in your desirelessness is your only fulfillment, and in..."

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:40:06 -0800

“In your hopelessness is the only hope, and in your desirelessness is your only fulfillment, and in your tremendous helplessness suddenly the whole existence starts helping you.”

- Osho (Let go of what’s holding you back!)

Sometimes you need to ignore yourself!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 08:50:15 -0800

I’ve recently been re-inspired to post something about healthy weight loss.. and how it relates to mental wellness. I’m going to be brief, and I hope you might consider reblogging with your own thoughts!

I believe that a majority of the problems with obesity start in the cavity directly between your ears. The brain is a tricky thing, and has been tuned over many thousands of years of evolution to be the most complex and powerful part of the body. Sometimes you need to ignore it to reach your goals. Regarding weight loss, with a bit of practice you might find that you can get better control with a fairly simple hack.

Every single time you start to put something in your mouth, food or drink, take a few moments to ask yourself;

- Is my stomach grumbling?

- Am I stressed out?

- Do I feel sluggish, maybe its been too long since I’ve last eaten?

- Is there a more healthy alternative?

Be honest with the answers to these questions, and then eat or drink what you were about to. I think that over time you will answer these questions before you have a food or drink in your hand, and the answers to these questions will guide you to making healthier decisions.

DIY: Fix any aspect of your life.

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 07:20:12 -0800

DIY: Fix any aspect of your life.:

Quite possibly the most comprehensive list on how to fix any aspect of your life you choose. Forget new years resolutions, just read this list every other day.

Still alive and kicking {ass}

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 07:11:31 -0800

Been a little while since I added anything to my blog here.. It’s the time of the year when, historically, I would be overeating and drinking and then waking up the following morning and feeling bad for it.. only to do the same thing a couple days later. Thank god that cycle has been stopped, for good. Wendie and I were reflecting on just this in the car yesterday.. We enjoyed an impromptu party at the neighbors house on Saturday night wherein plenty of sugar and alcohol was consumed. Sunday morning, instead of giving it an iota of self loathing we killed our workout session. Wen started with about 40 minutes on the stair EFX machine while our good friend Kari, and I ran a 5k. Kari had decided that she wanted to set a new PR on the 5k distance as a birthday present to herself, and asked me to join.. and so I did.. and she shaved over 4 minutes from her previous 5k time with a new 27:32 (sub-9/mi!). After a little cool down, we zoomed back to the gym and joined Wen for an hour of circuit training which left us all grunting and sore on the gym floor! There were far too many exercises to list, it was a lot of fun.

What else, you say? Boot camp.

The past 2 weeks have been a lot of fun with me joining Wen and the “Bikini Bootcamp” group led by Amy Krahn in Corvallis. We meet for an hour and get some absolutely killer workouts.. I didn’t realize how under developed my upper body and core muscles were until I started bootcamp. Sheesh! I’m having a blast with it and already signed up for the 4 days a week bootcamp in January. I’m starting to notice some ab definition peeking out from behind the belly fat/loose skin that still remains.. I feel myself becoming a stronger runner, and I’m pushing myself beyond my limits in a way that I haven’t ever before.

2011 has been a fantastic year for me, building on the success of 2010 and sealing the deal on a re-invention of my self-concept. Its taken a lot of will power and hard work, no doubt, but I’m finding that it can be a whole lot of fun too.. so there is a purpose to the pain, and it feels good making progress. I’m looking forward to 2012, I’ve got plenty of plans set in motion and I can see a whole lot of sweat in my future. :)

May 2012 be a year for you to re-invent and refine an aspect of your life, I’m positive that you won’t regret it. Don’t wait for January 1, get started right now. Happy Holidays!

You. Are. Welcome.

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 13:30:35 -0800

You. Are. Welcome.