Put on Your Scary Face

We liked the scary face so much we decided to reprise this photo with Gerri.

Today heard from Carol Craige and Buddy Hammerman who have both done TNT events in the past. Thanks guys.
Also Deb gave me a squirt gun to use in the swim but I think it is illegal.

So we are off to St. Anthony's. Time to put on a scary race face. I am going to be real interested to see what I can do. This is the first time in my life I have ever gone into an athletic event with a real sense that I should push myself. It won't be fast but I want to see how far I have come.

Goofy Face

At our Team send off last night Joshua's mother (Joshua is our honored patient in his second year of treatment for Leukemia) wrote a nice message to us and had a few pictures of Joshua. One of the pictures had Joshua doing a "Scary face" and showing his teeth, or chicklets as I refer to them. So tonight, the two knuckleheads and myself decided to recreate this masterpiece. Our plan is to send a copy to Joshua.

No training today as I pack for the race. Helmet--check, shoes----check, Bodyglide (don't ask)---check--lose the CO2 cannister thought (30,000 dollar TSA fine----Have the terrorists finally won?)

Going over race strategy tonight. I am hoping to improve my position from 5th to last all the way up to 10th to last. By my account a 100% imporvement.

Try Harder

Just finished the last serious practice before St. Anthonyt's this Sunday. But more about that later.

Tonight I met our honored patient, Joshua. Each Team in Training Team has a patient that we race in honor of. Joshua is about five years old and is currently getting 2-3 YEARS of chemo for Leukemia. He just came off a round of Chemo. So we had a good time riding a bikes inside the store. By the way, he is a total scream. Perspective.

We were at the bike store and meeting Joshua in order to have our last team meeting before the race. We also had to pack up our bikes for shipping. To ship a bike you take the pedals off and place the bike on a truck. The pedals you carry with you. OK, so what is TSA going to do with 15 people carrying helmets, cleats and bike pedals--trying to board US Air to Florida?

Today is the aniversary of Lisa's transplant. Better this year than last. When you get a transplant the infusion makes the patient smell like creamed corn. So no corn for dinner today.

Yesterday I had a difficult workout set. I went out to do it and got stopped short. I think my very rare asthma kicked up a little. Went back at it tonight and was able to get in an 1:10 interval run and 1:00 swim. Now it is time to to pull back and get ready to race.

I am the only guy on the Team in Training team. A major topic tonight was whether the other members were or were not going to pee in their wetsuits during the swim. OK so I don't need to think about that one too much.

French Toast and Wessels, Oh My!

RACE WEEK

A couple of points:

1)Gwen had a fundraiser this weekend. French toast galore. A big hit. I stopped by late because I was working but I understand my children created mass confusion.

2)Jason Wessel is planning to run all through the night with a few of his friends. A big fundraiser for cancer. More to come. But I understand Wessel's are the only people to read this blog.

3)Worked this weekend but still got in my training. Most of which occurred around midnight

Friday--1.5 mile swim and 20 min run
Sat---1:20 bike on the trainer
Sun---90 min bike and 30 min run.

Will try to post race specific info this week. St. Anthony's on Sunday.

I would like to announce my new race team (pictured above). I have been very unhappy with my slow times recently. So I have sought out the very best in aerobic, endurance coaching. This quartet will be guiding all the way to the Bejing Olympics (or at least to the next order of Chinese food).
If I fail at my mission I know they will call me "Poopy Face" and "Goofy". What more motivation do I need?

Now that's bad

Three reasons to ride an indoor bike trainer:
1)Weather bad outside
2)Time effeciency
3)Safety

So the other night, I had plenty of free time and the temp was 70 with clear skies. Perfect for a trainer ride---at least I will be safe.

About an hour and a half into a two and a half hour ride, things go awry. I get up out of the saddle and over goes the bike with me clipped in. Now there is nothing more pathetic than crashing on a STATIONARY bike. A few hematomas and scrapes but nothing severe.

Out to Wheeliefun--Stat. Fortunately just a wheel issue--Frame OK. Back up and running.

Proof

A little picture of Ginger and Chase (just to prove I really went to the Rabbit)

I have always dreamed of being with a Bunny

Today's plan was to compete in a sprint distance tri in Kentucky. I have been waiting all week to do this and it was supposed to set up my goals for St. Anthony's.

Obstacle #1

Forecast for severe, midwestern style thunderstorms. The kind that actually kill you.

Resolution

Storms clear and perfect day

Obstacle #2

Miscalculation on the timing of tri vis-a-vis our plan visit to the bunny.

Resolution

I skip the tri and go see the Bunny. Along with Ms. Ginger and baby Chase. Of course the short and the tall one also come along

Now what to do:

Sprint was to be 500m swim, 12 mile bike and 3.1 mile run

I dash to the pool and do 750 meters
Jump in the car and go to the bike trail to do 25 miles as punishment for missing the tri, followed by 6.2 miles on the run. The run seems uphill both ways even though that is tectonically impossible.

Now just have to ride 2.5 hours in the am before the Bunny arrives. Do you think the kids get my Barbi Benton references?

Whose the Athlete?

Today I did a swim warm up and a set of Total Immersion Drills. Then followed that with 500x 4 set.
But last night.....
So I was running on the indoor track with an old guy. Allright, two old guys were running on the indoor track. When you run on our indoor track there is a portion of the run that overlooks an indoor training field.
When we started a girl's field hockey team was finishing up practice---and we were running. Then the local arena football team came in for practice--Strolling along, wandering in. Practice starts with a couple of drills that were completely unorganized--and we were running.
Then they run a few laps at a snails pace and with zero focus---and we keep running.
Next they run a few plays with only half the team paying attention--and we keep running.
Finally they run the 50 yard field together and at the end applaud their team spirit---and we keep running.
Slowly they wander off the field and head home---and we keep running.
Now one group of athletes will play in an arena, get press coverage and maybe even do a dance in the end zone---and we will keep running.

What to Eat?

Getting ready for St. Anthony's means deciding what to eat. Triathlon racing is kind of like a rolling, catered buffet.
Let's compare:

Last year's race at Chicago:

Day before--Host 3 hour lunch at Spiaggia overlooking lake Michigan
Night Before--Out with Buddy and Renea to Anchor Bar for ribs and chicken
Morning of--Eat everything in site with the mistaken idea that I would consume some miracle fuel that would carry me along
During Race--stop at every aid station and drink gatorade and water really as an excuse to rest (This ruse fails when I sit down at an aid station and order a pizza)


This year at St. Anthony's

Day before--Pasta, low fat, no fiber, Carbs, Carbs , Water
Night before--Same--bed early
Morning of---Bagel, bannana, 24 oz gatorade, water
During Race--5 oz fluid every fifteen minutes, gatorade on bike and water on run
Night after race---Party at world famous Cha Cha Coconuts on the pier at St. Petersberg (Ok so the guide book says it is world famous)

Let's see

Enthusiasm

Right now I am watching the webcast start of Ironman Arizona. They seem to be starting the swim kind of fast for people who still have to swim 2.4 mile, bike 112 miles and run a marathon. But I hate to squelch the enthusiasm.

This weekend I ran hills with great difficulty and I struggled to get in a mile of swimming intervals. But I did get them in.

Anecdote Alert:

Last year, when my wife was in the bone marrow transplant unit, I was driving up to see her early one weekend morning. As I was heading up the hill I saw these little dots running up the hill . As I got closer I realized these were Team in Training runners out for their long run leading up to the Flying Pig Marathon. I started to cry because they were running for us.

This weekend I was headed in the same direction when I saw a huge mass of humanity running hills. 4 times the size of the group I saw last year. Purple and Green--the colors of Team in Training. I started to cry again (OK I was crying because I was on my way to my own intervals but that's not the point). Did I mention that my wife remains in remission one year after her transplant?

Did I mention that Enthusiasm is contagious?

Growing up

I have gotten better at bouncing back from obstacles. Case in point--today's training.
I originally took today off from work so i could get in some longer training. Last night a couple of things became apparent--and these things made my planned day impossible. A year ago that would have scrapped the whole deal. Today however I saw the landscape and got up at 4am to complete my three hour training before it was time for Pre-school (me driving today).
Training today include a 2 hour bike with various heart rate zones and a 1 hour run at low level.
Tomarrow Lisa wants me to lift weights with her, in an attempt to embarrass me to no end.

Squeeze it in

Got even closer. Closer to missing my workout. At the last second I steered the car towards the Sportsmall.
35 Minute High heart rate run
60 weight lifting

Day off on Monday

Made it

Today's workout
100 yrd swim
100 yrd kick
100 yard swim
100 yard kick
Drills for 500 yards
200 yards fast, repeat 8 times
25 yards super fast, repeat 12 times

This was one of those workouts that almost wasn't kind of workouts. I was working today (Wha--Whaa--Wha). Got home tired etc. Should I go or not? I could do the swim tomarrow. Basketball is on tonight. No dinner ready.
And then the pool calls me. Actually the fear of bonking on the swim at St. Anthony's---"come to the light".

And so I go. But I am on call, what do do with the cell phone and beeper? Voice: "put them in little baggies and place at the end of the pool".

I get there--remembered the cellphone but forgot the beeper. Well, "That's it--no workout tonight. I will have to go home and get my beeper". (Aspiring triathlete removes clothes from locker and heads for the door).

"Wait a minute. Is this what a serious athlete would do?"

The plan:

After each set use the cellphone to check my messages. No need for a beeper and the delay would be minimal--esp if I swim fast.

Moral:"Don't take candy from strangers. It is high in fat and the stranger may be trying to mess up your race strategy"