Team AthLeeT

week 4

2010-06-15T05:56:00.003-04:00

Got run 1 done, fairly easy. Run 2 not so much. I was able to do my warm up mile and did 1.25 mile at the set pace, but didn't finish my run. Then with a busy weekend, Run 3 didn't even get started. That should make Week 5 a tough week...

Run 1

10 minute warm up

2 x 400
1 x 800

10 minute cool down

Run 2

1 mile
1.5 mile @ ST
1 mile

Run 3

3.5 miles at MT

week 3

2010-06-08T05:39:00.004-04:00

1st run

10 minute warm up

4 x400

10 minute cool down

2nd run

1 mile warm up

1 mile @ 8:22

1 mile cool down

5 minutes of drills

called for 3.5 miles at 8:34

warmed up for .75 - ran 3 miles at 8:34 - walked for a few minutes, then .5 at 8:34 followed by 10 minute cool down. Probably finished around 4.5 miles

Vibram Five Fingers Bikila are on my feet as I type this

2010-06-04T19:07:00.000-04:00

Well I broke down and got a pair of Five Fingers today, they are not easy to track down. I have gone to several stores trying to find the ellusive size 42. I have tried on the 43 and it is too big, the 41 was way to small. I am not 100% confident that these 42s are just right. I have been wearing them around the house today and my big toe feels a bit cramped, the other toes are all good though. I think my big toe is size 43.

I am not schedule to run until Sunday, but I may push my run up to tomorrow morning to see how I like this. If they aren't good running shoes, I don't know what I am going to do with these things because they are UGLY.

week 2

2010-05-31T14:52:00.003-04:00

Same as the first, only adding an extra 400 on day 1

10 min warm up

3 x 400

10 min cool down

Done.

Day 2

1 mile warm up

1 mile ST

1 mile cool down

Done. Actually did 8:27 for .25 then 8:19 up to .90 then 8:27 for the final .10, we can't set our treadmill to 8:23. After the 3 miles, did an additional 5 minute cool down with form drills.

Day 3

3 miles at MT

Only managed 2 miles at 8:34, plus form drills and cool down, will do another mile with the kids tomorrow, possibly two

No new shoes for me...

2010-05-29T17:54:00.002-04:00

but Leland got himself a pair of Five Fingers and he is loving them. Tomorrows 3 miler will be their first test.

don't know how much "running" I will be doing now

2010-05-29T10:55:00.001-04:00

My buddy, Dave, at Fairway Golf Carts was nice enough to let the family test drive a new Tomberlin Emerge Classic. This thing is so much fun, instead of T and I running around the neighborhood, we are putting the kids on the back and driving around the neighborhood. We usually walk to the park, this morning I took the kids on the golf car to go play. The love riding in this thing around the neighborhood. Wish we could take it to get new running shoes this afternoon!

Speaking of running shoes, don't know if I am daring enough to try out those Vibram Five Fingers or not. Will update you on what I decide.

This weeks runs

2010-05-25T20:27:00.006-04:00

10 minute warm up

2 x 400 @ 1:51

10 minute cool down

Actually ran 3.2 miles in 35 minutes including 5 minutes of form drills after my 12 minute cool down. Workout was done on the treadmill.

1 mile warm up

1 mile ST @ 8:23 (was actually 8:19 due to settings)

1 mile warm up

Workout done Saturday AM on treadmill, plus 5 minute cool down.

3 miles at mid tempo 8:38

did 3 miles at 27:54

2010-05-22T08:18:00.002-04:00

Going to redo my paces based on my best 5K this year (25:09), instead of my 5K PR

#1

400 1:51 - 7:24
600 2:49
800 3:47 - 7:34
1000 4:46
1200 5:46
1600 7:50
2000 9:52

#2

Short 8:23
Mid 8:38
Long 8:53
Easy 9:58

#3

hmp 9:01
+20 9:21
+30 9:31

Let's see how this goes. 8)

well that sucked

2010-05-21T16:53:00.001-04:00

I will not be able to use those times for my program. Obviously, I am not in my top 5k shape or even close. Today was probably my first run since Vegas - 6 weeks ago.

3 miles, just under 30 minutes.

Week 18

2010-05-21T14:45:00.002-04:00

Wednesday

10 minute warm up

12 x 400 (1:48) 90 second rest

10 minute cooldown

Friday

2 miles easy 9:45

3 miles at short tempo 8:10

1 mile easy 9:45

Sunday

8 miles at HMP +20 9:07

I hate running

2010-05-21T14:43:00.000-04:00

OK, I hate doing anything that doesn't involve sitting on the sofa and eating twinkies or cold stone.

I am going to try and embrace this new running program that T has been doing, "Run Less, Run Faster." Next week, I will run Wednesday, Friday and Sunday and see how that goes.

Key Run Workout paces

2010-05-21T14:42:00.000-04:00

#1

400 1:48
600 2:44
800 3:41
1000 4:38
1200 5:37
1600 7:37
2000 9:36

#2

Short 8:10
Mid 8:25
Long 8:40
Easy 9:45

#3

hmp 8:47
+20 9:07
+30 9:17

Julia's Run for a Reason 5K

2009-10-10T12:23:00.003-04:00

Today was Julia's Run at Starkey Park. Due to transportation issues with getting everyone from the parking lot to the race start, the race started about 15 minutes late. Those 15 minutes gave that warm Sun a few extra minutes to crank up the heat. You would never have known that it was October by the time the race started - it was hot!

Today was a redo of last week. I did forget the Garmin 310XT this morning and was not happy about it. So it was hard to pace us, I ran with my Iphone in my hand. It was a big PITA, the app I used is by FutureApps called "Distance". I can't get that thing to work for more than 10 minutes, it constantly locks me out of my bike or run. I don't think I will be using it again. It went out on me short of the two mile mark, but I was still able to get a decent idea from the time on the clock. We finished the two-mile mark today at 15 minutes, about 50 seconds faster than last week, which is a HUGE improvement for Leland. After the race, another runner came up to us and said, "Do you know you guys were at a 5:18 pace there for awhile?" That goes back to the disappointment of an app. I had no idea, I thought we were running low 7:00s but we were all over the place those first two miles. Just like last weeks race, after the two mile mark I fell apart again dropping to over 9 minutes per mile. Leland took off about the 2.7 mile mark and I decided to get some water and walk through the break. I jogged it in, finishing at 25:39 and Leland finished first in the 14 and under age group with a 24:35 (about 2 seconds slower than last week). Caden ran the kids fun run and looked very strong finishing in 10 minutes and change. Not too shabby for not running often these days. I don't know where the boys get it, they both are going to be very strong runners if they maintain their passion.

Longleaf is right around the corner

2009-10-05T14:28:00.002-04:00

and I still can't get pumped up for any training at all. I rode the trainer this morning for about 20 minutes and then stretched. Not even close to the shape I was in this time last year. I will be happy when this month is over. I miss my jiu-jitsu. Sharing the mornings with the wife this year has been a real PITA. Not being able to get into a regular grove for my days has been frustrating. We have Julia's 5K this Saturday, Longleaf the following Sunday, then the Tower of Terror 5K on the 24th. Busy month, I am looking forward to not having any time commitments soon!

Gator 5K

2009-10-03T12:38:00.004-04:00

Yes, me, Florida State University class of 1995, ran in the Tampa Gator Booster 5K today with my baby-Gator son. The weather this morning was beautiful, it was crisp and cool before the start of the race. By the 8am start time, the usual Florida humidity peeked its head out, but it still wasn't too bad at all. Leland and I started out at a very fast pace running the first mile around 7:30. The goal before the start of the race was to push Leland to the two-mile mark, following his 16 minute requirement for karate. We hit the second mile at 15:50. As you can see, our second mile was 8:20, about my average mile time. I don't know what happened to me shortly after that, but I fell off. We dropped to almost a 9 minute mile. We bounced around the 8:45 mark or so up until about a half mile left. I asked Leland if he was ready to push to the end and he said he was fine. Our deal was, break the 16 minute mark and he could set the pace on the last mile. At 2.75 he took the go ahead nod and sprinted off, when I say he sprinted off, he looked like was shot out of a cannon. He passed a rather large group of people in front of us and finished at 24:33. Good enough to get him first place in the 10 and under age group. I limped in at 25:09. I enjoyed the run with Leland, the company was excellent, the atmosphere was fun, as they played Gator fight songs while we ran. Sure beat our usual weekend run in the neighborhood, that scenery gets boring after awhile.

Expedition Everest Challenge

2009-10-01T18:36:00.002-04:00

Wave 10 this year, so there were 3 more waves behind us. We only had to wait 45 minutes before we took off this year. Bummed about getting to the party late didn't matter this year, it got canceled due to the weather. So only the first 7 or 8 waves got to do anything fun, like ride Everest. That is the best part about this race, only 4000 of your closest friends between you and a ride!

Our total time was 59:02

5K time - 30:47
Obstacle Course - 5:13
Scavenger Hunt - 23:03

We didn't get our splits from last year, but we finished 7 minutes slower, 4 of that in our 5K time.
I am sure our scavenger hunt time would have been faster had it not been for the monsoon that hit right after we finished the obstacle course. Despite the horrible weather, we had a great time. A big bonus we stayed at the new Bay Lake Towers the night before the race, it was awesome. Without a doubt the best place to stay at Disney.

I am now a world class swimmer

2009-09-16T17:37:00.003-04:00

You read that correctly. Thanks to the Garmin 310XT, I have just swam 2.25 miles in 30 minutes. I am ready to take on Michael Phelps.

Actually, I have no idea how far I swam thanks to the Garmin 310XT. I did swim for 30 minutes though. It's like Eurotrip, "I AM GOING NO WHERE NEAR BERLIN." "Ah, Berlin" My swim was no where close to 2.25 miles.

Thanks for trying little Garmin.

the day after

2009-09-16T17:19:00.003-04:00

On Monday, I was motivated by negativity to get out and hit the road. I was consistant to say the least, I ran 2 miles at 8:21 and then ran my third mile 8:18 to finish 3 miles in 25 minutes. I did another 5 minute cool down for good measure. I was pleased, especially for the day after a race. I would love to start turning some 7 minute and change miles.

Sand Key Tri Race Report

2009-09-14T09:04:00.004-04:00

Only thing is, this race ended up being a duathlon. We stayed next door the night before at the Sheraton, making getting up and going to the race nice and easy. Except for T forgot her band to enter transition and thought she had forgotten her swim cap (which I found after the race was over).

My goal for this race was to catch my wife and finish with her. We haven't trained together at all, since the new schedules. The only reason I started doing this in the first place was to spend more time with her and that has not worked out at all this season.

Originally, her wave was to be 2 minutes ahead of me, but ended up being 4 minutes. We had about a 1/3 of a mile run plus the transition area before we started our bike. 4 minute lead on the bike meant Teresa would be 1 mile ahead of me and I was thinking it would not take me long to catch her, I was wrong. I didn't catch her until after I had done 3 bridge climbs about 6.5 miles in. Once we caught up I rode with her and we had a nice ride, doing the round about, a short ride along the beach and then back over the Sand Key bridge. After pulling into transition, T dismounted flawlessly and of course hurried out of transition, saying "oh I will wait for you right here." It took me some time to finally catch up to her, she has scary fast transition times. After catching her on the very crowded path, we stayed shoulder to shoulder for the entire 5K and finished together. I was disappointed the announcer didn't call our names. I wanted to hear "Lee & Teresa" as we crossed the line.

Total 1:18:01

first run 3:36
T1 2:18
bike 34:07
T2 1:23
run 36:39

Age Group 47/54
Overall 419/652

Last year
T1 2:57
bike 31:07
T2 1:35
run26:19

diff vs. last year
T1 -:39
bike +3:00
T2 -:12
run+10:20

Disney Endurance Series

2009-08-07T17:45:00.001-04:00

Team AthLeet is once again registered for the Expedition Everest Challenge and we have also added the Tower of Terror event. Our room are booked, now it is just a matter of can my wife run or not at this point...

http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=TowerOfTerrorDetailPage

http://disneyworldsports.disney.go.com/dwws/en_US/events/eventDetail/detail?name=ExpeditionEverestChallengeDetailPage

training

2009-08-07T17:32:00.002-04:00

I had a very good week last week, but this week that is ending not so much. Last week I trained 4.5 hours swam 2300 yards, biked 40 mies and ran 8. This week I managed to swim once for a total of 1350 yards, most of that with my fins and I spent 20 minutes on the bike this week. I am going to try and ride tomorrow night and run on Sunday. Here is to wishing and trying.

2 miles - 16 minute

2009-08-02T10:39:00.003-04:00

Leland's physical testing is about 6 weeks away now, so today was his test to see how he was coming. Here is how he did:

lap 1 - 1:34
lap 2 - 1:56
lap 3 - 2:07
lap 4 - 2:12
lap 5 - 1:59
lap 6 - 2:03
lap 7 - 2:13
lap 8 - 1:49

total 15:58

Excellent work for his first go at it.

2009-07-29T18:04:00.000-04:00

JR Top Gun

2009-07-25T16:50:00.003-04:00

Leland looked so strong today with his swim, he was in the top 10 or 12 in the water at the halfway mark and got kicked in the face, took in a mouthful of water and stood up. I know exactly how he felt I had the something happen to me my very first race. After a few seconds Leland tried to regain his composure but wasn't able to get his swimming rhythm together and came out of the water with about 10 or so people left. After a very strong bike and run, Leland was able finish 6th in his age group and 8th overall. He improved in every aspect today.

6 8 Leland Johansen IV 10 Trinity, FL 16:23

shin splints

2009-07-23T19:02:00.004-04:00

I had always thought that shin splints, like ghosts, did not exist. I knew without a shadow of a doubt that shin splints were a figment of imagination, now here I am in such pain after my run this morning I am ready to curl up into a ball and cry. I did some speed work with my son over the last few weeks and aggravated my shin, but the 4 mile run this morning with 6 x 30 seconds at full VO2 max has left me hurting. I didn't get a chance to ice it this morning after my run and I am regretting that. My training has been going well, I do hope this isn't going to set me back. I have two days swimming and biking before my next run. Bring on the ice.

rain, rain go away...

2009-07-20T17:20:00.002-04:00

...come again on a NON-swimming day

Another missed swim work-out and I need to rearrange my entire week to get it in.

last week by the numbers

2009-07-17T18:54:00.003-04:00

Lots and lots of rain fell this past week. Between that and the fecal contamination in the pool at the Y, I didn't get my second swim in and didn't finish my first swim workout. Boooooo

I trained for 3 hours 35 minutes, swam 850 yards, biked 29 miles and run 6.68 miles. A relatively short week. I missed a 1350 yard swim and both of my bike work outs were shorter than usual. Week before last I got in 45 miles.

I am jonesing to do a race and I am bummed I didn't sign up for Top Gun or MPM. Sand Key can't get her fast enough and it is 2 months away...

I have also been doing speed work at the high school track with Leland in preparation for his quickly approaching black belt test. He is working hard and pushing himself - I am proud of all the work is doing.

first group ride

2009-07-05T18:17:00.002-04:00

Today I went on my first group ride. I have been on rides with 3 or 4 people but nothing compared with todays ride. Frank, from Ride-n-Roll Cyclery in Largo - www.ridenrollcyclery.com - invited me to their weekly ride. Little did I know it was going to be 40 miles. Much further than my standard ride. We met up a few minutes before 7 and Frank told me we needed to leave in 3 minutes, needless to say there was a mix-up in our communication. I thought the ride was at 7:30. Frank put air in my tires as I got ready.

We took off down West Bay headed to the beach, nice ride over the new Bellair bridge and headed south on Gulf Blvd. We met up with another pack of riders at the Park Blvd bridge and continued our trip south. By the time we got to Sunset that marked 10 miles one way, I was ready to head back. Mike pushed me on and we headed down to the Don Cesar before we turned around. On the way back, Mike and I were both out of water and I did not put on near enough chamois cream so each pedal stroke took me into a deeper state of torture. We stopped at my mom's and grabbed some water and called our ride at 30 miles in 1:40 minutes. Avg speed 18.2 avg cadence 76 - I need to work on both!

The ride was great except for the further we headed south the faster the group pushed, when speeds neared 30 mph, I just couldn't keep up. I had drifted to the back because I wanted to ride in the aero position and you can't do that in pack of 40 or 50 riders. There were a few comments about me being on a TT bike while we were riding. Oh well, I still had a great time.

Sunday by the numbers

2009-06-28T18:09:00.005-04:00

600 and 3

No, I didn't just place 600th in my most recent triathlon. I just found out my triglycerids are over 600... I thought the same thing, holy hell that is high. Now I don't know what has caused this, I know that my father has cholosterol issues and takes medication for it, but I am not ready to go down that road yet. I would like to find a dietician who could help me with my diet. I don't drink and don't eat a ton of garbage, I am shocked as to what has caused this. In a day with a low, there is usually a high to offset it, that is where the 3 comes in.

Leland did the Tri-If-You-Dare race today in Seminole, this is a run, bike, swim event and he placed third! I was so proud of his effort today. Of course, my wife was the calming coach leading him onto victory with her soft tone and words of tri-wisdom.

www.fathersday5K

2009-06-22T15:19:00.006-04:00

It was not the www.fathersday5k.com event, it was the WWW.fathersday5k

W = walking

W = whining

W = wheezing

I am obviously not the encouraging force that my wife is during races. At the Mother's Day Race Leland turned in a masterful performance crushing his personal best by several minutes.

Leland wanted to do the same with me on Sunday and everything started out very well at the 1.5 mile mark we had a 25 minute 5K pace and thought we may slow down to his goal of 27 minutes. However, the whining started before the 1 mile mark. It was like running on the surface of the sun hot, there were plenty of men jogging with baby strollers and fast too because there was an award for that and Leland whined about all of that. Then he started his walking and whining at the same time, it made the run so much fun. Then as he continued his running the wheezing started if that wasn't enough to make you crazy grinding out the race with him, he started clomping his feet and sounded like an elephant whistling. Needless to say we got through the race and Leland pouted for a bit about why he had a bad race.

I agree with Leland, it was hot and miserable, when we finished I looked like I had been in a pool, I was that soaking wet. My Nike Running shorts dripped water in pools.

Leland wants to start playing football next year, he is in for a rude awakening if he thinks today was hot. Nothing like two a days in August to really show you what hot is.

Father's Day

2009-06-20T12:30:00.000-04:00

In honor of father’s day, I want to say how proud I am of all of my children, how thankful I am to have three healthy wonderful children and how lucky I am to have such amazing kids. I am especially proud of our two boys. Right now, our 10 year old son has just begun his “phasing” for his black belt. He will be spending the next 6 months working to pass his black belt testing. Between now and September 12th, he will be doing nothing at karate but preparing for his physical testing which includes a minimum of 120 push-ups in 3 minutes, 120 sit-ups in 3 minutes, 5 minutes of bottoms up, 4 minutes of jump rope and a 2 mile run in under 16 minutes. Last year he started to prepare for these upcoming tests and has been running off and on, doing his very first triathlon last year as a way to cross train. This year, he has just completed Ironkids and plans to do another couple of YTS races this summer. His training schedule has been hectic, swimming a few days during the week, doing push-ups and sit-ups in the morning, running on Sundays, going out for bike rides through out the week. I am just amazed at what he can do at 10 years old, how able he is, how he pushes himself and has laser focus. I mentioned to him the other night, you must be excited to have a day off tomorrow and he corrected me, saying he was excited, but that he was excited about his swim at 8am. I don’t know how many kids would willingly get up at 8am during the summer to go to a swim workout.

Our middle son is 8 years old and has been playing guitar for a few months and they have these live “gigs” where they put the children in groups and have them go on stage and perform a song. Caden performed “Sweet Home Alabama” last night and his last gig he did “Smoke on the Water”. It just amazes me, I don’t know if at 8 years old that I would have had the courage to get on stage in front of 20 or 30 people and play a song with a band on stage. The lights were on, the amps plugged in, I mean it is a real live show, only thing missing was warm draft beer in a red plastic cup. I was really proud of him last night.

My wife and I are so blessed to have such incredible children and I look forward to seeing all of them grow up to become productive members of society.

To all of the Dads out there, Happy Father’s Day! We will be spending our morning at the Father's Day 5K.

Ground Hog Day

2009-06-19T09:00:00.003-04:00

Today was like Ground Hog Day, I thought it was Wednesday in the pool all over again. My warm up was a 400 and I couldn't get in the groove, I finisehd it after about 10 minutes, then it was on to the drills, got those done and was very tired, not so much physically tired as I was just mentally worn out. I took yesterday off in hopes of inspiring myself this morning in the pool. I got to my 100s and did the first one and then rested several minutes before starting the second. As I finished the second I knew it was not going to be my day in the pool and got out. I don't know how to push myself beyond this point. I know I can swim further but I don't have any ideas what is keeping me from moving forward.

Once I got home I thought I would do some yoga and stretching, so I broke out the Wii Fit so it would tell me how unstable my core is and I am not flexible and all of the other motivational comments it has for me. While doing the yoga and some stretches I noticed the inside of my right knee is exceptionally tight. I have had issues with that muscle in the past, I don't even know which muscle it is. All I know is right now it is throbbing. I hope Dr. Jeff can fix me up, we are doing a 5K on Sunday.

???

2009-06-17T09:52:00.003-04:00

It is amazing, my training had been going well, then the day of Dunedin I wasn't feeling it. I had two great work outs Monday and Tuesday, I did weight training to break up the schedule a little bit. Running an easy mile Monday night and then doing sprints after my work out yesterday. Then today it hit me again, today I was to swim 1050 yards, mostly drills finishing with 4 x 100. I got to the 100s and did not want to be in the pool. It is the first time that feeling had hit me this season. It seemed like every pool workout last year that anxiety would creep up and bite me. I don't know what happened or why, but I didn't finish my swim work out and got of the pool. I wish I could come up with some answers on this, I also wish that I could figure out how to become a better swimmer. It's just like my golf game, people tell me I have a beautiful swing but I can't manage to break 100... my swimming is the same way, people tell me my swim stroke looks good, but I am slow and don't enjoy being in the water. Hmmmmmm

Dunedin Triathlon

2009-06-15T07:32:00.002-04:00

by the numbers...

unofficial (my trusty Timex) 1:29:29 actual 1:19:27 42nd age group 285 overall

12:31 swim 48th age group
34:59 bike 30th age group
29:05 run 51st age group

The good news is - lots of room for improvement!

I am at a loss for words

2009-06-14T14:44:00.005-04:00

Today was my worst tri performance.

It all began last night, I was ready for bed at 8pm. I was tired and ready to fall asleep, but not T. She had to stay up and watch "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" - it wasn't even of Orange County, I know. Now it's 9 o'clock, I am cranky, tired and agitated that we couldn't have gone to bed an hour before. Then my next door neighbor who is newly divorced has decided she is going to party like a rockstar now and she made all kinds of racket. It was almost 11 by the time I went to sleep. At 3am, I got up. I know, great idea. I went upstairs and did my triggerpoint therapy and then did Yoga on the Wi fit, I felt great. Little did I know that was going to be my high of the day. I went to eat some bannanas and peanut butter for breakfast and for some strange reason couldn't eat, I didn't want it coming back up so I gave up on trying to force it down. I maybe had a few bites, then it was time to get the kids up and leave. I didn't eat breakfast and I didn't really drink anything. I had planned on stopping on the way to the race to get some Gatorade or Vitamin Water and forgot... Then at race site I ended up taking T's extra drink. Not before she had to fill up her tire in the dark and break the valve stem. I almost forgot, since we get to the races 4 hours before they start every time, I did get the prime spot and the end of the rack! That was the real high of the day.

The swim today looked long and treacherous, there were a few white caps breaking nothing too bad looking from the shoreline though. The race course this year was set up in a traingle fashion, we had to swim out, down and then back to shore. The shore was littered with rocks and I mean littered with rocks it was easier to sit on your butt to get into the water than walking in. Boy was I suprised when I got out there and waves were crashing on me as I tried to breath, sucking in only water as I tried to get air. We got to start the swim in waist deep water. The swim starts and we are off, no sooner into the first buoy, but some poor girl has to be rescued, luckily there were several other strong swimmers helping her. I treaded water and tried to stay out of the way as the hoisted her onto the jetski. Then pushed on. I knew my swim time was going to suck when here came the pink caps, led by none other than my wife. I tried to kick them off but I was quickly overtaken and after spending 5 minutes trying to seperate myself from my swim group, here I was immersed in pink caps, I think to myself, "when will this damn swim be over?" It gets better. As I get to about waist deep water again, I hit a real shallow patch and begin to walk. What do I hear from the ocean? "SWIM LEE SWIM," Teresa yells from about 15 feet over. Now not only do I have the social stigma of getting my ass kicked by my wife in the swim, I have to listen to her berat me like some hen-pecked husband as we approach the shore. Remember, we are only 1/3 of the way into this story, it keeps getting better.

I follow Teresa into T1 and don't see her exit, I think to myself wow, I beat her out, odd. WRONG, I catch T about 2 miles in and we chat for a second and I blow by her - NOT. She stays behind me for most of the race. Last year the bike was by far my best event and this year, I am getting passed and passed a lot. Not just by guys in my age group, no that would be too good, I am getting passed by pink bikes with girls on them, road bikes with a guy wearing boat shoes, yep BOAT SHOES. Then a little girl on training wheels blasted her bell "bling-bling" as she sped by me and yelled "ON YOUR LEFT!" This isn't suppose to be like that, I am suppose to be the testosterone filled a-hole yelling at the top of my lungs "ON YOUR LEFT! ON YOUR LEFT!" The bike couldn't end soon enough, my butt was hurting and so was my ego. And you haven't even heard the good part yet...

I enter T2 by myself, I mean there isn't anyone in site. I am thinking wow, I am getting my ass kicked today. Now its time for the run in the soft sandy beaches of Dunedin and the sugar sand that surrounds the island. I come up with the ~~genius~~ idea, I mean the dumbest idea EVER, that I am going to sprint until I get to the soft sand because I am terribly slow in the sand because of said reasons in previous posts. Once we get to the sand, I am beat, I am slow and I am pretty sure every single person that did the race today passed me. The results say different, but I know better. I watched them all pass me, the young studs who started 10 minutes behind me, the 57 year old grandma, the tri gators, some guy who was out there bird watching. It sucked, mentally it was a kick in the groin. Then by the time I got to the pavement again about 2.5 miles in, I thought I was going to have a heart attack. Knowing when I started my 5K at about 50 minutes into the race, there was no way in hell I was going to hit my goal time and it was just a matter of pride to try and finish under 1:20 and that I am embarrassed to even claim. Everyone says that I should be proud I finished. Deep down, I was very proud I finished, when I finished my first sprint triathlon last year. This wasn't an Olympic distance or a half, I was disappointed with myself that I wasn't able to compete better, stronger and faster than I did last year. I want to be that guy screaming "ON YOUR LEFT!" so loud that everyone on the race course moves over...

35 - 39

2009-06-13T08:55:00.002-04:00

I must say the idea of moving up an age group was exciting. Here I am at 35, moving up, I am going to dominate my age group this year in the local events. HAHAHAHA, that thought was laughable. I went to the Dunedin Triathlon results from 2008 and read through the times... 1:05 put you top 5 in the 30 - 34 age group, 1:05 maybe you slipped into top 10, but I think it put you 10th - 15th place. How in the hell do these people keep getting faster and faster as the get older? When does it end? I would just like to have a top 5 finish this year and bring home some hardwear. I thought that the 30 - 34 was the fastest age group, I guess not.

As far as the race itself tomorrow, my goal finish time is 1:10, anything under that and I will be happy. I am confident I will do well in the swim tomorrow, the extra weight is helping in this activity for sure. Now my biking endurance is way off from last year, but I am moving faster and more efficiently on the bike I just don't have the wind to maintain the speed. I am going to be looking for much faster times on the bike as the season progresses. The run tomorrow is going to be interesting a good portion of mile 1 is going to be on sand, I don't know how hard or soft it is going to be. That is going to be tough for me with the weight and the knees. Having that instability during the run slows me down, I don't want to tweak one of my already badly torn up knees. I would like to turn in a 27 minute 5K tomorrow despite the conditions. I will keep my fingers crossed.

I keep mentioning my weight and I don't know if I have been very specific about what has gone on. I competed last year in the 190s, not overly concerned about my weight. Being under 200 pounds definately keeps the stress off of my knees - which both have had the ACL done and my left one has had a host of other repairs too. Currently, I tip the scales at 218 pounds and am a size 36" waist. When I started my tri-training back up 5 or 6 weeks ago, I was in the 220s. The weight is coming off, just not as quickly as I would like. I didn't do any off season training to speak of and my jiu-jitsu has also come to a screaching halt. I am happy to be back doing something again and feel much better for it.

century mark again today

2009-06-12T13:13:00.003-04:00

Well today was by far the longest swim of my short tri-training career. Leland was to meet Michelle, so I went to the pool and got started thinking my session was going to take me 40 minutes or so. I did a 200 warm up then did 4 x 50 drills on 20 second rest. I did 100 of one arm pulls, then did 100 catch ups. Next up was 2 x 400 on 1 minute rest. The 400s took me about 9.5 minutes each. I tried not to push off too much to make sure I was actually swimming the distance. Then I did a 50 cooldown. I think my training plan said, 100 cooldown, but it was a good day in the pool. Leland swam with Michelle again today and his form looked so much better than before. She had him pushing his endurance and speed today, while working on his form. The more he swam the better he looked until his last 50.

Official Time

2009-06-11T17:14:00.002-04:00

Leland's official time for his race:

6:45 swim
18:20 bike
9:16 run

finishing 15 out of 18

I was proud of him for going out there and getting it done. His longest tri, his first open water swim and his first race of the summer. Great job Leland!

2009-06-08T09:37:00.000-04:00

2009-06-08T09:35:00.000-04:00

Race Check-In

2009-06-06T15:12:00.003-04:00

Leland spent the night at a friends house last night and said he was going to go to bed by 11. He decided to stay up until 5 this morning. Tomorrow's race should be interesting. We went to check in today and it was beautiful out there. I hope he has a fun, safe race tomorrow and that his lack of sleep doesn't ruin this experience. I was able to snap a few photos with my phone while we were there today.

ohhhh, my knees...

2009-06-02T18:39:00.001-04:00

...are freakin' killing me. I don't know what I did but they are achey. I need to find a good joint supplement and some ice.

1000 yards...

2009-06-01T11:18:00.003-04:00

...for me that is a big deal. Considering last season I hated being in the pool for any extended period of time and 600 to 700 yards was about all I wanted to do. Today I felt great and could have gone on longer, but my 20 minute run was calling me. It wasn't my best run, 2.2 miles in 20 minutes.

Leland had his first real swim lesson today with Michelle and let me tell you that child fought me the enitre way. He was exhausted from being at the beach all day yesterday and did not want to get out of bed. Michelle met us at the Y and we were talking about her swimming background and as soon as she said, "I swam at UF." Leland's face just lit up, he was excited to have a Gator for a coach and it showed. His workout was awesome. He spent 30 minutes this morning doing only 25s, most of them drills and he finished his workout with one final sprint and he looked amazing. I am looking forward to his race on Sunday.

dumb luck

2009-05-30T11:10:00.005-04:00

By total happen-stance, I was able to find a swim coach to help Leland before his race and if things go well, I will actually do swim lessons with all the kids this summer. It will be great to get Avery swimming, just for the sure fact of safety at the house.

We are going to hook up with Michelle Smith from mymermaidswimschool.com all because of an opportunity on a car deal. I am excited for Leland to have someone of Michelle's caliber work on his stroke, in fact, I am a bit jealous. I look forward to getting him to the Y before school this week.

a little brick action

2009-05-29T12:56:00.003-04:00

I put the bike on the trainer this morning and did a little over 9 miles, then hopped on the treadmill for a 1.5 mile run. Neither of my paces today was strong, I was right around 15 mph on the bike and then was running at a 10min/mile pace. I started at out 7:30mm but after a few minutes decided I was going to take it easy, I am still sore from my Wednesday workout. I am looking forward to a easy weekend of no training.

don't remember it being this tough

2009-05-28T13:51:00.003-04:00

I was in such better shape last year when I started my tri training, this has been a tough few weeks. My swimming seems like I never stopped, actually swam 750 yards this morning and was only suppose to do 600, so I am happy in the pool. I believe my weight is helping me float a little better than last year. My bike on the other hand has been an issue. I can't seem to get comfortable on the bike, I have made some adjustments and was more efficient and faster on my ride yesterday. I was unable to stay in the aero position the entire ride though. The first 7 miles was okay, but after that, I was in and out the entire time, my legs were burning, my back aching. That ride really made me appreciate Chris' ride for 50+ miles in Orlando.

I have also been running with Leland, who has gotten quite fast recently. On our last run, we ran 2.67 miles in 23 minutes and stopped to talk to one of our neighbors for about 30 seconds or so mid-run. I am excited about running with him at the Father's Day Race, or should I say trying to keep up with him. There is nothing I would love to see more then him run that 5K in 25 minutes. If he can get that done, his running requirements for his black belt should be a cake walk!

T has her Mad Beach relay coming up this weekend and I am trying to make plans to get out there and support her and the tri-alicious team. The following weekend is Leland's Ironkids race, then the weekend after that is Dunedin. Busy couple of weeks. I hope all goes well with our training and our races!

Ironkids - it's official

2009-05-21T14:48:00.001-04:00

Leland is registered for the Ironkids event on June 7th!

It's on!

2009-05-21T13:35:00.002-04:00

My little brother sent me a link about the Ironman Kids race on June 7th in St. Petersburg, I asked Leland if he would be interested in doing the race and he said, "YES!" Now we are trying to get him ready for a 150 yard open water swim. We went to the pool this morning before school and he swam 6 x 25 and 3 x 50. He had a tough time with the 50s, but we have a 2 weeks before the event. It was rather cute watching him swim, he strikes the water with such force. It seems that he is trying to punch the water with his hand and forearm as he makes contact with each stroke. I am confident he could become a great swimmer if he calmed down a bit. I think he needs some training lessons with Teresa. She can help him with his swimming and his running. Leland has been running a bunch for karate and recently ran the Mother's Day 5k in 30 minutes. The bike course is only 4 miles and he should make short work of that.

My training has been going well, I am having a hard time staying in the aero-position on my bike. My weight has not been helping me, that gut sure does get in the way! I will be happy when I shed these 20 pounds, I am afraid its going to take me 10 to 12 weeks before I am under 200 pounds and probably going to make this a slower season than last. I am going to push hard to make sure that doesn't happen though.

Chris told me today he is doing Dunedin and is out there today running the course. The race is June 14th...

today was a good day

2009-05-19T13:35:00.003-04:00

As Ice Cube once said, "Today was a good day" I woke up pre-alarm, which is always a great start to the day, was at the gym before the door even opened and proceeded to do my prescribed weight routine thanks to Marty at www.osbmultisport.com. I spent about 45 minutes on the weights, resting one minute between each set. One of the better weight sessions I have had in the last couple of weeks, when I was done, it was time to get in the pool.

Figures, on the morning I am going to swim we have a cold front come through and its raining. It hasn't rained in what, 8 months?? Thank Neptune that the Y has kept the pool heater on this late into the year because it was FREEZING when I wasn't in the water. I swam 650 yards this morning between drills and speed work, not a tremendous amount of distance but only my third time in the pool since I got back to training. All in all, very happy with my workout.

Now I have a 50 minute bike ride planned for tomorrow morning, lets see how that goes. Not only do none of my clothes fit since the weight gain, but my bike doesn't fit well either, that pesky gut just keeps getting in the way. Here is to a good ride tomorrow.

Dear diary,

2009-05-18T19:05:00.003-04:00

it sure has been a long time since my last post. I have been training the last two weeks. Yep, can you belive it? A whole two weeks. I must say after spending Sunday at the Florida 70.3, I am highly motivated to get in gear and start training again. To watch those people push like they did was truly an amazing experience. I walked the last 5 miles with my little brother after he had a disappointing day. He was having major back spasms during his ride and that turned into a 13 mile power walk. I felt terrible for him, I know how much time he put into his training and his diet. Despite his time, I couldn't be more proud of him for pushing himself to finishing the 70.3.

It has been disappointing 6 months for me, with work, not training, no jitsu and because of all of this, my weight has gone back up to 220s and another pant size. I have decided that I am no longer going to let these issues get in the way of training and living a healthy lifestyle. I am two weeks into my tri-training and now need to figure out what dates I am going to put on the calendar for my races. I would like to do Dunedin, but I think June 14th might be a bit soon for me to race. I am going to train for a few more weeks and see how I feel. Race deadline is June 10th. I plan on doing Morton Plant, Sand Key and Longleaf. Here is to a successful race season!

Congrats lil' brother, I am proud of you!

training, what training

2008-12-12T08:19:00.002-05:00

Today is only the second time I have run since Longleaf. I just can't seem to train/function in the cold weather. It was probably mid 60s this morning furing my run and I still can't feel my hands. I did 3.92KM at 6.02 per KM for a total run time of 23:43. Every journey begins with a first step...

57* on race day, can you say hace frio?

2008-10-20T06:37:00.004-04:00

I must tell you, just loading the car up race morning was enough for me to crawl back into bed. I don't do cold weather, I can't function. The prospect of getting into a lake, swimming around for a bit, then jumping on my bike and riding 25 MPH, soaking wet just did not sound appealing. Needless to say, my mental outlook on race day was not strong. We stood around for sometime this morning, Teresa and I though the race started at 7:30. The International didn't even go off until 8, and I am not sure what time we started. I do know that at 7:45 we were out standing around the lake, in wet grass, with nothing on but our tri-suits. IT WAS COLD! Teresa then gets bit up by ants while we are standing around the lake, I just knew today was going to be a disaster.

By the time the race started and I jumped into the water, it was a relief to get moving and the water was so warm. Despite the fact that this lake water was like swimming guinness. I couldn't see anything, I swam into and on top of anyone who was in arms length of me. Transitioning out of the water was a long run to get my bike, I got out clean and on the way I went. The air was so cold as I took off on my bike. I couldn't get my bike computer to work and I had forgotten to start my watch at the beginning of the race. Being a bit of a stat geek, I was now officially checked out of this race.
Mentally, between the weather, none of my computers working and now riding my bike 20+ mph into gail force winds, soaking wet, I was ready for this race to be over. Shortly into my bike ride, I got passed by a 54 year old Tri-Gator (who I come to find out is the their coach and an Ironman finisher). Up until this point, I had not been passed on my bike. Since I had no computer, I had no idea how hard I was pushing into the wind, so I figured let him go now and catch him with the wind at my back. That idea never panned out. In fact, just being in the aeroposition yesterday in the cold, locked up my triceps so badly, I couldn't stay seated. I managed to get all alone on my bike ride, with nobody to pass and nobody to chase down, it became just like a training ride. I struggle through those with my mind drifting off into multiple directions. Once I got back and moved to the run, I was just waiting for this race to be over. I made the right turn onto the Starkey Road path and every step, I could feel this shot from my hip up into my spine and I thought this is going to be a long 5K. After I got started, I must have had 2 or 3 people in my age group pass me, along with a few other. I got some encouraging words from the wife and Karen as they were coming in on their bikes. With about a mile left I picked up my pace with the hopes of ending this race a bit sooner. Coach Tim picked me up with about 400M left to go and ran me in. I was happy to just be done with this race, because mentally with the weather and the watch/computer issue it was my toughest challenge yet. With these kind of race conditions and what I thought was a dismal performance, would you believe I crushed my race goal of 1:10 and almost hit my crazy goal of 1:05? Me neither.
Here are my splits and overall:

1:06:30 5th age group and 51st overall
9:30 swim 14th
27:51 bike 4th
25:51 run 10th

I was shocked to see my name at the 5th position at the end of the race. Almost at a loss for words.
The goal now is to get back to jitsu and spend time running and hitting the weights. The next big question is do I do the half marathon at Gaspirllla this year?

tomorrow is the day

2008-10-18T20:40:00.003-04:00

After a not-so-fun day at work, it is almost time for bed. The spaghetti has been eaten, the gatorade is gone, tomorrow I will see how all of this hardwork and dedication will play out. After hearing more about the run from the lake to the transition area, it sounds like tomorrow's official goal is 1:10. The weather is suppose to be chilly and that doesn't sit well with me. Not too much I can do about that though. The bag is packed, the clothes are out and the bike is ready to go. A little air in the tires tomorrow before I put them on the rack and we are off. Teresa wants to be at Longleaf at 5, even though the transition area doesn't open until 6:30. ---shrug--- Sounds to me like the event maybe a bit unorganized. The event is only in its fourth year and packet pick-up ran a little behind this morning. I have my fingers crossed and look forward to a great race tomorrow.

Longleaf Triathlong

2008-10-13T07:02:00.002-04:00

The Longleaf Tri is this upcoming Sunday. I have been training, but it hasn't been going as well since my job change. With the travel time and the new hours, I have been sacrificing sleep, training and my food fuel. I still have my goal of 1:05. 13 minute swim, 27 minute bike, 25 minute run. Those are my goal times, as you can see add 4 minutes for transitions and I am at 1:09. I am going to have to pull something amazing to make 1:05 happen. Wish me luck!

2008-09-29T06:31:00.000-04:00

Training is going well

2008-09-25T06:51:00.003-04:00

My training has been going fantastic. I have had some great swims and runs. Today will be my first bike since the race, it is just going to be a nice easy ride. I am so excited about our upcoming race this weekend. Dinsey's inaugural Expedition Everest Challenge. The race is a 5K, obstacle course and scavenger hunt. I hope T's knee won't bother her. We plan on busting out the Team AthLeeT jersey too!

Wife's results

2008-09-22T19:50:00.002-04:00

1:21:04

Boo.

Damn gimpy knee.

Yesterday's results

2008-09-22T17:03:00.015-04:00

Feeling strong out of the water.

Just getting in the zone on the bike.

Got into a nice pace on the run.

Subtract 16 minutes for my finish time.

6th out of 55, 165th overall, that puts me in the top 20%

13:30 swim, 28th
T1 2:57
31:07 bike, 3rd
T2 1:35
26:19 run, 15th

I need to spend sometime working on my swimming, I would like to shave a few minutes off that time and shave 1 minute off the run. I also am going to work on my transitions. MY GOAL FOR LONGLEAF IS 1:10.

I want to thank Bill at Smoothie King in Trinity, Jeff, Esther and Mindi at Silverback Advertising and Mary Ann at Parkside Promotions. Thank you for all of the love and support!

1:15:25 unofficial

2008-09-21T10:43:00.003-04:00

Had a great race today. The swim was decent, after 300 yards though, I was ready to take a break. I pushed through with some side-stroke and breast stroke and came out of the water just shy of 13 minutes, not too shabby. The bike was insane! 20.2 mph avg speed, 40.3 top speed and nobody passed me on the bike. I did go back and forth with a guy from LOL and we had a good time with it. I got out of T2 at about 48 minutes. I needed a 27 minute 5K to hit my lofty goal of 1:15 and attaining my super, incredulous goal of 1:10, wasn't going to happen (considering my PR 5K is 25 minutes). I knew I was going to cruise in under the goal of 1:20. I pushed hard and finished at 1:15 and change. I did not get an official time because I was stupid. I put socks on before the run and the chip strap was velcro. My socks decided they were going to stick to the strap and cut off the circulation to my foot. I stopped right before I hit the beach on the run to adjust it and it only made it worse, so just after mile 1, the strap had to go. Either move it or it was going to slowly saw off my foot. All I could think about was that seen from the movie "Saw" where they are chained up by their ankle. Luckly, this strap didn't need a key, so I placed it on my wrist. Only to find out later when I did not have an official time that the chip won't read passed the ankle. So I was put in at the end of the 1:15s and put me into 6th place, so no award. Despite the fact that I went home without the hardware, I had a fantastic race and very pleased with the outcome. The race course is beautiful and I loved the ride from Sand Key to Clearwater and back. I look forward to next years race!

Tomorrow is the big day!

2008-09-20T10:49:00.002-04:00

Tomorrow I take on Sand Key for my first sprint tri. I am nervous, just sitting here typing about the experience tomorrow is bringing the butterflies out. I have had a great week of training, good swim, fast bike and a great run. My goal finish time tomorrow is under 1:20. In my mind, I believe I could do a 1:10 if everything went well. Problem is, I have not practiced my transitions. I can't manage to get on my bike with shoes on the pedals. I am worse getting off the bike. My transitions are a concern tomorrow and I think that is what is going to cost me time. I do plan on practices those before Longleaf.

We are going to packet pick up at 2. I will post pics tomorrow.

Installing the Profile Aero Drink

2008-09-13T13:08:00.005-04:00

After my test ride, I decided I wanted to bottle mounted closer to my head stem, but due to the fact I had my shifter cables running out of the bottom of my bar ends, the velcro would not work. I decided to try zip ties.

I used yellow zip ties, so they would show up better in the photos.

Below is the completed install, very happy with the zip ties instead of the velcro.

Profile Aerodrink System

2008-09-12T17:08:00.005-04:00

Well I finally decided to purchase my drink system. I got the Aerodrink because I can barely ride a bike, so taking a hand off of the bars to reach behind my seat to get a drink probably not the best idea. Now I sit here wondering maybe that was the way to go, since I can't figure anyway to get this system on my aerobars. The directions and pictures that come with the Aerodrink are horrible, did I mention the directions are horrible??? I am searching the Internet trying to figure out the best and most stable way to attach this to my bars. Velcro and rubber bands... I will keep you posted.

Here is my trial setup...

Finding the Right Running Sock for Me part 2

2008-09-09T10:15:00.008-04:00

After buying a few different pairs of socks and getting some runs in, I do believe I have found my favorite pair. The Feetures Bamboo and Wool quarter sock is the winner!
http://www.feeturesbrand.com/bamboo_ultralight.php

I don't care for the color of the socks, I feel when I am wearing them, I must look like some tourist who would wear flip-flops with black work socks. The comfort makes up for it though. I wore them when I ran my 10K last weekend and I have worn them for a few runs since then, no blisters!!!! That speaks volumes of their socks. I have another couple of pairs I am going to try out, but these Feetures socks are going to be the ones I stick with. I plan on buying the low cuts to help with my "look". I can't thank Meghan at Runners World enough for her sock article and Feetures for actually living up to their claim, "The most comfortable sock ever - guaranteed!"

YTS #5 Palm Harbor

2008-09-07T20:59:00.003-04:00

Today was Leland's first Tri. He was so excited this morning. However, he got off to a slow start in the swim and then crashed on his bike. He looked so strong going into the run and finished strong. I was so proud of him. I was proud of him for finishing, but I was more proud of him for not giving up after his bike crash and two kids from his age group passed him. He kept pressing and didn't let it upset him. Great job to Leland! Perseverance.

After Leland's tri, T and I went for a bike ride. We joined Chris and BC and met up at Sand Key. We did the loop over to downtown Clearwater and back. Then T and I hit the Sand Key bridge again in preparation for the Sand Key Tri coming up two weeks from today. My Felt was so fast. I led the pack most of the way, I averaged over 18 MPH and had a max speed just shy of 37 today. Going down those bridges in the aero position was SCARY FAST and I could have pushed much faster, but I was too scared. I am looking forward to a fast bike split at Sand Key.

Leland's Last Training Day

2008-09-06T08:43:00.005-04:00

Leland did very well but there were some points that we need to practice. Particularly the mount/dismount line (it was not addressed in the practices) and drinking while on the bike. His transitions were fast and flawless so he's got that dialed in.

Physically he'll do very well but I hope he doesn't let the little mishaps get him upset and take the fun out of it. With three events and several uncontrollable variables, there's always a few surprises.

Today is packet pick-up and he's really excited. After all, it's all about the shirt! :o)

16 mile ride

2008-09-04T10:46:00.003-04:00

I went back out to San Antonio yesterday in hopes of getting my original SRAM Red ring put back on, but due to Labor Day it didn't come in. We made a 10* adjustment to my stem and then flattened the aerobars back out. We also lowered the saddle nose for a bit more comfort. I rode around the bike shop for about 15 minutes yesterday to make sure it felt good. Today, I got to try it out in the real world. I went up to the trail in hopes of doing 20 miles. With the stiff wind in my face I was ready to turn around at mile 5. I got to mile 8, did a .5 mile cooldown got off the bike, stretched and took some water. Then I tried to push hard going back. The last mile or so, I worked on standing up, stretching my legs, preparing my legs for the run. It was a good ride and the bike was comfortable today, but I was still riding at a pretty good speed.

Leland update

2008-09-03T13:34:00.004-04:00

It's the last week before his tri and he's made some HUGE strides! We spent Monday morning in the pool and by the end of our time he was breathing every third stroke AND on alternate sides - beautiful! Tremendous improvement from breathing only on the right side at every stroke with most of his head out of the water. He completed about 200 yards of freestyle as well as some kick board laps.

Yesterday was a run day with Tim. It was pretty hot and humid but he managed to stay focused and pace himself very well. Personally, the run is my biggest challenge. Like me, Leland doesn't seem to enjoy it but he does well and he's certainly done the training needed. Thursday is is his last training day and it will be all three events.

New 5K personal best

2008-09-02T07:01:00.003-04:00

I set out this morning to set my PR 5K, the goal under 25 minutes. The actual time 25:00. I fell off hard the last KM and blew it. I am still proud of my run, I shaved a little over 2 minutes off of my previous best time. If only I could have this kind of success in the water, I would be all set!

I don't need a swim coach, I need a swim therapist

2008-09-01T06:36:00.003-04:00

Another day in the pool, another HORRIBLE swim. I don't know what is going on with me, but since I have gotten back from Alaska my swims seem to be getting worse not better. I did a 200 freestyle warm-up and then I spent the rest of the swim doing anything that would propel me through the water. I was unable to complete any of our 50 yard drills. After almost 30 minutes in the pool, I may have completed 500 yards of our 1000 yard work today. I am sure I am not feeling 100% after the 10K yesterday, but it is very disheartening to have such difficulties with my swim. Sand Key is quickly approaching and my water confidence keeps reaching new lows.

Human Race 10K - Wifey's turn

2008-08-31T14:45:00.008-04:00

Time - 53:13
Pace - 5:18/KM

I must admit that due to the children and nasty weather, I ran on the treadmill. I do believe that my run was 100% easier than Lee's so I'm going to call today's race a draw. We both had milestone runs and PR's to prove it - it was a WIN WIN!

My run went very well for the first 40 minutes and then a few bad decisions came back to haunt me. I was going to grab some water while I restarted the mill after the 30 minute auto shut off. For some reason, I panicked about losing too much time so I skipped the drink - mistake #1.

Since I felt so strong the first 30 minutes I figured I would increase my pace earlier than I originally planned -mistake #2. This mistake almost cost me the finish. The last 1/2 mile was truly a mental battle and once I finished it took me longer than usual to recover.

Over all it was a great run! Although the Nike Plus is my official time, I'm a Garmin brat so I'm going to post my G-unit splits...
Time - 52:06
1 - 8:38
2 - 8:34
3 - 8:37
4 - 8:13
5 - 8:11
6 - 8:04
.2- 1:33

Human Race 10K

2008-08-31T09:34:00.005-04:00

Despite Hurricane Gustav giving me swirling winds (9 MPH - 13 MPH) to deal with during my race, I set my PR! I didn't think I was going to break my goal of 57 minutes. It seemed every time I made a turn I was running into the wind. Then I ran the loop the wrong way, in hopes of having the wind at my back for my final 2 KM, but that plan back fired as the wind changed direction. You can see after about 30 minutes on my run, that I had a stiff wind in my face by my pace. I had planned on running a good warm up pace for the first 20 minutes, push hard for the second 20 and then go back to my warm up pace for 10 minutes, to give me one last hard sprint to finish. My run didn't exactly go as planned.

For some strange reason, I actually ran over the 10K distance even though I set my Ipod to 10K. Plus, it didn't give me the usual distance countdown. Finishing the 10K in 55 minutes, I am stoked!

A Family Affair

2008-08-30T11:15:00.009-04:00

My Triathlon training has not only inspired my brother-in-law and husband but our oldest son, Leland, as well! Coach Tim is teaching a kid's triathlon program in addition to his adult classes at the James P. Gills YMCA. Leland joined and has been training for about a month in preparation for the YTS 5 Palm Harbor Kids Triathlon on September 7. It will be a 100 yard swim, 2 mile bike and 1/2 mile run. He's doing very well, especially with the mental aspect of the race. I've been talking to him about pacing and staying focused in the race environment - which is a feat in itself with such a competitive gene pool! I'm already very proud of him because I know I couldn't have done this at 9 years old! I think it will be an awesome experience for him :o)

Team AthLeeT

2008-08-29T13:29:00.005-04:00

We just got our team shirts today and they look sweet. Pictures to follow later. Thanks Mary Ann!

Felt B2R

2008-08-29T08:30:00.003-04:00

The R stands for "real fast" or "real aggressive" depending on where you are sitting. I got 20 miles in but I ended up splitting the ride into last night and this morning. Last night on the trail, I didn't find my comfort zone on the back. I felt like I was too steep, too aggressive a position but still managed to turn in an avg speed of almost 20 miles an hour for 10 miles, top speed was 23. That avg speed puts me almost 4 mph faster than my old bike. This morning, I went to my tri class. I tucked in behind the fastest rider in our group and just stayed about 6 feet off of his rear tire. My average speed this morning was about 18 mph. I was much more comfotable with my set-up this morning. I think it was mainly due to the fact that I was able to focus on this guy's tire, instead of having to look 15 or 20 feet down the road.

Finding the Right Running Sock for Me

2008-08-28T08:29:00.005-04:00

My quest for the perfect running socks began after running a 5K last weekend in my flats with no socks. Being new to running, I had never had any issues in my flats up to this point. My most recent run marked my first step in the quest to find the perfect sock – a sock that would prevent blisters. I have always had amazingly soft feet for a man. I know it sounds a bit strange to read, but it is true. I don’t have any idea why my feet are so soft, but I blister up as soon as I start running. I think it is the combonation of soft skin and the gallons of perspiration my body lets off during exercise. It is this synergy that gives me blisters the size of Texas on the balls of my feet and on my toes. I found a list of “Running Sock Reviews” at www.runnersworld.com written by Meghan Rabbit. I thought this list would give me a great starting point. Based on the fact that I sweat and I run in Florida, I crossed a couple of socks off my list right away. The Eurosocks Sprint Silver, Meghan described these as, “best for short, cold-weather runs when feet are least likely to sweat a lot.” It doesn’t get too cold in Florida, so those are out. I also excluded the DeFeet Could 9, Meghan suggested that these socks were “best for long distances in cool weather. For fans of thick socks, these offer cushioning and support that are great for any terrain.” Again the cool weather makes me not want to give them a try.

Since I had just gotten toe blisters for the first time, I started my search with the Injinji Performance Series Micro. My target goal on this run was 5 miles. The weather was nice that morning, a little water on the ground remained from Tropical Storm Fay but the temperature was perfect for a run. I exited the neighborhood and went on my way. At the 2 mile mark, my dogs were killing me especially my big toe on my right foot and the ball of my left foot. I pushed through my work-out as best I could. I limped home only completing 4.5 miles in a longer time then I had allotted for the entire 5 mile run. After testing day number one, the Injinji was not the right sock for me. On to the next victim.

I just ordered three pairs of socks to try out next from www.shoebuy.com . I ordered the Darn Tough Vermont 1/4 Sock Mesh 1493, I ordered the Teko Socks EcoMerino Tasmanian Wool Quarter Thin and the Feetures Bamboo & Wool Ultra Light Cushion Quarter. I believe only the Feetures sock is the exact sock that was tested by Meghan Rabbit and her 40 superfit feet. That will be the next pair I try on for size.

I picked up two more socks to try from www.zappos.com. I ordered the Bridgedale
X-Hale Speed Demon and the Drymax Sport SocksMaximum Protection Mini Crew. The Bridgedale is high on my list of socks to try because Meghan stated that these socks were, “best for any long run, no matter what the weather brings.” Now the Drymax aren’t on the Runner’s World list, but they had some pretty bold claims on Zappos. The #1 sock to keep feet dry, based on independent laboratory tests. We will find out!

It's here!

2008-08-27T19:28:00.005-04:00

I got to the shop a little late today, my swim practice ran over. Glenn and Sarah greeted me at the shop and I didn't even realize I was standing next to my new bike. I was pleased out how nice the yellow color scheme turned out. I love those loud colors. I haven't had a chance to ride the bike yet, I spent a few hours at the shop today trying to dial everything in. I must have tried every seat they had in the shop and then settled back on the factory Felt seat. Thank you for your patience Glenn. Dealing with those two at San Antonio Cycles was such a pleasant experience.

On to a little bike feedback. The bike is slick, the SRAM Red is very nice, only problem is the B2R does not feature the SRAM components all the way around. I was a bit puzzled when I found out the bike has Tektro brakes. I read at slowtwitch.com, that only the Tektro and Dura-ace brakes fit on the Felt, due to the placement behind the cranks. ---shrug--- So upgrading the brakes is on the list of things to do. Due to my busy training schedule this morning, plus a laundry list of overlooked chores at the house I did not get in a ride. I plan to go tomorrow and put 20 miles on her and see what she is made of.

Christmas comes early!

2008-08-26T12:23:00.002-04:00

I couldn’t be more excited about tomorrow. It is Christmas Eve and I can't get myself to sleep. I can imagine myself in the morning just waiting to come down stairs and look under the tree.

I know what is going to be under there…

A brand new 2009 Felt B2R.

Thanks to Glenn and Sarah from San Antonio Cycles. www.sananncycles.com Also, thanks to Super Dave who works at Felt. I spoke to him online at slowtwitch.com and he was able to fill me in on some B2R details.

Sarah gets the biggest thank you, because she spent a few days on the phone with Felt getting me all of the information I needed to make an intelligent decision. She was even able to get me some more pictures. Tomorrow, I plan to be at the bike store waiting for them to open the door.

Why did I pick the Felt B2R? Same reason I picked my favorite football team. The colors. Y E L L O W – yep, yellow. You can ask my wife, if something has an obnoxious color it is for me. Nothing gets my attention more than safety yellow. What do you think of when you see yellow? Slow down? So I think just the sheer sight of my bike by my competitors is instantly going to make them slow down and I will have a much better bike split.

Despite the fantastic looks of the new bike, I am more excited about finally riding a bike that fits me. I got my wife’s hand me down Trek SLR 1000 – 60CM, which is too big for me. Isn’t it great having a tall wife? I can’t wait to get off the bike and not have sore arms and hands because I just don’t fit right. Most importantly, I am gonna be fast. Like Kyle Bush fast, like Usain Bolt fast, like Lance Armstrong fast. So I might be exaggerating a little bit, but I am confident being in a better aero-position on a bike that fits I should be able to go faster. Tomorrow I will be sure to post some pics of me and my shiny new bike (minus the Christmas Tree of course, because it’s Labor Day). I have a one hour ride on the training schedule for Thursday, so I will be happy to post some feedback on my new yellow rocket.

bike and run

2008-08-25T14:26:00.000-04:00

I think Duathlons are more my speed. I enjoy the bike and the run, minus the blisters of course. Today was some brick work. I went to the Y and rode on the spin bike for 15 minutes then headed out with Tim and the rest of our tri class for a 30 minute bike ride followed by a 1.5 mile run. I did an extra half-mile cool down just for good measure. I am suppose to run again tomorrow, but I don't think my feet can handle it. I do plan on trying to swim after hitting the weights - weather permitting. I hope this swim goes better than the last.

I have a big treat waiting for me to pick up on Wednesday. I am excited, like a kid at Christmas.

Endurance Training with my wife

2008-08-24T12:46:00.002-04:00

My wife, Teresa has been training hard for triathlons so I had to join her. She started running with a group of girls about a year ago and it evolved into triathlon and running events for her. She forced me to go to the I Love Mother's Day run and we ended up having a great time. It was something the whole family enjoyed. Since I needed to work on my cardio for jiu-jitsu, I figured why not start training with the wife. We have had so much fun. We just recently completed the YTS - Tarpon super sprint, of course my wife managed to edge me out by 4 seconds. Oh, did I mention she finished the Tarpon sprint the day before at 1:09? Right now, we are both training to prepare for the Sand Key sprint on 9/21, then we have the Expedition Everest 5K on 9/27, finally we will wrap up this year with the Longleaf Tri. I am doing the sprint, while Teresa has moved up to the Olympic distance for this event. Our coaching consists of plans and emails provided by Marty Gaal of www.martygaal.com and we also work out with the world famous, Tim Pemberton at Gills YMCA.