A letter for later...

It is hard to believe that Ironman Coeur d’Alene is just 43 days from today. I am currently in week 13 of my 19-week training plan, and by all accounts, things seem to be on schedule. For those keeping score at home the volume looks like this since February 11^th when I started.

Swim – 25 Miles

Bike – 1058 Miles

Run – 209 Miles

All of that has been accomplished in about 118 hours of training, which equates to about five total 24-hour days. As I wrote back before this all started, the training really comes down to priorities. I have been on the road for work 4 of the 13 weeks so far and I have swam, bike and ran in more than a few states. In addition, I have coached Caleb and Carson’s Little League teams this spring and they are both well on their way to reaching the League City Championship (I hope I did not just jinx us).

When you train for so many hours you tend to reflect on many things, but it seems that most of all I have reflected on Caleb and Carson during this block of training. I wonder what Dad doing an Ironman means to them, and I often wonder if it means anything. Certainly, Caleb is old enough to understand the hard work, and Carson is young enough to think all of my triathlon gear is cool. However, the reality is that they will not be there to watch me cross the finish line or share in the joy. I have thought about trying to send them a message during the race or at the finish with a poster or something, but honestly, the logistics of that are probably unrealistic. Therefore, what I decided to do was right them a letter that they can read later, when they do understand, an open letter to Caleb and Carson about Ironman.

Caleb and Carson,

I think that about 8 years ago Granddad Stevens shared with me a quote that really stuck with me. In fact, I have a wooden plaque of this hanging in my office. He said it reminded him of me, at the time I was completing my dissertation for my doctorate degree.

“Some succeed because they are destined to, but most succeed because they are Determined to.”

It sounds simple enough, but in reality, it is your determination to reach for your goals and dreams that will ultimately shape your life. In school, I was not labeled Gifted and Talented, but I set out to earn that degree that less than 1% of the world population has attained and I did it. Certainly, there were smarter people that were perhaps destined to become doctors, but I was just an average student that was determined. I know that in 3^rd grade and Kindergarten it is hard to relate to what all that education stuff means, but one day you will read this and understand.

In athletics, I had similar experiences. I think it is sad today that so much pressure is put on you in sports. Like I say, I never have got upset with you for striking out or dropping a ball, but I will get upset if you do not give your best effort. I know it is hard to believe now, but you are not defined by how good of a baseball, football, basketball, soccer (name any other sport) you are when you are 6 or 9 years old. Trust me; I was no star on the Lake Jackson Little League Astros in 1982! Honestly, I was never a star athlete at much of anything. However, Grandma and Granddad instilled in me a work ethic that taught me if I wanted something bad enough and I worked hard at it I would be rewarded. Granddad always says,

“If you keep chopping wood and stacking it neatly someone will notice sooner or later.”

I have found this to be a true statement in almost everything I do. I really wanted to play baseball in college, but did you know that after I was cut from the team at Texas A&M getting another chance was not easy. On top of overcoming some horrible grades (we can talk about that when it is time to go to college), I really did not have a place to play. Instead of giving up, I had the bright idea to write a letter to every single college and university in Texas! Guess what, that was a lot of work but I got one letter back. It was from Tarleton State where I eventually walked on and became a starter before my rotator cuff decided to give out. You guys are lucky you can just e-mail the colleges now! In the end, the motivation of that poor semester in Aggieland drove me to ultimately graduate from Texas A&M 15 years after the fact with a Ph.D.

So, what is the big deal about Ironman? Like most things in life, it is about being determined to reach a goal. I hope you never have to face the fact that you are out of shape. Right now, you are both healthy little guys, and I hope you stay that way. Although, Caleb you might want to diversify your diet a bit! About 6 years ago, I weighed close to 300 pounds and I was not a happy person. Sure, on the outside, things looked okay but on the inside, they were not. I would look at you and think about how if I kept it up I would not even be able to play with you. Most of all I thought about how bad of a role model I would be or was. In late 2009, I signed up for 4 triathlons and paid for them in advance. I was determined to change my lifestyle. I chose triathlon because there was no way I could run every day, because honestly I was too fat and it would hurt my knees. I also chose it because Uncle Tobey had started racing the year before that. I was a poor swimmer and spent hours in the pool trying to get better. Uncle Tobey told me during that 2010 triathlon season that I would want to go further one day. He was right, eventually I privately thought I might could one day be fit enough to try one of the ultimate one day endurance challenges in the world. Ironically, some people say less than 1/10^th of 1% of people in the world has ever completed an Ironman. I guess I like challenges.

I knew that it would take several years to achieve that goal of becoming an Ironman. It is okay to have very long-range goals and short-term goals or long and short-term dreams! I spent two triathlon seasons, 2011 and 2012, building up my capacity to endure the long training sessions it would take to live my dream of crossing the finish line. Honestly, I still have several short-term goals to hit over the next six weeks, the main one is to not get injured or sick! I hope and pray that what you see in my training today is a determination to reach for a goal no matter how difficult or impossible it may seem. I also hope that you see that when you want something bad enough you have to prioritize what is important. What I mean is it is important for me to spend time with you at baseball practice and after school and I do that. It is important that I am at your events to share in your moments and I do that at all costs, even if it means I miss some training.

I know that you both have big dreams and goals. Carson, you are too little now to understand exactly what they are. Caleb I know they are forming in your bright mind. Both of you love the Houston Texans and J.J. Watt. He always says “Dream Big, Work Hard.” I think people forget, or choose to ignore, the part of that statement that says work hard. There are very few if anything in life that is worth having without putting in the effort and work to achieve it. There is absolutely nothing that is out of your reach, and I hope both of you know that. I also hope that when you see pictures of your Dad crossing the Ironman finish line on June 23, 2013 75 pounds lighter and transformed you will truly believe it!

Love,

Dad

One More Step...

It has been a week since Ironman 70.3 Texas, and as I reflect back, it is what happened the week following the race that may have outshined the personal best time of 6:21:29 on race day. Triathletes have what they call their “A” race and for me in 2013 that is Ironman Coeur d’Alene. However, what a difference a year made at Galveston.

	2013		2012		Diff.
Swim	0:45:01		0:51:35		0:06:34
T1	0:05:21		0:05:43		0:00:22
Bike	2:52:35		3:09:54		0:17:19
T2	0:03:44		0:05:06		0:01:22
Run	2:34:48		2:52:34		0:17:46
Total	6:21:29		7:05:12		0:43:43

 

Just a few highlights, the 2:20 / 100m swim pace was my second fastest ever in 14 races, and this includes sprints. The 19.49 MPH on the bike was my third fastest average ever; the only other times I have ridden faster were on two 12-mile sprint races. This was the first race Olympic or Half Ironman I ever ran under 12:00 minutes per mile.

The TriDot Training System had me more than ready for the race, especially when you consider that this year’s race was a part of an almost 11-hour week of training. There was no easing up on my regular scheduled training during the week; in fact, I only took off on Saturday. However, most importantly I was back in the pool on Monday morning after the race focused on Ironman. I did lower my intensity some, but capped off a decent week of training this week with a 68-mile bike ride. So now, everything is in front of me.

In exactly 10 weeks from tonight, I should have completed my first Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run). Since August of 2009, I have completed 990 triathlon-training sessions, yet less than 100 sessions stand between this goal and me right now. With as much confidence as last Sunday gave me, now I am even more focused and determined to finish strong.

I hope that I can be a little more active on the blog over these next ten weeks with some regular updates. I have so many people to thank for being a part of this incredible journey, and to Him be the glory!

 

Gulp, Math, Priorities... Let's Go!



I'll admit it I am nervous! Last week I received my TriDot Training Plan for Ironman Coeur d'Alene. When I first got it I took a quick glance, but with a looming work deadline, I put it on the back burner since the plan kicks off training on February 11th. Tonight I finally took the time to examine the 230+ hours of planned training for the next 19 weeks! Gulp! I quickly had to become my analytical self.

Hours in Week:  168
Avg. Training in Week:  12
Sleep (at least 8 hours/night):  56
Work:  40
Coaching boys baseball teams:  10

Okay, that's still 7+ hours a day to chill, relax, hang with Sarah, pray, go to church, eat, see the chiropractor, etc. Like most things, this is just about planning and priorities. I'm also a little nervous because I have not trained in two weeks. By all accounts, the Endovenous Laser Ablation was a success and tomorrow is the day that I can train again. My plan is to start easy, but I'll need to get pretty comfortable with swimming, biking and running again with the new plan kicking off in 6 days. I am pleased to report that my once 29 cm right ankle is now 24 cm! Obviously I have high hopes that this reduced swelling and increased circulation in both legs can only aid in lower leg recovery from the pounding that is about to happen.

I'm proud of the out season that I have had. I really tried to concentrate on recovering from the season improving core strength and my nutrition. I feel very fresh (other than the EVLA) heading into next week. I dropped over 10 pounds since October 28th and spent an overwhelming majority of my time running. Running is my weakness and if I am going to do well this season, it will be a key. So here we go, the countdown is on. I know there will be good days, bad days, fast days and slow days but the key is to remember I am not the Planner!

Slight Change of Plans

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about how sometimes I'm too "laser" focused on the day to day and not my journey or transformation. Ironically, the Planner gave me an interesting change of plans last week via a laser. I've been suffering from some pretty bad varicose veins (c4 level). I was living with the swelling and the fact that one leg was much larger than the other at the calf and ankle. However, after some skin issues last week due to increased poor circulation I went to see a specialist. He recommended Endovenous Laser Ablation and so yesterday and today I had the procedure on my right and then left leg respectively.

Left Leg Day 1, Right Leg Day 2

So, five months out from Ironman Coeur d'Alene today we've had our first slight plan adjustment. Rather than start training officially on January 28th, I'll have to push to February 11th. No worries, Coach Boo feels my base is where it needs to be and I know the TriDot Training System will get me to the start line and ultimately the finish line. No doubt this will be the first of many adjustments the Planner will give me on the road to Idaho! Coach was quick to remind me recently when I referenced my upcoming Ironman training of this:

You’re already “IM training.”  Started long ago.  You’re right where you need to be.  You’ll do very well.
 

If you come across this post I humbly ask for you prayers of quick recovery, increased patience and nutritional discipline for me as my activity will be nothing but walking over the next few weeks. God bless!



Appreciating the Journey

I've had some internal debate about whether I would blog during the 2013 triathlon season leading up to Ironman Coeur d'Alene in June, but have decided that I will and should. These posts are meant for personal reflection but my prayer and hope is that if you do land on this page you are better for reading it in some way. So, hear we go!

I do a lot of reflecting at church on Sundays. I presume that this isn't unique to me, but nonetheless it happens. Sunday as I entered church I saw a friend that I know is very active in endurance sports.  He had a knee brace on and Sarah asked him what happened, his reply was that he had injured his knee and his doctor said he probably should not run anymore. He then went on to say,"No Ironmans for me." It made me think about how just like that, your journey toward a goal can end. Now, there can and should be new goals but we must learn to appreciate the journey we are on.

I'm a numbers guy and I think sometimes my laser focus on the day to day makes me lose sight of the journey. I'll beat myself up over getting the right amount of protein a day rather than just enjoying the fact that 10k runs are no longer a big deal like they were most of my life or that 60 lb. ago I didn't care what I ate or drank but I was dang sure going to not miss meal! While it's easy to place a tremendous amount of emphasis on the next five months, it's also important to not forget about the journey that even got me to the point where I believed I could swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run a marathon (26.2 miles) in one day!

As we finished worship on Sunday the leader was playing 'All I Am' Phil Wickham.  One of the lyrics goes:

I give You everything, To You I belong

Every beat of my heart, the breath in my lungs

All I am is Yours, all I am is Yours

Sometimes in the midst of all the chaos it's easy to forget that we are on His journey not ours. Really we are just along for the ride, and rather than focus on the little things maybe I need to embrace the big picture and the journey. Every beat, every breath, every stroke, every pedal and every step is already laid out in His eyes.  Perhaps I have been focused too much on the plan and not the Planner!

Ironman 70.3 Austin 2012 Race Report

What a birthday weekend! October 28th, 2012, my 40th birthday, I completed my second Half Ironman. This race was much different from Ironman 70.3 Texas seven months earlier. Let us just say that I went into this race with my eyes wide open. I think in your second race at any distance, but especially the longer distances, your pre-race is much different. One big difference is that I know I am registered for Ironman Coeur d’Alene in 2013 so every chance to race is a potential learning experience and I think He gave me some great things to think about going into the out season.

The first thing He gave me was some nagging roadblocks in the last 4-6 weeks of my training to battle through. In early September a very bad sinus infection sidelined me for almost an entire week. Just a few weeks later a back strain kept me down for several days and then finally during taper week I had back spasms so bad that I was taking pain meds and muscle relaxers up until the night before the race. What I learned from this was that you better take care of and listen to your body. On the Ironman journey, there will come times when your body speaks and if you are smart, you had better listen.

The second thing He gave me was cold weather. I know it is going to be chilly in Idaho in the morning and although the water will be much colder, I think the warm-up I experienced in Austin due to the weather will only help. I am not sure the exact temperature at race start, but it was cold. Exiting the water your feet were very cold and heading out onto the bike wet was another good but chilly experience. All these things are stored in my memory bank for next summer. So here are the details.

Swim 51:07

Brrrrr!

I really thought I had a sub-50 swim in me, but I got off course for a bit and I think I lost some time. There is no doubt that the Masters Swim class I did the last two months heading into the race made me a stronger swimmer. Even though my time was just under my last Half Ironman time I exited the water not tired at all and very relaxed. The one thing that did happen that was a new experience was that I was smashed in the face twice coming down the home stretch. Both kicks were strong enough to knock my goggles off. This was great experience in recovering quickly and getting back to business. The first transition was a little slower than usual because I had to really dry off and clean my feet. The transition was very muddy and I did not want that mud in my socks the entire race. I also wore some arm warmers that took a while to get on wet arms.

Bike 3:15:42

I was very pleased with my bike. I essentially equaled my time in flat Galveston on a windy day in Austin in the hill country. I can honestly say the first hour or so the hills had me doubting my ability, but as the ride settled in things felt very comfortable. This was my first long race on my Blue Triad SL LE and “006” performed great. I think the fit is perfect and the Di2’s made all the shifting in the hills much more manageable. Coeur d’Alene has almost four times the elevation gain as Austin so I do have some work to do before next June no doubt.

Run 3:12:06

Pain!

After battling the hills and the wind, mostly in aero position, my lower back decided it was about done for the day. I stopped to talk to Sarah in transition and told her it was hurting very bad, but I thought I could walk it off and run eventually. I was partially correct. I did run eventually, but it was not consistent at all. I knew about half way around my first lap that I was in for a long run. I struggled most of the way, but can take pride in the fact that I did not quit. I was also happy the last lap was my fastest of the three loops. Maybe this was because I was ready to get off that course! The take away was that I learned I could battle through 13.1 miles of pain. Of course, here five days later I am still paying my dues on that run as my back is still very sore. The coolest part of the day was as I entered the finishing chute the announcer told everyone it was my 40th birthday, the crowd cheered and it was a great end to a painful day. Thanks to Sarah for talking to the announcer and making the end of my race extra special.

My Ironmate, friends and family

Something else He gave me to think about after this race is the fact that I am blessed to have an Ironmate, Sarah that has embraced my lifestyle change. She worked so hard to make my weekend special from the Swim, Bike and Run cupcakes to the Garmin 910XT she gave me just early enough to use in this race to the supportive “Happy Birthday!” I heard all day on the course. I know that acceptance of the triathlon insanity has taken some time, but I am glad she is along for the ride as we take this Ironman Journey together in 2013. There are many more long training rides and sore muscles to come, but as she always says, “You are the one that wants to be an Ironman.” 

I am also thankful for my new training partner Frank Pistone that has gone Sprint, Olympic, Half Ironman in his first triathlon season. I was very proud of his time in Austin and how quickly he is picking up on the finer points of the sport. He is going to have a lot of triathlon success in the future the more he learns.

One other huge thanks goes out to Mom and Dad who have kept the boys on Sarah and I’s last two race weekends together. I know the boys love going to Grandma and Granddad’s, but without your help, we really could not chase these dreams in more ways than one.  Last but not least, I'm always thankful for Tobey's last second tips and encouragement leading into a race.

So here we are. I’ve now already started an 11 week out season program. I will follow this with a 10 week lead up to Ironman 70.3 Texas 2013 in Galveston and then follow that with 11 weeks of training for Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2013! 32 weeks is going to fly by! I know that with the proper focus, listening to my many mentors and following Coach Booher’s plan becoming an Ironman on June 23, 2013 will be a reality.

Happy Anniversary!

Today is a special day for me, it is my anniversary of getting off the couch.  As I have blogged here before on August 31, 2009 I reluctantly headed to the YMCA to do something very scary, swim.  The thing that was probably scarier was knowing how far I had let myself get out of shape.  I wasn't getting any younger and I knew that the big four zero was looming.  In fact it still is, but I have a new outlook on that number! For the record here are some stats since that day in 2009.

I'll admit it I'm a big statistical nerd, but as they say what gets measured gets done.  Everyone needs some benchmarks in order to mark and show improvement.  Last month I toed the line at my 12th triathlon, and I'll admit that I am now addicted to this sport.  On my 40th birthday on October 28, 2012 I'll race Ironman 70.3 Austin. However, that will just be the beginning of the birthday celebration.  In 2013, I'm also registered for Ironman Texas 70.3 and Ironman Coeur d'Alene in Idaho.  So I guess if I'm successful (which I plan to be) I'll be couch to Ironman in about four years.

If you are reading this and you believe that you have insurmountable odds to get into better physical shape, I hope you see that persistence and consistency will pay off.  I have worked out at least three out of every four days now for three straight years.  The key is taking that initial step.  I still have many things to learn before an Ironman in 2013, but I've put myself in the position to dream that dream.  Quite honestly, it is not somewhere I ever imagined I would be. For those that do not know an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, followed by a 112 mile bike and then a 26.2 mile marathon.  This journey must be completed in 17 hours to be considered an Ironman finisher.

Consider this, to this point in my training in year one I averaged just 34 minutes per workout.  In year two just 45 minutes per workout and in year three that number is just at 55 minutes per workout.  I told you I liked statistics!  The average American watches just under 5 hours of television per day and is on Facebook 26 minutes per day. Looking at these numbers makes me frustrated that I didn't start sooner, and makes me think of minutes I won't ever get back. I read this quote recently that resonated with me...

"If our lives can end so suddenly and so arbitrarily, then we need to take our chances when we can.  You cannot wait for the perfect day to arrive because it might not."

I'm really not sure how many perfect days lie ahead, but I'm not taking chances. It's time. I'm really not too sure how often I will blog about my Ironman journey. Right now I really feel as though it's an internal quest. However, I am sure there will be more posts and race reports between now and June 23, 2013.  Of course, I haven't made this journey alone and there are many family members, teammates, coaches and friends to thank.  That is another long blog post for another day.  I hope you enjoy and God bless!

About a month and half before I got serious.

5 Months Ago... 1st Half Ironman Finish

Ironman Texas 70.3 2012 Race Report

Pre-Race:

My pre-race routine really went as planned. Mom and Dad were kind enough to loan me there additional bed at the Moody Gardens Hotel so that meant a little extra sleep. I was asleep around 8:45 PM and woke up just before my alarm went off at 4:45 AM. My breakfast was two wheat bagels with peanut butter and two bananas along with a cup of coffee. I headed down to my bike to get setup around 5:10 AM and that all went according to plan.

We walked as a team down to the swim start and all waited our turn to start the race. I was very calm all morning, and really didn't feel the usual nerves I have before a race. As I stood on the shore analyzing the swim buoys thinking of my plan a seagull bombed me and I saw that as a sign that I better pray and get on over to the pier. Cindy prayed for me and some other teammates and I was off on my adventure.



Swim:

Since I was down with the team I got a late start to the pier so when I got there I had to fight through two waves of athletes to get to my group. As you walked on the pier an Ironman staff member said, "Okay folks no strokes or heart attacks out there, get focused!" How is that for a reality check at 7:35 AM? 

I stood on the pier staring at my IM OK and Epilepsy Foundation wrist bands. I said a prayer for Kaden, and all those living with Epilepsy and prayed that His light would shine through me all day no matter what happened good or bad.  At that point the gun went off for the wave ahead of me and we started moving toward the water, but something else happened.  The song "My Hero" by the Foo Fighters came blaring through the speakers.

This wouldn't seem significant, except for the fact that this was the very first song I put on my playlist when I began working out consistently two and a half years ago. This is when I dreamed of just getting back into shape and being a better example to the boys, not doing a Half Ironman.  This was the song that moved me along 50 pounds ago. At that moment just like the moment when I decided to sign up for this race I felt like God was right there with me. I knew it was His race and this reminded me of that. As I dove into the saltwater I had tears in my eyes and did for a good portion of the swim.

The swim went better than planned. My time was 51 minutes and 35 seconds. To put this in perspective my pace was 2:40 / 100 meters. I have only swam faster than that in a race three times and they were all sprints of less than 500 yards. I had hoped to go under one hour and I crushed that time so exiting the water I was really pumped up. I saw Mom and Dad as I ran to transition and the wet suit strippers got that thing off me fast. The only problem was when they pulled it off I got a huge Charlie Horse in my left hamstring. I hobbled into transition and took some extra time to stretch and collect myself. I spent 5:43 in transition, and then I was off for my 56 mile bike ride.



Bike:

I mentioned in a previous blog post that I needed to have my "should" bike and not my "could" bike and I think I accomplished this. The first 28 miles had a pretty good head wind with some cross wind. I had a heart rate cap of 145 but as I began on my ride it was stuck at about 155 pushing against the wind.  I made a strategic decision to try and get no higher than 155, but to not let the wind get the best of me. It really became a race to the turnaround knowing that with a little more tail wind my heart rate would go down. I was very disciplined on my fuel intake and really drank more than I planned on the way out.  Once I got to the turn I ate a Clif Bar for "lunch" and just as I predicted my heart rate slowly came down.  When I hit mile 40 everything was right where I wanted it, I thought about making a strong push but just kept my pace and stayed patient.

A few other thoughts about the bike... One of the cool experiences was once I was down the island a bit Lance Armstrong, who was in the lead, came roaring by me in the opposite direction. Seeing the big Timex timing truck, motorcycles and cameras really made me reflect on the caliber of event I was competing in. It was also good to see Tobey on the course.  He caught me 21 miles into the bike ride as I was heading up on the San Luis Pass Bridge. He slowed down to make sure I was well, I gave him a good report and he pressed on. The last thing was this journey was really a trip down memory lane.  Growing up on the coast I had traveled this road many times.  Seeing the Rusty Hook bait shop and the people fishing under the San Luis Pass Bridge brought back some fond memories.

Knowing that Sarah and the boys were going to be at the bike finish was also extremely motivating. When it seemed like I really wanted to slow down I would think of how glad I would be to see them the rest of the day. I predicted my bike split to be 3 hours and 10 minutes a few weeks ago, and it ended up being 3:09:54. That is just 6 seconds from my prediction.

Run:

When I started the run I felt very good. I knew that I had put myself in position to exceed expectations and break the 7 hours mark. I was able to hold a good pace for almost 5 miles, but began to experience some pretty severe leg cramps between miles 5 and 7. I made sure to get plenty of fluids and electrolytes at the aid stations and it worked as I was able to actually speed up some between miles 7 and 9. Thank you volunteers for all you do!  The support we had at the aid stations was incredible, praise God for cold sponges! This race course was three loops, so as I hit that last loop I told myself to enjoy it. The cramps were getting more severe and more frequent but I was almost done! I looked at my watch and knew that I would really have to push to break 7 hours. I made a few runs at it that last lap, but in the end I was running on fumes. 7 hours 5 minutes and 12 seconds, it is done!

I want to thank all the many tri4Him members and friends that encouraged me out on the run course. It was a blessing to have each of you in those moments to share this experience with.

Post-Race:
This was a special day for many reasons. First, we raised awareness and funding for the Epilepsy Foundation in Memory of Kaden Smith. Through the hard work of my teammates that volunteered Sunday we should bring our fundraising total to well over $2000. This effort is our 2012 tri4Him Houston Mission and we will not stop fighting and raising awareness until our last team member crosses the finish line at Ironman Arizona on November 18, 2012! We will reach our $7,030 goal.

The second thing that made this special for me was that this was a goal I set for myself two years ago. If you know me patience isn't my strongest attribute. Triathlon and getting back into shape has taught me many things about patience. The day I set this goal it seemed so distant, it was only 14 days after I had finished my first triathlon. As I ran that last lap Sunday I spent a lot of time thinking about my next goals.

Last, as I have mentioned before it is such a blessing to share race day with family. Having Sarah, Caleb and Carson there was awesome! I hope as the boys get older they realize that they can do anything that you put your mind to. Mom and Dad continue to become professional triathlon spectators and they are an awesome support crew whether helping getting my bike checked in or providing a soft bed. Racing with Tobey is always fun, how many brothers can say they've competed in a Half Ironman together? His fiancé Kelly and her extended family just make it all even better. Thanks Ronnie and Cindy for all you do for us and for tri4Him!

My next race is April 29th in Kemah. It will be a return to my first race site and race distance, this should be fun!

The Run

COUNTDOWN WIDGETS

We are less than three weeks out from Ironman Texas 70.3 and now it's time to focus on the run portion of the race.  (if you missed the swim and bike previews see previous weeks) The run is by far the most difficult part of a triathlon.  This is the last discipline of the race, and it is where the wheels can fall off from physical or mental fatigue.  In golf you drive for show and putt for dough, well in triathlon you bike for show and run for dough.  I do not consider myself a runner.  This past Thursday I just completed my first half marathon.  When I look back on this run through League City alone with no cheering crowds or medals it really is quite unbelievable to me.  Who would have thought I'd run a half marathon on a week day through the rain and wind, it really just doesn't make sense.  That's what I love about triathlon! It pushes people to do things that really don't make sense to most.

The last couple of miles were pretty painful Thursday.  I kept thinking that this was on relatively fresh legs and that on April 1st I'll be, by my own estimates, at least 4 hours and 15 minutes into the race before I even start to run.  The week before last I had my first race rehearsal.  I swam the complete distance at race pace on Friday and on Sunday rode the entire bike distance and then ran one hour.  I only mustered a little over 5 miles in that run, due to some fueling issues (i.e cramps).  I have another set of rehearsals coming up this weekend and I think I have a new plan to get me all the way through the race safely in terms of what I eat and drink on the course.  The important thing for me is to run my race.  Hebrews 12:1 says "And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."  It will be important that with all those around me that I run the race marked for me by Him.

My goal for this Half Marathon is 2 hours and 45 minutes.  I think this is reasonable and attainable given that this is my first race at this distance.  So for those of you counting at home the total time prediction / goal with about 5 minutes per transition is right at 7 hours.  If I go under this I will be stoked.  You can track my progress at www.ironmanlive.com I am #1002 and I'll be starting my swim at 7:40 AM.  

Again, there is a huge reason for this race.  Please read here if you haven't already about how this journey all got started 8 months ago.  We have already raised over $1400 since that post and we will reach our goal of $7030 before the end of the season.  This can only happen with your donations and the sharing of the First Giving link.  I would love to see how much we can impact our goal leading up to the race and on race day.  This mission fuels me and my tri4Him teammates.  God bless!

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Here are the links so that you can share them and thanks in advance for being a part of team IM OK (In Memory of Kaden)

First Giving http://bit.ly/tri4HimIMOK2012

Original Post http://bit.ly/IMOK703Story

The Bike

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5 Weeks until Ironman Texas 70.3!  I guess I'll stick with the fishing theme from last week for a little while.  When I look at this bike map all I can think of is the memories I have fishing along this route.  We'll be traveling over the San Luis Pass Bridge and then I'll have Christmas Bay and Drum Bay on my right.  This is a pretty straightforward ride, a simple 28 miles out and 28 miles back.  The not so simple part will be the wind.  More than likely it will be a headwind for the first half and a tailwind for the second half, but there are no guarantees.


The key for me on the bike will be to have my "should" bike and not my 
"could" bike, as Coach Booher says.  What I mean by this is the key is to have enough gas left in the tank when I finish the ride to finish my first half marathon at the end of the race.  I've learned this the hard way a few times on some shorter races, but that lack of discipline on April 1st will make for a very long day.  My goal will be to keep my heart rate in a normal range and to have it relatively low once I enter into the second transition for the run.  My time estimate for completing the bike is 3 hours and 10 minutes.  I'll be doing two race rehearsals in the next few weeks so we'll definitely be putting that estimate to the test.


One of the cool things about the bike for this race is that (cross your fingers) I'll be riding a new one.  I ordered a 2012 Blue Triad SL LE back in October that is somewhere in the Pacific Ocean on a container ship as we speak.  This bike is a generous gift from my Mom and Dad who continue to support me in every aspect of my life.  For the record, this bike is way out of my triathlon skill range but no doubt it will be a fun and fast ride.  Thanks Mom and Dad, I'll try and do the Blue justice on April 1st.

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Did I mention there will be some guy named Lance racing Ironman Texas 70.3.  My guess is that since the pros will be going off at least an hour before me he'll zip by some time after I just get my bike started.  I think one of the coolest thing about triathlon is that we share the course with the pros.  What other sport do you get to do that, not many?  He and I will have something in common, not speed (he got 2nd place in his first race), we will be racing for a reason.  Lance Armstrong has partnered with Ironman to try and race $1 Million for those affected by cancer, and I have partnered with my awesome team, tri4Him, to raise money for the Epilepsy Foundation of South and Central Texas in Memory of Kaden Smith.  You can click here to donate to the cause, we are already 20% to our goal!


If you want to read the story about our Race for a Reason 2012, just read some previous posts.  Next Sunday I'll talk about the last discipline of the triathlon, the run and recap my first race rehearsal.

The Swim

Today is six weeks until Ironman Texas 70.3, and I've decided that I'll try to do a weekly update every Sunday leading up to the race.  I'll take a look at each discipline in the race starting with the swim today, then the bike, the run and of course on race day in the evening I'll try and get out a race report.  I'm not sure what to write in the other two slots, but I'm sure as this goal gets closer something will become clear.

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The swim at a Half Ironman consists of a 1.2 mile swim and this is the first thing that you do.  I'll depart the friendly confines of Palm Beach at Moody Gardens and head northeast, then straight west across Offatts Bayou, and then straight south past The Colonel Paddlewheel Boat onto dry land.  This is a very similar swim to the one I did last October in Galveston and the currents really played some tricks on me.  I'm usually not a very straight swimmer to begin with in open water so that will be my challenge on this course.  I think the experience that I gained in the fall will be huge in helping me navigate the course.  My goal for this swim is just under one hour, and I do not see this moving much before April 1st.  I did three 1500 meter swims last year averaging just less than 48 minutes.  This swim is an additional 430 meters so I think one hour is a reasonable goal. This takes into consideration that I also might get kicked in the head, stomach, etc.  By the way, this is not considered a fast Half Ironman swim by any stretch and will put me pretty close to the back of the pack to start the bike.

Not a big trout, but this is me fishing
in Offatts Bayou...not swimming!  You
can see Moody Gardens behind me.
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The swim is the main barrier that I think keeps people from trying a triathlon.  I'm not going to sugar coat it, when you first begin thinking about swimming in open water it is kind of scary.  It was never really Jaws scary for me, but the fear of drowning was pretty high on my list.  It wasn't that long ago that the only thing I thought Offatts Bayou was good for was fishing!  The veterans used to tell me that swimming was the easiest part of triathlon, "just relax" they would say.  I can say now that they are correct, it is kind of relaxing once you learn the correct technique and get in the right mental state.  You really just need to swim a lot, I've swam over 103 miles since I began training in August 2009. That's over 3.5 days in the water!

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Ultimately, if you want to get into the sport and dive in literally you need to "Redefine your can't" or "Redefine your possible" as my friend from church Robert Key says.  I ran across this document the other day, this was my training plan from the 1st week I started.  You'll notice the blazing fast 375 yard swim in 30 minutes, and the training volume of 1:45.  At nearly 300 lbs. this was a big deal for me. The most important thing on this page is the goal, what's yours?

Our goal in tri4Him Houston for 2012 is to raise funds for the Epilepsy Foundation in honor of Kaden Smith.  If you've been reading along you've heard this story. My hope and prayer is that you can be a part of our goal.  The best thing you can do to help beside donate funds is to share this link (http://bit.ly/tri4HimIMOK2012) with as many people as you can.  We will be working all season to meet our goal of $7,030, but I'm dedicating this particular race In Memory of Kaden (IM OK) and I want to get the team off to a great start.

Next Sunday I'll be talking bike or run, it will be a blog time decision.