Cone to Cone!

Phase I

Well, my race has come and gone! It was everything I expected and more! I was pretty nervous because it was my first race of the year, I hadn't ran as much as I'd liked, and my back was still the x-factor. How would it hold up??

Then I got a chance to check out the competition the day before at the pre-race registration and they looked amazingly fit. 

I also found out the swim would be staggered into 22 waves, 3 minutes apart. I was in the 11th wave at 6:51am. That meant I'd have a lot of fast swimmers in waves starting after me literally nipping at my heels:



There were 2000 competitors in the race, which meant 1000 people were starting behind me.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well the night before the race! Lol 

The morning of the race I woke up feeling pretty relaxed. I was still nervous, but I had to remind myself I wasn't racing anybody but myself. The key for me was to race MY race and finish! 

My wife took some really cool pics. Here's pics of me getting bodymarked and chilling before the swim start:





After getting checked in I'm feeling pretty relaxed and ready to race!



There were quite a few spectators out there cheering the athletes on:





The big crowds really help get you pumped up! After hearing the crowd cheer and the announcer get everybody going I was ready!

My swim started out with no problems. I prefer to start in the back because I don't want to get swam over by the faster swimmers. It took maybe 15 minutes to get comfortable in the water. 

I simply pretended I was still in the pool at Seaworld and swam at my relaxed, leisurly pace.  I was swimming with a group of people in my wave and was feeling good! 

20 minutes later, I was still swimming at my own pace and then I started to get caught from behind. It is AMAZING to me how fast some people can swim! They were literally passing me like I was standing still!

It was kinda nerve-wracking at the same time, because even though some of them passed by me no problem, others would bump into me by hitting my feet, legs, and arms! Now mind you, I have on contact lenses, so I'm PRAYING nobody hits my goggles and knocks them off!!

Then we're swimming in the middle of a lake, so it's not like I could stop and regroup. I had to just keep swimming! 

Ecen though I was getting caught by faster swimmers,  to my surprise I  started catching people from the waves before me. There were all types of swimmers out there.  If I'm the Black Turtle, i saw plenty sharks who devoured everybody in their path, marlins who swam effortlessly thru the water at top speed, baby manatees that swim slower than turtles lol and crabs thst are the slowest of all! Lol

Halfway into the swim, I saw a lady have to get rescued by a lifeguard. She was hanging onto the raft and looked really tired. The swim is no joke! It's not like running or riding a bike where you can stop if you get tired. If you stop while swimming in 20 feet of water you're in big trouble!
 
With people catching me from behind every couple minutes it was hard to keep a rythm, but I stayed calm and swim at my own pace.  To keep cool I started to think about 1 of my all time favorite songs: James Brown's Funky Good Time! Lol

"We're gonna have a funky good time;
Gonna have a funky good time;
Gotta take it hiiiigher!"

I try to do whatever it takes to keep ne motivated in open water swims. If you look at the sheer distance of the swim it can be intimidating, so I focus on getting from 1 cone to another.



They may not look that far apart when on land, but when swimming it can take forever to reach the next cone!

About 40 minutes into the swim I'm still feeling good, but I'm ready to get outta the water! I'm still swimming with a group and we're getting close to the Swim Finish. I can see it in the distance and even hear the announcer over the microphone so I start to do a spot check: 

My back, shoulders, and everything feels good and I'm not tired at all, but I'm ready to get out the water! I start to focus on the finish, but it doesn't seem like I'm getting any closer! I try to swim faster, but I'm not going any faster.

Ever hear 1 of those souped up Honda Accords with the big muffler? They make all that noise, but don't seem to go any faster? That's how I feel when I try swim faster. I'm doing a whole lotta splashing, but going the same speed! Lol So I resume my original pace and just keep swimming! Lol 

I wanted to finish the swim in 45 minutes and finished in 50. Not as fast as I wanted, but I didn't use much energy! Phase 2 was the bike, and I was ready! 

I'll post the bike portion of the race tomorrow! Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!        

The Gameplan

My race is in 2 days and I'm as ready as I'll ever be! My back has just a little bit of stiffness in the morning, but nothing to worry about. I haven't taken the pain meds since Monday, and I've had light, 45 minute low intensity swim & bike workouts just to keep the blood flowing with no problems.

Even though I feel fine, I know I'm not in tip top condition. With that said, I still feel prepared mentally and physically and have my Gameplan ready.

Everyone knows that you swim, bike, then run, but there's 1 crucial aspect of the race that's often neglected: The transition area. Time is of the essence in ALL aspects of triathlon, and much time can be lost if a person has a bad transition.

For example: A person can have a GREAT swim, but if they spend 10 minutes fiddling around in the transition drying off, cathcing their breath, or even getting LOST before they get on their bike, their race could be over. Or, they have a good bike ride, but take too much time changing their shoes or shirt to run in and can't make up that time lost on the run.

So I've been thinking of ways I can cut time in the transition area, seeing how my bike & run will be slower than I want. For the longer races, I usually wear specific gear for the swim, for the bike also, then change into something else for the run. this year I'll try something a little different and wear a new tri-suit I bought:



I've worn it several times in training & it feels good. I can wear this suit for the swim, bike AND run. So, when I finish the swim, I can literally put on my bike shoes & helmet & hit the road. Same with the run. Once I get off the bike, I can change my shoes, grab my running hat & start running. This suit alone will cut 10 minutes off my time. No wardrobe changes. This aint Rip the Runway or America's Next Top Model. I just wanna get my ish & go! lol


The next aspect that I have to focus on is my food intake. If I don't eat (or drink enough) I'll either become dehydrated, bonk, or both. And seeing how it's supposed to be sunny in the high 80's I have to make sure my energy reserves are on full all day. Here's the food that'll get me thru the bike & run (minus my water & Gator-Aide:)






The electrolytes will help me replinish the salt and minerals I lose thru sweat and help minimize/prevent muscle cramps. The Gu is a "pick me up" that gives me instant energy. Not to mention it tastes like chocolate pudding! Soooo good! lol

The Clif Bars are great! They are organic and the ingredients are all natural and made specifically for endurance sports.

Before my swim I will drink water to make sure I don't get dehydrated during the swim, and depending on how long before my swim start and I eat breakfast, I might eat a fruit cup also.

I guesstimate the 1.2 mile swim will take 45 minutes. That's basically 45 minutes of cardio with no drinking or eating. So when I finish the swim, I'll drink some water in the transition area then take an electrolyte 15 minutes into riding the bike.

When I ride the bike, I will ride at an ez tempo, with my mind on saving energy for the run. I will TRY resisit the urge to ride hard, ESPECIALLY when someone 25 years OLDER than me passes me! (Yes, that DOES happen, because those older cats are FAST!!!)

I'll start eating on a ClifBar 30 minutes into the ride, even if I'm not hungry. I'll take my 1st GU 45 minutes to an hour into the ride. I'll sip water & GatorAide continuously because it'll be hot. I'll take another electrolyte 90 minutes into the ride. At this point I'll nibble on a ClifBar every 15 minutes or so and take a 2nd Gu 2 hours into the ride.

I expect to finish the 56 mile bike in 3 hours or so. I can't begin to guess my actual time because I don't know if I'll be tired after the swim, how tough the hills will be, if it'll be windy, or if my back will be stiff. Any of these variables will make me ride slower, because I MUST have energy for the run.

At mile 54-55 I will ease up on the bike & stand more to loosen my legs & back. I want to literally hit the ground running, but this is the true unknown variable. My back feels better, but how will it feel after the ride? I think I'll have to walk for a while to loosen it up before I can run. If so, that's what I'll do, because I won't strain it trying to be hero! lol

My all time best run was in a Half Marathon about 10 years ago, when I ran in 1 hour, 55 minutes. That wasn't in a triathlon. If I had to walk the entire 13.1 miles, it'd take me close to 4 hours. So my time will be somewhere in the middle. My guess is I'll finish the run in 3 hours. They'll have aide stations every mile of the run, so being dehydrated or running out of food won't be an issue, but I'll still carry my own GU, ClifBar & bottle of GatorAide.

so, if I have a 45 minute swim, 3 hour bike and 3 hour run, I'm looking at 7 hours, give or take a few minutes in the transition areas. I know for a fact that if i finish the bike I'm gonna finish, but in what condition will that be??? I have no clue, but I can't wait to find out!

This will be my last blog until after the race. I'll post pics the day before & before the race. There are supposed to be well over a thousand athletes competing from all over the US and abroad, so this will be VERY interesting! Can't wait!!!!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, PEACE!

Getting My Mind Right!

One of my favorite things about Chicago (aside from Harold's Chicken)  is Lake Michigan. They call it a "lake," but it's HUGE! It looks like an ocean (to me) because you can't see land in the other side. It seems to go on forever. When I was 6, I thought Europe was on the other side! Lol
Here's an aerial shot, but even this doesn't do it justice:



I have plenty good memories of Lake Michigan.  One memory I have is my mother taking me for bike rides on the lake when I was about 4. She had an old bike with the baby seat on the back. I'd hold on for dear life, but it sure was fun! We'd have a little picnic and then ride back home. Good times!

We lived in an apartment where we could see the sunrise for about 15 years. I'd hang out at the beach with friends at night and when I got older, I'd ride my bike up and down the Lake on Saturday afternoons in the summer just like when she used to take me.  
 
As I got older, I liked it more & more. The Lake was VERY relaxing for me. If I'm in a bad mood or stressed, I can go by the water and clear my mind just by looking at the waves and hearing the surf hit the shore.
 
So when I decided to move, 1 of the requirements was I had to live near water. Tampa was perfect! 

A lot is going on this weekend: My race is next Sunday and I this was my last day for a "real" workout. I haven't ran outside in weeks, and I wasn't sure how my legs (or back) would handle the pounding. 

It's also Mother's Day weekend. My mother died in 1997 of cancer, and I think about her EVERY DAY. Part of the reason I don't go back home much is cuz she isn't there and I miss her terribly.  I've accepted her passing, but I still haven't gotten over it.     

So I have all these things swirling around in my mind at the same time, and needed to do something productive about it.  I gotta get my mind right, and a good way to do that was go for a run on the beach.

A beach run would be perfect in several ways;  The sand would be Easier on my knees and back; I hadn't ran on the beach yet this year and it'd be a nice change of pace; and most importantly, I could relax and reminisce about my mother.

I went to my fav beach today (Sand Key.)  It was a perfect day for a run, partly cloudy and breezy. Perfect combinations to help beat the summer heat:



People were out today doing everything from swimming to riding in kayaks:



I asked a couple to take a pic of me before I started my run today. Check out the bridge behind me. That's 1 of the bridges I train on:



My goal today was to run at an easy pace to get the kinks out and to test my back. I had no intention on trying to run fast, just a long, slow endurance run.

The cool thing about living here is there are literally dozens of beaches to choose from. Sand Key is perfect for me because it doesn't get as crowded as some of the others like Clearwater Beach (the Spring Breakbeach), which is 10 minutes away.  Here is the starting point of my run:



After about 20 minutes of running I had the entire beach to myself practically:



I do a "spot check" and I feel pretty good. No knee or back pain. So I keep trudging along at my laid back pace. Twenty minutes pass by & I still feel good. No pain anywhere. I keep my same pace and keep going.

At this point I'm totally relaxed and just enjoying the day! I'm not thinking about the race or anything. I'm relaxed and taking in my surroundings. It's very calm & peaceful out. I like to run without heeadphones, so I just listen to the waves and birds.

After an hour I decide to turn around and head back. I came upon another public beach so I was able to fill up 1 of my water bottles. This Florida heat is NO JOKE. (I NEVER run without water, Gatorade, electrolyte tablets or Clif Bars!)



As I head back, I do another spotcheck, and to my surprise, I still have no pain! I want to think my back problems are behind me, but I don't want to jump to any conclusions, so I just keep running at my "home run trot."

I'm about 90 minutes into my run and I'm starting to get tired. I want to walk, but I focus on m yform and remind myself that after today, this is it for all the hard workouts, and to see if I can keep running just a little longer. The big condo's that I passed on the start of my run are starting to get closer:. Not much longer!



I kep running and made it back in 1:56 minutes. I actually had a negative split: The return trip was 4 minutes faster than the 1st part when I turned around to come back. That's very surprising to me because I wasn't even trying to run hard or pick up the pace. If I had to guess, I think I ran 10 miles today.Maybe more, maybe less, but that's not important to me. What is important is I ran 2 hours nonstop. So next week if I start to struggle, I can remind myself that I did have a good run prior to the race and can do it again!

Seeing how I haven't ran in a while I think that's a great run, and my lack of running didn't hurt me too too bad.

My biggest concern now is how will I feel coming off the bike? Will my back be so stiff that I have to walk? If so, that's fine because the #1 goal is to finish! I have no problems with walking. Walking doesn't hurt your knees anyway! lol

After my run today I felt really good & happy. I'm not worried about next week anymore. I think I'll be fine. Getting out on the beach also helped me clear my mind. Sometimes answers to questions or problems come to me when I workout. Today I reminded myself that death is part of life, and trying to figure out the "why's" or "how comes" is a useless waste of energy. If it's God's will then so be it. Tomorrow isn't guaranteed to anybody, even if it is your mother. Yes I miss her, but if I focus on the good times that'll make it a little easier. Tomorrow isn't promised toany of us, so the key is to take full advantage of the time you DO have. I think we did that and that's comforting.

When i finish a long workout Ilike to relax a bit before I head home and today was no exception! I found me a nice spot on the beach & put out my Chicago Bulls yoga mat several bottles of ice cold water and a Subway Sammich!





No yoga todaythough. I just wanted to chill! lol I sat/laid there & relaxed for about 45 minutes before heading home. Tonight we went out with the in-laws and others in the family for a Mother's Day dinner and had a good time.

So everything's done! Not much I can do now. I'll do some light swim & bike workouts till Wednesday then after that I'm shutting it down so I can rest. After that I'll start to get mentally prepared for race day and make my race day gameplan. I'm more excited than nervous at this point, because I want to see what I can do! No matter "what" I do, I'm gonna do it 100%!

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!