Glancing Back, But Focusing on the Future!

Glancing Back, Focusing Forward!

Well, my 1st race has come and gone and I'm quite happy with my result. To be honest, if I woulda came in dead last I would've been ok with that. Even though I'm a competitor, I'm also a realist! These races are hard, and if a person refuses to quit, keeps going and finishes, that's a winner to me! Every race I've been to, other athletes who have finished have cheered other competitors on who finished well after them, or congratulated those who even beat them.

I wish LIFE could be that way. Instead of cheering each other on or offering moral support through tough times, some of us will secretly hate on others or even try PREVENT them from succeeding. WTF...

I digress. Back to the SPORTS BLOG...lol

Even when I'm out there competing and suffering I try savor the moment because just like everything else in life, those events will become a distant memory, and all you may have left are photos and little momentos of those times. Times that can never be completely duplicated.

I have plenty pics from the race, and now I have my last momento: the Official Finisher's Certificate:



For athletes, the days after a race can be depressing. They don't have anything else to really train for or look forward to. They have all this free time and nothing to do with it. All they have is the memories.

You see that in life as well. People living in the past because they have nothing to look forward to. But the key is to keep giving yourself something strive for and the desire to achieve it.

Remembering your past accomplishments or milestones is great, but at the same time, it's important to have a new adventure on the horizon!

I'm a guy who likes to work out, plain & simple. It's a great stress releiver. Just so happens I discovered triathlons and now I do those. Even if there were no such thing as triathlon, I'd still swim, bike and run on a regular (along with yoga & weight training) because I think they are the best for your overall conditioning. In addition to the conditioning is the cross training aspect. Your workouts won't get boring because you're always doing something different, the chance of injuring yourself from overuse (running for example) is diminished, and you work more muscle groups as a whole.

With that said, it was back to the gym to lift weights yesterday. I haven't lifted weights since i hurt my back over a month ago. I wasn't worried about it, because I'm pain free now, and I have a new weight belt. I had it on under my shirt and had it tighter than corset! I wasn't taking any chances! lol

I have gradually gotten back into working out since the race. The week after I relaxed all week and did a light 45 minute ride on my indoor trainer that Saturday. This past Monday I swam for an hour, Tuesday I lifted weights, and tonight i rode my indoor trainer for an hour. I'm about 90% recovered from the race as i type this.

Before I lifted weights yesterday I checked my measurements. I still monitor these closely:







(In case anybody is wondering, the address listed is fake. Nunya Circle in the address stands for Nunya business! lol)

Since I'm in my early 40's (WOW!) I have to really be aware of my health and make sure everything's working properly! The machine they provide isn't exact, but the numbers are still pretty consistent so I'm OK with them.

I like this gym much better than Sea World. It has a better vibe to me. It's spacious and most people are there to work out, as opposed to the other gym where it seems to be more of a social club than a health club:



My workout last night was pretty lethargic. I felt rusty & kept it at a lower intensity and used less weight than I'd normally use. I'll gradually ease back into my normal weights over the next couple weeks. My routine yesterday was as follows:

10 minutes of warmups: jumping jacks & stretches

abs:
bicycle crunches 40 reps
leg raises 50 reps
regular crunches 50 reps

chest:
dumbell bench presses - 2 sets of 10 @ 80 pounds

shoulders:
seated dumbell lateral raises - 2 sets of 10 @20 pounds

back:
seated cable rows - 2 sets of 10 @ 180 pounds

shoulders:
seated dumbell shoulder presses - 2 sets @ 55 pounds

biceps:
standing barbell curls w/curl bar - 2 sets @ 90 pounds

triceps:
lying dumbell triceps extensions - 2 sets @ 50 pounds

abs (again:)

bicycle crunches 40 reps
leg raises 50 reps
regular crunches 50 reps

My total workout lasted about an hour. It felt good to be back in the gym. I had never hurt my back lifting before and I have to be more careful not to repeat my past mistake. I think I wasn't fully concentrating on what I was doing and that mental lapse cost me weeks of pain & setbacks. Luckily I got past it & I'm better for it.

The plan for the next several weeks is to work out, but not train. There's a big difference between the 2. There are 2 more races I want to do: a sprint triathlon in July and another half ironman in September. I won't really think too much about them right now. I want to give myself a mental break & relax a bit. When the time comes, I will get focused & start hitting it hard again, but right now, I'm thinking about that bar-b-que I'm gonna get with this Memorial Day weekend! lol

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!

2 Down, 1 to Go!

The Home Stretch!

The swim & bike went pretty well for me.  I was maybe 30 minutes behind my projected time, but I was feeling good so that's all that really mattered.  I saw a lot of carnage up to this point:  a woman had to rescued in the water, several guys with flats & trying to fix them, and the guy who cramped up & needed electrolytes.  I had gotten this far pretty much in 1 peice!

I got off the bike & ran into transition and put on some sun screen.  I had been out in that hot sun for 5.5 hours and my name was about to change my name to jeffrey BLACK cuz i was getting a serious tan!  lol

I started the run doing my customary "home run trot."  I was feeling really good, because I knew I'd finish at this point, and the spectators were cheering us like crazy!  What I liked was how we had our names on our race bib, so I kept hearing "looking good, jeff!"  "You're almost done, Jeff!"  "Keep it up, Jeff"  

That really does boost your spirits and give you a surge of energy!

My goal for the run was to take my time & run like I did last week on the beach:  slow & steady.  It was starting to get REALLY hot out there, so I started putting ice in my hat to cool my head, as well as down the front & back of my shirt.  This Florida heat is NO JOKE.  It just zaps my energy.  So I decided to just run a slow trot & coast thru the run.  

They had aide stations on almost every mile of the run full of evertyhing a runner would need:  ice, water, cola, pretzels, bananas, energy gels, cookies, etc.  These are things that give you a quick energy boost.  I'd stop at every aide station and get as much ice as I could put into my hat and let it melt over my head.  it felt GOOD!  lol  

By the time I started running, there were plenty people already on the course.  Some of them were running as if they hadn't been doing anything all day.  Just looked amazingly fresh & fast.  Others looked like they had been to hell & back.  Totally worn down & just walking!  I saw 1 guy who was literally laid out on the ground.  Dude was coherent but in some serious pain.  I suspect he was cramping.  Race volunteers were out there with him putting ice all over him & giving him water.  After I passed him I heard the paramedics.  His day was done!

Meanwhile,I was running, but not very fast.  I was passing people and getting passed.  Honestly, it didn't matter at that point, because all I wanted to do was finish in 1 piece because the heat was starting to bother me. I didn't want to be in the hospital next to old boy with an IV!  

I ran the first 7 miles feeling Ok and then I started to feel the heat.  The sun was beating down on us & I felt my energy levels dropping.  I was still taking my electrolyte pills, GU and Clif Bars, but at this point it wasn't enough.  I also needed a bed, shade, and air conditioning!

At mile 7.5 I'm doing a slow motion home run trot.  5 minutes later I'm officially walking and snap this pic:



There was a long line of us who were just trying to survive at this point.  LOL  I wasn't in any serious pian or anything, but I knew I had to slow it down and pace myself.  

At mile 9 I'm so close to the finish i can feel it, but I feel the heat & discomfort more than anything else.  An official race photographer took this pic:



The heat is really bad, and it looks like me and the people behind me are in a walkathon, not a triathlon! Lol

But I keep it moving!

At this ponint the race, everyone around you is suffering as bad as you are, and we offer each other encouragement and offer congrats on a job well done. I'm smiling and jokng on the outside, but on the inside I'm singing another tune:

Wth have I gotten myself into??
Next time somebody pass me like I'm standing still I'm gonna trip they asses!
Why is it do damn hot??
My feet hurt!
I just want my medal so I can get the hell outta here!
If I eat 1 more clif bar I'm gonna puke!
I'm getting too old for this sh!t!

Yes, these are real thoughts I had after being out in this heat for 6 hours. lol
 
I had been doing a run/walk combo but at mile 12 I have decided to straight WALK. I really wanted to run, but figured I wouldn't start running till I see spectators. Lol Also, I want to make sure I cross the finish line in style! Lol

Even though I'm tired & hurting at this point, I feel good! I feel good cuz I know I'm less than 10 minutes from finishing this torture, and I went thru a lot to get to the start line. And now I'm going to finish!

At about mile 12.5 we start to see spectators and I resume my home run trot. Other athletes who finished before me are out cheering us on and giving ^5s. It's really cool when other athletes cheer you on, because they know exactly how you feel!

It's now mile 13 and I'm running! I'm no longer tired cuz I see the finish line in the distance. It's a wrap! Now I gotta finish this mofo strong!

I hit the chute and it's lined with spectators and they are cheering me on and I give some more ^5s. I'm hyped now, and put my hands up in victory:



The announcer says the phrase I've been waiting MONTHS to hear:

"crossing the line from Brandon, Florida, Jeffery White!"





Words really can't express how GOOD I felt completing this challenge. People always say "enjoy the journey" and thanks to triathlon, I understand that concept even more. 

I finished the race in 7.5 hours, but I trained for months to get ready. I had to deal with injuries, time constraints, work, home, various issues that'd pop up from time to time, but I made it thru. Going thru those things made crossing the line that much sweeter, because even with all the potential setbacks I stuck with it and made it thru!

All this was going thru my mind when the race photographer said "congrats Jeffrey! Let me get a pic of you and that medal!"

Like I gonna say no! Lol!



This is my "I'm a bad mofo pose!" lol. Now I have to keep it real: the overall winner finished in enough time to watch Car Wash and half of Godfather Part 1, but I didn't care! A month ago I wasn't even sure I was even doing the race so I was good! Lol



All in all, Im happy with my race. I gave it all I had. Looking back, I couldn't do any better. I left it all on the course!

I'm very thankful I was able to race and finish in 1 piece. Others weren't so lucky. I heard there was a crash on the bike course involving about 20 cyclists. A couple had to go to the hospital with broken collar bones. All I have is a little soreness. I don't even have any back pain!

God was with me on Sunday!

After the race my wife and I went to 
Friendly's for dinner for some great hamburgers and ice cream:

  



What a great way to end the day!

All in all, I had a great race. The journey was tough, but well worth it. I have no regrets, and I'm looking forward to the next challenge.



Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!

Phase II: The Bike

Phase II of Ironman Florida was the bike and I couldn't wait to get out the water! I have an occassional bout of attention deficit disorder that kicks in from time to time. It just so happened to kick in on Sunday! 

Here's me exiting the swim:





Like I said before, the transitions are just as important as the actual race.  In addition to getting on your bike as quick as possible, you have to FIND your bike! There were 2000 competitors, and that means there were 2000 bikes:



Trying to find your bike in all this can be quite traumatic if you get turned around! I've seen people get frantic cuz they couldn't find their bike. I have learned to do 2 things: 

1. Always get there early to rack my bike before the race. That way I can get an end spot thus easier to find. Most racks are first come, first serve.

2. Look for landmarks around the transition: trees, flags, etc. so I can find my bike easier.

I easily found my bike this time and hit the road:



My plan for the ride was to ride at an easy tempo to save my legs (and back) for the run. My goal was to finish in 3 hours. With that said, I was mentally prepared to let riders pass my thru-out the bike.  

The key would be for me to be as aerodynamic as possible. That meant I'd ride in the aero position as long as I could comfortably, remembering to eat and drink often to keep my energy levels up.

Here's a pic of me on the bike course. Many of these pics were taken by the official race photographers along the race course: 



I was quite comfortable on the bike. My back felt good and every so often I'd pick up my pace for just a couple minutes just to test my legs. I'd also stand up and pedal to stretch my back. 

One thing I really like about this sport is even though it's very competitive, people still help each other and offer words of encouragement. Several times during the ride, I heard "great ride" or "looking good!" as i passed someone or got pased myself. One guy was passing me and said "your Cliff Bars are about to fall out of your pocket!" The last thing you want to do is lose your food on the bike! And if you're riding in a group, trying to stop and get it could be dangerous!! 

I was cruising along around mile 35 when I saw a guy standing next to his bike stretching and grimacing. I knew what was wrong: he was cramping and was trying to loosen his muscles. I stopped and asked him if he needed any electrolytes as I held out a handful I had in a sandwich bag. He said yes and asked if he could have 2. I gave him 2, wished him luck and took off again.  I didn't see him after that, but I hope he made it. You hate to see someone put in all that training and can't finish!!

Around mile 45 I started to get a slight cramp in MY left leg. To be honest, I'm not sure WHY I got a cramp because I wasn't really pushing it. Hell, I've ridden harder in training! I had plenty electrolytes and was eating and drinking plenty so I didn't know what the deal was. As a result, I had to sit up take another electrolyte and slow up a bit.

Here's another pic from an official race photographer. I can look at this pic and tell I was tired:



I think it comes down to my conditioning. It was good, but not where it would be if I hadn't gotten injured. But dwelling on that wouldn't do me any good at that point in time, so I decided to not dwell on it and just try ride at my own pace.

By mile 50 I was feeling better. The leg cramps had disappeared, but I decided to keep riding at an easier pace because I'd be running soon. I passed an equal share of riders who passed me, so overall I had a good ride.  

I finished the ride in approximately  3:20 minutes, 20 minutes slower than I anticipated. I think that leg cramp cost me 10 minutes, but that's ok, because I felt good and ready for the run!

Next blog will be about the run! That long, long run in the HOT Florida sun! Lol

Thanks for reading! Till next time, peace!