Saturday, April 20, 2013

And the race calendar gets fuller...

Well, I've taken further steps towards getting myself ready for Ironman Wisconsin next year. Yep, my race selection for my full Ironman is basically locked now. So much so, that I'm also going out to Wisconsin this fall to volunteer at IMWI and get a feel for what I've gotten myself into! It'll be fun, plus I think there is at least one person that I know racing in Wisconsin this year, so I can go cheer them on too!

But we've also started to fill in the race calendar for more stepping stones to my "A" race this year in Miami and just a few other things for fun...


Event Date Race Type
Spokane River Run 4/21/2013 10K Trail Run
Bloomsday 5/5/2013 12 K Run
Chelan Camp 5/17/2013 Triathlon Camp
Issaquah Triathlon 6/1/2013 Sprint Distance Triathlon
Canada Camp 6/26/2013 Triathlon Camp
ChelanMan 7/21/2013 Olympic Distance Triathlon
Twilight Zone Terror Run 10/5/2013 10 Mile Run (Walt Disney World)
Ironman Miami 70.3 10/27/2013 Half-Ironman Distance Triathlon - "A" Race
Walt Disney World Marathon 1/12/2014 Marathon
Ironman Wisconsin Ironman Distance Triathlon (Sep 2014) - "A" Race

Ready to rock the trails...

I added this race this week because I wanted to run in an organized race as a symbol of strength, defiance, hope, and so many other emotions after the tragedy of Boston on Monday. Well, here I am in Spokane, doing a 10K trail run.

While this run is certainly a training run for me, I run for those who have lost the ability to run, I run for those that didn't get to finish their dream run, I run for those that were killed, I run for those who were injured, and I run for the Boston Marathon and the city of Boston to show that no two deranged individuals can stop us from living our dreams and coming together as a community.



I may not be running 26.2 tomorrow, but I still run for Boston.

I'm tagged and ready to go!




Thursday, April 18, 2013

Race report from Bridges to Brews

And so we have made yet another milestone! I now have a 10K race under my belt. There's a mental thing that I'd be able to call myself a real runner when I'd finished racing a 10K race, and now it's done. It may not have been the smoothest or best 10K ever, but it's done now and now I can really feel like a runner. Of course, as my coach and friends have reminded me, I've been a runner now for a while. But, it still feels good to clear that mental barrier away. We'll talk about that more later...

So, how did we come to do the Bridges to Brews 10K race? It basically started because my friend Krista and I ended up looking for a run to do after her planned race didn't pan out and I couldn't get into the race that I had looked at as a backup on the same day as her race because it was full. So, I went on a quest to find a race we could do and maybe get a group together to do. In my search, I ended up finding the Bridges to Brews 10K. So, we put together a small group with Krista, me, Lesley, and Jim and made the road trip down to Portland for the weekend to have a fun race. On top of which - free beer is included with your race registration for after the race! How cool is that as a reward?

Yeah, that's the bridge we had to run up and over!
The B2B is a really cool course, but it was certainly more intimidating than it first looked. The race starts from the Widmer brewery on the east side of the Willamette River in Portland and then it immediately climbs up onto the I-205 Fremont Bridge. That's all in the first 1.5 miles. Needless to say, plans A - G on how I wanted to do this race when right out the window. But it turned out that it was OK in the end. Once you climb up onto the bridge deck, they used the lower bridge deck, there's a little bit more of a climb up to the crest of the bridge at around mile 1.5. Almost all of the elevation gain of this course is in the first 1.5 miles, with a little bit more at around mile 6 or so.

Going into the race, my original plan was to run to at least the first aid station non-stop (which was at around mile 2.5). That plan went out the window almost right away. It didn't help that before the race that weekend my ankle went totally wonky. I tried to do a 4 mile training run on the Wednesday before the race and I ended up having to abort it at around mile 2.5 or so and it was just not a happy camper. So it was still a bit tender, but better than it was. However, that really limited my uphill running capability. Not good when that's what you've got for the first 1.5 miles. However, I just did what I could, ran most of it and then got to going.

But after you crest that bridge, you get to go charging down the freeway and into downtown Portland. It makes you feel good to pick up all of that speed! I ran all the down hill and most of the run until about mile 4. Then I made the mistake of not fueling soon enough and I really started to feel worn down and started walking more and running less. As well, I was starting to suffer from serious chafing issues. The good news is that the rain didn't start until I was into mile 5 otherwise I suspect that the chafing issues would have been a lot worse. It was actually a beautiful day even though it was overcast and threatening rain (and actually did rain). Mile 4-5 was brutal. There was an aid station at around mile 4.5 or so. All I can say is whoever, from there had the Shot Bloks, I thank you profusely! I downed those and mile 5 - 6 was over 1:00 m/mi better. It was really a clear indication of what happens when you don't fuel in time. Lesson learned!

Coach Lesley did a huge favor for me and worked her way back on the course to reel me in for just under the last mile. It felt really good to have a little company in that last mile and it really helped me pick it up one more notch all the way to the finish.

So, when I crossed the finish line, I was ahead of my goal and I thought I'd done well. Later I looked at the watch and well, we hit a PR. Now granted this was my first race at this distance, I'd run a 10K before in a training run. I smashed down my PR for 10K, 2 months old, by 3 minutes and 27 seconds. That's a pretty good improvement for just two months.

This was an awesome event, made all the better by the company I had to and from the race. So thanks to Lesley, Krista, and Jim for the excellent weekend and awesome race.

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Reflecting on Boston

My original plan was to post the race report from the Bridges to Brews 10K from Portland and catch up on the events of the last week from my training and progress, but given the events of yesterday I felt the need to talk about Boston a little bit. I'll post my catch up tomorrow instead.

The events that happened in Boston on Monday are truly horrific for anyone. For me, maybe it holds a different kind of horror because it's an endurance event that draws big crowds like many that I want to participate in. I could not help but think for a moment about the dread of if that were to happen where I was racing. My heart aches for each and every one of the participants, volunteers, officials, families, residents, and everyone affected by these events. My heart seeks relief for those who are in pain. I wish for speedy recoveries for all those injured and may comfort and peace somehow find those who are touched by those who have been lost.

But that dread and fear has passed and instead is replaced by a level of determination, maybe laced with a little anger. We cannot allow the cowards who attacked innocent people to make us change who we are and what we do. That's not to say we shouldn't take reasonable precautions. Of course, we must. But we cannot allow them to take these kind of events that bring people together from all corners of the world, the country, and our communities. We must mourn the lost and heal the wounded. But let us carry on these events. Let us have more people come out, spectators and competitors. Let us rise from the events of Boston 2013 stronger, faster, more determined. Let the events go on with more runners, more triathletes, more spectators, more everything.

They cannot defeat our spirit. Endurance athletes and those who love us know that these events are about pushing through pain, showing strength in the face of difficulty, and picking up our fellow human beings when they fall or struggle. These are traits that we know and let us use them to lead the way back from this horror.


I have chosen to register and run for a race this weekend to prove to the world that we are not afraid to come together and share the bond of competition, friendship, and comradeship the defines all endurance athletics.

Monday, April 8, 2013

Fundraising update

I think I've finally gotten everything set up!

Just as a reminder for those that may have missed the post a couple of weeks ago. I decided to make this journey back to being a healthy athlete as an opportunity to do more. I'm going to help kick cancer in the teeth. Part of my inspiration for making this journey is a good friend of mine, Christine Evans, who beat back breast cancer after she faced it down. She had nothing but grace, courage, humor, and spirit in the face of such a difficulty. I can only hope that I can show the courage and grace under fire that she has shown in battling this. And so, in her name, and in the name of every other person who faces down this beast called cancer, I am raising funds to put an end or at least put more happy endings to cancer.

My goal is to raise $25 per mile of my half-ironman (roughly $1775).

If you would like to join me in this cause, you can donate online through the following website.

I promise not to pester you through my blog about donating, but if you can - any little bit helps!

Thanks for listening and thanks for helping me give back during this journey.


Returning from a short hiatus (aka the Death Valley training report)

Whoops! Between a vacation and a busy week last with work and all, there is a lot of things to talk about. There has been good, bad, and just stuff.

Sorry about the delays, but here goes ...

The week before last, I got to spend it in Death Valley with my wonderful wife as a vacation for us, lots of picture taking for her, some picture taking for me, and then just because I'm a nutso aspiring triathlete in training ... I packed up my bike and took it with me for a little road training while I was there.

If you looked at what we packed, you'd think we were moving to Death Valley. No, really, there were only three of us going. :-)

The plan was that I was going to ride twice while I was there for about 17 miles and about 20 miles. I was going to do a couple of runs, and then some hiking around.

Lesson #42 for you in the triathlon playbook ... better be ready with plans L, M, and N because nothing ever goes according to plan A.

Unfortunately, on Monday while we were there I tried to go for a run up in the Panamint Mountains on the west side of Death Valley. I only got about 1.25 miles in before my ankle screamed at me to stop. It can be very insistent that way and when I don't do what it wants, it has a tendency to inflict pain to get my attention. I had to abort the run at that point. Now the good news is that I ran a good 1.25 miles non-stop. You may ask why that is good news? Because:

  1. It was non-stop
  2. It was at nearly 5000 feet of altitude and my normal runs are at 50 - 200 feet of altitude
  3. It was blowing me sideways off the road with a 20 mph wind
  4. I tried!
I learned some lessons. I need to look at how swollen my ankle is before I start for a run. A couple of times now that I've had to abort a run, I've noticed significant swelling in the ankle before the run starts. That needs to be a big warning sign. I suspect some of the swelling was from salty foods (lord, do they love their salt in Nevada) and some of it from travel. I also need to start wearing the compression sleeve I bought to keep it in check.

So, let's move on to the bike ride. I rode twice in Death Valley. Once from Furnace Creek to badwater and then from Stovepipe Wells to Furnace Creek. By the way, anyone who tells you Death Valley is flat ... not so much! But they were fun rides. The second ride was a struggle as it was 98 degrees that day and I had a 10 - 15 mph headwind, so I didn't make it all the way to Furnace Creek, but I conquered the big hill that was in between the two and I learned a lot about riding with nasty winds and in high heat. I may not have accomplished all of my goals,
but I look at it this way. I went on vacation, took a bike, rode in the desert, and put in miles I've never put in before. Any way you cut it, I'm making progress!




 Hiking, I didn't do as much of as a liked because the ankle acted up and the rough and uneven terrain really didn't agree with it. So, did I get in as much training as I wanted, no. But I'm still proud and impressed with myself that I did manage to get in the training that I did.

I'm getting better about dealing with adversity in training and my coach has to talk me off of the ledge now less when things go sideways. I'm sure I will continue to learn that every athlete has bumps in the road or workouts that go sideways. :)