So It's Over

So it's over...
     I spent the last month (yes a full 30 days) off away from the gym, no weekly long runs,  no 3 hour bike rides, just me and the couch. I finished my test season with completing the Kansas City Marathon. I decided after that to listen to my body and a lot of pro athletes and just step away for a break. It's crazy to think of what a year of testing your body will do. I started with the hopes of pushing my limits and prepping my body for what I assumed was going to be a rough year of just signing up for different race distances and seeing what my body would do under the severe pressure and I tried to make peace with the idea of starting a bunch of races and most likely not finishing them, simply for the fact that I had never did anything longer then a 4 mile race I figured it would give me a gauge to what I needed to do for my Rookie season as a Triathlete. Then some craziness happen during each race I made the decision that the pain alone was not reason to not finish so every time I thought I was going to quit I put my head down and decided it wasn't a real option. Then a wild thing happened  I became a 70.3 Ironman and as I finished the race and the announcer said welcome to the club I realized I would never be the same. I did something I honestly believed wasn't possible and I thought how did this happen ? It sounds crazy but when I woke up on that morning of a real deal 70.3 Ironman and drove to the race I was worried I had never swam in open water I had never swam that distance (and it was the roughest thing ever) then I was going to quit I couldn't bike I just sit there done and a volunteer ran over and said get on your bike if your going to catch anyone you need to get on your bike so I did and I rode as hard as I could for 56 miles (before that day my longest training ride was 32 miles) and as I came into view of the bike to run transition area I thought just get your shoes on a walk a little bit before quitting so at least you know what is like to try and run after you swim and bike. Yes if you follow my blog I make a horrible decision over and over and train for a race while I run a race, it's a decision I hope never to make again but no promises. As I got my shoes on and exited the transition area and hit the track a weird thing happened I saw other athletes and decided to jog (really a combo of crawl, walk, and hobble) towards other athletes because I knew as I passed each one my competitive nature just might drag me closer to the finish line and it did in fact somehow it dragged me 70.3 miles all the way to the finish line. Which tricked my brain for a very rough ride.

The Kansas City Marathon

about 2 weeks before my very 1st Marathon I injured my left knee (hyper extended it) sprained my ankle (very severe sprain) and threw my hips out of alignment (all on the left side) so as I always do I took a day off only because the pain wouldn't allow me to run and I decided to slow down I only ran 2 more runs a 9 miler and a 11 miler before the pain became to much and I would have to hobble home. I got some advice from my wife "don't run stay off your leg maybe try for a half marathon, you can always try again next year".. I decided the night before the race that I would show up and stretch and try the half marathon, its a good distance for me and I was comfortable with walking some if I had to. As the race started I was at the back of the pack around the 13 minute pace group I knew that a 14 minute pace was needed to qualify to finish the marathon in the allowed time. As the race started I was blessed by the cold it was around 37 degrees and I did no warm up so my leg just worked with me and was too cold to hurt after about 10 minutes I was with my normal 9 minute pace group and decided I was going to push it and try to make it under the cutoff  so at least I would make it onto the marathon course (I wasn't going to be able to finish it but at least I would make it to the course) Then all craziness happen I did the half marathon course in 2 hours and was no where near them even thinking about cutting anyone yet. I was ok as long as I didn't stop moving. Due to the pain I shifted all my weight to my right side which was too much stress so I started cramping bad but as a training Ironman cramps is something you run through so I did and I was lucky enough that in my desperation was yelling to race fans "does anyone have a banana or an orange" and some saint on Ward Parkway ran into his house jogged up to me and handed me a banana and it saved me. I just kept moving. Around mile 22ish I also got careless they had us crossing 4 lanes of traffic and between the lanes was one of those small 2 foot dividers with a little hump in the middle to divide traffic. I didn't adjust my stride and came of the island with my hurt left side and as I landed it didn't support my weight and I fell and fell hard. My iPod had died so I was carrying my phone and when I fell I crushed it. I got up and kinda walked for about 20 feet up a hill spoke real bad to myself then said a short prayer asking God to just let me finish. As I got to the top of the hill it was a steep downhill so I tried to jog and my legs starting moving again and I kept jogging for the rest of the 3ish miles left. After finishing I walked to my car and put my head down and thanked god then I cried a little once again I did something that the morning of I thought was impossible. when I got home My wife said "so you ran the whole thing" I said "barely" and she said "I knew that was going to happen" which is funny because I didn't...

I now have an Idea of what I can do and what races I like... I like Ironman distance and half marathons or longer. Nothing shorter it seems I'm not fast enough yet but I will be so Today starts day one of my 1st year of Rookie training...

Keeping My Head Down

I know it's been awhile since my last post...

     I spent several months pushing hard to become a triathlete and after my 2 trial Tri's, I was sunk to a pretty low mental state. I had a lot of frustrations with how my races went (manly with how fast I was) I have spent most of my life in the Top of whatever sport I have thrown myself into. And didn't do well with just having a goal of just Finishing. So I took a break from all the biking and swimming and have just been running. I have never run a marathon so a marathon is on my schedule (ready or not) for the last 2 months I have spent it trying to get on a schedule so that come race day I'll be ready. The last few weeks have been rough. I had a 15 mile and 2 16 mile runs for my long runs and it feels like my legs are never going to back to 100%. It's weird but when you have to swim bike run you learn where to take breaks with your legs but when all your doing is running then there is no easy way but to put in the miles. Also due to the amount of mileage and current heat in Kansas City I have been pushed back to a treadmill which after about 30 minutes of a 90 minute run gets real boring (That reminds me I need a new run mix) so here is a idea of my next few weeks of workouts

I'm on week 11

 and like the title says I've just been busy Keeping My Head Down and grinding out miles.    

Fear

     While I was on my bike for my last long ride Saturday and since I have been training without music for the last week (trying to do every couple of workouts without music since Ironman frowns upon Music for safety) During a 2 hour no music ride my mind wonders....Lets start off that I push myself to extremes as shown in past blogs. I'm not sure 100% why but I do know it has to do with FEAR. I have a huge fear of failing in most things I try that's why I workout so hard and do things that people think are crazy.  During my bike ride I started worrying about my up coming tri, OK I was really only worrying about the swim portion I know as long as I make it to my bike I will drag myself to the finish but 1st I have to make it past the swim. Yes I've been doing swim workouts the last month but I really have only been swimming a few months which only equals about 15-20 swim workouts and some of those were spent on getting some kind of form. So I'm as new as you can get. So while I was on the bike I came up with a plan and tonight (Tuesday) that plan goes into effect. I'm going to go home and around 7 pm I'm going to run a hard 10 k then go swim a mile, then tomorrow I'm going to ride a hard 15 miles then swim a mile. I figure if I can swim a mile after my body has been pushed and is tired then after a few days rest I should mentally be ready for a swim with a fresh body. Yes I know my body can make the distance, it's just some stupid fear hanging around because I remember how hard the Ironman Kansas swim was.

Sorry...This isn't an actual blog post This was just a thought that I wanted to share since who ever has been reading this blog is in some part a part of my journey and so I want to give some insight as to how my mind is working.


As I do before any race I'm asking anyone reading this.... If you pray, Please pray for me and lets see what I can do... Feel free to leave any questions and/or comments I could use them.... Thanks

Another Week Another Test

     I am in the roughest part of my Tri workout season due to Having my last Tri (Lawrence Tri) of the season on July 21st and after Ironman Kansas I'm not blind to my weaknesses (Swimming) so I have chosen to spend a lot of time in the pool. As an example I have 13 days til Race day and I have 7 swim workouts scheduled and currently my swim clothes are kept in my car in case I get a chance to take a long lunch and can squeeze in a quick swim. And all that is on top of my normal Bike/Run workouts. I'm putting in about 100-150 miles of training a week and am looking forward to taking apart my season and figuring out where I can get better for next season. My goal is a sub 5 hour Ironman (70.3) next season.
     I am also looking forward to Marathon training. Mostly because I have become a runner and so its the discipline (Swim/Bike/RUN) that I enjoy the most. I have never run anything longer then a half marathon and am liking the idea of going back to the basics and just pushing my legs to their limit. I am also reaching out to a few friends, ex coaches, strangers that I see running, and trying to tap into their secrets because I would like to run a sub 3:30 1st marathon and eventually a sub 3:00 at some point but I need help since right now I'm somewhere around 4 hours.

A few cool things that have been going on...

SLS3 (My sponsor, so yes I'm showing a little favoritism) Sent out a news letter to all their blog subscribers and this is what the email looked like.

They used a picture of my oldest son and I from Ironman Kansas which I think is cool

Also on their website the athlete section is under construction so they have a link to a YouTube video picture slide show of some of their athletes and the last picture on the video is me (superman style). http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=MiZPrX5tM4U

I have found out that I do not like knowing my weakness, I like being blissfully ignorant to what I can't master but now that I know what they are I will do everything possible in the off season to correct them. And in of itself is my Journey and ANOTHER TEST.

To all the swimmers out there You people are Beasts and I mean that in the most jealous of ways. But know this by next season swimming won't be my Kryptonite.

   

Ironman Kansas 70.3

     Ironman Kansas is over and I'm left with a strange feeling so I'll start with how my week went.

I had a 21 mile group bike ride on Monday with wheel cyclery (1st group ride ever) and it went OK. I had never taken the route we rode so I didn't know where to ride hard and where to take it easy. It went fine I just like to work out alone so the idea of riding and talking isn't always my thing but I needed the experience of being in a pack and having to pay attention to other riders. Tuesday my legs were tired and I went for a 12 mile run. I took the rest of the week to let my body rest for Ironman weekend. Friday I helped with the Convoy of Hope Volunteer Rally then went home packed my bike and got some sleep. Saturday morning I got up early and spent from 6am to 1pm handing out shoes to the needy. It was a good morning hot but still good.. It helped keep my mind off of the race. After Convoy I drove to Ironman village and got marked up for the race and picked up my race packet and listened to a rules and update meeting. As I was walking to get my bike Craig "Crowie" Alexander was coming of the course and I asked for a picture since he is most likely the current worlds best Ironman.



Yes that is a sweet Convoy of Hope Shirt

They changed the rule about having to check your bike on Friday due to the storm but I decided I would go ahead and leave my bike so I. I brought trash bags and covered my bike from the coming storm and drove home. I prepped all my gear and packed my car and went to bed (usually I'm to amped up to sleep but convoy wore me out and helped with falling asleep).

Race Day 

I woke up at 3:30 and took a shower got dressed and triple checked to make sure I had everything.

I drove an hour to the race. When I got there a lot of people had not checked their bikes yet so everyone was moving slow and it seemed crowded. by the time I walked from where I parked to the race site I only had 30 minutes to set up so I went to the Bike2Run transition and set up my running shoes and hat. then made my way to the Swim2Bike transition area with about 5 minutes so I did no set up I took out my wet suit and goggles/swim cap and set all my other gear in front of my bike still packed since they were closing the area and I walked over to a tent and started to slip on my wetsuit. after I got it on I turned around and looked for some help (I haven't worn a wetsuit enough to know how to zip it up behind my back by myself.) A women in front of me had the same look so I zipped her up then she helped me. I heard some people talking and turned around and behind me was team refuel (Chocolate Milk) which was Hines Ward his coach Paula Newby-Fraser and a couple of people I didn't recognize. The announcer asked for any 1st timers to raise their hands and Hines and my hand went up. I wished him luck and he did the same and he moved ahead of me to join his age group. Bang the gun went off and the Pro Men took off and they started loading every one into the water. Groups start in the water 3 minutes apart. I moved away from the pack before my age group (30-34) got into the water and prayed a quick prayer asking for god to help me finish what I'm starting and help me end today as an Ironman. I entered the water and we hang out for about 2 minutes treading water then they shoot off the gun. I am a pool swimmer and have been training to be fast (Wrong Idea) I went to the inside and went hard as I could. I caught the next age group and that was a horrible mistake. I pushed to hard to start and caught the next age group and as I put my head down for a 2nd push and got kicked hard so I swiveled to the left and got hit on the head with an elbow hard enough to see a flash of light and knock my goggles off. I stopped swimming and a safety canoe was by me and asked if I was OK. I started swimming and said yeah I was just bumped and he said he saw me get hit a minute ago and was worried because I quit moving I looked around and no one was around me I said I was fine and swam away from the canoe. I was freaked out. I grew up in martial arts so I'm no stranger to getting kicked (never before by a Super bowl MVP) but I was trying to shake it off. I was swimming against the current in choppy water now with no goggles and after about 20 minutes my left leg cramped up and didn't want to kick so I went slow, horrible slow and did I mention it was my 1st time ever swimming in open water. I made the turn and headed for the exit ramp a half mile away which seemed like 5 miles away, and just kept swimming and rolling over on my back to rest every few minutes. with about 50 yards to go the safety canoe was back with me and asked if I needed a break. I said I didn't think I had time for a break. I made another attempt and freestyle and my legs were done both my right leg and left foot were cramped and refusing to help. then the Canoe guy said you have 2 minutes and you can make it if you speed up just a little. I tried to speed up but had nothing left then 2 safety boats came over and I could hear yelling that it was time to dig deep you can make it, it's time to push. I put my head under the water and kicked as hard as I could, while my head was under I asked god to just get me to my bike before time ran out. When my head came out of the water I was about 20 feet from the ramp and the were starting the last minute countdown. I couldn't swim anymore. I had been in the water for an hour I relaxed my right leg to try and get rid of the cramp and it hit rocks... Yes, adrenaline kicked in and I stood up. the guy on the ramp helping people said swim don't walk it will be faster, I yelled I can't swim anymore. I had no time the ramp guy took a step off the ramp and put his hand out I reached and puled myself out. I ran up the ramp stunned and in shock. That swim was the hardest physical feat I had ever done and I was dazed and confused.

I walked over to my bike and took off my wet suit. I put some sunscreen on my face and arms (not very well because I'm crispy now) tried to get my compression socks on after a few minutes a referee came over and said everyone is 15-20 minutes ahead of you you need to get on your bike. I grabbed my Nike running socks (low cut ankle socks) and decided to put them on and leave my others. I put on my shoes put everything in my bag moved it away from my bike and grabbed my helmet and took off. As I came out of the transition people were packing up and moving to the park for the rest of the race. One of the volunteers yelled make way we got 1 athlete still under the time limit and everyone put their stuff down and started cheering. It was crazy, I'm the slowest swimmer yet they are cheering like I'm the fastest. It took about 4 minutes on the bike to clear the haze from my brain,

Once it was clear I decided to chase some people down. I'm not the fastest swimmer but riding a bike and running is what I do. I moved up 30 spots biking

and 45 running and total after people quit got hurt or their bikes broke I beat around 200 people (think what I could do if I work on my swim) The bike was tough. It was my 1st ever ride over 30 miles and I always use music but it wasn't aloud during Ironman. By the time I made it to the run my legs were spent so I ran, walked, jogged limped my way through the half marathon and yes I did it Sunday June 9th I became an Ironman (70.3) It was a long 8 hours but at least now I have an idea of what to expect.

a lot of things helped me do it these are a few that stand out

- The water safety team (they were awesome) If the canoe guy would have just watched and not cared enough to tell me to push I only had 2 minutes I would have never made it to my bike.

- My new bike (thanks to my mother in law) the course had crazy hills and my other bike would have been a monster 

- The crowd (they cheered for me even when I was alone on my bike)

- My Wife (she came out to support me and had to handle my 2 little boys all weekend so I could race)

- My 2 sons Will is to young to know what I was doing but Tyce isn't and I want him to know that anything is possible and that limits are made to be tested. At mile 13 he ran a few yards with me, and he believed I would finish even if I wasn't sure and everyone needs people like that. That was the best part of the race.

                    

I have A lot More I want to talk about but I wanted to send out a quick update and will make another post when I have more time...

                                                  

Panic Has Set In !!!

     I'm a few days away from my very 1st Tri and it is the Kansas Ironman 70.3... Yeah it's the real deal not just some goal or dream I have been thinking about it is a race less then a week away. Here is a list of reasons why I'm worried

- Have been fighting being real sick the past 10 days

- Missed 5 Training Days due to being sick

- 1st Tri was canceled so I have no clue what to expect (pain level, my limits etc.)

- Never pushed myself through a full 7 hour straight workout

- Longest race to date is a half marathon (now I'm going to swim 1.2 miles then bike 54 miles then run a half marathon)

- Long time record of biting off more than I can chew

and that's just a quick list of things I'm worried about. To calm myself and hopefully get my mind right I'm doing 9 intense workouts 3 swims, 3 bike, 3 runs and 1 each will be full distance at pace or better just so that I have an idea. I have also made a few changes in my race gear as to hopefully help my chances of finishing. I humbled myself and gave up the idea of finishing this season on a stock walmart bike and found a super light aluminum and carbon fiber bike (Fuji R1) on sale and have been logging miles on it trying to be ready to race on it. I also added aero bars and am clipping in so that hopefully I'll have some legs left when I get off for the run portion.



I've also switched out stock seat and steam with a black carbon fiber steam and black Felt seat,
and have clipless pedals and Black Lizard skin handlebar tape   


Also I've decided to take both my low cut Nike padded running socks and my awesome SLS3 compression socks so that on race day I can decide which to put on during the race (the heat will be the factor. I am almost down to 145 lbs so if its cool out I'll wear the long compression socks. but the athletes I've talked to say it's usually a crazy hot course so I may go with Nike socks to be cooler.) I am also wearing a Orca S3 sleeveless Wetsuit.

As I do before any race I'm asking anyone reading this.... If you pray, Please pray for me and lets see what I can do... Feel free to leave any questions and/or comments I could use them.... Thanks




I came from a martial arts backround so I get a lot of motavation from the greatest MartialArtest ever Bruce Lee



My Luck Ran Out

So my pre race week didn't go as planned...

I live a pretty blessed life as far as the big picture is concerned. I 90% of the time stay in good health (even when I lived on junk) which also helps my training because I stay big injury free and miss very few workouts
I am able to most days motivate myself mentally enough to push myself on what I consider to be a pretty large workout load and I live in a nice house and have family and friends who put up with the craziness of Ironman training, I would like to say people consider me lucky because it seems I more often then not end up in the right place at the right time but last week my luck ran out...

     Sunday my wife left for Alabama for the week. I did get in a 25 mile bike ride and a very short walk jog in. Then my 1 and a half year old got sick (stomach flu) and I spent a couple of days taking care of him and only managed a couple of short runs. Then as he got better my 3 and a half caught it which led to another day of taking care of sick kids... The issue with my 3 and a half year old is he is a mini me and if he gets sick then usually he is one of the only people that can get me sick and he did so 2 days away from race day I couldn't keep anything down I was missing sleep due to taking care of the boys and some pre 1st race ever nerves.  I spent Friday getting sick and playing a very strange game of trying to put in more fluid then my body would kick out (I lost). I did something late Friday that I would never suggest but I was at a crossroads

A. keep playing this losing game and maybe end up dehydrated
B. Put nothing in and hope I'm better the next day
C. Pull the in case of emergency lever and force my body to follow my rules

Of course I picked option 3. (Once again what I did was an extreme and I don't in any way suggest this) After working all day I went to My pre Primal favorite restaurant Los Corrals and ordered My usual with extra liquid cheese dip and ate everything I could find and then drank 4 glasses of water then waited to see what happens... I went and picked up my sons from school and took them home we had a normal night (at which time I was taking in as much liquid as I could find) and then picked up my wife from the airport around 9:40 pm. I still felt horrible but I was holding on to some hydration and I was at least not losing anything I might need come race time. Wow you might be saying to yourself how did you know that one of the worst meals you could ever eat 2 days before a race would fix you. Well before I became Paleo/Primal I would eat anything I thought I wanted and then try to work out and twice in my training I ate this meal and twice I almost didn't make it through a run because my body didn't/couldn't digest this weird mixture of carbs, processed wheat etc so I used that knowledge to benefit me for once. Crazy I know but that;s just the way my brain works. Saturday I woke up and felt like I ate junk the night before so I started with liquids again and most of it was staying with me. I slept in and then got a haircut and drank some homemade juice (Broccoli, tomato, peppers, apples) and everything was looking up. I went to the race packet pick up and got all my goodies and then attended a wedding for my wife's cousin and the wedding was fine but when we got to the reception. As soon as we got in the room I started sweating (my body was on high alert still fighting what ever was left of the stomach flu) I looked around and everyone was acting like it was warm so I knew I was in trouble. I started drinking as much water as the waiter would bring me and the party went on as normal. My pre race meal was a Grilled fish fillet, a small slice of Prime Rib and a salad. by the time we left I had lost any spare fluid I had built up for the race. I went home and packed my car for the Tri and went to sleep about 11pm at 3:30am I got up double checked all my gear and left for the race. I got to the race set up my transition area and was getting ready to take pics for my post race blog when a bunch of the guys said rain is coming cover your stuff. I jogged back to my car got a couple of trash bags and   covered all my gear (I hate running in wet shoes) It started raining and then I walked around in the rain for an hour. I then put on my wetsuit and started my pre race fuel process. I went down to the beach to get a feel for the lake water and warm up. As soon as I hit the beach they called everyone out of the water and asked everyone to wait so they could make a decision on if the race was going to happen. It was cancelled and I was crushed. I packed up my bike and sit in my car and watched everyone pack up their stuff and I drove home in silence.
     I took a nap and after talking to my wife and moping around for a couple of hours I decided to do the Tri on my own so I went to the gym and jumped in the pool. then drove to the downtown airport and rode my bike 25 miles then hopped off and ran a 10k... At mile 12 I flipped my bike and sled through the shoulder and into the grass of course there were 2 real cyclist following me and passed without even talking to me. I then got up took my bike back to the car thought about quitting but instead fixed my bike and started the ride again. By the time I was running I was out of energy I didn't stop and get more fuel so I did the whole Tri on 48 oz of liquid and 1 gel and so i had to stumble through the last 2 miles but at least I finished. It was a rough week and it beat me but no time to worry about it now I have 19 days til Ironman Kansas so it's time to up my workouts and hope I can handle it....

Now or Never

     So my 1st Tri (Olympic Distance) is Sunday (Yeah this Sunday only a few days from now) and as the title suggest it's now or never. My body is as ready as it will be for this race so it should be an easy week I'm doing an easy swim, run and bike workout this week then nothing Thur, Fri or Saturday to let my body be fully prepared for race day. I'm still trying to figure out the magic number for days before a race to be fully ready and right now it feels like maybe 3 is the right number. I crushed my workouts last week ending the week with about 80 miles on the bike 30 miles running 3.5 miles in the pool so hopefully my body can do what I ask come race day.

A few of this weeks highlights

- Received Wetsuit (Pro level S4) and tested it out at the pool in the gym and yes I got lots of weird looks for wearing a full wetsuit at the gym but I was told to test it so that's what I did. I'll give a full review after race test.

- Did not 1 but 2 full bike to run workouts (full distance) 25 miles biking then running 6 miles and fell like as long as I can make it through the swim I should be OK to finish.

If You Know Me That is How I talk To Myself

     My body has been pushed to it workout limits with my crazy 2 or more a day workouts for the last 2 weeks and I truly am in the best shape of my life so I'm interested to see how I do. I have never done a full 4-5 hour straight endurance race and hope I don't fall apart but I have worked out through hot, cold, pain, poor nutrition so I have tried to come up with several plans to help me through any situation I might endure during the Tri. I also have a goal time of 4 hours. Only because I think it is important to have a goal.

1 hour-Swim
2 hour-Bike
1 hour-10k

Wish me luck, And if you pray I'll take any prayers... Thanks in advance

Next week's blog will be a post race update and a schedule of my attempt at a crazy jump from Olympic Tri distance to Half Ironman Distance since I only have 20 days between races.

Olympic Distance- 32 miles total
Half ironman Distance- 70.3 miles total

Everyday Circus

     I'm not sure how every age grouper does their training but I once heard something from a Pro Triathlete (Chris “Macca” McCormack)  that when you are wrapping your head around training for a triathlon it's like deciding to join the circus and due to my new training schedule it feels that way. Let me just let you in on a day in the life of Chris the hopefully, possible, wishful soon to be an Iron Man.

-Wake up 5:45- Jump on the Bike for a quick 10-15 mile Ride-Whip up a Vegetable/Fruit Juice for Breakfast
-Shower and get ready for work
 -Wake up my 2 little boys and get them ready for Daycare
-Take my boys to daycare and go to work
-8:30 Work
-11:00 Show up at the gym for a quick Swim Workout (Every other day)
-12:00 Drink more Vegetable/Fruit juice on my way back to work
-12:15-4:45 Work
-5:15 show up at home and spend time with the family
-7:00 Eat Diner
-8:00 Put boys to bed and try and relax for an hour or so
-10:00 Back to the gym for a Bike Workout followed by a Run workout
-12:30 show up at home and try and go to bed





I try and take Sundays off and on Friday/Saturday I only do a long Bike Ride or Long Run

So as you can see when I put the Tri sticker on my car I didn't do it to be cool I did it because sometimes (A Lot) I need motivation anywhere I can get it.

Also when people ask me why I switched to the Primal lifestyle I explain I needed to do something to help my body go to the next level. And a funny but true fact: During the day after each workout I'm tired but I still have way more energy then when I was drinking 2 20oz Mountain Dews a day (and maybe a can or 2 of Red Bull) So trust me the Truth is in the Vegetable/Fruit...




And yes these are not doctored I can Juggle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Week in the Life of A Ironman in Training

     This week of working out was great, I spent most days doing at least 2 workouts a day on some days I did 3. I feel like I'm close to being as ready as I can be for the Kansas City Tri (Except the swim) I spent every other day in the pool and if I wasn't in the pool I rowed so I'm upping my distance for the next 6 pool workouts to the full distance (1 mile) so hopefully my swim base will be strong enough to keep me competitive. Also lets mention the awesome training weather we are still having in the Midwest. I ran in fog, mist, freezing rain but it did start with an awesome 80 degree day. And yes my bike is back hooked up to the trainer. Also lets clear the air. As always your goal for your 1st race should just be to Finish but I have a horrible competitive addiction so if I'm running a race I am trying to win (even if winning is an impossible feat) and often (almost always) this gets me into lots of trouble and puts my body through horrible race day pain but it's what I do.

I've been using my new Nike TomTom watch and it is great. It works off a GPS signal and also syncs with the bluetooth shoe sensor so even if the watch loses signal it just switches over to your shoe sensor and keeps accurate tracking of distance, pace, total run time, avg pace, laps. The display is huge so it's easy to read and the buttons are easy to reach during run and a single push changes the stats and something My 3 year old thinks is great is a slap light. Any time you slap the watch it lights up so if your running in the dark (Like I did last Tuesday night (10:30-11:20) also you can set the slap to also set your laps. I also like how Nike Plus keeps track of all your stats on their website.. Which by the way yesterday was Cinco De Mayo and they gave a special badge to anyone who did any working out on may 5th.

Also last week I hit day 100 of using the Nike Fuelband... I know I'm a nerd but I'll take extra motivation where ever I can get it.

I have a post I typed up last week and haven't added a picture but I will do it tonight so most likely I will post 2 today....Your welcome..........If anyone is out there ?

March of Dimes Weekend

     So 20 Days till My very 1st Tri (Kansas City Tri) and I once again have started upping my workouts (Will post schedule in Next Post) Last week went good I made it through the week feeling good and like I was where I should be. During my long run on Saturday at about Mile 4 My Nike sport band quit and so I had to switch to the Nike app on my phone to get all my data. After I got home and called Nike (Cassandra) a Customer Service Manager hooked me up with the new Nike Tom Tom Watch just to keep me happy. And by happy I mean fitting it into my budget and by fitting it in to my budget I mean free So a BIG shout out to the Nike customer service rep Cassandra (Thanks)

Yes It Is HUGE

or does it just make my wrist look skinny

So I drove to the Nike store to pick up my watch I went home and The Family and I went to Church.

 

Sunday My family and I met up with my younger brother and all did the March of Dimes for my Niece who was born at only 26 weeks

So the weekend was short but good... 

I loved this shirt

The New Me

I have been receiving  a lot of questions about My new lifestyle so here is a quick update...

I received an email from Dan a Nutritionist helping me live a more Paleo/Primal lifestyle and this is what he asked.

"Chris as always we at MDA love your blog and seeing someone in each phase of change, but as you become more aware of your daily eating choices and lifestyle we are wondering if you would be opposed to using the word Primal instead of  Paleo. You have given a lot of credit to the Primal Blueprint to map out your new lifestyle we just want to make sure your readers are clear and know where to look if they have any questions about your new exciting health."  Since the first day you emailed me, You have been a constant Primal Role Model and we hope to use you to help others reach a place where they can live a happy lifestyle GROK style.

And of course I will....

For starters I was introduced to http://www.marksdailyapple.com/#axzz2RJGPyPVN by my wife and then went to work researching Paleo and decided to make the jump. I got a copy of The Primal Blueprint and went to work reforming the way I eat. Since the 1st time I emailed Mark, he and his team have been nothing but helpful. When People ask why I eat the way I do or why I seem to be low carbing I tell them I went Paleo. If they want me to better explain I say actually a hybrid of Paleo called Primal created by a ex endurance athlete Mark Sisson I then explain some of how I eat. Staying away from wheat and highly processed foods etc. So for the record I am living the PRIMAL lifestyle but paleo is a good starting point. Here is an article to explain the differences.

 Paleo Vs Primal

The Paleo Diet and Primal Blueprint, it’s true, are based on similar evolutionary science. The story goes something like this. Our modern Western diet bears little resemblance to the eating habits of early humans throughout 100,000+ years of evolutionary history. Instead, since the agricultural revolution some mere 10,000 years ago, we’ve adopted a nutritional regime that our physiology wasn’t and still isn’t adequately adapted to. When the basics of our diet return to the patterns of our pre-agricultural ancestors, we’re operating with, instead of against, our natural physiology. More simply: eat as our ancestors ate, and we’ll be healthier for it.

More specifically, the Paleo Diet and Primal Blueprint both suggest, limit carb intake (especially grains), eat more protein and include lots of veggies as a base. But in the midst of this common ground are some significant interpretational differences and approaches. Association, comparison – sure. But conflation? Not so fast.

A fundamental difference? The role of saturated fats. Cordain and many within the paleo community continue to harbor a fear of saturated fats as the bogey that raises cholesterol and instigates heart disease instead of a critical source of nutrients for neurological functioning and other essential physiological processes. Partaking of only lean meats, eschewing butter and coconut oil (two Primal Blueprint favorites based on health benefits supported by extensive research), restricting egg consumption – this is not your Granddaddy Grok’s diet.

As many critics of the Paleo Diet have pointed out, early humans left virtually nothing of the animal carcasses they were so fortunate to bag. And the fact is they favored not the lean muscle meat but the richer organ meats, bone marrow and even fat deposits themselves. Grok, after all, was just trying to get enough calories and nutrients to stay alive from one day to the next. The denser in energy, the more valued the food. (And, can we add here, more tasty?)

And then there’s the discrepancies surrounding other fats. Sure, there’s a general agreement about the importance of omega 3:6 balance, but the particulars diverge. In the Primal Blueprint, unlike Cordain’s version of the Paleo Diet, omega 3 sources like canola oil are suspect. The fact is, the deodorization process that canola oil is nearly always subjected to removes the omega 3 content. But when you’ve written off saturated fat sources (like good old coconut oil), you’re pretty much stuck wading in the murky waters of processed polyunsaturated products. What’s wrong with this picture?

Also at issue is the role of diet sodas (allowed by Cordain) and other artificial sweeteners. The opinion of many in the paleo community is that as long as it’s not sugar, it’s acceptable. Working around the problem like this seems to be nothing more than a manipulation. Although the Primal Blueprint doesn’t demonize the occasional use of artificial sweeteners, it makes the stipulation that its use should be limited to foods or beverages that will inherently add something positive to the diet. In other words, if you aren’t getting anything positive from the meal or drink, you shouldn’t be taking the risk of the artificial sweetener. A better angle? Expand your cooking repertoire. Train your taste buds in the right direction, and don’t let the artificial stuff get in the way of that progress.

Finally and most importantly, the Primal Blueprint works as a broad, holistic approach to living and not simply a list for eating. While the majority of the underlying assumptions and suggestions of the Paleo Diet are generally sound, the diet encompasses only a fraction of what it takes to live a healthy life in the modern world.

The Primal Blueprint recommends wise supplementation appropriate to counter the stressors and toxins unique to our life today. (Grok didn’t have it all bad.) In its fitness and stress management approach, the Blueprint further highlights and capitalizes on our natural physiological functioning. The Blueprint emphasizes the overlap of good diet with essential fitness and relaxation principles to maximize muscle mass and organ reserve and to defend against the inflammation, sarcopenia and other preventable factors behind the aging process.

And isn’t it a comfort to know that power over your health is seated in more than diet? The big picture of a healthy, fit and happy lifestyle involves more than isolating a specific issue. The Primal Blueprint was designed for the purpose of offering a guide for all elements of healthy living. Let’s face it, some days life makes it particularly difficult to have the perfect diet. We like to think of the Primal Blueprint design as a comprehensive cover, so to speak. The knowledge and efforts you exert in each area (diet, fitness, supplementation, stress management, sleep, etc.) can make a difference when the realities of day to day life keep you from doing a 100% in a given area.

Read more: http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whats-the-difference-between-primal-and-paleo/#ixzz2ROXT2WPx

Please feel free to ask me any questions either by emailing me with the link on the top left of this page or leaving a comment... Thanks

Rain Rain Go Away

     Alright, I am ok with the rain, it's the ice and hail and freezing cold I dislike. I only have 25 days of training left until my very 1st Tri and it looks like it's going to be freezing. A lot of people have dropped out due to the fact that ice is still covering the lake and regardless of how hot it gets the water is going to be freezing cold.

Yes this is a picture of Hail/Sleet on my way to work today....late April

I have a feeling that it's going to be a very long time for my 1st Tri since I will be swimming in freezing water for my 1st ever open water swim, then jumping on my bike which has only been on the road 3 times (I'm wearing out my indoor trainer) then try a 6  mile run most likely still frozen but why not I only had to pay $120.00 bucks for what looks to be a very rough day. Welcome to the world of Triathlon...

On to some cool news if any one checks out my sponsor on Twitter @SLSTRI they switched their profile picture to a picture of me, the one from my last post where I was ripping my shirt off superman style. Did I mention I love being a part of Team SLS3.... 

Suit Up

     1st off I'll start with a short little mention of my Great Great Grandma-Momma 8 (Don't ask me how I came up with that number because I don't have a group of moms so I assume I added my other grandma's, aunts, etc and since I'm not a mathematician I came up with the magic number of 8/besides I was 3 years old)
She taught me more then a handful of life lessons, which help me become me. She would let me wear my superman cape under my clothes regardless of where we were going. She taught me that spinach worked just like explained by Popeye (which I still love 30 years later raw,cooked however)... All of that leads to this when you have on a super hero suit you feel ready for action and hope to get the opportunity to rip your shirt off and Bam show the world your ready. It is an awesome feeling...

     I opened up a little non discript package from my sponsor and a very thin outfit was inside. It was amazing, a team outfit custom made for me. I instantly pulled my clothes off and put it on, Lets just say it is tight. It is a size small and lets just say it leaves no room for the imagination. I felt cool being part of a small team of triathletes getting to support  team SLS3. I then took the suit off folded it up to test later and moved on. I put it on and went for a bike ride about a week later, and about 20 minutes into the ride I started thinking about the suit since I try and review any and everything I use. That's when I noticed it. It feels like I'm naked it doesn't seem to be squeezing or pulling or rubbing anywhere. It's CRAZY !!! I love it and it reminds me of the superman cape, I am just looking for reasons to put it on. I have tested it 2 more times a long run, and another bike ride and it just feels like part of me not a suit. The public won't see it until May 19th Kansas City Tri but lets just say sometimes I wear it around the house (Purely test purposes) and I can't get over how it feels... I am rating it a perfect 5 out of 5 and am more then looking forward to suiting up for this seasons tri's. 

Horrible Idea

     Bad News, I let myself down on Race Day...

It started when I felt tired going in to Friday night so I decided to get my race gear ready but also to add some extra carbs in just in case I needed them (Bad Idea #1) Then after putting about 90 carbs I started getting my gear ready

After everything was all set out I watched a little TV then tried to go to bed but all the carbs decided I wasn't doing that and my brain wouldn't shut down. I slept from 2am to 4am (Bad Idea #2) got up rechecked all my gear watched some more TV then took a shower got ready. Arrived at the race not ready due to the cold. It was in the 30's and I don't deal well with the cold, I feel like I never fully warm up. I was wearing running shorts a T-Shirt so I wasn't in cold weather gear but I hoped it would warm up (Bad Idea #3). The race started and I was OK I felt out of rhythm but OK. As we took the 1st curve it seemed like everyone was on top of each other and as the road opened up I saw the 1:30 Pace Group and felt like it was just a short sprint away so I took off (WORST Idea #4) I ran the 1st 3 miles with this group so my 1st 3 miles went 5:43,5:22,5:28 which is insane. I train for a pace of 7:30-8:30 per mile and so I'm used to drinking at this pace I can pull a gel out of my pocket and rip it open and down it no problem. but at the pace I was running I couldn't take a gel out, trying to grab a cup out of someones hand is more like just slapping a cup out of there hand so lets just say I skipped the 1st drink station and did nothing other then yell at myself to keep up with these guys. It was brutal and I should have never had done it but I did. After that the wheels fell off for the rest of the race. Here was my plan. Run with the 1:50 pace group have a nice and smooth 1st race and with a mile to go push it to the limit and hopefully PR by a lot. Once the race started I changed my plan to run with the big dogs for a few miles then drop my pace to the 1:40 group and since it was 10 minutes slower it should feel good and I would still sprint the last mile and set a crazy PR. This is how it really went. I took off as fast as I could run, caught the group with out any problems, then realized my full out was there pace so a lot of crazy talk went on in my head alot of just keep pushing it. Did I just miss the drink station, my legs are on fire, this is crazy. then I started to slow down and people just kept passing me. I was done. I train in a warm gym, I take a drink every 2 miles and rarely miss a much need gel and at this point I was cold, couldn't get enough air, missed a drink station and hadn't taken a gel and now it felt like most of the runners had passed me. So I walked the next drink station took a gel and started a very slow pace which I kept for the rest of the race. I ended up around a 9 minute pace and PR the race by a little more then 1 minute which to me isn't a PR so I will use this as a life lesson and train on...

Some things I learned

- Some people train to race 13.1 miles (I don't)

- Don't run someone elses pace (Run your own)

- Race the way you train (My body is used to swim, bike, run) so my pace is a little slower on the run but it's what my body knows so just quit being stupid and let my body do what it's trained for.

- if your worried about the cold train more in the cold.

I did OK, but I didn't do my best and that does nothing but eat at me so I will train smarter and harder and be ready next time. I make no excuses for my poor performance because it's my own fault but next time I will be ready.

Quick lifestyle Update

Since going Paleo and juicing for breakfast/snack a day. I feel amazing better then I have ever felt and have decided I'll never go back to just throwing what ever chemical created fast food is around into my body. I only get one body and I should treat it like that. If anyone is in my area (Kansas City, MO) there is a awesome Meat Market not to far for Grass fed Beef, farm fresh eggs, Bison, etc and it's not priced to crazy http://stevesmeatmarketks.com/ , It is crazy weird, I haven't had a Mountain Dew this month (April) and to be honest once I made it passed the 1st 10 days I don't even crave it anymore.

33 days til my very 1st Tri.... 

The Fountain of Youth

     It's been a awesome week, I finally got my bike out of the gym and on to the street. It was however a very rough ride filled with crazy up hills which before today I  thought my bike cardio was strong but I now know I need a lot of work and by a lot I mean A LOT so I finished the rough ride then the next day pushed through a 8 mile run. Enough about my workouts and the beating on the bike, lets talk about my next evolution. I have always said I need to change my diet to take myself to the next level so that sparked a change to Paleo, now 3 weeks in and not hating living a low grain life I'm going to start juicing (The Fountain of Youth) so for the next week it's a juice for breakfast and a juice for lunch just as a kind of reset for my system so that I'll be ready to push my limits. My wife came up with all the recipes and we got to work..

Yes all this went into my very 1st juice

looks great.... Don't be jealous

None went to waste, what was left in the pitcher (above) I used to fill up one of my fuelbelt bottles and then I was off for a 8 miler

     I had a pretty good week of training, my energy level is almost at a 100% and I've been experimenting with different fuels so that hopefully by Ironman Lawrence (June) I'll have it dialed in. As for my 1st race it's only 11 days away (Rock the Parkway) and I am going to try and push it really hard this week and then taper next week so that hopefully I can PR. I also have a review of my Tri suit but I'm waiting on some pictures....

Never Been on the Road II

     Yes,  a part 2 why you ask because IT IS STILL SNOWING AND LOW 30's so riding a bike or even running outside in the snow and ice is not the best way to avoid injury with only 17 days until race day so I'm stuck in the gym and by the way I go to the gym around 11pm so I don't have to deal with people so I might be a little cranky when I see some people on 1 of only 2 StairMasters at the gym with it set to barely move reading a magazine or talking on there phone... If its you I'm sorry but after I ride a hard fast 15 miles on the bike switch shoes run a 23 minute 5k and want to finish by grinding out a quick 10 minute mile on the stairs I would like to not have to wait 20 minutes while you figure out with your BFF what type of tanning bed you like better.  OK sorry had to let that out because when I show up at the gym I'm sacrificing sleep time and I love to sleep, But when you have a 1 and a 3 year old sleep hours are few so next time talk while you stretch for a half hour since your not sweating anyway.... Besides you'll never see me waiting to stretch.

SORRY NOW BACK TO NORMAL BLOGGING

     My diet is going good, I'm really trying to up my calories and drink more coffee and teas to at least have my daily caffeine fix. After 7 days I dropped 5 pounds (I assume all Dew weight) so I emailed a contact at Marks Daily Apple and they responded quick...

"After reading your blog, and reviewing your workout and nutrition log, I would suggest not worrying about calories and following paleo rules so much on high intensity workout days (Wed, Sat) due in part that your body is burning a massive amount of calories and should not be storing much excess."

" It seems that Mountain Dew is a big amount of energy and we would not suggest using that as a form of fuel, but you should always take in to account how you have been living/training and take small steps as to not freak out your body. Remember to reach for 80/20 not always 100%."

     I have been trying to live within my 80/20 and it seems to help my energy level along with a few cheat meals as to not go crazy...

Also want to give a shout out to my wife for introducing me to the world of Paleo...Without her I would be washing down A lot of Gluten with liters of Mountain Dew right now...

As for now Back to the Gym....

 

Never been on the Road

     A few things have happened since my last Blog. My car (Jeep) didn't make it through the weekend. The computer that controls the transmission started glitching and it ended up destroying the transmission and on board computer system so I got a loaner car for the weekend and ended up buying a new car (Chevy  Equinox )

I also received shipping conformation that my new team SLS3 Tri suit is on its way so my next blog will have Pics. Last but not least I started the DIET and so far I have 4 days of headaches and low energy but I'm not sure if it's from the lack of carbs or the lack of Calories (My fault) didn't realize how many daily calories came from Dew,  I am always around 2000-2500 a day but since the diet I have yet to make it past 1400 but I'm still fine tuning it to see what works best. I also am doing a Brick workout tonight (swim, bike, run in a row in the same training set and distance) so I'll really be watching my calories and how my body /energy is feeling.  Down to about 3 weeks of hard training then a few days of tapering then race day...  As for my bike it has NEVER BEEN ON THE ROAD every mile I have logged has been inside on a trainer, I was planning on doing some road miles this week but another new storm is scheduled so it looks like back on the trainer for me.For all those who are reading this Thanks for all the support and helping push me towards my Goals