Concrete to Iron: My journey to become an Ironman

2010 Ford Ironman Cozumel Race Report: Nov. 28, 2010

2011-01-12T06:45:00.106-05:00

Despite using a sleeping aid, I woke up twice in the night. Once at 1:30ish, and then again at 2:30ish. I beat my alarm by 15 minutes and was up by 3:30 (was set for 3:45). I believe the transition area opened at 5:30am so that gave me two hours to settle. I started with my ritualistic doses of Pepto Bismol. I would start at 3:30 and take a dose every hour and take the last dose at 6:30am. For those of you that don’t know, my nerves before a race leave my stomach a little “unsettled.”

But something was different about me this morning. I was calm, I felt God’s arm around me as I donned my armor. I put my Fellowship of Christian Athletes Team Endurance jersey on and I felt like God’s solider. I was calm…too calm. Where was my emotion, where was my excitement, where was my…fear?!

I had asked KP to pray for our communion before the race. It would give me a chance to focus and give this race to God… to accept whatever happens, good or bad, to be for His Glory. KP said the prayer for Communion and I lost it. All those days of drinking water leading up to this race to hydrate my body were being lost right there in front of my eyes (cheesy pun I know!). But it was there I felt my emotions, it was then I felt there was nothing that could stop me. I was going to make it to the hardest part of the race…the starting line! Thank you KP!

It takes a lot of courage and faith to get there. It might even take a shot in the buttocks, in a Mexican restroom to get there too! But whatever it takes, to get to the starting line of the Ironman, there is always a great story leading up to it. This is my story. This is God’s story. This was God’s race and the start of one of the greatest days of my life.

My hotel room had a great curtain I wanted to use as a back drop to take a “before” picture. Or, the picture they could use to identify my body if I didn’t make it out of the swim. I was feeling pretty settled and so I decided it was time to run into that burning building. I took the elevator downstairs with other triathletes and it was quiet…really quiet.

In the pre-race meeting they said families were not allowed to take the shuttle buses from the hotel to the swim start. At some point during the night, that all changed. Again, the flow of information for this venue needs to be addressed. Just backing up a bit; the athlete meeting had two different times posted. It was listed as 3pm on the website and 4pm in the official printed athlete book that was being handed out at the Expo and it wasn’t clear where it was actually being held! Things like that create unnecessary confusion!

Anyway, when I got on the bus I saw people that were clearly family members. They did eventually make the family members get off the bus to make room for athletes. It sounded as if they were letting them get on the next shuttle bus, though. It was a $20 cab fare for KP from Hotel Melia to the swim start. Cash it looks like we didn’t have to spend.

When I got to Chankannaab Park, the swim start, it was dark but the sun was starting to show its glow quickly. I was able to get everything ready fairly quickly because I knew I had to jump in line for the 1 of 9 Port-a-Johns they have for racers…9 Portas for 1500 plus people!. Hmmmm. I’m not a mathematician and don’t claim to be, but I am going to take an uneducated northerner’s guess and say that’s not enough!

Todd Crandell

I started walking toward the longest line ever when I saw Todd Crandell! The video below is his story. He has a story I can relate to. I found out about him a few months ago and blogged about it. That was really cool to see him. When I saw the line and looked at my watch I knew I wasn’t going to see the dolphin show everyone talks about that precedes the start of the race.

As I’m waiting in line, some guys kindly suggested I put my goggles under my swim cap. I’ve tried that before, but didn’t like it. Then another guy offers me advice. I must have had a fear of death, newbie look on my face because everyone was offering me advice. I handled my affairs in the Porta and as I was leaving, some guy, a 5’10” white male, mid 40’s, of course he was one of those “fit” people, just jumps out in front of me:

“Hey!” And with the biggest smile says, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

“Thanks!” I said as I walked away.

I didn’t make it two steps outside the tent before I started to cry and thank God for getting me here. As I suspected, I missed the dolphin show, but I felt mentally, and now physically, ready to go! (a little Porta-John humor there!). I started toward the swim start and tried to see the pro start but it was nearly impossible. There were just so many athletes. Then they played what I call the Ironman Triathlon theme song, “Beautiful Day,” by U2. I have seen a lot of Ironman videos and you can always seem to hear that song playing in the background. That was the spark I needed. This was real. This wasn’t a video I was watching on Youtube. This was the start of my “Beautiful day.”

The announcer, with a sense of urgency, started calling athletes to the water. I walked toward the swim dock and somehow found myself in the front of this huge pack. Absolutely NOT where I wanted to be. So I waited and watched in awe at more than 2000 athletes getting into the water. It was seriously unbelievable and a sight to see. The Ironman is the only time you see 2000 plus people in the water preparing for a swim start.

As I stood there watching the athletes getting into the water, I was preparing for what was about to come. When I go to the pool, I NEVER just jump in. I usually have to prepare for it mentally and that is what I was doing. I was praying and meditating and trying to catch my breath. When I entered the water, there was no turning back.

The flow of athletes turned into a trickle and, by design, I was one of the last people to get into the water. The further back you are in the in the swim start, the less likely you are to get struck during the swim. I read several books that suggested where to position yourself for less contact during the swim. If the first turn on the swim is a left turn you want to place yourself at the rear right of the pack. That is exactly where I was positioned. I did start to move forward a bit though, because I felt like I was too far at the rear.

As I am sitting there listening to the mumblings of the announcer, I ran across the gentleman who moments earlier said "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He was right there in the back with me. I sat there talking to him briefly as we were treading water. Seeing him was a sign from God for me. It was a reminder of the verse he shared with me. And, as I sat there talking with him, he said, “Race your race…” Another reminder I needed to hear.

“Hey, where are you from?” I asked.

“Wichita Falls, Tx”

Before I could ask him his name, I heard an air horn!

I couldn’t hear what was going on because of the crowd or what the announcer was saying so I asked the gentleman I was talking to, “Was that the start?” I looked forward and saw people swimming. I was so proud of my intellect in that I was able to put it together so quickly in my head! J It was, in fact, the swim start! Ha!

I’m not sure if many people know this, but I swim with a nose plug. For those of you that don’t know, it pinches your nose closed to prevent water from getting in your nose. Most swimmers don’t need a plug because they exhale slowly through their nose to push water away from their nostrils. For me, that is waaay too much multitasking and I can’t seem to get it. I said all of that to say this: I can only swim about 50 meters without a nose plug so I had extras! I had one on my nose of course. One in the pouch of my swim shorts; one around my neck on an elastic lanyard; and one positioned between my fingers. That forced me to keep my fingers closed. I have a really bad habit of swimming with my fingers spread apart.

When the swim started I was bracing for impact. Surprisingly there was none! I didn’t get hit by another swimmer at all. Well not like elbowed or anything. I did get the occasional foot grab and pushed up against but that was it. Again, the water was crystal clear and it was EASY to draft off of people. It was honestly the only time I can say I ever drafted off of someone. The swim was similar to swimming in the pool in a lot of ways. It was flat; the water wasn’t moving. It was crystal clear and I could see the bottom. In fact I didn’t sight much. I didn’t have to. I just kept the swimmer in front of me and would occasionally sight to make sure I was still on course. Finally, the water was warm. It reminded me of swimming in the warm pool at the YMCA.

Note:

Draft: swimming in the wake of someone else. Their wake “pulls” you along and allows you to swim with less effort”

Sighting: in the open water the way swimmer determines if he is on course is to use a fixed point like a tree, building, or a large bright colored buoy to swim toward. Every so many strokes the swimmer will raise his head out of the water to “sight” the fixed point and swim toward.

I would occasionally check my watch for timing but I had no idea where I was in the swim as far as distance. I used my clock to kind of gauge where I thought I might be. The first time I looked at my watch it said 25 minutes. I couldn’t believe it! Time was flying! I was just hoping that I was, too!

At about the half way point in the swim, I started to feel burning sensations behind my neck and under my arms. I couldn’t understand why because I had lubricated those areas. Well the burning under my arms forced me to widen my stroke which is what I should have been doing in the first place. The chaffing behind my neck…yeah well there was no benefit in that. In a last ditched effort, I took the nose plug that was hanging on my neck off. I was hoping that it was the elastic band attached to the nose plug that was causing the discomfort. It wasn’t!

At around this same point in the swim, I started hitting cool pockets of water. Now that was awesome. Swimming in the ocean and being in the warm water did not protect me from the sun’s early morning rays. These cool pockets came at the perfect time! I was also getting a little burppy (I just invented that word). I was belching underwater every 5-10 minutes! I decided that every time I burped it was my inner whale coming out! =)

When I made the second to last turn, it put me directly in the sun. I was seriously blinded by it. I couldn’t see anything. For that brief moment I wished I was wearing my tinted goggles. I was wearing my clear goggles because I wanted to enjoy the ocean swim. After about 4 minutes, I made it to the last turn. Wow! I was about to finish an Ironman swim. I could see the swim exit. I was looking at my clock and it looked like I was going to be able to do it within my unofficial goal time. 1 hour 35 minutes.

But something was happening. As I was swimming it didn’t look like I was getting any closer to the swim exit. I guess my depth perception was a little off. So I was on the last stretch of the swim and my arms and neck are burning from chaffing that I thought I took measures to prevent. I felt like I was swimming but not going anywhere and that is when I saw it…a Regal Blue Tang! Aka; Dori from the movie “Finding Nemo”. In the moving she sings a little song… “Just Keep Swimming”. The song was an inside joke between me and KP. When I saw the fish, I couldn’t help but chuckle in my head and sing “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, SWImming, SWIMMing, SWIMMING!” Yes I was singing the Dori song in the Ironman… don’t judge me! J

The closer I got to the finish the better I was able determine my finish time. I realized I was going to be finishing the swim at about 1 hour 41 minutes. I thought this would be my time based on my half Ironman times but I had some fast swims leading into this race and was hoping for 1 hour 35 minutes. In the grand scheme of things 6 minutes is a non-issue. When I made it to the stairs to exit the water my right calf cramped a little! (notice in the picture I am saying ouch!) I said to myself, “Oh no you don’t calf! You have a long way to go today.” I exited the water running (because we know KP said jokingly at one of my earlier triathlons, “Boy, you better be running out of the water!” And I have been ever since!)

As I ran out of the water I saw Brian’s family. Brian is a guy with IAMTRI and I met him and his family at the athlete dinner. They were jumping and screaming my name! That was so awesome! They treated me like I was part of THEIR family! What a genuinely great bunch of people!

A few feet later as I was heading into the showers at transition I saw KP videoing and jumping and hollering. That was awesome because I didn’t expect to see her at the swim. While swimming, getting water in your mouth is inevitable, but when it reaches the back of your throat that salty ocean water BURNS! (notice my yucky face running out of the water!) I was so excited to run under the showers. I rinsed my mouth out several times and stood under the water to cool my chaffed areas! I could have stayed under there forever! No time! I had to go. I decided when I did the Ironman I was going to transition from one event to the next with as little time as possible. I was out of the water on and my bike in a little over 7 minutes.

During the swim, I prayed and tried to be in the moment. I was praying and just enjoying the swim. It would be the easiest part of the day. I never really felt like I pushed it. I just tried to stay steady. My goggles never leaked for once (thanks Heather B and Jeff) and I felt comfortable in the water the entire time. Oh one last thing, I never had to stop. Well, not including that one time I got tangled in the ropes at one of the buoys. I never did feel that fear I thought I was supposed to feel. I guess praying in the swim took care of that! This was, for me, the perfect swim!

112 mile bike (3 loops)

I ran through the bike exit barefoot while carrying my shoes. I hate running in cycling shoes but I haven’t mastered putting on my cycling shoes while they are clipped into the pedals. Just before I hit the bike mount line (the point where I need to be on my bike) I put on my cycling shoes and mounted my new best friend for the next 7 hours.

When I jumped on my bike, I realized my bike computer wasn’t working. That’s a problem! I checked the sensor that morning and it was working. I knew I would have issues with the sensor because the back part of it broke the night before. My cadence was working (shows me how many rotations per minute (rpm). I had my heart rate monitor, but I wasn’t sure how that translated into speed. So I broke the emergency glass and went to my solid plan B…WING IT!

In Augusta, my heart rate was about 140 beats per minute with an average of 16-17 mph. Today, I was feeling pretty good at 130 bpm. By my best judgment, I thought 130bpm would put my speed at 15 mph. That is about where I wanted to be because I had a huge second goal…second only to completing the Ironman! (for the record I was way off and cycling slower than I thought)

I would be running my first marathon after the 2.4 mile swim and 112 mile bike ride. I wanted to run the marathon in under 6 hours. The reason: if you run a straight up, local marathon you have 6 hours to complete. I wanted this marathon to count as my first completed marathon, too. So six hours was my goal.

I was cruising along and my heart rate was at 130 and it felt easy. I thought I would take the first two laps fairly easy and then push it a little more on the third lap. Then I hit the first demoralizing point of the day…my GPS device beeped at mile 1. Take that in for second. I just finished a 2.4 mile swim, but it didn’t matter because this was the Ironman and I still had a huge bike and a run to finish. And my GPS was telling me I had only completed mile 1…111 more miles to go! And Then… and THEN I would run my first marathon…

About that time some guy passes me on the bike and hits his bike horn! It cracked me up!!! So I put my head down and decided to start praying. Nothing bad happens when you pray. So I did. I prayed when things were going great and when things were going horribly wrong. Funny how things we do in a race should transfer over into to our lives.

I prayed and enjoyed the moment and took it easy on my first lap. There were pockets of people lined along the road. That was really cool. How many times have I ridden 80 plus miles without a single soul noticing? It was nice to hear the cheers.

It was time to focus on my nutrition. I use a product called Infinit Nutrition. It is a carbohydrate-protein blend in powder form that gets mixed into a 24 ounce water bottle. In all of my training rides, even on the hotter days, I was drinking one water bottle an hour. Today, I went through my bottle of Infinit in a little over 30 minutes. It wasn’t that I needed the calories; I was really craving the fluids.

At the next aid station I decided to pick up fluids…water specifically. I couldn’t drink another bottle of Infinit until my hour was up. I would, instead, drink water until it was time to start to introduce calories to my body again.

When I went to the aid stations I didn’t want to have to stop, get off my bike, grab the fluids, fill up my aero bottle, and then get back on my bike! It takes me about 2 minutes to do that. I was looking at an estimated 14 minutes to stop for fluids. Plus it is just all around unpleasant to stop cycling once your body is in a rhythm.

Besides, this is the Ironman! I needed to grab my fluids like an Ironman! On the go! So I took a leap of faith, I grabbed the water bottle on the go! I was so excited to finally be able to do it! An hour later, I felt confident enough to grab my water bottle from my rear cage and then put it back. If you have been reading my blog you would know that was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I previously was too unbalanced to do all of those things on the go.

The first part of the bike loop was pretty quiet…only pockets of people along the way. The aid stations helped to break up the monotony of the course. After completing the first half of the loop, I hit the east side of the island. This is the part of the island where the wind was supposed to really whip up and nail you. I noticed a bit of an increase in the wind, but nothing like I had heard.

Dailene (fellow triathlete that lives in Cozumel) said the winds would either distribute evenly throughout the course, or there would be virtually no wind and then it would nail you on the east side of the island. I believe I perceived the former to be my experience. I did notice one thing as I made the left turn toward the eastern stretch of the island. It became noticeably hotter! I noticed and immediate difference in temperature. I wonder if anyone else experienced this phenomenon.

There was one more thing I noticed about the eastern side, the beauty of it all. I have never seen anything so beautiful in my life. It was amazing! To look at that ocean and think the same God that is rolling those waves is the same God that I am racing for; the same God that put me here. Now you tell me, what is impossible with God?!

Oh I was praying. Thanking God for this beauty. Thanking God for putting me here in an event I once thought was impossible for me. Yet there I was…wow! Talk about putting things in perspective. God created that ocean and is rolling those waves one by one. What is the Ironman in comparison? If God has the authority to bend waves He has the authority to heal; the authority to get me through this race. He has the authority to work in my life. Funny thing about authority though… you have to submit to it.

Words cannot describe the beauty and the roughness of the east side. Nor can it describe how lonely that part of the island can feel. There are bars and restaurants scattered along that side of the island but today they were all closed. The eastside did look like a really cool place to hang out and relax, though! There were red flags along the beaches on that side of the island indicating that it was unsafe to swim there. I don’t know that I would want to. The waves crash violently against the rocks and although beautiful, probably not the best place to swim.

Back to the wind, although not bad, the wind was a bit more noticeable on the eastside. I was riding with Zipp 404’s front and back. One time I rose up out of the aero position which takes my weight off the front tire and there was a wind gust. The wind wiggled my front tire back and forth and kind of scared me a little (and by a little I mean A LOT). I decided to stay as aero as I could, for as long as I could to keep weight on that front tire.

It wasn’t long before the loneliness of the eastside was shattered…by the sound of the pros whipping by me as they were on their way to completing their third lap…I was on my first! Those guys are wickedly fast and are the non-humans! I couldn’t tell who a lot of those guys were as they passed and I could only pick out two of the pro women…Yvonne van Vlerken, this year’s female winner, and Bree Wee! Bree Wee has a great story! I actually gave her a shout out as she passed by… “GO BREE WEE!” she, in-turn, threw up a Shaka sign aka “Hang loose.” Fitting since she lives and trains in Hawaii. Ahh, the tough life of a professional triathlete!

Finally, Finally, I made the left turn that takes me back into town. It felt like it took forever, Probably because it did! As I got closer and closer into town, more and more people were out on the side of the road. They were shaking empty plastic soda bottles partially filled with pebbles. They would scream, “¡Vámonos amigo/hombre!” I also heard several people yelling “¡Animo!” I had no idea what that meant. So I decided it sounds like “animal” which in turn, to me, translates to “GET IN BEAST MODE!” So that is what it meant to me!

The closer we got into town, the more crowded the streets became. A road designed for two lanes of travel could barely get two cyclists traveling side by side because the streets and sidewalks were over flowing with people; Mexican people. They were proud of us. We were THEIR Ironman triathletes. Or, we were just a bunch of gringo lunatics let loose to roam their city without wearing our straitjackets! In any case, they were excited and they had no problems showing their enthusiasm for this event. It was hard not to push it a little harder going through the city. The adrenaline just took over and I was feeding on it. Like an “Animo”

I crossed the mat for the 1st loop and I was glad it was over. It really did seem to take forever. The second loop was more of the same. Halfway on the second loop I stopped for my special needs bag. And finally got an idea of where I was as far as distance. I was going way too slow! On the flip side I was feeling really solid. My plan was to finish the second loop at my current pace and then turn it up on the third lap.

I grabbed my bag then went to use the restroom. GROSS!!! There was one Porta John for the males and one for females…all I can say is GROSS!!!!! I will be sending an email about that! Issues with special needs. Porta Johns were gross. The site is in a sandy area so I had sand in my shoes and sand on my feet. No bike stands so I got a little sand in my gears. I stopped and rinsed everything off before I got back on the road. I guess they had to work the best with what they had, but I would like to see that change for this year’s event .

I jumped back on my bike and I started with the calculations. I was still on track to finish between 15 to 15 hours 30 mins. This was well within my ability. I felt certain I was capable of finishing within that time even with my slower biking up to this point. I really was trying to save it all for the run. Again, I cannot stress the pure awesomeness of riding through town. I felt like a rock star every time!

I crossed the mat to start the 3rd lap and there was a sense of accomplishment! I had plenty of energy to burn. I had one more lap to go. I was fueling my body properly. I was in the zone! I crossed with these two females and we were pumping each other up… it was great!

One lady really kicked it up and took off! Good for her! Just as we got out of the city and the roads started to become quiet again, I slowed down and pulled to the right. The second lady that crossed the mat with me was still cycling next to me. I reached for a water bottle and started refilling my front aero bottle. The lady, who was behind me now, yells, “Are you ok?!”

I felt my bike go into a fishtail! I yelled “Did you just bump me?” I wasn’t sure if she hit me or if I was fishtailing because the road was wet at this particular point. The female immediately starts yelling, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” I nearly wrecked during the fishtail and all I could think was I am so glad I have insurance on these rental wheels. I was able to recover and I continued cycling but it didn’t feel right. I looked down and my rear tire was flat!!!

My good Samaritan, rode off into the sunset! I yelled, “You flattened my tire!!!” and in the distance, “…SOOOoorry.” Notice the irony if you can call it that…the lady who was concerned if I was ok when I was ok…bumps my tire gives me a flat and then I am not ok… and then she rides off into the sunset…why did she ask if I was ok if she didn’t have any intent on helping me?

No worries! I started to think about Ben Wooten whose tire I changed during a sprint triathlon…that is a great story… I would encourage you to read that blog entry. So I set out to change my tire and I am going through the motions…It was a little tough to get the tire off but I was able to do it! Took me about 5 minutes! BOOM! Baby! That is how I roll!

I took my CO2 canister out (which is compressed air) and all I had to do was inflate the tire. Air is going in perfect! When I pulled the canister off the tire, it took the head off of the inner tube. So all of the air that was inflated into my tire was now deflating out of the tire. As I am changing the tire a group of Mexican males came up to watch me and didn’t really do anything but did hold my bike for me and things like that.

I took another tube out and a passer-by throws me a CO2 canister. I put the second spare (and last spare) tube on and I start inflating the tire. Then I heard this POP!!!! Are you kidding me? I just seriously over-inflated my tire or something! So now I have no tubes and one CO2 canister. I was watching as all of these people pass and time is ticking. First it was 5 minutes then 15 then 30 minutes.

Now y’all I am praying for God to make this right the entire time, but I am livid at this woman for giving me a flat in the first place! Finally, someone throws me a tube! Thank you! Thank you! I put the tube in the tire and I go to inflate the tire…the valve stem was too short! There was no way to put air into the tire! Time starts ticking again…and then there weren’t any more cyclists passing me. My race was over.

I was filled with a sadness I cannot even begin to describe. It felt like proposing to a woman and having her say no! It was like going to graduation and them saying “Maybe next time kid.” I was filled with anger because I shouldn’t have been here in the first place because some lady flattened my tire. I felt like I had disappointed the City of Angels, my church…and even God. Where was God in all of this? In my anger I had forgotten about God. I had blotted God out with self-pity and all of the other emotions I was feeling.

And with the heaviest heart, I began to hear that song, “My Story” by Addison Road. The lyrics say “If this is my story…if this is my song…then I want to be a part of something beautiful. If this is my journey then show me your road. Where ever you lead me in this world I want to go.”

I had let go of my anger and my sadness and I started talking to God. I told God I accepted that if this was the end of my race then this was my journey and where He was leading me. I was at peace, but I wasn’t done! I intended to walk with my bike until 530pm (the cut off time for the bike). The race officials were going to have to pull me off the course.

“¡Es bien amigo! ¡Es bien!” (It’s good friend! It’s good!)

GOD HAD PROVIDED A MIRICALE!

In the midst of the inner tubes scattered about on the ground where my mess was from changing my tire three times, one of the Mexican guys that was standing around me randomly picked up the inner tube we all heard pop. He started to inspect it and it was perfectly intact! And I had one last CO2 canister left!

I put the tube on carefully…I went to put in the air and in Mexican guys were holding up the universal sign for a little using their fingers and saying, in Spanish, “A little. A little.” Meaning only put in a little air. We all heard that tire burst! It was a unique sound and you know it when you hear it. Yet here I have a perfectly intact tube! So I filled the tire up only half way. I put the tire on (backwards at first so that the gears were to the left of the bike and not to the right…what? I was in the midst of a crisis) and I jumped up and down thank you Father! Thank you Father!!!!

“¡Gracias Amigos! ¡Gracias Amigos! ¡Muchos Gracias!” I said in my extremely limited Spanish as I rode off! Did those guys know that they just witnessed God’s miracle! That God had used them?

“Thank you Father!” I thought as I rode off. I looked at my watch. I was on the side of the road for nearly an hour! Wow! Time to make a game day decision! I was getting pretty close to the bike cut off and I still had most of the last loop to go. Do I maintain my heart rate to save it for the run…or do I go all out on the bike to make the cut off and then deal with the run later?

If I played it conservatively I may not make the bike cut off and there would be no run. I pushed it! HARD! I had my heart rate up to 160bpm! I started passing people and I was starting to get a little confident that I could make the cut off. Get this! My bike computer started working! Imagine that! Now I was able to use my speeds, the time, and my heart rate to gauge my progress on the bike. I pushed it, but I didn’t push it too hard. My goal at this point was to make it to the bike cut off.

The road was dead…I honestly believe I was the last cyclist on the road once I finally recovered from my flat. The aid stations were starting to clean up. People were leaving. I saw a familiar face at the next aid station I saw! Remember the mechanic that put my bike together? He was at the aid station! I was so happy to see him as I approached. I stopped and in a panic asked for air. He went Nascar on me and I was in an out of that aid station in a matter of seconds! I was thanking him again as I left the aid station.

For the last time I hit the east side of the island and I have to tell you it was like blah blah blah there was no beauty, there was nothing but the feeling of “I hate this side!” I only saw two cyclists ahead of me on the entire road! It was quiet. I saw something else this time on the eastside that I hadn’t seen earlier. Vultures! Yes death eaters like the rest of you non-vegetarian types (LOL! I joke, I joke, I kid, I kid! LOL!– inside joke. That is what I call people when they make jokes about me being vegetarian) The vultures were perched on some of the trees and honestly they were beautiful. But deep inside I wondered if they were trying to tell me something… “Boy, you’re almost dead and we are just waiting for it happen!”

I kept pushing, fighting the clock, but trying to be smart about it. Finally, I hit that last stretch going through town. There weren’t as many people out at this time, but still plenty of people to feed off of! That is what I needed so badly. I needed to be around that energy. I needed to feel their hope that I could make it.

I have to be honest, that entire last lap I was praying for God to help me to forgive that woman. At about 5:10 pm I rolled into transition and I was able to finally forgive her. I had about 20 minutes to spare before the official bike cut off. That is a lot closer than I wanted to be…but I was there! And I felt fresh!!!

I entered the changing room and some guys were saying,, “man that was tough.” (my inner response…it’s supposed to be). I heard in the background… “My feet hurt” (my feet hurt too… I can’t wait to run!). I was in an out of the changing tent in about 2 and a half minutes.

I saw KP and I gave her the thumbs up! She was panicking y’all! I yelled, “Mechanical issues… I’m good! I’m ok!” I crossed the timing mat and then…It was time to run.

26.2 mile run

I wasn’t going to let all of those people’s griping get me down! Two hours beforehand I didn’t think I would even be able to get to the run so I certainly wasn’t going to complain about running now. I never would have thought in a million years I would have been so happy to run after swimming 2.4 miles and riding 112 miles on the bike. Actually the bike course was a little long by about a mile so it was closer to 113’ish miles.

As I exited the transition tent, I could hear the music. When I made the right to get on the course, I was literally overwhelmed with what I was seeing. This wasn’t a marathon in an Ironman. This was a party! And people just happen to have been running. It was amazing. There was music playing; a group was on a stage dancing; it was awesome!

And then it happened, the second most demoralizing point of the day. I hit mile marker 1…(breathe in…breathe out…) This wasn’t as bad as hitting mile 1 on the bike but it certainly made me think. There were some battered bodies out there. At that moment I wasn’t one of them. I had, what felt like, solid running legs. And yup, I was thanking God for allowing me to run. I was thanking my body for putting up with my craziness.

I saw a lot of people from the IAMTRI group. It was actually kind of sad because I had wished I was running with them. A lot of those guys were running the pace I should have been at. All of them were a full lap ahead of me because of my bike mechanical issues. No time to fret; at least I was running.

I hit the first aid station and ran through it. I decided just to run for a bit to get into a groove before I stopped. I finally stopped for nutrition around mile three. This was also where we were exiting the main strip and leaving downtown. It became quiet out there really quickly, but it felt like I was running with family. People that wanted to see me succeed as much as they wanted to succeed themselves. People who shared the same goal. Our goal? Keep putting One foot in front of the other!

I will tell you that the aid station volunteers were awesome. They were extremely supportive and encouraging. Some of the best volunteers I have seen! If you could just make it to the next aid station, the run didn’t feel so long. I just could not wait to hit the first turn around point. There was a timing mat there and in my head there was an entire church waiting for me, there was my brother, and everyone else that couldn’t be in Cozumel waiting for me at that timing mat. The miles seemed to drag on endlessly.

Finally, I hit the turnaround point! When I crossed the timing mat, I whispered in my head… “Everyone, I am ok. I am still in this fight!” The turnaround was also a bit of a smack in the face!!! It was at Hotel Melia! My hotel! All I thought about was how badly I wanted to be in bed. That quickly gave way to thinking about getting back into town to show KP I was ok. Once I got back to the main strip, I saw the party was still going on!

I also saw something I didn’t expect to see. I heard someone call my name. That wasn’t unusual because our names were on the front of our bibs. Lots of people were calling my name. I loved the way the Mexicans said my name (Ha-sahm) with an “M” and the end and not an “N” (Hassan) It always made me smile =) especially since they thought enough of me, a stranger, to even call my name!

When I heard my name called this time, it sounded as if it were coming from someone that knew me. It was Dennis Wilson and his ENTIRE family! Dennis, if you recall, is the onsite Administrator at the City of Angels (the children’s home I was helping to raise money for by doing the Ironman). Dennis and his family were at the perfect location! They were at the half way point! So I had KP at one point; down town. I had the church and everyone that was tracking me on the internet at the end point or turnaround point. Then Dennis and his family were in the middle of both points! I was so excited to see them!

I made it back to town and got my first look at the finish line. The road was just filled with people!! It was amazing! There was music and people were finishing and you could see their emotion…then I turned around to start my second loop. I saw KP there and told her I was feeling good but I needed to run this next loop without walking in order to have a chance. I was calculating, the best one can do when your brain doesn’t want to think, and I was getting close to the cut off.

She told me, “You can do it!”

This lap I starting thinking about KP. How she had stood outside all day. I was at least having “fun.” She had baked in the hot Caribbean sun all day for no other reason than to tell me I could do it… I needed to hear that because I was starting to forget. I was becoming afraid I might not make the cutoff. But KP told me I could. She had jump started my voice of reason…and with that I kept running. At this point it wasn’t really a run it was more like “not walking” or a shuffle. I was ok with my effort. I had just completed almost 9 miles.

After starting my second lap, I started asking runners as I passed what lap they were on. Most people were saying they were on their 3rd lap. I knew then that my third lap was going to be quiet. I was trying to find someone to run with; someone to feed of off; someone that was running stronger than I was. I ran with a lady named Emer McCarron. She was on her last lap but running strong. I ran with her for a bit. At some point, we separated, but I don’t recall exactly when.

asking Dennis and his famiy to pray for me

Now, I had to make it to the next point; I wondered if Dennis and his family would still be there. I was hoping so! There they were! Still there! That was so awesome of them! Seeing them once was good enough! Seeing them twice was just awesome! As I passed them I told them to pray for me because it was getting close and I was starting to feel beat up. I had to keep my pace for the next lap to have a fighting chance.

When I passed them, I started focusing on the turn around and then getting my special needs bag. I had my bible verses in there and a piece of gum and man I was I looking forward to them! I took a minute to read the verses and God’s word never comes at a bad time. It seems to always come right when you need it. I felt pretty strong going back into town! Thankfully and amazingly, Dennis and his family were still there!

I was hurting at this point but I was still moving steadily. There was one time I thought about walking and then I started to. I had to question myself! Am I walking because I physically cannot run for God anymore? Or, am I taking the easy way out? I walked for two steps and then started running again. I had won this battle! (The body is willing to do what the mind will not allow).

I made it back to the finish line to start my third lap. The people that were finishing around 15 to 15:30 hours were making their final stretch. They were going in for the finish. I still had one more lap to go! I so wanted that to be me. I turned around and saw KP. I stopped for a moment. I told her it was going to be close but that I ran the entire second lap. She quoted something; a gift she had recently given me. It was a refrigerator magnet that quoted Winston Churchill, “Never, never, never give up!”

I didn’t have the energy to tell her, but in my thoughts I said, “I won’t!”
About 18 miles down…8 to go. I ran away from her feeling emotional. Time was working against me. My time on the side of the road during the bike portion was making a difference now. I wasn’t going to finish at 15:30. I wasn’t even sure if I was going to finish at all! As I ran out for my last loop, the amount of runners starting their third loop was starting to get thin.

going infor a hug

I always said your race never starts until it starts to hurt…until that point where finishing is the only thing that drives you. At about mile 20…I was racing. I was earning my title to become an Ironman. I was praying too and reciting those bible verses the best I could in my head! At about this point I saw Dennis and his family! STILL THERE! Sitting on the same bench they had been every other time I had seen them. I lost it! I wasn’t crying in front of them, but I went and gave Dennis the biggest hug! I was so grateful for them! Three days ago Dennis couldn’t tell you what I looked like. But today he and his family had adopted me! They were supporting me as if I were their family!

Keep moving forward! I was almost to the turn around when I saw my bike mechanic (the one who put my bike together and gave me air at the aid station) on a bike and cycling past me. He saw me, gave me a smile, and said, “¡Vámonos amigo!” That really lifted my spirits!

I had to fight to get to the turn around. To tell everyone, my brother who had tried to stay up all night tracking me, my family, my church, the people who had donated, the people who heard about my story on the news, the people who said I have inspired them and in turn have inspired me, the people who gave me looks when I told them I was going from non-swimmer, non-cyclist, and barely even a runner to Ironman, and to everyone else that was tracking me! I AM STILL HERE!!! I AM STILL FIGHTING! And I was STILL PRAYING!

I hit the turnaround for the last time. Up until this point, things were going fairly well. I was starting to get some cramping between mile 18 and 20 but it wasn’t anything big. (using a poor British accent here) After I hit mile 22, I decided it was everyday flatulence, and I needed to rid my body of this nuisance. Therefore, like a gentleman, I waited until there was no one near me so that I could expel! (/end) Uhh, YEAH! Well unfortunately, it WASN’T GAS! Let’s just say, the Ironman potentially almost became the MOST, and I mean THE MOST EMBARRASSING day of my life! Thankfully nothing happened! I was able to batten down the hatches and keep going!!!

Needless to say, this is where my walk-run began and my hopes of completing the marathon within 6 hours ran down the toilet (Sorry! Couldn’t resist! =) . I was in desperate need of using the restroom! It was dark, I didn’t have a light and the only thing I could think about was the last Porta-John I saw at the bike special needs area. YUCK! The Porta was not an option!

I was hurting the last 4 miles! At this point I had been suffering from wicked hunger pains. It felt like my stomach was eating itself… like the lining in my stomach had exploded… like I had been eviscerated. It felt like a zombie had ripped open my stomach and started eating it!!! I was trying to eat whatever I could to make it feel better, but there was no relief.

I remember telling myself this is what the Ironman is about. I could train for the swim, the bike, and the run, but I couldn’t train for this; the mental battle that was occurring. I was trying to pray, but my mind was going blank. I was trying to calculate my times, but I would lose focus. The only thing present was the feeling of trying desperately to get my legs to move. I could see the finish line lights in the distance. There seemed to only be a handful of us still out there. I felt as if there was a sense of unspoken bonding that was occurring. No one said a word…it was quiet. In the distance you would hear the laughing of the Mexican teenagers volunteering at the aid stations; and then there was nothing but the sound of “souls” shuffling across the pavement.

I made it back into town on the main strip and the streets were quiet this time. There was virtually no one on the sidewalks to cheer us on. There was this one elderly Mexican woman who sat in a wooden chair. She was in that same spot for all three of my laps including the last one! The aid stations were cleaning up. Time was against me and my body was starting to shut down.

I looked for Dennis and his family but they were gone too. It’s nearly midnight and they have been out there for over 5 hours. I can understand why they left, it was getting too late for them. I passed a Latina who was speaking English. I asked her what the word “animo” means. She said it means to animate; to come alive. It is said to a person in order to lift that person’s spirits. Finally, I knew what the people of Cozumel were yelling at me all day. Closure!

The lights were less than a mile away but it felt like it would take a marathon run to get there! I saw some guys who had finished already and I was explaining this was my first Ironman. One guy told me when you hit the finish slow down and take it all in. Slowly, with every step I was getting closer. Then, just before the finish, I rounded a slight bend in the road and there were people everywhere! Just like all the other times I had passed this corner. Except this time, they were yelling for me! I don’t know what happened, but it was like my body came alive! It was magical I looked behind me because I wanted to be able to enjoy this moment without someone running in right behind me; the coast was clear.

Just before I rounded the bend for the final finish I saw DENNIS AND HIS FAMILY! You have got to be kidding me! They were out there for more than six hours! I had to go over and thank them! I start slapping hands of random people and then I rounded the corner for the final stretch!

I just get chills thinking about it! I don’t even remember looking at the clock because I didn’t care what my time was! (Wow I am getting emotional even thinking about it) I started raising my hand pointing up to the sky “THANK YOU FATHER! THANK YOU! THIS IS YOUR GLORY!”

I crossed the finish line with my hands raised to the sky…and I was praying! “Thank you Father for this moment…thank you Father!

NoW GiVe Me mY mEdAl!

I leaned forward and one guy put a plastic flower pendant around my neck. Another volunteer placed the finisher’s medal on me. It REALLY felt heavy! Because of my chaffing issues earlier in the day the medal and flower pendant necklace were causing this BURNING sensation around my neck! OMG!!!! I wanted to take it off so badly! Dennis and his family came over and I know I was glowing! As soon as they walked away I heard KP coming! When she saw me she became emotional and then I started…well I mean I wasn’t crying there was like salt or something in my eyes.

After about 30 seconds the burning on my neck became intense! I told her and we laughed! I walked through the Finisher’s area and there were massage therapists and pizza was being served. The Finisher shirts were being given out. There were athletes everywhere. I saw a group of my IAMTRI group members lounging at the finish. I wanted to hangout and stick around but there was that “issue” I had. So I just kinda said hi and bye! I was starving so I grabbed 2 slices of Pizza on the go.

KP was waiting for me at the exit to the Finisher’s area and we walked over to the winner’s podium. I wanted to take a picture on it because it will likely be the only time I am ever on a winner’s podium! The adrenaline wore off and it hit me! That potentially embarrassing moment had returned. I told KP we have to go now. “But honey don you want to…”

Holding on tightly, “I don’t think you understand we need to go!”

I grabbed my bike and we took the first taxi we could find back to the hotel. Finally I was able to deal with my issue!

When I first started this blog, I thought I would be facing my demons of the past, my addiction, my weight issues etc while racing in the Ironman…It wasn't until it was over that I realized God had already dealt with my demons when, through Him, I had the courage and faith to sign up a year ago to race. While racing, there were no voices telling me I can’t! I couldn’t hear the voice of lies because the Voice of Truth was screaming at me and telling me I could!

I stayed up pretty late talking to KP about everything that happened. It still didn’t seem real that I had done the Ironman. I never became overly excited or proud. I don’t think I ever really realized just exactly what had occurred in Cozumel until I wrote this blog…

“HASSAN PETERSON OF THE UNITED STATES! NOW YOU CAN SAY YOU!! ARE!!! AN IRONMAN!!!!!!!!!”

Ironman Cozumel Pre-Race Thursday / Friday/ Saturday

2010-12-24T11:15:00.001-05:00

So when I stepped off the plane in Cozumel, the heat and humidity greeted me with a slap in the face. Those are the two things I IMMEDIATELY noticed. We went to pick up the car rental; my dream car; a convertible Jeep Wrangler. I remember watching this TV show as a kid when I lived in the projects. There was this white female who always drove a white Volkswagen convertible Rabbit. I recall she lived near the beach and always drove alongside it with the top off. Since then I have always dreamed about riding in a convertible along the beach. Finally, that dream was being fulfilled. (if you know name of that show please tell me!!! It was in the early 80’s her name was like Bridgette or something like that)

Hotel Melia

view from hotel balcony

Thursday was supposed to be my packet pickup, registration, and bike assembly. Uhh yeah none of that happened but KP and I checked in at Hotel Melia, which is north, and just walked around a lot. My left knee started to feel pain as was my right knee. I was hoping the right knee was just compensating for the left knee or feeling sympathy pain.

That evening I went to the athlete dinner for the IAMTRI group. I was lost almost an hour looking for this place. Why? Because it took me that long to realize the street signs weren’t posted on the corners like it is in the states or any other country I have visited. The street signs are actually on the buildings. The streets also don’t follow sequential order. For example, if I am on 53rd Street, you would expect the next street would be 54th Street. WRONG The next street is 55th Street then 57th Street. And! The north side of the island are even numbers 2nd, 4th, 6th Street and the south side are odd numbers , 1st, 3rd, 5th Street. It sounds confusing but it makes sense after you drive around a bit.

I finally got there at 6:30 pm. I thought it started at 6 pm but thankfully it started at 7 pm so I was early. I met a lot of people that I have talked with over the past year in the forums. Notably, Heather and Jeff. Heather has always had supportive words. She was a great friend and I was so excited to meet her. I was equally excited to meet Jeff, her boyfriend, because I just knew he would be an awesome dude. No surprises he was!!! He is also an Ironman triathlete but was not participating in Ironman Cozumel. So while talking with them I shared something with them that I was too embarrassed to share with anyone. I didn’t know how to properly put on swim goggles. It sounds easy I know but I was having issues with leaking goggles all year and I was sure it had to do with the way I was putting them on.

It turns out I was. I would put my goggles on and ratchet them as tight as I could get them. Over longer distances not only was a leak inevitable, the goggles were becoming extremely uncomfortable. So Heather and Jeff told me putting the goggles on too tightly was actually causing the leaks because it was breaking the seal. Well they told me how to put them on correctly and I would get a chance to try it out at the practice swim the following morning.

Dailene (day-lean) was in charge of putting on the IAMTRI dinner and she was also getting me in touch with a doctor that would possibly be able to help me with my knee. Side bar: Dailene was in the IAMTRI group (obviously). She saw I was a police officer in Charlotte, NC. She then asked if I knew a particular officer and, small world, I work with that officer on shift! Turns out that officer is married to Dailene’s cousin.

Ok moving right along. Can I just say the IAMTRI dinner was REALLY REALLY good! I was surprised! Dailene made sure there were vegetarian options (for yours truly non-death eater lol I joke) and it was actually really good. They had potato lasagna that was just awesome!!!!! Did you get the food was really good? The doctor arrived a little bit later in the evening and when I saw him I was so excited I nearly kissed on the mouth (not really! ha!). We made an appointment to meet in front of the expo and 1430 hours. He was going to the athlete meeting too because he was also competing in the Ironman.

Jason Gunter

Friday morning, I was supposed to meet Jason Gunter for the practice swim but I was late. I didn’t realize how far away the swim start was from my hotel. I was a little disappointed because I was really looking forward to getting into the water with someone I knew. Well, I ran into Ingrid and Ute both who were with the IAMTRI group! That was pretty cool.

As we walked over to the swim exit I saw Jeff and Heather exciting the water. They made it look easy. It’s not hard to spot them considering they both have sleeved tattoos like myself. I was asking about the swim and they were like “Oh you will be fine.”

Some people were swimming laps but on the left side of the course near the swim exit people were just kind of treading water. Those are the people I needed to be with and swim next to. So, the three of us decided to go to that side of the swim practice. Ingrid jumps in first like this wasn’t her first rodeo! Ute jumped in soon after. She turned around and yelled, “It’s salty!”

That left little old me at the dock just waiting. Gathering my peace. Meditating to become one with God’s ocean. Then it was time. I had to ask myself, “Would I run into a burning building?” We know the answer to that is no! That’s why I am a police officer! “Would I run into a burning building to help a child?” YES! This ocean was my fire and the children needed help! I jumped in!

The first thing I noticed?! The water was EXTREMELY salty! I guess the water is like that in the ocean! But seriously I guess I wasn’t expecting that taste. It reminded me of when I was a child and would put a hand full of salted sunflower seeds in my mouth. It was similar to that but times ten! I stayed there treading water the best I knew how because treading water is a weakness of mine. Then I began to notice how I was staying afloat without much effort. I began to experiment. I stopped moving my legs and just moved my arms back and forth. Still afloat. Then I stopped moving my arms and put them on my sides. I could feel my feet rising. The water WAS really buoyant. I stayed there a while longer until I was stung. I heard there were marine organisms called Fire Coral that would give you a good sting. I wanted to know what it felt like before I started swimming.

It didn’t take long. !STING! It wasn’t too bad. I saw a yellow buoy about 250 meters out. I put my head down and swam to it. The water was extremely clear. I thought it would freak me out being able to see how deep the water was but it really didn’t. I was caught in the beauty of it all. I did see a jellyfish (I think it was dead though) and thought it smart to swim to the right of it. Way right of it! I swam to the buoy and I just began to tread water. I was doing this because I wanted to know that if for some reason I had to stop during the swim I could do so without freaking out.

I stayed there treading water for a bit then I swam back. I saw schools of fish this time as sawm toward the swim exit. One school swam right toward me. It was kinda funny but startled me a bit because it’s not every day a school a fish swim toward you kamikaze. When I got done with the practice swim, I knew I was ready to swim in the Ironman. I had so much confidence! The practice swim was exactly what I needed!

Thanks to Heather and Jeff telling me how to put on swim goggles correctly I didn’t have any issues (finally!) with water leaking and so forth. Thanks Heather and Jeff!

I was going to start carb loading Friday morning following the swim with my traditional, huge “stuff your face with pancakes and potatoes” breakfast! I have done this before every race and it seems to work. Trust me, I’m ok with eating pancakes for “training.” Following breakfast I took my bike downstairs to be assembled. The mechanic was awesome by the way. Cant wait to tell you about him during the race report! FYI, all of the host hotels had bike mechanics that would assmble you bike. It is free but leave a good tip. Your race is in their hands!

Then we prepared to go to visit the children at Ciudad de Angeles. (you will hear me refer to the children as Angels). We only drove around for 20 minutes looking for this place. When we arrived, they had a mission from Atlanta still hard at work. I met Dennis and his family and they were awesome people! After talking with them, we decided to return Saturday to visit the Angels because most of them were still in school.

I then went to register and packet pick up at the expo. The expo, admittedly, was a lot smaller than I thought it would be. I was ready to blow my wallet there but there wasn’t anything that struck my eye. I also wasn’t buying anything until after I crossed the finish line. It wasn’t that I didn’t think I would finish but 17 hours is a long time for things to go wrong. Besides, I had only had one perfect race and that was in Augusta.

After the expo, I waited outside for the doctor. We walked next door to the pharmacy and he was speaking with the cashier in Spanish. She hands him the medication without asking for his identification. I later learned he is one of 6 doctors on the island so he knows the staff there quit well. Then he began looking for something that they obviously didn’t have. I was hoping it wasn’t a syringe. The lady rings up the item and it’s about $20 USD. I gave her my card and it was denied. WHAT?! I KNOW there was cash in the account and I just used it just an hour before. UGH! So I run back to the expo to get $20 bucks from KP then run back to pay for the medication.

Sidebar: I later called my bank and they said sometimes transactions don’t go through when traveling in Mexico. No biggie I learned a lesson. Need to keep cash on me at all times!

The doctor and I walked back to the expo and he tells me they don’t have alcohol swabs to cleanse the injection site. I was think I don’t care I will lick the bottom of a toilet if you told me it would fix my knee. I understand there is a risk of infection if you make an injection at an unsterilized site, but at this point I was desperate! We went to the Red Cross booth to see if they had swabs but they didn’t. So, doc used the next best they had; alcohol-based hand sanitizer. I didn’t care I was game! So we go to the men’s bathroom and I roll up the shorts on my left knee. He says nope. Points to his buttocks and I was like shoot! Not in the rear lol!

So here I am bent over with one cheek exposed, some dude is in the next stall over just murdering the bathroom. I'm praying he doesn’t come out or no one comes in while I’m in the compromising position. He cleans the injection site and makes the injection of whatever it was he was shooting me with just below my hip and just before the fatty part of the buttocks. It hurt a little! I let out a little moan and was REALLY praying no one was coming in or out of the bathroom lol! He wrapped it up and I was done.

This guy was awesome. He didn’t even charge me for making the injection. I only paid for the medication. Was that a blessing or what?! He could have charged me $200 USD and I would have paid it! But this guy, a triathlete himself, saw a patient and fellow athlete in a bind and graciously helped me out! WOW!

I asked how long it would take before I was feeling better and he said a couple of days. Later that day, I didn’t notice much of a difference but by midday Saturday I was feeling 90% and race ready! By race day I felt 100% ready to rock! But more on that later.

Pre-Race Dinner:
Friday evening KP and I went to the athlete dinner. I thought it was well done the food was pretty good! I later heard that was the same food they had for the athlete finisher party too! That kinda sucks!

We met a lot of the other IAMTRI athlete’s at this dinner that I hadn’t met before. It was also a chance for me to introduce KP to the people I have been talking to and have never met over the course of the past year. That was my Friday.

Saturday:

I woke up early which is inevitable! I am always up by 6am! I had another HUGE pancake breakfast with home fries and was maintaining my hydration. I spent the morning preparing my gear bags (swim to bike, and bike to run bags). These bags hold a change of clothes and other gear you need to change in to. They had to be turned in Saturday during bike check-in.

So as I am preparing everything, I realized I was missing my aero bottle! This is the most important water bottle because it’s the one I actually drink out of and it sits in the front of the bike. After about 90 minutes of panic, I found my aero packed in my second luggage. Whew!

I was confident for the swim and I had all of my gear and at that moment, I was able to relax. Well, as much as one could relax knowing there was an Ironman triathlon in front of him. Today would be a fun, stress-free day. Bike check in, visit with the Angels, then a sports massage, and in bed by 7pm.

One last minute check of the bike. I went to adjust my bike computer sensor and it broke! EEK! I tried to fix it using zip ties to hold it in place. And it was working; then it would stop. It would work and then stop again.

Bike check in was painless. I saw several IAMTRI members and just chatted with them. As we a approached the entrance, there was a gentleman there that would check our armband and race number (#366). He would also mention the brand of bicycle we were checking in and it was logged into a computer. I checked in my bike and hung my gear bags. This is where I started to make peace with the entire race. I began positive visualizations of me getting out of the water and grabbing my bags, running into the changing tent, and then jumping on my bike. Then I would picture myself crossing the finish line. I was mentally ready for this race!

At the check-in, I saw some of the pros, Andy Potts and Rutger Beke who are absolutely shredded! TV really doesn’t show how fit these guys are. Any who, after check-in I waited nearly an hour for my shuttle bus to return me to my hotel. It never showed up. I hitched a ride on another shuttle bus that was going to a nearby hotel. Needless to say, there is certainly room for improvement in the organization of shuttle busses. No worries. I made it back to the hotel just in time to run upstairs and change. It was time to meet the children that brought me to this island.

Wow I am getting emotional just thinking about it! I remember the first time I felt like I could swim forever. I blogged about it. I was thinking about these children’s faces. Children I never knew. Children that had no idea they were playing a huge part in God’s plan for me.

It was hard not to get emotional as we approached the compound. I couldn’t cry in front of Dennis and his family. Not in front of the children; but inside my soul was beaming! We went to the first home and introduced ourselves. I was extremely nervous.

Then we went next door. There was a little girl who was deaf. She seemed a little apprehensive of these new faces at first. It didn’t take her long, though, to warm up :) These children truly are Angels! Right here on earth. I now know what it feels like to be hugged by an Angel! And there was a whole city of them. (note: the name of the children’s home translates to City of Angels.)

When we walked in they were having dinner. I saw bananas on the counter and like a mad man that hasnt eaten on a week asked for one. I was getting paranoid because I was feeling cramping in my calves. Lol! I didn’t take it but I felt a little embarrassed that I asked. It was just fear driving me at that point I guess. So the children were having dinner and Dennis was telling them I was doing the Ironman. The boys then started showing me their Ironman poses! They were too cute!

Ironman Pose

We had to cut the visit short; it was a little over an hour. I had a lot to do still and it was going to be a short night. They planned on trying to get the children to visit the race site but it was going to be a challenge. I was looking forward to it but knew it was going to be a late night if they did manage to go. A school night at that!

Dennis Wilson

Next to do was go the MEGA shopping center, get something full of carbs, and then get what we needed for Communion. We ran into Dennis and his family and it was a blessing. His youngest son was able to help me pick out the best noodles to satisfy my need for carbohydrates! We were also able to find Wech’s grape, “The official Communion drink of Church of Christ.” as Dennis jokingly put it. We found everything we needed and it was dash back to Hotel Melia.

I went upstairs and began sorting out my special needs bag (this is the bag that has extra nutrition etc.).There are two special needs bags. One for the bike and another for the run. Most people get these bags at the halfway point of the bike and the run. I put my extra nutrition bottles in the bike special needs bag. For my run special needs bag I had KP write Bible verses to place inside the bag.

One verse was Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”

How fitting. I felt like this whole year I was commanded by God to do this Ironman. And here God's word telling me...do not be afraid or discouraged. WOW!

The second verse was Hebrew 12:1-3

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

I also added a piece of KP’s favorite gum! I knew that having KP’s handwriting with God’s word would help me get out of any hole I may have gotten myself into at the halfway point of the run. The gum was something fun which a lot of people say you should do; so I did. Because it was KP’s gum, it made it that much more special. It seems small and insignificant, but when you read the race report you will know how much something as small as that actually is.

After packing my bags, my day REALLY got tough! I had a 90 minute sports massage to help work out my cramping legs…tough I know! It was only about $90 USD with a nice tip! What a great price. Can I just tell you it was without a doubt THE BEST massage I ever had! I told the massage therapist to take it easy because I didn’t want to be sore the next morning. I felt absolutely ready to go!

Saturday evening was brief. I took a sleeping aid, and was in bed promptly at 7pm. I needed to get up at 0345 to give my stomach chance to settle. When I woke up, I needed to be ready. This was one year of “impossibles” coming to a head. One year of becoming closer to God. One year of faith. One year of watching God perform miracles. One year of watching an average man who was run-walking half marathons, who could not swim, who never ran a marathon, who never really cycled go from that to an Ironman. All to God’s glory. Sunday was that day. It was time to practice...my game face!

Practicing my Game Face

"You have 16:59:59 to complete the Ironman. Anything faster and you're just showing off" =)

2010-12-03T12:14:00.000-05:00

“Hassan Peterson of the United States now you can say YOU…ARE…AN IRONMAN!!!!!”

I will never forget that moment!

Race Report to Follow

How to track me Bib#366 Last name Peterson

2010-11-28T04:49:00.003-05:00

http://ironmanlive.com/

Scroll down and look to the left where it says Recent Ironman Event Coverage
Click Ironman Cozumel

Click tracking to see where I am in the race.

Or click audio video feed. I expect to cross between 11pm and 1am est if you watch the feed between those hours you can see me cross and giving it up to God!

My knee is feeling good I am feeling good! God's has my back and he will be pushing me forward!

Cozumel En Route

2010-11-26T07:45:00.000-05:00

Let me just say I HATE flying. Obviously not enough to not do it. But certainly enough to know I don’t like it.,. kinda like swimming in triathlon.

So I am sitting here on this plane and I'm not sure that it has hit me yet. I have this really weird feeling and this is the best way I can describe it. It is a mixture of two feelings. You know that feeling you get when you are on the airplane getting ready to parachute out. You ask yourself that question, “When did this seem like a good idea?” And you know the day before your child is born, you KNOW you life will never be the same. That is what this is a mixture of regardless of the outcome, my life will never be the same.

Over the past week it has become difficult to really absorb everything that is taking place. I know one thing. IRONMAN is EXPENSIVE!!!! KP seconds that for the record! Maybe an international Ironman isn’t the best idea for a first timer on a budget lol. But I was called to do this and God made a way! Also I wanted to mention here not only has the fundraising goal been met, it’s been passed! The goal was set for $2,500 I think it may actually hit $3000! There are several people I want to thank for helping with this effort! First Andrea Eller! Her organizational skills and networking are bar none! She made a lot of this possible! I'm grateful God got her involved! Thank you Andrea SO MUCH! Second Gary Hixson (side note Gary is the same guy who baptized me!) Gary made an awesome flyer which generated tons of support and prayer.

Update on my knee…

It is still sore and I am extremely nervous the inflammation will return. (unfortunately a few hours into my day it did return) I'm praying the Mexican Doctor can possibly give me a cortisone shot. I honestly think it will save me a lot of worthless pain. I don’t mind pain. I know it will come. But work smarter not harder! Besides, I have read reports of guys not finishing because they “cooked” their IT band. I want to go ahead and remove that possibility.

Any who, I have been receiving reports from the triathletes I met on the IAMTRI website. Heather Brown sent me several emails detailing the conditions there. She stated the water was super buoyant! Perfect because being a new swimmer that is exactly what I wanted to hear. She said the jellyfish sting but nothing to panic about.

It was funny because I started thinking about Christ and how he told us how beautiful heaven is and how much God loved us. The best part He was even going to show us how to get there!

Well, I'm excited starting to hydrate today. I know one thing I am ready to get this event over!

(Ding!) “Good morning folks just wanted to let you know we are 20 minutes outside of Cozumel and will be landing here shortly”
Yup!!!! That’s when it hit me!!!!! I am going to the Ironman!!!

Recap of a bad taper!

2010-11-22T13:58:00.003-05:00

*********QUCIK BLOG ENTRY ON THE FLY FORGIVE TYPOS!*****

Wow, I am just a few short days away from flying and even shorter to seeing if what I have trained for over the last year was worth it. Actually, I already know the answer to the latter. It was TOTALLY worth it! But I face even more hardships going into this race. About a week and a half ago I hurt my left knee really badly! I was on my first taper run which would be an easy 10 mile run. I started off my run at my new found faster pace and was feeling awesome! I hit mile 5 and things started to change quickly.

I was starting to feel a “something isn’t right” pain in my left leg. It was kind of weird though. It felt like the upper part of my calf was strained and the lower part of my hamstring was strained too. What was weird was I couldn’t begin to understand how someone only strains part of a particular muscle. It just doesn’t seem possible. Then the real issue became known. The outside of my left knee started to hurt REALLY badly!

I walked a half mile then decided to suck it up and ran the next mile and a half home. I was afraid I had really messed up my knee just two weeks before the Ironman. I immediately starting an internet search and thought I may have Iliotibial band syndrome. This is a common running issue. But I was adamant this issue was not caused by running!

A few weeks ago I did a century ride. Prior to the ride I changed out my cleats and it was the first time I have had knee pain in 8 months even with the tough training I had been putting myself through. And it was the first time I ever had knee pain on the bike. But trying to be a tough guy I sucked it up. So the night before my injury run, I did three hours on my bike training ( a trainer turns your bicycle into a stationary bike). Prior to the training, I adjusted the cleat position again trying to alleviate the knee pain. And it worked…or not!

The next day I did my run and bam! Knee issue. So I Googled to see if Iliotibial band syndrome can be caused by improper cleat/foot position on the pedals and it can. Ok so I get ART (Active release technique) performed on my knee to try to assist with the healing process. After a week of visits I attempted a run; which was this past Friday. A little over a quarter mile into the run I started feeling the tightness returning to my knee and I stopped. After I stopped I started feeling the same pain in my right knee. I have NEVER had issues with my right knee. The following Saturday, I went to Ortho Carolina looking for a cortisone shot. I didn’t get it!

The doctor stated the improper cleat position on my bike turn my knee in a way that it caused inflammation behind the patella of both of my knees. He was certain if I took 800mg of ibuprofen two times a day for the next week I would be able to race the Ironman pain free. I, however, have a recommended doctor (who is an attending physician for the Ironman event) on standby to give me a cortisone shot if needed. I never had a cortisone shot and I am not looking forward to getting one. At this point, though, I will do just about anything to get through this race.

I am actually somewhat grateful for this injury, because I was becoming so bent on finishing in 15 hours and so terrified of the swim. Now, I am embracing the swim, as much as I can, and focusing on just finishing and putting forth my best effort!

Sunday at church we put on an information piece about the fundraising efforts for the Ironman and the children’s home in Cozumel. The minister introduces me and was giving a description of the Ironman and it was humbling to hear exactly what the Ironman is. And it’s crazy. 2.4 miles in the ocean!!!! 112 miles on the bike!!!! And then a marathon! That is just insane!!!

As he is interviewing me in front of the congregation I became emotional because of what God has done in my life over the years. I just cant believe it. To boot the sermon talked about God and his power. God breathed the stars into existence. It was just an unbelievably great lesson and made me really understand the God that gave me life, is the same God that got me though the tough times in my life. He is the same God that made the universe, AND He is the same God that will be with me during the Ironman. There is a peace I feel in that. I am still afraid and I think that is ok.

It’s really starting to sink in though. One year seemed so long ago! Now here I am! I will be honest. I don’t really feel like I am racing for me. I am racing for God and for the City of Angels. I really don’t want to let them down because of a knee injury. I don’t want to let my own children down by not finishing. They have had to sacrifice too. I don’t want to let KP down who too has had to sacrifice. I don’t want to let the people down that I have helped to inspire. I don’t want to come back home and explain to people why I didn’t finish the race.

I will make one promise! I WILL NO QUIT! THAT IS NOT AN OPTION! I will suffer for 17 hours if I have to but I will NOT quit! If my knee flares up I will call upon my God. When I am having a good time and things are going great I will Thank God! I will NOT quit. I think that is the only thing God is asking of me in this race and that is to not quit.

I can tell you we are about 6 days out and I can still fill pain but my promise still stands. I will not quit! Keep praying for me guys! I am praying for a healing and a miracle! At this point, getting to the starting line is a victory!

How did I get here?

2010-10-27T10:41:00.002-04:00

How in the world did I get here? Have you ever asked yourself that question? I ask myself that question as an athlete. I remember a year ago I could barely swim 250 yards in a pool. The most I ever road a bike was 30 miles. The farthest continuous run I had under my belt was one 10 mile run and that was almost two years ago. I am now about 4 weeks out from doing an Ironman. And while I know God was present the entire time, I often ask myself, “How did this happen?”

It’s eye opening to look back on the road that has led me here. This is a moment I will NEVER have again. I will NEVER be 4 weeks out from my FIRST Ironman. So I thought it fitting to look at exactly how it happened.
Well, I was always a heavy drinker. I NEVER drank to be social always to get drunk. I never saw the point in having drinks if you weren’t going to get drunk. As my drinking began to escalate in 2007 there was only one thing that helped curb that addiction. RUNNING! Now I was never really good at running. In the Army I was in the back of the pack. The slowest guy there was. I hated it; probably because I was a smoker. Running is to smoking as water is to oil. I stopped smoking the day my son was born in March 14, 2005.

I started running again to lose weight (winter 2006) and when I ran my first 10K, Cooper River Bridge Run in 2007, I got a finishers medal! I think I became more addicted to getting finishers medals than I was the running. In high school I was far from an athlete. I never won athletic trophies or anything like that so finisher medals help kind of fill that void. Most 10ks don’t give finisher medals so I had to increase my distance to the half marathon.

I read an article in the September 2007 Runners World (I actually read the article in November 2007) magazine called “I am not a jogger” (http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-243-332--12126-0,00.html ). The one line that really stood out was “I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I'm not.” Even though I was slow, I considered myself a runner! I was inspired by this article. After reading it I decided to do my first half marathon. So with a 6 mile base, and 6 weeks to get to 13.1 miles, I tackled Thunder Road Half Marathon in Dec. 2007. I was still drinking heavily during this training period but not as much as I was used to.

Ironically, the half marathon was the same year and month (also December 2007) I saw Ironman Kona on NBC for the first time. I remember I couldn’t swim and never thought something like that was possible. I never knew what the Ironman was until I saw it on NBC. I cried with excitement watching these peoples’ stories. And I have cried at every Ironman I have watched since!

I heard of triathlon but didn’t think they were normal people! They were fitness buffs right?! In the 2007 Ironman Kona broadcast, there was a larger guy who completed Kona…he was about 300 lbs. Maybe, something inside of me said if he can do it so can I! (but alcohol was still telling me no!)

After my first half marathon, I did one or two duathlons (run-bike-run) but always fantasized about doing a triathlon. The one thing that was holding me back was I couldn’t swim. It wasn’t long after the completing duathlons that I stopped running all together and not that I was ever any good at it anyway. I did just enough training in between my drinking and running to barely finish the half marathon. I had 15 minutes to spare before the cutoff for my first half marathon and I was last in the duathlons (I finished before one girl and a guy who was 250lbs).

The only time I ever cycled was during the 12 miles of the duathlons. I never trained for the cycling part of the race. I thought all you had to do was pedal and that wasn’t too difficult. Then I stopped running because I no longer wanted a reason to curb my drinking. In April 2008, drinking was the answer to every problem and every success I ever had. Then suddenly, it had turned its back on my. I almost lost everything! My career, relationships, and the ability to support my children were on the line during a drinking rage April 2, 2008. It is only by Grace I can sit here and say I didn’t lose everything.

I remember during my drinking days praying to God (whom I did not believe in I just didn’t have anywhere else to go) to curb my drinking. And when April 2, 2010 happened, I hated God for letting it happen and I lost the very little faith (if you can call it that) in God. It was crazy I was practicing Buddhism at the time but praying to God whom I had no faith. A little lost? You think?!

April 3, 2008 I was sober and I have been sober ever since (wow…getting emotional writing that). Six months of intensive outpatient rehab…getting over the embarrassment of not being able to drink and being called a recovering alcoholic, I wanted to start reclaiming some of the things alcohol took from me. I started running again. Nov. 2008, Thanksgiving Day, I ran my first race sober. It was the Turkey Trot a 5 mile run. I cried during that run (where are these tears coming from now). It was a tough run but I remember thinking “How did I get here?” I was sober, I was enjoying life, I was starting to feel comfortable in my own skin. I didn’t feel like a fake or a fraud. I was accepting who I was and learning not to care what other people thought of me.

The best part…I was running again! I was taking back something alcohol had taken from me. With every step of that race, every mile marker I passed, I was taking something back that belonged to me. I kept reciting in my head… “12 more steps” (fyi-there are 12 steps to the program for Alcoholic Anonymous). So this mantra took on dual meaning.

On May 23, 2009, I was baptized into Christianity. I learned God, whom I had lost faith in, did not lose faith in me. I learned on April 2, 2008, when I thought He left me, He was actually answering my prayers. He had been in control all along. July 2009, I did my first mission trip in Mexico. I developed a love for a people I did not understand. At the end of that trip, I had a vacation in Playa de Carmen, Mexico (ironically it is a 20 minute ferry ride from Cozumel). This trip was an absolute blessing from church members. (Aida and Armando thank you for your blessings! I hope you see what the blessing has grown into!) It was also the reason I took my first swim lessons.

Playa de Carmen was the first time I went to the beach in my adult life. I was in awe at how beautiful the water was. I couldn’t totally enjoy the beautiful ocean because I couldn’t swim. I vowed, after that trip, I would learn how to swim. In August 2009, two weeks later, I took my first swim lesson. After my first week of swim lessons, I ambitiously decided I was going to do a super-sprint triathlon which was just a day before my 30th birthday on October 4, 2009. Somewhere, as I struggled to get through the 300 meter swim (I had to take a break and did 50 meters on my back), biked the 10 mile loops (had hills that I could barely get up because I didn’t know how to climb hills) and the 3.1 mile run ( I walked a little) I decided I was going to do an Ironman! God said perfect! You can do it next year!

I was looking at half Ironman races for the following year because I thought in a year I would be prepared to do a half Ironman. Then I saw Ironman Cozumel and remembered our church sponsors Ciudad De Angeles, a children’s home in Cozumel. This was a new Ironman venue and it was in Cozumel! My burning bush. I asked my coach, Lance Leo, if I could do an Ironman in a year, when he said yes, I signed up for the Ironman.

I thought this journey and the purpose of this Ironman would be to raise money for the children’s home in Cozumel. Sadly, I have not raised as much money as I would have hoped. I pray that changes in the very near future. But what I have learned is something I know God wanted me to learn. I didn’t learn it until the Augusta Half Ironman. What is impossible with God?!

When I told people I was doing a half Ironman just 8 months after my first swim lesson and 4 to 5 months of training, I was getting “looks”; but I completed it! Tell me what is impossible with God? In Augusta Half Ironman, I beat my personal record by over an hour and completed that course 45 minutes faster than I thought I could have imagined. Now you tell me what is impossible with God? And after I have said this, the human in me rears its doubt. Going into Augusta, I was afraid. I prayed but I was afraid. Going into Cozumel, I am afraid, I am praying but I am afraid. In the end this is God’s race and whatever happens, happens because of and for Him.

Just like this is God’s race, my life belongs to God. Even when I think I am in control of things, I am not. And like my races, I am not always the best; I fail, I sin. God, however doesnt keep a timer, doesnt keep score. He just gives grace. Still, I have a tough time accepting that. This Ironman is for my God and it is also to regain the things I have lost to my addiction. It is to confront the demons of my alcoholism. I accept I can never, not be an alcoholic, but at least I have a chance to meet those demons head on in the Ironman.

I was listening to a song my Eminem (the clean version). There were lyrics to his song “Not Afraid” that nearly had me in tears because it touched me! I felt like it told the story of the past few years of my life.

“And I just can't keep living this way
So starting today, I'm breaking out of this cage
I'm standing up, Imma face my demons
I'm manning up, Imma hold my ground
I've had enough, now I'm so fed up
Time to put my life back together right now
It was my decision to get clean, I did it for me
Admittedly I probably did it subliminally for you
So I could come back a brand new me, you helped see me through”

This reminds me so much of when I was actively in my addiction and now I am facing my demons. The You he refers to in these lyrics , in my interpretation, is God! Having said that, this last month of training has been the hardest! It has asked the most and I guess after a year of training the mental toughness is starting to wear a little thin. Perseverance is the key! Except some days it’s just so hard to remember that! Coming up on 30 days out!

2010 ESI Augusta 70.3 Race Report

2010-10-12T19:51:00.000-04:00

!!!FACING THE GIANTS MOVIE SPOILER!!!

~~~Facing the Giants Spoiler in this video! ~~~’

I refer to the movie Facing the Giants a lot. I think this movie taught me that God can be present even in sports. I have tried to really let God use me when training for and competing in triathlons. All I have to do is give it to Him. There is one part of the movie, at the end, where the coach comes in and asks team members, “What is impossible with God?” The response… “NOTHING!”

Nothing is impossible with God!

This is significant for me because knowing this got me through Augusta!

Pre-Race:

We drove up to Augusta, Ga Saturday morning. I checked in immediately and the line was ridiculously long! They only had 4 volunteers checking in athletes. Other than that checking in was a non-issue. I hit the expo, checked-in my bike, and I was in bed at 7pm. I wanted to get up by 3:15am and be out the door by 4am. I always have stomach distress before a big race. I wanted to have time to relax if that was the case in the morning and I figured it would be. At 3:15am I woke up and immediately took 2 Pepto Bismol tablets. This is a little trick I learned from the tri athlete social website www.iamtri.com. I took in applesauce but wasn't really in the mood to eat.

We arrived at the race site and it was total chaos! Let me just tell you the logistics used in the set up of this race left much to be desired. The parking situation presented a HUGE challenge. At 4:45am, I was the first athlete in the transition area. In fact, I arrived 15 minutes before the transition area even opened! I mean I beat EVERYONE there… even the body markers! I needed that time, though, to feel settled. That also meant I was the first person in the green giant (porta-johns). I’m sorry, but every triathlete knows you cannot talk about triathlon without mentioning the porta-johns! I then took another dose of Pepto!

After trying to come up with a plan amidst the chaos, we decided KP would park at the swim start. Unfortunately, she would miss the swim exit and the bike start/finish. She would, however, have a parking spot and be in position for the run. Let me say, if you have a significant other who wants to watch this race in its entirety, having a bicycle for him/her might not be a bad idea. Parking and viewing access are a huge challenge for the first two legs of the race. You may have to do what we did and have your spouse miss the swim exit and bike start/finish. The hardest part of the race is usually the swim start and the run so we opted to park at the swim start. Having KP at the swim start was really neat. I don’t know why but I still get very nervous before the swim...every time! The spectator view of the swim start is about 100-150 yards away on top of a hill. Poor planning, I think, by the organizers! Your significant other will barely be able to see the start. As time wore on more and more spectators were making their way down that hill. (shhhh KP was one of them lol)
My wave was the first age group wave to start. Pro males, followed by Pro females, then physically challenged. Finally, my wave would start; the first wave of age group 30-34. I did see Scott Rigsby in the transition area. Talk about motivation. I have seen his interviews and know that he has a strong faith in God. Scott Rigsby was the first double amputee to complete Ironman Kona. Kona is the Holy Grail of triathlon.

Swim:

At this point there was a light, off and on, rain with heavier rain forecasted for later in the afternoon. It looked like the rain was going to be pretty heavy during the mid to late afternoon. I would later learn that would surely be the case. I took plenty of time to put on my wetsuit. I didn’t want to have issues with my wetsuit like I did in the Lake Logan Olympic distance triathlon. As usual, I engaged in nervous chatter with other athletes. Can I just say there were A LOT more African-American triathletes here than in New Orleans. That was pretty cool to see, too! I walked over to the side and I prayed. I gave this race to God. I admitted I was afraid. I admitted I felt like He wasn't with me like I did in previous races. It was because I was too consumed with the unknown. And so I prayed, and I prayed and finally, I felt like I was with God but still had some trepidation. I admitted I was afraid, but felt at that point, I was still giving the race to God. So all I had to do was have faith.

The two minute warning sounded as we approached the water. My heart rate wasn't peaking, but I was still nervous. 1 minute warning. Everyone was getting excited. The announcer really had the crowd going. I could hear the cheers. We were the first Age group and I could hear the crowds screaming with anticipation. HORN!!!!!

I started my Timex watch so I could keep track of my race time. I put my head down and I started swimming. I was feeling really good. The swim is the place where my mind plays the most tricks on me. It’s where I have to struggle to listen to the Voice of Truth. I still continue to struggle with sighting on swims and found myself zigzagging at the start. Finally, I was able to see the buoys. The river was murky like every other body of water I had been in. There was A LOT of natural debris in the water which got really annoying after a while. One time I saw what I thought were fish scales and it turned out to be leaves. It’s all fun and games until I’m screaming like a girl underwater!

I remember sighting the swim exit and thinking, I never did feel the downstream current everyone was talking about. I was thinking my swim was probably about 40 minutes, which isn’t bad, but as I approached the timing mat I looked at my watch…33 minutes! NO WAY! That swim really set the tone for my race. Not because it was a fast swim, but the fact that I felt comfortable in the water…that is what set the stage for me!

Transition 1: Swim to Bike

I decided in some of my early races that I will give these events the respect they deserve! I jogged (instead of walked like KP told me to do lol) to my bike but first I had to visit the green giant (porta john). I was happy to relieve the effects of my hydration in transition and not on the bike. Then I ran to my bike and boogied on out of Transition. I made sure to turn on my Garmin and Bike computer prior to leaving transition. I forgot to do that in New Orleans! I was pleased with my transition considering how far the run was from the swim exit to the transition…350 feet! I went to grab my Gas-X strips and they had melted in the rain! I opened the strips ahead of time for easy access, but it turned out to be a bad idea in the rain.

Bike: 56 Miles

I remember reading race reports going into Augusta that stated, paraphrasing here, the first 12 miles are super flat but don’t let that fool you. At mile 12, they said the hills come. My heart rate was 165bpm coming out of the water and transition 1. My goal was to wait until my heart rate was about 140 to 145 before I started to take in fluids and find my race. I headed out of transition and my cycling computer wasn’t working. I checked it the day before and it was working fine. I guess when I put air in my tires I must have moved the tire sensor. I stopped twice before I finally had it working correctly. My goal for the bike portion was to race within my heart rate zones. I had to keep reminding myself, the hills are coming and I want to be able to run ten miles of the run.

Twelve miles into the ride and there were still no hills. I remember looking at the elevation map of the bike and thought at mile 17 I saw a sharp hill. I did face a hill at 17, but it wasn't anything scary. Now I don’t pretend to be good at reading elevation maps, however, I recall telling myself between miles 17 and 37 is where the tough hills that everyone was talking about were going to be. While there were some hills, the course I train on at home is A LOT tougher than this route was. At mile 37, the profile showed the route would start trending downhill and it did. It was awesome to ride this course. At one point I hit 40 mph going downhill!

Being the first wave, I knew there were going to be A LOT of people passing me and there were several. Two of those fast people were David and Ashley; two Fellowship of Christian Athlete Team Endurance members whom I first met in New Orleans. I saw them again while volunteering at a triathlon for Team FCAE at Lake Norman; small world! I forgot they told me they would be in Augusta. I saw Ashley at packet pickup on Saturday and David at bike check-in. They both were super strong on the bike. Ashley actually qualified for Clearwater. Clearwater is the 70.3 version of Kona.

Being passed by so many people wasn't all bad. Other Team FCAE members would pass and it was like a 2 second praise fest. Other random cyclists would pass and make mention about God, Jesus, and the Ichthus Fish. It wasn't a bad thing at all! I did have the opportunity to pass a few people in my age group on the bike which is a VERY rare occasion. I kind of felt guilty, because it felt good to pass them! On the other hand, I did encourage them as I passed. I started to play leap frog with a guy named Timothy. I seemed to do really, really well going downhill while Timothy was better at climbing. I would later tell him that we will likely leap frog most of the day as climbing was my weakness and sure enough, we did! I would pull ahead of Timothy and then have to stop to refill my water bottles. I’m getting better at moving around on the bike, but I just can’t seem to get to my water while on the move. I’m still working on it though! I hate stopping for 30-45 seconds to refuel but it is a necessary evil for me right now. Eventually I will be able to grab water bottles and refuel on the move. I will say this, this has motivated me to strongly consider using a Speedfill bottle in Cozumel.

One time I stopped and Timothy checked on me. I was ok, just refueling…again. I was able to catch up to him and he stopped. I asked if he was ok and he waved me forward saying he was fine. I didn’t see him again.

The first 20 miles of the bike ride were great as far as the weather was concerned. The last 36 miles were in the rain which was EXTREMELY heavy at times. When riding downhill against the rain, I would get pelted in the face and it would hurt (ok I’m a big baby)!

The home stretch of the bike ride was relatively flat, no big climbs, but some small insignificant rollers. There was some wind at times on the flatter portions of the road but really no big deal. I recall cycling and thinking how badly I needed to save it for the run and kept racing within my zones. I felt like I did a pretty good job of that. The Infinit Nutrition on the bike was the best thing I could have done. The first hour it seemed to taste bitter but by the second hour it wasn't bad. For the next batch I will have them tweak the sweetness a bit. One last thing on the bike…. I made progress by being able to grab a gel from a volunteer while on the move! I WAS SO EXCITED! LOL! I was able to rip the tag off and take the gel! Maybe by Ironman Cozumel I will be able to grab a water bottle on the move.

The last five miles I started to feel some slight cramping in my left calf. I was hoping it was just my mind playing tricks on me. I was going to have a personal best on the bike, so even if I did cramp and had to run-walk the run course I was still going to have a personal best! I was excited and nervous about the next part of the race. The Run…

Transition 2

By the end of the ride the rain started to clear up and the sun was starting to make an appearance. I did the shoe-less dismount off the bike for the second time in a race!!! I LOVE doing that! Makes me feel like the professionals :) …it also makes for faster transitions. It's easier to run in transition barefoot than it is in cycling shoes. The transition area was extremely muddy because of the heavy rains. l jumped off the bike and took my Timex watch off. Unfortunately, I broke the strap in the process. I looked at the time and realized I was going to be able to complete the race in under 7 hours! I threw on my Vibram Five Fingers and hat, then it was time. Time to ask myself the most difficult question every triathlete asks themselves. Do I have running legs?!

The Run: 13.1 miles (Half-Marathon)

I prayed…”Thank you Father, I have running legs”!!!! I might just be able to run ten miles like I promised myself the night before. Even if I had to run-walk I was still going to hit my goal of finishing in 7hrs15min.

Secretly, I had a bigger goal… a goal I didn't think was really possible. I wanted to run the full half marathon in the half Ironman. In fact, I told myself I would not sign up for another full Ironman until I was able to run the whole run. In the New Orleans Half Ironman, I run-walked the run course. And by that I mean I pretty much walked most of the run course because I was dead. That was a very short 20 weeks ago. Running the whole run course didn't seem likely. But maybe, just maybe I could run 10 miles.

I set out on the run. I successfully made it ten feet out of transition before having to stop for the green giant, then I was back on the run course. The run is always the best and worst part of the course. The run is the hardest part but also the same place where you get to meet other tri athletes and see your family. Early on I met Paul. This was Paul’s first Half Ironman. He had knee issues and had suffered from a type of respiratory infection two weeks before the race start.

As I started to run, I realized at the end of the first mile that I felt like I could keep the pace I was running forever. I noticed right away that there was already tons of support from the cheering crowds. The first mile passed and I looked at my pace; 11min. Body check-in... am I running too fast? How do I feel? What is my heart rate? I was running with my heart rate between 155 and 160. I was running MY race based on MY heart rate and it was working. Three miles passed and I was still in the zone both mentally and physically! Man, I was loving it! The miles seemed to go by quickly (for me 11 min miles beats the 14:30 miles I was run-walking in New Orleans). More importantly, I was feeling good! I was enjoying it!

At about that point, I made my first pass through Broad Street. The run on Broad Street is why I, Hassan Samuel Peterson… will be returning to the Augusta Half Ironman! I felt like a superstar! Our bibs (race numbers) had our first names on them so people were calling our names, hitting our hands, just going crazy! It was awesome! I got chills running on Broad Street. I’m getting chills right now re-living that experience. When people were cheering me by name I remember thinking, “this must be what the pros feel like” and “Wow! I can’t believe people are pronouncing my name correctly!”

SIDE NOTE: I just want to thank the terrorists for this! Before those idiots, the name “Hassan” was nearly an unheard of name. I cannot tell you how many times I have been called “who-sane.” Really people?! But now nearly all of the FBI’s most wanted terrorist have Islamic names! And so a fortunate result of this for me, is that I get to have my name pronounced correctly! Unfortunately, I also get stopped EVERYTIME I fly internationally! Even in MEXICO! I expect it will happen when I go to Cozumel as well. And if you were wondering there is a Hasan (spelled with one s) on the terrorist list! But, I digress.

Broad Street was a pretty long stretch. We went down one side, made a u-turn then ran up the other side. I saw KP and I was so happy! I wanted to tell her how awesome I was feeling! After seeing KP, about a half mile up the road, I saw my coach, Lance Leo! I didn’t know he was going to be there! It was a welcomed surprise! All I could yell was “I think I am going to PR!” He was excited for me and his excitement was genuine. About a quarter mile beyond that I saw his wife Ann! She is AWESOME too! An Ironman herself! These people really are the best!

Paul (the friend I made early on) and I continued to run and I told him, If I start to slow you down leave me, this is your race! He said the same thing to me. I guess I needed to hear that from him because I started to see his knee injury and upper respiratory infection starting to take its toll on him. At mile marker 4, I walked through the aid station to get drinks and starting running again. I looked back and Paul was still walking. I yelled “Paul I will see you when you catch up to me!” He waved me on and I continued moving forward.

I ran up alongside the opposite side of Broad Street and heard KP but didn’t see her. Then the course leaves Broad Street and you pass the finish line. The right lane was for finishers and the left lane was for the mere mortals starting the second lap. I saw the race time and it was 5:15 ish. I had about 6 to seven miles to go and I was feeling really good! As you pass the finish the run course goes by the transition zone. The road gets really quiet for about two miles on the backside of the course in between the finish line and the transition area.

I guess I needed this “alone time.” It was at this point I started my run with God. I remembered, I’m not supposed to be here. I remembered how close to death I once was….afraid of killing myself and afraid of living, too. During that time, I was “here” but usually drunk. I would fake it for 8 hours at work. You know smile, crack jokes, but deep inside I was afraid people might find out who I really was. I am grateful for the days I spent in the dark and even for those lies I once believed. It makes me appreciate the light and the Truth so much more. So here was this recovering alcoholic, fat boy, as I was once called (232lbs 4 years ago), ex-smoker, running in a Half Ironman in the name of Jesus (Whom I had hated just a few short years before) and enjoying it! Now you TELL me what is IMPOSSIBLE with GOD! NOTHING! It was that day in Augusta that I learned that Truth! And it was THAT Truth that got me to the finish!

I was coming up on Mile 8 and my promise was to get to mile 10 still running. I only had two more miles to go before I could walk. Every step was becoming more and more difficult. I always say when it starts to hurt that is when the race begins for me. I told KP while on the course that at mile 8 I was going to feel it and I did. Well my race was in full force! With every difficult step I asked myself, What is IMPOSSIBLE with GOD?! And answered, NOTHING! And I would keep running.

As I made my way back to the transition area I met another triathlete. Susannah McLeod. This was her first lap in her first Half Ironman. She had spirit! This woman was on her first lap and just so happy to be in this moment! I needed to be around that and she was a pleasure to run with. As we approached Broad Street I was telling her how powerful it was to run down that street. She took pride in that because, coincidentally, she was from Augusta! What a treat to do your first Half Ironman in your hometown.

FINALLY MILE 10!!!! OH Yeah! I kept my promise!!!!!!! I could finally walk!!!!!!! Now… let me tell you why I didn’t! KP told me the night before the race, when things were getting tough and I wanted to give in and walk, to think about what I wanted to be able to say and remember when it was all over. Was it “Yeah I ran 10 miles of the half marathon?” Or was it “I ran the WHOLE half marathon in the Half Ironman?” You KNOW which one I wanted to be able to say.

I remembered lyrics from some of my favorite Christian bands. One song was “Every Time I Breathe” by Big Daddy Weave. The lyrics say, “Now how could I, after knowing One so great, respond to You in any way that's less than all I have to give…” another song was “Sing A Song” by Third Day. The lyrics are “I want to sing a song for you Lord. Lord for you I want to sing a song” it goes on to say “With everything that's in me Lord, listen to me sing, I want to sing a song for You, I want to sing a song” Well, unfortunately I can’t sing so my song is triathlon. And I wanted to sing that song with everything that was in me… so I kept running.

Soon I was back on the other side of Broad Street. It was really cool! The people that cheered for me on the first lap got even louder when they saw me on the second lap (just got chills again!). It was unreal! There was HUGE support for Team Endurance (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) on the course. They had a tent setup with noise makers and drums. Every time I ran through that group they went crazy! There were a lot of other participants from Team Endurance on the route offering encouragement too. It was funny I would hear people scream “Go Team!” For the longest time I thought it was for me or Team Endurance. Toward the end of the race I realized it was Team In Training. So to all the Team guys I’m sorry I poached off your cheers! Lol.

I was nearing the end of the race. I knew I was going to finish. I knew I was going to have a personal best time. But most importantly, I knew that Nothing is Impossible with God! I just didn’t know how sweet it was going to be (wow I’m actually getting a little emotional here). I was coming around the corner and I saw the finish. I raised both of my hands in the air and I was screaming! WOOOOOOO! Like I was Rick Flair! I was so happy that I had just run the whole half marathon! And I was so happy it was over! I had set two long term goals for the Half Ironman Distance. One goal was to have a 6 hour and 30 minute time and the second was to run the whole half marathon in the Half Ironman continuously. I decided I was not going to sign up for another Ironman until I was able to complete these goals at the Half Ironman Distance. I thought maybe I could complete these goals next race season; a year from now.

I did BOTH in the Augusta Half Ironman! I even got one better LOL! My time was 6 hours 29 minutes. LOL! A minute faster than my LONG-TERM goal!

Although I wanted it, I never prayed for God to give me a 6:29 time. Honestly, I was just hoping to have 7:15. I have learned to give my races to God. This is His race and what happens, happens for His Glory! Look what I received in return, I was able to praise Him on the course, and had a race I thought might be possible…a year from now!

NOW YOU TELL ME WHAT’S IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD?!

Dear world this is about more than my ego

2010-09-18T02:53:00.000-04:00

About two weeks ago, I was at the dentist’s office. Now it is no secret that I am a HUGE wimp when it comes to making the trip to see the dentist. I think bad experiences that I had as a kid, coupled with visions of scenes from The Little Shop of Horrors have scared me for most of my childhood and early adult life! However, I like every responsible, albeit reluctant adult, had to go. I had to get work done and I found if I brought my black berry, with my Bose noise canceling headphones, I could get lost in that horrible chair.

On this particular day, I had come off a workout and was really in the mood to look at Ironman videos. I have watched those videos a million times I can assure you! I can probably recite the introduction to every NBC Kona Ironman broadcast from 2004 to the present…ok, not really, but I digress…. Anyway I was sitting there while the dentist was getting ready to do whatever they do to poor, innocent patients! The assistant asked what I was looking at and I said the Ironman. I explained that I am training for one to raise money for an orphanage. Of course she asked what the Ironman was! At about that moment the dentist reaches inside my mouth and I was rendered speechless!

He said “It’s a swim, bike, run; a triathlon. A 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and a marathon. The follow-up question from the assistant was one we have all heard… “Why would someone do that?” And the dentist’s response?????

“So they can say they did an Ironman.”

That’s it? To say I did it? Is that why I train 15 to 20 hours a week? Ride a bike for as long as some people’s workdays? And run with legs that are on fire long before I ever even take the first step?! To say I did an Ironman?

People jump out of planes to say they did it. (I did by the way)

People bungee jump to say they did it… (never did that)

People visit New York, Paris, London to say they did it… (did that too)

You ride the tallest rollercoaster in the world to say you did it. (nope, not interested in doing that)

People don’t subject themselves the reality of the Ironman for up to 17 hours just to say, “I did it” !!!

But then maybe there is some truth to his statement. Maybe there are some people that do an Ironman just to say I did it. But I think there is something more that they (we) want… something bigger than just an ego boost, as the dentist seemed to be saying. Something inside us that wants to, as John Collins the founder of the Ironman stated, “find what we are made of”. It is often stated that if you can do an Ironman you can do anything. Maybe there is uncomfortable uncertainty inside us that wants to know the truth about ourselves. Whatever it is that drives us, I will argue that it is bigger than an ego boost.

I bet he has never watched an Ironman finish. I bet he has never seen people cross the finish line and collapse. Not because they physically couldn’t go any further, but because it is difficult to cry uncontrollably, while standing up, after traveling 140.6 miles. I have watched hours of Ironman finishes via Ironmanlive.com and I don’t see egos when people cross the line. I saw the answers to questions.

One question in particular. Can I? That is the toughest question anyone can ask themselves. It is a scary question because it requires a lot of honesty. One I myself am sometimes afraid to ask. The Ironman tri-athlete asks themselves this question all the way to the finish. The finish; the place where all the questions are answered. Can I finish my degree? Can I be a good husband, or father, or mother? Can I really do anything I set my mind to? Can I really be sober…for the rest of my life? The Ironman is impossible. So if you can do the impossible, anything IS possible! A logical fallacy??? I don’t think so!

I am not an Ironman, yet, but I draw from my half ironman experience and the interactions I have had with so many Ironman tri-athletes. I don’t know if I have what it takes to be an Ironman. I will let you know November 28, 2010 just before midnight.

I just hope when people see Ironman tri-athletes, they see more than an ego. I hope they see the truth in what these athletes have accomplished!

85 mile ride and 14 mile run

2010-09-05T11:41:00.000-04:00

This week has been an eye-opener. First there was suppose to be an 85 mile ride then the next day would be a 14 mile run. Well…it didn’t work out that way. The 85 mile ride was on my usual course that seems to go up hill the entire time. The down hills aren’t as forgiving as the up hills are painful. I suffer through this hoping it will make me stronger on the flats in Cozumel.

I, again, used Gatorade for the 85mile ride and realized Gatorade and eating on the bike is just too much to think about. I am going to make the move back to Perpetuem. At the end of this 85 mile ride, I didn’t feel as bad as I did at the end of the 80 miler. I think this is for several reasons. The first being I honestly think I put half the bottle of chamois butter (lubricates the cycling padding as it moves/rubs against the skin while cycling) inside the shorts which minimized the chaffing issue I had on the last ride. The second is I rode this route about 10 minutes slower than I did the last time. At the end of the ride I felt like I still had running legs which was motivating. The final reason was that it wasn’t the first time my body had to deal with this distance.

I did have aches along the way. My traps were sore, and my upper and lower back were also sore. I think it’s time to take my bike to be re-fit…ugh! $75 bucks! Between the aches and starting to slow down this ride was tapping into my spirit. Those demons were digging deep today. “You are too slow” “If you are going this slow on the bike, you won’t make the cut off”, “You did 80 miles two weeks ago, you don’t need to do this 85 today! It’s only 5 more miles.” I know this was my enemy feeding me lies.

That is what the enemy does; waits for your weakest moment and that is when the attacks come. There are no rules of engagement. There is no Geneva Convention. There are no war crimes. I was weak and I wasn’t sure how to fight back this time. I just kept pedaling and realized that is exactly how to fight back. Turning my pedals slowly and steadily. I was too weak to even pray. God knew what I needed though. He was right there with me.

John Collins, founder of the Ironman, said the Ironman is every man (person) finding out what they are made off. I am nothing without God, so maybe instead of testing me, it is testing my faith. Is that what scares me?

Finally I hit 85 miles. I was starting to develop a blister on my right foot. That’s a first for me! Never had issues cycling without socks before! I will likely use Bodyglide (lubricant) on my feet before the bike ride this week. Blisters are not welcome here. Having said that, I opted to pass on the 20 min brick run that followed the ride. The next day was the 14 mile run. I was honestly afraid of that distance. I have never run more than ten miles continuously. My last 12 mile run had some walking in it between 6 and 9 miles. So 14 seemed scary to me.

Tuesday, after a long day at work, I went home to take a nap for an hour and get up and run. I got up at 6:00 am as my alarm went off to get up for work. Ok, I have to do it tonight! Except, I got off waaaay too late to run. I opted to do my swim workout instead. The next day there were no excuses. I had to run this 14 miles if it was the last thing I did!

The day before I prepared for this run using a new tactic: MUSIC. I haven’t run with music in a long time. I was a huge advocate of training how you fight. I won’t run with music in the Ironman so I won’t run with music in training. In the Ironman there will be other things to keep my mind off of the run. These training runs get really lonely! Being out there alone with nothing to listen to for 2 and a half plus hours. Music it is!

This is where I became aware of how God works in people’s lives. I am telling you if you are willing to open your eyes to God you will see it too! I don’t have an Ipod because every spare dime I have goes to training or buying something I need for training or triathlon. I have been using my Blackberry instead to listen to music. Over the last few weeks my Blackberry (bb) has been having issues reading the memory card which means no music.

I finally had to take the bb in to be looked at if I was going to have music for my run. I signed in at Verizon and I waited for my name to be called. I heard a voice from behind me that said, “Hi, I’m Jerome and I will be assisting you.” I turned around and I didn’t see what I expected to see; which is someone standing. There was a black male, who even in a wheelchair, still looked pretty fit. I am convinced he was who God sent to put me back on track!

As I spoke with J, it was clear he wasn’t always in the chair. He talked about how he considered becoming a police officer when he got out of school; an indicator he wasn’t always a paraplegic. He was a really nice guy too! The best customer service I ever experienced. I know that because he was so nice that if he had said, “Piss off and eat (expletive)” I would have considered it! And STILL given him a good review! And in the review, praise and thank him for being concerned with my nutrition.

While talking with J, I hit the realization that I am blessed to be able-bodied. So many people are and they let the gift go to waste. At least I can try and I better try harder. What would J do just to have my legs? What would a blind man do for my eyes? What would the faithless do to have my faith?

I started off the run and immediately became lost in my music. Of course it was all contemporary Christian music. If you wrap yourself in light, the darkness can never enter. I listened for hours about God’s love as I ran. I decided early to be smart on this run. Not like the last 12 miles I did. That was brutal. I was drinking one fuel belt bottle every 2 miles. Following this hydration plan has worked for me in the past and tonight would be no different. I carry bottles which means I can run for about 8 miles then I would need to return home, which was used as an aid station, and finish up the rest of the run.

I'll be glad to pay for the re-fit.

I hate planning! I don’t like to say “this is what I am going to do today.” I think that is why I enjoy being an officer. I never know what I am going to do at work. So today I decided to have a freestyle run and explore a little. I found a pretty good seven mile loop! The first seven miles went by and I was feeling really good. Except toward the end I could feel myself needing a GasX strip (what is up with the late runs and gas? Geesh!). I made it to my front door right at 7 miles; halfway. I took out the old fuel bottles and put in new ones that I kept in the fridge (sweet! Cold Gatorade to start the run). I ate a banana, used the restroom, took a GasX, and I was out the door. I treated this as if it was a transition maybe a 2-3 minute stop and I was off.

Miles 7-11 were…fun… I guess. At 8.5 miles in, my foot hit uneven pavement…again! The first time it happened on my 12 miler and it was my right foot. Today it was my left foot. I hit the uneven sidewalk so hard it forced me to fall over! From that point on I decided I am not running at night unless I have a headlamp to see the sidewalk. I had to stop a bit to tend to my foot because it was hurting pretty bad (don’t forget I wear Vibrams so I hit the uneven pavement essentially with my barefoot). But I hadn’t come that far to stop for a minor injury. I was having a good run and I needed this! I needed to finish this run to know that I can do it when the Ironman comes.

I decided I didn’t break anything and kept on moving. My left foot was a little tender but I forgot all about it…when, 2 miles later, I hit my right foot! What the…?! I was fussing. I decided I was going to pay better attention even though I thought I already was. I didn’t have any other major issues with hitting my foot. Mostly because the pavement was even for the rest of the run.

Mile 10.5 to 12 was all up hill. That was a challenge and I laughed thinking if I had planned this route I would have never put an uphill run at mile 10.5 :) I knew that once I made it to mile 12 it would be a little easier because the road would start to go downhill a bit. I ran part of this route about 4 years ago when I was training for my first half marathon. I hit mile 13 and took my mind to Cozumel. I could almost smell the salt in the air. The end of mile 14 was awesome because I now know I can do it! Sometimes that’s all we need… just to know we can do it!

Quick Report 2010 Lake Norman Race report

2010-08-25T21:33:00.001-04:00

Just wanted to make a quick note about this last sprint triathlon. It was a 750 meter open water swim, 17 mile bike ride, and a 5k. Not a big deal. I was excited that I could look at this race as something to do for fun. A friend that was also doing this race asked me what times I was targeting. It was interesting because I didn’t think about it. I didn’t concern myself with times. I kind of got over the whole racing for time deal (kind of anyway) In this race I just wanted to fine-tune my sighting technique. Besides, this was my last open water swim (race environment) until my Half Ironman in Augusta .

Toward the end of the swim at Lake Logan I felt like my swim was coming together. This swim would let me know if that was the case. Right before the swim start, I walked over to the lake and prayed. I told God this was His race and whatever happens is to His glory. I was thankful to be here and thankful to be sober, and thankful to be happy.

You know when you are in God’s presence. It is a feeling that can’t be described, but I was there! The tears were starting to roll. I laughed and thought great! This race my goggles are going to leak from the inside out! Speaking of goggles I bought a new pair- hopefully these will last. I will probably by a new pair before the Ironman, same brand and model.

Anyway as they called my swim wave to the line, there was no nervousness. I stayed in the back and when they counted us down we started to swim. I decided I was going to move at my pace. I was sighting and swimming really well. In fact, the only thing I would change would be to go faster. Isn’t that always the thing we would change? Go faster? On the way back, sighting was becoming a little more difficult because the sun was starting to rise above the tree line and the goggles I had on were clear. That was the only issue.

One really funny thing happened during the swim. My left hand touched something hard and it turned out to be some sort of rock. The top of the rock was about two feet below the water. So, I stood on top of the rock in the middle of the race and opened my hands like a cross. I laughed so hard and wondered if this is what Jesus felt like when He walked on the water! :)

I made it out of the swim and I was excited about how I felt. I also thought it was funny that my swim pace was the same for 1.2 miles as it was for 1500 meters, and for 0.9 miles, as well as for 750 meters. It’s the same pace. I guess it’s my comfort zone and we don’t challenge the comfort zone in an open water swim!

The bike was rolling but it seems all the courses are around here. Nothing big to talk about on the bike. I did run the 5k two minutes faster that my last sprint a month ago. That was pretty cool! That’s it: quick and to the point.

The biggest thing about this race is that my swim finally was on board. No bad nerves, no nausea, no leaking goggles. Just put your head down (in the water) and get it done. By the way, this is my one year anniversary from when I took my very first swim lesson! WOW! One year ago I didn’t know what a high vertical elbow was. And here I am. It’s a God thing!

80 mile ride and my search for Desitin!

2010-08-25T21:30:00.000-04:00

Man! My last block of training was a tough one! The peak of that phase was an 80 mile bike ride and the next day a 12 mile run. I love getting a new training block and looking at the last week. I look at the peak of that build phase and think, “How in the world?!” But it never fails, I am always able to complete the block and be on to the next one.

I have a friend who is getting into triathlon. He is a strong cyclist and a solid runner, but he was lacking the one thing that makes us triathletes: swimming. He has done solid brick workouts with biking followed by running. I remember some time ago he told me he signed up for swim lessons. He always told me he would train with me if I asked. I’m not a fast guy and the last thing I want to do is hold someone back…but 80 miles is a long time to be alone on the road. What if something happened?

I called him up and he was game! We met at TrySports and we were going to ride a route that one of the employees, Jen Teipen, told me about. She is doing Ironman Louisville next week! I’m so excited for her! Any who, I have talked with her ad nauseam about her training; where she rides, what she does, so forth and so on. We have the same coach so I knew that where her training had taken her, I could expect to see it in my own block of training in the future.

She told me about this 30 mile loop and Mike and I were going to go test it out. I loaded my water bottles with regular Gatorade (not Gatorade Endurance) because that is what’s offered on the event courses. I wanted to know if my stomach could handle the Gatorade. We started the ride and it was challenging. There were a lot of hills and tough climbs on this route. Made me wish I had a road bike! The first lap was uneventful, but at the start of the second lap I was not looking forward to hitting the hills…AGAIN! I was asking for strength and desire from God and then I was reminded why I am doing this.

It gets easy to forget why we train so hard. Why we go out on these ridiculously long swims, bike rides, and runs in the middle of the hot summer days. I remember a video I once saw. It was about a professional triathlete and she said there are hundreds of reasons to stop; but there is always one reason to keep going. She never said what the one reason was. I think that one reason is different for everyone. Of course finishing is everyone’s goal; yet, I don’t think that is the sole reason people to keep going. For me, it’s to confront my demons and to honor God.

The second lap started and I was getting low on fluids. I never seem to carry enough water/Gatorade. I was drinking one water bottle per hour. I think I need to look at doing more like 4 bottles every three hours (3 liquid nutrition/1 water with solids). Oh yeah, on this ride I learned I could eat solids.

Because we started the ride so early, I was starting to get hungry on the bike. Even though I was taking in the fluids, my body was begging for solid food to quiet the hunger pains. I have always had a hard time eating on the bike and run. There just wasn’t enough saliva in my mouth while running or cycling to soften the foods. When I tried to eat solid foods, I was gagging down whatever it was.

I told Mike I was starving and he just happened to bring a breakfast bar. It was the kind of bar that had a soft baked shell with a soft fruit center. It was kind of like a Fig Newton. I didn’t have any problems eating it and it answered a prayer! These breakfast bars have made it into my bento box! Something else was happening on the bike. I knew I was holding Mike back, so very early on in the second loop I sent him on his way. The bike course was marked on the road so all we had to do was follow the route markings.

Besides, he was well ahead of me which forced me to chase him, thus having to push myself. It helped (I think) having to chase him because it took me outside of my comfort zone. He was nice enough to wait at some of the turns so we would ride together for a while and then he would take off again. He was getting stronger on this second loop and I was getting slower.

About mile 60, an error I made in my preparation was catching up with me. I didn’t lube my bike shorts with chamois butter. This lubricant reduces friction between your buttocks against the cycling pad. I thought I would be ok. I road 65 miles without lubing them so what’s 15 more miles? I later learned 15 miles is the difference that can mean a burning sensation on your rear! I was getting out of the saddle every 5 to 10 minutes to kind of ease the burning. I pressed on because what if this happens in the Ironman? There is no stopping! And there was no stopping today! As I continued to cycle, I fantasized about new cycling shorts as I got out of the saddle to ease the burn.

By then, my rear was really burning, my quads feltl like they were exploding inside my legs, and my lower back, at times, was starting to spasm. (I have got to get my bike fit checked from when it was knocked over prior to the Lake Logan event ) I was not in a happy place. The only good thing was we were finishing the second loop and we would tack on 20 miles of mostly flat cycling (no significant climbing). We finally hit 80 miles and I was hurting! I was glad it was over but I was troubled. I had only done 80 miles and was finding it difficult to walk much less run. How was I going to run a marathon after 112 miles? I have three more months to find out!!!

My time was 5 hours for the ride with stops included. One stop was at a local convenience store to buy more Gatorade and use the restroom. This stop is probably how long I imagine a stop at the special needs station will be on the bike ride in the Ironman. The average with the stops included was 16 mph. I will take that! It’s not fast by any stretch of the imagination (but we have covered that). It is, however, on target for what I expect to do on the bike course for the Ironman. An average of 16mph for 112 miles puts me at 7 hours on the bike. Ok actually, I think I can do Cozumel with an average of 17mph even with the wind on the east side of the island. However, 16mph I think would be ok with me. This also gives me in a little cushion to start my weakest event: the run.

My biggest complaint after the ride was the burning bum! I told KP about this and she suggested Desitin. A baby’s diaper rash product??? Uhh let me think about that… uhh no! Well, at least in my head I was saying no, but (hee hee, pun intended) my butt was saying yes! I had to man-up a “walk” as we searched in Tarje` (Target) for that creamy miracle; or so I hoped.

Found it! I couldn’t wait to get home and try this product out. I put on the paste and IMMEDIATELY! I mean IMMEDIATELY felt relief! Instant! As soon as it was applied I was walking differently. I searched the internet to see if other cyclist have used this product and apparently they have. Desitin is no secret to the cycling community! This will certainly go in my special needs bag at 56 miles on the bike and my transition bag (you receive this bag just before the running portion of the Ironman it has everything you need to prepare you for the run. It is packed by me the night before the race).

A few days after this ride I heard about some cycling shorts called De Soto 400. They are supposed to be the best cycling shorts around with really good reviews. I just have to add it to my wish list. They are only $100 bucks but on the ever growing list of things to get before the Ironman…$100 bucks is a lot! I just have to have faith God will provide me with what I need.

Following the bike ride, the next night I had a 12 mile run. I woke up that morning and my legs were dead! I didn’t know how I would be able to go to work and then run afterward. I was at least curious to find out. I started out the run at about 6:30 pm. From the very beginning I was hurting. I was running really slow and my heart rate was way up. It was good training! I would run 3 miles out, 3 miles back, refuel my fuel belt and go back out for another 6 miles. On the way back I was starting to face stomach cramps. I pushed it out of my head and drove on.

By mile 5, I felt like my appendix had ruptured! I was in the worst pain I have EVER felt! I really thought I was in serious trouble, but again, if this was the Ironman I would have kept going. I was walking and hoping the feeling would pass. So I would start to run and ten steps later I was doubling over in pain! I really thought something serious was going on with me! I decided to go home and take GasX and if I wasn’t feeling better soon…I was going to the hospital. I made it home took the strips and about 30-45 mins later…well let’s just say my poor, poor dog! Sitting there and having to suffer in silence :)

Ok, so I didn’t finish the run that night…that meant I certainly had to do it all over again the next night. So, my legs were still feeling the 80 mile ride but at least they weren’t completely dead. I felt great…going out. I was supposed to go 3 miles out, 3 back, refuel, and repeat. Just like the night before. Except I was feeling good! I ran 6 out and started to come back. Between miles 6 and 9 I was feeling really, really bad. I had run out of fluids and was starting to get thirsty…really bad sign right. I took two gels at mile 8 to kind of help me perk back up. I think it must have worked. Mile 10 – 12 wasn’t too bad! I totally let my ego ruin what could have been a good run. I wanted to run three out and back but I was feeling soooooo good I wanted to well…run with it! (yeah you didn’t see that coming he he he he!). In doing so, I totally began to dehydrate myself. I weighed myself before I left and when I came back…I was 4 pounds under. I have one thing to say about that! STUPID! I am glad I finished, it was a slow run, but turned out to be a good run because I learned a huge lesson. Egos get in the way. If it feels good keep it that way by doing the right thing! Refueling and hydrating.

Is it really only three months until Ironman Cozumel?

2010 Lake Logan International Triathlon Race Report

2010-08-18T16:07:00.002-04:00

It’s pretty funny to say that the Lake Logan Triathlon was my first International/Olympic distance triathlon. I say that because I did not take the “normal” sequential steps to increase my distance. Most people start with a Super Sprint: 300-500 yard pool swim, 10-15 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. After completing that distance they move to a Sprint Triathlon: 750 meter (0.46 miles) swim, 17 mile bike, 3.1 mile run. Then they move to the Olympic distance: 1500 meter swim (0.93 miles), 24.8 mile bike, and 6.2 mile run. From there it’s the Half Ironman: 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and a half marathon (13.1 mile run). At the top of that pyramid is the distance many, including myself, dream of achieving: the IRONMAN! 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and a full marathon (26.2 mile run).

I didn’t do things in that order. I did my first Super Sprint then signed up for an Ironman that was a little over a year out (at the time I signed up it was a year out. Now it’s closer to 4 months out). Six months after my first Super Sprint and with only 4 months of formal training, I did my first Half Ironman. I then back tracked and did a Sprint Triathlon. Last Sunday, Aug. 7, 2010, I did my first Olympic Distance. NOTE: International Distance and Olympic Distance triathlons are synonymous. They are the same distances and the names are interchangeable.

Before I gripe a little, let me say that I loved the course and it was super challenging! A beautiful, beautiful venue! The course description for the bike, however, was EXTREMELY misleading! A big reason why I probably won’t do this course again! It felt as if we were lied to in order to increase participation in the event. The bike route was advertised as flat…while it was 85% flat it was rolling at times and had some significant climbs. Nevertheless, I enjoyed this race. Ok are you ready for a looooooong race report?!?!?!?!

Pre Race:

Thursday morning I woke up at 5:00 am after having a bad dream about the swim! I was panicked when I woke up. I didn’t think I was worried about the swim but I guess I was. Friday Night we took the 3 hour drive to the Northern part of the state outside of Ashville. We were in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina. On the road trip out the sun was just barely starting to set and we could see the silhouette of the mountains. It looked like shadows in the sky. Just breath-taking!

We arrived at Haywood Regional Health & Fitness Center in Clyde, NC to pick up my packet. I think Clyde, NC is probably the fittest country town in NC. There seemed to be a LOT of fit people in the area. TrySports, a local triathlon retailer, sponsored this event and they had a truck setup outside Haywood Fitness Center selling items. We picked up my packet and headed back to the hotel to check-in. About the rooms…as KP would say, “It was nothing to write home about.” It wasn’t the best place I have ever stayed. It certainly wasn’t the worst. I started unpacking my bag to make sure I had everything and…PAUSE…REWIND.

I had asked KP to bring my Tri jersey and Tri shorts because I left them at her house after doing some training over there. I always bike and run on her side of town which is only 20 minutes away. Before we left KP handed me my Tri jersey and under them were my Tri shorts. I threw them in my bag and we were on the road. Fast Forward.

I began unpacking my bag in the hotel room and realized these weren’t my Tri shorts! They were my regular cycling shorts!!! DILEMMA!!!!! For those that don’t know, triathlon shorts (Tri shorts) are made from quick drying materials. They also have very little padding in the buttocks that is used for the cycling portion of the triathlon. Cycling specific shorts have a much thicker padding in the rear that would likely retain water after swimming in them. Therefore they are not ideal for triathlon events. I asked KP to put the shorts in the bag that had red padding. I didn’t realize my cycling shorts also had red padding! Something I totally overlooked. So she put the shorts in the bag that I asked for; the one with red padding.

KP and I rushed back to the Haywood Fitness center praying to catch the TrySports trailer before they left. Even if they hadn’t left there was no guarantee they would have Tri shorts that would fit me, if they had any at all. I really didn’t know what to do. I was panicked and praying all the way there! We arrived at the center and the trailer was still there! Thank You Father!!!! I started to look through the items and I prayed, “Father please let me find Tri shorts!” Most Tri shorts, from what I have seen, generally sell between $75 and $100 dollars. I really didn’t want to spend that kind of money, but if I had to, then so be it. Then I saw the sign that said they were selling everything 50% off! Oh YEAH!

I started looking through the basket which I can best describe as organized chaos! Have you ever gone to Wal-Mart and looked through the $5 dollar basket of DVDs? It was the same idea. I was looking for a needle in a haystack. Extra-small, women’s, women’s extra small…ugh! I thought I would never find something my size! But then... BINGO!!!!!!! I found a pair of Sugio Tri shorts with my name on them! At 50% off, it cost me just under $30 and secured my place to race the next day!

Ok Lord, I know you brought me here to race! This is YOUR race. Thank you for letting me be part of it!!! Just a side note: KP accidentally knocked my bike over which knocked my seat post on my bike down about 2 inches and left a pretty nice gash! Thank God I had tools to adjust the seat post. It wasn’t the exact height but I think I was able to get it pretty close to its actual height. She put a pretty good gash in the bike and I didn’t think about killing her more than once! This must be the real thing! LOL I’m kidding! It’s just a bike…that happens to be worth more than my car… :p I will try to buy another Seat post from Cervelo before the Ironman…look good, feel good, race good right? (forgive the poor grammar)

Race Day Morning:

ANOTHER beautiful night of sleep thanks to my sleeping aid (race nights are the only time I ever seem to need a sleep aid)!!! I went to bed around 9 :00 pm and woke up at 4:00 am; the alarm was set for 4:30 am. I felt alive, though! Only a few hours prior my race was in jeopardy, but now I would be able to participate in the event.

****!!!!WARNING!!! WARNING!!!**** NEXT FEW PARAGRAPHS ARE GRAPHIC!

It turned out to be a bad morning. In my mind I didn’t necessarily feel anxiety about this race, but I think my body did. Promptly at 4:00 am it started. Back and forth to the bathroom! Sometimes I was vomiting and other times…well I wasn’t vomiting but it was coming out the other end. I think my body was getting rid of excess in order to prepare for battle. At 5:10 am,10 minutes late because of my morning purging, the car is packed, the hotel is cleared out, and we are headed to the race site. As soon as I got in the car, I had to go AGAIN! UGH! We get to the race site and I drop all of my equipment by my race number and head to the porta-johns. No lines and I quickly get in and out! Afterwards I thought there is no way I am going to have to go again! I’m ready for war!

I set up my transition area and at 6:30 I head over toward the swim start. OH NO! I HAVE TO GO AGAIN!!!! Except this time the line was extremely long! I finally made it in and out with 5 minutes before my swim start! I was in the first wave and I started at 7:00 am. I threw on my wetsuit as quickly as I could an ran over to the swim start! I heard the announcer say “90 seconds to the first wave start.” Oh no! I wasn’t even in the water! I threw in my ear plugs, put on my swim cap, nose plug, and goggles. Often my goggle strap gets twisted in the back of my head. I tried to fix it and then I heard “45 seconds to go.” I sat down on the dock quickly to jump in the water. I sat so hard I bruised my left gluteus maximus (aka my left butt cheek). It hurt so badly! I thought, I hope this doesn’t come back to haunt me in the race. Praise God it didn’t!

Before I jumped into the water I thought to myself “The Voice of Truth!” It was a reminder for me to listen to the Voice of Truth. To remember why I race. To remember that God put me here to race in His name. That is what I did. Besides, I was running way too late to have anxiety about the swim at that point!

Thirty seconds until the wave start….Doh! I was in the water, but 5 feet away from the pack. I swam over to them with my head above the water and as I reached them the horn sounded! I have had some really great swim workouts and had planned to try and swim with the pack the entire swim.

I remember as we drove to the race site, I prayed for God to give me an uneventful race. In all of my races something has happened. I faced cramping in the swim in New Orleans and nausea in the swim in the Latta Triathlon. Also I changed that guy’s tire at Latta Triathlon. I prayed for God to just give me an uneventful swim. I wanted so badly to swim with the pack this time because I wasn’t afraid and felt strong enough to swim with the group. I surrendered this race to God. I remembered that I prayed for God to provide for me so I could race and He did. I found the needle in the haystack; the one pair of Tri shorts that would fit me in the sea of chaos. I knew this was God’s race.

The 1500 meter (0.9 mile) Swim

When the horn sounded, I put my head down and started with the group. I was excited that the race had finally started! 100 meters into it, my goggles started leaking, probably because the strap was twisted in the back of my head. I didn’t check the strap though, I just pulled it tighter. Another 400-500 meters the goggles leaked again! On the way back in, my goggles leaked two more times. I was also struggling with shoulder fatigue. I know this was because I didn’t take my time to put the wetsuit on properly. In between the leaking goggles, I was able to find my groove at times. It was difficult sighting because of the water in the goggles. I would literally have to stop, tilt my head to be able to see past the water and attempt to swim to the next buoy.

This form of sighting took waaaaaay too much energy. The last time my goggles leaked I stopped, floated on my back, broke the seal and then re-strapped the goggles. I wished I had done that in the beginning! I then found a groove and a way to sight that seemed to fit my swimming style. I can’t wait to get into the open water again to use this new sighting technique!

With everything that happened to me on the swim, I never became angry or upset. I was ready to get the swim over, but I was still excited to be in the race. I had surrendered this race to God and whatever happened was part of God’s plan! So…how could I get mad at God if this was His race?!

The end of the swim was a floating dock WITHOUT ladders! We were in 4 to 5 feet of water and trying to climb up on top of this dock in a wetsuit…poor, poor planning. How nice would it have been to have had ladders for the triathletes. Luckily, I found a large rock to stand on and made my way out of the water.

KP told me everyone runs out of the water and I just walk out like it’s a stroll in the park. She encouraged me…strike that….she TOLD me the next time I get out of the water I need to be running into the transition area.

Despite having some events happen to me that I would have preferred not happen in the swim, I felt good coming out of the water. I felt comfortable. I didn’t know what my swim time was...Frankly, at this point I didn’t care! I was just so happy to get out of the water. I jogged into transition as was “suggested” and I jumped onto the bike looking forward to riding this “flat bike course.” It was my fastest transition yet! One minute and 50 seconds. I know can get faster!

The 40k (24.8 mile) BIKE:

Remember I complained about the false race description…Again, it’s not that the course wasn’t flat like they advertised it’s just that if someone tells you the car they are selling is a Corvette, You don’t want to get home to find out it was actually a Honda with a Corvette engine. The description of the bike course: “The 40km bike course is one loop with no significant climbing. There is one small ascent at the beginning and end of the bike but otherwise this course is surprisingly flat and fast…”

Wow…I don’t know who came up with the description they used to describe that hill as small going out! Even so, it wasn’t too bad for me because I felt strong, but it wasn’t small! Based on this description, I left my bike in the big cog in the front. I have gotten pretty comfortable at getting out of the saddle to climb small hills. Uhh yeah, when I saw what was waiting for me….I shifted to the small cog and fussed all the way up the hill…ok, not really, but I was thinking small ascent my foot!!!

After that “small ascent” I was excited to get onto the “flat” course. I should have known that the dictionary they used to look up the word “small” was the same dictionary they used for the word “flat.” The course should have been described as rolling with two major climbs; one at the beginning and one at the end. I wish I could tell you how beautiful the course was, but for most of the course my glasses had condensation on them. I could barely see the road and nearly wrecked a few times because I had moved too far to the right of the road.

While on the bike I was holding speeds comfortably that I didn’t think were possible. Yet still, I was getting passed…constantly! One guy FLEW past me. He sounded like a freight train. I know what the turtle felt like when he raced the hare! This dude was decked out with wheels and an aero helmet. He was legit. I got passed by a lot of fast women too! I told one lady to slow down because she was speeding!!!

Any who…at about 20 miles in I checked my bike speed and I was averaging 18 mph. That is great! 3mph improvement over New Orleans! The best part…I felt comfortable at that pace. Then about mile 23…I hit the “small ascent” coming back. THAT HILL WAS A BEAST! Even the faster cyclists were having a challenging time getting up this hill. Cyclists were all clumped together trying manage the climb. This was the time in the race that I saw race officials. Imagine that! I had hoped they wouldn’t mark anyone for drafting at this point because that would have just been wrong! (They didn’t by the way).

By the time I hit the finish my average dropped about 1mph. I didn’t know a “small ascent” could drop your overall average by a whole 1 mph (small ascent my foot! Those scoundrels!). I finally made it up that hill. As I neared the dismount area, I contemplated taking my foot out of the shoe and leaving my shoes clipped into the bike the way the professionals do. I had done it several times in practice, but wasn’t comfortable enough to do it in race conditions so I stopped and unclipped out of the bike like a normal person who doesn’t want to wreck his bike.

I enjoyed the bike course. Even though I was getting passed but what seemed to be everyone, it was the fastest I had biked. I felt in control and when people passed me, I hope they were inspired by the cross that sits on the back of my jersey. Maybe they said a prayer. Maybe they were reminded that Christ was with them while they raced, too. I heard several people shout-out to Team Endurance (Fellowship of Christian Athletes Team Endurance). This is why I race! Not for me but for Christ! Now that doesn’t mean I don’t get competitive sometimes, too though!

The 10K (6.2 miles) Run:

I had one goal for the run. I wanted to actually run the entire 10k without stopping. That’s it. That’s all I wanted to do. I was transitioning in and out pretty quickly until I realized I had nutrition shoved into one of my shoes! I had to stop, take the shoe off, take out the nutrition, then put said shoe back on. Because of this my transition was a little slow in T2. I need to work on getting out a little faster.

When I hit the run course I felt good! Really, Really good! I hope I feel that good in the Augusta Half Ironman at the end of September. Fortunately they described the run course perfectly. There was a slight incline going out to the halfway point that turned into a decline heading back in. Again I was feeling really good. Better than expected. I ran alongside a woman for most of my run. I learned this was her first Olympic distance and her longest distance yet. I was feeding off of her, letting her push me. About a half mile left to race she said, “Well, it looks like I am going to actually pull this thing off.” She turned up her pace and I didn’t have an answer!

I was moving faster in my mind but my body really liked the pace we were going. It was actually kind of a weird feeling to tell my body to do one thing and not have it respond. I made the final turn for the finishing chute. And here is the small miracle…the announcer said my name correctly! My name is Hassan (Ha-sahn) yet I have been called Hussein, Hey-son, and Obama! (kidding about Obama). I don’t know how people can mispronounce that name. Don’t they know every good terrorist on the FBI watch list has a name similar to mine (ha-ha). Never the less, I finished the Olympic distance without having to walk the run. I don’t know why that was such a big deal for me, but it was.

I finished this race better than expected. I thought worst case scenario… 3:30 hours. Best case 3:15. I did it in 3:07 with a really bad swim. I’ll take that! Not fast…but “slow and steady wins the race.” It just so happens my slow is a lot slower than most other people!

“Why did God make me so [slow] and weak?”

“So he can show how mighty He is!”

I have now completed every distance of triathlon EXCEPT the IRONMAN! So far, the one I have enjoyed the most, is the Half Ironman distance. That distance really makes you dig deep! It gave me a glimpse of what I’m made of. It exploited my weaknesses and even showed that I have some strengths. Can’t wait to see how I am going to do at the Half Ironman in Augusta. I still am concerned about the full Ironman…I would be a fool not to be!

What my 7 year old and 5 year old taught me about Triathlon

2010-07-19T14:18:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was NOT a good training day for me. I had a 50 mile bike ride scheduled and I already had a headache going into the ride. Even so, I was still motivated to do the ride! I really enjoy being on the bike, but yesterday things just didn’t go my way.

The route I chose to take yesterday was one that I had never taken before. I like to use my long bike rides as my “exploration days” and ride places I haven’t been before, but I think that may need to change! I clipped into the pedals and I was on the road. Things didn’t start off so great. In addition to the headache I was dealing with, I had to drink two bottles of water within the first hour. Maybe a sign I was dehydrated going in?

Any who, I got on the bike and, despite the headache, the first hour I was feeling very strong. I really wanted to challenge myself. I was in the big ring the entire time and getting out of the saddle to attack hills. On this particular route there were PLENTY of hills. This is totally new for me. I haven’t felt comfortable in the past getting out of the saddle.

Actually, I haven’t felt comfortable doing anything on the bike instead of cycling! I couldn’t even take one hand off the bike to pedal two weeks ago! Now I’m getting out of the saddle and last week I was able to un-strap my left cycling shoe while it was still in the pedal [non-triathlete readers, this is like a big deal because it just looks cool :)]. Not such a big deal for seasoned riders! I nearly wrecked last week when I tried to un-strap my right shoe. So, I am getting more comfortable on the bike, which I hope equates to getting stronger overall.

Because I was hitting so many hills I spent 90% of the ride out of the aero position and riding on the hoods which was extremely uncomfortable. I had taxed my legs early on in the ride, the headache was killing me, and my water was starting to boil (maybe exaggerating a little). Mentally I was coming undone. At that point I just wanted to go home. Unfortunately, I did. Somewhere in the midst of ALL of those EXCUSES it seemed like the best thing to do!

What was interesting was once I made it home, I was extremely disappointed in myself. None of those excuses mattered. I had…quit. I didn’t want to blog about this but I feel like I have to be honest with first myself, and second the people that are supporting me. I felt a lot of emptiness about stopping 20 miles early.

I even felt a little hypocritical because yesterday was also my children’s first kid triathlon. Leading up to the triathlon I had been preaching to them that the two most important things to do were to have fun and not quit. And what had I just done?

Two hours after quitting early on my training ride I was headed to my children’s house to pick them up for their first ever kid triathlon. They always call my races the “BIG RACE” so today was their “BIG RACE”. I was so excited to watch them following in my footsteps, but I was also EXTREMELY nervous.

My son enjoys the pool but can be a bit apprehensive when it comes to being in the water. My daughter LOVES the water but the distances she had to cover made me a little nervous for her. Here is the kicker, my children don’t know how to swim. They were able to use a kickboard for their swim which made it possible for them to participate.

My son’s wave started first (4-6 year old boys) and of course my son, whom I was EXTREMELY nervous for in the swim start, was in the deepest part of the pool – 17 feet deep!!! All I could think about was what if he slips off the board?! I was ready to jump right in that pool to get him! They counted the boys down… 10-9-8-7 all the way to 1. It was a loud count down because everyone was excited to get this race stated after a rain delay.

One great thing about the lane he was in was that his was an end lane. That meant I was never more than 3 feet away from him because I was able to walk along the edge with him while he swam (that was a God thing!). I never worried about Kealan except on the swim. He is a tough kid with lots of energy to burn, which often leads to “boy” behavior and gets him into trouble! Kealan had a great swim, although he was getting tired toward the end, but pushed it out to finish. He did one lap around the track on his bike and then a 300 yard run. All of the children were so cute! They ran with their bike helmets on! It was the cutest thing ever!!! Can you imagine if the pros ran the marathon like that in the Ironman? That would be hilarious!

I was able to run alongside Kealan as he sprinted to the finish. And yup! I got emotional. It was parental pride, excitement, and the fact that my son is a big-boy and just completed his first triathlon. Ol’ Mr. Kealan, who is full of personality, walked away from the finish like he was the man! ha! He had a certain strut to his walk! You could tell he was proud of his accomplishment. Even so, I think I was probably more excited about this triathlon finish than he was. Kealan’s event was actually over pretty quickly and all went well!

Having fought a once-losing battle with my weight most of my life, I have always made it a goal as a parent to try to instill sports and healthy living into my children’s lives. Watching Kealan finish and seeing the smile on his face confirmed for me that was a great activity for him. He was pushing himself and enjoying it.

Isabella had a tougher race ahead of her and I knew it. The distance she had to complete most adults probably couldn’t do, or at least wouldn’t do! Yet there she was…my brave little girl, ready to go! It is in every father’s heart to protect their children, especially their daughters, but at what point do you stop protecting them in order to teach them a life lesson?

Isabella’s wave (7-8 year old girls) wore pink swim caps, which she loved! (Kealan’s wave wore yellow). While she was getting ready for the swim, I asked Isabella if she was nervous and with the sweetest smile you’ve ever seen she said, “A little.” Oh Isabella my sweet little girl, I know that nervousness!

Again, the crowd began to count down from 10. Once the crowd reached 1, Isabella started her 50 yard swim, 1 mile bike ride, and 0.3 mile run. She started really strong! I was impressed that she wasn’t that far behind the swimmers and had a really solid kick going. By the time Isabella reached the turn around the other swimmers had created a huge gap. Isabella looked around and noticed she was one of the last people in the water, but even so she continued to kick with everything she had. I wondered what she was thinking when she looked around and saw that most of her peers were swimming without a kickboard. I know what I was thinking! “Isabella you will be truly swimming in this triathlon next year!!!”

Isabella made it out of the water and prepared to jump on her bike. I helped tie her shoes and as I’m tying you know what that little rascal asked me?! “Dad, are you almost done so I can go?” Geesh Isabella, well I guess she was in race mode! She took off out of the transition area smiling and in full stride.

The way the spectator area was set up it was a journey to see the bike portion. I missed Isabella’s first lap but made it in time to see her last two. She was moving along and by her third lap I could see she was getting tired. She jumped off her bike and started the 0.3 mile run. This is where my 7 year old daughter taught ME the lesson I had been trying to teach to both of my children!

Isabella started her one lap run and about halfway through began holding the right side of her abdomen. Yup! A side stitch! We have all been there and know what painful little buggers those things can be. Suddenly my little girl’s race didn’t look fun. I was immediately overcome with guilt. I was trying to teach her a lesson about achieving goals through fitness and it was causing her so much physical pain. So much, in fact she began to cry. Gulp. I held back tears as I tried to encourage her. “It’s ok Isabella. You can walk a little. Let’s walk to this cone and….hey! There’s your mom. Walk to this cone then run to your mom!” Her mom saw that Isabella was having a tough race and ran over to encourage her as well. At this point Isabella was really crying…LOUD! I felt like the worst dad ever!

By the time Isabella made it to her mom she was at the same starting point as Kealan’s run; 300 yards to go. Isabella, with a look of fierce determination, sprinted to the finish while her mom and I ran alongside her. She was holding her side and crying…tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Hey, she finished! She and her brother were then given participant ribbons (They weren’t handing those out at the end of Kealan’s race).

Isabella was still crying as her grandmother and other family members came over to tell her how proud of her they were! I could see something starting to change inside her at that point. Those tears of pain and frustration were starting to give way to a smile. She was starting to feel accomplished. She finished a tough race and earned her title as a kid triathlete.

When it was time to start heading toward the car, Isabella said, “We don’t have to run do we?” Ha! No we don’t have to run now Isabella! En route to the car we passed a big tent where they were setting up trophies. I saw both Isabella and Kealan eyeing the trophies. I told them they can get them next year if they compete in all 4 triathlons of the series.

They were both immediately ready to sign up for next year’s triathlons! Isabella had forgotten about the pain she had experienced and was basking in her accomplishment. Her pain didn’t matter at all! She had achieved her goal and was ready for the next event. They both were!

As we were all walking to the vehicles, I found myself walking alone. I called Isabella, who was really smiling now, to walk with me. Something was baffling me! Something I needed to understand about my daughter. I asked Isabella, in that calm you-can-be-honest-with-me daddy voice, “Isabella, you could have stopped when you were hurting. Baby, why didn’t you stop?”

She looked up at me and said in calm, assured voice, “I wanted to finish.”

I let Isabella walk ahead of me after that. I couldn’t let her see me wiping the tears from my eyes. Even as I write this I can feel the tears starting to form in my eyes. That’s it baby, I get it! My daughter in that very moment taught me the lesson that I had been trying to instill in both of my children. Despite what she was feeling in that moment, she had a goal that was bigger than the pain she was feeling.

Somehow, I let that determination slip away from me in my training ride earlier in the day. My mental toughness had waned. How did this happen? I have a goal that is bigger than what I was feeling on my training ride. It’s not every day your 7 year old teaches you a lesson about competition. I certainly needed to be reminded of this one. So I wouldn’t forget again…I asked Isabella again why she didn’t stop and this time I got her answer on video.

My son and daughter aren’t yet swimmers, but they were brave enough to get into the water to race. They didn’t care if they beat anyone or not. They could have come in last and would still have enjoyed the post-race pizza party just the same! They competed against themselves and probably never even thought about not finishing the race. It probably never crossed their minds. The best part? The absolute best part was on the way home… they both were talking about next year’s competitions and winning those trophies!

I learned a lot from my children yesterday. In fact, I learned what I had been trying to teach them.

“Kealan and Isabella! What are the two most important things to remember today?”

“HAVE FUN!”

“And what else?”

“DON’T QUIT!”

Thanks guys for teaching daddy a lesson!

p.s. I will be adding video and pictures shortly.

And I want to sing a song for you Lord

2010-07-15T14:21:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately, my voice was not the gift God decided to give me to bless the world. So my song has been changed to triathlon. I’m not breaking any records but I want to sing a song, “with everything that’s in me Lord listen to me sing.” I realized that this journey to the Ironman has actually brought me closer to God. For several reasons, I find myself leaning on Him more but not just in triathlon but in my personal life as well. God has answered every prayer! Yet, I have to also realize when he decided NOT to give me what I thought I needed that was His answer. Often we get confused when we pray for a new car or home. When we don’t get those things, we think it’s God not answering our prayers. Yet in reality the prayer has been answered and we just didn’t like the answer!

In triathlon, the participants cannot wear audio devices such as iPods and other listening devices. I made the decision early on to train how I fight. When I was in the army we lived by that motto. We would essentially train the way we fight. Or, in this instance train the way I race. In lieu of having an iPod, I remember lyrics to my favorite Christian songs. The song in the video has been on repeat in my head for the last couple of training events.

I had an 8 mile run in the rain with tornado warnings! I went out to run because I want to sing a song with everything that’s in me! When I started the run, the rain wasn’t as heavy as it once was. It would settle to a drizzle and then become heavy at times. Of course by time the run was over, the rain had stopped. But I know people that saw me running was listening to me “sing.” That run was awesome! I did the run in my Five Fingers and I think I have found my stride in them! It was interesting because My feet were soaked and I was totally expecting blisters. However, I did not have ONE blister or rub mark. It’s because these shoes really fit like a glove. That was something I found really exciting.

My last couple of swim workouts I have pushed much harder than I have “with everything that’s in me Lord…I want to sing a song for You, I want to sing a song.” I have accepted I am not the best, or the fastest, but it will NOT deter me from doing my best! The children at the orphanage are counting on me. Oh yeah the orphanage. The reason I embarked on this journey was in fact a calling from God. Seriously, the only reason I even consider doing an Ironman was because I felt like God wanted me to in order to raise money for Ciudad de Angeles. To donate to my race page please visit http://www.raceraiser.com/pages/concretetoiron.

Today I have a 50mile bike ride. I am really tired! And I am totally falling asleep! But I need to do this ride!

Race Strategy: Gotta get stronger on the bike!

2010-07-11T10:49:00.000-04:00

“It’s not about the bike” is the title of Lance Armstrong’s book. I wish I could say that. For me, it’s all about the bike! Five months to go before I toe the line. It’s no secret the run is my weakest event. It’s actually pretty funny to say that considering I just started swimming less that a year ago yet I feel confident in the swim. Don’t get me wrong I still have my concerns about the Ironman Swim start! Yet running is my weakness. I think there are a lot of mental blocks there that keep me in my “comfort zone.” Yes, what I am saying is I choose to be slow. Not intentionally though. The mental blocks keep me there. I’m working on them.

Ok, so with less than 5 months to go I have to start working on my race strategy. I told Lance (my coach) I wanted to get stronger on the bike. If you recall that is where I made the least improvements. So, for the next 4 and a half months I will be building a stronger bike. My idea ( and please tell me if you disagree guys please!) is that if I build a stronger bike it will give me more of a cushion on he run. Or should I focus on the run because I know I can get through the bike and the run is the last and hardest event? Dilemma!

I have spent the last couple of days looking at Ironman DNF (did not finish) blog entries. I saw that someone else (I cant recall who) blogged they were looking at DNF stories. I hate to see them and read about them but I want to learn what they wished they could have done differently. Mostly the stories have attributed the DNF to stomach issues. One story I read was a mental issue.

Lance Leo told me early on the pain in the Ironman is real. VERY REAL. There is no escaping it. I know it was just a half ironman but I heard how loud those demons can scream. It is a bit scary to think they will be screaming LOUDER than they were in New Orleans. I wont ask myself if I am ready! I just have to pick what voice I will listen to! (the Voice of Truth). I will admit though…the closer I get to Ironman Cozumel, the more I can hear their whispers slowly, gently, and innocently making their way to my head.

To my IronPartner!

2010-07-11T10:36:00.002-04:00

Thank God for the Iron PARTNER! Often times they are forgotten by the spectators in awe of the Ironmen and women crossing the finish line. Yet they nevermind being the true unsung hero of the Ironman. They make it all happen! I am grateful to God for my Iron partner KP! She has dealt with my crankiness from sleepless nights. Helped when I haven’t done laundry in weeks because I have been too tired or just truly didn’t have time to do it. KP, let the world know that you are my hero.

Thanks for the times you have watched the children on long rides or swim workouts. Thanks for being the voice of “YOU CAN!” when all I was hearing was the voice of “CANT” so clearly in my head. You were my lighthouse during my first open water swims when I panicked. I thought that all I had to do was swim to you as if you were my lighthouse. You have consistently been the face I looked for just before the swim start. And the face I have seen smiling jumping and cheering right after! Thanks KP! Thank you for being by my side!

Why I will NEVER wear a tradtional running shoe again!

2010-07-08T13:10:00.002-04:00

I am a skeptic because I am ALWAYS that guy. If something works for 99.9 percent of the population, I have come to accept chances are I am the 0.1 percent that it wont work for. I have had two running related injuries. Plantar Fasciitis and a patella tracking issues in my left knee. Both have cause pain while running. The knee issue was almost a deal breaker for me.

I heard about these guys running barefoot and how it has totally eliminated their running related injuries. One was from a Facebook friend Tim Ferrell. I have never met Tim but he has become an awesome friend. He did Ironman Cozumel last year and has answered questions for me when I had no one else to ask. One day I was checking out his Facebook Ironman Cozumel pics and saw he was wearing Five Fingers ( the barefoot running alternative shoe). I asked him about it and he stated they have helped him overcome his running related injuries. Good for you (but it wouldn’t work for me). Don’t forget... I’m the 0.1 percent the running barefoot won’t work for.

Another lady in my running group wears them and when I first saw them I, like most people, couldn’t come up with wise cracks fast enough! They honestly look bordered cool-looking and absolutely ridiculous! She also swore by them. I also came across a few reviews online and people were talking about how Vibram Five Fingers (VFF) have changed their running for the better.

Prior to Ironman New Orleans, I had a huge issue with pain in my left knee. After about 200 dollars in co-pays to a chiropractor, I was running pain free in New Orleans. I decided that paying 200 dollars again was just not something I was looking forward to doing again. I decided to buy the VFF Bikila model. The VFF Bikila is their run-specific barefoot alternative running shoe. It looks and feels like the VFF KSO but adds a little more traction on the sole of the shoe. (by the way, after a month with my five fingers I bought a second pair to walk around in. that's right you guessed it! The VFF KSO-pronounced "kay-so")

After the first week of wearing the barefoot running shoes (didn’t run in them the first week just walked…a LOT). I decided I was going to read the book that really ignited the barefoot running rage; “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall. This book was an inspiring, well written book. I believe every runner should read this book even if you don’t subscribe to the barefoot running philosophy. This book has done for my running, what the Bible has done for my life. It changed everything I thought about running. EVERYTHING!

I felt like this book freed me. Do you remember the movie Matrix. Neo thought he was living in the “real world” only to find out he had been lied to. He was living in the Matrix. A digitally created world. Then he is freed by Morpheus. When Neo is brought into the real world he opens his eyes and asks Morpheus,

"Why do my eyes hurt?”

“Because you haven’t used them before”

That is exactly how I felt after I wore the VFFs the first day. The muscles around my ankles were sore. Not like a painful hurt but more like they had a good workout. The same way you feel when you have a good workout at the gym.

I didn’t understand why they were sore until I read the book “Born to Run” Those muscles were sore because like NEO I thought I was using them when I walked. The truth is..."I never used them before" because my shoes kept those muscles from engaging. Read the book it is a great read. You will understand what I am talking about after you read it.

Ok, why I wont wear traditional running shoes ever again! The trick to wearing these shoes is you have to build mileage. You cant go out one day and do even a 5k in these shoes. You have to build the muscles and tendons in your feet in order to take the impacts of running barefoot (or running in VFF’s).

Having said that, I had an 8 mile run scheduled. I had been running in these shoes for about 4 weeks at the time but wasn’t even close to running 8 miles in the Five Fingers. So, after some good advice, I ran in my old running shoes. After the first mile, the first mile of running in these traditional shoes, I was starting to feel a familiar pain...pain in my left knee! The FIRST mile! It took ONE mile before I was feeling pain. Today, after a six mile run in the VFFs...NO PAIN!

Another huge difference I noticed was my running shoes make it comfortable to heel strike which is likely causing my running issues. The VFFs force me to mid-foot strike which is a lot easier on the entire body. Watch the video below. Harvard professor Daniel Lieberman explains a little more than I can in this video. Dr. Lieberman is talked about quite a bit in the book.

So, it seems that for now, I am not the 0.1 percent. Good luck and read the book!

Today I met Herb Brown!

2010-07-03T15:51:00.001-04:00

Today was a makeup swim. I don’t typically swim on Saturdays but I needed to make up this swim and I am glad I did. There was a young fellow there, who had light freckled skin. You can see that he was once an athletic male and that his hair wasn’t always white. It was likely strawberry blonde or red when he was in his prime. His skin showed his age but his enthusiasm for life told a different number. There was one lane open and I asked the 74 year old swimmer if he wanted to share this lane. He agreed and we both began to prepare for our workouts.

I carry my swim gear in my New Orleans 70.3 bag because it is perfect for my swim gear. It is also a reminder of why I take that bitterly cold first plunge into the pool. He asked if I did New Orleans Half Ironman and I proudly exclaimed (likely with my chest poked out just a bit) yes and it was a tough day. His reply wasn’t something I was expecting to hear. He congratulated me and told me he was in taper for Ironman USA (Lake Placid)! WOW! That is a tough course! Last year the average bike speed was 18mph. That is a far cry from other courses that average 22-24mph. Ironman Lake Placid it notoriously hilly; or at least that is what I am told.

Yeah big deal right, anyone can taper for an Ironman. Yeah except I was talking to someone who was making his SECOND trip to Ironman USA after completing it last year! “Herb Brown…You are an IRONMAN!” Mike Riley said 16 hours and 25 minutes after the cannon fired on that 2009 summer day in Lake Placid, NY.

When he walked into the swim area he was greeted by another swimmer which confirmed this guy is a regular. He was a very personable guy. One of those guys you don’t forget when you meet them. Im sure I could learn a lot from this “old man.” I’m certain he housed stories from the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean Conflict and Vietnam just to name a few. Yet the one thing I would have LOVED to hear about would have been his experience at Ironman Lake Placid.

I once heard the announcer on an Ironman Kona broadcast say in order to make the “Impossible”--“Possible” all you have to do is remove the letters “I-M”—IronMan! Herb Brown is an Inspiration!

Tri Latta Sprint Triathlon 2010 Race Report Part 3/3

2010-06-29T17:43:00.002-04:00

I was in an out of T2 which was pretty impressive because I was wearing the Vibram Five Fingers. They have been known to be a little difficult to put on but I have honestly never had a problem. So I put on these shoes and I was on the trail…Trail! This is a trail run?!

The Five Fingers are a barefoot alternative shoe…and by shoe I use that term loosely. It is more like a glove for your foot than it is a “running shoe.” The shoe is very sensitive. One time I ran over sand and felt the grains of sand under my feet. It’s awesome running in them because I feel so connected to the Earth. The way God meant for us to be.

This, however, running barefoot deal was new to me and is still new to me. I had trained in these shoes on the hardtop and wasn’t prepared to run on trails in them. Now this trail run wasn’t like hard packed dirt. It was more like gravel. There were portions of this run that were packed rock with pointed edges! Now if I could feel grains of sand in my foot imagine what these rocks felt like…IT HURT!!! Every time I took a step it felt like my feet were being pierced by these rocks. I certainly wasn’t prepared to trail run in these shoes.

About a mile and a half in, my feet were in SOOOOOO much pain. I really wanted to quit. I really, really did. Something had to happen because I am not a quitter. I began to think about another body that pierced for me. And the suffering He endured. Such a small sacrifice I was making to bring Glory to His name running over a few more rocks. Every step I took HURT. Yet every step I took, I thanked God. About a half mile to go, I prayed “Father this hurts so much! Thank you for your Son. Father please give me the strength to finish this race.”

Two minutes later I hear a voice, “PETERSON!”

I look back and it was…

The stranded cyclist, Ben Wooten!

“Peterson, man I have been trying to catch you!”

I thought to myself jokingly, “Yeah brother, I wasn’t letting you pass me on the bike!”

I said, “Ben! Brother I’m hurting! These rocks are piercing my feet with every step. Go on ahead”

“Im not leaving you man! I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you. I will pace us in!”

God had answered my prayers. We had a little under a mile to go and Ben was running strong. I could tell in his voice he had been bitten. Bitten by the same bug that bites all of the triathletes! It is a feeling of victory and accomplishment! It is the feeling that ONLY endurance events can bring. I was excited for him. And I was really excited he was pacing us in.

I asked God for strength and He gave it to me. What Irony?! The same person I helped on the bike and had helped finish the race, was now repaying me by pacing me on the run to take my mind of the pain I was feeling in my feet. In doing so, helped me finish the race!

I stayed right behind Ben who was clearly the better runner. We finished together and it was the BEST feeling I had after a triathlon. It was awesome to see God work in me and to see him working in Ben. I thought that I would become closer to God on this journey to the Ironman, but I certainly wasn’t expecting this!

Tri Latta Sprint Triathlon 2010 Race Report Part 2/3

2010-06-29T12:36:00.002-04:00

In my brief triathlon career I have nailed the two key moments of the triathlon. The first is finishing the swim and the second crossing the finish line; both are equally important. The swim is what makes us triathletes. I was certainly glad that this swim was over for a number of reasons. One: it was over! Two: After proving I wouldn’t die in the open water without a wetsuit, I feel like I can do any swim that is giving to me; as long as I am praying and singing in my head. This swim put a HUGE dent in my apprehension of open water swims.

I get out of the water and I see some Fellowship of Christian Endurance Athletes and they were cheering! It was awesome! I didn’t have a clue who those guys were! Who knew the relationship that would develop…that’s another story!

I run past them and Scream “all to the Glory!” (Glory of God that is) I make it to the bike and I become emotional. The triathlons are more than just endurance events for me. They are small miracles. They directly contradict who I once was. The lost soul who hurt. Who wanted so badly to die and not brave enough to live. Who thought everything was impossible! At the time, living was impossible! Today, nothing is impossible. I just have to keep my faith in the right place.

I suck it up and I’m out on the bike course. My last baseline testing I, unfortunately, showed little improvement on the bike. I think there are a number of things that played a part in that but that too is another story. Today, I felt like a beast! I was moving today and, like in New Orleans, looking at my bike computer speedometer thinking it was broken! Except this time I was moving faster than expected. I couldn’t believe the speeds I was posting. I was going to PR on the bike! That was going to set me up for a faster overall time than I expected.

I had forgotten about my faith that had just gotten me through the swim course. I didn’t forget about ME and MY times though. Somewhere early on in the bike course I saw a stranded cyclist. He said he had a flat. I intended to get off the bike, throw him a spare tube and some CO2. I would be on my way in no time still able to post the fastest bike time yet! When the cyclist told me he didn’t know how to change a tire my bike times suddenly didn’t seem that important. I stopped and changed that guy’s tire. It took me about 10 minutes to change his tire. It’s kind of a story but here is the brief version.

When I reached the cyclist, he had his rear tire taken off, kind of. Long story short, he made a bit of a mess when he took off his tire. One thing he didn’t do was release his brake lever. So uhhhh, yeah it took kind a while to take the tire off because of how he had the chain positioned. I mean I cant even describe it. It was just a bit of a mess. The biggest issue was when I tried to put the tire back on it wasn't sliding into the rear tire well. I was like hmmm. So I finally turned the bike over and saw what was going on. The brake lever had not been released so it was preventing the rear tire from going into the tire well.

Once I figured that out he was on the road. During my time with the stranded cyclist, I learned this was his first triathlon. It was awesome that he was now going to be able to complete it. I jumped on my bike and decided in my head I wasn't going to let this cyclist pass me! I had already bombed my race time but I still wanted to have fun! Making the friendly pact in my head to not let him pass me kept it fun for me. I was still posting pretty good speeds and you know…that cyclist didn’t past me…on the bike. More on that later!

I apparently started making some ground because as I started passing people they asked if I was the guy changing the tire for the other cyclist. When I said yes they said I was an inspiration. I was seriously speechless. I realized that God made this race His and all of these races are His.

Benjamin Wooten, the stranded cyclist, and I had the same swim wave start times. If I didn’t have the stomach issue on the swim and stayed with the pack during the swim, I would have never been there to help Ben out! God was at work the entire time! That was WOW moment when I realized that.

I hit my T2 which had a looooong walk. I learned how difficult it is to walk in cycling shoes. In the future, I will work on taking off my cycling shoes and pedaling on top of the shoes.

Tri Latta Sprint Triathlon 2010 Race Report Part 1/3

2010-06-18T10:38:00.001-04:00

On June 12, 2010, I participated in a sprint triathlon. While the distance didn’t frighten me, the swim created a little anxiety in this triathlete

What was causing me a little anxiety was the open water swim. I still am very inexperienced when it comes to the open water. In New Orleans Half Ironman, I had a safety net; my wetsuit. The wetsuit provides buoyancy. It is nearly (I said nearly) impossible to drown in a wetsuit. You can just lie on your back effortlessly and float. Of course you can do the same thing without a wetsuit but you have to be focused on staying relaxed. No focus needed in a wetsuit.

In New Orleans, I had that added security. During the Tri Latta triathlon, I had to trust first my Father, and second my ability to swim. I was admittedly having trouble trusting either of the two. A couple days before the triathlon I watched a movie called Facing the Giants. It is an AWESOME movie. That movie totally inspired me! I also took a song from their sound track called “The Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns. It became my theme song heading into the triathlon.

The point of the song is to trust where God has put you and listen to HIS voice. I played this song, no kidding, at least a hundred times in the days, hours, and minutes leading into this open water swim. I was terrified and I wasn’t sure what to do so I turned to my faith.

We get to the race sight and the event was exciting! I saw a couple other police officers who said they were doing this event. I secretly had this inner plan to beat them! I learned later that beating someone wasn’t important at all.

I had an early wave which was exciting because being a back of the packer it gets lonely if you have a later wave. I felt good going into this event; well minus the swim. I did the body marking, chip pickup, bike check-in and the must visit to Green Gold! I was a little disappointed this event had sold out with 800 participants and there were !ten! portalets! The line was extremely long and I barely made my swim start!

So, this thing happens to me when I’m really stressed about an endurance event. It’s not good at all! I get nausea and usually have to get sick. My very first triathlon in October ‘09 it happened to me. In fact, it was the last time it has happened. It also happened before some of my key half marathons. I was curious as to why it didnt happen in New Orleans. Well, going into this swim start I was extremely stressed and had nausea. In fact, in a video right before my swim start KP asked me how i was feeling. I said I am going to be sick!

I here an announcement “Men 34 and under, if you are wearing a yellow swim cap enter the water now.” I had an adrenaline dump! I could feel it burning the veins in my body like a poison! I was panicked! As all of the other swimmers walked confidently into the water I stood back. There was a flash! A demon screamed as loud as it could! I stood on the edge of the ground and the lake too afraid to commit. Too afraid to get into the water. It was at that moment that demon YELLED! PULL OUT!!! Dont SWIM!!

I looked around for KP for reassurance but i couldnt see her. I didnt know it then but i was learning a lesson about my God. I started to hear the words of that song in my heard! “The voice of truth tells me a different story. The voice of Truth says do not be afraid” I had taken a small step toward my fear. I was in the water only but I was only ankle deep. What I learned was that I needed to depend on God in those moments. I need to look to him first.

Announcement “Two minutes.” I could still feel my heart beating rapidly. I began praying and hearing the lyrics to the song in my head. Slowly I began to move forward into the pack of standing swimmers. Anouncement: “One minute” Something weird was happening!!!! I couldn’t believe it. The closer to the start time, the more i prayed, the more i sung that song in my head, the calmer i was becoming. “Ten seconds!” HORN! Nothing! No rapid heartbeat. No panic; just calmness; another day at the “pool”. I was standing with Christ! I was so calm it was scary. The firth 400 meters went by quickly. I was sighting well and i was even staying with the pack! It was awesome to finally be with the pack for once. I was even passing people!

I passed one guy with his hand raised and I prayed for him to be ok. I put my head down and kept moving forward. The water was warm (80 degrees) and i was able to swim the same way I did in my swim workouts. I breathe on the fourth stroke, then the second stroke, then the fourth stroke, then the second. I was focusing on my technique which is something I didnt do in New Orleans. In New Orleans, I was breathing every two strokes and moving my hands in any manner just to get through the swim. It was a tough swim and I was just trying to survive. This swim was different. Well, until 400 meters out and 350 meters to go.

Something was happening to my peace; to my great swim I was having! That nausea, and possibly that adrenaline dump, was catching up with me. I was getting sick. I was feeling like I had to vomit. I, unfortunately, had to stop and hang on a kayak for a minute or two until my stomach settled. I didn’t let it ruin me though. I continued my swim and then passed some people that had passed me while I was hanging on the kayak. I made it out of the water and I was excited. I had just completed my firs open water non-wetsuit swim! I wasn’t as fast as I have been in the pool but at least I gained confidence!

The standard used to determine if I had a good swim today meant I survived it. And I gained confidence in the open water. Both happened during this swim. I also learned a lesson. I “wished” I would have pushed it out more and swam through it until the point I had actually gotten sick. The reason is now I wonder if that nausea was psychologically induced. Or, if it was a true physical issue, even if it was a true physical issue I wished I had swam through it. This, however, all pointed to something God was planning for me. A blessing that was coming later.

Tri Latta race report

2010-06-18T07:15:00.002-04:00

This is just a quick snippet of the race. It was shared with my Fellowship of Christian Athletes members!

This past weekend I participated in the Tri Latta Triathlon. It was my first non-wetsuit open water swim and I was terrified. It took me a few days to realize where I needed to take my fears. The days leading up to the race I was singing “The Voice of Truth” by Casting Crowns and praying.

At the start of the race, I was still nervous but not totally terrified. They announced the two minute countdown and my heart rate peaked. I heard a voice in my head tell me to walk away and quit! Then, I could hear those song lyrics in my head “The Voice of Truth says do not be afraid.” That wasn’t the Voice of Truth telling me to run away. I continued to pray and at the one minute mark I could feel myself calming. I continued to pray and sing in my head and I felt like I was in Christ’s arms. I remember how safe I felt and how calm and ready I was. The horn sounded and I was off in the water still singing and praying.

I came out of the water and I was so excited to have completed this swim! So excited, in fact, I forgot this was God’s race. I jumped on the bike and was cycling faster than I had expected and I was feeling good! So, good I was expecting to PR on the bike!!! Except on the bike I wasn’t singing and praying. I lost focus and only thought about ME and MY personal best bike time.

About 5 miles into the bike, God reminded me this was HIS race. I saw a stranded cyclist and he had a flat. I intended to throw him a tube and CO2 then I would jump back into MY race to get MY personal best. That cyclist told me he didn’t know how to change a flat. My personal best didn’t mean much to me after hearing that. It took me about ten minutes to change that flat (loooong story). During that time, I learned this was that guy’s first triathlon. He didn’t know to carry a flat repair kit. He didn’t know how to even change his tire. I was so excited this triathlete was going to finish his first triathlon! I remember how excited I was after I completed my first! Now he was going to be able to do it! He would be able to finish.

Once we were back on the bike, I made a friendly deal in my head that I wouldn’t let him pass me on the bike and he didn’t! On the run, I was wearing Vibram 5 fingers (the barefoot alternative running shoe). This was my first time doing a trail run in the shoes and it was a bad idea. Every time my foot hit the ground, it felt like the rocks were piercing my feet. The last half mile I began to pray for God to give me the strength to finish. Two minutes later, I heard a voice coming from behind me calling my name. It was the stranded cyclist! He said, “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you! Let’s finish this race together!” I told him about the pains and he paced me the last half mile! God had given me exactly what I needed in this race.
Several people had come up to me and thanked me for changing that guys tire. One person said I was an inspiration. Me? The recovering alcoholic…an inspiration?! I know God is working in my life when that happens! I do feel a little guilty though. I think I got the bigger blessing out of the whole deal. I had a front row seat at God working in my life!

I guess I am finally blogging again!

2010-06-07T09:46:00.000-04:00

Wow! It feels like forever since I was last on my blog! How I have missed it! How I have missed people, the other people whose blog I read. People who I have never met, seen in real life, and people I would fail to pick out in a photo. They, however, are the same people who share the same passions as I do. In triathlon, this passion is synonymous with blood because triathlon is a family; a brother/sisterhood. It feels good to be back home!

I have been out of my training slump and have been actively following my plan. I don’t think of it as a slump anymore. It was an extended recovery week ha! I was recovering from surgery for about two weeks. Even after the doctor gave me the go ahead to run it was still extremely painful to run. I never did more than a 5k. My cycling and swimming picked up to compensate.

This past week I was doing some of my baseline test (a lot of time trials) to see where I am and give my coach a chance to see how to proceed. I can tell you, the athlete I am today is a far cry from the athlete I was when I first started this training. My swim speed is 16 seconds faster per 100 yards! My 3 mile time trial a few months ago was a PR for a 3 mile run. Well, this time I PR’ed my PR by a minute! I took a minute off my fastest 5k run! I couldn’t believe it! After it was over, I felt my legs cramping. I tried to slow down to cool down but the minute I did I could feel my muscles seizing. So I just stopped and sat for a while. Tonight I do a cycling time trial (if it doesn’t rain!).

Well, I have consistently been doing the P90x Ab Ripper and finally have all the pieces to actually “officially” start P90x. I feel so much stronger. I feel like the time I spent recovering from surgery was the best thing I could have done. I probably spent a month away from training but was doing maintenance the best I could per my plan. That is the best part about having a LIVE coach. He customized the plan during my recover (I could swim and bike but not really run) so I wouldn’t loose the endurance I had achieved. And look, I was a minute faster on my 3 mile run. Thanks Coach Lance!

It feels so good to be back! I’m feeling so strong in the training.

Now the flip side, I am not feeling excited about my next triathlon. Well, the swim at least. It is the Tri Latta Sprint in Charlotte, NC. It is one of the most popular triathlons in the area. It will be the first time I swim open water without my floaties (wetsuit). I get so nervous about it and then I laugh at myself! I swam a half ironman! I do 750 meters for fun (in the pool). It’s not my first rodeo. Although, sometimes when I think about it feels like my heart is going to explode! I get super anxious when I envision myself taking the first few strokes. I seriously get an adrenaline dump!

The best part about it is…it is a training day! Not an A race or a B race…but a C race. One of those races you do for fun. So, that is what my goal is...to have fun while knocking out my first non-wetsuit open water swim. KP asked me what am I freaking out about. I swim without a wetsuit all the time! (don’t we swim without wetsuit in the pool) She’s right! I can’t wait until this Saturday. To get that rollercoaster feeling I get going up on rollercoaster and toeing the starting line of an endurance event (the oh my….what have I gotten myself into feeling).

It feels great to be blogging again.

In and out of a training slump.

2010-05-16T09:38:00.000-04:00

This past week I have been in a training slump! Its been really hard to get motivated to put in the work. When I did I felt “ok” about it but by the end of the week I hit bottom! I felt horrible about missing two of the one hour bike rides and 1 swim. Sometimes, life takes over! It really has done a number on me mentally. I began questioning my commitment; doubting my ability. I just need to put this week behind me! “Out Damned spot! Out I say.”

I think part of the reason is…I have gotten a little bored. I need a change. After much debate and planning, I have decided to add a little something more to my routine. Can you say P90X. I am super excited to be able to add this to the routine. I admittedly will not be following this program everyday because the Ironman isn’t a P90x competition. It’s a swim, bike, run and that’s what I need to focus on. I just got it last night. I think I am mostly excited about starting the ab workout. I know a stronger core will provide huge benefits.

Sorry bore you guys but I just needed to vent about this guilt I was/am feeling about my poor training lat week. Well, I will just have to have faith that the next six months will be tough but manageable.

So how do I get out of the slump? I mentally took myself back to my starting point. What was I thinking when I signed up for the Ironman? Why am I doing it? Those answers have to keep me in the saddle even when “life happens.” I have also listened to some of my favorite Christian music (see video below). Another great reason to get out of this slump is because of the people I have inspired to get moving. Yet, what they don’t realize is they in turn inspire me to keep moving. Having said that, CONGRATS to my brother for completing his first half marathon! I feel like the morning alarm went off in my head! “I’m up! I’m up!” Time to make it happen (thanks for letting me vent!)

My body is feeling dead this week! Two weeks out of training...I need a resurrection.

2010-05-06T12:45:00.000-04:00

I have been out of training for the past two and a half weeks. I resumed training this past Monday. I have swam and cycled and yesterday did my first easy run. It was a brick session; an “easy” one at that. I biked on the trainer for an hour (using a higher cadence than I am used to because I’m trying to train my body to cycle in the 90’s). I also wanted the opportunity to do some one leg drills. That was pretty tough too. It definitely showed a lot of weaknesses in my pedaling. I have 6 months to work on this. This was followed by a two mile run. The biking was cool but running the two miles… geesh! Now I was trying to push this run because it’s time for beast mode but good word it was tough.

It was good to have the NO experience to fall back on! I kept telling myself I have felt worst than this so keep pushing. The more I push the better off I am. I just wanted to kick this body and tell it to wake up!

Tomorrow I go back to full duty. I am so grateful. I can’t take sitting behind a desk all day. I am totally looking forward to getting back into my patrol car to see what trouble I can get into next.

Before my training session tonight, I may use a defibrillator! Need to get some life into this body again.

My sights are set on Ironman Cozumel

2010-05-04T12:34:00.000-04:00

I am finally released to start limited training again following my surgery. I am limited to just swimming and cycling for now both without restriction. Next week, I will start introducing running into the trinity.

For the past few months, for me, training has been on completing the half Iron distance. The overall goal for the year, of course, is Ironman Cozumel. Yet it was never in my sights because I was so focused on completing the half distance and that was a key race for me. Now that it is over, my focus is on the Ironman. I can’t believe I am saying that my next key race is the Ironman. I am training for the Ironman! It is a dream to even be able to say that.

I know I have other races but for me I consider them training days with transitions. Even Ironman Augusta 70.3 is just a long training day. I am going to take what I learned in New Orleans and apply it to my training. I am looking forward to the longer swims and cycling. The running is probably my least favorite. That’s probably a sign I need to do more of it.

I have started incorporating more weight training into my training. One because I need to, two because it cant hurt, three because I promised myself I would be in the best physical shape of my life when I hit Cozumel. Since I started my weight loss journey three years ago, it has always been a dream (or goal) to be 10% body fat. I’m currently 15% which is a far cry from my 22-23% days that isn’t so long ago. That equates to 9lbs of fat I would have to loose in the next seven months. I am also placing focus on strengthening my core. When I was at the Expo, I saw a lot of people who were, at least, physically committed to this sport. These guys were super lean like 8% bf. Oh and they were fast! I know because they kept passing me!

I’m just ready! Ready to prepare my body for what I know it’s capable of. What I learned from NO was that the mental game starts long before you enter the water. It’s everyday in training. The days you want to shorten your workout. The days you would rather not. I’m game on and looking forward to continuing to change my mind and my body. I said beast mode when I got back! Well I’m back and its beast mode! Game is ON!

As for the demons, they haven’t had much to say since New Orleans. I know they are just keeping quiet…for now.

Race Report Ochsner Ironman 70.3 New Orleans 2010

2010-04-27T12:08:00.006-04:00

Praise God for His grace and love because I am a flawed man! Yet, in God’s eyes, I raced a perfect race! What an experience! This was a loooong day…longer than I expected, but the journey is something I would never change. Before I really get into the race report, I remember asking myself, “Did I leave it all on the course or did I stay in my comfort zone?!” I left it all out there. I am looking forward to getting faster times but I am certainly NOT disappointed with my effort. Besides, this was only my second triathlon and only four months preparation before my first Half Ironman.

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” -Theodore Roosevelt

I can tell you exactly the moment I wanted to quit and go home! At that moment, I was standing on the edge of a cliff and quitting, well… it seemed like the only logical thing to do…
The day started super early. I went to bed the night before around 7:30 pm with the help of a sleep aid! I read too many horror stories of people having sleepless nights. Being Type A about this training, I, of course, used this sleeping aid two other times; once before a half marathon and once before a long bike ride. I wanted to know what I felt like after using this sleep aid. My alarm was set for 3:15 am and I was awake and alert by 3. Only the last hour of sleep I was a bit restless, but I really had the BEST sleep ever! No complaints! When 3 am rolled around I was alive! I wasn’t really nervous or super excited but alive and alert!

I was scheduled to leave at 4:15 am, but left at 4:30am instead. The car was packed and ready to go by 4:15 am, but I wasn’t. Let’s just say my stress manifested itself in another way! And let’s just say about ten times that morning it continued to manifest itself in that same way! UGH! So, 4:30 am we’re on the road to the transition area which isn’t that far away, about 6 -10 miles. Because of road closures we had to cut through Decatur Street which, apparently, is a HUGE party area of New Orleans even at 4:30 am! The music was loud, the people were drinking, and the transvestites were out and about! Unfortunately, so was traffic! Who would guess there would be traffic at 4:30 am.

After the delay through party city, the rest of the trip was uneventful. I made it into transition confident I had everything I needed. I was extremely excited to see my bike was still there! People joked that the safest place in New Orleans was the bike transition area. I believe it! That’s a rough city. I started organizing my gear in a way so I wouldn’t forget to carry anything out with me! Turns out it worked! I didn’t forget to take anything I needed out to the road with me on either the bike or the run. I will add, though, having a flashlight in transition would be extremely beneficial. It’s difficult to lay out your gear if you can’t see! I heard an announcement that the water was calm and the lake looked like glass! Oh yeah?! Just what I needed to hear!

And as I mentioned before, I made several more trips to the port-a-johns before the morning was over. At one point, I heard the announcer say transition was closing in ten minutes. I wasn’t really sure what that meant. I asked some random guys and they said everyone would have to be out of transition and in the swim start area. DOH! I didn’t have my wetsuit on! I thought I had plenty of time. My wave didn’t start for another hour and 15 minutes. I hurried back to my area, grabbed my bag that contained my goggles and other swim items. I quickly put on body glide to prevent wetsuit chaffing and grabbed my wetsuit. I went to the swim start and there is where I put on the suit. This was the first time I saw the lake that morning. Somewhere between 5am, when the lake was “smooth like glass” (the announcement said) and 6:40am, the waters had become a much rougher. The lake was moving. A lot more than my swims on Lake Norman and the practice swim on Friday!

I walked down to the starting area because the men’s pro start was about to go off. They played the national anthem and I heard the sound of people’s heart rate monitors beeping. You can set your monitor to go off if your heart rate peaks at certain beats per minute. Apparently these people were getting excited because the start was near. I’m sure I was too! However, I still felt pretty calm. I guess it hadn’t really hit me yet.

I walked back over to the swim chute and there were people standing around so I stood around with them. I heard an announcement, “pro men are wearing light purple swim caps.” I look up! DOH! I’m standing at the rear of the pro men! They looked like normal people! I quickly made my way to the side guard rails! I mean they weren’t doing anything special just standing around but I was a little embarrassed!

The pro men go out and it was quite the spectacle! Hilarious! Everyone is watching trying to see how these guys take on the start. They ran in the water for about 25 yards. A couple of pros tried to dolphin dive but they realized the water was still too shallow. Then ran/walked a little more before, finally, the swim! It was hilarious! The water depth seemed to go from deep enough to swim to shallow. You really had to get out there before you started to swim. I walked over to the swim exit and I saw KP standing there! That was really cool to see her standing there! I knew exactly where to look for her after the swim exit. Uh oh! Had to make another run! I asked KP to try to get pics of the pros as they were coming out if she could.

I ran back to the porta line and I saw the first pro running in. Andy Potts in 23 minutes! I knew he was the strongest swimmer in the group but that’s insane! 23 minutes! He didn’t look phased! Then I saw Macca chasing him shortly after. After my last visit I realized my wave was being asked to line up in the rear of the starting chute. I still wasn’t panicked, just calm, just praying. I tightened my goggle straps as tight as I could because they had leaked the day before. Today they kept getting fogged up while I waited!

The announcer counted us down…1 minute. Instant feeling of going up on a rollercoaster! You know that feeling right before you peak? You ask yourself, “Self, Why did I do this?!” I thought to myself, “At least I have a few meters to walk out into the water and get settled”…30 seconds. Heart is racing! “Go out easy. Steady strokes. You can do this.” I was concerned that the water looked a little too choppy this morning. On Friday at the race brief, the announcer told me the water always feels rougher than it looks. Well today it was looking pretty intimidating! I was unable to imagine what it would feel like. I had only done three previous open water swims in my life and one was on Friday.

Swim Start Area

1.2 Mile Swim:

THE HORN SOUNDS!

I walked out into the water feeling like a soldier going into battle! The horn was the battle cry. I wasn’t battling against the people in my age-group, but against myself! I was my only enemy this day. Me… and my demons.

The more I walked the more fearful I became; the more determined I needed to be. The water was waste high and I decided to make my stand! This is where my swim had to start. It is time!

I can tell you exactly the moment I wanted to quit and go home! At that moment, I was standing on the edge of a cliff and quitting, well… it seemed like the only logical thing to do…

I took one stroke and I went to breathe. That was the moment I wanted to quit! After my first stroke, I turned to breathe and I was immediately overcome with water! A swell had covered my entire face. The water was extremely rough! I panicked! I felt like I was drowning! It was the only time during my short 8 month swim career that I had felt like I was drowning. I was seriously picturing myself raising my hand and calling it! I have never been so afraid in my life. I thought I would die if I continued!!!

I stopped seriously with the thought of raising my hand. The moment I felt like I was drowning, I felt a huge adrenaline dump. The flight or fight feeling you get when you are afraid. I decided to fight! That would become the theme of the day! FIGHTING! The guy to my right was still able to barely walk in the water. The water was nearly chest deep. Instead of quitting, I thought, “Dude you just started! You just started! You better get settled and get moving!” So, I walked. When I saw him start to swim, I began to swim. He didn’t know it but there was some comfort in having another swimmer next to me. If he could do it, I could do it. I took my next breath and, Praise God, I could breathe! I was back in this fight!

I made the first turn and was starting to find my rhythm. I made it to the first big orange buoy which I thought was the turn around. I was happy dancing in my head! Man that was quick! Uhh Yeah… I was wrong! I saw people still swimming so I continued to swim. I managed to sight well and stay on track while swimming on the west side of the course. During this stretch of the course I was kicked in the head several times and elbowed in the eye. The next day I couldn’t figure out why my right eye was hurting. Oh yeah, that’s because I took an elbow! At one point, someone seriously swam over me! I thought to myself, “Did a kayaker just go over me?” This huge mass had just gone over me, but as it passed I was kicked, again, in the head! I thought, “Oh! No, that was a person!” as Dori would say in Finding Nemo, “Just keep swimming, just keep swimming,”

I passed a lady who was having a rough time. She was there just floating on her back, taking her time! I was happy for her! She was still in it! I was happy for me that I wasn’t her! I prayed for that woman. I hope she made it. I passed a few people that were taking breaks. I just kept at it. Several times I would go to breathe and take in water! I had proved early on I could overcome that (the swim start) and so I just kept moving. I was breathing every two strokes. In the pool I would breathe every fourth. I felt comfortable that if I took in water I would be alright until the next breath. I can breathe bilaterally (breath on the right and left side) but just wasn’t comfortable doing it during this swim. I found what was working for me and I wasn’t going to change it.

I knew I was moving a lot slower than I could, but I felt comfortable in the water and I wasn't going to jeopardize my comfort for speed. This was my first open water swim in race conditions and enough chop to put Mr. Miyagi to shame. I had to find my groove and go with it. I did breathe bilaterally once or twice during the entire swim, but that was it!

Once I hit the turn around, I knew I was going to complete this swim! That is when things started to change. I could feel my calf muscles starting to cramp! My goggles, because of the choppy waters, were starting to leak. I didn’t panic this time. Smooth is fast! One thing at a time. Don’t panic, it’s game day! I took a second and pulled the left goggle strap as tightly as I could and I just kept moving. I had watched a YouTube video (love YouTube) of Dave Scott and he was talking about how people tend to cramp during the swim. He said to combat this, dorsal flex your feet and it should stretch out the calves a bit. I did that and it helped. Just Keep Moving.

I had only about 300 meters left! I could feel my body moving up and down in this unforgiving water! I was timing my breathing pattern with the water because at this point I had taken in water several times long the way! One time I almost got sick when the water triggered my gag reflex. After the turn around, the course seemed to change. I couldn’t see the buoys anymore. I was now swimming directly into the sun and could not sight the buoys. Desperate to just keep moving, I started sighting on other swimmers which I know isn’t the best thing to do.

Every time I tried to sight, I would have a face full of sun and not a single buoy in view. I heard other people complain later that the course could have been marked a little better. Since this was my first race, I don’t have anything to compare it to. I recall seeing people on the shore and just being jealous that they were on land and here I was still in the water. At that same moment, I realized I was one of many people putting on a show because I WAS SWIMMING IN A HALF IRONMAN!!! WOOHOOO!

A few moments passed when I realized I wasn’t getting the occasional kick or elbow. I thought, “Man did I get this swim figured out!” Then, each time I went to sight, I would hear a yell! It was a kayaker yelling for me to get back on course. I had gotten about 25 yards off course and had to swim back. About 5 minutes later, I was off course again! I just couldn’t see the buoys. As I approached the shore, I could see the “swim run-in” inflatable! Woohoo! I began to sight off of that. Yeah, but then there were the wooden posts in the water. I found myself on the right side of said posts and the exit was on the left. I had to swim back out then around the posts finally to the exit. That took me another 25 yards out of the way. I didn’t care! I was done with the swim!

I had just finished my first open water triathlon swim; my first Half Ironman swim. The scariest part of the race was over!

Body scan….heart rate elevated, but manageable…calves cramping... no big deal. Are you ready to ride? Oh yeah!

One down, two to go.

Swim: 51:33 Minutes (goal 43minutes)

Transition 1:

I run up the chute and I see KP! She looked as happy to see that I made it through the swim as I was to finally have it over with! I’m sure that was a difficult time for her as well, watching people being pulled out of the water and not knowing exactly where I was. I didn’t run up the chute. I didn’t see any reason to. I just walked silently! I didn’t have much to say, or couldn’t talk if I wanted to, Lol! I just looked at KP, smiled, and gave her thumbs up to let her know I was still in this race! She didn’t know that just 50 minutes ago I was in a tough spot and wasn’t looking good. She didn’t care that I wasn’t first out of the water or the fastest person swimming. She was just happy to see me! And me her!

I made it to the wetsuit strippers and I knew what to do from watching YouTube Videos (again)! Lol! And who said YouTube isn’t educational? I unzipped my suit, pulled it down waist high, and had it ripped off by a stripper. (Wetsuit stripper, that is hehe). When he pulled it off I felt pain in my cramping calves and almost screamed out! That would have been super awkward. Some guy standing over me with my legs in the air and me screaming….yeah, uhh… glad I didn’t scream! HA!

I walked over to my bike and transitioned the way I had visualized in my head so many times before. It was a smooth transition, nice and slow. I didn’t want to forget anything important. As I walked the bike out to the mounting line, the aero bottle slid forward. Whoops! I forgot to lock it down this morning during prep. I got it secured and I was on my way for the easiest part of my day! (or so I thought).

T1= 4:04

56 mile Bike Ride:

I was a little nervous riding in this race because the aero position is still very new to me. On the way out, I was getting passed, it seemed, by everyone! My heart rate was up and I was trying to cycle at a speed that would bring me back into my zone. The road was super flat minus a few climbs around the bridges. The wind on the other hand was extremely unforgiving! It was the invisible enemy! I was only averaging about 15 mph. In training I was up around 18-21. I’m not yet a fast cyclist (or swimmer, or runner, Lol!), but I’m faster than 15mph! At one point, I thought to myself, “My bike computer must be broken.” When I hit some of the mile markers, I realized it wasn’t. I was struggling on the bike. Not physically, but more mentally. Why wasn't I going faster?! I wish I knew what it was! Was it the tough swim I just completed? Was it the killer headwind? Was it me trying to be super conservative to save some for the run? Was it the cramps I was experiencing from the swim? I wish I knew! Well, going forward, I think I will talk to my coach about what was happening on the bike.

With all the planning I had in mind for transition 1, I turned on the Garmin, but never started it so we don’t know what my average heart rate was for the bike. Ugh! For the most part, my heart rate was between 137-140 bpm.

I was hydrating well on the bike; one 24oz water bottle of Perpetuem per hour. Because of the heat and my issues with cramping, I decided I was going to use two SaltStick capsules per hour. Feeling bold, I was able to grab two SaltStick Capsules from my bento box and ingest them! (Progress! hehehe) As expected, I did have to pull over on the side of the road to refill my water bottles and take in nutrition. I stopped once on the bike for a restroom break. In all there were 4 stops in total.

On the way out I was able to see the pro males on their final stretch of the bike course. I don’t recall who the leader was at that point, but they were fast! It was a sight to see for sure.

The first few miles of the bike were really congested with riders. I wanted to be in the aero position but just didn’t feel comfortable. Some of the people passing were real jerks! REALLY! They would ride up really close to my rear tire, pass, and then cut me off about 6 inches to a foot in front of me. Sometimes, there would be a double pass where one person was 3 feet away on my left side, which was great, except another cyclist would squeeze in the middle of that three foot gap to pass! One good thing was that we had the entire road! Four huge lanes for cycling. Two lanes outbound and two lanes inbound. If they needed to pass they had plenty of room to do so. Not to mention I was as far right as I could be. It just did not make for a comfortable ride.

I wondered what would happen if our tires clipped one another. A few more miles up the road, I saw what the results of unsafe cycling were. I saw several riders being treated by Medic and one person was being transported. I just don’t know why people ride with their egos and not with safety. Finally, I decided to buckle down and I began to ride in the aero position. If someone was going to crash into me because they wanted to pass too closely, so be it! I came to race too! Maybe I’m just a newbie venting, but I just think we need to be safe. There was plenty of room to pass safely. I will get off my soap box now! I will say, however, in my next race I am going to put my head down and ride my race. Whatever happens, happens.

I recall while on the bike how quickly time seemed to fly. The first hour went by in no time. Then the second, and third. It didn’t seem like I was out there that long. After the turn around, the road seemed lonely and quiet. There weren’t as many cyclists because they had all already passed me, Ha! Before the turnaround I could see cyclists on the opposite side of the road heading in. Afterwards, there was the occasional rider. The closer I made it to transition, the less I would see until there was nothing. It was a LONELY ride. To entertain my mind I just kept repeating I just swam 1.2 miles in a Half Ironman! I would have this huge smile on my face every time I thought about it.

I also expected once I hit the turn around, I would be able to take advantage of a tailwind heading back and make up some time. Ugh… about that… NOT! I swear I felt like I was hitting a headwind coming back. On some of the boards I heard a couple of other people in the later waves say they felt like they had hit a head wind coming back as well.

About ten miles to go, I hit the final aid station. I, of course, had to stop to be able to turn and grab my nutrition. As I was about to pull out, I nearly crashed into another rider. Ok, I’m exaggerating. I didn’t see her and was getting ready to pull out when I saw her. I apologized fervently. I was so apologetic! She was understanding and said no problem. I jumped on my bike and began the final leg. The female was off to the side of the road and I could hear her brakes engaging. I was about 30 feet down the road when I heard the clink of metal and a *THUMP* Somehow, that sweet girl wrecked. I felt responsible, even though I knew I had nothing to do with it! I was 20 feet down the road but I felt so bad for her! There was nothing I could do. I hope everything worked out for her!

I could finally see the UNO campus! The transition area was in sight! Oh yeah! The excitement! 2 down 13.1 miles to go!!!

56 mile bike ride 3:34:09 (goal time= 3:18:00)

Transition 2:

When I hit transition, there was no large crowd, no announcers, and no KP! I looked for her and figured she had to get moving in order to make it to the points on the run that we had planned for. I didn’t expect to feel the way I felt after the bike. I was in need of some external motivation. I would have to make it to mile 6 before I would see her.

This transition was slower than the first. I performed the necessary functions and, in addition, I mixed Perpetuem for the Fuel Belt. I made it to the run-out exit and realized I was in trouble.

13.1 Mile Run:

When I made it to the run out I has planned to run 4 minutes, walk 1 minute. I immediately knew I wasn't going to be able to make this run walk combo. My legs felt dead! Like really dead! I was concerned that I wasn't going to make 3 miles much less a half marathon. I made it to the first mile marker, but unfortunately, started the run way too fast. The run, much like the bike, seemed quiet there in the back of the pack. On the way out, I saw this guy shouting, “The run will come to you! Let the run come to you! It will get easier!” “Thanks sir”, I shouted back. Oh HEY! That’s ANDY POTTS! I realized then he must have won the race! That was really cool that he was there with the back of the packers cheering us on!

Getting to the second mile marker proved as difficult as taking that first swim stroke. At about a mile and a half, I was beginning to get a headache and feeling a little light headed. Shortly thereafter, my stomach turned and I got sick in some poor person’s yard. “There! Now I have a reason to quit! I made it through the swim and the bike, but now I got sick. I can quit now. No one will question that! You got sick!”

I was fighting another battle! Greater than the 12 miles that lay ahead. It was the battle I came here for. Man versus himself. I was ready to quit again. It was extremely hot and the air was humid. My legs were dead and could barely conjure up a walk much less a run. I then remembered an Ironman video I had seen. It warned that during these events, your body will give you a thousand reasons to quit but there is always one reason to keep going. At that point my reason to keep going was so that I wouldn’t be quitter! One foot in front of the other… just keep moving. I made it through mile two and then mile three. There were people in front of me. I told myself I just had to keep them in my sight. Don’t let them get too far ahead. Mile 4…they were gone… my battle raged on.

I began to tell myself, “If you are going to qui,t do it at mile 6”, knowing, of course, that KP was at mile 6 waiting for me…there was no way I was going to quit in front of her! I just kept moving. Every step quieting those demons that once yelled at me to quit early on in the swim. I wasn't counting mile markers anymore. I was counting oak trees in the park. Just run from here to the third oak tree. Sometimes I would make it; other times I wouldn’t. I could feel the lactic acid begin to build in my legs like poison. My mind was in this battle and it was dragging my dead body along for the ride. Other times, I would succeed and it felt great. Lots of small battles were won in this Half Ironman! The more I ran, the better I felt. The more time passed, the more I wanted desperately to run.

The New Orleanians (is that right?) were out spraying runners with garden hoses. Some turned their sprinklers on and pointed them toward the road for runners. Cold water against my body had never felt so great! Children with squirt guns would ask to squirt us as we passed. I don’t think anyone said no! The children couldn’t refill their guns fast enough!

As I approached mile 6, I was looking for KP. I saw her car parked and next to it a Medic. I started freaking out. “Where is she?! Where is she?!” I turned right and in the distance I could see the steady flow of runners and volunteers. As I moved closer to the chaos, I saw a woman dressed in black. I didn’t immediately recognize that it was KP. My mind seemed to go blank out on the course. This unidentified person then starts jumping up and down like a mad woman! It was KP!!! She ran alongside me and said, “Babe, you’re doing it. You’re doing it! I’m so proud of you! You’re looking so good!” All I could say was, “Stop, you’re gonna make me cry!” LOL! Well, she was! I ran a little further before I had to walk again. Thoughts of quitting, interestingly never crossed my mind at mile six!

The way the course was designed, I would see her again around mile 9. I continued to run from tree to tree and lamp post to lamp post. I came across a group of people that were running from bicycle lane marker to bicycle lane marker. They were getting it done and moving a lot faster than I was. I accepted I wasn't going to have a stellar half marathon time. I just wanted to finish at this point. I was running out of things to give this course.

By mile 9, I remembered I was going to see KP again! She always asked that when I passed her for me not to look like I was hurting. I tried this time to look strong. I couldn’t do it. I had to walk to her this time. At least I was able to talk and show her I still had good spirit! She cheered for Julie Ammon as she passed by us. Julie is a lady I had met along the way. Julie finished her first half Ironman 30 minutes past the cut off. Today, she was turning that around! She knocked 25 minutes off her time this day. Good Show Julie!

Soon after I left Julie to her battle and said goodbye (for now) to KP, I met up with another group of people finishing their races. One was a guy in the 28 year old age group. He was having a tough run, too. Together we made it to Mile 10. Mile 10 is always the marker I look for on my half marathons. If something bad was going to happen, it has historically happened at mile 10.

I was feeling good! Talked about running the whole last 5K in. “It’s only a 5k”, I would think to myself. In actuality it was mile 67 of the half Ironman at that point. I prayed that I had unknowingly kept some secret energy in reserve. That by some miracle of sheer will, I could run it in. I tried to run the last 5k. I likely made it a half mile, the longest I had run all day, before I had to walk/ run again. I was steady though, all the way to the last turn.

I could see the finishing chute. It was less than a half a mile away! I could hear the crowd. I tried to run it in twice before my legs gave out. The last ¼ mile I just gave what little I had left.

The Finish:

It all seemed surreal. So many thoughts were running through my head. I thought, “I’ve dreamt of this moment and now here it is!” I also thought, “Here is this kid from the projects, this guy who used to be overweight and is a recovering alcoholic, running down the finish of one of the most challenging endurance events around.” Thank you Father for your love! At the finish line I, of course, gave it up to God! I know why I’m here (smile)! I saw KP and my cousin Jason just before I hit the finish! I never saw someone as happy to see me as KP was as I approached that line!

Half Marathon 3:08:20 (goal= 3hours)

I saw my time and it didn’t matter! I was so happy to be done with this race. I had just completed a half Ironman! Everyone wanted to talk at the end of the race. All I wanted to do was sleep, Ha! My brother called and I talked with him for a moment. He apparently tracked me the entire time! I am so grateful he did that! Those lonely parts of the race weren’t so lonely after all. He was feeding information to KP to tell her where I was in the race. This gave her an idea of where I was and how much time she had to get from point to point.

I especially didn’t want to hold the phone to talk to anyone lol! It was waaaay too heavy. Kp looked at me and said, “You did it! I knew you could do it!” I just lost it! The tears just fell down my face. I think I finally realized what I had just done! The truth is I wasn't so sure I could do it and I did! My brother said, “Your demons screamed at you to stop from the very beginning and you didn’t. When you were at the finish, what the hell were your demons saying then? NOTHING!”

Lessons learned:

Swim: A choppy swim is nothing to be afraid of! It just takes more courage to accomplish.

Bike: Conditions dictate your race. Get stronger on the bike and learn to take from aid stations while still in motion.

Run: The first couple of miles you should start off easy. No need to carry Perpetuem on the run. Water, gels, and SaltStick capsules seemed to work fine. Mixing the Perpetuem at the transition just takes too much time and effort.

As you can see, I didn’t hit one goal time. In a couple of years, I probably won’t remember my times. I may not have hit desired times, but what I did achieve was completing my first Half Ironman! I learned what it means to not quit and get through the tough parts of a race and of life. Would I have sacrificed the fun I had in order to hit times I thought I was capable of? Glad I don’t know the answer to that. I had fun during this race! When it hurt, I embraced it. When it hurt more, I tried to smile. I’m glad no one was around to see what my attempted smile looked like! More importantly, when I wanted to quit, I didn’t! The times will get faster, the training tougher, but I will always remember my first Half Ironman!

P.S. I am so ready to get back into training! Beast Mode for Ironman Cozumel! The harder I work now, the shorter my day will be in November!

The race report is coming!

2010-04-26T12:09:00.002-04:00

The race report for IMNO 70.3 is coming :) I had a minor surgery immediately following the event and am finally coming out of the drug induced cloud of pain meds! I can't wait to get back to training! On a side note, my local tri store asked me to write a brief article about my tri experience. Wow! I was honored! It's going to be sent to hundreds of emails! That was really exciting. Here it is:

I never considered myself an athlete. In fact, I was the exact opposite. I struggled with my weight most of my life, drank more than I should more times than I can remember (mostly because I passed out drunk) and smoked like a coal train. Five years ago when my son was born, I stopped smoking and really started eating. Three years ago something changed. I wasn't happy being 5”9,” 232lbs anymore. I found out about this race people do for “fun” called a 5K. I could barely run a mile! I signed up and completed my first 5k in Feb. 2007. Something happened when I crossed the finish line. I had become a runner and the addiction to endurance events was born.

A year later, 2008, after enough bad experiences with alcohol, I stopped drinking and stop telling myself there were things I couldn’t do. In late August 2009, I signed up for swim lessons with the intent of signing up for my first sprint triathlon; Take Flight Triathlon in October 2009 (just a few weeks later). I could barely get through the swim! After crossing the finish line, I was bit by the bug! I became emotional as I approached the finish line and it was only a sprint triathlon. To me it was more than that. It was the spirit of believing in me. Something I didn’t do a lot of over the years.

I thought that I could do an Ironman! I had lost nearly 60 pounds over the past 3 years and now I had faith. I enlisted support from family and friends, sought a coach, and signed up for two half Ironman triathlons and a full Ironman. I could barely swim 250 yards but there I was signing up for a full Ironman.

On April 18, 2010, I completed my second triathlon. It was only my third open water swim ever which yielded choppy conditions. Ironman New Orleans 70.3. I trained for four months and learned a lot about myself and this sport during that long day in New Orleans. It all started with a 5k finish line and the belief I could do it. 70.3 down 70.3 to go!

2010-04-19T18:53:00.001-04:00

http://www.brightroom.com/view_user_event.asp?EVENTID=61557&BIB=1533&S=230&PWD=

All i have to do is sleep, wake up, travel 70.3 and the first phase is over...for now!

2010-04-17T19:22:00.000-04:00

Well, day two. I didn’t do much today. I woke up, had a HUGE carbohydrate loaded breakfast then we went to the River Walk. We walked over to the Expo, again, because it is so much fun and the atmosphere is awesome and reassuring. I have to admit I violated a tradition. The whole not buying distance souvenirs until I have completed the distance. I think that is going to change. I claimed this distance as mine and bought two 70.3 water bottles, hehehe. Big spender I know! It was funny they were a buck cheaper than the water bottles I buy from home.

It is welcoming to be among fellow athletes that are experiencing the same feelings you are. I overheard these guys at the expo talking about this scale that gave body fat and hydration percentage, bone density, and a host of other not so important information. It was pretty high tech. I was dreading to hear my body fat percentage, but was amazed, I was smack dab in the middle of average! Woohooo party! A few blogs ago I wrote that I am training so hard just to be average so that was welcome information. It was a lot lower than my highest body fat percentage which was 22% at my top weight of 232 lbs. It’s funny, no matter how much weight I lose I still feel like I look 232lbs some days.

Moving right along, around 1pm we headed toward the bike check-in. We arrived and the first thing I did was go to the swim start because I wanted to see what the course looked like set up. I wanted to see what 1.2 miles of swimming looked like. When I saw it I wasn’t intimidated by the distance. I had to tell myself that I swam this distance in training. Afterwards, I got air in the tires and took my bike on a farewell ride before bike check-in. During the race brief they said the first three miles would be rough. On my test ride I was expecting rough, but wowzers! It felt like I was riding off road! A mountain bike would have been a better choice for the first few miles. I turned around on the bike and went back to the transition area, turned in my bike and waved goodbye. On the way out I met a gentleman who said he did this event last year. It took him 8.5 hours. He was nearly 70 years old. KP and I drove part of the bike route just to have an idea of what it looks like. Part of the route is on the actual interstate! Like the highway! Lol! It will be closed off but that should be a lot of fun to cycle on the actual Interstate. It’s not every day you get to cycle on the Interstate.

We went to a point on the race where I am expecting to see KP and my cousin Jason on the race. It wasn’t difficult to navigate to today, however, a half Ironman wasn’t going on either, so we picked out a plan b which is a viewing hotspot location.

At 4 pm I had a much needed massage and had them work on my calves since they have been kind of tight the last couple of days. Back at the hotel, KP and I went through the race checklist and prepared everything for the morning (4 o’clock in the morning!!! Poor KP). I have eaten what I needed to today, or at least all the clean carbohydrates that I could (and even then didn’t come close to the 700 + carbs that I heard a nutritionist recommend for race prep!). I have hydrated and prepared, and now it’s time to pray and get a good night’s sleep! Tomorrow morning….GAME ON!!!

One arm stroke, pedal revolution, and step to the Glory and to quiet...those...demons...

A big First Day 04/16/2010

2010-04-17T11:03:00.002-04:00

I met some of the most inspirational people, to me, in Ironman. The first person I met very early on in the day. I went to the athlete meeting at 10:00 am. It was the first meeting of the day. Of course the rookie was going to be at the first meeting. It worked out because it freed up the day and led to some chance encounters. (Instead of chance, I like to call it a God Thing.)

After the meeting, I went to the USAT check-in counter. I met an individual by the name of Marcus who is a member of the IamTri website. He recognized me from my profile pic. That was pretty cool running into him; small world. I was handed a check list that would send me through the merchandise floor (of course) to find my bib number. I would hand that list to the volunteer. The volunteer handed me my packet. The front of the packet had a sticker that contained my name, age division, swim cap color, and, most important, my wave time. In this case it was 8:00am. This puts me in the first wave of my age group.

We walked through the floor and I saw some things I would have loved to purchase. I have this jinx, tradition, or whatever you want to call it. I don’t buy myself distance souvenirs unless I have already completed the distance. Now other people can buy it for me but I always feel weird buying it. I bought the children Ironman cowbells that I am sure they will love. They loved the first cowbells I bought them some time ago. I saw some half Ironman water bottles I REALLY wanted to get but it violates my tradition.

Out the corner of my eve I saw a gentleman whom I felt like I knew; or at least had seen before. He had an amputated right hand and a prosthetic leg. I walked up to him and asked “Sir, what’s your name?” “Jason Gunther” I had a huge smile. “Sir, it is an honor and a pleasure to meet you.” He asked where I recognized him from and I’m sure he knew I was going to say Kona 2009. He was featured on the 2009 NBC Kona Ironamn. He, unfortunately, didn’t complete it but it wasn’t because his heart wasn’t in it! This guy is a fighter. We laughed and joked and I was, again, inspired by this gentleman.

We cleared the expo around noon, went to the hotel to grab my swim gear, and then I was off to swim. I went to transition area of the event. Guess who I saw cycling the route in her SkinFit outfit! None other than "The flying blonde Dutch girl," Yvonne van Vlerken. Unfortunately, some time ago she decided to keep her ponytails tucked in because it made her more aero dynamic. The pink SkinFit gear and bright blonde hair gave her away immediately; and the accent as she yelled at her fiancé may have been an indicator too! She was very pleasant and smiled while I attempted to take her photo. She won the inaugural Ironman Cozumel which is the Ironman I am scheduled to do this year. That was really cool to see her.

Now I am not the guy to get start struck. In my career as a soldier and police officer, I have met two presidents, and countless, countless musicians. But, you show me a professional triathlete, I become a 12 year old boy at a Michael Jackson concert! I’m not kidding! I yelled, Yvonne we love you babe!” Ooooooh uhhh yeah. Babe is my gf’s pet name and she wasn’t so happy about that lol. Well, at least I got a warning about calling Yvonne babe instead of a right hook hehe.

I made it done for a practice swim and was just in awe of this setup! It really is big business. The bike area was huge! I found my bike since I already had my packet and bib number. It’s great I don’t have that far to run out of transition in my bike shoes and my lane leads right to the front entrance so I have a straight shot once I get out of transition. It really is a great spot!

I get into the water and I noticed the visibility in the water here isn’t as good as it is in Lake Norman back home. There was a little bit of a claustrophobia going on. Once I got settled I was able to get some swimming in. The water was a little choppy and is expected to be in the same state come Sunday. I had an issue with my goggles leaking; probably because I didn’t pull it tight enough. Sunday those things are going to be glued to my face! Talk about panic. That was the first time that happened to me. However, I had to man up and tell myself I’m not the first person this has happened to. Cowboy up and get to sure. I did and was glad that was over. Thankfully if this happens in the event, I was told I can just have a kayaker come over while I fix my goggles.

Admittedly, I am nervous about the swim. However, I know it’s something I can get through. Because of those claustrophobic feelings, I was breathing every two strokes. I typically breathe every four strokes in the pool. I think I will try to push past the breathing and breathe bilaterally every 3rd stroke.

After exiting my swim, who else to I see, “The Iron Nun,” Sister Madonna Buder! If you don’t know her wow! She is the oldest lady to complete Ironman Kona! One year they had to create her age group because it didn’t exist! She has completed in over 40 Ironmans and she’s doing New Orleans. Really, if she can get through the chop! So can I :)

I felt like God was putting all of these inspirational figures in front of me so I don’t forget. These were just by chance! It was by design!

After the swim, I went home and changed and went to see Chris McCormack speak. Now, I’m not a big fan of McCormack because he comes off as an arrogant cocky son of a mother! In, fact, I enjoyed watching him get beat. I’m sitting in the room and of course waiting for this prima donna just knowing he will be late! And he was 5 minutes! I guess in the scheme of things that isn’t bad but it is when you have someone already figured out.

He walks in and starts talking. It wasn’t what I expected at all! He was little nervous you could tell. I was waiting for some guy to come in prepared to talk about himself and we didn’t get that. He asked, “So what do you guys want to do?” The next thing a hand went up and the gentleman asked McCormack a question. He answers then silence. I raised my hand because I know I wasn’t the only person in the room wondering this. I asked him how does he deal with his pain, where does he go! I looked around to make sure it wasn’t a stupid question and I see head nods! Yes, it wasn’t a stupid question.

He said something that I will not forget. He said embrace it! That is what brings us back is the pain. Wow! He didn’t say find a happy place, block it out. No! Embrace it! WOW! That’s it! He admitted he comes off as cocky in the media but he said he does that to show his opponents he’s not afraid. He said, truly there are times he is “petrified.” It was nice to see these people are human too. Although their athletic ability far exceeds ours, they have race day nerves and feel the pain too! I also learned he LOVES his family! Guess we have that in common. While I don’t consider myself a McCormack fan, he is definitely a man I respect in this field! I hope he wins on Sunday!

Im heeeeeere! 04/15/2010

2010-04-17T09:07:00.000-04:00

++++Didnt have internet service in the room so these entries are a little out of order the previous entry was sent via blackberry++++

Welcome to New Orleans. After an extremely long 11 hour ride, I am finally here in New Orleans. We arrived late last night and I didn’t really get a chance to see the city’s skyline or architecture. However, I did see the roads I am preparing to conquer. The streets are pretty flat here and all I could think about was the run.

We arrived around 10pm central 11 est and checked in. We nailed our “goal time” to arrive at the hotel. I laughed and said hopefully it is indicative of the rest of the trip here. I put the wheels back on the P3 and walked her into the hotel lobby. After seeing the tri bike, people knew immediately what I came to do. I felt like a rock star :)

It was funny the valet driver told me I was going to have a lot of competition. He didn’t realize he was looking at my competition. It was me! He told me of someone who traveled from Venezuela to compete. The guy didn’t speak one word of English. Suddenly, my 11 hour drive in my own country didn’t seem so bad.

I woke up this morning, apparently still in “my” time zone, at 530 central. This would place me at 630 est which is the time I normally get in the mornings. I had hoped to get on the internet to update this blog and my facebook page but couldn’t connect to the internet. I called the front desk and she said it would cost me 15 bucks a day for internet! Who does that anymore?! Who charges for internet! I can go to McDonalds and get a Wifi connection. Krisit and I will be searching for a local Starbucks to connect with friends. I have my Blackberry so at least I am partially connected.

On the agenda for the day: I am going to the first athlete meeting at 10am and registration at 1030. Then I am going to enjoy my first Ironman/Half Ironman expo! This is followed by a 1.2 mile swim were the locals go to train. I found out about this by visiting the beginnertriathlete.com New Orleans 70.3 website. Following, We are going to the French Quarter where I will meet my cousin and his family. I haven’t seen him in a decade! Growing up he was like a brother to me. I am going to try to do family portraits for him but since my external flash is kaput, Im not sure what we can do. Hopefully the sun is bright enough and I can edit some of the darker shadows. We will see! I am super, super, excited about this event. For the last few months this day seemed so far away, yet here it is. I am here! I am ready!

P.S. I had a treatment for my knee this past Wednesday. I hope that it will hold up. In the past few weeks I’ve noticed I only have issues when running hills. Thank God New Orleans is a flat run. I don’t anticipate any problems.

2010-04-16T17:47:00.001-04:00

What an eventful day! No internet in room but will have access to it tonight can't wait to upload these entries I have typed on my laptop.

2010-04-16T10:42:00.001-04:00

I'm sitting in the athlete briefing and like everyone is ripped! I picked out 5 women already that look like they are going to smoke me! I gotta work harder! :)

Fear Not 04-14-2010 10pm est

2010-04-15T06:12:00.001-04:00

Wow, tomorrow we head out. It all seems real now. Im sitting here in this apartment listening only to the creaking footsteps over my head. Everything seems to echo now. My dog isn’t here and he is never not here. Something is noticeably different in my life today. My dog is with the children spending time there while I am in New Orleans. The only thing left here, is me…and my thoughts.

I’m not that afraid today. Today there is calm about me. An acceptance of where this journey has taken me. I remember when I was in the Army we had orders to deploy. This was in the late 90’s under the Clinton administration. We were, at the time, on the verge, yet again, of war with Iraq. We were all packed up ready to go. No one remembers this except for the soldiers that were ready to deploy. I remember when I signed my Will and there was an acceptance; a calm. Although this doesn’t even compare, that sense of acceptance is the same.

When people ask me what is my biggest fear. I think about the fear that I have the hardest to overcome. When I lived in the projects as a young child, we lived on the 11th floor. I was always afraid I would fall out of the window and as a result developed a fear of heights. Determined to combat that fear, I started rock climbing 2 years ago. Six months ago on my 30th birthday, I went skydiving. That used to be my biggest fear until I confronted it.

There, however, is one fear that lurks in my shadows. Prevents me, at times, from doing things I don’t think I can do. My biggest fear: failure. Yet today, today I embrace that fear. It is that fear that drives me. That I will use to push me. It feels like when you’re going up on a rollercoaster and you peak, you know what’s about to happen, and you accept it. That is what today feels like. I am not looking forward to the 11 hour drive to New Orleans but, I will sure be glad when it is over!

What am I pushing more? My body or my mind? 04/12/2010

2010-04-13T20:21:00.000-04:00

I found myself wondering this today. I don’t think I quite know the answer. I know that if my mind didn’t accept it, my body would have never been able to follow. Maybe it was my body telling my mind that it was capable of more and needed more. Is it these guys have a love hate relationship but desperately need each other to exist? Each one battling for control and needing the other to submit to its laws. I imagine this is the true battle of the Ironman.

“Tired is a state of mind, exhaustion is a state of body” (taken from Trifuel.com)

I have been very fortunate to have some really solid training sessions over the most recent weeks. Last night, I did a 30 mile ride, it was pretty solid. I used a higher cadence (pedal rotations per minute) than I normally did. I usually feel pretty good with a cadence of 75. After seeing stronger cyclist pedaling around 85-90, I decided to give it a try last night.

I noticed several things immediately. One was I was able to move faster with the same effort (judging by my heart rate). My legs didn’t feel like they were working as hard. I also noticed finding the balance point in the gears vs/ higher rpms was challenging. What I mean by that was if the gear was too low my legs were spinning way to fast with almost no resistance. If the gear was too high, I was grinding along a bit and wasnt really moving at the cadence I was striving for. I was constantly shifting in order to keep that balance point; a little bit of “float” mixed with resistance” As the road had subtle inclines and declines, I was making precision adjustments to keep the “feel” of the bike under me and able to move at a higher cadence. It seemed like a more technical ride.

I took the bike to the hills in Highland Creek and practiced my soft pedaling techniques. It is the same hill that I grinded my chain on with no problems. The K-edge Chain Catcher did save me once on a hill. I just have to figure out how to take it on. It is at the base of a decline and then has a super sudden incline. I tried to move to the small ring on the decent but had to move to the big ring because there was a lack of resistance. On the incline of the hill, I tried to move from the big ring to the small ring and I could just here the saving grace of the chain catcher. Well, I will continue to work on taking that hill since I have insurance (chain catcher).

At the end of the ride I was feeling really good. I am so confident riding the bike (still working on taking one hand off and pedaling) that I did something stupid ha! I was at an intersection and the light was red. I was trying to go slow enough that the light would turn green. I did this because I was super confident in my cycling. Well what I didn’t see was the slight incline that caused my already slow moving bike to stop. DOWN GOES FRAIZER! HA! It was at a super major intersection and it seemed to happen in slow motion! Since it happened in slow motion I had time to think SAVE THE BIKE! Well I did! With my body. I was still clipped in the pedals and wasn’t fast enough to unclip when I realized I was falling. I put out my right hand to save the bike. In doing so bruised my palm. There is a small lump there from swelling. Thank God! there was no discoloration! (broken bones?)

This is my last work day before Im off! Just a couple more hours to go. Tick Tock!

6 days and a wake up

2010-04-11T15:07:00.000-04:00

"The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your body. You must handle the pain with strategy...It is not age; it is not diet. It is the will to succeed." - Jacqueline Gareau, 1980 Boston Marathon champ

An old running partner shared this with me and it really nailed endurance events. I know there is going to be pain. I don’t know when it is going to come. It could start after the swim; somewhere on the bike. I know it will be on the run; maybe not. I do know when it will end; somewhere between 6 and a half and 7 hours. It will cease to matter somewhere around the last turn, just before the finish. The finish line that has been waiting as it had been all these months. Just waiting for me to cross it. Just waiting to be the evidence I need to show I can move on to the next level. I will share the finish line with everyone, but at that moment, when I cross, it will be all mine.

"You wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the year, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement........Runners just do it - they run for the finish line even if someone else has...reached it first."
It just amazes me that just 7 months ago I was doing my first sprint triathlon. A 250 yard swim and I swam the back stroke after 100 yards. And used that stroke for 50 of the total 250 yards! Now I'm swimming in a half Ironman. The body is totally willing to do what the mind won’t allow.

It is Sunday! Wow, next Sunday this time I should be transitioning from the bike to the hardest part of the day…the run. I am experiencing unique feelings. Nervousness and calmness, doubt and fearlessness seem to coexist and I feel them simultaneously. It is different than the feelings I’ve experienced leading up to my first 5k or first half marathon 3 years ago. Not that they weren’t significant in my life, but this Half Ironman means so much more. Completing this really solidifies whether or not a full Ironman is doable in 7 more months. I have seen some athletes begin training for Ironman as late as 9 months out. It is my hope that 7 months of training with a half ironman under my belt should really give me an edge.

I will be honest, tapering isn’t going to well. I have been extremely tired and, for the first year ever, battling allergies! This is the worst pollen count I have seen since living in Charlotte. After a couple days of popping Zyrtec-D like supplements, I can breathe enough to go for a run. I have a 30 mile bike ride after work today. I will be hitting the flat roads since I think this is my last significant distance I will be riding before NO. Since this is a short ride, I think I’m just going to focus more on the higher cadence pedaling. I wonder if I will notice a difference.

The moment I hit taper, I knew the physical training has been completed. Now the mental training has begun. I started revisiting all of my favorite Ironman Videos and looked at my favorite videos from Motivational Movie Mondays (Tri To Endure blog). I even pulled out my white chip and just held it. The White Chip, to me, is the most important chip you ever get. That is the first chip you get when you admit you have a problem with alcohol and something needs to change. Yeah it’s coming with me to NO. I began recalling the reasons why this is so important and what this event is really about.

I find myself almost floating off this “fear” and excitement of the unknown. Triathlon is still all very new to me. I just hope I can just successfully finish the tapering over the next week. Work’s been pretty slow so I have been able to finalize my pre-race nutrition program. I also finish packing my clothing. It was pretty easy considering I am wearing uniform for the next few days. I’m now in the process of making an itinerary for the actual pre-race; i.e. arrive at race site, register blah blah blah. I’m waiting till Wednesday before I pack up my actual race gear. Im sure that is going to be an all day event. Check and rechecking my gear bag, followed by recheck, recheck, recheck, recheck.

I think the next few days I will making shorter blog entries to really document what I feeling and doing for prep.

I cant believe it's only 9 days away

2010-04-09T16:32:00.002-04:00

Wow! 9 days! It doesn't sound right! This will be only my seond triathlon. I feel ready. I am ready?! I want to know who I am! Am I fighter?! I fought most of my life in the projects! Can I push it when it hurts! It hurt everyday when I was drinking. Am I rambling? I think so. Can I push it when it hurts I asked?! It is easy to say yes! But will you ever know? 9days! Get some! (sorry that came from the old Army days lol)

I did my last long ride two days ago. It was about two days too days but it too was a good ride (hehe did I use too, too many times?!). I was riding some windy flats in the Blakeney area of Charlotte. This area is near the TrySports triathlon store and is known to have some good rides. I hit the flat roads for a while and it was getting boring because it was a 10 mile out and back so the scenery never changed. While on the route, I saw what appeared to be route markers painted on top of the asphalt. I looked at how many miles I had left to ride and decided I would explore a bit.

There were two markers on the road. One was a blue circle with a triangle on top that indicated the route- i.e. continue straight and turns. The second was a tan/ faded orange box with a triangular direction indicator. Since the loop I used had a lot of the blue circles, I decided to follow that route.

What a great route. It took me outside of Charlotte into a town I never heard of called Marvin, NC. I lived in Charlotte almost a decade and never heard of this town! From Marvin, it took me into Waxhaw, NC. At this point I decided I needed to turn around because I was on my last bottle of fluids. It was a really nice route in the country! I went from urban Charlotte, NC to country within 10 miles.

The route offered some challenging climbs. At one point, I was doing 5-8 mph up a climb that seemed to go on for about a half mile! That was a bit of a spirit breaker but it was an awesome challenge. The roads on this route never seemed to be really flat. It was either up hill or downhill! The road was extremely scenic, challenging and a pleasure to ride. I can’t wait to jump off this demanding ride and do some runs! The best part!!!!!!! On even a short 30 mile ride I would get honked at least 3 times and nearly killed once! I never felt like I was in danger from passing vehicles. There weren’t a lot of traffic signals which meant more continuous pedaling which is always exciting. I hate the stop and go of riding in the city.

Oh, I have to add one more thing, while on the route I learned something that I already knew but never really followed. A higher cycling cadence makes it easier on the legs. I usually grind my gears and stay around 75 rpm’s. For me, I just feel sturdier on the bike around that RPM because I can “feel” the bike under my legs. While on this route, and a previous route I have been passed by other cyclist. One thing I noticed was these guys obviously had higher RPM’s; they were really moving those legs.

When I was passed by this particular cyclist, who was about my build but a LOT younger, I decided I was going to shift down and really start spinning my legs. I noticed and immediate difference! I was able to catch up to this cyclist and even felt strong enough to pass him. I decided not to pass him because part of that would have been feeding my ego and nothing is gained from that! Besides, this guy just taught me a valuable lesson. He eventually went left and I went right. I wanted to ride with him but at this point I was out in the country and had no clue where I was!

One last thing I learned on this ride. After having the damage to the bike, I decided my shifting habits were not going to work so I needed to find the correct way to shift since for the last two years I pretty much “taught myself.” When I took the bike to Inside Out Sports I talked with their bike mechanic Craig to learn proper shifting technique. He taught me about soft pedaling and explained where the tension is on the chain and why soft pedaling is needed.

Soft pedaling is probably the equivalent of using the clutch on a manual transmission. When we shift gears on a car we don’t just let the clutch out quickly; the car could stall. Instead, we ease the foot off the clutch until the gear catches. It is the same idea with soft pedaling. When switching from the big ring to the small ring, I stop pedaling momentarily, change gears, then lightly pedal until the gear catches. I noticed on this particular bike it makes a happy clicking sound. This sounds totally different than the chain flying off and grinding into the carbon sound! I LIKE the happy sound! I look FORWARD to the happy sound!

I used the soft-pedaling technique on this ride and it was an eye opener. All this time I was doing it wrong! I was “popping the clutch.” I can tell you because of this technique I was more confident in my shifting than ever before. Having the K –Edge Chain Catcher was a great backup too. I didn’t have a single issue with shift or the chain falling off. Imagine that! When you shift using proper technique you don’t have issues hmmmm. Who knew?!

Well, Im excited about being in the taper phase of training! Nice and easy until the big day! 3 more working days before vacation!

P.S. I order the last of my custom decals for the bike. It says “It is finished.” These are the last words of Jesus on the Cross. These words mean a lot to me. John 19:30. This will compliment the Labarum that is posted on the seat post of the bike. There is really good history behind the Labarum. http://www.encyclo.co.uk/define/Labarum

Define Triathlete

2010-04-06T12:33:00.000-04:00

Merriam-Webster Dictionary online had a simple definition. tri•ath•lete: an athlete who competes in a triathlon. I decided to look up athlete. ath•lete: a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina.

Today my friend, I AM a triathlete! There is no weight, size, speed, or body fat percentage associated with this definition. In the triathlon definition, it said competes but never said who or what the person is competing against or for. For me, I am competing against myself. I have struggled long and hard worrying about time, how fast I am going to go, and my place in my age bracket. Today, I feel like a winner because I am toeing the line! Goal A-complete the race. Goal B(onus)- complete 6:45 or faster.

I had two years sober on April 3, 2010. When that date comes around, I get to reflect on the angry, scared person I once was. Today, that person is dead. He no longer exists in this world. By the Grace of my Father, he will never be back. It is those swim strokes, pedal revolutions, and steps against the pavement that help drive in further into the ground. That is who I am competing against. That is what I am competing for. To quiet those demons!

Today, I call myself a triathlete because I have trained as hard as I could. I kept going when I wanted to stop. I took the road less traveled; more importantly, I have been inspired by others. I am one 60 mile ride from being in official taper. As my body absorbs this training, my mind will too. I will recall the good times in training and the rough times (i.e. running knowing you are dehydrated try not to do that often it sucks!). I will re-read this blog and remember why I am doing this. Less than two weeks out from New Orleans Half Ironman and I need to be reminded.

There was an Ironman Video where they had the professional and amateur triathletes explaining what a person experiences during the Ironman. One female, said when you are on the course you come up with hundreds of reasons to stop. But there is always one reason to keep going. This is the Ironman! Although this is only a half Ironman, I am sure I will be searching for that reason.

A few days ago I was explaining to someone what a half Ironman is exactly. As I am explaining the half Ironman, 1.2 mile swim, I was thinking that will be fun! 56 mile bike ride going to be nice cycling through New Orleans followed by a half marathon 13.1 mile run never ran a flat 13.1 mile course before can’t wait!

As I’m looking at this guy’s face, his mouth dropped. I laughed at myself because I tried to figure out when exactly did that change for me. When did I go from a mouth drop expression to WOW this is going to be GREAT! I can DO IT!

As I sit here and feel the beginnings of my heart racing, I feel ready, assured, and confident. I have the best support team in Charlotte! (hint, hint KP) My cousin Jason who is in the Navy and whom I have not physically seen in a decade or more was stationed in New Orleans. He will be there as well! Thank You Guys for being in my corner. Knowing I will be tracked by however many people is a huge deal too! I know everyone can’t make the trip, but they will be right there with me electronically.

KP will take the job of wrangler moving from point A to point B to show support while also assuming the role of International Chief Communications Officer lol. This translates to handling the thousands of phone calls she will be receiving from my brother in Germany I’m sure. We joke that this will be her half Ironman! Fortunately, for the actual Ironman will be less stressful for her!

Update on the bike.

Cervelo said the bike frame should be replaced. I looked at the damage and it really isn’t that significant!!! It looks like the paint got chewed up a bit and maybe a nick in the carbon but I don’t think it’s that concerning. So, I will cycle and keep my ears open for warning sounds. The K-Edge chain catcher is being put on the bike as we speak. I really need to do better with getting pictures added!

I have my Fellowship of Christian Athletes race kit and looking forwarded to donning it on race day. I wore it at Cooper River and I felt like I was floating. It just felt like Christ was that much closer on that day. I know the true reason is because I was cover in Christian designs I was reminded just how close Christ really is in all of this!

What Goes down must come up.

2010-04-03T17:18:00.000-04:00

A few blogs back I wrote about the ups and downs. Well, excitingly, now I get to write about the downs and ups. I took the bike out on the road two times since the last post. Once for a 25 miler and the second was a 45 mile ride. The 25 mile ride was pretty much an easy ride to gain a bit more confidence in the aero position and trying to get more comfortable. I feel more confident on the tri-bike. I did a 3/4 mile open water swim (2nd open water swim ever!) and really confronted my fears of the open water swim. I had, for me, solid run at Cooper River. I feel like I am in a good place and I plan on staying here a while!

I took the bike through the Highland Creek Parkway. These are the hilly-ist roads I know of in this area. I was able to make some good speed and then it happened. I was on a hill in the big ring and maxed out in the big ring. I then attempted to shift into the small ring. Note: this is something I was able to do quiet a bit on my road bike with no ill effects. That wording should tell you something really bad happened. I also say get away because, as I learned, this is not the proper way to shift.

Well, sadly it did. The chain over shifted and missed the small ring. The chain was then wedged between the frame and the small ring. I was in the middle of pedaling when this happened which caused the chain to grind into the frame a bit. It gouged the frame pretty good. I mean it looks ugly! This is referred to as chain-suck damage.

On the way back home it felt like the chain was slipping. I would pedal and then on a random stroke feel no resistance. I was able to make it home other than the chain slipping. It didn’t happen frequent enough for me to think there was anything significant that happened. I knew that I certainly needed to get the bike looked at. Especially since my first triathlon, Cool Breeze Sprint Triathlon, was coming up.

The next day I had a 45 mile bike ride scheduled. I needed this ride to really gain my confidence in riding in the aero position. More importantly, I needed this ride to help nail down my nutrition for the half ironman (what I will eat and drink on the bike without upsetting my stomach). I loaded one Cliff bar, one gel pack, and I was using Perpetuem as my primary nutrition on the bike.

The first few bumps I realized the BIG YELLOW sponge was for! IT IS SPLASH GUARD! I had drinks splashing on my glasses, all over the bike; it was everywhere! I thought, “I need to put something there to keep this from splashing all over the place.” Then it dawned on me! THE BIG YELLOW SPONGE would be perfect! LOL. I’m still cleaning the bike from all the fluids that spilled all over the place! This is how I learned what the big yellow sponge was for!

On the ride, the chain slipped but not consistently. When it did slip it would make me unstable so I knew I had to get the bike looked at asap. Two days later, I took the bike into Inside Out Sports and they saw that I actually damaged a link on the chain. Then I pointed out the damage t the back and asked if I compromised the frame. He couldn’t give me a good answer and admittedly didn’t know; which was totally understandable. They took pictures of the damage and sent them to Cervelo to see if I need to replace the frame. This was about a week ago and still no word. (no news is good news.) I was expecting Cervelo to say I need to replace the bike frame. They are supposed to. That is how they don’t get sued you know.

I was told about Cervelo’s crash replacement was an option but I would have to pay (rough estimate) $1, 000 but I also get a new frame. I also looked into Calfree Design who is the leader in carbon bicycle repair. They would charge me 500 dollars and I would be looking at a 5 week turnaround. Ok so here are my options pending Cervelo’s response to whether or not the damage was significant enough. 500 bucks and a 5 week turn around (no cycling) or 1 grand and I could be cycling the same day. Tough Choice. The only thing I can do at this point is to pray but more importantly pray for God’s Will.

To prevent ever over shifting again, I purchased a K-Edge Chain catcher. This prevents the chain from over shifting. I have read great reviews and am looking forward to adding this to my bike.

Short and Sweet

2010-03-31T17:47:00.001-04:00

Wow! It has been quite some time since I have written on the blog. I can attribute that to working 7 days straight and topping out at 70 hours and that’s not including the training. That followed by more training and a travel week to Charleston for the Cooper River Bridge run. I will hit the highlights and will go into more detail about these event tomorrow.

Had a long ride last week and I was able to really nail my nutrition down on the bike. I felt very confident and am ready to ride. On the flip side, I was hitting a hill that I thought I could take in the big ring. Well as it peaked I made a huge mistake and tried to shift to the small ring. This threw my chain and right into the rear arm of the bike. It caused a pretty significant gouge into the arm and broke my chain. The chain has since been replaced and I am waiting on Cervelo to see if the frame needs to be replaced. I will go into more detail about this issue tomorrow.

I Ran Cooper River Bridge Run and following the half marathon race I expected I would do well on the run. I ran the race at a 9:22/ mile. I have not moved that fast since probably the academy 9 years ago. This really put me in good place as far as running goes. Unfortunately, 3 miles in my knee was on fire! After New Orleans, I am going to check out the Vibram Five Fingers.

Because of the Bike issue, I wasn’t able to participate in the Cool Breeze Triathlon. I think it was the best choice.

One last thing, today the lake temperature is a smoking 67 degrees! I am excited about that and planning on going out to the lake tomorrow. I am totally looking forward to it!

I think that’s it in a nutshell.

p.s. I learned what the big yellow sponge thingy that came with the Aero bottle is for!!! Rookie!

My First Open Water Swim: Lake Norman Water Temp 55 degrees brrrr

2010-03-18T21:28:00.000-04:00

I waited and waited for the weather to get a little warmer before I would go out to the lake. I searched everywhere for a place to get an open water swim in. Finally, I decided to go to Lake Norman State Park. They have a swim area that isn’t guarded by a life guard. That’s perfect because I knew there wouldn’t be a “No swimming when lifeguard is off duty” sign posted. Kristin and I jumped in her car and started our 90 minute drive (one way) to Troutman, NC. This, unfortunately, is the closest public lake access where swimming is permitted. This is also the same reason when I win the lottery I will buy a home on the lake; I digress.

The forecast was calling for rain but it wasn’t supposed to start until 3 pm. The plan was to be in the car and headed home by 2 pm. I looked at the water temperatures all week. It was consistently 55 degrees. That didn’t mean anything to me other than it was freezing. Since I had never been in the lake before in that temperature, much less in a wetsuit, I wasn’t sure if the wetsuit was enough to keep me warm.

I did a search on IamTri about tips for swimming in 55 degree temps. It was suggested to wear a neoprene cap and booties. Some people also suggested wearing earplugs to keep equilibrium intake. (side note: for some reason I don’t know, if you pour warm water one ear and cold water in the other, at the same time, it will throw your equilibrium off. why? I am not smart enough to know hehe). Considering I am the guy that if something is going to happen it’s going to happen to me, I did all three; the cap, booties, and I used a set of earplugs I already had the earplugs but only used them a hand full of times. (my swim cap does a good job of keeping water out of my ears).

On the way to Troutman, NC, it was looking 50/50. Part of the sky was grey, the other part was sunny. I was praying we didn’t drive so far just to not swim today. We arrive at the state park and make it to the swim area. It was closed off but there were plenty of places in that general area to sneak out to swim. I told KP that if I didn’t see no swimming signs I was going in. I had the whole I’m a police officer card and this area wasn’t properly marked thing going for me if we were to get caught swimming ha!

I get into my wetsuit after what seemed like forever and headed out to the water. If you want to know what happened next…just watch the video.

Funny, after the swim, I was all muddy from the river and we went into the family rest room to change out. Of course KP and I weren’t doing anything in there but when I came out there was a Park Ranger! Uh Oh! Where did I put my police ID hahah. Kidding I didn’t badge him but I was hey we weren’t doing anything lol. I just explained to him I was swimming and we were just getting my things together. Then I asked about the swimming in that area. He said as long as we were outside the designated swim area we were not trespassing and they didn’t have authority.

I explain this was my first open water swim and he was making comments and I realized he was a triathlete too! That was pretty cool! Then, and only after I realized I wasn’t breaking the law, I told him I worked for the city of Charlotte. That was pretty cool too. He was a cool Park Ranger! He said the reason he stopped was because he heard Kristi say something about calling 911. We were having a conversation and I told her thanks for being out there even though if I ran into serious trouble you would have been able to anything. She responded by making a statement about calling 911 and this is what the Park Ranger overheard.

So now, I have a place to go swim. It’s a bit of a journey to get there but it’s only until the open water swims start at the end of April! I am thankful to have somewhere to go to get practice in before New Orleans Half Ironman! 4 weeks to go!!

Hitting a Bottom

2010-03-13T16:54:00.000-05:00

This week has been full of ups and downs. One would think coming off a 5 minute PR (personal record) the week following should be great. Well, it was in some regard. I mean I pushed as much as I would during any other session. Yet, it is here I began to dig myself a hole. Not saying I am depressed, but I Googled “sports training leading to depression.” I will go on record saying I am absolutely not battling depression. Yet, this past week, was different. I found myself not being happy with my run time, or my training. Funny, not because the training isn’t top tier, rather I should be able to do more; faster times, pressing out fast wattages. I am a fairly healthy guy at 180 pounds. Yet, I am one of the slowest guys on the road. Meanwhile, my peers and fellow age groupers, some of whom, at first glance, I am in “better” shape in, pass me. It is often at those moments I hated that I smoked for 10 years and only stopped 5 years ago tomorrow (the day my son was born!).

I just can’t wrap my head around it! I began feeling like a pseudo triathlete. When someone uses the term triathlete loosely, I wonder if there is room for me to get in. Even still, when someone asks me if I am a triathlete, I tell them no but I am training from this upcoming fill in the blank triathlon. To me, the guys that are running 2 hr half marathons and less off the bike are triathletes. The guy that bikes in at under 3 hours and swims in 30-33mins or less. Those are the triathletes. So, what does that make me?

I had to post this to documents the lows in this training.

2010 Alston-Bird LLP Corporate Cup Half-Marathon and Kristi’s 5k (its long! with a lot more typos than usual!)

2010-03-06T18:00:00.003-05:00

The good, the bad, and the boob bop whoops!

Last night, Kristi and I had sushi with steamed rice (I LOVE sushi!). This morning, I felt a bit heavy but I didn’t care. I didn’t wake up this morning with the thought of running faster or slower than my last half. Goal one for this race…have fun. After all, it’s just a long run! In any event, I am being treated for my issues with my left knee and really needed to baby it a bit.

I wasn’t really interested in eating breakfast so I had a Cliff bar with water and I was out the door. I was in a great mood because there was no stress. No stress about times, whether or not I was going to finish, if my knee was going to hurt. It was freeing and I don’t usually feel that way before a run. I thoroughly enjoyed that feeling…or lack thereof (stress).

I didn’t wear my New Brooks sneakers that I bought about two months ago! Since I bought those sneakers they have given me NOTHING but issues. I decided to wear my old New Balances. They have a few more miles left in them! This turned out to be a great decision.

I made it to the meeting point and met my bf/gf (best friend/girlfriend) Kristi. She is totally not a morning person! However, to come out and support me she got up super early to meet me out there. I am so grateful for her unwavering support. She would seriously listen to me talk about triathlon all day. Then look at me as if it is all new to her and I didn’t talk about these exact things the day before. She is truly my best friend and I am so excited to share my life with her.

I met up with Kristi and she is dressed in athletic attire. Then this thought came over me. In four weeks she is going to participate in the Cooper River Bridge Run. This 5k would be a great opportunity for her! I knew she could do it!!! And for once, it was me encouraging her about something race related.

I simply asked if she wanted to do the 5k because she could still register. I wish you could have seen her face! She had this look of shock!!!! I saw the color leave her face and then return. I never did get an answer. I grabbed her by the arm and led her to the registration booth (translates to dragged her to registration). Kristi, still in shock, stood there while I filled out the registration card. Then she immediately handed her bib and safety pins to me and said, “Here honey do this!” At which point, she took over filling out the registration.

We went to the YMCA to place KP’s items in a locker. As we are standing there, I spin around to point toward the men’s locker room just as a young lady is walking toward me. The result, an awkward and embarrassing bop on this lady’s person! Ugh how embarrassing!

It was too funny! Kristi had this look of intent about her. She was clearly out of her element and wasn’t sure how to feel about it. It was too cute! We got her registered, got the bib and timing chip on, and we were ready to go. We walked back over to my running group and KP (Kristi) asked if the 5k’ers and half marathoner’s were going to start together. PANIC! I don’t know!

KP ran over to find out and immediately got lost in the crowd. My group was leaving and before she left she told me to stay with them; so I did. As soon as she left, I had the answer to our question. Both races started at the same time. I ran to find her but she was lost in a sea of bodies. I felt horrible. We would be able to start this race together and now we were separated :(

I would not have been as motivated if I didn’t find her. I decided I needed to go find my run group and ran into KP! WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!! I gave her the biggest hug!!! Seeing KP led to the best part of the day! Starting this race with her!!!!! That was honestly the best part of the day for me! I was so excited to be part of her 5k. We held hands as we crossed the start line and it, for me, was awesome!

RACE REPORT

They had the opening prayer and Kristi and I bowed our heads. I couldn’t help but notice how much chatter there was in the crowd. So much so I could barely hear the prayer. This was followed by the playing of the Star Spangled Banner and there was complete silence! I didn’t get it! Don’t get me wrong! I am a HUGE, HUGE Patriot! 4 years in the Army and 8 weeks of singing that lovely melody every night before I went to bed in basic training. I love my country and am still willing to die for it! However, have we lost respect for our Heavenly Father?

The first few miles were uneventful; a couple of rollers but no real climbs. I was chatting with the people in the group and it was really cool to finally run with people again. I forgot how much I missed that! Mile 6, I started to feel a little pain in my left knee. I worried about it a little but not too much. At about mile 7 or so, we hit Providence Rd. I hate that hill! You can see it coming for about a half mile away and it looks looooooong! Once you actually get on the hill it’s not too bad but looking at it hits on your spirit a bit.

At mile 9, I did a mental body scan...NO PAIN IN MY KNEES. Then I had to check in with my heart. I was 9 miles in and I didn’t feel like I was pushing myself. At this point, I had no reason not to. I did what every other person with the desire to push themselves (i.e. the people whose blog I read) would have done! I stepped it up! I prayed and recited, “I can do ALL things through Christ!” I pushed it out and started MY race! It was so awesome! I looked at my trusty Garmin and KNEW I was on course to get a personal record! I knew it. And I was going to break into the 2 hour and teens. (2:13 to 2:19). That’s a big jump from the 2:20s which is what this slow, steady missile is used to.

Man I was trying to get it done! I was casting away the fears that maybe I turned it up too soon and I just kept going! Then, I hate to admit this, but I hit mile 10 and I just lost it. Seeing that number just brought on the pipe works. Thank God! I was wearing shades and no one could see those tears of joy coming down my face. Not because I was going to PR, but because I was silencing those demons, just for today! And all I have to do is keep them quiet one day at a time! Today, it was at mile 10!

Just a 5k! That all I have left is just a 5k! “One foot in front of the other,” is what I keep telling myself. Then it hit me! I remembered the course! Mile 10-13 was uphill! I was still running with all my heart. I had to know that if I was short of hitting the teens it wasn’t because I didn’t give it my best effort. Thank God for these shades! No one could see how badly I was grimacing at this point. In fact, I bought these shades with the purpose of covering my frown when I’m running!

Incline after incline and my dreams of hitting the teens were slowly fading away. I didn’t care because I didn’t wake up today with that on my mind. I was grateful to be so late in the race with no knee pain. We head downhill for a tenth of a mile and then uphill for the last tenth of a mile.

As I began my effort uphill for the last time, I looked up to the Glory of God! It is ONLY because of his Grace I am here today. Two years ago, ALL I wanted to do was die. Today, all I want to do is LIVE. That is what mile ten is to me. That is what this Half Ironman in New Orleans is to me. It is about living!

Hard to get a sprint finish at the top of a hill! I tried! On My Garmin I saw 2:19 become 2:20 and my hope for teens was put off until another day. At 2:20, according to my Garmin, I crossed the finish line. I couldn’t help but shout, “Yeah!!” Why? Because although 2:20 may not be a stellar time by some peoples’ standards, it is a time I never thought I would see. It was 5 minutes faster than my Thunder Road Half Marathon 3 months ago and 16 minutes! faster than my time for this race last year.

In defense of that time, I was dehydrated and had the worst cramps in my groin at mile 11 last year. I was in SOOOO much pain! The only reason I continued was because my children worked so hard on their signs for me! I had to finish! I could barely walk when it was over. Unfortunately, my children were at this race physically, but I carried them in my spirit. I learned a lot from that race last year. I started carrying a Fuel Belt and learn about Electrolytes.

What was disappointing about this race?

The finishing medal was THE SAME as the medal last year! HOW LAME! I will be sending an email on that one. That was EXTREMELY disappointing. I don’t care if the medal is the same design but can it at least have a different year so I can distinguish between the two. To top it off, my name wasn’t on the results list! UGH!! That was really, really disappointing!

What worked?

Hammers Gels every 3 miles continues to work.

SaltStick capsules every 3 miles. This was my first run with Salt Stick Capsules

LOOOOVED the salt stick capsules! A LOT better than Hammer Electrolytes!

What to consider changing?

I was drinking a lot more water than Heed on this race. This was likely do to Salt Stick capsules and increase in sodium. I should consider carrying two water flasks and two Heed flask on my Fuel Belt

Pictures will be added in a few days.

Dedicated to all you "LOOKERS"

2010-03-03T16:54:00.000-05:00

My inspiration from other blogs:

“Men often become what they believe themselves to be. If I believe I cannot do something, it makes me incapable of doing it. But when I believe I can, then I acquire the ability to do it even if I didn't have it in the beginning.” -Mahatma Gandhi

This quote came from the blog From Obesity to Triathlete and the Ironman Dreamer If you have a moment read this blog! I can assure you, you WILL NOT be disappointed. This is truly am inspiring story unfolding real time!

Thanks to Jeff, who writes the blog Tri to Endure, for his Motivational Movie Mondays! Every Monday he posts a motivational clip and they have been awesome. One of my favorites was Rocky, “Its not hard you hit. It’s how hard you get hit!”

Any who, this past Monday was a clip from the movie Rudy. His clip led me to the clips you are about to see. I especially enjoyed this one where everyone doubted this young man. They told him the reach more attainable goals. In the end, he was victorious. This one is dedicated to your LOOKERS!

That explains my Knee Pain...but im sore...err my butt is sore hehe

2010-03-02T15:52:00.000-05:00

This is the xray of normal patella placement

This...well isn't normal placement.

For the record, these photos are not x-rays of my knee but are necessary to explain what is going on with my knee. I went to Greenapple Sports yesterday to have them look at my knee. Dr. Clay was actually my doctor and if you recall he held the swim clinic this past Saturday. So, the normal questions blah, blah, blah. He twists my knees in some random motions to see if there was pain with those movements. I explained to him I only feel pain when I am running.

He gave me some diagnosis which I have no idea what he said! I am convinced in medical school they spend most of their time saying these random names of random diagnosis. Basically, he said my patella has shifted approximately a half inch upward toward the femur and is causing the patella to grind some of the soft tissue. This, in turn, causes inflammation, which causes the pain. Ok got it. That explains it but then I asked what every other athlete would have asked, “When can I RUN?!” This issue (I don’t think it should be called an injury) wont prevent me from running but running wont feel good DUH Dr. Clay lol!

The pictures above show normal patella placement and irregular patella placement. My patella hasn’t shifted as far upward as this poor person’s! The fact is the person in the x-ray had a ruptured tendon and had to have surgery to repair the tendon. Thank God my issue isn’t that serious! This x-ray does, however, resemble my patella movement.

Dr. Clay said in about two weeks I should be relatively pain free. Yesterday’s visit he taped my knee with Kinesio tape. This was followed by one of their techs coming in and placing 4 leads around my knee. An electrical current was sent to my knee through these leads. It wasn’t bad but felt like my knee was getting tasered but on a much smaller scale (as a police officer I am one of few people that knows what it feels like to be tased hehe). By time I left, my knee was feeling pretty good.

Following the doctor’s visit, I met up with Coach Lance Leo. We did some wattage testing with to determine my training zones for cycling. The heart rates that were prescribed 4 months ago were feeling too easy. I guess this is a sign of improvement. This was followed by a discussion of my up coming training schedule. I told him about my knee issue so we are going to “baby” the knee for the next month. I am still going to be running but not as much. Over the next month we are going to increase the swim and the bike and scale back on the run a little. I’m ok with that, I hope! Lol you know your mind starts looking for excuses why you cant finish the run and I don’t want to have any when I hit the run portion of the event. At least this is a recoverable issue that wont take me out of training.

The Seat…

The ISM Adamo racing saddle does what it says! It has eliminated the numb feeling I have when riding (still not 100% from that ride 2 weeks ago). However, look at the photo above. It shows there is a lot of pressure on the buttocks when ridding in 30 and 60 degree position. This seat is designed to be ridden in the aero position. I, however, am a rookie and find myself riding in the 30-60 degree range a bit. The result, a sore bottom! I will trade a sore bottom over a numb you know what any day!!! I’m not too sore though. It’s just an annoying soreness and nothing major. I love this seat and highly recommend it.

Am I Missing Something?

2010-02-28T20:21:00.002-05:00

Over the last few weeks, I received several incredulous looks from some of my fellow triathletes in the community. When I tell them I just learned how to swim 8 months ago, I never swam, open water, and never ran a marathon, and that I am doing a half ironman I get a “looks”. What I don’t tell them is that I can count on one hand how many training days I have missed, how dedicated I am to my goals, and how determined I am to accomplishing this goal! I am not afraid of an open water swim. I am not afraid of the 56-mile bike ride. I am I not afraid of the half-marathon in the end! I will execute.

However, I can’t seem to wonder what am I missing? Ignorance is bliss. I know. However, am I being stupid? Unrealistic? Zealous? I wonder sometimes if I am setting myself up for failure. I have read both horror stories and success stories about people who have participated in the half ironman swim as their first or second open water swim.

I also remember I didn’t decide to do a Half Ironman this year. If it were up to me, I would be doing the Miami Half Ironman in October as my key race. It was put in my heart to do an Ironman. When I saw there was an Ironman in Cozumel, Mexico, I felt like it was God putting it in my heart to do that Ironman. Mexico is where I did my first mission trip in July ’09. My church also has a mission in Cozumel and I am using this Ironman to raise money for that orphanage.

I guess what I am saying is…I don’t know what I am saying! I just don’t like getting those looks! I feel like people are just totally doubting, not just me, but anyone else that dreams of losing 60lbs and going from a smoker to a runner. I did enough doubting of myself every time I emptied a bottle of alcohol down my throat! I have doubted long enough! Maybe that is why it has been put in my path to do what seems impossible. I for one know what it feels like to be a slave to self-doubt. I would dang well rather have the confidence in myself to go out and try and not finish the race than be a blasted slave to self-doubt again!

Every decision I made regarding my decision to do this half ironman has been calculated. I know how I felt at the end of a 30 mile ride. I know how I feel at the end of my half marathons. I know how I feel after my swims. I chose New Orleans because it’s a wetsuit swim (wetsuits add improved buoyancy). The bike course is flat yet windy (perfect!) The run is flat! Even better since I average almost 30-45 sec faster per mile on flats. I didn’t just Willy-nilly wake up one day and decide I want to do a half Ironman. I asked my coach if it was possible and I have been training with him for four months. Before that, I PR’ed my half marathon time. (pr’ed means personal record). The time is now!

Look at me with that “look” if you want! I wont win, but crossing that line is a win to me! See you at the finish line because I am taking every look I have received from people with me! Thanks for the motivation “LOOKERS!”

"Success is never final and failure never fatal. It's courage that counts." - George F. Tilton

p.s. but this has been bugging me a bit. Its not that I don’t want to open water swim before the race. I just don’t think I will be able to because of the weather here.

Catch up on the week or so...

2010-02-27T18:42:00.002-05:00

Well, there is a lot to catch up on over the last week or so. Let’s see what has happened. I am convinced I have runners knee. At this point, I am afraid to run because of the pain. Luckily for me, I have an appointment with Dr. Greenapple’s staff. More specifically, Dr. Clay who also taught the swim clinic I attended today which was an awesome clinic but I will talk about that later.

I took the new Cervelo P3 bike out for a ride and nearly wrecked it 5 times! It is totally going to take some getting used to. Riding on that bike made me feel like cycling was new to me. I don’t feel stable enough to even fuel myself on this bike right now. If I were to do the half Ironman today, I would have to stop every 45 minutes to eat and put more fluids in the aero bottle. That would amount to about 4 stops on the route. It is my prayer that the weather warms up for a lot more training rides so I can feel more comfortable with the ride.

More exciting news! We have tickets in-hand! We are definitely going to Cozumel! I just hope that when I arrive I am healthy enough to participate in this event! Now as for my bike, I have no idea how it is going to make it to Cozumel! If I were to ship the bike on the plane with a bike case, it would cost me $600 total which about $200 more than I paid for my plane ticket! I am considering shipping the bike with DHL.

Swimming

Two nights ago, I went for a swim. I felt so lazy this day! I didn’t want to do my workout. I went to the pool and decided I wasn’t going to “push it.” I was going to swim and work on my technique and whatever my time was, I didn’t care! It turned out I was seconds faster in the pool! My times were also more consistent and there didn’t seem to be signs of fatigue! I guess because I was more relaxed (i.e. lazy) and focused on my technique, I was a little faster and more consistent. I couldn’t believe it! I went to the pool not expecting to push it and came out with better times!

Today I went to a swim clinic held by Greenapple’s staff as I mentioned before. It was a sighting clinic that also covered technique. What I failed to mention about Dr. Clay is that he holds, or at some point held, the fastest swim times at University of Kentucky. I think it is safe to safe this guy knows what he is talking about! His big deal was hip rotation which I know I don’t really do well with! He showed us the fist drill, which we did, followed by a 100 yard swim. This really forces you to drive your hips and WOW! What a difference!

I learned some pretty important things to improve my stroke. The clinic was 2.5 hours long and only 20 bucks! I walked away with at least three things to improve on. In addition, I learned several different ways to sight in the open water! This is important considering I never swam in the open water. Swimming is quickly becoming my strongest discipline.

Over these last few weeks I have also encountered “skeptical looks” from people in the sport. I will talk about that in the next post.

FINIS Freestyle Snorkel Review

2010-02-26T11:18:00.000-05:00

I am a new adult swimmer, 8 months, and this is my first swim aid. It was recommended to me by my triathlon coach and I am glad he did! This is the best thing I could have purchased. I don’t “swim” with this device I only perform drills with it. One drill is the “Superman.” With the help of this device and the drills, I have become a lot more relaxed in the water and noticed 6 seconds off per 100 (during my normal swimming).

I read a review that knocked it because it requires proper head position. It does require correct head position to avoid water intake but isn’t that what we want? It took me only two attempts before I had this tool figured out. The first attempt was in a crowded pool and after 5 minutes I decided not to embarrass myself (choking on water!) in front of an audience. The second attempt, in a less crowed environment, I took my time and slowly increased my distances from the wall; a 1/4 length, then a half length, and then a 3/4 length. Finally, after ten minutes, I was able to swim without taking in water. I will say, for me it is difficult to swallow with the snorkel. After about 25 to 50 yards, I have to pull the mouth piece away to swallow. This is good for me considering my drills are 12 x 25 yards – 12 x 50 yards and so forth. I don’t think I could swim a main set with the snorkel. It’s a good thing I don’t plan too. Great investment I think! Hope this helps!

A busy day

2010-02-17T08:54:00.002-05:00

Wow yesterday was a busy day! The first thing I did in the morning was get my bike ready to go to Inside Out Sports to get the ISM Adamo Race seat (demo) put on my bike. I also had them make a few adjustments to the bike. I asked for these changes based on that two hour trainer ride. My fit was tweaked in the following ways: the aero bars were widened and angled down a bit; we dropped the aero base one spacer. I also had the seat put on. Greg, the bike mechanic, was awesome! He put the demo seat on and also angled it down just a tad. They really do have a great staff there!

I then took the bike on a test ride. It was awesome! I noticed how comfortable the seat was immediately. I am still a sore from my experience 3 days ago! I thought this would be a good thing because if the seat was uncomfortable I would know immediately! It felt great being on the road with the bike. Being in the saddle on the trainer, I think, gives me a little more confidence with the bike. Im up to three times riding a triathlon bike on the road lol!

The truth is I know I have to develop a relationship with the bike. You can’t have a relationship with something/someone without a name. So, I named her Hebrew 12. This is reference to Hebrew 12:1-3 “1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

After my adventure at Inside Out Sports, I traveled to TrySports. These guys were packaging my first bike to be shipped to my brother in Germany. It was 2007 LeMond Alpe D'Huez by trek. I did my first Duathlon on this bike. This bike opened me up to the world of multisport and certainly has sentimental value. It was an entry level bike and I have been rough with her, but this bike still has reliable shifting and a good set of wheels on her! I sold her to my brother at a steal!!!! Since I began my journey, he has since been interested in triathlon and has started taking swim lessons too. Our plan is to do Ironman Germany near his home in 2011. Considering we are twins, it seems fitting my first bike will also become his first bike.

Later that evening, I had a 45 minute trainer session. This would give me a better idea how the seat and new fit works for me. After the session, I made a few observations. I feel like I am sliding a bit forward on the seat. It’s nothing serious so I will not change anything with the fit until I ride the bike on the road a few times. I also realized this seat gets a bit uncomfortable if I try to ride out of the aero position. When I sit up, I could feel a little discomfort on the rear sit bones. This isn’t an issue considering I “shouldn’t” ride in this position for long; just long enough to take a break from the aero position. More important, THIS SEAT DIDN’T HURT THE AREA!!! I am so excited about this! I will ride this seat for the next week to really see what it’s like and I’m sure the decision will be made to buy!

Kristi and I also traveled to a couple of Christian stores because I want to put two Ichthus decals on the seat post of Hebrew 12 (the bike). I bought something that didn’t work so looks like I will have to get a custom made decal. If you guys know a place to have one made please, please let me know.

To end the day Kristi and I went to see Dear John. I hate to admit this but the only love movie I ever got a little teary eyed was the Notebook. Dear John was written by the same author and it was awesome seeing this movie with my best friend and gf. Thanks Kristi!!!!!

Today I am going back to TrySports to have a free biomechanic run analysis performed. I wonder what they are going to say. Hopefully there is something in my form that caused the knee pain last week ugh! I hate that kind of pain! At least when I get tired on a swim, bike, or run, if I fight through that kind of pain there is something to gain. There is nothing to gain in the knee pain so I need to get that taken care of!!!

Below is an example of riding in the Aero Postion and standard Road Bike position. You can see in the aero positon the person is leaning forward more than the standard road bike position

Aero

Standard Roadbike

Growing PAINS

2010-02-15T16:22:00.002-05:00

Yup! I have some stories. Saturday was my scheduled 12 mile run that ended at 8 miles and me Googling knee pain. I had a sharp pain through my knee at mile 7 and sucked it up to mile 8. I didn’t want to stop but it was better to stop than risk injuring my knee further. I honestly believe it partly had something to do with the weather. It may have been too cold for my joints considering I beat the incoming snowfall by a couple of hours. It may be improper running form (run analysis to follow!). It could be the running shoe. In any event it hurt! I’m not a quieter but man! I was trying to quiet the pain and then suddenly it got the best of me.

The following day, Saturday, I did a 2 hour bike ride on the trainer. I was so excited because this was the first time I would be able to “ride” my baby. Ok, ok; I’m not really riding her; but we would definitely be developing a relationship. It would also give me an idea of whether or not I can hold the aero position. I was so excited about this ride.

I jumped on the new ride and the first hour was a breeze! The next thirty minutes I noticed some pain in the perineum area of my bottom. The ride wasn’t killing me; it was the extreme discomfort of the saddle! I was able to tough it out for the last 30 minutes. It was tough to even imagine staying seated on the saddle. I seriously wanted to cry. After having to stop running the day before, there was NO WAY I was going to stop pedaling. I didn’t care how much pain I was in.

When I got off the saddle, something wasn’t right. My “guy” was numb! I thought it would wear off and it didn’t. I started to panic and I went to the internet for answers! Bad idea! I read story after story about impotence and permanent damage and I really began to freak out! I also searched saddles that would alleviate pressure in the perineum area and found the ISM Adamo Racing saddle. (I will begin demo'ing this saddle on Tuesday)

Unfortunately, this saddle wasn’t here and the pain was. I thought that maybe I would just sleep the numbness off. I went to bed and woke up the next morning still numb!!!! I really freaked and decided I would make a trip to the hospital. It was Sunday morning and I thought the hospital would not be busy and I was right! One hundred and fifty bucks and 2 hours later I learned I had a bruised nerve in the perineum. In a couple of days, I will be good as new. Not after learning a huge lesson about riding aero and the benefits of having a good seat!!

Oh yeah, growing pains! I’m glad this all happened now and not mile 10 of the Half Ironman. At least I have a chance to change what I need to change.

One last thing, I haven’t been to an emergency room in YEARS! My information needed to be updated and I was asked my religious preference. I confidently said, Christian. That was awesome because for so long I didn’t know where I stood or what I was as far as religious values. Here is an idea of what I mean. I started with Islam as a child; then Pentecostal Christian (although I never studied the Bible or went to church for that matter. I was Christian in name only). In my adult life I was Seventh Day Adventist and Buddhist. Finally, when someone asks my religious preference I can confidently say…I am a Christian. This confidence I gain through my Father. I am so grateful for these lessons and these experiences. They are all part of my journey to walk among those few people we call Ironman.

UPDATE on 03/15/2010- It took a MONTH before thing felt normal! Im just saying! Ugh!

The decision to do an Ironman has to be made every day.

2010-02-12T13:03:00.003-05:00

This lesson I am learning the hard way. It is 35 degrees outside and I have to run 12 miles. I stayed up all morning trying to find a reason not to go out and run. It’s too cold. I can do it tomorrow. Tomorrow is the day that never comes. The truth is… there isn’t a reason good enough to not put myself through what lies ahead. I have to recommit to my decision. No matter the weather; or how tough the miles ahead may seem. Every day, is like the day I hit the submit button on my Ironman application. I can do it! And this run, will be one of the days that won’t matter when I cross the finish line! I will forget about this run the moment it is over. I will recall it the day I hit the start line. This is the day I find out where my determination will take me….

Finis Snorkel arrived today!

2010-02-11T19:44:00.000-05:00

I walked out the door to get my swim workout in and I see a UPS truck stopped in front of my apartment building. He exited his truck and began walking toward me with a box that read SwimOutlet.com. I said, “Sir, I believe that is for me.” He asked my name and I signed for the packaged. I was so excited! I knew what it was! It was my Finis Freestyle Snorkel. Lance recommended this to me when I took my swim analysis!

I read some reviews before purchasing the snorkel; some good, some bad. One review disliked the snorkel because you had to have perfect head position in the water. I am still trying to figure out why that is a bad thing! I ripped the packaged open and fitted the snorkel to my head. I did my swim workout and the last 300 yards of the workout asked for drills. I thought this would be a perfect time to use my brand new snorkel.

“How hard could it be,” I thought. I read reviews that said it takes some getting used to. I thought whatever! I got it! I donned my snorkel and off I went. Stroke, stroke this is awesome! A little water in my mouth, followed by half the pool!!!! Ugh! I took the it off cleared it and went again. I swam 4 laps with this thing! Each time I had to stop to take the snorkel off after swimming a half length of the pool!

I asked one of the aquatic managers at the pool, Nathan, if he used these before. He said he had. I asked if it took some getting used to. He replied, “Ooooooooh Yeah! I guess I need to practice with this new toy. I am excited about the snorkel because it is a great tool! It will definitely take some getting used to.

At the end of this workout, I was still swimming my 100s forty seconds faster than my Critical Swim Speed test! This is exciting news!

For every person that thinks you can, there is always someone that thinks you can’t!

2010-02-11T19:26:00.000-05:00

Two nights ago I went to the YMCA for my swim. I was approached by a fairly fit looking lady that mentioned she had the Finis Lap counter like I did. Then she made a comment about something to the effect of not wanting to keep track of laps and that is why I wear my GPS watch so I don’t have to keep track. Was that not a dead ringer that this lady is a triathlete! Who else swims and wears a GPS watch?! Runners will wear a GPS watch but many of them don’t swim.

So, I said “Ahh, triathlon!” She smiled and said yes. I asked who if she was coached and or if she was self coached. She stated she, in fact, was a coach. She mentioned her name and I was like oh wow I don’t think I ever came across you site. I mentioned I was being coached by Lance Leo and she was like ohhh he can get pricey. I was like yeah you get what you pay for.

This small talk went on for a brief period and she asked about my experience. I told her I did my first sprint six weeks after I took my first swim lesson. I went on to tell her that was in October and I am doing a half ironman in New Orleans in April, Augusta Half in September, and Ironman Cozumel in November. Honestly, I know she was trying to hold back, but she looked at me like I was crazy! I’m not kidding!!! Then she asked if I had ever done a marathon. I said…NOPE! Ironman will be my first marathon! You REALLY should have seen her face then!!! Holy Cow! She looked at me like I was a dead man walking! Guys I am NOT kidding!

Although my intentions and abilities were being questioned by this person, I for one did not doubt my abilities for one second! I found it interesting that maybe she was placing her doubt on me. She was a very fit woman and has done several Half Ironman’s but never a full. I wonder why she doubted her abilities to go long. Yet I, clearly less fit and athletic, am willing to put it all on the line! No doubts just heart! I know she didn’t mean anything by it, but she will be one of the people I think about when I cross the line in New Orleans.

By the way, the Finis Lap counter is a GREAT investment! It keeps track of you laps and splits. I will say, however, the suction cups on the back of the items doesn’t stick to the wall very well. I usually keep it on top of the lane.

On to my swim, this was cut short due to the YMCA’s overcrowding and over booking of the pool! Ugh! I am seriously two seconds from canceling my membership there! Anyway, I was able to time a few 100’s and realized I am consistently swimming 40 seconds faster per 100 than my Critical Swim speed test a few weeks ago! I am definitely getting stronger!

The latest owner of the 2010 Cervelo P3

2010-02-08T21:01:00.005-05:00

Words cannot describe the overwhelming joy I am feeling right now! Today, I was fortunate enough to purchase my dream bike Cervelo P3. At one point, my gf Kristi almost saw me becoming emotional! Was it because I just had a dream come true? No…no it wasn’t that at all. Don’t get me wrong I am SUPER excited about that! I think the emotions came because I am one step closer to realizing my dream. This bike is a symbol of my dedication to triathlon and is absolutely a blessing from God. I pray I do not fall short of glorifying Him.

So, this is how the day unfolded. I bought my Cervelo R3 (my Cervelo roadbike) from the largest bike store in Charlotte one year ago. I decided that I would be a loyal customer and purchase the Cervelo P3 from them too. Why not?? I go to the store and drill their triathlon bike guy about the differences between the P2 and the P3. I knew most of the differences but just needed to hear it from an actual person. Then we talked about the differences between the Cervelo P3 Ultegra vs. the Dura Ace. After the discussion, I just could not feel comfortable justifying spending another $900 to upgrade to Dura Ace. After months of debate, research, and reviews, I decided I was going to buy the Cervelo P3 Ultegra.

The largest bike store in Charlotte did not have the Cervelo P3 in stock. Oooook. I asked them to order it and said I will be here to buy it and ride out the following Friday. This gave them 10 days to order the bike. I was told they typically require a deposit on a bike before they order. Really?! It’s a Cervelo P3 they should have been carrying that bike anyway! Well here is the issue. They wanted 20% to order the bike. Hmmmm. You want me to pay a 20% deposit for you to order a bike that you should be carrying anyway.

Then I was told they were going to order the bike without me leaving a deposit. I call 5 days later which was Tuesday, today, to see if the bike arrived and that I am ready to walk out of the door with the P3. Uhh sir, we ordered the bike and uhh well the bike hasn’t been shipped yet. And, uhh we are talking with the Cervelo Rep. Hmmmm really! What you are really telling me is YOU DIDN’T ORDER THE BIKE!! Nooooo problem. I know who carries the Cervelo P3 in stock! Inside Out Sports!

I called Inside Out Sports, (which by the way is the same store I test road the Cerverlo P2 and bought my spanking brand new Blue Seventy Helix Wetsuit for a great price!). Bob remembered me when I asked him about the differences between the P2 and P3 which was Kudos to him for remembering me! Remember my previous post when I said the Inside Out Store has the mom and pop feel. They do and man does it make a difference when people recognize you. I feel a sense of trust when members of the store recognize me you know? That trust is because it is the start of a relationship! Every customer that walked in the door it seemed they knew by first name. That was impressive. If they didn’t know them they sure treated them like they knew them for a while.

Bob takes me to the bike room and there she was! My chariot awaiting her hero to mount her and charge into the Ironman battle (Kristi babe! it’s just an analogy hehe). Bob took some measurements and did some tweaks. He asked about the seat height and I felt it was a little high. That thing was really giving me some uhh “genitalia compression.” He dropped the height of the seat tube 1 cm and I tell you what! It is huge what a 1 centimeter adjustment will do for you. An adjustment here, a pedal stroke there, and the occasional measurement then it was time. It was time to take the P3 out for a spin (pun intended).

I was more nervous because this ride makes it a grand total of TWO times ever on a triathlon bike. Except this one I wanted to buy. There I am on the sidewalk trying not to vision myself wrecking this bike! I start with my traditional bunny hop start (one leg push off) and Im on the road. I started the ride using the hoods but man this bike screams for you to be in the Aero position (arms in the arm rest, bending at the waist). I take it for a test ride and man the gears were killing me at first! I was like What tha? I was freaking out big time!!! Then I looked down at my cogs and realized I had A LOT more gears left! I was too nervous to change the gears on the bike because of the resistance I was feeling when trying to change gears. I guess that is something I have to get used to also.

The fit was super comfortable and the ride on the bike was sweet! I looooved the test ride and really enjoyed this bike. I enjoyed riding this bike more than the P2 actually. It is likely because of the fit I had with this bike. I can’t wait to put this baby on the road. For now, we will be working on the trainer until the weather breaks. Hopefully we only have a few more weeks before we can get out.

I just have to tell you, I was like a kid in the candy store. I did a lot of research on every item I purchased. I was running through the store picking up items like it was Christmas! Kristi decided she would just sit down while I ran Willy-Nilly through the store back and forth and back and forth. I added the XLAB Sonic Carbon wing rear hydration system to complete to bike with a profile aero bottle in the front. I also grabbed a pair of Look Pedals. I think I am going to put these pedals on the Cervelo R3 and upgrade to the Look Keo Max 2 pedals on the P3. I am so excited about this bike and this experience! I just wanted to add this last piece of information. I was the first person to buy the 2010 Cervelo P3 Ultegra from Inside Out Sports. Since they are the only store that carries this bike, does that make me the first owner of the Cervelo P3 Ultegra in Charlotte? HeHe I guess it does lol!

P.S. we loaded the P3 ever so delicately in the back of Kristi’s SUV. I jokingly said, “Try not to hit any bumps!” What’s first thing she did?! LOL drove over the curb LOL!!!! That was hilarious! I think she did it on purpose!!

I took the one less traveled by,

2010-02-06T11:43:00.006-05:00

To know me, is to know my favorite poet of all time, Robert Frost! I was introduced to Frost in the 8th grade by my English teach Mr. Cunningham (who is also the teacher that inspired me the most! I wish I could tell him that). My favorite poem by Robert Frost is The Road Not Taken written in 1916:

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood

And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,

And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!

Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:

Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--

I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

I mention this in a blog about my journey for several reasons. Deciding to do an Ironman was a choice; a difficult choice. A choice to take the road less traveled. However, the decision to toe the starting line was not where those choices ended. Everyday I am making choices with the Ironman in mind. I watch what I eat. I make sure I am training sufficiently and I am picking routes to run.

Picking routes to run. See, I have to do a 10 mile run tonight. One positive about working patrol in the same area I live is that I can map out my run in my patrol vehicle while still maintaining my role as an officer. As you exit my apartment complex, obviously you can go right or left. What’s interesting is how the routes vary dramatically to left or to the right.

If I go left: some hills, mostly flat, not a bad run, and very popular in the community as it’s heavily traveled with runners and cyclists. If I go right: a HUGE hill! This hill is followed by more hills. The hill eventually leads downhill but then goes up hill again. In fact, the finish would be an up hill finish! Of course going to the left would be a downhill finish. Dare I say, this road is less traveled (I couldn’t resist).

“And be one traveler, long I stood…” trying to decide what route I was in the mood to run after work. Which run can I finish faster so I can party tonight?! Which run isn’t going to hurt as badly? Then I asked which run is going to benefit me the most? Which run is going to prepare me to meet my goal? My goal? Ooooh my goal means more to me than completing the Ironman. My goal: quiet those damn demons.

I had to make a choice. I have to continually take the road less traveled. Except, unlike the poem, I cannot wonder where the other road would have taken me. The run is not going to be pretty. Why? I am weaning myself off of Galloway Running. I know I am a better runner than the Galloway running! I am now running without walks. I have run 10 miles without a walk before. YEARS ago! Ok 2 years ago lol. I don’t want to walk! I want to push past these mental barriers that keep me in the back of the pack. That is why I am making the decision to run the harder route. “Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.”

On this run I will tell myself:
“When I feel pain, it is my body turning into Iron!”

My Mind is Ready

2010-02-01T13:48:00.001-05:00

Before last night, I could not mentally get past a 4 mile run on the treadmill. The longest I have run on a treadmill was 6 miles and that has been at least a year or two ago (cant remember). This weekend I had an 8 mile run scheduled and that’s not something you can just put off till later. I was supposed to do the run Saturday but we had snow coming. Instead of the doing run that was scheduled for Saturday, I did the bike workout. I don’t think I’m getting enough from the bike so will be talking to Lance about finding my true thresholds for the bike. I LOOOVE the bike it’s my fav event! I digress…again (I seem to do that a lot in my blog).

Where was I? Oh snow and Ice; bike instead of run. I was hoping the road would be clear by Sunday for an evening run which is typically the case with snow in Charlotte, NC. Here one minute, gone the next. However, that was not the case. Sunday was still a pretty bad day; although, not nearly as treacherous and Saturday. A decision had to be made. I knew I had run 6 miles some time ago so I could at least run 6 miles. Then I bartered with myself that I could run 7 miles on the treadmill and we can call it even Steven for the last mile. I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate…hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE running on the treadmill. I call in my mental toughness days. It takes more out of me mentally to run 4 miles on the dreaded treadmill than it does to actually run.

I told Kristi that I was going to only do seven miles instead of the 8. I had explained I just can’t run more than 4 miles on the treadmill and blah blah blah. She made the simplest, true, and most important statement: “You can do it!” I was so focused on the “can’t” that I never thought I “could.” I put a lot of effort into convincing myself that 7 miles is good enough. Does it take 139.6 miles to become an Ironman? Uhh NO! 140.6!

I hit the treadmill still convinced I was only going to run 7 and after that we will see how I feel. I ran on the treadmill in the apartment complex several times before. I usually pick the treadmill that faces a full length mirror. I am basically looking at myself the entire time I’m running. Facing myself if you will.

I brought a t-shirt with me with the intent of covering the display. At least I wouldn’t have to watch every second ticking away. I put the pace at an 11min mile and felt like I was walking. This is my normal half marathon/marathon pace (and I’m ok with being slow hehe). I turned it up to a 10min mile and felt solid. One thing I have noticed in this training is that I am absolutely feeling faster and stronger.

Any run over six miles I use Hammer Gels. This trains my body to look for this energy source during longer events. It also keeps me in the habit of gelling every 3 miles. I started running…then I hit three miles…time to gel! I immediately realized I couldn’t run 8 miles on the treadmill. However, I COULD run two 3 mile runs and a 2 mile run to finish consecutively. I had to break this run up in my head. It’s not a long run; rather three shorts runs put together. I ran the first three then kept going. I was alternating between water and Heed (learned not to use straight Heed on the last 8 mile run less ye get sick lol).

I was sweating quiet a bit and realized I should probably start replacing my electrolytes as well. I will certainly add SaltStick capsules to my training days! Occasionally, I would peak under the shirt to see how far I ran. It was one of those times you ask yourself, “Do you really wanna know?!” The first 5k is down. I just have to get through the next 5 k. then you can eat another gel. This was a great treat considering I have not had dinner and its 7pm. When I got through the second 5K it was exciting to think I only have 2 miles to go. I was feeling bold! I wanted to face this blasted treadmill head on. I took the shirt from the display and was screaming to myself, “Who’s your daddy?! Who’s the man?!”

After about thirty seconds of manning up, I immediately put the shirt over the display. Seeing the thirty seconds tick by was excruciating! It was undoubtedly the most agonizing thirty seconds of the run. This was followed by the treadmill shutting down at the one hour mark. I turned it back on and started again; two miles to go. Really, I only had one mile to go. Once I got to 7, getting to 8 wouldn’t be as difficult.

I did it! I jumped off the treadmill super excited! Not because of the run, but because of the mental toughness. I know now I can MAKE this body do what I want it to!

My swim Is ready! My bike Is ready! My mind Is ready! IronMan New Orleans 70.3 or bust!