Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Fear Not 04-14-2010 10pm est
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!
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!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
What am I pushing more? My body or my mind? 04/12/2010
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!
“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!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
6 days and a wake up
"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.
Friday, April 9, 2010
I cant believe it's only 9 days away
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
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
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Define Triathlete
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!
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!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
What Goes down must come up.
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.
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.
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