Completed Triathlon

Well I did it, I finished the race! I was really nervous about the swim portion, and rightfully so. There were so many people and the swim segement was so short that is was very congested. I don't think I took a full stroke for the entire swim. I was kicked, swum over, bumped, etc. On the second half of the swim I had a bit of a panic attack. I was GLAD to get out of the water. My transition from swim to bike was slow, I needed to get my composure back. The bike and the run both went ok. I was a little slower on the run than I would have liked, but overall things went ok. I did not get on the podium this time, but that was ok, there was some tough competition.

So now I have no events scheduled right now! I am looking at a 1/2 marathon in October. I still feel a little whipped from yesterday's Tri so my energy level to sign up for a 1/2 is not high right now!!!

One Week to Go

So I am in my final week of preparations for my next triathlon. This will be my first "open water" swim so it is a new experience for me. At one point I was a little nervous about the swim but I have since lost that nervousness. I have been training in the river and I am enjoying it now. The only unknown factor will be the other competitors in the race. I am not accustomed to having large numbers of people swimming along side me. I hope that does not freak me out too much.

I will have a large group of supporters cheering me on as there will be many family and friends alongside the road. I have not set any time goals for this event, I just want to complete it standing upright! Ha ha, that will not be a big problem as long as the injury bug doesn't bite me.

I have no idea what is going wrong with my eating though, I just can't stop! Hopefully I get that straightened away soon enough or I will have to hit "Lose It" hard once again.

Stay safe everyone.

Lake Placid Ironman!

This past weekend we travelled to Lake Placid, NY to watch the annual Ironman race. It was so inspiring!!! We arrived as most of the athletes were on the bike so we positioned ourselves at the beginning of the run. It was cool to see the elite athletes transition from bike to run and head out on the marathon course.

We heard many inspiring stories from the spectators who were there to support family members and friends. Many of the runners would stop to hug and kiss their loved ones as they past by them on the run course. There were lots of signs and personalized t-shirts everywhere! It was an amazing atmosphere!

We spent some time and money in the Ironman store, a few t-shirts and mugs, etc. The prices were reasonable.

We stayed to watch the first two finishers and then decided it was time to jump in the car for the long drive home. I will definitely come back for next year, and who knows, maybe even compete some day!

Be safe!

Hot Hot Hot!

Wow, it has been a hot week in my neck of the woods. Of course, I am not complaining, I have been waiting for this weather all year. I particularly like to do my training in the hot and humid weather. There is nothing like sweating BEFORE you even start your run or bike! My Triathlon program is beginning to really ramp up now. Most days are multiple workouts, or bricks, as they like to call them. It is like doing mini events all in one day. It is good as you get to practice the transitions. Let me tell ya, getting a wetsuit off is no peice of cake. I laugh at myself everytime I get stuck in the damn thing. I envision being in a race and having to withdraw when I can't get my legs out of the suit to prepare to mount the bike!!! I am sure I will have nightmares of that in the upcoming weeks leading up to my race.

My weight seems to have found its equilibruium. I don't gain or lose anything to speak of on a regular basis. I sit between 172-173. I guess my goal of 165 was just a little to agressive. As long as I don't slowly pick up some more weight I will be happy with where I am.

Stay safe everyone!

Open Water Swimming

Ok, so I am not a "natural" swimmer. I have been training in the pool over the past few months to build up my confidence a bit. I felt like it was time to venture out into the open water. Talk about scary! I mean if I get anxious there is no side of the pool to grab. I started by investing in a wetsuit. After some investigation I decided on a BlueSeventy Axis wetsuit. These wetsuits are made for people who are poor swimmers, so they are not fast, but they are buoyant!

So yesterday I headed out to the St. Lawrence river with Jackie as my spotter. It was not the best entrance point that I picked as it was very rocky, in fact I cut my foot getting in. Once I started swimming everything was AWESOME! I had no issues and swam anxiety free for about 20 minutes. I could really feel the extra buoyancy that the wetsuit provided.

So, time for some serious training in preparation for another triathlon, this one in open water, in mid August.

Be safe everyone!

Reading

I have never really mentioned that I read lots of books. I used to be a fiction only guy but recently I have gotten into business books and other like that. I think it is important to continually learn about things that interest you and fiction just does not do that. Don't get me wrong, I still read some fiction, just not exclusively. So I have read about 20 books this year, most of them business related.

The book I just finished was called the Organic Manifesto by Maria Rodale. This was not a typical book I would read but Jillian Michaels recommended it so I figured I would read it. It was a very interesting book about all of the chemicals that are in our food today. It also touches on the politics involved by big business to continually push chemicals and GMOs. The final two chapters really hit me on how bad our situation really is, there are chemicals entering our bodies everyday via our food and water. I would recommend that others read this book as well, just to understand the risk. You may choose not to take action but at least you will increase your awareness. Oh, btw, those chemicals can limit your weight loss!!!

Be safe everyone.

Triathlete?

Well, I did it! I competed in my first triathlon a few weeks back! And check this out, I came in third in my age group. I was really nervous about the swim as I am a weak swimmer but it was fine. I wan't the first out of the water but I also was not the last. The bike and run went relatively easy! I have not signed up for any new events but I have been training religiously in all three disciplines. I may sign up for something in August if I stay injury free (fingers crossed).

I have had lots of travel for work recently. I was in Philadelphia and Wichita recently. It was my first time to Wichita and I enjoyed the city. Too bad it seems to be isolated from anything else....

My weight has been going up and down with all this travel. I am generally between 170 - 174. That is not where I want to be but I seem to have found my ideal weight in that range. I had hoped to get to 165 at one point but I don't know if I could maintain that weight for any long period of time. It seems like the low 170s is my destiny.

The kids are finished school. We just got through exams and grad parties! Everything went well. Did I mention that both my children are geniuses?

Well that's it for now.....stay safe everyone!