Athletic events and other life stuff, 2010

11/03/2010 on running and being caught

2010-11-03T20:30:00Z

Time is sure flying by now. Lots of things have happened in the last couple months. Most importantly, I met Kim H. I don't want to say too much, as I don't have her permission to talk about her, and she is very modest about herself, but I will say it has been awesome. My friends told me if I didn't slow down, no woman would be able to catch me, well Kim caught me, and now I'm working to keep up with her.

    In mid October, I was in Tucson with Rick and Jill from Sierra Adventure Sports for the Tucson Scavenger Dash . Kim came down after she was done with her 4,000 meter swim at Lake Pleasant, nearly breaking an hour with mitigating circumstances even. We had planned to ride to the top of Mt Lemmon on Sunday, but as luck had it, that was the inaugural running of the Mt. Lemmone Marathon, so we pushed it back to Monday morning. It was a warm mid to upper 80's in Tucson when we left on the 26+ mile climb. We both neglected arm warmers or wind breakers it was so warm. Luckily, Kim found a discarded, but nice, fleece jacket left behind from the previous days marathon. As we neared the top, it was becoming noticeably cooler. We stopped and had lunch at the lodge, seeking out little bits of sunshine as we ate to alleviate the goose bumps. It was a good thing we were hungry, as the food wasn't too good, and the service was worse. I logged more trips to the kitchen than our waiter did, but he did acknowledge that as were getting ready to leave. Lunch came to $28.62. Our combined cash came to $29. The good news, was we had enough to cover the bill. The bad news was, it looked like we were stiffing our absent minded waiter. We explained to him, but I was still looking over my shoulder for a spectacled product of the 60's out for payback. We flew down the mountain, in about a third of the time it took to climb it.

    Wednesday night, I signed up for a 10k trail run at Cave Creek Park on the Go John and Overton Trails. I hadn't been running much longer than this because of my calf injury, but I felt good about doing it as long as wore the neoprene support I had for it. I had not run (or hiked) here before, so I really didn't know what to expect as far as hills. There were hills....and 41 racers signed up. I sized up the other runners, and saw a few that looked like they were pretty strong runners. The guy without a shirt looked like the odds on favorite though. I figure anyone that an start a race shirtless can probably back it up, and he did, winning the 10k overall. I tried to stay close to him, but he would leave me behind on the flats and downhills. I think that extra 3 or 4 inches in height may have had something to do with it. I would pull back to him whenever we climbed, but in the end I couldn't hang on, finishing second overall though. My best ever individual finish, and awards were given out for first place in each division, with no age group splits. Oh well, was a great run, and I got to see Kim afterwards (she rode her bike there).

http://www.aravaiparunning.com/results/2010CCTResults10k.htm

    I've been working on my swim some. I am amazed at how easy Kim makes it look. I can tell she has me getting faster already, but I just don't see myself ever really being a strong swimmer. But that's ok, there are more important things in life.

09/14/2010 Flagstaff Barn Burner

2010-09-14T17:28:00Z

It feels like sumer is starting to appear in the rear view mirror and cooler fall weather is just around the bend. I have actually had a couple opportunities to drive with the windows down lately.

After the Barn Burner Mountain Bike Race in Flagstaff was cancelled in June, I didn't think I need to really bike for anything until the Sept. 25th Gilmore Adventure Race in Prescott. But, then I met Kim, who had also done this race last year. So, a couple weeks before the race, we decided to race as a 2 person team, alternating 26 mile laps for the 104 mile race. I frantically started packing in the bike rides, trying to get in better shape, as I knew she was a strong rider. We agreed to just go have fun, do our best, and enjoy the high country and race with no other expectations on ourselves. We picked Dana up from school on Friday afternoon and headed straight for Flagstaff with a pickup truck loaded high with bikes and camping gear. We looked like the Joads leaving Oklahoma. As we got closer, Vickie and Butch were checking in with us to see when we would arrive, as we were hoping to camp near them. We lucked out and got a good spot right by their trailer, and just off the little single track so Dana could ride around too. We were barely out of the truck and Butch and Vickie had us sitting down for some of Butch's awesome pasta. I love his spicy pasta sauce. We set up the EZ Up we borrowed from Rick (thanks Rick) and our 2 tents, then walked over to register and get our race bags and numbers. A new twist this year was larger belt buckles for teams that finished under the 8 hour mark. I didnt think we had a chance at this, so there was no pressure added by that. After getting the bikes ready, visiting around the fire a while with the Swiss American Bike folks, we headed to bed. Hmmm, definitely starting to feel like fall in Flagstaff. By 1 am it was feeling like the dead of winter. Summer sleeping bags and light blankets may not have been the right choice. I piled the blankets over Dana, trying to save a corner for myself, but it was a cold night curled up in the fetal position trying to stay warm. By 5:30 I was ready to get up and moving. Another not so brilliant move, leaving my bike bag outside the tent. It was quite chilled and frosty, which makes for a good beer, but not so much when putting on bike shorts. As I readied my gear for the first lap, Kim and Dana went to Butch and Vickies trailer and made coffee, hot cocoa, and oatmeal. That was much better than using the Coleman stove on the tailgate.

The first lap started with a Lemans start. Approximately a 1/4 mile run (more of a jog) to the bikes, then a half mile loop around the camping area to the bike course. I don't like to get too hot when I ride (unless it's Phoenix summer and 115) so I had half finger gloves and just arm warmers with a short sleeve jersey. I think it was mile 9 when I started feeling my fingers. The trail was very dry and dusty. Riding into the sunrise, my sunglasses coated with dust and glare, mixed with splotchy shadows across the road made for a ride of faith that I wouldn't hit an unseen object early in the race. At mile 10, Pooh Bear passed me on a long straight away. I jumped on his wheel and followed him to the first climb. He was on a single speed and riding the 104 miles solo, so when he got off to walk some of the steep parts, he gave me an assist up the hill with a push from behind, but then it wasn't long before he went around me again. The first climb was followed by a rocky and fast downhill section. I think I was saved once or twice by the rider directly in front of me, as he slowed down a couple times in spots I may have hit too fast. I made note of them for my second lap. Somewhere along the ride, I hit a top speed of 33.6 mph. I also know I hit 3.8 mph though, too. I think that was the second climb of the route, a long 3-4 mile hill with a couple really steep spots. I was very glad to get over that hill, and ride the last couple miles back to the start/finish area and pass the race off to Kim. I was completely covered in dirt and dust and felt like I had a chest full of it too. Kim had an excellent and impressive lap, and we were riding close to Butch and Vickie all day. My second lap was a few minutes slower, but better than I had hoped for, and Kim had another great lap, but had the misfortune of flatting just out of the start on her last lap which cost her some time. We finished up in 8 hours and 42 minutes though, which I thought was very satisfying. After showers and our complimentary beer, we walked over to get our small belt buckles, for being under the 10 hour mark, but over the 8 hour limit. As we gave our number, the gal handed us the large buckles. I said we didn't qualify for that, and she said yes, we did. The time had been changed to 9 hours for the 2 person teams. What a bonus. Now we just need some big leather belts to wear...We came back home Saturday night, not wanting to spend another night shivering in a too light sleeping bag. We had a great weekend, and what an awesome race this is. Congrats and thanks again to Butch and Vickie for the hospitality of a warm meal and trailer, and to Rick for the EZ Up and Karen for the pictures. Great job to Kim and Dana also, making it such a fun weekend.

08/27/2010 so many things

2010-08-27T18:27:00Z

I'm not going to go all the way back to my last entry...mainly because I can't remember back that far, so I will start around the end of July. I went up to Ferndale Washington for my High School reunion. We'll just say it's been at least 10 years. I had a generous offer from my friends (and former 3rd grade teacher and former boss), Barbara and Johnny to stay at their house and use their vehicle. I saw friends I hadn't seen in...well, at least 10 years. I also was talked into running a 5k race with a few of them...ok, it didn't take much convincing. Saturday morning I admit I did have second thoughts though as I was running on little sleep. Even so, I finished in 22:05, 12th overall and 4th in my age group. Yeah, 4th. I would have been under the 22 minute mark if the volunteer at one turn had told me and the runner ahead of mt to turn instead of just watching us run by. The guy behind us told us we were going the wrong way, so we had to backtrack some. Had a great time though, it's always fun to race someplace new. Great job to Ron and Shawna W., and Scott L. also.

So, yesterday I signed up for the Flagstaff Barn Burner that had been postponed back in June due to forest fires. It's now Sept. 11th. I am racing with Kim H. as a 2 person team, so we alternate four 26 mile laps. It will be fun, and good training for the Gilmore Adventure Race Sept. 25th.

The last week or more has been hot and sticky, but I have been getting out on the bike. Both mountain biking and road riding. My running still needs to pick it up some though. Figuratively and literally.

Cheers to all.....

06/23/2010 Happy Birthday Dad

2010-06-23T21:47:00Z

Today is my dad's birthday. He's in California, visiting my uncles and aunts, along with my brother and his wife, and tomorrow is his high school reunion. It's a small town, so I think the reunion may be for anyone that ever went to high school there. I have never been to a high school reunion. I graduated from Apollo HS, in Glendale, but I didnt really know anyone there, so never did go to one. I went for my freshman and half my sophomore year to a HS in Washington State where I grew up. That reunion is next month, and I am still on the fence about going or not. I should decide soon, though, or it will be too late.

So, I haven't written anything in a while, since Alcatraz let me go, I think. Two weeks after that race, I did the Tempe International Triathlon on a whim. I signed up Friday afternoon for a Sunday morning race. I did the Olympic distance, and had a decent finish even. If I could halfway swim, I'd be up there in my age group, but that 5 minutes extra I spend in the water really hurts my overall time. Maybe the end of this summer I will focus on that more. I have spent the last month or so, mainly bike riding. Last Saturday was supposed to be the Barn Burner mountain bike race in Flagstaff, but it was cancelled due to a forest fire in close proximity. Now I will need to start running as well as biking, as the next race for me is the Gilmore Adventure Race in Prescott this September.

I did go to San Francisco a couple weeks ago to help Rick put on the Scavenger Dash there. We had a great time, even with record high temperatures.

I have had a hard time staying motivated this summer. I am still told I am always training, but I feel like a complete slacker at times. I mean, really, a full day without working out and a night of sitting at home watching a movie or a game? Just doesn't feel right to me, but I've been doing it, sometimes a couple days in a row. Hopefully it won't last.

Todays funny:

0 to 200 in 6 seconds
Bob was in trouble. He forgot his wedding anniversary. His wife was
really pissed.

She told him "Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the
driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in 6 seconds AND IT BETTER BE THERE !!"

The next morning he got up early and left for work. When his wife woke
up, she looked out the window and sure enough there was a box
gift-wrapped in the middle of the driveway.

Confused, the wife put on her robe and ran out to the driveway, brought
the box back in the house.

She opened it and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Bob has been missing since Friday.

05/03/2010 Escape from Alcatraz race report

2010-05-06T20:56:00Z

    All of you that asked me how I felt going into this race, know I didn't feel like I had trained enough for it. A calf injury prevented me from running hills like I had planned, but my bike was still fairly good, and the good thing about not being a fast swimmer, is you don't really lose that. So, Friday morning comes, and I am at the airport, bike box and all my gear ready to go. I get to the check-in counter, the guy looks at my bike, and says $290. When I picked my jaw up again, I said "one way?". He confirmed this, in a very cool and unbending way. I said, " I don't think so" and walked away, my brain scrambled and scrambling for ideas. I don't like to disparage anyone, so I won't name the airline, but it rhymes with "felta" and starts with a "D".I knew there had to be places to rent bikes in San Francisco, but the day before a big race like this one? I didn't even know where to start. Then I remembered my high school friend, Scott, that I last saw was winter of 1977, had recently posted on Facebook that he had purchased a bike. He was planning to come see me at the race anyway, as he lived and worked in the area. A quick call, (thankfully, he answered), confirmed this, and he was thrilled to help me. Ok, now...what to do with my bike. I called Steve, who had just dropped me off, and he returned to the airport, picked me up, and we drove to a parking lot where I removed anything I might need from the bike box, and somehow jammed it all into my two bags I was taking. I had water bottles, wet suit, shoes, pedals...everything but the bike and my helmet. Scott, can I use your helmet too? Absolutely. My heart is starting to settle down now, maybe this will work after all. I get to SF, and it's blowing a steady 20-25 with gusts. I find my hotel, and awesome, it's only a half mile to the race site. Saturday morning I get all checked in and registered, body marked, and spend quite a bit of time looking out at Alcatraz. It really doesn't look that far...

    Scott shows up around noon, and first thing I want to do is drive the bike course. We jump in his Wrangler, and head out. First mile, very flat, but it quickly changes. A 120 degree turn and it's immediately a sharp climb. There wasn't much flat again until the final mile back into the TA. This is gonna hurt....but I was elated to still be here after the near disaster at the airport. My focus now, is have fun, enjoy the moment. I put my pedals on Scots bike, adjust the seat, check the tires and brakes, and call it good to go.I can't resist giving Scott a little ribbing about the three chignon rings on the front of his bike first, though. Off to eat, and Scott likes to eat. We hit Molinaris Deli, where you pick your own bread and they make your sandwich for you. Scott orders a couple italian rice balls also, with cheese and sauce inside. A little bigger than a tennis ball. It was so good, I ate the whole sandwich and the rice ball. This is gonna hurt.

    Sunday morning, I'm up at 4:30. There's no coffee pot or microwave in my hotel, but did I mention? It's close to the race. So much for bringing my own coffee and oatmeal. But, here comes Scott to rescue me again. On the way to my hotel, he stops at IHOP and gets coffee and oatmeal, and delivers it to my room. After breakfast, he grabs my gear bag, and I head down the hill on the bike to set up my transition. He hands me my bag at the bottom and goes off to park. I find my spot, right by the Canadian flag, and get all set up.

I have 2 plastic drop bags with me still. One I will take on the boat with me, carrying my swim gear, and putting my morning clothes and shoes in it to get after the race, and the other goes to the swim exit. After exiting we have about a 3/4 mile run to TA, so shoes and socks are left there to put on after removing the wet suit. From here, it's a 3 or 4 mile bus ride to the ferry terminal, where we board the San Francisco Belle for the ride out to Alcatraz. We spend about an hour on the boat total, most of it at the dock, resisting the urge to do something...like put my wet suit on. Too early for that. Finally, as we approach the island, we all start changing into swim gear. As the start nears, the pros line up on the outside of the rail, preparing to dive en masse into the 55 degree water. Chris McCormack does the swim without goggles, amazing. We file down the stairs, where there are three open gates, jumping out like lemmings off a 5 to 6 foot drop, then quickly getting out of the way of the person behind you. Whoa, that's cold...and salty. For the first 5 minutes, my face and feet are cold then they go numb. There's just enough chop I can't swim and sight very well, but every time I lift my head up high to look, I get a mouthful of salt water. The tide is carrying us out towards the Golden Gate and the Pacific Ocean. We swim across like it's a river, knowing we will come out downstream, and not wanting to over shoot the sandy beach exit and end up on the rocks scrambling ashore. I use the sun as my guide to stay on course, and it works great. I make the 1.5 mile swim in 32:26. Wow, that current really helps. I get the wetsuit off, find my drop bag, and put socks and shoes on for the short run to the TA. I change into bike shoes and helmet, and off on the bike. 500 yards into the bike, my Garmin falls off my wrist when I reach for my water bottle. I pull to the side, make sure I'm out of traffic and head back to get it. Grrr, someone had picked it up for me, so I got it and returned to the race. How long did that take? Too long I know that. The hills are steep, but I feel good. The elation of making the swim are boosting my adrenaline even higher. I don't want to push too hard though, because I know the run is challenging too. Did I mention San Francisco has hills? Did I mention I used that little tiny chain ring on the front during the bike?

    Coming in off the bike, I still feel good. Hunter Kemper gets announced as the overall race winner. There goes my shot at winning this race now. Now the real test. The first mile is flat, then we hit the first set of stairs. I run about 75% of it, still trying not to burn out early. Up, down, up down, until it's down to the beach. Out Baker Beach, we run on the sand. I find a firmer line, where the ground hasn't been torn up by runners yet, and get a comfortable pace. Heading back up the beach, I am struck by the beauty. The beach in front, with the Golden Gate Bridge ahead, breakers rolling in, and trees and greenery hanging from the cliffs above the beach. Wow.

As we leave the beach, it's up the sand ladder. 400 steps of sand and wooden steps. I walk this, as everyone else is too, knowing there's still another uphill at the top. As soon as the steps fade, I start to run again. I still feel good. Must be the elevation and temperature drops helping me. I do feel like I ate too much, though. I have an Italian rice ball under my ribs on the right side, but luckily this race is short enough I don't need to eat anything on the run. I push hard for the final flat run into the finish, and come in at.......3:00:27. Better than I expected prior to the race, but I immediately think of the time it cost me to go back for my Garmin. More than 28 seconds, I know.

    All in all, a great race, beautiful venue, and a support person that couldn't be beat made this a highlight race for me. Scott saved my weekend, and we picked up right where we left off 30+ years ago. Well....almost.

    More pictures can be seen on the website as well as a link to the results page.     www.azendurance.com

    Finally....THANK YOU ALL that halped me reach my goal at ST Jude Childrens Hospital. In fact, you blew it away with a total now of $1,135. You guys are AWESOME.

04/22/2010 mad scrambles

2010-04-21T18:12:00Z

Another 2 weeks has gone already since my last post? I think most of a week of that was consumed by tax preparation...yuck. Anyway, lets see, what's happened in the last 2 weeks. April 15th was the Splash and Dash at Tempe Town Lake. A 750 meter swim and a 4k run. My swim wasn't bad for me, around 14 minutes, but then I spent 2+ minutes in transition trying to get the wetsuit off. Even with body glide, it just stuck. That put my run around 16 minutes and some change, which I was happy with. The water was much warmer than the race prior, also.

    Friday, I went to Lake Pleasant with my friend and long time fishing buddy Jon. We had a great day on the lake, boating 4 bass and losing almost as many. I had almost forgotten how much fun that can be.

    Last Saturday was the Usery Mountain Madness Adventure Race in Mesa. I raced with Chris and Josh, as a 3 person team. We had a quick 1/2 mile run to the bikes, then a 10 mile mountain bike, followed by an 8 1/2 mile run, and another 10 mile bike loop. It was a warm day, but what a beautiful venue. The desert is so pretty, especially when it's as green as it is now.

    Only about 10 days until The Escape from Alcatraz. I am at 90% of my goal for St Jude. If you can help, please go to http://www.mystjudeheroes.org/AzEnduranc and give even just a little if you can.

    Today's funny:

    Men are like fine wine. They start out as grapes, and it's up to the women to stomp the crap out of them until they turn into something acceptable to have dinner with.

04/07/2010 ...a monkey wrench

2010-04-07T20:25:00Z

Saturday was the first Splash and Dash of the season, at Tempe Town Lake. It was 1,000 meter swim followed by a 3k (1.86 mile) run. Start time was 7:30, and Rick rode down with me to spectate. I didn't arrive any too early, and finding out when I got there that I was out of Bodyglide didn't facilitate putting on my wetsuit. I did get ready in time to be out in the water and ready when the horn sounded though. The water.....brown and murky like always, but I heard 59 degrees? Plenty cold enough to make my feet and hands ache waiting for the start, and to numb my face once the swim started. I warm up fairly quickly though, so it wasn't uncomfortable once I got moving. I came out of the water not as woozy and off balance as I have been in the past, but I did forget to look at my swim time. As I was removing the wetsuit, it hit me though. I got so dizzy I had to sit down, and there was a brief moment things went grey before my eyes. It didn't last long, but my transition was slower than I wanted...that happens to me a lot. Off on the run, I felt pretty good. I made up some time here, but in such a short race, being an average swimmer starts you out under the gun. My total time was 33:47, and I am sure I spent a few minutes in the TA trying to clear my head. After the race, I did a 45 mile bike ride, and Sunday, my longest run in a while of 8 miles through the Preserve trails. It was hot enough Sunday, I jumped into the 64 degree pool to cool off. Summer is right around the corner, I think.

    Alcatraz is 3 1/2 weeks away, and I am in somewhat of a scramble/panic mode now. My friend that had a place for me to stay is moving back to Phoenix before the end of the month. That was my bed and my wheels while I was in San Fran. The proverbial monkey wrench. Anyone have any connections or ideas? I am not sure what's going to happen exactly, but I know for sure it changes things.

    Thanks to you guys, I am more than halfway to the goal for St. Jude Children's Hospital. If you donated already, thank you again, and if you haven't, and can give anything, please go to this site.

http://www.mystjudeheroes.org/AzEnduranc

03/22/2010 Toes up....

2010-03-22T20:04:00Z

    After titling this post, I realize that in the past, I have referred to "toes up" as meaning in the ground, having left this world. Not the case this time though.

    Since my last post, I was just getting my run back into a routine, when my calf muscle injury from last fall resurfaced. I took 11 days off from running, and had the guys at Rehab Plus work on it and give me some exercises. I was able to still ride and swim. Well mostly swim, after getting cortisone injections for my shoulder, it went from painful to push or lift with it, to now being painful to swim....the complete wrong direction. So anyway, I was signed up for the second annual GORD off road duathlon in Prescott this last Saturday, so I tried to find a runner to make a relay team with me on the bike. I didn't try real hard, as I really wanted to do the entire race. My calf felt good, so my plan was to run easy, if it got tight, I would walk. I wanted to do the mountain bike though. I rode to Prescott with Rick and Karen, and when we got there, it was cold and windy. Good muscle pulling weather. I jogged a couple hundred yards before the race, and it all felt good. I'm just not in run condition, and throw a little altitude on top of it.....but, don't re injure it, that was my goal. The race took off and so did I. Not tearing it up, but trying to keep contact with somewhat the front of the pack. I did the first 1.5 mile run in 12:18. Not too bad.

   I changed my shoes, put my helmet on and hit the trail on the mountain bike. An 8.2 mile combination of single track trails and double track road. There were a couple granny gear, leg burning, chest pounding climbs, and some sharp switchback turns. About halfway in, my calves started to cramp. Not the injury, but definitely cramps, so I just pointed my toes up (see title) and kept churning. I had a bike split of 40:33, which I think included my run to bike TA time.

Jumping off the bike, I changed my shoes again, not as fast this time and headed out for the final 2.1 mile run. Not only were my calves trying to cramp, the toes on my left foot were too. As runners came up behind me, I tried to up the pace, but I knew if I cramped on the run, I would be walking, so I went as fast as I could staying just under the cramp threshold. I lost 5 or 6 places on the final run, but was happy to finish about 15th out of 124 with an overall time of 1:11:14. Not bad for not being in run shape. It was great to see so many friends out there too, I had a great time. Thanks to Dave and Tracy for putting on this race, and also to Karen for the muscle gel and pictures, and Rick for the transportation and laughs.

03/02/2010 bikes and things

2010-03-02T19:22:00Z

    Saturday I did the McDowell Sonoran Conservancy Challenge 22 mile mountain bike race near Alma School and Pinnacle Peak. Rick, got entries for himself, myself and Chris Branson, so how can a guy pass that up? I am still trying to determine how an out and back with two loops can be 80% uphill, but I am convinced it was. I seemed to be always climbing, and when I was going downhill it was like skiing moguls. You had to keep the speed down so as not to get planted on the side of the next mogul. At mile 12, after what felt like all uphill, I was thinking, ok, over halfway, should be mostly downhill now. It was about this time I came to the arrow that said "lap 2". Aghhhh, all that again? I approached this race a little too lightly, also. The sausage and egg biscuit I ate at 6:45 am was now doing moguls in my stomach. It was touch and go there for a while if it was going to stay down, but it did. A fun hard race, finishing just under the 2 hour wire. Marshall Trimble spoke at the starting line, which was really cool. I was disappointed he wasn't still there at the finish, I would have loved to talk with him. Dana was there waiting for me tough, and that was way cool, too.

    I put in 2,500 meters at the pool yesterday, gearing up for Alcatraz. Then after work, jumped on the road bike and rode 25 miles, hitting quite a few hills on the way. I climbed one very short but steep hill, Desert Jewel Blvd, and was disappointed in how hard it was for me. I felt really out of shape, just about coming out of my shoes I was pulling so hard on the upstroke. It wasn't until I started back down I realized I was in the big chain ring, no wonder.

    I saw my doc today about a few lingering issues. First, my eyes are still itchy and puffy, since Sept. now. He gave me a prescription for drops and a cream, believing it to be an allergy of some sort. I just want it gone, riding Saturday with watery eyes over that uneven ground is a recipe for disaster. But we know not for me....Second, my shoulder is still really sore from the last bike crash in Oct. He gave me a couple cortisone shots today, so I am hoping that will fix me up in short order. It's been really painful to press or do push ups.

    Now, I posted the link last time to the St Jude Childrens Hospital. You can help out with as little as $10, and it's tax deductible. This isn't going to me, but to a great cause to support children dealing with cancer. Please help in any way you can. The site again is

http://www.mystjudeheroes.org/AzEnduranc

Thanks for staying in tune with me.

Why men want a bigger boat

02/26/2010 It's more than me......

2010-02-26T16:46:00Z

Wow, it's been over 2 weeks since I blogged on here. Did anyone miss it? In the last couple weeks, I have actually been getting back on track with training. Swimming twice a week again, and even seeing some improvement. I've been very happy to get more mountain biking in too. I am very blessed to be so near the Phoenix Mountain Preserve. A mile and a quarter and I am on the trails, so I have been doing some more exploring out there. Three times in the last week. I am regular again at Tuesday night SMHS track workouts, and the last 3 Tuesdays I have been running bleachers. Weight and strength training at Jr's has been great still, and I am riding my road bike to and from again. This is shaping up to be a great spring it looks like. I was very lucky to snag an entry into the McDowell Sonoran Challenge 22 mile mountain bike race tomorrow morning, thank you Rick Eastman, and I'm excited about that. Kind of amazing actually to think this is my first ever mountain bike only race.

March 20th is the GORD off road Duathlon in Prescott, which I was able to witness last year as a spectator, and now looks like I can actually participate this year. April 17th has an adventure race on the calendar at Usery Mountain Park. And...drum roll....May 2nd, the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon on San Francisco, Ca. I finally committed, and am really looking forward to suffering in that venue, ha ha. I have decided that as much as I felt emotionally about the Ironman, I think that I want things to be more than just me when I race. I had so many people give to me, I couldn't have done it without them, most of them are on my website, but not all. Now I want to try to help others. And I need your help to do that too. I have signed up with St Judes Childrens Hospital, and want to help raise money for them though my racing. If you can help in any way, I would be very grateful. You can donate directly to them at www.mystjudeheroes.org/AzEnduranc . Thank you your consideration in this.

02/10/2010 what motivates us.....

2010-02-10T21:02:00Z

    I think I am finally coming out of my exercise funk. I have decided to train like I am anticipating doing the Escape From Alcatraz Tri. I figure worse case, I get in shape. I have a place to stay, and with frequent flyer miles I can get there with just the $50 each way fee for my bike. It's that pesky entry fee....Six months ago I was trying really hard to keep my weight over 160, and after slacking off the last 2 months, I have been trying to get back under 170. I made it this morning. 169.5 lbs. I swam twice this week, mountain biked on Sunday, and ran track last night. I also did the bleachers 7 times after intervals, 210 steps. The Alcatraz Tri has 400 steps coming up off the beach, so that was good incentive.

    Saturday I did the Phoenix Scavenger Dash with Brian Karasek. We had an eighth place finish out of 80 teams, which wasn't bad for our first race where electronics and transportation were allowed. We ran about 8 miles, and rode the light rail train for about 4 miles, and in hind sight we should have reversed those numbers. It was the first light rail train ride for either of us. May have been a little pride involved there, but after 6 miles and starting to suck wind, smarts finally replaced pride. What a great time, and highly recommended. It's not nearly as hard a race as we made it, but a lot of fun. More pictures are on my website www.azendurance.com



    Always looking for an activity partner(s) now. I'm not on that strict schedule like before, so, keep me on the invite list if you're going out to exercise in any way.

01/28/2009 Time to suck it up

2010-01-28T19:07:00Z

    So far 2010 has had a rough start in many ways. Physically, I just haven't felt myself, and Ironman can no longer be an excuse. I have had red itchy eyes since September now. It's much better than at one point, but it hasn't gone away, and I am perplexed as to whats causing it. And boy, do I like to sleep now!

    I opted out of the McDowell Mountain Frenzy trail run. Mainly because I had been opting out of the training also. I don't mind suffering and feeling good about my time in a race, but I don't want to suffer slowly and be disappointed in my performance. My next event is inked in though, The Phoenix Scavenger Dash with Brian Karasek as my partner. It's different than anything I've done before, and gives me an opportunity to race with Brian again, which is always fun. I am glad I ran at track Tuesday night now. I also now have the chance on weekends to run at Reach 11 while Dana mountain bikes alongside me. We did 7 1/2 miles a week and a half ago as a maiden voyage and our speeds matched pretty well.

    I just received an email this morning, with mixed emotions. I was selected in the second go 'round of the lottery for the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco this May. That sounds like such a cool race, and I have friends in SF that will let me stay there, but it's a $400 entry fee. Ouch!!!! I wish now I had worked on getting sponsors for 2010 also. I have 4 weeks to decide. It would be good motivation, though.

    Last night, coincidentally, the bag stand went back up at home. I need another conditioning and core workout, so it was time. Today is JR's gym, so I am thinking Monday nights will be a good time for that.

01/11/2010 A new year

2010-01-11T17:40:00Z

Happy New Year to everyone first off. I sincerely hope that it is a better year for all of this. In some ways it is completely different for me already, and others there hasn't yet been any change. So let's keep this to the things that are different. Obviously, there is no Ironman in my future, not for 2010, anyway. That has left big gaps in my life, that have effected me more than I thought it would. The last year plus was very structured for me. I had workouts on a monthly white board, and there was rarely any deviation from that unless I was injured. If something was scheduled, I did it. End of story. I couldn't put off a workout until the next day, because the next day had it's own schedule. That has changed now. I am not in "race mode" currently, so I am not pushing myself to train like I was. There's always tomorrow.....or next week. Part of this is a mental let down after something I focused on for so long, and part of it is a physical letdown also. My lower back hasn't yet recovered from the pounding, and I my right shoulder that was sprained in the crash of October 2009 is still giving me issues. An old neck injury has flared up again too, causing me left shoulder pain and headaches. Activity might be what I need to help this, but it's hard to get that desire for me right now when my body hurts. I had put off writing this message, hoping things would improve. My motivation level isn't very high, and for the first time in over a year, I feel like I need others to lift me up. I am in a psychological and physical funk at the same time. I am still here, dabbling in exercise, but with no real goal in mind. At this point I would just like to try and get in better conditioning again.

12/22/2009 plodding along....

2009-12-22T20:38:00Z

    Wow, Ironman was the ultimate motivator I think. No matter the day or the weather, I did all I could to not miss a workout. I wish I had the same drive now. It's an internal struggle with me now. Part of me was so used to the training schedule I had, it feels odd to not do it. The other part of me says I don't need to do it as I am not training for an Ironman. Whatever the case, I have put on about 6 or 7 lbs from the morning of the Ironman, and I can feel it. My body is in some sort of rebellion also, as my lower back and my neck have really been bothering me. I am sure part of that, if not all, is missing Zogisle and the back adjustments at the chiro. I ran 6 miles last night, and even though I had an 8:29 pace over the trails, it didn't feel comfortable to me. Sunday afternoon I rode Reach 11 for the first time EVER. I wanted to scout it out for Dana, and my friend Michael Hooper was up for a ride after the Cardinals game, so I rode up to meet him and we did all three sections of the area, putting almost 24 miles on the mountain bike.

    The first drawing for the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon was last Friday, and I didn't get drawn. I have one more chance on Jan. 25th. Right now I don't feel able to compete in any type of race. The McDowell Mountain Frenzy is in 4 1/2 weeks, and I hope to be ready for that, but I must be hedging my bet as I have yet to sign up for it. Maybe I need that cattle prod......

    Weights at JR's today. Rumor is he wants everyone to burn 1,500 calories today. I need that.

Todays funny:

What is Celibacy?

Celibacy can be a choice in life, or a condition imposed by

circumstances.

While attending a Marriage Weekend, Frank and his wife,

Ann, listened to the instructor declare, 'It is essential that husbands and wives know the things that are important to each other.."

He then addressed the men, 'Can you name and describe your wife's favorite flower?'

Frank leaned over, touched Ann's arm gently, and whispered, 'Gold Medal-All-Purpose, isn't it?'

And thus began Frank's life of celibacy.........

12/15/2009 what to do.....

2009-12-16T18:51:00Z

    It is definitely an odd feeling to not be on such a regulated schedule as I was for the last year plus. With the cooler weather and darkness coming early, it's very easy to put off exercise. Throw into the mix that I moved my office this month, and you can probably see where I'm at now. I did get the mountain bike out a couple times in the last week though, and last Sunday I did the Muddy Buddy with a friend from Tucson, Renee Powers. We even had a podium finish in our co-ed division. Luckily they went 5 deep. We were less than 3 minutes out of first place, 27 seconds out of second, and 16 seconds from third place. This is pretty amazing I think since Renee had never been on a mountain bike prior to that day. Did I mention she was an Ironman finisher also.

I decided to run the event in an afro, as it's common for people to race these in costume. Even though it was a cool day, that thing got HOT, especially on my run sections. What a fun day it was though, as I had quite a few friends also racing. Rick and Kim were there, and Brad and Yvonne from Tubac took second place in their division and my friend Ian Deonise and his partner Chris Hernandez also placed second in their division.

    I have been going back to my track workout on Tuesday night. I am planning to do a 25k trail run on Jan 23 at McDowell Mountain Park, so I decided 3 mile runs weren't going to be enough to get ready for that, so last night I ran to track, did the 3 one mile interval runs at 7:19, 7:25, and 7:19 then ran home after. Well, almost all the way, I hitched a ride with Steve to the freeway then ran the rest of the way, getting to 6.3 miles, anyway.

    My back is still bothering me after the IM, it took quite a pounding on the run. I think my body is missing the work of Zogisle and Dr. Joe. Makes me realize even more how beneficial that is.

    I have 5 more weeks after this one with JR, and I love going down there to lift. I need to have a good routine for lifting before that ends so I don't fade away into laying on the couch eating Cheeto's every day.

12/03/2009 A new year ahead

2009-12-03T17:17:00Z

    It still doesn't seem to have completely sunk in that the Ironman is over, AND I made my goal. Since then race, I haven't been exactly idle, having ridden 4 times, ran twice, and swam twice, but yesterday, just because I could, I did nothing as far as working out. I can tell it will be a few weeks yet before I feel strong enough to stomp on anything. I can do all those things now, but I am pacing myself. My lower back is still feeling sore from the race. It took me one week to decide that another Ironman isn't out of the question. If I maintain my base level of conditioning, I could get ready much easier and faster than this first go around, starting from scratch. To put things in perspective, here is where I started from:

September 2006

to this:

November 2009

    So far, my plans for 2010 are to run the McDowell Mountain Frenzy 25k trail run in January, and I registered for the lottery drawing for the Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco in May. Other than that, I can wing it and pick and choose what I want to do.

    I can't thank my sponsors enough for the help they gave me to get from Sept 2006 to Nov 2009. Please support them any way you can if you need any of their services. Also, a huge thank you to everyone that volunteered at the race. It was the five start treatment for racers. I felt like I was assigned a volunteer at every aid station and transition area. Absolutely amazing. God Bless you all.

11/24/2009 11:54:46 WE did it

2009-11-24T22:10:00Z

    Wow, what a journey it has been. Ups and downs, injuries and crashes, highs and lows, optimism and doubt. Most of you know my goal in the Ironman was to break 12 hours. I had many moments when I wondered if I had it in me, but every time I did the math it looked good on paper. Then I'd mention my aspirations to another athlete and watch their jaw drop and wonder if I was setting the bar too high. JR just told me I had it in me, not to think about others as they didn't know my training or abilities, so I held out my hopes.

    I stayed much calmer before the race then I anticipated I would. I woke up a couple times the night before, but when I was asleep I slept well. I got up early so that my stomach would have time to settle after breakfast and I could enjoy my coffee. Rick, Kim, and Lori picked me up around 4:15 am, and we headed to the race site. Nerves are still doing pretty well.

    After only one trip to the j-john that morning ( a new pr before a race I think), I headed to the changing tent to put my swim gear on about 620. The tent was pitch black inside and very crowded. I dug through my bag for my swimsuit, and found that the water bottle I had put in there leaked all over everything. So I started the morning with a wet swimsuit and wetsuit. I crossed the timing mat to notify the powers that be that I was in the race, and made my way to the waters edge. Everyone wanted to be close, but few people wanted to jump into the 62 degree water. After being caught on the steps at the start of a swim before, I jumped in at 6:40 and made my way the 200 meters towards the Mill Ave bridge until after the pros started. I positioned myself left side, about 4 or 5 people back from the front. I knew I was an average swimmer, so I decided I would rather have half the people try to pass me than me try to pass half the people in front of me. What a mad house. I think I swim fairly straight, but there sure are a lot of people that don't. Later that night I wondered why my right cheekbone was sore, then remembered getting a fist to the face at some point. I came out of the water at 1:18, about 5 minutes quicker than I had hoped.

    I ran through the chute to get my bike bag and into the changing tent again. I had opted to make a full change of clothes after each discipline. Even after drying off, my bike clothes didn't want to go on, and I needed help getting my jersey pulled down. Dressed I ran out the tent, and immediately realized I didn't have my race number with me. Back in I went to find the volunteer who had my bag, and I retrieved my race belt. Back out I went, found my bike and ran to the mount area. The weather was perfect, not too chilly and no wind. As I rode out of town, about mile 5 the wind appeared. Not too bad yet, but as I headed uphill on the Beeline, it picked up. Maybe blowing about 15 now. I saw sub 14 mph in sections into the wind, but also saw 32+ on the way down the hill. Every time I made the turn in town, a cheering section went wild for me, that was so awesome guys. I rode the entire course in the just the big front ring, as my front dérailleur bracket was cracked, but I knew this going in and had trained for it. I did drop the chain once, at the top of the hill on my second loop. I stopped at the special needs station for my extra mix and additional food, then realized they didn't have water there, so I would need to stop one more time to fill the bottles. Lap three, the wind switched and it was a tailwind up the hill, but a head wind down when I had wanted to rest my legs, so I did back off 10% to save some energy. I came in off the bike with a 5:31 time.

    After getting some more help in the changing tent, I came out onto the run with 4 hours and 50 minutes left before my 12 hour mark. As usual, I tried to run slow, but saw I was doing 8:15 miles, so I pulled back even further, trying to do the first loop at a 9:30 pace. It didn't take too long for me to start slowing down though. After the first loop, my frame of mind was such that I didn't care how long it took me anymore, I just wanted it done. John Burkell told me to pace out the cramps that were developing, so I would slow enough to not push them over the edge, and Phil Kenny told me to double my salt caps, so I ran out early of course until I got to my special needs bag at mile 12. Phil went back and forth over Mill Avenue bridge giving me tips and encouragement, so I started drinking chicken broth. I saw JR on my second loop, and he gave me inspiration to perk up again too. About mile 14 I couldn't stomach another gel, so I switched to bananas, oranges, and grapes at the aid stations. Every time I swallowed my stomach hurt for a few minutes, but I kept everything down and just kept moving. At mile 15 I finally really needed to make pit stop. The j johns were full, so after a minute of waiting I ran on. Same thing at the next stop, until finally at the 3rd aid station I found a vacancy. I stood over the urinal, my head against the wall thinking I didn't want to leave, but leave I did. I knew all I had to do was run, and I would make, so I ran. I knew I was going to make it now, so I took in the sights as I ran up through the finish chute. I heard them call out my name, as an Ironman, but I didn't hear anything else as I ran to the finish.

    I couldn't have done this without the help of friends ,family and sponsors, that I consider friends as well. I want to thank everyone by name, but I am scared to death I'd leave someone off the list. When I got done I had 17 text messages, 5 voicemails, and 30 something emails. Thank you to everyone that checked in on me, too. Tomorrow I will see Zogisle for a much needed massage. I know it will hurt, but hopefully he will be gentle on my sore body.

    I did go swim 1,000 meters at the pool today to keep loose, and I am not going to stop now, but work my way back into a routine again, just not one so time consuming.

    This was the highlight of my Ironman, seeing Dana as I would come around on the run.

11/17/2009 Five, Five days to Ironman (sung to the Subway $5 footlong song)

2009-11-17T18:11:00Z

It's been an odd week so far. My workouts have dropped to what I consider minimal compared to the last year. A 10 mile bike? Really? Sounds so easy, but my body isn't yet feeling the advantages of that. Maybe it's because I am now fighting off a head cold that's been trying to take hold since Saturday. Every morning I wake up and it isn't worse, I am thankful, but it's lowered my energy level for sure. I am excited about the race, but I am having some mixed emotions, too. I am bouncing back and forth between enthusiasm and almost apathy towards it. I don't know if that's my self conscious defense if I don't make my goal or what, but I don't like that feeling. The bright side, is I am not too stressed out at least. I am sure that will come. I expect Sunday morning to be full of high anxiety and a queasy stomach. They should assign port a johns to each racer. I think when I go down on Thursday to check in, I will scout out the obscure port a john locations. Tonight its time to make sure all the clothes I will need are clean and ready to go. New tires will go on the bike, so Thursday I can get 10-12 miles on them, just to be sure I didn't pinch a tube or anything. That will be my last training ride. I have two more short swims and one more 2 mile run. That's it. I just need this fuzzy head cold feeling to go away now. I will try to post one more time before IM. Wish me luck and thanks to all my friends and family for the support. I know I won't let any of you down, I just hope to not let myself down now.

11/13/2009 "in the moment"

2009-11-13T17:09:00Z

    Wow, has it really been a year and a half since I signed myself up for Ironman? I didn't even own a set of swim goggles at that time, let alone know how to swim. I never did master swimming to any degree of real efficiency, but I can swim for 2 1/2 miles now and feel comfortable in the water. I won't be near the front of the pack, but I'm not at the back either. Right in the middle, that's where the action is, ha ha.

I remember May of 2008, doing the Mad Mud Run , which is coming up again Nov 21st in Scottsdale by the way, and wondering if I would even be able to run the whole thing. I did, but I suffered. And I went slow. I remember riding with Chris and Debbie Branson, and 12 miles was a stretch for me on the bike. Even once I got a little more strength to ride further, I remember riding down the canal, and Chris wanting to keep a 16 mph pace, and it was too much for me on a 20 mile ride.

This last 18 months has been an incredible journey. I have made new friends, and reconnected with some old ones. They have all been extremely supportive. I have been very blessed with sponsorship by some of the very best people in the sports arena. There names are on my home page and my jersey, and I am proud to have them there. I only hope I have returned a tenth of what they have given me.

    The Ironman is 9 days away. I am already trying to make sure I am "in the moment." Last night was my last workout at JR's. I did 2 sets of my usual 3 set workout. It's so easy to take things for granted, and as I worked out, I looked around and took it all in. I made some good friends down there too. What a great environment it's been for me, and what a tremendous help to my endurance and my psyche. I don't want to lose any of those connections.

    Before I rode down there, I put new tires on the QR. The flats were adding up, and doing the simple math, 3 flats equaled one new tire. I still have a new set for race day, those will go on next week. Bill, at Adventure Bicycle has really been helping me out there too. If you need a new bike, parts or maintenance, they are a great shop to go to. After my workout was done, I sat and talked with JR about the race, and some strategies. I felt a little like I was leaving home, and I wasn't in any hurry to do so. It wasn't until JR had to help another client, that I finally got up and got on my bike to ride home. It was almost dark already, but I had my lights. I rode through the darkening day, very aware it was the last night ride for a while. Which may be a good thing. Even with my lights, I had one car back out of a driveway in front of me and two cars turn left in front of me. I had to slow for all three, but it was only the last car that put me in a little higher heart rate zone. He started to turn, saw me, slowed, decided to go anyway, realized he was too close to me and veered right again. I would have avoided him either way, but there's always that moment of not knowing. As I rode up the canal in the dark, I could see a white cat with black spots crouched along the path. Just as I neared it, it darted right in front of my wheel. I hit the brakes hard or I would have hit him, probably not doing either of us any good. "Get me home safely Lord" I prayed. A mishap at this point would be disastrous.

    I had a 3 mile run this morning on the canal. Even though I didn't get the long runs in like I would have liked, I am very thankful to Zogisle and Dr. Werber at In Motion Foot and Ankle Specialists for figuring out my calf and achilles issues. I can run and walk without the soreness I've had for so long. Those guys know their stuff, too. I highly recommend them.

    Now I need to get through the next week of lighter workouts without putting on any weight. It's been a long time since I had to think about that......

    Todays funny:



A guy is driving around
the back woods of Montana and he sees a sign in
front of a broken down shanty-style house:
'Talking Dog For Sale ' He rings the bell and
the owner appears and tells him the dog is in
the backyard.

The guy goes into
the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador
retriever sitting
there.

'You talk?' he
asks.

'Yep,' the Lab
replies.

After the guy
recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk,
he says 'So, what's your story?'
The Lab looks up and
says, 'Well, I discovered that I could talk when
I was pretty young. I wanted to help the
government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all
they had me jetting from country to country,
sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders,
because no one figured a dog would be
eavesdropping.'

'I was one of their most
valuable spies for eight years running. But the
jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I
wasn't getting any younger so I decided to
settle down. I signed up for a job at the
airport to do some undercover security,
wandering near suspicious characters and
listening in. I uncovered some incredible
dealings and was awarded a batch of
medals.' 'I got
married, had a mess of puppies, and now I'm just
retired.'

The guy is amazed.
He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants
for the dog.

'Ten dollars,' the
guy says.

'Ten dollars? This
dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him
so cheap?'

Because he's a
liar. He never did any of that stuff.

11/10/2009 #1695

2009-11-10T17:55:00Z

    My taper has officially started. When do I start feeling stronger? I had my last long workouts over the weekend. On Saturday, I did a one hour bike ride (19.5 miles) then a somewhat slow and clumsy transition in the front seat of my truck before heading down the canal for a 15 mile run. I must be spending a lot of time on the canal, because I see a lot of people I know there now. I saw Samantha coming back from her run as I started my bike, and passed Charlie as he was running. Just into my run Georgie and Lisa rode up behind me on their mountain bikes, and we talked as they rode beside me for a while. How many of you know about Arizona Falls? I didn't know about it until just this year when I started doing long runs. I think its about 56th St and the canal. I finally slowed enough to take a picture this trip, as it may be a while before I run down there again. The picture doesn't do it justice, it is pretty cool looking in person.

    I was a little encouraged by my run, 15 miles in 2:09, but I know it gets progressively more difficult as the time goes on, and 15 is still a long ways from 26.2. I am going in to this with my goal of <12 hours still, but I know it will be a stretch to get there. Whatever it ends up, that's what it will be. I still believe it all will come down to the run and what I have left in my legs.

    Sunday I did the DCB Adventures open water swim at Tempe Town Lake. My time was very close to the last swim at lake Pleasant, about 1:23 or so, but I felt a little better during this swim. I purposely put myself right in the middle of the pack for a little close proximity swimming practice.

    Thats me on the bottom left, the sleeve that mistakenly says "speedsuit" on it. I only had to re adjust my goggles once. I have been having some itchy eyes the last couple weeks, and after getting out of the water hers, my left eye has been bright red. So now I'm putting drops in to remedy that situation. Always something. Congrats to Grant Smith for first place overall in the swim series. I had my bike with me, so I made another transition and set off with Kim, Brigid and Jason on the IM loop. Since I planned to ride out 25 miles and turn around, I set off ahead as they were turning around at approximately 18.5 miles. I got just a mile or so ahead and had a rear flat tire. I was fixing it as the three of them rode by me. I caught them again and rode ahead and was about 10-12 miles further when the rear went flat again. I think my rear tire is on it's last legs, but I am trying to scratch out another week before putting my new tires on. I need to make a few patches though if Im going to make it. I didn't want to be 5 miles out the Beeline with no tubes or air, so I waited for Brigid and Jason, and rode back in with them, ending up at 38.5 miles. I also met Karen at Tempe Beach Park, and we did a little photo shoot on the bike. She takes some amazing pictures, including the swim photo above. Sunday was another long day, leaving home around 9 am, and not returning until about 5:30.

    Monday felt like a day off. I straight 2,000 meter swim at the pool, and a visit to the doc for eye drops. Then grocery shopping, so still didn't get home until time to make dinner. Why is my house such a wreck?

    On the bike this morning for a 20 mile , yeah twenty mile, bike ride. I can't remember the last 20 mile ride I did. About mile 16, psssst, another rear flat. $%#@ I really have to either change that tire or patch it tonight. The cost of tubes is fast off setting the cost of a new tire.

    So any day now I will start feeling the benefits of the taper right? I am looking forward to my massage with Zogisle this afternoon. My legs had a long weekend.

    Oh, my bib number is 1695.

    Todays funny: