Busy,,,

So I was going to post my weekly weight update this evening but the following happened:

-The file I needed did come through on email

-Had to pack the car and load up the bike since I am leaving to go over to Boston for the weekend. (supposed to go biking at Cape Cod)

-Had to put together a ass kicking Spin list for tomorrow morning...long story...maybe this weekend.

ok off to bed

Back At It

So vacation is over now its time to get back into the routine that is my life ...training.

My internal clock is still *#^&^!%'ed ...I fell asleep about 3:30 am and got up at 9:30am this morning. After stopping at the gym I went into work till I had to leave for an appointment at 4pm

Even though I was tired I went and did the 5:30pm Spin Class....it was so nice to be back on a decent Spin bike. I didn't make it to my class this morning but they were aware that I might not be there since I was getting in from vacation.

So yeah it's back to my rut...I mean routine. Fall classes at the Y start after Labor Day and being an instructor I have a preliminary schedule so I am going to sit down and plan out my exercise classes.

Well I am going to hit the 5:30am class tomorrow so it's off to bed with me...

I Need Your Help

"I swear that I will never lie to you again because now I see the destructive power of a lie they're stronger than truth... cause I'm a liar, yeah I'm a liar I'll rip your mind out, I'll turn you into me I'll turn you into me cause I'm a liar, a liar liar, liar, liar, liar"

Henry Rollins: Liar

So I thought I wouldn't post here while I was on vacation but I had to get this out before the end of the week.

I am considering changing the name of my blog and I need some help... I think recently my Attention Deficit Disorder has kicked in and I need to shake up things up. After my last race I am going to be changing the name of my blog because I am kicking around the idea of starting a podcast to go along with the blog and I want a more catchy name....but I need your help.

So what you need to do is go to the blog site and vote in the poll I have placed on the right side panel.
The choices are for Round 1 are:

• Lost In Transition
• Neoprene Dreams
• Threesome Anyone?
• Swim, Bike, Run, Rinse...Repeat
• I Don't Date, I Train
• iTRI: Season 2.0
• Stories From the Back of the Pack
• Me Tri, Therefore I Is
• No Change from Current title
• Write in your Own suggestion (leave as a comment and might appear in Round 2)

Round 1 voting is until Sept. 1 then Round 2 will begin based on how round 1 goes.

I now return you back to my other soon to be renamed blog for my exciting vacation coverage

On Vacation

So I probably won't be posting here while I am out in California unless something very exciting happens Triathlon training related (although the Olympic competition is this weekend).

By the time you read this I should be in California, sitting in the Chicago airport still, or stranded somewhere in the Rockies wondering how long until I have to resort to cannibalism because the plane has crashed. If we have to make a water landing I hope I have enough time to grab my wetsuit out of my carry-on and get it on w/o Body Glide

Anyway I hope to be able to upload pictures and stuff to my other blog (soon to be renamed)

So I got to run and finish packing then try and get some sleep my flight is @ 5:30am

Weekly Updates

So it was that time of the week this morning for my always epic confrontation with the scales. Going in I was worried since I was over at a friends this past weekend and strayed off the routine, but I did well considering…

Besides nearly killing myself at the gym I have been focusing on watching my food intake. I like to use Gatorade during Spin Classes so I have been using the G2 which is the lower calorie kind. I think I am going to be switching over to PowerAde Zero which has more flavors and no calories and doesn’t taste like it has been watered down. I have also quit stopping at Starbucks after teaching Spin for my venti Nonfat Hot chocolate...it's been tough.

My goal is to be at 215 lbs by the Nantasket race. I can’t go under 200 lbs (which I don’t think I can do in a month anyway) because I am registered in the Clydesdale division. If I can reach this weight, than I will be at least 20 lbs lighter than I was when I did my first race back in July. I have put the chart back up and the pictures below on the wall of my cubicle at work so that when I get tempted to eat or cheat on the diet I will remember:

Yeah scary ain’t it…print it off if you have rats you want to get rid of.

So here is the updated of the schedule for the next month leading up to my races:

August:
15^th – 24^th : In California
28^th – September 1^st : Boston

September:
4^th – 6^th : In Pennsylvania
11^th – 14^th : In Cleveland
19^th – 21^st : In Boston for Nanatasket Triathlon
27^th – 28^th : In Dartmouth, MA for Buzzard’s Bay Triathlon

'Well it's that time again where I go to bed ... 5:30 am Spinning in the morning.

T-shirts

Nothing much to report on training wise today...

I had a few appointments after work so I had to miss the gym and the Crystal Lake simulator this evening. I was going to ride he bike this evening but my knee has been hurting again and I am rationing my patches since my insurance is run by a bunch of pinko commies and won't cover them...

So I am sitting here at home in the dark...trying to motivate myself to start packing. I am surfing the internet looking at triathlon shirts. T-shirts are the extra bonus of doing a race. I was think about designing one to commemorate Season 1 but I have no artistic talent. I am so bad I can't even draw a stick figure...
Apparently they look something like this according to a Google search:
Now I have been here for the past hour and this is the best I can come up with(even using MS paint):
Poor guy looks like he is in pain....

Anyway here are my Top 5 favorite designs:
5.4
.3.2.1.
So it looks like all the good ideas are taken...I might need professional help
Well I have wasted enough of your time hopefully so I better get packing since I have to teach in the morning.

Not That Anyone Cares....

but I am trying to decide how to get my wetsuit out to California so I hopefully get in an ocean swim or two while I am out there on vacation.

Now normal people would probably take it easy if they were on vacation...not me.

I have already located a YMCA which is about 2 mies from my relatives house and have already called and got the Spin schedule...which means I will be packing my bike shoes along with my swim gear.

I was going to ship everything out there in the mail but that would mean I would have to teach my Wednesday class w/o my shoes which is not going to happen plus if I mailed it I would have to insure the thing since I paid a pretty penny for both my bike shoes and wetsuit.

I think I am just going to take the wetsuit in my carry on and pack the rest of my gear in my checked luggage.

I guess everyone can sleep easier now....

This morning's Interval Spin workout playlist:

Well got to get ready and head to bed...4:30 am comes early

Workout: August 3rd -9th

So it's a 2 post day...the one I did earlier today was supposed to be posted last night but I was tired.

Sunday:
Lake Placid Swim - 1.2 mile

Monday:
Taught 5:30 am morning Spin Class (Strength Workout)
Evening: Spin/Run Brick

Tuesday:
5:30am Spin Class
Open Water Swim (.55 mile) @ Crystal Lake

Wednesday:
Taught 6:15am Spin Class (Strength Workout)
Evening Master Swim:
500 yd warmup
50 yd kick (8 on 1m 45sec)
150 yd swim (6 on 2 m 30 sec)
100 yd Pull (8 on 1m 30 sec)

Thursday:
5:30am Spin Class
5:30pm Spin Class*
*supposed to be a Swim/Spin Brick but pool closed due to weather

Friday:
REST DAY

Saturday
1 mile run
Ocean Swim
---------------
This coming week is going be a busy one since I am leaving for vacation on Friday.

Well off to bed gotta teach Spin at 5:30 am

Nantasket Race Scouting Trip

So I am over in Boston for the weekend...

Besides getting out of Albany and visiting friends, the main reason for the trip over here was to checkout the course for my upcoming race.

The original plan for yesterday was for me and a friend to do the Brewster Brew Run, which is a 5.2 mile run then go down to Hull on Sunday. However, after much thought we decided that driving ~2 hours or so and the thought of having to deal with all the people down at the Cape then it would have been more of a headache then fun.

So instead we headed over to Hull yesterday afternoon. The first thing we did was drive the bike course which looks like it is going to be a super fast one. The word "flat" is kind of an understatement, and there are only two small and short inclines which should be no problem...especially after biking in Conn. The only thing that concerns me is that the roads are really not that great in some places with cracks and grooved pavement. Other than that it is a very scenic route and should be fun.

After we drove the course we went for a run on the beach so I could get a feel for what the run is going to be like. It was not as bad as I thought it would be and actually found it better than running on the pavement. We only did about a mile or so because there were people on the beach which turned it into an obstacle course...I almost got clocked in the head with a football.

So after the quick run on the beach it was time for the main reason I wanted to check out the course: the Ocean Swim. Now I hadn't swam in the ocean since I was 13 years old and have never really been a big fan of the ocean anyway...maybe it was seeing JAWS at a young age or something like that.

Anyway...so I got my wetsuit and swim gear and headed down to the beach. After suiting up( Sorry battery ran out on camera) I ventured out into the water. I was hoping to have a chance to do some more reading online about proper technique for an ocean swim. So my goal was to get used to the feel of the water and surf. I swam out a bit to get the feel of swimming hrough the waves and looking in the water which is perhaps the most uncomfortable thing for me. I guess I kept expecting to see a shark or something but nothing. I went back to shore and got a drink of Power ADE to get the salt taste of of my mouth before going back in to the water.

So I think that I still have a lot of work to do but I think that come race day I will have no problem with the swim.

As I was on the beach taking my wetsuit off this guy asked me why I had a wetsuit on so I explained to him what I was doing and talked to him for a bit about before we left and came back to the house for dinner.

Overall the trip calmed some of my apprehension about the race but I still a bit nervous ...hopefully they won't chum the water before teh start of the race.

Thank You Sir, May I Have Another?

Masochism
1. gratification gained from pain, deprivation, degradation, etc., inflicted or imposed on oneself, either as a result of one's own actions or the actions of others, esp. the tendency to seek this form of gratification.
2. the act of turning one's destructive tendencies inward or upon oneself.
--------------------
So after much thought I have decided that my race on September 21st is not going to be my last race of the season. Remember back after the Pinebush I was trying to decide between the two races over in Massachusetts and I picked the NANTASKET SPRINT? Well at the time I picked that race because I thought I would possibly beoing over to Cleveland to see an Indians game. Well this week I was checking the schedule and it turns out I was wrong and they do not have a game the weekend of September 28th.

So I was thinking what can I do??? Then I remembered that the Buzzard Bay triathlon was that weekend. Tuesday I rode with my tri-coach to the Crystal Lake practice and told her about my next race and about the Buzzard Bay race.

So Wednesday and Thursday I started batted around the idea of possibly doing the second race but was wondering if it might be too much since they are one week apart. So I asked my coach last night and she said it would be fine since they are both Sprint races and I could do the Buzzard's Bay as a simulator if I wanted.

So the race is:
1/3 mile Ocean Swim
14.75 miles Bike
3.25 mile (5k) run


So it should be a challenging race

Maybe I could find a race in October....Yeah I am a glutton for punishment

Building a Better Triathlete

A want to be triathlete - barely in shape. Gentlemen, we can rebuild him, we have the technology. Better than he was before. Better, stronger, faster.

---------------------------------------------------------
So two weeks into my weight lose program here is where things stand:

I will admit not bad but still along way from my goal of 200. I guess practically living at the gym is beginning to pay off somewhat, also made changes to my eating habits...tuna and jalapeños mustard or spicy mustard is the best wrap ever.

I have been thinking about what I will do after my race in September during the off season. Then again what is this thing called “off-season”?

I am toying with the idea of getting a personal trainer to help get me in shape for next season since I would like to do The Spirit of Morgantown, which is an Olympic distance race. In order to do this I need to drop weight, build muscle, and improve my cycling and running.

In a perfect world I could do this on my own but I need someone there cracking the whip and pushing me and making sure I do it correctly.

The following needs to be done:

1. Work on strengthening the CORE and dropping weight
2. These have got to go
3. Flabby arms into lean muscle
4. Work on building strength in legs and knee

It's doable just going to take some work.

Well off to bed...might do the 5:30am Spin class....

Beat

Tired...just got in from Crystal Lake...going to hang up wetsuit...then bed...must teach Spin in morning

Neoprene Dreams: Director's Commentary

So if you don’t know by now I am not taking up residence with the fish at the bottom of Mirror Lake... sorry to disappoint some of you

So I got up Saturday morning as planned and hopped in the car and began the long trek up to Lake Placid. I stopped to get gas and Starbucks hot chocolate. Sitting in the parking lot of Price Chopper I input one of the shops that I was going to stop at only to have the GPS tell me that there was no such address. So I just told it to take me to Main Street and I would just find the shops from there. The drive up was uneventful once I got off the Interstate and headed towards Lake Placid then it began pouring down the rain then slacked off to a sprinkle.

The first stop I made was High Peaks Cyclery since they were right there as I made the turn onto Main Street. I tried on two different large wetsuits: a ZOOT (which was the high end suit) and a 2XU which was a basic model. I have never sweated like that before in my life. Getting the suits on was especially difficult in a 3 x 3 dressing room and trying to be careful enough not to tear the thing. The owner was nice, maybe a bit too nice. He kept telling me how great the ZOOT was, how he used one, and that he would give me an extra 25% discount. The 2XU just felt like I was incased in rubber. So after trying on the two different suits I said that this was the first place I had stopped and I wanted to check out the other place I had researched on the internet. The one really cool thing was that they had weekly mini triathlons.

So I left there and went on to Placid Planet where I tried on a ROO and two different NINETEEN wetsuits. I first tried on the XL just so I could see how it felt compared to the Large. By the time I had tried on the last wetsuit I noticed that the tip of my middle finger on my right hand hurt and when I looked down I noticed that I had a huge blister on the tip of my finger (my first Neoprene induced injury).

By this time it was raining steadily again and I was seeing my chances of swimming the course slowly go down the tube. I left Placid Plant because I needed to think about the different suits. I decided that if I could find a cheap motel room I would just spend the night and hope the weather was clear enough for me to do the swim in the morning. I finally found this place just outside of town for $65 for the night, nothing extravagant just something functional with no bite marks in the soap. So after reserving my room I went back to Placid Planet and bought the large NINETEEN wetsuit (obviously the one I had in the clips I posted last night) and I also bought some BODY GLIDE…that stuff is wonderful. The selling point for me was the red material in the arm area just made it easy for me to move my arm and an added bonus is that 19 in Stephen King’s Dark Tower saga (some of my favorite books) is a mysterious and important number which is used as a powerful key.

As I was checking out I asked if they could give me the bike route for the IRON MAN race.

Before I set out to drive the Bike course I stopped by the lake just to check out the facilities there and see if there was somewhere I could stash my stuff while in the lake. When I got there the guards were still there sitting out of the rain and I asked them about the course and if there was a place for me to put my gear. So I talked to them for about 15 minutes before starting my drive of the bike course.

The course looked challenging in places especially where it went up hill and around the mountains…given time and more biking experience I could probably do it. It took me about an hour to drive and entered back into Lake Placid right by my motel so I stopped off and put my wet suit and gym bag in the room before heading to the Lake Placid Brew Pub. Before heading to dinner I walked down Main Street…too many people and shops for my taste. Anyway I went over to the Brew Pub and had dinner then went back to the room and went to bed…yes an exciting night in Lake Placid for me…

So the forecast was for showers in the morning and T-Storms in the afternoon but as usual I kept waking up during the night and I would look out the window to see if it was raining and it wasn’t until about 6 or 7 AM. So I got to the lake and suited up, had to have one of the guards help zip up the back of my wetsuit.

The water really wasn’t that bad temperature wise even on my feet which weren’t covered by the wetsuit. I waded out and flopped around in the water for awhile, getting used to the feel of the wetsuit before starting the course.

So I started out at a good clip but pulled back and started working on taking long strokes and gliding in the water. I was following the line underwater which the buoys on top were attached to for my sighting. After awhile I lost the line in the water and decided to start sighting on the buoys floating on the surface which is a good thing I did because I was drifting to the right away from the course markings. So after a few times bringing my head out to sight my goggles started to fog so I stopped, rolled over on my back, and wiped the lenses.

Actually looking back this is what went through my head:
-wow I have swam that far already and I am not that tired
-holy crap I can’t see the beach
-if I get a cramp or BONK I am SOL
-!COOL! (brief exhilaration of life on the edge)
-I can probably make it to the side of the lake if need by and this wetsuit is keeping me up pretty well
-I had a somewhat decent run

Now would be the time to mention that the course is SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. There are no lifeguards in canoes patrolling the area like there are at Crystal Lake or divers at the corners to assist swimmers who may get pushed under in the turns like they do during the race.

While cleaning my goggles I also noticed it had started to sprinkle again so I decided to get moving again because with my luck the Thunderstorms would have rolled in early. After the second right turn I was heading back to shore alternating between working on my stroke and short periods of breaststroke. Finally the beach started to come into sight, I wonder if there were people on the shore wondering if that lite green thing out in the lake was some idiot out swimming the course…I hope so. About 40 yds from the beach I looked back and saw that off behind me was another swimmer. I booked the last yards until I started to see the bottom of the lake and looking for a place that did not have any rocks that I would step on or catch the wetsuit on and nick it. After finding a place to stand up I walked up the beach, taking off my swim gear and unzipping the wetsuit as I went back to the Guard Office. NOTE TO SELF: Next time use Body Glide around the neck.

-----

Got home last night about 6pm after running some errands once I got back into town and stopped at the gym and the hot tub before heading home and throwing together the following Spin list that I used for the 5:30am class I covered this morning:

It was tough since I went to bed about 9:30 and didn’t fall asleep until after midnight and then was up a few times before pulling my sorry butt out of bed and getting to the gym around 5:10 with just enough time to change and get setup before starting the class.

Well it’s getting late and I am planning on doing the 5:30 class tomorrow morning which means I got some staring at the ceiling to do…I guess I can decide if I am going to do Crystal Lake or Pilates class tomorrow evening...

Neoprene Dreams

The following clips were found on a camera with upload instructions...

Lake Placid Preview(VIDEO BLOG)

SICKBOY MULTIMEDIA INC
in
ASSOCIATION
WITH

TRI-CONFESSION PICTURES

PRESENTS

UGH!

I can't sleep!

I should be worn out but for some reason I can't fall asleep. It's close to 2 am which means I have all most been up 24hrs.
-Got up at 4:45 since I had to teach Spin this morning at the Albany YMCA
-Went to work
-Went to the gymand did and 1.5 hrs of strength training on the cross trainer then swam an hour with the Master Swimmers

I should be out cold...but I am not

I laid down at my normal time of 9:30 pm and since then I have been up and down, tried reading, relaxation/meditation techniques, and even played solitaire and Monopoly on my Ipod. My head is racing at 100 mph and I can't getsong Leave Out All the Rest by Linkin Park out of my head.

I mean I have pills to help me sleep but I don't like to take them

I don't know guess I should go back upstairs and stare at the ceiling some more

I hate this....

Gearing up...again

So last night I talked to George, who is one of the Spin instructors at the gym who has actually completed an Iron Man Race. I was getting some pointers on swimming in the ocean and seeing if a wetsuit would be worth getting for my upcoming race and what I should look for in one. Basically he said it would be a useful thing to have even though he felt my swim technique was really strong.

I am planning on making a day trip up to Lake Placid, NY to actually try on the wetsuits instead of trying to order one blindly on the internet and risk getting one that does not fit correctly.

Today I was on Chainlove and picked up a pair of cycling glasses.
The pair of glasses I have been using are a bit too dark and its hard to see the road. I have been looking for a pair of these glasses with the polarized lenses that you can switch but I wasn't ready to pay $150 for a pair. But I got a good deal on these and will check them out and if I don't like them I will just send them back because they have a great and easy return policy.

Probably also going to look into getting a different shirt for the ride if I don't get a cycling jersey before the race.

-------
So here is an article which came out this afternoon about the recent deaths during triathlons this season.

Recent Triathlon Deaths Have Experts Searching for Answers

Creepy....

So I am posting this from work via Email...hopefully it works.

So I was just taking a break from the ever exciting world of Corporate Compliance and found these two articles. This past weekend 2 more people died doing Triathlons:

New Jersey
Idaho

Maybe I need to draw up my Last Will and Testament now and take out more insurance.

Social Pariah

So I think I must lie in bed at night thinking the following: "What can I do tomorrow that will continue to out me as a social pariah?

Well for tomorrow's 5:30am Spin class I think I have really out done myself. Now not to stereotype my fellow geeks but when normal people think of those of us who collect, read, and enjoy comic books (they are not GRAPHIC NOVELS) the first thing that probably comes to mind is the following picture:

So the title my class is UP, UP, & AWAY: WHO WANTS TO BE A SUPERHERO? Yes, I have somehow managed to combine my two obsessions: Spinning and Comic books. I mean who wouldn't want to have super powers?

One thing I have learned from reading and collecting comics is that at anytime I can be in an accident and possibly walk away with some type of superpower. I am sure that everyone at some point in their life wished they had superpowers. We all want to see through things orto be able to crush cars with our bare hands. Why? Who knows. But once you had a few crushed cars lying around your yard, you can bet you'd come up with a use for them. Super powers are why astronauts do what they do, I'm sure of it. Out in the zero gravity of space I bet you feel superhuman.

"Look, I can lift this twelve ton satellite...with my pinkie!"

Anyway, it would be my luck that I would get some type of superpower that was really lame like the ability to add numbers in my head really quick or have enhnaced senses that only told me when items have gone bad in the fridge.

So putting together a Superhero related playlist is not the easiest thing to do. There are a ton of songs out with references to the Big Blue Boy Scout, Superman but finding songs with other heroes is a bit harder. Sure there are songs from the various soundtracks from movies like Batman and other properties but who really likes Batdance by Prince? Now I am not a big Superman fan so in this workout as you can see below starts out with the Superman Theme and then I kill him. Also in this mix I give the one guy who gets no respect, some respect finally...talking about Aquaman, sure it's debatable as to if talking to fish is really a superpower but I am sure he could be a cool character if done right. I can really identify with Aquaman especially in these songs about him, but you will have to find out for yourself.

The Playlist:

"You guys think just because a guy reads comics he can't start some %&#%$?"

-Mallrats

Confession: Why I Really Tri

"Because it is there."
George Mallory (1886-1924), answer to the question 'Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest ?'

Driving home from Connecticut this evening I was listening to this podcast on the sport of triathlon called Get Your Geek On. The show is hosted by two triathletes who talk about different aspects of the sport and provide coaching tips and motivational advice. One segment that they do is called "Surprise a Triathlete" where they call one of the listeners or tri bloggers and basically talk about how and why they got into triathlon. This got me thinking what would my response be if I had to truthfully answer that question so here it is:

I have now lived in the Albany for 2 years and if you had told me when I first moved here that in 2 years I would have done a triathlon and getting ready to do another one I would have laughed. If I had to give a one-word answer for why I now Tri it would be BOREDOM. Back when I joined the YMCA a few months after I started work. My main goal was to lose weight and get into shape so I could feel better about myself. I was at the gym twice a day, first thing in the morning and in the evenings and lost 40 lbs in 6 months. Yes I as I said I was trying to get in shape but I was also bored and the idea of sitting at home alone doing nothing doesn't appeal to me. Going to the gym was also a way for to release the stress in a constructive manner. When I broke my wrist I was still goin to the gym twice a day...and sitting in the hot tub. Wednesday evenings I remember sitting in the hot tub and seeing this group of people swimming laps and then get out and the next thing I knew they were dressed in their running clothes and congregating at the entrance (which can be seen from the pool area). One day I happened to strike up a conversation with one of the guys in the locker room and he mentioned he was in the tri-club and I think I said that was cool and something I had never done or thought I could do.

Flash forward to January and I was taking one of Lisa's Spin classes and she was talking about how she was training for a race and I thought that it sounded interesting and she had already convinced me to become a certified Spin instructor and told me that I should consider stopping by the tri club informational meeting. So having nothing else to do, because my life was boring and I was getting sick of working out twice a day, I went and figured that I had nothing else going on so I would give it a try at least for one session. I continued on because it provided a social outlet...one thing I really don't have.

By the time the race rolled around yeah I was excited, but in a sense it was just the next step in the process. It was a huge accomplishment but I see it as merely a first step. I want to do longer races...perhaps a long term goal of an IRON MAN in the future.

Well right now I got the free time... and it's there...

Tour de France Name Dropping

So this morning I was watching the last stage of the Tour de France. All I can say is I wish I could ride like that. I actually went to Montessori School with Will Frischkorn one of the members of the Slipstream Sports Team.
Here is a really cool article about him.

Let the Countdown Begin...

So if you have been to the actual blog you will see that I have a countdown till it is time to race again. Thing is that the next month and a half leading up to the race is going to be pretty busy.

July 28th -August 3: Normal week, subbing the 5:30am Spin class on Tuesday
August 4th - 10th: Normal week, planning on heading to Boston the 8th - 10th to scout out the race course.
August 11th - 14th: Busy Week with work and packing and getting ready to go on vacation
August 15th - 24th: In California on vacation, have already started looking for a YMCA to use so I can still do some training and working out
August 25th - 28th: Back to work and recovering
August 29th - September 1st: Labor day, either going to be in Vermont or Boston not sure yet but will be taking my bike with me either place.
September 2nd -18th: Back to the Doctor to have my knee reevaluated, nothing planned as of yet except for really getting ready for the race
September 19th - 20th: Head over to Boston and race prep
September 21st: RACE DAY
------
Yeah it's going to be a busy and hectic month and a half but I think I can stay focused. One thing that I really want to focus on is trying to drop some weight. This means one thing for me...going easy on the BEER. I occasionally like to kick back in the evening and have a brew after a long day of work and on the weekends knock a few back but I am not going to do what I did 2 weeks before my first race...Go to BeerFest. Now I have only skimmed the NUTRITION chapter in the Triathlete's Bible but I don't remember seeing anything that advocates large amounts of beer 2 weeks before a race...if you have a copy that does, let's trade.

That was one of the great things after the Pine Bush was the Tri Club picnic...uh I had..uh...well...okay I didn't count but I had my fair share and felt no guilt because I earned it that morning.

Anyway I am feeling good right now and looking forward to race day...

Way To Much Free Time...

So I have had to much free time this evening.

Added two new thing to the blog layout (you all who get the email post will have to go look at the blog) to see the two things I have added to the layout...they are cool...okay one of them is me looking like a dork but that's nothing new...

Actual post tomorrow.

Good to Go...(For Now)

So I went to see my orthopedic doctor this afternoon to have wrist and knee checked out:
Wrist:
The doctor said my wrist should be fine. He pulled the MRI report that I everything looked good and in alignment. In his opinion the discomfort I still have is due to the way the bones broke.

A normal across the bone fracture
The way mine broke (may have drawn it going the wrong way)

Basically because mine went diagonal into the joint then that was probably the reason for the continued pain that I have.

Right Knee:
He said that the tendinitis in my knee was pretty noticeable due to the amount of swelling and inflammation. He told me that I should continue to ice it, avoid stairs when possible, and adjust my workouts so I am not over excreting it. He also gave me this new Flector patch which is an anti inflammatory that I have to wear 12 hrs a day (except when I am sleeping) The highlight of the night was shaving my knee at the gym so I don't pull any hair off my wookie like legs.


He said at this time I could go ahead and do my race in mid Sept. but I have to go back at the beginning of the month for a checkup. Worse case scenario the tendon could become like a peanut shell and they would have to go in an repair it but I would be healed in time for next season.

So I registered this evening for the The Fantastic Nantasket Beach Triathlon
on September 21st. More to come on this...


okay...tired...not much sleep last night...maybe tonight

It's Back

So I wasn't going to post anything tonight but my insomnia is back and I don't want to be upstairs staring at the ceiling, so if I have to suffer so do you...well I guess you could stop reading. So I did the 5:30am Spin Class this morning...gotta love hill attacks first thing in the morning.

I was considering going out to Crystal Lake and doing the Swim Course but it was pouring the rain so I went to the gym and figured I would do the evening Spin class. Got there around 4:30 figured I would make the class interesting by doing 450yds (swim distance of my next race....hopefully) swam the distance in about 10 minutes hopped out, changed and headed upstairs to the Spin room. When I got there the fitness director said that Lisa, who was subbing for Jen, was not able to make it and asked if I wanted to sub for the sub. So I said that I would since I had my stuff already there from last night's class. Basically did the same workout with a different playlist that I made up as I went. I told the class that tonight I would be a benevolent Go...instructor and let them choose 80's, 90's, current, or mix and the first response was 80's so thats what I used:
My book on running came today so I going to take it with me to read at the doctor's office. I hope I find something out about my wrist and knee...

Okay back upstairs to bed and try to sleep...got to get up to teach Spin in 4 hrs

SPIN list and Sad News

As promised here is the playlist from my class tonight. I was working on it and finessing it until around 4 this afternoon.

Songs 1 and 2 were warmup
Songs 3,5,78,10,12,14,15 were anaerobic intervals
Songs 4,6,,9,11,13 were recovery
Songs 16 and 17 were Cool Down
-------------

Competitor dies during New York City triathlon

Found the story on Si.com today at work. Not a good year with a guy also dieing in an Iowa race a few weeks back. Puts things in perspective...though I still want to do the race in Mass. with the ocean swim. It just adds a sense of adventure to the whole thing, I mean the worst your going to probably get in a lake is some bacteria. Next year I am looking for Iron Man: Amazon ...with Piranhas. race rule: you must cut yourself before entering the water...I am sure there will be some records set.

Ok enough off to bed with me ... 4:30 comes early...yes WE ARE CRAZY!!!

This, That, and What-Not

Feel free to leave comments (for those who get it through email just go right to the blog)
---------------
So it has been a pretty crappy weekend...

Friday night I stopped at the gym on the way home to get a swim in (gotta get ready for the race in September) and I had just finished 300 yards and the lifeguard grabs my arm and tells me they are closing the pool due to lightening and thunder so I leave the gym and head home and pop in the feel good documentary of 2006 The Bridge (see review on my other blog) while planning my morning 15 mile bike ride. So after waking up at 5am(I really need to remember to turn off the alarm clock) and rolling over and sleeping until 7:30 when I finally got up and headed out the door on my ride. A mile or so into the ride the front wheel started making noise again so I turned around and came back to the house and spent the next 2 hours or so trying to figure out what was wrong using the book on bike maintainance I bought to try and work on the front brake calipers needless to say I had no luck so it is going to the shop tomorrow. I then putzed around the house until about 3 and went to the gym and did 50 minutes on the Crosstrainer and 30 minutes in the pool then came home.

This morning I got up early again and loaded music from my desktop onto the laptop so I can sync it with the Ipod. I then headed to the gym and did the 9:30 am Spin class. I walked in and the lady who liked my class thought I was teaching and was disappointed when I told her I was just there to take the class. I think I am going to start going to the Sunday morning Master's Swimming again at 8:30 then run up to the Spin class so I can get used to the Swim to Bike feeling. After that I left the gym and went to Barnes and Noble to look at the new Bible I just ordered......
I looked at some other books but this one looked the best and has some good reviews .

While I was in line for Dark Knight I started to pick songs for my Spin class tomorrow night. I had a list almost done but I decided that since I was having a crappy weekend the least I could do was to take it out on them. Currently have 48 songs I need to get down to about 16-18 which is usually an hour. It is going to be a anaerobic interval workout...I can't wait...now if I could just find my watch for my heart rate monitor. I'll try to remember to post the set list tomorrow. I was going to go in the Spin room and work on it but I got to the gym late and I wanted to get a swim in which didn't happen. One, I wasn't feeling it and two I was sharing a lane with "floppsy mcflops alot" and I was against the wall. So I did about a 500 and called it a night.

So I go to the doctor this week about my knee which should be fun...things just keep getting better...NOT!

well to bed with me sortly got to teach in the morning also...

Time To Get Serious...

***Warning this post contains pictures that may frighten small children and may cause queasiness and projectile vomiting***

So one thing I have had to deal with all my life has been my weight. I never was skinny or even "in shape" until my senior year of College. Growing up I remember trying Weight Watchers and never really having much success. Recently I have had some successes but I always end up back at the beginning. People tell me I look fine now but I know how I feel and it was evident last week during the race that I have let myself go and it is time to get back on track and stay on track. Yeah I have been fooling myself that I had been trying hard to get the weight back off before the race but I was really fooling myself.

Early Pictures

Senior Year of High School

The College Years:
People talk about the "Freshman 15" well I think I had about 20 mainly due to the fact that I was coaching youth basketball and was ordering out every night after practice since I missed dining hours. My Sophomore and Junior years we not much better since I was the league director and had more responsibilities to handle. My senior year I decided I was sick of feeling like crap so I would go out and exercise when I was not in class, studying, or doing other activities. I started out that year close to 300lbs and was around 215lbs when I graduated.

Jr Year

beginning of Senior Yr

College Graduation

So after graduating from college and after graduate school did not pan out I was working 2 part time jobs and going to the YMCA when I could but I gradually began to put the weight back on. This trend continued until the end of my second year of graduate school two years later.my second year of grad school, I was coming off of having my back surgury and it was obvious I was not going to be able to finish my Poli Sci MA in the 2 years because I had a whole sememter of work from when I was out having and recovering from the operation. I probably started the summer around 220 and was down to a nice 190lbs by the beginning of the semester. At this point I was in the gym working out with my friend who was an amauter boxer. I was feeling great about how I was looking.


Well at the end of the year I thought I would be finishing my second masters and moving on to bigger and better things...which did not happen. I ended up back home working a crappy job and I was going to the YMCA again but I did not have that motivation that I had before.
When I returned to WVU to finish my last semester I tried to go to the gym on a regular basis but was more focused on finishing my schooling. By Christmas I was getting back out of shape and not having access to the WVU rec center did not help even though I tried walking or jogging but I hurt my knee again so I had to put the stop to that. When it got to be warm enough I started trying to get back into rollerblading but I was just so worn out by the end of the day since I was substitute teaching.

Two years ago (almost to the the day) when I moved to Albany I was waaaay out of shape.
A few months after moving to the area I joined the YMCA and was consciously trying to drop weight. I changed my diet started working out at the gym religiously. I was 244 lbs when I joined the gym on that November and started my 2-a day workout session and really had gotten into shape. At the end of 3 months I had lost a total of 32lbs bottoming out around 200 before I broke my wrist last summer and basically gained everything back. I tried to continue SPINNING but having to use a sling just put so much stress on my back that it was not fun. Also before the accident I was on a schedule (which some called insane) of being able to get up and making it to the 5:30 am SPIN classes at the gym and then go back and do the evening class...well hydocodiene sure knocked that train off the tracks. Once I got the cast off I still had ~2 months of PT which was exhausting and painful.

Since then it has been a roller coaster of starting to get in a groove of working out and backsliding. But now it's time to get serious about the whole thing especially if I am going to be doing races.

Pictures

So I have received a few pictures:

Pictures of the lake

Race Day!!

Me with Fellow Tri clubbers

Ready to swim while shamelessly self promoting

Makeshift run belt

With fellow Tri clubbers after the race

Put Me on a Wheaties Box...

Play That Funky Music, White Boy....

For me music is one of the most important parts of a Spin workout. Having done Spinning classes for over a year now, I have taken classes that have used a variety of types of music…some are good and some, well not so good. For me, choosing the music for a Spin workout is probably one of the hardest parts of putting together a workout. I like for the song to match up with the workout I have planned. One thing I enjoy about teaching SPINNING is that I get to choose the music that gets played. I think part of it is that growing up I was a music buff and I told my parents I was going to be a radio DJ when I grew up and had to get a job( I think the other was a professional comedian). Now during my Freshman year of college I did train to be a DJ with the college radio station but after I finished and was certified I got so busy with classes and other activities that I never really pursued it any further. Now that I am a Spin instructor I can "DJ" to a semi-captive audience.

So the other night I was subbing the evening class at the gym and the workout was supposed to be a reenactment of the Pinebush bike route and I was just going to "go with the flow" on the music since I use my Ipod instead of burning a CD every time. Now I appriiciate most music…not a big fan of Rap or current Top 40 music, I tend more towards the current "Alternative" music plus the 80's and 90's cheese music holds a dear place in my heart (have ~2 gigs of 80's and 1 gig of 90's music currently on my Ipod).

So we were a over half way through the class and as we did the ride I told the class about my experiences during the triathlon. I was doing a recovery and the song I chose was Dinosaur Jr -Feel the Pain, yeah not a widely known song but a nice low key song for a recovery. About half way through the song one of the students said "You need to play happy songs"…so I found a happy song (Jump Jive and Wail – Brian Setzler Band) on the Ipod then proceeded to embarrass myself by finding the cheesiest songs in the collection.

So I subbed again this morning and spent an hour and a half last night putting together an Endurance ride with the following playlist:
Tarzan's Boy –Baltimora (80's)
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots - Flaming Lips (2000s)
Land of Confusion – Disturbed (2000's)
All Over You - The Spill Canvas (Current)
Can't Get Enough of You Baby – Smashmouth (90's)
Goin' Down to New York Town - Counting Crows (90's)
Future's So Bright I Got to Wear Shades - Timbuk 3 (80's)
Pork & Beans – Weezer (Current)
One Step Closer - Linkin Park (2000's)
You Get What You Give - New Radicals (90's)
Rescue Me - Hawthorne Heights (New Release)
I Want A New Drug - Huey Lewis and the News (80's)
We Can Be Heroes - The Wallflowers (90's)
The Underdog – Spoon (Current)
Great DJ - The Ting Tings (New Release)
And We Danced - The Hooters (80's)
Swing Life Away - Rise Against (Current)
Country Roads - John Denver (70's)* probably going to be in every playlist

So it's a bit schizophrenic but it was a fun playlist…hmmm better start working on the playlist for Monday night…thinking Interval Workout

Triathlon = $$$

Apparently this did not post last night...
-----------
So back in January when I first talked to Lisa (Group Exercise director and Tri-Club coach) about the possibility of doing the Pine Bush triathlon little did I know that Triathlons were the Rich Man's Sport. Since the beginning of the year I have spent money on the following preparing for my race:


SWIM GEAR
2 Swim Jammers - $14.95 each $29.90
1 pair Speedo Goggles : $10.55
SWIM TOTAL: $40.45

BIKE GEAR
1 Fuju Newest 2.0 Bike $885.00
1 Bike Helmet $ 40.00
1 pair of Shimano Clip Pedals $ 53.00
1 pair of Bike Gloves $ 16.00
1 Bike Tire Pump $ 26.00
2 Spare Tubes - 4.00 each $ 8.00 (got first tube for free)
1 Multitool $ 20.00
1 Pair or Tire Levers $ 4.00
1 Water bottle holder $ 8.00
(free water bottle)
BIKE TOTAL $1,060.00

RUN GEAR
New Balance 1110 Running Shoes $114.00

TRAINING
Winter Session 1 $ 45.00 (1 day)
Winter Session 2 $ 45.00 (1 day)
Spring Session $75.00 (2 day)
Summer Session $50.00 (2 day)
Crystal Lake session (Open Swim) $20.00
TRAINING TOTAL $235.00

PINE BUSH ENTRY FEE: $38.00

TOTAL: $1487.00

If you factor in Injuries
2 Doctor Visits ($18 copay) $54.00*
*including X-Ray of knee
8 Physical Therapy Visits ($18 copay) $144.00
TOTAL MEDICAL $198.00

NEW TOTAL $1685.00

and I was looking at Cycling jerseys the other day and found one I really like...

and yet I am not ready to part with the $80.00

My wallet hurts…..

So What Now?

So now that I have done my first Triathlon and I have been bitten by the bug.

The other race in the area that is popular is the Crystal Lake Triathlon, which is a 1/2 mile swim, 18 mile bike, and 3 mile run. Unfortunately I am going to be on vacation in California on the day of the race so I have been looking online and found two possible races:
The Fantastic Nantasket Beach Triathlon
Buzzard Bay

But if I don't do either of these I do plan on continuing my training and know where I need to work.

Swimming:

I would like to learn the Total Immersion Technique. and increase my efficiency in the water


Biking:
I really need to get comfortable and used to shifting the gears into the correct positions. Also need to work on being able to reach down and grab the water bottle while I am riding. Right now I am just focusing on balancing and staying upright.

Running:
This is where I need the most work. I think a big part of it is going to be dropping about 20-30 lbs while building lean muscle and strengthening my knee. I bought The Runner's Handbook : The Bestselling Classic Fitness Guide for Beginning and Intermediate Runners

So hopefully I can get some good tips to help me build up and become a better runner. If I can cut 5-10 minutes of my run then that would be awesome and help me improve my race times.

This is all dependent on what I find out next Wednesday when I go to see the doctor about my tendinitis in my right knee which hasn't gone away yet,

Okay really I will post the I have pictures tomorrow.

Race Day: Part 2

Before we get to the exciting conclusion of my first triathlon let me just say I slept like a rock last night until about 4:30 in the morning when the Garbage truck clunked its way through the neighborhood. I managed to roll over and go back to sleep even though my legs felt like a ton of bricks. Last night I was debating whether or not to teach my morning Spin Class at the Albany Y and this morning I decided to go ahead and cancel since I am subbing tomorrow evening, have my regular class on Wednesday morning, and also subbing the 5:30 am class on Thursday. So I slept in a bit and stopped at the Y before heading to work and sat in the hot tub which felt wonderful.

AND NOW….The REST OF THE STORY…


T1->BIKE->T2

So once I hit the beach and ran up the hill, ripping my goggles and bathing cap off as I went to my transition area. Being in the last heat was both good and bad. Good because I didn't have to deal with a lot of bikes in my way, bad because my transition crate had been knocked around and the stuff I had methodically placed to get in and out quickly had become jostled. I pulled everything out grabbed my bottle of water poured it over the feet, toweled them off quickly and flung the baby powder on them ( I then did a few quick tosses over the shoulder trying to hit my back…but I think I got more on the bike and ground and none on my back.). Threw on my shirt and shorts, threw swim stuff in my bag I put in the crate, choked down 4/5th of a bottle of Gatorade and then put on my helmet and riding gloves and ran the bike to the head of the bike path.

Once on the bike path there were 2 people about 50 yds ahead of me and I tried to keep them in sight the whole time, but I lost them when I accidentally shifted down when I was trying to shift up a gear. For the most part the bike was enjoyable yeah I was passed more than I did the passing but as I passed the volunteers and cops (occasionally asking if they would be willing to switch places) I got my wind back. I did smoke a few of the kids in the younger kids who were doing the race with their parents…who I doubt appreciated the fact that I was smack talking like…Eat my Dust, kiddie or Burned You, slowpoke (okay joking here… I think it's cool and impressive that they were doing the race). Before I knew it I was making the turn off of Old State Rd onto Fuller Station then on Western Ave. I was expecting Old State to be the more difficult part of the race but Western was tough.

I pulled into the Bike to Run transition area and headed to the Batman balloon. Now remember what I said about there being a good and bad thing about being in the last heat for the first transition? There was nothing good about this transition at all. When I found where I had setup that morning, there were bikes blocking my crate of gear. I had to fiddle with peoples bikes, trying to be a nice guy and not knock them over in the process, and grab my gear and ended up plopping down on the ground and changing my shoes and shirt and literally choking while trying to drink my bottle of Gatorade. By this time people had already finished the race and meandering back to their gear so running out of the transition area was almost like maneuvering through an obstacle course.

Total Transition and bike time: 56 min 09 sec. Overall: 349/450

THE RUN
I jogged out of the transition area still trying to get my legs to adjust from being on the bike. Ran down the hill, past one of the coaches who was cheering and once I was around the corner I had to slow down so I could adjust my knee band which ended up giving me fits the whole run. So I started walking just to get my legs back moving when the other coach, the one also racing, was running up the hill towards the finish and told me to get running which I did ..for a little bit. I basically ran for a bit then walked (was trying not to tear my groin muscle or totally screw up my knee). I would pick it back up when I would pass someone I knew who would encourage me, causing me to raise my arms like Rocky and start running again. So as I approached the loop it started to sprinkle which didn't bother me…well as I was half way through the loop heading back out to the main road the skies just opened and it began to pour down the rain. Within seconds I was drenched, couldn't see out of my sunglasses, yet oddly refreshed. So when I got back to the last water station I took some water to rinse my mouth out (I think I was starting to taste Bile) one of the kids asked if he could cool me off by throwing water on me which I politely declined since I was drenched enough already. So I told myself that no matter what I was going to run up the hill and cross the finish running (that and I saw someone in the distance behind me and I was not going to be passed). As I turned the corner the coach was there waiting for me to come back and she was like "You look comfortable with your running" well I couldn't lie and told her I had been walking on and off because of my knee. So I ran up the hill with the coach telling me to relax and reminded me that "we spit on hills" (which I did). Truth be told I was running out of fear of what she would do if started to walk. I turned the corner into the YMCA parking lot and ran across the finish line as the race clock hit 2 hours 8 minutes and 30 seconds.
Total Run Time: 39 min 26 secs. Overall: 356/450

MY TOTAL TIME: 1 Hour 41 Minutes and 31 Seconds. Overall: 349/450

I then had to do what had to be the hardest thing of the whole race... getting my timing chip off without collapsing. I then posed for pictures with the people I trained with, drank a ton of Gatorade, ate some bananas and hung around waiting for them to post the times. Finally after the awards ceremony I caught the shuttle back to the lake to pick up my car and gear at the lake. Then before heading home, I stopped at Fleet Feet and picked up a gift to myself for completing my first(of hopefully many) Triathlon….

I then went home hung up my wet gear and shoes…


Hit the swimming pool and then headed to the Tri-Club Picnic which was fun swapping stories from the day, hanging out, and eating foods like Cheesecake that I tried to avoid for the past months.
Some of the TRI-CLUB members

Overall I am proud of my times…especially for my first race and the injuries I have been dealing with while training. Now that I have a time I can start training in a few weeks to do better next year, a post for later this week perhaps. I think that completing the race ranks up there with such accomplishments as my schooling and earning my Eagle Scout.

I am so ready and pumped to do the Pine Bush Triathlon again next year and perhaps other races this summer if I am clreared by the doctor.
----
So I was sitting at work this afternoon and I get a phone call at my desk.
The following is the actual conversation...
Me: "Cost and Revenue this is Chad"
"This is the guard"
Now I thought why is the National Guard calling me at work...is this someone pranking me?
"There is a delivery for you down here"
Me: "uh ok be down to pick it up, thanks"
Really I thought this was a prank...as it turns out my mother sent me a cookie basket congratulating me...now it made sense why she asked me for the office location when I called after the race to tell her I was still alive and had finished the race.

Who Knew Accomplishment Tasted So Good With Milk?

------

Well off to bed if I am going to try to make it to Spin at 5:30 am and have to teach the evening class...

I will posting more pictures as people send them to me...I have a few already