No turning back now

I did it. There's no turning back now. I sent in the registration for the March 16th Stealth duathlon as an age grouper 30-34. Looks like the Stealth will be my coming out race. LOL. I hope to be below 200 lbs by then. I'll race the 30-34 even if I'm not below 200 on race day because even if I'm not sub 200 by the Stealth I will be by my next planned race. I have 3.5 weeks to lose 10 lbs.

I got a look at the results of the John Stermer duathlon that happened in early Feb at White Sands Missile range. There were only 2 men in my age group. One of them was Juan Braino, I've beaten him before. Looks like I passed up a great opertunity to get some points in my new division. You snooze you loose.

Thanks for tuning in!

back again & an Xterra

Last week I had to drive to Lubbock TX to visit my Aunt who had an aneurysm removed from her brain. I was there for 3 days & during that time I shoveled everything I could into my mouth. I was raiding the vending machines, & leaving any restaurants I visited in an emergency shortage situation. By the time I left Lubbock I was weighing in at 220.

The day after I returned from Lubbock I got back on the diet wagon. I've lost 6 of the 10 lbs. gained. I'm not going to beat myself up over the gain because it's been my MO that at the times I'd gained a little weight I'd say screw it & stop watching my diet at all. That didn't happen this time.

The day I returned I was dedicated again. That's good news in my mind. I consider this progress.

I've always wanted to do an Xterra triathlon. I've been in good enough shape to complete one for at least 3 years. What has stopped me is that my MTB is a 1994 rigid frame Raleigh mountain bike that is too large for me. I figure if I was going to do an Xterra I'd do it right or not at all. I've been saving & praying for a new or used MTB with shocks for about 6 months. Since my wife has become a stay at home Mom funds have been short, so in 6 months I've saved a whopping $160. While in annual training for work this last week someone who knows me as a triathlete asked if I was ever planning on trying my hand at an Xterra. When I told him of my plans he smiled & walked away. I didn't think much of his odd behavior because we correctional officers are an odd bunch in general. The next day he showed up with a MTB with front shocks, & he gave it to me. It was a bike he had won from a sweep stakes held by Bullet Bourbon. There was only one given out per state, he won it & gave it to me. It is light, fast, in mint condition & has less than 4 miles on it. God is so good to me. Its amazing to me how he answers prayers even when it is something as frivolous as whether or not I have top of the line equipment for an off road triathlon. Life is good when Gods on my side.

quicky

Haven't had much time to post recently. I had to go out of town to visit a sick relative in the hospital. I gained 10 lbs while I was there (emotional eating). Then last week I had annual training for work. I'm back up to 214. For a quick post I'll list my measurements. I've gained a little weight since last post. But not too much. & I'm back on the wagon, that's what matters most I suppose.
measurement/ previous measurement in Dec\
Chest 41.5/ 42.5 lost 1 inch
arms 16 inches/ 16.5 lost .5
stomach 40.25 inches/ 44 lost 3.75 inches
hips 44.5 inches/ 46.5 lost 2 inches
quads 27 inches/ 30.5lost 3.5 inches

This just in....Breaking news. 100th post

This just in....Breaking news. 100th post reveals shocking (sort of) news!
Well peeps it's my 100th post. I've seen other bloggers do some really neat posts for their 100th. My favorite was Athena diaries Hyku. It just so happened that last night I made a decision w/ my 2008 multi-sport season. So announcing it will have to be the interesting thing I'm doing for my monumental 100th. I have decided to race the rest of the season as an age grouper. I won't be doing any more races as a Clydesdale (que music now). To be competitive at the 30-34 AG I really need to be racing at no more than 190 lbs. That's 20 more lbs I need to lose. That'll be 66 lbs lost since Nov. 102 lbs lost since I started this beautifull sport of triathlon. Weighing less than 190 would probably be better, but I want to be swift, not gaunt. I don't need to end up being Bubba's girl friend at work:)

My next race will be the Stealth duathlon. I think the Stealth will be one of my 2 best opportunities to get some decent points for the SW challenge series as a 30-34 age group. The other race I will probably get decent points at will be the GRADY WILLIAMS MEMORIAL FREEDOM DAYS TRIATHLON. I believe I'll get decent points at those 2 races because there are never many people who compete at those 2 events. Well, I can't believe I'm going to attempt this, but alas, I am. Wish me luck peeps, I'm going to need it. By the way, anyone know if Seth Wilkie aged up to 35 yet? Gosh I hope so.

Simple things amuse me

I comute to work on a 1994 Raliegh mountain bike. I'd been riding on the same pair mountain bike knobby type of tires now for 2.5 years. The tires were weather rotted, cracked & even worn down to the wire mesh in a few areas. But I can be frugal so I stead fast refused to replace the tires until they actually blew or would np longer hold air. The rear tire blew yesterday so I got a new tire at the local bike shop, but only one because I won't replace the other one until it dies on it's own. The new one is a slick, also called a road tire. On the way to work I was SO much faster due to the new slick tire! I was so impressed by how much faster I'd gotten to work using the same effort I told work I was going to be 30 minutes late. I spent that time riding back & forth to work 2 times(yes, I live very close to work). LOL. I'm very easily amused. My wife calls me a nerd. I won't tell her so, but I know she's right.

I found out something interesting today while riding home in 2 inches of snow & ice. Slicks suck! I busted my butt. I had no idea how much more unstable a slick is than a knobby in snow & ice until today. I know now, and I've got a bruised ego to help me remember. Because, of course I fell in front of the entire shift of my fellow co-workers right there in the parking lot. I was getting whistles, laughs, & honks from vehicles, all to let me know that my incident was seen & apreciated. Oh, the life & times of a triathlete.

Ramblings

I weighed in on Sat at 211!!! I've gotten down to 211 only 2 other times as an
adult. I've been under 211 only once before.

My plan of adding calories to my diet seems to be doing great thus far. I feel
allot better throughout the day & I'm feeling better during my workouts I didn't
feel bad before the added calories. But there is an improvement of how I feel
during my cardio sessions now. Best of all when I'm running & biking I feel SO
VERY LIGHT! It feels like I'm floating up the hills. I've never felt like this
before. After my long days I don't feel beat up like I used to either. When I
weighed more I didn't think I felt beat up because I'd never really been light.
It's just how I thought everyone felt after LSD's. But now when I'm done w/ my
long days I realize that I do feel much less abused.

This is a rest & test week for me. I'll be doing a 1000 meter swim TT to find
out my 100 meter T. I'll also be doing a bike & swim TT to find my lactate
threshold levels. I'm REALLY excited to do these tests. I've been very dedicated to my swimming since my DNF @ Silverman. This has been the only time I've EVER swam consistantly. My 100 ave has usually hovered around an abismal 2:15 to 2:20. I'm expecting a drastic improvement. I have no idea what to expect from my LT tests because I haven't tested them in at least 6 months. I have always been the type of person that likes to test my LT
frequently because I want to be absolutely sure I'm training in the correct
zones. My coach doesn't have me test my LT very frequently. I probably prefer to
test my zones much to frequently. I'm sure that has something to do with my
obssesive compulsive tendancies. But hey, if I wasn't O.C. I would have given up
on my health & good eating habits on any one of the hundreds of times I have
failed before. But I'm like Rocky Balboa. When I take a beating & go down, I'll
come back angry & even more determined & focused.

I'd like all you out there to notice the new picture of my daughter & I on the
left hand side of my blog. Isn't she georgous? She gets her beauty from her Mom who also is quite the looker herself. I plan on putting a picture of my son up this week. He's a handsome blond w/ blue eyes & a smile that is bound to melt hearts. God must really love me because I have been truly blessed by him.

Thanks for tuning in, peace! I'm out!