The 2013 Missile Man duathlon race report

I left my house this morning at 1:30 am to drive to White Sands Missile Range New Mexico to race The Missile Man duathlon. I really enjoy racing any of the multisport races held at WSMR NM. They have excellent post race meals of pasta, french bread, and Gatorade. During the awards ceremony they have a raffle where free race entries are handed out for any White Sands Missile Range race. There are showers available so you can get cleaned up before you drive home.  The WSMR races are held on a military instillation, so there's little to no vehicle traffic on the bike course; which is important to me since I freak out riding my bike near vehicles thanks to a very large vehicle running over me and giving me a traumatic brain injury in September of 2011.

If you interested in racing a multisport race at WSMR here's the link to their 2013 race schedule:
http://cody-the-clydsdale.blogspot.com/2012/10/white-sands-missile-range-2013.html

The Missile Man duathlon  was my 83rd multisport race, and my 19th duathlon. It was a 7k run, 28k bike, 5k run. I was nervous about this race, I wasn't sure I'd be able to complete it since I've done virtually no swimming, biking, or running, and have gained 75 pounds since the accident.

The last triathlon I raced in was in September 2012. It was my slowest race ever, so I knew I had to do something to stop the gaining weight. I joined Zia CrossFit in Santa Fe NM the 1st week of January. I was doubtful that doing CrossFit 3 times a week for 4 weeks would make me race any faster. But before I knew it, it was time to see....

I started out feeling good on the 1st run of 7 kilometers, or 4.34 miles. I finished the 1st run of the day in 45:01, which is around a 10:21 per minute pace. I was pretty sure I was in 4th place in my division (it's easy picking out who the Clydes are), but I wasn't sure if I could pass anyone later in the race when I'd need some endurance- did I still have any of that stuff called endurance?

The bike is an out and back 17.4 miler, the 1st half is a gradual downhill. On the first few miles I felt fantastic! I was passing people left and right! At mile 5 my left calf started cramping, I did my best to ignore it and focus on my effort rather than the pain. Eventually the cramping went away.... On the return route I started the long gradual (dreadful) climb back. Climbing is all about fitness and being at a low body weight, so I assumed I'd suffer and be slow coming back because I'm heavy and I was pretty sure I'd lost most of my fitness..... I surprised the heck out of myself by doing better on the climb than I did going downhill! I'm not saying I was fast, I'm just sayin' I was climbing fast for a guy weighing 250 pounds. I passed at least one Clyd on the way back to the transition area. Progress! Apparently CrossFit does build speed! Who knew? Well now I do that's who! My end bike time was a dismal 1 hour 19 minutes which is a 13.1 mph average, but it was still faster than my last race in September! Like I said, progress!

After the race I started thinking.... I raced on aero dynamic wheels and wore an aero helmet, and I only rode an average of 13.1 mph. A cyclist has to ride at least 19 mph to make riding on aero wheels or in an aero helmet worth while. I knew I was going to be slow, so why use aero equipment? Why wear out my expensive equipment when it doesn't benefit me? That was dumb. Really really dumb. I bet I looked stupid out there. I bet I looked a lot like the guy in this picture.

On the 2nd run I was a mess, both calf's were cramping up and I was fatigued like crazy, but I didn't allow anything to take my focus off of running as hard as I could to the finish. I knew the clyd I passed on the bike was right behind and I didn't want to let that guy pass me! The thought of missing a podium finish got my competitive juices flowing and I can get REALLY COMPETITIVE! I ended up finishing the 2nd run of 5 kilometers in 23:51, which is a 7:41 pace. Yup, I'm mighty happy with the 2nd run time! Run fat boy run!!!

I finished in 26th place overall, and 3rd place in the Clydesdale 39 and under. So like I said, I did much better than I assumed I'd do, but I'm still a very long way away from my strreak of top 3 overall finishes back in 2010. No, you didn't read that wrong. Top 5. I used to be lean and FAST! I know it's hard to believe it by looking at me now, but back in 2010 I finished 5 races in the top 5 overall. My average sprint triathlon times were 6:16 for a 400 meter swim, I'd average just shy of 21 mph on the bike, then still be able to run just shy of a 7 minute per mile pace. I realize I'm a long ways from where I used to be, but this is a life long sport. It doesn't matter where I am right now, what matters is where I'm going. Next step is to start off supplementing CrossFit with a little cycling and running.

With today's 3rd place finish I have 8 points for the South West Challenge Series. 1 race down, 4 more races to go until I hit the minimum number of races needed to qualify for The South West Challenge Series series, and 4 more races minimun needed to qualify for the Chasing 3 Open Water Series. Yup, I'm going to try and compete in both deries this year.

2013 triathlon and duathlon goals

I have 2 goals I'd like to shoot for this year:

1) take top 3 in both the New Mexico Open Water Series and The South West Challenge Series. This goal will take a minimum of 10 multisport races, but may take as many as 16. I'm excited about attempting to place in 2 series in the same year. I've placed top 3 in The South West Challenge Series 7 years in a row, but trying to balance two series simultaneously will be quite the challenge indeed!

2) My 2nd goal is to get down to 220 pounds. This goal will be harder for me then racing an average of twice a month for an entire year. Food sucks.... well in all honesty, I guess food ROCKS! Which is why it sucks. I love food- no I hate it! But I love it..... I hate to love it! My relationship is with food is kind of like a fresh baked bear claw. Sweet, comforting, and kinda warm deep inside, but all twisted up and slippery.

 

My current weight is 250. I only have 30 pounds to lose to reach my goal. It's really not that much to drop in a year. I've lost 120 pounds before and kept the weight off for a year and a half, but right now losing 30 pounds feels virtually impossible. Honestly, it feels like I'd be more capable of a successful jump across the Grand Canyon with ankle weights on.

The New Mexico Open Water Tri Series

Since I'm planning on competing in the Chasing 3 New Mexico Open Water Series in 2013 I thought I'd post who the winners in 2012 were. I noticed Matt Gonzales placed 1st in the Open Water Series 25-29 AG and also 2nd place in the South West Challenge Series 25-29 in 2012, he completed a total of 11 races between the 2 series. Very impressive.

I highlighted my division in yellow

Male Overall
Name	Age	AWARD
Clay Moseley	42	$900.00
Alex Willis	24	$550.00
Rance Irvin	22	$300.00
Male Masters 40-58
Name	Age	AWARD
Michael Schneider	46	$500.00
Male Grand Masters 59+
Name	Age	AWARD
Lawrence Kay	64	$500.00
Female Overall
Name	Age	AWARD
Terry Moore	33	$900.00
Kristin Moriarty	34	$550.00
Sanna Sevanto	38	$300.00
Female Masters 40-58
Name	Age	AWARD
Lisa Broidy	44	$500.00
Female Grand Masters 59+
Name	Age	AWARD
Kathy Foucar	62	$500.00
AGE GROUP AWARDS
Male 19 & under
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Alex Bradbury	18	$75.00
Male 20-24
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Brandon Trout	24	$75.00
Male 25 to 29
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Matt Gonzales	25	$75.00
Matthew Scarborough	28	$50.00
Male 30 to 34
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Justin Newcomer	32	$75.00
Tom Fraser	31	$50.00
Phillip Sunderland	32	$25.00
Male 35 to 39
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Marty Moriarty	35	$75.00
Todd Rinner	35	$50.00
Steven Montoya	35	$25.00
Male 40 to 44
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Matthew Hess	42	$75.00
Kevin Dussart	44	$50.00
Male 45 to 49
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
David Sacoman	46	$75.00
Kevin Kandalaft	46	$50.00
Arne Leonard	49	$25.00
Male 50 to 54
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
John Madrid	51	$75.00
Male 60 to 64
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Jeffrey Sweers	61	$75.00
Male 65 to 69
Name	Age	GIFT CARD
Elliott Foucar	66	$75.00
Female 25 to 29
Name	Age
Misha Montoya	28	$75.00
Female 35 to 39
Name	Age
Kari Wilner	38	$75.00
Jaime Aagaard	36	$50.00
Kimberly Brooks	38	$25.00
Female 40 to 44
Name	Age
Debra Szymanski	44	$75.00
Female 50 to 54
Name	Age
Noelle Sharp	51	$75.00
Amy Rehfeld	54	$50.00
DIVISION AWARDS
Clydesdale
NAME	DIV	AWARD
Conan Castelain	CLY	$500.00
E.P. Higgs	CLY	$75 GC
Daniel Vancamp	CLY	$50 GC
Athena
NAME	DIV	AWARD
Holly Montoya	ATH	$500.00
Jennifer Newcomer	ATH	$75 GC
TEAM
Endorphin Power Company TRI Team	TEAM	AWARD
Adam Mollekoph, Bill Dahl and Sid Scheer		$750.00

The Broken Spoke bike shop Santa Fe NM

Since my favorite bike shop, Frankie Flats went out of business late last year I've been searching for a  bike shop to do business with. The owners of my old bike shop suggested I go to The Broken Spoke here in Santa Fe NM. Earlier this week the battery to my bikes computer died. It would have been an easy fix for me to do, but this was the perfect opportunity to see if this shop was honest and reasonably priced.

The last bike shop I went to was Charlies bike shop and asked them to do a small swap of components. When I went to pick up my bike from Charlies they doubled the amount they had quoted me, refused to give me my old equipment back, and even stole my drivers licence.

At the Broken Spoke my bike was ready for me to pick up the day after I dropped it off. The fees were fair and they were super friendly. They even put new zip ties on my rear transmitter at no charge. Looks like I've found myself a new bike shop!

2013 triathlon, X-Terra, and Duathlon schedule

I had been waiting for the South West Challenge Series to come out with their schedule before I decided what my race schedule for 2013 would be, but I haven't heard anything from the SWCS since November. Not only have they not posted their 2013 schedule, or the 2013 points standings for the 2 races that have been held thus far, but they also haven't even had their awards ceremony for the 2012 top 3 age group and division athletes. I became anxious and decided to build my 2013 race plan based off of what race info is currently out. The Chasing 3 New Mexico Open Water series has had their schedule out for over a month, so it looks like for the 1st time in 8 years of racing I wont be competing in the South West Challenge Series, I'll be competing in the Chasing 3 New Mexico Open Water series instead.

Feb
1) The Missile Man Duathlon, White Sands Missile Range NM

April
2) The Spring Fling triathlin Rio Rancho NM
3) The Atomic Man Duathlon, White Rock NM

May
4) Jay Benson triathlon

June
5) The 4 corners X-Terra, Farmington NM
6) The Billy The Kid Tombstone Tri, Fort Sumner NM
7) Storrie Lake Tri, Las Vegas  NM

July
8) The City of Lakes Tri, Santa Rosa NM
9) Cochiti Lake tri, Cochiti NM

Aug
10) The 505 triathlon, Cochiti NM

September
11) X-Terra Dread Mon, Truth or Consequences NM
12) The Trinidad Del Muerto or Chupacabra challenge, Truth or Consequences NM

cold front in New Mexico

A cold front has been hovering over New Mexico. It got so cold in the level 5 tower last night that my water bottle froze and exploded before I had a chance to drink it.

weaknesses and strengths

Since starting CrossFit I figured out pretty quickly what I'm weak at and what my strengths are. What I'm best at is my upper body strength, which is surprising because I haven't done any upper body strength training since 2004. My weaknesses are many, but the three that I need to work on the most are my body weight bearing exercises such as burpees, push ups, pull ups, etc., my cardio, and my leg strength. During most of my CrossFit workouts I end up gassed out long before I reach muscle failure- the exception is when I'm doing strength bearing exercises, or a strength workout on the legs.

Since starting CrossFit a couple weeks ago I've already doubled the amount of push ups I can do. But I still need to improve a lot.

Yesterday I finished the WOD in last place out of everyone in the class, but I'm getting better quickly, and I'm finally eating well again. Yesterday after my CrossFit workout I rode the indoor bike rollers for 55 minutes while watching the biggest loser. I love that show. The 55 minute bike was rough. The Missile Man Duathlon at White Sands Missile Range on February 2nd is going to kick my butt! Hopefully there wont be many Clydesdale open division athletes showing up, because I'm in sad shape. This is the least fit and most overweight I've been in since picking up triathlon back in 2004.

an enviroment to succeed

Last nights CrossFit workout was brutal! I'm not sure if its because I didn't do anything physical during my week long anniversary trip to Sedona AZ with my wife and I lost fitness, or if its because I put on more weight- I'm tipping the scaling at a whopping 254 pounds now. Whatever the reason was, at the half way point of the workout I was exhausted, cramping up, shaking, and was seriously doubting if I'd be able to finish. I did end up finishing, but my time was HORRIBLE! After the workout I just laid there on the floor of the gym. I was too exhausted and... well.... embarrassed of my performance to get up. Within moments of finishing my pathetic workout a couple people came up to me and told me, "way to finish strong." And "way to push through iť". It's amazing how a few words of encouragement can change my perspective. I had been hurting beyond belief but still finished every rep and set of the WOD (workout of the day) when others may have quit.

After I recovered I noticed that when the other athletes in the gym were finished, they didn't leave until everyone else had also completed their workout.

As I was leaving, my chin held a just a little bit higher in spite of my poor workout at least 5 people yelled farewell to me. Zia CrossFit is like no gym I've ever been to before. It's more like a community. Iť wasn't until last night that I realized why every single person in that gym is in such great shape and looks so good: its virtually impossible not to succeed in an environment like that.

Changes to the Clydesdale and Athena divisions

USAT has changed the minimum weight of the Clydesdale and Athena triathlon and duathlon divisions. I copied and pasted this from the USAT website:

Weight Class Division - In events where a weight class division is offered, the minimum weight shall be 220 pounds for men and 165 pounds for women, monitored by the event organizer. The weight class age categories for men and women shall be 39 years of age and under and 40 years of age and over. Participants are not eligible to compete in a weight class division and in an age group division at the same event.

another New Mexico 70.3 distance triathlon

Looks like there won't be a 2013 Elephant Man triathlon or a 2013 Damit Man triathlon. Those two triathlons will be replaced by the Jornada del Muerto and the ChupaCabra Challenge, both being held on September 29th. The Jornada del Muerto is a long course triathlon which means its a 70.3 distance triathlon. The ChupaCabra Challenge is a sprint distance triathlon. Both triathlons will be on a very difficult course and can be guaranteed to be a suffer fest!

The Jornada del Muerto and the ChupaCabra Challenge are both part of the Chasing 3 open water series. The chasing 3 open water series is awesome. The NM open water series has done more in a couple years to promote multisport than any other group has in the 8 years I've been doing triathlons. The NM open water series offers tens of thousands of dollars in awards to the age group winners.

So far all of the other races that have become part of the chasing 3 NM open water series have ended up not being in the South West Challenge Series. If this continues there won't be anymore New Mexico open water triathlon races in the SWCS. If all the quality triathlons leave the SWCS I doubt the series will continue to be in existence. That makes me sad. The SWCS is the oldest and largest multisport series in the world. I've enjoyed the SWCS immensely.

I copied this from an email the race director sent me:
The Jornada del Muerto is New Mexicos 2nd long course triathlon! This race takes its name from the Jornada del Muerto, and should be as tough as the original, but not as death defying. With a bike turn around at New Mexico's SpacePort America this race will be an interesting combination of the past and our future.

Then at 8 am we start the ChupaCabra Challenge! Our newest sprint course. This beautiful hilly course will take you to places on the lake you have never been. The view from the east side of the lake is nothing short of amazing.

Saturday CrossFit competition class

At the CrossFit gym I recently started working out at they have workout competitions on Saturdays. I'd avoided going to one of the Saturday classes because.... well... so far I suck at CrossFit, and no one wants to be teamed up with the slow guy in the class. Because of a couple of unexpected mandatory 16 hour shifts and the Christmas holiday this week I was only able to hit 2 CrossFit workouts. 2 workouts is not enough to build fitness as quickly as I'd like. So yesterday I forced myself to attend the Saturday class. I'm glad I did. Everyone was just as friendly and accepting as they always are. Everyone encouraged each other, there wasn't a single person who was judgmental. It was the perfect workout environment.

There were 5 stations, at each station we'd row for a minute, then do a minute of strength training such as pull ups, burpees, wall balls, atlas stones, or kettle bell swings, then rest a minute. We did each station 2 times. The teams encouraged each team member and even encouraged the other teams. The competition fueled me to push even harder than I usually do. By the end of the workout I was BEYOND exhausted, and I had  blast! I'll be attending the Saturday classes fom now on for sure. What an amazing way to start the weekend!

The Missile Man duathlon

After almost a year without training at all I've decided to jump into the 2013 triathlon season head first. On Feb 2nd I'll be competing in the The Missile Man duathlon at White Sands Missile Range New Mexico. It's a 4.3 mile run, 15.5 mile bike, and another run 3.2 miles. The Missile Man will be my 83rd multisport race and 19th duathlon.

My current weight is 244 pounds. I'm a Clydesdale with room to spare right now.

week 1 of Zia CrossFit

Last week I completed my first full week of doing CrossFit workouts at Zia CrossFit. CrossFit is even better than I had hoped for. What I enjoy the most about CrossFit thus far is how friendly and encouraging the other members are. I've never done a workout like CrossFit before, the workouts are intense, challenging, and very enjoyable. Every workout is designed by CrossFit certified coaches and they're there with us during each workout to ensure we get the best workout possible while ensuring we're doing the exercises safely. Its like having my own personal trainer.

Since I haven't done most of these exercises in years I have been using lighter weights than is suggested for men. Even with the lighter weights I was still finishing the prescribed workouts last in the clas. There are 3 or 4 ladies in the class I outweigh by well over a 100 pounds and they are smoking me! How can they so strong being so tiny? I'm amazed.

By Friday I was prepared to attend my 5th day of CrossFit in a row, but I realized I needed a day off. My body was FATIGUED! I'm thoroughly enjoying CrossFit so far, but I realize I have a LONG ways to go before I get back into shape, especially CrossFit shape.

MY FIRST CROSSFIT WORKOUT

On Monday I did my 1st CrossFit workout. After a thorough warm up we did:
Clean + Front Squat 7 x 1+2
then
3 rounds for time
6 Snatch Balance @ 95/65 (click here for video)
9 Overhead Squats @95/65 (Click here for video)
12 Hand Release Pushups

On Tuesday my wife and I did our 1st workout together. She did her 1st two rounds faster than I did. She's a poor winner, she keeps rubbing it in every minute or so.
3 Rounds for time
10 KB/DB Swings @53/35
10 Squats with KB/DB in Rack position on right
Farmer’s walk down and back in rack position on right side
10 Swings
10 Squats with KB/DB in Rack position on left
Farmer’s walk down and back in rack position on left side

Very intense! I'm very sore and I'm hooked. I signed up with Zia CrossFit last night. I'm looking forward to many more suffer-fests like these to come.

personalized crossfit training

I'd been reading a lot about training techniques for endurance athletes. Many pro endurance athletes have started doing some light Olympic lifting to supplement their regular training.  Olympic training builds strength, power, explosiveness, and decreases muscle fatigue and damage in long training sessions. There are some common misconception about Olympic lifters, like they are all big, fat, and muscle bound. Turns out Olympic lifters are some of the leanest athletes in any sport and they have a vertical leap higher than all but basketball players and volleyball players. I decided I wanted to try to suplament my triathlon training with some Olympic lifting so I joined a CrossFit gym. I'm very excited about it.

There's a lot of training in CrossFit that I've never done. Things like Olympic lifting, gymnastics, and kettle bells. These exercises are foreign to me so I decided to get a few days of personal training with one of the coaches, Will O'Connel at Zia CrossFit before I tried a CrossFit workout. I was really impressed with the training I received. I feel ready to try CrossFit to supplement my multi sport training. My 1st day will be Monday. I'll let you know what I think.

Crossfit Santa Fe and Zia Crossfit

Triathlon training is not working for me right now. I'll build a perfect triathlon program for me that fits my fitness and schedule, and then I never end up doing anything! In the mean time I just keep getting more out of shape and unhealthy. A buddy of mine told me about crossfit. I seems intense and fun so I've decided to try it.

Turns out there are 2 crossfit gyms in my area, Crossfit Santa Fe, and Zia Crossfit. I went to each to decide which one my wife and I would go to.

Cossfit Santa Fe is located inside Undisputed, a mixed martial arts gym. A HUGE benefit to this gym is that if I purchased a gym membership for Santa Fe Crossfit I could attend all the jiu-jitsu, boxing, and cardio kick boxing classes for free. They have a ton of crossfit, grappling, boxing, and cardio kickboxing classes available everyday. It seems like they have a class starting just about every hour all day everyday of the week! They offered to help me with my diet and nutrition for free. Another big plus is that they have kids jui-jitsu classes available for my 5 & 7 year olds. The gym is owned by a guy who is a serious stud of a mixed martial artist. He was on The Ultimate Fighter a few years ago. The down side is Santa Fe Crossfit would cost $200 a month per adult membership, $90 per child, and we'd have to sign a contract for 3, 6, or 12 months. If I wanted to get a membership for my wife and myself for crossfit and get two of my kids into grappling it would end up costing us $580 a month. Or $400 a month for just for my wife and I. They also charge a one time $70 fee per member upon signing up. Don't get me wrong, for all they offer it's well worth it, but there's no way my wife and I could afford that until my wife graduates from college and we get 2 incomes for our family again. A big negative for us is that they don't have day care and don't allow children to hang out there while the parents workout, which would make training there virtually impossible for my wife and I.
On 4/5/14 I received a response from Heather at Santa Fe CrossFit concerning the prices at their facility. She said they offer a %50 discount on every other member in a family if one member is paying full price. That option wasn't offered to us when we visited their facility. I'm not sure if it was just oversight or if wasn't offered at the time. But I wanted to share this so anyone reading my blog can make a fully informed decision. There was also a change in Zia CF's prices, I updated those prices in red below. Both places offers a law enforcement and first responders discount.

Zia Crossfit has a much larger facility and more equipment. They don't have any martial arts training at their facility but The Santa Fe Brazilian Jui-jitsu academy offers a HUGE discount to any Zia Crossfit athletes. Zia Crossfit only offers 3 classes a day but the classes are at times that fit my wife and my schedules perfectly. The classes are 5:30-6:30 am, noon to 1 pm, and 5:30-6:30 pm. Zia Crossfit unlimited gym membership with no contract is only $120 a moth, or $240 a month for my wife and I both, there's start up fees. If your wiling to sign a contract the monthly dues go down significantly. The owners of Zia Crossfit are willing to build a free custom training program for any of their athletes who want to concentrate on a specific aspect of their training, such as strength, or endurance. Their gym is kid friendly, so we can bring our babies there when we train.

The updated prices Zia CrossFit as of early 2013 are:
2 times/week: $135/month (days can be combined)
Unlimited: $180/month (month to month, no contract required)
Unlimited: $150/month (6 month contract required)
Unlimited: $165/month (3 month contract required)
Members of Santa Fe Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu: $110/month
10 Class Punch Card $200
Drop-in Fee: $25

My wife and I have decided to try out Zia crossfit because of the lower cost, the kid friendly environment, and no contracts. My wife and I start training at Zia Crossfit on Monday I'll let you know how it goes, I predict pain!

low carb induction phase

This was my 4th day back to the low carb diet induction phase and 4th day back to duathlon training. The 1st few days of the induction phase I was grumpy, tired, and light headed. My workouts had been horrid. This morning I woke up and felt great. During my 17 mile bike ride today I also felt wonderful. This morning I weighed in at 230 for a loss of 6 pounds in 4 days.

The training program I'm on right now will have me peak for the Missile Man duathlon on Saturday Febuary 2nd at White Sands Missile Range New Mexico.

finding a training program that works

A week and a half ago I stopped dieting and working out AGAIN. I feel like a broken record. I realize I need to change some things or this cycle of starting and stopping training will continue repeating itself. I need to start doing what I can and change the things that I cant stay consistant with.

I still love competing in triathlons. I still enjoy running but I currently have issues with cycling, so I started a run focused training program with just enough cycling to be able to finish the bike portion of a triathlon. I wont be as well rounded of a triathlete without a lot of cycling, but training consistently is more important than having a perfect triathlon training program that I dont follow. Now that I've addopted this new training regimine I seriously doubt I'll be finishing races with the caliber of athletes I used to. And I can pretty much garentee I wont be beating Arnold Ceniceros anytime soon;-( But those things aren't the reason I fell in love with triathlon anyways. I love triathlon because I love challenging myself, because of the amazing people I meet at triathlons, triathlon training keeps me healthy, and allows me to keep up with my babies!

I weighed in at 236 this morning.

the art and science of low carb performance and triathlon

After 7 years of triathlon training, calorie counting, fat restricting, and yo-yo dieting I got down to 175 pounds, I was fast but was miserable with hunger all the time. I was also grouchy a lot and injury prone. I finally fell off the wagon earlier this year and my weight shot back up. I read the book The art and science of low carb performance and am trying this whole low carb thing with triathlon training. So far I'm loving it. Yesterday and today I did brick workouts (a bike followed immediately with a run) that was long enough I needed to eat and drink to have enough energy to finish the workout. The book said once I'm keto adapted I could eat fat rather than sugary sports drinks and bars during my ride to sustain energy, so today I added a TBSP of olive oil to each of my water bottles. Today at the end of my 2 hour brick I felt great, still had energy, and hadn't bonked. I had a bit of a head ache from not taking in any salt during my workout, the book said I was supposed to drink bullion to avoid head aches and cramps, but I'm ever the critic and rarely do what I'm supposed to.

This morning I weighed 224 pounds.

Lessons learned today:
#1 Olive oil and water works as well as power bars, gels, and Gatorade for long workouts but I need to add bullion for the salt.
#2 Don't ride a mountain bike 20+ MPH down a bumpy trail 2 weeks after having a vasectomy.
#3 Don't try to bunny hop a curb on a mountain bike on fatigued legs after a long run.
#4 Crashing on a mountain bike trying to bunny hop a curb hurts much worse shortly after getting a second vasectomy performed by a mountain bike seat.

White Sands Missile Range 2013 multisport Race schedule

Brent Jones emailed me the WSMR multisport schudule. Looks like WSMR wont be having as many multisport races in 2013 as they usually do.

White Sands Missile Range 2013 multisport Race schedule
2 Feb 2013 Missile Man Duathlon
7K Run/40K Bike
Start time: 0800
Email: brent.k.jones.naf@mail.mil
Register online at Active.com: www.active.com

1 June 2013 Howling Coyote Triathlon
5K Run/30K Bike/400M Swim
Start time: 0730
Email: brent.k.jones.naf@mail.mil
Register online at Active.com: www.active.com

7 Sep 2013 Yucca Triathlon
7K Run/48K Bike/400m Swim
Start time: 0730
Email: brent.k.jones.naf@mail.mil
Register online at Active.com: www.active.com

7 Dec 2013 Polar Bear Triathlon
5K Run/30K Bike/400m Swim
Start time: 0800
Email: brent.k.jones.naf@mail.mil
Register online at Active.com: www.active.com

running and being loved

I took my 3 year old to the track today. While I ran my son hunted for flowers and gave me the ones he found when I finished a lap. There's nothing in the world as wonderful as one of my children expressing their love to me.

In this picture you can see him pointing out his favorites.

cyclng outdoors

Cycling on rollers or indoor traininers are good for cycling fitness, but I dont think riding on rollers or indoor trainers create as much cycling strength, explosiveness, endurance, or speed as riding outdoors.

I've had a problem riding outdoors since I got ran over by a vehicle a little over a year ago. I don't know what to call it, fear, anxiety, PTSD? I need to figure out a way to be able to ride outdoors so today I tried listening to comedy routines on Pandora radio while I rode. I was a little nervous about riding while wearing ear phones and not being able to hear the things going on around me so I rode out near Galisteo NM where there isn't much traffic (see picture).

It was a success! I was able to finish an entire bike workout! I wasn't fast, but by George I finished it!

While on my ride I found my dream house! #60 Camino San Cristobal, Galisteo NM. It's for sale too! Only $536,000. Look at those views! See picture below

a boy and his bikes

During my bike ride on the rollers yesterday I hit 6,700 miles on my Cadillac RLE1.8 Road Bike.

I currentyly have 8,003 miles on my Cannandale carbon slice triathlon bike.

And I also have 2,760 miles on my early 1990's model Raliegh Tangent regid frame mountain bike that I use to comute to work on.

Between the 3 bikes I currently own I have a total of 17,483 miles on them. I wish they made cars as well as bikes, we'd never have to buy new vehicles.

chasing Arnold day 4

I started my run this morning as soon as there was enough light to run safely, 6:50 AM. I had to cut it short so that I could be home to take care of my youngest when my wife left for school. I ran 3.5 miles. I haven't come close to rebuilding my endurance or speed yet, but I felt better than I had in a long time.

There's not much better than triathlon training on the highway 14 here in New Mexico, also called Turquoise Trail. It's much easier to get up everyday and train when I know I get to see views like these.

 

When I laid my son down for a nap today I hopped on the rollers and did a little cycling while watching The Walking Dead on Netfix. Thank goodness for streaming movies and TV shows, otherwise indoor cycling would be torture!

Currently my metabolic rate is a little above 3,000 calories. Yesterday I burned 822 calories and ate 2,607 calories. Another day of low carb diet success, I should hit my goal weight of 200 pounds no later than mid summer 2013. I'm currently 227.

triathlon fitness: a long way to go

Tonight after laying our three babies down to sleep my wife and I watched a 45 minute TV show on Netflix and I hopped onto the indoor rollers to gain a little extra cycling fitness. I felt this was appropriate since cycling is my weakest sport and it is Arnold's strength. Plus who couldn't use a little extra calorie burn? My average for the workout was much better than it was this morning. Tonight I averaged 12.9 mph, this morning I averaged less than 11. I'm out of shape, but it doesn't matter where I'm at, it just matters where I'm going. And tonight I moved in the right direction.

There aren't many wives who would be OK with their husband riding a bike, breathing heavy, and sweating in the room while she's trying to watch a television show. I'm a very lucky man.

This morning I weighed in at 227 pounds. I'm down 9 and have 27 more to get to my goal weight. 27 pounds is a total of 94,500 calories, but who's counting right?

chasing Arnold day 3

Friday was my first day back to training after having surgery on October 12th. I ran a little over three miles. Considering how little I've trained this year I felt pretty good.

Saturday was a triathlon rest/recovery day for my kids soccer and some time for my wife and I.

This morning I rode my bike for the first time in a VERY long time. I started a little before 7 AM when there was enough ambient light to ride safely. After only a few miles a large truck passed me pulling a horse trailer and I immediately came back home and finished the rest of my workout on my indoor trainer. A little over a year ago I got ran over by a vehicle while cycling, since then I've struggled to ride outdoors near traffic.

I've lost most of my cycling fitness in the last year, so my indoor cycling workout was terrible. My rpms kept slipping below 85 and when I tried to increase my cadence above 85 per minute my heart rate would sky rocket into zone 3. I wrapped up my workout after an hour so that I could get the kids up and ready for church. In that hour of riding the rollers my average pace was less than 12 mph. I have a LONG ways to go until I'm able to accomplish one of my personal goals of beating Arnold Ceniceros, the champion (multiple years) of the Clydesdale open division in South West Challenge series. At the Eagle in the sun triathlon in El Paso Texas in September Arnold Ceniceros swam 400 meters in 8:06, biked 12 miles keeping a whopping 20.2 mile an hour pace, and ran 5 kilometers keeping an average pace of 9:36, he finished in 1 hour 16 mintues. My average race swim and running times are comparable to his, but I've only had a few races in my life that I was that fast on the bike, and I'm no where near average right now. If I'm going to try competing against ol' speedy Ceniceros I have to get MUCH MUCH faster. There's a LONG road of training ahead of me.

2012 South West Challenge series year end results

The only race left that needs to be tallied for the 2012 South West Challenge Series year end results are the Cotton Country sprint triathlon. Rather than wait for the series point counter I looked up the Cotton Country sprint triathlon results and figured out who the winners for each division are on my own. I'm %90 certain these are correct. I listed some amazing performances for the 2012 South West Challenge series below, the SW series points are listed below that.

The Age Group that had that had the highest combined points total for the top 3 in their AG was the male 60-64 with 214 points between them. They finished 29 races between the top three!!!

The male 20-25 AG was the age group with the closest finish between the top 3 finishers, the top 3 were separated by only 2 points!

Sara Hall and Flip Lyle competed in the most SW series races with 14 races in 2012! Sara Hall also completed 12 races in 2011, 15 in 2010, 16 in 2009, and 8 in 2008 for a total of 65 races in 5 years!!!

Robert Browning had the highest points for the 2012 South West Challenge series with 80.75.

Scott Darling of the 60-64 AG had the most age group victories with 9 races finished in 1st place in his AG in 2012!

In 2012 Flip Lyle of the 65-69 male AG had the largest margin of victory with 33 points over 2nd place.

There are 3 athletes in the men 35-39 who are tied for third place with 48 points!

Below are the 2012 South West Challenge Series age group winners.
Clydesdale open division
Champion B. Laird 57 points
2nd place A Ceniceros 45 points
3rd placeJ Sanchez 41 points

Clydesdale masters division
Champion M. Mowles 79 points
2nd place J. McClure 54 points

Male 20 and under:
Champion Josh Gordon 69 points
2nd place- Ben Campbell- 68 points
3rd place- Alex Bradbury- 50 points

male 20-24
Champion William Kessler 31.5 points

male 25-29
Champion Michael Castaneda 49 points
2nd place Matt Gonzales 48 points
3rd place Gage Bonestroo 47 points

male 30-34
Champion Dustin Ward 65 points
2nd place- Randolph Knox 49 points
3rd place- Jason Atkinson 48 points

male 35-39
Champion Price Lawhon 65 points
2nd place- Cody Hanson 50 points
T- 3rd place- Matt Hall 48 points
T- 3rd place- Jeremy Harwood 48 points
T-3rd place Jan Grande 48 points

male 40-44
Champion R. Browning 80 points
2nd place A. Lugo 58 points
3rd place G. Heredia 51 points

male 45-49
Champion J. Kehrle 80 points
2nd place G. Garcia 68 points
3rd place S. Crane 64 points

male 50-54
Champion R. Reynold 68 points
2nd place B. Gonzales 60 points
3rd place G. Southard 56.25 points

male 55-59
Champion C. Armstrong 78.24
2nd place L. Barfield 72 points
3rd place J Jackson 71 points

male 60-64
Champion S. Darling 80 points
2nd place R. Wiggs 72 points
3rd place M. Strum 62 points

male 65-69
Champion F. Lyle 80 points (14 races)
2nd place G Sargent 47 points

male 70-74
Champion K. O'Connor 78 points
2nd place M. Greer 48 points

75+
Champion R. Park 70 points

Athena masters division
Champion S. Hall 76 points (14 races!!!)
2nd place P. Miller 35

Female 25-29
Champion A. Howell 45 points
2nd place I. Speer 41 points
3rd place A. Wagner 39 points

Female 30-34
Champion R Ruiz 57 points
2nd place S. Bailes 30 points

Female 35-39
Champion D. Sather 43 points

Female 40-44
Champion D. Steele 80 points
2nd place S Heredia 65 points

Female 45-49
Champion D. Steele 80 points
2nd place S. Heredia 65 points

Female 50-54
Champion K. Carlsen 70 points
2nd place H. Crane 67 points
3rd place S. Crewe 60.25 points

Female 55-59
Champion J. Herbert 50.25oints
2nd place P. Baker 50 points

Female 60-64
Champion M. Balsiger 47 points

Female 65-69
Champion C. Akright

a triathlete extraordinaire is back, and I want to race against him!

Since I'll be racing as a Clydesdale next year I was looking at some of the race results and found a name I hadn't heard in a long time: Arnold Ceniceros. He was one of the fastest Clydesdales I'd ever raced against, but a few years ago he graduated from UTEP and moved away. I was very excited to see Arnold Ceniceros is back in the area and racing again. Not only was he a tremendous athlete but more importantly he was a great person.

When I was looking at some of his race times I saw he is still one seriously FAST triathlete! I've raced him dozens of times and never even came close to beating him. One of my bucket list goals had been to beat him in a triathlon. Now that he's back it looks like I have a new goal for 2013, to beat Arnold Ceniceros in a triathlon. That's a pretty lofty goal, one I've never even come close to accomplishing before, but one I'm very motivated to accomplish. Looks like a season of ultra endurance trail running will have to wait awhile, because I'm on the hunt! Time to start healing up from the surgery I had on Friday and get into serious training mode!

This is Arnold:

South West Challenge series points almost totaled!

There's only 2 more races left to be tallied for the 2012 South West Challenge Series! The Elephant Man olympic triathlon and the Cotton Country triathlon. So far, with just 2 more races needed to be counted, there are seven triathletes in the 35-39 age group who are still in contention for the coveted top 3 awards in the South West!!!!

35-39 Age Group
58 points- Price Lawhon
49 points Cody Hanson
48 points- Jeremy Harwood
48 points- Jan Grande
46 points- Mathew Hall
44 points- Mike Edwards
38 points- Valentin Ramirez

I'm still 232 pounds and the first two races of the 2013 multisport season are only 7 weeks away so I'm certain I'll be racing in the Clydesdale open division next year. These are the top in the Clydesdale open division with 2 more races left to be tallied. This divisions year end points aren't nearly as close, but the athletes in contention are very fast.

Clydesdale open division:

57 points- Brett Laird
45 points- Arnold Ceniceros
35 points- Jeremy Sanchez
28 points- Martin Hedge

My daughter is only a few years away from competing in adults triathlons so I looked up their points totals for the season for the female 20 and under division and there isn't a single female under the age of 20 who completed the minimum 5 races to be eligible for awards in the South West Challenge series. Looks like my daughter will probably be able to take top 3 in the Female 20 at the age of 10 just by completing 5 races!!!!

temporary digression

I'd been on a low carb diet I'd read about in the book "The art and science of low carb performance" for two and a half weeks. In that time I'd lost 17 pounds. Although I was getting fantastic results I became frustrated because that book didn't go into a lot of detail about how to eat their version of a low carb diet, so I started eating a more traditional diet for endurance athletes and promptly shot back up to 235 pounds. The book "The art and science of low carb performance" mostly explained why a low carb diet works for ultra endurance athletes. The book said I should buy the book "The art and science of a low carb lifestyle" for a more detailed explanation of how to eat his version of a low carb diet. So I purchased the book "The art and science of a low carb lifestyle" and started reading it last night. I'm back on the low carb diet as of this morning and am expecting a lot of the confusion I had previously to be worked out by this book.

Today I went on a 9 mile run and it hurt. My problem during the run wasn't my endurance. My endurance was sufficient. My problem was that I'm just to heavy to run long distances right now. My body was beat the heck up after that run. I'm very motivated about training for my first 50k ultra endurance trail run, but I'm afraid I need to postpone training for an ultra until I'm at a lower body weight. Hopefully now that I have the book "The art and science of a low carb lifestyle" I'll be more capable of getting to that lower body weight so I can resume training for my goal of earning my 1st ultra endurance trail run belt buckle.

The 2012 Warrior triathlon race report

On Sunday October 7th I competed in The Warrior triathlon, it was my 1st off road triathlon, and my 82nd multisport race. This year the Warrior triathlon was held at the Albuquerque Academy. It was a 5k run, 12k bike, and 400 yard swim. The run and bike utilized the dirt and sand trails inside the Alb Academy. There were plenty of help, over 60 volunteers. The course was a ton of fun, it was well marked and had multiple volunteers at every twist and turn so we never had to worry about getting lost or turned around.

The run was mostly hard packed dirt with a few sandy sections. It was uphill and challenging on the 1st half, down hill and blazing fast on the 2nd half. My run time was a slow and grueling 29:19.

The bike course had some flat hard packed dirt sections, some asphalt, some sandy technical sections, and even a couple ravines that we had to dismount and run our bikes through. I was nervous about the bike, this only the 3rd time I'd ridden a mountain bike off of the black top, so i knew I was out of my realm. Considering my total lack of experience riding a mountain bike and on trails I was content with my performance. My bike time was 41:47.

The swim course vastly different than any pool swim I'd ever done. It was held indoors and utilized two two hundred yard pools. The 1st 200 yards was in a salt water pool, then we exited the 1st pool and ran to a 2nd pool that was a normal pool. I'd never swam in a salt water pool, that was awesome. Having to get out of one pool half way through the swim and run to another to finish the last half of the swim reminded me of Ironman Florida's swim. I felt the split swim with a salt water pool was great fun and made for a perfect end to a fantstic and unique triathlon. Over all this was the most fun I'd ever had at a triathlon. My swim time was 8:16.

I take my hat off to Mark Mico, the race director of the Warrior triathlon.

My total race time was 1:19:20, I finished 7th out of ten in the 35-39 age group and 62nd out of 220 overall.

Just before the start of the race my front tire went flat. Turns out I'd forgot my tire irons at home. Thankfully a guy by the name of Brian Gutierrez jumped in and lent me his. While changing my tire I broke one of his tire irons, but he was ok with it. I was grateful for his willingness to help out. If anyone knows this guy, tell him I said thank you.

The South West Challenge series male 35-39 AG standings

In one of my recent posts I blogged about the South West Challenge series male 35-39 AG points standings. That post was actually incorrect because I forgot to include the results for the Cotton Country triathlon that happened a couple weeks ago. The only triathlete who competed in the Cotton Country triathlon who is currently in contention for the SW Challenge series 35-39 AG was Cory Adair. His strong finish at the Cotton Country triathlon shot Cory Adair up to a solid 3rd place tie with Matt Hall. The 6 triathletes who are in contention for 2nd and 3rd place in the 35-39 AG in the series are only separated by 8 points!!!!!!!

I'm not going to be able to compete in the Holloman triathlon this weekend, so it looks like any one of the 6 triathletes who race the Holloman triathlon may end up knocking me out of the top 3 and taking 2nd or 3rd place in the series.

The SW challenge series 35-39 AG points standings is currently:

1st place Price Lowhon with 65 points
2nd place Cody Hanson with 46 points
T-3rd place Matt Hall with 41 points
T-3rd Cory Adair also with 41 points
T-5th place Jan Grande with 38 points
T-5thplace Valentin Ramirez also with 38 points
7th place Mike Edwards with 36 points

Rebuilding my base fitness or programming the Garmin forerunner 305 heart rate limits

In my opinion the most frustrating part of training for endurance sports is having to rebuild my base. An athlete needs to rebuild their base after they finish a workout routine that is based on periodization, or after taking some time off from training.

Since I took off nearly 4 months from training my base fitness is horrible. When I jog my heart rate shoots up into zone 3 very quickly. Then I have to stop and walk to get my heart rate back into the base building zone, or zone 2. Running slowly, even jogging with frequent bouts of walking is a frustrating but is a necessary aspect of becoming a fast runner.

One of the things that has helped me to run in the proper heart rate to build fitness is programing my Garmin Forerunner 305 to beep anytime my heart rate rises above zone 2. Here's how:
Go to the main menu, highlight training, push enter (bottom right button)
Highlight training options, press enter.
Highlight alerts, press enter.
highlight HR alerts, press enter.
Highlight Max HR Alert, press enter.
Highlight which zone you want to avoid exceeding, press enter.

Now you can run knowing your training in the proper zone without having to look at your heart rate monitor every few seconds.

The 2012 Elephant Man olympic triathlon race report

Today, September 30th 2012 I completed the Elephant Man Olympic distance triathlon in Elephant Butte New Mexico. This was my 81st multisport race and my 8th Olympic distance triathlon. This was by far the hardest Olympic distance I've ever raced. As a matter of a fact, the Elephant man triathlon is easily the hardest course I've EVER raced. It has massive hills, lots of very steep climbing, heat, a rough road for cycling, and a mile of sandy dirt paths on the run. It's also one of the funnest courses I've ever raced. There's AMAZING views, lots of friendly volunteers, and the vehicle traffic was very courteous.

I knew I was going to be slow today, and I was right. Today was one of the 2 slowest race performances of my triathlon career, but I don't feel badly. To finish a race of this difficulty and distance with virtually no training at all in over 4 months is something I was proud of. My legs fell apart at the 10 mile mark of the bike, so the last sixty percent of the race I finished with nothing but heart. I'm in the worst shape I've been in in over 8 years, but my courage, ability to work through pain, persevere through adversity, and my determination has always been my greatest asset, and it came out in force today.

I swam a 1 mile open water swim having not completed any swim training in over a year and still finished it in 34 minutes 41 seconds, I was 10th out of 14 in my AG, 71st out of 156 overall. I finished the 25.5 mile bike in 1 hour 37 minutes, finishing dead last in my division, 92nd out of 156 overall. And I ran the 6 mile run in 1 hour, 12th out of 14, 82nd out of 156 overall. I finished the trithlon in a total time of 3 hours 17 minutes and 58 seconds, 12th out of 14 in my AG, and 110th out of 156 overall.

I only earned 1 point in the South West Challenge Series for the 2nd race in a row. I now have 46 points, and since the SW challenge series is no longer counting the Warrior triathlon 46 is how many points I'll be ending the 2012 season with. The SW challenge series 35-39 AG points standings is currently:

1st place Price Lowhon with 65 points
2nd place Cody Hanson with 46 points
T-3rd place Matt Hall with 41 points
T-3rd Cory Adair also with 41 points
T-5th place Jan Grande with 38 points
T-5thplace Valentin Ramirez also with 38 points
7th place Mike Edwards with 36 points

lucky me

I'm barely hanging on to 2nd place in the South West Challenge series 35-39 AG right now. I just got word that the Warrior tri wont be counted in the series this year. That is lucky for me. I'm too slow and out of shape right now to be able to finish any races in a decent enough time to earn points for the series. At the Patriot tri I only earned 1 point;-( The less races that are left the more likely I'll find myself still in the top 3.

low carb and endurance running

I'm currently attempting to build up my run miles for next years Angel Fire endurance trail run. It'll be a challenging 31 mile run over mountains and through valleys using national forest trails starting at the base of the Angel Fire ski resort. Currently my endurance is poor, I have a long way to go. Last week my longest run was 6 miles. I ran it slowly and it was uncomfortable.

Earlier this week I started a low carb diet I read about in "The art and science of low carbohydrate performance". It's a low carb diet for endurance athletes. When I started this diet I assumed my endurance and speed would decrease. I was also fully expecting to feel horrible. So far I feel great. Today I ran a little over 7 miles consuming nothing but water and felt fantastic. Feeling even better than I had felt on a traditional endurance athletes diet was not what I was expecting, but that is exactly what has happened.

On my first day of my low carb diet I lost 2 1/4 pounds. I'm back into the 220's again! So far I'm loving this.

The 2013 Angel Fire Ultra Endurance trail run 50 K

In 2004 I completed my first triathlon. I was slow, out of shape, and over weight. Finishing a triathlon opened up a passion and love for endurance athletics that's hard to explain. I became insanely motivated and goal driven. My motivation was to become an Ironman. I've done 2 of them. Training for, racing in, and finishing an Ironman was a tremendous experience! One of the best experiences of my life.

 I still love endurance athletics, but am needing a bit of a change to keep me excited about training. I've decided to try being a runner for awhile. I've been running exclusively for a week and loving it. Now that I've been training consistently the next step for me is choosing a goal that excites and motivates me. I've decided to try earning an ultra endurance trail running belt buckle. The shortest distance trail run an athlete can compete in to earn a buckle is 50 kilometers, or 31 miles. There's an ultra endurance trail run in Angel Fire NM that gives belt buckles to the finishers. It's supposed to be an insanely difficult course, tons of steep long mountain climbs where the trails are filled with a massive amount of loose rocks and pine cones. I love a challenge! So now my goal is set: The Angel Fire ultra endurance trail run 50 K in June of 2013!

a new sport and a new diet to go with it

I've decided to give up cycling for awhile (see last post for the reason why), I'm now finishing my 1st full week of training to be a pure runner.

I'm adapting a new diet to go along with my new exercise routine. I'm trying a low carb diet from a book called "THE ART AND SCIENCE OF LOW CARBOHYDRATE PERFORMANCE", by Volek, phd and Phinney MD. Tim Olson who followed the low carb diet advise found in this book won the Western States 100 mile trail run with a record-breaking pace. Now I'm going to try it too! I'll let you know how the low carb diet works for me while doing an endurance athletes regimen. Stay posted!

afraid to cycle

Last year I was involved in an accident while on a bike ride. Since then I've been having difficulty cycling. When cars pass me my heart rate jumps up 20 beats a minute and I cant descend without freaking out and riding my brakes. I end up skipping most of the bike rides on any triathlon training programs I start, then get frustrated about all the missed training sessions and stop training altogether. Consequently I haven't been able to train consistently and have gained 65 pounds in the last year.

Last week I was on a run and having a blast! While on that run I realized I still love running. There's no reason for me to give up on endurance athletics just because I have anxiety cycling. I need to change sports at least temporarily. I believe I'll try being a pure runner until my subconscious starts to forget that cycling is so dang dangerous.

My next step is to find a running race that gets me excited and motivated. I have a few ideas. I'll let you know as soon I decide on one.

quick progress

I'm in my 2nd full week of triathlon training. Today I ran and I felt pretty good. During my run I didn't need to stop and walk to keep my heart rate in zone 2, I felt fast during my sprints, and I wasn't exhausted after the workout. Thank goodness my body has muscle memory. I was convinced it was going to take FOREVER to get back into shape! I think I'll be back into race shape by the Nutcracker triathlon.

If anyone sees Price Lawhon who races in the 35-39 AG, please tell him I said thank you. He was the one who motivated me to start training and eating well again after a 3.5 month layoff from training.

I'm currently 226 pounds , down from 238.

back to training

This is the 1st full week of training I've had in over three months. I've realized that occasionally I need to take some time off from training to recoup and recover. The 3 months I took off I really beat myself up. I shouldn't have. It's part of being a life long triathlete. I'm back, and that's what matters. I'm slow as heck- but I'm back.

Today I completed a swim workout for the 1st time in over a year. Today was a test day. My T-pace is 1:45 per 100 meters. Yes I know, it's shocking how slow I swam, but to be honest swimming is my fastest sport right now. My running is even slower, and my bike times are at a snail pace. But I'm back to training and eating well and that's what matters!

The 2012 Patriot triathlon race report

Last Wednesday I saw that Price Lawhon had surpassed me in the the points total for the South West Challenge series 35-39 AG. I'm crazy competitive so when I saw that Lawhon was ahead of me I HAD to register for the Patriot triathlon. I needed to place 7th or better in the 35-39 AG at the Patriot triathlon held in Rio Rancho New Mexico to regain my lead. Placing 7th at the Patriot triathlon was going to be difficult because of the three and a half months I took off from training and weight I've gained. I've only been training again consistently for a little less than a week.

The Patriot triathlon was my 80th multi-sport race and I finished it in 1 hr 37 minutes 19 seconds and took 10th place in my division. Today was the slowest I've raced in 7 years. I only earned 1 point for the series, so Price Lawhorn is still in 1st place in the series with a 3 point lead. I'm in really bad shape right now and slower than a one leg grasshopper, so if Price Lawhorn races again in a triathlon in the SW series there will be no possible way I could catch him.

A great friend of mine, Matt Hall is a super stud triathlete. He races in the same age group as I do and is competing in the South West challenge series too. Matt Hall raced today at the Patriot tri and did AMAZING! He placed 15th overall and 2nd place in our age group. He earned 9 points for the SW challenge series and is now in 3rd place in the 35-39 age group with 39 points. He's incredibly fast and will pass me in the SW series if he finishes 4th place or better at the Elephantman Olympic distance triathlon Scheduled for Sept 30th.

It's probable that Matt Hall and Price Lawhorn will end up passing me in the series and maintaining their lead and I'll be scratching and clawing for 3rd place in the 2012 SW challenge series. I'm grateful that I saw the action heating up in the series, it motivated me to start training again.

I was exhausted after todays race. Really exhausted. There's no way I'd be able to finish the Redman full distance triathlon, so I'll be taking my family to Carlsbad Caverns that weekend instead.

The Redman Iron distance triathlon

Last weekend I was supposed to race at the eagle in the sun triathlon. I didn't show up. I regret it.

Last year I'd registered for the Redman Iron distance triathlon scheduled for September 22nd. I haven't completed more than 10 workouts in the last couple months, my fitness is at an all time low, and my weight is at an all time high, but I'm going to try racing it anyways.

Day 1

Today I rode my bike. This was the 1st time in months that I got time in the saddle so this felt like a huge accomplishment! I seem to have found some motivation to start training again. That motivation is a late season race. I'll let you know what that race is if I'm able to continue training consistently.

I weighed in at 234 pounds this morning. My goal is to be back to 197 by my first triathlon in the spring.

the Eagle In The Sun triathlon

Man have I packed on some weight. I'm currently just shy of 240. I haven't been this big in a long time. Early in the triathlon season I had registered for the Eagle In The Sun triathlon, that race is this weekend. I am petrified of going. I haven't trained in a few months, but that wouldn't be a problem, I know I could gut check the race. I'm embarrassed, petrified of racing this weekend because of my weight. Everyone who knows me knows me as an in shape and fast guy. I'm everything BUT those things now. I don't feel like racing, I'm afraid people will say to each other, "what the hell happened to him?" I don't want that. I'm going to show up and race anyways. I need to find something to get me back on track with my weight and motivate me to start training again. I'll be back to 300 pounds in no time if I don't do something quick.

my son Cody's 1st triathlon and 1st day of kindergarten

On Sunday 8-19-12 my son Cody completed his 1st triathlon in Los Alamos NM. He was in the 5-6 AG which consisted of a 1/4 Mile Bike / 100 Yard Run / and 25 Yard Swim. He was fearless, acted like he'd done dozens of triathlons before! Even though he was the youngest in his division he was the fastest on his bike, see video below.

On 8-20-12 Cody had his 1st day of kindergarten. Again, he was fearless. Without any prompting from my wife or I he dropped off his back pack,

                                            signed himself in, spelling his name perfectly!

                                           and found his seat with his name on it. No tears what so ever from my son, that's not the case with my wife though! My wife cried all the way to school. She cried on our way home. And she cried for another 20 minutes once we got home. She loves her boy, she's an amazing and very worried mother.

skin cancer and triathlon

Today I had my first precancerous growth removed. It was a growth on my cheek that looked like a scab. It's been there for at least a year and a half. I had no idea what it was until my Dr saw it and asked about it. Thank goodness for Dr Jay Jakobi! My Dad has had skin cancer 6 times, and I have the same skin tone as him. I guess spending the last 8 years running and biking outside without using sun screen or running caps was stupid. I'm ordering the runners cap pictured above, $19.95 off of Ebay. From here on out it's sun block and running caps for me every workout.

I've taken almost a month off from training. Some of my training burn out is gone, hopefully I'm able to fing the motivation to start working out again, my trunk has become quite capacious.

vasectomy for triathlon races

My wife has been trying to convince me to get a vasectomy for a couple years now. I've been stead fast in my refusal. Early in the 2012 triathlon season my wife told me that if I got a vasectomy she'd agree to let me race all the sprint and Oly triathlons I wanted and they'd be paid for with family money. My response...."DONE!!!" Monday is the consultation. 

My wife recorded the conversation when I broke the news that my babies wont be having anymore brothers or sisters. They seemed to handle it well.

interesting vs. proper, a comparison in budding relationships

A friend of mine pointed me to a web site that had a great story (http://hahasforhoohas.com/the-fart-that-almost-altered-my-destiny/) about a date she had with her future husband. I found it hilarious and it reminded me of the beginning of my wife and my relationship.

On the first date with my wife I had a severe 3rd degree burn on the upper inside of my thigh that was becoming infected so I walked funny (caused by super heated cake icing, liquefied plastic, and melted polyester, but that's another story), I drank from her glass without asking or apologizing, I had to push start my Suzuki Samurai, and I called her the wrong name.

On our 3rd date I ripped a nasty heart stopping fart in my Suzuki Samurai but I didn't roll down the windows for her;-), then I ripped another one on the same date in a crowded theatre with her cuddling so sweetly on my shoulder.

Shortly after that I introduced her to my grandmother and introduced her by the wrong name, an entirely different name this time.

A month into us dating I bounced some checks at the bank she worked at and went to her to have her fix it.

Then a bit later I accidentally caused her to get 2nd degree burns on her face, chest, and legs resulting in severe sun poisoning, and oozing of reddish fluid from popping blisters.

She still married me, apparently it's much more attractive to be interesting than it is to be proper or normal.