Lance Armstrong going to race in Ironman in 2012

Looks like Lance Armstrong will be competing in Ironman this year and attempting to get into Kona. I got this article off of Ironman.com

Today, the Lance Armstrong Foundation announces a new partnership with Ironman to help raise more than $1 million for people affected by cancer. Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor, champion cyclist and the Foundation's founder and chairman, will compete as a professional athlete in several Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races including Ironman 70.3 Panama, Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas, Ironman 70.3 Florida, Ironman 70.3 Hawaii and Ironman France. Armstrong is racing with the goal of qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai'i, on Oct. 13, 2012, and will be competing as a member of Team LIVESTRONG, which is adding these Ironman and Ironman 70.3 races to its endurance events series designed to raise funds for people affected by cancer.

“I am grateful to Ironman for partnering with LIVESTRONG to raise funds and awareness for people affected by cancer,” said Armstrong. “In my career as an athlete and as a cancer advocate, I’ve learned that progress demands partnership, but it’s not without a struggle. And that’s what Team LIVESTRONG is about – it’s about purpose; it’s about challenge and it’s about empowering survivors to fight like hell. There’s progress to be made with cancer and we invite anyone up for the challenge to join Team LIVESTRONG.

“At 13 years old, Lance got his start in triathlon by racing in the IronKids Series,” said Andrew Messick, Chief Executive Officer of World Triathlon Corporation. “At 16 years old, he went pro and was considered a star in our sport. At only 18, he was racing against the best triathletes in the world: Mark Allen, Dave Scott and Scott Molina. We are happy to have him return to our sport. Lance is a fierce competitor and his involvement with Ironman and Ironman 70.3 is good for triathlon.”

“Lance's involvement at perhaps the toughest one-day event in all of sport sheds light on what surviving cancer can mean to millions around the world,” said Scott Tinley, two-time Ironman World Champion and Ironman Hall of Fame Inductee. “I remember Lance as a determined kid who channeled that competitive spirit into an amazing career as a cyclist, survivor and advocate for survivors of a horrible disease. A partnership between LIVESTRONG and Ironman will further improve the lives of people affected by cancer. People need to realize that Lance’s foundation represents the use of sport to improve our world. There are only positive things that can come from having Lance join the Ironman family.”

"It is exciting to see Lance Armstrong, one of the greatest-ever endurance athletes, coming back to race triathlons in 2012," said Craig Alexander, three-time Ironman World Champion and two-time Ironman 70.3 World Champion.

“Lance is an exceptional athlete; he’s the type of person who wants to excel and be the best at whatever he puts his mind to,” said Chris Lieto, multiple Ironman and Ironman 70.3 champion. “I’m excited to see how his participation in our sport will draw attention to what it takes to be a triathlete and how challenging it can be. It will definitely bring triathlon more into the mainstream and I know pro athletes, including myself, will look forward to racing with him at future events.”

Team LIVESTRONG adds Ironman races to its endurance events series designed to raise funds for people affected by cancer

Team LIVESTRONG has a limited number of entries for these events and people interested in joining Armstrong should visit http://www.teamlivestrong.org/ for more information. Athletes who are already registered for one of these Ironman or Ironman 70.3 events can still race as part of Team LIVESTRONG. General entry is also still available for each of these events and can be accessed at http://www.ironman.com/.

Through this partnership, Ironman will serve as a gold-level sponsor for the Team LIVESTRONG Challenge Series. As a sponsor, Ironman will donate four Ironman World Championship slots in 2012 and 2013 to be auctioned with proceeds going directly to LIVESTRONG.

LIVESTRONG is the brand of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, created in 1997 by the cancer survivor and champion cyclist to serve people living with cancer and empower communities to take action. The Foundation specializes in patient navigation services that help cancer survivors and their families overcome the insurance, financial, emotional and practical challenges that accompany a cancer diagnosis. As a member of Team LIVESTRONG, people walk, run, ride or tri in the fight against cancer in the LIVESTRONG Challenge Series or in other major athletic events around the world. By participating and fundraising for Team LIVESTRONG, participants join a group of committed individuals dedicated to inspiring and empowering people affected by cancer. To date, Team LIVESTRONG participants have raised $82 million for Foundation programs and services. For more information, visit TeamLIVESTRONG.org.

About World Triathlon Corporation
World Triathlon Corporation (WTC) is a Tampa-based company recognized for athletic excellence, distinguished events and quality products. The WTC portfolio includes Ironman, Ironman 70.3, 5150 Triathlon Series, Iron Girl and IronKids, which have a combined total of more than 180 events worldwide each year. Supported by partners including Timex, PowerBar, K-Swiss and TYR, Ironman is the No.1 user-based sports brand in the world and has been a respected name in triathlon since its inception in 1978. For more information, visit http://www.ironman.com/.

About LIVESTRONG/Lance Armstrong Foundation
LIVESTRONG serves people affected by cancer and empowers them to take action against the world's leading cause of death. Created as the Lance Armstrong Foundation in 1997 by cancer survivor and champion cyclist Lance Armstrong, the organization is now known publicly by its powerful brand -- LIVESTRONG -- and is a leader in the global movement on behalf of 28 million people around the world living with cancer today. Originating with the iconic yellow wristband, LIVESTRONG has become a symbol of hope and inspiration to people affected by cancer around the world. Since its inception, the organization has raised $450 million for the fight against cancer. For more information, visit LIVESTRONG.org. Originally from: http://ironman.com/mediacenter/pressreleases/the-lance-armstrong-foundation-announces-new-partnership-with-ironman-to-raise-1-million-for-people-affec#ixzz1m5PHy3hZ

The beginning of mission one-nine-zero: day 1-3

I'm really wanting to break my 70.3 PR or 5 hours 30 minutes in April at The Memorial Hermann 70.3. To break the 5.5 hour mark I need to train hard- never a problem with me- & get my weight down below 200- all too often this is a big problem for me! So I am now starting mission one-nine-zero! My goal is to be 190 pounds by April 10th 2011. 3.5 weeks ago I was 235 pounds, I am currently 222 pounds To get to 190 by April 10th I need to drop another 32 pounds in 18 weeks. That's an average of 1.77 pounds a week. Very attainable- in theory at least.....

I've realized through trial & error my body is NOT happy being at or below 190. Anytime I get at or below 190 I then end up packing on a whole bunch of weight. It's as if my body has a self defense mechanism that kicks in anytime I drop that low. So after the Memorial Hermann 70.3 I'll allow myself to get back up 200 pounds, & then I'll drop back down to 190 just before Ironman Arizona in Novermber.

From here on out I'll be posting my current weight, Pounds needed to lose & the # of weeks to do it in, calories burned, & calories eaten here on my blog:

Week 1 of 18
At the beggining of week 18 I need to lose 39.4 more pounds.

Day 1
Weight: 229.4
Weight lost: 0 pounds
weight loss to goal: 39.4
Calories eaten: 2,488
Calories burned: 1,148
Net calories: 1,340

Day 2
Weight: 224
Weight lost: 4.6 pounds
weight loss to goal: 34 pounds
Calories eaten: 2,869
Calories burned: 888
Net calories: 1981

Day 3: Dec 3rd
Weight 222
Weight lost 7.4 pounds
weight loss to goal: 32 pounds
Ate- 3,291
Burned- 1,711 (30.7 mile zone 2 bike followed by a 31 minute zone 2 run with six 20 minute sprints with 40 seconds rest intervals)
Net calories- 1,580

While reading the bible last week I found this:

"I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free."
Psalm 119:32 

I have found a lot of encouragement in it. My life is so much better & rewarding when I turn to Christ in all things. Anytime I start getting caught up in life & forget to turn to Him for strength & encouragement things get much more difficult. My finances tend to get out of control, I lose my patience much quicker, & I find myself struggling with my triathlon training & racing. I find peace & strength in Him, when I turn to Christ it makes my heart feel free & light.

weight, triathlon, and things

Up until July of this year I had kept below 200 pounds for a year & a half by using Dietpower.com In early July I got down to 184 & had a screaming 6 pack!

In July I got burned out with cycling, running, & logging all my food, so I took some time off of training & logging. Bam! Back up to 220 in 5 months! I'm now motivated to train again, like I said in my last post, I'll be registering for Ironman Arizona on Monday, if I'm unable to get into that race I'll be doing the Redman Iron distance tri. My goal is to break my Ironman PR of 14 hrs. I finished in 14 hrs while weighing 235, so I should be able to get below 13 hrs if I can get back to my best racing weight of 195. So after a 5 month lay off, I'm back into working out!

I'm still burned out with logging my food. I just can't seem to make myself do it. So I'm going to try & eat a palm sized portion of protein, & a palm sized portion of carbs every 3 hrs. If I get hungry I'll allow myself raw veggies between meals. & for breakfast & post workout I'll eat the palm sized protein & a double portion of carbs. I can't remember where I saw this diet, the Dr OZ show or something along those lines. I'm 2 days into the new diet and enjoying it so far. The great things about this diet is there's no logging. I always have the palm of my hand with me so I never have to worry about not having the proper measuring cups or food scales with me! Almost feels like effortless dieting compared to logging! Things are looking up again!

My 2 big races of 2011 is the Memorial Hermman 70.3 in April. I'm hoping to break my 70.3 PR of 5 hrs 30 minutes, dare I dream of 5:20? & a late season Iron. Hopefully IMAZ, but if not than it'll be Redman. I'm hoping to go 13 hrs or below for the Iron. My Iron PR is 14 hrs.

OCD driven!

There's a big difference between training & working out. I'd struggled with my weight something horrible until I found triathlon in 2005. That's when I started training, & that has made a huge difference in the way I view my health & my body.

Since August I've been struggling to find a goal that made me excited to train. It's no coincidence that since August I've gained a TON of weight. A lot more weight than I'll admit on my blog! The problem was I couldn't think of any goals that excited me enough to get me to train in a rampant OCD driven kind of a way. The entire 2010 year I was obsessed with winning the 2010 South West Challenge Series & finishing multisport races in the top 10 overall, consequently I had a stellar year in 2010. My problem began after I'd won the 2010 SW Challenge Series & finished my 10th race in the top 10. I'd lost a goal that drove me. I tried looking for new goals to get my engine running, but nothing made me the least bit interested.

Yesterday I was scrolling through trifind.com & noticed the 2011 70.3 World Championships race was being held in Las Vegas Nevada. I'd heard that the 70.3 series has almost doubled & has increased in popularity ten fold, so I started scrolling through a list of 70.3 world championship qualifying races. One of the ones that peaked my interest was the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas triathlon. Everything about this race seemed to be in my favor & screaming for me to race it!
- Because of my build & genetics I am a poor hill climber but can CRUSH a flat race: the Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas is one of the flattest half Irons in the world!
-It's an early season triathlon, & I seem to be a more competitive athlete in the early season than most of triathletes because of my willingness to train in any weather or temperatures. Last year I rode 3.5 hrs in 19 degree temperatures when a cold front blew through New Mexico.
- There are still slots available, so I can still buy an entry.
- It's a race held at sea level, & Santa Fe's elevation is 7000 feet. Very few athletes train at that elevation, so I'll have a huge advantage at sea level.
- I can dream of qualifying for the 70.3 World Championships for a 2nd time. There's something about a goal that appears way out of my reach that kicks in my absurd OCD goal driven engine, & I've found it: To race in The Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas & try to win a slot to The 70.3 World Championships in September 2011 in Las Vegas Nevada!

To be competitive I need to lose approximately 30-35 pounds to get to my best race weight of 195 pounds.

Watch out Memorial Hermann Ironman 70.3 Texas, HERE I come!