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.

my daughters big week

This has been a big week for my daughter. She lost her 2 front teeth and got her ears pierced!

                          This is moments after my daughter and her friend got ther ears pierced

                                        this is shortly after she lost her front teeth

play time

A couple weeks ago I decided I'd take a month off of triathlon training and racing. I've been taking advantage of the extra time with my kids. Yesterday my wife and I drove the babies to the Albuquerque Sunport and watched planes take off and land. I gave about a thousand rides to the kids on my shoulders, they held their arms out and made airplane noises pretending they were flying. This morning the boys were running around the house with stuffed animals on their shoulders making plane noises. They told me they were giving rides to their kids like I did for them yesterday. That touched my heart.  

Today I taught my boys how to build a fort out of blankets and the living room furniture. Then we played Avengers for an hour. You can see my son holding his stuffed Captain America in the pictures.

Earlier this year I registered for the Santa Fe triathlon, the Damitman triathlon, and the Elephantman triathlon, those were supposed to be my priority races this year. I wont be competing in them, I've gained a ton of weight this year, weight gain and triathlon do not mix. I'd rather be a no show than show up slow, over weight, and an embarrassment to myself. Hopefully I'll be able to figure out a way to stop the weight gain and start some losing soon.

Now that I weigh over 200 pounds again I changed the name of my blog back to Cody the Clydesdale. That sucked. I'm hoping to be able to change it back to Cody the former Clydesdale again soon.

Ever notice how the heavier you are the less capable you are of tolerating the heat? Man, I'm miserable in this heat right now!

qualified for the 2012 USATriathlon national championships

I received an email from USAT that I qualified for the USA Triathlon national championships held later this year in Vermont. This was the 3rd time this season I finished a race with a high enough placing to qualify. We can't afford to go to Vermont this year, I'm hoping 2014 is the year.

Congratulations Cody Hanson. You have qualified for the 2012 USA Triathlon Olympic-Distance National Championship after finishing in the top 10 percent in your age group at the BUFFMAN & SQUEAKY AND THE DOG HOUSE SPRINT.

The Olympic-Distance race will be held Aug. 18 in Burlington, Vt., as part of the 2012 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, presented by People’s United Bank. This race serves as the nation's premier Olympic-distance event, with the top age-group athletes from all 50 states forming a prestigious field.

USA Triathlon is now making additional slots available after the event was announced on June 5 as being sold out in record time. (For example, USA Triathlon is working with the City of Burlington and local organizers to receive the necessary permits to expand the transition area.)

In order to fill these slots as they become available, USA Triathlon has set-up a wait list. Effective now, you can add yourself to this wait list. We encourage all qualified athletes to do so as quickly as possible, because we anticipate that slots will be allocated immediately upon their availability.

Also, please note that the Sprint-Distance event, which will be held on Aug. 19 as part of the 2012 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships in Burlington, Vt., is not yet sold out and registration is still open. While qualification is not necessary, the Sprint-Distance event will provide an equivalent National Championship race experience and, like the Olympic-Distance event, serve as the exclusive qualifier to become a member of Team USA and compete in the 2013 International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships in London, England. However, any athletes who register for the Sprint National Championships, and are later added to the Olympic-Distance National Championships via the wait list, will not receive refunds.

For more information on the 2012 USA Triathlon Age Group National Championships, please visit www.USATNationalEvents.org. Please note: athletes must be current USA Triathlon annual members through August 18, 2012 before registering. You may renew your membership at www.usatriathlon.org.

acceptance

Since taking on the Total Money Makeover I've been working allot of hours. Since starting to work this much I've been unable to heal well from my training, I've been getting sick a lot, and I've been struggling horribly with my weight; I weigh over 200 pounds again, I'm a Clydesdale again for the 1st time in over 2 years, and that makes me very very disgruntled. I don't mind working this much because I'm changing my wife and kids future for the better, but I've realized I need to rearrange some things to make this a little less difficult on me. If I try to do everything perfectly all the time I'll never be able to do anything well. That's where I've been recently. I'm struggling to find enough time to sleep, finding enough time to spend with my wife and kids, struggling with my weight, I'm getting ill frequently, missing a lot of workouts, and not healing from my training.

I've decided I need to take some stress and pressure out of my life. I've been praying to try to have the serenity to accept the things I can not change, to have the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference. I've been stressing myself out about my weight gain. I've been trying to drop back down to 175 pounds and it has not been going well. Rather than continue to beat myself up about my weight gain I'm going to try and maintain my current weight. I'd be happier if I was lighter, but I'm really unhappy with myself when I keep trying to force myself to diet and fail, diet and fail, diet and fail. I raced for years as a Clydesdale and enjoyed myself, there's no reason I shouldn't accept myself exactly as I am now. There's no reason for me to make myself as miserable as I have been about my weight. I may be a little slower at this weight, but I'm still in the healthy range, and I'm still a God fearing christian who is a good husband and father.

I've also decided to start training a little less and lower the intensity of my workouts. I haven't been healing well and I've been chronically over trained. I keep missing workouts due to fatigue and illness, I've always heard that it's better to go into a race a little under trained than a little over trained. I'm going to test that theory. The extra time I have will help bring a little more balance and health into my life. More importantly I believe God has been trying to get me to make these changes in my life for awhile. If it's God will I should listen. He is perfect after all.

God, please help me accept your will over mine, and to figure out what your will is for me, in Jesus name I pray. Amen