Potawatomi Trail Run Race Report

So I decided back in December to take the plunge into the deeper end of the crazy runner pool and signed up for the 50 mile race at Potawatomi. I've run a handful of marathons and 50k's and I have a number of friends that have done 50 and 100 milers so I wanted to step up and test myself and see if I had it in me.

Going into this race I knew physically I had it in me to finish, I may not be fast but I knew that I could cover the distance especially with an incredibly generous cut off this race offered. The biggest question was did I have mentally what it took to keep going once my body was tired, once I had done the loop 3 or 4 times already, could I mentally get over the obstacle of my brain telling me I was unable to go on. This was something that had been weighing on my mind throughout my training after my experience at Wildcat where I just wanted to be done and mentally quit at the 50k loop. Oh I justified it as I wasn't properly trained for a 50 miler, which I wasn't, I only just decided the week of to go for 50 miles, but that still doesn't change the fact that I let my insecurities and doubt get the better of me when I knew I could do something.

I rode down to Pekin with my buddy Jay who was planning on pacing me for a loop as well as a couple other people who where signed up for the 100 and 150. Having Jay crew me was going to be a big help because he knows just what buttons to push to keep me motivated and he has a lot more experience at the Ultra distances than I do. His first and best piece of advice was to tape my feet, I never would have considered this as I don't normally have issues with blisters on long runs, and it's hard to say if it prevented me from having blisters or it was just my normal good luck but I did not suffer a single blister on my feet with exception of one tiny one on the very tip of my creepy long toe on my right foot. The other advantage to having Jay there was his van which we camped out of instead of a tent which was very beneficial especially on the first night when it was quite cold. It also got us away from where everyone else was camping and the race start/finish line was at and thus extra noise, which allowed me to sleep great both the night before and the night after the race.

Race morning I woke up around 4:30 ready to go although I did lay in my sleeping bag for awhile longer since I literally only had to walk 100 feet to the start area once I was ready. After a brief pre race meeting which I honestly only was able to pay attention to part of we were ready to begin. All of the 50 and 100 mile entrants lined up, I settled myself right in the back where I belonged and we began. My plan which is a typical ultra mantra was to start off slow and then ease it back a little.

The first loop was really great, legs felt great after my taper and the course was beautiful especially as the sun was coming up. I generally take a "I'll just see what happens" approach when looking ahead at courses and it wasn't much different with this race. I knew there where going to be hills and I trained for them, I knew there where going to be water crossings and I practiced running with wet cold feet, but other than that I didn't worry too much about what the course had to offer. It was going to be what it was going to be and me over analyzing it wouldn't have changed anything.

Half way through the course is the Heavens Gate aid station, this is one thing about the course that I had spent some time looking into, mostly because I knew there would be delicious food there and since a majority of my running is motivated by my love of eating I was pumped up about this aid station. I was not disappointed on my first trip as I was greeted to pancakes, sausage and bacon along with the typical ultra running snack foods. I had myself a couple pieces of bacon wrapped in a pancake and was off. The second half of the course is by far the easier part (at least it was that way in my mind) plus knowing you've reached the half way point is a nice check point and helps keep the race smaller in my mind.

I finished up my first loop in right around 2:15 which I felt like was pretty good. Changed socks, stripped off my top layer grabbed my camera to take some photos of the course and headed back out. After a few minutes I realized not only did I forget my sunglasses but the battery on my camera was dead. Luckily the course doubles back after about a mile near the starting area so I darted over dropped off the camera and grabbed my sunglasses. The second loop was by far my favorite, I was still feeling great I had been through the course once and new what to expect, when to push and when to ease back, I really felt like I was on cruise control at this point. Not exactly sure what my time was for my second loop but it was pretty close to my first.

One mistake I now know I made on the second loop was I did not drink enough fluids so heading out on my third I had a plan to drink more frequently, this worked great with the exception of I forgot to refill the hydration pack at heaven's gate aid station and ran out shortly there after. Once again luck was shinning on me as there was a 5 gallon jug set out along the course that I was able to refill at. This was a huge boost mentally, if I would have had to suffer through the last few miles with out water it wouldn't have been that detrimental physically but mentally it could have put me in a bad place. One other piece of advice Jay had given me was don't start using trekking poles until you've had a loop where you wished you'd had them. It's pretty good advice since you don't want to carry around the extra weight if you don't need them and they could be a boost so don't waste it too early in the race. Well on the third loop I really wanted them, so bad in fact that I found a perfect stick to use in the meantime until I could get my poles. The stick worked out just fine and I was happy to have had it. The benefit especially for me is it allows me to use some of my upper body strength going up hills and it also gives you something to focus on as you are trotting along the flat sections.

The fourth loop was when Jay planned on picking me up and pacing me so after a quick stop, change of socks we were off. Jay helped keep me moving when I really didn't want to keep running, he kept giving me a hard time as he waited for me at the top of a hill saying stuff like "Hurry up, I've got things to do today" or "I've been waiting on you all day". I suppose these things could have very easily gotten under my skin but I knew he was just egging me on to keep me going and I knew he was only kidding around with me. Being a pacer is a tricky job you have to know the person you are pacing pretty well and be able to push them just enough to keep them going but not to far that you send them over the edge and Jay walked that tight rope with me perfectly. A good portion of the time he was out with me he actually spent talking to another QC runner that was right near us, and it was actually great to just listen to them talk. I spent a lot of time talking with various other runners during the course of the race but one that sticks out in particular is a women I met on the fourth loop we kept leap frogging each other and for awhile we played this game of tag your it, I would pass her when I was feeling good and she was walking and say "You're it" then a few minutes later she would pass me and tell me to catch up or something along those lines. The ultra running community is simply great, everyone is so positive and encouraging. Everyone I met along the course had great stories of why they were running or how they got there. There is just a vibe at Ultra's that you don't get at road races or triathlons, it's pretty cool.

As I was running the fourth loop the thought that I was actually going to do this started to wash over me and I was getting pretty excited to head out on the fifth and final loop. For the last loop Jay was going to let me go it alone and I was good with this, as much as I enjoy running with other people I really like running alone, locked inside my own head. The fourth loop was a nice break from myself but I was ready to just put my head phones on get lost in my music and thoughts as I tackled the course one last time. With a fresh pair of socks and my first shoe change I was ready to get things done.

The last loop was just about keeping myself going, I used all kinds of mental tricks to keep putting one foot in front of the other, like I would run until the current song ended or run a 100 steps and walk 20. Every time I passed a landmark I would think "That's the last time I get to see that rock" or "Last time up this hill" it was a nice feeling knowing that at this point, no matter what I was going to finish and I was excited. I took time to really thank all the volunteers at the aid stations, some of whom had been out there since Friday at noon and would go until Sunday at 4pm. They were doing their own Ultra of sorts and they were very much appreciated.

By the last loop I was having some major difficulty going up hill my legs were fried and it was a struggle to get my big body up. Going down was no problem and running the flattish parts was okay but going up just wasn't as easy. Which is pretty funny because that's when I met up with a guy and his pacer and he was passing me on the uphill and then waiting for me at the top so I could go ahead. See he was having no issues going up but could not handle the down hills, so much so he was forced to go backwards using his pacer as a spotter. I felt bad for the guy as this was probably a very difficult process, but he was in good spirits and even made some cracks about it as we passed each other, eventually I was able to pull away from them.

I really wanted to finish in under 13 hours but that wasn't going to happen, my main goal was not to have a 3 hour loop and I was going to be cutting it close and it got even closer right at the end. All day I was wondering if and when I was going to have to go #2, there were a number of out houses along the course so it wouldn't be an issue when and if the need arose. It finally hit me on the last mile of the race, I probably could have made it to the end but I wanted to run in and bask in the glow of the finality of the effort, not make a bee line to the nearest port a potty. So I hit the last out house on the course which was only a half mile to the finish. I did my business and got moving and finished up the last loop in 2:59 and change, close too close.

I crossed the finish line in 13 hours 14 minutes, after passing through a human tunnel of all the QC Hash runners that were down there supporting their friends and me as well. I was really thankful for all of their support especially from Butch and Moon who made sure I got everything I needed during my pit stops. Everyone made me feel like part of the group even though I only know a handful of them through Jay and a few runs together, they all supported me and celebrated in my accomplishment which was truly awesome.

After the race the next day I was thinking back on the whole thing and I was pondering on the mental toughness aspect and it dawned on me that I never had that super low moment where I wanted to quit and give up. At first this kind of bummed me out because one of the big questions I had going in was do I have what it takes mentally to keep going when i want to quit. I guess in a way I was disappointed that I didn't hit that point and then get to battle through it. Then it occurred to me that maybe I never had that moment where I had to test my mental toughness because I had prepared myself thoroughly enough that I was always one step ahead and therefore didn't need to test my toughness because it was already being displayed. Yeah I'm good with that.

So now a few days have passed and I've had time to reflect and look back on the whole experience, not just the race but the last 5 months of serious training and really the last couple of years where I've really gotten in to this endurance stuff. I can't say that I've come to some deep understanding of life or wisdom that only comes from 13 hours of continuous running but I do believe I have a better understanding of what it is I truly enjoy doing. This race has definitely altered my perspective on some things and in a way I'm really happy about that. I haven't been that keyed up about my half iron triathlon in July, the thought that I was done with Tri's has been bouncing around in my head for some time since my bike accident but now it may be even more solidified... we'll see what happens. I did have this crazy thought on Monday night after brushing my teeth getting ready for bed, running 100 miles doesn't scare the crap out of me nearly as much now as it did a few months ago... who knows maybe next year I'll tackle the 100 mile distance?

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Leadville Trail 100 and Colorado

I had the opportunity to go out to Colorado to crew/pace a buddy of mine during the Leadville Trail 100 mile ultramarathon, this was single handily one of the most awesome experiences in my life. While out there I had the opportunity to hike to the summit of Mount Elbert which is the highest peak in Colorado @ 14,433 feet above sea level and the second highest peak in the lower 48 states. Below is my recap of my pacing duties that I posted on Daily Mile and in the interest of time I'll just use that and give some additional thoughts below.

"My job was to get Jay up and over Hope Pass during the Leadville 100. I picked him up after 50 miles of running and only an hour into the climb I wasn't able to keep up with him. The trail was very congested at this point with inbound and outbound runners and every time he would surge to pass someone I would struggle to catch back up only for him to surge past someone else. I'd like to blame it on the head cold I've been plagued with the last week but the fact of the matter is he is just a beast going up hill, it was like trying to keep up with a damn mountain goat. Eventually I started to become light headed and faint and had to stop as my heart rate skyrocketed. I gave him the last bottle of water so he could continue on without me and hopefully meet back up with him at the Hope Pass aid station. About 10 minutes later, Marshall, a friend of Jay's who was out there to pace someone else who had dropped out of the race came flying by me looking to help out. It was like a gift from God seeing him, I was struggling so bad trying to catch back up and mentally I was starting to crack knowing it just wasn't going to happen. Once I knew Jay was going to be okay I could go at my own pace and not over work myself. After I made the aid station I refilled my water bottles and started the trek down the mountain. Going down hill is by far my stronger suit and I was able to pass a lot of people and made up quite a bit of time apparently I came in to the Twin Lakes aid station only a few minutes after he left and I was told Marshall was with him and he was doing good, thankfully. Quite a humbling experience but it was really amazing too, reading about this race and actually experiencing are two completely different things. So proud of Jay, Tom, Flynn and everyone who competed out there, a whole new respect for that race, and the amount of physical and mental strength it takes just to line up let alone complete."

Now I've read a number of accounts of this race in various ultra runners biography's but to read about something and to actually experience it are like previously stated two completely different things. First off when you live in the Midwest and the steepest thing you encounter on a training run is a 100 foot climb you can not even fathom what gaining 3000-4000 feet of elevation is like, especially on some of the gnarliest nastiest trails out there. Over the course of last week I experienced the 3 hardest things I've ever done physically, climbing Lake Deluge trail, Mount Elbert and Hope Pass and even though they kicked my butt I loved it. I may not have enjoyed it fully at the time, but looking back it was simply amazing and something I will remember for the rest of my life.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Freedom Run 5k

OK its been an awful long time since I've posted anything here, a lot has gone on but don't have time to play catch up right now. Here is a recap of last nights Freedom Run 5k.

Ran the freedom run 5k with Caden, he had a bit of trouble with side stitches during our warm up and they just never went away. We had to walk considerably more than the firecracker but considering hes only run 3 or 4 times in the last month he did amazing finishing in just over 36 minutes. I was worried this would turn him off racing but at the end he still sprinted towards the finish smiling and egging me on that he was gonna beat me. I live how much joy he gets out of running and I'm so thankful I can share it with him, makes me love to run all over again.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Not just another run

Haven't posted much lately, I've either not had the time, desire or anything interesting to share but had to share this from yesterday.

Caden's tball game ended early last night so was able to steal back the run I had skipped that morning when we got home. Started out running with the boys, we jogged down to the school and did our 2 laps there (Casey rode his bike and only ran one lap, his legs were hurting, think he may be getting shin splints) and then ran home. Proud to say that Caden completed the 1.7 mile loop nearly a full minute faster than on Saturday and this time he chatted me up the whole time, pretty sure he is going to have no problem knocking out the Firecracker 5k as long as he paces himself accordingly. I'm simply amazed at his exuberance for exercise and what seems like an unending pool of energy. I haven't coerced him or his brother into running or exercise (other than laying the foundation by setting an example) and Caden especially has latched on to it. Definitely makes me proud and excited about the whole thing.

After dropping off the boys I headed back out for more pushing the pace for a progressive tempo effort. This run felt great and an 8:30 mile felt nearly effortless, was able to peel off 7:50ish for the last mile. Did a little cool down jog around the block to finish off. Feeling pretty confident about my fitness with just a little over a week to go till my first race of the season, can't wait!


Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Run for Renewal RR

Saturday I ran the Run for Renewal 5k, this was race #3 of the Live Uncommon Race Series and the only repeat event from last year and one of my favorites because of the cause it supports, Project Renewal, an after school program for underprivileged youth. They got a huge boost in participants this year when Live Uncommon stepped up and covered the cost of entrants this past week as a way to show support for the tragedy that happened last Monday at the Boston Marathon, which in a nut shell is one of the reasons I love being associated with Live Uncommon, doing good and awesome things because it is the right thing do for everyone.

As far as the race, I had no expectation of running this hard since I've only been back running now for a couple of weeks. My goal was to finish under 28 minutes and keep it nice and easy, I ran with my friend Anne for the entire race (I was hopping I could keep up with her the whole time) and it was nice to catch up with her. Best part was I had no pain in my Achilles during or after the race even with picking up the tempo a little for this race, I think I'm ready to start pushing things a little more this week and see how it responds.

Afterwards I ran some cool down miles downtown and checked out the flood waters, I also ran some stairs in one of the parking garages to get a better view, it's crazy to think that downtown Davenport floods nearly every year and yet they refuse to put up any kind of flood wall, what's that they say about the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results...yeah I think the City Administrators qualify on that one.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

My Heart is Sad Today

I haven’t blogged in quite some time, my post started to get monotonous and then I went on vacation and I really got out of the habit but today I am compelled to write something about the tragedy that occurred yesterday during the Boston Marathon. For starters I cannot make sense of why someone would choose this venue to carry out their heinous act of violence. But to ask why someone would do this is an exercise in futility. Anyone so far gone in whatever belief system they adhere to that actually condones this kind of behavior on innocent victims is obviously irrational and therefore cannot answer a simple rational question as to why? Any answer would not make sense to a rational person and therefore useless to even pose. I can understand an act of violence against ones enemy say in a time and place of war, whatever side of the battle field you are on there are strong beliefs and both sides believe they are fighting for the side of good, usually. Add to that the fact that the combatants know the ultimate penalty for engaging in their activity may and could be death, the race participants and spectators who gathered along those streets certainly did not under any circumstance expect death to be an outcome of that day’s events.


One story that I’ve heard touched me profoundly, it was about the death of an 8 year old boy who was at the race to cheer on his father. Seeing his dad at the finish line he rushed out to him to hug him and then went back into the crowd with his mother. That was when the first bomb went off and tragically took his life. As a father and runner this hits me on so many levels it is hard to comprehend all the emotions it stirs up inside me. Sorrow for the father that lost his son, guilt because if he hadn’t run that day his son would still be alive, or if he had been 5 minutes faster or slower maybe he is still alive today. Finishing a marathon was one of the most emotional moments I’ve ever experienced; it sits firmly behind the birth of my children, my wedding day and the loss of my mother and grandfather. I could not fathom going through the extreme elation of not only finishing a marathon but finishing Boston, the Superbowl of marathons, having your son greet you and hug you at the finish line and then moments later he’s gone, ripped from this world like your heart from your chest.

I struggle sometimes with sympathy and empathy for others, it may be a byproduct of growing up in an alcoholic family or maybe it’s just how I was made but this situation, this one story pulls at my heart strings more than anything in recent memory, and there has been far too many things happen lately like this and the Sandy Hook elementary school shooting and other tragedy’s. I remember when 9-11 happened, I was shocked, saddened and angry but it did not touch me the same way this has. That may be in part to being older and now a father and having a completely different view on the world and life 12 years later.

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by this tragedy, yesterday was a sad day for the world of running and for the world itself when events like this are becoming more and more common. Healing will come over time for most, but the scars will remain forever on some. My heart is sad today and that is really the only way I can put it.

Week 9 - Wednesday's musings

I was thinking the other day about toughness and living a tough life and I realized I am no where near as tough as I previously believed.

Granted I've never considered myself a "tough guy" in the classic sense, I don't go looking for fights, in fact my natural inclination is to avoid a physical confrontation at most costs, but if push comes to shove I will do what is necessary to protect those I care for and what I believe in. But being willing and able to fight is not really a true measure of toughness. I'm talking about over coming adversity, thriving in diffucult circumstances, getting back up more times than you get knocked down. And that is where I believe I lack toughness. All I have to do is look in my workout log and see all the red marks signifying a missed workout. Now I know some of those may have been legit reason's like sickness or injury but a lot, and more often than not, it's because I was tired or sore from the previous days workout. Those are from a lack of mental toughness, that lack of perseverance or a win at all cost mentality that gets one through a tough workout or out of bed at 4:30 am to go put in the work to achieve a goal.

This is what was going through my mind this morning when I so badly wanted to go back to sleep and skip my planned bike ride. I was tired and sore from yesterday and I wanted to crawl back into bed and just sleep, but I challenged myself, I asked myself if I was mentally tough enough to go through with it and I'm happy to say I answered the call and I got a good workout in.

I don't take too much pride in my minor accomplishment this morning especially when I think about how it stackes up to other individuals who are answering a much more impactful challenge. Those individuals in the armed forces, police, fireman, emergency responders and given our recent snow and ice utility workers out all day and night keeping us safe and helping restore power. They get up early answer the call each and everyday for something way more important than training for a triathlon. They really live by the catchy little tag line at the bottom of my post's when I'm just playing at it hoping I can somehow live up to their standards. Maybe I won't be fighting crime or rushing into a burning building anytime soon, but there are things I can and should be doing that can positively impact the world around me.

So today I say it with a little different meaning...

Until next time... Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 8 - Saturday

Opted not to go run trails out at Loud Thunder, haven't run all week and figured probably should stick close to home just in case my Achilles flared up...turned out to be a good idea. I made it about half mile before it started hurting, nothing major but knew it wasn't something I wanted to push and aggravate further so I headed home to  hop on the bike trainer. Ended up getting 2 hours on the bike without any further complications.

I have a feeling this may be a nagging injury if I don't just nip it in the butt now, so looks like I may just have to have an extended break from running for awhile. Looks like I'll be getting a lot more pool time in the near future which won't be so bad I suppose. I can also spend some extra time in the gym building my strength as well and just get in lots and lots of miles on the bike.

Until next time...Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't...

...and today that means knowing when not to push through an injury.

Week 8 - Thursday

So I've been dealing with a sore Achilles tendon since after Saturday's long run and so far it is doing much better, I was really concerned that it was going to be something major and keep me from running for a long time, and just that thought really bummed me out. Not because I wouldn't be able to complete my goal of a half ironman this year but just not getting to run. It is kind of ridiculous how much I love running now when I think about how much I used to hate it another lifetime ago. When I was younger and played organized sports, running was something I had to do, and more times than not it was a punishment or viewed as such. We ran after football practice for conditioning, we ran a lot more if we had a bad practice or a bad game the previous week. Enjoyment and running weren't in the same ball field, heck they weren't on the same planet. I used to joke that I hated running so much that I wouldn't even run to my car if it was raining. Now one of my favorite things is to run in the rain oddly enough. The thought of losing something I have grown to love so much frankly scared me.

The good news is disaster, as of now, may be averted. I haven't run all week so far, skipping my easy run on Tuesday night and my run this morning and allowing may Achilles time to rest and heal up. I have been able to ride with out any pain or discomfort and may test things out tonight or tomorrow on the treadmill just to see how things are progressing.

We're planning on running trails this weekend and I would love to get out there but if I'm going to do more damage I don't want to risk it. Better to skip a run in February and heal up than potentially do major damage and be out for months on end.


Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Week 8 - Tuesday Ride

After a disappointing start to my week yesterday, I skipped my swim and subsequently beat myself up all day about it, I was ready to get after it this morning.

Bike workout went great, Achilles tendon felt just fine throughout. Still remaining cautiously optimistic about it, may try running just a little on the treadmill tonight to test it out or just get another 30 minutes on the trainer.

Until next time...do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 7 - Saturday and Sunday

Met up with the some of the usual suspects and a couple new faces for our weekly long run. Run was good finished up with 15 total for the day but afterwards once I got home my achilles tendon on my right foot flared up real bad making it painful to walk. I don't remember doing anything to hurt it but you never know sometimes what can lead to an injury.

Wasn't able to ride later in the afternoon and I was starting to get bummed out that I might be on the shelf for awhile. Rest and multiple rounds of icing it through out the rest of the day had it feeling better this morning. I was able to get in a 90 minute bike ride today after church without any pain so I'm remaining cautiously optimistic that it's nothing major, might have to take it easy running for awhile but if I can still ride shouldn't be too bad.

Week 7 - Travel, rest days and anxiety

Sunday morning I flew to Tulsa for our annual Leadership Conference. I knew this would be a tough week for training and that's why I pushed a little harder last week. I did get a nice shake out run on Sunday afternoon after arriving, getting settled in and a short nap. Legs felt pretty good considering the high mileage on Saturday. Where we stay at has a good network of trails right behind the lodges so I was in heaven running there. Monday I hit the gym for a total body workout and Tuesday I was able to steal away after our meetings for another run. Our nights are pretty jammed pack with dinner and activities so good sleep eluded me while I was down there and that left me drained yesterday and today so I've taken the past 3 days off. I'm not disappointed in the extended rest days, I pretty much accounted for it as I laid out my plan and ultimately the rest is going to be a good thing, especially this early in the year. I can feel the anxiety and restlessness building inside me to get after it and hopefully tomorrow's long run will be just what I need. Probably not going after a marathon distance again, but should be in the ballpark of 16 miles. Ready to get back to my routine next week, I'm such a creature of habit.

Until next time ... Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 6 - Saturday Looonnnggg Run

Yea it was a long run today...

Met up with Jay, Emily and Phil at the radio station to run, we started off with an hour out and back before running up to Trinity for the LU Press conference and fun run. We did a loop around Bettendorf with some LU peeps, it was good to get caught up with some friends. Afterwards Jay ran back to the radio station with me, on the way he mentioned how close I was going to be to 26 miles and when we rolled in I was just at 24. I would have been good with that but with only 2 more miles to go I just had to get it so I headed back out for the last 2 with Jay as he ran home. I'll admit it was great to have a marathon under my belt I was grinning ear to ear as I pulled out of the parking lot. Made a pit stop at McD's and splurged on a cheddar onion burger and McChicken, man those tasted phenomenal.

Felt great today, sitting here now I really don't feel much different than I did a couple weeks ago when I knocked out 14.

Thanks Jay for giving me that little extra motivation to go for it.

Until next time... Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 6 - Wednesday Swim and Weights

Almost did it again, almost let the seductive ways of the snooze button lure me back to bed. Gave myself a little pep talk and reassured the fact that I would appreciate the workout once it was done.

Swim: 2000 yards
WU: 200 swim, 200 pull, 100 kick
MS: 1200 yard swim
CD: 200 pull, 100 kick

Weights
5 rounds of 5 thrusters (95#), 30 soccer toe taps, core
3 rounds of 10 hang cleans, 10 walking lunges with medicine ball twist.
Finished up with multiple varieties of box jumps and plyo push ups.

Week 6 - Monday and Tuesday

Okay so I've slacked a bit on updating my blog so I'll catch up the last 2 days in one.

Yesterday I really did not feel like getting up and working out and I gave in to the temptation to sleep a little longer. I really wish I hadn't and I was not happy with myself for allowing that to happen, luckily I had the opportunity to get a swim in over lunch and I took advantage of it and was really glad I did, I ended up getting in a good 2000 yard swim.

That evening I jumped on the bike trainer while Deanna walked on the treadmill and the boys played Wii before dinner, I have really grown to love working out at night after work. For the longest time it was something I really struggled with but lately I have really enjoyed it, probably because I know that it is so much better than the alternative which is just sitting around watching TV. I know these evening workouts are not going to last forever as the boys will begin Soccer and then Baseball soon and evenings will be filled with practices, I will still find away to squeeze in some training, I can always run during their practice.

This morning I jumped on the bike again, I probably should have run instead but since I have to move my long bike ride to Friday morning (traveling to Oklahoma for work early Sunday) today was really the only day to get in my 90 minute ride. I went a little harder than I wanted too last night and that left my legs sore and tired to start this mornings ride but they eventually warmed up. I did the following workout.

WU: 10 minutes easy spin
MS: 6 x 10 minute sets at expected Half Ironman speed with 2 minute easy spin between sets.
CD: Remaining time alternating every minute between easy and medium speed

I got this workout from Triathlete.com and have been meaning to do it for sometime, pretty tough workout especially on tired legs. I definitely took it easier than I think I could have but my legs are tired from 4 consecutive days of cycling. I have an optional ride tomorrow that would make 5 straight days before taking Thursday night off, it may end up not getting done or just real easy, or I could recover well in the next day and half and power through. I feel like lately I have been recovering really well so I'm optimistic. I have an easy 30-40 minute run tonight and then my long swim tomorrow morning.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.

Week 5 - Thursday Double Duty

Going to be working late tonight tearing down and closing one of my stores so had to get both my run and bike done in the morning. Kind of a bitter sweet day closing my Southpark Mall location, it was the very first store I ever opened, worked at and managed, with this company but it has been a huge profit drain for the last year plus and with the mall completely unwilling to work with us on our astronomical rent we had to make the decision to close up shop.

The run:
Temperature was 12° this morning and with the wind chill it was well below zero so I was relegated to the dreadmill this morning, thought about just doing a bike/run interval workout but I really needed to do a speed focused run workout so opted for Yasso 800's on the treadmill. Ended up doing a 1 mile warm up then 6x800 @ 7.5, 7.7, 8.0, 8.2, 8.5, 8.5 with a quarter mile east run between sets. I ran easy for the remainder of the hour to finish up with 6.82 miles total.

The bike:
After I dropped the kids off at school I headed back home to jump on the bike trainer. Did a pretty tough bike last so took it easy today. 10 min easy warm up then 3x10 min in medium gear, 1 min easy.

Now it's time to refuel for a long day at work.

Until next time... Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 5 - Tuesday

Technically yesterday should have been an off day and it was for the most part but I just had to get an easy workout in after work, so I walked on the treadmill did some core and body weight exercises.

This morning got up bright and early to ride and discovered nearly 60° temps and was pretty tempted to just go for a run, but I stuck with the plan, kind of wishing I hadn't now supposed to get cold again tonight.

Watched The Big Lebowski while I rode and did a 90 minute hill simulation workout, good movie, great workout.

Tonight the plan is to jump on the treadmill before dinner and get 30-40 minutes in. I'm sure the decision to ride instead of run will haunt me later.

Week 4 - Sunday Long Ride

Watched nearly 5 hours of UFC fights in less than a 2 hour ride, I think there is too much talking and not enough fighting in these Fox/FX broadcasts.

The workout:
20 minute warm up then 5x10 minutes hard, 5 minutes easy with an easy spin for the cool down.

Had a good time last night at a friends surprise birthday, feeling it today though, glad I was able to get my workout done earlier so I could just enjoy a nice day bumming around the house with the family.

Until next time ... Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 4 - Saturday Trail Run

Met up with Jay, Tom, Phil, John and Shawn at Sunderbruch park this AM for a little trail running, my first time out there and it was definitely worth the drive. It was cold this morning, 8° to be exact, when we started but warmed up a bit once we got moving. My hands froze up yet again, John was kind enough to trade his mittens with me and surprisingly my hands warmed up, note to self go buy mittens they work!

Other than frozen digits it was a great morning running trails, after the first loop everyone but me and Tom left and we headed back out for more. We ended up with right around 11 miles (forgot to start my watch at one point after a stop) and it felt really good, probably would have gone for more if this wasn't supposed to be a recovery week. I will definitely be back out there again soon.

Afternoon called for an easy trainer ride, was difficult to get motivated for this ride but I knew i would appreciate it afterwards. I always feel better the day after a long run if I get an easy spin in later that day. I watched part of the movie Soul Surfer which is a favorite and really motivational.

Tomorrow I will have plenty of MMA to watch during my long trainer ride with the UFC on Fox tonight plus the preliminary fights are on FX so definitely enough to get me through.

Until next time ... Do today what other's won't, so tomorrow you can do what other's can't.

Week 4 - Friday Swim

Woke up tired this morning, did not want to get out of bed, but I slept in yesterday (and had to do my workout last night, hence why I was tired) so I got my lazy butt out of bed. I so much rather enjoy working out in the morning as opposed to evenings but I really like to sleep in as well, such a dilemma... oh well enough about my "first world" problems.

Hit the pool this morning with the intention of doing my long swim that I passed on Wednesday, did the standard 600 yard warm up then swam 800 yards straight through. Felt really good in the water after I got warmed up, I was swimming next to one of the regular early morning swimmers, Jerry, nice guy but man he creates a heck of a wake for such a skinny dude. Good simulation for rough water swimming, best you'll get in a pool I suppose, every time I share a lane with him I swear I end up drinking half the pool.

Afterwards headed up stairs for some weights, dead lifts were on the menu this morning. I think I'm going to just stick with the basics of power lifting moves like squats, dead lifts and power cleans, picking one of those to start my workout and then doing circuits of body weight exercise like push ups, burpees, pull ups, box jumps and my current favorite piece of equipment in the gym the rowing machine. I can piece together one heck of a workout with just those exercises that leaves my whole body hurting.

Today I did 5 sets of Dead lifts (135, 185(3), 135) each followed by 10 burpees, 25 crunches, and 6 pull ups. Then did 2 sets of 750m row with box jumps, lots and lots of box jumps, followed by more box jumps. Pretty sure my calves are going to be sore tomorrow from all the box jumps, good thing my long run tomorrow is only 10ish miles, going to try and meet up with Jay at Sunderbrook to run trails, never run there before should be interesting.

Until next time...Do today what others won't, so tomorrow you can do what others can't.