Oct 12 2010

As I run for hours on end I think about odd things. Last Tuesday I contemplated how lucky I was to be an introvert and how beneficial that was to my training. I look forward to the hours of solitude that running provides me and the mental cleansing that gets me prepared for my workday.

Then Thursday as I dodged a car driver hurrying to work I contemplated mortality and the many friends and family I had lost the past two years. I somehow likened those losses to endurance training and how each of those would prepare me for the inevitable more difficult losses I may have to endure in the future.

On a brighter note I thought today a I read Karno's 50/50 book how cool it would be to run marathon some day with my, now 5 yr. old, daughter Katie; one more for the Bucket List

NGU!

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October Update

My first tri is rapidly approaching. I am almost ready; I need to drop 5 more lbs.

I've been very busy at work the past month, but have managed to maintain a good training routine.

I've been doing more running lately due to some motivation I gained from reading Dean Karnazi's first book.

So...while on a business trip last month my coworker complained of a sore hip and proclaims that her body has let her down. Being my usual sensitive self I responded that she was incorrect, that in fact it was her that let her body down.

Ngu!!!

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September 5 2010

I entered my first ever mountain bike race a couple of weeks ago. I entered as a cat 3 racer which probably wasn't really fair, but it was my first race. I bettered the fastest rider by over 2 minutes. It was a blast.

I have been running barefoot once a week, which leaves me with extremely sore calf muscles. There is some serious muscle building happening and I will continue with this experiment for a while longer.

Swimming is starting to become enjoyable. I actually look forward to my time in the pool now. I upgraded my underwater headphones too.

Shopping continues for a road bike but no real hurry; I can ride!

I am going to drop my weight to 165 for the in-the-dirt tri this November so I am watching my nutrition closely now. Got to get enough fuel to build endurance and drop 10 pounds in two months.

NGU!

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Aug 24th, 2010

What's New?
I've started running barefoot.  Not that I am ever going to compete barefoot, but I am convinced that it is a great training technique.  Read  "Barefoot Running" on sportsci.com or the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougal to learn more.

I will be competing in my first bicycle race this weekend.  The Rim Nordic Cross Country Series Final.  I hope to walk away with a trophy, but thinking like that I'll probably get spanked!  There is a link on the right if you want to learn more.

My training for a few more weeks is:
Bike: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday ~ 50 miles
Run: Tuesday and Thursday ~ 16 miles
Swim: Mon thru Friday  ~ 5 miles

NGU!

Dan

47th

I turned 47 this week, which also means that I have been on this road to ironman for a year now. I have come a long way and still have a long way to go. I can rum a marathon in 4 hours swim a mile in 30 minutes and bike all day. I'll be ready when the road ends in Kona.

Early Saturday

he boyz are getting up early for a ride this morning.  Early for them anyway, I would already be on the trail if this were a weekday. 

Last week was typical week of base building.  Swimming every day for lunch, and either a bike or a run in the morning.  A mile swim, although not fun, is getting pretty easy, I am going to start doing more, since on good days the mile only keeps me in the pool for 30 minutes.  I probably should run at least twice a week, I have been only running once a week, just because I enjoy Mountain biking so much more than trail running.  I don't want to loose the base I built for the LA Marathon. 

I'll be running the LA Marathon again this year; registration is already open if you want to run it with me.  I'll be looking to make a 3:45 this year, 20 minutes off of last year's time.

Lance Armstrong Crash May 20 2010 Amgen Tour of California

Check out this video on YouTube:

Lance's TDF hopes are dashed. Bummer!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ui-ZOlfHlzM&feature=youtube_gdata

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Happy 4rth

Spent the weekend in the mountains riding bikes an motorcycles. Had some great workouts and great adventures. One of which was dropping my motorcycle in a 3 foot deep creek and having to turn up upside down to empty the water out of the motor to get it running again.

NGU!

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31 minute mile swim!

After a morning 12 miler on the Mountain Bike, I swam a 31 minute mile in the afternoon.  I am very pleased with the progress I am making in the pool.  Having music in the pool is super cool too.

I met some guys on the MTB trail a few weeks ago.  These guys are fast and they are making me faster.  Thanks Eddie, Mike and Joe, you guys rock!

Where do you find the time

Where do you find the time is probably the phrase I hear most often from family and friends, aside from you are nuts.

Training for a triathlon, working, being a husband and a father ( in no particular order) is a busy life. Add in a couple of unplanned events and it seems impossible at times. So here are some of my tchniques.

Firrst of all you need to decide that training is important and that you are willing to make small sacrafices to squeeze out some hidden hours in your day. You might have to miss those brown nosing lunches with the boss or DVR the néw season of True Blood, but the hours ARE there for you to train.

Keep gear with you as much as possible. I keep, in individual bags, a complete set of running, riding, and swimming gear in my car, office and home. This way anytime I feel like doing a run after a ride or a ride after a swim I always have the gear I need with me.

Work out early! Nobody will notice when you work out early so get at least an hour in before the rest of the world rolls out of bed and show up to work early.

Lunch is a free workout! Take every minute of that hour lunch plus 10 minutes. Sneak some snacks back on the job and now you are up to two hours of training per day without taking anything away from your family.

To get that impossibe 3rd hour you need to put the kids to bed on time and hit the treadmill, stationary bike, or climber for an hour. You might think you are too exhausted to train at 9pm but it is actually really good mental training. Your not going to be fresh after 112 miles on a bike so that mental toughness will pay double. Make sure to get your electrolites and a pinch of protein before you pass out for the day. You'll kill yourself if you do the late then early workout to many days in a row. You need at least 7 hours of sleep!

The weekends are another story. Later in training you are going to need some serious time on the weekends to train. So make sure to spend plenty of weekend time with friends and family in the months leading up to your event. Banking some understanding is what I call it.

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10 Miles

Today's swim makes an even 10 miles of swimming since I got back in the pool a couple of weeks ago.  Starting to feel a little more natural.  I think by the time I hit 100 miles this summer I will be ready for my first Triathlon! 

Ordered some waterproof gear for my iPod today, gotta have music to get through such a boring task.

NGU!

Motivation

I have come to a realzation, perhaps an epiphany. There is no oil shortage, no drought, no hunger, no disease or any other lacking in the world.

What we DO have is a great shortage of motivation. Motivation comes in tiny doses and is the rarest of comodities; some never find it. Motivation is the key, the escence that can satisfy all need, cure all disease and truely perform miracles.

Where does it come from? Why is it so hard to find. I don't have the answers but to get to where I want to be, I sure as heck better figure it out soon.

NGU!

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Mini-Biathlon Sunday

For the first time I tried running after riding, and I was pleasantly surprised.  I rode my ususlal 12 mile local ride in the mountains by my house, a little over an hour, then as quick as I could, changed into running clothes and ran for another hour, probably 6 or 7 miles (I left all my electrons at work).  I didn't feel the effects of the ride during my run.  I need to double those distances and see what that feels like.

I swam 5 times last week for an hour, about a mile each day.  I have so much room for improvement here.  I still feel pretty incomfortable in the water.  I am out of breath after 100yards.  I have been watching videos on technique and realize that I don't know how to swim!   I'll be spending alot of time in the pool!

Back in the Pool!

I finally forced myself to get back in the pool yesterday.  I swam for an hour and by the end I was starting to find a rythm.  Swimming is tough and I am still figuring it out.  Time to do some studying, I am definitely doing something wrong.

Happy to report...

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2010/03/a-happy-ending-to-a-marathon-nightmare.html

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Try Harder!

Not much to talk about lately, I am remaining fairly discipline with my workouts post marathon.  I am at least working out an hour a day and taking only one rest day per week.

I took a pretty good spill on my bike last Saturday. I laid in the dirt for a couple of minutes thinking I might be hurt, but I got lucky again; only a few bumps and scrapes.  My back still hurts, but I’ll be fine in another week or so.

Things I need to do:

I need to get in the pool a lot!

Put a training plan together for the Triathlon this fall.

Try Harder!

NGU!

Back to Work

Days have passed and so has the incredible high from completing my first marathon.  It is very addictive, I wish I could have that feeling every day.  I rode yesterday, and did Tae Kwon Do and Climbing machine Friday.  I'll ride again today.  I need to start swimming more and pick a training plan for my first triathlon this Fall.

NGU!

Memories of my first marathon

In no particular order:
230 am wake up
2 hour drive
1 hour shuttle
30 minute wait for outhouse
Delayed start
Running shoulder to shoulder
Chills I am really doing this
Spectators everywhere
People cheering me using my name
Lots of hills
Live bands
Water cups everywhere
People in their church clothes
Cheerleaders
Gay couples
Strippers
Boomboxes
Pete the wheelchair racer
The Rider turned triathlete from Calgary on the shuttle
Energy from the crowd
Pain at miles 21,22,23
Strength at 24,25,26!!
Running strong at the finish
My greatest mental and physical achievement
4 hours 5 minutes
Receiving two medals
Finding a friend in the finish chute
Proud Dad
Congrats from everywhere
Lunch by the pier wirth my family
Wearing a paper blanket
Walking normally
21 year old in cardiac arrest at mile 18

Special thanks to all that have supported me, especially my fmaily.

Before the run

What a new, incredible experience and a graat performance.  I came very close to breaking the 4 hour mark, my time was 4:05, that is great for a 46 year old first time Marathon runner.  I could have run it faster, mile 26 was my fastest mile @ 8:30. 

Miles 22 and 23 were brutal, but the rest was good.  Amazing to see all the people lined the entire route cheering, live bands, radio stations; I was smiling most of that 4 hours.

I was still coughing from my cold before the race, but about 5 miles in it seemed to go away and returned shortly after the race - weird.

I just cannot capture it in words; it is an very satisfying accomplishment. 

I'll take the week off to recover, I am a bit sore as you might imagine.  Then back to training for the "In the Dirt Triathalon" this fall; my first Tri.

NGU!

Dan

RaceDay Alert

Tomasz Stec @ Finish in 04:19:48 (NET). Pace: 9:54. Powered by Honda.