Light at the End of the Tunnel

Today was a big test for me after my latest injury resulting from my bike fall on Saturday. This morning I found myself up at an absurd hour cranking away on my bike trainer...2 hours and 15 minutes in total. Following the ride I put in a little road work.

My knee was a little tight initially and I must admit I was concerned. After around 15 minutes the knee finally started to loosen up. This was probably related to the fact that it takes me 15 minutes of hills climbing to get to an area of relatively flat ground. I averaged 8.5 minute miles when running and took 30 sec walking breaks every mile to evaluate the way the leg was feeling. All in all it felt good. On the way back I took a conservative approach by walking down all of the significant hills. This was when my knee really flared up on Saturday so I decided not to risk it. In total I ran 1 hour and 30 minutes and covered a little under 10 miles. Not bad for a Wed morning?

Tomorrow it is back to the gym for an hour in the pool and 70 minutes on the treadmill. So far so good...hoping that the knee is 100% at the conclusion of the weekend. This week represents the last huge week of training for me (20 hours of tri specific and another 5 hours of strength and core work). Next week I begin my taper with the first of two 15 hour weeks. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter...is it daylight or an oncoming train? Only time will tell.

Switched it up

As I mentioned in yesterday's post I switched up the routine and did my bike workout on the bike trainer at my house. What a nice change of pace. Working out a home has its advantages:

go from the bed to the bike in a matter of minutes
road bike is much better then gyms bike
no naked old men wandering around me when I change
no naked old men weighing themselves
no naked old men watching CNBC
get to see the kids before work

I am happy to report that my knee felt great today. Though still sensitive to the touch there was no swelling or pain throughout the duration of the ride. After my bike ride it was off to work. Following work I stopped at the gym for a quick 45 minute swim. The swim workout called for a 10 minute warm - up 30 x 50 yds sets of increasing intensity but I decided at the last second to switch it up. The pool was crowded so I had to share a lane with someone. The person I swam with was a fantastic swimmer and provided a great pacer for me throughout. She was swimming a rotation of 2 x each of the following: free style, butterfly, breast stroke and then back stroke and it was all I could do to stay ahead of her. This was the best swim workout that I have had in weeks! My stroke felt strong and smooth...a couple more workouts like this and I will be ready.

Tomorrow is a beast! Wake up call will be 3 am...have to squeeze in a 2 hour 15 minute bike ride and a 1 hour 30 minute run before work. I will be dragging by the end of day tomorrow.

Off Days and Recovery

After my fall on Saturday I took a couple of days to recover. The knee is still sensitive to the touch by otherwise feels stable and my range of motion is good. The plan is to hook my road bike to my trainer and finish the remainder of my work week cycling at home. I am finished with the gym trainer! I haven't felt 100% comfortable on it since they brought in the new ones. Anyway, having the trainer set up at home adds a measure of convenience to my daily training routine. As breaking down the trainer takes but a few minutes I plan to complete the remaining long weekend rides on the road.

As the race day rapidly approaches I have an unquenchable thirst for all things Ironman related. Video clips, articles, blogs and chats. I am amazed at the sacrifice that each person has made to realize their dreams. In reading about (literally dozens of people) I have identified a few common traits

• extremely motivated and driven individual
• all seem to have a very strong support group
• each have had numerous bumps in the road
• all are striving to improve ourselves each day

I am particuarly grateful for all of the fantastic people that I have in my life. My wife in particular has been a rock throughout this entire process. The sacrifices that she has had made so that I can chase this dream are too many to count. The Ironman dream can not be achieved with out sacrifice, hundreds of hours of hard work over multiple years and it can not be accomplished alone. This goes even further then my wife. It includes my kids, parents, mother-in-law, family, friends, co-workers and acquaintences. There is just no way that I make it this far without the support, guidance, advice and inspiration that each of you provide to me each day.

Not to be left out are the people that are no longer with me but who have played such a big part in my life...in making me the person that I am today. A funny thing happens when you are out for a 5 hour bike ride or a 3 hour run....you have a lot of time to think. When I am most exhausted and struggling for a way to push on it is then that they are with me.

I don't know what race day has in store for me but I know this...I know that I will not be out there alone...and for that I am thankful. Thank you to everyone for all that you have done.

Slow Motion Fall of Shame

After my extreme soreness on Thursday I decided that my long term interests would be best served by taking Friday off. I have been going pretty hard the last month or so and sometimes it is best to allow your body to fully recover.

Saturday morning I got off to a later start then usual. I helped Miss get Em and John ready to go to Em's dance class and after they were safely on their way I hopped on my bike for a scheduled 4 hour ride. My body really felt great today. The air was cool and refreshing and the sun was warm on my face. I took my usual route: Route 13 to Wilmington, RT 52 to West Chester, Creek Road north until I reach my turnaround point.

Not surprisingly the roads were packed with cyclists. As I rode along I took time to speak with various people throughout the ride. You really meet some interesting people out there and it helps to break the monotony over the course of a 4 hour bike ride.

I really seem to have my fueling strategy down pat at this point and was feeling great and actually looking forward to my 50 minute run. With about 5 miles to go I approached a left turn from Shipley Road onto Wilson Road and then it happened.... my slow motion fall of shame.

Allow me to elaborate. For those unfamiliar with cycling it is quite common to wear shoes which literally clip onto the pedal. "Clipping in" allows a cyclist to be much more efficient with each pedal stroke. The cyclist can not only push down on the pedal but also pull back up as they are clipped to the pedal.

However, this also introduces and element of risk to the equation. The cyclist must rotate their foot, with a fair amount of force, to dislocate the shoe from the pedal. This is typically non event but if you ride long enough you find yourself in the position that I found myself in.

As I approached the light I was rolling up behind a car that seemed as if they would easily turn and I would simply follow. For some reason the car opted to stop and wait for the next light instead of passing through? I was force to apply the brakes quickly to avoid hitting the car. As I came to an abrupt stop I tried to unclip from the pedal but could not get the shoe off. This happened in the matter of a second or so but felt forever. Gravity took over and I fell hard to the asphalt.

The other unfortunate thing is that when attempting to unclip the knee rotates out and thus takes the brunt force of the fall. To make matters worse there were no less then 20 cars that witnessed my mishap. I quickly hoped up and made my way to the side of the road and literally got back on my bike and pedaled off. How embarrassing! My knee was throbbing as I pedaled the last 5 miles home.

When I got home I accessed the damaged and the knee looked o.k. Maybe the only thing that was hurt was my pride? I decided that I should continue on with my workout and complete my 50 minute run. This may not have been my best idea? The knee felt great, initially. I was cranking along at a 8 minute mile pace for about 35 minutes when I began the decent back to the house. That is when I began to feel tightness in my left knee. I decided to slow it down and walk a little bit. My logic was no sense in hurting myself on my run...I did just fall off my bike. Little did I know the damage had been done.

I went for a sip of water out of my bottle and accidentally dropped it on the ground. As I bent down to pick up the bottle my knee caught fire. I looked down and saw a golf ball sized lump just below the knee cap. This can't be good:-( I slowly walked the rest of the way home as dozens of horrible thoughts raced through my head. I iced the knee heavily the rest of the day,

This morning the lump is down 50% but the pain is still there. Looks like I am "day to day" for a little while.

A little too much?

Looks like I may have over done it with my training? Yesterday I split my workout into a morning bike ride and an evening run. Everything seemed fine...my legs were tired but nothing out of the ordinary when I finished up my run at 7:30pm. After the kids were in bed I noticed that my legs seemed a little tighter then usual but figured it was related to the wrestling match that doubles as tucking the kids in.

I went to bed around 9:30 thinking that everything was fine. When I awoke this morning at 4:30 and attempted to walk down stairs I realized that my legs felt completely dead. I would rate them as equal to the way I felt the morning after the half IM. I went to the gym hoping that I would feel some recovery. I powered through my 1 hour swim (132 laps) but had nothing for my the run. In fact I didn't even attempt it. Better to skip today and live to see another day. Instead pf my 70 minute run I walked 2.1 miles on the treadmill in 30 minutes and called it a day.

Tomorrow is a light day (45 min swim / 50 minute bike) before my monster weekend.

Divide and Conquer

The theme for this week is divide and conquer. As in divide the workout into a morning and evening session in order to make the work out practical....as well as keep me from getting fired. Not sure how it would go over at the office if I strolled in at 10am every morning?

After my day off on from training on Monday (unfortunately I still had to work) it was back at it on Tuesday. In the morning I completed a 45 minute high intensity swim. The highlight of the swim was 10 sets x 150 yd at 85-90%. After a good warm up I was right into it. The first couple of sets were a little rocky as I struggled to find my rhythm but after around set number 3 I was feeling great. I switched it up a little today by alternating my breathing from every 3rd stroke to every 5th and even 7th stroke on alternating laps. I noticed during my half IM swim that my breathing was a little labored in the early going and I figure that training with less breathing will help improve this? Keep in mind that I am winging a lot of the stuff I do in this program. All in all I was quite satisfied with the swim (112 laps - 45 minutes).

After the swim it was 45 minutes of strength training followed by 15 minutes of core then off to work. After work it was back to the gym for 1.5 hours of bike work on the dreaded trainer. To make matters worse I forgot my iPod! I hate when that happens. Nothing worse then an hour and a half of listening to people complain to each other about there day. Any way I got the workout in (30 miles - 1.5 hrs) and finished up the day with a total workout time of 3 hours and 15 minutes.

This morning it was back to the gym and the bike trainer. This time it was 1 hour and 40 minutes (~33 miles) plus another 20 minutes of core and stretching. Then off to work again. After work I resisted the temptation of the fantastic dinner Missy had made and got out for a little over 9 miles in 1 hour 15 minutes. At the end of the run my legs were really feeling it. Glad I don't have to bike tomorrow. Total time for the day another 3 hours and 15 minutes.

Tomorrow I am scheduled for a 1 hour swim followed by a 70 minute run.

Sunday Catch Up -- Bobby O's 60th

As race day approaches (less the 47 days!) the intensity and time of my training increases (21 hours last week alone). This increase in time coupled with family, work and an active social calendar poses some interesting challenges. This week would be no exception. Shortly after my century ride on Saturday it was off to Centersville, MD to join friends to celebrate Bob O'Connor's 60th birthday. The party was a great time! You can't go wrong when you gather a fantastic group of people and add lots of food, drink and music! Highlights of the night included Keith O'Connor breaking out some of the old school dance moves and nailing a couple of perfectly executed windmills. Carrie O'Connor and her Dad (the birthday boy) paying tribute to Patrick Swayze and absolutely killing the flying run an leap that he and baby did in dirty dancing. Not bad for a sixty year old!

The party wrapped up around 1am and we were back to the hotel by 1:30. The next morning meant and opportunity to sleep in and grab breakfast in the lobby for the rest of the party goers...but for yours truly in meant taking his training act on the road. The work out for today was what I'll call a sandwich workout. 1 hour and 50 minute run / 30 minute bike / 55 minute run.surroundings.

I drug myself out of bed around 7:10 and before I knew it was off. I couldn't have been 10 minutes into the run when over the music in my headphones I heard the sound that every runner dreads....the sound of a dog bark that was getting louder by the second. Seems as if I had wandered onto the turf of some very protective dog. Luckily the dog wasn't all that aggressive...he just wanted me out of there. No problem pal I am not looking for any trouble.

I circled back and found a small road (chester river beach road) 0.75 miles in length. The quaint street was nestled along the Chesapeake Bay. The view of the bay and the passing sailboats was incredible and the dogs in this neighborhood all had leashes. That was more then enough for me so I decided that I would simply run up and down this street the rest of the way. The people on this street were very welcoming, though somewhat curious as to who this strange man was running up and down our street all morning. One sweet older lady (who's name escapes me) even stopped me to find out what the heck I was doing?

The first segment of the workout went well (12.5 miles) but I must admit I was dragging towards the end. I made it back to the hotel and was elated to see a continental breakfast spread fit for a king. I grabbed a bagel, some danish, a couple of mini-muffins and enjoyed them while I transitioned to the bike. The bike ride was just what the doctor ordered....a half hour of moderate tempo pedaling along the flat Maryland had my legs feeling like a million bucks.

After the bike ride I transitioned back to my running gear and knocked out another 6.5 miles in 55 minutes. I set out with a goal of 7.5 miles in 55 minutes but decided that I would hold back. I had had a big weekend and didn't want to risk injury. Besides the workout for today called for 165 minutes of running (not a specific distance).

Today is an off day! Tuesday is a 45 minute swim (10 x 150 at 85-92% HR) and a 85 minute bike ride -- 4 x 12 minutes of high intensity riding (84-90% HR).

Century Ride

Only time for a quick post today...getting ready to head down to the Baltimore area for a 60th Birthday party for a life long family friend Bob O'Connor. We've been looking forward to this party for a while. The O'Connor family knows how to throw a party and have a great time!

A new personal best on the bike today! 100 miles in the books. I didn't start out with this as a goal merely to ride for 5 hours and 30 minutes. Today was my first training ride where everything went perfect....no flats, crashes, dropped water bottles, rain. It was a great ride and I am feeling good. Tomorrow is another huge challenge for me. 2 hour and 45 minute run with a 60 minute bike ride to mix in. I'll worry about tomorrow...tomorrow. For now its time to party!

Another Test

Today presented me with another test a challenge if you will. This would be the longest weekday workout of my training program, 3.5 hours, one and a half hour run followed by a 2 hour bike ride. In addition to this I had to take my daughter Emily to her first day of school today. Thank the good lord my mother-in-law (i hate the phrase) Helene is here to look after our children during the week. She is the best!

Because of this I was able to get my run in before spending the morning with Em at her first day of school.

Side Note: it is amazing to me how late the sun is coming up already? limited daylight....yet another obstacle on the road to Florida.

I have to admit to being a little nervous about this run this morning. This is my first run since my race and I was worried that I would have a calf or hip issue. I took the run extremely easy today running only 10 miles in 90 minutes (9 min pace). I have another 4.5 hours of running ahead of me this week and I don't want to risk injury.

After school and some quality time with my little girl I snuck out and squeezed in a 2 hour bike ride...and of course about an hour into the ride it began pouring rain on me. I am thinking that I should reach out to drought stricken areas and offer my services (for a small fee of course).. seems like regardless of the forecast there is a 60% chance of rain any time I hop on the bike? All that being said I knocked out 32 miles (16 mph). This pace is horrible for me but is a result of riding around town during mid-day traffic. Because of time constraints I didn't stop the gps when waiting for a traffic light to turn or when I stopped to fix my popped chain...ugh!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I am scheduled for a 75 minute run and a 60 minute swim. One day at a time, one day at a time.

Back at it

My half ironman went just about as well as can be expected. I am happy to report that I woke up Monday morning feeling pretty good. I could have trained if I had to but am that it was a scheduled day off.

This morning it was time to get back at it. 45 minute swim, 80 minute bike, 3o minute strength training, 10 minutes of core work. Just shy of 3 hours total time. I can honestly say that I was happy to see the 25 yard lap pool at the gym. After 2 weeks of unswimmable ocean conditions it was nice to get in the pool and crank out 100 or so laps.

After the swim it was up to the bike trainer for 80 minutes of hell. Going from the great outdoors of the outer banks to the gym bike trainer is cruel and usual punishment. I am so glad that I have only 7 more weeks of training before the family and I take off for Florida!

My recent success in the Half IM had me feeling a little extra motivated so I decided an impromptu strength training session followed up with some core work and boy do I need it. I may be the first person in history to put in back to back 15 hour training weeks and mix in a Half IM and still gain 6 lbs! Hard to believe but I pulled it off. A few days of decent eating and I should be back down to my fighting weight.

Looking forward to taking Em to her first day of Pre-K tomorrow. I little quality daddy daughter time. I can't believe how fast time flies by. My baby girl is growing up right before my eyes.

"It happens gradually then suddenly" Hemingway

DE Diamondman Half Ironman

I have been looking forward to this morning for a long time. Today was my opportunity to break out of the training routine and compete in a real race. The great thing about this Half Ironman is that it also included a Sprint option...so Missy was in too!

The half ironman swim (1.2 miles) started at 7:15 and the sprint (0.6 miles) started at 8:00 on the same course. This race is a little different then most that I have raced in that it features an in water start. I stayed to the very back and the outside of the pack at the start. I like to let everyone else get out in front so that I can avoid the chaos at the start....getting kicked, punched, and swam over. I like to take the first 5 or so minutes of the swim to settle into a groove and focus on my breathing. I choose this strategy because though I am a strong swimmer I am not necessarily the fastest. I can not get to the front and stay there so I opt for the start slow and finish strong strategy.

This strategy worked for me today as I was the 47th person out of the water (out of 213) without giving it a maximum effort. I tried to simulate the pace that I would like to use in the Florida Ironman in two months. Upon coming out of the water I was happy to see Missy there cheering me on as she awaited the start of her race. We wished each other luck as we passed and I started the ~0.5 mile run to the transition area. My official swim time was 39 minutes (1.84 mph avg) but when factoring in ~4 minutes for the run to transition I end up with a time of 35 minutes (2.06 mph) which is right in line with my training times and also the identical time that I had in last years race when I was giving a 100% effort. What a difference a year makes...a recurring theme in this post.

I took my time in transition (3.5 minutes) and got out on the road feeling optimistic about the bike leg (56.1 miles). The plan for the bike ride was to maintain my heart rate in the 75-80% range which I did for the most part. However, for Ironman FL I plan to be more like 65-70% for the majority of the race. I don't think I could sustain a 78% tempo for a race of that duration (112 miles) without hitting the wall. The ride on the way out was enjoyable. I averaged around 21.5 or so mph for the first 32 miles. On the way back the ride got a little more difficult as I was battling a pretty stiff headwind. All that being said I still brought the bike in a 2 hours and 42 minutes (12 minutes better then last year) for a respectable 20.7 mph average.

The main focus of the bike ride for me today was to work on my fueling strategy. The plan was to eat one Gu pack (100 calorie gel) every 10 miles, one 25o calorie powerbar each hour, mix in a bottle of high concentration Gatorade (500 calories) every 1.5 hours and drink water liberally throughout. This would allow me to replace 2000 calories during the course of the ride and leave in good shape for the run.

The gel packs strategy worked well....the power bar and spiked gatorade not so much. I ate the power bar but had a really difficult time digesting it. The dry chewy texture did not work for me at all! As for the spiked gatorade I was able to drink the first bottle without a problem but the other bottle fell out of my rear bottle holder at some point along the ride. Imagine my disappointment when I reached back at the 1 hour 30 minute mark and there was nothing there:( The rear bottle holder has been a problem throughout my training and today would be no different. That is what I get for trying to get by with a low cost item ($25) iso the high end $100 version. Better to learn that lesson now iso of later.

As I entered transition I was happy to see that Missy was waiting for me by my bike. It was nice to have someone to talk to as I changed from my bike gear to running shoes. Her words of encouragement really helped to motivate me. I again took my time in the transition area (almost 4 minutes) this was part design and part Missy and I chatting it up a little more then I should have:)

For the run I again to a conservative approach. The plan was to run 8 min 30 sec pace and walk the hydration stations (every mile or so) (Gu packevery 3 miles) in the hopes of finishing the run in 1 hour 57 minutes or so. The run went just as planned. No cramping in my calves or discomfort in my knees like last year. I cruised to each aid station and walked them just as planned up until the turnaround. At the turnaround I was averaging a steady 8min 45 sec pace and decided that I would try to take my hydration while running the rest of the way. This wasn't a problem at all for me (I may even try this during IM but I'll play it by ear).

I approached the 10 mile mark and last significant climb on the course feeling surprisingly well with an average pace of 8 min 44 sec. I easily cruised to the top of the long hill (last year I had to walk it and even that wasn't pretty) and with 2.0 miles left my competitiveness kicked in and I took off. My energy levels felt incredibly high and for the first time today I really allowed myself to reap the benefits of the all the training that I have done over the last year. I reeled off the 12th mile of the race in 7 minutes and 25 seconds. As entered the final mile and began to pass more and more people I could feel my speed increasing. I looked down at the gps on a couple of occasions and saw that I was running at a 6 minute 30 second pace. The final mile would be completed in 6 minutes and 55 secs and I honestly feel as if I could have kicked it into a higher gear if I needed t0.

I finished the run in an hour and 1 hour 51 minutes (13 min better then last year) with a total time of 5 hours and 20 minutes (25 minutes ahead of last years pace). click link to see results
http://www.piranha-sports.com/Results/EntryDetail.aspx?RegistrationID=12798
This race has me feeling very good about my chances in the upcoming Ironman. Today was a great opportunity to build confidence and learn a few valuable lessons. I am still not willing to venture a guess at my IM time but I am feeling good about my chances of finishing the big race.

On the ride home Missy and I exchanged stories of our struggles and successes on the our respective courses. She was very happy with her new wetsuit but still frustrated with her nagging knee injury (hopefully she can resolve it this winter before next season). I was happy overall with my performance but disappointed with my water bottle fiasco.

Less then two months to go before the big race...coming down the home stretch!

Back from Vacation

The family and I made it home safely from our 340 mile drive from the Outer Banks last night. Due to the travel time yesterday I did not get the opportunity to train and plan to take off today as well in preparation for the Delaware Diamondman Half Ironman tomorrow. I can't believe how excited I am for this race! I haven't raced since the Sea Isle Tri for our Veteran's (http://seaisletriathlon.blogspot.com/) on Memorial Day Weekend. Hard to believe that summer has come and gone?

This will be my second time competing in this race and I am curious to see how I'll compare to last year? Though it will be interesting to compare times (http://www.athlinks.com/results/65893/98153/30066250/Delaware-Diamondman%C2%AE-Sprint-Triathlon.aspx)
the main purpose of tomorrow's race is to practice my strategy for the big one on Nov 7!

Rainy Day at the Beach

Looks like a rainy day at the beach today so I'll take some time to catch up on the last 3 or 4 days. As of my last post on Thursday night I was definitely bummed out. The weather had been pretty crappy for 3 straight days and it was beginning to get to me. My big plans of ocean swimming had not come to fruition due to unswimmable ocean conditions. In addition to this the winds were a steady 20 mph and gusting up t0 40 mph for the entire week, making my bike and run workouts extremely difficult.

After my little pitty party on Thursday night I decided it was time to move forward and make the best of my situation. I woke up a little before 6am and got myself ready for my long bike ride. Today's ride was scheduled for 3 hours 30 minutes but I decided to step it up a little. With the wind at my back and no real plan I headed south on coastal Route 12. Check the link for the exact route. http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=3167591 My trip south was believe it or an easy one...my heart rate averaged only 65% of my max as I covered 43.5 miles in 2 hours and 10 minutes (20.1 mph). This has been the case for me on the first half of every ride that I have taken on this vacation, a steady 20 mph wind at your back is every cyclist dream...until the ride back that is.

The return trip was a different story all together. With the wind hitting me smack in the face I struggled to cover the 43 .5 miles back in 2 hours and 30 minutes17.4 mph) with an average heart rate of 78%. In all I covered 87 miles in 4 hours and 40 minutes (18.7 mph average) net time. 4 hours and 52 minutes gross time, counting my 2 bathroom breaks and a quick stop at the 7 Eleven for some gatorade, water and a coffee roll. Coffee roll = instant energy.

When I finally made it back home I gobbled down three turkey and cheese sandwiches and hustled down to the beach for a day of fun in the sun with my children Emily (age 4) and John (age 2). This is when the real portion of my workout begins.

My workout Saturday would be my last for the week as Sunday is my scheduled day off! The program called for a little something different today.

1 hr 10 min run
30 min bike
50 min run

I took it easy out of the shoot on the run with two 10 minute miles and gradually increased my pace from there finishing my last mile in 6 min 50 sec (8.4 mile total). After the run I quickly transitioned to the bike for a moderate paced 9 miles (18 mph) and then it was back to the run. Knowing that I would be off the next day I decided to finish the workout with I high intensity segment. I cranked out 6.3 miles in the first 45 minutes (7 min 4 sec pace) and then slowed it down for the final 5 minutes and finished with 6.9 miles (7 min 15 sec pace).

Total workout:
15.3 mile run
9 mile ride

After the workout the rest of the Margis crew made it down to the house and the O'Connor's arrived shortly there after. The rest of the day, night and into the next morning was spent carb loading the fun way...corona and miller lite :)

The sun was shining on the beach and the coronas were ice cold. The nice weather and the new guests had us all feeling really good. After dinner Missy and I tucked the kids in and I talked Dad into walking over to the O'Connor's place for a night cap. I don't think I finished asking the question when he said ok. We popped in on them around 9 pm with the intention of staying around for 1 or 2 beers. It should be noted that the Orsini's and O'Connor's have never had just 1 or 2 beers together.

Around 12 pm the nurf football was out and the boys were firing it all over the place. Amazingly this went on for 15 or so minutes without anyone getting hurt and nothing breaking....though we may have spilled a beer or two? After cleaning up an accidentally spilled beer I was about to attempt to shoot the wad of wet paper towels into the trash can across the room when Eric O bet me that I couldn't make it....and from that one challenge the first ever wet paper towel olympics were born! I wonder if this is how the first olympics took place in ancient Greece? Bunch of guys hanging out in loin clothes drinking potato vodka or something when one of them bets the other that he can throw a spear further then the other? I'll have to research this one at a later time.

The first event, shooting the wet paper towel into the trash can across the room, went 3 rounds and was ultimately won by yours truely. After my impressive win the boys were looking for redemption. And thus came event two.

Event two increased the degree of difficulty with a shot over a false wall into the trash can with zero visibility. Dad and Tommy O dueled to a closely fought victory by Tommy O. The two of them were strangely skilled at this event? How does one become proficient in this event? Must have been some game they played on the streets of Collingdale in the early 60's...you had to make your own fun back then.

Another underated fun aspect of the night were my dad and Tommy shooting text photos of the events to their buddy Tom Egee back home. For some reason this cracks me up. I was genuinely angry with myself for forgetting to bring my cell with me to do the same to my friends. They always love getting texts from me at odd hours while having a great time.

Ryan O came out of no where for an upset victory in event 3. Shoot the length of the bar into the
trash can over a stragetically placed pyramid of beer cans. I am not sure what was more entertaining about the last event the pure joy that Ryan took in his victory or the utter disgust that Jim Starkey took in his loss?

After round three we decided it was time to call it a night. o.k. you got me we ran out of beer or there is no telling how long this would have went on?

Around 2 am Dad and I called it a night and began the 0.5 mile walk home. Good times, check that GREAT TIMES! Wonder what the rest of the week has in store for us?


Vacation week 1 totals:
Run: 33 miles
Bike: 210
Swim: 0 miles :(

Week 2 is starting off with rain again ugh...looks like another test to my character and dedication on my road to the Ironman.

The Grind

I am not sure if I have mentioned this before in previous posts (and am too lazy to look it up now) but my athletic background is not in endurance sports. This is recent development in my athletic life necessitated by various injuries over the years. Rough touch football and year round hoops leagues have been replaced with more linear activities. My desire to stay fit and compete led me down this path. This sport is a little more solitary then I prefer but it has helped to fill the void left by my injuries. I am typically an extremely competitive and motivated person so simply working out wasn't enough for me. These characteristics are what have led me to where I am today.

I am following a 36 week program but in reality I have been training much longer then this. I won't go back too far but last November is when it really began.... 6 or 7 days per week. Four months of intense training were required to prepare myself for the rigors of the 36 week program which began the first week of March.

Early on I was grinding away in the basement on the bike trainer. Hours spent spinning in place...going no where in a hurry. Chipping away at my dream 2 plus hours at a time in the early morning hours while my family slept quietly in their rooms. Talking myself into getting into a pool for an hour swim when it is 20 degrees outside. Endless hours swimming back and forth in a 25 meter pool...literally thousands of laps, over 200 miles, 75 feet at a time. Bitter cold winter runs finished with chapped lips and numb toes. Perhaps my memory is playing tricks on me but those days don't seem so bad to me now?

Spring and summer came along and there is progress, hope and set backs. Freezing winter temperatures were replaced by warm air and rain in the spring and by heat, humidity and yes more rain of the summer but most importantly hope. Injuries, sickness, holidays, vacations, birthdays, work, funerals, cookouts, weddings, road trips, bachelor party's, playgrounds, dates, life...continually happening all around me but the constant is the training. Some days it is easy to dial it up, to go out there and really get after it. Other days not so much. The program waits for no one. It doesn't care that I am on vacation or that there is a 40 mile wind and a driving rain outside. It sits here staring me in the face in black and white...long ride 3 hour and 30 minutes....ugh!

As summer winds down and fall approaches I am looking down the barrel of another two months before the race and I can say that the grind of it all is beginning to take its toll on me. My body feels healthy and strong but mentally I am fighting each day to get out there and put in the work. I have a half Ironman scheduled in a week and a half and am hoping that it helps to pick my spirits and refocus me on the goal....Ironman Florida. Until then I will keep grinding away.

Vacation week

There are few things that will test a marriage more then packing for a two week vacation. I am happy to say that Missy and I made it through...but there were a couple of moments there when I wasn't so sure?


Aside from the nightmare of squeezing (what seems like) our entire house into our S.U.V. the trip was uneventful. Including a stop for breakfast and a couple other brief breaks we made it down in 7.5 hours. Traveling to the Outer Banks on Sunday is much better then Saturday. Last year it took us close to 11 hours.

The weather thus far hasn't been cooperating. We have had 1 day of sun, 1 day of rain and 2 days of mid 70's and high winds. Too windy to even sit on the beach. Luckily the house has a pool that is well sheltered from the winds.

The weather has put a serious dent in my swimming training. The Red Flags are flying high up and down the beach and after the drowning of a body surfer last week I am not going to take any chances. There will be plenty of time to make up the swimming later on in the week or next week.

In the mean time I have been relishing the opportunity to get out on the road for all of my bike rides and on the beach for my running workouts. Even with the 30+ mph winds it beats the heck out of the gym.

Monday I got out for a 66 mile ride in a little under 3 hours and 3o minutes. Initially there was no wind to speak of. The sky was clear as I rocked down the coast in my areo position. The ride back was another story. With about 25 miles left the winds picked up and with 15 miles remaining the skys opened up. I will definitely be ready for rain on race day.

After the ride I planned on getting in a 45 minute run but instead did only 15 minutes. My feet were pretty raw from the ride and I didn't want to put them through to much more torture today. Missy joined me for a slow 0.75 mile jog up the beach and back. I wrapped it up after that while she banged out a few more miles in the rain.

Tuesday was a scheduled bike / swim day but the seas were still much to rough so I incorporated a 45 min run on to the back end of the 1 hour bike ride. The bike ride was a tale of two rides again. With the wind at my back I was cranking along between 21 mph and 25 mph down the island. I hit 9 miles at 23 minutes and turned back....and barely made it in 37 minutes for a total of 18 miles. After the bike ride I quickly transitioned for the 45 minute run. For the run I had the luxury of running into the wind to start and finished with the wind at my back. What a treat! 5.25 miles in 45 minutes.

Today is more of the same weather wise so I essentially repeated yesterday's routine only I added 15 minutes to the run. 19 mile bike ride and a 7.25 mile run. I hammered a little harder on the bike today and was able to up the average mph by 1.0.

Hoping to get a swim in tomorrow but it doesn't look promising, the forecast is calling for more of the same. I briefly toyed with the idea of banging out some laps in our 20 foot pool but even I am not that crazy.

Weather not withstanding the vacation has been great so far. The house is phenomenal and the kids are playing together nicely (for the most part). Enjoying spending time with my sister Kerri, husband Jack and daughter Madison along with my parents, grandmother and Mike and Pat. Looking forward to the arrival of the O'Connor's and the rest of the Margis family next week! Will post tomorrow I have to run...I have a bloody Mary waiting for me on the deck.