Well, at least I didn't sink...

Tuesday, I was going to try to get a ride in, but didn't make it out of the office until after 5, so it was already starting to get dark. So I figured it was time to get the running shoes out again. I had set them aside during football season - running the sidelines with a lot of stop-and-go effort doesn't help the distance running. Didn't want to push it right off the bat, so I did a 30-minute run/walk. Felt pretty good.
Wednesday, I managed an earlier exit from work. Got home and changed clothes, got the road bike out and pedaled through the neighborhood to warm up. Once I got out of the 'hood onto a bigger (longer) road, I decided to work on a sprint. The first 5 miles was into the wind, so the 15-mph average didn't look too good. But once I turned for the next 7 (for some reason I was thinking the Rookie Tri is 12 miles of riding) I ended up managing an 18.6 avg overall. Yeah, yeah, I know - need some work there. But I have to get out of the 100-mile pace-yourself mentality.
The distances in the Rookie Tri are actually: 300 meter swim, 11.1 miles on the bike and a 2-mile run.
We were supposed to ride this morning, but it started raining last night and didn't quit until after noon. So, we decided to swim instead. It was kinda funny when we walked into the Rec Center and I swiped my card through the reader. Normally, it just beeps, but this time it played the tada trumpet. The lady behind the counter hollered "Happy Birthday" as I walked down the hall...anyway, the pool wasn't too crowded, and just as we walked into the pool area, two women who were sharing a lane were getting out, so the timing was perfect. We climbed in and did some warmups. I once again started out with a too-fast stroke, so I got a little winded after a couple of laps. But once I slowed down, I was able to swim longer between stops. I figured I would see how far I could go without a long break, given the slowness of my swimming. I managed a 300 meter swim, and didn't feel too winded. By this time most of the other swimmers had left the pool so I moved over to the next lane. I swam a 400 meter distance, and still didn't feel too bad, so I was pretty excited.
That first triathlon won't be an attempt at any great time -- goal number one is to just want to get through one and finish, and after today's swim, I feel like I can manage the swim okay, as long as I remember to not get ahead of myself. The swim is just the first leg, but now I am beginning to feel okay with it. So - I have the swim manageable, the bike definitely is doable with more sprint practice - now I just have to work up to a 2-mile run...
This is probably going to hurt tomorrow, isn't it? oh, well, tomorrow is an off day - I am volunteering at a off-road bike race.
So I am getting excited. I am going down this week and look at tri bikes and wetsuits! The next step is trying out a bike. I got fitted yesterday so am anxious to see what the tri bike feels like. The bike shop said I could road test one or two, for a few days at a time. Cool!

Hard Ride, Awesome Friends

So, this past weekend was difficult on the one hand, inspirational on the other. Saturday's ride was 60+ miles up Parmer to Andice. The turn off from Parmer to Andice I always hate, because of the rough chipseal road and all the vibrations that come with that part of the ride.

On the way back in (into the wind), I managed to flat the rear tire and had the usual fun of changing tires, combined with the fact that I grabbed the wrong size tube as a spare. By the time the wheel was fixed, and the guys had quit laughing at me, the wind had really picked up. By the time I made it back to Cool River, the legs were screaming at me. All in all, it WAS a good training ride.

Sunday brought the inspirational part of the weekend. I went to San Antonio to watch some of my TNT teammates, fellow football officials and a couple of ladies from work run the Rock n Roll Marathon. I took the bike so I could get around to different parts of the run without worrying about driving around closed roads, which turned out to be a very good decision. It is truly amazing to see the commitment and perseverance of so many runners. Some of my friends finished early and some late, some ran only the half-marathon. Even as a spectator, you feel the rush as those in your life run past you as you cheer them on. I applaud every one of the thousands of runners I watched that day. I particularly want to celebrate the effort of Kyle, who finished the full marathon 41st overall; Briana; Luis; Brandi; Stormy; Ethan; and Melonie.

With football season now over, I will be able to commit to the training plan for my first triathlon, the Rookie in May 2010, as well as riding with the team to prepare for the Triple Bypass ride in July. This is going to be a fun 9 months!

Off and running... and swimming ...and biking !!

Well, here is the first of what will be many notes. After having ridden a bike for the past 5 years, the last 2 with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training Cycling team (briefly interrupted by my second cardiac event), I have defined two goals for myself: 1) I along with some teammates will be riding the Triple Bypass ride in Colorado on July 10, 2010; and 2) I am going to attempt to complete my first triathlon, the Rookie Tri, on May 9, 2010 as well.

I figure some explanation is in order here...
The biking started in 2004 after the heart attack and 5 stents. Mostly casual exercise, I worked up to 3-4 times a week riding 20-25 miles each time. No major accomplishment for most cyclists, but when you start out breathing hard after the first 5 miles, I was really happy to see the computer increase in mileage and decrease in time, believe me. But joining TNT in 2007 was a big change for me in my cycling. Prior to that, I had never dreamed of riding a century ride. After all, anybody wanting to ride 100 miles at a time is a lunatic, right? Part of the deal with TNT is that you do the fundraising to support the fight against blood cancers, but to complete your event, you also get coaches, nutrition help, and mentors for the entire season.

To make a long story short, I have succeeded in completing 9 century rides since that first one in October 2007, and a whole bunch of training miles and less-than-100-mile pay rides. But this was interrupted in summer 2008 by a triple bypass operation. But hey - 5 of the 9 centuries came after the bypass. So it is all good!

Why these two goals specifically? Well the first seems obvious now, doesn't it? After all, how many triple bypass survivors have ridden and completed the Triple Bypass ride? Darn few, if any, I would imagine. So when I mentioned I wanted to do this particular ride, a few of my looney TNT teammates jumped all over it. Our plan is to just keep the pedals moving through the first of the year, and then work in a controlled training plan from January to July, go up a week ahead of time to acclimate, and ride all 120 miles, 3 mountain passes, and 10,300 feet of elevation change. No big deal, right? I will let you know. By the way - the Texas Bypass Team is going to be fundraising for LLS and the American Heart Association through this escapade, so if you are interested in supporting our efforts to fight cancer AND heart disease, email me and I will give you the info - and thanks!

The second goal isn't quite the story... fairly simple, really. After all these rides, and watching some good friends run marathons and compete in triathlons, I came to the conclusion that the cross-training would actually benefit me healthwise, and improve my cycling at the same time. The Rookie Tri is a short enough distance that I think I will be able to complete it with the right training, and help me to decide if I want to do anything longer in distance.
I will say now that I appreciate the support I have received in all these rides - and nobody laughs too loudly when I mention these two goals... thanks, all.

So, here we go -- stay tuned, and follow my "great" adventure!